If I'm Not Being Close To My Own Wife, To Whom Should I Be Close To With?

"I plan to meet Akari frequently if I could. What do you think?" Shouko sounded so hopeful as she looked at her husband with expectation.

Kyoya smiled easily, he nodded, showing that he agreed.

His wife didn't have anyone she was close to aside from Ono and Aunt Masako. The other woman who was on friendly basis with her was her editor in the publishing house.

Her classmates in the university kept away from her once they knew she was not favored by her rich father. After she graduated, Shouko didn't keep any contact with them so no one knew about her life afterward.

It was only after she was revealed to be married to the First Young Master Kashino did they begin to take notice of her. Most of them regretted being nasty to his dear wife.

As he recalled the disgusting matter, Kyoya couldn't help but frown.

One by one, like the flies that would always buzz annoyingly near delicious food, they came pestering her.

It was great that his wife didn't fall under their nauseating sweet talk and continued keeping a distance with them. The pesky flies didn't dare to make any fuss since they were afraid of him who stood to back his wife up.

"Both of them are good. You should go out with Miss Kitou often," Kyoya said with a smile, he could clearly see the couple was good people. "You've been cooped up inside our home for a long time after the accident. You should enjoy the beautiful autumn scenery in other places too."

His years of being in the business field which needed him to be guarded and quick-witted with his surroundings had taught him to be able to discern people's attention. From the start, the couple had given him good vibes.

"Alright, I'll do that," Shouko nodded happily.

Kyoya was right. If he didn't bring her to this suburb for a getaway, she wouldn't have the chance to step out of the mansion. It wasn't like she didn't want to go out and have fun but her condition didn't allow her to. So, her husband's suggestion was welcomed thoroughly by Shouko.

Besides anticipating her day out with Grandpa Kashino, she couldn't wait to meet Akari in the city too.

Mrs. Shimizu welcomed them back with delicious breakfast spread on the table. The older lady was smiling a little too happy when she saw both of them. Her action piqued Shouko's curiosity.

"Did something good happen, Mrs. Shimizu?" Shouko took off her long jacket. Her hand moved to hand it to Kyoya who was already waiting to receive it. "You look so happy today."

"Well, I'm happy since I got to see Young Madam and Young Master appeared closer and happier than before," Mrs. Shimizu laughed softly. "This old woman's heart is finally relieved."

Before, this pair of husband and wife treated each other as to how strangers did. She understood it was due to her Young Madam losing her memory but she was still worried. To see them growing closer to each other set her heart in peace.

Mrs. Shimizu's words made Shouko blushed in an instant while Kyoya's smile deepened. He looked at his blushing wife.

"Of course we would be closer," Kyoya hummed in agreement, a hint of teasing glinted in his eyes. "After all, if I'm not being close to my own wife, to whom should I be close with?"

Shouko pursed her lips, her cheeks puffed up as she glared at him. Without saying anything, she ran toward the dining room.

Kyoya held back his laugh seeing her cute antics. In a leisure pace, he walked following his wife's direction.

Mrs. Shimizu retreated to the kitchen to give the couple some privacy. She also had a report to be made to a certain old man who was anxiously waiting for news of his grandson and granddaughter-in-law.

While they were having their late breakfast, Kyoya's phone rang. With a lazy look, he glanced at the name that appeared on the screen. He squinted his eyes as he was displeased to see his cousin interrupting his mealtime.

He firmly rejected the call.

"Who it is?" Seeing that Kyoya refused to answer the call, Shouko couldn't help but think of someone. "Was it..."

Kyoya shook his head, he smiled looking at the slight anxiousness in her eyes. He tacitly understood who she wanted to mention. "I've blocked her number. Ryota was the one who called me."

"Ryota?" Shouko thought that the name was quite familiar. Grandpa had mentioned that name before. "Ah! He is your cousin, right?"

"Yes," Kyoya nodded once. "He wanted to meet you when you were out of the hospital last month but I refused. Since you're already better these days, should we meet him for dinner?"

"Up to you," Shouko swiftly agreed with him. "Why don't we invite Grandpa too?"

