Threads of fate... The sun shined brightly at Lillian University that late summer morning. Nanto Yaya looked up to the sky where a clear rainbow made itself visible on the almost clear morning sky, a small mark of the slightly heavy rain the night before. It was her second year as a college student and she just glad that she was somehow able to readjust to life in Japan and being in a catholic and girl's school once again. "I feel like it's going to be a good day." She said to herself with a soft smile on her face. Placing a finger under her collar to fix the odd itching sensation the new red shirt, that she had bought a few days ago, was giving her. Over it she wore a slightly frilly black blouse that seemed one size too small for one part of her body, light blue denim jeans that had few intentional incisions here and there, and a black mini skirt that was as frilly as her blouse. "Yaya-chan!" a familiar voice called out to her. The raven haired girl quickly turns around and saw her blonde, former occasional classmate, senpai and friend Satou Sei. "Ah! Sei-senpai, Good Morning." She tried not to let her face show what she thought, she noted that the tall blonde girl's taste in clothes was severely lacking today, she had to try quite hard not to stare at the very wrinkled camouflage shirt and cargo pants. It was a rare sight for her to be wearing such clothes. She recalls asking her about it once but never really understood her answer, for now she'd like to think that she her senpai just has trouble living a dorm life and sometimes doesn't have time to wash all her good clothes. That or she's just really as laid back as she looks. "You look cheerful today. Did something happen during vacation?" she gave the raven haired girl an amused yet accusing look. "I'm always at awe at how you can tell my mood, senpai." Yaya couldn't help but blush at her senpai's gaze, something that started the very day she met Sei. She wasn't the type that blushed easily; she was the strong type... the ones that didn't need others. But this girl had proven otherwise, with her flirtatiousness and overly touchy habits. And though she knew it was never a real thing, meeting her was one of the things that distracted and helped her get over her heartaches... something that even moving to America for almost three years couldn't accomplish. Of course she'd never admit that to her out loud. "You didn't answer my question." Sei stated in a familiar and almost arousing tone, that Yaya was just glad she had gotten used to. The raven haired sighed softly in defeat and said; "I just have a feeling something good is going to happen today." Yaya looked at her senpai, with a genuine and soft smile that hasn't adorn her lips for over four years. "Oh! Something like this?!" Sei immediately stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Yaya, completely closing any gap and chance for escape for the raven haired girl to escape. But naturally anyone's reaction to being hugged suddenly is to push away who ever it was holding them. "Wait a minute! Let go of me senpai!!!" Yaya tried to push not really knowing or caring at first what part of her senpai she was touching. "Ah! You're so bold Yaya-chan! Touching my breasts in public and in broad daylight!" Sei yelled out jestingly. "WAH?!" Yaya in surprise and embarrassment did not bother to check if she was in fact touching Sei's breasts and immediately withdrew her hands and drops them down, completely losing her guard. She is then once again locked in the tall blonde's embrace who seemed more than happy about something. "Just kidding! You were actually touching my stomach!" "Senpai..." Yaya growled in an annoyed tone, her face turned bright red in fury and humiliation. "Ah! Yaya-chan, did you loose weight?" Sei muttered out loud as she gently groped and felt the soft curves of Yaya's buttom. It took her a few moments to stop, forget what she was doing and look down to meet the face of her favorite kouhai and see that the look on the raven haired girl's face was almost enough to silence her. "Yaya... -chan?" "I will kill you..." there it was... Yaya's death threat, backed up by a powerful killing intent that can probably cause any wild animal to cower in fear. Although Sei was well aware that it was an empty threat, despite the aura of death, to her it was a sign to stop. It was their unspoken rule that if and when the raven haired girl says it all teasing must end because it was no longer the least bit amusing for Yaya. And although the tall short haired blonde senpai wanted to do more to her favorite kouhai, the very same one she had missed teasing for over a week, she decided to stop and behave as it seems that her favorite kouhai wasn't in a very tolerating mood. Sei immediately letting go of Yaya and instantly focuses on cooling down the raven hair's fury. "Now... Now... I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Don't