Title: Comedy of Errors

Category: Flame of Recca

Author: khay

Language: English

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Words: 1,256

A/N: For this story, I will be heavily borrowing from Jennifer Crusie's Manhunting and Cyndi Haynes & Dale Edwards' 2002 Things To Do On A Date. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Summary: Alternate Universe. Fuuko Kirisawa braves the dating scene and finds out just how many frogs a girl have to kiss before she can find her prince.

Standard disclaimers apply (there is a reason this is called fanfiction).

Beta-Reader: The awesome Maya-nii (any mistakes that may be found here are mine).

Comedy of Errors

Chapter 3

Things to do on a date # 1: Ride through the park after dark in a horse-drawn carriage.

Fuuko ran her frustrations away.

Two days had passed since her disastrous date at Ensui. She hadn't gone out on a date since then, and she didn't know whether to be happy or be depressed about that.

So instead of brooding inside her apartment about her (lack of) love life, she decided to apply for membership in a nearby gym to work out. After all, she had planned to return to her physically-demanding job as correspondent after completing her PhD.

Without breaking her stride, Fuuko grabbed the towel draped on the treadmill and wiped her face. It, however, accidentally fell down on the floor as she was putting it back on the handlebars.

She had just turned off her machine to retrieve her towel when she saw a lithe but sinewy arm pick it up for her.

"Your towel fell on the floor," a deep voice drawled. "Here, take mine instead. I was just about to begin my work-out and I haven't used it yet. I'll just grab a fresh one with the front desk."

Intrigued, Fuuko turned to face the guy who picked up her towel.

And saw that the arm that she so admired was connected to a to-die-for body. A body that was slim yet made up of firm muscles. Bonus, said body came with a cute face and a great smile. The man before her had a head full of hair with bangs that flopped over one eye and almost half his face in the most adorable way. He also had chocolate brown eyes that all but drowned Fuuko with its depth and soulfulness. He was wearing a white gi that accentuated his slim body.

"Thank you," Fuuko gave what she hoped was her own great smile as she accepted the proffered towel. Clinging on to her mantra that she must have babies (or at the very least a fighting chance to have a baby) before she turned thirty, Fuuko gathered all her courage and extended her hand at the guy as she stepped off the treadmill. "Hi. I'm Fuuko Kirisawa, by the way."

"Saicho." His grin grew wider as he shook Fuuko's hand. He then released her hand and stepped back to formally bow at her.

"Oh." Fuuko blushed. "Sorry. I've been abroad for the longest time."

"It's fine."

"So, uh, thanks again." Without anything else to say, Fuuko motioned towards the treadmill as all her courage deserted her. "I better get back."

"Have a nice work-out." Saicho said. He then began to walk away.

Dejected, Fuuko turned back to her treadmill and stepped on it.

"Oh, and Kirisawa-san?"

Fuuko turned back. "Hai?"

"Do you want to meet at the health bar after your work out?"

"H-Hai!"

"See you later then." He called over his shoulder before walking out.

That pool of goo on the gym floor? Yup. That used to be Fuuko Kirisawa.

"Smooth, Kirisawa. Real smooth."

Fuuko almost had a whiplash from the speed her head snapped up. Her eyes made contact with a pair of sardonically amused ice blue eyes. She groaned. "Shut up, Mikagami."

"I haven't said anything yet," came the caustic reply.

"Preemptive strike." Fuuko offered by way of explanation to Mikagami's retreating back. That piece of ice block didn't even wait for the courtesy of a reply. She bit back a groan. It was just her luck! Out of all the gyms in the area, she just had to pick the one where Mikagami was a member.

Later, however, while drinking whey yogurt shake, Fuuko soon forgot about Mikagami and found herself saying yes to Saicho's dinner invitation. When she asked him where they would be going, a thoughtful look crossed Saicho's face. But instead of answering, Saicho simply smiled and told her to be in her best dress.

For the first time in her life, Fuuko felt like a princess. Complete with a real-life prince charming.

When the time came for Saicho to pick up Fuuko, she was pleasantly surprised to hear the ringing of the doorbell.

"Hi," Fuuko greeted him as she opened the door wider.

"You look great." Saicho followed her inside. "Here, these are for you," he said as he handed a bouquet of daisies to Fuuko, making her smile.

"Thank you." The sweet smell of flowers wafted towards Fuuko's nose. "I'll go find a vase to put these in and I'm ready to go."

Saicho was one surprise after another. After opening the door, Saicho stepped aside to allow Fuuko to precede him.

