Chapter 07
I open my eyes, as I gather the focus on my eyes, I could see the wooden ceiling, where am I?
I sits from my laying position, it seems I passed out and someone brought me in this room, I found myself laid down in a futon in a somewhat traditional-looking chamber.
"Ouch, damn…"
I feel the pain on my forehead, I could feel a band aid on my forehead, it seems I was hit by something.
Wait a moment, getting hit at forehead? Okay let's see.
I am a producer from 346 pro, and I'm here looking for Miyu.
Okay, seems I doesn't suffer from memory loss.
I stood up, reaching my jacket which hanging on a stand near the sliding door, I brought that with me as I slide open the door.
"The heck! It's already night?" I murmurs to myself as I look at my watch amid the dark sky, it's not like I have something else to do though.
I walked the corridor around, and eventually I found the way to the entrance.
"So you've woke up eh, boy," an old lady talked to me upon seeing me.
"Ah… yes… um…"
"Now go home…"
"Eh?" she suddenly asked me to leave, what? Who the hell is this old hag?
"No, ma'am, I still have something to do here!"
"Leave! It's Miyu, right? She doesn't want to see you again!" the old lady shouted at me.
"How do you…"
"She said she wanted you to leave," she said.
"No! You lie!" I shouted to her in disbelief, without even care that she's already old to hear my loud voice.
"Then… I'll ask her by myself!" I turned my body only to hear her stopping me.
"She's not here!"
"Eh… then…"
"She's not here! She said she'll be somewhere else until I told her that you're already left!"
"Then, where is she?"
"Why I must tell you that?"
"Because you have no right!" I shouted at her for a moment before she landed a slap on my cheek.
"I am her mother!" she shouted in a loud voice after putting all her strength to my cheek.
"Eh… then…"
"Even if you meet her, she won't come back to you!"
"If she won't come back, then I'll be the one coming for her." I said to her as I rushed outside to my bike.
The night at this village is pretty quiet, only few lights illuminates the road, I could count the moving vehicles with both of my hands, and the chilling wind penetrates my jacket as I ride through the night.
But even it's like this, where the hell I supposed to find her? My only option is to ride slowly as I pay attention to my surrounding, thankfully this village only has several main roads with several buildings and houses, I hope I could find her.
An hour already passed and I still haven't found her. I tried to re-route my track to another side of this village, still no luck.
Two, three hours, it's getting late, almost all houses I passed already lights off, does she still around? I don't know.
Giving up searching, I'm back at the inn, only to have her mom looking at me with sinister eyes.
"Why you're back here? Get lost!"
"No, not until I see her…"
I don't know if this is fate or no, but I heard her soon after that.
"Mother, I've done cleaning the bathroom…" yes, it's her, so she's already back and our eyes met.
"Miyu…"
"Producer…"
"Miyu… I…" I walk towards her.
"Don't come near me!" she shouts.
"Eh…"
"Please… I… don't want to see you again…" she steps backward.
"Miyu… please…"
"There you have it, boy, now get lost!" her mother said to me.
"Am I really… not allowed to talk here… Miyu…"
She just silent as I said that.
"Then… if this goodbye… I want you to listen to what I have to say."
I step closer to her, yes she's reluctant to look at me, but this time she's not stepping back and I could approach her.
"Miyu… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from this, I really regret it."
"Producer…"
"I… I love you… even though this would be the end, I just wanted you to know, that my feeling to you still doesn't change no matter what."
"Me too… Producer…"
"Miyu…"
"I love you too, Producer…"
"Then…"
"But, I'm sorry…" she bowed her head.
"Meeting with you, and spending my time with you, I always treasures those moments. But, if this relationship only brought pain not just to us, but to the others as well, I don't think we should continue…"
"Miyu…"
"I don't know… if this because I meet you, or because I became an idol…"
"Falling in love with you, might be my biggest mistake… Producer…"
She said that as tears begin falling from her eyes, with her bitter smile on her lips.
"Miyu… no…"
"I still love you, Producer… but it's really the best for us…"
"Miyu… is this… what you've wished for…"
"Yes… Producer, hopefully time would make us forget each other…"
"Then… is this it…"
"Goodbye… Producer…"
"Goodbye… Miyu…" she said that as she bows her head and left me.
