Previously…
It was closed until 2am in the morning and there were hardly any cars left on the roads. Shizuru accelerated her car and it sped down the roads. She held the steering wheel with one of her hands as she rested her head against the other, thinking as she cruised down the streets.
She had lied earlier on. She knew the clothes were in her car on the passenger's seat when she told Natsuki that she forgot to bring her clothes. But the question was why did she do that?
Shizuru sat on the balcony attached to her room. She took a sip of the wine as she stared at the mobile phone on the table, contemplating.
She took out a cigarette stick and a matchbox. It was a habit of hers to use a matchstick to light her cigarette rather than a lighter. She always had a pack of cigarettes and a matchbox with her.
(SMOKING IS BAD! I repeat! SMOKING IS BAD! Shizuru is a BAD GIRL!)
Not that she smokes often.
She seldom smoked.
She only did that whenever she was frustrated over things. Not that she was frustrated now. Shizuru insisted. Just slightly puzzled.
Yes puzzled. Not troubled.
Shizuru firmly believed so.
Shizuru lightened a matchstick and let it burn without bringing it to the cigarette. She watched as the sparks on the matchstick turned into flame and licked away at the wooden stick, consuming it, nearly burning her finger before she dropped it into the ashtray.
She looked at the phone lying next to the ashtray, contemplating.
Instead of picking up the phone, Shizuru turned and striked another stick, letting it burn again.
Then another stick.
And another one.
Finally she sighed and snatched up her handphone and quickly dialled out a number, as if afraid that she herself would regret the action. She pressed out a series of numbers, a number that she came to memorise well into her memory the past few days.
It was 2am in the morning. God knows why she was still calling someone whom she would hardly call a friend.
The phone got through and Shizuru immediately tensed up. She was afraid that Natsuki would pick up the call. And yet somehow afraid that she would not pick up.
The ringing continued for a while before the voice recording started, requesting Shizuru to leave a message.
Shizuru hung up immediately.
As if frustrated, Shizuru combed her fingers through her trussell and threw the phone roughly on the bed, ignoring it as the phone slipped and landed on the carpet.
She put the cigarette into her lips and struck the matchstick, this time bringing the matchstick to the cigarette.
Instead of puffing away, Shizuru let the cigarette burn as she looked into the dark sky.
When she was younger, she had travelled abroad extensively, into the eastern countries. And once while travelling in Thailand, she was fascinated by the many fortune tellers that she found occupying the roadsides and had tried her luck with one of the fortune tellers. According to the locals, they said she was one of the more accurate fortune tellers among the many pseudo ones, cheating people of their money.
Shizuru decided to have her fortune read then.
It was an interesting experience.
The old fortune teller spread out a stack of cards in front of her and asked her to choose. Shizuru made her selections. But the fortune tellers had shook her head and clucked her tongues after seeing her selected cards. The fortune teller told Shizuru that Shizuru would be like a bird without a pair of legs, forever flying, unable to settle down with any partner. Unfortunately, should she really fall in love, there would be no return for her. That person would be her one and only love.
Shizuru crushed her unfinished cigarette into the ashtray, chuckled and shook her head. Falling in love? That would never happen. She took another sip of the red wine and stared into the night sky.
Just then, the silent handphone lying on the carpet rang and Shizuru quickly stood up and strode to pick up the previously abandoned phone.
Natsuki just stepped out of the bathroom when she heard the ringing phone. Wondering who would call her at such a time, Natsuki walked towards it and picked it up. But the moment she picked it up, the ringing stopped.
Natsuki swiped open the phone and saw the caller. She debated whether to return the missed call. There was only momentary indecision before Natsuki decided to return the call. There could be some urgent issue.
Natsuki dialled the number and there was a short ringing tone before the phone was quickly picked up.
"Hi Viola-san, did you call me earlier on?"
There was silence on the other side and for a moment, Natsuki thought that Shizuru had hung up on her. Natsuki checked her phone. It was still connected to the call.
"Viola-san?"
Natsuki heard a cough before Shizuru spoke. "A..ara Natsuki, I didn't realise that you are still awake. Gomenei, did I wake you up?"
"I wasn't asleep. I just came out from showering."
"I see."
And then there was silence.
Natsuki raised her eyebrows. "And you called me earlier regarding? Is it regarding work?"
"I was….asking whether you would be free to meet this Friday for lunch or dinner to discuss the cooperation between our companies."
There was a frown on Natsuki's face now. "You called at 2am in the morning to ask if I am free to meet for discussion?"
The irritation in Natsuki's voice was obvious. It was something Shizuru was familiar with.
Subconsciously, Shizuru relaxed and leaned back against the back of the chair.
"Ara, don't be angry, Natsuki. I do have something important to share with you."
Natsuki narrowed her eyes. "Viola-san, I really hope it will be something important."
The smile on Shizuru's face widened. "Of course. I do. We will meet this Friday at Otome Resort." Shizuru did a quick scan of the list of places she knew and suggested this place. "See you then. Oyasumi nasai, Natsuki."
It was important to dress correctly for the occasion. The incorrect attire could put the wearer in an awkward position.
Shizuru thought about it as she glanced at her closet. She was going to meet Natsuki later on to talk about the cooperation between their firms. So it was more like a business meeting rather than a friendly casual meeting. Her attire would therefore be geared towards formal attire. And knowing Natsuki's style, she would most likely come to the restaurant directly from her workplace. So she would be in work attire.
