Author's note: Thanks to those who reviewed! Some found the characters confusing. They are in their past lives in these scenes.

Ryuuzawa Sakura: Ryuuzaki Sakuno

Kirisaki Akahiko: Kirihara Akaya

I hope this expels some confusion. I will also be adding footnotes for some Japanese I have been using.

Please read the summary before reading this fic. It will help in getting rid of some confusion.

Thank you and enjoy chapter 2! Please remember to review!

Chapter 2: The Young Master

"Sakura! Go wake young master Akahiko up!" Akane ordered.

"Ha…hai!" Sakura answered replied breathlessly. She had got up late and Akane, who oversees the servants, had given her a dressing down. She had to finish all tasks assigned to her on time as well as handle extra tasks as a punishment. She had barely managed to complete them before Akane had ordered her to wake their young master up.

Sakura stood up, arranged her kimono and did as Akane ordered. Soon she was outside the room of the young master of the Kirisaki clan. He was the only son of her master and was a year older than her. Being the only successor to the family name, naturally, he was spoilt by his elders. He expected everyone to listen to him and demanded his way every time. He was feared by all the servants in the Kirisaki household as he was most difficult to please. They would be in big trouble, either through his father or himself. Sakura however, did not think he was as bad as all the other servants think. She felt he had a gentle and kind side to him, only the others could not see it. Even so, she would be careful around him. She did not want to incur the wrath of her master or Akahiko-sama. She remembered vividly how a servant had broken his favourite shinai and he ordered him to be hung from the ceiling with a rope tied to a leg and his hands bound together and no one was to let him down until he allowed it.

Sakura knelt down beside the door.

"Akahiko-sama! Akahiko-sama! Are you up yet?" Sakura called out at the door.

"Akahiko-sama!" Sakura called out again. After getting no response, she slid open the door. There she saw Kirisaki Akahiko sprawled across his bed. His room was in a big mess, with remnants of last night's supper and kenjitsu manuals. He had an interest in kendo from a young age and was pretty good at it. The dojo was specially built for him. Sakura secretly thanked him for this.

"Akahiko-sama!" Sakura said as she walked carefully to his side.

"Akahiko-sama!" Sakuno called out as she shook him gently. "It's time for breakfast. Please wake up or your breakfast will be cold soon."

Akahiko stirred in his slumber and turned to search for a more comfortable position. Obviously he had been reading the manuals until late at night the day before.

"Akahiko-sama!" Sakura called out again while shaking him with a little more force.

"Akahiko-sama! AKAHIKO-SAMA!"

With that, Akahiko was jolted out of his sleep. He sat up and scanned around. He saw a red-faced Sakura beside him.

"A…Akahiko-sama. It…it's time for breakfast. Mistress Kotoko is waiting for you at the breakfast table. Ple…please get ready……" Sakura stammered. She was afraid she had offended the young master. Quickly she stood up and got ready to go.

"Wait…" Akahiko tugged at her kimono. Sakura had a shock. She thought she was going to be killed by Akahiko. She turned back to apologise but before words came out of her mouth, her feet slipped on a manual and fell. She fell not onto the bed or the floor, but straight into the arms of her young master.

"Go…gomen nasai1!" Sakura said hurriedly and tried to push herself up to no avail. It took her a while to realize she was in Akahiko's strong grip.

"Wait…don't go yet…" Akahiko said gently to Sakura. With her in his grip, he began to study her. She was very different from a year before. A year before, she was small and still resembled a child, very much like the Sakura he had known since he was seven. Within a year, she had blossomed into a beautiful young lady. She may be late in her development but was lacking in no areas. Everyone who knew her was surprised by her evolution. However, her innocent brown eyes still remained and Akahiko was glad.

"A…Akahiko-sama…can…can I go now? I still have work to do…"Sakura was blushing from all that attention she was getting from him.

Akahiko smiled and let her go. Sakura quickly stood up, bowed to him and walked away. She was very embarrassed and did not want him to see her blush further.

Watching her as she walked away, Akahiko smirked.

"Looks like my little sakura flower2 has finally decided to bloom…" Akahiko thought to himself.


1 Gomen nasai – Sorry

2 sakura flower – I was thinking in Japanese, sakura no hana

Author's note: I know this is a bit draggy. I can't stand it either! Hope they will be in present times asap! And please mind my language. I know it sucks. Lol :)