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Author’s note: I’m not quiet happy how the last chapter turned out but I am content with what Touji told Yonai. That’s just how he is. This chapter will probably make people dislike Ranmaru but he is a player after all. More so, he’s just a confused little boy who hasn’t learned how to think with the correct head? Heh heh, well he’s confused… we’ll leave it at that. And remember… this story is rated M for cursing… even with adult situations there won’t be anything explicit. Just letting you know.
This chapter is all about Sakuba.
4 Boyfriend
Izuru sat next to the window and painted. She was happy here in the art room though it was a little distressing that she was the only one in the art club. But she was shy and awkward around people so maybe it was for the better. She had dreams of being an artist and Kobayashi-sensei encouraged her to do what she loved regardless of what anyone else thought. And what she loved was painting.
This was her world in the quiet isolated art room. This was where she dreamed of creating the next masterpiece. This was where her biography would state she had her humble beginnings… that is… when she became famous. This was where she felt the most content and where she had the most control. The art room was so peaceful and she didn’t have any worries at all.
Until he came…
She hadn’t even realized he was there until she suddenly became aware of a pair of eyes watching her. She turned in surprise to see a young, handsome boy watching her paint. “Hello there.” He said waving with a charming smile. “I didn’t want to disturb you.” He said looking a bit sheepish. “What are you painting?” He asked sitting down besides her.
She paused. “Landscape,” was all she managed to say. She said it louder than intended out of nervousness at this new boy. She gulped and turned back to her painting not wanting to look at the boy for fear of staring.
He was a handsome boy. Deemed the most popular boy of the whole school despite being a first year. His name was Ranmaru Miyamoto and it was no secret that he was the school’s biggest playboy. Even with his playboy status almost all the girls sought after him. Izuru never understood why but seeing him in person, she realized just how beautiful he was.
“I always wanted to try art.” He said cocking his head to the side and staring up at her. “And this is where I was told the art club meets but I only see a lovely lady here.” He said looking her straight in the eye. She blushed at the compliment and felt her throat swelling up making her unable to speak.
She coughed and let out an awkward explanation. “This is where it meets.” She verified. “But I’m the only member of the art club.” She said turning away from the pretty boy once again.
“I see.” He said. His voice was unreadable but she could hear the sound of him standing up. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Then will you please…” He stated bowing before her. She spun in her seat out of shock. “Will you please teach me how to paint, sempai.” He said still in a bow.
She couldn’t believe it. Ranmaru wanted her of all people to teach him to paint. He wanted to hang out with her, the shy nerdy looking girl who hung out by herself in the art room all the time?
“O-Okay.” She finally agreed. She was confused at his request but a little happy. The girls would be jealous that she got to hang out with Ranmaru.
And then he was right next to her with his arms around her. “Thank you sempai.” He said. She stiffened and stood up quickly at the touch. “Sempai?” He wondered letting go.
“Um… um…” She stuttered.
“Oh sorry…” He apologized. “Maybe that was too forward of me.” He said but was smiling at the same time. Was he teasing her? “My name is Ranmaru Miyamoto.” He said introducing himself.
“I know.” She assured.
“You do? Oh.” He seemed surprised. “And what’s your name?” He said grabbing her hand in a handshake.
“Sakuba…” She stated. “Sakuba Izuru.”
“Well anything to get your mind off of… well you know.” Sakuba said patting her friend on the head.
“But don’t you have to meet your sister today?” Yonai wondered.
“Nope, she won’t be here till tomorrow so we can spend the whole day shopping!” Sakuba smiled.
“Okay!” Yonai smiled.
“It’s rare for you to have a day off.” Sakuba noted.
“Well after being accepted into the University there really isn’t much for me to do.” Yonai admitted.
“Well I’ll go to the bathroom and then we can go.” Sakuba said heading to the bathroom next to Yonai’s room.
“Sakuba wait!” Yonai grabbed her friend.
“Huh?”
“The toilet is broke and Gakuya hasn’t gotten someone to fix it yet. You’ll have to use the one upstairs for now.”
