Disclaimer: I do not own MSGM or any of its characters. All such honors belong to Oyuki Konno. I just like playing with them every so often! ^_^
The first time I saw saw the girl I knew I was in trouble.
It was the afternoon of the Valentine's Day Treasure Hunt near the end of my first year in high school. The three Boutons – Rosa Chinensis en Bouton Sachiko Ogasawara, Rosa Foetida en Bouton Rei Hasekura, and Rosa Gigantea en Bouton Shimako Toudou – had hidden their white, red, and yellow cards, respectively, somewhere within a carefully demarked section of Lillian Girls' Academy. Several hundred girls had signed up to partake in the hunt in the hopes of winning a half-day date with their favorite rosebud and I was there to record the event through photographs. I had my trusty digital camera in hand and had been snapping pictures with wild abandon since long before the event began.
My first sight of the young girl was through the viewfinder of the camera rather than with the naked eye. It was obvious that she was too young to be attending the event. She was probably a middle school student that had somehow contrived to beg, borrow, or steal an older high school uniform in the hopes of blending in with the large crowd. The girl had soft, shoulder length wavy brown hair and large, expressive eyes that were currently showing a modest amount of worry. She was not overly tall and had a slender, just budding figure. The full lips just below her perfect nose were pressed tightly together and curved into a very slight frown. She knew she wasn't supposed to be here but she had come this far and was not willing to back out now, or so I thought as I pressed the trigger on my favorite weapon.
At first glance there seemed to be nothing truly remarkable about the girl, but a closer inspection would result in the viewer quickly changing their mind. She was actually quite cute despite her current expression. You could almost picture her chewing on her lower lip, a slight pout to those luscious pink lips as she slowly twisted back and forth, her hands held behind her back, scraping the toe of her brown loafer through the dirt like a child that had been caught doing something naughty . . .
I shook my head in an attempt to erase the fantasy vision my sexually frustrated mind had conjured; but, lord she was just so damn cute!
The girl was standing near a group of first-year students, trying to seem a part of the group without actually joining their ranks. She had obviously given serious thought into how to go about her deception. But the old uniform's sleeves, hem and collar were frayed from long use, the dark green color had faded to a lighter shade than the school administration would find acceptable, and the scarf of her sailor collar was tied incorrectly. I laughed at myself when I envisioned the scene as I walked up to the young girl and put my hands around her neck to fix her collar and retie her scarf, saying something like: "One must always be careful to keep one's appearance tidy; Maria-sama is watching." Yeah, like that would ever happen!
I kept one eye on the girl while I continued to snap photograph after photograph. When the whistle blew to start the hunt she continued to hang around the group of first-year students that had, I guessed, settled in to wait to follow one of the petite or grande soeurs of the boutons and thereby hoped to increase their chances of finding one of the cards. She looked interested but still not like she was enjoying the event as much as she had originally anticipated. I continued to snap surreptitious photos of the girl while her attention was focused elsewhere. When the group of girls started to follow Yumi-san, the petite soeur of the Rosa Chinensis en Bouton, the object of my attention followed slowly in their wake. Since the large crowd in front of the Rose Mansion had disbursed, I decided to follow the pretty middle school student.
The girl made no real attempt to keep up with the group of girls following Yumi-san. She seemed to just be slowly wandering around and enjoying the event. When Yoshino-san, the petite soeur of the Rosa Foetida en Bouton went running past followed by her own gaggle of hanger's-on, the girl shook her head in disgust.
"How pathetic," I ventured from behind her. She spun around so quickly her hair swung away from the pale skin of her shapely neck. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you."
"Uh, no, that's alright. It's just that I was thinking the same thing myself," she said. Her voice was very melodious; sweet and gentle, like the trilling of a small brook. It almost took my breath away.
When I raised my camera to take a picture of a scene behind her, she quickly threw her hand in front of her face.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I also hate to have my photo taken, so I guess we are the same in that manner," I apologized.
"It's not that I don't like to have my picture taken," she explained with a slight blush, "it's just that I am not very photogenic. I have never seen a photo of myself that I thought was worth the price of developing the film."
"Well, I won't trouble to disagree with you despite my own opinion on the subject," I giggled.
