"I've given you permission to use any of my cars, but you still want me to send you home?" asked Ren in disbelief as he stared at Takuma who was sitting lazily in the backseat through the rearview mirror.
"Don't be so stingy, cousin. I let you have the honor of sending me home," answered Takuma casually while playing with his long side-swept bangs. "I'm going back to Europe in a few days. You wouldn't even grant this small wish of mine?"
Ren let out a heavy sigh as he added, "It isn't like I don't know you just want to interrupt my alone time with Tsubaki."
"Bingo!" Takuma raised his thumb to Ren who was driving. "Your answer is correct! 100 marks for you!"
Tsubaki laughed when she saw her husband's sour face. His brows knitted while he gripped the steering wheel tightly. She raised her hand and placed it on her husband's, Ren's grip on the steering wheel loosened as he let go of it and held her hand.
He kissed her fingers one by one, deliberately doing so in front of Takuma who gasped seeing his aloof cousin being affectionate with his wife.
"I don't see anything... I don't see anything..."
Takuma rolled his eyes and leaned his head against the soft cushion of the back seat. He mumbled his dissatisfaction while looking outside the windows.
Ren smirked. He had achieved his objective.
Tsubaki continued to laugh.
After having breakfast, Ren and Tsubaki wanted to return to Spring Garden when suddenly Takuma jumped inside their car without any warning. Ren and Takuma bickered for a moment before finally, Tsubaki stepped in to end their childish argument. In the end, with a heavy heart, Ren drove his cousin home.
"Thank you for driving me home, President Fuse," said Takuma once they reached his family villa located in a residential area in the heart of the city. "I won't bother you two's lovey-dovey time anymore."
"It's better if you didn't bother us in the future," replied Ren with a stern gaze.
"I won't listen to you." Takuma looked at Tsubaki, winking at her. "Thank you for your delicious breakfast, cousin-in-law. I'll honor myself by going to your home for your home-cooked meals later."
"If Ren allows you, that's it," replied Tsubaki as she glanced at Ren who was satisfied with her answer.
"Ouch! Even you don't want me? Alright, I'll excuse myself to mend my broken and lonely heart."
Takuma smiled crookedly as he raised his brows. He turned around and waved them goodbye without looking back anymore. He finally disappeared inside the three-story villa.
"Good riddance," Ren mumbled once he saw his cousin had disappeared from his sight.
Tsubaki giggled. She squeezed Ren's hand, trying to comfort him. "Takuma is a nice person. I'm glad you have someone like him in your childhood."
She knew how desolate her husband's childhood was. Both of his parents passed away when he was just started to learn about the world. Grandma said Ren was aloof even before the passing of his parents, but he still acted cheeky whenever he was around them. Making friends was difficult since he wasn't easy to open up to someone else.
"He's great except when he's trying to prank me," Ren held his forehead, feeling tired so early in the morning because he needed to deal with Takuma's eccentricity.
"You said you're not going to the office today?" Tsubaki asked as Ren was reversing the car.
"I took two days off. So, my time for today and tomorrow belong to you entirely," answered Ren with a sneaky smile on his face.
"Okay~ I appreciate that, hubby."
They left the residential area and headed to Spring City. Their initial plan to go home was forsaken when Ren thought of the coming summer. Looking at the dainty lady beside him, he was tempted to buy her a couple of new summer dresses.
But, most importantly he just wanted to bring her to a date.
Once Ren handed his keys to the valet at the basement car park, he held Tsubaki's hand and walked to the elevator. Since it was a weekday with most people were at their respective workplaces, the shopping complex wasn't bustling with people.
"Where are we going?"
Tsubaki cast interested gaze around her surroundings. She rarely came here since most shops catered to the upper-middle class and above which meant more money was needed to shop here. But she loved the decorations of the complex.
"Summer is coming, sweetheart. I want to buy you dresses for summer," Ren answered her with a smile. He leaned down and sneakily kissed her forehead.
"What? But I have a lot of dresses already!"
Tsubaki was perplexed as she was reminded of her new dresses at their home in Spring Garden and the old house. Even she herself didn't know how long would it take for her to finish wearing all those dresses.
"That's for spring, sweetheart. I haven't bought you any dress for summer." Ren was adamant about his decision. He pulled Tsubaki to follow him inside a boutique.
"But... I recall that the rest of my dresses for other seasons are stored in the cloakroom? Grandma told me once." Tsubaki tried to pull her hand from Ren's grip but he tightened his hold on her.
"Can't you just let your husband pamper you?" Ren asked while raising his brows.
"No. I have many dresses already," Tsubaki continued to refuse. She didn't mind being stared strangely at by the sales girls of the boutique who saw they bickering. "Why don't we just buy your clothes?"
Ren shook his head. "I never lack anything so you shouldn't worry about me." Looking at one of the sales girls, he added, "Miss, please bring us to the latest collection of summer dresses."
"Please come this way, mister, missus." One of them showed them to a side.
While Tsubaki was still thinking about how to stop Ren from buying her dresses, a loud voice coming from her back. She startled, turning around almost reflectively.
"President Fuse, I'm glad to see you here!"
A woman in a navy suit suddenly appeared from the room behind the counter. She approached Ren with a large smile on her face. From her suit, Tsubaki knew she wasn't an ordinary salesgirl.
"I'm here to buy my wife's new dresses. Do you have the new collection for summer?" Ren asked as he scanned around the boutique.
The boutique they entered was one of the top boutiques frequented by most socialites in the city. It was a famous brand from overseas. Even though the price for each outfit was staggeringly high, it wasn't a problem for these ladies born with money. But this brand did release outfits for the middle class with much lower price, allowing them to experience the beauty of the brand.
"The collection for this year's summer is over here," said the woman while gesturing to a row of mannequins donning beautiful summer dresses on them.
"Come." Ren tugged Tsubaki to follow him, much to Tsubaki's dismay.
It was at this moment her eyes landed on a pair of a male outfit - a short sleeve shirt paired with a slim fit three-quarter pants. Suddenly, she envisioned Ren as the model.