Snow and the Knight of Darkness – Part 1

Sakura tried not to think about Darcy and his rejection that morning, but it was hard. She thought back as to why he wouldn’t kiss her after he’d won the race. Perhaps he no longer wanted her? Perhaps he no longer loved her?

“What’s wrong, Sakura-chan?” Akira asked at the door.

Sakura looked up, surprised to see Akira there, already dressed in her yukata. This one was very beautiful, a light blue with floral design.

“I did knock,” Akira said.

Jane poked her head in behind Akira. “Sakura, haven’t you showered yet?”

Sakura cocked her head to one side as Jane came into the room. The woman was dressed in a green yukata that matched her eyes perfectly. She looked very fetching without her glasses on and her blond hair up in a pretty bun.

“Jane, you look beautiful,” Sakura said.

Jane blushed. “Akira helped me with the yukata.” She did a little spin to show off the garment to Sakura. “I’ve never worn one before, but I love this. I’m going to get one to wear on special occasions.”

Sakura laughed. “I might buy one as well.”

Akira sighed with vexation at the two women who were still talking when they were running out of time. She took matters into her own hands, because otherwise, they really were going to be late. She grabbed ahold of Sakura’s wrist and pulled her up from the bed.

“Sakura-chan, I know you’re tired from organizing and preparing the celebration, but you have to get ready before everyone arrives.”

Sakura sighed, reluctant. What she really wanted to do was collapse on the bed and sleep forever. She couldn’t believe she got tired so easily these days. Of course, she’d been up since five this morning, wanting to take a swim before the pool got too crowded. Then Sebastian and Darcy had come in. There had been the race and the expected kiss that didn’t happen.

When she’d returned to the apartment, she got down to helping the housekeeper and Haruka with preparing food for Sosuke’s birthday celebration. Jane had arrived not long after and helped out as well.

Akira nudged her into the bathroom, followed by a slap on Sakura’s bottom for her to hurry up. Sakura jumped and laughed wholeheartedly.

“You’re acting like you’re my oneesan,” Sakura jested.

Akira raised her brows. “Oh? Don’t you want an oneesan like me, Sakura-chan?”

“Actually,” Sakura said, smiling, “I do. To be honest, I consider you as one.”

“Then be a good imoutosan and go shower.” Akira gave Sakura another nudge between the shoulder blades to get her moving. “Otherwise, you’ll really make us late for dinner.”

“What’s oneesan?” Jane asked from behind. “And imoutosan?”

Akira said, “Oneesan is older sister and imoutosan is younger sister in Japanese.”

“Oh!” Jane expressed as she clasped her hands together. “If we’re going to be sisters, non-related of course, I think I will be the oldest. I know what we should do. We should form a sisterhood or something.”

Sakura cocked her head to one side, a thoughtful look on her face. “Jane, are you serious?”

Jane nodded her head. “I’m totally serious. But that means I’d be the oldest.”

Akira asked, “How old are you?”

Jane went bright red and murmured, “Twenty-eight.”

“Then you are the oldest. I’m twenty-seven,” Akira said as she really made Sakura go into the bathroom by gently jostling her in. “I’m going to get Sakura’s yukata, and you, sister Jane, make sure she doesn’t come out until she’s totally done.”

“Sister Jane?” Sakura couldn’t hide her giggle.

Akira shut the door in her face, blocking her mirth from Jane’s view. Then she headed out the door.

“Sister Jane?” Jane said in outrage, frowning. “You make me sound like a nun!”

Akira laughed from the corridor, and Jane, finally finding the funny side of it, joined in on the laughter, too.

Alone inside the bathroom, Sakura stripped herself naked and then went into the shower. As the water pounded down on her, she touched her fingers to her lips, her mind on Sebastian and Darcy.

“Stop it!” she muttered under her breath. “You shouldn’t be upset if Darcy’s decided he no longer likes you. After all, you left him without saying good-bye. Of course he’d forget about you.”

The realization of that reality hurt, and Sakura felt herself shake uncontrollably with emotions.

“Sakura?” Jane called out from the other side. “Hurry up. Your parents have just arrived. I can see them down at the street.”

Sakura swore under her breath and quickly concentrated all her attention on cleaning herself. She was done and out of the shower five minutes later, her long hair and body dripping wet. She wrapped a towel around her person and then rushed out of the room.

“Are they really here already?” she asked as she busied patting her hair with another towel.

Jane nodded.

“Hold on. I need underwear,” she said and rushed to the drawer. She found herself a pair of panties and bra and then dashed back into the bathroom. When she returned ten minutes later, underwear on as well as light makeup done, Akira was there with a floral yukata set out for her.

“Sakura-chan,” Akira said. “We’re late, and it’s not good. Sosuke said the brothers are heading down now.”

“Jesus!” Sakura muttered. “Help me, Akira. I don’t know how to put the yukata on.”

“It’s your own fault,” Akira muttered. “We did tell you to get ready sooner.”

“But there was so much to do,” Sakura defended.

Jane decided to help. She came around and pulled Sakura’s towel off her body.

“Jane!” Sakura shrieked, “What are you doing?”

“Helping you get ready,” Jane replied cheerfully.

Akira handed Jane the traditional Japanese underwear of long white robe. Once Sakura had it on, Akira returned her attention to the yukata itself. She wrapped the material on Sakura while Jane started blow-drying Sakura’s long hair.

