Sakura's life as a faux aristocrat began in earnest, the moment she set foot in the Kanzuki estate. She was nearly overwhelmed with how the staff there worked hard to care for her every need. The generosity extended to her university as well as her professors chose to be lenient with her, allowing her to pick up her studies from where she left off and letting her finish her final semester before graduation. Her boss at the video game store was not as kind, firing her months before she tasted freedom.
Oh well.
Occasionally, Sakura lost track of time while on the island, but she estimated that she had been within the Society for the better half of a year. And now with three months passing since her escape, she continued to find some semblance of balance to function productively, feeling the burden of motherhood on her body.
A recent visit to the Kanzuki family doctor concluded that she was midway through her second trimester, and everyone congratulated her on her upcoming daughter.
Karin had already begun to fill the house with gifts and baby things, all pink of course. She never brought up the Rite or any malice towards the child because of its conception.
The same house that her mother and Tsukushi had been staying in. Some of their belongings still remained, including a photograph of everyone in the Kasugano household, back when Sakura was still in high school. It remained by her bedside, and she'd look at it when most lonely.
The Zaibatsu had been so kind to let everything remain as it was on the day they left. On one hand, it was painful to be reminded of their ghosting memory embodying a house that also happened to be several square meters bigger than what Sakura was used to.
Alone, she felt like drowning in the spacious vacuum but that would probably change once the little one was out. To make life a little easier, she packed away her family's belongings in the attic.
When not crippled by her own grief, Sakura felt happy and then not with the memories and the loneliness breaking the mask of an expecting mother whenever she was alone. She would be the best mother she could be, but her grief was mountainous and difficult to manage at times. The void remained, threatening to unearth every raw emotion and she only barely managed to keep it contained in front of everyone on her worst days.
On those mornings, she just wanted to lay down and sleep forever and yet she made plans, going to attend classes, get checked by the doctor, and visit extended family or the family grave.
One morning, she found in front of the mirror, something she hadn't done in a while as her days became a rush for normalcy. Her hair had grown longer, now reaching her shoulders, she looked stable and yet so very tired. The Sakura, she wanted to be, was dead. At times, that frightened her. Shaking her feelings of the inevitable away, she grabbed her bag and headed outside. Today was to be her final day at university and then graduation, with the world ahead laying before her.
The Kanzuki estate was massive, almost to a comical degree, no doubt big enough to be its own city. Or a small nation. Thus, it took Sakura some time to find her way around the massive property. But with experience, she managed to navigate her way to the main building and its main dining hall where Karin was already seated with Birdie, her bodyguard, who seemed to happily gorge himself. Upon seeing Sakura, Karin got up from her chair with vigor.
"Oh greetings, Sakura! Have a meal with us. My parents left for a business trip earlier this morning, but they left you a letter" she snapped her fingers and a butler emerged with an envelope placed on a silver tray.
Sakura shuddered a bit; not quite entirely comfortable with the customs of the estate. She couldn't help but feel like she was getting groomed into being spoiled. Still, she accepted the envelope and opened it to read the letter inside.
"Greetings Sakura. We hope you are well. You have faced many trials and tribulations, yet you endured. You have grown strong and resilient, being the winner of your own life. Keep your head up high and congratulations on your graduation"
It had been signed off with the signatures of both Kanzuki parents but the handwriting of the letter itself resembled that of Daigenjuro. Folding the letter, Sakura sat by the table and a butler served a full plate of food that would be mouth-watering to anyone.
"My parents do prefer the traditional Japanese cuisine, especially Ishizaki's chawanmushi but when they are not here, I like to try a little something from across the world. He finds it a good challenge to try various dishes from around the world" Karin exclaimed with joy, taking another sip from her teacup. The scent struck a familiar note with Sakura, tugging at her precious memories. Black tea, like Urien…
"I see" she poked at the spinach pie with feta cheese, eventually taking bites off it alongside the other food items on the plate. The taste was heavenly, no doubt the usual standard of a talented cook such as Ishizaki. Sakura would have to ask him to teach her. If Ryu wouldn't be her martial arts teacher, she could at least get cooking lessons. Especially when she was expecting a child. Thank the heavens, she remembered her mother's curry recipe by heart.
