A/N: Lol, I've noticed it's inevitably always past 3:00A.M. whenever I post new chapters. But now, I can plead temporary insanity as a result of sleep deprivation if I've written anything too insane, lol.
Oh, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Or, as my math teacher would say: "Happy Turkey Day", lol. I know it's technically not thanksgiving yet, but it's thanksgiving weekend, so that's close enough for me. :D
Thank you guys for all the awesome reviews! :D *grins uncontrollably* And I'd especially like to thank WouldBeSenpai for beta-ing this chapter. I have no idea how she puts up with me, lol, but I am extremely grateful she does. :D
Thanks for reading! I hope you like it! :D
Chapter #3: Final Preparations
Natsuki took the elevator back up to her hotel room's floor. She walked over to her door, and inserted her key in the lock. She was startled when the door swung open with the pressure she applied. Natsuki pulled the key out quickly, and took a step back. "It's probably just the maintenance staff,"she told herself, her heart racing. Nevertheless, in her line of work it never hurt to be cautious.
Natsuki pushed lightly on the door, letting it swing open the whole way. Carefully, she stepped into the room. Her eyes scanned the room for movement, but there was no one in sight.
"Ugh," Natsuki grunted as someone slammed into her from behind. She fell to the ground, the air forced out of her lungs. The rush of adrenaline that followed was almost overwhelming. Natsuki frantically rolled on the ground and rapidly used her arm to shove off her attacker. Her hair fell down in front of her face, obstructing her view. Natsuki spun into a kneeling position and pressed her weight down on the intruder.
Quickly brushing her hair out of the way, Natsuki grabbed the attacker's arms. She slammed them down into the ground forcefully, which effectively pinned them there. Natsuki rapidly glanced around the room—knowing it was very possible there was more than one attacker.
The sound of laughter made Natsuki freeze. She finished scanning the room before turning back to her assailant. Her mouth fell open when she studied the woman's face.
"Mai?!" Natsuki exclaimed, a look of utter shock on her face.
Mai laughed harder in unrestrained amusement. She glanced down at the suggestive position in which she was being forcibly restrained. "So are you absolutely sure that you've never had a crush on me?" She asked playfully.
Natsuki rolled her eyes, a small smirk on her face as she got up. "You know that it's not exactly my fault you decided to attack me."
"That's technically true," Mai replied with a smile. She got up from the floor and brushed herself off. "But I had to make sure you weren't slipping Natsuki. And besides, I knew that you'd never tell me how your first day went over the phone."
"I would have told you," Natsuki replied defensively. She closed and locked the hotel room door. Natsuki couldn't help but smile as she walked over to the small couch and sat down.
"You would have told me the details about your new case over an insecure hotel-room line?" Mai asked, raising her eyebrows. "I sincerely hope that's an outright lie." Mai followed after her, sitting down in the chair across from the couch.
"Well, I can't tell you anything here," Natsuki shrugged. "This insecure hotel-room could very well be bugged."
"Oh, come on," Mai laughed. "I pulled an extra shift on Saturday so that I could get off early today. And you know that Fuuka agents never leave empty-handed."
"Think back to our very first case and reconsider your statement," Natsuki replied dryly.
"Alright, fine," Mai sighed. "But we're not level-two agents anymore Natsuki."
Natsuki looked over at the red-headed woman as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "You're right Mai."
Mai nodded happily, pleased that the navy-haired woman had come to her senses.
Natsuki smirked to herself. "Being an Elite agent now, I happen to outrank you. You know that I could probably just order you to leave."
Mai gave a mock gasp, a smile forming on her face. "On what grounds, Agent Kruger?"
"How about breaking and entering?" Natsuki asked with a satisfied smirk. "That one works for me."
"Oh please, no one actually presses charges for that anymore," Mai scoffed. "Besides, you're in a different district now. I won't take orders from an enemy agent."
"Well, I don't need to tell an enemy agent all about my new case," Natsuki grinned.
Mai sighed dramatically. She perked up after a moment— her original energy restored. "So what are the people like?" She asked. "Did you make any friends?"
"Because I'm so good with people," Natsuki replied sarcastically.
Mai grinned, repressing a laugh. "Well, did you meet any nice, single women who also happen to be gay?" She gave Natsuki a playful grin.
Natsuki's smile faded a little as her thoughts drifted back to the conversation she'd overheard. "Mai, you should have heard these two agents talking today. Garderobe's completely homophobic."
"More than Fuuka?" Mai asked, her voice taking on a serious tone. Her smile faded as she studied the look on Natsuki's face.
"At least in Fuuka, no one ever called me a hentai to my face," Natsuki replied. She consciously stopped her fists from clenching.
"Someone called you a hentai!?" Mai furiously exclaimed. "Who!?"
"Well, they weren't talking about me," Natsuki admitted. "...I think." She paused for a moment. "Anyway, let's just say that I'm not too eager to let it slip that I'm not into men."
Mai looked at Natsuki for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry Natsuki," Mai said finally, her voice soft. "People can be complete bakas sometimes."
Natsuki shrugged as her stomach involuntarily clenched. "Don't worry about it Mai. It's not exactly a shock."
Mai continued to stare at Natsuki for a moment. She didn't know what else she could say.
Natsuki cleared her throat quietly, "So how are things at Fuuka?"
Mai smiled, shaking her head. "Same old stuff." She paused for a moment, thinking to herself. "So you really didn't meet anyone that you don't despise?"
Natsuki groaned, leaning back against the couch. "Can we please change the topic Mai?"
"So you met someone?" Mai asked as she sat up straighter. A sly smile had already formed on her face. "Man or woman?"
"Both," Natsuki scowled. She was mildly annoyed that Mai was still stuck on her non-existent social life. Mai blinked at her for a moment. Natsuki's eyes widened slightly. "Okay, not exactly what I meant," she laughed after a second. "My new case partners—two women and one man—seem nice enough.
"Oh," Mai laughed. She raised her eyebrows suggestively, "So... two women?"
"Mai!" Natsuki exclaimed, her face flushing slightly. "You're such a hentai! I'm really starting to think you're more gay than I am."
"Come on!" Mai grinned as she ignored the statement. "I need details here Natsuki. You know that an investigation should be as thorough as possible."
Natsuki scowled and decided it was far safer not to speak at all. She knew that Mai was studying the look on her face for clues. "Don't think about Shizuru," Natsuki mentally recited. Naturally, that thought led to other—more intimate—thoughts of the older agent. Natsuki swallowed hard as she thought back to way that Shizuru had softly spoken her name.
Mai's grin widened as she sat up even straighter. She watched the way that Natsuki's face took on a reddish glow and couldn't help but laugh. "Natsuki Kruger, Garderobe's very own Elite agent, is blushing?" Mai asked. "This woman must be pretty special."
Natsuki glared at Mai as her face heated up even more. "Who are we talking about?" She asked casually.
Mai laughed harder. By now her excitement was irrepressible. "You tell me, Natsuki. What's her name?" She paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Unless, of course, you're attracted to both of them."
"No!" Natsuki exclaimed quickly. She shuddered slightly at the thought. The idea of her and Nao dating made her wince slightly. That would turn into one abusive relationship.
