Author: Looks like I'm still alive, that's a surprise. I apologise for the last chapter not being that good and leaving you readers on a cliff-hanger. I wanted this chapter to be the confrontation between Natsuki and Shizuru, and the drama it will involve. Honestly, there are a lot of plot holes I need to go over with the previous chapters as I have no idea where this story is heading. Anyway, enjoy chapter 16!
Disclaimer: You get the idea; I own nothing. Oh, just a heads up, here is a translation for two names that will appear in the chapter.
Hikari: Japanese for Light
Kage: Japanese for Shadow
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Chapter 16
"We need to talk…" those words rang out of Natsuki's mouth as she had been dreading on saying them. All she had been through, she knew she would have to confront Shizuru sooner or later, she just wished it would've have been later then now.
"What are you talking about Natsuki? Excuse me, but I-" Shizuru was making no effort to cover up the nervousness buried in her voice as she was quickly cut off by her sister.
"Please!" Natsuki cried out overpowering her sister's voice, her hand was gripped firmly on the door as she raised her jaded eyes to face her sister. "Onee-chan, please… We… we need to talk" sadness was drenched over her voice as she took a step forward towards Shizuru, who just stood there, her hand resting against the top of the desk
Shizuru remained still as she watched Natsuki's feet bring her closer and closer towards her. Shizuru's eyes shifted away as she sat back in her seat, trying to avoid meeting Natsuki's gaze. "What… what do you want to talk about?" Shizuru knew the question was a stupid one to ask as she knew the reason behind Natsuki's actions.
"Do I need to say it?" Natsuki rhetorically asked; an eerie silence engulfed the two as her feet came to a still. A few minutes passed as neither side was making a move or saying a word, both pairs of eyes were looking away from the other as they dared not to meet.
"Why…?" for what seemed like an eternity of silence later, Shizuru was the first to ask the question as she turned her eyes to Natsuki. "Why… did you kiss me?"
Natsuki swore she felt her heart stop for a few seconds as all feeling in her body was rushing away as the blood quickly circulated back into her heart. Her hands began to shake a little as Natsuki slowly brought her jade eyes away from the desks; she knew her eyes could be easily read by her sister as they were mixed with fear and nervousness. "S-Shizuru, I…"
"Just, answer me…" Shizuru's voice sounded almost pleading as she tried to restrain a few tears back. "Why did you kiss me?"
"Onee-chan, I… I…," Natsuki swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked right into Shizuru's eyes. She could feel her body tensing up as her fists clenched tightly driving her finger nails into her skin. Taking in a deep breath, Natsuki braced herself for what she was going to say. "Because I love you"
Shizuru's eyes widened slightly, she knew her sister well enough to know that Natsuki was not lying when she said those words. Her throat began to dry, her hand resting lightly against the desk as her eyes turned away from Natsuki. "How can you say that…?"
Those words pierced straight through Natsuki's chest, driving a burning poison into her heart. "What?" her doubts and fears began to slowly brew inside her heart.
"How can you say you love me, after what you did to me that night?" Shizuru's eyes were almost emotionless as she brought her gaze upon Natsuki, finding the younger girl staring at her with a questioning look. "Did you think I was asleep when I came home after the incident with Reito?"
"Onee-, Shizuru, I didn't mean-"
"Didn't mean to do what, kiss your sister?" her voice was almost mocking Natsuki as she furrowed a brow at the accused. "I thought I was just dreaming, hoping that it was not true but when you kissed me when I was unwell…" turning her back to Natsuki, Shizuru brought her hand up to trace the edge of her lips with her finger tip, a cringing pain tightening in her heart. "Why did I not see it? When did I become blind to what you desired?"
"Shizuru, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Natsuki felt like her heart was being torn apart; Shizuru's accusing words were working their magic in opening up her wounded heart.
"Mean to what? Mean to do such disgusting things to me? Breaking my trust in you? Why Natsuki…?" her words trailed off, her eyes stared upon her desk, grieving upon the pain as she refused to face Natsuki. "Why did you have to fall in love with me?"
Finding no words coming out of her mouth; Natsuki's jaded eyes couldn't bring herself to look away from Shizuru. Acting on natural instinct, Natsuki slowly approached Shizuru from behind, her hand stretching outwards as she tried to comfort the older girl.
"NO! Just leave me alone!" upon feeling the presence against her shoulder, Shizuru spun around, raising her hand as she slapped it across Natsuki's cheek in anger. The loud smack rang throughout the empty room, a heart wrenching silence followed as Shizuru's eyes widened in shock at what she had done. Her eyes looked down at her trembling hand; then quickly looked up at Natsuki, only to find tears streaming from the younger girl's eyes.
The pain stung as she felt her cheek inflaming from where Shizuru had struck her. Her eyes couldn't believe what Shizuru had just done to her, the pain in her heart no longer holding back the sadness as tears began to pour down her cheeks. "Shi…." her heart had shattered into a thousand pieces of glass, the shards creating new wounds upon her heart. Not wanting to spend another second there, Natsuki turned away and ran out of the room, almost breaking the door open before fleeing down the empty corridor.
Shizuru… Shizuru…
Her feet didn't stop running, further and further she kept telling her body, wanting to escape the pain. The flow of tears didn't cease until Natsuki's feet finally came to a stop. Raising her swollen eyes, she found herself at a park, the world around her growing darker as storm clouds were forming high up in the sky. A few drops of rain fell upon her cheeks; her jade eyes stared up at the sky as it started to rain. Lifeless eyes didn't look away, her legs coming to exhaustion as she fell to her knees upon the wet grass. She could only stare as the rain continued to pour around her, encasing the darkness around her heart.
Shi… zu… ru…
-0-0-
Knocking her hand hard against the wooden door, Natsuki stood there with a blank emotionless look written on her face as drops of water slid down her face falling to the ground. Her jaded eyes didn't even bother to look away from her downward gaze as the door opened.
"Natsuki?" standing at the door with a ladle in her hand, Mai was surprised by the sudden appearance of the blunette girl at her dorm. Dressed in a yellow and red patterned apron over her school uniform, Mai saw no movement or reaction from Natsuki as she just stood there. Taking Natsuki by the hand, Mai led the girl inside her dorm closing the door shut behind her. "Natsuki?"
Natsuki didn't respond, she just stayed silent as her body was succumbing to the coldness of her drenched clothes as small chills ran up and down her body. The first sign of any change she showed was at the warm presence of a towel resting over her shoulders and concealing her arms. Lifting her saddened jade eyes up towards Mai, a single tear stood out from the rain drops on her cheeks as felt her mask slowly cracking and shards falling to reveal the pent up despair in her heart.
