Categories > Celebrities > Glay > ...As a Sign of My Love...
…As a Sign of My Love…
Shiira Megumi
Epilogue
Hisashi's black car blended into the ungodly hour of the morning as it came to a tentative halt in front of his mansion's gate. Without bothering to turn the engine off, he looked at his mobile phone expectantly. The gadget didn't disappoint him when it rang a few seconds later. "Yoshi…"
"Glad to know you got home safe and sound," Jiro said from the other end.
"How can I not get home safe?" Casually, Hisashi glanced at his rearview mirror to check the vehicle that had temporarily parked behind his. "I have an angel." The guitarist smiled at Jiro through the mirror, though he knew the recipient wouldn't get to see it. "Be careful when you drive home."
"I'm always careful."
"I know. I'm just checking." Hisashi's gaze fell from absently studying the interiors of his car to the gold band on his hand. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too, Sashi." There was the tone of Jiro trying to cheer both of them up. "But we'll see each other at practice later this afternoon, won't we?"
"It's not the same."
"I know. It's better than nothing."
"I know." It was Hisashi's turn to brighten up. "At least we'll start the national tour next month. It'll give us time off to be with each other."
"Let's find a way to get together again next week."
"Yeah. Let's."
"I'm sorry, Sashi," came Jiro's apology after what sounded like a heavy sigh. "I wish I could give you more."
"I'm not asking nor complaining, Yoshi. As long as I have your love and you have mine, that's enough for me to get by."
"I feel the same way." After another audible intake of air—this time of hope—Jiro spoke again, "When the right time comes, Sashi, we'll be together…and we won't even have to hide."
"I know, Yoshi…I know."
"You better go in and start living your lie, Sashi," Jiro said with what sounded like a sniff, creating in Hisashi's mind the image of Jiro's Adam's apple bobbing up and down in that slender neck as though trying to contain himself.
"Yeah…since you also have to go back to your own lie." Hisashi bit his lip, trying to control breaking down. "I love you, Yoshi."
"I love you, Sashi."
From the rearview mirror, Hisashi watched as Jiro put down his phone, flashed him the headlights twice and drive off. The guitarist hoped that Jiro saw his acknowledgement of blinking his lights as well. At the very least, he was certain Jiro never saw the bead of tear that fell from his eye before he parked in his garage.
The clock in the foyer registered at a few minutes past two in the morning when Hisashi had entered quietly. With light steps and a heavy heart, Hisashi forced himself to climb up the stairs and walk down the hallway leading to the bedrooms.
He didn't proceed to the master's suite just yet as he stopped in front of a mahogany door and gently pushed it open. From the entryway, he smiled as he saw his twins sleeping, unaware that their father was eyeing them. Hisashi vetoed the thought of approaching them to give them both a gentle fatherly goodnight kiss. After all, with the way they hugged their pillows snugly to themselves—one a blue guitar-shaped pillow, the other a yellow bass-shaped pillow—Hisashi knew they didn’t need to be disturbed.
Instinctively, Hisashi touched the wallet in one of his back pockets, recalling the personal item he had in there. No one would ever suspect that behind the picture of what appeared to be a happy family—Hisashi, Izumi, and the twins—was something Hisashi considered even more precious: that of Jiro, Hisashi and the twins. Sighing, Hisashi closed the door to the children’s room ever so carefully to rest his tired body into the comfort of the master suite.
Izumi was already asleep by the time Hisashi entered the room. Glad that there had been no indication of her waking up, Hisashi settled his bag, as he had already left his guitars in the car, into the reading chair. He checked his phone one last time, feeling giddy at the message indicator.
It was from Jiro. 'Just got back into my house safely. Thank you for spending time with me. Happy anniversary! I love you.'
Hisashi didn't respond. He knew he didn't need to. With a bit of regret, he deleted the new message. He didn't want to, but he knew he had to.
After rendering the phone silent and placing it back in his bag, he made his way towards the bathroom for a quick shower, though he hated it. He didn't want to wash away the scent that was Jiro's off his body, but he couldn't risk it either. As he laved the suds over his being, he comforted himself with the idea that he would always have Jiro with him. After all, they can always be together for Glay.
Fifteen minutes later, Hisashi, clothed in a white shirt and a pair of shorts, slipped under the quilt, joining his wife on their bed.
Sensing the shift in the mattress, Izumi woke up and looked back to see her husband. "You're back."
"Yeah." Hisashi planted a tender kiss on Izumi's forehead and felt her hand tugging at his arm, wrapping around her.
"How was your day?" drowsily, she asked, stroking her husband's arm.
"It was…" He couldn't expunge the image of Jiro in his mind. "…great." It had been easy for Hisashi to say. It was the truth.
"Hmm…that's nice." Izumi stopped her ministrations on his arm when her hand came into contact with Hisashi's. "Hey, you found your ring back."
"Yeah. I thought I had lost it."
"Well, don't lose it again." Izumi never saw how Hisashi bit his lip, as if controlling. Instead, she released Hisashi's hand and returned to her smoothing of his arm. Her eyelids swooped down close to go back to her interrupted slumber. "That gold band isn't just any fashion accessory, you know. It's a symbol of the love shared between the two people who wear it."
Jiro was the only thing in his mind. "I know," he muttered, half-wincing at the thought that his wife had no clue where the ring was from and that she may never find out.
"Never forget that."
"I won't," he promised.
Izumi had easily gone back to her sleep. Hisashi, on the other hand, pondered on what she'd said then found himself agreeing. He stared at the ring on his hand once more, thinking of the one who held the other half of what he wore. The words engraved on the inside of their rings—Jiro's and Hisashi's—ran over and over in his head until he drifted into peaceful oblivion beside her…but thinking of him.
