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I.
[Hokkaido, first year]
It had been a while since Takumi felt close to someone.
Obviously, there was Isami-- they shared a womb, for Heaven’s sake. And then there was their childhood friend, Bianca, whom Takumi acknowledged the butterflies were for, but even then he knew she only had eyes for his twin brother.
But this-- this was different for him of how innocent and natural it started.
Soma was his rival, she was his rival’s friend. And she had been standing next to him ever since, watching the redhead from a distance. At least that was the initial thoughts until she’d planted a seed somewhere within him.
“Oh no, I don’t have enough money for this…” She frowned. “Let’s leave, Takumi-kun. I’m sorry it took so long.”
It was one of their days off during Regiment de Cuisine. The others were resting in their respective rooms, and both of them decided to take a little walk. She had asked him if he wanted to stop by the little scarf stall on the sidewalk, and he agreed to keep her company.
“Why, Tadokoro-san? It would be too cold if you decided to walk around without it.” He reminded her, “And it’s a pretty scarf.”
“I-I know, but… I don’t have all my money with me, so--”
“Then I’ll get this scarf for you.”
“O-Oh no, I can’t let you do that for me.” She waved both her hands.
“Would… you rather wear my scarf?”
“E-Eh?! T-Then you would be cold!”
Takumi smiled-- she had always been so selfless , “Then allow me. Consider it as a gift.”
He wasn’t bluffing when he said it was a pretty scarf-- a mustard yellow knitted warmth with a touch of glitter, and he didn’t hesitate to put it around her neck after he made the purchase.
It only dawned on him when their eyes met. He saw a tint of blush on her cheek and it must’ve been his doing. Retracting his hands haphazardly was reflective.
“Oh, u-um… it does match your eyes, Tadokoro-san.”
"I-It does?" She asked.
" Si, " The Italian nodded, "It glows even more right now."
His remark was followed by a sheepish smile, which then swooped in the shopkeeper who made a rather embarrassing assumption that they were somewhat of an item-- they both agreed it was awkward.
The ironic part was that the rest of their evening felt natural. Maybe it was the melon pan they shared after that hearty bowl of curry ramen-- the fact that it tasted sweeter to Takumi because Megumi had bitten into it before him, and this went on until the last crumb.
Could be the fortunate blizzard that suddenly happened when they took a stroll along the glimmering street. The cold wind could almost fly Megumi away that she needed to tuck her arm firmly in his.
Or it could be what felt the strangest the most to him-- when they decided to stop on an alleyway and she found his gloveless, freezing hands, she willingly cupped his hands to blow a warm breeze on it.
"Is it better now?"
"Y-Yes," He stammered, "It really is."
When the blizzard was over, they walked back to their hotel hand-in-hand.
He knew her intention was to thaw his hand, but to Takumi, it was as if the seed she planted grew a few inches.
He walked her back to her room. She didn't forget to thank him for the scarf, and he expressed his gratitude towards her thoughtfulness at her door.
"Wait, Tadokoro-san." Takumi stopped her from entering her chamber.
"Yes?"
He looked into her once again. Golden eyes, braided hair that fell gracefully just below her shoulders, lips slightly pale from the cold, but the rosy color on her cheek stayed intact.
To him, she was beautiful.
"There's something I would like to say to you," He said. "But I'm gonna wait."
He tried to gauge the pause in her side, but before he could, she stuttered.
"E-Eh? Why? D-Did I do something wrong? Did I make you uncomfortable b-because I had to h-h-hold your hand?!"
"N-No, no. It's nothing like that!" He waved his hands.
"O-Oh, okay," She breathed a sigh of relief, "Then what is it, Takumi-kun?"
"I can't say it. Not yet."
"Why is that?"
"Because it’s complicated."
She blinked once, and then twice. But then she slowly, reluctantly nodded.
He fetched her a little smile, took another step closer to her before reaching for her hand.
He thought he heard her gasp slightly, but when he pressed his lips against her gloved hands, she didn't pull it away from him.
"Goodnight, Megumi-san."
As Takumi walked away from her room, he decided to look back. He was glad that she was still standing there.
