Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Persona 3 characters. I do own the fictional character called Skye Sagara and any other original characters that will appear in this story. A word of warning to the readers, this story involves a lesbian relationship. Still not sure if this will be Mitsuru x Yukari or Mitsuru x OC.
Chapter 1: Beyond Borders
It has been seven months since humanity's rescue from the fall. Everyone has forgotten about that event all except for eight individuals. On the day of the senior class' graduation, roughly a month after the fall, the former S.E.E.S. members regained their memories and rushed to reunite themselves with their dear friend. Alas, they were too late, arriving only to see the young man slumbering in a seemingly eternal coma. Minato Arisato had given his soul and life as an ultimate sacrifice to save humanity from its demise. Despite this cruel reality, the S.E.E.S. members moved on and continued to search for that answer to the question of life that Minato has already found. They continue to live a life without the existence of the dark hour.
Mitsuru Kirijo was tired. It's been two months since she moved out of the S.E.E.S. dormitory and into her own apartment strategically located near her chosen university. As expected from the former student council president, valedictorian and heiress of the Kirijo group, Mitsuru had easily passed and gotten into the top university in the city. She was adjusting well enough in her new environment but she could not help but feel homesick. Akihiko was studying in another university that was on the other side of the city. He had gotten a scholarship and was part of the university's boxing team. Yukari, Junpei and Fuuka were all seniors and classmates. They were all part of the student council and ironically, Junpei was head of the disciplinary committee. From what Mitsuru heard in her last conversation with Yukari, Junpei was actually doing a great job. Ken on the other hand was being his usual self with the exception that he joined the kendo team, explaining that it's the closest thing he could do to remember Minato. Aigis and Koromaru still live in the S.E.E.S. dormitory. Aigis decided to stop going to school to care for the comatose Minato. She claims that she isn't at all lonely because Yukari and the others frequently visit her. She only stated that Mitsuru and Akihiko should try to visit more often even if the two of them are now currently living in the extremities of the city.
The auburn-haired college student let out a long sigh as she stared out of the classroom window. She wouldn't have been in that university if not for Minato. He had made her realize that it was her sole responsibility to how she should live her life. She defied the Kirijo group's wishes for her to immediately marry and take over leadership. Even until now, the group continues to dissuade her from her chosen path.
The bell started to chime, signaling the end of her last class for the day. Mitsuru gathered all her belongings and headed out of the room while politely returning the smiles of her fellow students and a few professors. She wanted to go home quickly and rest. She had a feeling that she was going to get sick. The young woman hastily stuffed her books into her locker and grabbed her helmet. As she approached her Ducati motorcycle, she could not help but feel nostalgic. It was a distinct memory after all when she promised Minato that she would teach him how to ride a motorcycle. Mitsuru shook her head ruefully and put on her helmet. She had once thought that she was in love with Minato but after a few months of contemplating her relationship with him, she realized that they were more like the closest of friends. At first it seemed like it was her who suffered the most when Minato succumbed into a coma, but as time passed she had learned to move on. Yukari was the most emotional of the four
women who held the blue-haired man dearly in their hearts. During the first three months, all the young archer could do was sulk and regret what had happened. After all, she had become closest to their comatose friend in the short year they were all together. Mitsuru on the other hand mostly had a professional relationship with the younger man that was until they started to date late in the year. She grew embarrassed as she recalled the time she had invited him to her lavishly furnished room. They had spent the night together, but they did nothing to lose their innocence. The former Gekkoukan student council president let out a sigh and mounted her bike.
"Mitsuru-san!" A girl's voice yelled several feet away.
Mitsuru put down the bike stand and turned to find out who was calling her name. "Nakajima-san," she greeted, pushing up her visor to regard the young woman who was in the same European History class as she was. "Catch your breath before you speak," she told her classmate. "I'm not in a hurry to leave anyway."
The girl halted a few feet away from the biker and took in a couple of deep breaths. "Mitsuru-san," she began. "You were already gone when our European History professor came back in and announced that he was going to take a leave of absence for this semester. He said that he's dropping all our homework, papers and projects since he's leaving."
"Nakajima-san, you could have just sent me a text message instead of chasing after me and tiring yourself out," Mitsuru pointed out. Everyone including Mitsuru herself knew that this particular girl idolized Mitsuru the most compared to other students who had taken up the same cause.
The girl shook her head and looked worried. "But if I had sent you the text message you wouldn't have looked at your cellphone until you finished all of your work!" She held a clenched hand against her chest. "It would have been a complete waste if you did all your European History homework when everything was just recently dropped!"
The auburn-haired woman crossed her arms over her chest and forced a smile onto her face. "I thank you for your concern and I appreciate the news. It would definitely help me out." Mitsuru pushed down her visor and put up the stand once more. "Now if you will excuse me, I must be on my way." With a quick wave, she ignited the motorcycle engine and accelerated down the road. Strangely, her mind was devoid of any thoughts throughout the whole trip to her apartment. She managed a polite greeting to the apartment caretaker after parking her bike before she silently made her way to her room. It was just as expected from the Kirijo group heiress' room. Every single item and furniture looked expensive and well made from the lush couches to the high-tech wide screen plasma TV set on the wall.
The dark crimson-eyed woman carelessly dropped her helmet on the table and began to rid herself of her racing jacket, jeans, shirt and shoes. It was only when she was in the bathroom when she discarded the remaining pieces of clothing on her so that she could take a shower. The warm water that cascaded down her body from the wide shower nozzle calmed her somewhat. Every single day since the start of the semester was now a boring routine that Mitsuru repeated as each new day dawned. Her body clock would wake her at exactly seven in the morning and she would get ready for class in forty-five minutes and use the remaining fifteen minutes to get to school. She would then go through an assortment of classes varying from Literature, Philosophy, Calculus, European History and a few others. Come lunchtime, Mitsuru would spend it either alone or in the student council's room. She'd end class each day at four in the afternoon then head home on her Ducati.
"Such is the life of Mitsuru Kirijo," she muttered to herself as she twisted the shower knobs to halt the flow of water. Stepping out of the stall, Mitsuru hastily grabbed a towel and walked out of the bathroom and into her bedroom as she dried herself off. She was rummaging through her dresser for clean clothes when her cellphone started to ring. Wrapping herself back in her towel, she grabbed her cellphone, sat on her bed and answered the call. "Kirijo speaking."
