"You called!"They spoke at once.
"If any of the students help you, they should be ready for two weeks suspension."
"What?!" Mari exclaimed.
"Did I stutter?"
"No, Mrs Hasegawa," the others chorused.
"Good. Off you go now."
With that they exited the staffroom. About thirty minutes into the cleaning, Sakiko was almost done with her portion of the pool, where as Mari haven"t even gone half way through.
Sakiko stopped what she was doing and made her way to Mari. "Hey!"
Mari ignored her and didn"t say anything. Seeing her behave this way, Sakiko could only sigh. Why was she behaving like a spoiled brat now?
"Hey! Mari! Kura Mari–chan!" She increased her voice, making it louder than normal.
She turned to face Sakiko and arched her eyebrows at her. "What? Why are you calling my full name out like that?"
"Ohh goodness me," Sakiko muttered but gave Mari a charming smile. "I am sorry Kimura."
Mari was shocked by what came out from Sakiko"s mouth. She could have bet that perhaps she wanted to make trouble or call her names, considering everything she had done, but rather, Sakiko apologized.
Was she dreaming or what? She found it hard to believe what she had just heard.
"I am sorry, Mari–chan."
It was when Sakiko repeated her words that Mari blinked, seeming to have got herself back.
"Oh my! I really am not dreaming or hearing things, Ishida apologized to me," she thought.
After making sure that her words sank deep, she continued, "Sorry for insulting you and hitting you earlier on, especially for the blisters on your face and cit on your lips," she apologized.
Although they both hit each other, but the magnitude and force from Sakiko"s palm, caused several injuries to Mari.
Her lower lip was cut and had some dried blood stain on her lips, her left brow near her forehead was a shade dark purple. Sakiko"s fist had hit her hard on her her eyebrows and left a swollen and dark spot on her pleasant face.
After two minutes of remaining silent, it was as though she was speechless, before she regained herself and replied Sakiko.
"No, no, no... I"m the one who should be sorry."
"Mari?"
"Hear me out Sakiko, since we started the punishment, it got me thinking. You and Sasuke are more than friends, he really likes you and I shouldn"t insult you because j am jealous. Please forgive me."
Indeed, Sakiko didn"t expect this kind of att.i.tude, she thought the usual fight may have happened, exchanging words but as soon as sh: apologized, Mari became solemn and speechless.
"No, I wasn"t really angry at you, I admit I was frustrated and all, but it was your choice in whom to like. I don"t blame you for liking him, he is handsome and a lot of girls fell for him, just that you went far with troubling me."
"I leave him for you okay, now you have peace, go and enjoy your time with him as much as you desire," Mari said, giving her a toothed grin.
"Do I really need your permission for that? Well good thing she is okay with us spending time as friends. Too bad, she doesn"t know we are siblings, if not, i think she wouldn"t relax," Sakiko thought.
"Let us quickly finish up, we"ve got a lot to cover."
"Sakiko, what are you talking about? You are almost done, while I am... " she raised her head to see what was left and had a dejected look on her face, "still a long way to go."
"Haha hahaa, I would join you silly. We are friends now."
"Really, you would still want to be friends with me?" Mari asked, she had a puzzled look. Never would she had expected for Sakiko to forgive her just like that.
She had wronged her so much and honestly didn"t expect it, if she was to be the one, she doubted she would have so easily.
After her birthday party, it dawned on her that Sasuke doesn"t like her, he had eyes only for Sakiko, but she got so angry and took up a fight to vent her anger on Sakiko.
It was when Mrs Hasegawa threatened to call their parents, she knew she was done for if her parents traveled back and found out what she had done, fought in school over a boy.
During the clean up, she reflected on her actions and felt bad. This really wasn"t how she was, she was a good friend, but all that changed because of a guy.
"Thanks Sakiko," she dropped her cleaning tools and rushed to hug Sakiko.
"There, there!"
Sakiko finished her portion and immediately joined Mari.
"Sakiko, leave her alone, why are you helping her after all she has done to you?" Reina asked her friend in bewilderment.
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