But not too formal. Shizuru thought. Takeda nii-sama had the intention to draw the two corporations closer together. So Shizuru was hoping that this session could also be an opportunity to build closer working relationships. Thus, more casual formal attire rather than an overly formal one.
It took Shizuru a while but she managed to find the right attire for it.
Shizuru had her door open when she was choosing the attire. So when Takeda walked past her imouto's room, he was shocked to see clothes spewing all over the room, from the bed to the couch. Had he not trusted the security team guarding his house, he would have thought that the house had been burgled.
But as the older of the two, he felt obligated to check on his imouto wellbeing despite his trust in the security team.
To be honest, he was more worried for the burglar's wellbeing. Shizuru was more than capable of taking care of herself. But no way was he going to tell Shizuru that. He knew his imouto and how devilish she can be. She already got him back for not showing enough care and concern to her while she was hospitalised with a concussion. Well he was talking to Natsuki! His future wife!
Takeda poked his head into the room and saw his imouto searching for clothes in her walk-in closet.
"Are you searching for something?"
Shizuru looked up from the pile of clothes in front of her. "Gokigenyou nii-sama." She glanced at her room. "Ara… looks like my room is in a mess ne." It seemed that she was so engrossed with searching for her clothes that she didn't realise the state that her room was in.
"You know you can always ask Mei-san (housekeeper) to help you find the stuff."
"It's fine. I like finding my own stuff." Shizuru replied as she moved to untangle herself for the rest of the clothes and started to arrange them in order.
"You know…" Takeda said as he leaned against the door. "I was kind of surprised that Natsuki would agree to work with us. Personally, I am glad with the closer working relationship between the two families. But to be honest, from a business point of view, Kuga Corporate doesn't stand to gain much from this."
"But they have much to lose if they don't work with us." Shizuru slowly replied as she paid attention to the task of folding her clothes.
If Takeda had been more attentive, he would have noticed that Shizuru was paying too much attention to the folding of the clothes. But he was still contemplating over the fact that Kuga Cooperation was willing to work with them.
Shizuru stared at the clothes in front of her. She wondered why she did not share with Onii-sama that she was going to meet Natsuki tomorrow night. Perhaps nii-sama could also come along and it would be an opportunity for the two of them to build a relationship.
But Shizuru had kept quiet about it.
She meticulously sorted out the clothes in front of her and slowly folded the clothes.
"We need a partner for this project. If Kuga Corporation doesn't partner with us, we will likely partner with Kanzaki Corporation. I don't think Natsuki would want that to happen as well." Shizuru analysed the situation.
"Yes possible. A collaboration between Viola and Kanzaki would pose a big threat to them." Takeda nodded his head in agreement. "I agree with you on this. But don't you think a fifty percent split in cost and profit is something that Kuga Corporation would never agree on?"
Shizuru stopped in the midst of her sorting. Just like her nii-sama, she was also surprised that Natsuki agreed with their proposed fifty fifty split. When she first proposed a fifty-fifty split with Natsuki, Natsuki had outrightly rejected her with no intention of accepting the proposal. So it came as a surprise that Natsuki accepted the proposal later on.
"I guess it was because of the blow I took for her." Shizuru lifted her fringe and showed a small white scar that was slowly fading away. "So agreeing to the fifty-fifty split was sort of a compensation perhaps?"
"It was an expensive compensation." Takeda rubbed his chin.
Shizuru glanced up at her onii-sama and arched her brow. "Ara, Nii-sama thinks my life is worth less than the compensation?"
The smile on Takeda's face became a little strained on the corners. He gave an awkward chuckle and said, "Of course not! My imouto's life is worth more than anything! Priceless in fact! Aha aha…" The awkward reply trialled off into silence as he scratched his head. "…Erm… I am flying to the US tomorrow. I better pack my bag now."
And with that he quickly slammed the door shut and strode back to his room. The moment Takeda was back in his room, he heaved a sigh of relief. Looked like he escaped successfully. He knew his imouto well. Many people were charmed by Shizuru's beauty and friendliness. But that was all on the outside. Even when they were young, their parents, teachers and housekeepers were all charmed by her. Shizuru and him were borned in the same year, with him borned in January and Shizuru later in December. They were always playing together and would often get into trouble together as well. But it was always Shizuru who got away with it and he would take the brunt of the punishment. Shizuru would charm her way around the adults and escape the punishment.
Whenever Takeda thought about his past, he would often shed tears of sadness for his life. Despite him being the older of the two, Shizuru always had him wrapped around her fingers too.
What a scary woman. Takeda thought as he shook his head and he wondered which poor girl would be the one to take his sister off his hand. Whoever the poor girl is, that girl was going to have some difficulty managing Shizuru and keep his imouto in check in the future. Takeda really pitied the poor girl.
On the other side of Japan, the poor girl Natsuki sneezed.
Shizuru liked the atmosphere of this Otome Resort. Otome Resort was a member base resort which only allows members to enter. So members would not be finding random strangers entering and using the facilities here. So privacy is guaranteed.
Shizuru didn't have to wait long when Natsuki entered the restaurant. Shizuru leaned back against the chair and watched as Natsuki walked in. She was really a masterpiece even though she was dressed in formal work clothes. Shizuru thought. It was no wonder her nii-sama was head over heels with her. Shizuru guessed it wasn't just the exterior package that was attractive. Natsuki did exude a coldness that might have put people off. But if you dig deep enough, you could find more beneath the icy surface. If Natsuki was as cold as the image she portrayed, Natsuki would not have visited her at her house and accepted Viola's suggestion for a fifty-fifty split of the cost and profit.
