Mina’s heart ached upon seeing Momo—this wasn’t what she wanted at all. She walked up to Momo who was laying down on the couch and kneeled down beside her. She hovered her hand over to Momo’s face and slowly caressed her cheek. There were little bruises, nicks, and at the corner of , there was blood from the impact of the punches Momo had endure. 

“Do you have a towel or anything?” Mina asked Mr. Hirai. He walked over to the closet and picked up a clean towel. “I’ll wet it for you,” He said and went over to the sink, dipping the towel in lukewarm water before draining the excess water out and handed the towel to her. Mina whispered a ‘thank you’.

She dabbed the towel gently on the wounds, it was like the day she first asked Momo to give them a chance. She remembered how her heart fluttered out of excitement when Momo agreed, how her heart ached when Momo sputtered those harmful words at her, accusing her of being those typical rich girls. 

Mina stopped, and was about to get up when Momo grasped her hand and slowly opened up her eyes. 

“Uh, I’ll just go in..” Mr. Hirai said, but they both were oblivious to him

“Momo..” Mina muttered, her tears welled up.

Momo didn’t say anything, she pulled Mina in for a hug. She wrapped her arms tightly around Mina, never wanting to let her go. Mina cried, her tears began to freely flow down her cheeks—It drenched Momo’s shirt.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. I just wanted you to have the life you’ve always wanted.” Mina said, her voice quivering from all the crying. 

“Stupid. My life is nothing if you’re not in it. Don’t do anything stupid like this anymore.” Momo berated. Her tears welled up at the corner of her eyes. She pulled away from the hug and rested her hand on Mina’s cheek. Reaching in, she planted her lips firmly against Mina’s, giving her a chaste kiss.

“I really didn’t want to lie to you. I was afraid that you’ll stay away from me, avoid me like my so-called friends did when they realized who my father really is. I should’ve trusted you, I should’ve realized that you would never do something like that to me.”

“Mark insisted that I break up with you, or suffer the consequences but now, I don’t care about those consequences anymore. I just want to be with you.”

---

“How is she?” Mr. Myoui asked the boys standing outside of Mina’s room.

“She hadn’t been out all day, hadn’t been eating.”

“That stubborn girl..” Mr. Myoui mumbled, he proceeded to walk up to the door and knocked firmly. “Mina, it’s me. I’m home.”

“Mina. Open up.” He insistently said, but there was still no answer.

“Open the door for me,” He told his boys. They quickly took out the keys and opened the door, but there was no one. They scoured every where, checking the bathroom, the closets but Mina was nowhere to be found and that’s when they realized that she had probably left through the balcony.

“You went to see her again, didn’t you?” Mr. Myoui said to himself, taking out her cellphone. He turned the phone on and was greeted by a voicemail notification, he placed the phone near his ears and began to listen attentively.

“Pick, pick up Mina! Momo.. she’s injured. She knows all about you paying off the debts, and who your dad is. She went to the loan sharks trying to get the money back so she can return it to you, but she got beaten up by them. I know she might wouldn’t want me calling you, but she needs you the most right now. Can you please come over?””

He closed the cellphone. 

“Go find out where Hirai Momo lives.”

---

Their bare bodies were pressed close to each other as they stood there in the shower, soaking underneath the lukewarm water. Mina’s head were pressed gently against Momo’s chest while Momo’s arms were wrapped loosely around her body. Mina pulled away and looked at Momo, she leaned in for a kiss. 

She slightly nibbled Momo’s lower lip, earning a gasp from her and proceeded to teasingly pull away. She pressed gentle kisses to Momo’s bruised shoulders, the contact of Mina’s soft lips against Momo’s skin made the latter slip out a moan, but also a small gasp from the pain.

“I love you,” Mina said. 

Momo smiled. “I love you too,” she said chuckling and pressing another kiss to the girl’s lips.

Mina’s heart never felt so content. She reached up for another kiss before she snuggled against Momo, once again resting her head against her chest.

“I don’t want to go back, I want to be with you.”

“Then don’t go back, stay here with me.”

“It’s easier said than done, my dad will use all means to find me.”

“Then we’ll run away.”

Mina’s eyes widened, “Run away?” she asked.

Momo nodded, “Unless you don’t want to leave behind all your things and live a poor life with me.”

Mina smiled and slightly shove Momo, the girl quickly winced in pain.

“You know I’m not that kind of girl. I rather live a happy ‘poor’ life with you than live a sad life where the only things I’m surrounded by is money and material things.”

