After Graduation - A Shizune/Hisao story (post good route)

[sg1cat]

This story starts at the last few minutes of the good ending of Shizune's route.

Contents:

• Chapter 1 (this post)
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3 (Erotic Content)
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12 (Erotic Content)
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15
• Chapter 16
• Chapter 17
• Chapter 18
• Chapter 19
• Chapter 20
• Chapter 21
• Chapter 22
• Chapter 23
• Chapter 24

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Chapter 1

[I love you.] I sign to Shizune and then pause, wondering if she'll look at me confused, and ask why I'd say it out of the blue. She doesn't.

["Do they do that reunion thing here?"] I ask and sign, suddenly feeling awkward and uncomfortable when Shizune doesn't even acknowledge my spontaneous confession. I struggle to ignore the knotting feeling in the pit of my stomach, trying instead to comfort myself with the wonderful memories from that night when we were alone together in the Student Council room.

[Of course they do] she responds, meeting my gaze with a wry smile.

["A Student Council member should know that~!"] Misha proclaims in her usual high pitched enthusiasm.

[Sooner than that, though, okay?] Shizune asks. I see an urgency in her eyes as she looks at me. I smile at her, but then she looks over at Misha.

[Both of you] she signs further, a slight flush covering her cheeks.

"Right~!" Misha proclaims with a wide and beaming smile.

"Yeah," I answer, the feeling in my gut twisting.

[Yuuko! You do the pose, too!] Shizune signs while Misha says the words for her so Yuuko can understand. [Afterward, we can go for tea.] She laughs, as if she doesn't have a care in the world. Misha's laughter joins with her as easily as if it were her own.

After some convincing, we get Yuuko to pose with us for a second shot, asking a passing student to take the photo for us.

[Okay! Let's go to The Shanghai!] Shizune signs, smiling from ear to ear at us.

I nod unenthusiastically, still frustrated and chagrined at her disregard for my confession of how I feel about her. In contrast, Misha nearly shouts her jubilant accent to Shizune's plan, smiling from ear to ear and bouncing excitedly. Meanwhile Yuuko mumbles a hurried string of pardons and slips away into the crowd, escaping the awkward fate of tea with friends. I cannot help but grin, having figured that she would never join us.

"Awww~!" Misha protests as she turns to see the shy librarian/waitress slip away. "Yuuuukooo~!!" our friend calls out regretfully. Before Shizune or I can protest, she dashes off into the crowd to try and bring back the shy woman who we can't even see through the mass of people. In a heartbeat, the teeming crowd swallows up the fleeting vision of bubblegum pink hair, leaving Shizune and I alone.

I turn awkwardly to the lovely girl standing next to me, watching her look on in frustration as our friend vanishes. [Damn it] she signs in short slashing motions, her hands conveying the same irritation that's so clearly written on her face. [She'd better come back. I want us to have tea together one last time!] She sighs her aggravation and I can't help but smile in spite of myself. The dull ache of my unanswered confession to her is still knotted up in my gut, but I again try and push the feeling down, struggling to replace it with memories of the intimacies that Shizune and I have shared.

It's no real comfort, though. The hollowness inside me grows with every second.

The cool touch of Shizunes fingers upon my cheek starts me out of my reverie. I realize I've been staring at her as I stand next to her, feeling sorry for myself. [What's wrong?] she signs, a look of concern on her face.

[Oh...nothing,] I sign back, forcing a smile and trying to push the feeling aside, though the battle seems a pointless one as the emptiness I feel inside continues to twist and torment me.

Shizune looks at me with a disbelieving eye, lifting her one eyebrow as she studies my face intently. [You know I love you too, right?] she finally signs after waiting a few more moments, as if to drag out my misery.

I'm stunned.

[What?!] I say in disbelief, almost forgetting to sign as my eyes fly wide open at her casual admission. My heart skips a beat and a flash of red covers my vision as my heart reacts violently to the words from her nimble fingers. She smirks at the look of shock on my face.

