*** Shotgun Marriage ***
By
Azurean
Summary: Shizuru is Natsuki's girlfriend and the two were making out on the former's bedroom when Shizuru's father caught them. Then Fujino Ken (Shizuru's father) forced Natsuki to marry his daughter. And so the eventful married life of the two begins.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime.
Genre: Humour/ Romance
Warning: There are chapters that contain LEMON.
Chapter one
Eight months earlier...
A young woman with shoulder length chestnut hair smiled at what her friend had said, and her luscious lips pouted when being teased but her captivating carmine orbs glint with mischief as she retorts playfully. Her name is Fujino Shizuru; One of the top students of Garderobe University. Idolized and envied by many, a living goddess and the symbol of perfection. But nobody was good enough to capture her fragile heart.
"Hey, did you guys hear the newest gossip around the campus?" a boyish looking young woman with short ebony hair asked as she fixed her glasses that has fallen on the tip of her nose. The young woman is Harada Chie, one of Shizuru's closest and true friends, a member of Garderobe's newspaper club. The gossip queen as other people describes her.
"What kind of gossip this time?" another young lass asked in bored tone as she flips back the short red locks that had fallen on her face. Nobody might believe her but the young woman was a friend of Shizuru just like Chie. Yuuki Nao might appear as a rude person to others but to her friends, she's just a lost kitten that needs guidance.
"I just hope it's juicy enough." Said Tokiha Mai audaciously, the most talented in cooking among Shizuru's friends and with her striking auburn hair and perfect size of bust. She's truly a perfect model for a playboy magazine.
"Oh, don't worry. I assure you that this gossip is juicy enough." Senoh Aoi sneered. Her long tanned colored hair covered her face as she pulled out her laptop from its case and started typing on the keys viciously. The young woman was Chie's partner in crime and Shizuru's source of information.
"So, what kind of gossip is this?" at last, Shizuru spoke with her thick accented yet smooth voice after being silent for sometime as she listened to her friends conversation. She, among her four friends were in the Garderobe's cafeteria and enjoying their lunch, while talking about the events that were happening around them when Chie told them about the newest gossip circulating the campus.
But before Chie could even open her mouth to speak, their attentions were caught on the ruckus happening at the cafeteria's entrance.
Shizuru frowns as the group of students parted ways, as if giving way to a queen who decided to step down from her throne. She shook her head in disappointment when the first person to appear on her view is none other than Lu Anh. Garderobe's student council president and it's no surprise that students around the campus admires her and surrounds her most of the time. Well, the young woman was holding the highest position that a student could achieved in a school. But what confuses her is when a teaching staff followed behind Lu Anh. Suguira Midori, the ever jolly instructor of Physical Education with messy maroon hair and the only woman who would declare herself as forever seventeen during the first day of each semester.
And then it happens, Shizuru's breath hitch at the sight of the woman walking behind Suguira Midori. The woman has long cobalt hair and the most striking emerald orbs that she had seen. The woman that she could say, the most beautiful creature she laid her eyes on.
As the three walked past the five lass's table, Shizuru never averted her gaze and for just a split of second hers and the cobalt haired woman's eyes met. The second that they never knew would change them in the near future.
"Wow, so the gossip was true after all." Chie said that caught Shizuru, Mai and Nao's attention.
"Well, enlighten us already!" Nao exclaimed, impatience was evident in her voice.
"We only heard this from our club president and she too wasn't sure if it's true or not. But after seeing that small parade well that concludes everything." Chie let out a breath as she continued. "Director Kazahana Mashiro has resigned from her position as Garderobe University's school director and the person taking her position will be Kruger Natsuki, she's the woman that Ms. Suguira and Ms. Lu escorting."
"But she looks so young." Voiced out Mai, and Shizuru agreed with her silently.
'If it's true that she's the new school director, she's really young for the position and it seems that she's only in her early twenties. Who should be enjoying her life with night outs, camping, etc. And not killing her-self with boredom because of paper works.' Shizuru thought grimly.
"She is young!" said Aoi in a matter – of – factly tone, averting her gaze away from her laptop to looked at the other four. "I mean Ms. Kruger Natsuki, born August fifteen, in year nineteen eighty eight. An alumnus of Tokyo U..." a pause followed by wiggling of a finger. "... Where she took up her course in Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and passed her licensure examination last January two thousand and nine. And she's also Director Kazahana's niece ... and another thing, Ms. Kruger was single by the way with lots of suitors not just from male species but also from female species." She smirked while looking at the four young women gaping at her. "So, questions?"
Shizuru who couldn't help but be amaze at Aoi's ability asked. "Where did you get all those information? I mean, I know that you're resourceful but I never knew that you can also gather information's on private people."
