Mirai was striding into the departure gate of London’s airport. She was hoping she wasn’t late. Ryosuke told her that his flight was this morning at 9. With her totebag in hand, she threw her gaze around the huge hall. She carefully read the flight board and found that Ryosuke’s flight number would depart in about an hour, so she wasn’t late.

She was about to dial Ryosuke’s number when suddenly a hand pressed on her shoulder.

“Hey, you’re the girl from a few days ago, aren’t you?” a voice of a man asked in English.

Her gaze met with a figure of a tall man standing beside her. A British dude, she was sure. The man gave her a wide smile, and she then remembered that he was one of Ryosuke’s discussion friends she saw back in the college lounge.

“Oh, hi,” she replied with her own smile.

“Such a nice coincidence we meet here, isn’t it?” he winked flirtily at her.

By then she could conclude that this man must be a player. That huge grin and flirty words were the sign. She wanted to get some distance, yet this man reached out a hand.

“I’m Dave, and you?”

She hesitantly took the hand, but confidently introduced herself, “Mirai Shida.”

She wanted to immediately pull her hand, but he held it, saying, “I’ve seen many Japanese girl, but you’re the prettiest, I swear.”

This man started annoying her, and she was sure if he continued trying to hit on her, she would give him a hard slap straight in the face.

She was just about to yank her hand when she heard Ryosuke’s deep voice.

“Hands off, Dave!” Ryosuke’s eyes narrowed slightly, brows furrowed, as he gave Dave a deadly glare.

Dave immediately released her hand.Ryosuke came to her side, brought his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

“Chill, man!” Dave lifted both his hand as though yielding. “You know I have over Asian women, and your friend is cute. Thought I could have a chance.”

She glared at this daring man. She really wanted to punch him.

“I don’t care whom you’re flirting with. Just one thing,” Ryosuke’s icy tone was menacing. “Never touch my girl!”

Her heart soared with pride as she heard what Ryosuke said, and how it made Dave widen his eyes in surprise and... what was that... fear? She wasn’t sure what was that emotion flickered in Dave’s eyes before he eventually apologized to both her and Ryosuke.

Just a few seconds after Dave walked away, one by one Ryosuke’s friends came greeted them. Ryosuke didn’t hesitate introducing her to them, and to her delight, he introduced her as his fiancee.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Ryosuke said when finally they were alone. He purposely stayed a bit behind from his friends to talk with her.

“I’m going home today,” she answered.

“Isn’t it supposed to be the day after tomorrow?”

She shook her head, “My purpose has been fullfilled, and you’re not here, so I don’t have any reason to stay longer. Besides, I need to figure my way out, right?”

He smiled, “Fine. But spare me my dignity by not saying anything about us to your father yet, okay?”

“Okay!”

“And... Mirai,” he suddenly became serious. “Back then, I told you not to wait for me, but now, I’m really asking, please wait for me. I promise it won’t be long. Give me time until the end of this semester.”

“You don’t need to ask. Now that I know you still love me, the wait wouldn’t be as miserable as before. I’m gonna be patient.”

“Thank you,” he said. “I need to go now. You be careful, and give me know once you arrive at Japan.”

“You, too, be careful, and good luck for the competition.”

He leaned in and gave a quick peck on her forehead before waving a good bye and walking away. When his back disappeared from her sight, she immediately went to check her boarding in.She needed to go back to Japan. She and Ryosuke had agreed to think about a way for their relationship so that it wouldn’t hurt anyone nor cause any suffering to her family company. As she heard her flight call, she considered that she would go to Yuri and Umika for an advice.

**********

“WHAT?!”

Umika’s exclaim made Mirai flinched. She just finished telling Umika that she had gone to London to visit Ryosuke.

“You didn’t tell me,” Umika muttered.

“I’m sorry, Umika-chan,” she apologized. “I didn’t want anyone to know it yet, even you, because it would be too embarassing if it turned out failed.”

