A beautiful encounter: Chapter 5: So this is love...
Title: A Beautiful Encounter
Author: Hikari
Rating: AA
Classification: AU, Fluff, Romance
Disclaimer: Do not own mao or jun
Summary: It's about a love story that begin with a beautiful encounter in Spring this year...
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Earlier release:
Prologue : Our first encounter... Chapter 1: I want to see you again...
Chapter 2a: You captured me... Chapter 2b: You captured me...
Chapter 3: Always on my mind... Chapter 4: That's how much I like you...
Date : Evening, Summer, evening, week 5
Opening Introduction : Hmm, what happens after a romantic date?
The 5th week was jam-packed with activities for Inoue Mao. While Jun and his team is working on the adverts and publication materials, the model selection had begun alongside with the stitching. Aside from supervising her team on the selected designs for the new label, almost everyday she locked herself in her private studio and worked on the few premium designer pieces, she needs to get them ready in two weeks for the fittings. Speaking of which, she had not gone through the last two shortlisted portfolios files that Yuki had send in to her in the morning.
Thanks to Inoue’s Corp vast industry strong hold and connections, she’s quite confident that getting a team of models from that stack of portfolio for the fashion show is no problem at all. What she’s concern with, is the two new faces she needs for her line as the main model. She had spent the night before going through the first set of profiles that the talent team had sent her. They are all… too experience, too posh; or too green like “highs-schoolers”. What she hoped to find and need is a fresh face that is both young and aspiring; someone that can carry off the refreshing young executive look… someone, someone like…
“Ouch~” her thought was interrupted as she accidentally pricked her finger with one of the needles. Sucking on her finger lightly… she took a step back and looked at the dummy before her.
“Hmm…” pulling on the right sleeves as Inoue Mao adjusted the fabric and hold them in the air while she tilt her head aside to validate her ideas. With her left hand holding on to it, she reached out for the sketch that is lying around at the table beside her. Taking a few glance at her initial sketch, she removed the pencil that is sitting snuggly behind her ears and started scribbling on it. She reached out to fill around her neck, wondering where her measuring tape had gone too…
She darted her beautiful eyes around and found it lying on the floor.
“Must have slipped down…” she murmured as she bent down to retrieve it and suddenly darkness flashes through her sight when she attempted to stand back up. Her head went spinning and for a moment she was not be able to see anything but darkness…
Gripping frantically on the table beside her, Mao struggled to hold her self up with her grudgingly heavy head; fear swallowed her thoughts when she thought she was going to fall head on to the front when a pair of strong arms caught hold of her!
“Mao!”
She crashed right into the person before her as she lost her balance to her wobbly legs.
“Are you all right?!”
Mao tried to nod as she clung desperately on to the person, grabbing on both his arms breathing heavily and catching hold of her breath.
Matsumoto Jun felt his heart contracted when he peered his face lower to get a better look of her. Tilting her head up slightly, he saw how pale that petite little girl had become with a weak smile on her face.
“… you are here…” Mao whispered slowly when she finally regained her balance on the ground.
“What happen? You feel giddy?” Jun asked anxiously while he scanned her face and grazed his fingers lightly under her weary eyes.
“… I’m ok… just giddy all of a sudden when I try to get up… ” sensing his worry, Mao soothed him with a gentle gaze and a small smile.
“Can you walk? Let’s sit down. When was your last meal?” supporting her by the side, Jun brought her to the sofa at the corner of her studio.
“… Hmm… I don’t know… I remember Kennichi bought me some sandwiches during lunch, I was not feeling too well…”
“Sandwi….” his voice trailed off as their eyes fall respectively at the yellow-green packet of Subway on the small coffee table before them.
“I hope you didn’t mean that….” Jun looked at her sternly as he gestured at the lonely sandwich which still looked intact and untouched.
Mao find herself swallowing hard when she meet that demanding look of his.
“I… I was busy when he came by… and and… I’m not feeling well due to the heat… I had no appetite at all…” Mao stuttered in the tiniest voice and looked down at her hands that had start twisting by its own on her shirt corners.
A pair of warm hands covered them and held them tightly, she looked up immediately to find Jun squatting in front of her, with the tenderest eyes she had seen.
“Where did you not feel well? Do you still feel giddy?” he asked her softly and gently removed her dark rimmed glasses from her; tugged her hair gently behind her ear; and before she knew it, he is rubbing gently on her temples.
