21

Before I wanted to flee from Yamato clan, now I found what I had been asking for, but I felt regretting it. Why did this happen when I finally accepted the clan?

“Mao!” Yano called my name when I about to went out from their house.

I looked at him and saw his confused eyes.

“How come Nino is not your real brother, you’re so much attached” he asked.

“It’s a long story, but I’m sure he can’t do the accusation of Toma.”

“Yeah, I also think that way, where are you going now?”

“In the hospital, I guess…”

“I’ll go with you!”

“No, you don’t have to” I said “Let just see in school tomorrow”

“But…”

“Look Yano, from this moment, I still hoping that everything will be back in normal.”

Yano was willing to agonize but I sensed that he himself was hopeless.  I hugged him and he hugged me back tightly.

*

When I arrived at the hospital, I found lot of bodyguards. Toma ordered them to look after my brother. He really believed that Nino planned the false pretense.

*

The next day at the school:

“What happened?” asked Maki upon hearing the news from Shun. She and her brother were both in the place of Yano’s group with the members. (Rina, Jin, Yamapi, Yui, Haruma, Yano). All of them had knowledge already about Mao and her family, only Maki was unaware.

“Tell me, what’s happening?” Maki cried.

Yamapi narrated what happened, which made Maki fell on her knees. Everybody wanted to help, but they didn’t know how. Added to that was the accident of Nino. They wondered how could I stand this phase of my life.

*

When I entered Yama Gakuen, I saw strange glances from everyone. I guessed they already know my real identity, but still I continued walking. My purpose was to see Yano and my friends. But when I stepped on the corridor, the students threw eggs on me.

“You shameless girl, why are you still here?”

They threw not only eggs but also foul words, but it didn’t stop me from walking. I continued till I reached the place of Yano’s group. I was about to knock when I heard their words.

“I guess we can’t do anything to save her” said Haruma.

Rina agreed “Yes, because she isn’t Yamato.”

“All she has to do is to leave this place, from that she could save her self” Jin added.

“Yano, she’s your wife what are your plans now?” asked Yamapi.

Yano’s answer was silence.

I stopped right away. Asking them for any comfort was really impossible. They never experienced to associate with non-Yamato so how could they understand me? There was only one who can comprehend me, my brother.

I went back to the hospital and sat on my brother’s side.

““Please Nino wake up!” I cried.

My phone beeped, it was Yano calling. I ignored it. It beeped again. This time I failed to stop myself, I answered it.

“Where are you?”

“Here in the hospital” I replied with low voice.

“Aren’t you going here?”

“Maybe later” I answered.

“We’re waiting for you”

“I know tell them I will come” I lied. I actually didn’t want to see them. What I wanted was to be with my family.

*

Someone entered the room. It was Toma.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“My sister asked me to get you; she wants you to speak with your parents for the last time”

“Last time?”

“Yes, have you forgot, their punishment is a public execution. You should grab this opportunity to be with them”

I got mixed emotion, Happy because I could see my parents but full of sorrow because they will kill them.

*

I went with Toma to see my parents,

In Tama Police station

Mama hugged me immediately. Her eyes sagged. My father was still the same, relax but I could sense fear in his eyes.

“How’s Nino?” asked my mother “We heard his accident”

“He’s still in coma, but the doctor said he’s fine” I replied.

“Good to hear that, how about you, did they hurt you?”

I paused.

“Mao?” Mama uttered.

“Mama, can you explain what happened, did you really lied being Yamato?”

Toma was in the same room as us, he sensed my parents won’t talk if he was there so he went outside.

“According to Toma, Nino is behind of these, is that true?” I questioned.

Mama didn’t answer.

“Please, tell me!” I begged.

It was my father who told me the whole thing.

“The only reason why we changed our names is to hide from creditors. We never knew that these names exist before Yamato took us. The clan can give us good life so I decided to pretend as the real missing brother of Hiroki Matsuzawa”

 “It’s still unbelievable, how could you think of names that exactly the same as Hiroki Matsuzawa’s family?”

“It was Nino’s suggestions” Father confessed.

“What?” It surprised me.

“Of course you can’t remember anything; you had high fever when we changed our names” father added.

“Didn’t you ask Nino where did he get those names?”

“At first we thought he only invented it, until Yamato approached us, but that time we can’t ask Nino because he lost his memory, have you forgotten? The real Nino is his alter.”

If father didn’t mention it, I won’t remember.  

*

End of visiting.

Toma looked at me, his eyes were questioning.

“Stop staring at me like that” I requested.

He smirked and insisted his belief “I’m right, Nino is the master mind here”

I wanted to defend Nino but I couldn’t find any words to say. Before I realized, I was telling his story to Toma.

I was 11 years old when we found Nino. My father paid the apple he stole. After that he didn’t distance from us, so my parents decided to keep him. He became part of our family but remained quiet. He was a shy boy with troubled eyes until the horror incident, he was shot in the head.

We were in convenient store, a robber hostage me. I tried to escape but the robber took the gun. Nino pushed me, for him to be shot.

That incident caused him amnesia. From being wild he changed to sweet boy which I started to love, but there was times he was returning in his old self, we recognized that as his multiple personality disorder.

*

I went in the cemetery. First, I prayed for my son, and then I went to Hiroki Matsuzawa’s tomb.

“Gomen, Mr. Matsuzawa. I’m really sorry for stealing your name. Please, forgive us”

The happy picture of my family was actually unreal. All this time I was living in lies. I couldn’t imagine this was happening. I cried non-stop thinking about my family.

*

Time: 6:00pm

Location: In the hospital

“Yano…” I saw him with Maki, Shun and Yamapi. They went in the hospital to pay us a visit. I ran to Yano, and begged on my knees. “Please do something; I don’t want them to die!” I cried.

Yano took me “What are you doing?” He asked.

“Yano I’m begging you, please stop them”

I didn’t want to cry in front of my friends, in front of Yano, but I just did it. This was the only thing I could do to save my parents.

*

We went back in Matsumoto’s residence, and both bowed in Yukie’s feet.

“Forget it, I won’t change my mind” Yukie answered in strong voice.

Yano stood up. “Neechan, you know how painful it is to lose parents, so why can’t you understand Mao”

Yano’s words was a mistake, Yukie slapped his face.

“Don’t compare my parents to those liars!” she shouted. “In my whole life I only admired two men, my father and his adviser Hiroki Matsuzawa. Aside from being adviser, Hiroki was our teacher. All of us saw how sensei wanted to see his brother-that’s why I can’t just let those liars not to pay. They should be punished for using his name to get profit”

From this point, how could we stop Yukie, she was very angry.

“Nee-chan, any punishment would do…”

“Death is the proper punishment!” she insisted, looking at me. “If you think I’m being harsh, do you think I’ll allow your wife to hang in this town?”

Yukie was so fierce. Her words made me decide.

Talking to her was a waste of time.  I stood up and left.

“Mao…” Yano followed me, but I didn’t bother to look back.

No need to beg

 I can’t do anything

 I should give up

I gave up.

*

The day of public execution arrived. The event will be done in the ground of Matsumoto Residence, and this will be telecast in the whole town of Tama.

I stayed at the cemetery, in front of my child’s tomb. I was in total pain, now I know why I hated being Yamato, this was probably the reason.

Yano was looking for me, he was sure I was in the cemetery so he decided to go there but his father stopped him. He ordered him to watch the execution. Maki and others were also ordered by their parents to stay.

*

In the hospital…

Nino opened his eyes, finally he was awakened. 

*****

I think I made Mao cried too much >.<

Next: Nino's revelation