.

.

.

.

..........M.E.R.I.D.I.A.N......L.I.G.H.T.S..........

.

.

"Ready?" Coach Edmund handled the luggage. The other support team waited around us with carts full of suitcases.

"I don't think so." I shook my head as I stayed rooted on the spot.

The airport staff talked on their earpieces as they managed the boarding area. The flight stewardess signaled us to proceed to the exit.

Coach Edmund tapped my shoulder reassuringly before ushering me outside the plane towards the jet bridge. A group of men in black suits surrounded us during our trek towards the gate.

As soon as we neared the terminal, flashes and the sound of shutters from countless cameras rang out. I faltered a bit on my step before Coach Edmund stabilized me. Thankfully, there were barriers between us and the Media. Either way, the bodyguards guided us as we made our way to the immigration area.

Voices intermingled as the reporters tried to interview me on the side. I just nodded and smiled politely at them triggering another wave of flashes from the cameras. There were even video cameras from major broadcasting networks situated in strategic locations, no doubt recording this event in a live broadcast.

An administrative airport official was waiting for us in the immigration area. The official led us to a side path where we bypassed the normal line. He then told us to wait inside a room. Some members of the Philippines Support Team handed our passports and visas to the airport staff.

Ten minutes later, we were free to go.

The bodyguards then guided us to the main hall of the airport. This time there were no barriers separating us from the other people. As soon as they, the media and the general masses, noticed our approach, excitement buzzed through the charged air and cheers and applause began to resound. Tons of flashes once again bombarded our direction as the people taking pictures doubled in numbers. Even the people not connected to the media had their cellphones out. Multicolored banners and posters were in their hands.

The people began to mob around our personal space. Aside from our personal bodyguards, other airport staffs joined the group to protect us from the mob. Coach Edmund and the Philippine Support Team also acted as a buffer between the crowd and I. It was a tight squeeze, with all these guards surrounding us, but we managed to get through the mass of people.

I tried my best to turn my head in all directions giving out warm smiles and polite nods. Most of these people had taken the time and effort to wait here so I wanted to give them something in return.

Finally, the door closed as the team entered a black van.

"Whew." Coach Edmund let out an exhausted breath, leaning heavily on his seat. The others were in various states of exhaustion as well. That was a pretty intense experience. It was the first time for me to be mobbed like that.

"Where to now?" I asked as I noticed the van wasn't heading to the usual path.

"ABS-CBN. They won the bid for the first interview. We can only do one interview tonight." My personal agent for Sponsor Works, Eric Lito, was already sitting on the shotgun seat when we arrived in the van. He was currently checking that little black planner of his.

"Oh." I nodded in understanding. My stomach began to rumble. "Can we Drive-Thru McDonald's first? I'm starving. And I think I'm not the only one," I added amused as I saw the others perk up.

"Sure thing. They can wait." Eric smiled through the front mirror. He was a pretty cool guy. Unlike the other agents, he was young being only in his mid-20's.

"I want a Big Mac and that's that." Coach Edmund was still leaning heavily on his seat with closed eyes.

"Give me two of those," One of the members joked around causing the others to laugh.

*****

My schedule throughout the whole week, nay, the whole month, had been jam-packed crazy.

I became a curiosity in the eyes of the Filipino people.

It was the first time that a Filipino won a medal and gained prestige in a major international skating competition like the Junior World Championships.

Various TV stations sent out requests for interviews. My sponsor works practically tripled. I even had to attend public events where officials gave me certificates of appreciations or medals of prestige. There were even shiny trophies given here and there.

The people generally wanted to know about me.

In a way, ice skating became more popular due to my victory in the Junior Worlds. It's to the point that it greatly bothered me during my practice sessions with Coach Edmund in the mall rink.

:(

:D

:<

:>

Yes, we sometimes text like illiterate individuals.

Did we bother about wasting the expensive costs of international texts?

Slightly.

We should really get a social media platform.

Yuzuru was upset because I hadn't been able to reply as frequently. He, of all people, understood the things that I was going through at the moment because he basically had this kind of schedule ever since he was a kid. Well, aside from the sponsor works.

I miss you :)

I typed in a smiley face again. This adorable brat really needed to be babied sometimes.

I miss you too :(

Another message came before I could reply.

What's going on in your life right now?

That's a loaded question, lol!

I typed in another text.

