Chapter 1: Back to the Beginning
Author's Note: I don't own Strawberry Panic so please don't sue me. Also, for easier reading Noriko refers to Mizushima. She will be referred to as Noriko in narrative, but of course, most of the characters will call her Mizushima. Please enjoy!
The April sun beamed bright in the nearly cloudless blue sky. The pink of the cherry blossoms held an iridescent hue that April afternoon. An asphalt road wove through the pink lined forest winding upwards onto the heart of Astraea Hill, location of Japan's three most prestigious all-girls schools, St. Miator, St. Spica and St. Lulim.
A beige Mercedes sedan drove along the road. The luxury car was driven by a purple haired woman, whose face was faintly lined and whose hair had a few streaks of white making the purple look more lilac than plum. Two teenage girls sat in the backseat; a brunette whose hair hung in a low set pair of pigtails and a tall girl with her purple hair styled in a "fresh out of bed" messed up bob. The girls wore matching knee length, long sleeved dresses with white frills and each with one forest green tie. The purple haired girl stared out the window while the brunette flipped through a European fashion magazine.
The driver glanced up into the rear view mirror, eyed the girls momentarily and spoke, "You girls must be so excited to return to Miator. I know Noriko-chan spent our entire trip to Paris, how do you say…" she paused and thought for a moment "…'climbing the walls so to speak'".
The purple haired girl was ripped out of her daydreams and spoke abruptly "Mother, I was not climbing walls, I just like to be doing things not sitting in meetings. And you know how I feel about shopping!"
Sighing, Noriko's mother continued "Well Noriko, what else am I going to do with you? Most girls would be delighted to get a chance to wander through the upscale boutiques in Paris and all you want to do is come back to school and work with your archery friends."
The brunette took that moment to comment "Mrs. Mizushima, Noriko-chan is quite skilled with the bow. She'll certainly make the high school team this year, and I know Captain Kago is happy that Noriko will be a 4th grader this year."
"Hmm, well that is good to hear Chihaya-chan. Noriko-chan darling, why didn't you tell me you were so successful? Your brother Daiki has excelled well at Kendo, and you know Kumiko was on Miator's student council when she was at the school. My children, so talented!" Mrs. Mizushima focused on the road, slowing slightly as another car passed heading the opposite direction on the narrow road.
Noriko blushed scarlet and glared at Chihaya who shrugged. "Well Mother, I mean, I haven't even made the team yet. Captain Kago is overly excitable."
Chihaya giggled and shook her head. Noriko glared at her companion. Chihaya smiled in return before speaking, "Thank you again Mrs. Mizushima for driving me back to Astraea Hill. My parents and I are in your debt."
"Oh nonsense Chihaya-chan. You and Noriko-chan might as well be sisters, goodness how long has it been now since you met?"
Chihaya began counting on her fingers and Noriko casually added "12 years this April Mother. We met back in kindergarten."
Chihaya beamed at her friend and Noriko turned and looked away, turning to hide the pink color that her face had taken. Chihaya didn't notice though and Mrs. Mizushima spoke.
"Well, Chihaya-chan, perhaps with a friend as longstanding as you, you could maybe persuade my little Noriko to act more feminine. Take up singing or ballet. How else will she ever find herself a husband?"
Noriko ripped her head back towards the front, her face crimson with embarrassment, "With all due respect mother, I don't think Chihaya needs to concern herself with finding me a husband!"
Chihaya giggled and added "Mrs. Mizushima, I have tried to get Noriko-chan to try and be more feminine, and my biggest accomplishment has been getting her to wear the Miator uniform." Chihaya smiled sweetly at her backseat companion who responded by sticking her tongue out.
Mrs. Mizushima lost the opportunity to say more as the car entered the drive up to the front of the Astraea dorms, affectionately referred to as the "Strawberry Dorms" by the girls who resided there. She sighed and added "Well, try you best Chihaya-chan. We're here now girls, I'll open the trunk and you can get your suitcases."
The car was unpacked quickly and with a few tears from Mrs. Mizushima and fond hugs from both Chihaya and Noriko, the car drove off back the way it came.
Noriko waited until the car was out of sight and turned to Chihaya and growled "You had better not continue with Noriko-chan this and Noriko-chan that Chihaya-chan, I won't have any of the girls calling me that silly name."
Chihaya chuckled and pulled the handle out of her wheeled suitcase. She turned and began pulling the bag up to the front entrance and turning her head back to Noriko, responded with a cheeky grin and wink "Aye aye Captain."
