A/N: After Noriko's stubbornness from last chapter, we get to see the beginning of something great!:)

There are a few nerdy references in this chapter: underoath's music and a reference from Onii-sama-e (which to me is Marimite's predecessor. It also has a greenhouse scene where hair is braided together; ahem, ahem, Sato Sei and Kubo Shiori). Let me know if you guys catch any of the references ;)

This is not one of my best chapters, but it opens up some doors and windows, extending the story!

As always, thank you so much for reading!

Whatever it was - Chapter XI

"…And she let you walk away?"

"Yup."

"Just like that?"

"Yup."

Nana couldn't believe Noriko.

The kitchen was finally closed and the youngest of the Foetida sisters was able to join Yoshino and Noriko by the dishwasher as they scraped food from plates and placed them neatly in the crates before running them through the machine.

Once every two months Nana's restaurant was flooded by Lillian students as well as parents and supporters of the Kendo club. The fundraising events were also great excuses to bring the Yamayurikai ladies together to help with the back of the house – the Kendo members ran food and bussed tables.

"How can you be content with losing like that?" Nana asked.

Noriko closed the dishwasher door making the thing hiss, "There's a time for everything, Nana, including losing."

The semester had finally begun and Noriko had managed to dodge Shimako quite successfully. Nevertheless, even though she had the blonde's schedule and knew exactly which buildings to avoid at specific times, Noriko still had to endure the weekly meetings, where she felt Shimako's shy gaze upon her several times throughout the hour-long affairs.

"At least Noriko talked to her."

"Onee-sama!"

"I'm just saying!"

There was a split second of silence, which was emphasized by the end of the washing cycle. Noriko opened the washer's door and retrieved the crate full of plates from the machine, "There's a someone?"

"Mystery Lady." Yoshino winked.

Mystery Lady was a woman Nana saw from time to time riding the train on Sunday mornings toward Aoyama Farmer's Market.

"Nana's infatuated with this woman she only sees a handful of times every year. She has no idea who she is or what she does…"

Sometimes in January, others in mid-July through August, Nana would spot said Mystery Lady walking around the Farmer's Market and Nezu Museum. At times, the owner of longing chocolate orbs would make Nana's heart beat faster just by sitting outside Café Kitsune.

Nana's eyes traveled across the kitchen as a gloomy smile reached her lips, "She looks like a well-read person. I fry fish for living…"

"Nana-chan!" Noriko was surprise by such words. The woman in front of her, much like Rei, had one of the most amazing hearts. Thinking of herself as less-than someone she knew nothing about was absurd.

In all truthfulness, Arima Nana didn't know she was a mystery herself. She couldn't grasp the idea of being someone people also admired from afar. She never saw the amount of fan-girls that would follow her around Lillian because she only had eyes for her onee-sama. And because Yoshino only had eyes for Rei, Nana was quick to come to the realization that she had lost that fight against the blonde even before they met.

Bad timing seemed to be a recurring plague in Nana's life. The day she decided it was time to introduce herself to Mystery Lady, Aoyama's was closed due to heavy snowfall. One week before the snowfall, Nana spotted the unknown woman at Nezu Museum, and that was it: July and August had flown by with no signs of Nana's favorite face.

"What's with you, Nana? You're a well-known chef. For what we know, this woman could be a whore or something!"

"Onee-sama, she looks nothing like a whore."

"She takes the train early on Sunday mornings, always carrying a backpack... She's a woman of the night. I bet she carries all of her money in that backpack."

"Onee-sama… Really?"

"And she probably does not live close to Aoyama Farmer's Market. She only goes there to get more clients."

"Yoshino-sama, please."

"And she probably lives in Taishido, or something suuuuuuper far!" Yoshino chuckled.

"There's no way she lives past Shibuya!" Came the dry reply.

"How the heck are you so sure of that, Nana-chan?" Yoshino was loving it.

"Because!"

"Because?"

"I went all the way to Shimo-Kitazawa and Jiyugaoka. She was never in the train. Her final destination has to be Shibuya, Yoshino-onee-sama!"

Yoshino was the queen of rubbing people the wrong way, "So you're saying you stalked her?"

"Yoshino-sama! I would never have done such a thing!"

