“Seating arrangements, catering, flowers… ahh… so many choices…What do you think Reito-san?”
“Maybe roses… but lilies are nice too…” Kanzaki Reito pondered, tapping his chin thoughtfully as he skimmed through table cloth samples and pattern books, giving each careful consideration. Warm breezes with just a hint of winter’s chill flowed through one of the open windows of the student council room, giving it a lazy springtime feel. The top four members of the council were enjoying a leisurely lunch while discussing some of the details for the two main year-end events, the graduation celebration and a formal hanami party.
Frustrated huffs and growls, punctuated by the staccato-thrumming of impatient fingers on a desktop came from the other end of the room where Suzushiro Haruka tried desperately to keep firm control on her notorious temper. The apparent disinterest of the Student Council President and Vice President seemed to be grating on her nerves. She fumed for a few minutes more slamming her fist down on the table.
“That’s it! It’ll take a decade before the graduation can take place! You two just do what you always do best and just leave the rest to me!”
All heads turned in her direction at her sudden, but not unexpected, outburst.
“You’ll take care of the Graduation ceremony preparations then, won’t you Suzushiro-san?” Fujino Shizuru’s calm voice carried over the din filtering through the half-opened door as students wandered from room to room at the change of class periods.
The Executive Board Director’s eyebrows beetled in annoyance as she realized that she was once again being manipulated into doing what she perceived to be the lion’s share of the work. “Damn right I will,” she replied through clenched teeth. “No way I’m letting you and that tea-drinking playboy embarrass Fuuka Gakuen by doing a half-assed job,” she gestured over her shoulder at Reito, who was lounging idly in a chair nearby, savoring a second cup of his favourite tea.
Shizuru continued to nurse her own cup with an almost imperceptible narrowing of her eyes as the only sign that Haruka’s slight had touched a nerve. “As usual, I see that I can count on you,” she acquiesced with a sidelong glance at the now-smirking Vice President. The look on his face spoke volumes. You know how she gets when we have events like these. The blonde girl crossed her arms with an indignant sniff.
“It’s a good thing you have me around, otherwise you miscretins would never get anywhere.”
“You mean, miscreants, Haruka-chan,” piped up a timid voice by the door. Kikukawa Yukino, the student council secretary, looked up briefly from her position at a small desk beside the door, her laptop open in front of her and neat, carefully typed notes from their impromptu meeting reflected in her glasses from the glowing screen.
“Hmph! Whatever. Come along, Yukino. We’ve got work to do.” Haruka strode angrily out of the room, leaving the poor secretary to hastily grab her laptop and knapsack and follow in her wake.
A frustrated sigh escaped Shizuru’s lips despite her best efforts. “She’s always such a pleasure,” Her dark-haired second-in-command chuckled at her exasperation.
“It wouldn’t be the same without Haruka-san making a big fuss over nothing.”
“Indeed,” Shizuru murmured. “Would you be so kind as to contact Suzushiro Corp for post-event compensations?”
“The usual?”
“It is graduation.”
“Hmm, I see your point. I’ll triple the usual fee. And now that is settled,” he paused, refilling his cup from the small tetsubin teapot that sat on the president’s desk. “You and I have other matters to discuss. Like how you’re going to keep Kuga-san from catching fire when she realizes what you’re up to.”
“Oh I do not think she will mind when everything is all said and done,” the brunette replied with a small smile. “Besides, the yozakura party would be the perfect place for her to learn the error of her ways.”
Reito laughed out loud at the sheer audacity of Shizuru’s machinations. “It is a dangerous thing to neglect the needs of kaichou-sama.”
“I see you and I understand each other perfectly, Reito-san,” she said with a straight face.
The young man laughed even harder. “Well if I’m going to be up to my neck in this endeavour, you’d best tell me what I’m to do. I have a feeling I’m going to need all of my wits in order to survive this little show.”
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
A lithe, leather-clad woman astride a freshly detailed Ducati 749 Dark slowly rolled into her favourite shaded spot behind a clump of Japanese maples. The motorbike gave one last throaty growl before fading into the sunny quiet as she cut the ignition and removed her helmet to allow long, dark hair to flow freely over her shoulders. Her ever-vigilant green eyes quickly gave the perimeter the once-over to make sure she was alone, hopped off and started removing her seifuku and trademark hoodie from a mid-sized backpack that was lashed to the rear of her seat.
Natsuki always tried to avoid the hustle and bustle of the Fuuka Gakuen campus and today was no different. It was much more active than normal these past couple of weeks as the school year began to wind down and preparations for various ceremonies and parties were in motion. Starry-eyed couples dotted the perfectly manicured landscape surrounding the massive Crystal Arboretum that was Director Kazahana’s home. The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes at one lovestruck pair that dashed past her hiding place, giggling and groping each other shamelessly.
“Will you people please get a room?” she muttered as a sudden flush crept into her cheeks. Dressing hurriedly so as to avoid anymore wandering students, she stuffed her riding suit into one of the hardshell saddle compartments and locked her helmet to the well-hidden bike. With a practiced flip of hair, Natsuki turned and marched down the hidden path through the woods that she normally took to escape the organized madness during the change of classes.
“Late again, Kuga? How typical of you.”
Natsuki whirled around and her eyes targeted the speaker like a laser. Yuuki Nao leaned casually against a nearby tree, filing her nails as if she had nothing else better to do.
