A/N: Lots of FujiSaku fluff. You've been warned!
Chapter Eleven
Sakuno waited at the airport for Fuji to arrive. She rubbed her hands together, not only to keep them warm, but also to stay calm. That Christmas night, when Ryoma kissed her for a second time, kept popping up in her head, and Sakuno was anxious to banish it to the ends of the earth.
"I'm so sorry, Syusuke," she whispered. And she truly meant it. She should have resisted, she should have yelled and sued Ryoma for sexual harrassment, but she didn't! What a bad girlfriend she had been.
At the arrival section in the airport, more and more passengers appeared, signifying a new flight had just arrived. Sakuno strained her eyes, searching for Fuji, and at last, she spotted him, walking beside Yuuta.
"Syusuke!"
Sakuno wove her way through the crowd, and reached him. Impulsively, she did something she never did before--she threw her arms round his neck.
"I'm so glad to see you!"
Yuuta immediately backed off, though he was a little shocked. Who'd know that Sakuno, who was usually modest and shy, would display her affection in public? It must be under the influence of his brother. Yuuta shook his head; it seemed there was nothing that his aniki cannot do.
For a moment--Sakuno felt Fuji stiffen--perhaps too surprised? No wonder--she seldom touched him voluntarily, it was always the other way round.
Then he gave a low chuckle, gently pried her arms from him, and said teasingly:
"I never thought you'd miss me that much, Sakuno-chan."
Sakuno blushed; he was staring at her closely. "Well...it has been some time. Of course I'd miss you."
"Indeed." He smiled, though Sakuno felt that he wasn't too happy. What was wrong? Wasn't it natural that she should miss her boyfriend?
Just at that moment, Yuzuyu happened to rush up and give Sakuno a tight hug. All their attention was turned to the child, and soon Yumiko, her husband, Yuuta, and the Fuji parents came. In the presence of his family, Fuji seemed to relax and became his normal self.
Sakuno prayed that what she just saw--the way Fuji seemed to regard her suspiciously--was only temporary.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Omigod!" Tomoka squealed. "This place is huge! How I envy you, Sakuno!"
Sakuno came out of the kitchen, carrying a tray of tea and cakes. Settling down before a table enough for six people, she poured out hot tea.
It has been three days since she moved in Courtney's flat, but still, she couldn't get used to how spacious and comfy the place was.
Originally, she had thought about moving to another place, since her relationship with Ryoma was now completely off. But one day Courtney rang up their apartment, and she spoke so fast that Ann, who could speak decent English, offered to take the phone. In the end, somehow, all Sakuno knew was that Courtney wanted her to move in as soon as possible.
"You can stay over anytime." Sakuno offered. "There are two guest rooms."
"Two? That's impossible! Here in Tokyo!"
Sakuno smiled. She was truly fortunate to live with Courtney. In the beginning, they could barely understand each other, as Courtney's Japanese was just as bad as Sakuno's English. Gradually, they learned to understand each other by speech patterns, hand gestures, and a Japanese-English dictionary. Though they never became intimate friends, due to the insurmountable culture barrier, they did get along very well.
The girls chatted for a while, though it was mostly Tomoka doing the talking, as she kept gushing with admiration for Courtney's flat and all the interesting American stuff she brought.
The doorbell rang. Sakuno went to the door, a little puzzled. Courtney had just left for a date with Kevin an hour ago. Had she forgotten something?
"SAKUNO!" Nodame burst in the room. "Nodame has missed you so much!"
Sakuno was almost knocked over by Nodame's fierce hug. Suddenly she understood why Chiaki sometimes looked scared when Nodame greeted him.
"What's that thing?" Tomoka said.
"Oh!" Nodame was clutching a large, white, rolled-up piece of paper. Now she unfurled it with lightning speed and before Sakuno's eyes, a huge poster appeared."Annual piano competition..." Tomoka read. "...with 100,000 U.S. dollars for the winner!"
Sakuno's eyes could have popped out. This was by far the largest amount she'd ever seen for prize money in piano contests. It would cover tuition, living expenses, the plane ticket, provided she watch her budget carefully.
"Just came out today!" Nodame said excitedly. "When I saw this, I felt I MUST come and tell you, Sakuno! You will enter, won't you?"
"I--but how about you? Don't you want to go to Europe with Chiaki-senpai?" For Chiaki was to leave next year to further his studies in Europe.