[I said,] she signs slowly and deliberately, as if I were slow witted (which I suppose I am), [I-love-you-too]. As her hands make the words, over-accentuating each one, her lips curl into even more of a delighted grin while those dark blue eyes of hers stare deeply to mine.

I let out a heavy sigh at her words, closing my eyes as relief floods over me. I smile. Opening my eyes, I look at her again with an adoring gaze. She beams at my reaction, clearly cherishing each moment that my brain struggles through to absorb her words.

Reaching out, I pull her into my arms, reveling at the feel of her body against mine. At first she stiffens in surprise, but then quickly melts against me. Vivid memories of our night in the Student Council come crashing back over me as I feel the heat of her nearness. Her thin arms wrap about my neck as she presses her curves tightly against me, making my remembrance even more real. My heart continues to pound in an alarming fashion as I hold her, so I regulate my breathing to try and settle it while I squeeze her tightly to me.

That's the last thing I need, to have another heart attack, just when my girlfriend tells me what I'd suddenly wanted so desperately to hear her say.

I press my lips to her hair, breathing in her sweet scent as we embrace.

After a while we part, but only enough for me to sign to her, [I love you very, very much, Shizune.]. I suddenly hate having to stop holding her in my arms in order to talk to her.

She smiles from ear to ear, her eyes glistening a little. [I know,] she finally answers with slightly trembling hands, [I love you too, Hisao].

We stare into each other's eyes for a few more moments, smiling happily, content to linger on as the emotion of the moment washes over both of us.

I cup her face in my hands, causing her stiffen again, her eyes growing wide as she looks at me. Staring into her eyes, I smile warmly at her. She seems to relax as she looks at me, her lips curling into a slight smile in return.

I lean in to press my lips to Shizune's, seeing hers curl into a joyous smile just before we meet. I hear her suck in her breath excitedly as I press my lips to hers, kissing her tenderly, sweetly. It feels good to just kiss her like this. She's been so sparing in her affections, going from no contact to full sex with almost nothing in between. It's bothered me for a while now, but what could I do? I've fallen in love with her, and I needed to respect her need for space.

Then again, maybe I should have tried to be a little more forward, as she wondered why I hadn't been, that night in the Student Council room.

Her lips move back against mine as I kiss her, and I smile within the kiss as she finally responds. I'm hopeful, maybe this is the start of a new beginning.

But why does it finally have to finally happen at the end of school?

Ah well. I'll be happy with whatever time and nearness I can get with her.

Sighing, I slide my hands down her body, lingering at the curves of her breasts but then wandering further down to wrap about her waist. She sucks in her breath at my touch, squirming slightly as she hesitantly slips her arms up my chest and around my neck. She plays with the hair at the back of my head while pressing herself against me once more, surprising me by deepening the kiss. We hold each other tightly and I respond with matching passion, our tongues dancing together as if we were trying to recapture the intimacy from our night together.

After lingering for a while, we part just enough to stare into each other's eyes. She's breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson as those dark eyes of hers stare intently into mine. We linger for a while, just looking at each other, before Shizune reluctantly pulls her gaze away from mine, then looks around.

[We lost Misha] she signs as her smile falls into a bitter, and perhaps slightly guilty frown. I purse my lips as I realize what Shizune is likely thinking - that Misha came back, saw us wrapped up in one another, and decided to leave us to ourselves.

[Maybe she went to The Shanghai ahead of us,] I sign with a hopeful gaze, trying to reassure us both. [Perhaps if we go there, we'll find her waiting for us.]

Shizune looks up at me with a disbelieving stare. Yeah, I wasn't buying that myself either, but I'm not sure what else to say. I put on my best poker face.

[Sure,] she signs without any conviction. [Let's go.]

With that, Shizune steps away and grabs my hand firmly, pulling me along with her through the gate to the school. I follow willingly along, looking around for Misha, calling out her name a few times as we walk. When she doesn't answer, I fall silent and struggle to keep up with Shizune's rapid, determined steps.


