A/N: Hey everyone! Happy Holidays! Here's my long overdue update. Im very sorry for the long wait, last month was a busy month for me, and this month as well since its the holiday season. This chapter is quite long, I guess to make up for my almost two month absence. I couldnt promise that the next chapter will be posted soon, I have to find a new job, I recently resigned from my job and right now I have to focus on getting a new one. Let me know what you think about it. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own MSGM.
Chapter 4 - Prelude
"Have you heard about the rumor that Yumi-sama is cheating on Sachiko-sama?" A young freshman student said to her classmate who was busy rummaging inside her book bag, checking if she brought her cell phone with her.
"I don't know Mari-chan, I mean Yumi-sama and Rosa Chinensis are not really a couple right? So I can't say that Yumi-sama's cheating on her." The girl replied back, subtly defending her idol; she never believed that Yumi is capable of such blasphemous act.
The girls continued walking until they heard a group of students in various year levels talking about latest gossip on the Rosa Familia of the Yamayurikai. They slowed down a little bit as they eavesdropped at their conversation.
"I'm serious, Yumi-san's wife came yesterday!" flailing her hands as if to emphasize her point, the second year resigned with a loud sigh. The two freshmen who were walking awhile ago recognized the girl as one of the En Bouton's classmates.
"But that's impossible! How could Yumi-san be married? I don't think the school would allow such thing from happening. They wouldn't accept her during admission if they knew." Another student said while motioning her friends to come sit with her on the bench. They had been standing there for quite some time that they were disturbing other passing students.
"From what I heard, Yumi-san's wife came from a very rich family. I think they are second to the Ogasawara's or maybe the same level as them and their wealth is not just concentrated here in Japan but also overseas, so anything is possible right? I also heard that she was called Etoile in her former school, St. Miator Academy." Fumbling through her notes, the speaker showed her notebook to the people surrounding her so that they can see what she was talking about.
A stubby first year frantically flailed her hands in the air grabbing a whole load of her hair, and tried to pull it down in frustration. "Arrghh! I can't believe Yumi-sama can do this! What about Sachiko-sama's feelings? I'm sure her heart's breaking right now, thinking that her partner is married to another woman. Isn't that how being in soeurship feels like? You commit yourself to your chosen petite soeur as if they are your life-long partner, you care for them and protect them and guide them and even put them above all things. I could only assume that Sachiko-sama felt like she was cheated and that their soeurship is bound for a divorce."
Everyone fell quiet upon hearing those words- to some, it would seem true for that is also how they feel towards their own soeurs; for others, they turned mute, amazed by how their schoolmate eloquently described the essence of Lillian soeurship tradition.
The oldest member of the housekeeping personnel of the Ogasawara Mansion looked at the clock on the wall for the seventh time, it was 10 minutes before 7:00AM and it was the perfect time to wake up her young ojou-sama. Last night, Sachiko asked her to wake her up 30 minutes earlier than her usual wake up time.
"Mari-chan, could you please start waking up Sachiko-ojou-sama?" Matsuo Meixiu asked one of the many chambermaids employed at the mansion. Meixiu is a Chinese migrant who came to Japan with her family after their village was destroyed by a flood. She was only a teenager back then when she applied for a job as a housemaid, she knew basic housework for she was trained by her mother when she was just a child saying that it would be a disgrace to a woman's family if a woman does not know how to work her way around the house.
Upon their arrival in Japan, her whole family was hired by Ogasawara Mamoru, the current head of the Ogasawara clan. He felt sorry for what happened to these Chinese migrants and promised a good life to them if they are willing to serve his family. It has been five decades since that fateful day; Meixiu's family indeed lived a very prosperous life under the guidance of the Ogasawara patriarch. It was here where she found her husband, Matsuo Aoi- he came to the Ogasawara's a year after Meixiu's family settled and he was assigned now as Sachiko's personal chauffeur.
"Nainai, you know it is like a battlefield when waking up Sachiko-ojousama. But I think you are the only one here that can have a quick response from her. The last time I woke her up, it took me 2 hours to get her up and moving! " The young chambermaid replied to the Head Housekeeper which garnered a good laugh from the whole staff of the mansion. In the mansion, they address Meixiu as Nainai, she is like the grandmother to every staff and even the Masters of the house call her that.
Meixiu fluidly walked the halls of the mansion, and she could discern every room and corner of this house; in a matter of minutes she stood in front of a double door that houses the Princess of the castle. She gently opened the door and what she saw crushed her heart.
Sachiko was thrashing in her sleep, crying, groaning and mumbling unintelligent words. It was such a pitiful sight that only Nainai get to see. "Ko-chan, wake up my dear child…" as she gently shook the young girl's shoulder to rouse her from her troubled slumber.
"NO YUMIIII!" Sachiko screamed in her sleep, in a few seconds, she bolted upright with beads of sweat visible on her forehead. When she opened her eyes, Sachiko saw her nanny and began to cry. Seeing this, Meixiu sat next to her little princess and hugged her tightly.
"Shhhh.. Don't' cry my child; it was only a dream." She gently rocked her young mistress to calm her, and in a few minutes Sachiko's crying had subsided.
"I'm sorry I made you worry. I'm fine now, Nainai." Sachiko said shyly as she untangled herself from her nanny's embrace.
"Do you mind telling me what you dreamt about? I thought you were possessed back there. You make a pretty good impression of the Japanese ghost called Sadako." The older woman said humorously earning her a giggle from the girl beside her.
"W-well, I-I… Nainai… You see in my dream there was a wedding… my wedding…" Sachiko looked at Meixiu and hesitantly continued. "But I was't wearing a wedding gown, I-I was wearing a t-tuxedo." With this, the young princess blushed deeply and went on. "I was waiting by the altar and I saw Yumi walking towards me, she looked so beautiful Nainai. She looked like an angel, and then when she was almost there, I reached out my hand. She also reached hers but she did not take my hand, I was surprised that Hanazono suddenly stood beside me and took MY Yumi's hand and she just kissed Yumi right then and there! I was so angy Nainai, but I could not do anything. I just stood there motionless and I couldn't help but cry. I'm so powerless."
Meixiu silently digested what Sachiko had narrated, understanding what her young mistress told her. Then, it dawned on her what Sachiko was trying to tell her. "Ko-chan, you're in love with Yumi-chan?"
Sachiko froze when her precious nanny guessed what she was feeling. Sachiko would never say this to her mother, in fear that Sayako would not understand her and that she would be disappointed of her. But with her nanny, she could say almost anything. "I love Yumi more than anything else, Nainai. I… Im… in love with her. But… Hanazono Shizuma claims that Yumi is her wife. You remember Hanazono, don't you?"
"Ara! So that is not just a dream? Are you quite sure that Yumi-chan feels that way towards Hanazono-sama? And the most important question of all, does Yumi-chan knows how you feel about her?" Meixiu inquired.
"Nainai… you're not disgusted with me?" Sachiko asked. "And no, I haven't confessed to Yumi yet." She answered again, her voice almost out of earshot.
"Of course not! I would never be disgusted at you or at the kind of love you harbor towards your little sister. You are a good person, but Yumi-chan brought out the best in you. I also believe that love should not be restrained by wealth or by gender." As she said this, Nainai gently squeezed Sachiko's hand in support. "Well, my dear child, I believe that confession of yours will not happen on its own if you don't get up from your bed. Aren't you planning on doing something for your future wife this morning?" the head of the housekeepers said playfully as she which made the young heiress color as that of a cherry tomato.
After taking her morning bath, Sachiko went to her room to put on her uniform and repeatedly brushed her long black hair to bring out its lustrous shine. The princess looked at herself in the mirror and gently applied her pink cherry-flavored lip gloss and puckered her lips as if practicing for a kiss.