"Senpai! You're always so formal on the phone and in person! You got to lighten up a bit!"
Despite the annoying voice and equally annoying suggestion, Mitsuru couldn't help but smile as she recognized the voice of the caller. "Yukari, I have to be formal on the phone too. I don't only get phone calls from you and our other friends you know." In actuality, Mitsuru would get more phone calls from the Kirijo group than from her friends. "Why are you calling?"
"It's a Sunday tomorrow! Remember we agreed that we would go out?" Yukari reminded her senpai. "We're supposed to have a girl's day-out but Fuuka and Aigis can't make it anymore. Fuuka's helping Natsuki to study for college entrance exams. Aigis on the other hand refuses to leave Minato's side."
"So you called to say that tomorrow is cancelled?" Mitsuru clarified, feeling a bit disappointed that she wasn't going to get to see her friends.
"Actually senpai, I called to say that you and I should still go ahead and meet up tomorrow!" Yukari replied cheerfully. "We never really went out together except if you count those times we talked in each other's rooms." Mitsuru could hear the other girl chuckle. "If you're not busy, we could still meet up?" she asked hopefully. "Come on senpai! I know you're as bored as I am!"
Mitsuru chuckled as she ran a hand through her damp hair. "All right Yukari," she agreed. "Where should I meet you?" She had become rather fond of Yukari after everything they went through together. Both their fathers had worked in the experiment that brought the shadows to earth and when Mitsuru' own father had passed away, it was Yukari who stayed at her side.
"How about Paulownia Mall?" she suggested. "I know it's farther for you, but if you like, I could just take the train or bus to a place closer to your university."
"That isn't necessary Yukari," Mitsuru told her friend. "I'll meet up with you at Paulownia Mall at around ten am?"
"That would be great senpai! I'll see you tomorrow then!" Yukari said cheerfully before hanging up.
Mitsuru pulled the cellphone away from her ear and gazed at it for a few moments. It was a bit strange that Yukari still insisted to go out despite the fact that her other friends would not be able to make it. Perhaps she had something important to talk about with Mitsuru… something like college entrance exams or student council matters. That may be it, the auburn-haired college student thought to herself. We'll just have to find out tomorrow then.
It was exactly ten in the morning when Mitsuru pulled up in front of Paulownia mall on her Ducati motorcycle. She didn't see Yukari around so she figured she was already waiting inside for her. She took off her helmet and set it on top of her bike before unbuttoning her leather jacket halfway down. She was dressed in her usual civilian attire of fitted jeans, leather jacket over a plain sleeveless shirt and shiny black leather shoes. She had opted to wear her favorite calf-high boots but decided against it because it was not suited for the weather. Mitsuru ignored the frequent looks she was given as she confidently strode into the mall. It's been months since she was last in the area, but it looked like she was still quite as popular as she was when she was still in high school. She recognized a few students, who looked like they were seniors from Gekkoukan, but did not mind them when she spotted the familiar light-haired brunette running up to her with a big smile on her face.
"Senpai! It's great to see you again!" Yukari exclaimed enthusiastically then launched herself into the air to hug the upperclassman. The senior student felt the college student hug her back for a few seconds then pulled back to smile at her friend. "Mitsuru! You look older! What have you been doing in your university?" Yukari made a face at the auburn-haired woman.
Mitsuru smirked. "Studying mostly and holding long arduous talks with the Kirijo group." She flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder looked down slightly at the younger girl's face. "You on the
other hand look the same as ever. Still a heartthrob in Gekkoukan?" she teased, breaking out in a smile when the younger girl blushed.
"Oh Mitsuru! Those boys are just infatuated and I'm not at all interested."
One auburn eyebrow rose up. "Really now? I thought you liked the attention."
Yukari shuffled her feet. "Well at first it was a bit fun to have a bunch of boys staring, giving you gifts and even doing chores for you," she made a disgusted face. "After a while it got to be really annoying. I don't get the privacy I used to have anymore."
The heiress of the Kirijo group laughed. "Well now you know how I felt when I was the student council president. I hated having boys moaning over me every single day of the week." She rested a finger on her chin. "Then there were also the flood of love letters that would pour out of my locker every time I left the school," she added with a smirk. "Do you get those too?"
"Yes!" Yukari cried out in exasperation. "But at least what I go through isn't as bad as what you went through back in high school. Ever since middle school, you were already so famous! At least I only have to go through a year of this kind of popularity!"
"Perhaps you're right," Mitsuru admitted. "So where do you want to go?"
"A movie first then let's eat lunch at the Wild Duck Burger?" Yukari suggested and grinned at her senpai. "I'm sure you are quite used to eating at fast-food restaurants by now."
"You got that right." She and Yukari walked towards the nearby theater and conversed throughout the whole walk. They settled to watch a chick-flick that was about a girl going off to college and ends up signing up for the women's football team to get close to the captain of the men's team. The girl though had no experience with playing football, but she still joined anyway despite all the difficulties she went through. The film was rather predictable as Mitsuru leaned over several times during the movie to guess the outcome with Yukari. Yukari on the other hand didn't like the predictability of the film, but was rather affected by the romantic and sweet scenes. Mitsuru had more fun teasing Yukari for going all gooey-eyed during those scenes. Nevertheless, the two girls enjoyed themselves very much and walked out of the theater laughing.
It was around one in the afternoon when the two friends finally sat themselves at a table in the Wild Duck Burger fast food restaurant. Much to Mitsuru's amusement, Yukari could not help but feel giddy as she watched her senpai eat a burger and some fries with her hands. "Yukari, you've seen me eat with my hands several times already," she reminded her young friend.
"I know!" Yukari replied. "But it's still a treat to see someone like you eat like this in a fast food restaurant!"
The redhead chuckled, her hair falling over one eye. "You have Minato and our other friends to thank. They did get me used to eating in fast food restaurants." She raised her eyebrows in question when Yukari's cheerful face suddenly became somber. "What's wrong?" she asked, hiding her worry in her neutral-sounding voice.
