"There."

Fuji Syusuke fluffed out the hair of his customer and held up a mirror.

"I hope you find it to your satisfaction."

The young woman gazed at the back of her head, which was reflected by two mirrors: one in Fuji's hand, the other of the large mirror in front of her. Her shoulder-length hair, which was originally pencil-straight, had now sprouted in beautiful tiny curls, glossy and sparkling.

"Excellent!" she exclaimed. "You are a genius, Fuji-kun!"

When the young lady paid and left, Kikumaru Eiji, another hair stylist, couldn't help asking, "Ne, ne, don't you think she fancies you?"

Fuji smiled. "You flatter me, Eiji. However, I believe that Tachibana is going out with someone else."

Eiji pouted. "And I thought she'd be a good match for you."

A stern voice halted their conversation. "Your customer is waiting, Eiji."

"Tezuka tencho! Sorry, sorry!" Eiji quickly resumed his work.

Feeling thirsty, Fuji went to the counter and poured some water. However, his little break was soon terminated.

The glass door of the hair saloon was pushed open, accompanied by a tinkling of bells hanging on the door.

Fuji quickly threw away the paper cup and greeted the new customer.

"Welcome." he said with his trademark smile. "Have you an appointment with a specific hairdresser?"

The new customer shook her head. She was a small, slender girl with two long braids that reached her waist.

"In that case, allow me to assist you." Fuji showed her to an empty seat.

The girl sat down, glancing a little nervously at the surroundings. Near her feet was a pile of hair from a previous customer.

"Ah, gomen." Fuji immediately went for a broom and swept up the mess.

"There." he smiled at the girl warmly. "Would you care to tell me what hair style you desire?"

"I--I want my hair cut."

"Right." Fuji continued to smile encouragingly. "What length do you have in mind?"

The girl hesitated. Apparently, she hadn't decided when she came.

"Um--" she gestured to her neck. "--here?"

Fuji opened his eyes. "So much?"

She bit her lip. "Hai."

"Forgive me, but may I inquire why you want to cut your hair?" Fuji couldn't resist touching a strand of her hair. As he expected, it was soft and smooth, like the finest silk. "It is beautiful."

The girl blushed a little. But soon she bowed her head.

"He...he said my hair was too long."

So it was a boy. Boyfriend, perhaps?

Fuji pictured the girl in front of him with short hair. Not a really enticing image.

Well, he had to do what the customer said. But he was allowed to voice his opinion, ne?

"If you wish, I will certainly do so." Fuji said. "But do you really want to cut your hair?"

The girl hesitated. Her fingers scrunched the folds of her skirt.

"How about this," Fuji proposed, seeing that she was in a dilemma. "I'll wash your hair first, and then you shall decide. Okay?"

She nodded, seeming satisfied at the suggestion.

Fuji got to work. When he took out the rubber bands that bound her braids, he was almost stupefied by the sight. Her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, framing her small face perfectly, giving a touch of sophistication to her youthful innocence.

Eiji, who passed by with a large dryer, whistled. "That's some hair! Ne, ne, care to tell us your name?"

The girl blushed. "Ryuzaki Sakuno."

"Ryuzaki-chan!" Eiji sang. "Such a pretty name!"

Fuji silently agreed. The scent of her hair reminded him of cherry blossoms.

"Okay." he finished shampooing. "Please come this way."

He led her to the back, where they rinsed the customers' hair.

Fuji turned on the water. "Is the temperature all right?"

"Hai." Sakuno said. "Ano--"

"Yes?"

"Do you play any sport?"

"I used to play tennis."

"Oh!" She moved her head slightly. "Uh...uh...do you think long hair will affect one's ability to play tennis?"

Fuji smiled. If his guess was correct, the girl has been playing tennis, and her boyfriend said that her hair was too long.

"Well, I don't know for sure, since my hair is much shorter than yours."

Her mouth curved up a bit, and he felt his heart skip a beat. She really looked so sweet when she smiled. Even if it was only a tiny smile.

"But many tennis players have long hair. Perhaps not as long as yours, but I believe that concentrating on your grip, serve, forehand, volley...etc., is more important than worrying about your hair length."

Her eyes widened. He noticed that she had pretty eyes--large, expressive, limpid. Like sparkling red wine.

Fuji turned the taps off, squeezed water from her hair, and handed her a towel to wrap her hair with.

"Besides, I always thought that one should live for himself. You have the power to decide for yourself. Don't let others influence you easily."

She stared at him, her hands still holding her hair in place.

"Gomen." Fuji immediately said. "I hope I didn't offend you."

"Iie." Sakuno shook her head. "Thank you for telling me your opinion. It was very helpful."

She stood up, and smiled at him. Again, he felt his heart beat faster.

"I've decided. I'm not going to cut my hair. But please trim the ends--they are getting uneven."

Fuji smiled. "It shall be done."

A quarter later, Fuji finished his work. He had blow-dried Sakuno's hair, trimmed the ends of her hair, and fashioned her hair into a princess-hairstyle.

"Wahhh!" Eiji bounced over. "You're so cute, Ryuzaki-chan!"

Sakuno blushed deeply. "Iie." Glancing at Fuji's name tag, she added, "It's all Fuji-san's doings."

When she paid at the counter, Sakuno gave Fuji a bow. "Thank you, Fuji-san."

As he looked into her eyes, he knew that she wasn't just referring to the hair-styling.

"You're welcome. If you ever need a haircut, please stop by again."

She smiled. "Hai."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But she never came.

Eiji mentioned her a few times, commenting how pretty she looked especially after Fuji handled her hair, and how he hoped that the "cute little girl" would visit again.

