207 Prologue, 2000 (1/2)

”Do you love her?”

”Yes, yes I do, but it's not like when I met Kerstin.”

”Kerusutina?”

Mitsuo cringed when Natsumi mauled the name of his first wife.

”Please, I was born and raised here in Japan just like you, but I made an effort to get her name right,” he said and turned to Tadao. ”Could you please ask your girlfriend not to do that again? She's doing it on purpose.”

Tadao just grinned. ”Wife, she's my wife now. Wakayama Natsumi. What do you like the sound of that?”

”What? Since when did you get married?”

The grin grew wider. ”Since we found out just how special Valentine was.”

Mitsuo watched as Natsumi hid her face in her hands.

”Wakayama Tadao, you're a pig!”

His best friend since ten years ducked the backhand fist that flew in his direction and promptly hid behind Mitsuo's back. ”Sorry my love. Just gloating.”

'What the? Oh. Oh!' ”Congratulations! When?”

Two things registered in Mitsuo's mind. First how all the conversations around the tables closest to them died abruptly, and then how perfect strangers near them grew knowing smiles in an instant.

”He's a pig and you're an idiot. What did I do to deserve the two most important men in my life to develop this way?”

Just to make sure she wasn't angry for real Mitsuo studied Natsumi's face. Wakayama Natsumi, not Masuda Natsumi any longer. What he saw behind those eyes was gleeful joy hidden behind a show of aggravation.