Shizuru stood up as Natsuki approached and pulled the chair out for her.
"Gokigenyou ne Natsuki."
"Thank you."
Shizuru caught a whiff of the perfume that Natsuki used as Natsuki sat down in the chair. For a moment Shizuru's eyes darkened. She liked this scent.
Shizuru took the initiative to recommend food to Natsuki, taking care to avoid seafood. She still remembered Natsuki was allergic to seafood.
The dinner went smoothly, and as Shizuru expected, the discussion centred around the cooperation between the two corporations. Shizuru was prepared to discuss work. In fact, she was looking forward to crossing swords with Natsuki. She wanted to know if Natsuki was really what they described her to be.
Shizuru wasn't disappointed.
Natsuki was indeed what her Otou-sama had described - a shrewd businessman. No wonder Outo-sama always lamented that Nii-sama would have trouble holding ground against Natsuki and had sought to build a friendly relationship with Kuga Natsuki.
And it was her shrewd and sharp business acumen that Shizuru enjoyed. It made Shizuru want to challenge Natsuki, to see how far Natsuki could go.
The whole dinner session could be considered enjoyable and would have ended smoothly had an unwelcome guest not appeared.
"Oh dear… I think we have a familiar friend approaching us." Shizuru spoke beneath her breath as she sipped her wine. She glanced in the direction of the familiar friend.
Taking the hint, Natsuki flipped her hair back and took the opportunity to glance to her left. With no change in expression, Natsuki turned back and continued to enjoy her wine.
Shizuru took in the whole situation and smiled. This Kuga Natsuki was indeed an interesting woman. No wonder nii-sama was crazy about her.
"My my my…I guess I am lucky to be able to run into the two beautiful ladies here." Kanzaki Nagi walked to the table with a lady hanging on to his right arm.
Kanzaki Nagi was the second son of the current CEO of Kanzaki Corporation. The eldest son was Kanzaki Reito.
Shizuru rested her chin on the back of her hand and glanced up at the unwelcome visitor. A smile on her face.
"Ara… Kanzaki-san… I didn't know you were ready to be out and having a great time. I thought you would still be recuperating."
A cold glint flashed across Kanzaki Nagi's eyes as the smile on his face carried a dangerous edge. He knew who was responsible for putting him in the hospital for a month. It would be a matter of time before he pays her back for it.
"I am feeling great now." Kanzaki Nagi gestured to himself. "Don't you think so Natsuki-chan?"
Natsuki slowly sipped her wine and returned the wine glass to the table before wiping her lips. She was in no hurry to respond to Kanzaki Nagi.
Kanzaki Nagi narrowed his eyes at Natsuki. His fists clenched.
This bitch did not even bother to look at him when he approached them. And now she did not even bother to answer him! Obviously she was out to embarrass him. That bitch!
But before Kanzaki Nagi could erupt in anger, Natsuki glanced up and smiled.
"Of course Kanzaki-san. You look great now. I couldn't tell that you broke your arm previously. I hope you take better care of yourself when you walk down the stairs."
"Why thank you Natsuki-chan. I was able to recover so quickly thanks to your blessing." Kanzaki Nagi sneered. "Don't worry. I will take good care of myself. I would be more worried about you. A girl like you alone will be dangerous."
Natsuki raised her wine glass and gave Kanzaki Nagi a toast. "A toast to celebrate your recovery then, Kanzaki-san." Natsuki raised the glass to her lips and finished the glass of wine. "Have a great evening, Kanzaki-san."
Natsuki casually dismissed Kanzaki Nagi.
Kanzaki Nagi was already trembling in anger. Kuga Natsuki was making a mockery out of him. With a snap of his heel, he turned and left, leaving his partner chasing after him.
When Natsuki turned back to look at Viola Shizuru, she saw Viola Shizuru clapping her hands softly, her eyes filled with amusement.
"That's an impressive show there."
"Why…thank you." Natsuki replied as she toyed with the wine glass.
"Aren't you worried that he will come after you for what you did to him?"
"I am more than capable of handling the situation. And I think that three is too crowded for the current situation. Don't you think so? Shizuru-san?"
"Ara… perhaps ne…" Shizuru was perfectly aware of what Natsuki was talking about.
Three corporations were one too many.
Natsuki wasn't someone who would spend time on unnecessary talks, especially when the two of them were done negotiating the partnership. She would have to admit, Viola Shizuru was definitely a shrew businesswoman. Not wonder she managed to 'steal' the land from under Alyssa's watchful eyes.
She would have to reevaluate the situation now that Viola Shizuru was in the mix. Had it been just Viola Takeda, Kanzaki Reito and Kanzaki Nagi, she would have managed well enough. But then, Viola Shizuru was in the mix now and things will get more interesting.
"Did you drive? Or is your chauffeur waiting for you?" Shizuru asked when she saw Natsuki was ready to leave.
"I drove here."
"I will accompany you to your car then."
Upon hearing that, Natsuki stopped in mid track and gave Viola Shizuru a suspicious look.
Catching the look Natsuki gave her, Shizuru blinked and asked, "What is it?"
"You are not going to slip into my car again, are you?" Natsuki narrowed her eyes. "You have your phone and wallet with you this time round."
