*********************************Author's Note***********************************

This chapter may be a bit too mushy and cheesy... But I still hope you'll like it :) Enjoy! 

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Weeks had passed since the incident inside the Arashi house and Mao is still heartbroken. It was already expected for her to concentrate on work just so she could momentarily forget about the pain she is still experiencing. Good thing there were a lot of projects and deadlines she had to meet that kept her pretty much occupied.

For Mao, today was just another busy day but never did she know that one particular guy would again shake up her world.

***

It was already past noon and Mao was still at her office. All the other boutique persons were already having their lunch while Mao chose to continue doing paper work. Half an hour had passed and only when Mao heard her stomach grumble did she realize that she hadn’t eaten lunch yet.

“Sorry, baby. Mommy just got a little carried away with work. I wouldn’t want to starve you so let’s eat.” Mao caressed her stomach that’s already trying to show. She was still in her strawberry binge so it wasn’t a surprised that her packed lunch was full of this particular fruit.

Mao was just about to pop one dainty red strawberry when she heard a load shriek coming from the boutique. Thinking it could be an emergency situation, she immediately dropped the fruit she’s holding and dashed through her door. The scene that greeted her was something that’s truly unanticipated.

Matsumoto Jun of Arashi was inside Hime’s Kiss, bearing a large bouquet of roses.

***

 A few minutes before, while Mao was busy working inside her office, the staff people of the boutique were busy enjoying their lunches. From experience, it was during this particular time of the day where almost no customer enters the shop. People were expected to be eating their lunch as well. Much to the workers’ surprise, a silver Porsche parked in front of the boutique. They even ceased eating when an extremely good looking man with shades on stepped out of the car. The female staff got very excited when the said man brought out a bouquet of roses and walked towards the office.

Normally, only the security guard and the staff person nearest the door would greet the store’s customers. In this case, it was as if the whole female population of the workers in Hime’s Kiss gathered around the door to greet this particular person.

“Irasshaimase!” The girls chorused.

Jun was surprised with the hospitality of Mao’s store. No wonder this one’s part of the top fashion stores in Tokyo.

“What are you looking for, sir?”

“Dresses? Shoes? Bags? Accessories?”

“What style do you prefer, sir?”

“Our latest feature is the Lolita style, sir.”

“Will this be for a gift, sir?”

“We have perfect gift ideas for women of all ages, sir.”

Jun was bombarded by questions and suggestions from the female staff. What bothers him more is that with each question, the girls also took a step closer towards him. His DoS side wanted to push them all away but the fact that these people were all under Mao kept this thought at the back of his mind.

“I’m looking for Inoue Mao-san.” That simple statement made the ladies back off a little.

“Do you have an appointment with Inoue-san?” One staff replied.

“Inoue-san does not take walk-in clients for her customized designs.” Another one added.

Yabai. I probably should have called first. Silly me for barging in without a plan. Jun did another mental slap to himself. Guess I have to charm my way out of this mess…

“Anou. I honestly have not set an appointment with her but Mao-chan’s my friend. I came to check up on her. Just tell her that Matsumoto Jun is here.”  To launch his final charm attack, Jun took off his shades and smiled brightly as the sun towards the ladies.

A rabid fangirl among the staff wasn’t able to contain herself. She screamed upon seeing her worshipped idol in front of her.

That is what alarmed Mao and caused her to rush outside of her work den.

***

“Matsumoto Jun.” Mao whispered the name of the man that’s meeting her gaze at the moment.

“Mao-chan!” Jun waved at her. He squirmed out of the sea of staff people, towards Mao. “Hisashiburi.”

“What makes you think you can just appear here at my shop and pretend as if nothing happened?!” Mao snapped at him.

“I haven’t forgotten what I’ve done to you, Mao.” Jun bowed and extended his arms to hand Mao the large bouquet. “I’m sorry.”

Mao grabbed the roses from Jun’s hands. From this action, Jun thought that he’s already forgiven. He was expecting a smiling Mao to be holding and smelling the roses he gave. But what greeted him upon standing from a bowing position was the contrary of his expectation.

“What?! You think I’ll forgive you just because of these flowers? Don’t underestimate me, Matsumoto-san.” While still holding the bouquet, she shoved the shocked Jun. “I’m not one of your fangirls. I won’t be swayed with merely this. You have to be better than that.” Mao went towards the trash bin and forcefully threw the roses.

“Now, if you have no other business whatsoever in my shop, you’re free to go.” She extended her arm, pointing towards the exit.

When Jun didn’t bulge, Mao glared at him. “Someone please Matsumoto-san to the exit door. He seems to be lost. Now, excuse me. I still have work to attend to.” Without looking back, Mao left for her office.