“Upstairs?” Sakuba looked up stairs. That was where the other bedrooms were. That must be where Ranmaru’s room was.
She headed up the stairs and stopped at a door with a bunch of stickers of baseballs and basketballs covering the door. In the middle, was a picture of Fujita who was being playfully pushed down by Ranmaru as Ranmaru posed for the camera. She was about to head on but the door was opened a little bit and she heard breathing inside.
She stepped back but then listened to the heavy breathing. She had heard that Ranmaru liked to sleep late. She pushed open the door a little bit and sure enough there was Ranmaru lying in his bed fast asleep. Sakuba gulped and tip toed into the room.
She stood over him and sighed. He really was a good looking man and he looked sexy in his sleep. She pulled back her hair and leaned down toward the sleeping playboy. Gently she kissed him on the lips and then tip-toed back to the door holding her breath and feeling a rush of adrenaline. Just as she stepped out of the room and began closing the door behind her, Fujita ran up the stairs.
“Eh? Sakuba-chan?” Fujita wondered looking behind her at his room. “What are you doing?”
“Um… bathroom!” She said quickly and ran into the bathroom.
“Eh?” Fujita looked back and forth from his door to the bathroom door. Sakuba stood against the door trying to catch her breath. She touched her lips and smiled to herself.
“Aw, you’re still asleep Ranmaru?” Fujita complained completely forgetting about Sakuba. “Wake up already!” Fujita yelled going into the room he shared with the pretty boy.
“Hmm? Why does a newborn have to wake me up? Why can’t it be Yoyo-chan… how unsexy…” He said rolling over.
“It’s already noon!” Fujita said opening the window to prove his point. “You really should get better sleeping habits.” Fujita scolded.
“Yeah yeah, I’m up. I’m up.” Ranmaru said sitting up and running his fingers through his hair. “Geeze, baby. You interrupted my nice dream in which Yonai and I were kissing.”
Fujita blushed. “I don’t want to know about that stuff!” He complained.
“Hah hah!” Ranmaru laughed and headed to the bathroom. Sakuba came out of the bathroom just as Ranmaru was about to go in. “Oh, hi lovely.” Ranmaru winked.
“Uh… Ranmaru! Uh… hi!” She blushed. “Excuse me.” She said rushing past him. He frowned but then went about his business.
“So you and your boyfriend’s paintings will be shown at the art show?” Sakuba wondered smiling at her older sister.
“Yep, isn’t it wonderful? I’m finally receiving my big break! And it’s so lucky I won’t be by myself and Kaoru will be there with me.” She said gushing about her boyfriend.
“That’s great, onee-san!” Sakuba said excited about her sister’s luck.
“Hmm?” Her sister said with a teasing smile. “And what about you?”
“Me? Oh I’m still at the art college… none of my paintings have been presented in an art show yet…”
“I’m not talking about that, silly.” Her sister said poking her in the cheek.
“Huh? Then what?”
“I’m talking about a boyfriend.” Her sister said nudging her playfully with her elbow. Sakuba blushed. “Ah! So there is someone!” Her older sister teased. “Who is it?” Her sister wondered scooting closer.
“Well…” Sakuba said looking away blushing.
“Tell me! Tell me!” Her sister said trying to tickle Sakuba.
Sakuba laughed. “Okay! Okay!” She relented. “There is someone I like but I haven’t told him yet.”
“Oh? Yet? Meaning… you will tell him soon?”
“Yeah. My friend recently confessed to the guy she liked and even though she was rejected that gave me the courage to go ahead and confess to the guy I like.” She admitted.
Her sister laughed. “You’re so cute!” She said hugging her younger sister. “So who is he? What’s he like?”
“His name is Ranmaru Miyamoto and he’s really handsome…” Sakuba started until she saw a change in her sister’s expression.
“Ranmaru Miyamoto?” Her sister repeated with a grave expression on her face.
“Yes? What’s wrong Onee-san?” Sakuba wondered.
“We went to high school together…” She said.
“What?”
