I know, it's been a long time since I last updated this story. But suddenly my laptop crashed. It was karma, because my brother's laptop was broken a week before and I was like 'putting my leg on his dead hopeless wretched fate and laughed evilly'. So, my recommendation for all of you out there, please don't laugh on other's misery because you may get your turn soon after. And because my dearest laptop now is still hospitalized, so I typed this chapter in my friend's.
And my sister's wedding was amazing…and frustrating. Aww, because June was used to be hot and dry season, so we planned the party to be held in our yard, but we had rain! So, in one quick emergency meeting, it was decided to rent the tent. By the way, father…you didn't use my college savings, did you? Oh, was that why you looked at me with such gloom eyes after that meeting?
Disclaimer: not a chance of having the original character of ghost Hunt.
_OoOoOoOoO_
Chapter 10
Mai and Matsuzaki sat in the office's cafeteria peacefully since it had already passed the lunch time. Mai called that woman this morning to change their appointment from tomorrow to today, Mai had an important work-related task tomorrow. The magazine where Mai worked ever reviewed about wedding and Matsuzaki has asked her to find that article a week before. The wind was howling angrily outside, sending most of the people out of its way to the warmth of their shelter called home, school building, office, movie theater and else.
"Hmm, it seems I should decide the theme first. Do you think the environmental theme will be dazzling? That's the hottest topic my friends talk about. But which event organizer should I contact? Ack! That would be troublesome..." Matsuzaki scrunched her nose. "Or maybe the traditional one, because I am a Miko so I had to get married in a Shinto way. But I think my families want me to get married in church. What do you think?"
"Do whatever you like." Mai answered simply as she stared at her miso soup. She murmured something like: 'too salty' before devoting her attention back to Matsuzaki. "I think getting married in a Shinto style is quite interesting, too. It seems that everyone is now married in church, sometime I'd like to see a traditional ceremony."
"A wedding in church is easier and simpler, I guess..." said Matsuzaki, turning the page and studied the page carefully. "You just stand at the altar and everything will be completed in a quick snap. And the wedding dress is less expensive, you know. Whether it's buying or renting, western-style wedding dress was not as expensive as Japanese bridal kimono."
"Cheap..." Mai muttered under her breath before sipping her tea.
"If you really want it, just have that your way when you marry Naru."
Mai choked on her tea. "Ayako!"
Matsuzaki looked at Mai with an innocence look. "What? Did I say something?"
Mai wiped her mouth and chin with a handkerchief and glared at her. "Who will marry Naru!"
"You will not?" Matsuzaki shifted her magazine to the side and lean forward with a curious expression. "But it would be better if you two get married; much better for your kids, don't you think so?"
Mai threw her hands upward in despair. "How many times should I tell you this? Marriage is for two people who loved each other. After all, if you've already forgotten, he's engaged to Masako!"
"Don't you two love each other? Beside, if a marriage can be divorced, the engagement can also be canceled. And as I said earlier, if you and Naru get married, your children will grow up in a better environment, right? Just tell Naru to be responsible by marrying you."
"Ayako!" Mai almost shouted. "You can't tell people who don't like you to marry you! After all, just to remind you…again, Naru is wearing his engagement ring!"
"You are right and I'm still not a senile! So what if Naru wear that damn ring?" Matsuzaki waved her chopstick in the air impolitely. Thank God Matsuzaki's grandmother wasn't there or else she would shove the chopstick up into Matsuzaki's nose. Mai ever heard her talking about her grandmother, that old respectful lady seemed quite strict.
"You don't know?" Mai glared at Matsuzaki angrily while the said woman munched her fish with wondering eyes. "Well, that's a story that I heard it first when I was still in high school. Just a silly romantic story which now I think it's not silly anymore. That's a popular belief among girls. It says if a man wearing an engagement ring that would only means there will be nothing stands against their wedding except death. In other words, Naru really-really-really loves and really-really-really wants to marry Masako and their marriage will still be held despite any obstacles."
Matsuzaki looked at Mai in amazement. "Really? Why didn't I know about that?" And for that, Mai replied "That's to be expected because you're way much-much older to be a girl anymore." And she got lettuces thrown at her in return.
