Shida Mirai was walking alone in the hallway toward her journalist club’s room. She was extremely feeling nostalgic. She had just returned from Germany after finishing her study about photojournalism. Currently she was attending her highschool reunion, and thought to take a look of her old club’s room.

Of all the thing she expected, she would never wish to walk in a private conversation once she the corner of the hallway. Luckily, she immediately retreated and hid herself on the other side of the corner before they noticed her.

She was about to walk away, but then she heard a woman’s voice wailed.

“I don’t want this engagement!”

“He is my best friend, so I know him well. He will take a good care of you,” a male’s voice spoke.

“But how about his family?”

“I’ll protect you if any of them dare to lay a finger on you.”

“I wish you could protect me from this as well,” the girl said with a sad tone.

He pulled her in his embrace, “I wish I could, but it’s something beyond my power. At least, I know you’ll be in a good hand.”

She pulled away, looking up to him, “Promise me you’ll always be by my side no matter what happen?”

He smiled gently, “You know how much I love you, Umika-chan. I will never leave you. Not again.”

“I love you, too.”

Mirai shook her head out of disbelief. She wasn’t supposed to eavesdrop on that conversation, but since it’s already done, she couldn’t help but wonder.  That girl was Kawashima Umika, and that guy was Yamada Ryosuke. Umika was Chinen Yuri’s fiancee, and Yamada Ryosuke was his best buddy. So, what was that she witnessed just now? An affair between the fiancee and the best friend? She shuddered in disgust.

That particular memory from last month replayed by itself the moment Mirai saw her soon-to-be-employer. The day before she received a mail from a company staff asking to meet for business in this luxurious restaurant. She met the staff, but then she was led to an exclusive booth to meet with his superior who actually needed her skill. She didn’t expect that the boss was Yamada Ryosuke, her classmate back in highschool.

“Is it really that surprising to see me after,” he paused to count. “Four years? Shida-san?”

“It’s four and a half actually,” she corrected absentmindedly. “And yes, I’m surprised.”

He chuckled briefly, “Well, how’s life?”

“Erm... fine, I guess,” she answered. “Thank you for asking?” She didn’t even know why she ended the line with questioning tone. She just felt she was not sure how to make a proper response.

“You haven’t changed much,” he shook his head with an amused smile, then asked, directly into the business, “Anyway, do you bring your portfolio?”

She nodded and immediately rummaged into her bag to take out an album. Once it was on his hand, he flipped through pages and soon was engrossed in seeing the pictures she had taken for years to be her best collection. That left silence in the room.

“Erm... if I may ask, Yamada...-san, ” she hesitantly started. “Why do you want me for this job?”

He looked up to see her, “I went to see your exhibition.”

She could not believe it, “What?”

“I like the way you presented those pictures,” he added. “I think your taste will suit theirs.”

“Theirs?”

“Ah!” He suddenly exclaimed as though reminded of something. “You still remember Chinen Yuri? Actually you will work for  him.”

“Oh?” She couldn’t form any proper response since the surprises came one after another.

“Probably you’ve heard of his engagement with Kawashima Umika?”

She nodded, “Yes, if I’m not mistaken she was our junior by two years, right?”

“Yes, your job basically is to take pictures of their dates, and if they are satisfied with your work, probably they would ask you to do the wedding.”

“Are you working as their wedding organizer?” she blurted out the question.

“What, wedding organizer?” he raised a brow. “Nope. I just help them to look for a photographer.”

She made an “o” and nodded in understanding.

“So, do you accept this job?” he asked eventually.

Regaining her sense of working, she replied, “Yes.”

His smile after hearing her answer managed to mesmerize her, awakening an old feeling inside. He was the legendary prince of their high school after all.

**********

“You don’t need to pick me up,” Mirai said to the man beside her. She was supposed to start working for Chinen Yuri. However, beyond her expectation, that morning she found Yamada Ryosuke stood before her apartment door, and she ended up seating in the passenger seat of his sporty car.

Focusing his gaze on the road ahead, he replied, “Your flat is in the same direction of the amusement park. It’s more efficient. Besides, I remember you used to be late comer during high school,” there was a hint of teasing in his tone.

She pouted slightly, “I have changed, mind you.”

He chuckled, “Good then. After all, you have spent years in Germany.”

She widened her eyes, “You knew?”

It was surprising because back in high school she never talked to him. He was the popular student while she was only a camera nerd. She even wasn’t sure he knew about her existence in the class unless she found his writing on her year-book. Before they graduated, their homeroom teacher made them circulating the books around the class so that everyone would be able to write message for each class member. His message was ‘Thank you for taking my pictures during the last play. I like them. Good luck with your camera, Shida-chan!’, added with a smiley in the end.

“I heard from our friends when I attended the reunion last month,” he answered. “Anyway, why you didn’t come?”

“I came,” she replied. “But I left early.”

“Oh, I see,” he did not say more, only informing, “Ten minutes until we reach the park.”

While he focused on driving, she mulled over what was happening to her life. Last month, she left early from the reunion after witnessing that secret conversation between him and Kawashima Umika. She did not feel good to socialize with her friends while building up an assumption of an affair between those two, that’s why.

Secretly glancing to her companion, she wondered, why did he do this? Why should he involve himself in the preparation of Umika and Yuri’s wedding? Wouldn’t it only hurt him?

She scolded himself after realizing what just flashed in her mind. Why should she be worried about him? She did not approve on the affair, never ever, because it was kind of betrayal, and she hated one who betrayed his friend.

Yamada Ryosuke and Chinen Yuri was well-known as best friends during high school. They had been together since junior high school, and their family had a joint business. They both were popular that they were always chosen to representate their respective class in the Prince of the Year competition. Ryosuke won for three years straight, but Yuri had another award to compensate his lost, that was the Most Honorable Student, for three years in arrow, too.

She saw in the news two months ago, several days after she returned from Germany, that Chinen Yuri got engged with Kawashima Umika. The engagement itself, some says, was rather suspicious. Chinen family ran a business which produce fast moving goods and also owned chain of department stores, while Kawashima family was their rival in running the chain of department stores. The engagement could be used as a disguise of merger of both company which in result would be perfect tool to evade from taxation regulation.