I've never really been one to have friends. I was the shy one in the corner; the one who didn't talk to anyone. I told myself that I didn't need friends because once they're done with you, they ditch you. That is truly how I felt…until one day, I was given a beautiful man to call my lover forever. He is a kind, gentle man who cares about everyone, but loves and understands me most of all. He gave me the strength to climb and make friends again. What would I possibly do without him? What would I do without Yamato?
"Mei!" he waved. Yamato ran over to the middle of the train station where we would always meet. I loved our walks to and from school, and I always felt safe when I was with him. I smiled, and he finally caught up to me. He was panting really hard. "Were you waiting long, Mei?" he asked me. "N-No I just got here, Yamato-kun." We have been dating for some time, but I always feel nervous around him. I smiled. "Shall we go then?" he asked. I nodded, and we started walking to school. He stood full and broad beside me, and I could never know what he was thinking. Before I knew it, we were at school.
"I'll see you in a few, okay?" he asked. I smiled, and he went to his homeroom class. Suddenly Aiko and Asami were in sight. "MEI-CHAN!?" Asami yelled. She ran over to me and threw herself into my arms. "How've you been, Mei-chan!?" she asked. "F-Fine, I guess." I answered. Asami gave a look of confusion. "Well anyway, we have a present for you and Yamato. We are sending you to a fabulous getaway in Hokkaido, just you two for one week!" she announced with joy. I was shocked.
"Why would you do that?" I asked. She smiled as she always did. "Because, silly, you two need to spend some more quality time together." She replied. I was a little let down. "We do spend time together. I mean, we walk home together every day, and sometimes, he'll take me home from work." I said. Asami tsked and moved her index finger side to side. "That is not the kind of "quality time" I was talking about. C'mon Mei-chan you two need to start going on vacations with each other. I'm sure taking you home every day is great, but this is something you only get to do so often, so you two are going!" she said. To be perfectly honest, I don't think she was giving us a choice in the matter.
That next Saturday was one of the longest ones ever. Asami had decided to take me shopping, so I would look like I was going somewhere with the right 'style'. From what I had gathered, we were obviously going to a beachside hotel. "Oh my God; you look so beautiful in that sundress!" Asami critiqued every piece of clothing I had been given to try on. They were all really beautiful, and they fit me thinly. Afterwards, Aiko decided to take me to get my nails and hair done. I had forgotten how long my hair had gotten, and I guess I really needed my ends trimmed.
We arrived at the hair salon, and I had my hair cut to a comfortable length. Suddenly, I was taken to a sink, and they began putting a warm paste on my eyebrows. "Um, what are you doing to my face?" I asked the hair technician apprehensively. "Oh, I thought that your eyebrows were a little uneven, so I asked that you got them waxed." Aiko explained. "Huh!?" I asked surprised. "Wow, Aiko-chan, I wouldn't have caught that!" Asami praised her for her crisp, clear judgment. I wasn't happy with this sudden judgment. We left after I got my hair cut and – and eyebrows waxed.
I was very tired, and I wanted to sleep for a long time. Before I knew it, two days had passed. I woke up, and I had a cold rag on my head. "What the heck?" I mumbled. I got out of bed and walked in the kitchen, and I saw a note on the table. It read: Dear Mei, I'm at the store; please get back to bed when you read this. Love you! I did as I was told and got back into bed. Mom got home, and I was freezing. It turns out I had a very bad cold. The next day, I was still pretty beaten up, but I went to school anyway.
Yamato was so worried when I saw him. "Mei," he called. I stopped to look at him, and he started panting. "Hey, Yama –," I was cut off by his embrace. "I was so worried about you! Don't you ever scare me like that again!" he demanded. I felt a hint of a blush on my face but held him tighter. After school, Yamato decided to come pick me up from work. I was tired, but I really wanted to see him. He waited for me, and as we left, our hands intertwined.
