The call that Sachi received was from her longtime classmate and friend, Seto Hitachin. He said he was already back in the country after going to abroad for business. It has been three years since they've last seen each other.
He had known Seto since the first year of primary school, they were classmates ever since. At first, she did not really like him, since Seto was an arrogant kid, and Sachi hated that character trait the most. Because of that, their classmates and the kids at school also did not like him at all. He was always alone because the others conspired to ignore him. When Sachi and their classmates would play outside on the playground during recess, Seto would always be left inside the classroom, alone in his desk, just watching the other kids outside from the classroom window.
This went on until they were in third grade, until the time Sachi had reached out to him out of pity. One day, they had a class activity which separated the class into six groups with four members each. The problem was, there were twenty-five children in their class and so one of the group will have an extra member instead of just four. Seto was the kid whom nobody picked to be their teammate and when the teacher asked them which group would like to take him, nobody would answer. At that time, Sachi just felt so bad for him, that she unconsciously raised her hand.
"Teacher, here," she said to their teacher.
Rina was also in the same class and group and she actually tried to pull Sachi's hands down at the time. But, it was too late for that since the teacher already saw and heard Sachi. And, that's how they started to become friends. Although Seto did not interact with them at all for the whole activity despite being a member of their group, the next day, Seto approached Sachi out of the blue during recess and gave her a bag of chocolates.
"Here, my mother said to give this to you," he said, in a mixture of shyness and defiance.
After that time, he slowly became part of their clique. Although they would constantly get annoyed by his arrogance, it was Sachi who told him just why he was hated and told him to get his act together. That if he wanted to have friends, to belong, and be accepted, he needed to put his arrogance in check and tone it down a bit. After that, the other kids seeing a change in his personality eventually became friends with him.
Ever since that day, Seto and Sachi have been to the same middle school, high school, and even college. Seto follows her around like a puppy. Their friends had been teasing them since fifth grade, but Sachi just ignores them. To her, she's just like a younger brother who needs her guidance. Although in middle and high school Sachi would get hints that maybe he does like her as more than friends, but he has never confessed or told her how he truly feels, so Sachi always brushes these ideas off, not that she cares anyway. If it actually comes down to that, she will reject him anyway as she just doesn't feel that way for him. To her, he is just her best guy or boy friend.
In reality, however, Seto is actually in love with her, he started liking her the moment she raised her hand to tell the teacher that their group will take him. Since then, he makes sure that he gets into the same school and class as hers through his parents by threatening them that he will quit going to school if he gets separated from Sachi.
Right around their last year in middle school, Seto's mother came across the love letter he wrote for Sachi. Stated there was his confession for her and he was planning on giving this to her after their graduation. However, his mom had other ideas and plans. Even though she liked Sachi and her family, for her, she was not the right girl for her son. Sachi's family was not just on the same level as theirs. So, she cut all hope and chance of Seto to actually confess his love for Sachi. She threatened to disown his own son if he confesses to her. However, in high school, Seto became more rebellious so his mother told him that he must only do the confession right after they graduate from college, otherwise, she will never accept her into the family should they decide to date or marry after his confession.
But, even after college, his mother would still meddle with his love. She will make sure that he was busy with work and as faith would have it, Sachi was busy too with her career. But not long after that, Sachi's family almost went into bankrupt, so his Mom was even more adamant to go in between his son's impending confession for Sachi. Sachi's father tried to borrow from Seto's father, but the latter refused and so their families grew apart, their friendship was affected. Sachi actually did not care about it but Seto's mother would do everything in her power to limit her son's chances of meeting or hearing about Sachi.
And, when Ryo offered the Furukawas a helping hand with their business, this was the start of Seto's nightmare, as his chance of ever being with Sachi has been completely obliterated. The rest, as they say, is history. Ryo and Sachi started seeing each other after a while and were soon married. Seto went into depression, the moment Sachi told him that she was dating Ryo and when he saw just how much she liked Ryo. He tried to kill himself several times days before Ryo and Sachi's wedding but his family intervened and was always able to save and prevent him from dying. The Hitachins kept this matter a secret and sent him abroad to be treated in Switzerland. Sachi was told that he was off to a business trip in New York and will be there for quite some time.
Today is the day that Seto will see Sachi again after three years. He was anxious and excited at the same time. He could not keep himself from fidgeting. He was growing restless in his seat in the café he chose to meet her while waiting for her to arrive. His family does not even know that he is already in the country, he told his parents that he will return back home tomorrow. He's always wanted to see her first when he goes home and so he kept the fact that he booked the flight today a secret from his family, especially from his mother.
He wanted to see her, touch her, hug her, talk to her, ask her a lot of questions, and want to know a lot about her life, if whether she is happy or not, even if it hurts him.
Although it was painful for him, still he knew he needed to ask her about her marriage. The moment Seto saw Sachi walking towards the café from the outside, he could not help himself. He stood up and practically ran towards her in a flash and hugged her tightly.
"I missed you, Sachi," he said while hugging her tightly like he would never let go of her.
"I missed you, too," Sachi said lightly hugging him back. "Let's go inside and talk."
Seto was forced to let go as she sat down on their table. They slowly caught up with each other, no awkwardness or bitterness. Looking at them you would not suspect that they did not see each other for almost three years.
He noted a change in the atmosphere when he asked her, "So, how's married life?"
Sachi just continued looking down her food, not meeting his gaze. She had a sad smile on her face.
"Sachi?" Seto said.
Sachi just smiled at him and shook his head from side to side.
"What's wrong? Tell me," Seto said concerned.
Probably due to all the things that had happened, but mostly due to the fact of her impending divorce with the only man that she has ever loved, to the joy of seeing Seto again, and also because she knew that she can trust him, out of the blue, Sachi started crying.
Seto got up from his seat and held her. He didn't know what was going on but he thanked himself for choosing this uncrowded café. He was thinking of going to Himawari's Place but he knew Rina will just interrupt them. They were the only ones in the café and the members of the staff were at the back in the kitchen area.
"What's wrong?" Seto was worried now.
Then Sachi started shaking her head, still crying.
"He doesn't love me, Seto. He wants to take revenge on my family. He says we stole their business from them. And, the only reason why he married me was so he can take his revenge on me and my family," Sachi said, but none of it made any sense to Seto. "He might be in love with someone else, and now, we're getting a divorce," Sachi said, in between sobs.
Seto did not know how to process what he had just heard or know quite how to react. She has never seen her like this, not even when they were about to go bankrupt. Here, he thought, she was happily living in bliss with Ryo. During therapy, Seto found that Sachi was not the cause of his depression. What drove him to insanity and sadness was the mental anguish of not even being able to confess to the woman he had loved for so long.
Before coming home, Seto had decided that he will now let her go in order to let the feelings he had for her go. He told himself, that, after this, he will forget and no longer pine for her. However, after what just happened and seeing how distraught she was, he knew he had to do something. He can't let the bastard, Ryo, hurt Sachi anymore.
'Ryo you bastard!' he was seething in anger now. 'How dare you make the woman I love cry?'
Before coming here, After driving Sachi back to their condo-hotel, Seto immediately called his secretary and ordered them to research about the Sugimoto, especially Ryo, and their connection to the Furukawas. He ordered them to research and report every little thing to him.
***