Jun was astounded. He wasn’t expecting Mao to still be spitting fire. But who can blame her? What I did deserved more than this.

He left the store, now more determined to obtain Mao’s forgiveness.

***

Mao clearly wasn’t expecting Matsumoto Jun to come back after what she’s done to him. After all, he’s an idol. He wouldn’t be attuned to such embarrassment. The whole media would be shaken if they got hold of the headline, “Matsumoto Jun of Arashi dumped by a boutique owner!” Good thing I still have my pride and good heart that I would let that happen.

Talking to herself while being immersed in work had been pretty much the preoccupation of Mao the next day. Guess she was quite affected by the presence of a certain idol yesterday.

Upon reaching Hime’s Kiss, Mao called upon her all her staff for a meeting.

“As you may remember, a certain person in the name of Matsumoto Jun entered our shop yesterday. And with his presence comes trouble. And hurt. And pain.” The staff could see the pain in her eyes. “So…” Mao walked to and fro, nervously. “From this day onwards, I forbid that man from stepping into my shop. Please do not let him in, under any circumstance. This I beg of you, my dear friends.”

The staff only nodded as a response. Her people couldn’t have opposed Mao’s decision even if they wanted too. Even the Arashi fangirls among them did not express their qualms. Seeing how their boss seemingly hates the guy, it would be best for them to just go by her wishes.

Being satisfied with their reactions, Mao excused herself and went to her office. As if on cue, she started sketching dresses and become truly engaged in it.

***

Hours later, Matsumoto Jun was on his way to Hime’s Kiss.

He was now prepared to launch a full attack on Mao so that she could forgive him. As an entertainer, he has tricks up his sleeves that he thinks will be able to melt Mao’s heart.

Upon reaching the store’s door, Jun was intercepted by one security guard.

“Inoue Mao-san forbade you to go inside Mr.”

Jun was taken aback. “I just need to talk to her. Let me in.” He gently shoved the man’s arm.

“I’m terribly sorry sir but this is the boss’s orders. Please leave.” The guard slowly led Jun out of the way. However, the idol still refused to leave. Unexpectedly, he threw his arms around the guard. “I really, really need to talk to her. Is there really no way you can let me pass through that door?” Jun smiled.

The man suddenly became silent. He seemed to be deep in thought. From the little head shakes and a number of ‘tsk, tsk’ he let out, the guard seemed to be very hesitating about something. Finally, he sighed. “Fine. I’ll let you in on one condition.”

Jun gulped. He braced himself for what the guard was about to tell him to do.

“Do me a fan sign.”

“Eh?” Jun was flabbergasted.

“My daughter’s a huge fan of yours. She’s been worshipping you ever since she became a teen. Every time I go home, I find her and even my wife glued to the television, tuned in to your shows.”

“Oh wow. I’m flattered.”

“Actually, her birthday’s only a week from now and I haven’t found the perfect gift for her. I know she’ll be truly glad to receive an autograph from you, Matsumoto-san. Can you let my little girl happy?”

Jun immediately ran back to his car. After a few minutes, he returned, bearing a piece of paper and marker. “What’s your daughter’s name?”

“Michiko. Tanueda Michiko.”

Jun seemed to be scribbling for some time while the guard continued to watch him.

“Hai. It’s done!” Jun handed him the piece of paper.

The security person read its contents aloud. “Dear Michiko-chan, Happy Birthday. Continue to enjoy life. Thank you for supporting me and Arashi. Have a wonderful day.” At the end of the letter was Matsumoto Jun’s authentic signature.

“Arigato! Domo arigato! My daughter will be on cloud nine once she receives this.” He hugged Jun, much to the latter’s surprise. “Now, go! Go redeem yourself to Inoue-san. Apologize properly.” The older man even opened the door for him.

“Yosh! Arigato, Tanueda-san.” He gave the man a high five. “Here I go!” Jun first took a deep breath and entered Hime’s Kiss once more.

***

“Irrashaimase! Kyaa! It’s Matsumoto Jun-san!” screamed the saleslady who greeted Jun.

“Shh!” Jun held her close and silenced her. “We don’t want the other customers to be disturbed neh?”

Being speechless from the fact that the great Matsujun of Arashi is holding her, the lady could only nod as a response.

“Okay. Now I’ll only release you if you promise to do me a favor.”

Again, the lady could only rock her head up and down. With that, Jun gently released her from his grasps.

“Now then, about the favor… Will you please let me see Inoue-san?”

“Gomen neh, Matsumoto-san. Inoue-san specifically said that she does not want to see you. She even ordered us to not let you inside. I wonder why Tanueda-san let you in.”

“We made a deal.” Jun defended himself. If Mao doesn’t want me to get in and talk to her, then I must make her go out! He finally thought of a brilliant plan.

