After the end of Strawberry Panic series: The story still continues…
After Nagisa went back to school, Shizuma felt lonely. She started living in the summerhouse, and Nagisa often came to her for a visit. It was still lonely for her.
Shizuma went out for a walk on a warm morning in her gray dress that revealed her cleavage and she went further in the deep ends of the forest that she wasn't familiar with. Then she came across a little cafe surrounded by the trees. She thought it was strange to see the bookstore in the middle of the forest. Shizuma went into the store and found it to be empty. It seemed strange to her that no one was in the place.
The single bookshelf stood there right by her side and she glanced at a dusty, red book that stood out the most to her. She felt a strong pull towards it for some reason and she went right to the source. She picked up an ancient book that looked like it was going to break apart. She looked at the title of the book and there was none.
Strange. She thought to herself. She flipped through the book, only to find it completely blank until she reached to the very last page. It was written in a single question, "Do you want her back in your arms?"
A thought came to her mind softly. Kaori.
Shizuma suddenly dropped the book, which startled her. She picked up the book and went to the last page and saw that the new text appeared beneath the single question. Shizuma was shocked, but what was being said on the page was even more shocking.
"Turn to the page 15, and you will find a pendulum -"
Shizuma turned back the pages slowly. Something fell out of the book and she looked downwards, only to find a necklace with a ruby pendant. Her eyes widened at the sight of the necklace. It wasn't there before… She thought to herself in confusion.
She went back to the page, to finish up the rest of the text.
"…and you will find a pendulum. You can communicate with the one that came to your mind. The one that is no longer with you, but always will be in your heart. The rule is that you only can ask "yes/no" questions."
She looked at the text in bewilderment and read it again, but ended up to be even more confused than before. She sighed and closed the book. She looked downwards at the necklace and picked it up. She felt like she couldn't leave it behind. She looked around her in the room and no one is nowhere to be found.
She placed the necklace in her pocket and took a book in her arms right out of the store. She reasoned herself that she only wanted to investigate the book just a bit and she would bring it back eventually. She couldn't leave it behind.
Later that night, she sat on her chair in front of the desk by the window. It was raining harshly against the window and her room was completely in dark. The book was closed, laying on the wooden desk while Shizuma examined the necklace closely, thinking about what the text was trying to tell her. The one is no longer with you, but always will be in your heart. She then looked at the portrait that featured her holding Kaori from behind on the desk.
She looked back at the necklace, watching the necklace swaying gently back and forth. She was hypnotized by the slow movement You can communicate with the one. It dawned on her that she could try to communicate with Kaori.
Shizuma whispered, "Kaori.." All of the sudden, the necklace shook violently and then it became still followed by a quick lightning. Shizuma swallowed a bit, feeling slightly scared. "Kaori, are you there?"
The necklace jerked to the right, and then to the left.
Shizuma was shocked by the sudden movement after her question and she managed to let out another question. "W-will you show me the direction for yes?" The same movement had been shown to her once again. It is similar to the movement of the grandfather clock.
"How about no?" The necklace went around in the circle. Shizuma couldn't believe by this.
"Are you really Kaori?" Shizuma felt something right in her throat and her eyes felt like it was burning.
It went back and forth.
The book suddenly flipped by itself and it went to the last page. The text slowly appeared before her and Shizuma started to read it right is only one sentence before her.
"Before you go any further, break up with Nagisa first."