A/N: Hi everyone! It's been four months since the last Dr. Watanabe x Nurse Kashiwagi update. I hope you haven't forgotten about our disgustingly sweet couple
Anyway, this Interlude 2 is actually a birthday fanfic for our beloved Yukirin!
Happy Birthday, Yukirin! And guess what! It's been exactly a year
and a day since I started this fanfic thread and posted the first Dr. Watanabe story. It was originally meant to be a one-shot but due to the encouraging responses from my dearest readers, it somehow became a long-running multi-chapter story. (So much for wanting to stop at Part 3.) It wouldn't have been possible without everyone's kind support so thank you very much to all who have been following my stories!
I sincerely apologise for being unable to reply to each comment recently as work had kept me very busy but the hectic period is over for now so I should be able to get back on track with writing and replying new comments. Once again, thank you for staying with me despite my lack of response. I really, really feel your love
Without further ado, I hope you'll enjoy this update! By the way, if you think that the title sounds familiar, it's because it is making a reference to Part 1 of the series
Note: This is a genderbend story.---
This Flower Lasts Forever A delicate white rose pendant gleamed between slender fingers as its designer leaned against the window, basking in the warm morning rays. The glazed ceramic surface sported dark scratches that marred its otherwise perfect beauty. A sigh escaped the young man’s lips.
“A penny for your thoughts?” A male voice broke the silence in the room.
Watanabe Mayu snapped upright, shoving his hand behind his back as he whipped around to face the intruder.
“Oh, it’s you.” He visibly relaxed, his hand returning to his side.
The taller – but equally fair-skinned – man raised an eyebrow, dark eyes spotting a string of fine silver dangling from Mayu’s hand. “That’s rare.”
Mayu frowned. “What’s rare?”
“You being caught off guard,” answered Matsui Ren, his thin lips quirking ever so slightly at the corners.
The younger doctor returned a small smirk of his own as he tightened his fist around the tiny accessory. “I thought you were Yuki.”
“I don’t think I’m a woman,” came the amused reply.
“You aren’t but…” Mayu squinted his eyes as the gears in his mind formed a mental picture, “close enough. You are just missing a wig and a dress.”
“Very funny, Watanabe,” Ren folded his arms across his chest, shifting his weight onto his left leg as he narrowed his eyes at the shorter man. “I could say the same for you, pretty boy.”
There was a pregnant pause as the two men stared at each other…
… until Mayu chortled and shook his head, causing Ren to break out in soft snickers.
“That was kind of…” Ren drawled, scratching a spot beneath his right ear and trying to figure out the adjective he was looking for.
“Gay,” Mayu offered. “In Yuko-san’s words.”
Ren broke into a rare grin, jesting, “You’ve been hanging around Yuko-san too much. But yeah, it did feel like a pickup scene out of a gay movie.”
An icy shudder shot down Mayu’s spine. “Better not say that in front of Yuki. She’s still quite ruffled by the whole Jun incident in Okinawa,” he said, grimacing at the memory of being smacked mercilessly by a near hysterical girlfriend.
“You mean Jurina-san?”
Mayu nodded. “Anyway, how are you two getting along? She’s been asking you out, hasn’t she?”
“Where did you hear that from?”
“Through the grapevine,” Mayu responded coyly.
Ren turned and fumbled with a patient’s file lying on the desk beside him, pretending to be looking for something. He clicked the ballpoint pen under his thumb. “You are chatty today,” he noted in a clipped tone.
“I’m just concerned.”
Ren paused in his actions and glanced over at Mayu, scrutinizing for signs of a big fat joke. However, all he found was an earnest stare typical of the man famously known as Dr. Cool. “You are surprising me an awful lot today,” he punctuated his comment with another raised eyebrow. “It’s the first time you are showing concern to someone other than Yuki-chan.”
If Mayu was offended by the remark, he didn’t let it show. Instead, he just shrugged. “Maybe I’m really gay for you.”
“It’s scary when you say that with a straight face. Are you sure you didn’t suffer a head injury when you fought with the ruffian in Okinawa? Maybe I should ask Mario-san to do a scan of your brain.”
“Not necessary,” Mayu brushed off the suggestion. “Yuki always tells me to lighten up because I scare off people with my attitude. Guess I’m not cut out for jokes.”
Nodding a bit too eagerly, Ren said, “I’d rather you stay your usual self. Anyway, speaking of Yuki-chan, her birthday’s tomorrow.” He watched with interest as Mayu’s eyes flickered towards his own closed fist. As someone who had been holding a torch for the woman in question, Ren had a faint idea of what the object in Mayu’s hand was.
