Chapter Thirty-Five

Facing the Music

It was only natural and expected for Ogasawara Sachiko, the Rosa Chinensis, to be as perfect as she should be. As usual, she was one of the earliest to arrive at school. After praying to Maria-sama, she sauntered to the Rose Mansion with two things on her mind: How to confront Touko and settle things with her . . .

And the other, who couldn't guess? The big, brown-eyed brunette had never left her mind since, well, forever.

She unconsciously bit her lip, holding back a thrilled smile as the thoughts of their moments at their beach house in Shizouka recurred to mind. She couldn't wait to see Yumi once again.

The thought of the former made her sigh exaggeratedly, however. She intended to talk to her cousin the day she got home, but his father would not let her leave the house; she could not even use her phone. She was strictly supervised by nearly everyone in the mansion the entire weekend, chiefly by her father's guards. She had been down in the dumps since their meeting that night with her father and Suguru. She wanted to escape, but she knew she couldn't.

Hence, she had no choice but to wait for Monday to come and talk to Touko at school. Today, she would resolve whatever issues Touko had with her and reassure her of her relationship with Yumi. Her cousin would listen and understand; she was confident of it.

When she arrived in the meeting room in the Rose Mansion, she was surprised to see her closest friend seated on her usual place, sipping a cup of tea.

Rei smiled delightedly when she saw her and greeted, "Good morning, Rosa Chinensis."

Sachiko failed to conceal her wonder and blurted out, "You're early today."

Rei had an amused smile on her face as she said, "I knew you would come by this time and I was hoping to catch you alone before the others would arrive." She put her cup down as she stood and headed to the kitchenette. "Your usual?"

"Yes, please." She responded as her eyes scanned the room, walking casually to her chair. "Are you alone? Where's Yoshino?"

Rei did not answer her until after she served Sachiko her tea and sat back on her seat. "I'm alone." She said simply. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something, but you and Yumi-chan were inseparable the whole time and I didn't want to intrude your moments together."

Sachiko felt her cheeks blush; Rei pretended not to see it for both of their sake.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked her after masking her embarrassment with a serious expression.

A heavy sigh came out of Rei's mouth when she answered, "I promised Yoshino that we would talk, but I chickened out every time. And now, I'm deliberately avoiding her. I just don't know how to tell her about my decision, my plans, and how I feel. I'm conflicted, Sachiko."

She studied her friend carefully. "Rei, are you breaking up with Yoshino?"

The Yellow Rose sighed again, noticeably troubled. "Am I that transparent?"

Sachiko had never seen this coming. She was astounded to say the least. "I thought you two are doing so well. Why do you suddenly want to break up?"

"This is not a sudden decision. I've been mulling over this for months now." She replied somberly. "I am going to study abroad and explore what's out there. I'm not sure if I wanted to have a life here in Japan." Sachiko noticed Rei was starting to fidget on her seat. "Yoshino has always been too dependent on me since we were children. She will have a hard time accepting that I will not be here with her after I graduate, but I want her to try. I want her to move on and be strong without me. I know it sounds so selfish, but I am doing this for her as well as I am doing this for myself."

"Do you not love her?" Her immediate question seemed to catch Rei off guard seeing her reaction.

"I do. I love her very much." Rei answered straightaway. "But she will not grow as a person if she keeps on relying on me. And I do not trust myself not to make life easier for her, either. If I'm with her, I just want to protect her, care for her, and help her in any way I can. She will never be the person I want her to be. I can never turn a blind eye when it comes to her safety and well-being . . . when it comes to her." Her voice tottered. "I must distance myself from her, Sachiko. I need to."

Sachiko hesitated to voice out her concern, but Rei was her best friend and it was only fair to be honest with her. "Have you already made up your mind of leaving Yoshino?"

Rei nodded wordlessly.

"I know how you feel and I perfectly understand your sentiments, Rei . . ." Sachiko started gently. "But don't you think it's better to talk to Yoshino first before making a decision by yourself?" She held her friend's gaze with a kind smile. "You are a couple. She is your other half. She loves you as much as you love her. You two are perfect for each other. Give your relationship a much deeper thought before you end things with her. I am sure you will find other ways to work it out. Long distance relationship isn't a problem if you two love and trust each other. And I am well aware it has been in there since time immemorial." She said, pointing a finger at Rei's chest.

Rei was weighing the circumstances in her head.

Sachiko discerned her qualm. "How would you feel if Yoshino would make an abrupt and drastic change in her life without consulting you, her partner, first?"

"I would be upset, terribly." She answered with a frail smile.

"Exactly." Sachiko agreed firmly. "And you would feel betrayed. Don't do this to her, Rei. At least, don't make a decision until you'll talk to her. Not telling Yoshino would devastate her even more."

"You're right." Rei said depressingly. "I will talk to her, maybe tonight. May Maria-sama help me gather the courage to face her."

Sachiko touched her arm reassuringly. "I'm certain she will and I will always be here for you, as your friend, no matter what happens."

"I know." Rei said gratefully.