"Don't you miss him?" Yukari asked quietly as she fingered the paper wrapper of her burger on the table. "It's been half a year already since he saved us and the rest of the world from the fall."
Mitsuru sighed heavily and leaned back against her chair. "Of course I miss him," she admitted sadly. "We all miss him. He was a close friend to each one of us and it was a great loss for us when he succumbed into a coma." She rested her fingers on her forehead and looked through them to eye Yukari. "What's wrong Yukari? You're acting strangely."
The light-haired brunette shook her head. "You loved him didn't you?"
"The four of us did," Mitsuru clarified.
"Do you still love him?" Yukari asked quietly.
Mitsuru was silent for a few moments before she finally gave her answer. "Unfortunately, I don't look at him in that way any longer," she told the younger girl. "He was a sweet and understanding guy, but I don't think our relationship was going that way. Besides, I'm still bound by the chains of the
Kirijo group. Even if he did want to pursue a relationship with me, I would have made him take another path," she added. "Minato wouldn't like the dull corporate life." She chuckled.
"Senpai…"
"Yukari," Mitsuru called out her name patiently. "Why are you concerned about me? I'm perfectly fine!" she insisted, forcing a smile on her face to look more believable.
The younger girl gazed carefully at her senpai. "It's just that you always seemed to be the loneliest among us," she shared still gazing at her senpai's dark crimson eyes. "When you and Akihiko-senpai went off to college, you seemed to distance yourself from us even more. I don't want to see you lonely Mitsuru."
"How can I be lonely?" Mitsuru demanded. "I have you and the others as friends!"
"Even if you have friends around, a person can still get lonesome," Yukari reminded. "What I mean to say is that I think you need to find someone who would love and protect you… someone that you would love and protect just as much." She looked away. "Just like how we all loved Minato."
"Yukari…" Mitsuru breathed out, a bit perplexed by Yukari's attitude. "Having someone to love is a good thing, but I'm seriously not looking to getting into a relationship. There are still four years of college and the Kirijo group that I have to deal with."
Yukari glared at the redhead. "You always use that as an excuse!" she complained, a small smile forming on her face. "Really Mitsuru-senpai! You're nineteen already! I think getting a boyfriend would make you have a happier outlook on life!"
"I told you I'm not interested," Mitsuru told her friend.
Yukari giggled and looked at her friend slyly. "Maybe you're not interested in boys but you're interested in…"
Mitsuru looked horrified. "Of course not Yukari!" she sputtered. "What gave you the notion that I was interested in girls?" she demanded, hoping that she wasn't blushing.
"I was just joking senpai!" Yukari laughed hard. "But you know you didn't just have a fan club composed of boys back in high school."
"I know there were girls too, but I never thought that they idolized me in that kind of way!"
"You're really a dense person senpai!" Yukari chortled. "There were a lot of girls crushing on you back when you were still the ever so famous student council president." She looked at her friend with mirth sparkling in her honey-brown eyes. "There was a year mate of mine who once confided in me. She said that since you tended to socialize with the intellects and geniuses, she thought that if she studied harder and got good grades you would eventually notice and like her."
"How silly," Mitsuru huffed and turned away, knowing that she was turning red.
"Well senpai society is becoming more liberal as each day goes by," Yukari informed. "It doesn't matter who you fall in love with as long as you're happy." She gave her senpai a wide grin. "But if you were to get a girlfriend I'd be so shocked and would probably fall into a coma just like Minato!"
"Would you like to experience my execution?" Mitsuru growled at Yukari.
Yukari's grin disappeared and was replaced with a worried look. "I thought you only gave your executions to boys!"
"You could be the first among the girls," Mitsuru replied, evilly grinning at the younger girl.
Yukari shuddered and got out of her chair. "Remind me never to get on your bad side senpai." She glanced at her wristwatch and motioned for Mitsuru to get up. "I have to get going senpai. I'm meeting up with my classmates to do our project." She grabbed her cellphone and flipped it open. "Looks like Akihiko-senpai will be in our area tonight and he wants to treat us out. Why don't you come along?"
Mitsuru shook her head. "I would love to go, but I have things to do back at my apartment. Maybe next time." She and Yukari headed out of the restaurant. Mitsuru offered Yukari a ride on her motorcycle to the train station, which the younger girl eagerly accepted. "Next time you and the others
should visit me at my university," she told Yukari when they got to the train station. "I'd be glad to give you guys a tour and treat you out to lunch or dinner."
Yukari smiled and hugged her senpai goodbye. "That would be great! I'll tell the others about it when we see each other in school on Monday." She took a step back and gazed solemnly at her senpai's face. "Don't forget my promise to you senpai," she said with a small smile on her face.
"What promise would that be?"
"That no matter what happens," Yukari started. "I would always stay at your side." She grinned, ran up the first flight of stairs then turned around to wave at Mitsuru. "Take care of yourself senpai!" With that, Yukari turned on her heels and disappeared into the station.
Mitsuru stayed at the station and watched the train zoom down the tracks before she secured her helmet on her head and raced her motorcycle towards the highway. She loved her Ducati motorcycle. When the Kirijo group intended to give her a car, she refused and asked for a motorcycle instead. She had not specified what kind of motorcycle she wanted, but the Kirijo group certainly got her the best that money could buy. As she speeded down the road, Mitsuru could not help but think back at her recent conversation with Yukari. Perhaps she was right after all. She did have friends but she still felt lonesome and maybe getting a boyfriend or someone to love would remedy that. Or girlfriend… her subconscious self stated silently. Mitsuru shook the thought out of her head and tried to focus on the road ahead of her only to get lost in her thoughts once more. Before she knew it, she felt a jarring pain on her back and head and heard the ugly squeal of metal on cement. Mitsuru opened her eyes to stare through the broken shards of her visor. She spotted her smoking bike before her head lolled to the side and she passed out.
"Hey!"
Mitsuru let out a groan and flinched when she felt an unimaginable pain shoot through her head. Her back was less painful but her shoulder burned. She opened her eyes to find out that her helmet was off and that she was lying down on the side of the road. Mitsuru felt she was lying down on something soft as she slowly moved her head to look at her surroundings. She caught a glimpse of the wreckage of her motorcycle several feet away then closed her eyes again as a wave of pain coursed through her body.
"Are you all right?" A woman's voice sounded nearby.
Mitsuru opened her eyes again to see a face looming above hers. It was only now that she realized that she was being held by another woman on the side of the road. The auburn-haired biker tiredly looked up at her savior and tried to speak. Her savior was a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties and had dark blue hair framing a slender face that was long in the front, but reached only until the nape of her neck at the back. Kind of like those hairdo's of those rockstars in Junpei's magazines. She looked through the blue-haired woman's glasses and noticed that she had piercing emerald green eyes that worriedly gazed down on her.
"Don't talk," the woman ordered. "You'll just strain yourself. I have to get you to a hospital. That was a nasty fall and thankfully, you're bike is the one that took the brunt of the fall." She glanced at the wrecked Ducati then looked down once more at the young woman in her arms. "Can you manage to walk?" she asked, then assisted Mitsuru to her feet when she nodded.
"My bike," Mitsuru murmured as she let the woman gently take her arm and drape it around her broad shoulders. "My bike," she repeated in a hoarser voice as she felt her knees give out. She felt her savior secure her hold on her by wrapping an arm around her back and resting her hand on the side of Mitsuru's taut waist.
"Your bike? Your injuries are more important, but I can take your bike along." The blue-haired woman carefully helped Mitsuru into the passenger seat of a pick-up truck parked nearby before hauling
the bike to the back of her truck. Mitsuru couldn't see how her savior could possibly put the heavy bike into the back compartment of the truck, but she felt the truck sink down with the added weight. "Just stay calm and I'll get you to the hospital as fast as I can."
In just five minutes, they pulled up in front of the emergency room of a modest looking hospital. Mitsuru felt herself being carried and set on a gurney. Everything went by in a blur as she was wheeled into a hospital room and attended to by a couple of doctors. She felt them gently prodding her body and checking her other vital signs on a machine beside the bed.
Finally, the doctor gave her some painkillers and helped her sit up. "Kirijo-san, you are lucky that you were wearing your helmet," he informed his patient. "It saved you from a potentially serious concussion. You have some small lacerations on one cheekbone and on the side of your neck. We're guessing it was caused by the broken shards of your visor when you crashed. You have a few other bruises and scratches, but they're not serious." He glanced at his clipboard. "You did sprain your shoulder quite badly though. It will take a couple of months before you could use it properly again. For now, we are not allowing you to ride your motorcycle for the next few months."
Mitsuru gently rubbed her sore shoulder and nodded her agreement with the doctor. "I'll do that doctor," she told him tiredly. "Where are the medical documents you need me to fill up and sign?" she questioned.
"Oh your friend handled the paperwork," the doctor informed Mitsuru. "She did mention that you would probably want to be the one to pay for the expenses though. Your body is in good enough condition for you to stand up and walk. She is at the waiting room if you wish to see her." He left the room.
Mitsuru slowly got out of bed and checked herself. The nurse had placed a large white band-aid on her injured cheekbone and had wrapped her neck with bandages. She also noted the moist coolness of bruise ointment on the afflicted areas of her skin.
The doctor stuck his head through the doorway. "By the way Kirijo-san, technically you don't need support for your shoulder, but it would be helpful if you purchased a shoulder support," he suggested.
"Shoulder support?"
"Something like those used by athletes. If you wish, we could order one for you, but it might take a few days until you get it." The doctor excused himself to answer the call of his co-worker.
The injured college student thought about the proposition of the doctor and decided not to order one through the hospital. She knew a particular person who could probably get her a shoulder support. Taking her cellphone out of the pocket of her leather jacket that was hung on the wall by a nurse while they treated her, she dialed her old friend's number.
"Sanada speaking," a deep voice sounded from the other line.
Mitsuru smiled. "Hello Akihiko," she greeted. "I need a favor."
The boxer chuckled and greeted his friend back. "Mitsuru it's been a while. So what's the favor? You know I would help you out."
"Could you get me a shoulder support? I need one as soon as possible," she explained. "If I order it here in the hospital, it'll take longer."
The worry in Akihiko's voice could be clearly heard over the phone. "You're in the hospital?" he demanded. "What happened Mitsuru?" Among all of their friends, it was Akihiko who worried the most about her. It was most probably because they knew each other since middle school.
Mitsuru let out a tired sigh. "I got into an accident recently. Just some bruises and scratches, but I sprained my shoulder when I fell off my bike," she patiently explained, making sure her voice was calm. Akihiko never looked like it but he gets worried easily.
"That's a relief," the boxer breathed out. "About the shoulder support, my coach has some for the girls' basketball team since he also coaches for them. I could have it dropped off at your place tomorrow morning if you want."
The auburn-haired college student nodded her head and grabbed her leather jacket off the hook. She winced when pain shot through her injured shoulder because of her effort. "That would be great Akihiko! I'll be expecting it tomorrow morning then."
"Take care of yourself Mitsuru," he bid her goodbye and hung up.
Stuffing her cellphone into her jeans' pocket, Mitsuru made her way out of the room and headed to the waiting room. When she entered the slightly room, she easily recognized the woman who saved her. The bespectacled blue-haired woman wore faded jeans, a short-sleeved, pale green-collared shirt and sturdy sandals on her feet. She was conversing with the doctor who treated and seemed very calm. Mitsuru slowly walked over and bowed her thanks to her rescuer while the doctor bid them farewell.
"I wish you well Kirijo-san and Sagara-san," he told them and walked off.
The woman called Sagara watched the doctor's retreating back for a moment then turned to regard Mitsuru with piercing emerald green eyes. "Are you alright, Kirijo-san?" she asked with a smile on her face.
Mitsuru nodded and returned the smile with a weak one. "I feel better thanks to you Sagara-san."
"Call me Skye," she told the college student with an uncomfortable look on her face. "I don't do well with the attached honorifics. I prefer to be called by my first name," she explained. "Besides I'm still getting used to living here in Japan."
"You just recently moved here Skye?" Mitsuru asked. She was intrigued that the older woman looked foreign but spoke well in Japanese.
"I lived here several years ago but moved to London. I decided to move back here after I graduated," Skye explained as she led Mitsuru out of the hospital and into the parking lot.