"Well, that makes things simpler then," Mai replied. She was quite pleased with the extremely-defensive reaction. "So," She pushed once more, "what's her name?"
Natsuki let her head fall back on the couch, hitting it with a dull thump. She let out a sigh as she realized that—as always—there would be no way around it. "Her name is Viola," She admitted after a moment, "but it really doesn't matter."
"Hmm," Mai hummed thoughtfully. "And her first name?"
"How should I know?" Natsuki replied quickly. She looked away, staring at the small TV in the corner of her room. She didn't want Mai to think that she was that attracted. "I don't remember."
"I'm sure you don't," Mai nodded with a smirk. "We both know how common it is for Elite-level agents to forget names entirely."
"Fine," Natsuki snapped, "her name is..." Natsuki hesitated as she began blushing slightly. She took a slow breath. "Her name is Shizuru." Natsuki's voice sounded far quieter than she had intended— the name coming out as little more than a whisper.
Mai raised her eyebrows as the name left her lips. "Shizuru?" Mai repeated gently. She paused to study the faint flush on the navy-haired woman's cheeks. "It's a very pretty name."
Natsuki merely shrugged in response. She was unwilling to admit that she couldn't help but agree. "Anyway, like I said, it really doesn't matter. We're coworkers Mai, end of story."
The red-headed woman gave a small frown. "What makes you so sure that's all Viola-san wants?"
Natsuki rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in a defensive position. "Trust me on this one Mai. You should have seen this blond guy hitting on her in the middle of the hallway."
Mai couldn't help but grin at the annoyed look on her friend's face. Natsuki was already this territorial? "And if this guy made a move on you, that would automatically make you straight?"
"There's no way Mai," Natsuki protested. "I'm telling you."
"No, I'm telling you Natsuki," Mai laughed. "You aren't looking at this objectively in the least. You're already too predisposed to make an accurate assessment. If this were a case, I would have had you pulled off of it in a heartbeat."
"What?" Natsuki exclaimed. "I'm not predisposed." She scowled as she fidgeted around so she could glare at Mai from a comfortable position.
"Yes, you are," Mai laughed. "And I haven't seen you take such a strong interest in someone in over a year. Let's face it Natsuki, your love life is depressing."
Natsuki glared harder, her eyes narrowing in an attempt to induce a feeling of fear. Mai, however, was quite immune—having dealt with similar looks from the navy-haired woman for many years.
"Do I really have to spell this out for you?" Natsuki snapped. "Every woman that I find attractive is straight. Do you know what percentage of the female population is actually gay?" Natsuki demanded. "Such a small percentage that the chances of me finding someone I like—who actually likes me— are so microscopically small that I might as well not even try."
Mai blinked for a moment. After a brief pause she got up from her seat. She placed her hands quickly on her hips. "That's it," She proclaimed definitively.
Natsuki raised her eyebrows in a quizzical expression. Did I miss something? "That's what?" She asked wearily.
"We're going to a gay bar," Mai announced. She gave Natsuki an expectant look and waited for the navy-haired woman to get up from the couch.
"W...what?!" Natsuki exclaimed, the look on her face an unmasked mixture of shock and fear. She'd never been to a gay bar before, but the idea behind them was nothing short of terrifying. And since when was she desperate enough to consider going somewhere like that? "There is no way in Hell that we're going to a gay bar, Mai," She added menacingly.
"We're not in Hell Natsuki," Mai replied with a smug grin.
"Do you know how thin these walls are?" Natsuki demanded as she furiously pointed to room beside her. The couple that was staying there was particularly... enthusiastic. "You can hear everything, Mai. It's pretty damn close."
Mai burst out laughing, unable to contain herself. "While that is a good point, I don't think that's really relevant. And, to be completely honest, Natsuki, you are starting to depress me. And so," She paused for effect, "we're going to go out and meet some nice, single women."
"No," Natsuki replied firmly, "we're not." She stretched out further onto the couch, as if to demonstrate that her plans for the evening didn't include moving.
"Please?" Mai pleaded. She decided that a change of tactics was necessary and took her hands off her hips, clasping them together. A long moment passed. When Natsuki still didn't answer, Mai let her hands fall to her sides. "Fine," She sighed in inevitable defeat.
Natsuki smirked. She was quite pleased she had won with so little effort.
Mai scowled at her before walking across the room.
"Where are you going?" Natsuki asked, sitting up so that she could follow the movement. Surely Mai wasn't planning on going without her.
"I'm getting us food," Mai replied. "What do you want to eat?"
"You're cooking?" Natsuki grinned. She still hadn't eaten anything all day. The coffee Takeda brought her wasn't exactly substantial.
"With what?" Mai scoffed. "I'm calling room service."
"Oh," Natsuki replied suddenly. The realization that she didn't currently have a kitchen suddenly hit her. "Right."
"And just for the record, this conversation isn't over," Mai added sternly. "We really need to work on your insecurities Natsuki."
Natsuki gaped, temporarily lost for words. "M...my insecurities?!" She exclaimed. "I'm a very secure person."
"Well, you can say it as many times as you like," Mai replied. "But if I were profiling you now, 'insecure about her sexuality' would be written at the top of my notes."
"I'm not insecure!" Natsuki yelled. She glared menacingly once more at the red-headed woman.
"You'll just have to prove that to me," Mai replied calmly. "I suggest you start by watching Viola-san from an objective point of view. It's about time you found someone Natsuki. At this point, I'd happily have you settle for some agent I've never even met."
With that, Mai turned and walked briskly over to phone on the table. Natsuki groaned softly to herself, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Fine," she mentally growled, "tomorrow I'll objectively prove Shizuru isn't gay." At least then she could just get over her attraction before it got any worse.
"Good morning Kruger-san," Chie smiled as Natsuki walked in through the front doors.
Natsuki nodded in return and gave a small smile to the friendly woman. "Agent Hallard," She replied.
Chie's grin widened when she realized that Natsuki had remembered her name. She slid off her stool with a small hop and began walking into the interview room.
Natsuki watched her leave, eyebrows raised. Was it really alright for her to leave the main room unattended? Well, I guess she's nearby. Natsuki turned and walked over to the other door. She unclipped her ID card from her jacket pocket and swiped it through the scanner.
The small beep that followed elicited a low growl from the navy-haired woman. She raised her card once again—careful to swipe the card so that it was aligned with the wall behind the small machine. Again, her efforts were met with the flashing of a small, red light.
Natsuki took a slow breath; her face flushed from embarrassment. She gave a quick glance over her shoulder, making sure that Chie hadn't come back. When a scan of the room confirmed that she was alone, Natsuki crouched down so that she was at eye level with the scanner. She lifted her card up and slid it through as slowly as possible. After a suspenseful two seconds, the machine beeped once more. Natsuki cursed under her breath, her cheeks now incredibly warm.
The sound of faint laughter from the other room made Natsuki blush even harder. The thought of someone realizing that she couldn't get the scanner to work was almost too much.
