A/N: It's been a while. Sorry for the long waiting. I was very busy with school and work. But here is chapter 64 for you.
Enjoy!
Previously…
Just when Ryoma understood her feelings for Fuji and he declared his love for her, Lavinia De Lavoiselle appeared in the picture. She was Fuji's fiancée, chosen by Fuji's grandmother. What made it even more awkward was that Ryoma and Lavinia had become friends. Ryoma didn't tell Lavinia her feelings for Fuji, fearing that she would hurt the girl. On the other hand, Ryoma was suffering in silence. The same thing was happening to Fuji. He had told Ryoma about his feelings for her, but he cannot be with her because of his engagement.
On White Day, in order to reward Ryoma for her chocolate gift on Valentine's, Touga and Sora decided to bring her to an onsen (1) resort for a weekend. They put together their allowance to pay everything, insistent that their parents not help them which made their father very proud. Fuji, Atobe and Yuuta came too, mostly to keep an eye on the kids. The grandmother, deciding that the couple must spend more time together, had them to bring Lavinia along, much to the children's displeasure. Touga and Sora didn't hate Lavinia - she didn't do anything to be hated or disliked -, but they felt awkward around her. They had a hard time trying to visualize her as their future aunt. Touga and Sora weren't blind. They saw that their favorite uncle wasn't happy because of her. They had every right to hate her, but they also knew she wasn't a bad person which why they felt awkward around her. Nonetheless, because it was their great grandmother's order, Touga and Sora couldn't protested. They cheered themselves up by thinking they could spend more time with Ryoma.
The first time Fuji's grandmother saw Ryoma, she was shocked. She had always knew her great-grandchildren were calm, composed and hard to approach. However, it was the first time she had seen Touga and Sora smile all day long and talk nonstop with the young, green haired girl. And they didn't leave the girl's side for one second. They were always next to her, clinging to her.
'What did that girl do to them?' Fuji-dono wondered.
That Echizen-girl made her great-grandchildren change, but Touga and Sora weren't the only one who had changed around that plebeian girl. Yuuta and Syuusuke, too, were no longer the same people Fuji-dono used to know. Yuuta talked more with Syuusuke and Syuusuke, the grandson Fuji-dono was most proud of because of his similar sharp and cold mind, smiled more often when that Echizen-girl was around. And there were something different about his smile - something very unusual of Syuusuke.
'He's changed,' Fuji-dono thought as she observed the way Syuusuke looked at Ryoma.
Fuji-dono noticed that when Echizen Ryoma was somewhere nearby, the atmosphere changed. People talked more and laughed more. Even Lavinia wasn't being the composed French Countess Fuji-dono knew. Lavinia smiled and laughed as well - too much for Fuji-dono's liking. And the most surprising - the most shocking - was that Echizen Ryoma girl called Lavinia as Miyabi. From what Fuji-dono understood, it was Lavinia herself who wanted Ryoma to call her 'Miyabi'. Fuji-dono knew only Lavinia's parents called Lavinia by her pet name. Outside of Lavinia's family circle, it was 'Countess Lavinia'. Then why was that Echizen Ryoma-girl granted such a privilege? It disturbed Fuji-dono and made her discontent. Her great-grandchildren, her grandchildren, and now Lavinia - everyone changed around that Echizen Ryoma girl. Fuji-dono disliked changed. She came to dislike Echizen Ryoma.
As soon as they arrived at the hot spring resort, Touga and Sora immediately dragged Ryoma away and showed her all their favorite places. The place belonged to the Atobe and they used to come here often, so they know every corner - from the smallest pebble to the biggest tree. Yuuta and Atobe went along them. Fuji was obliged to escort Lavinia and show her around because of his grandmother's demand as he preferred to stay at the resort to rest. Thus, the five teenagers and the two children hiked around the onsen. To Ryoma's surprise, it wasn't Atobe who exposed the greatness of an Atobe onsen resort, but it was Yuuta who acted as the guide. Ryoma guessed it was because of the toad perched on Sora's shoulder and which kept staring at Atobe. The little girl had found it on a rock and decided to carry it with her. The amphibian animal wouldn't stop staring blankly at Atobe from the moment Sora picked it up, bawling here and there. Atobe tried to ignore it, but his disgusted blue face showed that it was impossible for him.
As for Lavinia, it was the first time she had seen Touga and Sora smiling for so long even though she was around. Usually, when Lavinia came in a room where the children were, they immediately stopped talking and looked down at their feet. It was only when Lavinia walked away that Touga and Sora would make a sound or move freely. But today, Lavinia caught Sora staring at her one or twice, but the little girl immediately turned her head away and hid her face in Ryoma's arm. It appeared to Lavinia that the children accepted her more when Ryoma was with them. On the other hand, Lavinia often saw her fiancé look at Ryoma with a strange expression on his face. It seemed to her as though he were suffering inside.
