Spring Blooms When I'm With You

A low chuckle reverberated by her ears.

"Continue your sleep, sweetheart," Ren crooned as he placed one of his hands under her knees, the other went across her shoulders. He had just unbuckled her seat belt, preparing to bring her upstairs. "I"ll bring you to our home."

At that time, Tsubaki realized that they were in the bas.e.m.e.nt car park of Spring Garden.

"Ah? No, it"s okay," She wiggled free from his embrace. Tsubaki swiftly placed her legs on the ground, she gave her husband a small smile. "I could walk. Your hand is still injured, darling."

Ren was slightly baffled. Ever since his palm got wounded the other day, she had been refraining himself from carrying her. Right now, he had stopped wearing the bandage but the pink flesh of the wound signified it was still hurting especially when be put under great pressure.

And she was aware of that.

"Alright," Ren admitted defeat. His low laugh echoed in the air as he helped Tsubaki gotten off the car. "But, at least let me hold you for a bit. Can"t you indulge me, sweetheart?"

Tsubaki giggled happily. She shook her head as she looked at her doting husband. Her hand reached out for his, she grasped it firmly. "Alright, alright. Don"t look as if I"ve wronged you. Let"s return home, darling."

Ren lifted up a smirk. Both of them went to the elevator, oblivious of the bodyguards who were secretly watching the couple that was immersed in their pink bubbles.

Sigh... What a good life to have a sweet wife like their Madam.

Hibiki came knocking the door just the time the husband and wife changed out of their outing outfits. Ren nodded once to Hibiki, both of the men entered the study. Tsubaki watched the door closed properly, she couldn"t help but think of various things.

Maybe the company had something that required her husband"s attention.

Inside the study, Ren gestured for Hibiki to sit on the couch opposite his. Hibiki gracefully sat down. He took out a small velvet box from the pocket of his jacket before he presented the box on the coffee table that stood in between them.

"The necklace was bought by an old professor, he bought this for his wife 5 years ago but his wife pa.s.sed away before he could give it to her," Hibiki started recounted the story that laid with the necklace. It took him quite some time to find this necklace as he did it in absolute secrecy. "At first, he refused to sell it back but he relented today. He said he needed to return this necklace to its rightful owner."

"Why did he say so?"

Ren took the box as he asked Hibiki. He opened the lid, revealing a necklace resembled the one Nagao Yuuto"s handed to him before. Its locket was a half-heart shaped with a delicate chain. He reckoned it would form a perfect shape once being paired with Hinata"s.

"He said he had never taken the necklace out after his wife pa.s.sing but after the first time I visited him, he said he found something in the locket. I haven"t seen it, Master."

"It"s okay. I"ll open it together with the other necklace. As for Yagi and Kurosawa, did they behave well?" Ren placed the lid back on the velvet box. He swiftly changed the topic to the two men whom he met last week.

"Mr. Yagi fussed about letting him go but other than yelling and acting tough, he didn"t pose any threat," Hibiki watched the indifferent expression on his Boss" face as he talked about the sc.u.m men. A chill ran down his spine once he noticed the darkness of the man"s eyes akin to a cold and desolate winter.

The temperature in the study dropped further. Hibiki quickly added to ease the tension. "Mr. Kurosawa has returned to the village. At first, he tried to contact that man but since we put him under close surveillance, he gave up."

Ren nodded. He understood that both of the men wouldn"t act so recklessly so he was not in edge. He gave Hibiki a few more instructions before Hibiki took his leave.

Ren stood up from the couch, he walked toward his working desk while holding the velvet box. He pulled out the bottom drawer, his eyes landed on a small paper bag. It was the necklace given by Nagao Yuuto.

Ever since that day, he hadn"t done anything to the necklace as he waited for Hibiki to find its other half. He took out the necklaces from both of the box and paper bag before he placed them on the table, side by side.

As he was pondering over the necklaces, a soft knock resounded from the door.

Ren averted his gaze from the necklaces. The door was slowly opened from the outside, a small head poking in with confused eyes staring at him.

Ren smiled at the sight of his wife.

"I thought you"ve gone back to take a nap," Ren rounded the table and strode toward his little wife. With an easy movement, he pulled her close to him by her waist.

"I"m not that sleepy," Tsubaki laughed softly. "I just saw Hibiki left. Do you have work to do?"

Sensing the curiosity hidden in her voice, Ren pondered for a moment before he made a decision. His wife must be thinking of what she shouldn"t have but Hibiki"s sudden presence had definitely piqued her interest.

He shook his head, he brought her to the couch as he said, "It"s not related to my work but I do have something to show you."

This matter shouldn"t be kept on hold for long so he should just lay everything on the open.

After he gently pressed her shoulders, urging her to sit on the couch he went back to the desk. Tsubaki silently watched her husband came back with something in both of his hands. She could see a gleam coming from them as the golden light of the sunset from the windows shone from behind his back.

Ren sat beside his wife. He looked at her, pondering for a minute and then finally decided on it.

"Do you remember the necklace mentioned in the letter?"

"En... yes," Tsubaki nodded once. Before he could add anything, her eyes brightened when a realization dawned on her. "Do you find it?"

Ren smiled. "Yes."

He had told her about the necklace he got from Nagao Yuuto but to avoid her judgment from being impaired since her nerves were tensed at the moment, Tsubaki asked Ren to hold on it before she was ready. In the end, she told him that she would only look at the necklace once both were found.
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It seemed like today was the day.