"If that's true, maybe I should buy an engagement ring for my soon to be husband and forced him to wear it. But even I rarely wear my ring, I'd rather keep it." Matsuzaki watched her fingers sadly and then pulled their conversation back on Mai's matter. "So, don't you love Naru? Don't you want to marry him? You two already have children, you have more right over him than Masako."
Mai turned her head to the side. Some of her colleagues who also had a late lunch waved their hand and Mai smiled back. "We have children because of an accident. It's not about whether I have the right or not, but the issue here is about the feelings. No matter how much I love Naru, if he does not feel the same then everything will be in vain."
"What? Did Naru tell you that?" Matsuzaki continued to pursue the information she and her companions was dying to know.
"That's not need to be disclosed by words." Mai looked at the flan in front of her, loosing her interest to converse already. But the woman in front of her would never stop picking out some story.
"Did Naru ever say something so far? Like the reason why he suddenly turned his heart to Masako? I mean, Naru is not the type to do something on a sudden impulse. He's not a 'fall in love at first sight' type. He will think of everything and decide something in a careful way."
Mai just shrugged her shoulders. She felt enough with this question, Matsuzaki always asked her about these every time their conversation touched the Naru-topic. "You certainly know that act expresses the feeling more than just words. And Naru is not a reliable person to show the contents of his heart. I don't want to make a fuss about it anymore. Now the most important thing for me is about the future, Mamoru's, Makoto's, Hamada-san's and mine. Those are all that matters to me right now."
"I remember you told me once that you still love him. No...no... There's nothing between you and Naru..." added Matsuzaki quickly when Mai started to protest. "It's just that you still love him. Don't you want to fight for your love? Don't you want to win his heart back?"
Mai locked her gaze onto her folded hands on the table, and then she lifted her face to look at Matsuzaki before looked away again with a sigh. "No matter how much I want to get him back, I'm not entitled to and shouldn't do that." Matsuzaki frowned at her. "But you know, all this time...ermm…Naru treated me quite nicely. That indeed is a temptation for my heart. Does...does that mean that I'm a bad person? That I want something belongs to someone else?"
Matsuzaki leaned back onto her chair and stared at her empty plates with vague eyes. "I don't know. I don't know, Mai. I'm not telling you to snatch Naru away from Masako. But I want to tell you to know him more, we never know what's inside people's hearts. But I think as long as there is still time, you can still hope."
Mai just whispered without looking up. "You're right, hoping..."
Mai walked Matsuzaki till the front of the building, waving her hand cheerfully when the woman stepped into the cab. The cold air made her shiver. She smiled at the Christmas decorated mall across the street. Maybe after work she would buy a present for Makoto, Mamoru, and Hamada-san although that annual celebration would still be in two weeks ahead. And of course, besides Christmas, this also meant that exam day was running closer. She shuddered in horror; she really didn't feel so confident. It was really hard to concentrate on studying if you had two small children and a job that even though only part time but also consumed a lot of your time.
Mai walked up the stairs when suddenly someone called her "Mai!" Mai turned around and saw the last woman on earth she wanted to meet, Masako. Masako was waving and smiling as she climbed the stairs to catch up.
"Hey Mai, long time no see."
"Ah, ah, yes... How are you?"
"Just as good and boring as usual. Are you busy? I want to talk." Masako said as she looked at her with those beautiful hopeful eyes. "I just need a little of your time. Or maybe I can ask the permission for you. I know Nagase-san, your superior."
"Er...ah...no. It's alright, besides I've already done my work."
"Ah, very good. Then why don't we talk here..." Masako said, stepping into the lobby. She sat on one couch and stared at Mai. Still quiet bossy as usual, she was. Mai took a deep breath before taking her place beside the girl. More or less, Mai knew what she wanted to talk about.
"I contacted Ayako this morning, and she mentioned something about meeting you this afternoon. Has she come?" Masako asked casually. She looked around nonchalantly. Some people who passed their seats looking at her with admiration. Masako was now no longer a beautiful Japanese doll, she had become a goddess who had just come down from heaven to give people her bless. Mai held her breath while remembering that this goddess was now the one who had possession over Naru's love.