When the sun set, they returned to the resort and took a bath in an outside hot spring. Touga and Sora went in the women's bath with Ryoma and Lavinia while Fuji, Atobe and Yuuta stayed in the men's bath. This time, Atobe let Touga and Sora made as much noise as they wanted. He didn't tell to them to be quiet like he usually did. He was just happy that he no longer had a disgusting brown amphibian staring holes into his head any longer. After they had finished their bath and eaten their dinner, the children wanted to hunt fireflies and, of course, they wanted Ryoma to go with them. Yuuta accompanied them in case Touga and Sora hurt themselves. Fuji had to keep Lavinia's company and Atobe stayed with him. Yuuta and Ryoma didn't return back until each children had a bag full of small, flying balls of light.
Night time.
Touga silently opened the door of the room and peaked outside. There was no one in the hallway. He turned to Sora who was behind him.
"Okay, we can go now," Touga whispered. Sora nodded. With a last glance to make sure the hallway was still empty, Touga and Sora scurried outside.
"Where is it?" Sora asked.
"I think it's over there," Touga pointed the left end of the hallway. The two kids tip-toed their way down the hall. "Hurry!" Touga hushed, taking his sister's hand and pulling her with him. They were going to turn left when someone called their names.
"Touga, Sora!" an authoritarian voice stopped them. Touga and Sora stiffened and turned around to see their great-grandmother.
"Hiobaa-sama… (2)" The children trailed off, nervously clenching their hands together.
"Shouldn't you two be sleeping by now? What are you doing outside of your room at this hour?" Fuji-dono asked severely. The children bite their lips, but didn't answered. "Well?" Fuji-dono insisted. "Answer me!"
"They wanted to show me the fireflies they caught, obaa-sama," someone behind Fuji-dono answered. Fuji-dono turned around to see Lavinia walking to them.
"Lavinia," Fuji-dono raised suspiciously an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Hai, obaa-sama," Lavinia calmly said. "I hear them saying they caught many fireflies and I expressed to them my desire to see them. Fireflies are prettier when we watch them at night, so I asked them to show me their fireflies before they go to sleep."
Fuji-dono turned to Touga and Sora.
"Is that true?" Fuji-dono asked. Sora didn't answered and clenched brother's hand harder. Touga, braver, looked straight to Fuji-dono.
"Hai, hiobaa-sama," Touga said.
Fuji-dono looked at Lavinia again and then at the children once more. Touga and Sora were usually uneasy around Lavinia, but Fuji-dono thought this was a great opportunity. She believed the children had finally accepted Lavinia as their future aunt and that they wanted to make better acquaintances with her.
"Very well," Fuji-dono said. "But you will immediately go back to bed after. Do you understand me?"
"Hai, obaa-sama / hiobaa-sama," Lavinia, Touga and Sora answered respectively, bowing to Fuji-dono. Fuji-dono gave a stern nod and returned to her room. When the respectable lady had disappeared from their sight, a heavy silence took place between Lavinia and the children. Again, Touga and Sora felt awkward. The French lady saved them from the great grandmother, but they still didn't feel comfortable with her. They didn't know what to say to her. In the end, it was Lavinia who broke the silence.
"Follow me," Lavinia said. She turned on her heels and walked away. Touga and Sora hesitated. They didn't want to go with her because they didn't know what the French Countess would do to them, but the Countess had just helped them, so Touga judged that it was only fair to do as she told them. Touga gripped Sora's hand and the two children followed Lavinia.
After many minutes of silence, Lavinia finally stopped in front of a door. She waited for the children to arrive. When Touga and Sora stopped in front of her, she spoke again.
"It's here," Lavinia said. "Ryoma-chan's room is here." Touga and Sora looked up to her, surprised. They couldn't believe it. Not only had the French Countess saved them from being scowled at by their great grandmother, but she also guided them to Ryoma's room which had been the reason why they had tried to sneak out of their room. She was being very nice to them too. She wasn't mad or angry. "Good night, Touga-kun, Sora-chan," Lavinia said, walking away.
Touga and Sora watched her stride down the corridor when Sora suddenly left Touga's side. Lavinia abruptly stopped when she felt a tug on her night cloths. She turned around to see Sora looking up to her with her big and slightly shy eyes, the little girl's tiny hand clutching her yukata. Surprised, Lavinia crouched down in front of Sora.
"What is it?" Lavinia asked. Sora stepped closer and Lavinia felt the little girl's lips on her cheek. Lavinia widened her eyes, gasping, as Sora pulled back.
"Arigatou, onee-sama," Sora timidly whispered, showing Lavinia her soft smile.
