Until Then, Japan

Twenty Two

3rd Person's POV

"Look, I don't even know what happened! I was so down at that moment!" Ysabelle can barely breath as if she is about to hear something she shouldn't.

Her mom must have forgotten that she has answered the call and she cannot see anything. All Ysabelle could see was blue.

Maybe, her mom has picked up the phone while it was on silent mode and vibrated against her jeans.

"You should have told her sooner! Ysabelle has the right to know that she is adopted!" That was her supposed-to-be Aunt Phoebe's voice.

Ysabelle gasped and her eyes began to water. She is at the mall while Hanami excused herself to the bathroom because of an upset stomach.

"S-she can't know!" Her mom protested, voice hoarse. Then she heard someone crying. "I-I love her so much. She has been my world. I cannot afford to lose her."

"I came back here in the hopes of convincing you to tell her the truth. Her real parents are looking for her." Aunt Phoebe said soothingly.

"H-how?", was all that her mother could say, her voice still breaking.

"They are conducting a massive search for her all throughout Japan. They are powerful people." Aunt Phoebe sighed.

"I-I have heard about it in the CNN. It just didn't occurred to me that she will never be able to see me as her mother." Riva sobbed.

Ysabelle hung up her phone, stunned at the sudden discovery. She cried silently and people began to look but she just didn't care.

All her life, she was happy knowing she has a complete family.

A loving mother and a supportive father.

But, it never crossed her mind that she is adopted.

And now that she knew about it, she doesn't know what to feel and how to react.

Her heart is breaking into pieces.

She was able to catch a glimpse of her face in the mirror of a beauty shop across the place where she's waiting for Hanami.

Her then-long hair became short and her Asian features became more prominent.

Her neck appeared to be longer with her short hair and her eyes have indeed became smaller exposing her Japanese genes.

Wait? Is that what she has heard from her Aunt Phoebe?

Powerful couple in Japan?

Then, it dawned on her.

All the people surrounding her including Hanami's family saw resemblance between her and the former actress, Fumika Hikari.

Even her classmates noticed how she looked so much like the younger version of Hikari.

The connection she felt when they met in Asakusa Temple.

The unexplainable feeling of knowing her deep within her bones.

It was a strange yet comforting feeling.

But Ysabelle was torn.

She doesn't know what or how she will react when she sees Fumika Hikari again.

If what her Aunt Phoebe said about them being powerful people in Japan, they have every means to find her.

But, why can't they tell that it is her?

That she is their long-lost daughter?

How young was she when they separated from each other?

Was she not welcome in their family that they chose to let her go?

What happened in the past years?

Ysabelle wiped her tears and sniffed. She fixed her hair and face before standing up.

She began to walk outside the place and into the busy streets of Shibuya.

She wanted to be alone.

She cannot grasp the things she has learned today.

She still doesn't have the courage to confront her foster parents— yeah, her foster mom— in the Philippines about it.

She is not ready yet.

She will never be ready.

Ysabelle walked towards the sidewalk where people patiently wait for the stoplight to turn green for them to cross the street.

She waited. And waited.

But her attention is somewhere else.

Her mind was clouded with so much emotions that when she began crossing the street, a black limousine almost crashed into hers.

It was only a split second when she felt her arm being pulled out of the street and she turned wearily to the man who caught her just in time.

"Ysabelle! Are you alright?" The man looked familiar to her. "Hey, what's going on?"

She blinked, trying to remember him.
Then, she realized it was Vincent.

Vanna's half-brother.

"I-I'm ad—" she stuttered and then everything went black.

People started to talk when the famous Matsumoto couple entered the scene with their driver.

With Vincent still shocked at the remarks of Fumika Hikari, he managed to get into the limousine and make sure that the woman he likes is alright.

He just couldn't trust them like that.