[Chapter 22]

"What do you mean by Risa's gone?" Retora shouted at Ume. Retora had left the hospital and just reached back the house in Tokyo, only to be welcomed by Ume with the shocking piece of information at the main gate.

"I . . . " Ume fumbled as the angry glares from Retora made him exceptionally nervous. "Risa-san was seemed like having a terrible headache. So I got down in the middle of the way to get some painkiller for her . . . But when I came reached back to the car, she's no longer there." Ume continued.

"You mean you left her alone in the car?" Retora groaned in frustration. "Didn't I ordered you to send her home? How can you leave her to be alone in the car?"

"I'm sorry, Niigaki-san." Ume apologised as he bowed in a 90 degree.

"Sorry doesn't help in this situation." Retora scolded. "Have you tried contacting her by her phone?"

"It's all directed to her voicemail message Sir."

"Continue calling her." Retora ordered before stomping back into the house. 'Where had this girl went again?'

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'Where can I go now? Where should I go now?' The cold breeze of wind made the winter of night Tokyo colder than expected. And that caused Risa to shiver more in addition to the coldness she felt in her heart. She walked into the empty train station and allow her tired body to slump down on the cold metal bench. Tears had once again find its way down her face. Risa closed her eyes, in attempt to stop them from forming. But once she closed her eyes, haunting memories of the ugly truth came flashing back to her mind. The station was equally empty as what Risa's heart was.

 Risa stood up from the bench as the last train of the day entered the station. Lifelessly, Risa boarded the train, without even checking where would the train bring her. Her eyes slumped close without delay as she settled down on the seat. They were tired. Tired after all that crying they had worked since the start of the day. And there on, Risa had finally fallen into a deep slumber.

'Where am I?' Risa wondered as she allowed her eyes to read her surroundings. Nothing around her looks familiar to her. Lifting her slender legs, picking up the speed she was moving, Risa began to run, hoping to find someplace where she knew, hoping to find someone that she knows. 'Why isn't there anyone on this street? Why am I ?' Risa kept her eyes high up until she bang over someone before her, causing the both of them to fall onto the hard concrete floor. "I'm sorry." Risa blurt out immediately as she checked her hands for any abrasions. Surprisingly, there wasn't any, given that the impact of collision was great. She immediately looked up to check whether the other party was alright. And that, left her in deep shock.

"Ai . . ." Risa muttered in deep shock.

Ai looked up as she heard the voice of Risa. She stood up immediately and began to move away from Risa.

Risa chased after with no delay. "Ai . . . I'm sorry! I never mean to do that. . . . I'm really sorry . . ."

Ai showed no response to Risa's pleading.

"Ai!" Risa got hold of Ai's arm and turned her around, causing them to come into face to face once again.

Ai wriggled off Risa's hand from hers. (You don't step on someone's foot and walk away, only to come back 18 years later to say sorry. Things don't work this way.)

"I know . . . But will you listen to me . . .I-" Risa tried to explain. 'But what can I explain?'

(Don't bother . Nothing is going to make up the sufferings I had endured all these 18 years, Risa.)

"I know . . . But . .." Fear began to build in her. Fear of losing her. Fear of losing Ai.

(I hate you, Risa) With that, Ai turned back and began to run away from the scene, leaving Risa standing all alone in tears.

"I'm sorry . . . I . . . "

"Miss?" A light pat on Risa's shoulder had woke her up from her dream. A nightmare to be specific. Risa could feel fresh tears dripping down from her cheeks down her neck. As she had opened her eyes, a train officer was all she saw. Risa sat up in attention, as she realised that the train was no longer moving. "Miss, you have reached the terminal station. " The train officer informed. Risa nodded her head as she picked up her backpack, pulled it across her right shoulder, and alighted the train. The sign before her showed 'Okutama'. 'Why am I here?'

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"Come in, Ai-san" Eri asked as she opened the door of her apartment with her right hand with her left holding onto the bag that contains Ai's stuffs Eri brought for Ai during her stay in the hospital.

Ai entered the apartment slowly and cautiously.

"They are not here. They had went back to Kyoto last month." Reading Ai's action, Eri assured.

Ai shook her head. (Why are we here? I want to go back to my apartment.) Ai signed as she stood at the entrance.

"Come over here." Eri called as she placed Ai's bag beside the couch. Ai did not bulged to move. "Come." Eri asked again, this time round, pulling Ai's left wrist and made her sit on the couch beside herself. "Well . . . I hadn't had the chance to tell you about this, but . . . "

(What do you want to say Eri-san?) Ai signed, as she sat uncomfortably on the couch.

"You landlord had decided to stop leasing the studio apartment you were staying to you." Eri addressed.