Sakuba Izuru looked down smiling as she remembered the past. “He was… the one I lost my virginity too…”
“Sempai…” He said.
“What?” She turned surprised as he put the paintbrush down.
“I can’t go on like this.”
“Eh?” She wondered. His body turned to her but his head remained bowed. “Ranmaru?” She wondered.
“Sempai… I…” He stood up. “I like you.” He said and leaned forward planting a kiss upon her lips. She was so shocked that she dropped her paintbrush on the floor. He pulled away smiling. “Will you go out with me?” He said.
She was so shocked that she couldn’t talk at first. He was giving her a seductively teasing smile. No one had ever looked at her like that. The other girls would be jealous if they could see what was going on now. “Okay.” She finally said quietly.
The younger boy leaned in for another kiss and this time she arched her head upwards to receive it. She had a feeling that Ranmaru didn’t really fully like her… well he liked her enough to date her… But she was just some nerdy girl who liked to paint. Still… she couldn’t help but feel a little overjoyed.
Finally, this nerdy girl who always hung out in the art room had something that the other girls who always teased her… didn’t have. And that was the school’s biggest playboy kissing her on the lips. Of course, after she thought about it later, she realized it wasn’t really that big of an accomplishment…
The relationship moved faster than Izuru wanted. Ranmaru would say things like “I like you” or “you’re really cute,” but to Izuru it sounded fake. During that time she worked on a painting of Ranmaru, except it was more conceptual than an actual portrait so that even Ranmaru himself didn’t know it was him. Kobayashi was delighted at Izuru’s new style in this particular painting but didn’t know of Sakuba Izuru’s relationship with Ranmaru.
And then… one day Ranmaru asked Izuru to karaoke.
“Your singing is so cute but quiet sempai.” Ranmaru said hugging her as she sat down. “Why are you so quiet?” He said stroking her hair.
“I… I don’t know…” She said simply blushing.
He chuckled and kissed her on the lips. “You’re so cute sempai.” They ended up making out in the karaoke room. And then Ranmaru’s hand had managed to slip under her skirt…
“Wait!” She yelled pushing him away.
“What’s the matter?” He wondered curiously. “We’re boyfriend and girlfriend, right?”
“But… I don’t know…” She trembled.
“I like you sempai.” He whispered into her ear. “I wanna hear your beautiful voice cry out.” She blushed as he kissed at her neck.
“But… the karaoke…” She said as the music played in the background.
“Don’t worry… no one will bother us…” He said as his hand unbuttoned the first button of her blouse. Izuru didn’t protest anymore as the boy kissed her on the lips. And there in the karaoke room… that was where she lost her virginity. Later, she could only sarcastically think of how unromantic the whole situation was…
He came up with excuses not to come to the art room again after that. Still, Izuru waited as she continued to work on the painting that was dedicated to him. And then he didn’t even bother to contact her and never came into the art room after that. At first, the thought of her being with Ranmaru even for that little bit of time made her happy that she had had something the other girls didn’t have. But eventually, she felt lonely.
She ran into him in the halls one day. “Ranmaru…” She said lowly as he walked by with another girl. They didn’t hear her. “Ranmaru!” She said louder. Both him and the girl turned.
“Ah! Sempai!” He greeted.
“Ranmaru… I…” Izuru grumbled looking down at her feet.
“Who is she?” The girl next to him said rudely. Izuru frowned at the younger girl who was disrespecting her sempai.
“Oh, this is my ex girlfriend.” He said. Izuru looked up quickly. Ex… girlfriend?
“But… we never broke up.” She mentioned.
“Che!” The girl next to him said annoyed. “Get over it already. He’s not going out with you anymore.”
Izuru didn’t talk back to the younger girl and instead looked at Ranmaru. “Sempai…” He started. “It was fun while it lasted but… I just don’t feel it anymore.” He said simply.
Izuru wasn’t the type to speak out. In fact, she was shy and soft spoken and hated to draw attention to herself. Because of this, many people took advantage of her and teased her all throughout school. But now… this time… Izuru was mad.