There was a blank look on Shizuru's face before Shizuru finally recalled the incident on the night of her Nii-sama's birthday party. Shizuru chuckled.
"Don't worry, I have my own car tonight." Shizuru took out her car key and dangled it in front of Natsuki for her to see.
Natsuki nodded her head and walked towards the car park.
Velvet service was provided in this resort but Natsuki did not bother using the service. She disliked having some stranger in her car, even if it was temporary.
Once Natsuki reached her car, Shizuru bidded farewell and walked to her car.
It was quite a successful night. Shizuru thought. She managed to have dinner with a beautiful lady and at the same time iron out some details about the cooperation. And in the process, enjoy an interesting 'show'. It wasn't a bad way to end the night.
Just when she slipped into the car, her phone vibrated. She unlocked the phone and saw a message from Arika, asking her to join her at one of the night clubs.
Shizuru glanced at her watch. The night was still young but she didn't feel like going out again and so she rejected Arika's offer.
But just as she placed her phone down, the phone rang. It was Arika.
"Shiiizuruuuu! Where are you?"
Shizuru picked up the phone and immediately, she could hear the loud bass banging in the background. Looked like Arika was already at the nightclub.
"I am at Otome Resort. Just finished a business meeting." Shizuru replied.
"Otome Resort? That's very near where I am. Come on over, Shizuru! We are just starting. The girls are waiting for you."
"I will give it a pass tonight." Shizuru rejected Arika again. Not that she was tired or anything. She just didn't have the urge to go out partying into the night tonight. Of course, she enjoyed the sound and the atmosphere and especially the ladies there. If the mood was right and everything clicked, she would be going to a hotel with a partner for the night.
But just not tonight.
"Ehhhh… But Shizuru, I have not seen you for a while. How about an hour? The night is early and you can just come for an hour."
Shizuru thought about it. It was true. It has been a while since they met for a drink.
"Alright. Give me five and I should be there soon."
"Yay! See you soon!"
Shizuru hung up and started her engine. She would stay for about an hour before leaving.
As she slowly steered her car out of the lot, she glanced over to where Natsuki parked her car earlier on, just to check if she had left.
To Shizuru's surprise, Natsuki's car was still there. The headlights of the car were turned on but the car showed no signs of moving.
How long has it been since Natsuki entered the car? Why is she still here? Shizuru thought.
Shizuru slowly drove the car past Natsuki's.
Shizuru's eyes widened as she slammed the car brake.
There wasn't anyone inside the car.
Threat that Kanzaki Nagi made just now flashed through her mind. Did he make true to the threat?
Shizuru quickly got out of her car and jogged towards Natsuki's car.
As she jogged around the corner, she saw Natsuki sitting on the floor and leaning against her car.
Relief was immediately replaced by worry when she saw the pain on Natsuki's face. Her face was pale as she leaned against the car. She looked barely conscious.
"Natsuki… ne… Natsuki?" Shizuru gently patted Natsuki's shoulder.
The frown on Shizuru's face eased when she saw Natsuki responding to her. She was about to call the police and ambulance.
Natsuki nearly groaned when she saw Shizuru's face.
Why is it her again? Why do I have to always meet her whenever I am feeling unwell? Natsuki thought in resignation.
A few minutes earlier, she was about to drive off. But the sudden onslaught of pain in her head caused her to delay her departure.
Occasionally, she would have bouts of headache. She had seen the specialists but no one could give her an explanation for the frequent bouts of headache.
And this was one of the occasions when the headache started. And the moment she saw Shizuru standing there, she felt the headache worsening.
Natsuki sighed inwardly.
"Shizuru-san." Natsuki gave a weak nod and tried to stifle the grimace. Her head was throbbing non-stop.
Natsuki pulled the door handle and tried to get into the car. Maybe Shizuru could get the hint and just leave her alone.
Shizuru narrowed her eyes when she saw Natsuki struggling to open the door.
"What are you doing?" Shizuru placed her hand over Natsuki's. "Are you planning to drive home in this state?"
"I will be fine after a while." Natsuki shrugged off Shizuru's hand.
For a moment, something in Shizuru nearly snapped.
Natsuki was being stubborn. Shizuru thought. She could barely open the door now, let alone driving. Even if she could drive, she was going to crash her car sooner or later.
The anger had Shizuru smiling instead. A dangerous smile.
If Takeda was here to see the smile on Shizuru's face, he would tell anyone present that Shizuru was angry and it was best to get the hell away as soon as possible. Shizuru gets dangerous whenever she smiles in this manner!
"Sure! If Natsuki-sama wants to drive off in this manner, please go ahead." Shizuru took a step back and gestured for Natsuki to go ahead with her plan.
Shizuru folded her arms around her chest and looked on as Natsuki struggled.
Ignoring the sarcasm in Viola Shizuru's words, Natsuki frowned and struggled to stand up. She gripped on to something and tried to pull herself up. She managed to pull herself up a few inches before her hand slipped and she fell back again.
Her head was throbbing as she tried again.
It took her a few tries until she managed to get a proper grip and successfully pulled herself up.
All the while, Shizuru stood by the side watching as Natsuki struggled to open the car door. It was obvious that Natsuki wasn't even able to open the door easily, let alone drive. But Shizuru had no intention of helping this stubborn woman. In fact, she wanted to knock on her pretty head to see what she was thinking.