The first thing that came out of Mitsuru's mouth was a groan upon seeing the sorry state of her motorcycle perched on the back of the pick-up truck. "My bike... Where am I going to get it fixed?"
Skye shook her head and surveyed the extensive damage on the bike. "That's a good question. It's hard to come by auto repair shops that deal with imported vehicles."
"The Kirijo group is going to kill me!"
"I didn't say there wasn't someone who could repair your bike," Skye informed the girl. "Come on! I'll take you there." She opened the passenger door of her pick-up truck and waited for Mitsuru to hop in. "Sorry you must be uncomfortable going somewhere with a complete stranger," the bespectacled woman apologized. "Don't worry though. I know the owner of the repair shop personally and he's a specialist when it comes to imported vehicles."
Mitsuru carefully pulled herself into the pick-up truck. "It's not that I'm wary of you Skye," she told the other woman when she got into the driver's seat. "I just really doubted that you actually knew someone who could fix a wrecked Ducati motorcycle."
The green-eyed woman chuckled. "Let's just say he knows and loves all sorts of imported transportation vehicles," she told the college student. "Especially Ducati motorcycles," she added with a smile as they took to the road. It took them around twenty minutes to reach the repair shop, which was basically a large garage filled with all sorts of equipment and a few cars, motorcycles and one ATV. Skye drove the truck into the garage and got out of the car. "Wait here for a moment while I look for him," she told Mitsuru who had gotten out of the car.
"Skye? Is that you?" A man with graying dark-blue hair stepped out from behind a car and walked towards them. He was dressed in worn blue overalls with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "I thought you'd be back over an hour ago," he told Skye as he wiped his hands on a towel.
The blue-haired woman shook her head and stepped forward to wrap the man in a hug. "Sorry oto-san," she apologized. "I had to go to the aid of this young lady over here when she crashed her motorcycle."
The dark haired man looked at Mitsuru carefully. "Seems like you had quite a fall," he observed. "I'm Akira Sagara." He extended his hand to Mitsuru who politely shook it. "So what made you crash you motorcycle?"
The auburn-haired woman flushed. "I suppose it was because I was… preoccupied with my thoughts during the ride and I didn't notice an uneven patch on the road."
"Oh you mean it's a case of daydreaming," Akira guessed with a broad grin on his face. "Well let's have a look at your bike then." He walked behind the truck and let out a low whistle. "A Ducati? It's rare to actually find these kinds of bikes around here. The tax one has to pay for an imported vehicle is way over the top." He looked curiously at his daughter who stood beside him. "Where'd you find this one Skye? She must be the president's daughter if she was able to purchase this bike."
"Oto-san," Skye warned her father. "Be polite. There's no reason for you to pry about her background. Just do Mitsuru a favor and see if you could fix her bike." She stepped back and watched her father grab a ramp and drag it to the back of the truck.
"Make yourself useful and help me ease this machine down," the man ordered. He stayed at the bottom of the ramp while his daughter jumped into the back and gently eased the wrecked vehicle down onto the ground. "Just by looking I can already say that it'll take me a few weeks to get it back to perfect shape," he informed the bike's owner. "I'll have to order the parts from foreign suppliers too, but I can tell you that it's possible to fix."
"I truly appreciate it Sagara-san," Mitsuru thanked the repair shop owner with a low bow. "Do everything to get it back to its former glory. Money won't be a problem." She kept a straight face when the man goggled at her.
"Oto-san," Skye warned her father again. "Mind your manners."
"Sorry Skye," the aging man apologized. "It's been a while since I last socialized with her kind." He circled the motorcycle once before getting down on one knee to be at eye level with the machine. Akira fished out some paper and a pen from his pockets and proceeded to write on it, using the flat surface of his bended knee. "Do me a favor Skye," he told his daughter who stood leaning her weight on one foot. "Go call my suppliers and check if they have these parts and when I could get them." He pocketed the pen and handed the piece of paper to the dark blue-haired woman.
"All right oto-san," Skye agreed and walked towards what looked to be a small office room at the back of the garage.
"So Kirijo-san," Akira began as he continued to tinker with the wrecked Ducati. "Since when have you been riding motorcycles?"
Mitsuru shifted her weight from one foot to another. "For about three years now," she replied politely, walking around the spacious garage. "Although the first year I got a motorcycle, I didn't have my license yet. I practiced in the parking lot of the Kirijo group that time." She ran a hand across the surface of a large desk set against the wall, stopping to look at a framed picture. Lifting the memento in one hand, the auburn-haired woman looked at the picture to see a younger looking Akira Sagara standing beside a young woman with deep green eyes and raven-black hair mounted on a large black motorcycle.
"That's my wife," Akira told Mitsuru when he spotted her looking at the picture.
"She's very beautiful," Mitsuru observed. She was more intrigued by the fact the woman in the picture seemed to know how to ride a motorcycle. "Where is she now? At home or at work?"
The aging father shook his head. "She died twelve years ago," he said sadly, a forlorn smile on his face. "Leukemia," he named the cause of his wife's death. "Skye was only twelve years old then. She takes after her mother mostly when it comes to attitude and personality. Like a free spirit actually," he
explained. "She took it as hard as I did when her mother died. Her mother had passed on her love of motorcycles to Skye, but when she passed away, Skye lost interest." He pointed at a covered motorcycle at one corner of the shop. "That bike was supposedly Skye's. She and I were building it, but she didn't want to have anything to do with it after what happened."
"How long has it been since she touched or rode a motorcycle?" Mitsuru asked out of curiosity.
Akira Sagara looked up at the ceiling as he thought of the most accurate answer. "Nine years I think," he estimated. "Give or take a year."
"She mentioned to me a while back that she had just moved back here in Japan," Mitsuru shared. Akira Sagara's recounting of their family history had definitely picked at her interest. "If I remember correctly, Skye said that she was living in London."
"You're right," the mechanic replied, continuing his pre-repairs on the motorcycle. "I… I was going through some hard times back then and it was getting difficult for me to support Skye. Her mother's family-" he paused, looking for the right word to say. "They offered to take Skye to London where they lived and raise her there. Her education would be accounted for." He grabbed a towel from a nearby table and hung it around his shoulders. "So she went and stayed in London for the next twelve years until she decided to come back here to Japan and live with me."