“I know you’re not that kind of girl,” Momo smiled, and hugged Mina. “I have five-thousand dollars in my bank account, I was going to use that money to pay for some of the debts, but..” She sighed, “Since I can’t get back the money from them to return it to you, all I got to say is thank you and I will, by all means, pay you back in the future.”

Mina shook her head ‘no’, “Just pay me back by loving me.”

Momo smiled, "Done" she said, sweeping away Mina's hair from her face.

“Then, consider it paid.” Mina leaned in for a kiss. 

“We’ll use the five-thousand dollars I have to rent a cheap apartment somewhere, some place and I’ll be on the look out for a job.”

“Actually, I’m planning to sell my car. It could probably fetch up a lot of money, we’ll use the money to open up a restaurant for you.”

“No, don’t sell it. It’s your car. I’ll work hard, and one day I’ll eventually have enough money to open up a restaurant myself. I just don’t want to keep taking money from you, it doesn’t feel comfortable for me.”

Mina sighed, “I understand.” 

Momo cleared , “Now.. can we get back to what you were doing to me earlier?”

A teasing smile appeared on Mina’s face, “Get back to what?” 

“You were about to make love to me, weren’t you? And you left me hanging after giving me all those kisses, and—“

Mina frowned, she was disappointed in not being able to tease Momo further. The girl was just blunt.

“What?” Momo asked.

“Nothing,” Mina smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips.

---

“Mina, Hirai Momo. Come out.”

Mina gasped, it was her father, and he was here to get her.

“Is that—?”

Mina nodded, she quickly jumped out of the tub along with Momo and they both dried their bodies off before slipping into their clothes. Momo grasped Mina’s hand and gave her a determined look. “Don’t worry,” she said, trying to assure Mina. She has to be able to convince her father about their love.

Hand in hand, they walked out of the bathroom and was greeted by Mr. Myoui’s presence, along with two other people.

He glared at Momo with a grim expression.

“You surely know who I am, right?”

“Yes, sir.” Momo said, slightly bowing.

“Why are you still holding my daughter’s hand, then?”

“We love each other, and we would hope that you would accept us.”

“Do you,” Mr. Myoui suddenly paused, “know the consequences you might face if you don’t let go of her hand?”

“Dad!” Mina yelled, but his threat did not falter.

“Momo, just let go.” Mr. Hirai whispered hoarsely to her.

“No, I won’t let go,” Momo said firmly, holding tight onto Mina’s hand. “What’s my consequence? Are you going to kill me? Then kill me, if you take Mina away, my life would be meaningless anyway.”

Mr. Myoui took out a handgun and pointed at Momo, “Let go of her hand. Mina, come over here.”

“No!” Mina yelled, stepping in front of Momo.

“Get back,” Momo whispered, but Mina shook her head.

Mr. Myoui hesitantly pointed the gun away, “Do you really love her that much?”

Mina nodded, “I didn’t know what love was until I met her. I forever and always, will love Momo.”

“What about me then? Don’t you love daddy?” 

“I love you daddy, but I also love Momo. Given the choice of two, I know I could only choose one, and the choice I choose is to be with Momo. I felt so happy because of her, she showed me what love was. I know you love me very much, but what kind of happiness have you ever given me? You are always on business trips. You give me your platinum card and allowed me to buy anything I want, but what I want isn’t any material things.”

What Mina said struck his heart, did he neglect Mina that much?

“Please, I hope you accept us both.” Momo said, bowing. “I love your daughter very much.”

Mr. Myoui knew something like this would happen, he had already prepared.

“If you go with Momo, you can’t go home anymore. What you choose to do in your life, does not matter to me anymore. I still won’t accept you two, but you're still my daughter,” He said, and paused. “Can I get one last hug?”

Mina nodded and bursted into tears, engulfing her father with a hug.

“I’ll always be your little girl,” She said, her voice weak from crying. He pulled away from the hug and wiped away her tears.

“I want you to have this,” he said, and handed her an envelope. “You’re just like your mother. Stubborn and right from the start, I knew you would not be able to keep up with your promise of not seeing Momo anymore. But I forgive you.” 

“Thank you daddy,” Mina said, her tears still rolling down her cheeks.

“You better take care of my daughter, or this is for you.” Mr. Myoui said, taking a bullet out from the handgun and tossed it on the floor.

“Thank you.” Momo bowed again.

Mr. Myoui however, turned around and closed his eyes momentarily. The scene was just so strikingly similar to what he had to go through before. He left the premises and left the two lovers to hug each other in happiness.

“Why?” One of the boys asked. He wondered why Mr. Myoui would let them go off easily like this.

“Mina reminded me of her mother, her mother fought against her father to be with me. That check in the envelope, I'll give them a year. Let's see what they'll become in a year.”