Disclaimer: I do not own Mai HiME/ Mai Otome neither it's characters! They were owned by Sunrise! XD

A/N: GOMENASAI~ TuT I'm very very very happy to know that a lot from Mai-Hime ff readers are waiting for this story even if I have updated this one 2 or 3 years ago, which I guess is a very long period. This was considered to be a story left by a very lousy author who lacked imagination skills, but then hontouni arigatoo~ for the reviews and comments I received in my stories. Here's the update tananananan! I know it's quite short for a 3 year comeback but don't worry, I'll be updating more from now on. Anyway too much for this! Ask me and curse me it's okay, I want that! Haha I love you so much guys!

ENJOY!

Chapter 5

'Simple actions…Love and Hate'

"Damn you then, Kanzaki."

Just as I was able to reveal myself to Shizuru, now goes this real cliff hanger. 'I have so much to say, so many things to clear..Why?' I eyed him as he walked closer to the commotion. His toothy smile plastered again into his face,

"Oh, what do we have in here Ms. Kuga Natsuki? I believe we are in a strict compliance of an order, that we do not allow such visitors by this rate?" His one arm snaked in Shizuru's waist as some paparazzi went out from their caves to cover this one hell of an issue, he knows media very well. "Shizuru's going to have her debut concert 8 days from now."

Shizuru moved a bit and removed his arm in a graceful manner; she's been very good in putting up her façade. "I believe we have not agreed such terms yet Reito-kun, and before everything.. can I not see my Natsuki just this once without any of your hindrances?" her bewitching smile covered her venomous yet sweet tone, I heard her owning me again. 'Yes, I'm yours Shizuru..' I looked into those crimson orbs that loved me so much. "Shizuru.." I murmured.

"Kyaaa! I remember her, Shizuru-san mentioned her in the radio!" a random audience spilled as the crowd cheered in delight in this ambush revelation I did. 'What the hell am I thinking anyway?!' I exclaimed to myself. The guards started to build a human barricade in order to maintain the parameters of the crowd in the gate, luckily I got myself a breathing space to this idiotic plan I made. I was in a hurry, I was scared, too scared to be left by Shizuru..

'When are things going to be with us, Natsuki?' My heart aches in the sight of my love on the other side of this steel gate. "Can I go outside?"

"Well, you know how famous you are now Shizuru, going there will barge many audiences and issues about your status." Reito defended. "Since you've seen her already, you can settle things maybe next time? It will be harder to explain if we lingered here longer." His smile crept on his face, 'I hate the way he enjoys the feeling like I'm his.'

I saw her emerald orbs once again, her stare has so much to say, my feet wanted to walk closer but I know I shouldn't until I heard her voice. "You've been more beautiful Shizuru, I guess this is the result of my cowardice ne?" She added a bit of laughter to cover her pain, her eyes were longing for me, a feeling I can't understand. "Why Natsuki? Why?"

"Sir, the crowd is getting bigger!"

"Shizuru, we can't hang outside go in. Let Natsuki be." Reito ordered, he's still my manager and I know I'm already far from the normal life I once had. "Natsuki, Shizuru has changed she's not just the person you've known, she's a singer already. You should have asked permission first." He added.

"I-I know.. Sorry. Shizuru, you're hard to reach now. I—I hope you like my compositions, I should be get going. I—am making a nuisance anyway." My Natsuki inched herself little by little against the gate, I feel a string getting thinner inside me. 'She's leaving..again.'

"My, My, I guess it can't be helped." Reito walked near the gates where he was met by some paparazzi from different networks and ambush questions. Natsuki froze on her spot while Shizuru inched away from the gates to prevent crowds to push through. They were looking each other as if communicating their hearts out.

'I thought this is the right time.'

'I thought this will go right.'

"Excuse us for an unexpected commotion, in here we are just to announce that 8 days from now we will be launching Shizuru-san's debut concert, I expect everyone especially her fans would be there for she will be having her big night as an artist. For now we shall not be entertaining some questions regarding this incident, and please keep in mind the artist's decision." Reito finally announced his beloved project without any hesitations or even hearing Shizuru's point. 'I cannot let you just like that Natsuki, I'll get Shizuru no matter what.'

"R-Reito-kun!"

"We are in a busy preparation for this Natsuki-san, I hope you're not the one who'll meddle this big day." He added.

'I cannot let him do that! Damn you Kanzaki, thank me for having good manners in public, I should have killed you in this point of time!' Natsuki thought as her eyes stared Kanzaki's. "Tsk. You…" She murmured as Reito flashed his smile as a symbol of victory.