"Of course Nodame wants to, but this competition is only for people going to America! And in any case, Nodame believes that Sakuno should go for it!"
"So right!" Tomoka nodded fervently. "We all know that you want to go to Julliard! Once you win this prize, your dream will come true!"
"You guys," Sakuno gave a weak smile. ", you make it sound like I'm going to win for sure. We don't even know how many--"
"Oh, but Sakuno will win!" Nodame said.
"Yeah!" Tomoka echoed. "And now you're living with that American girl, you'll be certain to pass your TOEFL exam!"
Sakuno took the poster.
"Thank you." Her eyes glistened. "I will do my best to win the prize."
"That's the spirit!" Tomoka exclaimed.
"Everything works out so well!" Nodame clasped her hands. "Nodame will go to Europe with Chiaki-senpai, and Sakuno will go to America with Echizen Ryoma!"
Sakuno dropped the poster.
"Nodame!" Tomoka hissed. "Don't you know Sakuno already has a boyfriend? Fuji Syusuke, the medical student who also took part in the All Japan Collegiate Tennis Tournament?"
"But..." Nodame twisted her fingers. "...but Sakuno is destined to be with Echizen Ryoma."
"Hah?" Tomoka was nonplussed. "How do you know?"
"Intuition!" Nodame said gleefully. "And besides, Mrs. Fuji Sakuno just sounds weird, doesn't it?"
Tomoka shook her head. Nodame was known to be ditzy, or even crazy, in school, so she didn't really take her words seriously.
"Eh? Sakuno, where are you?"
"Here!" Sakuno straightened up, a cloth in hand. "Some--er--cookie crumbs dropped on the floor."
If Tomoka or Nodame paid attention, they would have seen that the cloth was perfectly spotless, but as both of them didn't have the ever-observant eye of Sherlock Holmes, they proceeded to talk, like how Ryoma has virtually no opponent now in the tennis world, and why he remains obnoxiously single, when Sakuno and Fuji will get married...
For the first time in her life, Sakuno was relieved when her two best friends left. She wondered how much longer she could endure this emotional strain.
Then her eye fell on the poster Nodame brought, and a new hope sprung within.
Right. Now she should focus on her dream, which she always had since childhood, and not let silly romantic notions disrupt her.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the next couple of weeks, Sakuno threw herself into practicing. With the suggestions of Professor Goda, she completed her repertoire for the piano competition, though it was still a few months away. The reasons were simple: practice makes perfection, time was limited due to school and her part-time job and studying TOEFL, having a goal kept her too busy to worry about her personal life.
So far, everything seemed to progress smoothly. Courtney provided immense help with her English, and the proximity of her new apartment to school greatly lessened the hassle of commuting. Ryoma was in some other country, competing, so she didn't see him at all, as long as she kept her gaze averted from the sports section in the paper.
Fuji, on the other hand, seemed a little different since she saw him at the airport. There was a certain reservedness in his attitude, a queer strainfulness in his smile, a slight hesitation sometimes when he touched her. These differences were not evident, but Sakuno, having become used to his unadulterated affection, sensed these minor changes now and then.
Had his affections altered? Had he grown tired of her? Had he found another?
Sakuno didn't know. She never understood Fuji; few people did, perhaps with the exception of his family. And since he never said anything, Sakuno didn't feel like asking.
However, she did know, self-deploringly, that she preferred this "slightly-dimmed" version of Fuji. Before, she always felt burdened because he displayed such whole-hearted devotion. Now, she felt a little less guilty.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applause rang out in the elegant bar room. Sakuno, flushed with pleasure, stood up and made a polite bow to the audience. Because of her excellent piano-playing and her lovely face (though the hotel manager would never admit that as a reason), her salary had increased by 20 percent.
When she gathered her music books and prepared to leave, a man walked over to her. He seemed to be at least forty, wore glasses, and an expensive gold watch glittered on his wrist.
"Your performance was simply charming," he said with a smile. "May I know your name?"
"Uh--Ryuzaki desu." Sakuno didn't like the way he looked at her.
"Ryuzaki. My name is Kyouhei. As I've said, your piano-playing is a feast for the ears. Here, please accept this little gift as a token of my admiration for you."
He held out an envelope. Sakuno could see the tip of a bill protruding from it.