Nao burst into another fit of uncontrollable snickering. Chie did the same; a hand clamped over her mouth in an effort to stop the sound from traveling. Even Aoi was laughing, though she desperately tried not to. However, no amount of training could have enabled them to keep their composure.
Nao turned the monitor slightly, in an attempt to get a better view of the video feed. Chie shifted around so she could still see clearly.
"Chie, let her in," Aoi protested. The attempted seriousness behind the demand was ruined by the small smile the brown-haired woman failed to conceal. "Chie!"
"Come on, just a little longer," Chie grinned. She watched as Natsuki tried once more, banging her fist against the door in frustration when nothing happened.
"How long do you think that it'll take her to realize we put the door on silent lock-down?" Nao smirked.
"We?" Chie asked, eyebrows raised.
"Please," Nao scoffed. "You're both accessories to the cr..." She trailed off—snickering even harder when Natsuki hit the scanner a few times. At this rate, she was going to break it before they had a chance to open the door.
There was a small beep from the monitor to the side. Chie turned towards the right half of the desk and quickly read the warning that was now displayed on the screen.
"Uh, guys?" Chie asked, tilting the monitor so Aoi and Nao could see. "Someone's overriding the lock-down."
"What?" Nao asked, her smile quickly shifting to a look of panic. "From outside the building?"
"Move," Aoi ordered, suddenly serious. Chie quickly backed out of the way. She watched over Aoi's shoulder as the brown-haired woman did her job.
Aoi typed furiously—pausing only to read the new window that popped up on the screen. She breathed a sigh of relief, and fell back into her chair. "Not from outside. From first-floor security."
Nao frowned, an annoyed look on her face. "Who's doing it?" She asked in confusion. Who else could possibly know what they were doing? She hadn't told anyone other than Chie and Aoi.
Aoi typed in another command and watched as the camera angle from the security room came up on the screen. There was silence in the interview room as the three agents stared at the screen open-mouthed.
"Ara, surprised to see me?" Shizuru asked, turning to face the camera. "You know Zhang-san, Agent Kruger does work here now. She is actually permitted access into the building." Shizuru repressed a smile as she turned back to the security screen displaying the navy-haired agent. She felt a mixture of mild guilt and exhilaration watching Natsuki—though, she didn't have nearly as much time as she wished to stare at the younger agent. She didn't want to completely embarrass Natsuki.
"Viola-san?" Nao asked into the interview room's camera. "How did you know what we were doing?"
Shizuru glanced to the screen beside her—smiling when she saw the look of bewilderment on the red-haired agent's face. "I was attempting to page Senoh-san to ask if she knew your whereabouts, Agent Zhang. Imagine my surprise when I happened to overhear your rather peculiar method of welcoming Kruger-san to Garderobe."
Nao grinned, shrugging her shoulders. "You don't have to hack into the system to override the command. All you need to do is type in your code." Nao's grin widened in realization. "But you already knew that, didn't you Viola-san?"
"Ara, I'm afraid I don't know what you're trying to imply," Shizuru replied as a hint of a smile crossed her face. She turned back to the monitor that displayed Natsuki's image, and felt her heart race faster. It was true, of course. She could have easily opened the door by now. Still, she was—at least—working at it. And if she happened to get a sense of guilty pleasure from studying Natsuki's adorable expression in the meantime, so be it. "This is the only way I know how to open the outer door. Besides, Agent Zhang, I'm terribly out of practice."
With one last glance at the screen, Shizuru finished the override. She got up gracefully, and raised an eyebrow at the camera one last time before walking out the door. Shizuru strolled out of the security room and stopped just before the entrance to the front room.
Making sure her amusement was adequately concealed, Shizuru quickly pushed open the door. There was a grunt of surprise from the other side as Natsuki stumbled back.
Natsuki frantically turned herself around so that her back was facing the wall in an attempt to discreetly snap the scanner's outer casing back on.
"Good morning Kruger-san," Shizuru smiled. She made sure to use Natsuki's last name. She didn't want Nao to get any ideas. Even if the camera's audio intake wasn't sensitive enough to pick up their voices, Nao was still quite a good lip-reader.
"A..Agent Viola," Natsuki gulped, her face practically on fire. "You're here early."
Shizuru smiled, nodding slightly. "Was there a particular reason that you were dismantling our key-card scanner?" She raised her eyebrows slightly—a playful look now displayed on her face.
Natsuki quickly scowled at Shizuru. She was well aware she was being teased. "This stupid scanner is defective," She growled deeply. With that, she turned to glare the scanner into submission. "It doesn't work with my card."
Shizuru locked her eyes with Natsuki's. She studied the look of annoyance in them as she reached down to take Natsuki's card from her. She leaned over and swiped the card evenly through the scanner. The light turned green immediately. As Shizuru calmly turned back to Natsuki, the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile. "I see," She replied.
Natsuki gaped at the scanner— a look beyond fury now in her eyes. "It wasn't working," She insisted firmly. Her eyes dared Shizuru to attempt to say otherwise.
"You know, Kruger-san, you could always request assistance," Shizuru replied with a smile. "I'm sure that Agent Hallard or Senoh would be happy to oblige."
Natsuki blushed even harder. She was unwilling to admit that she was too embarrassed to ask for help. As an Elite agent there really wasn't much in the way of security that could keep her out for long. What kind of Elite agent had trouble getting into the building where she worked?
Shizuru looked down at the card in her hands, and flipped it over so she could study the front. The small picture of Natsuki really didn't do her justice. She was very photogenic of course, but the picture was no substitute for the flawless face in front of her.
The brown-haired woman smiled softly as she looked up to study Natsuki's questioning eyes. She turned so her back was to the camera, effectively shielding herself and Natsuki from Nao. Slowly, she raised the card up to the clip on Natsuki's suit pocket. She used her other hand to force the clip open as she slid the card smoothly underneath.
Natsuki inhaled sharply as tried her best to remain still. She swallowed painfully— her thoughts racing almost as quickly as her heart. Natsuki desperately tried to slow her pulse down. She was positive that the older agent could feel her heart thumping through the black jacket.
Shizuru's gaze shifted from the card to Natsuki's eyes, studying them carefully. She was prepared to step back at any sign of displeasure. Without looking away, she slid her hands off of the card, carefully smoothing out the jacket beside it.
Natsuki stifled a gasp— the intimate contact affecting her more than she would have cared to admit. She found herself unable to move away, held in place by the sudden intensity of Shizuru's stare.
Shizuru pulled her hands back slowly. She slid them down a little too far before pulling away.
Natsuki made no move to stop her hands or back away. Actually, the look on the younger-woman's face was quite hard to read. Her cheeks were decidedly flushed, but was that simply due to her embarrassment over not opening the door?
"I've discussed our findings with the director," Shizuru said finally, breaking the silence. "I've actually been here since six o'clock," She added. She gave Natsuki a small smile when she saw the look of surprise on her face. "Director Wong has granted us permission to go ahead with the infiltration." She turned back once more, so that she was clearly in view of the camera. "In fact, Agent Zhang should be working on our cover profiles now." Shizuru's eyes flickered up to the camera briefly.
