Longest chapter yet! Ho ho ho. As always, thanks for the kind reviews :3

Hey, would it be weird if I suddenly started adding first person POV in the story? Cause so far I have been writing in third person. =o

Note: 'Duran' here refers to Shizuka's plush doggie which made an appearance in chapter 2 and was never mentioned since. And if you didn't know already, 'sensei' means teacher in this context.

"Shizuka!" I called her. She wouldn't wake up no matter how many times I shook her.

"Shizuka! If you don't get up, you'll be late for your fist day of school," I pleaded, getting tired of trying.

"Give me a peck."

Did she just ask me something?

"Huh?"

"Give me a good morning kiss and then I will wake up."

Her eye peeked out from under her eyelid, looking straight at me. Awaiting my answer. She's joking at a time like this?

"You're already awake. Why should I need to do that?"

"You need to because I won't get up from this position until I get my kiss."

"You sneaky little devil, if Kaya-mama was here she would have already pinched your cheeks and taken your Duran away."

"Nuh-uh. If mummy was here, she would have kissed me already. She is not as stingy as you are when it comes to kisses, mama."

A smirk played across her face. She knew she was going to win this. Oho, Shizuka is definitely getting better at this.

"Fine."

I gave up and kissed her cheek. If this was all she wanted then I wouldn't mind to spoil her a little and put a smile on her face.

"What about here?"

She had pointed to her other cheek, giving me an expecting look.

"This one feels jealous that righty gets a kiss but it doesn't."

"Oh, you're getting so cheeky."

I smiled at her, pinching her cheek in the process. A pout graced her features, making me feel guilty, just a bit.

"Aww, you know I didn't mean that, sweetie."

I swooped in pecked her other cheek, eliciting a blush on her cheeks. I've taken her by surprise, it seems.

"There. Now can you go and get ready?"

Recovering from her slip, she grumbled a "yes" to me, sprinting to the bathroom.

The pancake flew at a steady speed as the pan swung upwards, giving it lift. When it reached its maximum velocity, it started it's descend downwards helped by the power of gravity and not forgetting, flipping over as it made a landing onto a shiny white china with a 'plop'. This happened a few times as the older Kuga stood in the humble kitchen, adorned in an apron whilst she hummed a sweet catchy tune, as one by one the pancakes landed gracefully on top of each other.

The smell of the activity going on in the kitchen wafted into the other rooms and was not missed by a small, petite nose of the one called Shizuka whom at this moment, was putting on her crisp new uniform. Its long sleeves were at the same length with her slender arms and the dress itself fitted snugly on her frame; the skirt just below her knees. Her uniform also consisted of a ribbon which was fastened to the collar of her shirt. Now, she looked like any other preschooler in the vicinity of their neighbourhood.

Her red eyes peeked through the doorway, picking up a sight to behold.

The sunlight shone beautifully on the figure swaying back and forth as her arms set the table and placing freshly made pancakes onto the table. The figure then approached the cupboard on her left and attempted to take mayo out, only to catch herself and chastise herself silently, placing it back into the cupboard. She then proceeded to take out the maple syrup and placed it next to the pancakes. After dusting herself off, she smiled brightly and approached the door where her daughter stood.

"Shizuka, I know you are there! Come out already or I'm going to have all the pancakes to myself~"

Shizuka stood away from her hiding spot and ran towards her mother, hugging her once.

"How did you know?"

"Didn't I tell you I had a Shizuka radar before? I'd know where you are in an instant."

"Seriously?"

"I wonder…," she said softly, neither confirming nor denying her statement.

"Anyway, you look pretty today, princess."

"Mou, don't call me that."

Natsuki laughed as her daughter pouted at her.

"Well, you are my princess, so of course I'll call you that."

Grinning, she pinched the tip of her daughter's nose.

"...whether you like it or not."

She combed the silky curls of her daughter's fluffy bronze hair, one of her hands buried within them, feeling the soft tresses between her fingers.

'You've grown so much from the little baby who would not let go of my hand,' she thought to herself, reminiscent of the time not so long ago.

'…and now you're going to school.'

Her loving gaze never left her daughter, unshed tears within them.

'Kaya your daughter is growing up.'

