Here's chapter 8. There are quite a few hints in this chap for future events; it's all the matter of whether you pick it up. Eh-heh…and I'm starting college next week, so I'm thinking updates will slow down…dramatically. But I'll try my best! For now, enjoy!


Chapter 8: Questions

"Naa, Shizuru," Natsuki called.

Shizuru rolled her eyes to look at Natsuki, already smiling. "What is it?"

Natsuki didn't return the look, instead tried to focus on something outside the window. But nothing caught her attention. The view from the window of this new temporary Student Council Room definitely wasn't as enchanting as its predecessor but she suppose it does have its own charm. Like the person who is always here half the time. She shot a quick peek at Shizuru, standing beside her by the window, before looking away again. "Yesterday…"

Shizuru smiled wider. "What about yesterday?"

Memories of their ridiculously long in-each-others-arms session popped into Natsuki's head. Needless to say, it had been awkward when they finally parted, of which she didn't remember who initiated anyway. A slight tinge of pink colored her cheeks. "Sorry, I took so much of your time."

A satisfied grin took over the more innocent smile. Shizuru rolled her eyes away from Natsuki. "It's okay. Natsuki should ask that of me more often. Natsuki's body is so soft and nice to the touch after all."

The tinge of pink flared up, and a choke sounded in her throat. Natsuki glared accusingly at Shizuru. "Why do you always…"

Shizuru eyed Natsuki with interest. She prodded. "Always?"

Natsuki's gaze dropped, desperately looking for something else to focus on. "Say such…embarrassing things."

Shizuru's hand reached out, and using her forefinger and thumb, tilted Natsuki's chin up. She felt a surge of glee when those emerald green eyes widened slightly. "Of course, because I'm addicted to Natsuki's cute blushing face."

The blush deepened, but at the same time Natsuki's eyebrow twitched. She whirled her head away from Shizuru's grasp. "What's with that reason?" she half pouted. "It's…unreasonable!"

Shizuru chuckled lightly, retracting her hand. She leant back on the wall and took a deep breath. "I'm serious, Natsuki."

Natsuki blinked, and turned back to look at Shizuru, catching the suddenly heavy tone in that voice.

Shizuru cast Natsuki a gentle but serious look. "Natsuki may ask anything of me"

Natsuki's left hand fidgeted, the sudden urge to reach out to Shizuru beaten down by her own consciousness not to. The consciousness that told her 'Yeah, so you were hugging her all night last night. That doesn't give you the right to be so familiar with her. Why do you want to touch her anyway? It's unlike you.' Her brows furrowed.

Unlike me? What is like me?

She shot her yes out the window, hesitantly raising her left hand to the window pane, pretending that was what she wanted to do all along, because she knew that Shizuru noticed her fidgeting.

I just…wanted…

From the corner of her eyes, she spotted Shizuru's right hand hovering over her left, and then it clasped down. She found her eyes inexplicably drawn back to Shizuru together with their hands. Shizuru's hold was gentle and light. Loose enough for her to pull away if she wanted yet firm enough to keep her from falling. Natsuki gulped, shifting her gaze from their hands to those eyes. "Shizuru…"

Shizuru smiled, her grip tightening just a bit. "Don't be afraid to ask of anything"

Natsuki's mouth gaped slightly with uncertainty. She closed, and then opened it again. "I…have a question"

"What is it?" Shizuru asked.

Natsuki looked down. "Yesterday, you said…you know that Nao is using you, then why?"

The sound of Shizuru seemingly forcing a breath caused Natsuki to raise her head. She saw there, that sad, almost guilt-ridden smile. Her eyes widened, taken aback. The look Shizuru gave her seemed to say that she didn't want to answer.

"It-It's okay if you don't want to-" Natsuki stopped, and looked at their hands, as Shizuru shifted their positions until Natsuki's palm was resting her own. Natsuki looked at Shizuru, puzzled by the act. "Shizuru?"

Shizuru didn't answer, instead poked her middle finger at Natsuki's wrist. Natsuki reacted by glancing at their hands, still not having the slightest idea what Shizuru was getting at. But catching sight of her hand on Shizuru's, all thoughts became incoherent. The skin beneath hers was so soft and smooth, much fairer than her own. Slowly, she lightly traced her fingers over the hand that held hers. Shizuru didn't stop her, so she went on. Then she felt something, and stopped. She lifted her hand and peered at Shizuru's, seeking the anomaly she felt. There were scars, of injuries that must have just recently healed.

'You're hand, what happened?'

The flower garden. Shizuru's bandaged right palm. "This is?"

Shizuru nodded. "Yes, it's from then."

Natsuki eyed Shizuru's hand closely. The injury wasn't a single cut or anything like that but rather, many small cuts that were scattered mostly around the top half of her palm and all five fingers. Her brows came together in complete puzzlement. The pattern of the injury was so abstract, she hadn't a clue what could've caused it. She brought her eyes back to Shizuru. "What happened?" She didn't believe that Shizuru doesn't know.

A pause. There's that sad smile again. "That morning, I came upon Nao at the steps of the dormitory."

Natsuki's jaw tightened, unconsciously. "Nao did it?"

Shizuru kept the smile. She shook her head. "No. Nao thrust a branch at me, saying it was an olive branch."

Olive branch?

'So, if I offer her an olive branch, she doesn't have a reason to not accept, don't you think?'

"She really did it," Natsuki muttered under her breath, more to herself than Shizuru.

Shizuru drew her head back. "Natsuki seems to know about this"

Natsuki snapped up. "No, we, Nao and I……talked…about this before. That's all."

Slowly, Shizuru dropped her hand and brought it behind her to join its pair, leaning back on the wall. Her eyes watched as Natsuki too, withdrew her hand, albeit a bit reluctantly. She raised an eyebrow, before turning her head away with a sigh. "I noticed, in Nao's eyes, the insincerity of the peace offering. But…I reached for the branch still. Not to accept, but to reject," she paused and listened for any reaction. She closed her eyes, chest heaving a breath. "What happened after that…I'm not sure."

Natsuki frowned. "What do you mean?"

Shizuru's brows furrowed, and that smile returned. She leant her head against the wall, eyes snapping open. "When I came to, my hand…was already like this. The branch, was on the ground in pieces and Nao…stood there looking at me, eyes widened, pupils shaking, shoulders shaking…she was terrified beyond description. Because of…something I did," she brought up her right hand once again, staring at her palm. "It wasn't a nice sight. All the splinters, and all the blood but…I don't know why, I can't recall even touching the branch."

"What? But, how…is that…?"

Shizuru's fingers curled into her palm and she glanced at Natsuki. "The peace offering may be fake but, the fear in Nao's eyes wasn't. Does Natsuki understand now?"

She did. It was guilt. Shizuru allowed Nao to approach her because of guilt. But it's unfair, because Shizuru doesn't even know what happened there. What exactly happened? To make Nao so scared…she wanted to know. She nodded to the question, but kept her head down, unsure how to ask her own.

"I tried asking Nao what happened, but every time I do she becomes uncomfortable and doesn't answer. So I stopped asking," Shizuru said

Head still down, Natsuki released a silent breath.

You won't, then I will

"Don't ask"

Natsuki straightened, startled that Shizuru knew what she was thinking, and startled that Shizuru was asking her not to ask. "Why?"

Shizuru turned her head to look at Natsuki. She smiled, no longer that sad, guilt-ridden smile but still, one that was different than normal. Her expression softened. "Please"

Natsuki stared hard at Shizuru, not believing that the other seemed almost pleading for her not to question Nao. Why, she imagined herself asking. What are you hiding? But it didn't feel right. Why would Shizuru hide something that she herself knew nothing about? That would only mean that instead of hiding, Shizuru was protecting that one person who knew, but feels uncomfortable when the topic is brought up. A bitter smile came to her. "You two seem pretty close"

Shizuru must have noticed the bitter tone, if the smile wasn't enough to tell how Natsuki was feeling, but she paid no heed to it. A grin creeped across her lips. "Nao is a cute girl. Our relationship, is short, is probably beneficial connection."

"Beneficial…connection?"

Shizuru smiled, indicating the obvious. "We both gain something from the other. Isn't that what you call a beneficial connection? Nao is especially good at filing. She might make a good clerk in the future."

Natsuki found herself amused by the statement, despite her bitterness. "You're not serious" To say that the image of Nao with glasses seated on a desk filing paperwork all day long didn't fit was an understatement.

Shizuru let out a stifled laugh. "I'm not"

Natsuki was puzzled. No, she didn't think that Nao could really make a good clerk but if Shizuru wasn't serious, then why say it in the first place. She searched Shizuru's face for an answer, only finding Shizuru smiling kindly at her. At once she realized that her own bitter smile was lost. On cue, Shizuru's smile grew just a bit wider. Natsuki helplessly relaxed, her eyes softening. So Shizuru noticed her bitterness, and was only trying to lighten her mood. But was it wrong for her to feel pissed? Never mind the beneficial connection crap, for Shizuru to be protecting Nao, when did they become that close? She felt her mouth open, and the words flew out before she could stop herself. "Do you like her?"

It didn't help that her eyes were still locked on Shizuru's face, that she could see the changes in Shizuru's face, down to the minute. It also didn't help that it took so long for Shizuru to answer. Almost as though it was a question she shouldn't have asked.

Shizuru shifted her weight and stood properly. "Yes, I do," she answered, turning her body to Natsuki. "But," she leaned in, "I like Natsuki much much more."

Natsuki froze, jaw dropping slightly, warmth flooding her cheeks. She knew she was blushing, and by the glint she saw flash by in the other's eyes, she also knew that the other was quite pleased by the sight. She wanted to retort, say something, anything but found that her body wouldn't cooperate. She just stood there looking back at Shizuru as Shizuru's words repeated in her head. Then she caught sight of Shizuru's hands reaching up to her neckerchief, and began to almost agonizingly untie it, eyes never leaving hers.

Natsuki's jaw dropped further, before she closed it and gulped. "What…are you doing?"

Shizuru seemed to smirk. "Ara, isn't it obvious? Natsuki can see, can you not? I'm untying my neckerchief."

Natsuki never felt so small in her life. There she was, standing in front of someone who was probably only two centimeters taller than her yet seemed towering, smirking down at her while nonchalantly answering. She eyed the neckerchief, now loose, as Shizuru casually pulled it free from the collar. Natsuki gulped again. "Wh-Why?"

No answer came; instead Shizuru dangled the neckerchief next to Natsuki's face, near enough that it grazed Natsuki's cheek. Natsuki rolled her eyes to the piece of cloth, and then back to Shizuru again. Just as she was about to speak, Shizuru drew the cloth away and simply held it in front of Natsuki in a way that its full shape could be seen.

"Natsuki probably wouldn't believe this," Shizuru started, holding the cloth closer to Natsuki. "But just a little bit more, and Natsuki's face would be as red as this."

Natsuki's eyebrow twitched and she immediately covered her cheeks with her palms, and turned away, embarrassed to death. She tried to literally rub the red off her cheeks but to no avail. If anything, it had the opposite effect instead. And the sound of Shizuru laughing her heart out -gracefully, of course- definitely wasn't helping. She glared at Shizuru, cheeks still covered. "Shizuru! You-You did that on purpose!"

Shizuru stopped, and gazed adoringly at Natsuki. She smiled. "Partially. I did say I'm addicted to Natsuki's cute blushing face, did I not?"

"I said that's unreasonable!" Natsuki snapped.

