Hope you enjoy this chapter :) Shizuru was fun to write :P
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Chapter 4: Natsuki's Interesting Introduction
One of Natsuki's wide eyes twitched slightly at the size of the Fujino home. The pebble-made road to it was a bit of a walk though it wasn't anything she couldn't handle as her attention was already focused on the structure that was her destination. As she had walked, the trees that followed the bending road obscured her vision from it slightly and it wasn't until she exited the path guarded by trees and stone that she was able to see the home's massiveness in full light.
It looked like an old fashioned and traditional Japanese home with its shouji-type doors and pagoda-style roofs (except it didn't have multiple floors). In fact, it looked a lot like the little house that Shizuru had spent her high school years within, the one that she would be invited into many times. This, however, was a much… much bigger version. Native-bred trees and flowers dotted the well-groomed yard that surrounded the structure, adding beauty and charm to the estate.
Natsuki's eye twitched again. 'How in Hell does she get enough money for this?' Her mind screamed, wanting to know the secret. She was completely frozen; she felt insignificant to the standards that this mansion seemed to imply. 'C'mon, c'mon Natsuki!' Her conscience urged. 'Just get to the door! How would it look if somebody saw you just standing there dumbly through a window or something?'
Taking that last thought into consideration, she took a small gulp then forced her locked legs to move forward. Up the stone pathway and up a small wooden set of stairs she followed, which led to the open corridor where one could walk around the outside of the house if desired.
She hesitantly knocked on the two-door shouji directly in front of the staircase, using the seven-beat knock that many people tend to use. Before she could get the seventh knock in, one of the double-doors suddenly slid open, making Natsuki jump back slightly in surprise. Natsuki blinked at the unfamiliar face of a woman that held a blank expression as she seemed to observe the city-girl from top to bottom like the cab driver did.
"Ms. Kuga, I presume?" She asked when her eyes finally landed back onto Natsuki's.
"Uh-yeah…" 'Who the hell else would it be? I was the only one waiting out there.' She inwardly growled but said nothing. "Is Shizuru around?" Natsuki's eyes peeked around to whatever part of the inside she could see as if expecting Shizuru to be hiding around a corner.
"Shizuru Ojou-sama is waiting for you in the courtyard. I'll show you to it." The short-haired women stated simply before letting her eyes fall onto the duffel bag on the other girl's shoulder. "You can leave your… um… belongings near the doorway."
'Ojou-sama?' Natsuki noticed the look of uneasiness at the sight of the bag held together by duck-tape. Her grip on the shoulder-strap tightened as a knot of annoyance formed on the back of her head. So it wasn't the greatest sight to see but hey, it has fulfilled its purpose fine so far so there's no need to look at it that way!
Acting as though the last look didn't bother her, she stepped inside and laid the duffel bag in said area. "Ojou-sama already made the arrangements for the room you are going to stay in, so your things will be delivered there soon." The woman slid the door shut then took a couple steps into the room, waiting for Natsuki to follow.
The style of the interior of the house seemed a little more modernized than the traditional visage the exterior seemed to portray. The lighting, the walls, the furniture; it was decorated quite lavishly, so on the inside, it definitely looked like part of a mansion. Framed photos, lamps and/or bowls of fruit were placed on oak floor cabinets with silver handles. Large windows were opposite those with the beautiful yard and many trees as the view.
Natsuki was led through a few corridors, passing closed door after closed door, complete silence broken only by footsteps upon polished, hard dark wood floors. As she looked around, she noticed that there was hardly anyone else around the house besides the few other people dressed in some sort of uniform passing by. She guessed that they served and maintained the household. Something about this seemed strange, something about their behavior though she couldn't really pick it out. It felt almost eerie.
Natsuki had to make an abrupt halt as the women in front of her stopped at another pair of shouji doors. She slid one of the doors open and gestured for her to enter with a wave of her hand. "You'll find her in here; I trust you can find her own your own. I hope you enjoy your stay here." She bowed her head slightly as Natsuki stepped through.
