Okay! Chapter six! My second update for the year! Whoo! Enjoy you guys.. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Pot neither its characters. But the plot? It's mine, been working hard for it :

Chapter 6: Stupidity

Ryoma was woken up by his ringing phone. It was a signal that he has received a new message so he picked up his phone from his bedside table. He was surprised when he read who the sender was—it was her. After all these months, she finally contacted him. 'Maybe she's not busy anymore' he thought.

He suddenly rose into sitting position when he read the message. It goes like this:

'Ryoma-kun, guess what? I'm in Paris. I'm here to study. Oh, I haven't told you, I entered a fashion school and luckily, I was given a scholarship to study here. Can we meet? I know you're in London but my companion said it's possible since it would only take two hours of train ride. If only it was the French Open, I bet you'll be here in Paris. I was wondering why you haven't returned to the US, Wimbledon is finish right? Oh, well, so what do you think? Or maybe you're still busy? Just send me a message. –Sakuno.'

Ryoma was speechless. He did not expect such turn of events. Now, Sakuno is just a two-hour train ride away from him, yet it's still impossible for them to meet. Way too impossible. He thought of an appropriate reply for her. It breaks his heart because he has to decline. He can't go see her. He can't even leave his room for crying out loud, let alone be in Paris. He started to type some words, but he can't construct a believable excuse that he ends up deleting what he already started. After so many mind changes, he typed in his message and sends it.

"I suppose it won't hurt", he said as he stood up and went to the bathroom.

Sakuno was settling herself in the room that Aya assigned to her. And, hell, the room is twice, no thrice her room back in Japan!

"Really, this family is weird." She told herself. "Wait a sec, she live here, in this huge manor, all alone? Well, besides the helpers, she's the only one here."

Poor Aya, poor Ms. Yamazaki. Both are enduring one another which lead to both their suffering. Could it be that Ryoma is enduring her as well? She picked her cell phone up to re-read Ryoma's response to her.

'Hey, Sakuno. Good to know you're doing well, and receiving a scholarship is really great. Guess you worked hard for it since you barely got in touch this past four months. I bet your grandma is proud of you. Of course I'm proud of you, too. I'm sorry, though, but I can't meet you anytime soon. There are so many things that I need to accomplish and even after that, I'll be returning to America right away. It's too bad we can't meet, but hey, you did not come here for me, you came here to study so do what you have to do, okay? I'll see you in Japan? –Ryoma.

'I'll see you in Japan', Sakuno repeated to herself. "Does that mean he's expecting himself to be trapped for that long?" Her eyes are starting to water; she took a deep breath to calm herself. She placed her phone down on the bed side table and headed out. She dare not construct a response to Ryoma. Besides, he said it himself, 'do what you have to do'.

"Oh, Sakuno. Going out?"

"Yes, I think I'll start my getting-used-to-things-out-there mission."

"Excited, aren't we. Well, here, you'll need these." Aya handed her some paper—money—in French currency. As soon as she registered what they are Sakuno chose not to accept them.

"Aya, I can fend for myself. I think I can find a money changer out there so…"

"Nonesense! Besides, it'll be dangerous for you coming out of the money changer's; people might think you have lots of money. Not everyone exchange for money here."

Though hesitant, Sakuno accepted the money. "Thank you. I'll pay it back, I promise."

"Umhm." Was Aya's short reply as she waved at Sakuno's retreating form at the top of the stairs. When she's finally out the door, Aya's smile did not vanish.

"Not wanting anyone's help, yet prepared to extend a hand to those in need. You are so like her." She then stared out the window where Sakuno turn to her left to start her expedition. "Is that the reason why you chose her…" She asked as she shifted her gaze up the sky. "...Kana?"

JAPAN

"I sent a part of me with her. She's there because I am not. I hope you got it, Aya.", said a lady standing in front of the window of her office. It was already almost sunset, but she's still there, leafing through a book that looks like an album.

