Chapter Twenty Nine
Sachie

I don't know which woke me up, the harsh sunlight that insisted on getting into my eyes, or the freezing wind that consistently stung my cheeks.

Whatever the reason, I lifted my stiff body from the rock I'd been sleeping on, not for a moment forgetting why I had spent the night on that particular boulder instead of a bed like a normal person. It's kind of hard to forget about things like that, especially when you were having the most horrible nightmares about it just half a minute ago.

I was just debating whether to get up and begin my journey—length unknown—back to civilization, when I heard a loud crunching of sand and the scrabbling of falling pebbles.

I considered jumping back into the water to escape, if the wild beast proved to be hostile, but decided that I'd much rather be eaten. Having swum a continuous marathon for a day and a night, I was destined never to go near a swimming pool again, never mind the ocean.

A flash of brown rose above the rocks edge, and as expected I was instantly pounced on and knocked backwards. Strands of chocolate colored fur obscured my vision and the screams that issued from my mouth were blocked by a soft coat.

Since when did you lions and tigers and bears around here start wearing coats?

Plus, the position it was in would be awkward for any animal, with its head ticked beside mine and both paws wound around my neck.

Then, it spoke.

"Tezumi...Tezumi...I knew you were still alive..."

"I've known that too for quite a while." I snuggled closer against Fuji, relishing the feeling of heat draining out of his body into mine.

He held on like he never wanted to let go. I understood. I clung to him in the same way.

How could I ever have thought that Fuji would forget all about me once he got his fame back? Even the concept of that idea seemed impossible, with him burying his nose in my hair.

"Ishizaki's fine." Fuji had to ruin the moment. "He's really tired, but fine."

"Whatever." I tightened my grip on him.

"Tezumi!" He drew away, looking and sounding unusually shocked. "How can you be like that about your own boyfriend? You risked your life to save him, after all!"

"What?" I fully appreciated how hard it was to understand anything that went on in the tensai's mind.

"You even assigned me as his bodyguard, remember?" For some incomprehensible reason, his smile bore a hint of sadness.

"Of course. I gave you something to take care of so that you could focus on getting yourself out alive, not worrying about how I was doing." Um, isn't that kind of obvious?

From the mingled expression of joy and disbelief on his face, I gathered that it wasn't.

"So—so—everything you did was to..."

I took a deep breath. "It was to save you, yes."

"But Ishizaki—"

"Oh for heaven's sake!" I threw my arms up in exasperation. "Why do you keep going on about him? I thought you two hated each other! Why are you suddenly so concerned about him?"

"Because you...you love him."

I rest my case. This guy has neither a normal nor functioning brain. "Fuji," I giggled at the whole absurd idea of me being in love with Ishizaki. "It was you I was trying to save, wasn't it?"

"Me?"

I couldn't see any difficulty whatsoever for him to believe me, but apparently he did.

"Me, and not Ishizaki?"

There was something wrong with his tone. I stopped chortling. He was staring at me as though he had never seen anything quite like me before.
Hello? I'm just a girl drenched in sea water, not a Martian.

"Of course you, Fuji." I looked uncertainly at him.

"Mph!" Again I was thrown backwards as Fuji flung himself onto me, squeezing me so hard that I felt I would burst. "Fuji—can't breathe—"

What's up with him now? It was deliciously warm and all with him lying half on top of me, but it would be a very embarrassing position to be found in. If he was simply glad to see me, this was a very much delayed reaction.

Our previous conversation replayed in my mind.

"Because you...you love him."

"It was you I was trying to save, wasn't it?"

"Me? Me, and not Ishizaki?"

"Of course you, Fuji."

I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. It had slipped out, without me even knowing it. What did I just do?!

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I had even uttered one word, Fuji had pressed his mouth to my ear and whispered something.

My eyes grew wide.

I did not hear that.

As though he had read my mind, his breath tickled my skin as he repeated his words.

So this is what it feels like to have a dream come true.

I hugged him back with the whole of my strength.

His soft cheek was sliding against mine, and though I myself had no idea what was going on, my body seemed to understand, and closed my eyes on their own.

His hair caressed my face...

Our lips met.