Hello Everyone,
It took me a bit, but the fourth chapter is finally ready for release. One certain part took copious amounts of rewriting to avoid making a certain character appear too sympathetic (you'll know him when you see him) or tipping the hat too early. Also, for your approval, a steamy scene.
Strawberry Weddings
Chapter 4 – The Offensive
"Stop your crying already!" Hito shouted at the tiny silver-haired girl in front of him. He was absolutely furious. While he was working, the girl had snuck into his study and had made off with an important ledger. What followed was a merry chase through the entire mansion, with the girl laughing like a mad hamster. Finally, Hito had cornered her, ripped the ledger from her hands and slapped her in the face... hard.
"How dare you?" he shouted. "How *dare* you?"
The girl looked back at him with sadness. "I..." she stammered. "I... I just wanted to play."
"I have a company to run!" Hito shouted back. "Don't you think I have better things to do than chase after a four-year old brat?"
"Six," whispered the girl.
"What?" Hito cocked his head sideways.
"I'm six years old. Not four."
Hito calmed down slightly and looked at the little girl closely. Yes. Yes, she did look older somewhat.
The girl looked at him for a moment with questioning eyes. He sighed slightly.
"Just what do you want from me?" he said, his anger mounting again. "I give you everything! Toys, trips, clothes... what more do you want?"
"A DAD!" the silver-haired girl shouted. The answer to his own question shocked Hito. In the girl's eyes, the answer was clearer than words still. The girl wanted a father. Someone who'd play with her, take her to the zoo or eat an ice cream cone with. Someone who'd read her a bedtime story. Someone who'd see her off to her first day of school. Someone who could take away the crushing loneliness in her heart.
The reality of it all hit Hito like an axe to the face. She stole the ledger because she was desperate for attention. *His* attention.
He sank to one knee and reached over to touch the girl's face. The girl gasped and recoiled from his touch.
Funny. Why did this make him feel as if his heart had been ripped from his chest? It never did before.
"You miss her too, don't you?" Hito said, feeling tears sting in his eyes.
The crying girl turned around and looked him in the eye. There was a brief moment of understanding between the two of them, before the girl jumped into his arms and started to sob.
"Shizuma," Hito whispered as he clutched the tiny girl to his chest with all his might. "I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry."
The memory had come flooding back as he was flipping through some photo albums in the sitting room. That was the day everything changed. The day he had started to regard his daughter as the treasure that she was. Though he felt he had gotten off to a good start, in the end his good intentions had petered out again. Still, he was glad to know that he had still done some things right. Particularly in cancelling Shizuma's arranged marriage.
He clearly remembered breaking the news to his biggest rival that same night. "Yeah, your son and my daughter?", he had said after calling up Rokujou Tenou. "Ain't gonna happen."
He grinned to himself for a moment. The look on Rokujou's face must have been priceless after he had hung up the phone. It helped greatly to repel the self-loathing he felt, when realized he had condemned his precious Shizuma to a potential life of unhappiness because of an arranged marriage from birth. And all for the sake of easier business deals.
Things got better for them after that, however. Another memory came flowing back.
"If we look at the sales figures alone, that speaks volumes of your incompetence!" shouted Hito at his board of directors. All twelve cowered in his presence, as he was the undisputed despot and dictator of the Hanazono Industry Group. His word was law and gospel.
Next to the large oaken board table was a small yet cosy playcorner where a six year old girl with almost fluffy silvery hair was blissfully having a tea party with two of her stuffed animals.
Hito turned to Shizuma and spoke with a kindly, and fatherly voice. A sharp contrast with his anger earlier. "Zuma-chan? Honey? Can you come to me for a moment?"
Little Shizuma was only happy to do so. She put down her cup, rushed over to her father and hopped on his lap. She lay her little hands on the table as she stared at the frightened men around it.
"Shizuma, honey," said her father. "I have a very hard job for someone to do. You see, we have something we want to sell, but we don't know how we're going to convince customers to buy it. So, we need someone to come up with a way to make customers buy it. Do you understand, honey?"
Shizuma looked a little confused, but eventually nodded in understanding.
"These people are all so equally stupid, so I simply can't decide whom to give it to. Can you pick someone for me, Zuma-chan?"
The tiny girl put a finger to her lip as she scanned the men. Some looked hopeful, some looked frightful, others tried to look away.
Just then, an office lady with a tray of drinks to serve to the board stepped into the room. She was young, had long black flowing hair and was taking out the cups for the board members in silence.
"Her!" said Shizuma and pointed at the young office lady with outstretched arm, in such a manner that she almost toppled off her father's lap.
The office lady was startled enough to drop one of the cups. "Sumimasen," she bowed meekly.
"Her?" Hito asked Shizuma. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah!" Shizuma raved as she hopped off her father's lap. "She's pretty!"
"Congratulations miss..."
"Hyato... Hyato Aya, sir," she bowed.
"Hyato-san," said Hito. "My daughter has just chosen you to head a very important marketing campaign. I'm sure you will do your company proud. Report to our HRM managers after you've had a chance to recover. You'll be set up with an office and a staff."
Aya was stunned by all of this, but focused on the one thing she did know. The boss' precious little girl was looking at her while holding out her arms, signifying that she wanted to be picked up. Aya did so and pressed the little girl to her chest. In turn, little Shizuma's smile turned into a goofy grin while pressing her cheek against Aya's bosom.
"T-thank you, sir,"
A disgruntled executive crossed his arms. "Is it just me or did the boss' girl just cop a feel?"
"Not fair," pouted another executive. "She always picks girls."
"DID I ASK YOU TO SPEAK?" Hito roared in reply while, in the background, little Shizuma was far too busy groping at Aya's chest to notice.
Hito grinned to himself at the memory. Werther it was to cop a feel or not, it was certain that Shizuma had an eye for talent. Hyato Aya had been his most successful marketing director for the past 15 years and a true asset to the company.
Though he did have a nagging suspicion that his daughter had actually slept with her on numerous occasions when her visits home from Astraea Hill happened to coincide with visits from Aya-san to the mansion to discuss marketing strategies.
