For years she has been by my side. For years we fought together to keep everything we knew and held dear. My family has been restored and we’re on the verge of expecting a new addition to the Ichinomiya family. One month pregnant Vivian has been excitingly anticipating our anniversary this year and I am not one to disappoint. I just hope the others don’t ruin it.
‘Where are we going Eisuke? And why did you blindfold me?’
I stifle a chuckle as I keep my eyes on the road instead of my adorable wife.
‘Don’t worry, we’re almost there.’
‘But where is there Eisuke?’ Vivian whines. Her face is lightly tinged with pink ever since I had blindfolded her back at the penthouse.
‘Eisuke what are you doing?’ she asked as I turned her around in our bedroom. I smooth out a black blindfold in my hands.
‘Close your eyes.’ Whether or not she obeyed me is of no concern to me as I cover her eyes with the blindfold.
‘W-why did you blindfold me?!’ I feel myself smirk at the sight and hug her gently from behind.
‘You are not allowed to see the surprise. I’ll tell you when to take it off.’
‘Are we there yet?’ Vivian asked.
I park the car and help Vivian out of the car. I lead her to the entrance where Eiji, Akira and Yukari stand smiling. Everybody else is in position and now for the game to begin. I nod to Eiji and head to the exit of the maze.
‘What is going on?’ I ask, blindly waving my arms around trying to feel for any object.
‘Happy Anniversary Vivian!’ I hear a chorus of voices shout out.
Somebody finally takes off the blindfold. I rub my eyes and look around.
‘Huh? Yukari? Akira? Eiji? What are you all doing here? Where am I? And where’s Eisuke?’ I say, quickly giving them tight hugs.
‘And thank you!’ I smile at them.
‘Welcome Mrs Vivian Eisuke Ichinomiya to the Maze of Love!’ Akira says, bowing theatrically.
‘Akira.’ Eiji chuckles at Akira.
‘Sorry. I mean, the Maze of True Love.’ Akira laughs. Yukari turns me to face her.
’You have to go through the maze and find brother. His friends are in the maze too and will give you questions which you need to answer.’
‘If you successfully answer the questions, then you will get a special present. There are 4 presents in the maze and then race to the exist to see your anniversary surprise!’ Eiji enthusiastically explains.
‘Here take this.’ Akira hands me a phone.
‘There is one contact in this phone. You are only allowed to call this number once.’
‘You’ll find out. Only use it when you are stuck.’
‘Use your pager to speak to brother’s friends if you get lonely. Have fun!’ Yukari says before pushing me into the large, green maze.
I've been wandering the maze for a while but I haven't seen anyone yet. Yukari said that I can use the pager to communicate with the bidders but as soon as I turned it on, they quickly became irritating so I turned it off. I placed it inside my pocket and continued to wander for a while.
I’ve been following my gut this whole time but I still feel pretty lost. I stop, take the pager out and turn it on.
‘Vivian?’ I hear Baba's surprised voice.
‘Finally! I can't believe you turned us off.’ Ota says.
‘You two were… breaking my concentration.’ Is all I say before I hear more voices -well more like laughter.
‘Kishi!’ I yell and he shouts.
‘Soryu! If I had known you guys were on as well I wouldn't have turned the pager off.’ I say, pouting to no one but myself.
‘What?! Aren't we important Vivian?’
‘Not when you're distracting me,’ I say. My feet have led me another dead end but then I hear a scream close by.
‘Of course the lazy smoker is in trouble.’ I hear Soryu say. I sprint in the direction of the shout and hear Mamoru scream out in irritation.
‘Lazy smoker?! I'll show you a lazy smoker!’ I turn right to see him stamping on a piece of cloth.
‘What happened?!’ I ask as I run over to him.
‘Geez, you found me quick, kid.’
‘She found Mamo already?!’
‘Sor, you better be hidden well.’
‘I thought the whole point of this was to help Vivian.’
‘Yeah, it is.’ I continue to look at Mamoru and he finally lets out the truth.
‘Ah, my cigarette caught fire on my handkerchief. I was just putting it out before the flames could spread.’ He says, scratching his head.
