Author's notes:

First I have to apologize: I have been totally oblivious to the fact, that Mei does not have a cellphone. However, what is done is done.

This took a little more effort to write, but I hope it all turned out well and to your liking. So now,

Enjoy!

Fortified Blade – Chapter 4

4-1: And after a while I finally fell asleep

I remember it was late at night, somewhen around the beginning of June in our first year of high school. I couldn't sleep for various reasons, one being my step sister sharing a double bed with me. That, in itself, wasn't necessarily out of the ordinary. Had we been like any other pair of sisters, that was. But things between us weren't like that. Actually, they had never been from the beginning.

When I had first met her on our first day of high school, I had taken an interest in her. Bleached hair, the upper button of her blouse unbuttoned, flashy make up and earrings, way too short skirt length – the list goes on. She was a walking violation of Aihara Academy's school rules. Probably it was exactly that, what had made her catch my attention, I can't tell even today. And I would very soon after realize, that my interest for her was more than that. And that, as well as her habit of meddling with other people's businesses, would, also very soon, completely disable me to act properly around her. And the only person I could think of in order to help me, would come to hate me even more than she already did. But everything in order.

I was the supposed successor of Aihara Academy. And, in order to inherit it, I would sooner or later marry. Even though I was not engaged at that moment – not anymore, thanks to my meddling step sister – that was a truth that wouldn't change. After all, I wanted to protect the academy, in order for my father, who I hadn't seen in about five years, to be able to return to it. I did not have the luxury to fall in love and fool around like that. I knew that in my head, and I had already known it when I met Kyoka Katana. But my head and my heart hadn't been in sync ever since my father had left. To put it into Katana's words, I couldn't be true to myself.

Yet I had fallen in love with her. And even though I always put on a tough front, I wasn't nearly as close as strong as I always tried to appear. Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with that pushy person. We had been nothing alike: she had been up front and honest about her feelings right from the start. And she had been able to see right through me and wouldn't leave me alone, until I admitted how I felt. I knew, that I would never be able to be with her, and yet I hadn't been able to resist. And when she had finally found out what kind of path I would take in the future, she had done her best to encourage me to stay with her. But that was something I had no way of doing.

She had been persistent. And my heart had been longing for her. But there had been nothing that could have been done.

"Gutless idiot."

I remember clearly how she had called me that, broke up with me and then disappeared the day after. I ended up hurting the both of us deeply. And in the end I was actually glad, that she had left me, for with time it would only have become worse.

And yet I was lying in my bed, together with that step sister of mine, about to fall in love with her. And Katana, the only person who could probably have helped me, had told me to never talk to her again. Still, I had pulled the blanket all the way over my head in order not to wake up Yuzu with my phone's light. My heart was throbbing heavily, while I was staring at the message I had written. All I still needed to do was to send it. But the thoughts in my head were spinning around and the feelings in my chest felt like a raging fire. I had hurt Katana enough already. Even that day in April before, I had ended up kissing her, seen by a girl that had looked so hurt upon seeing it – I had no right to go and bother her again.

But I knew, that, if nothing was done, I would really fall in love with my step sister. And I knew, that her heart was in a state similar to mine. She had feelings for me, that much was obvious to me. Would things proceed as they were, I would end up hurting her the same way I had hurt Katana.

I cursed myself for being the way I was. And I envied Katana for being the way she was. Had she been in my situation, she had listened to her heart. That's how she has always been. And I realized, that I would have no choice but to rely on her. Reluctantly I moved my thumb over the send button and then pressed it.

"Dear Katana. I am aware that I am the last person you want to hear from. But I am desperate. At this rate I am really going to crush another person's heart. And, as you know best, I am too twisted to be able to resist my feelings despite knowing that I will end up betraying them and hurting someone. Please, I need your help. Mei."