Still, Hito and Shizuma had grown closer, definitely. But in the end he never did take her too the zoo, or bought her ice cream or even read her a bedtime story. And after Shizuma had left for Astraea Hill, they had started to grow apart again, except for the few weeks a year they saw each other.
Soon enough, it was time for reminiscing to end as four cheerful girls entered the sitting room for afternoon tea. He could only surmise that the girls had settled in at Shizuma's wing of the house.
The two girls, Chikaru and Shion, both bowed politely before sitting down on one of the couches, while Shizuma and Nagisa took the other couch. Rather than sitting next to each other, Shizuma pulled a giggling Nagisa onto her lap and treated her to a kiss on the lips. It was an endearingly cute sight to behold.
"I recognize you from a trip I took with Shizuma to Vienna so long ago," said Hito. "You were both a lot smaller then."
"Vienna was the place were we first confessed our feelings for each other," said Chikaru to a blushing Shion.
"And now we're getting married," Shion said as she laid a hand on Chikaru's shoulder. "Or, we're trying to, at least."
Hito smiled. "It's nice to know at least one of the matches made by my daughter has had any measure of success."
Upon hearing this, Shizuma narrowed her eyes slightly. "I resent that remark!"
"Oh?" Hito crossed his arms. "What about the time you tried to set up Sharon-san with that translator from Russia? I believe a shotgun was involved. Not exactly a romantic resolution."
Shizuma shrugged. "I can't help it if Sharon is hard to read. Seriously, she needs to get herself laid."
At that moment, Victor came in with the tea. He distributed the tea among the girls and left as quickly as he had arrived.
"I didn't even get a chance to thank him for the tea," Chikaru said softly. "I blinked once and he was gone."
"Victor is very efficient," Hito said. "But don't worry. He knows and your thanks are appreciated."
It was then that Nagisa first noticed the photo albums. "Oh, do those have baby photos of Shizuma?" she said after hopping off Shizuma's lap and making a grab for the albums. "Shizuma never wants me to see those."
"Seriously," Shizuma smirked. "Why do you want to see a picture of a 1-year old me lying naked on a rug, when you could have the 22-year old me lying naked on a rug right in front of you in my room?"
Shion blinked. "Right, we've entered Too-much-information territory," she said while rubbing her temples. "And while we're sharing, how about any embarrassing stories about your childhood, Shizuma-san?"
"What? Why?" Shizuma protested.
"I believe you owe me for the many frustrations caused to me by all those luncheons you skipped out on during your Etoile days," Shion said, an devilish grin starting to form.
"She has you there, Shizuma-chan," Chikaru smiled sweetly.
An increasingly panicked Shizuma looked at Nagisa for support. "Sorry," replied Nagisa with a giggle. "This is just too good pass up."
Hito watched the exchange with growing joy. And his mischief bone was tickling in his chest. "I so happen to know the *perfect* story!"
Shizuma's head snapped towards him, her face locked in an expression which could only be described as a silent scream.
All three other girls sat up a little straighter, waiting for Hito to start the story.
Shizuma sighed in frustration. "Traitors! All of you!"
"Let's see," Hito rubbed his chin. "I think this happened when Zuma-chan was about three years old. Myself, Hoshi and Shizuma had just arrived at the private skiing resort at Niigata for a short winter holiday."
"Oh, no, not that one!" Shizuma wailed in agony. It only served to make the other girls even more curious.
"It was the first time Zuma-chan had ever seen snow in her life. And she absolutely loved it. She ran around in her little parka, whooping and giggling with joy. She threw it, she rolled in it, she made snowmen. You name it. She played in the snow from daybreak till nightfall. It was an endearing sight."
Shizuma sighed as the other girls hung from his every word.
"The second day she playing very carefree again, much like the first day," Hito started. "And then a seagull flew overhead. And poor Zuma-chan, well, she got bombarded, if you catch my drift."
A heavy groan left Shizuma's mouth as the girls around her started giggling.
"It was only a seagull, but from the shout Shizuma let loose while running back inside anyone would have believed she had been bombarded by the earth's last pterodactyl. She ran inside the cottage, up the stairs, into her room and hid herself under her bed. After that, Shizuma didn't leave the cottage for three whole days, wouldn't even come near the windows. It took Hoshi endless hours of convincing to actually get her to go outside again. And even then, she was overly cautious."
Hito almost started laughing himself when he saw Shizuma's sour expression as her wife and friends were laughing.
"Oh," Chikaru said between giggles. "I'm... I'm sorry Shizuma, but... it's just too silly."
Judging from the grin on Shion's face, the story had made up for some of the frustration she undoubtedly suffered because of Shizuma's antics.
"I'm sorry, Shizuma," Nagisa giggled, but put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "You know I love you, but this is just..." It was a sentence she would never finish because she was giggling again.
"Yeah, sure, laugh at my traumatic childhood experience, why don't you?" Shizuma said, but a sly grin started to cross her features.
The conversation drifted to other topics, thankfully less embarrassing to Shizuma. Hito hoped she would have forgiven him for telling the story by dinner time, but looking at the smile on her face, he had nothing to worry about.
"Did you hear Yaya-chan and Tsubomi-chan have bought an apartment?" Chikaru asked.
"Oh, yes," Nagisa said. "I can't say I'm surprised."
"Hah," Shion laughed. "I wonder if they made something explode yet."
"Tsubomi-chan, most likely," said Shizuma.
"I wonder how long it'll take before they'll get married as well," Nagisa pondered.
"Those two?" Chikaru put her finger to her lips. "The moment Tsubomi-chan graduates from Astraea Hill. Mark my words."
A silence fell over the gathered girls in the room. "Our days at Astraea Hill," said Chikaru. "They seem so long ago, don't they?"
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Shizuma smirked. "We survived Astraea Hill and all we got was this lousy diploma."
"And our memories," Nagisa said.
"Yes," Shion nodded. "Memories are important."
The girls let out a collective sigh at the memory of their days at Astraea Hill. The brief silence was rudely disturbed by the tell-tale ringtone of Shizuma's cellphone. It was the Halloween theme song, a ringtone born out of Shizuma's quirky interest in horror. Shizuma flipped open her phone and saw it was Kaname ringing her up.
