Mágoa | SB19 Josh [SB19 Series #4]

6

April 2025
Grace's POV

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom today. It made me want to whip out my phone and snap pretty pictures of the sakura.

I breathed the cool breeze that was blowing. Spring was definitely my favorite season in Japan.

The traffic light at Ginza crossing turned to yellow. Cars immediately slowed down while pedestrians got ready to cross the road. When the traffic light switched to red, I joined the throng of people who were walking towards the other side.

I have been living in Japan for eight years now. Ever since I applied at Konami Group Corporation as a software developer, I had never looked back. I have never dreamt of going back to the Philippines.

Except now.

I was the associate head of our software developing team. My team were tasked to attend an online game conference in the Philippines.

Guess who was asked to go?

Me. Of course it was me.

I wanted to protest. I never wanted to go back there. Not for ten years at least, and I have two more years to go.

Josh, my estranged husband, and I had promised to each other that we would be seeing each other ten years after our meet up with the lawyer, just so we have a chance to finally annul our marriage.

No such luck. The company wanted to send me. It was that or taint the trust that my Japanese bosses had bestowed on me. So, I had to say, yes.

My life just got better. Now, it sucks.

I rode the elevator towards the 23rd floor, staring at the Tokyo skyline as the elevator whooshed upwards. Tokyo looked so beautiful with the tall buildings interspersed with pink blooming cherry blossoms. It was a pink wonderland.

"Ohayou gozaimasu," I greeted my team mate, Kiro-san as soon as I got off the elevator.

"Ohayou," Kiro-san greeted me back. He waved at me enthusiastically and gave me a matcha Kitkat bar. "For you, because I saw you sad yesterday about going home," he said in broken English.

I sighed. Kiro-san was the closest friend that I had at Konami. He knew that I never wanted to go back home. But then, I had no choice. Work calls.

"Arigatou, Kiro-san," I told him.

He winked at me before going to his cubicle.

My workday was uneventful. It was only when I went home that night in my tiny apartment in Shinagawa that I began to think if going home was going to be worth it.

I honestly don't want to run into Josh before our ten years was up.

I stared at the city skyline. It was already 11PM but sleep was elusive to me. I had drank a warm cup of milk but I was still unable to sleep.

I crept towards the balcony, a thousand thoughts running in my head. What if I did run into Josh? How was I going to act around him?

My memories in the Philippines had taken a backseat in my consciousness when I moved to Japan. I had pushed myself to do good in my work. I wanted to prove to everyone that being a girl, and being a Filipino was not a hindrance for me to be the best in Konami.

I did prove it to them. Slowly, I climbed up. I got promoted until I reached the spot that I have right now. I worked my ass off.

I almost forgot that I was married.

I even got a boyfriend.

I smiled at the thought, thinking how would Josh react once he knew that I had a boyfriend. He was adamant that I get a love life.