Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own Mai Hime. Mai Hime is copyrighted to Sunrise Studios as well as Bandai Entertainment. Please support the official release.

Yuuki's Girl

Nao Yuuki had gained infamy, or perhaps, notoriety for being a man-hating, venomous, bitchy outsider who liked spiders. The circle of girls once known as Hime, however, knew the truth was that Nao Yuuki was not only a man-hating, venomous, bitchy outsider who liked spiders, but also had a homicidal side to her and a lot of issues. Even with that known, or perhaps because of it, nothing could prevent any of her old habits from revealing their ugly heads once more.

Despite having spent several months in a monastery, acting as a replacement nun, it wasn't long before she was back to her old tricks, thanks to MySpace, gullible child molesters and great acting at Nao's part (after all, someone had to act like a child before implementing Hopkido on the men, then stealing their wallets). It was just another lazy afternoon on Fuka Gakuen. Mai Tokiha and friends were having yet another picnic. As the orange-haired girl laid the food out, Shizuru Fujino and Natsuki Kuga were wrapped up in some gentle teasing. Somehow the feeling must've been contagious, as Chie began making advances to Aoi, who didn't seem to mind all that much. Tate Yuuichi became distracted with Mikoto's need for food. In other words, it was the sort of day-to-day sitcom that everyone had come to know and love.

"We should have more picnics." Mai had suggested while laying out the bento boxes. "It's so rare nowadays."

Natsuki quietly whispered to herself. "Not as rare as seeing you outside of a karaoke bar."

"What was that?" Mai asked, as if suspecting someone talking behind her back.

"Oh, nothing." Natsuki rolled her eyes as Shizuru gave her a firm back massage. It wasn't until the aforementioned delinquent arrived and ruined the mood.

With a swift kick to Natsuki's bum, she announced herself. "What's up, losers?"

"What's your problem, Yuuki?" Natsuki said with a huff.

"Gee, eating food with people who almost killed me wasn't exactly my idea of a good time." The redhead said while staring daggers into both Shizuru Fujino and Natsuki Kuga.

"To be fair, you almost killed me. Shizuru just returned the favor." Natsuki smirked, seeing Nao's face contort with embarrassment.

"Ara, ara. Natsuki gives me too much credit." The student body president smiled to herself.

"Hey, you didn't have to come if you didn't want to." Yuuichi defended, while trying to keep his rice ball away from Mikoto.

"No one asked you, flopsy." Unfortunately, Yuuichi lacked the sort of calmness that was needed to make a witty comeback. Thus, he jumped directly towards anger.

"What did you say, bitch? I'll have you know, that I'm very-"

With a thrown up hand, Chie silenced the testosterone induced male. "Don't bother, Yuuichi-san. Everyone knows Nao-chan despises all men and has more of a 'thing' for females. Isn't that right?" Aoi couldn't help but snicker at the suggestion her partner was making.

"Oh, please." Nao scoffed while picking up a dumpling from the basket. "Just because practically everyone here is a lesbo or an idiot, doesn't mean I'm one of you."

Mai, somewhat getting offended by the scarlet haired girl's words, began to feel annoyed.

"Nao-san, I think it'd best if you leave. It's obvious you don't want to be here."

"Fine. I just came for the free food, anyway. Later."

However, just as Nao was about to run off to do more of her manhandling, Mikoto ran in front of her. "Nao, don't leave! Otherwise, you'll miss Mai's ramen; it's really good!"

"Thanks, but no thanks." She quickly brushed the cat girl away before continuing to walk away.

"But…we're friends, right?"

For a moment, everything seemed to pause. Normally, Mikoto possessed more naivety than insight, but for a brief moment, even the Fuka Gakuen president was surprised. The group that had gotten together had just stared at the girl, waiting for a response.

"Look, kid." Nao replied, ignoring the rest of the group. "I like you. But, don't get so attached to me. It ain't good for your health."

With that, Nao Yuuki simply walked away.

On a sunny day in a dank alleyway, Nao Yuuki congratulated herself on another successful mugging. It was her fourth catch of the day. By noon, she had earned 3,000 yen, several cell phones and a lovely picture of a man's family. With a smile, she said only one thing.

