Chapter 4

The tinkle of glass on the glass as Shigeru mixes his cocktail, his amber-colored eyes reflect against the swirling liquid. He was pretty much enjoying the impatient look on his twin's face as he walked back and forth. He folds one leg over the other and leaned back against the huge red couch placed in the middle of the room. That night they decided to hold a welcome party for one of their friends in high school who just got back from the State. As Shigeru finishes off his whiskey, the bartender, who was standing attentively on the corner came closer and holding another bottle to refill his glass.

"My eyes hurt, Haruko," Shigeru said as his twin continued to walk back and forth.

"This is your fault! I should have fetched Miyu but what did you do?! You made me do all the paper works at the company!" Haruko let out his frustration to his cousin.

"This is a welcome party for Reo and not a date venue, Haruko," Jin said as he drinks from his glass.

Daisuke smirked. “You had a crush on Miyu for a long time but you never even confess to her.”

Haruko blushed from what Daisuke said. “I didn’t confess because she likes someone already,” he whined. Even though he told herself that he would give up, just hearing her name made him wanna jump with joy.

They were disturbed by a loud knock on the door. Another bartender came in and approached Jin.

"Boss, Lady Miyu already arrive."

"Alright, escort her inside," Jin instructed.

"Yes, boss."

Haruko finally eases himself on the couch and waited for Miyu to come, while the others continued drinking and having a conversation about stuff related to business. The topic was didn't catch his interest so he didn't bother joining the commotion. His amber eyes wandered around the private room, then he decided to get himself a glass of wine from the table. As he was about to take a sip, the door in front slowly opened. The noisy atmosphere suddenly vanished as all eyes were glued at the woman entering the room. She has long brown curls that defied rules and gravity as she walks, it was the first time seeing her so feminine unlike the boyish girl that she was in high school. With long brown wavy curls and her head held high, she waltzed on with an effortless saunter. Her eyes slowly scanned the room with determination in search of someone but failed, he was not even there yet. She smiled warmly as she came closer to her second family.

"It's nice to see you all again."

"Miyu-chan!" Daisuke yelled as tears began to overflow from his eyes. He immediately runs to her, capturing her in a tight embrace. "You don't know how much we missed you."

Miyu thought her heart would melt into liquid. She was away for too long that she didn't notice that she was hurting those who are important to her.

She placed her hand on top of Daisuke's head, gently brushing his gold strands.

"You still haven't changed Senpai."

"Miyu, we almost didn't recognize you." Shigeru was the next person to approach Miyu. "You grew beautifully and I like your long hair. It suits you better than the boyish hairstyle."

Miyu giggled. "It's a good thing that I decided to make it longer."

"Miyu, I'm glad you came." Jin came next.

"Yeah. Thanks for inviting me Jin-senpai."

"I wonder where Reo is? He should be here by now." Shigeru gazed at his wristwatch to check what the time is.

While all of them are chatting, Haruko was the only one left sitting on the red couch. He was the one getting all excited to meet Miyu and yet those idiots manage to take her before he can even say a word.

Miyu noticed Haruko on the couch. "Haruko-kun, how are you? You looked completely mature now."

With just a simple smile from her, all of his anger disappeared. To his eyes, she was like an angel smiling at him. After so many years, he still likes her.

"Y-You too. Y-You looked good." Haruko mumbled as he begins to blush from embarrassment.

"I just got a message from Reo, he's downstairs." Shigeru interrupted as he read out the message from Reo.

Miyu's face began to lose color. Just by hearing that Reo's already there, made her feel uneasy. She thought over and over that she won't let his presence be a distraction to her but just hearing that he's at the same place made her weak at the knees.

"H-Miyu, are you okay?" Jin noticed that Miyu was looking as white as a ghost.

"Y-Yeah. I'll just go to the restroom first." she forced a smile and took a step towards the door.

She was so eager to get out from there. Suddenly the whole scene rushes in a blur, as she loses her balance. Miyu can feel her whole body is about to hit the tiled floor so she closes her eyes and just wait for the pain to come. Instead of the cold floor, she felt something warm holding her at the lower part of her body.

"You still have that clumsy attitude.”

Miyu's eyes flew open after recognizing that voice. His face was the first image she saw and he was holding her on her waist, keeping her from falling down the floor. For the first time in 10 years, she was able to look at his face at a closer distance. She remembered that when they met last time his black hair was brushed up in a formal but sexy-look, and those rimless eyeglasses he wore back in high school were gone that you can see his brownish-grey eyes clearly. She couldn't stop her heart from reacting, it was beating so loudly against her chest it was making her ears numb. Miyu stands on her feet and pushes him away from her.

"I...I’m sorry" she mutters and lowers her head avoiding his eyes.

"Are you alright, Miyu? Do you want me to assist you to the restroom." Haruko came closer to Miyu and hold her arm to give her support on standing up.

“N-No need. I’m fine.”

"Well, since Reo's here! Let's begin with the party, shall we?" Shigeru suggested after noticing the tension between the two.

Daisuke came to Miyu. "You sit next to me, Miyu," he requested with his usual childish smile.

They all sat at the red couch. Miyu was sitting next to Daisuke while Reo sat on the opposite side facing her. She was even more uncomfortable as she felt Reo's eyes monitoring her every move like an eagle.

"It's sad that Kazuki couldn't join us today," Haruko said as he took a glass of wine from the table. "This could have been our reunion party."

"Miyu, do you still have communication with Kazuki-kun?" Daisuke asked.

Miyu's body froze as she felt that she's in the spotlight. All eyes were on her and waited for her answer.

"No." she answered simply and got herself a glass of wine from the table.

"Really? Didn't you go to Italy with him?" it was Reo who asked next. He was looking at her with eyes like knives pinning her on the couch.