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Lots more on it's way, this is just the start!

[AntonSlavik020]

I'm fully behind any story involving Shizune, and I like the idea of it starting just as the story ends.

[Mournful3ch0]

Awesome! Very excited about this, as I always felt Shizune's end needed a follow up and you deliver! Very well written, but this one thing bugs me.

[Yuuko! You do the pose, too!] Shizune signs while Misha says the words for her so Yuuko can understand. [Afterwards, we can go for tea.] She laughs, as if she doesn't have a care in the world. Misha's laughter joins with her as easily as if it were her own.

Who is 'she' here? Neither Yuuko or Shizune seem to fit with laughter right now.

A half-handful of other inevitable spelling mistakes, but nothing else that breaks the enjoyment. Keep on it, man! This fic will be great, I just know it.

[sg1cat]

Awesome! Very excited about this, as I always felt Shizune's end needed a follow up and you deliver! Very well written, but this one thing bugs me.

[Yuuko! You do the pose, too!] Shizune signs while Misha says the words for her so Yuuko can understand. [Afterwards, we can go for tea.] She laughs, as if she doesn't have a care in the world. Misha's laughter joins with her as easily as if it were her own.

Who is 'she' here? Neither Yuuko or Shizune seem to fit with laughter right now.

A half-handful of other inevitable spelling mistakes, but nothing else that breaks the enjoyment. Keep on it, man! This fic will be great, I just know it.

Thanks very much! Love the feedback, I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the fic. I'm having a great time writing it.

For the first point, that's actually taken verbatim from the game itself. It's Shizune laughing.

Regarding the spelling errors, I realized I forgot to run spellcheck after posting and just cleaned it up.

I'm definitely continuing. As a teaser, I have another couple or three chapters already written...

Stay tuned!

[Mournful3ch0]

For the first point, that's actually taken verbatim from the game itself. It's Shizune laughing.

... I-I don't even... Doesn't it strike anyone as odd that the deaf-mute is laughing? ;_;

Well, uh. Ahem. Carry on then

[sg1cat]

For the first point, that's actually taken verbatim from the game itself. It's Shizune laughing.

... I-I don't even... Doesn't it strike anyone as odd that the deaf-mute is laughing? ;_;

Well, uh. Ahem. Carry on then

Hehe...quite so, but...!

She's not mute as in cannot vocalize. She inadvertently makes a noise when they have sex in the Student Council room, but quickly stops as soon as she realizes what's she's done.

Also, isn't there reference to Jigoro paying for a tutor to help her speak, even though she's deaf? (Been meaning to check that one myself, just haven't bothered yet).

[Mournful3ch0]

Hehe...quite so, but...!

She's not deaf as in cannot vocalize. She inadvertently makes a noise when they have sex in the Student Council room, but quickly stops as soon as she realizes what's she's done.

Also, isn't there reference to Jigoro paying for a tutor to help her speak, even though she's deaf? (Been meaning to check that one myself, just haven't bothered yet).

I recognize that, yes. The thing that was strange was that nobody payed any attention to it. Shizune, as you mentioned in the Student Council room scene, doesn't like making noise at all. Now they're in public and she just starts laughing..? I'm not questioning you, no sir. I'm just bemused by the change in the character and the total lack of response from everyone else around. Even Yuuko ignores it.

Oh! And yes, the bear man tries to get her to speak. I forgot most of the details but, needless to say, it was a failure.

[AntonSlavik020]

Hehe...quite so, but...!

She's not deaf as in cannot vocalize. She inadvertently makes a noise when they have sex in the Student Council room, but quickly stops as soon as she realizes what's she's done.

Also, isn't there reference to Jigoro paying for a tutor to help her speak, even though she's deaf? (Been meaning to check that one myself, just haven't bothered yet).