I was deep in thought, and we were on the way to the intersection. I was walking in front of him, but suddenly my vision blurred. "So, Mei?" he asked me. I was losing my pace, and he soon got in front of me. My head was irritating me, and my vision was blurring to the point where I couldn't walk. I fell to the cold concrete. I opened my eyes; I could faintly see a blur of Yamato. He was yelling something to me, but I couldn't understand him. Suddenly, I felt a cold hand brush against my head before blacking out.
I woke up in a bed that felt nothing like my own. My eyes focused on a pale white ceiling. I turned my head, and saw a table with cold water and a dish rag. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a little girl with beautiful brown hair walked in. "N-Nagi?" I mumbled. She looked over to me and ran over. "Mei nee-chan?" she asked. I nodded, and she ran out of the room. I sighed. I must have scared her, I thought. A few minutes later, she came back, but this time she was accompanied with someone much taller. He walked over to me and rubbed my face. "Hey, baby," he muttered. I smiled, and I motioned my hand to his face. I brushed against his cheek, and he grasped mine tightly.
"What happened?" I sat up feeling the top of my head. I still felt very faint and fell back on the bed. "Hey! Calm down; you are still out of it!" he replied with concern. He had lain me down on the cool pillow. "Nagi, could you give me a moment with Mei?" he asked. Nagi nodded and left the bedroom. With Yamato still holding my hand, I felt warm drops flowing down it. "Yamato, what's wrong?" I murmured. He shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm just so glad that you're okay." He said through his continuous flowing of tears. I smiled and fell back into my deep slumber.
When I woke up again, I was still at Yamato's house. Nothing had changed, I still felt faint and nauseated. However, most of all, I was so thirsty. I found the, little, strength to get up and walk to the kitchen. I walked, well, more like treaded, down the hallway. I stumbled a few times, but I got back up. I had reached the stairs, and felt the pain in my chest. I knew I wasn't going to make it down there, but I tried anyway. My legs trembled as I took the first step. I looked at the floor trying to take my second step. I looked up, and the room started to spin. I lost my balance. A harsh pain came from my legs, face, neck, and arms. I was laying on the hard surface of the floor. I couldn't keep consciousness. My breathing pattern began to slow down to a steady heartbeat. Fatigue drowned me.
I woke up in a hospital feeling so soar, and I blinked a few times to get a clearer image of where I was exactly. I heard the beeping of a monitor, and felt many tubes running in my body. I looked around the room, and a male figure sat in the chair…Yamato. He was sitting in the chair looking down at the floor. Suddenly, he looked up, and smiled at me. He immediately jumped up and walked to me. I smiled. He leaned over and kissed my head. "How are you feeling, baby?" he asked me. I opened my mouth to get in some oxygen. "I'm feeling a little better, but what happened to me?" I asked. Suddenly, I remembered. I fell. I fell down that fleet of stairs. How am I alive!? The monitor started to beep faster. "Mei, calm down!" I felt two warm hands embrace me. I slowed my breathing. He rubbed my head and laid me back on the pillow.
After a few hours, my mom, Yamato's parents, and even Nagi came in. Yamato began to explain what happened. "I came home from getting some tea, and I found you on the floor with bruises. You weren't breathing, so I tried using CPR, but it wouldn't work, so I called 119." Yamato seemed very upset and sorry. I put my hand on his cheek. "It's not your fault. I went to get water, but I was stupid and didn't call you." I replied. I extended my quivering hand out to him, and he did the same. Our hands intertwined, and we smiled. "You saved my daughter, Yamato. That's all you needed to do." My mother gave him a hug. Yamato's parents smiled at each other. The doctor walked in with a puzzled look. Yamato pulled up the chair to sit next to me. "Doctor, please, what is wrong with me?" I asked.
