Epilogue

“Mao breath in breath out. Push harder. It’s coming out.” The doctor said. Mao was in the delivery room struggling for the rhythm. Her husband was beside her, holding her hand all the while.

“I’m just here.” Her husband uttered.

“It’s a healthy baby boy.” The doctor proudly announced as he got the baby out of Mao. But then he had to get another one; they had twins after all. This happened after a year Mao had married Jun Matsumoto.

[Flashback]

Before the truck could smash Jun’s car he was able to jump out of it and had rolled all the way down the steep hill. Luckily an old man had seen him unconscious and had taken care of him until he had fully recovered. Actually they didn’t see Jun’s corpse and his graveyard was empty. The first person he had visited when he was cured was Masami, to say sorry then he went to Aiba. Finally he went to Mao.

While Mao had tended on her roses someone came in. She just ignored it and behind her someone had covered her eyes. “Who are you?” She asked fiercely. Its fresh mint breath ran to her nostrils. It then teased, “Can you guess who I am?”

Mao immediately had recognized the voice but she knows he is already dead. She thought she was just hallucinating or was just being tricked. She looked back and saw that her sight did not deceive her. She slapped Jun hard and felt his solid face touching her palms and he was warm. “Ouch! That hurts you know.” Jun said as he caressed his face. She was wide-eyed. “I’m not a ghost and I really am alive. You are not hallucinating.”

“Then who had given me this heart?” Mao wondered. Jun shrugged for like her he was as well clueless. But he really didn’t care. Jun courted Mao for three months and after two months they decided to get married and start a family on their own. [End of Flashback]

The twins looked like little replicas of Mao and Jun. Actually it was a boy and a girl. They had named them, Takumi and Misaki. The boy looked a lot like his mother and the girl looked a lot like her father. On the first birthday of the twins there were a lot of friends came and that includes the best friends, Masami and Aiba.

“Ohayou Gozaimasu, Jun and Mao!” Masami hugged her best friend tightly. “Ohayou Masami.” Jun greeted.

“How is your baby?” Mao asked.

“Very much fine. I’m going to give birth to this little angel next month.” Masami informed her as she caressed her stomach. “Looks like Aiba has to be more mature now.” Jun teased.

“I already am one.” Aiba humored and they laughed. Then Maki and Yamapi came with their two-year-old baby, Ayane. She looked like her father and only her eyes were that of her mother’s.

“Mao, Jun Omedetou.” They greeted.

“Maki…” Mao immediately hugged her friend. It was somewhat like a reunion.

“Yo!” Yamapi saluted and behind him came Toma.

“Hey! I’ve found out who had become your donor.” Toma announced to the group.

“Who?” They chorused. This was the answer to a question they all had queried for so long a time.

“Kamenashi Kazuya.” Toma uttered. They were tongue-tied and taken aback. This was something they didn’t expect even with his long absence. Finally the day ended beautifully.

The next day…

“Oka-san, look at the roses they are blooming beautifully.” Her daughter observed as she joined her mother and father sitting at the garden amidst beautiful flowers. Takumi had gone to the bushes of roses and had tried to pick one but was pricked and it made a deep wound.

“Takumi, don’t try to do that next time.” Jun reprimanded his son. “Roses have thorns.”

“Then I don’t like roses. I hate it.” Takumi innocently said.

“Those are my favorite flowers. The most contrasting and deceiving flower I’ve ever known.” Mao informed her children. After putting a bandage on his son’s finger he hugged Mao and said, “Like love, roses are beautiful but it has thorns.”

“Thorns and roses.” Misaki uttered. Takumi then wondered, “Do they go together?” Jun and Mao just smiled.