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“Shun!” Her father called out softly he is hardly audible.
Mao turned around and sees Shun at the door. He slowly closed the door and walked towards Mao and her father.
“It is not only your fault Mao. I am also partly to be blamed.” He sits on the edge of the bed and faced Mao’s father. “Uncle, I don’t want Mao to marry me. I just want to be her best friend forever and I don’t want to ruin it by marrying her…...”
“But Shun, I already spoke to your parents. We already made the agreement.” Her father answered, while trying to sit up in the bed. Mao assisted him and placed some cushions to support his back.
“Uncle, I also spoke to my parents……They understood my part and Mao’s part…..We have agreed to help out financially to keep the hospital sustainable and up to standard operation with tying to marriage.”
Mao couldn’t hold her happiness upon hearing Shun’s proposal. She felt a big boulder of burden just lifted from her shoulder. She stands and hugs Shun.
“Shun, thank you very much. I promised I will pay you back the money. I will work my hardest to lift the hospital from what it is right now.” Mao breaks away from the hug and faces her father.
“Dad, I can do this…” She looks at Shun “Shun will be my partner the hospital, right Shun?” Shun smiled widely and nodded in agreement.
“If you are making me a partner, you don’t have to pay me back the money. Consider it as an investment from my part.” Mao smiled and looked at her father for approval. Her father looks at them and smiled weakly, a very contented and peaceful look showed in his face. He opened his arms for Mao and she gave him the hug.
“I know you will be able to do it. I have faith in you. To both of you.” He spoke softly and leaned back closing his eyes. Mao removed the cushions from his back and Shun help him to a lying position. Shun and Mao looked at each other. Her father opened his eyes and breathed in deeply .
“Now I can have my peace. My angel is now a grown up lady who can take good care of herself.” He lifted his hand which Mao took and supported. He caressed Mao’s cheek. Mao closed her eyes. The tears flow down from her eyes.
“I’m sorry Dad for not being here for you.” Saying that, she felt his hand heavy. She opened her eyes and look at her father. His eyes are close. She looked at Shun who shook his head. She checked her father’s heart beat. He is not breathing anymore. Mao cried so hard while hugging his hand which was touching her.
Shun went to her side and round his long arm around her shoulder. “I’m sure he is very proud of you.” She leaned her head against his chest while he massages her shoulder. She cried and she wailed for the loss of her father.
Her mother came in not long after and gave her the hug. They both cried in each other’s arms as they take in their loss. Too much pain she is feeling right now. Is there a doctor that can heal her and take her pain away? She hugs her mother tighter to get the comfort. Then, she realized that her father left happily and peacefully. She will do her best to keep her promise to her father. From now on, she will strive to make the hospital grow to make her dad be proud of her.
~~~Three months later ~~~
Mao is burying herself with all the papers to sign and proposals to approve. Inoue Memorial Hospital is doing great and up. The facilities has been upgraded and a new building has been constructed.
Though she’s the head of the hospital, Shun takes care of all the Engineering part. He said he is tired and decided a holiday trip to Okinawa so today, Mao is taking his appointments. She is having a meeting with the head Architect in few minutes.
She is thankful for Shun’s support, she is heading to a right direction. Her work is also keeping her mind busy. She has an excuse not to remember him. But how can she ever forget him? The man she knows as Jin Ho. The man whom she fell in love with. The man who made her life much easier when he was with her. His eyes….. his smiles….. his lips….. his kiss…. THE KISS.
She closed her eyes as she felt her tears gathering around her eyelids. She felt the pain like a knife thrust in her heart. “He must be happy now. Why can’t I be happy for him? Why can’t I be happy for myself? I need to move on.”
The ringing of the phone interrupted her thoughts. She hurriedly picked it up.
“Moshi Moshi”
“Senpai, the Architect is here for his appointment with you.” Her secretary informed.