“So you only said you liked me when you wanted to have sex with me!?” She yelled grabbing the boy.
“What the…” The other girl backed away.
“I’m sorry.” Ranmaru said simply. “I really did like you. I just… don’t anymore.” He said looking away.
Izuru threw the boy down and ran away with tears in her eyes. She quickly went into the art room and her eyes fell upon the painting she had been painting of Ranmaru. Even with her blurry tear stained vision she knew exactly how it looked. She had never been able to finish it because she just never knew how to.
In her anger, she opened the window. Screaming, she took the painting and chucked it out the window. She had been a fool when it came to Ranmaru but what was even worse was that she knew she had been a fool. She knew he was just playing with her and she hadn’t stopped him. She had been more concerned about getting back at the girls by making them jealous.
Kobayashi-sensei came in later confused as to why someone had found her painting on the lawn. “Sakuba-chan!” The art teacher exclaimed seeing Izuru curled up next to the open window. The woman put down the painting and stepped to Izuru. “What’s wrong?”
“Koba-yashi-sen-sei.” She sobbed and clutched at her teacher. The woman sensei rubbed the student’s back in concern. The only things the art teacher was able to get out of her were the words “boyfriend” and “break up.” After, Izuru had calmed down a bit the teacher handed her the painting.
“Is that why you threw this out the window?” The teacher wondered. “Because you were painting it for him?” Izuru nodded meekly. “Well no wonder it was so good.”
“Huh?” She wondered.
“Before now I had never seen you paint anything like this so I was overjoyed. When a painter paints something out of great emotion it’s like the emotion emanates from the canvas.” The teacher explained.
“But… I was never able to finish it.” She sniffled.
“Do you think you can finish it now?” Kobayashi-sensei wondered. Izuru took the painting and held it before her.
“I… I think so.” She nodded. She stared at it and wondered how to finish the painting that had so far taken so long to create. Even though it was a painting of Ranmaru, it was almost impossible to tell that it was a person at all. After she finished the painting, an art dealer happened upon it and invited the young woman to an internship up in Tokyo. So after Izuru graduated that was where she went.
“That was the painting that got you the internship in Tokyo?” Sakuba Izumi said amazed.
“Yeah.” Sakuba Izuru answered.
“Why did you never tell me?” Izumi wondered. They were sisters and usually told each other everything.
“I was too embarrassed. I didn’t even tell mom and dad. Kobayashi-sensei was the only one who knew.”
“You should have told me.” Izumi said. “I can’t believe you went through that all by yourself! I could have helped you.”
“Well… it was as much my fault as it was his. I was only dating him because it made the other girl’s jealous. I’ve learned my lesson since then though. I made my current boyfriend wait months before we had sex so I know he’s the real thing and I am in love with him after all.” She said hugging herself gleefully.
Izumi rubbed her sisters back. “Imouto, I’ve always thought you were smarter and braver than I was… I’m not telling you this now because I want to slander Ranmaru. In fact, I wish him well and I don’t hate him. I just thought you should know, even though I don’t doubt your ability to make your own decisions. But I don’t want you to get hurt in the same way I was. I’m sorry I never told you. I was too embarrassed about it. Since I knew I was being stupid to let him do those things to me…”
“Onee-san…” Izumi whispered and hugged her sister.
“I’m here to see Ranmaru.” She said shortly.
“Oh?” He said smiling. He seemed to have an idea of what she was there for and it slightly annoyed her that he seemed to know something. “I believe he is up in his room, do you want me to go get him for you?”
“No.” She said putting her arm out to stop him. “I’ll just go up there myself.” She grumbled lowly.
“I see.” He said sounding a little disappointed but Sakuba was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice.
“Pardon me for intruding.” She said pushing past him. He just smiled and closed the door behind her as she headed for the stairs. He went back to doing work on his lap top which was set up on the table. She trudged up the stairs.
She knocked on the door where just a few days earlier she had walked in without knocking. And even more surprising, she had kissed Ranmaru in his sleep! Without him knowing of course.
