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REALIZATIONS ARE ALWAYS TOO LATE

Gui walked aimlessly on the streets of Japan. She had picked Japan while blind-sighting herself with a scarf and randomly pointing on a map. She had anticipated somewhere far, like Europe, but instead picked one of the closest places to Taiwan. She had no intentions or patience of re-pointing and decided to simply go to Japan.

She had once been in Tokyo to film for a movie, she was happy then, being the happy-go-lucky girl she’s always been. But now, she walked along the silent beach side of Okinawa feeling lonely and desolated. Being away from the crowd did help clear her mind a bit, but being away from all the people she loves was heartbreaking; her friends, her family, her fans, and most of all, Prince, it was all too much.

No, she was not ready to be away from all of them, but she also sees no other choice.  It had only been three days, but she felt like it had been 3 years. Each day dragged on as she reminisced the night she spent with Prince, the side of his personality that he’d never shown anyone, and the day when he caught and held onto her before she completely fainted. Before her eyes completely shut, she had seen the gentleness is his eyes, and she would never be able to forget that moment.

She thought of Hebe. She missed Hebe so much, and she felt the worst for leaving Hebe without a notice, for she knew Hebe would be so worried for her. She checked her email just the night before, and Hebe had sent her dozens of emails.  Hebe would have also undoubtedly left messages for her, but she was afraid to turn on her phone because she feared that hearing Hebe’s voice, she would not have the courage to continue this crazy escape. She knew Hebe would be calling 24/7 and she was afraid the phone would ring when she turned it on.

Then she thought of Aaron and the Pi Li MIT cast. She missed them all so much too, and she felt apologetic towards the cast and her fans for just disappearing. But she felt a little better knowing that before she left, she had completed all her scenes as the shooting was near completion. She felt content that she had at least finished her part of the project before leaving without a trace. All the scenes left were for Aaron and other people and she wondered if they’re done yet. Are they celebrating the completion? Are they all laughing, and cheering, and partying? These questions circled inside her mind, and she pictured how it would be if she was there.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a nauseous feeling that welled up within. She instinctively put her hands on her stomach and, with weak legs, wobbled back to her hotel suite. No one seemed to notice her, which was good of course, but it also meant how much her lack of sleep and untidiness had distorted her face, to the point that no one had recognized she was Gui. She wondered how messy she must be at the moment.  

The suite was large and empty, similar to how her heart felt right now. She sat down on the couch with a cup of warm water. She was not a person good at or capable of taking care of herself; her family or Hebe had always been there taking care of her during her brainless moments.  But with them far away and a tiny little life dependent upon her, she has at least learned to not to drink tea or coffee or alcohol. That much she knew.

With nothing else to do, she found herself continuing her earlier reminiscence…

Her mind rewound to the memory of her in Prince’s arms. Before she completely out, she remembered something dropping into her hands just before Prince had set her in the backseats of Aaron’s car. She didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t matter. It was Prince’s, and she clutched onto it tightly as she fell into unconsciousness.

Her next thoughts forwarded to when she woke up, with the item still tightly grasped in her hands. She was confused, and it took her a few moments to gain back her logic ad figure out what had happened. Outside, she could hear the doctor talking to Hebe and Aaron.

She held up the item in her hand and examined it. It was an ID card. Prince’s college ID card, from the number one university in Taiwan: National Taiwan University. She figured it must have slipped out from his wallet when he’d bent down to lay her on the backseat of Aaron’s car. Gui stared at the card, not believing that the person on this card was the same Prince that she knew. The image on the ID showed a younger Prince in his college days. Back then, he was a young boy who had a wide grin that could brighten up the entire universe; he was a young boy with so much happiness and friendliness radiating off of him, just from a simple picture. No, the boy on the ID was not the same Prince who had carelessly shouted at her and walked off from her.

Gui stared at the ID as a tear slipped down her cheeks. She heard the doctor walking away while Hebe and Aaron opened the door. She quickly stuck the ID under the pillow and wiped her tears away. She composed herself and tried hard to greet them with a wide grin.

Recalling these memories suddenly reminded her what was bugging her. Snapping back to reality, she scolded herself for not knowing earlier. Ever since she arrived in Japan, she felt like something’s not right. Of course! How could she not realize? The ID card! She hasn’t looked at it ever since she left the hospital. That is what she felt missing, the ID card that companioned her the whole time she was in the hospital.

Gui stood up and ran to her unpacked suitcase. She tore open the zipper and dug through her clothes and other items, throwing them everyone and all over the room. She ran to her back pack in the living room and dumped out the items all over the table, while searching for the ID. Gui ran to the bathroom and dug through her toiletry bag, throwing out lip gloss, toothpaste, eye liner, and other make up all over the sink counter. She was near panicking as she raced back to the dining room and hoped it would be inside her last option: her purse. She poured all the contents out on top of the dining table and flipped through everything, but still to no avail.

Suddenly and uncharacteristically, anger flushed through her veins, her hands shook violently. She glanced around the suite; the room that was perfectly clean and organized just now had become messy within a matter of seconds. Her bottled up emotions exploded as she lifted up the flower vase that lay peacefully on the dining table and smashed it on the tile floor. The vase shattered to pieces, with parts bouncing back up and scratching her legs, forming little bruises like paper-cuts. She took a step back and leaned on the marble dining table for support, her breath heavy and fast.

