Chapter 9 (1/2)

While Tsubaki was taking a stroll around the house on a certain day, she just happened to pass by the garden and found a place where white clovers were blooming there.

Thinking it was rare about what she found, she unintentionally got closer to the garden and started to crouch down in search for a four-leaf clover.

On the other hand on the other side of the garden, the young Kyousuke just happened to find Tsubaki crouching down as if she was searching for something. He began to wonder what Tsubaki was trying to find, and curiosity got the better of him so he approached Tsubaki.

Although Tsubaki should have heard Kyousuke coming over, she pretended to not take notice of it and just kept on probing around the flower beds. When Tsubaki was right in front of him, Kyousuke started to speak with her.

“What are you doing?”

“Tsubaki is looking for a four-leaf clover.”

“Four-leaf clover?”

“You don’t know, Kyou-chan? People say that whoever finds a four-leaf clover will have a good fortune.”

“So it’s just a superstition, huh.”

Tsubaki felt a bit irritated with Kyousuke’s attitude who didn’t believe what she said and was even straightforward with it. She had a plan in mind and what she was doing was part of it. Now, she just has to think of a way to make Kyousuke join her.

“… And here Tsubaki though that if Kyou-chan gave this as a present for uncle, he will be very happy though~”

“No way, Father would never believe in such superstitions.”

“Well, maybe Tsubaki should give this as a present for uncle~”

“Wha–!?”

Although Kyousuke thought that his father would never believe in something superstitious. But for his cousin Tsubaki, who was also a niece of his father, to receive a present from her, he can imagine it very clearly how his father would react.

Unlike Kyousuke who only had an exchange with his father through letter, Tsubaki and his father would sometime spend their time talking together with only the two and Kyousuke already knew about this.

As if I would let you take another score with this!

With that in mind, Kyousuke decided to give a four-leaf clover as a present to his father and began to looking for it in desperation.

Looking at Kyousuke who was full with enthusiasm with a sidelong glance, Tsubaki thought– I knew it, this guy is too simple.

Meanwhile on the second floor of the mansion, by the window of her room, Yuriko watched as Kyousuke and Tsubaki looked for something around the corner of the garden with a smile.

In there was also Asahina Kaoru in the same room, happily watching Yuriko who was having fun looking at her daughter and her nephew.

“She surprisingly gets along with Kyousuke-kun really well.”

“The first time I met with Kyousuke-san, I thought that he was very mature for his age. But, ever since he began playing around with Tsubaki, I always get a glimpse of his childish behavior. As his aunt, it is really relieving you know.”

“Well, it’s because he always got lead around by Tsubaki though. In a good meaning.”

“Tsubaki is a bit tomboyish, while at the outside of the home she is very obedient. As her mother, it has helped me very much, but seeing how rarely she acts spoiled like a child is making me worried though”

Indeed, Tsubaki would sometimes do something absurd, but fundamentally she was a reasonable child, along with a very good memory and good at reading people’s atmosphere around her.

But that, at the same time, was also the source of Yuriko’s anxiety.

Was it because her upbringing environment that surrounded her for four years that made her lose her childishness? Then… isn’t it my fault that brought so much influence for her personality growth?

She can’t help but worry about this.

“Isn’t it because there are only adults around her? If a child comes in contact with a children around their age, surely their childishness will come out too. See Yuriko-san, didn’t you say that you began to get a glimpse of Kyousuke-kun’s childish behavior? It is exactly like that. And about Tsubaki-chan being a tomboy, Yuriko-san, did you personally see it?”

“Hmm, when we were living back at the Kurahashi residence, she was an obedient girl. She always spent her days at the garden while watching the pond, also doing some painting… In spite of being her mother, this is very shameful of me to not really understand her. We rarely spend times together after all so that is all I know about her.”

Although Yuriko had tried getting closer with Tsubaki as much as she can, their relationship as parent and child were not so deep like a parent and children would from a common family.

Yuriko can’t throw her chest up and proudly say ‘Tsubaki is a child like this’ because from deep down at the bottom of her heart, she is still knows nothing about Tsubaki.

