Katawa Shoujo Forums

13loop wrote:This Shizune is much more affectionate that portrayed on the story, and I'm loving it! Good job, like always.

Thank you, I really appreciate the feedback. I'm very glad you like it so much!

dewelar wrote:I have to say, given the influx of darker stories lately, it's good to have a quality bit of fluffiness like this to break it up .

I'm glad to have contributed.

Stay tuned, there's lots more quality fluff on the way!

dewelar wrote:One error I noticed:

taking in the site of so many books

Should be "sight".

Thanks, went back and fixed that.

OutofBlues wrote:Sometimes you just need to read something to put a grin on your face and this fic brings out the grins by the truckload. Thanks for lightening things up a bit sg1cat.

Awww, thanks...your reply had the same effect on me, it's great to know my story made you smile so.

I shall gladly continue to lighten things up with grin-inducing fluff.

In fact, here - have some more...!

Riakai wrote:Loving the fic, well written. Shizune's attitude and OTTness isn't really bothering me that much. It's not a blatant screw off of Character, like Rin suddenly making sense or Emi becoming the world's most mature person ever. Just a slight deviation I can agree to look over.

Thanks very much, I greatly appreciate the feedback.

I guess it is a little OC for her to be affectionate, but that's kinda why I started writing this.

I'm really glad you like it so much, thanks very kindly for taking the time to say so. It means a lot to get such feedback, helps motivate me to write more.

After yet again winding our way through the labyrinthine town, we find ourselves before our final shop. Like the other stores in the village, it's a quaint little building. We enter the front door with the girls leading the way this time, to find ourselves greeted by racks upon racks of clothing. I marvel at how empty the store is. Yet again, we're the only customers. It amazes me that any of these shops can stay in business.

Misha squeals in delight at the sight of all the clothing. Shizune smiles happily as she watches our friend's reaction, a look of satisfaction crossing her face.

Glancing around the store, I realize that they seem to only stock girl's clothing. What's more, they have counters at the back of the store for makeup and jewelry. It looks like a young woman's paradise.

I'm going to be bored silly here.

The touch of Shizune's hand upon my arm draws my gaze away from the vast wasteland of tedium before me. She beams at me with a wry grin. [Misha and I are going to be a while, shopping here.] As my shoulders fall and my expression drops even more, her lips twist into an even more amused smirk. [You don't look excited by that, Hisao!] she signs, attempting to feign a surprised expression. As usual, Misha's giggles accentuate my girlfriend's antics.

[Well,] I begin, pausing to try and figure out how to be delicate, [I'm...glad you two will have fun...]

Misha starts to guffaw as I tiptoe around the fact that I'm going to be bored to tears here, while Shizune covers her mouth with her hand as she silently giggles. Her eyes dance with amusement as she watches me try and force a smile, a task I don't pull off very well at all.

[Why thank you,] she says with a grin, [that's very considerate. Maybe we'll stay longer than I planned, then...] My shoulders slump at this and Misha continues to laugh as Shizune goes on, [We'll be trying on lots of outfits. Do you mind if we model them to you, so we can get your opinion on them?] The thought is not without its appeal, I confess. Still, that will be only the punctuation of enjoyment in a vast essay of tedium while the girls shop and change and shop again.

My smile becomes a little less forced, but I nod all the same as Shizune continues to smirk at me, silently giggling a little along side of Misha. She watches me with adoring eyes, then adds, [Now aren't you glad you let me buy you that book?]

I glance down at the rectangular object in my hand, half surprised to find it there, even though I'd been holding it since we left the book store. Feeling a little like an idiot, I glance up at Shizune and smile sheepishly as I suddenly realize this was her plan all along.

Her smile blooms as she sees my face, and I sign with extreme gratitude, [Thank you so much, my love.] It's over the top, but I'm rewarded by the reaction I get. She blushes suddenly at the term of endearment I used, her gaze softening as she looks into my eyes. Her lips curl into a sweet smile as she grabs my hand and squeezes, then drags me back into the store with long strides until we reach the back corner of the store. I can hear Misha behind me as we walk, giggling the whole time. In the back, we find a couple of curtained changing booths and a chair, which Shizune pulls me over to.

