I do not own MSGM or any of its characters. All such honors belong to Oyuki Konno.
"So, Sachiko, did you go to see the school counselor regarding Yumi-chan as I suggested," Youko-sama asked over tea at a local bistro one afternoon.
"Not yet, onee-sama," Sachiko replied after taking a sip of her tea. "I have not figured out how to approach the discussion without feeling like I am breeching Yumi's confidence or sounding like a stalker; and I'm worried that she might feel the need to contact the authorities immediately. I definitely do not want that. I agree with you that I cannot simply drop everything I have learned on Yumi without any thought. It could be devastating to her psyche and push her even further into the darkness. But she hasn't been to the Rose Mansion in over a week and I am getting worried."
"Shimako-chan is in her class; what does she have to say about Yumi-chan?" Youko asked as she cradled her teacup between her hands, looking over the rim at her despondent petite soeur.
"She says that Yumi is using studying for exams and getting dinner ready for the other girls as excuses to head straight back to the dorm after classes end."
Youko noticed with great interest her petite soeur's use of Yumi's name without an honorific. If she felt that much about the girl, enough to let her true feelings slip even just this small amount . . .
"Hmm, I wonder," she mumbled. "Sachiko, had you heard the news that Katsura-san has become the petite soeur of one of her sempai's in the tennis club? Yes? I wonder if that might have some bearing on the issue. Could it be that one of the very few people Yumi-chan could consider a friend no longer being as available to her as before has had some impact on her? No, no that can't be right. I know Shimako-chan sees her as a friend as well. I wonder if Yumi-chan sees her the same way? Oh, don't mind me, Sachiko," she said with a wave of her hand, "I'm just thinking aloud."
"I do not think that is it, onee-sama, or at least not all of it," Sachiko said thoughtfully. "Shimako-chan tells me that Yumi and Katsura-san are still close in class and the two leave together when Katsura-san does not have club duties. Yumi supposedly congratulated her and complimented Katsura-san on her new rosary. No, I think they are still close friends. Could it be something more regarding the soeur relationship itself?"
"Well," Youko asked, "what exactly is a soeur relationship, Sachiko? I mean, to us it is a relationship of both sisterhood as well as a kind of mentor-protégé arrangement; much like a real big sister/little sister relationship simply without the blood ties."
"Could it be that simple, onee-sama? I mean, would Katsura-chan gaining a big sister have that much of an effect on Yumi?"
"Mmm, maybe not; but what about taking it to the next level, at least as it might seem in Yumi's mind. Did Katsura-san really just gain a quasi-big sister, or did she maybe gain more?"
"You mean . . ."
"A family, Sachiko! A family," Youko explained, probably unnecessarily. "You really do need to go and talk to a counselor or someone in the profession. I may be a world-class meddler, but even I know when I am out of my depth and Yumi-chan's issues, especially now that we know about her true history, are well beyond anything I could ever begin to counsel you on."
Sachiko nodded, understanding what Youko-sama was saying. This had become much larger than either of them. The Ogasawaras had doctors of all stripes on retainer and ready to attend them at a moment's notice; but as with the detective agency, Sachiko did not want to use someone that already had ties to her family and would feel a need to report to her father. She was not ready to let her parents know about Yumi just yet. Her father would most likely just treat it like any other business deal and expect it to be done, no matter what the consequences to Yumi.
No . . . no she couldn't expect that type of reaction from her father. Despite his ruthlessness when it came to business he was more gentle and loving when it came to his family. He had never stinted with her, giving her almost anything she desired, but certainly putting limits on her just like any other parent would. He really was a true father. And he had been the same with Yuuki-kun.
Just as with Sachiko, he had always been loving, caring, and giving with Yuuki; treating the boy as if he really had been his own son from birth. Why would she think he would be any different if he found out that Yumi was Yuuki's sister? He would probably move heaven and earth to bring her into the family as quickly as possible. But was that what was needed? Would that be the right thing for Yumi? She was so fragile.
No, Sachiko couldn't take the chance. She loved Yumi too much to have anything go wrong. And she had been waiting long enough. It had been over a week since she had last seen Yumi. She had no idea what was going on in that pigtailed head, but she wasn't going to let that girl get away from her.
"Onee-sama, if you will please excuse me, I need to go check out some counselors," Sachiko said, gathering her things together.
"Of course, Sachiko. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help," Youko said with a smile. She loved it when Sachiko got serious.
-oo-
Yumi was enjoying a cup of green tea at her favorite table. Dinner was over, the dishes had all been washed, dried, and put away, the youngsters were in their rooms doing homework, and peace reigned among the plants and flowers of the conservatory. It was one of those rare nights when the lights of the city could not compete with the brightness of the stars. The lights were off once again so that Yumi could enjoy the night sky. She sighed in contentment.
