'I'm sorry.'

All she he to do was bat her eyes a little. Playing coy had always come natural to her. So it was no surprise that when she went down to the main station and claimed she was an old friend of Subaru's the cute academy fresh cadet was eager to help. Of course a dated picture of the former couple at some gala or another did help grease the wheels considerably.

So here she stood in front of a beautiful condominium complex in Tokyo. Armed guards stood on either side of double glass doors. They greeted tenants pleasantly and held doors for the elderly. Behind the doors, in a sectioned room of the lobby a visitor's desk was walled off in again gleaming glass with another guard stationed there. Camera's, both hidden and visible dotted the hallway to the elevators path.

Arisu approached the guards and gave a kind smile. They appraised her warily. "Um, I'm here to visit Ichiyanagi Subaru." The guard on the left furrowed his eyebrows. "Is expecting you miss?" She blinked slowly. "Ah well no. I'm here in the city on business and decided to visit him spontaneously." The guards shared a look and the second barked some orders into his radio.

After a few tense minutes that saw a couple exit, a trio of uniformed teenagers run in and older affluent woman exit the second guard turned to her. "Miss, please enter and approach the visitors desk." He held the door and after a thank you from Arisu, she quickly entered and approached the visitors desk. The third guard asked for her identification to copy and made her sign a ledger with the date and time. Arisu was beginning to feel slightly apprehensive about her visit, not used to being treated with so much suspicion.

"Elevator B floor six room 610." She nodded politely and walked off, the guards eyes burning in her back. Entering, an elevator man pushed six and soon enough she was waiting in a quiet residential hallway. She made her way pass some decorative potted plants and cream couches to stop in front off room 610. A gleaming gold name plate read 'Ichiyanagi'. Arisu quickly checked her makeup, pushed some stray hairs in place and rang the doorbell.

Arisu took a calming breath as the door swung open slowly. Subaru stood there calmly and gave her a once over look. "Arisu." He greeted amicably. He was more handsome them she remembered with the same velvet voice rich like honey. "Subaru, it's good to see you again. I know this is unexpected but I was wondering if we could talk?" Subaru moved back silently inviting her inside. The door shut smoothly behind her. Subaru ever the gentlemen took her coat and led her to a aesthetically pleasing common area. It the distance she could see Tokyo tower looming over.

Subaru excused himself and left for the kitchen. Arisu looked down a long hall that ended at a closet that turned down privately to the left. She assumed the bedrooms and bathroom were in that direction. A bookshelf was tucked away across from the t.v., a bag of yarn and materials sat on the bottom shelf. Subaru came back in holding a tray with tea and sweets.

He poured a steaming cup for her with practiced ease, and placed a plate with a slice of strawberry shortcake in front of her. He sat adjacent to her and watched her. Arisu sniffed the earl grey and took a sip before beginning slowly. "I was surprised to hear you moved. This building has a lot of security. But it is in a nice area. I assume it's for your fiance?"

Subaru looked out over towards the balcony. "The prime minister's daughter safety is important but this apartment is bigger than... the old one." Arisu crossed her legs. "So you live together now?" He nodded. "Yes, I'm more comfortable keeping her close." A pang, a spike of jealousy erupted in her heart. "You must really love her." Subaru looked back at Arisu. "I do." Arisu bit back a frown but decided to shoulder on. "I suppose you want to know why I'm here?"

Subaru leaned back and took a sip of his tea but remained silent. "I suppose I wanted to see how you were doing. No sorry that's not true. I guess I just wanted to see if you were truly happy. " He glanced at her. "I'm very happy. She makes me very happy." Arisu sighed through her nostrils. "When we ended things-when you ended things, I came here to understand. Was I not enough, did I lose to her?"

"To be honest you can't compare to her." Arisu wouldn't lie the truth stung. "But that isn't a reflection on you. It's me. I hold her to such a high pedestal other women just don't compare. Honestly I think you and I are similar. We didn't love each other. I've never loved a women before I met her. Most of my relationship were casual and the only reason I excepted our arrangement was convenience."

Arisu drank deeply of her tea. "I could have learned to love you." Subaru glanced away. "But I couldn't have ever loved you." She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "You were always so distant. Not cruel but I knew or relationship was strictly business." She decided than to eat a spoonful of cake then to mask the thickness in her voice. "Her room was a mess. Her sewing was horrible and she couldn't season riceballs well. She also gets embarrassed when I do our underwear laundry together."

He smiled fondly. "But it's really rewarding to see the smile on her face when she tries so hard. She's clumsy and the type to mistake vodka for lemonade. She can't even lie. She wears all her emotions on her sleeve." Arisu watched her reflection in her tea.

"I've seen her on t.v. Always smiling, always happy." She drained the last of her tea and Subaru poured her another cup. "I'm jealous of her. I think, I could have at least been happy with you. I didn't hate you."

"I didn't hate you." Arisu smiled sadly. "Um where is she now?" Subaru prepared himself another cup. "A club for school. She'll be back soon." After a pause Arisu furrowed her eyebrows confused. "She's still in school?" Subaru nodded the action causing a few strands of his brown hair to fall into his eyes. "College. It's her last year."

"Wow, she's younger than me? She must go to an excellent school. She does have the prime minister's aura after all."

"While she is similar to the prime minister, she is her own person." There was a slight edge in his voice. As if Subaru was thinking of being compared to his own father. Arisu decided to ask something else. "What she going to do after college? Is she going into politics?"

Subaru looked at her sharply. "Humanitarian work I think. She's expressed the interest to help people." Just than a jangle of keys was heard at the door and Subaru smoothly stood and left for the front door. "I'm home!" Arisu could hear the cheerful voice like bells in the wind. "Welcome back." Subaru's voice lost the edge it usually retained when speaking formally. It was softer now, fonder. "Hi Subaru." Another female voice now. "Midori."

"Midori and I are gonna practice in my room for a bit." A laugh then innocent like a child's. "We kinda got sent an advance copy of Kosugi's new play. She's coming to visit next week from England." Subaru nodded. "What kind of play this time?" The other girl chimed in now. "A spin on the three bears. Goldie Locks and the cyborg bears." Subaru took their coats and and put them away. "Oh a guest."

Arisu met the warm dark brown eyes of the prime minister's daughter. Another girl carrying a bag stood behind her. Subaru came in and smiled at her. "She's an old friend. This is my fiance and her friend Midori."

"Nice to meet you." The former chirped. "Hello." The latter smiled. Subaru stood in front of his fiance blocking Arisu from her view. "Were almost done here So why don't you and Midori go relax. I made some snacks early so I'll bring them in a bit." The girl smiled brightly. "Yay!" She looked around Subaru at Arisu. "I hope you've had a good time. Please enjoy yourself." Then she was gone down the hall her friend following her.

Arisu stood then to collect her coat and walked to the foyer. "Thanks for the tea. It was nice to see you again. Maybe we can chat again sometime." Subaru held the door open for her. "Yeah maybe sometime. Take care of yourself Arisu. I wish you the best." They both knew this would be the last time either would seek the other out. Arisu smiled again and stepped out into the hallway. The door shut behind her and though Subaru's heart was closed of to her long ago Arisu knew the sound that echoed was her own heartache.