Sora turned on her heels and ran to Touga before the two children disappeared into Ryoma's room. It was a long time before Lavinia got up from her crouch. She was still in shock. It had been the first time the little girl had come so close to her of her free will, and it had been the first time she had heard Sora talk to her without being forced. Lavinia was shock but she was happy too. She stood up, smiling, as she touched the cheek Sora had kissed. Lavinia could hear Ryoma's surprised exclamation and the children's happy squeal when they pounced on the young girl in her futon. Lavinia smiled once more as she watched Ryoma's bedroom door.
'Good night Ryoma, Touga, Sora,' Lavinia thought and left to her room.
The next day, Lavinia was particularly happy. Touga and Sora seemed much more accepting of her than they had before. Of course, they still clung to Ryoma, but now, they smiled and talked to her as well without feeling uneasy. Lavinia understood why they were so dear to Fuji. Touga and Sora were good and adorable children. They spent a very nice day together, visiting the small village down the hot spring resort. Fuji-dono didn't come with them, preferring to stay at the resort. Lavinia believed that it was one of the reason why everyone looked happier. She noticed that whenever Fuji-dono was around, the atmosphere was heavy. Now that Fuji-dono wasn't there, the atmosphere seemed light and Touga and Sora were like chirping birds. They even managed to make Fuji smiled with their good mood. At noon, they stopped at a small, terraced restaurant for lunch.
While waiting for their orders, Touga and Sora told Ryoma about their favorite foods at this little village. They were particularly found on a little familial ice cream store. Touga liked the red bean flavor ice cream while Sora preferred the green tea flavor. They told Ryoma that the store also had wasabi flavor ice cream. Ryoma's face twisted in disgust when she heard the last one. When Touga and Sora said that they like the wasabi ice cream too, Ryoma told herself that they must have somehow inherited their uncle's taste buds. Then, Touga had an idea, a wonderful one he believed.
"Nee-chan, you must eat the wasabi flavor ice cream!" Touga excitedly exclaimed.
"What?! No! I…" Ryoma's face paled rapidly, much to the Yuuta's and Fuji's amusement. Touga turned to Atobe.
"Kei-nii-sama, can we visit the ice cream store after this, please?" Touga asked Atobe, cutting off Ryoma's protests. "I want to make nee-chan eat the wasabi ice cream!"
'No! Don't agree!' Ryoma's panicked face told Atobe.
"Onegai, Kei-nii-sama," Sora added, looking expectantly at Atobe. Then, she turned to Ryoma. "Nee-chan, wasabi ice cream is very yummy. You must taste it!" And Sora attacked Ryoma with her happy puppy eyes.
Ryoma's eyes rolled back so she didn't hear Atobe's answer to the children's request, but, at the end, Ryoma found herself standing in front of said ice cream store. It was a small store with lots of colorful decorations. It was obvious, even at first site, that the store was meant for the children's joy. The store window also displayed many confectionaries that promised the happiness of many people, both young and old.
"It's here, nee-chan! It's the store we talked about!" Touga excitedly exclaimed, pointing to the open door of the store.
"Kore wa, kore wa. Isn't that Touga-kun and Sora-chan?" The owner of the store came out to greet them. He was an old man who's face had many wrinkles but still possessed a warm smile.
"Ojii-chan, konnichiwa!" Touga and Sora greeted him, bowing.
"Konnichiwa, konnichiwa," the old man chuckled. He crouched down at the level of the children. "Now, how may I help you today?"
"Ojii-chan, we want wasabi ice cream!" Touga said.
"We want to make nee-chan taste wasabi flavor ice cream," Sora said, hugging Ryoma's hand.
"Hum?" the old man looked at Ryoma, whose face obviously said she didn't want to eat said ice cream. He chuckled. Every new customers he met always made that face whenever they heard about the wasabi ice cream.
The owner of the store explained to Ryoma and to Lavinia that it was Fuji who gave him the idea of wasabi ice cream. Ryoma's eyebrow ticked upon hearing that bit of information. The old man added that it was a huge success in this small town. Ryoma thought that all the people of the town must have their taste buds infected or severely damaged to like wasabi flavor ice cream. Yuuta told Ryoma that it wasn't that bad and that the flavor was truly very good. But even Yuuta couldn't erase Ryoma's grimace. Sora choose that moment to shove a green color ice cream cup with a spoon in Ryoma's face.
"Here, nee-chan!" Sora said, looking expectantly at Ryoma.
"Try it!" Touga said, looking at her with his big eyes.
Ryoma gulped. The joyful expression in the children's eyes made it hard for her to refuse. Not wanting to deceive them, Ryoma took a small spoon with a trembling hand and slowly brought it to her mouth. She stopped midway. The children continued to watch her every move without blinking. Ryoma bit her lips. She had no choice to eat the ice cream for real. She gulped and resolved to put the spoon in her mouth. Her tongue was immediately attack by a firing acridness. Next, it changed into a bitter taste and, finally, it soothed her tastebuds with sweet tang. The final sensation left her with the fresh taste of the newly made ice cream. Ryoma blinked in surprise.