"Thank God for MySpace."

Just as she was about to prey on her next victim, she heard a cell phone vibrate. Normally, it wasn't much cause for concern, but when she realized this was her own pink Nokia rather than the countless others she had collected, she flipped it open immediately. The number wasn't from the Hime group, so she spoke with her usual demeanor.

"Yeah, what the hell do you want?" Nao waited for the man to finish speaking. However, when he completed his sentence, Nao froze in mid-step. She couldn't believe what she had heard. It was literally a miracle.

"Wait, this isn't some sort of freakin' joke, right?" With that question posed, Nao felt herself transform from a confident man-hunter to a helpless child once again. "You're sure I can see her?"

"No joke, Yuuki-san." The older man on the phone said. "If everything goes well, you can see her 3:00 P.M. tomorrow."

Nao felt in a daze. She was overcome with a potpourri of emotions: sadness, grief, guilt, uncertainty and most of all, joy. She didn't know what to say at the moment. She hadn't seen this person for so long, she almost forgot the person's appearance. There were very few times when Nao Yuuki cried. She sobbed tears when she realized she would be taken to an orphanage, wailed when she lost in the Hime carnival, but at this moment, she was crying tears of joy.

"Yuuki-san?" The older man said on the phone, not realizing she had dropped it. "Yuuki-san?"

Natsuki Kuga didn't feel all that comfortable with holding her girlfriend's hand in public. True, it was worth the double snuggling afterwards, among other unmentionable actions, but she had stared so many icy looks onto critics, she felt her face was frozen. She was able to breathe a sigh of relief as she entered the classroom.

"I'll be back soon." She said, about to head in.

"Doesn't Natsuki want to give me a kiss?"

The viridian haired girl sighed. Despite numerous rumors, being Shizuru's girlfriend was not easy. As if crossing the street, Natsuki Kuga looked both directions of the hallway before giving a quick peck on the cheek. However, just as she turned around, Natsuki's good mood quickly descended into foreboding, as she saw Nao Yuuki within the classroom. Normally, Natsuki would've only expected a tongue-lashing from the venomous girl, but considering that she was not only on time for class and waiting for her, Natsuki took very cautious steps towards her.

"Now, now, Natsuki. I hope you don't do anything seductive behind my back." Shizuru teased, still waiting in the hall.

"Never in a million years." She quipped, before staring at Nao once more.

"I need to talk to you." Nao said in a very hushed voice.

"So I figured."

"Alone." Nao gestured towards the honey-haired president, signaling for her to leave. Natsuki didn't have to look back to realize Shizuru had taken the hint. She just knew her. However, she had to brace herself for the conversation that would take place.

Nao sighed. "I…need some advice."

Back during her vigilante days, Natsuki would've outright refused to help the red-headed girl. However in the past months, things changed significantly. For starters, Natsuki had learned to be more tolerant towards her peers. She had also accepted the fact that she didn't always have to carry such a large burden by herself. But, in reality, it was how Nao looked at Natsuki. Lily colored eyes exchanged glances to sense a sort of sincerity. Then again, Natsuki could've easily mistaken it for desperation. Whatever the case, the femme fatale was willing to help.

Natsuki responded as politely as she could. "I'm not really good at these things. Wouldn't you feel more comfortable talking to Mikoto?"

"Heh." Nao laughed to herself quietly, as if humbled by some great event. "Cute kid. She's barely discovered undergarments. But you, I can talk to you."

"I don't follow." Natsuki for the most part continued to feel confused.

"Because you…get me. You're just like me, so I can talk to you."

Unsure of what Nao was saying, Natsuki decided not to push more than she needed to. It would've kept things simpler. "Okay…What do you need help with?"

"There's this person, who I've never really seen in a long time."

Suddenly, Natsuki caught interest. "Go on."

"Now, this person just happened to come back to my life. The thing is…I'm not sure how to approach my person."

"What's there to figure? Just say hi and do what comes natural." Somehow, the information seemed self-evident, especially to someone as crafty as Nao.