A sleek red car stopped right in front of Fuuka Gakuen Preschool Division. The door opened and out came two shapely legs which planted firmly onto the ground below as Natsuki emerged from the car. Sunglasses sat on the bridge of her nose to protect her eyes from the Sun's piercing rays. She walked to the other of the car and let her daughter out, one hand holding onto her daughter's.

"Is this it?"

"Yes."

Shizuka's eyes roamed around the vast area surrounding her new school and she found it to be quite nice. Plenty of trees and flowers to admire and even a playground to play in and it seems that the school was next to the elementary and high school as she caught sight of many older students going in another direction some distance away.

Unbeknownst to them, quite a few eyes were on them as they continued into the building. The noise inside was a big comparison to the ones they heard. Man, kids can be loud! Natsuki herself was not used to this. Shizuka was…is…a fairly quiet child unless she was playing with her and that could reach notes on a high scale but that is completely different from this level of noise. There were screams, shouts, cries, pleads and many more all mixed in a bowl of hotchpotch which seemed to take a life of its own and wasn't going to die anytime soon. It was deafening. Downright deafening.

Many of the young children did not seem eager to leave the side of their parents. Their hands clutched tightly onto the leggings or skirts of carefully tailored business suits and dresses of housewives and their faces showed fear of their surroundings, eyes roaming the environment in which they had to spend their kindergarten years in. The older and more experienced group of children that was in the middle of all this chaos was anything but behaved; playing rough and shouting here and there.

Natsuki wondered how the years have changed her once peaceful memory into one of a mini nightmare. What happened to this school? Or has she been oblivious to all of this as a kid? Whatever it was, it weakened her resolve in sending her child to school. Who wants their child to be in such an environment? Especially one as well-behaved and sweet as her daughter. It certainly does not seem like a place of nurturing and learning.

Shizuka felt her excitement towards school diminishing with each step she took inside. Her earlier thoughts had been overshadowed with the rowdiness happening before her done by the older children. The younger children didn't bother her as much even when the crying was 'annoying as hell' as her mother had put it. She would cringe ever so slightly every time the older boys would pummel each other. Shizuka had never seen such behaviour before in her life. It looked painful and yet the boys continued on, laughing at their own antics.

The eyes that had looked at them from when they first entered were still watching them closely.

They neared a classroom with a sign which proudly stated 'Sunflower Class' with a picture of a Sunflower drawn next to it. The interior of the room seemed pleasant but still they were reluctant to enter. They could feel the stares now, choosing to not turn around and face them. A few moments later, one of the teachers inside came to greet them, having seen them stand there for some time.

"Hello there, I am Kobayashi-sensei. May I help you?"

"Uh, hi there. I was told the other day that my daughter will be in this class?" Natsuki replied curtly.

"Your names, please?"

"Oh, right. My name is Kuga Natsuki and this here is Shizuka."

Natsuki nudged her daughter, silently asking her to say something.

"It is my pleasure to meet you, sensei," Shizuka said, bowing.

"Ah yes, the new student. You've come to the right class then."

The teacher moved away from the doorway and gestured them to enter. When she turned her head, her gaze met the heated stares and she almost jumped out from surprise and maybe fear. Quickly averting her eyes, trying her best to ignore them, she showed the two the classroom which was standard procedure for newcomers.

Outside the classroom, a gathering had occurred amongst a group of the parents namely, the ones who were previously staring at the pair.

"Did you see that woman?" She was very beautiful and sexy," one of the men exclaimed while the rest agreed with perverted grins plastered on their faces.

Some women pinched their husband's ears, hoping to get rid of such an expression while the rest (husband or no husband) nodded their heads in agreement with what the man had said.

"I wonder who she is. Her daughter looks adorable. I bet her husband is handsome as well."

"I saw her car! It was a freaking Carrera GT!"

"Did any of you catch what her name was?"

They all shook their heads. She was too far away for them to actually hear what she said.

"I'll ask her later then," said the same person, eliciting an uproar among the crowd, all wanting to do the same thing.

"I want to ask her if she can have a play date with my son," said another.

And from that, the halls were filled with waves of "me too".

The children stopped what they were doing as they watched the adults acting strangely. They looked at them curiously before deciding that it was just something grownups do and went back to playing.

A chill ran up Natsuki's spine. Her gut told her something bad was going to happen but she shrugged it off.

