(TWO WORDS: YOUR MINE)
"A trick is still a trick, and no matter how hard you try, the play that you are both running into will always end in the same pattern, just like the life of the fictional character of Romeo and Juliet. You will never change a story with a tragic ending, remember that, Rafael."
Luna taunts me again with the words that she always insists on as her reminder, yet rather a nuisance for me to hear, knowing that no matter how hard she would try and insist on that inevitable end. I will never let go, as I will do everything to make this life ends with me and her and never will be like Romeo and Juliet.
"It will never be, as I promise myself that this time, I will never let her go no matter what."
Holding firm to the promise and the conviction that I found after recently remembering everything and claiming back the past that I forget. I walk towards the door, sliding the handle open as I take my leave and for a while to go back to the place where our childhood memories started.
"Please do not do anything reckless, let me have it my way, Luna."
Warning her with her tendency to contradict my plans and wants, I assure her at the same time that I will make my move to make Mika remember, now that I finally recover everything that I have lost. But for now, going back to the Village, to see Elder Peter as Rafael and not as the person they call Hiro, is my chance to tell him that I am back and for good. Before I face her again with both of my personalities I establish as Hiro and the boy of her past as Rafael and the King of our past life.
"Then you should hurry up, Hiro, for the play will never stop and before you know it it's all too late."
"Tsk!" I smirk, taking it to her. "Do not worry, I will make sure that it will not happen again this time."
Finally taking my leave as I slide the door closed a call stole my attention. Answering, a familiar voice made me smile as I nodded smirking back and telling,
"I will just wait for me at the hospital."
Ending the call, I rush with a few of my armed bodyguards tailing me in a distance, and before I knew it, here I am.
'Tell me, just why did I not wait for you then and decided to go after you instead?'
'It's all because you wanted me to have a sweet licorice.'
TAKING a quick breath in as I waited at the hotel's platinum function room, where I plan and set my next step to make her remember. I prepared everything down from the tiniest detail of the interior as possible, taking everything to what I wanted and where everything should be and not. All to perfectly recreate that one particular day, that one night of the city's festival to where an eloquent party lasts until dawn.
To the storage room where we used to play, I made the cheapest ballroom, wherefrom scraps, recyclable materials, and anything that I could scavenge then are the things that I used to decorate and mimic the grand festival on that night. Just to surprise her and made her have the glimpse of the ball she wanted to attend, but we could not.
Now looking at the grand ballroom inspired from the renaissance years of our past life, everything is adorned and perfectly harmonize with the velvet color and shades of purple of her favorite color. Hoping that she will remember even a little from both past she forgot, and that brought by the curse of the deal I took.
"Young Master."
Drawing my attention as I stood up, expecting her in return. The door opens as the classic music play, and my eyes look up to her taking the steps inside as she wore the perfect purple cocktail dress matching my inner shirt and tie. Now looking into each other with our lives that are now drowning in each other's places, I smiled, wanting that second to not end.
"A twelve years old?"
She breaks a short laugh and is in disbelief after I told her the time of that one particular night of years ago, and the night I wanted her to remember.
"I wonder just how a twelve years old boy could afford to set up a Renaissance-inspired grand ball for just the two of us?"
I smiled back almost laughing as I tease her for a bit by shaking my head and saying, "That would be my eternal secret." Taking her hand as I patted a gentle kiss, the music started to play as I ask her for a dance just like a King to his princess.
Reaching my hand as she reaches out holding back and bowing in courtesy wherein in my eyes, her past life pictured in front of me, I smile while hiding the pain inside as I relay the past to her.
"Not exactly like then, but everything that you see is part of that night. Just imagine that the chandelier above us is made from plastic. The candlesticks and lamps are fireflies inside a mason jar, the band who is playing this music right now was just a radio then, and this entire hall is the small storage house back in the Village."
With a gentle smile from her, the music plays gentler into a piece of waltz music as I lead the way and pulling her close as I lock my arms around her waist, hold the other out as we dance slowly into the music.
Picturing the past into my eyes, I wish and hope that somehow, she could see and even at least a little, remember that night.
"Yet, you have something to explain young man."
Somewhat teasing, I got her response quickly as I reply teasing in an expression of an innocent man who knows nothing.