"Wait here" running off in a hurry, Mai disappeared around the corner of the corridor before returning with a change of clothes and bath towel in her hands. "The shower's the second door to your left" Mai watched as Natsuki just accepted her generosity before passing the saffron haired girl.
"Ookini, Mai…" Natsuki muttered in a whisper as she passed Mai before continuing onwards to the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she tossed the clothes and towel aside as the tips of her fingers began working their magic as she stripped off her soaked clothes letting them fall across the tiled floor. A small chill ran across her cold skin sending a shiver along the curves of her body. Not wanting to embrace the cold anymore, she stepped inside the shower as she waited for the water to come.
Shizuru…
The hot water clothed her naked body as she stood there motionless, her eyes drowning in sadness as she could picture the same scene from earlier on playing constantly before.
'Natsuki, no!'
Her ears could still hear the sound of Shizuru's hand colliding against her cheek. Raising her hand up to her cheek, the tips of her fingers could feel the warmness of her slightly swollen cheek as they traced around the outline of the impact. It stung, physically and emotionally to Natsuki as she pressed lightly against her cheek. Natsuki couldn't tell if it was the water or her tears that were running down her cheeks; frankly she couldn't care less right now.
Nor does Shizuru…
Closing her eyes, she waited for her being to be washed away from the events of today. The pain wouldn't go away, her heart felt as though it had been bitten by a snake and the poison still lingered, destroying her from the inside. Clenching her fist tightly, Natsuki could feel her nails digging into her skin as she eased her grip, opening her eyes to see the small curved inflamed marks left against her palm. "Shizuru…" came the whimper from Natsuki as her tears continued to run down her cheeks.
-0-0-
Finishing her shower, Natsuki walked out from the bathroom dressed in a sky blue button up shirt and jean shorts that ended high above her knees. Not her choice of style but considering her other clothes were drenched, it would be rude not to accept Mai's offer. Her main complaint was that the shirt was a little big around chest for her, letting off a 'tsk' from her mouth.
"Hey Natsuki, just in time. Would you like something to eat?" Mai asked with a cheerful smile as the small grumble from Natsuki's stomach gave her an answer. "Take a seat at the table, I'll be a minute"
Natsuki's eyes wondered around until she found the chabudai table sitting idly in the living room. Sitting herself down, Natsuki found herself feeling a little awkward as she rarely came to visit Mai, let alone at her dorm. The place was tidy from what she could see, the furniture was in good condition, and the walls were painted a light brown colour which blended nicely with the sunflower dyed carpet. Shifting her sitting position to make her a bit more comfortable, Natsuki's nose captured the aroma wavering across the room.
"Is my puppy hungry?" Mai couldn't help teasing the blunette as she had been shaking her head side to side with her nose perked up as though she was trying to sniff out the food. Of course, Mai was met with one of Natsuki's death glares but simply shrugged it off as she carried in two bowls of ramen she handed a bowl to Natsuki and placed the other on the other side of the table. Pulling out two disposable chopstick packets from her apron's pocket, she gave one to Natsuki before taking a seat in front of her food.
Natsuki could feel her mouth watering at the aroma and looks at the food before her, the steam from the bowl rising up to further tempt the blunette. "You knew I was coming?" Natsuki asked out of the blue, lifting her jade eyes from the food to face the saffron haired girl.
"Not really, I usually make myself extras for leftovers on another day" Mai happily replied, taking her chopsticks in her hands as she snapped them apart.
Breaking her chopsticks apart, Natsuki began eating, her senses sparking at the high quality taste from her food as she dug straight into it.
"Nice to see your appetite is still the same" Mai smiled warmly, eating gracefully with her chopsticks.
"Can't help it, your food tastes amazing as always" from the corner of her eyes, Natsuki saw a blush arise on Mai's cheeks as the girl just continued to eat her dinner. Finishing her bowl, Natsuki laid back as she enjoyed the lingering taste of the food from her mouth.
"What happened?" Mai bluntly asked, her voice shattered the golden silence that fell upon the atmosphere between the two. Watching as Natsuki slowly lifted her head up, her eyes still not meeting Mai's gaze, Mai just shook her head and stood up. Taking her and Natsuki's bowls away, Mai came back in shortly as she took a seat beside Natsuki. "Would you like to talk about it?"
"What's there to talk about?" Natsuki rhetorically asked, her eyes shot like flames as she glared into Mai's amethyst eyes fiercely. "Shizuru broke my heart, how the fuck am I supposed to talk about that?!" her voice erupted in anger as all the pent up emotions were exploding in her heart. Tears formed around her eyes as she broke down crying, her head buried against Mai's shoulders.
Mai was surprised by the sudden outburst from Natsuki that she tried hard to hold back her own sadness. Feeling the warm presence of Natsuki so close to her, Mai reached her arms around the blunette, embracing the younger girl in a hug. She could feel Natsuki's tears falling against the fabric of her shirt as she just closed her eyes and patted the girl's head.
Her tears felt endless; Natsuki continued to cry, pouring out her emotions were beginning to take its toll on her as she felt her cheeks burning up from all the tears she's shed. The pain eased as she felt Mai's arms encircling around her as the older girl patted her head in assurance. Feeling Mai's hand gently caressing her head, Natsuki's sobbing slowly began to die down as she was left with but a few sniffles. Inhaling the aroma wavering around Mai's clothes, Natsuki indulged in the scent as her mind became clouded with thoughts.
Mai….
Feeling Mai's arms easing up around her back, Natsuki slowly pulled herself away as she brought her hand up to her cheeks to wipe away the tears. Her eyelids were slightly swollen around the few little blood shot streaks in her eyes. Sniffling a little, Natsuki slowly sat herself back in her spot as she remained quiet. "Ookini, Mai…" Natsuki whispered gently, her eyes giving Mai a happy look despite being drowned out in sadness.
"You're welcome Natsuki" Mai smiled warmly at her friend, seeing the blunette smile gave a great deal of relief over her heart. The silence fell upon the pair again as both eyes were drawn towards the table, neither one daring to look the other in the eye. "It's been awhile," Mai spoke out, instantly drawing Natsuki's gaze upon her. "Since you've stayed over here, I've missed having you around"
"Yeah, it has been awhile hasn't it?" Natsuki just weakly smiled, memories of her crashing at Mai's place whenever she wanted to get away from the house and clear her thoughts, Mai was always there to welcome her with open arms.
