Chapter 6: Kami-Sama It's You

Saku was cautious about where she walked with the children. Everywhere she went she seemed to run into the young man that appeared to be following her. She made Irei and Goshippu accompany her and the children wherever they went and whenever she was alone, she made sure to dress in clothes that she could run and fight in. She considered telling Kim Ji-Hoon about her stalker but in the end, figured it would only add to his stress, and she didn’t want that.

One night while Saku was running home, she did run into Baddobōizu as they were making their way home. They were aware of how she kept looking around fearfully, but when they asked, she boldly told them to mind their own business and that whatever she was dealing with she would deal with alone �"she made sure to glare at Kim Ji-Hoon the whole time-

Saku knew she would regret refusing the boys’ help but she just didn’t want to associate herself with Ji-Hoon anymore after everything… didn’t want to be a pain in his a*s…

-Saku’s head bobbed until she hit her desk

-As she slept, she found herself dreaming of the past

A young 11 year old Saku was sitting in the tennis court alone with her tennis equipment. She had tears running down her face as she moodily tossed a tennis ball into the air. She stood up suddenly and began to pack up her things to leave when a hand pats her shoulder. She turned around and standing behind her was an older boy with short dark brown hair and bright brown eyes. He wore a huge smile on his face and held a tennis racket…

“Come on Saku, I promised I would come and play with you!”

Saku angrily pouted at the older boy and looked away, “I thought you were going to show me up again Nikui.”

Nikui visibly flinched when Saku didn’t even add a chan or kun to his name, “Aw come on… I know you’re angry an all�"”

Saku pushed him to the side as she tried to move, “You didn’t even let me know you were not going to come last time… You were my ride home remember?! I don’t have anyone who can drive me around and everything like you do so I was left to prowl the streets ‘cause I stayed later than I should! I should have just left when you didn’t show up after two hours!”

Nikui immediately realized that Saku was talking about having no parents anymore. He knew how devastated she was about the whole crash and was aware that it took her tennis partner two months to make sure she wouldn’t try to kill herself again… those two months he stayed with her day and night, even stopped going to high school for it… Nikui found himself feeling horrible… he was Saku’s best friend but he couldn’t even meet her for a simple game of tennis… a simple game that can easily have her smiling like her old self.

Nikui reached out and pulled Saku back and embraced her tightly, “Gomen ne Saku-chan… I’m sorry okay?” he noticed that Saku didn’t even move, but she started to shake… and then she wrapped her arms around his waist and he felt the warm tears drench his shirt, “I’m sorry… please don’t cry…”

Saku continued to cry into her best friend’s chest, “I thought you weren’t going to show up again… I thought you were going to leave me all alone again…”

Nikui held Saku tighter, dread pooling in his stomach. Just that day he and his father had gotten into a huge argument about him becoming the head of the family company… and that would mean Nikui would have to travel to the United States to continue his schooling there… he would have to leave Saku alone…

Nikui ran a hand through Saku’s hair, “Saku… I uh… I need to tell you something…”

Saku pulled back immediately with a scowl plastered onto her face, “You have to leave.” She said in a ‘matter-of-fact’ tone.

Nikui looked away, “Uh…”

Saku roughly wiped her face clean, “I know that your dad wants you to go to the U.S. to study… he even came and asked me to talk to you about it… to convince you to go…”

Saku was obviously pissed and he knew it… but Nikui knew one thing that he could do to make her feel better. Tentatively, Nikui pulled Saku into another embrace. He smartly crossed his legs to prevent her from harming his genital area like the last time he tried to soothe her anger and spoke quietly to the younger girl, “Look… I’m sorry that I haven’t been there like I should… but you did tell me you didn’t want to see me again when I first visited you in the hospital after the crash… You’re the one who pushed me away Saku-chan…”

Nikui felt Saku cringe, “You shouldn’t have believed me baka!”

Nikui held her tighter, “I know… but I was afraid that you would become so angered and annoyed with me that I would lose you forever… and my father, thinking we were pissed at each other, decided to try to get me to leave…”

Saku let out a huff, but she didn’t push her friend away. Nikui took a deep breath and pulled back slightly in order to press a chaste kiss to Saku’s pouted lips. She pulled back to look at him with wide brown eyes.

Nikui gave her a gentle smile, “I may have to leave the country… but I promise I will come back to you…” He wiped away a stray tear, “So let’s play one last good game of tennis before I have to leave…”

When Saku only looked down, Nikui tilted her head up to stare into her eyes, “Saku… I promise I’ll return and find you again and take care of you and give you the life you truly deserve… I promise you I’ll come back to you… itoshii…”

 -Saku woke up with a snort

“… Nani…?”

-She looked up to see Irei staring at her

“Saku… you were crying…”

-Saku wiped at her eyes and then laughed

“… Don’t worry about me… What time is it?”

“Um… it is… 5:30…”

-Saku fell out of her seat

“NANI?! Why the hell didn’t you wake me up?! I’ve got to pick up the kids then go to work and… and�"”

-Irei grabbed Saku and shook her gently

“Saku calm down… Goshippu picked up the kids and I told your manager at the restaurant that you were going to be late… that was one dream I didn’t want to wake you from…”

-Saku let out a sigh and Irei asked

“What were you dreaming about?”

-Saku shook her head and grabbed Irei’s arm

“I have to get ready for work… and you have to help Goshippu…”

Saku roughly shoved the remnants of her dream to the back of her head as she raced home in order to change into the outfit Tsuyoi had bought for her. When Saku made it to the restaurant, she received a text. Before starting work, Saku checked the message… from Amai: ‘Who is following you? You’re running from something… so tell us so we can help!’

Saku sent a reply and then made her way to the stage where she sat by the piano, shooting a smile at her violin partner: ‘Stay out of my business… I don’t need to add to anyone’s list of troubles… I can deal with everything on my own…’

-Saku was just finishing her solo when her manager came up to her

“Saku… someone has specifically requested you wait their table… he paid quite a lump to have you… he seems important…”

-Saku tilted her head, but set her violin down

“… He wants me to be his waitress? Eh… where’s the table?”

-Her manager pointed to a table all the way in the back

-Saku nodded to her violin partner before jumping down to wait the mysterious man’s table

-Upon arrival, Saku realized that it was the man that was following her

-She looked around before leaning over to jab a finger into the man’s shoulder and hissing

“Look, I don’t know who you are or why you seem to have such an interest in me… but if you try anything, don’t think that I’ll just be some damsel in distress. I will not hold back… I’ll gladly kick your a*s!!”  

-The man simply smirked before whacking her hand away

-He stood up suddenly and Saku was surprised to find herself caught in his tight embrace

“L-let me go!!”

-Saku’s eyes widened when the stranger said something very familiar to her

“You can’t even remember how I look? That’s very saddening… I do believe and hope that you remembered… I promised you that I was going to come back to you itoshii?”

-Saku narrowed her eyes as everything clicked

“… Kami-sama it’s you… Nikui…”

“Ha, you at least remembered my name Saku-kun! You’ve gotten very violent over the years… and shorter it would seem.”

-Saku’s eye twitched and she grit her teeth in anger

“… You son of a b***h…”

“… Huh…? Did you just�"AHG!!”

-Nikui couldn’t finish his question because he was reduced to a moaning mess on the ground, holding his genital area where Saku’s knee made contact… attracting the attention of most in the restaurant

-Saku looked down at her friend with a smirk

“Dear gods I can’t believe it’s you.”