"She must have missed you," Mitsuru pointed out.
"Perhaps," Akira replied then went back to working on the bike.
Mitsuru could easily tell that the mechanic was hiding things from her, but she had no right to push him to say those things. She was set to ask the older man how he wanted to be paid when his daughter walked up to them.
"Oto-san, you're suppliers said that they have all the parts you requested," Skye informed her father. "They also said that they'll deliver the parts in two days." Her father replied with a grunt and continued to do his work on the bike. To Mitsuru, she said, "Well Mitsuru-san, shall I drive you back to your place or would you prefer I call you a taxi?"
Mitsuru shook her head at the first choice. "I've already caused you a lot of trouble, Skye-san," she told the older woman. "I'll just take a taxi back to my apartment. It's quite a ways from here and I don't want to hassle you by asking you to drive for me."
Skye nodded her head and walked back to the office to phone a taxi service for Mitsuru.
"Sorry if this sounds rude," Mitsuru apologized ahead to mechanic when Skye was inside the office. "You and your daughter don't seem so close to each other."
"Twelve years of being apart does that to two people," the mechanic grunted as he extracted a totaled part from the bike's interior. "We were a close-knit family when her mother was still alive," he explained. "I'm used to it anyway. It's only been two months since she arrived so we're still working out the awkwardness between us."
The dark-blue haired woman stalked out of the office and went to stand by her father. "Mitsuru-san, the taxi will be here in a few minutes. The service radioed one of their drivers who is in the area," she informed the college student.
The crimson-eyed student nodded her thanks and turned to talk to the mechanic. "Sagara-san, what mode of payment would you prefer?"
"Anything will do Kirijo-san," the wiry-bodied man replied. "I think I hear the taxi outside." He glanced outside and spotted the taxi parked outside of his garage. "Well there's your ride." He got up, walked to his desk and grabbed a calling card from inside of one of the drawers. He led the two women outside and handed his calling card to Mitsuru while his daughter held the taxi's door open. "Here," he rumbled. "Give me a call in two or three days. I'll update you then with the state of repairs for your Ducati."
Mitsuru Kirijo bowed deeply to the father-daughter pair. "My thanks," she told them gratefully. "I'll call you in three days then." She exchanged a polite smile with Skye before hopping into the taxi.
She told the driver where to take her then settled back against her seat for the long trip back home. It took a good half hour for the taxi to arrive at her apartment. Mitsuru paid the driver exactly then trudged into the building and boarded one of the elevators. She was feeling really tired by the time she entered her room and locked the door behind her. It was past six in the evening already and she didn't have the strength to make herself dinner so she called up a Chinese take-out restaurant to deliver some food.
While waiting for the food to arrive, Mitsuru went into her bathroom to take a quick shower. She had to brace herself against the tiled walls of the shower stall because her knees felt like they were going to give out at any moment. The doorbell rang signaling the arrival of her food just as Mitsuru stepped out of her room in a clean set of clothes. She had thought that she was famished, but she could only manage to finish half of the box. "Guess I wasn't that hungry after all," she mumbled to herself, ambling into her kitchen and placing the leftovers into her refrigerator. "Perhaps sleep is what I need the most now."
The well-mannered girl went into her room and fell onto her bed heavily. The moment she slipped underneath the blanket and closed her eyes, Mitsuru fell into a deep slumber.
Mitsuru managed to get to her university in the same amount of time it usually took her despite being injured and a tad bit tired until now. The Kirijo group had scolded the heiress for her carelessness and grudgingly agreed to pay for the repairs of her Ducati rather than buy her a new one. They also assigned a chauffeur and car that would temporarily be her means of travelling until her shoulder was well enough to be subjected to the strains of motorcycling once more.
Akihiko kept his promise to Mitsuru. The former student council president found a package at her doorstep that contained a black shoulder support. It took her a while to put it on, but she could easily feel the difference it made for her sprained shoulder. She looked at a mirror and saw that the support was hardly seen except for its edge that peeked out of her collar. Thanking the chauffeur who had driven her to school, Mitsuru got out of the car and made her way towards the building where her first class was. All around her, she could head the whispers of her fellow college students.
"Kirijo-san came in a car today!" A girl exclaimed.
"She usually rides her motorcycle to school," another girl stated. "I wonder why the sudden change in transportation."
A male student close by nudged his friend. "Hey! Looks like Kirijo-san is hurt. She had bandages around her neck and band-aids on her cheek, arms and hands."
"You're right. I wonder what happened to her?"
Mitsuru chose to ignore all the conversations pertaining to her as she casually walked up two flights of stairs, down a hallway and opened the door of her classroom. She had planned to just sit on her chair and get through the class peacefully, but she was bombarded with questions by her fellow classmates. "I had a motorcycle accident, but it's nothing serious," she told them. "I'm alright so please stop worrying."
It was the same thing in each of her succeeding classes. Once she stepped foot inside the room, her classmates would crowd around her and ask the same questions. Her professors were also the same, but weren't as repetitive. By the time Mitsuru was making her way to her last class for the day, she was rather cross. Her fellow students got the point to stay away when they recognized the irritated look on the auburn-haired girl's face.
"Mitsuru-sama!" A girl's familiar voice called from down the hallway. The overly perky Nakajima-san came skipping towards Mitsuru and stared at her in absolute shock. "You're injured! Who did this to you? I'll gather my recruits and beat the person up for making you like this!"
"Nakajima-san," the auburn-haired college student growled. "I'm not in the mood to be coddled so please step away." Mitsuru's deep voice was smooth as she spoke, but her eyes told a different story. "Will you excuse me?" she told the fan girl and the rest of the students who lounged around the doorway of the classroom. The group of male and female students separated like the red sea while Mitsuru strode through them and sat heavily on her chair by the window.
Today's last class was European History and Mitsuru was soon contemplating if she should just cut that class since it was a big possibility that the school couldn't fill in the position on such short notice. Her eyes were still glued to the view outside the window when she heard the door slide open and strong and confident footsteps walk to the front of the room. The students in the room all fell silent as they exchanged looks with each other.
