"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure." - Paulo Coelho

As Masaru was walking to the bus stop from his workplace, he saw Utaha. She is just opposite of him, a few meters away. Utaha, who was looking down, looked up and saw him too. They both stood rooted to the ground, staring at each other.

"Okay, Masaru. Ignore her and get past her." He thought, "Act like you didn't know she's there."

He tried to walk past her, but she pushed him back. He tried it once more, but she just pushes him back once more.

"What do you want?" He asked her.

"Masaru, I know I did you wrong." Utaha held his hands, "I've realized my mistake. Please forgive me and get back with me."

Masaru shook her hands off, "Didn't I tell you that I didn't want to meet you again? I was being serious about it."

"Please, Masaru." Utaha cried, "I promise I won't do anything like that time again. Please. I really miss you and I regret it."

At that moment, it started raining.

"So what if you regret it now?" Masaru raised his voice, "You've made me suffered for six months! You even indirectly caused Uncle Yang's death! Do you think I could forgive you for that?"

"Please, Masaru." She held his hands again, "I'll be the greatest girl you ever had. I promise to let you do whatever you want. Please, Masaru. I really love you, and..."

"Stop it with that!" Masaru screamed, "You think you could just gain pity from me just like that? I've told you once, now I'm telling you again. I'm not getting back together with you again! Stop pestering me about this!"

"Why don't you get how I'm feeling?" Utaha screamed back at him, "I cry every day because you forced a break up on me when I love you so much! Why can't you just understand me? I was so depressed when you wanted to break up with me, do you know that? I wanted to help you that time! I really do! You know, when you kidnapped me and tried to steal the money, I didn't want to call the police. But I wanted you to learn from your mistakes and not commit them again! Why are you breaking my heart and treating me like an enemy now?! I'm trying my best to make it up to you, but you just seem to keep rejecting it! Why are you torturing me mentally?!"

"You do not deserve me!"

His answer shocked Utaha.

"Ever since Uncle Yang died, I became this cold hearted person that doesn't love you anymore. All because you caused his death." Masaru growled, "So, once again, I'm never going to mend my relationship with you. I'm done with it."

"Masaru!" She tried holding Masaru's hands but he just shook them off and walked past her.

"I'm sorry, Utaha." He thought, "I had to lie to you that I hate you. I hope you understand that you don't deserve such a boyfriend at all." He cleared the tears from his eyes as rain falls on his whole body.

Utaha cried uncontrollably under the rain. Suddenly, her vision became blurry, and before she knew it, she fainted.

Masaru heard Utaha falling to the ground and turned around to see her unconscious.

"Utaha!" He rushed to her and moved her body, but she did not respond. He whipped his phone out and called the ambulance.

Aftermath

Episode 10

In Utaha's ward in the hospital, Masaru is sitting beside her bed, holding her hand. She is still unconscious.

Megumi, Tomoya, Michiru, George, and Eriri rushed into the ward.

"What happened to her?" Megumi asked.

"We were in the rain, quarreling." Masaru sighed, "She then fainted. I don't know how. I don't know why. Now she has a high fever."

"Masaru Kobayashi!" Eriri screamed, "Why do you always got to make Utaha Kasumigaoka upset? You really got a problem in your brain after coming out of jail, don't you?"

"Watch your mouth, young lady." Masaru stood up and glared at her. George pulled her away while Tomoya pulled Masaru away.

"I didn't make her upset. She got carried away by the fact she could start afresh with me."

"Utaha Kasumigaoka must have some blindness to see that kind of shit!" Eriri said. Masaru wanted to slap Eriri but George stopped him.

"Hospital, bro." George told Masaru, "Don't wake the damn hospital patients up because of this. We can talk about this tomorrow. Right now, I believe, as a doctor, that Utaha needs rest now. Let's not disturb her. Masaru, are you..."

"I'm staying her to take care of her for the night." Masaru said.

"You'd better not kidnap her to some place again." Eriri muttered.

"What did you just say, you bitch?" Masaru stood up from his chair but Megumi and Tomoya pushed him down to the chair again while George brought Eriri out of the ward.

"Eriri and her mouth." Tomoya said, "Masaru, don't take her words to heart. She's like that. She's just worried for Utaha-senpai."

"I understand." Masaru sighed, "I'm the fault of all of this."

"Learn from it, and don't commit it again." Megumi smiled, "After all, no one is perfect. We all have flaws." Masaru nodded his head.

For the rest of the night, Masaru wakes up every two hours to fill a bowl of ice water and dipped the cloth in it before placing it on Utaha's forehead.

The next morning, Utaha woke up from her bed and realized she is in a hospital. She turned to her right, only to see Tomoya watching the news.

"Aki-kun." Utaha said. Tomoya turned to her and helped her up, "Need the toilet?"

"No. Just pull my bed up so that I can sit straight."

Tomoya adjusted her bed so that she can sit up straight.

"Are you feeling better now, Utaha-senpai?" He asked. She nodded, "Thanks, Aki-kun."

"Umm, I might be here now, but I wasn't the one here the whole night." Tomoya said.

"You weren't? Then who?"

"That guy." Tomoya pointed at Masaru, who is at the door. He came in with a packet of porridge and placed it on the table beside Utaha's bed.

"Porridge for you." Masaru said, "Good for eating when you're sick. I've placed a bit of soy sauce into it so that it doens't taste very bland. I'll be going off now."

He then went out of the ward.

"He took care of you last night." Tomoya sighed, "He woke up every two hours just to cool your forehead down. I still have no idea why he doesn't want to be your boyfriend again, but I can see he still cares a lot for you as a friend."

Utaha looked at her blanket and sighed.

"I got a good news to tell you though." Tomoya said, "I received news from Michiru that Ayako finally decided to work for us."

"Really?" Utaha asked, "What did you guys do?"

"We did...nothing." Tomoya replied, "She just changed her mind and agreed to help us."

Masaru walked to a house to find a guy named Astriel. He knocked on the door and Adam opened the door.

"May I know who you're looking for, mister?" He asked.

"I'm looking for a guy named Astriel." Masaru replied, "He had left a book of the Hongyang Gang rules behind, and my uncle kept it until now."

Adam looked at Masaru with surprise, "You're Jack's nephew or something?"

"Jack's adopted son, Masaru Kobayashi."

"I've never heard of his adoptive son, but I knew his son Leo Yang."

"Do you know where he is now?"

Adam looked at him, "Come in." He brought Masaru into the house and closed the door.

"Is there only you living in the house?" Masaru asked, "Just for curiosity."

"Yes, my brother, Eddy Florence." Adam then went near to him, "But whatever you do, do not tell him anything I'm about to tell you today."

"Let's get on with me asking you." Masaru said, "What can you tell me about the Hongyang Gang? Specifically when the fight with Slicks happened and the aftermath?"

"We had lots of members around the 1990s, and when Leo transferred to the Slicks, Jack was known as the father who failed to keep his son in check. When the fight happened, it was super chaotic. Every gang member was fighting. And then there was the talk of the town. Jack fighting Leo. After Jack killed Percy, a member of Slicks, Leo was enraged and wanted to not let Jack off. Jack, of course, was ready to defense himself. If not for his then-girlfriend Madeline and the sounds of police sirens, Jack would've murdered his own son, and that would have been one of the famous titles.

"After the fight, I haven't heard from almost all Slicks member at all. It's like they disappeared into thin air. I've only heard the whereabouts of two people. Slicksilver, and Shinjisu."

"Leo Yang." Masaru growled.

"Slicksilver is somewhere in Japan, while Shinjisu has destroyed his father's grave recently. But from what I've heard from my friend, he's in the nightclub. Every Tuesday."