[You can sit here and read while we do our shopping,] she signs to me as she turns to look at me again, smiling coyly at me. [This way, you'll be ready and waiting whenever Misha and I try on our outfits.] I chuckle at her words, watching her with an adoring gaze. She blushes slightly at my smile, appearing slightly uncomfortable at the way I'm looking at her. A determined look crosses her face as she grabs me by the arms and pushes me into the chair to sit.

I look up at her as she forces me down, her hands still gripping my arms, pinning them to the armrests. Memories flood my mind of when she secured me to another chair, during summer break. My smile turns wicked. I look up into her eyes with a knowing gaze. She blinks at me, looking confused, but only for a moment. Her cheeks suddenly blush a bright red as I lift an eyebrow at her, smirking. As she looks back into my eyes, she swallows hard, her breath quickening a little as the familiarity of the situation clearly washes over her as it has for me. I can feel the heat of her breath upon my neck and face, as I'm sure she can likewise feel mine.

She lingers, probably longer than she should, given that Misha is standing right behind her. We stare into each others' eyes as the seconds tick by, and I'm unable to stop from blushing at this point. Memories of the heated intimacy from we joined together in her guest room rush over me. By the look on her face and in her eyes, Shizune's mind is full of the same rememberances.

With a slight frown, she releases me and stands up straight. A sense of reluctance at having to part is apparent on her face, though her eyes stay fixed upon me as she removes herself. I look back up into her eyes, which stare at me unblinkingly. The start of a smile appears at the corners of her lips, the sight of which triggers a wide smile of my own. Smiles bloom for the both of us even as we continue to blush together, the chain reaction now unstoppable.

[Stay here,] Shizune finally signs, as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened, in spite of the flush that still colors her cheeks. [We'll be back soon to give you a bit of a show,] she continues, doing her best to appear nonchalant, even though it's a lost cause. She lingers just another moment, staring into my eyes, before she turns on her heel and strides into the clothing racks with a wide grin, leaving behind a befuddled Misha.

The pink haired girl looks at me with a confused, quizzical look. I blush all the more, attempting my best to look nonchalant as I smile innocently back at her.

She lifts an eyebrow and I shrug at her, feigning a confused look. This causes her to furrow her brow at me, looking annoyed as well as confused. I only smile more, causing her to get even more irritated. She rolls her eyes and turns to follow Shizune, moving briskly to catch up. I chuckle at this, sighing happily.

I open my book, wondering if I'll be able to focus on reading as I revel in what Shizune and I just shared. The prospect of days and weeks alone with her stretches before my mind, and I shiver with excitement.

I draw in a deep breath, trying to calm myself and clear my mind. Flipping slowly through the first few pages, I look over the contents, the forward, and the title page as I work on getting myself in the right mind frame. Turning to the first page, I sigh happily and start reading.

At first it's a struggle to focus, but I soon settle into the story. It's been a long time since I lost myself in a book, yet even after so many months, I find it easy to do. Maybe it's because of how much reading I did in the hospital, or maybe its because I've been lacking it for so long.

Either way, time loses its meaning as I read, turning page after page without a thought or a care in the world.

Because of that, I jump when I feel the gentle touch of fingers upon my cheek. Looking up, I see Shizune, a broad smile upon her face as she watches me.

[It's a good thing you don't work here as a security guard,] she quips, [Misha and I were both able to slip past you with all the stuff we got off the racks. You didn't move once!]

I blink in confusion, then realize that she and Misha have both changed into summer dresses, each similar to the one that Shizune wore when we left for Summer Break. Misha's dress is a vibrant green, a color much like the Yukata that she wore for Tabanata, with short sleeves and a plunging neckline. It's surprising to see her in a dress. She looks good.

Glancing back from her to the young woman standing in front of me, I see that Shizune is wearing a red dress that shows off her cleavage quite nicely while leaving her shoulders bare. I stare in wonderment at her as she stands before me. She starts to slowly turn around for me to see. There's even less of the dress in the back than in the front. A goofy grin to spreads across my face.

As Shizune completes the turn to face me, she signs, [What do you think?] but then catches a view of my expression. She giggles silently while covering her mouth with her hand, and before I can answer she signs, [So I guess you really like it, huh?] I blush at her assessment, which only makes her smile all the more.

[Yes, I like it,] I sign. Misha laughs at us yet again, which I do my best to ignore. [You look very beautiful,] I tell her. Her face lights up. She looks positively radiant.