Since when did I start taking Mai's generosity for granted? When I look at it, she's always been there beside me, always to there to keep me in line or look out for me. Why did I cause her so much pain all these years, when did I become too ungrateful for her kindness…?
"Wait one second…" Mai trailed off as she left Natsuki's side before disappearing into the kitchen. Mai returned with a half empty bottle of sake in one hand and two drinking glasses in the other.
"Alcohol? Since when do you drink Mai?" Natsuki asked, feeling a little surprised and confused by the saffron haired girl's intentions.
"Rarely. You haven't really been bothered to pick up your stash that you left here" Mai retorted back at the blunette, handing her a glass as she returned to Natsuki's side.
"Oh yeah, I was wondering where I left them" her mind quickly pondered over the mysterious disappearance of her stash as she recalled searching all over the house for it. Taking the glass in hand, Natsuki watched as Mai poured up a full glass for her as Natsuki gulped it down in one go.
I know this isn't the best way to cure sadness but at least I can forget about it for a while…
The thought of Shizuru crossing her mind brought an endless wave of despair over her heart as she turned her attention to Mai who took it as a signal to pour another glass. "Ookini…" sipping it lightly this time, Natsuki's jade eyes found it hard to bring herself to look away from her drink.
"I wish I could be of more help" Mai stated with an honest smile, her amethyst eyes caringly watch as Natsuki brought her gaze up to her. She was taken aback as Natsuki shifted closer before resting her head against her chest.
"You already are, baka…" Natsuki grumbled with a slight smile as she closed her eyes, her ears listening to the rhythms of Mai's heart beating through her chest. Natsuki laid there in silence, her thoughts were playing back and forward in her mind as she took no notice of the pair of arms circling around her back and arms. The aroma of peaches brought an ecstatic feeling plaguing her mind as she sat there quietly. "How long?"
"Hm?" Mai muttered quietly, inducing in the scent of Natsuki as rested her head against her shoulder.
"How long, were you suffering?" Natsuki wasn't sure if her question was rhetorical or not, the feeling of Mai's arms loosening up around her told her that her question had caught her attention. "How many years of pain did I bring upon you?"
By now her arms were no longer bounded around the blunette but laying idly at her sides. Her smile turned to sadness, the same sadness that has been following her for all those years as she watched Natsuki grow up to become the girl she is. She felt a tear forming at the corner of her eyes, only for it to be wiped away by warm, gentle hand. The gentle hand lightly brushed against her cheek as it cupped around it bringing her eyes up to face Natsuki. Mai almost lost her breathe as she found Natsuki's face so close to her, she could feel the warm breeze of Natsuki's breathe blowing against her lips. "Nat-?"
Silencing the saffron haired girl with her lips, Natsuki closed her eyes as she held the kiss. Finding no resistance from her friend, Natsuki felt her body easing up as began to pour out the sadness and despair from her mind. Her lips slowly parted away from Mai's. A small gasp of air from the younger girl was heard as Natsuki opened her eyes. Expecting to be met with pain and anger, Natsuki instead found warm, loving amethyst eyes staring into her own.
An awkward silence passed between the two before Mai was finally able to say something. "Did that kiss… did that mean anything to you?" she asked with pleading eyes towards Natsuki.
"It did. I just wanted to see, what it means to share the love you feel for me…" Natsuki replied honestly, still finding uncertainty from the saffron haired girl. "Tonight, can I just…?" Natsuki felt a lump forming at the back of her throat as she swallowed it down. "Just pretend that nothing is wrong. Share one night just between us?"
Mai wanted to refuse deep down, but she knew she may never get the chance to be with Natsuki like this. "I love you, Natsuki."
"I… I love you too…" bringing the younger girl closer towards her, Natsuki closed her eyes as she felt her lips getting closer to Mai's. "Mai…" her name was but a gentle whisper as she felt the warm lips of Mai's enclosing around her own. The kiss was met more lovingly as Natsuki's hand trailed down Mai's cheek and around her neck down towards her back. Feeling a pair of arms circling around her waist, Natsuki almost yelped as she was pulled down with Mai; as she leaned back down against the sofa, feeling her body pressed tightly against Mai's warmth.
Mai laid there against the sofa, her arms wrapped tightly around Natsuki's waist as she brought the older girl's body closer to her own. Feeling Natsuki's chest pressed against her own, Natsuki let out a gasp of air before uniting their lips again. The soft and moist lips brought about a temptation over Mai as she pressed her tongue passed her lips, dabbing lightly against Natsuki's. Not waiting any longer to proceed, Mai pushed her tongue passed the barrier, making its way into Natsuki's mouth as she was replied with a soft moan from Natsuki. The inside of Natsuki's mouth was far sweeter than Mai had ever dreamed off as she found Natsuki's tongue, holding back as she came into contact with her own.
Pulling away from the kiss, Natsuki distance herself away a little, panting from the lack of air from the kiss. Finding the saffron haired girl to be smiling at her, Natsuki shuffled back as she straddled Mai's hips. Her jade eyes watched slowly as Mai slowly ascended up towards the blunette, a fiery passion burning fiercely in her eyes. Natsuki almost gulped as Mai brought her head closer to hers, only to swerve around, attacking the blunette from her neck. A yelp escaped Natsuki's lips as the contact of Mai planting a kiss against her neck.
Chuckling to herself in her mind, Mai felt the warmth and silky touch against her lips as she inhaled the older girl's scent. Mixtures of passion and desire danced around her heart as she began to suck on the patch of skin captured by her lips. The moan of pleasure gave Mai the signal to continue as she hungrily nibbled lightly on the skin, swerving the tip of her tongue in a circle where she left her mark.
Natsuki could feel her breathes becoming shorter from the younger girl's movements. Every time she felt Mai's kisses she could feel the hairs on her arms tingling as the warmth of her breathe against her neck sent a chill running down her back. Closing her eyes, her body began to savour the feelings, every kiss and every movement from the younger girl brought about Natsuki's senses higher and higher. Her eyes were closed but her mind could see Mai's kisses slowly trailing around and down her neck.
Painting a necklace of kisses around the blunette's neck, Mai enjoyed the taste of Natsuki's bare skin against her lips. The closer she moved, the warmer Natsuki's skin became as Mai stopped at the small patch of exposed skin that was not concealed by the blunette's shirt. Parting her lips away from the older girl's body, Mai's eyes trailed up to meet the blunette's own jade eyes staring down at her questioningly. "I'm intrigued, for a girl who behaves like a badass, your body is surprisingly sensitive," Mai giggled as at the sight of the older girl blushing at her comment. "I find it quite cute" playfully winking at Natsuki.