Noriko sighed and watched her friend head towards the dorms. "This is going to be an interesting year" she muttered. She then grabbed her suitcase and raced after Chihaya.
Chihaya turned the key into the lock and the door swung open. She looked around the familiar room and smiled "Home again!"
Noriko shrugged and threw her suitcase in a corner and flopped on the bed. "I can't wait for the school year to end." She grabbed her pillow and held it over her face. Chihaya laughed and began unpacking her suitcase while kneeling on the floor. Noriko lifted the pillow enough to watch Chihaya when a knock echoed through the room.
Chihaya got up and Noriko removed the pillow from her face. Chihaya opened the door and girl the same height as Chihaya, with blue hair worn in a bun with face framing strands left down stood in the doorway.
"Hey guys!" Tamao smiled.
"Tamao-chan! Come on in!" Chihaya said and opened the door all the way.
Noriko sat up and nodded at Tamao, "Hey, what's up with all the excitement. You actually sound happy to be back here". She crossed her arms across her chest and frowned.
Chihaya rolled her eyes at Noriko, "Don't mind her Tamao-chan. You do seem excited though, do you have good news? Did they promote you to literature club president?"
"Well, no, Yuki-senpai is still literature club president, and you have to be a fifth year at least to get the position and I'm only a fourth year and besides I don't think I'd be any good at the position as you need to have plenty of experience analyzing those existentialists but I suppose…"
"Get on with it!" Noriko snapped.
Blushing, Tamao continued, "No, the good news is tomorrow my roommate arrives!"
"Roommate Tamao-chan? That's excellent. No wonder you're so excited. Do you know her name?" Chihaya asked.
"Yes, I do actually." Tamao opened the piece of paper in her hands and read aloud, "Aoi, Nagisa. A pretty name I think."
"Oh yes, I wonder where she is from? She must be a transfer; most students enter at first year, not fourth like us." Chihaya tapped her chin with her index finger and looked up in thought.
"Well, that's great Tamao-san, congrats. Now if you two don't mind, I'm going to enjoy my last day of napping before the torture known as school starts." With that, Noriko wrapped herself up in the covers and closed her eyes.
Chihaya shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Tamao-chan, we should probably leave sleepy-head to nap. Come on, let's go to the common room and you can tell me more about your spring break and this new roommate." Chihaya hit the light switch and together, she and Tamao walked out the door.
"Crazy Eights then?" Tamao asked Chihaya as the two sat in the common room at a table by the window, across the room from the door. She waved at two other Miator girls as they walked in and sat across the room.
Chihaya nodded, "Sounds good to me Tamao-chan. Did you enjoy your weeks off school?" Chihaya began to shuffle the deck, eyeing the cards.
"Oh yes. I went back home and saw my family. I also had a chance to go buy a new book. It's a collection of famous French short stories. I'm hoping it will help me get some more practice with French."
"How exciting! I should probably read more French too. I didn't do quite as well on my final last term as I should have. Oh well, new year, new time to improve." Chihaya offered Tamao the deck, "Cut please".
"Indeed, and how was your spring break?" Tamao asked while taking the deck of cards and splitting it in half then restacking, a perfect cut.
"It was…" Chihaya fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Hello Chihaya-chan and Suzumi-san. How are you girls?" Fifth year Kago Miharu, captain of the Miator archery team stood beside the table. She was about the same height as Noriko with emerald hair worn in a ponytail behind her head.
"Very good thank you Miharu-senpai." Chihaya replied and inwardly sighed with relief.
She didn't want to talk about her break at all. Not to anyone.
"I'm good as well Miharu-senpai." Tamao replied "How was the archery tournament? It was regionals over spring break was it not?"
"Yes Suzumi-san, regionals. We did quite well, qualified for nationals actually." Miharu smiled, clearly pleased with the results. "Unfortunately though, Assistant Captain Yoshida Hitomi has transferred to another school, and I would need to find a senior high replacement that could compete at the national level. I know Chihaya-chan that you are roommates with Mizushima-san; would you ask her to come early to practice tomorrow? Please tell her I would like to discuss national level competition."
Chihaya nodded quickly "Oh course Miharu-senpai. I will make sure Mizushima-san is there."
Miharu smiled "Thank you Chihaya. Well, I will leave you and Suzumi-san to your game." With that, Miharu turned and left the common room.
"Oh Chihaya-chan how exciting!" Tamao grinned "Mizushima might get the chance to compete at nationals!"
"I'm sure she can do it." Chihaya smiled and dealt the cards. The first game went swiftly with only two players and Chihaya won easily. Chihaya dealt the cards for a rematch.