I recognize that, yes. The thing that was strange was that nobody payed any attention to it. Shizune, as you mentioned in the Student Council room scene, doesn't like making noise at all. Now they're in public and she just starts laughing..? I'm not questioning you, no sir. I'm just bemused by the change in the character and the total lack of response from everyone else around. Even Yuuko ignores it.

Maybe she did the thing where she covers her mouth and laughs silently?

[Mournful3ch0]

Maybe she did the thing where she covers her mouth and laughs silently?

Misha's laughter joins with her as easily as if it were her own.

Nah, just seems like a slip in the character. Nobody is at fault, it just seems ill fit to the situation.

[Blasphemy]

For a first chapter this doesn't really get me very excited because I have no idea what the premise is going to be. So it's post-graduation and... now what? At first it appeared like you may go for some relationship trouble between Hisao and Shizune but apparently that's not the case. Now I guess what's left is that it's about Misha feeling like a third wheel or simply too uncomfortable with their, now probably more frequent, display of affection, especially considering her feelings for Shizune.
Still, at least for now it feels a bit thin, like there's no particularly interesting idea that'll get you hooked in the story. Of course plenty people may be interested purely because it's a continuation of the route they enjoyed.

As far as the content of this first chapter goes:
I'm a bit confused as to why Shizune would straight out ignore Hisao's "I love you" confession when she reciprocates those feelings just a tad later. There's no good explanation other than she was lost in thought for a moment and didn't pay any attention. There's a huge difference between at least slight acknowledgment and full out ignoring such a gesture.

Considering Shizune's characterization I wonder if she'd be okay with kissing Hisao like that in a crowed place. After all she took her student council duties seriously, which included "no public display of affection." Granted, they graduated and I suppose at this point she no longer is part of the student council, yet it's hard to imagine that she suddenly wouldn't care about her previous attitudes in that regard.
It's not just that though. Yes, Shizune doesn't shy away from sex whatsoever and even enjoys the risk of getting walked in (mind you, just the risk), but, as you wrote yourself, she wasn't much for simple kissing and snuggling. That's not to say that it's impossible for me to see her having this site as well, yet, showing it in that moment, in a crowed area no less, that seems a bit OOC to me.

[Mirage_GSM]

showing it in that moment, in a crowed area no less, that seems a bit OOC to me.

This.
This is Japan, where even holding hands in public is still frowned upon by some.
A scene like that would. not. happen.

[TheGoatman]

I like this, will keep tabs on it!

[motokid108]

I digg what i've read so far. Looking forward to continuation

[Oddball]

I'm not really a big fan of stories that start the minute the game ends, but right now it's too early to say what's going to happen. Things could go anywhere from here.

[sg1cat]

When we arrive at The Shanghai, the place is deserted as usual. The same waitress that served Misha her parfait when she and I talked here just a few days ago comes to tend to us, but Shizune and I don't pay her much mind. A quick scan of the building shows that Misha is nowhere to be found.

We find an empty booth and Shizune sits down in a disappointed huff, frowning as she crosses her arms on the table, resting her chin atop of them.

"Can I get you something...?" the waitress asks hesitantly.

"Two cups of tea, please," I tell her, further specifying the rare tea that Shizune so likes. I seat myself next to her. Hopefully the drinks will help my girlfriend feel better, though I'm not too optimistic about that. The waitress scurries off to fill our orders as I wrap my arm about Shizune's shoulders.

She hesitates as I rub her shoulder, then sits back, leaning stiffly against me and sighs, signing, [I'm a lousy friend].

[No you're not,] I reply with one hand, moving forcefully to show my conviction. [She probably just got lost in the crowd, or distracted saying good bye to other friends of hers...] I don't exactly believe my own theories, but I don't want Shizune to mope during our last day together at Yamaku.

Shizune doesn't say anything in reply, but sighs instead. Time quietly passes by as she sits awkwardly against me, while I keep my arm wrapped about her shoulders. With that hand I slowly start to rub her arm and shoulder. After a little bit, she relaxes, slowly leaning against me more. After a while, she snuggles against me, presumably stewing in her own guilt.