‘Well, at least you're not hurt,’ I say after I sigh exasperatingly.
‘Course not. I'm a detective. I wouldn't let a small fire kill me so don't worry about me kid.’ He said.
‘She's not worried about you. Vivian's just nice at heart.’ Soryu said.
‘Aren’t you meant to give me a question?’ I ask.
‘Oh yeah. Here.’ Mamoru hands me a card and I flip it over.
What statue did you break when you entered my life?
I recognise Eisuke’s handwriting immediately. A statue?
‘Oh! The Glass Statue of Venus!’
‘You got it right kid, here.’ Mamoru hands me a little bag. I put my hand in to find a ring with an amethyst gem in the middle.
‘Oh wow! It’s beautiful!’
‘Probably worth millions so keep it safe. And don’t lose it in this maze!’ Mamoru tussles my hair.
‘Hey! Not the hair! I spent hours on this.’ I pout, smoothing the hair strands down.
‘Well that’s one question kid. Time to move on.’
I didn’t even know it but the moment I turn a corner a few minutes later, I bump into Ota.
‘Ota! Why are you running?!’
‘Ah, sorry Koro! I was flipping my paint brush and it flew past you.’
‘It did?’ Sure enough, I look behind me and see a long brush on the ground.
‘Ota, did you hurt Vivian?’ Soryu’s voice comes out through the pager.
‘No! She’s fine! She didn’t even hit the ground!’ He says defensively.
‘Anyway, here’s your question.’ Ota walks back to his spot on the ground and hands me another card with a spade symbol on it.
When was the first time you were introduced as mine to the public?
‘Was it Akria’s birthday celebration?’ I ask.
‘Oh yay! I nearly forgot about that day. It was insane, all the press taking photos of me.’
‘Trying to more likely. Eisuke had your face blurred out until his announcing of his engagement with you.’ I hear Baba’s voice say.
‘Yep. Here’s your present.’ I take the small bag from Ota’s hands.
‘Did you make it?’ I ask.
‘Nope. Eisuke bought it but I didn’t make it.’ He says, sitting crossed-legged on the ground.
My hand plunges into the bag and pulls out a little glass figurine of a dolphin. A small note is attached to it. Remember the dolphin watching us outside the submarine?
‘Oh, this is beautiful! I remember when this happened too! The dolphin gave me such a fright.’ I say, turning it over and feeling its smooth surfaces.
‘What kind of stuff did you do with Eisuke Vivian, huh?’ Baba asks.
‘Shut up Baba, nobody cares about your fetishes.’ Ota says into the pager.
‘Hey! They’re not fetishes! It’s called curiosity!’
‘That’s even worse!’ Mamoru’s voice calls out.
Only Baba and Soryu left. I wander around for a little before finding a little area in the corner of the maze.
‘Baba? Is that you?’ A figure in red turns around and gets on his knee.
‘Far maiden, are you lost? Shall I bring you back to the light?’ Baba holds out his hand, expecting me to take it.
‘Stop with your antics Baba. Just give her the question.’ Soryu says. Baba frowns, pretending to wipe tears from his face.
‘Oh come on! Can’t I have this one thing?’
‘No.’ Everybody’s voices ring out loudly.
‘Sorry Baba. Let’s see the question!’ I say enthusiastically, attempting to lift his spirits.
What did you lose that I walked into a fountain for?
‘My engagement ring! It got loose because I lost weight and fell into the fountain and Eisuke got it for me.’ I would never be able to lose that memory because it was so unusual of him to do something like that.
‘Yeah, we we’re all pretty shocked to hear Eisuke do that for you right out in public like that.’ Baba says.
‘You guys teased him for weeks after.’
‘Obviously. He kept leaving the room whenever we mentioned it. But it was hilarious blackmail material!’ Ota laughs. Suddenly, Baba hands me a little box.
‘Your just reward, my fair-‘
‘Shut up!’ Their voices echo out and we burst out laughing. Inside the box is a small keyring photo of Eisuke sleeping.
‘OH! This is so cute! Where did you get this photo?!’
