A/N: And I ended up posting this two days late
Work just had to rear its ugly head when I wanted to update
Anyway, here's the final part to the vacation arc. Prepare yourself for a
very long read ahead. Please make sure you aren't rushing off to school or work when you start reading because I don't want you to be late. Once again, thank you very much for sticking around even though it took me so long to update
I really appreciate your support. I hope you will enjoy this update!
Note: This is a genderbend story.---
Sparkle Under the Orange SkyOshima Yuko hummed contently into the fluffy pillow, eyes still closed. Her bare legs shifted under the covers, brushing ever so deliberately over another pair of legs.
“Hmm… Nyannyan, did you forget to shave?” she continued to run her leg over the other occupant’s on the bed, feeling the hairy sensation in her half-awake state.
Only the sounds of breathing answered her.
“Nyannyan, don’t ignore me.” A lecherous grin crawled itself onto the petite woman’s face. “I’m going to grope you if you do~”
Receiving no reply, Yuko giggled triumphantly and wormed her hand over to the other person, running it over what she expected to be soft, bouncy breasts. However, instead of the squishiness she desired, her hand smacked against a rock-hard and terribly flat chest.
“Nyannyan… did your boobs shrink overnight? Nyannyan?” Realising that something wasn’t quite right, Yuko popped open her eyes and found herself staring into the snoozing profile of a very familiar yet at the same time, extremely vile male creature.
“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
Her piercing shriek sent all objects in the room shaking as though an earthquake had struck. Being right in the line of ear-splitting and glass-shattering fire, Shinoda Mario shot upright, slapping his hands over his ears. Snapping to the source of his discomfort, he came face-to-face with a very naked Oshima Yuko. Eyes bulging and veins popping, he lifted the covers and discovered that he was equally bare like a newborn. He turned back to her and did the first thing that came to his shell-shocked mind - he screamed.
---
In Room 2514Mocchi shrieked, jolting the other two members of the gossiping trio awake if they weren’t already roused by the racket sounding from the adjacent room.
“Shut up, Mocchi!” Covering her ears, Rie shouted at her friend who looked thoroughly shaken by the original screams that were still ringing down the corridor.
“Yes, shut up! It’s noisy enough!” Akicha agreed, chucking her pillow at Mocchi. “Why are you even screaming?”
“I don’t know!” Mocchi yelled and threw the pillow back in Akicha’s face, still unable to calm herself. “I was having an awesome dream that I was making out with last night’s French guy then the perfect image was shattered by the screams!”
Rie rolled her eyes. Listening carefully to the distressed cries which sounded familiar, she noted, “Doesn’t that sound like Yuko-san?”
The other two fell silent and perked their ears. Exchanging startled looks, they gasped.
---
In Room 2513“What the…” Ren bolted up and glanced around frantically. “What is that?”
Ruffling his sexy bed hair that would easily turn nurses’ legs into jelly, he cast a questioning stare at Haruna who was pushing herself up slowly. The oversized shirt slid down one shoulder, exposing creamy smooth skin.
“Mou… It’s so noisy,” Haruna whined, groggily placing a hand on her head and flipping her luscious brown locks over her bare shoulder.
“Kojima-san, doesn’t that sound like…”
The gynaecologist gave an uncharacteristic snort, appearing markedly awake when she registered the two voices.
“Yuuchan… and Mario-kun…”
---
In Room 2516Having just fallen asleep, Mayu grunted in annoyance at being disturbed.
“It’s okay, Mayu. Go back to sleep,” Yuki placed a protective hand over his ear. Soothed by his girlfriend’s comforting touch, Mayu did the same for her and the two lovers returned to their shared dreamland, ignoring the commotion that was going on just next door.
---
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fu-”
“Shut up!” Cymbals were crashing in Mario’s head as his mind reeled back to last night’s events. “No… no… How could this be possible?”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-”
“I said shut up! I can’t think straight when you sound like a broken record!”
Glaring at the man who had the audacity to tell her off, Yuko was about to retort but her words died in her throat the second she laid eyes on his male anatomy in all its naked glory. Squeezing her eyes shut, she blasted, “God! Can you cover your damn bits?”
With a sharp intake of breath, Mario seized the covers that lay at Yuko’s hips and wrapped it around his waist. Feeling the sudden blast of cold air, Yuko yanked the blanket back up to her chin but it was swiftly snatched away again.