"Thank you, sir, but I'm afraid I cannot accept your generosity. It is not customary here to tip."
Kyouhei frowned at her declination, but seeing that Sakuno was adamant, he gave a short laugh and pocketed the money.
"Very well. Then let me buy you a drink."
"I'm sorry, but I really must get home. It has been a long day. Good night." Not to mention that she'd rather jump out of the window, than have a drink with him. Sakuno gave him a quick bow and walked away, in case he'd offer her a ride like Ryoma did.
Kyouhei watched her leave. An angry look flashed through his eyes briefly.
"No one gives me the cold shoulder, Ryuzaki." he muttered, his voice low but steely. "And in case you don't know--I always get what I want."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fuji drove along the street. He had to pick up some stuff for Yumiko, and then pick up Sakuno for her piano lesson with Yuzuyu.
Sakuno.
He loved her.
It wasn't love-at-first-sight. When he first saw her at Seigaku, he merely thought of her as a cute little kouhai, so different from her grandmother. Besides, when Ryoma arrived, everyone automatically linked their names together. Fuji had been amused, too.
However, after Ryoma left for America, things began to change. Sakuno had grown taller, she wore her hair loose and flowing, and carried herself as a charming, refined young lady. And ever since he discovered her playing the piano, that image of her--angelic and serene--was permanently etched in his mind. Fuji, being an amateur photographer, was sensitive to beauty, and Sakuno particularly appealed to his senses. Not to mention that she was sweet, kind-hearted, modest, and immune to the pettiness and jealousy normally found in women. Of course, she was not flawless--she was shy, klutzy, and not very bright, especially when it came to directions. But nevertheless a very attractive person.
When she agreed to be his girlfriend, it seemed like heaven opened a window for him. He knew that she didn't love him--she regarded him with admiration and gratitude--but he cherished the hope that she would someday. They have known each other so long, it must take some time for her to cease seeing him as an older brother. He didn't fall in love with her immediately, either.
He could accept that she didn't love him more than a friend--yet. But he couldn't accept that she lied to him about her Christmas plans. She told him that she wasn't going anywhere, yet he saw her on TV with Ryoma, her old crush.
Imperfection he could accept, infidelity, not.
He wondered what he should do. He didn't think Sakuno was two-timing him; he was sure she was incapable of such malice. But why didn't she tell him she was going to be with Ryoma for Christmas?
He reached the supermarket, parked the car, and went out. While he searched for the baking supplies Yumiko asked him to buy, a woman suddenly hailed his name.
"Oh! Aren't you Fuji-san, Sakuno's boyfriend?"
Fuji turned, surprised.
"Tae-san?"
"Hai. How's it going, Fuji-san? All's well, I hope? And how's Sakuno?"
"Everything's fine." Fuji put on his smiling mask.
"Good." Tae also smiled, though hers was sincere. "I suppose you're shopping for baking supplies for Sakuno?"
"Oh. Yeah." Well, it was Yumiko who asked him, but Sakuno was also going to help.
"You are a lucky man, Fuji-san. Sakuno is really a good cook. Last Christmas she helped me bake cookies for the kids at an orphanage, you know?"
Oh yes, he knew. Though not from Sakuno herself.
Tae rattled on, being in a good mood. "It was kind of surprising, at first, because I thought she would be with Ann or some friend. But when I ran into her in the store on Christmas day, well, I just had to ask her to come along with me."Fuji opened his eyes. "You mean--you invited Sakuno?"
"But of course." Tae also opened her eyes. "Is there anything wrong with that? I merely thought a nice girl like her shouldn't be spending Christmas alone. Not that I blame you," she added quickly. ", Sakuno said you were on vacation."
Fuji shook his head. "No, it was a misunderstanding. And thank you for keeping her company, Tae-san."
He smiled again, and this time, his smile lightened up his face.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sakuno hurried on the street; she was late again. Her preparation for the piano competition wasn't going well lately, and Professor Goda kept her fifteen minutes longer than usual. Were it not for her lesson with Yuzuyu later, she might have to stay a full hour longer, as Goda was known to be a perfectionist.
When she spotted Fuji leaning against his car on the side of the road, Sakuno picked up her pace and ran towards him.
"So--sorry!" she gasped. "Professor Goda, he didn't let me go until I--"
Fuji stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.
