[chapter 10/11] I don't know how it happened, but it just did
Chapter 10
*5 years later*
5 years have passed since Jun first met Mao. It was also 5 years since he last saw her. 5 years seemed so long for him. It might have been 5 years, but he could recall the night when he first saw her so well, as if it had only happened yesterday.
Water dripped down his neck as he gulped it down while he could. He was stuck in a major traffic congestion on the way to his new apartment in the outskirts of Fukuoka. People often tell him that his life will be different once he begins his new job there, but he begs to differ. On the outside, Jun may seem like a guy dedicated to only his work, but it only his outer shield. He would silently sob himself to sleep every night when the loneliness hit him hard. Being alone in his room without anyone made him feel the quietness that encircled him when he didn’t know when he could find his other half.
Something caught Jun’s eye all of a sudden. Someone so familiar was walking on the street next to his car. It was her. Jun stared out of his car window. There was no mistake about it. It may be 5 years, but he remembered every detail of her face so clearly. She looked happy, walking.... wait, someone was coming from behind her. She turned and waved at him. Who was that?
The sound of the cars behind him sounding their horns left Jun no choice but to drive away.
Jun could not sleep that night. Was it really her? No doubt about that. She looked exactly the same. Her style of clothing, the way she walked, her make-up, everything was the same. His heart started to flutter. Has he finally found her? All this while, she was in Fukuoka? He knew he should feel happy, but he felt scared and nervous at the same time. What would happen if he went to look for her? How would she react? That is, if he can find her again, of course. That guy... was he her boyfriend? Or her fiancée? Or her husband? He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to get hurt any longer. His heart had been bleeding for 5 years, and to have his hopes all crushed will mean the death of his fragile heart. He wanted to burst out of his car so much that afternoon, and it took him tremendous effort to hold himself back. Jun tossed around on his bare back. His sweaty chest felt the cold air around him and made him feel more nervous. He had to look for Mao tomorrow, or he wouldn’t be able to live properly.
***
Jun got up early. He barely slept and his eyes were so tired. He walked down the stairs and greeted his landlord on the way. Jun was new to this area and didn’t know exactly where to get his breakfast, especially at such an early hour. He figured a 24-hour konbini would have at least some food for him. He walked across the road to the konbini staring at him. The door opened and Jun was stumped. He was petrified. Unable to move a muscle.
It was her.
But before he could decide on what to do, she dashed away from him. Jun was shocked. His initial reaction was to chase after her, instinctively. Now that he had found her, he wouldn’t let her go so easily. She ran across the road without looking.
“Mao!!!!” Jun’s eyes popped out in horror.
Mao felt her body falling as she was being pushed by Jun. The noise startled her. She felt an invisible impact hit her heart when she saw what just happened. A Toyota screeched to a halt where she was just moments ago, and Jun was lying on the ground, covered in blood. The glistening red colour attacked her hard in her face. Jun... Noooo~!!!
She ran to Jun’s side and grabbed his bloody shirt. She pulled hard at it while yelling Jun’s name. Jun was barely conscious. He tried to move his hand to touch her but a sharp pain seared through his body. Mao held Jun’s bloody arm and Jun wrapped his fingers around hers, happy to be able to touch her despite the pain he was suffering from.
“Jun!! Don’t die! Don’t leave me!!” Mao was sobbing heavily, desperate for Jun not to die because of her. Her face was buried in Jun’s shoulders. No matter how much blood he was covered in, Mao didn’t care.
“I love you, Jun, I always did! So, please!! You can’t leave me!” Mao pulled herself closer to Jun’s weak body.
“I lo-“ Jun’s grip weakened and dropped to the ground.
“Jun! JUN!!!”
***
Jun opened his eyes. He was a little disoriented at first, and his body ached all over. His head was cushioned by a soft, white pillow and he was lying on a comfortable bed. Everything around him was white, but something warm was holding his hand. Something was twined between his fingers. Jun looked downwards. She was here resting her head against his sides, and either surface of his hand was enclosed by her warm, gentle hands. Jun tried to get up but the moment his chest muscles contracted, he fell back to the bed in pain.
Mao was awoken by the noise and opened her eyes to see an agonized Jun writhing on the bed.
“Jun! Are you okay?” Jun heard Mao say in a worried voice.
