A/N: Hi everyone... please feel free to read and review this story…
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MAI HIME
Chie and Nao came to the bar where Natsuki sat drinking. "Hi dude." Chie greeted. Natsuki smiled and looked at the red head. A silent "hello, Nats" escaped Nao's mouth as she and Natsuki exchanged shy smiles. Chie sat in the middle of the two. She later stood and went to the rest room leaving Natsuki and Nao alone.
"hey…" Nao started to break the silence "…You weren't texting me lately. Why?"
"I've been busy."Natsuki pulled a very stupid lie.
"You don't have to lie. You can just tell me that you're avoiding me after what I told you that night."
"I'm sorry, Nao. I hope nothing changes between us." Nao already understood what that simple sorry meant.
"Yes. I will still be your best friend. We will still talk. And don't worry I won't flirt with you. Having you as a friend is one of the best things that happened, let's just forget what slipped from my mouth that night." Natsuki nodded
"getting drunk already? Why do you two look so serious? Is there something going on that I don't know?" Chie asked as she went back from the rest room.
"No… I was just asking Nats if she can come with me tomorrow for help in the hospital… since my mother had been in the hospital for quite some time now, I figured we're gonna need extra hands in moving her back home."
"that's nice… you're gonna meet mcdreamy." Chie said smiling at Natsuki Natsuki just smiled back then looked at Nao.
Mr. Zhang went out of the room to fill up some papers as Nao and Natsuki continued to pack their belongings.
"Mom, do you know how happy dad is? Dad was blushing as he kissed you on the forehead earlier. because finally you're going home." Nao said happily as she exited the room carrying some stuff to Mr. Zhang's car.
"seventeen years of marriage and the flame still burns. How do you do that, Mrs. Zhang?" Natsuki asked curiously.
Mrs. Zhang sighed. "Do you really wanna know? I'll tell you, Nao's father wasn't really as loyal to me as he is now. During the first year of our marriage, he used to go out with other girls."
"Oh. I can imagine how you felt." Natsuki answered
"It was like hell everyday. I even came to a point when I left him for months because I can't bear it anymore. But one night, he came to my father's house begging me for forgiveness. He said he realized that I was the best thing that ever happened to him. I forgave him and that night, I conceived Nao."
"Did you doubt his loyalty after that night?"
"I hired private detectives to check if he's had any affairs and none was reported so I can say, he deserved my trust." Natsuki nodded. "You know what, there are some people who need a 4th or maybe even a 14th chance to finally understand and value the things that will provide them long time happiness. If I hesitated to forgive Nao's father, surely things grew a lot different from how they are now."
"Thank you for the words of wisdom, Mrs. Zhang."
"Oh. That's nothing… I promised your mother to look after you while she's working out there." Natsuki smiled while she recalled the words from Mrs. Zhang. [1]
Mai was watching TV in the dorm downstairs on a thursday night.
'will she pick me from Shizuru?'
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Mai hurriedly made her way to open the door.
At the same time,
Shizuru was in the library reading a book while drinking her tea. She looks at the window wishing to see a certain blunette who will come to the mansion. It took her by surprise when there was a knock on the door.
Ms. Fumi came in the library later. "Miss Fujino, you have a guest downstairs who wants to see you…"
"Really?" Shizuru ran to the living room, she was ready to grab Natsuki and give her warm kisses. 'Natsuki, you made the right decision by choosing me!' "NATSUKI?" Shizuru's face darkened as she sees Reito Kanzaki.
"No. I am certainly not Natuki Kuga." The boy warmly smiled as she handed a form to the brunette. "Director Mashiro said you left this in the Student Council Office."
"Reito, I already told you and Director Mashiro that I don't have any intention of running for the student council president seat. I can just help you plan the events but I can't be an officer." Shizuru said coldly.
"But you're perfect for the position, Shizuru, I think you should reconsider it." Reito then left the mansion as Shizuru weakly went to her room.
"Are you gonna let me in?" Natsuki asked as Mai hugged her and pulled her to the dorm.
"I promise, you won't regret this decision." Mai said happily.
'I hope so.' Natsuki thought to herself.
Natsuki walked to the locker room alone. She told Mai to wait for her in the dorm. She said that there were important secrets she and Chie would discuss. The school was almost empty so she thought she would be alone in the locker room to think. It was very ironic for her to see that the crimson eyed beauty she avoided the whole day was the only other person inside the quiet locker room.
Natsuki started to walk towards her locker avoiding Shizuru's eyes. She then quietly took some of her stuff in the locker and prepared to leave.
"Natsuki." The brunette greeted. Her voice was sad. In deed, it was heartbreaking for the blunette's ears.
"Shizuru, I'm sorry… if I made you feel bad I'm very sorry." Natsuki silently said. Her apology was sincere. She then turned around to leave. Another sight of Shizuru will make her change the decision of choosing Mai so she just started to turn around and leave.
"The Hyatt Motel." Shizuru said. "I first saw you outside the Hyatt Motel..." (This is the answer to Natsuki's pending question to Shizuru, the question she did not answer during dates) Natsuki stopped walking to listen to what Shizuru has to say but she didn't turn around to face the other girl. "It was Valentine's day and also the day I arrived here. My child hood playmate and friend, Reito picked me up from the airport. We passed by the motel and I saw you and Nao. You had that look painted on your face… the ones people have when they are about to confirm that their most beloved relative died on a tragedy. I figured your tragedy was Mai and Yuuchi." Shizuru pauses briefly and continued "…then I told myself that if, given any chance, you were mine I would not allow you to get hurt like that. It is such a shame, though, because I tried to give you the best you are worthy of and you chose less." Shizuru's voice broke while she was saying the last sentence.
Natsuki walked away after hearing those words.
Natsuki hurriedly find her way to the bike's location. She put on the helmet and started her bike. 'Mai is waiting for me in the dorm.' Tears were uncontrollably coming out of her eyes as she drove. Every meter going to Mai's direction makes her feel heavy. She stopped the urge to drive back to the academy and run to Shizuru's arms. "I made a choice and I'm standing on it.' She thought herself as she pulled over to smoke the toxic emotions away.
At another school day lunch, Natsuki and Mai were walking on the corridor. There were posters of candidates for the next Supreme Student Council officers. People around are busy chattering. One of Shizuru's fan girls were giving away leaflets and handed Mai one. Mai examined it while walking. "Shizuru is running for President." Natsuki blushed upon hearing the particular name. Mai busied herself looking at the paper and pretended not to notice blunette's reaction.
At a quiet part of the fire exit near the supreme student council office, Reito and Shizuru talked about what was causing Shizuru to be very quiet lately.
"She chose the heart breaker over me, Reito. Am I that unworthy of her attention?" Shizuru sobbed and Reito put a hand on her back.
"It's her loss not yours, Shizuru." He answered as Shizuru cried and hugged him.
Suddenly, Yuuchi Tate grabbed Mai's wrist taking the couple by surprise. "Mai, I didn't know you would be dating Natsuki but you know what, I bet I'm better than her." Natsuki furrowed her brow."That's it!" 'i am definitely going to Shizuru. this is the sign I'm looking for.' She said and as Yuuchi quickly kissed Mai, Natsuki walked away and ran down to the stairs of fire exit. Mai escaped from the kiss and slapped Yuuchi's face.
"Don't ever do that to me again! We're done! I told you that I am in love with someone else! Don't you know how to respect my decision?" Mai said as Yuuchi backed away. Mai then followed Natsuki to the stairs of the fire exit. "Natsuki, I didn't kiss him back! You have to believe me." Natsuki continued running as Mai followed.
"Do you really want me to believe that?" Natsuki yelled as she kept on running.
"Will you listen to me and stop running?"
"No, I won't!" Natsuki then froze as she sees Reito wiping Shizuru's cheeks with his hands in a very romantic mode. In no time, Mai saw the short commotion and Shizuru and Reito looked at Natsuki and then at each other. [2]
Mai cooked for Natsuki that night. It was her way of apologizing. Natsuki did not speak much to her after the incident earlier.
"Natsuki," Mai said as they ate dinner Natsuki looked at Mai 'okay, that look can kill me now.' "I'm sorry. If you want to talk about what happened earlier we can."
"I don't wanna talk." Natsuki answered coldly
"I get that you're upset, talk to me, let's fix this." Mai insisted as Natsuki pretended not to hear anything.
In the locker room the next day, Mai noticed that there were only a very few people therein so she again started to insist that they talk about the incident. Natsuki just sat down at the bench in front of Mai's locker as she waited for Mai to finish loading and unloading her bag with books.
"Nats, up to now, you haven't yelled. And you know what, you have the right to be angry at me now. I am your girl friend. You can yell. You can smash things." Natsuki sighed "…you can call me names. I even deserve it… Go on."
"I don't wanna yell. I don't even wanna talk."
"Seriously, you have the right to be mad."
"Seriously, NO. I don't even have the strength to think right now." [3]
"Then what should I do to have your forgiveness?"
Natsuki did not talk.
"Natsuki, my ex boyfriend kissed me yesterday in front of you. He RUBBED THAT KISS ON YOUR FACE WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT I'M BETTER OFF WITH HIM THAN WITH YOU! WHY DON'T YOU SHOW EVEN A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF ANGER FOR WHAT HAPPENED?"
"MAI,WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"
"I WANT YOU TO BE JEALOUS! I WANT YOU TO BE ANGRY! I WANT YOU TO LOVE ME! 'CAUSE EVERSINCE WE GOT TOGETHER YOU'VE BEEN SO COLD! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO TO GET A SMALL AMOUNT OF EMOTION FROM YOU ANYMORE!"
"Stop it, please… stop it..." Natsuki begged
"…MAYBE I SHOULD ALSO HANG AROUND WITH A STUDENT COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT TO MAKE YOU INSANELY JEALOUS BUT I GUESS IT WON'T HAPPEN UNLESS I BECOME SHIZURU FUJINO." Mai stopped yelling as she noticed that all eyes in the locker room were on hers. She tried to hold back a tear when she noticed that Shizuru was also in the locker room. "God damn it!" Mai said as she walked out the locker room.
Author's notes:
[1]- the zhang and kuga families are really friends. it explained a bit about natsuki and nao's close friendship mrs. zhang even promised mrs. kuga to look out for natsuki while she is busy with her work at the sears corp.
[2]- what natsuki saw was reito wiping the tears from shizuru's cheek but she totally misinterpreted
[3]- the 'reito- shizuru' scene actually was weakening natsuki, a lot more than the 'yuuchi- mai scene'
please continue reading... and i hope i did not piss you off w this chapter... pls. keep the reviews coming... they are my fuel... u all know what i mean... good night and thank u again...