There was still no news from Akashi even after a few days. Tsubaki passed her days in her normal routine as she pushed the matter to the back of her mind. She would be upset thus affecting her overall mood if she continued thinking of it so she heeded to Ren's advice to stop pushing herself.
Yet, she didn't know why but she felt extremely excited today
"Sweetheart?"
"..."
"Sweetheart?"
"En?"
Tsubaki jerked up her chin, she blankly stared at her husband before she shook her head, clearing what was muddling inside her mind.
A hint of worry was evident in Ren's dark eyes as he extended a hand before he placed it on Tsubaki's forehead. He carefully felt her temperature. A relief sigh escaped his lips.
"You've been in a daze, why?"
Ren placed down his chopsticks on the table. They were currently eating breakfast a bit later than usual since both of them slept in until 7:30 AM. His schedule was a bit free this morning so even though he had woke up before dawn, he continued embracing her to sleep. He was so glad because his wife didn't have to suffer another bout of morning sickness today.
"Aa? Nothing, really," Tsubaki softly shook her head. "Maybe I'm still sleepy, so that's why..."
Having said that, Tsubaki quickly stuffed a piece of salmon inside her mouth.
Ren saw the faint excitement in her eyes so he couldn't help but smile. She was obviously thinking of their trip later. Well, he too since he wanted to surprise her.
Ren resumed eating but occasionally he would pick any of the side dishes and placed it in her bowl. His gaze was serene as he watched her eating at ease.
At 9 AM, both of them stepped out from their home. Ren wanted to bring his wife to someplace in the afternoon but since he needed to make a quick trip to the company, they left earlier.
"You said you want to bring me somewhere but is that okay?" Tsubaki asked with a doubt. She glanced at her husband who was driving smoothly beside her. "Today is still not the weekend."
Ren smiled lightly at her, his free hand twirling her fingers softly. "I've finished most of the arduous tasks yesterday. Plus, what Takuma is there for if he couldn't cover for me? He should be grateful because I didn't leave everything to him."
His words made Tsubaki laughed funnily. She should feel sorry for the poor young man but since his sacrifice meant extra time for her husband to be with her, she no longer felt any pity for Takuma.
The company was bustling with people by the time they arrived. Since most of the employees had seen Tsubaki during her previous visits before, they gave her a welcoming smile and a respectful bow. She returned them with a smile and a light nod as she followed Ren inside his exclusive elevator.
"I'll be in the meeting room," Ren opened the door of his office, he gestured for Tsubaki to walk inside first before he did the same. "If you need anything, you can call anyone in the secretarial department. I'll be quick."
"It's okay," Tsubaki smiled at her husband. "Just go and do what you have to do. I'll just sit here."
Ren sighed. He briefly kissed her forehead before he left with a regretful smile.
Tsubaki laughed softly as she waved him goodbye. The door closed again.
Silence fell in the room. Tsubaki spun on her heels, she began walking around the spacious office. Nothing much had changed since her last visit here except for one addition on the wide mahogany working table.
A small ultrasound photo was posted on the photo frame of the two of them during their early summer trip the other day. Her lips curled up into a smile especially when she saw his handwriting on the ultrasound photo.
Our child.
It was short and decisive, following his nature.
Tsubaki hovered her fingertips on the photo. She couldn't help from letting warmth surging tide in her heart. She looked down toward her slightly protruding belly. It wasn't too obvious so even though she was still wearing her usual clothes, other people couldn't see it.
This child was still so small and she had yet to pass the first three months of pregnancy. Tsubaki heard that generally, a new mother's tummy wouldn't show the bump until later around 13 to 14 weeks. She noticed that her waist had grown thicker in the last two weeks.
Her hands went over her tummy. A contented smile spread on her face.
It was a little over 12 when Ren finally emerged from the meeting room. A few officials dispersed behind him while Matsuzaki and Takuma followed him until they reached the President's office. But, when Ren suddenly stopped his footsteps in front of the door without showing any intention to open it, both of them looked confusedly at him.