[Thank you. I was hoping you'd find it appealing,] she admits, blushing demurely as she signs.

[You're VERY appealing,] I sign to her, which causes her to blush even more.

[Doesn't Misha look good, too?] she signs further to change the topic, glancing over at our friend. Smirking, my gaze follows hers, and I then smile at the pink haired girl as she turns around for us.

["Absolutely,"] I say and sign as Shizune looks back at me to get my opinion, ["She's gorgeous."] I meet my girlfriend's gaze, adding, ["You both are."]

Her eyes then get the glint of mischievousness to them again. [Well, just wait! There's a lot more we're going to try on!!] She adjusts her glasses with a triumphant smirk.

I laugh at her words as she spins about, causing the skirt of her dress to fly up, giving me a good view up her thighs. My eyes widen somewhat and Misha giggles again, asking, "Trying to catch a peek, Hicchan?" I blush as I chuckle and look over and meet her gaze. She winks at me, and I shrug, not bothering to denying it.

The girls both disappear behind the curtains of the dressing rooms. I smile to myself, waiting patiently as they get changed. I don't bother to resume reading, figuring they'll be ready before I can really get back into my book.

I'm proven right as Shizune soon steps out from behind the curtain, this time wearing a pair of denim shorts that hug her round behind perfectly while showing off almost all of her thighs. She also wears a skin tight, black tank top that shows off the curves of her ample breasts perfectly. My eyes go wide I suck in my breath as I see her in this more casual, yet extremely sexy outfit. Again she smiles from ear to ear at the sight of my reaction, giggling silently as she covers her mouth with her hand.

[So this outfit is no good, I guess?] she asks with a wry smirk, causing me to chuckle.

[Yeah,] I tell her, locking my gaze with hers. [It's dreadful. I don't know why you thought I'd like it.]

[Darn,] she says with a soft snap of her fingers, still giggling silently, [I guess I'll have to try on something else, then.] I laugh all the more along with her, staring into her eyes. As we laugh, Misha appears, wearing another dress, this one entirely white with a pink trim. It's strange to see her dressed so, given her usual choice of clothing when not in uniform. Maybe she's going for a new look as she gets ready to head to New York, I reason.

[You look great, Misha!] Shizune signs to her while smiling vibrantly at our friend.

Misha smiles from ear to ear at the praise, spinning around for us as I comment warmly, ["That looks simply stunning on you."]

Both wearing big grins, the girls go back in and change again. This time, Shizune comes out wearing a pair of jeans and a dark red, long sleeve top that's cut to give an amazing view of her cleavage. My eyes fly wide open again as she looks at me with a sultry gaze. She silently giggles once more at my reaction, clearly enjoying the way she can make me react by teasing me so.

I can't help but notice a theme in her choice of clothing, one that I like. I wonder if I'm the reason that she's picking such clothes.

[My God you're beautiful,] I sign before she can move her hands. She blinks at my simple compliment as her cheeks color slightly. She looks at me with half lidded eyes, smiling coyly at me. Just then, Misha comes out from the changing booth, decked out in yet another dress, this one a rich plumb color.

[You look really good,] Shizune tells her. [I like all the dresses you picked. You should definitely buy them and wear them more often.]

I nod in agreement. ["You look really good in a dress, Misha,"] I add. The pink haired girl beams at our words.

["Thanks, you two,"] she says with an appreciative voice while signing. ["I figured if I'm going overseas, I should make sure I look good."]

[Absolutely,] Shizune agrees. [You'll meet all kinds of wonderful people over there,] she signs, [You'll want look your best to make new friends.]

Misha smiles sadly at Shizune's words, her shoulders sagging as the reality of our pending separation hits her. ["Thanks, but,"] she signs, her voice betraying her sadness. ["I'll miss the two friends I already have..."] she says, looking at us pointedly, her eyes lingering on Shizune. The light in Misha's eyes seems to dim as she slumps. I purse my lips at this, not sure what to say.

Shizune frowns, a slightly panicked expression coming over her face. She steps close to Misha, putting her hand on our friend's arm, looking concerned. [Are you okay?] she signs.