“Nao! Isn’t there somewhere else that you need to be?” she hissed through gritted teeth.
The red-haired delinquent pushed off the trunk to stand cockily before her. “Nothing is more important than taking the opportunity to piss you off.”
Natsuki’s jaws worked as she tried to will herself to remain in control of her emotions. She silently wished that she still had the ability to conjure her ice pistols. The urge to stick them both in the irritating underclassman’s face and pull the triggers raged within. After several seconds engaged in a silent battle of wills, Nao’s insolent grin was countered by an uncharacteristically sunny smile from Natsuki, taking the younger girl completely by surprise. Nao blinked then narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
“Did I say something funny?”
The older girl merely shook her head. Nao was so much like her at that age, all attitude and fight, a streetwise kid that needed guidance. It was at times like these that she realized how grateful she was that Shizuru had found her. Despite her frivolous reputation, Shizuru was a patient teacher, loving and wise. The mask she put on for others was done out of necessity and survival. In the time they spent getting reacquainted with each other after the nearly cataclysmic HiME battle, Natsuki had come to know the vulnerable, private Shizuru and not just the flirty, self-assured Shizuru. That realization brought the unbidden smile to her lips that so irritated her opponent.
“It’s nothing. I was just remembering a lesson a very important person taught me once. Anyway, you’ll have to forgive me if I can’t play with you today. I’ve got things to do.” She turned on her heel to go but Nao couldn’t resist getting in one last parting shot.
“Jeez, Fujino really has you whipped. Who’d have thought the wolf could turn into a tame lap dog?”
Natsuki stiffened mid-stride as the taunt found the weak point in her carefully constructed armour. She could put up with many things but her masculine side would not let certain insults to her ego pass unchallenged. “Better be careful, Nao-san,” she commented in a deceptively mild tone. “This wolf still has her fangs.”
“Oh ho ho, that’s rich! What will you do? Run to your sugar momma and tell on me?” Nao snarked.
Natsuki whirled around, her fists clenched reflexively. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me, Kuga.”
“I’m sorry, I must have missed that. How about you come a little closer and fill me in?” A wolfish grin spread across the biker girl’s face and her eyes glittered dangerously. Anyone with common sense would have fled while they still had the chance. Alas, Nao wasn’t known to have that trait.
“What? Do you think I’m scared of you? Please!”
The “conversation” quickly disintegrated into a playground-type shoving match with both girls wrestling each other for domination. Natsuki was pulling on Nao’s cheeks and Nao had a firm grip on the front of her shirt when both girls heard laughter coming from a nearby walking path. Each instinctively dropped into a crouch to hide in the bushes to avoid being noticed by the passersby.
“Reito-san, you really are devious.”
“Well that is the reason why you helped me get elected, was it not?”
“Perhaps.”
Natsuki’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. She recognized that voice!
“Wha-? Wha-?” she sputtered.
”Shh!” Nao admonished her. “Do you want to spend the rest of the school year in detention with Sr. Yukariko and that crackpot cleric?”
The two voices continued to tease each other with light, flirtatious banter until they close enough to be seen. Shizuru and Reito came strolling into view, with her arm linked very affectionately in his. Nao practically had to sit on Natsuki to keep her from giving away their hiding spot. The pair continued to chat amiably as they sauntered down the well-trodden path towards the campus administration building. After a few minutes of tense waiting (and much gnashing of teeth on Natsuki’s part), the girls finally crawled out of the bushes.
“That was—“ the elder student struggled in vain against her traitorous mouth as she couldn’t seem to form a coherent thought. Indignant rage was clearly written all over her face. “Did you know--?!”
“Of course, I knew who it was,” came Nao’s long suffering reply as she picked stray leaves out of her hair. “Who’d have thought that Kanzaki was actually interested in girls?”
“You’re not helping,” Natsuki singsonged.
“Well then, I guess you have a mystery on your hands. Oh my, look at the time,” Nao glanced at her non-existent watch. “Gotta run!”
“Oi! Where do you think you’re going?” Natsuki grabbed the collar of her seifuku and jerked her up short before she had the chance to take flight.
“Oh no no,” the red-head shook her head. “This has nothing to do with me. Getting involved with you and that evil girlfriend of yours is bad news.”
“Who says that I’m giving you a choice?” Nao cocked a curious eyebrow. Apparently the wolf still had her claws as well.
“Hmm…I admit, I am curious about this little situation.” She paused as she tapped thoughtfully on her chin with a manicured, blood-red fingernail. “Buuut not enough to help you. Sorry!” Nao tossed her rival a dismissive wave and disappeared into the thicket.
“Nao! You bastard!” Natsuki yelled after her. “Fine. FINE! I can get to the bottom of this on my own.” She hitched her briefcase over one shoulder and wandered off in the opposite direction, muttering indignantly to herself.
“Do you really think she fell for it?” Reito asked in hushed tones as he watched a brassed-off Natsuki march past the deeply shaded spot where he and Shizuru stood.
Shizuru answered his question with a chuckle. “I guess we’ll soon see. You did a marvelous job by the way.”
“It was for a good cause. Hopefully, only the "somewhat outrageous" rumours will float about. I love you like a dear sister but Hiro-kun won’t be very happy if he thinks that my attentions are wandering,” he warned, taking care to mention the detrimental effects Shizuru’s plan could have on his love life.
“You needn’t worry, Reito-san,” she assured him with a sly wink as they walked out of the glade together. “After all, it was his idea.”