It was done. My heart was painfully pounding, while I was staring at the screen of my phone. Minutes passed that could as well have been hours. But a response wasn't coming. Obviously, as I thought, realizing that it was already past eleven. Then I almost suffered a heart attack when I heard the message sound of my phone. Instantly my thoughts were with Yuzu, but luckily she apparently hadn't woken up from it.

When I went to check the reply I could see, that it was from a number I didn't know. I warily opened it.

"This is Shinsetsu Noriko, Katana's girlfriend. I believe she has asked you to not contact her anymore. From her I got the gist of the situation you are facing. If you absolutely need to talk to someone, talk to me – and leave her alone."

Girlfriend. Reading that single word had stung terribly. But it was nothing for me to be surprised about. Of course a person as great as Katana would find someone new. And I figured, that it would be better to follow Shinsetsu-san's advice and talk to her instead.

Carefully as to not wake up Yuzu, I climbed out of our bed and went to the living room, where I knelt down on the couch. As a precaution I still turned of my phone's sound, took a deep breath and texted back.

"I understand and apologize. I am grateful for your offer, so I'm taking it. The situation is rather complex and I would like to explain things properly. Would it be alright to meet up?"

"I had not exactly planned to come to Tokyo, but I can't have you run into Katana here by chance. Is this Saturday alright? I will tell you the exact location and time this Friday."

"This will work. Thank you, I really appreciate it. Good night!"

I let out a big sigh. For some reason exchanging messages with Katana's new girlfriend, even though the conversation had been short, had been really exhausting.

After turning the phone off for the day, I returned to our room where I carefully climbed back into the way too warm bed. Yuzu's normal body temperature was something else. Once I had gotten comfortable, I closed my eyes and pondered about what kind of girl Shinsetsu-san would be and whether or not she was the red haired girl I had seen before. And after a while I finally fell asleep.

4-2: I wouldn't make my train that day.

"Will you get up already?"

Katana replied with a dissatisfied moan.

"I know it's early, but if I don't wake you now you are going to sleep in until noon and then stuff yourself with junk food instead of eating healthy."

I recognized some movement beneath the blankets that vaguely looked like someone stretching. Then, in slow motion, the lump sat herself up, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sleepily blinked at me.

"What time is it?"

"6:30."

She fell right back onto the bed.

"Not happening on a Saturday."

I let out a sigh.

"You get ten minutes to get out of bed yourself or I'll get you out of bed."

In the following brief period of silence I wondered whether or not she was even listening to me. However, I did not really have time for messing around with her. After all I would be going all the way to Tokyo that day. So I went to the kitchen, got an ice cube and then went back into Katana's room.

"I'll have you know that I am armed with an ice cube and I will be using it if you don't get up right this instant."

A moment of silence followed.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, you know damn well that I would."

She warily lifted the blanket off her face to see whether I indeed had an ice cube – and the moment she realized I did, she got up very quickly.

"Thought as much."

I had said that playfully, but with a stern undertone.

"Go and wash you face. I need you fed, fully awake and dressed in an hour."

She yawned and stretched before slowly getting in motion. I gave her a hug and a kiss, before she walked past me and then, seeing her disappear to the bathroom, I let out a small snicker.

After we had started going out I had basically moved in with her. My parents hadn't been all that happy with the idea at first, but, aside from my personal reasons for wanting to be with Katana all the time, living at her place had a quite some advantages: both the school and city were significantly closer. Commuting to school took a mere 15 minutes – compared to more than an hour, that I needed from home. Also, Katana was some kind of genius and rarely scored below 100 points, be it tests or exams. Atop of that, my parents both knew her and had a high opinion of her. That, paired with the fact, that I would have more time to study as well as an excellent tutor (she actually was no good a tutoring, but I used it for the sake of the argument anyways), was enough to convince my parents.

Obviously, my parents didn't know what kind of relationship we had. I barely ever lied to my parents, but I couldn't come out right away and tell them I had a girlfriend. Back then I thought they would probably accept it, but I felt, that I first needed to prove to them that my studies wouldn't be affected by my relationship.