"No, that's not it! I mean, what if my person doesn't remember me? I mean, it's been so long, and I've…I've changed a lot." For some odd reason, as if Natsuki had crossed into a parallel universe without realizing it, she felt sympathetic towards Nao. For some reason, she seemed actually lost in a social situation and didn't know what to do. Part of Natsuki told her to be cautious and wary of another trick. However, after taking a deep breath, she gave her answer.

"Just dress up. You do that, and your person won't be embarrassed."

Nao looked up, not making eye contact but rather talking to herself. "Yeah. Dress up. That'll do the job. Alright. I'll dress up, I'll get some nice flowers and I'll surprise her!" As if she were in a trance, she continued muttering to herself while walking away.

Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief. For once, she felt she had done some actual good. However, just as she was about to leave, she repeated one phrase in her mind.

"Wait…her?"

Natsuki should've known that once Shizuru saw her in the room with Nao, pretty much everyone else would know about it one way or another. Thus, while she sat in class during a slow period, several sets of eyes continually stalked her. Mainly, they were the usual sets of eyes belonging to Mai, Mikoto, Chie, Aoi and Tate respectively.

"Oh, come on." Natsuki pleaded for perhaps an ounce of peace. "I already told you what happened. Don't make such a big deal out of this."

Chie, without missing a beat, quickly refuted Kuga's response. "Nonsense! It's quite obvious what's going on here. 1) Nao-chan has become ridiculously nervous for someone, a 'girl', she hasn't seen in years, and 2) she explicitly stated and I quote "You're just like me," In conclusion, Nao is secretly dating a girl behind our backs and refuses to tell anybody for fear of ridicule."

Everyone else, save Natsuki, nodded and shook their heads in agreement. Most were too lazy to come up with another plausible explanation.

"There are other explanations, too!" Natsuki said. She'd never figure that she would eventually be defending Nao's reputation. "Like…uhh…a schoolteacher she hasn't seen for a long time!"

"Yeah, right." Tate quipped while shaking his head. "I doubt Nao-chan has made any friends with school teachers these past few years, or any adults for that matter. It's just how delinquents operate."

"You're one to talk, Yuuichi." Mai said, almost taking the insult personally. "You were once no better than Nao yourself."

"And what do you think about all of this, Tokiha-san?" Aoi asked, while leaning closer to her face.

"I think it's none of our business. Nao-san has never really been all that kind to us, so we shouldn't bother with her affairs. Even if she does have a girlfriend, which I doubt, why should we care? She'll just deny everything; so let's not get involved."

"No!" Mikoto yelled with her hand balled into a fist. "You're all wrong!"

"Mikoto?" Mai asked. One look from her was all it took to realize the cat-girl's mixture of frustration and offence.

"Nao is our friend! We had lots of good times singing and dancing together. She was just confused like I was about Ani-ue. We shouldn't spy on Nao because Nao is our friend!"

A silence fell into the room. The rest of the students were unsure how to respond to Mikoto's defense. Oddly enough, even with her general unawareness of the situation, Mikoto once again displayed insight into the relationship they all shared. At once, the rest of the students stared at each other until finally Chie decided to break the silence.

"Okay, Mikoto." The school gossip sighed while pushing her glasses upwards. "You win. Since Nao is our friend, we'll respect her privacy. Is that okay with you?"

The smallest Hime gave a firm nod.

The following morning turned out to be mostly uneventful for Mai Tokiha. She had the day off, but had nowhere to go. The Karaoke bar didn't open until 1 P.M. and Takumi hadn't responded to any of her e-mails or instant messages. With a sigh, Mai walked out to the living room trying to find something on TV.

"Wow…" Mai droned in a rather bored fashion. "Swine flu really sucks."

"Oi, Mai!" Mikoto ran up to the girl, much like any hungry animal would. "We don't have any more ramen."

"Can't you have anything else besides ramen?" Mai already knew the answer, but hoped for any different response on a dull Saturday.

"I want Mai's ramen!"

Mai gave a heavy sigh. "Okay, okay. I'll get some ingredients from the grocery store. Meanwhile, you stay here. Understood?" Mai smiled as Mikoto gave a firm nod of the head.

