The Beginning of an End

Year 2018 in Tokyo, Japan

As of 10:30 p.m.

Unveiling himself beneath the mantle of night, a young man with eyes that mirror mine emerged, soaking up the icy rain. I gave him a sidelong glance, but he remained silent.

Silence shouted its way as he simply stared at me the entire time.

Even though I kept rocking back and forth and hugging my knees like a child, my eyes never left him.

Every beat and drop of water hitting the ground echoed across the air as if my cup had been overflowing and the glasses through which my prismatic future had been viewed had finally sustained damage.

That night, lightning bolted past us and thunder roared, but we remained motionless, as if we had already accepted this broken world.

The reason is that it seems as though we had an identical experience. In the blink of an eye, two broken souls slipped away.

About a week ago

"Rise and shine, my dear, lovely girlfriend!" His silky voice was one I was familiar with, and the sound of it always made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. After a brief moment of sitting on my bed and wiping my eyes, I felt a gentle wetness on my left cheek.

"That's a good morning kiss," he said with a smile, but I couldn't help but look riveted in his apartment's enormous mirror.

I still couldn't get used to his unexpected kisses, even after we stayed together for over five years.

The corners of my mouth wouldn't droop even as I groaned. Not when he's being cute or acts like a complete moron to me.

"Oh and don't forget, I have my press conference for today from the movie I have with the——"

"You and your co-star? Am I looking at Sophia Deim?"

"Yes, but she's not the only one who worked hard, right, Jas?"

"I know but I don't think my boss will consider me for early dismissal, you know—"

"Oh, I knew that face well; you're jealous, aren't you?" I caught a glimpse of his charming dimples as he winked at me.

I held on to the blanket as closely as I could.

I mean, come on, my partner is a famous and hot celebrity; who wouldn't be envious?

His attractiveness would make any woman drool.

When exposed to sunlight, his naturally golden blond hair would seem like little flames. His fiery golden eyes, sharp as a needle, complement his already razor-sharp nose and crimson lips—so thin and delicate that they brought back the intense heat and passion of last night.

"Lucas, I am not envious. I reasoned that my employer probably wouldn't let me because I was severely penalized when I sneaked out of the office last time."

His weeping eyes told me he was pouting, but all I could do was sigh.

"All right, if my dear girlfriend says so, but I just wanted to remind you that I have a very big surprise for you on our anniversary..."

Looking in the mirror revealed the pinkish bite marks he left on me last night and a wave of warmth washed over me.

His brows were furrowing as I turned to face him again.

"You pervert!!!"

I wanted to smash his mischievous face, but he caught the pillow in time. He then chuckled and proceeded to shower, leaving me to playfully stroke my neck.

"I guess a turtleneck would do..."

Lucas clung to my hand the whole way through the drive as if he were terrified that I would release my grip on him. Silently, I grinned.

He insisted on kissing me every time he dropped me off at work. I would kiss him on the cheeks, but he would turn around and kiss me on the lips.

I used to only react to his passionate kisses when I grew accustomed to his sudden slaps on the cheeks.

Given his confidence in his disguise—a painter's hat, an eyeglass, and a fake mustache—he occasionally becomes cheeky, even in public areas.

As I forged ahead of the group, his final words were, "Be careful," and then he got in his car and drove off.

I stepped into the elevator after taking a deep breath.

The entrance of a young man in a suit caught me off guard; he had perfectly coiffed raven hair, icy blue eyes, a pointed nose, and lips that were both dry and radiant—the kind that could entice a lady.

Just as he was about to poke a finger at it, he paused and stepped aside, and I felt a strong need to retreat. With one hand, he slipped it into his pocket and the other into his little folder bag.

Coming from the tenth floor, where I work in the sales and marketing department, I can only assume that he's also on the same floor.

There was complete stillness, and it persisted. If I could catch a glance at this young man's outline, I might fall in love with him much like my partner.

On the other hand, there are notable differences; upon seeing him enter the lift, I could have drawn comparisons to Lucas, concluding that he was unkind. To illustrate my point, if Lucas were a brilliant sun, full of life and energy, this young man would be the soothing moon, cool and collected, though his quietness could be unsettling.

As the lift door swung open with a tingling sound, I watched as he strode away, leaving me gasping for air and carrying the familiar aroma of Lucas with me.

I started to get moving too, shaking my head, because there were other individuals who had to get to their floors too.

"Good morning, Jassy!"

"Good morning, Dhalia."

"Well, it's such a good morning to see you, Jasmine, babe."

"Oh, you're such a flirt, Roman."

"What? What?! Just so you know, Jasmine baby, I'm gay. You just aren't my type."

"Roman, that's something that everyone knows," Dhalia said while laughing and rolling her eyes. After doing the same, I made my way to my desk, set my belongings down, and was about to go get coffee first thing in the morning as Lucas had forgotten to make me one when Dhallia suddenly reached out and took my hand.

For the sake of her whisper, she compelled me to stoop. As the leader of the rumor mill, Roman dutifully followed suit.

"What is it this time, gurl?" With an arched eyebrow, Roman inquired.

"Excuse me," Dhalia emitted. Despite our contrasts in personality, Roman and I noticed one thing when we looked at each other: our attraction to gossip.

Whenever Dhalia used this tone of voice, we would both arch our eyebrows, focus our pupils, and stare at her as if she were our current target.

"Say it, gurl..."

"Don't keep us waiting, Dhalia..."

While Roman and I were at work, we overheard Dhalia sighing and putting her hand on our backs to keep us from being seen conversing.

"I should be careful not to tell you two because you would probably spill the beans, but I simply cannot keep secrets from myself," she said, pausing to examine us intently.

"The director of our sales and marketing department has retired."