Natsuki nodded in response. She was unable to hide the wide grin on her face. She couldn't help but feel proud that she had helped come up with enough evidence to warrant a more thorough investigation. "So who's going in?" She asked quickly.
"Ara," Shizuru replied with mock surprise, "we are, Agent Kruger. I thought that you were aware."
"W...what?" Natsuki replied. She was sure she couldn't be hearing correctly. "We are?"
"Of course," Shizuru answered— her red eyes shining with amusement. "We," She repeated, the word slipping off her tongue.
Natsuki nodded, unable to speak. "O...oh," She managed to get out softly. Her cheeks flushed at the seemingly-suggestive manor in which Shizuru had spoken.
"I hear from Director Wong you perform quite well undercover. It's very rare for him to develop such strong convictions from a single file." Shizuru's smile widened slightly. "You must have already made quite an impression."
Natsuki ignored the compliment; she was still entirely fixated on the previous statement. "So we're the only ones going undercover?" She clarified. "What about Agents Zhang and Masashi?" It was, after all, their case too. Natsuki knew there was usually quite a bit of jealously over what position people got assigned to. She didn't want to make any enemies on the very first case.
"They do their best work from the sidelines," Shizuru replied. "Agent Zhang, in particular, is an excellent profiler. Mashashi-san is confident he can get us patched into the new security system without having to alert the security guards. They'll be able to watch us and the employees from there."
Natsuki nodded after a moment. She decided it was a fairly sound plan. If Nao was really as good as Shizuru said she was, she would be able to pick out likely suspects just by watching their public interaction. "And when are we planning to do this?" Natsuki asked thoughtfully.
"Tomorrow," Shizuru replied quickly. "Needless to say, we'll have to rush things a little."
"A little?!" Natsuki exclaimed. She had one day to map out strategies, learn a cover so thoroughly she could act the part realistically, and learn everything her cover was supposed to know how to do? Was Shizuru insane?
"Ara, don't look so worried," Shizuru laughed. "We're very efficient."
"Great," Natsuki replied sarcastically. "We can efficiently blow this entire operation in less than 24 hours." Much to Natsuki's infuriation, Shizuru gave her an amused look in return.
"You don't think we have enough time to do the job properly?" Shizuru asked as she brushed her brown hair out of her eyes smoothly. "That's an interesting statement, coming from you Kruger-san."
Natsuki raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms casually. What exactly was Shizuru trying to say?
"Well, I just presumed you'd be able to keep up," Shizuru added— the corners of her mouth turning up in a dangerous smile.
Natsuki's mouth fell open slightly. She glared and blushed fiercely at the same time. "It wasn't me I was worried about," She growled. With that, she pressed her thumb onto the top of the scanner and opened the door as soon as it unlocked. She began walking purposefully down the hallway. Halfway down, she began praying she was supposed to go to the same room as before. It would be more than a little embarrassing if she went to the wrong place.
Natsuki turned partially, checking over her shoulder to make sure Shizuru wasn't behind her. When Natsuki was sure that the brown-haired woman was nowhere in sight, she opened the stairwell door.
Natsuki immediately looked over at the two people standing just inside the door. She cleared her throat impatiently as she walked past. Natsuki rolled her eyes in mild disgust at the public display of affection.
The black-haired agent pulled his face away from that of the woman with whom he was previously enthralled. His eyes widened when he realized Natsuki was the one glaring at them.
Natsuki's eyes widened in a similar fashion. "Mashashi?" She asked. She was obviously not impressed.
Takeda blushed furiously as he forcefully shoved the blond woman away. The woman let out a small cry of surprise when she was shoved backwards. She pouted slightly and reached to brush the black hair out of Takeda's eyes.
He grabbed her hand, shoving it away impatiently. Natsuki bristled slightly as she watched him; she was surprised by the amount of unnecessary force he used. There was really no reason for him to be so rough, especially considering the fact that he was all over her a moment ago.
"Takeda," the woman protested, reaching her hand up again. He grabbed her once again— his grip far too tight for Natsuki's liking.
"I have to go," he said firmly. He released her hand after a moment and walked up the first few stairs to Natsuki. There was an a look of annoyance on his face, but Natsuki was surprised to notice he looked more annoyed with the other woman than with her.
Natsuki gave the blond woman one last glance before she started up the stairs. "You do know that we have a case to work on, right?" Natsuki asked Takeda. She allowed her annoyance to resonate clearly.
"I...I'm sorry, Kruger-san," Takeda replied quickly. His face flushed even more.
Natsuki didn't say anything as she opened the door. She held it open behind her for Takeda and he nodded his thanks. Togther, they walked over to the room from the day before.
After a few minutes of very forced conversation, Shizuru and Nao walked into the room. Natsuki ignored the smile Shizuru gave her, and crossed her arms as the older agent sat down.
"Kanin na for the wait," Shizuru said softly. Natsuki looked up at her, as she found the sincerity in the older agent's voice oddly startling. Natsuki nodded, blushing faintly under the brown-haired woman's gaze.
Nao watched the interaction curiously. She smirked silently to herself as she sat down at the table. After a moment, she cleared her throat, and opened one of the folders that she had brought with her.
Shizuru looked from Natsuki to Nao, and nodded her head to the red-haired agent. "Agent Zhang, would you care to debrief Agent Kruger on the current situation?"
"Of course," Nao grinned. She leaned back in her chair confidently. "Hallard-san has booked us a clear way into the Foreign Affairs Office. You and Viola-san are going undercover as temporary employees."
"How did you manage that?" Natsuki asked, eyebrows raised. Wouldn't it be just a little obvious if we both suddenly appeared as new employees?
"Ask Viola-san," Nao replied with a small smirk on her face. "It was her idea."
Natsuki turned to Shizuru, waiting for an answer.
Shizuru cleared her throat slightly before she spoke. "The Foreign Affairs Office is required to offer counseling services to all office employees. Many of them were close to Arai, making them prone to psychological trauma as a result of his death. The Foreign Affairs Office reopens tommorow morning, but not all of the office's 28 employees will be returning. Two of them will be taking mandatory two-week breaks, ordered by the psychologist in charge of their assessments."
"Really?" Natsuki asked as a small smile formed on her face. She liked where this was going.
Shizuru smiled back— pleased that Natsuki liked the idea. "Naturally, loosing someone with whom you worked closely is psychologically straining. It's only natural that some people can't cope as easily as others."
"And the psychologist conveniently decided two people weren't... coping?" Natsuki grinned.
"Of course," Shizuru replied. "Once we had one of our agents take his place." She paused for a moment as she allowed herself to enjoy the look on Natsuki's face. "Luckily for the Foreign Affairs Office, Garderobe Temp Agency is always extremely accommodating. Hallard-san was able to convince the office that we had the workers they desired."
Natsuki shook her head slowly. She was impressed at how well-thought-out the plan was. Not only did it provide them with a way to get inside, but it was also pretty believable. After a moment her smile faded as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "When did you do all this?" She asked Shizuru.
"Well, I had to receive permission before proceeding," Shizuru answered. "I talked to the director after you left yesterday, and managed to catch Hallard-san just before she exited the building."
