A/N: You wanted an update soon, then here it is. Lucky you I'm done with the transcribing and now have to start writing a concept paper about something but don't feel like doing it yet because I don't feel like thinking a lot and hard at this moment. All I'm feeling right now is tiredness :( and thankfully I only have to change a few things in this chapter.

Anyway, on this chapter, the first paragraph is the present time. Then the succeeding texts, those were what happened a year ago. I even made the start of the past event in bold letters so you would easily notice the different/backward jump of timeline.

I would have made the text in italics (because I said before that flashbacks/dreams are in italics), but can you imagine reading a whole chapter in italics? That would be an eye sore!

I'm just saying this to make sure that no one would get confused and then would ask me how it happened that Yumi and Sachiko are together in this chapter while in the last five chapters, Sachiko was mourning for Yumi.

Chapter 6. The Accident

Sachiko woke up early. It's still dawn. The stars hadn't bid their goodbyes yet. But she couldn't sleep anymore. It was this same day one year ago that it happened. The event that changed her life. The memory was still fresh in her mind, like it was only yesterday. And she didn't think she will ever forget what happened that day, jus as she won't ever forget Yumi.

One year ago…

"You called for me, Father?" Sachiko asked as soon as she was in her father's study.

"Yes, Sachiko. I want you to tell me the truth. Are you dating your petite soeur?" Her father asked seriously, directly.

Sachiko was surprised. She didn't think her father would find it out sooner. But now that he knew, there's no turning back. She took a deep breathe and tried to calm her thundering heart beat.

"Yes, Father."

Her father was quiet for a moment.

"Did you even think about the consequences of your actions, young lady?"

He was calm, and it scared Sachiko more. Her father was scarier when he wasn't shouting, though only a few people knew that. And she was scared of him, scared for Yumi.

"Would it really be that bad, Father if I love a woman instead of a man?" She asked, though she knew the answer already.

"What do you think, Sachiko? You're an intelligent young lady. I believe you know the answer already."

"But I love her," she defended.

"Love will not feed you, Sachiko, when you're thrown out of this house. Do you think you can live a life if you aren't living the life of an Ogasawara? You've been treated as a princess all your life, Sachiko. You don't know a life aside from what you have grown up to."

"I can learn, Father. You already said, I'm an intelligent person," she said cautiously. She was waiting to hear what he really was planning to do. Something that she feared. Something that she had been planning how to deal with ever since she declared her love for Yumi. But she had wasted her time. Too happy was she about her newfound love that she set it aside for a while. And now it would probably cost her a lot.

"Maybe you can, but have you thought about her family, Sachiko?"

Her eyes widened.

"You wouldn't touch Yumi's family, would you, Father?" She asked with dread.

"Father would, if you won't stop seeing her, Sachiko."

Grandfather?

Yes.

He's more ruthless than her father. And if sometimes she could reason out with her father, there's no way she could do it to the head of the Ogasawara Family.

---o---

Yumi eyed the red sleek car that was parked in front of their house. It looked familiar. It's…

She watched as the driver emerged from the car, and gasped in delight when she recognized the driver. Hurriedly, she went downstairs and ran to the person who smiled when she saw her.

"Sachiko! What are you doing here?" Yumi asked in excitement, a little out of breath after dashing like that.

"Yumi, do you have a moment? Can we talk?" Sachiko asked.

Yumi didn't need to ask for explanation why Sachiko wanted to talk to her. She immediately recognized the anxiety that Sachiko was trying to hide.

"Yes. I'll just ask permission from my parents."

Minutes later, Sachiko was driving away from the Fukuzawa house with Yumi at the passenger seat.

"Sachiko, did something happen?"

Sachiko was silent for a moment, before she spoke in low voice, "Yumi, they know already."

Questions flooded Yumi's head at the vague answer, before realization hit her. Heart racing in her chest, she turned to Sachiko.

"And?"

"They want me to stop seeing you."

Yumi was silent for a moment as she was lost in deep thought. Will Sachiko really stop seeing her? If she did, can she take it? No, she can't. But if they continue seeing each other, then what would happen?

Her nightmares were starting to come to life. She had long feared this time will come, but she was so overjoyed to found out that Sachiko loved her back that she pushed it aside. Now, they were not prepared.

"But I don't want to, Yumi," Sachiko added after Yumi's long silence.

Yumi looked up and smiled at Sachiko.

"I don't want to stop seeing you, too, Sachiko…But how?"

Sachiko was silent for a moment.

"I think for now, we should stop seeing each other…while we think of a solution, Yumi. I fear what my family would do to yours. I'll contact you once I thought of something. It's just now…" Sachiko trailed off. She just went to Yumi right after her talk with her father without even thinking. She silently chided herself for acting recklessly. She should have thought of something first before coming to Yumi. However, she couldn't do anything about it now.

Yumi didn't like it. What if the not 'seeing for now' would take forever and she won't see Sachiko again? She gazed at Sachiko as the latter put her hand on hers.

"Only while we think of a solution, Yumi. I promise that I will see you again," Sachiko said with conviction. Yes, she would do anything. She would find anything just to be with Yumi while ensuring that Yumi's family was protected. She wasn't sure of a way for now, but she would find a way and do it, no matter how hard it was.

Yumi smiled. She trusted Sachiko's word.

"Okay then. We'll think of a solution and…" she stopped when Sachiko glanced at the side mirror with a frown.

"Is something wrong, Sachiko?"

"I think we're being followed, Yumi," Sachiko said as she glanced again at the black car following them. She didn't know if it's a car sent by her family or someone else. She knew that the Ogasawara had enemies due to business, to envy and jealousy.

Worried, she sped up a bit, and saw that the black car increased in acceleration, too.

"Yumi, would you dial my Father's number," Sachiko said, indicating the phone at the car.

Worried, too, Yumi followed Sachiko's instruction.

"Father, have you sent someone to follow me?" Sachiko asked once the call connected to her father.

"A black car with plate number…" she didn't finish her sentence when something hit the back of her car and she swiveled out of control.

Sachiko tried to maneuver back to her lane, but she hadn't done it yet when a car to the opposite lane came in a dangerous speed.

She wouldn't make it back to their lane!

Wide-eyed, Sachiko tried to at least avoid being hit head on, particularly the passenger side, not minding her father's repeated calls at the car phone.

Yumi's eyes widened with fear as she saw, as if in slow motion, that they were going to collide with the coming car. And it would hit the driver's seat head on.

In a split second, just as the two cars were about to collide, Yumi had her seatbelt removed and dove in front of Sachiko to cover her from the impact, not minding her own body.

The screams that followed were muffled by the scratching of metals.

A/N: Once the event last year in this story is done, you would know it, too, trust me. And, don't expect an update soon because…well, for one reason or another, I don't know ;)

--Arvendell—

10 September 2008