The night breezes that came through the windows around us, her mom and several guests' gazes decorates our situation that night.
Their pitiful eyes, and her tears, there's no way I cannot erase it from my head.
This is it, yes, we broke up…
It's been two weeks since we broke up, I still could feel her remaining warmth in my clothes that she ironed before, I still have several piles of it, but every time I look at it, I always remember her.
After she dumped me that night, I apologized to her mother as well and left the inn directly that night.
I also still remember that I pushed my engine until past 160 at the highway as I said "fuck" to myself. The one who couldn't make her smile at the end.
Now, I'm back with my old superior, and worked under him again after talking with Nishi-san to demote me, now I'm back to being an assistant producer.
As for the scandal itself, the internet are calmer now, at least it's not as worse as before, but still, that does not make any difference, because Miyu is not with me anymore.
Now I'm back to my old job, hoping that someday I will forget about her.
"Ah, yes, thank you so much for your cooperation, see you tomorrow," I tapped the red button on my phone, I just call the television person to confirm about the show tomorrow.
Yes, with Miyu is not here anymore, the rest of her unit was still going with their project, the Yoi Otome and the others especially from the election, they still had some events waiting, but as far as the event goes until now, the people are pretty much back to what they used to be.
It's like the scandal never happened.
"Guess it's time to go home eh," I looked at my watch, as I look at it, I noticed the date written on it.
Yes, it's already past New Year now, already passed the first week of January as well, if I remember it again, she was gone from me roughly a year after we met, around Christmas.
Christmas, what I planned for it, hmm.
I remembered it, those high heels, I haven't had a chance to give it back to her, but I'm not even sure anymore she would need it or no, it's on me anyway, she doesn't want to see me again, so, maybe.
I put on my helmet and revving my bike's engine at the lot, I'm back to my boring routine again lately which is back home directly.
I could still remember the moments we'd spent together whenever I looked at my back seat, it's like I still could see her sitting there, and I could feel her weight on it.
Yes, until now, I'm still unable to forget her.
Upon reaching the front gate, I could hear a car honking at me, and I saw it flashes its fog lights towards me, yes, I recognize that car.
It was Miyu's ex-husband.
Could it be… Miyu's back to her ex-husband?
I thought that as that car approaches me and opening its window.
"Producer, right? Where's Miyu?"
"What do you want?" I asks him.
"Well, it's not like I'm at the place to ask that."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's go somewhere, follow me, I know a good place to talk," he said that as he closed his window.
And I don't know why, I just follow his car with my Yamaha, and we're arrived at somewhat expensive-looking bar.
"Come on, ah, this place is formal, you have your suit underneath that jacket right?"
"Ah, yes…"
"Just give that to the valet, shall we?" we enter the door as I give my leather jacket to the valet.
Yes, this place really looks high class, the thing that hits me is not why I even follow him here, but more to how the hell I could afford the service here, I hope they accept cards, damn.
"Ah, don't worry, it's on me, a drink or two won't hurt me," he said.
"Eh? How do you…"
"Hahaha, it's written all over your face, don't worry, this would be the last time we meet, Producer." The waiter bring us to the counter table as he said that.
Bottles of expensive liquors, it's even scarier when I look at the price tags listed on the price list nearby, yes the place is good, it has nice ambience, the people coming seems high class, even the singer too…
That singer… Wait… is that Takagaki-san at the stage?
I checked on the place's name, Royal Bourgeoisie Club, it's matched on my agenda that Takagaki-san having her schedule here, I just helped to contact the management though, but I never checked what kind of place it was.
My superior said that she's already a regular here, so I don't need to bother with the details.
Takagaki-san spotted me after he done one song, and smiles, I smiles back at her as she back to her next song.
Takagaki-san fits too perfect with this place, her emerald-colored gown shines brightly with the stage's lighting, she really is the center of attention as she moves with the song, she's stunning as all the eyes pointed at her.
"Well, I see you've moved on from Miyu, eh? Producer?"
