Author's Note:
RECAP:
Ryoma made his way back to the table and he sat back down in his vacant chair.
"Sorry about that." Ryoma apologize not looking at Sakuno.
"Is something wrong?" Sakuno asked worriedly. "You look pale." Sakuno added when Ryoma didn't answered.
Ryoma unclapse his hand and clapse it back again before saying. "My mom colapse again and is now at the hospital, the doctor said she's fine or rather the doctor said the opposite and she said she's fine, although she ask me in a form of a joke when will I settle down since she's not getting any younger. And after that I know that there's dfinitely something wrong and that's why I'm here." Ryoma run his hand through his hair showing his frustration, "I want to show her I'm settled so she would stop worrying about me and she could focus on herself but then I just can't pay someone to pretend to be my wife for God knows how long. It's not that easy, I want someone who I can stand seeing everyday, a person I know if possible but, I guess..."
"I can be your wife." Sakuno suddenly blurted shocking both Ryoma and herself.
"Nani?" Ryoma asked thinking that he might have heard her wrong.
"I said, I can be your wife if you want." Sakuno said slowly now that the shock was gone. "It's the only thing I can do, since I owe you my life." Sakuno added so Ryoma couldn't say no.
"Are you sure? We don't know how long you'll be my wife." Ryoma said reminding Sakuno that what she's entering is not a walk in the park but instead a serious matter.
"I know what I'm going into Ryoma." Sakuno said showing Ryoma how serious she was by having eye contact with him.
"But, what if you met someone that will make you fall in love with him and you're still married to me?" Ryoma said still making his point to make Sakuno change her mind.
'That wouldn't happen because as much as I want to fall in love with someone else, I can't for I still love you.' Sakuno thought but said to Ryoma, "If I pretend to be your wife at least your mom would believe it because we've known each other before and what's more, I'm your ex-kantokun granddaughter."
"When you put it that way, I say you're right, but you must promise me one thing beforeb we seal our deal." Ryioma said looking at Sakuno finally giving up on their argument.
"What's that?"
"If ever you met him, don't forget to tell me and we'll cut the deal short." Ryoma said looking at Sakuno who nod in understanding. "Good, I'll call my lawyer to draw up the contract and send it to me here." Ryoma added and excuse himself again to the men's room to make a phone call.
Chapter Four: Bitter Taste
TWO DAYS LATER...
RYUUZAKI'S BAKESHOP...
"Yui-chan, I'm going, don't forget to check everything before closing the shop and going home." Sakuno said before going out of the door to her car.
"Hai, Sakuno-san." Yui answered bowing at Sakuno as she watch Sakuno enter her car and drive away.
RYOMA'S HOTEL PENTHOUSE...
PHONE CALL...
"I got the papers you'd send me." Ryoma said to the person on the other end of the line. "I didn't expect to get the papers for only two days." Ryoma added as he scan the papers in his hand.
"Is everything you need there, or I had miss something?" The person on the other line asked.
"Everything that we had discuss on the phone is here Mr. Johnson." Ryoma said putting the papers on the top of the coffee table.
"Good, then I'll see you when you got back here then." Mr. Jonson said looking down at some of the paper works he needs to do before Ryoma got back from Japan.
"Of course, you'll be my first stop." Ryoma answered and they both bid each other goodbye.
END OF PHONE CALL
Ryoma place his cellphone on the coffee table beside the papers Mr. Johnson had send to him, he looks at the content of the papers for a while before deciding to get his room key from his bed side table and made his way down to the Hotel's Gym for some muscle training.
RYUUZAKI'S RESIDENT...
"I'm home, Yumi-chan." Sakuno called after entering her apartment. In an instant, a white fluffy cat went between her legs purring.
Sakuno smiled down at her adopted cat before hanging her coat on the back of a closet door near the front door.
"You must be hungry." Sakuno said, dropping her bag and keys on the table near the front door as well. On her way to the kitchen, she press the button for her answering machine.