"Thanks." Natsuki uttered before the door slid shut behind her. Feeling her heart race again, she cautiously stepped into a traditional Japanese garden. It was even more beautiful and peaceful than the grounds surrounding the house. It seemed to hold everything a Japanese gardener would ask for; a shallow pond complete with a small bridge and a few stepping stones with even some Koi to inhabit it, stone lanterns and stone groupings which held the flowers and ferns in place and finally a large Japanese Maple tree as a finishing touch. Its leaves were bright and beautiful enough for any visitor to stare at as it was planted on the small island of the pond.
As Natsuki's green eyes followed it from top to bottom, they eventually landed upon long, wavy, tawny hair which fell to almost below the small of the slender figure's back. Natsuki's eyes widened as she gulped; it definitely was Shizuru, she could tell by her posture as she sat on a flat side of a small boulder near the water's edge of the island. The sunlight which dripped between the moving leaves of the maple tree fell onto her hair and skin of her arms. Her back was facing her, but that didn't help as a million things seemed to run through her mind:
'What should I do? What should I say? Should I just say "hello" from here? No, no, it wouldn't be the best start; too careless even for me. Should I wait for her to notice me? No, that would be stupid. Sneak up behind her and say "hi" right behind her ear? Hm, no, it'd probably make her jump. And on that note it also sounds like something she'd be willing to do to me… Maybe I should do my usual greeting and just walk up to her and let her hear me coming so that she'll turn around and say "hi" first. Yeah, that might be good… sigh… I sound like a guy trying to figure out ways to ask a girl out… that's pretty low to sink…'
"I do hope that Natsuki hasn't lost her voice; I would miss it greatly."
The sound of a somewhat deeper but certainly familiar and soft voice made Natsuki freeze in her position. Looking at Shizuru, she didn't seem to have moved and her face still turned away; surely she had heard her come in despite the sounds of moving waters (which actually happened to come from a small and partially submerged fountain within the pond). Finding herself at a loss for words, Natsuki rubbed her nape with her palm sheepishly. "… W-well I wasn't exactly sure of how to…" She trailed off, wishing she had started her sentence differently so that she could have ended it a little easier.
Shizuru's head seemed to fall slightly forward as a small laugh escaped her lips. "Natsuki should have realized by now," She leaned one hand on the boulder underneath her as she turned her back and neck the opposite direction. Looking over her shoulder which her hair splayed over, her burgundy eyes landed onto Natsuki's green. "That however way she may choose to approach me is fine, just as long as she decides to remain next to me."
The glitter in her eyes hadn't changed at all, Natsuki easily noticed even despite their distance. The way Shizuru's eyes contrasted her hair through her long bangs made both stand out equally. Had Shizuru's eyes always been that bright?
To avoid any comments from the other girl about her stare, Natsuki placed her hands in the pockets of her jeans and casually walked towards her. "Yeah well, for a second I wasn't sure if it was really you." She lied but thought nothing of it. "Five years can do a lot to a person, though I see you haven't changed very much. Only your hair has grown out a little more." She stated as she stepped onto each stepping stone and came up next to her old friend, whose eyes never left her. Natsuki subtly observed her friend's face: it seemed to have thinned a little since the last time she saw her; perhaps it was just her features maturing. And she certainly has matured, as her face alone portrayed her transition from girl to woman.
"I see yours has as well, but did you cut the front? I see you have a fringe." Shizuru reached up to the part of Natsuki's hair that used to be held behind her ears. Her part was still the same, but now she seemed to have bangs that went to her cheekbones and framed her face a little more.
As Shizuru's fingers felt through the shortened dark blue hair, her wrist also came close enough to the other girl's face that Natsuki could pick up a faint scent. She blinked a few times when she found herself becoming curious over the fragrance of the perfume. 'What the hell's wrong with me?' She abruptly turned away from Shizuru's hand, making the fingers leave her hair as she went to lean her back against the tree.