"Uhm, excuse me for a moment," Shizuma said. She got up from her seat while the other girls started chatting again. The Halloween theme song trailed off as Shizuma left the room. She was certain to move a few steps away from the room into another corridor nearby.
"Yes?" Shizuma asked after finally picking up the call.
"Shizuma-sama, it's Kaname," sounded on the other end of the line. "Can we speak freely?"
"Just a moment," said Shizuma as she looked around her and found the corridor completely empty. "Yes, we can."
"I've found out something rather interesting today. It seems to confirm that your Midori is into older men," said Kaname.
"Alright," Shizuma nodded. "What do you know?"
"Midori was involved in a rape trial last year, just before her graduation," Kaname said. "The official report says one of her teachers assaulted her after class. He didn't actually get a chance to rape her, it seems, but he was convinced to 5 years imprisonment for the attempt."
"What the..." Shizuma muttered to herself.
"There is no sign of an out-of-court settlement, but she was given damages," Kaname said. "Also, the man himself was older than your father, claimed he was in a relationship with her and that the so-called attempted rape had been a consensual act. Might I suggest you pay this man a visit? See what he knows. He is being held in a correctional facility two prefectures away. I'll mail you the exact location later."
Shizuma mulled it over. "How do I excuse myself from the mansion?"
"That's your problem, not mine," Kaname said harshly. "But I do suggest you follow up on it. He might give you some insights on Midori's character."
"If it was a trick," Shizuma asked with a slightly fearful tone of voice. "Do you think she would try to use it on my father?"
"Unlikely, though anything is possible, I suppose," Kaname said. "Your father is an extremely powerful businessman with high connections, so a conviction would be unlikely. That said, however, your father is not above the law entirely."
"I'll keep that in mind," said Shizuma.
"Take care, Shizuma-sama," Kaname said and hung up.
Shizuma pocketed her phone and turned around...only to be startled to see Chikaru standing at the end of the corridor. "C-chikaru," she blinked.
"Uhm," Chikaru started. "Your father wonders if and when you're coming back to finish your tea."
"Yes, uhm, and now," Shizuma said quickly. "I, uhm, I am done with the phonecall."
"I heard," Chikaru smiled, but Shizuma could tell from the look in her eyes that the kindly raven-haired girl was concerned... which was something Shizuma would rather not have, both to keep her secret and to protect her friend from any further stress. If Chikaru had heard something she shouldn't have, she wasn't letting on. And that was something which worried Shizuma further.
An awkward silence hung between the two friends as they returned to the sitting room together. Hopefully, the rest of the evening would be uneventful.
The night was balmy and humid as the light of the moon shone through the window. Having just finished making love, Shizuma and Nagisa lay in their bed drenched in sweat and still panting somewhat. Nagisa lay curled up against Shizuma, a halo of glorious afterglow surrounding her sleeping face.
Indeed, the rest of the evening *had* been uneventful. After a lovely dinner, the girls spent some time chatting, but seeing that Shion and Chikaru had had a long trip, they had decided to go to bed early. Nagisa and Shizuma followed suit. Of course, in Shizuma's eyes, an early night was an excuse for an extra long session of lovemaking, which was exactly what Shizuma and Nagisa had done.
Shizuma, still somewhat starry-eyed herself, lay on her back hugging her Nagisa to her body while staring at the ceiling. Unlike Nagisa, sleep did not come easy to Shizuma.
During the lovemaking she had been completely focused on the sharing of pleasure with her wife, but now that it was over her thoughts drifted back to the difficult situation she was in. Tomorrow she would have to find a way to sneak away from the estate to interview a rapist.
That was something she had never expected to have to do in a million lifetimes.
Shizuma closed her eyes and reflected on the horrible situation she was in. She had a perfect plan to actually sneak away - the prayer she would say for her mother, to which Nagisa had promised she would join her for. She would have to make up an excuse to leave from the shrine and return home later that day. Shizuma hadn't quite worked out the specific details yet, but one thing remained:
She'd have to ditch Nagisa and get out of the house by using wanting to honor her mother's memory as a pretence. Both those things didn't sit well with her. She just hoped that both her mother... and Nagisa... would understand.
Shizuma gritted her teeth and hugged the sleeping Nagisa closer to her.
It had to be done! To save her family! It was the right thing to do!
So why did she feel like such a worthless human being because of it?
Suddenly, Nagisa stirred in her sleep and smushed her face against Shizuma's chest. "I love you," she whispered softly. "I love you so very much."
"I love you too, sweetie," Shizuma smiled as she spoke the words. "You're my everything."
Oddly enough, speaking those words while knowing what she would have to do tomorrow made her feel ever more terrible.
A few rooms further, in the guest room of Shizuma's wing, Shion lay in bed reading a travel magazine, while Chikaru was gently brushing her hair after removing her ribbons. Shion looked up and smiled as Chikaru climbed into bed and propped herself up on the pillow.
"A travel magazine?" asked Chikaru.
"I have to keep up with the latest developments," said Shion, now interning and studying for the promotion of Japanese tourism. She decided to put the magazine away for now and looked at Chikaru. "You look much better."
"I feel much better," Chikaru smiled. "this place is amazing, just as big as the Toumori estate."
"Tell me about it," Shion chuckled. "Though I never had as much private quarters as Shizuma has. I only had one room. Granted, it was a very huge room, but still..."
"Shizuma," Chikaru started with concern on her voice. "I'm worried about her. Something's not right."
"Hm," Shion said. "I've never seen her that nervous. She tries to hide it, but... she's as jumpy as a whippet."
"I overheard a phone conversation today."
"Really?" Shion asked, giving her a slight grin. "Such a sleuth you are."
Chikaru playfully batted at Shion. "It's not like that! It just happened accidentally and I only heard a little bit."
"So, what did you hear then, oh wise and all-knowing Chikaru-sama?" Shion winked.
Chikaru shot her a brief glare, but let the jab pass. "She's going to sneak away from the estate tomorrow. Don't know why. Might be related to her father's new bride. I get the feeling Shizuma really hates her."
"Heh, that's not hard to miss," Shion smirked. "But you know what I think?"
"Hm?"
Shion propped herself up and gently lay a hand on Chikaru's cheek. "I think that beautiful and kind girls who are already on the verge of burn-out should be more concerned about themselves, however noble their intentions might be."
