Third week of April, 1873

"Do come home early, all right?"

Koenma chuckled as he gave his wife a sound kiss on the lips.

"I always come home early." He said as Yuki adjusted the collar of his shirt.

"I can't understand you though." she began as she turned and walked towards the low table. "Why do you insist on wearing shirt and trousers when you could wear hakamas instead?"

Koenma turned to her and smiled.

"Because a shirt, a pair of trousers and a coat is proper with my kind of work, Yuki-chan." He replied as she turned to him smiling.

"I suppose the doctor also dresses like that." She mused as she wiped the table clean. "Tell me, how is your work doing right now?"

"Well, better than ever." He replied gathering his things. "Though I always warn the doctor that herbal medicines today are mighty expensive, still he insists on buying more than enough."

"Well I am glad." She replied as she walked towards him. She put her arms around him. "Do be careful, all right?"

"Yes." He replied huskily as he kissed her on her forehead. "Don't forget to lock up when I go out."

"Oh- I may be going out in a little while." She said.

"Where to?"

"To the market." She answered. "To buy something for dinner."

Koenma then nodded his head as he turned and walked towards the door. Then giving his wife one final smile, he waved goodbye and went on his way.

=======

It was already late that afternoon when Koenma decided to head home. He gave out a contented sigh as he passed the wooden bridge just past the market. He stopped momentarily as he looked at the sparkling stream before him. Instantly, beautiful memories flashed inside his mind.

"Seems like yesterday." He thought as he remembered the first time he saw her smile. He remembered their first meeting, their first date, and their first kiss…

"Can't believe it has already been four months." He added as he raised his hands to brush his hair away from his eyes.

It has been four months since they got married and still he couldn't believe that he has the most beautiful woman for his wife. Yuki had been nothing but good and kind. The kind of wife every man would ask for. Thinking about that made him feel lucky as another contented sigh escaped his lips.

"I see you are looking well, Koenma-sama."

Koenma turned abruptly upon hearing a familiar voice behind him. Ayame smiled at him, but her face nevertheless troubled. Koenma's eyes widened after seeing a face he had long forgotten.

"I found you at last." Ayame said as she walked towards him. "It is good to see you again, Koenma-sama." She added bowing with respect.

Koenma tried to smile.

"I-it is good to see you again, Ayame." He forced out. Then he raised his eyebrows. "W-what brings you here?" he asked.

"C-can we talk somewhere else, Koenma-sama?" she asked.

Koenma silently thought about how worried Yuki would be, but then sensing the urgency in her voice, he finally nodded his head.

"All right, follow me." He said as he took a step forward. Ayame followed him till they reached the teahouse. Koenma stepped inside and sat before a table near the doorway. Ayam followed suit.

"What seems to be the problem, Ayame?" he asked finally as their teas were brought.

"You don't know how long I've been searching for you, Koenma-sama." She replied. "And since you don't wear your pacifier any longer, that explains the sudden disappearance of your ki." She added.

"Is- father-- how is he?" he managed to say. With that, Ayame took him by the hand.

"I won't beat around the bush, Koenma-sama." She began her eyes capturing his in an urgent gaze. "Please come home. You need to go back." She added.

Koenma turned away.

"You don't know, but a lot of things happened after you went away. Bad things." She continued. This time Koenma turned to her.

"There- Rei Kai grew restless." She said shaking her head. "S-souls waiting for judgements suffered. They have nowhere to go. They got stuck in your domain thus creating a disturbance in the natural flow of life."

"The Great Enma Daiou should know how to deal with it." He said coldly. "He is, after all, the Great Enma Daiou, ne?" he added his tongue dripping with sarcasm.

"Y-your father, pardon for saying this, but he- he has become unbearable." She said remembering the many times they got reprimanded and scolded for reasons they couldn't fathom.

"You know how Enma Daiou is when he is angry, ne Koenma-sama?" she asked quietly.

With that, he turned away from her completely, realizing what his sudden action had brought. He knows that he had made his father terribly angry; who knows what might have--

"Listen to me, Koenma-sama." Ayame said her voice getting louder by the second. "There has been a series of plagues here in Ningenkai lately. Earthquakes, violent storms, volcanoes erupting- all of them are of you father's doing."

Silence.

"He is so angry. I have never seen him like that before." She continued her voice pleading. "Many Ningens died and without you there, Rei Kai now is cluttered with homeless souls…we don't know what to do anymore, Koenma-sama. Enma-sama isolated himself from his work."

She paused to look at her employer softly. She tightened her grip even more.

"He- he found out about you- about your ningen wife, Koenma-sama." She said quietly.

Koenma's eyes widened with surprise.

"H-how?"

"I don't know." Ayame answered sobbing. "After finding out about you, he became intolerable, not even one of us dared to talk to him." she added.

"Ayame…"

"So please Koenma-sama, please come back. We really need you. If you don't, calamities won't stop plaguing Ningenkai, the cycle of life would totally go out of hand since there would be no souls to be reborn." She begged. "Nobody but you could put a stop to these." She added now the tears continuously flowing from her eyes.

"Ayame…" he began standing up and sitting beside her. He gently put his arms around her, comforting her.

"I just- I just don't know what to do anymore." She cried.

Koenma sighed as he felt Ayame pressed her face against her chest even more. Due to the happiness he had found in the arms of Yuki, he had totally gone blind, clueless about what was happening around him.

"Ayame, please don't cry." He said desperately.

So far those are the only words he could utter. He couldn't possibly leave his wife alone! He couldn't also give Ayame empty promises. But then, if he won't come back… He closed his eyes momentarily as he felt Ayame's arms tightened around him even more.

He was about to stand up when suddenly he heard a noisy clutter at the table next to theirs. He looked up to see what caused the noise only to find the tear-streaked face of Yuki looking at them. His eyes widened, a sharp gasp escaped his lips. He quickly pushed Ayame away from him.

"Y-yuki…"

Yuki shook her head silently, her eyes not leaving his face, her lower lip trembling.

"Y-Yuki, I- let me- explain. Please-"

Without a word, Yuki stumbled out of the teahouse not caring what people would say. She dropped her basket, scattering the vegetables on the ground.

"Yuki-chan! Matte!" Koenma called out going after her.

Yuki just ran faster upon hearing his desperate call. Her sense of vision blinded by the endless torrent of tears flowing from her eyes as she swiftly ran to the only place where she could find sanctuary.