Hey, I thought I'd make the most of some time I have between projects to get another chapter up in return for you all being so patient with my awful uploading regularity (or total lack of it).

Things are finally staring to move with a bit faster but will they be moving forward or back? I'll leave you to ponder until the next chapter...

I hope you enjoy reading this and again, any feedback (good or constructive criticism) is more than welcome.


As we walked, everything changed around me.

I was no longer beside Shizuru.

My hand wasn't hurt as I hurriedly checked for the stab wound.

I looked around trying to get my bearings.

I was on the floor.

The rest of the class was staring at me.

Teach was bending down beside me asking if I was okay.

I looked to Shizuru who looked back concerned.

I assured Teach I was okay as I stood up and re-took my seat.

I was still struggling to get my bearings as I rubbed my palm to make sure it wasn't hurt.

Shizuru tapped my shoulder and I leaned over to her.

"Are you alright Natsuki? You called out 'no' really loudly and fell out your chair. You must have fallen asleep at your desk".

"Ah… Yes thank you, I'm fine now. I didn't sleep well last night is all".

It was true. It wasn't easy to spend two nights in a bed that made you feel like you were floating only to return to a shelf.

I realised that it must have been a dream without a doubt as it involved Tomoe getting caught and in trouble which never happened.

Though the dream didn't make me feel much better as I normally had them just before Tomoe tried something big to get me in trouble.

As Shizuru and I made our way to class, I glanced over to Tomoe and knew she had something in mind. That put me on edge for the rest of the morning.

Shizuru seemed to sense that I was troubled and tried to make me feel better by getting us a coke to share at break.

We sat on a bench in one of the less frequented gardens, alone together in the peace and company of the flower beds.

It was early June which meant the flowers had all dried out in the heat yet I still found them beautiful as I listened to the rustling of the flower petals. It was almost the end of the school year as finals started to rear their heads.

As a result, Shizuru and I were some of the few who were able to enjoy the sun as most of the students were locked to their desks with their heads halfway to wonderland as they tried to study from the textbooks they had ignored all year.

We enjoyed the silence together until I felt my instincts telling me something was wrong.

Shizuru seemed to recognise my change from the alley and quickly brought herself closer to me, placing her hand on my arm. I noticed she was shaking but had to ignore it as I saw Tomoe emerge from the footpath.

I stood, Shizuru followed, keeping contact between us.

Tomoe noticed Shizuru's hand on me and I saw a crazy anger enter her eyes.

"Oh Shizuru, why did you have to ignore me. I told you she was dangerous, always getting into trouble and yet you still cling to her like she's any good".

"Natsuki is a better person than you will ever be Tomoe. She is strong enough to still be kind even after all you've done to her".

"What I've done to her!? She is the one who is constantly breaking school rules. I know about everything she does from my father so you should listen to me".

She was starting to sound a bit hysterical as she spoke which reminded me of my dream. I moved to position myself between her and Shizuru.

"I still don't see where I gave you the right to choose my friends for me. I want to be friends with Natsuki and I don't think someone who weaves lies around an individual just to gain support in targeting them for no reason is someone I want to know".

I saw something click in Tomoe's eyes. Something close to insanity creeping in. I'd seen it a few times when I was cornered by men on the street, men who were unable to fund drug addictions and hadn't had a woman in some time.

The change scared me more than any other time I'd been cornered by Tomoe because people who have lost control are unpredictable.

She signalled and we were swarmed by her followers. Shizuru was dragged away and held firmly by two girls as I was tackled and pinned by about six.

Tomoe walked up to Shizuru and gently caressed her cheek.

"Don't worry, soon you'll be free of her and we can finally be together".

"I don't think so".

Tomoe laughed at Shizuru's response only to be cut off as Shizuru's forehead collided with her nose. The two goons holding Shizuru found their heads colliding as Shizuru dropped down and moved forward to help me but I found I had been released in the panic of the girls holding me as they tried to scramble.

I got to my feet and grabbed Shizuru's hand as I led her away from a bleeding Tomoe through a route I knew we wouldn't be seen on so we could clean the blood off Shizuru before she got into trouble.