"So," Natsuki started, changing the subject. "I'm here, so what is it that you plan on doing with me?" She inquired as she folded her arms over her stomach.
The flaxen-haired girl smirked as she crossed her legs, giving her brown skirt a slight ruffle. "You make it sound as though I fixed a schedule for us even before I asked you to stay with me." She sounded surprised yet expectant.
"Didn't you?" Natsuki quirked an eyebrow knowingly.
Shizuru shook her head, though Natsuki looked at her incredulously. "No, not really; there are a few things I've thought about doing with you, but…" She paused, almost hesitantly, before she calmly stood up and held both hands in front of her with her oh-so-famous smile grazing her face once again. "There are other things I must do with you before then."
Natsuki just looked at her for a moment, as though waiting for her to speak again. "Such as?"
The azure-haired girl was graced with a second famous and long-since-seen expression of Shizuru's; her closed-eye and bright-smile expression with the addition of tilting her head to one side. "Such as introducing you to my mother and uncle."
Natsuki blinked as she looked at the other girl a bit strangely. She paused as her eyes darted from side to side in confusion before asking, "Do we have to?"
The other girl found Natsuki's simple question amusing; she sounded nervous. "Of course. This estate belongs to my parents, so would you not believe it arrogant to not meet them since you'll be staying here with me?" she inquired.
Blinking again, Natsuki found herself stuck. "Um, no… I guess not. Wait, you still live with your parents? Don't you think you should be packing up and heading out soon?" She quirked an eyebrow in disbelief.
Shizuru chuckled and shook her head at Natsuki's cute naïveté. "No, no. I have a home of my own in another part of Kyoto." She smiled.
Natsuki paused as her eyes wandered around the garden then back to Shizuru. "Then why are we staying here?"
The other girl seemed to pause hesitantly again though her smile stayed the same. Her eyes cast slightly downward. "As part of the Fujino family, I hold a certain share in Fujino Industries. Certain affairs have to be taken care of for the industry," Her eyes were finally able to look onto Natsuki's intent ones. "That's why I'm here. I'm sure you understand?" She asked softly.
Natsuki nodded, "More or less, yeah." She took a hand out of her pocket and ran it through her long blue mane. "So, when am I supposed to meet them?" Asking with hardly any eagerness in her voice, she lets the hand hang out of her pocket.
Shizuru's smile widened. She took Natsuki's hand and led her over the stone steps of the pond. "The sooner, the better. Don't you agree?"
In her surprise to the suddenness, she fumbled for words to delay the introduction then ultimately ended it with a heavy sigh of defeat and obedient footsteps following Shizuru's.
"By the way, what's with 'Ojou-sama'?" Natsuki asked after a few minutes of silence while walking through the nearly lifeless hallways.
Shizuru smiled slightly. "Since I'm the child in the family, the people who service my mother in this house feel that it is their duty to call me that for means of formal respect. I've been called that ever since I was little, so I've become quite used to it." She explained simply as they neared two flights of stairs that led to the second floor.
As they walked through another hallway, which Natsuki found was no different than the others on the first floor, the sapphire-haired girl noticed that Shizuru was still holding her hand. Shizuru's hand was warm, almost sweaty, and was cupping Natsuki's rather tightly. Was she nervous? If she was, for what reason? Shizuru shouldn't be nervous about doing the introduction; it was she who should be nervous about being introduced.
One more turn around a corner and after a few more steps they soon came to a door made out of dark wood with a gold handle. As Shizuru laid her hand on the doorknob, Natsuki sheepishly spoke up. "You're going to do most of the talking, I hope?"
Shizuru's burgundy eyes looked up and gave a light grin. "I haven't seen Natsuki this uneasy since the first time I invited her over to a sleepover." Her grin widened as bits of the memory came to her mind for a few seconds.