kill me." She said as she tried to lower herself and keep her head at Yaya's level or lower. She also clasped her hands in a way that screamed 'begging for mercy...' but it was clear to anyone, from just the look on her face that she does not mean it. But Yaya cooled down... used to the insincere act of apologizing that had probably been Satou Sei's signature, and Yaya would probably believe her if she said it's copyrighted and patented. She lets out a sigh letting out any of the anger that she still had in her chest and calming herself after a couple of deep breaths before turning her attention once more to her senpai. "You really know how to make and ruin my day don't you Sei-senpai..." she muttered in an almost aggressive tone. The blonde responded by sheepishly smiling and scratching her head. "Hehe... sorry about that..." then laughing at herself then added; "I just missed you so much..." which sounded more sincere than her apology. Yaya lets out another sigh that released the last of her rage. But oddly enough... if Yaya looked back, the only time that she ever gets mad is with and is at Sei. Yaya couldn't ever get mad at anyone else, at least not since she started lying to herself five years ago. Not even at her annoying Spican kouhai, Tsubomi, way back then. She didn't know why, or how... but Sei opens her heart and places in all kinds of emotions. Although she never once felt love for her tall blonde haired senpai and neither has her senpai seriously considered or shown her that she had feelings for her. Which sometimes made her wonder... was Sei acting like she did with Hikari over four years ago? The raven haired girl decided to just end the issue there before it gets confusing... she wasn't ready and maybe deep inside she'll never be. She turned away from her senpai and began walking towards the building after taking out her schedule card. As she walked away she heard her senpai yell out; "Yaya-chan! Lunch as usual ok?!" Their usual lunch would mean that Sei was to pick her up in her classroom. Yaya, without looking, answers her by waving her hand with her palm facing her senpai. A simple sign that Sei had came up with to be used between their circle of friends that meant; "Yes." And though she was still a little angry her mind began to ease up at the knowledge that Sei only invites her for lunch when she has money... needless to say, it was the blonde girl's treat later that day. In the ground floor of the west wing, Konohana Hikari sat on a random desk at the back close to a window. It wasn't her seat yet, maybe tomorrow someone will decide to take a seat there before she arrives, but that's not really a problem and was well known part of college life. She glanced at her schedule card before she looked at the board once more, where the room's number was painted on the board's corners, and was relieved to know that she was the right person, in the right time, in the right room. She could never get rid of most of her nervous side even after five years. Her shyness began to fade a few months after the time her best friend had left without a word to her... one spring morning. She missed her room mate and best friend greatly. She had spent almost a month in her room crying and sulking; only leaving it for class, food and her Etoile duties that didn't require her to be displayed to the public. She sent Yaya tons of letters, she tried calling her, but each time the maid or butler would say that Yaya wasn't home nor was anyone that knew where she was. And in the end... she never got a reply. That is until two months after Yaya had left... One letter came. It didn't have an address, a stamp, or said who it was from. The only thing written on the envelope was; "Hikari..." Inside held the letter she now treasures, now hidden in her secret box that was somewhere in her dorm room close by to the campus. That letter contained the most baffling yet painfully written words that she's ever read in her life; "Forgive me... Good bye..." "...Yaya" Those words made her cry when she had thought her tears had long run out after the girl had left. And although it seemed that it was Yaya who was asking for forgiveness... she couldn't help but feel she had done something to chase her best friend away. She would loose herself in thought for hours and hours; thinking of what it was that Yaya might have ever done that would need her to ask for forgiveness. And even after she had scanned her whole memory, there was nothing she could remember that made her even the slightest bit angry at her very first best friend. Since then she wished that she could meet her again and ask her about it. As she reminisced on those lonely memories the room slowly began to fill up with students some deeply sighing as the summer break was over, some others like her sat alone feeling new to the environment of the university and some happily chatting