Opening Credits:
Haru no Ao
Sakura saku hi ni Omoi no hane wo todokete Negai wo sora ni hanatsu
Uta yo todoite Shouri no hana wo sakasete Itsu made mo inotteru
Kono akogare ga umareta basho e FENCE-goshi ni tatazumu
Kata wo narabete Aa Arukitai Amaete wa irarenai
BALL wo oikaketa hibi Muda ni wa dekinai tsuyoku naritai
Hanabira maite Kokoro wo ao ni someage Negai wo sora ni hanatsu
Omoi todoite Mirai mo yume mo kibou mo Kono te ni tsukamitoreru
Sakura saku hi ni Omoi no hane wo todokete Negai wo sora ni hanatsu
Omoi todoke yo Tsubasa Hirogete tobitate Koko kara mimamotteru
Episode six: Gender Bender!
Isumi flashed her cutest smile to Sakuno. The latter sweat dropped and forced a weak smile, "Isumi-chan, what can I do for you?"
"Sakuno-sama, please let me help you play tennis," Isumi said while rubbing her hands together.
After Isumi and Sakuno went out that Saturday afternoon, and also the same day when she found out her real feelings for her, she changed her attitude into a more mature one. And now, three weeks later, after playing 'mature' with Ritsuko and all the other maids in the mansion, she snapped. Isumi then decided to pop out like a mushroom while Sakuno was practicing tennis to show her her feelings for her.
"Oh… well… you can uhm… pick up the tennis balls that were left on the ground," Sakuno replied softly.
Isumi grinned and picked the scattered tennis balls.
"Oh, and Isumi-chan, I noticed that you were quiet for the last three weeks. Did something bad happen?" Sakuno said as she served the ball.
Well, the truth is she was upset because of the more than enough RyoSaku moments she encountered for the last three weeks; especially since she works near their room. Isumi paused for three seconds and replied, "Don't worry, Sakuno-sama! I'm fine! I just felt homesick, that's all!"
Sakuno tilted her head up when she remembered that Isumi had never left home that long before. Koyuki told her before that Isumi never really had a true family; she grew up in an orphanage. She was released when she turned eighteen, but she decided to work for them since she grew attached to the children. And, three years later, she decided to work at the Echizen mansion, where she currently unfolds the new chapters of her life.
"Isumi-chan… I just remembered. Christmas is coming soon… do you want to spend it with your friends?" Sakuno kindly asked.
Isumi was surprised when Sakuno mentioned her friends; the children at the orphanage. She was not thinking about them right now, for she thought about what Sakuno truly feels about Ryoma (remembering the time they spent in the playground three weeks ago). "Sakuno-sama must've thought that I was serious when I said I was homesick… well, I am a bit homesick but not that much."
"No, it's okay," Isumi answered as she picked another tennis ball and placed it in the basket, "it's only been more or less a month since I started working here after all!"
"But you said you were homesick…"
"I was just upset since you're in love with that devil…"
"Isumi-chan?"
"But I guess it will be fun coming home this Christmas…" Isumi thought and then changed her expression, "Since I definitely don't want to spend it with that devil!"
Isumi suddenly felt soft hands covering her forehead, "You don't seem to have a fever…"
Isumi blushed when Sakuno touched her forehead. She quickly pulled away and stared at Sakuno. Sakuno just stared back at her and then Isumi finally stuttered, "I… I guess I'll be taking my leave on the 23rd. Then I'll come back a day before New Year!"
Sakuno smiled gently and continued practicing tennis with the wall.
Isumi kept on observing Sakuno as the latter played, "Sakuno-sama… I never knew that someone like you can actually open up this side of my heart. But I just can't help it… you are so cool… so cute… so gentle… No wonder Echizen baka is in love with you… Oh… look at the sparkling sweat that scatters near your face as you made an abrupt move… so cute… and look at her legs… so-"
"It's rude to stare." Came the voice of the person who Isumi despises the most.
"It's the devil…" Isumi sweat dropped.