Shizuru chuckled, and slipped the neckerchief back around her collar. "Truthfully, that is what Natsuki wanted to know, am I wrong? After all, questions like whether I like someone, doesn't concern Natsuki, does it?"

"Eh?" Natsuki blinked. Instead of feeling speechless or shocked that the first thing Shizuru said was indeed true, or feel intimidated by the second, she felt a surge of unexpected confidence. She dropped her hands from her cheeks and raised an eyebrow. "Ho, you went out of your way just to make your point that I shouldn't be asking about things that didn't concern me, what a hard worker you are."

The heavy sarcasm seemed to throw Shizuru off a while, but she quickly regained her calm. The smile that followed was almost wicked. "It wasn't without gain," she said, in a most carefree tone. She eyed Natsuki to see if the blush would come back on, but it didn't. She had to admit she was surprised by Natsuki's resolve. "I do like Natsuki better."

Success. Natsuki scowled. "Stop joking!"

"What makes Natsuki think I am?" Shizuru asked.

Natsuki folded her arms. "Hmph! Because that is what you always d-" she stopped.

Always?

'I like Natsuki'

'Natsuki…I love you'

She wasn't joking then. But now…is different. Unless, she feels the same?

Thunderous knocks sounded on the door, effectively drawing her out of her thoughts and she looked to the door. Without waiting for any form of reply, the door slid open, revealing Suzushiro Haruka and close behind, her bespectacled friend and unofficial follower. Oddly, it was Yukino who stepped up and spoke, while Haruka resigned to just stand next to the door.

"Kaichou," Yukino greeted, immediately catching sight of Natsuki. The surprise was quickly hidden under a smile. "Ah, Kuga-san. You're here too."

It didn't go unnoticed though. Peeved, Natsuki acknowledged Yukino with a slight nod before making herself physically unsociable. That means, keeping her arms folded, slumping her shoulders forward and turning her head away.

Shizuru pretended not to notice the change. "What brings you all the way here, Kikukawa-san?"

Yukino turned to Shizuru but before she could say anything, another voice rang out. "The Director called for you," was said in an offhand tone by Haruka, still standing at the door, not even looking into the room.

Shizuru glanced at Haruka, and then she smiled. "Is that so?" She turned to Natsuki, who now cuts her unsociable act and relaxed. "Ah, it seems that I have to part with my Natsuki," her hand slipped around Natsuki's cheek. "We were just having a good time, no?"

Natsuki heard a short gasp, probably coming from one of the other two also present in the room. Either that or they gasped in unison. Then it suddenly came to her, the reason for the gasp. She and Shizuru must be quite a sight right now, plus with all the things that Shizuru just said. It practically begs for a misunderstanding. Or does it? She wanted to slap Shizuru's hand away, but found herself unable to move, again. Her mouth opened, but no words came.

Thankfully, Shizuru herself retreated, but not without a light chuckle. "Just kidding" And with that said, she headed for the door, not once looking back, and leaving the other three to stare after her.

Clearly dissatisfied, Haruka made sure to shoot a stare at Natsuki before she motioned to Yukino to leave. Yukino did exactly that, after having slid the door shut gently. Natsuki watched the door close, and exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding when it finally did. Her left hand instantly came up to her chest, in an attempt to calm the rapid beating of her heart, of which she wasn't sure when it started. But probably somewhere around when Shizuru said 'my Natsuki'.

My…Natsuki?

No. She said she likes me better. Better, meaning in comparison to Nao. That's all it meant.

Natsuki sighed, and leant back on the wall. She closed her eyes to calm herself, her left hand following the rise and fall of her chest. It worked, and she dropped her hand. She opened her eyes, and saw the entire expanse of the now empty room. Her brows furrowed.

Then…why do I feel so…saddened?


The 'I like Natsuki' and 'Natsuki…I love you' from Natsuki thoughts are from episodes 21 and 25 respectively. Just thought I should mention it. Leave me your thoughts and I'll see you guys in next chap!