And Then, They Fell in Love

Muller Kouji instantly became one of Sara’s favorite people. His friendly and easy-going nature was a startling contrast to Osamu’s. Where Osamu was guarded and quiet, Kouji was open and friendly. He empathized with Sara’s culture shock, explaining he had been there himself.
“My mother moved us from Germany to Japan when I was thirteen,” Kouji explained. “I had not been to Japan in ten years, and it was unnatural to me. I had trouble with the language and other things. I caught on. You won’t take long.”

Sara raised an eyebrow. “You moved from Germany? That’s quite a difference.”

Kouji smiled. “I’m part German. Mostly Japanese, though. My mother is half German, and she was raised in Germany for many years. She met my father while studying abroad, they had me, and things went sour after that. So, I have a little of everything. I believe you could call me a mutt.”

He took a moment to gaze around, his dark eyes returning to Sara. Kouji frowned. “You said you were with someone. Did she leave?”

Sara shook her head. “I think he’s just ignoring me. Not that it’s surprising.”

“Do I know him?”

“I think it’s impossible not to,” Sara muttered. “His name is Ichijouji Osamu.”

Kouji’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?” He sounded amused.

“Unfortunately.”

Her companion chuckled and turned toward the crowd behind him. A group of girls and guys were crowded around one teen, chatting away with their lives. Sara was pleased to see Osamu looked annoyed.

“It seems most want to be with him.”

“He isn’t a jackass to the public face, either.”

Kouji laughed outright. “You know him well.” He continued to look amused, smiling to himself as if he knew an inside joke. “Like I do.”

“You know --”

“Kouji?”

A new voice entered their conversation. Osamu’s voice. His face looked excited, as if he were seeing an old friend for the first time in years. Kouji turned to greet him, grinning at the famous teenager.

“Nice seeing you, Osamu.”

Osamu grinned. “You know Takanouchi. Surprise, surprise.”

“He was a friend when I moved here.” Kouji explained. “I haven’t seen him all night. It doesn’t matter, I’m having a good time. I found a friend.” His hand moved toward Sara. She waved from the couch.

Osamu’s eyes narrowed as they fixed on Sara. He frowned. “That’s where you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”

Sara smiled pleasantly. “I’m sure there was a ton of searching done among the girls. Why did you bring me here again?”

Osamu glared.

Sara smiled.

Kouji looked amused. “You know each other.”

“Yes.” Their answer was in unison.

Osamu regained his cool. “Sara, I see you have met my cousin.”

“Cousin?” She turned toward Kouji, who nodded.

“Our fathers are brothers.” Kouji explained.

“Both Ichijoujis?”

“My mother uses her maiden name, and to make matters easier, so do I.” Kouji said, shrugging. “But yes. Both of our father’s are Ichijoujis. Technically, I am as well, although I think Mom has had that changed. .” He looked thoughtful.

Osamu snorted. “That wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

“Mom hates Tenshi with a passion now, so honestly it wouldn’t surprise me either.” Kouji shrugged again, and offered an empty glass to Osamu. “You look like you need a drink.”

Osamu’s brow furrowed, and he looked at the glass in distaste. “You know I don’t drink, Kouji. I suggest you shouldn’t either.”

Kouji rolled his eyes, and pressed the glass into Osamu’s hand. “It’s not alcohol, idiot. It’s sparkling grape juice. Someone has to stay sober in this place and drive all the drunkards home. That job usually goes with me.” He grinned. “So. . She’s with you, then?” He tilteed his head toward Sara, and watched Osamu nod. “Is she your girlfriend?”

“No!” Their answer was in unison. Osamu took a quick glance at Sara, and finished his denial. “She’s helping me out tonight. I thought if they,” he took a pained glance at the group of girls giggling by the entry way, “ belived I was taken, maybe they would lay of.”

“Yes,” Kouji agreed. “Sara was doing a wonderful job helping you on the couch. It seems those girls are more interesting than her.”

Osamu shot a dirty glare at his cousin. “She stranded me.” He objected.

“Because I know so many people in Japan, I just couldn’t keep to yourself all evening.” Sara agreed cheerfully. Osamu’s glare landed on her, and she smiled back, determined not to back down.

Finally realizing he was being ganged up on, Osamu stepped down. “Fine,” he muttered. “You win.”

Kouji grinned. “Oh good.” He clapped his hands together, and sighed. “I love happy endings.”

Osamu never let his eyes move from Sara as he replied, “Are you sure you aren’t like your father?”

His words apparently struck a nerve as Kouji lost his happy grin. His eyes narrowed into slits and he glared at his cousin with sudden intensity. “My father,” he growled. “Is a better man that most of your family make him out to be. Leave him alone.”

“Relax. Tenshi is one of my only family members I actually like. It was a joke.”

Though the two had been joking, Sara could tell Kouji’s father, for whatever the reason, was a sore topic between the two. An awkward silence passed between the three, before Itaria came in bounding into the group, her face slightly red. She rattled of something to Osamu, her words moving too fast for Sara to pick up in her limited Japanese.

It was a moment before Itaria realized Sara was standing there. “He brought you!” she exclaimed, looking excitedly between Sara and Osamu. “Are you having fun?”

“I can hardly contain my excitement.” Sara muttered, sarcastically.

“You didn’t have to come,” Osamu snapped at her.

“You brought me to help you, and then you dumped me at the doorstep!” Sara turned to yell at him, pointing an accusing finger as she did so. “It isn’t my fault you are famous! It isn’t my fault that you have girls hanging all over you. God forbid I’m not attached to your arm like some blonde bimbo you would find elsewhere. And personally, I think that drives you up the wall. You have finally found a girl that actually has some common sense, and isn’t interested in you because you are a genius, or because you are hot or whatever those stupid artificial reasons are. And you certainly aren’t nice. God only knows why people like you.”