We finally got to the sports hall and made our way into the changing rooms.

I sat Shizuru down as I collected a wad of hand towels to clean of Shizuru. Dampening half of them I sat in front of her and gently cleaned away the blood as I processed what I'd just seen.

We sat silently as I worked on getting rid of any traces of blood on her face.

"How did you do that Shizuru?"

She sighed as if she'd been waiting for me to ask.

"I learnt how to look after myself because my family name can bring harm to those who bear it".

"But Fujino isn't a big name is it?"

"No. It's my mother's maiden name. I took it after my father rejected my choices".

"What choices? What's your family name?"

"I made choices regarding my relationships that angered my father. He couldn't accept me when I told him I would not accept the fiance he had chosen for me".

I sat there for a moment before prompting her about her family name.

"My father's name is Viola".

That shocked me.

The Viola Corporation was a massive research group that could almost control the whole economy with all the money and power it had.

"So that's why you can live alone like you are?"

"Hai".

I sat there taking in the new information when I felt an old memory tugging. I tried to focus on it but it slipped beyond my reach before I could grab it. It had something to do with the Viola Corporation but I just couldn't get it.

I then clicked onto something Shizuru had said.

"What was it about your relations that your father disproved?"

"Does Natsuki really want to know? Can I tell you without you running off?"

"You can tell me, I won't run".

"He refused to acknowledge that his daughter prefered female partners".

"You're a lesbian?"

"Hai".

"Huh… What about your mother? What does she feel about this?"

"Mother told me she'd accept me as I am if I find a partner worthy of my name. You won't run will you?"

I saw she was genuinely scared I would leave.

"Shizuru. I won't stop being your friend because you told me you fancy girls".

"One girl in particular actually".

I was caught off guard by that.

I looked her in the eye and felt the same bolt I had felt a number of times when our eyes met. I had ignored it before but now it made me think.

Could I have feelings for Shizuru!?

I shrugged it off almost as soon as I'd thought it.

It was just my protective streak kicking in as I often felt it before or after one of the bad things that had happened to us. I haven't had anyone to protect before and I wasn't going to let anyone get away with hurting my first friend.

As I stared into her eyes I saw her move forwards. She just leaned in but I felt my heart flutter as I felt her breath on my face.

I continued to stare into her eyes, my whole body frozen.

Our noses brushed and I tensed, pulling back and covering my mouth.

Shizuru pulled away but I couldn't move. Couldn't speak.

"Natsuki…?"

She sounded scared, so unsure.

I snapped out of the daze I was in and felt like I was about to cry.

I couldn't let Shizuru see me break down again so I fled.

"Natsuki!"

I couldn't stop as I propelled myself out of the sports hall and tried to lose myself in the woods at the edge of school.

I had free periods until after lunch so I hoped to be able to hide until then to straighten out my thoughts.

I kept running all out through the woods, not caring when I tripped and grazed my palms and knees.

I ran until I reached a single willow tree in a small opening beside a creek. A hiding place I had discovered last year when I shared most of my free periods with Tomoe and needed a place I could disappear to so I could avoid her.

I sat against the trunk, hidden by the curtain of leaves as the first tears fell.

I wasn't sure why I was crying.

I didn't know why I ran.

I haven't had anyone care about me for a long time.

Suddenly I had a friend and next thing I knew she had feelings for me. And I couldn't deny I felt something.

I was happy.

But I was also terrified.

I have never been in a relationship. I wouldn't let anyone in. And yet someone I'd known only a few days had managed to work their way into my heart without me even realising it.

I tried to gather my thoughts.

I wanted to return to Shizuru but I was scared I had hurt her.

Maybe she didn't enjoy it.

Maybe I had hurt her.

I thought back to my dream this morning and realised that Tomoe had managed to hurt us both without even realising it.

The pain and fear of having hurt Shizuru was almost too much for me to bear.

I couldn't find the strength to move so I sat there, curled into myself. Surrounded by the silence of nature and my thoughts as I waited for the lesson I had to attend with her.