“Jun… mmm…” Mao closed her eyes enjoying the comfort he is giving her.
“Shh… just close your eyes and relax.”
“Feel better?”
“mmm…” feeling his constant hot breath on her; opening her eyes, Mao felt the blood rush into her face when she finally realized how close they are.
Seeing colors started returning to her previously ashen face, Jun felt slightly relieved. Cradling her face with both his hands:
“Can you wait for me here? I’m going to get you a hot drink.” Starring right into her, Jun searched her face to get some reassurance before living her alone. She nodded lightly at him with a grateful smile as he pecked her forehead lightly.
“Be right back.”
Mao watched in a daze as Jun left hurriedly through the door. She started to wonder what just happen to her. Aside from lunch today, she hadn’t missed a meal. She looked at the dummy and the piece that she’s been working on, then to the piles of messy sketches spread out on her work desk, and then to her phone that is lying quietly on the table top… and she knew why.
It had always been a bad habit of hers to skip a meal or two when she got immersed in her work, not to mention her things would start to fly around everywhere. Her mum had always complained that her room looked like a war zone whenever she had exams or major projects, especially when she visited her in the States.
But since she is used to it in a way… what’s with the fainting spell?
Well the catch is, no matter how engrossed she is, she will always get her eight hour sleep. She’s never a morning person nor is she a night owl… but for the pass few nights of the week she was sleeping later than usual and waking up earlier than she normally do. Topped with the intense focus and stress at work, lacked of sugar, her body is protesting and screaming for attention. She needs to rest.
But what’s been keeping her up all night?
Another wave of hot flushed blushed through her face when she saw the culprit of her late night sleep appeared through her door. Ever since their first date, Inoue Mao and Matsumoto Jun had been exchanging long midnight phone calls every night; and sometimes coupled with a few early breakfast when Jun is coming in for meeting with Kennichi and the team. Every night they will just lie on their own bed and talk to each other through the phone, with small giggles here and there and some laughter in between. Talking to him every night would just miraculously helped her forget about all the stress she faced in the day. And there are so many things they could talk about. It’s just so hard to let down the phone, but luckily Jun just had his way in coaxing her to sleep when it’s getting really late.
“Here, drink this. Careful it’s hot.” Jun sat down beside her and handed her a cup of piping hot chocolate.
Mao sipped the drink slowly, enjoying the hot steam on her face and the soothing feeling when it ran down her throat.
“Umai…” she showed him a toothy grinned after a few sipped.
“Good. Finished it up and we’re going out for dinner.” Jun chuckled.
“Eh?” Mao nearly choked and took a quick glance at her wall clock.
“It’s eight already????”
“Yup, and mind you, we are the only left here… I bumped into the security when I came up.” Jun patted on her back lightly, running his hands down her back gently to ease her chock.
“You all right? Drink slowly.”
Wondering if his hands are giving her the burning sensation or the hot chocolate, Mao finished her drink with a gulp and looked at Jun.
“How did you know I was here then?”
Jun merely winked at her and retrieved the empty cup from her; he dumped it on the dustbin at the corner and extended his hand to her with a dashing smile.
“But…” Mao looked at him and at her unfinished work and finally surrendered to the man before him. With a smile, she placed her hands in his… and it just felt so right. Looking at those tightly clasped hands and him… Mao couldn’t help but felt how lucky she was to have him by her side.
“UUUUuuuuMAaaaaIII !!!”
Seeing how Mao slurped and ate the noodles with gusto, Jun finally felt the contraction in his heart easing out slowly. He had brought her to his favorite noodles store at Shinjuku. Summer had always been the best time to enjoy cold noodles, its light fragrance and cooling effect helps to fight away the heavy lethargic feeling one can get in the heat of weather.
Inoue Mao had felt a pair of melting gaze on her the whole night… stealing a glace at him when she was devouring the last bit of her noodle. She was glad that the crease on his head had dissolved itself.
He was so worried then.
“It’s good isn’t it… you need a second helping?” Jun laughed happily at her when she emptied her bowl of noodles.
“Nope, but dessert would be nice!” Mao beamed at him and looked at her empty bowl with satisfaction.
“How about… ice-cream? There’s a gelato store on the opposite shops.” Fascinated by her ability to eat and enjoyed her food all the time, he laughed aloud when she reacted esthetically to his suggestion.