Then it had been a little more than a month since moving in with her. And, as excellent as she was outside of her apartment, as undisciplined she was inside of it. While her apartment was clean overall, her kitchen and nutritional balance were a mess. If at all, she would cook once a week and the other times eat cup ramen and convenience store bento. Both her kitchen sink and her fridge had had different kinds of mold in all possible colors everywhere. And if there has been one thing I absolutely didn't joke about, then it was food and the place where it was made.

Before I knew it I had ended up as her personal cook. But I really didn't mind, because I loved cooking almost as much as her. And since she was utterly helpless on that field – what choice did I have? Also, I really couldn't have the one I loved stuffing herself with junk all the time, so I had decided to spruce her nutrition up.

She looked a little less asleep when she came back from the bath and sat down at the table in the living room, where the breakfast was already waiting for her. And the first thing she did, was collecting the green bell peppers out of her dish and putting them aside.

"Katana!"

I had said that very strictly. Because, if there has been second thing I really didn't like, it was picky eaters. I did, by far, not like all dishes I have ever had, but, to me, it's a matter of respect to eat what someone prepared for you.

She sighed. Then she turned her begging gaze towards me.

"This is the third day in a row. They were in every dish! Can't you cut me some slack, just this once?"

As if.

"They were on sale and they are good for you."

She directed her gaze back onto her dish and the peppers she had already picked out. Then she looked back at me.

"I'll need a little motivation for that."

I had to smile inwardly. If she was begging me like that, I just couldn't say no. I placed myself behind her (even while sitting she was barely a head shorter than I was), laid my hands onto her shoulders and then placed my mouth right next to her ear.

"Just for a little."

I had whispered that softly, directly into her ear, making her shiver a little. Her ears, especially the Darwin's tubercle, where a soft spot of hers. She really liked being caressed, licked, and kissed there. She had told me, that, if I did that, she could even eat green peppers. Of course I was fully aware, that she just wanted me to fondle her, but it was not like I didn't enjoy it, also. I found it tremendously adorable of her, who claimed to always speak her true feelings, to play around like that.

So I proceeded to tenderly let my lips and tongue take care of her right ear, while my left hand caressed her left ear. While I did that, my heart began to throb and race again. Of all the upsides, which living with my girlfriend had, being close to her like that was the most important and enjoyable one. Especially the cute little moans I could hear from her whenever we exchanged caresses, that were, unlike her usual voice, significantly higher pitched, were something I loved about being with her deeply.

Before I knew it, the both of us had forgotten about the bell peppers. Somehow I had ended up on her lap, facing her, gently massaging her ears. Her hands and lower arms where on my back, pulling me into a close embrace. As our chests touched, I could feel her heartbeat. And it was the most reassuring thing there was, knowing, that, even after a month of us constantly being together, it was still racing like that whenever we got close.

"Look at you, dragging me into your pace again."

I had whispered that with played indignation, while our noses where already fondling each other. My eyes were yet again totally absorbed in the deep, tender gaze of her black eyes. Her fingers were playfully pinching my back and the sides of my chest. That had become our thing, and had anyone who didn't know about it seen us naked, he would've thought we were being physically abused. Especially while changing for gym class, it was sometimes hard to hide all those marks.

"I still need to pay you back. You kept me up so long and today forced me out of bed."

I couldn't say anything in my defense, because she was right. After all, we didn't have many opportunities at school to get close to one another, and after school there was homework and studying to focus on, so we mostly only had time for things like that after going to bed. And, sleeping in a single bed with the one you love, feeling their warmth, hearing their heartbeat, taking in their smell – no matter how much we wanted to sleep, we just had to use that quality couple time together. And the day before it had been me being especially needy.

"Then I'll accept my punishment."

I wouldn't make my train that day.

4-3: The coffee I had not even touched

I hadn't been to Tokyo very often. But, even today, no matter, how often I step onto its streets, I am amazed. No matter, how often you go to a certain place, you always discover something new. And even the things you have seen over and over again somehow won't get old.

