After gathering her belongings, Tsubaki followed Ren from behind to exit his office. Once they were outside, he stopped in front of Assistant Matsuzaki's desk. He was working on some documents. The man was obviously startled to find his boss standing in front of him, looking fresher than a few hours ago.
"Go home. Leave them for tomorrow." Ren briefly gave instruction before leaving without waiting for his assistant's reply. He glanced at Tsubaki. "Come."
Tsubaki gave a small smile to the assistant, who was looking relieved with the prospect of going home early. Ren walked side by side with her, completely ignoring the not so subtle looks from the employees working outside his office. His thin lips curved upward when he noticed the lady beside him had lowered her head to avoid the attention.
He knew what she had been thinking about.
Once the elevator door opened, Ren gestured for Tsubaki to enter first. "After you."
Tsubaki smiled meekly. She quickly entered the elevator, hoping to get out of the embarrassing situation as soon as possible. She didn't dare to raise her head until the door was closed.
"Why were you looking down earlier? Was there something interesting on the floor?" Ren couldn't help himself from teasing her. His face was full of joy.
"The marble floor looked... exquisite."
Tsubaki bit her lips. What a stupid answer!
"Really?" Ren chuckled. He peered at the lady's red face.
So beautiful. And he was so in love.
"No..." Tsubaki sighed. "I just don't understand why your employees looked at me like I was some sort of a rare creature."
Thinking of their intense stare, she could only hope to disappear from their sight. What were they thinking?
"Because..." Ren parted his lips, eyes boring onto hers. "...you're the only woman I've allowed inside my office beside my employees. And I allowed you to use my private elevator. Of course your presence would attract their attention."
"What?" Tsubaki blinked, looked up at him. "What do you mean?"
"That means..." Ren raised his hand, brushing her bangs aside and tucking the stray strands of her hair behind her ear. "You're special." To me.
Her cheeks reddening, Tsubaki turned away from the man's captivating gaze. Her lips pouted, quite annoyed with the man's teasing. And more annoyed with the drumming of her heart.
What's wrong with him? How could he tease me like that? Did he change after taking a nap?
Ren suppressed the amused chuckle that had started bubbling up in his throat. He wanted to keep teasing her and saw her adorable pouting face but this wasn't a good time for that.
Approaching his car after exiting the elevator, Ren opened the door for Tsubaki. He drove to a traditional Japanese restaurant. Before unbuckling her seat belt, she stared confusedly at him.
"What are we doing here?"
"For lunch." Ren grabbed his wallet from the dashboard. "I haven't eaten lunch and so are you."
"Mr. Fuse, I..."
"I've promised, didn't I?" Ren cut her off. "I'm not lying. I'll tell everything after lunch, okay? We need to replenish our energy before that. It's not good to have an important talk when we're hungry."
Tsubaki could only follow his decision. He was right.
A young woman dressed in a beautiful kimono led both of them to a private room. They were seated in front of each other. A low wooden table was placed between them. The sound of water dripping onto a stream could be heard clearly. There was a beautiful and serene garden outside, much to her liking. It helped calming her nerves.
"Try this." Ren picked a piece of tempura. He placed it onto her rice. "It's your favourite, isn't it? This restaurant is famous for its delicious cuisines."
"Thank you." Tsubaki silently ate her meal. Sometimes she would sneak a look at the man's face. He indeed looked energised than before, thanks to the nap and lunch.
"I know you've been thinking a lot lately, Miss Hanada." Ren took a sip of his green tea. "And I'm sorry if I've made you confused. As I've said, I would tell you everything without a single lie."
Tsubaki placed the chopsticks down on the table. She wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. Sighing deeply, she returned the man's calm gaze.
"To be honest, ever since you came to my bakery I've nothing but suspicion over you."
"Why is that?" Ren asked in a gentle voice.
"You looked... kind of familiar." Tsubaki decided to be honest. "I wonder... if I've known you before?"
Ren smiled. "So, what do you think? I think you yourself already has the answer."
Tsubaki fiddled with the hem of her sleeves. She tried to control her nerves. Ren waited patiently for her to speak again. He understood that she was feeling anxious. After some time, she stopped fidgeting. She looked directly into his eyes, as if demanding him to be truthful.
"Do you... exist in my forgotten memories?"
Silence filled the room. The atmosphere turned gloomy. The man's calm expression turned rueful. Her heart wrenched seeing the lonely look on his face. He nodded.
"Yes."