Chapter 1:

Kuga Natsuki was not a morning person. So when the alarm clock on her nightstand rang with its annoying insistence that she ready herself for the coming day, she responded by flinging it clumsily across the room. There was blissful silence for seven minutes. Then the beeping started up again. Apparently the trip across the bedroom had not been a successful dismantling, and had only resulted in hitting the snooze button.

With a muffled curse, Natsuki kicked off the tangle of sheets and rolled out of bed. She then proceeded to stalk over to the alarm clock and punt it viciously across the room. That would teach the abominable machine. Staggering back into bed, Natsuki let her eyes close and was almost ready to drift back into a coma-like state when the beeping started up for a third time.

Alarm Clock : 363. Natsuki : 0. She was really going to throw the damned thing away one day…

Half an hour later, a grumpy Natsuki slammed the door shut to her apartment and slung her school bag over her shoulder. She then stopped as realization hit her on what day today actually was. Her graduation.

The ride to Fuuka Academy never seemed so long. Nor had the day with all the trivialities and trials of the ceremonies. Natsuki was never someone who took a huge liking to such events and would have probably attempted to skip out if she hadn't been violently threatened by Mai about the matter, saying that graduation only happened once.

Besides, today would probably be the last time she really saw Mai or the others. The events that had happened during her first year had drawn the members of the "HiMe Rangers" closer, but Natsuki sometimes had a nagging feeling that the bond was superficial at best; as though they all felt compelled to be friends from having survived such an ordeal.

She had quelled such thoughts at first though, ascribing them to her pessimistic attitude. Natsuki wasn't supposed to still think like that. And for her whole second year at Fuuka Gakuen, she had almost managed to convince herself that she had indeed changed for the better. Yet, then she had disappeared.

The memory of it still made Natsuki angry. She had never said anything about it. Never even hinted that she was going anywhere. But then, two days before the start of her third year, Natsuki awoke to find an unmarked package by her door. Opening it had yielded the evil alarm clock and a note telling her to take care and not be late for class.

That was it. Two lines on a piece of paper inside a plain brown box and Fujino Shizuru had apparently thought that was enough for her to disappear from Natsuki's life. A year later, and it still hurt.

Natsuki's reverie was thankfully cut short by the close of the graduation ceremonies. She stood and bowed with the rest of her class and then let the remainder of the day passed by in a blur. She vaguely remembered saying goodbye to Mai, who was going to study at a university in Tokyo with Tate, and others too, but it all felt meaningless.

And at the end of the day, when Natsuki stood next to her motorcycle, diploma in hand, life had never seemed so hollow. Unlike others, she wasn't going off to continue her education. In fact, Natsuki wasn't even sure what exactly she was going to do. She had spent the majority of her last year trying to act like it didn't matter that Shizuru had left, and the rest of her time trying to figure out why Shizuru had left the way she had. Little time had been left to figure out the future.

Somehow, Natsuki found herself wandering away from where she had parked her bike and towards the school gardens. Particularly towards a certain patch of bushes with layered with pale, pink blossoms.

"Flowers are meant to be loved…because they do their best to blossom for the duration of their short life…"

Clenching her fist into a ball at her side, Natsuki fought back tears at the memory. It wasn't fair. For Shizuru to leave her like that without warning. If she had said goodbye, Natsuki could have managed. If she had told her beforehand, it would have been okay. But to just leave one day with only a stupid note…where was the justice in that?

Growling, Natsuki whirled around to leave…and froze as she found herself staring into a pair of crimson eyes.

---

It was only supposed to be one look. That was all she had wanted. One fleeting glimpse of Natsuki from afar. It was Natsuki's graduation after all, which was how Shizuru justified coming back to Fuuka Academy. One look would not hurt. Even if she had already said goodbye.

She should have known her own limitations though. Yet, as always Shizuru had convinced herself into thinking that she was in complete control. She never was though when it came to Natsuki. Saying she'd just have one glimpse was like an alcoholic saying that they'd only take one sip. It always became one more sip, followed by yet another until the whole bottle was finished. And then what was the harm in opening up another one?

Shizuru couldn't help but stare in longing from afar as she watched Natsuki go through the graduation ceremonies. All the emotions she had bottled up since she left came flooding out. The love, the pain, the hopelessness of her situation. It was pathetic, she thought after a moment. She hadn't changed at all.

On the surface, neither had Natsuki it seemed. She was still as beautiful as ever…and still as hopelessly unattainable as the moon. Though, to Shizuru's trained eye, Natsuki seemed more melancholy than she had a year ago. There was an air of solitude and dejection around her that seemed to grow with every minute, much like it had been when Shizuru first met Natsuki.

For one long, bittersweet moment, Shizuru let herself believe that Natsuki was sad because she had left. That Natsuki was hurt by the fact she was gone. That somehow, Shizuru had managed to leave a permanent mark on Natsuki's being. One that could never be erased. Yet, the moment passed and Shizuru was done with self-delusions. They only lead to pain.

She should have left the academy right then. It would have been wise. Her feet seemed to move on their own though, leading her around the campus, through nostalgic paths and familiar scenery. She ended up at the flower garden of all places. Shizuru could have laughed at the irony…instead she bit back tears. It was here that Natsuki had first stolen her heart, with nothing more than the quiet utterance of a name.

Shizuru wasn't sure how much time she spent idling around the flower garden. She only knew that the sun had begun to sink low in the horizon when she heard footsteps approaching. Instinctively, she had retreated off the path, not wanting to be seen by anyone. There were still people who would recognize her. People who would exchange greetings and ask questions that she did not want to answer.

Yet the person who walked past was Natsuki. Her Natsuki. Before Shizuru knew what was happening, she was moving forwards, out from her cover.

At that moment, Natsuki turned around. Their eyes met and Shizuru saw shock pass across Natsuki's features. She wondered how her own reaction was mirrored in Natsuki's mind and the thought frightened her.

"S-Shizuru…"

"Natsuki." Smile. That was all she needed to do now. Smile. As though the upwards curve of her lips was a lock on her emotions. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"Shizuru…." The smile flickered briefly. She loved hearing Natsuki say her name, the way it rolled off the other girl's tongue without the padding of honorifics.

"Congratulations on your graduation." Shizuru said, trying to lighten the situation. "I suppose this means I won't get to see you anymore in a cute…"

The rest of her words were lost as Natsuki suddenly flung her arms around Shizuru's neck. Eyes widening in surprise, Shizuru stood frozen in shock. Then slowly, her arms wrapped gently around Natsuki's body, holding her closer.

The smile was gone then, the lock shattered, and with the absence of it, came the tears. It was too much for her to handle. After being away from Natsuki so long, Shizuru could not bear all this contact. It was maddening. She wanted…she wanted…

Wiping the tears away discreetly, Shizuru pushed Natsuki back gently, her smile returning. Natsuki's face was a turmoil of emotion, confusion mixed with pain addled by happiness, but that only made Shizuru more determined. She was the older one, the more experienced one. She had to be strong when Natsuki could not.

"I'm sorry." It was all Shizuru could think to say.

"...why?" The question caught her off guard.

"…I caused you pain…"

"No. Not that. Why did you leave!"

And there it was. The question that Shizuru so desperately wanted to avoid. What could she say? She left because she was so hopelessly in love with Natsuki that being near her was unbearable? That she left because she was afraid that one day she would not be able to distinguish between her fantasies and reality and end up hurting Natsuki again? That she left because being constantly around someone she loved, yet could never have was a pain worse than death?

She evaded the question.

"To study at the University."