Usually it would have taken a few seconds to open the car door. But this time round, Natsuki took a few minutes just to find the handle and pull the door open. The headache was affecting her vision. And it wasn't helping that she was wearing heels.
Just when Natsuki thought she succeeded, she took a misstep and her high heel was caught in a gap, causing her to wobble and fall backwards.
Shit!
Natsuki knew that she would hit the floor hard.
Instead of hitting a hard surface, she felt something soft.
"Ara…" There was a chuckle. "Look what's happening now. Are you sure you are able to drive in this state?" Natsuki could feel hot breaths against her ear. She had the urge to cover her ear. Her ear was her sensitive spot.
If the light wasn't so dim, Shizuru might be able to see Natsuki blushing ears.
Shizuru gave an inward sigh and stared down at the blue-haired lady in her arms. She gave up.
If this stubborn lady wasn't her nii-sama's love interest and their company's partner, she might have dumped her on the road side. She had no patience with stubborn people. Shizuru told herself this.
But Shizuru's eyes softened when glance at Natsuki.
With some skillful and quick manoeuvring, Shizuru managed to sit down on the curb with Natsuki leaning against her.
Natsuki tried to straighten and move away.
"Shhh…" Shizuru gently pressed Natsuki's head against her shoulder and slowly massaged her head. "Five minutes. Just rest for five minutes."
The frown on Natsuki's face eased. The message wasn't that comfortable. Natsuki insisted. She would just wait for five minutes and Viola Shizuru might just leave her alone after that. It was all to get Viola Shizuru off her back. Five minutes massage in exchange for Shizuru leaving her alone wasn't that bad of a trade off. She was a businesswoman and this was a good deal. Natsuki told herself that. It wasn't the fact that the massage was making her comfortable. Natsuki reiterated the point.
A smile appeared on Shizuru's lips when she saw Natsuki lying against her shoulder. It was so rare to see Natsuki so docile. Natsuki was always so cold and distant, always bristling at anyone who stood in her path or came too close to her. For a moment, she thought Natsuki was going to struggle and insist on driving off again. But surprisingly, she stayed on.
Shizuru had learnt a few simple massage methods from one of her previous girlfriends. Her previous girlfriend was a massage therapist and she had taught Shizuru a few messages to ease the headache. She hadn't practised on anyone before. Not even on her then girlfriend. Shizuru didn't see the need to. And it was because of this silly reason that her ex-girlfriend broke up with her. They had an argument over this. From Shizuru's point of view, it was just a trivial matter. She just did not have the inclination to massage someone at that point in time. But her girlfriend took it as a lack of affection and love. Who knew such a trivial thing could lead to a breakup.
Natsuki was the first person Shizuru gave massages to and it looked like she wasn't that bad at massaging. Shizuru mused when she heard no protest from Natsuki.
Five minutes stretched on to ten minutes and then fifteen minutes.
Shizuru glanced down at Natsuki and then arched her brow in amusement.
The heir apparent to Kuga Corporation was asleep on her shoulder.
Shizuru slowly removed her hand. But just as she removed her hands, the frown returned to Natsuki's face and she stirred.
Quickly, Shizuru returned back to her massage.
Slowly Natsuki's breathing became long and deep. This was a signal to Shizuru as she finally rested her aching arms. It wasn't easy to give a massage to someone who was sleeping on your shoulder. Shizuru thought warily and flexed her fingers.
The moment Natsuki was deep into her sleep, Shizuru finally had the time to take a look at her surroundings. She chuckled to herself.
What was she doing in the middle of this open air carpark? And with a woman sleeping on her shoulder?
If Arika was here, she would have been shocked. Her nee-san was sleeping on Shizuru's shoulder in an open carpark. And Shizuru had the patience to sit there with her nee-san.
Luckily they were seated in a secluded corner. Otherwise, they might be attracting much attention given the frequent passing of cars. And many of their acquaintances visit this place. And the news of Viola Shizuru and Kuga Natsuki sitting on the curb would be spreading like wildfire among their business partners.
She should wake Natsuki up. Shizuru thought. It didn't make sense for both of them to be sitting here.
Or perhaps she should wait a little while longer.
But just then Natsuki stirred.
Shizuru thought Natsuki was waking up. But Natsuki just snuggled closer, rubbing her face against Shizuru's shoulder. She murmured something beneath her breath and wrapped her arms around Shizuru's waist.
Shizuru's heart skipped a bit before racing.
Instinctively, Shizuru moved so that Natsuki could rest more comfortably in her arms and she could wrap her arms around Natsuki.
That was when Shizuru noticed the goosebumps on Natsuki's arms.
It was the end of summer and the temperature could be pretty low at certain times in the night.
Shizuru slowly pulled out her coat and placed it over the two of them. It was an agonisingly slow process but she managed to do it.
Everything was back to silence once again.
Shizuru shook her head, wondering once again what she was doing sitting at the curb with Natsuki sleeping on her shoulder.
Her handphone was in her pocket and it has been vibrating for a while. Shizuru didn't have to look to know that Arika was the one calling her. After a while, the phone finally stopped vibrating. Shizuru guessed Arika had given up.
Shizuru wondered how long it had been since Natsuki fell asleep. One hour? Or two? Her handphone was in her pocket and she wasn't able to get the phone without dislodging Natsuki from her shoulder.
The night dragged on with her sitting on the curb and Natsuki sleeping against her shoulder. This was the first time she spent the night with a lady and both of them were not naked and in bed.
