Chapter 1: "Phone Call"

Disclaimer: Citrus is the property of Saburouta. The characters do not belong to me.

Yuzu heard the pattering sound of rain outside her office, the subtlety, and calmness of every raindrop placed her mind at ease, though she admits that if it wasn't for the rain, she wouldn't have woken up. Next to the Laptop and files on her desk shows her office clock, she rubbed the sleep in her eyes to take in the sight of the green led light that shone brightly inside her dim-lit office. As soon as she saw it's past midnight, she jumped in her seat and looked for her car keys, and stretched her body.

"Ahhh...shit!" she cursed under her breath and ran down to the hallways, almost reaching the exit until...

"Hey, Doc. Why are you still here? It's..." A guy with a flashlight right in front of the exit door appeared, checking on his watch for the time as he continued. "...12:28 a.m"

"I'm sorry Oliver, I lost track of time and slept inside my office, my office mates left unannounced," she bowed her head profusely, much to her disappointment because of the trouble she had caused to their building's security guard.

" No need for that, it's okay" waving both his hands, giving a sheepish grin to the doctor. Oliver tried to dismiss Yuzu's constant apology.

"Thank you so much, Oliver, I'll be heading home now before the rain starts to go stronger." Yuzu gave the guy an apologetic smile and ran towards her car, only to be stopped when she heard Oliver's distant yell.

"By the Way Doc. Okogi, your mom called, but since I cannot understand Japanese, I left her on voicemail" Oliver made sure his voice was loud enough to reach Yuzu despite the strong sound of heavy raindrops in the background.

Yuzu reached for her phone and saw 16 missed calls from her Mama. Once she got inside her car, she looked over to her messages and opened the ones her Mama sent to her. It said,

Hey Yuzu,

I'm sorry to call you in the middle of your work but I missed my baby, it's been 4 days since you last called and I can't help but worry. Call me when you receive my message ASAP. By the way, I have news for you. Take care. I love you always.

Love; Mama

Yuzu gave an appreciative smile and sighed at the text messages she received, but the last message her mom sent, gave unwanted feelings of guilt that she can feel a lump in her throat forming inside her dry mouth. It read,

Hey Yuzu,

I guess it can't be helped huh? I'm sorry for bombarding you with a myriad of messages since you weren't able to call me and I know you're halfway across the globe right now but I need you to come home when you have set your schedules already, it has been 12 years and I haven't seen my daughter's face. You have sent me postcards but it isn't enough and I'm growing rather old waiting patiently for your visit. Let me know if you have received the message. A call would be nice. Take care. I love you.

Love; Your Mama

'As much as I don't wanna see Japan back again, I need vacation and rest, being a doctor is quite a challenge' she sighed deeply. 'Okay, okay, I'll file a two-month leave from work' Yuzu thought to herself, her mind was all over the place, she thought that even if she goes to Japan for her leave, she knows that work will follow her even if she's light-years away.

She drove back to her condominium and swiped her keycard onto her front door and when she heard a 'ding', she removed her shoes and instinctively said "I'm home". There was no reply, and that prompted her to check the bedroom next to hers. She saw her best friend, Elena, tossing and turning under her duvet peacefully, snoring and drooling over her bed sheet and pillows. The sight gave her a satisfied smile.

After eating dinner, taking a bath, and changing into her night pajamas, she went to her room and checked the time on her bedside clock, it was 2:17 a.m. She sat at the left side of the bed, facing the veranda of her condominium and picked up her mobile phone in her Pajama pocket, and immediately called her Mother.

On the other side of the line, Suzume went to the nearest supermarket and did her routine morning groceries. She was expecting Sho to return home two days from now, she sighed impatiently looking at the queue seemingly not moving even an inch. She then directed her attention to her phone who's buzzing relentlessly, as she looked at the caller ID, she can't help but smile. She answered the phone hastily.

"Oh. Look who decided to call." Ume didn't intend to make it sound harsh, but she was growing impatient at her daughter's lack of contact.

"Mama, I'm sorry... It's been hectic, work schedules and stuff, I even haven't had enough sleep because of it. Plus, I have to surrender my phone. Work rules and all" Yuzu quickly replied. Sounding very apologetic. "...I saw your messages," She added.

"And?...what do you say? Can you visit me?" Ume placed an impish grin on her lips, waiting for her daughter's response.

"I still have to file a leave to our working place so yes, I'll be there in a week" Yuzu replied without batting an eye.

"I will expect your return Lady, 12 years is enough," Ume said in her authoritative tone.

"Yes Mama, I miss you" Yuzu smiled at her mother's new attitude.

"Me too, by the way, call me later... I'm next to the queue ... Bye... I love you" Ume ended the call with a sigh escaping her lips.

Before Yuzu could reply, she realized the call ended already. She sighed and thought to herself 'I'm going back to Japan'

Flashback- 12 years ago

"Hey...are you sure? About London?" Ume's voice cracked asking her daughter. "...I mean, I know you're upset about Mei, I too, but is going to London a smart choice?" Ume, now in tears, asked her daughter once more.