Misha nods, biting back tears. Shizune too looks sad enough to cry now, meeting Misha's gaze as our friend looks up. They stare at each other for a moment, then hug each other tightly. My heart aches at the scene playing out before me, and I suddenly feel guilty that I get to spend more time with Shizune after today. I say nothing and lower my gaze away from them, as I start to feel like I'm intruding.

The moments slide by in silence. I hear the gentle ruffling of clothing, and I assume that they've parted, as I then the soft whisper of movement, which I take to be them talking to each other in sign. Still I keep my gaze averted, cast to the floor as I bend my head slightly down, feeling that they deserve to be able to speak without me 'listening' in.

The moments turn into minutes as they talk, and still I keep my eyes upon the floor. Even though I can't see either of them and have no idea what they're saying, I believe that even from all the way over here I can feel the emotion, thick between them. My heart aches at where we find ourselves. We three have become so close, and tonight we will have to part for a long, long time.

Maybe forever.

Closing my eyes, I breathe a silent thanks to whatever fate allowed me to stay with Shizune after today. I don't even worry about after our break, when we go to University. What were the odds that the answer would presented itself to me so easily, as it had earlier today.

Again, my luck seems extraordinary.

Then I feel a gentle touch upon my cheek. Lifting my gaze, I find myself looking into Shizune's beautiful dark blue eyes. They're tinged red around the edges, but her smile is genuine. It's impossible not to smile back at her. Leaning in, she presses her lips to mine lightly. I kiss back tenderly, reaching up to touch her cheek in turn. She lingers briefly before pulling back to look into my eyes.

[Thank you,] she signs to me.

[What for?] I ask her, confused.

[For letting Misha and me talk in private,] she signs. [It helped a lot.]

I smile kindly, nodding at her. Glancing behind her, I see Misha's feet behind the curtain of the changing room she was using. Looking back at Shizune, I sign with a shrug, [it seemed wrong to intrude.]

She beams at me, leaning in to kiss me again but deeper this time, her hands now caressing both of my cheeks. I sigh happily, meeting her lips eagerly, our tongues dancing together.

After pulling back again, she signs with a happy sigh, [It's so easy to love you]. I smile widely at her as tingles run through me at her words.

[I should get changed back now,] she signs, caressing my cheek once more as she steps away to her booth. [It's almost time for dinner.] I nod, grabbing her hand as she turns to go. Looking back, she smiles from ear to ear at me, gripping me tightly before slipping away and vanishing behind the curtain.

Just then, Misha appears wearing her uniform again, a stack of dresses and other clothing piled over her one arm.

"Thank you," Misha says with a faint smile, echoing Shizune's sentiment. Her eyes are a lot more red than my girlfriend's were.

I nod at her, smiling kindly again. "It seemed right to give you two some privacy," I say.

Misha looks very anxious all of a sudden, and says hurriedly, "Promise me you'll take good care of her?"

I nod at her, meeting her gaze intently. "Of course. You know I will. I promise."

She smiles briefly, then frowns again. "I'm scared for her," she says.

My brow furrows. "Why?" I ask, quite confused.

"When she goes to University," she says, looking very distressed. "She'll be all alone, apart from us."

"She'll make new friends, just like you and I will," I try to point out, to which Misha frowns at me with a disbelieving stare, putting her fists on her hips in spite of the clothing piled there.

"Hicchan, you know how hard that will be for her~!!" she chides, her voice still heavy with emotion. Of course she's right. Shizune will be unable to communicate with most of the students. Assuming there is even a population of deaf people at Tokyo University, she's not the best at making or keeping friends. Misha and I know that all too well.

Glancing behind Misha at the curtain that hides us from Shizune, I hurriedly say, "Well then, it's a good thing I'll be going to school with her."

Misha's eyes fly wide open at my words. "Wha~!?" she cries out in surprise. I wince, even though Shizune couldn't possibly have heard her. I smirk as she realizes her volume, and she lowers her voice. "Hicchan, you said you were going to Kyoto~!!" the pink haired girl protests.

I shrug. "I was thinking about it when I said it," I explain. "I was accepted there, but I didn't really decide yet where I was going." She furrows her brow at me as I smile mischievously. "But I was also accepted at Tokyo University..."

Misha's lips curl into a wicked, conspiratorial smile. "You lied to your girlfriend, Hicchan~!!" she accuses me with an amused voice. I'm relieved to see her feeling better, even if it's just a little bit.