as friends who seemed awfully close. Hikari wondered if Yaya didn't suddenly leave, would they be as close they were? Would Yaya have been in her previous college and move here at Lillian University with her? Could their bond have deepen more?... but sadly she will never know the answers to those as the time for those questions to happen have long passed. Ootori Amane, Former Spican Etoile, and Hikari's first love had been more than accommodating until her last years at St. Spica. In Yaya's place, she took good care of Hikari. And as soon as Hikari had gotten over the shock of Yaya's sudden departure, made her very happy. But Hikari would still cry... occasionally, time and time again, she would miss her best friend especially when Amane is not there to make her feel better. "Yaya-san! Good Morning!" At the call of that name, the blonde girl couldn't help but look over to the source of the call. Her eyes found themselves looking towards the room's front door where a few girls stood, seemingly waiting for someone to arrive. 'I heard them right didn't I? They said Yaya-san... right?' she asked herself. But at the same time she felt an odd sense of doubt... that it was probably someone with the same name, Yaya was a rare name but it's not completely impossible for her to meet someone else with the same name. She looked on and waited for whom the girls greeted. But before she clearly could see who it was... she heard the unmistakable voice of her high school best friend. "Hi Everyone! Good Morning!" Yaya said in English with the ever popular American accent. It was quite wide spread among her former classmates that she had just moved back from America after finishing high school almost a year and a half ago. And a lot of them have always turned to her for help polishing their English. 'Yaya-chan?!' Hikari looked at the crowd more hoping she would catch a glimpse of her soon. There were quite a few girls making a fuss at the door blocking the blonde girl's view. But even if she did see the girl what would she say to her? Can she just run up to her, wrap her arms around her, calling out her name out loud and say that she missed her these four and a half years? Will she recognize her? Or the possibility that she fears the most is... what if Yaya doesn't even remember her? The professor suddenly arrived, greeted everyone and asked them all to take a seat before starting to introduce herself. Meanwhile in Hikari's deep thought she failed to catch a glimpse of the girl they called Yaya and confirm if it was in fact the same girl. She looked around the room but there were a quite a few long dark haired girls that she didn't know how to tell them a part from behind. It wouldn't have been a problem back in their high school days... the color, length and wave of her hair was long imprinted into her mind. But it was different now... and for all she knew Yaya could have cut her hair short or started tying her hair in odd ways. "Alright everyone! I'd like to get to know you a little before we start." The professor then looked at the seat at the front corner of the room before gesturing the girl on the seat to stand and introduce herself. Yaya stands and turns to face her classmates. "Nanto, Yaya..." she introduced herself in a calm and almost cold tone, before adding; "...all other information about me are classified so please don't ask!" in a light and comedic way causing almost everyone she knew and some that she didn't to laugh. Hikari at the back was stunned... It was indeed Yaya, her high school best friend Yaya. She didn't know why but she felt angry when the raven haired girl sat back down on her seat. Did she not see her? While the next students take their turn, Hikari thinks about more about what just happened. 'That girl is Yaya?!' she screamed at herself in her mind. 'That tall, beauty in black... is Yaya?!' Hikari rubbed her eyes once or twice before looking again, in complete doubt and shock. Curious as to Hikari's reactions the girl beside her asked; "Is something wrong?" "Eh?!" Hikari blurted randomly as she looked to her side and replied; "No... nothing..." before looking towards Yaya's direction, still in doubting and surprised. "Love at first sight?..." the girl asked, to simply tease the blonde girl to start a conversation, not bothering to consider how the girl will react. "WAAAAH?!" Hikari yelled out as she suddenly stood in surprise and embarrassment causing her chair to fall down behind her with a loud wooden crash. This caused quite a few heads to turn, including Yaya's. "You! At the back!" yelled the professor as she pointed her pen at Hikari. "Since you seem so eager why don't you introduce yourself now!" "Okay..." Hikari still blushing and even more embarrassed than she was stood and bowed apologetically to the professor. She then stood at an angle that faced most of her classmates but more importantly she was facing