It was way past midnight when Natsuki finally opened the door to her apartment. It had been a long and tiring day. Natsuki sighed as she put her key down. It really took her some time to come up with the report. And the bruises she had were beginning to feel sore.

"Welcome home, Natsuki."

That was when Natsuki realised that the lamp in the living room was still on and Shizuru was seated on the sofa. And at that moment, the tiredness and soreness seemed to just fade away. Somehow it felt different to come home, realising that someone was waiting for you.

"Shizuru? Why are you still awake?" Natsuki asked, surprised that Shizuru was still awake at this time. Normally she would be asleep by now.

"Waiting for you. You must be tired after what happened today." Shizuru smiled and searched Natsuki's face. She looked tired but otherwise she seemed alright.

"Thanks. But you better go to bed. It's getting late." Natsuki smiled. It just made Natsuki feel happier to know that Shizuru was waiting for her. She wasn't just returning to a cold and empty apartment but a place where Shizuru was waiting for her.

"Don't worry about me. Why don't you take a shower first? I can prepare a warm bath for you." Shizuru reached out and collected Natsuki's coat from her. Then she reached out and gently pressed her finger against Natsuki's right cheek. "And… you have to take care of your bruises. I am sure you have more at your back and legs."

Natsuki winced. Shizuru was right. Her whole body was sore and tired.

Natsuki would have wanted to crawl straight into her bed after her shower. But Shizuru insisted that she must take care of the bruises first. Otherwise, the next day, her body would be stiff from the bruises. Shizuru was rather insistent and Natsuki finally relented.

Her body protested as she gingerly laid face down on the bed with her shirt pulled up to the shoulder. Bruises were forming on her back and legs, as if a playful child had splashed black and blue paints all over her body.

Shizuru stared at the bruises and she narrowed her eyes. She hadn't expected the bruises to be so bad and Shizuru suspected that more bruises might appear on Natsuki's body tomorrow. Something akin to anger brewed within her, anger against Wataru Ishigami and also herself.

She shouldn't have let Wataru Ishigami off so easily, especially after all the pain he had caused them. She should have thrown in another talisman to amplify the repercussions when she burned the hovering head. That would have caused him more pain as the backlash from the broken spell he received would be amplified. If she was discreet enough, Natsuki might not notice it. She should have made Wataru Ishigai pay for all the pain he caused Natsuki.

Shizuru slowly traced the bruises outline. Natsuki was definitely going to be very sore tomorrow. Shizuru let out a sigh and controlled the emotions brewing within her. She would find ways to deal with Wataru Ishigami later on. Natsuki needed her attention now. She poured some ointment onto her hands and warmed it up. Shizuru gently rubbed it onto Natsuki's back.

Natsuki tightened her grip on bed, already anticipating the pain that was to come when Shizuru applied ointment on her back.

She expected the pain and there was pain. But soon she realised that it wasn't as bad as she expected. Shizuru had controlled her strength well and it was more comfortable than pain.

Shizuru slowly and gently moved her hands around the injured area, exerting the right pressure to relieve the tight muscles.

Natsuki groaned in pleasure.

In response, Shizuru chuckled. It would be better if the groan was due to an exciting bed activity she was hoping for and not this.

"You are good at this." Natsuki commented, though her voice sounded dreamy. She sounded like she was ready to go into dreamland.

"Thank you." Shizuru gently worked her way from the shoulder blades down to the spine and paused there.

Shizuru frowned.

She gently pressed her finger against an especially dark spot in between the rib cage and waist. "Did you get this bruise here from your scuffle with Ishigami Wataru?" The contact and impact must be very great to create this kind of dark bruise, Shizuru thought.

Her face darkened as she studied the location of the bruise. Had the contact been higher, Natsuki might have ended up with a broken rib. Shizuru's lips tightened. It wasn't just anger she was feeling now. She couldn't quite put a finger to the feeling except that she knew she didn't like the idea that Natsuki was injured. She really disliked it. Something dangerous flashed through her eyes.

"Hmmm…" Natsuki's mind was already wandering off when Shizuru asked that. Shizuru's massage was so comfortable that Natsuki nearly fell asleep. Shizuru managed to hit all the right spots without making it painful.

"Oh…hmm… that was around the waist area?" Natsuki had difficulty focusing and her words slurred a bit as if she was drunk. "I think I accidentally hit myself after catching the hovering head. Hmm… I think after I caught the head, I landed and accidentally hit myself against the cabinet."

The hands massaging Natsuki paused for a moment. But Natsuki was so close to falling asleep that she didn't realise it.

"But is… fine… it happens often…"

Suddenly, Natsuki jerked awake.

"Oh my god! It hurts, Shizuru" Natsuki winced. "A bit gentler please Shizuru… Less forceful please…"

A disoriented Natsuki bit onto the pillow as Shizuru pressed down hard on the bruises. Natsuki wasn't sure how or why the comfortable massage took a painful turn suddenly. She was sure the massage was very comfortable a few seconds ago.