"I'm surprised for a girl who's so mature on the outside can be a perverted old man on the in" Natsuki fought back, grinning a little at the sight of Mai making a pouting face at her comment.
"Pfft! Just for that, I'm not going to hold back" a wide grin stretched across her lips as Mai's hands parted away from Natsuki's back. Creeping her right hand up Natsuki's body, her slender fingers circled around the first button of Natsuki's shirt. Smiling mischievously, her fingers trailed down the center, watching as another button became loose on Natsuki's shirt. Every button that came undone exposed the other girl's body further and further. Keeping Natsuki preoccupied with her right hand's mischief, her left circled around Natsuki's back, slyly slipping itself under Natsuki's shirt as it slowly climbed it way up along the smooth skin reaching its destination as Natsuki's eyes widened slightly. Quick to keep the girl silent, Mai's lifted her head high to capture Natsuki in a kiss. Taking the fabric within her grasp, Mai's fingers made quick work as they remove the clasps from Natsuki's bra one by one until finally the elastic retracted and the girl's lingerie was no longer held on properly.
Upon feeling Mai's work being done behind her back, Natsuki moaned quietly into Mai's mouth as the younger girl's tongue was keeping her mouth occupied inside. At first Natsuki was a little hesitant by Mai's tongue playing inside her mouth but slowly she felt her body relaxing as she joined in the dance with Mai's tongue with her own. It felt weird at first but eventually Natsuki got into the grove as she felt Mai's tongue moving in a rhythm with her own. Feeling the fabric of her shirt brushing along her skin, Natsuki was brought back to the reality as Mai parted away from the kiss, allowing her to see what she was doing. Her shirt was no long held together as Mai's hands had pulled away the fabrics, exposing her skin and chest in the process. A deep blush flared up on her cheeks as Mai looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Don't stop…" Natsuki understood what Mai wanted and gave the younger girl the signal to continue.
"Hm, follow me…" parting away from Natsuki, she took the hand of the blunette as she led her away from the couch. Her fingers were intertwined with Natsuki's own, the feeling was nice to her, and the blush on her cheeks had given that away. Opening the door to her room, she pushed open the door to find the room dark save for the light coming from the opened door. Her eyes stared over at her king sized bed before turning back to Natsuki, waiting for the older girl to respond. "Natsuki, you don't have-"
Closing the distance in a heartbeat, she pressed her lips against Mai's; a surprise squeak could faintly be made out from Mai to which Natsuki found rather cute. "Mai…" the sweet taste that parted from her lips fed onto Natsuki's hunger, her emerald eyes showing nothing else but desire for the younger girl. "Tonight… let me be yours, please…" emerald eyes pleaded with the saffron haired girl, waiting, watching, and seeing how Mai would react.
Throwing aside all thoughts in her mind, her hand still entwined with Natsuki's own, she led the blunette away from the doorway, across the carpeted floor as she sat at the side of the bed, slowly, and she pulled Natsuki down towards her. "Tonight…" her back lying against the covers, amethyst eyes stared lovingly at the moonlit face of Natsuki, smiling at her with loving eyes. "Let us be one…"
-0-0-
A groan of displeasure come from the blunette's mouth as her body laid there beneath the blankets. Shifting onto her side, her arm came in contact with a warm presence causing a stir in her mind. As much as opening her eyes was a nuisance to Natsuki in the morning, she knew what she was expecting. Jade eyes slowly awoke to the dimly lit room as the morning night still lingered in the room. What bit of sunlight could break through the closed blinds brought the picture of a saffron haired girl lying before Natsuki with her back towards her. Groaning once more, Natsuki could feel the lack of clothing on her body as she noticed her companion was in the same boat as her.
Oh God…
A wave of grief and self-hatred plagued her mind as Natsuki sat herself up, hanging her legs over the side of the bed. The blankets covered up to her neck as she held it there with her left hand while her other hand covered her eyes, trying to enclose her mind into the despair. The swelling on her cheek had long healed but the emotional pain from it still lingered.
What have I reduced myself too?
A warm presence slowly encased around the blunette's stomach, the ruffling sound of bed sheets brought the stranger to close the distance between her and Natsuki. Neither one said a word; Natsuki took her hand away from her eyes only to fix them to the ground. Her jade eyes trailed the various items of clothing tossed along the ground from last night. Sighing deeply, she couldn't bring herself to say anything as her mind was circling around her emotions and thoughts.
It was Mai who eventually broke the silence. "How are you feeling?" Mai knew that Natsuki was deep in thought, her arms held Natsuki loosely expecting the blunette to break away any second.
"Like shit" was all Natsuki could say. Natsuki almost found her response amusing but right now, trying laugh of something such as this was not going to help.
Amethyst eyes softened as the saffron haired girl pressed her forehead against the older girl's shoulder. Inhaling the other's scent, Mai closed her eyes as her eyes tightened around the blunette's waist. Both girls sat in silence for a while, both sides feeling that words aren't the best choice of action right now. Unravelling her arms from the blunette, Mai drew her arms to her side as she shuffled herself across the bed, pushing the bed sheets away as she emerged from the blankets, her feet touching the carpeted ground. Stretching her arms to hear the sounds of bones making soft breaking sounds, she rose to her feet as she gathered up some of her discarded clothes. The only item of clothing she still had on was her underwear as she looked into her cabinet to pick out a new pair before walking to the door of her room. "I'm just going to have a shower"
Natsuki just sat there, her eyes still fixed on the ground as she heard Mai's footsteps grow softer before hearing a door close in the distance. She found what darkness there was around her almost comforting; her thoughts were playing mind games with herself as she closed her eyes, losing herself to her thoughts.
-Inside Natsuki's mind-
"What do we have here?" asked the demanding voice, jade eyes staring at a cobalt haired girl sitting in the empty white room. Furrowing her eyes, the shadow watched with anger at the sight of the girl sitting there with her head buried in her arms, her legs curled up close as her hands rested on the sides.
"Leave me alone" the girl grunted, not even bothering to raise her head out from her arms.
"Isn't this a sight to be seen? An ice princess can't even handle a little heat from last night?" the shadow mocked the girl only to be met with a rock being thrown at her as it passed straight through her. "You can't hurt what's a part of you"
"Shut it!" the girl growled.
"Why don't you pick your sorry ass up and come here and say that?" the shadowy girl provoked, drawing her hand back as she was readying herself to further prove her point.
