by Mara S. S.
Shizuru:
It took me a while to process the fact that Natsuki... wasn't Natsuki. She wasn't my Natsuki.
Seeing her irritated expression, I disentangled myself from her quickly. If this person was anything at all like my Natsuki, she would be easier to deal with if I wasn't trampling all over her personal space.
People walked by around us. Some of them glanced at us but most of them walked right past us as if they had somewhere more important to be. I was conscious of how my kimono looked in comparison with their outlandish clothes. Even more unfamiliar were the tall mountains that rose on either side of us and the carriages that quickly sped away from us.
I knew I should have been more frightened of the alien world I found myself in. But if that world held Nat- someone who looked like Natsuki... then that world couldn't be such a bad place.
"Please forgive my rudeness." I told her, bowing. "I thought you were someone I knew."
Her scowl gradually melted into an annoyed frown. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and seemed unconscious of how she automatically took a defensive stance. "My name is Natsuki, but I've never seen you before in my life." Her frown became more puzzled than annoyed. "You feel familiar though..."
My heart leapt at her last words. Could it be? Maybe she is my Natsuki, only stripped of her memories. Or could she be a reincarnated form of Natsuki?
She shrugged, oblivious to my thoughts. "Anyway, I have to go. Nice meeting you." She turned and started to go.
"Wait!" I stepped forward and grabbed her arm. She stiffened and turned to face me. I let go of her arm and she relaxed. "I..." I thought quickly. "I was supposed to meet my friend here but I can't seem to find her."
She looked at me suspiciously. "What's your name? "
"Fujino Shizuru." I said, bowing politely once more.
"From...?"
"Kyoto." I said the first thing that popped into my mind. It's true, I was born there. But the word was already out of my mouth before I considered that there may not even be a place called Kyoto in this foreign land.
Fortunately she seemed to recognize the place. "Figures, you have the accent."
I smiled back at her and did my best to look convincing. "I'm afraid I am somewhat lost. I've never been to..." I waved my hand to indicate our surroundings.
"... to the city before?" Natsuki finished.
I nodded, hoping she would react as my Natsuki would. Natsuki... she's outwardly cold but inside she's a really kind person.
She looked around quickly, as if hoping to spot my 'friend' so she wouldn't have to worry about me. Then she sighed. "I suppose there's no helping it." She turned and beckoned me to follow her. "Come on, my apartment's right here."
Natsuki:
I looked up at the sign then down at the receipt I held in my hands. That was it all right. The logo matched perfectly. Although what kendo had to do with a delivery company, I had no idea.
I pushed the glass door open and entered. There was a secretary at the desk right in front of me. There was a door to her right, on the wall right across from me, and there was a door on both my right and my left.
The secretary looked young, she had pink hair that reminded me of an octopus. "Welcome to Masashi Delivery! We deliver your gifts when and where you want them! I'm Shiho, how may I help you?"
I approached the desk, wary of her excessive cheerfulness. It might be catching. "Ah, you see..."
There was a loud crash behind me. When I turned and looked, several small boxes had fallen and a blonde man hastily picked them up.
"Onii-chan! Are you hurt?" The pink haired girl, Shiho, asked frantically. She ran around the desk and to the man, helping him up.
I stuffed the receipt into a pocket then I bent and picked up some of the boxes that had fallen farther away. I handed them to the man who had a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. "Thank you, sorry I made you help."
I dusted myself off. "No problem..." I peered at the id clipped to his shirt. "...Tate."
Shiho was clinging to his arm with a worried expression on her face. "Onii-chan, be more careful next time..."
"Hai, hai..." Tate said, pulling away from Shiho but not unkindly. He nodded to me, still carrying the boxes, then he disappeared into the door on my left.
Shiho watched his retreating back with what was clearly a love struck look. That was really sweet and all but I began to get impatient. I had my own... my own beloved to find after all.
I coughed politely and Shiho jumped. She scrambled back behind her desk, smiling once more. "Welcome to Masashi Delivery! We deliver..."
"... when and where you want them. I know." I interrupted. Then I brought out the receipt and placed it on her desk. "A painting was delivered to me several days ago. I need to know who sent it."
Her face fell and she assumed a more neutral expression. "I'm sorry ma'am. It's company policy not to give out our clients' personal information. Now, if you have a gift you'd like to deliver we could..."
"This is important!" I insisted. I leaned forward over her desk. "I need to know. Who. Sent. That. Painting."
"It's company policy..."
I clenched my fist and fought down anger. I wasn't about to let company policies or whatever get in my way. Not... not when Shizuru might... would be waiting for me at the end of my search.
I forced a sweet smile onto my face. "If you could please tell me who sent a painting to me."
She hesitated, then hedged. "I have to ask the boss."
I tapped my foot impatiently. She picked up the phone and punched in the numbers too fast for me to catch. Then she turned her back on me and rolled her chair farther away from me. I could only hear snatches of her conversation.
When she returned, she looked like a load had been lifted from her shoulders. "The boss says to come right in." She pointed to the door on the right of her desk.
Without answering her, I strode to the door and forcefully pulled it open.
Shizuru:
"You can sit anywhere, just try not to touch anything." Natsuki's muffled voice came from the kitchen on the other side of the room. Her face was buried in a large upright box and it seemed as if she was looking for something.
I gingerly sat down on a chair and glanced around her 'apartment' carefully. I couldn't tell what belonged and what didn't but one fact seemed clear. Natsuki lived alone. She was also somewhat messy and that made me smile fondly. That was just like my Natsuki.
A couple of books were scattered about the room and there were some metal implements on the floor. There were a couple of other items I didn't recognize. One object in particular caught my eye. With the tips of two fingers I picked it up.
"Ara? What is this?" I asked curiously, eyeing the lacy black object.
"H-hey!" Natsuki ran and snatched the object from me. She clutched it protectively to her chest. "Don't go messing with other people's lingerie like that."
"I'm sorry..." I told her, outwardly apologetic. But inside I was jumping up and down in excitement. She even blushed like my Natsuki.
I was so caught up in my reverie that I didn't notice she had left and returned until she threw some clothes at me. "Here. That looks uncomfortable. Were you going to a wedding or something?"
I stood up, the bundle of clothes in my arms. "Something like that."
"I'll let you borrow my clothes first; the underwear's clean. You can change in here." She ushered me into a small room.
There was ceramic on the floor and the walls. There was also mirror on one side and there was something that looked like a bathtub on the other end of the room. There were also several weird pieces of furniture. To my delight, I found one of them emitted water. Natsuki must be well off, to be able to afford a private bathhouse.
I looked longingly at the bathtub but I didn't want to keep Natsuki waiting so I turned my attention to my clothes.
With an ease born of long practice, I remove all my clothes and my sandals. Of the clothes Natsuki gave me, I recognized a tunic, pants, and what must be a loincloth. The other one was similar in form to the 'lingerie' Natsuki snatched from me earlier.
I looked in the mirror, holding it up. I jumped slightly and bounced.
Ah, it must be a breast band. I held it to my body. It fit, and I guessed Natsuki was only a couple of fingerwidths smaller than I was. With a bit of effort, and a lot of twisting, turning, and looking back at the mirror, I managed to put the breast band on.
The rest of it followed quickly. Then I neatly folded my old clothes and went out to meet Natsuki. I felt more comfortable about talking to her, now that I was dressed in the same outlandish garb she wore.