Author's Note: i lost count on how long this story has been in hiatus... been rather busy in this rollercoaster life of mine haha! but anyway, with the multiple threats, pleading, stalking and such from almost everyone i know,,, you guys know who you are,, here is the next chapter for transfer school.

to all my fans/reviews: thank you so much for still reading/reviewing/liking my stories. maybe now i have alot of timei can update faster.. i think.. but i'll do my best,,

As usual, i don't own Mai Hime/Otome series and Gokujo Setokai.~

Chapter 21: Dinner trouble

"Why did I have to be punished like this…" Natsuki complained as she washes the vegetables that will be prepared by the landlady. Nanaho punished her due to her skipping stunt again and this time, Kanade couldn't protect her since the Miyagami kaichou is busy with tutoring Rino and the fact that Nanho insisted Natsuki should be punished to learn not to skip class again. The assault captain pointed out that Natsuki's skipping stunts is giving the setokai a bad image.

She sighed and brought the vegetables to the table where the landlady is busy mixing the other ingredients for their dinner. She sat down on the stool and laid her head on the table, watching the child prepare their dinner. The landlady looked at her and gave her a cheery smile to which she gave no thought of smiling back, though a small smile that is.

The landlady took a few moments away from preparing their dinner and prepared Natsuki a cup of tea. She can sense that the blunette was feeling down and she remembered that a certain transfer student told her that tea can calm someone down. She gave the tea to Natsuki and received a 'thanks' from the blunette, which she smiled back in response.

Natsuki looked at her tea cup and stared at the swirling tea leaves. "You know, tea can calm someone very fast. Especially me who I think you've notice is a hot head." Natsuki said, chuckling at her own antics. She saw the landlady nodded a response as she skillfully chopped and mince the vegetables, indicating she already knew the said trivia.

A sigh escaped the rebel's lips, placing the teacup down on the table. "Being here in Miyagami can be tiring sometimes." She spoke out, knowing that the landlady would just hear her out. She sigh again and turned her head to the side and watch Machi cook. "Ne landlady, can I go out now? I already cleaned every inch of this kitchen not to mention even the vegetables." Natsuki asked, hoping the landlady is kind enough to let her go.

Seeing how the transfer student was feeling bored and the fact that dinner will be ready in an hour, the landlady just decided to agree with Natsuki. With a swift smile, Natsuki happily jumped off the stool and ran out of the kitchen by the back door since she knows that a certain assault captain is hanging around the dorm living room.

When she found freedom from her punishment, she dashed to the garden to avoid any possibility of meeting Nanaho and dragging her back to the kitchen. She strolled around the cobbled steps and admired the small scenery of the garden. She went to the nearest bench and sat down to rest her legs. Leaning her head back and looked up to the tree that's giving shade to her, she inhaled the fresh air and slowly calmed her down.

Her mind drifted off to a certain brunette with crimson colored eyes. The thought of her ward gave her stomach a few flips and her heart skipping a beat. She really can't imagine that Shizuru was attending Miyagami aswell. She intended to run away from the brunette, to hide her feelings which until now she knows (or thinks) it's not being reciprocated the way she wanted it to be. Even if the brunette had told her she was feeling the same, it was something far to be real. She was in denial that Shizuru feels the same way as hers.

"Oh my, I never knew Natsuki can be a nature lover." A sweet alluring voice said, breaking the tranquility of Natsuki's 'escape Nanaho – hide from her' and 'debate my lovelife' time.

Natsuki frowned and looked at who intruded on her alone/no-yelling-nanaho time. She saw a smiling Kanade, with her hair dancing along the breeze that gave her an elegant aura. For some unknown reason, the said aura is reminding her of a certain Kyoto-ben brunette. "What now kaichou?" she asked irritably.

Kanade giggled and gestured if she can sit beside the blunette. She received a cold yet approved reply and she gladly sat beside Natsuki. "I see Natsuki escaped her punishment from Nanaho. Such a bad puppy." She chuckled when Natsuki shrugged and gave her a puppy pout. "No worries, I won't tell Nanaho of your actions."

The rebel sighed in relief and tilted her head back, looking at the tree again. She can sense that Kanade was just sitting beside her, looking at no particular place. "What brings you here kaichou?" she asked, not bothering to look at Kanade.

