At the turn of the alleyway, a woman walked out of a jewelry shop, her companion waiting outside was turning heads.
"So you've picked out the ring?" the man asked,
"Yes," the woman answered emotionlessly, "all according to your instructions."
"Terrific." the man glanced at the pink diamond reflecting the fading sun,
"Professor, if I may," the woman interrupted, "why didn't you pick out the ring yourself?"
"It's quite bothersome to have to learn what girls like and don't like."
If it weren't for the golden shades she could've sworn that she saw a blush on the man's chiseled features, but it wasn't like he would've confirmed her assumption. From your specification for a pink diamond, it seems like you already know your fiancé quite well. Nevertheless
she rest her case, knowing that with her recommendation letter on hand, the impossible act of beating the truth out of the soon-to-be-married professor will be undesirable on her part. The two parted way after a brief exchange of money and gratitude,
the bachelor departed with a faint smile across his handsome features.
Joyous moments are often taken in vanity in the sense that those experiencing it could never see the end until the inconsiderate nature of reality drops the truth upon them. This goes for the case of a certain bride-to-be and her ex-fiancé. Seated at
one of the outdoor cafés, sipping on tiny cups of beverages, the two laughed at silly memories while watching rude by-passers curse at rush hour traffic. The scene is all perfect, too ideal in fact it could have been taken out of a romantic comedy.
But there goes the painful nature of romantic comedies, it invariably takes a wrong person for destined lovers to realize their right match.
Could I be the wrong that she needed all along to get to her Mr Right? Ayato asked himself.
Could it be that all along, I was the sole obstacle to her eternal happiness?
It is truly tragic, for he was too absorbed dwelling in his mistakes from the past, where he had the chance to love her better, treat her better, that he missed the faint twinkle of adoration resided in her eyes when she stares back.
"Remember the first time you tried black coffee?" Ayato asked,
"You spat the thing right out on your notes! It was hilarious!"
"It's not my fault when I gulped it down thinking it was water." Yui pouted, "By the way it was not nice of you to have done that!"
"Oi, I needed a way to catch your attention! You were staring at those papers for hours!" he complained,
"I had a test on that unit that afternoon! It's not fair that you pull that trick." he wiped a tear off his face from laughing so hard,
"I still can't believe a naïve woman like you is getting married to a man in two days." he realized the second that those words leave his mouth there was no turning back. It was the alert from reality, a reminder that those hours spent down memory lane
is better left in the past where they belong.
"Remember that time you broke your pinky playing basketball?"
The insincerely exchanged conversations holds no value at exposing the true thoughts of the two people sitting across from each other who both imagined a future indifferent to their current reality merely months ago; whose notion of compliance and weakness
led to their dejection now. Anything before having to face the music and come to terms with their own inability to defy the regulations such is life, but to seek comfort in knowing that there would be nobody on the other side mourning for their missing
chances. The furthest distance of lovers are but at the touch of fingertips, but hearts oceans apart, tied down by the chains of obligations. In fact, the waves of thoughts in Ayato's head conveniently drowned the sound to an incoming message from
his dear brother.
Love is what one makes of someone else's broken forevers as there are only winners and losers in the path of affection. At least that is what Laito believes. To be the winner, he told himself, is to see love as no more than a game. Except for the girl
that changed his philosophy in romantic relationships, at the moment he resolved to the black and white separation of returned affection. Unlike people who prefer solitude and separation in moments of pain, he preferred a noisy, energetic crowd that
juxtaposes with his grief. Knowing wholeheartedly that behind every smile masked on people's faces hides the ugliest emotions and thoughts unspoken.
"Just call her." Laito looked up from his scotch but there seems to be no one around him
"You in that fedora!" Said the bartender,
"Call your girl already! Don't sulk in my bar!" He chuckled at how straightforward French people are.
"How do you..."
"Know it's about a girl?" The old man behind the bar finished his sentence,
"Only broken hearts drink alone on a Tuesday night." He didn't look up from cleaning his glass,
"Plus, from the way you were staring at those girls, you couldn't have swung the other way." The old man pushed him another drink,
"This one is on the house." For the first time in weeks Laito smiled sincerely.
