Chapter 6

Today I saw somebody, who looked just like you

She walked like you do, I thought it was you

As she turned the corner, I called out your name

I felt so ashamed

When it wasn't you, wasn't you

You are everything and everything is you…

The song from the FM radio seemed mocking on him. He was gripping the driving wheel tightly. The company driver remained silent. He saw the family house of Matsui, a mansion with a big solar. Expensive cars were parked on the spacious garage. And Aiko even wanted him to meet her parents. He lied to her, as he didn't have any appointment. He would love to be with her for the rest of the day but he didn't want to meet her parents. It would end his hope of believing that Aiko might be Pan.

She isn't Pan! The private investigator confirmed it this morning. Why it was hard to accept? Because she looked like Pan. She talked like Pan. She walked like Pan. And she even smelled like Pan, sweet and innocent. Just like the smell of forest after a nightlong rain.

He almost lost his control earlier. He was fighting so hard to hold her, embrace her and kiss her. Lord, he missed Pan so much his heart ached.

How can I forget when each face that I see

Brings back memories of being with you

How can I go on living life as I do…

"S-sir?" the company driver who was at the passenger droned when he accelerated the speed of the car. He didn't answer him but he restrained. He took a deep breath and lulled himself. Few minutes later, they were entering the parking lot of Capsule Corporation.

"Sir, Miss Sofia is in your office." Mika informed him.

He grimaced, and then nodded. "Please make me a cup of coffee, Mika." he commanded before entering his office.

"Where the hell have you been?" Sofia asked angrily. "Kurt told me that you personally sent home an employee who fainted?"

He glanced at him. Sofia looked younger than her twenty-nine years. Stunning and with model-figure. Her short straight and shiny hair was bottled walnut-blonde.

"Your brother already told you where I've been, Sofia, so why are you still asking the obvious?" He walked on his table and sit on the executive chair.

"You lied, Trunks. You don't have appointment. Kurt called me and said that you had your lunch at the cafeteria and with the employee who just fainted."

Kurt hadn't known Pan, while Sofia met Pan. Sofia was in Van Nuys when he went back to Japan for a vacation after four years of staying in LA and also to attend the reunion of Z Warriors. It was a long time before they got together. Had she known that he was going home, she would definitely come with him. He had been glad he had not informed Sofia. After the wedding, he and Pan went to LA and she was their first visitor.

"Bulma said that you married?" Sofia asked the moment he opened the door.

"So, my Mom already told you." He said drily. She walked inside and saw Pan who just went out from the room.

"Meet my wife Pan, Sofia. Honey, this is Sofia, daughter of Mr. Hasegawa. One of our stockholders."

Sofia gaped at him like a fish out of water. She lost her poise for a while. "No… No!"

"How are you Sofia?" Pan smiled and offered her hand but Sofia didn't reach for it. She stared at both of them, from Pan to Trunks, disbelievingly.

"Where did you meet her, Trunks?" Sofia asked in a choked, furious voice. If just by looking could kill, Pan had been dead few minutes ago. Sofia didn't hide the hatred in her eyes.

"My wife has a name, Sofia. She's Pan."

He couldn't actually remember how Sofia had left that night. After he explained to Pan his relation with Sofia, they had forgotten all about it. Now, he was thinking how Sofia would react if she happened to see Aiko.

"And Kurt said the woman is… gorgeous. Oh, my god, Trunks! Since when did you show interest in your own employee?"

"I'm not lying, Sofia." He ignored her last words. "I had a meeting with a private investigator—"

"Again!" She cut him off angrily. She walked in his table. "Don't you get tired, Trunks? It has been five… six years now, for Pete's sake!"

"Pan's my wife!" He snapped. He eventually lost his temper. "And if I continue to search for her for the rest of my life, then that's my own problem."

Sofia was stunned. She stared at him, on the verge of crying. Trunks muttered something under his breath. He felt a sudden guilt. Her father was a good man, and considered as one of his mentors when he was just starting. And he never raised his voice over her. He had always indulged her whims and caprices. For him, she was just a familiar irritation he got used to.

Until now.

He didn't understand what was happening to him, especially when he first saw Aiko. He became somewhat frantic. For two weeks in New York, he was only thinking about Aiko.

"How about me Trunks?" Sofia said after a while. "Do I always have to wait until you have the result of her disappearance? I'm not getting any younger, same as you. Until when are you going to do this to us?"