Shizuru was stuck in the middle. 'Ara, Concert? Natsuki? What is happening?'

A thought flashed from both crimson and emerald eyes.

"Then being Shizuru's former composer why not let me join in her debut concert?" Natsuki asked, emphasizing 'former' in her question, letting him feel that she knows what he did not want her to know. Her tone became serious and bold, 'I can't play like you do in this media shit but I can't let Shizuru go, Not now. Never.'

A smile curved in the Brunette's lips. 'I get it.. Don't let me go Natsuki.'

"Ara, why not Reito-kun? She is my composer anyway, I mean was. Other than that the crowd seem to like her too, isn't that good for your managing stats?" She defended. "If you will let her walk away I think you're not going to have a good feedback."

Both eyes were sparkling in bliss as they reach each other's sight.

Reito inwardly gritted his teeth in annoyance, Shizuru knows well how he manages his career and he knows Natsuki's offer would bring more audience and income from this proposal. Natsuki on the other hand smirked at the sight of Reito's sudden reaction. "What do you think, Kanzaki?" She asked again.

"There's so much scoop in here!"

"Why not! We'll wait for her in the concert!"

"Shizuru-sama we're getting excited!"

The crowd seem to agree in the situation which lighten up Natsuki and Shizuru but tensed up Reito. 'If I agree then Natsuki will be a part of the preparation, if not I will lose my name.. tsk.. Nevertheless, I won't let you win her.'

"Well then," Reito finally spoke. "This Shizuru-san's concert will give more surprises for her undying supporters and audience, especially if we'll have more mystery performers. Natsuki get inside." His decision surprised both women as he ordered the guards to let the ex-composer enter the building, first Natsuki was hesitant to his decision but then instincts gave in. So much happiness filled both hearts but unknown to them Reito has his own plan of getting the brunette out of Natsuki. 'Just enjoy the time you have with her Natsuki.. That won't last long..'

"Shizuru.." The blunette's face is now covered with a tinge of pink. After being away from her for a long time, how would she manage to explain things frorm the very start? "Natsuki." The voice of her angel called her. They were sitting on both sides of the sofa inside their office, the atmosphere is sure dense.

"Uhm-ano.. I..I want to say" her sentence was cut off by a pleading voice.

"Natsuki, why?" Shizuru's voice stirred with mixed emotions, her question embodied everything she wanted to know, but Natsuki being so weak at heart couldn't figure out how or where to start.

"My- my thoughts are filled with so much words I-I could not arrange at all.." the cobalt-haired woman mumbled, looking into those red pools from the brunette she continued. "But when I left you that day.. Was the day I that my life started to become worse, I guess?" she covered her sentence with a small chuckle.

"I-I regret it, that even now I do not have the guts t-to tell so many things. I-I'm sorry for leaving you Shizuru.. I'm very sorry." Her hands fidgeted in her clothes as her eyes draw their attention to them. 'Talk more. Talk more Natsuki!' she mentally scowled.

Shizuru removed her façade and slowly curved her lips into a smile, she did not know if she'll follow her heart's desire to hug her and touch her once more or to lay low her feelings and try to see if the blunette's heart agrees to what she also feels. "Ara, I'm very happy Natsuki.. very happy to know you're behind me even in my success.. but" her hands slowly touched the fidgeting ones.

'I have to see if you really came back for me Natsuki. Not just because you're getting killed by your guilt. But because we don't have anything to wait for…' she mentally thought.

"But, are you sure this is what you want to happen?" the brunette continued. "It's been a long time since we've seen each other, and now the surprise you gave just made me skip a beat. I missed you so much." Her tone became low and sweet. Natsuki on the other hand blushed at the few words from her, she missed Shizuru so much that she couldn't even wait for tomorrow to confess that she was Dylan.

"I-I am too Shizuru. I missed this kind of you.." she answered, her hands moved to top the brunette's comforting touch and played with her fingers, Shizuru was surprised at her cute actions, it was the first time she did that to her ever since. She blushed slightly at the moment until she heard the blunette continued. "These fingers are so soft, now I'm thinking how long we have been apart for me to realize that these features now belong to the singer I always loved to hear?" She ended her sentence with a slight smile.

"Natsuki…I- I became a singer because.."

*RIIIINNNNG* It was already 12pm, a signal for their lunch break. Yet she continued.

"Because of y-" everything stopped for a moment when they saw Reito coming in, Natsuki broke the hold in their hands and moved to their original position. 'Ara, ara, why can't we have this precious time.' She thought as she sighed heavily at the man's sudden break-in, she used her façade again to play with his tactics. Both of them know that they cannot settle their things in public, as well in the office of the studio. They need privacy, and Reito is not going to give them any.

