Chapter 4

Do you still remember where and what were you doing five years ago?

She couldn't sleep. His question was repeatedly hanging on her mind. Her eyes roamed around her room.

When they arrived from America, this was already her room. And yet she couldn't remember anything about this room. Only flashes of gray walls that looked and felt like prison cell crept into her dreams. Or perhaps nightmares? Because she would wake up catching her breath and sweating.

The only thing she remembered was waking up in a hospital. She hadn't fully opened her eyes when an old woman ran on her side. On her nameplate was the name Miranda Katsumoto Smith. She was a doctor and introduced herself as her grandmother. Moments later, there was another doctor who walked behind her grandmother. Dr. Jonathan Morley. She later learned that Dr. Morley was her grandmother's friend and her personal hematologist. And then there was another doctor, a certain Dr. Marian Morley, must be the wife. She was an OB-Gynecologist. She read on her nameplate.

Aiko couldn't remember a thing. It was normal according to her doctors, especially for her who came from a long comatose. Her illness made that possible. And that, they were thankful that she had gone through the illness that had been killing many lives.

They waited more than a month before she was released from the hospital. She continued her studies and transferred to Caltech, taking up Chemistry. Her memory loss hadn't bothered her. She had all the photos and things that would identify her. Even their hired help knew her.

She had the worst case of amnesia. It had been more than five years but still she couldn't remember a thing before her illness, other than some vague flashes. And every time headache crept on her, Miranda was always on her side. She had learned to live with her memory loss, including the headaches. She had her loving parents and it would be too much if she would ask for more. They loved her so. And she never doubted that. But there were times that she was afraid of losing her parents. It happened few days after she was discharged from the hospital. She asked her Mom to sleep beside her.

"You're like a baby." Yuki teased her. "Your Dad's becoming jealous."

She pouted and knew it wasn't true. Even her Dad wanted to give way for her to be with her Mom.

"I just feel like I've lost both of you for long, Mom. And I feel that I missed you so much…" She snuggled her mother, reveling the warmth of her mother's bosom. "And also Dad. Both of you. And if only I wasn't too ashamed, I want you both to sleep beside me."

"Why not?" Yuki laughed.

And there were times after that that she sneaked into her parents' room. She silently and lovingly watched them sleeping as if they were going to vanish any moment. It was as if her recovery from a terminal illness made her to yearn more of her parents. If there was only one thing that was taking the happiness inside of her was her father's condition. And so, she had spent every waking moment with her father. She wanted to fill those times that she couldn't remember. She was too greedy saving memories with him. And she was afraid of the day he would leave them.

She might have lost her memory but her feelings for her parents had always been there. Her parents, her grandmother, were the most important people in her life. She had everything, a loving family, material things and wealth. Her memory loss was of inconsequence. She had been very happy with her family. She couldn't be found wanting for something or anything.

Until Trunks Briefs. She couldn't understand why a simple question bothered her that much. It was as if a big part of her life was hidden inside that simple question. Slowly, she was succumbed to sleep.


Monday, her first day of the job. She walked down the hall to the laboratory building where her office was located. On the main entrance, she saw Mika, Trunks' secretary, sitting on the bench.

"You're early." She smiled while folding the newspaper she had been reading earlier.

"Good morning." She replied courteously. "Why are you here? You're Mr. Briefs' secretary, right?"

"Yes. But he instructed me to show you your office and to introduce you to your teammates."

"Thank you."

"No problem." Mika smiled. "Come, and I'll introduce you to Mr. Matsumoto."

They passed the hallway of Engineering Department. Some of the engineers waved their hands to Mika. As they reached the Laboratory Department, she was introduced to her teammates. Sylvia, a Junior Analyst like her, welcomed her with a friendly smile.

Her office was in dark gray carpet, just like the other rooms. A small bookshelf on the left side and beside the table was steel drawers. There were two visitor's chairs in front of her desk, and on the back of her swivel chair was a computer.

The computer. Yes. That would be her ally for the next three months of her probationary period.

"The next hallway was the office of Senior Analysts," Mika continued. "You and Sylvia have a common secretary, Emma. She will be here any moment."

"I'm here!" Emma shouted. She looked at Aiko. "So, this is the new Junior Analyst?" She looked at her while offered her hand. "I'm Emma."

"I'm Aiko Matsui. Nice meeting you, Emma."

"Welcome to Capsule Corporation, Aiko. Hmm…" She surveyed her, from head to toe. "I smell that the boys would make a total commotion when they see you."

Aiko smiled at that.

"Emma is the most amicable person in this company. It would be a sin if you can't get along with her." Mika said. "So, I'll leave you here."

"Thank you, Mika."

"See you both at lunch. The cafeteria is big and the food is great."

Emma nodded. "Whatever you need, don't hesitate to ask me." She said while pointing on her desk. "I had put all the documents that you can read and study. Company profiles, rules and regulations, our product catalogues and all the suggestions given by Sir Trunks for the new products that you need to formulate."

"Thank you, Emma."

"And if you like coffee, just tell me. I make the most wonderful coffee in the world. And we have unending supply." She winked at her.

Aiko laughed with her. She sighed deeply. She heard the name again. Trunks. Trunks Briefs. She immediately dismissed the thought and went to her office. She acquainted herself with the surrounding and flipped the documents in her table. That would keep her mind busy.

Time flew faster than she thought. One day, she came to the company for an interview. And after two days, she started working. And now, two weeks had passed. She was enjoying her job. It was challenging and she liked her colleagues. She'd been to the main laboratory and met some of the chemists. They were the ones who implemented and mixed the formula or the design they created.

Some men in the department showed interest on her. One of them was Kurt, a handsome young chemical engineer. He was always inviting her to join him during lunch. And now, their colleagues teased them. She had totally forgotten the man who bothered her earlier. Until Emma reminded her.

"I heard Mr. Briefs would be arriving tomorrow." Emma said as she placed the result of the formula she made last week on her table. "I'm sure he will come straight here to check on the scent you're doing."

"W-where did he go?" Aiko felt the sudden panic.

"New York. He left last Friday, two weeks ago. He met the representatives of Calvin Klein who are interested with our perfume products."

"I see." That was the only thing she could say until Emma went back to her table.


"Are you sure about this?" Trunks asked the private investigator in front of him.

"Positive, Mr. Briefs." The man answered. "Our contacts in LA have double-checked."

Trunks' sigh was long and deep. He didn't know if he would be glad or be disappointed. Aiko Matsui wasn't Pan. The photos in his table were clear enough. From elementary school to high school where Aiko had studied. He picked one. It was a smiling Aiko. She was fifteen, her hair was tied in a ponytail and wearing a cheering squad uniform. She was pretty. Except that she was young, she had no difference from the Aiko Matsui he interviewed two weeks ago. And totally no difference from… Pan.

And after almost six years, he still felt the agony of losing her. The private investigator cut his thoughts.

"After her miraculous recovery from her terminal illness, she continued to study. And barely a year ago, just right after her graduation from college, her whole family returned back to Japan. Her grandmother retired from the hospital where she was one of the most respected doctors. And Dr. Miranda Katsumoto Smith came along with them."

He didn't answer as he looked down on her records. Aiko Matsui was diagnosed with terminal blood cancer. She had survived the illness and had been declared one hundred percent free of cancer. It was a considered as miracle, according to the hospital.

"Her school records, from elementary until college are included in the report, Mr. Briefs."

It was a solid proof, school records. All were authentic. Aiko Matsui finished her first semester at UCLA before she was succumbed to her illness. She had been in and out of the hospital that she had to stop her studies. The dates didn't coincide with Pan's disappearance. It was peremptory.

He nodded nonchalantly. "Thank you. I'll call you again if I need anything more." The private investigator said his goodbye and left.

Trunks opened his drawers and took his wedding ring. The pain was almost unbearable as he slowly spun it with his fingers. That was the very first time that he took it off from his finger. He gently put it back inside his drawer and took Pan's photo. It was taken on the beach. On their honeymoon, in Maldives. She was eighteen. Happy. Full of life.

He placed it beside Aiko Matsui's recent photo. He sucked his breath. There was no distinction, though Pan was slim and the photo was since five years ago that he had kept on his drawers.

How could fate be so cruel? How could two different people have the same physical appearance in every angle? He sighed. He noticed the time on his wristwatch. It was past twelve in the afternoon. Some of the employees ate outside while some took their lunch from the company cafeteria. It had been long since he entered the place so he decided to eat there, knowing he would see Aiko.

Few moments later, he was walking along the hallway. All the employees greeted him gleefully, especially women. Apparently, most of them had a crush on him though he didn't seem to notice.

He walked on the private door. Though the cafeteria was big, there was a separate room for executives which the private door was leading to. Some of his senior officers were surprised to see him. Some even offered him a chair. He smiled and declined politely. He walked to the door of the main room. His eyes scanned the crowd. It was lunchtime and the tables were all full. But then, his eyes caught the figure he had been looking for. Just few tables from where he was standing.

Trunks noticed that she was surrounded mostly by men. A surge of jealousy came out of nowhere and hit him broadside. He muttered a curse under his breath.

He watched Aiko smiled at Kurt, a chemical engineer and Sofia's brother. Both Kurt and Sofia were son and daughter of one of the stockholders of Capsule Corporation. There was no love lost between him and Kurt, mainly because of Sofia. Kurt believed that he was just playing with Sofia, that he was just keeping her at bay.

He walked towards them and heard the whispers of the employees around. Most of them were surprised to see him eating at the cafeteria.

"Hello boys," he greeted them. He controlled his laugh when he saw the reactions on their faces, especially Kurt.

"Trunks." Kurt said. "What are you doing here?"

"This is a cafeteria, Kurt." He answered uninterestingly. "And it's lunchtime. Hello, Miss Matsui."