A shrill ringing filled the hallways and suddenly a rush of footsteps began entering the classrooms. All the students seemed almost docile now that they went in and took their seats by the urging of the teachers.

"Well Kuga-san, as you can see, it is time for class. I'm afraid that I have to usher you out as parents are not allowed to be here during class time."

"Ah yes, I understand. Thank you for your time."

Before Natsuki left, she bid farewell with a kiss to Shizuka's forehead. Once she stepped out, she spotted a crowd approaching and her fight or flight instincts kicked in. Walking away quickly in a different direction, she tried to get away from what was probably an overly eager mob. Being less enthusiastic to meet with people right now, she chose to high-tail out of there. She was not much of a social butterfly anyway.

As a red sports car sped out of the parking lot, a ring of curses filled the air. Fortunately for Natsuki, they had missed their chance to speak with her and fortunately for them as well, the children weren't around to hear them cuss.

The moment she passed the gates, she sighed in relief. She managed to dodge them thanks to her quick thinking and if traffic doesn't disagree with her, she will be able to arrive at work with minutes to spare. Minutes she will use to get a head start at work and maybe finish early.

Many eyes. Black-brown eyes. Many black-brown eyes staring at her. Uncomfortable silence. Silence was very much appreciated as it was rare in this type of place but the uncomfortable feeling just made it far worse than the noise she was unfamiliar with. Having been living a sheltered life made her unfamiliar to the noise which was associated with a gigantic group of mischievous energetic children. Being home schooled certainly has made her foreign to the workings of the norm. So she stood there, tight-lipped and nervous as can be but her face unreadable; uncomfortable to let her feelings show.

One could say she was indifferent if you were one of the few who saw her at the time. She was supposed to introduce herself to the class but all she did was say a formal greeting and politely asked the teacher where she should sit. She talked as little as possible, choosing only to ask questions when absolutely necessary. Her formal attitude probably would have screamed arrogance yet she showed none, making the other children disregard her abnormal behaviour and just go on with class. They did try to welcome her excitedly too; happy to have a newcomer but it was cut short when the teachers were unable to put up with the shouts. And so, as supposed to, the class went on as planned right from the beginning.

Excitement bubbled in her. It felt so big that she felt like she could burst at any moment. Her first chance at making friends! It came to her very fast and she felt the previous nervousness ebbing away. Her lips curled in an awkward grin as she sat in her place between newly acquired acquaintances on a place mat, listening to the teacher talk about the animals in the book she was holding. Although she knew what her teacher was talking about, she still listened enthusiastically; her hands instinctively joining together on her lap and her legs positioned properly in the seiza position though it was not required. It was more of a preference as she had always sat like that ever since she could remember. Kaya had always sat like that so she too had done so. Natsuki however, was the only exception, choosing to only sit like that if told to by her wife.

When will it stop she wondered. The old man's voice kept going on and on and she was getting bored about his mindless chatter. As if she wanted to know about his son and how he went to some famous university. Pfftt. She didn't have a care in the world about some rich man's son or any male at the matter.

'Maria, this better be good for business otherwise I'm going to give you hell for making me sit in a meeting with this idiot,' she mentally said as the man became lost in his own world describing how great his son is.

'I wish I can just bolt out of here. This meeting is already over but this man won't shut up! I mean, his son has nothing to do with our meeting at all. Damn Maria and her work ethics!'

"Maybe you can meet him some time, Kuga-san? I'm sure you will find him quite charming," he said lastly with a glint in his eyes.

'Is he suggesting what I think he is suggesting? Doesn't he see that I have a ring on my finger? The nerve of this man!' Natsuki thought, annoyed by his hinting to have a date with his son.

"Ah, unfortunately my schedule is tight, Imado-san. I don't think I have the time to meet with people outside of work. I am a busy woman after all," she said carefully, trying not to show any anger in her voice.

"Yes, yes, I understand. But when you do find the time just give me a call. I would be happy to arrange a meeting for you," he remarked, not at all perturbed by her reply.

"I'll think about it."

She faked a smile at the obnoxious man who then returned an ugly smile of his own as he finally left her office. After she was sure he was gone, she swirled her chair towards the giant glass window behind her and let out a long sigh. That meeting had been tiring; draining her entire being. All she wanted to do right now was to go home and lie down on her bed together with her love ones. Kissing the ring on her left hand, her eyes turned sorrowful.