"Why didn't you ask me to stay?" Natsuki demanded— offended that she hadn't been included in the process. "I wouldn't have minded putting in a few extra hours."
"Ara, you mentioned that you had to find an apartment, Kruger-san," Shizuru replied with a small frown. "I didn't want to impose on your plans."
"It's not imposing," Natsuki replied firmly. "It's my job."
Takeda cleared his throat loudly in an attempt to break the silence that followed. Natsuki stared at Shizuru silently. Their eyes locked dangerously before she looked away. It was almost like Shizuru didn't want her help. Natsuki bit her lip in frustration. Who was she kidding? Shizuru didn't need her help.
Nao repressed a smirk as she leaned into the table. "So, who wants to see their cover profile?" She asked.
Natsuki snapped out of it and set her mind back on the case. "What do you have?" She asked as she turned to face Nao.
Nao grinned as she held up the first folder and opened it with a flourish. The picture of Natsuki that was stored in Garderrobe's database was now displayed in the top-right corner.
Natsuki looked from the folder to Nao. She was waiting for an explanation of her assignment.
"Meet Natsuki Kruger," Nao instructed Natsuki before tossing the file toward her. Natsuki looked down at the folder. She raised her eyebrows when she saw the way her name was typed underneath the picture.
"I think we've met," Natsuki replied. She wasn't particularly amused. "Do you have my cover or not?"
"That is your cover," Nao replied with a smirk. "You supposedly work for a temp agency Kruger-san. Don't you think going undercover as a temp agency worker is absolutely ingenious in its simplicity?"
"Please tell me you realize the point of having a cover is that people don't actually know who you are," Natsuki pleaded in frustration. She looking from Nao to Shizuru and Takeda for back-up. "You've got to be kidding me," She exclaimed when they didn't say anything.
"Look Agent Kruger," Nao smirked, "in case you hadn't noticed, as far as the outside world is concerned, this is a real temp agency. Heretofore," Nao continued in an intentionally-arrogant tone, "it's expected that we—as employees of said temp agency—fill temporary positions that are available from time to time." She paused to take a breath as her smirk widened condescendingly. "In other words, as long as you don't screw this up in some unimaginable way, things should go smoothly." Nao's grin widened even further when she saw the look of rage on the navy-haired agent's face. "And for the record, Agent Kruger, a cover should only ever be what it needs to be. And in this case, a cover is not about changing names."
"Then what exactly did you change?!" Natsuki demanded. She glared furiously at the agent opposite her.
"Well, let's face it Kruger-san," Nao began, "you needed some serious reconstruction."
"E...excuse me?!" Natsuki demanded. She wasn't entirely sure what Nao was talking about. The one thing she did know, judging from the look of joy on Nao's face, was that it was—no doubt—intended as an insult.
"Serious reconstruction," Nao repeated once more.
Shizuru hid a smile at the look on Natsuki's face. The navy-haired woman was really far too adorable. Shizuru knew that she probably shouldn't take nearly so much joy out of the faint blush on Natsuki's cheeks, but she found herself unable to look away.
Natsuki closed her mouth slowly and crossed her arms in such a way that anyone else would have run in fear. What exactly was Nao suggesting? Plastic surgery?
"Agent Masashi and I have spent some time over the weekend going through all of the employee biographies and police interviews," Nao began. "The two employees you will be taking the place of have solid alibis and no clear motives, so chances are extremely small that they're the ones responsible. After a brief analysis of the other employees, I've come up with a compatible personality for you to try out Kruger-san. Pull it off well enough, and you might see some results."
"You remodeled my personality?!" Natsuki exclaimed with a furious glare. "What the hell is wrong with the one I have?"
"I'm sorry Kruger-san," Nao smirked, "but we do have a time limit."
Natsuki gaped in shock. The only thing that stopped her from retaliating quite spectacularly was the quiet laughter that came from the brown-haired woman beside her.
Shizuru quickly put a hand up to her mouth to mask her smile. She coughed quietly before lowering her hand. The look Natsuki was giving her made it incredibly hard to keep a straight face.
Takeda gave a small laugh as well, though abruptly stopped when Natsuki slowly looked his way. Much to Natsuki's satisfaction, all trace of color left his face soon after.
"Please don't take such offense Kruger-san," Shizuru said after a moment. The amusement still shone clearly in her eyes. "We have both been assigned a persona to adopt. Though it may be quite surprising, Agent Zhang is quite proficient at what she does." Shizuru gave Nao a small smile when Nao feigned a gasp.
Natsuki scowled and picked the folder up from the table. "What exactly is my personathen?" she asked Nao.
"Well, from what I saw in the interviews, the Foreign Affairs Office is pretty close-knit. Chances are, if one of the employees is involved, others know about it. You're going to do whatever you can to befriend each and every one of them. So, while you may be temperamental, insecure, and have serious intimacy issues in real life, you're going to do your best to come off as friendly," Nao added. The corners of her mouth turned up in a another taunting smile when Natsuki reacted to her comment. "The problem you'll have, Kruger-san, is trying to find a balance between participating in gossip and maintaining a trustworthy image. You're going to be a very good listener, so try to keep conversation focused almost entirely on the other person. Lead them carefully closer to the case, but be careful not to rush things."
"I have done this before," Natsuki replied defensively. "I don't see why we're going through all this."
"I've come up with a series of angles you can try to get people to open up to you," Nao continued, ignoring Natsuki entirely. "For example, take Baiko Sasaki." Nao picked up a thin binder, filled with personnel files and the profiles she and Takeda had come up with. She flipped to one of the first pages, holding up a picture of an extremely well-muscled man with dark-brown hair. "Behold, the Foreign Affairs Office's resident jerk."
"Is he a sociopath or something?" Natsuki asked curiously. She wondered why Nao was bringing it up.
"No," Nao snorted. "Far too rude for that. Sociopaths typically attempt to act charming. Anyway, my point is this guy could be the key to getting close to some of the other employees."
"I'm not sure I follow," Shizuru stated after a moment.
"It's a typical insecurity scenario," Nao explained, as though it were obvious. "He insults people, you're conveniently there to comfort them, and you gain instant emotional dependency. It's an easy method to get people to trust you."
"Oh," Natsuki replied and gave Nao a strange look. How exactly did she come up with these things?
"It's standard infiltration psychology," Nao sighed. "Once you read the profiles that I've established, you should be able to see who this will work best on. Now, one other angle I want to utilize is the huge male to female ratio at the office. That's where Agent Viola comes in." Nao turned to Shizuru, who nodded slightly in response. "Your job is to—pretty much—flirt with everyone in sight. By watching the interactions—specifically the feelings of jealously—that result, I should be able to pinpoint a few guys who have a tendency toward rash behavior. Alternatively, if we find a man who we suspect could be the murderer, you can use flirtation to try and establish a connection."
"She's just supposed to flirt?" Natsuki asked with a smirk.
"You know how effective her flirting can be, Kruger-san," Nao replied with a small smile. "I try to make use of all our assets."
Shizuru raised her eyebrows at the comment. Did Nao just bluntly imply she had been openly flirting? And more importantly, did Natsuki realize it? She didn't risk stealing a glance at Natsuki. It was just the sort of visual confirmation that Natsuki would use from which to draw a conclusion.