"Ayako had already come home. So, you want to discuss something with me?" The sooner it begun, the sooner it would be ended.
"It's about Naru." Masako said quietly. Mai smiled slightly, nodding her head. "I know that Naru is the father of your children. I don't know what your motives for returning back to Tokyo after such a long time. Do you want to use your children to make Naru come back to you?" Her expression was so serious, as if she was Mary who'd been told that her shepherd had stolen all of her lambs.
"W-what! I return…" Mai stopped her words to take a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I return to take the exams again. I have to go back to college so I will be able to get a better life for my children. I don't care about Naru at all."
"Calm down Mai, I'm just kidding..." Masako said, stifling a laugh.
Ugh...then why don't I feel amused at all?
"I know you're not going to steal Naru away from me." Masako continued, still smiling confidently. "I believe in you. You're not going to do that to me. You're a good person."
"You come just to say that?" asked Mai, looking puzzled.
Masako shifted slightly so she could look directly into Mai's eyes. "No. I came to beg you. Naru is a gentleman to the very core. He'll do anything to make amends for abandoning you and his children, even if it means that he has to sacrifice his own happiness." Masako reached her hand out and held Mai's tightly. "So I beg you not to let him destroying his own life. I do not want to see the happiness vanish from his eyes. Please...please don't let Naru do that..."
Mai stared at Masako's fingers which clasped her hand tightly. She sighed quietly, a question stirred in her mind. 'If three years ago I begged you something like this, will you grant my wish Masako?' But of course she couldn't say that Naru was happy with her because the reality wasn't like that. She was deluded by her own idea that Naru was content just to be with her.
"Why did you say something like that Masako? You don't need to beg me because I never have an intention to seize Naru from you."
"Really? Oh, you're so very kind..."she smiled with relief, she let go of Mai's hand and placed her palms on her own cheeks with a chuckle. "I do really stupid. I already know if you're a good friend, not someone who likes to break other people's heart. But why do I still say weird things like that, huh? Ah, I'm sorry. But I just want to make myself sure; I'm a person who got worried easily... Ha ha ha…"
Mai laughed and pinched Masako's arm, "I do always be a kind girl, you know. Ever since long time ago. But sometimes I forget how kind I am, thanks for reminding me." They laughed together. Mai tried to hide the bitterness and jealousy in her heart. They were chatting for a while until came the time for Masako to go, saying that she got some college business.
And the night after, when Mai sat on the soft rubber carpeted floor beside the bed to accompany the twins to sleep, Matsuzaki's and Masako's words rang in her head again. She felt like her heart was stirring in turmoil, the tears streamed down her cheek. What should she do? She knew that she had to let go of Naru, but why did her heart wanted to keep on hoping? Mai stroked Makoto's and Mamoru's hair gently. 'You're the resemblance of your father. That same hair, same eyes; as dark as moonless night's sky. The same nose, same mouth, same pale skin... Why don't you resemble me more? It would be easier for me to give up on your father...'
Couldn't held the stress anymore, Mai cried softly. She buried her head onto her already crossed arms upon the bed. Mai just became fully aware of her surrounding after her ears caught the sound that was…unusual. What was that? Someone was crying? What happened? Mai quickly lifted her head up and discovered that her sons had awoken and sat crying on the bed. Eh, what? What happened?
"Mamoru, Makoto? What is it? Do you feel sick?" Mai asked anxiously as she automatically touched their forehead.
"Ugh...huuu...Okaa-san is crying...huuu…huwaa…!" Makoto and Mamoru's cries became louder, so perfect in harmony.
Oh, apparently they awoke to hear her crying. Mai mentally slapped herself. Children were very sensitive, although they didn't know what the problem was, they could quickly possess the sadness from the parents and felt it the same way too. Mai quickly embraced her sons.
"I'm sorry. Okaa-san fell asleep and had nightmares." Mai lied to calm them.
"Nightmares?" Asked them, still weeping.
