A/N: My thanks to the following:

Nathan5th – one of your guess is correct and you'll find out now ;)

Deatheather2493, E-Anil, Ayou, uwiechan, Strange – I like Mommy Sayako ;) so I won't make her bad and yeah, I think she is a manipulator, too if given a chance ;)

Spikesagitta – ah well, I've warned you already about this chapter so hang in there ;)

Momoiiey – yes, I think this chapter is 'big' :)

Nightmist – the answer to your question is here already :)

Clarec97 – sorry about that ;) and I'm having a break after this chapter so it's probably after 3-4 days before I update again. It's holiday and I'm going to read a lot of stuffs!

Chapter 7. The Freedom

Sayako now understood, truly understood why her daughter was like a living dead, why she was slowly sinking into abyss.

"Sachiko, we need to talk," she said as she cornered Sachiko in her bedroom. Ever since she asked her about Yumi, Sachiko avoided being alone with her, preventing her from asking questions.

"Mother, I need to finish…" Sachiko started to seek an escape, but Sayako stopped her.

"For goodness sake, Sachiko. Stop trying to escape. We need to talk," Sayako said in exasperation.

"Mother, I'm not trying to escape, I really need to finish my report for…"

Once again, Sayako cut her.

"We will talk and there's nothing you can say to make me stop. I don't even care if you didn't manage to do that report of yours. This is more important than that," Sayako said firmly. She saw her daughter's eyes flashed in anger before it turned into a defeated one. "Good. Now I want to ask you questions, and answer me truthfully, Ogasawara Sachiko."

Sachiko straightened her already straight back. For her mother to call her in full name, then it must be something serious.

"Do you really want to marry Kashiwagi?"

Sachiko was taken aback by the question.

"O-of course, Mother. Isn't the date set already and only needs to be formally announced?"

"That doesn't answer my question, Sachiko. Do you really want to marry Kashiwagi?"

"Mother."

"The truth Sachiko. I want nothing less."

Sachiko looked away.

"No, I don't really want to," she said softly.

"I see. So why do you still want to marry him?"

"Mother! You didn't need to ask me that question, Mother. You know the reason why I'm going to marry him," Sachiko said, surprised, though she hid it perfectly.

"Do I really know?" Sayako shook her head. "I thought you want to marry him because you love him."

Sachiko was shocked. What was her mother talking about? Weren't they the ones who set her engagement to Suguru? And now, she was telling her that she thought she was in love with him.

"I love him before, Mother, but not anymore."

"Sachiko, Sachiko, if you don't really love him, then don't marry him. Why didn't you say something about it? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Mother! You and Father are the ones who want me to marry him."

This time, Sachiko didn't bother to hide her surprise.

"And you will do it despite you know that you won't be happy?"

When Sachiko kept quiet, Sayako continued, "Sachiko, do you really think that we want you to suffer? Do you think that we're that cruel, your Father and I? You should do what makes you happy. We're not forcing you on this marriage. If you don't want to marry him, then don't. I will tell your father, and I know he won't oppose. But if he did, I'll make sure that he won't anymore."

Sachiko couldn't say anything, too surprise with what was coming out of her mother's lips.

"If you're in love with Yumi, then be with her."

"Mother!"

"Do you really think that I don't know? Even without Touko-chan telling me, even if you cover yourself with a mask, I would still know, because I'm your mother, Ogasawara Sachiko. I'm the one who bore you, the one who carried you in my womb for 9 months, nurtured you, cared for you, and loved you. Do you really think I would let my only child suffer?"

Suddenly, tears stung Sayako's eyes, so worried was she for her daughter's sake.

Sachiko was frozen. Was this true or was she just having a dream? But no, it couldn't be possibly a dream. She was well-aware that she was awake. However, all of this, it was just too good to be true.

Had she got it all wrong?

---o---

Her talked with her mother gave Sachiko hope, a hope for her, a hope for her love to Yumi. But after all that had happened between the two of them, she didn't know how to approach Yumi. She couldn't possibly just come to Yumi and tell her that she loved her and that she was free. It wouldn't be easy. And so she planned, and planned for days and nights, but couldn't come up with any plan good enough for her. Why was she so scared?

And when she couldn't come up with any plan that was good enough for her, she sought help. She asked Touko's help, telling her everything, everything that had happened. She was hoping that Touko would be happy, happy for her that there was hope for her, and that probably, Yumi would forgive her. She hoped so. However, she wasn't prepared when Touko looked stricken after she told everything. She looked at Touko worriedly.

