149 If that's not an obsession, I don't know what is

ie is feeling strange in her own house. kiyohira and yuta have their backs to her. the father and son are making food in the kitchen. yuta is standing on the stool, helping kiyohira. they speak in the low voices, making here jealous of their relationship.

when did they get so close? yuta stayed 5 years with her including the time in her womb. he met kiyohira for less than 2 days. how come 2 days are more effective than 5 years? he didn't help her during cooking before. is she supposed to wait here? 

meanwhile, yuta is helping his father because he's curious about how his father makes the pancakes so delicious. 

bored, she finds her phone. tsuchiya san hasn't contacted her. there are a few messages from her reporting yuta's and kiyohira's activities. 

"right." she speaks to herself, "i asked her to take yuta away if kiyohira does something bad to him. i didn't ask her to report to me if they leave the country and come to my house. tsuchiya san, you found a loophole in my words. hmph!"

she's still mad. tsuchiya san should have told her everything. she peers at father and son who are busy. she gives tsuchiya tsumi a call.

[umezaki rie.] rie can feel the smile in her tone. [everything is okay so far.]

"tsuchiya san, are you even watching them?" rie asks her doubtfully.

[yes, they are at your house. they are making dinner.]

"what i am doing?"

[talking to me from your house.]

"..." tsuchiya san is strange. "tsuchiya san, did you know the truth about what happened 5 years ago?"

it's impossible that she wouldn't know. the leader of dh must have known it too. she's sure that maddox also knew since he was the one who contacted her.

[yes, i knew. i was not allowed to reveal it.] 

tsuchiya tsumi's voice is cool and collected. rie sighs. she understands. tsuchiya tsumi won't risk her life to tell her the truth. they are friends, but tsuchiya tsumi never mixes work with personal life. warning her regarding dh leader's interest in yuta is already a stretch. 

"you didn't report to me because you wanted me to meet kiyohira." 

[maybe i did it for that reason. i could be a lousy contractee. who knows? i am getting old.]

rie narrows her eyes. "you are a loli." 

[don't call me that.] there's a hint of annoyance in tsuchiya tsumi's voice.

"it's the truth."

[tsk!]

usually, tsuchiya tsumi is cool-headed, but she hates being called a loli. 

[i am glad that you found out. your son is smarter than he looks. it seems like i don't have to take him away from kiyohira. are you going to change the orders?]

"tsuchiya san, you have helped me so far." rie leans back and stares up at the ceiling. "i know that you want to stop. i am leaving with kiyohira and yuta tomorrow morning. let's terminate our agreement."

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"no." she glances at kiyohira. "i want to be sure. you told me that only i can build my own happiness. but my happiness depends on my son's happiness. a new person is also included from today onwards. i want to see where it goes."

[umezaki rie, that's good enough.]

"where will you go after this?" 

[i always wanted to be a farmer.]

"a farmer?" rie imagines the loli working in the field.  she blinks away the imagination. if she laughs, she's likely to face the wrath of the loli. 

[my father was a farmer.] 

that's the only explanation she offers to rie.

"tsuchiya san, you will be an excellent farmer." 

hearing rie's laughter, kiyohira and yuta turn around and look at her. they see her talking to someone on the phone in a low voice. her eyes are sparkling with genuine happiness. momentarily dazed, they keep staring at her. the man is seeing her after 5 years like this. the boy is seeing her after 20 years like this. 

[you should be careful. dh's laws cannot protect you. he has a strange interest in you and your son. he's wary of you.]

"i thought that it was about my son." rie's eyes turn darker as her voice becomes lower. "tsuchiya san, what are you hiding?"

[i don't know much, umezaki rie. but can't you guess already? nobody in the dh can match your skills. you are invaluable to them. now, they see that your son can replace you if you are gone.]

"hmm." rie understands it well. that's why she's been worried. she can't always be a hacker at the dh. she will get old and become slower. as a mother, she will never let her son take the dark path. the dh knows it. isn't it better to kill her and take her son away?

[you also know too much.]

"i will use it to my advantage."

[many before you thought the same.]

"thank you for everything that you did for me, tsuchiya san. i wish that you have a peaceful life ahead of you."

[umezaki rie, i hope that you find the happiness that you have been seeking for so long.]

rie puts down her phone on the table. she gets up with a big smile on her face. there's a pile of pancakes on the plate. "yuta can't eat that all."

"i can." yuta takes the plate and goes to the table while licking his lips. "i can eat them all."

he needs to fill his belly first. he has done too much work recently. his body is still small. 

"this little guy's obsession with pancakes..." rie shakes her head. "i really spoiled him."

"reminds me of someone's obsession with ramen." 

"i wasn't obsessed."

"if that's not an obsession, i don't know what is."

"aren't you the guy who chased me in a helicopter?" rie smiles at him. "if that's not an obsession, i don't know what is."

kiyohira shuts his mouth, embarrassed about his 'dark' past.