Mirai pulled out a forced smile as she walked in the big grand hall with her husband. She was wearing a small strapped black dress that has a thin belt and a pleated bottom that falls below her knees.

The guy next to him was in his usual suit and tie.

Everyone’s eyes were on the couple. Looking at them with so much admiration.

They were immediately approached by two of the company’s business partners and their wives. They had a little chat before Ryo excused the two of them to join more guests on the other table.

Ryo: (whispers) You’re not trying enough.

Mirai: What do you mean?

Ryo just stared at her.

Mirai sighed and smiled.

Ryo: Yup. At least try to look happy.

A group of older men approached Ryo. They bowed at the couple before inviting Ryo on their table.

Ryo touched her back and leaned down at her.

Ryo: (whispers) You can join mom and dad on their table. You know what you should do and what you shouldn’t.

She always hated how Ryo dictates her all her actions. Eversince she was married in the family, everything she does was calculated. Even calling his husband without honorifics was a no-no if they are with these people.

Mirai: (smiles sarcastically) Yes, Ryo-san.

The moment Ryo joined the businessmen, Mirai sighed and hesitated to join her parents-in-law. It may be luck when she heard someone’s familiar voice called her.

Mirai: Umika!

She was happy and surprised to see her best friend in the event.

Umika hugged her briefly and excitedly with a wide smile on her face.

Mirai: What are you doing here?

Umika: My husband is now invested in Ryusei Holdings.

Mirai: Really?

Umika nodded.

Umika: He’s there with a group of co-investors.

Umika pointed at a tall well-built man in suit. Umika met Shirasu Jin through Ryusei Ryo. Both guys were college friends. But it was just 2 years ago when they got married.

Mirai smiled when she noticed someone behind Umika.

Umika smiled and pulled a seven-year old boy by his shoulder and slowly shoved him closer to Mirai.

Mirai: Ren-kun! It’s been a while.

Mirai excitedly crouched down in front of the boy. And held his arms. She stared at the boy’s face and how the little boy looked so much like his dad, especially his curved lips and his small face while he got Umika’s eyes.

Umika: I know what you’re thinking.

Mirai: Sorry, Ren-kun just reminds me so much of him.

Umika: (sighs) Old news. I can see it.

Mirai smiled as she stood up and held Umika in the hand.

Mirai: I am happy that you and Jin-san is happy together. And I am most happy that you found a man who will love you and take care of you.

Umika: (smiles) He loves Ren so much.

Mirai: I know. (glances at the boy next to Umika) Anyway, has he been visiting Ren-kun?

Umika: He takes Ren out of his free time. Lately, it’s getting frequent.

Umika looked worried as she rubbed the boy’s shoulders.

Umika: Ren-kun loves his company a lot. (sighs) But I don’t think it should go on with Jin still trying to get Ren-kun’s full acceptance.

Mirai sighed as she looked at Umika making her tap Mirai’s hand gently.

It was 2021 when Umika suddenly announced her hiatus. She left for Italy. It seemed unplanned and rushed. Mirai didn’t even know why it was that sudden. Althought, they kept communicating while she was in Italy. Until 3 years later, Umika came back to Japan with a 2-year old toddler with her.

All the time, she just went to Italy not to unwind but to secretly gave birth to Ren.

Suddenly Umika realized something as she held Mirai’s hand.

Umika: Where’s your wedding ring?

Mirai panicked and cursed inside her thoughts as she covered her ring finger, looking around, securing nobody else noticed. Even with her makeup on, Umika felt the blood in her face drain in tension.

Mirai: I… (gulps) Umika…

Umika pulled a random ring from one of her worn rings and hand it to Mirai secretly. Mirai immediately put it on just as to replace the supposed ring on her finger.

Mirai: I forget to wear it back when I was preparing. (grins nervously)

Umika: You never forget to wear it. What’s going on?

Mirai was looking at her nervously when suddenly Ryo’s father, Ryusei Goro called the attention of everyone as he started a welcome speech.

Ryo immediately pulled Mirai, holding her hand and bowing at Umika when he snatched his wife from her.

While Shirasu Jin also stood next to his wife.