Rosa Chinensis excitedly entered her car with the thought that she soon will see her beloved petite soeur. She promised herself that she will confess her feelings to Yumi as soon as possible and that she'll do everything to get her feelings across. When she entered the car, she was greeted by her personal driver.
"Good morning Sachiko-ojousama" Matsuo Aoi greeted his employer's daughter with a smile on his beautiful face.
"Gokigenyou, Aoi-ojisan. Why so formal today?" the young heiress replied and smiled at the old man and though he was not blood related, the heiress treats him like one of the family. Sachiko told Aoi that she's planning on surprising her petite soeur and she plans on doing this by picking her up. She knows that she was just right on time it takes 30 minutes to reach Yumi's house and she knows that by the moment they will arrive at their destination, it is also the instant when her secret love leaves for school.
When they arrived at their destination, Rosa Chinensis quickly got off the car and went to the doorstep. She tried to steady her pounding heart, she did not know when it started to beat frantically but then again, Yumi had always had that kind of effect on her. Her petite soeur could make her heart race with just her cute adorable smile.
It took her a few minutes to calm herself and when she did, Sachiko took a deep breath and rang the door bell. No one answered her on her first try; she thought that maybe Yumi was still asleep so she pressed the door bell again to somehow wake her petite soeur. Sachiko checked her watched and she had spent almost 15 minutes on Yumi's doorstep and it's almost time for school to start. Homeroom starts at 8.30AM but they needed to be in school before 8.
Sachiko was willing to wait for another 5 minutes but someone came up to her. "Excuse me, who are you and what are you doing here?" an old woman asked.
"Gokigenyou. My name is Ogasawara Sachiko and I'm picking Yumi up for school but no one has answered yet." The young red rose replied politely as she bowed her head slightly.
"Oh my! Yumi-chan did not come home last night. I was waiting for her as well because I knew her parents are going away for a vacation. Oh! How rude of me. My name is Oota Miyako, I am Yumi-chan's neighbor." The lady said and with that, she went back to her house.
Sachiko was worried sick upon hearing what the old woman said. Where could have Yumi gone off to? She thought to herself. Right now, she could only assume that Yumi is in school already. She went back to her car and asked Aoi to drive her to school with her heart feeling crashed down. As the shiny black sedan cruised the streets of Tokyo, Cinderella could only wish that her prince-ss is not in distress.
The young brown-haired girl slightly stirred from her sleep when a loud beeping sound followed by a horrendous sounding rock metal song—anyone who probably heard such blasted song would find the source of the noise and cast it off the wall- but for the young girl, it only put her into deeper slumber.
Several hours later, Yumi finally woke up when she felt something warm, hard and yet soft pressing on her cheek. She slightly opened her eyes and was startled a little bit that there was someone sleeping beside her, she then remembered that she moved to Shizuma's room last night.
'Oh yeah, I forgot that I transferred to Shi-chan's room last night' Yumi groggily thought as she tangled herself closer to the source of the warmth, but when she did that, she heard a very verrry seductive moan coming underneath her. The young girl's eyes snapped wide open and bolted upright when she realized that the body she was snuggling with was bare as a newborn baby and the thing that was poking her cheek was…
"N-nipples?"
"EHHHHHHHH!"
Hurriedly, Yumi checked on herself if she was still wearing the clothes she wore last night. Thankfully, they were still on her. Her eyes then averted to the woman sleeping beside her whose body is now completely exposed when the duvet that covered them slid past her when the young girl abruptly sat up. The girl next to the throne of the Rosa Chinensis family quickly looked away after getting enough full frontal view of the resting goddess making her furiously blush in the process.
"Yumi, what's wrong?" the goddess inquired sleepily as she rubbed her eyes and leaned forward to her wife to give her a light peck on the cheek.
"SHI-CHAN! W-why are you n-naked?"
As she sensed the young girl's discomfort, the silver-haired woman smirked inwardly; she would never tell Yumi the truth that she took off her own clothes. 'Yumi must have forgotten that I sleep naked.' Shizuma pulled up the duvet and covered herself, in the corner of her eyes she saw Yumi staring at her watching her every move.
"Would you prefer this down, Yumi?" Shizuma mischievously asked. "Haven't you had enough of me last night?"
Yumi turned from white to a bright shade of red faster than a speeding bullet, and she probably would have made a world record for being the only living person able to display the red color spectrum in a span of 3 seconds.
"By the way Yumi, don't you have any school today?" the woman with striking olive eyes inquired as she laid herself down on the bed again. Upon hearing the word school, the young girl grabbed the clock on the bedside table and dashed to the bathroom to snatch her uniform. She didn't have time to take a shower so she just put on her uniform and pulled the woman who was still lying on the bed.
"Shi-chan! I'm going to be late for school! I only have 10minutes left and it will take me 40 minutes to go there by bus. Could you please take me to school? Please?" Yumi pleaded to the older woman as she dragged her off to bed. Shizuma felt sorry for her companion so she put on some underwear and an oversized button-down shirt and dashed to the garage where her wife was waiting.
"S-shi-chan, why are you just wearing that?" the girl pointed at the shirt Shizuma was wearing and colored a little bit.
"Yumi, we only have 7 minutes left. No time to change!"
The drive to Lillian Girls Academy was quite peaceful – Well, except maybe for a few blaring of horns and swerving from left to right at a speed of 180 kilometers per hour, a few near missed cars and pedestrians crossing the street.
There's nothing Yumi can do but hold on for dear life and pray to Maria-sama and all the saints that the airbags and the seatbelts are working properly and that her feet would soon touch the ground. Also, she prayed for the mad woman behind the steering wheel to keep her eyes on the road and stop her maniacal yelling and teasing.
"Shi-chaaaaan! Keep your eyes on the road! Oh Maria-sama! I still want to live another day, I still want to see my family, friends and my Onee-samaaaaa…." Yumi squealed as the car swerved sharply to the right and Shizuma's lead foot found its way to the brake pedal when a 10-wheeler truck suddenly stopped in front of them. "And for the record, I don't remember stripping you last night." she continued.
As soon as the red hot sports car reached the front of Lillian Jogakuen's gate, without delay, Yumi opened the car door and flung herself out of the speeding metal death trap. Her body could not take it anymore and needed release of the tension she felt on the way to school, unconsciously her knees buckled which the pavement caught. If only she wasn't shaking, she would have felt the pain from the sudden impact.
"LAAAAAAANDD!" the poor girl screamed. Some of the students who were running late like her stopped and stared at their favorite Rosa Chinensis en Bouton. They were a little shocked to see her looking disheveled.
When she regained feelings to her legs, she stood up and went to the driver's side of the car. Shizuma could only chuckle from what Yumi had done, but at least she was able to deliver her package in time.
"Here you go my beautiful wife! 8:01, a minute late. Not bad eh? Oh and how did you know that it wasn't you who took off my clothes? I was surprised that you couldn't resist me that even in your dreams you were undressing me." Shizuma said teasingly while some students who were passing by gasped loudly by what they heard.
"W-what? I did not! And it wasn't you who I was…." Yumi trailed off, thinking about the dream she had last night as blood rushed to her soft baby smooth cheeks.
"S-Shi-chan, thank you for taking me to school. I'll see you later ok?" Yumi muttered hurriedly as she gave the silver-haired beauty a peck on the cheek. She then turned around and walked as fast as her feet could take her towards Maria-sama.
Shizuma started the engine as she watched the young girl trotted away. After a few seconds, she put the car on drive but paused when she saw that Yumi forgot her book bag. She called out Yumi's name but the girl was too way-off to be heard, having no choice but to run after the young girl, the goddess with silver tresses snatched the bag on the floor and dashed towards the fading figure of her young wife.
Clad with nothing but underwear and an oversized white button down shirt, Shizuma by no means failed to turn heads as she darted towards the young red rose leaving students with eyes as wide as satellite discs and slackened jaws. And a certain young heiress happened to witness all the commotions come about right before her cerulean colored eyes.