She felt defeated for not being able to guard the one thing that she could remember Prince with. The one thing of his that she would be able to keep. Her legs weakened and shook. She let herself plop down on the cold tiles and cry, she let herself cry her heart out.

*TAIWAN*

Prince watched his parents and Michelle’s parents argue, as they have been doing for the past hour. He knew Michelle was staring at him, but he tried to avoid eye contact with her, he didn’t know how to respond to her after she selfishly announced their engagement without considering any further for him or their families.

Mr. Qiu: How can this happen? These kids are crazy! How can you guys decided something like this by yourselves? There are no ties between our families, nothing can be decided, this is unacceptable!

Mr. Chen: Now what are we going to do? Michelle, do you even know what you are doing? First escaping from your properly arranged marriage, now announcing an engagement without even telling us! How would our company plans follow through?

Prince didn’t know if these comments were directed at him and Michelle, or at each other’s families. He didn’t know if the parents didn’t accept because it truly came as a shock or because the tow families have no business ties whatsoever, and therefore wouldn’t benefit from this engagement. He was so sick of hearing all of this. Everyone wanted to talk to him, to demand answers from him. He felt betrayed by Michelle, her deciding this had driven him to a bad person in front of everyone, her parents, her friends, and…Gui. Anger towards Michelle boiled within him, and he feared that if he stayed any longer, things would turn very ugly.

But he had no option. Though everyone demanded answers, no one had actually given him the chance to speak. He just remained seated, trying as hard as he could to block their voices out and letting his own thoughts wander.

After a while though, while Prince blocked everything out, the two families seemed to have reached an agreement. When Prince heard his own father say: “Good. It’s set then. They can get married right away”, he immediately snapped back to reality.

Prince: What’s set?

Mrs. Qiu: Prince, honey, what have you been doing? We’ve been discussing the whole time, how can you ask that now?

Prince: Sorry mom, but what’s set?

Mr. Qiu: The business deal.

Prince’s expression remained confused.

Mr. Chen: Prince, my future son in law, your father and I have already developed a new business plan.

Mr. Qiu: That way, you and Michelle can get married right away, and we can carry out the plan immediately.

Mrs. Qiu: This is certainly the best for both families!

Mrs. Chen: Oh, it’s a wonderful resolution! Right, Michelle dear?

Michelle: Of course mommy!

Prince: Michelle!

Michelle: What?

Mrs. Qiu: Prince, honey, what are you doing?

Prince couldn’t believe that his future was decided just like that. He couldn’t believe that Michelle would accept the arrangement just like that. If it had been in the past, surely she would have not agreed. Even though she wants to get married, she would’ve never let business or money taint their relationship. And now she was so ready to accept their parents’ proposal.

Well, he certainly was not.

Prince stared at Michelle, who seems to be just someone completely strange and unfamiliar now. He thought of how much his life has changed ever since she had come back, how much he had adjusted himself for her, how much he had hurt someone else because of her, notably Gui. In front of his eyes, he sees not the sincere girl who once had a deep passion for music, so much that it was enough to surpass her love for him; he sees not the girl who was innocent and naïve. Instead, he sees a possessive and coldhearted girl who would do anything to obtain what she wants, hurt anyone else who got in the way.

And with that revelation, he suddenly stood up.

Prince: No.

Mr. Qiu: What did you say?

Prince: I said no.

Mrs. Qiu: Son, stop speaking nonsense!

Michelle: What do you mean no?

Prince: No, as in I can’t do it. No, as in I can’t marry you. No, as in I won’t marry you.

Five pairs of eyes bulged and stared a Prince. For a moment, no one spoke; the determination in his voice was so strong, so powerful.

Seeing their shocked response, Prince gave no care or explanation. He pushed back his chair and turned around to walk out of the Chen mansion. Behind him, he can hear the parents shouting and in uproar. He gave no attention as he blocked them out and headed out the main gate to where his car was parked. From the corner of his eyes, he can see Michelle chasing out after him, but he didn’t stop.

He finally realizes that he might be stuck in a trap. He needs time to think things over, everything is moving too fast, and he’s really not sure if he still feels the same for Michelle or if he is simply lingering onto her because of their past and his attachment. After a split second of consideration, he realizes it is the latter: attachment. 

Not love. No, what he felt was not love. It was attachment. And Michelle had been manipulating that attachment into an illusion of love.

He just hopes that this realization isn't too late, even though he has a pretty good feeling that it is. His thoughts traveled to the day Gui had come to talk to him, and the way he had harshly refuted her and walked off. 

As Michelle caught up and held onto the passenger door of his convertible and pleaded him to stay, he simply shook his head once and stepped on the gas pedal.

His car raced off, leaving Michelle staring at his disappearing shadow.

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Dear Readers,

I hope you enjoyed, I certainly did enjoy writing it! Haha, I get so excited myself at my own ideas and plots. Please support and comment so I know I'm not writing for thin air... haha

And please visit my review and revision blog Musical Sweets at: https://sites.google.com/site/graceleeu/

Lots of love,

Grace