A/N: Hello minna! Again, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading Luck of Draw, especially to those who gave their reviews =) I was writing the draft for this chapter the other day when a sudden dose of inspiration got over me. I was able to write the draft for the ENTIRE series. So basically, this thing's done, it's only a matter of writing it. (Which in my case, will take years. Lol.) Following the outline, this would go for around 14-15 chapters I think (But I'm open to suggestions, really *cough*say,some*cough*extrafluff*coughcough*perhaps*coughcoughcough* XD) Soooooo were almost halfway. *winks*

Now, a little timeline summary before we begin: After 3 years from the opening chapter, Taichi goes back to Japan for a vacation. It was during his vacation when Chihaya's mom had a heart attack. For the 2 years that Chihaya went on a hiatus as the Queen, she was taking care of family stuff, and Taichi was also there. After his last vacation, Chihaya went on to reclaiming her title for 3 consecutive years, leading to where we are now. I know it's a little bit vague, but putting dates and years would make it look MORE confusing for me, believe me. I'll try my best explain the lapses so if you find it too confusing, just tell me =) Enjoy! ^^

CHAPTER 7: REGRET

"Taichi!" Chihaya called out to him, as he slammed her front door. She ran up to him on their steps and held him back.

"Taichi, wait!" she pleaded, regret etched in her face.

"What?" he snapped coldly without looking at her.

"Taichi, you don't understand." She said in aghast, putting herself in front of him to keep him from leaving.

"What do I not understand Chihaya?!" he retorted, trying to control his anger.

"I'm not sure about what I feel!" she burst out, stress and confusion getting the best of her.

"You don't seem so unsure when you said you loved him." He replied sarcastically, as he looked at her face. She bowed her head guiltily.

"I-I love him, but you, I..." she started.

/Ah...this again/ He thought numbly.

"I know. You love me. But not in that way. Am I right?" he continued for her. A De Ja Vu. A repeat of the heartbreak.

"Taichi... I'm so sorry." She apologized meekly, as her eyes started to tear up.

"The least you could've done was tell me honestly! You always speak your mind ever since we were kids! What changed, Chihaya?!" he finally snapped. He couldn't really tell whether he was angry with her for choosing Arata again, or at himself for ever hoping that this time, she'll finally choose him.

"I guess there'll be no reason for me to stay." He said coldly, as she burst into tears.

"Don't go, Taichi!" Chihaya cried, as he turned his back and left.

"Daisuki, we're almost home." A long-haired woman cooed, as she tried to rouse the sleeping man by her side. The man was in deep slumber ever since their connecting flight from Dubai, but she knew he must've wanted to see Japan which was now visible in their window. They were landing in a few minutes.

"It's Taichi, woman. If you like Daisuki Ueda that much why not pine for him instead of an imitation?" Taichi snapped drowsily, irritated from having woken up being called as someone else by his fiancée.

They were coming back to Japan after 8 long years. Though he went home for the vacation some few years back, this "final trip" signified his freedom. He loved England of course, but he knew that his heart just wasn't there. His mom was dismayed by his decision, but he was able to convince her by volunteering to take care of their assets in Japan. There were certainly other reasons of course, one, being his dream of becoming a Meijin. He was a Karuta player after all, and Karuta can only be played where enthusiasts like him exist. Even though he had not played a single match while he was in London, he kept on practicing in his free time all these years.

"But you do look like him!" Satoko giggled, referring to the Japanese model she was gushing over the past few months after she saw him in their hospital.

She was his girlfriend of 2 years, the longest he ever had so far. He met her in the hospital he'd been working at. She was a nurse, and she was 3 years older than he was. He wasn't interested in dating back then, but during a hangout with the rest of the hospital team, he learned that even though she was a nurse by profession, she had a passion for painting, photography, and travelling. She was a talented artist, but because her parents wanted her to pursue something they perceive "of value", she took up nursing instead. Her brilliance landed her a job in London, but she didn't stop on pursuing what she loved. Though he was still stuck on Chihaya dumping him a few months' back, he couldn't help but fall for Satoko's personality. She was fun to be with, not to mention that she was also good in bed. It didn't take him long to decide he'd want to marry her, and so after 2 years of being together, he decided to propose.

"Still not him." He muttered sleepily, his head on his palm while gazing at the scene outside their plane window. He'd been dreaming about his last vacation in Japan when he made the decision to come back. He wanted to settle down in Japan, but Satoko surprisingly wasn't really keen about it, and ended up in a confrontation that brought out the issues he'd rather not remember. It ended up haunting him in his dreams instead, but he didn't tell Satoko about it, lest she misunderstands again.