Shizuru sighed and glanced down at the woman lying on her shoulder. Natsuki looked very different now that she was asleep. Less guarded and cold.
And more attractive.
Shizuru studied Natsuki's face. Porcelain skin, long eyelashes and… her eyes darkened when her gaze landed on Natsuki's lips.
Plumb and luscious.
Shizuru reached out and brushed her thumb against the lips.
She should kiss those lips. Shizuru thought. Perhaps as payment for tonight's company.
Shizuru leaned closer. She could smell the perfume Natsuki used. Cold and crisp. Yet somewhat alluring. It gave Shizuru the urge to break the cold facade to find out what was hiding beneath it.
It was so tempting to just grab Natsuki and kiss her awake. She wondered what Natsuki would taste like as Shizuru ran her tongue over her lips.
She narrowed her eyes as she tightened her arms.
It took her a couple of deep breaths before Shizuru calmed herself.
If she really did that, she might most likely end up getting slapped by Natsuki.
To distract herself, Shizuru glanced around, trying to find something else that might catch her attention.
There wasn't much to see given that they were in a car park.
But Shizuru didn't dare to glance down. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop herself the next time.
Shizuru started humming a song she remembered underneath her breath.
In the dream Natsuki felt like she was enveloped in something warm and comfortable. It was cold just now but now she is warm again. She liked this feeling of being enveloped in something warm and soft, like being carefully taken care of. She couldn't remember when was the last time she last felt this way. And she didn't want this feeling to end.
Half an hour later, Natsuki slowly stirred awake to the sound of someone humming a song. She blinked her eyes, completely disorientated. She couldn't quite remember where she was.
Natsuki laid there for a while, listening to the song.
Heart beats fast
Colours and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
I have died everyday, waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything, take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath, every hour has come to this
One step closer
I have died everyday, waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
And all along I believed, I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
One step closer
One step closer
I have died everyday, waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
And all along I believed, I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
(Christina Perri - A Thousand Years)
The singer had a nice voice. Natsuki thought to herself.
Suddenly, something flashed across her mind and Natsuki jerked awake. She wasn't drowsy anymore. She finally remembered what happened before she fell asleep.
"Ara… so Natsuki is finally awake ne…"
A kyoto accent.
Yup… Natsuki couldn't be more clear about what had just happened.
She cleared her throat and turned, albeit a bit rigidly, to face Viola Shizuru.
"Viola-san…" Natsuki cleared her throat again and forced a smile. "Ano.."
This was awkward and embarrassing. Natsuki thought as she struggled to say something.
Shizuru tilted her head and looked at Natsuki, amusement in her eyes. This was the first time she had seen such expression on Natsuki's face.
Natsuki cleared her throat the third time.
Trying to suppress the smile on her face, Shizuru asked, "Ara… is Natsuki having some problem with her throat?"
The smile on Natsuki's face became strained around the corner.
"Thankyouverymuchandgoodbye."
A string of words came out and before Shizuru knew what happened or understood the sentence, Natsuki already stood up hurriedly, dashed into the car, slammed the car door shut, gunned the engine and off the car went, leaving a trail of smoke behind.
Everything happened within split seconds and Shizuru was left staring at the taillight of the car.
There was silence for a while before chuckles filled the air.
Shizuru glanced down at her coat lying on the ground and picked it up.
She could still feel Natsuki's warmth in the coat as well as smelled her perfume.
She really liked the perfume. Shizuru thought as she clutched the coat close.
Natsuki was at the boutique buying a birthday present for her okaa-sama (mother in Japanese). Normally buying a birthday present or gift would be done by her secretary. She would have Alyssa buy the present and send it to her acquaintance. But because this was her okaa-sama's birthday, Natsuki made it a point to buy the present herself. It was important that she choose the present personally.
She enjoyed coming to this boutique. This boutique offered one of a kind items and services, personalised to fit the needs and wants of the customers. The products ranged from clothing to bags and accessories. And not just items, this boutique also has stylists to provide customers with the suitable haircut and makeup. They have beauticians too.
Of course, the prices they charged would also be exorbitant. But Natsuki wasn't concerned about the prices. Quality was what she wanted.
Just as she was browsing through the items, she heard the door open and loud shrill voices filled the peaceful shop.
There were two other customers there and they looked over with frowns on their faces, totally displeased with the disruption.
Natsuki glanced over and arched her eyebrows. She knew the visitor.
And apparently this new visitor was gunning for her.
Natsuki thought as Marguerite Tomoe walked into the shop with her entourage of friends. They were carrying bags from their previous shopping spree.
And they were walking towards her.
Natsuki sighed inwardly. How did she end up in this situation?
The answer was obvious.
Viola Shizuru.
Natsuki wasn't someone who would run away from a fight. Normally she wasn't someone who starts a fight. But if someone chose to start a fight with her, she made sure she would face it head on and finish the fight.
Marguerite Tomoe stood in front of Natsuki, a condescending look on her face.
"Why… Isn't this… erm…" Marguerite Tomoe tapped her forehead, as if trying to recall something. "Hmm… I forgot your name. You must have a forgettable name. What is your name again?"
Natsuki blinked her eyes several times before puzzlement appeared on her face. "Who may you be? I don't remember meeting you. Have we met before?"
Two could always play the game.
Apparently Natsuki's reply angered Marguerite Tomoe.