Their talk ended properly minutes before Rosa Gigantea and her en Bouton appeared in the meeting room. Sachiko smiled to herself when she picked out that glimmer in Shimako and Noriko's eyes. She knew that radiance very well. She could recognize it even a thousand miles away. Even the dense and the imperceptive like Yumi could identify the affection that would flourish in every bits and parts of their body when they would stare, smile, or talk to each other. The two shared a very strong bond and it was as clear as the daylight shining through the large, stylish, old-fashioned windows in the Rose Mansion. They were in love.

Sachiko was truly happy for Shimako. She was beautiful inside out and she deserved to be loved wholeheartedly by someone as deserving as Noriko. They were made for each other, she thought.

It felt like it was only yesterday that Sachiko was jealous of Shimako. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading her lips. She was silly thinking that the younger girl was a threat. It was only until recently that she had that crazy notion that Shimako would take Yumi away from her. She knew Shimako had loved Yumi the same way she loved her fiancée. She just did not know how much. And she did not want to know.

Her thoughts were disrupted when she heard a loud bang on the door behind her. She didn't have to wonder what was going on as Yoshino's angry voice instantly filled the room.

"Rei-chan, you idiot!" The braided-girl called out savagely, stomping her feet toward the terror-stricken Rei. "How stupid of you to leave for school without me!? Have you forgotten or did you do it on purpose? Whatever! You're so irresponsible! You did not even bother telling me or anyone at home before you left! And there I was, waiting for you that almost got me late!"

Rei was scared stiff as Yoshino went on hotly. She fretfully cast a glance at Sachiko's direction, furtively asking her assistance to get her out of her dire situation.

Sachiko sighed deep down. She was never the kind to meddle in other people's concerns, but she also couldn't stay quiet and watch her friend endure the relentless tirade of her lover. Though she was certain that Rei was anxious more than anything, she could tell she was also embarrassed by being the receiver of her younger cousin's harsh words in front of the Yamayurikai, of her close peers. She was the well-loved and highly-admired Rosa Foetida at Lilian High and Yoshino was treating her as though she was an immature, obtuse child who stole a cookie from her. She understood where the girl was coming from, but she didn't need to be so aggressive and lash out hurtful words to Rei publicly. This had to stop. She had enough listening to Yoshino's senseless rant, after all.

She cleared her throat out loud, stopping the enraged en Bouton in the process. "Yoshino, please sit and calm down." She said softly yet everyone could hear the austerity in her voice—the one that made everyone cow in fear, the one that she was so famous for. "Let's be mindful of what we say. Teachers and other students might hear you yammer abusive words to Rosa Foetida. We don't want you to get into trouble for being disrespectful to a Yamayurikai officer, your grand soeur in particular." She chided. "You have to remember, in this room, in this school, you are to treat Hazekura Rei with respect not as your feebleminded cousin but as your esteemed Onee-sama." She reminded, almost uttering the word 'lover' in her sentence. Good thing she was able to check herself.

Yoshino acquiesced, clenching her jaw, as she sat on the chair beside Noriko. She refused to meet anyone's gaze particularly Rei's apologetic ones.

"Yoshino," Rei spoke tentatively not long after. "I'm sorry for being stupid. I was not thinking this morning."

"You're always not thinking, not just this morning." Yoshino huffed, still not looking at her. "Scatterbrain." She mumbled under her breath, just to annoy Sachiko.

Rei smiled weakly despite herself. "Can we talk later, after Kendo practice maybe?"

Yoshino sighed, finally meeting her eyes in spite of her irritation. "I've been waiting for this, Rei-chan. I mean, Onee-sama."

Sachiko had to press her lips to smother her amusement. Yoshino could be a little rowdy and ferocious sometimes, but she loved and cared for Rei greatly. And she believed that's really all that mattered.

"Thank you for your help back there." Rei told Sachiko when they were alone in the third-year corridor. "Though, I was a bit hurt when you called me feebleminded." She joshed, laughing nervously as she added, "Sachiko, am I really—"

"You're great as you are, Rei." Sachiko cut her short with a smile, which the other girl mirrored with uncertainty. "Are you ready to talk to her?" She asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.

The taller girl shook her head despairingly. "No, I'm not, but I have to do this. Yoshino and I need to talk. She needs to know how I feel."

Sachiko nodded understandingly, marking how resolute her friend was this time. They walked in comfortable silence to their homeroom, having to greet a few students—who were so ecstatic to see them together—as they walked through the hallway. Funny how some students would ship them despite knowing that they were just close friends.

Rei decided to voice her curiosity when they got in their room and settled down on their seats. "Is Yumi-chan not coming to school today?"

She looked at her briefly after placing her bag on her table. "I'm not sure, Rei." Her voice was too low that she doubted her friend had heard her.

Sachiko hoped Yumi was only running late. She badly wanted to see her and tell her about her family's insistence on marrying Suguru directly after graduation, which would be less than six months from now. Her heart sank at the idea of being with Suguru for the rest of her life and, most of all, impregnated by him. She knew it was her duty, her responsibility, to give her family an heir, but she couldn't just force herself to succumb to the burden and pressure they severely put on her. If this was two years ago, she would not gag at the idea and her old self would probably be elated about the wedding.

