“Tomorrow could you…” Jiro began.

“What?” Selina asked.

“Could you not come back so late tomorrow?” Jiro asked.

“Why?” Selina said.

“Just try not to come back late,” Jiro said and quickly left the room leaving a confused Selina to stand there.

Again Selina was gone the next morning. Jiro set to work right away. He stayed in the kitchen the whole afternoon trying not to burn the food he was making.

“What’s the boy doing?” Grandpa Ren questioned.

“He wants to make Selina’s favorite food for her,” Grandma Ren explained, “today’s her birthday remember?”

“Happy birthday!” Calvin said as he removed his hands from her eyes to reveal a birthday cake.

“Wow!” Selina gasped as she stared at the large cake. “It’s so pretty!”

Calvin smiled, “Make a wish and blow the candles birthday girl.”

Selina smiled, ‘I wish for happiness.’ Selina opened her eyes and blew out the candles. Forgetting that she should return home early she spent the whole day out with Calvin.

_*_*_*_*_*_

Happy with the way the food had turned out Jiro set the table. After everything was set Jiro waited and waited, but Selina didn’t come back. The sky soon turned to night and still no Selina.

Mrs. Ren entered from the doorway slowly, “Jiro it’s getting late. You should go to bed first. I’ll wake you up when Selina returns.”

Jiro stared down at the food that had turned cold, “It’s alright. I’ll go sleep. You should go sleep too. We’ll figure things out in the morning.”

Mrs. Ren gave a weak smile and nodded. Jiro turned away from the doorway to look at the food he'd put so much effort into. Giving up an hour later Jiro retreated to the bedroom laying down silently with his eyes open in the dark. Jiro tried to push things out of his mind, but instead felt that short sting of pain in his chest.

_*_*_*_*_*_

“Did she come back?” Grandma Ren questioned. Mrs. Ren shook her head no.

“Where is that girl?” Grandpa Ren said. “She should know very well that she is a married woman right now.”

“Jiro must be disappointed,” Mrs. Ren sympathizeld. “What are we going to do?”

“Don’t say a thing. Let the two kids learn on their own,” Grandpa Ren ordered, “Jiro should learn to control her a little more instead of letting her go out all day. Selina should also learn to become a good wife and take care of her family.”

“These two kids…” Grandma Ren said.

“Bye!” Selina called out as she carried a bag of gifts home.

_*_*_*_*_*_

Everything was dark once Selina reached her house. Selina stepped into the kitchen to grab a cup of water but for some reason stared at the table first. Whoever that had been in the kitchen last had not cleaned up. She turned away and turned back to see her favorite dish of food sat on the table. After a short meal Selina went into her bedroom to find Jiro asleep. Selina awoke the next morning to find her mom in the kitchen.

“Mom!” she called. “Good morning! Thanks for the food yesterday.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Mrs. Ren questioned.

“The food you left on the table yesterday,” Selina told. “Didn’t you make it?”

“Oh no it wasn’t me,” Mrs. Ren said, “Jiro made it for you.”

Selina’s eyes opened in surprise, “Was that why he wanted me to come home early?”

“Selina even if you have no real feelings toward the other partner in the relationship you should at least try to be considerate,” Mrs. Ren said.

Selina quickly turned around to head back to the bedroom to apologize but when she got there Jiro wasn’t there anymore. Selina remained at home the whole day waiting for Jiro to come back.

_*_*_*_*_*_

Jiro was headed down the trail where he had first been when he had tried to leave the village. He found a spot behind a large tree and sat down. The card he’d found in the bag had clarified every one of his questions from the start. She was spending time with Calvin. Suddenly he didn’t feel like staying any longer. He missed the city, the place where he was before he'd somehow arrived in heaven. He missed the one person whom he’d really wanted to keep his last promise to. The person he’d left behind in the city, the one who could turn his life but not his heart. Jiro knew that no matter how much he wanted to leave the village he couldn’t. His heart still fluttered for Selina and he was married. No other fact could change that.

When Jiro returned he found Selina waiting for him outside. Immediately he wanted to turn around and run.

“Jiro,” Selina called erasing all thought from his mind. “I…sorry. I forgot to come back early last night.”

Jiro stood there silently figuring out how to reply back to her.

“I sort of lost track of time,” Selina started, “but thanks for the food. You’re a very good cook you know?”

“Are you trying to be sincere?” Jiro questioned his voice rough and angry, not how he intended it to be. Jiro turned his gaze elsewhere.

“I…I just wanted to apologize,” Selina added.

“Well it ain’t helping me.” Jiro snapped.

Selina stared back at him speechless for a moment, “I think I’ll leave you alone.”

Jiro wanted to ignore her but anger burst up from inside him, “Do you want me to say it’s fine for you to stay out with him? Why don’t you just run away with him instead of meeting with him every single day! I don’t want to hear your apologies! You don’t know how hard it is waiting every single day!”