She gave me the cutest pout before she asked, "Are you with the newspaper?"
"Ah, no," I said, going into overzealous announcer mode, "I am the Ace Photographer of the Lillian Photography Club . . ."
"First-year Peach Group Tsutako Takeshima-san," she finished quickly with a coquettish little smile on her face. I nearly creamed my panties!
"I am glad that I am so well known throughout all of Lillian," I laughed, teasing the young girl slightly. I had not specifically come out and told her that I knew she was a middle schooler, but she might be able to intimate it. "Although I am afraid I cannot return the favor. I don't remember seeing you around campus, ah . . ."
"Shouko," she replied and held out her hand. I took it in my own and gave it a quick shake, holding on probably an instant longer than I really should have. Her skin was so soft. She had not provided her family name but I saw no reason to push.
"Are you not looking for one of the Bouton's cards?" I asked.
"Not really, I am just trying to enjoy the atmosphere of the event."
"Did you want to hang out with me? I'm not as popular as the Bouton's, but I can promise you an exceptional view of the hunt," I quickly raised my camera again and took a series of photos as Yumi-san ran by, her skirt flapping in the breeze as she was being chased by the group of girls I had previously seen stalking her. I had to laugh at the sight.
"The idea," I went on to explain, "is to take as many photos as possible without actually being noticed. That way the photos don't have that staged or posed look. When people know that a camera is pointed at them, no matter how busy they are or what they are doing, they react differently than they would if they were ignorant of its presence. I don't mind taking the occasional posed photo, but it is not my favorite practice. I prefer to capture the candid moments of people's lives."
Shouko nodded as I spoke, indicating her understanding of my preferences.
"Ah, damn. In fact, I just remembered that I need to be in front of the statue of Maria-sama right now. I promised to take some photos of a couple of soeurs for Valentine's Day. Would you care to join me?"
"If you don't mind," she replied tentatively.
"I wouldn't have asked if I minded," I grinned. "Come along then, we need to hurry," I said as I grabbed her hand and took off at a run towards the front of the school and the statue of Maria-sama. I actually had a few minutes to spare, but I couldn't resist the temptation to once again hold onto that wonderfully smooth hand. God I was such a lecher. She's a middle schooler! I berated myself, but it wasn't enough to force me to let go of her hand.
I made it to my appointment and took the requested photos without any problems as Shouko looked on. We talked some more as we walked back towards the Rose Mansion. The time for searching for the Bouton's cards was quickly coming to an end and I needed to be back there to take photos of the end of the event. I continued to take shots as we walked along, but it didn't interfere with our conversation.
Shouko continued to stand with me as we watched to see who had found the hidden cards. I was surprised at how easily and comfortable it felt to speak with her. We pointed out various interesting scenes, giggled and laughed at the antics of some of the participants, and commiserated with the crowd when it was determined that no one had found Sachiko-sama's card. We followed the crowd to the old greenhouse as we went to see where the Rosa Chinensis en Bouton had hidden her card and we watched as Yumi professed to have looked in the exact spot where it was supposed to have been hidden.
I captured all of it on the memory card of my camera, including all of the interesting emotions that passed across Yumi-san's face. I also captured the look of love that Sachiko gave to her petite soeur as she told her that she believed her no matter what anyone else said, and that St. Valentine must have been playing a trick on them. Throughout it all Shouko stayed by my side. To say I was happy would have been a gross understatement!
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and I had to say good-bye to the pretty girl with a promise to see each other again someday. As she was walking away, I noticed that she was stopped by another girl. This one I knew; Katsumi Naito, a third-year student and an active rival of the current Rosa Chinensis, Youko Mizuno. The discussion the two had started seemed to be an argument and I actually got to see the fantasy that my mind had created earlier in the day; but Katsumi soon got a softer look on her face and I could easily see how much she loved the younger girl. I started snapping pictures as she bent down and the two girls hugged and, for the first time that day, I saw a glorious smile appear on Shouko's face. I snapped a few more photos as they walked away hand-in-hand. The two looked enough alike that her identity was finally deduced.
"So . . . Shouko Naito-san. I do believe that I will keep my eye on you Shouko-chan," I smiled to myself. I really was a lecher!