Mikoto gave her a quick salute before presuming her guard. Mai shrugged her head and headed towards the grocery store. The day was bright enough and the people certainly were friendly enough. "It's not that today isn't a bad day. It's just that there's nothing interesting to do besides spy on…" Mai quickly banished the thought from her mind. Somehow the more she kept herself away from Nao, the more inclined she was to put on an oversized trench coat and follow the redhead. Mai shook such thoughts from her mind and went to the grocer's.

After picking up the usual order of fifty ramen packs, at least a dozen rice balls and some dumplings for desert, Mai headed straight for checkout. However, in her rush to get home, she didn't watch where she was going. Thus, it of course led to a predicament.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there!" Mai apologized picking her food of the floor.

"It's fine." A familiar voice rang through Mai's mind. When she looked up, she nearly leapt out of her skin.

Nao Yuuki had not only worn her Fuka Gakuen uniform, in all of its sunshine yellow glory, but she had also worn make-up as well. Add to the fact that she also sported a headband, and Mai was dumbstruck to say the least.

"Nao-san?" Mai said, unable to wipe the shocked expression from her face.

"Crap." The girl said breaking her demeanor. "Look, I can explain. See, I'm just…helping Sister Yukariko at the church and stuff."

"Then why don't you wear your normal outfit?" Mai said suspiciously. Nao, for some inexplicable reason, had lost her ability to lie.

"Because…my other clothes are in the wash." Nao's response caused Mai to raise an eyebrow to unimaginable levels. It would've been more believable if Nao had stated she was about to meet aliens on their first encounter.

"All….right, then. I'll just leave you to your business."

Nao nodded her head. "Same to you." Mai shook her head, trying to banish the pure temptation to go and demand Nao to tell her what was going on. The thought was so prevalent in her mind; it lasted from when she bought her supplies to when she walked out the door. Of course, Mai just happened to notice two strange figures in trench coats that just happened to follow Nao around carrying their cell phone cameras in front of them. Mai sighed. "I'm getting too old for this"

"Aoi-san, Chie-san, you should be ashamed!" Mai exclaimed seeing the both of them sneaking around.

Chie quickly hushed Mai with the sleeve of her trench coat. "Shh! You'll scare her away!" When Nao had gone a considerable distance, Chie and Aoi resumed their pursuit.

"Chie-san, you made a promise to Mikoto!"

"Please don't persecute me, Mai-san." The bespectacled girl rebutted. "I'm the school gossip. I have responsibilities to the public! When someone like Nao drastically changes clothing, you have to pursue the lead! It's the only sensible solution!"

Mai shot an icy stare at Chie's partner in crime. "And what do you have to say for yourself, Aoi-san?"

"I'm her roommate." Aoi whispered. "I have basic concerns and…responsibilities…and…"

Mai raised her eyebrow to the point where it would've fallen off.

"Okay, look, I'm just really curious, okay?"

Mai gave a heavy sigh. She had sworn to her roommate that she would not go near Nao, but had instead joined two others in doing so. She realized there was still time to back out now before things eventually spiraled out of control.

"That's…fine me with me." Mai lied through her clenched teeth, the curiosity gnawing on her brain. "You can…do whatever you like. Nope, I'm not curious in the least bit."

Then Mai turned around very slowly as if she was waiting for someone to stop her.

Chie asked with a straight face. "Would you like to join us?"

"Well," Mai immediately whipped around to face both of them. "Since you asked."

It wasn't long before the trio had trailed the venomous redhead throughout the entire city. With plenty of bushes and trees and even newspaper stands to stand behind, spying on someone proved relatively easy for them. Mai tried to call Mikoto several times in the apartment, but got the machine instead. "Hmm, I better tell Mikoto how a telephone works." Mai thought to herself as she continued her pursuit. In fact, the only surprise the trio had received was when Nao had walked into a flower shop.

"Ehh?" Mai screamed so loudly, that both Aoi and Chie had to silence her quickly. When the two of them released their grip, Mai whispered to the two while hiding in a bush. "Why would Nao go into a flower shop?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Chie replied while keeping vigilant watch. "The affair is obviously being held here. Rather than the cliché notion of a girl giving her lover flowers, she instead gives her body and soul to the girl she loves, the shopkeeper."