Smirking back at her, I shrug again. "Only so I could surprise her with it later," I explain. "I had no idea she was going to Tokyo until after I said Kyoto," I further justify. She smiles all the more as she interrupts me.

"So once you heard she was going to the school you were accepted, you decided to go there too~!?" she asks with anticipation, though the answer is so blatantly obvious.

The curtain hiding Shizune starts to rustle as I nod my answer. Shizune emerges from behind the curtain and I quickly tell Misha with a forceful voice, "DON'T tell her!!" The pink haired girl nodds as my eyes locking with Shizune's as she takes her first look around. I look back to Misha and quickly add, "I want to surprise her," Shizune frowns at the sight of my moving lips and expression, not to mention the fact that I'm not signing.

Misha nods as Shizune looks at Misha, my girlfriend's brow starting to furrow as she sees Misha's verbal answer. "I won't, I promise~!!" Misha says solemnly, intently meeting my gaze with a nod. Shizune looks from the girl beside her to me and back again, growing increasingly annoyed at us.

[What are you two talking about?] she asks with some difficulty as she juggles the clothing she carries. She seems clued in to the fact that we were talking about her, in addition to being annoyed that we were talking and not signing.

["Not a thing, love,"] I lie, standing up and walking over to her, leaning in to kiss her. She ducks back at this, frowning at me as I do.

[Bullshit,] she responds, shuffling the clothing in her arms.

["Hicchan was making me promise to write to you every week,"] Misha interjects, drawing Shizune's venomous gaze away from me to her. ["He's been very worried about how you'll handle us being apart."] I blink in astonishment at Misha's lie, stunned by how quickly she came up with it, what a perfect story it was, and how she credited me with the worry for Shizune that she bears in her heart.

My girlfriend's scowl melts at this, looking back over to me with adoring eyes as I turn back to meet her gaze. Instead of trying to talk while juggling all of that clothing, she just steps towards me and wraps her free arm about my neck, pulling me down to kiss her. I let out a moan in surprise, quickly overtaken by the passion in her lips as she immediately deepens the kiss. My eyes drift shut and I wrap my arms about her waist, pulling her closer.

We linger longer than I expected before she pulls back from me. She signs simply, [Thank you...my love,] adding the last words as almost an afterthought, her cheeks flushing pink as she does.

I smile from ear to ear, nodding at her. Looking positively radiant now, she turns to lead us to the front register so she and Misha can ring out.

"Thanks," I say to Misha as we follow behind her, smiling widely.

She's smiling as we walk, nodding. "Of course, Hicchan~!"

Reaching into my pocket, I quickly produce the purple cat that I bought at the glass store earlier today and show it to Misha, careful to keep it hidden in my hand from Shizune's angle, in case she looks back at us. Thankfully, she doesn't.

"Oooh~!!!" Misha squeals, and I'm again incredibly glad for a moment that Shizune is deaf. In spite of Misha's amazing save just now, our pink haired friend quite often shows an incredible lack of discretion.

"She'll love it~!!" Misha says with her trademark laughter as I stuff the figurine back in my pocket, just in time for us to reach the register.

I wink at her as Shizune piles her stuff on the counter in front of the poor cashier, who helplessly looks at the heaping mound. My girlfriend turns back towards us. [You too, Misha,] she commands with firm signs, [I'm buying].

["What~!? No~!!!"] Misha says and signs in protest.

Shizune's ear splitting snap deafens us and the poor cashier. [No arguing!] she signs forcefully. [I want to give you a graduation gift.] Misha frowns, looking at the heaping pile of clothing, then back at Shizune, lifting an eyebrow. Shizune frowns slightly more, [and a...'going-to-University' gift...]

[and maybe her birthday, too?] I ask, smirking. Shizune's scowl makes me regret it as soon as I sign it.

Misha sighs in defeat, piling her clothes on the counter, along with Shizune's.

[I'll pay you back,] the pink haired girl signs with an earnest and determined look.

Shizune only smiles beatifically at this and shrugs. Clearly, she has no intention of letting that happen, but doesn't seem to think she even needs to argue the point.

I smirk to myself as the cashier starts the arduous task of ringing out all of the girls' clothing.

We're going to be here a while.

After yet again winding our way through the labyrinthine town, we find ourselves before our final shop. Like the other stores in the village, it's a quaint little building.

