章 201: I Am Selfish
After the husband and wife managed to calm the crying Uncle Kiyonaga down, the four of them moved to the kitchen. The old man insisted to prepare a few more side dishes to commemorate their return. Tsubaki dan Ren could only relent to his persistence.
Aunt Touko prepared drinks for them while Uncle Kiyonaga was battling with his pots and pans on the stove. The young couple wanted to help but the Kuroki couple silenced them with a stare. In the end, they could just wait helplessly at the dining table.
The skillful Old Kiyonaga didn't take long to cook the dishes as he swiftly served them on the table. The Kuroki couple sat opposite Tsubaki and Ren. After saying grace, they began eating. The old couple urged the husband and wife to eat more. Tsubaki and Ren had a lot to say but they waited until their dinner was finished. They didn't want to ruin the old couple's happy mood.
After dinner, the four of them went to the living room. Tsubaki and Ren glanced at each other. Ren smiled, indicating he would start to speak. He turned his body to properly face Aunt Touko and Uncle Kiyonaga. The old couple didn't speak, as if knew he had something to say.
"We're sorry for suddenly appearing like this," Ren began, his voice was calm and full of respect. "There's something that we need to find and... before that, I want to reintroduce myself."
"Reintroduce yourself?" Uncle Kiyonaga squinted his eyes, looking at the young man with a question mark on his chubby face. "Why? Even after 5 years, we still know who you are. Aiya, you don't need to be so polite."
After Tsubaki and Ren got their marriage certificate, aside from Satsuki, only the Kuroki couple knew about them tying the knot. But, they still didn't know of his true name. He shouldn't hide it any longer.
Ren smiled, he slowly shook his head. He immediately telling them the truth. "When I first came to this village, I used a fake identity because of a few circumstances. Gensai Shouto isn't my real name. My name is Fuse Ren."
"Fuse... Ren?"
The Kuroki couple looked at each other, disbelief was written in their eyes until suddenly Uncle Kiyonaga exclaimed in shock. He spun his head, looking at Ren with wide eyes.
"You mean... the Fuse Ren who's almost died in the helicopter crash almost two months ago? The young head of Fuse Household? That was you?"
It was Ren and Tsubaki's turn to be shocked. They didn't expect that the bubbly old man would remember the news covering the headlines a while back. He had even remember the name.
"Yes, that's me," Ren answered after he recomposed himself. "I'm the head of Fuse Household."
Silence filled the room as the couple took their time to manage their shock. Their mouths dropped down when they looked at Ren and Tsubaki's calm faces. Feeling sorry for what her husband had made them through, Tsubaki stood up and sat beside Aunt Touko.
"Aunt, Uncle, he didn't mean to deceive you," Tsubaki raised one of her hands, placing it on the old lady's back. "I know it's quite a shocker but we need to tell you this before we tell you anything else."
The old couple sighed. With a heavy heart, Aunt Touko looked at Ren. He could see there was a slight disappointment in her eyes.
"We understood you have your own circumstances but... did it mean when you and Tsubaki first got together before, you still didn't tell her your identity?"
Tsubaki was slightly startled when she heard Aunt Touko's words. She didn't expect the old lady was thinking about her. Clearly she was upset because she thought Ren had deceived her. Well, he kind of did but...
Before she could speak, Uncle Kiyonaga opened his mouth.
"It's been years so when we saw you two together again, we're happy. But, after you said you're from Fuse Family, did it mean the time when you suddenly got kidnapped and disappeared years ago was related to your family?" Uncle Kiyonaga's usual bubbly voice turned stern, his gaze was dark when he looked at the young man. "Tsubaki got into an accident and we never saw you after that. Was it related?"
Ren was at a loss of words. He lowered his gaze to the floor, his heart was like being stabbed by thousands of knives. The old couple was worried over Tsubaki. He understood that so he wasn't downhearted because of what they said rather, they reminded him of his failure of providing her a safe haven.
It was true he wasn't there when she needed him the most. Although she didn't remember him, it shouldn't be used as an excuse for him to leave her behind. Even the threats of Mr. Sagara and the unknown mastermind weren't supposed to hinder him from going to her.