Natsuki blushed faintly— not sure if she was misunderstanding what Nao had just said. Natsuki looked from Shizuru to Takeda for his reaction, as she tried to appear unaffected by the comment. He didn't seem to think that anything was odd about what Nao had just said. Then again, he didn't seem to be paying very close attention.
Natsuki turned once more to Shizuru. Her face began to heat up to an even greater degree. Still, Shizuru didn't seem to notice that Nao had said anything at all. Natsuki exhaled slowly as she turned back to face Nao.
"Do you have a theoretical profile of the killer?" Natsuki asked. It was standard procedure for a case like this one.
"A theoretical profile?" Nao asked, smirking. "And what exactly am I suppose to base this profile on?"
"On the evidence?" Natsuki suggested, not amused. Did Nao have any idea what she was doing whatsoever? "You're supposed to come up with a likely-suspect profile."
"What, like..." Nao paused as she grinned to herself. "...The size of the gun suggests overcompensation for feelings of emasculation?"
"Yep," Natsuki nodded. She leaned casually back in her chair. It definitely sounded plausible to her.
"Well in that case then," Nao grinned, "the killer is most-likely a Caucasian male between the ages of twenty and twenty-five. He is fairly good with people, though quiet, trying to stay under the radar. He is someone most people consider trustworthy, though in actuality he is quite manipulative. He gets a thrill out of acting out, but whenever he does he finds a way to downplay his actions or put the blame on someone close to him." She paused, took a deep breath, and allowed a smirk to openly cross her face.
"A Caucasian male between the ages of twenty and twenty-five?" Natsuki repeated slowly as she crossed her arms angrily. "Good call, Agent Zhang," She added sarcastically.
Nao grinned, and gave a small shrug. "You watch way too many American TV shows, Kruger-san."
Natsuki rolled her eyes in exasperation. She turned to Shizuru for help, but the brown-haired agent was trying too hard to repress a smile to notice.
"So our main profiler has no profile for us to go on?" Natsuki clarified. "That's wonderful."
"Look," Nao laughed, "I could completely BS you right here, and start spewing off facts like the killer is a chronic bed wetter and likes to murder small animals, but I really don't see how that would get us anywhere. From the evidence that we've established, I can't make a prediction accurate enough to risk biasing agents who will be working in the field. Since we have the opportunity to do this from the inside, we have to change our strategies to match."
Natsuki sighed in defeat, though she was still unwilling to admit she did see Nao's point. "Fine," She huffed. "Let's work on our covers then."
As soon as Natsuki saw the grin widen on Nao's face, she instantly regretted saying anything at all.
"A very good suggestion Kruger-san," Nao replied. "I'll go get your equipment." With a small smirk, she got up and walked out of the room. "Masashi-san, give me a hand, will you?"
"E...equipment?" Natsuki repeated. Nao and Takeda left wordlessly, the door clicking shut behind them. Natsuki turned to Shizuru— her face heating up slightly at the thought of being alone with her.
"Ara, your job requires thorough knowledge of the equipment you'll be using," Shizuru replied with a small smile on her face.
"What's my job?" Natsuki asked as she glanced down at her file. Her mouth fell open when she read the words written beside 'occupation'. "I...I'm a janitor?!" She exclaimed before looking up at Shizuru in horror.
"Ara," Shizuru laughed, "that was quite a dramatic reaction."
"B...but," Natsuki started. She looked desperately from her file to Shizuru once more. "Well, what are you then?!" She demanded.
"I'll be filling in for the receptionist," Shizuru replied smoothly.
"Baka!" Natsuki growled. "Why do I have to be the janitor?"
Shizuru was slightly taken aback by the reaction, though her shock soon turned to amusement. "I presume that Zhang-san believed you were more suited to the job, Kruger-san." Shizuru hesitated as she wondered if it would alright if she used Natsuki's first name. She bit her lip thoughtfully. "I suppose if she can call me a baka then I can certainly call her Natsuki," she decided. Still, Natsuki hadn't been particularly receptive to her attempts to get her attention. And the comment Nao made seemed to go right over her head.
"How exactly am I suited to be a janitor?" Natsuki snapped.
Shizuru gave her a small smile and leaned in toward her slowly. "Ara, Natsuki really shouldn't be complaining. You have a far more exciting job than I do."
Natsuki looked up in surprise when her first name was used once more. "A..and how do you figure my job is exciting?" she stuttered.
Shizuru's smile widened slightly. This was more like it. "As a member of the custodial staff, you'll have a way in to each and every room. Zhang-san has found a way to give you access to everyone in the office. I, unfortunately, am confined to a desk." Shizuru locked eyes with Natsuki. The intensity behind the younger woman's gaze almost caused her to falter for a moment. "So you see, Natsuki, things aren't always what they seem."
"I...I guess you're right," Natsuki said after a moment. She swallowed hard as she tore her eyes away from the brown-haired woman. "Still, I don't see why I have to have a scripted personality," She added with a frown.
Shizuru couldn't help but smile. She reached out a hand, and tilted Natsuki's head toward her.
Natsuki blushed furiously when she realized that Shizuru was touching her cheek. She turned, meeting Shizuru's eyes questioningly with her own.
Shizuru didn't pull her hand back. She traced a small circle onto Natsuki's cheek with her thumb. Natsuki skin was unbelievably smooth.
Natsuki inhaled sharply as Shizuru's fingertips dragged sensitively across her now-burning cheek. From an objective point of view things were definitely starting to look up.
"Between you and me, I find yours far more interesting," Shizuru replied softly.
Natsuki felt her face heat up even more. The sharp contrast of Shizuru's cool fingers on her warm skin was tantalizing.
A sudden knock on the door broke the silence. Natsuki jumped as she was snapped quickly out of the daze she'd been forced into.
Shizuru pulled her hand away slowly as she looked up towards the door. "Come in," She called out. Casually, she leaned back into a relaxed position.
The door opened quickly and Natsuki immediately recognized the woman from the firing range the day before. Like yesterday, the teal-haired woman had a slightly-annoyed look on her face.
"Shizuru," She said after a moment. The woman gestured back to the hallway.
Natsuki turned from the woman to Shizuru. If Natsuki tried to call her Shizuru, would the older agent object? She thought back to the way Shizuru had touched her cheek. Maybe she wouldn't mind after all.
"I'm in the middle of working on a very crucial case," Shizuru replied quietly. Her voice was laced with hidden warnings.
"I need to talk to you now," the woman insisted.
Natsuki really didn't like the possessive tone in her voice. What exactly was going on between this woman and Shizuru?
Shizuru exhaled slowly, though she was careful to maintain the calm smile on her face. "As you wish," She said finally. "Excuse me, Kruger-san." She got up and left the room with the teal-haired woman.
As Natsuki watched both women leave, her jealousy grew even more. She listened carefully as their footsteps got quieter and quieter. Sighing, she began thoroughly reading through her profile. She raised her eyebrows after a moment— unable to not feel impressed when she scanned the flipped page. Nao had outlined a method of approach for all 26 employees that would be there. Each one was slightly different than the one before, suggesting Nao had put a lot more thought into the profile than Natsuki had expected. "Maybe she does know what she's doing," Natsuki admitted. She didn't know why it came as such a surprise. Nao was obviously an Elite agent for a reason.