"Wha——hmpf?"

"Roman, would you please be quiet? Would you kindly listen to me? It turns out that I am the real queen bee of gossip, and here I thought you were the queen bee."

"Hmmpff-hmpf-hmmm" The woman we refer to as a wrestler kept her palm over Roman's lips as he struggled to stay alive.

I could only let out a sigh as I beheld Roman's begging gaze.

"I think you better let him go for now, Dhalia, and I can assure you, Roman will behave this time."

"That didn't go well when I said some rumors the last time, and you knew what happened with Fatima because of his shock..."

"That would never happen, as long as you promise, right, Roman?" He nodded with two wagging eyebrows, which Dhalia and I observed.

He finally started breathing normally after a few more seconds, and I was relieved that nobody seemed to notice Roman's antics—at least, no one seemed to be paying attention to our area—because everyone was too preoccupied with typing to notice.

"So what is this that you're trying to say again, Dhalia?"

Before she narrowed her eyes, we could hear her cough briefly.

"The director will be replaced immediately this day, and based on the talks I've heard earlier, and trust me, I didn't intend to eavesdrop on the executives; it so happened that the door was open when I walked by," Dhalia defended herself with her hands.

With our gazes focused, Roman and I locked into her.

"It seemed that our new director would be young, and you knew it when I said young—a handsome man who came from the prestigious number one university here in Tokyo!"

"Shh!" Since Dhalia is about to enter dreamland, we signaled for her to do so. She is the kind of person who would run her mouth whenever there was gossip, but I knew her well from when I first started working here a year ago, when I wasn't yet a fully permanent employee. She is also the kind of person who would help out a stranger without expecting anything in return.

I initially thought of her as a friend after she volunteered to let me stay in her flat after Lucas and I had an argument. That night, I spilled my guts to her, and she remained silent the whole time. At a time when I felt alone, she listened attentively, as if we were family.

"Hold on a second, did you manage to notice a different man walk into this office before this one? I just did, and the lift you were in was with the other of you—"

I whispered to Roman, "Shh, you're attracting eyes," and he remained silent, but his curiosity was palpable.

All I could think was that he was a new employee. My loyalty to my boyfriend, Roman, comes first, so I was surprised he was named director.

"Having said that, I have heard from an inside source that your lover is getting too cozy with his new co-star—what was her name again? Excuse me, Dhalia, were you aware of this? I hate to ignore it..." After asking Dhalia, Roman shook his head and turned back to me, clearly still confused.

"However, I am actually unsure. I suppose that wasn't true, then?"

"Yes, Roman, that was just a publicity stunt since he even said that he had a very big surprise for me on our anniversary."

"Wait, you did not——"

Both of their eyes widened as his hands landed on my turtleneck.

"It's clear now. May I inquire about the date, please?" Returning to his workstation, Roman said playfully.

After that, Dhalia laughed and widened her eyes.

"Also, don't forget to invite me..."

Lucas still hasn't proposed to me, so I take it to mean marriage. Maybe he's referring to the surprise. Already, I'm getting anxious.

Time flew quickly as I put in extra hours on the reports and other paperwork, catching a glimpse of Lucas's lovely kiss with his co-star every time I returned to my apartment—a sight that gave me the willies.

"No matter what I do, don't get jealous, as they are only a publicity stunt." His calming words would float into my head, relieving my headache.

Before I took my medication, I went to hang my shoes on the hook and get a pitcher of water.

On November 10, the day he proposed and I agreed, I glanced at the calendar resting on the coffee table and saw the date circled.

I still vividly remember that, and every time I think about it, a warm sensation spreads across my belly.

Only tomorrow remains.

Presently

When: 10:00 p.m.

After a long day at work, I waited for Lucas's surprise since he never said when it would be. However, as he appeared to be occupied, I was chosen to surprise him instead.

I put on a flowery one, brushed my teeth, and ran my fingers through my hair. I was going for a bun, but with this weather, I think it would look better down. Carrying a cake, I snatched my jacket and proceeded.

Because his flat is so close to mine, I was able to make it there in about twenty minutes. I noticed that his door was slightly ajar just as I was going to rap on it. I went inside and noticed two pairs of shoes, though I didn't understand why.

A man's and a woman's pair of unkempt red sandals resting on the floor.

Every step I took felt like my world was collapsing, and my pulse kept pounding—until I heard this sound.

Those passionate kissing sounds

As I witnessed Lucas passionately kissing and embracing his co-star, Sohpia Deim, my entire world came crashing down. Meanwhile, the young woman embraced my partner, wrapping her legs and arms around him.

I was paralyzed.

Instead, coldness gripped me.

"So, how about your fiancée? That day, didn't you mention that it's your anniversary?"

"I don't know more about her anymore; I felt like I didn't feel the same way I felt about her..."

"Then kiss me now if you love me."

Again, they kissed.

Although I was unable to hear the sound, I am unsure whether they did. Without any means of defense, I was unable to mount a resistance.

Sophia Deim embodies the ideal woman—she hails from an affluent family, has countless admirers, and lives the life I always imagined for myself.

On the other hand, I am an orphan who had to rely on myself to get where I am now working for this organization.

I couldn't bring myself to slap her when I knew I would be wrong.

I checked my watch and saw that only ten minutes had gone by, but the weather appeared to share my feelings; it felt like a lifetime in this frigid hell.

The agony made breathing impossible, which was shattering the future I had imagined with Lucas.

At the very moment that I considered ending my life, a man—no, a young man—appeared before me, bearing a striking resemblance to my own appearance.

Our only means of communication became complete stillness as the night engulfed me.

"I'm sorry for what she did to you..."

To what end is he feeling sorry for her?