Kanade smiled at Natsuki even though the rebellious student is not looking at her. "I just happen to see a lost wolf wandering around the garden." She joked, gaining Natsuki's blushing attention. She giggled and left herself relax under Natsuki's presence. A minute of silence engulfed the both of the, Natsuki lazily looking at the leaves of the tree while Kanade just sat there quietly. "Is it hard Natsuki?

"Is it hard what kaichou?" Natsuki inquired with a raise of a brow. She sat up straight and looked at Kanade in a bored manner. She could see by the kaichou's eyes that she is suffering emotionally.

Kanade sighed and leaned back. She felt her breathing starting to get heavy and her tears welling up. "Is it hard, to be near with the person you love yet cannot have a mutual feeling in return?" her voice trailed of sadness and pain. Her gentle hand slowly raised to her chest and held on to her clothes. "How can you stand being near her even if you have been hurt by her before?"

The blunette scratched her head and closed her left eye. "That's kinda annoying to think actually." She leaned back aswell and placed an arm around the pale violet haired kaichou. "You are a princess but you are also human. That Nanaho is such an idiot like me that she's too afraid of loving a person of your status." She said in a bored manner. She pulled Kanade close to her and made sure that the kaichou is warm enough. "And Nanaho will kill me if I let you freeze out here." Her voice carried both worry and fear. Worried that Nanaho might strangle her for not doing her job and fear if a certain brunette would find her in that certain predicament.

The pale-haired kaichou smiled and snuggled close to Natsuki's warmth. A small smile etched on her face, reaching to grab hold of Natsuki's arms over her and making them hold her even tighter. She took this opportunity as comfort for her own sadness. 'I envy you Natsuki. You finally earned the love of the person you like yet you turn a blind eye from it. You are scared of the possibility that the current events, your reality, are just a dream.' She thought of, thinking of how Natsuki just needs a push to accept things. "If only I have met you sooner Natsuki." Her voice carried the gentleness of her own nature and the truth in her own words.

Natsuki's face showed slight redness by the closeness of the setokai president to her. "Even if we did kaichou, I doubt I can stand on Nanaho's position. It is as I can say… destiny?" she stated, giving the girl in her arms a wryly grin, indicating that what they might've feel can never be. Yet having the said female around her arms gave her the feeling of nervousness, as if someone is watching their closeness. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Kanade who gave her an inquiring look. "Kaichou, it's getting late. We better get inside and eat. And those two covert-ops should get back to their dorms and have dinner." She said aloud, removing her arms around Kanade and started walking away, with Kanade following her.

A few meters away, the sound of rustling bushes and trees filled the area. Two females came out and looked at each other through the slits of their black facemask. Both pointed at each other and a few secnds shook their head in denial. It is as if both are mentally talking with each other on how Natsuki knew of their presence.

Inside, everyone was already seated around the table as the landlady was preparing their food. An eerie aura filled the air as Nanaho glared at Natsuki while Shizuru gave Kanade a freezing smile. This gave Natsuki a weird feeling that it was all her fault. 'crap! Did Nanaho found out I skipped her punishment?' she thought, feeling a little nervous as Nanaho kept on glaring at her. She tried to look at Shizuru but the exchange student was emitting the same chilling aura thus avoiding her gaze aswell.

Noticng the eerie silence, Kanade placed her utensils down gently and looked around the table. Stopping her focus on her assault captain and transfer student."Oh my, is there anything wrong? Nanaho? Shizuru?" Kanade asked, breaking the icy silence that filled the area. Her calm aura had broken the icy silence and gave the remaining members to breathe easily.

The setokai assault captain grumbled as she ignored Kanade's question and diverting her attention to the food on her plate. Shizuru on the other hand just chuckled and took sip of the tea that the landlady served to her. Both seemed to ignore the setokai president and just continued eating their dinner.

The other members of the setokai was feeling rather scared at the tension around the dinning table. Rino was practically silent as she ate her food and even the gambler is staying quiet under the tension. Natsuki noticed the eerie silence from her team members is something out of the ordinary, decided to pick up the pace in eating so that she can go to her room immediately to avoid any future food-fight.