"Ah, no… not that… Take-san…"
"Haha, I know that, don't worry, Producer," he laughs as he sips on his liquor. I just ordered a regular beer here.
"I'm sorry."
"Eh? Take-san?"
"I heard about it, she's quitting, right? And your relationship, I guess it's not going well either, right?"
"How do you know?"
"Well, I have my sources, but don't pay them any mind," he said.
"Then…"
"I… I will forfeit from this."
"What do you mean?"
"You are a good man, Miyu, she seems really loves you, at least that how it looks to me."
"I'm not sure, she even dumped me…" I said that to him.
"Well, Producer, I think I have one thing for you."
"What is it?"
"Miyu, she's still love you, even now."
"Eh? How do you…"
"I'm good at this I think, but for me and Miyu, I think it's already too late, I've hurt her badly right after I feel that she loves me back then, that is why I tried to make us together again."
"Take-san."
"But as you can see, it's too late, and when I saw you with her, I could feel it, even now, I'm pretty sure that she's still loves you."
"I… I'm not sure…" I drink my beer in doubt, but deep down I hoped that she's still like that, because I do until now, still loves her.
"Then, why don't you bet on it?"
"Eh?"
I questions him, he just reaching his back pocket and took out his wallet. The hell the wallet even more expensive than my bike, I recognize that brand, who the hell is he actually.
He procured a ring from his wallet, and looking at it.
"You know, Producer, I found a woman, I think, this time, I won't let the same happen again, at least for me," he said that as he offers the ring to me.
"What do you mean?"
"Man, you're so slow," he pulled out a blank paper and trace the ring's circle pattern there using his Parker pen from his suit pocket.
"There, it's her size, hopefully it still fits, you know what to do, Producer," he gave me that paper with the circle drawn on it.
"You mean…"
"You should know it."
He stood up and asks the bartender for the bill, he really paid my drink as well. I am ready to leave the premise as soon as he left me but Takagaki-san greets me before I stand up.
"Producer-san? I don't think you'll be here," she sits beside me, her performance ended just moments before, I could hear the applause towards her as she raises her wine in toast with the other ladies and gentlemen here.
"Ah, yes, I just meet that man, and come on, I am not producer anymore," I said that as she giggles.
"What is that?" she notices the paper on me.
"Ah, this…"
"Could it be… Producer-san?"
"I don't know… I'm not sure…" I said that I doubt, yes I know exactly what Take-san meant before when he gave me that ring pattern.
~Kimi dake wo, omou kimochi, tsutaerareru yuuki ga watashi ni areba, setsunai yoru ni sayonara dekiru, Negai o komete wish my love, Fumidasu chikara kudasai~
(~If I had the courage to convey these feeling, I can say goodbye to all those painful nights, I put all my wishes into it, wish my love, so give me the power to take that first step.~)
"Koi Kaze (Love wind), eh, Takagaki-san, you sang that too earlier," I said to her after she sings that part.
"Miyu-san made that song, you know."
"Eh? Miyu did?" now this is a new information for me.
"It's kind of cheating, but we made it together for my solo song, well, she composed most of the lyrics though," she said that as she sips her wine.
"Then…"
"It's her feeling for you, I think, Producer-san."
"Takagaki-san…" I said that as she took the paper and write something there.
"Go to this place, seek a woman named Hoseki-san, and give the paper to her, she'll know what's best for you, tell me if you had it" she smiles at me.
"Takagaki-san… why…"
"Miyu-san was the happiest when with you, I think you should realize that too, Producer-san."
"Takagaki-san… thank you!" I stand up and preparing to leave immediately to reach the address she gave me.
Yes, I know what I want now, what I need to do, this is my chance, could be my last chance. I must return her smile again.
"Ah, Producer-san!"
"What is it?" she called me as I'm about to reach the entrance.
"Do you know what you should do now?"
"Yes, I do." I answer that with my solid resolve, to be together with Miyu.
"Then, I guess you found your purpose, is to propose Miyu-san, right?"
"Your pun is amusing as usual, Takagaki-san," I giggles as she said that, after bowing my head in gratitude I left the club and rushed towards the place written, it's not the closing time, I hope.