‘Don’t tell Boss this, but I took it when you were away for a family event. Eisuke was so miserable without you that I needed evidence of it.’
‘Eisuke’s seen the photo and made me delete it, but Ota and I kept a copy to give to you.’ He pats my head and I give him a smile.
‘Thank you! I’ll treasure this forever!’
Just one more to go now. Soryu has to be here somewhere. I’ve travelled quite far into the maze now. Every wall seems to look the same but I feel like I’m making progress.
‘Soryu, do you want to just tell me where you are to avoid all this wandering around?’ I ask.
‘No.’ A short and crisp answer, which is basically what I expected from him.
‘Oh come on Sor! Give her a hint!’ Baba protests. I hear Soryu sigh on the other end of the pager.
‘I’m in the middle.’ He says.
‘… I don’t kn- Oh hey! I found you.’ I say. Soryu is sitting at a desk with Inui and Samejima.
‘Hello Miss Vivian!’ Inui says, waving at me adorably. Samejijma gives me a nod and a shy smile.
‘I didn’t know you two where going to be here as well.’
‘They both followed me in here. Inui got lost in the maze when we were setting this up for you.’ Soryu rubs the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed for his subordinates.
‘Haha, that’s okay. The more the merrier! So, question time.’ I say.
‘Here it is!’ Inui hands me a white card and I flip it over.
How did I make you mine the first time?
‘What does that mean? The first time? What is he referring to?’ I ask myself.
‘First time might mean before you both got together.’ Samejima suggests.
‘Hmmm….’ When I realised that I loved Eisuke, he pushed me away to protect me. At that time, Takahiro confessed his love for me. And that’s when…
‘OH! Eisuke came running from the hotel to the boardwalk where I was that night! He confessed that he wanted me and would give me all the happiness in the world.’ I say and the two young mobsters look at me like goldfish.
‘Woah! Mr Ichinomiya is a romantic!’
‘Boss sure is.’ Baba laughs from the pager.
‘Eisuke wouldn’t admit it though, even when Vivian told us!’ Ota says.
‘Anyway, here’s your last reward. Now you have to make your way to the exist.’ Soryu says, handing me a small bag. I pull out a hair clip with a red bow which has a diamond in the middle.
‘Awww, this is so cute!’ I clip the bow into my hair.
‘Well, better get going or you’ll miss your surprise.’
I’ve been walking around the maze for nearly an hour now. It’s been ages since I left Soryu and haven’t seen anyone else. I feel like I’m on a hike rather than in a maze!
What did Soryu mean by surprise?
Finally at my limit, I sit down on the ground. I wasn’t given a map or any directions. All the hedges look the same green and the ground is just… well, the ground. I can’t see over the walls and I can’t do anything about the dull ache in my feet.
‘Eisuke… what should I d- OH! The phone!’ I take out the phone that has the one contact number in. And I have a feeling I know who it is.
‘Eisuke!’ I shout out and jump to my feet.
‘Help me! I don’t know where I am or where to go!’ I nearly burst out in tears at my predicament. I hear Eisuke sigh on the other end of the call.
‘Calm down. I know where you are. Follow my instructions.’
‘Okay.’ I pick up my things and head off.
‘Turn left. Then right. And keep going to the end, don’t stop. Vivian! I just said don’t stop!’ Eisuke’s voice echoes across as the maze as I put him on speaker.
‘Sorry! I was adjusting my shoes! I think I stepped on a pebble.’
‘I will. I am! I’m always careful Eisuke.’ I hear him chuckle.
‘Oh really? You nearly tripped just walking up the stairs a few days ago.’
‘I was… distracted… by… the others.’
‘I’ve never heard you blame them for your disasters.’ I can just hear the smirk behind the phone.
‘Haha, very funny. Now where should I- oh, what’s this?’
When I turn the corner, I see photos lining the wall. A lot of them are of me. Some from when we first met. Look, that one is when Eisuke and I went to the IVC for the first time together! That one is a few weeks after Eisuke first told me he loved me. The images don’t just contain me and Eisuke either. The auction managers are there as well. Baba, Ota and I posing after a Marvel movie binge watching night. Soryu, Eisuke and I are posing in this one after Soryu got new territory in Brazil. There’s even one with Mamoru after Baba and Ota pranked him by putting shaving foam in his hand then tickling his face with a feather. A classic that was.