The girl in question gave her a soft look as she seemly switched the weight on her legs and stuck her hands in her pockets again. "And I've never seen you this anxious since… ever." She stated softly, keeping her eyes on Shizuru's.
The burgundy eyes slowly returned the soft look. Deep inside those wine-red pools however, was worry. This brought more concern into Natsuki, especially when Shizuru chose not to respond and opened the door.
Inside was a widely-spaced office. All the typical necessities of an office space were present within it; filing cabinets, a tall and completely filled bookcase, inspection and award certificates were framed and hung, a small conference table was set at the front of the room while a huge desk was in the back.
The desk too contained all the elements required of it; plenty of pens and fine permanent markers, its own little collection of file folders, a large desktop computer complete with keyboard, printer and fax machine close to it, a large leather chair and finally, its occupant: a woman whose hair was a darker shade of chestnut and placed up in a bun while the hair that framed her face was left down, wearing a casual business suit, a small pair of reading glasses on her nose and a pair of dark scarlet eyes looking over them to the door.
"Mother, may I intrude?" Shizuru asked politely through part-way-opened door.
The woman dropped the pen she had been using a moment ago and laced her fingers together on the desk. "Certainly Shizuru." Her voice was deep and plain.
Shizuru nodded at the man near the desk as she stepped completely through the doorway. "Hello Uncle."
The tall, well-proportioned, brown-eyed, charcoal-haired and bearded man nodded his head silently in return - his usual response to greetings.
"Am I correct in assuming that you are here to introduce that girl to us?" Her mother asked in a simple tone but seemed to have a knowing glint in her eye, something that Shizuru had expected. The woman's dark eyes sharply cast themselves to the girl that edged through the doorway behind her daughter.
"Yes." Shizuru answered simply as she gestured towards Natsuki. "This is Kuga Natsuki, a dear friend of mine from Fuuka Academy." She kept her eyes sternly on her mother's. "I have invited her to stay for the week."
Her mother's eyebrows rose as though both surprised and intrigued. She turned to her brother-in-law, who seemed to give her a warning look in return, something that didn't go unnoticed by the other two girls.
Her mother's eyes dropped to her desk as she sighed and placed her glasses on the papers in front of her. "I see." The dark eyes rose to Natsuki's. After a few seconds of expressionless features, she gave the girl a calm smile. "Well, I do hope you enjoy your stay here."
Natsuki blinked; was that it? After quickly composing herself, she gave a respectful bow. "Thank you; I plan to." With her head still slightly lowered, she peered over to Shizuru. The other girl looked back at her over her shoulder and held a small smile, though what brought some concern to Natsuki was the fact that the hint of worry in her eyes still remained embedded deep within the maroon orbs.
Shizuru's mother nodded at Natsuki then slowly turned to her daughter. "Shizuru, may I have a word with you for a moment?"
Her voice was calm, but Shizuru could see the intense look in her mother's eyes. The smile faded. "Of course, mother." The smile only returned when she turned back to Natsuki, who looked unsure as to what to do. "Natsuki, would you be kind enough to wait outside for me?" She asked softly.
The other girl looked at her for a moment, trying to detect some emotion from the other girl's eyes. However, Shizuru gave her the closed-eye smile, cutting off all pathways to discovering what Natsuki had been searching for. "Sure." Her voice was softer than Shizuru's had been, though as she went to close the door behind her, she spared Shizuru one last look only to see that her friend's attention was turned back to her mother.
Once the 'click' of a closing door was heard, there was silence as Shizuru's mother shifted in her seat somewhat before lacing her fingers back together again. She looked at her daughter sternly, noting that her daughter's face was expressionless. "Isn't it a bit of an odd time to be inviting friends over, Shizuru?"
Shizuru knew that that would be the reply she would get in inviting a person over. Feeling the intense gazes of both her mother and uncle, her eyes averted slightly from both. Not in fear, but disappointment.
At his niece's silence, her uncle spoke in his hard tone. "You have much more serious matters to attend to than friends."