“Send him in.” Mao hanged up the phone and quickly went to the bathroom of her office to splash some water into her red eyes. She dried her face and put some light touch of make up. She heard the door opens so she called out. “I will be there in a minute.”
She checked her appearance one last time and quickly walked out of the bathroom. The man’s back is facing her, looking at the pictures hanged on the wall. She slowly walked behind him and greeted him.
“Watashi wa Inoue Mao desu” She smiled but as he turned around to face her, her smile vanished. It was replaced with shock. Her heart beats faster. Her eyes wide open. Here stood in front of her, the very core of her thoughts not long ago, the very reason of her heart ache that seems cannot be healed. She stood absentmindedly as he stretched his hand out and smiled.
“I don’t think I have introduced myself, Watashi wa Matsumoto Jun desu, Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu Inoue Mao-san.” She didn’t hear a word he said.
“He doesn’t look surprised to see me. He must have forgotten me already. His smile, still the same. His eyes, the same eyes I saw when I last look at them, telling him that there were no us. His body more firm, built and muscled. He looks more handsome now than the last time I saw him. His wife must have look after him well.”
“Daijobu desu ka” Mao instantly got her sense back when she realized he is still extending his hand. She took his hand and felt the current going through her spine as soon as her skin touched his. Their eyes collided. They stared at each other for sometime, Mao wishing that time will stop at this moment so she could stare at his eyes as long as she wants to. She was too deep with her emotion that she almost collapses on the floor if it wasn’t for those strong arms that caught her.
“Mao, daijobu?” He called her name, only her name. She looks at him and saw his worried form.
“Eh??? Hai, Hai…. Just the stress I think.” She forced a smile and tried to stand up again and walked towards her chair Jun still holding her arm.
“Arigatou.”
When Mao finally seated, she breath in and out to get some air into her lungs. Jun walks to the chair opposite to her. She tried to avoid his eyes and wanted to get to the purpose of the meeting. She pulled out the folder from the pile of documents and scans it.
“ You look busy as always.” She stopped and looked at him. He remembered me.
“As you can see.” She replied trying to act normal though her hands are shaking while trying to read the proposal without understanding any of it. She couldn’t believe he still remembers her.
“Ummmhh, How are they?” She wasn’t really interested to know about his family is doing. She is sure they are happy and ok. More than ok. They have him. Of course they would be happy.
“You mean, Satomi and Hiro?... They are fine. Hiro still remembers you and talks a lot how you took care of him.”
“Good to know he is doing fine.” Mao acted like a good doctor would though deep inside, her misery and guilt just keeps getting deeper. But what can she do? She just need to get this meeting done and get over it.
“About the building propos-----“
"I went back to Korea to look for you." Mao was taken by surprise when Jun holds her hand as he spoke, stopping her from turning the page. She looks at him.
"The last time we saw each other, I told you I will come back for you."
"Ahh, so that's what he was saying but I couldn't hear it." Mao thought. "But why? what about your wife and son?" Mao is trying to hold her emotion.
" I am not legally married to Satomi and Hiro is not my son." Mao's eyes widen upon hearing Jun's words.
"Satomi and I were bestfriends since we were kids. She was weak and was always discouraged. Our other friends don't like her and bullied her. One day, I saw her crying. That day, I promise to take care of her and make sure she won't cry anymore. We went to college together in USA, there she started to become wild and too outgoing. She party here and there, going out with different men until she got pregnant. She tried to kill herself. I feel sorry for her. So I renewed my promise to take care of her and the baby. That I will be there for her as long as she needs me.She depended on me. I was her strength. We didn't let her parents know about Hiro as we thought we can keep it the way it was. But her father died and she had to come back to Japan. We know she will be facing her family's anger if they find out about the baby. We came back to Japan together and told her family and mine that we got married and Hiro was my son. We lived together but there was nothing between us. It was ok at first. But years go by and I felt the emptiness in life. I buried myself into work to fill that hole in my life. But it didn't work. We wanted to end it but I feel for Hiro. He needed a father. I tried to be a good father to him. I love that boy as my son.
