Chapter 4

The next morning, Hiro wakes up and gets ready for another summer day at the ranch. He eats another one of Lumina’s well made breakfasts and rushes out to the farm. “I’m heading out! Thanks for breakfast,” cried Hiro as he runs out the door.

Lumina follows him out to wave, “have a great day at work!”

Hiro looks back to remind, “remember what we talked about last night!”

She bows as she responds, “I know, I’ll do my best as well!”

Hiro nods and runs off. Lumina takes a deep breath of relief as she is finally alone in the house. She walks back into the house and begins to do her daily chores as she thinks about things. Last night Hiro learns that Lumina has not been husband searching, and she has spent her time trying to get Hiro to notice her. The villagers already accepts them as a couple, but Hiro is the only one who sees otherwise. She hates lying to Hiro, but she feels that this is the only way for her to stay in the valley long enough for Hiro to develop feelings for her.

As she cleans, she wonders why Hiro isn’t attracted to her. Despite living together, Hiro does everything he can to keep his distance. She also notices that Hiro isn’t even trying to date anyone else in the valley either. Even though they talk every evening, there is so much she doesn’t know about him. She thinks that maybe she should ask what type of girls are Hiro’s type, but she needs to ask in a way that isn’t so obvious.

Soon enough, Lumina starts to wash the dishes. It always makes her happy seeing how Hiro likes her cooking. She then places a call to the local newspaper, that way it makes her look like she is trying a bit harder to find a husband. Even though she has no intention to use it for that, she would like to have something to read on her time off.

At around noon, Lumina knows that Hiro must have left the farm to do some foraging or fishing. This is a perfect time her to take a break and have some tea and biscuits. After enjoying her tea break, she decides to take a walk around the farm in order to pass the time. Even though the farm is much different than what she is used to at the villa, she loves looking at the cute animals roam around the farm. The cows and chickens makes her smile each and every day she looks at them.

Lumina goes back into the house after a few hours. She decides to start thinking about what to make for dinner, but it’s a bit early to start making anything. She feels now it’s a good time for some dusting. She grabs a rag, and starts wiping off the furniture one by one. As she cleans, she finds herself wiping down the shelves of the bookcase. As she cleans, she notices something odd between some books. She pulls out the framed photograph that Hiro has been hiding. She takes a look and finds Hiro standing next to a young girl. The girl is not from Forget-Me-Not Valley, but Hiro hasn’t changed much from the photograph. She can clearly tell that the girl must be someone from Leaf Valley.

Hiro and the girl in the picture look very happy posing together. The smile Hiro has in the picture is nothing she has seen since she has met him. And the look on the girl’s face is clearly someone who is in love. She may not know the girl, but she does recognize her looks. Her gold woven green dress and hairband is very fancy, her jet black hair is well kept and styled uniquely. She knows that the girl in the picture is a member of a wealthy family.

Later that afternoon, Lumina starts cooking dinner. The image of the girl in the picture makes her curious. What happened between that girl and Hiro? Why is he hiding that photo? And does the girl has anything to do with why Hiro is very distant? She sighs as she asks herself so many questions, but she knows that these questions are going to be very hard to ask him. She then wonders, how will he react knowing that she found the photo?

Hiro comes home at around 6:00pm. Once again, he sits at the table eating his dinner peacefully. He quickly notices Lumina’s mood being very different than usual. She isn’t eating, just poking her fork at the food sadly. He begins to worry about her, so he asks, “is everything okay? You seem lost, or worried about something.”

Lumina gently places her fork down, and takes a deep breath before saying, “I'm sorry. . .”

“You're sorry?” asked Hiro, “about what?”

She doesn't answer him immediately. She just pulls out the framed picture she was hiding, then hands it to him saying, “I found this in the bookcase. I am not sure why it was there, but I got curious. I didn't mean to take it. . . So, I'm sorry.”

As Hiro stares at the image, Lumina can see quite a bit of sadness in his eyes. By the sad look on his face, she knows that something must have happened between the two of them. Curiously, she asks, “so. . . What's the story with that picture?”

Hiro rests the photograph on the table and sighs before answering, “I took this picture sometime last year in the village I once lived before Forget-Me-Not Valley. The girl in the picture's name is Dia, she lived in a villa on a hill in Leaf Valley. When I got to Leaf Valley, there was this situation where some people wanted to demolish the village to make a theme park. But me and Dia together were able to stop them, and save the village.

“While we worked together, we sort of got real close. We started dating after the village was saved for some time. We were so happy, I felt that there wasn't anything that could pull us apart. But then her father came to visit, and he found out about us. He wasn't happy about it, and asked Dia to leave the village with him. She didn't even put up a fight, in fact, I think she wanted to leave.

“I stayed in the village for a little bit longer, hoping that maybe she was able to talk to her father and come back. But time passed, and she never came back. The next time I heard from her, she was getting married to some rich guy her father picked out for her. I couldn't believe that she actually agreed to it, she even asked me to attend her wedding. I couldn't go, or even stay in the village for much longer. So I left, and came here to start over.”

Hiro then takes a deep breath and wipes a tear that was developing in his eye. He then continues, “and that's the story. I guess I still haven't gotten over her completely, since I still hang on to this picture of us. I want to get over her and move on with my life. But lets face it, I still love her. Even though she left me so easily and got hitched with some guy she hardly knows, I can't stop thinking about her.”

“I see, so that's it,” said Lumina. After hearing his story, many of her questions were answered. She always thought that Hiro may not like her or may not find her attractive. But the truth is that Hiro's heart still belonged to someone else. Someone he cannot be with. What makes matters worse is that she is just like Lumina in a way, part of a wealthy family. As long as Hiro feels this way, he cannot have any feelings for anyone else; especially Lumina.

Lumina gathers up her courage and says, “um, Hiro? I just want you to know that I-”

Before she can finish, Hiro gets up from his seat and says, “I'm going to my room now. Thanks for dinner.” He then walks out of the kitchen taking the picture with him. Before going to his room, Hiro placed the photograph back to where it was in the bookcase. Even now, he still couldn't get rid of it.

Lumina looks over to Hiro's side of the table. Every night since Lumina has lived with Hiro, he had always finished his meal with no problems. But tonight, Hiro left his plate half full. She knows that Hiro is not mad or upset with her, but he does feel sad that he had to recall such memories. She feels quite guilty about bringing it up. But at the same time, relieved that she knows what's going on in his heart. She was not doing anything wrong the whole time she has known him. The reason she could not get to him is because there is another girl in his mind.

That night as Lumina lays on her bed, she thinks about Hiro's situation. She could be living with him for the rest of her life, but her efforts are going to be useless as long as Hiro's heart is still bound to someone else. She then remembers a past relationship she had not too long ago with someone from the village. Lumina was seeing Rock for quite some time, and she also believed that they were going to be together forever. But things happened, and they ended their relationship just before her grandmother had passed away. Even though she has quite a past with her previous love, she was able to get over him and move on. So she wonders why is Hiro's relationship so different?

As she continues to think about it, she feels that she may have an idea. Based on Hiro's story, she feels that his relationship may have ended too suddenly. There was never any closure between them. Lumina was able to get over her previous love because they talked about it for a while, and decided it was best to end their relationship. But Hiro was still in love, and didn't want to accept that his love for Dia was over. “If only I can get some closure between them, Hiro won't be so sad anymore,” she whispered to herself before falling asleep.

The next morning, Hiro continues to do his daily routine like he always does. To Lumina, it almost feels like yesterday's events never even happened. But even as he tries to hide it, even from himself, thoughts of the girl he once loved still plague his mind. After he leaves, Lumina takes a good look at the house. The house is clean enough, so taking the day off won't make a difference. Instead of cleaning, Lumina spends the better part of the day writing a letter. She then leaves the farm, and heads over to the villa. She is careful that Hiro doesn't notice her go there.

After a long walk, she finally arrives at her old home, Romana’s Villa. It has been quite a while since she last been there, so it puts her at ease that she is home now. She knows that she shouldn’t come home, but she needs help if she wants to help Hiro. She knocks on the door and waits for her butler Sebastian to answer. As he opens the door to the mansion, Sebastian's face lights up with excitement to see her. “Miss Lumina! It's so great to see you!” he yelled happily.

Lumina cannot help herself but to smile with him and say, “good afternoon Sebastian. I'm home.”

Sebastian invites Lumina inside, and tea is quickly served. As she sips on her tea, she takes a look at her old home. She notices that Sebastian has done a very good job keeping the place clean. But at the same time, she also notices that the mansion looks exactly the same as it did since she last step foot inside. By the way the mansion is kept, she could tell that Sebastian has been very lonely and keeps the mansion clean to keep his mind busy.

Sebastian sits down and says, “since you have returned, I can assume that you have found a husband?”

Lumina places her teacup gently on the table, and responds, “not really. I know I shouldn't have come here until I have found someone. But I needed to be here. I'm sorry.”

“It's okay,” answered Sebastian. “We'll just consider this a friendly visit. I'm sure your grandmother would understand.”

Lumina nods. After catching up on current events for about an hour, Lumina feels that it's time to get to the point of her visit. “Sebastian, I have a favor to ask you,” she said in a serious tone.

“What is it Miss Lumina? If there is anything I can do to aid you, I will do anything in my power to grant it.”