"So romantic…" Aoi said while blushing heavily.

"Uhh…then why is she leaving with a bundle full of flowers in hand?" The trio looked out from the shrub to see their target leave the shop with a bundle full of lily colored flowers and lilacs.

"Oh." Chie replied. "Well, that was disappointing."

"Quickly, before she escapes!" Aoi shouted as the trio ran as quietly as they could. As they did so, Mai noticed a peculiar figure that also seemed to track Nao. The other stalker rode a Ducati as well as a dark biker's uniform and a helmet to shield 'her' identity. Mai poked her two companions and pointed to the cyclist. After quickly exchanging glances they quickly rushed up and yanked Natsuki Kuga's helmet from her.

"Kuga-san!" Chie declared, feigning shock. "You should be ashamed."

"Oh, like you're one to talk, Ms. Trench coat" The azure haired girl bit back.

Chie found herself at a lost for words before gaining her cool demeanor once again. "Why do you want to know about Nao anyway? I thought you hated her!"

"Well…yeah or at least I thought so." The azure haired tomboy sighed. "That day when she approached me, she seemed almost desperate, like she genuinely needed my help. Part of me felt for her because, I dunno, she said she was just like me. In a way, I would act the same in her position."

Natsuki's speech caused a silence among their small group. Even with the flow of midday traffic and city life bustling around them, the group somehow felt that they understood Natsuki's dilemma. In a way, Chie, Aoi and Mai wanted to see who Nao was so desperate for. What seemed to be simply stalking turned into a genuine gesture of concern. Finally, while no one talked, Aoi broke the silence.

"Wait, Kuga-san. Did you come here alone?"

"Yeah, why?" The cyclist answered. Both Chie and Aoi gave each other familiar glances, as if they had developed invisible speech.

"Alright!" Chie shouted. "You can come out now."

"We know you're out there!" Aoi joined in, much to Mai and Natsuki's confusion. The two looked around to see if anyone was there.

Mai quickly whispered to the school gossip. "Chie-san, what are you taking about-"

"Shh, here she comes."

"Ara, ara." Shizuru Fujino replied as she walked out of the shadows. "Am I really that simple to read?"

"What the-"Suffice to say, Natsuki Kuga was dumbfounded. "Shizuru, since when were you following me?"

"Oh…just when you were getting dressed in your biker uniform. Natsuki looks so cute today."

Quickly, the ice princess turned to Chie. "And you knew about this?"

"No, I just used basic logic. Whenever you're around, the President is around."

Natsuki sighed. "Okay, let's just keep up with Nao before she runs away."

Nao arrived at Fuka University Hospital. She remembered how she had kidnapped Mai's sibling in order to enact her revenge. She had never imagined she would return to the hospital again, not as a criminal, but as a normal high school student. Nao hoped that the sweat that she had built up during the taxi ride over there wouldn't somehow leak into her school uniform. She looked at the flowers and then at the time. "2:50" she thought to herself. "Screw it. I'm going in." As she entered, she found a plump nurse sitting in the office.

"Hi, I'm Yuuki Nao. I'm here to visit someone."

The nurse took a quick glance at the map before shooting a wide smile. "Yes, she's in room 3003A. You take an elevator to the 3rd floor and it'll be the second door on your left."

"Thanks," Nao said without even giving a glance back. She was grateful that she was in a hospital, because she felt she could've passed out at any given moment.

Through a pair of thick binoculars from a shrub, Natsuki carefully read the lips of their quarry. "Okay, if I read correctly, it should be the 3rd floor, second door on the left."

The girl turned to the group of five and commented on the situation. "If we hurry, we can all see what's going on."

"I knew it!" A sixth voice shouted thorough the park, revealing it to be the cat girl. "You all promised that you wouldn't spy on Nao, but you are! That's really bad!"

The orange-haired girl raised her hands in protest. "Mikoto, we can explain!"

"Then explain." Mikoto said with fire in her eyes.

"Well…we did want to try and humiliate Nao when we first saw her, but Natsuki convinced us that Nao is really sincere with her feelings. And maybe, we're just afraid she'll get…"

"Hurt." Natsuki finished in a cool voice. "Maybe we broke our promise is because we do care what happens to her."