I understand your desire for variation, but a town and a village are not exactly the same...

Memories of the heated intimacy from when we joined together

as I then hear the soft whisper of movement

Nice job of including some more character interaction in the shopping spree this time.

That actually depends on where you are.

In some places, town has a specific meaning, yes. Others, it does not.

Here in Ohio for instance, town has no legal meaning, and can be used to refer to any municipality regardless of size. Village has a specific legal meaning (under 5000 residents), as does city (5000+ residents), but town can refer to either.

sg1cat wrote:This time, Shizune comes out wearing a pear of jeans

Wow, a pear made out of jeans? That's quite a sight!

sg1cat wrote:[For letting Misha and I talk in private,] she signs.

Misha and me

More commentary will have to wait; I'm on a mobile device.

Mirage_GSM wrote:

After yet again winding our way through the labyrinthine town, we find ourselves before our final shop. Like the other stores in the village, it's a quaint little building.

I understand your desire for variation, but a town and a village are not exactly the same...

Thanks for pointing that out. As you guessed, I was just looking to avoid using the same word too often.

Sometimes, there's just not enough good synonyms...

Mirage_GSM wrote:

Memories of the heated intimacy from when we joined together

as I then hear the soft whisper of movement

Nice job of including some more character interaction in the shopping spree this time.

Thanks, glad you liked it. More interaction to come (I'll likely publish the next chapter this Friday.

griffon8 wrote:

sg1cat wrote:This time, Shizune comes out wearing a pear of jeans

Wow, a pear made out of jeans? That's quite a sight!

Hm...what a fruity mistake!

Thanks, fixed...

griffon8 wrote:

sg1cat wrote:[For letting Misha and I talk in private,] she signs.

Misha and me

Fixed, thanks much.

griffon8 wrote:More commentary will have to wait; I'm on a mobile device.

Looking forward to hearing more commentary.

About twenty minutes later we leave the store. Both girls should be weighed down with the many bags of their purchases, but somehow I got stuck with the bulk of them. Shizune and Misha, however, only carry a single bag, each. This allows the girls to sign back and forth as we walk, while I can only look on as we make our way to the Chinese restaurant where we ordered takeout from so many times through the year.

When we arrive, the girls walk in first, with me following behind. I set down the bags as we reach the counter as they did, just before me. Looking up at the menu overhead, I try to decide on what I want. The girls are already busy signing to each other, picking what they'll order, with Misha relaying their choices to the cashier.

As I study the menu, I feel a tap on my shoulder. Glancing over, I see Shizune smiling at me. [What about you?] she asks, [What do you want?]

Smiling at her, I then look at the attendant and place my order, ["I'll take an egg roll, some shrimp fried rice, and the pecan chicken."] Without thinking about it, I sign it for Shizune's benefit, even though it wasn't really necessary.

Shizune wrinkles her nose. [That's a lot of food,] she chides me. Suddenly I wish I'd forgotten to sign it.

[I'm hungry,] I tell her simply.

[You just had a sandwich,] she replies, still frowning slightly.

[That was lunch, it was a long time ago,] I reply.

[I hope you can eat all that,] she tells me. [I don't want to waste any food.]

Smiling at her, I nod. [Don't worry, I will.] She lifts an eyebrow at me. Clearly, she doesn't believe me, but doesn't choose to argue the point.

I hope I can finish what I ordered, or I'll never hear the end of it.

Shizune then goes to pay the bill while they get our order ready. Again I feel a pang of guilt as my girlfriend once more covers our tab, and I glance over at Misha. She meets my gaze with a depressed look and it's clear she shares my sentiment. Neither of us make a move to protest, though. By the look in Misha's eyes, she's as worn down as I am from fighting with Shizune over who's paying the bills today.

Looking around at the mostly empty restaurant, Misha asks, [Are we going to eat here?]

Shizune shakes her head. [No,] she signs definitively. [We're going to the school roof.]

I grin at her, [One last time up there, huh?]

She nods. [It's appropriate,] she signs. [Our last dinner together, I want it to be somewhere special.]

Misha frowns slightly, [The food will get cold if we walk all the way up there to eat it.]

Shizune shakes her head, [No, they're wrapping everything in aluminum foil, it'll be nice and warm like when they deliver.]