Nana didn't really follow the woman; she simply left one train and took another. Granted, she took the train in hopes to see the shoulder-length dark hair, the long slender legs, the most stunning smile she had ever seen.

Noriko decided to chime in, "What does she look like?"

Nana shut off the sprayer and looked straight into Noriko's eyes, "She's… a beautiful woman."

"…"

Even Yoshino couldn't get a good explanation out of Nana. Apparently the woman was a combination of Youko, Sei, Yoshino and Rei with a sprinkle of Yumi and Noriko. The only thing Nana was very specific about was the headphones the woman carried with her at all times: white, over-the-head headphones. And Nana would have given anything and everything to know what songs made that woman's eyes glimmer.

"Nana-sama," one of the servers came in, "Could… could you make one last grilled Sanma? P-please?"

"Hai!" Nana didn't hesitate. The kitchen had already been closed for a half hour, but she couldn't say no.

The dark-haired woman chopped already pre-baked sweet potatoes after starting on the fish. "Yoshino-sama, could you grab that red spice to the left of the fridge?" She stirred the potatoes into a sauce and after seasoning mushrooms, she plated the fish and neatly positioned the vegetables around the main entrée. The food runner grabbed the plate and walked out as Nana re-joined Noriko and Yoshino.

And so, the inquisition, led by Yoshino, restarted.

"Why don't you just talk to her?"

Nana played along not wanting any more attention than what she was getting, "Would you ever approach someone like Sachiko-sama just like that? I don't think so!"

"Noriko stalked Shimako – sorry Noriko-chan, I had to!"

"I didn't stalk her!"

"…"

"All I want to say is that Nana is putting the woman on a pedestal."

Noriko nodded, agreeing with Yoshino's statement. There was no reason for Nana to place Mystery Lady at unreachable heights.

Sei, who decided she wanted to play hostess that night, backed her way into the kitchen holding a tray with four cups; three beers and a water, "Nana, chug this before you go out there; someone's asking for the chef."

"Where's Rei?"

"Rei's already talked to her, she wants to see you."

Noriko raised her glass and so did Yoshino, "You gotta chug it!"

And just like that the kitchen door swung open and out came Sei, Yoshino, Noriko and Nana. The restaurant was almost empty, all the tables but one had been cleaned. Around the only table with several cups and a single empty plate, was four generations of Chinensis sisters accompanied by Kanako, Rei and a woman Nana had never met.

"Rosa Canina!" Yoshino squealed.

"Wait, what?"

All younger eyes fell upon Yoshino, which made the always-loud Rose Foetida blush for a split second. She then proceeded to explain where the Rose name came from. And for the duration of the explanation Touko, Kanako, and Noriko felt robbed of a portion of history that had happened prior to their arrival.

To Nana the explanation was nothing more than noise; word after word left her grand-soeur's lips; however, none of them connected. And as Kanina Shizuka stood and walked toward Nana, the woman who was frozen, melted at the sound of the older woman's voice, "The food you make is absolutely fantastic!"

Maria-sama.

"Maria-sama."

Noriko thought, though Nana's voice, soft as a whisper left her lips on its own accord.

"This is when you say thank you, Nana-chan. Have I taught you nothing?"

"Oooh, yeah, so-sorry, ma'am. Thank you for your kind words."

Rei realized something was up with Nana and decided to help. The woman wasn't shy, but was known for getting in trouble when having to deal with too many people at once, "Most of the produce and meats come from Aoyama, Nana picks them herself every week!"

Even though Nana held strong feelings for Yoshino for a while, it didn't take long for the youngest of the Foetida sisters to stop thinking of Rei as an opponent and start seeing the blonde as another onee-sama. Rei rubbed off on Nana tremendously, and by the time Rosa Foetida left for university, the title of Lillian's Prince already belonged to the en Bouton. Rei had grown fond of Nana, learning to pick up on certain cues the shortest of the Foetida sisters ever so slightly let out. Nana was, like any younger sister, protected and cared for, with iron fists and soft hearts.

"The Farmer's Market?" Shizuka asked.

"Yeah! The University's!"

"Is that so?" Rosa Canina's eyes landed on Nana, who twisted a bar towel with the strength of one hundred men.

"Ha—hai…"

"Everything is local and fre—" Yoshino started, but stopped as she watched Nana take a backward step and bow deeply before cleaning her throat and addressing Shizuka, "Thank you so very much for the gracious words. It means the world to me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should be getting back to my kitchen." And away Nana went.

The awkward silence that Nana left was quickly broken by Rei as the blonde tactfully diverged the attention from the chef's hasty exit back to Shizuka. While Rei worked her magic, Noriko silently walked away from the group, went behind the bar taking a bottle of vodka and two cups, and disappeared through the swinging doors that connected the bar to the kitchen.

"One for me, one for you." The professor handed Nana a cup. She looked at Noriko, then the cup, and walked toward the back door without addressing Noriko. Though, before she actually reached the back door she stopped by the ice machine and fished out four ice cubes. As she walked back, she smiled at Noriko, "Thought I was walking away from you?"

"Wouldn't be the first…"

"You need to have more faith in us, Noriko-sensei."

"…"

"We love you." Nana extended her arm and Noriko met her half way; the ice landed inside the drink and the spillage was minimal.

"I know."

Nana raised her cup and Noriko duplicated the move, "Don't ever doubt we want the best for you," The younger Rose drank the double shot in one gulp, Noriko imitated the move.

"Nana…" Noriko started to pour a second drink.

"Hhm?" Nana had reached for the sprayer; there were still plates and cups to be washed.

"What happened back there?"

"Back there, where?"

"Don't play dumb, Nana-chan! Why didn't you stay longer and hang out with Shizuka-sama?"

"Noriko-sama, I have to deal with people like her almost every night, complimenting the chef is so overrated nowadays…"

"Over—"

Nana hated the compliments. She absolutely abhorred being interrupted in the middle of a busy night, having to walk to the tables and play nice while people busted their behinds in the back. She had made an agreement with Rei that when the blonde was in, she'd take care of chef requests, all Nana wanted to do was cook. In peace.

It was already past midnight when all dishes were finally cleaned, all tables bussed and wiped and everyone but Nana and Noriko had left. The two women turned off the lights and fidgeted with the door lock before stepping out into that cool autumn night. As they lifted their heads to cross the street, they spotted Sei.

And Sei wasn't alone.

Like the women magnet the blonde was, she had three others with her. Each woman a beauty of her own: the one closest to Sei, had stolen the woman's heart from the get-go, mid-length dark tresses and the most stunning smile, Mizuno Yoko didn't have to move a muscle to make Sei's heart skip a beat. The second woman made Nana halt her steps and in association stop Noriko on her tracks as well: Kanina Shizuka laughed and the world stopped spinning for Nana. At the same time Noriko's heart raced out of control when a very familiar giggle echoed in the air: Todou Shimako's eyes glimmered perfectly under the dim streetlights.

"Yo! Over here!" The two tipsy women crossed the street, both praying they'd sober up by the time they got to Sei. As they reached the group, Nana bowed, "Shizuka-sama, I deeply apologize for my absolute lack of manners."

Shizuka stepped away from Sei, Yoko and Shimako, grabbing Nana by the shoulders and straightening her, "There's no need to apologize."

"Why don't you walk Nana home, Shizuka. We'll come get you once we're done here."

"Hai! Sei-sama, Youko-sama, Shimako-chan. We'll be going, then."

Shizuka walked by Noriko, looking the woman in the eyes, "It's called: exhaling. You should try it." She then started to walk down the road, turning back to Nana, "Ichigaya station, right?"

Dark brown-eyes looked deep into a pool of chocolate, and as Nana fell into step with Shizuka, she corrected the singer, "I live around the corner, actually, but Ichigaya is the station I usually u— How did you know?"

"I did my homework, Arima Nana."

"…"

Shizuka smiled, "All of this time, I was never brave enough to talk to you."

"Talk to me?"

Shizuka chuckled at the question, though warmth flooded her chest, "For so long I watched you peaking from behind the books you read… I couldn't help but read each one of those books as well; Neruda, Hemmingway, Marquez, Verlaine."

"Verlaine. That was a very cold winter..."

"Which poem is your favorite?" Shizuka asked, and hoped with all of her heart it was…

"Like city's rain, my heart…"

Shizuka's smile was much wider that the first one. And Nana immediately knew she had done something right, "What now, this languorous ache, this smart that pierces wounds my heart?"