Umika went into silence. Truthfully it always unnerved her whenever she got that look from Umika: cold and piercing.

“So,” after a moment Umika spoke, “You and Ryosuke are in relationship now?”

She smiled happily, nodding, “Yes.”

“How about your future husband candidates then?”

“Dad only asked me to attend some events to see those guys. He hasn’t asked me to decide yet, so it would be just fine for the time being.”

“Your father doesn’t know about you and Ryosuke?”

“Not yet,” she answered. “Ryosuke asked me not to tell Dad yet because he wanted to be the one to tell him. He will come to Dad and ask for my hand.”

“You two have thought that far? Isn’t it too fast?”

“No,” without a doubt she answered. “Indeed it’s only a few days since we got into romantic relationship, but we have known each other since forever. I love him, and he loves me, and we both want to be together. That’s enough reason.”

“Then, about your family company?”

“We still think about it. We believe there must be a way to solve that matter.”

Umika’s face saddened but it quickly changed into a hard stare, “Whatever it is, Mirai, I hope you won’t be unfair to him.”

“Unfair? What’s that mean?”

“You know he dislikes financial business, and that’s one of the reason he went away from his family. Now that he has decided to be with you, I... I hope your relationship wouldn’t force him to sacrifice his dreams nor force him to do what he dislikes. Moreover, it’s not his responsibility. The company is yours. It should be you that shoulder the responsibility of continuing your family business, not him nor anyone who would be your future husband.”

“Umika?” instead of feeling offended, she got puzzled by Umika’s reaction.

“I’m sorry. I have to go now,” Umika stood up and immediately left without giving her a chance to respond.

Later when she expressed her confusion over Umika’s reaction to Yuri, unusually he only let out a sigh. Only then she realized that probably something wrong happened to her cousin.

“What’s wrong? You don't seem like yourself today,” she remarked as she plopped down on Yuri’s bed.

She was visiting Chinen residence and straightly intruded Yuri’s bedroom as his maid informed her that he was lazying inside.

“You want to know why Umika reacted that way?” he taunted her instead of answering, lying down on his stomach.

“Eh? You know why?”

“That’s because she still loves Ryosuke.”

Her eyes widened, “Say that again?”

“You heard me, Mirai-chan. Umika.Still.Loves.Ryosuke!”

She was perplexed. The revelation about Umika’s feeling did not surprise her much, but it was Yuri’s expression. It was the first time she saw her cousin show that depressed face. Among her acquaintances, he was the least she expected to ever get distressed, because Yuri always had this ‘nothing-I-can’t-do’ and ‘It-couldn’t-be-helped-so-I-will-just-move-on’ vibe around him.

“How did you know that?” She asked.

“She told me.”

“Huh?”

Yuri sat up eventually, still with that dejected expression, “I confessed to her again a few days ago.”

“What did you do this time?”

“I went to her training and brought her a huge flower bouquet then confessed in front of her entire classmates. I thought she would be touched, but she got angry instead.”

She blinked. She wasn’t sure what to comment, because if she was put in the same situation she would have reacted the same with Umika. She preferred a private confession rather than that extravagant done in front of so many people because that was just embarrassing. However, she could not tell Yuri that, because she noticed that this recent failure in confession had affected him way more than any before.

“She didn’t want to talk to me for the rest of that day, but then the next morning she asked to meet. That’s when she told me clearly to give up, because even until now she hasn’t got over her love for Ryosuke. He was her first love, and it was not easy for her to forget. She wasn’t even sure that she could forget that feeling. She didn’t have any plan to be in relationship in near time and she wanted to focus on her dance. That’s why she asked me to stop liking her. She even bowed to me, begging me to never bother her again. She dislikes me so much that I couldn’t tell myself not to be disappointed. Now, I’m lost on what to do.”

She was sympathized with Yuri, and when she tried hard to search for something so say, she remembered about her conversation with Ryosuke back in London.

“Yuri,” she called out to her cousin.