"It's not that easy you know?" His fingers nervously rims the glass.
"How hard can it be? She's either married, getting married, or taken."
"Engaged to be married in 2 days." Another sad smile slipped from his face.
"Then why are you doing here?"
"Did you not hear me properly? She's getting married in 2 days."
"That's 2 more days that you can make her yours!" The old man smiled knowingly,
"You young folks are really inexperience, if you do it right, she could be yours in 3 hours."
"I've been by her side for years, what would two days change?"
"Have you least told her how you feel? Have you treated her like how a man does his queen? If not, get your phone out and call her already!"
He's right... When was he the one to easily give up on things?
"Hey. Can we meet tomorrow?"
"Sure! 3pm Central Station?"
"Wear something pretty ;) see you then xx"
And that's how Laito scored his first date with Yui.
A bachelor's suite has always bore this mysterious feel to it, as if the muskiness of its owner doesn't suffice, his male visitor sure makes up for it.
"You could've knocked."
"Well it's hard to knock when you have bags of groceries in your hand."
"It isharvesting season already?"
"Yea... Plus your fridge has nothing to eat besides yoghurt."
"What's so bad abouta snack that requires no cooking or cleaning?"
"You disgust me sometimes." Edgarstocked the fridge with food, taking out a beer for himself and Shu.
"So you're getting married huh?" Shu put on his favorite vinyl,
"The last time I checked." Edgarstared at the calmness of his friend in strangely,
"You don't act like a man that is about to give up his freedom." She chuckled,
"I don't take advise from a farmer." Edgarshoved him playfully
"Then you'll have a hard time dealing with your new floor buddy."
"What?" Yuma pulled out a letter from his back pocket, "I got the promotion, I'm a professor at your university now."
Shu kept his silence, but Edgarcould tell that his best friend is proud of him.
"But that's not why I came over," Shupaused his action,
"How come you didn't ask me to be your best man?"
"I assumed you knew that you are already my best man?" the blond professor pulled out the ring from his bag,
"Who else would I get to save keep this?"
"Are you certain about this? She could've changed after all these years."
"It's just for formality anyways, we are not legallymarried." Shu smirked. It was his end of the deal, to 'marry' her with a wedding and all; everything is but a show for Beatrix. He is not fourteen anymore.
[Few weeks ago]
"Shu-san, are you sure this is the best thing to do?" Yui asked frantically on the phone after receiving his text explaining the 'wedding'.
"It will be fine as soon as we keep quiet about it."
"I'm sure you don't really need me in this, I'm just a childhood friend." He was grinning on the other side of the line.
How well did old Mrs Komori shield the girl that she doesn't even know about the influence her family has on the churches all through Europe? Had she no knowledge that his mother never make a decision without weighing the consequences? The reason he was granted permission to run around her field has always been a set up to further Beatrix Sakamaki's hunger for power. Since the female heir alone won't hold the family name in high society, it falls onto the son-in-laws of the Komori heiress to stand in her place. How much wickedness do you need in a mother to abuse and manipulate the innocence of her own blood? On the days when he would find most liberty away from her surveillance she was watching him closely with her brother's eyes. She knew her son like the back of her palm, so she pretended to force him to pick up piano, but asked her brother to introduce Shu to the violin. In her opposition to his request to stop learning the piano for the violin, in his defiant days he would practice his piano by day to satisfy her demands and deepen his affection for the violin at night. But it was all in Beatrix's plan since the beginning for Shu to master both instruments. This has always been the way his mother was, so he would be damned before simply giving her what she wanted.
"You are the woman she approved, or are you scared that you're going to fall in love with me?" he could hear her small squeal from the other side,
"Okay…"
"You are not already spoken for are you?"
"Umm… I was engaged, but I guess that's over now." Shu pressed on out of curiosity, her answer amuse him mildly for the fact that he should've known earlier why Beatrix was pushing for a wedding right then; she wanted to win over her ex-husband's pride, his half brother Ayato. Shu doubts that Ayato knew what was really going on however.
"Send the ring to me, I'll handle it along with the guest list."
"But…"
"You said it's over didn't you?" Yui sighed,
"I'll meet you at your university North gate tomorrow at noon."
"Terrific!"