After I had somehow managed to make Katana eat her vegetables and made sure she wouldn't go right back to bed the moment I was out of the door, I had made it to Tokyo an hour late. And another thing that was, is and always will amaze me, are the masses of people that are everywhere. It was already past noon, making things even more crowded than usually, especially since it was a Saturday. Luckily, I had contacted Mei beforehand, whereupon she had given me the address of a family restaurant she'd be waiting at.

That in itself had brought back memories from seeing her kissing Katana. But I managed to shake them out of my head. That incident was over and done with. And, even though Katana had taken the blame for it, I couldn't think of either of them as guilty. Mei hadn't known about me, and Katana had genuinely wanted to help the person Mei was in love with. It was also not as if Katana had cheated on me – after all, at that point, I hadn't even properly answered her feelings. Sometimes, that was what I believed, things like that just happen.

I slapped both of my cheeks a few times. I had neither the time nor the interest to ponder about those things. I was together with Katana and that was everything that counted.

After more or less purposefully navigating through the streets the restaurant came into sight.

"Finally."

Not that I had any kind of obligation towards Aihara Mei, but letting people wait was something I really disliked – and I was more than an hour late. So I, without thinking about it much, entered. The staff greeted me immediately and asked, where I wanted to sit. I was looking around.

"Someone should be waiting for me."

When I spotted her, the memories of that day came back even more vividly than before. I felt my chest tighten. But I had prepared myself for that. Trying to put on a smile I walked towards her. And when our gazes met I could tell instantly, that she remembered me and was aware of how I felt at that moment, approaching the one who had stolen a kiss from my beloved.

While me being easily readable was something Katana loved about me, had fallen in love with, actually, it was situations like that one in which I really disliked that trait of mine. As I was approaching her, she arose.

"Nice to meet you. I am Aihara Mei."

No reaction to my face at all. She had the dead eyes of a fish and her expression wasn't much livelier, either.

"I'm Shinsetsu Noriko. Nice to meet you."

I took a seat.

"Sorry for being late. I messed up my schedule this morning."

"It's okay. It was me calling you out all the way here."

Something about that girl was spooky. There was barely any intonation in her voice. Well, there was, but it seemed to be practiced, as if to deliberately hide whatever emotions she might have. Back then, when she had kissed Katana, she had looked differently.

I took the menu and browsed through it. Then I ordered coffee.

And then we sat there in silence. What the heck was up with that? Though I could tell that she and Katana were nothing alike, she had the same intimidating aura as her when I had first met her. I realized that talking to her would prove difficult, if I wouldn't get my act together. So I mustered my courage and wanted to speak up, but she beat me to the punch.

"I need to apologize."

I was puzzled.

"What for?"

Suddenly I noticed a change in her eyes, which took me aback. And at that moment I realized, that I had seen those eyes before, on that day.

"I believe that I hurt you, when you saw Katana and me together, Shinsetsu-san. I apologize for that."

She had bowed down saying that. And instead of sitting up straight again, she remained in that position. What did she expect, forgiveness? I closed my eyes for a moment, arranged my thoughts, opened my eyes again and then spoke to her.

"There is nothing for you to apologize, so straighten up. What happened back then was a coincidence, nothing more."

So she did. And yet again I saw that look in her eyes, though it was a little brighter that time. And, although I was not sure, I thought to have seen a tad of surprise in her expression. I began to understand, what Katana might have had seen in that person. For all I knew, there were two things about people that she liked: complexity and honesty. And, even if it was just slightly, I somehow could sense both of those things in Aihara Mei. And, for whatever reason, that enabled me to smile and continue a little more cheerful.

"Well, with that out of the world, why don't you tell me more about what's bothering you?"

