"Good Morning Ririko"
"Good Morning Dear, I made breakfast for you"
Rei blushed a little because Ririko called her dear.
"It looks delicious I'll eat now. But first, Yamato-kun good morning"
Rei first went to Yamato's crib where Yamato is also awake.
"Are you okay, did mommy took good care of you?" he asks.
Rei then grabs Yamato and plays with him for a while until Ririko goes and takes Yamato from him. Rei then went to eat breakfast.
"Dear, who are you competing against today?" Ririko asked.
"Today I have a match against Smith-san also with my dad, I'm sorry, ever since we moved here in Tokyo I haven't been spending time with you"
Ririko looked down, but then she held Rei's hand.
"Remember when we agreed to get married, we'll support each other" she said.
"Yeah but"
"Don't worry I'm not mad at you okay. Why would I be mad? You're just doing the things that you like, it's not like your cheating."
Rei continues eating.
"So is my cooking good?"
"Yes it is, I think it's the best in the world!"
Ririko blushed.
"I still have many ways to go you know"
Rei then blushes as he thinks that what he said was too cheesy. He then finished his breakfast and gets everything ready, and before he left him and Ririko kissed then he bid farewell.
"Yamato I'll go now okay, dear I'll be going now"
"See you later"
"I'll come home as quick as possible, also I love you"
"I love you too"
Rei then left as he heads to the Shogi hall and while travelling he's think about Ririko and Yamato.
"We became more comfortable with each other after we got married, sometimes we call each other dead, it's still awkward as we still prefer each other's names but it's alright.
Yeah, I guess we are indeed a married couple. Yamato also started teaching himself how to get up on his own feel and that's pretty cute to watch. As for Ririko, I love her, and I want to support her, not just financially but with everything, emotionally socially.
I want her to do what she wants, I don't want her to think that she's just a housewife. But I don't know how to do that. It's weird, I love her but I don't know the first thing that she wants" he thought.
After an hour he finally arrives to the Shogi hall where people are waiting for him.
He didn't wait he went up straight facing the shogi board with Smith on the other side.
"So Kiriyama, how's your married life, have you adjusted to your new life now?" Smith asked.
"Yeah, little by little we're doing great, unlike before, me and Ririko are much more comfortable with each other"
"And Yamato-kun how is he?"
"He's learning to stand up, and he can express himself now I guess?"
Smith sighed.
"It must be nice being a father huh?"
Rei just laughs it off.
Soon Rei and Smith finshed their match and Rei did win. Smith was a good sport and praised Rei. The two went outside but then.
"Kiriyama, there's one more thing I want to ask. DID YOU AND RIRIKO DID IT AGAIN!" Smith yelled.
"D..DID WHAT?!" Rei asked.
"YOU KNOW THIS!" Smith answered as he showed what he means through his fingers. Rei realizes what he means and blushes heavily.
"S..SMITH-SAN WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WE'RE IN THE SHOGI HALL!" Rei said out of embarrassment.
"SEE I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE DOING IT!" Smith said.
Rei gets the pressure. Of course him and Ririko are having sex, they are married, however Rei is too shy to talk about sex, even to his closest friends.
Eventually Smith stopped when Masachika arrived and gived him a light slap in the back.
"Smith-san, you're pressuring Kiriyama, stop it" he said.
"Ah sorry, I got too hyped. I just wonder what his married life is like"
"There's nothing much into our married life!" Rei said.
Smith smiled.
"Yeah you're right I'm sorry" he said.
Masachika knows Rei's anxiety when answering questions, it's not like he's private in his life. Rei was just caught off guard with Smith's behavior.
"So Rei, how's your married life really?" Masachika asked.
Rei drinks his bottle of green tea first.
"There's nothing special really, we get up together eat together, sleep together. But I guess lately we don't have time to for each other. I love Shogi and I will still continue to play Shogi, but I don't know. But I feel like I want to blame it on Shogi on why I can't spend time with my wife and son" Rei said in a sad tone.
Masachika smiles.
"It must be hard being a parent huh?" he said.
"I love Shogi, but I also love my Wife and son" Rei said.
He was calmed down by Masachika who told him that he'll make a great father. Afterwards they both entered the Shogi hall where they had a match, this time he had with Masachika.
"Rei I know I asked you this a while ago but do you love Shogi?"
"Yes"
"No matter what happen you will still love Shogi"
Suddenly Rei stops for a while.
"What are you trying to tell?" Rei asked.
"I just think that you're conflicted in what you want to do in life right now" Masachika answered.
Rei immediately gets what he's trying to say, he was annoyed but he knows that his father has a point. He is at his part of his life where he can't just make a hasty decisions, because in every decision that he'll make will affect Ririko and Yamato.
Masachika's words did affect Rei, so much so that he would go on to lose the match. Masachika felt the impact of what he said and felt a little guilty of it.
"Rei I'm not forcing you to make a decision, but in whatever decisions you'll make my doors are always open for you" he said.
Rei nodded, it sounds weird coming from someone who adopted him because of his Shogi skills.
"How's Kyouko-san and Ayumu-san?"
"They are both doing okay, Kyouko found a work and Ayumu will graduate high school soon"
The two parted ways, and as Rei walks home there's a lot that is going in his head.
"I feel pathetic, I love Shogi, and I making money on it, but I do think I should take life more seriously now that I have a family. But the same time I feel anxious of the thoughts of me getting a real job.
My life is all about Shogi, I never thought of anything. I never thought of the idea that I would work in a company, doing paperworks or making reports"
Meanwhile In the Kiriyama Household
While Rei is out there playing Shogi, Ririko is doing what every housewife is doing. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of Yamato, you know it.