Sachiko could almost discern the embarrassment of her petite soeur when her so-called wife ran after her clothed with barely anything—the duo were gathering quite a small crowd. She walked towards the parked Porsche Spyder, its engine still running, and felt sad for her Yumi when she saw how deeply flushed her secret love was from the mortification she faced that she could have outdone a Crayfish with her redness.
But the frown on her beautiful face was immediately replaced with a confident smirk, and she could make out Yumi and Shizuma having a little bit of a squabble. The raven-haired princess could only take for granted that her beloved was scolding the silver sly fox woman because of her indecent acts.
'Good job, Yumi. Sachiko - 1, Shizuma – 0.' the young heiress scored.
Shizuma started walking back to her car with her head held high. From a distance, she could make out that someone was standing near the car waiting for her. When she was almost halfway to her flashing red coupé, she realized that it was Sachiko who was standing there in all her poise and glory.
'So the Ogasawara Heiress has decided to make her move. I have to say, she really is a beaut. I'd say she's hot but I'm very much committed with my love' Shizuma thought to herself as she trod down the path of Lillian.
"Gokigenyou, Hanazono-san." Sachiko greeted the approaching woman with her get-down-to-business kind of face.
"Good morning, Sachiko. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Sachiko winced slightly upon hearing her name without any honorific. For the woman with ashen tresses, it was normal for her to call someone by their first name. Shizuma never had any regard to honorifics per se; she thought that it was unnecessary. Everyone should be treated equally and should not be regarded according to their social status.
"Can I have a word with you?" Sachiko asked but it sounded more as a demand.
"Sure, but make it quick though. I don't want people spreading gossip that Yumi's wife is flirting with her Onee-sama. I wouldn't want to break Yumi's heart." Shizuma said waywardly and smirked at the raven-haired girl. It confused Sachiko what her adversary meant, it seemed like her words have double meanings.
"Leave Yumi alone. I don't know what you said to Yumi to convince her to play this game with you; I just couldn't make myself believe with this scam marriage of yours. You're not worthy of her, she deserves to be with someone better." The current head of the Chinensis family deadpanned.
"And who deserves Yumi? You?" Shizuma asked mockingly. "Don't kid me Sachiko, you can't even cancel your own engagement to Suguru let alone confess to Yumi your feelings for her. So what gives you the right to claim her?"
Sachiko became silent when her formidable rival mentioned the word engagement. She's right about that, the Ogasawara Heiress has not denounced her arranged engagement to her cousin. Yet.
"I will cancel the engagement and then nothing will be in my way to show Yumi that I love her, not even you." Yumi's onee-sama declared with all the conviction she has.
"This is what I'm afraid of. You only see things as black or white, its either you are going to make Yumi yours or not. Why don't you start seeing things in shades of grey?" the older woman said reproachingly.
Shizuma continued as she looked at the person standing before her, her face masked with no emotion. "Have you thought about what your family especially your grandfather will do to Yumi and her family once they found out that you are in a relationship with her? Would you be able to protect Yumi and would you be able to leave the comfort of your family just to be with Yumi?"
'Sachiko-1, Shizuma-1' the young heiress counted by herself while inwardly frowning.
"Of course I can - " Sachiko started but was interrupted by her rival.
"Think first before you speak. Well, how about this? I'm not an unfair person after all; I'll give you a chance. If you could successfully cancel your engagement and if you could win Yumi's affection and she chooses to be with you, then I would step down and gladly accept defeat. But if Yumi wishes to be with me, you are going to stay away from her." Shizuma declared with smug on her face. She knew that this would make the other woman all worked up.
"I would hate to gamble with whom Yumi should be with but…" the dark haired girl trailed off, "May the best woman win." Sachiko conceded as she held her hand forward for a hand shake. The other girl took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze and got inside the car with a confident smirk on her lovely face.
Rosa Chinensis walked towards the two-floor building that housed the three great roses of Lillian. She checked her watch and saw that she still has 10 minutes before the start of the first period. On her way to the mansion, she heard students talked about the unseemly performance her petite soeur and wife – she winced at the word wife, she will never acknowledge Hanazono Shizuma as Yumi's legal spouse—some were disapproving, though a few good numbers were also plausive saying they were the cutest couple in Lillian.
When she arrived at the second floor and turned the knob, her breath caught up when she saw Yumi tying her hair up. Her beloved's back was turned towards the door, her smooth and white nape exposed as she gathered all her hair in a single bunch and it would seem that Yumi was unaware that someone had entered the room.
The Ice Princess, never in her life thought that hair tying could be this… sexually arousing. She felt electricity surge down the pit of her stomach and her heartbeat quickening by the second as Yumi traced her dainty fingers over her hair. She could feel herself being pulled towards her petite soeur's direction unable to resist anymore from the desire she was feeling.
Yelping a little bit and slightly jumping back making her somehow lose her balance but regained it when someone hugged her waist tightly, Yumi turned her body towards the intruding presence. "O-onee-sama! You startled me." Yumi said chidingly but without venom in her voice, her heart had calmed just a bit. Who wouldn't be alarmed when you know that you are all by yourself inside the room and suddenly someone hugged you from behind.
"I'm sorry Yumi. I just couldn't help it; you're too adorable when you're startled." Her beautiful older sister said, never breaking her embrace to the one that holds her heart. She noticed that Yumi missed her top buttons revealing small amount of skin on her chest, she looked so… tempting. "I didn't expect someone to be here and you seem too preoccupied you did not notice me come in." Sachiko explained as her Yumi's cheeks colored deeply in red.
"Uhm, I woke up late today and did not have much time to prepare. I was a bit of a mess when I came to school and I came here to fix my uniform before coming to class." Yumi answered while looking at those ocean pools. Her body tensed up when she felt hands squeeze her shoulders but relaxed immediately when she realized that her onee-sama was fixing her collar. She always loved how gentle her onee-sama could be, and it became an unspoken gesture of affection for them this collar-tying that Yumi constantly wishes for her onee-sama to fix it for her.
As they realized that they only have a minute before the first period begins, both roses set off to their respective classrooms. And before they reached their destination, Sachiko spoke as she stroked Yumi's hair. A few loose strands swayed slightly as they walked. "Your hair, I like it. You should always put it up in a ponytail, you look more beautiful."
Yumi felt her blood rush to her face as she was well aware of the growing warmness of her face. She looked at her soeur with those big brown eyes and out of the blue, she tiptoed and gave Sachiko a quick kiss on the cheek and ran off to the opposite direction towards her classroom.
Sachiko was left standing right on the spot, her fingers tracing the place where the soft and warm lips had touched. She swore to the heavens above that she would never wash her face in fear that Yumi's lip essence would be washed away.
2-1.
School today seemed to be dragging for both Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Chinensis en Bouton. When Sachiko reached her classroom, the teacher had begun checking the attendance; her classmates stared at her with questioning look for they know that Rosa Chinensis was never late for class.
"Gokigenyou Ogasawara-san." The young teacher who is in her early twenties greeted the late-comer.
"Gokigenyou Najime-sensei, I'm sorry I was late. I had some business I needed to attend to." The girl who came in late explained as she took her designated seat near the window. Initially, she was seated near the door but after a week in their selected seat plan, the teacher transferred Sachiko to the seat near the window.
Her classmates did not mind though why she was suddenly transferred, they all assumed that Sachiko requested it since the new arrangement will make her sit next to her fellow rose and bestfriend Rosa Foetida, Hasekura Rei. They were correct to assume that Sachiko had something to do with the changing of seat layout, and she had used all her resources in order for her request to be accommodated though she wasn't happy to admit that she had pulled a few strings just for it to happen.
Who her seatmate will be had nothing to do with her choice why she wanted to transfer though it was an added bonus that she's sitting right next to Rei. It would be easier for them to talk during class. Sachiko, when asked why she wanted to transfer, would only respond with "I like the view outside" and people would easily accept such answer probably in fear of disturbing the Ice Princess.
To Sachiko, it really was a great view because just outside the window, was Yumi's classroom. She would inspect if Yumi had come to class or if there are crazy fan girls waiting right outside Yumi's classroom door or to see if Yumi mingles well with her classmates though it causes her to feel jealous sometimes, or to simply put—she was stalking Yumi. She flinched at the word stalking, she didn't want to be such an obsessive stalker, she was simply looking out for her petite soeur- she rationalized.
'Yes! That sounded right, I was merely looking out for my love.' Rosa Chinensis told herself.
The time seemed to lug, but really, Sachiko wasn't paying attention to the class that's why it seemed like it was taking an eternity for lunch break to happen. They are now in their third period but for the princess, everything passed in a blur. Rei tried her best to call her friend's attention but she was mainly ignored, Rosa Foetida sniggered silently as she watched how her fellow student council head had this dreamy look in her face.
"Ogasawara-san?" Fijuwara-sensei called out but was completely ignored by the honor student of her science class.
"Ogasawara Sachiko-san?" the teacher summoned again and yet again, she was ignored by the beautiful princess. Though Ogasawara Sachiko was her favorite student, Fujiwara-sensei will not tolerate inattentiveness in her class. She was a bit puzzled as to how the most proper and collected student she has ever known came about in this state of… Lovesickness?
She walked towards the beautiful third year student and stood behind her as she tried to find out what was keeping her student so distracted. Fujiwara-sensei was puzzled, what she saw was the typical Rosa Chinensis—the young raven-haired girl was busy scribbling notes. 'Wait! Is that love I see on her paper? Is she doing the game F.L.A.M.E.S during my class?' the teacher thought amusingly as she tried her hardest to read what the girl was writing.
Always in loving a trick of temptress,
to want who should not be;
a dire existence.
There should only be one heart matched for the other,
but how come I long to tell you
I could have been better.
"I'm pretty sure Ogasawara-san that whomever you dedicate that wonderful poem of yours, they will surely choose you over the other person." Fujiwara-sensei said as she looked down on Sachiko causing her to wake up from her reverie and colored deep scarlet after having caught daydreaming.
"As much as I would like to encourage you to write more beautiful literary works and to know to whom you are devoting such heartfelt confession of yours, I would appreciate it if you do it during your free time and not during my class. So Ogasawara-san, what are the characteristics of the element Silver?" the science teacher tapped Sachiko's shoulder while heading back at the board.
For Yumi, her classmates looked like they don't care about the issue of her and Hanazono Shizuma, the wife. Though there were those people who were curious how it came about, they never came up to her to have her explain in details. Well, maybe because her bestfriend and fellow Yamayurikai Shimazu Yoshino was with her all the time that students, even their classmates were afraid to come up to her.
After Yoshino had her heart surgery during their first year in high school, the model petite soeur awardee had turned into a fiery and outspoken person. Her feminine appearance was only a public façade she kept up, for if anyone found out that she loves Ikenami Shotaro and is fascinated with samurai stories, the student body would die of heart attack. Overall, people were majorly shocked upon their beloved Rosa Foetida en Bouton's sudden transformation.
Even though Rosa Gigantea, Todou Shimako was with Yumi since she is one of Yumi's bestfriends, her serene personality makes it easier for people to approach her though some are somewhat overawed by her that they are afraid to disturb her thus resulting to letting her be. Yumi was just glad though for her great friends.
The young Rosa Chinensis en Bouton was somehow anxious, though she was able to escape her classmates onslaught, she was hell sure that her very own bestfriend Yoshino would bombard her with questions and she was pretty sure that she would not be able to get away this time. She just wished that her French-braided friend would be discreet in asking her questions. She wouldn't want to add more oil on fire and she was afraid that this issue about her would affect her relationship with Sachiko.
The brunette could care less about what other people think of her, especially those students who are devoted Sachiko fans. She admits that she was once one of them and she still is up to this very day. All that matters to the young brunette is that her Onee-sama would not hate her, and just with that, for now, she would secretly love her.
"Onee-sama…" Yumi uttered in a loving voice not realizing she said it out loud. She looked at her sides to check if people heard her and lucky for Yumi, no one did. For the young rose, she was worried that her onee-sama might think wrongly of her especially now that she found out about her and Shizuma's… quirky relationship.
'Why did your hug felt different awhile ago Onee-sama? Could it be because you feel… No, I'm just probably overthinking things. Onee-sama would not feel that way towards me. And besides… Shi-chan is...'
Every day, her feelings for her Sachiko deepen, and her heart swells with ardor for her onee-sama she was afraid she would act on it mindlessly and that would scare her Onee-sama away. 'I love you, Onee-sama. But right now, I am… Shi-chan's wife.' The young Red Rose could only resign to a deep sigh; her situation is too complicated- she knew that in the eyes of any other person, she would seem like a two-timing ingrate.
If she had a choice, she'd come right up to Sachiko and profess her love for the woman who took her in as her petite soeur, and Yumi wished to be more than that, but she could not do that right now as she thought of Shizuma.
In less than 24 hours, Yumi's life turned 180 degrees. For now, she'll try to support Shizuma in the best way she can as the older girl's partner. At the same time, all she could ever do is to be the petite soeur Sachiko wants her to be, she would not want to send mixed signals to the woman she loves for it might complicate things between them but what Yumi did not know was that she was actually doing what she was afraid of doing.
Lucky for Yumi, the lunch bell rang and in a few minutes she could see her beloved onee-sama again. For now, she will just have to do with what they have. Sisters. Bestfriends. After giving respect to their teacher, Yumi, flanked by her two bestfriends, went towards the exit and there they saw Tsutako who by all means had her DSLR camera hanging around her neck.
"Gokigenyou, Yumi-san, Yoshino-san and Shimako-san." Tsutako greeted the aspiring photographer whilst taking a quick shot of her favorite subjects. She then walked together with the girls towards the Rose Mansion where she was invited to have lunch with them.
"Yumi-san, I have a very interesting picture of you that I got this morning." The camera girl said teasingly while looking at her digicam's LCD screen and clicked a few buttons and flashed Yumi a picture of her and Shizuma.
"T-tsutako-san! Mou… you're not going to post that on Facebook, are you?" pouting her lips and giving her best impression of her puppy-dog eyes, Yumi looked at her friend as if asking her not to give her further indignity.
"Uhm… Of course I don't post pictures without getting the approval of the person. But… a picture this good… I might have to make an exemption." Tsutako said roguishly and ran off towards their destination. "Or I can just show this to Rosa Chinensis, maybe she'd love to see her petite soeur in her not-so-innocent pose." She yelled back while gaining distance from her friend who now started running after her.
"Ne, Yoshino-san, how do you think Sachiko-sama would take it if she saw that picture of Yumi-san?" Shimako asked in her usual calm voice as she watched her friend race along Camera-chan with glint in her eyes as she caught a sight of a Japanese-doll looking student.
Yoshino did not answer right away for she was slightly distracted to see her Onee-sama talking to a first year student. Her temper suddenly flared up when she saw the young girl stroke the upperclassman's right arm. What enraged her even more was that Hasekura Rei seemed to be enjoying this flirting from the girl.
"BAKA!" Yoshino snarled, her fist formed in a tight ball that it turned white in a second almost losing its circulation. She then stormed off towards the Rose Mansion leaving her bewildered friend behind.
"So… Yumi-san, what secrets have you still been hiding from us? Yesterday we know you as Fukuzawa Yumi and now you are actually Mrs. Hanazono?" Yoshino directed towards the young red rose mindlessly while getting a rolled maki off her bento. This comment though made everyone inside the room stop their eating. All eyes are directed toward the brown-haired girl.
Yumi was rendered speechless, though she was told by Shizuma to simply tell them the truth, she never imagined that disclosing something so simple could be this complicated—these people are special, they are the girl's friends, her extended family… words must be chosen precisely, for one wrong word and their friendship could be ruined.
