Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the OC characters. Sunrise owns Mai-Hime and its original characters.

Letting You Go

By Zenshiki

Chapter 3

Natsuki opened her eyes and she noticed that she was not in her room. Reality shocked her when she remembered that she was driving her bike. While recalling what happened to her, she absentmindedly raised her hand to reach for her head only to be greeted by a painful feeling in her head and face. She then heard the door being opened. She saw Mai, Mikoto and Nao entering the room.

"So, you're awake now. I'm glad you're okay, Natsuki. Yohko informed us that you are in the hospital so we hurriedly went here. We're worried about you." Mai moved closer to the blue haired girl as her eyes were filled with concern to her blue haired friend.

"T-thank you… Uhm… ano… Does Shizuru know about what happened?"

There was an uncomfortable silence filled the room. No one dared to speak nor look straight into her eyes.

"What? Isn't it that easy to answer?"

"…"

"…"

"…."

"Are you hiding something from me? C'mon! Answer me!"

"Natsuki…" Mai couldn't tell to her friend about Shizuru's departure because she knew that she will get hurt.

"Calm down!" Nao retorted as she became irritated about how the blue haired girl was behaving.

"…"

Silence filled the room again as Nao and Natsuki glared to each other until Mai broke the developing commotion.

"Natsuki, listen. You're injured so why don't you just take a rest first." Mai calmly offered.

"How long I've been here?" Natsuki asked, disregarding Mai's statement to her.

"Almost three days."

"I see, I need to look for Shizuru. There's something I want to tell her. Can you call her and tell that I need to see her someday, when I'm totally recovered? Heh-heh, I don't want her to see me this way. She's going to tease me again." Natsuki laughed a bit as she remembered all the teasing she got from the crimson eyed woman.

"Natsuki… uhmm" Mai tried her best on how to explain to Natsuki about what happened until Nao answered for her.

"Shizuru's gone…" Nao said in a simple tone as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? What do you mean gone? I can't understand." Confusion was written all over the face of Natsuki as she tried to comprehend what her friend just said.

"That friend of yours left the town. Tseh, after all she had done those bad things, that's the only good thing she did."

"Why… you!"

"Hey, stop it!" Mai hold Natsuki's shoulder as the green eyed woman tried to get up.

"Mikoto, can you accompany Nao outside the room?" Mai asked, she's having a hard time dealing with this issue. It was all too fast for her and she didn't know what to do.

"Ok! I'll be back!" Mikoto said as if there's no tension was happening as she was busy eating the apples that Mai had brought for Natsuki.

"Thank you."

As soon the two left the room, Mai had managed to make Natsuki calm down and lay her back in the bed.

"What is she talking about? Wait…Wait…Shizuru's not here anymore? So that's why there's no one in her apartment the night I went there? Tell me!" Natsuki was in the verge of crying as Mai started to confront her. She didn't know what had came into Shizuru's mind for her to left.

"Natsuki, Shizuru went to another place far in here. I learned from Reito that she accompanied Shizuru after the graduation ceremony to a train station going in Kyoto to get some of her things before…"

"Before what?"

"Before she leaves the country…I'm sorry Natsuki." Mai bowed her head in sympathy and shame for she had been the one delivered the bad news for her friend.

"…Shi...zu…ru…" Natsuki couldn't hold off her tears as she cried out loud, clinging onto Mai's shoulder. "Why?...Why did you left me? WHY SHIZURU! I thought you LOVE me! Then, WHY? You left me behind! You left me ALONE! What am I going to do now?"

"Natsuki…" Mai hugged her close friend tight as she too felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew how important Shizuru to her friend and she felt pity on her. She understand now why Shizuru's face was that sober when she saw her in their apartment.

"Shizuru loves you so much so she chose to leave you to have a better life, Natsuki."

"B-but I need her Mai!"

"Shhh…"

"She is all I need…I love her…"

"I know…"

"I'm glad that you're here already, Shizuru-sama" Riku greeted her mistress as she take her things from her. "Your father is in his study room, he said that when you arrived visit him immediately."

"Thank you, Riku-san."

"It's nothing. Do you want me to bring your tea in your father's room?"

"Yes, thank you."

"I'll be leaving now, Shizuru-sama." the young maid bowed before leaving her mistress to prepare her some tea.

Hoshiro Fujino's study room was spacious and large. It has a mini library. It has a small table and 4 chairs in the middle to accommodate his guest and another 2 more comfy chairs beside his large table.

"Father, I'm here now."

"Oh! Shizuru! I'm glad that you're here. So you finally finished your studies in the academy? That's good to hear." Hoshiro was a tall bearded man in his business suit and was signing the papers that he needed to study for their financial report when Shizuru arrived in his room.

"Hai, so what do you want me to do, Father?" The crimson eyed beauty didn't have a mood for chit chat and would like to deal whatever her father would like to have.

"I want you to study in New York so that you can handle our business after I retired." Her father stated, resuming his attention to the papers in front of him and signed it.

"Is that all?" Shizuru quirked an eyebrow, not really sure why would her father told her that since they all agreed already.

"Actually, I settled you an arranged married in one of my business partner. You will find him really kind and he is compatible for you dear." Hoshiro looked into her daughter to emphasize his point.

"But!...Father! We have talked about this matter already!"

"I know but you need someone to help you in the bus- Shizuru! Where are you going? SHIZURU!"

Shizuru didn't let her father finish what he was saying as she went out of the room. She almost made the cup of tea that Riku was holding fall as she bumped her on the way.

"I'm sorry Riku-san but I don't need the tea anymore."

"It's alright, ojou-sama. Do you need something else?"

"Nothing, thank you."

Shizuru went straight to her room and plunged herself in her soft bed. She couldn't take it anymore as she burst out crying. She let her mask down as she wept silently in her dark room.

"Natsuki…" she uttered the name of the person she loved before she drifted off to sleep.

End of Chapter 3

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