"That is enough!" another voice scowled the shadow as she turned her attention to the other person. A girl approached the shadow, her entire body was glowing a warm, golden aura as all that could be made of the girl was her facial features. "Stand down, Kage"
"Tsk! Where did you pull yourself out from, Hikari?" Kage glared at the luminous girl, gritting her teeth at other's presence.
"As long as darkness exists, so will light. You can't live without me just as I can't live without you…" her golden filled eyes turned to the blunette girl who still sat there buried in her arms. "Nor can we live without her"
"Her? You mean that sad sack of depressed shit? Just look at her, what a pathetic excuse of a being. Quite frankly, we're better off being without her. My job is to control the darkness in her heart, and lately it's been nothing but a pain in my ass as it just keeps growing and growing. How can I do my job if it's an endless stream of depression and no signs of any hope?" Kage asked, her voice was almost furious at the cobalt haired girl as she threw a distasteful glance at Natsuki.
"It's nice to know you care so much about Natsuki," Hikari calmly smiled, ignoring the round of curses coming from Kage. Hovering across the ground, the girl leaned down to rest a hand against Natsuki's shoulder. "You can show yourself, Natsuki"
Jade eyes slowly lifted from over her shoulder as Natsuki stared at the glowing person standing before her with a kind smile. "Why are you two here?"
"We are always here. Your heart will always have a light…" Hikari calmly replied, seeing the pain reflected against Natsuki's eyes.
"And a shadow" Kage tuned in, circling Natsuki around from the other side, not even bothering to look at Natsuki.
"Hmph, well you certainly got my looks, except Kage got the leftover crap" Natsuki joked, catching a glimpse of the angered expression on Kage's face.
"Why you little piece of shi-!"charging at Natsuki, Kage was held back by Hikari who had no difficulty in restraining her.
"Enough you two! Kage, do not forget why we are here" Hikari gave Kage a death glare as the other eventually calmed down, letting out a 'tsk' grunt before moving away from Hikari's grasp.
"Why are you two here?" Natsuki asked, pushing herself up as she stepped onto her feet.
"You don't know? Why don't you take a good look at your life right now and say that again?" Kage replied, her pitch black eyes glaring at Natsuki.
Jade eyes rolled away from the other, Natsuki's attitude softened as Kage's words had sunk deep into her heart.
"Things have gotten out of control, haven't they Natsuki?" Hikari asked, finding the blunette turning her back to her. "You've grown up so much since we last talked with you" she smiled warmly; her words gave Natsuki a strange warmth in her heart.
"The orphanage…" the words effortlessly rolled off the tip of her tongue as Natsuki turned around to face Hikari. "You two, you watched over me in the days I spent there"
"I remember the snot nosed, little brat that would cry herself to sleep every night," Kage brought the blunette's gaze onto her as she just shrugged off the glaring coming from Hikari. "How many times did we say you would be alright?" Kage's words softened the expressions from Natsuki and Hikari. "It hurts to see you like this Natsuki…"
"We were close to you Natsuki; we kept you together until you didn't need us…" Hikari's eyes saddened but flickered a glimpse of happiness in them. "You found a new family, people to love you, to care for you" Hikari smiled a warm glow, her hand brushing against Natsuki's cheek. "In turn, you found someone to love, didn't you?"
Natsuki knew who she was referring too; a picture of a honey brown haired girl smiling warmly at her with gentle crimson eyes crossed her thoughts, itching a smile along Natsuki's lips. "Shizuru…"
"She's beautiful" Hikari closed her eyes as she could see in clear sight of Natsuki's thoughts.
"But your love for her is like a double edged sword," Kage added, her obsidian eyes staring at Natsuki emotionlessly. "If not used right, it can hurt you. If it becomes too powerful for you to control, it will fall onto you and it will spilt your heart in two" her words were almost threatening to Natsuki as she had to turn her eyes away from her.
"What am I supposed to do?" Natsuki asked herself, looking upon the white ground as though she was trying to seek an answer from it. "Everything is getting out of control; I'm hurting everyone around me. Why, why can't I just end this nightmare?!" she screamed, her hands constricting around head as she shut her eyes tightly. "Make it stop, make the pain stop! No more, I don't want her to suffer anymore cause of me!" falling to her knees, Natsuki burst into tears as they streamed down her cheeks as she tried to shake away the darkness engulfing her mind.
"It's okay…"Hikari cooed, her arms wrapping around Natsuki as she held the girl close. "It's alright, don't cry Natsuki…" the girl's voice sounded very motherly to the blunette's ears as she calmed the blunette. "You are not alone Natsuki, you've never been alone…" Hikari turned her golden eyes to Kage as she signalled the other to come towards her.
"There are people there Natsuki that you've hurt but no matter what happens, they'll still love you no matter what" kneeling down to Natsuki's level, Kage held Natsuki close with Hikari, feeling her warmth presence against her. "You're strong Natsuki, as long as me and Hikari are here, you'll never be alone. If you're sad, we'll be sad, if you're happy, we're happy. Don't burden this pain alone" Kage smiled warmly, her body slowly sinking into the blunette as she disappeared into the other girl.
"We're always here for you Natsuki" Hikari smiled, bringing the blunette's jade eyes to meet her own. "If you ever need to talk, just say the word…" her body started to faded away before bursting into a golden dust as it blew across Natsuki's body. "Time to wake up…"
-0-0-
The warmth pressing against her cheek brought about a groan from Natsuki. Her tired jade eyes slowly opened to find a pair of loving amethyst eyes looking down on her, the girl just smiled at her as she continued to stroke her cheek. "Mai…?"
"You fell back to sleep. You looked like you were crying…" Mai sat beside the blunette at the edge of the bed, dressed in a pair of casual jeans and a creamed coloured singlet as she looked upon Natsuki with caring eyes.
"I was…?" the question was rhetorical as the blunette turned her head aside to face away from the saffron haired girl. A calm silence passed upon the two, Natsuki laid there beneath the covers with an emotionless look upon her face, her chest slowly rising and falling underneath the covers. Feeling a warm presence against her cheek, her jade eyes turned to find Mai caressing her cheek.
"You're thinking about Shizuru, aren't you?" a soft nod came from Natsuki as Mai's softened. "I knew from the start…" she paused, her amethyst eyes saddened as she turned her focus away from Natsuki. "That I would never be the one you'll love. Your heart was always with her, even from the moment we met. Still, I lead myself to believe that there was still a chance, a chance that you would accept me, that you would love me," a tear formed at the corner of her eyes as she wiped it away. "I knew my chances were small, some would never take those odds. But yet, even if there was still there was the smallest chance, I was willing to take that risk. If there is still hope, I won't stop fighting for the one I love," her eyes turned to Natsuki, finding her to looking at her with apologetic eyes. "Natsuki, your chances are small but are you willing to give up on Shizuru?"