Mayu remained silent as he stuffed his hand into his pants’ pocket. “Yeah, and I’m having a headache over it.”
Before Ren could probe for more details, the intercom crackled to life.
There is a shooting incident happening outside Shinjuku Financial Center. Three casualties with gunshot wounds. The police are requesting for medical assistance.Springing into action, Mayu pressed the red button on the receiver. “Watanabe and Matsui here. We’ll head out in the ambulance.”
The two doctors slung their medical kits over their shoulders and bolted out of the office. As they raced down the corridor leading to the porch of the Emergency Department, they sighted two familiar figures running in front of them.
“Yuki!”
The women turned back at the sound of Mayu’s voice.
“Mayu!” Yuki’s eyes lit up in joy as she slowed her steps.
“Are you two responding to the Shinjuku call too?” Ren asked.
“Yeah, we were in the Staff Lounge when the call was made. I checked with Communications and it seems like the suspect hasn’t been subdued so there could be more casualties as we speak. It’s better that we send more help over,” Oshima Yuko, the most senior doctor within the group spoke.
“Good move,” Ren gave a nod of approval.
“Anyway,” Yuko nudged Mayu in the ribs as she ran alongside him, “it’s Mayu boy’s first day back at work. Are you excited?”
“It’s just work,” Mayu deadpanned.
“Tch. Touchy,” grumbled Yuko.
The bespectacled man felt a familiar grasp on his right forearm and he turned his attention to the nurse on his other side.
“Welcome back, Dr. Watanabe,” Yuki whispered, the apples of her cheeks growing pink from addressing him so formally. His heart skipped a beat under her alluring bashful gaze. Lacing his fingers with hers, he graced his favourite nurse with a loving smile reserved only for her.
“It’s good to be back.”
Yuko snorted and rolled her eyes. “Not excited, yeah, sure. You lovebirds are acting like you haven’t been spending lots of alone time at home during the past weeks,” she muttered under her breath, groaning at their goose bumps-inducing display of affection.
“It’s different,” Yuki retorted. “This is work.”
The older woman flashed a wry grin. “Given his luck, Mayu would probably get shot by the suspect later.”
“Yuko-san!” If Mayu hadn’t been in between them, Yuki would have clobbered her for her foul mouth.
Behind the trio, Ren smiled at the nostalgic bickering scene even as a pang of loneliness gripped his heart.
---
In a little over ten minutes, the group was greeted by the loud blares of police sirens as the ambulance swerved into the street where the shootout was taking place.
“Whoa!” The driver exclaimed and slammed on the brakes without warning, hurtling the medical staff at the back into each other.
“Oof!” Yuko felt her brain rattling like a ping pong ball in her skull when she crashed against the inner wall of the vehicle with a painful thud. “What the hell?” she yelled. “And get off me, Ren!”
“I’m trying!” Ren shot back, his voice strained as he struggled to pick himself up.
“Sorry guys, I didn’t notice the roadblock,” the driver shouted over the commotion.
“Damn it, Kizaki! You better get your eyes checked after this!” Yuko blasted, squirming uncomfortably under Ren’s body, painfully aware of his hot breath on her neck. Suddenly, the image of a certain neurosurgeon in his full naked glory flashed in her mind and her stomach lurched like a tidal wave. Eyes bulging, she let out an anguished roar and shoved Ren with inhuman strength only witnessed in fictional superheroes.
“Watch it!” Ren flailed his arms blindly as he tumbled onto his rear, smashing the back of his head against the stretcher’s metal legs. Squeezing his eyes shut in pain, he registered the hushed whispers of concern belonging to his childhood friend and her fiancé on the other side of the stretcher.
“Are you alright?”
“Un… Does anywhere hurt?”
“Just knocked my elbow. Don’t worry about it.”
Rubbing the sore spot which was sure to develop into a massive bump later, Ren sighed over how pathetic he must have looked. The moment he sat up, he was immediately run over by a speeding bundle that had jumped over him and kicked his shoulder in the process. Hissing, he twisted around to see Yuko shoving open the back door and stumbling out onto the rough gravel beneath. The next thing he heard was the sound of someone regurgitating all the contents of her stomach.
“Yuko-san!”
Both Mayu and Yuki hopped out, zipping to the hunched over woman in an instant. A palm shot out, stopping them before they could utter a word.
“I’m… fine,” Yuko asserted through gritted teeth. She made a slurring noise before spitting out the remaining sour goo in her mouth. “Urk.”
“Are you sure you are alright?” Yuki patted the veteran doctor’s back. “You already looked a little off when we were in the Staff Lounge just now.” Her words made Mayu shoot suspicious eyes at his former mentor.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head,” Yuko insisted, waving off the tightly knitted brows targeted at her. “Let’s get going. We’ve got lives to save.” She glanced over her shoulder and called rather impatiently, “Get your slow ass down here, Ren!”
Ren groaned inwardly as he stood, working out the kinks in his body.
Easy for you to say. Snatching Yuko’s medical kit from the bench, he tossed it to her before hoisting his own over his back. The group approached the nearest police officer and was promptly directed to a cordoned-off area behind a police van. Yuki gasped audibly at the scene. Four injured members of the public were writhing and moaning on the tarmac that had been scorched by the blazing sun but they weren’t the ones who caused her hairs to stand on their ends; it was the fifth victim – a heavily pregnant lady who had a gunshot wound in her bulging belly. Her maternity wear was drenched in fresh blood and a frightening amount of the crimson liquid was pooling under her legs.
“Crap, the situation is worse than what was reported!” Yuko cursed. “Ren and Mayu, you tend to the others, I’ll handle the pregnant woman with Yuki-chan.”
Mayu took a quick scan of the wounded, assessing the situation. Two men bore chest wounds while another woman appeared to suffer shots to her arm and shoulder. The last victim was an elderly man with a gaping hole through his throat – and he was still as a rock. Lips pressing into a thin line, Mayu whipped out his cellphone and speed-dialed the Emergency Department’s number to request for additional transport.
“S-Save my… my… b-baby… please…” the pregnant lady begged in between shallow gasps, gripping Yuko’s gloved hand and smearing it with her blood.
“We will,” Yuko gave an assuring squeeze in return before letting go of her hand. “What’s your name?”
“M-Minako.”
“Alright, Minako-san, when are you due?”
“Next week.”
“Fetal heart rate 120,” Yuki informed.
“Looks like the baby hasn’t been hit,” Yuko stated, checking the gunshot wound at the side of the stretched tummy. “But the mother’s losing too much blood.” Biting her inner cheek, she considered her options.
Her water has broken. If we don’t deliver the baby now, infection will set in. At the rate she’s losing blood, we can’t guarantee that we can stabilize her condition in time. It’s either we save one or lose both.“Minako-san, we will prioritize saving your child…”
Minako managed a weak smile even as waves of excruciating pain rocked her body.
“… and I will need you to cooperate with us. However,” Yuko paused, sucking in a deep breath, “your chances of survival are low. Very low.”
Minako’s eyes widened, unblinking as they searched Yuko’s unwavering ones but the doctor remained silent.
“Does t-that mean I will… d-die?”
A nod.
Realizing that Yuko was not going to give her false hope, she let out a harrowing howl and thrashed her head from side to side, causing more blood to gush from her wound.
“No! No… I can’t die! Impossible!”
“Ma’am! Stop! You will hurt yourself and your baby!” Yuko lunged forward and pinned down Minako’s shaking shoulders.
Her cry was soon reduced to sobs that racked her battered body. At that second, Yuki felt something shatter into pieces in her chest. She glimpsed at Yuko’s solemn expression and then at her tightly clenched fists. It was a heartbreaking moment for even the most experienced medical professional. Blinking back the tears that were threatening to spill, Yuki laid a comforting hand on Minako’s arm.
“You’ve carried your child for nine months, Minako-san. You’ve been doing a great job up till now. Let’s do our best for this final hurdle. You’d want your child to see this world, right?”
Her gentle words seemed to have a magical effect on the devastated woman as her tense facial features slowly eased into one of acceptance. With a sob, Minako said, “P-Please tell… m-my husband… I love h-him.”
“We will,” Yuki promised. When she straightened her back, she found Yuko staring intently at her.
“No wonder Mayu says you have the persuasiveness of Mother Teresa.”
Feeling a giddy flutter in her stomach, she cast a quick glance at her husband-to-be who was hard at work. Only his profile was visible from where she knelt but she could still see it – the unyielding seriousness behind his glasses. Most people might not notice it but his eyes were kind and his devotion to saving lives was something that she loved and hated. Love because he was like an angel sent from heaven when she was on the brink of death years ago. Hate because that very dedication almost got him killed. Subconsciously, she raised her hand to her collar but when her fingers felt nothing except the fabric of her lavender top, she mentally berated her laughable wishful thinking.
