A/N 1: This chapter is solely focused on Sachiko ever since she left Japan.
A/N 2: The next chapter for The Sweetest Surprise will be out one of these days.
Chapter seven
"Sachiko"
"It's about to rain again." whispered Sachiko as she looks up at the darkening sky and closed the curtains to her room and switch on the lights before going back to her desk and started working on the documents that her Father had sent for her to study. The documents were about the Ogasawara Corporation's last year's income statement and her Father wants her to study it before she will be put in the fields of their business to make sure that she knows what she's doing.
'The fastest route to earn your grandfather's trust is to learn how to run the company without anyone's help.' Sachiko remembered her Father telling her, when she told him that she wanted to break her engagement with her cousin. And to be able to do that she has to earn the trust of one single man, her grandfather Ogasawara Kujo. She knew that it was a difficult task but she has to do it if she wants to be freed from her engagement and be with the person she loves the most. 'But why would you like to dissolve your engagement with Suguru, he's a fine young man?' Touro asked her with confusion in his eyes.
'Simply, because I don't love him, Father. And I'm already in love with someone else.' Sachiko answered quietly and surprisingly her Father didn't comment on it.
'Can you tell me if whose this lucky person that catches your heart?'
'When the right time comes, you will know but for now I want to focus on dissolving my engagement with Suguru san.'
Sachiko let out a sigh, which was very unlikely of her as she remembered those memories and pushed back her seat when she heard the phone rings. She stood up and approached her bedside table where the phone was placed, and answered the call without bothering to check the caller ID. "Hello?"
'Sachiko san?' a soothing voice of a woman asked from the other end and it made her smile when she recognizes who belongs it to.
"Yes Mother. It's me." Sachiko said and sat on her bed, because she knew that talking to her Mother will take an hour. "How are you?" she asked and her Mother started talking nonstop on the other end that makes her smile.
Ever since, Sachiko left Japan a month ago her Mother would always call her every Friday night and asked her about her week at the university, her progress on studying their family's company and if she's eating well, or if she needed someone to take care of her. Common questions that Mothers do asked to their children if said children were not on their sight. As for her case, her parents were really worried for her because when she decided to leave Japan, she also decided to live on her own without any servants doing the house cores for her. And to ease her parents' worries, she lives in the university's dormitories. "Don't worry about me, Mother. I'm doing just fine. Yes. I'm eating on time and no, for the third time, Mother. I don't need a maid." She said chuckling because she's sure that her Mother was pouting on the other end, which was very unlikely for Ogasawara Sayako to do. "No. I'm locked up in my room because of the rain. Yes. I know, Mother." She said when her Mother reminded her of not going out late at night without anyone accompanying her. "I have to go now, Mother." She said when she heard soft knocks on her door. "Take care of yourself, Mother." Were the last words she said and puts down the phone back to its place and stood up from her bed to answer the door. "Who is it?"
"It's your fairy godmother Mia." A cheerful voice of a woman replied making her smile.
"Just a sec." Sachiko called out as she went to grab her coat and puts it over her clothes which were a pair of jeans and simple green shirt. The very unlikely style of Ogasawara Sachiko, after wearing her coat, she grabs her wallet and keys on her way out of her room and smiled apologetically to the woman with short blonde hair and a pair of bright green eyes. Amelia Maller, same age as her nineteen and a girl with the blood of Japanese – German. She met the blonde on the first day of semester and the two of them hits it off instantly because Mia reminded her of two people back home; Rei and Sei. With the blonde's appearance that resembles Sei and the attitude that reminded her of Rei, a perfect combination of two personas in one body. "Sorry for making you wait. My Mother called" she explained as they walked down the hallway towards the dorms lobby. Where they will asked for their mails for the day if there's any before going to the dorm's cafeteria to eat dinner.
"Nah, that's okay. So, what did the two of you talks about this time?"
"Same as before."
"No news about your precious girlfriend?" Mia teased.
"Mother doesn't know my true relationship with Yumi."
"Oh..." said Mia and didn't ask anymore.
They both stopped on their tracks at the dorm's lobby when they saw a middle age woman, handing out envelopes to the students who were coming in and out of the dorms door, the woman was Mrs. Smith their dorm manager. "You only have one letter today, Miss Ogasawara." The woman said.
"Thank you." Sachiko said as she received the white envelope.
"As for you, Maller. Please come with me. I need to talk to you about something."
"Wait for me here, I'll be right back." Said Mia before leaving Sachiko alone in the lobby and followed the older woman.
As Sachiko waits for the blonde to return she sat down on one of chairs in the lobby and flips the envelope around. Her eyes widens in disbelief and at the same time anticipation after she reads the name of the sender. She then hastily and yet with care opened the letter.
Sachiko,
How are you doing out there? I hope you're doing just fine.
As for me, I'm alright. So, there's no need for you to worry but I do admit that this first one month without you at my side was hard. But everyone in the Yamayurikai helped me around and cheered me up especially, Shimako san and Touko chan.
As for Yoshino san, Noriko chan and Nana well those three gets along just fine... umm, let me correct that. All of us in the Yamayurikai got along well.
So, if you need anything or if something's bothering you, please don't hesitate to sent me a message or call me... You know my number right?
Until here then, I'll write to you again when I got the chance.
Take care of yourself and remember that I'm always waiting for you to come home.
I miss you!
Your love,
Yumi
P. S
I got your address from Sayako Oba – sama.
Sachiko smiled and let one tear to escape her eye as she folded Yumi's letter and hugs it to herself. 'I miss you too.' She whispered.
"Hey. Are you crying?" a concerned voice of Mia breaks Sachiko from her reverie, that made her wipes the tear away that had escaped her eye in a hurry.
