After the wedding, what followed next was their honeymoon trip.
"Ah, the air is cooler here," Tsubaki rubbed her arms as she looked around the area surrounding the resort where they stayed.
The resort was located on an elevated plain. The view of the entire mountain resort town spread out in front of her, blending in with the greenery of the foot of the mountain. It was a truly spectacular view.
While Tsubaki was enjoying the view, a certain someone came from behind and pulled her. Her back was met with a familiar sturdy chest. Tsubaki let out a giggle.
"Darling, shouldn't we go to take a look around now?" With a tilt of her chin, Tsubaki grinned at her husband.
Ren dropped a kiss on her forehead. One of his hands was gently caressing her round tummy, "Don't you want to rest first? The food won't go anywhere, sweetheart. I know you're aiming for the food."
Tsubaki shot him a glare. Ren snickered before he captured her lips.
"So?" He breathed over her lips, "Do you want to rest first or just straight going to the market?"
"To the market!"
Food was more important than rest!
"Hahaha!"
Ren was amused as he caught the underlying meaning of her words. He bundled her up before they went out of the resort.
They had to ride a car if they wanted to reach the market. Ren drove by himself instead of relying on his guards. He just wanted to spend some alone time with his dear wife. Tsubaki hummed a song as she watched the scenery outside the car window.
Soon, they arrived at the market.
The market was filled with tourists. Both the right and left sides of the market were packed with people coming and going. People drove the cars or rode the bikes slowly on the road in between the market to avoid accidents.
"Where should we go first?" Ren extended a hand, "Do you want to eat?"
Tsubaki quickly hooked her hand around his arm, "En, let's look around first."
"Okay."
They went from one store to the other. Tsubaki had fun trying on every little thing she found. Ren just complied with her wishes. He was glad because she didn't seem too tired as usual.
Everything had been going on smoothly.
Her mother had been found. President Souma stopped bothering them. And, although her mother was gravely ill, at least his wife could still accompany her for the end of her days.
Even so...
Ren was still disturbed by the accident that had yet to be uncovered its truth.
All of his assumptions weaved in his mind, only directing to one cause but...
Should he directly bring it up?
Would he see her in tears if he did so?
"...ling? Darling?"
"...Ah?"
Worry lingered in Tsubaki's brows. She waved one hand in front of him, looking slightly concerned, "Are you okay?"
When she wanted to show him the interesting toy in her hands, Tsubaki found that her husband was being in a daze. His eyes appeared so complicated as if his mind was burdened by something.
It was rare to see him like this so she couldn't help but worry.
"Ah, sorry. It's nothing," Ren quickly withdrew from his troubled state of mind. His eyes fell on the wooden toy in her hands. His eyes flickered, "Do you want to buy it?"
The wooden toy was carved into a shape of a bunny. Its tummy could be opened with a press on the button at its tail. Once it was pushed, it would reveal the inside of its tummy, showing a small bunny inside of it.
It was a mother and child pair.
"Don't you think it's cute?" Tsubaki gently tapped on the bunny's head, "I didn't expect to find the bunny's child inside its tummy. The salesgirl showed it to me."
Ren's eyes bent as he smiled, "Then, let's buy it."
Tsubaki laughed in glee as she looked at the bunny properly sealed inside a paper bag. Then, on a whim, she patted on her belly next. A beautiful arc curved on her lips as her eyes gleamed in anticipation.
Ren wanted to flick her forehead for looking cute yet silly.
Both of them continued to wander around in the market. They buy souvenirs for their family and subordinates on the last day. For now, both of them wanted to focus on themselves.
"Sweetheart, let's sit down first," Ren gestured to a bench under a tree, "We've been walking nonstop. Your feet might be aching now."
"Oh, hehe," Tsubaki laughed awkwardly.
Did he notice?
Under her husband's persistence, Tsubaki followed him to take a seat on the vacant bench. She grimaced in pain once she sat down.
The pain was bearable while she was walking earlier but, once she sat, sudden sharp pain rose up in her body.
