AUTHOR'S NOTE: Chapter 11! Yay, I was able to write this chapter. Anyway, I
changed some of the events, especially about Sakuragi's father's death, so
that the whole Kathleen meeting Sakuragi the first time would fit into the
story. I have a fictional license, right? Have fun, ne?
GUIDES:
... - thoughts
{...} - flashback
DISCLAIMER: The usual, please.
************************************************************************
Tick. Tick. Tick. The continuous ticking of the grandfather's clock was the only sound that broke the silence between the Duchess and Sakuragi. They had been like this for 30 minutes already. Sakuragi opened his mouth to speak but shut it immediately. What was he supposed to say? Oh grandma, I haven't seen you for 16 years but I already felt we've never been apart. Right.
"Well, I'm very glad you come to England, Hanamichi," Sophia said to break the uncomfortable silence, "and take the place of your father, Lance."
"Ahahaha, that's nothing!" Sakuragi replied and apprehensively took a sip of his tea. Oh no, how can I possibly tell her that I really don't want to take my father's place. I just want to see my grandparents. Help me, Kami- sama! Sakuragi thought despairingly as he stole a glance of his grandmother.
Sophia was strikingly youthful looking for her age. Her flaming red hair - the same shade as that of Sakuragi - was still shiny and bouncy and there were only a few shades of gray that adorned it. She has a nice nose and full lips. Her face was marred by a few wrinkles that did not make her looked older but instead, make her even more regal. But Sakuragi noted that his grandmother's brown eyes hid a long standing sorrow.
"Hanamichi, are you listening to what I am saying?"
Sophia's prodding got Sakuragi out of his revery and noticed the quizzical look of his grandmother.
"Sumimasen, I was not listening. What is it you're talking about?"
"As I was saying, your induction to royalty will happen two weeks from now. That time frame will be enough to teach you the ways of the royals. You will learn to talk, walk, and move like a blue-blooded duke that you will be. Your lesson will start the day after tomorrow so that you will have time to rest and perhaps, tour the rest of our estate,"
Lessons!?! I will have lessons! I left Japan so that I can escape anything about schools and then this! But Sakuragi bit his tongue and merely nodded.
"I believe you're very tired after that long flight. You need to get some rest," Sophia turned towards James standing beside her and said, "Please take him to his room James,"
"Very well, my lady,"
Sakuragi stood up and said to Sophia, "Uhm, good night." Then with James in tow, Sakuragi walked out of the room.
Sophia smiled when Sakuragi had left the room. He's very much like my Lance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sakuragi and James were walking quietly along the palace's corridor when a thought struck Sakuragi.
"James, may I ask you a question?"
"What is it, Master Hanamichi?"
"Uhm, will you not address me as master or any of that title? It's quite uncomfortable," Sakuragi pleaded.
"Very well, Ma - I mean, Hanamichi,"
"That's better. As I was saying, what happened to my grandfather?"
A cloud seemed to pass over James eyes. "Lord William died of a heart attack when you're father was just 10 years old. It was so sudden and it scarred the whole family so deeply. Especially your father, Hanamichi. He was very close to Lord William,"
Sakuragi was lost in his thoughts. So his father and him shared the same fate. Lance's father died when he was 10 and Lance's died also of a heart attack when Sakuragi was also 10. What a coincidence and very tragic. Sakuragi could still remember as if it happened yesterday the day when his father died. He saw his father on the floor writhing in pain and moaning to help him. He was just about to call an ambulance when those bullies blocked him. No amount of pleading could stop those bullies from hurting him. They only stopped when Sakuragi could barely stand up and left him on the street. Sakuragi summoned every will to reach the hospital and requested an ambulance to go to their home. The nurses rushed to treat him first but he was defiant that they brought an ambulance immediately to his residence. When they reached his home, it was too late. Young Sakuragi watched brokenheartedly as they placed his father's dead body inside the ambulance. His young heart was crumbled knowing fully too well that his father died alone.
Sakuragi couldn't help but sniffed at all those memories. James heard him but he just keep his mouth shut.
The butler knew that Lance's died also of heart attack. According to the story told him by Lady Yui, Sakuragi never quite forgive himself for letting his father died alone.
After some time, they reached his room and Sakuragi immediately lay his tired body onto the bed. So far so good, he's holding up. He really missed his teammates and wondered what they are doing. Hmph! They will have a hard time winning games without me. They need the tensai for crucial situation. Sakuragi thought smugly. Kitsune, take all your time while I'm not there. The tensai will be even better once he gets back in Japan. And then, and then, Haruko-chan will notice me! Sakuragi closed his eyes with a satisfied smirk on his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Achooo..."
"Hey, someone remembered you Rukawa. Must be one of the Rukawa Shinetai," Mitsui said and illicit a chuckle from the basketball team.
Rukawa remained stoic as ever.
"I wonder how Hanamichi is holding up?" Ayako wondered out loud. It's been only a day since Sakuragi left and the team wasn't the same without the loudmouthed red head. She just couldn't believe the big void left by Hanamichi.
"I envy him...He got rich all of the sudden," Ryota mused.