After all, he had his ring.
As a sign of my love…
Shiira Megumi
Epilogue
Hisashi's black car blended into the ungodly hour of the morning as it came to a tentative halt in front of his mansion's gate. Without bothering to turn the engine off, he looked at his mobile phone expectantly. The gadget didn't disappoint him when it rang a few seconds later. "Yoshi…"
"Glad to know you got home safe and sound," Jiro said from the other end.
"How can I not get home safe?" Casually, Hisashi glanced at his rearview mirror to check the vehicle that had temporarily parked behind his. "I have an angel." The guitarist smiled at Jiro through the mirror, though he knew the recipient wouldn't get to see it. "Be careful when you drive home."
"I'm always careful."
"I know. I'm just checking." Hisashi's gaze fell from absently studying the interiors of his car to the gold band on his hand. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too, Sashi." There was the tone of Jiro trying to cheer both of them up. "But we'll see each other at practice later this afternoon, won't we?"
"It's not the same."
"I know. It's better than nothing."
"I know." It was Hisashi's turn to brighten up. "At least we'll start the national tour next month. It'll give us time off to be with each other."
"Let's find a way to get together again next week."
"Yeah. Let's."
"I'm sorry, Sashi," came Jiro's apology after what sounded like a heavy sigh. "I wish I could give you more."
"I'm not asking nor complaining, Yoshi. As long as I have your love and you have mine, that's enough for me to get by."
"I feel the same way." After another audible intake of air—this time of hope—Jiro spoke again, "When the right time comes, Sashi, we'll be together…and we won't even have to hide."
"I know, Yoshi…I know."
"You better go in and start living your lie, Sashi," Jiro said with what sounded like a sniff, creating in Hisashi's mind the image of Jiro's Adam's apple bobbing up and down in that slender neck as though trying to contain himself.
"Yeah…since you also have to go back to your own lie." Hisashi bit his lip, trying to control breaking down. "I love you, Yoshi."
"I love you, Sashi."
From the rearview mirror, Hisashi watched as Jiro put down his phone, flashed him the headlights twice and drive off. The guitarist hoped that Jiro saw his acknowledgement of blinking his lights as well. At the very least, he was certain Jiro never saw the bead of tear that fell from his eye before he parked in his garage.
The clock in the foyer registered at a few minutes past two in the morning when Hisashi had entered quietly. With light steps and a heavy heart, Hisashi forced himself to climb up the stairs and walk down the hallway leading to the bedrooms.
He didn't proceed to the master's suite just yet as he stopped in front of a mahogany door and gently pushed it open. From the entryway, he smiled as he saw his twins sleeping, unaware that their father was eyeing them. Hisashi vetoed the thought of approaching them to give them both a gentle fatherly goodnight kiss. After all, with the way they hugged their pillows snugly to themselves—one a blue guitar-shaped pillow, the other a yellow bass-shaped pillow—Hisashi knew they didn’t need to be disturbed.
Instinctively, Hisashi touched the wallet in one of his back pockets, recalling the personal item he had in there. No one would ever suspect that behind the picture of what appeared to be a happy family—Hisashi, Izumi, and the twins—was something Hisashi considered even more precious: that of Jiro, Hisashi and the twins. Sighing, Hisashi closed the door to the children’s room ever so carefully to rest his tired body into the comfort of the master suite.
Izumi was already asleep by the time Hisashi entered the room. Glad that there had been no indication of her waking up, Hisashi settled his bag, as he had already left his guitars in the car, into the reading chair. He checked his phone one last time, feeling giddy at the message indicator.
It was from Jiro. 'Just got back into my house safely. Thank you for spending time with me. Happy anniversary! I love you.'
Hisashi didn't respond. He knew he didn't need to. With a bit of regret, he deleted the new message. He didn't want to, but he knew he had to.
After rendering the phone silent and placing it back in his bag, he made his way towards the bathroom for a quick shower, though he hated it. He didn't want to wash away the scent that was Jiro's off his body, but he couldn't risk it either. As he laved the suds over his being, he comforted himself with the idea that he would always have Jiro with him. After all, they can always be together for Glay.
Fifteen minutes later, Hisashi, clothed in a white shirt and a pair of shorts, slipped under the quilt, joining his wife on their bed.
Sensing the shift in the mattress, Izumi woke up and looked back to see her husband. "You're back."
"Yeah." Hisashi planted a tender kiss on Izumi's forehead and felt her hand tugging at his arm, wrapping around her.
"How was your day?" drowsily, she asked, stroking her husband's arm.
"It was…" He couldn't expunge the image of Jiro in his mind. "…great." It had been easy for Hisashi to say. It was the truth.
"Hmm…that's nice." Izumi stopped her ministrations on his arm when her hand came into contact with Hisashi's. "Hey, you found your ring back."
"Yeah. I thought I had lost it."
"Well, don't lose it again." Izumi never saw how Hisashi bit his lip, as if controlling. Instead, she released Hisashi's hand and returned to her smoothing of his arm. Her eyelids swooped down close to go back to her interrupted slumber. "That gold band isn't just any fashion accessory, you know. It's a symbol of the love shared between the two people who wear it."
Jiro was the only thing in his mind. "I know," he muttered, half-wincing at the thought that his wife had no clue where the ring was from and that she may never find out.
"Never forget that."
"I won't," he promised.
Izumi had easily gone back to her sleep. Hisashi, on the other hand, pondered on what she'd said then found himself agreeing. He stared at the ring on his hand once more, thinking of the one who held the other half of what he wore. The words engraved on the inside of their rings—Jiro's and Hisashi's—ran over and over in his head until he drifted into peaceful oblivion beside her…but thinking of him.
After all, he had his ring.
As a sign of my love…
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