Well, I have to do attend some events here and there. Could hardly skate at all in Malls now. There's always tons of crowds around... I can't train at all... :/

That sucks. Come back to Japan. You said you'll visit Sendai.

As much as I would love to, I can't. Graduating Student here, remember?

How many more months? 2?

1 and a half.

I quickly typed, before sending in another reply.

Still have to finish a few projects and attend JS Prom. Then the teachers will unleash hellish exams... D:

Sighing at the mere thought of exams, I returned back to eating my Pistachio Ice Cream.

Direct from the bucket.

I'm cool like that.

It became a habit of mine to devour Pistachio ice cream whenever I get stressed out. My mother often wondered how I don't get fat from all the foods that I was eating. I also often told her that I do get fat. I just exercised a lot and lose those fats by undergoing my usual training regimen.

Another message came to my phone.

Prom? You going?

Yep. I missed last year remember? Wanna experience it. Got the gown and all. :)

It took a while before Yuzuru replied again.

Who with? that Mike guy?

Lol! you still remember that?

I let out a chuckle as I replied back.

I don't know, some guys asked me out. I just want to go with a friend. Don't want to make things awkward. Hm... still thinking if I should go with Basketball Mike.

After several minutes, Yuzuru still didn't reply.

I shrugged my shoulders before I went to the kitchen to get some chips.

Crispy potato chips dipped with Pistachio ice cream?

Oh my god. Heaven.

I returned to my room before I set up my PlayStation 3.

Shoma officially corrupted me into gaming. I especially came to love JRPGs. My all-time favorites were the Final Fantasy series and Tales series. Not to mention the Persona series. I got a new game called Persona 4 a week ago, and now I was absolutely addicted to it.

My phone notified again.

Don't go.

What?

What do you mean?

I raised my brows in a healthy mix of confusion and perplexity.

Yuzuru didn't reply again that night.

*****

It's been three weeks since I last heard from Yuzuru.

He hadn't replied to any of my texts since then. He didn't even answer my calls. Let alone return it.

I was hurt.

I was mad.

I was feeling tons of negative emotions.

It didn't help that it's also been a month since I was able to get on the ice.

Every time I went to the ice rink, I always get bombarded by guest skaters. They disrupted my practice. The yellow cones that Coach placed for me were ignored and they followed me wherever I go. There were also plenty of personal cameras directed at me every time I practice that it made me uncomfortable.

Hey, what's up...-

I erased the words.

What's going on-

I deleted it again.

Did I do something wrong?-

Exclaiming in frustration, I turned off my phone and threw it on my desk. It clattered loudly as it skidded near the edge of the table.

I hugged my big Chopper stuffed toy before I buried my face on my pillow.

I don't care.

I really don't care.

I hate hi-...

No, I didn't.

Groaning loudly, I got up from the bed and turned my phone on.

Ding~

My heart skipped a beat as I received a message.

Before it fell down once again.

Hey, it's Mike, just want to ask... next week... Prom?

Sitting back down on my bed, I read the message again and again. Some guys back at school asked me out to the prom. Mike was the first one who asked so I was thinking of accepting his invite.

Hesitantly, I hover my finger to the keypads.

Why am I...?

I wanted to go to the prom.

Ever since I stepped to high school, it was always skating, dance classes, ballet classes, and sponsor works.

I love my life. But I also want to experience what normal high school students normally did. That's the main reason why I wanted to go to the JS Prom.

I had the gown.

I had the accessories.

Hell, I even had the corsage.

Yes, I bought my own corsage.

So...

Why...?

My hand trembled.

Then I wrote my reply.

Sorry.

*****

"You let The Basketball Mike go?" Gizelle exaggerated, her hands raised in astonishment. Her boyfriend, Gio, sat beside her at our table. I didn't know what his thoughts were regarding his girlfriend going gaga over another guy.

We were currently sitting in our usual table in the cafeteria. Somehow, our conversation went to the upcoming JS Prom.

All my friends had dates. Gizelle with her boyfriend, Gio. While Jason and Carla decided to go as friends. Forgot to mention that Vivian and Charles were an item.

"Don't forget that you're talking to The Elana Ferrer." Charles sarcastically raised a brow at her.

"Yeah. I know that. Duh." Gizelle rolled her eyes, before turning to me once again. "But girl! You don't have a date!" Some people glanced at our table as she exclaimed.

