It never occurred to Mimi how much extra work there would be with Miyako out sick for the day. She had just finished reviewing the document she held in her hand and laid it to her left to begin making a 'finished' pile but was only dismayed when she looked at the stack sitting to her right. Mimi sighed; she loved to work, but she was almost bored to tears and wished Miyako would make a miraculous recovery. The tapping of someone's foot made her turn.

Across the room, Matt was working on the computer. Mimi smiled; I guess having him around makes things less dull, a tiny frown appeared on her face when she was reminded of all the reasons she couldn't have him, and she wished something miraculous would happen about that, too. It's been quite a while now and he still doesn't remember anything and it's so hard to be around him and not think about how much my heart aches for him.

Matt turned to get a pen from his desk. "Is something the matter?" he asked when he looked up and saw her looking his way. Mimi smiled and shook her head.

She watched as he turned back around. It drives me absolutely mad that this is the only time I can spend with you, and how Shoji is with you whenever I am not. I hate it that she gets to call you 'Matt', as if I'm not that special person who gets that privilege, and it hurts to think of how she is the person you dream of and think of when you wake up in the morning. Matt, why can't you just make yourself remember that you used to have feelings for me?

Mimi took a deep breath and sighed. Matt must have heard her and stood up, checking the clock before stretching his arms out.

"I think we have worked enough, would you like to go to lunch now, Miss Mimi?" he asked. Mimi was quite for a moment but soon realized the powerful hunger that was soon going to cause her stomach to emit noises, and so she nodded.

No matter how depressed she may be, or whatever mood she finds herself in, when Mimi felt hungry she would stop at nothing to fill her crave. The smell was enough for her mouth to water; Mimi picked up her utensils and started taking a bite of every different kind of food that lay before her.

"Wow, that's quite a plate you've got," Matt commented when he sat down. He laughed, "Why does the sauce on your rice spell your name?"

Mimi grinned and shrugged, "It was Inoue-san. She likes to tease me because I have this habit of losing things… it actually happens a lot! But this is what I get when I let Miyako pack my lunch since I've been staying at her place." Matt nodded, although not seeming to comprehend the last part. Mimi continued to explain. "She has been helping me figure a lot of things out lately, troubles I'm going through with my family and other people."

"Oh, but isn't that part of what relationships are for?" Matt asked, unaware. He looked at her when she didn't respond and finally understood that Michael was part of her reasons. Murmuring a silent apology for intruding, Matt resumed eating.

Of course, when their conversation started back up again to be light and pleasant, there were also eyes watching from afar. Unaware of the other's presence, both Michael and Shoji stood mutely from a distance; Shoji had her arms crossed while she resisted the temptations of walking right up to Mimi and screaming at her, and Michael who stood dumbfounded as he was forced to watch his fiancée with a man who reminded Michael of a ghost he had long been competing with. There was something at the pit of his stomach that Michael could not let go of; there is just something suspicious about him.


Matt opened the door to Michael's office and waved a green folder, "Here are the schedules you were asking for earlier."

"Oh, arigatou, Ishida," Michael replied and turned to sit down as he began thumbing through it. Matt nodded and was about to leave when Michael spoke up again. "It must be quite a workload for you and Tachikawa-san because of Miyako Inoue's absence."

"Yes, sir, we have been doing better as time passes though."

"That's fantastic. Oh, by the way, Ishida, I was wondering what you were doing for New Year?" Matt shrugged and Michael smiled. "Well, every year I take some colleagues up to the Victoria Peak in Hong Kong for the weekend. The mountain is closed right now for some minor construction but I have my connections, so how about it, Ishida?"

"You are inviting me, sir?"

"Of course," he said, wearing a particularly wry smile. "You have been a tremendous asset to this company. Why don't you bring your girlfriend? Shoji! I'm sure she will love it up there."

Stirring in his place, Matt looked to the side, "Oh, well, I'm not sure if she would go… I think she might be busy."

"I see, well ask her anyway. The place is magnificent," Michael replied. "I take Mimi up there every summer, she enjoys it."

Matt looked at him and nodded, "I better be heading back to work. Thank you for your invitation," he smiled and turned to open the door. Michael spoke, as he was about to walk out.

"Oh, and Ishida?" he said, "just between the two of us, Mimi has been feeling a bit stressed lately so maybe it would be nice to give her a little space to relax."