//
II
[Tokyo, second year]
There were many moments where Takumi would love to pick things up where they left off that night in Hokkaido, but between their studies and Elite Ten businesses, he just wouldn't risk it for something immature.
That was the lie he told himself. If he was being truthful, it was because he knew her heart had been somewhere else.
//
III.
[Venice, 2.5 years after graduation]
As faith would have it, they ran into each other in Venice, a couple of years after they had graduated.
Megumi had just told him she’d been through a terrible break-up with Soma. Not that she was still mourning over the lost relationship, but the solo trip she was taking was her process of self-healing.
Takumi listened over a cup of espresso, nodding along at how she was sadder to have lost her best friend rather than a boyfriend. He then told her he was in town with his Belgian girlfriend.
“Is she coming over soon?”
He shook his head at her question, “You know how up-and-coming actresses are. She’s been on set before I even woke up.”
“I-I don’t, actually.” She smiled apologetically, “Maybe you do since you’re a big celebrity chef.”
He scratched his head at that, “W-Well, I don’t mean it like that. I’m still the Takumi you’ve gotten to know in Totsuki.”
“Maybe you should come over there to surprise her, Takumi-kun.” She suggested.
“It’s not necessary, Tadokoro-san. I will see her tonight for dinner.” Takumi broke off a piece of his cookie, “If you don’t have any plans for the day, I would be happy to show you around. I know my way around since I've been here before.”
“Would it really be okay?”
“Of course,” He beamed, “Why wouldn’t it be?”
/
“Is that so? Alright. No, it’s completely fine. Yes, I actually ran into an old friend from Totsuki. Okay. Have fun on set tonight, okay? Bye.”
“Is that your girlfriend?” Megumi asked after he hung up the phone.
“Yes, she, uh, had to cancel tonight.”
“O-Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, Tadokoro-san.” His tone was reassuring, “So if you don’t mind, and since I will be free tonight, let’s have dinner at that ristorante you’re interested in.”
/
Takumi ended up spending most of his time in Venice with Megumi. Whenever he woke up and found the other side of the bed absent, he texted Megumi and asked if she wanted to go sightseeing. To his bliss, she never said no.
To Megumi, having Takumi around a lot of times wasn’t something she planned, but even it surprised herself that she enjoyed his company. He’d taken her to the best eating spots in town, explained a lot of building histories, even easily switched stories about their careers while they laughed about old high school habits.
But what surprised her even more was that absent, empty feeling whenever Takumi told her he’d be having lunch with his girlfriend, and how she had that sinking gut feeling that he must have missed his lady so much.
Takumi never told anyone that during that lunch, when his girlfriend was endlessly mumbling about her days on set, he’d zone out wondering what Megumi was doing.
/
That night when Megumi told him it was her last night in Venice, they decided to meet at Rialto Bridge.
“It’s so beautiful up here, Takumi-kun.” She said, “Thank you for always keeping me company on this trip.”
“Don’t mention it, Tadokoro-san. It is I who should thank you.” Takumi put his camera down after he captured the ever so majestic Grand Canal, “And I uh, apologize if I’ve been stealing all your free time.”
“O-Oh, not at all. You… actually saved me. From being alone.” She admitted, “When I decided to go to Venice alone to clear my mind, there is a… scary feeling that my thoughts of what happened recently would eat me alive, but thanks to you, it didn’t happen.”
Takumi smiled at her, “I don’t feel alone either.”
She returned the gesture with a beam, and he thought he felt his heart skip a beat.
The lights might glimmer so gracefully along the banks of the Grand Canal, and what reflected on the water was even more idyllic with the gentle breeze of Venice night as dusk broke into a starry night.
That did not even compare to what stood next to him, glancing down at her long, blue hair as her slim fingers were tangled into it.
“Tadokoro-san.”
“Yes?”
Like each memory he’d made with her, he didn’t want to forget-- he wanted to treasure it. The seed she had planted many years ago was slowly blooming, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it.
“May I take your picture?”
/
It only felt natural to take her on a gondola ride just after she asked about it.
They’d been holding hands since Rialto Bridge. Not because one of them was cold or another one could be flown by the wind across town. This time, it was only them as two adults, savoring the moment within the gentle stream of water carrying their boat.