Chikaru smiled and lay her own hand on Shion's for a moment. Shion pulled the cord on her lamp to bathe the bedroom in darkness. Underneath the covers, the two lovers embraced and held each other tightly.
"Hmmm," Chikaru closed her eyes. "I could be here like this forever."
Shion smiled as she slipped her hands underneath the back of Chikaru's nightshirt, feeling the warmth of her bare skin.
"Shion-koi," Chikaru gasped.
"I'm..." Shion said while leaning in to kiss Chikaru on the lips. "Not really all that tired yet."
Chikaru grinned and wrapped her arms around Shion before kissing her back. What little clothes they had worn to bed were shed in record time. Their kiss devolved from loving to hungry, almost violent.
Moans and sighs deepened and increased in pitch as the two lovers shared these violent kisses, caresses and rolled over the bed. Shion swooned when Chikaru's tongue twirled circles around her belly button.
There was not a slow build-up like their usual lovemaking, but a quick burst of raw passion.
They were fugitives on the run from their families, hiding out and having wild sex in someone else's house. It gave birth to a rather sinful undercurrent which made both girls hunger for more and faster sensations.
Shion felt Chikaru's strength and warmth as she wrapped one arm around her while letting her free hand slide over her body, taking a moment to cup and squeeze her breast before continuing downward across her belly. Shion threw her head back and let out a cry when the mischievous raven-haired girl reached her intended destination. The blonde-haired girl, despite seeing stars in front of her eyes, won the fight to remain coherent enough to return the favor and start an assault of her own.
As they lay pressing against each other, Shion's last doubt and worries all disappeared. This girl, Chikaru, the love of her life, was all hers and hers forever. Chikaru belonged to Shion as much as Shion belonged to Chikaru. And nobody, nobody would ever come between them ever again. All doubts, all worries disappeared in a sea of endless blissful pleasure.
Their breath quickened as crescendo approached for both of them. Merciful and blissful release overloaded their senses. They almost reluctantly let go of each other. Now drenched in sweat, both girls lay on their backs, panting heavily as they tried to recover.
"Oh, wow," Chikaru panted while wiping the sweat from her brow.
"That was... incredible," Shion gasped for breath. "Even makes me wish I smoked."
"No, you don't!" Chikaru narrowed her eyes and swatted at Shion.
"Okay, okay, I don't, I don't," Shion laughed and rolled to her side, reaching for a bottle of water which stood on the nightstand.
"Shion-koi!" gasped Chikaru. "You're bleeding!"
"Hm?" Shion frowned. "Where?"
"On your back, there."
Shion looked over her shoulder and could just make out four long thin gashes in her shoulder. "Well," Shion said softly. "It looks like someone had a little too much fun and lost control of her passions."
"Oh?" Chikaru frowned at the good-natured joke, rolled to her side to confront Shion until she noticed the bedsheet was sticking to her shoulder. She felt her shoulder and found that four nailmarks had drawn her blood from her body as well. "You were saying something about losing control over passions?"
Shion chuckled briefly. She shared the contents of the waterbottle with Chikaru and the lovers embraced, ready to sleep the rest of the night.
"Uhm, Shion-koi?"
"Hm?"
"Shouldn't we take that down before the maid comes to wake us up for breakfast?"
Shion looked up and saw that above them, Chikaru's panties had found their way to the chandelier hanging above their bed and was now prominently displayed in the room.
"How'd I get that up there?" Shion blinked. "And how are we supposed to get it down? It's three meters above the bed."
"Ah, leave it," Chikaru shrugged. "They'll know what's been going on here anyway."
Shizuma's Corvette zoomed over the road towards the nearby city. It was unusually warm today, leading Shizuma to sliding the hard top down and letting her long hair blow in the wind. Next to her sat Nagisa, still reliving this morning's events.
"I can't believe how red-faced Shion-san and Chikaru-chan were," Nagisa laughed.
"Yeah, Sharon has a way of doing that," Shizuma chuckled, remembering how she subtly, yet loudly complained about having to take down a pantsu from the chandelier while walking through the estate with a ladder under her arm.
"Poor Chikaru-chan," said Nagisa. "She looked absolutely mortified."
"Well, they were *her* pantsu," Shizuma smirked. "Seriously, though, I wonder why Sharon was so ticked off about it. I mean, when I was still living at home, she had to clean up more things than just a pantsu. One time, she had to drag down a whole girl from the chandelier."
Nagisa blinked. "A girl? But... how..."
Shizuma shrugged. "Details are best left in the past. I'll just say that feather-dusters and whipped cream were involved."
"Oooooh," Nagisa nodded her understanding.
"That's my girl," Shizuma ruffled Nagisa's hair while keeping one hand on the wheel.
Somewhat outside the city still, was a fork in the road leading to a Shinto Sengen shrine at the side of a lake. Shizuma parked her Corvette at a small parking lot. The shrine itself lay in an area of dense woods containing beautiful trees. Both girls entered a winding path leading to the shrine itself, passing several torii gates along the way.
The shrine itself was small, but beautiful. The path led them to a gravel-filled square. The offering hall, the largest building of the shrine, lay in front of them, while a smaller building to the side was the living quarters of the miko tending the shrine. Opposite to the living quarters, was a stage used at festivals, a rack for the ema and omikuji and the purification font.
A young shrine maiden popped out of her living quarters to welcome her quests. Shizuma and Nagisa bowed politely, then made their way to the font to ritually clean their hands before entering the offering hall.
The offering hall was large and cool, and Shizuma stepped over to a rope suspended from the ceiling. She yanked it, making a gong resound through the entire hall. Upon hearing the sound, Shizuma closed her eyes.
"Mom," she spoke in her mind. "I... I don't speak with you much. I can never think of anything to say. I... I hope you think well of me. Nagisa and I are doing fine. Since last we spoke, some interesting things happened. Nagisa and I worked at a maid café, can you believe it? But it was a really fun time. I miss you. I tell you that all the time, I know, but I really do. I just wish you could have been there with me as I grew up, fell in love twice, married..."
Shizuma sighed heavily.
"I guess I'm skirting around the issue," Shizuma spoke in her mind. "Truth be told, there is an intruder in our house who has her hooks in dad. She has the nerve to think that she can take your place. I won't stand for it. I won't allow it. I'll get rid of her by whatever means I can muster to protect our family. I hope you approve of this, mom and can give me a sign of your blessing. I love you, mom. I'll always love you."
Suddenly, Shizuma was filled with a strange sensation, all around her. She felt warmth and love surround her, and felt as if something... someone was embracing her, comforting her.
Shizuma opened her eyes and saw that Nagisa was just finishing a prayer of her own. "Amen," she whispered.
Shizuma felt tears stinging in her eyes. "Nagisa," she whispered. "She's here. She's here with me. I can feel her."
"Shizuma," Nagisa whispered and hugged her wife when the tears started flowing. "Come on. Let's get out into the sun for a bit."
Just as Nagisa led her wife towards the exit of the offering hall, a sharp creak could be heard above them. Without warning, a piece of roofing fell down and hit Shizuma in the head with the flat end.
"Ow!" Shizuma exclaimed and rubbed her head. "What was that?"
"Shizuma, are you okay?" Nagisa asked.
The shrine maiden came running inside and picked up the piece of roofing. "I... I'm so sorry! We've never had problems with the roof before. I'll... I'll go have this fixed immediately. Please accept my humblest apologies."
"No worries. Owie," Shizuma rubbed her scalp and put a money donation into the shrine's coffer as thanks for the prayer. Then, Nagisa led her outside.
"Are you sure you're okay?" said Nagisa.
"No," Shizuma smirked. "In fact, I might die of concussion if I don't receive treatment immediately."
"And what might the proper treatment for that particular concussion be, exactly?" Nagisa asked, cocking her head sideways.
"Why... a kiss from my true love, of course," Shizuma winked.
"What's in it for me?" Nagisa crossed her arms and challenged her wife in a playful manner.
"Wellllllll," Shizuma leaned in to whisper in her ear. Immediately, Nagisa grew bright red.
"Deal," Nagisa replied and treated Shizuma to an ever deepening open-lipped kiss right in the middle of the square. The miko, whom had resumed sweeping after the incident in the offering hall, saw the couple and tried to ignore them, whistling the tune she had been whistling just a little louder. When they were done, the couple released each other.
"Better?" asked Nagisa.
"Much," said Shizuma. "Thanks for coming along and enduring my heathen ceremony. You certainly treat my religion with more respect than I treat yours."
"*Heathen* ceremony?" Nagisa giggled. "Now you make it sound as if I'm Hikari-chan."
Shizuma chuckled. The last time Nagisa had talked her into joining her at church one Sunday, Shizuma had slept through half the sermon. Nagisa had been pretty understanding about it, though.
"Are quite sure that this Jesus of yours doesn't mind you being married to someone who doesn't believe in him?"
"Absolutely. He's your Saviour too, Shizuma," Nagisa teased. "He loves you. He loves everybody."
"That's the whole problem! I don't like the idea of some random dude loving me, even if he is supposed to be the son of God."
"I love you more," Nagisa winked and hugged her wife.
"Now *that* I like to hear," Shizuma said, returning the hug. After filling out an ema together and placing it on the rack, the two wives said their thanks and goodbyes to the miko and left the shrine compound. When they reached the parking lot, however, they found Victor waiting for them with one of the family limousines. Shizuma could see the surprise on Nagisa's sweet face and had to take a deep breath. The lie would present itself soon.
"Victor-san is here to drive you back to the estate," said Shizuma softly.
"But why? Aren't you driving me back?" Nagisa frowned a little.
"Oh," said Shizuma, trying to keep a straight face. "There's just a little surprise in town waiting for me to pick it up and give it to you."
Nagisa's eyes brightened suddenly. "Surprise? Ooohh, is it cake?"
Shizuma smirked. "You read my mind. Really, is that all you ever think of?"
"It used to be only cake," Nagisa teased, "but ever since I met you, it's cake and sex. Sometimes even at the same time."
At this point, Victor coughed, feeling it necessary to remind Nagisa of his presence.
"Uhm yes, well..." Nagisa blushed.
"Madam," said Victor. "If you wish to bring miss Nagisa home yourself, I'd be happy to fetch the cake you ordered."
"That won't be necessary, Victor," said Shizuma quickly. "Although you might want to warn Sharon that there is a good chance she'll be cleaning bits of cake from the chandelier in my bedroom tomorrow morning."
"Uhm, please don't say that to Sharon-san," Nagisa bit her lip.
And so Shizuma waved at Nagisa as Victor drove off. Nagisa waved back, leaning out of the car window to do so.
"AACCCHOOOOUUUU!" sounded through the Nanto-Okuwaka household as Tsubomi let out a violent cough, following by a sniffle as she blew her nose in a handkerchief. Poor Tsubomi groaned as she lay on her side in bed, her throat aching and her nose so filled up there was a tiny squeak with every breath she took.
There was a knock on the door. Tsubomi was about to ask the person to come in, before succumbing to yet another violent coughing fit.
"Hey, hey, hey," Yaya smiled as she cheerfully entered, carrying a bowl of chicken soup. "Is my poor sick baby feeling a little better?"
"Guess," Tsubomi said hoarsely and coughed for good measure.
Yaya sighed slightly and sat down on the bed besides her. Tsubomi propped herself up and took a few spoonfuls of the chicken soup. It tasted a little salty, but it did wonders for her sinuses.
Tsubomi hated being sick. She never made a secret of that, but Yaya took it all the complaining in stride. Most of all, she hated being sick while there were so many things to do. She considered it a horrible waste of time.
"How did you make this?" Tsubomi asked. "Our kitchen's not functional yet."
Yaya shrugged. "I asked the lady next door if I could borrow her kitchen for a bit. She's really nice and invited us over for tea when you are feeling better."
Tsubomi finished her soup and lay on her side, not wanting to look Yaya in the eye. "I'm sorry I got sick. This is all such a horrible waste of time."
She heard Yaya sigh behind her. "I'm sorry I made you sick. If I haven't been fucking about with that faucet..."
"Yaya," Tsubomi coughed. "Please don't swear in our house. It's unbecoming a lady of your stature and just plain nasty."
Yaya giggled and reached over to pinch Tsubomi's cheek. "Now you're just trying to cheer me up," Yaya said. "And I love you for it."
Tsubomi huffed. "Trust Yaya-chan to be vulgar at inappropriate times."
"So I can't say fuck? Not even in my own house?"
"No."
"Can I say..."
"No."
"What about..."
"No."
"And..."
"No."
"Not even..."
"Especially not that word," Tsubomi huffed. "It's filthy!"
Yaya scratched her head. "Can I say ass? As in, 'Tsubomi-chan has a very nicely shaped ass'."
Tsubomi thought for a moment. "Ass is fine. Especially in that context."
Yaya hugged Tsubomi from behind gently. "You don't have to feel guilty about being sick. I mean, you can't help it."
"It's just annoying," said Tsubomi. "We have so much to do in our house and only two weeks before I have to return to school."
"Meh, I'll just ask my dad to make a donation to the school and get them to give you permission to stay longer," Yaya shrugged. "I swear, Astraea Hill hangs together by brides disguised as donations. Why do you think Shizuma-sama was allowed to stay months away from school without consequences after her first girlfriend passed away? I'm sure it has everything to do with the new stagehall her father gifted to the school."
"Bribery," Tsubomi spat out the word with disgust. "Not in my name."
Yaya nodded. Sometimes Tsubomi could be painfully honest. "I understand," she said and Yaya crept a little closer to her and nuzzled her neck.
"Yaya-chan?" Tsubomi asked before coughing again. "What are you doing?"
"Snuggling with my honey?"
"Don't be stupid," Tsubomi said. "If you get sick too, we'll lose even more time."
"Some lousy germs are not going to keep me away from the girl I love," said Yaya, intensifying her hugging and nuzzling, while adding quite a bit of fondling.
"Yaya-chan," Tsubomi gasped.
"I don't care that you're sick," Yaya said. "I want to be with you. You're the girl I love most in this world. You are my heart and my life. I know this sounds corny as hell, but... I want you to be with me. You're important to me."
Tsubomi blushed in spite of herself. It wasn't often that Yaya shed her usual goofball side in favor of something more serious. But when she did, Yaya always managed to make Tsubomi's heart beat faster.
Then she yelped as Yaya's hand crept up her nightshirt. "Let's make love," Yaya whispered.
"Yaya-chan!" Tsubomi hissed. "It's the middle of the day!"
Yaya's only response was Yaya biting down on Tsubomi's collarbone. And she really wasn't in any situation to resist, even if she wanted to.
"Hm?" Nagisa said after accepting a call from Shizuma. "Your car broke down?"
"Yeah," spoke Shizuma over the phone. "I, uh, think I poured in the wrong kind of gas."
"Oh, Shizuma!" Nagisa sighed. "Again? You should really learn how to read the labels."
"Hey, how is it my fault that they give the gas pump that same stupid green color as the diesel pump?" Shizuma laughed. "I think it's done some real damage this time. The mechanic needs to check it out just to make sure. I'm really sorry, but I'm not sure when I'll be back."
"Shall I ask your father to send out Victor to come get you?" Nagisa asked.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. "Nah, I'll be fine," said Shizuma. "The mechanic says it'll just take a couple of hours, probably, and I can just do some shopping here in town and maybe take a walk through the forest."
"Alright, if you're sure," Nagisa replied softly.
"No worries," Shizuma replied with a giggle. "Your cake is fine. It's sitting in a coolbox in the back of the trunk."
"It had better be!" Nagisa said with an edge of humor in her voice. "If even one tuft of whipped cream gets dented, you're sleeping on the couch tonight, Shizuma."
"Noooooo," Shizuma laughed. "No worries, sweetie. I'll be back with your cake before you know it. Just keep Chikaru and Shion out of trouble, okay?"
"Deal," said Nagisa. "Love you."
"Love you too."
Nagisa snapped her phone shut and walked back to the sitting room. There, on the couch, Chikaru was entertaining a happy Maaya with two hastily improved sock-puppets representing Godzilla and King Gedorah fighting each other. Nagisa watched the spectacle for a while. Chikaru had gotten a lot better at throwing her voice since her days at Lulim.
Mostly, it was a relief to see that Chikaru was doing better. Color had returned to her face and she seemed to be a bit more energetic.
"Sorry, that was Shizuma," Nagisa said during a quiet moment in the puppet play. "She called to say her car broke down and won't be back until later."
"Did she now?" Chikaru frowned while never stopping the sock puppets from fighting their cataclysmic struggle. Maaya was having a whale of a time.
"Ah, there you are," said Midori as she stepped into the sitting room and bent down to one knee. "Maaya-chan, it is time for your nap."
"Nooooooooo," Maaya wailed. "I want to play with Chikaru nee-chan!"
"Now, now," said Chikaru as she patted Maaya over the head with the sock-puppet. "Godzilla and King Gedorah always fight. So they will fight again after your nap. And you do look a little tired."
"I'm not tired yet," Maaya yawned heavily.
Midori picked up her little sister and clutched her to her chest. Almost immediately, little Maaya dozed off. "Oh dear," smiled Midori. "Minamoto-san, thank you very much for keeping Maaya-chan busy. I know I'm a little late. I have been talking wedding plans with Hito-kun."
"Wedding plans. Oh, I know all about those," Chikaru smiled gently.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Midori whispered. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"It's fine," Chikaru held up her hand.
"How are the wedding plans coming along?" Nagisa asked.
Midori smiled gently. "We've got all the details worked out but one. The last detail, however, is a doozy."
"Let me guess, her name is Shizuma?" Nagisa said.
Midori nodded. "Hito-kun doesn't want to get married until Shizuma-san has come to terms with our relationship and I agree with that. It's just that... Shizuma-san still doesn't like me very much. I've tried to avoid her as much as possible so there won't be a conflict."
"I don't envy you," said Chikaru. "I've known Shizuma-chan for years and I can tell you this - once Shizuma has her mind made up, it's very difficult to convince her to change her opinion. I don't want to discourage you, but that's just how she's wired."
"I agree," Nagisa said softly. "I'm afraid you've got your work cut out for you. But you'll have all of us to help you."
