(This fiction is based on the characters and settings created by Oyuki Konno)

Re-Humanizing Sachiko - Chapter 11

'That woman is so infuriating,' Yumi thought as she looked at the silent phone in her hand. 'I know she means well, but this arrogance that she knows what's best for me, has got to stop. I'm not a child anymore.' Yumi looked again at the satin and lace piece of lingerie, laying across the low table, next to the two white pairs of hold up stockings, she assumed went with it.

'And what message is she trying to send with this,' Yumi wondered, as she picked up the item and ran her fingers over the fine soft material. 'Is she teasing me, or does she really want me to model this for her? What would she do if I did?' The brunette closed her eyes and smiled, remembering Sachiko's desperate, insistent touching of her chest.

Yumi was thankful that the heiress wasn't in her apartment right now. If Sachiko were here, she felt she wouldn't be able to stop herself from attacking the older girl. The brunette shook her head to regain her senses, before she folded the merry widow up gently and placed it in a drawer along with the stockings.

She then picked up one of the extra items, that the heiress had chosen for her. The lightweight skirt she held in her hands, was a multicolored, multilayer gypsy style number. She looked over the other items and saw a white shirt with bloused sleeves. She placed them both back on the table, and got undressed, in order to try on the new outfit.

Once she was dressed in the new clothes, she walked around her living area. Yumi loved the bouncy feel as the skirt flared with her movements. Even though the skirt came down to mid-calf, she felt sexy in it. The feeling was similar to what she felt last night while she was singing. She decided the she would wear this to the club tonight. She folded up the rest of her purchases, and put them away. Afterward, she pocketed her new phone, put on the black heels from yesterday, and left her apartment for the Rosebud.

She arrived at the club earlier than she usually did. On a normal day, she would be hurrying to get here, after she finished her shift at Maria's. When she walked in Himawarii-sama was just finishing setting up the bar for the night. "Good afternoon, Himawarii-sama," she said as she walked up to the bar.

"Good afternoon, Yumi-chan," the old man responded. "You're here early today."

"Well, I didn't have to work at the massage parlor today. So I had a little more free time," the brunette said.

The old man smiled and patted the bar top in front of him, "Well, in that case can I buy you a drink?"

Yumi moved down the bar, and propped herself up on the stool in front of the owner, and replied, "Thank you. I'll take a Shirley Temple."

"As you wish, Yumi-ojousama," the old man said, smiling at the young girl, before turning around to make the requested drink.

Yumi looked at the man with a stunned expression on her face. "Ojousama," she exclaimed, surprised by the man's use of a formal title. "What's that about?"

"Heh, heh," the old man chucked, turning around and placing Yumi's drink in front of her. "I'm changing my tactics. If you insist on being formal with me, I'll be just as formal with you, Yumi-ojousama."

"But I was always taught to treat my elders with respect, Hima... Papa Bear," the young girl argued.

"I see it's working," the owner said with a belly laugh, before settling down and becoming more serious. "By the way, how's your friend? The one that passed out."

"She's fine," Yumi answered. "She just drank a little too much."

"Well if you ask me," the old man said with a twinkle in his eye. "I think she passed out from heat stroke. You were on fire last night." Yumi blushed, while he continued. "You know I don't meddle in you girl's personal lives, but if they get in the way of business, I'm going to say something. Please ask her not to come around here any more. I don't need her to get jealous and start trouble with the customers, or my best employee to get distracted and ignore her job. Either way, it's bad for business. Do you understand?"

"I'm sorry," Yumi said apologetically. "It won't happen again."

"I know it won't," He said. "So why don't you tell me about her. This girl that stole my little Yumi-chan's heart."

Yumi went on and told the man, all about her relationship with Sachiko, leaving out any mention of the events in Yumi's apartment last night, as well as the pair's meeting the previous Saturday night, before Yumi ran away from the party.

The old man listened to the young girl's story, and when he was done, he smiled at her and asked, "Do you love her?"

Yumi thought for a moment, before answering. "To tell you the truth, I really don't know. When I'm with her, I want to make her happy, so I find myself doing things that I wouldn't normally do. Like going shopping today, and letting her buy me things. I was reluctant at first, even argued, but then she looked at me with those blue eyes of hers, and I just caved. It's like I lost a bit of my freedom and independence, and I didn't mind at all."

"Sounds like you have it bad, Yumi-chan," the old man said, chuckling. "I wonder if I should hit up the Ogasawara's for a dowry, when she asks for your hand. How much do you think you're worth to her?"

"Eh!" Yumi exclaimed, "Marriage? What makes you think she'd want me that way, even if it was legal."