"Sorry to interrupt, but here we have a lunch feast and the brainstorming to start off." He signalled his team to go inside the meeting room together with Shizuru and Natsuki. Shizuru leaned closer to Natsuki's ear as they stand up and walk. "Everything's going to be fine, my Na- tsu- ki." She whispered, earning a deep blush from the other woman. "B-baka Shizuru!" she mumbled.

'Maybe this is the start.' The crimson pools brightened as she thought of having Natsuki again. But unknown to her this is just the start of another hardship they will encounter. Harder than what she thinks it will be.

1:30pm

"So this will be covered the stage managers, the production team will be in charge in budget handling and purchases. Contact our designers and props men, and oh, might I add the make-up artists." Reito explained everything listed for the rush release of Shizuru's big slam concert. His team jotted down notes according to their respective assignments, 8 days away from the date is sure a very unlikely for a preparation period. 'If only you didn't know Natsuki, I would have prepared better.'

"Shizuru, as of now, you should prepare for the list of your songs to showcase and rehearse it till your debut." Reito smiled as he ordered the brunette which was replied by an amused answer. "Ara, ara, ofcourse Reito-kun, now that my Natsuki is here, it is something I have to prepare so much." Every one seem to smile at her statement, her aura is somewhat different from before. Reito has to fix his calm composure as he smiled at her. 'Why now, Natsuki!'

"Well, if you don't mind, what can I do to help?" Natsuki popped a question, although she knows there are some things needed to be settled between her and Reito. "You didn't tell me I will not be the one to compose for her anyway."

Reito, feeling red-handed on the sudden words from Natsuki coughed to avert awkwardness and smiled. "Well, why not perform for the audience? It's something we have seen already outside, so doing that would catch more listeners, what do you think?"

some of his team members nodded on his suggestion, and Natsuki couldn't decline since Shizuru even got more excited to see her sing again. "I just did that for personal purposes you know." She answered.

"Ara it would be still personal if you did it for me, or is it not?" Shizuru chuckled as she answered her by another question. The atmosphere in the room has already lightened up since they have begun storming and Shizuru was in her perfect mood to have fun. But so much for Reito, he was feeling awkward by the thoughts that the composer could have stormed in this office because she knew his dirty tricks and would be spilling it over to ruin his plan. 'I have to counter what you have in mind Natsuki.'

It was already 5:00pm when the brainstorming and full planning for the Shizuru's big day ended, everyone involved in her concert was almost drained due to heightened pressures from the planning and they very well know that they would be like this for 8 days until the big concert rocks out the audiences, but of course being a part of the media world they would have to endure this to succeed, it's their job to make it perfect.

"Well, we all have an hour to rest before our souls start to defy graves again!" Tate exclaimed as he slouched himself in the sofa, which was also done by the other members, some of them were lying their heads on the table while the some were enjoying their coffee, surely their minds were in running different thoughts. Until one of them spoke, "Shizuru-san has changed a bit, she's better than before."

"Yeah, I observed that one. Well, who wouldn't when you actually saw the one you just mentioned on the radio. Perhaps, she was Shizuru's precious person." An answer supported the statement.

"Well, we can't blame her for that, she saw her composer already, and I guess more than that." Tate smiled as he closed his eyes. "I wonder what it feels like."

"Tate-kun" a voice coming from the jet black-haired man called him. "Reito-san"

"Come here for a second." He ordered. Tate stood up to walk inside Reito's office.

After a few minutes of discussion, he walked outside his office with an astonished looked, but he made sure not to let anyone see it.

"This is bad…" He mumbled to himself.

Natsuki and Shizuru got the chance to talk once again; they were sitting near the coffee table while having their refreshments. Their hands both played with the cans they hold.

"Natsuki?"

"Hm?"

"What do you have in mind after doing what you did earlier?"

"Actually," Natsuki shyly scratched her cheek. "I-I haven't thought about that. Haha. Not yet, All I wanted was to see you anyway."

Shizuru chuckled in response; her eyes seem to glow much more than ever as well the owner of the emerald ones. "Ara, I thought we're going to run away. Then move to a place where no one knows us."

"Oh, what do we have in here, more like Romeo and Juliet?" Natsuki laughed a little at the thought of Shizuru's statement. "If life is that easy for us, we would have eloped earlier if you want."

"It's just you who am I waiting for, Natsuki.." Shizuru finally confessed, a slight blush crept on to her face and the blunette is aware of it. 'Oh, Cute.'