"Yeah. Okaa-san dreamed that I became the youngest snail in the family." Lately, they were very interested in that slow-moving mollusk after finding one near the day-care. "The snail family took a walk into the woods while looking for something to eat. And the little snail was captivated to a beautiful caterpillar and then followed it; and that made her got separated from his father and mother. The little snail was very afraid and crying, but luckily her cry had made her brother found her. He brought her back to their parents. The father and mother scolded her, and the little snail cried louder."
"Naughty little snail..." murmured Makoto, wiping his cheek.
Mai chuckled. "Yes...yes...that's why the little snail was ought to be scolded. Therefore if we're going somewhere don't ever let go of the Okaa-san's hand, okay? You'll be lost like that little snail. And if you're not founded, you won't be able to meet Okaa-san again."
"I do not want to get lose..."
"I will hold Okaa-san's hand tightly..."
"If we're taking a walk, Okaa-san may carry us, so we won't go disappear..."
"I do not want to meet the caterpillar, they make us so itchy. Was the little snail also itching?"
"Okay...okay...now you go back to sleep. We'll continue the story tomorrow." Mai made them lie down again and patted them gently on their feet while singing softly. Soon, they got lost in a deep sleep again. Mai sighed quietly, still thinking. Perhaps, all this time she was carried away by Naru's kindness whereas Naru only being polite to her. Her hope of Naru actually had made her felt like she was treated specially. All right, Mai said to herself, so it would be best to make a further distant from Naru. Hopefully, her feeling to him would be lessened if not gone completely.
Three days after Christmas, Mai had to pick up the twins in daycare before going home. Her heart sank when she went into the room for children under 5 years old, Makoto and Mamoru was crying in the corner while the other children played cheerfully. A sitter girl was calming them.
"What happened?" asked Mai in worry.
The girl looked relieved when she saw Mai. Makoto's and Mamoru's cries grew louder after seeing their mother, they hugged Mai's legs tightly, burying their faces into Mai's skirt while the girl explained the cause of why they were crying.
Mai painstakingly put their jackets and shoes on, said goodbye politely to all the sitters and led them home. Mai held their hands tightly, half dragging them to move their feet as they were still sobbing. A handbag and lunch bag slung over her shoulders respectively. Some people who passed them smiled sympathetically to Mai.
"Hey-hey...look, people are staring at you. Don't you want to stop crying?" Wrong words. Mamoru and Makoto were now crying louder, they even refused to walk. Mai sighed and squatted down sluggishly, half wanted to laugh. Their apartment was only about 150 meters away, but if she had to carry them both... In the end, with Makoto and Mamoru were carried by each of her hands, two big bags hung heavily from each of her shoulders, Mai moved her legs staggeringly through the stinging cold. Well, at least it became warmer by hugging them.
Mai blew a relief breath after she landed the kids in front of their apartment's door. And miraculously, they still cried! Mai opened the door, greeted by Hamada-san whom scrunched her forehead when she saw the twins. "Oh, dear...!"
Half an hour later Naru rang the doorbell and waited patiently. He went straight to Mai's apartment from some of the local newspaper's office after he got the information that he needed. He just called to announce his arrival and received directly by Mai, which was unexpected. For some reason, he was rarely able to meet her lately. She said that she was busy at the office since it was the end of the year. The door was opened slowly, and he was greeted with the tired and desperate face of Mai and the twins who were following her, clutching the tip of her skirt.
Naru was one hundred percent sure that when he called her before, he did hear the crying sounds in the background. But they were still crying until now? Naru raised his eyebrows, indirectly asking her. Mai scratched her cheek, grinning. Her hand made a gesture for him to come inside.
"So?" asked Naru after Mai put a cup of coffee in front of him. Makoto and Mamoru were hiccuping in front of TV. All kinds of candies, biscuits and toys strewn around them but they didn't touch them at all.
