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Ryo.Saku
Nono.Melon

Epilogue

Sakuno woke to the sound of rain hitting the window. She groaned and rose, checking her surroundings, and decided something was missing. Something very important. Something named Ryoma.

She looked at her body, which was covered in various love marks. Memories of last night returned, much to her embarrassment. She was so inexperienced, and Ryoma was like a master…she looked at her hands and a sudden realization hit her.

Protection. They never used protection. She swallowed, what if she got pregnant? Ryoma would surely be mad at her, especially since he didn't want to have sex with her in the first place. She bit her lip and breathed slowly. What day was it? The middle of the month… her period usually came at the beginning of the month… a chance…Sakuno held back her tears.

If she did end up pregnant, she would never tell him. She could live life with the child, blessed upon his ignorance, while Ryoma continued as usual. When the child reached a certain age, she could tell him his father's name.

She got out of bed and began getting ready to leave. She doubted he wanted her there when he returned, and she had some housework that needed to get done…

She let this Cinderella night go on too long.

"Eh, you finally got a girlfriend, Echizen-san," the newscaster said, astonished. "Who's the lucky girl? Is she Japanese? Or foreign?"

"Japanese," Ryoma replied, regretting the slip up. The last thing he needed was to bring their relationship out in the open, especially since he had to leave her in the morning, especially when he had taken her virginity the night before.

"Her name?"

"Sakuno."

The host lifted his eyebrows in surprise, "You're already calling her by her first name? How long have you been together?"

Ryoma looked away in thought. How long had he thought of her as his own? They were just friends for a couple of years… "A year."

The host gave an exaggerated gasp. "And you didn't tell us?"

Ryoma chuckled, "I didn't know her answer until now."

He wrinkled his nose in confusion, "Know her answer?"

Ryoma nodded. He had told his country about Sakuno, and knowing the power of reporters, they were probably calling her the second after he said her name. They know where he was staying, and what name he was under, all they had to do was ask the front girls... He hoped she had either stayed in his suite or gotten out already, because she was in for a rude surprise if she hadn't.

Sakuno had just finished putting on her dress from the night before when her cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Are you Echizen Ryoma's girlfriend, Sakuno-san," a male voice spat out, "Would you have a word with us?"

Sakuno dropped the phone. Ryoma.. admitted that she was his girlfriend… she felt her eyes tear up and she quickly wiped them away and picked up her phone. "I-I'm sorry but I can't talk right now," she said and clicked off. As soon as she did, her phone rang again. She clicked it off and sat on the sofa and turned on the television.

"Know her answer?"

Ryoma nodded. "I…"

Sakuno smiled as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Atashi mo," she whispered, "Atashi mo."