"Acting dumb, well let us see, why is that everyone is keeping on telling the other that I am your property? Just what do you think I am, a price possession?"
Knowing more than that from the simple game I teasingly told everyone, taking it lightly, but they all took it seriously, I smirk then laugh. Amuse of her protest we fight by sight, and words that made me smile as we continue to dance.
"Then what should I call you then? My girl, what about my woman, or better yet,"
I suddenly stop together with the smile that slowly fading as the vivid picture of our past echoed back to me with the words.
'My Princess.'
"My Princess."
As I whisper, locking my gaze unto her eyes as she was to mine. To the symphony of the music that echoes around and to the both of us who sway in a waltz dance, my heart is beating the mix, longing, fear, happiness, and sadness were from those emotions, I wanted to scream it all out to make everything at ease.
"To that girl that you say that I am then, what if no matter how hard we try, I cannot find anything to remember, you?"
Wishing for a thing that pierces a hundred times and more, I slowly sway her beside me as the music echoes behind. Slowly catching her into my locking embrace, falling a second down and back as I whisper those words enough for her to hear and take from a longing heart, I confessed.
"You said it yourself, 'we', so you do not have to worry about anything. For I will make sure that you will remember our past and the very person who is me. Yet, if everything fails and the past you are too shy to come out and remember me, then, I want you to tell her this as I want to relay these words to her."
As the music ended and we both took a courtesy bow, letting go of her hand, I smiled in utmost pain, looking back, telling,
"To that girl, please tell her this. That I truly, very much, love her." Words that hit an indescribable pain and longing more than those times ago inside my heart. From the first chance of our first meeting in our first life, down to this 2nd chance of life that we ended up losing together with our memories, my tears fall as I look at her with my desire and selfish wants to make her remember everything, and quick. I look away as I ended that night with the words.
"Even though a tragic pain awaits us, I will forever want and only wish for that same thing, to be with her no matter what it takes."
Taking the steps outside as the door slowly closes from behind everything came rushing back ask the deal is slowly claiming its toil.
'Have you ever thought about everything twice? You know that dealing with him will only cause you heartache and the mortal's suffering. The play that you let him took control of will always end up in that same cycle, for from the very beginning Romeo and Juliet is a play that is set in a tragic ending, and you very much knew about that, do you, Rafael?'
'Tragedy and death, I will gladly accept everything, even just for a tiny time in exchange just to be with her. I will endure that fact and suffer with it as my punishment. Tragedy or not, I will never let go, I will do my part and solve this myself even with or without your help, and with your utmost protest or scheming plans. Let just see at the very end who is going to win, Luna.'
Though I wanted to hate the past and the deal that drags everything to what it is now, my heart, memories, and the very reason for all the tragedy we have been are the path that I will still choose knowing that it will lead me back to her. All that I can promise and do is to make her remember everything starting from the beginning of our 2nd life now, for I cannot lose her again, not again, and this time.
'MIKA.'
'To that girl please tell her this, that I truly, very much, love her.'
Walking at the empty balcony of the penthouse, I stare blankly at the vast starry sky as those words and what happened a while ago keep on repeating and agonizingly inside my heart. Taking everything into a turn as I took a chance, my heart was somewhat in despair as it now aches unknowingly from the past that I wanted to remember, but something out from a thing is screaming that I should not yet and why?
"Trying to remember something is different from what you want to remember. Just what do you want to remember, Mika?"
Asking myself the question as I look back to that event a while ago, my heart only beats its guilt and familiar longing. As I stare at the vast dark sky, my attention shifted as I look at my back to where I found Luna in her nightdress holding a glass of wine as she joins me now starring back into the sky.
'The one that should remember, the one who should first realize, and the one who wishes for a reverse, should that be you? For someone that took another game and who is playing in the sidetrack for the both of you. Should I just end everything once and for all? If both of you are foolish enough to not know? But to end this game, you both should take the leads, am I right, Mika.'
Remembering her words from that time, a mix of agony and clued-clueless lies from the truth is ringing a banging beat in my mind that still and yet, I cannot solve. Yet, as I look at her I cannot help but think that once I have the answer to everything it will all end up into the tragic fate like a price that I needed to pay.
"You knew everything, right?"
Asking her indirectly of the question that the answer is all in 'yes'. She smiles, trying to hide the truth, yet not, like she is playing a chasing game making her the ally and the foe to the game she is leading us in from the very beginning.