"I think trying to avoid her is not a good strategy," said Chikaru. "Certainly not if you wish to change her mind. If you like, I will speak to her on your behalf, but you'll really have to most of the work yourself to convince her."
"Yes," said Nagisa. "You need to show her your good intentions. You need to talk to her to convince her you'll be a good addition to the family. She distrusts you, so you'll have to make her trust you. And that won't happen if you avoid her."
Midori smiled. "You are right, of course. It was foolish of me to think otherwise. I think I'll just need to muster my courage and talk to her."
"Don't let her intimidate you," Nagisa smiled. "Trust me, she's a pussycat, really."
Her gambit had worked and her excuse about a broken down car had given Shizuma enough of a timeframe to be able to drive to a neighbouring prefecture and back. Now, she found herself sitting in the prisoners' visiting room awaiting to speak with a convicted attempted rapist. Something she never would have expected to do in a million years.
Of course, in the strict Japanese prison regime, Shizuma had had to wait till visiting hours, but then the man finally arrived. Maebara Daisuke, a 50 year old ex-teacher, stepped into the room. He was short, thin man, with a mousey appearance and shaggy hair. The man sat down opposite to her and stared at her for a moment.
"Well, well, well," the man grinned. "I don't often get visitors, least of all pretty young things like yourself."
Now, Shizuma was a very beautiful young woman. As such, she was often the target of hopeful males trying to pick her up whenever she went out to town. Unfortunately for them, Shizuma had very little experience with the affections of men and was either oblivious to their intentions or did not know how to deal with them. It was something with which Nagisa and Chikaru teased her constantly.
This man was different. From the leers and stares, it was painfully obvious even to Shizuma what he wanted and would to do to her given the chance. In fact, Shizuma was relieved that they were separated from each other by a thick pane of bulletproof glass.
"I... I'm married," she said, holding up her hand to show him her wedding ring in hopes of discouraging him.
"So am I," grinned the man. "Doesn't make a difference, really. So tell me, pretty pretty. Why are you here?"
"My name is... Aiko," she lied.
"That's not your real name," the man looked at her intently.
"My real name isn't important," said Shizuma in a harsh tone of voice. "I want to hear everything you know about Yoshida Midori."
"Ah," his mood darkened. "A friend of the bitch, aren't you?"
"Hah!" Shizuma narrowed her eyes. "Hardly. In fact... I want to make sure that she's out of my life forever."
"Oh?" the man sat up a little straighter. She definitely had piqued his interest now.
"Tell me what you know."
"Well," he started. "Midori-chan, Midori-chan. Such a lovely temptation you were. Oh, she was a very, very bright student. A natural talent, even. Skipped several classes and was well on her way to becoming accepted to Tokyo University of Medicine. She would have been studying to become a doctor now if her parents hadn't..."
"I know about her parents," Shizuma said harshly. "Get to the point."
"Midori-chan has a thing for older men," Maebara-san laughed bitterly. "Got chummy with a lot of her male teachers. I had most contact with her as I was her assigned mentor. Bright, charming girl. Flirty. Likes intelligent conversations. We ended up having, ahum, in-depth student reviews at a love hotel on several occasions, and before you ask, yes, it was consensual."
Shizuma rubbed her chin. "Indeed? So where did the rape allegation come from?"
"The little whore decided I wasn't worth the effort anymore once my class was about to end and she would be moving on to another course," the man snarled bitterly. "But then I was lucky enough that her parents died."
"Lucky enough?" Shizuma raised an eyebrow, and found herself starting to dislike this man more and more by the minute.
"Figure of speech," grinned the man. "Her study fund dried up, she had to get a job to support that little mewing brat of a sister of hers, so her grades were suffering. If she wouldn't pass my course, she wouldn't even qualify as a nurse and wouldn't be able to get a job in the medical world at all. So, I agreed to pass her for my class if she would do something for me... or a regular basis."
Shizuma felt her stomach churn in revulsion. She was no fan of heterosexual sex to begin with, but the idea of a woman having to subject herself to pawings from a man against her will was absolutely abhorrent. And that was exactly what this wretch had suggested.
"But the little whore didn't like that idea," he growled. "Suddenly I wasn't good enough for her anymore. So I decided to show her who was in charge, so grabbed her and pushed her on the desk. She screamed, another student heard the scream, security guards came... and the rest is history. Now I'm stuck here for five years while that little bitch is out there free with my life savings."
"Settlement?"
"A court-ordered one, yes," he grimaced. "I lost my license, I lost my job, my marriage is in shambles, my children won't even talk to me. And all because of *her*."
"And you are blameless?"
"Yes," he insisted. "We had an affair, I admit that. But what she did... I think she planned it after her parents died. To get some cash for her and her sister to survive. I suppose I shouldn't blame her for that, but I do! I want her to suffer."
"So you didn't try to rape her?" Shizuma asked.
The man remained silent. "We had a deal. Regular sex for a passing grade."
"A deal which you forced her into."
"It was still a deal."
"And you don't consider that to be rape?"
"No, I consider that a business deal, like I told you."
Shizuma sat back and shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "To be honest, I thought I'd have more trouble getting you to talk."
"What do I have to lose?" the man shrugged. "And I gather the only reason you are here asking about Midori-chan is because someone in your family is a victim to her wiles. So, which is it? Brother? Uncle? Father?"
Apparently, he read her expression, because as soon as he had spoken the word 'father', his eyes lit up. "Ah, so that's how it is. Let me warn you, Aiko-san. She is an imp. A tick which latches onto you, sucks you dry and leaves you wanting for more."
"I will deal with her," Shizuma rose from her seat. "But not for your benefit."
"I see. What about you, hm?" said Maebara-san as he watched her leave. "You look like a pretty girl who needs to have a good man show her how it's done. Midori-chan was right about one thing - older men are a lot more experienced."
"We are done here," said Shizuma.
"Oh, don't be like that. And do I not get a reward for my efforts? I haven't seen a woman in so long. If you could just slightly bend forward a little, let me look at your bosom..."
Though Shizuma was seething, she resisted the urge to flip him off. Instead, she made a dignified retreat without showing any outward signs of the pure rage which was burning through her veins.