"There is no 'us', Sofia. I didn't give you any hope. You know that very well. And if only you're not dating other men, I might have a feeling of guilt."

"How can you ever say that?" She sobbed. "When Pan left, I was the one who stayed. I helped you to stand again."

"Don't blame me for those things that you insisted." He said, boredom was in his eyes. "Get on with your life, Sofia. Stop telling people, especially your family that you're my girlfriend. My friendship with Kurt was destroyed because of your lies."

"Oh." Sofia held her chest. "What's happening to you? Why are you suddenly so different?"

"Sofia, legally I'm still married. There's no closure yet of what had really happened to Pan—"

"She's dead! Pan is dead, Trunks!" she hurled at him. "Or maybe she's with other man now and you're a fool still waiting."

The muscles in his jaw flexed. He was trying to hold on his temper. "And if you were right that Pan might be dead—" he took a deep, painful breath, "you're still hoping for nothing. I don't love you. You must have known that by now."

Sofia stared at him disbelievingly. "T-that was cruel, Trunks. You know I love you, for a long time..."

"I am sorry. But it has to be said. If ever I would be in a relationship again, it would be with someone I love. And definitely, she isn't you, Sofia."

Shocked, Sofia stared at him unblinking. "I won't allow any woman to be with you, Trunks."

His eyes glittered dangerously. "If you decide on that for yourself, then I have nothing to do about it. Sometimes I blame myself for tolerating you," He then took all the papers on his table, signaling that he finished their talk.

Sofia went out of his room furiously.


"Do you still need something?" Emma said.

"Nothing, Ems. You can go home. I'm just finishing this scent. I left this yesterday, I should start a new formula by now."

"You scared me yesterday. I thought, it could have been that bad…"

She smiled without looking at her. "Severe headache. I'm always like that every time I'm having a migraine. And I forgot my medicines in my bag."

"Sometimes I also have migraine and I usually vomit." She said, then she added after a while. "I heard how Mr. Briefs was so worried about you."

Her hands stopped right above the keyboard. Sighed. She eventually faced Emma.

"I don't want to start a rumor, Ems." She said softly. "But he insisted on taking me home."

Emma smiled. "It's not a problem my dear! But you know how people around here think about it. They were wondering why Mr. Briefs came to the cafeteria, which he actually never did before, even once. He's kind to his employees, no doubt about that but he never gave such concern particularly, except to you. And a lot had noticed that before he walked to your table, he had been staring at you for a long while."

"What do you want me to say?" she asked wearily, and yet her heartbeat was erratic.

"You should be glad!" Emma laughed. "Our big boss is attracted to you!"

"You're putting malice on his kindness." She said lamely. Even herself, she couldn't deny that there was something between her and Trunks Briefs, right at the first time they met. Yesterday was the second time they met and yet, it seemed they had known each other forever.

"Whatever it is Aiko, rest assured you have my vote for Mr. Briefs. But, just a forewarning, you better be careful with Miss Sofia. I heard that she asked our Receptionist about you."

"Please Ems, don't make a story about what happened yesterday. It's kind of embarrassing if Mr. Briefs would have known."

"You can't control people thinking about it, Aiko. Especially if Mr. Briefs is the one who's showing interest on you, things that he didn't do to anyone in my entire career here in Capsule Corporation."

She had no answer to that. Her mind was caught on her warning about Sofia.

"Anyway, why don't you call it a day so I can get a ride from you? There's always tomorrow, my dear."

She smiled. "Oh, sure."

They were about to leave the lab when they saw Kurt walking towards them. Emma whispered. "He was actually the first one who came in and helped you yesterday. But when Mr. Briefs came, he asked Kurt to leave. He was furious and left no choice but let Mr. Briefs take you to the clinic."

She sighed. When she was in college, men were also fighting for her attention. But it didn't affect her so much this way.

"Hi Kurt." She smiled him.

"Going home?" he smiled back.

"Unless you want to take us for some snacks," Emma answered. Aiko slightly nudged Emma.

"That's perfect. Where do you want to go, ladies?" Kurt said eagerly, his eyes were on Aiko.

She was about to refuse but Emma quickly agreed. "Well, I haven't been to Sakura."

"Then Sakura it is." He smiled at Aiko. "We can use your car. I'll just come back later for my car."

"Okay." She forcedly answered.