Final Distance (part 22 of 30)

Gone…Shizuru was gone, and all Natsuki could do was stare at the spot where the crimson-eyed woman had just been sitting…the place where Natsuki had just…

“Oooh…Why did I do that?!” the raven-haired girl agitatedly grumbled in her head, burying her face in her right palm.

“She…seemed so shocked...”

With a shake of her head, Natsuki attempted to start cleaning up the remains of the picnic lunch she and her friend had just enjoyed…or at least had been enjoying.

“I wonder if she’s mad at me for doing something so sudden…She didn’t say a word afterwards…but when we were…kissing…she didn’t pull back either….She didn’t do anything actually…”

Closing the lid of the small basket, the girl also shut her turbulent emerald orbs.

“Did I read you wrong…Shizuru…?”

After moving the basket and her books off of the cotton blanket strewn across the grass, Natsuki began to fold it to take back inside before she crumpled it into a heap matching her own frustrated thoughts.

“Why can’t I even think straight?! Why does…being around you always do this to me…?

Awkwardly bundling everything up, Natsuki took the objects into her arms, being wary of her weakened left limb as she slowly carried them along.

“It used to just be admiration, but now…I’m not sure…When did that line become so unclear…”

Bowing politely upon entering, Natsuki glanced up at the woman seated at her desk, “You needed to speak with me, Gakuenchou?”

“Ah, Natsuki, yes,” Lucretia replied, finally looking up from the piece of paper in her hands, “Please, have a seat, there should be some tea on the way shortly.”

Following the elder Column’s instruction, the Vedelian sank down into one of the surprisingly comfortable chairs, and moments later she was joined my the Headmistress herself who seated herself directly across from Natsuki.

“So, how has the studying been coming along?”

It was such a general question, but the girl had to fight back the threatening twitch of her eye.

“I’m sure you know very well how it’s ‘coming along’,” she muttered cynically in her mind.

“It’s going well, ma’am.”

“Hmm. That’s good to hear,” was all that the principal was able to respond before the door slowly opened and the receptionist from when Natsuki had first arrived back at the school entered the room and set down a tea set in front of the women.

After they had both taken a few sips of the pleasantly warm liquid, Lucretia continued.

“You were always a very talented fighter, weren’t you Natsuki? If I do recall correctly, you were also the top scorer in the tactics assessment as well.”

“I would venture to guess that anyone who grew up in the environment I did would also excel in these aspects, ma’am. It’s human nature to want to survive. One adapts and becomes stronger to match their situation.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Lucretia mumbled before taking another sip of her tea.

“Is there any particular reason why this topic was brought up?” Natsuki dared to question, looking the woman straight in the eye.

The Gakuenchou’s blue orbs met the younger girl’s calmly, “As a matter of fact, yes. As a part of your training, I would like you to help in teaching some of the combat classes.”

“Do you think that’s such a good idea?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I’m not an Otome—”

“Not yet.”

Natsuki harrumphed, “—and I’m not exactly in the best condition.”

At that, the Headmistress glanced down at the dark-haired girl’s arm, “When will you be able to take that off?”

“Youko-sensei said two weeks.”

“Mmh. In the meantime, I’m sure you can speak the girl’s through any moves you want to teach them. And it’s not like you’ll be totally alone…Miss Maria and Yukariko-san will be there for assistance.”

Natsuki grimaced at the thought, “I get the feeling I don’t really have a choice in the matter…”

“Not as long as you’re living under this roof, Kruger-san,” Lucretia replied a little too cheerfully for the Vedelian soldier’s liking, “Besides, it will give you a chance to get to know some of the younger girls.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am.”

With an exasperated, and quite relieved, sigh, the raven-haired girl walked over to the oaken corner desk and slumped down into the chair that had been her home for the past couple of hours before her meeting with the Headmistress.

“First studying and now teaching? This really is harder than I thought it was going to be…Headmistress Oleander-sama sure isn’t taking it easy on me, that’s for sure…”

The girl’s thoughts were interrupted by a wide yawn, and despite being alone in her living quarters, Natsuki covered her mouth, the feeling of warm flesh on her lips suddenly bringing back the memories of the other afternoon.

With a shake of her head and a light slap on the cheeks, the emerald-eyed Vedelian opened another one of her books, the spine cracking slightly from its age.

“Right. On to The Culture of Lutesia Romulus…Romulus…Shizuru…Oh man…”