Chapter 3

Several months later

"Mei sama." Mei turned around when she heard her name being called.

"Maria san." She bowed to the blonde woman in front of her.

"I'm glad that you're here." Maria smiled.

"Is everything alright?" Mei asked anxiously.

"Well, Shunsuke kun just died this morning." Maria reported sadly. Mei's eyes widened in fear since she knew that the seven years old boy who was suffering from the same type of cancer just had his surgery yesterday.

"Does Rihito san know about this?" Maria nodded.

"I'll check on him right away." Mei said as she left the spot in a hurry heading to Rihito's room.

She stopped for a while when she arrived in front of the room door. She took a deep breath before sliding the door to the right. She saw several nurses gathering at Rihito's bed.

"What happened?" Mei asked while she walked closer to the bed.

"Shibata san has been throwing up everything he ate and his high fever still went on and on since morning." One of the nurses explained wearily.

"Would you excuse us for a while?" Mei said. The nurse nodded before telling her comrades to leave the room. She saw Rihito biting his lips as he winced in pain and his body was trembling so badly.

"Rihito san." She called him.

"M-Mei s-sama..." He responded between his harsh breath as he turned his look at her.

"I heard about what happened to Shunsuke kun." She said as she helped him rose up to a sitting position.

"H-He said that he will survive no matter what before the surgery." He muttered.

"There's nothing we can do about that." Mei whispered as she drew his head to her chest and caressed his raven locks lovingly.

"I've never been this scared before. I'm afraid to go to sleep since I might not be able to open my eyes again." He clutched the edge of her T-shirts. He could hear the sound of her heartbeat from his ear.

"Let me tell you a little secret of mine." She smiled at him. He gave her a confused look.

"You're not the only one who is scared." She whispered.

"M-Mei sama..." He muttered. She adjusted his front hair to take a better look of his face. To be honest she has never seen the look of anxiety on his face since he always managed to hide his true feeling whenever he was near her.

"Rihito san, please take a rest. I'll be at the lounge to finish my France homework." She explained. Rihito nodded to her words and lay back on his bed. Mei waved her hand before she closed the room door behind her.

Rihito clenched both of his fists to endure the extreme pain that suddenly came. He felt as if some sort of giant squeezed his body with its enormously large hand. He blinked when his vision blurred to keep conscious. Rihito was about to press the nurse call button when he heard a weak knock on the door.

"Come in." He said weakly. A man with golden hair whose height was several inches shorter than him walked in. Rihito gave a heavy sigh at the person.

"What do you want?" He asked roughly.

"You should be happy that your dearest brother is paying a visit." Kento showed an evil smile.

"I didn't ask you to come though." Rihito averted his gaze.

"Geez, can you speak politely to me for some seconds?" Kento placed a hand on his waist. Rihito shook his head horizontally as the sign of disagreement.

"Cocky elder brother." Kento complained.

"I thought…. you came here… to end my life." Rihito tried his best to adjust his breath. He winced when a new pain struck his head causing him to feel nauseous.

"Why should I?" The A rank butler replied coldly.

"Because… Mei sama will be having my…." Rihito hasn't even finished his word when Kento's fist came across. Fortunately, he managed to duck it so it landed on his pillow.

"I must admit that you really have a great reflects." Kento said with an irritated tone.

"Kento… what the…."

"I know that no matter how hard I try Mei won't love me the way she loves you so I came here to tell you that I won't forgive you if dare to lose your life to that stupid disease of yours. I've had enough seeing Mei's crying face especially when the reason of her tears was you." The blonde boy spoke out loud before he left the spot and slammed the room door behind him.

All of sudden Rihito an extreme pain on his chest. He couldn't breathe properly no matter how hard he tried and his headache just went worse as if his brain was going to explode in no time.

"Mei…sama…I'm...sorry..." He uttered before his vision fade out in black.

Rihito opened his eyes and gasped when he realized that he was staring at his own body from across the room. Out-of-body experience, he thought. His eyes caught a figure of brown haired young girl in her school uniform wrapping his left hand with both of her hands.

"Mei sama!" He screamed out. Too bad, his voice didn't reach her.

"Rihito san, it has been a week after they that you slipped in a coma." She said sadly. He felt as if a sword pierced his heart when he saw several drops of tears fell endlessly from her eyes.

"In the past I have said that when I lost you I would continue living since I don't want to disappoint my precious ones." She continued.

"Mei….sama…" He uttered.

"However, I was wrong." Both of his eyes widened in surprise when he heard her words.

"I realized that I can't live without you so please come back and stay with me." She said between her sobs. Rihito was about responded when a girl with curly long hair walked in.

"Mei, you should eat something. I heard that you haven't eaten anything since yesterday." Rika patted Mei's shoulder.

"I don't want to eat anything." Mei replied coldly.

"It's not good for the baby."

"I don't care!" Rika bit her lip and stared at her poor friend.

"Mei." She called her. Mei turned around to face her friend but she was welcomed by a hard slap on her left cheek.

"R-Rika…" Mei caressed her bruised cheek.

