The Graduation
Natsuki Kuga felt distinctly uncomfortable standing in the living room
of the Suzushiro home as the Fuka University graduation party rolled on
around her. The black haired young woman had never been very close to
the clique around the student council, only falling into their orbit
because of her helping deal with Takeda the panty thief.
"Natsuki," Yukino smiled, her glasses gleaming as the reddish brown
haired girl carried a tray of glasses, "more wine?"
"Thanks," Natsuki took one. Sipping she said quietly, "You don't have to
hover, you know. I'm fine."
"I know the job placement Haruka arranged didn't go so well," Yukino
quietly admitted, "I wanted to apologize."
"It's just Haruka's way," Natsuki shrugged while Yukino nodded
sympathetically.
Haruka Suzushiro was the student body present of Fuka University, and
was widely known to be strong willed and good hearted. Sadly, she
occasionally lacked in common sense, which was why she valued her
girlfriend Yukino so much. In one of her more spectacular blunders
recently she had sent Natsuki on a job placement with a archivist, one
that Natsuki was bored to tears over.
"I was wondering if you'd be interested in another placement?" Yukino
asked as she passed off the tray of drinks to another guest.
"Oh?" Natsuki gave her a decidedly wary look.
"Haruka didn't arrange it," Yukino reassured her, "in fact, it's a
request from a alumnus of the university."
Looking a bit more relaxed Natsuki nodded slightly as she asked
curiously, "A former graduate? What does she want?"
"A girl Friday and bodyguard, actually," Yukino admitted.
"Sounds interesting," Natsuki admitted, soon getting the whole story
from her.
It seemed the former student had come into some wealth, and while that
was good it also meant that she had some new problems, too. Apparently
at least one former paramour was now following her, possibly with bad
intentions, and she wanted a unobtrusive protector.
"I think with your skills," Yukino wryly referred to Natsuki's shooting
awards and martial arts wins, "you might be well suited to the job."
"It certainly beats being an archivist," Natsuki conceded.
"Kuga!" Nao Yuuki smiled, the redhead grinning at her as she slid like a
shark through the crowd towards her.
"Oh dear," Yukino did a fast fade after giving Natsuki the address.
"Gee, thanks for staying," Natsuki sighed as her adversary descended
upon her. Commonly known as the 'Slut of Fuka' Nao had bragged that she
had slept with the entire senior class... except for Natsuki. "What do
you want?" she demanded.
"So harsh, Natsuki," Nao smiled, "I just want to be friendly."
With that Nao slid uncomfortably close, her thigh rubbing against
Natsuki's. "No," Natsuki calmly replied and proceeded to dump her glass
of wine over the stunned Nao's head.
"You bitch!" Nao yelped, taking a swing at her. After that, the party
proceeded to become rather lively.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Late the next morning the black motorcycle purred as she swung up
through the hills above Fuka, the trees breaking up the sunlight in
random patterns on the road. The Suzushiro home wasn't that far from
here, these heights mostly reserved for the long time wealthy or the
newly rich, each uncomfortable beside the other.
Natsuki coasted to a stop beside the ornate outer gate, reaching into
her black leather biker's suit to check the address. 'Yup,' she thought
as she pulled off her helmet, 'this is the place.' Rolling her bike over
she found the intercom switch and pressed it, hearing a soft ring both
there and presumedly up at the house.
"Yes?" a voice asked, the slightest trace of a Kyoto accent lingering.
"Natsuki Kuga," she replied, "I'm here about the job."
"Come on up," the woman answered, "ah'll be waiting."
With a soft hum the large metal gate slid back, the lane stretching up
into the trees. Mounting her bike once more Natsuki donned her helmet
and kick started, the engine roaring a moment before she sped off up the
drive. Within a few moments she came up to a fairly modest mansion, at
least for these parts, with a porch and a older style look.
'Reminds me of those samurai compounds from the movies,' Natsuki thought
as she parked her bike, setting the stand and putting her helmet on the
seat. She thought about changing clothes, but wasn't sure how long she
was staying. 'If the interview goes bad,' she mused as she walked up to
the door, 'I might want to leave in a hurry.'
