He reached, almost in a haste. The worn gate fell off again, but he didn't care.
He barged in the porch with a warm smile.
However, the doors were locked, the house in the same feeble state as it was, six years ago.
No one to see the smile and feel its warmth.
He walked away, dejected, to his car, and began driving off to the city, to the law firm where she worked.
And his eyes searched the roads for his Misa-chan, looking for his wife and his child.
And his eyes found an old friend oblique foe.
Shintani.
But that seemed his best option.
"Hinata!" He called out, waving his hand out of the car, towards the ignorant boy at a flower stall.
The brown haired lad turned around and searched for the source of his name.
And he located his friend slash foe, blonde haired, and his friend's husband.
He calmly walked over, and worded. "Hey Usui."
Not "Why are you here after so long?" or Hey, it's been long." Or "Misaki-chan has been waiting for you." Only "Hey Usui."
Nevertheless, Usui parked his car, and turned to a not-so-eager Shintani, who held four bouquets of white peonies and four yellow roses. He walked back to the flower shop and purchased another rose, white in colour, though.
"Keep this." He thrusted the lone, snowy flower into my hands.
"Where's my Misa? I want to meet her." I asked him, but he was seemingly disinterested.
"You have just arrived, Usui. Don't interrupt my schedule." He harshly worded and continued, "Follow me."
I did as told and took a seat in his car.
He put the flowers in the back seat and began to drive. Takumi saw the view of the almost changed city.
Also, he saw the view of the almost changed Shintani who drove with a seemingly emotionless face.
Courtesy of Suzuna, maybe.
The fun loving boy he had previously seen before had vanished, and what stood was the grim cover of a man of affairs to take care of.
And he asked the same.
"What happened to your jumpy self, Hinata?"
"Time changes people, Usui." Was his straight reply, his eyes never off the road.
The blonde sighed and turned to watch the fresh buildings, new shops and so on.
Until they reached a Kindergarten.
"Wait here." Were Hinata's words as he got off the car. Usui did the same, looking at children running to their parents. He smiled, imagining his own daughter. And presently, Shintani came up with a girl in his arms.
A deep blue satchel up her back, the girl had pretty blonde hair that fell on to her shoulders in luminous waves that shone in the sunlight. Her eyes, however, were covered by sunglasses.
Nonetheless, his daughter looked immensely beautiful, and he could feel proud of her, even though it was his first time to see her.
"And there is your dad." Hinata worded as the neared the car.
And no sooner did he finish his words than she jumped off his arms and ran to Takumi, bliss adorning her face.
"Daddy! Daddy!" she worded in glee, as Takumi lifted her up, spun her twice in the air, and hugged her tight.
Onlookers would have never known this to be their first meeting.
"Shouldn't we leave, Mimi-chan?" Shintani broke their caresses with his words.
And Mimi-chan got down from her father's arms, and tugging his sleeve, got him inside the car.
"Uncle, are we going to meet Souta?" She asked as she took her place in her father's lap, to whom Hinata answered positive.
"Yay! Daddy, I will show you my cousin. His name is Souta and he is very good!" she stated, and looked out of the window.
"Daddy, you have sooooo much more to know. I will tell you everything till you stay here. Okay?" She asked with a sweet pout that resembled her mother, and it couldn't help but instil a longing in him to see his wife. All the same, he smiled and nodded at her cuteness.
"Daddy, am I an alien?" she asked.
She still reminded him of Misaki.
Takumi looked at her in awe. "Your mummy calls me that. Isn't that good?" he asked.
And she nodded.
"But daddy, mummy says I am not, my class-mates say I am. Am I, daddy?"
Puzzled, he turned to Hinata, a silent spectator of their conversation.
Turning to Mimi, he whispered, "Megumi, take off your goggles, dear."
And she obliged.
And Takumi knew the reason why she was named so.
She had irises of two different colours, one shone as a bright emerald, while other stood strong as an amber.
"Am I, daddy?"