Hearing her suggestion, Kyoya sighed inwardly. What did he have to do when his wife wanted to meet other men? Even though the said men were his own grandfather and cousin.

If Shouko knew what was bothering him right now, she would surely don't know either to laugh or cry.

"Okay, I'll reserve a room in a restaurant later," Kyoya reluctantly agreed. Well, his wife had the final say. "Now, finish your food. There's still a lot."

"Alright~"

Shouko lowered down her head, sipping the warm soup with a smile that remained curled up on her face. Her mind had already picturing countless images of her going out with Grandpa and Akari. Maybe, when Ono was free she could invite her too?

Then, a face suddenly flashed in her mind.

Shouko pursed her lips, thinking of the familiar yet foreign face. She lifted up her eyes, staring at Kyoya who was still eating his food.

"En, Kyoya?"

Kyoya looked back at her. He silently urged her to continue.

"En..." Shouko placed her spoon down, she kept quiet for a moment before her words fell, "I think I want to meet my editor too. Do you think it's alright?"

Thinking of her editor named Minagawa, Shouko was quite hesitant to meet her but she had to. She had only met the professional woman a few times before she sealed a deal with the publishing house.

Editor Minagawa was someone she was supposed to work closely with to but because she didn't remember anything that happened in the past five years, Shouko felt uneasy to meet her again. After all, the woman had turned into someone unfamiliar to her.

While she was struggling with her own thoughts, Shouko didn't realize her husband's eyes dilated in surprise when she voiced out her question earlier.

"You could," Kyoya answered slowly. Feeling that his expression wasn't right, he quickly recomposed himself. "I would help you telling her that you want to meet her."

"Thanks," Shouko's uneasiness faded a little listening to Kyoya who was willing to help her. "You're great."

Kyoya accepted her praise with a smile. Under the calm surface of his heart, there were a few waves disrupting the peace underneath.

After eating their meal, Shouko returned to the bedroom while Kyoya went straight to the study. He looked at his phone screen. His finger lightly tapped on Ryoya's contact information, calling his cousin back. The phone was pressed against his right ear.

"Why did you call?" Kyoya directly spoke without so much greeting his cousin. He pulled up the chair, sat down on the comfy cushion and turned on the laptop place on the working desk. "Was it because of the meeting?"

"Duh!" Ryota rolled his eyes, feeling the urge to beat Kyoya if his cousin was in front of him. Well, he wasn't too keen to provoke this Demon Lord so he could only bluff in his mind. "You know I'm not calling you for this! That woman demanded to meet you, saying she won't agree."

"Oh?" Kyoya raised his brows, amusement flickered in his eyes. "Our legal team worked fast. I didn't expect she has already received the document."

"What?" Ryota was shocked. "You didn't know about it? Kuroda didn't tell you?"

Ryota knew that Kyoya had passed the order to their legal team, preparing to officially sever his parent-child relationship with that woman but Ryota thought his cousin had already known that that woman had came to make a fuss regarding the matter.

"I don't want to deal with a trivial thing like that," Kyoya closed his eyes, his voice sounded languid. He appeared so calm unlike his previous outburst of anger whenever that woman was involved. "I've instructed them to do whatever they have to do to make her agree. Unless it couldn't be helped, I don't want to hear about anything else."

Since he didn't want his precious time camping with his wife to be interrupted, he had especially emphasized to his legal team that no matter what happened, they had to hold the fort first. Anything else could be discussed later.

Ryota frowned, his heart was yelling loudly toward his cousin's action.

Do you really think that vicious woman would easily agree with it?

That woman came to find Kyoya in the company, only to be blocked by the bodyguards who acted under his order. Ryota had to come down since that woman went furiously mad after being told Kyoya wasn't there.

"Don't bother about it," Kyoya spoke again, knowing that Ryota didn't agree with him. "I know it's not an easy battle. That woman would come up with something but you don't have to worry. This time, I won't draw away from my decision."

If this was before, he would always feel reluctant to do it but right now, backing away was not an option anymore.

This was his first step to leave his dark past behind.