Author's Note: Thank you to the early reviewers of my second story. I really appreciate the feedback. I read Chapters 1-6 and I found a lot of errors. This work is unedited. I just want to put the story out there so if there's a missing word, misspelled word, use of a he instead of she, and use of incorrect tense for a verb, just make use of the context clues, okay?

This story isn't as long as One Step at a Time but it's more difficult to write because I had to construct an entirely different environment. In One Step at a Time, everything is pretty much set by the ending of the original Mai Hime story. While in writing Invisible Bonds, I had to start from scratch.

I hope you enjoy reading my latest offering. (*-*)

7 The Beginning

In solving a puzzle, one needs a lead.

"Shizuru!" Natsuki called. She was looking into some files on her laptop. They have decided to call each other by their first names only beyond office hours but Natsuki couldn't help but slip most of the time. Shizuru smiled from her table as she stood up to attend to Natsuki's side.

"I wonder what people in the office would think if they hear you," Shizuru teased. Natsuki immediately blushed realizing her blunder. It's been almost a month since they first met and Natsuki has grown familiar to Shizuru's presence. On the other hand, Shizuru seemed to have forgotten about her assignment. She hasn't called Haruka or Yukino and worst of all, she hasn't written anything useful apart from her short notes about little gossips that come and go in the office.

"Uhm, Shizuru," Natsuki whispered, when she felt Shizuru standing beside her swivel chair. Shizuru stooped to bring her ear closer to Natsuki's lips. Shizuru loved Natsuki's cuteness during moments like this. She clasped her hands together to suppress the urge of pinching Natsuki's cheeks. "I guess it's okay when it's just the two of us."

Shizuru blushed for a moment which didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey, why are you," Natsuki's head began spinning and then she realized her wrong choice of words. Her eyes widened. "No, no, no, that's not what I meant Shizuru. What I mean is-"

"-it's okay to used first names when it's just the two of us. I understand you Natsuki," Shizuru continued.

"Uhm, thanks. I thought-"

"I got the wrong idea?" Shizuru said with a smile. It was exactly what she was about to say but Natsuki felt a bit hurt. It only means that Shizuru would never think that she's making advances probably because she's her boss. For a moment, the pain showed in Natsuki's face.

"But you blushed," Natsuki murmured absent-mindedly. She did it again. She hated moments like that when words would slip out of her mouth before her brain could even process their meaning.

"I just thought it's sweet if you meant it," Shizuru replied seriously and then she changed the topic, "Did you want to show something?" Natsuki couldn't form a coherent reply. Her head was filled with what Shizuru just said. She was afraid to turn around and stare at her secretary for fear that her face would show her mixed emotions. She was sure of one thing though, never had she felt her heart pound against her chest as loud as it does at that very moment.

"Natsuki, did you want to show something? You called me remember?" Shizuru repeated. Shizuru saw that Natsuki was sitting stiffly so she carefully placed her hand on Natsuki's shoulder. Natsuki heaved a sigh as if concentrating on something.

"Yeah, I wanted you see this," Natsuki said. She felt the warmth on her shoulder and it made her smile. She showed pictures of the rice plantation of the Kuga Marketing Corporation. "Production has been down during the last harvest season and the farmers say it's due to climate change."

"You don't believe them?" Shizuru asked, intrigued.

"I think it's normal whenever there's a change in management. It didn't help that my cousin, the former director Akane Kuga got pregnant late last year so when I came last month, there had been no monitoring and accomplishment reports for a long time," Natsuki pointed out.

"Oh," came Shizuru's automatic response. Natsuki suddenly jerked and then she opened her drawers one by one until she found what she was looking for.

"I almost forgot. I took this from my Dad's house. He said it's good," Natsuki said as she handed a jar of Assam tea to Shizuru while rubbing the back of her head. "Why don't you try it? Shizuru smiled at her sweetly and then Natsuki walked to the kitchenette obscured by a foldup divider.

"Ookini Natsuki, you didn't have too," Shizuru said while watching Natsuki bring her tea on the small table. When the tea was served in front of Shizuru, Natsuki took out a can of soda from the fridge and then she sat on a chair across Shizuru. "Natsuki, you're extra nice to me today. Is there anything you need from me?"