"Sachiko-onee-sama, why didn't you come to me sooner?" Touko asked worriedly.

"Why? Did something happen that I didn't know about?" She asked. Now she was really worried. Did something happen to Yumi?

Touko glanced at her watch, and then pulled Sachiko's hand and led her outside in a hurry that Sachiko almost tripped over in surprise.

"Touko-chan?"

"Let's talk later, Sachiko-onee-sama. We need someone who can drive, ah, perfect."

And soon, Sachiko was hanging on for dear life as Suguru drove the car like the fast driver that he was.

"Touko-chan, where are we going?"

"To the airport. We don't have much time," Touko said as she glanced again on her watch.

Despite feeling dizzy at the drive, Sachiko was immediately pulled by Touko towards the airport, almost in a run.

"Touko-chan, please stop! Now tell me, what are we doing here?" Sachiko asked as she tried to catch her breath.

"You don't understand, Sachiko-onee-sama. Onee-sama is leaving today, leaving with her family," Touko answered impatiently.

"Leaving?" Sachiko's heart skipped a beat. Yumi was leaving?

"Yes. Her family is leaving for the United States. They just waited for graduation and now leaving. If we don't hurry up, we might not catch them."

Touko haven't finished her sentence yet when Sachiko started to move in a hurry. She couldn't let Yumi leave without telling her the truth. She ouldan't.

However, Yumi nor her parents or Yuuki was nowhere to be found.

"No!"

Sachiko stopped her tracks in pain when she couldn't see any trace of the Fukuzawa household. She started to cry. She was too late. She really was stupid. She should have taken an action earlier.

"Touko, what are you doing here?"

Sachiko thought that her neck would broke as she turned sharply at the sound of that voice, the voice she knew so much, the voice she missed so much, the voice she loved so much. And there she was, looking at her with shock. She stared at her for what seemed eternity, before she snapped out of it as she realized that she didn't have much time. It was now or never.

"Yumi."

"Sachiko."

At Yumi's cold voice, Sachiko's courage almost faltered. But no. She couldn't do that, not at this moment.

"Yumi, I love you. Please don't leave," she said brokenly.

Yumi's eyes gone impossibly big as she stared at Sachiko with mouth agape.

"Yumi," Sachiko said tentatively, scared.

"Do you know what you're saying, Sachiko? Do you understand what you're saying right now?" Yumi asked, still couldn't contain her surprise. What the hell was going on? Had she heard Sachiko right?

"I was wrong, Yumi. Please forgive me," Sachiko said with a shaky voice. Had Yumi really forgotten about her feelings for her? Was she too late now?

Sachiko's hands started to tremble with fear. And when her apology met silence, she started to lower herself to kneel. She didn't mind if there were many people around, didn't mind if they recognized the heir of the Ogasawara doing such an unladylike act. All that matters was Yumi.

Yumi's eyes once again widened. Sachiko couldn't possibly go as low as that? But she was. As she realized that Sachiko was really going to kneel, she stopped her quickly. Holding her on the shoulders, she pulled her up.

"Don't stoop too low, Sachiko. You don't have to."

Sachiko was stricken. Yumi couldn't forgive her. Her world was shattered once again at the truth that she had destroyed everything, destroyed her love. Yumi was a hardened person now.

"Touko, please take her home now," Yumi commanded the equally shocked Touko. She handed the frozen Sachiko to her, then turned her back and walked away.

Both Sachiko and Touko stood frozen as they watched Yumi disappear among the crowd, but of different reasons. Sachiko's reason was the pain of Yumi not forgiving her, while Touko's was to see Sachiko almost stooping low had Yumi not stopped her. There was no doubt in Touko's mind now, Yumi was everything to Sachiko. She firmly believed that no one, no other reason, in this world that could make Sachiko do such thing except for Yumi and Yumi alone. She too, cried at the pain that the two most important persons in her life had felt, and the pain they were feeling right now. She saw it in her Onee-sama's eyes, too. But probably, Yumi was too hurt to forgive right now. She hoped someday, these two, someday…

---o---

Yumi couldn't stop the tears from flowing as she sat on her seat at the plane. She was glad that she was at the window seat so as not to draw much attention. And even if Yuuki noticed her crying, he kept his mouth shut.

The reason for Yumi's tears?

No one would ever know except her.

A/N: So, what can you say about this one? Don't curse me for what I'm doing now with Sachiko and for the cliffie :)

And, let's have a nice break! At least I'm hoping you will have after reading this chapter. Just be patient ;)

---Arvendell---

19 March 2008