[Chapter 23]

"So where's your daughter, Niigaki-san?" Matsumoto Shouichi questioned across the table, with his son, Matsumoto Naoki sitting beside him.

"My daughter is feeling unwell. That's why she has to miss this dinner meeting tonight. I am sorry about that." Retora lied. 'There's no way I could tell him that Risa's missing. . . '

"Feeling unwell?" Shouichi repeated. "Are you sure?" Shouichi questioned as he held some doubts in the reason.

"I'm positive." Retora answered with confidence, not allowing his insecurities to betray him.

"But that's not what I had heard from the people outside, Niigaki-san." Shouichi continued. "Some people were saying that your daughter had ran away from home, am I right to say that?"

"I - " Retora was lost in words.

"So I was right." Shouichi cut in as Retora's silence had told him that he was right. He stood up from his seat, with Naoki following in action. "I was right that you were just using my company's name to save your reputation. I am utterly disappointed in you, Niigaki-san. Since your family is so insincere about this marriage, I shall say, it's over then." With that, the Matsumotos walked out of the private room of the restaurant.

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Risa found herself a warm corner near the train station where she had sat herself in that corner for the past two days. She had not left the place for a single moment, nor a single had noticed her since the traffic pass the corner was near to zero. Whilst her moment over there, tears had come and gone repeatedly, causing her eyes to be strained out. And that had intensified the headache she had been experiencing. The lack of food and water just made it worst. 'This should be my original ending . . . The way my life would had been . . .' Risa thought as she kept her eyes closed. 'Perhaps . . .this would now a perfect ending for me . . .' Her head was splitting. The pain that was tore her heart up had now made its way to the head, causing Risa lean her head against the wall.

"Risa-kun?" A familiar voice was registered in Risa's ear "What are you doing here?"

Risa tried to open her eyes to see who was the one who had just called her. But as soon as the first light strike her retina, her world went black again.

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'That's weird . . . Why hasn't the alarm clock rang?' Eri thought tiredly as she rolled on her bed and snuggled her face into her pillow. She reached her hands towards her bedside table and searched for the thought item by sweeping her hand around the table. Pulling the thought item back to herself, Eri lifted her head from her pillow and open her eyes reluctantly, allowing her brain to register the time shown on her clock. "WHAT?!" Eri screamed as she sprung up from her lying position and on her knees. The clock showed 830 am. "I'm late!" Eri declared as she hurriedly got off her bed, ran her hands through her messy hair and rushed into the bathroom. "How did time passed so fast?" Eri groaned to herself.

(Good morning.) Eri was greeted by Ai at the dining table as soon as she got out from her bedroom, totally washed up and dressed up in her own record time. Breakfast was set up on the dining table and Ai was already half way through her eating.

"Ah~ Good morning to you too as well Ai-san. You're up so early?" Eri asked as she grabbed one of the toast that were placed on the table and bit a mouthful out of it.

Ai nodded her head at the question as she shifted her attention back to her plate.

"Did you heard the ringing of my alarm clock? I didn't hear it at all. I was positive that I did set it last night." Eri ranted as she picked up her bag. She then prepared herself to move towards the door until a hug from her back startled her.

"I asked Ai-chan to turn off your alarm clock this morning." Miki whispered into Eri's ear.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in?" Eri asked in shock as she turned around to face Miki.

"To surprise you. " Miki grinned, causing light shades of red to run across Eri's face. "Ai-chan allowed me in. So how was the bread? It's made from my love." Miki continued.

"It - It was nice . . ." Eri stuttered. Then the first piece of information Miki gave her began to register in her mind. Eri pushed Miki away and turned to look at the Ai who was seated at the table. "Wait. And Ai-san you actually did what Miki asked you to do? To switch off my alarm clock?" Eri pouted as she glanced at Miki from the corner of her eye.

"Of course!" Miki beamed as she walked next to Ai and placed her arm on Ai's shoulder, causing Ai to stiff her shoulders. "I knew Ai-chan for a longer period than you."

"That's mean." Eri stated as she fold her arms.

(Gomen, Eri-san) Ai signed as she stared on her plate.

"It's alright, Ai-san." Eri assured. 'I'm glad that you are acting that way. At least these little actions assure me that you are fine for now, Ai-san.' Eri thought until the realisation of being late hit back Eri. "Ah~" Eri screamed. "We are running late for work!" With that, Eri dragged Miki with her and dashed towards the main door.

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Ai kept her hands in her pocket as she wondered down the streets of Tokyo. After being kept indoor for a month in the hospital, Ai thought it was time for her to take a walk outside rather than to stay indoor again.

"Ai-chan?"