For a moment, the group of six stood in silence. What had started out as a day to combat boredom became a startling revelation to all parties involved. Then, Mikoto broke the silence.

"If Nao gets hurt, I-I'll help her! Mai will help her! Everyone will help her! So let's help Nao!" All of the girls gave a slight nod and headed inside the hospital.

"Natsuki," Shizuru spoke in her soft voice. "Didn't you think the flowers were lovely?"

"Huh?" Natsuki simply stared at her companion, unsure what to make of the statement. "You mean Nao's? I guess they're okay."

"I especially like how the green compliments the white. Wouldn't you agree?"

It was then the cyclist paused for a moment. Green and white weren't necessarily romantic colors. Just then, she remembered what Nao had said earlier.

"You're just like me."

"That means-Everybody, wait!"

She stood outside the door, feeling like a fool. With the wet stems of the flowers in one hand and the cold metallic doorknob on the other, the only thing that kept Nao Yuuki from her reunion was her fear. She was afraid of how the person would respond to her, how she would treat Nao once she saw her. She had almost forgotten that face, only to realize it was impossible to forget. Inhaling all the air in the hallway through her nostrils, Nao Yuuki twisted the knob and pushed forward.

The first thing she noticed was how the wind gently swept in with the thin white curtains flapping. Blocking the view was a lone figure sitting in a wheelchair. Her crimson red hair had grown to reach about her shoulders. In her hospital gown, she turned around revealing her morose eyes and a faint smile, untainted by lipstick. Despite her age, she didn't have a wrinkle or skin blotch on her. In other words, she was just as Nao remembered her.

"It's good to see you, Nao-chan." The older woman smiled.

"Hi, Mama." Nao's eyes welled up with tears. Forgetting all formalities, all hubris and anger, she dropped the flowers on the floor and embraced her mother, breaking down while doing so.

"Shh, shh." Hanako Yuuki patted the head of her only child. "It's okay. The doctors said I made a full recovery. A miracle of medicine, they said."

Even with her flowing tears, Nao still had enough sense to realize that it wasn't a miracle of modern medicine as it was a victory in the Hime Carnival. Through some mystical way, Nao's mother had come back as did her left eye.

After catching her breath, she composed herself and sat on the bed next to her mother. She was still unable to take the emotional rush of the reunion all at once, but she had somehow calmed down from her hysterical manner. Nao concentrated on the present. She was with her mother, and she had her attention. With an awkward turn, she bent over and picked up the flowers on the floor.

"Here, Mama. I got these for you." As she handed them to Hanako, she couldn't help but smile to her mother's delighted reaction.

"Oh, green. My favorite color. I knew you wouldn't forget." Hanako smiled, laying the flowers on her bed and giving Nao's cheeks a subtle stretch. However, as quickly as the smile came, it faded into a disproving frown.

"Nao-chan, I have heard many things from your school." Her words forced Nao to look into the other direction, admitting her guilt. "They said that you skip class and talk back. They also said that you pick on boys."

Nao gulped at how her past sins were made apparent in front of her.

"Are they true?"

Nao took a deep breath and sighed. "I was scared, Mama. I remember how those men came in and hurt you. I was scared and confused. I learned how to take care of myself, and not to let anybody hurt me again, that's all."

"I imagine so." Hanako gave a subtle laugh. "But I know my Nao-chan is a good girl. You've grown up after all these years and I'm proud of that. Nao-chan, will you promise me to stop doing bad things to other people, so everyone can know you're a good girl?"

Nao's lily green eyes shifted side to side as she was unsure what to say. Years of lashing back had made a subtle but powerful impact on Nao's mind. All she knew in life dealt with punishing others and using whatever means to get what she desired. Now, she was being asked to change all of that by her own mother. So, doubtfully Nao did something that she almost never did.

She simply told the truth.

"I'll…try." She said with an unsure nod. She knew ways, she could change. Nao didn't have to do it all in one night, but she would do it.

Hanako's warm smile reappeared once again.

"That's wonderful to hear! I bet Nao-chan has made all sorts of friends after these few years, hasn't she?"

