Author's Note: This chapter has been knocking around in my documents for awhile. I can't imagine what kept me from updating until now. I have nothing left to say… Without further ado, Chapter 10, Read, Review, Rejoice!
Chapter 10:
The Truth Behind It
Nagisa tossed herself onto the bed she and Shizuma shared, drenching the sheets with salty tears. Normally she would try to wipe away the pesky pearls that blurred her vision, but right now, she wanted to cry. She wanted to just let it all out. Everything that she's saved up for so long just poured out. She reached out and grabbed the pillow beside her, embracing it as if it were its owner. She could still faintly smell the aroma of the expensive shampoo Shizuma used.
Suddenly, a smile crept onto Nagisa's face.
She couldn't explain why, but she smiled even though she was crying with all her might. But, just the thought of Shizuma always brought a refreshing warmth that Nagisa couldn't help but love. The red-head remembered so many wonderful ventures and amazing experiences she was able to share with the silver-haired woman.
"-someone else-" her mother said. That was nonsense. No one in the world could replace Shizuma.
"What's so great about her?" What wasn't great about Shizuma? Everything about Shizuma made Nagisa fall further and further in love with her.
As her auburn eyes wandered around the room, they suddenly fixated on a futon and blanket that were strewn about on the floor. She remembered how she had set them down by her mother's orders for Shizuma, but her silver-haired princess wasn't quite enthusiastic about sleeping on the floor. Not to mention Shizuma spent half the night complaining about her back and how difficult it was to find a comfortable position to sleep in. It was only inevitable that Nagisa would give-in to her lover's playful ranting and would end up sharing a bed with her.
She wanted her playful, immature, beautiful, exciting Shizuma back. By the time she snapped out of her reverie, she had already stopped crying. For how long, she wasn't sure.
"My, how unexpected." Chikaru grinned to herself after reading the long paragraph in the text on her phone. The raven-haired girl was sitting up on the edge of the hotel's bed, her legs crossed. The only light in the room came from the cellphone that she continued to gaze at with a mischievous smirk. "Well, I guess this adds to our game." she laughed.
"Hmm…" a voice sounded behind her with a slur. The blonde lifted herself tiredly from bed, wiping her eyes as she spoke. "Why are you still up?"
Chikaru shook her head, holding her phone over her shoulder to show her curious lover. "I just got a text."
"At this time of night? Who is it and what's it say?" Shion questioned as she leaned in closer. She reached for the phone but was thwarted when Chikaru pulled the phone back.
"Hi-mi-tsu da." She smirked with a finger placed playfully over her lips.
"What?" Shion grumbled. "Just let me see it.", she requested, reaching for the phone again only to have it pulled away from her.
Soon the two ended up in struggle for the phone; the more frustrated Shion got, the more Chikaru giggled. She teased as Shion kept futilely swiping for the phone. "Could it be, you're jealous?"
Shion's face lit up red as she refuted, "Why would I be? I'm just… curious, is all."
Chikaru laughed. "Then why are you trying so hard?"
Chikaru pulled herself up against the backboard, holding the phone above her head as she held Shion down; the latter girl still tried for the phone though she couldn't escape Chikaru's grip.
"Just admit it. You are, aren't you?" Chikaru whispered sweetly. She brushed a stray lock of hair off of the blonde's face, watching as her face softened with defeat.
"I'm just, still a little insecure… about us." The usually proud girl finally admitted. "I don't know how long this dream will last before I wake up and find out that you're not sleeping next to me. Of course I'll get jealous, I just don't want to lose you."
Chikaru kissed her girlfriend's forehead as she cooed, "What happened to that Tomori pride?" As the two locked eyes, Chikaru gave the girl her famed, refreshing smile. It was reassuring; fortifying even! It was part of the reason Shion fell in love with the liberal woman. "I'm still here and I don't plan on going anywhere. I love your confidence, so don't just suddenly lose it when you're around me. Promise?" She laughed, "If you do I'll give up the phone."
Shion closed the small gap between them, locking their lips with a soft yet passionate kiss. After hesitantly pulling away, she returned her lover's smile. "I promise."
"Ba-Ba-Bum!" Chikaru sounded, imitating some kind of drum. "Congratulations! You just earned your reward! Here." she passed the phone to Shion.
The girl looked at it but quickly shook her head, returning the device to Chikaru. "I don't need to see it. And besides, you deserve your privacy."
"Hmm…" Chikaru mused mischievously. "Well then I guess you don't care that it's from Kaname then."
