Chapter 3 is finally up! I'm hoping to finish this story before summer is over! Like I said, I am 90% done but I am taking my time uploading each chapters - incase I need to make any changes to the story.

Sumire arrived while the nurses were clearing away the breakfast trays Sakuno was busy with. Her eyes were red-rimmed. She bent and kissed Sakuno on the head.

'You looked like you didn't sleep much, Grandma. You look awful.' She wasn't trying to be rude but it was the truth. Her grandmother looked like she hasn't slept in days. It troubled Sakuno.

"I was up most of the night, researching." Sumire wasn't thrilled. Wasn't thrilled at all! She badly wanted to save her granddaughter. "How are you feeling today."

'A little better, I guess. What did you find?' Sakuno asked.

"Just like what the doctor told us. AZT is the best drug out there for AIDS at this moment. There is another drug called DDL, but it's recommended to take AZT first. I don't think you're going to like the side effects."

Sakuno flinched. 'What are the side effects? Please tell me Grandma.'

"It has a side effects of nausea, vomiting, tremors, depression…"

'Sound like a real lifesavers, all right.' Sakuno said sarcastically.

"It's your best choice."

'But. . . what if I don't to take it?'

"What do you mean Sakuno!?" Sumire doesn't like where this direction is heading.

'What if I wait until I actually get AIDS to take the drug?'

"Sakuno! Don't be silly, the drug is suppose to help delay the incoming AIDS, not cure it." Her grandmother straightened, crossed her arms to her chest, and looked at her. "Doctors agreed, the sooner, the better."

'What could be better about being sick and depressed Grandma?' Sakuno tried to be calm. 'You said there might be other doctors, specialists.'

"I did find few names of several specialists in the city."

'Maybe we should talk to one of them first.'

"You mean, not go on the treatment right away?"

'Hai. What difference could a few days make?'

Sumire frowned. Sakuno could see that her logic didn't sound appealing to her grandmother. "You're only going to make it worst, Sakuno."

'Mou, I don't care. I don't want to have to deal with this right now. I want to go home, I want to finish the school term, and I don't want anyone to know about the diagnosis. We can keep it a secret can't we, Grandma?'

"Of course, It's nobody's business." Sumire replied. "We won't tell anyone until we have to. But we do need to see a specialist immediately. I don't think you should delay starting treatment for long though."

Sakuno appreciated her grandmother for respecting her wishes, but then, she'd always treated Sakuno as an adult, capable of making her own decisions. She hope this illness won't change their relationship. 'I don't want to be here anymore Grandma. Please take me home.'

The doctors agreed to have her released that morning. It felt good to be home. Sakuno tried to believe that life was normal again, that she could pick up where she had left off before her hospitalization.

After school the next day, Sakuno set to work on searching for information on AIDS treatment, but the more she studied about it, the more depressed she felt about her situation. She stopped her research.

Sakuno leaned back on the chair and sighed. The thought of a normal life again sank in. Within a burst of inspiration she turned to the computer and searched for many possible resorts she might be interests in for the summer vacation. When Sakuno realized what she wanted to do, she went to her grandmother that night. She brought the topic of summer vacation at a resort to her grandmother.

Sumire was thinking hard about the topic. Looking at Sakuno's bright eyes, there was hope and excitement. Sumire didn't want to ruin those looks in her only granddaughter. My only granddaughter, Sumire thoughts. She let out a sigh. "Alright, you win. I'll talk to the dean, but I'm sure it won't be a problem."

'Thank you Grandma.'

"In fact, I do have an old friend that own a really nice Ryokan style inn in Hakone Onsen resort, a little out of Hakone city. We can stay there for couple of weeks."

'Really?!'

"What about your treatment?"

'Ano, I will take them, just not right away. All I want is a slight postponement. Let me have a few weeks of fun, then I'll start right in on the medication. I promise.' Sakuno tried to persuade her grandmother.

"Don't you know what you're asking, Sakuno? Your delay can accelerate the onset of AIDS-"

'Grandma, I'm not in denial. Im fully aware i have the virus now. I know I'm being stubborn, but just this one time.'

"Sakuno..."

Sakuno reached out and covered her grandmother's hand in hers, giving her an assurances before removing her hands from her grandmother's. 'You've always allowed me to make my own choice. Please, Grandma, let me have this one last wish. Please?'

Sakuno saw her warring with her emotions and felt the full brunt of her anguish washing over her face, a hint of caving in to Sakuno's wish. "Are you sure?"

'I'm very positive,' Sakuno said. 'I've never been so sure in my whole life. It's also my life, and this is what I want to do with it.'

Sakuno was startled by her grandmother's voice as she slide the door to their suite open and stepped onto the veranda. She sat down next to her. "Why are you sitting out here all alone?"

'I didn't want to wake you up. It's also beautiful outside, don't you think, Grandma? Look at the sun setting behind the mountain.'

Sumire sat next to Sakuno. "My lungs aren't used to all these perspiration of the hot springs! It's going to take some adjusting. Were you able to take a closer look at the tennis courts?"

Her grandmother's innocent question reminded Sakuno of her bitter encounter with Ryoma, the arrogant boy who'd taken an obvious dislike in her. She decided against telling her grandmother about the rude way she had been treated. 'The tennis court was interesting. It was different compare to other courts I have seen in the city.'

"Ah, you mean the private tennis court that is belong to the Echizen's family?"

'Oh, Grandma, you know about it?'

"Of course. I've been here a couple of times with my team for our training vacation. In fact, this Inn is own by a relative of a friend of mine. Samurai Nanjiro is what they called him."

