Tsubaki unfastened the seatbealt once Ren parked his car in front of the Nagaos' apartment building. The sunlight was too bright, Tsubaki squinted her eyes unconsciously when she alighted the car. Ren took the paperbag from the back seat.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Ren asked as he noticed the strange expression on his wife's face.
"It's nothing," Tsubaki smiled, waving his worry off. "The sun is just too bright. Come. Let's go upstairs."
Ren nodded. He held her hand as they went to the stairs. Tsubaki couldn't help but feeling sweet when she saw his hand around hers. He never forgot to form even the smallest physical connection with her every time he could.
What to do? She would become more clingy if he always treated her like this.
Because her husband's hands were preoccupied, Tsubaki was the one who rang the bell. She waited nervously for the door to be opened. There was a steady sound of footsteps coming their way. It was different from Kouichi's light one or Aunt Ume's slow one.
"Who it is?"
When the door was opened, an unfamiliar face greeted Tsubaki and Ren. While they were looking at the man with confusion in their minds, the man's eyes widened as disbelief written on his face. His eyes were staring directly at Tsubaki, his mouth agape.
"Excuse me, is Madam Nagao inside?" Tsubaki quickly asked the man. She didn't recognize him. Was he a relative of the Nagaos?
But, it seemed like her words fall into deaf ears as the man didn't respond to her. His eyes were still focusing on Tsubaki. The emotions behind his eyes were indescribable. It was as if he was looking at someone he dearly missed.
"Mister?" Tsubaki waved her hand in front of him.
"Hinata?" The man muttered out the name.
The man suddenly stepped forward, his hands wanted to reach her. Tsubaki was startled. She took a step back from the man. Ren immediately came in between them, blocking the man from getting to his wife with his tall body. His eyes were cold when he looked at the man who was slightly shorter than him.
"Are you Kouichi's father?" His voice was stern. His brows furrowed as his apathy voice echoed in the hallway. "It seems like you've mistaken my wife as yours."
Ren's words snapped the man out of his senses. His hands slowly fall down, flailing at his sides. A layer of mist blurred his eyes. He lowered his head dejectedly.
"You must be... Mrs. Fuse that my mother has been talking about," the man said as he averted his eyes from their faces. "I'm sorry... for acting out of sorts... You really... look like her."
Tsubaki pursed her lips. She felt conflicted as she could see how the man's heart broke after hearing Ren's words. Never did she expect to see her late sister's husband in this circumstance.
Tsubaki gently tugged Ren's sleeve. Ren saw what she wanted to convey to him. Ren sighed regrettably because he let his emotions took over him. He wasn't supposed to act like that.
As the three of them remained in silence, Kouichi suddenly came running to them.
"Who it is, Daddy? Are they Uncle Ren and Aunt Tsubaki?"
Kouichi's little round face came poking out behind his father's legs. His eyes brightened and his smile widened once he saw his favorite people. The little bun immediately left his father's side and jumped toward Tsubaki.
"I missed you, Aunt Tsubaki!"
Tsubaki smiled as she caught the little guy. She fondly rubbed his soft head full of hair. "I missed you too! How are you doing?"
"I'm good! Come! Come! Grandma is inside!"
The little guy jumped off Tsubaki and ran inside his house. Kouichi's father reluctantly raised his head, he wasn't unwilling to look at the couple.
"Please... Come inside..."
"Thank you," Tsubaki replied, she was feeling guilty. Ren gave the man a curt nod. The couple followed the man to the small living room.
Once they stepped in the living room, they saw the older woman was lying on the bed tucked into a wall. Her face was pale and she lost the vigor they would always saw on her. Aunt Ume quickly propped her elbows to sit up when her eyes landed on the couple.
"You're here? I'm sorry for letting you see me like this," Aunt Ume let out a small laugh.
Tsubaki swiftly sat beside her. She helped the older woman to sit comfortably. Her hand reached for the nearby cushion and she placed it behind her back.
"How long you've been sick?" Worry flashed in Tsubaki's eyes. Her brows knitted as she looked at the woman's face. "Your body is slightly hot. Are you having a fever?"
"I just caught a small one, don't worry about me," Aunt Ume gently patted the back of Tsubaki's hand that was holding her arm. "I didn't expect you guys to come here today."
"We're sorry if we disturbed your resting time," said Ren, the rigid expression of his when he was facing Kouichi's father earlier had softened up. He had already sat on the tatami floor.
"I'm glad to see you guys again. And, it seems like..."
Aunt Ume trailed off. Her eyes went to her son who was now sitting awkwardly at the corner of the living room. By the look of it, she understood her son had been shocked by Tsubaki's appearance. She had heard the bits of their conversations before the couple entered.
"I'm sorry if my son had startled you," added Aunt Ume apologetically. "This is my son, Nagao Yuuto. He came home for a vacation."
Tsubaki averted her eyes to see the man's face. He looked so low in spirit as he hung his head low. No one could deny the sorrow and longing that were evident in his eyes.
The silence was suffocating.
"Mr. Nagao," Ren was the first one to break the silence. He turned his body to sit facing the man. "I'm sorry for acting rashly before. My name is Fuse Ren and this is my wife, Hanada Tsubaki."
Tsubaki knew what Ren meant by introducing her status to Mr. Nagao Yuuto. Even though the latter finally understood that she was not her late wife, but there was still a nagging doubt inside his heart.
To see someone who looked exactly his dear wife, how much have it shocked the poor man?
"Uncle! Uncle! What is that?"
Kouichi's cheery voice shattered the intense air around them. He ran to look at the paper bag beside Ren. Ren opened the bag and brought out the box containing ice cream cake. He pulled open its lid, revealing the creative design of the cake.
"Wow!" Kouichi sat down and looked at the cake with stars twinkling in his big, round eyes. "It's a cake! Is this for me?"
Ren smiled fondly. He nodded. "Yes. We brought donuts for you too. Do you want them?"
"I do! I do!" Kouichi suddenly got up. He began to circle the living room while his short hands went up and down in excitement. "Yes! I got a cake and donuts!"
As Kouichi was running around in joy, Yuuto silently stood up and leave the room. Tsubaki exchanged a look with Ren. Ren smiled, trying to reassure her that everything was fine.
"I'll talk to him," said Ren briefly. He rubbed Kouichi's little head as he spoke, "Let Aunt Tsubaki cut the cake for you. I'll be back with your father."
"Okay, Uncle!"
Ren have one last look at Tsubaki. Tsubaki smiled sadly. She let her husband went to Yuuto.
"Yuuto didn't believe it when I told him about you," Aunt Ume said from the side. "So, having finally met you made him so shocked. Even to this day, he still missed Hinata. I'm sorry if he seemed distant."
Tsubaki shook her head. Her smile didn't reach her eyes as she was busying herself to serve the cake and donuts on a table.
"Seeing someone who looked a lot like his beloved wife, I'm sure everyone who's in his shoes would act like that. And... Aunt Ume..." Tsubaki bit her lower lips in hesitation. She was so nervous as she added, "I have something to tell you. About me and Hinata."
Aunt Ume stared at Tsubaki's conflicted face. She gave the young lady a knowing look. She silently nodded her head.
"Go on. Tell me."
Tsubaki felt like her heart was caught in her throat.