"Even though the lunch and snacks is provided by the day-care, sometimes I bring them some snacks, also to be shared to other kids." Mai sat next to Naru and sighed. There was a frustration in her voice. "This morning I loaded their bag with jelly candy, the girl there also said that they had shared them to everyone else. But there's a kid, she's older... ermm...about 4 years old. She took Mamoru's jelly candy and threw it into the sandbox. That was their last jelly candy. Well..." Mai shrugged her shoulders. "Makoto hit the girl's hand and she pushed him until he almost fell. So, that is why we have the best members of Tokyo choir..."
"Evil kid...Is Makoto okay?"
"Makoto is fine. Hmm, but they never stop crying since then. You do something that's not pleasing them even if only a bit and they will explode again. I have heard from Hamada-san that bad mood like this usually lasts in a long time."
"Then what should we do? We can not let them cry like that, right?"
"Hamada-san is out looking for the same jelly candy. According to the people at the day-care, that girl is indeed quite bossy who acts as if she's the ruler of that place. Actually this is not the first time that girl makes Makoto and Mamoru cry." Mai frowned and then whispered, "if I take Makoto and Mamoru to the girl's house and then let them fight with her, do you think that's a good idea?"
Naru turned his head in shock. Mai just cocked her head slightly, grinning widely like a horse. Naru sighed quietly as he mumbled, "And you're wrestling the mother..."
Suddenly the front door open and Hamada-san came. She was clutching something on her chest, drawing a deep breath and said, "Ah, thank goodness they still have some there. Here, give it to them..."
Mai received the package and then kneeled in front of the twins. "Hey, look at these... Oba-san bought the same candy. These are for Mamoru..." Mai put some on Mamoru's hand and the other in Makoto's hand "...and these are for Makoto. So? Come on, say thanks to Oba-san..."
Makoto and Mamoru watched the jelly candies in their hands closely and tilted their head. Mai smiled, waiting for them to say 'thank you', but unexpectedly they burst into tears again.
"Oh my..." Hamada-san sat on the carpet next to them. "It seems that they want us to turn back the time to when they were still in the day-care and making that little girl stayed away from their candy."
Mamoru stood up and sat at Mai's lap, hugging her tightly. Hamada-san grabbed Makoto and sat him on her lap, stroking his hair lovingly.
"What's wrong? Mamoru cries because Erika-chan threw away your candy, right?" asked Mai softly, wiping the tears on his chubby cheeks. Mamoru nodded. "Well, now Mamoru already have another, then why are you still crying?"
Mamoru just shook his head as he buried his face in Mai's chest. Mai stuck her tongue out, hugging him tighter and kissed the top of his head.
"Why don't we take a stroll outside?" suggested Naru suddenly. "Although it's cold, but the fresh air might be able to calm them."
Mai looked at the Hamada-san, as the said woman smiled and nodded. "Maybe that would cheer them up. You might go out for dinner as well. I think it would be difficult to leave their side even for just a couple of minute to prepare dinner."
"You're not coming?"
Hamada-san laughed. "No. I'll be fine being home alone. I'll make a miso soup for myself. Anyway, don't worry about this old woman. Just get them to the park or anywhere and have fun."
Mai patted Mamoru's back gently. "Hey, you hear what Otou-san said, we'll take a walk…yay…! Are you two okay if we go for a walk?"
Makoto and Mamoru nodded. Mai handed Mamoru over to Naru and went into the kids' bedroom to retrieve the jackets and scarves. After washing their sticky face and put their cute ear protectors, they were ready to go. Mai carried Makoto in her arms while Naru stuck with Mamoru. Despite the cold, they were thankful that the wind seemed blowing lazily.
"Well, maybe my left shoulder will get arthritis sooner then the other." Mai muttered quietly. Makoto still crying softly, it was not that hard anymore but the tears still wetting her shoulder. Naru glanced at her, feeling amused. Mamoru that he hugged tightly to his chest also began wetting the front of his jacket.
They bought taiyaki and ate it together in the park. There were also some families who were enjoying the place, not surrendering into the freezing winter. Mamoru and Makoto seemed to calm already; they ate their taiyaki silently while watching their surroundings. Normally, they would be so noisy to ask this or that or even running around. Some elementary kids were playing soccer and some girls were sitting at the side, watching them play. Mai was trying to enliven the twins' heart by pointing all the interesting things around them, like "Oh look, that ani-chan fall after kicking the ball...that's funny. Oh he's not hurt, he quickly stand again to catch the ball. He's so amazing." or "Hey Mamoru, Makoto look at that branch over there. Its shape is like a dancing man..."
