Haha you guys ask a lot of interesting questions in your reviews! Someone asked how could an architect get involved in a technology enterprise as Fujino Corp, and I just always thought of Fujino Corp. being super "new era" and stuff and creating houses with solar energy or just a lot of tech in them, like Japanese and Korean latest trends. Also I thought it'd be funny to have Natsuki's grandma calling her "Natsuki-chan" (even when there's no 'chan' about Natsuki, clearly). About Natsuki's "fashion crisis", she just ended up wearing what she always did: some old worn out jeans, old snickers, and a plaid shirt. She's not the kind of person who really puts an effort on clothing, she was just panicking. Anyway, I love to read your reviews, questions, comments, anything. Thanks a lot and enjoy! :) XO
IV
ORION
Natsuki turned on the radio and an old Creedence Clearwater song played, "Hey Tonight". Just the perfect tune for a drive in a vintage truck and a western town as Alasville.
"I love this song!" Shizuru told the cowgirl.
"Really? I've never met anyone else who likes Creedence!"
Natsuki turned around to look at Shizuru. The windows were open and the air blew Shizuru's hair. She looked just beautiful.
"Well, there's always a first time for everything, right?" Shizuru said and looked back at Natsuki, who looked back to the road quickly. Shizuru smiled, she loved to catch Natsuki staring at her.
"Yeah, you're right. What other rock bands do you like?" Natsuki asked the blonde girl.
"Oh, I love a lot of old bands... The Beatles, of course, Pink Floyd, Queen, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, just a lot of classic rock."
I think I'm dying of a love struck or sumthin'.
"Really? I love all of those too. I even got some LP's; they were my dad's. Music is mostly what I had left of him. It's so cool to find someone who enjoys good old rock n' roll too."
"Rock&roll baby!" Said Shizuru and turned the volume up as she started to sing.
Hey tonight, gonna be tonight, don't you know I'm flying, tonight, tonight.
"Hey look, we're almost there!" Natsuki said and pointed at a hill just ahead them. She drove to the top of it and pulled over as they both jumped off the truck. Shizuru looked to the sky above them and admired the billions of shiny stars on it.
"Wow, Natsuki, this is truly amazing. This is the first time I feel so close to the stars. The moon looks huge... Like I could reach out and grasp it. Uh, and also I'm so cold. Brrr." Said Shizuru as she moved in closer to Natsuki.
"Oh. It's true, I'm sorry, I didn't think of it before... I didn't even bring an extra jacket or sumthin..." Said Natsuki, searching for something to cover Shizuru inside the truck, but there was nothing.
"Ara, Natsuki shouldn't worry, maybe you can just hold me for a while and I'll be all cozy and warm." The blonde girl said as she walked closer to the country girl. Natsuki's heart skipped a beat.
"Oh, yea', I guess that'll do for now."
Natsuki's hands trembled as she wrapped her arms around Shizuru's lean waist and sheltered her from cold as much as she could. Her head felt dizzy and her cheeks warm but she tried to act chill.
"Ookini, Natsuki." Thanked the blonde girl in Kyoto-ben, and cuddled in Natsuki's soft flannel shirt. "You're so warm, and smell so good." Shizuru whispered, and softly rubbed her nose against Natsuki's neck, making her spine chill and her face blush even harder. Natsuki gulped. "Do you come here by yourself often? Is this your special place?" she asked.
"Well, 'guess ya could say that... I do come here often by mah'self. Sometimes I ride up here with my bike and I just lie down on the grass and look at the sky, at the moon. I like the silence and the breeze. I even made some research and started to look for constellations I could see from here." said Natsuki. She grabbed Shizuru's right arm and pointed at the sky.
"That's Orion, The Greek Hunter. Did you know you can see this constellation from anywhere in the world?" said Natsuki. She grabbed Shizuru's hand and started connecting the lines between the stars with Shizuru's index.
"You see that line of little stars? That's the hunter's shield... Then there's Bellatrix in his right shoulder, Betelgeuse in the left one. Also Betelgeuse is the brightest star in Orion constellation, as well as Rigel, the right foot. Sometimes they call them Alpha and Beta. Right under the shoulders, there's Orion's belt, those three bright stars perfectly aligned; that's Orion most characteristic line of stars. It's been a guidance resource since foreva', I think." Natsuki finished her explanation about the constellation and lowered Shizuru's hand, but kept on holding to it.
Shizuru turned around to look at Natsuki's face, staring right inside her green eyes. She wasn't sure if she was looking at Alpha and Beta in Orion's constellation or at Natsuki's face, and without any warning, further advice, without even thinking about it or realizing what she was really doing, she grabbed Natsuki's face, drove her close and kissed her pink lips as she had never kissed anyone before. It was a soft kiss, almost childish, innocent and honest. She rubbed Natsuki's cheek a little and looked up to her green eyes again. The star fan couldn't even blink, like she was hit by her grandpa's truck. Shizuru buried her face on Natsuki's neck again and wrapped her arms around the girl's waist. Natsuki was speechless; she had never even kissed anyone before. Apart from being still shock, there was only one feeling she had in that moment: pure bliss. Despite the shyness and awkwardness she irradiated, she had never felt that kind of joy in her heart. However, she didn't know how to act or what to say. After a while, she finally said:
"Does this mean you want me to keep talking about stars?"
