- First Love -

"You know something!" I slammed my hand on the wall. Jiro flinched.

"Sam, relax."

"Just tell me what you know. You've been avoiding answering me for more than a week now." I stared at his eyes, I could see that he wasn't wavering. "If I really mean anything to you, please tell me."

"Sam, you know you mean a lot to me, but this is between you and Kei. You need to sit together and talk."

"Tell that to your brother!" I yelled. I sighed. "You know what, whatever Jiro." I walked away. I could hear Jiro calling my name but I didn't stop nor turn.

I had been trying to get Jiro to tell me about the meeting with their grandfather. Kei had changed drastically after that. But I couldn't get a word out of him. Kei had been hanging out with Daisuke all the time, like they were planning something big. I rarely saw him at home, and when I did he completely ignored me. I was getting really pissed at his attitude.

It was Wednesday afternoon, I had just gotten back from school. It had been a long day preparing for exams. I had barely taken my shoes off at the entrance when Kei appeared. He was wearing a midnight blue suit with a crisp white shirt and a gray tie. His dark hair was gelled back and his cologne was way too strong. He looked dashingly handsome. My mouth went dry for a second then I swallowed.

"Where are you going?"

"I have something to do." He answered me while putting on his shoes.

"Kei." My voice came small. "Are you breaking up with me?" My question made him freeze for a millisecond and then he resumed with his shoes.

"Let's talk later."

"Let's talk now!" I yelled. "Why are you doing this to me, Kei?"

"I'm going to be late, I have to go." He took his cane and left me there. I stared at the shut door for a moment, then, I don't know what took a hold of me, but I found myself following Kei.

I walked a few feet behind him. He went to the train station and I followed him to the Yamanote line. I boarded the train with him grateful that it was full and that he couldn't see me in the crowd. He exited in the Shibuya station and I followed. He walked out of the station and then he stopped at a flower shop. He bought a bouquet of red and pink roses then he resumed walking.

A small optimistic voice in my head told me that he might be preparing a surprise for me. That maybe he was going to apologize and try to patch things up. But he didn't walk back to the station. He walked the opposite direction. Kei stopped at an intersection and just waited. I had found a tree that I hid behind while keeping an eye on him. Suddenly, a black Mercedes with tinted windows stopped in front of him. The driver walked out and opened the back door for a beautiful Japanese girl to get out. She was wearing a beautiful pink kimono with blue and green swallows on it.

"Hello." Kei greeted.

"Hello." The girl responded.

They bowed to each other and then Kei presented the bouquet to her. I felt like an ice bucket was poured on my head. 'Is this a date?' My heart twisted in different directions. It hurt so much I had my hand on my chest. The girl smiled and blushed a little. She closed her eyes and smelled the roses. She bowed again and thanked Kei.

"Shall we?" Kei asked as they started to walk away from the car. It took all of my strength to command my legs to move. They were threatening to give in at any second. I followed them as people stared. Not at me of course. Nobody cared that I was probably having a mild heart attack. Everyone was looking at the beautiful happy couple.

They arrived at a very fancy Italian restaurant and entered. Of course I couldn't follow them there unless I wanted to spend all of my scholarship money for a meatball. I couldn't leave either, my feet were glued to the pavement.

As soon as I had surrendered and decided to go home, I saw them on the second floor as the hostess showed them to the table by the window. I stood there in the middle of the street not caring if Kei saw me anymore. He helped her sit on the chair and sat opposite of her. They were talking and smiling to each other.

It was excruciating to watch. I felt two hot streams on my cheeks and I didn't bother wiping them. I walked and walked not even knowing where I was going. My mind was blank, not a single thought. I think I walked for three hours before my brain was able to function again. I walked to the nearest station and took a train home. I entered the house, took off my shoes, and walked upstairs. As I reached the upper stairs, I heard voices in the hallway.