"Ara... I think Natsuki will be able to tolerate this amount of pain. Because Natsuki was so brave just now, leaping right into the midst of action, capturing the head." Shizuru replied, reminding Natsuki of what she did earlier on. And at the same time, Shizuru put more pressure on her fingers as she applied greater force onto Natsuki's back.

Natsuki let out a muffled scream as she buried her face in the pillow. Any traces of sleepiness Natsuki had earlier on dissipated with the onslaught of pain. It was getting too painful and Natsuki wondered if she should call a stop to this massage.

Because Natsuki had her back facing Shizuru, Natsuki wasn't able to see the dangerous glint in Shizuru's eyes as she smiled.

If Mikoto was here, she would be able to recognise that smile. Whoever upset Shizuru-sama was going to get into trouble. Big trouble.

"Ouch I was just… just doing what I had to do at that point in time and …. Ahhh!" Natsuki screamed as Shizuru pressed down on another dark bruise on her lower back.

"Did you say something Natsuki?" Shizuru asked, smiling dangerously.

"Erm I was saying that I was doing what I can and… AHHHHH!" Another scream escaped from Natsuki's throat.

"Ara… Do you mind repeating it again, Natsuki?"

"I was… AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Silence.

And then there was silence.

Alright Natsuki got the hint. It was hard not to. Something wasn't right. The comfortable massage took a painful turn when she brought up the incident of her suddenly jumping in to capture the hovering head. She might be drowsy just down, but her memory was good. She knew when the message took a painful turn but she wasn't sure why.

Natsuki sat up slowly and turned to face Shizuru, wincing slightly at the pain.

Shizuru's face softened for a moment but not before sharpening once again when her eyes caught sight of the bruises in between the rib cage and waist, the bruises from the skirmish with the head.

Slow as she may be, Natsuki could tell from Shizuru's face that she wasn't too happy with her. Natsuki coughed and then spoke up, glancing at Shizuru.

"Erm… Gomen-ne Shizuru. Did I do something wrong earlier on?" She scratched her head but grimaced in pain as the movement pulled at her much bruised and sore back.

Shizuru's face grew stoney. "Do you know how dangerous it was just now? Had you been any slower, the head would have torn right through you. And because of your rash behaviour, you ended up with a very dark bruise."

"I know it was dangerous. But at that point in time, it was the most effective way I can think of to stop the head."

"But at the risk of your life, Natsuki? And bruises all over your body?" Shizuru interrupted.

Natsuki paused for a moment as she stared at her hands, trying to search for the right words to explain herself. At this point, she could guess why the message took a painful turn. Shizuru was upset with her because of her reckless and dangerous behaviour. She endangered herself by suddenly jumping into the fray to capture the hovering head. She could have been seriously injured if she weren't careful or lucky enough to avoid the teeth.

So Shizuru was upset with her, and most importantly Shizuru worried for her safety too.

"I am sorry for making you worried, Shizuru. I didn't mean to. I was trying to help in whatever way I could. You have done a lot to help with the case and I wanted to do my part too. And not to say it was dangerous for you as well! You ended up being involved in this because of me and you need not be involved in the first place. I don't feel right knowing that you put yourself in danger while I stand behind and watch." Natsuki said as she gingerly turned to lay on the bed again. "I couldn't just leave you to handle that thing alone and I don't want to rely on you or hide behind you when such a dangerous thing is threatening our lives. You might be apt at handling this kind of thing and you are able to handle the situation earlier on. But like you say, it was dangerous then and you could be the one injured as well. So it might not be me if I am content with just hiding behind you. But that means it could be you who are in danger. There is no way I can leave you to face such a situation alone. If I am given a chance to choose, I will still make the same decision and jump into the fray. Gomen-ne Shizuru. Sorry if I made you worried just now."

There was a long pause after that. So long that Natsuki thought Shizuru was not going to continue at all. But just as Natsuki was about to turn back to face Shizuru again, she heard a sigh and felt a hand on her back once again. "Don't move." A series of softly spoken words before Natsuki felt Shizuru's hands rubbing the ointment onto the sore areas, way gentler this time round.

"It is not just any normal dangerous situations that you experience every other day. It is Black Magic, Natsuki. It is created to harm others. It is darker than you know and more deadly than you ever realise."

"I know. And you have warned me before. But you were there. And I know you have a way to deal with the black magic. I know I would be safe in your hands when I decided to jump right in to help and I trust you."

There was just silence after that and Natsuki didn't sense any movement from Shizuru.

"Erm Shizuru?" Natsuki called out and attempted to turn around.

"I am here." Shizuru replied and resumed the message. "Rest first for now. I know you must be tired now."

There wasn't any more communication between Natsuki and Shizuru until Shizuru completed her massage.

For Natsuki, she wasn't sure what else to say except that she would rather fight alongside Shizuru and do whatever she could, rather than be completely relying on Shizuru, even if it was Black Magic. She had already told Shizuru everything she wanted to say. It really wasn't right to just place all the responsibilities on her and expect her to deal with Wataru Ishigami.