"Hmm, want to play?" asked Mai to the twins. They looked at her with a little sparkle in their eyes. "Let's play cat and mouse. This time Okaa-san will be rat, Makoto and Mamoru will be the cat..."
The twins scrambled off of their parents' lap eagerly. Mai looked at Naru, "You're not coming with us? You may become a mouse too if you want."
Naru frowned at her. Well, inviting Naru to play cat and mouse was an act that violated the Naru law. Mai grinned as she shrugged her shoulders, yet it never hurt to try. At first, Mai has always been the mouse, she ran slowly while the kids were trying as hard as they could to catch the big mouse. The laughter sound broke out when Mai ran to tease them or when finally they caught Mai.
Naru watched them silently. There were few things that could make the world around him was impossibly still: when he was analyzing an interesting case, thinking about a perfect solution for a difficult matter, learning something new and challenging, and the last was this current situation.
Makoto screamed happily when he became one of the mice and Mai caught his waist. Mai lifted him aloft and shouted, "I catch you, little mouse! Now what should a cat do to you, huh? Oh I know, I'll eat you...!" Mai opened her mouth and landed it on Makoto's stomach, pretending to bite him. Makoto laughed out loud when Mai tickling his belly with her mouth.
Mai ran and put him on Naru's lap. "Okay, uncle big cat...please watch this little mouse. I still have another to catch. We'll have them for dinner tonight." Mai turned around quickly; Mamoru was screaming as he ran away and hid behind a tree. Makoto clapped his hands, cheering his brother mouse enthusiastically. The cell phone vibrated in Naru's pocket, someone was calling him. Naru ignored it. That anyone should wait; his or her problem was something less important then his world right now.
Mamoru ran happily with his little legs while Mai chasing behind. Many times she purposefully put her finger on his head or tiny hand, as if the cat had almost pounced on the mouse.
And that phone was still vibrating annoyingly.
And Naru was still ignoring it resolutely.
Naru's hands held Makoto's stomach securely as he screamed and wriggled on his lap when he saw his mother almost caught his brother. After what seemed like forever, that someone finally gave up, his cell phone was now lying quietly in his pocket.
"Okay, the taiyaki power had already been depleted to zero." Said Mai as she sat beside Naru, Mamoru was hugging her neck tightly as he laughed after just like Makoto, Mai pretended to eat him. "When will we have dinner?" This time she asked Naru.
"Anytime is alright. But isn't it too early for dinner now?" It was still bright.
"Ah, based on the circumstances today, they would have fallen asleep soon. Crying is quite exhausting, you know..." Mai smoothed Mamoru's jacket and made sure they were warm.
"I want onoyaki..." Makoto muttered while playing with the zipper of Naru's jacket.
"Onoyaki?" Naru frowned, looking puzzled. He never heard the kind of food called onoyaki.
"Oh, he meant okonomiyaki," said Mai, half laughing. "Okay, okonomiyaki also has a lot of vegetable. Are you okay if we have okonomiyaki for dinner, Naru?"
"Okonomiyaki is okay."
"Okay, let's eat Okonomiyaki...!" Mai said as she rose from her seat. Makoto and Mamoru raised their hands, yelling "Yay...okonoyaki!"
"No…no okonoyaki. It's okonomiyaki… Say it once again, o-ko-no-mi-ya-ki." Mai corrected their spelling as they headed to the closest restaurant. They sat on the high stools in front of a long hot flat pan while the chef was showing off his cooking skill. Mamoru and Makoto were busy applauding him when he chopped the cabbage at the speed of light.
"Ahhh, I'm glad they had returned to their usual." Said Mai a moment later, chewing her food slowly. "I was afraid that I'll be drowned in tears by the end of this week..."
"I guess you're tired now. Beside, lately you're also very busy with your job…"
"Hmmm, ah..." Mai shifted uncomfortably on her seat. She wiped the sauce clean from Mamoru's chin. "And fortunately, they're not a sissy boys."