"Louder, please. Dig it deeper." I deadpanned at her. "Deeper," I emphasized.

Gizelle spluttered incredulously. Her boyfriend sighed, patting her on the back.

"Ok. Chill," Vivian calmly intervened, twirling her straw around her glass.

"Yeah, it's not the end of the world. If you want, you could go with me and Jason," Carla piped up from the side as she scanned her Facebook page.

"Oooh. Threesome." Jason grinned and looked up from the mountain of chips on his plate. He perversely wiggled his brows.

"Ew. Stop talking." Carla sassily held up her hand against Jason.

*****

It's Judgement Day.

D-day.

Prom Day.

Yet, here I was, sitting glumly alone in front of my mirror table.

My gown was expansively laid out on my bed. The heels placed on the floor beside it. The accessories scattered on my desk.

Someone knocked on my door.

"Elana," Mom softly called out, peering in the room.

Still staring at my pathetic self at the mirror, I didn't bother to reply. I was just too tired.

It was the first time that I realized that emotional exhaustion was more severe than physical ones.

It was also more painful.

Damn him.

Mom sat down beside me on the narrow bench.

"It's 6 pm already." Mom laid her hand on top of mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. "If you want to attend your prom, you need to be getting ready soon."

Looking down at my lap, my shoulders sagged a bit as a faltering sigh escaped me. My eyes reddened a little due to the force of emotion swirling inside my chest. We stayed silent for a moment or so before Mom raised her hand and lightly placed it over my shoulders.

"Do you still want to go?"

I tried to reply but my mouth felt heavy as it remained shut.

"Or..." Mom laid her chin on my shoulder as she hugged me by her side. "We can binge-watch those sappy romance chick-flicks or maybe even one of those corny comedies that your father likes to watch secretly?"

The corner of my mouth slightly perked as a huff of mirth escaped me.

"I also bought ice cream."

...

"Pistachio?"

"And Coffee Crumble."

"Deal."

*****

I graduated two weeks ago, and now I was back in Japan.

Before I left the Philippines, my parents talked to me regarding my plans for the future. I hadn't applied to any universities in the Philippines as of yet. They expressed the importance of education and a university degree.

Direct from the heart, I told them I wanted to focus on my skating. I wanted to know just how far I could reach in my athletic career. Compromising on their side, I promised that next year, I would sign up for university and do whatever it takes to finish my chosen degree.

In the end, they agreed to let me take a year off from education.

The media had a field day about this. Some people criticized my decision, others praised my commitment to my career, while the remaining few simply didn't care and just sat back to watch the show.

However, I stood by my decision. This was my life.

As long as I was not intruding on someone else's life, then they better not intrude on mine. My family, friends, and the rest of the Philippine team supported my back as the news made waves in my country.

Another important meeting took place before my departure from the Philippines.

The Philippine Skating Federation invited the entire Philippine team for a conference. They carefully deliberated my performance and urged me to turn senior. I didn't know if I was ready to go senior.

Sure, I won silver but the senior level skaters could match the scores that I got easily enough and still be ranked in the 15th or so place. That's why my hesitation on this topic was valid.

Near the end of the conference, the administrative officials finally revealed their cards. They wanted me to compete in the upcoming Winter Olympics.

I nearly choked on the water I was drinking.

Good thing Coach rapidly patted my back.

When I first started skating, the Olympics never came to mind. Back then, I never even had any intention to compete locally. I guess everyone knew that though.

However, once I started competing, I would be lying if I said that the Olympics wasn't a goal. I think every athlete who competed internationally had the Olympic Dream somewhere down the road.

But to compete in the Winter Olympics in the first season I turn senior?

That was very laughable in all aspects. Even Coach Edmund, one of my most avid supporters, had a funny look on his face.

In this case, I had a few options.

First, I could decline and just stay junior.

Second, I turn senior but I don't go to the Olympics.

Third, I turn senior and aim to qualify for the Olympics.

The Philippine Skating Federation didn't have complete control over their players unlike other federations, such as the Japanese Skating Federation.

They normally didn't bother with the skater's decision. The Philippines also didn't have skating agencies like other countries. That was why every decision made by Philippine figure skaters were for them to discern alone.

At most, the Federation would support the skaters who competed internationally by giving them a support team to accompany them. Aside from that, they were mostly hands-off in their approach.

The Federation tried so hard to appeal to me the advantages of turning senior and aiming for an Olympic spot.