“What?”

“Actually Ryosuke wanted to tell you something,” she told him.

“Huh?”

“He said, Umika loves to see someone dancing, and he assumed that she fell for him because they had been practicing dancing together.”

“So?” Yuri cut her off.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance for she hated being cut off when talking, but she resumed her speech, “He told me that you should just try impress her by dancing.”

“I have stopped doing ballet since long,” he wasn’t convinced.

“Then just start over again,” she simply stated.

“Start dancing again is easy, but how to impress her?”

She took a moment to think before an idea dawned on her. “You know she is gonna participate in that international dance competition, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“You join in the competition and beat her,” she adviced.

“Heh?”

“You’re Chinen Yuri. There’s almost nothing you can’t do. Beat her in the coming dance competition would be easy, right?”

Yuri took her words seriously as he went into a deep thinking. It was not long until a smirk appeared on his face, “Say thanks to Ryosuke.”

**********

Next month, I’ll fulfill my promise to you.

Mirai stared at her phone screen. She just had text session with Ryosuke. First they only talked about Yuri and Umika before eventually came to focus on their own problem. On that last text, he said he would fulfill his promise next month; his promise to come asking her father for her hand.

She brought the phone to her chest. Umika’s words kept replaying in her head. What her best friend said was not wrong. Shida family company was hers. It wouldn’t be fair if Ryosuke had to bear the responsibility just because she didn’t like to run financial business. They could just elope if they care only for their own happiness, but Ryosuke would not want that. He had clearly stated that he didn’t want to be happy at the cost of her family or the business. The employees of her family company should also be counted in their consideration. However, he also didn’t want to let go of his dream, neither did she.

How to manage both: taking care of the family business and pursuing their dreams?

“If none of you want to make a sacrifice, I’m afraid you would lose everything. Your company, your dreams, even your love. I can’t tell you what to do. You should decide by yourself, Mirai-chan, because it’s your own future.”

Those were Yuri’s words when she asked for advices.

Sacrifice.

If there was something should be sacrificed, she wouldn’t want it to be Ryosuke’s dreams. He had had enough. She still remembered when he had to stop dancing. He never truly smiled after that, until Umika came and he returned dancing. He told her he did no longer want to be a dancer because it would hurt his father, but he still loved dancing, and he wanted to appease both his father’s and his own satisfaction, thus he had planned to make his own business focusing on art and entertainment.

If ever they would be together, she did not want him to be unhappy. Getting married to her would place her company upon his shoulder, and thus might kill his dream of owning the entertainment business.

“...The company is yours. It should be you that shoulder the responsibility of continuing your family business...”

She contemplated over Umika’s words. After a few hours of battling with herself, she eventually made a decision.

She got up from the bed and strode out to look for her father.

“Dad?” she peeked inside her father’s study room and found him busy on his desk.

“Come in,” her father told her without looking up.

“Are you busy, Dad?”

At this her father stopped whatever he was doing and looked up to meet her gaze. A smile graced his lips right away once he spotted her hesitant face, “I’m always available for my sweetest girl.”

She smiled in giddy. Her father had always adored her like that, but then her smile faltered as she remembered that that kind of treatment from her father that had her do whatever pleased her without considering others’ feeling.

“Dad, will you let me take internship in our company?” she directly asked.

Her father arched a brow, “For what position?”

She shrugged, “As a newbie in financial business?”

“Why all of a sudden, Mirai-chan?”

“I just want to taste the real business field of ours before registering into business major next semester.”

“Wait, you’re going to take business major?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“How about your acting major?”

“I can manage to do double major,” she easily answered.

“What’s the reason for your sudden decision, Mirai-chan?” her father leaned back on his chair, gazing at her with curiosity. “You dislike financial business, so why this?”

“It’s true that I still dislike business, but someone told me that being an adult means that we make decision not based on what we like or dislike, but based on what is needed to be done.I just want to learn about shouldering responsibility as the heiress of our family, Dad.”