“Yes what is it? Come in.” Ranmaru said from inside sounding a little annoyed. She took a deep breath and turned the knob. Ranmaru was on his bed flipping though some fashion magazine when she entered. “Sakuba?” He wondered looking up.
“Um…” She gulped. “Ranmaru… I need to talk to you…” She said looking down at her folded arms.
“Eh?” He said sitting up. “Here?”
“Now.” She said harsher than intended.
“Ok…” He said standing up confused. He was wearing nothing but a kimono. He looked handsome and Sakuba closed her eyes. This was going to be harder than she thought.
“Ranmaru…” She started. “I…”
“Listen Sakuba…” He interrupted running his fingers through his hair. He sighed. “There is someone that I like very much…” He started.
“What?” She wondered.
“I’m in love with your best friend Yonai Chiyo.” He said it so sincerely that she could hardly believe it. So he did like Yonai after all. But why was he telling her this? “Therefore, I cannot accept your feelings.” He finished.
He thought she was confessing! Well she had originally planned to before she talked to her sister but still… she didn’t like the idea of him making such an assumption before even hearing her out. She got mad then and slapped him across the face. Surprised, he fell backwards onto his bed.
“I’m not confessing to you, moron!” She yelled.
“Eh?” He said holding his wounded face in shock. “Sakuba-chan doesn’t like me? Usually I can tell which girls like me…” He trailed off. She ignored his arrogant chatter.
“Sakuba Izuru.” She said.
“What?”
“Do you recognize that name?”
He paused, his mouth sideways in confusion. “Is he your brother perhaps?” He said misinterpreting the name as male.
“No, she is my sister and she went to your same high school.”
He frowned. “I don’t remember that name.”
“You bastard!” She yelled. “You two dated! You were her first love! You were the first person she slept with and then you broke it off without another word!” She said in a fury.
Ranmaru looked down at his hands. “I’m sorry, Sakuba. There were a lot of girls I dated in high school. I don’t remember any of them specifically…” He admitted lowly.
“You… you… you playboy!” She croaked in disbelief with her arm outstretched ready to slap him again. “Despicable… son of a…”
“It’s true.” He said looking down. “I am despicable. I was just using all those girls… I’m sorry for whatever I did to your sister. If you want to slap me again, go ahead. I know I deserve it.” He said clenching his eyes shut and waiting for the slap as Sakuba stood there with her arm raised. Instead Sakuba started crying.
“She… she forgave you.” She sobbed lowering her hand. “And it’s true that I did like you… but not anymore…” She said running out of the room with tears streaming down her face. Ranmaru simply sat there not calling out after her. She ran down the stairs sobbing barely able to see where she was going.
“Sakuba?” Gakuya said as she rushed out the door. He glared up the stairs and then ran after her. “Sakuba!” He yelled as she ran down Midori Lane.
“Go away! Don’t follow me!” She yelled back at him.
“Sakuba! Wait!” He said. Even though she had a head start, Gakuya was much faster and eventually caught up to her. He grabbed her arm.
“Don’t! Let go!” She cried breaking free and running behind a parked car.
“Sakuba.” He said again.
“Stay right there.” She ordered pointing to the other side of the car. “I don’t want you to see me like this…” She whispered ducking down besides the car.
“Sakuba-san…” Gakuya whispered and walked to the side of the car next to Sakuba who crouched there with her head down crying. “I’ll never forgive Ranmaru for making you cry.” He said silently.
Sakuba wiped her face and shook her head. “It’s not all his fault. It’s mine for having such unreal fantasies about him and not paying attention to the truth…” She said miserably.
Gakuya was silent as Sakuba wiped her nose with the back of her hand. She had calmed down a bit but still she had the occasional jerk of a sob. Still, Gakuya could barely take it. He could never stand to see a woman crying… and especially a woman like Sakuba.
“Forget Ranmaru…” He said reaching down to her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up iton a hug. “Date me instead.” He said softly in her ear.
She gasped and pulled away looking him in the eye. “Gakuya?” She wondered not sure she had heard him.
