off limits | petalz

6

The first thing Sakura thought as she laid eyes on Kazuha was, Wow, good genes must run in this family.

Sakura had always thought that Kento was handsome. He had dark hair, mysterious eyes, and messy hair, and a tall, lean build he showed off with his good fashion sense. He was intelligent too, with a hotel critic job and master's degree. He was the perfect guy, too, being completely head-over-heels for Sakura.

Sakura was a travel agent, meaning that she had to be quick on her feet and excellent at communication. But Kento's way of showing affection was different- comforting, but a little suffocating. He would be outgoing, booking dates and trying to make them see each other as much as possible. Sometimes it became a little much, but Sakura appreciated the devotion. He made her feel comfortable, reasonable, like a presence that was always there. With him, she knew what would happen next.

But back to Kazuha.

When Sakura had bent down to see her suitcase, she'd only caught a glimpse of the girl; shorts, a white T-shirt, dark hair tied into a ponytail. However, when she stood back up, she got an eyeful of her.

Okay, maybe that was an understatement. Sakura got an eyeful of probably the most gorgeous girl she had ever seen.

Kazuha was tall, just a bit below Kento, with a slender, lean frame and legs for days. She had warm brown eyes glittering beneath monolids and framed with long dark locks, and her expression was one of such shock that Sakura had to smile.

And then she spoke, and her clear, deep voice speaking Japanese cut into Sakura's brain.

It was clear from Kazuha's appearance that she was impressed by Sakura, but what kind of impressed, Sakura wasn't sure of. Kazuha was a college senior, and when the three had gone to the tteokbokki restaurant, she seemed to know every other patron. That made it clear to Sakura that she was athletic and charismatic, but could be easily bowled over. She was still bold, though.

"Saku-chan?"

Sakura snapped out of her reverie.

She was sitting next to Kento in his car, and he was looking at her anxiously as she zoned out, staring at the windshield wipers (which weren't actually moving). He wore a white T-shirt, an open long-sleeved black dress shirt over it, and a pair of belted khakis.

Overall, he looked very professional and ready for a date, which Sakura thought was cute. His concerned expression put her on edge, and she blushed in embarrassment at being caught.

"Sorry, I was just a little tired. Falling asleep with my eyes open." She smiled at Kento, and he bobbed his head up and down in agreement.

"Make sure to get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay."

They stared into each other's eyes smilingly for a few minutes, but all the while annoying thoughts paraded through Sakura's mind. God, imagine if he finds out the reason I wasn't paying attention is because I was thinking about his sister.

"What do you think of Kazuha?"

Holy shit, Sakura almost squeaked in shock. Kento had practically just read her mind, and Sakura responded nervously. "She's nice. I like her. Why?"

Kento beamed. "I'm glad you guys like each other. I was a little worried, you know. Zuha's kind of a learning curve with some people."

"Kazuha... a learning curve? Are we still talking about the Nakamura?"

Kento laughed. "Surprisingly, yeah. She's a little too bold for some people, apparently. She speaks her mind a lot. She's a really good little sister."

"Mm, I can see that, I guess," Sakura nodded in agreement. "She does have quite the personality."