"I love you."

She closed her eyes.

"I always will."

After a quiet moment to herself, she opened her eyes once more and turned back to her desk, continuing with her work; having had found strength from thinking about her beloved in the clear blue skies.

Paper was put in front of them and there stood a simple outline of an animal. It looked like a tiger though its stripes were blank. The next item placed in front of them was glue and it didn't take Shizuka long to figure out what would be needed for them to complete their current task. But something was still missing! And just as Shizuka was about to ask the teacher, Kobayashi-sensei placed baskets filled with bits and pieces of cut paper of various colours on each of their tables.

"Okay class, I want you to stick pieces of from each of your baskets onto the picture," she instructed, holding a page of the same paper.

"I'll show you how to do it."

Grabbing a pink-coloured piece of paper, Kobayashi-sensei applied glue on one side and stuck it cleanly onto the tiger. Immediately, as if a button was pushed, the children excitedly followed suit.

"Umm, sensei?" Shizuka broke out from the pace of the busy children.

"Yes, Shizuka-chan?" the teacher replied attentively.

"When you stuck that pink-coloured paper onto the picture, did you imply that we can be aberrant in our choice of colour?" she quietly asked.

The teacher was stunned for a moment that she almost failed to answer her.

"Err, yeah. Wow, Shizuka-chan sure has an amazing use of vocabulary, ne?"

"What do you mean sensei?" Shizuka asked, confused as to what her teacher had said but before she finished, Kobayashi-sensei had already gone to the other side of the room where another student had called for her assistance.

Frustrated at her teacher's disappearance, she huffed and sat back on her seat.

"Shizuka! You should do this! It's very fun," cried her neighbour, noticing Shizuka was back at their table.

Both her hands were covered with glue, tiny bits of paper stuck here and there but Shizuka couldn't take her eyes off the wide smile on her face.

'It must be really fun like she said if it were to make her smile like that,' she thought to herself.

Minutes later, Shizuka came face to face with a 'rare' purple blue-striped tiger and she found it rather humourous at the thought of a real life one ever existing. Sticking each piece of paper meticulously and with precision, she managed to not get any glue on her person. She hummed in satisfaction as she finished her artwork. Adjusting her position on the chair, she watched the rest of the class continue to add touches to their unfinished masterpieces.

Passing a glance to her right, the tiger she saw was a tiger of different shades of pink; the owner most likely having been fond of pink. Her other classmate who was sitting on her left however, had chosen to not be confined to one or two colours and instead took any colour she could find to produce a rainbow tiger from the brightest of red to the lightest of indigo. Every colour at her disposal.

She noticed that a lot of the children were somewhat messy in their execution of their creations. Glue and pieces of paper were strewn all over the place and all over their hands and clothes. For some, even their hair was not spared from the chaos. She even recalled the teacher scolding one of the children for trying to sample the glue by licking it. It had shocked and appalled her but she chose to ignore it like she did when a boy dug his nose in front of her.

Her eyes wandered to the clock. Shizuka would be finish with school soon. Lifting a finger to her chin, Natsuki pondered on whether she should finish off her paperwork now or leave early and do it later at home. Her thoughts then wandered off to her daughter and she decided that she could put it off till later, knowing that if she tried to complete them now, she would be late. Opening her briefcase, she carefully placed the documents inside before latching it with a 'click' sound. With her coat put on, she left the confines of her office, not forgetting to say goodbye to her secretary. She met Maria, her vice as she passed by her office on the way to the elevators, who to her dismay was giving her a stern look.

"I'm hoping that you plan on finishing the paperwork I placed on your desk."

"Of course, I will. What do you take me for?" nervously she answered.

"The pile wouldn't be so big if you had done it in the first place."

"Well, I would have done it if I didn't have other work to be done like that awful meeting with…what were their names again…anyway, you try sitting through one of those 'my son is so wonderful' talks, it will drain the life out of you," she said earning a chuckle from the older lady.

"True. True. But don't think I don't know about those doodles you do even though there is work to be done. Those are hardly designs we can use to market to buyers."

The grey woman's face was serious but her eyes were playful.

"How did you know about that? Never mind. *sigh* A person can dream can't they?"

"Yes they can but not when there is paperwork to complete. I need those documents done by the time you come in tomorrow, okay president?"