For Shizuru, she didn't know what to say. There was a mix of emotions within her for the first time. Surprise for sure because she didn't expect Natsuki to worry about her and wanting to protect her. She was used to dealing with Black Magic. People relied on her when it came to Black Magic. Because it was something she was used to, familiar with and good with, others assumed that she would be fine handling it alone. This was the first time someone told her that dealing with Black Magic could be dangerous for her too. And of course, it was undeniable that she was touched to hear that Natsuki worried for her safety and that Natsuki didn't want her to deal with Black Magic alone. Despite knowing the danger, Natsuki chose to protect her. Nobody had done that for her before. People either feared her or looked upon her because of her power and her position as the Head of the Fujino Clan. Yuuichi nii-sama, relied on her to find Shiho-chan. Tomoe was obsessed with her because of her perceived image of Fujino Shizuru. Others, like a few of the Elders in the Fujino Clan, felt guilty because she was born to carry the karma of the Fujino Clan. But none of them ever thought of protecting her from any possible impending danger. They knew Shizuru would be able to handle it and expected Shizuru to be able to solve the threats. But no one asked if she was alright with the responsibility or thought of protecting her from the possible danger. That was until Natsuki came. She brought with her a gush of fresh air. Something that Shizuru didn't realise she was missing from her life. Even under dangerous situations, Natsuki would be the first to protect her. Even when dealing with the ghost in the female toilet, Shizuru knew Natsuki was terrified of the ghost. Yet when there was danger, Natsuki was the first to cover her and protect her from the shattering mirror.

Shizuru would be lying if she said she wasn't touched by Natsuki's concern. And she was of course happy too. She had been contemplating, thinking how she could draw Natsuki closer to her and the fact that Natsuki was worried for her showed that she cared for her.

But the pleasant surprise and happiness slowly faded away to guilt. It was a feeling she discarded a long time ago the moment she learnt Black Magic. Shizuru stared down at Natsuki's bruised back. She had been deliberately trying to seduce Natsuki, enticing her to come closer. She knew that Natsuki might be slow when it comes to the matter of love and sex and so Shizuru did all she could to draw Natsuki closer. Tomoe managed to see her interest in Natsuki and tried to intervene using her Black Magic. But at that time, Shizuru only felt displeasure towards Tomoe for coming in between her and Natsuki. How dared she endangered the life of the person she was interested in? That was her thought at that time. There wasn't an ounce of guilt within Shizuru for exposing Natsuki to Black Magic, that the injury Natsuki suffered was because of her interest and Tomoe's obsession. And increasingly Shizuru used whatever means she had on her hands to seduce Natsuki. It was working, even though Natsuki may not be fully aware that she was attracted to her. Her consistent interaction with Natsuki only pushed Tomoe to more extreme actions which led to more injuries for Natsuki. Yet at the same time, Natsuki always ended up injured while protecting her. Indirectly, Shizuru was the one responsible for the injuries. She had in some ways unintentionally drawn Natsuki into the realm of Black Magic. Had she kept her distance in the first place, perhaps Natsuki wouldn't have suffered all the injuries. Perhaps she shouldn't have drawn Natsuki in in the first place.

But Natsuki was like an arrow. Once she decided on the direction and was clear of her objective, she would plunge ahead to achieve the aim. And Natsuki wanted to protect her. So she stuck to that intention regardless of the obstacles and danger. And for the first time, Shizuru did not know how to deal with this directness as she began to doubt her actions.

Guilt, surprise, happiness and doubts, all the different feelings swirled within her.

Shizuru desired Natsuki. She wanted to kiss her and touch her and many more. If she wanted to, she could easily seduce Natsuki. She knew of many ways to do that and Natsuki would fall for it. It was clear from the interaction, Natsuki could be quite clueless in the area of seduction. And Shizuru wanted to reel her in slowly. She thought of moving beyond the physical attraction. But now, she wondered if she should really draw Natsuki into her life. Her heart wavered for a moment.

And now, Shizuru didn't know what to say to Natsuki.

"I am done applying the ointment. I think you may need to sleep face down tonight. Your back is going to be too sore for you to lie on your back. And leave the shirt as it is. Don't cover your back yet. Let the ointment sink into the skin first." Shizuru gently patted Natsuki's shoulder and stood up. "I will go and wash up. Go ahead and sleep first."

Natsuki opened her mouth to speak again, wanting to continue the earlier conversation. But just as she was about to call out to Shizuru, Natsuki saw her taking her clothes and entered the shower.

Natsuki wanted to stay awake and wait for Shizuru to finish shower, but she could not as today's events took a toll on her body. Natsuki's eyelids fluttered a few times as she struggled to stay awake, before succumbing to her drowsiness.

Twenty minutes later, the door to the shower opened and Shizuru stepped out, fresh from the shower. Her eyes immediately fell on the sleeping form on the bed and her eyes softened. She knew Natsuki wanted to continue the earlier conversation but she didn't know how to face Natsuki and what to say to her. And so she avoided it by taking a longer time to shower today. Anyways, Natsuki needed sleep to recover and not more intense conversation.

She gently walked towards the bed and stared at Natsuki's back.

She was definitely going to be sore tomorrow. Shizuru sighed.

Shizuru thought as she gently traced her finger over the outline of the bruises. The bruises Natsuki suffered from being too kind towards her.

Thank you Natsuki.