"Mai, these weeks…did you come home later than usual only to avoid me?" asked Naru in a low tone, regarding her with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety.
Mai choked and coughed slightly. She looked at Naru in shock and stiffened up at that. She didn't know what to say. Mai gulped nervously, this time she couldn't read his expression. Was he angry? Or sad? Or disappointed?
"I overheard Matsuzaki yesterday. She said something sounded like because you didn't have much work in office, so she planned her wedding plan with you too." He still didn't lift his gaze off of her.
Ow, Ayako! Can't you shut your mouth?
Mai hung her head. At least Naru's attention was now distracted by Makoto who asked for drink.
"Mai? Why?" Naru's demanding voice made her heart twitched.
Mai turned her head slightly, she still didn't dare to look straight into his eyes. "Well, the thing is...I think...you know, every time I see you I...my heart's hurt. So I..." Mai couldn't get her words out completely.
Naru looked at her who looked tearful. He turned his sights onto the Okonomiyaki slices in front of him, sighing softly.
"I understand..." he murmured softly.
Mai looked at him doubtfully. Understand? What understanding that you mean? They finished their food in silence. Now Mai regretted for telling him her feelings. If only she could reverse the time... She didn't sure about what Naru thought of her. Oh my God, that was so embarrassing!
They walked home with some-mixed feelings. Mamoru clung on Mai's chest. Naru never walked too far behind or beside her although the streets was crowded and bustled with people coming home from work. Mamoru and Makoto have actually forgotten the incident at the daycare. They didn't weep anymore, staying in their mother's and father's warm embrace.
One thing that Naru realized was how close his two sons were. He had forgotten how the interaction between him and Gene at that same age, although he felt that he actually was very dependent on Gene more than people think. Mamoru and Makoto were two inseparable souls. He walked as close as possible to Mai, so the two brothers could touch each other and communicated easily. Mai seemed to realize this too, because many times she teased them by walking zigzag behind Naru while Makoto and Mamoru screamed happily as they tried to grab each other's hand.
However just like what Mai had said, their voices gradually ceased. They started to feel tired. Makoto who was in Naru's arms suddenly muttered something and then buried his face into Naru's shoulder, hugging his neck tightly.
"What? What's wrong Makoto?" Naru asked worriedly.
"What is it Naru?" asked Mai as she widened her eyes.
"I don't know, he said something like 'Hige-chan' and then act like this..."
"Hige-chan?" Mai paused and looked around. Her eyes caught the sign of a certain store and observed its bright display. She smiled and patted Makoto's back, "It's okay, Makoto... So you haven't forgotten Hige-chan, huh?"
"Who is Hige-chan?" asked Naru.
Mai adjusted Mamoru's position carefully, he was now sleeping soundly. Saliva was soaking her shoulder from the slightly opened mouth. "He's our neighbor's cat when we were living in Chiba. You could say almost every day they got to play in our neighbor's house to visit that fat cat. I did want to have one, but when we moved to Tokyo, our haste had made Hamada-san forgot to look for an apartment that allows the occupants to keep animal. So it seems that the plan should be postponed. I think seeing the pet-shop made him remember about him."
Naru eyed the pet-shop not so far from them. "They like cats? They aren't afraid to be bitten or scratched?"
"Well, of course you know kids, they still didn't know what should and shouldn't be done. So sometimes they accidentally pulled its tail or touched the stomach so he would scratch them. But they're pretty stubborn, of course they were crying but that didn't stop them from playing with him again. Luckily he's an old and lazy cat. And they weren't afraid to hold or embrace kitten." explained Mai pridefully, they resumed their walk.
"That's my sons. They shouldn't be afraid of a little thing like a cat. But it seems that their stubborn natures are very similar to you."
"Eh, what the…?" protested Mai and hit Naru's arm jokingly. "Why for such character, you associate it with me?"
"Why should you feel offended by that? Aren't you the one who told me about their obstinacy with your nose up in the air?" Naru smirked at her.