"Every Tuesday in the nightclub." Masaru muttered to himself, then turned to Adam, "Thanks for the information, Astriel."

"Man, you must be dedicated to Jack." Adam said, "Jack's a good leader. I'm cool with him and the people around him, except Leo."

"Thank you so much for your help, Astriel." Masaru shook Adam's hands, "It's been a pleasure meeting you."

"It's a pleasure meeting you too." Adam smiled. Masaru then waved good bye and walked out of the house.

Adam's phone then buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and looked at a message that was sent to him by a sender named Cadence.

"The police are looking for me, Adam. What do I do?" Adam switched his phone and muttered curses.

"This asshole." He thought.

In Utaha's hospital ward, she, Eriri, Megumi, Tomoya, Michiru and Eddy are waiting for Ayako to arrive.

"What made her want to join us?" Eriri asked.

"She said she would tell me the reason when she comes here." Michiru replied.

"Honestly, I'm surprised." Megumi uttered, "When me, Tomoya-kun and you went there, she immediately turned us down. Now she suddenly agrees to work with us."

"Maybe she's taken her medication." Eddy said. Ayako then walked into the ward.

"Hello, Furushima-san." Tomoya shook her hands, "Thank you for changing your mind and giving us a chance."

"You should thank my friend Liam." Ayako replied, "Without him, I would've sticked to my initial decision."

"Liam?" Utaha asked.

"Who's that?" Eriri asked.

"You know her, Kasumigaoka-senpai?" Megumi asked.

"He's the police officer that helped us find you two when you were kidnapped by Charmaine." Tomoya told Megumi.

"That guy?" Michiru asked Ayako, "He knew you?"

"He's my friend. Of course I do."

Tomoya then whispered at Utaha's ear, "This is your chance."

"Chance for what?"

"You see, you always said you can't forget Masaru." Tomoya told her, "So, to help you, you should get a new boyfriend first. And Liam is a potential one, since you knew him. Be close to him, and then when you get together with him, you'll eventually forget about Masaru. Trust me."

"But..."

"No buts. You'll try that out. You'll forget about Masaru easily."

In the evening, in Liam's house, he is sitting on his bed, thinking about what his daughter and colleagues said to him.

Four hours earlier...

In the police station, Liam, Justin, and their colleagues are having tea breaks.

"You definitely need a new wife, Liam." One of his colleagues told him, "Raising a child single-handedly might seem easy, but it is so hard."

"Besides, you can have sex with another girl." A second one said.

"I'm not interested in that." Liam replied.

"Liam, don't wait until you're old to regret it." Justin patted his shoulder, "Find another suitable person. Don't give up on relationships just because you have a failed marriage before. It's the woman's fault, not yours. Give yourself a chance to get a new girl."

"Do you really think I should date another woman?" Liam asked.

"Yes!" His colleagues replied.

"Not only will you have company, you can also tell her all your problems, let her be your listening ear." Justin spoke out, "She can help you take care of your daughter. Then there'll be a happy family again."

"Find someone smart, intelligent, and pretty." Another one of his colleagues joked, "You love to scold your junior officers, so if she's smarter than you, then you can get the experience of being stupid."

Liam thought about it as Justin and Liam's other colleagues laughed at it.

In his home a few minutes later, he had told Lucy about finding a new wife for him and a new mother for her.

"I'm fine by it, Daddy." Lucy said to him, "As long as the new Mummy is nice, I don't mind having a new mother, or stepmother."

Back to the present...

Liam sighed. He can't even find one suitable woman for him now. He can't even think of any woman to date now.

"Should I try to find a woman? But it's hard to get close, isn't it?" He thought, "I haven't even been close to a woman since eight years ago. Or should I give up this hope of finding another woman?"

His phone then buzzed. He took his phone and saw that Utaha had texted him a message.

"I'm discharged. Can you come and pick me up? We can have dinner on the way too."

An idea then hit him, "I could date Utaha."

To be continued in Episode 11