As if sensing the touch, Natsuki nudged her shoulder before letting out a groan of pain. Shizuru immediately retracted her hand. Luckily? Natsuki only frowned and continued to sleep on.

As if having a mind of its own, Shizuru's hand moved to Natsuki's forehead, and tried to smooth out the frown on Natsuki's face but stopped midway, as if startled. There was a slight tremor in her fingers.

A few days ago, she was thinking if she should move beyond physical attraction with Natsuki when in fact, her own feelings were already deeply entrenched with Natsuki that she wasn't sure if it was possible to withdraw herself from this relationship. She misjudged the whole situation.

"What am I going to do, Natsuki?" Shizuru murmured beneath her breath.

Would Natsuki still stand by her side and protect her when she really knew the kind of person she is?

A bitter smile on Shizuru's face as she pulled her hand back, turned and exited the room.

Shizuru sat on the armchair and looked out into the dark sky. It was drizzling now and the weather completely matched her feelings.

She leaned her chin against her palm, her crimson coloured eyes, unfocused as she stared into the night.

She sat in that chair the whole night.

And just as the sun rose, Shizuru took her stuff and left the apartment before Natsuki woke up.


It was time now to wrap up the case.

Natsuki and Mai returned to Police Headquarter the next day to follow up on yesterday's investigation and report their current findings to Captain Kaiji Sakomizu.

Based on the preliminary findings from the forensic team, the elderly couple, Wataru Ishigami's parents, had been dead for at least a week while Wataru Kai had been dead for at least 24 hours.

The elderly couple were tied up in their bed and died from blood loss. There were two puncture wounds in their necks, likely to be similar to those found on the campus victims. But more testing to be done today to verify that the puncture wounds were identical to the campus victims. This was one crucial piece of evidence that Natsuki needed. If the puncture wounds were indeed identical, then Natsuki could prove that Wataru Ishigami was the murderer of the campus victims too.

But Natsuki was hoping that there could be more evidence to support her claim. The police retrieved numerous items such as clothes and handphones from Wataru Ishigami's house. If they could find clothes containing the blood of the campus victims, it would be even better.

But it was a good start, given that the puncture wounds on Wataru Ishigami's parents could be used to prove Watatru Ishigami's involvement with the campus victims.

But for now, they would need to interrogate Wataru Ishigami.

Three hours later, the interrogation ended and Mai and Natsuki sat down at their designated meeting room.

To be honest, Natsuki was surprised at how cooperative Wataru Ishigami was. He practically admitted to the crimes which included the murder of his family members, the three students from Fuuka University and stray animals on the campus.

"This is the first time I have seen a criminal being so cooperative with the police officer." Mai commented as she put her file on the table. "We can probably close this case by this week."

Mai was right and Natsuki knew it. Wataru Ishigami practically admitted to all the crimes and this case would probably close by this week. But deep down she didn't feel satisfied with the results.

Natsuki had been flipping through Wataru Ishigami's report. Basically he claimed he acted in this manner due to his hatred towards his parents, especially towards their preference for an obedient male heir. He disliked how his younger sister was given away the moment she was born, like rubbish to be thrown away. And the older he grew, the further away he was against his parents ideal form of male heir. Thus, his parents adopted his cousin, Wataru Kai, to be their second son. The child was everything his parents wanted. Bold, outspoken and smart. And soon, Wataru Ishigami was delegated to be the stranger in the house.

With a desire to become stronger and better, he went online to search for information. And that was when he stumbled upon Black Magic, which allowed him to control people around him. But to practise that, he needed blood and lots of it. So he turned to the students on the campus first. He targeted those who were alone at night and extracted their blood. But when asked what he used and how he extracted the blood, he insisted he threw away the equipment and couldn't remember the exact steps.

Once he was done with practising, Wataru Ishigami claimed he did it to his family members since they were the easiest source of blood. And once again, he couldn't remember how he extracted the blood and what he used to extract the blood. Everything was a blur to him. All he remembered was his family members died because he killed them.

And when he was asked about Marguerite Tomoe, there was a slight pause before Wataru Ishigami claimed that he wanted to target her at the Fuuka University that day before she was hit by lightning.

Wataru Ishigami's statement was perfect, too perfect in fact. But Natsuki knew he mixed the facts with lies.

For one, he didn't learn Black Magic online. Shizuru shared that both Wataru Ishigami and Marguerite Tomoe had practised Black Magic under a Thai national for many years. Secondly, he had no intention of killing Marguerite Tomoe. He even allowed Marguerite Tomoe to take control of the hovering head, something which the caster normally wouldn't do, unless he absolutely trusted the person. Wataru Ishigami was trying to absorb Marguerite Tomoe from any possible involvement in this crime.

So the issue would be whether Marguerite Tomoe was really involved in the various murder. Or did she simply borrow the hovering head to target Natsuki only. It would be good if they could interview Marguerite Tomoe. But the only problem was Marguerite Tomoe had remained unconscious after that incident. The doctor in charge of Marguerite Tomoe wasn't too hopeful of her regaining consciousness anytime soon. When the lightning struck Marguerite Tomoe three times, the lightning caused momentary cardiac arrest and respiratory failure within her for a moment. But Wataru Ishigami managed to resuscitate her by doing CPR immediately. While she regained consciousness for a while, the momentary cardiac arrest and failure did damage to her body. No oxygen was sent to her brain for a period of time, albeit a short while, causing some form of damage to her brain.

