My Soul Will Find Yours : The Fulfillment of the Promise

My One Great Love

I smiled as the mother and son duo praised my tea-making skills. Their words seemed genuine as their eyes lit up while they continued to take sips from their respective cups.

"These rice crackers are delicious, where did you buy these?" Brandon asked as he grabbed another one.

"It's from a local shop near the ryokan I stayed in," I replied before offering, "Would you like more tea?"

"Although it is very delicious, I think a cup is enough for me right now, thank you," he replied.

"What about you, aunt Susan?" I asked.

"I'm good. Too much caffeine is bad for me," Brandon's mother replied with a hint of sadness. "Gloria, you weren't kidding when you said she can make really good tea."

Mum just smiled happily as a reply. I cleared the table when everyone finished. As I was washing the used cups and saucers, Brandon entered the kitchen.

"So, you live here," he said, his eyes reflected the happiness he was feeling.

"Yeah. And our mothers are good friends, what a small world," I replied while placing the washed china on the drying rack.

"Indeed," he said. "I wish I knew about it earlier, though. We'd have been acquainted for a long time now had I known that our mothers go way back."

Looking at his face that was full of regret, I couldn't help but feel the stirrings of remorse in my heart as well. Maybe, if we met when we were still young, he might not have struggled so much growing up. My presence in his life would have helped ease the confusion he felt. Admittedly, it was a lot for a kid to go through.

I walked towards him and reached out to give him two comforting pats on the shoulder. "Well, this doesn't change the fact that we're acquainted now."

His handsome features softened as he stared at me. Taking a step forward, he reached out to tuck a few strands of my hair behind my left ear. "Yeah. I hope this also means that I can finally see you more without you running away."

I looked away awkwardly. Of course he knew that I was avoiding him. Of course!

"Hinata, I... I really want to get to know you better," Brandon said pleadingly. "I'll even be direct and tell you that I want you to be my girlfriend."

"Brandon..."

"I dreamt of you my entire life. I've searched for you my entire life. Can you blame me if I want you beside me in that way?"

"I can't," I replied, feeling helpless. "But—"

"All I want is a chance. I'm not going to lie, I am hoping that being with you can answer the questions I have in my head."

"Is that the only reason?" I looked up to ask. "If it is, we don't have to be in a relationship for that."

"Of course not! I believe that all my previous relationships didn't work out because I can only love you."

Only love me? I stared at him incredulously. "Brandon, I'm sorry but I'm in love with someone else," I told him, thinking that it would be better for me to be honest with him as early as now before he gets his hopes even higher. "In fact, I love him so much I don't think I'll ever love someone else ever again. He is my one great love and no one can replace him."

"But you said you're just friends with Atty. Arroyo," he countered, his brows knitted in perplexity. In a blink of an eye, his features relaxed. "Oh... Oh, I get it! It's an unrequited love.."

"Charles and I are only friends. My heart belongs to someone else," I explained.

"And where is this guy?"

"He's in Japan," I replied. Although he's been dead for hundreds of years now.

"He's the reason you were crying in the plane," Brandon said, his tone sounded like he was stating a fact and not an assumption.

"That is correct," I didn't deny it.

"Does he love you as well?" he probed.

"He does. We love each other very much," I said softly as I remembered the first time Kaname told me he loved me.

"But why aren't you together?" the man before me countered.

His tone was neither mocking nor derisive but it made my blood boil for some reason. "There are things that people who haven't seen what we've been through will never understand."

"Really? But if what you're saying is true, why are you miles apart?"

I told him coldly, "It's not like we want to be apart. However, our situation is complex."

"But you love each other very much, don't you? Shouldn't you be together and making your lives the happiest it could be then?"

Now I was totally livid. Through gritted teeth, I asked, "Are you discrediting our love?"

"Easy. I didn't mean to sound rude."

"You didn't mean to?" I barked a sarcastic laugh. "Before you comment and question my relationship, make sure you know every single detail of it first!" I was fuming. How dare he question my and Kaname's love for each other!

"Hinata, I'm sorry. That was very insensitive of me," he reached out to hold my arm but I brushed him off.

"No one can ever replace him," I told him tersely, my hands balled into fists on my sides. "People may try but they will all fail!"

"You're shutting people out for someone you can't be with?" he looked surprised. "He might be a very accomplished man but from what you said, you can't be with him. Aren't you being unfair to yourself?"

I chuckled. "Look who's talking. If I know, your relationships failed not because you couldn't love your exes. They all failed because you never tried to love them!"

"Hey!"

Seeing the anger that flashed in his eyes, I smirked. "We're the same, Brandon. We're hung up on a person we can't be with! I may look like that woman in your dreams but I'm absolutely certain I'm not her!"

"How can you be so sure? What if you were her in your previous life?"

"So you're saying we were lovers in our previous lives, is that it?" as soon as I finished my sentence, I froze.

"To be honest? Yes, I'm saying that you and I were lovers. I believe that there was a time when our worlds revolved on each other, Hinata!" Brandon declared with a certainty that was difficult to refute.

"I-impossible," I whispered, my voice shaking.

My soul will find yours, Hina. I swear we will have our chance to make all our promises a reality together!

Kaname's vow before I vanished before him and our children echoed in my head.