At least she tried to.
Even with the spectacle of one of God's greatest achievements laid out before her she was unable to truly appreciate it. She was not unhappy, but . . . neither was she truly content.
She missed the girls of the Yamayurikai. She missed Shimako's sweet laugh. She missed the feel of Sei's arms as they wrapped around her trying to make her squeal. She missed Youko's quiet laugh and Eriko's sighs of boredom. She even missed Yoshino calling her cousin an idiot.
But more than anything else she missed Sachiko's smile when she looked at her. She missed the light in her eyes on those rare occasions when she giggled and the slight frown that would cross her lips when she was vexed about something. She even missed those times when Sachiko would get angry at her for thinking herself less than everyone else.
It was so much easier when she knew what her role was; when she knew exactly where she stood in the scheme of things. Even if that place was so much lower than Sachiko believed it should be.
It had been three weeks since she had gone back to the Rose Mansion. It had started out with Katsura-san becoming petite soeur to her sempai; with her friend gaining a sister. She had just not felt . . . worthy . . . of the girls of the Yamayurikai. She liked to think that she had been able to help them with their duties, but her downward spiral that had started that evening had just continued as normal until, ultimately, she remembered that she was still just Yumi Fukuzawa: used and abused girl with no past and no future to speak of.
She had to quickly wipe the tears from her eyes as she heard the door to the conservatory open.
"I'm over here Katsura-san," she called out, thinking it was her friend as usual. It was about the time when she could expect Katsura to come looking for her. She didn't bother watching her friend approach. She could hear the brush of a skirt against the leaves of the plants on either side of the narrow path.
"I'm sorry, Yumi, but I asked Katsura-san to give me a few minutes alone with you. I hope you do not mind."
"S-S-Sachiko-sama," Yumi squeaked, sitting up suddenly in her chair, "what are you doing here?"
"Isn't it alright for a person to want to stop by and visit with a friend?" Sachiko smiled.
"O-of course, b-b-but . . . "
"What? Do you not think of me as a friend?" she mock pouted.
"Um, well . . . "
"I assure you, Yumi, I consider you a friend of mine. Do you mind if I sit down?"
"Oh, um, yes, please," Yumi said, finally able to finish a sentence. She was so shocked to see the Rosa Chinensis en Bouton in her dorm that completing that sentence seemed like a major accomplishment right then. "Can I get you a cup of tea?"
"Thank you, Yumi, but I am fine," Sachiko grinned as she took a seat. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. You hadn't come by the Rose Mansion recently and I wanted to make sure you were alright . . . no, no, that is a lie," Sachiko sighed, a look coming over her features that Yumi had never seen before.
"I really came because . . . I missed you, Yumi," Sachiko said, looking at the younger girl. "I missed seeing you every day. Is that wrong of me?"
"N-no, Sachiko-sama, but . . . but why?" Yumi asked, sincerely confused now. "I mean, I'm still the same girl I was when I first met you. I'm still the same soiled girl with no past."
"First, I don't believe that you are 'soiled', Yumi. I know that you had a hard time before you came to Lillian. I know that you were sorely abused, but I do not believe that you were dirtied by that abuse. You were a child, with no ability to defend yourself. If a child is abused by their parents, or by another family member, or by a stranger . . . if they are subjected to physical, psychological, or sexual abuse, do we blame the child? Do we say that the child has been sullied by being subjected to such abuse? Do we paint the child as being less than human, or less worthy than someone else, simply because they were a victim of such abuse? Would you, Yumi, treat a child of such abuse as being a lesser being than anyone else because they had suffered that abuse? If one of the seven or eight year olds living in this dorm had been subjected to such abuse before they came here, would you look down on them and consider them unworthy of your friendship . . . of your love?"
"O-of course not, Sachiko-sama," Yumi exclaimed. "It is not the child's fault; it is the fault of the abuser. The child is, as you say, simply a victim of that abuse and they should be given all the love and support possible to help them through; to help them see that they can still become whoever and whatever they want to be!"
"Then why, Yumi, do you think that you are unworthy of receiving that same support, and caring, and . . . love that you would give to that seven or eight year old?" Sachiko asked, now standing and moving around the table so that she could kneel in front of Yumi and take her hands between her own. Yumi tried to complain but Sachiko overrode her. "You have said in the past that you are 'a nobody', a girl with no past, a girl abused. To quote your own words, you were 'no one.' Well, Yumi, I do not consider you 'no one.' In the short time I have known you I have seen how hard you work, not only at your duties, but to simply help others in need. I have seen how much you care for others without a single thought for yourself. I don't think you could be truly selfish if you wanted to, at least not if doing so would discomfit someone else. You are a kind, sweet, intelligent, and talented young lady. And you are cute beyond belief," Sachiko laughed, seeing that she seemed to be finally getting through to the brown eyed girl.