-oo-
The next time I saw Shouko-chan was at the opening day ceremony the next school year. It had only been a couple of months, but I couldn't believe how desperate I seemed to be to see her again. I was hanging out in the back behind all of the rest of the students, taking my photos and earning my pay so to speak. Over the break I had made a decision to capture as many photos of Shouko as I could without the girl noticing. It meant having to put off our eventual reunion, but I thought it would be well worth it.
As the school year progressed it became easier and easier to do. Just as I had said to Yumi the previous year, it seemed that those that are destined to be together would, for one reason or another, always find each other. I was always careful to stay in the shadows, out of her sight, but I was amassing a veritable avalanche of photos of Shouko as she went about her daily life at school. Most of the time I didn't even need to go looking for her; she just showed up. I even found myself running into her in town a few times. Again, I stayed out of her sight, but I was able to get some really nice shots of her in casual clothes. She really did have a nice figure, even if it still had some maturing to do, and those legs in a pair of short-shorts, my lord!
Note to self: Do Not Drool! It is very un-ladylike.
During the second-year student trip to Italy I came across a white frame with a crackling patina revealing a lower golden layer that struck me as the perfect frame for the photo I had taken of Shouko-chan and her sister at the previous year's Valentine's Day Treasure Hunt. I know I paid way too much for it, but I just had to have it. I prayed that she would like it.
Then came the afternoon of the "Soeur Audition" (or "Tea Party" as Yumi-san preferred to call it). I had planned on trying to attend just as a photographer since I had no interest in either a grand soeur or a petite soeur, but Yumi told me that I did not meet the qualifications for the party; specifically, my desire to remain "soeur-less" negated my ability to attend. So I was relegated to standing outside the Rose Mansion and taking photos of the arrival of those that had been invited to attend the soirée.
Which is why I noticed the arrival of Shouko-chan at the Rose Mansion. My heart leapt into my throat at the thought of "my" Shouko-chan ending up the petite soeur of either Yumi or Yoshino, let alone one of the other attendees. I berated myself. I had already decided that I would never take Shouko as my petite soeur. The thoughts I had regarding that delicious female had absolutely nothing to do with sisterly love. But it broke my heart to see her enter the Rose Mansion that afternoon; so much so that I turned and headed back towards the Photography club room early to process my latest photos, totally uninterested in watching any further.
That very morning I had finished working on the album of photos that I had taken of Shouko-chan over the past six months. I had shown it to Yumi-san along with the now framed photo of Shouko and her sister.
"It's absolutely beautiful Tsutako-san," Yumi exclaimed after I showed her the picture, "I'm sure she will love it."
"If that's all she loves I will be greatly disappointed," I mumbled under my breath before saying more loudly, "Thank you Yumi-san. I hope she does as well. When I first met her last semester she said that she did not believe that she was very photogenic. I wanted to be able to refute that belief with absolute proof. I like to think that I accomplished my objective."
"You more than succeeded if you will accept my humble opinion," she replied while still looking through the album, "This girl is very pretty. If this were a co-ed school, I'm sure any number of boys would have confessed to her already. Even here at Lillian," she giggled behind her hand, "I wouldn't be at all surprised if she had not received a confession or two."
"Yumi-chan!" I exclaimed in a haughty manner. "You know very well that no such thing could ever occur here at this school of devoted, pious Catholics. Lillian maidens are much too innocent and chaste to ever have such impure thoughts," I continued with what I hoped was just the right amount of sarcasm. I must have succeeded here as well since Yumi nearly fell off her chair laughing.
"Seriously Tsutako-san," Yumi said as she finally got control of her laughter, "if she hasn't already been snatched up, you had better make your move quickly or you very well might miss your chance altogether. You wouldn't believe how good my hearing really is. I would hate for you to be 'disappointed' in any way."
"Ah, so you heard that did you?" I squirmed in embarrassment, "my apologies, I didn't mean for you to have to listen to my woes."
"Tsutako-san, you are my very dear friend. I want you to be happy, and if this girl makes you happy, you know you will have my full support."
"Even if I act more like a dirty old man than a Lillian maiden?" I asked her.