She then shows Sebastian the photograph of Hiro and Dia that she took from the book shelf again. After handing it over, she asks, “That girl in the photograph, do you recognize her?”

Sebastian takes a long hard look. He is old, but his memory is well enough to remember. “Ah yes, she is from the Jardin family. Her name is Dia if I remember correctly. We did some business with her father when you were 8 years old. I believe you two met for a short time.”

“Is it possible you could find out where she lives right now?” asked Lumina.

Sebastian nods and says, “I could check Romana's records and find out where the Jardin main house is. But why do you need to know if you don't mind me asking?”

Lumina nods and pulls out a sealed envelope out of her pocket. “I need you to find a way for that girl to get this letter. It's very important, so I need to be sure it gets there.”

Sebastian takes the envelope and says, “I'll do my best. It may take some time for me to reach them, but I will personally deliver it if I must.”

Lumina then gives a great big hug to Sebastian saying, “thank you so much! Please don't worry, I'll come home soon.”

“I have faith in you Miss Lumina,” he responded.

Now that she has set things into motion, she says her goodbyes to Sebastian and returns to the farm before Hiro suspects what she has done. Time passed, and Lumina waits patiently for any response from Dia. She never told Hiro what she did, or is planning to do. She just pretends that she is looking for a husband like she usually does. During this time, Hiro finds Lumina reading through the newspaper looking at personal ads. He does become somewhat convinced that Lumina is searching, but he still does have his doubts.

Two weeks after Lumina paid Sebastian a visit, a response finally arrives. In fact, she gets two letters. One for her, and the other is for Hiro. Lumina reads the first letter from Dia, she is impressed at how warm and friendly her letter is. She is thanked by Dia for taking such good care of Hiro since they’ve met. Although Dia explained some of her history with Hiro, it is brief and not very detailed. Dia also asked Lumina not to read the letter she sent to Hiro. She understands that whatever she had written to Hiro is personal, and it should be shared only between them. She is curious to know what she wrote to Hiro, but she wants to respect Hiro and Dia's privacy. She just kept the letter tucked away safely, and she will hand it over after dinner.

Hiro comes home on time, and he eats dinner with Lumina naturally. Lumina does her best not to be nervous, even though she is almost terrified abut the contents of the letter she has. She would be a lot more confident if she knew what Dia wrote to him. She can only hope that the letter will finally give Hiro the closure he needs. But what scares Lumina the most if her plan would backfire and make Hiro dislike her for getting involved in his affairs. Or worse yet, the possibility that the content of the letter would make Hiro love Dia even more. After dinner, Hiro decides to retire to his room. Lumina stays in the living room thinking about her decision a second time. She is still worried about the outcome, especially since she is not sure about the content of the letter. She thought about just throwing away the letter, and leave things be the way they already are. But then she remembers why did she did this in the first place. Even if Hiro dislikes her after finding out Lumina was getting into his private life. If he could at least move on and get over his past love, she'll be content.

She hesitates to knock on his door, but she eventually conquers her fear. After knocking, Hiro comes out and finds Lumina nervously standing outside his room. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

Lumina nods, then pulls the letter out of her pocket. She then presents it to him saying, “this came for you today. Please don't be upset.”

Hiro was not sure why did Lumina just said that. He just takes the letter, and checks who it was from. Not many people knows he lives in the valley, so it was quite unusual for him to be receiving letters. He gasps as he sees the familiar handwriting of the name written on the return address.

“I'll leave you be for now,” said Lumina, knowing that Hiro may want to be alone. After closing the door, he takes a seat on the bed, wondering how did Dia found out where he is living. He quickly opens the sealed envelope and wastes no time reading the contents:

Dear Hiro,

It has been a while since we last seen one another. I invited you to my wedding, but I guess you could not make it. I received a letter by a friend of yours stating that you no longer live in Leaf Valley, and is currently residing in a village called Forget-Me-Not Valley. I was quite surprised to find out that you left your grandfather's farm, it meant a lot to you. Then again, I did too.

Your friend Lumina has also written so many things that has happened since you went to live in Forget-Me-Not Valley. I also read that you still keep that picture of us that we took after we rescued Leaf Valley. Please do not be angry with Lumina, she only wrote what she did because she was concerned about you.

I want to let you know that the feelings we had while we were together were in fact real. I did cherish you as much as you loved me. But I already knew that our love was not meant to be. Even though that was true, I still wanted to be with you as long as possible. I knew that sooner or later, my father would come get me. I knew that father would not approve of us seeing one another. I kept that a secret from you, because I thought maybe you wouldn't want to be with me if you knew.

