Our Story
By Kitara Lira
Chapter Eleven: Truths, Lies and Mystery
"Shizuru?" The woman a few yards ahead paused, glancing back with a curious look upon her face, "I didn't know you knew her, Natsuki."
Natsuki shuffled her gaze to the left, a pink hue creeping up her neck and settling upon her cheeks, "I… kind of…" It was the first time Natsuki had allowed herself the luxury of dropping her mask. Mai was someone she could trust, or so she hoped. Feet shyly sifting through the rocks upon the ground, the bluenette exhaled loudly, "Please?" It wasn't like her to be reduced to a near begging state; no, Natsuki didn't beg. But here she was, begging. What had this school reduced her to? What had that song reduced her to? What had that woman done to her?
Noticing the tension in Natsuki's shoulders and judging from her stance, Mai could tell this had been the entire reason for lunch; this had been the question. The woman smiled, motioning for Natsuki to continue walking as they spoke, "Fujino Shizuru, a winter child. She doesn't say much. You might have noticed she's in our homeroom; last row, fifth seat back. Her mother died when she was extremely young and her father is an old friend of Mr. Yuuki, Nao's father. Yuuki Nao, Greers Miyu and Fujino Shizuru; Saint Cathedrals Enigmatic Trio." A chuckle echoed through the cool afternoon air, "Rumour has it that those three have been inseparable since they were in diapers." The pair strode up the front steps of the school, entering through the oak double doors. Natsuki easily ignored any gazes she received while Mai would occasionally turn to offer a smile and wave to the adoring looks. This in turn earned her many excited greetings, a few requesting for autographs, and the rest drooling from afar.
Attention focused once again back to the conversation, Mai continued as if nothing had happened, "That is really all that is known about Shizuru. Both Shizuru and Miyu have managed to keep an extremely low profile here at Saint Cathedrals. Not even Chie the school's Gossip Queen - who knows everything about everyone - knows any more than that." Mai turned apologetically to the other woman, "I'm sorry, it wasn't much I know, it would be so much easier to tell if the information was known. I mean no one even knows her birthday! Well, aside from Nao and Miyu I'm sure."
Blue locks swayed back and forth through the air, "No, you told me quite a bit, much more than I had ever expected anyone to tell me. Thank you Mai." A chime resonated through the corridor signalling the end of lunch, "Ah, I had best get to class." Natsuki turned, briefly pausing to add, "I enjoyed lunch Mai, and we should do it another time. And perhaps we can bring along Mikoto as well."
"Heh, she would like that," Agreed the other, "Natsuki!"
The said woman stopped mid step, turning about curiously, "Yes Mai?"
"Ask Wong Nina, I believe she's in your next class. Tell her that Mai sent you to ask her about the Fire Way Incident, she'll understand." Then with that orange hair disappeared in the sea of bodies.
Fire Way Incident? The second warning bell rang and Natsuki internally cringed, crap. Down the long stretch she ran, skilfully weaving her way in and out of the other bustling bodies. Natsuki couldn't be late; not on her second day.
-
She had made it to class just in time with not even a second to spare. However, the teacher paid her no heed. He was a man an inch or so shorter than Natsuki, who was wearing a white pair of jogging pants and a light spring jacket, and a build that hinted to excessive weight lifting: Physical Education. What brilliant mind planned to make kids work out after just having consumed masses of food? Whoever it was, they were not on Natsuki's good list. Working out was one thing, but on a full stomach? Not something one particularly enjoyed.
After roll call was taken, the sensei turned with an evil grin upon his face, "Three laps around the school as a warm up. Have it done in fifteen minutes or you lazy saps are all running again!" The entire class let out a groan simultaneously, "Complain and you're going to get double! Now get running!"
Natsuki rolled her eyes, she hadn't even been in this class for five minutes and Natsuki could tell she was going to hate it. There would be no point in complaining however as the man had said, it would only result in more work for everyone. So Natsuki stretched her long slender legs and joined the rest of her class in their warm up routine.
It wasn't until the first lap around the school when one could accurately distinguish the endurance holders from the non-endurance holders. The distance around the school was a fair distance, and Natsuki was not surprised in the least to notice individuals who were beginning to lag from the front pack. With every few hundred steps the group became smaller and smaller. The final lap came around and only three individuals remained.
Natsuki assessed what she considered her competition. To her right there was a boy with short, spiky dark brown hair and to her left, ever so slightly ahead of them was a young woman with blue hair similar in colour to Natsuki's. About a hundred yards away Natsuki could make out the outline of the instructor. Even from this distance she could hear the bastard yelling at them to hurry up. What was the guy's problem? Natsuki ignored that thought for the moment, pushing it to the back of her mind. It became a race, these short three laps; and Natsuki hated to lose. Always having a natural athletic ability Natsuki found it easy to find reserve strength, increasing her speed to a near full out sprint. The boy was easily left behind, surely not wanting to over exert himself for fear of losing his lunch, but the other woman? To Natsuki's surprise she kept pace with her. Natsuki pushed harder, the last few yards rounding up fast. But for every step Natsuki took, the other bluenette took one; evenly matching her speed.
As the two passed the finish line the teacher hit the stop watch, a proud smile crossing his facial features, "Well well, looks like we've got ourselves two runners this year. Takeda you're getting slow!" Bellowed the teacher to the male as he crossed the finish line, "You let not just one girl beat you but two; have you no pride for our gender?"
The young boy straightened his back, arms stiffly held by his side, feet tightly held together, to Natsuki it was an almost military like response, "No, sensei! I have every ounce of pride for our gender!"
To that the older male simply turned, waving his hand in dismissal, "Take another lap Takeda," Natsuki was surprise at the young man as he willingly complied - without even an ounce of hesitance - and took to another lap around the school.
About to say something about the unfair treatment towards the other student, Natsuki was interrupted by the other blue haired woman. This gave the man enough time to retreat to his former position of waiting for more students to arrive so he could no doubt scold them as well. "It's best just to hold your tongue," The voice fluttered across on the open breeze. Natsuki's glare shifted from the teacher to the other student. She would have said more but it seemed like students at Saint Cathedrals had a thing for not allowing new students to talk, "I tried…" The woman's tone sunk, amber eyes rising to meet emerald, "Sensei Hito… it is better just to do as he says rather than fight what he says. In the end – not matter if you were to collect a case and pull it to the board – he always wins." There was a brief pause, "But I was amazed, I don't think I've ever seen him remotely pleased before, you keeping up with Masashi and I… no one has done that before." Slapping the palm of her hand to her forehead, the bluenette took a formal gesture, bowing respectfully, "Where are my manners, second year, Senior Track Captain, Wong Nina."
Natsuki couldn't believe the words that had just left the other woman's mouth. Had she just said Nina?
Author Notes: Ahhh... one of my laptop keys just made a really weird "crunch" sound... I don't think that is good...
Anyways, not much to say, this chapter is a little bit more about Shizuru; you get to learn about Nina; you get to meet an ass. Life is good!
I had a beautiful nap today; just in case you wanted to know. I'm thinking... I should nap more often. But since it is bedtime... I'm just going to go to sleep.
Hope you enjoy the chapter, night night!