"You're having a bad case of pneumonia." He replied. I was shocked. My eyes widened. "W-What are my options?" I mumbled anxiously. "We will give you some antibiotics to help you clear it out, but you also have a really bad sinus infection that we need to operate on." He replied. My heart fell to my stomach. I began breaking out in tears. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" Yamato asked concerned. He tilted my head to his chest, and I grabbed a fist-full of his shirt and began to cry. After a few minutes, I was finally calmed down.
"I understand the situations, and I will let you operate." I said. Yamato gave me a look of grave irritation and anxiousness. "Mei, are you sure about this?" he asked. I looked at him and nodded. He smiled at me. "Okay, we will operate on you tomorrow morning." the doctor replied. My mother, Yamato's parents, and Nagi had gone home. "Why aren't you going home, Yamato?" I asked. He walked over and kissed me on the head. "Why would I leave my beautiful girlfriend here? I wouldn't be able to sleep." He replied. I smiled and drifted off to sleep.
The next day, my surgery went by so fast. I didn't remember anything, and I was discharged from the hospital, and Yamato took me to his house, carrying me none the less. "What are you doing? Put me down!" I protested. He kept a strong grip on me. "No! I am taking you to my place, so I can get packed! We never got our two week vacation, and I want to celebrate it!" he smiled. My mouth was hanging open, but I didn't care. He carried me up the stairs, and we got all of our things ready.
The next day, we were on the train headed to the hotel. Yamato and I had been waiting for this for a long time. After getting off the train, Yamato got the bags on the cart to the hotel. I was standing by and looking at the scenery and enjoying the air. Suddenly, I was wiped off my feet. I turned to face who had picked me up, and of course, it was Yamato. "Put me down!" I screamed. Yamato gave me a kiss, and put me down. Afterwards, we went up to the room. My eyes twitched as I saw the room. It was really beautiful with red satin crepes and a great view, but the thing that stood out was, yep, the one king size bed! "She's joking, right?" I asked. Yamato smiled. "Well, I think it's perfect." I sighed, and sat my stuff on the table nearest the room. The bed was so nice. I flung myself onto it, and began, without realizing it, I had fallen asleep.
The next morning, I woke up next to Yamato; however, it didn't bother me. I got out of bed, and I began walking around the hotel room. I soon found the kitchen, and I began making coffee. I was putting the instant coffee in the cups when a sudden blanket of warmth engulfed me. I turned around, and Yamato was hugging me. I smiled. "Would you like some coffee?" I asked. He smiled blissfully and nodded. We drank our coffee with joy before getting ready to go to the beach. I went in the bathroom and grabbed my bag. I found a very beautiful sundress inside, and I slipped it on. When I walked out, Yamato was talking on the phone, but when he saw me, his eyes were captivated on me, and he got off the phone.
"H-How do I look?" I asked with embarrassment. Yamato's cheeks started to turn red. "You look," he smiled, "like the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in all my life." he grinned. After we got out of the hotel, we walked along the beach, our hands intertwining. Sunset came by, and we were walking down the shoreline, and the breeze was blowing hard, but it felt very rejuvenating. Suddenly, my phone began to ring. "Who would be calling me at this hour?" I asked myself. I pulled out my cell phone and flipped it open. "Oh, it's a text from Asami. She says that she misses us, and she set up something for us tonight." I said. Suddenly, the phone rang again. I put the phone to my ear, and of course, Asami was blaring through the phone. "Okay, Mei-chan! I need you to go back to the hotel, and get changed. I had a special dress put inside, and I think you'll love it!" she said.
She hung up immediately after finishing her sentence. We walked back to the hotel, and Yamato was taken away by the hotel management. I went back to my room, and found a group of designers along the wall. I walked inside the closet, and in the back was a beautiful peach colored dress that flew like a calm breeze over water. The team began adding make-up to my face, and applying smoothing treatments to my hair. I never believed I could look this beautiful. I walked down the stairs, and I was instructed to go to the dining room in the west wing of the hotel.
