Looking at the large platter of food the waitress placed in front of them, Yumi wondered at the wisdom of letting Touko choose for her. Although much of her anxiety had to do with the glint that hadn't left Touko's eyes since she suggested best place to get Thai food. The restaurant was a charming family owned establishment complete with a staff who recognized Touko on sight. Perhaps a fondness for Touko explained the exorbitant amount of food they had been given. Yumi was still eyeing the food as Touko said her thanks and quickly dug in. After a few moments, she noticed Yumi's hesitance and that tell tale glint appeared once again. "Yumi-sama," Touko began sweetly and Yumi's head jerked up. The younger girl was smiling warmly at her and proffering a bite of green curry on her fork. "Try some?" Deciding to ignore whatever trepidation she felt, Yumi leaned forward to take the food into her mouth. And exactly five seconds after she finished eating, her mouth promptly set on fire. Or at least that's what it felt like. "Water," Yumi gasped, reaching for her glass of water and finishing it off quickly. She gratefully took Touko's drink from her as the other girl offered it. When she was done drinking and the blazing fire in her mouth died down to a slow steady burn, Yumi scowled at Touko as she said, "Why didn't you warn me?" "Then you wouldn't have tried it," said Touko smoothly, taking a bite of the food that had just torched Yumi's taste buds and chewing happily. "And I had to punish Yumi-sama somehow for her frequent manipulations, didn't I?" Touko smiled, innocent and bright, tilting her head to one side, curls bouncing as she took another bite of her food. "This seemed the most harmless way." "Touko-chan," Yumi reddened, looking guilty. "It's fine," said Touko calmly, carefully choosing her food and examining it closely. Lifting her eyes to look at Yumi, she said, "I might go along with your plans but that doesn't mean I've changed my mind Yumi-sama. I won't be your petite soeur." "I just want to know you," Yumi began, her eyes going wide, unsure what had brought this on. "And I want you to know me. Really know me, Touko-chan. Until we do that how can you say no?" Taking another bite of her food, Touko looked at Yumi with a blasé expression and said, "I told you I wouldn't interfere. That you could do as you wanted in your pursuit of me. But I never said it would change my mind about being your petite soeur." "Why?" said Yumi in a whisper. "There's nothing I can do to convince you? Why would you say that?" Ducking her head and blinking her eyes to rid herself of any tears that might fall, she said brokenly, "Do you hate me so much?" Staring at Yumi, a horrible sinking feeling welled in Touko's stomach and she had to picture Sachiko in order to go on. She was the reason for all this. Her beloved big sister who cared for her when no one else did. Who still loved Yumi, who still needed Yumi, who would never admit it, not even if it was for her own good. So Touko would do it for her, she would force Yumi to restart her fight for Sachiko by ending the battle for herself. Even if it broke her own heart in the process. "I'm doing this because I don't hate Yumi-sama," said Touko softly, causing the older girl to lift her eyes and look at her hopefully. Unable to help herself, Touko reached out for Yumi's hand, stroking the silken skin with her thumb. "Sachiko-oneesama loves you and you love her. I might agree to be your petite soeur if I didn't know it meant trying to replace her." "I'm not--" Yumi protested weakly. "Yumi-sama," chided Touko kindly, a smile playing on her lips. She gently shook the older girl's hand and said, "You don't really want to do this. You only got the idea after Sachiko-oneesama told you that you needed a petite soeur, isn't that right?" Turning dark red, Yumi dropped her head only to look up with determination as she said, "No. I know what I feel for you and Oneesama didn't cause that." Yumi took Touko's hand in hers and squeezed it gently, looking at the other girl earnestly. "I care for you… I want to know all of your favorite things, everything about you and that has nothing to do with Oneesama! Nothing at all." Touko wanted to believe these words, wanted it so very badly but she couldn't. There was no way her mind could fathom Yumi choosing her over Sachiko. Not when real and true free will was involved. No, Yumi was forced into this by Sachiko's dull acceptance of her loveless future. Touko was simply a consolation prize, a second choice. That was something Touko couldn't bear. "You might like me, Yumi-sama," said Touko quietly. She tilted her head, curls bouncing and she said winsomely, "I am very cute and charming apparently." Her eyes had a serious light to them as she continued, "But you love Sachiko-oneesama." Yumi's face fell and she smiled tenderly. "Don't be so upset by it, Yumi-sama. I'm not. In fact," Touko drawled, lifting up another piece of food and taking a bite. "I'm going to help you." "Help me?" asked Yumi, perplexed. "Yes," said Touko easily, burying the terrible feeling of loss as she gave Yumi an encouraging look. "Help with