"Dear Mr. President, don't you want to go inside?" Takuma asked with his brows slightly arching.
"My wife is inside. She might be sleeping, you guys would just disturb her," Ren answered swiftly.
Takuma and Matsuzaki "..."
Okay, fine. So, should they as single people just go now?
"Matsuzaki, I'd be out of the city and would return tomorrow. Contact me if there's anything this guy couldn't handle," Ren pointed a finger toward Takuma. "If there's nothing, don't disturb me. I've finished everything I should. You just need to follow up on all of them."
"What? Where are you going?" Takuma was surprised by the sudden workload. He could suddenly foresee how his day would end. "You didn't mention anything yesterday."
"I need to bring Tsubaki to a place," Ren lifted up a corner of his lips, he was obviously smirking toward his cousin. He raised his hand and patted the younger man's shoulder. "Thank you for your hard work, cousin."
"What? Hey!"
Before Takuma could protest, Ren had already entered his office. The door closed right in front of his nose. He stared at the door in disbelief. He was so annoyed until he couldn't say anything.
"Master Takuma, it's better you return to your office soon," Matsuzaki said from his side. "If you want to get off work on time, that is."
Takuma "...!"
Inside the office, Ren found Tsubaki was napping on the long couch. He quietened his steps as he approached her. Ren sat on the coffee table, he bent down and gently waking her up.
"Sweetheart, get up," Ren brushed her bangs that fell on one side of her face, he saw her eyelashes fluttered.
"En..."
Tsubaki rubbed her eyes before she looked at her smiling husband. Her lips bloomed into a sweet smile. "You're done?"
"Yes." Ren nodded. He leaned over and helped her to sit up. "I'm sorry it took quite some time. We could leave now. Do you want to have lunch first?"
"I'm alright, how about you?" Tsubaki wasn't too hungry right now as they had late breakfast before coming here. "Is the place you want to bring me far from here? If not, we could eat there."
"It'd take around 2 hours from here," Ren said truthfully. He glanced at his wristwatch, the clock showing 12:15 PM. "I've brought crackers and cut fruits for you to snack in the car. If you're really not hungry, it'd be best to have our late lunch at the place."
"It's decided then."
Tsubaki stood up. She smoothened her skirt that had been wrinkled slightly when she was napping. Her husband got on his feet too. Her handbag was in his right hand while his wife's slender fingers interlocked with his left hand.
"Let's go," Ren smiled.
"En." Tsubaki nodded happily. She was so excited to see where would he bring her.
The car passed the skyscrapers in the city until they entered the expressway. The scenery around them changed gradually. Right now, Tsubaki could only see rows of tall trees on either side of the road. As the clouds dispersed above them, a calm blue sky was revealed in their eyes. It was like a beautiful masterpiece from a master painter. Tsubaki couldn't help but smile as she enjoyed the tranquility.
Eventually, the car arrived in one residential neighborhood. It was a far cry from the luxurious condominium and penthouse that Tsubaki could easily spot in the city center but she was more at peace looking around this place.
Ren didn't stop driving until they reached an intersection far from the neighborhood entrance. Countless ginkgo trees stood tall alongside the road. This place would be so beautiful later once autumn arrived as the golden ginkgo leaves fell from the trees.
Eventually, Tsubaki saw a two-story cottage in front of her. The car entered the cottage lawn before it stopped in front of the porch.
"Darling..." Tsubaki was speechless. She suddenly got an inkling. "Don't tell me..."
Ren gave her a knowing smile. He reached out and helped her unbuckled her seat belt. "Let's go out first."
"En."
Once Tsubaki got off the car, she quickly rounded it and went to take a good look at the cottage. It was painted white unlike the cottage built with red brick walls she had always encountered in fairytale books yet this place appeared so welcoming to her. The lawn surrounding the cottage was so vast and she easily could picture a flowerbed or two once the spring came. A white gazebo was built at the right side of the lawn, perfect with a set of a garden table made from wrought iron.
"How's your first impression of this cottage? Do you like it?" Ren stepped at her side, he took her hand in his before he quietly rubbed circles at the center of her palm.
"Yes! I love it!" Tsubaki answered with a smile so bright it made his heart skipped a beat.
Ren curled up his lips. He looked so satisfied with her answer.
"If you like this house and this place, we could move here," Ren gently led her to take a careful look at the surroundings. He placed his hand around her waist as they walked on the green grass. "And if you want to look at somewhere else, I could bring you there too."
"I believe you have done your research over this place," Tsubaki smiled softly. "I think this place is perfect. I love the peacefulness that I feel here. It's quite far from the city center but this is the kind of place that I love."
Ren nodded. His gaze exuded tenderness as he stared at his wife.
Truth be told, he had done countless research before he finally chose this place. The security around this neighborhood was good with almost zero crime rate. The people here were kind and responsible for maintaining their calm livelihood. He had come here twice without telling her. As he observed this place, he had grown to love it.
"But, we still need to think of your bakery," Ren paused his steps, he looked down to his wife. "It'd be troublesome for you to travel from here to the city center on a daily basis. I still have some suggestions if you want to live near the city."
As much as he loved this place, he couldn't disregard what she had worked hard for.
"En... about the bakery," Tsubaki thought for a moment, she actually had this idea for a long time but she hadn't voiced out to him. "I plan on selling my business to Yoshie. She's interested in business management and my suggestion is well-received by her."
"What?" Ren's pupils dilated in surprise. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Tsubaki nodded resolutely. "I've been saving quite a lot and I've planned to open a small bakery or cafe in the suburbs. It doesn't have to bring in lots of money as long as it could support our living."
She had wanted to live in simplicity but Ren's world right now forbade her to do so. Even though he had been accommodating to her needs to make her felt at home, she still longed for a more simple life.
They would always be a part of the high and mighty Fuse Family but by living here, the days they would need to face the upper class would turn less.
"Alright, if you say so," Ren didn't find any fault in her decision. As long as she wanted it, he would help her grant her wish.
"We could talk more about this later," Tsubaki giggled freely, the sound of her sweet laugh lingered in the air. "So, what else do you want to tell me about this place?"
Ren smiled lightly. "Let's go to the backyard, I want to show you something."
Both of them walked around the cottage, heading to the backyard.
The backyard was spacious, more than the front yard. A set of garden table was placed near a clear stream at the end of the yard. The green grass grew until they almost reached their ankles.
But, what had attracted Tsubaki's attention the most was the row of ginkgo trees aligned in the yard.
"Darling..."
Ren pulled her closer to him by her shoulders, his voice was light and airy as he said, "As you've loved this place, let's have our wedding photos taken here once autumn comes. We should take them here, at our new home."
Tsubaki shifted her gaze from the ginkgo trees to his smiling face. His eyes carried tenderness that no one had shown her. At this time, under the soft light of the sun, she was so tempted to kiss him.
In the end, she nodded with blush coloring her cheeks. "En."
"There's a kindergarten and primary school here and their reputations are good," Ren added as they took a stroll in the backyard. "I believe this place is suitable for our children."
Tsubaki's heart fluttered at the mention of their children. Her husband had gone above and beyond in making sure she would love this place and for their children to have a safe and happy home. In the spur of the moment, she wiggled free from his embrace.
"Our children would love this place as much as we do," Tsubaki breathed her words softly in the quietness. She gently clasped the lapels of his jacket as she tiptoed, "Thank you, darling."
With that, she closed the distance between their lips.
He closed his eyes as he bent down to accept her kiss.
The wind blew past them, fluttering the end of the young lady's skirt as they were immersed in their own world. As the sunlight shone on them, two beautiful silhouettes cast on the grass below them.