"Stop staring at her panties. Been there, done that," he said monotonously as he dragged Isumi away inconspicuously, leaving Sakuno alone in the courts.
"I'M NOT STARING AT HER PANTIES!" she blushed as she tried to defend herself.
"Well, I can see your eyes are on their way there," he replied nonchalantly.
"Where are you taking me anyway?"
"Need to talk to you about Sakuno and your issues with her."
"What?"
This time, Ryoma stopped walking as they stared at the Echizen mansion's main gate. "You're in love with her, aren't you?"
Blue vertical lines suddenly appeared on Isumi's head. "Oh no! He's going to kill me!"
Suddenly, the gates opened and three mafia men entered, "Good day, Echizen-sama."
"Yo."
Isumi sweat dropped nervously.
_-_-_-_PoT_-_-_-_
Isumi felt like the whole world stop. She never knew that Echizen Ryoma could really do such things: lock her up in a huge men's locker room near a street tennis court, full of steaming-hot tennis players.
A.K.A Ryoma's tennis friends.
Well, except for the Seigaku regulars, since he knew that they'll report what he's been doing to Isumi to Sakuno; considering Momo-senpai's uncontrollable mouth, Kikumaru-senpai's same with the powerhouse, Kawamura-senpai might blurt it out once he touches his racquet, Inui-senpai might use it for data, Fuji-senpai… he's a sadist… we never know, Tezuka-buchou, for sure, will not only tell it to Sakuno, but the entire University faculty staff, since he's the central student council president, Oishi-buchou will only get worried, and lastly, Kaidoh-senpai… hm… maybe he's the only one that can shut up about it.
"Now, pick whichever one you like," Ryoma said in nonchalance. He sounded like he was just asking her which flavour of ice cream she wanted him to buy, but no! This is so much more rated than that!
A guy standing in a corner glared at the prince. "You called us here just to hook us up with that commoner? I will not stand this! Let's go, Kabaji."
"Usu."
"Oooh! Lucky! She's a cutie! Ne, ne, pick me, pick me!" Sengoku said from the background.
"Hey, I thought Echizen called us here for a tennis match?" Shishido irritatingly said.
Everyone else just either glared at Ryoma, or looked confusedly at him.
"Ne, monkey king," Ryoma said as Atobe passed him to leave the room, making the latter stop in his tracks, "this commoner happened to have a crush on Sakuno."
At this, Atobe turned to give a smug grin at Isumi, "Planning on taking Sakuno, eh?"
Isumi suddenly felt nervousness.
She remembered that Ritsuko told her before that Sakuno-sama was really popular with boys, especially boys who play tennis, and even tried to court her by some. But, Isumi never thought that… this many tennis players have a soft spot on Sakuno-sama!
"Well, you can't blame them since Sakuno is cute," Ryoma suddenly said. "Now, go ahead and pick one so that you can forget about my fiancé already," he said with slight impatience. Now how did he read Isumi's thoughts?
A vein popped on the tennis players' heads, except for Sengoku who smiled perversely. "We're not GIGOLOS!" they all yelled at the same time.
So, the devil thought that she's the type that would fall in love easily just because she fell in love with Sakuno-sama in a span of three days prior of meeting her, huh? He thought that she'd be unfaithful once she gets exposed to flaming-hot tennis geniuses that he met during his freshmen days in junior high, huh? Well, little miss Echizen-calls-her-rat, let's prove to this devil once and for all that she'll remain faithful to Sakuno-sama!
"NO! I'M NOT A TOY YOU CAN PLAY WITH! I'M NOT THE TYPE OF GIRL THAT WOULD GO WITH ANY GUY! I'M-"
"Sengoku-san, make sure you date her three times a week, okay? Much preferred during night times, when Sakuno's home," Ryoma cut her off nonchalantly.
So much for starting a dramatic speech… T.T
"Great! I'm so lucky! Thanks, Omoshiro-kun's friend!" Sengoku replied.
"Hey! Listen to me you… you… tennis freaks!" Isumi yelled.