As I walked to the dining room, I was shown to a beautiful table, and at that table, a handsome man in a black tux stood tall. His hands were sweating, and his knees were buckling, but I loved the look of surprise and blushing on his face. I walked over, and his mouth was hung all the way to his chest. "W-What is wrong? Is there something on my face?" I asked. He shook his head. "N-No! You just look," he paused, "so amazing." he smiled.
We both sat down together, and during the night, my knees also began buckling. The waiters brought great food, and we enjoyed the night. That whole time; however, I couldn't stop blushing. We carried on awkward conversations, but they ended up always making us smile and laugh! By the end of the night, we were walking along the shoreline, arm to arm. As we walked my foot began to irritate me. "This is so nice," Yamato said, breaking the silence. I looked up to him. "Yes, it sure is, isn't it?" I asked, sarcastically. We saw the beautiful crimson red horizon, and the atmosphere began to draw me in. Suddenly, the breeze flew in like satin across water. Yamato's lips brushed against mine, and, as always, they were soft and warm. He picked me up like a prince carrying the damsel-in-distress, and we went back to the hotel room.
After getting back, I ripped the shoes off my feet, and went to the bathroom to remove the make-up. Yamato had taken off his tux before I got finished. I went to the closet and sifted through to find my pajamas, but I couldn't find them. I searched through my bag, but they weren't in there either. Suddenly, I found a note on the door: "Mei, I decided to give something to you. It's hanging in the bathroom on the hanger… ~Aiko" I began to blush! I walked into the bathroom, and I saw a black, silky, nightgown. "Does she expect me to wear this!?" I asked myself. Feeling like I had no choice, I slipped it on. The gown came down to my calves, just barely covering my backside. The ends were covered in black lace, but, thankfully, it wasn't translucent! I walked out seeing Yamato sprawled on the bed. He propped himself up, and saw me in the night dress. His eyes widened!
I walked out, my knees buckling, and my cheeks flustered with embarrassment. However, all he could do was stare at me. "What are you staring at me for?" I asked. He shook his head. "Nothing!" he replied. I watched him sit up, and motion to one side of the bed. I was so tired, and my head felt like it was going to explode. I got myself positioned in the bed, and began to sleep. Halfway, through the night, I reached over to the other side of the bed, and it was unattended. I sat up, and I saw Yamato out on the balcony. He had a drink in his hand; I walked out to join him. "Hey, Mei, did I wake you?" he asked. I hugged him, and I shook my head.
"What's wrong, Yamato?" I asked. He did not reply immediately. "It's nothing; I'm sorry to have worried you." He said. I walked back inside, and I sat on the bed with my knees to my chest. I began to cry. Soon, I found myself in the bathroom cleaning up my face. I came out of the bathroom, and I went outside on the balcony. Yamato came up behind me and embraced me gently. "What's wrong, Mei?" he asked. I began to cry again. "When did you stop telling me how you feel?" I whimpered. Yamato was surprised.
I turned around and walked away with my face facing the floor. I walked away, but I was then stopped by him. He grabbed onto my hand, pulling it towards him. "What are you doing?" I tried not to cry. He pulled my chin to his face and kissed me. His lips were cold and wet. "To be honest, I was scared. I was afraid that maybe, something might happen, and we'll be torn apart." He cried. All this time, I had been afraid that I was going to be left behind, but really, I was the one that needed to slow down. We went back to bed together, and as I rested on his chest, I could feel his heart beating.
I've never really been one to have friends. I was the shy one in the corner; the one who didn't talk to anyone. I told myself that I didn't need friends because once they're done with you, they ditch you. That is truly how I felt…until one day, I was given a beautiful man to call my lover forever. He is a kind, gentle man who cares about everyone, but loves and understands me most of all. He gave me the strength to climb and make friends again. What would I possibly do without him? What would I do without Yamato? I finally found my answer! It's not a question about what I would do without him, but a question about what we would possible do without each other! The words that kept us together and the words that will change our lives… Say "I Love You."
~Fin