Spring Blooms When I'm With You

To celebrate their return, the hawkers who knew them gave additional service to top off the things the couple bought. By the end of their shopping trip, the eco bag in Ren"s hand was already full with countless things.

"It isn"t bad, getting things for free," Ren whistled in amus.e.m.e.nt when he took a look inside the compartments of the eco bag. The vegetables, meats and poultry were totally fresh, unlike the ones sold in the city.

"You sound like you don"t have money, darling." Tsubaki couldn"t help but laugh funnily. "They"d be so shocked once they knew they gave so many items for free to a man who"s a president of a top company."

"No, sweetheart," Ren quickly corrected his wife. "Do you forget I"m actually poor right now? All my money and a.s.sests have gone to you."

Tsubaki playfully slapped his arm while her round eyes glaring at him. Ren chuckled, he pinched her nose.

"That"s enough," Tsubaki purposely whined, she held her husband"s hand in an attempt to subdue him. "We should return home soon. I want to organize the items we bought."

"Alright. Let"s go home." Ren agreed.

The sun had rose high over the sky, the temperature began to rise. The couple had just wanted to leave when they caught a sight of a group of man dressing neatly entering the market.

"En? What the village head doing here?"

Tsubaki recognized the man who was wearing a slightly baggy suit, talking to a bespectacled man at the center of the group. It was their village head.

"Maybe he leads a group of officials here," Ren concluded.

From the way the group of men wearing suits even under the hot sun and the way they carried themselves, he was sure they came from the town hall.

"You"re right."

The husband and wife moved to the left, afraid of colliding with the group. The village head was speaking in an animated way to the leader of the officials. Several hawkers greeted them when they stopped at each of the stalls. The village head"s loud voice boomed as he greeted them with hands clasping together.

"Good morning, Mr. Taki! How"s your business today?"

"Do you have any problem with your farm lately, Mr. Hattori?"

"Your black bean tofu is as delicious as ever, Aunt Ayame!"

When Tsubaki saw they stopped at the stall selling tofu, she suddenly remembered that she planned to make cold tofu soup for lunch today. Tsubaki quickly pulled her husband toward the stall once the group moved to the next one.

"h.e.l.lo, Grandma Ayame," Tsubaki greeted the old woman with a smile. The expression on her face was enough to show that she didn"t expect to see the two of them here.

"It is you, Tsubaki?" Grandma Ayame exclaimed in a loud voice, soon to be drowned in the noise of the market. "Since when did you come back? I"ve never seen you for ages!"

Tsubaki smiled apologetically. She had heard the same words since she began shopping, most of them were so shocked to see her. More over when they saw Ren beside her. Grandma Ayame wasn"t excluded when she stared wide-eyed at Ren who was nodding his head respectfully to her.

"You... Shouto?"

Ren smiled with a slight nod. "Yes. It has been such a long time. Are you in good health, Grandma Ayame?"

"Of course! I could still live for another hundred of years!" The old lady smacked her chest as she puffed it up, showing them how healthy she was.

The three of them continued to chat before Tsubaki finalized her purchase. In the midst of their chatting, a pair of eyes looked at them with horror. In the sea of people, the man looked so terrified as he stared at the young man and young lady standing not far from him.

Why did they are here?

When did they arrive?

"Mr. Kurosawa?"

"..."

"Mr. Kurosawa, are you okay?"

The man quickly snapped out of his senses. He returned his focus to the bespectacled man opposite him. He tried to smile yet his face contorted in awkward lines.

"Yes... Mr. Maeda?"

The bespectacled man looked around the market with a satisfying look in his eyes. The bustling crowd didn"t make him felt left out. It was such a pleasant sight to see.

"Your village"s economy is surely booming in these few years. I"m so glad you reached out for me to help you with the fund that you collected. The higher-ups in the city are planning to hold a travel program here, considering the improved landscapes of this village."

"I"m... so glad to hear that..."

Mr. Kurosawa tried to sneak a glance at the couple but he didn"t expect to be met with a pair of icy cold eyes. He averted his gaze, trying to look at anything or anyone but him.

He looked so scary!

He felt the chilling stare even while he was walking away from the stall.
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Tsubaki took the tofu wrapped in papers from Grandma Ayame. She couldn"t resist from smiling when she was reminded of the old lady"s delicious tofu. She bought the plain one as well as Grandma Ayame"s famous black bean tofu.

It was so good coming back to her hometown. She didn"t realized she was actually missing the taste of her childhood and youth.

Tsubaki tilted her head up, looking at her husband"s side profile. He was staring at the group of the officials who was currently moving toward the lane selling fruits.

"Dear, what are you looking at?"

Ren turned his head toward the sound of her voice. A small smile graced his handsome face, dissipating the coldness he felt a few moments earlier. He lightly shook his head.

"It"s nothing, sweetheart. Time to go home?" Ren took the wrapped tofu from Tsubaki"s hands, he placed them inside the eco bag carefully.

"Yes. We"ve been here for so long," Tsubaki let out a giggle. "It"s going to be noon, soon."

"En." Ren smiled. He took one of her hands in his. "Let"s go home."

They bid goodbye to Grandma Ayame who teased them for being so affectionate in public. Tsubaki laughed in glee as she waved her hand at the old woman. Ren just nodded his head respectfully. Before they left the market, he bought a cup of cold drink to be shared with his wife.

"I like this," Tsubaki suddenly blurted out as they were halfway home.

"You mean, going to the market? Or doing simple, ordinary things like this?" Ren asked in a soft voice, a layer of tenderness formed in his eyes as he looked at her smiling face.

"Both," Tsubaki answered. "Life in the city is too hectic, I actually missed my life in this village."

"It really suits you, sweetheart," Ren agreed.

He knew how she lived before they met again. Her life would be so full of schedule, from operating her bakery to taking care of Satsuki at the hospital. Even after they met again, the busyness of her life didn"t subside although Satsuki was no longer hospitalized.

From having to adjusting her life with him to another events happening along the way, a quiet day was so rare to get.

"We would have our peaceful and ordinary days too," Ren said as he recalled his plans after giving his position to Tak.u.ma.

"En?" Tsubaki was confused, she didn"t understand her husband"s words. "Isn"t our life peaceful already?"

Ren leaned his head down as he laughed by her ears. "I"d tell you soon."

"Okay..."

Even though he knew she would never object to his suggestion but he didn"t want to exclude her from having any discussions. It was related to their life after all. He wanted her to be a part of his plan.

But, before that he needed to deal with something.

"Ah! Darling, look!"

"En?"

Ren looked at his wife, she was smiling widely while pointing to the sky. He lifted up his chin, seeing at what she was currently pointing at. The sound of feathers flapping entered his ears before he saw it.

It was a flock of white birds flying past them over the sky.

"You sure love seeing things like this, right, sweetheart?" The corners of his lips curved up, his eyes following the way the birds flew.

"They look so free," Tsubaki replied. "I wonder, where would their wings take them? It is some place we would never know?"

Ren hummed softly. He didn"t answer her yet he tightened the hold on her hand.