Destiny- Chapter 17
TITLE: Destiny
GENRE: Romance
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the celebrities whose names are used in this fiction. This also does not represent who these celebrities are in real life. I only own the plot as well as some other fictional characters i had created. Any similarity in real life is just mere coincidence.SUMMARY:
Destiny...
That's what brought them together...
Inoue Mao thought she knew all along the person she'll love for the rest of her life until that fateful day when she met a guy she thought she'd never like. To her, the guy's arrogant and nowhere near her "ideal guy". Yet, as time pass by and as they meet each other by accident, she learned a lot about the guy she hated at first sight. After some time, she realized that the guy's already a part of her life. Yet, she can't seem to forget the guy she'd always loved. Who will have Mao's heart? The guy she believed to be destined for her for a long time or the guy whom she used to despise?
CHAPTER 17- A SECOND CHANCE
“What else did you do?” Maki excitedly asked. Her bestfriend Inoue Mao had just told her of her encounter and dinner with Matsumoto Jun.
“None! That’s all we did. He took me home as soon as we finished eating our dinner.” Mao answered back. It was, however, not entirely true.
*****
A few hours ago….
Matsumoto Jun’s original plan was to buy food at KFC’s drivethru and to go home afterwards to eat it. However, due to the not-so-unfortunate incident that brought him in the current situation with Inoue Mao seated on the passenger seat of his car, he decided to slightly change his plan. Just like his original plan, they ordered food through the famous fastfood’s drivethru but instead of heading home, he decided to head towards somewhere else.
The rain has stopped but the night breeze is still cold. The moon started to peek from behind the dark clouds while the light of the stars could be faintly seen. There are only a few people on the streets.
A sudden idea hit Jun. He manoeuvred his car and started heading towards a familiar place.
“Eh?!?” Mao exclaimed as soon as she realized where Jun had brought her. She can’t help but look suspiciously at the guy as he opened the car door at her side- an act that did not go unnoticed by Jun but he chose to stay silent and started leading the way into an empty bench beside a cherry blossom tree.
“Anou.. “ Mao started, having failed to resist her curiosity on why Jun had brought her at the park where they first met.
Jun cut her short. “I’m sorry for unceremoniously bringing you here of all places. I know you’re wondering why I did that. You said that you had already forgiven me during our previous meeting at Shun’s apartment but I think that’s not enough. So I am grabbing this opportunity to ask you a really huge favor…”
Jun paused for a while and looked straight into Mao’s eyes.
“Can we start all over again as friends?” Jun asked after a while.
Mao’s jaw dropped. She wasn’t expecting this from the guy in front of her. As time goes by her hatred for the guy is being replaced with respect. He seems to be a good man after all.
“I thought that since we’re together as of the moment and we’re near this place, this would be a perfect way to start all over again. So.. What do you think??” Jun nervously asked Mao. He doesn’t know why he was even nervous and why it feels like he was asking the girl out.
Mao was still at a loss for words after what Jun had told and asked her. She never, not even in her dreams, imagined Arashi’s Matsumoto Jun to be this kind of a guy. Now she realized that the saying “first impressions lasts” is not true at all, for her first impression of this guy was entirely different from the one she could she has right now.
“Inoue-san??” Jun asked breaking Mao’s train of thoughts.
Mao looked at Jun. Their eyes met and for some weird reason, which Mao is not aware of, she felt her heart beat faster than usual and before she’d drown on those beautiful eyes of his, Mao decided to look away.
“I guess it could not be helped right?” Mao muttered. A smile flashed on her face. “Alright then, let’s start all over again.”
Jun flashed a wide grin. “Arigatou Inoue-san!”
“Oh please! Do you really want to be my friend?” Mao questioned.
Jun was confused. “Eh? Of course! Why?”
“Then stop calling me Inoue-san! That’s too formal.” Mao exclaimed. She was starting to feel really comfortable around Jun.
“Oh! Can I call you Mao-chan then?” Jun happily asked.
“Hai! That’s better…..” Mao replied.
“ Jun-kun…. That’s what my friends call me.” Jun interrupted.
