Our Beautiful Day

Chapter 10: Mizuho's Turn Part 2 – Mariya

A/N: I really appreciate the response to the last chapter. As I said in the author's notes at the end, there was never any real danger to Takako's chastity. She would have freaked out if he had not stopped. Anyway, on to Mariya's date. I hope that it will be surprising and fun. Please let me know what you thought. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: You know what I'm going to say right? Do I need to say that these characters are not mine, I claim no ownership of them, and they belong to Caramel Box? Do I really? Oh I did, okay. On with the show!

After dressing in the clothes that he was wearing when he first picked up Takako, Mizuho woke his date up and led her back to the MKS. "Thank you for such a lovely evening, Takako." He began, "Did you have a good time?"

While she was a little disappointed that Mizuho hadn't taken her, Takako nodded vigorously, "This may have been best night of my life. Even if you don't choose me, I will treasure this forever."

The cross-dressed Mizuho kissed her on the forehead, "This triangle situation will be over soon. Mariya and I will go on a date, and then we will meet at my mansion where I will let you both know who I am choosing. I promise that I am not taking either of your feelings lightly."

Leaning in to feel more of his warmth, Takako gave an affirmative mumble. He was giving her feelings that she had never experienced before, but she was very aware that this was all she might ever have with him. 'Kami, Buddha, Jesus, please have him choose me! I will be the obedient servant to the one that makes it happen!'

The rest of the way back to Takako's apartment was spent in silence that was only broke by the reddish-blonde girl's contented sighs. Mizuho's own thoughts were troubled, 'She's a good girl, beautiful and sweet. I would hate to lose her, but can I give up Mariya for her? I just don't know."

When the car stopped to drop her at her home, Mizuho gathered Takako into his arms and held her tightly. She found his mouth and kissed him with everything she had. They broke the kiss, and with tears welling in her eyes, Takako said passionately, "Mizuho-sama, I believe that you are the only man that I will ever love and I want you to choose me. However, if you do choose Mariya-san, I will not hate you. You have been honest with us the whole time. I will be hurt, yes, but do not worry that I will ever stop loving you. Do what you think best."

With relief flooding his face, Mizuho kissed her again, "Thank you, Takako. See you at school tomorrow?" She nodded and ran into the building before he could see her cry, preserving her pride.

Mizuho was deep in thought as the MKS pulled to the gate fronting the Seio Jougakuin grounds. The driver intoned, "Mizuho-sama, we've arrived. Will you be needing me any further tonight?"

Shaken from his reverie, Mizuho replied, "No Matsumoto, be here same time tomorrow night. Thank you. Have a good night."

"I understand. Have a good night, Master," answered the driver.

Mizuho got out of the vehicle and took a deep breath, 'One down, one to go and I will make my decision. I wonder how upset Mariya-chan is over tonight's date. I'll make it up to her tomorrow.'

Standing just inside the door, Mariya was taking a deep breath as well, 'I know that he spent the evening with Takako. Will he really spend that kind of time with me on our date? I have to give it my all regardless.'

As Mizuho walked into the dorm, he saw his childhood friend looking at him expectantly, "Welcome home, Mizuho-chan. I trust that you had fun tonight," she said with tight smile on her face.

This was not lost on Mizuho as he saw the tears welling in her eyes. He took her into his arms, "I'm home, Mariya-chan. How would like to go out with me tomorrow evening, just the two of us?"

Not trusting herself to speak, Mariya merely nodded and leaned into Mizuho's embrace. She could smell Takako's scent on him, but she ignored it and moved her hands to his chest, and wished not for the first time that it was his real chest and not the prosthetic breasts that he wore for his disguise. After a few moments, she moved her arms to encircle his neck, and pulling his face close to hers, she murmured, "I love you so much, Mizuho-chan. I wish that we could stay like this forever."

At these words, Mizuho's heart began to beat rapidly, not like it was when they would make out. This was something softer, more tender. It was more how it felt when he was holding Takako. His chest clenched and he quickly closed the distance, kissing her with a gentle passion that surprised them both. He asked himself, 'Is this how I really feel about her?' Reluctantly, he broke the kiss and whispered in her ear, "Mariya-chan, I do love you too. If I didn't have feelings for Takako-san, then this would be easier. Let's get some sleep because I am getting excited for tomorrow's date." The violet-haired girl in his arms voiced her assent and they went to their rooms for the night.

The next morning saw Mizuho working his cell phone. He sent Kana to school with a note for his teachers that he had family matters to attend to and that he would not be at school for the next few days. He summoned his driver, Matsumoto, to bring the Mercedes Benz ML350 SUV to take him to the Kaburagi Enterprises offices. He called the Kaburagi and Miyanokouji boards of directors for an early afternoon meeting at the Kaburagi office. He made dinner reservations at Nobu, one of the best restaurants in Tokyo. After those calls were made, he received a text from Matsumoto, saying that he was at the gate. Mizuho then gathered what he needed for the day and walked to the gate with a purpose.

After making a quick stop at the Sakuraba department store for a new navy blue Armani suit, which he changed into, Mizuho arrived at the Kaburagi Enterprises building. When they saw him walk the front door, the security guards stood, bowed low, and greeted him with, "Good morning, Kaburagi-sama." Mizuho nodded at them as they scrambled to get the elevator for him.

Riding the elevator to the top floor, Mizuho felt a little embarrassed at his brusque treatment of the guards at the desk, but he had things to do before his date with Mariya. He needed to tell the board that he might turn down an opportunity to align with the Itsukushima conglomerate. He wanted to hear their thoughts even though it wouldn't influence his decision. Deep down, he knew that the girl he chose would most likely be his bride. Takako would bring an end to the rivalry of their two families, but would the Kaburagi/Miyanokouji conglomerate really benefit from aligning with bastards like Takako's father and brother?

On the other hand, Mariya's family was already an important part of the Kaburagi Company as her father was a member of the board. Selecting her would help smooth the eventual merger of the two conglomerates that he was going to inherit. Mizuho was still mulling these things when he was greeted by Nakazawa Yuko, his late father's longtime secretary, "Good morning, Mizuho-sama. It's been too long since we've seen you here. How is school?"

Mizuho made polite noises in response and went into what was now his office. The desk was still as it was when his father left to go on the fatal trip to the U.S., where he died due to a traffic accident in Los Angeles. Pictures of Mizuho as a child were everywhere. One picture he found particularly poignant. It was the only family picture that was taken while his mother was alive. "Dad, it was easy for you. Your bride was selected for you. Who would you rather see me with?" His conversation with his father was cut short by Nakazawa knocking politely at the door.

"Mizuho-sama, the directors are ready for you in the conference room," she informed him.

"Thank you, Yuko-san. Not just for the notification, but also for being there for my father after my mother's passing." Mizuho knew that she had been in love with his father and had hoped to marry him before he was tragically killed.

Tears filled her eyes, "It was my pleasure, Mizuho-sama. I loved Seiji-sama, your father, with my whole heart, and had it been the will of the Kami, I would have been your step-mother. I wanted so much to…" She turned and fled to the bathroom.

Mizuho was disgusted with himself. "Nice going, genius. You made her cry." Shrugging it off, he walked to the conference room where his announcement had the effect that he expected. Half of both boards wanted him to choose Takako while the other half wanted him to choose Mariya. 'Well, what did you expect? You never intended for them to decide for you. At least I know that both are acceptable,' he concluded.

He looked at his phone and noticed the time, "Shit, I'm going to be late picking up Mariya. He sent her a text asking her to be waiting for him at the gate and sent one to Matsumoto to have him bring the Mercedes around.

Twenty minutes later, the ML350 arrived at the gate where Mariya was waiting wearing a sporty and cute dress. 'That's a perfect description of her, sporty and cute,' Mizuho thought wryly. Matsumoto leapt out of the drivers' seat to open the door for her, "Good evening, Mikado-sama. Good luck, I'm rooting for you."

Mariya blushed furiously. "Thank you, Matsumoto," she responded as she climbed into back seat where her breath caught when she saw Mizuho. This was the most masculine that he had ever appeared to her. His Armani suit was perfect and his hair was pulled back. "Wow, Mizuho-chan, you look so handsome. Where are we going?"

Grinning, Mizuho replied, "You look quite cute yourself, Mariya. How does Denny's sound to you?" When he was rewarded with a dirty look from his date, he waved his hands, "I'm just kidding. We are going to Nobu and then I'm really going to surprise you!"

"NOBU?" Mariya squealed. It was her favorite restaurant. She threw her arms around Mizuho's neck and kissed him on the cheek. Instead of attacking him as she had done in the past, she looked into his eyes and saw love, mischief, and a tender affection that she had not seen in them before. It gave her the same feeling as when he kissed her last night. It was like how she felt when she saw her parents being affectionate, a deep sense of security. She suddenly asked herself, 'Can I trust this feeling? Is he going to choose me? Kami-sama, please,' she prayed.

Feeling her warmth, Mizuho began to relax a bit. His plans for tonight were perfect. "Sorry, Mariya, we have a stop that we need to make before we go to dinner. You are dressed fine for dinner, but not for what is going to happen afterward."

She gave him a quizzical look and her confusion grew as the SUV pulled into Shibuya and then stopped in front of the Sakuraba store. Kagurazaki Miyabi, the manager greeted them at the door, "We are so flattered that you would come to our humble store three times in the last two days, Miyanokouji-dono. Shall I have Minazuki-san attend to Mikado-sama?"

"Of course," Mizuho replied. "She and I became friends last night." Mariya was whisked away, and much like Takako the previous evening, she was made over, complete with a Donna Karan evening gown and shoes. When it was all done, her breath was taken away by the image she saw in the mirror. "Is that really me?" She asked aloud.

Placing a diamond solitaire necklace on her from behind, Mizuho murmured, "You're beautiful, Mariya-chan," echoing what she said after she transformed him into a girl for the first time. Smiling, he asked, "Shall we go to dinner?"

Mariya was in a happy haze. Dinner at Nobu was a blur. Mizuho ordered all of her favorites and they split a bottle of perfectly warmed sake. If you were to ask her later, she couldn't have told what they talked about. All she knew was that she was completely charmed by Mizuho. His every move, facial gesture, and word was like a shot of adrenaline in her heart. Before she knew it, they were back in the Mercedes heading for Shinjuku.

They pulled up in front of the Miyanokouji Company offices, and were quickly escorted into the ground floor ballroom where there was a party going on. A loud voice announced, "Miyanokouji Mizuho-sama and Mikado Mariya-sama." The applause finally broke through the daze that Mariya had been in since they went to the Sakuraba store. She asked, "Mizuho-chan, what is this?"

Mizuho laughed, "Mariya, you are so silly to forget your own birthday. This is your 18th birthday celebration. Happy Birthday, Mariya," he said as he kissed her cheek.

Gobsmacked, Mariya looked around the room. She saw the laughing faces of her family. Also attending were her and Mizuho's friends from junior high and surprisingly, Itsukushima Takako, her rival since their first year at Seio. There was a mountain of gifts on a table off to the side and her blown up senior picture. Mariya was overwhelmed and clung to Mizuho's arm. She asked quietly, "Did you do all of this, Mizuho-chan?" He nodded with a particularly mischievous grin on his face.

He took her hand and laced his fingers with hers, "Tonight, I am your escort and only dance partner, milady. Everything that you are wearing including the necklace is part of my gift to you. There is more to come when we are alone." There was a suggestive undertone to his words that brought a flush to her cheeks.

The party lasted about three hours, and contrary to Mizuho's earlier words, he wasn't her only dance partner, her father claimed her for a dance before gifting her with tickets to the upcoming Olympics including airfare and a swanky London hotel. She noticed that everything was paired and she looked at Mizuho, hoping that he would be her travel companion.

Mariya did notice Takako looking at her rather wistfully. 'What is that about?' She wondered. In the party's death throes, Takako pulled her aside and said, "You look too good with Mizuho-sama. I won't give him up until the end. Enjoy your evening with him as it just might be your last."