"Why! You lying bitch!" Marguerite Tomoe sneered. If not for her friend pulling her arm, she would have slapped her.
Her friend gestured to one of the customers holding her handphone upright, recording the whole incident.
Marguerite Tomoe pushed her friend's hands off her arm and leaned towards Kuga Natsuki.
"Shizuru-sama will get bored of you soon." Marguerite Tomoe reiterated what she said the last time and smirked.
"Oh… Now I remember you. You were that girl who was dumped by my acquaintance! My condolences. I hope you don't dwell too much on this. It's time to move on."
At Natsuki's reply, Marguerite Tomoe's face paled and then turned red in anger.
"Don't you dare gloat over this! Especially for a woman with such a low class taste."
Marguerite Tomoe turned to walk towards a counter and trailed her fingers on a bottle of perfume. And then suddenly, with a flick of her wrist, the bottle landed on the floor and shattered to pieces.
Immediately, the whole room was filled with the scent of perfume.
The perfume had a very nice scent.
Unfortunately they were enjoying the scent because Marguerite Tomoe broke the bottle.
Noting the incident, a salesperson silently disappeared into a room.
"Who would visit such a small shop and pay for such a cheap perfume?"
Natsuki narrowed her eyes and her eyes turned frosty.
Natsuki had no issue facing a fight with Marguerite Tomoe. But she would not allow the fight to implicate innocent parties.
Suddenly there was a chuckle and it broke the tense situation.
"This is the first time I heard someone calling my perfume a cheap perfume." A carrot-haired lady spoke as she slowly walked to pick up the broken glass bottle. "Once broken, considered sold."
Marguerite Tomoe snorted and took out her credit card and slammed it onto the counter.
"I could easily pay for this bottle of perfume."
The carrot-haired lady arched her eyebrows in amusement when she saw the credit card on the counter.
It was indeed a more established credit card, with a high credit limit. Definitely a card that an ojo-sama would have.
But the carrot-haired lady just smiled and lifted the bottle. Under the light, sparkles glitter off the edges of the bottle. Obviously, this bottle was specially made to contain the perfume.
"Each bottle here is handcrafted by the artist to reflect the unique scent of the perfume. And the perfume is made using unique techniques that will extract the purest essence of ingredients. Our ingredients are all natural. Unlike some brands which people thought are of high class taste, we don't mass produce and sell off the shelf items." The carrot-haired lady said as she glanced at the paper bag Marguerite Tomoe was holding. Obviously taking a dig at the things Marguerite Tomoe bought.
The paper bag Marguerite Tomoe was holding contained a perfume which she bought from her previous shopping spree. While the perfume was from a luxury brand, it was an off the shelf item.
"The bottle which you just broke, contains some of the rarer ingredients found on earth. I wonder if you even know those ingredients." The carrot-hair lady listed out a few items, some of which Marguerite Tomoe heard of, some which sounded foreign to her. But regardless, Marguerite Tomoe knew that those ingredients were hard to come by.
"I don't think your current credit card limit would allow you to pay for the perfume and the bottle you broke. Unless you have a black card, which I think you don't." The lady paused. "Talk about having an expensive taste when you can't even afford one."
The sentence had Marguerite Tomoe biting the back of her teeth. It was true that she didn't have the black card.
"You can say all you want about the ingredients of the perfume. And you are saying all these so that you can force me to pay an exorbitant price for a cheap perfume. For all I know, you could be lying through your teeth about everything. You just want to rip off me."
The carrot-haired lady chuckled and shook her head. She gestured to the sales person standing at a corner.
Immediately, the sales person walked over and took a box from the counter. The box was placed just next to where the bottle was before it was broken by Marguerite Tomoe. The sales person opened up the box and took out a certificate and showed it to Marguerite Tomoe.
Marguerite Tomoe recognised the certificate and the seal on it. Her face paled slightly.
"I can still afford to pay for a bottle of perfume of this grade." Marguerite Tomoe cleared her throat as she tapped on her credit card. "Now, just swipe my card. Quickly, I am in a hurry to have dinner with my friends."
"Ojo-chan, I have already mentioned it, your card limit won't allow you to pay for this perfume." At the carrot-haired lady's sentence, the sales person took out another card from the box, flashing the price tag at Marguerite Tomoe.
Marguerite Tomoe's face paled further. She indeed did not have the ability to pay for this bottle of perfume.
Damn that Kuga Natsuki. If not for her, she would not have entered this shop. She meant to embarrass Kuga Natsuki. But the table had turned against her now.
The smile on the carrot-colored hair lady widened. "Of course, if ojo-chan couldn't pay for it, I can alway attention the bill to your oto-sama. Anyway, Tokiha Corporation does have some sort of dealings with your father."
Marguerite Tomoe's eyes widened upon hearing the name. She knew about the Tokiha Corporation. She just didn't expect that this shop belonged to the Tokiha Corporation. Her father even warned her before she left for Japan to be nice if they crossed paths with each other because he had intentions of setting up business in Japan. She chewed on her lips. There was no way she wanted him to know about this altercation.
Marguerite Tomoe glanced sideways at her friends before returning to look at the carrot coloured hair lady, this time round, with a smile plastered nicely on her face.
"We will make payment using our credit cards." Marguerite Tomoe gestured to her group of friends to take out their credit cards.
Though grudgingly, her friends took out their credit card and made the payment and winced when the cashier printed out the receipt.