"She does not know of the situation yet, but I have invited her to help me through these matters that you have placed me into." Shizuru abruptly spoke up as she turned to him a beat after her uncle had finished. She gave him the stern look that her mother had passed down to her.
He kept his gaze intently on hers. "We did not place you in these matters, but rather you placed yourself into them. I take it that your opinion on the affairs of Fujino Industries has not changed?" Silence was his answer. He sighed disappointedly. "I see. How unfortunate. Knowing that the events that we had planned for you are still going to be carried out, I suggest that you tell that girl to return to where she came from; it will only make the matters more complicated." He stated in his hard tone as if expecting his niece to obediently oblige.
Stunned at her own uncle's words, she looked over to her mother for any kind of support. Unfortunately, her eyes were not upon her daughter's but on her desk as though oblivious to her brother-in-law's words; Shizuru reviled that most about her. She really was an understanding woman when she would speak to her daughter alone. But, when others of the family were there to watch and inform Shizuru of her duties as the heir of the Fujino heritage, she would always stay silent and oblivious.
Shizuru's gaze swept to her uncle's and slowly became extraordinarily hard on his. She slowly straightened her posture as though she were a wall that could never be demolished. The hands that she clasped together in front of her tightened around each other, making some parts of the flesh turn white.
"I'm sorry, but I refuse to do that."
Her uncles eyes widened, as did her mother's, but she didn't let that make her nervous in the least; this was about Natsuki… her best friend, Natsuki, and she was not going to let people, even if they were her own family, take control over what she had the right to do with her.
"I will take full responsibility for what Natsuki does during her stay here, but by no means whatsoever will I tell her to leave. I intend to have her stay here no matter what awkwardness it might present for you." Her head gave a light bow, though the hardness in her eyes never left as tendrils of hair fell over her shoulders. "I do hope you understand." Although her voiced still maintained some of its softness, her words were laced with steel.
Her mother and uncle looked at each other again; her mother showed a delicate surprise in her eyes while her uncle utilized subtle contempt for the way that his own niece was speaking to him. He averted his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "If your mother agrees…" She uttered his implication that he would do the same.
Her mother looked back at her; Shizuru could see concern in her eyes, but her mother remained stolid and slowly nodded. "She may stay."
8
As promised, Natsuki stood outside, leaning against the wall near the door with her arms folded behind her head. She couldn't hear what was going on behind that door, though her emerald eyes couldn't help but sweep over to it every few seconds. 'Why would she be so worried? She looked as though she were about to take a path she wasn't willing to go down. It's just so not like her, and it's only her uncle and mother! I just don't understand it.' Slightly agitated by her thoughts, she let the tip of her toe tap against the floor.
After a few seconds, she released a sigh, trying to nullify the emotions she felt. A small smile came to her face. 'This is the first time in a long time that I actually felt concerned over her. The last time was during the last couple of weeks I had with her after school ended and before she had to go to her university.' Natsuki let her mind dig a little deeper during her wait. Her eyes evidently became fascinated with the elaborately stitched carpeting.
'Since the incident with the HiME festival, Shizuru apparently chose to be a little more… open with me. I actually enjoyed that; I originally thought that I wouldn't, that she would be a little too open with me at times since she's all-too-often forward to me. In fact, when I became used to her newly found nature at the time, I often found myself being open to her as well. Of course I was still rather selective about what I would say, but she still seemed to be happy with that nonetheless, perhaps happier even.' Natsuki quirked an eyebrow. 'Heh, must be why I'm acting this way now. Having said so much to her and her so much to me, I guess it's hard not to worry when she's not being as open with me now.
'Gods, I was a real piece of work before I met her.' She ran her palm over her nape as she gave the sweatdrop-like expression. 'Hard to understand how anyone could turn me from the brass girl I used to be to the person I am now…'
88 ( Flashback ) 88
The refreshing breeze in the air didn't help the negative air around Natsuki. She watched as the soft wind caressed the field of pink flowers in waves as the sun highlighted their petals and the long blades of grass surrounding them.
