Mirai stood like a lost kid in the street. When she asked Miyu to dropped her, she saw a coffee shop not too far and sat there for a couple of hours contemplating things. A lot happened recently. Things happened too fast, she needed to rewind everything in her head, trying to test its authenticity. Yet a part of her doesn’t really wanted to be reminded with all those unpleasant things.

She realized in that spot, when she was looking at the road, she was not really lost. She knew the direction. What kept her still was because she was rewinding all those unpleasant things again.

She sighed and turned around only to see a man standing not too far from him.

He was surprised as she was. He walked closer to her and bowed.

Mirai: Yama— (gulped) Yamada.

Ryosuke: (grinned) What’s with that? We did not see for ages and I only get ‘Yamada’. (mimicking Mirai)

Mirai: (smiled) What are you doing here?

Ryosuke: Taking a break actually.

Mirai: (nods) A day-off?

Ryosuke: A month-off.

Mirai: Oh. That’s quite a long break.

Ryosuke: Apparently. (sighs)

For a moment they got silent. It was a strange feeling for these childhood friends to bump on each other in their hometown after what…? 10 years of not seeing each other?

A couple of years after Mirai’s marriage, she retired in the acting industry. She focused on her married life and officially closed the curtains of show business. Meanwhile, Ryosuke and his band kept growing in the industry. He, particularly, also grew more as an actor and a TV personality.

Ryosuke: Ah. (he pulled his tensed shoulder) Where are you off to? You seemed lost?

Mirai: (forcefully laugh) I am actually getting something...i-in the convenient store! Yeah.

She was smart enough to come up with a good alibi.  She remembered there was a convenient store nearby.

Ryosuke: Oh cool. I am heading there too.

Mirai: (surprised) E-Eh?

*****

They got out of the convenient store. Ryosuke got some snacks and beer while Mirai got some random stuffs just to fill her shopping basket.

Ryosuke: (sighs) Life is getting really suffocating lately.

Mirai froze for a moment before she smiled and teased the guy.

Mirai: (smirks) Can’t handle the fame?

Ryosuke: (laughs) More like getting into the phase of ojii-san-ism.

Mirai: (laughs) Right. (sighs) You also deserve to take a little breather.

Ryosuke: I know. Being in the entertainment industry all your life burns out. I kindly miss stuffs like this. Anyway, (looks back a Mirai) It’s actually good seeing you around after a long time. When you got married, we suddenly also stopped hanging around. Everyone became really distant.

Mirai: (nods slowly) I kinda miss everyone too.

The little reminisce about their high school friends made them silent for a while.

Ryosuke: We could actually bring everyone together. All of our friends in high school. (smiles) Maybe we can make time, right?

Mirai smiles at him and they started walking again.

Ryosuke: (walks ahead) Are you having a little vacation?

Mirai: Ah…well. I’m…I’m actually staying for good.

Ryosuke: Really? (surprised) Hmmm…Isn’t it a little difficult for your husband to be driving from Tokyo to here and vice versa for work?

Mirai suddenly stopped walking.

Ryosuke: I mean, it’s still pretty convenient in Tokyo since his work is in there, right? Or was he transferred here, or somewhere nearby?

Mirai: Actually…Actually, we are processing our divorce. I can’t bear to stay at home with him while it is still on process so I decided to just—

She stopped when Ryosuke was now looking at her shocked and confused. When he realized his reaction, he immediately gulped and blinked.

Ryosuke: I’m sorry. I didn’t know.

Mirai: (forcefully smiles) Nobody actually knew outside my family.

Ryosuke: Sorry, you have to brought it up to me.

Mirai: (shakes her head) It’s nothing. Strangely, I actually felt better that I told you. (sighs) I have been so private about my married life. I felt a little lighter that I can tell someone about it.

Ryosuke can only just stare and observe the woman next to him. Her eyes were sad. How could he never notice something was off?

Mirai: (stops walking) Anyway, this is where we part ways. Good to see you.

Ryosuke smiled and bowed at her. He stood there for a while looking at Mirai leaving.

Ryosuke: Mirai-chan!

Mirai looked back at him.

Ryosuke: I’ll see you around.

Mirai got silent for a moment before she smiled at the guy.

*****

Miyu: Yamada? As in Yamada Ryosuke, right?

Mirai: (nods)

Shida-okaasan: (smiles) I see him on TV a lot. That kid had grown into a man.

Miyu: Does he still look better in person than on TV like he always was?

Mirai: I don’t know about that.

