Chapter 99：Game of Love

Name：Chasing My Dream Lover Author：BlackPup
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Like slashed with a samurai. That's how painful Takeshi feels inside his left chest now. He just read email from Xiao Ping that scattered him with questions full of doubt. Takeshi understands. Xiao Ping has every right to be jealous. Who wouldn't be jealous to see her lover being intimate with other woman ? That is not what makes his heart hurt. His heart is hurt to realize that he has put their love in the horns. He can't tell Xiao Ping the truth. He doesn't want Xiao Ping to know how low he has done, selling his pride for some money. He feels so low and disgusting. And he is afraid that he can't bare when Xiao Ping looks at him as low.

Takeshi deeply inhales, filling his chest with air, and slowly exhales it. His fingers hang on top of keyboard, doubts for a moment of his brain's decision, then decides to obey and writes a reply.

"These days are very tough for me, and the last thing I need is your doubt. I will say it again, one and for all. My relationship with Miyu is nothing but a business partner. Don't believe any of those rumors. Believe only what came out of my mouth, that is: I LOVE YOU."

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"What should I do, Takeshi ? Should I only believe what came out of your mouth ?" Almost give up, Xiao Ping asks to the ceiling that definitely doesn't answer. Xiao ping feels like in a weird game of love that she doesn't understand. What worse is that she has to play by her self without knowing what to do beside crying until fall asleep every night.

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Secretly Xu Qian watches Xiao Ping that is lightly chatting with her friends outside the classroom. It is very clear that her bench-mate force herself to be happy while her puffy eyes still clearly seen. Xu Qian's sight moves to the cellphone on her hand while her fingers agilely pushes the keypads.

"Yes, I am also worry about her. Everyday she always has puffy eyes. i think her fanaticism is over the limit. She really thinks the idol is her boyfriend," Xu qian writes then sends the message. Soon her cellular's monitor is blinking, informing that her message is delivered to Han Han. While putting back her cellular to her pocket, again Xu Qian looks at Xiao Ping. At the beginning she did approached Xiao Ping only to spy on her for her sister. But now she really considers Xiao Ping as her friend. That is why she is worry to see Xiao Ping's condition. In her opinion, Xiao Ping is no longer able to differentiate reality from fantasy. She wants to help Xiao Ping to recover, but she doesn't know how.

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A pair of feet stepping up stairs in hurry, making a loud noise. Soon, the owner of the feet arrives at the end of the stairs. A light comes from a gap of the iron door that just opened with one strong jolt, brightens up the emergency exit room. While regulate his breath, Hiroshi steps in the 15th floor balcony. "There you are," he says in relieved to see a young man standing with a back facing him.

"Come on, Takeshi. the event will be start soon," Hiroshi urges while turning his body, ready to go back down. His movement stops to realize Takeshi stays still. Instead of following him, his friend is touching his lips onto a bottle's lip and gulp its content. "Hey, what are you doing ?" Hiroshi asks in surprised. He pulls Takeshi's left shoulder to the right so he is now facing him. "What's this ?!" Hiroshi shouts, trying to grab the bottle from Takeshi's grip. But Takeshi doesn't want to let go. For few seconds both muscles collide to win over the bottle until it suddenly flings onto the balcony trail, bounces to the cement floor and breaks in two. The remaining liquid is now dampen the floor. The two man stare at it.

Takeshi is the first one moves his sight to the sky, followed by an upset sight from Hiroshi to him. "Are you drunk ? Since when you become drunk ?" Hiroshi asks. Takeshi doesn't answer. "The press conference is coming and you are drinking ? Are you mad ? It can ruin.."

"I'm drinking becauseI'm not crazy !!" Takeshi sharply cuts. Hiroshi is stunned, looking at Takeshi as a stranger. Takeshi sighs and returning Hiroshi's stare. "Precisely because I am not crazy, I need to be drunk," he adds. "I.. It's.. it's impossible for me to do it in sober. Impossible. I will never.." Takeshi quickly turns his head to another side to hide the tears that are gathered in his eyelids. Hiroshi turns around, facing his back to Takeshi. He can't console, all he can do is accompany his friend to cry.

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Followed by Xu Qian, A Lin, and Han Han, Xiao Ping comes out from a glass-door room while laughing. "Oh.. you really are crazy, Xu Qian," she says, commenting about Xu Qian's splashy action in karaoke room back then. Her friend sang while standing on the couch and did a head spin, just like a metal singer. Xu Qian just grins to the flatter. Her plan is succeed. Xiao Ping is able to freely laugh again, at least for now.

"Eh, why don't we stop by here for a while. I want to buy a DVD player," Han Han who is behind Xiao Ping and Xu Qian says. They then enter an electronic store. While Han Han searching the DVD player he wants with A Lin, Xiao Ping and Xu Qian are killing their time by sightseeing row of televisions that show diverse local and broad channel.

Xiao Ping's sharp eyes catch a familiar figure in one of the television. Takeshi. She approaches the television. Her heart skips a beat to see who is standing beside her lover. Miyu Saeki. No sound is coming from the television. "We will like to announce something." That is the meaning of the Kanji letters that shown on the bottom.

Xiao Ping stretches her hand to the buttons on the side of television, finding the volume button. A button is pressed, making the channel changes. A bit panic, Xiao Ping is pressing other button. The monitor shows Takeshi's figure again. Xiao Ping presses the second most top button. This time is correct. Slowly the television is making a sound. Suddenly Takeshi's voice is coming from the television speaker, "まちがない です (Machigainai desu)." Xiao Ping quickly glances at the Kanji below. There is no mistake. "私たちは付き合っています (Watashitachiha tsukiatte imasu - We are dating)"

Xiao Ping stares bitterly onto the television. Takeshi's voice that based on the Kanji on the screen, once again reassuring his statement, is turning into a blurring buzz. Her whole body is felt weak. She grabs the corner of the rack to support her stand. Her blurry eyes see Takeshi turns his body to Miyu and kisses her. Then everything is black. The last thing she hears is Xu Qian's surprised shout, together with her head is stumbled to the floor.