"You didn't see what I saw last night," he explained. "You have her wrapped around your finger, just as much as she does you. Look at today, everything she did was for you, without any thought of what she would get in return. I have a suspicion that her heart feels the same as yours."

"You really think so," the brunette asked.

"I've been around a great many years now," the old man replied nodding. "You can trust old Papa Bear." He took Yumi's now empty glass, and placed it in the sink. "Do you think you could finish setting up the lounge for me, Yumi-chan. I have some work to get done in the office." The brunette agreed happily, and started taking the chairs, off the tables, getting the lounge ready for the night.

There was still some time before opening, when Yumi finished setting up the lounge. She sat down at a table and debated on whether she should call Sachiko or not. The brunette was still trying to sort out her feelings about the heiress, and also decipher how Sachiko felt about her. 'No, I'm not ready to have that conversation with her yet,' Yumi thought. So instead she dialed a number she knew by heart, and brought the phone up to her ear.

"This is Mio," a woman's voice answered.

"Mio, this is Yumi," the brunette said into the phone. "I'm calling from my new cell phone."

"Welcome to the Twenty-First century, Yumi," Mio said giggling. "It's about time you got one. I've been trying to talk you into getting one, since forever, so why now?"

"I didn't have much choice in the matter," Yumi sighed. "It was a gift."

"Oh my," Mio said. "You'll have to tell me all about it. Where are you?"

"I'm at the club," the brunette answered.

"Good, I'm almost there," Mio informed her friend. "We'll talk soon." Yumi put her phone down, and waited for her best friend to arrive.

Minutes later, Mio rushed through the door, she looked around for a second, then headed straight for the brunette, sitting at a table. "Well, what happened with sleeping beauty last night," the red head asked, before sitting down across from her friend. "Tell me everything."

Yumi started telling Mio all about Sachiko's visit, with the exception of the part where the drunk heiress made moves on her. She explained all about the shopping trip, and the cafe afterward. She also told her friend about the extra outfits she found hidden in the purchases, but never mentioned the lingerie.

"Ooh, Yumi's got a 'sugar daddy'," the redhead teased. "Or is it a 'sugar mama'."

"Mio, stop it," the brunette whined, turning beet red. "You're embarrassing me."

"Is that some of your new clothes," Mio asked indicating the gypsy outfit her friend was wearing. "It looks adorable on you. Stand up so I can get the full effect." Yumi got out of the chair, twirled in place in front of her friend, and frowned. "What's wrong, Yumi?"

"I just feel bad. Sachiko-sama went and picked this out for me, and she won't be able to see me wear it tonight," Yumi explained.

"You have a camera on your phone," Mio stated. "Why don't you let me take your picture with it, and then we can send it to her."

Yumi looked at Mio, amazed. "We can do that?"

Mio giggled at her friends innocence. "Sure, I'll show you how. Give me the phone," she requested holding out her hand. Once Yumi handed it over, Mio held it in front of her. "Smile for the camera," the redhead called out, before snapping the picture of Yumi. She then went over and showed the brunette how to send Sachiko the picture.

XxX

"I really need to see Nakajime-san," Sachiko told Ume, the receptionist working the counter. "It's important."

'Who the hell does she think she is,' Ume thought, angry at the heiress' arrogance. 'Coming in here all high and mighty, demanding to see the boss.'

"For the last time, she is busy right now," Ume informed the girl in front of her. "If you wish, you can make a proper appointment. I can get you in to see her tomorrow at ten in the morning. Will that work for you?"

"No this matter is much too important to wait," Sachiko insisted, giving the receptionist a death glare, meant to intimidate the girl into submission.

Ume felt chills run down her spine, as she looked into the icy fire blazing in the eyes across from her. A lesser woman would have caved, but loyalty to her boss, gave her the strength to stand her ground. Maria's physical and mental state have not been the most stable lately, so Ume had taken it upon herself to do her best to protect the blonde from embarrassment. "I'm really sorry, Ogasawara-sama. I can't let you interrupt Nakajime-sama right now. Tomorrow is the best, I can do."

Sachiko knew that the girl was only trying to do her job, and protect her boss from unannounced visitors. But she also felt that if she waited until tomorrow, she wouldn't be able to surprise the older woman into telling her the truth. "I guess it can't be helped then," Sachiko capitulated, in order to get the receptionist to let down her guard. Once Ume reached under the counter to retrieve the appointment book, the heiress took the opportunity to storm down the hall, and head toward the office, with Ume close behind.

Sachiko opened the door to the office just seconds before Ume was able to catch up with the black haired woman. Maria looked up at the door and Ume said, "I'm sorry, I tried to stop her, but she got past me."