"Uhm… Yumi-sama do you have a ring? You know, like a wedding ring? I haven't seen you wearing any wedding band at all." Noriko asked breaking the silence that had engulfed the entire meeting room. Shimako looked at her petite soeur with widened eyes, shocked that Noriko asked such question. Sachiko for her part seemed uninterested which made Yumi even more nervous. A careless and silent Sachiko means that there is something bothering the princess and Yumi knew this quite well.
Yumi looked at her onee-sama again before countering the question that was brought to her attention. 'Onee-sama, do you hate me now?' She mused to herself, "I… a-actually, I don't know about wedding rings, but I have a ring here that both Shi-chan and I have." Yumi said while showing her finger which contained a ring. It was not the typical plain band but rather a ring with a cute sun design so anyone who saw would think nothing of it.
"When we were children, I always loved looking at the moon. Shi-chan said it was probably because it reminded me of someone, I don't know I really don't remember much when I was young or maybe she's just bluffing. She said that she could be my Moon and Shi-chan can be my Sun. So she got the Sun ring and if you put them together like this, it would seem like the Moon is embracing the Sun." The people who listened to the girl's explanation were rendered speechless.
Sachiko cringed on her seat upon hearing what her petite soeur said, lucky for her, Yumi did not seem to notice her reaction. Feeling her entrails clench tightly, she was conscious of the regurgitating feeling happening inside her stomach, her lunch rising from the sudden release of acid. She felt her emotions to be muddled up, from anger to sadness, to envy and…jealousness. She could have been in her rival's place.
The bell suddenly decided to ring signaling the start of the fifth period thus saving Rosa Chinensis en Bouton from further questioning. They all gathered their things and walked out the biscuit door with Sachiko and Yumi trailing behind.
Yumi wanted to talk to her onee-sama and asked her if she was okay but Sachiko beat her to it when she felt a hand on her shoulder, halting her from her stride. She looked at her most important person and she could see myriad faces of emotions—anger, confusion, sadness, and what is that… jealousy? The young red rose did what she knew that could somehow put her onee-sama at ease and gave the young heiress her most heartfelt smile and in seconds Sachiko's features brightened and returned Yumi's smile with her own.
"Yumi, would you like to accompany me later?" Sachiko inquired while fixing her petite soeur's scarf, her eyes were somewhat hopeful. Yumi's eyes widened in delight and agreed right away. "Yes Onee-sama! Of course I would go anywhere with you." The young girl excitedly chimed in and was slightly embarrassed by her answer. It seemed like a response of a girl swept off her feet by her lover but realized she didn't know where they are off to.
"Uhm, Onee-sama… Where are we off to?"
"Morinaga-sensei, isn't Fukuzawa Yumi in your homeroom class?" the school director asked the homeroom teacher regarding their favorite Red Rose who is causing a ruckus in campus as of late.
"Ahh… yes Nakamura-sensei. So I guess you've heard about the new rumor about Rosa Chinensis en Bouton. Is there anything I can do for you?" the young teacher said as she waited for the older woman to give her instructions.
The director looked at her subordinate as if trying to weigh her options. "Actually, yes Sensei. We need to conduct an emergency faculty meeting. This is the first time we had encountered such issue and I would want to protect the integrity of our school. And I will have to ask you to make contact with the person involved with this."
"At once, Madam Director."
"Shit!" Shizuma exclaimed when a heavy loaded box landed on her feet when she was startled by the ringing cell phone. The platinum-haired woman was trying to unbox some of her belongings, sorting out which ones are to be placed in her bedroom and which ones are decorations for her living room.
Her apartment was still bare of the necessary fixtures needed to make her call it her new home, she still haven't unloaded some of her books which are really essential in her life. She could not go out of the house without bringing a book with her or if she ever went to a bookstore, there was no way she'd come out of it without a purchase.
"What is it?" Shizuma answered on the fifth ring with a slightly irritated voice.
The woman on the other line was struck by how her bestfriend answered the phone. "Shizuma! Is that how you properly answer the phone? Have I not taught you how to proper-" her line was rudely interrupted by Shizuma.
"Okay, I know. I'm sorry. I'm just a little bit agitated because a box landed on my foot and it hurts you know!" She sat on the couch to relax herself just for a little bit while rubbing her foot that was still slightly throbbing.
If only Miyuki could see Shizuma right now, she'd definitely laugh her ass off. Of all the times her friend had put her in so much stress during their high school years, she thought that it was destiny's hands that was exacting revenge for her. "Then, you must meet me later for dinner. I have something that may lighten up your mood. Meet me at the shopping district at 5."
"I don't think I can, Im busy-" the platinum-haired goddess countered, "Shopping district. ." Miyuki barged in leaving the other woman with no choice. Shizuma could only sigh in defeat as she stood up from her sit and went back to her cleaning.
She looked at the time on the wall looking very impatient, Shizuma was expecting a call any minute from now and as if on cue her cell phone began ringing and she excitedly answered the phone without even looking who it was.
"Hello love! I missed you! Are you ready for tonight?" Shizuma answered gleefully, her eyes shone from delight of having to finally hear from her love, they have just talked this morning but she misses the young girl when they are not together. But her happiness was soon replaced with embarrassment for it was not the person she was expecting at all.
"I'm so sorry about that, and yes I am Hanazono Shizuma." The woman replied as politely as possible to make up for what happened a little earlier. The silver-haired goddess listened for a few more minutes, nodded her head in agreement to the person she was talking to and in a few more lines exchanged they ended their conversation.
"Thank you very much. And yes, I shall drop by tomorrow morning to clarify this issue. Good day."
It has been almost half an hour when the school bell rang that cut off the 4th period. It was announced that the teachers will have a faculty meeting and since Yumi promised her onee-sama that she'd accompany her, they met at the Rose Mansion where they found their friends seated at their usual spot.
Since they did not have anything to discuss, they all decided to go home and go their separate ways; Rei and Yoshino decided to visit the kendo club first while Shimako and Noriko went to the shrine where Rosa Gigantea's father had invited his daughter's petite soeur to join him in visiting a shrine that was run by his friend. Yumi excused herself quickly as she needed to call Shizuma and told Sachiko she'll just wait for her at the phone booth near the gate.
Sachiko and Yumi were on the bus, on their way to the younger girl's home. Sachiko invited Yumi to come to the Ogasawara mansion first before they go to their trip but her petite soeur said that she needed to get something at home since she's not staying at her parent's house as of the moment. The older girl looked a little downcast but recovered eventually when something hit her brilliant mind.
'If we go to Yumi's place, we would be all a-alone there. I can confess my feelings to Yumi then.' Sachiko thought to herself, her cheeks colored a bit at the thought of her being completely alone with her beloved. She then agreed to her love's request and asked Matsuo Aoi, who was waiting inside the black sedan, to get her a change of clothes and bring it to Yumi's house.
When they got off the bus, they started walking towards the young girl's home, it was about two blocks away from the bus station. Yumi seemed a little restless as she looked at her onee-sama in the corner of her eyes. 'Oh my goodness! I'll be alone with Onee-sama in my house.' The young girl shook her head vigorously trying to shake off the thoughts that crossed her mind.
"Strawberry milkshake!"
Sachiko was startled by her petite soeur's sudden outburst. She looked at her beloved and slightly tilted her head to the right and this did not go unnoticed by the younger girl making her head swoon. 'Oh Onee-sama, you looked so cute! How could you have this much effect on me? I'm really fallin-…'
"Would you like me to buy you some, Yumi?" Sachiko asked which interrupted Yumi line of thought.
"I , uh no Onee-sama. I actually want to make some for you." Yumi quickly answered, relieved that Sachiko did not notice her reaction. "Do you mind if we stop by the convenience store for a bit so I can get some fresh strawberries?" Yumi said timidly as she looked at her onee-sama's reaction. Her face brightened when Sachiko smiled at her and gave her an eager nod.
