Disclaimer: I don't own PoT, only the OCs. Kay?
A/N and warning: LOL I'M NOT DEAD. I missed you! Did you guys miss me? No? Okay. ε-(´・｀)
So, I've been working on this story for a while now, and do you know how many drafts of this I went through?
I lost count at 20. I kid you not, 20. That's how hard I work for you guys.
Warning: This story will be dramatic and be slightly more mature than from my previous work, so if you want funny stuff, you'll have to wait for my next story. ｢(ﾟﾍﾟ) Gomen. Also, I rushed this a bit, and there'll probably be some plotholes (plus this is my first romance), so please be merciful when reviewing. It'll definitely get better in the next chapters!
Anyway, love you all! Please, please review, thanks!
EDIT: I forgot, I'm looking for a beta reader. Anybody interested?
"Nagi, honey, we're moving."
"Why?"
"Oh, just for a nice change of scenery. Now, don't give me that face. It'll be fun, like an adventure!"
"An adventure… huh?" she forced a dim smile for her parents' sake. "I… can't wait."
Her mother hugged her tightly. "Thanks for understanding, honey."
Nagi laughed and grinned, but inside, her stomach clenched.
It was obvious that they weren't moving just for a change of scenery, but it was because her parents' had lost their jobs in Tokyo. Even though they had attempted to keep it from her brother and her, she knew.
From their sullen expressions.
The strained smiles.
The tired footsteps.
She wasn't an idiot, and neither was her brother. They had gotten the concluding idea when they had accidentally witnessed their mother crying on the phone with an employer.
Swallowing down the lump growing in her throat, she continued smiling. "S-so… where are we moving to?"
"Kanagawa. You'll be attending Rikkai High and Shou will be attending Rikkai Middle."
It took Nagi a moment to process her words.
"As in the private schools?"
"Yes, dear. Isn't that exciting?"
"How are we going to afford it?!" She said, stunned. The last thing they needed to spend money on was private school tuition – for two kids, no less.
Her mother waved it away with the most relaxed smile Nagi had seen on her in the last few weeks. "Your grandfather's paying for the both of you. It'll last until you both graduate. Besides, that's the closest school around where we're moving."
Nagi had almost forgotten. Her grandfather was an alumnus of Rikkai High School and Middle.
She sighed, giving a final nod to her mother in acknowledgment, setting off for her room.
She'd better start packing.
"Neh, place your drawer right here, Nagi!"
"Okay, okaa-san."
Giving the heavy piece of furniture one final push, she slid down against the hard wood, sweat dewing her forehead. Her legs stretched out in front of her.
The house they had just moved into was smaller than their first. There were only three rooms now, and just one restroom, as compared to their previously roomy four bedroom and three bathroom house.
A sigh escaped through suppressed lips. Slipping her legs under her, she stood up, beginning to unpack her clothes when she heard the distant chime of a cellphone ring.
"Nagi, could you get that? It's on the counter!" her father yelled from the opposite end of the hallway.
"Alright!" she jogged from her room to the kitchen, skidding to stop in front of the counters. Flipping it open, she casually leaned against a wall, twirling a strand of hair. "Hello, Nobusuke residence."
"Ah, hello? Nagi-chan?"
Her face lit up. "Grandfather! How are you? I can't begin to tell you how appreciative I am of you-"
"Nagi, about that… we need to talk." He cut her off, something that he never did. She felt her face fall.
"What is it, Grandfather? What happened?"
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Grandfather? What's wrong?"
"Nagi," he started, "I can't fund both you and your brother at the same time. I've just realized it it's far too much. I'm sor-"
The phone clattered onto the linoleum floor. Her hand was still locked in the same position, bottom lip quivering. "No way…"
This couldn't be happening. No, not now.
She pinched her arm, hard. Blood drew, staining her nails.
No, no, no. This is a lie. It's a lie.
"-agi? Nagi-chan?"
Her grandfather's tinny voice from the phone reached her ears. With a trembling hand, she picked it up again. "Grandfather…"
"I'm sorry, Nagi, I really I am-"
"Grandfather, I beg of you, fund Shou instead of me!"
If not her, then her brother. He had so much ahead of him, he was gifted with intelligence. She could find a job and fund herself.
That was what she had decided.
A pause unfolded from the other line.
"Nagi…"
"Please! I can manage on my own, just fund Shou! You can afford that, right?"
"… Yes. Are you sure, Nagi?"
She felt her head nod vigorously. "Yes, Grandfather. Just… please. For Shou."
"Of course. I'm proud of you, Nagi."
