Author's Note: Sad to say that this will be the last chapter, and then an epilogue. I left a big shock with everyone on that last chapter. That's why I'm just gonna get right to the story. By the way, the promise Tamao is referring to in this is located near the end of chapter 2. Anyway, Read, Review, Rejoice!
Chapter 11:
It's a Promise
"Nagisa, I love you!" Tamao confessed. Nagisa was at a lost for words, but of course Shizuma wasn't exactly the type to be dumbfounded.
"You… who the hell do you think you are! Confessing, to Nagisa all of a sudden!" Shizuma held Nagisa tightly with one hand and lunged at Tamao with the other, gripping her by her collar.
"Stop it, Shizuma!" Nagisa commanded looking Shizuma straight in the eyes. Hesitantly, Shizuma let go of Tamao.
Nagisa turned back to Tamao, her eyes riddled with sympathy and her voice a bit cracked, as she apologized, "I'm sorry Tamao-chan, I didn't notice how you've felt all this time." Slowly she averted her eyes from her best friend's as she continued, pearly tears now streaming down her cheek, "Sorry, but I can't return your feelings, I still love Shizuma."
"I know." Tamao said surprisingly cheerful. "I wasn't trying to change the relationship between you and I, nor was I trying to break apart what you have with Shizuma."
"Then why would you confess to her so suddenly?" Shino interrupted approaching the doorstep with his arm wrapped around his beloved Miyuki's shoulders. He was definitely dead serious in this situation, it was written all over his face, and even sounded when he demanded, "Answer me!"
"I guess you could say it was for me. So I wouldn't break the promise I made with Nagisa." She looked at Nagisa and smiled gently, "You remember don't you, Nagisa-chan. The promise I made on our way to Hanazono's beach house for the first time."
"Promise?" Shizuma echoed, curious as to what it could possibly be.
Tamao gestured for them to follow her, instead of crowding in the doorway, blocking other people's way. She walked towards the chairs with everyone else close behind. As they took their seats, Miyuki noticed that Mr. Hanazono and Tristan were continuing down the hallway.
"Aren't you two going to sit?" she called.
Mr. Hanazono answered with an unreadable expression on his face, "I feel as though it would be best I didn't stay. This doesn't concern me, and I have faith in your abilities to resolve your problems without me."
"I feel the same. If you'll excuse us, then." Tristan humbly bowed before continuing down the corridor with Mr. Hanazono.
Now the attention was focused on Tamao. Shizuma and Nagisa sat in the settee directly across from Tamao, with Shino and Miyuki sitting in the seat beside them. The silence that surrounded them was deafening.
Finally Nagisa attempted to ease the tenseness filling the air around them, "Uhmm, Tamao-chan…" before being interrupted.
"I remember when I first met you, the day you transferred into St. Miator, and the day I finally got a new roommate." Tamao reminisced. She giggled, "It was quite a shock to see you being carried in by none other than Etoile-sama!"
"So it was you who carried me back that time, Shizuma." Nagisa whispered into Shizuma's ear.
Shizuma placed her finger at the tip of Nagisa's nose and smiled slyly. "Guilty as charged. Would you have preferred me to leave you out there?"
"As I was saying…" Tamao interrupted. "I was expecting to feel some sort of connection with my new roommate, but what I felt with Nagisa was much greater than I had anticipated and as the days went by, my curiosity, my interest, my feelings, all somehow morphed into love."
Suddenly Tamao's face grew grim and her smile soon turned into a slight frown. She became silent, but no one edged her on to continue since they knew she would continue the story, regardless of how much it hurt.
Slowly she continued, "But it seemed as though as my feelings for Nagisa grew stronger, it seemed we grew more distant. All Nagisa would think about was Shizuma, and as time passed, the more she wanted to see and be with Shizuma. For some reason though, I still tried to compete. But what really hurt me was when she was sad or crying, because somehow Shizuma hurt her, each of those moments were like crushing blows and I knew I didn't want to see Nagisa like that. I wanted to protect her, I wanted to be the one who protected her. Then the Etoile elections came…"
By this time, bitter tears were already caressing Tamao's cheeks. Nagisa sprang from the chair to comfort her friend as Tamao began to sink to the floor. Nagisa caught her and sobbed, "You don't have to Tamao-chan… if it hurts, you don't have to talk anymore."
Normally, Shizuma wouldn't have sat by quietly and watch her lover hold on to someone else, especially not if that somebody else was Tamao. But this time the situation was different and even Shizuma, although a bit dense at times, could tell that there was absolutely nothing to worry about. "What they have is similar to what Nagisa and I have, but definitely different… closer to an innocent version of what Miyuki and I have, maybe." Shizuma mused in her head. "Thinking back on it now… damn I hate nostalgia."
Tamao hung her head low as she choked, "During the Etoile elections, I was able to physically let go of you, Nagisa, but for some reason my heart still held on. Even now it hasn't completely let go yet." Slowly she started to regain her calm composure. "I've searched for a way to tell my heart it was time to let go, and thanks to what Rokujou-san said that time, I've finally found a way to show my heart it was time to let go, that Nagisa would be okay if I let go."
"What I said? I don't remember speaking to you on this matter." Miyuki protested.
Tamao smiled a bit. "It wasn't exactly directed to me, but rest assured I was listening very attentively. You've indirectly taught me something very important and it's thanks to that I can let go. Thank you, Rokujou-san."
"But, I…"
"Let it go." Shino said as he wrapped his arm around Miyuki's shoulders and pulled her closer while landing a small peck on her cheek.
Nagisa scurried back over to Shizuma's side and snuggled against a mane of silver that blanketed a warm shoulder.
Suddenly Tamao stood to her feet and wiped the tears from her eyes. Her face turned serious as she glared towards Shizuma, provoking a slight uneasiness in the former Etoile's stomach, an uneasiness she was all too familiar with. "Don't tell me it's going to turn into a lecture. Those are the eyes Miyuki give me right before a lecture. Damn, this kid is like a mini Miyuki, which normally would turn me on, but damn the only thing she has on her is blue hair and the same ability to kill me with long, boring words."
"Hanazono-san… this is the first and only time I'd ever ask a favor of you. Please accept it." she bowed low.
Shizuma, utterly confused and admittedly a slight bit curious, dictated, "That depends on what it is. If it doesn't suit well with me, I'd gladly refuse."
Tamao straightened her back. Tamao spoke more passionately than she ever had before, "Promise me that you'll always protect Nagisa-chan. Always be there for her, since you're the only one who can save her. Save her from hurting that badly ever again. But most of all promise me that you'll never make Nagisa sad like that ever again, that you'll never ever hurt her again! Only then, if you make this promise, can my heart… let go…"
If only for a second, the room began to spin as Tamao's eyes closed and she slowly drifted into an unconscious state. As her resting body fell, Shino quickly jumped to the rescue and caught her, just barely stopping her from smashing her head into a vase and then the coffee table.
"Poor kid, must have pushed herself too hard. She probably fell out from exhaustion, or mild stress. In any case resting is the best thing for her. She could probably sleep in one of the extra rooms." Shino prescribed. He gently lifted Tamao up, careful not to hit anything.
"Nice deduction Shino! As expected from a med. student at the top of his class!" Shizuma complimented.
"Med. student!" Nagisa repeated out of sheer shock. "How could that be possible? You two are twins right, aren't you the same age, how could Shino be in university already? You just graduated!"
"Shino went to school in America on a scholarship, and he was able to skip a grade, plus he came back to attend a university in Tokyo right after he graduated. They said he was a genius after all."
"Shino! A genius?" Nagisa looked over to the boy who was now, rather furiously blushing, his whole face was red.
"You know, you would have skipped a grade too, if you had accepted the scholarship they offered you anyway." Shino pointed out to his sister.
Shizuma attacked Miyuki from behind with a surprise bear hug. Miyuki struggled as Shizuma cooed, "Maybe but, I couldn't just leave Miyuki-chan by herself. Plus Astraea Hill was my paradise, could you imagine what it would have been like without the 'Casanova playgirl of Astraea Hill'! I was quite aware of the nickname, but I liked it so much I let it spread around more!"
Shino chuckled nervously. He said weakly, "That's a strange nickname you had there, sis. I'm almost afraid to ask how you earned it."
She smirked just as slyly as she responded, "Exactly the way you're thinking, Shino-kun."
Chills ran up Shino's spine as he bolted into the hallway with Tamao in his hands. "Wow, even Shino has that kind of imagination!" Shizuma commented.
Miyuki bumped Shizuma on the head and protested, "Don't corrupt him, Shizuma."
When Mr. Hanazono walked into the bedroom, he didn't know what to expect. He met his wife sitting on the bed and for some reason, in the back of his head, all he could hear echoing was "I think after this storm clears up, you should leave.", words that he spoke. Right now, he couldn't help but regret what he said.
Although her head was hung low, and she never looked up at him, she knew he was staring at her. She spoke softly with a hint of melancholy in her voice, "You probably want me gone now, right." She stood up revealing a small purse she had been clutching close to her. She bit the bottom of her lip and said, "This is all I need, I'll be leaving now."