"There, calm down, Sakuno-chan." he said soothingly, patting her head. "I love you, remember? I'm not going to be angry just because you're a little late."
Sakuno blushed, a little taken aback. It has been some time since he hugged her.
Fuji released her. Her cheeks were still as pink as a cherry blossom, her hair slightly windblown, and she was looking on the ground, her expression shy and demure. She looked so adorable, so sweet, and he happened to be feeling particularly tender towards her, which prompted further action.
Fuji turned her chin upwards and kissed her fully, right on the lips.
If Sakuno's face was pink before, it was now flaming red. He kissed her many times before, but never in a big, bustling street!
"There--there are people watching--" she murmured, embarrassed, when he finally released her.
Fuji smiled. "If you don't like it, you can come over to my place next time."
Sakuno was tongue-tied. If she agreed, then she would be admitting that she wanted to do it another time. But if she refused, then it implied that she didn't mind kissing in public.
Fuji's smile deepened. Much as he loved Sakuno, he was a sadist after all, and seeing her shy and embarrassed always amused him. But he figured that he did enough today, so he changed the subject.
"Valentine's Day is coming, you know."
"Oh!" Sakuno said. So deeply focused she was in the piano competition that she had forgotten. "I must go shopping for chocolates. What kind would you like this year?"
"Any kind, as long as they are not friendship chocolates."
Sakuno blushed again. It was a long time since she made "hon-mei" chocolates, which were reserved for a crush or boyfriend only. Ryoma was the first recipient, and back then, he didn't seem at all pleased to receive them, though she spent hours making them.
The thought of Ryoma made her heart ache.
"Of course, Syusuke." she said aloud.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sakuno retook the TOEFL exam and passed, much to her delight and relief. Now, if she secured the scholarship, and provided she didn't mess up her applications, she would be on her way to New York City!
Because she felt that Courtney had been instrumental to her TOEFL success, Sakuno insisted on treating the American girl to dinner. It was a little difficult to select a restaurant that would cater to Courtney's taste; traditional Japanese cuisine may not agree with her, but it would be uninteresting if they simply went for American/European food, since Courtney was already familiar with that. In the end, Sakuno decided on going to Katsukura, a mous restaurant that served fried pork rice, which had recently become very popular.
As it turned out, Courtney did enjoy the traditional atmosphere of the restaurant combined with modernized Japanese food. Though Sakuno had a hard time translating.
When they returned to the apartment later, both girls were surprised to see a huge bouquet of roses lying before the door. An envelope was stuck on the top: For Miss Ryuzaki Sakuno.
"Hey!" Courtney exclaimed. "Look at this pink mountain! Maybe you've got a secret admirer, Sakuno!"
"Oh come on," Sakuno laughed it off, though she was burning with curiosity. Who could it be?
Sakuno opened the envelope, and drew out a sheet of paper. A familiar whiff of cologne reached her nose, and suddenly, Sakuno had a strong sense of foreboding.
"My dear Ryuzaki-san,
I was so enchanted by your performance last time that I am sending you a token of my admiration. Do not be surprised; this is merely the beginning. More will follow.
I remain, truly yours,
Kyouhei."
Sakuno dropped the letter on the floor.
"Are you okay?" Courtney said, seeing that Sakuno's face had gone white.
"I...I..." Sakuno's hand was shaking. How did Kyouhei know her address? And what was his intention of sending her roses? What did he mean by "more will follow?"
Courtney, seeing that Sakuno was really disturbed, took charge of the situation. She opened the door, dragged Sakuno inside, picked up the bouquet and letter, and shut the door. Then she got two mugs of steaming coffee, and placed one in front of Sakuno.
"Tell me what's troubling you, okay? You look so pale."
Sakuno hesitated. This was her own, personal trouble, and Courtney had already helped her so much already.
But Courtney, sensing that something must be wrong, if Sakuno could have such a negative reaction to a bunch of roses, pressed her further.
Finally, Sakuno confided her worries. She showed Courtney the letter.
"You mean a man twice your age is lusting after you?" Courtney said, disgusted. "The nerve of him! Let's call the police!"
"But we need criminal evidence. This," Sakuno pointed at the letter. ", is not proof enough. The police can't mark him just because he sent me some roses."
Courtney frowned. She wasn't familiar with the Japanese custom. But she felt that something had to be done.
