A Trip to Face the Past

The next few days felt like a blur to Akari. Breaking news, constant articles, and a flood of comments. Everything around her seemed to be racing forward while she was still trying to process.

To keep the syndicate from finding out who turned on them, the investigation released that the evidence was submitted through an anonymous tip. It was also to help keep some of the attention off Akari for the time being.

Jun did his best to keep her steady through the chaos - he took her phone, so the calls and notifications didn't reach her and hid the TV remote to prevent her from being consumed further into the headlines.

Even though Jun was by her side and he tried to shield her from the noise, Akari's mind was still too loud. There's no way my father would turn himself in... It's just another trap... They'll come after us again...

Jun noticed how her shoulders tensed, how her eyes stayed unfocused on the floor, how she wouldn't react right away when he called out to her. She looked like she was there physically, but inside she was drifting away.

"Akari." Jun called out but Akari didn't respond.

He moved closer, crouching in front of her to meet her line of sight. "Hey. Look at me."

Akari slowly blinked, as if surfacing from underwater, her gaze finally met Jun.

"Talk to me," Jun said gently. "what's going on in your head?"

Akari swallowed hard. "It just doesn't seem real... I can't trust it..." Her hands trembled slightly in her lap. "I don't see why my father would've done that after everything... What if it's all a trap? What if the syndicate has another plan and they come after us again?"

Jun's expression softened with a quiet ache. Seeing how much this all affected Akari made his chest hurt. "You're safe, Akari. I promise."

Her voice cracked. "You can't promise that..."

"I can." He placed a hand over hers, calming the trembles. "I won't let anyone hurt you anymore."

Akari's breath hitched. The quiet certainty in Jun's voice grounded her more than she realized, to the point she couldn't help but believe him.

"Thank you," she whispered. "for everything... I don't know what I would've done without you."

"And you won't have to find out."

"What?"

Jun held her gaze - steady, earnest, vulnerable in a way she wasn't used to seeing from him. "If you'd let me... I'll stay by your side."

Her heart caught in her chest, unsure of what to think and what she was allowed to hope for. "I thought that... That once the investigation was over you'd leave..."

He searched her eyes carefully. "Is that what you want?"

"Huh? I..." The words tangled in her throat as her pulse started to race. 

Jun didn't let her flounder. His voice low but certain as he leaned in. "I don't want to leave you."

Akari's breath stilled. Is he saying what I think he's saying or am I misreading this...? "I don't want to leave you either..." Her voice finally slipped out.

Jun's eyes softened with his gentle smile. "Can I take you somewhere?"

"Take me somewhere?"

"On a trip." He leaned back slightly to give her more space but not withdrawing his hand or warmth. "To celebrate your safety and the strength you have to have made it through this."

A trip? With Jun? "I'd like that..." The words came out before she could second guess them.

Jun stood, hesitantly withdrawing his hand. "I'll take care of everything. Once I'm discharged, we can go. Does that sound okay?"

Akari nodded, the tension in her body finally started to relax.

-

A couple of days later, Jun was discharged. The police concluded that they didn't need protection anymore with the case coming to a close. The syndicate had been dismantled and what little remained of it was being looked in to closely. The media also began to settle down around the case. 

Jun drove the two of them back to the onsen to collect their things. The older woman greeted them warmly, relieved to see them safe, though even happier to see them together.

Jun and Akari quickly gathered their things before getting back in the car. The car ride was quiet. Not awkward - the kind of silence that comes from enjoying each other's company.

Before Akari knew it they arrived at the airport. "Where are we going?"

Jun opened her car door. "It's a surprise."

Akari pouted as she got out of the car, adjusting her disguise. "It's not like I won't find out when we get to the gate..."

Jun grabbed their bags and locked the car. "Well then you can find out once we get to the gate."

The two of them checked in and made their way to the gate just in time to board. Akari quickly noticed the destination on the screen and froze:

Naha, Okinawa

A sudden ache filled her chest that made her stop in her tracks. "We're going to Okinawa...?"

Jun nodded cautiously, reading her expression. "I don't know if you're ready to go back, but will you trust me?"

Akari stared at the destination. Okinawa. The place she grew up. The place she ran from. The place filled with memories she couldn't escape. She didn't know if she was ready to go back.

Jun took a step closer, his voice steady. "We don't have to go. But if you decide to, remember I'll be there with you. You're not alone anymore."

Akari met his gaze. He wasn't pushing her. He wasn't forcing anything. He was simply offering. 

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. The memories she had spent years running from stirred violently at the thought of going back. She thought she had finally stopped running from the past, but with it staring back at her again, she realized she hadn't fully faced everything. 

But with Jun standing with her, she didn't feel as afraid as she used to. "I don't know if I'm ready..."

"That's okay. You don't have to be."

She hesitated before slowly reaching out and grabbing hold of Jun's sleeve. "But I want to try... As long as you're with me."

Jun's expression softened into something warm and quietly proud. He took her hand, their fingers naturally intertwining as he gave a reassuring squeeze. "Then let's go together."

Akari nodded, letting Jun guide her forward.

Together, they decided to take a trip to face the past.