Curiously, Matt's brows furrowed. He nodded, "Um, sure, sir." And walked out, wondering if his imagination was messing with his mind or if his boss had really just played him and warned him to stay away from his fiancée.


Mimi breathed a huge sigh of relief, "Finally, we finished a lot of our work today and I can go home!"

"Can I ask you a question?" Mimi nodded, pushing the elevator button and watching the doors close. Matt looked over at her, "Ah, this is quite personal but I am curious. Can I ask you what is it that makes you love Sugai?"

"Huh? That question came out of the blue," she giggled at the self-conscious look he had after her remark. Mimi smiled and replied. "Michael is a very gentle and responsible man, and he understands me."

Matt nodded; the both of them watched the floor numbers counting down. After a few moments, Matt looked over to Mimi again. "And what about Yamato, why do you love him?" he waited as Mimi's mouth opened and closed and her eyes continued to stare at the doors as if the answer would be entering any second now. She turned and gave him a lopsided smile and gave a small shrug.

"I can't say anything," she said. "Actually, not that much really happened between Yamato and me those nine years ago… You might think I'm silly to have fallen in love like that, don't you?"

Matt shook his head, "No, that makes perfect sense. There's a reason it's called falling; you don't just decide to do it, it just happens."


Watching Mimi pour food into the bowl made the little tabby's eyes gleam and hold much joy. Like her owner, she tackled the task of eating without hesitation, which Mimi could not help but laugh at.

"Aw, I am going to miss you, my little one," she pouted and picked it up to cradle in her arms. "Now, I wish I could take you with me, kitty, but don't you worry because I'm only going for a little vacation, okay. Michael should be here to get me any minute; things between us have been so weird, I hope this vacation would be the perfect time to forget all about Matt and Shoji, and for Michael and I to spend some time together. At least I will be able to see my parents in Hong Kong though. Oh, why do things have to be so complicated? I wish I didn't have to go, kitty, and we can just stay here and welcome the New Year together!"

The Victoria Peak was just as breathtaking as Mimi remembered it, and even more. From the ride in the cable car and seeing the magnificent views to entering the lavishly decorated inn; if there was one thing Mimi had to choose to be her favorite, it would be seeing all the different flowers and plant life that populated the mountain, although it was still covered in snow. Mimi didn't mind though, the spectacular view of the city and lake, and the relaxing atmosphere of the mountain made up for it.

"Mimi-chan, would you tell the desk where to bring your belongings?" Michael waved at her as the others began filing out of their rides. Mimi nodded and turned to go inside the inn when she saw Matt not to far ahead and followed by Shoji.

"You invited Matt and Shoji?" she asked, although Michael didn't hear her. Matt spotted her atop the stairs and gave her a small wave which also made Shoji notice her. How great, Mimi gritted her teeth and waved back. She hadn't noticed Michael coming up behind her, his eyes meeting Matt's, who continued to walk inside.

"Is something the matter, Mimi?" Michael asked.

"Ah… no, nothing at all… let's get inside, it's cold out."

Matt turned to Shoji, her smile quickly fading when she saw what he held, and "Here is your room key—what's wrong, Shoji?"

"Why can't we stay in the same room, Matt?" she tried on her best pout but Matt only shook his head, put his hands on her shoulders and gently kissed her forehead. "Why? We're in Hong Kong, in one of the most beautiful, historic inns atop a mountain and you're saying you don't want to be with me?"

Matt smiled thoughtfully at her, "I thought we were going to think our relationship over, Shoji? Besides, we have never lived together so this is no different." Her expression didn't change, grabbing her bags and heading off towards the direction of her room. Matt guessed that she would be brooding and exaggerating everything throughout the trip, although he wasn't ready to admit that he wasn't entirely sure why he was so against reconciling with Shoji. They have been in each other's lives for so long now.

Later that night, the group decided to spend the first night at the resort's restaurant. Mimi thought it best if she stayed near Michael who was enjoying himself with his girl at his right, his drink to his left, and co-workers all around. There had a few who tried filling Mimi's empty hands with cocktails but Michael would always wave his hand and tell them that drinking is "just something Mimi doesn't take part in." Mimi was at least grateful for that, but after a while the room began to feel crowded to Mimi and the smell of alcohol and tobacco mixed with inexplicable jokes was too much for her.

"Michael, I want to step outside," Mimi touched Michael's arm but he had not noticed and was too engaged in conversation. Mimi grabbed her coat and slipped out.