Hardly anybody came to the white gazebo that was mere feet away from her. She figured it was either because they found themselves becoming bored if they stayed there for too long, or just simply because Natsuki the defiant-faced rebel-girl was there and would rather not come just to be condescendingly brushed off by her.
She leaned closer to the second theory than the first; it wouldn't surprise her. She wasn't bothered by it either, as she liked to be alone and not have to hear the mindless chit-chat of her schoolmates. Right now, it wasn't her classmates that irritated her; the bright and happy light that these flowers shined infuriated her.
She hated flowers, especially the ones that she locked her eyes onto at this moment. She hated how they would bloom and shine so beautifully with hardly any effort. It felt as though the flowers were laughing in her face and saying "Look how perfect I am compared to you. Look at how much I've shined in my life compared to you."
Natsuki grit her teeth; so what if she had absolutely nothing and no one in her life; no real home, no family, no friends, no one whom she loves and loves her in return? She didn't care for any of that anyway as it seems to be just a giant waste of time. She could get through life just fine and not have to shine so brilliantly like these flowers did. She didn't need it… she didn't need any of it.
In her growing anger, she acted out the urge that slowly engulfed her and reached out. She enveloped one of the more perfectly bloomed flowers with her fingers, feeling its soft petals brushed against her skin. This angered her more, so thus her grip slowly tightened…
"Please, you shouldn't do that." Came a soft voice behind her. She recognized it somewhat, but couldn't put her finger on it. She slowly let go of the flower as she turned to see her upperclassman. Seeing the deep crimson eyes and flowing tawny hair, as well as seeing the attire that was typical of the class president to wear, spurred a name in her head but couldn't fully grasp it as she never really cared about school affairs.
"Beautiful flowers should be loved and cared for as they try their best to bloom during their short lives." She spoke again, the Kyoto-ben accent becoming evident. The older girl gave a soft smile; for a second, Natsuki didn't believe that she was actually speaking to and even smiling at her, but then she looked around to find that they were the only two in the schoolyard.
Natsuki looked back at her, both surprised and confused that the other girl's smile had not changed at all. What is it about this girl? "Is sneaking up behind people and pestering them your hobby or something?"
The other girl's smiled only brightened more as though the comment excited her; the opposite effect of what Natsuki had hoped. "It can be, but only for those that I am interested in meeting." She tilted her head slightly. "May I know your name?"
Natsuki didn't like her sweet tone. Her brows furrowed suspiciously as she looked at the slightly taller girl for a few more seconds as if she was trying to detect insincerity. There was something about her features that made it rather difficult to identify properly. With a scoff, she turned to leave. "I don't think there's a point in telling you my name when there'd never be a reason for you to address me after this."
Taking a few steps to following her, the fair-haired girl smiled. "On the contrary, I'd like to have many reasons to address you."
Stopping her steps, Natsuki turned to look at her oddly before turning back again. "Okay, then I'm definitely not telling you." She defiantly resumed her walk.
The other girl only laughed as she hurried her pace to step in front of the sapphire-haired girl, stopping her. "You're so mean. I only mean to spend more time with you." She held her hands behind her back, her grin becoming a soft smile. "I've seen you walking around the schoolyards and while classes were in session or not, you were always alone." At Natsuki's silence, she continued. "If it makes me your first friend, I would be honored."
Noticing how her features brightened as she said that, Natsuki just looked at her emotionlessly. Normally, she hated people like her, people who butted into other peoples business for no real reason at all. However, her words made her stop and think; nobody ever used the words "your", "friend" and "honored" to her in the same sentence. Natsuki sighed as her eyes averted the other girl's.
"Kuga Natsuki." Her voice was hardly audible but the fair-haired girl heard her just fine, her widening smile proved that.
The other girl closed her eyes and smiled brightly. "Fujino Shizuru. It's nice to meet you, Natsuki."
