p r e t e n d | Joji

a l t e r n a t e e n d i n g pt.4

-E U P H O R I A-

joji was beside haru the whole way through her labour.

he embraced her when she wanted to be embraced, and didn't leave her side even when she didn't want to be touched by anyone.

brian was the first one to be born and kiko followed within minutes.

joji got to hold the lives he created with haru, the love of his life.

he canceled all the tours he had planned with several different artists just to be with haru and to make up for the time they had lost.

he never left her side and was always there with everything and anything to suit her cravings. joji was quick to realize how haru's food preference did not change one bit from their highschool days and always had a caramel-filled cradbury bar with him at any moment.

he adored the fullness she gained from giving birth, the fullness that reflected her state of mind.

joji spent his time consulting the doctor to make sure haru's aneurysm won't relapse, and dedicated the rest of his time to taking care of the twins and haru, who got healthier and heathier day after day.

it was as if he was growing the wild flower that was haru, but at the same time, haru was growing the wild flower that was joji.

while haru slept, joji often found himself writing lyrics to her. he found himself not thinking about what words to write next, but instead, the experiences he had with haru wrote for itself.

some songs he planned to publish, but some songs are only for two people: joji miller and haru yamazaki.

___________

-5 years later-

haru wanted brian and kiko to be a part of their parent's big day so she asked joji to wait a few years before they had a wedding ceremony.

the wedding was one that wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but yet it contained an extraordinary amount of love and warmth which radiated through every inch of the tiny venue that stood eloquently in suburban  osaka.

haru wore an off shoulder laced dress that that showed off her soft pale skin. she did her own hair and makeup, decorating her hair with the wildflowers her an joji picked at the local park.

she changed brian into his little suit, which made him look like the mini version of his dad: joji miller.

she then proceeded to change kiko into her little floral dress and couldn't help but see her feature's in kiko's tiny face.

___________

when haru walked down the wedding aisle with brian throwing wild flower petals on the left and kiko doing the same on the right, joji's tears couldn't help but present themselves as unexpected guests of the wedding.

the haru joji saw wasn't just haru in the wedding dress that highlighted all the curves and edges she had developed since they had met,
but also the haru from highschool joji fell for,
the haru that was such a dedicated mother to their children,
the haru that has always had such an exclusive knowledge to joji's tastebud and had never cooked a meal that joji hasn't completely enjoyed
his haru, the love of his life and in some aspects, his life itself.

they exchanged their vows in the middle of the warm sunlight of suburban osaka, while haru and brian giggle with each other.

right before the sun was about to set and the hues of the sky made a pleasant gradient, shining a radiant light to the venue, joji and haru said i do to one another.

joji couldn't stop himself but smile at the sight of haru, as bright and full as ever, smiling so brightly at him.

haru adored the red blush that came on joji's face and his failed attempts to cover it with his hands. it has been a while since haru has seen this pure side of joji and needless to say, this was her favorite side of his.

for the first time since they've dated haru had the courage to pull joji towards her and made her lips touch his first. it was as if there tongues were slow dancing in the dark, synchronizing their souls with one another.

________

after the ceremony and after they had sent the children to bed, joji and haru had time to take a walk  down the streets of osaka, where they grew up.

they bought takoyaki and found a seat on a bench at the park nearby.  as they ate takoyaki and admired the serene environment of the city, a questioned popped into haru's mind.

she wanted to know how joji fell for her back in their highschool days.

"hey joji, how did you fall for me when we were in highschool?"

________

when joji heard haru's question, he wasn't sure how to answer it. yes, this all started as a game of pretend but how did he end up loving haru more than his own life?

he took a few minutes to think of an answer while haru waited curiously and finally found one. he wanted to stop pretending that he didn't fall for haru helplessly the first time their eyes met. he wanted to stop pretending his heart wasn't about to jump off his chest every time they talked. he wanted to stop pretending that he didn't want to take care and embrace haru yamazaki for the rest of his life.

joji finally answered with confidence and happiness that this game of pretend is finally over,

"because there's always an end to every single game of pretend."
____________

-THE END-