Chasing Fixed Love [Complete]

Chapter 12

After the show had ended, it was almost midnight and she was happy that she was finally free to do anything that she wanted to do.

“Otsukare-sama deshita (Thank you for your hardwork).” Reinne bowed her head to the staff members who were still helping to pack up. The show was a success but she felt unpleasant. It was due to Nino’s sudden confession during the show. She didn’t want to answer him right away but also she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. She hardly knew him and she knew that he is in the same group with Sho.

She was distraught, confused and a bit angry with herself for still not making Sho fall in love with her yet.

After Sumi had dropped Reinne off at her condo complex, she decided to take a little walk around her neighborhood. She was bored and didn’t feel like staying inside by herself. It would be too lonely to know that she was going to spend Christmas alone in her huge condo.

Reinne strolled until she found a small playground. There was a slide; bars that kids would try to spin themselves on, swings and even a small seesaw. Reinne made a small smile and sat on one of the swings. She started to push herself and quickly remembered a few memories that she had spent with Sho at the playground whenever they hung out together.

As she remembered, she couldn’t help but to smile.

“Are you free this Sunday?” “I’m asking you on a date.”

Just when Reinne started to forget about Nino’s sudden confession, she started to remember. She let out a heavy sigh. She wished that she could just confess to Sho before she started to give out the wrong messages to Nino.

“So what about my answer?” Reinne heard a familiar voice. It sounded like Nino’s and she couldn’t believe herself that she was hearing his voice again. Reinne quickly shook her head and as she sighed, muttered. “Why do I keep hearing his voice? Why can’t I stop thinking about him?”

“Because I’m right here.” She slowly looked up and widened her eyes as she turned around to see Nino standing behind her with a huge grin. She gasped loudly to herself and turned her head back, before she started to smack her cheeks with her hands. “I must be dreaming. I must have gotten a cold for staying out for too long.” She told herself and started to smack her cheeks harder.

Suddenly Nino walked up in front of her and grabbed her hands to stop her from hurting herself. “I’m really here. You’re not dreaming.” Nino whispered to her and started to chuckle.

Reinne slowly lowered her hands and blinked her eyes at him. She was dumbfounded with seeing Nino in front of her. She didn’t know what to say and many thoughts were running through her head.

“How did you..” Reinne began to trail off and Nino smirked, as he knew the answer to her uncompleted question. “I asked your personal assistant for your address. She was really happy to give me your address so easily.” Nino smiled and sat down on the other swing beside hers.

Reinne bit her lower lip and made a note to herself to force Sumi not to hand out her address so easily to people. “So.. Why did you want to see me? It’s Christmas, shouldn’t you be spending some time with your family?” She asked with a curious and irritated look.

Nino chuckled and started to swing himself. “My family members are not at home. My okaasan is probably in Kyoto for her workplace Christmas party and my sister is somewhere in Europe on vacation.. So I’m spending Christmas alone this year.” Nino lowered his head and kept swinging himself.

Reinne slowly looked at him with weary eyes. She understood how he felt. She too, was in the same situation.

She started to pity Nino because no one wants to be alone for Christmas. Christmas is a time for family, friends and even romance. At least most people have someone to spend Christmas with but it was different for these two.

Reinne slowly got up from the swings and walked a few steps away. She bent down and started to play with the fresh snow on the ground. “You know every year I spend Christmas alone because my parents are constantly busy with their jobs. So sometimes I would do is go outside and play in the snow. Then I figured out that if I make a snowman, I would probably be able to find a person to spend Christmas with.” Reinne said and made a small smile.

With her bare hands, she started to make three snowballs of different of sizes: small, medium and large. Nino slowly looked up and noticed Reinne making a snowman. He walked towards her and decided to make a snowman as well. “My okaasan used to tell me a story of how if you make a snowman on Christmas and you happen to see a shooting star, the person you are thinking about, will show up right in front of you.” Reinne giggled and got up to find some branches and rocks.

“Do you believe in that?” Nino asked curiously and he was placing his snowballs on top of each other. Reinne glanced at him and smiled before she found a stick and walked back to her snowman.

“I did. But..” Reinne trailed off and frowned as she stuck on the rocks and sticks to finish her snowman. Nino looked at her and noticed her sudden change of expression. “But when I was younger, I happened to see a shooting star after I finished making my snowman but my wish never came true. Instead of my parents coming to visit me on Christmas Eve, they called me and wished me a Merry Christmas. I was a bit happy that my parents contacted me but that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to see them. Give them hugs and see their smiles on their faces.” Reinne sighed quietly to herself and completed her snowman.

“Are you thinking about your parents right now?” Nino asked with a raised eyebrow. Reinne chuckled and then she turned her head towards Nino. “You’re really curious about me, aren’t you?” Nino smiled and nodded his head to her.

“Hmm.. When I was younger I would make that kind of wish but now since I’m almost 30 years old, I understand now that my parents’ jobs are a part of their lives. I won’t tell you who I’m thinking about right now or my wish will be invalid.” Reinne joked and slowly looked up at the sky.

Nino chuckled under his breath and started to stare at the sky as well.

All of sudden, a shooting star happened to pass by and both Reinne and Nino widened their eyes. Reinne had wished her wish could come true and that person she really wanted to see would pick her up off her feet at that moment.

Meanwhile, Nino’s wish was already granted because the person he wanted to see the most was her.

~*~

On the other hand, Sho quickly drove towards Reinne’s condo complex because he felt bad that Reinne was going to spend Christmas by herself. So he had told his parents that he was going to bring Reinne back to his house to see his family again. It has been a long time since they last saw each other. As Sho drove towards her complex, he had noticed Reinne in the playground and standing beside a snowman. He smiled but then his smile slowly started to fade into a frown when he noticed Nino beside her.

He parked his car beside the playground and was about to approach them when he heard them talking. He quickly bent down and hid behind a bush.

“Do you know why I’m here, don’t you?” Nino asked and folded his arms. Reinne let out a tired sigh and sadly nodded her head. “I knew that you purposely tried to avoid me after the fashion show.” He said with a big grin and stared at Reinne.

Reinne stared down at the ground and let out another sigh. “What answer are you hoping for? I hardly know you and you’re already asking me out. Isn’t it weird that you’re asking me out, when you only know my name and where I live?”

Sho quickly widened his eyes and gasped but he quickly closed his mouth with his hands so they wouldn’t hear him. He couldn’t believe Nino had asked her out. He had thought that Nino was in love with someone else or she would never be attractive to him.

“Well are you dating anyone right now?” Nino asked curiously with a raised eyebrow. He knew what she was saying was true but he wasn’t going to give up on her just yet.

“Iie (No)..” Reinne muttered and sat down on the swings again. She started to push herself on the swings because she was starting to get nervous. The truth was that she hasn’t dating anyone before. She avoided guys except for Sho. “Are you in love with someone right now?” Nino asked and Reinne quickly looked at him. She wanted to say she was but she wasn’t confident enough in her feelings.

“I..” Reinne trailed off. Both Nino who was waiting for her answer and Sho who was hiding behind the bush, was anticipating her answer.