In my first senior season.

No matter how they word it, I couldn't see the appeal at all.

In the end, they gave me a few days to think about it.

"You could try to go for it," Coach Edmund told me as we took a break from practice. We were currently lounging in the staff room. From outside the windows, I could see some cameras trying to take pictures of us.

"And embarrass myself?" I turned my back from the windows. Let them have a difficult time capturing shots of me. I was polite to the general public but one could only take so much before the constant attention and blatant invasion of privacy started to grate on their nerves.

"It's just a thought." Coach shrugged, his hands on the pockets of his jacket as he leaned back on the couch. "An ambitious thought, yes. But, there's no harm done trying. You could use this experience the next time you're truly ready for it."

Silence descended with the clock ticking in the background.

"I won't win gold," I uttered, shaking my head.

"Who said anything about gold?" Coach Edmund grinned at me. "With your current skills, it will be very hard to medal. We don't even know if you'll get a qualifying spot."

With that conversation, I decided to go for it.

Coach Edmund was right.

There was no harm done trying.

That was why I was back in Nagoya to train for the Nebelhorn Trophy that would be held several months later.

My steps and spins took a back seat in my training. I needed to focus on my jumps, particularly, the triple Axel.

Swoosh!

I landed the triple Axel on two feet.

Groaning, I patted my knees before circling around the rink.

I readied my position and then jumped.

I popped midair.

Panting heavily, sweat dripped between my eyes obstructing my vision. I went to the rinkside and wiped my sweat with my hand towel.

"Your axis is off," Coach Omura commented, before teaching me how to do the Axel again. I nodded as I listened intently to her instructions.

The whole day, I only practiced the triple Axel. If I wanted to have a chance to qualify in the Olympics, then I seriously needed to master this jump before Nebelhorn.

The Axel had the highest points given out of all the jumps. It would be a great advantage to include this in my jump list.

I was gliding around the ice aimlessly when my thoughts intruded in an unwanted territory.

It had been two months since that guy contacted me.

Which guy?

Psh, I don't even remember his name.

Han-who?

Yuzu-who?

Yeah, I was acting childish.

But I didn't care.

If he didn't care about me, then I hella didn't care about him too.

Even if I didn't have anything left, at least I still had my pride and dignity intact.

There was no way in hell will I, Elana Ferrer, go on a long trip to Sendai, in Miyagi prefecture, search around the Ice Rink Sendai, get his address, go march up towards his home and knock on the door while demanding he explained himself once and for all!

...

That was strangely specific.

...

Moaning in frustration, I slapped my cheeks in an attempt to get myself together.

I didn't have the time to think about that MMH-Who guy.

That same MMH-Who guy who's constantly on the TV ever since I went back to Japan, like every time I turned on the TV, his face just kept on suddenly appearing like a horrible Jack-in-the-Box rendition.

Laughing that dorky laugh of his without a care in the world. Even hanging out with that Kanako girl, who's in the same club as I mind you, as they teased each other on a live broadcast.

Wow, the bitterness was strong within me.

Suddenly, I felt guilty.

Kanako had nothing to do with my feud with that MMH-Who guy. It would be unfair to drag her into this mess and think of her like this.

I mentally apologized profusely to her.

Where's Shoma when you need him?

My personal stress ball was missing.

Shaking my head, I readied myself again before charging on the ice and jumping the triple Axel.

I landed, but nearly stumbled on the end as my knee buckled.

"You're doing it wrong."

My heart skidded to a halt.

...

I did what other sensible human beings would do.

I got up and swiftly slid away to the far side of the rink.

"Era," I heard him calling out behind my back.

To other people, it was a huge possibility that we made a pretty funny sight - which wasn't funny to me at all - as we seemingly made a game of tag, with me hurriedly gliding away while he kept on chasing after outside the rink.

My clear advantage here was that I was on skates and he wasn't. When I noticed that I tired him out sufficiently, I broke out into a fast slide towards the exit on the other end of the rink.

"Era! Wait!"

Walk away, boy. Walk away.

I wasn't in the mood to converse with him.

When I was lost in thought earlier, I thought I could confront him head-on. However, when the person itself showed up, I just couldn't.

I might do something I would regret later on.

Ugh, why do I care?

It escaped my mind that it was my turn to slow down when I got off ice due to the same reason I successfully evaded him.

I was on skates.

