" Kinoshita sama, your plane to Germany has arrived at the private terminal! And you have two conference calls and five meetings due."
WOAHWOAHWOAHWOAHWOAH! Let's backtrack. OK, so my name, as you all know, is Hideyoshi Kinoshita. After Minami left, I was a mess. Yuuji said it was our fault for not defeating class A, who had an English-language teaching option. So we all worked our backs and butts off and we traded not only equipment, but also our class! Our grades became so good that, the next year, we could switch. It was easy for Himeji and Yuuji, who were former geniuses, easy for Kouta, who in his photography developing and sales experience became a total science and math head, hard for Akihisa, who worked very, very hard, but once he got back on track with his studies, he was on a roll. Yet, the class seemed empty without that large yellow bow flopping around. And the person that bow was attached to. Slowly, things healed, though, as things often do. Romantic relationships were definitely on the rise. Yuuji started to reciprocate feelings for Shouko, and surprised her on their anniversary with a first kiss. Akihisa and Himeji were a couple made in heaven, sweet and loving. Also, Akihisa always cooked for Himeji-that guy is a born chef-so we didn't have to put up with her sickening bento. But even if Minami's memory gradually disappeared for the others, it was still there in me. It was an incomplete puzzle. Why was she so mad at me? But I did my best to shove that in a drawer as we all graduated high school, and the bittersweetness of parting ways for college. Aki became a chef, Himeji became an ambassador, Muttsulini suprised no one by being a photography major, and Yuuji and Shouko were being scientists of some sort-and also, newlyweds. YES, YUUJIxSHOUKO FANS, THEY GOT MARRIED! Boy, it was joyful.
And now, after the hectic college life, we all graduated, keeping in touch like the idiots we are, all having jobs and doing pretty well. We gather once a year for a Fumizuki Academy Class F reunion.
I became a CEO of a well-known buisness company, at twenty-six, and this is my first year. I'm getting on a plane to go to Germany. I might meet Minami...but then again, probably not. Germany is pretty ****ing big.
The plane touches down on the ground and I get out, walk to the airport, and get into the waiting limo, with my secretary and translator, Tess Saiga. We zoom off to the giant skyscraper and getting there, the driver parks, and Tess and I get out of the car. Walking into the building, getting into the elevtor, going up, and walking in the conference room which gives a beautiful view of Berlin, I survey all my guests, looking for magenta hair. Disappointed, I sit down.
The meeting's about to start-when in rushes a young woman, out of breath, and sits across me in the remaining empty seat. "Gomenasai, Entschuldigung, I'm sorry I'm late!"
A boring man kickstarts the meeting, and I find myself checking out the girl across from me. She has beautiful, wide, almond-shaped, green eyes, long scarlet hair. Scarlet? I have a hunch.
"Minami!" I whisper fiercely. She turns and looks at me, eyes widening.
"And now," said the boring man, "I will start the negotiation between the two companies, Kinoshita and Kinoshita (I run the company with my sister) and Shimada industries. Will the translators and CEOs please come up.
Minami gets up, along with me. Tess starts to, as well, but both Minami and I say simultaneously, "No need to. We both know Japanese."
Incredulously, I look at her, and she smiles. Oh, that smile I had been craving for so long! I smile back.
The negotiations start for the shared headquarters and the company integration and we both get through it quickly and efficiently.
I hear an old businessman whisper something in German. Minami immediately colors and a few feelings run through her eyes. I tap her shoulder and make a "what's wrong" gesture but she makes another gesture, "we need to talk, later". The booooring conference finishes and I ask her if she wants to get parfaits with me. Strawberry ones. (Refer to chapter three) Minami lights up and goes with me, and I listen to her tell me where the best cafes are.