Later, the sun was setting already when Shizuma drove her Corvette home, but her thoughts were more than a little conflicted.
The story, as Maebara Daisuke told it, was abhorrent. Shizuma never denied that the sudden loss of both her parents must have been a horrible to deal with. She herself had suddenly lost her mother, after all, and she knew how painful it had been. Midori's life and that her of her sister had suddenly been in shambles. And to then have her teacher, a person in a position of trust, treat her like that?
Horrible. Despicable.
Part of her felt sorry for Midori for having to go through that... but what... what if it really had been all a ruse? What if Midori had been playing the naive fool all along? After all, Midori and Maebara Daisuke's affair had started before her parents' death and Shizuma had no doubt that these "in-depth student reviews at a love hotel" must have done wonders for Midori's grade average.
Yes, the guy was definitely a sleazebag, but who was the real victim here? Was the guy a disgusting exploiter of an innocent young girl, or was he a transparent victim for a master manipulator? Or even both?
She cursed loudly for a moment and rammed a fist against the wheel of her car - all this trouble and she still was no step closer to knowing the truth.
Shizuma had hoped against hope that this visit would somehow hand her enough evidence to be able to present a smoking gun to her father so that he would toss Midori out on her ass. Instead, she only had more questions.
In fact, presented in the right light, telling this story might make Midori seem even more sympathetic in the eyes of her father.
"Dammit!" Shizuma exclaimed.
She lied to Nagisa for nothing. And it was all Midori's fault.
There was no other recourse. She'd have to go on the offensive.
"Shiiizzzuuummmaaaaaa!" Nagisa flew in Shizuma's arms after having entered the estate.
"Careful!" Shizuma exclaimed while juggling a box with her free hand. "Cake, cake, cake!"
"Oooh, sorry," Nagisa smiled, released Shizuma and took the box.
"There's your present," Shizuma told her wife. "I'm just sorry it took me so long to get it to you."
"It's from you," Nagisa said. "That's all that matters."
A pang of remorse shot through Shizuma's soul after Nagisa presented her with the wonderful loving smile of hers... right before all of Nagisa's attention went to the cake in the box. "Ooooh, sugoi!" said Nagisa as she saw the cake, liberally adorned with chocolate, cream and marzipan. "This looks wonderful."
"Why don't you go to the sitting room?" asked Shizuma. "We'll share this beauty with our friends."
"Sounds like a plan," said Nagisa. "I'll go find Victor. I'm sure she can set us up with some saucers, forks and tea."
Shizuma watched Nagisa leave. Though her heart was still in tattered from having lied to this wonderful girl in her life, she took solace in the fact that it was for a good cause. Which was further cemented when she noticed that Midori was approaching her.
"What do *you* want?" Shizuma asked coldly, and crossed her arms while glaring at her.
"I..." Midori started nervously.
There was no mistake about it - Midori was nervous to be around her. A slight grin crept on Shizuma's porcelain features. The stately silver-haired beauty smelled blood in the water.
"I wanted to talk to you," Midori said. "I, uh, we are going to be family soon and... I think it'll be good for us to get to know each other. Talk. And, uhm, get to know each other. So... I think we should talk... and..."
"Get to know each other?" Shizuma snorted, barely hiding the sarcasm in her voice. "You said that twice already."
"Sorry," Midori looked at the ground, avoiding Shizuma's glares.
"You think you're going to be family?" Shizuma asked. "Let me tell you something. My father's life is his work. This is always been this way. Know that when you are married to him, you will be a second fiddle to his one true love - work."
"B-but," Midori blinked. "He said he'd retire. And that... you will take over the company."
"Hah!" Shizuma laughed. " He's been saying that for years now. But he never actually did it. And this time is no different. But, chin up," she said, while starting to walk away. "You'll have this big mansion all for yourself. I hope that'll ease the utter, utter loneliness that awaits you. Have a nice evening, Midori-san."
And so, Shizuma walked away, leaving a very confused Midori behind her. Of course, all which she had said had been a lie. In fact, her father had never been so serious about retiring ever before and she had no doubt that he meant his words... of course, Midori didn't have to know that.
The Offensive had started.
One-nil for Shizuma.
A wicked slasher grin marred Shizuma's gentle features as she left the entrance hall, blissfully unaware that above her, Chikaru had been the lone and now very concerned witness to the game she had started.
Tsubomi stepped out from the living room into the bedroom. Though she still felt a little lightheaded, the fever had passed and she was feeling much better in general. She had just turned out the lights after finishing up with some minor work like painting two of the doorposts to have them dry overnight. All in all, she was happy with the work she was able to do today while still spending most of the day sick in bed.
Tsubomi shook her head. Earlier today, Yaya had cheekily proclaimed to have 'fucked the fever right out of her', a sentence which had earned her a slug to the shoulder, even though the expression and the cheek in Yaya's voice when delivering the line had made her very endearing. Despite their constant bickering and butting heads, Tsubomi truly hoped that her beloved Yaya would never, ever change.
When she entered the bedroom, Tsubomi was met with a mournful groan, not unlike the sound a zombie would make before rising from the grave.
In bed lay Yaya, with an icebag on top of her head, panting heavily and coughing ever so often.
"Tsubomi-chan?"
"Hm?" said Tsubomi after exchanging her clothes for her nightshirt and climbing into bed.
"Making love to you when you're having a headcold? Not a good idea," Yaya groaned, pushed the duvet away and rolled to her stomach. As she often slept nude, it offered Tsubomi a view of the elaborate tattoo Yaya had had inked to her lower back. It had been a spur of the moment declaration of love to Tsubomi. It was over the top, senseless, infuriating... and so very, very Yaya. Like many times before, Tsubomi briefly kissed the tattooed skin, now slightly salty because of Yaya's perspiration.
"I could have told you that, Yaya-chan," Tsubomi said while snuggling against her love. Yaya, in spite of herself, smiled, rolled to her side and hugged her back.
"I love you," said Yaya before snorting up the contents of her nose.
"I love you too."
"AAACHHHOOOOOUUUU!"
"Eeeeew! It's all over me! YAYA-CHAN, THAT IS DISGUSTING!"
"Sowwy..."
It's on now – Shizuma is on the offensive. :) Next time, more trouble brewing.