"Then go back to them. Go back to him. He needs you." Mao interrupted.
"Let me finish Mao.....That boat accident made us realized something. Though I lost my memory, my heart was there, that hole was there until you came and filled that hole. Though I may not have my memory, I felt my life was whole. You made me whole Mao.
"What will happen to Satomi and Hiro? Mao asked.
After I lost my consiousness and disappeared from her view, she tried to make the engine worked. And it did. She managed to navigate to the nearest shore. She asked Hiro to stay in the boat while she look for help. But she couldn't find any house. It was dark. She tried to find her way back to the boat but she got lost. The following morning, she got back to the boat but Hiro wasn't there anymore. She was very very heartbroken.
She walked aimlessly, wishing she would die that moment . She reached a road and collapsed. The next thing she knew, she was in Cheju hospital. She was told she was on a coma for a week. When she was able, she went to the report the accident. She was advised that I would most likely be dead and they try to go for recovery mission but gave up. She looked everywhere for Hiro but it was very difficult because his name wasn’t registered in the police file or hospitals. So it took them time to find him. She wasn’t expecting to see me again.
But the thing is , the accident made her realized that she didn’t need to depend on me anymore. She realized she is strong enough to face her storm in life. She let me go.
As for Hiro, we told him the truth. I explained to him that I will always love him but I also wanted to have my own family. And he approved it because he knows that it’s you I wanted to have a family with.”
Mao’s tears never stop flowing down her cheeks as she listens to Jun’s tale. But is there a future for her and him? Did he really look for her?
As if he reads her mind, he continued. “After I spoke to Satomi that same day, I wanted to go back to the island but the storm didn’t permit me to. I came back after the storm but you were already gone.
I looked for you here in Japan and I heard about the building construction of the Inoue hospital and how it related to you. I wanted desperately to see you but I always ended up seeing Shun, your partner. So I told her I need to see you and why. He gave me favour.
So that’s why that Shun left today. I should have known. Jun continued to look at Mao straight in the eyes. It was awkward silence in between then. Mao didn’t know what to say or do.
“Mao, is there a chance for us?” Jun spoke. Mao remained silent. Come on Mao, you always wanted this. Why are you dumb as a mute now? Say something. But she couldn’t utter a word.
“Now, I envy Satomi. She found her strength. She managed to get over the Storm. Through that storm, I got my memory back. I got my life back. But it seems that it is not over yet for me.” He slowly stands up and walks around the table kneeling on the side of Mao’s chair where she is sitting. He turned the chair to his direction so he can face Mao.
“ Mao, I can only get through the storm with you. Please give us a second chance. Let’s start from scratch.” Jun begged Mao.
Looking down at him, her face lit up amidst the tears that continuously running down. She smiled at him as she hugs him. “You don’t know how much I longed for this day.”
Jun pulled back a little and wipes her tears with his thumbs. He leaned down little by little until his lips landed on hers. Now, there is no stopping.
~~~Nine Months later~~
The hospital room door slowly opens and in came Jun carrying a bundle in his arms. He walks towards Mao with a proud face of a father and a bright smile. One year ago, it seems that there was no end of her misery. She came back to Japan with no hope whatsoever, preparing to face whatever life brings to her. But now, watching the face of her beloved, she is certain, they can take any storm that comes to their lives.
With a little Faith and Lots of Love, they can get through the Storm.
~~THE END~~~
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Author’s Note: This story reminds me of the Song “God will make a way when there seems to be no way.” From the start to the second last chapter, we saw the complications Jun and Mao faced. Even in the last chapter, it was revealed how Satomi and Hiro also suffered. Though it looks like there was no way out, there was. God puts us into tests like literal storm or just the storm of trials. When we feel that there is no way out, look up, have a little Faith and lots of Love, God will surely make a way for you to get through any storm
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