CHAPTER 56: THE SUDDEN PROPOSAL

“Be careful,” Sho said softly while holding Maki chan’s hands. The woman just smiled while walking slowly on the stairs that lead to the park. After being warded in the hospital for a day, now she was able to move freely once again. Her eyes now darted around the park as the light from the lamp post brightened the place making it look wonderful at night.

                Once they reached ground, Maki started to released Sho’s hands and started to walk around the park. Her eyes never stopped looking around the place while her smile kept plastering on her face. Sho just followed her from behind, strolling lazily as his eyes never leave her back at once. His hand started to rub his neck, trying to ease the tiredness that started to feel on his body. Four hour ago, the woman requested a lot of things which made him feel amused himself.

“Let’s go back. I bet Jae must be worried a lot about you.” Sho said while keeping the hospital receipt inside his wallet. But, what he got was a pout on Maki’s face. Sho eyed Maki for a while before laughed softly.

“Okay....what is it , Maki chan?” The woman’s eyes started to glint and the smile started to spread on her face.

“Eel rice!” she chirped happily saying the food name. Sho sighed for a while and looked around them.

“I thought you just ate two melon bread, yakitori and also five dumplings?” There was a question look on his face as he said the words. But, what he got was a wide grin on her face that made his heart doki doki once again.

“I know....it just I have been longing to eat it since two weeks ago, and I couldn’t help thinking about it. Can we go, Sho kun?” Maki chan pleaded while tugging his sleeve.

                Sho sighed deeply, feeling defeated toward the woman that are going to be mother soon enough within a month. He could not reject the woman’s request from him. In the end, they ended up in the eel restaurant. But, that what was not the end of it, after the restaurant, the woman asked him to bring her to the mall, window shopping over there. That time, he did enjoy his moment with her although he could not help being tired when she dragged him everywhere.

“Maki chan, haven’t you feel tired?” he asked as he sat on the bench in one of the floor inside the mall. The woman nodded softly, but her eyes never stopped lingered around the place. The man’s raised his eyebrows, showing curiosity over her statement.

“I do feel tired...it just, it’s been long time I haven’t walk around outside like this.” She said softly while grinning toward him. Sho stared at him for a long time. There were something that played within his mind, thinking about her statements.

                Indeed, it was true that since she had been quitting from the entertainment, she lived her life as low as possible, to avoid from creating chaos within the society about her condition. Somehow, he impressed himself on her determination on keeping the baby alone and even leaved the entertainment business when she was at the top of her popularity. The thought of Maki chan become a single mother somehow tickled off some part of him as a man.

“ Hara san!!!” A voice of young children rang the park pushing the thought that bugging on Sho’s mind. Immediately, his eyes averted toward two boys that was running toward Maki chan. Following from behind, a foreigner woman was walking too while smiling.

“Kei chan, Da-chan, what are you doing here?” Maki asked the two boys who was standing in front of her, grinning widely. Even Sho too couldn’t help but smiling at the sight of two boys. He started to move next to Maki.

“Oka-chan brought us to water park today!!”

“It is fun!!!! We wanted to ask you to come along, but Jae said you are not feeling well. Are you okay right now?” Kei chan asked while looking at Maki for a long time. She just nodded softly.

“Then, how about the baby?” Da Chan asked while pointing toward her tummy. Instantly, Maki’s eyes shifted toward her baby bump and her hands it softly.

“He is fine too,” Her answer made the two boys squealed happily. Viki who just arrived behind her sons, smiled toward Maki chan.

                Then, Maki and Viki sat down on the bench whereas her sons played around the park for a while. Feeling awkward being with two women, Sho Sakurai offered himself to buy them some drinks. Looking around, Sho found a konbini (convenient shop) near the park. Running toward the shop, he smiled thinking of what he should buy for Maki chan.

                Viki’s eyes never leaved behind Sho’s back till he missed behind the door of the konbini. Then, her eyes shifted toward the pregnant woman who sat next to her. Maki chan never stopped laughing looking at her naughty sons, playing around the park. Her giggle managed to make Viki too smiled widely.

“Both of you are dating again?” The question that Viki asked made Maki turned her head immediately.

“Who?” A soft smile spread on Viki’s face when the woman’s innocent face looked at her with her big round eyes.  She turned and showed toward Sho, who was in konbini. Maki too stared at the man before looked at her hands.

“You mean, me and Sho?” Viki nodded immediately. However, the reply that she got was just a deep sigh making her immediately raised her eyebrows instantly. Maki looked at Sho, from a far, but there was something different in her eyes.

“He is too good for me, Viki san,” she said softly the words. Viki kept looking at her, waiting for more words to come.

“Since the day I told him that I was pregnant with someone else child, I used to think that I never being fair toward Sho from the beginning of our relationship. Even, I started to doubt myself whether I have really true feelings with him or I just used him to forget about Tomo,” her hands started to fiddle her skirt while staring back at Viki who being silent.

“Maybe, you do love him, it just that you never notice it Hara san,”

“I don’t know Viki san, it’s pretty.....pretty difficult for me to guess myself about my true feelings.” Maki lowered her head down and stared at her hands that were on her laps. Viki sighed softly and turned her gaze toward her child.

“Are you still in love with the father of your baby then?” Maki became silenced hearing the words from her neighbours. Even, her hands that clenched on her skirt became even tighter. Viki bit her lips, knowing the woman’s innermost thought. Indeed, it was difficult to forget someone especially the one that you love. It became a poison that kept within your heart. Suddenly,

“Mummy!! Mummy!!!! Look!!! Aunt Michieko with her baby. Immediately those two women diverted their gaze at the a woman who walked on their way. And a baby was held on her arms.

                Sho just came out from the konbini bringing a plastic full of drinks and some food. Looking at  food itself made Sho smiled automatically thinking about Maki who was going to eat it. Although they already had dinner, but he afraid that the woman too, are going to be hungry in just a moment. Strolling back slowly, his mind started to think a lot of things.

                Today he came for another intention seeing Maki. Despite of saying he did not have