"Yes, I guess. But why in the world then you always claim those specific traits which are highly revered by the society are inherited from you? And those characters which are rebuked by the society are inherited from me? That was so not true..." Mai began to argue.
"That's not my fault. Didn't you hear yourself when Matsuzaki and Bou-san said that they're smart like their father?" Naru defended himself. "They also said that Makoto and Mamoru sometimes are very careless just like their mother..."
"Man...it was you yourself who ever said that sometime we shouldn't take those two's words seriously." Mai was huffing.
"And then you must know that when there's the words 'sometimes-can not', of course there's also words 'sometimes-can'. So, I trust them this time." As usual, Naru conducted himself coolly and stoically even in a super unserious arguing like this. The impression would make others thought that Mai was a quick-tempered person who was now arguing with herself.
"That's so unfair… Oh well, they're always cheerful. That is so me. That's the good one too, right?"
Naru shrugged his shoulder. "Depend on the situation…"
For the moment, the awkward situation was forgotten. Naru and Mai argued with each other until they arrived in Mai's apartment. And that was like a lullaby for Makoto who was now asleep in Naru's arms. Just like his brother, he also moistened the front of the Naru's shirt with his drool. There was no harmonic combination acts in this world stronger than the closeness and similarity of the identical twins'.
The time was ticking for sure, but for now there was no certainty in the relationship between these two complex humans. And surreptitiously, in the darkness behind them, there were people who continued on planning and scheming. It seemed that the thick and gloomy cloud would still hang above Mai's life, although hopefully, the sunlight might sometimes broke through and the beautiful rainbow smiled happily up in the sky. No body knew whether the cloud finally would be parted and swept away by the wind, or instead enjoying its stay to watch the human below. It was global warming anyway, no one could predict the weather.
To be continued
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Hige = moustache. So, Hige-chan = a kind of Mr. Moustache. Weird name for cat? Yeah, I know. I ever named my cat 'Hige-sama', for he had a wise expression.
Oh dear, be careful with a very bad mood kid! I once helped my aunt to take care of her children when she and my uncle went to a wedding party in a far away place. The youngest one, still 3 years old was sulking because of it. And he was crying for three hours - 'interminably'! Oh my God! Well, a kind of a mix between crying, sobbing and hiccupping to be exact. And he just stopped crying only from exhaustion and fell asleep. I just so lucky I didn't getting suicide; it was so tempting, you know...
- Maybe you will be confused about Ayako and Mai's talk about that wedding argumentation. In Japan, most people get married in church although they're not a Christian. But if they dead they'd rather choose to be treated in a Shinto way. This is just a matter of trend for them. Same thing with Christmas, if you go to Japan by the end of December, you'd think all Japanese people are devout Christians. Big wrong! Christmas is just one of many celebrations for the Japanese people, especially families who have young children. It's just like a usual birthday party for family members. Even kindergarten run by Buddhist temples also celebrate Christmas. So don't feel confused. And no Halloween in Japan, but the girls and young women are so infatuated with valentine.
- This is the explanation about Naru's ring: In Japan, especially for the older generation, it isn't something considerable important for wearing a wedding ring especially among males, moreover an engagement ring. Most likely you will meet married women who aren't wearing their ring. For Japanese girls these days, most of them are not wearing their engagement ring but keeps it in their special place for they're treasuring it very-very much. Maybe they're just too afraid to lose or damage it.
- And the story about men who wear the ring here, I just made it up...he he he... I was inspired after reading the manga Kaze Hikaru. In ancient times, Japanese women have a lot of hairstyle, all was based on the region, status, age, married or not married and even geisha had their own hairstyles based on their ranking. The samurai's wife also had special hairstyle which was called osafune. At the end of the Edo era, the girl who arranged her hair in osafune style was supposed to marry her man without any obstacle. I was very touched to read it and decided to make the same idea by making that story, that's why Naru wearing his engagement ring.
And yes…... I'm that someone who always does some research for the story so it wouldn't too far off from the habit of the real Japanese people. You may say that I'm a human who has a strong tendency to make my own life much more difficult, yea...yea...my bad habit... So, enjoy…!