Sachiko-oneesama and ridding her of the foolish insistence that she has to be miserable with Suguru-neechan." She offered what she hoped with a bright smile. "You do want that, don't you?" In a daze, lost as to how this conversation had come about, Yumi said vaguely, "Yes." Unaware that with this single word the wall around Touko's heart started to rebuild. --- Kanako watched Yumi. Even when she felt betrayed by her, disillusioned by her real self, she watched her. There was just something about the older girl which captivated her. She wasn't the perfect innocent flower Kanako had first imagined but she was kind and wonderfully generous. And she was hurting. The last few weeks had been a rollercoaster for Yumi. She had watched her become withdrawn from Touko's rejection, elated from Touko's permission to pursue her, determined from Touko's resistance to her advances, and now hurting from what Kanako assumed to be Touko's second rejection. While Kanako could stand by and watch Yumi go through many things hurting was not one of them. Especially when she might help it to end. She decided the wisest thing to do would be to go to the source of Yumi's problems. Although said source hardly seemed pleased to be in her presence. Nor very pleased at her choice of meeting place. Frowning deeply, Touko inspected the greenhouse with a narrowed gaze then turned her attention to Kanako. "Why are we here?" she demanded. "I want to speak to you about Yumi-sama," said Kanako, her voice eerily clear and calm. "I thought it best to do so in a place she loves." Staring at the Rosa Chinensis bush, Touko's gaze was lidded and unbidden, an image of a smiling Yumi came into her mind. Shaking her head, wanting the image to leave, Touko looked at Kanako imperiously. "Don't you think you should speak to Yumi-sama about things which concern her?" she questioned. "Yumi-sama can't answer my question. Unfortunately, you are the only one who can do that," stated Kanako, not bothered in the slightest by Touko's abruptness. "Fine," said Touko coolly. "Ask your question." "Why do you push Yumi-sama away when you're in love with her?" asked Kanako, watching Touko with a steady gaze that calmly processed her reaction. Her eyes wide, Touko's heart leapt and she quickly tried to stifle this response. Clenching her jaw, she looked away from the taller girl. Play the part of casual denial or just admit it and tell the truth? Touko was sorely tempted by the first option just because she disliked allowing Kanako to be right. Then she saw the small and disgustingly knowing smile Kanako wore and realized it was useless. She already knew she was right and that was why they were here. "Because she loves Sachiko-oneesama," said Touko reluctantly. The manners that had been hammered into her were the only thing that kept her from grinding her teeth in annoyance. She loathed to speak of her feelings, all her life anytime she did it never ended well. A subtle mocking or outright ignoring, those were the responses she received from her parents. So she learned to bury her feelings deep, far away, where it was like they never existed and therefore could never be hurt. Then she met Sachiko and slowly she learned to trust and love. But just one person. Just Sachiko. She was special and Touko vowed it was her alone she could trust. Slowly she watched Sachiko change. Become lighter and filled with a genuine appreciation for life. She heard the reason for this, listened to the name reverently slip from Sachiko's lips. Fukuzawa Yumi. At first, she was jealous, horribly so. Sachiko had always been like her, that was why Touko trusted her, loved her, and now this Yumi appears and that all changes? Touko wanted to hate her. Had been planning on hating her, in fact, but then Yumi came rushing through the door, gasping for breath and so very earnest in her apology to Sachiko. She could see then how much Sachiko meant to Yumi and that hatred and jealously slowly left her. Even in the beginning, Touko thought she loved her. Trusted her? No. Liked her? Not always. Understood her? Certainly not. But Touko loved her for making Sachiko happy. She never meant to fall in love herself. Honestly, she hadn't. If anything she had been trying so very hard to prevent it because she knew in the end it would bring nothing but pain. "Having me as a petite soeur is Yumi-sama's way of trying to replace Sachiko-oneesama. But they still love each other," Touko stared down Kanako, her gaze flashing dangerously before she spoke again. "And that is why I push her away." Quietly taking this in, Kanako dipped her head in a nod of satisfaction. Touko was turning to leave when the taller girl said, "Yumi-sama isn't happy though." "She will be," said Touko tightly, looking over her shoulder at Kanako. "Once she's back with Sachiko-oneesama." "And what if she doesn't go back to the Rosa Chinensis?" asked Kanako, lifting an eyebrow and observing Touko as if she was some curious science experiment. "What will you do then?" No reply came from Touko other than the final and forceful click of the greenhouse door closing.
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