Mai's words had sunken deep in her heart as her emotions were playing up inside her mind. She felt her heart beating fast, her ears still hearing Mai's words playing over and over again before finally Natsuki cleared her thoughts. "I… I don't know…"
Sadness gloomed over her eyes as Mai turned away from Natsuki. Sighing deeply, Mai heard the blankets rustling before feeling a warm, heavy presence pressed against her back. Strands of midnight blue hair fell over shoulder as a pair of jade eyes peered at the corner of her eyes, staring at her.
"I love you Mai…"
Mai smiled at hearing those words but knew the meaning behind them were not what she hoped they meant. "I love you too, Natsuki…" feeling the warm presence leave her, Mai was pulled back onto the bed as a pair of slender arms encircled around her chest, the older girl's face only inches away from hers.
"Once more…" Natsuki shyly held her words as a blush rose against her cheeks. "Could we…?"
Mai could only chuckle lightly as she knew what Natsuki was asking for. "Of course…" reaching to cup the blunette's cheeks with her hands, Mai brought Natsuki's face down to meet her own as their lips pressed against the other, a warm kiss being shared between the two.
Closing her eyes, Natsuki deepened the kiss further as her right hand circled around the other's stomach before finding its way under Mai's shirt, trailing up the soft skin. The kiss parted only to be met with another as Natsuki's hand circled around the inside of Mai's shirt as her finger unclasped the other's bra. "Once more…" Natsuki whispered as she broke the kiss, only to move her hand down the younger girl's body.
-0-0-
Her feet kicked a nearby empty can along the path, the metal rattling against the concrete. Her eyes looked heavy in thoughts as Natsuki walked alone, her feet kicking the can along the way. Natsuki had left the dorms not long ago as she wanted to clear her mind. Her friend said nothing to her as she walked out the door but in a way Natsuki was happy she didn't. Guilt was all Natsuki could think about, the very thought caused the girl to clench her fist tightly as she gave one heavy kick against the can sending it flying through the sky.
"Ouch!" shouted out a cry.
Realising what she had done, Natsuki hurried down the path towards the source of the path only to meet a familiar face at the end. "Sergay?"
Nina sat there on the ground rubbing her head as she looked to be unhappy only to change upon hearing a familiar voice. "Mutt?" her topaz her eyes stared up at the blunette girl standing tall over her. "Ouch, that hurt you know!"
"What? How do you even know if I did it?" Natsuki questioned back the other blunette.
"You haven't denied nor have I accused you of doing anything" Nine wickedly smiled back at Natsuki, catching the other in her trap. Laughing to herself, Nina held her hand out as Natsuki pulled the younger girl onto her feet. "So what brings you here, were you visiting Mai?" Nina asked in a mischievous tone, finding the older girl panicking on the outside. "You need to get better at hiding your emotions. Come, let's catch up" issuing the older girl to follow her, Nina led Natsuki away down a few streets before arriving at a café.
Ordering themselves something to eat and drink, Natsuki began to tell Nina of what has been happening the last few years, everything from her family to even her school life. Taking a breather, Natsuki took a sip from her coke as she watched Nina's mixed reactions.
"So Shizuru's her name? Wait, you're related to the Kaichou?" Nina was met with a nod from Natsuki as the blunette just smiled. "I must say, you've got some good tastes. I didn't know she was your sister cause of the family names" although Nina was trying to add some humour to situation, she could see that it was only making Natsuki feel uncomfortable.
"Yeah. I thought that would be the only thing that would keep us apart so I kept my family name. But, it seems like there was a lot more to it than I had imagined…" her jade eyes saddened as she clasped her half full drink tightly with her hands.
"So, are you and Mai…?" hinting to the blunette, Nina saw Natsuki shake her head in denial. "Despite what you two did?"
"I just wanted to escape the misery of loving Shizuru for just one night. Mai is a close friend of mine, I love her, but it's not the same love I feel for Shizuru," the guilt kept creeping up the back of her mind as Natsuki couldn't shake it off no matter what. "What a horrible person I must be. I fell in love with my sister, slept with my best friend and hurt those around me…"
"Beating yourself up won't help," Nina spoke out among the dead silence. "You've messed up Mutt, you've made some bad decisions and you've suffered for the consequences. But that doesn't mean life is over. We make mistakes and bad choices every day of our lives but in turn, we learn from them. We learn from our pain and suffering, and strive to fix the mistakes we made and heal the wounds from our encounters. There is always a chance to make things right, you just need to know what to do" feeling a little proud from her pep talk, Nina found Natsuki to only be a little cheered up but still feeling down.
"I suppose…" Natsuki continued to sound depressed, stirring her drink with her straw.
Sighing deeply, Nina took a sip from her lemonade to help clear her mind. "My father was a bastard," she said to herself, not minding if Natsuki heard her or not. "When your parents had passed away, he refused to let us take you in and instead, let you be sent off to an orphanage. It pained me to have you gone from my life, it wasn't till a few years later that my parents divorced and I and my mother went to search for you. We asked the orphanage what had happened to you and they told us you had been adopted and were with a happy family. I wished I could've have had seen you again but knowing you were happy with a new family, I felt kind of relieved. Life had been rough for you at a young age but when I see you today right now and how you turned out, I felt happy. You had grown up with a loving family who had cared for you and still do" Nina smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek, falling against the table cloth.
Taking her napkin, Natsuki handed it to Nina as the younger girl wiped away the few tears that came from her eyes. "Arigatou, Nina" Natsuki smiled warmly at her cousin, holding her hand in her own. The two continued to reminisce about the past and the present all afternoon.
-Yesterday…-
"Nooo, leave me alone!" upon feeling the presence against her shoulder, Shizuru spun around, raising her hand as she slapped it across Natsuki's cheek in anger. The loud smack rang throughout the empty room, a heart wrenching silence followed on after as Shizuru widened her eyes at what she had done. Her eyes trembled down at her hand as they quickly stared up at Natsuki to find tears streaming from the younger girl's eyes.