Ai turned around to the source of the call and saw Makoto standing at the other end of the street, waving excitedly at her. 'Mako-chan?'  Ai thought as Makoto ran down the street and towards Ai.

"It's been a long while ever since I'd saw you. How are you doing?" Makoto asked as she gave Ai a light hug.

(I guessed it's okay? How long have you been back from Niigata? Are you going to stay in Tokyo again?) Ai signed as the two of them began to walk down the street again.

"Nah. . .I'm just back here for my holidays, visiting some old friends and such. I just came from the clinic. Nakazawa-san is still so much the same." Makoto replied, and ended with a laughter at the thought of her encounter with Yuko. "I'm meeting Asami-chan in half an hour time. Do you want to join me with that?"

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(I hate you, Risa . . . I really hate you . . .)

"AH!" Risa screamed her heart out as she leaped up from her lying position, causing the wet towel that was placed on her forehead to drop down to her feet. Her heart was beating at an abnormal rate from the dream she had. Traces of sweat could be observed tracing down the side of her face. Risa allowed her eyes to read her surroundings. 'Where am I?' Risa tried to remember.

"Ah . . . I'm relieved. You are finally awake, Risa-kun." Abe commented as she entered the room with a glass of water.

"Abe-san?" Risa called out weakly. "Why am I here?"

"You had fainted near the station, Risa-kun. I had brought you back with me. It's so dangerous for you to be sitting outside the station just like that, especially during this kind of weather." Abe reprimanded lovingly.  "Are you feeling better already?" Abe continued asking as she placed her hand over Risa's forehead. "Seems like your fever had went down. That's good." With that, Abe picked up the forgotten towel on Risa's lap and placed it back to the metal pail beside the bed.

'Fever . . . It was the fever that had took away my memory 17 years ago. The last memory that I had about my real Mama . . .The memory which contained the painful truth . . . If I had knew about this all along . . .How would my life be like?' Risa thought in her mind

"Risa-kun. What was in your mind now?" Abe asked as Risa sank into her own world.

Risa looked up back Abe when her name was called. Risa shook her head lightly. "Nothing was on my mind." Risa stated faintly.

From the response Risa gave, Abe understood that Risa was being unwilling to share what was on her mind. She could see the difference between this Risa and the Risa she had met roughly two months ago. The distinct smile of hers was missing from her face. "So Risa-kun, what are you doing over here in Okutama?"

'How did I get myself here? I didn't know as well. All I did was to board the last train from Toshima, and it had brought me all the way to here. . .Was this fate?' Risa wondered in her mind as the question was raised. "I - just happened to passed by over here. . ." Risa lied.

'Something had happened to this girl over here. She behaves so differently as compare to the time where I first knew her. She's so guarded now.' Abe analysed, through her experiences with the countless orphans who had came to stay with her over the years.

Risa removed the blanket that was covering her fragile body and hanged her legs off the bed. "I think I should leave. I shouldn't be troubling you." Risa continued as she shifted her body weight to her legs on the floor. Her legs had gave in, causing her to drop down on the ground as soon as she attempted to get off the bed.

"Risa-kun." Abe rushed over towards Risa and helped her off the ground and back to the bed. "Don't force yourself too much. You are not troubling me at all. The kids over here were so elated to see you again. You are very much welcomed to stay here with me, or at least until you regain your strength, Risa-kun. There's no way I am going to allow you to go off by yourself at your current state." Abe continued, pulling the blanket back on Risa.

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Eri picked up the receiver of her office phone and began to dial the familiar number which had been pressing since the day Risa gave her the missed call. As expected to Eri, the call was diverted to her voicemail box again. 'Come on Risa, pick up your phone.' Eri thought desperately as she hung up the receiver.

*Knock Knock*

"Come in." Eri responded to the knock on her office door.

Miki entered the room, and closed the door after her. "The afternoon papers just came in. I saw something interesting that you may want to know, Eri." Miki said as she place the set of newpaper on Eri desk and sat down on the chair in front of Eri. "Niigaki Corporation, isn't that the company of the best friend's father?" Miki asked.

'Well, he's not really Risa's father. . . ' Eri thought. "Yeah." Eri replied as she kept her eyes on the newspaper before her. 'Niigaki Corporation's stock plunge history low straight after the opening of today's morning market when the marriage between Matsumoto Naoki and Niigaki Risa was revealed as a fraud by the Matsumoto Corporation. It was said that Niigaki Risa had went missing for a few days.' Eri read off the newspaper. Eri furrowed her eyebrow as she eyes continued to run though the paper.

"Anything serious happened?" Miki asked as she realised the smile on Eri's face had disappeared.