"Just tell her Kei." Jiro said before he startled from seeing me. "Sam? Are you ok?" He asked me which made Kei turn around to look at me. When I saw him, all the emotions from earlier rushed back to me and I felt so dizzy I had to close my eyes.

"Sam!" Kei called my name and I felt a grip on my wrist yanking me forward. I landed on something hard yet soft. The sandalwood smell from earlier submerged my nostrils and helped me open my eyes. I found myself in Kei's arms.

"Don't you dare fucking touch me." I hissed as I pushed him away. The action made me lose balance but, thankfully, the wall wasn't far. I glared at Kei as he held my gaze furiously. It looked like he wanted to tell me something, but he didn't.

'Coward.'

I walked to my room while leaning on the wall. As soon as I entered my room, I found refuge in my bed. I didn't cry. I just slept.

The next morning, I woke up to Jiro's voice calling my name.

"Sam, come on. You're going to be late." I opened my eyes and yawned.

"I don't feel so good Jiro. I think I'm going to take a sick day." He instantly put his hand on my forehead.

"Do you have a fever? What is it?"

"I'm feeling really nauseous and my head hurts."

"Do you want me to stay with you? I don't want you to stay home alone."

"Why? Where is everybody?"

"Mom went to the gym and Kei left to Osaka with dad early this morning."

"Osaka?" I repeated absent-minded.

"No, I'll be fine. Thank you Jiro. You can go, I don't want you to be late." He squeezed my hand before he left.

'Osaka, huh.' I thought to myself before I fell asleep again.

"Sam... Sam..." Amanda's voice was soft and soothing. I moaned. "How are you feeling my dear?"

"I'm just really tired." I said with my eyes half open.

"I brought you breakfast. You need to eat something."

I sat up in my bed to let her put a tray on my lap. It all looked delicious, but I didn't have an appetite. Amanda was eyeing me closely. I felt obliged to eat, so I started with some fruit.

"You are really pale my dear."

"I feel really weak. I think I just need to rest for a bit. I haven't been sleeping lately." She stared at me for a moment.

"Are you and Kei fighting?" Her question was out of the blue. I almost choked on a grape. "I know you are, I think it started right after that cursed meeting with Kenji's dad." All I did was stare at Amanda.

"I-"

"It's ok, I know my son. He is really stubborn... like his dad." She said as she looked to the distance as if she was contemplating a far memory. "He thinks he has the duty of doing whatever his grandpa demands... because of me... He's a fool."

I was curious to ask questions, like how was it because of her? Or what did his grandfather ask of him? But I didn't. Amanda was sharing her feelings with me and I wasn't going to interrupt her. She probably didn't have a lot of friends here.

"He is set on taking the family business and to do that he has to follow every single rule that his grandpa has set." She added. "Anyway, just go easy on him. He thinks he's a superhero." She said with a weak smile and then padded my head. "Now eat my dear and get some sleep, I will call your school." She left my room and I had a little bit more fruit before falling into slumber again.

For the next two weeks, my health got worse. I lost so much weight, I could barely eat. I thought I was depressed because of the breakup. Amanda and Jiro had offered to take me to the doctor several times, but I told them that it wasn't anything serious. I barely focused in class and I was freaking out because finals week was the following week. Kei was still in Osaka. I thought it was better that way; being away from him.

I was sleeping in on Sunday morning when my phone woke me up.

"Hello." I answered half asleep.

"Get up sleepyhead." Yoko's squeaky voice greeted me.

"Why?"

"Let's go out shopping. I need you to choose a dress with me."

"I don't want to."

"You are the worst friend in the world!" She yelled over the phone. "Get up, I will be at your house in twenty minutes."

"Wait-" Yoko hung up. 'Oh man, I don't feel like getting out of bed.'

I dragged my body to the bathroom and took a shower, then I hurried to get some breakfast.

"Good morning, dear." Amanda greeted me. "There are pancakes on the table."

