Chapter 16:

Bang! Sasaki and Josiane’s Face-off

The Significance of Love


“ Ryuji, are you okay?” As we entered the room, what we saw then left all of us perplexed. Sasaki was shouting but that wasn’t what got our attention at all. It was Ryuji’s condition that got all of us worried.

“ Ryuji, what happened?” Anthony, Patricia, and Sabrina sit by Ryuji’s bedside. His state was worrying as he was shedding tears, unable to stop. What could have happened to put him in such a state, that was what we were all wondering about.

As Anthony, Patricia, and Sabrina tried their best to know what could have happened in the room, Josiane stared angrily at Sasaki. Sasaki on the other hand was furious just having Josiane in her presence.

“ Why have you come inside?” Sasaki stared at me as she asked me that question with all the hate she could gather. She clenched her fits as if she wanted to throw them at me.

“ I don’t think I need your permission to be here or enter this room.” You’re nothing to tell me what to do.” My response angered her all the more. I didn’t care about the disdained look she was giving me. Ryuji’s sobbing tears were the only thing that had any kind of importance at that very moment.

“ What did you do to Ryuji for him to be this way?” What happened here? What the hell did you do, Sasaki?”

Anthony was beyond angry to see his friend in a sobbing state. Inquiring to Sasaki what could have happened was the only thing he could think of as she was the one inside with him.

“ I did nothing. I was just talking to my fiance.” How am I supposed to know why he got so emotional all of a sudden?” She showed a sarcastic expression as those words came out of her mouth.

“ You must have done something to him for him to be like that.” Just what the hell did you do?” Being pressured by Anthony from all angles, Sasaki snapped and revealed the truth out of disdain.

Just listening to her speak, the fire in Josiane’s eyes got tremendous bit by bit. She was so angry at what she was hearing that she almost snapped.

Sasaki glared at me and then said, “ It’s your fault. Everything that happened is your fault. Who told you to ruin my engagement?”

“ Just because of you, my engagement got canceled and my makeup was ruined. Someone had to pay for that, right?” As she kept speaking, I was just listening to her without saying anything. When she finished her drama, it was now my turn to act.

“ So, if I get what you’re saying, you disrespected our relationship because your engagement had to be canceled, am I right?” I was so angry that my anger hid my face. I wouldn’t have recognized myself had I seen myself at that moment.

“ We must do something to stop Josiane or else—-----------” Patricia and Josiane started to get scared and Anthony and Ryuji were adamant as to why they were so concerned about Josiane. Anthony thought of asking the reason for their anxiety.

“ What are you so anxious about?”

Anthony asked the girls the forwarded question but the response that came along with it, however, wasn’t one he wanted to hear.

“ Josiane is an exceptional and rare martial artist. In our club, she’s feared the most not because of her strength but because of—-------------------” Patricia stopped mid-way in the middle of the conversation.

“ Because of what?”

Sabrina continued where Patricia had left off, “ Her anger is what she’s most feared of. Whenever she’s angry, that’s when she’s the most dangerous. No one can guess what she’ll do when she’s in that state. Not only her anger but her strength increases tremendously.”

Hearing her words, Ryuji didn't want the irreparable to happen so he gathered his strength and stood up. He stepped up towards Josiane and hugged her. Josiane and Sasaki were startled by this.

“ Ryuji, what are you doing?” I asked Ryuji who wouldn’t let go of me. I didn’t understand why he would hug me so suddenly. What was the reason behind it?

“ Sakamoto-San, I/m fine. Please, don’t get angry!” Nothing happened.”

Understanding the reason behind Ryuji’s sudden act, my anger only intensified. I did my best to throw him off me but Ryuji held on to me tighter with all the strength of his being. Why wouldn’t he let go of me? Why was he so adamant about protecting her? Did he love her so much to go against me? All my questions found their answer on their own.