"For the both of you, let us say that I am someone who is rooting for the time to undo from the very beginning. As I am someone who is neither your ally nor your foe, but the only one who is guiding you to fulfill your wishes, yet, you should know what does everything of this means and decide it yourself, are you just trying to remember or wanted to, just what is true and which is which, Mika."
Taking that warning in my mind as her steps faded slowly as she walks towards the door and sliding it open taking her first step out, she then stops looking back with the words.
"Wishing to turn back the time is plain stupidity, but holding unto both of your stars is the way back for everything to fall to what they use to be."
Leaving the words that felt like a poem that I need to re-read to understand, she smiles halfway before closing the door leaving me alone once more. Looking back at the vast sky as I think of her words, I slowly reach my hand out like I am trying to get something, a thing that could lead me back to what I forever am seeking.
'Take this as a sign of our promise and the very thing that will lead us back to each other. The half of the star that will temporarily be away, but soon will become one again, by that time, your half star necklace of 'Spica' and my 'Rigel' will see each other again. Until that time comes, promise me that you would not ever forget about me. Will you swear?'
'I promise,'
Closing my eyes as the same voice of the boy I kept on hearing since then whispers something back, and unlike the past where I could not understand a thing. Now with everything that happens I know that his words are the past I need to remember. Slowly letting the warm breeze in as Spring is almost over and summer is at the corner, I close my eyes waiting for a clue yet.
'I would learn, someday I will play a melody for you, I will do the best that I can and play the grandest piano with the melody that will make you smile.'
"Miyu."
Whispering that name out loud, caught me in an instant, turning around as a familiar melody pull my consciousness back into reality.
'Would you?'
'I promise.'
Hearing the words inside my head, as those two familiars, yet unrecognizable voices echo. I slide the door open rushing outside and into a room where the melody came from, and lead me into.
'If I am the King, then you are definitely my princess.'
As my brain is somewhat being pound with the hardest rock like something is hitting me from behind without mercy. The voices that suddenly echo are slowly picturing a blurry yet familiar shadow of someone's smile. With everything that somehow is bombarding unto me, it is taking a toll on my heart. My heart is beating painfully with the agonizing guilt, longing, and wants that beats screaming none stop and suddenly kicks in making it all worst, unlike anything that I ever felt before.
'You would not forget, right?'
To the melody that I suddenly heard from a far distance that somehow gave me an electric shock, my tears fall as I slowly slide the door open, where the grandest white and gold piano is playing the painful melody he is creating.
'Three chances, three lives, as the end will only result of a short forever, but only two are needed to be a sacrifice, from those at a store can you handle the pain as your punishment for the first and second two deaths around?'
I do not know why everything of this is suddenly hitting me like I am the world's worst convicted criminal, as I do not know if this pain that I am having right now is all caused by the past that is slowly making known and back to me or just my wild wants to believe everything that he does and say to be true as I wanted it to be.
My tears fall as the pain is rapidly increasing inside when a vivid picture of a boy flashes back into my sight. The same boy in my dreams, and the same one he claims that he is.
'If dying for a second time around is the equivalent exchange as my punishment for my wishes, then I'll gladly accept it. If that is the only way to undo everything and place everyone back to where they all should be.'
Slowly taking the steps near as the melody is getting louder and louder with each passing time, he looks ahead, stopping the tone just to find me standing weakly as my tears are escaping nonstop from my eyes.
'This necklace will serve as your memory store deep from your real ones, and once everything is set, the three deals, my sacrificial punishment, and this very deal lie in your heart's trusting beat, now, can you handle the pain?'
Running towards me as he took my cold and shivering hands, hugging me in return. The pain that I unknowingly have burst out as I cried and cried where I am now scared to remember, as the lingering question behind my fear and sudden uneasiness is screaming of what if everything is just a deal from the beginning? A deal that no matter how hard we fought and gamble upon, will always ends up into a tragic play.
'I have to if it means saving his very existence.'
Hugging him back as he tightly locked me in his arms in return. I wish and hope that everything is not a sacrificial death in return.
"Let us go back as I want to remember everything about you and me. Let us hurry back to that place where everything begins."
'I am rooting for the both of you, Miyu and Rafael.'