For the first time that day, she smiled, her eyes blurring with bittersweet tears. "Thank you. Goodbye, Grandfather."
"Goodbye Nagi."
The phone clicked, and a low buzz replaced it. She flipped it closed, closing her eyes. Soft steps approached her.
"Nagi, are you alright?" her mother asked. "What happened?"
"Nothing happened. Grandfather just wanted to congratulate us on our move, that's all."
"Ah, I see. Well, help us unpack. Shou's already halfway done."
As her mother left, she placed the phone on the table, opening a cabinet and pulling out a heavy phonebook.
If she wanted to attend Rikkai, then she'd definitely have to manage on her own.
"Hurry up, onee-san! We're going to be late!" Shou called from outside of the shop, shifting impatiently from one foot to the other. Nagi quickly ran out of the shop, smiling brightly.
He gave her a look. "What're you doing in a flower shop for?"
"Oh, just looking. I wonder which color of tulips would look good in our living room?"
"That's so stupid, Nagi."
She nudged him in the ribs, grinning. "Don't talk to your older sister like that!"
He rolled his eyes, picking up the pace.
"I saw that!"
"Class, this is Nobusuke Nagi. She has recently moved here from Tokyo, so please make her as comfortable as you can."
A single girl stood in front of the board, a small smile planted on her face. The sunlight glinted off her dark, elbow length hair when she shifted. She bowed, a little lower than necessary. "Nice to meet you all. Please take of me."
The teacher nodded, flipping through an array of papers atop his desk. Yukimura glanced at the unoccupied seat beside him.
It didn't take an idiot to tell where she was going to be seated; the teacher was only looking through the papers out of formality. He sighed inwardly.
Great. Another girl.
Another noisy, shameless girl.
It wasn't like he didn't find girls attractive, no, that wasn't the case.
It was just that they were all the same.
Over the top.
Brazen.
Malicious.
Their list of grievances went on and on.
"… Yukimura? Could you raise your hand?"
The teacher's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He faked an awkward chuckle (it didn't take much) and raised an arm, smiling warmly at the girl.
Strangely, she didn't smile back.
Her eyes met his, but hers weren't focused. They looked, but didn't see.
Giving a respectful bow to the teacher, she made her way to the seat, not paying Yukimura any more attention.
Odd.
By now, the girl would've been giggling, smitten, all over him like a hungry animal.
Instead, she simply placed her school bag beside the desk, not meeting his watching eyes. Turning back to the board, she placed her head in her palm, gazing at the problems the teacher had written absentmindedly.
He continued to stare in mild interest.
On closer inspection, she was actually quite pretty.
Well, a bit prettier than average, anyway.
She had onyx eyes that glinted in the light, smooth skin, and soft lips. The only thing that threw off her elegant features were the dark shadows under her eyes, and that vacant gaze.
Her eyes suddenly flicked to the left, meeting his. She tilted her head, cocking an eyebrow.
Yukimura felt himself snort at his foolishness for checking out a girl he hardly knew. He mouthed a sheepish 'sorry' at her and turned back to the board.
His thoughts remained on the strange girl.
"Hey, did you shee vhat new url?"
"Kirihara, don't talk with your mouth full. It's unsightly."
"Shorry."
"Ugh. Here, have a napkin."
Akaya swallowed the mouthful of rice, denying the offer from Sanada with a wave of his hand. He grinned at the boy across from him. "Yukimura, you were showing her around, right?"
He nodded, looking up from his own bento. "Yes, why?"
"What did she like?"
Yukimura paused. He had shown her everything Rikkai had to offer, but she didn't seem to take an interest in anything, except…
"She… likes flowers."
Yes, she was intrigued by them. When they had passed through the gardens, she abruptly stopped, squatting down to examine the orchids. He kneeled down beside her, an unexpected smile spreading across his face. Who knew she would be interested in flowers?
Nagi reached out, gently pressing an index finger to one of the petals. "What's this?"
"An orchid, Nobusuke-san."
"So that's what it is!" Her eyes went wide with wonder. "And this?"
"Lilies."
"What about this?"
"Chrysanthemums."
She leaned closer, peering intently at the foliage. Why, it was like she had never seen a flower before!
He watched her in amusement. Her face was so full of surprise and curiosity it was almost laughable.
The empty shell of a girl he had seen before was now like a child in a candy shop.
The first real smile appeared he had seen on her appeared, as radiant as the sun.
And for some peculiar reason, it took his breath away.
It was so innocent, so sweet.
So different from the others.
