(This fiction is based on the characters and settings created by Oyuki Konno)

A/N: Hi and thanks for selecting my story to read. I hope you like it. If you have any suggestions feel free to PM me, or leave a review. Now on to the story. :)

Re-Humanizing Sachiko - Chapter 1

"I don't have the time for a massage," the black haired woman said to her companion with the western features.

"All work and no play, makes Sachiko a dull girl," Satou Sei responded, as she offered up the gift certificate a second time. "Ever since Youko left for college, that stick has gotten wedged further up your butt. Give yourself a break, Sachiko. You have a 4.0 GPA, going into your second year of college. You can afford to relax a little. What are you trying to prove?"

Ogasawara Sachiko rolled her eyes and answered, "If I get good enough grades in the business program here, maybe I can convince my father that I can take over the company myself, instead of Kashewagi-san. Then I won't be forced into marrying him in order to legitimize his control."

"Aren't you forgetting the fact that your family needs an heir? Unless you can produce one out of thin air, a man is necessary," Sei told her friend, causing Sachiko to visibly shudder at the thought. "Sorry to remind you of that fact, but it needed to be said."

"I just get sick to my stomach when I think of that." Sachiko said coldly.

"All I am trying to say is that, it is inevitable. So why not just lighten up, and focus on finding a way to accept the situation, or at least make it more bearable," Sei advised.

"But that would mean I lost. You know I can't stand losing," Sachiko shot back.

"Sometimes you have to be a willow, and bend with the wind, or else you'll snap," Sei said sagely. "Sometimes I wonder how you would have changed, if you had taken a soeur."

"I tried, remember, but you stole her away," Sachiko said indignantly.

"In your heart, you know it never would have worked. Shimako was too much like you," the older girl replied. You needed someone different from you, someone more open and honest, someone to break down that icy tower you live in. Someone to show you what it means to be human."

"High school is over. I have no regrets." The black haired girl said flatly.

Sei shook her head, sadly, "Everybody has regrets. You just don't realize it, yet. I'm done arguing with you over this. Just take the coupon. Use it or not, as you wish. At least then I can tell Youko, I tried." Sachiko took the proffered card, and the older girl turned and walked away.

That night, as Sachiko was working on her Marketing proposal, that was due the next day, a butler came in and informed her of a waiting phone call. "Who is it," she asked.

"A Miss Mizuno Youko," came the reply.

The black haired girl took the phone and put it up to her mouth, "Onee-sama, how nice to hear from you. How are things with you?"

"Everything is fine here," the woman on the other end of the line responded. "Now, what's this I hear about a massage..."

XxX

'Why do I keep letting Onee-sama manipulate me into doing things I don't want to do?' Sachiko thought as she looked at the name on the store front across the street then looked at the certificate in her hand. 'Well this is the place.'

"You won't get your massage by standing there," the sandy haired Sei said after crossing the street to greet her friend.

Sachiko looked up and met the woman's eyes, "I should have figured Onee-sama would send you to check up on me." She said coldly.

"Nothing personal, Sachiko. I promised Youko when she went away that I would look out for you, and let her know how you were doing," Sei said apologetically.

"I still don't have to like it," Sachiko retorted before continuing, "I should have figured you would send me to a perverted place like this. 'Maria's Maid Massage?'" Sachiko finished, accusingly.

"I'll have you know that nothing perverse goes on there," the sandy haired girl said defensively. "The girls are all cute and charming, plus it has another advantage that would appeal to you."

"And what is that," the black haired girl inquired.

Sei grinned at her younger friend. "No men allowed," she said as she walked away.

Shocked by her friend's consideration, Sachiko crossed the street, blushing, and entered the massage parlor. The interior of the waiting area was done up with bamboo and wood. That, along with the many potted plants around the room, made the waiting area feel warm and inviting. Calm, quiet, and relaxing music was playing over the speakers in the ceiling. The warm, welcoming atmosphere put Sachiko at ease as she approached the reception desk.