"Mama, don't worry about me, I know how to speak English" Yuzu let out a small chuckle to lighten the emotional aura in the airport while hugging her mom.

Ume squeezed her daughter once more, not wanting to let go, it's the first time she'll allow her daughter to go somewhere far away from her. She loosened her grip when Yuzu pulled back bidding her goodbyes to her friends.

"Harumi, Matsuri-Chan, Nene, Himeko-San, and Shiharo-Senpai thank you for sending me off the plane, and for all your help, I appreciate it...Can I ask one last favor?." Yuzu looked at them one by one.

"... Please take care of my mom, she can be nosy, annoying, loud, and overly enthusiastic but she is a good cook" Yuzu let out a giggle and continued "... I know I'm asking too much but someone has to keep an eye on her drinking" Yuzu looked directly to her mom. She then proceeded to look at her friends and let out a loud sigh " I'm excited and scared but I needed this..."

There was an utter silence "...Group hug" Yuzu yelled one last time because her goodbyes seemed to sour the mood of her companions. Everyone jumped to her and gave her a tight hug except for one person. Himeko. Who seemed to just eye her but Yuzu saw a tear rolling down her face.

"Come here, vice-president student council" Yuzu stretched out her arms to Himeko and gave her a sad smile "...at least I know you'll miss me"

Himeko hugged Yuzu back and said "Chase your dreams delinquent, we will surely miss you" the final words made Yuzu smile and she replied "And I will miss all of you too"

End of Flashback

Present- On the Way to Japan

The sound of the plane that was about to land woke her up from the long and tiresome journey, not to mention the stops she had went through to reach their destination. Her arrival was earlier than anticipated, it took her only three days and not a week to arrive in Japan. She did not leave a call to her mom, nor message her about her arrival to surprise her mother with her unannounced come back, though she has to explain to her mom that she brought Elena with her, if they don't have any vacant rooms, they can just stay in a hotel with her best friend. Yuzu can't help but notice Elena's elegant clothes, she's clad in a black turtleneck and grey suit complementing her brown eyes and brunette hair, and grey loose pants. She eyed the girl from bottom to the top.

"What are you lookin' at?" Elena implored, catching Yuzu off guard.

"Ahh no, no. There's a bee flying on the top of your head" Yuzu reasoned. 'Seriously?! A bee! Is there another reason you can think of?! Yuzu! Think!' She thought to herself.

Elena quickly jumped and clung over Yuzu and said, "What?! Where?!" Her breathing is uneven, her face scrunched, and is inches away from Yuzus. Yuzu immediately looked away to hide the blush that crept to her ears, neck, and face. 'Oh, God! This is a very near contact, go away woman! before someone else sees us!' Yuzu thought. She tried hiding the blush but failed miserably when the other girl noticed and teased Yuzu about it.

"Hey! You're crushing on me!" Elena teased the other woman. As a result, Yuzu looked like a tomato because the redness on her face increased.

"No! Yuck! You wish! A doctor does not need a significant other in their lives, I'm a surgeon that saves hearts, not breaks them" Yuzu gave a wink and an impish grin to the other woman which made the atmosphere even more awkward.

"Okay then, why are you still wearing this necklace?" Elena held out the silver chain around Yuzu's neck with a ring on it and eyed the other woman with a puzzled look "...Is this the reminder of your unbreakable love with... Mei, is it?"

Yuzu took off the necklace and threw it on the nearest garbage can. She gave Elena a stern look and asked "Happy?" Yuzu then walked at her fastest pace and left the other girl behind. Elena, acting like her normal self, went to the garbage can and kept the necklace with her. Her calculations were wrong about Yuzu. She then chased Yuzu.

"Someone has moved on" Elena started as if she didn't destroy the blonde's mood earlier.

"You're six years late about that information" Yuzu replied in her usual tone, sounding more relaxed than her earlier conversation.

"Can I meet her? Mei? I can't wait to see her, I think she has had a child since she was married 12 years ago" Elena is trying to pique the interests of the blonde but Yuzu never looked back. "Hey! What happened? Tongue-tied?"

"No, I'm sleepy, I need rest, Elena... Keep those questions up and you'll be renting a hotel room" Yuzu, now pissed at her best friend.

"I'm sorry, you must feel bad, but I'm just making sure that you're not gonna do anything stupid" the brunette gave Yuzu a sad smile and a concerned look.

"Hey, thanks for coming, I appreciate it...not just to this but for the 12 years of friendship from hell and back" Yuzu gave her friend a sincere smile and hugged her.

A few moments, they rode a cab to Yuzu's apartment, the blonde thought that a lot has changed since the last time she stepped to the grounds of their place but the building of their apartment stayed the same, it was 10 a.m, she used the spare key that she has to open the door from their apartment. There were no changes at all, but one thing is strange, the apartment is darker now 'It looked like someone has died here' she thought. Yuzu signaled Elena to not make any noises and as Yuzu looked around the kitchen, living room, and her bedroom, she saw nothing but pitch black. So she told Elena to follow her to her bedroom.

