And I had internally promised I'd make a Triple Update ages ago. Thank you so much, school, for teaching me how to delay stories. =.=

Penguins are considered birds. Just flightless. You'll know why I put that here soon. :3

Osashiburi! D:

Belated Happy Valentines, my lovely sashimi-tachi! ;**


8: The Light Heavy Rain

"A little bird told me."

Sokudone's Tuesday was going downhill before she even knew it. She had bitten her tongue during Japanese period; had her hand stepped on when she tried to pick up her fallen pen; had gum attached itself to her hair during recess; had forgotten her bento; had been informed that Kazemaru went home because he was sick; and had dropped her phone on the damp ground (it had been raining— she had also gotten wet).

She really wanted a Sherry's right then and there. Maybe a hug and a blanket too.


"The number you dialed cannot be reached. Please—" The woman's voice taunted the mildly irked Sokudone as she flipped her phone shut. Then she proceeded to slap her forehead with the hand that was also holding her schoolbag. 'Genius.' Sokudone groaned in pain.

It had only been two days since Genda Koujirou had started taking a fondness for the short-fused Fubuki Claire, so naturally, her job as a matchmaker was done; all she needed was a progress report by the end of the day before she slept. But it was unfair; Genda had the job and obligation to be her best friend just as she, his, and right now she really needed him.

'Sokudone, you have no right to be selfish. You knew what you were getting into the moment you dared Gouenji-baka to ask Yuji-chan out.'

So the miserable matchmaker ensued her Lone-Man-Walk out of Teikoku Academy. It was late already too, around half past six by the time she left school; Kurokawa had called in sick and it was that one day when a lot of people actually decided to acknowledge their Student Council president. 'And Maki even said she wasn't going to fill in for me; she owes me one!' (A/N: Refer to Chap 7.)

And as bonus, the streetlights all died.

"Anything else?" Sokudone rolled her eyes. She couldn't even get a Sherry's around this time anymore; there were piles of homework to do. In the meantime, as Kamisama struggled to contain his laugh, the rain came back. 'Awesome.' The blackette's sarcasm was heavier than the rainclouds.

By the time she had reached the riverbank, her phone had died as well, just before Genda could even call her – not that she would've anticipated it, seeing as how serious the brunette keeper was about Claire, and she, him.

"Oh, joy!" The violet-eyed girl could barely see the streets at seven in the evening where all the lights killed themselves before she had reached them. "Now let's just add a horse chasing after me, and it'll be perfect!" She sneered at the sky. Exactly what could she have done wrong?

Ask for a horse and not a group of snails, that's what.

In a flurry of panic and overflowing adrenaline, Sokudone sprinted as fast as she could, wherever far away possible from that creepy horse that came out of nowhere. She could've asked for butterflies or puppies, but no, she just had to say horse.


After much calorie-loss, the blackette set herself down on a marble porch with a beautiful view of well arranged flowers in the garden. Her bad luck wasn't definitely over, no, but there was always that rainbow after the rain. Even for a while.

Speaking of marble porches and flower gardens, weren't Sakuma's parents interior designers? (A/N: Totally made this up. xD)

"Sakuma?" Sokudone knocked all too rudely, too exhausted to show proper etiquette. The good thing about Sakuma's mansion was that they only had two cooks and three drivers, compared to Kidou's and Genda's households. "Dude, could you open up?" She whined at the oak door. After six more minutes of fruitless beating at the door, it finally let her in.

At least, Sakuma's mother did.

"Sokudone-chin!" The tealnet gasped as her husband's pounding footsteps resounded on the floor. "Are you hurt or anything?" The gruff man asked warily. He liked getting his eleven-hour beauty sleep as much as the next sloth did. The pale girl shook her head weakly, and the man of the house grunted. "I leave her to you then," He patted his wife's lower back as he waddled back to their room. Sakuma's mother, in all her motherliness, immediately got to work.


And there was just this painful pang of emptiness that the teenager felt, because she never had a mother; because her best friends (selfish as she sounds) were too preoccupied with their other halves.

"Just stay the night, my dear," The orange eyes of the older woman twinkled kindly as the shivering girl dawdled in the 7-foot long bathtub in the guestroom. "I'll go get you some clothes. Perhaps call Jiji?" The blackette managed a grateful smile before closing her eyelids. (A/N: Jiji – Sakuma Jirou)


"I called Kazemaru-kun and Endou-kun already, and tell her I prepared her some dinner."

"Yes, ma."

"And also your father's okay with her sleeping in your room. I haven't cleaned the guest room and it's rude to let her sleep on the sofa."

"Okay…"

"Yes, you may and should also use protection."

"M-ma!" Sakuma's mother giggled as she and her son waited for their refreshed guest to finish changing into her borrowed clothes. Sokudone opened the door shyly, embarrassed to hear the conversation that had occurred. "Good, now you're sleeping in Jiji's room, okay? I'll have your uniform dried by tomorrow. Will you be fine?" Sakuma's mother stifled a yawn; at eight-thirty in the evening, her beauty sleep was calling for her. "Yes, obachan," The blackette smiled. "Thanks so much for this."

