The Baker's Daughter | satzu

14 | row, row, row your boat

T Z U Y U

It had been two weeks since... the hot springs.

I have to be honest, the whole encounter was too fast. I don't even know the girl properly.

It was wrong to take her there.

The girl has a fiancé for gods sake! I shouldn't be doing anything that would harm her in the long run!

It's like a one-night stand.

Something that shouldn't have happened, did, and I'm trying to not do anything more.

I want to get to know her after all.

I want to know her properly before I get myself falling for her.

And we almost had sex, like: what the heck?

It all happened too fast and I regret it.

A little.

I don't regret everything.

She was nice.

Her lips tasted like watermelon and—

WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT?!

I shouldn't be thinking of these things. We should be conservative and save the good things for last.

This just came in the opposite direction.

I should go out with her first before we get the the ~ intimate ~ parts.

That's why I was surprised when I saw Sana standing outside my school gates.

Okay, I didn't literally see her, but there was a group of people huddled together outside the gates.

There were a few reporters which made me wonder a bit, after all, my school is pretty boring if you ask me.

"Minatozaki Sana!"
"Miss Sana!"
"Sana, why are you here?!"
"I heard you have a fiancé!"

Oh. So it was her.

You know, it would probably be better if I just walked past.

"Tzuyu!" She screamed. "Hey Tzuyu!"

Or not.

*****

"So tell me why we're in a boat, in the middle of the river." I shakily looked around me, the sound of water splashing on top of one another. "I never knew you were a fishing type of girl."

"Tzuyu, stop worrying." She grinned. "And we're not fishing, we're just floating across the lake."

I nodded, looking down at the water. "So what's all this for, by the way?"

She shrugged her shoulders and continued on rowing, slightly ignoring me as she hummed a song to herself.

A school of orange fish began to circle around our boat, seemingly becoming faster and faster each time round. To my amusement, however, Sana just seemed to be closing her eyes.

"You can't row with your eyes closed, you know?" I joked, swirling my hand in the water. She simply opened her eyes for a quick second and then closed them again. "What, you afraid of water or something?"

"...no. Not afraid." She nervously chuckled. "So-"

"OH MY GOSH A SHARK!" I teased, even deciding to put a little bit of emphasis into my prank.

To my utter shock, Sana jumped and let go of both oars, screaming as she did so.

Slowly and slower, the oars made their way to the water.

"There go the oars." I muttered to myself.

Sana finally opened her eyes and looked out, watching as the oars floated away from us.

And I have no idea why, but she looked angry as she turned to me. Her eyes seemed to shoot lasers into my body, and she was standing up, her fists clenched.

"Woah, woah, woah!" I called out. "Don't get mad at me, I was just kidding!" I argued.

She put her hands on her waist and sighed. "I was already seasick, and you just had to go and say there was a shark?"

"Hey, sharks don't live in rivers you dumbass." I deadpanned.

"I'm just trying to make it up to you, okay?"

"For what? You didn't make me mad."

"But you've been ignoring me everytime I go to the café. It's embarrassing and I don't know why you do it!" She stared at me.

"I have to work, Sana! Work!" I angrily replied, standing up. "But you wouldn't know that since you've been spoon fed your entire life! You don't even know how to tie your own shoelaces! You're literally wearing slip ins!"

"Excuse me?" She scoffed. "At least I don't have to make bread all day in some bakery that is taking up all of my time!"

"So? You have to get married to some crusty guy who you'll probably divorce in a year's time—I don't want to hear it from you!" I started to walk towards her. "And I like helping my mum make bread. I don't know what you do, but you seem to make everyone else do things that YOU should be able to do yourself!"

"And what? So what if I'm privileged? I get money, friends, and everything I want. You have to work for it!"

"And I'd rather work for it, than to have it all in one go and then lose it THE MINUTE MY FATHER GOES TO JAIL!"

"You did not-"

"Yes I did."

I have no idea what drove me to do it, but my hands made their way to her shoulders and...

I pushed her off the boat.

There was something wrong with my calculation, however, and the boat began to shake.

And I fell in too.

Luckily enough for us, the part we were in was slightly shallow, and both of us were able to lift our heads above the water.

"Why'd you push me?!" She screamed.

"I'm so sorry- I don't know what got into me!" I apologised, brushing my wet hair back. "But you deserved it."

"Deserved it for what?"

"YOU don't get to make fun of my life. YOU don't get to say your life is superior. YOU don't get to tell me that my family is poor." I glared at her. "Because I already know that." I began to wade to the riverbank. "I'll get going now, Sana. Thank you for trying."

I stood up and walked away.

My heart ached though.

It was a simple joke which turned into a full blown argument.

"Tzuyu!" She called out, as she pulled herself up from the riverbank. "Please, let me apologise."

I didn't even bother to turn around to face her, and just left.

It was wrong to even think I could be something with Minatozaki Sana.

Because our two worlds are completely different.

And I should have realised that sooner.