Minato's sudden appearance caused Fumiko to break in cold sweats.
"Minato-san, please," she begged in a low voice. "Please, don't."
Grandpa Takigawa slammed a hand on the tatami mat angrily before he started scolding his grandson.
"Minato-san, mind your manners. At least knock at the door before you open the door so abruptly. Are you entering or are you not? Don't just stand there!"
"Of course, Grandpa, my apologies," Minato spoke without a hint of remorse. He stepped into the living room and took a seat next to Midori, just opposite Fumiko.
The temperature inside the room seemed to drop by several degrees after Minato made his appearance.
Grandpa Takigawa's gaze wandered between Fumiko and Minato for a while before it settled on Minato.
"Shuugo-san has told me everything about your wish to dissolve the match arrangement between you and Fumiko-san. I told him to give you several days to think about it. It seems that you have not changed your mind."
"Naturally," Minato replied in a casual tone. "I have not."
Grandpa Takigawa turned to look at Midori.
"Midori-san, Chie-san, this is a private matter between Minato-san and Fumiko-san. Please excuse us."
Wordlessly, the two women rose to their feet.
Fumiko grabbed Chie's hand in a desperate attempt to make her stay, but the latter shook her head to indicate that there was nothing she could do to help this time.
Fumiko had to fight for her man's affection.
"Excuse us."
Midori and Chie left the room, and Chie slid the door close behind her.
It was time for her afternoon bath, thus Midori sauntered toward the staircase.
She barely arrived at the bottom of the staircase when Chie called out to her.
"Midori-san, with all due respect, I must say that your return has caused significant upheaval within this household."
Midori chuckled.
"Chie-san, maybe the upheaval started when you joined this family," she countered her sister-in-law's biting remark with another of her own.
Chie's lips curled up into a sneer.
"I don't think so."
"Well, I do."
"Unfortunately Chie-san, we have to agree that we will never see eye-to-eye," Midori said.
Her goal was to expel the sisters from her residence or at least erode their authority.
"At least we agree on that one point."
Just then, an abrupt chime echoed through the room, prompting Onizuka to dash towards the foyer. Chie and Midori's attention was drawn to the front door.
A hint of mockery flickered in Chie's eyes when she spotted the guest, who was still concealed from Midori's perspective.
"Do you want some wagashi, Midori-san?" she asked, her voice as sweet as honey. "I ordered some for tea today. Too bad he came a little late."
Midori's heart turned cold when she heard the word "wagashi". She could not help but shoot death stares at the person who stepped into the entrance hall with two boxes of wagashi in his hands.
Ryouichi Koishikawa looked dashing in his deep blue kimono and traditional Japanese-style sandals. His impeccably styled hair, swept neatly to the side, accentuated his refined appearance, making him appear more like a participant in a spring festival than a wagashi deliveryman.
"Midori-san," he choked out. "I have been looking forward to seeing you again."
Chie gracefully slid toward Ryouichi.
"Oh, my," she said. "Ryouichi Koishikawa-san, am I right? I did not expect you to come deliver the wagashis yourself."
"Ah.. yes. Madam Takigawa, apologies for the intrusion and late delivery. I was hoping for a chance to talk to Midori-san in private."
Chie took the two boxes of wagashi out of Ryouichi's hands.
"No worries. Midori-san is looking forward to catching up with you. There's ample time for conversation before dinner. Please join us, Ryouichi-san."
"I... Thank you very much, Madam Takigawa!" Ryouichi bowed before Chie as if the latter was one of the goddesses he worshipped.
Midori let out a disgusted sound before she turned on her heels and proceeded to climb the stairs.
"Midori-san, please."
Midori gritted her teeth. She whipped around and glared at Ryouichi.
"Ryouichi-san, pardon me, but I am not interested in hearing anything that you have to say. The mere thought of going back to the Koishikawa family fills me with dread. I am never returning to those horrible three years of marriage with you, ever again!"
"No, Midori-san! You are mistaking me!"
Ryouichi cautiously climbed the stairs, halting one step below Midori to facilitate an eye-to-eye conversation.
"I want to restart everything with you. We don't have to go back to the Koishikawa family's main house. I will buy a new house for us, just for the two of us."
Midori let out a burst of cheerless laughter.
"The dream of every girl," she mocked. "Feels like I heard this empty promise before. When? Hmm, let me think about it. It has to be sometime three years ago. Ah yes. It was when you proposed to me for the first time. Please leave, Ryouichi-san."
Midori proceeded to move further up the stairs, but Ryouichi grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving.
"Midori-san, I never said that I was not guilty. I broke my promise to you. I was the one responsible for our failed marriage. All I am asking for is a second chance!"
"And what makes you think that you deserve any second chance? In fact..."
A bitter wind seemed to blow across Midori's heart as she recalled the woman who stood between her and Ryouichi like a monstrous shadow. It wasn't just their marriage she'd cast a pall over; the woman had been there long before Midori even knew Ryouichi's name.
Midori jabbed one finger into Ryouichi's chest.
"What game are you playing, Ryouichi-san? Don't waste your breath pursuing me. I need you no more. Go to Hanae. She's the one who needs you now. You've shielded her all your life, don't abandon her when she's most vulnerable. She's your second chance, Ryouichi. Now, please, let me go."
Ryouichi remained stubborn as a mule. He held Midori close as he spoke in a low voice, "Midori, you have suffered a lot in Kagemachi, but you are wrong about Hanae-san. She is not what you think she is."
Before Midori said anything in return, the door of the living room slid open and Grandpa Takigawa stepped out while shouting angrily, "You do not have my blessings to marry that woman! You better pick another if you still wish to remain within the Takigawa family!"