104 Sakura Mochi

Two days before his engagement, Xiu Jin came to City T, despite the objections of his mother.

"What are you doing here?" Aoi was confused and delighted at the same time. He had told her about his engagement during his previous visit. Now, he appears in her office.

At first, Aoi was mad because she thought that he was only playing around with her. However, as he tried to explain his circumstances, she somehow believed him. She was just disappointed that they could not be together in the end.

"Here." Xiu Jin brought out a pink box of sakura mochi.

"Hey!" Aoi was delighted. Contrary to her tomboy antics, this is the part of her that proves she is still a girl.

She excitedly untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. As she saw the paper covering the dessert balls, she frowned.

"What's wrong?" Xiu Jin thought there was something amiss from her expression.

She looked up to him and smiled. Then she shook her head. "It's just that, thepackage has changed."

She reached into her bag for her wallet and took out a torn piece of baby pink paper with dark pink sakura petals design.

Xiu Jin was confused.

She chuckled. "When I was young, I got lost while roaming around the Old Capital. I was crying my heart out when a boy who had a box of sakura mochi approached me. He tore a part of the paper and used it to handle a piece of mochi, then handed it to me."

He had bewildered eyes.

She chuckled again. "He did not say anything. I thought he was deaf and mute, but when I said my thanks, he furrowed his brows as if not understanding what I just said. Before I could tell him my name, my mother found me and took me away." She giggled.

Xiu Jin had his gaze stuck on the paper.

"Jealous?" she laughed.

He cleared his throat. "Coming to City T was not my first time coming to Country N." he declared.

"Oh?" She tilted her head. "You lied to me then?"

He shook his head. "My family visited City K. While sight-seeing, I saw a crying boy. He seemed lost so I gave him one of my glutinous rice cakes. Too bad it was a boy and not you." he chuckled.

Aoi stood from her seat and came closer to him. "Did your first gay crush had a blue knitted vest and a buzz cut?" Her smile was teasing.

"What gay crush?!" Then it dawned on him. "You know him?"

Aoi laughed heartily. She walked to a bookcase, took a book, and opened a certain page to get an old photo.

Xiu Jin's eyes widened when he saw it. "It's him! It's him! Is he your brother?"

She chuckled. "Flip it over."

His expression was unimaginable as he read her name, beside which was the date the photo of the boy in ablue vest and a buzz cut was taken.

He rushed towards her and enveloped her petite frame in his arms.

"It's you..." his voice full of realization.

"Ji-jin...you-you're suffo-...can't breathe! Jin!" Aoi was trying to free herself.

Before she was squished, he let go of her partially, his hands still securing her arms.

She looked into his deep eyes. It was filled with longing.

Just then, his hand cupped he cheek as he kissed her deeply, passionately.

"Igarashi Aoi, marry me." He was serious.

"Wha-at?!"

____________

The current Aoi Xiu had a sweet smile on her face as she looked at the innocent pieces of pink mochi on the box.

"Okaasan, daijoubu desu ka?" Midori had come in her office without her noticing.

"Ah! Hai. How's your morning?" Aoi smiled at her.

"Terrible! I was retching until I came to work." Midori complained.

Aoi chuckled. "I did it twice. You can do it."

Midori squinted her eyes. "Here are the year-end reports you asked for." She placed several folders on the desk.

"Hmmn." Aoi nodded. Then she pushed the box towards her daughter. "Want some?"

Midori vigorously shook her head. "My sense of smell is abnormal right now. I don't even like what I used to like."

Aoi laughed. "Shall I call your husband to punish him?"

Midori frowned. "I'll do it myself." With that, she exited the office.

Aoi Xiu had a bright smile towards the pink box. Her daughter is going to be a mother soon.

When she had her daughter, Xiu Jin wanted to name her Sakura, but Aoi objected. Just like her, she wanted her daughter to be strong and outspoken, not some damsel in distress. Combining her name, which would mean 'blue or bluish' and her husband's which means 'gold," the fusion of colors came out with 'green' in her mother tongue. Thus, Midori got her name.