Ryuji gasped as he said to me, “ Believe me when I say that I’m not stopping you because of Sasaki. I’m stopping you only because I don’t intend for you to hurt yourself.”

His words confused me. What did he mean by that?

“ If you hurt Sasaki, you’ll be the one hurting the most. I don’t want you to feel even an ounce of pain, Sakamoto-San. I want you to always be smiling as you’ve always been.” He said and I could feel his honesty for me, however, there’s something I wanted to know.

“ Why?” Why don’t you ever want to see me in pain?” Ryuji let go of me and stared straight into my eyes with his sobbing tears.

“ That’s because I care for you, Sakamoto-San and because of that care I have for you, I don’t want you to ever dirty your hands for anyone.” As he said that, he glared at Sasaki like never before. Sasaki felt a pressure she never felt before go through her whole body.

(He cares for me? In what way?)

The doctor came just then and wondered what was happening in the room.

“ Sasaki, please leave! We have no more to say to each other.” Ryuji looked away from her. He didn’t want to see her face as he was still hurting very much inside. However, the tears were still very much present and wouldn’t stop coming.

“ Never in my life would I have guessed that you would have behaved that way towards me. I never would have imagined, not even in my wildest dreams that you had that side to you, Sasaki. Please leave! I don’t ever want to see you again.”

Sasaki realizing that she was about to lose everything, thought of winning him over with her acting. “ Ryuji, listen to me! You got me all wrong. I talked to you that way because I was jealous.”

“ Jealous of what, Sasaki?” What were you so jealous of?”

“ Your relationship with her was what got me this jealous to which I said all those words to you without thinking. Please, forgive me!” She acted her pathetic self in front of him and thought this time around, her trick will work just like it did all the years they’ve been together until now.

“ I share a special relationship with Sakamoto-San. She’s my friend and the second person who accepted me for who I am and not my wealth. I can’t say the same of you, Sasaki.” Ryuji’s words were just too shocking for Sasaki to hear.

“ You have been with me since birth. I thought among everyone, you were the one who knew me best, but I was wrong. You never knew me nor did you ever care for me, Sasaki because if you did, you wouldn’t have said that no one would ever be my friend without an ulterior motive.”

“ When our engagement was set, I was against it because I only ever saw you as a sister. There was even a time when I thought I could come to love you with time but that isn’t what I think anymore. I could never come to love someone such as you, ever.” Please leave before my noble sentiments turn to hate.”

Sasaki was broken by all Ryuji had said to her. She left the room silently afterward. The doctor left along with her and the door shut itself.

“ I’m sorry, Sakamoto-San!” He lowered his gaze as he apologized to me.

“ Why are you apologizing to me when you’re the one hurting the most?” I caressed his cheeks gently as I wiped out the tears from his eyes. His eyes were bright red due to all the crying.

“ Sakamoto-San, may I ask you something?”

“ Of course!” What is it, Ryuji?” He lowered his gaze once more and was now playing with his hands. After playing with his hands for a while, he looked at me.

“ May I hug you?” He lowered his gaze yet again after formulating his request. Of all the things, I didn’t think he would ask me something so abstract.

“ Didn’t you hug me once already?” He lifted his head and stared at me deeply, then looked away nonchalantly. When he was going away from me, I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards me in an embrace.

“ Why are you giving up so quickly?” Ryuji’s face was so close to me that I blushed uncontrollably. Patricia, Sabrina, and Anthony were still in the room and they were all watching us in awe.

“ Why is your face so red, Sakamoto-San?” You’re not sick, are you?”

“ No!” Everything’s fine, Ryuji.” I helped Ryuji back to his bed and left the room for some fresh air as I was suffocating inside.

(What’s wrong with me?)

The following day, Ryuji was discharged from the hospital and brought home. His father was the one who came to fetch him. I was happy to see Fujimiya-San caring for his son after being apart for so long and showing him love.

(I’m happy for you, Ryuji. Now, you shall get all the happiness that’s rightfully yours.)