A knock on the door brought a young woman in a maid's outfit, about the
same age as Natsuki. "Miss Kuga?" the long brown haired girl smiled
warmly, "My name is Aoi Senou. The mistress is waiting in the garden."
"Ah, thank you," Natsuki followed her as she asked, "how do you know my
name?"
"Yukino called ahead," Aoi shrugged, "she had to, or our chief of
security Harada wouldn't have let you in."
"If you have a chief of security, what does this lady need a bodyguard
for?" Natsuki frowned, smelling a rat.
Aoi opened a door in the back of the building as she answered, "Why
don't I let the mistress explain that?"
Outside, the sweet scents of summer flowers flowed through the air, the
gardens a carefully tended riot of colors. Aoi directed Natsuki down a
path then left, leaving Natsuki to walk along looking for the mysterious
lady of the house.
'I knew I should have gotten more information from Yukino,' Natsuki
thought, only seeing a young lady working on one of the flower beds.
"Excuse me," the older brown haired woman called in a lilting voice,
"could you get me the spade from the wheelbarrow over there? I'm tending
a delicate planting and I don't want to leave it alone..."
"Sure," Natsuki hurried to help, kneeling down beside the woman as she
felt her subtle perfume wash over her. She passed the spade over and
their hands touched, the other woman's hands oddly elegant even under
the dirt.
With smooth, graceful movements the woman in a purple t-shirt and jeans
dug a hole, then carefully split the plant she was holding and settled
it into the dirt. With obvious care she pressed the dirt around the
base, then proceeded to plant the other.
"Thank you," she smiled at Natsuki, her eyes the oddest shade of red.
"You're welcome," Natsuki flashed one of her rare smiles. Not the 'I
want to hurt you smile' or her 'I'm being nice till I can get the hell
away from here smile' but instead a honest expression of pleasure. Maybe
it was because of the strange down to earth quality the woman had, mixed
with a degree of refinement, but somehow Natsuki felt comfortable.
She sat back on her haunches, her thighs muscled beneath the denim as
she got a cloth from her pocket and wiped the glistening sweat away. She
studied Natsuki with a slight smile, "I don't suppose I could borrow you
for a bit?"
Natsuki hesitated. She should really be looking for the lady of the
house, not talking to the gardener. Still, there seemed to be no sign of
the lady and Natsuki found she liked her... "Why not?" she agreed.
For the next hour they worked on the flower bed, Natsuki getting quite
messy as the older woman chatted gently. All the while Natsuki was quite
unaware of how the older woman was drawing her out, her questions gently
drawing confidences from the distracted young lady.
"Nice work," the older woman finally said as they finished, the plants
clumped in just the right way for the gardener's taste.
"That was fun," Natsuki was surprised to confess. She looked up and saw
the maid and another young woman coming out of the house and heading
towards them, "Uh oh, busted."
"Trouble?" the older woman looked amused.
"I was supposed to be looking for someone," Natsuki shrugged.
"Miss Fujino," Aoi smiled at the gardener, "did the interview go well?"
She rose, brushing herself off as she said, "Oh, I think so."
"Eh?" Natsuki blinked.
"This is Shizuru Fujino," the black haired young lady with Aoi looked
amused, "our employer."
"Don't tease her, Chie," Aoi murmured, "Miss Fujino did the same to
you."
"You're Fujino?" Natsuki blurted out, feeling a mix of mild annoyance
and amusement at the situation.
"Sorry, Natsuki," Shizuru's eyes twinkled with mirth, "I meant to tell
you, but we got so involved with talking I forgot."
"Really," Natsuki said skeptically. From talking with her the last hour
she got the feeling there was a merry sense of humor under that
inscrutable smile, and with a sinking feeling she suspected it was going
to be directed at her.
"Does Natsuki not trust me?" Shizuru looked cutely wounded as she took
Natsuki's arm and gazed into her eyes.
Natsuki gulped, feeling her heart pound nervously. "It's not that..."
she blustered.
Shizuru smiled, "I'm so glad."
"Poor girl," Chie murmured.
The wryly smiling Natsuki shook herself, standing up straight as she
asked Shizuru, "I understand you need someone?"
Shizuru pouted but decided to stay serious a moment, "Yes, I do."
"Let's hear it," Natsuki said as the two walked back towards the house.
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