The pain stung as she felt her cheek inflaming from where Shizuru had struck her. Her eyes couldn't believe what Shizuru had just done to her, the pain in her heart no longer holding back the sadness as tears began to pour down her cheeks. "Shi…." her heart had shattered into a thousand pieces of glass, the shards creating new wounds upon her heart. Not wanting to spend another second there, Natsuki turned away as she ran outside the room, almost breaking the door open before fleeing down the empty corridor.
Shizuru stood there shocked in horror at what had happened. Her crimson eyes stared in disbelief at her hand now swelling slightly as she pressed her other hand against it. It stung as she touched it; it felt as though a needle was being pushed through her skin where she touched. She felt her breathes begin to shorten as tears were quickly forming at the corners of her eyes.
"Shizuru?"
Her tears stopped as Shizuru paused, knowing all too well who the owner of that voice was. Lifting her eyes away from her hand, she saw Reito standing at the door with a confused look on his face. "Rei…" unwilling to hold back her tears, Shizuru ran into Reito's arms, burying her face deep against his shoulder, letting all her pain out.
Not a word came out, he knew all he could do was hold Shizuru close, let her know that everything was alright. His gentle golden eyes stared down at his girlfriend with a look of regret and worry. It had been awhile since they had interacted like this, ever since the incident at his house, Shizuru hadn't been talking to him at all. She wouldn't answer his texts or calls, in truth, this had made him worry. They were still together during the student council meetings but neither one had exchanged any words or greetings, they just kept silent. His heart sunk deep with regret, how many times he mentally beat himself up over what he tried to do to Shizuru, how many times he wished he could redo the mistakes he had made. Right now though, whatever was wrong with Shizuru, he would be there for her. He wrapped his arms around her back, securing her, keeping her close.
-0-0-
Reito had offered to take Shizuru home as they had left the school but Shizuru insisted she didn't want to go there. She didn't say why which only left Reito feeling unsure as to what the alternative choices were. "Would you like to stay the night at my place, my parents will be home so you don't need to worry" it was gamble to even mention the alternative but Reito knew there wasn't many options for Shizuru to take.
"That sounds fine…" cold, distant her voice sounded as her eyes stared blankly at the rain brushing against the car window. Shizuru seemed more like a doll than a living being as she kept a lifeless, distant look about her.
The atmosphere felt cold in the air, Reito wasn't sure whether it was from the rain outside or from Shizuru. Worried golden eyes would often glance at Shizuru who took no notice, finding the girl to be lost in her own world. The car pulled up outside his house as he quickly rushed outside into the rain, putting up an umbrella before walking around to Shizuru's side, opening the door for her. He watched as Shizuru stepped out from the car, walking along the gravelled driveway with little to no care for the rain drenching her feet as she accompanied him into the house.
Closing the door shut behind them, the house felt warm as Reito scanned around in the hallway. Not a moment later a middle aged woman came walking towards him with a smile. "The weather is certainly raining cats and dogs now isn't it sweetie?" the woman smiled warmly, pinching his cheeks.
"Mother, please" Reito smiled back warmly, brushing away his mother's affection.
"Oh, good afternoon Miss Fujino, how are you?" her golden eyes turned to the woman standing beside Reito, recognising her instantly.
"I am good, thank you" Shizuru tried her best to compose herself with a smile but knew all too well that it wasn't the least bit convincing.
Avoiding further questions, Reito turned to his mother. "Could I talk to you about something?" his eyes signalled it to be something important as his mother quickly caught on.
"Hai, please make yourself at home Shizuru" she smiled warmly as she walked into the kitchen with Reito following behind.
Shizuru watched as they turned out of sight, leaving her standing with her thoughts. Unsure what to do, her feet had a mind of their own as she found herself walking into the living room, taking a seat on the recliner. The room felt warm from the fire burning from across the room in the fireplace. The embers rising and falling, unsure to whether Shizuru thought it to be dancing or fighting, the latter possibility felt more of a reflection of her heart. Tear filled emerald eyes played across her mind, her chest tightened as though it was trying to draw away her life. 'What have I done…?'
"Here" Reito smiled, handing Shizuru her tea in hopes to cheer her up. Shizuru looked almost surprised at his presence; her eyes were lost in a trance not some a minute ago when he came back into the room. She looked to be lost in her thoughts, unsure if he should've interrupted her or not, the moment a glimpse of pain and sadness reflected from her eyes, he knew he had to step in.
"Arigatou…" she thanked, inhaling the warm aroma from her green tea.
Tending to the fire, he kneeled down as he tossed in another log, carefully closing the metal door that barred the flames in an infernal tomb. "You're welcome to stay the night, my mother might have some spare clothes you can change into if you like" he called out from across the room, his eyes fixed upon the fireplace, not daring to even look her in the eye.
She stared dimly into her tea, her eyes lazily watching the steam arising from her beverage as the rim was suddenly alit from the corner of her eye. The smell of smoke and burning sticks filled her senses as she looked up to see Reito working on the fire, adding logs and sticks eventually. Resting her tea aside, Shizuru crawled across the rug as she approached him from behind, circling her arms around his waist as she rested her body against him. Closing her eyes, she found herself to be lost in the scent of crackling red gum burning in the fire. "Ookini, Reito…"
At hearing his name almost whispered into his ear, a small part of his heart felt warm as he smiled. Although the stone patterned floor beneath him was cold, he felt warm not from the fire but from being so close to Shizuru. Cautiously moving his hands, he rested his palm against Shizuru's, finding the girl not hesitating or flinching the slightest. Closing his eyes made the feeling in his heart all the more special, it was strange to him how that worked but he couldn't care less about it, right now his main focus was on Shizuru. "I… missed you…" the words came out so unexpected that Reito was worried if he should've covered his mouth.
"I missed you too…" releasing her arms from around his waist, Shizuru shuffled back, watching with sad crimson eyes as Reito shuffled around so he was facing her. Her heart tightened in pain at seeing the sadness circling in his golden eyes as though they tried to avert meeting her own out of shame.
"I'm sorry, Shizuru. I'm sorry for what I did; I didn't mean to hurt you. I can understand if you hate me, I know I hate myself for what had happened. I know it's foolish to ask, but can you forgive me for what I did?" sincerity covered every heart felt word he spoke; he knew Shizuru would think this all as a hoax and for that, he wouldn't blame her if she said no.
Shizuru shifted uncomfortably where she sat, her thoughts turning back to what had happened a few weeks ago. It was inexcusable and wrong, but she could see that Reito did regret for his past actions and that he wants to make amends. Softening a smile, she took his hand into her own. "I forgive you, Reito" leaning forward as she kept her eyes focuses on Reito, she raised her lips eye as she kissed him on the forehead.