"It's alright," the blonde stated venomously. "I'm sure whatever it is must be important, for Ogasawara-san to be so rude as to disturb me without an appointment. You may go Ume."

Once the receptionist left, Sachiko bowed and said, "Pardon my intrusion, but I have a very important matter to discuss with you."

"Well, you might as well come in and have a seat," Maria said testily. "The sooner you tell me why you're here, the sooner I can get back to work."

The heiress entered the office, closing the door behind her, and took the seat opposite the blonde. Once she was seated, she looked Maria straight in the eye and asked, "So when are you going to tell Yumi the truth."

"The truth about what," Maria replied,

"The truth about her parents," Sachiko prodded.

"Do you know something about the Fukuzawa's, that I don't," the blonde responded innocently. "I was a good friend of theirs, so I think I know them better than any third rate rumors you may have heard."

Sachiko's eyes bored directly into the blonde's. "I'm talking about her real parents," the heiress stated flatly. "I'm talking about you, in particular, Nakajime-san"

"What do you mean," Maria said, her voice showing agitation. "Her official birth record lists Fukuzawa Miki as her mother, so whomever supplied you with that information was wrong."

"I am not wrong in this," Sachiko said confidently. "My eyes tell me a different story. I've seen the picture of you four together, and Yumi bears more of a resemblance to you than the other woman in that picture. Yumi has your nose, your cheekbones, and your forehead. One can see it if they know what they're looking for." Maria turned white as a sheet after hearing Sachiko's deductions. Seeing that, the heiress pressed on, "You are Yumi's mother, admit it. Wouldn't it be better for her to hear it from you, than me. She has a right to know, and I will tell her if you don't."

"You can't," Maria begged. "I know I don't have much to offer you, but I'll give you everything I own, if you'll keep this between you and me."

Sachiko looked over the older woman, and saw the naked fear in Maria's eyes. "What are you terrified about," the heiress asked. "Yumi is too nice to hold that against you. She might even be happy to know she has a living mother."

"Please, I'm begging you. Don't say anything," the blonde pleaded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Sachiko's heart went out to the crying woman. There had to be some reason why Maria wanted this information hidden. "The truth," she said. "My price for silence is the truth. If you can convince me that it is in Yumi's best interest to keep quiet, I will. Otherwise I will tell her."

"If Yumi's life means anything to you, you can't breathe a word of this to anyone," the older woman said, with all seriousness. "Especially your family."

"What does my family have to do with anything," Sachiko said, indignant.

"Everything," Maria said with finality. "I first met your father when I was in my last year of high school, and he was just finishing up college." The blonde explained how she and Tooru met, their romance, and subsequent break up. She even mentioned her and Sayako's conversation outside the school gates.

Throughout the story, Sachiko stayed quiet, and kept her facial reactions to a minimum. When Maria talked about her mother, her only thought was, 'She really hasn't changed much over the years. She's still a bitch.'

"A couple years later, sometime after you were born, your father came over to visit Yuchiiro next door. He said he had to drop off some papers. The Fukuzawa's had just left on vacation for the week, and I informed him of that fact. Then he asked if we could talk for a bit. With it being some time since we last talked, I thought I had hardened my heart to him, so I invited him in." Maria took a tissue and wiped at the corner of her eye.

"I never made a worse mistake in my life," the blonde continued. "We talked of old times and reminisced. He apologized for what he did, and confessed his undying love for me. He talked about a plan he had come up with, that would get him out of the marriage and be free to be with me instead," Maria slapped her hand down on the desk and said. "Stupid me believed him. I was a fool to think we would ever be together in this life. When we finished talking, it was very late, so I asked him to stay the night. He accepted."

"Does that mean, my father and you are..." Sachiko interrupted.

"Yumi's parents," the older woman spat out with a chuckle. "Your father was a complete gentleman to me the entire night. Not that I made it easy for him. If only we did have sex, the chance that the child that would come later could have been his, might have made a world of difference."

"But how does my father relate to Yumi," the heiress said, sounding confused.

"He doesn't, really," Maria admitted. "But you need to have the background, in order to understand what happened next."

"And what happened," Sachiko said, trying to move the conversation along.

"Your mother happened," the older woman spat venomously.

***FLASHBACK*** 18 + yrs

Maria unlocked the door, and entered her living area. Instead of the empty room she usually came home to, she found it occupied by a number of young men she didn't recognize, and one black haired woman that she had a passing familiarity with.

"Nakajime-san," the black haired woman said. "How nice to see you again."

"What the hell are you doing here, Ogasawara-san," the blond said angrily. "How did you get in here?"

"These nice gentlemen, were very eager to help me out," Sayako replied.

