"I'm proud of you, Erika." She heard Kenichi said as they entered their way to her hotel room.
She smiled feeling surreal of everything that took place the last few days. It's almost felt like dreaming that she never wanted to end.
Her dream, her love, her passion and her obsession has all turned into reality. It's hard to imagine that they all came true. deep down there's a fear that it may all go away if she blinks.
"When are you coming back to Japan next?" Kenichi asked.
"Ah, about that. There will be few lose end I need to sort out when I get back. What about taking a short break from work and visit me in Paris?" Erika
Kenichi let out a sigh.
"You know it's hard for me to do that."
Erika faced him. "Even on weekend?"
He nodded warily. Erika stared at him for a few moments pondering their situation. It seems so workable in her head earlier but now that reality sets in, how exactly they were going to make their relationship work between them when both them them a world apart?
"I need to be in New York for a project next month and will probably stay there on and off for few months. I guess I could take a weekend trip back to japan since it's closer than if I'm taking a flight back from Paris.. but.." Erika couldn't stop whatever she was going to say when suddenly Kenichi stopped her in her track and caged her to the wall.
"Kenichi..."
"Marry me, Erika.."
For a moment she couldn't say anything but stared at his eyes. The way he looked at her speak a thousand unspoken words to her.
Kenichi, the guy who saw her for who she was and still stood by her. Even when she left the country, even when she was too caught up in her own ambition. The only guy who would stood up for her no matter what and couldn't care less when she didn't have any money and inheritance attached to her name. He genuine love her. For herself.
There's plenty to say to his question. Saying yes to a marriage won't change their situation. It won't stop her ambition. But she start wondering if all those means more than spending the rest of her life with a guy like Kenichi.
"Are you going to keep staring at me instead of saying yes?"
Erika chuckled at his incredulous expression.
"It would be a total privilege to be your wife. But I was expecting the whole kneeling and a ring." Her eyes twinkled with amusement. She smiled warmly at him who was looking around him as if just realizing where they were. "What's the benefit to being your wife? what's on offer?"
Kenichi laughed out loud and shook his head in a total amusement. "I offer my Goggle parents as your parents in law. How's that sounds?"
Erika broke into laughter as she nodded over and over. "Yes! Yes! Yes! I'm saying yes!"
Kenichi tried to glare at her but failed as he broke into another laughter. "Are you saying yes to my parents or me?"
"To all of you. I think we need a special vow where I should say I take you, Kenichi and your parents, to be my lawfull wedded family.." Erika cant stop laughing by then when a sudden thought stop her mid sentence. Suddenly she couldn't laugh anymore.
"What's wrong?"
"I.." she closed her eyes briefly. "I don't have a family and not sure if your parents mind you marrying a nobody. You are afterall a heir to both your grandfather and your dad's business."
Kenichi let out a frustrated sigh.
"You are not a nobody. Should I bring you all those architectural digest that covered your work and your interviews to remind you that you are more than just someone? Beside, you will be my wife and not my family's wife."
"Easy for you to say that.."
"Stop doing this to us, Erika and just for once, follow your heart and ignore the rest."
Erika smiled at the way he look so frustrated with her so she nodded slowly.
"It's late. I need to pack and we have early breakfast with your parents tomorrow. Why don't you go back and I will meet you there tomorrow?"
"I thought I'm staying over tonight."
"If you stay, there will be no packing done and not much sleep and rest. I need to see your parents first thing in the morning and it won't do with a panda eye and a sleepy head."
Kenichi laughed.
"Fine! I will see you in the morning." He kissed her forehead. "Have a good sleep."
"Night, Kenichi" she waved him away.
—
"I was looking for you. What are you up to so early? Come back to bed." Ryouji told Megumi who was staring away at the skyline. Dawn in the horizon.
"I couldn't sleep." She smiled at him and patted the spot next to her. He said nothing but made his way toward her before sitting next to her.
"What's on your mind?" He asked while she glanced at his topless state.
"I'm thinking you should put some clothes on. Kenichi might wake up any moment and.. "
Ryouji snorted in a full amusement as he glanced at his wife.
"I always sleep topless. You knew that well. And as for Kenichi... it's not like he never seen me topless. But I'm glad to hear I still have the effect on you."
Megumi slapped his arm playfully and rolled her eyes making him laugh.
"You are way too over confident. You didn't even let me finish. Erika is coming for breakfast, remember?"
Ryouji nodded by still smiling noticing Megumi still eyeing him.
"That's not for another hour or so. I meant to ask what's on your mind that made you can't sleep." He clarified.
Megumi shrugged and flashed him a smile before heading towards the kitchen. Ryouji said nothing but followed her.
"Let me make coffee and we can enjoy the sunrise together." Her eyes glitter as Ryouji laugh at the suggestion.
Having coffee while watching the sunrise when they were staying in London was one of their morning ritual. Normally ryouji was up by dawn in order for him call the office and make important call conference during Tokyo's business hours.
Megumi was only too happy to woke up and sat alongside him. It was often a time where Ryouji would share his work with her and actually welcome her opinions. He always treated her as his equal and it's something that she was grateful for. He never brushed her aside or treat her as if her opinion didn't matter.
She watched as Ryouji working the coffee machine and soon enough the aroma filled the kitchen making her smile. It's been a while since they both woke up at the same time to enjoy a morning coffee like this.
Back in japan and with her pregnancy and motherhood journey, they developed a different routine and schedule. Ryouji busied himself with work while she was focusing on Kenichi. She missed their time alone. Even after Kenichi moved and grew up, they already set in their own routine that they hardly make effort to spend their morning together like they once did.
Ryouji caught her longing eyes and smiled as he passed her a mug of coffee.
"It's been a while huh?"
She nodded while he made his coffee and took a seat across her on the breakfast table.
"Stop worrying over Kenichi. He's like you. When he falls in love, he gave it all. But I can see my self in Erika. She's a driven girl. With lots of trust issues. She had her walls high up but somehow I'm pretty sure Kenichi break down those barriers." Ryouji told her while she tried to smile and nod along while sipping on her coffee.
"You know, you saved me too from all the bitterness. You were so pure then and so naive about life that somehow you gave me hope to trust again."
Megumi smiled at Ryouji's confession.
"I was pure and naive... until YOU that is." Megumi chuckled and gave him a teasing look. "You were lucky I actually liked you or else you would have been in prison for what you did to me."
Ryouji cringed at the memory.
"It's hikata's fault!" Ryouji muttered. "But then again it's thanks to him that we're together. Can't believe he rejected you and pushed me towards you."
Megumi smiled.
"He will always be my first love. I truly looked up to him back then and still do now. The day he rejected me, i was so heart broken i actually took a train and didn't realise I get on the wrong train. I was too busy crying to notice I took nozomi train to Hakata station in Fukuoka. I realised my mistake half way but decided I didn't care and see where the train lead me." Megumi recalled and smiling at the memory. Ryouji put down his mug and stared at her speechless. It was his first time hearing the story. They never truly talk about their dating history or things with other guys or girls before they were together.
"You gotta be kidding me." He stared at her openly. "You never told me this before."
Megumi shook her head and laughed.
"It's true! I actually went to Fukuoka when I was 12 years old and spend few hours wondering around the city before taking the train back to Tokyo. Hyoga picked me up from the station that evening and covered up for me."
"You do realize that I grew up in Fukuoka right? And moved to Tokyo after high school?"
She nodded and laughed.
"Imagine what are the chance I actually pass you by then?" She laughed while Kenichi still stared at her in disbelief. "Actually I met a guy while I was there. He was in high school, I guess that from his uniform. I bumped into him and at first he told me off but when he realized I was crying he asked if I was ok and if I was lost. I don't remember much about him except he took me back to the station and walked me to the right platform and keeping humming and singing a song in a teasing way that made me laugh."
Megumi stopped laughing when she finally realized Ryouji wasn't laughing with her. He had a very serious expression on his face. His hands was tense as he grabbed her hand in his.
"You were 12 and you were in Fukuoka? Did you by any chance had your karategi on that day?"
Megumi nodded in surprise. "I did actually. I was about to enter the dojo when I heard everyone laugh and teased Hikata about my letter. I was so embarrassed and so upset I just ran to the station as fast as I could."
Ryouji shook his head over and over before held her hands in his firmer.
"Do you remember the song that boy sang?"
"It was a popular song that year... "
"Kizudarake no lola?" Ryouji finished her sentence.
Megumi gasped in surprise.
"How did you know? have you told you this before?"
"Do you remember telling the boy that he has a nice voice and should pursue singing?"
Megumi stared at the husband in disbelief. "I don't remember exactly what I said to him but he did have a nice soothing voice."
Ryouji run both hands through his hair as he continue to stared at Megumi in disbelief.
"What?.. what's wrong?" Megumi asked him.
"This is impossible but I can't think of it any other way."
"What Ryouji? What is it?" Megumi asked curiously.
"I think if all you said was correct... we might have met each other then! I met a small girl in her karategi once when I was still in Fukuoka. My dad moved to Tokyo already but I was left with Ryoko until graduation day and allowed to live on my own in the apartment he bought"
Megumi gasped in full surprise.
"This girl bumped into me and I wasn't paying attention either but after scolding her, I realize she wasn't paying attention because she was crying. So I asked her if she's lost and she told me she's got on the wrong train and she's actually looking for a train back to Tokyo. So feeling bad, I offered to take her to the direction. We chatted and I teased her about crying over a boy and sang Kizudarake Lola and it made her smile and even laugh.. and I may not remember exactly how she looks apart from her karategi and the words she told me."
"She said... You should be a singer. You have a soothing voice." Ryouji told her.
"Little did she know, that day after the train left, I was scouted. I moved to Tokyo and signed up with Minorphone. I remember that girl because it's almost like a sign to me that day. Never knew it was you."
Megumi still speechless at his revelation. She tried hard to recall the boy she met years ago. She didn't remember much but how he made her feel safe and at ease. And how his voice and it's lyrics made her laugh.
"You were so tall then."
Ryouji laughed. "I'm still tall."
"Oh wow! Do you believe in fate?" She gushed in whisper.
Ryouji smiled at her before planting a soft kiss on her lips.
"Not sure about fate, but I do believe in chasing dream."
Side notes:
Ryouji Akagi was scouted during High School time and he moved to Tokyo after high school graduation.
Following storyline from "Behind the scenes" which was a fanfic about Ryouji and Megumi, Ryouji lived and raised mostly by Ryoko, his dad's girlfriend at the time and turned into step mom later on. She tried to seduced him when he's coming to age and his dad solution was to marry her and bought him an apartment in Tokyo. So he moved out to Tokyo right after high school.
disclaimer: Actual timeline is used as guideline for fanfic purpose only. This story is purely fiction.