But then, Natsuki not yet overcoming her self-restrictions, was dumbfounded. "Oh.." was all she could mutter.

And there was silence between the two of them, an intimate silence that made them secured just with the presence of each other.

"Shizuru, it's time for your photo shoot!" a voice coming from the studio called their attention, and there was the start of another work before going home.

7:00pm

"Move your head a bit!" the photographer in charge for publications tilted his camera in different angles as he snaps Shizuru's pose from different points. "Get the reflector, there." Everybody has their own job in producing this concert.

Shizuru is having her high fashion shoot, she was wearing her violet yukata with a surreal cut; she was surrounded by cherry petals, some of it were tossed according to their cue to create a scene. Some of her pictures were portrait displaying a warm smile and a very playful aura. She is enjoying the feeling that Natsuki is there looking at her a little flushed. 'She's enjoying what she sees.' A playful thought had struck her as her eyes met with the green ones who was seated near the photographer.

Meanwhile, Natsuki is having her own battle of thoughts. 'Really, why do you have to look at me like that, it feels like I'm being seduced.' As her eyes met with the red ones she did her counter attack, she winked at Shizuru and her sudden display of sweet nothing earned a slight blush from the brunette, surely it can't be seen because of the make-up and the natural blush made by the artist, but it became observable in the sudden consciousness of actions by Shizuru.

"Mou~ Natsuki! Ikezu!" the singer has been conscious to the blunette's charm, Natsuki stuck her tongue out, gesturing she won the battle then both laughed. The photographer on the other hand did not waste time capturing such moments and expressions made by the model;

he looked at Natsuki and said "Good thing you're here, it's easier to get her natural moments!" then he continued shooting.

"We can now call it a day! Everything's going to get tougher as day pass so make sure to rest well!" Reito announced as the whole team clapped their hands and went to pack their things to go home, he walked along the office to look for a certain brunette, and to his dismay she was of course being with Natsuki, they were not talking but being together is something worthwhile for them.

"Shizuru, I know this is sudden, but, can I escort you on your way home?" he asked as the two women stood up as if they were also about to leave.

"Ara, Reito-kun this is just the time that-" the brunette was cut off by the midnight haired beauty.

"I'll be accompanying her on her way home." Natsuki plainly stated with a serious tone. "It's been a long time that you have been with her anyway, long enough to know what you want for yourself." She continued. 'We have things to settle, I'll let this pass till Shizuru's debut concert.'

Reito was taken aback by the words coming from the blunette, he inwardly controlled his irritation and acted as if it's nothing. "Very well, Natsuki-san. Take care of her, take care of yourself too, it's very dangerous in the evening." He waved his hand to bid his goodbye and winked to Shizuru. "Sweet dreams Shizuru." Then he left the room. 'Take good care of yourself Kuga, we're just starting.'

"Shall we, your Highness?" Natsuki joked receiving a quick pinch on her nose from the brunette "Hey!" she muttered as she tried to avoid another pinch from her. The two had a little play time of pinches and pokes before Shizuru finally spoke.

"Natsuki is just so playful! Let's go home. We have so many things to catch up."

"Ara, but Shizuru's very very ikezu~!" Natsuki mimicked Shizuru's accent but failed to, in return the singer kissed the blunette's cheek near the side of her lips, the kiss was very near and Natsuki fired up in return.

"Ara, what happened Natsuki? Don't tell me you got yourself whipped all of a sudden?" Shizuru replied her by mimicking how the blunette speaks. "Argh! Shizuru!" she gently growled.

The two finally left the office, Natsuki packed her mini amplifier and guitar and secured it at the back of her Ducati and gave her helmet to Shizuru. "Put this on, I never expected this time so I didn't bring a spare."

"Ookini, Na-tsu-ki!" Shizuru chuckled as she wore her composer's helmet. 'Smells very Natsuki, relaxing…' she thought.

"Okay, are we good?" Natsuki double-checked if everything is in place. "Oh, put your hand here." She held the brunette's hands and positioned it around her waist. "Roger, captain!" the crimson-eyed woman replied. "Of course I know where to put it, even though it's been a year."

She whispered in Natsuki's ear. "Drive me home, Dylan." Her voice echoed through the biker's ear, it was sensual and too seductive for the blunette, she felt herself stiffened at their moment but shook her head away from naughty thoughts. 'This is going to be a long night.' She mentally said and revved the engine of her Ducati, this night will not finish without any closure between them.

Oh, what do you have in mind? Hahaha :D

Why did I updated so late? XD

Well, I don't know what would be your reaction, so.. stay tuned! ;)

I did not use any music here, but I'll use many on the following chaps.

Please review! ;D