"No! No you aren't, dear. You aren't." he strongly disapproved, as he encased her tightly in a hug.
"Uncle! Uncle! Stop!" Mimi suddenly spoke up from his embrace, the brunette smiled half-heartedly and took his car to the side.
Megumi pushed herself off his hug, and opened the door of the car.
"Daddy, come along!" her little hands, unknown to any harm, tugged the cuff of his suit of responsibility.
And he walked into the mart, preceded by his daughter, succeeded by his former rival.
She ran over to the food section, and the two males followed her, trying hard to keep up with her speed.
And she went over, picked up a chocolate bar and turned back, a smile beaming on her face.
"Why only one, dear?" Takumi stooped over to her level, and asked, ruffling her hair.
"Because Souta cannot eat much."
"But then for you?"
"I don't eat chocolate. Mummy said I shouldn't eat what is harmful for me."
"But one isn't harmful, is it?"
"But mummy said I shouldn't eat so I won't eat."
"Come on, Mimi. Daddy will but you one. Is it fine?" and Takumi stood up to pick up a chocolate.
However, Shintani abruptly pushed his hand away from the shelf.
"Don't change her teachings, values and morals as per your will, Walker. Misaki took efforts to make her well. Don't destroy it." His voice took a harsh tone.
And on the mention of his other surname, Takumi fell silent.
The gleeful threesome which entered the mart came out and took their places in the car without a single word being uttered.
The car drive was silent as well.
The vehicle made pleasant turns around roads and halted at a peaceful hill.
Megumi jumped off first, and opening the back door of the car, took out the flowers and the bar of chocolate.
They walked through the trees, to arrive at a graveyard. Being autumn, the place was carpeted in yellows and reds, squirrels making their way through, gathering nuts.
Dropping off her satchel, Megumi rushed to two graves in the vicinity, and taking three yellow flowers, placed two on a grave, and one on the other.
Taking the chocolate, she placed it on the grave with two flowers.
"Souta, only one chocolate, because too much sweets is not good for your teeth." She sweetly smiled and sat by the grave.
Hinata neared her, and taking the bouquets, did the same. Two to one grave, one to another, and sat by Megumi, touching the tombstone slightly.
Takumi neared the graves.
And he was taken aback by the encarved words.
Suzuna Ayuzawa Shintani.
A loving daughter, sister, wife and aunt.
Souta Ayuzawa Shintani
A son, grandson, nephew and cousin to be loved.
And the other tombstone held shock no less.
Minako Ayuzawa.
A loving mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother.
Tears left his face unknowingly, as he looked at the uncle and niece talking off to the tomb.
And he walked off to the side of his daughter, and held her small palm in mine.
"Daddy, you know, I used to play with Souta so much! I would touch aunt Suzuna's belly, and he would touch my hand back. Mummy said I used to be in her belly in the same way! Souta will be one year old the next week. Will you come to celebrate with us?" She asked, hope apparent in her eyes.
Her innocence over the deaths, somehow it hurt.
Hours passed, as they sat hushed by their loved ones, the sun dipping low, the sky matching the colour of the leaves spread across the ground.
"Let's go, it's very late. I want to meet Misa." Finally, after the long, uninterrupted silence, Takumi uneasily muttered.
"Daddy, just a minute. I didn't give my goodnight kiss." Saying so, Mimi-chan got off his lap and ran to the furthest end of the hill, with Takumi following her.
"Daddy, that is where you studied, right?"
And his daughter pointed out to Seika high, dots of beige and green, and the hazy images of leaving students eminent from the height.
He smiled, reminiscing the times when he had been with his girlfriend around the place.
And meanwhile, Megumi and Shintani placed their flowers at the lone grave.
"Goodnight." And saying so, Megumi kissed the tombstone.
Takumi turned over to the hand of the brunette placed on his shoulder, and looked back.
And walked over to the grave.
"You're too late, Usui. A year too late."
Misaki Ayuzawa Walker.
A loving daughter, sister, friend wife and mother.
And he collapsed.