"She's a professor?" someone from Mitsuru's back whispered to her seatmate. "She looks young enough to be our age!"
"The professor looks cool though," another girl whispered from another area of the room. "She reminds me of a rockstar." The girl giggled. "She doesn't even dress up like a professor!"
Mitsuru turned away from the window to see who their new professor was. She blinked a few times, her hair falling over one crimson orb as she stared. Their professor was quite different from their usual faculty for she wore an outfit that was bordering casual. The woman was wearing a well-pressed long sleeved collared blouse with its sleeves carelessly rolled up her arms, a deep blue-gray v-neck sleeveless shirt worn on top of the blouse, jeans and comfortable leather shoes. She was tall for a woman, standing at probably five feet and nine inches and had a wiry build. On her ears, she had two simple piercings on each lobe, but had an assortment of three earrings located along the rim of her right ear. What truly surprised the auburn-haired student were the familiar emerald-green eyes this time not hiding behind eyeglasses that gazed back at her.
Mitsuru pushed away the hair that fell over one eye so that she could get a better look at the professor. The familiarity of those emerald-green eyes quickly intensified when she further recognized the shock of slightly tussled dark blue hair.
"Good afternoon," the blue-haired and green-eyed woman greeted. "I suppose you're all wondering someone as young and… atypical as me is here to teach European History." She grinned at the shocked students. "I'm not a stuffy adult like those professors you got in your faculty." She removed her messenger bag from her shoulder, placed it on the table, moved to the front of the desk, and leaned against its edge. "Let me introduce myself then each of you could introduce yourselves to me afterwards." She looked at her students. "I'm Skye Sagara," she started. "Formerly from London, graduated from London University exactly a year ago, fluent in English, Japanese and French," she enumerated while she counted it off on her fingers. "No boyfriend," she smirked at the boys who reacted in her class. "But not interested," she added, amused at the reaction of the male students. "Anything else?"
"How old are you Sagara-sensei?" Mitsuru's seatmate asked.
"Twenty-four," Skye replied back easily. "By the way boys and girls, I'd prefer if you call me Skye-sensei or sensei." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not that old and I'm sure there are quite a few of you who are just a handful of years younger than I am. Any other questions before I make each of you introduce yourselves?"
The room was silent.
"Good!" Skye approved. "Let's start at the back." Each student got to his or her feet and gave their name and a few things about themselves. Some boys were daring enough to mention that they were single and willing to give chase even though they know it'd be just a dead end.
Finally, it was Mitsuru's turn. She honestly thought that it wasn't necessary to introduce herself since she had just met their professor the day before. Rather than risk creating a fuss among her fellow classmates from already knowing their young and cool professor, she decided to just get over the
activity. "I'm Mitsuru Kirijo," she started, slightly raising an eyebrow at her professor. "Graduated from Gekkoukan high school and I'm an avid motorcyclist. If you're going to ask about my injuries, I got them yesterday after crashing my bike on the way home from an outing," she explained, thinking that it would have been unusual to her classmates if she didn't mention the cause of her injuries.
"Are you feeling better?"
Mitsuru nodded her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you sensei." She took her seat once more and waited as the rest of the students introduced themselves.
"All right then," Skye said after all the students had their turn. "Today's the first day so I'll let you guys go now." A collection of surprised cries and confused looks came from the class. "If you decide to stay in your seats then I suppose I could come up with a lesson right now and give some homework," she thought aloud, hiding a smile as the student quickly got to their feet and filed out of the classroom as they called out goodbyes to their new professor.
Mitsuru purposely lagged behind by taking her time gathering her things and putting them in her bag. After seeing that all her classmates had left the room, she straightened and walked to the front of the class where her professor still sat on the edge of her desk. "This is rather surprising," Mitsuru admitted. "You were the last person I expected to take this position."
"Why is that Mitsuru-san?" Skye asked, a friendly smile on her face. Emerald-green eyes sparkled with mirth and amusement.
The younger woman shrugged her shoulders and fixed her grip on her case. "You just didn't seem like the type of person to take up a teaching job," she replied. "Your father mentioned the other day that you were very much like a free spirit."
"I am a free spirit," Skye chuckled. "Working in cramped offices would be the type of thing I'm not suited to. In a classroom, I'm able to practice my freedom by teaching through unconventional methods."
"Your manner of dressing for work says as much," Mitsuru pointed out with an amused smile.
"And you have to admit it makes a boring European History class a bit more interesting than you expected," Skye added. "You still have class, Mitsuru-san? You might be late if we continue our conversation."
"It's my last class for today actually," she informed her professor. "I usually go home right after class by motorcycle, but since yesterday I have to rely on a hired chauffeur to pick me up." She glanced at her watch and frowned. "Since you decided to dismiss the class early, I won't be expecting him for another hour or so."
"I apologize for that," Skye said, bowing her head. "I will remember not to do that again this semester. In the mean time since you won't be leaving for another hour, why don't you let me treat you out for coffee or tea as an apology?" She grabbed her messenger bag and slung it onto her shoulder. "I spotted a café nearby that is if you agree to go with me."
"Well… I got nothing else to do so I'll take you up on your offer… sensei."
"Sensei?" Skye repeated as she and her student walked down the hallway and down the stairs. "You don't need to call me that when we're not in the classroom Mitsuru-san."
The redhead shook her head. "It would be improper to call you by your first name while we're on campus. Outside of the campus, it would be all right for me to drop the honorifics." Already many students were staring at Mitsuru and Skye when they stepped out of the building. "Besides, a lot of students would find it weird that I'm… chummy with a professor."
"Point well taken, Kirijo-san." She and the redhead leisurely walked towards the one of the campus' numerous cafes. They enjoyed a comfortable silence all the way to the café and only began to converse once more when they were both seated at a table. "Does it bother you?" Skye asked.
"What do you mean?"
The blue-haired professor fingered the collar of her shirt, indicating the sprained shoulder.
"Oh." Mitsuru pulled away her collar and revealed the black shoulder support she wore underneath her shirt. "It's a bit sore, but the shoulder support I got from an old friend of mine is helping me out a lot." She thanked the server who brought them their drinks. "It'll take a month or two before I could actually get back on my motorcycle. By the way, I've been meaning to ask but wasn't it that you were wearing glasses yesterday?"
