14 Unexpectedly, She Gained Another Mouth to Feed?

At four o'clock, the door of Himari's apartment was knocked again. At that time, Himari was reading a book while the two siblings were watching TV. Chobi was nestling on the carpet comfortably next to Chiharu.

It seemed like this pair of human and cat was getting more comfortable with each other.

"It might be Uncle Shuichi," Izumi got up.

"Is that your uncle's friend?" Himari remembered that Izumi's uncle said he would send his friend here.

Himari opened the door with Izumi following from behind.

A young man in a casual outfit stood in front of the door.

"Are you Teacher Kato? Kazuya, Izumi and Chiharu's uncle send me to pick them up," The man respectfully introduced himself.

"Yes, it's me. Wait a minute, Chiharu is still inside," Himari smiled in acknowledgment.

While Himari went to call Chiharu, Izumi came out.

"Uncle Shuichi," He had to look up because this man was as tall as his uncle.

"Yo, haha, I heard the little princess caused trouble?" Shuichi laughed while patting Izumi's shoulders, "Hard on you, kiddo."

Izumi sighed, "I can't believe she came here because she followed a cat."

He had heard Chiharu mentioning her making a new friend when they dined together but... Her new friend was actually a cat?

"Your uncle was pretty shocked. Tell Chiharu to be careful. We don't want anything to happen to her," Shuichi smiled faintly.

Izumi nodded with a sullen face.

Inside the house, Chiharu's little face was beaming with happiness as she received a box of roll cakes from Himari.

"Eat them with your big brother, okay?" Himari crouched down to be on the same eye-level as her, "Get some rest at home. Your feet would hurt if you don't rest."

Chiharu nodded with a well-behaved smile, "Teacher, does Teacher always walk to go to school?"

"Yes, why?"

"Oh, Teacher's feet would hurt like Chiharu's," Chiharu cast a pitiful look at Himari, yet, in the next second, she brightened up again, "Teacher! You must rest well too! Chiharu would come again to eat Teacher's delicious sweets and dishes!"

Himari, "..."

Unexpectedly, she gained another mouth to feed instead of only Chobi's?

"Hahaha, go home now," Himari didn't know how she should react. She quickly ushered Chiharu to go to the door, "Your big brother is waiting outside already."

"Okay~ Ah!"

Chiharu turned on her heels. She deng deng deng walked to the low-table. Her hands picked up something from the table.

"Teacher, could Chiharu has this?"

The little dumpling waved the home decoration store catalog in her hand.

Himari's eyes flickered, "Does Chiharu see something you like in it?"

Chiharu bobbed her head up and down, nodding furiously, "The teddies are cute. Chiharu wants Uncle to buy them for Chiharu."

"Hehe, just take it," Himari found her reason as cute.

"Thank you, Teacher Kato~" Chiharu said in a sing-song voice, "Then, then, does Teacher likes something from this book too?"

"En, yes," The image of the crystal lamp appeared in her mind, "Well, I have looked at it for so many times. I'll remember what I want to get. You could have the catalog, Chiharu."

Himari walked Chiharu off to the door. Izumi stared at his beaming sister with a pastry box in a hand and a catalog in the other.

"Teacher, you don't have to give her anything..." Izumi was bashful again, "Chiharu has eaten your cake."

"I made lots yesterday, I can't possibly finish them by myself," Himari brushed it off, "Be careful on your way back. And, Chiharu, remember what Teacher has told you."

"Okay, Teacher Kato, Chiharu will remember it well," Chiharu bowed her head, "Say goodbye to Chobi for Chiharu. Chiharu will come to visit again. Bye-bye, Teacher~"

"Err, thank you for having us for lunch. See you on Monday, Teacher," Izumi's ears reddened. He bowed to Himari, following his sister.

Shuichi refrained himself from laughing out loud, especially at Chiharu's antics.

"Teacher Kato, I'll bring them back safely. Thank you again for taking care of them."

"I'm glad to have them to accompany me," Himari felt awkward because they kept on thanking her. She quickly waved her hand at the siblings, "Bye-bye, Chiharu and Izumi."

"Bye-bye, Teacher Kato."

"Bye-bye, Teacher and Chobi~"

Chobi slipped out from the inside. He encircled Himari's feet.

