“I lied…I lied…” Selina said through her tears.

Jiro watched her feeling his heart tear apart with pain.

“You lied about what?” Jiro questioned.

“I went swimming at the lake when I wasn’t supposed to,” Selina began, “I got caught in the waves and Pete came to save me. He drowned shortly after pushing me to shore and dad got really mad at me. I didn’t know there was water in my ears…but dad just kept hitting my ears yelling at me if I ever listened to him. My ears ached for the next few weeks and strange liquid kept coming out…” Selina began to sob. “I didn’t know…I was sorry…I told him I was sorry…he never listened…”

Jiro watched as Selina dropped onto her knees crying through her sobs.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“Your father…it was his fault?” Jiro questioned. “Where is your father?”

“He came to Taipei…I don’t know where he is now,” Selina told. “I tried hating him for leaving mom…I really did…I just couldn’t do it…”

“Selina…” Jiro said.

“I shouldn’t be here…you shouldn’t be here…” Selina told. “You’re better off without me…there’s nothing I can do for you…I mean it.”

Selina cried a moment more and gathered her strength standing up.

“I’m going to go home…” Selina told. “You should stay here to collect your memories. You have more here than I do.”

Before she reached the stairs Jiro grabbed her arm stopping her.

“I…I don’t like seeing you sad because it hurts me too,” Jiro said. “Deaf or not I’ll be with you, even if you’re dying I’ll stay with you. Wherever you go I want to be there with you. I told you I like you now…no…maybe I even love you now. Do you hear that? I love you.”

Selina finally turned her face to look at him. Tears still dropping from her eyes she bit her lip unable to speak because of the sobs. Jiro wrapped his arms around her tightly and once more Selina could feel the warmth emitting from him. ‘Don’t lose faith yet…I promise I’ll set things right for you. I swear I will’ Jiro promised in his thoughts.

After Selina took a quick shower she and Jiro set out on the streets to get some fresh air and to clear their minds. Walking side by side Jiro silently slipped his hand into Selina’s. He really wanted to make sure that Selina would stay with him. He really did not want her to go back to the village alone. He did not want to disappoint her family. If he were to be married he’d only want Selina as his wife though she was as slow in thinking as a turtle and clumsy still she had proved herself, without knowing, to be capable of being everything he wanted. Selina’s fingers were loose and she did not hold his hand tightly, but he was assured as long as she did not pull her hand away.

“Lets get something to eat I’m hungry,” Jiro said breaking the silence between them.

Selina looked up at him and around at the food stalls that were set up.

“Lets get some chicken broth,” Selina suggested, “it’ll help keep us warm since tonight is a little chilly.”

“Good idea,” Jiro said.

Throughout the short meal they talked a little here and there letting Jiro realize that Selina did not want to open up again. After paying they walked around a bit more.

“Jiro! Hey Jiro!” a voice shouted all of a sudden.

Jiro stopped in his tracks and turned around to see someone running toward him. A person in black sweatpants and a black sweater stopped before him panting hard.

“Oh my God! Where have you been?! We’ve been looking for you for ages!” the person shouted.

Jiro stared at him for a moment then a smile spread across his face, “Aaron?!”

“Do you really have that short of a memory that you don’t remember your own homey?!” Aaron questioned then glanced at Selina. “Hello there. Who are you?”

Selina stared back at him silently.

“A little shy are you?” questioned Aaron. “How about we get to know each other a little more at my place. You know we can chill.”

“Excuse me?” Selina questioned confused.

“I’ll give you a hint: It’s not good to play hard to get you know?” Aaron told.

“I don’t get what you’re saying, but I’m married,” Selina said.

Aaron made a face and laughed, “You sure know how to lie! You don’t look very married to me! Come on you’re only twenty and you’re married?! Don’t joke around cause it hurts my heart, you know?”

“You what?” questioned Selina.

“Hey Jiro, who is she?” Aaron asked.

“My wife,” Jiro answered.

Aaron could feel a hammer swing down upon him.

