☆彡Natsukashii - something evokes a sense of nostalgia for the past or fond remembrance☆彡

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Me...

It was me...

A White yukata with Sakura patterns hugged my figure, a bright smile on my lips and my cheeks blushing a bright pink, I was hugging him tightly, with both my arms. My eyes gleamed with immense happiness and I had a slight tear in each of them. And on my hair, a familiar pink clip...

ASHLEY GOT ME THAT CLIP A FEW DAYS AGO!!!

Hakyeon... It was him. He wore a dark blue yukata, pattern-less and simple. His fringe slightly parted, his face lit with a bright smile, a very happy cute smile, his eyes too, gleamed of immense happiness as he took the picture. His cheeks chubby and a slight pink. He looked adorable and so so happy.

What the ... What???

As cute as the picture was, I was lost, completely lost and very afraid. This was a big piece of this puzzle I was trying to uncover, but I had no idea where to place it.

I quickly switched off the phone and kept it in my hand, my heart racing a million miles as I started to panic. I was told I never had a relationship in my life, ever, and that I actually never believed in love those days. I never really cared or thought about it till I met Hakyeon and till today when I accepted the fact that I have an interest for him, but this was completely unexpected.

Had my family lied to me this whole time? Had I forgotten something so big or so important to me that it's better left in the dark and forgotten? If so.. Ash would know something.... She knows something.. She definitely does.

"I found it Y/N!"

I looked up, breaking from my thoughts but still panicking as I saw him come up to me. I was scared, so very sacred. I didn't know what to do...

"You okay? You seem a little panic stricken... Did you see something?" Hakyeon asked, his brows a little low and his eyes filled with worry. I started to see that he cares for me with a little bit more of interest... I'm starting to wonder why.

"Oh don't worry I'm okay"

He quirked an eyebrow, clearly identifying my stupid lie.

"It's nothing really. Are we gonna just stand here or...?" I spoke casually, looking around at the desert of concrete of the outskirts of the concert hall. My heart thrumming a million miles per hour because of the mix of anxiety, fear and the sense of escape it yearned in the middle of it. I needed to talk to Ashley... NOW.

But I couldn't just leave.. I had agreed to a dinner.

"Oh yeah sorry, follow me, I know a great place where we could go to" he smiled sweetly,shaking off his curiosity and picked up his heavy shoulder bag and started to walk. She started a casual conversation and I went along with it, determined to keep a few more hours of hiding and silence and waiting to go back home to Ash's place. I had a lot of questions.

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The smell of stir fried chicken and the sound of sizzling pork filled the air as a small cloud of steam awoke from the steamer in front of us as Hakyeon removed the lid impatiently. We both looked into the steamer which was home to ten pork dumplings, with one side lovingly fried. Soon a plate of steamed sticky rice, teriyaki chicken, egg rolls and boiled vegetables accompanied the dumplings with a bottle of soy sauce. My stomach couldn't help but growl like a bear at the sight and the irresistible smell.

Hakyeon took his par of chopsticks, holding his bowl in the other hand as he eyed the helpless dumplings hungrily. Without any movement his eyes glanced at me, remembering that I was his guest, a smug smile appeared on his face.

"I'm not waiting for you Y/N..." he smiled.

"I didn't expect you to. Go on!" I chuckled at him as he took a dumpling into his bowl, accompanied with steaming hot sticky rice, boiled vegetables, an egg roll and topped with strips of teriyaki chicken and drizzled with soy sauce.

The fear and the curiosity in my mind was completely blanked out by food. We ate without talking for a while, slowly the food in the plates started to go extinct. In no time the both of us were full and happy.

Without warning the fact that I saw a picture of me in Hakyeon's phone slapped me in the face, awakening me into the state of fear and anxiety I had 20 minutes ago. Reality struck me once more, dimming my happy mood, and Hakyeon seemed to notice it.

"Was there something off with the food?" he questioned. "Normally these street corner food tents have good quality food even though there're small..." he wiped his mouth with his handkerchief.

"No the food was really nice. Nothing wrong with that" I replied, my mind still trying to find a grip in my problems as I started to calm down and control my raging anxiety and fear.

"Oh.. then.. what is it?"

I remained quiet for a second before mustering up the courage to ask,

"So.. tell me more about your girlfriend." I quickly smiled, nervous and equally daring enough to ask him out of the blue.

"Umm... why all of a sudden?" he asked, eyeing me with doubt, he was defensive. I was adding up all of his behavior and words more closely now.

"Nothing just curious I guess, I mean.. your job of performing, your country its all quite nice and interesting too."

He didn't speak.

"I mean, I get it of it's too much of a sensitive topic to talk about tho..." I backed up, bringing out plan B of not getting into it and to reduce the tension.

He sighed softly and twisted his glass which was on a coaster, watching the water in it move back and forth slowly.

"It's okay, I don't mind telling you now. I should get over it anyway..." he spoke as he looked at me. I felt him get very tense as he looked at me. I felt scared. No one was helping me uncover about him so this is what I can do.