Shizuru burst in laughter and kissed Natsuki again.
"Yes, Natsuki, I want you to keep talking about stars, cars, motorcycles, music," she kissed her once per topic, "about anything you like."
Natsuki smiled and rubbed Shizuru's nose with her own.
"Yeah? And if I don't feel like talkin'?" Natsuki whispered, teasing the red-eyed girl, and bit Shizuru's lower lip a little. Shizuru smiled and bit Natsuki back.
"Oh well, I'm not so sure about that... Maybe we can just-" she was abruptly interrupted by Natsuki's deep and passionate kiss, so enthusiastic that her cowboy hat even fell off her head and lifted Shizuru's feet from the floor for a moment. They finally had to break the kiss to get some air.
"Ara, Natsuki-chan isn't playing child games anymore. I'm glad. You made me remember a japanese story about two lovers, represented with stars. We even celebrate a festival about it every year. Wanna hear it?"
"Yeah, 'course."
"The story characters are Orihime, The Vega star, and Hikoboshi, the Altair star. The legend says Orihime, daughter of Tentei, worked very hard in knitting a cloth his father liked very much, but she worked so hard every day she was upset she could never meet anyone she could love. So one day his father arranges a meeting for her with Hikoboshi, who was a cow herder in a nearby town. As soon as they met, the fell in love and in brief time, they married. However, when they married, Orihime stopped weaving for her father and Hikoboshi stopped taking care of his cows. Tentei was so angry he separated them across the Amonagawa River, the Milky Way. So Orihime was so sad about this, she begged her father to let her meet with Hikoboshi, and he was so moved with his daughter crying he allowed her to meet him on the seventh day of the seventh month if she worked hard, and ever since we celebrate Tanabata festival to celebrate their meeting." The japanese storyteller finished her explanation on Tanabata.
"I got mixed feelings 'bout this story. It's so pretty and interesting but at the same time... So sad." Said the cowgirl, who had been paying a lot of attention to Shizuru's story.
"I know. But yet, it's a pretty story. And, it's gonna be Tanabata soon! The celebrations start on July 7th. Maybe we can celebrate it, would you like that, Natsuki?" Shizuru smiled at Natsuki and rubbed her cheeks with both of her hands.
"That sounds nice. What do you do at Tanabata? How d'ya celebrate?" Natsuki asked with curiosity.
"You never had any japanese celebration right?"
"Not really, no. I would have like to but my gran's know little 'bout japanese culture. Neither do I. Wish I did, u know, 'cause of my mom and all." Natsuki answered, sadly.
"Don't worry about that, I'll teach you what I know and I can even borrow you some books, if you like. In Tanabata we write our wishes in color papers and hang them from bamboo branches. It's so cute! But not as cute as Nat-su-ki!" Shizuru said in her singsong accent.
"Da' ya think I'm cute?" Said Natsuki in a strong accent.
"Absolutely. Specially when you frown like that and talk like a rough girl when you're actually so sweet." She pinched Natsuki's cheeks.
"Am I?" Natsuki asked, confused, making Shizuru laugh again.
"Yes, terribly sweet." Shizuru placed her forehead on Natsuki's, closed her eyes and let the moment sink inside her mind and memory forever, she never ever wanted to forget what she felt in that moment, now and then.
"Natsuki, I think it's getting late and... I mean I love to be here with you but I don't want you getting into trouble."
"Yeah, I didn't even realize. But before we leave..." She gave Shizuru a full mouth kiss, rubbing her hands against her hips and waist, as if she wanted to tattoo her hands over the girl. She bit Shizuru's lips and broke the kiss, smiling at the blonde girl.
Again, Natsuki held the door open for Shizuru and helped her in. They drove back to town, and headed to Shizuru's place. Natsuki turned off the truck's gear and looked at Shizuru.
"Shizuru I'm..." She didn't know how to start. "I'm really happy we crashed that day on the train station." She said shyly.
"I'm glad too Natsuki." Shizuru said and held the guitarist's hand. Natsuki moved closer to Shizuru and, after a small hesitation, gave her a soft kiss, just as the first one Shizuru gave her.
"When can I see you again?" Natsuki whispered in Shizuru's ear.
"Natsuki forgets something..." She answered with a giggle. "Your grandma hired me! I'll see you again tomorrow at the workshop!"
"Ah! That's right! I didn't remember it..." The truth sank in and Natsuki's eyes opened as plates.
"Don't worry about anything, I promise not to tell your grannie you kissed a girl, more than once!" Shizuru jumped off the truck.
"See you around, Natsuki." She blew her a kiss and walked inside her house.
So... Mai was right.