"Oh, pancakes sound so good. Thank you."

I wolfed down six pancakes with lots of syrup. It was so delicious. Then, I ran upstairs to change. I settled on a pair of jeans and a red shirt. I noticed that the pants had gotten really loose, so I used one of my bells. 'Shit, how much weight did I lose?'

I brushed my teeth, put my hair in a bun, and put my stuff in my blue purse. I heard the doorbell and ascended the stairs quickly.

"I'm going out, Amanda." I yelled as I opened the door.

"Ok, have fun!" I heard Amanda shout from the living room.

"Do you know how much I hate you?" I said to Yoko.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on let's go." She pulled me from my arm dismissing my comment.

We went to a few shops looking for cute dresses for Yoko's date with Jiro. Unfortunately, she didn't find anything she liked. We decided to go to Shibuya. There was way more choices there. I even tried a few dresses and Yoko convinced me to get one of them. It looked so good on me, so I bought it.

"Hey what do you think about wearing our new dresses?"

"What? Why?"

"Let's just look cute and go have lunch somewhere. What do you say?" I thought about it for a while. I hadn't gone out like that for weeks.

"That sounds good." I smiled at Yoko.

We walked to the bathroom in the mall and we changed. I wore my new dress. It was a champagne chiffon dress. It was knee-high and just beautiful. I didn't care that it didn't match my black sneakers, I just enjoyed how good I looked in it. Yoko came out wearing the blueberry dress she had bought.

"Oh my gosh, Sam you look beautiful."

"You too, Yoko."

"Let me put some makeup on you." I nodded and let her paint my face.

"By the way, where do you want to go eat?"

"I have a little idea about that." She said ambiguously.

Yoko took me to a trendy restaurant called Jane's. It was filled with young couples.

"A table for two, please." I heard Yoko tell the host.

"Follow me please." He asked.

He showed us to a small table by the window. The music in the place was really nice. The decor was also unique. I sat down but Yoko didn't.

"I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." She said before disappearing.

I was looking at the menu when a male's voice got my attention. It was too familiar.

"Hey, Sam." I thought he was in Osaka. He sat in the chair facing me.

"Actually, I'm with-" Suddenly, everything made sense. Yoko coming to get me this morning, the dress shopping, the makeup. 'She is hopeless.' "What do you want, Kei."

"I want to talk."

"Oh now you want to talk. You are three weeks late." I barked.

"I wasn't ready."

"Oh are you ready now? To break up with me? Are you going to tell me about your date with that Japanese princess." My words shocked him.

"How do you-"

"I saw you!" I yelled. My voice turned a few heads, so I got up and I started walking towards the entrance. I heard Kei call after me. I didn't stop.

"Sam!" He called again when we were in the street. I still didn't stop. I felt his grip on my left arm.

"Don't touch me!" He pulled me to an alley.

"Come on Sam, I just want to talk... explain."

"Are you going to tell me that we're not breaking up?" I stared at him straight in the eye. "Of course you can't do that." I said bitterly. "You didn't even have the balls to break up with me like a normal person." I screamed at the top of my head. My breathing was heavy, I was being way too emotional. My eyes were blurred with tears.

"It was a blind date. My grandpa said that we have to find a good candidate for marriage to make new connections for our family." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Are you listening to yourself, Kei?"

"I have to do it."

"Do you really?" I was getting really angry. Even getting a headache from the conversation.

"Sam, you don't understand. I have to prove to them that I can do it."

"What about me? What am I to you, Kei?"

'Sam, I-" He stopped in the middle of his sentence. I eyed him for a moment and then sighed.

"Kei, nobody has ever hurt me like the way you have. I don't think I will ever get over it." I said submissively.

I took a step but my headache got worse very fast. I found myself leaning on the wall for support. But that didn't help. I looked around and the world seemed to spin in all directions. I felt my consciousness slip away slowly and the last thing I heard was Kei's voice calling my name.