DISCLAIMER: Sunrise owns My-HiME and its characters. I own this twisted tale of love and revenge.
A/N: This is a three chapter one-shot from the dark depths of my evil hentai mind.
Hell Hath No Fury
"I am sorry. I am in love with another woman."
Those were Shizuru's last words to me. It's been three long agonizing months! I hear them in my waking hours. I hear them in my sleep.
I met Fujino Shizuru in English class our first year at University, when we were randomly paired for Language Lab. Until that day, I never took notice of other women. Why would I? I had been contently dating Arika since my second year in high school, so other women were a blur. I thought I was happy with Arika, but three months after meeting Shizuru, I broke up with Arika using Shizuru's exact words to me.
"Everyone will need a partner for Language Lab, so rather than incite pandemonium, I am assigning partners," Higa-sensei announced as everyone settled in the first day of class. She began to read out the partnered names, "Abe and Yuki, Daigo and Youka, Fujino and Kuga…"
When I heard my name, I looked up from fiddling with my palmtop computer and scanned the class. I didn't notice anyone looking around, so I went back to fiddling. In my head, I figured out Higa-sensei's 'partnering system.' She started by pairing the student at the top of the class roster with the student at the bottom, working her way to the middle. This realization made me chuckle.
"Did you find something amusing on your computer?" inquired a sweet voice to my right.
"Nani?" I asked startled.
"Ano, you chuckled just now."
"Oh, that…I just figured out Higa-sensei's 'partnering system' and its simplicity made me chuckle," I smiled and responded to the woman sitting to my right.
"I am Fujino Shizuru, your partner for Language Lab."
"I'm Kuga Natsuki," I responded, wondering how she knew who I was.
"I saw you look up when your name was called," Shizuru shyly answered my unasked question.
We spent the remainder of the class focused on Higa-sensei's lecture. After class, Shizuru lingered while I packed up my book bag. Higa-sensei didn't assign any Language Lab exercises this class, so I had next class free.
"Since we do not have any Language Lab exercises, would you like to have tea with me?" Shizuru asked shyly.
"Huh?" I said, once again startled by her sweet voice.
"Tea?" she smiled brightly.
"Great!" I smiled back.
As we sat drinking our tea and getting to know one another, I smiled when I realized why Shizuru's voice rang sweetly in my ears. It was her melodic Kyoto-ben.
"Have you found something amusing?" Shizuru asked.
"Huh? Why'd you ask?" I responded, feeling a bit guilty for no reason.
"You are smiling that way again."
"I'm sorry. I just realized you're from Kyoto," I answered sheepishly.
"What?"
"The way you speak, it gave you away. I've always had a soft spot for it, that's all," I answered honestly. My candor took me by surprise.
"Ara," Shizuru whispered shyly. I noticed she was blushing. "Are you from Tokyo?" she asked in reference to my academic Tokyo-ben.
"Actually, no," I responded sheepishly.
Shizuru gave me a puzzled look.
"How would you rank your English skills?" I asked, bringing our conversation back to neutral ground.
"I would say fair to good. My comprehension is better than speaking. How are your skills?" Shizuru responded in English with a noticeable Japanese accent.
"Excellent," I responded in clear English.
The shocked look on Shizuru's face made me chuckle.
"I was born here, but raised in America. We returned my first year of high school," I responded in clear English.
"Why are you taking English class?" Shizuru asked, returning to her familiar.
"Taking tests makes me nervous, so it was just easier to take the class," I continued in English.
I repeated my response in Japanese after seeing Shizuru's puzzled look.
"I understood you the first time," Shizuru responded curtly in English.
"Sorry, I thought…sorry," I replied sheepishly in English.
"I think we should pick one language and stick with it," Shizuru suggested in Japanese.
"You pick," I deferred in Japanese.
"English, since it will help me with class," Shizuru responded in English. "As long as my English does not annoy you," she added.
"English is fine…" I answered in English. "By the way, your English does NOT bother me, but…" I started.
"What?" Shizuru reverted to Japanese, genuinely concerned.
I remained silent for a bit before answering, buying me some time while I tried to decide if I should air my next thought.
"Would you mind speaking in Japanese every so often? I enjoy listening to your Kyoto-ben," I blurted out in Japanese, my common sense abandoning me.
Shizuru giggled and blushed. I sheepishly smiled, blushed, and looked at my lap. I hated to see our tea time end. We parted company and went our separate ways.
Being tri-lingual; I speak English, Japanese, and Spanish; switching between languages wasn't difficult for me, but Shizuru found it trying. We decided to speak English at University only. We also spoke English when we didn't want anyone else eavesdropping on us, which isn't difficult to do in Tokyo.
