Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Only the plot and Tsukina and Tsuzuki.
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CHAPTER TWO: Reminiscing Memories
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"Leah, I'm going back to Japan tomorrow morning with my kids," Tsukushi told her good friend/boss at her work at the magazine, it was Sunday morning and they were having brunch at Starbucks. Tsukushi invited her friend out to tell her about her sudden leave from her work, "We'll just keep in touch thru e-mails and phones, if there's anything needs editing or decisions and opinions needed from me, don't hesitate to contact me," she smiled as she sipped from her mocha latte.
"Don't think I won't," Leah smirked, "Anyway, why the sudden leave, and with those rascals too?"
"Well, I guess it's time to deal with my personal problems, I've been running away from it for so long and I don't want to be a coward, I'm not like one back in my high school days," Tsukushi sighed, she smiled wistfully as she remembered herself a few years back.
Leah nodded, "Yeah," she said, as Tsukushi's trusted friend, she told her about how she met the F4 and then fell in love with Tsukasa Doumyouji in the end and how they get married and 'til the day she left him. "I guess it's time to go back where you left off," she shrugged, "Who knows, you can still have a happy ending."
Tsukushi smiled sadly, "Nah, I'm going back to end everything. We both need our happiness."
"Tsukushi, tell me the truth, are you going to be happy knowing you'll forever leave the man you always love?"
"You know I'll love him forever, it hurts me to leave him," she said in agonized tone.
"Then don't, all you have to do is face him, talk to him, and be happy with him." Leah said simply, "I dare tell that if I ever get to marry a man like him, I'll definitely won't leave him, let other ladies envy you and you have the right to fight for him, where's the Tsukushi you're telling me about? Where is she now?"
"She grew up, she learned that everything is not always like a fairytale, she has two lovely kids, and she's now facing the reality outside the Eitoku walls and learning that reality bites and it sucks big time," she sighed, "I kinda understand now why mother Kaede have to be tough all the time, because she wanted to take a grasp of everything to make sure everything is under control. If I'm half like her, then I think I don't I have to lose what was once been mine."
"You're not giving up that easily, are you? You can still fight?"
"Let me ask you this my friend, what if I want to stay with him, that I don't want to give up then the question is, what if he doesn't want to stay like what we used to be? What if he's happy now?"
"Then cut the 'what-if's' crap, be positive and stop complicating and thinking things over when it's not there yet. If you really want to be with Tsukasa then wake up Tsukushi, you're not being the real you, be tough, you're still the unbeatable high school girl that he met and fell in love with, you just graduated and have a job but that doesn't mean you're not that Tsukushi anymore! Do you understand?" Leah almost wanted to shake her. "There's a lot of women who wanted to be in your shoes as Mrs. Doumyuoji, and I bet you'll be hell if you let him go knowing that you still love him and you just let him go because of his simple mistake. Think about it, and what about the kids? Do you really think they could grow up normally without a father by their side?"
"I'll think about it, I'll meet him anyway."
"Don't think about it, just follow my advice, be with him, it's what you wanted anyway. And most of all, follow your heart."
Tsukushi smirked, "You're really pushy woman."
"Because I know I'm right, and as your boss," Leah winked, "I'm ordering you to get back with Tsukasa, and once you did, make sure to let me meet in person the mysterious man who has a lot of intrigues since he was young and I'm sure our magazine would like to feature him."
Tsukushi laughed. "Thank you, Leah."
"What for, I'm your friend."
"For being my unwanted conscience most of the time."
Leah chuckled.
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After a while, the two friends said their goodbye's and Tsukushi was driving her car back home.
Tsukasa, she thought.
After almost three years, they're finally going to meet again, oh how she missed him, how she longed for him whenever she saw him on business news, and she was very proud of him. Tsukushi smiled as she remembered how she always teased about him being the downfall of the Doumyouji empire, but he proved to be worth it for the empire.
As she entered her car at the huge guarded gate, she kept on pondering, maybe Leah was right, it was time for her to face everything, come what may, she's still the old Tsukushi Makino, now only more confident and bearing the Doumyouji name. Maybe that was the reason why her old self was a bit kept hidden inside her, because she was not the poor girl going to Eitoku anymore, she was not the girl who used to work as long as she could. She's now Tsukushi Doumyouji, and attached to the name was respect from everyone, even from her mother-in-law.
But she was not guilty about it one bit because she and everybody knew that she work hard to gain everyone's respect other than bearing the name. She did her best on her work. And the important thing was she was not forgetting the Tsukushi she used to be, a poor girl.