*****

Ryo drove Mirai to her hotel after the party. It seemed to be a success. Mirai was able to survive the whole 3-hour of dealing with powerful rich people. The Board did not suspect anything. Nobody had except for Umika who seemed to be weirded out about Mirai not wearing her wedding ring.

The moment they arrived at the hotel, Mirai unbuckled her seatbelt when Ryo held her in the arm to stop her from leaving yet.

Ryo: You can stay at the house tonight.

Mirai glared at him…long.

Mirai: No thanks.

As she continued unbuckling the seatbelt, Ryo just scoffed hearing the rejection. Mirai reached for the door of the car when Ryo quickly reached for it slamming it back close.

His face was very close to hers as he remained reaching for the door.

Mirai: What are you doing?

Ryo: Have you slept with that childhood friend of yours?

That made Mirai slap the guy hard in the face. He rubbed his swollen cheeks.

Mirai panted in exasperation. She never said anything but he exactly understood the message.

Ryo: (scoffs) Okay, okay! My bad! It’s supposed to be a joke.

Mirai: I just want to remind you about our deal. Leave Yamada out of this.

Ryo: Of course. That’s our deal. (hold both hands up) Not laying a finger at the guy.

Mirai immediately opened the door and slammed it close when she finally got out.

When he drove fast away from the hotel, Mirai sighed in liberation and wished it’ll be the last time she will ever do anything for Ryusei Ryo.

She was already on the entrance of the hotel building when someone grabbed her hand. She froze, shocked to see Umika behind her.

Umika: What is going on? (looks around the reception area) Why do you have to check in a hotel?

Mirai looked at her best friend before holding her wrist.

Mirai: Let’s talk inside.

The moment Mirai and Umika got in the hotel room, Mirai told her everything about her and Ryo’s divorce.

Umika was attentively listening to Mirai that the tea she offered was kept untouched in the center table of the living area.

Umika looked really frustrated.

Umika: (sighs) I can’t believe what he did to you. I can’t believe he is capable of doing all of those. I even set him up to you—helped him proposed!

Mirai: Umika, it’s fine. Nobody ever knew what was in his mind. I know he loved me, but he still cheated and he prefer the other woman than me.

That made Umika hug her.

Umika: (pulls from the hug) But, if you already broke up why were you with him in the party?

Mirai: (sighs) He threatened me.

Umika: Threatened?!

Mirai: I mean… He made a deal with me.

Umika: A deal? What deal?

Mirai took a deep breath as she looked at Umika hesitant to continue.

Mirai: Well…you see. I uuhh—I have been seeing Yamada Ryosuke—

Umika: Yamada Ryosuke!?

Umika covered in shock.

Umika: You and Yamada-kun?!

Mirai: No, that’s not what I mean!

Mirai panicked.

Mirai: I am seeing him, but—but not in that way. It's completely platonic. It’s not a date or anything that way. Unnn… (sighs) When I moved back to Kanagawa, I coincidentally met him on the streets. I thought that was it but we randomly saw each other again and I bought this coffee shop. Then he offered to give me baking classes. So that’s it.

Umika: Just baking classes.

Mirai: Just baking classes… And a lot of talking and catching up and I went out with his niece and nephew for an ice cream, and Miyu invited him in her pre-wedding party.

Mirai said in one breath.

Umika: Just baking classes, huh?

Mirai: But it was nothing! (sighs) I feel bad for him; all he did was help me so I had to save him from whatever Ryo was planning to do.

Umika: So how long have you been seeing Yamada-kun? …In a friendly way, of course.

Mirai: Almost a month now. But that’s not an everyday session. Just twice or thrice a week.

Umika: A…month.

Umika almost choke but she tried her best not to react violently.

Umika: Okay.

Finally, she took a sip of the tea.

Mirai: He is going back here in Tokyo in 3 days and that’s it. After all he is just giving me baking classes to kill time.

Mirai unconsciously smiled.

Mirai: But it was fun.

Umika noticed and slowly a smile grew in her lips.

Umika: I am grateful you don’t look as dreadful as you should after what happened with you and Ryo. Moving back to Kanagawa must be a good decision.

Mirai: (smiles wider) It is.