Damn it all.

Snatching up my blade covers, I quickly covered my skates before striding down into a fast trot towards the locker rooms.

Unfortunately, he soon caught up to me as he sprinted on the ground.

"Era. Stop." Yuzuru grabbed my arm which I quickly shrugged off.

"Get off. Go away," I snapped shortly.

"Era." Yuzuru intercepted, blocking my way.

"I don't know you. Shoo." I furiously waved him off before I tried to go around him but he blocked my path again.

"Let me explain." His hands consolingly grabbed my arms as he stopped me.

"Go back to Sendai." I smacked his hands away from me.

"I thought you didn't know me?" Yuzuru grinned weakly. He firmly clasped my hands with his.

"You! You!" My breath came out in angry pants as I snarled at him. "Jerk!"

The other club members were starting to notice our altercation from the sides. I tried to tug my hands away from him but he held them in a vice grip. My face flushed even more in a large dose of anger and humiliation.

I was seriously this close to kicking him where it hurts.

"Elana. Hanyu-san." Coach Omura approached cautiously approached sensing the tension between us. She was unsure what to think of in this situation. "Is there something the matter here?"

"Yes-!"

"No."

"Coach, get me away from this guy please." I tried to retain my calm lest I start rampaging on him. I turned my attention to Coach Omura, still trying to slip my hands free.

"I just want to talk," Yuzuru quickly said, tightening his grip on my hands.

"Wow! That's rich! Coming from you." I furiously scowled at him.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright?"

"That's enough. I think it's better if you two settled this privately," Coach Omura intervened, placing a firm hand on both our shoulders.

We were at a standstill as the tension permeated the air. A moment had passed as I stared hard at the ground refusing to meet his eyes. Swallowing with difficulty, I grimaced as I nodded my assent.

Yuzuru slowly let my hands go.

Straightening up my posture, I held my head high as I grabbed my belongings and led the way to the girls' locker room with Yuzuru closely following on my heels. I felt him hesitate as he saw the girls sign. I was hoping that he'll wait outside but he, unfortunately, followed me in anyway.

Thankfully for him, there was no one inside the locker area.

Heading over to my locker, I took out my duffel bag then changed out of my skates into a pair of rubber shoes. I placed the remaining belongings inside the bag. My back was to Yuzuru as I tried to prolong our moment of confrontation.

Eventually, I heard the scuffles of his shoes on the ground as he fidgeted on the spot.

"I'm sorry."

Mindlessly fiddling inside my bag, I continued to ignore him since I didn't trust myself at the moment. I didn't know how I would react talking to him face to face. I frowned as I saw the Pooh keychain he gave still hanging on the sling of my bag.

"You're right. I'm a jerk." He sighed heavily. I stiffened as I heard him come near me. "I didn't mean to. I... I just..."

Zipping my bag close, I threw it on the bench. I turned my head to the side, still not facing him directly. "You didn't mean to? What Yuzuru? What's your excuse?" I narrowed my eyes coldly.

Yuzuru shook his head and gazed at me with downcast eyes.

"I didn't want to... limit you."

"Limit? What are you talking about?" I finally turned to him, scowling at him indignantly.

Yuzuru opened his mouth before closing it again. He shook his head before gazing at me with downcast eyes.

"I didn't want to be selfish." He struggled on his words, his brows furrowing as he painfully gazed at me.

"Ain't that a little late? So you're saying that ignoring my texts and calls for the past two months wasn't selfish-"

"You don't understand," he vehemently denied.

"Yes, I don't understand." My hands clenched into tight fists at my sides. "I don't understand how you could do this to me. You basically ignored me for two whole months, Yuzuru!"

My eyes burned hotly and I felt very embarrassed as tears started to make its way down my cheeks. Furiously wiping at my eyes, I tried to stop myself from crying but the tears just continued to flow.

Great, just great.

I was crying in front of a guy three years younger than me. The same guy who basically ignored my existence for months.

Where the hell is your pride, woman?

"Don't cry," Yuzuru dejectedly pleaded as he tried to reach for me. "Please don't cry."

"It's all your fault." I angrily swatted his hands away.

"Yes, it's my fault. I'm so sorry," he consoled me, "I'm an idiot, Era."

"It's like..." Remembering the past couple of months, I laughed at myself in derision as I thought back as to how awfully affected I was. "It's like I'm the only one who felt bad about this. I didn't even go to the prom."