Yaya, who had sat in a way that she could see the girl without straining her neck. Hikari couldn't help but feel annoyed that Yaya's face showed no signs of recognizing her. "I'm Konohana, Hikari..." Before Hikari could continue to say anything else, she was surprised to see Yaya panic and very loudly turned her bag inside out which spilled all her things on her desk and catching the attention of everyone else in the room. She then sifted through her belongings and picked up a plastic case, inside it was a pair of glasses which she immediately put on before looking towards Hikari again. This immediately caused Hikari's hidden agitation towards Yaya to disappear, thinking that it couldn't be helped that Yaya didn't recognize her if her eye sight was bad now. Yaya's eyes weren't so bad, but it was enough that she couldn't see the faces of her classmates about three to four desks away. She could read the board but had to wear her glasses if she needed to read her text book or write a note. As Yaya's eyes slowly began to focus on the standing blonde girl, everyone else was in a state of surprise and wonder as they looked back and forth the two girls holding an unspoken unanimous decision to stay quiet and just watch. The raven haired girl knew that the girl standing was blonde and probably a little bit shorter than she was. Time seemed to have slowed for her as her eyes slowly focused and recognized her petite frame. Her heart raced faster and faster, anticipation was suffocating her. As her amber orbs slowly traced the soft waves of the blonde's lightly curled hair she swallowed an anxious gulp of her own saliva. And when her eyes finally gazed upon her face and met her blue eyes... Yaya gasped, held up her hands to cover the completely shocked and confused expression on her face. "Hikari?" Yaya, still in disbelief, tentatively mumbled audibly enough to be heard at the back of the room in thanks to the silence of their classmates. Hikari smiled at her brightly and said in a soft happy voice; "It's been a while... Yaya-chan." 'It's really Hikari!' Yaya screamed inside and yet she looked absolutely stunned outside. She never thought that she would ever meet Hikari again. The wish to talk to her, to see her again or even the thought to wish that had been completely buried deep in the recesses of her mind by her subconscious. By some odd stroke of fate she meets her again and she does not have a clue of what to do. The blonde girl grew worried by the second as Yaya had not blinked or moved. She took a step forward and walked over to the girl. Everyone else watched in awe full of questions about the relationship of the two girls but stayed quiet for now. As Hikari came closer, Yaya panicked inside. But she couldn't run, she couldn't speak, she couldn't breathe, every muscle in her body either slowed or froze in place except for her heart. And when Hikari was just right in front of the raven haired girl... the unexpected happens. Yaya's vision blurs, her breaths became shallow and slow, she felt cold and in seconds... she blacks out. Her body became limp and almost falls back. Hikari surprises herself by catching Yaya behind her waist and neck totally avoiding what could have been a serious injury had she fallen back on her desk or chair. "Yaya-chan!" "Yaya-san!" "Nanto-san!" Hikari and her classmates called out in panic and worry as they looked at Yaya's pale face. "Konohana-san?!" called one of Yaya's older classmates. The tone the girl used was threatening and would have scared Hikari, four years ago, but not today. "How do you know Yaya-san?" Hikari looked at girl and immediately knew that she admired Yaya in away something that she, again, wouldn't have noticed when she was younger. Hikari decides that it would be best to not sound the least bit hostile even though she was a little irritated by Yaya's odd and completely unexpected reaction to their meeting. But before she could answer their professor decides to step in. "You should take her to infirmary immediately!" She looked at the blonde girl first and asked; "Do you think you can carry her there?" Hikari immediately nods, inside she was glad that she came early and looked around the building taking notes of where what room was. The professor asks other two girls to help; one to assist Hikari and the other to pick up Yaya's things and take it to the infirmary with her. to be continued... Author's notes: Well that's it for the first chapter. I was so tempted to use some Japanese words and phrases or those trademark reactions, especially those that might make the character more realistic and make you feel that you watched a scene instead of reading about it but decided against those while it can be helped. First non Strawberry Panic character making her Cameo is Satou Sei from Maria-sama ga Miteru. More to come! Stay Tuned!
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