"No, I'm not going to the bedroom with you, your father in heaven will see us" Elena joked to put life on Yuzu's disappointed face.

"Shut up! I'm sleeping so just sleep with me, both of us needed it, we haven't had a single blink on the airplane...I mean I did, but you haven't...consider this a reward that you're going to lie next to a doctor" Yuzu giggled at the annoyed face Elena and patted the space of the unoccupied part of the bed, signaling Elena to sleep beside her.

"Okay, sleep-deprived grandma" Elena chuckled and rolled her eyes to the blonde.

"I'm sorry but you have me all wrong, I am a doctor not a grandma" Yuzu replied cuddling next to her best friend.

Twenty minutes and both of them were fast asleep. Elena nuzzled her head to Yuzu's neck while the blonde leaned her head to the brunette, they don't know what to blame for their sudden loss of energy; Jet lag, or the lack of sleep while they were in the plane. Yuzu's hands were wrapped around Elena's waist and the same goes for the brunette.

"Yuzu"

'No shit, please tell me it's not her' Yuzu thought, despite her age and the years that have passed, she knows that voice very well. For years, she has come to love and loathe the moment that name was uttered by her lips. Yuzu is a light sleeper, she is very sensitive to what happens around her, never did she dream to wake up to the sound of her voice.

"Mama?" she pretended to feel dizzy and acted like she did not recognize the voice while rubbing the sleep in her eyes, next to her is Elena, who still seemed to be very sound asleep nuzzled in her neck. Yuzu jumped and sat back to stop their little cuddling session. Now that Yuzu can see the image right in front of her, she woke Elena up to at least not make the atmosphere awkward as it already is. The blonde has no plan to ignite an unnecessary conversation with the raven-haired girl.

"Elena, wake up. Someone's occupying this bed" Yuzu muttered but Elena is not moving a muscle. "I'm sorry Mei, I don't know if this is the effect of Jet lag or insufficient sleep" there was silence after that so Yuzu thought it'd be best to start talking again. "...I didn't notice you were in the bathroom, where's Mama?"

Mei is still in shock, dumbfounded by the scenario she is seeing right now. She doesn't know if this is either one of her imaginations or dreams, but that did not stop her from replying.

"Uhmmm, M-mother is b-buying, I mean she's on her routine morning groceries" Mei stuttered while trying her best to keep her cool but failed miserably. She mentally scolded herself 'What happened?! It's just Yuzu! By the way, why the sudden visit? I guess this is not a dream am I right?! It's not a dream!'

"Ahh okay... I guess it can't be helped, I didn't know you were staying here, Mama didn't say a word. Damn, I think we'll just find someplace else to crash, do you know a hotel near here?" When there seems to be no reply and the shock in Mei's reddened complexion is written all over her face, she asks again "Mei, are you okay?" The blonde was about to stand up when a phone rang and saved the awkward aura that spreads in their room.

'ring'

It was Elena's phone, the owner eventually picked up the phone and answered a lousy 'hello'

"I'm looking for Doc. Aihara, her presence is needed as of the moment but she cannot be reached by our callers so we took our initiative to call you," the guy on the other line said. "...Is she there with you?"

"Who's that?" Yuzu mouthed the words and asked Elena who seemed to be very preoccupied with the caller.

"Doctor Nagato-San, the head doctor of National Hospital Organization," Elena said, reaching the phone to her best friend's grasp.

"What?! Crap! We just arrived here!" Yuzu grumbled.

"You tell him Doctor Aihara-san, she's your problem, not mine" Elena replied giggling at her best friend's contorted face.

Yuzu stepped out of the room and went to the sliding door which can give you access to the veranda in their apartment and took the call. After a few more minutes, she stepped out and opened her luggage to get her lab coat and stethoscope. She removed her leather jacket but wore the same pastel lime green turtle neck inner and signaled Elena to come with her.

"I'm sorry Elena but we have to go, go find a hotel room for us, but leave the luggage for now. We'll be back later. I'm sorry I sprung this into you all at once." Yuzu set forth a sincere look into Elena's.

"That's why I came. Remember?" Elena winked at Yuzu and gave out a smirk.

"Thank you but we have to leave ASAP." Yuzu was eager and excited to meet the head doctor of the top hospital in Japan.

"...oh I almost forgot, sorry Mei, I ruined my surprise- come back, but tell Mama I'll be eating my dinner here, okay?" The blonde was near the door, clutching its knob, not even looking straight at the raven-haired girl.

Mei was out of words, she hasn't yet recovered from the shock, she nodded at the blonde, still wearing her bathrobe, and gripped the necklace tightly under it. She can feel the cold metal touching her skin. Her mouth slightly agape, she was not ready to face her, at least not yet and not like this.

A/N: Hi, this is emfreads, I have to apologize for the lack of beta-reads for this first chapter (only for this chapter), I have to be honest, I was kinda lazy editing this one and I thought I didn't have to - again cuz I'm lazy. Also, I was a bit dizzy... I wrote this in the A.M.