"You didn't?" Yuzuru raised his brows in surprise, a hint of relief showing in his eyes, before shaking his head firmly as he refuted my statement. "And that's not true. I was very sad. I felt like hell warmed me over."

"Yeah? Didn't look like it. I always see you smiling on TV." Bitterness swelled in my chest as a new wave of tears appeared in my eyes. I bit my lip and turned my head away from him.

"That Yuzuru just learned how to mask his emotions." He looked at me with downcast eyes as he uncertainly stepped closer to me. "Era... you had become very important to me. I care about you... so much. So, please, don't ever think that I didn't feel like crap the past couple of months."

Gradually, he came near me again as he tried to sense the situation. His hands tentatively moved at his sides, seemingly wanting to reach out for me. He took a shuddering breath before he began.

"I didn't contact you because I was afraid of limiting you. I was afraid that you would hate me for being selfish." He gazed directly at my confused eyes as he uttered these words. Conflict was clear in his eyes as he tried to convey his side. "I don't want you going out with that guy. I don't want you near those other guys."

"Back then, I realized that I became very possessive when it comes to you, Era. I also became very afraid that you would hate me for it. Afraid that you won't want anything to do with me anymore." He swallowed with difficulty. He lightly tilted the corner of his lips in self-disdain. "I'm a coward for doing that to you."

"When I heard that you're back in Japan... I couldn't stay away anymore." Yuzuru, now standing directly in front of me, softly touched my hands with his. "I want you near me. I want you by my side. I want to hear your laugh again. I want to see you smile."

My breath faltered haltingly as a heavy truck of emotions invaded me.

"I want a lot of things from you," Yuzuru's eyes reddened a little as he whispered these words, "I want to be selfish and care for you."

"Please..." Yuzuru tightened his grip on my hands. I could feel the slight tremble that coursed through him. "Please, give me another chance."

What I felt in that situation was indescribable.

It felt like a bubble burst forth as I began to sob in earnest. Feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, joy, relief, and happiness intermixed within me in dizzying heights.

I covered my face with my hands in shame. I wasn't very emotional to start with, I rarely even cried in the past. Deep in my mind, tears were a sign of weakness, and the one thing that I hated most was being considered weak.

That sense of vulnerability stopped as I was engulfed in a warm embrace. A strong sense of security was cast over my being like I could weather the storms that would eventually come my way as long as he was beside me. I hated feeling this way, to be so dependent on someone else. But he just makes it so easy to be leaned on. To be depended on.

"I don't like you very much right now." I continued to sob against his chest. I felt his hand gently rubbing the back of my head. "I'm not forgiving you yet."

"I know." His arms tightened around me. His chin coming to rest on top of my head as he held me close. This brat had another growth spurt.

"You're so tall!" I blubbered pathetically again, lightly thumping his chest in grievance. "Stop it. It's annoying."

I felt his shoulders shake in mirth.

"I can't exactly stop my body from growing." He pulled back a little, his face was still near my own. He held my face between his hands as his thumbs tenderly wiped the tears from my flushed cheeks.

"From now on. I will be selfish," he quietly promised, gazing directly at me with a serious glint in his eyes. A tingle ran down my spine throwing my mind once again in a state of confusion. "Truly, be selfish." A new found confidence entered his voice.

Disconcerted on the complexity of my feelings, I lightly pushed him away but he held me close and steady in return.

"You're so bad to me." Tears clung to the tips of my lashes. My face dusted in pink from being so emotional earlier on. "Bully," I mumbled softly as I averted my eyes.

"Bully?" He tried to give me one of his mischievous smirks. It didn't come as playful as before as the corner of his eyes were still a bit red. Nevertheless, I instantly became alert, wondering what he's up to this time. "Hm, if I am a bully to you... then I won't be a bully to anyone else. That's a promise of a lifetime."

...

"I really don't understand you sometimes."

"I'll wait until you do."

.

.

..........M.E.R.I.D.I.A.N......L.I.G.H.T.S..........

.

.

(I wanted to continue until Nebelhorn but that last statement felt like a really good ending.)

(I was seriously hesitating writing that conflict in this chapter. Did I make it too cheesy? I need to pull back if I did. On the other hand, I felt that it was a necessary scene for them to develop their relationship. Mostly for Yuzuru.)

( '∀｀)σ)∀')