*****

Ryosuke pulled a notepad and pen as he smiled at the two girl customers and started writing their orders.

Ryosuke: Okay, so one beef tataki and one gyutan. Coming right up!

He enthusiastically smiled making the girls giddily smiling up at him. He went to the counter to hand the order to his dad.

Yamada-otosan: Why did you decide to help me out today?

Ryosuke: I just thought I had nothing to do and you have been working your off here in the restaurant, so I am helping an old man.

Yamada-otosan: You’re just bored cuz Mirai-chan is still in Tokyo.

Ryosuke: How did you know about Mirai?

Yamada-otosan: Your mom never misses a detail when she talks about you.

Ryosuke laughed.

Yamada-otosan: Oh, can you change our best menu from the welcome board outside?

The older guy handed him a chalk.

Yamada-otosan: You know what to do. Today is Beef Tataki day.

Ryosuke just look at the box of chalk. And he had no choice but to go out and edit the welcome board outside of the entrance.

He tilted his head in disappointment when he saw how ugly his drawing of the beef tataki look like so he decided to erase it and only write ‘beef tataki’.

He sighed as he pulled his back up when he noticed a truck parking across the restaurant with a really big face of Chinen Yuri on it. He decided to tease Chinen and took a photo of it from his phone and send it to him.

Ryosuke had a teasing grin as he got back in the restaurant, looking at his phone screen seeing Chinen had already opened his mail.

Later his phone rang and Ryosuke took the call with a big grin in his face.

Ryosuke: Hello, Chii!

Chinen: So what’s your point of sending me this photo?

Ryosuke: (laughs) Nothing. I just thought you’d like to see your face on a truck.

Chinen: I know my face are on trucks, trains and buses. Endorsing a laundry soap.

Ryosuke laughed.

Chinen: Reserve your discriminatory comments later. I am in a middle of an important thing. I am watching a dolphin show.

Ryosuke: Really? Who are you with?

Chinen: My son. Later I’m gonna bring him to the amusement park since I have the whole day for him.

Ryosuke: (smiles) That’s really nice. Tell him, I said hello.

The phone call ended.

Yamada-otosan: Was that Chinen?

Ryosuke: Yeah. He’s out with his son today. (smiles)

Yamada-otosan: (nods) How old is his son now?

Ryosuke: Seven.

Yamada-otosan: Wow! He was the first to have a kid and the second to get married after Yabu. I never expected that from Chinen.

Ryosuke: Nobody expected that from Chinen. (laughs) Everything were all successfully kept as a secret from the media until recently.

Yamada-otosan: So, he has no plans of having more kids?

Ryosuke: (shrugs) His wife is active in the modelling industry. She is still preserving her figure and her image as a model so, I guess Chinen is not having more kids yet.

Yamada-otosan: And Yuto-kun?

Ryosuke: His wife is pregnant with their first child.

Yamada-otosan: That left you the only man standing in the whole group eh? Since the rest of the older members were already married after Chinen. And last year, Yuto. (taps Ryosuke playfully in the shoulder)

Ryosuke: (nods) Apparently the only available.

*****

If was late afternoon when Mirai arrived back in Kanagawa. She came in the coffee shop and greeted the men who was changing the roof. She put the paper bag she was holding to the counter when she noticed a notebook. It was a pastry recipe notebook—handwritten and with crappy drawing.

Mirai can’t help but smile softly as she scanned the notebook.

In the last page she saw a note.

“Since we can’t continue the baking classes anymore, you can use this and improve more. Remember the baking techniques I taught you. You only mastered the beating technique. Nothing else! So just keep trying!

Sorry, my drawing is bad. -Yama-chan :)”

After reading the note, Mirai dashed out of the coffee shop without thinking but she kinda wanna see him. Just as she was out, she noticed a silhouette of someone from her peripheral view.

When she turned, she saw Yamada Ryosuke who was stopped from walking when he saw Mirai dashed out of the door.

He looked at her confused when Mirai slowly smiled at him which made him smile back at her.

Ryosuke: I ... (points behind him) I came from dad’s restaurant to help. It was just three blocks away. I thought I’d pass by. Oh yeah, I dropped by this morning too to—

Mirai: Yeah. I saw it. (smiles) Thank you.