Miyu: You used to have a big crush on him when you were kids. You kept on talking about ‘Yama-chan cooks really well. Yama-chan is really funny. Yama-chan. Yam-chan. Yama-chan!’ (laughs teasingly)

Mirai: What are you saying?

Miyu: Am I wrong? (smiled slyly) I can’t blame my onee-chan, ne?

Mirai just sighed and rolled her eyes.

Miyu: I wonder if your married life is better if you end up with him instead.

Shida-okaasan: Miyu~

Miyu: I mean, not Yamada Ryosuke, specifically. Maybe, someone from the same field. Someone in the entertainment industry who will understand Mirai-nee’s passion for her craft and—

Shida-okaasan: Miyu.

Miyu: Fine! But that guy is still an , he doesn’t deserve my sister.

Mirai: Miyu! Please.

Miyu: (sighed) Sorry.

There was a moment of silence before the girls’ mom sighed and talked.

Shida-okaasan: At least that guy your sister married is a multimillionaire .

Mirai: Ma!

Mirai looked briefly at her mom before the three of them laughed.

Mirai: (while laughing) I can’t believe he bought me a whole beach house when we were still dating. That was absurd!

Miyu: He was really generous though. (laughs)

Shida-okaasan: We should talk about the price of your wedding ring. We can have it pawned.

And the laughter got louder.

*****

Meanwhile in Yamada residence, Ryosuke was sitting on the dining room, casually sipping a cup of tea, remembering that encounter with Mirai.

He hasn’t really thought Mirai would end up divorcing her husband. They seem so perfect together. He still remembered her smile on her wedding day as she tucked on her husband’s arm.

Yamada-otosan: Why are you still up?

Ryosuke: Hey dad.

Yamada-otosan: Thinking of a girl you left in Tokyo?

The old man teased his only son while Ryosuke just chuckled.

Ryosuke: There’s no such thing as that.

Yamada-otosan: You should consider marrying anytime by now. I remember Arashi started settling during your age.

Ryosuke: (smiled) Yeah I thought of it, but…

Yamada-otosan: The right woman hasn’t come yet?

Ryosuke contemplated that for a moment. Has she really never come yet? Or was he just too stupid to actually never realized she had come his way.

Yamada-otosan: That’s fine. You can’t always force it. Only the right time can bring it to you.

Ryosuke: How do you actually know…when the right one has come?

He never thought he is going to continue the conversation. He never really paid attention to things like marriage and love, except for now and it seemed his dad noticed it, judging by his reaction.

Yamada-otosan: There will never be signs. There isn’t any guide for it. But you’ll know when it comes. There will be times, you’ll let it slip away, then regret it. But, there is a thing called “perfect timing”.

He smiled at him and tapped his shoulder.

Yamada-otosan: But in my case with your mom, I have never let her slipped away. The moment I felt it, I never let it go.

Ryosuke: (chuckled) Right.

Yamada-otosan: You haven’t been in serious dating after that one girl you dated after high school, I hope you’ll give yourself that chance again.

Ryosuke: Satoko eh? (he smiled at the thought of her) She was really too good for me.

Yamada-otosan: There’s no such thing as ‘too good’ or ‘too bad’. (laughs) Why did you break up anyway?

Ryosuke thought for a while. Why exactly did their relationship crumble after 2 years of being together? He remembered their romantic relationship being leaked in the media. His fans never approved of it. They didn’t like her for him, nor anyone for him.

Ryosuke: (pouts) Work?

The old man chuckled and tapped his shoulder.

Yamada-otosan: Of course! You haven’t even confessed to that girl you had a huge crush in high school because of work. I love how dedicated you are, Ryosuke. Your mom raised you well. (laughed)

That girl. That hit Ryosuke. More than anything, he was always a failure when it comes to these things involving feelings.

****

Ryosuke picked up his phone, dialed Chinen in the late hour of the night.

Ryosuke: Chii!

Chinen: What the hell?! Is this an emergency?

Ryosuke: Can you drive to my house? Look into my drawers, the ones with some of my accessories. Tell me if you see a small diamond ring. It’s dainty and just really plain—

Chinen: Hey wait! Can you not be so demanding? Your house is like miles away from mine. And it’s 11 in the evening, I just came home from a shoot and I need a good sleep, you know.

Ryosuke: (sighed) Sorry.

Chinen: I will look for it sometime when I am free. I’ll beep you if I find it.

Ryosuke: (smiles) Thanks Chii.

Ryosuke heaved. He remembered those sad eyes that kept rewinding in his memories as she laid down the diamond ring he gave her.

TO BE CONTINUED....