"Yeah, all those things he could buy," Yasuda said deploringly and proceeded to eat his sundae.
Little did they know the hardships that Sakuragi must face from now on.
GUIDES:
... - thoughts
{...} - flashback
DISCLAIMER: The usual, please.
************************************************************************
Tick. Tick. Tick. The continuous ticking of the grandfather's clock was the only sound that broke the silence between the Duchess and Sakuragi. They had been like this for 30 minutes already. Sakuragi opened his mouth to speak but shut it immediately. What was he supposed to say? Oh grandma, I haven't seen you for 16 years but I already felt we've never been apart. Right.
"Well, I'm very glad you come to England, Hanamichi," Sophia said to break the uncomfortable silence, "and take the place of your father, Lance."
"Ahahaha, that's nothing!" Sakuragi replied and apprehensively took a sip of his tea. Oh no, how can I possibly tell her that I really don't want to take my father's place. I just want to see my grandparents. Help me, Kami- sama! Sakuragi thought despairingly as he stole a glance of his grandmother.
Sophia was strikingly youthful looking for her age. Her flaming red hair - the same shade as that of Sakuragi - was still shiny and bouncy and there were only a few shades of gray that adorned it. She has a nice nose and full lips. Her face was marred by a few wrinkles that did not make her looked older but instead, make her even more regal. But Sakuragi noted that his grandmother's brown eyes hid a long standing sorrow.
"Hanamichi, are you listening to what I am saying?"
Sophia's prodding got Sakuragi out of his revery and noticed the quizzical look of his grandmother.
"Sumimasen, I was not listening. What is it you're talking about?"
"As I was saying, your induction to royalty will happen two weeks from now. That time frame will be enough to teach you the ways of the royals. You will learn to talk, walk, and move like a blue-blooded duke that you will be. Your lesson will start the day after tomorrow so that you will have time to rest and perhaps, tour the rest of our estate,"
Lessons!?! I will have lessons! I left Japan so that I can escape anything about schools and then this! But Sakuragi bit his tongue and merely nodded.
"I believe you're very tired after that long flight. You need to get some rest," Sophia turned towards James standing beside her and said, "Please take him to his room James,"
"Very well, my lady,"
Sakuragi stood up and said to Sophia, "Uhm, good night." Then with James in tow, Sakuragi walked out of the room.
Sophia smiled when Sakuragi had left the room. He's very much like my Lance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sakuragi and James were walking quietly along the palace's corridor when a thought struck Sakuragi.
"James, may I ask you a question?"
"What is it, Master Hanamichi?"
"Uhm, will you not address me as master or any of that title? It's quite uncomfortable," Sakuragi pleaded.
"Very well, Ma - I mean, Hanamichi,"
"That's better. As I was saying, what happened to my grandfather?"
A cloud seemed to pass over James eyes. "Lord William died of a heart attack when you're father was just 10 years old. It was so sudden and it scarred the whole family so deeply. Especially your father, Hanamichi. He was very close to Lord William,"
Sakuragi was lost in his thoughts. So his father and him shared the same fate. Lance's father died when he was 10 and Lance's died also of a heart attack when Sakuragi was also 10. What a coincidence and very tragic. Sakuragi could still remember as if it happened yesterday the day when his father died. He saw his father on the floor writhing in pain and moaning to help him. He was just about to call an ambulance when those bullies blocked him. No amount of pleading could stop those bullies from hurting him. They only stopped when Sakuragi could barely stand up and left him on the street. Sakuragi summoned every will to reach the hospital and requested an ambulance to go to their home. The nurses rushed to treat him first but he was defiant that they brought an ambulance immediately to his residence. When they reached his home, it was too late. Young Sakuragi watched brokenheartedly as they placed his father's dead body inside the ambulance. His young heart was crumbled knowing fully too well that his father died alone.
Sakuragi couldn't help but sniffed at all those memories. James heard him but he just keep his mouth shut.
The butler knew that Lance's died also of heart attack. According to the story told him by Lady Yui, Sakuragi never quite forgive himself for letting his father died alone.
After some time, they reached his room and Sakuragi immediately lay his tired body onto the bed. So far so good, he's holding up. He really missed his teammates and wondered what they are doing. Hmph! They will have a hard time winning games without me. They need the tensai for crucial situation. Sakuragi thought smugly. Kitsune, take all your time while I'm not there. The tensai will be even better once he gets back in Japan. And then, and then, Haruko-chan will notice me! Sakuragi closed his eyes with a satisfied smirk on his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Achooo..."
"Hey, someone remembered you Rukawa. Must be one of the Rukawa Shinetai," Mitsui said and illicit a chuckle from the basketball team.
Rukawa remained stoic as ever.
"I wonder how Hanamichi is holding up?" Ayako wondered out loud. It's been only a day since Sakuragi left and the team wasn't the same without the loudmouthed red head. She just couldn't believe the big void left by Hanamichi.
"I envy him...He got rich all of the sudden," Ryota mused.
"Yeah, all those things he could buy," Yasuda said deploringly and proceeded to eat his sundae.
Little did they know the hardships that Sakuragi must face from now on.