"What!" Shion snatched the phone back as she raged, "What right could that crook possibly think she has for her to contact you at any hour of the night?"
She felt a pair of slender arms snake around her shoulders and wrap gently around her neck. She felt a slight static run down her spine as Chikaru's hushed voice spoke directly into her ear. "You have the choice between reading that text and having me right now." The raven-haired girl moved closer until her lips were practically resting on Shion's earlobe. "After our little wrestle, I'm suddenly in 'that' kind of mood."
Before the blonde had any chance to respond, she found herself being pinned to the bed. Before she knew it, her girlfriend was trailing butterfly kisses down her neck, along her collarbone, then onto her breasts.
She soon found herself being lost in the pleasure, unknowingly dropping the phone she fought so hard for earlier. Her choice was obvious.
…
After half an hour of love-making, Chikaru clung onto her lover's tired body, tracing the girl's moist skin with her finger. As she remembered the ordeal from earlier, Shion searched around the bed.
"Looking for this?" Chikaru offered as she waved the cell phone around between her fingers.
"Are you messing with me?"
"Just a little bit." Chikaru winked. She dropped the phone into Shion's cuffed hands without a care.
Though a little reluctant, the thorough woman scanned the details of the text. It read:
"The most important piece in our game seems to be
misplaced thanks to some outside interference. I can't be
bothered with such a pick-up, but a certain strawberry
requested some help on the matter. So
will the crow, along with its golden retriever,
swipe up that silver-spoon; or will our playtime end
with this little foul?"
"What type of code is this?" Shion muttered irritated.
"It's not really a code." Chikaru laughed with her hand over her mouth. "Well, I guess you can call it that. I honestly didn't know Kaname had such a playful side to her.", Chikaru's laughter got stronger as the thought came to her.
"That girl? Playful?" Shion looked quizzically at the other girl. "Normally I wouldn't question your intuition, but I think you might be mistaken this time."
"Is that so?"
Nagisa was suddenly distracted by a knock at the door. "Come in." She called softly as she sat up in the bed.
Slowly, the door creaked open and through the crevice peaked a pair of auburn eyes. "It's me, is it still alright?"
Nagisa nodded.
As she allowed the rest of her form to slide into the room, Mrs. Aoi glided across the floor to take a seat next to her daughter. "Are you still mad?"
Nagisa shook her head. "I'm not mad. I just… don't understand. Why do you feel that way about Shizuma? Why do you hate her?"
"I don't 'hate' her."
"Then what is it then? Is it because we're both girls?"
"It's not that either, though it was a little hard to accept at first." The elder cherry-head bit her lip wondering if it was okay to be this honest.
"Then tell me. Why don't you want to help Shizuma? Why?" Nagisa felt the tears that she thought she had finished shedding reemerge.
"Look Nagisa, it's just…" Mrs. Aoi's eyes darted about. "-it's just…" she sighed. "I don't want to see you get hurt Nagisa."
"Get hurt?" Nagisa repeated questioningly.
"I don't want to see your beautiful, innocent heart get trampled by the likes of her."
"Shizuma wouldn't do that." Nagisa found comfort in how easily and confidently she could say that. "I know Shizuma better than anyone. She wouldn't do that to me."
"It's true I don't know Shizuma as well as you do, but I know…" she suddenly stopped and sighed.
"Know what?" Nagisa looked at her mother expectantly, but when her mother chose to remain silent, she urged. "What is it?"
"Listen, I'll tell you a little story from when I was younger." Yumiko got up and walked toward a shelf in Nagisa's room. She grabbed a dusty trophy from the top shelf. As she looked down at the silver prize, her finger gliding up the small statue reminiscently. "I may not know Shizuma very well, but I know and have been hurt by people in the same position she has. People with that kind of status are all eventually corrupted. Always."
"Yumiko, nice match! Good job as always!" The energetic younger girl passed a towel to the fighter. As the woman wiped away sweat and blood from her face, the girl started air-punching, imitating the fight from earlier. "Especially that hook in the fifth round. Pow! I knew it was over from then. You really are the best!"
Yumiko laughed, wiping her cheek. "You're exaggerating Tomo-chan." She looked down at the towel and smiled. "With this I'm in the top eight."
"Yeah! We should definitely celebrate!"
"We shouldn't celebrate too soon. It'll bring bad luck."
"Mmm…" Tomoka pouted childishly. "You athletes and your superstitions. Why can't you just have some fun?"
The two walked down the arena's halls to the outside of the stadium, laughing and conversing the whole way there. Sitting in front of the entrance was a black Mercedes Benz, laying in wait of the two. As they approached the vehicle, the driver, a man dressed in a black suit and shades, opened the doors for them.