“Well, then. I won’t force myself inside her office. I’ll just stay here in the boutique. However, there is something I must do…”

***

Mao was still very much engrossed in her work when she heard someone singing. It seemed like it came from outside her office. Thinking that it was just one customer or someone from her staff that’s letting out a tune, she decided to shrug it off. However when the singing became louder and was now accompanied by an electric guitar, Mao couldn’t help but drop her art materials and leave her office.

For the second time around, the cause of Mao’s surprise was Matsumoto Jun.

“What the?!” Mao was bewildered by the scene in front of her.

Matsumoto Jun was standing near the cashier with an electric guitar in his arms. Upon finally seeing Mao emerge from her little office, he started strumming it. The girls couldn’t contain their screams when Jun started singing as well.

To be honest, Mao was mesmerized by his heartfelt song. She could definitely feel him saying sorry through the song. Unconsciously, she was already being drawn by the sight of the singing Matsujun. As if having a mind of its own, her feet brought her towards him.

The whole time he was performing, Jun maintained eye contact with Mao. He wanted her to know of his feelings. Even if ballad was Nino and Riida’s forte, he tried his best to sing it properly.

“Gomen neh…”

The last line brought tears to the fangirls. It was very rare for Matsujun to perform a ballad, better yet perform it in a public place. Who would have thought that Hime’s Kiss would become a stage for today? Good thing there were no other customers inside the shop. They would have flocked and filled the whole boutique if they only knew an Arashi member would be performing there.

“I’m really sorry Mao. I hope I made my feelings reach you through the only thing I know best aside from dancing…” He held her hands and looked her directly in the eyes.

Mao had to admit that she was flattered by Jun’s actions. However, her mind was telling her that singing still was not enough to guarantee her forgiveness.

Mao withdrew her hands from Jun’s grasps and turned her back on him. “I’m sorry too, Matsumoto-san. Because I still can’t bring myself to forgive you.” She sighed deeply and then faced Jun again.

“If it was only me you’ve hurt, I would probably forgiven you ages ago. However, you’ve cause pain to another being. A being that even though is still not in full form can also feel hurt.” Mao placed a hand on her stomach and then caressed it gently.

“Thank you for your song, Matsumoto-san. It was wonderful. But I guess it wasn’t what I needed for me forgive you.” She then retreated back to her office with a sad smile.

With Mao’s last sentence, Jun felt his heart sank. Never in his life had he felt this guilt and disappointment from himself before.

Even from outside the boutique, Tanueda-san was able to witness the whole incident. He couldn’t help but pity the boy. He could see from Jun’s eyes that he was sincere and was really trying his best to seek forgiveness.

With heavy and dragging footsteps, Jun left the shop. Upon exiting the door, he received a pat on the back for the guard. “Nice try, kid! Even though you weren’t successful, you know you gave it your best shot. Don’t lose hope neh~ Girls like Inoue-san are too precious and delicate. One must handle them gently, with love.”

Jun smiled at the concern of his new found ally. “Thank you. That was nice to hear. Don’t worry. I’m not giving up easily.”

With that Jun embarked on his journey home.

***

A week had already passed and there was still no sign of Matsumoto Jun.

Mao really doesn’t know if this paranoia is due to her pregnancy or to the fact that she misses that Matsumoto bastard.

Damn it, Matsumoto! Last week, you’ve bothered me for two days in a row. I was actually looking forward to your next moves and yet up to now, you haven’t made a single move to enter my shop. Aargh! This is frustrating! Mao tugged her hair in annoyance.

The young Inoue tried hard to focus on her work but ever since Matsumoto Jun barged in her shop last week, she hasn’t been able to fully concentrate. For several times these past few days, she found herself staring blankly into space, recalling the image of Jun holding his guitar and serenading her. The way his eyes stare intensely into her own always flashes back to her mind.

She wouldn’t dare declare it out loud but heck! She missed Matsumoto Jun. It is evident from the fact that these thoughts already filled her head even if she’d just woken up from sleep.

“No! From now on, no more thinking about Matsumoto Jun! Let’s concentrate on work and finish the day thinking only about work. No more Matsumoto Jun images on my head. No more flashes of him and his pretty guitar---” She slapped herself back to reality. “I said no more of him!” Mao declared for herself. With that, she began her daily morning routine and then proceeded to Hime’s Kiss.

Mao arrived awfully early. Only Tanueda-san, the security guard was in the area. “Ohayou gozaimasu, Inoue-san!” The man tipped his hat in greeting.

“Ohayo, Tanueda-san. No one seems to have arrived yet. Am I too early?”

“Indeed you’ve arrived earlier than usual, Inoue-san. Even the manager who is in charge of opening the store hasn’t arrived yet. Would you like me to open up the store for you?” Tanueda-san volunteered to release the locks surrounding the shop.