Yumi laughed again in her own delightful way, "You forget who I had to deal with all last year. You would need to take years of lessons from Grand Master Sei-sama before you could ever come anywhere close to her level of perversion."
I had to giggle when I remembered the antics of the former Rosa Gigantea, Sei Satou. Yumi had a point. Sei-sama was on a plane of existence so much higher than I could ever dream of when it came to her ability to tease and grope her way through a gaggle of young girls and have them thank her for it afterwards . . . sigh.
However, even though I had tried to make light of it, I felt a definite pain in my chest when I saw Shouko walk into the Rose Mansion that afternoon. Hiding from her for the past number of months had provided me with a wealth of photos of the object of my desires, but it had also meant that she had not had any reminders of my existence over that same period of time. Talking to her that day last year had been one of the most enjoyable experiences ever. Even though I had seen her almost every day, I had missed hearing her voice or seeing the way that she looked at me with those deep brown eyes. Had I martyred myself out of her life just for the sake of a few photos?
When I returned to the Photography club room I went through that album of photos one more time, reminiscing about the time that each one had been taken. I could remember each and every moment from each individual shot and it occurred to me that somewhere along the way, my lustful and lecherous desires had somehow changed. I looked at the photos, even the slightly suggestive ones, and I did not see a girl that I immediately wanted to take to my bed. Instead, I saw a girl that I wanted to hold in my arms protectively, to shield her from harm and to see the happiness and joy shine in her eyes. Somewhere along the way, my lust had changed to love.
It was a shocking revelation, but one that I actually felt very comfortable with. It was like suddenly seeing the sun on a rainy day. Some might call it an epiphany. I just called it finally waking up to what my heart truly desired.
And Yumi must have already noticed that change, because she sent that beautiful, adorable girl straight to me.
There was a hesitant knock on the club room door frame. I'd left the door open to allow for a modicum of air circulation, so when I looked up there was nothing between me and the lovely first-year student standing in my doorway.
"Um, good day, Tsutako-sama," Shouko spoke in that voice that could turn my bones to jello.
"Ah, first-year Chrysanthemum group Shouko Naito-san," I greeted her warmly. She had the grace to blush, probably remembering the last time we had spoken when she was still in middle school despite wearing one of her sister's old uniforms. "What brings you to my humble office?"
"Um, Yumi-sama sent me here to pick something up for her. She said it was a white, marble-like frame?"
I chuckled at how obvious Yumi could be. "Please come in and sit a minute," I offered, "Yumi-san was . . . well, let's just say that Yumi-san's true intentions were something else entirely." The young girl looked at me with a confused expression, but she joined me in the club room and took the offered seat.
"I take it that Yumi-san and Yoshino-san did not desire to take you as their petite soeur?" I asked as I started rummaging through my desk just to give Shouko-chan a chance to answer without having to look me in the eyes, but I was surprised at her gleeful response.
"Actually, Yumi-sama gently pointed out the fallacy of my original thoughts regarding the 'sparkling' nature of the Yamayurikai," she giggled. "I thought I had to be a part of that group in order to enjoy the same type of glittering and joyous school life that they always seem to share. Yumi-sama pointed out that joining the Yamayurikai did not necessarily guarantee a happy and 'glittery' high school life and that there were other ways and other groups that could help me find that kind of experience. She even pointed out that Tsutako-sama always seems to be at the center of everything that happens here at school and that she has never seen a frown cross your l-l-lips," she stuttered at the end as she was gazing at my now smiling lips.
"So, it wasn't so much that you wanted to become their petite soeur but that you want to be able to enjoy your high school career to the fullest?" I asked to be absolutely sure of her true desires.
"Oh, yes, that is exactly what I want. My older sister, Katsumi, was a cram-study type of student that saw no value in the extra-curricular activities that abound at the school. I, on the other hand, want to experience everything that I can in my three years here. Studying is important, but I think a happy school life is even more important. Can you understand?" she asked in a shy, small voice.
"Yes, I can understand that feeling very well. I also want to experience everything that happens here at Lillian, so much so that I want to capture and hold it fast in my memory as long as possible through the art of my photography," I replied to her shy but earnest question. "For example . . ." and I took up the photo album that I had spent so long preparing.