“Cover yourself with something else!” both of them yelled. As they engaged in a fierce tug-of-war with the white blanket, the effects of the previous night’s alcohol binging caught up with them almost simultaneously and they keeled over. Mario gripped his temples, feeling as though a hammer had smashed his skull while double vision invaded Yuko, followed by the sensation of someone putting her brain through a meat grinder. A sour burning tingle surged up from her stomach to the top of her throat, leaving a putrid bitter taste on her tongue as she slapped her hands over her mouth, almost gagging.
“Don’t you dare throw up here!” Although he had been in the medical field for years, Mario was deathly afraid of the rancid smell of the human stomach’s regurgitated contents. When Yuko looked about to hurl, he flung the nearest pillow at her face, making her fall back and gulp down the acidic substance.
“Urk!” Yuko stuck her tongue out and rolled over, clutching her stomach. “You… you pig!”
“Don’t dirty the sheets,” Mario warned, shooting her a disgusted glare even as a marching band played in his head.
“What? The bed has already been tainted by your man juice!” she jumped down from the bed at the thought, not bothering to cover herself anymore. Spotting his chance, Mario reclaimed the now horribly crumpled blanket.
Pacing around the room, Yuko ran frustrated hands through her wild, untamed hair. “How did we end up like this? You made me drunk and raped me, didn’t you?” she pointed an accusing finger the tall neurosurgeon.
Looking absolutely aghast at the idea, Mario retorted, “Hell, no! You’d be the last person I want to… to- Argh, I don’t even want to say it!”
“You think I wanted it?” Yuko’s voice went up an octave. “My pure virginal body has been violated by a man! And it’s you of all people! How did this happen? Nyannyan is going to be so disappointed with me,” she massaged her temples vigorously. “I need to call her!”
She was brimming on the edge of hysteria as she rummaged through her articles of clothing that were strewn all over the carpeted floor.
“What do you mean Haruna-chan is going to be disappointed with you?”
Yuko rolled her eyes. “I’ve cheated on her. What else?”
“You two were never together in the first place.”
There was a split second pause in Yuko’s actions but she carried on searching for her phone as if she didn’t hear him. Mario clicked his tongue.
“Not here,” she lifted her sapphire one-piece dress.
Next was her racy black thong. “Not here too.”
And then her strapless black brassiere. “Not here… Where is it?” her throat constricted as her search efforts turned up nothing. Turning to Mario, she snapped, “Don’t just sit there! Help me find it!”
Her nemesis scowled at being ordered around. “Try looking under my clothes. They are right at your feet.”
“I do not want to touch anything that belongs to you, don’t you get it? You are a man. M-A-N. Man. Adam. Jerk. Pig. Alien. Hot dog-”
“Alright, alright!” he cut her off.
“Cherry popper. Horny three-legs. Deflowerer-”
“I said alright!” Mario shut her up for the second time since they woke up to this nightmare of their lives. “Get a grip on yourself, woman.”
Yuko shot him a dirty look. “How do you expect me to calm down? I’ve sworn off men since I was a kid. My life revolves around women, boobs, Nyannyan, and more boobs.”
“I get it,” Mario quickly said before she could ramble on. Slipping down from the bed while dragging the blanket with him, he shuffled towards his clothes, mentally noting how Yuko shirked away once he got within an arm’s length distance from her. “I can’t find yours but mine is here,” he raised his black smartphone which he had dug out from his pants’ pocket.
“Call my phone!” urged Yuko.
As he punched in her number, little did they know that a small crowd had gathered outside the room.
“What do you hear?” Mocchi pestered Haruna who had her ear pressed against the door. Every now and then the man-crazy nurse would sneak furtive glances at the very eligible and enticing Dr. Matsui who was standing behind them in a simple V-neck black tee that contrasted beautifully with his fair skin.
How do he and Dr. Watanabe maintain such perfection? When Ren caught her staring at him, she swooned at the sight of his electrifying onyx peepers.
“Are you alright, Kuramochi-san?” Ren gripped her shoulders when her knees buckled, steadying her. The unsuspecting doctor was ignorant of the train of impure thoughts running through the giddy woman’s mind.
Having known Mocchi since she embarked on her nursing career at Akiba Hospital, Rie facepalmed at the familiar occurrence and dragged her friend out of Ren’s grasp. “She’s alright. You just need to keep your distance from her.”