No matter how many times I touch my collar, it’d never appear. Her hand dropped to her side as she tried to resist the twinge of regret creeping up on her. Ever since she lost the necklace in Okinawa, her neck had been feeling utterly bare. It was Mayu’s first present to her and she had never taken it off after he put it on for her. She had slept with it, showered with it, and even swam with it. It was her most treasured possession. The tingling sensation when his hesitant fingers brushed her skin was still fresh in her mind.
It’s gone… forever.Shaking her head, she returned her focus to the situation in hand. This wasn’t the time to be musing over her own problems. Mayu wouldn’t approve of that, she was sure.
---
Mayu pulled the white sheet over the old man’s face. It was already too late by the time they reached the scene. The bullet had gouged a hole in the frail man’s windpipe, rendering breathing impossible. Mayu performed a deep bow to the deceased.
I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything for you. He and Ren had already patched up the two men with chest wounds and got the newly arrived paramedics to send them to the hospital. With Ren currently tending to the woman with less life-threatening injuries, Mayu rushed over to where Yuko and Yuki were with an infant transport incubator in hand.
“Minako-san, hang in there! Breathe slowly!” Mayu heard Yuki exclaim. However, her hopefulness was short-lived when the struggling Minako suddenly fell silent. Her raspy gasps that previously filled the air were gone. “Minako-san?”
“She has gone into shock.” Yuko’s affirmation drained the blood from everyone’s faces. “We have to perform emergency C-section. Scalpel!” She stretched out her palm to Yuki.
“But she’ll die!” Yuki protested, hoping that Yuko would come up with a less risky solution.
“She was already going to die.” Yuko’s statement stunned the agitated nurse into silence. “She agreed to the delivery knowing that she wouldn’t make it. Remember her wish - save her child.”
Mayu stepped in, cutting off their exchange. He had already got a grasp of the woman’s condition. Holding Yuki’s shoulder, he gave her a firm knowing nod. “Give Yuko-san the scalpel.”
When even Mayu said that, she knew it was the only choice they had. Once again, her emotions got the better of her and she was forced to recall her uselessness when Mayu was struck by the giant boulder during the earthquake. Vowing to never let history repeat itself, she tore the scalpel out of its sterile packaging and handed it to Yuko, muttering an apology.
With experienced ease, Yuko made a clean horizontal incision across the woman’s lower abdomen. She pushed her hands in and pulled apart the layers of slimy membrane wrapped around the fetus. Faint but steady heartbeats answered her probing fingers. Motivated by the small sign of life, Yuko worked more fervently and within minutes, the cries of a newborn rang loud and clear, bringing relieved smiles to all present.
“Minako-san, you did it!” Yuki cheered in joy but the woman remained unresponsive. Minako's face was white as a sheet and cold to the touch. “Please wake up and see your child. She’s beautiful.”
“I’ll take over,” Mayu told Yuko who was cradling the infant in her arms. She nodded in response and gingerly placed the baby in the incubator before checking for signs of abnormality.
A long beep from the ECG monitor pierced through the air. The flatline on the screen confirmed their worst fears.
“Damn!” Mayu swore uncharacteristically as he leant over the woman and began pumping her chest, hoping to restart her heart but to no avail. “Give me the scalpel, Yuki.”
He sliced open the left side of Minako’s chest and slid his hands in, pushing past stiff ribs to get to her heart.
Come on, Minako-san. You’ve got to survive. Don’t leave your child behind and…He stole a peek at Yuki whose lips were quivering uncontrollably with anxiety. He knew she was pinning all her hopes on him.
… I don’t want to let Yuki down.Everything was a horrifying scene of déjà vu to Yuki as she watched Mayu perform an internal cardiac massage on Minako; just that this time, Mayu wasn’t the one lying there with his life slipping away. However, that didn’t make things any easier to accept. The birth of the baby should be a joyous occasion, not one that coincides with the death of the mother.
Several minutes passed and Mayu’s hands were sore from the non-stop squeezing motion but he didn't give up. He didn't want to.
“Mayu, that’s enough,” said Yuko.
The male doctor ignored the advice and continued compressing Minako’s heart manually until a strong hand stopped his actions.
“She has lost too much blood. Even if you restart her heart, she won’t make it.” Yuko gripped his arm. “Stop,” she reiterated.