It was a short drive from the stadium to their destination, a large agency office erected about twelve stories high. The gentleman chauffeur opened the door for them once again, allowing them out before he drove around back to the parking lot.
Yumiko and the black-haired girl were greeted by everyone in the lobby.
"Ms. Hanatsu!" A blonde woman ran up to Yumiko urgently. She panted upon reaching said woman, but continued to report. "Ms. Kiyubi requested you."
"Thank you Sera. I'll go see her right now." She waved as she dismissed the woman.
As the woman scurried off, Tomoka started to hop off as well. "I'll go secure the hotel room then, it's just about check-in time."
"Alright then." Yumiko waved the girl off as she entered the elevator.
She pressed the ten button and watched it glow up as the elevator door closed slowly. She waited anxiously in the elevator, watching the numbers illuminate step-by-step as the machine moved past every floor. Finally a clang followed by a short ring alerted her that she had reached her destination.
She stepped out the mechanism onto a lush dark-red carpet. The room was slightly gloomy but definitely gave off a business-like aura. The walls were painted blue; the only furnishings were a large desk in the middle of the room, two chairs facing it, and a sofa in the corner. The young fighter thanked the heavens that their office back home wasn't so uninviting.
Sitting behind the desk, distracted by paperwork, a woman with long, silky white hair nodded her head in acknowledgement of the cherry-head's presence. "Let me just finish this up." the woman spoke softly.
Yumiko sat down, knowing that the meticulous genius would only take a few moments. She glanced over at the wooden nameplate on the edge of the desk. The white-haired woman always demanded respect wherever she went and she didn't like being taken lightly. 'Ms. R. Kiyubi', she had it specially made in English for the U.K hosted event.
Just as she predicted, the woman was finished in no time, patting the papers together and placing them in the corner of the desk. Peeping over the rim of her reading glasses, she raised a brow. "Aren't you cold? The air-conditioner is on you know."
"It's okay." She assured looking over her appearance. She still wore the same white tank-top from the fight, though she threw on her camo-pants over her black shorts. "My blood is still boiling after that fight. I need to cool down." She groaned leaning back in the chair lazily.
When she accidentally locked eyes with the woman, she immediately felt her body cool. Those icy, blue eyes could chill down anyone, even the strongest will.
"So I assume that you won."
"Just barely." She breathed tiredly.
"Barely a win is still a win. Congratulations." Though the woman's voice didn't give off much of a warm feeling. "That means that you qualify for the main event matches. Take care of yourself."
"Actually, Tomo-chan made a proposal that we celebrate."
"We won't celebrate until you bring Japan the gold."
An awkward silence rose between the two. Yumiko didn't deal well with tension, so she broke the fragile silence. "When's my next match scheduled for?"
"I haven't gotten that information yet. But I was told that every fighter would be given at least a week of rest before the final events."
"That sounds great!" The cherry-head exclaimed as she stood up and stretched her tired form. "Maybe we should go drinking like old times, ey Ritsuko? We could visit one of those 'pubs' or something."
"I told you, no celebrations."
"Who says we have to be celebrating to drink? We should just go out and have some fun while we're here. Just you, me, and Tomo-chan. Stop playing the boring manager for a while." she pouted playfully.
The intimidating woman suddenly laughed. Although it seemed uncharacteristic due to her stern features and cold demeanor, it established a beautiful new perspective of her personality; though it was a slightly foreign gesture, it was by no means unwelcomed. "In any case, booze will affect your fighting ability. I don't want to have you wearing out your body during this once-in-a-lifetime event."
"So you're not totally against the idea of exploring a bit then." Yumiko winked. "Treat me to some cake, I think I've done well enough to deserve at least that much."
Ritsuko laughed again, but then quickly stopped herself after seemingly receiving some sort of revelation; she averted her eyes. "Maybe. I'll see if my schedule allows it." She turned around in her chair to face away from her guest. "Well then, if you'll excuse me, I have some more paperwork to attend to."
Yumiko wasn't used to this kind of brushing off from her friend and manager, but quickly shrugged it off as occupational stress or something along those lines. "Later then." She waved off, receiving no form of response from the other woman who just continued to busy herself.
Author's Note: 'To be continued' I guess. The next story will pick up from here so don't worry your pretty little head about it. I always have such a difficult time naming these chapters and it just gets harder and harder the more I work. I also just remembered I was supposed to post this for Easter, (xp, my bad). I can see the end of this story draw near ;), til next we meet.