Yumi placed the strawberries inside the fridge to cool them off and walked towards the living room to join her soeur. Sachiko was rummaging inside her duffel bag, when they reached Yumi's house, there waits Matsuo Aoi bringing the clothes the young heiress had requested. She then dismissed the man and told him to come back for them after one hour.
"Onee-sama, why don't you take off your clothes?" Yumi asked absent-mindedly upon seeing her onee-sama's shirt soaked in sweat from their walking. Sachiko's face reddened the instant she heard her love ask her to strip her clothes off.
When the young girl realized what she had said, she immediately corrected herself, her face coloring in deep crimson as well. "I mean, you can change your clothes already if you want. You can take a shower in my bathroom, just go and proceed to my room Onee-sama."
Sachiko took up her petite soeur's offer as she was feeling sticky from sweat. She then went upstairs to Yumi's room; she was familiar with the ins and outs of the Fukuzawa residence for she had had a few sleepovers. The younger girl decided to take a shower as well but decided to use the bathroom on the ground floor for she needed to wash off the sweat and she needed to cool her head off.
After ten minutes, Yumi got out of the bathroom and climbed upstairs to get her change of clothes. Clad with nothing but a towel wrapped around her petite body, Yumi took two steps at a time to make her ascend faster, she was afraid she'd walk on Sachiko and she would feel really really embarrassed. When she opened her bedroom door, her body went rigid and her brown eyes became owl-like.
"I'm so sorry Onee-sama! I did not know you were still changing your clothes. I thought you were in the living room already." The young girl apologized but she never took her eyes off her onee-sama's alluring body dressed in just her underthings. Sachiko was well aware that she was now sporting a full-body blush as she felt her body temperature increase. For the older girl, she had a good show herself. She perfectly had full sight of her beloved's body covered with just a towel. How she wished that the towel would magically drop on the floor.
Both girls felt something stir inside their stomach. They felt their guts clench and twirl inside, like a thousand butterflies had invaded their stomach and as they continued to stare at each other's body, both girls covered with nothing but a small piece of clothing to cover their most private parts, Rosa Chinensis and her en Bouton underwent the same mind-numbing impulse to touch and feel each other's exposed body.
After a few awkward minutes, with the two red roses now fully clothed in their normal clothing, Yumi stood up from the couch and went to the kitchen without uttering any word. She started preparing the things she needed in making the strawberry milkshake. Sachiko though, was left baffled why Yumi left her without a word. She thought the worse that maybe Yumi was mad at her because of what happened inside Yumi's bedroom.
'Could Yumi be mad at me? But… that wasn't what I saw in her bedroom awhile ago. I saw it back there; she…likes me as well. But could I be wrong? But I can't be mistaken…' Sachiko rationalized to herself, she was so confused by her petite soeur's action, one minute she looks at the older girl with the same love Sachiko feels for her, and one minute she's acting really cold and would not talk to her and the next, she becomes the ever loyal petite soeur. Sachiko felt her heart squeeze, Yumi feels so near and yet she feels that the young brunette is so far away.
As she gathered all the ingredients needed for the milkshake, Yumi chopped up the strawberries in small bits, her mind in a clutter. She still could not get the image of her onee-sama's almost naked body off her mind, like it was permanently etched there with no means of deleting it.
She did not want to speak for she was afraid she'd say something embarrassing like she did when she asked her onee-sama to disrobe her clothes. She was also afraid that she would say something unladylike to her Onee-sama what would make the older girl feel revulsion towards her.
The feelings that Yumi harbors for her Onee-sama grows every waking moment, and now that she witnessed something "special" today, her adoration and her want to be with her onee-sama intensifies. 'If only I could tell you Onee-sama how I feel about you… if only Shi-chan would…'
The younger girl stopped her thoughts, she can't betray Shizuma; she made a promise to the silver-haired girl before, they have known each other for a long time so Yumi knew that Shizuma only wants the best for them both. Although she haven't really talked to the one who claims to be her wife, she somehow has an idea what the older girl is thinking and why she was acting like that. And all Yumi could do was to trust her.
Yumi returned to the living room with a glass of milkshake on both hands but what she saw broke her heart. She saw the hurt on her onee-sama's face as well as confusion and is that anger? Yumi asked to herself, she was clueless why the sudden mood changes in her onee-sama. She did not want to see her Sachiko-sama to ever grace her lovely face with such unpleasant expressions.
The older girl seemed unaware that her beloved has returned in the room, she was distracted by what happened awhile ago and also the perplexity of her relationship with her petite soeur. When she looked up, she saw Yumi with a sweet smile on her face and her hands outstretched. One look at her love's smile and all her wearies are flushed down the drain. Sachiko took the glass from Yumi and gave it a taste.
"Yumi, this is delicious! I have never had anything like this before." The older girl exclaimed and smiled at her petite soeur lovingly.
"I'm so glad you liked it Onee-sama. I made that will all my love." Yumi answered as her cheeks tinted the same color as the one she was drinking. She decided the moment she saw her onee-sama's hurt expression that she'd do anything to put a smile on her love's face; if she can't confess to her onee-sama what she really feels for her, she'll just have to show the girl in every possible way she can to make her feel that she is special in her heart.
Yumi settled down next to her onee-sama and took a sip off her own milkshake. Sachiko giggled when she looked at her petite soeur who was unaware that foam had deposited on her upper lip, as her gaze landed on Yumi's inviting lips. Sachiko wondered what it would feel like for her to taste those soft lips.
Unconsciously, Sachiko began to lean in towards Yumi, and slowly her face was getting closer to the young girl's. She could see the surprised look on her petite soeur's face but what surprised Sachiko more was that Yumi did not pull away from her approaching face. Sachiko could feel her heart pounding, it felt like her chest was about to split open. Her head felt woozy from the nearness of the one she loves she could almost smell the young girl's scent.
Sakura. The aroma filled her nostrils; Sachiko never thought that she'd ever grow fond of cherry blossoms; ever since she could remember, she never really like the smell of them. How she was wrong to think of that, for in just a matter of seconds, she could utterly proclaim that she loves the smell of cherry blossoms. Gently, Sachiko cupped Yumi's face with both hands which sent jolts of electricity to her skin the moment it touched the brown-eyed girl's skin.
Just a few more inches and their lips that were eager to taste each other would collide in any second, and Yumi felt that it was taking an eternity before their lips would come in contact. The young girl felt drawn to her onee-sama, she would keep the promise she made to herself about showing her onee-sama her feelings, and if this is part of how she could show her love for her onee-sama she would do it—if it's with Sachiko, she would love to give her first kiss to her. Yumi closed her eyes when she felt hot breath nearing her face, any second now and her onee-sama would be able to claim what she was willingly offering to her.
The princess could almost feel it, the hot breaths coming from her Yumi that smelled like strawberries and the ragged intake of air and its slow release ignited Sachiko's desire to claim those soft pink lips that were rightfully hers. Inches have reduced to mere centimeters… then Sachiko snapped from what was happening. Instead of kissing her beloved with all the passion she could muster, Sachiko decided the last minute to wipe the froth using her right thumb and licked it off. Somehow she could almost taste Yumi.
'That was too close! I love you, Yumi and I would love to show you all the love I feel for you. As much as I want to kiss you and offer you my first kiss, I couldn't do that.' Sachiko thought as she gazed at her petite soeur's eyes. She could see the surprised looked in the young girl's brown orbs and is that disappointment? 'Not until I have confessed my feelings for you. I just don't want you to misinterpret that this is something we can do as sisters, when I do kiss you, I want you to feel that I want you, I love you, not as my petite soeur but as my lover.' The older girl thought to herself, hopeful that maybe Yumi feels the same way for her too.