Sakuno giggled silently. 'What an awesome name.'

"Are you thinking about playing tennis again?"

'Hai. I thought I should play again.' Sakuno recalled her secret bucket list she had been working on. Playing tennis again was on her list to do before she died. 'I might have to start from the beginning. I believe I have gotten rusty over the years.'

"As long you have fun, Sakuno." Sumire smiled. "Now, enough about that, how about we have dinner before the dining area close?"

'Hai!' Their wonderful conversations made Sakuno happy again, the sadness and bitter encounter with Ryoma disappeared.

Sakuno and Sumire stood up, and together they walked the distance to the nice looking dining area that belongs to the Meino Inn. There were other guests in the dining hall enjoying their food. The dining hall was huge in Sakuno's opinion. The liveliness and beautiful decoration of the dining hall made Sakuno all jitty with happiness and excitement. Sakuno looked around, on one side of the wall, she noticed there was a massive stone of fireplace, which Sakuno imagined could be cozy when the cold night air howled outside.

"Welcome back to Meino Inn Ryuzaki-san, thank you for coming." A lively black-haired lady from the front desk of the dining hall greeted.

"Nonsense Nanako-san, it should be us thanking you for having us here. You really should let me pay for the room, Nanako-san."

"Don't worry about it Ryuzaki-san. When my Uncle heard you're visiting the Inn, he had taken care of the room for you. As a matter of fact, they're here in Japan. They have came back from America, along with their son."

"Hmm, is that so? Well then, please tell your uncle to stop by and says "Hi" won't you?"

"I will do that, Ryuzaki-san."

Sakuno and Sumire chose a table near by the window, the outlook to the garden with a small gazebo in the center, and with alittle bridge to cross over to the gazebo. Sakuno glanced about curiously, hoping to see girls her age, though many of the guests seemed to be couples with young children and boys that are older than her.

A girl Sakuno guessed was close to her in age came alongside to fill their cup with tea. Sakuno smiled at her, and she smiled back and moved on.

Ryoma Echizen watched Sakuno from the far side of the room, warily. He was convinced that he knew her type – pretty, rich, and pampered. Aside from tennis, his cat, his friends, and food, girls was the only part of life here at the Inn that he hated.

After winning his world tennis tournaments, he likes to look for a world where he can find peace and quiet, a world he can never have being a famous tennis player among girls and all. Except his old man always bring him back here for the summer. Although he wasn't excepted to work at the Inn for his cousin, but he was still needed despite his protested.

Many times he came to Japan for the summer, the spoiled teenage girls were the worst he encountered, to his way of thinking. Some of them had provided diverting summer fun for him over the years he had been here, but for the most part, he didn't like them. They were either to loud, conceited, or nosy. They were either cheering for him on the tennis court or confessing their feelings to him. A peaceful and quiet summer was all he wanted – which never happened.

He would tried to stay clear away from these type of girls. But strangely enough, he found himself drawn to a certain auburn hair girl with pigtails. She was just another rich girl he encountered many times before. They only met an hour ago, so what could he have possibly saw in this girl that had managed to crawl into his head in such a short amount of time?

It was her large, expressive brown eyes, which appeared somehow sad that caught his attention. But what could a rich girl from the city have to be sad about? He could tell her plenty about sadness, if he had a mind to it.

Forget it, he told himself. She wasn't worth his time.

"Who are you staring at?" A boy that Appeared to be older than Ryoma asked.

"Nothing." He simply answered.

"Hmm, so you're saying that cute girl over there is not the reason for your distraction?"

Ryoma's mouth twitch at the corner. "No."

"Let me guess. She confessed she loves you, but you broke her heart instead."

"Something liked that." Ryoma lied to the tall boy sitting across from him.

"It's so like you, Ryoma. Why must you break every girl's heart every summer? You need to let yourself loose once in awhile. It doesn't hurt to have a little fun, you know."

"You forgot one thing." Ryoma pointed out. He lower his white hat.

"Hmm?"

"I'm not you. You know I don't have interests in any of them."

Momoshiro leaned closer to the table. His eyes focus on the boy sitting across from him. His mouth twitched into a grin. "Are you sure you're not gay?"

What. The. Hell! Ryoma's eye twitched. "You did not just ask me that."

"But I just did!" Momoshiro smirked.

They stared at each other. Hazel eyes meet black eyes. I am so going to kill you later. Says the hazel eyes.

Momoshiro smiled - a big grin on his face. I dare you to try. The black eyes retorted back.

Ryoma crossed his arms. He is messing with the wrong guy. "For the last time, I am not."

"Ah, the denial," Momoshiro teased. "She is a cute one though. You're missing up a great opportunity."

"What can a mute girl like her offer me?" His remark surely made him sound swallow, but he wasn't going to give Momoshiro a chance to get under his skin. . . Again.

"She is mute?" Momoshiro's eyes went wide. "That poor girl, got heartbroken by Ryoma Echizen. Tsk tsk, what a shame."

"Whatever." Ryoma ignored the rest of their conversations as he took a quick peek at Sakuno, taking noticed as she and the older lady took their leaves from the dining hall.

Sakuno and Sumire started to head back to their suite. 'It's still early out, would you like to explore the Hakone resort with me, Grandma?'

Sumire yawned, "I'm afraid not tonight, Sakuno. I'm going to take my rest in our suite, why don't you go and explore the resort some more, but promise to be careful, all right?"

'I know Grandma. Don't worry, I will.'

Hehe, finally Momoshiro made an appearance. Thank you for reading.