When she drew up to the counter, Sachiko was greeted by a young woman wearing a Victorian style maid's outfit, similar to the ones worn by staff at her home. "Welcome ojousama, how may I serve you today?"

Sachiko passed over the gift certificate she held in her hand. "I would like to redeem this, please," she said politely to the receptionist.

The receptionist looked at the paper in front of her. "This entitles you to a half hour, premium, full body massage, Ogasawara-sama. Is there a specific attendant you would like?"

"Anyone will do. It is my first time here," Sachiko answered, surprised by the use of her name, until she realized that the receptionist noted it off the gift certificate.

The receptionist wrote some information on a card, retrieved a fluffy, white towel from beneath the counter, and said, "Come with me please, and I'll escort you to your chamber, Ma'am"

"Thank you," Sachiko responded, and followed the receptionist through a wooden door and down the hall.

Half way down the hall, the receptionist stopped at a door on the right hand side. She turned the knob, opened it, and let the black haired girl enter first. Upon entering, she handed the fluffy towel to Sachiko. "You can get undressed back there," she said indicating an area in the back of the room, hidden by a screen. "Your attendant will be with you shortly. Enjoy your stay." The receptionist added before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

Towel in hand, Sachiko went behind the screen and started undressing. Once she was wrapped in the white towel, she folded her clothes and placed them in the basket provided, along with her personal belongings. She looked around the room, after walking out from behind the changing screen. In the middle of the room stood a long table cushioned with black leather, covered with a white sheet. In the corner next to the door was a sink with a set of cabinets below. Above the sink were two shelves, which contained various creams and oils. A warming cabinet was placed across the room from the sink. Every now and then, it would make a clicking noise, as the heating elements turned on and off.

The tall girl raised herself up, sat on the massage table and waited. Seconds later, anxiety set in, causing Sachiko to feel impatient. Two minutes or so later, just as she was about to get dressed and leave, the door opened and her attendant entered. "Good afternoon, Sachiko ojousama. I am Fukuzawa Yumi, your attendant. Please take care of me," the girl said, bowing low.

Yumi was wearing a uniform much like the receptionist's, but the skirt was shorter. It came to just about mid-thigh, and barely showed the tops of her stockings. She was shorter than Sachiko and slightly built. Her brown hair was pulled into pig tails, and her brown eyes stared at the woman sitting on the table in front of her. 'She is beautiful,' Yumi thought when she first lay eyes on her client. 'Almost like a porcelain doll.'

"Do you know how long I've been waiting?" Sachiko scolded the young girl, allowing her impatience and anxiety full reign. "I expect my full half hour, understand."

Yumi found Sachiko's cold, harsh tone incongruous to the beauty in front of her. She quickly recovered, apologizing, "I'm so sorry, ojousama. I'm completely at fault. Please lay on your stomach, and I'll get started right away."

Sachiko complied, and Yumi covered the woman with a cozy blanket from the warming cabinet. After seeing to her client's comfort, she went over and selected a bottle of scented oil from the shelf above the sink. 'She seems like a delicate flower, Lilac maybe? No, Rose would be more fitting, since she's a bit prickly,' she thought, giggling to herself as she reached for the bottle of rose scented oil. She brought it over to Sachiko, who was now laying face down on the table, and asked, "Will Rose be acceptable?" She received a curt "Yes" in response, so she poured the oil into her palms, and rubbed them together, warming it up before she started the massage.

"What do you do for a living, Sachiko-ojousama?" Yumi asked, trying to engage her client in friendly conversation.

"I'm a student," Sachiko replied in a clipped, flat tone, leaving Yumi with the impression that idle chit-chat, should be avoided.

Yumi started on Sachiko's shoulders and back. She had a rough time working the knots out. Never before had the young girl felt muscles so tight. After applying a lot of pressure and not seeing much progress, she went to the warmer and took out a basket containing many wide, flat smooth stones. "Your back and shoulder muscles are very taut, I'm going to put these warm stones on. Maybe the heat will loosen them up a little," Yumi said as she placed the warm stones across the black haired girl's shoulder blades. She felt a sense of satisfaction as Sachiko visibly relaxed under their warmth, then moved down the table to massage Sachiko's feet and legs.