Ryosuke: Uuunn…The drawing—

Mirai: Yeah it’s ugly.

Ryosuke laughed.

Mirai: Thank you. I’ll definitely work harder!

Ryosuke smiled at her.

Mirai: Ah! Wait!

She quickly went back in the coffee shop and when she’s back out, she was holding a thick paper bag of wine with her.

She handed it to Ryosuke which he took and bowed

Mirai: That’s a Yamada Nishiki sake. It’s from Umika. She heard from me that you’re here too so she gave you one too.

Ryosuke pulled the bottle out of the paper bag to check and put it back in with a grin in his face.

Ryosuke: Thank you. So you met Umika-chan?

Mirai: Yeah. She was in the party too so we had talked a lot.

Ryosuke: (nods) That’s good to hear.

Mirai: Ren-kun’s there too. I have not seen him for quite a while. He had become so much—

Ryosuke: So much like his dad. (smiles)

Mirai: Umika hates hearing that tho. (laughs)

Ryosuke: (laughs) Oh yeah, I’d be back in Tokyo tomorrow.

Mirai: Yeah. I kinda realized.

Ryosuke: So unnn… I guess I say my goodbye now.

Mirai nodded and smiled. And they just stood there for a while longer not saying a word.

*****

Ryosuke was running fast that he can feel his breath cutting in every sprint. When he finally arrived, he was catching his breath as he leaned on his knees. He tried relaxing his breathing as he eyed the entrance of the coffee shop just a meter from his left.

He grabbed the door and with little pants, he stood there.

Mirai was surprised to hear a thud at the door so she looked at the entrance only to find Ryosuke was there looking back at her.

A smile carved in her face as she walked closer to him.

Mirai: Why are you here?

Ryosuke: I just thought I wanted to drop by to say good bye…again.

He realized it was really stupid.

Ryosuke: I unn…

Mirai: Oh yeah. (smiles) I also was not able to thank you properly. (looks at Ryosuke) I am really happy to meet you again after a long time. Thank you that you’re there to accompany me all along. Thank you for helping me out here in the coffee shop. (chuckles) And all your patience in teaching me to be better at baking.

Ryosuke was just staring at her as she talked.

Mirai: I will see you…someday.

Ryosuke had a bittersweet smile on his face.

Ryosuke: (nods) …Someday.

Mirai stood there and waited for him to go, so when he held the door ready to leave, Mirai slowly turned around when suddenly she felt a hand on wrist, pulling her back, only to be pulled a little too close...purposely.

The next thing she felt was Ryosuke’s lips on hers. She was not able to react, so when Ryosuke pulled from the brief kiss, he tried to examine her reaction and drifted back to kiss her again when he felt no objection.

Mirai slowly closed her eyes as Ryosuke places his big hands under her ears. It was a gentle, long kiss until they heard a slam on the glass door.

They gasped as they pulled away from each other.

Kenta was outside. Both paws on the glass door, waggling his tail.

They froze, getting flustered and agitated, trying to sink what happened.

Mirai can hear Ryosuke take a very deep breath while they looked away from each other.

Ryosuke: (fidgets) Unnn…I uuh—I’m going now.

Mirai tensely nodded.

Mirai: Yeah. Have unnn… (gulps) …Have a safe trip.

Ryosuke: Th-Thanks.

Ryosuke forced a smile behind her tensed lips and grabbed the door to finally leave.

The moment Ryosuke left, Mirai turned around and panted so heavily as she covered the lower half of her face.

Meanwhile, Ryosuke ran a hand on his hair, sticking it in as if lowkey pulling his hair in frustration as he spaced out rewinding what happened.

Ryosuke: Fck! Fck! Uuuuugggghh! I did it again! I did that same fcking mistake!

He screamed in frustration making Kenta howl as he did.

Ryosuke was calmer but he spaced out again.

Ryosuke: But this time…she…she …

Mirai: Nonononononononononono! No! No! Oh my god, no! (covers ) I kissed him back.

They synchronized as they screamed. “WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!!!!”

TO BE CONTINUED...