Natsuki sighed. Though she should be glad because this outcome was better than what she hoped for. If she had not relied on Shizuru's knowledge on Black Magic, she might not be able to link the murder to Wataru Ishigami.

At the thought of Shizuru, Natsuki wondered if she should message Shizuru to thank her at least.

But when she woke up this morning, Shizuru had already left. Shizuru didn't even leave a note or drop a message to say she was leaving. Natsuki wondered if Shizuru had to leave in a hurry or if she needed to attend to an emergency.

Natsuki glanced at her handphone. She had messaged Shizuru this morning but Shizuru hadn't replied to her message. Did something happen to Shizuru? Natsuki wondered. Perhaps she should follow up with another message?

"Ne Natsuki…" Mai called out. "You know…"

Mai's words trailed off as she played with the pen in her hand, twirling it around, again and again.

"Natsuki, could you perhaps, help me apologise to Viola-san?"

Natsuki arched her eyebrows as she looked up. Where did this come from? Natsuki thought about it before she finally realised what the apology was for.

"Maybe?" Natsuki smirked. "I might consider helping you if you buy me my favourite breakfast set?"

Natsuki still remembered how Mai made things awkward during their first meeting with Shizuru at the Fuuka University. And not to mention the breakfast set that she had to buy for Mai so that she could leave peacefully without argument (refer to Chapter xxx).

"That's not being nice!" Mai scowled at the smirk on Natsuki's face.

"Tell me about it. It was hard, very hard, for me then as I tried to make things less awkward between the two of you." Natsuki shrugged her shoulders as she feigned tiredness.

"Well, you can't blame me! Who knew that this kind of stuff really does exist!" Mai took a glance around before moving closer to Natsuki. She had been wanting to talk to Natsuki about what happened yesterday. "I was so shocked when I saw the head moving in the air. So Viola-san knows how to deal with this kind of stuff?"

Natsuki cocked her head before replying. "I guess so. She has helped me out on a few occasions. I told you before but you chose to doubt me."

"You can't fault me for that. She was an ojo-sama. Don't you find it strange that an ojo-sama would know about this?"

"I guess you can't judge a book by its cover." Natsuki shrugged. Mai wasn't the only one with the question here. Natsuki also had the same question as Mai and that question had been bugging her for a while. Perhaps she should ask Shizuru next time she meets her.

A week later, Marguerite Tomoe was still unconscious but there was already pressure from the higher up to close the case, especially given that Wataru Ishigami had admitted to all the crimes. From their perspective, there shouldn't be further delays given that someone was willing to take responsibility for the crimes. So the police should close the case and announce to the public that the police had once again ensured the safety of the public.

Natsuki bit into her lips to stop herself from retorting. She knew perfectly well what the higher ups were thinking and it definitely wasn't the safety of the public.

Seeing the stubborn look on Natsuki's face, Sakomizu Kaiji spoke again, "Kuga, I know what you are thinking. But the fact is, the police have investigated every aspect of the situation. You were there. There isn't any evidence linked to Marguerite Tomoe."

"Yes, no evidence against her. But Marguerite Tomoe's place was too clean don't you think? Any possible evidence could have already been removed by someone." Natsuki argued. She was the one who oversaw the investigation of Marguerite Tomoe's place. The forensic team was there and did a thorough check and found nothing. Yes, nothing! Not even a strain of hair on the floor, let alone possible blood stains from the victims. There were Tomoe's fingerprints on a few places and it was just a few places, countable on one hand. It was as if someone had wiped the whole place clean of evidence and deliberately left Marguerite Tomoe's fingerprints on a few places to make it look less suspicious.

"You mean someone cleaned the place? Who would do that? We have already been through this Kuga. You keep saying someone cleaned up Marguerite Tomoe's place. But the security cameras at Marguerite Tomoe's apartment show that nobody entered her apartment at all ever since the incident. As a police officer, you know the importance of evidence. A hunch or suspicion amounts to nothing if not backed by evidence, Inspector Kuga!" Sakomizu Kaiji enunciated each and every word in the last sentence, frustration evident in his tone. "I want that damn report on my table before the day, Inspector Kuga!"

Natsuki clenched her fist tightly for a moment before taking a deep breath and stood up.

"Yes sir!" Nastuki gave him a salute and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Natsuki dumped the file on her table and cursed. She pushed her fingers through her hair. She really hated this.

Sakomizu Kaiji was right.

A hunch or suspicion amounts to nothing if not backed by evidence. As a police officer, she knew it. She damn well knew it.

But after meeting Shizuru, Natsuki also knew that not everything could be defined by science and supported by evidence. And this could be the case once again.

At the thought of Shizuru, Natsuki glanced at her handphone once again. Shizuru had not replied to any of her messages at all ever since that day.