“What?! Jiro you’d better not be lying!” Aaron exclaimed. “You’re married?!”

“This is Selina,” Jiro introduced with a foolish smile.

Aaron scratched the back of his head unsure if he was hearing right, “But…what about Mod?”

Jiro suddenly became very silent and his eyes very serious. He let go of Selina’s hand and rushed Aaron away from Selina.

“What about Mod?” questioned Jiro.

“She…didn’t you tell her to wait…” Aaron told.

“She should have moved on,” Jiro told.

“But you…” Aaron began but got cut off again.

“Shh! Don’t you say a thing about her in front of Sel,” Jiro warned.

“Aren’t you going to go back to her? She’s waited so long and here you are married out of nowhere!” Aaron said his voice becoming loud.

Jiro had slap his hand over Aaron’s mouth, “Don’t tell anyone I’m married and tell Mod to forget me. I have to hurry back. Remember.”

Jiro quickly turned around and approached Selina again.

“Your friend?” Selina questioned. “He seems humorous.”

“He only has the looks nothing else,” Jiro saild. “Lets hurry home.”

As Selina slept peacefully Jiro lay awake. His mind running over and over about Mod. He’d loved her back then...at least he believed he did. Comparing to how he felt for Selina now he loved Selina more. He never kept any of his promises to Mod always disappointing her but for Selina it was the opposite. He’d promised he’d get Mod a ring and he had told her to wait at their favorite place, but he never made it because he’d stolen that stupid Ferrari in order to get to her on time. Wu Chun and the others would kill him if they knew that he went missing for months and came back married. Jiro wondered how bad it would hurt Mod, but it’d probably hurt Selina if she found out about it too. Jiro turned over in bed and glanced at Selina’s sleeping face. He smiled as he reached forward to put her hair behind her ears. Everything would be fine for now.

_*_*_*_*_*_

After meeting Jiro Aaron rushed back to Wu Chun’s house where they all lived. There in a small yellow room with tan carpet and a coffee table surrounded by sofas Wu Chun and the rest of their friends were sitting. A glass bottle of beer sat on the table.

“Where were you?” Wu Chun questioned. “Took you two hours to come back, did you eat a pig or something?”

Aaron rolled his eyes and sat down in a sofa lazily, “I ate…but I didn’t eat a pig! I ate a bowl of beef noodles. Anyway some things just came up.”

“Hey I was out on the streets earlier too I think I saw a look a like Jiro,” Pat interrupted.

“Jiro?” Wu Chun’s eyes widened and he sat forward throwing the pillow on his lap aside. “Jiro as in Jiro Wang? The one who went missing after claiming he would marry Mod?”

Pat nodded, “But you know me I have bad eyesight.”

“You idiot! Then why bring it up?!” questioned Wu Chun throwing the sofa pillow at him.

“Well, can you blame me?” questioned Pat as he caught the pillow.

“Did you see anyone similar to him?” questioned Wu Chun throwing his attention to Aaron.

Aaron stared at Wu Chun remembering that Jiro had asked him not to say anything. Jiro had always been there for him and done so much things for him. If it wasn't for Jiro Aaron wasn't even sure he'd be alive right now. Jiro had found him on the street shivering from the freezing rain and introduced him to Wu Chun, the oldest and richest out of them all, and that was when he'd found a place to stay. A second home after he’d run away from his step father.

“Aaron! Aaron!” shouted Wu Chun.

“Oh yes?” Aaron questioned snapping out of his thoughts.

“Did you see Jiro or anyone that looked like him?” questioned Wu Chun.

“I…uh…I…no,” Aaron told.

“You really know how to lie,” Eric said walking into the room with a bottle of beer in his hand. “You know your ear twitches when you lie.”

“What?! Really?” questioned Aaron touching his ear.

“Caught you,” Eric said sitting down.

Aaron made a face knowing that Wu Chun would pin him down now that he lied. Aaron gulped as Wu Chun slowly gave him a smirk.