One month into life at University and I found myself spending all my free time with Shizuru, until Arika blew up over it. I TRIED to balance my free time between them, but I found it difficult. I was struggling with it, not due to the available amount of my free time, but because I wanted to spend more time with Shizuru than Arika. I found myself being short with Arika and knew I wasn't being fair to her. Shizuru also noticed the change in my demeanor.
"Is something wrong?" Shizuru asked after we settled into our Language Lab seats.
"Huh?" I answered distracted.
"Did I do something?" she asked sheepishly.
"No, no. It's me. It's my problem. I'm sorry." I responded quickly.
"You have been acting strange lately."
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry. I've had a lot on my mind dealing with Arika," I blurted out without thinking.
"Arika?" Shizuru asked.
Up until now, I hadn't told Shizuru about Arika or my sexual orientation.
"Hai…" I cut myself short at the realization of what I just let slip out.
"Who is Arika? You never mentioned her before," Shizuru said sadly.
I silently cursed myself for being in this situation.
"We should start our exercises," I suggested, trying to change the subject.
"Ano, they can wait. Who is Arika?" Shizuru pressed.
I sat and stared at Shizuru…beautiful Shizuru. Her crimson eyes searching mine, asking for answers to questions I knew I shouldn't answer. I hemmed and hawed, trying to buy myself more time, but Shizuru was growing impatient. Common sense be damned, I decided to come out to my new best friend.
"Shizuru," I looked into her eyes, "I'm a 'bian' and Arika is my girlfriend from high school."
Shizuru sat staring at me. I watched as emotions crisscrossed her face. Her emotions were obviously in turmoil. After what felt like a lifetime, Shizuru finally spoke.
"I wish you would have told me this sooner," Shizuru began.
'SHIT! I knew this would happen if I came out to her!' I cursed myself.
"It would have saved me the past few weeks of thinking I had done something wrong," she continued.
'WHAT?' I thought.
"I knew about you from our first meeting, but I thought, no, hoped, you were single," Shizuru concluded sadly and looked down in her lap.
'WHAT? Shizuru just came out to ME and confessed her feelings for ME?' I sat staring incredulously at her.
After I found my composure, I noticed Shizuru was crying. I took her hands in mine.
"Shizuru," I began.
She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I NEVER knew," I continued.
She smiled weakly, but the tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
"You're my very best friend and…" I concluded, thinking it best not to finish my thought.
Shizuru pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her eyes.
"You STILL wish to be my friend, even knowing…" she asked incredulous.
"Of course I do! I like you…a lot. I cherish your friendship and don't want to lose it. In fact this is what Arika and I have been arguing about all this time. I've wanted to spend more time with you than her…" I cut myself off, but not before my common sense abandoned me AGAIN.
Shizuru's face lit up like a Christmas tree. She lunged forward, wrapped her arms around my neck, and hugged me tightly. I scanned the Language Lab, but to my surprise, no one was looking. Shizuru and I got over the first hurdle in our friendship just fine.
One month later, against my better judgment, I finally introduced Shizuru to Arika. This idiotic decision resulted out of the constant pressure from Arika asking to meet my friend at University and Shizuru's incessant questions about Arika. I felt having tea with the two of them would be the least incendiary way to introduce the two most important women in my life…I was wrong.
Shizuru was uncharacteristically late, so Arika and I were already seated when she arrived. Shizuru apologized profusely for being late.
"You're not that late," I excused her tardiness.
"Hello," Shizuru gave a blanket greeting.
"Shizuru, this is my girlfriend Arika."
Shizuru stood, bowed, and sat back down, sizing up the child-like younger woman the entire time.
"Arika, this is my very good friend at University, Shizuru."
Arika stood, bowed, and sat back down, closer to me, obviously intimidated by the beautiful older woman.
"I understand you are still in high school?" Shizuru opened.
"Yes, I'm in my last year," Arika answered.
"What are your plans after graduation?" Shizuru continued.
"I've been accepted at University," Arika responded proudly and added, "I'll be moving in with Natsuki, once she finds us an apartment."
Upon hearing this, I nearly sprayed the tea in my mouth all over Shizuru, because this was news to me!
"NANI?" I asked incredulous and added, "WHEN did I agree to that?"
Arika slipped her arm through mine and squeezed, "Honey, don't you remember?"
"No, I don't," I replied sternly.
Arika dismissed me with a kiss on the cheek and a seductive, "I'll jog your memory later."
I blushed and returned to my tea. After realizing my bad manners, I called the waitress over to take Shizuru's order.
"What will be your field of study?" Shizuru continued after placing her order.
"Art," Arika answered and asked, "What is your field of study?"
"Environmental Science," Shizuru responded.