At first Natsuki thought it was because Shizuru was busy and didn't see the messages or she had seen the messages but wasn't able to reply immediately. But there were blue ticks to the messages and days dragged on to a week and yet Shizuru did not reply to her messages.

Natsuki was worried at first until she slowly realised that perhaps there was a possibility that Shizuru didn't want to remain in contact with her.

This sudden and abrupt end of communication from Shizuru confused Natsuki. She tried her best to recall the last few hours before they part ways and if she could have upset Shizuru in any possible ways. But all she could remember was her explaining why she chose to step in to capture the hovering head. There wasn't any major disagreement or argument. So she wasn't sure what could have triggered this abrupt end of communication from Shizuru.

Natsuki sighed. To be honest, she really enjoyed having Shizuru around, talking to her and listening to her talk. She didn't have many friends and she didn't need many friends. She preferred quality over quantity. All she needed were friends whom she could rely on and talk to and Shizuru was one of them.

So this sudden departure and abrupt end of communication with Shizuru left Natsuki rather confused and sad. She wished Shizuru could have told her the reason rather than disappearing suddenly and stopping all forms of communication with her.

Natsuki combed her fingers through her hair again and flipped open the file. She turned to the last page and signed her name on it, indicating an end to the investigation. She might have signed the agreement but that didn't mean she believed that Marguerite Tomoe was innocent. The case might be closed but she could still open it in the future. She would continue her investigation at another time when Marguerite Tomoe regained consciousness.


Shizuru leaned back against the sofa as she slowly sipped the wine in her hand. There was a polite smile on her face as she glanced around the bar.

There were groups of patrons clustered around the tables, sipping their drinks. This was one of her favourite places to go for food and drinks. Even though it was one of her favourites, she didn't feel like she was in the mood for food and drinks.

She only came here because Mahya Blythe just returned back to Japan from Thailand and had asked her out for a drink. Had it not been the case, Shizuru wouldn't have bothered to come here.

She really wasn't in the mood for a drink. Or even any attention from other people.

Shizuru glanced at the woman, who had been staring at her for a while. It was hard not too when she had been staring at Shizuru ever since Shizuru entered the bar. And not to mention, Shizuru had always been sensitive to the surroundings. She could easily sense it whenever someone stared at her. Shizuru had wanted to ignore the look thrown her way but the stare was getting on her nerves.

Mahya Blythe looked at the direction which Shizuru was looking at and then chuckled. She knew that the woman had been looking at Shizuru for a while. It was hard not too when the stare was so intense. That woman was practically telling everyone in the bar who noticed it that she was very interested in Shizuru and ready for more. She could already feel the heated look from the woman even though the look was directed at Shizuru.

Looked like she would be alone soon. Mahya Blythe thought as she took a sip of her wine and shook her head. This wasn't the first time Shizuru left her alone for another woman. She knew Shizuru and she had always been a magnet for women.

When the woman saw that Shizuru was looking at her, the smile on her face widened and she quickly raised her glass at Shizuru.

Unfortunately, Shizuru only gave a polite smile and nodded her in acknowledgement. Then Shizuru turned to look at the drink in her hand.

Mahya Blythe raised her eyebrows and looked at Shizuru. Now that was something new!

"Ohya… did I see correctly? This is rare. You rejected her advances? She was practically screaming for you to come on to her!"

Mahya Blythe turned to check out the woman again. That woman wasn't ugly at all! In fact she was beautiful with red pouty lips and voluptuous figure. Nothing wrong with her appearance. It wasn't Shizuru's habit to reject an invitation from a beautiful woman.

Shizuru gently turned the wine glass and watched as the wine swirled within it.

"Nothing. She just isn't my type." Shizuru replied and took a sip of the wine.

"Now that's interesting. I didn't know you had a particular type, Shizuru." Mahya Blythe grinned. They had been friends for a long time and they knew basically everything about each other. Shizuru's oga-sama was a Black Magician and Mahya Blythe trained under Shizuru's oga-sama together with Shizuru. They practically grew up together like sisters and they knew each other well.

Even though Shizuru still had a smile on her face, Mahya Blythe knew Shizuru was bored and wasn't in the mood for a roll in the bed. And that really was rare! She knew Shizuru appreciates women of various kinds, especially beautiful women. And that woman just now was beautiful.

"If she wasn't your type, what exactly is your type?" Mahya Blythe grinned and leaned over to put her arm over Shizuru's shoulders, wanting Shizuru to spill the beans. She was pretty sure Shizuru didn't have a specific type. Unless something changed while she was in Thailand. "Perhaps, onee-san can help you find your type."

"Ara… I didn't know Mahya nee-sama is so interested in my choice of partners." Shizuru replied and gave Mahya Blythe a sideway glance.

"Come on… spill the beans. I promise to help." Mahya Blythe nudged Shizuru's shoulders, trying to get her to say more.

Shizuru took another sip of her wine. She wasn't sure she had a preference. She enjoyed women of various shapes and sizes. But of course it would be better if the woman was beautiful. But she really wasn't interested in that woman just now. Shizuru only said that the woman wasn't her type to brush off Mahya Blythe's questions.

