Story: To Catch a Spider (chapter 1)

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters I only borrowed them for entrainment purpose.

Shiho was looking at herself in front the mirror wearing Fuka Academy high school uniform. She grew a few inches last year and took down her sausage hairstyle down and now looked a little better.

The opening ceremony for the new school year was coming in few minutes and Shiho realized she was late. She left her dorm and heading toward the garden where the ceremony held at. “I don’t want be late and I won’t find a seat I being late,” She thought. As she ran fast as she could she crashed into someone.

“Hey watch the hell you’re going!” Shiho was adjusting her line of sight and seeing Nao. “Yuuki-san excuse me ran into you but why you not attending the opening ceremony for the beginning school year?” She asked the redhead.

“Munakata-san I think it going be boring and Kuga probably be there with that psycho bitch Fujino in attendance,” Nao sound she not thrill being there. “I rather singing karaoke than listening about how they can help the students archive their goals I think that bullshit the world is cold and merciless toward the sheltered overgrown spoiled brats,” Nao cynically comment.

Shiho doesn’t believe what she heard from Nao and decided to leave the delinquent alone. While Shiho was walking with her thoughts on Yuuichi her “onii” whom has been friend with since she have arrived Fuka Island several years ago. She loved him but he was in a relationship with the former fire HiME and was painful for her to see Yuuichi with another person.

A part of her wanting let him go and enjoy his happiness. The selfish part of her wanted to steal him away from her romantic rival Mai and claiming Yuuichi for herself. During the HiME carnival she was actively trying to kill Mai, at the end she was forgave by the Kagutsuchi user. “Mai-san I don’t think I deserve be forgiven,”

Shiho arrived at the ceremony and found Mai, Yuuichi, Mikoto, and Yukino sitting down. “He looked somewhat happy with her I’m very envious at Mai-san”

Mikoto wave across from where she was seating to Shiho. “Oh Shiho you’ve seen Nao?” Mikoto was asking Shiho. “She ran into us and not decided to attend the opening ceremony.”

“Oh that girl I don’t know what trouble she going in to but I am worry for her,” Mai aired her concern.

“Uh Nao-chan can be trouble sometime but she can be nice if she wanted to,” Aoi add to the conversation.

“Behind that I don’t get a damn attitude there someone needs a friend or she pretend to harden her heart to distant herself from others,” Chie comment.

“Well Nao somewhat helpful and kind around Arika and Erstin with their problems,” Mikoto express her thoughts.

“Honestly I don’t have an opinion on her regardless she probably doesn’t give a damn about me,” Yuuichi comment.

“Well I only talked to her couple of times before then but I barely knew her,” Shiho added to the conversation. Everyone shut up talking when Fumi took up the podium front of the student population.

Nao was the other side of town entered an apartment complex searching for the apartment number. Nao was nervously standing there thinking the things she wanted to say to her mother. “Okay it just mama I not acting like a little girl waking up from a nightmare,” She knocked a few time before the door swung open to revel the occupation.

“Come in Nao-chan I never expected you be here,” The older woman ushered Nao in the apartment. “Why you are not in school, Nao-chan? You have some problems at school? Or you were bullied that faculty can’t stop the students being disrespectable?”

“Mama stopping embarrassing me I’m not being bullied beside I don’t like the school or the teachers,” Nao was blushing. “No one care that I am gone.”

“Nao-chan don’t the throw away the scholarship from Fuka Academy they help you paid your tuition and rooming considered my medical expensive plus the physical therapy after waking up from the coma,” Hinata explain their situation. “I planning to wait later on to tell you the good news but since you already here I got hired by your school and started next week I’m teaching at the junior high part of the school.”

“Mama you’re being at my school! I-I don’t believe how I going to explain to them that my mother working there,” Nao started to panicking. “Pretend you don’t know me,” Hinata winks at her daughter.

Everyone at the school was looking at the board seeing who going to what classroom this year. “Kazu-kun we’re in the same class this year,” Akane was happy being same classroom with her boyfriend.

Kazuya was smirking at the prospect attending the same room with his girlfriend for whole year. “Akane I am happy as you my little darling. Hope we enjoy the year to come.”

“That so cheesy coming from you, Kazuya I swore you fail acting dramatic,” Yuuichi rolling his eyes.

“Tate-kun in fact I’m part of the Drama Club for your information,” Kazuya smirk confidently.

“Oh shoot I won’t be the same class as Chie I’m 3-C and you’re 3-F,” Aoi felt sadden not being with her girlfriend.

“Kuga-san and I are in class 3-I, Mai-chan.” Yukino whispered to Mai.

I am by myself at class 3-B and Yuuichi his class 3-A,” Mai sigh being separate from her friends of past two years.

Mikoto was looking the second’s year board which classes both her and Nao was in. “I guess I’m 2-C and Nao 2-E,” Mikoto still wondering what Nao have gone to.

