Chapter 010: Confrontation with Ema

The moment i found the letter from my mother, a lot of questions came to my mind.

She didn't visit my grandparents for a lot of time, you can almost say entire months, i guess.

"Why did she go there without telling me?"

I asked to myself.

My mind was full of questions.

Lot of things happened during the day, and i was really stressed and tired.

I grabbed some water to drink it, and then i headed directly to my bedroom.

I wanted to rest for a bit before meeting Ema.

My mind wasn't lucid.

I opened the door of my room and i felt a rush of sadness.

I had the feeling that Benjiro was telling the truth and Kanna was lying to me to save the face of her sister.

I didn't want to think about it…

My room was filled with a loud silence coming from my intrusive thoughts.

"What if she really cheated on me? With who? When? Was i not enough? What happened? What have i done to deserve this?" This is what i thought.

I then decided to go on the bed.

As I sat in the quiet of my room, the events of the day replayed in my mind like scenes from a movie.

The strange encounter with Evangeline, the

rush of emotions, and the lingering sense of a painful curiosity all danced through my thoughts.

But amidst the whirlwind of memories, one realization stood out: I had promised to visit Ema's house that evening.

I closed my eyes for a bit and then i woke up.

The reminder brought a mixture of anticipation and apprehension.

Despite the turbulence of our recent interactions, there was a sense of duty pulling me towards her doorstep.

I couldn't shake the feeling that our paths were meant to intersect that evening, regardless of the uncertainties that lay ahead.

With a sigh, i managed to get out from the bed and i reached for my phone to check the time.

The digits on the screen confirmed that the hour was drawing near.

I couldn't delay any longer.

Gathering my resolve, I rose from my seat and prepared to face whatever awaited me at Ema's house.

As I stepped out into the cool evening air, the familiar streets seemed to whisper secrets of their own.

Each step brought me closer to the destination, a silent countdown to the moment when our worlds would collide once again.

Despite the weight of uncertainty that hung in the air, I couldn't deny the pull of curiosity tugging at my heartstrings.

What truths awaited me behind Ema's door?

What did she want to tell me?

With each passing moment, the answers seemed to elude me, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.

But one thing was certain: I couldn't turn back now.

Whatever lay ahead, I was determined to face it head-on, armed with nothing but the courage to confront the unknown.

I was scared but also prepared to anything that she could say to me.

I kept walking towards her home, ignoring all the people around, like i was the only one walking in the streets.

I was completely isolated from the rest.

My mind was filled with Ema, and the things she could have possibly said to me.

I wasn't psychologically ready to hear something like:

"Fumi, i cheated on you… I'm sorry-".

Whenever i thought about this, my heart tightened in my chest, giving me a soft but hard pain, like someone was actually squeezing it.

I kept walking and walking until i finally arrived at destination.

Arriving at Ema's house, I hesitated for a moment before ringing the doorbell.

The sound echoed through the quiet neighborhood, a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within me.

As I waited, my mind raced with questions and doubts, each one vying for attention amidst the chaos.

The door creaked open, revealing Ema's figure framed against the warm glow of the interior.

Her presence was both familiar and unfamiliar, a reminder of the bond we shared and the distance that had grown between us.

"Fumihiro," she greeted me, her voice soft yet tinged with uncertainty. "I'm glad you came."

I offered her a tentative smile, masking the turmoil churning beneath the surface.

Stepping inside, I found myself enveloped in the familiar comfort of her home, yet unable to shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air.

She grabbed my hand and guided me inside.

Ema was alone in the house.

She was only wearing her pajama, which was slightly opened enough to show her chest.

As we settled into the living room, the weight of unspoken words hung heavy between us.

Each moment stretched on, filled with a tension that seemed to suffuse the very air we breathed.

It was as if we were standing on the precipice of something momentous, yet neither of us knew how to take the next step.

In the silence that followed, I found myself grappling with a myriad of emotions.

We then sat on the couch , with silence speaking lots of words.

We kept looking each other in the eyes.

Then, she clinged to me and snuggled into my shoulder.

I pretended nothing happened.

Anger, confusion, and a gnawing sense of betrayal warred within me, each one vying for dominance in the tumult of my thoughts.

"Why does she act like nothing happened?"

Ema's behavior was quite strange.

She closed her eyes and she caressed my hands.

She wanted some comfort.

I didn't know what to do.

But then, gathering my courage, I met Ema's gaze, searching for answers in the depths of her eyes.

Yet what I found there only deepened the mystery, leaving me adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

"Ema. You said that you wanted to talk to me. Can you tell me what do you want to say?" I asked with a cold tone, after letting go her hands and taking some distance from her.