"It's nothing." Sachiko denied as she turned her face away from the blonde.
"I've known you for a month now, Sachiko. So, if you have problems you can tell me." Said Mia as the blonde sat down next to her.
"It's nothing really." Sachiko said and smiled at Mia. But the blonde only stared at her suspiciously before looking down at the envelope she's clutching next to her heart. And a knowing smile graces the blonde's lips.
"It's from her isn't it?" Mia teased and Sachiko ended up blushing which only broadens the blonde's smile. "So, what's with the tears if it's from her?" Sachiko didn't answer and her hold on the letter tightened. "Let me guess. You're crying because you missed her terribly, don't you?" Sachiko nodded. "Oh, alright then." And the two of them remained quiet for awhile.
"What's Mrs. Smith wants with you?" Sachiko asked to break the silence between them as she neatly folded Yumi's letter and puts it on her coat's pocket.
"It's about my dorm fees. Sadly but my Father hasn't paid for it yet."
"Do you need cash? I could lend you."
"I know. Anyways, thanks for the offer but I still have some extra cash to pay for this months fee." The blonde replied and stood up. "Let's get going." Mia said as the blonde started walking towards the cafeteria. Sachiko followed the blonde and remained silent as she observes Mia and noticed how tensed the blonde was but didn't say anything about it.
-I could be the one-
Once Sachiko gets back on her room, she sat down on her bed and grabs the phone and dialled the Matsudaira residence number. She waited for five rings before a woman's voice could be heard from the other end.
'Matsudaira residence, how may I help you?'
"This is Ogasawara Sachiko, may I speak with Touko?"
'Just a moment Ogasawara sama, Touko ojou – sama has just arrived from school.' the woman replied and Sachiko heard some shuffling from the other end and muffled conversations. 'Touko ojou – sama, there's a call for you.'
'Who was it?' Sachiko heard Touko's voice asked.
'It's Sachiko sama.'
''Touko speaking...''
"Ah. Touko chan, what a good time for me to call." Sachiko said in delighted voice.
"Indeed, Sachiko onee – sama." The younger girl said. "Do you need something, Sachiko onee – sama?"
Sachiko let out a soft laugh and said. "Sharp as always aren't we, Touko chan?"
"Well. I learned from you after all. So, let's cut the chase and tell me what you want?"
Sachiko let out a sigh and asked. "How's Yumi?"
'What do you mean?'
"Yumi sent me a letter and I just received it today. I want to know if she's really alright, just like what she said on her letter."
'Yumi sama's doing fine, Sachiko onee – sama. Besides, Yoshino sama and Shimako sama were always there to support her."
Sachiko let out another sigh when she heard the names of Yumi's two best friends. She was glad that those two girls were with Yumi while she's away but what's bugging her was the closeness between Yumi and Shimako and when she's about to speak again Touko cuts her off.
"You're worried about something." A fact, "aren't you, Sachiko onee – sama?"
"You can tell?" Sachiko said chuckling.
"Yes." Was the curt reply. "What is it?"
Long silence followed by another sigh as Sachiko pulled out Yumi's letter from her coat's pocket. "What's going on between Yumi and Shimako san?"
"What do you want to know?" was the question that made Sachiko uncomfortable or rather scared of what might be the answer to her next inquiry.
"I want to know everything..."
'As you wish, Sachiko onee – sama. I will tell you everything that I know."
-I could be the one-
As Sachiko lay on her bed that night, she's still wondering about her conversation with Touko earlier and couldn't help but be worried for unknown reason.
"After you left a month ago Yumi sama had been down and distant. And if not because of Shimako sama and Yoshino sama's persistence she'll be staying that way until now. But the one who helped the most was Shimako sama. She never left Yumi sama's side wherever Yumi sama goes and whatever she does. Shimako sama was always there and during weekends Shimako sama would always find a way to drag Yumi sama out of her house. Even I couldn't help her out the way Shimako sama did, sadly but that's the truth and I'm glad, for all of her helped I mean. So, I think it's natural to say that the two of them became closer to each other than before."
"I understand. So, everything was my fault for Yumi to feel that way..."
"Sachiko onee – sama, it's not your fault and I'm sure that Yumi sama will say the same. Besides, you left for a reason right?"
"Yes."
"Then you don't have to worry. I'll watch over Yumi sama for you."
"Thank you, Touko chan. Please take care of Yumi for me."
I promise until you come back."
Sachiko glances at the phone on her bedside table and before she could stop herself, she found her fingers dialling the Fukuzawa residence and waited in anticipation.
'Fukuzawa?' a male's voice answered and Sachiko recognizes it to be Yumi's brother. Fukuzawa Yuki.
"Yuki san."
'Yes?'
"It's me Sachiko. Can I speak to Yumi?"
'Ah. Sachiko san, I'm sorry but Yumi was already asleep. But you could try calling again tomorrow.'
"I see. Well then, I'll just call some other time. Thank you for your time." She said politely and puts down the phone back to its place.
One week later...
"I'm taking a break from everything." Sachiko declared as she walks next to Mia on their way back to their dormitories one afternoon.
"Pardon?" asked Mia frowning as she stopped on her tracks and waited for Sachiko to do the same. "Please elaborate. What do you mean you're taking a break from everything?"
"I'm going back home." Sachiko answered as she faces the blonde.
"Going back... Oh. You mean you're going back to Japan?"
"Yes."
"Why? And how long will you be gone?"
Sachiko turned and started walking again as she answered the blonde's question. "I'm going back home for one reason."
"Fukuzawa Yumi?"
"Yes."
To be continued...
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