A couple minutes later, Nao and Takeda came back in. Together, they were wheeling a large cart from the agency's custodial room.
"You have got to be kidding me," Natsuki stated bluntly as she stared at the large mop Nao offered her with a smirk. She got up, walked over, and slowly crossed her arms.
"I would never joke about a case," Nao replied with feigned offense. "We need to be sure you know what you're doing," She continued. She crossed her arms casually as she leaned against the wall. "And if you're one of those people who leave water streaks on windows, we need to know about it in advance Kruger-san."
Natsuki growled and ripped the mop out of Nao's hands angrily. Nao smirked with satisfaction before glancing over at the table. "Hey, where's Agent Viola?" she asked with a confused frown on her face.
"She left with some woman," Natsuki replied. It was a struggle not to sound as annoyed as she was. Natsuki shrugged quickly, trying to act as though she really couldn't care less.
"Teal hair?" Nao asked suspiciously. "Kind of a constipated expression?"
Natsuki smirked, nodding. "Sounds like her."
Nao smirked even more. "So, you don't like Marguerite Tomoe, huh?"
"I've never really met her," Natsuki replied casually. "I don't have an opinion." She uncrossed her arms and briefly straightened her jacket.
"I'm sure," Nao replied sarcastically. The smile on her face definitely suggested that the red-head thought otherwise.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Natsuki asked defensively. She raised her eyebrows to which Nao just laughed in response.
"I'm a profiler Kruger-san," Nao grinned. "I know more about you than you do."
Natsuki blushed furiously. Did Nao know she was gay? Surely she wasn't that good at profiling. "Should I not like her?" Natsuki asked quickly in an attempt to divert the conversation away from herself. Maybe she could get some information out of Nao at the same time.
Takeda smirked as he leaned against the wall. "No one else does," he commented. "Especially considering what she does to Viola-san."
"W...what does she do?" Natsuki asked nervously. What could be so horrible it had the whole office hating her?
"She takes obsession to a whole new level," Nao replied with a grin. "Seriously. I'm a little surprised she passed the preliminary psych evaluation."
Natsuki gave Nao and Takeda an inquisitive look.
"And it's not like she has a chance," Takeda scoffed. "Like Viola-san could ever be attracted to another woman."
Natsuki breathed in sharply as her face suddenly lost all color. She quickly forced herself to nod— the corners of her mouth turning up in a mechanical smile.
"How the hell did you pass level-one profiling?" Nao asked Takeda with a look of pure confusion, and not a little indignation.
Natsuki ignored the argument they soon began. Her heart began racing uncontrollably. There it was. Everyone felt sorry for Shizuru because she was being pursued by another woman. Of course Shizuru could never feel the same way back.
"You are a complete baka for getting your hopes up," Natsuki mentally scolded herself in frustration. "Did you really believe that you actually had a chance?" She bit her lower lip in an effort to ignore the way her stomach knotted tightly. Why was she reacting so badly? This had happened many times before.
Her stomach tightened further when she realized that it must be Tomoe the two agents were talking about the day before. They were calling her a hentai because she was attracted to Shizuru. The only thing that separated Tomoe and herself was the fact that Tomoe had been open about her sexuality. Now, everyone hated her because of it.
Natsuki bit her lip harder when she remembered the look of annoyance on Shizuru's face the first time Tomoe had talked to her. Now she knew why Shizuru looked so upset.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Natsuki cut in. The statement stopped Nao and Takeda in their tracks. "I'll be back in a moment." Briefly, she gave Takeda a small smile. He had no trouble misinterpreting it as a sign of flirtation.
Nao stepped out of the way for Natsuki—giving her a look that was something of a cross between interested and amused.
Natsuki quickly walked out into the hallway and crossed to the bathroom. "Baka," She muttered under her breath. She paused at the entrance when she heard two women faintly talking inside. "Great," Natsuki thought. "Now what do I do?" The last thing she wanted was to get dragged into another introduction.
"I'm sorry Margeurite-san. You are mistaken."
Natsuki pulled her hand off the handle quickly— her heart racing furiously when she recognized Shizuru's accent. She looked around quickly to make sure no one was watching her. Natsuki hesitated, unsure if she should stay or leave. She pressed her ear gently to the door as her chest clenched painfully.
"You're lying," Tomoe insisted.
"I have never lied to you," Shizuru replied. The tone in her voice was eerily calm. "This will not happen," she stated firmly. "This cannot happen."
"Why not!?" Tomoe exclaimed angrily.
"Because I don't feel the same way," Shizuru answered. The sharp tone in her voice made Natsuki wince. Natsuki had never heard the brunette's smooth voice sound so harsh. "You are simply going to have to accept that."
"You can't ask me to do that," Tomoe replied furiously. "I'm not going to accept this."
"You will have to," Shizuru snapped. "You have begun to interfere with my cases and—to be blunt—you have made me quite uncomfortable in the process."
Natsuki found herself inhaling shakily. It was almost as if Shizuru was saying the words to her. "She might as well be," Natsuki reminded herself.
"Uncomfortable?" Tomoe repeated. "Are you kidding me? You sound just like them Shizuru. I know that you have feelings for me."
"I will say this one more time," Shizuru replied firmly. She quickly lowered her voice once more. "I will never be able to return your affections. "
Natsuki backed away numbly from the door. Her motions were purely reflexive at this point. She paused in the middle of the hallway, grateful that she could no longer hear what Shizuru was saying. Natsuki tried to calm herself down by taking a few deep breaths. How could Shizuru be so cruel? She was no better then anyone else in this district. Natsuki's hands clenched tightly into fists— nails digging sharply into her palms.
For a moment, she was tempted to storm into the bathroom and break up the conversation, but Natsuki knew she couldn't do anything. How would she explain the offense she took at Shizuru being so homophobic? And, once it got out that she—herself—was gay, things would only go downhill.
Forcing her fists open, Natsuki walked over to the briefing room. She blindly reached out for the handle and gripped it tightly. She took one last deep breath. "You have a case to work on," she told herself. She felt another flare of anger when she realized she would have to work closely with Shizuru. She really didn't want anything to do with her.
Shizuru turned so she was facing away from Tomoe. She allowed the exasperation she felt to briefly flash across her face. Brushing her hair away from her eyes, she turned back to the teal-haired woman.
"I don't believe you," Tomoe stated boldly. "Shizuru, there is something between us, you can't deny that. I've known from the first time that I met you that we were meant to be together."
"I have repeatedly asked you not to address me by my first name," Shizuru replied. "We are coworkers Marguerite-san, but we are nothing more than that." She studied the look of rage that flashed dangerously in the other woman's eyes.
"We belong together," Tomoe yelled furiously. She stormed over to Shizuru, but Shizuru refused to back down.