Ren opened both of his wide palms, revealing two similar-looking lockets and chains. Tsubaki gasped in surprise. On a closer look, both of the pendants mirroring each other. She hesitated at first yet under his rea.s.suring smile, she gathered her courage and took both of the necklaces from his hands.

The designs for both necklaces were common yet Tsubaki knew how precious these necklaces were to her mother. She touched the delicate chains, suddenly mindful of how she would treat them.

Tsubaki lightly connected the lockets until a full heart shape was formed. Her eyes widened as her heart pounded quickly. She looked at her husband. Her lips parted but no words came out from her mouth.

"Hibiki said something about your necklace," Ren took one side of the necklace and brought it to his palm. "He said something might be hidden in these lockets. I haven"t look at them as I was waiting for you first."

"Something hidden?"

Tsubaki ran her index finger on the locket. Her fingertip felt a small b.u.t.ton at the side of the pendant. She pushed it lightly. To her surprise, the locket cracked at the side, revealing an opening.

Without being able to contain her curiosity, Tsubaki opened it wide.

An old photo of a young lady greeted her sight. Her gentle temperament was clearly emitted through her comforting smile. Her eyes were clear as if they hadn"t been tainted by dark worldly desires. Seeing this lady budding something she couldn"t point out in her heart.

"Darling... this is..."

As much as Tsubaki didn"t want to admit, this young lady bore a great resemblance to her.

Ren didn"t speak. He did the same to the locket in his hands. His brows furrowed when he saw what was hiding in the locket.

"Sweetheart, look at this."

Ren showed her what had he found. Tsubaki leaned closer to her.

A handsome young man was staring back at them.

Ren brought his palm holding the locket to his wife"s hand. Both of them looked at the two photos. From this angle, it was obvious that these photos were originally one that had cut into two. The young man and lady were looking at the lens, their smiles were filled with tenderness as their hands intertwined with one another.

"These two... are my parents?"

Tsubaki had almost couldn"t believe her eyes. These black and white photos were too small yet if one took a careful look, they could say that the young lady and Tsubaki were sculpted from the same mold. They have the same doe eyes, cute b.u.t.ton noses and plump lips while her delicate brows looked similar to the man"s in the photo.

"I believe they are your birth parents," Ren said with certainty. He put the locket in his hand back on hers.

"I... this is..."

Tsubaki bit her lower lip. She was at a loss and she didn"t know what should she express right now. The calm ocean of her heart had started forming ripples, it would slowly and surely turned to a dangerous storm.

Sensing his wife"s complex emotion, Ren placed a hand over her shoulders before he pulled her head to rest on his chest. He lightly rubbed her hand, trying to calm her.

"These are... Mother and Father..." Tsubaki choked back on her sob. Her hands were trembling as she looked at the lockets again. "My birth parents..."

"Yes," Ren quietly soothed her. "You look so much like them. They looked as gentle and refined as you, especially your mother."

"En."

Tsubaki nodded weakly. She closed her eyes and nestled comfortably in his embrace. She tightly held onto the lockets as she placed her hands over her chest where her heart was.

She didn"t expect the day she could finally see the faces of her birth parents would come.

But, she could only know their faces. She would never be able to hear how the sound of their voices was or how they would love her with all their hearts.

"Darling?"

She didn"t know how much time had pa.s.sed since the moment she kept quiet while holding onto the necklaces. What she remembered was the steady rhythm of his heart beating by her ears, gently enveloping her in comfort.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Ren lowered down his gaze, his fingertips lightly brushing her bangs.

"Akashi is currently searching for anyone who knew the Fujiokas, right?"

"En."

Tsubaki sat up properly, she raised her chin to look at her husband"s calm gaze.

"If he did find someone or two, I want to meet them," Her lips moved slowly as she enunciated her next words. "I want to ask them by myself about what they knew happened more than two decades ago."

Ren stared back at her eyes filled with resolution, his gaze deepening before he nodded, agreeing with her.

"I will bring you to see them."

Tsubaki let out a smile of relief. She opened both of her palms, her sight went to the opened lockets. A sense of tranquility leisurely seeped into her heart. The ripples inside her heart had calmed down before they had a chance to turn into a storm.

But, right when she wanted to relax her nerves, she suddenly felt something was not right.

Once again Tsubaki looked at the photos inside the lockets, especially the photo of her father. The longer the time she stared at it, the more her eyebrows knitted together.

Her actions made Ren confused. Why did she show such a look?

"What"s wrong?" Ren rubbed her arms. "Why do you stare at Father"s photo like that?"

Her husband"s words brought Tsubaki back to reality. She reluctantly parted her sight from the photo as she turned to her husband.

"No.. it"s just," Tsubaki raised her palm and showed the photo to Ren. "I feel like... I have seen a man like Father somewhere. He"s not exactly similar but... I"m not sure... I just..."

Tsubaki closed her eyes in disappointment, her words left unfinished.

She was certain her birth father resembled someone that she had met recently but her memory failed her.

"Hush, don"t think of it," Ren swiftly comforted his wife. He took both necklaces from her hands and placed them on the coffee table in front of them. "I believe you but let"s take it slowly, okay? Don"t put too much burden on yourself, sweetheart."

Tsubaki nodded silently. She turned toward Ren and placed her hands around his waist. She just wanted to hug him.

Everything would fall into the right places.

Everything would be alright.