"And Yumi, I want you by my side. I truly missed you these past three weeks. Since you started coming to help, every time I entered the meeting room, it was your face that I first looked for, hoping that you would be there. I felt joy when I saw you, and I felt sad when you were not there. My spirits rose every time you arrived and I could see your face. And for these past weeks, I have felt so lonely without you sitting in that chair next to me, Yumi."
"I-I'm sorry, Sachiko-sama," Yumi said meekly, moving her hands between Sachiko's so that she could entwine her fingers with those of her sempai's. "I'm sorry that I made you worry. I just thought that . . . maybe . . . you would all be better off without me getting in the way."
"You were never in the way, Yumi. You helped us so much . . . you helped me so much," Sachiko said softly. "I . . . I hope that . . . Yumi, I want you to please stay by my side. You can't know how much I missed you. I'm not sure that even I know how much I missed you."
"I . . . I missed you too, Sachiko-sama," Yumi whispered.
"Yumi, will you please stay by my side in the future? Will you please keep me from being lonely? Will you please give me the joy that I have so come to cherish? Will you allow me to see your face, and your smile, every day?" Sachiko asked her. No, Yumi realized. She was not asking . . . she was begging! Sachiko Ogasawara was begging her, on her knees, to stay by her side. It was beyond belief, and suddenly Yumi could not stand to see Sachiko in such a position, certainly not while begging her for something that she could. . . and would . . . gladly give.
Yumi stood up and, by dint of their entwined hands, pulled Sachiko up to stand with her.
"S-Sachiko-sama," Yumi stammered, raising her eyes to look into the deep, sapphire blue eyes before her, "I don't know why, I don't know how, but I do know that I don't ever want to see you on your knees ever again; certainly not to me. If promising to stay by your side will ensure that, then 'yes', I will stay by your side, and I will help you with whatever you need, even if it is just to make you a cup of tea, or to simply sit next to you, or to h-hold your hand," she stammered as she glanced at their still clasped hands.
Sachiko smiled at the girl in front of her and then disengaged her right hand from Yumi's but only to go searching in the pocket of her skirt.
"Then, Yumi, could I please ask you to do one more thing for me? Since you are going to be by my side from now on, could I please," she took the rosary from her pocket and held it up before Yumi's widening eyes, "could I please ask you to become my petite soeur?"
"B-b-but Sachiko-sama . . ." Yumi gasped.
"Or are you going to force me to get back down on my knees again," Sachiko grinned, knowing that she had cornered the poor child.
"Sachiko-sama," Yumi exclaimed, "that's not fair!"
"No one ever said I played fair, Yumi," Sachiko giggled.
"Humph," Yumi scowled and stamped her foot, but Sachiko could see the glistening of tears in the young girl's eyes.
"Please, Yumi," she whispered, allowing every iota of her desire to come through in her voice.
"Sachiko-sama," Yumi finally relented, her brief show of pique gone in the face of what was being offered to her and the look in the older girl's eyes, "I . . . I would be honored to become your petite soeur . . . if you would have me."
"Not only have you, Yumi," Sachiko smiled, gently cupping Yumi's cheek briefly to show the girl just how much she cared, "but want you and need you. I know we have not known each other long, but even still I have already come to love you as dearly as any sister could. It is I that would be honored to have you accept my rosary." She raised the rosary high, stretching out the necklace of beads, as Yumi bowed her head. Sachiko, with only a little fumbling trying to get it around Yumi's pigtails, gently lowered the rosary so that it settled around the shorter girl's neck and, when Yumi raised her tear filled but smiling face to hers, took her into an embrace that Yumi hesitatingly but lovingly returned.
Sachiko knew that this would simply be the first step in a very long road. From her discussions with the psychologists she had spoken to, she knew that the eventual counseling sessions would most likely be long and difficult; probably taking years. She also knew that she would have to tell Yumi about Yuuki, and sooner rather than later, but this was the first step on the road that she dearly hoped would end with Yumi becoming not only her petite soeur, but her sister in truth.
But on that evening, as the two girls held each other, neither one yet ready to let go, simply enjoying the warmth and love that they felt within the circle of each other's arms, and letting the tears of joy flow as they might, it was enough.