Kanade tapped Natsuki's shoulder as the blunette bodyguard is indulging herself on her mayo-slathered food. The blunette took a glance on Kanade which gave her a sweet smile and wiped something off the side of her mouth using her thumb and licked the said thumb clean. "You had some mayonnaise there." Kanade said sweetly, making Natsuki blush a little. The Miyagami kaichou was amused to see the bodyguard blushing but unknown to her, the assault captain and transfer student is trying their best to keep their cool while the others can feel the tension rising. But all tension broke loose when Kanade decided to give Natsuki a kiss as a sign of appreciation of the thanks that Natsuki gave her. "It's no problem Natsuki." Kande said innocently as if the kiss was no big deal at all.

"KAICHOU!" "Kanade!" All yelled out aside from Kuon, Siena and ofcourse, Kanade who was still smiling innocently.

Shizuru Pulled Natsuki away from Kanade's reach while Nanaho did the same with Kanade. The blunette was still blushing furiously as her head inbetween her friend's bosoms while the said friend is glaring at Kande with those crimson eyes.

Nanaho, on the other hand, was scolding Kande, due to the minor display of affection to the bodyguard. "Kaichou, how many time have I told you, don't do anything that would give you in a disturbing predicament." She lectured the one who started all commotion. She rubbed her temple, easing away the headache that is building from all of the events that happened lately. She took a deep breath and gave Kanade a weary look. "Really now Kaichou, you should really stop playing around." Her voice was weak and less commanding. Being the assault captain and vice president of their school is stressful to her, add up a certain pale violet haired kaichou being the cause of some rule breaking and innocent misbehavior herself. She sighed and slumped her shoulders down. "I'm going out." She voiced out, walking out of the dinning area. Leaving everyone in a state of shock.

Kanade watched as her vice-president left the area and she fel her heart broke upon seeing it. Never did Nanaho left her so willingly and it brought her panic though she hid It perfect ly with her concerned look. "Nanaho…" she whispered. She turned her attention to her bodyguard who has a certain exchange student clinging on her arm. "Natsuki?" her voice was low as if she's trying to convey her feelings to the blunette.

"My work in the council starts and ends during school hours. Do whatever you like." Natsuki stated, having a blank stare at her ward. She walked passed everyone, with Shizuru in tow, and preceded to the stairs leading to the dorm rooms.

Both Siena and Kuon had pushed the younger occupants of the room into going back to their dinner and giving their pale haired kaichou a 'go-signal' nod for her to follow Nanaho. Kande smiled a little and excused herself and left aswell to follow her childhood friend.

At Natsuki's room, she slumped down on the couch and groaned loudly. She buried her head under the pillow to ignore the fact she was hearing some girlish giggles from her roommate.

"Natsuki's very tired I see." A muffled groan escaped from Natsuki's current position and Shizuru counted this as a yes. She was seated on the bed, reading a thick book that has a foreign cover and sneaking a few glances on her blunette bodyguard. They stayed quiet for a while when the sound of Shizuru's phone filled the room. Curious to who was calling, Natsuki lifted a small part of the pillow and secretly looked at Shizuru picking up the call.

"Hello? Reito?" she sounded surprised

Hearing Shizuru mentioned Reito's name snapped Natsuki out of her tired state and she sat up, glaring at Shizuru. 'Why the hell is he calling you?' Natsuki thought as she glaring sternly at her ward.

Shizuru smiled at Natsuki when she noticed that Natsuki was glaring at her. She understood the glare and tried to focus on what Reito was saying since she can hear tat the raven-haired man was sounded kinda worried. "Is that so Reito? Alright I'll be there tomorrow afternoon. No, thank you. I'll have my school bodyguard to escort me." She ended the call. She placed her phone on top of the side table and turned to look at Natsuki who was still glaring at her."Is Natsuki busy tomorrow?" she asked suddenly.

"Why? So you can visit him?" Natsuki's voice was annoyed as she slumped back down on the sofa. Hoping to be deaf when Shizuru says 'yes' to her question.

"Yes." The brunette answered without a second thought. She can see and feel the rise of tension between hers and her bodyguard when she answered the question. ' Yes Natsuki. That and it seems Mai-san is sick. Reito called informing US about her condition. Since Mai-san is Natsuki's friend, I did not hesitate to accept the offer. That is Natsuki will have to drive us to Fuuka." Shizuru said calmly.

Hearing the condition of her fiery-orange haired friend from Shizuru, Natsuki mentally slap herself for acting all jealous on the phone call. She shifted her position and peeked at Shizuru who was now reading intently at her foreign book. She needed not to reply since she knows that her ward understands her silent answer.