My gaze stuck to her face like glue. Having seen the faintest of signs of emotions in it, I somehow felt, that I wanted to see more. Also, I had told that person that I'd listen to what she had to say – and I'm a diligent person. If I do something, I do it thoroughly, no exceptions.

"I suppose."

Suddenly she felt insecure to me. The intimidating aura I had sensed before appeared to have vanished. She lowered her gaze a little while slowly brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. Then she rose her gaze again, wearing that distinctive expression, as she began to talk.

"You see, I am not in a position where I could afford falling in love, or having a relationship. I already know for sure, that I will marry and inherit Aihara Academy."

She took a sip of her tea.

"And despite knowing that, I still fell in love in the past and, what's more, gave in to those feelings, only to end up hurting the one I loved and myself. I really am… a weak person in that regard."

Her fingers were gripping her cup more tightly, while her expression barely even wavered.

"And now, as if I have learned nothing, I developed feelings for another person again. And I think, they have feelings for me, too. After all, we did… even kiss a few times."

A slight blush had appeared on her face. Just, as if something had happened just recently. That had really gotten me curious and I desired to ask. But first I would hear her out.

"I really tried… to forget about those feelings. I even did things to try and driver her away. But it's really difficult to do that, especially with her."

"So they are a girl?"

I had blurted that out without thinking, so I instantly apologized.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you."

At that moment I inwardly punched myself. It seemed I had hit a spot that had made her alert and wary. The blush on her face had suddenly vanished and it had become more neutral again. What a difficult person she was. I needed to be careful and continued to listen.

"That's basically how it is. I know that I need to make a decision. But I also know that I will give in to temptation at one point. I'm at a loss."

Man, I had really hoped to hear a little more. But after my blunder it was to be expected for her to choose more carefully what she was saying. I hesitated and pondered, whether I'd try to make her open up a little more again, but decided against it. I had pretty much concluded the issue and asked her for confirmation.

"If I got everything right, there are two paths you want to take, but you can only have one."

"That's what I've been saying from the beginning."

What was with that reaction? Did that girl have attitude issues? I remember, that I got angry for that icy statement, but had I snapped at her like I wanted to at that moment, the conversation would probably have ended. Irritated as I was by her cold reaction, I needed to keep my cool – despite my annoyance probably showing on my face.

"I assume inheriting the academy is what you want most? You won't back out of that?"

"Certainly."

"Why not make use of the time until then? I mean, it's not like you are getting married tomorrow, right? If you tell that girl you have feelings for properly that your time together will end one day and she's alright with it, you should use the time the two of you can have together."

"And if she's not?"

"Then you can't be together and that's it."

As I had said that, I could almost hear her snap. Her gaze had become cold and angry as she was intensely staring at me. And while I could see her boiling inside, I noticed that I, too, had gotten myself worked up. That was not good. Not at all.

"You know how things ended up between me and Katana."

"I do."

She tightly clenched her fists.

"Then how can you make it sound so easy?"

"Because you didn't properly tell her. Had you done so she would have known right off the bat that things wouldn't work out and you'd have caused a lot less damage."

I needed to calm down. I really did. But it wouldn't work, not in that situation. That girl was pissing me off. And it didn't seem like she had any intention of deescalating the situation, either.

"Shinsetsu-san, your father is Shinsetsu Hachiman, am I right?"

"He is."

"Meaning, you have an older brother who will eventually inherit your father's law office?"

"I do. What are you getting at, already?"

She pulled her purse out of her handbag, got a 1000 Yen bill out and placed it onto the table. Then she arose and threw a condescending gaze at me, before speaking down to me.

"Somebody like you who doesn't have to worry about things like engagements or inheritance has no right to speak to me."

Then she walked past me and, before I knew it, had left the restaurant.

My heart was pounding. My head felt hot and cold at the same time. I put on my bag, took the bill she had left and arose. I paid at the counter and left.

In front of the restaurant there was a cardboard standup advertising the restaurant.

"What the fuck..."

I kicked the standup over and then yelled with all my might.