Akira folded the right side of the yukata on the front and then the left on top of that. Next she tied the sashes, one about Sakura’s waist and one just under her breasts. Sakura tested the knots to make sure they wouldn’t go loose on her by accident. After that, Akira wrapped the inner belt around Sakura’s middle and then the obi on top, tying the bright material into a perfect bow at the back.

Akira stood back and admired her handiwork. “Wow!”

Jane cocked her head to one side and said, “You look amazing, Sakura.”

“Are we done?” Sakura asked, looking at Akira.

“Err…”

Akira didn’t get to finish her sentence because Sakura rushed out the door. Akira turned to look at Jane.

“I wasn’t finished yet,” Akira said. “Her front isn’t done up properly.”

Jane just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

Sakura knew she was late, and she hadn’t yet finished setting up the low tables. She was in such a rush that she didn’t look at where she was going. She raced along the corridor, intending to go into the dining room. Suddenly, she smashed right into the arms of one of the men she’d been thinking about all day. She froze the moment she felt him embracing her. She slowly lifted her gaze and swallowed when she saw the hot, intense mauve-gray eyes watching her.

Sakura licked her lips and said, “Darcy, you’re early.”

Tristan chuckled from behind. “We’re not early, Sakura darling. We are on time.”

Sakura hesitantly moved out of Darcy’s arms, blushing. Then she looked behind Darcy to see both Tristan and Logan. All three men were wearing the yukata as well, and they definitely looked hot, especially because they didn’t wear any shirts underneath and the V-shape about the front was showing their muscular chests. For Darcy, she could slightly see the tattoo of the sakura flower. The view was very enticing, and she had the uncontrollable desire to caress the firmness of his toned chest. She quickly flicked her mind away from the too tempting, too hot, brooding Darcy and wondered where everyone else was.

To answer her questioning gaze, Darcy said, “Everyone is already in the living room.”

“Oh,” was Sakura’s reply, her eyes on him. She noted the intense gaze scorching her person and felt a delicious shiver coursing down her body. She quickly glanced away, breathless.

Logan came around to her and gave her a great big hug. He squeezed her tight and said, “You look beautiful, Sakura, in that yukata. Here, let me arrange it properly on you.”

Logan was about to touch the material of the yukata about her chest when Darcy slapped his hand away. Logan said, “Then why don’t you do it? She can’t go in looking like that.”

Confused as to what Logan meant, Sakura glanced down at herself and wanted to die. Though her yukata fit her perfectly, her front wasn’t arranged properly and was left wide open, showing off her milky white skin. She blushed and started pulling the material up.

“You’re not doing it right,” Darcy said, his hand on her, stopping her action.

Sakura’s heart fluttered in her chest as she gazed up at him.

He doesn’t love me anymore, she told herself. When he let go of her hands, she dropped them to her sides.

Darcy gently touched the material of the yukata about her chest, his fingers lightly caressing her skin. She sucked in her breath and a slight groan escaped her lips. She avoided his gaze as he rearranged the yukata for her. Her body was tense and as stiff as a pole. When he was done, he dropped his hands and took a step back.

Tristan cocked his head to one side and looked at Darcy’s handiwork. “Nice. Very nice.” Then he grabbed Sakura by the elbow and said, “Shall we join the others?”

At Sakura’s tentative nod, he led her toward the living area. Just as they were about to enter, Sakura turned to look over her shoulder at Darcy. She winced inside when she realized he wasn’t even looking at her. He was staring straight ahead, his face a mask of stone.

She sighed and returned her attention to Tristan, who was saying how excited he was about the upcoming photo shoot in Hawaii.

“It’s my first time modeling,” he said. “Hmm, I might consider it as a future career.”

Logan laughed at his brother mockingly. “You’re a bit too late for that industry, Tristan. If you didn’t make at least five billion a year with our business, he wouldn’t have considered you at all.”

Tristan turned to look at his brother. “Nah, I think Mr. Tachibana would still consider me. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have begged us so many times.”

They finally reached the living area, and Sakura came to a sudden stop. The scene was indeed heartwarming and tugged deep within her heart. Everyone she knew and cared for her was there, mingling, chatting, and laughing merrily. Sosuke was the center of everyone’s attention since it was his birthday. He was turning thirty in a mere few minutes.

The four people walked in and joined the group. James caught Sakura’s attention and signaled her to join him and Brenda. Not a moment later, Sakura found herself sitting beside her adoptive parents. They complimented her yukata, and she simply brushed aside their praises, telling them it belonged to Akira and she had aided her with getting dressed. And apparently Darcy, but she didn’t mention that.

A few moments later, Akira and Jane called to Sakura. Sakura rushed over to them, and the girls went about setting up the tables for dinner while everyone else continued to tease Sosuke about how old he was getting and that he should find himself a girlfriend and settle down soon. Some ten minutes later, the rest joined them and they were ready.

The place was set as a traditional Japanese dining area with Tatami mat, low tables connected together to fit everyone in, and cushions. On the tables, dining sets were arranged elegantly with designer plates in the middle, chopsticks to the right, a bowl of miso soup per person to the left, and various assortments of dishes in the middle. There were gyoza, salads with ginger dressing, sushi of various sorts cutely decorated and shaped into panda bears as well as the basic traditional type, karaage, tonkatsu, yakizakana, yakitori, onigiri, sashimi of various sorts, and of course, tempura and pickled vegetables.

Conrad, with Toby in his arms, quickly claimed the seat beside Sakura to her left. She laughed as he started playing with her long hair, which was down, as it had only recently been washed. Sebastian took the seat beside her to her right.