“Ice-cream??? Yay! Let’s go, hurry~” Mao had jumped up excitedly as she dragged the laughing Jun out of the shop like a little girl.
“Wait~” Jun laughed breathlessly at her whims and quickly grabbed his coat from his chair and followed her across the street.
“Uwah! So many! Erm, can I have Apple Kiwi on con please? You? What are you having?” she placed her order and turned to Jun who was still catching his breath.
Hand in hand, both of them are strolling leisurely along the streets with their ice-cream.
“Umai~” Inoue Mao was totally enjoying her ice-cream and momentarily forgot about her work and how she nearly fainted in the office earlier in the evening.
“Mao… I have something to tell you.” Mao felt a tight squeeze on her hand, he looked so serious for a while and she just followed him to the park entrance in front.
They found a bench near the deserted playground, and sat there side by side.
“What is it?”
Taking a deep breath, “There’s an international photography convention in New York next week; and… I’m one of the invited guess speaker.”
Sensing where he is getting at by his worried look… Mao felt her heart tugged lightly as she heard her own voice.
“That’s good news! How long would you be away?”
“Probably a week, it’s a three day convention, followed by a two days exchange forum and…”
“A week huh…”
Mao felt her heart tighten with the thought of not seeing him for a week… well it’s not that she’s the clingy type or they are officially official but… the truth is before she knew it, she had gotten used to have him around her…
“I’m sorry Mao. This trip was arranged more than a month ago… I didn’t know I’ll meet you again so soon… and…” tugging her hair gently behind her ear, “…I didn’t know I’ll fall so hard for you…” he whispered softly as he held her face.
You’re just so mean Jun… first you tell me you going to be off for a week; then you made such a sweet confession and… I just…
Seeing her eyes went from daze to misty, Jun started to feel panic.
“Look I know that is not a good excuse and the timing sucks, but I’ll call you every night like now, and I promise I’ll be back on the first available flight… I could even arrange to not stay full two days for the forum, I”
… want the best for you…
Jun stopped abruptly as Mao silenced him with her fingers.
“You should go, it’s only a week. And this is very good exposure for your career. Just do what you need to do.” Sniffing back her churning mix feelings within, Mao gave him an understanding smile. “I’m proud of you.” she added as she reached out to cup his handsome face with all her love shinning through her eyes.
Jun was totally astounded by her. With unspoken words, both have found love in each other’s eyes.
His heart was totally blooming with adoration for the lovely angle before him. Unable to suppress his emotions, he pulled her into him and hugged her tightly.
“Mao, thank you. I promise, I’ll be back before you know I was gone.” He whispered confidently into her ears as took in the light Jasmine scent of her with contented smile and bury his face at the crook of her neck.
I’m the luckiest man on earth to have you.
Mao wrapped her arms tightly around him and rested comfortably in his arms. With light tears hidden behind her long lashes, she merely nodded in response, tugging her self snugly in his strong hold. She can still feel the light twist in her but effulging it is a warmer and bigger feeling of being loved. She knew it was silly of her to not wanting him to leave...
Why does it just felt so right to be in your arms? I don't know what's rational anymore, I know I’ll miss you… but I want the best for you.
Jun tilted her head up slowly and rested his forehead on hers, holding her gaze onto his:
“Can you promise me something hime?”
“Hmmm?”
“Promise me you will not skip your meals, or forget to rest when you’re not feeling well, or forget the time when you work so hard… and… ” Jun grazed his thumb lightly on her face, feeling worried about what could have happen earlier if he was not there on time.
Tears are threatening to burst out from her eyes when she saw how worried he had become; her heart felt so swarmed by his tenderness and love he is showing to her.
Holding back her brimming tears, she flashed him her sunniest smile and said, “I’ll take good care of myself, so don’t worry about me. You’re sounding like an old man ya know?”
Trying hard to sound casual, Mao realized it was so hard to fight back the tears when his intense gaze seemed to look through her every thought. Her tears had slipped unknowingly when he brushed upon her misty eyes with his thumb… with his own glistening endearingly back at her.
“… baka.” Is all she managed to utter before she crashed right into him, pouring all her feelings and love to him as he welcomed them with equal fervor.
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Authors note:
It's been a while, and I'm not even sure if ppl have abandon this story, but I would understand if it's yes.
If you are still following, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Ja, this is a page of fluff, does it work for you? Make up for my absense?
Haha... well, it sort of for me as I've been missing this fandom too much...