"She wants to develop an economical way to convert salt water into fresh water," I informed Arika.
I caught the look Arika shot me, but I didn't really care and brushed it off. Shizuru giggled at my bad behavior.
"Just because you're studying boring Computer Science…" Arika rolled her eyes and taunted me.
"Hey, it's not boring." I defended.
"Natsuki wants to find a way to use nanotechnology to cure today's incurable medical problems," Shizuru said while sipping her tea.
The shocked look on Arika's face confirmed to Shizuru exactly who knew me better. She smiled content with this new knowledge and the tension quickly dissipated. The remainder of the tea was spent on those two getting to know each other better. While they parted not exactly friends, they were at least now content with each other's place in my life.
I skidded into my desk, just seconds before Higa-sensei began class. She lowered her glasses and glared at me for my un-ladylike entrance.
"Ano, where were you?" Shizuru leaned over and whispered.
"I had some business to attend to and it took longer than expected to resolve," I answered.
"Nani?" Shizuru responded to my cryptic reply.
"Perhaps Kuga-san and Fujino-san would like to share with the rest of the class?" Higa-sensei announced loudly.
Shizuru and I blushed, sheepishly looked down, and answered in unison, "No Higa-sensei."
After English class, as usual, Shizuru waited for me to get my stuff together so we could go to Language Lab together. On our way to Language Lab, Shizuru pulled me in a different direction.
"Shizuru, Language Lab is this way," I pointed in the opposite direction we were headed.
"Ara, I know. We are skipping Language Lab today," Shizuru answered cheerfully.
"What? Why?" I asked, concerned at Shizuru's impulsive behavior.
Shizuru didn't answer me. She just smiled and continued to pull me to a destination only she was privy to. When we left University grounds, I got nervous and once again asked Shizuru where she was taking me. Once again, she just smiled.
After several minutes of walking, we finally arrived at our destination. Shizuru took me to her family's restaurant! It is one of the oldest and most well respected restaurants in Japan.
"Hello?" Shizuru called out.
"Shizuru-chan," an old woman answered.
"Obaachan," Shizuru hugged the old woman and pulled me closer.
"Shizuru-chan, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"
"Obaachan, I want you to meet my friend, Kuga Natsuki," Shizuru introduced me.
"Nice to meet you," I bowed.
"Kuga-san, it is nice to finally meet you. Shizuru has told us so much about you."
I blushed, "Thank you,"
I wondered just how much Shizuru told her family about me and if they knew about her sexual orientation.
"Obaachan, is okaasan here?" Shizuru asked.
"Hai. She's in the back."
Shizuru dragged me towards the back of the restaurant, "Mama, mama," she called out.
"Shizuru, what is all the yelling about?" responded a beautiful older woman as she wiped her hands on the small towel tucked into her waistband.
"Mama, this is Natsuki," Shizuru presented me to her mother.
"Hello Fujino-san," I bowed.
The beautiful older woman intensely looked me up and down. At that moment, my previous question was answered. The beautiful older woman was well aware of what resided in my heart for her daughter. After several agonizing minutes, she finally spoke.
"Nice to finally meet you Natsuki-chan," and bowed deeply.
I bowed back in response. She instructed us to return to the front of the restaurant and have something to eat. As we were heading back, I stopped Shizuru.
"WHY didn't you tell me you were bringing me to meet your family?"
"You would not have come," she answered gleefully.
I ended up missing three classes that day, but it was worth it. Shizuru's family was a joy to spend time with, just like her. Besides her grandmother and mother, I met her only sibling, her older sister, and her father. All the women in her family are beautiful, but in my opinion, Shizuru is the most beautiful.
After meeting Shizuru's family, I wrestled with the idea of introducing her to my family. It tormented me, because in our culture, you introduced only those you considered most important in your life, to your family. While I considered Shizuru one of the most important women in my life, I didn't want her to think I was leading her on either.
Arika already met my family and I met hers. Her family didn't approve of me and made it quite clear. This didn't bother me, because I didn't like them very much either. My family accepted me and Arika, although my mother felt we were too young to be settling down. Besides the family introduction matter, another more pressing matter weighed heavily on my mind and demanded resolution soon.
"Come on, we're going to be late for the movie," Arika pulled my arm to get me to walk faster.
"Arika, MATTE!" I stopped, pulled my arm out of Arika's grasp, and entered the data into my palmtop computer.
"Can't you stop doing 'whatever' on that stupid thing for at least one day?" Arika impatiently stood next to me and implored.
"I figured out the solution to a problem I've been working on for weeks and want to enter it before I forget it," I answered.
"Whatever," Arika sighed deeply.
As I stood entering my new data in my palmtop computer, my mind wandered back to three days before.