'Then where should I stay now?' Ai wondered in her mind.

"You can stay with me, Ai-san" Eri continued, as if she had the ability to read what was in Ai's mind.

Ai shook her head immediately at the suggestion. (It's alright. I can find some other places to stay. I don't want to trouble you.) Ai signed.

"You are not." Eri assured immediately, patting Ai's hand lightly. "I am glad to have you to stay with me. Staying alone is boring. You can accompany me." Eri continued. 'And too, I can keep a look out for you as well. . . '

(But . . .) Before Ai could resist the suggestion, Eri interrupted her once again.

"I had already moved all your things from your apartment to mine, it's not practical to move every out of here again right?" Eri asked, with a little grin at her corner of her lips.

Seeing that Eri had did everything to prevent Ai from backing out from the plans she had made, Ai had finally give in, giving Eri an almost unnoticeable nod to express her reluctant agreement.

"That's awesome!" Eri grinned beamingly. Eri stood up from her position on the couch and pulled Ai up in the same way and began to drag Ai around the house. "This is the kitchen, you should have known about this, since that's where I came out from the first time you came. This is my bedroom and that is the bathroom. I do have my own bathroom, so you don't have to worry about me snatching your toilet in the morning." Eri began as she stopped in front of her bedroom.

Something in Eri's room caught Ai's attention. (This is beautiful. Did you made them?) Ai signed before picking up one of the 7 handmade roses made from satin ribbon from a transparent glass vase.

"Eh . . ." Slight redness began to form across Eri's cheek. "It's . . .given by someone." Eri muttered under her breath before pulling Ai away from her bedroom. "This is the room I prepared for you. I had moved all your stuffs in and bought a new bed." Eri continued as she pulled in front of her study room.

Ai nodded her head. 'Isn't this where Risa had slept in when she was still staying with you, Eri-san?' Ai thought in her mind.

"Would you like to explore your room? I have placed most of your important stuffs in the first drawer of the study table." Eri continued as she opened the door, allowing passage for Ai's entry into the room. "I will bring in your bag for you as well." With that, Eri left Ai standing alone at the entrance of the study room, with herself retreating back to the living room to retrieve Ai's bag.

'Nothing much had change ever since my last visit here. . . ' Ai noted silently in her mind. The bouquet of roses hanging upside down on the window sill had caught her attention. She placed the handmade rose on the bedside table, and walked slowly towards the window, little by little and carefully removed the white ribbon that was holding the bouquet on the window sill. 'It's still here . . .' Ai thought sadly as she caressed the dried petals of the flowers. A drop of tear fell on the petal she had just caressed. 'The first flowers that I had received. . . They are all dried up now . . . Time had passed so fast . . . so quickly . . . '

"I thought you would want to keep it." Eri finally spoke up. She had been standing by the door frame, watching Ai all that while. That caused Ai to turn around abruptly at the sound that came unexpectedly. "I found it on the coffee table when I came home that night, and I thought that it would be yours." Eri realised that Ai was now crying uncontrollably. "If . . . you do not want to keep that, I can dispose it for you." Eri added quickly as she closed herself to Ai.

Ai shook her head at Eri's last suggestion.

"You really liked Risa, don't you?" Eri asked softly.

'Do I ?' Ai thought as she looked away from Eri's question. 'I'm not sure about that . . .But I do know . . . I had never blamed her on the fact that she was the little girl who took my place in my parent's life. I can never bring myself to hate her for that . . .the left side of my chest continues to clench tightly every time I thought if her . . . Is that considered love? If yes. . . Then I think . . . I am really in love with her . . ."

"Was that - " Eri started off, but was interrupted by the knocking of the door before she could finish her second question for Ai. She turned at glanced at the clock that was hung above the television. 'It's about the time I had asked her to come . . . ' Eri thought in her mind. "I will open the door first." Eri informed, as she walked briskly out of the study room and towards the banging door.

"AH! WHY ARE YOU HERE?" Eri screamed in surprise when she opened the door, and welcomed the guest that she was not expecting. And that scream of hers cause Ai to place the dried roses on the bed and ran out to check on Eri.

(What happen?) Ai signed. The door was blocking her vision of the incomer.

"Why are you here?" Eri asked again, this time round with a softer voice.

Miki entered the apartment and placed a pink ribbon rose before Eri. "Didn't I say, 1 rose for you each day? I'm here to deliver the rose." Miki explained, causing Eri to blush. And as Miki turned her attention away from Eri, she had finally realised Ai was standing in the middle of the room, watching them. "Ah Ai-chan, you are discharged from the hospital?"

Ai nodded her head lightly as Miki came over towards her and patted her forehead lightly.