"It's been about 5 years since I met her. We actually met at a sakura festival 5 years ago." He slowly started to speak, fidgeting with the glass, eyeing the people who walked behind or across us, It was obvious he didn't want to look at me while he spoke.

That made me even more scared and determined.

"She is very sweet, kind and funny. She wasn't from Japan even though she shared a huge passion for the country. We were friends since high school and started dating and went on for about 3 years. She would visit me from time to time in Japan and I was searching for a job in her country so that we could live closer together. But in our 4th year our ties kinda.. disappeared. Well, faded I guess." He stopped as he swallowed nervously, his voice tense and his eyes filed with sadness. Watching him made me feel an amount of sympathy which made me really sad myself, my heart felt heavy. This feeling was familiar.. to the day of the sakura festival I went to a week ago.

"Oh.. well... I hope you guys meet again.. " I could only speak as I tried desperately to remember whether I had met him before I came to Japan, but I got nothing.

"What about you Y/N? Any relationships?" he asked, with an intention which I could not comprehend.

"Um no actually. Never had one... Well.. that's how I remember .." I trailed off, crossing my arms and looking down, I felt him look at me with some sort of emotion which was making me very uncomfortable and insecure.

A few seconds passed as we both listened to the background noises of sizzling, joyous laughter and chefs calling out orders.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" he asked, mustering the courage to look at my eyes straight.

"I don't have any to be honest... I think Ashley has a full week to spare starting tomorrow.." I replied with uncertainty.

"Oh okay. Um.. text me if you want me to take you around anywhere you like or something." He curled a side of his lips into a smile.

"You are the most friendliest person I have met... It's kinda weird don't you think? I mean.. it's not usual to find a stranger in another country to get this close to that fast..." I spat, my head tilted slightly and resting it on my hand as I eyed him.

He chuckled nervously and ran his hand behind his neck. "Yeah I thought you would ask that, well, I'm not a complete stranger.. maybe to you but Ashley is one of my few friends and I'm fine with helping her show her cousin around. Plus you're an interesting person to be around with."

I smiled kindly, acknowledging his response and comment. Slick response but I'll let him get away with it. I wanted him to tell me the truth but now since he's not responding, I'm gonna have to ask Ashley herself.

"Aw thanks. Japan has been fun since I came and I'm glad to have a helping hand." I quickly looked at my phone for the time, noticing how late it was.

"Oh it's already 11.10!" I gasped, never noticing how fast the time had gone.

Hakyeon's eyes lit up with astonishment too. "Really? No wonder I was tired.." he chuckled.

"We should get going, I'm sorry for taking so much time, you must be really tired after your performance too..." I bit my lower lip in guilt. He got up with me and wore his coat smiling kindly.

"It's okay, it was fun anyway."

As we both walked upto the steps of Ashely's apartment we were quiet, we were both tired and sleepy. I felt bad for making Hakyeon stay up late especially after he had a performance. We stopped infront of her apartment door and I thanked him  for the outing.

"Thanks so much for dinner and watching your performance. Today was quite fun and interesting. And you have so much talent Hakyeon." I felt my cheeks slowly heat up. He smiled at me with his left hand in his coat pocket, his right hand holding onto the strap of his heavy shoulder bag.

"I had fun too, and your welcome. I'm glad you liked it. So.. text me if you wanna hang out again. I'm not really busy these days." he looked down shyly, knowing that he indirectly meant that he wanted to hang out more. I felt happy to hear him say  that, and thought that it was.. sweet of him even though my brain was solely focused on unmasking all the secrets that Ashley probably knows about me and him.

"I will. Well goodnight.  Rest well. You look really tired." I smiled and he smiled kindly, wishing me back. There was a split moment when he looked at my lips and looked down, slightly shaking his head as he quickly turned towards the  hallway and in no time, had disappeared. I swallowed nervously and looked at he empty hallway, my brain replaying that split second I caught of him looking at me. I didn't know what to think about it. I was so confused. 

As I walked into the apartment I heard Ashley taking to a familiar voice. She was in her room. Without even taking off my coat I pressed my ear against her door, listening. It was the voice of a woman.

"Let her be aunt. She really does like him, maybe her memories are coming back. She's curious but happy. I don't want to discourage them anymore."

"Ash  honey listen to me, he doesn't want to. He made that clear a year ago. He might hurt her, drop her off like he did before, I don't want my daughter to get hurt."

I burst open the unlocked door, anger fueled up in me. Ashley  quickly spun around and looked at me with fear, in front of her was her laptop, and on a video call, equally shocked to see me, my mother.

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A/N

Hey  guys! Yeah I'm only updating monthly now I'm so sorry TT. It's really hard to find any time to write and I wrote this chapter in parts over a month. I hope my writing hasn't gone off at some places heh and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. No matter how long I take I will publish this story and plus, it's not a very long story so in a few more chapter it'll be done. As always thanks so much for the support and leave a vote and a comment if you enjoyed this update. Till the next update! 

:]

Miyuki_Sakurai