Spring Blooms When I'm With You 122 The Peaceful Time With You

"This is so good! Reminds me of your strawberry pancakes." Tsubaki smiled. She really loved the taste of his pancakes.

"What could I do? I'm perfect in every aspect." Ren smirked. He raised his brows with a smug look.

"Okay. Okay. My hubby is the best." Tsubaki giggled. She just let him be boastful. After all, he was indeed perfect in her eyes.

They were sitting on the couch in the living room. Tsubaki leaned against the armrest, her legs were bending across Ren's thighs as he rested his back against the couch. He insisted to feed her so she just relented to his wish. Ren had prepared pancakes for brunch.

"Do we have ingredients for our meal later? I recalled you were cooking when I... suddenly cried last night," asked Tsubaki sheepishly. She lowered her head in guilt and embarra.s.sment.

Ren smiled. He quickly sneaked a kiss on her lips when she didn't notice. Tsubaki immediately looked up. Ren laughed when he saw her startled look. Once again he cut through the pancakes using the fork and fed her.

"There's some limited ingredients left. I know there's a market below. Why don't we go there and get a few things?"

"Okay!" Tsubaki swiftly agreed.

The thought of going to a market near a mountain village excited her. Ren told her that there was a village near this area. It won't take them long to reach the village. The people here lived while planting vegetables and selling local products to tourists who occasionally came here. It was just Ren's cabin was located in a secluded area far from them that they didn't cross path with each other.

After eating, Tsubaki helped Ren was.h.i.+ng the dishes. Ren went upstairs and returned with a shawl. He carefully wrapped it around Tsubaki's shoulders.

"We're going for a walk first. It's still early to go to the market. The air is chilly so wear this." Ren rubbed his palms against her shoulders. He smiled lightly when she obediently nodded her head.

"Okay." Tsubaki agreed.

Hand-in-hand, they walked alongside the small pathway between the lines of trees. The warmth by the sun was countered with the chilly air as well as the tall trees, made it bearable for a walk at noon. Tsubaki's interest was completely at the scenery around her. The crisp air felt fresh for her. It was a totally different feeling than when she was having a walk at a park in the city.

"You're really enjoying your time here? Our peaceful time here together?" Ren asked softly. He fondly landed his gaze on his smiling wife.

Tsubaki turned her head towards her husband. Her smile widened. "Yes! Our home at Spring Garden is nice and all but, I think this place is great for our gateway. It's so rare for us to be away from civilization, yet I welcome this chance."

Ren laughed. He affectionately rubbed her head. "Once in a while, we'll come here, okay?"

"Okay!"

They walked till they found a small stream by the end of the pathway. Both of them sat on the dead tree log near the stream. Ren snaked his hands around his wife's waist, leaning her against his body. He could smell the sweet aroma of her long hair. He smiled in contentment.

"Ren?" Tsubaki threw her gaze on the clear sky. The clouds covered the sun, making the area surrounding them darkened a little.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"About the last two days..." Tsubaki paused. She pursed her lips, a bit hesitant to ask him. Turning her head slightly, she looked at him. "Mr. Sagara won't be able to harm you again, right?"

Ren didn't immediately answer her. He quietly looked into her eyes, seeing the worry and fear in the brown eyes of hers. Her eyes dimmed as he stared at her without saying anything. Feeling unconscious, Tsubaki tore her gaze away from his. She fixed her bangs as she lowered her head.

Ren leaned down and hug her closer from behind. He softly whispered near her left ear, "He won't be able to harm me. No one would. I know you're still thinking of what happened but I a.s.sure you, I won't compromise with my safety."

Tsubaki placed her hands on Ren's arms. She nodded quietly.

She had wanted to ask him about it but the chance had yet to arrive. Even when she didn't want to ruin their peaceful mood by bringing up the topic, she knew she had to. If not, her heart won't be at ease.

"Mr. Sagara's cronies... they have been arrested too, right?"

"Yes." Ren nodded. "Hibiki contacted me earlier, saying all of them have been detained to help the investigation. My legal team is already supervised the case. It won't be easy for them to escape."

Tsubaki sighed in relief. She curled up her lips, turning around and pecked her husband's cheek.

"I'll trust you and I won't ask about it anymore. I think we should focus on Grandma's upcoming birthday celebration. It's less than two weeks now!"

"Haish." Ren frowned and sighed. "I really just want to be here with you, away from all those problems. Matsuzaki has started pressuring me to come back earlier."

Tsubaki giggled as she looked at the exasperation on her husband's face. She fondly caressed his cheeks. Under the sunlight, she could really admire the beauty of his face. Even his skin felt smooth to her touch.

"It's okay. Let's really use this time to rest and then we would go back, okay?" She crooned.

Tsubaki knew how little his rest time was when they were in the city. He tended to return late and even worked late until early morning. If possible, she wanted him to rest as much as he could whenever he had free time.

Ren shook his head with a serious look on his handsome face. He stared directly at his wife's eyes. "I don't have time to rest. Grandma is already antic.i.p.ating our baby. So I need to work hard."

Tsubaki's cheeks flushed red. She hit his chest and puffed in anger. "Don't talk about that! It's you who promised Grandma, not me."

Ren laughed heartily as he messed with her hair. Tsubaki responded by pinching his cheeks. They continued to bicker under the clear sky.