"By the way, have you told your friends we're coming back?" Satoko asked, as the plane landed on Narita airport. She was referring to his High-school friends, most of which were in his Karuta Club.

"No. Not yet." He replied, as they stood up to get their luggage in the hand-carry cabin.

"Why not?" she asked back.

"Because...I want to surprise them" he replied. The only person who knew she was coming back was her sister, who was currently staying at his boyfriend's house in Japan.

"Aww. That's sad. I would really love to meet them. Especially your ex!" she teased, taking another jab at the issue. Satoko had only seen her in magazines, but when he told her their story, she connected the dots herself and kept teasing him about being friendzoned.

"She's not my ex you crazy woman." He grumbled.

"Whyyyyyy are you blushing then?" she teased jokingly, her eyebrow raised.

"I'm not." He snapped. They were out of the plane now, and they were heading out towards the conveyor belt to get the bulk of their luggage.

"Hmp. Now I'm jealous." She pouted. He sighed. There were times when he really couldn't figure out whether she was joking or not.

"Woi. Are you serious? She's a childhood friend. And you're the one I'm marrying." He said, as he smiled reassuringly at her. She blushed.

"I know. I just love teasing you." She smiled brightly.

Women these days. Scary. He thought to himself.

"But seriously, you know I'm a fashion addict. I really want to meet her. Will you introduce me?" she asked excitedly. They were outside of the airport now, and he had to check the signs to convince himself that he was already in Japan.

"You'll see her at the wedding." He said, as they boarded the subway.

Tadaima. He thought, with a mixture of happiness and uncertainty.

"Good night everyone!" Chihaya hollered to the people at the Dojo as she started home. It was already past 11.

"Good night Ayase-sensei!" Ririka-chan said, as she hugged her and went ahead to meet her boyfriend.

"Take care you two!" she waved, with a wistful smile on her face. Ririka was a child prodigy. She was already Class A when she was about 12 years old, and soon afterwards she started amassing different awards from different fields in art, music, math and science. She was like the female version of Taichi, but unlike Taichi, she was studying to become a lawyer. She had grown up a lot, her hair longer and her womanly features more visible than ever. She disappeared from the Karuta circle for a while when she entered High-School, but she came back recently after she saw the Queen/Meijin match on TV. The younger woman called her up to tell her she'll be playing again, and Chihaya, who had also been assisting Harada-sensei in managing the Dojo welcomed her in their society. Chihaya had been training her for her comeback.

It was a long day for her, with classes that lasted until the afternoon, a magazine shoot for a make-up brand that lasted until evening, and a match until late in the evening. She forgot that Arata had been waiting for her at her house for a stay-over, and if it wasn't for him calling her up, she wouldn't be able to remember. He was supposed to fetch her, but she insisted that he just wait in the house because he knew that he was tired from work.

People were starting to thin out when she felt something amiss as she was walking - people were staring nervously at her. While she was used to getting stared at, this was quite new to her.

Why are they staring? She wondered, as she continued on walking towards the station.

It was then that she saw them from a window's reflection when she rounded a corner. Not too far from her, there were 4-5 men who seem to be drunk on her tail.

Her blood suddenly ran cold.

She could tell from what they were wearing that they were younger than her, but she also knew their physique would certainly overpower and knock her out should she even try to test them. The only self defense she knows is how to run fast, and so without thinking, she ran towards an unfamiliar direction forgetting the fact that she was wearing strap-on heels.

"Woi, lil' butterfly! Don't leave us!" one of the drunkards jeered as they half-ran, half-swayed towards her. They were surprisingly fast even with the influence of alcohol. There were no more people on the streets by the time she rounded another alleyway, and she was already contemplating if she should scream for help. Her pace was broken when her heel caught on a jagged rock, causing her to trip.

"Crap!" She cursed as she felt her body slam in the concrete. The right side of her body took the impact of the fall, making it hard for her to stand back-up. She rummaged in her handbag for her pepper spray, effectively hiding it in her palm; but by the time she was able to sit up, the jerks had already encircled her. She was in an unfamiliar street.

"Got ya!" one blonde, mohawked hair guy exclaimed as he squatted down to look Chihaya in the eye. He had a pierce on his lip and countless more in his ears and a smell that made her cringe.

"Wh-What do you want?!" she yelped at them as she distanced herself from them. She could tell that she had injured her ankle, so she could only use her upper body for movement.

"We're your fans, Ayase Chihaya, we only want a picture..." a burly guy said, as he whipped up his camera phone and had them focused on her legs.

"And a kiss," the blonde guy added, licking his lips as he went closer to her. She was panicking by this time, she doesn't know if screaming would help her case as the place was deserted. The guy with the long hair and a neck tattoo went behind her, squatted down and whispered,

"And maybe... more, if you don't mind?" he whispered seductively as he bit on her ear. Her eyes widened.

"HELP ME! ANYONE!" she screamed as she felt their arms encircling her waist to hoist her up. One of the goons tied her ankles to stop her from trashing around, causing her to yelp as her injured ankle made contact with the adhesive.

"We don't want to hurt you, butterfly. So please just cooperate..." the burly guy cooed, as he now focused his camera on her face, searching for any trace of fear. Remembering her pepper spray, she sprayed the item on the eyes of the long-haired guy that was holding her. He dropped her like a hot potato causing more injury to her already battered ankle.

"Like hell, I would, you jerks!" she screeched, as they snickered. A sudden kick to burly guy's head caused him to drop to his knees and smash the camera to the ground.

"Oi, what are you brats up to?" a voice asked coldly as he approached the thugs. He had a tall and muscular body, wearing a simple white polo & cropped ankle pants. Chihaya's eyes widened even more when she saw who her rescuer was.

"Ta-Taichi?!"

"You okay?" Taichi asked Chihaya who was slumped in the ground. Taichi was able to fend them off effortlessly, hitting them in the face with his foot. He was a Karate black belter when he was a kid, and he remembered taking the class just because he wanted to brag it to Chihaya when they were children. They were no match for him even with their number because of their intoxication, and after a few minutes they were ready to raise the white flag. Taichi called the police to report them for good measure so they were left alone in the alley.

"Ta-Taichi..." she whispered, as she held onto her bag for dear life. He could see she was shaking like a leaf, her skirt dirty and her foot twisted in the wrong way.

"Your ankle looks swollen, can you stand?" he asked worriedly as he squatted in front of her. She tried to nod, but tears were flowing silently in her eyes, almost contradicting what she was about to say.

"I'll carry you to my car, hold on tight." he said soflty, as he closed the gap to snake an arm in her back, and another at the back of her legs to carry her in his arms.

He had seen her from his car when she exited the Dojo, and though he was planning to ignore her, the thugs waiting for her outside caught his eye. He knew how oblivious Chihaya could get especially after a match Chihaya so he followed her until the chase happened. It was hard manoeuvring the car when she went straight to a narrow alleyway so he had to leave his car near a convenience store. He lost them shortly after parking his car, but his feet automatically sprang up to life when he heard her blood-curdling scream. He felt the heat in his eyes when he finally saw them placing their hands on her and the next thing he knew, he was already standing in front of her, no bully in sight.

He was carrying her in silence as they traced back their steps towards his car.

"Thank you Taichi." she said, as she gave him a hug. He softened at that.

She had never been carried like this ever since she can remember, and she held on to him to avoid falling over.

Even though Taichi grew a bit taller and muscular, everything about him was familiar to her. His boyish face, beautiful amber eyes, his musky scent, his hair which was little bit longer than before, were all the same, except for the tinted & rimless eyeglasses he now wears, and an air of maturity that seem to radiate off of him.

He's still...pretty handsome. Pretty AND handsome. Chihaya giggled inwardly. Taichi peered at her questioningly when he heard her soft chuckle.

It was the first time he saw her again after 3 years. Her straight, chestnut-brown hair was now wavy, almost similar to Chitose's, and her body now has more curves in the right places than when he last saw her. He had always known that she was beautiful, but even at this state, he can't help but admit that she was drop dead-gorgeous.

"Since when did you... come back?" she asked, as they went towards the car a feet away.

"Last week." He replied. He didn't say anything else, so she figured he may not be in the mood to chat.

"I see." She said instead, as he lowered her to the front seat of his week-old Lexus. He started his car, and after few minutes the were driving towards her house.

"Do our friends know?" Chihaya asked, wanting to start another conversation.

"Nope. I plan to surprise everyone. I guess not all, then, now that you know." He replied, as he drove smoothly towards the empty street.

"Okaeri, Taichi." She said, almost whispered, as she smiled at him. She was glad to have him back.

"Hai. Tadaima." He replied, as he smiled at her briefly before turning his head back to the road.

"How's your mom?" he asked after a while.

"She's better now. She may not be able to walk normally anymore, but at least she could still do some household stuff. She throws tantrums when she gets bored and frustrated." Chihaya replied, as she recalled her mother's recent tantrum when she couldn't lift their clothes for laundry. The right half of her body was paralyzed due to her attack, and though therapy helped improve her movements, she still couldn't do most of what she used to do before she had it. She found her sobbing in the hallway, clothes strewn everywhere.

"Did you...get my cards and letters?" she asked, willing to change the topic. She had documented all her stories for the past 8 years in all of her emails, letters and cards to him, but for the past 3 years, she wasn't able to receive a reply.

He stiffened at the question. He had received all of them, but he never read any. He wanted to forget her, so he tried his best to ignore everything she sent, locking them in a box he sent back to Japan recently. He confided to a few of their friends in Japan, but he didn't tell them everything, as they might do something drastic.

"No. I changed address." He lied, as Chihaya sank in her seat, disappointment written across her face.

So that's why... She thought miserably.

"Where are you staying right now?" she asked him, pasting a smile on her face. They were almost at their house now, noticing the familiar surroundings. She wanted to drag the conversation as long as possible even if her ankle was killing her.

"At our old house." He responded curtly. He could tell she was itching to chat with him, but he wasn't really prepared in meeting her again, not to mention that he could see her injuries on her arm apart from her swelling ankle. He knew he had to get her home fast so she could get treated.

"I see. I'm teaching Karuta now at Mizusawa High School! I'm with Kana-chan!" She piped up, oblivious to Taichi's worry.

"I see." He replied. He remembered Kana-chan updating him about it a year ago, with Chihaya reviving their Karuta club.

"I'm the Queen this year!" she added.

"I know." It was on the Japanese newspaper they were receiving back in England last January. He was busy the whole week because they admitted more patients than the usual, and he forgot about it.

"And Nishida is coming next week for the wedding, he'll bring over his girlfriend! Isn't that amazing?" she said, trying hard to converse with him normally.

"Really.." he replied nonchalantly as he parked his car in front of her house.

"And Sumire's now a nurse! Tsukuba's a mangaka! I'm not sure if you've heard but Tsuboguchi-san is getting married too and-"

"Chihaya." He said, as he cut her narration. He didn't want to be mean on their first meeting, but he wasn't that out of the loop not to know what happened to their friends. He was about to open his car when he felt her hand on his arm, stopping him.

"Can you hear me out first?" she pleaded. She knew she was blabbing non-sense, but it was the first time she was meeting him after an ugly encounter. She wanted to save whatever it is she wanted to say but she didn't want him to leave without clearing their misunderstanding first.

"I really missed you, Taichi. And... I'm sorry. I know that no apology could ever change what happened before but I hope we could go back to what we used to be." She said straightforwardly, as she smiled sadly at him.

Taichi stiffened. But as he was about to reply, he heard a knock on the car door. He lowered the passenger window to reveal Arata.

"Taichi! Chihaya!" he called, surprise evident in his face.

"Arata?" Chihaya said, as Taichi removed her seatbelt.

"Hey. Get your girl and have her stitched up." Taichi said stoically as he unlocked the car doors. Arata opened her door and was surprised at what he saw.

"What happened to her?" he asked, as his eyes widened at her. The sleeve on her right was torn from the shoulder, revealing a bruise. Her ankle was also swelling black and blue, and she had gashes on her legs.

"Got mobbed in the street by 5 thugs, she was lucky I passed by." He replied unemotionally, as Arata took her in his arms.

"Thanks Taichi." Arata said shortly, noticing the cold treatment. Taichi went out of the car to face his friend.

"Not up to the title are you? What kind of boyfriend leaves his girl by herself and getting herself almost raped?" he accused icily. If he hadn't passed by the Dojo, Chihaya would've been raped, or worse, even murdered. Looking at her amongst the goons made his blood boil, and he could've murdered them if Chihaya hadn't stop him. It was only when he saw Arata that he realized that while he had been the one rescuing the girl, the boyfriend was sitting prettily at her home, waiting idly for her.

"Well sorry for troubling you, Taichi. And thanks for rescuing my girlfriend. You're reliable, as always." he replied, mentally insulting him for being a coward. He called the Dojo earlier, asking if Chihaya had already gone home. He was about to look for her when they parked outside of the house. Taichi gave him a cold glare as he replied,

"Please do your job next time, it's not in my CV to rescue someone else's girl." And with that, he went back to his car and drove off.

A/N: Taichi's back! Yaay! I know you guys missed him (coz I did, even if he was only absent for like, one chapter so far. Haha XD) So I know most of you are asking "What the HELL happened a few years back?" and though I would really love to tell it all here, I'll just save it for the next chapter =) Please review! Thank you!