I’ve already fallen in love again. All of these photos are attached by a red thread and a note.
Take this and come back to me.
I smile at the handwriting and taking hold of one end of the thread, I continue my journey to the man whom I love most in this world.
Finding the entrance, I see a large green arch made of English roses and smile at the memories they give me. As I step through the arch…
An explosion of flower petals rain down as I hear the happy shouts of everyone. All the auction managers, Akira, Eiji, Yukari and her daughter cheer and clap. In the centre is Eisuke holding the end of the red thread and a present. I run to him, nearly drained to tears and hold him tight.
‘I missed you.’ I say into his clothes, his scent calming me down from my adventure in the maze.
‘I have a GPS on your pager, you know that. Did you really think I would allow you to get lost in a maze while carrying my child?’ I laugh and look up, resting my chin on his chest.
‘No, of course not. Thank you Eisuke! This was an amazing anniversary present.’
‘Pfft, it’s only getting started.’ He gives me the small box and picks me up bridal style.
‘Be careful not to hurt the baby!’
‘You nearly set the maze on fire.’
The voices of the others drift away as Eisuke takes me into the mansion behind the maze.
‘No. You own this place. The maze is the garden with English roses growing around it. I had them planted a few months ago.’
I’m touched by Eisuke’s thinking. Getting this place for our anniversary even though it was still a long time into the future makes my heart race at his thoughtfulness.
‘Thank you Eisuke. I’m not sure what I will do with this place but thank you! I love it! And the maze was so fun! I loved all the little presents. I’m sure you picked them all out?’ I ask as he sets me down onto the luxurious bed.
‘Of course. Everything was my plan and I’m surprised that it was uneventful. Although you did worry me when you stopped moving on the tracker.’ He says with a frown.
‘Yeah, I got tired. And lonely. And upset cause I didn’t have you with me.’ He sighs and leans over to pinch my cheeks.
‘Always think only of me. You know I would never let you get lost in a simple place like a maze.’ He lets go of my cheeks and strokes them to soothe the skin.
‘I know hon. By the way, what’s this?’ I lift up the small box still in my hands.
‘You’re second-to-last present for the day.’ He promptly says. I pull the ribbon from the bow and watch the wrapping unfold. A sleek black box unveils itself upon lifting the lid. When I open it, I see a pretty English rose pendant.
‘Eisuke! An English rose!’ I excitingly point out.
‘Pfft, I can see that. Here.’ He leans over and pulls the pendant out, revealing a long rose gold chain attached.
‘Oh it’s a necklace! How beautiful!’
‘Turn around.’ I do as he says and feel the pendant rest against my chest.
‘Eisuke!’ I hug him with all my might.
‘You do love this flower. But that’s not all.’ I bring my head out of the crook of his neck and narrow my eyes.
‘Look.’ He takes the pendant and opens it up to reveal a picture of us from our wedding.
‘Oh, this is amazing! Thank you!’
‘Hm.’ He takes a strand of my hair and pushes it behind my ear lovingly.
‘Haha, I know you love them really.’
‘Not as much as you. Happy anniversary Vivian.’ His kiss fills me with warmth and happiness. I pull away slightly with our noses touching.
‘You said second-to-last present. What’s the last present?’ He gives me a knowing look. Suddenly, Eisuke lowers me onto the bed and climbs above me.
‘You and I both know what your last present is. I’ll give you all of my love, all night long.’ Gazing at his mesmerising profile, I wrap my arms around his neck and lean his forehead against mine.
‘Happy anniversary Eisuke. I love you, so much. And you know what? I think I just figured out a use for this place.’
‘Our baby can play in the garden when he’s born.’
‘I’ll put a tracker on him so he doesn’t get lost like you did.’
His chuckles ring out in the bedroom and we enjoy a blissful night for our anniversary, awaiting the arrival of our child.