"Hmmm." Eri mumbled as she shook her head. 'Risa, where are you? It's unlike of her to refuse any calls from me. Unless she's not running away from the marriage. Could it be that she had found out something that she should not have known?'

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"Ai-chan!" Asami squealed gently as she saw Ai entered the café with Makoto beside her. "Where have you been the whole month?

(Gomen ne, Asami-chan. I was kinda caught up with some situation.) Ai signed as she sat down beside Makoto, opposite the empty seat beside Asami.

"Why hadn't you replied any of my message?" Asami continued asking, completely ignoring the Makoto who was seated right across her seat.

(I got a new number.) Ai signed. She then wrote down her number on a piece of paper she took out from her bag and passed it to both Makoto and Asami.

"Eh . . .Asami-chan. I am over here as well. . . " Makoto interrupted.

"Of course I knew you are here, Mako-chan." Asami replied.

"But you had paid no attention to me." Makoto complained jokingly, causing Ai to laugh silently at the 'couple-like argument between the two.

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Eri returned back to her apartment after her long day at work, with the new situation occupying her mind throughout the whole afternoon. 'I wondered if Ai-san knew about the Niigaki's situation. I hope not . . . ' Eri thought as she flopped down on her sofa and leaned her head against the backrest and closed her eyes.

The soft click of the study room door made Eri to open her eyes. She lift up her head and saw Ai closed herself to the living room area, towards herself.

"Tadaima." Eri said to Ai as Ai down beside Eri.

(Okaeri.) Ai signed and placed her hands on her lap and looked at them nervously.

"Is there anything that you want to ask or tell me?" Eri asked, after reading Ai's action. It was obvious that Ai had something to tell her, yet something was stopping her from telling Eri.

Ai nodded her head. (You had met Makoto this afternoon right?)

"Makato?" Eri tried to recall. "Oh . . . Ogawa-san?"

Ai nodded her head once again.

"What about Ogawa-san?"  Eri asked again.

(I was thinking . . . about following Makoto to Niigata. . . )

"EH! Why so sudden?" Eri sat up in attention, throwing away the tiredness she felt previously.

*Knock Knock*

The knock on the door interrupted the conversation between the two girls.

"I'll get the door first. Can we talk about this later again?" Eri asked. Ai nodded her head and watched Eri got up from her seat on the couch and moved towards the door. Her hand froze on the handle of the door as she look through the peephole.

*Knock knock*

The second set of knocks on the door made Eri opened the door reluctantly. "Oba-san." Eri greeted as she opened the door and allowed entry to Renni who was standing on the other side of the door.

'Ma . . . ma?' Ai identified in her mind as she saw the familiar figure step into the apartment.

"Kamei-chan, sorry to disturb you this time round again. . . But is Risa-ko here with you?" Renni apologised and asked as she made a small step into the apartment. And as soon she saw Ai, who was seated at the couch with her eyes fixed on the floor, she stopped. "You had someone with you? I guess I should not trouble you then." With that, Renni attempted to turn around and walk away, but was stopped by Eri.

"Wait Oba-san." Eri called out as she held onto Renni's arm. "I know what are you here for. Please come in." Eri continued.

Ai stood up from the couch. (I will go back to my room first.) Ai signed with her face facing the floor and briskly, she returned back to the study room, closing the door behind her and leaned against it.

"Please take a seat. I will bring you some drinks." Eri informed and disappeared into the kitchen.

Renni looked at the door of the study room, where Ai had just returned to. 'That girl . . .That's the girl who was on the tabloid with Risa-ko. . . Her name was Ai right?' Renni thought in her mind. 'Wait . . . She was signing . . . Does that mean that she's unable to talk? That's . . . '

"Oba-san." Eri called out as she passed the cup of hot tea to Renni. "I know you are here for Risa. But she's not here with me. That's the fact. I haven't been able to contact her since last Friday. I really don't know where is she."

Renni kept silence as she registered the answer Eri gave about the question she asked.

"And from the bottom of my heart, I think this disappearance of Risa is not due to the marriage deal Oji-san had arranged. Definitely not." Eri continued.

"And why do you think Risa had ran away this time round?" Renni asked as she looked seriously into Eri's eyes.

"Maybe she remembered something from her childhood, before she was 5." Eri suggested, knowing very well that what would that meant.

And that sentence struck Renni, leaving her being frozen on the spot.

"That would be possible, isn't it?" Eri suggested again. Before she could further confront Renni about the past, Ai came rushing out of the room and stopped Eri, pulling her away from Renni and into the dining area.

(You promised me you would not confront them, Eri-san.) Ai signed as she huffed.

"Ai . . . chan ?"