Please understand that my feelings for you were real. Even now I think that life would have been better if I would have ran away from home, and married you instead. But I love and respect my father just as much. I know it looked like if I didn't care, but it was a tough decision to make. To choose between you or my family was killing me inside.

Sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong choice, but I must see to it to the end. I'm sorry that I didn't choose you, but I guess I love my family a little bit more. So please, stop waiting for me. I will not come back to you, and you need to move on with your life. I'm so sorry how things turned out, I hope that you have it in your heart to forgive me.

Please take care of yourself,

Dia

As he reads the letter, Hiro's teardrops begin to trickle on the letter. He didn't know that reading it was going to hurt so much. To him, it feels like his relationship has finally ended. He is finally allowed to cry over it. He always told himself that his love for Dia was over. But just as Dia mentioned in the letter, he was waiting for her to come back the whole time. Even after leaving Leaf Valley, he still thought that Dia was going to suddenly appear and they would just continue like if they have never been apart. All he was doing this whole time was running away from the truth. Even though he kept telling himself that the relationship between him and Dia was over, he has not made any effort to find someone else. Even when Lumina handed him the letter, he had thought that there was a possibility that Dia had left her husband behind. But now it has become official, Dia has completely ended their relationship.

After a few emotional moments, he crumbles the letter and tosses it away. He then dries his puffy eyes, trying his best to not look like he has been tearing up over the letter. After a few deep breaths, he decides that it is finally time. He exits his room and takes out the framed photograph out of the bookcase. Lumina hears him and walks out of the room carefully to check up on him. She can see the painful look on his face as he looks at the photo for the last time.

“Is everything okay?” asked Lumina.

Hiro looks back at her as he says, “I’m going out. Please don’t follow me, I want to be alone.”

Lumina nods as he walks out of the house. Not sure what is happening to him, she just retires to her room hopeful that he will be okay. Hiro takes a walk to the beach, and sits in the sand. It is now evening, so no one can see him there sulking alone. As he sits there holding the photograph, he begins to recall the experiences he had with Dia. When they first met, Dia was quite cold and hardly friendly. But after he found a way to save the home they both lived in, Dia agreed to help him. During that time, they both became very close friends, and even started to feel attracted to one another. And from one day to another, she was gone from his life.

How would he have known that he would end up alone and heartbroken sitting in a beach? After Dia and Hiro were separated, his heart was playing tug-of-war between fantasy and reality. But now, he is convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that his feelings were just wishful thinking. After sitting in the beach for several hours, he feels that he is ready to let go. He stands up and hurls the framed photograph into the ocean to sink in the bottom of the sea. He only hopes that the current will take it far away so that he will never have to see it again.

He then takes a deep breath, and yells as loud as he can, “I'm going to get over you!! I'm going to start over again! And this time, you won't be in my picture!! I PROMISE!!!” He isn't sure who he is yelling at. He knows that Dia is not going to hear him, but he still yelled out loud anyway. He thinks that perhaps, he was yelling at the memories of her that laid in his heart. At least yelling has made him feel a lot better. After staring out to the ocean, he goes back home and rests for the evening.

Hiro and Lumina remain quiet for several days. He wakes up, goes to work, and comes home to retreat to his room. He doesn’t even eat dinner, and resorts himself to eating out at Ruby’s inn. Each time he comes home, she wants to say something to him. But each time he comes home, she loses the nerve to say anything. But even though Hiro avoids speaking to her, he is not rude or blames her for anything. Lumina knows that he needs time to mourn and heal.

Summer is ending, and the leaves start to change slowly. One late summer morning, Lumina wakes up to start breakfast. She wonders if she should cook something for Hiro, but he hasn’t been eating at home. But as she gets dressed, she smells the scent of breakfast in the air. Curious to see what is going on, she walks out of her room and into the kitchen to find Hiro making breakfast on his own. He looks back at her, and Lumina gasps as she sees a warm smile she hasn’t seen in a few weeks.

“Good norming,” greeted Hiro. “I hope you don’t mind, but I made breakfast this morning. It’s nothing fancy, but I promise it’s good.

Lumina nods. She sits down as Hiro places a plate with toast with an egg sunny-side up. She takes a bite and smiles. There was purity in it's simplicity which she enjoys about his cooking. Hiro then sits and begins to eat himself. In between bites, he says, “hey Lumina, I want to thank you.”

“Thank me?” she answered. “But why?”

Hiro smiles and winks at her, “I think you know why.”

Lumina smiles as she realizes what is Hiro talking about. He is thanking her for being concerned about him and for helping him in his time of need. She sighs happily and continues eating. Without even realizing it, she found something else she liked about him. Slowly but surely, Hiro is starting to become precious to her. She only wishes that soon, he will feel the same way about her.