Nao's mouth went dry. If the previous question took all of her body and soul to answer, then the present one was an impossible one to answer. Over the years, she had distanced herself considerably from all those around her. She had become a cold shell of a woman, unwilling to join anything that could've hindered her. The only group of people she did know was the Hime's. Unfortunately, she was utterly convinced they hated her. With that, Nao had to make up something on the spot.

"Friends? Well, Mama…the thing is I don't really have any-"

As she would've confessed her guilt, the door swung wide open to reveal six of the girls she had insulted on the previous day.

"Nao-chan!" Mai Tokiha whined. "I told you to wait for us at the grocery store."

A small wink from all of them became an understanding. Nao wasn't alone after all. She would've questioned how they had tracked her through town, but for now, she was grateful that these girls had come to her rescue. For the meantime, she could pretend these people were her friends.

"Yeah," The sapphire-haired girl replied. "Why'd you leave us there, Nao-chan?" Normally, Nao would've cursed the Kuga girl into next week, but now wasn't the time. She simply smiled and played along as best as she could.

"We don't mind, Nao-chan." Chie smirked widely to which Aoi couldn't help but snicker. "If we'd known you'd be so embarrassed, we'd left you alone."

"Hi!" Mikoto gave a firm bow before Hanako. "I'm Mikoto!"

"Ah, Mama." Nao exclaimed, realizing she had forgotten introductions. "These are my classmates. They go to school with me."

One by one, the group introduced themselves. Mikoto, having already done so, gave a genuine smile. "We're Nao's friends! Right, Nao?"

The scarlet haired middle-schooler felt unsure how to respond properly. However, with a short and steady nod, she began to agree with them.

"Yeah…I-I guess you are." The words came out of her mouth without her consent. For once, she didn't feel alone. She actually had others to help her. It felt very different for Nao. Where she was unsure of her own actions.

"Nao-chan." Her mother spoke softly. "You shouldn't trick me like that. It seems you have lots of friends, don't you?"

"Yeah…I do." Nao replied while looking on the cold hospital floor.

"Well…" Mai smiled while holding up her groceries. "I bought some food. Who wants to have a picnic?"

"I do!" Mikoto shouted first. Eventually the rest of the girls including the ever hesitant Natsuki Kuga all pitched in.

"This is lovely, isn't it, Nao-chan?"

"Yeah…" Nao smirked. "Real lovely."

Tate Yuuichi groaned at the fact that he didn't follow Nao. He had wasted the entire weekend watching children's movies with Shiho. As he mentally slapped himself, he sat on the mat with Mai and the others.

Natsuki smirked while chomping on a sweet dumpling. "You should feel glad. You're the only one who kept his promise."

"Still, I could've come! I'm Nao's friend, too!" Tate continued to whine, grating on everybody's nerves.

"I told you Nao was our friend!" Mikoto smirked, finally having some of Mai's infamous ramen.

Mai smiled. "I think we're being a good influence on her. Last I saw, she was talking to Sister Yukariko about doing some volunteering."

Natsuki smiled back as Shizuru gave her light kisses on the cheek. "Maybe we'll see a whole new Nao."

As she would've celebrated their pseudo-victory, Natsuki felt a swift kick on the behind. Leaping up, she witnessed Nao Yuuki in her regular garments.

"Just when I thought you had changed. What do you want?"

Nao stood calm as ever, with her lily eyes shining brightly in midday. "I came to say…thanks." As quickly as the gratitude came, Nao left as quickly as possible, heading for the other direction.

"Wait, Nao!" Mikoto sped on all fours in front of her. "Don't you want to stay? Mai made her ramen!"

"I'll take a rain check." The girl said while patting Mikoto's head. "I'm going to help Sister Yukariko."

"So, you're actually going to do what you promised?" Natsuki raised an eyebrow at this.

"Hey, someone has to punish all the bastards and whores of society. Might as well be me."

As she left the picnic area, Mai spoke softly. "I think we're a good influence on her."

Natsuki nodded. "I think so too."

(A/N: For those of you that don't know, green in flowers means health and white means friends or family. I decided to go with Hanako, because it essentially means 'flower child' in Japanese. Have a nice mother's day everybody.)