'Fujino Shizuru…? Great, I just had to make acquaintances with the rich student council president that has her own fan club.' Natsuki immediately kicked herself for getting into this. She found another reason why she hated people like Shizuru so much; the way she looked and acted around people made her seem like the flowers Natsuki loathed so much. Shizuru had popularity, authority, opulence, eloquence… beauty… Like the flowers, it felt as though her visage voiced out "look how perfect I am compared to you."
At that thought, Natsuki's gaze on her became suspicious. "Why do you want to waste your time with someone like me?" She asked in a low tone.
Burgundy eyes looked at her with some sort of strange curiosity. "Someone like you? What makes Natsuki different from me?" Her tone was soft and honest, like her eyes.
Natsuki pulled back in slight surprise before going back to her normal expression. She was kind of interesting, a little dense… and weird with her somewhat perky attitude, as well as strange, but not in a bad way, at least not yet.
"I thought you'd figure that out by now," Natsuki stated bluntly as she crossed her arms over her stomach. "But since you're so willing to spend time with me, I think I'll just wait until you do." She walked around the taller girl, hoping that she wouldn't follow.
"I may not know much about you now, Natsuki, but I can already see that you have many traits which make you very much worth getting to know. That is why I know that my efforts to know you will not be in vain."
Natsuki stopped short as she heard this. She didn't believe it at first, she almost didn't want to either; she would never forgive anyone who might play with her mind using sweet words such as Shizuru's. However, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she could hear the sincerity in the other girl's words. She became curious as to how far this new relationship with this upperclassman would go. So, like a mental shrug, she allowed herself to give it a try. "If you say so, sweet-talker."…
88 ( EndFlashback ) 88
Hearing the 'click' of the door opening, Natsuki was jerked out of her reverie to the girl that stepped out of the doorway. The azure-haired girl turned to lean her shoulder against the wall. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" She commented as though she thought nothing of it.
The other girl hadn't looked up at her friend yet, but when she did, she seemed to be taking her time in speaking. Her eyes no longer held worry, Natsuki noticed, but something else which she had trouble deciphering. Shizuru looked as though she was contemplating something in her head but could not find an auspicious solution. All Natsuki knew was that whatever Shizuru was analyzing in her head had to do with Natsuki herself, as Shizuru's maroon eyes never left hers as both girls remained silent.
When the sapphire-haired girl took a step towards her and opened her mouth to ask about her behavior, Shizuru's hand left the doorknob and grasped Natsuki's own again. The younger girl noticed that Shizuru's uncertain expression somehow evolved into her usual pleasant smile. "I haven't shown you around the estate yet, have I?" She asked as though it were a sudden realization.
Before Natsuki could protest, she felt the grip on her hand tighten slightly and was soon led downstairs and towards the grounds surrounded the massive home. Yet again, Natsuki found herself to be a little annoyed by the way the fair-haired girl was acting. She seemed to be fine in the gardens, so what made her change?
Natsuki snuck another look at the other girl's face; she took on a calm yet determined appearance, like she had more on her mind than just showing the younger girl around.
'Okay, what the hell is going on?'
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Well, the new update of having no review responses is going to be an interesting change since I'm so used to doing it every chapter. The next couple of chapters should be interesting though I'll try to pin the next chapter up as soon as I can since I'll be working on 'My Way' for a few days it won't take 'a few days' to complete, of course, but…. I don't want to leave you on a cliffhanger here so I'll be trying to gather some more ideas for the next chapter since my notes has a few holes in it, I believe.
I feel like I wrecked Natsuki's character when she's going up to meet the 'guardians' and when she's waiting outside. I'm trying to have Natsuki show a little more maturity since she is a little older since Mai-HiME after all. So I hope it was still believable for you :)
I hope I did alright with Shizuru's character as well. I really think of her as a fearless character and I know I showed her as being and acting small in front of her mother and uncle, but that's why I made sure that I ended the scene with her being bold and fearless when underestimated :)