Since Rei is gone for the time being, Ririko sees this as an opportunity to try and learn how to cook. Ririko does know how to cook and Rei does praise her for it, but still Ririko wants to improve more.
Today Ririko is trying a Filipino dish called Sinigang, Ririko then went and tasted her cooking.
"I think it's too much sour" she said.
So she went back and tried again.
"Ever since I got pregnant I decided that I wanted to learn all the things a housewife should learn and that includes cooking. I asked Shiori to teach me how to cook and I was happy when I first cooked on my own.
Grandma is always the one who cooks in the house back then, I do know how to cook, but I'm just scared to do so. I guess me being pregnant did help because I got some motivation and there is this feeling that I need to satisfy someone.
It made me even more happy when every time Rei eats my food he smiles and praises me. I don't know if he knows it, but in that simple way he makes me smile and he makes me want to cook for him and Yamato even more.
I like cooking, but little did I know that I would find myself getting really into it. It's like I'm not content of what I know. I started researching more and more. What started as a simple hobby with a simple motivation is grown into something" Ririko thought.
Ririko tasted her dish on her second try and it was good. She was happy.
Suddenly Yamato cried so Ririko hurried up to pick him up so she can comfort him.
"There there, stop crying, mommy's here for you" Ririko said.
She then filled his bottle with milk because she thinks he must be hungry. She was right Yamato was hungry so he drinks his milk. Ririko sits down on the sofa where she watches TV.
Ririko watches an afternoon drama and then she noticed that Moe, the girl she acted with back in Manoyama is one of the main characters. All of a sudden Ririko turned off the TV. She then put Yamato back to his crib and started cleaning their apartment.
However while doing so she can't help think about Moe.
"I'm 23 and only Moe is only 20 or 21, but she's come a long way. Back then she was still a trainee and was in the side roles now she's the main character. I guess she have harnessed a lot of confidence now. I wonder what it's like to be in her shoes.
I love my life right now, I couldn't ask for a better husband. Despite his shy behavior, Rei is kind, caring supportive, has a job and will never cheat on me. I also got a cute little boy who makes me smile.
But I just can't help but compare myself to her, at her age she already made a name for herself, but me. I don't know if I can brag about anything in my life.
I wonder? Is it because I'm too picky for a job? Or I just have trouble dealing with people that it affects me?
Regardless seeing her makes me think about the things that I could have done if I turn back time" Ririko thought.
Ririko finished cleaning after an hour. It was getting dark and Rei is still not home but still, she did not eat, she waited for Rei to arrive home before she can she'll have dinner.
It was around 8 o'clock when Rei returned home, and Ririko welcomed him back.
"So is everything good, did won?"
"I won again Smith-san but not with dad"
Ririko and Ririko had dinner together. Rei tastes Ririko's cooking and he praised her for it, Ririko was glad that he liked her cooking. Yamato is also joining them, he's big enough to sit into a chair, but he still needs to be fed.
"Yamato, do you like Mama's cooking?" Rei asked.
Yamato smiled and raised his hands.
Ririko smiled and rubs her son's head and Rei was happy that Yamato likes her mother's cooking. After eating Rei carried Yamato, it was his routine, he likes to be the one to calm his son till he sleeps. Rei would hum some songs until Yamato sleeps peacefully, and when he did he puts him on the crib and his parents are watching him.
"Ririko, I know I've said this before, but let's do our best to make Yamato happy"
"Yeah, I also realized that we're pretty similar"
"What do you mean?"
"We both grew up without our parents, your parents died when you were young, and mine left. I think it's a reason why we care so much for Yamato aside from he's our son"
"Yeah, we really want to give the best to Yamato"
"That's why I want to be with him as he grows up. I want to watch him make friends, go to school, and tell me about the girl he likes"
Then suddenly
"Hey Ririko, do you think I should start-"
"No"
"I mean yeah I make money in Shogi but-"
"Yes we did get married, but I never told you to get a real job, I want our married life to be a happy one"
"Yeah I know but-"
"Rei, do you love Shogi?"
"Yes"
"And when we started dating what's the first thing that we've agreed upon?"
"That we would accept each other no matter what, even our ugly side"
"Indeed, I accepted the fact that you like Shogi just as how accepted me and Manoyama. I'm also aware from the fact that we can't just make a hasty decision. But I know what you've been through in life, I know what you are in the world of Shogi and how much you love it. So this idea that you quitting Shogi to get a "real job" I don't like it"
"I know but our future I'm-"
Suddenly Ririko hugs Rei.
"Rei, I beg you please don't quit Shogi. I'm proud at you, you know that. You are a somebody, don't make yourself a nobody. Don't be like me"
Rei's eyes widen.
"What do you mean don't be like me?"
"I'm not smart, I have no talent, I'm not beautiful, but I got a husband who is too good for me. You may not see it but I see every good parts in you, including your talents, and I don't like it to go to waste"
Ririko continued to hug Rei and as she does, Rei felt something wet on his chest. It was Ririko's tears, it seems that she really wants him to continue playing Shogi.
"For all the years I've played Shogi, I've received a lot of support from different people. But Ririko's support is like no other's, no one has cried just to tell me to quit Shogi except for Ririko, and she told me that while we're in this stage of our lives.
I just want to smile after hear her words, but I also want to comfort her, come to think of it when she said don't be like me, like her, I want to tell her all the good points that she has. That she's also too good for me. But I think those words won't have an effect on her" Rei thought.