“It’s okay Yuriko-san. You only need to know more about Tsubaki-chan from now on. Your experience as a mother is not more than 4 years after all, there is no one who can become a ‘perfect’ mother from the start. Anybody could make mistakes, but slowly they will take a step forward and grow together with their children.”

“That is… right. But–“

Yuriko hang her head down while she muttered in hesitation.

Looking at Yuriko who was hesitating on speaking, Asahina seems to have noticed something and began to ask her.

“Is there anything else that’s bothering you?”

“No, it is nothing big. Also it is not related to Tsubaki after all.”

“If you have something that’s bothering or worrying you, it would make you feel more at ease if you talk about it with someone, also the answer might come flying by it’s own you know. Don’t worry. I can be tight-lipped and won’t say a thing. To prove that, I didn’t even tell anyone about; long time ago Haruki’s front tooth was chipped when he ate Risa’s handmade chocolate that was too hard.”

A chuckle couldn’t help but escape from Yuriko. “Just now, you are telling that to me.”

“Ah, keep this a secret from Haruki okay? If he knows that Yuriko-san knew about this, I will have a hard time later.”

“Okay, I will keep this a secret.”

To Asahina who has lightly exposed her brother’s secret, Yuriko raised a laugh instinctively.

Yuriko then decided that if it was Asahina, who was a friend of his brother for a good long 20 years, it would be okay to tell him so she began to speak honestly about the matter that kept on bothering her.

“Um… This is might be too sudden but, do you have someone you yearn for, Asahina-sama?”

“UEEE!?”

Not expecting such a direct question, Asahina raised a hysteric-like scream to Yuriko’s question.

Surprised by Asahina’s scream, Yuriko unintentionally stared at him.

“Ah, sorry. It was too sudden that I was surprised… Someone I love, someone I love. Erm, yes I have someone I love. What about it?”

With a blushing face, Asahina talked in rather quick manner.

Yuriko found it was strange that Asahina’s expressions to take a sudden turn, but thinking that it would be rude to dig in too deeply, she just let it off.

“If that’s so, do you ever think that there is a possibility for that feeling to suddenly disappear?”

“Hmm, let’s see. I think not. I have fallen in love for her for around 15 years after all, I think I will keep loving her until I die.”

“That… is right, isn’t it? That is how it suppose to be, right?”

“Meaning?”

Prompted by Asahina to continue, Yuriko began to wonder if she should tell him or not. But, because she already arrived until this point, she let go of the chain that held her back and began to speak honestly.

“About Kurahashi, I really loved him so much. For his sake, I believed I could do anything. I always thought to became useful for him. Even after he betrayed me, I still loved him.—- However, after I was rebuked by Fumiko, after I read the letters Tsubaki wrote for me, I began to think how foolish I was to fall for a man like him. And after that, those feelings I had for Kurahashi suddenly disappeared without a trace. Even though I loved him that much, there were even no regrets in me at all. This heart, the love that I had for him to suddenly gone like that, makes me scared. I think that if maybe, there is something that deep inside me is different than any other people.”

“Is that what have been bothering you?”

“Yes. I am sure I would be despised as a heartless woman.”

Feared that the gentle Asahina will look at her with a despiteful gaze, Yuriko averted her gaze away from Asahina and spoke in self-deprecation.

“I don’t think you are a heartless woman, Yuriko-san.”

“Eh?”

Hearing these unexpected words from Asahina, Yuriko raised her face and stared at Asahina’s eyes.

Seeing Asahina who was looking at her straight into her eyes, Yuriko was flustered a bit and averted her gaze away from Asahina again.

Without minding about Yuriko’s current state, Asahina spoke.

“I think a husband and wife who are considerate and care for each other, is what will make them become a couple and become a family. In Yuriko-san’s case, it is only you who thought and made an effort to become a family, while the other party rejected your effort. Even if it is in a one-way form, as long as the ‘giving’ party is doing their best and persevere, it is possible to create their relationship in a form of a ‘family’. But did you know, Yuriko-san? If you make light of that feeling and effort while keep doing it, it wouldn’t be a surprise if your love for him will wither.”