After all that effort to get Misha talking to us again, here we sit without her on the last day of school.

The waitress returns with our tea, deposits the cups and the pot, then scurries off to disappear again. Shizune pulls away to pick up her steaming cup, and I do the same. We drink our tea wordlessly for several minutes, blowing on the hot liquid and sipping it periodically before I put down my cup and start to sign to my girlfriend.

[So what are your plans?] I ask.

She shrugs as she puts her cup down. [Go home and suffer through my father's usual tirades while I get ready for University] she signs. She looks even more dejected than before. Pausing, she then looks up at me with a hesitant stare. [What about you?] she asks.

[The same,] I reply, [except my parents aren't as insufferable as your father], I add with a wink. She smirks slightly and nods, though she still looks sullen. I suddenly realize that this may not have been the best topic to distract Shizune, since we're both leaving tomorrow for home, now that school is over. We don't know when we'll even see one another next. Our plans for next year were never discussed. She never brought it up of course, given her inclination to avoid confronting such loss, and I didn't raise the issue either. I can't decide if my reasons were out of deference to her, or because of my own cowardice.

Right now, however, that doesn't to matter to me. As happy as I am, having seen her hands sign "I love you" when we stood at the gate, it only makes the pain of our pending separation that much worse. Seeing that same hurt in her eyes as she is now unavoidably faced with the hard reality of it only adds to my own misery, making it unbearable.

Then an idea occurs to me, perhaps out of desperation.

Why do we have to say goodbye?

I attempt to keep a straight face as my epiphany quickly takes root, but I can't keep the corners of my lips from curling up slightly as the idea grows quickly, becoming a certainty in my mind.

[Want to come home with me?] I go on to ask, watching her face intently.

Shizune blinks in surprise, stunned.

She pauses, staring at me with an intent gaze. I watch nervously as she ponders her answer, watching me intently.

[You want me to go home with you?] she finally repeats in total disbelief. I nod at her, smiling from ear to ear now. [Now??] she clarifies, her brows knitting together in confusion.

[Well, tomorrow morning, silly,] I clarify, grinning as I lightly tease her. [But, yeah...why not?] I challenge, keeping my gaze locked on hers, smiling widely at her.

She looks uncertain, though I can tell by the look in her eyes that she wants to. Hesitating, she thinks about it for a bit before signing, [I don't know,] she starts to explain, her fingers moving nervously as she wrestles with the idea, [I've got a lot of plans for things I need to get done before I go to University, and I'm...not sure if I'm ready to meet your family yet...]

I frown slightly at her answer, but quickly realize how to convince her. I suddenly smile and shrug nonchalantly. [Oh, it's okay, I understand,] I sign back, grinning on the inside as I watch her expression fall slightly as I immediately yield to her protests. [It was just a crazy idea...]

She nods sullenly, looking frustrated and disappointed, but then I quickly dive back in, [although, you know...I did go with you when you invited me home for summer break without warning, and I met your family.] I pause, smirking when I see the look in her eyes as she starts to see where I'm going with this. I charge forward. [So, since I accepted your offer and you just declined mine, that means I win!]

She glares at me as I declare victory for a competition she didn't even realize we were having. [I didn't invite you!] she tries to protest as she sits up and adjusts her glasses, frowning. [You invited yourself, as I recall.]

Lifting an eyebrow at her, I smirk wryly. [I think you led me to it,] I sign in reply. [You were indirect about it, but you kept asking leading questions. You wanted me to come with you.] Looking her directly in the eyes, I reaffirm, [you even said so yourself.]

I feel a thrill as she glowers at me while chewing on her lip, not debating my point. Clearly she's fighting in her mind between the choices of losing to me and getting done things she needs to do versus taking the win away from me and delaying or giving up on whatever it was she wanted to accomplish at home.