Shiho checked that she’s class 1-G by her lonesome self. She watched Yuuichi talking to Natsuki and Mai about their classrooms they’re attending the incoming school year. Still yearning for him but realized pining after someone don’t have the same feelings as you seems fruitless. Shiho finding out unrequited love is a bitch and chasing a false hoped leading you to nowhere and a broken heart.

Few days flew by as Shiho settling in at her class listening to the English teacher talking about pronoun even she paid attention to him he was droning on while her mind still on Yuuichi. After they broke up couple years ago Shiho briefly thought to pursue him but ultimately gave up the idea. “I should give up winning his heart? Or I better out suffering from afar sacrifice my own happiness?”

“Munakata-san the teacher calling for your name,” The student behind her poking on her shoulder. “Pardon me my mind wandered somewhere else um thanks,” Shiho sheepishly laugh.

Nao is sitting at her desk filing her nails away between the teachers changing classrooms couple of her male classmates approaching her and standing next to her desk. “Yuuki-san I heard you have reputation being unapproachable that is true? You are very stunning and beautiful even I ignoring the fact that you hate guys in general,” The guy tried act smooth but his voice cracking a bit.

Nao wanting to roll her eyes at the boy and his buddies but decided to play them a little bit. She discovered when she entered high school she have the power over the male species by toying them, wrapping them around her finger catering to her every whim. “Say what your name? You and your little friends could do a favor for me,” Nao smiled while trailing her finger up and down on the boy’s chest.

“Aoki, I do anything for you Yuuki-san even you commending me commit suicide,” Nao made a face after Aoki willingly go far as ending his life.

“First lending me your notebook for the answers from last class and I’ll reward you something special later today,” Aoki and his friends are anticipating what Nao’s next commend. “These hormonal fools being easily manipulate by simply me acting like a mindless flirt,”

“You could buy me some strawberry milk from the vending machine downstairs before the teacher arriving here,” Nao now playing with Aoki’s collar teasing the poor boy.

“Yuuki-san want us to get some strawberry milk for her before the next class start we can claim our reward,” Then Aoki left with his friends.

“They’re too easy to dupe into everything I wanted even throwing their lives away I’m really scared of my own seductive charm,” Nao felt mildly guilty for tricking her male classmates unlike the pedophiles she sweet talked through the phone setting up fake dates order robbing them. “I wished I still have Julia with me making robbery easier for me. The chairwoman paying half of my mama’s medical bills I needed pay the rest of the debt,”

Shiho tiredly drag herself into bed by falling over face first on the pillow. “It tiring being the manger of the Kendo Club plus we have recruiting drive next week for new members,” Shiho picked up a stuff octopus next to her. “Mr. Octopus I guess my love life like a shoujo heroine with the awkward woodman choosing the dragon princess over the childhood friend,” Shiho humoring herself. “My story doesn’t have a happy ending but yet I can’t let go my prince for his princess,”

Shiho lay down the stuff octopus and pick up the stuff crow that looks like her former child. “Mr. Crow you remind the time of the carnival everyone was fighting for their most important person and he end up being mine and Mai-san. Yeah I got defeated, my jealousy consuming me and lost the only person dear to me,” Shiho smile bitterly. “I was there he at his lowest after injuring his knee and everyone written him off as lost cause.” Shiho was staring at the crow. “I probably need writing my own happy ending and this princess making her own destiny,”

“Aoi you are still talking to Harada on the phone? I don’t want hear any perverse stuff out of there,” Nao was on her bed feet kicking. “Last month I almost walked into your sexual exploitation you could at lease put do not disturb sign the doorknob.” Aoi stick out her tongue out giving Nao the raspberry.

While Aoi was chatting away Nao shift from her bed to the table in kitchen sitting down and pulling out her cell phone dialing up her mother’s phone number. The phone rang couple of times before Hinata answering it.

“Hello Nao-chan sorry I didn’t answer I have check up the students’ work and assigning homework. How school is going for you? You have any friends to hang with,” Hinata wanting to know.

Nao turned her head at Aoi to make sure she isn’t listening and whispering into the phone. “Mama I do have couple of friends I won’t admitting in front of their face because I don’t want everybody at school know I have a genuine nice side onto me I wanted to keep a bad ass reputation.”

“Nao you don’t have pretend to be someone else or not showing people your kind side they never know the real you,” Hinata gave advice to Nao.

“Mama I visited you in the hospital while you was in a coma is hard for me looking at you while I felt powerless,” Nao cried little. “I was pleading them to spare you since you’re the only family I have left I don’t be the same scared little girl back then,” Nao regain her composure.

“Honey after I got out years long coma, you still my precious child Nao I will not leave you alone ever again,” Hinata comfort Nao.