Meanwhile, outside the dorms, Nanaho has been sweating heself from all the yoyo-target practice she's been doing after she left the dining area. "Damn! Damn! Damn!" she cursed continuously as she have not hit any of the 10 targets she has put up at the different angles of the tree infront of her. Feeling the string finally burning her skin from the extensive activity, she opted to stop and drop down to the grassy lawn to rest. "What does she have that I don't…" she whispered, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Nanaho…"

Nanaho sat up, hearing her name being called by a serene voice which she can decipher as her kaichou. She wiped her tears away and took a deep breath to calm herself. "Anything I can do for you kaichou?" Though her face showed calmness, her voice betrayed her.

Kanade stepped closer to her friend and looked at her with a sad expression. "Tell me Nanaho, why can't you just forget your duty for even a few minutes?" her voice was neither sad nor cold. It was more of a rhetorical question than an actual question at all. It has been the 'dreaded question' everytime they are alone together. She sighed and stared at Nanaho with a gentle smile, knowing her fuukukaichou will still avoid the question.

The fuukukaichou stood still, staring at the marred tree before her, thinking of how she will face her kaichou. She took a deep breath and tried to face her friend with a weary childish smile. "I guess when I'm sleeping?" she asked with a slight humor to lighten the mood. She can tell Kanade was worried on her answer.

Knowing that Nanaho was trying to answer her in a less hurtful way, the pale-viole haired girl just approached her childhood friend snd engulfed her in a gentle hug. Her eyes closed and head leaning on Nanaho'sshoulder, she can smell the sweaty yet unique fragrance of her friend. "Idiot." Her words were enough to convey her feelings for the tall female. She wanted to tell her exactly how she feels but thinking that it wasn't the right time always stops her.

"Kanade… One day, someday… Alright?" Nanaho's words meant everything to Kanade as she remembers the real reason why Nanaho cannot drop her duty for the Jinguuji princess. "Please stay by my side." Kanade can only hope, leaning closer to Nanaho to feel her warmth.

Inside the dorms' living area, the seniors, naming Kuon and Siena are seated at the warmness of the sofa. Both of them are taking the silence of the area quite calming and enjoying a cup of tea on their alone time. "So, how long do you think Nanaho will hold her ground for Kaichou's sake?" the light-brown haired covert asked.

The brunette took a sip of her tea for a minute before answering. "I take it a week more, 2 at tops." Siena answered with a knowing smile.

Both chuckled at the thought of how Nanaho and Natsuki will have another head-to-head and yell-to-yell battle again. Thinking that life at Miyagami sure became fun when he two new students arrived.

The darker brunette took a sip of her tea and placed the cup down the table. "but really now. That Fujino and the kaichou can be childish at times. Pushing those two to their limit is kinda going overboard." She thought aloud, placing a finger over her chin as she muses over the two kaichous.

The lighter brunette can only nod in agreement as she too can reminisce on the previous events that came when the two transfers arrived. "Maybe it's something to do with being a student council president. That reminds me, didn't Fujino-san's vice president tried to court her and as sources goes, he did pretended to be Natsuki's alter-ego 'K'." Kuon's words were true, basing on the reports she received upon investigating the Fuuka student council.

Both took a sip of their tea. Without even speaking to one another, they felt another presence in th room. Not even giving a glance at the intruder, they stayed in silence, focusing on their tea,

"Tokiha Mai is currently ill. Kanzaki already informed our guests of this." a feminine voice echoed the room, not giving it's exact location. However, she hid as she can, the two covert specialist already traced her presence and just need their head, indicating the acknowledgement of her report and she left her two superiors.

With both having one eye open to look at one another, mischief glinted from their eyes.

"How much are you betting this will turn up as an opportunity?"

"Mind sharing this to the others who are not going to be involve aswell?"

"Just keep the school budget away from the bet and we're all good!"

The two laughed softly as they teamed up to plan a small scheme that involves the hard heads and the teasing kaichous. Miyagami Private Academy has gotten alot more fun and dramatic since the arrival of the two transfers. chance of breaking the old usual highschool life of theirs.

Author's Note: wow i exceeded my '20 chapter' limit and it's not yet finished... hope you guys enjoyed this brain squeezing chapter. i know it's not good enough but i'll try my best for the next ones. R&R,, death-threats, Stalking, peace offerings, and even love proclamation is more than welcome. :D haha~ til the next update~ Zaki-kun out! ;)