Next to her, Karin was in the midst of fully enjoying her meal, which was vastly different than everyone else's. She hummed with satisfaction. "I've always wanted to try a full English. "
Silence entered the dining room until Sakura could no longer bring herself to anything else, pushing her plate away. At this point, three-thirds had been consumed. Karin furrowed her brow upon seeing the plate not being entirely emptied.
"Sorry, I think I'm full" Sakura forced nervous laughter, but it did little to soothe Karin.
"Is the cooking that bad?"
"No! Not at all! I just…" Sakura paused, her forced smile fading away. Nerves of graduation, she assumed. Worried about the future maybe. With some deliberations, she pulled the plate back, letting a deep sigh escape her. "Sorry. You guys work so hard for me. I guess finishing the last bites shouldn't be hard"
"Indeed! Eat well so my godchild gets strong and healthy"
Sakura laughed a little at that. Karin had immediately taken the title godmother upon hearing of the pregnancy. She finished the last bites, sighing when a butler already served her a second portion. Actually full, she grabbed the plate and handed it to Birdie, who stared at her wide-eyed. He had crumbs and leftovers stuck in his beard and his eyes wandered to the plate but he was apprehensive about taking it so Sakura simply placed the plate in front of him.
"Here, you can have the rest" she forced a smile, surprised to see him not devour it in a matter of seconds.
"Uh, you sure about that?" he asked and she nodded, taking a sip of the water and heading over to grab her bag.
"I gotta get going" she was about to head out the dining room when Karin stood up, now thoroughly unhappy.
"Unfortunately, I can't join you. I got some business meetings to take care of. I will have Shibazaki take you to university. And some of the Ninja Army to guard of course"
Given what had happened, it was only sensible that Karin took all precautions to protect her friend from an organization seeking to hurt her in some form or another. Though with the death of Gill, she couldn't help but wonder what, if anything, remained. The fish rots by the head, Urien had told her initially. If that was true, there was really nothing to fear, was there?
"Thanks, Karin" she bowed and bolted out the door.
Today was meant to be joyous. A wonderful day as a celebration of the hardships Sakura had endured. But her graduation ceremony passed her by like a cloud. She felt nothing, simply going through the motions and faking happiness when in reality, she was anxious when she had no reason to be.
Her fellow students welcomed her return with open arms and seemed to latch onto her upcoming child. Shibazaki had been attentive and patient with her during the trip back and forth, not pressing sociability any further as Sakura had retreated into her own mind.
She had graduated, sitting in a private jet with her diploma. She should be celebrating really and yet there was no joy or satisfaction, just apathetic melancholy, not helped by watching her fellow students get greeted by their parents and loved ones. Sakura had loved ones as well; she was aware of this.
It would seem that this would be one of her bad days, where the void was harder to suppress more than usual. Sakura had hoped that with the first round of grief, it had prepared her for whatever hardships would stand in her way. But that was the issue. No one was prepared. Not even her. And it hit her like a thunderstrike, unexpected and uncontrollable.
By the early afternoon, the plane landed on the airstrip, located somewhat close to the mansion itself. Shibazaki accompanied her as they ventured down the path which would take them to the estate. Clouds began to circle the sky by the time they neared the mansion and it looked as if it was about to rain soon, making that a certainty when they reached the main gate of the estate. However, a peculiar sight caught their attention; a familiar face staring at the tall structure.
"Dan?" Sakura called and he jumped in place, immediately standing in a fighting pose until he saw it was just his friend and a steward.
"Oh! Hey Sakura!" he waved at her, his eyes landing on the diploma in her hands.