"I belong to no one," Shizuru replied angrily. "It is about time that you realized that. I can never return your feelings, nor would I want to." She opened her mouth to continue, but forced herself to stop. She quickly masked her anger, a neutral expression taking its place. "At first I was flattered to receive your affections, but I have never felt similar affection in response. I have asked you many times to end this Marguerite-san, but—instead—you have only grown more insistent. Over the past few weeks you have begun to interfere with my work. The case I am working on now could save or cost a man his life. I do not have time to repeat myself. If you are incapable of stopping yourself from actively interrupting my work, I ask that you request an immediate transfer," Shizuru stated. "This cannot continue, Marguerite-san."
"Is that what you want?!" Tomoe demanded furiously. "Me to leave the whole district?"
"If it is necessary," Shizuru replied calmly. "The choice is up to you."
There was a resounding smack as Tomoe's open palm hit Shizuru's cheek solidly. Shizuru winced slightly— her cheek stinging from the impact. She forced her eyes slowly open, and wordlessly turned to look back at Tomoe.
"Fine," Tomoe hissed. She locked eyes with Shizuru once more. The look of fury in her own made Shizuru's heart pound loudly.
Tomoe wordlessly turned and walked out the door. She slammed it behind her as she stormed away from the room.
Shizuru winced as the door connected loudly with the frame. She let the breath she had been holding out, as she allowed the calm look on her face to dissolve into one of relief. Slowly, Shizuru turned to the mirror. She raised her hand up to touch her left cheek.
The red mark Tomoe's hand had left was almost entirely faded. To anyone else, she would have appeared completely unharmed. Shizuru walked over to the large sink and supported herself by leaning against it. Was she to blame for Tomoe's outburst? Had she led her on somehow or given her the wrong impression?
Shizuru couldn't help but feel guilty. She had playfully flirted with Tomoe at first. But after she realized Tomoe was serious, she had been careful not to show any interest at all. Still, would Tomoe have become so infatuated if she had never noticed her to begin with?
Shizuru exhaled slowly. She knew she really had to get back to the briefing room. Nao and Takeda would be waiting for her instructions. Shizuru paused, her stomach clenching uncomfortably. Natsuki would be waiting for her to return.
A horrible thought hit Shizuru abruptly. Was she doing to Natsuki what Tomoe had done to her? Had she somehow managed to convince herself that the navy-haired agent may be interested when she wasn't? Shizuru bit her lip tightly— her heart racing at the thought.
It was true that she felt an intense attraction to the younger agent. Far more intense than she thought possible after only knowing the woman for two days.
Shizuru checked her watch and gave a slow sigh. She really didn't have time to contemplate this. Thinking about Natsuki seemed to go on far longer than she usually intended. She would just have to be cautious in her approach. If Natsuki didn't feel the same way, she would have to be careful not to pressure her.
Still, Shizuru couldn't remember the last woman she had been intrigued by to the same extent. It was an almost startling thought. What if she became too attached to Natsuki, only to find she didn't return her feelings? Would it be her who was forced to transfer out the next time?
"Ara, how melodramatic," Shizuru scolded herself. "You are fully capable of exercising self-control." She sighed once more before walking over to the exit. It was dangerous to be thinking so much about a case partner. Especially one that she had to go undercover with in less than a day.
Shizuru walked out into the hallway and over to their room. She opened the door quietly before pausing to take in the scene in front of her.
"What the hell is this?" Natsuki squinted at the bottle in her hand. She flipped it over so she could read the label. "Toilet-bowl cleaner!?" She exclaimed. A look of horrified realization soon crossed her face. "There is no way, Agent Zhang."
Nao snickered happily. "And that concludes our tour of the tasks you will be expected to perform. The Foreign Affairs Office may not use exactly the same products, but you get the idea. Of course, when (Natsuki couldn't help but note—with obvious irritation—that Agent Zhang used "when" as opposed to "if") you manage to completely confuse yourself anyway, you'll be wired so you can ask us for help."
"I'm not going to need help cleaning an office," Natsuki snapped. She waved the bottle of toilet-bowl cleaner angrily. "I think I can figure this out on my own."
Takeda grinned before glancing over to the door. "Oh, there you are Viola-san," he smiled. "We were just about to go through employee profiles so that you two will know who you're dealing with."
Natsuki looked up towards the door. Her stomach clenched with anger when she saw Shizuru. After a moment, she forced herself to look away. "Keep your mind on the case," Natsuki ordered herself.
"Ara, doesn't Kruger-san need to test out her new skills?" Shizuru asked playfully. She eyed the bottle in Natsuki's hand with a small smile. Nao and Takeda grinned.
When Natsuki turned back she unable to stop herself from glaring at Shizuru angrily. She saw Shizuru's smile falter— the slight change almost unnoticeable. Natsuki couldn't help but feel a pang of satisfaction.
Shizuru studied Natsuki's face in shock. She was taken aback by the sudden anger Natsuki displayed. Was something wrong?
"Are we going to do this or what?" Natsuki asked quickly. "And I want to watch the interviews too, if it's possible."
"Sure thing," Nao replied, giving Natsuki a mock salute. "Masashi-san, can you grab them? I'm going to get a drink. Anyone want anything?" She asked.
Takeda opened his mouth to answer.
"No?" Nao cut him off. "Okay then." With a small smirk, she walked out of the door.
Takeda closed his mouth slowly, sighing. "I'll be back in a moment then," He said— specifically to Natsuki. He walked out as well.
As Natsuki put the cleaner back on the cart, she didn't bothers to keep her body language neutral. She walked wordlessly over to her chair and sat down.
Shizuru studied the way Natsuki's shoulders hunched defensively. Surely the younger agent knew she was giving off strong, negative signs. Shizuru walked over to her chair and sat down, noting that Natsuki inhaled slowly when she seated herself beside the navy-haired woman.
"Are you alright Natsuki?" Shizuru asked quietly. She reached her hand out to touch the younger agent's shoulder. The gesture was meant to be comforting. "You're not nervous about going undercover, are you?"
Natsuki's shook Shizuru's hand off and silently cursed the fact that she still blushed anyway. "I'm not nervous," She insisted.
"Of...of course," Shizuru replied as she pulled her hand back uncertainly. "Kanin na, Natsuki."
"Agent Kruger," Natsuki replied suddenly.
Shizuru studied Natsuki's face— her heart sinking rapidly. "Excuse me?" She asked softly.
Natsuki turned to her, her eyes finding Shizuru's quickly. She was shocked to see the look on Shizuru's face. If she didn't know any better she would have almost mistaken the look on Shizuru's face for pain. "Agent Kruger," Natsuki repeated. "Don't call me Natsuki."
"Oh," Shizuru replied softly. She was uncharacteristically lost for words.
"Got them," Takeda announced, as he walked through the door. He eagerly waved the two tapes before sitting down.
Shizuru stole a glance in Natsuki's direction— her heart pounding no matter how desperately she tried to calm it down. Natsuki had let her call her by her first name half an hour ago. What happened afterwards that had changed her mind so emphatically? Had she really been imagining that Natsuki was attracted to her?
The door opened once more and Nao walked in. She was careful not to spill the coffee in her hand.
"Alright," Nao announced. "Let's get back to work."
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