Chapter 192：Runaway Bride

Twenty minutes later, Tetsuya Kohei rang the doorbell of Aiko's room. He rang it about four times, but no answer.

"Waseda-san, we have to go now," Tetsuya called Aiko while rang the bell one more time. Still there was no answer. Tetsuya stucked his ear to the door. He heard nothing from behind the door. It was a total silence. Tetsuya got panic. He ran to call the hotel manager, insisted him to open the door. When the room was opened, Tetsuya immediately walked in. He prepared himself to find an unconscious Aiko Waseda. But, he found the worse. He found no Aiko Waseda.

Tersuya immediately ordered his people and hotel's employees to search all over the hotel. His face lost all of its color. He had never had a runaway bride before. This would be the end of his career, he thought about it while searching on the hotel rooftop. Around thirty minutes later his subordinate reported that the gardener saw a woman with Aiko's features drove a car out of the hotel.

"She can drive," Mr. Waseda confirms that fact on the phone, "but I never let her drive."

"She stole the wedding car, Sir," Tetsuya Kohei reports to him, but then clears his throat and corrects him self, "Well, technically not stealing, since the car is yours."

"With a car, she can be anywhere," Tetsuya continues without enthusiasm, "Let's just hope she doesn't drive outside Kyoto."

After ends the call, Mr. Waseda can only look at the confused Takeshi. He then sighs and hugs him. With Aiko nowhere to be found, there's nothing they can't do beside postponing the wedding. The two men walk into the temple and with heavy hearts announce it to the guests.

With the help of Mr. Waseda's people, they start searching around Kyoto. Although Kyoto is considered smaller city than Tokyo, but it has many temples and places to hide. Furthermore, it is a blooming season so there are thousands of people visiting Kyoto at the moment. The hotel's CCTV can not help much. It can only capture the car right until it went out of the hotel's front gate.

Takeshi goes to the most west of Kyoto, while Mr. Waseda takes the east side of Kyoto. Takeshi goes to Arahiyama and down to Kyoto University. He keeps his focus on a Navy Mercedes Benz, the car Aiko is taking. He searchs on every parking lot or even any space that is possible to be parked by car. Hours laters, he arrives back at the hotel with zero result. Mr. Waseda is already there. By the expression of his face, Takeshi can guess the old man also has nothing positive on his side.

Takeshi sits on the couch next to Mr. Waseda. He doesn't utter a word. He has no word to tell. When he was searching he was devastating, worry, angry, humiliated, and all feelings he couldn't even know the name. But now.. all left is just worry. It's been hours. It's only an early spring. The weather is still cold and Aiko is weak.

"At least there is no accident report from the police," Mr. Waseda suddenly speaks like he can read Takeshi's mind. The police won't help since it is still less than 24 hours. They only promise to inform if there is a report of accident regarding navy Mercedes Benz or woman with Aiko's feature. Mr. Waseda's people have also searched to every ER of Kyoto's hospitals. There is no sign of Aiko there.

Before Takeshi can respond to Mr. Waseda's words, Mr. Waseda's cellular is ringing. "Yes," Mr. Waseda quickly answers it. It is a short call. Once he ends the call he tells Takeshi the information he just got. "They found my car at Kyoto station parking lot."

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"Are you sure she is there ?" Mr. Waseda asks Takeshi again. Takeshi just nods once. While looking outside the window he is tapping his knee impatiently. This is why he prefers to ride train to Osaka, but Mr. Waseda insists him to join his car ride. It's weekend but also a hanami season. Many people decides to go out and enjoy seing sakura bloom. So the traffic is quite heavy.

Two and a half hour later, they arrive at Osaka city and go straight to Kaiyukan aquarium. It is already dark. Once the car stopped in front of Kaiyukan building, Takeshi opens the door and walks fast to the ferris wheel beside the building. Mr. Waseda follows him close behind.

"Excuse me," Takeshi calls a young man on the ticketing gate. "Did you see a woman with a wedding dress came here today ?" Takeshi asks him.

"Ah.. yes, sure. She bought like fifty tickets to ride the wheel this afternoon. I think she is still.."

"Thank you," Takeshi cuts the young man. "I need one ticket please."

"Oh, sure.." The young man quickly serves Takeshi. After having the ticket Takeshi runs upstair to the entrance gate of the wheels.

"Is the woman with wedding dress still here ?" Takeshi asks the gate keeper. "She is. It is still her twenty third rides. Her cart will be down soon," the gatekeeper tells him. Takeshi awaits impatiently. He looks at the cart pointed by the gate keeper all along. When the cart finally reveals Aiko's figure, he exhales in relieved.

"I want to ride with her," Takeshi tells the gate keeper. He walks approaching the cart. The gate keeper opens the cart's door. Takeshi enters the cart and sits next to Aiko who seems not being distrubed at all by the sequence of actions. She just sits still backing off the door, looking outside the window all along.

"You're here.." she says not louder than a whisper. Takeshi hugs her tight. He places his head on top of Aiko's head.

"I was so worry about you. Why did you run away ?" Takeshi asks her. Trying hard not to be emotional, a tear skips from Takeshi eye.

"I'm sorry.." Aiko murmurs. She then lays her head on Takeshi's chest and closes her eyes. "I'm so tired.."