"Yes, Miss Maria."

Lightly she bowed her head, careful to appease Maria so that she would not dwell on her and move on to whatever she had previously been doing.

With the key in the ignition, she started up the red monster. When it growled to her satisfaction, she reversed out from her parking lot and drove to her destination, Fuuka Preschool. As she neared the opened gates, she steadied herself for what may happen in there.

'Keep your calm and remember that those people are the parents of Shizuka's new classmates. It's definitely not a good idea to be cold to them cause you might have to see them for the coming years that Shizuka will study in that school,' she reminded herself.

She wouldn't want to create a hostile atmosphere between the parents and herself. Maybe if she befriended a few of them she might get advice on parenting as she heard that they're almost like support groups because they are all in the same boat with kids in their care.

'They share their experiences with each other, that's what Mai told me,' she remembered, carefully parking her car.

Her eyes scanned the surrounding area, noticing that not many of the parents had arrived yet.

'Good, that means that I don't have to deal with a bunch of them all at once.'

Placing her hands in her pockets, she strode over to the building, taking her time to observe the interactions between some parents and their children.

Kobayashi-sensei watched over her students as they played with the toys available in the classroom. She had to see each and every child off before she could work on her lesson plan for the next few days. It was the school policy to make sure that every child gets home safely with their respective guardians. News of crimes around the area had frightened most of the occupants, especially the chairman of the school. Just the other day there was a sighting of a flasher near the school which prompted the school to give safety talks. One Natsuki has yet to be given. Having known of the new student's arrival, the headmistress herself had assigned her to take on the job of giving such a talk to Natsuki. Sighing to herself, she went over the points in her head.

The door opened before she could go over it the third time. Fortunately for her, the elder Kuga gracefully stepped in and immediately, the young Kuga in her care rushed towards her mother. She could get this done quickly now that the person she needed to talk to was here.

"Mama!" Shizuka cried, excited to see her mother after a long day in school.

"Hey, angel," Natsuki's husky voice sounded as her lips curled into a smile.

They shared a brief hug before Kobayashi-sensei strode towards them.

"Kuga-san, do you have time to spare? There is something which I would like to speak to you about," politely she stated.

"What is it? Did my little girl misbehave?"

Natsuki glanced towards her daughter which prompted a protest from her daughter.

"No, no. Nothing like that, Kuga-san. I assure you Shizuka is a fine girl from what I can see so far. I just need to inform you of our safety guidelines."

"Oh, okay."

Natsuki sighed in relief and patted her daughters head. For a minute there, she had expected something bad to happen. After Kobayashi-sensei had informed her partner of her absence, she led Natsuki to her desk and offered a cup of tea which she gladly accepted. Shizuka had gone back to playing with other children, sensing she was not needed in the discussion.

By the end of the lengthy talk, the both of them shook hands.

"Thank you Kuga-san for sparing some of your time."

"No, no, no. Thank you. No time is wasted if it's used for the safety and well being of my child."

Leaving to check up on her daughter, Natsuki excused herself.

"Shizuka, let's go."

Shizuka clasped her hand after making sure everything was neat and tidy in the play area.

"Mou, you took so long. I didn't get the chance to introduce you to my new friends before they left," Shizuka pouted.

"Ah, sorry about that. So how was your first day of school?"

"Great!"

She smiled widely which made her mother smile as well. They said goodbyes to the teachers and drove home with Shizuka explaining her experience in vivid detail throughout the journey.

"…and I saw him plunge his finger into his nostril."

"Gross."

"It was even more grotesque when he took it out and there was a huge booger on it! And do you know what he did after that?"

"What?"

"He ate it."

Several witnesses saw red Porsche swerved slightly before a chorus of "yuck" and then laughter erupted from said car.

At an office, right in the heart of town sat a woman. With glasses on the bridge of her nose, she read through important documents. The company's financial condition was superb and she thought if an economy downturn were to befall upon them right now, she was sure it would not affect them at all. Maybe a little loss here and there but overall, the company would not suffer anything major.

From amongst the steadily decreasing pile, she pulled out a red file. Red meant that it had come from her father as all the other files had the classic black covers.

Fujino Takashi had already retired, leaving the position of president to his only daughter; someone he knew was far capable for the job. He had trained her himself, sharing the tricks of the trade and how to nurture an ever growing business that had been in the family for five generations.

