"But why? I don't get it. You offered to stay before—"

"I'm moving back to the States," Naoki declares, his voice cracking. "I signed a contract."

Elle's breath catches, and the world crumbles before her. She leans against the wall, her legs feeling as brittle as glass, and the floodgates burst open.

"Until... Until when?" she asks weakly. "A year? I can do a year. I'll wait."

"Five years."

Elle hiccups, and she lets out a gut-wrenching sob. "Five years," she repeats. Tears stream down her face like a raging river, her sobs echoing off the alley walls.

"I signed the contract before I came here. I'm only here to cover for a senior," he explains, arms hanging limply on the sides, and his chin dipping low. "I didn't know we'd meet again. I'm sorry."

"No, it's not... Not you. It's me. Again," Elle replies ruefully. "I'm the reason I lose the people I love."

"Elle... You can keep me," Naoki mutters, taking her hand and placing it on his chest. "You can keep me. If you want."

The drumming of his heart is in sync with Elle's, every thump a declaration of yearning, of hope, of loss and grief. His touch is comforting, but it only serves to remind her of what she is about to lose.

Naoki has seen it coming, yet the third rejection is as scathing as the first and second ones, if not worse. Though he refuses to admit it, deep down, he has held onto the hope that someday, she would be with him, but from the beginning, just as he thought, they're two intersecting lines who aren't meant to be.

"It's alright, Elle. I get it."

"No, it's not alright," she weeps uncontrollably. She feels as if a part of her soul is being ripped away, and she can't bear the thought of losing Naoki again. "It's not."

She locks gazes with him, and when he begins to cry her insides disintegrate to dust. He pulls her closer, their foreheads touching, and he feels the warmth of his breath against her skin.

"I want to go, Naoki. I want to be with you..." Her voice trails off, choked with tears.

"That's good enough for me, Elle. That's all I need to hear," he whispers, his words a soothing balm to her wounded heart.

Fireworks explode, the cheers of the people around them arrive and encircle them, but nothing can drown out the sounds of their shattering hearts.

Elle sends a text to Zoe, informing her that she and Naoki are celebrating New Year's Eve together and requesting privacy. Zoe replies with hearts, oblivious that the space is meant for hiding what has transpired between them.

The couple sits on the curb of Session Road, sipping beer and soaking in the joyous atmosphere of the holiday. Naoki raises his bottle in a toast, and Elle mirrors his action.

"Cheers," Naoki says, and they click their drinks together and take a sip at the same time.

"Where in the US are you going exactly?" she asks.

"Washington DC."

"Ah."

"You can apply for Masters in Georgetown. Then take the bar exam."

"I guess I can," Elle replies with a touch of sadness.

They drink.

"I like your local beer here," Naoki mutters, reading the label of the bottle. "It's strong, but it tastes good. I'll miss a lot of things."

"Not the traffic."

"Except that," he concurs, grinning. "The food is great, too. I'm glad rice is also a staple here. And I can easily find noodles."

"You would've easily survived here."

"I would've. Even for the rest of my life."

Elle gulps, deliberately attempting to dissolve the lump forming at the back of her throat. She's close to dehydration. No more crying.

"Ready to go?" she suggests, getting up and brushing the dirt off her ripped jeans.

He pulls himself up as well. "I am."

As Elle twirls to head off, Naoki's voice cuts through the night air, calling her back. She halts mid-step, brows furrowing in curiosity.

"What?"

"Did I ever tell you I like that your hair is short?" he asks. "It brings me back to the day I fell in love with you."

The memories of that fateful evening they first met in Tokyo, the night that changed everything, flash before Elle, her heart swelling with a bittersweet mix of emotions. What was the point of it all? she wonders.

But the love she harbors is all-consuming and overpowering. She doesn't know how she was able to contain it all these years. She reaches her hand out. Naoki happily takes it, their fingers intertwined, and they stroll back to the hotel, intermittently exchanging furtive glances and tight-lipped smiles.

Elle and Naoki arrive in the room ten minutes later. They cross the door sill, the former switching the evening light on. Elle doesn't retreat to her usual spot on the floor with her laptop to create a barrier between them. Rather, she refuses to uncoil their fingers and draws Naoki toward her, and though he fidgets slightly, he doesn't resist the magnetic pull. The air is charged with anticipation, and neither of them can resist their desires any longer.

