CHAPTER THREE

"The Past"

They have become good friends as months have gone by. Nobody, except Anna, knew how they became such.

The school festival was days away and the school became very busy preparing for the nearing event. Everyonewas givenassignments. The seniors were tasked to take care of the decorations, so Jade, Sendoh and the others busied themselves with making the school colorful and lively.

"Sendoh could you help me out here?" Jade asked struggling to get the glass cover off the bulletin board so she could decorate the inside. He hurried over to lend her a hand. Carefully, they lifted the glass off its place and slowly put it aside. All of a sudden, Jade lost her grip and the glass slid off her hand the edges cutting deeply across her palm. Thankfully, Sendoh caught the glass and hurriedly put it aside so he could attend to Jade.

"Owww…" She groaned in pain as she tried to stop her cut from bleeding. Sendoh quickly got his hankie and covered it around her palm tightly.

"We have to get this to the clinic."

So both headed to the school clinic where Jade was taken care of.

"That'll be fine now," The nurse said after applying some medicine to it.

"Sendoh, I need you to put this plaster carefully on her wound. I still got very important things to do. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

With that, the nurse disappeared behind the door leaving them alone. Sendoh sat on a stool opposite Jade's bed where she sat. He took her hand and gently plastered her wound. He noticed she was twitching in pain and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"You're such a baby," he said still chuckling.

"Am not!"

"Yes you are,"

"Am not!"

Then Sendoh gave her hand a gentle squeeze that made her squeal. She took her hand away giving him a look.

"See!"

"But you did it on purpose!"

"Okay, okay, give me back your hand." He said quite serious now. When Jade held out her hand, he saw it. Sendoh paused for a moment still analyzing what it was.

"What?" she asked confused.

He held her hand and pulled her sleeve up. There it was…cuts across her wrist. He fell silent not wanting to believe it. She had wanted to take her life. She had intended to commit suicide. Before he could ask, Jade forcefully freed her hand away hiding it behind her back wishing he never saw it.

"Jade…"

He wanted to say something but it was all that came out. Shock had barely made him speak. She on the other hand felt tears of shame mounting up her eyes. She felt so disgusted with herself she wanted to run away and not hear what he had to say. And so, she did. She dashed away from the clinic…away from Sendoh…away from everything else.

He doesn't need to know! He doesn't… She thought bitterly feeling the hot tears finally giving up on her.

If he knew, he'll think I'm crazy…and he'll leave me…she ran even though she didn't know where to end.

Sendoh looked everywhere but couldn't find her. He had asked Anna to help him but still didn't find her. Everyone else had finished working and slowly the students left school until it was already dark.

"She's nowhere Sendoh. She must've gone home already." Anna said with a sigh.

"It's okay Anna, thanks for the help anyway." He smiled wearily.

"Hmm…" Anna thought looking up. "Maybe if you could fly up there you could possibly see her anywhere." She said hoping to cheer him up a little with her lousy joke.

He looked up and smiled.

"That's it!" he exclaimed and ran back inside the school building.

"What? You're gonna fly?"

The rooftop door opened and Sendoh appeared panting for breath. Jade looked over blankly and somewhat very still.

"I thought you'd be here…" he said sitting next to her on the floor their backs against the railings. She was very quiet, like she was deeply thinking. She obviously was crying hard previously.

"Jade, it's okay if you don't want to talk about-"

"No," she abruptly said not letting him finish.

"I think you should know." She looked him in the eyes and he knew she was sure. Sendoh couldn't have been more concerned.

"Okay."

She looked down on her shoes and started telling him her nightmare…

It was her 15th birthday as well as the Asakura Company's 50th anniversary. Many people had come to her party. Some of them were prominent in the city. Everything was well planned and organized. Although it was raining hard that night, it never stopped the people from coming in and going out. However, she didn't care about those, her parents were not around. They were in London celebrating the pearl anniversary of their prized possession: the company. Nevertheless, they have already promised her they would come for her birthday. Jade had been impatiently waiting all night repeating to herself what they had just promised. It was an especially important event for Jade since she won as the school's student council president. She regarded it as a great honor and wanted her parents to be proud of her. She loved them so much but sometimes, it was as if they never existed because of business. It was always about business. Her rival… there would be lots of time when they'd have no time for her anymore because they seemed so far away. Nevertheless, Jade would always understand and keep quiet knowing they were going to make it up to her. So she endured some of the agonizing loneliness they unintentionally give her.

However this time, she was becoming angry and disappointed. As the night grew, the visitors became less and less until no one was left. Jade was through waiting. The party had ended without her parents. She had quit…given up hope and started blaming them for everything. At that moment, she felt angry tears pouring down her cheeks.