“Bye-bye talk you later,” Nao hang up “I am not the good and kind person you thought mama,”

Various clubs are seeking out new members for recruiting week for club activities. “Why I am wearing my miko outfit to draw in potential members?” Shiho was questioning the tactic.

“Because miko is paragon of moe today due of anime and a little moe won’t hurt a bit,” One of the members Kendo Club smiling at his idea.

“Chiba-kun that little low to pull that stunt out we don’t need use any sex appeal bring in people interesting Kendo,” Yuuichi reprimanding the person.

“Captain the Athletic Club have Kuga and she’s hot as hell I said fight fire with fire, moe with moe.” Chiba tried to persuade Yuuichi.

Yuuichi is admitting that Natsuki could draws about twenty-some odd male members into signing up. “Chiba-kun I understand your point but we aren’t like that and I don’t want to spoil the name of Kendo for some fetishization of moe.” Yuuichi is rubbing his head in anger.

Shiho grins for Yuuichi defending her honor. “He was my shining knight in armor,”

With the Athletic Club using Natsuki as their representation having already twenty guys and few girls signing up to order being close to the Ice Princess of Fuka Academy. “This so ridiculous I some prop only draw in new members even some from the Kendo Club drop out to join this may hurt Tate,” Natsuki annoyed by the idea to hook potential members.

“Natsuki don’t be mad since they willingly joining this club the experience aren’t bad as you think,” Mikoto explain the benefits to Natsuki.

“Oh Mikoto what about your little group of admirers who stalked anyone close to you and taking out the contenders from your races,” Natsuki is pointing out group of girls hanging back at the entrance way.

“Oh yeah my fan club tended be a little zealous that I heard they formed an ultra secret club of wooden sword-wielding vigilantes,” A pair of green eyes blinked at Mikoto.

“That too extreme Shizuru’s fan club not even that fanatical when she attended here,” Natsuki was both amazed and frighten by devotion of Mikoto’s personal fan club.

“Join the Plushie Club we collect stuff animals and cute things,” Aoi handing fliers to students in case they willing to join. “Chie how your recruiting drive for the Newspaper Club going?” Aoi asks.

“It’s taxing not easy being the president and helping members out to set up and organizing our belongings,” Chie sat down next Aoi. “The cameras malfunction, the copying machine broken, Minazaki-san tripped over and accidentally took down our presentation at short of being disastrous.”

“Poor, poor Chie nothing gone right from you today, you needed Aoi’s magic touch.” Aoi is standing up from her chair and starting to massage Chie’s shoulders.

“That nice Aoi I need the stress go away,” Chie gave a low moan. “Some point we need to talk about own future since is our final year and I will worry separate from you by going to different schools.” Chie is slightly closing her eyes.

“I thought about that too don’t worry yet we haven’t done any mock exams and college entrance exam months away.” Aoi is diligently kneading Chie’s neck. “Just relax we have the whole school year to figure out what paths leading us to,” She and Chie kiss chastely.
The tiresome day for anyone who tried recruit some members and some successfully fill out their membership out. Shiho only wanted to drop dead from the exhaustion and sweating through her miko wear. “Badly I need a shower to wash out the sweat,” Even is mildly warm in the early part of April Shiho felt she swum in the Sea of Japan and her feet aching from wearing her giza all day. “A nice goodnight rest should do it,” While her thoughts on good long shower, she saw a figure sitting one of the tree branches.

“Yuuki-san why you’re up there is very dangerous you may fall and hurt yourself,” Shiho was concern for Nao.

“Munakata-san should annoy that blonde idiot you used hang around. Or Mai’s mountains entice that poor perverted brain of his.” Shiho enraged that Nao have insulted Yuuichi.

“Yuuki-san I don’t care you some heartless bitch only concern for yourself please don’t offend onii-chan he haven’t done everything to you,” Nao climb down safety next to Shiho.

“Munakata you lost him to Mai and the little girl trying become a woman.” Nao mockingly laugh at Shiho. “Your problem is you can’t cut yourself out from your precious big “brother” without admitting that your crazy obsession for him borderline into homicidal rage,”

A deafen slip from Shiho knock Nao down on ground. “I tried charge myself from the person I used to be. A year worth of maturity helping me along the way think I have let go my childish fantasies and living reality. I barely knowing you but now I realize you the one can’t let go your anger bottling up inside of you,” Shiho mirroring Nao’s mocking expressing earlier. “Yuuki Nao please grows up and living life so you won’t be a miserable bitch without any friends.” Shiho left in a huff.

“What the fuck just happened?” Nao touch the stinging slap that she received from Shiho.

Author’s Note: The story I wrote as a rough draft in my notebook two years combine two story ideas. The serious part is one-shot Shiho-centric fic and the other one is a romantic comedy involving Nao and Shiho. Shiho isn’t my favorite character but a story she is the main character sort interesting and I tended draw to least popular characters. Well I hope you guys enjoy my fic.

Chapter 1