“Huh?”
Rie flashed an apologetic smile but otherwise ignored Ren’s quizzical expression. Flicking Mocchi’s forehead, she snapped the lovestruck woman back to earth. “Stop getting your knickers in a bunch.”
Ren’s face went aflame at the implication of her statement and awkwardly turned his attention to the door.
“S-So what’s the situation inside?” he mentally berated himself for stammering.
With her ear still attached firmly to the thick wooden surface, Haruna whispered, “The voices definitely belong to Yuuchan and Mario-kun and they sound like they are arguing over something but I can’t really make out the words.”
“Why would Shinoda-san be in Yuko-san’s room?” Akicha mused. “And wait a minute, Haruna-san, didn’t you come out from the guys’ room just now? Why were you-”
“It’s a long story,” Ren promptly interrupted, “but I can assure you we didn’t do anything.”
“Really?” Akicha eyed them with an arched brow. Before Ren could answer, the cellphone in Haruna’s left hand came to life, startling the group. The catchy tune of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” blared in the quiet hotel corridor.
“Isn’t that Yuko-san’s ringtone?” the gossiping trio gawked at the blinged out phone. The words on the screen showed “Mario Stick”.
At this moment, there was a sudden uproar sounding from the other side of the door.
“No! Don’t go there! Stop, you idiot!”
In the room, Mario’s eyes almost popped out of his sockets when Yuko sped towards the door like a headless chicken upon hearing her phone ringing from outside. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Yuko whipped around, stripped the blanket from his waist, wrapped it around herself and charged towards her destination. Now naked as a Greek statue, Mario’s heart leapt to his throat when Yuko turned the doorknob and swung open the last line of defense for his dignity.
There was a collective gasp.
Then silence.
“Nyannyan!” Yuko cried in delight. However, the object of her affection stood rooted to the ground with a slacked jaw like the rest of the gang. Faced with an obviously nude-under-the-covers Oshima, Ren cleared his throat and snapped his burning face to the side while his colleagues of the fairer sex peeked past Yuko just in time to see Mario covering his prized jewels with a lampshade. The lamp on the bedside table was still wobbling on its base.
For the first time in his life, Mario wanted to cry.
Before anyone could utter a word, Haruna grabbed the brass handle and slammed the door shut.
“L-Let’s not disturb them.”
There was total silence in the room for a full minute until Mario spoke.
“You fucking idiot.” His tone was icier than the glaciers in Antarctica. Gathering his clothes, the once proud man stalked towards the bathroom and closed the door with a bang.
“You fucking idiot,” Yuko mimicked his tone and stuck out her tongue. “Don’t go all prissy on me. I’m the one who suffered more!”
With an exasperated sigh, she threw on a baggy T-shirt and a pair of shorts from the wardrobe before rushing out of the room.
“Nyannyan, I can explain!” she burst through the door and yelled, not expecting Haruna to be still standing in her original spot. Her dazed friend flinched from the sudden loudness. “Oops, sorry. I thought you had left,” Yuko apologised sheepishly.
In fact, it wasn’t just Haruna, the others were still hanging around too.
“Yuko-san, why were you and Mario-san…” Ren’s voice trailed off as the heat returned full blast to his winter-white cheeks.
“I wish I knew too. Nyannyan, wasn’t I with you last night? What happened?” Yuko clutched Haruna’s arms with a vice-like grip, eyes wide and searching. When Haruna looked at her, Yuko was expecting to see hurt in Haruna’s precious brown orbs but no, all she found was plain shock like the rest. A steel-cold bullet shot through her heart and Yuko had a vague idea what the pain meant.
“Nyannyan, I’m sorry.” The usually bubbly woman’s throat had gone dry like a parched pavement.
“Why are you apologising to me, Yuuchan?”
Thump. Yuko’s world came crashing down with that one simple question. Haruna might be an airhead but even airheads had feelings. For her to show such a reaction - or the lack of it, Yuko knew the answer she had been chasing for years. Her face fell and she bit down hard on her lip, nearly drawing blood. Hands trembling, she let her arms fall limply to her sides.
“Yuuchan?”
The rest shifted uneasily on the balls of their feet.
Yuko’s head shot up without warning. An exceptionally broad grin was plastered on her face. Anyone could tell that it was only held up by stiff facial muscles stretched to their limits unlike her usual dimpled smiles that were powered by true joy or cheekiness.
“Nothing. I just apologised because I probably made you worry last night. Anyway, what happened? Wasn’t I with you at the club last night? How did I end up with that stick? And what about you? Where were you the whole night if you were not in our room?”
Faced with a gazillion questions, Haruna retold the previous night’s events from the moment Mayu approached her to get Maeda’s number and how Yuko fell towards Mario’s crotch when Mayu tried to wake her up.
“That stupid boy!” Yuko clenched her fists and cursed as anger shot through her veins. “I’m going to kill him!”
Despite the others’ attempts to stop her, she marched down the corridor to the room that Mayu and Yuki shared and banged relentlessly on the door.
“Open up, Mayu! I know you are in there! I have something to settle with you! Open the damn door now!”
“Yuuchan, don’t disturb them. They had a tough night,” Haruna tried to restrain the infuriated woman but Yuko was adamant to give her former mentee a piece of her raging mind.
Under the warm covers, something ticked in Mayu’s head.
I just can’t get a proper rest, can I? Yuki stirred in his arms and hummed softly before opening her eyes.
“That sounds like Yuko-san,” she murmured, slowly sitting up, causing the fluffy quilt to slip to her bare waist. “She sounds agitated.”
A gentle but firm hand pushed her back down and she found the handsome but annoyed face of her boyfriend hovering over her. There were many things that she had learned about the doctor in their years of courtship and one of them was that he abhorred having his sleep interrupted. She was an exception, of course.
“I’ll get it,” he insisted as he pulled the blanket up to her neck. “Keep yourself covered. I don’t plan on letting anyone see you in your current state.”
“Aren’t you possessive,” she teased. A ghost of a smile graced his lips and he pinched her nose lightly.
“Well, you aren’t fully dressed.”
“You are half-naked.”
“I’m a man.”
“Fine,” she pursed her lips in defeat.
“I love you.”
And her pout transformed into a grin. She gave his uninjured arm a slight tug, prompting him to lean down to capture her lips in a chaste kiss.
“Damn boy, come out now! There’s no use hiding! I’m gonna get you sooner or later!” Yuko’s impatient voice boomed.
“You know, I’m suddenly feeling very lazy,” Mayu smirked against Yuki’s lips before they broke apart.
She caught the hint in his statement and hooked her hands behind his neck. “And I don’t really like the others seeing you half-naked too - even if you are a man. I think I hear Mocchi’s voice outside.”
“Seems like we are both possessive.”
“Of course.” Her eyes twinkled coyly as she drew him down to lie next to her again. Mayu lifted the covers over their heads, chuckling.
“Let’s go back to sleep. Yuko-san will run out of energy soon. Even if she doesn’t, the security will get her.”
Sharing a blissful laugh, the two lovebirds snuggled up to each other and blocked out the rest of the world.
“Let’s go, Yuko-san,” Ren tapped the panting senior doctor’s left shoulder. It had been a little more than ten minutes and it was clear as day that neither Mayu nor Yuki showed interest in entertaining the one-woman army that was Yuko. Yuko let out a long wheeze as her small frame sagged.
“I need breakfast,” she finally said. The random confession caught them off guard and the group exchanged amused glances.
Rie put a friendly arm around Yuko’s shoulders. “The café downstairs serves some really good cream cakes during breakfast hours.”
“Really?” Yuko’s face lit up at the mention of her comfort food.
Nodding in agreement, Akicha added, “Yup. Let’s meet back here in half an hour. I’m starving too.”
When Yuko and Haruna returned to their room, Mario had just emerged from the bathroom dressed in his crumpled shirt and pants from the previous night. His damp hair was slicked back to reveal his piercing gaze.
“Haruna-chan… I…” His stern features softened.
“Good morning, Mario-kun,” Haruna greeted with a smile not unlike her usual ones. The older man swallowed before his eyes fell on the pensive expression of the shorter woman next to Haruna. Her mouth was locked in a tight grim line and her large eyes lacked their regular sparkle. As he brushed past Yuko on his way out, a wave of guilt washed over him.
---
“The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”Mocchi groaned and pouted at her phone while her friends returned their bicycles at the bicycle rental kiosk. It was the group’s fifth attempt to contact Yuki and Mayu since morning. When they returned to their rooms after a hearty breakfast at around 11AM, they found the “Please make up room” tag hanging outside the couple’s room, meaning they had left some time ago.
Sighing, Ren stared wistfully at the orange-tinged sky as he stepped out of the shop.
I haven’t seen Yuki-chan the whole day.
Something wet and cold touched his cheek, causing him to wince.
“Thinking about Yuki-chan?” Yuko asked, holding up an icy can of isotonic drink.
“H-How did you know?” Ren sputtered at having his mind read so easily.
Yuko gazed into the far distance, watching the sparse clouds drift along slowly. With a solemn smile, she spoke, “We are members of the Lonely Hearts Club after all.”
“Yuko-san, you-”
“You had better graduate from the club soon though,” she cut him off. “There’s no way Yuki-chan will fall for you. She only sees you as a brother.”
It was Ren’s turn to smile bitterly. “I know.”
Yuko snorted and smacked his head. “Then get out there and look for other girls!”
“Ouch!” Ren massaged his stinging scalp. “It’s easier said than done. Why don’t you do what you preach then?”
Taking a swig of her fizzy drink, Yuko smirked. “Like you said, it’s easier said than done.”
A frown settled on Ren’s brow. “Then you have no right to hit me!”
“Well…” Yuko drawled deliberately, “I didn’t get to hit Mayu.”
“I’m not his substitute!” Ren protested. Suddenly, his own words struck a chord within him and he caught Yuko’s knowing eyes. The two lovelorn singletons stared at each other for a brief moment - and broke into light chortles.
“I guess that puts things into perspective,” Ren mused with a more relaxed smile this time. “I wonder what they are doing.”
“Yeah, me too,” Yuko grinned, flashing her famous squirrel-like teeth. Somehow, she had an inkling that the young doctor whom she treated as a little brother was doing something right at the moment.
---
Soft gentle waves splashed against their legs as a comely pair of lovers strolled barefoot along the shoreline. Fine sand tickled their toes while the cool sea breeze ruffled their hair. The light-skinned and slim young man who looked not a day over twenty two clasped his fair maiden’s hand as his other hand was stuffed deep in his black pants’ pocket, gripping onto a tiny velvet box. He was clad in a crisp white shirt not unlike the one he wore on the day the devastating earthquake struck Tokyo.
Yuki’s free hand held up the hem of her flowing white tube dress, careful not to let it dip into the clear water. Swinging her boyfriend’s hand merrily as the setting sun hung on the horizon, she reveled in the feeling of being free from real-life worries. There were no picky patients to tend to or haughty doctors to order her around. All communications were cut off too, courtesy of Mayu who switched off their phones the moment they left the hotel room. Although sporting a few bruises, the love of her life was next to her. That was all that mattered. Suddenly feeling playful, she let go of his hand and skipped a few steps ahead of him.
“Yuki?” The surprise written on his face only made her grin. Swinging her right leg back, she kicked at the water with all her might, splashing cool droplets all over Mayu’s front.
“Hey!” he took a quick glance at the wet splotches on his shirt before zeroing his eyes on the gloating woman before him. A devious smile tugged the corners of his lips. “You are going to regret this.” Bending down, he scooped up some water with both hands and sent it flying towards Yuki whose eyes went wide with fear.
She screamed. Spinning around clumsily, she made a break for it, occasionally halting to deliver half-hearted sprays towards her pursuer. However, her long dress hindered her movements and Mayu caught up to her easily. A warm and wet body pressed against her back as lean arms snaked around her waist.
“Gotcha.” A hot breath tickled her ear while water dripped onto her shoulder. Looking back, she swelled with pride upon finding little glistening beads rolling off strands of Mayu’s black fringe.
Looks like I did more damage than I thought. A wry smile stretched across her slightly parted lips.
“Not so fast.” She whipped around and shoved him back. Not expecting the sudden attack, Mayu lost his balance and fell backwards, making a small splash in the ankle-deep water. He cried out in pain and grabbed his injured right shoulder.
“Mayu!” Her victorious smile was wiped off her face and replaced with worry in an instant. Dropping to her knees, she gently pulled him to a sitting position. “I’m so sorry! Does it still hurt?” When he remained silent and hung his head low, anxiety gripped her heart. “Mayu?”
Finally, he raised his head and instead of pain or anger, he wore an unreadable expression.