But as quick as it came, it disappeared.
She glanced quickly at him. "Is there something on my face?"
It was also too much.
He doubled over, laughing so hard that no sound came out, just wheezes. Nagi loomed over him, eyes as wide as golf balls. Her hands hovered over his bent back, unsure of what to do.
She must've asked 'are you okay' a hundred times.
He waved her back, eyes closed in amusement. She stood back a few paces, clutching her school bag to her chest in terror.
He finally collected himself to say, "Never has a girl made me laugh so much, Nobusuke."
She tilted her head, loosening her grip on the school bag. "Is… is that a good thing?"
He burst out laughing again. Nobusuke was more naïve than he had originally thought.
But the force of his laughing caused him to lose his balance, flumping to his side on the hard brick path with an 'oomph'.
As he lay groaning on the ground, he heard a small chime of a giggle above him.
He regained his balance in a wink, whipping his head up from his fit. Did he hear that right?
"Did you just laugh?"
A gentle smile spread across her face. "Is that another bad thing?"
Another bright chuckle. "No, it's not."
What a strange girl, he remembered thinking.
"-llo?" Kirihara's voice broke through his pleasant flashback. Earth to buchou, earth to buchou!"
Sanada thumped him on the head. "Don't be so disrespectful to your superior!"
He held his head in pain. "Ow, Sanada fukubuchou. One of these days, you're going to give me a concussion."
"You can't get what you already have."
Ignoring Sanada's remark, he redirected his attention back to Yukimura. "That's it? She just likes flowers?" he complained, flopping back onto the grass. "How boring."
"I didn't really find out about anything else, I didn't want to pry." He said defensively.
That was half true.
She didn't really mention her home life of anything about herself in particular. After the garden incident, she opened up a bit more, but she didn't reveal anything else.
Kirihara sighed, but he immediately sat up, beaming. "Renji, do you have any data on her?"
Yukimura snorted inwardly. As of now, he was the only one in the school that had interacted with her. If someone was to have the most information on Nobusuke, it was him.
He felt a bit proud of the fact.
However, Renji nodded (rather vainly). "But of course."
Yukimura cursed mentally at the damned stalker.
"Nobusuke Nagi, 16 years old, 165 cm (5'6 feet), body size and measurements-"
"Not those kinds of facts," Yukimura said, a bit more vicious than necessary. The regulars gave him a quizzical look, but he quickly recovered with a weak smile. "We have to respect her personal details."
Sanada nodded in agreement. "It's common courtesy." He turned to Renji, daring him to say anything more with a death glare.
Renji gulped.
"S-she has two parents. Nobusuke Sotaro and Nobusuke Usagi, who currently work temporary jobs. She also has a younger brother, Nobusuke Shousuke, in Rikkai Middle." He drew in a breath. "She herself presently works three part time jobs-"
"Three?!" Kirihara exclaimed before Yukimura could. "But why?"
"Tight family finances. Her brother the only one getting funded to go to Rikkai, it seems. Their bank account is also close to depleted. She's working for her own tuition and to help pay for living needs."
Everyone seemed to have been struck silent by the sudden turn of events. No one in Rikkai needed to work a part time job; their parents were always more than well off.
Yukimura sat, staring down at his lap, the daunting words repeating in his head over and over again. Tight family finances, a nearly depleted bank account, three jobs… it was a mystery how she managed all that.
He pushed his barely touched bento away, suddenly losing his appetite.
That explained the empty looks and dark shadows.
There was a lot more to Nobusuke Nagi than met the eye.
Ping ping ping!
The dismissal bell rang, echoing off the classroom walls. Nagi quickly darted out of the classroom before Yukimura got the chance to talk to her.
A few minutes later, he waited by the shoe lockers, checking his watch every now and then. She couldn't have gone far.
5 minutes passed, and then 10. Finally, he asked a girl who was slipping on her shoes where Nagi had gone. She answered that she had seen her running out of the grounds some time ago. His stomach dropped, and he thanked her, walking out of the school. She'd probably be at her job by now, working for the next few hours at who knows where.
It's a shame, he thought as he walked, that the world had the worst out for the most good-hearted people. Imagine, having to work three part time jobs and bearing such a great burden of providing for your family at only 16.
He promised himself to buy her lunch the next day and strike up a conversation or two with her, and maybe introduce her to the regulars.
Feeling humbled and enlightened, Yukimura turned a corner, heading into a bright flower shop.
