To My Dearest...

Can I Love Her Again...?

After the fight at the auction, doctors say that Sakura needs to stay in the hospital for further inspection, seeing as the bullet had nearly grazed her stomach. The bidders already came up with a story of some gang with guns and she had saved a small girl being harassed.

The bidders also had grown a bit attached to the distant girl and had offered to take turns entertaining her until she gets out. 

Today was Soryu's turn.

~*****~

"Come in," Sakura's voice comes in from the other side and the mobster quietly enters, closing the door behind him. "Morning, Oh." she greets with a small grin as she picks up a book. Soryu nodded in return of the greeting and shrugged off his jacket, hanging it over a chair beside her bed where he took a seat.

She lifted a book with a familiar cover, seeming to be a few years or decades old. She read it silently, not making any sort of conversation. But Soryu's sharp eyes survey the cover and soon, triggering a memory.

"Wait... That's book..." he mutters, seizing her wrist. "Hm? This?" she mumbles, turning it around to look at the shield of the yearbook.

"It's from high school! I went to school back in England in some prestigious boarding school."

"Is this where you claim I 'met' you?" he raises a brow as he asks. "Well, yeah. But it really is up to you now if you believe me or not. I'm tired of telling you the same thing over and over without you believing me."

"Can... Can I see that?" "Don't you have yours?" "I lost it somewhere...?" it sounded more of a question as he answered with a small blush.

"Fine, whatever. I'm going to use the bathroom. Be right back." she slowly gets up with the help of Soryu and leaves for the bathroom. As soon as she leaves, the man begins flipping through the yearbook, his eyes widening as he recognizes the faces of his old classmates... One by one.

Was she telling the truth...? Or was it just a coincidence she had classmates almost the same looking?

Okay, the second one was now sounding stupid. Especially when his and Eisuke's picture appeared with the same name as their teacher.

He still didn't remember her though... Why was she so important to him? 

Then he landed on a page he never saw in his own yearbook.

'High school Memories'

It was written in beautiful cursive in navy blue, the mafia prince's favorite color. Curiosity piqued, he slowly flips through all the pages.

One was of him and Eisuke along with a girl between them, shorter than both of them. She was smiling brightly, Eisuke smirking and Soryu as stoic as ever. The trio were in what looked to be... a park?

He noticed the girl, who closely resembled Sakura, sat on a swing while the two stood beside her. The next page was only Soryu and the same girl, both supporting a trophy. The same trophy he had kept in his hotel room from a science competition.

The two were smiling happily, experiment goggles hanging from their necks with lab coats over them. It seemed that they won, and they did, since Soryu's faintly remembers such.

With every page of the section was either Eisuke joining the pair, or it was just the girl and Soryu.

But the last two pictures brought back everything.

The second to the last one was only of her, Soryu remembering it was him taking the picture and the golden ribbons in her hair given by her on her birthday. And the last one...

It was graduation day.

But unknown to him, from the ajar door of the bathroom, Sakura watches him quietly. 

And for the final blow, along with the last picture, was a note. 

Written by him.

~*****~

"It's finally the end of the year, huh? Sakura, you know I'm not good with words, but congrats. Remember our promise, right? We'll see each other again and maybe I can finally tell you my feelings...

Thanks for being my friend this whole time. Goodbye... For now."

A flush sounds and Sakura pretends to finish. "Hey, I'm done." she smiles. "You okay...? You look sort of pale."

"No... I'm fine. Here's your yearbook." "Did you go through it?" "Just through a few pages at the beginning."

"Alright... But anyway, you can go now. I need to talk to some doctors about my release."

"I can just..." "No, it's fine. I'll see you later."

~*****~

For the next week, Sakura refused to have anyone over at her room until she was released that week after. She now stood in front of Tres Spades again.

"I'm here." the golden doors of the elevators slide open and all the bidders were inside, waiting for her after figuring out today was her return.

"Saku!" Ota and Baba were of course, the first ones up, squeezing her tightly. "Ow! Help! Help!" she squeals, squirming and thrashing around. "Okay, let her go. Baba and Ota." Eisuke sighs, tugging them away.

Sakura clutches her stomach, where bandages were still wrapped. "Oh, god... Sorry, Saku!" Ota gasps as the hacker's face contorts into pain.

"No... I should've just warned you. So no more rib-crushing hugs, k?" she sighs, sweeping her hair away from her face.

"Yes..." they mutter as they now help her sit down. "Man... That was painful. So how have things been going?"

"What do you mean? You need to give us answers." Eisuke snaps. "For what? If Ota has to retake his IQ test to make sure he's an average human, I can't do anything about that."

"Aww... Why is it always me...?" the artist whimpers playfully, earning him a small poke from the hacker.

"Seriously, Sakura. Why didn't you let us visit?"

"I just... can I not answer that?" "Answer me. Now." She thinks over it before explaining everything with two words. "Oh. Yearbook."

The CEO stares at her emptily for a moment before nodding. "Alright. But next time, tell me when you're going to do that."

"Yes, father." she sticks her tongue out, causing her former school mate to ruffle her hair, making her pout.

"Are ya' sure ya' ain't a couple?" Mamoru comments. "No. We're not! Eisuke's just my... Father like brother...?" she was unsure at voicing her opinion and title of Eisuke.

"She is my little girl." the man teases, earning him a soft kick from the mafia queen. "Hey! Don't kick me!"

"Hahaha! Eisuke actually didn't get mad at her!"

The group laughs but Soryu's thoughts were occupied. Was she someone he loved back then? Does she still have feelings for him? Did she ever?

But one thought nagged at him the most, his feelings in turmoil. 

"Can I love her again...?"