PARIS

"Mou, this is too much, giving away things so generously. They are indeed sisters! Why can't they just forgive each other? It's obvious that they want to be together." Sakuno said as she started the road to nowhere. "Oh, who am I kidding?" At least they want to see each other, unlike her and Ryoma. She feels that wanting to see him is just a one-sided thing, only from her side, that is. After hours of walking around most of the time towards nowhere, her feet or her subconscious, rather, took her to the train station.

"You've got to be kidding me." She sighed to herself. "I haven't even been accustomed to Paris, and now here I am planning to go to London." She stayed there staring at the trains that are loading and unloading the passengers. She looked at her watch and realized it was already almost 9 PM. "I can't believe night time here is like afternoon in Japan". Unknown to her, she did not adjust it in Paris' time; it's still the time in Japan which is 7 hours advanced than the real time of where she is. She decided to go home but she saw the clock at the train station. It read 2PM.

"2PM?" Sakuno glanced at her watch again and realization dawned on her. She slapped her forehead with her gloved hand. "Silly me." She then adjusted her watch so that she won't mess up again with the time. This somehow made her waver upon going home or trying her luck in London.

'If I take the train now, I'll be in London at 4PM. And then…then what? I don't even know where he is, and although my sense of direction had improved, I don't think it'll work in a foreign place.' She heaved a sigh and did the most stupid thing in her life so far.

Ryoma has been waiting for Sakuno's response for hours. He did not expect that she'll reply to that, but still, he's waiting. Besides, it's so not Sakuno to hold back a response, or is it? All the waiting made him agitated so he unthinkingly dialed her number. He waited as the ring continued on. He was ready to hang up when she pick up. Or so he thought.

"Moshi-moshi? Are you looking for Sakuno? I'm sorry but she seems to have left her phone at home so she can't talk to you."

Ryoma was shocked to hear a Japanese woman on the other line. Isn't Sakuno a bit lucky to have a scholarship and know a Japanese companion in a foreign place? "Oh, is that so. Then just please tell her I called. Thanks anyway."

"Uhm. Are you her boyfriend?" asked Aya in a mocking tone.

'Okay, a nosy Japanese companion', Ryoma corrected himself mentally. "I am," he said. "…her friend who is a boy." He quickly added. He's not sure himself. Sure, she likes him, and he likes her back, but they haven't talk about it especially they haven't contacted each other for months. That won't be something a couple would do, right?

"Oh, you're no fun. But sure, I'll tell Sakuno that her friend, who is a boy called."

"Thanks, I guess", he said and it earned him a 'No problem' from the other line. 'A nosy, talkative Japanese companion', Ryoma corrected himself as he hang up. "Where'd she go? Didn't she just come here today, yet she has already wandered off? Good thing it's still early." Ryoma said as he looked at the window.

'Sakuno no Baka!' she mentally told herself. "What in the world would happen to me now? I am lost, I am alone, and how unlucky for me to left my phone!"

She alight the train at 4PM, consistent with her calculation, and ate and stayed for a while at a nearby café. Now, it's already 8 PM and she's been wandering like a psycho for almost three hours now! And worst of all, she doesn't even know where she is! All she could see is a big clock tower in front of her and a huge Ferris wheel not far from where she is.

"So this is Big Ben, and that might be the London Eye. Knowing these things won't help me get back to Paris!"

She then noticed a telephone booth on the other side of the bridge which is not that far from Big Ben.

"Thank goodness!" she said as she neared the booth. When she's finally in, she took the receiver, pushed in some change into the machine and started to reach her hand to the keys but something stopped her. She doesn't remember what Aya's number is!

"Mou. The only number that I know is…"

Ryoma was still staring out the window when a phone call pulled him out of his reverie.

"Moshi-moshi?"

"E-Echizen-san…", said hesitantly of the voice from the other line.

"What do you want?"

"Sorry, the number you are calling is busy at the moment. Please try again later." The recording would've gone off for quite sometime if Sakuno did not put the receiver back to its place. She then heard her coins being dispensed by the machine.

"He's busy, indeed." She said as she took out her coins back. "But I can always try again."

"I'm here like what you've asked me. Now what do you want?" Ryoma asked in a very cold voice, and anyone who would hear it will surely have sudden chills run down their spine.