And was pleasantly surprised to see a carriage drawn by two white horses was waiting for them.

"Come on," taking her hand, Saicho gallantly handed her into the carriage.

"I never did anything like this before," Fuuko confessed as they were underway. Who would've guessed that tomboyish Fuuko would be riding in a horse-drawn carriage with her very own prince charming? No one, that's for sure. Not even her.

"Well, this is cheaper than Ensui." Saicho joked.

Fuuko shuddered. "Bad memories," she explained at Saicho's questioning look.

"Oh?"

Fuuko merely shrugged. "So where are we going?"

Saicho, being a gentleman right down to his toes, allowed Fuuko to change the subject. "I thought a picnic by the park would be nice."

"Thanks." Fuuko was oddly touched.

"For what?"

"For making me feel special." She looked away from him.

Saicho smiled as he reached for her hand. Fuuko looked back at him.

"I have a secret to tell you, Fuuko Kirisawa." He told her.

"What?"

"You are special."

"Who, me?" Fuuko's eyes widened. "Oh, no," but her denial was stopped by a single finger on her lips. But instead of being grossed out, Fuuko's heart almost leapt from her chest.

"Say 'Thank you, Saicho-san.'"

"Thank you, Saicho-san." Fuuko smiled.

"So, what's the catch?"

Fuuko glared at her drinking buddy. "What makes you think that there's a catch?"

Was that a snort from Mikagami? Fuuko shrugged. Nah. It was probably the beer talking.

"Elementary, my dear Kirisiwa," the silver-haired bishounen began. "If your date was as perfect as you believed it was, you wouldn't be here at a sports bar on a date night, shooting tequilas with me."

Fuuko rolled her eyes. "I'm not here to drink with you," she argued. "I'm here to watch the NBA finals. That you were also here at the same time was just some crazy cosmic coincidence."

Mikagami merely shot her a disbelieving look.

"Come to think of it, you keep appearing wherever I am. Are you sure you're not stalking me?"

"Out with it." Unlike Saicho, Mikagami wouldn't allow Fuuko to change the subject.

Fuuko sighed and continued her story.

"That was the best dinner I had in ages." Fuuko all but gushed as she made herself comfortable on the carriage.

She and Saicho were on their way back to her house. The "picnic" Saicho took her to was a candle-lit dinner near the fountains at the very heart of their neighborhood park.

It was everything the fairy tales had said it was and by the end of the evening, Fuuko was on a romantic high and had stars in her eyes. Her evening could only be described as surreal.

Everything was perfect until—

"Whoa!" Their driver's shout was the only warning they got before the carriage screeched to a halt.

"Are you alright?" Saicho asked as he assisted Fuuko, who fell off because of the sudden stop, back to her seat.

"Yes." She replied. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the driver replied. "I had to stop on account of a girl who ran in the middle of the road. Yesiree, she's still there right now and she's bawlin' her eyes out."

"A girl?" Saicho frowned as he opened the door and nimbly alighted from the vehicle.

There was indeed a young woman crying in front of the carriage.

"M-Misora?" Saicho's eyes widened in shock.

"You know that woman?" Fuuko asked as she, too, went down the carriage.

It was a testament to Saicho's shock that he forgot his manners and failed to assist Fuuko down their vehicle.

"Who's Misora?" Mikagami pressed when Fuuko showed no signs of continuing with her story.

"The daughter of the owner of the gym where I meet Saicho-san. She's Saicho-san's childhood friend." Fuuko sighed.

"And?"

"And she finally confessed her love for Saicho. She overheard Saicho ask me out on a date and spied on us. Apparently she was in love with him since she was twelve."

"Let me guess, Saicho-san broke down and confessed that he also love her?"

Fuuko's painful moan was answer enough.

"And you had to once more take a cab home."

"Three guesses on who's the lucky cab driver who gets to drive me home."

"Not Fujimaru?" He had just heard the story about the hentai cab driver moments earlier.

"The one and only," Fuuko shook her head. "I had no choice. I was waiting for an hour for a cab to arrive and the only cab driver's number I have is his."

Mikagami scribbled something on a table napkin which he handed to Fuuko. "My number in case you need someone to pick you up from another disastrous date."

"Thanks." She absentmindedly stirred her drink after tucking his number in her purse. "On the upside, I've got another date."

"You don't waste time, do you?" Mikagami chuckled. "Well, you know what they say," Mikagami shook her head. "Third time's the charm."

to be continued . . .

(right after I catch that rabid plot-bunny)