"It was only yesterday that I was wearing my glasses. One of my contacts fell off and I couldn't find it anymore so I had to use my glasses until I got back home," Skye replied, looking deep in thought. "Kirijo-san-"
"You could call me Mitsuru, sensei," Mitsuru interrupted, getting tired of being called that way by the older woman.
Skye smiled ruefully. "Well then Mitsuru, are you sure it's all right that you're hanging out with your professor and not with your friends among the students?" she asked. "You did say that it looks quite awkward that a student and professor are chummy as you described it."
"The students won't find it strange that I'm hanging around a professor," Mitsuru informed.
"Why wouldn't it be strange?"
The redhead gazed at Skye with a lone crimson orb. "I-" she hesitated. "I don't really have many friends in this university," Mitsuru finally let out. "Sure there are lot of students who admire me, but I don't consider any of them as my friends."
"I'm a bit surprised," Skye confessed. "With your looks and the way you act, I would have thought that you had numerous friends and not just fans."
"Oh the looks and attitude you mentioned are certainly factors that would make me popular, but students cannot forget my background, which tends to unnerve them."
"What can be more unnerving than an eccentric professor who goes to class in funky clothes and had several piercings on her ears?"
Mitsuru could not help but smile at that. "That's true, but you would probably act the same too if you knew that you were spending time with the heiress of a multi-billion dollar company."
Skye shrugged and downed the remaining contents of her drink. "Heiress of the famous Kirijo Group and Industries? Do you think that really matters to me?" she asked. "Being wary of the person you're with is one thing, but what these students do to you is too much."
"I can't blame them because they see me on a whole other level than they are," Mitsuru shared, a sad smile developing on her face. "And you know what? They're right." She crossed her arms across her chest and looked outside of the café. "How can they socialize with person like me? I hear it so many times that I'm not part of their kind of people."
"That's plain stupid."
Mitsuru stared at her professor, surprised at the other woman's bluntness.
"Those people are wrong, Mitsuru," Skye told the redhead firmly. "I admit that it's a common reaction, but you shouldn't let that get to you." Her deep green eyes gazed at her with concern. "Well I could assure you of one thing."
"What is that?" Mitsuru rubbed her temples.
"Your real friends don't look at you in that way," Skye replied. "And if you allow it, I can be a friend who would accept you for who you are and not because of your social status or personal background."
"Sensei…"
Skye shook her head and smiled at her student. "It's up to you though. I'm not forcing you to be friends with me, but if you need someone to talk to you could always come to me." She glanced at her wristwatch and swore. "Sorry I have to get going. I completely forgot that I have to pick up my father." Fishing her wallet out of her pocket, she dropped enough money onto the table to pay for both their drinks. "Your chauffeur?"
"He's arriving any minute now," Mitsuru answered, looking up at her professor gratefully. "Sensei, thank you for… today," she summed up instead of enumerating the things her professor had
done for her. "I really appreciate it. I might as well thank you also for yesterday." She could not help but blush in embarrassment as she remembered how her professor had saved both her and her motorcycle.
"Not a problem Mitsuru," Skye replied, laying a hand on one of Mitsuru's slender shoulders and squeezing it reassuringly. "I'll go ahead. Take care of yourself on your way home!" With a wave, she strode out of the café and disappeared down the path.
After she had seen to paying for their drinks, Mitsuru grabbed her bag and walked out of the café just as her chauffeur pulled up along the curb. She was just about to reach for the door when she felt someone hug her from behind.
"Mitsuru-senpai!"
"Yukari?!" Mitsuru said her friend's name in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" She broke away from Yukari's grip and turned around to see that Junpei, Ken, Fuuka and Akihiko standing behind Yukari with grins on their faces. "What are all of you doing here?"
"You missed out on Akihiko-senpai's treat last night," Junpei explained. "We all sort of decided last night that we should drop by and visit you after Yukari mentioned her outing with you."
Fuuka nodded in agreement. "We know that it's harder to contact and visit you since you live even farther away than Akihiko-senpai, so we thought that we should at least visit you once in a while."
"I've always wanted to see how a university looks like!" Ken added, a toothy grin on his face.
"The only difference is that I'm not the one who's going to treat you guys out for dinner," Akihiko grumbled. "Mitsuru! You take care of dinner alright?"
Mitsuru genuinely smiled at her friends. "How did all of you get here?"
"By train of course!" Yukari exclaimed with a laugh.
"Well since all of you here," Mitsuru began. "I suppose I should take you all out for dinner then."
"Yahoo!" Junpei yelled, pumping his fist in the air. "That mean's this is going to be our second free meal in a row!"
"Come along now," Mitsuru said wryly. "We could all use my car to get to the restaurant." She and Yukari waited as the rest of their friends squished at the back seat of the car.
"By the way senpai, are you feeling all right?" Yukari asked. "Akihiko-senpai told us that you had an accident yesterday." She was obviously worried because it occurred after their outing.
"I'm really all right," Mitsuru assured her younger friend.
Yukari let out a sigh of relief. "That's good! Oh I spotted you talking to this cool looking girl before you stepped out of the café. Is she one of your classmates?"
"Actually, she's my professor," Mitsuru corrected, laughing at the weird look Yukari was giving her. "I know I know… she doesn't look like a professor, but she shouldn't look like one because she's only a few years older. She was also the one who brought me to the hospital after I crashed my motorcycle and her dad is the mechanic who's trying to repair my Ducati."
"I'm glad you're making friends senpai!" Yukari said happily. "But I'm your best girl friend right?"
"Of course, Yukari," Mitsuru promised her friend as they boarded the car and drove out of the university campus. "You are truly my best friend among the girls."
Quite a long first chapter, but I'm glad I finally got to put it up. As I said at the start of this chapter, I'm still trying to figure out if I'm going to make this a Mitsuru x Yukari story or a Mitsuru x OC one. As the story progresses, I'll be able to decide eventually. You could give me your opinions and suggestions about it if you wish. I appreciate the reviews I receive and I usually reply back to my reviewers in the next chapter I upload.
Next chapter: Typical university days, visiting the repair shop and the professor's introduction to Mitsuru's friends.