Natsuki watched the drama unfold in front of her. The ending wasn't that bad except that it was a pity that a quality perfume was wasted.
Just then a sales woman approached her silently and whispered into her ear.
Natsuki glanced at the carrot-haired lady before nodding her head and followed the sales woman to another room.
Natsuki sat in the chair and slowly sipped the tea.
Suddenly the door slammed open.
"Kuga Natsuki! How many times must I tell you? Tell me when you visit my shop!" The carrot coloured hair lady spoke as she marched in and slammed her hands onto the table, shaking the teapot and teacups on the table.
Natsuki glanced at the fragile tea set.
"Just to be clear Mai, I am not going to be responsible if this tea set falls over and breaks. I don't have a black card."
Tokiha Mai snorted and folded her arms. "You just don't want to pay. AND! You have a black card." Mai sat down on a chair opposite Natsuki. "Now, tell me what's the deal with that Marguerite Tomoe? Why was she gunning for you?"
Natsuki arched her brows as she leaned back comfortably. "I am surprised that you know Marguerite Tomoe."
"Ha! You know what Chie's family business is. They could easily obtain any information they want. And my family has some dealings in Europe and works occasionally with the Marguerite."
Harada Chie was Mai's close friend and her family was involved in journalism and news media. So it wasn't surprising that Chie knew about Marguerite Tomoe and the things going on in Tokyo.
"If you know about Marguerite Tomoe, then you should know why she approached me." Natsuki replied as she sipped the tea. This tea wasn't too bad. Maybe she should also get one for her oga-sama. Natsuki thought absently.
"It is always good to hear from the horse's mouth isn't it?" Mai grinned.
Natsuki sighed and placed down her cup of tea. She knew from the grin on Mai's face that she was going to paster her until she told her everything.
Natsuki knew Mai. It would be impossible not to for someone whom she knew since they went to kindergarten together. Their friendship lasted for more than two decades.
To save her from the pain of being pestered by Mai, it would be better to tell her everything right from the start.
"So it is true that Viola Shizuru-san is interested in girls." Mai said as she rubbed her chin.
"Keep the information to yourself." Natsuki warned. "I don't think she appreciates being forced to come out as les." Much as she disliked Viola Shizuru, she respects peoples' privacy and their right to choose.
"Of course." Mai reassured Natsuki. "You know me. I don't go around sharing secrets. Having said that, I have to say, Marguerite Tomoe-san is definitely still upset with the breakup."
"Definitely. Otherwise she wouldn't have come over trying to embarrass me." Natsuki shrugged. "I think she is still hoping Viola Shizuru would patch things up with her."
"But did Viola-san make things clear with Marguerite-san?"
Natsuki nodded her head.
"Well, at least Viola-san made it clear to Marguerite-san. It would not have been nice to lead people on, giving them false hope."
At Mai's statement, Natsuki frowned.
Noticing that, Mai asked, "Why? Is there something wrong?"
"Nothing." Natsuki shook her head as she took another sip of the tea. "Please continue."
"And do you know…" And so Mai continued to share with Natsuki the latest happenings in Tokyo.
While it might seem that Natsuki was paying attention to Mai's stories, the tapping of her finger on the table betrayed her.
Natsuki was distracted.
About an hour later, Mai's sharing finally came to an end.
"When you have more free time on your hands, please do join us. I will organise a lunch session. It has been a while since you met up with the rest. Any longer, you might become a stranger to us all."
"I will take a look at my schedule then."
At Natsuki's reply, Mai sighed. She knew Natsuki. Whenever Natsuki said that, it meant that she had no intention of meeting the group. She didn't know what happened but she knew three years ago something happened. And ever since, Natsuki had withdrawn into her shell, cutting contact with almost everyone. She became a robot, working close to 24 hours a day, seven times a week.
Had she not been in the shop when Natsuki visited, she would not have caught Natsuki and took that opportunity to chat with her.
"Come over to my place more often, Natsuki." Mai sighed again as she reached out to hug Natsuki.
Natsuki stiffened but she reciprocated Mai's hug.
"I will. Nice to see you today Mai."
It was already quite late when she stepped out of the boutique. Natsuki hadn't expected to spend so much time inside.
Natsuki slipped into her car. But she didn't start the engine.
Instead, she sat there for a while.
"It would not have been nice to lead people on, giving them false hope."
Mai's comment echoed in her mind.
Natsuki sighed.
She completely agreed with Mai.
She might need to talk to Alyssa soon. Natsuki thought as she rubbed her forehead.
And slowly, Natsuki steered the car out of the car park.
She needed to do the right thing for Alyssa.
To be continued…
A/N:
Thank you so much to those who left comments. I hope the past few years have been kind to you, your friends and your families.
My sincere apologies for taking so long to update the stories. The past few years have been a madness for me and it is taking a toll on my mental wellbeing. Given the nature of my job, I was still working despite the lockdown in my country. The workload only increases as time passes by. And sometimes I despair, trying to understand the nature of my work and wondering why I am still doing what I am doing. Lol…
I understand that some of you might be upset that I removed chapters of Black Magic. My apologies once again. As I look back at the stories, I find that the story was rather limited and the characters not well developed. Hence I took the liberty to revamp the story slightly. All the characters are there. The sequence of the story is still the same. Just that certain portion of the story will be further elaborated and enhanced. I will try to update the remaining chapters asap.
Please take care and take some time off to rest and spend time with those who are important to you :)