"Sure, no prob. You may take her away now… and minna, how about a match?" Ryoma grinned arrogantly as he took one racket from his bag. The tennis players smirked and all took out their racquets at the same time. They soon debated who will fight the international tennis star first. Ryoma just smirked and said he can take all of them without effort.
Suddenly, he felt pain on his right cheek. It felt as if someone slapped him, because someone really slapped him. He tilted his head to see Isumi trying to hold back her tears as she glared at him, "I am not a slut!"
Her blonde curly hair slowly swayed in front of her face while her angry emerald-eyes shone slightly from the tears that she tried to hold back.
And soon, the dramatic atmosphere that Isumi made turned into a comical one; we soon see her tackling Ryoma on the ground slapping him continuously.
"This (slap) is (slap) for (slap) making me look like a (slap) slut in front of (slap) Sakuno-sama's suitors!"
SLAP!
Of course, Ryoma won't tolerate letting this rat continue with what she was doing, particularly in front of his opponents! He used all his force to push Isumi away from him, accidentally placing his hands on her chest.
…
For a second there, he thought about Sakuno's naked body whenever they're making love. On the next second, he thought Momo-senpai's topless figure, showing off some of his muscles to Ann Tachibana.
…
Isumi stared shockingly at Ryoma. She blushed beet red from what he was doing. On his hands, are her supposedly breasts and it seemed like he was not making any intentions on moving his hands away.
He moved his hands around, massaging her chest, as if wanting to feel something that should be there. She couldn't be that flat-chested, could she?
The other tennis players' eyes widened.
A vein popped on Ryoma's head. His mind suddenly filled with thoughts of being more possessive of Sakuno now more than ever, especially that this girl (with her supposedly breast he was holding) had been finally found out.
But just to be sure…
Ryoma ripped open her maid outfit, revealing her naked chest.
The tennis players gasped and wondered when Ryoma became such a pervert. They tried to cover their eyes with their hands but after a while, they can't help but peek through their fingers.
They all turned into stone upon finding out that she has… man boobs.
"YOU'RE A GUY!" they all yelled. Sengoku vomited.
Ryoma stared shockingly at his rat-maid-turned-into-a-rat-butler. He was surprised that his assumptions just now were actually correct.
"All this time… I thought you were only flat…" Ryoma murmured, still wide-eyed. Well, at least he won't feel guilty about being unfaithful to Sakuno; now that he was sure that he had never touched a girl's chest (other that Sakuno's) before. Although, everything was an accident.
A vein popped on Isumi's head. She stood up, despite the fact that people she had never met before now know her secret. She yelled at her master, "Yes, I am a boy! So what!"
"So… you're a gay lesbian…" Ryoma said.
The vein on her/his head grew wider, "NO I AM NOT A GAY LEBIAN!"
"But you were a gay before… but you fell in love with Sakuno… that makes you a lesbian…"
The vein grew the size of her/his whole body, "I WAS NEVER GAY!" she tried to get to Ryoma to strangle him but Kabaji, who was closer to her, stopped her. "I'm only a cross-dresser," she said, after calming down.
This time, Ryoma was the one who stood up.
"But I admit… I had a crush on you before I started working for you. But Sakuno-sama changed my heart! I never felt so happy after I realized my feelings for her!"
Everyone continued to stare at her; her big green eyes, her small body, and blonde hair. Is she really a he?
"Sakuno-sama is the kindest person I've met in my life," Isumi suddenly blurted out, making lovesick noises as she pause, "Sakuno-sama is my," she placed both of her hands on either side of her cheeks and blushed upon saying the next words, "One. True. Love."
Ryoma glared at her, "Okay then," he puts out his cell phone and dialed Sakuno's number, "I'm going to tell her now."
Isumi violently punched that cell phone away from Ryoma, making the phone fly over to Choutarou Ootori, who fell on the ground when the small communication device hit him squarely on his forehead.
Isumi panted like an ogre locked up in a narrow prison and not fed for three thousand years. "Never, ever tell her!" she glared daggers at the tennis prince. "If she found out that I was a guy," her voice sounding desperate and monster-like, "she'd never speak to me again!"
