Cecilia Gu and Joe Qi led Michelle Hirayama out of the cabin. Standing together on the deck, they gazed at the sunset. The feeling was truly wonderful.
Rona Muir and Sean Kerr had finished their conversation and walked out side by side.
The four of them exchanged smiles—maybe this was what it meant to let bygones be bygones with a smile.
The staff moved quickly, setting up tables and chairs on the deck, and even added a swing to match the festive mood.
Cecilia Gu and Rona Muir sat on the swing, gently swaying as they watched the chefs bustling nearby.
Michelle Hirayama, who could never sit still thanks to her mild chuunibyou, darted off to stir up trouble somewhere.
"Did you sort things out with him?" Cecilia Gu asked in a low voice.
Rona Muir sighed, "We'll see. I hope my little provocation worked."
Cecilia Gu recalled what Joe Qi had said and simply smiled.
Rona Muir continued, "Cecilia, I might need to go to Japan in a few days."
"Huh? What for?" Cecilia Gu asked instinctively.
"It's a celebration for the Hirayama Family—strictly speaking, Jiro Hirayama's uncle's older brother is getting married. Jiro and I need to go back for the wedding. I might have to stay a few days, so I'll leave everything here to you." Rona Muir said softly.
Cecilia Gu nodded, "No problem, I've got it covered. Just go and don't worry! But... I feel like something's weighing on you. Is it because of Sean Kerr?"
Rona Muir shook her head, "No, I still trust Sean Kerr. It's been over ten years—how could I not know him by now? I do have something on my mind..."
"What is it?" Cecilia Gu looked at Rona Muir in surprise. "You're not usually indecisive—what's got you so troubled and on edge?"
Rona Muir looked uncertainly at Cecilia Gu. "Cecilia, I should trust Jiro Hirayama, right?"
"Of course!" Cecilia Gu exclaimed, "Hey, are you out of your mind? Why would you even ask that?"
"Because..." Rona Muir sighed, "Yesterday, when Michelle Hirayama was chatting with me, she accidentally let something slip. Now I can't help feeling uneasy."
"Spill it! Tell me everything, from the start! What happened?" Cecilia Gu pressed, "Can you just get to the point?"
"Do you know who Jiro Hirayama's soon-to-be sister-in-law is? It's Amy Inoue. Amy used to be Jiro Hirayama's fiancée. So, going back for the wedding—won't it be awkward?" Rona Muir sighed, "And Michelle Hirayama said Amy still seems to really like Jiro. But Jiro was always obsessed with his experiments and ignored his fiancée, so Amy got mad and ended up with Jiro's cousin instead. When everything came out, both families quickly broke off the engagement and arranged for Amy to marry Jiro's cousin Henry Hirayama. But... this morning, I happened to see Jiro's phone. Amy sent him a message, and even though it was in Japanese, I understood. She wants to meet him before the wedding."