"Congrats" he rubbed the back of his neck, trying not to address the fact that he almost tried to pick a fight with friends. Sakura didn't blame him though, given Karin's Ninja Army, who had been tailing her from the second, she set foot outside the estate. But now she was curious as to what Dan was doing here, remembering the conversation he had with Karin.
"Thank you. What are you doing here?" and more perplexingly, how did he come here?
"Well I came to visit Karin"
"…Why?"
"Uh well…" he began, his cheeks reddening. Above them, the clouds began to circle the sky and Shibazaki interjected the conversation as the gates opened and he ushered the pair inside.
"Please enter with haste. It seems the rain will appear soon" he ushered them inside and they followed. The gate behind them closed with a heavy thud. Sakura glanced at Dan, who still looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel.
"Are you okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned.
"Eugh…!" Dan's face grew redder as he cleared his throat. "Well … A lot of things happened while you were gone, and I met Karin s-so one thing led to another and uhm now I'm…well dating her"
"Congratulations!" Sakura exclaimed, feeling a speckle of genuine joy, laughing a bit when a meek smile formed across his face by the time they reached the main building. She had never imagined Karin and Dan getting together of all people, especially considering their divide in class, even if Karin began to mingle with the ''commoners'' around her. Sakura couldn't help but wonder about how the rest of the Zaibatsu would react to such a development.
Once inside, the downpour began in earnest, pouring down upon the estate without a shred of mercy.
"Congratulations, Sakura" Karin stood at the top of the staircase, twirling a blonde drill. Her demeanor softened a little when she saw Dan with her, descending the stairs. Upon reaching the ground floor, Shibazaki bowed to her.
"You should have told me you two were together" Sakura smiled, then was met with hearty laughter. Karin twirled her hair a little faster, her proud demeanor not masking her rosy cheeks.
"Hoho, well let's say I have gotten a taste for meatheads. In particular this one! Would you believe that he called me an angel at one point?"
Dan nearly choked on his own tongue as all eyes fell on him. His face was beet-red now and he couldn't quite capture his composure no matter how much he tried. "W-well I was sick and high on medication"
Karin pouted, feigning innocence as she inched closer to Dan. "So, I'm not an angel…?"
"Eugh…! Yeah, of course, you are…"
As Sakura looked at the pair tease and flirt with each other, she found herself laughing genuinely for the first time. And then came the heavy tugging, the one that reminded her of all that she had lost. The feeling of missing love. She backed away, feeling the pricking of her eyes threatening to overwhelm her. The walls began closing in on her until she stood in front of a large window, one that allowed a view over the courtyard.
There, she closed her eyes, trying to. With the back of her hand, she wiped them away, only for them to appear once more. Just as she was about to despair, two strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close until she felt hardened muscles against her back. She felt them there, she wanted to feel them. Yet it was light and cold, even if it felt just like Urien standing behind her, reminding her that she wasn't alone. That he always was with her. Her beacon, her dearest.
"Urien…." She spoke softly, remembering the time they spent together; for better and for worse. He didn't answer her, instead tightening his embrace as the grip on her heart tightened. She wanted to see him, more than anything, turning around to prove that he was really there, that it wasn't her mind playing tricks on her. But the feeling of his embrace and the shape of him all vanished before she could see his face, leaving her to stand alone in the hallway.
There was no trace of him, reinforcing to her that he was gone for good. She knew this already. She didn't want to think about it, but she had known all this time. She didn't want to imagine his lifeless body, motionless in the ocean depths but she knew it was the fate that had befallen him. Closing her eyes, Sakura turned to the window, resting her forehead against its cold surface, listening to the rain drum against the glass. Wishing they'd wash her feelings clean. Wishing she was stronger.
"Sakura?" Karin's voice called behind her and she forced herself to turn around, realizing that she had not at all stopped crying. She must have absolutely terrible.
"Ah, sorry. Looks like I'm having a bad day" she forced a grainy chuckle. "I think…I need to be alone for a bit…"