"IS WRONG WITH THAT BITCH?"

Then I walked off under the startled gazes of the people around. I needed to go and cool my head. Urgently.

The coffee I had not even touched.

4-4: Back then I couldn't imagine it.

"So, what are we going to do next?"

Yuzu had asked that while stretching.

"What do you mean, next? Are you still not satisfied, Yuzu-chi?"

She had seemed out of it for quite a while then. And though I asked, she would never give me a clear answer. Well, she did tell me that she had trouble getting along with her step sister, Aihara Academy's student council president, but I had always had the feeling that there was something else on her mind. And I got the feeling that she would eventually talk. Until then I would just support her – after all, that is what friends are there for.

"Just a little more, Harumin! I really need to enjoy myself today!"

Or so she said. Actually, she had been saying that for weeks then. I sighed.

"Well, a little more can't hurt, but your escapades are eating through my allowance, you know?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll treat you next time!"

"So, what is it going to be?"

She thought for a moment.

"For now, I want ice cream."

"You're going to get fat, eating as many sweets as you do."

"I'll just work it off in the arcade afterwards."

"Wait, we're doing that, too?"

She didn't listen to me anymore and was already walking off. Talk about a high maintenance friend. I caught up with her and we continued walking towards her favorite place. Seeing, how many sweets she ate, especially when she was feeling down because of her sister, one could have thought she was lovesick because of her. As if. Or so I thought back then.

Upon arriving there a girl caught our attention. She was sitting at a table on her own, in front of her 3 ice cream bowls, two of them already empty, she in the process of devouring the contents of the third one.

"Man, seems like she has got it rough."

Yuzu had said that on the quiet. Honestly, girl, you weren't much different back then. But that wasn't what had gotten my attention in the first place. I walked up to her.

"Excuse me, but are you Nori-chi?"

The girl stopped eating for a moment and turned around to me. She looked tired and upset, but upon seeing those eyes of hers, I was convinced.

"I knew it! It has been forever!"

I had exclaimed that cheerfully. Then I called out to my best friend while waving.

"Yuzu-chi, over here!"

As the both of us were standing before here, she just alternatingly looked at us.

"Who are you?"

Of course, it had been since elementary school. And I looked vastly different from back then. So I introduced myself again.

"It's me, Harumin, we've been together in elementary school for 6 years."

A few moments passed. And I could tell from her face, that she began to remember.

"You are the girl that was scared of her older sister and got scolded by her all the time!"

I gave her a chop to the back and retorted.

"That's what you remember about me?"

"Ah, sorry about this, we were pretty good friends. But honestly, that was your most outstanding quality."

I turned to Yuzu and grabbed her arm.

"Yuzu-chi, Nori-chi is bullying me!"

Poor Yuzu seemed a bit lost.

"Is it okay if we sit down?"

"Sure. I could need some distraction, anyways."

Yuzu and I both took a seat. Then I introduced them to each other.

"This is Noriko, a good friend back from elementary school. And this is Yuzu, my best friend in high school."

"Shinsetsu Noriko, nice to meet you. Call me Nori-chi."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Aihara Yuzu, go ahead and call me Yuzu-chi."

"Aihara?"

Noriko's face had become darker while asking that.

"Yes?"

"You might not be acquainted with a girl called Aihara Mei?"

"I am. She's my step sister."

Noriko sighed. She then put a hand on Yuzu's shoulder and looked at her sternly, with a pitying note in her gaze.

"My condolences."

"Did she do something?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. I should have known what I had coming for me. She did tick me off, but after treating myself to some sweets I'm all good already. So don't let it bother you."

"I see."

Sometimes it's crazy how, through coincidence and fate, people are connected to each other. Back then I thought so, too. Despite me being curious in what had happened between the two of them, I had gotten the feeling, that Noriko wouldn't tell me much anyways. She had always been like that. Easily readable, but unable to convey what she wanted to with words. And I also knew how stubborn she could be. Especially when something had made her mad, she wouldn't talk about it, no matter what. So I decided to let it slide.