"Stop acting like a child. We are now adults and you know that better than anyone!" The slant eye girl snapped at Mei.

"I'm sorry… I just… I…" Mei's words were replaced by painful sobs. Rika leaned forward and caressed Mei's hair.

"I know that you're sad because what happened to Shibata san but I don't think he will be happy to see you in this condition when he woke up." Rika continued. Mei nodded as she began to shed her tears with both hands.

"Let's go to the firs floor. Izumi and the others are waiting for us." Rika pulled Mei's hand and led her to the exit door. Rihito walked closer to his own body which was fully connected to some life supporting machines. He prayed in his heart for God to bring his soul back to his body as he lay on top of his body and closed both of his eyes.

Rihito opened his eyes and stared at his surroundings. He rose up his left hand and smiled in satisfaction. His soul has returned back to his body and somehow he felt much better than before. He turned his gaze to the left and found his mistress sleeping peacefully on the side of his bed.

"Mei sama." He whispered as he gently shook her right arm. Mei budged a little before she opened both of her eyes slowly.

"Rihito san!, I'll call the doctor!" Mei said out loud and was about to run to the exit door when Rihito caught her left arm.

"No, please keep it as a secret." He said.

"But…"

"Please, Mei sama. I want you to get change immediately and follow me outside."

"What if the nurses find out?" Mei bit her lower lip.

"I'll make sure that they won't find out." Rihito winked. Mei nodded and quickly got change into a black long dress since that was the only clothes she found left inside her travel bag. Rihito rose from the bed and walked slowly toward the rest room where he made a quick shave before putting on a black trouser, white long sleeves shirt and black jacket.

"I'm ready whenever you are." Mei concluded as she grabbed her hand bag nearby.

"Follow me." Rihito commanded before they left the hospital room. They managed to reach the hospital main exit door and got into a public bus. Fortunately the bus wasn't crowded so they managed to take the back seat. Mei took off the red muffler she has been wearing and circled it on Rihito's neck when she saw him trembling a little bit.

"You'll catch a cold, Mei sama." Rihito protested as he removed the muffler from his neck.

"I'm fine, Rihito san."

"It's not good for the baby."

"Well, why don't we wear it together since it's long enough." Mei claimed as she circled both of their necks with the muffler.

"Err.. Mei sama. I'm afraid I have to tell you that we have become the main attraction of this bus." Rihito said as he pointed at several passengers who giggled at them.

Mei could feel her face heated up like a boiling kettle.

Mei gasped when she saw the tall building in front of her.

"Wasn't this the hotel where we stayed when we ran away from the school?" She asked.

"Yes, indeed." Rihito answered firmly as he held her hand and guided her inside.

"Good evening, Sir. Do you have a reservation?" the lady at the front desk greeted.

"Yes, I'm Rihito Shibata." Rihito replied after he submitted the reservation confirmation paper.

"We've been waiting for you, Shibata san. Your room is on the 7th floor."

"Thank you." Rihito smiled before he took the card key and headed to the nearest elevator.

"Wow!" Mei screamed out happily when she entered the double room.

"Please take a seat." Rihito pulled out the chair in front of the dining table. Mei smiled as she sat at the chair. She turned her gaze to the big window beside her and admired the beautiful night scenery of Yokohama. It was the same scenery but different situation and she had to admit that she was glad to have him by her side.

"Mei sama, shall we?" Rihito lifted up his grape juice.

"Yes, please." Mei replied as she lifted up hers.

"Cheers!" Mei took a gulp of her grape juice before placing the glass on the table and started to cut her salmon steak. Silence fell between them until Rihito ended it with his words.

"Mei." He called her name daringly before he stood up.

"Yes?" Mei who just finished her desert gave him a confused look. Rihito bended on a knee before he took out a royal blue colored velvet box from his front pocket.

"Will you marry me?" He asked after he opened the velvet box. Mei gasped at the scenery of stormy good looking man and twinkling blue sapphire ring.

"Yes, Rihito san." She answered after a moment that seemed like forever. Rihito let out a relief sigh before he slipped the engagement ring into her left ring finger. He turned on the CD player near the double bed and stretched out his right hand.

"Please dance with me." He said.

"Certainly." Mei placed her left hand on his right hand. They began to dance when the music started. Everything went smoothly until Mei tripped on her own feet and fell with her back first on the bed.

"Are you alright, Mei?" Rihito asked anxiously.

"I'm…fine." Mei replied nervously since Rihito's face was only several inches from hers. Facing her rosy lips beneath Rihito could not hold himself any longer that he leaned forward and planted his lips fully on hers. Mei who didn't expect the sudden action stunned for a while but soon complied with his kiss.

"If you think that mistress and his butler can life a happily ever after than you're making a big mistake." Mei and Rihito felt their body shivered to the familiar cold voice.

"Shinobu….san…." Mei muttered when her eyes caught the figure of a tall man with a golden hair.

"It's been a while, Mei sama." Shinobu smirked as he bowed politely.

To Be Continued

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