Selina turned around, “What?”

Jiro turned away then turned back to face Selina, “You heard me so why do you still act dumb? I don’t get you.”

“What is your problem?” Selina asked.

“You! Calvin! When you’re gone in the mornings I always wonder where you are! Do you know what a burden it is to miss someone? I really disliked you from the start but when I learned how miserable you were before it was different then. I regretted marrying you but now I want to be your husband! I like you! And it annoys me to know that!” Jiro shouted.

“Jiro…” Selina began.

“I don’t want to hear it. Go do whatever you want,” Jiro said and walked passed her.

Selina didn’t know what to feel. Happy that he at least cared or disappointed in herself. It took her a few minutes to gather up her strength and walk back inside the house. Selina paused in front of their bedroom door and slowly pushed the door open. It was too dark to see anything so Selina the lights to find that Jiro wasn’t there. Selina stepped in and picked up her gift bag from the side of the bed. Selina grabbed the birthday card from inside and figured that Jiro must have read it.

“I forgot to put it away,” Selina said to herself.

She put the birthday card back in and stored it away in the closet. ‘A marriage is a promise of love’ Selina thought ‘but I don’t have any love for you.’ Selina glanced down at the ring that sat on her finger. Her grandparents’ rings were given to them the day they got married. It would make her feel bad and it’d disappoint her grandparents if she decided to take it off now.

“You’ve only been married less than a month you can still bear with it,” Selina urged herself then thought to herself, “maybe…maybe if possible I can build up some love for him…like what he’s slowly doing.”

Selina sighed and walked around the room in circles then settled herself on the bed. She gave out a loud moan.

“Mom never taught you to do anything bad, but is going out to meet Calvin such a bad thing?” Selina wondered aloud to herself. “Maybe since I am married…but I can’t bring myself to like him either. Then on the other hand Jiro did seem a little happy that I bought him that sweater, but he’s still so mean!” Selina rolled over on the bed so she was laying on her side. She bit her thumb. “I feel bad too…for making Jiro feel bad. I have to admit his words were a little touching…Selina! You crazy mumbo! No, no, no! I have to stop weighing the reasons…what should I do? I don’t want Calvin to leave me…”

Without knowing it Selina dozed off for a bit then woke up an hour later to find that the lights were still on. Selina sat up rubbing her eyes and looked around. Jiro still hadn’t returned.

“Where is he?” Selina questioned getting off the bed.

She stepped outside into the dark and walked around to the back of the house but didn’t find Jiro. She stepped a little way out of the house but still didn’t find him. Beginning to feel a heavy feeling of worry Selina rushed forward to go look around, but instead tripped over a rock and fell forward.

“Ow,” Selina moaned as she sat up rubbing her knee.

There was dirt on her wound and she could feel her knee throbbing. Selina brushed the dirt off and blew at her knee hoping that it’d make her feel better. Then suddenly something flashed back to her. Selina remembered how Jiro had carried her up and carried her back home…he cared then.

“You’re so stupid Selina,” Selina told herself.

After a few seconds Selina got back on her feet and returned to her room to put some medicine on her scrape. When she had found some first aid she returned to the bedroom to sit on the bed and tend to her wound. However, when she grabbed a band-aid starting to put it on, but because her hands were always working against her will, she clumsily let sticky part of the band-aid get stuck to itself. Selina sighed and moaned. She was never really good with tending to wounds. Suddenly the door opened and Jiro stepped in but stopped when he noticed Selina sitting on the bed. Selina looked up and looked away quickly covering her knee feeling embarrassed that she hadn't been able to put the band aid on before he returned.

“What are you doing?” Jiro asked.

“None of your business,” Selina told trying not to look at him.

Jiro frowned and glanced at her bloody hands, “There’s a bug crawling on you.”

Selina jumped off the bed and looked around, “Where! Where!”

Jiro chuckled and glanced at her knee, “It’s in your head.”

Selina glanced up at Jiro and made a face, “Whatever.”

They were silent for a minute then Jiro walked forward leaning forward. Selina leaned back nervously.

“What are you doing?” questioned Selina.

Jiro didn’t respond but when he took steps forward Selina found herself taking slow steps back. Suddenly Jiro put his hand on her shoulder and sat her down on the bed. He sat down beside her and grabbed the medicine.

“Seems to me you need some assistance,” Jiro said. “Do you really have no knowledge toward anything?”

Selina didn’t respond but glanced at his face as he placed a band-aid on her knee. Selina quickly looked away as Jiro let her foot fall to the ground.

“All good lil’ kid,” Jiro told and put all the first aid stuff aside jumping on his side of the bed. “Turn the light off I’m sleeping now.”

Selina got off the bed and turned off the light switch watching Jiro’s still figure. She walked toward the bed and sat down.

“Jiro?” Selina questioned. “Where did you go?” Jiro didn’t respond. “Good night then.”

In the morning Selina woke up to find that Jiro was gone.