The cold air greeted Matt the moment he stepped out of the door. He pulled his coat up to his cheeks in attempt to pull the warmth closer.

"—Inoue!" He gasped when he heard Miyako and found her on the chair to his left. "Why aren't you inside with everyone else?"

Miyako shrugged looked down, "I could ask you the same thing."

Matt took a seat near her, "It was getting a little loud, I wanted some fresh air."

Miyako sighed and nodded, "I usually enjoy crowds but I'm finding myself feeling quite lonely without Ichijouji. It is never the same without him beside me."

Matt felt sympathy towards her and looked towards the scenery, "Someone once told me that snowflakes are nothing but the tears of the angels, and when you catch the very first one with your tongue a part of the angels are with you and they bring you happiness to survive the whole season." (Chapter 3 reference)

A smile reached Miyako's face, "That sounds nice…"

Matt shrugged and stood up, "It's getting cold. Are you coming in?" Miyako shook her head and smiled. "Alright then. Have you seen Tachikawa around?"

"I saw her slip out into one of the recreation rooms earlier, you might find her there," Matt smiled in appreciation and walked inside. The story about the angels and snow, Miyako sat trying to find the time she had heard that before… "Oh, Mimi told me that! A long time ago!" She turned around and watched as Matt walked away. "Yamato?"


He glanced down and she was there. Mimi's thin frame was almost engulfed by the cushions of the chair she sat on. The party's noise carried over and Matt quietly closed the door. He almost thought it funny, as he walked towards her, his ears could catch soft grumbles and words from her as she talked through the window she looked out of, as if the sky was big enough to hold her thoughts. What Matt did not know was Mimi's thoughts of how she could spend the holidays with him instead of Shoji.

Matt cleared his throat, "Inoue-san said I would find you here," Mimi smiled. "Are you planning to visit your parents while you are in Hong Kong?"

"Yes, I'm going tomorrow. I," she sorted her words slowly, "It is really nice to be home; Hong Kong is a place to be this time of the year. You and Shoji must be enjoying everything here, am I right?" Mimi glanced up when she did not hear a response right away and saw the hesitation written on his face. "What's the matter?"

Sighing, Matt replied, "You've become a friend whom I trust, Mimi, so I'll be honest with you. Shoji and I are, having some problems right now."

"Oh," Oh! "I'm sorry you feel bad."

"It is alright, Miss Mimi."

Silence assumed its position between Mimi and Matt again. For some reason, Matt wanted to tell her about Shoji's ideas of moving in together, her talks about the future, marriage, all of which petrified him although he was not sure why. Like their relationship, he has been finding himself questioning a lot of things lately like he never has before. He didn't think he had much of a reason to then.

Mimi's eyes stole a glance to Matt and caught the pensive look on his face, what is he thinking about? What am I supposed to say? As if by a miracle, Mimi's eyes suddenly spotted something familiar. Her hand lifted and pointed out towards the window, which got Matt's attention.

"That's my old high school, right there between those two buildings," she said as they both looked out to the view. She had not expected Matt to say anything thought-provoking but hoped it would break any uncomfortable tension that was formed within the last couple minutes. Although what Matt asked next caught her by surprise.

"The school you and Shoji attended? And Yamato?"

"Uh, I—well, yes," Mimi smiled in reminisce and whispered, "I cared about him a lot." Matt nodded lightly and she wasn't sure if he heard all of it. Mimi inquired, "Matt."

"Yes, Tachikawa?"

"Why did you buy me that comedy book and wrote my name on it?"

Matt looked puzzled, studying her face, "Oh no, Mimi, I thought you were letting that go. It was just a gift."

A deep color rose to Mimi's cheeks and she nodded, "Yes, forgive me, that was abrupt of me… wait, no," she quickly sprang to her feet, "Forgive me, but I have been thinking a lot about what we said and I have to ask. You told me Shoji was from Hong Kong and I agree, we grew up together, but do you remember where you met? In Japan?"

"No, Mimi," Matt shook his head and stopped abruptly.

Mimi continued, "So you don't remember meeting in Japan? Well you never mentioned that you have never been in Hong Kong so you probably met here."

"Tachikawa, Mimi, this is beginning to be too much—"

"Think! Think back to what you remember!" she insisted.

The words ebbed as Matt searched her eyes, he sighed, "I remember Shoji visiting me in the hospital and at home. The next few months, were hazy to me and the next real thing I remember is moving into our new house in Japan, going to Tokyo University where I met up with Shoji."