“Tadokoro-san,” He called her name, making her raise her head from his shoulder, “Do you remember a few years ago… when we were in Hokkaido for the Regiment de Cuisine?”
“Yes, of course I do. You bought me a beautiful scarf.”
“Do you remember what I said at the door of your room that day?”
Looking down at their joint fingers, she answered, “Um… I think you said something about… wanting to say something, but you um, decided to wait. But I couldn’t remember it well since w-what you did after that made me nervous…”
At that, Takumi scratched his head, “O-Oh, w-well sorry about that. I didn’t know what--”
“Oh no, it’s alright, Takumi-kun. Isshiki-senpai later told me that it was an Italian thing, so…”
Sure, it was. “Oh, right, right. Yes, I did it because… Italian thing, yeah.”
Megumi nodded slowly, and then she blinked once before settling her gaze on him.
“Takumi-kun,” She said, “What did you want to say to me back then?”
Now, he knew she was not stupid. He knew she realized that it wasn’t really what an Italian would do to a friend.
“What I thought I felt that day.” He remarked shortly.
“Do you… still want to wait?”
“It’s a possibility,” He breathed closer, “What if instead I just… show you?”
She froze, “Um… how?”
“I’m not sure, Tadokoro-san.” He took the tip of her hair into his fingers. “What do you have in mind?”
Megumi gulped.
But in Takumi’s mind, the rippling sound of the canal in the warm evening air was the perfect serenade. The moment where he brought her hand close to his mouth once again and felt her smooth skin against his lips almost as if it was beyond his control. At that, her lips slightly part when he caressed her cheek, and gasped when he kissed the other.
And when the Bridge of Sighs was in sight, his lips walked a slow trail closer to her lips and paused on the edge to gauge her reaction. She had closed her eyes and he took it as a green light.
His lips met hers and everything made sense-- the curvy lines were aligned, the missing puzzle piece was found, and his questions were immediately answered. He knew this time why she felt warm on that winter night, and how natural it all was when he kissed her hand.
And now, years after that passed, she kissed him back in the place he’d never thought she’d even touch. One flick of her lips was all it took for his hand to travel to her blue hair and deepen the bliss.
It was the perfect kiss… well, almost.
“T-Takumi-kun, I-- we can’t do this…”
When she pulled herself back with a push of his chin, Takumi’s heart dropped-- he knew she’d say that, and he knew the reason why.
“Soma and I just split up, a-and you still have someone else right now, so I- I don’t think this is the right time.”
Yes, he knew she’d say that. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have-- I’m sorry.”
The rest of the gondola ride was filled with silence. Sitting a few inches apart and looking away were their only option since there wasn't much space to begin with. Takumi helped Megumi to get off the gondola with a pull of his hand, but then that was it.
He put his hand in his pocket and she used both of hers to hold her purse en route to her hotel. It wasn’t a cold night, but it was somewhat chilly now that a distance existed. He didn’t feel like talking, but then he caught her glancing at him with the corner of his eye.
Suddenly, his tracks were stopped.
“Takumi-kun, I-I’m so sorry…” She pleaded.
“I don’t think you need to apologize, Tadokoro-san.” He shrugged, “No means no, I get it.”
“You’re clearly not okay about it, and that makes me worried.”
Takumi huffed at her remark-- couldn’t she see it all? “And how am I supposed to be okay when I thought the girl I’ve been wanting since the first year of high school is finally wanting me back, only to be left with an impression that I’ve been reading your signals wrong?”
At this moment, he saw her golden eyes were glistening. It took all his strength to keep standing tall and watch her lips tremble, when all he’d been wanting to do was to make her pain go away.
“Have I been wrong?” This time, Takumi was the one pleading.
“I-- I don’t know…I-- I am sorry…”
A single tear rolled down her cheek, and he couldn’t watch her this time. Instead, he let out a sigh.
“Listen, I shouldn’t have said this, but you need to make up your mind somehow. I know what I want since that night in the scarf stall, and that is the selfless girl that was standing next to me. And if she couldn’t see that, I really can’t make her.”