The comforting heat from the stones on her back caused Sachiko to relax a little. As she let her mind wander, she focused on the pleasurable sensations coming from her legs. 'She has such strong, yet gentle hands,' she thought as Yumi's ministrations sent little jolts of electricity, up her legs to the base of her spine. She let out a small sigh, as the tension slowly left her legs. She felt the tingling of her lower body increase when the young girl started working the muscles around the backs of her thighs. Sachiko's face reddened and she jerked in surprise when she felt the fingers of the young girl's hand travel up and down her inner thigh.

The perceptive Yumi sensed her client's discomfort with what she was doing, and stopped. She turned her attentions back to Sachiko's torso. She slowly removed the now cool stones from the black haired girl's back, returning them to the basket. Yumi started kneading Sachiko's shoulders and was pleased with the result of the heat, as the muscles were now loose and easy to manipulate. "Ah that's better," she said and continued the back and shoulder massage.

Sachiko felt like she was in heaven, as the younger girl's fingers danced across her back, drawing the tension from her body. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so relaxed and untroubled. She focused more of her attention to the pleasurable sensations caused by Yumi's strong, gentle fingers, and in so doing, her worries and frustrations receded to the back of her mind. All that mattered to her were the soft fingers on her back, and how they made her feel.

Yumi smiled with self satisfaction when she heard the quiet mmm's and ahhh's coming out of her client. She always felt happy when her clients responded in such a fashion. It made her feel useful, that she could bring a small measure of happiness to the world. But Sachiko's barely audible response, sent the young masseuse over the moon, and caused her to revise her initial opinion of the girl on the table. 'Maybe she doesn't realize what a witch she is,' Yumi thought. 'Maybe all she needs is to learn how to relax.'

When Yumi was done attending to Sachiko's back, she lifted the blanket and asked, "If ojousama would please turn onto her back, I would be pleased to start on her front." The black haired girl did as instructed, and the brown haired girl blushed with embarrassment as she caught sight of Sachiko's full bosom. She quickly let the cover fall back down and turned away to start on the young woman's legs with shaky fingers.

As Yumi started in on the front of her legs, Sachiko closed her eyes in order to better concentrate on the feelings caused by the young girl's magic fingers. She let her mind wander along the waves of relaxation, and she was soon fast asleep.

Yumi was just about finished when she heard the small noises coming from her client. She looked over at the beautiful face, with the porcelain skin and smiled. 'She is even more gorgeous when she sleeps. And those little snores are so cute. I'm in love,' she thought gushing over the sleeping girl. Never had Yumi felt such strong feelings over a person before. If there was such a thing as 'love at first sight,' she was experiencing it right now.

The brown haired girl was attracted to girls. She has known this for some time now. Ever since she started having feelings of arousal when she was bathing with her dorm mates where she used to live before she came here. She had dated some other women over the years, but she never once felt the electricity between two people, like she felt at this moment.

Yumi was captivated, looking down at the lovely girl laying on the table in front of her. Her head was churning with a myriad of thoughts and emotions, hopes and dreams, that before she realized it, she leaned forward until her lips were mere inches away from Sachiko's. She managed to regain control of herself and pull away, just as Sachiko opened her eyes revealing bright blue sapphires the gazed into hers.

Time stopped for Sachiko, as she slowly opened her eyes, and lost herself gazing into the mocha pools that were above her face. Something deep within the brown hared, pig tailed girl's eyes caused her heart to start racing. A blush crept across her face, as Yumi pulled quickly away. Being unfamiliar with what she was feeling, Sachiko retreated behind her cool mask and asked curtly, "How long was I asleep?"

"Not long I think," Yumi replied quickly hiding her embarrassment from nearly getting caught staring. "I had just finished up, and was checking on you just before you opened your eyes. There is no reason to be embarrassed. Sometimes you get so relaxed, that your body does what comes naturally."