Surprised that she felt something different than the soft smooth lips she was anticipating, the young brunette's eyes snapped open and was stunned to see her onee-sama wiping her upper lips with her thumb. Though it was equally soft, she felt disappointed that it was not those lips that would surely haunt her dreams that touched her awaiting ones. Her eyes grew big when Sachiko licked her thumb. For the older red rose, she did it normally with no other intentions, but for the young one, it looked so enticing.
After giving her finger one last final sweep of her tongue, Sachiko smiled fondly at the person that thawed her frozen heart. "Mmm… this one tastes the best. It tastes like Yumi. Arigatou Yumi for that wonderful treat." Said the young heiress and gave Yumi a playful wink.
Yumi blushed furiously after hearing her onee-sama's teasing statement. She could not help but think that her onee-sama meant something else. She tried to look away from Sachiko to hide the blush that won't seem to leave her face. The princess found this even more amusing, she just found it adorable and cute; impulsively, Sachiko leaned in again to the young girl, she felt that it was inappropriate for her to kiss Yumi without confessing her feelings to the love of her life, so in its place, Sachiko gave Yumi a lingering kiss on the… cheek.
3 – 1. She smiled.
The silence that enveloped in the car was deafening, neither Sachiko nor Yumi spoke the moment they entered the confines of the black sedan. Right after their little incident, it was timely that Aoi arrived to pick up his passengers to bring them to the shopping district. The two roses were seated closely to each other, their shoulders were bumping with each other marveling at the closeness of their skin that they could feel the heat radiating from their skin and yet, not a single word had been uttered.
"Yumi-chan, you look really pretty today. I like your new hairstyle. It reminded me of your Nainai when she was still young. She loved to put her hair up in ponytail." Matsuo Aoi complimented the young girl which earned him a blush. Thankfully, Aoi broke the silence and it seemed this has also released the tension building inside the car.
"Thank you, Aoi-jisan. It wasn't just you who said this to me; Onee-sama said she liked it too. I have to say, waking up 10minutes before the class stating time did me some good. If I had more time to prepare myself, I wouldn't have changed my look today." Yumi explained and looked at Sachiko in the corner of her eye. She remembered what happened at the Rose Mansion this morning and this made her blush even more.
"Oh by the way Yumi-chan, I didn't know you moved out of your house. This morning when we came to your house to pick you up, you weren't there." Aoi said nonchalantly, apparently he did not see Sachiko looking at him, as if silencing him with her death glare.
Yumi was surprised to learn that her older sister went to her house. It warmed her heart to know that Sachiko was so thoughtful and it also made her feel guilty because she was not able to tell her onee-sama where she's staying right now.
"Onee-sama… did you really come to pick me up this morning?" Yumi asked as she looked up at her onee-sama.
"Yes, Yumi but you weren't there. Your neighbor said you did not come home and I was so worried. I have no means to contact you." Sachiko responded and her eyes suddenly brightened when something came to her mind.
The young girl could not contain it anymore so she hugged her onee-sama with all the love she could give. "I'm sorry Onee-sama." Yumi looked outside the window and she could see a newly built house. "This is where I'm staying at right now Onee-sama. Shi-chan asked me if I could accompany her since my parents are gone." Pointing at the house they had just passed by, Sachiko mentally took note of this new information.
Even though she felt dejected that Yumi is staying with her rival, she still felt happy because of the warmth she's feeling because of her petite soeur's embrace. They again, succumbed to silence.
When they arrived at the shopping district, the raven-haired girl dragged Yumi to the newly-built mall. Sachiko went up the fourth floor and before she entered, she asked her companion to meet her at the bench in 30 minutes and she's free to look around at some shops, the transaction may take awhile and she wouldn't want the girl to be bored.
Yumi looked around the shops for before settling down the bench. The fourth floor it seems is dedicated to computers and gadgets. Yumi for that matter was not impressed by the new gadgets that are up for grabs, she never really needed them. Her laptop was actually a gift from her father for her birthday, and though everyone seemed to have mobile phones these days, she never really felt the need for it.
"Yumi, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go?" Sachiko asked, her arms outstretched towards her petite soeur as she smiled sweetly at her.
"Sure. What did you buy though? You never told me, Onee-sama." Yumi said with a pout on her lips. Sachiko chuckled upon looking at Yumi; she just can't get enough of the girl's adorableness.
The young heiress did not answer though, but lead her petite soeur to a nearby café. Both girls settled in their seats and a shy looking waitress walked up to them to get their orders. Once that was done, Sachiko faced her Yumi and smiled.
"I got a new cell phone, I broke mine yesterday." Sachiko said coolly and showed Yumi what she got. What she got was a Samsung Galaxy S3, it was new in the market and that was what the guy recommended her to get.
"Oh wow! This is so cool Onee-sama. But what happened to your phone though?" Yumi inquired as she looked up at her Onee-sama and tipped her head on the right. She saw her Onee-sama winced a little bit from her question and this made her even more curious.
"OH! It fell and it broke into pieces. But don't worry about that, and I got you one as well." Sachiko opened the second box and showed Yumi what she got for her. It was the same phone, Samsung Galaxy S3 and the same color white.
"ONEE-SAMA! I couldn't possibly accept this. It's too expensive!" Yumi exclaimed as her voice increased a little than normal as she slightly backed away.
Sachiko wouldn't be fazed by this, and insisted the young girl to take the gift. "Yumi, will you hear me out?" She asked, in effect, it calmed her companion. "Last night and this morning, I was so worried about you; I don't know what happened to you or where you've been. I was so scared that something might have happened to you." As she said this, she unconsciously brushed the back of her fingers on Yumi's cheek and gently cupping the smooth skin of her love.
The young red rose leaned in to her onee-sama's touch, feeling more of the soft skin that caressed her face. She could smell the hand cream that her onee-sama was using—cherry blossoms, just like the one she's using. Then it dawned on her, Sachiko tried on her bathroom essentials and this made the young girl smile.
"Will this make you happy, Onee-sama?" Yumi asked while looking at her onee-sama but not breaking the contact.
"Yes, Yumi." Sachiko simply answered and with that the ponytailed girl nodded in agreement. At that, they hesitantly broke apart. The older girl showed her beloved petite soeur the different features of the phones she bought and then she saved her mobile no. and put it on speed dial one.
"If you want to call me, just press 1 and then press this green light over here. It's fairly easy to memorize our numbers, yours is with a 7 at the end, and mine is an 8." Sachiko showed Yumi and the screen flashed showing their mobile numbers.
"Oh! This is so cool! I feel so much closer to you Onee-sama." Yumi said while her cheeks reddened a little bit. "We have almost the same mobile numbers, and I can easily talk to you anytime I want. I wouldn't have to worry calling at your house phone, it still makes me nervous. And we also have the same phone, kind of like a couple phone and that makes me closer to you." After explaining, Yumi's already blushing face had doubled in intensity.
Upon hearing her little sister's reasoning, Sachiko couldn't help but blush herself. What really caught her attention was the term Yumi used for their mobile. 'Couple phones, huh?' the older girl mused, and giggled inwardly, it made her heart skipped a beat by that sudden revelation.
"Ne, Onee-sama, why don't we take our first picture on this phone?" the brown-haired girl suggested, she stood up from her seat and went behind her onee-sama's back. Yumi wrapped her arms around Sachiko's neck and pressed her cheeks to the older girl's own.
For the heiress, this bold gesture of her petite soeur made her a little light in the head. It barely registered to her that she needed to take their picture not until Yumi whispered in her ear and asked her if she was okay. Immediately, she prepared the phone and took their picture together. She'd have to say that it turned out pretty good. They look like a… couple.
"Can I take a look?" Yumi asked as Sachiko presented the image to her petite soeur. "Mmn! I like this one better, we looked good together don't you think Onee-sama?" Yumi cheerily asked oblivious to how her words affected the older girl she's with. Yumi tapped on the screen and in an instant it sent the image to her new phone.
