THE GREAT SHIZUMA
Chapter Fifteen
Good Morning
"I just realized something," nNagisa whispered as the candidates awaited the selection.
Tamao looked at her, her cerulean eyebrows raised curiously, her expressive violet eyes radiating affection and warmth.
"Today is my birthday," the redhead proclaimed.
The poet started, and a virtual sweat drop appeared on her head. Of course! December 14th! How could have I forgotten?
"Today I am sixteen." The way Nagisa said that made it sound so bleak, as if a person's world ended at that age.
"I'm so sorry, Nagisa-chan!" Tamao couldn't make a scene of this in front of everybody. She grabbed her lover's hand and lowered her voice back to a whisper. "I can't believe I forgot. I must be a terrible girlfriend to have-"
"Shh. It's okay." Nagisa placed a finger gently to the poet's lips. "With the Étoile battle and all, it just slipped our minds." This didn't seem to lighten Tamao's dampened spirits, so Nagisa added, "If I completely forgot about my own birthday, I shouldn't count on you to remember."
The agony melted from Tamao's eyes and her face softened. She offered up a weak smile. "You're right. Happy birthday, Nagisa-chan."
"Thank you, Tamao-chan."
Frankly, Nagisa wasn't a big fan of birthdays anyway. The cake was the highest point, but as far as parties went…Well, an A-1 klutz like Nagisa detested having the spotlight where you can just trip and fall on your ass with an audience. A brief, quiet celebration in the midst of the Étoile selection beat a huge party any day.
---
This was definitely not the season to wear the dress Yaya was wearing. That was what the raven-haired girl decided as she shivered in the cathedral. Or it could've been plain nervousness that made her shudder so. Her life at Astraea Hill could change forever, or come dangerously close and then snap back to normal. Yaya couldn't decide which would be worse.
She heard a sniffle next to her, and immediately realized that Tsubomi was crying. As much as Yaya wanted to hold the younger girl and calm her down, it would be improper conduct to turn away from the audience. So she put a hand on Tsubomi's shoulder and whispered, "What's wrong?"
"I was horrible, Yaya-chan," she sobbed. "I couldn't dance, I couldn't communicate my feelings effectively, and…I feel like such a monster to be more worried about winning than how you feel."
"Well, you should worry about that, 'cause I feel fine." Yaya smiled warmly and moved her hand to Tsubomi's back, playing with her roseate hair. "But I don't like to see you crying, Tsubomi-chan. It kills me inside." She paused and then said oddly, "Come to think of it, I've never seen you cry. You always try to be so strong…"
"I'm not strong! I'm stupid is what I am!"
"Shush. You're not stupid."
"I am." She hiccupped. "What's so funny?" she demanded, hearing Yaya snicker.
"You have the most retarded-sounding hiccup I've ever heard!" Yaya chuckled. "Sometimes you hiccup like that when you're all aroused."
Tsubomi's tears stopped coming. She glared at her girlfriend, her cheeks hot. "Leave it to you to be perverted in such a tender moment!" Her face softened. "But that's something I love about you."
Her senpai smirked. "You just went from angry to romantic in…" She checked her watch. "0.8 seconds. I do hope you're not becoming a tsundere."
The pinkette sighed. "Yaya-senpai watches way too much Lucky Star…"
---
Chiyo and Kagome had gotten awesome seats; they sat to the left, near the aisle, and pretty close to the front. They had entered the cathedral with a neutral stance on the competition - after all, the candidates were all their friends. But now with the building abuzz with nationalist energy (some girls were even placing money on certain candidates), Chiyo couldn't resist turning to wee Kagome and asking, "So who do you think they'll choose?"
Kagome turned her drowsy gaze on Chiyo and held it there. The emeraldescence of her eyes had faded to a dull pine color in the dark. She shrugged. "It's difficult to say. I really have no preference where a winner is concerned." She looked back at the candidates. Chiyo was about to say something when the Lulim girl murmured, "I think all the couples really have something wonderful…
"Both Tamao-oneesama and Nagisa-oneesama are energetic and share a common appreciation of the simple life. That may help them build a future together." She grinned. "Nagisa-oneesama isn't as patient as Tamao-oneesama, but I know Tamao-oneesama knows how to set the pace for Nagisa to follow. Tamao really brings out the best in Nagisa-oneesama, and vice versa.
"Tsubomi-chan's industrious ways provide an excellent ballast for Yaya-oneesama s laziness. They both have big personalities, but in opposite ways. Not the destructive kind of opposite, but…good opposite. Their contrasting temperaments neatly complement each other.
