A/N: Isn't it obvious? I'm a Sachiko and Yumi fan.
And as usual, I don't own Sachiko, Yumi and the others.
My 4th story!
Read at your own risk!
"It Started With A Kiss"
---Arvendell---
Chapter 1
"Come on, Sachiko. Do you think you can hide it from me? We've been friends for so long and I know you. You're in love with Yumi-chan, aren't you?" Hasekura Rei said for the second time to her friend, the red-faced Ogasawara Sachiko. She was talking about Fukuzawa Yumi, her friend's little sister. The two were alone together at the Rose Mansion, the building were members of the Yamayurikai, the Lillian Girls Academy's student body, often met. Members of the council were called red, yellow and white roses. Sachiko was of the red rose, Rei was of the yellow rose, and of the white rose who was Toudou Shimako.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Please excuse me, I'm going ahead," Sachiko said sternly.
"You can run away from me but you can never run away from your feelings, Sachiko," Rei continued.
"You're the one who is in love, Rei, with Yoshino-chan," Sachiko shot back, referring to Rei's own petite soeur and cousin, Shimazu Yoshino.
"Of course I am. I won't deny it. Especially to you. After all, you're my friend," Rei admitted easily.
Sachiko was taken aback.
"And you are, too. You can't deny it," Rei continued.
"I'm going ahead," Sachiko said slowly, then quickly left her friend at the Rose Mansion. She was angry. To whom, she didn't know. Just that, at the moment, her mind and feelings were in turmoil. She didn't expect the confrontation with Rei.
What was Rei thinking? Of course she loved Yumi. But in love? She didn't know.
The next few days, Sachiko avoided being alone with Rei. So far she was successful, until she forgot something from the Rose Mansion and had to go back, where she found Rei sitting alone at the council room. After a brief good day, she quickly turned to leave. As she reached the door, she heard a soft laughter and turned around to see a smiling Rei.
"What's so funny?" She asked, not hiding her irritation.
"You are funny," Rei answered, still smiling. "You're acting like a child, Sachiko."
Sachiko's eyes flashed.
"I'm not going to stand here to hear your insults. Good day."
---o---
Yumi woke up feeling light-headed. It felt like it would be a good day. Humming to herself, she went to school. It was still early so she went to the Rose Mansion instead of going to her classroom. There, she found Sachiko who was having a quiet tea.
"Good morning, Onee-sama," Yumi greeted happily that pleasantly surprised Sachiko. "Isn't it a good day?" She continued.
"You look so happy." At last, Sachiko managed to say. Yumi was usually cheerful but this was beyond cheerful. She hadn't seen her so happy like this that she was glowing. "Did something happen?"
"Huh? Nothing. I'm just happy, that's all," Yumi said as she sat on the chair beside Sachiko. She hadn't seated for a few seconds when she suddenly stood up, startling Sachiko.
"Yumi!" Sachiko said sternly.
"I'm sorry, Onee-sama. I just remembered something. I need to go to the library. I'll see you later, Onee-sama," Yumi explained quickly. She picked her bag, walked towards the door, then stopped and turned back.
"Why? Did you forget something again?" Sachiko asked with slight frown.
"Yes," Yumi answered shortly. She moved towards Sachiko and before the latter could react, she gave her a kiss on the check.
"Good morning again, Onee-sama."
And then Yumi was gone, leaving Sachiko gaping at the closed door.
After a moment, Sachiko touched her cheek, then blushed.
"What was that?" She muttered.
Sachiko and Yumi hadn't seen each other after that until the meeting at the Rose Mansion in the afternoon. Rei and their fellow rose, Shimako and her petite soeur Nijou Noriko were surprised to see a very cheerful Yumi.
"Hey, did something happen that we don't know?" Rei finally asked Yumi.
"Huh? What do you mean, Rosa Foetida?" Yumi asked, surprised.
Rei turned to Yoshino with questioning eyes. The latter wasn't acting curious so she figured that she must know something.
"Hey, don't look at me like that, Rei-chan. I don't know anything. I've asked Yumi-san a hundred times and the only answers I got were puzzled face and a nothing," Yoshino answered to Rei's obvious question.
They all turned to Sachiko, as if asking her. But the latter's face remained expressionless.
"Hey, hey," Yumi interrupted. "What's with you, guys? Am I not entitled to be cheerful?"
"That's not what we meant, Yumi-san," Yoshino answered.
"Well, enough of that. Why don't we move on to the meeting? I need to be home early today," Yumi continued.
The others still wanted to ask but proceeded with the meeting anyway.
"I'm going on ahead with you, guys," Yumi said after the meeting. "Onee-sama, I'll see you tomorrow."
And with a big smile, Yumi left.
---o---
On the way home, Yumi's strange cheerfulness was the topic of conversation between Shimako and Noriko and especially of Rei and Yoshino.
"At first I thought Yumi-san had really gone crazy but except for her cheerfulness, everything on her was normal," Yoshino reported.
"Yes. She seemed driven, inspired," Rei agreed.
"It had something to do with Sachiko-sama, right?"
"What made you say that? Sachiko seemed puzzled as well."
"Yes. But didn't you notice her face every time she looked at Yumi or every time their eyes met? Sachiko-sama seemed uncomfortable, while Yumi-san wasn't looking away like she always did but rather met her eyes squarely."
"I've noticed that, too."
"You said that you told Sachiko-sama that you know that she's in love with Yumi-chan, right?"
"Yes, I did. What about it?"
"Maybe Sachiko-sama admitted to Yumi-chan that she's in love with her. That's why Yumi-san is so happy," Yoshino said excitedly. She nodded to herself, as if saying that she got it right. "That must be it! I'm so happy for Yumi-san!"
Rei was silent for a moment before she said, "I don't think that's the case, Yoshino."
Yoshino's excited face turned into an irritated one.
"Why did you say that? What more could make Yumi-san happy other than knowing that Sachiko-sama is in love with her?"
Rei raised her arms as if to cover herself from Yoshino's anger.
"Of course that would certainly make Yumi-chan happy. But have you forgotten Sachiko's actions?"
Yoshino calmed down a bit.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you think that if Sachiko told Yumi-chan that she's in love with her, Yumi-chan would also do the same, right?"
Yoshino nodded.
"Then, if Sachiko, who is in love with Yumi-chan, finds out that the person she's in love with, loves her back, what do you think she would feel?"
"Happy of course," Yoshino said.
"Did you see Sachiko happy this day?"
Yoshino was silent as she thought about Sachiko's actions.
"Yes, but it didn't look like she was that happy."
"Exactly. Even if Sachiko is good in hiding her feelings, we would know right away if she's very happy."
"Then what happened? Did Sachiko-sama told Yumi-san her feelings but Yumi-san didn't, that's why Yumi-san is so happy and Sachiko-sama isn't?"
In the end, the two never arrived at any conclusion as to what happened between Sachiko and Yumi.
A/N: Yumi's change is due to the fact that she have decided to make the most of her time with Sachiko and in what way could it be but by showing her more affection. She's just worried about rejection so she decided it to be this way, teasing Sachiko.
I've noticed that the title has a 'kiss' on it too, just like my 3rd fic. Sorry that I'm lousy in giving titles ;)
24 January 2008