Opening the file, her hands swept across the printed pages, paving a way for her eyes to follow as she read through the details gathered meticulously so far. When she had told him about a project she was thinking of starting on during dinner awhile back, her father had offered a helping hand, saying how he had an acquaintance who was well-versed in the stuff she was looking for. His face gave a 'leave it up to me' kind of look which made the oncoming protest die in her throat. It was hard to say no to her father, a man who could not be persuaded if he made up his mind. That was why the family business flourished so well during his reign.

'A meeting has to be arranged with Kuga Co. We still need to go over the details pertaining to the deal and come up with a decision. Thanks to father, they have agreed to consider a partnership in this project.'

Placing a hand on her cheek, she thought deeply on the deal. Reading the company's specs, it seemed reputable. Despite being not well-known, it still was able to garner some praise from previous clients and people they've worked with. She had no idea how her father had obtained these papers regarding this company's reputation but it sure did help her in considering on whether to work with this company. Even without these papers she still trusted her father's judgment on the matter and if he thought this company was good then there was no need to go looking anywhere else.

Making a mental note to schedule a meeting with them soon, she tidied up her desk, placing papers and folders in their appropriate places so when she went looking for them, she knew exactly where they were.

Donning her pea coat hanging from the coat rack in the corner of her office, she was ready to leave for the night. It was getting late and she planned on going to Red tonight. This time would be her second visit to the establishment for reasons such as work had kept her from setting foot in nightclubs. Also, the club was rather new so it wasn't surprising that she hadn't been there more than once.

Red was dubbed the coolest hangout in town just days after its debut with its sophisticated look and range of good music. Only the 'hottest' of people were allowed in as security was tight; the list of people permitted in to join the fun, exclusive. You could only get in if you are well-known or knew somebody in the club and if you're lucky, maybe just your good looks could get you in but that rarely happens. If you didn't have any of these then good luck on finding a better club. It was important for the club to filter the type of people to be allowed in to keep a good atmosphere in the club; a perfect place for the gathering of socialites. And it helped that the bills were pricy, shooing away cheap drunks who usually ruin the fun and atmosphere with their gallivanting and sometimes violent ways.

She quite liked it. The number of people she rather not associate with was considerably less here than compared to her usual hangouts. Not to mention, it was a great place to find beautiful women; groomed to please the eyes. Did I mention that this particular club was for women only? It was a good place for women to enjoy themselves without the need for men to ruin their fun with their perverted ways. People seeking companionship with man, again, should just find some other club. Because this was the way it was ran and that was what made it unique; appealing to women who only want to enjoy their time with other women.

What was she doing here? That was the question that lingered in Natsuki's head as she watched the neon sign flicker ominously from across the street. Mai had dragged her here from the restaurant which happened to be only five minutes away. Tricked. That was what she was. She hadn't expected this to happen when she got a phone call from Mai an hour ago to come and have coffee together. She should have think it odd that Mai had requested her to dress nicely but the trusting side of her just classified it as just one of Mai's motherly quirks.

Who knew that her 'motherly' friend would even think of bringing her to a club?

"Now, before you try to run away, let me explain. I had a talk with Nao and she thought it would be great idea to come here and have fun. You know, to hangout."

"You followed Nao's advice?"

"Because I know you don't like karaoke and Nao seemed to come up with a surprisingly good suggestion."

Sighing, Natsuki swept her palm across her face as if doing so could ease her troubled mind.

"Why a club? I've never been to one of those."

"Trust me; it's going to be fun!"

The smile she had gotten was quite convincing and she knew Mai would not have brought her here if she really knew Natsuki was not going to enjoy herself so she let herself be pulled by her busty friend to the entrance.

"Where is spider anyway? Shouldn't she be here if it was her idea? I know she likes these kinds of things."

"She's already inside waiting for us."

True to Mai's word, Nao in fact was inside; literally behind the front door as they entered. Looks like she had planned to lead the way inside as the minute they passed through the doors after greeting the bouncer who seemed to be familiar with Mai, Nao had gestured them to follow her.

"Took you long enough. I was getting tired of waiting for both your slow asses to walk through my door."

"What do you mean your door?"

"Precisely that. Didn't Mai tell you I own this place?"