Suddenly I have a new understanding for her love of competitions and winning.

I feel giddy, yet very nervous inside as I watch her, trying to read what her answer will be. Shizune isn't used to being put on her back foot of course, and this one really put her off balance. I feel rather proud of myself, though I'm starting to get worried the longer it takes her to answer. She takes a while before she finally says anything again. The wait makes me quite nervous.

[So, just to be clear,] she signs, watching me intently, looking deeply into my eyes, [if I agree to come home with you, then I win and you lose?]

That's my Shizune, unable to resist a competition, any competition.

[That's right,] I answer, nodding solemnly as I stare back into her all-consuming gaze. [If you come home and stay with me for a while, you win.] I can see the eagerness in her eyes as I confirm the rules to her. I'm almost certain that she'll be unable to let me have the win, and I'm sure that she *really* wants to come home with me and spend more time together. It feels like she's on the edge of agreeing, but still she hesitates.

I decide to leave nothing to chance.

[Besides,] I sign, [if you don't come home with me, I'll miss you. I'll miss you so damn much that I'll be absolutely and completely miserable.] The intensity of her competition stare cracks as I profess my need for her. I press on, adding, [I've never been so happy as when I'm with you. I want to spend more time with you. A lot more.] Her expression melts as she continues to stare into my eyes, her lips starting to turn into a sweet smile. [I don't want say goodbye tomorrow.]

She stares at me as I sign, her breath getting faster at my words. She hesitates for only a moment after I'm done more before nodding eagerly. [Okay,] she signs hurriedly, [I'll come home with you tomorrow and stay over.] Those beautiful lips turn up into an even more lovely smile as she pauses, then adds, [I'm not ready to say goodbye to you yet, either, Hisao. I want more time with you, too.] She pauses, then adds quickly, [Lots more.]

I breath a heavy sigh of relief, pulling Shizune into my arms once more. She readily leans into me, wrapping her arms about my neck as she buries her face against it. Again, she doesn't relax right away, but it's not long before she finally does. I feel her body melt against mine, her curves pressing against me as she snuggles up closely.

After a while, she pulls back to look into my eyes. I smile widely at her as I stare into those dark, lovely eyes. Her lips bloom into a wide smile as she looks back at me, happiness flourishing upon her face. Unable to resist, I lean in. She looks nervous, but doesn't flinch.

I smile happily when our lips meet, savoring the moment. Quickly losing myself in the kiss, I marvel at how differently my time at Yamaku turned out from what I expected or feared. Never in my life have I been so happy.

She holds me tightly, her lips rubbing tenderly against mine. To my surprise, she deepens the kiss, and soon our tongues are dancing together. Then she pushes slightly away from me, and looks into my gaze with a wicked grin, pulling her arms from around my neck to sign, [So this means that I win!!] Her smile is uncontainable as she does a little victory wiggle while still in my arms.

I release her to answer, [Well...I think we both win with this decision,] I try to protest.

[Nope!] she signs back, giddy with her gloating. [You can't have two winners! That's silly! There's always a loser to every winner, and today, you're the loser and I'm the winner!!] I smile at her words, laughing as she adjusts her glasses before going on to sign further, [I beat you again!!]

I sigh happily, nodding at last, trying my hardest to put on a defeated expression. [Fine,] I faux lament as Shizune silently giggles at my act, her hand moving to cover her mouth as always, [you win, again.]

We stare into each other's eyes for a while before she gets a naughty look in her eyes. I look at her suspiciously when she proclaims, [Now...as winner, I claim the spoils of my victory.]

With that, she leans in and presses herself against me, kissing me even more deeply than before. I'm surprised by her sudden confidence, but embrace her tightly nonetheless and kiss back as passionately, my arms wrapped snugly about her waist. The feel of her warm curves pressed against me sends a thrill of excitement through my body.

If this is losing, I can deal with it.

Though...it makes me wonder what winning will feel like...