"Why are you walking so slow?" Shizuru asked.
"I need to enter new project data I just figured out," I answered as I stopped walking.
"Did you finally figure out the solution to that last problem?" Shizuru asked excitedly.
I looked incredulously at her, "Yes, I did," and continued to enter my data.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly.
"That's wonderful! You have been wracking your brain for the past week trying to resolve that problem. I'm so happy for you."
Shizuru stood beside me while I entered the data, excitedly watching. Over tea, she asked me about the solution I entered into my palmtop computer.
As I finished entering the data into my palmtop computer, I glanced up at an impatient Arika, and discovered the solution to a different problem that I had been wracking my brain over.
After the movie, I suggested Arika and I go somewhere for dessert. I knew if I suggested going for tea, she would have balked at the idea, so I chose something she would not refuse.
"Did you like the movie?" Arika asked.
"Did you?" I countered.
"Of course I did. I chose it," Arika answered proudly.
"I thought it was light and fluffy," I answered flatly.
"Just like this dessert," Arika dug into her dessert.
"More like our relationship," I mumbled.
"Nani?" she looked up from her dessert.
"Arika-chan, are you happy with me?"
"Yes, why?" she growled, knowing where this conversation was headed.
"Why? Why are you happy with me?"
"Because I love you," she answered defiantly.
"Do you really? Do you really love me? Or do you love the idea of being in a relationship?" I pressed.
"I love YOU!" she yelled and tears began rolling down her cheeks.
"Why do you love me? You don't share my passion for Computer Science. Your family doesn't approve of me and I don't like them. Lately, I've neglected you and treat you poorly." I countered evenly.
"I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you," she answered tearfully.
"Arika-chan, you're a very wonderful young woman. You deserve to be with someone who loves you just as much as you love them and someone who treats you well. I'm afraid I'm no longer that person. I'm sorry. I'm in love with another woman."
Arika sat silently looking down in her lap. She was visibly shaking. When I reached out and placed my hand on her arm, she violently stood up and locked her eyes with mine.
"You fucking bitch! Don't touch me!" she slapped me across the face hard and stormed out of the café.
I could taste blood and felt the sting on my cheek. I knew better than to chase after Arika, so I paid the check and went home.
The next morning, I looked into the mirror and winced when I saw my swollen lip. I got dressed and went to English class.
"What happened to you?" Shizuru asked concerned after seeing my swollen lip.
"Nothing," I dismissed her question.
"It does not look like nothing. It looks like you had a disagreement with a hard object," she teased.
"Try a moving object," I joked.
Before Shizuru could respond, Higa-sensei started class.
After English class, Shizuru pressed me for more information on the way to Language Lab. I continually dismissed and ignored her questions. This session of Language Lab proved interesting, because Shizuru managed to continue her barrage of questions in context with our current Language Lab exercise. I continued to dismiss and ignore them.
After Language Lab, Shizuru stopped me from heading to my next class.
"Natsuki, I am through joking around. As your friend, I am asking you what happened to your lip." Shizuru looked at me dead serious.
I asked Shizuru to walk me with. She and I walked to the cafeteria. I bought us tea and found a semi-quiet place to sit and talk.
"I'm sorry for dismissing your questions," I began. "Arika gave me this swollen lip yesterday when she slapped me."
Shizuru was unable to hide her shock.
"I deserved it," I continued. "Hell, I deserved more, but thankfully she only slapped me."
"Why?" Shizuru managed.
"Why did I deserve more?" I asked. "I deserved more for breaking her heart."
"Ano, how did you break her heart?" Shizuru pressed.
"For the first time since she and I started seeing each other, I was truly honest about my feelings for her and told her," I looked down in my lap. "I'm afraid I may have been a bit too brutally honest. I should have ended it with her right after I realized my feelings for her changed. I told her I was in love with someone else."
I could feel Shizuru's eyes boring into the back of my head.
"How could I have broken that poor girl's heart like that?" I said out loud to no one in particular.
"Ara, how could you not have?" Shizuru said.
I finally allowed the tears to flow. They fell onto my lap and my body began to shake. Shizuru wrapped herself around my back and held me while I cried. After several minutes, I finally stopped crying and sat up. Shizuru held out her handkerchief, but I declined and pulled out my own from my jacket pocket.
"What are you going to do now? Are you going to tell this other person how you feel about them?" Shizuru inquired.
"I think it's best for me to stay single forever and never tell that person the truth. I'd probably end up hurting her as well," I wallowed in my self-pity.
Shizuru started to reply and after seeing the look on my face, decided to remain silent. I stayed true to my promise…for almost three months, but it was Shizuru's fault I ended up breaking it.