I grin at her answer, then sign, [I'm surprised you didn't want to eat it in the Student Council room.]

Shizune pauses. [I'd considered that,] she finally signs. [But the Student Council is done, now. I'm not the President anymore, and we're no longer the ruling body.] She smiles widely at the two of us, [It's a new beginning. All that's left now is our friendship. I think eating up on the roof is better - we can enjoy the fresh air, sunshine, and most importantly, the pleasure of each other's company. We don't need reminders of all the duties and challenges we had in the past year.] Misha and I share a glance and look back at Shizune as she adds, [Today is about us and our future as friends, not about the past.]

Misha and I smile at her words, our gazes meeting again as we nod in agreement. The thought of eating on the roof together one last time is very appealing, and it really does feel like we've moved past being in the Student Council. A sense of melancholy yet pervades the moment for me, though still being in the company of my girlfriend and our mutually dearest friend, it feels okay.

I'm about to reply to Shizune when the door to the restaurant opens with a ring of the bell. Misha and I glance behind us at the sound, looking on in surprise as we see Lilly walking into the shop. I purse my lips in worry. The appearance of Lilly on the scene could cause some serious sparks, and with our last day together as a trio almost done, the timing couldn't be worse.

"Hi Lilly~!" Misha suddenly calls out in a chipper voice, causing me to wince. That girl just doesn't have any sense, sometimes.

Shizune sees us look over and furrows her brow at the expressions on our faces. Turning to see what got our attention, she scowls at the sight of her cousin, looking thoroughly displeased. [Don't let her know we're here,] she signs, glancing back at the counter to see if our food is ready. No sign of it yet.

"Misha?" Lilly asks, turning her head in our general direction as she pauses by the door.

[Too late,] I sign back to Shizune, who flicks an annoyed gaze at our pink-haired friend. I wager this isn't the first time that Misha's cheerful naivete has caused problems for Shizune.

"We're over here, Lilly~!" Misha calls out, thoughtlessly waving. Shizune and I share exasperated expressions as Lilly starts to make her way over, tapping her cane as she approaches slowly.

Shizune looks back impatiently at the counter, signing irritably, [Aren't they done making our food yet? How long is this going to take?]

[It'll be ready in a few minutes,] I point out to her. She glances at me as I sign further, [you can take a few minutes to say hello to your cousin.] The icy gaze that I earn with that suggestion makes me question the wisdom in saying it, but I grit my teeth and stare back at her with conviction.

[Fine,] she signs with an irritated frown.

As Lilly walks near where we stand, I also greet her. ["Hey there, Lilly."]

She stops, turning her head towards me. "Hisao?" she asks.

["How're you doing?"] I ask her pleasantly, smiling even though she can't see it.

Nodding, she answers, "Well, thank you." As she speaks, I notice Misha instinctively translating her words for Shizune. "How are you and Misha?" Lilly pauses slightly, then adds, "Is Shizune here, too?"

Interesting. The last time she encountered a situation like this, she didn't ask directly about Shizune's presence. I wonder if she's worried about an ambush, or if there's some other reason she'd be so unusually direct.

Misha and I hesitate at Lilly's question, glancing at Shizune. I notice that Misha's look is more questioning, while I'm giving her a more expectant look. My girlfriend looks from Misha to me, then sighs at the sight of my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lilly smirk. She's already got her answer, the only question now is what Shizune will do.

[I'm here, cousin,] Shizune answers as Misha repeats her words for Lilly. I grin, though I'm sure she realized she really didn't have a choice. [What do you want?] I frown slightly at Shizune's forwardness, though in hindsight I'm not sure what else I expected from her.

"I was coming here to get dinner before returning home tomorrow," she starts to answer, adding, "It's fortunate I ran into you, though, as your father asked me to deliver a message before you returned home."

I blink in surprise at this and look over at Shizune, who's frowning slightly as she watches Misha's translation. [What does he want? When and why were you talking with my father?] she asks as Misha repeats her question.

"I didn't speak with him directly, but I was talking to my own father on the phone last night," she explains. "He's in the country with my family for our reunion, and was visiting with your father when I called. Uncle Jigoro found out we were talking and told your father what he wants of you. My father passed the message to me while we were talking."