"Darling..." Tsubaki's voice was tinged with concern. She retracted her hand from Aunt Touko's back, gripping the hem of her blouse. She felt the same pain when she looked at her husband's downcast eyes.
After some time, Ren raised his face. His dark eyes landed on the couple. They were still eyeing him with doubt and disappointment. Even though usually he would brush off what others would think of him, but the two of them weren't anyone else. They had become a part of his life in the year he stayed in this village.
"I know no excuse could make out for what Tsubaki has gone through and every day, I regret my incompetence greatly." His deep voice was hoarse and there was a hint of guilt he tried to hide. "It's my fault for allowing her to be harmed. But, as much as I know it I still couldn't let her go to anyone else. I am selfish. I still want her as my wife, no one else could replace her."
Tsubaki bit her lower lip, she felt so sorry toward her husband. For her, it didn't hold any importance. It wasn't the matter of who was at fault but it's about moving to the future even without disregarding the past. That was why they were here.
"Ren is a good husband," Tsubaki said almost in desperation. She looked pleadingly at the old couple as she tried to convey her words to them. "He takes good care of me no matter when I'm healthy or sick. He never mistreats me so Aunt, Uncle... please..."
Heavy sighed came from Uncle Kiyonaga's lips. He looked at his wife. Aunt Touko shook her head, hinting him to refrain from saying anything that could make the young couple felt uneasy. They had just returned home and now they were being interrogated for what happened years ago.
"Alright, we old folks won't bother with you guys' matter," Uncle Kiyonaga said after a long period of silence. "Since you are here with Tsubaki now, I believe you two have come to terms with what happened 5 years ago. So, does it mean you have remembered him, Tsubaki?"
The couple knew Tsubaki lost a portion of her memories after the accident and since she didn't recognize the name of Shouto after she finally woke up from her coma, they and Satsuki decided to keep quiet about him. After all, he was still missing since the night of the accident.
Tsubaki paused to think. She exchanged a look with her husband. Ren nodded slightly.
"Actually, I haven't got all of my memories," Tsubaki decided to be truthful. "I did remember a little of what happened that night and some of them showed Ren with me, but that's all for now."
"Oh, dear!" Aunt Touko brought Tsubaki into her embrace. She sighed, her old heart felt the suffering the couple had to go through, "We thought you have remembered all of them, that's why you finally returned home. And you guys even met again."
Tsubaki nodded, she returned the old lady's hug.
Once again, the living room was filled with silence.
"Aunt Touko, Uncle Kiyonaga," Tsubaki pulled away slightly from Aunt Touko, her eyes went to the couple. "We're here because of my late Mom."
"Your mother? Why?" Uncle Kiyonaga knitted his brows.
"It's a long story and I don't know how should I tell you," Tsubaki sighed. She felt her mind was entangled into knots, making it hard to think. "I think Mom hid something from me and I came here for that."
"By that mean... do you..." Aunt Touko trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. She immediately shut her mouth once she realized she was almost blurting out something.
Tsubaki raised her head, the old lady's weird behavior caught her attention.
"Do you know something about Mom?" Tsubaki's heart was almost caught in her throat.
"We..."
Aunt Touko averted her eyes from Tsubaki, she looked conflicted as she turned to her husband. She pursed her lips into a straight line, it was obvious she was trying to hide something from Tsubaki.
Feeling frustrated, Tsubaki changed her question.
"Do you know that I'm not Mom and Dad's child?"
Without thinking of the consequences, Tsubaki immediately asked the question that had always bothering her. Aunt Touko and Uncle Kiyonaga spun their heads toward her, their eyes widened as their lips gape opened.
"You... you..."
Their reactions confirmed Tsubaki's suspicion. She opened her mouth, wanting to ask again. Her voice turned quieter, as if she was afraid to speak.
"You know Mom's secret?"
The old couple went into silence. A look of disbelief flashed in each of their eyes. The air turned heavier as the silence became unbearable.
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