Spring Blooms When I'm With You 149 Don't Frighten Me!

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Ren asked softly beside her ear. He steadied herself, gripping on her arms. "I heard what Aunt Ume said to you. Do you want me to stay here with you or do you want to have a private conversation with her?"

Tsubaki stared at her husband in a daze. Even when worry was apparent on his face, he still gave her the right to choose. It was evident that he wanted to stay here and accompany her but he knew it was related to her life so he didn't force her. She was so touched by his consideration.

This man was so good to her.

Tsubaki pursed her lips, countless thoughts whirring inside her mind. After a few minutes, she spoke, "Could you bring Kouichi outside? I'm afraid... there would be something he shouldn't hear."

Ren gently stroked her head, trying to ease her with his smile. "I understand. Have your talk. Call me once you're done, okay?"

Tsubaki nodded. She squeezed his hands, silently thanking him.

Ren brought Kouichi outside under the pretext of showing him the rest of the presents inside the car. Kouichi jumped up and down, so eager to play with all his new toys. Aunt Ume permitted them, understood Tsubaki wanted to have a private talk with her.

Once both Ren and Kouichi exited the flat, Aunt Ume and Tsubaki sat on the floor, facing each other. The air around them was heavy, as both of them didn't know how to start.

"Tsubaki, what I want to say to you is regarding what happened to Hinata before she pa.s.sed away," Aunt Ume started to speak, unable to withstand the silence any longer.

"Did her death... due to unnatural cause?" Tsubaki asked in fright. She was on the edge since Aunt Ume said she wanted to tell something to her.

"No! No! You're mistaken!" The old lady quickly denied the a.s.sumption. "She had pneumonia. That's the cause of her death."

Tsubaki sighed in relief inwardly. She was afraid if it was caused by someone or something deliberately. She shuddered when she was suddenly reminded of her car accident.

"Actually..."

Aunt Ume let out a sigh. It was a really difficult topic to be brought up so suddenly. But she believed Tsubaki had the right to know. Steeling herself, she continued.

"When Hinata was just pregnant, she almost got kidnapped when she was on her way to her work," Aunt Ume started her story. "Luckily the pa.s.sers-by noticed her cries for help. She was saved by them but the event made her almost miscarried."

"W.. What?"

Kouichi... had almost didn't make it to live?

Tsubaki was so shocked. She couldn't imagine that the little boy had almost lost his life before he had even seen the world.

"Then..."

"Since then, she resigned from her job and helped me at the small grocery store I opened back then. It helped her to focus on her pregnancy," Aunt Ume smiled sadly. "I'm so thankful because Kou-chan was delivered safely when the day came."

"Did the police catch the kidnappers?" Tsubaki unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt. Her eyes slightly widened as she looked at Aunt Ume. "What was their motive?"
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Aunt Ume shook her head. Lowering her eyes, she said weakly, "The kidnappers disappeared. The police didn't find them. They put her under surveillance in order to catch the kidnappers if they reappeared but nothing happened to her again."

"So, nothing really happened after that?" asked Tsubaki, on the verge of being frantic.

Aunt Ume sighed. Hearing the sigh, Tsubaki's heart beating furiously. She was sensing this matter hadn't yet reached its climax.

Was there something else?

"What... happened?" She was almost afraid to ask the older lady the question.

"It was during autumn, our house got a breaking in when we stayed at an inn to gather with our relatives." Aunt Ume pushed a gla.s.s of barley tea to Tsubaki, gesturing her to take a sip to calm down. Tsubaki refused, she was really concentrating on the story." We came home the next morning and found that the back door was broken down. Nothing was missing except for Hinata's birth certificate. We were afraid if the kidnappers came back but the police ruled out the possibility."

"So... Her birth certificate couldn't be retrieved?"

Why did they take her birthday certificate?

"It was found in a trash bin for the next two days. The police tried looking for fingerprints but there weren't any."

Tsubaki pursed her lips. So much had happened to Hinata during the year. A realization came to her. When Aunt Ume said it happened during Hinata's pregnancy... Didn't it mean...

"When did the kidnapping happen?" Tsubaki closed her eyes, her lips quivered as she spoke.

"At the end of the year, I think it's almost five years ago. Kou-chan is turning five soon," Aunt Ume tried to recall the time, unable to notice the change in Tsubaki's expression.

When the old lady mentioned the incident happened 5 years ago, Tsubaki's eyes faltered as the nightmare flashed past her mind.

"Five years ago..."

A cold, terrifying feeling abruptly seeped into her heart. Tsubaki didn't realize she was clutching her fists so hard her nails forming red crescents on her palms. Her face gradually turned pale.

Hinata looked the same as her.

Five years ago, the unfortunate lady encountered misfortunes.

Her birth was a secret.

What if...

"Ouch!"

"Tsubaki!"

Tsubaki bent over, an excruciating pain a.s.saulted her head as if it was trying to crack into pieces. Aunt Ume hurriedly went to her, the old lady muttering words to Tsubaki but in her current state, she was unable to hear her properly.

What is this?

A scene appeared in her mind as she was doubling in pain. Two figures stood in the dark, running towards her. She ran away, crying for help. The fear and anxiety made her unable to think clearly.

Another scene cut through.

She was standing beside a road, waving to a taxi. Her frantic voice could be heard as she instructed the taxi to follow the black car before them. The night was eerie and only a few cars pa.s.sed by them.

Then, a crash happened before her eyes.

"Argh!"

"Tsubaki! Are you okay? Tsubaki!" Aunt Ume was panicked as she held Tsubaki. The young lady suddenly cried out in pain, both of her hands gripping her head tightly.

"Tsubaki!"

Sounds of footsteps running towards them reverberated inside the flat. A pair of strong arms pulling Tsubaki to him, his voice calling out to her in clear fright. Ren's eyes widened in terror as she slowly opened her eyes despite the agonizing pain.

"Tsubaki? Do you hear me? Don't frighten me!"

Ren abruptly turned his head to Aunt Ume, asking her to pick his phone from the pocket to call Toshiro. He had just returned with Kouichi when he suddenly heard Tsubaki's cries and Aunt Ume's frantic voice from the door.

He thought his heart had stopped beating.

"Ren..."

"I'm here, love. Don't worry, I've called Toshiro," said Ren. He tried his best to remain calm as his heart ached when seeing how pale she looked. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Tsubaki smiled slightly. Her head was still aching yet when she saw her, the fear she felt earlier vanished. Slowly, she closed her eyes. Her head rolled down on his chest as she fell unconscious.