"Meow~~" See you again, my little girlfriend~ Come again to play with me!

Soon, the three figures, one big and two small, finally descending the stairs to the ground. Himari propped her elbows on the balustrade, Chobi joined her as he hopped on the spot next to her arms.

Both the human and the cat were looking at the flashy red sports car parked outside of the main gate of the apartment.

While they were watching from the upstairs, Chiharu tilted up her head and saw them at a glance. The little dumpling raised up both of her hands and waved to Himari and Chobi.

"Hahaha, she's cute," Himari said to Chobi while waving at Chiharu, "She's cuter than you, Chobi."

"Meow~ Meow~" Of course! Since's I'm handsome instead of cute!

Once the car disappeared at one corner of the road heading out of the neighborhood, Himari brought Chobi inside the apartment. She stared at the living room where she spent a few hours of time with the siblings.

A smile curved up on her lips.

"Well, today is a really interesting day," She chuckled softly.

Himari stretched out her limbs, let out a satisfied sigh and walked to the kitchen. Her soft hum gently drifted in the air and spread inside the apartment.

Chobi parted ways from his Mama. He jumped on his favorite cushion and curled into a ball, getting ready to sleep after an exhausting day.

While Himari was having a good time, it couldn't be said as the same to a woman who she knew.

Sakuya Residence.

Yuina stared at the gift boxes that Riku brought to her home.

All of them were wrapped in exquisite-looking gift wrappers, adorned with white ribbons. A red rose was pinned under the ribbon for each gift box.

Just by looking at them, Yuina knew the content of the gift boxes could easily exceed tens of thousands of dollars.

This was not the first time she received them.

"Sister Yuina, could I just put them here?" The youthful girl stared at the spacious coffee table in the living room.

"En, just put them anywhere you like," Yuina suppressed the bitterness in her eyes.

Riku nodded. She carefully placed the stack of gift boxes on the table.

"Okay~ I've done with my task. I have to return to the studio next," Riku glanced at her wristwatch. She had to be there in half an hour.

"That..." Yuina weakly shifted her eyes from the pile of gifts to the young assistant of her husband, "Does Ryuu say, when would he be back?"

"Ah, Brother Ryuu doesn't have any schedule for tonight," Riku honestly reported, "It's just, he has to go to the airport early in the morning tomorrow. Sister Yuina, you've known that he has to attend the new launching for Gems Galore, right?"

Gems Galore was a high-end jewelry brand based in Paris. Ishizaki Ryuu leaped to another height of his career as the overseas brand picked him as their first ambassador in Asia.

"Yes, he has told me," Yuina flashed a bright smile, hiding the discomfort in her heart, "Alright, off you go now. You must have been busy."

"Hehe, it's nothing to Brother Ryuu's hectic schedule. Bye-bye, Sister Yuina!" Riku happily waved at the woman in a set of home clothes before she slipped out of the house.

Once the girl left, the house was back to its usual silence.

Yuina sat on the couch opposite the table. Her eyes were dull as she looked at the expensive gifts piled on the table. The happiness that she should feel was overdrowned by her sorrow.

She didn't have to open them to know what was under the lids of the boxes.

Haute couture, the newest pieces of jewelry, different types of high heels and fashionable bags.

Ryuu would always buy them for her without a moment of hesitation. Her personal built-in wardrobe was filled with most of the clothes and accessories bought by him instead of her own purchasing.

But...

These were not what she wanted.

She wanted him, only him.

Unfortunately, from the day she married him, she had to accept that she had to share him with his career as well as his fans.

Yuina reached out for a rose. She picked up a small card stuck together with the single rose.

'My darling wife, I think of you day and night - Your dearest husband'

The card slipped from her fingers, falling onto the carpet with a soft thud.

I think of you day and night too...

Yuina got up from the couch. She listlessly made her way to the bedroom.

The duplex condominium unit was so vast but, it was so empty of smile and laughter.

"..."

Yuina's steps paused in front of the door of the wardrobe. She turned around and walked to the vanity table.

Rows and rows of premium skincare and perfumes lined on top of the pearly white vanity. Yuina reached out for the bottom-most drawer. There were only her items inside since Ryuu always respected her space even though they were husband and wife.

Her eyes fell on an inconspicuous black box placed at the end of the drawer.