"I have my sources from here and there and I can assure you, they're all reliable."
Three days had passed since the introduction of a new school director for Garderobe University. And instantly, the whole university's school body admired the newly appointed director and became the new inspiration for many.
-0-
Shizuru and Mai are comparing notes from their previous class one morning as they wait for their next class to start. When the bell finally rings and the door to the lecture's room they're currently in, was push opened. Suddenly, everyone became silent when the new school director entered the room with the air of authority surrounding her as she strode towards the teacher's desk. The cobalt haired woman puts down the things she's carrying on the table and wrote her full name on the white board and with a swift move, she faces the whole class with a stern gaze casting on each student, making them all shivers in fear and for some reason it doesn't affect Shizuru.
And for the second time, carmine orbs met emerald. Shizuru tried looking away when she noticed that those emerald orbs were focused on her but to no avail. Because every time, she tries to avert her gaze an invisible force was pulling her back. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she returned her gaze on the cobalt haired woman and for the first time in her twenty years of living in the world, her heart started to beat faster when the cobalt haired woman smiled at her for the first time. She even felt her cheeks burning when those emerald orbs looked at her in amusement. 'Ara, this is so wrong!' Her mind screamed silently and then again her world started to spin around her because of the different sensations she's feeling, when she finally heard the cobalt haired woman's deep and husky voice started speaking. 'Get a grip of your-self!' she scolded herself.
"Good morning everyone, my name is Kruger Natsuki and I'm pretty sure that all of you knew if what's my role in this school, am I right?"
"Yes, Director Kruger."
"Prof. Helen Youko... Your Inorganic Chemistry instructor couldn't make it to your class today since she has some matters to attend to. That is why I'm here today, as her substitute."
Shizuru frowns as she listened to the cobalt haired woman's lecture and ponders to herself if what is it she's doing in that class in the first place, since she's a business management student and her curriculum doesn't include any science especially chemistry. 'I hate science! So, what in the world am I doing in here? Oh, right ... the reason was Mai, well Mai is a pharmacy student and chemistry is one of her major subjects unlike mine. So, what am I doing in here again? Ah, I remember now. It's Kanzaki Reito's fault! That coward, no back bone childhood of mine! And why did I agree with him to enrol in this subject again? Ara ... Yes, Reito had a crush ... I mean head over hills in love with Mai and he persuaded me to enrol in this hellish subject so he could get closer to her. Gah! How stupid! You'll pay for this Reito!' she snapped back to reality when she noticed that her classmates were now standing and packing their own belongings on their bags. "Is it over?"
"Yeah" Mai replied looking at Shizuru in confusion. "You're not listening to the lecture?"
"Ara ... you're right..."
"That's unusual ... for you not to listen." A man standing next to Shizuru's seat said.
"It's your entire fault!" Shizuru hissed and gathered all her things and left the room.
Reito looked at Mai and pointed himself with a finger. "What did I do?"
"Who knows." Shrugging, Mai gathered her things and followed her friend leaving a puzzled male, who looks up front to the young school director.
"Don't ask me cause I don't have the slightest idea." the woman said and left.
*** Shotgun Marriage ***
It's been a week since the day she took over the position of Garderobe University's school director, and it's been a week since the first time Kruger Natsuki laid her eyes on the most beautiful human being that she had seen in her entire life. She leaned back on her comfy swivel chair inside her office, Garderobe's school director office. And stared at the room's ceiling in deep thoughts, and soon her lips smiled as she remembered a certain young woman. She hates to admit it, but she knew that she's starting to fall for a certain young woman and she must render it at all cost, for what she's feeling was forbidden. 'Number one rule, a student – teacher intimate relationship is forbidden.'
'Forbidden love affair, how ironic' Natsuki thought as she softly rubs her temple and try to get rid of, the headache that starting to prick her head. 'But really, how can a person stop ones heart if it has already fallen so deeply?' another question that she doesn't have an answer. 'Fujino Shizuru, what have you done to me?'
Natsuki straightened herself on her chair when she heard the soft knocks on the door and her secretary's head peeks in. "Yes, Arika?"
"Director, Prof. Helen Youko is asking for your assistance in the laboratory."
"Tell her that I'll be there in a minute."
"Yes Director."
Natsuki stood up from her chair and grabs her lab coat on her way out and proceeded towards the laboratory building.
"Today, we are going to conduct our very first experiment for this semester." Prof. Helen said, loud enough for everyone inside the laboratory to hear. Helen Youko, the woman with short bronzed colour hair, a chemist just like Natsuki but the woman was an alumnus of Garderobe U that the former director Kazahana Mashiro recruited. "And also Director Kruger will be helping us."