Elle beckons him into the bathroom without breaking eye contact. "Join me?" she asks, her voice sultry.

Naoki's pupils dilate at the invitation, his breaths coming in short gasps. As Elle runs her fingers through his hair and frees it from its constraints, Naoki shakes out his hair loose. He surrenders to her touch, his senses coming alive, and he cups her cheeks. In a swift motion, he captures her lips in a searing kiss.

Naoki's kisses are soft and deliberate, and Elle closes her eyes, relishing the fullness of his affection. She undresses him, pulling his T-shirt above his head. He reciprocates and peels off Elle's shirt, and he discards it carelessly to the floor.

Naoki moans quietly as she grazes her palms on his shoulder, her fingertips tracing the lines of his muscles. She claims his mouth briefly, unclasping her bra and standing before him completely naked.

Elle shivers under his gaze, her body begging for him. She turns the shower on and steps into the pouring water.

"What are you waiting for?"

Naoki sheds his remaining clothing, joins Elle, and shuts the shower door behind him.

Dawn inevitably arrives. The sky is in a deep shade of blue, casting a gentle glow that seeps into the room through the crevices of the curtains.

Nestled under the sheets, Elle and Naoki lie intertwined, lost in their own private world. Naoki strokes Elle's hair fondly, tucking a lock behind her ear, as she savors every detail of his expression, etching it into her memory. It's the face of the man she'll love for a lifetime despite the stacked odds. Though it may seem premature to declare, she senses it deep in her soul–no one else can fill the vast chasm that Naoki is about to leave behind.

"Eloise," he whispers. For the first time, her name doesn't make her grimace. "Why don't you use your real name? It's beautiful."

A wry smile plays on Elle's lips. "It's the only thing my biological parents left me before they dropped me off the orphanage. A name. And using it... It's as if they can lay claim to me. I don't want that. I wish Mama and Papa had legally changed it."

"I suppose," Naoki utters thoughtfully, his expression pensive. "But it suits you. You can make it your own. Do not associate it with them. I googled what it means when I first learned it and it said it's 'famous warrior' or 'healthy.'"

"I like 'famous warrior.'"

"Me, too. You're a fighter, Eloise. A true warrior."

Elle scoffs, and Naoki narrows his eyes.

"What? You don't believe me?"

"I've lost you twice, Naoki. I'm losing you again. Not sure that's something a fighter should be doing."

He suddenly pinches her cheek, and she squirms.

"Ouch!"

"No drama," he quips with a chuckle, pulling her closer to him. She snuggles into his embrace, burying her nose in the crook of his neck.

"Mama doesn't have anyone but me," she says quietly. "After they gave me everything... I—"

"You don't have to explain, Elle," he interjects kindly, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "But you have to know you couldn't have done anything to change what happened. It was beyond your control. I'm not saying this to convince you to come with me. But Elle—Eloise... You didn't take your father's life."

The wave of comfort that overwhelms Elle fills her eyes with fresh tears. She vowed to no longer cry whatever the reason could be, but it was something she needed to hear.

Every night, as soon as she closes her eyes, Eloise is transported back to the hospital room. She sees her father's face, contorted with pain, as he struggles to take a breath. She remembers the suffocating sensation of the personal protective equipment (PPE) that she had to wear just to be by his side, to comfort him in his final moments. And then he uttered those heartbreaking words–Elle had to be with her mother in his place.

Because he was going to die.

Her father had been healthy. He wasn't immunocompromised. He should have had at least another 20 or 30 years to live. His sudden, unfair death was excruciating for Elle, made all the more unbearable by the fact that she had not experienced any symptoms. She had not undergone any affliction. She had watched helplessly day by day as the Grim Reaper claimed her father, the most loving person in her life. And then, they couldn't even hold a proper funeral to say goodbye.

Naoki's tender kiss on her temple brings her back to the present, and she melts in his strong arms. She revels in the feeling of being held so tightly, as if nothing in the world could ever harm her, and she wishes she could freeze time, so she can bask in the love and security Naoki offers her.

A silent prayer Elle's lips, a plea for this moment to last for eternity. For now, she refuses to think about what comes next, about the inevitable goodbye that looms on the horizon.

Elle lifts her head, gazing at Naoki's eyes, and a shudder crawls up her spine.

"I love you," she states earnestly.

Naoki's response is instant and unwavering. He hugs her a little tighter and whispers to her ear, "I love you, too."