Maria rushed at the other woman, only to be grabbed by two of the men. One holding each arm. Sayako slowly approached the captive blonde, and said in a hurt tone, "I thought we had an agreement Maria-san. You were supposed to stay away from Tooru. How is it that I find out this morning that he spent the night here?"

"It's not my fault, that you're not woman enough to keep him at home," Maria told the black haired woman, sarcastically.

Sayako brought her arm back and back handed the blonde with all her might, causing a trickle of blood to form in the corner of Maria's mouth. "Keep your mouth shut, bitch," the black haired woman yelled. Maria's eyes shot daggers at Sayako's as the woman backed up. "Did my dear husband leave anything with you, when he came over last night."

"Not that its any of your business, but no, he didn't leave anything," Maria informed the other woman.

"Too bad," Sayako said, evilly. "Because if he did, it would have saved you a whole lot of pain. Have at it boys," she told the men who accompanied her, as she made herself comfortable on an armchair. "And make sure it hurts."

One of the men, not holding the blonde, stepped up and faced her. He ripped open Maria's blouse, and got a foot in the groin as a reward. Another man came up and punched her in the stomach, doubling her over. The two men holding her, guided her over to the sofa, and bent the blonde over the back. Maria struggled against them, but didn't have the strength to break free.

***END FLASHBACK***

"In all six men had their way with me that night," the older woman told Sachiko in a shaky voice. "And your mother watched it all, smugly smiling from my arm chair. I passed out eventually, and when I woke up, my things were ransacked and this was left on a table." She reached into her desk drawer and handed Sachiko an envelope. Inside was a bundle of bills and a note, which read: "As I said before, 'whores should get paid.' So here is your payment. Don't spend it all in one place. - S"

Sachiko read through the note again. There was no doubt in her mind that her mother actually wrote this. The handwriting was very similar to that on the notes passed to her by servants. She handed the envelope back to Maria, who put it back into her desk.

Maria then took out two glasses, and her bottle. She filled them both, and handed one to Sachiko, before taking a sip of the other. "I cleaned myself up, tended, my wounds, and tried to forget what happened the best I could. I didn't do a good job of that though," Maria sighed as she rolled up her sleeves, exposing the jagged scars on her wrists. "I did that the night the doctor told me I was three months pregnant. If it wasn't for Miki, I wouldn't be here right now, neither would Yumi. Once the hospital stitched me up, Miki took me to Yamanashi, and had me admitted to a sanatorium there under her name. Six months later, I gave birth to Yumi. Miki agreed to take care of her for me. I stayed in the hospital until I was mentally stable. Then we came back here." She finished the rest of her drink and set the glass down.

"So you see. If your mother ever found out that Yumi is my child, I feel she will stop at nothing to find a way to hurt me through her. She's taken away everything else in my life," Maria told the heiress, sighing. "I was going to be a teacher until a certain video became public. I can surmise that the reason she hasn't taken this place away yet, is that she thinks I'm suffering. The joke is on her though, I actually like running this place,"

Sachiko sat there unmoving, numbed by shock, at the horror story she just heard. 'How can I respond to that,' she thought to herself. 'My mother has caused this. It is up to me as an Ogasawara to make this right. I will make up for this.' Slowly the black haired girl stood up, and faced the older woman. "I vow on my life, to do whatever it takes to keep Yumi safe. It's the least I can do."

Sachiko slowly walked to the office door, pausing as she put her hand on the knob. She turned her face to Maria, still sitting at the desk. "By the way, my father still has your picture," the heiress stated. "He carries it around with him. I thought you might like to know."

Sachiko turned the knob in her hand, and let herself out of the office. She left the shop and told her driver to take her home. Only when she was safely locked in her room, did she let herself cry.


A/N: Thank you for reading this chapter. And thanks for all the reviews.

Honulicious: I hope this chapter answered your question about they mystery woman. And as far as the commonality between the date here and the anime, I feel that there are certain scenes that have to stay constant. Bumping in to each other, retying the tie, or eating finger food with utensils. All these and many more have significance to our favorite couple. As far as being a singer, we will have to wait and see.

Nyaaaaaaah: Sachiko is generous, and Yumi will cave whenever that raven haired beauty bats her eyelashes. And the lingerie will play its role out sometime.

Spikesagitta: I think Sachiko would be in favor of anything that gets Yumi out of the Rosebud.

fiore51leon: Thank you for your kind words, I really do appreciate them. And I will try to update when I have new chapters finished.

Hannah: Thank you also for following this story, and Yes, Maria is the owner of the massage parlor, and the girl Tooru loves. And the woman Sachiko had to see...

Thanks for being here so I can be here.