Jun held on to his chest with his free hand and smiled at Mao. He couldn’t seem to move his other arm for some reason without using a lot more effort.
“Mao, you’re here...” Jun saw tears of happiness trickling down Mao’s cheek. His hand automatically reached out to her face to wipe off her tears. The moment Jun’s fingers touched her cheek, the both of them felt a jolt within their bodies, which was similar to the feeling they felt when Jun first held her on the night when they met each other.
“You’ve been holding my hand ever since I...?” Jun stared intently at Mao’s hands clenching his.
Mao nodded again.
Jun’s fingers wrapped themselves tightly around Mao’s soft fingers, squeezing them with every remnant of strength he had in his body. Jun used his elbows to support him as he tried once again to sit up. His eyes closed as he tried to endure the pain. He felt Mao let his hand go and transfer themselves to the sides of his chest, helping him to get into a comfortable position.
He lifted his right arm which was in a cast and beckoned Mao to sit on the bed next to him. Mao did as he wanted. She felt their bodies touch. She wrapped her desperate arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest just below his neck. Jun responded by placing his warm hand on her wet neck. He stroked her neck softly, and pressed her face harder onto his chest.
“I won’t let you go again. I won’t let you out of my sight anymore.” His fingers massaged her scalp. “Mao, we’ll stay together like this... forever.”
Mao rubbed her face on Jun’s chest, making his shirt wet, while mouthing his name.
Jun pulled her face up to face him. “Mao, I love you.” Jun pulled her lips closer to his so that he could kiss her. When their lips touched, the long abandoned emotions came back and were summoned back to where they belonged to. Jun was soft. He took his time with the kiss, opening her lips slowly and edging into her mouth slowly. Maybe it was because his body was still recovering? Mao expected a hungry kiss from her boyfriend but she was happy with his kiss because it made her relive their sweet moments since 5 years ago. The kiss was long, and Mao followed Jun’s slow pace as she explored the mouth that she hadn’t touched for half a decade. Mao didn’t need to gasp for air between kisses; she was able to relax her body and take in Jun’s kisses.
When Jun released Mao from their seal of love, Mao fell onto his shoulder, wanting more skin contact. Jun draped his bandaged arm around her again.
“Jun, I’m sorry, I’m sorry for leaving you like that. If I didn’t leave you, you wouldn’t have...”
Jun pulled Mao away from his shoulder to face his serious eyes staring intently at her.
“Don’t say that. It’s not your fault. If I hadn’t chased you, you wouldn’t have run across the road. Nut if I didn’t chase you, I would have regretted it for my whole life, I would have hated myself... But even if you had not left me, something else might have happened. I don’t blame you. During that period of time, I realized how precious you were to me. I realized how much I needed you, how much dependent I was on you.”
Mao’s eyes widened. She spent that entire period wishing she hadn’t left Jun. She too, found it suffocating living knowing that she may not see him ever again. Jun looked like he could stomach all that but she knew that deep inside him, he was crying out in pain.
“I never gave up looking for you. I told myself, no matter how long it takes, I must find you.” Jun continued.
Jun felt Mao hug him tight again. He liked the feeling of being hugged by the person he loved. He felt complete again. His heart no longer felt cold or lonely; it felt warm. But there was something else he needed to know.
“Mao, I trust you with all my heart. All along, you’ve always been in my heart and I know you feel the same way. But there is something I need to ask you.” He said as he patted her back.
“Who was the guy who you walked with on the street on Saturday?”
“Eh?”
“I saw you from my car window. I saw you waving to him and he smiled at you.”
Mao was surprised Jun could say that in such a calm manner. Probably if they hadn’t just reunited, he would have been half-growling by now. She giggled and looked up at him.
“He’s my junior in the firm.” Upon hearing that, Jun was relieved of all his worries. He laughed to himself. Mao teased Jun for being jealous. He would have hit her in the stomach if he wasn’t hurt.
Mao cupped Jun’s face with her hands and stroked them gently. The both of them smiled at each other.
“Ne, what about Aiba-kun?”
-end of chap 10-
*curses her internet for failing her this morning*
sorry, i said i would post it on monday but i forgot that i had to go somewhere... XD
as always, comments/feedback/opinions are much appreciated!
chapter 11