"Remon-chan and Kizuna-chan…" Kagome's smile absolutely dazzled with fondness for her best friends. "They get along famously. They're both unpredictable, so things tend to go roughly for them at times. But their love can only keep getting better. Kizuna adores Remon's wit and good cheer; when she's inconsistent, Kizuna-chan understands. They are affectionate, devoted companions and more than passionate lovers.
"So…" Kagome looked back at Chiyo. "I don't know. I'll be happy no matter who wins."
The Miator librarian sighed as she put her arm around her girlfriend. Kagome leaned her head on Chiyo's shoulder, hooking her arm around her waist. "It's a shame we could never run for Étoile," Chiyo commented.
"Oh, we could," said Kagome, "if you'd transfer to Lulim."
"What?" The librarian's sapphiric eyes widened.
"Just kidding," Kagome chuckled.
---
Meanwhile, on the right side of the cathedral, Suki was pumping her fists excitedly. "This is it!" she hissed, her hazel eyes shining in fervor. "Lulim will win. This is the year!"
"You sound like a Cubs fan," Hitomi frowned.
"That Miator couple looks like a Cubs fan," the pixie-haired girl retorted. "Red and blue hair…"
"Aw, c'mon, Suki-chan. Tamao-senpai's my French tutor. She's awesome. I'd like to see her win." Hitomi's cheeks reddened as she turned her turquoise eyes to her twiddling thumbs. "Say, uh, Suki-chan…Do you think we could run for Étoile next year?"
A wide grin stretched across Suki's face. "Tomi-chan's so cute when she's romantic!" She pinched Hitomi's cheeks. "Sorry, babe, but that's a fanfic for later!"
The blue-eyed girl blinked. "What?"
"Ah, never mind…"
It was then that the council presidents and Amane and Hikari, who could now be considered the former Étoile, made their way across the front of the cathedral hall. Amane and Hikari bore their necklaces, which they would bestow upon the brand new Étoile. They detached themselves from Setsuko, Shion, and Chikaru, and took the center. The tension among the student body and the candidates was almost tangible. Amane and Hikari shared a brief glance before the former spoke, "Astraea Hill's Étoile for next year is…"
---
"Ladies, please rise to honor our graduates."
The Astraea Hill Wind Band took up their horns and played the opening fanfare to Pomp and Circumstance. The sixth years filed in slowly - the Miator graduates garbed in black robes with green tassels, Spica graduates in blue robes with white tassels, and Lulim graduates in red robes with gold tassels. With a sigh of relief, Remon stepped back from the microphone. She was never good at public speaking. But, she thought, fingering the sapphire around her neck, this is my first duty as Étoile.
As soon as she stepped back from the mic, Kizuna joined hands with her. Remon looked at her fellow Étoile. In Kizuna's exuberant brown eyes, Remon swore she saw their entire past flit by, as if in a flip-book. That day when they were seven and Kizuna chased off some bullies who were harassing the quiet green-haired girl; that was when they first met. When they were ten and a visibly shaken Kizuna walked into class late and whispered to Remon about her mother having cancer. When they were twelve and Remon tearfully confessed her love and begged Kizuna for a return of that feeling. But somewhere in the back of the primary Étoile's mind, she suspected they had always loved each other.
That's it, Remon thought with a smile. She sees and accepts my bad side. She lets me see the best and worst of her. That's what being Étoile is.
"It'll be our turn next year, eh Tamao-chan?" Nagisa sighed, watching the graduates pass by.
"Hai," the poet nodded.
The redhead looked at her. "Have you thought about choosing a major?"
"Rhetoric, of course." Tamao casually swung her arm, catching Nagisa's hand midswing. "Have you thought about it?"
"Not much. I'm afraid I don't have much of a plan." She smiled sheepishly. The two of them shifted hands so their fingers interlocked. Nagisa tapped her chin with her free hand. "Maybe I'll follow in my parents' footsteps and major in Business."
Though Tamao frowned on the idea of her beloved Nagisa being transferred overseas over long periods of time, she knew she had to be supportive. "That's a very…practical major."
The redhead nodded assent. "Hai, but it doesn't sound like fun, so maybe…Liberal Arts…?"
Tamao grinned. "What would you do if your major was French?"
"Choke and die, that's what!"
The poet laughed and briefly embraced her girlfriend. "Ahahahaha! Ohh, Nagisa, haha! I love you."
"I love you, too," Nagisa murmured, her scarlet eyes burning passionately. She leaned in and kissed Tamao on the cheek. Both of them knew that there could only be so many Nagisa-hates-French jokes and I love you's before their lives would split into separate paths. But sometimes it's better to embrace the moment.