“No worries, Tanueda-san. I can do it on my own.” Mao did what she told him. She opened up the locks. The guard, on the other hand, couldn’t resist opening up the door for his boss after.

Once Mao stepped inside the store, she had her eyes widened in shock.

The habitually clean and orderly store of Hime’s Kiss was now full of post-its of different colors. Not a single space was left without a post-it on it. The sight was such an eye candy that Mao couldn’t help but gape in awe. Wanting to see if they were real post-its, Mao decided to lift one up. She was again amazed by what was written in it. “I’m sorry” it said in perfect bold English letters.

She lifted another one, this time colored pink and “Gomen nasai” was written in romanji. She glanced at the other ones and was surprised to find out that each color had a corresponding “I’m Sorry” statement written in different languages. There were even written in different fonts and font sizes. From the looks of it, everything was hand-written.

The fact that it was all hand-made caused Mao to be teary-eyed. “Who would have made such a fuss for me?” Mao whispered.

“Me.” A voice answered.

Mao quickly turned in response and a dashing Matsumoto Jun greeted her. “For you.” He handed her another bouquet of roses, this time it was a larger set.

“Don’t think that I’m bribing you again with those flowers. They’re just my gift for you.” Jun made sure to explain himself first. Mao couldn’t help but chuckle at this statement.

Jun cleared his throat first. Then, he started his long-awaited speech.

“For the nth time, I’m sorry, Mao. I know I’ve messed up. Screwed up so badly. I know I insulted you and accused you of something you’re not. I regret doing the stupidest thing of hurting you and your baby. I’m all aware of what I did and the emotional pain it caused. For that, I’m sorry.

“I admit I chickened out. I got scared. I became confused. The news of me becoming a father was a huge shock for me. Images of me being bashed by fans and booed by the audience filled my mind. Even the thought of Arashi being disbanded clouded my thinking. I was scared of losing Arashi. I was scared of losing everything that I’ve worked hard for in the past decades. Forgive me, Mao for being so narrow-minded.

“But you know what? A dream came to me last week. It was about a little surfer boy. He looked so cool playing with the waves.  Then after getting out of the water, he came up to me and asked me to cook pasta for him. I obliged and led him to a beach house. I made the pasta sauce while he grated the cheese. He looked very happy eating the dish I cooked. And then the boy did the sweetest thing of twirling a spoonful of pasta and feeding it to me, saying that I should also taste the food I cooked for him. Mao-chan, the little boy said I was his papa.”

Jun held Mao’s hands and looked into her eyes. “I think it’s your baby, Mao. Even for an instant, he made me experience being a father. I liked the feeling, Mao. I loved it. I could vividly remember the little boy’s hugs and kisses for me. I enjoyed them, Mao. I want to experience them for real. I’m truly sorry for what I did and I promise not to make you feel that way again. I won’t let anyone hurt you and your baby, and by anyone, I mean including myself. So please let me be a part of your baby’s life. Even if I may not be truly the father, even if I only have 1/5 of the chance of becoming one, I want to be around the baby as he/she grows. Please give me a chance, Mao.”

All this time Mao was held in a trance by Jun. His voice, his looks, his actions, everything was perfect in Mao’s eyes. It wasn’t a surprise when she finally gave in.

“Fine. I forgive you already. Let’s just forget what happened. Stress is bad for our health.” Mao showed Jun her most charming smile.

“Yosh!” Jun punched his fists up the air.

“But if you really want to be part of my baby’s life, I have one condition.”

“Anything. Bring it on!” He flashed an equally charming smile.

“Accompany me to my check-up to the OB-Gyne next week.” Mao started to explain herself. “My parents are abroad and have no clue about my condition. My two best friends can’t make it because they have important work to attend to. I can’t approach my other friends because they also do not know about my pregnancy. Only you and the rest of Arashi know about this, beside my best friends.”

“Deal! It’s a date then.” Jun winked at Mao, which made the latter blush. “When and where do you want me to fetch you?”

Mao fetched a piece of paper and scribbled on it. “Here are my home address and my contact details. My appointment is at 10am.”

Jun hugged Mao in his excitement. “Thank you, Mao! You don’t know how much this means to me. Thank you for this chance.”

“Okay. Okay. You’re welcome.” She couldn’t help but hug him back. She clearly was enjoying the attention from Jun. If Mao’s eyes hadn’t met Tanueda-san’s from the door, they would pretty much still be enjoying themselves.

“Uhm. The store will be opening in a few minutes. You should probably get going.” Mao released herself from Jun.

“Okay then. See you next week! Ja!” Jun waved himself goodbye. “And oh. About these post-its. Let your staff do the work. I already asked them to clean up in exchange for something they can’t resist.”