Fuji would smile and nod his agreement in a nonchalant way, for he didn't want his friends to suspect how deep an impact the girl had on him. It wasn't just her loveliness--he was no stranger to pretty girls. His sister, for instance, was gorgeous. But Ryuzaki Sakuno possessed a special charm to him. Her sweetness, like a delicate pink rose, was refreshing. Her vulnerability made her normal, and made him want to shield her from harm. And her trust in him--him, a total stranger, was something that warmed his heart to no end.

Still, what was the use thinking about her? She had a boyfriend--most likely did, from the way she talked. All he could do is pray that her boyfriend wouldn't bring her unhappiness.

It was really strange, and perhaps unhealthy too, to have a crush on a person you only saw for an hour. He had never felt this way before. Usually he was the one to avoid girls.

As time flew by, he knew he should forget about her and move on, even though he didn't really want to. Deep down inside, he still had the faint glimmer of hope that one day their paths would cross again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A year passed.

This day Fuji paid a visit to his brother's tennis match. Yuuta, who was now a senior, was going to have his "last chance for glory." Soon he would be a college freshman.

Fuji went to the regional tournament and was pleased to see that his younger brother had improved even more in his tennis. His opponents were tough, but Yuuta managed to win through every one of them.

When the tournament was over, Fuji sought his brother.

"Congratulations, Yuuta. You played really well."

Yuuta was secretly pleased, though he did his best not to show it. "It's only the beginning, aniki." he said gruffly. "We still have a long way to go."

"Aniki has faith in you." Fuji said, smiling. "Say, Yuuta. Why don't you take a break and come home for a while?"

"Huh?"

"I hear nee-san is going to make your favourite dessert."

After Fuji's relentless persuading, Yuuta finally gave in. "All right, all right. Just let me go back to the dorm to get a few things."

"Good. I'll see you later then."

Fuji departed with a cheerful feeling. His younger brother would be home.

As he headed out, he heard the sound of a tennis ball being hit back and forth. Seemed that there was another tournament nearby.

He didn't pay much attention, until a voice called out, "One set match, Ryuzaki to serve."

The name "Ryuzaki" dawned on him like rays of morning light.

Before he knew it, he was running towards the court where he heard the voice. He found a place where he could observe the court clearly, and looked.

A girl, holding the tennis racket with both hands, was watching her opponent closely.

Two long braids hung down her back.

It's her.

His heart could have stopped right then. After a whole year of fruitless yearning, he finally found her.

Fuji feasted his eyes on the girl of his dreams. She looked just as sweet as he remembered--small face, large eyes, long hair--but her expression was completely different. As she focused on hitting the ball, she wore a steadfast, determined look. It showed a side of her that he hadn't seen before, and he liked what he saw.

"Game to Ryuzaki, 6-1!"

A cheer rose within the crowd. Sakuno smiled.

Fuji smiled too.

When she emerged from the court, still holding a bottle of water, Fuji came up to her.

Her eyes widened.

"Fu--Fuji-san?"

"I am." Fuji was delighted that she still remembered his name. "Ryuzaki-san."

"It has been a long time."

"Indeed." he agreed. "Where have you been?"

"I--I was in Australia as an exchange student. I only came back last month."

So that explained things. Suddenly, Fuji felt his heart lighten up. But not yet. There was still something left to be asked.

"I see your hair is still as long as I last cut it."

Sakuno blushed a little. "Hai. I like it this way."

"And him? Did he mind that you didn't cut it?"

"Oh..." Sakuno gave a shrug. "...he didn't care. But it doesn't matter anymore. We broke up."

"So you're not seeing anyone?"

"No."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

"Eh?" Sakuno was startled by the glint in his eye.

"Perhaps you'd think I am out of my mind," Fuji looked a hundred percent serious now. ", but I've been wanting to see you again, ever since I did your hair. I know we had only met for a short time, but I wanted to know you better."

Sakuno stared at him for a moment.

"If you're crazy, then I must be too," she said softly. "You gave me hope and confidence when I was down. I--I've always thought of you, even when I was abroad. But I kept telling myself not to be stupid, because it was only a one-time encounter."

She bowed her head, her cheeks crimson from her confession. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her hair, gently brushing away some strands of stray hair from her face.

Sakuno raised her head, and saw Fuji smiling at her. He looked so positively happy that a radiant glow seemed to surround him.

"If you have nothing to do, would you like to come to my house for dinner today?"

"To--today?" So fast?

"Yes." Fuji gave her his best smile. "My sister makes the best desserts."

"Okay."

Fuji held out his hand. Sakuno, after the slightest hesitation, laid her hand on his palm. His fingers closed around hers slowly, and she could feel the heat from his hand, giving her warmth.

Together, they walked along the path, the sound of leaves crunching under their feet. In the rosy glow of the setting sun, the silhouettes of their figures were softened and blurred, like the colours of an impressionist painting.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That night...

"Aniki! Who...?"

"Yuuta, meet your future sister-in-law."

"What?"

"Fu--Fuji-san!"

"Just kidding, just kidding. But you can't deny such a possibility, can you?"

"Aniki..."

"Everyone! Dinner is ready!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: I know I should be writing my other FujiSaku fanfic, but since this is a oneshot, I thought I'd finish it first. Ryoma's presence is implied, but on the other hand, Sakuno's boyfriend could be anyone. Anyway, the point is that she ends up with Fuji.

I'm working on my next FujiSaku, a medieval romance, but to tell the truth...I'm not so obssessed with PoT as I used to be. I'll do my best, anyway.

Happy holidays!