Natsuki looks around the room searching for one single person and then emerald orbs found carmine. Looking back at her in confusion, she smiled and the other blushes just like before. Every time their eyes found each other. But in just a split of seconds, her composure is gone. Her eyes were wide in frustration as she yelled. "Is that Ether?" and the image of Director Kruger Natsuki has been turned to something new.
"Yes" squeak by one of the male students.
"No Ether or any flammable chemicals near the Bunsen burner!" Natsuki shouted as she strode towards the students table that were handling the said chemicals. "And you!" she pointed another. "Why aren't you wearing your lab coat?"
"I ..."
Natsuki turned around and faces Helen Youko. "Prof. Helen! What are you teaching your students?"
"Science..." said Youko in nonchalance and Natsuki glared at her. "Oh, relax Director ..." a wave of a hand. "If there's no fire and a little bit of explosion, a student will never learn their lessons."
"I don't want to see my LABORATORY in FIRE!"
"Really, but that's not the rumours I heard from a colleague of mine back in Tokyo U." A smirked and to the shock of their students, Director Kruger Natsuki's face flushed. "Oopps... sorry, I think I hit the jackpot."
"B ... BAKA!" shouted Natsuki in embarrassment. And with that one word, Director Kruger Natsuki's image is change. She's not the strict and scary person that everyone assumed, she's just another human being with pros and cons and a person who happens to held the highest position in Garderobe University.
"So, is everyone ready for their first experiment?" asked Youko enthusiastically as she claps her hands to get everyone's attention, since she already accomplished the true purpose of taunting Natsuki. To let the whole school that Kruger Natsuki is kind and understanding. And a science freak!
"Yes ma'am!" everyone replied.
"YOU...!" suddenly, Natsuki shouted once again and everyone in the room turned their attention towards her but she ignored them as she walked towards the laboratory's door where a blonde haired woman was standing while grinning at her evilly. "IT'S ALL OF YOUR DOING ISN'T IT!" she accused.
"Oopps..." The blonde reacted cheekily and cast a quick glance to Youko. "Thanks for the help, Youko!" she said and left in a hurry before Natsuki could lay a hand on her.
"HARUKA, YOU ASS!"
"It's just a greeting from me, Kruger! Yukino and I will meet you later for our job interview." the blonde yelled as she retreated.
Natsuki frowned and looked at Youko. "What does she mean by that? And what is she doing here?"
"Well, Garderobe was short in teaching staff so Ms. Maria posted ads for two new employees and Ms. Armitage Haruka and Ms. Crysiant Yukino applied for the positions. I'm pretty sure that Ms. Maria had informed you about this, because I've seen the request papers and it has your signatures." Natsuki rubbed her temples in disbelief on forgetting about the documents that the head of HR Department had made her signed three days ago. "You forgot about it, don't you?"
"...Yeah..."
*** Shotgun Marriage ***
"Wow! I guess I'm going to like our new school director." Mai said to Shizuru with a smile as they watched in shocked at the events that had transpired in front of them.
Shizuru nodded and turned her gaze on her lab manual but from time to time she found herself sneaking a quick look on the young director's direction. 'Ara ... I think I am too.'
"She's coming..." Mai whispered anxiously.
"What do ...?"
"Need some help in here, Ladies?" A husky voice asked behind Shizuru.
'Ara... that voice...' thought Shizuru and turned her head to see if who spoke, only to be whipped back when she saw Kruger Natsuki as her heart started to beat faster.
"I guess... you don't need my help then." Natsuki said when she didn't get any response.
Shizuru's eyes widen when she felt the cobalt haired woman turned around to leave and did something that she never expected that herself would do, she grabbed the young director's arm preventing the cobalt haired woman from leaving but she let go of it instantly when she realized what she had just done. "I... I'm sorry."
Natsuki smiled. "It's alright, so anything that I could help you with?"
"Thank you for the offer, Director Kruger. But I'm almost done with the experiment so it's alright." Shizuru rejected politely.
"Then... I take my leave now."
Shizuru nodded in appreciation and watched the young director approached another table. "What's with you earlier?" Whispered Mai as her auburn haired friend leans to her.
"What?"
"You know... when Director Kruger about to leave... you suddenly grabbed her arm and then when she offered you help, you rejected her."
Shizuru looks down on her hands then shook her head. "I really don't know why I did that." She said.
*** Shotgun Marriage ***
Natsuki looks up from the resumes of Armitage Haruka and Crysiant Yukino when she heard knocks on the door of her office and the door was being push opened, revealing her secretary and standing behind the woman was two more women that Natsuki knew very well but didn't say anything and stayed calmly on her seat.