But she wasn't her old self anymore. She was a new person now. And her new self had only longed and wished to be with no other than Yumi, Fukuzawa or Sekamitomi. She would be with her and no one else. If fate would not allow her to be with the person she loved, she would rather die.

Time was painfully sluggish as she waited for the last morning subject to end. She wanted to know if Yumi got to school and, maybe, if she would be fortunate enough, corner Touko at lunch. When the most-awaited bell had finally chimed, she swiftly gathered her books in her bag and walked out of the room as fast as her legs could keep up. She was excited and, at the same time, apprehensive to see Yumi and Touko. She climbed down to the second-year corridor first to Yumi's classroom, practically ignoring the sophomore's warm, mannerly greetings.

When she reached the room at the end of the hallway, a beautiful brunette stepped out of the door, clutching a neatly-wrapped bento in both of her hands.

Blue eyes grew wide with surprise at seeing her. "Go—gokigenyou, Rosa Chinensis."

"Gokigenyou, Rosa Gigantea." Sachiko greeted back civilly. "Is Yumi here today?"

Shimako bit her lower lip before she answered, "I'm sorry, Rosa Chinensis. Yumi-san did not come to school today."

"I wonder what happened." Sachiko was mostly talking to herself than to the girl, who was regarding her with uneasiness. Before she could excuse herself to Shimako, a girl with jet-black, okappa hairstyle approached them.

"Gokigenyou, Rosa Chinensis." Noriko greeted with a bow. "Onee-sama," She said, smiling brightly at Shimako.

"Gokigenyou, Noriko." Sachiko gave her a small smile. "Are you having lunch together?" She said while glancing at Shimako.

"Yes, Sachiko-sama." The second-year Rosa smiled sheepishly then looked at her petite soeur in wonder when she noticed she was alone. "Where is Touko? Is she not having lunch with us?"

"After the bell rang, she exited the room in haste. She even forgot to bring her bento with her." Noriko said, lifting a red bento atop her blue one.

"You're eating lunch with Touko?" Sachiko asked the en Bouton.

"Yes, every day." Noriko answered curtly.

"Noriko, do you know where Touko is and why she left?" Sachiko sounded hopeful and it did not go unnoticed by the two soeurs.

"I have no idea why she left in a hurry." Noriko's face fell wistfully. "This reminds me of the time she flew in the middle of our summer vacation without even telling me the reason. She is not talking to me and she is acting strange, and cold. I am her best friend. She would normally confide in me when something came up, but now, I don't know what's going on neither in her life nor in her head. It frustrates and saddens me to know that there is something she can't talk to me about."

Sachiko sensed how worried the girl was. She pondered Noriko's words and Touko's actions, taking everything into heedful detail. She was lost in thought for a moment; appreciatively, the pair was patient and courteous enough to wait for her. A sigh came out of her mouth when her mind had finally floated back to the present. She thanked them both in the same way she apologized to them for taking their lunch time and wended quickly to the Rose Mansion.

She was close to dragging her feet as she clambered up to the meeting room. She felt exhausted. Yumi's absence and Touko disappearance petered out her remaining strength. She needed to see them, at least a glimpse of them to get through the remainder of the day.

It seemed as though the Almighty had heard her imploration, she heard a familiar jubilant voice inside the meeting room when she opened the door. Her heart skipped a beat at the recognition.

And there, sat on her chair with a huge, chirpy grin directed at her, was Yumi. "Gokigenyou, Onee-sama."

Relief spread through her chest right away, expunging the hopelessness she felt moments ago. She couldn't help but copy that smile she had missed so much. For a little while, they stared at each other longingly, apparently forgetting that they were not alone in the room.

Sachiko broke her gaze the second she heard Rei clear her throat awkwardly. She offered her friend an apologetic smile as she walked to her seat. Her gaze returned to Yumi when she sat next to her. She gasped, noticing a large, white dressing plastered across her left cheek. "What happened?"

Yumi looked nervous when she responded, "It's nothing, just a scratch."

Sachiko suspected there was something Yumi was not telling her, but she didn't want to pry in front of her friends. "Why were you absent this morning?" She asked instead.

Yumi glanced at the couple, who were uncannily quiet when Sachiko arrived, then made her voice low as she answered, "Long story. I will tell you later." Her lips lifted into a small, pensive smile when Sachiko frowned at her. "I've missed you." She said softly as her fingers crept to Sachiko's right hand, which was rested on the older girl's lap.

Sachiko linked their fingers together, clasping it securely. "Likewise," She paid no mind to Rei's giggle when she said, "We'll talk after school?"

Yumi nodded her head in agreement. "Same place."

Traditionally, the Yamayurikai would hold its first meeting every after school breaks to deliberate and organize impending proposals, tasks, and future affairs of the school. This month in October, Lilian High would be celebrating its annual cultural festival, the grandest and busiest high school event in the country. The Yamayuri had lesser than four weeks to prepare and discuss their plans with their sister-school's, Hanadera Boys Academy, student council for their joint play and projects. This would typically stressed the Yamayurikai considerably, most especially Sachiko, who would be forced to face and interact with its council members. She abhorred the idea of being in a cramped room full of smelly, strange men for hours. She had managed to evade the past meetings—thanks to her lack of responsibility in the event—unfortunately now, she could not. As the leader of the Yamayurikai, she was obliged to see them.