"The guy is a genius!"

"I… was absolutely terrified of talking to you," Nana started. "I wanted, with all of my heart to know what you were listening to. What made you look so happy at times and what made your eyes fill with tears… I wanted to…"

"Help?"

"…Yes"

"You did!" Shikuza smiled, halting her steps and spinning so she could face Nana, "I actually had an extra reason to come back to Tokyo. And coming back made me reconnect with amazing friends; Sachiko, Sei, Youko—"

"How did you find me?"

"Shimako."

"Todou Shimako?"

"What other Shimako do we both know?"

"Are you serious?"

Shimako and Shizuka had grown close since high school. The friends kept their tradition of writing each other letters for years; e-mails, text messages and phone calls were added as much faster ways of communication; however, especially during the year Shimako spent in the Cloister, words written with ink on paper carried much more feelings than anything typed electronically. Even three weeks prior to Shizuka and Nana's meeting, Shizuka had written Shimako a letter letting the blonde know that she was coming back to Tokyo and intended to stay.

"I once wrote her about a woman I saw innumerous times travelling down to Shibuya and spending hours at Aoyama Farmer's Market."

Shizuka was terrified to say she had described Nana to Shimako with such detail that when Shimako actually hopped in the train the following Sunday morning at Ichigaya, Nana fit the description completely – gray hoody and all:

Shimako-chan, even if I had the ability to write the most beautiful poems, my lines would fail at describing how this woman makes me feel just by standing there. Her dark-hair with long bangs sit atop of her shoulders perfectly, even when it rests on this gray hoody she owns. She is shorter than me, though sturdy, perhaps an athlete of some sort as no sudden movements from the train are too sudden for her. If she sits, her back is straight, and she breaths deeply, like she wants with all her being for the air to fill her lungs. My favorite part of the morning is when she lifts those beautiful dark eyes from her book and looks out the window. When she smirks at things she reads, my mind spins madly. I must admit that I lost count of how many times I had to re-read paragraphs of books or re-start entire songs because my brain freezes when I see her smile.

Shimako had walked up and down the booths of Aoyama with Nana as she, with the politeness of a Lillian maiden and the determination of a black-belt, negotiated prices and quantities with produce vendors.

After spending that morning with the blonde, the chef invited Shimako to the restaurant but Shimako didn't want to be seen by the Yamayurikai quite yet, so the dark-haired woman would meet the former Rosa Gigantea across the street for drinks. At least twice a week she'd bring Shimako a bento with whatever dish was on special. The women would talk for hours about everything under the sun. At times when Youko had to work late, Sei – who had followed Nana to the bar one night and was surprised to learn that Nana was hoarding such an important secret – would join the two friends. Nana not only had brought Sei closer to Shimako again, she had also discovered a great confidant in the always-boisterous Satou Sei.

My dearest friend,

I apologize for e-mailing you so impulsively; however, I know better than to make you wait.

I believe I have the name and whereabouts of the person who makes your heart race. She's a Lillian alumna, incredibly talented chef and Kendo black-belt (your assumption on her being an athlete was tremendously accurate). She is also none but Shimazu Yoshino-san's Petite Soeur, Arima Nana.

Shizuka-sama, from what I've gathered, she might know who you are; your face, that is. She has mentioned once or twice a mysterious woman she sees around Aoyama Farmer's Market at times. Nana is much vague about details, but dear sister, I hope to Maria-sama that person is you!

I have missed seeing your face this summer. I hope the cold winds of winter bring you home.

Attached is a picture of Nana.

Love always,

Todou Shimako

"What? Do you not believe me?"

"I just… this is just…"

"Shimako went out of her way to go look for the person who stole my heart, and she found her…"

"…"

"Was that too forward?"

"… I think…"

"…"

"I think that was the most wonderful thing anyone has ever said to me." Nana smiled, her eyes beamed. There was something about the woman walking side-by-side with her; something Nana couldn't explain with words. Nana's heart pounded: a symphony lead by the butterflies that never left her chest after Shizuka's eyes found hers. For the first time, Nana felt fine with the butterflies that carved a name across her heart: Kanina Shizuka.