"They don't love me…" she concluded angrily.

Alfred approached her and said, "There must be a good reason for their absence…"

Jade smiled weakly. Alfred had been like a second father to her and comforted her whenever she had problems. It was like he always knew what to say at the right time. But at that moment, he didn't help at all. Blinded by anger she suddenly wished them dead. Before going to bed, she wrote a note on her father's desk in his office. It read: I HATE YOU. She was positive they would be able to read it. But she was wrong…

She woke up from the noise that filled the living room. It was dawn and her drowsy eyes seemed to work on their own. She headed downstairs feeling awkward- as if something bad was happening. Suddenly she became wide awake seeing the police officers and other strangers down their lobby. Quickly, she ran downstairs in her pajamas and let her eyes do the asking. Her heart was pounding loudly against her chest that she was deafened by it she could not talk. Someone approached her. He was talking to Alfred earlier who now was sinking his head in his hands.

"Ms. Jade Asakura…" he began.

She choked, she couldn't say a single word so she nodded.

"I'm sorry but your parents are dead…"

Sendoh looked at her, not knowing what to say. She looked so broken and fragile he couldn't barely touch her. He knew she was trying to hold back the tears as she told her story boldly to him.

"How?"

"They were already flying back here even before the party started. But unfortunately, they caught a rainstorm and their plane crashed. No one survived."

Then silence.

"They never went to the company's anniversary. They went to London to buy me a horse for a present. I was so guilty I never gave them another chance. That I gave up on them. I even wished them dead… Now I'll never be able to take back what I said."

"It wasn't your fault."

"But why do I feel like it is?" She looked at him with those delicate deep black eyes he just broke.

"Ever since that day, I changed. I missed a lot of classes, almost quit school actually," she chuckled thinking to herself how stupid she was. But Sendoh never looked away.

"I was always admitted to the hospital for unexplained fevers and occasional weaknesses. I might as well be dead that time. So I decided to end it. But I never got the courage to cut deep enough to really kill myself."

Silence again.

"Some people just don't understand the feeling of loosing something so important and something you so dearly loved your entire life. They were my only family…my solitude…my sanctuary."

"Things happen Jade, we may not be able to swallow them but they always happen for a purpose."

"Then why? What's the purpose Sendoh?"

He fell quiet. For the first time in his entire life, he did not know what to do. He felt useless but he wanted so much to comfort her and tell her It was gonna be all right.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close gently laying her head on his broad shoulders.

"I wish I could tell you…"

Jade closed her eyes and let her tears finally fall on their own.

"I'm glad you're here Sendoh…"

He walked Jade home and she invited him to stay for a while.

"You have your mother's eyes." He complemented studying the family portrait by the fireplace.

"That's what they all say." She replied smiling.

Sendoh sat beside Jade on the couch opposite the hearth. He yawned and slowly rested his head on her lap. Jade smiled charmingly as she flushed.

"We've got an upcoming basketball tournament next week during our school festival and you should come."

"Should? What if I don't?"

"You'll be regretting you didn't." he warned her teasingly.

Jade gave a chuckle. "Okay, but you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"You'll have to win me a 20 point lead!" she challenged.

"That's all! I could win you a 50 point lead!" he boasted.

"Hahaha! Yeah right…"

"Seriously!"

"Don't be too confident buster, you might just get jinxed."

"Okay, okay… 20 it is," he sat upright and locked eyes with her. "You better be there."

At that moment, both fell awkwardly silent. They gazed at each other for the longest time as if waiting for something to happen. Then, without knowing it, Sendoh leaned close wanting to meet lips with her. Jade's heartbeat began to race as her eyes closed all by themselves as if yearning for the kiss. She knew she wanted it and imagined his sweet kiss taking her away…away from reality. However, she pushed to deny it. Nevertheless, she succumbed to the intense rush inviting him instead. Their lips were already inches apart and their hearts beating loudly against their chests they could almost hear it, it was so close when suddenly, someone came barging in. They immediately kept distance, looked away from each other, and turned their attention to the young man standing in the doorstep. The visitor looked at Jade, and then had a grim face when he started studying Sendoh. After a momentarily pause, he looked back at Jade, gave a warm smile and approached to hug her.

"Jade! I missed you so much! Aren't you glad to see me?" he asked after giving her a big, sweet hug.

Jade on the other hand was speechless and wide eyed staring at the man in front of her. He ignored her reaction and turned to Sendoh. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Jade snapped back and looked at Sendoh.

"Uhmm… this is Sendoh... Sendoh this is…" she paused.

Then the man stepped forward and shook hands with Sendoh who was still very confused with what was going on. "I'm Haru Lee…Jade's fiancé."