Gnashing his teeth behind closed lips, Mayu finally relented, his hands slowly slipping out from Minako’s warm insides with a sick squelch. He forced himself to look at Yuki. Instantly, he was hit by a wave of guilt upon the sight of her crestfallen face.
“Yuki, pass me the needle and thread.”
She blinked in surprise.
“I’m going to close her wounds. It’s the least I can do for her.”
Her throat constricted, almost choking her.
“Mayu…”
The hot piercing sting invaded her eyes again and finally, the long suppressed tears cascaded down her cheeks.
---
“How’s Yuki-chan?”
Mayu swirled the lukewarm caffeinated contents of his black mug. After the liquid settled, he stared at his pensive reflection rippling on the dark surface. “Not too good.”
“So how are you going to cheer her up?” Yuko prodded as she ran her fingers through unkempt brown hair. The mood in the Staff Lounge was somber even though it was hours after the morning shootout. The two doctors had just ended their shift and were taking a well-deserved rest while Yuki headed to the locker room to change out of her uniform. Yuko’s question jolted something in Mayu’s memory and he jerked upright.
“Yuko-san, please tell Yuki that I have something to do and won’t be able to wait for her.” Mayu slammed his mug down on the counter and sped towards the exit.
“What? You are leaving her when she’s feeling like crap?” Yuko shot up from her comfy spot on the couch. “And her birthday is in two hours. Are you out of your mind?”
“I’m not,” said Mayu. “Please keep her company if you can.”
With that, he disappeared out the door.
“What the hell? Stupid boy. What is he up to?” Yuko plopped her head back down on the sofa’s armrest, lifting a hand to shield her eyes from the bright fluorescent light. The usual carefreeness was wiped off her face as her other hand rested upon her abdomen, rubbing it lightly.
“Yuki-chan is not the only one who’s affected by Minako’s death,” she mumbled to no one in particular.
“Who’s affected by what?”
Yuko almost fell off the couch due to the sudden intrusion and she cussed like a seasoned soldier when she saw who it was.
“Can’t you knock before you come in?” she snapped.
Shinoda Mario scowled at the hostile welcome before sauntering in like he owned the place. “This is the Staff Lounge, a shared area. There’s no need to knock before entering.”
“Oh fuck it. I don’t need you to ruin my mood further. I’m out of here.” As soon as she sat up, Yuko felt the troubling surge of nausea that had been plaguing her since the previous week and she slapped a hand over her mouth.
“Oi, what’s wrong with you?” Mario took a step back in reflex.
“Nothing,” replied Yuko curtly. As she jostled past the tall neurosurgeon, she remembered Mayu’s request. “Do me a favour. Tell Yuki-chan to go home herself. Mayu has something to tend to and has left first.”
Without waiting for his reply, Yuko marched out, leaving Mario to stare blankly at the door.
“PMS?” Making an unimpressed face, he proceeded to get his drink and left the lounge, not bothering to wait for Yuki. By the time the nurse returned to the Staff Lounge, she was – needless to say – stunned at the empty room.
“Where’s everybody?”
---
The number you have dialed is currently unavailable.Yuki growled in frustration as her sixth attempt at contacting Mayu failed. She had spent the last hour searching the whole hospital hoping to locate the bespectacled doctor. When she passed by the porch earlier, she caught a glimpse of Officer Matsui getting into Ren’s car. Apparently, the young policewoman was involved in the morning’s operation at Shinjuku and got quite a few scrapes when she tackled the gun-wielding maniac out of pure bravado. She had received immediate first aid to her superficial wounds from the other paramedics on the site but still dropped by the hospital after Ren’s shift ended to demand for a checkup by the Nagoya-born doctor. Yuki remembered the amused faces of the other staff who witnessed the tips of his ears growing red and his flustered reaction when the aggressive lady got too close for comfort.
Looks like everyone is occupied.Before she knew it, she found herself standing outside the Infant Care Ward with her palms pressed against the transparent window. Sorrowful eyes roamed the sea of pink-skinned babies and it wasn’t long before she spotted Minako’s daughter. The little one was in sweet slumber with the other newborns. Although it was a premature birth, she was healthy beyond expectations. Leaning her forehead against the clear glass, Yuki gazed at the peacefully sleeping child with a melancholy curve stretching the corners of her mouth.
Hey, Minako-san, are you watching over your daughter now? Your husband has named her Keiko because she is blessed to have had such a courageous and selfless mother.The image of the grown man breaking down upon receiving news of his wife’s death yanked at Yuki’s heartstrings. She felt the dampness welling up in her puffy eyes yet again and she rebuked herself for being so weak-willed.
Life is so fragile… so unpredictable. They were married for less than a year and death had to take Minako-san away. So what if they truly love each other? ‘Till death do us apart.’ That’s always stated in marriage vows. Nothing lasts forever. Not love… She touched the bare spot around her collar.
… not even the flower that I thought would last for eternity.She turned around and slid down with her back against the wall, burying her weary face in her knees. Everything seemed to have gone downhill since their first emergency call of the day and Mayu was not even around to provide the comfort that she desperately needed.
Light footsteps sounded from somewhere down the corridor. Yuki wiped her tears hastily, not wanting to be seen crying by someone she knew. As the footsteps grew louder, she angled her face to the opposite direction. She winced and curled herself into a smaller figure when they stopped right at her feet. To her surprise, a pair of lean arms gathered her into the soothing embrace she had been yearning for.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
“Ma… yu?”
“I didn’t see you when I got home so I guessed you were still at the hospital. I’m glad I was right.” Mayu spoke into her hair in a hushed tone, his gentle voice caressing her shaken soul like a summer night breeze.
“Where did you go? Why didn’t you say anything? Why couldn’t I reach you on your mobile?” She bombarded him with questions.
“Eh?” Mayu pulled back and stared at her with a bewildered frown. “I told Yuko-san to tell you not to wait for me.”
“She wasn’t there when I returned to the Staff Lounge. N-Nobody was.”
Guilt crawled its way across Mayu’s face when he heard her choking on her words. At the same time, he made a mental note to confront Yuko about the matter another day. “I’m so sorry.” He drew her into another hug. “My cellphone’s battery was dead. And I should’ve told you personally instead of asking Yuko-san to pass the message. Forgive me?”
Yuki sniffed. “So where did you go?”
Mayu rummaged through his pocket for the object that was the cause of so much distress and presented it to Yuki. The white rose necklace dangled before her large brown orbs while her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish out of water.
“I picked it up in the club where you were kidnapped. Its surface was scratched badly so I wanted to fix it before I give it back to you but,” he scratched his cheek sheepishly as he rambled on, “the sculptor who created it was out of the country until this evening and I had to rush down to his place right after work to catch hi- Mmph!”
A pair of moist velvet lips pressed against his, cutting him off. Then she threw her arms around his slim frame.
“I thought I would never see it again,” she confessed into the crook of his neck, inhaling his unique citrus scent. The steady beats of his pulse brought a surreal sense of calm to her wandering mind.
Here is the man who defied death. The man who gave me a reason to live. The man who makes the impossible possible.A soft beep from Mayu’s digital watch snapped the couple out of their reverie. He arched an eyebrow, slight glee showing on his face.
“Just in time,” he noted. “Happy birthday, Yuki.”
Yuki brought her hands up to trace his sharp cheekbones as their eyes met – glistening brown boring into intense obsidian. “How is it that you always manage to find me?”
“I don’t know. I just do.” He chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully. “Maybe I’ve got a built-in Yuki radar.”
The corny joke earned him a smack on his chest which he simply laughed off before shifting the necklace in his hands.
“Can I put this on for you?”
This time, he was the one who asked.
Yuki lifted the long tresses around her neck as a silent invitation. As his cool fingertips brushed her sensitive nape, the same tingling sensation overtook her senses.
“You hungry?” Mayu asked, threading his fingers through silky tendrils of her hair.
“Why? You want to bring me to the nearby 24-hour café?”
“How did you know?” he responded with mock shock.
“I suspected that you were running out of birthday ideas.” She poked his nose.
“That’s not true!” he defended, looking alarmed. “I just felt like bringing you there for old times' sake. You know, to relive our first unofficial date and-”
She shut him up by kissing him fully on the mouth.
“I know. I was just kidding.” She grinned playfully against his parted lips. “You talk too much when you are nervous.”
As they strolled hand-in-hand towards the carpark, Yuki twiddled with the pendant that had finally found its way back to its owner. “Thank you, Mayu,” she whispered out of the blue, prompting him to cast a quizzical smile in her direction. She simply shook her head. Pursing his lips in amusement, he continued leading her towards his car.
As the lustrous flower pendant sparkled under the moonlight, she gazed up at the serene night sky.
Hey, Minako-san, I think I was wrong. Even in death, this man will not leave me alone.
Please… give us your blessing in heaven.---
The End.Thank you very much for reading! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated