Hi, readers. Another "quick" update from me. Since I don't know how my schedule will be for the rest of the month, I decided to post whenever I could. So here we have chapter 25. I've revised it so many times, but I'm sure that there are still typos, 'gramos', and some other inconsistencies. That's why I won't bite if you point them out: 1.) it means you'd actually been reading, and 2.) I would like to fix them, because it takes the joy of reading (no matter what it is) if the text is riddled with tons of mistakes.
By the way, writing Shizuru PoV is damn hard. If I didn't like the character, I wouldn't have bothered at all. Anyways, after this chappie comes my personal favorite and if you aren't, I sure am looking forward to posting it. XD
One more thing - I was working some time back (like a million years ago, in the very beginning of this universe) on a cover for this thing, just for personal use. Naturally, the project is still incomplete and my skills with the tablet have considerably decreased (that is to say - I sucked big time and I'm sure that if I touch the pen again, it'll explode in my face; and I'll make my computer crash just from pure fugly). So, I'd like to ask for oppinion: should I try and make a cover, or will it be utterly useless?
Thank you for the reviews, faves and alerts!
Disclaimer: I don't own... why do I even bother?
"Excuse me, Kuga-san!"
Natsuki stopped her determined stride when she heard her name being called out and turned around. What she saw were Nao lazily trailing closely behind her, an absent-minded look on her face and a boy from Fuuka Middle School, who was running up to them in order to catch up.
When he came up to her, he stiffly bowed in greeting and regarded Natsuki with his serious dark-red eyes. The second-year tried to remember the name of the boy; she was sure she had seen him before – he was quite distinctive with his good looks and unusually very dark-coloured green hair which he wore in a thin tight tail with longer bangs at the front.
"Hey, Okuzaki." Nao idly waved to the boy and Natsuki immediately made a connection between the face and the name. Okuzaki Akira – Mai's little brother's roommate, same year-group as Nao, Takumi and Mikoto. He returned the gesture with a nod and turned back to Natsuki.
"President Fujino has asked me to deliver you a message," Akira stated with the stiffness of a soldier.
"Yes?" Natsuki urged after he went silent, as if waiting for permission to resume. What was with this guy?
"She said she would be waiting for you at your clubroom to talk to you and Tokiha Mai-san about your absence from the tournament today," he informed her with the same formality.
"Understood," Natsuki mocked him in his manners. "From here on I'll proceed with retrieving Tokiha Mai and together we'll report straight to president Fujino."
"That wouldn't be necessary." Okuzaki apparently paid no heed to her choice of words. "President Fujino told me that she would wait for you at your own club room and I made sure Tokiha-san was there."
"That's good to hear – that's exactly where we're headed," Nao cut in and made a dismissive wave with her hand. "Run off, soldier. And ask Takumi to pull that stick out of your cute tight ass."
Akira threw a dirty glance at his schoolmate, however made no verbal retort and instead chose to hurriedly walk away.
"He looks like a fuming schoolgirl when he does that," Nao pointed out and Natsuki agreed with a lazy nod. His gestures were indeed somewhat feminine.
"Okuzaki Akira is of no concern to me. Let's go."
When Shizuru arrived at the room she most certainly didn't expect to find Mai in such a state – completely alone, the usually cheerful girl was clutching her hair, her eyes downcast. She sat at the desk which Natsuki usually occupied, not moving when the door screeched open. Even after Shizuru greeted her, no reply followed.
The student council president excused herself and sat next to her underclassman, patiently waiting to be granted attention. At long last Mai deeply sighed and locked her reddened eyes with Shizuru's serene ones.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Shizuru-san?" Mai asked, her voice small.
"I know that you're most likely very tired, Mai-han, but I'll ask you to stay here for a little while longer. I have something important to tell both you and Natsuki."
"As you probably have guessed already, I wasn't in that much of a hurry, anyway." The Bridge club's president rested her hands on the desk's worn surface and turned her unseeing eyes away. "Natsuki isn't here, though. And I don't know if…"
"She'll be here shortly," Shizuru assured and hesitated before she tentatively voiced her worry. "Mai-han, if you don't mind me asking, what has gotten you so upset? I can only imagine what you've been put through lately and if there's anything I can do to help, please, tell me."
"You're far too kind, Shizuru-san." Mai sadly smiled. "There is something you could do, actually."
"I'm listening."
"Please. Could you keep an eye on Natsuki? I think that if things escalate fast, we might lose her."
Before Shizuru could inquire about the unusual request, the subject of the conversation came marching in, followed not too far behind by the dark presence known also as Yuuki Nao.
"Hey, there," Natsuki casually greeted, but she frowned once her gaze landed on Mai's gloomy form. "What's with you, Mai?"
"Nothing," was the quick reply. "I'm fine. Everything's going to be fine."
"Yes, it will," the gang leader agreed, albeit a bit unconvinced by her friend's response. Then she turned towards Shizuru and her emeralds smiled. "'Sup, Shizuru."
"That's what I'm entitled to ask, Natsuki," the student council president said without a trace of humour in her voice, even though she was immensely pleased to see that Natsuki was unhurt. "I heard about all of your… adventures… from Reito-han, but I would like to hear your side of the story."
"From Kanzaki?" Natsuki inquired as she leaned against the big old desk, her back turned to Mai. The latter looked no less confused than the newcomer. Shizuru noted that Nao had chosen not to get close to them and was instead sulking next to the door, her hands folded and eyes studying something at the back of the room. But the first-year posed no interest to Shizuru at this moment, and if Natsuki chose to keep her in the room during an important conversation, so be it.
"Yes. In fact, I have a lot to tell you regarding Reito-han." She paused to sneak a quick glance at Mai. "And his connection to the First District."
"This… is getting interesting." Natsuki slightly leaned forward. "Let's hear it."
"But first shouldn't we tell Mai-han and Yuuki-han about the First District?" Shizuru gestured towards the other two occupants of the room. "I'm confident to claim that the two of them know nothing of the organization, yes?"
"I guess that it's come to the point where I must tell at least them," the gang leader admitted with a trace of displeasure. Shizuru held in a chuckle at Natsuki's attempt to hide her childish pout.
My, Natsuki! Lying is not so bad once in a while, but you've turned it into a habit. Too bad you can't lie to me.
"Yeah, maybe you should," Nao fumed from her secluded spot in the shadows. "What more is there that you have decided not to tell the mortals, Kuga?"
Natsuki's scold deepened and it looked like she was going to say something back, but quickly decided against it. Instead, for Shizuru's immense surprise, she apologized.
"Yeah, sorry. I didn't want to overload you with info that could put you in danger. It was kinda only my problem until recently. But it looks like that there's no helping it now."
"Your problems are all over the place, Natsuki." This time the one who made an unexpected snide remark was Mai. "Now that we're all in imminent danger, I think that it would be nice of you to share with us what you know and your intentions."
Natsuki was visibly taken aback, however she regained her usual slightly disapproving look. Her choice not to start arguing with Mai made Shizuru wonder about what exactly had happened between them that had put her Natsuki on the defence.
"The First District," she began, "is the organization that secretly runs this school. Shizuru and I have been investigating it ever since…"
"Ever since we met, but we deepened our search after we started dating," Shizuru cheerfully pointed out, interrupting Natsuki only because she wanted to see her reaction when their relationship was mentioned. As expected, Natsuki slightly flinched and her cheeks reddened. At that moment Mai's lips twitched upwards and Nao snorted quietly.
"Um, yeah. Anyway, the most important thing is that the First District is the only group large and powerful enough to oppose Smith. It seems that they were able to worm their way into Fuuka Academy and take over both the administration and most of the staff's positions in the past years."
"If Smith knows, why hasn't he closed down the school?" Mai logically inquired, her bad mood fading slightly in favour of curiosity.
"As of yet, I don't know," Natsuki admitted with a trace of shame.
"I might prove to be able to explain that," Shizuru cut in, trying to hide her satisfaction of having acquired such dire information. "However, I'll save it for later, if you don't mind."
"Actually," Nao drawled out, "I kinda want to hear all of it in one go. We don't have time for your games all day, Mr and Mrs Smith."
If Natsuki hadn't glowered at Nao, Shizuru probably would have, but instead she chose not to manifest her dislike towards the first-year in such a manner. Once again, though, Natsuki didn't say anything in reply to the obvious display of disrespect shown towards her and her lover. At that moment Shizuru felt a pang of disappointment and hurt, however did her best to hide it.
"I found about this group when I started looking more into my mother's death. No, to be correct – her murder," Natsuki explained and by the looks which Nao and Mai sent their friend's way, Shizuru came to a conclusion that this was the first time they heard about that case.
"What do you mean by 'murder'?" Mai choked out.
"Just that. I won't go in details, though. There are more important things to…"
"You hypocrite," Nao murmured, but it seemed that only Shizuru heard her clearly.
"What was that?" Natsuki asked.
"Nothing, carry on. If you'd please."
Shizuru heard how Natsuki's teeth grinded.
"Alright then. The info we gathered was that the First District recruits students on its side just before graduation. This is how they get their best agents, seeing that the education our school provides is top-class, even on a world level. And they take only the best."
"So that explains the disappearances you were concerned about last year," Mai pointed out and Natsuki nodded.
"But lately all we've been able to dig up are old records and useless names, which cannot be linked to anybody we know," Natsuki finished and glanced at Shizuru, silently insisting for her to share her new discoveries.
"The First District is an international organization ran by a group of people called the Elders," she helpfully began. "They are nothing more than a formality, though, because the ones who actually control the operations are the Elders' executives. Those executives for our region are called Kazahana Mashiro and Homura Nagi. Each of them has a right-hand-man, who in Kazahana Mashiro-han's case is our headmistress Himeno Fumi. It's probably needless to mention that headmistress Himeno's position is just for show, as she is by far the one who holds the true authority in the First District."
"And what about Nagi's lackey?" Natsuki insisted, unconsciously leaning closer in her eagerness to learn more.
"The situation there is a bit more complicated." Shizuru hesitated.
"In what way, Shizuru-san?" Mai scrunched her brows.
"Actually Nagi-han's 'helper' is not exactly his subordinate in the full meaning of the word. He is none other than the man who will lead the organization in a few years." Shizuru let the small pause she made prepare the others for the upcoming revelation. She had a love for being dramatic at times. "Actually, he is the one who told me all of this."
"That guy deliberately spilled all of this info to you?" Nao asked with distrust. "Who and why would risk losing so much power?"
"He doesn't like the fact that he is being controlled. I was asked not to reveal much about his reasons; however, I'm almost certain he won't betray us. He is trustworthy as much as I am," Shizuru confidently stated, but she wasn't able to convince Nao.
"Why would we trust you, then?" She narrowed her eyes at the President.
"I trust her," Natsuki immediately stated with a firm voice. "Regardless of who he is, I trust your judgment, Shizuru."
Shizuru sent her beloved a grateful smile, her uneasiness from before completely pushed in the back of her mind and heart.
"Out with it already!" Nao hissed in exasperation. Shizuru would have kept it to herself only to irritate the freshman more, but she could feel Natsuki's intent gaze.
"Kanzaki Reito."
"Kanzaki? Your Vice?" The words hesitantly snuck out of Natsuki's mouth. Shizuru nodded, while secretly admiring the brightness of her love's surprised emerald eyes. She really needed to stop distracting herself with such things while in Natsuki's company, she mused.
"You mean Mikoto's brother?" It seemed that Nao wanted to further make sure that it was indeed the person she was thinking about.
"Yes. I was also shocked, but when I heard his reasoning and what had driven him to betray his own, I believed him," Shizuru assured them with all of her seriousness. She truly believed Reito and knowing Natsuki's dislike for the boy, she needed to be as convincing as possible. Turning and looking directly at the gang leader, she spoke with resolution. "Natsuki, he will be of great help."
For a few moments the two of them stood like that – unblinking and unyielding. Natsuki was closer to her compared to when Shizuru had started talking. The student council president was almost sure that Natsuki hadn't realised this, else she would've withdrawn quickly. From the corner of her eye she briefly registered Nao's irate glare, but she paid it little attention. Natsuki's eyes were searching her own, calculating and evaluating chances that Shizuru had been tricked.
Natsuki exhaled heavily and pulled back, straightening and folding her arms, not tearing her gaze away from Shizuru's.
"What more did he tell you?" She asked, not showing whether she was fully persuaded. "If he's from the First District, he must know more about Smith."
Shizuru nodded.
"He does. However, first there is more pressing news for you. They are good ones, I assure you."
"I wouldn't count on that…" The voice of scepticism threw in a comment.
"The First District doesn't have any details on the people who wiped out Garderobe at the docks. They can only speculate, but they've got nothing certain. The main theory is that the two groups which fought that day were both eliminated during the process. Almost nothing points at T.N.T.
"And about T.N.T. itself – they do know that some of the students are members, but they have no names or faces. In short, they are just being cautious towards the matter, not taking any serious measures. And this is where the good part ends, I'm afraid."
"Big surprise there."
Shizuru sent Nao a look bordering with annoyance before she continued her report.
"The Golden Era we had problems with a few weeks back is actually a branch of a bigger organization called Searrs. Unsurprisingly, Smith is one of the ones at the top in Searrs. The Searrs Foundation runs business with a lot of foreign companies in various business fields. Its hidden and also main agenda is creating and distributing chemical and biological weapons. They are not to be taken lightly."
"Did Kanzaki tell you something about Miyu Greer?" Natsuki quickly asked, as if having barely been able to wait for Shizuru to finish her last sentence.
"Yes. I take it that you've met her." After a positive grunt she went on. "She transferred here together with her sister – Alyssa Greer, also known in the First Districts files as Alyssa Searrs."
"That little blonde girl who sings in the choir?" Natsuki lifted her brows in display of astonishment. "But anyone can tell they're not related! Greer's hair is silver, for crying out loud!"
"Greer was adopted."
"What are we going to do about the Searrs duo?" Nao crossed her arms.
"Nothing for now." Natsuki stood up and started pacing. "We'll just be weary of them and we should make sure not to be left alone with them. As long as we're in the First District's territory I think we're safe."
"That won't be the first time you're wrong." Nao rolled her eyes. "What if they do move?"
"I'll make sure they won't have the time," Natsuki reassured her friends. Then she turned towards Mai, who Shizuru had nearly forgotten about due to the girl's silence in the past few minutes. When she also looked at her underclassman she was met with an unexpected scene – Mai was intensely glaring at Natsuki. If Shizuru didn't know better, she would have described the emotion behind those lilac eyes as hatred.
"What's the matter?" Natsuki asked, her lips barely moving. She was being extremely cautious, Shizuru realised.
"How many people will have to be dragged into this war of yours, Natsuki?" Mai shifted in her seat; she looked like an angered feline ready for a jump, her nails digging in the wooden desk.
"This war – as you call it – is not mine. We just happen to participate in it." The gang leader stood up without turning her eyes away from Mai's. "One way or another, we would've been dragged into it."
"And why should I be sure that you haven't planned this from the beginning?" The Bridge club's president bristled up.
Shizuru found herself at a loss. Never had she expected something like this to happen.
Did I really believe that it would all go smooth? She thought. No. No, and Natsuki must've realized it at some point as well. Question is why didn't she prevent it?
"Come on, you can't be serious!" Natsuki indignantly protested. "How can I be in the middle of this? And besides, where did all of this come from?"
Are you playing innocent or are you really that oblivious, my Natsuki?
Mai started shaking and for a moment Shizuru thought that she would explode in rage. But then another unexpected turn took place.
"Cool your head, Tokiha." Nao circled behind Mai and put a hand on her back. "You can't seriously believe what you just said. It sounds ridiculous. Kuga can't be this smart."
Natsuki's eye twitched, but she stayed silent, her arms defensively crossed in front of her chest. Mai said nothing.
"We need to push through this mess as quickly as possible."
As she said that, Nao locked gazes with T.N.T.'s leader and she received an almost undistinguishable nod. Mai relaxed, but the air of hostility around her didn't quite dissipate. Shizuru held in a sigh.
"I'm sorry to be in such a rush, but there is one more thing you should know." The President drew the attention at her before she turned her worried face towards Mai. "Especially you, Mai-han."
Good, I have her listening intently now.
"It's related to your brother's roommate – Okuzaki Akira."
"Akira-kun?" Mai asked incredulously; obviously she hadn't expected this.
"Who actually isn't a 'kun'." Shizuru licked her lips thoughtfully before continuing. "Okuzaki Akira is a girl."
"You mean that Takumi has been harassed by a cross-dresser in his sleep?" Mai screeched and stood up. The chair she had been sitting on clanked on the floor.
"Actually, Okuzaki-han being a girl is the least of our worries," Shizuru pointed out with a bit of hesitation.
"And what can make it worse, Fujino?" Nao derisively asked.
"She is a kunoichi working under the First District. Everyone that is considered a threat, she takes care of."
"A cross-dressing ninja?!" If Mai had been angry before, she was furious now. "And what am I expected to do now? Hire another ninja to kill her off?"
"She isn't doing this of her own volition, Mai-han." Shizuru resisted the urge to rub her temples. "Like many of the First District's agents and more valuable cadres, she is kept in bay by fear. Or so Reito-han has told me. He saved me the details, though, because we had a lot to talk about."
"I don't believe that he would give all of this valuable information just for free, Shizuru," Natsuki spoke after the short lapse of silence that had ensued. It seemed that she had already guessed that this wasn't a form of Reito's kindness, but a genuine deal. "What did you offer him in return?"
"Protection and guarantee that we will destroy the First District he hates so much," Shizuru calmly responded, not flinching even under Natsuki's reproachful look. She could see that her lover was angry because she had been given no say in the matter.
"And he believed you just like that?" The gang leader asked sceptically. "What else. Tell me what else you told him."
"I told him about T.N.T.'s agenda, its leading officers, so to speak, and answered his questions," Shizuru explained, but when she saw that Natsuki was about to most likely leash out at her in fury, she decided to elaborate. "I was extremely careful about what I told him. Of course, I kept your methods of operation and the names of all the lower-ranking gang members a secret. I can only guess he did the same. After all, he didn't reveal all that much if you think about it."
Natsuki didn't say a word, seemingly deep in thought. Shizuru had carefully chosen what to share with Reito, but she found it no surprise that her beloved was displeased with the fact that she herself hadn't supervised the whole exchange. At long last Natsuki nodded and looked away.
"I can't say I feel comfortable about having Kanzaki on our side. However, what's done is done," she spoke while being fixating on a map of the city on the wall. "He will indeed prove useful. I won't be quick to trust him with much from the beginning, though. I take it you all agree with me."
Mai and Nao said nothing, though the latter huffed and went to the door.
"If that's all for today," the first-year rested her hand on the doorknob, "I'll be going to my dorm."
"I have no more new information." The President straightened up and snuck a glance at Natsuki, who shrugged.
"Sure, go have some rest. I'll come and get you when it's time to act," the leader of T.N.T. dismissed her and turned towards her best friend. "Mai, you go with Nao. I'll be back to our room soon."
Mai silently looked at Natsuki for a bit and then she walked out the open door, through which Nao had already disappeared.
After the sound of footsteps died Shizuru stood up and slid behind Natsuki, resting her chin on the shorter girl's shoulder and wrapping her arms around her.
"You know," she whispered, "if you tell them more about yourself, they will find it easier to put more of their trust in you."
"Can't I make them trust me without revealing my past?" Natsuki quietly asked, her voice unusually vulnerable. Shizuru softly exhaled, her breath tickling her girlfriend's ear. Natsuki shuddered.
"If you take, you must also give, Natsuki; sharing means forming bonds. Bonds mean trust," the elder explained patiently. "It's as simple as that. This is how the two of us exist as one, right? I can't believe a girl as smart as Natsuki can't figure out this much."
The President smiled when she saw her love's ears turn slightly pink.
"It's… not the same," Natsuki stammered and turned around, now her nose touching Shizuru's. "You're special. You've always been. I won't trust anyone else as much as I do you, treat them the same way."
"By all means, don't!" Shizuru light-heartedly chuckled and brushed her lips against a reddened cheek. "I'm just saying that you shouldn't treat your friends as your enemies. They do care, you know. Natsuki should show them she does too."
"I-" the confused and blushing Natsuki began, "I'll try and do that. Thank you."
Shizuru could wait no longer and before she hungrily claimed her Natsuki's lips she breathed out a few words which unknowingly to her made their bond even stronger.
"Don't mention it. I'll never betray you."
As Nao tapped her chin and stared out the window during an especially annoying class, she reminisced about the recent events. While the annoying teacher was babbling about an extract in some famous western book, pictures and scenes kept flashing before the first-year's tired eyes.
During the two days that had passed after the tournament, things for the Bridge club had taken a turn for the worse. The faculty had informed them that since they had made no appearance at the tournament (which had led to their utter defeat) they would be forced to disband the next school semester. No wasting on the school's funds, those red-tapists had said. That, naturally, had made the morale of the gang drop to a dangerously low level and Mai and Natsuki had been forced to give speeches of encouragement at least three times already. Only the 'correspondence' with Blackwood had given some results in lifting the students' spirit, however this clearly hadn't been enough. Then Natsuki had decided to act.
She had given Akane instructions about the whole plan of impersonating Marguerite and making sure that the ex-Graderobe members saw her.
It seemed that the plan had some success. Students were talking about how there had been people that had seen the supposedly missing Tomoe since the morning.
The bell rang and without wasting time Nao headed for the Bridge club's room. She ignored the looks some of her classmates sent her way and the whispers they exchanged. Mikoto, who was taking the same class with her, was in a matter of seconds by her side. The feline-like girl bounced around her grim friend.
"You must be hearing what they say," Mikoto stated. "Why don't you tell them to shut up? They're not telling good things about you and your mom."
"Quiet, pipsqueak." With this Nao ended any efforts on Mikoto's side to begin a conversation. Today she had calmed down a bit and didn't want to think about her grave loss now.
They reached the clubroom in no time and hurried inside as soon as they heard erratic shouting. What they saw when they stormed through the open door was Irina waving her arms and heatedly trying to articulate a sentence, while Natsuki was leaning on the back legs of her chair, her feet on the desk and scratching her ear with her little finger.
"Calm down, damn it!" The gang leader shouted Irina down. "Put an order to the screeching. It's called human speech. Use it!"
"How can a single person make such a ruckus?" Nao slid in front of breathless and flushed middle-schooler. "Mikoto and I panicked for nothing. What's this all about?"
Mikoto closed the door and dutifully went to Natsuki's side quietly asking if there was something to eat left by Mai.
"Tomoe…" Irina staggered for words. "I saw her earlier. I called Arika-chan and Nina-chan and told them to be careful, then came straight here."
Nao resisted shooting a look at Natsuki and instead put her acting skills in action. Judging by the sound of wood hitting the floor and a surprised exclamation so had the other two.
"That's impossible!" Nao tensed and made sure to weave disbelief and fear in her voice.
"I swear, I saw her!" Irina slammed her hands on the desk and Nao turned around to look at Kuga. The gang leader was intently starting at her underclassman and after a short pause closed her eyes in thought.
"Go fetch the other two immediately. Take someone with you. Now that school's over it wouldn't be suspicious if you don't show on the campus' grounds for the next few hours," Natsuki instructed and added with a more serious tone: "And be careful. We don't know how or why she's here."
After hearing the orders Irina nodded and sprinted out of the room. When they could no longer hear her, Natsuki and Nao simultaneously smiled in the same lip-closed manner. The gang leader fished her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open.
"I'll call Akane to congratulate her on a job well done," she informed the other two as she pushed a few buttons and put the device to her ear.
Mikoto excitedly approached Nao and grinned.
"This means that everyone will cheer up, right?" She asked and Nao checked out her nails in order not to look her classmate in the eye.
"Yeah," she lied to herself. "Finally things are starting to look up."
"Kuga here. Congrats, Akane," Natsuki spoke. "It seems those three swallowed the bait."
A brief silence passed indicating that Akane was talking. However Nao noticed a slight change in Natsuki's expression. The satisfied gleam in her eyes dulled and her brows twitched as she strained a bit.
"Sure," she said, her good mood visibly a bit darkened. "I'll come and see what I can do about that."
Nao made a quizzical expression, but she was waved off, which made her a bit suspicious.
"Fine, I'm coming." Natsuki hung up and dropped her phone in her blazer's pocket as she stood up.
"Where to?" Nao immediately asked, as she watched Kuga's back.
"Akane said she needed me to go fetch her, since she thinks she saw Greer following her," the gang leader briefly explained. "We'll try to lose Greer and then I'll escort her to her dorm, so it'll take some time before I'm back. Meanwhile you two stay here and wait for the idiot trio."
"Okay," Mikoto quickly agreed and plopped herself on the floor. Nao mutely watched Natsuki disappear from their sight.
"Say, Mikoto," Nao turned towards her companion after a while. "Don't you think Kuga was acting kind of weird?"
"No," came the reply without a second's hesitation. "Natsuki is always doing things I don't understand until before she explains them to me. Isn't it the same with you?"
"It's kind of annoying, isn't it?"
Nao jumped at the sound of Mai's voice and discovered that the club's president had just come in.
"We talked a bit last night after she came back to our dorm and I think I understand her reasons better now." When Mai saw that Nao scoffed, she smiled good-naturedly and tried to reassure her underclassman. "She promised she would talk to you too. And also apologized for not telling us earlier."
"Like I give a damn."
"You didn't get the place right." Natsuki shoved her hands in her pockets and almost shivered at the cool ocean breeze. She fixed the person in front of her with her hostile emeralds as her heart raced with excitement and a small amount of fear.
Even if I expected this, I didn't think it would be so soon…
You messed up big time, didn't you?
"It couldn't be helped. The original location is off-limits due to investigation. I don't really want to draw unwanted attention," her adversary said while admiring the last golden sunrays dancing on the water's surface. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Despite all the concrete and machines, the ocean still looks majestic. Even more so before the night falls."
"So now you're being poetic?" The gang leader tilted her head with a mocking expression. "Though I'm glad you like your final setting. You still find the beauty in your final moments, despite being surrounded by wooden boxes, metal trunks and the stench of petrol."
"Oh, no. No, Kuga-san," Natsuki's enemy spoke insanely calm, while stretching an arm forward. "You're not even worth capturing. The one to die tonight will be you."
Natsuki grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes. This was so hard to believe.
"Actually, it won't take that long," the tauntingly low voice was nearly carried away by the wind. "When I finish with you, your body will still be graced with the sunlight for one last time."