“Got you for real this time,” he whispered. Before she could register the meaning of his words, he lunged towards her and brought the both of them down, rolling till the water came up to a little above their waists when they sat up. His triumphant laughter rang loudly in her ears.
“You tricked me!” she beat his chest that was still vibrating with unrestrained guffaws. Now she was soaked to the skin too. The only response she got was the shine of pearl-like teeth set between thin yet very kissable lips. “Hmph!” she gave a final hard smack on his chest and pouted.
To say that he wasn’t enjoying the chafed expression on Yuki’s face would be a lie. The gentle warm rays of the sun cast an ethereal glow over the entire secluded beach, making her look even more beautiful than ever. Strands of wet hair plastered to her flushed face.
“Do you know you look like a mermaid straight out of a fairy tale?” he asked, tracing her arms.
She closed her fist over the damp fabric of his shirt as she admired his amused features. Frowning when she noticed something off, she reached forward and lifted his glasses before folding and hanging them on his shirt’s V-shaped collar.
“There are water droplets all over your lenses. I couldn’t see your eyes,” she explained. Raising her head, her breath was caught in her throat when she met his eyes, drowning in the deep pools of rich sable. There was something different in his gaze today but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Frolicking at the beach during sunset had been something that only happened in the movies, or so she thought before she started dating Mayu. The seemingly cool doctor had surprised her time and again with the most thoughtful and romantic gestures over the years that she felt that nothing was impossible now. Who would’ve thought that the boyish man would be willing to sacrifice precious sleep on his off days just to prepare breakfast for her and drive her to work? And while other men would jump at the opportunity to claim her body as theirs, he respected her wish of doing
it only after marriage even though temptation presented itself every day. He was such a rare gentleman in an attractive package that other women flocked to him, making their move when they thought she wasn’t looking.
However, he chose only her.
The gentle current caressed her body as she basked in his full unyielding attention. He appeared content to simply watch her in peaceful silence for the past few minutes.
“How long do you plan on staring at me like that? It’s embarrassing,” she mumbled, cheeks pinking.
“Forever.”
“Eh?” She was expecting yet another one of his tongue-in-cheek replies or teasing snickers but the seriousness in his voice made her heart skip a beat.
“I said I want to be by your side forever. From now till we grow old, till our skin is wrinkled and our hair is white as snow, till our grandchildren can’t stand us being so naggy and slow, till death and if there’s a next life, till the next incarnations of Watanabe Mayu and Kashiwagi Yuki,” he held her soul hostage as he spoke with all his heart. The speech was mushy and would send goosebumps down anyone’s arms but she felt herself on the verge of tears. In a fluid motion, he stood and she briefly panicked, wondering where he was going. Then his next action broke the dam in her eyes.
He got down on one knee.
She cupped her trembling mouth, too overwhelmed to even make a sound as her tears flowed freely.
Taking his hand out from his pocket, he presented a thoroughly drenched royal blue box. With his other hand, he opened it.
“Kashiwagi Yuki, will you marry me?”
She should have seen this coming ever since Ren found the ring on Mayu after he was hurt in the earthquake. She had even put it on herself because she was so afraid that he wouldn’t survive the ordeal, yet she wanted to bear his surname and fulfill what almost became his dying wish. However, nothing could prepare her for the flood of emotions when he actually popped the question.
Mayu tightened his grip on the box. His heart was thumping loudly against his chest. He was certain that Yuki wouldn’t reject him but he could not help feeling anxious as the seconds ticked by. Could she be having second thoughts?
Right as his self-confidence was about to take a dive, she gave a small nod, followed by a stronger one, and another and another. She had stopped trying to control her cries and kept nodding as sobs racked her body. His tense face broke into a relieved grin and he drew her in, stroking her head as she buried her face in his shoulder. It felt almost surreal to finally bring their relationship to the next level.
“M-Mayu…” she choked. With a tender smile that sweetened the very air in her lungs, he cupped her left cheek, making her face him. He brushed a tear as it rolled past his thumb.
“Hush… You should be happy.”
She slapped his arm. “These are tears of joy, silly!”
“Then let’s not waste them.” Leaning forward, he planted butterfly kisses over every single teardrop. When he was done, her face was as red as a tomato. “May I put the ring on for you?”
Shyly, she nodded and held out her left hand. The ring was a perfect fit, melding smoothly with her porcelain finger.