"Now, now Echizen-san. I'm just here to, well…"

"Spill it", Ryoma ordered in the same icy voice.

"Okay, okay. I'm here to apologize, you know, for what I've done. The bastard that I asked to, well, injure you turned his back from me. He turned out to be a soft dumb, and didn't want to push through, so…"

"So what, you want to come clean and think that I'll forgive you just like that?" Ryoma snapped at him.

"Ryoma, come on. I'll be doing much, much more than that. I'll grant you your freedom."

"Listen old man, I have no time for your games."

"I'm not kidding, boy. But I have to say I have a condition before I let you out."

"And that would be?"

"Well, I'll set you free, but you'll have a press con saying that you have the yips, and you'll tell the press that you've been in coma all these time, and you finally woken up but because of the yips, you chose to retire."

"What? Where does this thing coming from? If I retire, your career would end, too. Isn't that the reason why you kept me locked up in here?"

"About that, I guess it would be selfish of me but, you already know that. Well, I have already made a deal with this new player—"

"It figures", Ryoma cut him off.

"Come on, Echizen-san, I just can't let go of this just like that."

"So am I, old man, so am I."

"Look, there is no other reasonable thing to do. People having yips are hopeless already, you know that."

"I refuse to retire, but I'll do the press con."

"Believe me boy, there is no other way." The former bad guy said as he retreated. "Oh, security will be lessened, and you are free to wander about, if you are accompanied by one of them."

Ryoma was left at the roof top looking at the retreating figure of the man. "Letting people who have wronged me on the loose is out of my league, but if it's the only way so I'll be free again, I'll take it." He said as he himself went back to his room.

"The number you dialed is either unattended or out of coverage area. Please try your call later."

"Mou. Earlier he was busy, now he wasn't even picking up. Maybe he's asleep already?" Sakuno said as she glanced at her watch. It read exactly 9PM. "I am officially hopeless." She sighed as she sank down to her knees.

"Four missed calls?" The other one was Sakuno and the other three is from an unknown number. Of course he opts to call Sakuno first but she beat him to it. Ryoma's phone is ringing and of course he answered it. "Sakuno?"

"Sakuno's friend who is a boy!" yelled Aya, worry evident in her tone.

'Darn, why should it be her', he mentally cursed at this. He wants to talk to Sakuno, not to her nosy, talkative Japanese companion. "What is it, lady?"

"It's Sakuno! Sakuno hasn't come home yet!"

"What?" Ryoma suddenly remembered the unknown number that called him. 'Could it be?' he thought. "Um, I'll take care of it." And he hangs up. 'She left her phone, and there's a possibility that she memorized my number and the only one he could call is me.' Ryoma assumed. It is safe to assume, right? "Dammit, this got to be you Sakuno." He dialed the number as he stormed out of his room—through the window as he ran towards the direction of the train station. The old man's timing is perfect. If not, security officers would still be stationed almost everywhere eyeing his every move.

'It's ringing.' Sakuno thought. 'How can a pay phone ring? I mean, how come it can receive incoming calls when it's a public phone? Unless…', she sucked all the stupidity that she's thinking about the impossibilities of things and answered the phone. "Mosh—"

"Sakuno? Sakuno! Is that you?"

Sakuno's eyes widened upon registering the familiar voice from the other line. "Ryoma…" her voice broke and moisture started forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Where are you?"

"I-I'm at a phone booth near Big Ben."

"Near what? What the hell are you doing in London?"

"Um, well…"

"Anyway, I know where it is just stay right where you are." Ryoma left the station and headed towards where Big Ben is. Good thing the train is still not there or else, he would be going to a place where she's not even in.

"Hai." And then the line went dead. "Ryoma is coming." Sakuno's heart raced from inside her chest. She needed to lean on one of the walls of the booth for support. "Wait a sec." she said as she abruptly stood up straight. "How come he's coming when he's supposed to be locked up in a hospital? Seriously, what is going on here?"

I updated! Yay me! I know, I know, phone booths can only do outgoing calls, but for the sake of it all, let it go for once, okay? Thanks! Teehee.. :"