"That's the reason why I'm calling her," Ryoma replied as soon as Isumi finished her I-have-monster-like-voice-fear-me talk and digs out another cell phone from his pocket, which Isumi also punched away viciously.
"DON'T!"
Ryoma smirked and motioned for all the other guys to come home. Everyone surprisingly obliged and Ryoma asked Isumi to come with him. Each and one of the tennis players went on their own way.
Dore kurai no toki wo
Bokutachi wa hashirinukete
One of the mafia men lend her some clothes, since Ryoma tore her maid uniform. You will laugh once you see the thug-look-a-like mafia men gaped surprisingly at their new discovery; Isumi is a boy!
Dore kurai no ashita
Bokutachi wa egaita darou
He led her back to the car; seems like they're heading home now. The driver drove them back home after he started the engine.
Hajimari wa tayorinai hodo
Nani mo nai basho kara datta
Ima Furikaereba ushiro ni
Nagai michi ga tsuzuiteiru
Isumi watched the view they passed through the car window. Posts after posts, stores after stores. Tokyo is such a busy place. Whoops, looks like that guy slipped, and oh, look at that dog, peeing at a post. Looks like that bakeshop is pretty busy.
Hitori-hitori sorezore no Omoi wo atsumete
Isumi observed every Japanese people doing their own things. The world outside was
noisy, but their ride home was pretty quiet until Ryoma broke it.
Hitotsu-hitotsu kasaneteku
Sore ga ooki na chikara e
Ima Bokura wa ICHIGAN ni naru
"Why would you care if Sakuno found out you're a guy?"
Isumi's face saddened as she stares at her shoes. "If she found out I was a guy… I'll never be able to talk to her like a friend anymore… and she'll only limit her security with me. She'll be uncomfortable…"
"Why would you think that?"
Isumi shifted her gaze from her shoes to the view outside the window, "Because… she'll know that I'm in love with her. Sure she'll say that she only wanted to be friends… but I know a confession can either get two people together… or make them more distant with each other."
"Of course she'll distance herself from you; she has me," Ryoma replied arrogantly, to which Isumi glared, "But… Sakuno-" he cut himself off when they stopped in front of the mansion gates. Soon, it opened and the car drove to the main entrance, where lined-up maids bowed simultaneously upon Ryoma's appearance.
Dore kurai no kisetsu
Bokutachi wo toorinukete
Dore kurai no kokoro
Bokutachi wa kawashita darou
"Welcome home, Echizen-sama."
"-she may also not. She's an unpredictable girl," Ryoma continued, only loud for Isumi to hear as he entered the mansion, smirking at Sakuno's view.
Isumi was shocked at what Ryoma said at first, but then broke into a smile, "You're right!"
Itsudatte gamushara datta
Tesaguri no mainichi datta
Dare ka ni sasaerareteita
Dare ka wo sasaeteirareta
Hitotsu-hitotu taisetsu na Omoi wo atsumete
Hitori-hitori kanaeteku
Sore ga ooki na chikara e
Ima Bokura wa ICHIGAN ni naru
Hitori-hitori sorezore no Omoi wo atsumete
Hitotsu-hitotsu kasaneteku
Sore ga ooki na chikara e
Hitotsu-hitotsu taisetsu na Omoi wo atsumete
Hitori-hitori kanaeteku
Sore ga ooki na chikara e
Ima Bokura wa ICHIGAN ni naru
_-_-_-_PoT_-_-_-_
A/N: Well, that's the end of the chapter! Isumi's past is coming up, and after that, Ryoma and Sakuno's one (a whole chapter dedicated to their past just to make things clearer) and after that, it'll focus on RyoSaku moments! The insert and ending song is Echizen Ryoma's image song, "Ichigan", the newer version. The 2008 version was sadder so I chose the more relaxing one. The translation of the lyrics fit well with Isumi's start of changing her heart… her memories with Sakuno will become her source of strength—that's what some lines in the song are saying.
Thanks for the reviews, and please continue reviewing!