But Mahya Blythe nee-sama was very persistent. And after some nudging and nagging, Shizuru finally decided to humour Mahya Blythe nee-sama and shared the details.

"That woman is indeed beautiful." Shizuru glanced at the woman again. "But that woman seems to be too voluptuous for my taste. Her breasts were just too big and her butt too wide."

Mahya Blythe arched her eyebrows. That was surprising to know. She wasn't old and senile yet. She still remembered that Shizuru said she enjoyed the curves and turns in women and she wouldn't mind burying herself in those ample breasts. That woman was just the right proportion! Ample chest, slender waist and a pert butt. There wasn't anything wrong with the woman.

"I would prefer someone who is more slender with toned muscles. Slender waist but toned stomach. And the breasts must not be too big. It must be of the right size just enough for me to cusp." Shizuru rattled off a series of "shortcomings" as her mind drifted off somewhere, or perhaps to someone.

"And that woman's hair was too short, her eyes too wide apart and lips too pouty. She looks like someone who's not very good at taking care of people. And her eyes were grey in colour and looked kind of cloudy from my perspective." The more Shizuru thought about it, the more she found this lady unattractive. Shizuru frowned. "I would prefer someone with midnight coloured hair and the hair is long and straight, preferably to the waist level. And eyes have to be sharp and intelligent. If possible, someone with sharp emerald coloured eyes."

At that moment, Mahya Blythe couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I don't think you have a particular type of woman who attracts you. What you just said wasn't really "a type" of woman. Your description was way too specific as if you already had someone else in mind."

As she said it, a thought struck her. Mahya Blythe grinned, "Well, well, well… Did you meet someone while I was away? Someone that struck your fancy? Hmmm?"

At that comment, Shizuru freezed in the middle of lifting up the glass of wine to her lips. It took a while before Shizuru finally brought the wine glass to her lips.

Mahya Blythe noticed the pause and her eyes brightened up immediately. Something must be going on!

"Ohya… so Shizuru really does have someone in mind?" Mahya Blythe's eyes were practically sparkling with interest.

"Ara… Mahya nee-sama must be imagining things." Shizuru smiled as she continued sipping her drinks. "I don't have any particular person I am interested in."

Rather than being discouraged, the sparkles in Mahya Blythe's eyes just brightened further. She knew Shizuru well. Very well. Shizuru wasn't telling the truth!

"Now now… don't be stingy ne Shizuru. You must share with your beloved nee-san. Your welfare is my utmost concern. So who do you have in mind?"

"Mahya nee-sama… must I remind you that…" Shizuru's words trailed off when something outside caught her attention. Shizuru's eyes sharpened as she stared out of the glass panel at a couple taking a seat outside. The guy offered to pull the chair out for the lady so that the lady could take a seat.

Shizuru narrowed her eyes as something dark and dangerous flashed across her eyes.

There was amusement on Mahya Blythe's face as she studied Shizuru. Something must have happened while she was away. It was rare to sense anger from Shizuru. Mahya Blythe glanced at the wine glass in Shizuru's hand. The tips of her fingers were white from the force exerted by her hand. Mahya Blythe wondered if the wine glass would crack from the pressure.

Mahya Blythe had sensed displeasure and dislike from Shizuru before on various occasions. It would be impossible for a person to go through life without experiencing various negative feelings and most of the time, Shizuru would hide them with her smile. But rarely had she seen strong emotion such as anger from Shizuru. Even meetings with the Elders from the Fujino Clan wouldn't elicit strong emotions from Shizuru. Frustration and displeasure, yes. But not anger. People and events rarely triggered strong emotions from her. Sometimes Mahya Blythe wondered what would trigger a strong reaction from Shizuru. Shizuru seemed too blasé for her own good.

Mahya Blythe studied Shizuru for a while. There was anger and something more. Mahya Blythe cocked her head sideways before looking over at what captured Shizuru's attention.

When Mahya Blythe glanced over in the direction which Shizuru was looking at, she saw a familiar face. Masashi Takeda, always a gentleman, was pulling a chair out for a lady. Knowing Shizuru, she was sure Shizuru wasn't interested in Masashi Takeda. He wasn't even worth Shizuru's attention. So it must be the lady.

The moment Mahya Blythe saw the lady, her eyebrows arched in surprise and interest. The reason was simple. The lady fit Shizuru's descriptions to a T.

Blue colour hair, emerald colour eyes, slender and toned body.

Mahya Blythe grinned and leaned back as she watched the various emotions flashed past Shizuru's face.

Shizuru always had things easy when it comes to the ladies. They were easily drawn to her and she had her fun with them. Too much fun in fact. But rarely was she deeply invested in any of them. The ladies come and go so frequently that Mahya Blythe stopped keeping track of them. But this lady seemed different. This lady seemed to have Shizuru at the edge of her seat.

Shizuru gripped the wine glass in her hand tight.

What was Natsuki doing with Masashi Takeda? Since when had they gotten so close?

Food and wines were served immediately the moment they were seated. Looked like Masashi Takeda had everything planned beforehand. He must have put in much effort wanting to impress Natsuki.