Inwardly relieved that this was a common occurrence, the black hared girl responded, "I am fine now, so do not be concerned. Are we done now?"

Yumi nodded. "I'll just let you get dressed. Can you find your way out?" After receiving Sachiko's nod of assent, the pig tailed girl bowed, saying, "It was a pleasure serving you, ojousama. Please allow us to serve you again. Thank you." Yumi backed out the door, and closed it behind her.

Once out of the room, Yumi hurried down the hall, toward the break room. She fumbled for her coin purse, fished out the appropriate coins, deposited them into the vending machine, and pressed a button. She bent over and retrieved her can of tea. She sighed heavily as she sat down at the long table. With shaking hands she opened the can and took a long sip of the warm beverage. 'Baka,' the young girl chided herself. 'What's wrong with me. She's a client. What if she caught me? What if I had actually kissed her?'

Yumi's mind melted for a second as she imagined how soft the black haired beauty's lips would feel against her own. She shook the improper thoughts out of her head and sipped her tea, trying to calm herself down before seeing her next client. Yumi finished the rest of her shift on auto pilot, her head filled with images of the raven haired woman she had almost kissed.

XxX

Sachiko left the massage parlor feeling like a new woman. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so calm and relaxed. She wasn't even phased when she was informed by her maid, upon her return, that her imbecelic fiancee was joining them for dinner. She sat down at her desk and started in on her school work until she was called down to dinner.

Things might have been more stressful for Sachiko if her father was there and not stuck at work. She barely said three words to Kashewagi-san during the entire meal, allowing her mother to monopolize the young man until the end of the meal. "It's a lovely evening," her mother commented. "Why don't you two go for a walk and chat since I took up so much of your time together." With that the older woman stood up and took her leave, wishing them both good night.

"Shall we?" Kashewagi Suguru said, offering his hand to his betrothed.

Sachiko rose from the chair, ignoring the proffered hand and walked toward the french doors leading to the garden. The young man followed close behind. As she exited the mansion, she took a deep breath of the cool fresh air and sighed.

"Something good happen to you Sa-chan?" Her companion asked.

"What's it to you?" Sachiko shot back.

"You seem more relaxed, happier even. I even caught you smirking at some of my jokes during dinner. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're falling in love. Could you finally be succumbing to my subtle charms?" He said teasingly.

"In your dreams," Sachiko responded as she marched down the moonlit path.

Suguru stood still for a moment before rushing to catch up with his intended bride. "I'm sorry, Sa-chan," he apologized. "I just couldn't resist poking fun at you. It was almost like old times, when we were kids. What happened to the fun loving Sachiko that existed back then?" He asked.

Sachiko stopped and faced the young man before she coldly answered, "She found out she was engaged to a man who could never love her. Need I remind you what you said to me before I entered high school. How you were only interested in men, and how I should find myself a lover that would give us an heir. How self serving and arrogant, to order me around like that. You are just like the other men in our family, only thinking of yourself."

Suguru met Sachiko's cold eyes and spoke up in his defense, "I was thinking of you when I said it. I may not have conveyed it properly then, but I wanted you to know that you deserved to find someone who could love you like I couldn't. To give you the opportunity to be happy."

Sachiko sighed and turned away from the black haired young man, saying, "If you want me to be truly happy; End this farce of an engagement. Let me find and marry someone who will love me like I deserve. I'm heading back. You know the way out. Good night."

Sachiko walked hurriedly away. She held back her tears until she was safely alone in her room. She wept over lost dreams, and railed against the sheer futility of her situation. As her tears slowed and her sobs turned to hiccoughs, she berated herself, 'Why am I crying now? I haven't shed tears over this in years. I thought I was over this.' She lifted her head and rubbed her neck to relieve the tension in her shoulders. As she did this, she remembered the feeling of strong gentle hands take the tightness away. The thought of those fingers brought to her mind the image of the mocha eyed girl she saw when she opened her eyes at the salon. It also brought about a return of the urge to kiss the lips of a certain brown haired pig tailed masseuse.