Miyu felt a sudden chill on her spine. The way he looked earlier was different from the way he's looking now. How come it looks like she was the one who was wrong? She was the one that got dumped that year and he was the one who just left without a word but it turns out that he’s acting as if it was the other way around. She forced to show a bitter smile, "No, Senpai. I don't have any communication with him after going to Italy."

Everyone was silent for a while. They all thought that Miyu and Kazuki were a couple, way back in Highschool but after hearing Miyu's answer they were all surprised. It's not a secret to them that Miyu and Reo had something before Kazuki confessed to Miyu and they thought that those three were getting more and more complicated.

"So Miyu-chan took Architecture in Italy, right?" Shigeru was the one who asked the next question.

Her lips curved into a small but contented smile. "Yes. I fell in love with Architecture and took it as my major."

"I've seen some of your designs Miyu and it was very beautiful," Haruko added.

"Well, that's the reason why they were chosen to work on Haven Group's new project," Reo said as their eyes met again.

"Haven Group? Isn't that the company you bought last month?" Shigeru asked Reo.

Miyu drank some red wine to broke off their eye contact.

"Yes. We were lucky to have a designer like Miyu."

Miyu thought she heard Reo's old voice. The way he said his last sentence, it was like a gentle touch to her heart but she believes that behind those sweet words, he was hiding something.

"No. Our company was lucky to be chosen by Haven Group." she forced a smile and faced Reo, who on the other hand sees right through her.

***

The party ended late that night. Haruko and Daisuke were so drunk that Shigeru and Jin had to take them home. Miyu was standing at the front of the building waiting for a taxi cab. While waiting she heard footsteps coming closer to where she was standing.

"It's not safe for girls to go home alone at night."

She smiled. "Thanks for the tip, Mr. Sonoda."

"Would you like to take a walk?"

She went past him, "I'm tired, Mr. Sonoda. Maybe next time." and took another step away from him.

"You still have the same habit of running away from disadvantageous situations, I see."

Her limbs wouldn't take another step. She wasn't running away, "N-Not really. I wasn't running."

"Then why don't you take a walk with me?" Reo shifted to face her. "That is if you're not a coward."

Her brows drew together. She didn't know that this man can be this annoying. Miyu just nodded then Reo lead the way. They kept walking without knowing their destination and as they walked, both of them remained silent. After a few minutes of walking, Miyu noticed that they seemed to reach the park located in the city. Her eyes wandered around, looking for something to talk about.

"How have you been, Miyu?" Reo asked in a low voice.

Miyu's legs seem to stop moving. She didn't expect Reo to ask her how she's been doing all these years. She can feel the same ache again that she felt 10 years ago.

"F-Fine." she choked the words out because she knew it was different from the truth.

They continued walking after that short talk. Miyu wanted to ask him so many things from before but she can’t seem to find the courage to voice out her thoughts. The surroundings were as quiet as the two of them. The wind blew hard towards their direction and both of them notice the beauty of the full moon in the sky.

"I can see you're still simple-minded as before but your type of clothes seemed to improve." the man was a rich bastard, giving her a compliment and an insult at the same time.

"Reo… what do you want to talk about?" she snapped.

He smirked a little. "Why? Is it bad to ask a beautiful lady for a walk?" Miyu turns her face to him and saw his lips curve into a sexy smile.

She couldn't help but blush. It was the same smile that captures her heart. Every time that he would comfort her, he would smile that way.

'No...we can't go back to what we were before,' she thought to herself. 'No… don’t be confused by his smile.'

"I wanted to see you."

Her eyes enlarged from the words that came out of his mouth. At that very moment, she felt as if lightning struck her. Those were the words that she’s been dreaming to hear but why would he say those after 10 years of disappearing.

She chuckled bitterly. "What nonsense are you saying?" She tried her best to control her anger but it was completely visible on her face. “Well, I felt the opposite. If I had to choose, I wouldn’t get involved with you again.”

"Miyu…"

Her eyes notice his hand approaching her so she took a step back. She knows that if he touches her again then the feelings that she's trying hard to forget will be unleashed and she might get hurt again. She took another step backward.

"Miyu…" Reo continued to approach her.

"I...I need to go now."

"No, we need to talk."

"No, we don't-" her eyes widened as her foot slipped on the glass plate on the ground. Her perception of time distorted, everything slowed down until she can't see anything. She closed her eyes shut waiting for her body to hit the ground. It seems like she was having a bad day for slipping over twice.

"You're still as clumsy as before," he mumbled as his hand tightened around her delicate body.

Reo was much stronger and taller than before. He was able to lift her body up using his hands as if she was lighter than a feather. They were in the same situation as they were earlier but this time, their bodies almost touched. Her hazel orbs were magnetized by his brownish-grey eyes, forcing her to come closer. She couldn't help but blush as the heat from his body transferred to hers.

"How could a lady be this light?"

"L-Let go… Let go of me!" she wriggled in his arms like a little kid.

"Alright! Alright! Stop moving so much."

Reo helps her get on her feet and the woman immediately hopped away from him like a scared bunny. The man couldn't help but grin on her childish act, she was still as adorable as he remembered.

"Get home safe. Now that I've picked you up twice today I see you're healthier than I thought." he was looking at her like a boy bullying a girl. "By the way, you should eat less. You're heavier than most ladies," he added before walking away.

Her raged flowed through her like lava. That mouth of his… that mouth!, Miyu thought as she clenched her jaw in anger. She was never insulted like that and it was not nice to make comments on a woman's weight.

While the woman behind her was drowning with rage, he was trying his best to control his laughter. He thought she was cute being mad like that. Normally, when a woman starts to act like a child in front of him, he felt nauseated that he wants to get rid of them yet with her… he wanted to make her mad even more and he will never get tired of looking at her different expressions.

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