Reito certainly felt a whole lot warmer from all of this, he wasn't sure whether it was the fire, hearing Shizuru's words or possibly the small bit of affection. Whatever it was, it brought a smile to him. "Thank you, Shizuru"
They sat there in front of the fireplace, huddled up close to each other. Their eyes watched the fire burning passionate, each flame rising and falling after the other, they sat they in silence. It felt nice to be this close with Shizuru again but he knew there was something troubling the younger girl and it wasn't him. Debating for half an hour in his mind if he should her ask or not, Reito gave in. "If you don't mind me asking, what is it that's troubling you Shizuru?" his golden eyes shifted away, watching as Shizuru looked rather uncomfortable at him asking the question. "G-gomenasai, I didn't mean too-"
"It's alright," Shizuru cut him off, leaving him speechless as she continued to stare at the fire. She couldn't blame him for asking, she had been expecting sooner or later that he would ask her, it was just a matter of her feeling 'ready' to answer. "I suppose I should tell someone"
"Shizuru, if you don't want to talk about it I understand"
She knew he meant well; right now she needed a shoulder to lean on and Reito was there to help her. His kindness was something she admired about him, something she loved. 'Love…' a picture of Natsuki flashed across her mind, seeing the girl in tears pained her heart at knowing she was responsible for that. "I got into a fight with Natsuki earlier…"
"Natsuki? Your sister?" he knew very well that sibling fights could get pretty scary which made approaching Shizuru about it all the more harder. Turning his eyes away as searching for the right words to say, he knew there wouldn't be any way of asking around it. "What… what were you two fighting about?"
Turmoil swirled in her crimson eyes, the usual warm glow she showed to Reito seemed like a distant memory to her. She was used to hiding her emotions and her true intentions; very few people could see past her veil and see her true self. Resting her tea aside on the table, her hands rested uneasily against her lap, her fingers entwining and fidgeting around an invisible string. "It was something petty, do not worry too much" she lied.
"It's not something petty if it has gotten you feeling this beat up…" knowing he might've pushed a few too many buttons, Reito tried to plea with Shizuru to be honest. "Shizuru, please… I'm here to help" golden eyes pleaded with crimson, a silent battle raged between the two as they stared each other down.
Sighing heavily in defeat, Shizuru knew she couldn't hide it from him no matter what. She rose to her feet as her footsteps looked almost to be gliding across the floor as she turned her back towards Reito. "…Natsuki confronted me about something…"
"What was it?"
"It was something she did to me, something that hurt me… on the inside"
"What do you mean?" unsure as to what she was saying, Reito leaned further forward from where he sat, his golden eyes never leaving Shizuru from his sight. "Why did it hurt you?"
She had been dreading this moment for years as a heavy sigh escaped her lips, lifeless crimson eyes stared into the shadowy abyss as though they were looking for comfort. "Truth is…" holding her hand over her chest where her heart was, her crimson eyes wouldn't dare to look Reito in the eye as what she was going to tell him pained her to say. "I… was once in love... with Natsuki"
TBC…
Omake:
Natsuki: So, what, we don't have HiME channel anymore?
Shizuru: I don't think anyone actually watched this show; the big shots have cancelled the show
Natsuki: What? This cannot be. What about my stardom?
Shizuru: There'll still be the ones you'll see in the bedroom
Natsuki: … You're lucky the channel is off air, otherwise I'll be-
Producer: Great news, we still have one viewer; the show will still be running!
Natsuki: What?!
Shizuru: Cue the music!
(Sign pops up) HiME Channel!
Shizuru: Hiya HiME's! Welcome back to HiME Channel, I'm Shiz-
Natsuki: Hold on a sec!
Shizuru: What?
Natsuki: You can't say 'Hime's' as there's only one viewer
Shizuru: Oh, right. Hiya HiME? (Looks to Natsuki who nods approvingly) I'm Fujino Shizuru, the ever so loveable host! And this dust puppy is…
Natsuki: Kuga Natsuki, pleas- wait, who are you calling dust puppy? (Blows away some cobwebs from her hair)
Shizuru: Anyway, welcome to another exciting episode of HiME Channel, it's been sooo long since we've been on TV; I thought we had been forgotten
Natsuki: We were, that's why we were going to be thrown out in next week's garbage
Shizuru: Aww, don't sound so depressed, you enjoyed all the wonderful punishments we were doing on cam-
Natsuki: Aaaanyway, so what are we doing on the show today?
Shizuru: Well, um.. (Searches through her notes) I have no idea. Talk about the story perhaps?
Natsuki: I suppose. Okay, let's see what happened… (Reads through script) What?! I slept with Mai?
Shizuru: YOU WHAT?! (Fire ignites around her and the set)
Natsuki: Eheh, calm down sweetie, no need to get angry…. (Slowly retreats away)
Shizuru: Fufufu, when I'm finished with Mai, I'm gonna make her never wished she slept with Natsuki, but with me instead!
Natsuki: …What?
Shizuru: Anyhow (returns to being innocent) Interesting progress with the story, Natsuki gets hurts, she sleeps with Mai, had an inner battle with herself, talked with Nina and then we find out the horrifying truth, I enjoy fireplaces
Natsuki: Eh? How was that horrifying?
Shizuru: Because no one would ever suspect me to be sucker for fireplaces
Natsuki: Is that so? (Pulls out a mini fireplace) What does my mistress desire?
Shizuru: … Strip out of those clothes, get down on all four and-
(fanfare)
Shizuru: Oh well, time's up, we'll see ya next time, byee!
(signs pops up)
Natsuki: Come to think of it, who's our one viewer?
Mai: I love you Natsuki! (Calling out in the background)
Shizuru: (glares) You should be loving me! (Chases after Mai)
Natsuki: But, but…. What about me….? (Sits there like a lone puppy)
End of Omake
Author: I apologise for the extra-long chapter, didn't want to make this a two chapters as I wanted this to make up for the lack of updates. Please don't kill me for having Shizuru act like a pain towards Natsuki; the next chapter will reveal more secrets behind Shizuru's agenda so stay tuned. For those who say that there's too much drama let me tell you, that love isn't always sweet and innocent, there is a lot of chaos that goes on behind it.
Hope you enjoyed chapter 16, be sure to leave a review that's preferably not a death threat for my disappearance.
Lastly, I'd like to pay my respects to the author 'Frau-chan n Yaa-chan', as they pair was sadly taken from this world about three months ago. They were good friends of mine and to everyone who knew them, it's sad to think they are gone May they rest in peace