"Director, Ms. Armitage and Ms. Crysiant are here to see you for their job interviews."
"Thank you, Arika. Please let them in." Arika nodded and stepped aside to let the two women enter the room before closing it and returned to her desk. Once the door was closed, Natsuki hastily stood up from her chair while grinning happily as she approached the two and gave each woman a tight hug. "It's good to see you two! And when did you two get back and why I wasn't informed about your return?" she asked as she stepped back.
"Oi! One question at a time!" said Haruka.
"Well I can't help it! You two left the country right after graduation!" Natsuki accused.
Armitage Haruka, the woman with blonde hair and Crysiant Yukino, the woman with short chestnut coloured hair and wearing glasses were Natsuki's friends and classmates back in Tokyo U and before their graduation day, each of them received job offers from different biggest companies outside Japan. But Natsuki decided to remain and accepted the job that the Sears Pharmaceutical had offered her while the two women accepted the jobs offered to them and left.
"Sorry about that, Natsuki but we really do want to surprise you, that's why we didn't tell you anything about us returning in the country." Yukino explained apologetically.
"And what about this resumes you two had passed?" Natsuki asked grabbing the papers on top of her desk and showed it on the two women.
"About that... well, it's up to you if you're going to hire us to become part of your teaching staff."
"W..."
"We decided to stay in the country for good and after hearing that you're now the new school director of this university and saw the advertisement. We decided to try and apply." Haruka said cutting Natsuki off.
Natsuki smiled broadly at the two women. "Then... I'm happy to have you two here in Garderobe."
"And things will be just like before when we're still in Tokyo U." Haruka said and the three of them laughs as they remembered their days as students.
"I agree with that, Haru – chan!" an enthusiastic voice said out loud when the door to Natsuki's office has been opened without warning as Midori entered the room and following behind her was Youko. "You two should have at least says hi before going to Youko!" Midori said pouting and approached the two and crushed them on a tight hug. "But really welcome back!"
"It's good to be back, Midori san." Yukino replied, returning the hug while Harula struggled to free herself from Midori's arms.
"You never changes, Midori." Haruka huffed after she got herself free from Midori.
"Well, who needs a change? I'm happy the way I am now."
"Yeah whatever..." Haruka said rolling her eyes.
'Just like old times.' Natsuki thought in nostalgia.
*** Shotgun Marriage ***
She tiptoed on her toes as Shizuru reached out her hand to grab the book she needed which was place on the top most part of the shelves inside the library one afternoon. And a smile grazes her lips when she finally got hold of the book but before she could pull it out a hand sneaks in behind her, making her squeak in surprise and lost her footing but before anything could happen to her, a strong arm encircled her waist and held her steadily.
"Easy there..." a husky familiar voice whispered on Shizuru's ear making her knees go weak and her heart to start beating faster when she felt warm breath touching her skin. "Are you alright?"
Shizuru closed her eyes tightly as she composes herself and when she's sure that she had a full control on her body. She opened her eyes and tried to free herself from the arm that was still holding her. But to her surprised, the arm that was wrapped around her tightened its hold and pulled her closer to its owner. "D... director...?"
As if broken from her own oblivion, Natsuki loosen her hold on the young woman in her arm. "Sorry..." she apologized as she reluctantly pulled her hand to her side and step back.
Shizuru turned around and smiled at the cobalt haired woman. "Thank you ..." But the young director shook her head.
"It wouldn't have happened in the first place if I didn't surprised you like that ... so I'm sorry." Said Natsuki and held out the book that Shizuru was trying to get.
Shizuru took the book and nodded. "Thank you for the help once again, Director. If you'll excuse me I'll go ahead now." She said and turned around to leave when she heard the cobalt haired woman speak, making her eyes widen in mix emotions.
"Take care, Ms. Fujino Shizuru."
'She knows my name... but how?' Shizuru thought as she continued to walks away without looking back on Garderobe University's new director.
To be continued...
Preview
"Come on make a wish! It's almost time for meteor shower!" Yukino yelled in excitement as she stood up dragging Natsuki with her before turning her gaze back at the dark sky. "You'll never know your wish might come true!"
"W..."
"It's starting!"
Natsuki's eyes widen as falling stars lighted up the vast dark sky and couldn't help but to hope and say her silent wish. 'I wish everything will be alright.'
Yukino smiled and shouts on top of her lungs. "I WISH FOR NATSUKI'S FEELINGS TO BE RETURNED BY THE PERSON SHE'S GOING TO CONFESS TO!"