And now, that Tsukushi needed to be awaken once again to face her husband……..and Umi.
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"Mommy, we finished packing!" Tsukina greeted as Tsukushi entered the main door.
"That's great, where's your brother?"
"Hey mom," Tsuzuki greeted as he walked towards his mother and kissed her on the cheek as Tsukushi bent down, "I'm finished packing too."
"That's wonderful."
"Can we eat ice cream?" Tsukina frowned.
"Of course."
"Yippie!" Tsukina tugged her brother affectionately toward the kitchen, one of the maids followed the twins.
Tsukushi smiled, she's happy that her kids were close to each other, and she was so surprised and happy when Tsuzuki defended his sister to Tsubaki's husband and she has a feeling that he'll do the same to anyone else who'll mistreat his sister.
"Tsukushi," Tsukushi looked up at Tama, "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"
Tsukushi smiled, "Don't worry Tama-san, everything will be alright."
"Are you sure you don't need help with the kids?"
"You sound like an over-pressure grandmother," Tsukushi laughed.
"You never change at all," Tama smiled.
"And I have no plans to change," she answered with a huge smile, she can feel it, her old self coming back to her, and she's loving it, she'll kick Tsukasa once she sees him if she has to, "And about the kids, don't worry, they'll be fine."
"Have a happy reunion then," Tama said with a meaningful smile.
Tsukushi was about to protest but the old lady went to see the twins already.
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Tsukushi with her children was now boarded at the plane that would bring them back to Japan. She smiled as she saw her kids fell asleep the moment the plane started to lift from the ground, as she looked out of the window to the sky, she remembered what Leah told her and can't keep thinking about it.
"Tsukasa…." She murmured as her mind pondered a few years back…
Past…
Eitoku, a year after Tsukasa left…
Tsukushi was walking on the hallway to meet her friends outside the school grounds and have lunch with them when a guy called after her.
"Tsukushi-chan!" the guy kept on calling her name as he ran towards her.
"Eh?" Tsukushi stopped from walking and looked behind her to see a guy trailing after her.
"Hi," the guy said with a smile as he reached Tsukushi, his breath was heavy from running, "I'm Keitaro Yumino."
Tsukushi stared at Keitaro with a questioning look as she assessed him. Keitaro was tall but not as tall as the F4, he was also good-looking but not quiet near the F4, he has a charming smile and a twinkling eyes.
"Do you need anything?" she asked as she started walking again outside the building followed by Keitaro beside her.
Keitaro blushed, "Actually, Tsukushi-chan, I've been meaning to tell you something for some time now but I don't have the guts to do it before and since you're always surrounded with your friends and I know some of them are part of F4.
"What do you want to tell me?" Tsukushi frowned. They were almost near her friends who were gathered around near a cherry blossom tree.
"I want to tell you that I like you and I want to ask you if you want to go out with me?" Keitaro said while blushing.
Tsukushi was blushing herself, she was not used to guys asking her out because she didn't have the chance to date anybody else except for Tsukasa, and Tsukasa was not the kind of guy who'll asked her, he was more like telling her to go out with him. She smiled warmly as she remembered her boyfriend. It has been a year now and he was calling her and sending e-mails and gifts almost everyday and when there were special occasion. Oh, how she missed him so. She looked up to Keitaro, "Keitaro-kun, gomen, but I already have a boyfriend, he was just not in the country right now."
Keitaro's expression turned sad, "I see, but Tsukushi-chan, if he's not here then you can still go out with me, you're not sure yet when he's coming back anyway."
Tsukushi's face became sad as she heard it.
"What do you think you're saying idiot!" a man growled behind Keitaro with irritation. Keitaro stiffened. "You just heard her say she has a boyfriend already, or maybe you want a red tag on your locker to convince you!"
Tsukushi looked up and her face shone brightly, "Tsukasa!" she ran toward him even knocking Keitaro a little and threw herself to the curly-haired guy and hugged him tightly. "You came back!"
Tsukasa scowled, "Yeah, just in time to see you talking to your suitor."
"Baka, I just met him."
"Really woman, I was right when I decided to come back here earlier than the original plan."
"Hey, you do know that I will wait for you, right? And I promise not to look on other guys." Tsukushi said as she played on Tsukasa's hair.
"I know, and I trust you, it's the guys around you that I don't trust," with that, he glared back at Keitaro as he was still hugging Tsukushi tightly.
Keitaro backed away at the couple immediately and went back inside the school building.
"Did the guys see you already?" Tsukushi asked as she looked up to Tsukasa, not noticing that Keitaro was not around anymore.