"Nagi-chan, could you place those roses in that vase?" her manager called. She nodded, dipping the roses one by one in the vase. The fabric of her apron brushed against her bare legs as she entered the back room where her manager, a kind woman at about 30, was snipping wilted leaves from a flower stem. Nagi peered over the woman's shoulder.
"Lilies." She said instantly, thinking back to the small lesson in the garden with the kind boy. The woman glanced back.
"You know what these are? Impressive." She brushed her gloved hands together, smiling widely.
Nagi's heart skipped a beat. Her smile looked exactly like the boy's smile. She racked her brain for his name. It was Y… Yu something…
"-just like my son." The woman said while disposing of the excess leaves. Nagi blinked.
"Pardon?"
The woman laughed and she felt another wave of familiarity. Even her laugh was similar to his.
"My son, he's about your age, maybe older. He's absolutely obsessed over flowers, knows every single one and its meaning by heart." She shook her head in amusement. "Actually, he comes to help me out here sometimes-"
The small tink-tink of the doorbell resounded throughout the shop, and the sound of footsteps followed. "Mother?" The stranger called.
"Speak of the devil," her manager murmured, still smiling. She tugged at Nagi's wrist. "C'mon, I'll introduce you to him."
Tentatively, Nagi followed behind her manager outside of the backroom, only to come face to face with none other than-
"Yukimura!" she gasped, reflexively taking a step back. The boy looked equally surprised, and her manager simply stood between them, beaming.
"So you both know each other?"
Numbly, they both nodded, eyes still fixed on each other. The woman clapped her hands together. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise."
"Tell me about it." Nagi murmured, staring at the floor, face burning.
A few minutes later, they were working side by side at the counter. Nagi working the register, and Yukimura beside her, wrapping and arranging flowers. She glanced at him. She needed to do something, anything to break the silence. So, she cleared her throat and pointed at a flower.
"Is that a lily, too?"
She saw him smile out of the corner of her eye.
"Yes. Do you like it?"
She nodded meekly, cheeks burning again, unable to say more. She cursed herself for being so awkward.
Suddenly, she felt a stem poking through her hair and over her ear.
Her eyes flitted up at the graceful hands working the flower into her hair, then to the giver.
He simply smiled at her, removing his hands and taking a step back, examining his work.
She reached up, touching the soft petals of the lily with her fingertips, feeling her entire face go beet red.
"T-thank you." She stuttered, at a loss for words.
"Do you know what the lily means?" he grinned.
Nagi shook her head.
"It's fun to be with you," he mused. She gave an understanding 'ah' in reply. So there was no romantic intent hidden behind the gift.
She felt half-relieved, but half-disappointed at the same time, but she quickly shook off her feelings.
Her fingers weaved a daisy into his silky hair sheepishly, relishing in his surprised expression. "A daisy means…"
Nagi paused, saying the first thing that came to her mind.
"A fool."
She watched as he doubled over for the second time that day, trembling in silent laughter. She pouted and weaved more flowers into his soft hair, naming them off the top of her head.
"Idiot, meanie, stupid, dummy," she took a breath, "nice, kind, friendly, handsome."
Nagi felt her face flush at the last few words that slipped out. He looked up at her, smiling.
"Which one is it?"
She looked away. "Idiot. Definitely idiot."
He laughed and mussed her hair. "C'mon, fun-to-be-around. Let's clean up."
That evening, he walked her home, and they chatted about school, food, and, inevitably, flowers. When they finally arrived at her home, she felt a twinge of disappointment as they bid each other good night.
They waved at each other until he disappeared from sight.
Later, inside her room, she pressed the daisy into her favorite notebook, immortalizing the happy memory. She flopped back onto her bed, hugging the journal to her chest, but she flinched when she heard the front door slam open violently, followed by the sound of crying.
Slipping the notebook under her bed, she left her room, heading into the kitchen where her mother, father, and brother were sitting somberly.
"Y-you guys…?" she smiled nervously, playing with the hem of shirt, "W-what's wrong?"
None of them responded.
Her mother was holding her face in her hands, and her father's head was lying on his crossed forearms. The muffled sound of sobbing emitted from her mother. Nagi turned to an unusually grim Shou. "What happened, Shou?"
He shook his head, not meeting her eyes.
"Mom and Dad… they lost their jobs."
She felt her heart miss a beat, a sudden wave of nausea washing over her.
"B-but… we're supposed to pay rent today… we're already late…"
Her pay didn't come until next week, and by then, they'd already be out on the streets.
Her mother sobbed harder into clenched fists, and her father's shoulders shook. Nagi reflexively took a step back, feeling the blood drain from her face. She felt like she was going throw up.
