Forgotten Melody
Chapter 28: Confrontations
It had already been a week after filming finished and everyone was back to the city. They had more work to do this time for the main casts were getting interviewed and asked for guest appearances for morning and afternoon talk shows. They had their pictures taken for magazines and newspapers to advertise the upcoming movie.
Everyone in the country was anticipating it. Since the movie was being directed by one of the greatest directors in the country and the main cast consisted of Japan's top idols, rumors had already been spread about how it will also be shown in international countries such as South Korea, China, Taiwan and even America.
The people were happy to see the main cast back on television after filming, but what they were curious about was Kirari.
Kirari hasn't shown up in any ads on television, newspaper or even the magazines. People were starting to wonder if something happened during filming. Some were even spreading the rumor that she had gone back to America, but to clear up the misunderstandings, Kumoi-san released a statement to the press that Kirari is on hiatus because she's preparing for a new album release.
It was a believable lie especially because Kirari is a top idol and she's busy all the time. Even the Chairman believed it. People understood that Kirari can't always show up on television, so they let it go and just waited for the movie to come out.
After talking to the press, Kumoi-san immediately changed her clothes and put her contact lenses on, taking her eyeglasses of. She now looked like a different person. Kumoi-san needed this disguise because she can't have anybody find out about Kirari's current situation. She had already asked Saitou-sensei to keep everything confidential. Nobody knows about Kirari's health problem besides Saitou-sensei and Kumoi-san.
"Kirari," Kumoi-san muttered, seeing the still sleeping Kirari.
Kirari stayed asleep for most of the time. Sometimes, she'd stay asleep for hours, but sometimes, she'd be asleep for three straight days. Kirari's health plummeted really badly after the day of filming. Kumoi-san didn't know how Seiji was unaware of where Kirari was. She knew he followed Kirari when she ran away after filming, but Kumoi-san didn't know how things went between the two or if he actually caught up.
"Seiji," Kumoi-san called as she opened the door of the lounge.
Seiji, who was looking out the window, turned around to show his face that showed no feelings, yet his eyes showing pain.
"What happened to you and Kirari?" Kumoi-san straightforwardly asked as she closed the door behind her.
She walked towards him as fast as she could, having no patience to find out about the truth. When she was finally beside Seiji, all he did was turn away and look back out the window.
"Answer me!" yelled Kumoi-san, her fists clenched.
The room was quiet and the silence lingered around for a moment as Seiji gathered his courage to be able to tell Kumoi-san the painful truth. Kumoi-san didn't say anything more, trying to keep herself calm. Out of nowhere, Seiji turned to Kumoi-san with a fake smile on his face and eyes that contained tears that want to come out.
"I broke up with her."
Kumoi-san's eyes widened in surprise because she knew Seiji would never do something like that, but she was aware that it was the truth, being Kirari's condition a proof. In anger and frustration, Kumoi-san swung her arm and slapped Seiji's face, the sound echoing throughout the empty room.
"How dare you?" Kumoi-san roared.
"You already knew that she was going through so many pains and yet, you chose to break her heart? What is wrong with you? I thought you loved her!" she kept on yelling, Seiji's head looking down in shame.
"She was getting better with your help! She was getting fixed, but you had to be stupid and break her heart!"
Seiji was ready to take on all the hatred from everyone around him if he wanted Kirari to be happy. He already saw everything coming, but still chose to make Kirari happy than himself.
"She's broken!"
After what Kumoi-san just yelled, Hiroto, who was eavesdropping behind the shut doors, was shocked to hear that Seiji broke Kirari's heart. Hiroto was aware of how much Seiji treasured Kirari, but he didn't know why he would do such thing. He decided to listen to more of their conversation, but suddenly, memories started flashing in his mind again. He saw him and Kirari dancing under the moonlight, the kiss he and Kirari shared for a movie that soon helped him realize his feelings for her, the lunch breaks she shared with her and all the memories of her.
Hiroto was now sure that he was really in love with Kirari. He was now sure that Fubuki, wasn't his girlfriend this whole time. He was now sure that the memories Fubuki engraved in his mind were all a lie.
Determined to get everything back to how they were in the past, Hiroto hurriedly drove to Fubuki's house to find her and confront her. When he got there, the security let him in as if he was part of the Todou family. He looked for her in the kitchen, the dining room and the garden, but found no one. He decided to run up to her room where she should be if she wasn't anywhere in the house.
And he was right. Fubuki was on her bed, wearing nothing but the polo shirt that Hiroto lent her and her underwear, looking at a picture. Hiroto was able to see how mature-looking Fubuki was, but unlike other boys, he wasn't distracted.
"Hiroto?" Fubuki looked up as she heard footsteps enter her room.
When she saw Hiroto, she quickly jumped on him from her bed, clinging her arms around his neck. He didn't put his arms around her, making her hug feel hollow. Suddenly, Fubuki placed her hands on Hiroto's cheeks and moved her head closer to his, going in for a kiss.
"Tell me the truth," Hiroto muttered, stopping her midway.
Fubuki's hands started trembling, her mind full of fear and nervousness. She already figured out that Hiroto was almost finished remembering everything about his past. She moved away from him and turned around to hide her face.
"Tell me the truth!" Hiroto roared, putting his hands on Fubuki's shoulders to turn her body around.
"Yeah. It was my entire fault," Fubuki quietly said, her head facing down in shame.
"I was the reason why you forgot all about Kirari," Fubuki admitted.
Hiroto's eyes widened in surprise, not knowing that Fubuki would say something like that. He expected to tell her why she didn't tell him the truth, but instead, he got more than what he wanted. He continued to listen after a short silence between them.
"The day before the night you lost your memories, you announced to everyone that you were going to America to pursue your dreams. So, I decided to visit you in your agency to wish you a good luck and a gift before you leave the day after. However, I heard you talking to the Chairman about the true reason on why you were going to America," Fubuki narrated, her head still down as she remembered the past.
Fubuki walked down the Muranishi Entertainment Company's hallways to give Hiroto a gift before he leaves for America. Hiroto announced the other day about his leaving for America to pursue his dreams. Fubuki, who thought that was great, bought him a gift and decided to give it to him the day before his flight.
When Fubuki passed by a room, she heard Hiroto's voice, knowing that he was inside the room. She turned around and excitedly walked back to the room she passed by and held her hand out to open the door when suddenly, she heard someone else's voice. Not wanting to interrupt, she decided to wait and listen to their conversation.
"Chairman Muranishi, the real reason why I'm going to America is to find Kirari," Hiroto said, determine in his eyes.
When Fubuki heard this, her eyes widened and she dropped the gift that she was going to give Hiroto. The box opened and the item came out, shattering into pieces. It was a porcelain, chocolate ice cream keychain.
"For…Kira…ri?" Fubuki quietly said to herself in shock and anger.
Fubuki went home that day with tears running down her eyes. When her mother saw her crying, she quickly came to her daughter's aid. Fubuki explained to her mother about what happened and how she was hurt of what she found out.
"Everything will come to place, Fubuki. Don't forget that. You'll have him sooner, I promise," her mother comforted with a gentle, yet sinister smile.
That night, the rain started pouring and it was starting to get hard. Hiroto, who took a taxi to go home instead of taking the train, sat in the back patiently. His mind was full of excitement that he'll soon see Kirari when suddenly, he heard loud thuds outside. When he looked at the windshield, he saw a bright light and then, everything went blank.
Hiroto opened his eyes and found himself in a bright, white room. Wires were attached on him and his head was wrapped around with bandages. He could hear a beeping machine and he could feel the needle that was stuck in his arm.
"Who am I? Where am I? What happened to me?" Hiroto asked, looking around.
"You're in the hospital, Hiroto."
When he turned to the direction where he heard the voice, he saw a gorgeous girl with dark blue hair and gentle eyes.
"You were involved in a car accident," the girl said, walking towards him and holding his hand.
"What happened?"
"A truck slammed onto a car, sending it to flip. That car kept on flipping and rolled over two vehicles. One was yours and another one. When your vehicle got hit, it also caused it to flip and caused you some damages."
Hiroto, who still had no idea of what was going on around him, didn't remember a thing.
"Did the others…get hurt?" he asked.
"The car that got slammed by the truck was destroyed badly, but one girl survived, but her father, mother, and younger brother all died because they were severely hit. The other car that got hit from when the flipping car rolled over it was also damaged, but the people inside are doing fine."
"That's good. How do you know all this? Who…are you?" he asked for he still didn't know how and why she knew him.
"I'm your girlfriend, Fubuki."
"Then, I told you all the things you needed to know like your job, your friends and your family and all the other things that you were supposed to know. Then, I transferred to Muranishi Entertainment Company to stay with you all the time. My mother gave me the idea and she promised me that she was going to do everything in her power just for us to stay together."
"So basically, you told me lies?" Hiroto asked, his fists clenched in anger and disappointment.
When Fubuki finally looked up, her face drenched in tears, he saw Hiroto's angered expression and his clenched fists. Fubuki was now desperate, not knowing what to do anymore.
"Yes, I did and I know it was selfish for me, but—"
"No!"
Fubuki's eyes widened in shock when Hiroto yelled at her. She was scared because she was aware of how close she is to losing Hiroto.
"Hiroto, you have to listen to—"
"Why? Why would you lie to me?" Hiroto roared.
"Why did you have to ruin my memories?"
"Because I was selfish and only wanted you to look at me and nobody else!"
Fubuki finally admitted her feelings to Hiroto, who was surprised to hear her confession.
"I've always been in love with you ever since we met when we were little!"
"Little?" Hiroto thought.
He looked at the picture that was on Fubuki's bed. Then, he walked over to pick it up and see who it was. When he saw his face, he finally remembered why he always felt like he had met Fubuki before.
"You're…that Todou girl that was tricked?"
Fubuki, thinking that she still have Hiroto, nodded her head and smiled as she ran to him and gave him another hug.
"Yes, it's me. The girl that you bought ice cream for."
Hiroto knew he was also at fault, but she shouldn't have done something that ruined not only his life, but also the life of Kirari and Seiji.
Feeling bad for Fubuki, he gave her one last hug before he finally let go.
"I'm sorry Fubuki, but we can't do this."
Fubuki's eyes widened and her tears took a brief stop so that she could carefully pay attention to what was being said to her.
"I'm really sorry, but a man that forgets about the girl that he helped is not the man for you. I'm not the man for you, Fubuki. I'm really sorry."
"A-are you ending th-this relationship?" Fubuki panicked.
"With all those lies, there was never a relationship in the first place."
Hiroto walked out of her room and left Fubuki devastated. She fell to the ground, her tears streaming once again. She yelled and yelled in her room in frustration as she regretted everything she did.
"No, Hiroto. You're the only one for me," Fubuki sobbed, holding onto the picture of her and Hiroto.
