Shida Mirai was waiting with her manager, Nagata Miharu, in the lounge of the airport. Her heart was heavy. She didn’t want to leave, but she had promised Ryosuke. A part of her was scared that he asked her to take time off to calm herself was his way to end their bond, but the other part of her insisted to believe in him. Her pesimistic thought forced her to understand that even if he was about to leave her, it was not his fault, but then she felt anger subtly building inside when the thought of him abandoning her in time of need kindled.

She inhaled a breath as she felt Nagata-san’s hand enveloped her own in comforting manner. She lifted her head and mustered a smile. Her manager was always kind, even when she gave her so many troubles.

“You’ll be fine. Just have fun,” Nagata-san said.

She could only nodded and turned her head away.

She would not have fun, she knew it. Because the reason for her leave was to get another treatment for her unstable mental. She shivered as the first program she had in Paris replayed in her head. She hardened her heart to hold her tears from falling.

“That’s him!” Suddenly Nagata-san exclaimed.

She looked up to see Ryosuke practically jogging toward them. He, clad in black jeans and black leather jacket with white shirt underneath, looked simple but charming, as he always did. For a moment, she forgot about her fear, anger, and confusion. She saw his smile widened upon spotting her, but at the time she was awoken by another realization: He was wearing nothing to disguise himself.

“Glad I make it,” he said, panting slightly. “The traffic was crazy.”

“It’s almost Christmast after all,” Nagata-san answered him.

He straightened his back and grinned sheepisly at her, “Hey.”

She did not know how to respond to that, so she remained doing nothing.

It was Nagata-san who filled in the awkward moment, “There’s still half an hour before we should boarding. I’m gonna have more chocolate. Do you want some, Shida-chan?”

She shook her head.

“You, Yamada-kun?”

“No, thanks,” he said still smiling.

“Alright then. I’ll be back soon.”

She only stared at him who was still standing a few steps away, her hands clasped tightly before her to quiver her trembling.

“You didn’t answer my call nor reply my message this morning,” he stated while inching closer to her. “I had to ask Nagata-san for your flight number. I nearly missed it.”

She gulped, then encouraged herself to speak, “I...don’t want you to come.”

He halted just two steps before her, furrowing his brows, “You’re still angry with me?”

She looked away, but didn’t answer. Yes, part of her was still angry because he decided by himself to postpone the wedding, but part of her was happy that he came to see her off at least.

Suddenly she felt her body was moved, and before she could comprehend the circumstance, she was already within his embrace.

Her heart throbbed violently against her ribs. She was getting really sad and confused. His arms wrapped her in a warmth protection, but she shivered imagining she would be alone without him just in a few minutes. And at that time, she just realized how she had been dependent on his presence all along. She hated to burden anyone, but without realizing, she had been doing that to Ryosuke.

“You don’t know how it pain me to call a halt to our wedding,” he whispered to her ear. “You don’t know how it torture me to be apart from you, again.