"Do you like this one Yumi?" Sachiko inquired and the ponytailed girl nodded in approval. "Then, I shall make it as my phone's wallpaper. And I should make this one as my laptop's wallpaper as well." The older of the two said and gave Yumi her most charming smile that could capture anyone's heart, her beloved returned the gesture with much more charm, her cheeks tinting slightly.
4 - 1 and counting. Sachiko was delighted by these progresses she was making.
"Yumi, is there still anything you want? I think it's best if we have our dinner already. There's this restaurant that I have wanted to try and when I saw it, I was so sure you'd love it as well." Yumi grabbed on her onee-sama's hand and let the older woman lead the way.
The restaurant was just across the corner, it was quite a walk since they came inside the mall. However, Yumi did not mind it though, she was just happy that she could spend time with her onee-sama. These past few days, the older girl was busy with the university exams that they hardly ever have their usual dates.
Half way through the restaurant's door, Sachiko stopped walking causing Yumi to halt clumsily. Through the entire day, Sachiko felt that this is the perfect time to confess her love for Yumi. There were signs that clearly show her that Yumi may possibly feel the same way she does so here she was, in the middle of the Tokyo shopping district about to proclaim her love to her petite soeur. It just felt like the best time, she rationalized.
"Yumi, I have been wanting to say this to you and I have kept this in a very long time. Yumi, I -"
"Sa-chan!"
Sachiko was downright ready to spend time in jail just so she could murder the bastard the interrupted her perfect timing for confession. She was fuming mad when Suguru suddenly appeared behind them and yelled out her name.
"What do you want Suguru?" Her eyes glared hotly like they were coals on fire. Suguru smirked at his cousin's fiery reaction. 'I must have interrupted something important.' He thought mischievously making him grin even more.
"Don't be mad, Sa-chan. I was only tasked by Mamoru-ojiisama to tell you that you are meeting with one of the investors. Ojii-sama could not make it for he was being held in the office by your father. So I, your ever loyal cousin, am here to take you. I would be there as well, don't argue, it is Ojii-sama's wish for me to be there." The handsome young prince explained while putting his arm around Yumi and slightly hugged her one arm.
Yumi and Suguru's relationship has improved these past few months. It all started when Suguru helped Yumi with her stalking problems and though there were times when Yumi feels jealous towards him, that did not stop them from being friends. There were also incidences where Yuuki would bring Yumi to the arcade and Suguru would be there.
"Hey you." Suguru greeted his favorite red rose.
Yumi replied with a grin on her face. "Hey yourself."
Sachiko was baffled by this sudden revelation; she did not know that Yumi and her cousin and fiancé were this close. She knew that Yumi abhors the guy but this is new to her. How it happened, she knew nothing about. This made her blood boil even more, it seemed like the world is against her and all the people are trying to steal her beloved away from her.
"Uhm, Onee-sama, I think you should go with Suguru-kun. I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble." As Yumi spoke, she noticed her Onee-sama's apprehension. 'Suguru-kun, huh? When did you start calling him that, Yumi?' Sachiko thought to herself, making her a little resentful.
"I'll be fine, I'll text you when I get home. I'll just look around some more and then I'm off home."
"Thank you Onee-sama, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye Suguru-kun! We should hang out some time; I think you need to reclaim your title as the Dance Central King." The young girl dashed forward and looked back at the two people that hold her heart. One, the girl she would willingly give her heart to, and the other, the guy whom she thought was an enemy but was actually looking out for her.
Disappointment laced the young heiress's eyes, this was the very restaurant she wanted to bring Yumi in and yet here she was with people she barely knew, entertaining them just so they would agree to merge business with the Ogasawaras. When Yumi came back from Italy, she kept on telling her that her petite soeur wanted to eat Italian food again and ever since then, Sachiko had been planning to take Yumi on a dinner at this restaurant.
The view from the restaurant was marvelous; the bistro itself was located on the second floor of their building called The O-Tower. From the table they were sitting at which was near the glass wall, Sachiko could see the people walking around the street and the flickering lights from other business establishment. Truthfully, the young heiress wasn't paying attention to the meeting; her mind drifted about to a certain young brunette that captured her heart.
Suguru noticed the distant look or rather her cousin's dreamy state. He could only bet that Sachiko was thinking of her petite soeur. He knew from the start that Sachiko has feelings for Yumi, even during the first few months of their relationship; he could tell that there was something different with the way Sachiko looked at Yumi. He even overheard Sachiko tell Yumi she loves her after their grandmother's interment.
For the raven-haired girl, she could hardly understand what their business partners were saying, and these are one of those times that she was grateful that Suguru was with her. She replayed on her mind the events that took place today.
'I wonder what it would have felt like if Yumi and I kissed. Would it be her first kiss as well?' Sachiko mulled over and slightly grimaced at the thought of another person kissing her beloved Yumi. Her thoughts were suddenly disrupted when she felt someone kick her leg under the table. She looked at her cousin and gave him a scowling look.
"Thank you very much for gracing us with your time, Ms. Ogasawara and Mr. Kashiwagi. I hope that with the merging of our companies, we would be able to help more people." Two gentlemen stood up from their seat and gave the cousins a firm handshake. Sachiko smiled warmly at them though she was clueless as to how the deal was sealed. She will have to ask Suguru later how the meeting went just in case her father would ask her how it went.
"We are very pleased as well that you chose the Ogasawara Group to unite with your company. We assure you that you will not regret such decision." Suguru proclaimed as he lead the gentlemen out of the restaurant.
When Suguru came back, he had a smirk plastered on his handsome face. He looked at Sachiko and gave her a teasing look. He walked up to her and sat beside his cousin and looked at the view below. The young heiress did just the same.
A woman with slender features was half-running half-walking as she dodged some of the people on the street. With her exceptionally platinum-colored hair, it was no wonder that the woman caught the attention of the passers-by.
Sachiko who was looking down the street from the glass wall of the restaurant they were in, noticed the woman dashing about the street. She couldn't help but feel irritated at the woman even though she did not know who it was; something was telling her that she did not like the woman.
When Sachiko got a closer look at the running woman, she immediately recognized who it was and she could tell why she was so aggravated at the woman even if she haven't seen her face. In the corner of her eye, she saw a young girl in ponytail standing just in front of the building across. The girl looked achingly familiar but Sachiko could not quite make out who it was. The place where the girl was standing was dark and casted shadows on the girls face.
"Is that Yumi?" Sachiko asked though she was incognizant that she said it loudly. Suguru followed Sachiko's eyes and saw the same girl that his cousin was referring to.
"I don't-" Suguru answered but was interrupted when he heard Sachiko scream.
"Noooooooo!"
Chill crept up the back of Shizuma's neck, she felt like someone was watching her. She searched her surrounding and when she looked up at the building across, what she saw made her smirk. She could see Sachiko with that outraged look on her face.
Suguru searched the street for anything peculiar that would cause his beloved cousin to scream in an ungraceful manner. Right there, where he saw the young girl, a platinum-haired woman was kissing the girl with all the passion she could give and the young girl returned the kiss with equal fervor, very much unconcerned by the people staring at them. Suguru was amazed by what he saw and quite confused by Sachiko's sudden outburst.
"Who is the young girl Hanazono-san's with?"
A/N: That's it.. I hope you enjoyed it even though its quite long for my standard. I was thinking of cutting it into two parts but decided not to. I would like to thank my friend who created the poem and also my buddy Slayer0109 for helping me in keeping the emotions of the characters in check. i hope that I was able to portray the correct emotions for Sachiko especially for Yumi.
I would also like to invite everyone to read Slayer0109's new fanfic, its a MSGM and SP! crossover as well, just check out his page or you can go to the Strawberry Panic main page and check out "Strawberry Rivals." s/8795794/1/Strawberry-Rivals
Reviews are very much welcome.