"Fumi… I… I just invited you because… you know…" she said with an aroused tone.

She then unbuttoned her pajama , revealing her naked upper body.

"I just wanted to feel… you… again…" she said, while getting close to me.

She then rapidly snuggled into my neck and started kissing it, while her hands were reaching my lower part.

"Mmh~ Fumi…" she whispered.

"We are totally alone… please… be really rough with me tonight…~" she added.

It felt good, but my heart was bitter.

Then, a sudden anger arrived in my mind.

I gently pushed her away.

"Ema. Stop it." I said.

As Ema's attempts to seduce me once again, i found myself recoiling from her advances, a sense of unease gnawing at the edges of my consciousness.

Though her touch was familiar and her words honeyed with promises of passion, I couldn't shake the feeling of fear that i had in my heart.

She then looked me in the eyes.

She was shocked, not expecting something like this from me.

She then looked down, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Why… did you refuse me…?" She asked.

I remained silent.

"Fumi…" she added with a very cold voice.

"What… did Benjiro tell you?" She asked, while raising up her head and looking at me with teary eyes.

"Benjiro… told me that you… you…" i wanted to say that, but my words were stuck in my throat, they didn't want to come out.

"What did he say?" She asked again.

"He said that you've been unfaithful and that you cheated on me."

I managed to say it.

My heart started to feel heavy and hot.

My heart rate was very high and my body was numb.

I was trembling from fear.

At that moment, i hung on her every word.

She remained silent for some seconds.

"D-Did he really tell you this?" She then spoke.

"Yes. That's what he said." I replied.

"Do you believe him?" She then asked.

Her tone was piercing trough me like sharp knives.

"…" i remained silent and looked away.

"So you believe him…" she said.

She then started sobbing, like she was about to cry.

"So… you decide to believe your best friend who once tried to separate us instead of asking me some explanations?" She said while sobbing.

She was looking at me with such a sad look.

I kept staying in silence.

"Fumi… I could never cheat on you. We promised to marry, don't you remember?" She said.

Some tears fell from her eyes.

"I just told you what happened to me. Why should you believe him and not your future wife and mother of your children?!? WHY?! WHY, FUMIHIRO?!?! HOW COULDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME?!?" She was shouting.

I felt really guilty after this.

Maybe she was right, i decided to believe Benjiro, but after seeing her genuine tears, i could feel that i was wrong.

I looked deeply into her eyes.

She was crying a lot, and she didn't even try to wipe her tears away.

She wanted me too see her crying.

She wanted me to see her in that state, like she wanted to show me that she was saying the truth.

"Ema never faked tears…" i said to myself.

I felt really guilty after seeing her tears.

"Why don't you trust me… Fumi?" She asked me, while getting closer.

She wanted to be held.

The girl i was seeing didn't look like the Ema i knew.

Something bad was happening in her heart.

But in that moment, my mind was focused on her tears.

"It's okay… Ema. I believe you." I said while hugging her.

I could feel her fragile body in my arms.

She was so soft.

She was in such a vulnerable state.

She snuggled into my arms, seeking comfort, and her tears magically stopped.

"Thank you, Fumi. Thank you for believing in me." She said while burying her face in my chest.

For some reason, i still couldn't shake off the feeling that someone lied to me.

Benjiro? Kanna? Ema? I didn't know.

"I love you… only you…" Ema whispered, while her hands reached my underwear.

"Oh… Fumi… Make love to me… Show me that i'm only your girl…"

I wasn't feeling in the mood for that after seeing her crying.

My mind was a totally mix of emotions, despite calming down after she said that she didn't cheat on me.

"How did she change her behavior so fast?" I kept thinking.

"Ema… I'm sorry, im not feeling in the mood. Let's stay like this for a little longer, okay? I can sleep with you if you want." I said, while refusing her advances.

"… Fine." She said , sounding a little bit disappointed and buttoning her pajama.

"Let's go to bed then…" she added, while getting up from the couch and guiding me to her bedroom upstairs.

But right before entering her room, we heard the doorbell ringing.

Ema went on alert, not expecting some guests at 9 P.M.

"Ema, didn't you say that we're totally alone?" I asked.

"That's what i thought too. Maybe is Kanna…" she said. "Wait here" she added.

She then went to the door asking "Who's there?"

And then, a male voice came from the outside: "It's me, Chiko!!"

"Chiko…?" I said to myself. "Who the hell is he?!!" I said, while my mind became confused.

I then went to her.

Ema looked at me with such a scared expression.

"Ema , who's this guy?"

She gulped and didn't speak any words. She was scared.

"Hey! Is someone there?" The voice said.

I had a very bad feeling about this.