"In this album, I have captured the first six months or so of a certain first-year student's high school experiences. This particular girl thought that she was so un-photogenic that I had to do it without her knowledge, but I think I can now prove to her that she is a truly beautiful person both inside and out. Please, tell me what you think," I asked as I handed the book over to her.
Shouko-chan's jaw dropped open and her eyes grew wide as she opened the cover and saw the first page of pictures, "Tsutako-sama, when . . . how . . .?"
"Why does everyone ask me that?" I giggled, "I just happen to be in the right place at the right time . . . extremely often," I laughed.
"B-b-b-but these photos . . . their beautiful! I've never seen myself look so good in a picture," she exclaimed as she continued to leaf through the pages.
"As important as that is," I answered her unspoken question, "and as much as I wanted to prove to you that you truly are not only photogenic, but a very lovely girl in your own right, as you can see from the photographs, I think you could say that you have been leading a very happy and 'glittery' high school life have you not? Is this not what Yumi-san was trying to convey to you; that you can have a happy and joyous high school career without being a member of the Yamayurikai?" Or even as someone's petite soeur? I thought to myself. In my heart of hearts I still did not want to share this girl with another.
"Oh, I wish I had a grande soeur to show these to," she sighed, breaking my heart in the process. I figured I had one last chance.
"Why would you need a grande soeur to share these with? You have friends and family do you not. In fact, I happen to know that you have a sister that dearly loves you," I said as I pulled out the picture frame and photo that I had wrapped in gift wrap earlier and handed it to her, "another gift from me to you, Shouko-chan."
She looked at me with that slightly befuddled expression and I pushed her to open the gift. She tentatively started to meticulously undo the tape but her youth and desires won out and she ended up tearing the wrapping paper open. Once again her eyes widened in shock, but soon tears began to form in those deep, expressive eyes as she took in the photo of herself and her sister, both in the Lillian uniform, holding each other tightly, and a look of pure love in her sister's eyes that was directed at her and only her. She started to sniff and I quickly turned and handed her a tissue which she thanked me for.
"I always thought that she hated me," she whispered, "she was always studying, never playing with me or paying attention to me, and I thought she didn't want to be with me; but looking at this . . ."
"Your sister loves you dearly, Shouko-chan. Even I can see that in this simple photograph, and in the others I took of the two of you that are in that album. She may not have always been able to show it the way you wanted her to, but she did show you her love in her own way."
"You're right Tsutako-sama. I now know that I already have a sister that loves me . . . that has always loved me. I don't need another one in my life," she said with another sniffle. I reached over and gently wiped the tears from her eyes and she glanced up at me, smiling that wonderful smile that I so loved to see.
I must have let something show that I had not intended because the look that came over her face was one of slight surprise and confusion. She looked down at the photo still in her hands with a shy smile and a pink blush rose in her cheeks.
"Tsutako-sama, would you greatly mind if I joined the Photography Club. I've never taken any photos like you do, but if you would be willing to teach me I would l-like to be able to spend more t-time with you, if that is alright?"
"I would like that very much, Shouko-chan. Just so that you know, I won't ever ask you to be my petite soeur. That's not the type of relationship I want with you," I told the young girl being brutally honest, "If you can accept that, than I would also like the opportunity to get to know you a lot better myself, and maybe see where that might lead us, if that is alright with you."
"Yes, Tsutako-sama. I think I would also like that," she said softly and reached over and took my hand in her own, entwining our fingers together.
It was an impulse, a sudden desire that I could not help or stop; I lifted that small, slender hand to my lips and tenderly kissed each and every fingertip before I could stop myself. I heard a slight gasp from Shouko-chan's lips, but when I looked up, dreading what I might find, those lips held a shy smile and she gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Yes, I think I would like that very much Tsutako-sama," she whispered.
My heart was doing gymnastics in my breast, but I simply smiled back at this wonderful, delightful young girl and thanked Maria-sama . . . and Yumi-san . . . that I could have her in my life.
Thank you for reading. As always, your comments and reviews would be greatly appreciated. Here's hoping that you all enjoy a wonderous and joyful life!
Take care,
CelticX