Slowly she dragged herself towards the door, barely lifting her feet. It was almost as if she was gliding just above the floor. As her shoulder brushed past Mr. Hanazono's, he just looked over at her, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Just as she placed her hand on the door and was about to slip through the crevice into the hallway, Mr. Hanazono grabbed her by her waist and pulled her close. He held onto her tightly, like a frightened child would clutch onto his mother sleeve, resting his head on hers.
Although she was happy, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing out. She was glad, but also confused. "Why?", was all she could ask.
She could feelhis grip get tighter as he moved his head onto her shoulder. He whispered with a slight tremble in his voice, as if he was trying to stop himself from crying. "I believe in change. I know that somehow we can work things out. I just can't let you go that easy. We're married, you're still a part of this family, and I still love you. I don't want any of that to change."
She felt herself get weak in the knees and as she sank to the floor, Mr. Hanazono slowly descended with her, still embracing her from behind. She wrapped her arm around his and rested her head on his forearm. In the beginning, she was aiming to get him to smile brightly, but in the end, he ended up making her smile in a way she hadn't done in years. This was what true happiness felt like and it completely surrounded her when she was wrapped in his arms.
"I'll change…" she sobbed. "I'll do anything it takes so that we can be a loving family like what you used to have. Because, I love you too and I don't want anything to ruin that."
Mr. Hanazono kissed her ear and whispered, "Thank you, Misora."
"Tetsuro…" she whimpered.
He moved down her neck and kissed it gently before whispering her name again. Each time he descended inch by inch, he'd whisper her name until finally his lips were just above her breast. Just as he was about to move down further, they were disturbed by the creak of the opening door.
Tristan poked his head through the crevice, "Excuse me but…" Suddenly a slight blush was evident on his cheeks as he examined the situation before him. Immediately he slammed the door and yelled from the other side. "Excuse my intrusion, I'm terribly sorry."
All the two could hear were the diminishing sounds of Tristan's hurried footsteps. Mr. Hanazono sighed, "Guess we should have locked the door."
Seductively his wife answered, "We still can." She traced her finger down his face, then down his neck, then loosened his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt.
Tamao's eyes slowly opened. She was in a large room, laying on a rather luxurious bed, even better than the one back at the beach house. Her head was thumping and she felt a bit dazed. She could feel someone's warm hand holding on hers. She turned her head to the left and saw a sleeping Nagisa clasping onto her hand. "Nagisa-chan…" she happily whispered.
"So annoying…" she heard a familiar voice speak from the opposite side. "Suddenly fainting on us after kicking up such a fuss."
She turned over to see Shizuma with an annoyed expression on her face. She sat up since she was quite surprised that Shizuma was by her bedside. Then again, she probably only stayed to keep an eye on Nagisa.
"How long have I been out?"
"I'd say about an hour." Shizuma shrugged.
"Oh…"
"Nagisa fell asleep after about ten minutes of sitting there. She must have been really tired after all that happened today."
Tamao simply giggled since it was something Nagisa would typically do.
"Idiot…", Shizuma sighed. "At least wait for an answer before you fall out."
By this time Shizuma was glaring at Tamao and then at Nagisa, then back to Tamao. She declared, "Hanazono, Shizuma never makes the same mistake twice, I'll assure you of that. I can easily protect Nagisa-chan, and I don't plan on hurting her ever again. That's what I was going to say before you fainted."
At first Tamao was a bit confused, but as she slowly began to process what Shizuma said, she became overjoyed. Cheerfully she said, "Really! So it's a promise?"
Shizuma simply nodded. She extended an arm that was ignored as Tamao practically leaped out of bed and hugged her. Tamao could barely contain herself, "Thank you Hanazono-san, thank you so much!" Tamao pulled herself back into the bed and smirked, "However, I'm still going to watch over you and Nagisa, to make sure you stick to your promise. I won't forgive you if you don't live up to your word. So you can continue to look at me as an enemy, because you can expect me to be relentless."
Shizuma lifted herself from her chair with all the pride and grace she had back when she was the Etoile. She smirked back at Tamao, "I didn't expect that much to change, but you'll be wasting your time." She walked over to Nagisa and placed her hand on the cherry-head's back. "I told you I take care of what's mine. Nagisa, of course, is at the top of that list."
She gently shook Nagisa awake before scooping her younger lover up in her arms. Slightly dazed Nagisa wiped her eyes and spoke wearily, "Shizuma, don't forget you promised me cake… oh yeah and tea."
Shizuma snickered, "Don't worry we'll get some soon, maybe tomorrow."
Nagisa grumbled, "I don't wanna wait!"
"Wait or you won't get any."
Nagisa pouted as Shizuma carried her out of the room. Tamao giggled, "You can be a bit of a hassle sometimes Shizuma, but you also can be reliable sometimes too. I don't mind handing Nagisa over to you. This might just be fun!"
Author's Note: