Whoa…that's a lot of reviews. To everyone who reviewed, thank you so much! I would've updated this chapter faster, but a few days ago I had the opportunity to sample some deep-fried Oreos and immediately slipped into a food coma afterwards. They're utterly heart-attack inducing and absolutely addicting; I highly recommend them.

I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint; 97 reviews is a daunting number to live up to. =/

Disclaimer: I have very few possessions; Mai-Hime is not one of them.

The coffee shop was filled with the scent of pastries and the low murmurs from the patrons inside. Nao sighed; her shift had been rather boring. No hot guys or girls to flirt with, no weird customers that she could laugh about later with Mai. Yep, today was a totally normal, quiet, boring, day—

The bells on the front door made a huge racket as someone flung open the door. Nao only caught a fleeting glimpse of dark hair before the person was in her face, bellowing, "NAO! SHE'S A VIRGIN!"

—Or not. Nao jerked back in shock. She, along with the rest of the people in the coffee shop, gaped at Natsuki, who seemed oblivious to the incredulous stares. There was a moment of complete silence before Nao slowly pried Natsuki's hands off her shirt and glanced around sheepishly at the astonished patrons. "Don't worry, I'll call the cops to get rid of the crazy woman—"

Natsuki slammed her hands down on the counter. "Damn it, Nao, didn't you hear what I just said right now?"

"What, the sound of you proclaiming yourself the biggest pervert in the world? Believe me, I think everyone heard." Nao said dryly. "I assume you're referring to the Fujino kid?"

"Shizuru's a virgin! What am I supposed to do now?"

"I'm sure there's a cult somewhere looking for a virgin to sacrifice."

"Can you try being serious for two seconds?"

Nao looked at Natsuki neutrally. "One…two. Now let's try the happy face!" She gave Natsuki a grotesque parody of a smile.

Natsuki lunged for Nao.

"Natsuki, don't kill the idiot; we need her to work the cash registers." Mai appeared from the back, carrying a bag of coffee beans.

Nao primly slapped away Natsuki's hands from her throat before grabbing a coffee bean and chucking it at Natsuki's head. "Natsuki doesn't appreciate the versatility of my acting."

"Fuck you."

"In your dreams, mutt."

"More like in my nightmares." Natsuki scowled.

"If you two are done acting like children—" Mai interrupted.

"Believe me, Mai, it would be one seriously fucked-up kid who thinks up of the things I do—"

"We get it, Nao, you're a cantankerous whore. Can I talk now?" Natsuki bit out.

"Cantankerous?" Nao looked offended. "You're the one bitching about how the kid has never done the dirty before."

Mai blinked. "She hasn't? That's surprising."

"What's more surprising is that this Shizuru is still a virgin. If you had followed my rules exactly, this wouldn't be an issue!" Nao frowned.

Natsuki huffed. "Shizuru is waiting for someone special; I can't just force her! That would make me feel like scum."

"Not to mention it would also be considered rape," Mai dryly pointed out. "So what happened again?"

Natsuki sighed. "Well, I was kind of flirting with her during class, so I thought I got off to a good start. Later, I was alone in the classroom grading papers and she came in looking for the teacher—"

"That sounds exactly like the plotline of this movie I saw once. I can't remember if it was 'Girls Gone Wild: Schoolgirl Edition' or "Naughtyville High.'" Nao interrupted.

Mai incredulousy mouthed 'Naughtyville High?' at Natsuki. Natsuki shot Nao a dirty look. "Long story short, I kissed her."

"And she didn't freak out?" Mai looked incredulous. Nao shook her head. "You may have broken an important rule, but I commend you for your courage…"

"Well, I must've done something right since she kissed me back."

"Hah! And you didn't think my rules would work," Nao crowed.

"In this situation, your rules aren't worth shit." Natsuki groaned. "What am I supposed to do? I've come too far to give up now."

"Perhaps you should. It's not like you can ask her out and hope to score." Mai scowled.

Natsuki and Nao stared at the redhead, and then at each other. Mai looked confused. "What?"

"You're right, Mai, I should just give up. What was I thinking? This is me, going off to wallow in my stupidity…" Natsuki waved and left the coffee shop.

Mai narrowed her eyes. "Sometimes I think sarcasm is the worst invention ever created by humankind."

"Oh yeah, it'll kill you if you're not careful." Nao blinked innocently when Mai threw her a sharp look.

Mai groaned. "What have I done?"

"You just gave an idiotic idea to an even bigger idiot—the collateral damage is going to be epic." Nao cackled. She pulled out her cell phone and began dialing.

Mai looked at her curiously. "Who are you calling?"

"My fellow Natsuki-tormentor." Nao waited patiently for the other line to be picked up. "Saeko, babe! How've you been?"

Natsuki yawned as students began to file in the classroom. She was supposed to take attendance before Youko came, but it was a bit hard, considering that the class was being extremely loud. She scanned the crowd for Shizuru, smiling absent-mindedly at seeing the girl laughing with friends.

Natsuki sighed. She never liked being in noisy places, but this was just ridiculous. "Oi! Sit down and stay quiet while I take attendance!"

She blinked when there was a miraculous silence. If there was one good thing about being the heartthrob of the faculty, as Youko so eloquently put it, the students were always willing to listen to Natsuki.

"Hey, Ms. Kuga?"

Well, there's always that one kid who never shuts up. "Yes, Chie?"

"Can I ask you a few questions for the school newspaper?"

Natsuki shrugged. "I can't guarantee any answers."

"That's fine." The dark-haired student looked gleeful at getting an inside scoop of the über mysterious, exceedingly attractive, aloof teaching assistant. Chie pulled out a recorder seemingly from nowhere. "What's your sign?"

A harmless enough question, Natsuki figured. "Leo."

She resisted the urge to face-palm when whispers and excited squeals burst throughout the room. "Leo is compatible with my sign!" "Mine, too!"

Chie ignored the furor behind her. "Favorite color?"

"I suppose it would have to be silver—"

"Last movie you went to see?"

"Something action-packed—"

"Any siblings?"

"Uh, no—"

Natsuki looked confused at the speed at which the questions were being fired. There was a crafty gleam in Chie's eyes.

"What is your favorite mode of transportation?"

"My motorcycle—"

"Is your hair a natural dark blue?"

"Yes—"

"Are you in a relationship?"

"Not yet—"

The entire class gasped at her last answer. Natsuki glared at Chie, who whistled innocently while looking around. She had been tricked by a seventeen year-old, damn it!

"What do you mean by 'not yet,' Ms. Kuga?" Chie asked slyly.

Natsuki directed her gaze to a pair of intrigued crimson eyes. She felt a tingle in her spine; Shizuru's gaze was literally electrifying. "It means I have someone in mind." She offered the honey-brunette a small smile, which was returned. Natsuki broke the impromptu staring contest to scowl at Chie. "That's all you're getting out of me, Harada."

Chie beamed and made a show of turning off the recorder. "You'll make this our best issue yet, Ms. Kuga."

"Fantastic," Natsuki grumbled.

-000-000-

Natsuki jumped slightly when the bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of class. She glanced swiftly at the clock; she had about five minutes to talk to Shizuru before the next class started.

Natsuki spotted the honey-brunette exiting the classroom, surrounded on all sides by a group of girls. Natsuki frowned; she really did not want to deal with more fawning teenage girls today.

Shizuru was listening to what one of the girls who stalked her constantly was saying and trying to nod politely and refrain from yawning at the same time. As the group turned the corner, Shizuru let out a sound of surprise when something jerked her backwards; a gentle hand covered her mouth to muffle her shout. The group of fan girls was so absorbed in trying to impress Shizuru with their stories that they didn't even notice their queen was missing.

Natsuki dragged Shizuru into an empty classroom. She released the honey-brunette and blinked in surprise when Shizuru spun around in a defensive posture, which Natsuki recognized as a Muay Thai technique. "You know how to fight?"

Shizuru's scowl relaxed when she recognized Natsuki. "Ara, may I ask why Natsuki dragged me away so suddenly to an empty classroom?" Her defensive stance had shifted to a more relaxed one.

Natsuki eyed Shizuru warily. It seemed there was more to the pampered princess than she had thought. "Well, if I had known there was a potential chance of getting my ass kicked, I probably wouldn't have."

"Self-defense is very important to my family." Shizuru's eyes twinkled. "Fujinos generally don't like being suddenly abducted, but I can make a few exceptions."

"Really? So can I abduct you again Friday night?" Natsuki gave Shizuru a half-smile.

"That depends."

"On what?" Unconsciously, Natsuki had gravitated towards the younger girl and stood only inches away from her.

"This whole teacher-student thing. It probably would be best if this were secret." Despite herself, Shizuru melted into Natsuki's hold.

"Teaching assistant," Natsuki corrected. "There's a difference."

"It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this," Shizuru managed to get out between kisses.

"You don't know the half of it. Any other objections?"

"You already know I'm a virgin."

"That can be easily fixed." Natsuki gave Shizuru a roguish smile.

Shizuru's eyes narrowed. "Don't hold your breath."

Natsuki made a show of taking a deep breath and holding it. Shizuru cracked a smile. "I hope Natsuki doesn't asphyxiate; I kind of like having her around."

"Likewise." Natsuki's lips quirked.

"I have to go." Shizuru gave Natsuki a short kiss and stepped back. "I'm late for class."

Natsuki lazily waved a piece of paper in the air. "Good thing I have a written excuse."

"Ara, there might be some benefit in dating Natsuki after all."

"We're dating?" Natsuki grinned.

"If Natsuki behaves," Shizuru tossed back.

"I can do that."

"Natsuki can start by letting go of me so I can get to class."

Natsuki did so reluctantly. "We still haven't finished talking."

"My, Natsuki is just full of words today. She isn't this talkative while teaching." Shizuru smiled at Natsuki's scowl. "The Student Council meeting is over at 4:30."

"I guess that's my cue to drop by."

"Don't disappoint." Shizuru plucked the hallway pass out of Natsuki's hand and walked out of the classroom. No, wait, scratch that—she literally sauntered out of the room.

Natsuki rubbed her head ruefully. Arrogance seemed to be a genetic trait for the Fujinos. At the same time, she couldn't deny that there was a special Fujino charm. And how the hell did Shizuru know Muay Thai? Was it wrong of her to find the younger woman's unpredictability at turn-on?

Snap out of it, Natsuki reminded herself. Get in, get the job done, get out. Simple as that.

No harm in appreciating a beautiful woman, though, right?

-000-000-

Natsuki squinted through the microscope at the bacteria in the petri dish before marking something down. Youko had asked her to test out this experiment to see if the students would learn anything, but Natsuki honestly had no idea. She figured that those who wanted to learn would learn it, and those who didn't, well, screw 'em.

Natsuki turned around at hearing the classroom door open. A petite, bespectacled brunette walked in and looked surprised at seeing Natsuki. "Hey, Ms. Kuga."

"Hello, Yukino." Natsuki offered a half-smile. "Looking for Dr. Sagisawa?" Yukino was one of the smarter students at Fuuka Academy, if not the smartest. She was actually interested during class, unlike some of the other students who constantly tried to flirt with Natsuki. Plus, Natsuki mused, with the glasses and shyness, Yukino reminded Natsuki of herself in high school.

"Not really. I'm just here to return a book Dr. Sagisawa lent me." Yukino smiled. Maybe another reason Natsuki liked Yukino was because the younger girl didn't lose her head around the teaching assistant. It was hard trying to hold a conversation with a student who couldn't keep his or her eyes off your body.

"Don't let me get in your way." Natsuki made an airy gesture and turned back to the microscope.

Yukino set the book down and came up next to Natsuki. "Is this the next experiment?"

"Yep." A figurative light bulb lit up above Natsuki's head. "Want to take a look and tell me if you think your peers can handle it?"

Yukino gave her a shy smile. "If you don't mind."

"Of course not, it would actually make my job a lot easier."

Yukino looked through the microscope. "Ah, it's to differentiate between the steps of mitosis, right?"

"You're exceptionally smart, Yukino." Natsuki smiled, unintentionally making Yukino blush. "So what do you think, is it a good experiment for the class to do?"

"I think so, except I would use onion-root tip cells instead of whitefish blastula."

The repressed, imprisoned, carefully guarded nerd deep within the recesses of Natsuki's soul gleefully burst out of her cell (no pun intended) and fixed her crooked glasses. "What a coincidence, I prefer the onion root, too."

Yukino brightened. "It's easier to see the stages of mitosis with the onion-root because the color is lighter than the whitefish blastula's, wouldn't you agree? Also, I have a feeling that some of my more…easily distracted peers will fixate on the word 'blastula' as a 'weird word,' if you will." Yukino grimaced and adjusted her glasses.

Natsuki grinned at her fellow academic enthusiast (whatever anyone else said, it was not being a nerd!). "My thoughts exactly. It's a bit harder telling metaphase and anaphase apart with the whitefish. Have you ever thought about majoring in biology in university? It's a fun course."

"I haven't decided on a major yet, but I plan to make biology one of my classes," Yukino said.

"Excellent." With some effort, Natsuki restrained her inner-nerd. "I'm sure you have other appointments. Don't let me keep you waiting."

"Yes, the Student Council needs me now. I'll see you in class, Ms. Kuga." Yukino smiled and waved as she left the room.

Natsuki gave an absent-minded salute, already absorbed in her work. Yukino's words slowly trickled through her ears and reached her brain. Wait a minute…the Student Council wanted Yukino?

Natsuki's mind unwillingly flash-backed to her high school years. She saw the faces of the Student Council during her time jeer at her younger self. Shiori and Reito stood out most in her mind since they were the two most important council members, but the entire council had taken part in making her life miserable: the secretary, the executive director, the treasurer—

Natsuki shot up out of her seat. She didn't know what the Student Council wanted with Yukino, but it probably involved merciless teasing for Yukino! She had to save the kid!

Natsuki sprinted out the door and tried to remember where the Student Council room was located. It was hard because during her time at Fuuka Academy, Natsuki made a point to avoid the general vicinity of her main tormentors.

No time to let her resentment simmer, she had to stop Yukino! Natsuki came to a fork in the hallway and hesitated; left or right? Ah, screw it. Natsuki jerked left and scanned the labels above the classroom doors. There, it said Student Council!

Natsuki skidded to a halt before the closed door. She placed a hand on the knob, but hesitated. What if Shizuru was also one of Yukino's tormentors? Stopping Shizuru's "fun" might ruin her chances with the girl—

"We're not letting you get away with this!"

Natsuki winced at the booming voice so clearly audible through the door. She peeked in through the window. Yukino was sitting in a chair, staring up defiantly at Shizuru and another blonde girl Natsuki recognized as Haruka Suzushiro, one of the wealthy students.

"Ara, calm down, Haruka." Shizuru leaned in closer to Yukino. "But really, Yukino, do you think we're so stupid to let you use the excuse of studying again?" Her melodic voice dripped with disdain.

"Look at you, studying all the time," Haruka spat. "It's like you have no purpose in life except to study!"

"I-I have to study. How else am I going to retain my scholarship?" Despite the initial stutter, Yukino glared at her captors.

Natsuki had no idea what they were needling Yukino about, but was obviously the two rich girls against the poorer girl.

"We're not asking for too much, are we?" Haruka snatched the books out of Yukino's arms despite her protests.

Shizuru narrowed her eyes. "All we want you to do…"

Natsuki prepared herself to intervene. What nefarious scheme were they forcing upon Yukino? Back then, Natsuki herself had been forced to do the Student Council's homework.

"…is come to the party."

Natsuki nearly threw open the door before the words hit her. What kind of twisted psychological mind game was this?

"You never hang out with us anymore," Haruka grumbled. "The least you can do is come to Mikoto's party this weekend. It'll be fun!"

"Please, Yukino? It won't be as much fun if you're not there." Shizuru batted her eyelashes at the smaller brunette. Natsuki's jaw dropped.

Yukino threw up her arms seemingly in frustration, although there was a smile on her face. "Fine."

Haruka and Shizuru laughed and turned to give each other a high five.

Natsuki rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

"Okay, meeting adjourned," Shizuru proclaimed.

"You call this a meeting? Everyone already left; it was basically you sucking down tea while I waited for Yukino." Haruka scowled.

"Ara, Haruka only had to ask if she wanted some."

"And risk your wrath? God forbid." Haruka rolled her eyes. "Come, Yukino, let's leave the woman to her pinky-raising antics." She mimed sipping from a cup of tea and stomped out of the room. Yukino shrugged and gathered her books. "See you tomorrow, Shizuru."

Natsuki remained leaning against the side of the wall so that Haruka and Yukino didn't see her, although the dark-haired biker chick barely noticed their departure. What the hell just happened? Why wasn't the Student Council the vicious pack of wolves that she remembered?

"Natsuki?"

Natsuki's head snapped up. Shizuru gave her a quizzical look. "I hope Natsuki hasn't been waiting long."

"Not at all." Natsuki gave a brief smile. She raised an eyebrow when Shizuru softly laughed. "What?"

"Natsuki is cute when she gets all brooding."

"I'm cute all the time."

Shizuru took Natsuki's hand and led her into the classroom. "Eh."

"'Eh'? What's that supposed to mean?" Natsuki mock-frowned.

"What's on your mind?" Shizuru countered.

"Oh, nothing. Are you friends with Yukino?" Natsuki's mouth shot off before she could stop it. Oh, well.

Shizuru blinked. "Why wouldn't I be? She's the Student Council secretary."

"She is? But I thought she's a scholarship student—"

"What does that matter?" Shizuru looked confused.

Natsuki looked at her for a moment before shaking her head. "Nothing. Things have sure changed when I was here."

"Natsuki attended Fuuka Academy?" Shizuru raised her eyebrows. "You and my sister are about the same age. Did you know Shiori?"

Natsuki froze. Aw, crap.

Me, a science nerd? Never! Something must be wrong with your cerebral cortex if that's the impression you got. ;) Don't tell anyone, I have to keep up my bad-ass reputation at school.

Really,
Every
Verbose
Indication of
Enthusiasm for my story is
Wonderful, just like you. ;)

(Pretty please with cookies on top? I'm allergic to cherries.)