Surprisingly, Rosa Chinensis called off their meeting that afternoon. Rei dismissed her before she could explain to her the reason behind her unexpected decision; Rei understood and she was even grateful to Sachiko that she could talk to Yoshino first before anything else.

Shortly after her last period, Sachiko walked to the old greenhouse, where she and Yumi agreed to meet. The door was ajar when she reached the secluded place.

"Yumi," She called uncertainly.

The door creaked noisily when she pushed it wide open. She did not remember the room being this dull and dusky as she stepped inside.

"Yumi?" She called again. She turned around when she felt presence behind her. Her gut feeling was right. Someone was standing at the door, blocking her way out. It took her mind some time to recognize the person. She was about to state the name when the person beat her to it.

"Were you looking for me, Rosa Chinensis?" The person spoke in an eerily nonchalant manner.

Sachiko was taken aback by the girl's indifference and the name she had called her. "Touko," Her voice croaked as she watched her with bewilderment. She shook off her surprise and regarded her cousin soberly. "Why are you—how did you know I'm here?"

"I followed you." Touko responded blandly. She stepped inside the greenhouse, closing the door behind her. "Do you want to talk to me, Rosa Chinensis, or not?"

"Touko," Sachiko said reproachfully. She did not like the way Touko uttered her title. It just felt so foreign and wrong in her ears. "I'm here as your cousin, not as a Yamayurikai officer." She told her as she stepped an arm-reach closer. Touko did not budge but remained standstill. "Yes, I want to talk to you about what happened in Shizouka, why you left so suddenly . . ." She trailed off, gauging her expression. She was uncertain how to broach a sensitive issue. "Suguru-san told me that you already know about my relationship with Yumi. I wanted to apologize for not telling you. . . It wasn't because I did not trust you, Touko. Yumi and I agreed to keep our relationship a low profile. Even our closest friends do not know." Sachiko continued to move nearer that she was a couple of feet from her. "How did you found out about our relationship? Is that why you were upset and left?"

Touko ignored her questions. "I was upset? That's a striking understatement, isn't it, Sachiko-Oneesama? Ah, yes, your relationship with Sekamitomi Yumi," She mentioned the name with a scowl. "You are having a relationship with a girl, not to mention, the enemy." She pointed out tauntingly. "Tell me, Sachiko-Oneesama, did you not know that your girlfriend was our family's greatest adversary before you decided to fall in love with her?"

Sachiko could no longer maintain her composure as she retorted sharply, "Yumi is not just my girlfriend. She is my fiancée, just to let you know."

Touko's eyes narrowed, bitterly.

"I will marry her, Touko. I will not let our family dictate our future." Sachiko continued, "I'm not sure about you, but I will fight for my right to live and be happy. I'm done being their mindless puppet." Her face relaxed when she raised her hand to her chest and clutched on it. "I have never dreamt of loving a girl, let alone, an enemy of the Ogasawara. I'm not sure if it would change anything if I had known Yumi's real identity in the beginning. When Yumi told me the truth, I did not want to believe her. I panicked and was stricken with grief, thinking that she was lying to me and playing with my feelings while pretending to be someone else this whole time. I did not know what to do and what to feel at that point; but when I woke up in the morning, I realized my feelings for her did not change the least bit. I was still longing for her presence. I still wanted to see and touch her, hear her voice, talk to her . . . I did not care who or what she was. I have fallen in love with her soul, not with her identity." She took a deep breath exasperatedly. "Believe me, Touko, I did not intend this to happen. This is not a choice that I had decided overnight. You have no idea how much I tried to get rid of this feeling—"

"I know how it feels like." Touko interrupted her with a doleful voice.

Sachiko was dubious if she heard her cousin right.

"I know." Touko repeated obstinately. "I know how it feels like to fall in love with the wrong person." She then laughed, thick with bitterness. "Lucky for you, the person you're in love with feels the same way. I, on the other hand, feel so torn and heartbroken." Her vacant eyes were brimming with tears when she whispered, "It hurts so much I wish I was dead."

"Touko, I didn't know—" Sachiko reached out, but was cut off harshly.

Touko thwarted her generous attempt by batting her hand away. "I don't want your pity." She said irately.

"I don't pity you. I want to comfort you—" Sachiko tried to say.

Touko cut her off with a scoff. "I don't want anything from you."

Sachiko felt a pang in her chest at her words.

"Why are you treating me this way, Touko? Have I done something wrong to you that I did not know?" She felt her irritation gradually escalated when Touko did not respond, instead looked daggers at her. "Tell me!" She said furiously. "What have I done to you to deserve this?" Sachiko was not aware that her tears had already escaped her fiery eyes till she tasted the salty liquid in her mouth. "Where is the Touko I knew who would latch on to me whenever she had the chance? I want that Touko back."

"She's gone." Touko said impassively. Her demeanor switched back to indifference. "You will never see her again."

"No," Sachiko refused to believe so. "I am not even sure why you are acting like this. Tell me, so I would understand." She could hear herself beg, swallowing her pride down. "Please, tell me."

Deafening silence fell between them, which felt like hours in Sachiko's perspective.

Unexpectedly, Touko was the one to break the silence. "I was raped." She told her like it was nothing, but Sachiko caught a hint of pain in her eyes. It was enough for Sachiko to believe her.

It took every ounce of her will power not to grab Touko and encircle her arms tightly around her. This time, however, she felt awfully sorry for the girl.

Touko was watching her closely as she carried on, coolly, not even batting her eyelash. "I had to go through unfathomable pain, horror, and humiliation to get her attention while you can have her with just a flick of your finger."

Sachiko was perplexed at her words, or word. Her. "Touko, I—I don't—what do you mean—"

"Yes, just like you, I'm in love with a girl, Sachiko-Oneesama." Touko said with a vicious smile. "As a matter of fact, we are in love with the same person."

Sachiko almost laughed to herself in disbelief. "You are in love with Yumi?"

"How perceptive of you," Touko mocked, rolling her eyes.

"I cannot believe this." Sachiko was shaking her head profusely. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Touko convulsed in sardonic laughter. "Your cousin, who had been so oblivious and naïve, was hopelessly in love with your fiancée. There is no doubt you would hate me if I had told you. "

"I would be surprised, yes; and perhaps, I would forthright tell you about our relationship, but there's no way I could hate you, Touko." Sachiko said honestly. "That will never happen because you did nothing wrong and, more than that, you are my favorite cousin and I love you."

Touko's hard expression lessened down visibly, which prompted Sachiko to continue.

"I don't hate you now nor feel sorry for you. It is only natural to have a crush on someone." She said with a rosy smile. "I had a crazy crush on Suguru-san when we were little. He was the only boy I was comfortable being with. I followed him around whenever he was at the Ogasawara mansion and looked for him when he wasn't. I forced him to play house with me every time he visited so I could be near him and, for the moment, I could pretend we were husband and wife. Remember, you even played with us one time. He insisted you would be our son because of your boyish hair. You went along with him, but you really wanted to be the mother." She giggled lightly then her mien changed solemnly as she went on. "When I was eleven, I told mother that I would wear her bridal dress on my wedding day. I was definite Suguru-san was the one for me. I was so mad at him when he told me he would marry me, but it would all be a pretense, just to please our family. He said he couldn't love me. It hurt me immensely that I stayed away from him. I started to loathe him and began building a wall around me. I desisted looking at men and associating myself with them. They were only going to hurt me, just like every man in the family. They were all the same." Her lips gradually spread into a thin smile. "But Yumi is different. She loves me selflessly and I love her very much that I am willing to leave everything for her. I have never imagined having a relationship with anyone other than Suguru-san. I had never been attracted to anybody at all, let alone a girl. I didn't have problems with same-sex relationship, but it's just—it had never occurred to me until I met Yumi." She gingerly took Touko's hands as she flashed a kind smile. She was both surprised and glad that not only Touko did not jerk her hands away from her touch but also returned the affection. "Yumi is your first love, but she won't be your last. You will meet him or her . . ." Her smile grew. ". . . when you least expect it. Someday, you'll understand why things happened and you'll feel foolish when you'll recall this moment in the future."

Touko smiled sadly at her. A moment later, she spoke softly. "Onee-sama, I'm sorry for—"

"Please, Touko, don't be." Sachiko broke her off. "I understand. There is no need to ask for an apology."

Touko shook her head, averting her gaze in embarrassment, and guilt. "No, Onee-sama, I—I said terrible things to you and—and I—I did this—" Her tears flowed down when she couldn't contain it any longer. "I did it without knowing—I feel extremely awful. Onee-sama, I hope you will forgive me. I'm so sorry."

Sachiko's brow furrowed in confusion. "Touko, what are you saying?"

Touko looked back at her. "I was raped the night we went to the bathhouse. Two men attacked me from nowhere. They hit my head with something hard and the next thing I knew I felt an incredible pain in my genital and I was half naked sitting against a tree."

Sachiko nodded for her to continue, seeing the hesitation in her eyes.

Touko paused momentarily, moistening her throat. "Yumi-sama—she—" Touko stammered badly. "She came a—and saved me."

Sachiko apprehended what the girl was trying to say. She felt her gut coil with dread. "How did Yumi save you, Touko? Did she do something stupid?" Nothing but worry and apprehension could be heard in her voice. "Touko, answer me." She said fervently when the girl only shook her head coupled with her sobs. "Please, tell me what happened on that night. Yumi refused to tell me anything. Did she do something wrong?"

Touko impulsively pressed her lips, struggling to take control of her tears. "Yumi-sama ki—killed them, my molesters, with—with her bare hands. I did not recognize her. She was a completely different person, like she was possessed." She tried to say further when Sachiko cut in.

"So that's what Yumi was so afraid of telling me." She muttered to herself when she remembered the lies Suguru said over the phone. "I don't quite understand. Suguru-san accused Yumi of cheating." She informed her. "He said you told him that Yumi was sleeping with someone else. Touko, is that true? Did you really tell him that?"

Touko blanched and remained silent. Sachiko stepped forward and cupped her damp cheek. They were so close that Sachiko could feel the girl's frenzied heartbeat. She was aware the brunette was fearful. "It's okay. I'm not going to hate you for this or do something against you. You can trust me, Touko. You can tell me anything." She said gently, and encouragingly.

Touko breathed in, holding her gaze. "I asked her to stay with me in my room after she took me home. Sachiko-Oneesama, I did not know you two were a couple. If I had known, I wouldn't ask her—" She broke down and Sachiko had to catch her arms to steady her.

"It's fine, Touko." Sachiko said consolingly. "It's fine—"

"No, it's not!" Touko cried out. "You don't understand. I asked her to have sex with me!" She blurted out fiercely. "We had sex."

Her hands fell from Touko's arms as she moved a step back. "I'm sorry." Sachiko was greatly stunned. "What did you say?"

Touko covered her face, snuffing in her tears. "I'm sorry, Sachiko-Oneesama. I had no idea you were together. I did not know." She repeated her words over and over.

"You and Yumi had sex?" Sachiko clarified, sounding utterly incredulous.

Touko pulled her hands down and looked at her remorsefully. "I am so sorry."

Sachiko was wildly overwhelmed with feelings at her admission. Her chest felt so heavy; she was barely breathing. She could neither feel her heart pump nor do feel her lungs work. It felt like her mind and everything in her stopped at that moment. The world around her seemed so dim and hazy; she felt like she was floating in a dark, endless void.

If Sachiko would be honest, she couldn't comprehend what exactly she was feeling right now. But she knew she was in deep, searing, inexplicable pain.

Sachiko was snapped out of her daze when she felt a cold, clammy hand in her own. When her vision adjusted, she immediately saw rueful, bloodshot eyes staring at her with nervousness.

Touko loosened her hold in her hand. "Sachiko-Oneesama, I—I'm so sorry. Hope you will forgive me."

Sachiko only looked at her blankly. After a while, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them and forced herself to smile. "There's nothing to forgive. It's not your fault, Touko. Like you said, you had no idea I was dating Yumi."

Touko's tears fell once again. "But you love her and what we did was unforgivable—"

Sachiko squeezed her hand lightly, stopping her. "What you did was forgivable, and understandable." She corrected earnestly. "What I do not understand is why Yumi did it." Her heart crushed excruciatingly deep inside at the thought of them having sex. She bit her inner lip so hard—that she tasted the iron on the tip of her tongue—to hold back her tears.

She wasn't Yumi's first. She lied to her. She betrayed her and her trust.

"Sachiko-Oneesama," Touko wavered, seeing the pain blacken her cousin's flawless face. "I asked Yumi-sama to do it so I could forget the utter horror and pain I was feeling at that time. I fooled myself pretending she, my first love, was the one who took my virginity. Yumi-sama was forced to do it. It wasn't for the reason you had in mind. She has no feelings for me. She only did it because she was sorry for what happened. I know, because she was crying while giving me that thing I needed." Though it pained her to speak these words out loud, she needed to, to appease Sachiko and defend the person she loved. "Yumi wants you. She loves you, Onee-sama, not me."

"I'm not sure about that anymore." Sachiko whispered.

Yumi was held up by her homeroom teacher after her last period. Apparently, she missed two quizzes that she needed to take promptly. She begrudgingly followed her teacher to the faculty room and took the tests. It took her roughly fifteen minutes to finish her two exams, which on average would take students about an hour and a half on each to complete. Her teacher looked at her disapprovingly when Yumi handed over the questionnaires and her answer sheets. When he pored over her answers, his eyes widened with amazement. She got a perfect score on the first test and one puny spelling mistake on the second, in just fifteen minutes.

If she wasn't in a hurry, Yumi could come up with a better idea to lower down her scores. She had been doing it since she started school. She didn't want attention. It was bad enough that she was Ogasawara Sachiko's little sister and the Rosa Chinensis en Bouton. She was raised and trained to hide and work in the shadows, not to be applauded in the limelight.

Her gut instinct told her to fasten her pace, but not fast enough to attract unwanted attention. Ever since she got into the faculty room to take her exams, her insides wrenched restlessly and she could not stop thinking about Sachiko.

Consciously thinking about her lover, Yumi didn't care if she got caught sprinting in the hallways by their iron-hearted headmistress. She had to see her, and fast. She had to know if she was safe and tell her what came about over the weekend.

When Yumi got home after her fiancée dropped her off that Friday afternoon, she found Yuuki and Miki talking privately in the living room. The uneasiness in their faces was distinguishable when she greeted them.

Her mother welcomed her with a joyless smile. "I'm glad you're back, Yumi-chan."

Yumi was baffled by their odd behavior. "What's wrong with you, guys?" She asked them concernedly, glancing at her brother. "Did I miss something? You're acting real strange."

Miki peeked over her shoulder to look at her son. Yuuki nodded at his mother before answering his sister.

"Yumi, there something you need to know." He said in his serious voice. "Last night, someone broke into our house—"

"What!?" Yumi nearly shouted. "Are you okay?" She approached and examined her mother first, looking for any sign of injury.

"We're fine, Yumi-chan." Her mother said reassuringly, squeezing her shoulder.

"They didn't hurt us." Yuuki confirmed. "They did not touch anything."

Yumi's face scrunched in confusion. "So, what were they after, breaking in the house?"

"Yes, they did not touch anything, well, apart from your room." Yuuki clarified hurriedly. "It was vandalized savagely. You can see for yourself."

Yumi went up to her room, the two lagging cautiously behind her. Her room was perfectly normal from the outside, but when she opened the door and stepped in, she had no words to describe the condition of the place.

Red and black paint spattered everywhere. All her personal belongings, undergarments, and clothes, which were torn to bits, were strewed all over. Her bed, pillows, quilts, books, night tables, and dresser were trashed viciously. Bullets penetrated the walls. The room, to say the least, was in absolute wreck.

"Actually, we only assumed this happened last night." Yuuki said. "It was fine the last time I checked, and that was yesterday before supper when mother asked me to bring your clothes in your room."

Yumi turned to look at him. "What do you mean, you weren't sure?"

"Look at this mess. Broken windows, shattered glasses, smashed tables . . . they were thrashed on purpose. It's—it's just so hard not to notice the racket." Yuuki pointed out. "We didn't hear the slightest noise, Yumi. It's like we're not even here when it happened."

"Did your head hurt, Yuuki? Did you feel dizzy when you woke up?" Yumi questioned after some thought.

Yuuki rubbed his head consciously. "I'm not sure—"

"Yes, I felt a bit lightheaded." Miki revealed. "And Yuuichiro-san complained of a headache this morning."

Yumi went directly to the air vent and sucked in a lungful of air. "An incapacitating agent was pumped into the house through the air vents." She said. "It's why you didn't hear anything last night. You were unconscious."

"How did you know?" Yuuki asked, surprise and worry in his voice.

"These gases leave a tangy smell that lingers for hours." Yumi explained. "I say they injected the gas around midnight. They must have done the wreckage by then. It takes only a few minutes for people who have inhaled it to fall unconscious."

Yuuki and Miki looked at each other, horrified.

"Don't worry. You're still alive, so that means the potency and the level of gas used weren't concentrated and high enough to kill you." Yumi shrugged. "They just probably wanted you to sleep the night away while they were trying to decorate my room. Remind me to give them a spanking. They are dreadfully awful at what they do."

Sekamitomi Yumi was exceptional in so many levels, apparently, other than delivering a joke.

Both Miki and Yuuki pretended not to hear her as they sniffed the air around them.

"I don't smell anything." Yuuki announced first.

"Me neither." Miki seconded.

"But I do." Yumi assured them. "It's not that strong anymore, but I can smell them."

And they trusted her.

Yumi was knocking around the room when she saw her and Sachiko's picture pinned against the window head opposite where her bed used to be.

Her chest tightened in anger and trepidation. The people who did this must have known about her relationship with the Ogasawara heiress. She needed to warn her and keep her safe by all means.

She moved toward the window, carefully detaching the treasured picture from it when she noticed a familiar black, metallic frame poised on the second-floor window sill in their neighbor's apartment about fifty meters across their house. She squinted her eyes, scrutinizing the object intently. Her heartbeat faltered at the recognition immediately upon sighting a man in all black crouching behind the window. It was a rifle. He was holding a sniper rifle aiming at her direction.

"Get down!" Yumi shouted her warning, briskly swinging to the wall adjacent, just in time a bullet pierced through the glass. Her heart hammered in her chest as she glanced at her family, checking if they were unharmed.

It was as if Yuuki had sensed her alarm, he reassured her sister, "We're fine, Yumi."

Yumi breathed out in relief, discerning they were out of danger. "Stay where you are. Do not move." She commanded sternly before dashing to the open door. A second and third bullet darted past her. She flinched when the last bullet was able to graze the left side of her face. Blood gushed down her cheek instantaneously.

"Where are you going?"

She heard her mother call after her. She ignored her and the stinging slit on her cheekbone as she ran down the stairs, skipping three or more steps at a time. It only took her a few seconds to reach the main door.

She rushed recklessly through the street to the building where he saw the assassin. Bullets fired at her with little precision as she was able to dodge it in time. She busted the door open just when a strong, intangible force sent her flying back to the street. She coughed on impact. Her head was spinning as she tried to get up. She had trouble breathing, feeling two or more broken ribs on her left and one on the right.

The assassin finally showed himself. He was a lean, tall man with dark bristles covering his face. He ambled toward her and halted several feet away. "Sekamitomi-san," He said, smirking. "That's what happens when you carelessly burst inside a strange house. Haven't you learned anything in your training? I thought you should have known better."

Yumi got to her feet. Her aura changed exceedingly.

The man was too vigilant not to sense the danger. His feet involuntarily moved back.

"Who sent you? What is your mission?" Yumi's voice was colder than the afternoon air. She stared at him steadily. "Speak before I break your throat."

The assassin laughed, not leaving his keen eyes away from her. "You will be surprised." His smirk came back to life.

His arrogance extirpated her patience. Yumi charged headlong. The assassin readied himself as he positioned to counter her assault. He ducked to avoid her leg, but a sudden blow in his gut took him by surprise. He didn't see it coming. He staggered, glaring at her. He launched his fist, but Yumi caught his arm and landed a strong punch in the face before clutching it and thrusting him violently on the ground. Her hand was clinching his face brutally that he groaned in pain. Her leg had pressed solidly, like a boulder, atop his chest. Her full weight had locked his body to the ground. His nose broke in the worst way possible, pressed heavily beneath her hand. He sucked in and swallowed the blood from his nose so he could breathe. He flung his free hand to Yumi's face. The brunette eluded his weak attack only to plunge her elbow in his throat. He coughed forcefully against her hand as blood splattered.

He was beaten by a girl in two minutes. This made him groan loudly in frustration, aggravating the pain in his throat.

"They say snipers are terrible at hand-to-hand combat. I didn't know it was true." Yumi spoke, her eyes malevolent. She slackened her grip on his face as she went on, "I will ask you again. Answer me before I will totally crush your throat. Who sent you and what is your mission?"

He sneered despite his situation. "They said you were incompetent and an amateur fighter. I let my guard down. Who could have guessed the new Sekamitomi Head was a monster when you're just a teenager, a sweet and innocent-looking one at that."

She tightened back her grip, evoking a wail. "My patience is running low, lowlife. Who is your benefactor!?"

The assassin subsequently caved in, fearing that she would kill him. "I was sent to give you a warning. If you'd fight, I had to kill you." He stared hard at her. "The one behind this is—"

An ear-splitting screech of the brakes prevented him from uttering the rest of his words. A fast-moving silver car, which was running toward their direction, had caught their attention. Yumi had no time assessing her plight as her body jumped off on its own from the man, leaving him frozen and defenseless on the ground. She managed to scoot to a tree not far away, taking shelter behind its hefty trunk, as rain of bullets showered in every direction.

Yumi watched the car speed off until it was out of sight. She was surveying the area when she heard the assassin whimper. She hurried to his side and checked his wounds. He got shot in the chest, which seemed to penetrate in his lung. Another gunshot wound in the abdomen, in his right shoulder, and two more in his lower extremities. Yumi was amazed he didn't die on the spot.

Yumi shook him off his stupor. "Tell me who sent you, now!" She demanded impatiently, judging the man only had a couple of seconds before life would slip away from him.

The man coughed blood as he was trying to open his eyes. "It's—" Cough. "It was Ka—Ka—shiwa—gi Su—guru."

to be continued

I'm sorry it took me over two weeks. I had a hard time writing Sachiko and Touko's conversation. I was planning to update a few days ago, but something important came up, and I was waiting for the 240th review. Ha-ha I'm very superstitious. Yes, I know I'm weird. When I opened my FF email this morning, I hurriedly downloaded the chapter. And I guess I really have to answer your questions here. But—but it will spoil everything! I don't want to, but okay, I will answer them.

Thank you, Infiatus, for giving me the push to update. I always need a push. I believe most of your questions have already been answered in this chapter. And your guess was right about Sachiko's reaction. If I could, I would give you a pat on the back. Are you my Ex pretending to be Infiatus? LOL JK. I am so glad someone brought up Suguru's sexuality. If you read the previous chapter, Suguru said he might be confused. Yes, he is definitely torn between meeting his family's expectations of him and being himself. However, he can't deny the fact that he feels something for Sachiko. Is it really love, in a romantic sense? There is no gender in love, after all. We will know what it is in the later chapters. I hate spoilers.

Aldmagali, jajaja I was laughing when I read your comment. I will use English so everyone will understand. Do not worry! I will protect them with all my might. ;)

I will give you something to ponder. I always left some clues in every chapter that I made. For example: about Touro and Yuuichiro's relationship, Sayako and Miki's connection, Megumi, the core, and many others. Urgh I only wish I could edit or rewrite what my Ex wrote I hate her writing. LOL this is the bitter ex-girlfriend speaking.

Okay, if you read between the lines, you will be able to see the bigger picture. You will understand everything that you don't need to wait for my updates because you already know.

Oh, dear Guest, do not hate Touko! Haha you will know the reason why and you will love her.

MsgmSY, I will give you what you want. :D

YSM, the original author of this story—I deliberately disremember her name LOL—wanted their first time to be on their wedding night. Well, I think that is sweet and stupid. If you really love each other, what's stopping you? What Yumi and Sachiko have is true love. We aren't living in the 16th century so it's why I finally gave them the chance.

Dearest Yuor Fan, Thank you that really means a lot to me. Please don't ever give up on me. If you will, I will. Hang on and continue to share your thoughts. I love listening and talking to people. It's my job, after all. The end is near. I am trying to fit the rest in 10 chapters.

Holly928, you are funny. We will give them a payback. ;)

Please guys, I need your full, constant support. It's almost the end and I need all the encouragement I can get. You're the lone reason why I didn't give up. I also want to know how it ends. I will definitely end this.

Oh yes I almost forgot! Do you think it was Suguru who sent the assassin? Why you think so? Share your thoughts!