“Eh? Hontou? I thought you’re friends call you Mr.Idol?” Mao naughtily replied referring to how Oguri Shun would sometimes call Jun. Jun laughed.
“Nah! That’s just what Shun uses when he wants to mock me. Mao-chan, I think we should start eating now or else our food would get real cold later.” Jun said as he motioned for Mao to sit at the bench.
“You’re right! And it’s also getting late. By the way, is this for free or are you going to charge me later on?” Mao asked.
“It’s my treat so don’t worry about it.” Jun replied with a soft smile on his lips.
“Hai! Let’s eat! Itadakimasu!”
“Itadakimasu!”
For almost half an hour, the two ate their food on that bench under the dim light of the moon and the stars which were still partly covered with clouds.
“I think we should be going home now. It’s starting to really get cold.” Jun suggested as soon as he got back from throwing their garbage.
“That’s actually a wonderful idea.” Mao answered back as she stood up from the bench and followed Jun back to his car.
Jun started the engine as soon as Mao closed the car door. He reached out behind him and handed Mao a black leather jacket.
“Wear that or you’ll get cold.” He said.
“What about you?” Mao asked in concern.
“Don’t worry, I’m accustomed to the cold.” Jun replied with a smile as he backed out from the parking lot.
“So… Where do you live?” Jun asked Mao.
“Not far from here actually. Keep driving, I’ll just give you directions.”
“Got it!”
Twenty minutes after…
“Here we are..” Mao announced.
Jun put his car to a slow stop. They are in front of a two-storey blue house with a small garden in front.
“Nice house!” Jun commented as he opened the car door for Mao.
“Thanks!” Mao exclaimed.
Mao was expecting Jun to bid his farewell right then and there but then she was wrong.
“I’ll walk you to your door if that’s alright with you.” Jun offered.
With a smile, Mao simply nod and she started walking to the door with Jun just behind her. Upon reaching it, she turned to face Jun.
“Thank you for tonight! If you did not pass by I should have been really soaked in rain. Thank you for the food as well!” Mao said.
“My pleasure... Thank you as well for accepting me as your friend.” Jun replied with a smile. “I think I should go now.”
“Bye! Thank you again Jun-kun!”
“No problem Mao-chan… Bye! Good night!”
And with a final honk of his car’s horn, Jun drove off into the night. A few minutes later, Maki arrived home and Mao decided to tell her what had happened.
*****
“Mao-chan?” Maki’s voice brought Mao back to the present.
“Nani?”
“Nothing. You seem to be spacing out these days. What’s the problem?” Maki asked, a hint of concern on her voice.
“Ahh.. Nothing..” Mao replied.
“Are you sure nothing else happened while you were out with Matsumoto Jun? Nothing apart from what you’ve told me?” Maki’s eyes which were on Mao’s were piercing. Mao knew that she was trying to extract everything from her but she had decided not to tell her friend some of the things that had happened.
She need not know that Jun and Mao had fun talking to each other while eating at the park or even the fact that he had brought her at the exact park where they first met.
Maki need not know that Jun had walked her to their door and had said “good night” to her.
Most importantly, her friend need not know that at that very moment, Mao couldn’t take Jun out of her mind; his eyes, his smile, the moles around his lips, his laughter, and his face. She need not know that when even Mao herself did not know why she still think of him.
“Maybe I need to sleep it off.” Mao muttered to herself.
“You’re saying something Mao?” Maki asked.
“Ahh.. Anou.. I said I think I’d better go to bed now. I badly needed some sleep. How about you?” Mao replied.
“You go ahead. I still need to finish a few things.” Maki answered.
“Alright then.. Good night Maki-chan! Don’t stay up too late okay?” Mao said.
“Hai! Good night! Sweet dreams.” Maki replied. She silently assessed Mao as she walked towards her bedroom. She thinks that Mao is acting different today. There seems to be a positive aura revolving around her. Maki knew there are some things about Mao’s meeting with Jun that her friend is keeping from her but she decided not to force Mao into saying those. She knew Mao, sooner or later she’ll confess to her as well.
For now….
“Things are starting to get really interesting.” Maki told herself.