There Was A Reason For Them To Cross Paths

"That old man... was you?" Shouko asked the same question again, she was still baffled by how it had turned out.

"Yes, well, hehe..." Grandpa laughed bashfully, he touched his nose while he averted his eyes from his granddaughter-in-law.

It was quite embarrassing ah.

The surprise brought by Grandpa's story rendered her speechless. She kept quiet throughout the entire time Grandpa recounting their first meeting.

Who would have thought, the seemingly simple act of goodwill led her to such fate?

"Hehe, you're surprised too when I told you about it before," Grandpa laughed as another memory popped in his mind. "Your reaction is the same as that time."

"You mean... you have told me after I got married to Kyoya?" Shouko randomly guessed which was responded with a nod by Grandpa.

Shouko shook her head, feeling helpless to think about it. "I really thought we first met during the time Grandpa decided to feign your illness. But, our first meeting shouldn't carry any importance to you. Why did you take an interest in me?"

From the start, Ono tried to convince her that the Old Master Kashino desired her as his granddaughter-in-law. Shouko didn't take it to heart because she thought Ono was joking.

"What do you remember about that day, Shouko?" Grandpa questioned her back. "Since you didn't remember meeting me in particular, did you have something more weighing your heart and mind at that time?"

Shouko hummed softly, thinking back of the day.

If Grandpa didn't remind her, she would really have forgotten of their chance meeting with each other.

What she remembered most that day was... the kind smile of the cafe owner and the cheery faces of the children.

"I remember the cafe owner and the children I played the game with," Shouko answered after a pause.

Grandpa nodded in contentment. "And I remember you. Do you grasp the similarity in our situation?"

Shouko thought again, picturing the two situations side by side before a realization slowly dawned upon her.

"I remember the ones who were kind me, even though they weren't intentional..."

Grandpa smiled. "You get the answer."

What Grandpa was trying to say was, even though to her it was a simple meeting but to Grandpa, he met someone who was willing to lend a helping hand to him without him reaching out first.

People often remembered the kindness that someone offered them no matter how small it was. Especially to the ones who were living in darkness, the small gesture was enough to lit a light in their dull lives.

"But, Grandpa..." Shouko chewed her lower lip, she still found it hard to accept. "I just helped you a bit. I'm sure it wasn't enough for you to have your grandson to marry me."

Shouko was being rational. This wasn't the fairy tale she would always fantasize about during childhood. Both of them were strangers whose paths crossed for a moment. Once they passed the point of intersection, they were back in their lives without any relationship with each other.

"En, when you said your surname is Yuasa, I found it familiar," Grandpa threw his gaze toward the waterfront, looking at the passers-by walking on the paved roads as they were enjoying the beautiful scenery. "I didn't directly connect you to the Yuasa family. I happened to know it when I saw you again in your family banquet."

"What? At my family banquet?" Shouko was utterly confused.

Even though her parents loved throwing extravagant banquets to form connections with the other wealthy families in the city, she had never made an appearance there. How could Grandpa saw her?

"It was around three weeks after I met you in the plaza. Your father held a banquet to try searching for anyone to back him up," Grandpa was patient in recalling each detail to him. Never once did he looked grumpy whenever she asked him something.

"I saw you in the back garden, writing something on a book. Only then did I realize it was really fated meeting you. Grandpa might sound in a rush but I immediately told your father that he could get Kashino Corporation to invest in his company if he agreed to form a marriage alliance."

"Grandpa, that was still..."

"I trust in my gut feeling, child," Grandpa quickly cut her off, knowing that Shouko still had her doubts. "When I saw you, you reminded me of that boy. I was selfish too, hoping you could save my dear boy from his solitude. This old man's wish was finally fulfilled when you're really what I thought to be. Sometimes, you have even surpassed my expectations."

To Grandpa Kashino who had always worry about his first grandson, meeting this young lady twice ignited an idea within him. He was attracted to her compassion. It might appear trivial to someone else but an old man liked him would always receive it with gratitude.

The first time he met her, he thought of her as a kind stranger.

The second time he met her, he thought of the possibility of this young lady to thaw his grandson's heart.

After all, his grandson was important to him. Even though he was quick-witted in the time he led his business, he was still conservative in his heart. To Grandpa, Kyoya might be saved if he met someone who could learn to accept him entirely. His doctor himself who told him that to treat Kyoya, they might have to try connecting him to someone thus resulting in the idea of marriage.

And, his decision bloomed a beautiful sea of flowers.

