Authors' note: Hello, dear readers. Just to specify everybody's ages so far and keep a record ( I have really bad memory! )

Sakuno – 19 / Ryoma – 16 / Tezuka and Oishi – 26 / Fuji – 24 / Natsumi – 22 / Saya – 30

- Is there anything you want to tell me? – Fuji asked, annoyed by the troubled expression his cousin had since he returned from his visit to Sakuno. They were having lunch on a small soba place. That autumn day was cold and windy and Tezuka's absolute silent on the past days was bothering him very much.

- Sakuno and I… - he didn't have to finish his sentence. And his cousin brought a hand to his face.

- Kunimitsu, how stupid are you?! – it was fortunate they were sitting on a private booth, so no one could hear them. Syuusuke's blue eyes looked at him like a father scolding his child. – I told you to talk to her, not to have sex with her!

- It just… happened.

- Oh, just happened? Did she force you? What good will that bring?! – Tezuka had no words. He was also feeling extremely confused about everything that happened. It was the first time he felt like cheating on Saya and that made him extremely uncomfortable. Fuji took a deep breath, before continuing. - Cousin, this has to stop. You need to tell Sakuno-chan the truth. About you and Saya-san. You cannot hurt that girl anymore.

- I will.

- I promise I would never meddle on this situation. But I care about that girl. I will give you two weeks so you can solve this. Otherwise I will travel to Shizuoka myself and tell her the truth.

- You wouldn't… - he said, surprised.

- I will. – the younger man said in a defiant tone. - I don't want to see another person hurting. Watching Yuri-san was already painful enough. – putting a couple of golden coins over the table, he stood up. – Lunch is on me. See you later at home.

Kunimitsu looked at him while he was leaving. It was the first time his cousin mention his late wife in all those years. And he knew Fuji well enough than doubting his words.

#####

- What?! – Emi woke up from her nap as listening her husband's altered tone of voice. Rubbing her eyes, she found Shuichirou looking extremely surprised to the letter on his hands, sitting on the front porch. The sun was setting and he had just came back from work.

- What happened, anata?

- Oh, Emi… I'm sorry I wake you up. Its just…

- Something happened to Echizen-kun? Or to Echizen-san? – she kneeled by her side, concerned.

- Ryoma moved out! He is living in Shizuoka now! With Nanjirouh-san's consent!

- What? Why?

- He is going to apply to the dojo I used to train next year. And he wanted to be alone so he could practice properly.

- Is he completely alone there?

- Yes… he doesn't know how to do anything by himself! How did Nanjirouh-san allowed something like that?!

- Anata, calm down. – she touched his hand. – He is not a little boy anymore. And he wants to continue your family's legacy. Isn't that nice?

- But…

- Why don't we go and visit him?

- I can't go now. We need to take the sheep to the fields across the river so they can gain weight before winter comes.

- We can go when you finish. We can visit Echizen-kun and then we can travel to Kyoto. – she touched her round belly and smiled. – So our child can be born there.

- You are right. I'm sorry, I just… worry so much about him. – her little palms caressed his face and she noticed the preoccupation on his beautiful green eyes.

- I understand. - she kissed him lightly. – But, try to have faith on him. He is almost 17 already. And he is very intelligent. He will be fine.

#####

- Ryuzaki-san. – Ryoma showed up on her bedroom door. She was reading while drinking tea and turned around with a smile as seeing him.

- Yes, Echizen-kun?

- Tezuka-san is at the door. He wants to talk to you.

- Tezuka-sama is here?! – she stood up excited. – Tell him to come!

- Hm. – when Ryoma left her room she changed extremely quickly, dressing one of the colorful furisode he had given her and releasing her hair from the ponytail, in a red waterfall.

By the time he entered her room, she was politely sitting on the tatame, the shoji from the porch of her chambers completely open, letting a pleasant breeze inside. She was beaming in happiness as seeing him, but the expression on his face made her worried. He sat in front of her silently and she got close, touching his hand.

- What happened, Tezuka-sama?

- I'm sorry I came out of the blue. But I really need to talk to you. And it couldn't wait anymore.

She was surprised at the seriousness of his words. Since their last encounter Sakuno wondered when they would see each other again. He was so silent before leaving her room, while she helped him dressed. But he did kissed her passionately before leaving and she wanted to believe that it was a sign of his true feelings towards her. And her little heart was racing with hope.

- The reason why… I could not respond to your feelings is that… there is someone else.

- What? – a thunder could be heard from the clouds of that ending afternoon.

- It's Saya-san. – finally saying that out loud made him fell like the weight of the world, after all that time, was taken off his shoulders. - I... I will propose to her when the debts of Akai Hana are paid off.

- But… you came all the way here. You said you missed me and… we even… - the memory of his body over hers brought tears to her eyes and she felt extremely stupid.

- I am really sorry.

Ryuzaki lowered her head and looked at her trembling hands. Her lose hair was covering her face and she searched inside for all the strength she possessed to remain calm. Her memories of their moments together came to her mind and each one of them hurt more than the wounds she carried on her back. She felt foolish and made fun of, for loving him so much. A childish, stupid and unrequited love that, in the end, didn't bring her anything but pain.

- It's okay.

- Sakuno…

- I will be fine. Thank you for telling me the truth. – she never imagined being able to lie to him like that, such gentle tone of voice while her chest was burning in flames.

- I'm sorry. I did not mean to hurt you. - he was sincere, but it didnt matter. He made her broken inside.

- You never do, do you? – her sad smile pierced his soul. - I think you should go. Before the storm comes down.

- Thank you for understanding. – he held her tight but she had no strengths to reciprocate the gesture so she pushed him away gently, before whispering goodbye.

Tezuka looked at her one more time before leaving. And Sakuno continued sitting on the tatame, looking down while quietly mourning her feelings for him. And the last moments of sunset entered her room, accompanied by a shy rain, touching her frame with such rich red tones it was like her heart was bleeding away.

#####

Ryoma turned around inside his futon, unable to sleep. He was worried about Sakuno and that sad tone of voice when he was at her door, inviting her for dinner he had made. Since he saw Tezuka leaving, he stayed at the kitchen cleaning fishes like she taught him and preparing rice. He was really looking forward to offer her that meal he put so much effort into.

For the first time since they started to live together he had a meal by himself and he felt lonely and bothered by the silent on dinner time.

There were many things he didn't understand of her relationship with Tezuka. She wasn't a tayuu anymore, he wasn't her danna. Why was he still coming to see her if all the bonds between them were already unmade?

His thoughts were interrupted by the storm outside with so many lightings crossing the sky and loud thunders that echoed inside the house. And a sudden blow of cold wind entered his room, even with closed doors. Maybe the storm had opened one of the shoji. If that happened, the house would be entirely messy in the morning and he didn't want to give Sakuno that kind of work.

Getting up, he crossed the dark hall but as soon as he arrived at the front porch, seeing the doors opened he noticed it was not the wind. And his golden eyes shone wide under a new lighting, as seeing Ryuzaki's frame.

She was kneeled on the wet grass, her head low and the long red hair wet and covering her face and the kimono she was wearing almost complete transparent from the rain. The boy jumped the stairs and was in front of her:

- Ryuzaki-san! Ryuzaki-san, what are you doing?! You will get sick!

Raising her face, she looked at him with empty red eyes, tears mixing with the water falling from the dark sky, without saying anything.

Ryoma held her and carried her inside the house, her skin was so cold. He quickly crossed the hallway and went to his bedroom, putting her on his futon and bringing sheets to try to dry and make her warm, starting with her hair.

- Ryuzaki-san, what happened?! Why were you under the storm?! – without noticing he removed the layers of her drenched clothes, living her only with a almost transparent inner garment. And she continued so quiet, her gaze lost somewhere else.

The teenager stopped and pulled her hair away from her face, before drying it gently.

- Is it because Tezuka-san? Did he do something to you? – and new tears started to form in her eyes with the mention of his name. She grabbed his yukata's collar as her whole body started to tremble on her cries. She screamed loudly, like being torn in two, her tears coming down like the rain outside.

On instinct, Ryoma's arms were around her too, trying to comfort her and he whisper on her neck:

- Ryuzaki-san, please… calm down. Everything will be fine.

Sakuno was silent and looked at him, her breath caught on her throat. His golden eyes were filled with kindness under the glares coming from outside.

- I'm here with you.

Ryoma wanted her to stop crying and calm herself. To tell him what happened and give him reasons to ban Tezuka's visits from their house. But nothing in the world could have prepared him for her palms on his face and her body pressed on his, before she kissed him, her hot lips over his like searching something. Her hands wondered to his chest and started to put the cloth of his wet yukata aside, when he interrupted the kiss and distanced himself, looking at her, completely terrified:

- Ryuzaki-san… what are… - he wasn't able to find the words to complete his sentence, but put a finger over his month, silencing him, a very sensual look on her red eyes, like a cat over her pray.

- Ryoma. – her voice as saying his first name brought shivers to his skin and he couldn't avoid looking at her beautiful lips.

It was the first time he was kissed, the first time a girl had touched him like that and that sexy tone was not helping at all. He was still a hot blooded teenager and her voluptuous curves were showing under that transparent white cloth. Ryoma swallow hard as she come close again, being able to see her perfect breasts under the light of a single lantern in his room. And Sakuno smiled wickedly as noticing his body reacting to her, before her hands were on his hardness and pressed it gently inside her fingers, making him tremble and moan.

- Ryoma, your body is reacting like that because of me, right? – he was unable to respond, having lost the ability of speaking with the ministrations of her hand. Not satisfied with such torture to the young man, she bend and opened his yukata, licking his alert manhood before putting it entirely on her hot mouth. He wanted to get away from her and make her recover her senses but his legs had no strength and her lips around him were so damn soft.

When he was about to explode she stopped and looked at him, undressing completely, taking the last breath he held inside. Ryuzaki pushed him down to the wet futon and sat on his lap, touching his chest and belly with light fingertips. She moved again and could feel the tip of him at her entrance, moist and ready. Putting his trembling hands over her breasts, he tried to distance himself one more time, but she stopped him, pressing them on his palms, her hard nipples brushing on his fingers.

- Please… don't push me away. – a single tear ran down her cheek. – Don't reject me.

Ryoma couldn't even try to reunite rational thoughts as seeing her beautiful, hurt face and her warm, perfect body so close.

Sakuno kissed him one more time, offering her soft tongue, as she moved and made him slowly enter her. She started to move her hips and her angelical face was taken by pure, raw lust, while the world outside seemed to end under such strong storm.

His hands were grabbing the futon cloth, his entire body completely powerless against her whims. Her long disheveledhair covering parts of her body like trying to maintain some modesty. And while she moved up and down, eyes closed in pleasure, swallowing him to the groin, Ryoma wasn't sure he was able to survive to such scalding feeling.