Kei ate conciously, glancing at Mirai who was smiling while she watched him the whole time. She hasn't touched her food yet, she just stared at him. What the heck, right?
When Kei finished his meal, he downed his fruit juice and wiped his mouth dry then drew his face closer to her, looking her in the eyes. Mirai giggled and shook her head, sitting back.
"Why're you looking at me?" Kei sniggered. "Nothing. Your eyes are beautiful." she smiled and looked away, starting to fork her pasta. "I'll take that as a compliment, thank you." Kei said and sat back too. He looked at her as she ate, now it's the other way around. He kept glancing at her too.
Mirai paused then raised her eyebrow at him. "Why're you looking at me?" she asked. "You're beautiful." Kei answered with a smile.
They both looked away with smiles. Kei turned his head to look outside. He saw Taishi on his bike, peddling fast. He got curious but only looked back at Mirai. She was smiling at him again. Such an angelic face.
Taishi pedaled his bike past the sweets shop. He's been looking for Satsuki for 2 weeks now. She never went to school this week. He tried mailing her but she wouldn't reply. He called her a thousand times but it's either she missed them on purpose or rejected them. He went to their house but the door was locked and no one was inside. He waited for her in the park where they watch the sunset after school, at the sweets shop where they eat before going home, but she was nowhere.
And today, at last... she told him where she is.
Taishi stopped in front of the huge, huge mansion with the address Satsuki sent him. A grin of bliss and excitement spread on his face as he parked his bike and pressed the button of the gate's buzzer. He waited and it beeped.
"This is Kirisawa's residence, how may I help you?" A man's voice asked. He pressed the other button and spoke through the speaker. "I'm looking for Kirisawa Mirei's friend, Aragaki Satsuki. She said she's in there. Please tell her it's Shota Taishi." He said. A moment later, the gates opened. His grin reappeared and he dashed across the pathway and halted on the doorstep. He knocked a few times and it flew open. A tall man in a suit that looked like he was in his 40's bowed in front of him. "Welcome to the Kirisa--"
"TAISHI!"
It was a familiar voice. A voice he missed to hear.
He saw Satsuki running and jumping on the steps and she flung her arms around his shoulders and hung her thighs on his hips. Taishi hugged her back.
He put her down on her feet and he kissed her on her forehead, on her left and right cheek, on her nose bridge, on her chin, on her eyebrows and they hugged again. "I missed you" the both of them said the same time and they giggled. Mirei smiled a bit as she watched them.
Satsuki and Taishi were permitted to stay in the living room upstairs and were given snacks and drinks.
"Thanks Mirei. I owe you a lot now" Satsuki smiled shyly. Mirei patted her shoulder and smiled. "No problem. I'll leave you guys alone. You missed each other loads" she said and walked to her room. She sighed as she closed the door. She looked around and walked to her mirror on the autumn wall where her trashbin full of lollipop sticks are...
"Why were you crying earlier?" Mirai asked Kei. He looked down on the ground, then up on the sky. "Someone I put my trust on... betrayed me. She thought about her feelings first than mine. I never thought she could do that. Not to me.f" he replied, sadly. Mirai nodded. "Hm... have you heard her out?" She asked. "Hm?" Kei looked at her as if he was puzzled.
"Have you heard her explanation about that thing? What she has to say?" She asked again. Kei took a long time to answer. "To trust someone is brave, because you put your heart and soul at stake in their words. You give some of your pride in them. You give them a piece of you. It really is heart-breaking when they betray you but at least you get that heart, that soul, that pride, that piece of you back and you get stronger... wiser. Right? You get braver too. But you only get those back when you listen, forgive and forget."
Kei stared at her, both moved and stunned from her words. Her lips are as wonderful as her words are. And with that thought alone... He leaned over and kissed her.
He felt lonely. He got attracted to her because she made that rotten feeling go away... It runs in the family after all.
"I... I'm really wondering why we're not comedians!" Taishi laughed and Satsuki rolled over the floor with her hands over her stomach as she chuckled hard. "I literally have tears of joy in my eyes." She sat up.
There was finally a moment of silence. They smiled at each other, then did a double chin in sync, and so they laughed again. "I love your laugh so much." Taishi smiled. Satsuki stared at him and double-chinned again.
They obviously forgot what silence and peace meant.
"This is the Kirisawa residence, how may I help you?"
"This is Kirisawa Mirai speaking."
The tall, golden gates opened up and the 1st born of the Kirisawa family walked in gracefully even while pulling her luggage.
The doors were quickly opened for her by their butler and she smiled at him. "Thank you Fuji-kun."
He bowed low before her. "Welcome home, miss"
Her eyes happily scanned the place. A maid came running to her to carry her luggage and coat. "Please take them to my room. oh, wait!" Mirai opened her luggage to take 5 large pouches of lollipops then the maid left. She excitedly climbed the stairs and went straight to her sister's room. She knocked in signature on her door and let herself in. "Mirei tadai-- Mirei!"
The room was originally painted with spring, summer, autumn and winter. It was painted with memories. To her horror, the walls were all splashed with black paint, mostly the autumn part. Tossing the lollipops aside, she ran to her sister who held a pair of scissors, her cut pieces of hair surrounding her. She took the scissors from her then threw it away. "Mirei-chan, doushita no? Nani kore? (Mirei, what's happening? What's all this?)" Mirai's worry was showing in her eyes. Her little sister only cried and she embraced her for comfort.
Everything was perfect. Satsuki is finally with Taishi again, Kei found Mirai and is feeling better now...
But how is it for Mirei?
