The utensils she was holding just slipped from her fingers. The citrusy fragrance suddenly became odorless, and her stomach turned upside down. She quickly peeped at the door before taking a peek outside the windows.
(1:50 PM)
"What do you mean? Where are you?"
(1:53 PM)
"Please tell me where you are right now and don't just read my messages!"
(1:54 PM)
"Ruki, please tell me where you are."
Sakura turned to the waitress, who was assisting the next table and asked for the bill. She then scrambled for her wallet inside her bag and kept glancing at the door, hoping that he was lying and that he'd show up after all the times he'd stood her up.
RUKI (2:10 PM)
"Really really sorry, don't wait for me. You don't have to wait for me anymore."
She licked her lips; her mouth was starting to dry. Her mind was getting blank whilst her vision was becoming blurry. She nervously grabbed the goblet glass and took a sip of water, trying to hold back the tears from blurring her vision completely. 'Don't cry, Sakura. Don't cry. Not here please.'
As soon as the bill folder was given to her, she didn't even check the receipt and just placed her payment inside. She kept staring at her phone as she walked to the aisle and hastily exited through the door, bumping into a man who was just passing by.
"Sorry!" the man exclaimed. Sakura, on the other hand, apologized with a brittle voice, eyes on the floor.
His brows furrowed as he noticed a tear rolling down her cheek, "Are you alright? Did I hurt you somewhere?"
Sakura walked into the corner, catching a glimpse of a notification on her phone, "Please don't mind me, I'm ok—"
RUKI (2:21 PM)
"Sakura, I'm really sorry for not showing up. I know you've been waiting… always waiting for me, and I'm truly sorry if I had to do this here and not tell you personally. I just want to thank you so much for everything and for loving me for the past 3 years. I have failed you many times, but you still stayed with me despite all of my shortcomings. You're a very beautiful and a very wonderful woman, and I hope you know you deserve someone better... so much better than me."
Sakura leaned her back on the wall, clutching her phone on her chest. Her knees felt weak, and the tears just started streaming down her face. She closed her eyes as if she'd stop the tears from falling. She was sick of people leaving her, and she felt so horrible for hoping and for staying even though she knew deep in her heart that things won't work out anymore. She felt so embarrassed in front of many people who were just passing by, especially at the man who was still standing in front of her.
"Hey, ugh" he took out his hanky from his back pocket and spoke softly, without even an ounce of panic. "I know you're having a hard time, and I know it's none of my business, but would you like to go somewhere private? I work in a café, and you might want to stay there for the meantime…?"
She slowly opened her eyes, wiping the tears on her face with her fingers and turning her face away from the stranger. She kept her phone inside her bag before taking a long deep breath. She looked at the sky, trying her best to not cry.
"Thanks. I actually have a hanky inside my bag," she said with a hoarse voice. She appreciated his gesture, but she didn't want to trouble the stranger any longer. "Is there a mall near here?" she sniffed. That's the only place she could think of right now, to distract herself at least and perhaps cry her eyes out inside the public comfort room.
The man put his hanky back inside his pocket, "It's a few blocks away from here. Do you want me to accompany you?"
She shook her head, "Thank you, but I can manage," and tried to smile amiably at the stranger.
Sakura finally took a glimpse of the man who helped her before walking away. He was a tall man with long jet-black hair past his ears and was wearing a long white dress shirt and black suit pants. His eyes were sharp, alluring yet mysterious, and despite the intimidating look in his gaze, she won't forget how big his pupils and how worried his eyes were.
He still stood there, watching her from a distance, as the pink flowers of the cherry blossoms started to fall.