Too happy with her evening, Mariya snorted, "We'll see about that, won't we, Takako?" With that she returned to the party with doubts creeping into her mind.

Mizuho had watched the whole exchange and felt that it was time to reclaim his date and give her the rest of his gifts. After thanking the guest for attending, he informed that he was taking Mariya out for the rest of the evening, and quickly whisked her back into the Mercedes. This time the destination was Tokyo Bay. A helicopter was waiting for them there.

When Mariya saw the helicopter, her heart leapt. Years ago, Mizuho had asked her what the one thing the she wanted to do on a date was, and she had said take a night helicopter tour of Tokyo and the Bay. She jumped into his arms and kissed him repeatedly, whispering, "I love you" over and over until she ran out of breath.

Mizuho smiled and after returning her kisses, helped the Birthday Girl into the helicopter. To say the say that the view from the helicopter was beautiful was understating it. By day, Tokyo might seem to be a huge, noisy city, but by night it gleamed and glittered like a jewel.

Mariya was hugging Mizuho's arm and enjoying the sights when she noticed that he was deep in thought. The joy from a dream coming true evaporated in seconds and she remembered that Mizuho was going to be making his decision soon. Suddenly, Mariya got really scared and asked herself, 'Is he doing this because he wanted to have closure with me and he's going to choose Takako, or is he doing this because he wants to make me happy?'

The tightening of Mariya's grip on his arm brought her troubled expression to his attention. He smiled gently and lifting her chin to look at him, kissed her. It wasn't a goodbye kiss. It wasn't a "calm her down" kiss. There was feeling behind it that made Mariya relax and coax him into putting his arm around her.

When they landed, Mariya grabbed Mizuho by the hand and confessed, "Mizuho-chan, I know that you are going to be choosing soon, and I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world. I never understood how much you meant to me until we started going to Seio together and other girls started interesting you and placing themselves in front of you. There were times, even with Shion-sama, that I wanted to yell, 'Get away from my Mizuho!' but I didn't because you were not mine. Then things between you and Takako took a turn for the romantic, and I could no longer lie about my feelings. I may have always loved you, but I was too close to you to see it. We have been with each other all of our 18 years, and I would love to be by your side forever. Please choose me, and I swear to all the Kami, on the Earth and in the heavens, that I will make you the happiest man in the world," she promised, crying.

Mizuho's eyes softened. He took the hand holding his to his lips and kissed it. With emotion in his voice, he began, "Mariya, I've held this hand for so long without attaching anything more than kinship and friendship to it until we entered high school. I was scared then that the feelings that I was developing would ruin our friendship because you appeared to have no romantic interest in me," he paused, and then continued. "When I started Seio with you, I became even more aware that you were a woman. Do you remember the 'Welcome Pajama Party?' If it wasn't for Yukari and Kana being in my room, I might have attacked you then." Mariya gasped in surprise.

Her reaction caused him to laugh, "When things started with Takako, I thought it might be a way to rid myself of an unproductive one-sided crush that I'd had on you for years. It didn't and while I fell for Takako, I was still in love with you." Mariya's heart began to beat rapidly with hope. His next words doused that hope, "I need some time alone to think so I'm going to be away for a couple of days, and we will meet at my grandfather's mansion on Friday. Please bring Takako with you, and I'll let you both know who I will choose at that time," He kissed her gently and nodded to Matsumoto, who brought the SUV closer. "I love you, Mariya, but I'm not sure if I love you more than I do Takako. I'll see you Friday." He then returned to the helicopter and flew away.

Stunned, Mariya stared at the shirking aircraft until Matsumoto gently led her to the ML350 in order to take her back to the dorm. Seeing her tear-streaked face, Matsumoto attempted to encourage her, "Don't worry, Mikado-sama, I think that Mizuho-sama will choose you because you complete him more than that spoiled princess does."

She laughed bitterly, "If only that was true…"

To be continued

A/N: Whew! That was the longest chapter that I had ever written. I wanted to incorporate Mariya's date with giving our hero a little more back story. I hope it worked. I hope that everyone enjoyed. Please let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading!