A distant scene, sheltered by the light of a morning sun that filters through the corner of the curtains. A couple rests embraced on a bed while the sound of a kettle begins to be heard whistling in the tranquility of silence. Tiny, hesitant steps can be heard with the creaking of the worn stave in an apartment on the outskirts of Berlin.
"Mom, Yukino wet the bed again" - A little girl of no more than 10 years protests at the foot of her parents' bed, while a 2-year-old girl pulls her pajamas pouting in disapproval.
Two years have passed from the beginning of a new century and millennium, two expressions so great that they could be compared with the sentiment that the married couple who are preparing to get out of bed profess.
Yoshino contemplates Joana and Yukino, two beautiful daughters who are the product of the love she consumed with Albert during the fall of 1992. That for her was the triumph of a long-suffering and patient love, which, no matter how much tests I experience, was like the button of the rose. that grows with the storm.
Albert had established himself as a chief editor in the business of his friend Lippershey and his salary allowed them to have a comfortable life, while Yoshino was in charge of raising his two daughters as well as giving private classes in Japanese.
"Have you ever thought that this is like a dream?" - Hugging her from behind, Albert rested her head on Yoshino's shoulder while he tenderly caressed her hands. That woman who captivated her heart under the cherry trees, along with hers, two of her daughters, was the greatest wealth she could experience. Nothing is forever, it is the destiny of everything that harbors mortality. But it is because of that same mortality, that small moments like that are usually considered a fragment of eternity.
Turning to kiss him goodbye, Yoshino shows the mark on his face from that bitter night he escaped from his fate. But that scar had no effect on Albert, who saw in his woman the same beauty that captivated him as in that moment when they collided in the park.
"Bye mom, we'll see you in a few hours" - Joana said goodbye to her mother while Yukino waved her hand making a see-by gesture, with a smiling Albert who was about to drop off at school and kindergarten at girls
Turning on the computer to organize her lesson schedule, Yoshino set about making an earl gray accompanied by some honey and toast while she cleaned the breakfast dishes.
Suddenly the sound of the mailbox caught the attention of Yoshino, who thought it was Mrs. Helga who insisted on taking lessons on Saturdays.
"Hello sister" - That email subject had surprised her, it had been 10 years since she lost all contact with the Yamaguchi family and only her students had her email address. Full of curiosity, she prepared to open it and in the message she could see that it was Shizu, her beloved sister with whom she had cut communication for their safety.
In the email Shizu told her that she had gotten her address thanks to the fact that one of her students was an exchange student and she had a part-time job helping at the Meji shrine. So, noticing the accent with which she pronounced Japanese, she asked him if she knew Yamaguchi Yoshino. To which she nodded but clarified that she knew her as Miss Worthington. So she was very happy to learn that she was married and had two beautiful daughters.
Yoshino did not fit in with pleasure, she had spent so much time that she did not have any closeness with her beloved older sister. So she responded to her message by telling him how her life had been during those 10 long years.
It was 6 in the afternoon on August 15, 2002, Albert arrived with the girls as he usually did and kiss Yoshino, but that day was different from others it was extremely special for him. Johann, his old friend and his boss, had entrusted him with the task of closing a contract with a prestigious Japanese light novel writer, interested in entering the European market.
If the deal closes, that would mean a significant improvement to the family's finances and he would possibly take over the management of the publisher. While his friend would give himself the bohemian life that he wanted so much by leaving the business in good hands.
Yoshino was very happy, so much so that she couldn't hide her excitement at having with that one, two fantastic news in the same day.
The plane tickets had been booked to depart in a week for Yokohama, the girls were excited that it was the first time they would visit the country where their mother was born. Yoshino thought to himself that it was the perfect opportunity to meet Shizu again. Everything was perfect, nothing could go wrong.
The week passed and Flight 370 was preparing to take off from the Berlin-Schönefeld airport, the weather was clear and the sun was shining in the sky. The aircraft's turbines began to accelerate as the plane took off from the runway, ascending into the sky.
The 12 hours of flight were tiring, but it was worth every second of waiting in order to meet again. Upon arriving in Tokyo, the family took a taxi that took them to the InterContinental hotel. Staying in one of the rooms on the third floor, as soon as they entered the room, the girls ran to take control of the television, fascinated by the cartoon bar that they broadcast.
"I'm going to meet the writer, I'll come back at night to take you to dinner. Have fun but don't get too far from here" - Albert kissed Yoshino's forehead, while the girls hugged the legs of their father who was about to leave .
It had been a long time since she was in Japan, Yoshino was anxious to meet Shizu and for her to see her nieces. So she took her laptop out of the suitcase and connected to the hotel's network to access the internet. She wrote an email to Shizu's address, telling her that they had arrived at the InterContinental hotel an hour ago and that she wanted to see her with all her strength.
It only took a few minutes for her to get a reply from a seemingly excited Shizu asking her not to leave the hotel. That she would go looking for her so that her father would not find out about her.
After a few hours when the clock struck 6 in the afternoon, someone knocked on the door of the room. Yoshino, visibly excited, walked with slight leaps of pleasure, hoping to be able to hug her sister as soon as she opened the door. But that happiness vanished in one fell swoop, like the bursting of a balloon that is touched by the spikes of a cactus.
"Hello Yoshino, how long have you not seen us. Won't you say hello to me?" - Three men in suits and ties who looked around the corridor, escorted a demon that poor Yoshino thought she had buried long ago. Hiroki smiled with malevolent joy as she fixed her gaze on the terrified woman's eyes, who tried to hold back her screams as she glanced at her daughters sleeping on the bed in the room.
"Oh I see you didn't waste your time little naughty, you know I didn't either. Being honest you broke my heart when you ran away, but Shizu filled that void perfectly. You know she suffered a lot with your departure, so much so that two years after we got married she fell in a coma from depression "- It couldn't be true, what his ears were hearing he didn't want to be true. But the reality was that Shizu sacrificed himself for her sister and her father in order to keep the Yamaguchi clan alive. Her beloved Shizu of hers lay in a hospital bed without any conscience, so it was impossible for him to have communicated with her.
Through deception Hiroki had managed to attract Yoshino like a moth to the fire, who within her thoughts was trying to control herself with the idea that soon Albert would come to defend her and hers, her daughters.
"You know when I found out that you were coming with your husband and daughters I felt obliged to bring you some welcome presents, I hope you don't mind" - With a snap of fingers, the men who accompanied Hiroki entered the room with fine dolls, stuffed animals and treats for girls. Hearing the noise, Yukino got up a little drowsy and watched that scene, but her innocent eyes could not take her eyes off that man who was so close to her mother, who, upon gazing at her saddened face, asked a question: "Mommy, Why are you crying? Did that man hurt you?
"No, Yukino. I am holding back the tears of happiness to meet your uncle Hiroki. He is the husband of your aunt Shizu" - Biting her lip to control her anger, Yoshino had deliberately lied to her little daughter trying to handle the situation .
"Hey, what a beautiful young lady I am seeing here, she is incredibly identical to Shizu" - Getting on his knees with a hypocritical smile, Hiroki strokes Yukino's head as if it were a small animal. - "Your mother contacted us and told us that they would come and I was very enthusiastic about it. Can't you see my happy face? Even look, I have brought you and your sister gifts"
While wagging a teddy bear, Yukino was captivated by that gift as Joana got up and looked at the gifts with enthusiasm.
"Wow, she looks very western Yoshino" - Looking at her from the corner of her eye, she could appreciate the abundant curly golden hair and beautiful green eyes. Yoshino was terrified when he noticed Hiroki's expression, like that of a wolf that has found new prey to devour. "
"Hiroki! Please I think it's time for you to leave" - A temperamental Yoshino clenched her fists as her anger grew, like that of any mother who sees the purity of her daughter threatened.
A ring fell to the floor from Hiroki's hand, a thick gold ring making a thin sound as it hit the tile of the room. Yoshino was shocked to see that jewel, since it was Albert's wedding band. How come he has Albert's ring? Where is my husband? The questions accumulated in her thoughts until she almost lost consciousness, when her trance broke when she heard Hiroki's voice.
"I ran into Albert on the way here, his car broke down and he kindly offered to tow his car to a garage. He asked me to take you and the girls to Grandpa Hayate, who would be meeting soon for a family dinner." - The malicious look of that man revealed that Albert's life was in his hands, and subtly when he dropped the ring he told Yoshino to obey him in everything if he wanted to see him again.
Almost lifeless in her body, the poor woman lowered her gaze, surrendering to what was happening. The bodyguards took the girls and carried them with them. Joana became rebellious in the face of the situation, kicking trying to get loose and yelling at her mother for her help, to the point that she exasperated Hiroki so much that she gave the order to knock her out with her gaze.
"Noooo, Hiroki please don't hurt them. I'll do what you ask" - On her knees holding the bag, Yoshino cried anguished pleading for her daughters. That caused enormous satisfaction to the fearsome mobster, who with his classic smile full of evil turned to look at his men giving the order to take them away without hurting them more.