"Mou Shizuru, so you see me as a manipulator? I'm hurt," Natsuki retorted with a pout. Shizuru just smiled and took a sip of her tea. She then eyed Natsuki across the rim of her tea cup. A lot of questions are running inside her head. Come to think of it, she had always been independent and she never felt the need of having a boyfriend. She's always traveling and she never liked being tied down so she never attempted for relationships that threatened her freedom. But now, Natsuki is unconsciously keeping her close all the time and the surprising thing is she doesn't hate it.

"Actually there's something I want to ask," Natsuki mumbled. It would appear like Shizuru had been right about her hunch.

"So you need something," Shizuru grinned.

"I can make tea for you everyday to prove that you're wrong," Natsuki forcefully said. Her forest green orbs intensely stared at Shizuru who immediately succumbed. "You know I lived in the States since I graduated from high school at Nara Academy so I'm kind of not used to traveling in Japan anymore. I was wondering if you know how to go to the plantation? Here's the complete address." Natsuki handed her a folder with pictures of the plantation.

"Yes, we used to pass by that area when we go mountain climbing."

"We? You mean your boyfriend?" Natsuki nervously asked. She has been meaning to ask that in the past few days but she couldn't find an opening. She was internally happy that she finally had the chance.

"Just me and my mom," Shizuru calmly replied and then she sipped her tea.

"There goes my chance," Natsuki thought. "She dodged it. Wait, why am I even asking? Am I jealous or something? Do I like her in a special way? But how do I know that? I wonder what she feels about me. Gah, I'm stupid as ever. Why are things like this so difficult?"

"Natsuki? You're spacing out," Shizuru said. She reached out and touched Natsuki's hand on the table.

"Oh, I just remembered something. We used to go mountatin climbing too somewhere in that region," Natsuki said with a trace of sadness in her eyes. "But that was a long time ago. I've never been back there for years."

"We? You mean your gir-"

"-Just me and dad," Natsuki quickly said and then she downed her soda. "I was nine years old that time so it's impossible for me to be in a relationship." Shizuru chuckled as Natsuki looked away. "Anyway, I asked you because I'll visit the plantation for monitoring records."

"Oh. I'll print out a map from the company profile and then I'll explain to you how to go there," Shizuru said and then she stood up. She yelped when Natsuki caught her wrist.

"Sorry, I startled you again," Natsuki apologetically said. "But we don't need a map if you know how to go to there."

"We? You mean-"

"You and me, we're going there in the weekend," Natsuki said. She remembered her conversation with her father and how the man suggested that she should contact the field manager, Takeda, to accompany her at the plantation. That was the standard procedure for monitoring but she was never good around people so she thought about Shizuru. Her secretary is amiable and they would surely be able to get along with people in the plantation. That's what she said to her father. She remembered how her father laughed at her insistence.

Shizuru was silent for a while and Natsuki thought that she had made her secretary feel uncomfortable about the trip.

"It's okay if you don't want to-"

"No, I'll come. It's just that I'm set to visit my Mom in Kyoto this weekend," Shizuru explained. Natsuki was relieved. She was afraid that Shizuru didn't like the idea of traveling with her.

"Kyoto? Hmm. Ah, if you want, we can pass by your Mom's house on Sunday. My plan is for us to go the plantation on Friday night and then we do our work on Saturday. We leave the plantation early Sunday morning," Natsuki said. Shizuru quickly thought about the plan and then she decided that it's okay for Natsuki to see her mom. Besides she couldn't think of anything in her mom's house that could probably blow up her cover. Wait…the photo albums! Shizuru then realized that it's too risky to bring Natsuki over.

"N-no, I'll just tell her I can't make it this weekend," Shizuru said. She wasn't used to this feeling of being nervous. She definitely got herself into trouble. "This is becoming more and more difficult by the day."

"Mou Shizuru, you met my Dad and I'm not allowed to see your Mom? You're being unfair here. Is there something about me that your mother might not like?"

"No, that's not it silly. Okay, I'll just call her. She doesn't like surprises."

"Yay! I'm excited to meet her," Natsuki said with an amused tone. She looked more thrilled to meet Shizuru's mom than do monitoring work at the plantation. Shizuru smiled as she watched Natsuki happily get back to work.