At his confession, Megumi put her head down. He swore he could see another tear streamed down her cheek. This time though, Takumi lifted her chin and thumbed away her sadness.
“And frankly if one day you realize it wasn’t me, please don’t bother reaching out to me. I’ll always be certain that you are made for me, and it would kill me to see you with somebody else. I know that because it’s something I’ve gone through.” His voice was crooked, but still managed to point out to the corner, “Your hotel’s over there. Goodnight, Tadokoro-san.”
If this was their freshman year in Hokkaido, it would be different. He would look back and smile when he saw her still gazing at him.
But this time, all Takumi did was walk still. Afraid if he looked back, the last image of Megumi he’d see is pain.
/
Later that night when the clock struck 3, Megumi was burying her tears under the pillow. Unsure of her own feelings that longed for him, but scared that she might hurt him.
At the same time, Takumi was confessing everything to his girlfriend, which eventually ended their relationship.
//
IV.
[Sendai, the following month]
Megumi had tried to fight her feelings.
She knew even then Takumi was too good to be true-- someone who was kind, gentle, and so handsome that suddenly appeared before her eyes after a broken heart couldn't be real.
To her, love couldn't always be that perfect. Takumi was just there at her vulnerable moments, and if she was to let him into her life, he would be hurt when he found out her feelings turned out to be unreal.
She kept trying to find cracks and imperfections on what seemed to be a perfect foundation. Soul-searching that was done by meditation and evening prayers at the temple was to figure out if her heart really wanted him.
But what she knew ever since he left him in Venice was this: she couldn’t stop thinking about Takumi.
She had been on the lookout for signs-- signs that’d tell her it was him. That she should fly out to wherever he was in the world. But when it showed, her mind had a way to play tricks on her, telling her that these were just coincidences:
- The mezzaluna she saw in the kitchen supplies store
- A melon pan stall she spotted on the way home from the bookstore
- The scarf he bought her-- she found it in her old closet after years
Came a moment when after a month of only seeing him by watching his Instagram activities, a gasp escaped when she found Takumi's in town for filming. She waited for days if he’d reach out to her first, before he announced on the platform that it was his last day in Sendai.
And then it clicked: she needed to stop overthinking.
That day, she had never left her packed Ryokan so soon, and had never pedaled her bike so fast in her life. Thanks to his current Story, she knew exactly which mochi place he was filming at.
Using her very last strength, she ignored the way her heart rushed because of her movement, or how a few drops of sweat had seeped into her turtleneck even though it was a cold day in autumn.
She had arrived just in time. Takumi was there-- so handsomely sporting a matching khaki trench coat and turtleneck with lighter colored pants along with crews that surrounded him. They were recording him explaining a mochi’s characteristics with such charisma, and it didn’t look like he was going to notice her presence from a distance.
But he did.
Their eyes finally met, and she saw Takumi blinked a few times before he raised up slowly from where he was sitting.
“Oi, Takumi! What are you doing? We’re still rolling and--!”
“Can you guys please wait for just one moment?” He nonchalantly remarked his yelling crew with a point of an index finger.
She had no idea how’d her face looked like when she saw him walking fast to where she stood, but she knew she’d miss him. So with that, she crashed her bike to the ground and started mimicking his movements.
Meeting in the middle were two previously aching souls. Breathless smiles were exchanged. Megumi touched her beating heart, and it was happy when she saw that sparkle in his ocean blue eyes.
“Tadokoro-san, you--”
She got on her tiptoes and sealed him with a kiss. A kiss so long-awaited that she swore she could stay like that for eternity. Only pressing each other’s lips without any rush, just calmness and solitude. It was simple, like all these supposed to be from the beginning.
When his hands traveled up her back, she realized love didn’t have to be so complicated. She wondered why she wasted so many years being drawn to a tangled yarn when a perfectly straight ribbon existed. The road that led her to him might be exhausting, but to her, he was worth it.
“Hello.” Takumi said as they pulled away.
“Hello to you too.” Megumi greeted, nurturing the space they shared. “So u-um… what were you going to tell me back then?”
“I'll let you know once I'm done filming, that if you decide to stick around this time.”
Megumi giggled, "Where else would I go, Takumi-kun?"
-o-