“Ever since you fended off Yokokawa, I’ve liked you. But you were too preoccupied with Ranmaru that I never said anything until now.”
“Gakuya…” She repeated as more tears streamed down her face. She clutched at him and continued crying into his chest. He patted her back as her hands gripped at the back of his shirt.
Sakuba was so shocked at Ichihara that she couldn’t speak. How did this woman seem to find things out so fast? It unnerved Sakuba Izumi. “Well I’m glad because I guess it means I have one less rival for Ranmaru’s love.”
“Uh…” Sakuba was still too shocked to say anything though under normal conditions she would have gotten angry. “Rival?” She repeated.
“Well I always knew you were more of a rival for Ranmaru than the girl of House 4.”
“Yonai?” Sakuba asked then her eyes narrowed angrily. “Why are you here?” She said gaining her sense back. How dare this girl bagger her in front of her dorm room.
Ichihara shrugged. “I’ve researched over forty different girls that Ranmaru has dated in high school, but I guess I should add Sakuba Izuru to the list.”
“Forty?”
Ichihara smiled like the devil. “And silly Ran-chan… my baby probably doesn’t even remember any of their names.”
Sakuba paused in disbelief. Then she had to ask… “You know all this and yet you still want to date him?” She gawked in disbelief.
Ichihara just laughed. “I admit at first I only went after him because I saw it as a challenge. There were so many girls who liked him that I thought it would be fun to woo him.” Sakuba shook her head. “But as I investigated him the more I thought… we might as well be each other’s match.” Ichihara continued tenderly.
“He’s a flirt and somewhat moody and spends more time on his appearance than most woman do.” She laughed. “Even though his confidence is through the roof, he still gets depressed like he’s manic depressive or something… These things all sound like bad things but to me… I love them. I’ve come to love everything about Ranmaru.”
Sakuba couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She didn’t know Ichihara that well and was shocked that the woman was confiding in her. “It sounds silly I know. Even I don’t understand it too much but…” She stopped to adjust her hat. “There’s no sense pondering on what is, if that’s just how it is.” She winked. Sakuba didn’t quite follow but still understood a bit of what she was talking about.
“Well… good luck with Ranmaru then.” Sakuba said and she sincerely meant it. It seemed that Ichihara really did have strong feelings for the playboy, in her own strange way.
Ichihara looked shocked at her words. “Thanks.” She said smiling. “No ones ever said that to me.”
“They haven’t?”
“Nope. Everyone in my family just assumes I’ll succeed.” She winked. It was then that Sakuba understood that even though the mysterious woman was confident, she still had her doubts.
All in all, it had been an interesting day for Sakuba Izumi as she watched the young aspiring detective walk away, her coat tails flapping behind her. Sakuba unlocked her door, stepped inside, and closed it behind her. She leaned against the door and scoffed in disbelief.
“Of all people… Gakuya?” She laughed to herself. She shook her head in disbelief and got ready for bed.
Kimiko files: Today Kimiko investigates… sleep schedules!
Fujita: The kid of House 4 has trouble staying up past ten o clock. Probably because he always wakes up around 5:30 or 5:45 to go running at 6AM. He’s always up super early but can’t stay up late… just like a little kid.
Ranmaru: Unlike his early rising room mate, Ranmaru is actually the complete opposite. He likes to stay up into the wee hours of the morning and sleep most of the day away. Which means he misses any morning classes or early shifts at work. Everyone knows that Ran-chan likes to sleep late!
Gakuya: While Gakuya doesn’t wake up as early as Fujita he is awake pretty much everyday by 8 o clock. Yet, he can stay up late doing work on the computer. He doesn’t seem to require much sleep.
Toujiwara: Toujiwara would rather sleep late but must get up for his 9-6 job at the motorcycle repair shop. On weekends or days off he usually sleeps in. He usually doesn’t stay up late if he has work the next day but can stay up late tinkering on his motorcycle in the garage, listening to music, or drawing motorcycles.
And there you have it! House 4’s circadian rhythms brought to you by the world’s greatest detective!