"Not yet, I want to see you first."
"Let's go then," she tugged on Tsukasa's arm as they went towards the others not far away.
"I miss you." Tsukasa said lovingly.
"I miss you too."
"Tsukasa!" Akira yelled as he first saw Tsukasa with Tsukushi, "It's really a surprise to see you here."
"How are you, man?" Soujirou asked as they both patted each other at the back.
"Fine, I hate to admit it but I missed you guys."
"We miss you too," Rui said as he gave Tsukasa a brotherly hug. Akira did the same.
"So, what brings you here, man?" Soujirou asked again after the girls gave Tsukasa a welcoming hug.
Tsukasa smiled before he looked at Tsukushi, "Actually, I came back here because I want Tsukushi to be by my side."
"But Tsukasa you still have some training to do, you can't just stay here after a year." Tsukushi reasoned out.
"Who says I'm not continuing my training?" Tsukasa's brow arched.
"What do you mean?" Tsukushi asked in confusion.
Tsukasa sighed before he smiled, "I plan on telling you this over dinner but I guess it can't wait."
"What can't wait?"
Tsukushi gasped and their friends' eyes widened as the passerby students paused as Tsukasa kneeled before her and on his left hand was a diamond engagement ring inside an open velvet box, "Miss Tsukushi Makino, will you marry me?"
"But what about your training?" Tsukushi asked, but a single tear run down her face because of happiness, Tsukasa's proposing to her! And she can't help but smile.
"I can manage with all the work I have to do in America, but I want you by my side, I keep thinking of you everyday. Who said I can't be with you while I'm completing my training," he explained, "Now please answer my question."
"I will."
Tsukasa put the ring on her finger and tugged her toward him as their lips met. Their friends and the other crowds clapped their hands.
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They were married in Japan witnessed by their friends, even Tsubaki went to Japan just to see them wed, before they went to America.
When they were finally in America, Tsukasa also married her there. They were the happiest couple ever married. Tsukushi was even surprise when Tsukasa's parents called her to congratulate her and Tsukasa and even sent gifts.
She was contented, before Tsukasa went back to his training, he had a one month break for their honeymoon and they spent the whole month in Hawaii, just like what Tsukushi wanted.
After a month, they went back in New York and they were staying at the Doumyouji mansion. Tsukushi was attending at some private school for rich students to continue her studies while Tsukasa was attending college and at the same time learning about their company. And when the day was over, Tsukushi would wait Tsukasa at home and even if he was exhausted from all the work, he was still finding time to spend with her and make love with her before they go to sleep.
They were both contented the way their life turned out, it was perfect even if the pressure was all around them, it was okay as long as they were together.
But one fateful day…
Tsukushi's class was over and her car with a driver and with her bodyguard, Tsukasa insisted on her to have one, as she hopped inside, "Let's go at the Doumyouji's building, I want to see Tsukasa."
"Yes madam."
As the car parked in front of the building, Tsukushi was greeted respectfully by the workers as she entered the facility and she went up straight to the private elevator.
"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Doumyouji…" the secretary greeted with unease.
"Good Afternoon," she walked toward Tsukasa's office without even stopping when the secretary called on her.
"Ma'am, Mr. Doumyouji is still having a visitor at the moment…" she said, her eyes averting anywhere but Tsukushi's.
Tsukushi frowned, "Whose he's meeting with? Is mother Kaede or any of the staff in there?"
The secretary shook her head, "No, ma'am….err…a certain Miss Umi Yohiro is with him inside…"
"And who's this Umi?" Tsukushi's brow crease, a sense of panic roused inside her.
"She's some socialite, you know, one of those ladies who want to marry an affluent man," the secretary said conspiratorially, obviously she liked Tsukushi, "She's been around since Mr. Doumyouji first came here a year ago."
Tsukushi nodded and started to open the door slightly, she didn't dare to make a noise.
Inside the office…
Tsukushi's eyes widen as she saw Umi clinging on her husband's neck while sitting on his lap! And to make matter's worst, they were kissing!
"Tsukasa, why do you want your poor pathetic wife when we can be together? She's not even that beautiful, I bet I can make you happy more than she could," Umi said as she broke her kiss from Tsukasa, she smiled seductively as she caressed Tsukasa's face. "Let that bitch go, divorce her, and let's have some wonderful time together… what say you?" she purred.
"Umi…." Tsukasa was about to say something when Tsukushi closed the door behind her, she didn't want to hear anything he has to say, it looked like they were both having a good time anyway.
Why did Tsukasa marry me anyway? Tsukushi asked herself as she walked away briskly, a decision was made before she even got inside her car.
Back at the office, Tsukasa held Umi's shoulder and started to push her away, "I just want to tell you that I love my wife very much, I won't leave her for anyone else, hear that, she's the only woman that I'll love, and I tell you now, she's the most beautiful lady I ever met and always will be. And before you go, I would like to tell you that you're the bitch and you're no way better than the other girls I met before. Compare to all of you gold-digging bitches, my wife is the most wonderful lady there is, and start respecting her, she's now a Doumyouji. And I expect that this is the last time you'll ever show your dog-face in here, be gone now before I ask my guards to drag you out!" Tsukasa spat, his old violent self resurfacing before he met Tsukushi. He brusquely rubbed his lips with his handkerchief after putting some alcohol on it then putting it on the waste bin after using, not satisfied, he even burned the square cloth and so was the things that the bitch touch, he even ripped the chair she sat from before, also trash the expensive figurine she touched after smashing it, and he asked for a new set of shirt after dumping and burning his own.
Now we know how Tsukasa can be as childish as he was if he chose to be.
Tsukasa made sure that there was no more remnants, even the tiddy-bit one of Umi. That includes the wine glass, the ash tray since she's a chain smoker, his expensive fountain pen she accidentally held, he even went to the extent of ripping his carpet and spraying insecticide on the whole room.
In the end, Tsukasa decided to remodel his office and he decided to decorate it everything that belongs to his dear lovely wife and use her brand of perfume too as air freshener. He smiled goofily, thinking of having a huge portrait of her or even a monument of her to put inside his office, statue just like the roman goddesses in Rome, obviously, people would be stupid enough to think he doesn't have a wife yet! And if everyone failed to think so, well, he just had to beat the hell out of them.
With that, he decided to go home to finally be with Tsukushi, he missed her already. If she could just be with him twenty four hours a day. He sighed.
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"Tsukushi!" Tsukasa called as he entered the mansion and after giving his briefcase to one of the maids.
He saw Tama in the living room with a sad face.
"Tama-obasan, what's wrong?"
"It's your wife?"
Tsukasa suddenly panicked, "What happened? Is she okay?"
"She came home crying and then she just left after she took her clothes with her saying something about leaving for good." Tama looked at Tsukasa, "What happened with the two of you?"
Tsukasa's shoulder slumped, his merry-attitude earlier after that Umi-bitch left suddenly gone.
"Did she say anything? Where she goes?"
"Nothing."
He nodded, his eyes turning dangerous the way it looked from before. "I see, and I believe she doesn't want to be found out."
"I don't think so."
"Let the servants pack my stuff, I'm going back to Japan." He started to walk off.
"But what about your training?" Tama asked in confusion.
"To hell with the training! What's it's worth when the lady I'm dedicating all my effort just left!" he yelled, letting some of his frustrations go.
"But what will your parents think?"
"Think whatever they want, I can study and train in Japan, if some damn businessman wants to talk to me then he'll have to be the one to look for me!" he declared, "Don't think you can or anyone at the matter can stop me!" then he walked off, knocking everything out of his way. "She left because of this damn business! I barely have time for her!" he muttered as vase after vase crashing on the floor.
Since that moment, the red-tagging started in the office, the old Tsukasa surely returned and he was known to be one of the most ruthless and successful businessman at a young age.
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Present…
Tsukushi held her children as they started to exit from the plane.
"Mommy, is this Japan?" Tsukina asked.
"Yes sweetie."
"We don't have a car here to fetch us?" Tsukina observed.
"None. But we'll be taking a cab."
"Are we going to stay at dad's house?" Tsuzuki asked with a frown.
Tsukushi shook her head, "No, we're staying at a condominium for a while."
"Why not let's stay at daddy's place?"
"Umm…err…" Tsukushi bit her lips, sometimes it was frustrating, not that she blame the thorough questions of her son, he was just like his father most of the time. "We'll be contacting him when we're already settled, you see, he didn't know we're here, this is some kind of a surprise, yes that's it, this is a surprise!"
Tsuzuki shrugged but didn't say anything.
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Till next time and thanks for reading, I hope now you understand why Tsukushi left… Ja. Yorishiku.
Last notes:
Yukimura, here's another chapter (winks)
Sky, sadly my stories were taken down so I have to start all over. But I'm posting them back again so no worry.
Valerie Williams, thanks and I'll recheck and update chapter one soon but for now here's next chapter. In here you'll know the lil bits and pieces of all the why's.