"Own?"

"Ehe…sorry, I forgot."

"Why does it matter anyway? It just means you get to enjoy yourselves in here for free, thanks to me."

Smiling smugly, Nao patted her chest, feeling proud of herself.

"It matters because this could be dangerous if it is run by the hands of an idiot."

"…which is why I am a genius! This club here is the hottest thing to ever hit the city! Come; let us enjoy it for ourselves!"

Tired of talking with Nao; exhausting as it was, she decided to follow quietly, observing the interior which was full of interesting designs.

'Well at least they have good music,' she thought positively.

Right now, both she and Mai had found themselves seated in plush velvet couches at one corner of the dim room. Nao had gone off to get some drinks, saying, as 'inexperienced' as Natsuki was, she would probably order a sissy drink and Natsuki who immediately retorted with a cry of "I'm not a sissy!" let Nao do it, not thinking how dangerous that decision could have been.

"So how was it seeing Shizuka go to school for the first time?"

"Mai, she's growing up so fast. I feel like just yesterday she came out of her mother's stomach and I looked at her for the first time."

"Ah, I know that feeling. It was like that with me when Mikoto graduated high school. I thought that day would never come."

"I know. I was sitting right next to you when you started bawl your eyes out. My sleeves were dripping wet by the end of the ceremony," she teased Mai, who blushed and coughed into her hand, embarrassed at the memory.

She should have not trusted Nao to get her drink. Not that she was caring about it now though, because at this moment, she was drunk and couldn't care less what Nao had done. Who would have thought she couldn't hold her liquor? Certainly not she. So it was not weird at all when she stumbled onto the dance floor, her primal instincts calling for her to dance amidst the sea of bodies.

Clashing body against body.

Letting a complete stranger touch her provocatively.

Not weird at all.

She felt so alive. Was it the alcohol talking? That she didn't know but never before had felt this free in such a long time. The arms that wrapped around her were magical; so very warm and it made her leaned back into the body behind her, her head resting against the crook of the neck of her stranger. However, she did not notice the face behind her, choosing to just feel the moment and let every bit of inhibition leave her.

Gin. Scotch. How many has it been? She probably have had too much to drink but there was no helping such a thing. It was a dare so she couldn't just idly stand by and let a person insult her. She had to prove that she was no coward and that no amount of drinks could take her down.

By the 7th drink her opponent admitted defeat, slumping to the floor in drunken stupor. She won, proving once again that she was no pushover. Giving a brief smug grin to her opponent, she patted the head of the blonde whose face was flush from all the liquor. Her friend was beside her, giving a glare but knew it was her friend's fault for challenging her in the first place. Always diving into challenges head on. The dark brown haired woman with glasses smiled sadly at her companion before helping her up, choosing to leave the club for her friend could barely stand up, let alone dance, so it was stupid to stay any longer.

Watching the two leave, she sighed in relief. A few more drinks and she too would have been like that. Her mind was already beginning to get fuzzy but she did not want to go home yet. She hadn't had her fill yet; a dance was still in order.

Sauntering off to the dance floor, her heels clicked against the marble; slow but rhythmically, like she was making her own music; tap dancing her way onto the dance floor. The music egged her on, causing her limbs to move to the hypnotic beat.

In the middle of the dance floor, her movement began. It started innocent at first; a respective distance between her and her partner. But it all turned hot and heavy minutes later; she, unable to keep her hands to herself. The smell was intoxicating; the ocean wafting through her nose. She found herself kissing the soft hair, taking in the scent. Heat seemed to radiate between them, an amazing feeling against the cool air of the club.

A tangle of two bodies.

So beautiful.

Insatiable lust.

Never before had she felt like this.

Just as she was about to pull her to the bathroom and get reacquainted, a hand grasped her shoulder; forcibly grabbing her to meet with the eyes of the perpetrator who dared separate her from her newfound interest.

It was one of the women she had slept with previously. Pretty but boring.

When arms wrapped around her neck, she pushed her away, giving her a look that said she didn't want to play with her. Not now, not ever. The woman, knowing when to quit, left with a huff and her head held high. Trying her best to salvage her pride.

With the nuisance dealt with, she quickly turned back, wanting to continue what she had planned to do. But it was too late.

The mysterious beauty was long gone.

And she never got a chance to look at her face.