The room was left empty, save for Hiroki and Yoshino. The hotel service had been threatened so that it would not intervene in anything that was happening. The help would come from nowhere, that was the message that could be felt in the environment.
Hiroki violently grabbed Yoshino and threw her on her bed, while she unbuttoned her shirt and removed her tie, stuck her tongue out of her like a snake pouncing on her victim. He proceeded to rip her blouse and bra from her, following her skirt until he ripped her stockings apart. She was like a hungry lion skinning her prey, a vulnerable woman in a panic to protect the lives of her daughters.
After a few hours it was all over, Hiroki had completed his most heinous crime after 10 years. An enlarged coward, sitting on the side of the bed, stood up as he threw the wedding band at Yoshino's face.
Yoshino was completely empty, she did not show any reaction to what was happening around her. That man took out a pistol with a shot in the chamber from his jacket, looking into his eyes.
"There is only one shot in that gun, your daughters are at my mercy. If I don't get in the limousine, my men have precise instructions to kill them. And like one last cherry on the cake I will tell you a secret between you and me: Albert I have left this world for several hours. "
A crystal broke inside Yoshino, his entire world, his balance had fallen into a bottomless abyss. Her eyes focused on that gun with a sick feeling of desolation, as Hiroki walked to the door of the room.
Behind him, the door slammed shut. Preceded by the sound of the explosion of gunpowder and a body falling to the ground. A dark room, the body of a woman thrown on the carpet in the room, staring into space. Bathed in moonlight, resembling a yurei.
Down the stairs, a triumphant villain lights a cigarette while he hangs his jacket to one side. While a dense fog begins to cover the image that until a few moments ago was clearly visible.
"Yuki, yuki. Please wake up Yuki, don't do this to me, I beg you" - When he opened his eyes, the scene was the white walls of a hospital room, the insistent voice that called him was an anguished Lucero who was hugging joyfully Yukino's body.
"You were unconscious for 3 weeks, it has been difficult to be here taking care of you in my state you know" - Upon closer inspection, Yuki realizes that Lucero also wears a hospital gown and walks leaning on the IV support.
Now she remembered everything clearly, she had fought with Hanabi in the abandoned building just as the supporting walls were defeated dropping the structure on Lucero and her. From the injuries they had, it appeared that the channeling stuffed animal had served as a force field to contain the building's charge. Otherwise they would have been dead when found in the rubble.
"Lucero, thank you for taking care of me." - With a warm smile Yuki thanked Lucero from the bottom of her heart, who puffed up her cheeks while she cried with happiness. Which was a bit strange to Yuki since she had started on her left foot from the hall of reminiscence.
What I did not know about her is that the moment Lucero came crawling to her, Yuki's body instinctively reacted to her by hugging her to protect her from a ceiling fragment that was about to hit her head. Giving him enough time to summon the force field to protect them both.
"We have been locked in here for a long time doing nothing. We must prepare ourselves, Lucero cannot afford to rest." - Trying to get up and remove the serum, a doctor enters at that moment who energetically stops her.
"Are you stupid girls in a bad way !? For playing in that building, they almost lost their lives, don't even think about doing crazy things in this hospital" - Visibly angry, the doctor looked disapprovingly at both girls as he settled in glasses and tie.
"Doctor, if you know the surname Yamaguchi you will know what to do and what not to do when a member of the most powerful clan in Japan decides to leave a hospital" - With a hostile and defiant tone, Yuki challenges the doctor like a hitman from Mafia. To which the doctor begins to sweat cold when contemplating those blue eyes with penetrating gaze, as if they wanted to stab him and take his life from her.
At that moment the sound of the knocking of the door of the room cuts the tense moment and a voice is heard from the threshold - "Oh, but what do we have here. Has the little stray kitten pulled out her claws? You even sound like a member of high rank in the family "
Hiro, the uncomfortable cousin appeared at the door of the room with a bouquet of red roses. Yuki squeezes her hands as she tries to stay calm in the face of that ruffian. Which cynically smiles at her, bringing to mind the memory of that smile in the hotel room when Yukino was 2 years old.
"Doctor, leave the room. My cousin and I have a long family talk that you shouldn't listen to unless you want to end up in Tokyo Bay" - In a panic, the doctor leaves the room without saying a single word. As Hiro's men close the door he barely leaves the room.
Hiro calmly sat on Yuki's bed and looked at her defiantly. That conversation would weigh heavily on everything to come.