AN: Hey sorry for the late update but here you go! R and R guys!

Story 17: The Date (Part 1)

"Sakunoooooooooo!" a loud voice boomed causing people around the owner of the voice to look at her way, whispering things like 'so un-lady like' or 'so loud'.

"What the hell are you looking at?!" Tomoka shouted to the onlookers while walking to the person she was referring to.

'Ugh, people this days..sticking their noses to other people's business'

Sakuno timidly waved at her long time bestfriend, a blush staining her cheeks in behalf of her friend's action.

'Even after all this years Tomo-chan's voice hasn't change a bit' The auburn haired girl giggled at the thought.

Now at the age of 22, Ryuuzaki Sakuno had changed from a a stuttering clumsy school girl -who was very adorable, mind you- into a mature independent young woman. The braids were long gone -due to Tomoka's persistence- now the chocolate eyed girl's hair was often seen in a low ponytail reaching the small of her back.

Sakuno had moved out of her grandmother's house when she hit college, unlike the other people in their batch Sakuno did not do it because she want to be free from her grandmother's rules, she did it because she did not want to be a burden to her grandmother. Now to support herself, Sakuno had accepted the part time job in one of the nearby bakeshops as one of their bakers. Infact, she was the youngest employee thus the elder brother or elder sister attitude the older employees -including their manager-towards her.

'Mou, they treat me like a kid' Sakuno thought with a slight pout.

"Hey Sakuno, what are you pouting about?"

Tomoka had noticed that her bestfriend had spaced out for quite a while. If she hadn't talk, Tomoka doubt that the auburn headed girl would know that she was right beside her!

"Ano, Tomo-chan. The movie's about to start"

Tomoka's eyes widen as she turned to her bestfriend.

"You're right! You're right! So why don't you go ahead?" Tomoka screamed/asked her/at her bestfriend

"Nande?" Sakuno asked. Tomo-chan's acting weird.

Tomoka decided to pull the 'Horio-act'.

"My boss was being a bastard earlier so he didn't grant me a day off...so I need to go to work. I'm so so sorry for leaving you like this Sakuno! I really am! MAybe you'll meet somebody...you know"

'Horio-act' - it consists of rubbing the back of your neck while babbling sorry's steadily.

"I...Anou Tomo-chan...Okay."

Now that the doe-eyed girl paid attention to what her bestfriend was wearing, it was apparent that her boss didn't grant her a day off and that the loud girl just passed by to tell her this. (Tomoka had lost her phone two days ago)

Sakuno was a bit unnerved by the fact that she'll be watching a scary movie alone, no turning back now-since Tomoka had insisted for her to buy a ticket for herself ahead of her-.

"Okay! Ja ne, Sakuno-chan! Be careful of the guys out there!" Tomoka dashed off, cursing her bastard boss all the way.


The brown haired girl fell into the line where the movie was being shown. It wasn't that long, so Sakuno decided to buy her food before she stood in the line.

A startled sound escaped her lips when a heavy hand landed on her right shoulder, causing the hand that was carrying her soda shake.

"Well, well, well what do we have here? A cute girl...alone!"

"We just have to fix that now won't we, Kazu?"


Now it was a universal fact that Ryuuzaki Sakuno doesn't do well with guys especially after the Ryoma Saga, so why won't these perverts leave her alone!

Oh, that's the answer, right there!

She was alone and vulnerable to their eyes!


"I-I don't-" Sakuno started to refuse

"Huh?! I can't hear you!" The man mocked her, grinning along with his minions.

Another hand rested on her shoulder but this hand held warmth and reassurance. Sakuno craned her head to see mahogany tresses with such shade that would only belong to one person.

"Anou, Fuji-senpai..."

The former tennis tensai smiled and turned his gaze to the sorry excuses for men and said;

"She was saying that she wasn't alone, so will you gentlemen please excuse my girlfriend and I? We're off to see a movie"