“Don’t force yourself,” her father advised. “I want you to just enjoy your life and be happy, my child.”

She shook her head, “I don’t wish to be a spoiled princess forever, Dad. I want to change.”

Her father smiled, trying to probe further, “What trigger this, sweety? Is this because I asked you to consider about marriage?”

“Part of it,” she answered. “But Dad,if I get married in the future, I don’t want to put all the responsibility on my husband while it is our company to begin with. I don’t want to be dependent on him nor burden him with such thing.”

Her father calmly listend to her reason, but then threw her a shocking question, “Mirai-chan, you already have someone in mind?”

“Wh-what?”

“The way you speak about your future husband kind of give me a feeling that you talked about someone in particular,” her father guessed. “Not just a random figure.”

She got flustered, trying hard not to blush nor stutter, “Dad... instead of that, please answer my request.” She pouted to hide her nervousness.

Her father chuckled briefly, “Alright, alright. How could I say no to you?”

She grinned excitedly, “So, when can I start?”

“Come to the office tomorrow.”

“Okay!” she went to her father’s side and gave a quick peck on his cheek. “Thanks Dad!” Then she immediately left the room with her father’s chuckles echoed behind.

Once she was in her bedroom, she inhaled a deep breath. Oddly, she felt so relieved after taking that decision. She would really take business major next semester. A smile formed. Somehow she was proud of herself. That way, Ryosuke would not have to take care of Shida company, and that meant she could help Ryosuke realizing his dreams. About her own dreams... she loved acting, but... she loved to see Ryosuke happy way more.

Reminded of Ryosuke, she took her phone and dialed Ryosuke’s number. The moment he picked up the call, she squealed happily that he laughed while asking what had made her so happy. She was about to tell him everything, but a sudden realization prevented her. She didn’t want him getting worried over her decision while he was in the final exams over there. She would tell him when he came home next month.

With that resolution, she replied with a chuckle, telling him, “It’s because I’m so happy I’ll be able to see you next month.”

“Is that so?”

“Uhn! I miss you soooo much.”

She received an awkward chuckle from him, and she couldn’t help but grin. Oh Kami-sama, how much she loves him!

She heard someone called out to him, and soon he hurriedly said, “Exams is about to start. I need to go.”

She slapped her forehead as she just realized about the time difference of Tokyo and London.

“Mirai?”

She snapped out from her daze hearing her name called, “Oh, sorry. Okay. Good luck for your exams.”

“Thank you. I’ll see you soon.”

“Uhn. I love you.”

Another awkward chuckle of his reached her ear before he replied, “And I, you. Sleep well.”

The call ended, and she decided to call it a day.

**********

Tokyo, A Month Later

Ryosuke retrieved his luggage then immediately walked out the airport. He halted for a moment at the lounge, inhaling the air which he hadn’t breathe for almost four years. He hailed a cab and went to a certain hotel in the downtown. He had reserved a room for two days stay. He only told his older brother about he came back to Japan that day. He even had not told Mirai about it.

He cleaned up and prepared himself as best as he could. Letting out a breath, he watched his reflection on the mirror. He was going to visit Mirai’s father. He should have a decent appearance.

“You can do it, Ryosuke!” he told himself as nervousness started to sprout inside.

He looked at his watch. There was still an hour before the promised time. He had consulted his brother about his plan, and his brother had made an appointment with Mirai’s father for it would be near to impossible to meet the executive without prior appointment.

The secretary of Mirai’s father looked surprised seeing it was him who came instead of his brother, Kei. Yet, after he told her he came on behalf of his brother, she eventually let him meet her boss.

“Wow, it’s quite a surprise to see you, Ryosuke,” Mr. Shida exclaimed with a smile, welcoming him. “I thought you would only return after finishing your business school.”

He mustered a smile, “I’m sorry for not keeping in touch, Uncle. I hope my arrival doesn’t trouble you.”

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