This Side of Paradise - Tsukishima Kei x OC

Chapter 25: Loss

Chapter 25:

Kei and Mizuki were on their way to Tokyo to visit many of their friends like Bokuto, Akaashi, Rina, Kojima, Atsumu, Osamu, and more. It would be Hana's first time meeting and interacting with most of these people and Kei couldn't help but worry about how his daughter would react among strangers.

"I hope we didn't forget to unplug anything at home..." Mizuki crossed her arms in concern.

"Don't worry, I made sure to turn everything off." Kei murmured reassuringly.

Currently, they were on the 3rd hour of their 5-hour drive to Tokyo. Kei was able to take some time off work for a week which he was extremely grateful for. As much as he loved his job, he missed spending time with his wife, daughter, and even his friends.

"Are we near that ramen place you've been talking about?" Mizuki asked curiously.

She was starving - amidst the craziness that was their life as parents, she and Kei forgot to eat breakfast. They made sure that Hana had everything she needed for their week in Tokyo - milk, snacks, clothes, toys, and blankets - which meant that they had very little room to think about themselves. Eventually, though, they did stop by a small grocery store to buy some food and water for their road trip. It wasn't the same as actual cooked food.

"I think we'll be there in about 20 minutes," Kei stated, keeping his eyes on the road, "I don't know if I told you this but the annoying kid I met there... His name is Ren."

"Like our cat...?" She laughed softly.

"Exactly." He smirked.

He recalled the memory of a young boy who kept bothering him by asking all sorts of questions as he ate his ramen nearly three years ago. Ren was so irritating but Kei didn't mind it because he appreciated the company. His parents owned the quaint, rusty restaurant and he remembered how absolutely delicious the food was.

"I guess the kid wasn't so bad..." Kei chuckled.

"I can't wait to meet him!" Mizuki grinned.

As they approached the restaurant located a few miles from the highway, Kei tried his best to remember where it actually was. He didn't know if Ren still remembered him but even if he didn't, the ramen was so unbelievably amazing that he wouldn't really mind. Kei pulled into the parking lot which was bustling with all kinds of people buying from the shops and relaxing in cafes. It was a lot busier than he remembered.

When they parked their car, Mizuki opened her car door and instinctively went to Hana. Meanwhile, Kei took out the stroller from the trunk of their car.

"Hi, my baby..." Mizuki snuggled Hana as she sleepily fluttered her eyes open.

"Want to eat?" She fixed Hana's jacket, "Want to stretch your cute little legs?"

Kei scanned the area - this was definitely where he ate all those years ago. For some reason though, he couldn't find the ramen place. Maybe he was mistaken... As Mizuki placed Hana into her stroller and made sure she was safe and sound, she faced her husband.

"Where's the restaurant?" She asked.

"It should be here somewhere..." He answered with uncertainty.

After locking their car, the three strolled around the lively marketplace. There are several shops, all decorated beautifully with vendors selling a variety of products ranging from fruits and vegetables to jewelry and make-up. The market was crowded - children explored the area with their parents, high school students hung out with their friends, and elderly couples drank their afternoon tea together. Kei could hardly believe that this was the same, nearly deserted place he went to before he returned to Miyagi those years ago.