"Not a problem, dearest. You're family to us."


"Care to share what happened to you?" Sakuma sat on the mahogany table beside his companion who sanely sat on the chair provided. She blew a bit on her soup and sipped. "Couple of unlucky things. Wiruyam must've told on me to Kamisama," The blackette concluded, now that her mind was functioning properly.

"And Genda's not with you because…?"

"Need I say more?" The look in the girl's eyes screamed pride. "His to-be girlfriend – caused by the ever amazing me – eats up his time."

"Wait, what?" Sakuma abruptly kicked himself off the mahogany. "You were serious about that?"

Annoyed at being constantly underestimated, Sokudone slurped (as unladylike as she naturally is) the rest of the contents and stormed upstairs. Sakuma could sleep in the sofa for all she cared!


"Done…I'm sorry already," Whined Sakuma as his back rested on the door. He knew the girl was still awake at nine-fifteen, with all the assignments they had to work their butts on. And what was Genda thinking, leaving their musketeer for some princess, without even telling her? That kid's hair won't be safe from him tomorrow. "Done,"

"I'm doing my assignments."

"Also known as copying from the ones I was in the middle of doing when you suddenly barged into the house."

Sakuma fell on his back as his door opened. Sokudone was at his worm's point of view. "Whatever," She snarled calmly, but the twinkle in her visible eye signified amusement. The patch-wearer stood up and glomped his companion from behind. "Aww," He purred, rubbing his head half-affectionately, half-teasingly, against Sokudone's shoulder. "She can't stay mad at cuties like me,"

Sokudone snorted as a reply.


Wednesday was feel-lucky day. Just not for Sokudone. "I'm taking her to the airport to pick someone up," Genda grinned over at the lunchtable with his three companions staring back at him. "You think I should bring flowers and chocolates or…?" As the sole girl opened up her mouth to speak, Genda's killer smile beat her to it. "Not chocolates; she's allergic to those things. Lilies would be nice—"

"But you're just picking someone up from the airport, right?" Kidou interrupted.

"Then going off to a date after!" Genda protested, his smile gone. Sakuma growled menacingly. "Oh, and you tell us now." The brunettes looked at him in surprise. Sokudone's eyes widened. She kicked him under the table in an attempt to prevent Sakuma from saying what she hypothesized he was going to say. Although the tealnet visibly cringed, he ignored it.

"We're your best friends and not once have you ever introduced us to this girl; ever talked about her to us; ever told us about her and now you talk about it like it's an everyday topic?"

And the miasma of awkwardness only got heavier.


Sokudone appreciated the gesture, but (1) she hated people fighting on her behalf and (2) there were many things she wanted to yell at Koujirou for, but many of those were best kept to herself. Sakuma's words were one of them.

'Just don't overdo it. It's only a Wednesday; dates are best when you two are free the whole or the majority of the day.'

Genda read the text half-heartedly. Against his wishes, he texted: 'Then what do you propose she and I do?'

Immediately, the school president texted back. 'You're picking her good friend up. If it's a girl, cancel the date so they can catch up with each other; if it's a guy, stay with her and mingle with him. Plus points if you do.' The spiky-haired brunette formed a pout. 'So no date today?'

'Nada.'

"Did anyone text?" The blackette slid the door closed as she found her Fubuki Claire files; Sakuma had just shut her flip phone when she arrived. "House of Desserts subscriptions," He answered casually as if it was a natural thing for the girl to show anyone her messages. The matchmaker made a disgusted face.

Unknown to her and to the unsuspecting best friend, Sakuma was behind it all.


"It's your turn, Sakuma," The blackette grinned. Below the Fubuki Claire folder were several more girl names on the flaps. Uh-oh. "C-can it be a cute girl?" He stammered miserably; Sokudone was right: he had no time to girl-hunt. "Is this misery I sense?" The aforementioned girl smirked encouragingly at her close friend. Grabbing a pen and paper and snuggling in her office chair, Sokudone spoke again, this time with a tone so soft it sounded persuasive and heartening.

"So what is our ever adorable Sakuma Jirou's type?"


Do you guys get the gist of the title? :'D Cause that was probably the worst one I had made, mainly because I stick to my 4-page rules so my readers can read and reread without getting bored because it was too long, and complaining that it was too lacking. :3

Here! Sakuma had been doing his assignments when his pirate penguin (only his fave because eyepatch) fell, and the penguin's sword pointed to a picture of Done, in front of the window, when it began to rain.

So like, yeah. You know how in Japanese belief that if a glass broke or whatever without your meddling then it's a sign of something bad about to happen? Yeah, Pirate Penguin's doing. Reviews, flames and shares? :D

-StawbeariRotsho