"Tsubaki?" Ren was concerned as he saw his wife's change of expression.
"It's nothing. It's nothing," Tsubaki quickly waved him off, "I just have to rest for a bit. It's nothing, really."
The pain doubled because she was carrying twins. Tsubaki silently looked at her round tummy. Soon, it would be hard for her to bend down to reach for something as her tummy would hinder her movement.
"I should go and buy snacks and drinks," Ren looked around him. His gaze was focused on a snack shop on the other side of the market, "Do you want cinnamon rolls and hot tea?"
"Sounds perfect!" Tsubaki smacked her lips, "Ah, darling, I want Earl Grey."
"Okay," Ren patted her head, "Wait here. I'll go and buy some."
Tsubaki nodded. She waved at him as her husband made his way to the edge of the pedestrian lane, waiting to cross over the road. Once there was no car passing through, he ran toward the snack shop.
Ren turned around after he had safely crossed the road. Their eyes met. Tsubaki chuckled seeing him looking at her intently. He repeatedly gestured to make sure she just stayed there.
It wasn't like she would be kidnapped in broad daylight, ah!
And, kidnapping a heavily pregnant woman was not an easy task.
Tsubaki saw her worrywart husband joined the queue for the snack shop. She took the opportunity to browse through the gallery inside her phone. They had taken quite a lot of pictures together.
"Aye, I really feel like dreaming right now," She sighed softly.
There were times when she felt everything was so dreamy-like. Tsubaki had to thank her husband for wholeheartedly loving her. If not because of his pure dedication to her, Ren wouldn't find her back after five years he disappeared from her life.
The tips of her fingers twitched.
Tsubaki was in a daze as her eyes fell on the photo they took in front of a fountain in the market.
There were times when she thought she was dreaming.
Up until now, she felt like she was floating on clouds, skipping on the soft cushion of the white clouds.
Yet, when she saw his eyes brimming with tenderness, she would slowly land on the ground, facing the reality with him.
Tsubaki fiddled with her wedding ring. Her lips into a curved smile.
"Sweetheart!"
"En?"
Tsubaki lifted up her chin, her eyes were directly seeing her beloved standing across the road.
"Ah... Hahaha," Tsubaki laughed happily.
It was amusing to see her husband was grinning foolishly while waving at her with one hand. In the other, he was cradling a paper bag containing the snacks and drinks.
"What is he doing? Shooting a drama?" Tsubaki laughed again.
Ren made a gesture that he would return soon. Tsubaki was all smiles as she continued staring at them.
Ren turned to look at the left and right. As he saw the cars were still far from him, he took a step to cross the road back to his wife.
Screech....
"Someone! HELP!"
Tsubaki stiffened. Her eyes turned to look at a fast-approaching car. A baby stroller wheeled by itself to the center of the road, exactly in the path of the car.
While she was frozen stiff, a figure dashed forward to the stroller. A familiar paper bag dropped on the road, spilling the drinks and snacks.
"REN!"
BANG!
At this moment, Tsubaki felt her entire body froze. Only her eyelashes and lips trembled. She forced herself to move, to stand up yet her body refused to follow her will.
"No... Ren... Please... Ren! Ren!"
Right in front of her, where she had just been looking at her husband a few seconds ago, was now unfolding into a horrifying scene.
A car crashed into the nearest lamp pole. A baby was wailing loudly from the stroller. A mother cried in relief and anguish. The passers-by hurried to the car accident scene.
"Move aside! Move aside! Move!"
Tsubaki pushed through the crowd. Panic was deeply embedded in her heart. Her face turned ghastly pale each second passed.
"...!"
Once she got to the front of the accident scene, her heart jumped to her throat the moment she saw blood spilling on the ground.
"...No, Ren... Ren..."
"Tsubaki!"
Tsubaki wanted to look in the direction of the owner of the voice. Yet, before she could do so, dark spots started forming in her eyes. In the last seconds, she thought she saw her husband was running to her.
He's... safe?
Tsubaki reached out a hand, only to feel it dropped to her side.
Then, her world was plunged into darkness.