"At any rate, you shouldn't come home alone. Can't your boyfriend pick you up?"
"He does, on Friday and Saturday. But on Monday he has to stay in the hospital for practical training."
"Then I'll come pick you up on Mondays." Courtney said firmly. "No, I insist, honestly. For one thing, how am I to face Ryoma if anything happens to you?"
"Eh? Ryo--Ryoma-kun?"
"Yeah. He's really concerned about you. Actually, I was always wondering why you're not his girlfriend. 'Cause you know, Ryoma barely notices the opposite sex, even though girls are throwing themselves at him, like he's the only man on earth."
"I know." Sakuno said in a low voice. Of course she'd know. Ryoma had been a girl magnet since he entered Seigaku.
"But you're the only girl I've seen who can make him go crazy. You know when you came to see him, on some mission for orphans?"
Sakuno remembered. How could she not?
"Well, when you fainted, he just lost his head." Courtney then did an imitation of Ryoma: "GET A DOCTOR! A GLASS OF WATER! ANYTHING, JUST GO!"
She then laughed, and Sakuno managed to smile back weakly, though her mind was racing. Echizen Ryoma was known to be cool, indifferent, and utterly ruthless on the tennis court. Since when does he go out of his mind? And for her?
"So what's the secret?" Courtney asked teasingly. "How did you manage to be immune to him?"
Sakuno blushed scarlet, and mumbled something about having a boyfriend already.
"Well, we'd better get this into the trash can." Courtney said brightly, turning to the roses. "Pity they're so pretty. But anything from a perverted old man doesn't belong here!"
Courtney kept her promise and came for Sakuno right when she finished. She even guessed who was Kyouhei, and told Sakuno that he was even worse than she imagined.
"That f-ing a--hole" she snarled. "Wish I could rip his head off!"
When they came out, Sakuno was astonished to see Ryoma's sleek black limousine pull up in front of the hotel.
"Ryoma said we could borrow his limo," Courtney said lightly, as if borrowing limos was a common practice.
However, he never showed up. But his chaffeur always came on Mondays, and whenever Fuji was too busy to pick up Sakuno.
Ever since she rejected Ryoma for the second time, Sakuno couldn't think of him without a pang of guilt.
She missed him. Sorely. His sending his limo, but not coming in person, made it worse. Even if he wasn't there, Sakuno could imagine him sitting next to her, his long legs stretched out gracefully, his face framed by glossy black hair, his expression bored and arrogant, though when he looked at her, his smouldering eyes always gave her a thrill down the spine.
"You're the only girl I've seen who can make him go crazy." Courtney's voice echoed in her head.
Sakuno knew that Ryoma fancied her. But she was so wrapped up in her insecurities (what did Ryoma see in her?), so afraid that his attention might be only a passing whim (he could choose a million girls), so skeptical of the possibility that Ryoma would fall for her (when he totally ignored her six years ago!), that she never stopped to consider seriously to be his girlfriend.
But...a year has passed since they met, and as far as she knew, Ryoma didn't show interest in anyone. Courtney's word confirmed that.
Surely he didn't need to bother with her anymore, especially since she rejected him twice. But he still sent his limo (Courtney might have threatened him, but still...), a sign that he still cared for her.
Sakuno wondered, for the very first time, if she had made a mistake in accepting Fuji as her boyfriend.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Sorry for this terribly late update! I don't know what happened to my brain. But I've said I'm going to finish this story, and I promise I will. There is only one chapter left, and maybe an epilogue. Kind of short, I know, but I haven't much inspiration. Plus, I always get tired of romances that drag too long!
A few points of interest:
1. Kyouhei is from Naoki Urasawa's Happy!. By the way, Urasawa is my favourite manga author, not only because of the awesome plot of his thriller manga, but also he depicts women as strong and capable, not just mindless eye-candy.
2. Katsukara is real--in fact, I visited that restaurant when I was in Kyoto! I was in Japan this summer, and although it was really hot, the trip was fantastic : )
As you'd probably know already, this is going to be RyoSaku. Honestly, I like Fuji better (hence, FujiSaku is easier for me to write), but canon rules dictate me to make it RyoSaku (yes, even against my wishes!) Perhaps, if I ever do write FujiSaku, it's gonna be AU. I can't imagine FujiSaku if Ryoma is around.