"Now that you had passed me the rose, do you want to leave now? Na-" Eri asked nervously as she pulled Miki towards the door.

"Why?" Miki pouted as she removed Eri's grip on her head, walked towards the couch and sat comfortably on it. "I just came from so far just to see you . . . " Miki whined playfully.

"But -" Before Eri could finish what she was about to say, a third voice echoed into the house from the lift lobby, causing Eri to panic.

"Woah, Kamei-san, do you have a third eye? How do you know that I'm reaching now and that you had opened your main door so wide open to welcome me?" Right after the sentence finished, Yuko walked into the apartment and closed the door after her. "Fujimoto, what are you doing here?" That was the second question Yuko raised when she saw the equally shocked Miki sitting on the couch.

"Eh? I - I was just passing by . . . So I - I thought I could pay Kamei-san a visit." Miki lied poorly.

It was obvious to Yuko that what Miki had said was a lie through her fumbling throughout the whole sentence. "How many years have I know you, Fujimoto. I can see through your lie in just one word you say."

"Eh? " Miki's eyes shoot wide open.

"You and Kamei-san . .. Hmm?" Yuko chided playfully.

"Ah? . . . .Ahh. . . " Miki nodded her head lightly.

On the other hand, Ai was retreating away from the living room pace by pace. She had been trying to avoid Nakazawa-san the whole month, throwing her out every single time whenever the latter visited her in the hospital.

Eri, realising that Ai was about to retreat back to her room, went forward to stop her. "You can't hide from Nakazawa-san forever, Ai-san. I know how you felt, but listen what Nakazawa-san has to say to you. Running away will never solve any problem, remember?" Eri whispered to Ai. With that, Eri returned back to the couch and dragged Miki into her own room, leaving Ai and Yuko by themselves in the living room.

Ai had avoided every eye contact Yuko had tried to make with Ai. And two of them had stood in silence for a long instance, until Yuko decided to break it.

"Ai-chan." Yuko called out as she closed her distance between Ai and her.

Ai squirmed as she felt Yuko was closing her. Tears began to form.

"You know what? I had never blamed you for anything that had happened. You haven't betrayed the trust I had for you, Ai-chan. You don't have to feel guilty about that. Even though that was wrongful to do. I know you know it was. I know you didn't mean to do it right?"

Ai's body started to quiver as the tears began to fall. 'Don't be so nice to me, Nakazawa-san. I did betrayed the trust you had for me. I had promised you.' Ai began to sniffle, when Yuko held her in her embrace.

"It's alright, my dear. You are like my little sister. How can I blame you for anything. Hush . . ." Yuko comforted.

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"Why are you eavesdropping?" Miki asked she sat on Eri's bed, watching Eri pressing her ear against her room door.

"I'm curious!" Eri replied. "I hope the idea Nakazawa-san had will get through into Ai's head." Eri continued.

"It will, definitely."

Eri moved her ears away from the door, headed back towards her bed, and sat down beside Miki. "What had you come today?" Eri asked quietly.

"Haven't I said just now? The thing you are holding in your hand." Miki replied as she glanced sideway at Eri.

"But didn't you say see me on Monday yesterday?" Eri pouted as she played with the ribbon rose in her hands.

"If I didn't say that, will I be able to surprise you today?" Miki explained as she brushed the ends of Eri's hairs behind her ear and closed the distance between them.

"Sorry!" Eri blurted as the loud distinct ringtone of her phone rang. She jumped up from her bed and retrieved the phone from her side table.

"It's alright."

Bringing the ringing phone next to her ears, Eri answered the call. "Hello. This is Kamei Eri."

"Eri-chan? This is Ume over here."

"Ume-san? Hai." Eri continued as she lowered her tone. Ume calling could never meant a good thing.

"Is Risa-san with you?" Ume continued.

"Risa? No she's not with me. I haven't seen her for a month. Isn't Risa back in Kyoto?" Eri replied. 'Risa ran away again?'

"She had went missing again."

'Could that be the reason why Risa called me yesterday? But there was no answer from her when I called her back. It went to her mailbox instead.' Eri began to worry about her best friend. 'Why had she ran away from home again? Because of the arrange marriage? Or?'

"Eri-chan, can you please inform me when Risa finds you?"

"I will if she does, Ume-san."

"Thank you so much. Sorry for troubling you."

"Nah. It's nothing." Eri responded. With that, the phone call ended.

"Who was that?" Miki asked curiously.

"It's just a family friend from Kyoto." Eri answered, while her mind had wandered back to her best friend. Pressing the familiar numbers, Eri tried to call Risa once more. Still, the call was diverted back to the mailbox. "Where would Risa went?'