"Shouko," Grandpa heaved a sigh, he reached out and pulled her hands in his. "Grandpa admits that I was being selfish when I proposed the marriage to your family. In the end, I tied you to Kyoya who was a stranger to you at that time. It's just that... I was at my dead end."

Even before meeting Shouko, he had already arranged a few marriage candidates for Kyoya but no one had really caught his old eyes. He was worried about the same matter every day, making him unable to sleep well.

When he met this young lady again, he went along with his intuition. Especially when he knew of how the Yuasa couple treated her.

Shouko really reminded him of Kyoya.

"It's alright, Grandpa," Shouko quickly appeased the old man, trying to ease his guilt. "If you didn't tell me this, I'd still wonder about how could I get married to Kyoya. After all, my status..."

Shouko pursed her lips, she didn't dare to utter the word out of her mouth. Because of the way she came to this world, she was branded with such a gruesome title that haunted her since she was a child.

"Shouko, my dear child," Grandpa gently rubbed her hands. It was now his turn to make his precious granddaughter-in-law happy. "Have you heard that every child is a different kind of flower? Every one of them is special. Some people have dark and tainted hearts, they are so blind to see it. Since you have left your nest, Grandpa really hopes for you and Kyoya to be happy. It is indeed hard to leave all the bad memories behind but remember, you have plenty of chances to create the happy ones."

Each of Grandpa's words brought comfort to her heart filled with the past grievances. Shouko smiled as she tried holding back her tears.

When she recalled what Grandpa had told her, they might have been fated to meet each other on the summer day five years ago. If not, how could she start hoping for brighter days? How could she meet Kyoya?

There was a reason for them to cross paths.

"Alright, don't cry," Grandpa laughed a bit, he gently rubbed the corners of his granddaughter-in-law's eyes. The warm pearl moistened his fingers. "If you cry, that brat would think that I have bullied you."

Shouko stifled a laugh, she shook her head as the sound of her laughter floated in the air.

"What are you worry about, Grandpa? Hehe, even if I really cried, I would be okay by the time I reached home. He wouldn't know anything."

Haish, Grandpa was so amusing.

Grandpa looked at her meaningfully. "What if he would know?"

"Does it mean Grandpa would tell him?" Shouko raised her brows, teasing the old man.

"Aiya, I'm no fool to tell him that," Grandpa let out a sigh. "But, he's bound to know."

"En?"

By this time, Shouko caught something that was different from the way Grandpa was smiling. He looked as if he was hiding something.

"Grandpa, what is it?" Shouko asked, she was too curious.

"Hehe," Grandpa laughed again. He slowly got up from the bench and waving at the bodyguards who were keeping watch quite a distance from them. "He's here."

Grandpa's last sentence caught Shouko dumbfounded. She blinked a few times before she abruptly stood up.

"What? He's here?" It was only after 4 PM. How could he be here instead of his office?

Grandpa turned around, getting ready to leave the place with the men in black suits. "He would be mad if I keep you any longer with me. Go to him. I'll forgive him this once for playing truant just so he could have a date with his wife."

"What... what?" Shouko was still flustered. What was with this sudden development? "Where is he?"

Shouko looked at her surroundings yet she couldn't even find the figure of the tall man. Her action made Grandpa laughed heartily.

"You should know where to find him," Grandpa winked. With a happy mood, he left his granddaughter-in-law behind.

Shouko felt this was too incredulous. A minute ago, she was having a heart to heart talk with Grandpa but now, he had abandoned her here?

Ah! Forget it! The most important thing right now was looking for her husband.

"Where could he be?" Shouko whispered to herself.

She could easily ask her bodyguards for answer but it would be inappropriate and calling him with her phone was out of the option either. Shouko began to think.

A place that I should know?

Was Kyoya at a place that held importance to both of them? But, he knew she didn't remember anything about them so it was pointless.

So, where was he?

Once again, Shouko looked at her left and right. Even though five years had passed, this place didn't change much except for some additions. As her eyes lingered on the familiar roads and grounds, they suddenly brightened as she thought of a place.

Shouko smiled sweetly. She started to walk in a direction. As much as she was eager to run to him, she still tried to keep her cool.

While she was walking, she passed a young girl who opened a flower booth. Shouko retracted her steps and stopped in front of her. Colorful rows of flowers were neatly arranged on the table together with their names and meanings.

"Excuse me," Shouko smiled as she called for the young girl's attention. "Please wrapped me a bouquet of orange roses and lily-of-the-valleys."

They should be good enough to convey her intention to him.