“I’m very happy, Mayu,” Yuki admitted. It wasn’t a lavish proposal that required lots of fanfare but she preferred it this way. It was, after all, supposed to be a private moment between two people who were deeply in love with each other.
“So am I.” Mayu closed the gap and captured her inviting lips with a long, loving kiss to seal their promise of eternal love.
While the pair appeared as a conjoined silhouette from a distance, the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon.
---
“Everybody look!” Akicha jumped up from her seat in the restaurant where the group was having dinner, holding her cellphone up for all to see. “Yukirin just posted a new photo on Facebook!”
“So she finally decided to get in touch with the world again?” Yuko scoffed, popping a piece of steak into her mouth.
“It’s not just any photo! Look! It’s a two-shot with Dr. Watanabe!” Akicha pushed the phone in the uninterested woman’s face.
“That’s rare. He usually doesn’t like to take photos,” Yuko noted casually, chewing the medium rare piece of meat.
“And I’ve never seen such a brilliant smile on him before,” Ren added thoughtfully.
Rie frowned when she noticed Mayu and Yuki’s dripping hair and clothes in the picture. “Why are they so wet?”
“That’s not the point! Look at Yukirin’s left hand!” Akicha urged.
Mocchi peered closely at the couple’s linked hands.
“Isn’t that… Oh my God! The diamond ring! That means Dr. Watanabe finally proposed to her!” she screamed in delight.
“WHAT?” Yuko, Ren and Sae dropped whatever they were doing and scrambled towards Akicha. Yuko snatched the phone.
“That sneaky rascal! He didn’t tell me he was going to propose!” she huffed.
“Noooo…” Sae slumped his head against the table. “My Yuki-chan… no more…”
Mario thwacked the back of the delusional Sae’s head. “She was never yours to begin with.”
Yuko turned to the quiet Ren beside her, concerned about how he was taking the news. To her surprise, a small smile had found its way to his face. She nudged him and he merely shrugged in response.
“I don’t know why but I feel relieved,” he answered her unasked question while staring at the blissful couple in the photo. He clenched and unclenched his fist. “Maybe it’s finally time I let go.”
Yuko raised both eyebrows before cracking into a genuine beam and giving the younger man a comforting pat on his back. At that moment, Ren’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Fishing it out, he read the new mail and couldn’t contain his astonishment when he saw who it was from.
‘Hi, Ren-san! It’s Jurina here. Don’t worry, I didn’t hack our database for your number =P I got it from Mayu-san. Do you want to hang out with me when you return to Tokyo?’Staring dumbly at his screen, Ren pondered for a while before typing a reply and returning his phone to his pocket. The joyful faces belonging to his childhood friend and her fiancé replayed in his mind.
“Hey, I recognise this part of the beach!” Yuko quipped with a burst of excitement, breaking his train of thoughts. He shook his head to regain his bearings before placing a firm hand on Yuko’s shoulder.
“Let’s go and congratulate them,” he suggested with a hint of a smile.
“Ooh, I like that idea! I still need to grill that boy for getting me into a big mess.” Yuko turned to the rest and goaded, “Hurry up and eat! We’ve got two fugitives to catch!”
Bonk!“Ouch! Nyannyan, why?”
Haruna tilted her head innocently at the grimacing Yuko. “Why what?”
“Why did you hit me?” Yuko flashed large watery puppy eyes at her. Before Haruna could answer, Mario interrupted.
“It was me,” he crossed his arms. “Don’t disturb Watanabe and Yuki-san.”
“But it’s Ren’s idea!” wailed Yuko. “And wait a minute. Who are you to hit me?”
“Someone needs to keep you in check,” the tall doctor turned his nose up in his usual haughty manner. “Haruna-chan can’t always be the one keeping you in line.”
“What are you sayin-”
“Stop troubling Haruna-chan with your childish antics. That’s what I’m saying,” Mario chided, shooting a warning glare. “But since it is Matsui’s idea, it’s fine then.”
“No fair! And I don’t need you to be poking your nose into my business. What are you? A mother hen?”
As the two veterans threw heated words at each other, Ren glanced between them, realising the subtle disguised concern that Mario held for his rival whom he usually couldn’t be bothered with.
The winds of change… looks like they have finally blown in our direction.---
The end.And that ends the vacation arc - finally! Phew. Hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I had fun writing it. Once again, thank you very much for reading! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!