"That's all you remember?"

"No, I don't think," Matt looked at her with disbelief that transformed into a stern face as he spoke, "Enough. Miss Mimi, this is going far beyond any professional relationship, this needs to stop."

"Professional? Ishida! Yamato's last name was Ishida; you can't say that was just a coincidence?" Mimi threw her hands.

"You're making that up," Matt replied, looking towards the door. "All this time and only now do you choose to say his last name? And if that really was his last name, what difference does it make? There are plenty of families with similar last names."

Mimi shook her head, "How can you explain me falling in love with the same person twice? As you lived and breathed, you had forgotten all about me, even as I continued to live, still remembering everything..."

Running his hands across his face, Matt sighed and watched as Mimi stayed her ground. It was clear to him the mental and emotional mind games this poor woman has been going through and he felt the weight of responsibility shift to him to free her. He wasn't sure if either of them would have enough energy to have the same argument every time they meet.

"Miss Mimi," he said carefully in a lower, calmer tone, "When are you going to stop thinking about someone who is already dead?" The words stung her, he could tell, but genuine concern was laced with impatience and he thought that Mimi Tachikawa wouldn't have bothered with him so much if he had not looked like the former Yamato. "Mimi, if Yamato were still alive, would you really still love him so much? Because, from my point of view, you clinging onto the dead Yamato is not love… you need to wake up and return to what is reality, Mimi, because he is not coming back."


Meanwhile, the rest of the inn had not ceased celebrating despite the ongoing in the other rooms. Michael raised his glass and climbed onto a platform.

"Twelve seconds until the New Year! Eleven, ten, nine…eight," the rest carried Michael's words when his eyes wandered onto the next room where the door had been left slightly open. As he watched the sight of Matt and Mimi, he registered in his mind that the feeling of anger was foreign to his personality, but was put down by the current situation.

Matt quietly cracked his knuckles and stared at the wooden floor, not even bothering to watch Mimi as she exited the room. This was hardly at all how he expected to start the New Year. He was torn between feeling guilt, anger, and concern. She'd seemed so vulnerable and scared that it had touched him somewhere inside. But the accusations she keeps trying to push on me, on Shoji, my past, he thought and paced to the windowsill.

"She's out of her mind," Matt exclaimed and shook his head vigorously in hopes that the thoughts will fall out of his ear, "I cannot risk entertaining these kinds of thoughts and questions. How did I ever manage to get myself caught in a silly girl's delusions? Why am I letting myself care so much?"

Something was tugging at him though. It was the same thing that has been tugging on him ever since Mimi Tachikawa called him that name, made him laugh, when she kissed him…It petrified Matt to allow himself to admit it, to confess the feelings he had that made him want to believe the silly girl's fantasies so badly.


"Are you sure your mother won't mind the extra plate?" Miyako asked from the doorway after Mimi had opened the door for her.

"Don't worry, Miyako, my parents think you're great," Mimi assured her as she draped on her coat. "I'm ready, let's go!" she smiled and they began their way down the hall. Miyako steered the conversation to the locations she thought they should visit after leaving her parent's house, Mimi nodded and smiled even as her mind wandered onto the previous night and her conversation with Michael. He had seen her speaking with Matt and Michael insisted she leave the inn with him but Mimi refused repeatedly. Michael continued about how he tried to be understanding of her situation and he thought it best if she left with him, but his persistency only drove Mimi farther away. The night was abrupt but Mimi remembered waking up and finding Michael already gone.

"Not a lot of people go there anymore, but I thought the historical significance is enough," Miyako broke off and Mimi followed her gaze to Shoji.

Shoji walked right up to Mimi and Miyako. Her lips were tight and she blocked their way out the door, "Will you really stop at nothing to prove yourself? You have him questioning his life, you know, and he won't even talk to me about anything anymore! I ought to give you a piece of my mind right here—"

"Stop!" Mimi drew her head back when Miyako took a step in front of her. "Who says you have the right to accuse anyone the way you have?"

"Inoue-san," Mimi smiled and gently laid her hand on Miyako. She shook her head. "I don't want to cause a scene, let's just go," she ushered and Miyako reluctantly began to follow. Shoji watched them with intensity but before Mimi left she turned slightly behind to Shoji. "I don't really have much left to say to you…If you love him, you know that he deserves to know the truth."