Will You Be My Servant? (24)

Sakiko: Help me!

Rumi: No.

Sakiko: Help me!!

Rumi: No!

Sakiko: But you’re my best friend.

Rumi: So now you want to say it.

Sakiko: (smiles)

Rumi: ……Okay, I’ll help you. Hand some over.

Sakiko: Thank you, thank you, thank you! Here’s some for you too Anika.

Rumi: Wait a minute you asked for my help not Anika’s.

Sakiko: Well, she is a Servant.

Rumi: Yea, and she’s also a person so ask her.

Sakiko: Fine. Anika would you mind helping me carry my bags.

Anika: No problem. A friend of Master Rumi’s is a friend of mine.

Sakiko: Thank you, friend. See Rumi, now why can’t you act more like Anika?

Rumi: Because she’s nice and I’ve known you longer.

Natsue: I can carry some if you need some extra hands.

Sakiko: Oh no no no no. That’s okay Natsue. This is nothing. Besides you’re already carrying your own bags.

Natsue: Yes, but I have a hand free.

Sakiko: Honestly, it’s fine.

Natsue: If you’re sure. Do you mind if we stop in here? I usually find good clothes at a reasonable price.

Sakiko: Sure that’s fine. Rumi, let’s make another stop here.

Rumi: Sure, but you’re staying out here. Any more bags and you won’t be able to walk.

Sakiko: Nonsense. I do this to my driver all the time and he walks just fine with them.

Rumi: I feel bad for your driver.

Sakiko: But you’re right. I’ll stay out here Natsue. I don’t think I need any more clothes, at least not today.

Natuse: I understand.

Rumi: I’ll stay out here with you.

Anika: Me too.

Natsue: I guess I’m the only one then. I won’t take long.

Rumi: So Sakiko, what’s with you not letting Natsue help carry your bags?

Sakiko: I don’t want her to think I need help for every little thing. We just got back on track and I don’t want to ruin it.

Rumi: But she’s your friend. I don’t think it’ll ruin anything.

Sakiko: I don’t want to take any chances.

Rumi: What do you think Anika?

Anika: Me?

Rumi: Yea what do you think?

Anika: I think as a Servant, it’s part of our duty to serve.

Rumi: But as a friend, what do you think?

Anika: A friend?

Rumi: Yea.

Anika: I think… a friend wouldn’t think twice about not helping.

Rumi: See Sakiko, Anika agrees with me.

Sakiko: …

Rumi: You better not be window shopping.

Sakiko: That dress is calling my name. Sakiko…Sakiko…Sakiko.

Rumi: Look away Sakiko. Look away.

Sakiko: I could probably use it for our next outing.

Rumi: Sakiko!

Sakiko: Ahh! Sorry, it’s so much easier when you have a driver and a car.

Rumi: Anika, can you go in and ask Natsue to hurry up?

Anika: Yes, Master Rumi.

Sakiko: No, no don’t do that Anika.

Rumi: I know you Sakiko. You have that look.

Sakiko: What look?

Rumi: The “I want it look”.

Sakiko: Oh really? Well you have that same look anytime you see Kim…Kim…kimchi.

Anika: You like Korean food Master Rumi?

Rumi: Ummm…you can say that.

Anika: I’ll remember that. Do you still want me to go in?

Rumi: Yes, please. I have something to talk about with Sakiko anyway. (Gives Sakiko a mean look)

Sakiko: (fake smiles)

Anika: As you wish, Master Rumi.

---

Rumi: What’s wrong with you?

Sakiko: Sorry about that.

Rumi: It’s fine. At least, you covered yourself. Kimchi huh?

Sakiko: It was the only thing I could think of. It worked didn’t it?

Rumi: I guess it did. I really want this to work with Anika.

Sakiko:  Really? You never told me about what you and Kimiko talked about.

Rumi: …

---

Anika: Do you like anything in particular?

Natsue: Not yet and the clothes I do want are out of my price range. Did you change your mind?

Anika: Oh no, Master Rumi asked me to come in and tell you Master Sakiko is not going to last much longer.

Natsue: Oh sorry. I didn’t think I was in here that long.

Anika: It’s fine. Master Rumi would probably say take your time. She’s nice like that.

Natsue: Master Rumi is very nice.

Anika: (smiles) She is.

Natsue: I’m glad you’re smiling.

Anika: It’s nice to have a reason to. We should go. The Masters are waiting.

Natsue: Master Sakiko won’t let me carry her bags.

Anika: …

Natsue: I may be book smart but I can do other things as well. I am a Servant after all.

Anika: Master Sakiko thinks very highly of you. You know that.

Natsue: How did you know? Even the True Servant doesn’t know who to choose.

Anika: She’s not the True Servant yet.

Natsue: You’re right.

Anika: Sorry. I just… Sakiko: Oh really? Well you have that same look anytime you see Kim…Kim………..KIMIKO!  I knew. I just knew.

Natsue: When I’m around Master Itoe, I feel like myself. I feel like I’m talking to my best friend.

Anika: That doesn’t sound bad.

Natsue: But it shouldn’t be that way. With Master Sakiko, I feel more of the Master/Servant relationship, which is the way it should be, but in both cases, they don’t treat me as a Servant. I am a Servant and I take pride that I am Servant and all I’m asking is to be one.

Anika: You’re asking the wrong girl.

---

Sakiko: Do I have to beg?

Rumi: Everything has changed.

Sakiko: You promised me.

Rumi: She turned me down.

Sakiko: As in rejected?

Rumi: Yes.

Sakiko: As in you got rejected?

Rumi: You have a way with words.

Sakiko: Kimiko rejected you?

Rumi: Every time you say it, it hurts a little bit more.

Sakiko: Servant Kimiko rejected Master Rumi?

Rumi: Okay that’s enough.

Sakiko: I’m sorry I just can’t wrap my head around it. It doesn’t make sense.

Rumi: It makes perfect sense to me.

Sakiko: No, I’m not wrong.

Rumi: Just forget it okay? Anika is a great Servant. I will be fine.

Sakiko: No, this has Megumi written all over it. She must have something on Kimiko.

Rumi: Let it go Sakiko. We have to move on. I need to move on.

Sakiko: So you’re going to let Megumi win?

Rumi: I already lost and now it’s time to move on.

Sakiko: Is this what you want?

Rumi: The Servants are coming.

Sakiko: We’ll finish this conversation later. Did you guys find anything?

Natsue: No, but that’s okay.

Rumi: So what do you want to do next Anika?

Anika: I’m not sure Master Rumi.

Sakiko: Onto the next clothing store.

Rumi: When will you learn?