"How are we going to stay here..?" muttered Shou, staring down at the ground.
Nagi didn't want to watch anymore.
She tore up the steps to her room, slamming open her bedroom door. Flicking on the light, she rushed to her closet, snatching out the shortest skirt she had. The other hand grabbed the white dress shirt of her Rikkai uniform. She'd probably go for more if she was dressed as a student, she decided.
She clipped on a push-up bra, and rolled up the skirt until the hem bordered dangerously above her butt. She buttoned up the shirt, sticking in safety pins until it was almost suffocating. Nagi pulled on knee-high socks and her loafers, sticking her arms through a large jacket. She smeared on mascara and eyeliner, almost caking her face in foundation.
She darted back down the stairs, quickly opening the front door and calling to her family.
"I'll be right back, I need to get something!"
Niou stood, rubbing his hands together to keep them from frosting in the evening cold. The bright lights of the city glittered around him as he scanned the crowd, waiting for Yagyuu to hurry up and finish his shopping. He cursed loudly. Who needed more slacks?
A small figure suddenly tumbled into him. Surprised, he looked down at a girl with heavy make-up. It didn't suit her innocent, doe-like eyes.
He grinned, drawing his arms around her. "Where do you think you're going, miss? It's a bit too cold for a rave, isn't it?"
She ignored him and wiggled free from his grip, walking in the opposite direction. He watched after her, hands in his pockets.
"Hey, sorry for making you wait." Piped a voice. Niou glared at him briefly before returning his gaze to the retreating girl. Yagyuu followed his stare, abruptly dropping the bag he was carrying.
"Hey, isn't that…?"
Nagi stood in the dark corner outside of a pub, shivering and rubbing her arms. How did prostitutes act to get customers? She thought, watching as two drunken businessmen stumbled out of the bar, chattering incoherently.
Right. They throw away their dignity.
Dumping the jacket into a trash can, she strode up to them, attempting to rock her hips side to side. They looked at her with glazed eyes. She winked and slid her arms over the shorter one's shoulders. "Wanna have some…" she swallowed her pride. "… fun?"
"Ohhh… sho thish one ish a whore…" he slurred, grinning stupidly. She nodded, plastering a painful smile onto her face. The other one grabbed her wrist.
"You're a young one, aren't chaa?"
"Yup. So are you up to it, or what?"
"Shuuurreee." They both drawled, leading her into a dirty looking motel.
Once they had entered the room, she sat on the creaky, moth-eaten covers of the bed. They tried to reach for her, but she stood up, out of their drunken reach, sticking up 8 fingers.
"80,000 yen."
"Damn, ishn't that a bit expenshive?"
She gulped, feeling light-headed. "It's my first."
The two of them exchanged looks with sleazy grins.
"Shooreee, whatebburr…" the shorter one said, pulling out a thick wad of bills. Nagi reached out, attempting to grab the money, but he waved it away, holding her arm. "Lesh haff our fun first, eh?"
She fell back onto the bed, watching as the shorter one placed the thick stack onto the rotting nightstand.
Jeez, she thought in spite of herself, if they had that much money, then they could've at least afforded a better room.
The other man had placed an arm around her shoulder, vulgarly whispering into her ear. She was feeling nauseous from the strong smell of liquor that emitted from his mouth, suppressing the urge to push him away and run, if it wasn't for her desperate need of that money.
The shorter one blocked the door, sensing her intent. She shrunk back from the other's touch, peeling his arm away and smiling. "Let's take things slow, why don't we…?"
His foul simper suddenly vanished. He growled and stood up, drawing his arm back. "I'll do what I want, you slut!" She felt a burning sensation on her cheek and heard the sharp crack of the slap.
Nagi fell back from the impact, cradling her face, tears springing into her eyes. She looked up at him with the most hate she could muster.
No, she wasn't going to do this. No way was she letting her first go to these monsters.
Drawing herself back up, she glared at him. "I'm leaving." She declared, standing up, "I don't want your damn money."
She whirled around to the door, only to find the shorter one still blocking the way, a despicable sneer on his ugly mug.
"No, somebody, anybody, HELP ME-"
She was pulled backwards by the collar of her shirt, violently slamming onto the ground, her vision suddenly darkening. Her scream was cut short by his hand, suffocating her.
Stars mixed with her assaulter's face mingled briefly as he tugged at the buttons on her uniform. While he clumsily undid her shirt, she bit into his hand, causing him to shriek in pain.
Her mouth opened, desperately screaming the single name that came to her mind.
"Yukimura!"