Shizuru's lips tightened when she saw Natsuki smiled at Masashi Takeda as he touched his glass of wine against Natsuki's.

Anger and jealousy bubbled close to the surface as Shizuru watched on. She really didn't like Natsuki smiling at others. No, not just smiling. She didn't even want Natsuki to look at others and spend time with them. Shizuru wanted Natsuki to focus on her and her alone. The care and concern Natsuki showed to her must be hers and hers alone.

The grin on Mahya Blythe's face widened as she watched the show in front of her. This was the first time she had seen Shizuru close to exploding.

"Isn't that Masashi Takeda from the Masashi Clan?" Mahya Blythe innocently asked. "And who is that lady next to him? Is she his girlfriend? Is she…"

Mahya Blythe couldn't finish her sentence because Shizuru snapped her wine glass onto the table and looked at Mahya Blythe, a very polite smile on Shizuru's face. Others might interpret it as a polite smile. But Mahya Blythe knew the meaning behind the smile. Shizuru was furious and ready to explode.

The grin on Mahya Blythe's face became slightly strained. It looked like she underestimated the volatile feeling that was bubbling beneath the surface. If Shizuru really exploded in anger right in front of her, it would definitely spill onto her and she wouldn't want to take the brunt of Shizuru's anger.

"Please excuse me nee-sama. I think the day is getting late. I would like to bid you farewell. Gokigenyou." Shizuru snapped and left the place abruptly.

Mahya Blythe let out a breath. "Yiyeah… scary scary. This is scary." Mahya Blythe said as she patted her chest, trying to sooth her rapid heartbeats. "I thought I was going to die of fright."

Mahya Blythe glanced at the couple seated outside and gave them a pitying glance. It didn't pay to upset Shizuru. Even though Shizuru might not look like it, she had the tendency to hold grudges against others. She might not repay the grudges now but she would remember them and repay them at the right time. Mahya Blythe herself had been the recipient many times. So all Mahya Blythe could do was to hope for the best for the couple.


Natsuki leaned against the wall and clenched her teeth as she pressed a towel against the bleeding wound. She drew in a sharp breath as the wound sent sharp pain up her arms.

She tried to stop the flow of blood but it oozed past the towel and her fingers, dripping down onto the floor. It seemed that she might need stitches for the wound because the wounds were deep and couldn't stop bleeding. It would be best if she could see a doctor now. But she had more urgent things to settle now.

Natsuki frowned as she looked at the nurses trying to subdue her oji-san, who at the current moment was struggling and pushing against the six male nurses.

She had visited oji-san at the elderly care centre earlier on. Her oji-san suffered from a stroke five years ago and would require 24 hours care. So Natsuki had no choice but to place him in a care centre who could take care of all his needs as well as the rehabilitation process. As part of the weekly routine, Natsuki visited him today. Oji-san was still bedridden and unable to move much because the left side of his body was immobile from the stroke. But oji-san knew Natsuki came to visit him.

When dinner came, Natsuki helped to feed oji-san. It was part of the routine whenever she visited him. But as she moved the spoon to feed oji-san, he suddenly shook uncontrollably and gibberish words emerged from his lips as his eyeballs rolled back. She wanted to call for a doctor but in a movement too fast for Natsuki to react, oji-san suddenly grabbed her by her throat with both hands and placed pressure against her air pipes. All these happened so quickly that Natsuki was caught completely off guard. She was motionless for a while as she was momentarily shocked by oji-san's sudden mobility.

Since when did oji-san become so mobile?

But soon, the shock was quickly replaced by calmness. As a police officer, Natsuki was definitely trained in self defence and martial arts. She had been trained on how to react to this kind of scenario. She could feel the grip tightening on her throat. Time was of essence under this kind of situation because breathing was close to impossible as her airways were choked and any useless struggle would only hasten the pace of fainting.

Natsuki immediately inserted her two hands in between oji-san's arms and pushed them outward, trying to loosen oji-san's hands from her neck.

But to Natsuki's surprise, she failed to budge oji-san's hands. His hands held firms like two cement blocks. Natsuki tried several more times and failed to move the hands gripping her neck. It was surprisingly firm for a sixty year old man who had been bedridden for five years.

And throughout the whole process, oji-san was baring his teeth at Natsuki and growling at her like an animal. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at her. There was something akin to hatred and anger in his eyes.

Natsuki knew she had to do something more drastic. She was starting to see black spots in front of her eyes and she knew her time was running out.

Natsuki lifted her legs and pushed hard against oji-san's chest, to force him to release his grip on her. But her heart sank once again when he did not budge an inch.

She tried again. It seemed futile.

She was running out of breath now. The last action just took most of her energy.

Natsuki could feel her strength slipping away as she crawled against his hand, trying to pry his hand open. But his fingers were immovable, like metal rods that kept on pressing forward, restricting the airways. She could feel the fear growing within her as she realised the futility of the struggle and that she could suffocate to death soon. Black dots began to populate her vision. She knew she wouldn't last long if this continued.

She still hadn't had a chance to talk to Shizuru yet…


A/N: Work is sucking the energy and joy out of me man... I wonder why am I still doing it. lol...will try to update the next chapter soon.