"So, are you also living in Tokyo now?"

"No, I live quite a bit outside. I'm attending Hatsuoka. What about you?"

"Ah, Yuzu and I are attending Aihara Academy."

"That's where I'd be, too, if I had let my parents have their way. But I wanted to go to a co-educational school."

"Our elementary school was one, you know?"

"True, but I was on an all girls school during middle school. But you know, Harumin, when a girl reaches a certain age, things besides studying become interesting."

"Ah, so that is why. And, did you discover those things already?"

As I had said that, her face brightened up instantly and she blushed heavily. With the happiest of voices she replied.

"Yeah. We're in love."

She then proceeded to take her cellphone out of her handbag and showed us a picture of her and a girl.

"That's us."

It took both Yuzu and me a while to process that input. And once I realized it, I was awestruck in a lot of ways. Mostly, though, because Noriko, who had never been good at talking about her feelings, could come out and say she had a girlfriend, that the both of them were in love at that, so easily. Also, two girls being together was not seen as normal – despite times slowly but steadily beginning to change. I couldn't remember Noriko being courageous like that.

Yuzu wasn't able to say anything. Out of the corner of my eye I could see, how her eyes were sparkling in amazement. Was it, after all, that she was in love with the student council president? Well, today I of course knew that that was the case, but back then I couldn't imagine it. But what… if?

"You gotta tell us everything!"

My curiosity had gotten the better of me. And even though she was reluctant at first, I proceeded to get every last detail out of her. And, while doing that, I kept an eye on Yuzu all the time, who barely participated in the conversation, but took in every last bit of what Noriko told us.

4-5: Regardless of what it would take

The sun had already begun to set, as I finally decided to stop working for the day. I closed my laptop and then took of my glasses. I usually didn't need them, but the moment I got in front of any kind of screen, I tended to quickly develop a headache, and my glasses prevented that quite well.

I stretched on my chair and then got up, stretching some more. After Noriko had left the house in the morning, I had gotten up from the chair only two times, so I then felt like moving around a little for a change. Thinking of her I reached for my phone. I had been curious about how her meeting with Mei had gone all day, but I had decided to not interrupt them. If it was to help a fellow person in love I was able to endure that much. After all, to me, happiness was the most valuable thing in life. Everything else, even information, which my mother had thoroughly hammered into my head as the most important in life, to me, came second.

As I opened my phone, there was a message – not from Noriko, but from my mother.

"Speak of the devil."

I opened it.

"Katana. I need you to transfer to Aihara after summer break. Consider this me asking for the favor you owe me. Take care of the paperwork on your end. Come see me in the first week of summer break. I will give you the details then."

Shit. Why, of all times, when I had finally found someone that loved me? And on such a short notice at that. Summer break was a little more than a month away. Would I have to give up – again?

No, that wouldn't happen. Not with Noriko. I dialed my mother's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Katana. Have you received my message?"

"I have. And we need to talk about that."

"Do we?"

"Yes. Can I come see you, next week maybe? It is important."

"Then skip school on Monday. Be here at 11:00."

"Understood. See you th..."

She had already hung up on me before I could finish my sentence.

I sat down on my bed. This was bad. This was really bad. If I couldn't talk her out of it, then… I wildly shook my head. I told myself to calm down. My mother was, apparently, a human being, too. All I needed to do was reason with her. After all, I had decided already. I would not let anything come between Noriko and me. I would defend our love – regardless of what it would take.

Chapter 4: Being with her is everything that counts

- END -

Author's notes:

I hope y'all liked it. And I hope it was comprehensible, why Noriko and Mei got into a fight. And, yes, Noriko's slightly bad anger management is sure to give her trouble in the future.

There are quite a few things I need to do in the next chapters, all of them happening in a relatively short time span. I hope I can do that well. See you around,

kstefan88