They were drawing a crowd now, but Sara refused to stop. “You think you are better than everyone else because you have a ton of money, a charming smile, and a high I.Q. News flash - it doesn’t. I might not be as intelligent as you, but don’t treat me like I’m some five year old, or some toy that you can just flash money at and I’ll be satisfied. And next time you want a fake girlfriend, ask someone else!”

A few claps started behind them, but Sara was only focused on the now blank stare that was forming over Osamu’s face. She regretted some of her words, but it was too late to take them back. She sighed, and took a breath. “I just want to go back home.”

Which home was she talking about? America, or Osamu’s apartment? Even she wasn’t sure.

Kouji placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her towards the door. “I’ll take you home. It will give you some time to cool down, and Osamu some time to think things through. It might be better if you two don’t see each other right now.”

Sara had to agree. Osamu looked almost dead from her rant. She swallowed, and allowed Kouji to lead her to his car. He was courteous, opening the door for her, and waiting until she was completely buckled in before starting the car. “I’m sorry.” she whispered.

“No reason to be. Osamu can be . . . Obnoxious? No, that’s not the word, although it can fit him at times.” Kouji ran a hand through his hair, stopping at his neck and scratching it for a moment. “In Japan, we would call Osamu a happo bijin . I wish I knew how to describe him in English.”

“How about a bi-polar, egotistical, jerk off?” Sara muttered, staring to her left and watching the cars fly by on the highway.

Her companion laughed. “That is one way to describe him, yes. Except, Osamu is different than most people realize. Under all of it, he is not that bad. He has his reasons for being the way he is.”

“Such as?”

Kouji paused for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. “People expect him to act that way,” he said finally, staring intently at the windshield in front of him. “All of his life, people have had this idea that Osamu is almost too smart to have normal feelings. He can’t fall in love, he can’t enjoy anything.”

“They expect him to be a robot.”

“Exactly.” He smiled sadly. “Osamu puts on a good façade. Very few people get to see Osamu as . . Osamu. It’s sad, really. He has so many better qualities than his brain.”

Sara thought back to the ride up here, and how carefree Osamu had seemed for a while. Underneath the “I Am Better Than You Will Ever Be”, the genius of Tamachi laughed and joked like everyone else.

“Of course,” Kouji continued. “That doesn’t give him a reason to be a bastard most of the time. But if you give him enough time, he’ll warm up to you. I think he likes you.”

At this, Sara blushed and turned from her window to stare at Kouji in shock. “You what? Me?”

“Why not? No one else has had the guts to tell him off like you did tonight. To be honest, you probably just increased his respect of you.”

Sara doubted this.

The rest of the journey was uneventful, and Sara dozed for what seemed like only a few minutes before Kouji shook her awake. “We’re here.”

Sara gathered her things, and thanked Kouji, who only smiled and told her it was his pleasure. For cousins, Kouji and Osamu were different in so many ways, yet Sara could see the resemblance in their personality. And looks.

Osamu’s car was already in the apartment parking lot. ‘He must speed like the devil’ Sara thought. She took her spare key, and quietly let herself into the Ichijouji apartment, noting that his mother and father were probably asleep, and would not appreciate the fact that it was almost two in the morning.

“You made it home in one piece.”

Osamu’s voice startled her, and she whipped around to find him sitting at the kitchen table, idly stirring what seemed to be hot chocolate. Sara nodded, and hung her coat on the rack by the door. Slowly, she made her way into the kitchen, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

“Listen, I’m sorry about earlier -”

Osamu cut her off. “Don’t worry about it. I deserved it.”

“Still, I -”

“Sara, shut up.”

There was no point in arguing with him. Before she could start another conversation, Osamu once again cut her off.

“I need to apologize as well. I had no right to drop you like I did this evening. It was rude, and could have been very dangerous.” Osamu’s eyes never left his drink as he spoke. “It was a good thing Kouji found you. I have no idea what I was thinking, letting you wander around with drunk men who, no doubt, think you are pretty. I accept your apology, even though I deserved it, and I hope you will accept mine.”

After a speech like that, who couldn’t? “Of course.”

Osamu nodded. “Good.” He stood, pouring his hot chocolate into the sink. He stood there for a second, washing his cup before he turned back to Sara. “Are you busy tomorrow?”

“I’m stuck in a city I don’t know without car,” Sara drawled. “Where would I have to go?”

“Good point.” Osamu placed his cup in the sink, turned, and leaned against the counter. “I was considering taking you to Odaiba. If you like to shop, you’ll probably love that place. We could ride the Ferris Wheel, see the marine park. . You could spend and entire day in Odaiba and never get bored. I do it all the time.”

Was he asking her out? Sara didn’t even consider the option. She knew her answer. “Why not?”


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Author's Notes: A happo bijin is a person that is two-faced, or someone who tries to please everyone. To me, this described Osamu very well, because he does try to please everyone. One person remarked Osamu is almost unstable. Heh, you have no idea how close to the truth you actually are. What do you all think of Kouji? He's a rather. . interesting character, I assure you, and his father is a blast to write. You should be meeting him soon. As for the next chapter, you will be introduced to a new character. For those who have read the older version of this story, you're going to spot who he is instantly (and probably hate him immedietly). I felt as though I never got to know this character, so I'm adding him in early.

I also want to make it clear to some readers that this story is not simply smut. I focus more on the plot and on the characters than I do on sex. I am not very good with sex scenes at all, so when we finally do get there, exerpct it to be . . clumsy so to speak. I hope that you respect this about my stories and contiue reading :D I enjoy your reviews! Thank you so much!