"You have four messages." The answering machine announce. "Message one..." It added followed by a beep.
"Sakuno, it's me Horio, I know I'm calling from out of the blue but I can't wait to tell you that Daina and I are going to have a baby. She went to a Doctor this morning to confirm. It's shocking isn't it? When Daina told me, I was so shock and happy that I almost fainted, haha, anyway, I'm thinking of giving her something but I don't know what, do you have any idea? Just E-mail it to me okay, Can't affored to let Daina know. Thanks! Oh, before I totally forget Hi and how are you?" Horio message said and Sakuno heard the phone being hang up as she opened one of the kitchen cabinet to get the cat food.
"Message two..." The machine said follwed by a beep.
"Sakuno, Hi, it's me Ryoma, I got your number from Momo, I can't believe I forgot to ask you for your number, anyway my lawyer is a miracle worker, he had finish all the necessary paper works you needed to get your U.S. Visa and had send it to me here in record time, So, I'll pick you up for dinner tomorrow night in your shop so we can make an appointment schedule with the U.S. Embassy. Call me if you have other plans." Ryoma said and gave his hotel number and cellphone number before hanging the phone up.
Sakuno who had been listening to Ryoma's message was stroking her cat while the cat eat at the same time making a mental note to check her schedule and call Ryoma back.
"Message Three..." The machine announce followed by a beep.
"Sakuno, it's me Sakai, sorry about the other night, I really just have an early shift the next day and we are short of Dective. Anyway, I called to ask you out tomorrow night to have dinner with me and perhaps a movie to make it up for our last date." the voice on the other line stop for a few seconds before adding, "Again, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't blew it, call me back okay?"
Sakuno stop strocking her cat after hearing Sakai's voice and his message. She had totally forgot that she was seeing Sakai, although they're not officially a girlfriend and boyfriend but still they date, share a few kisses, and even though she knows for a fact that she can't love someone else that isn't Ryoma, Sakai was different, she cared for him and love him as a friend. She like the way, he tell her about some of his cases that made him feel sick, sad, angry or even cry, the bottom line is he isn't afraid to show his emotion unlike the prince. 'Damn, how will I tell him.' Sakuno cursed under her breath, not even bothering to listen to the last message as she tried to find a way in her mind to tell Sakai about her up coming wedding to another guy without hurting him as much as possible.
RYOMA'S HOTEL PENTHOUSE...
Ryoma entered his room and went towards his cellphone to check if someone left a voice mail, as he listen to the only one message, he heard Sakuno's familiar voice telling him that she can't make it tomorrow night and changing the schedule to the next night around seven.
'I wonder what's wrong.' Ryoma thought putting his cellphone back down as Sakuno's voice on the voice mail played in his head and he can hear distress on her voice. 'What if she had change her mind?' Ryoma thought added and that thought left a bitter taste on his mouth for the whole night.
THE NEXT NIGHT... (ON ONE OF THE SUSHI RESTAURANT OWNED BY KAWAMURA TAKASHI)
"Godd evening ma'am." The hostess said as Sakuno entered through the door. "Do you have any reservation?" The hostess added as Sakuno stood in front of her station.
"Yes, I have, it's under Mr. Sakai Azuma." Sakuno answered as she watched the hostess browsed through her list.
"Mr. Sakai Azuma, table for two, follow me please." The hostess said looking up from her list. "Mr. Azuma is already on your table." The hostess added leading Sakuno through the garden.
"Sakuno, thanks for coming." Sakai said standing up from his chair and kissing Sakuno on the cheek before pulling a sit for Sakuno.
"Thanks." Sakuno simply answered.
"I'm sorry for not picking you up, got a little stuck on a case." Sakai said and sat in his vacated chair.
"It's okay." Sakuno said her courage is failing her.
"I ordered your favorite, is that okay?" Sakai asked as Sakuno nod's in answer.
Sakai signaled the waiter to serve their orders. Their orders were serve quickly and both were left alone so they could talk to each other.