"Chihaya, this is a terrible hand." Tamao groaned as she sorted her cards.
Smirking, Chihaya added "Well, they don't call me the crazy 8's queen for nothing!"
"That's funny, I thought they called you that because you are crazy." Noriko said as she plopped down into a chair next to her friends. "Since Tamao's hand stinks so bad, why don't you re-deal and deal me in too?"
Tamao chuckled at Noriko's "burn" and took the cards from the now irate looking Chihaya. "Since you dealt so poorly last time, it's my turn to deal." Tamao dealt the cards to each player.
Noriko eyed her hand "Well, I'll start." She played her five of spades on top of the five of clubs already down.
Chihaya bit down on her lip and played a nine of spades. "Hey Mizushima-san, Miharu-senpai wants you to come to archery practice early tomorrow."
"Oh? Did she say why?" Noriko asked in feigned nonchalant while Tamao played a three of spades.
"Yep! You just missed her actually. Something about needing another member to for nationals this year." Chihaya replied.
Noriko's mouth dropped open and she stared at Chihaya "Are you serious?"
Tamao poked Noriko in the ribs "Yes she's serious, now it's your turn. Get on with it!" Tamao joked in revenge for Noriko's earlier moodiness.
Noriko scowled and played her queen of spades. "Pick up five Miss Queen of Crazy 8's."
Chihaya groaned and picked up the five extra cards. Tamao chuckled and the game continued, ending with Tamao cleaning out both Noriko and Chihaya. The dinner bell rang halfway through their next game and the girls left to eat.
Cool night air blew threw the open window as Noriko and Chihaya got ready for bed. Chihaya sat at her desk eyeing the schedules she and Noriko had picked up after dinner.
"Looks like we're in Moon class this year."
"How much History do we have this year? I don't think I can take anymore feudal period studies." Noriko commented as she flipped through a well worn Revolutionary Girl Utena manga.
"Hmm, not too bad. It's European history this term as opposed to Japanese. I prefer European myself, especially right before the French Revolution. Marie-Antoinette had such neat outfits! So glamorous…"
Noriko snorted "Oh great, I hate European history worse than Japanese. At least Japanese is relevant to us!"
Chihaya looked worried as she eyed the schedule. "I'm going to need your help with math. We have more classes this year than last. They only do that when the subject is really difficult." Chihaya blanched. While a good student in everything else, Math was where she really struggled.
"Yeah sure Chihaya-chan. You know I'll always help you. Besides, I've seen you study, you work hard. You'll be fine." Noriko flipped a page and continued reading.
"You'd do better too if you actually tried. I've seen you study Mizushima-san. It usually involves more sleep and less study."
Noriko shrugged "As long as mother and President Rokujo-san don't get on my back, I'll be fine."
Chihaya shook her head. "Well, suit yourself. I wish I could do as well as you with that little amount of work. You do way less work and yet have better marks than me in English and math. And English is what I'm good at!" Chihaya pouted.
Noriko looked up at her friend and smiled gently. "Hey Chihaya, don't worry. A's are just as good as A+'s. Besides, you're an awesome cook."
"Yeah, but still…"
Noriko got up and gave her friend a hug, "Come on, you're tired, let's go to bed."
"Alright." Chihaya leaned her head on her friend's shoulder and sighed. She let go of the embrace and plopped down onto her bed. Noriko took the manga she had been reading and placed it on her desk. Curling up under the covers, she smiled at Chihaya across the room.
"Good night Noriko-chan." Chihaya said smiling back.
"Chihaya-chan must you call me that? I really hate being called Noriko, you've known that for the last 12 years. When will you get it?"
"I just think saying Mizushima-san is too formal for someone who's supposed to be my best friend."
"Fine, but don't let me hear you say that in public. Anyways, good night Chihaya-chan. And Chihaya-chan," Noriko paused and smiled warmly, "You're going to do fine this year. I believe in you." With that, Noriko rolled over and turned out her light.
"Thanks Noriko-chan". Chihaya clicked her light off and laid in the dark. She could hear Noriko's breathing fall into the slower rhythm of sleep. She rolled over onto her side and stared at her roommate across from her and thought.
Oh Noriko-chan! You're such a good friend. You always know how to make me feel better. Where would I be without you? If you knew what I did, you'd never forgive me. I wish I could tell you. This is hard to bear all by myself.
Chihaya rolled back onto her back and stared at the ceiling, readying herself for yet another in a series of sleepless nights.