"It's… It's very good…" she murmured quietly. The children beamed.
"Right!" Touga and Sora chorused.
"It's true," Lavinia said as well.
"But how…?" Ryoma wondered with a curious frown.
"Green tea and peppermint have been added into the formula," Lavinia explained. "At first, the wasabi will attack your tongue, burning it. Then, the green tea will replace the burning sensation with a bitter taste. And finally, the peppermint will clean the bitterness and leaves a fresh sensation in the mouth. And it's the three sensations combined together that bring out the sweetness of the ice cream."
"Ohhh!" the owner said, impressed. "You have a very good sense of taste."
"That's why it is so popular," Yuuta commented.
"Fuji-sama, I can never thank you enough for the idea of the wasabi ice cream!" the owner praised, taking Fuji's hand and shaking it.
"It was my pleasure. You made the children smile so much that I wanted to help," Fuji said.
Surprised to hear those kind words from Fuji, Ryoma looked up at him. She met his eyes and blood rushed up to her cheeks, catching Lavinia's attention.
'Ryoma-chan blushed? It's strange, coming from her…' Lavinia gasped, eyes wide.
In that moment, Lavinia realized that Ryoma wasn't the only one who was acting strangely. Fuji as well - he, too, had been acting particularly tender toward Ryoma in all his gestures.
'Syuusuke is strangely very gentle toward Ryoma,' Lavinia observed. 'And the way he looks at her… His eyes are so soft and tender…'
But Lavinia also saw Fuji's face twist in pain when Ryoma diverted her eyes away from him.
Night time.
Lavinia took a walk alone outside around the lake behind the hot spring resort. The night was nice and it felt good to have some fresh air. Lavinia needed some to help her think. She was pondering about what she had seen today between Fuji and Ryoma. Before, because she had been caught up in her loneliness, Lavinia hadn't pay too much attention to Syuusuke. But, thanks to children's change of behavior toward her and mostly thanks to Ryoma, Lavinia could clear her mind and analyze things more clearly.
'Today, the Syuusuke I saw was very different from the one I see everyday,' Lavinia thought. 'I know Syuusuke to be a responsible young man who always keeps his engagements, even to the point where people would think he has no heart because he is so cold. However, today, I saw him act gentle and tender toward someone else.'
Then, she remembered Ryoma's blush.
'Ryoma-chan is not the kind of girl who can feel embarrassed of anything, but she blushed because of Syuusuke.' Lavinia looked up the sky. 'I also know Ryoma-chan doesn't speak when she doesn't need to, but today, it felt more like she didn't speak because she didn't know what to talk about.'
Lavinia felt her steps begin abate as her thoughts consumed her mind.
'Syuusuke and Ryoma weren't like their usual selves today. I'm absolutely sure about it,' Lavinia concluded.
Ryoma's and Fuji's distressed face flashed in her head. Lavinia stopped, feeling something hit her like thunder.
'Masaka, don't tell me that Syuusuke and Ryoma…'
Suddenly, Lavinia spotted the shadow of two people near the lake. She walked into their direction to see who they were. As she got closer, the light of the moon reveal a tall, young brunette and a young, green-black haired girl.
'Syuusuke and Ryoma!'
They seemed to be talking about something. Not wanting to disturb them, Lavinia stopped. Knowing that she shouldn't be rude and spy on them, Lavinia was going to walk on the opposite side when Ryoma's expression under the moonlight made her stop.
'Ryoma-chan, she looks like she's… like she's suffering…' Lavinia thought.
Lavinia continued to watch them. She saw Fuji's lips moving, saying something to Ryoma. His eyes were open and he seemed determined. He was demanding something from Ryoma. Ryoma had her head tilted backward to look at him because he was taller than her. While Fuji was talking, Ryoma's fists clenched and she bite her lips, her body trembling. Ryoma was in turmoil and it was torturing her inside. After Fuji stopped talking, Ryoma shut her eyes, fighting with herself. To Lavinia's horror, she saw a flood of tears pour out from Ryoma's eyes. Ryoma replied something back to Fuji and ran away. Fuji made a move to stop her, but Ryoma was faster. He called out her name, but the young tennis player wouldn't look back at him. Instead, she ran ahead, her movements completely without restraint. Lavinia saw Fuji's face twist in pain as he brought his hand to his heart, clutching at it.
Lavinia brought her hand to her mouth, muffling any noise noise that may have escaped.
'Syuusuke… Ryoma…'
1) onsen: hot spring;
2) hiobaa-sama: great grandmother.