[So what's the message?] Shizune asks with slashing motions of her hands, growing even more impatient as she watches Misha's translation of Lilly's long winded back story, even though she had asked for it.

Lilly's expression becomes a little tense at the repeated question for the message. Clearly, she's losing patience with Shizune. Understandably, she probably wanted nothing less than to be a courier for the Hakamichi family, but had little choice in the matter, since her father and Shizune's are brothers.

"Your father asked me to remind you about the family reunion to celebrate our graduation this weekend," Lilly explains while Misha signs her words for Shizune. "He wants you to stop by the store on the way home tomorrow and pick up a few item for the celebration. Hidekai has emailed you the list."

I look over to Shizune in shock at the message. She had a family function to attend this weekend, a graduation party no less, but agreed to come home with me instead?

Her face is fixed in a scowl. [Tell my father that I won't be going,] she signs as Misha translates, the pink haired girl starting to stumble awkwardly over her own words as she comprehends Shizune's answer. The pink haired girl and I share concerned looks as Shizune barrels on angrily, [and I'm not going home, either. I'm getting on a train with Hisao tomorrow, to go spend some time with him before I go to University. Maybe if I feel like it, I'll return home for a little while before I go to Tokyo.] Misha looks exceedingly uncomfortable as repeats her words for Lilly, as do I. Suddenly I find myself deeply thankful that Shizune's cousin can't see the looks on our faces.

Lilly's mouth hangs open as she hears Shizune's words in Misha's mouth. "Uhm...I... You...your father..." she sputters. I've never seen her lose her cool like this. Then again, I'm not sure how I'd react to this kind of news, especially if I had to be the one to carry it back to Shizune's father. I glance over at Shizune and can tell by smug smirk plastered on her face that she's enjoying the show. Glancing across at Misha, she looks as uncomfortable by the turn of events as I am.

Just then, our order is called out and large bags with our dinner are placed on the counter. ["That's our order,"] Misha signs for Shizune's benefit while saying the words aloud.

[Let's go,] Shizune signs to Misha and me. Without another word, Shizune takes the large bags with our meal, walking past a flabbergasted Lilly towards the exit.

Misha and I exchange helpless glances for a moment before she picks up the bags of clothing that she and Shizune had carried in. I look over at Lilly who's stopped attempting to answer Shizune and is now turning her head, listening. It looks like she's trying to figure out what's going on.

"Thanks for delivering the message Lilly," I quickly say as I pick up my share of the bags, along with Misha. I intentionally keep my words vague, half with the idea she might misinterpret it for me translating for Shizune. "Sorry we can't stay and chat longer, but our order's ready and we need to go..." I feel bad for just leaving Lilly here like this, but Shizune's not giving Misha and I a lot of choice.

"Bye, Lilly," Misha says in a less than chippy tone, looking confused and conflicted. Clearly, she doesn't like being this rude to Lilly anymore than I do, but also like me, she doesn't want to go against Shizune. Especially not when it's such a passionate matter for our friend.

As Misha and I make our way past a perturbed Lilly, she icily answers my feeble placations with, "Good bye, Misha, Hisao," she says. Shizune's name is conspicuous by its absence.

Somehow I think that Lilly wasn't attributing my words to Shizune. It's probably just as well.

Misha and I follow Shizune out of the restaurant and into the street. By the look on her face, she feels as badly about what happened as I did. Shizune strides ahead of us by a good stretch, so Misha and I hustle to try and catch up. My girlfriend is charging ahead faster than usual, the manner of her stride showing how angry she still is.

"Shizune has a family reunion this weekend?" I ask Misha as we trail behind Shizune. Once again, I find myself in a situation where I'm glad she can't hear me.

"News to me, Hicchan~!" Misha answers with a sideways glance between puffs of air, already out of breath. She's more out of shape than I am.

"I can't believe she agreed to come to visit me instead of that," I say. Misha glances at me again. "Won't she get in trouble over that?" She shrugs helplessly as we get close enough to Shizune to slow our pace. I guess I can't blame her for not wanting to get in the middle of what could be a nasty fight between Shizune and me.

I'm not sure what else to say, and Misha's not making any attempt at conversation. So, we walk wordlessly through the little hamlet and start the trek back up to the school. Fifteen minutes later, we're walking into the gate of Yamaku again. I smile sadly as I realize this will probably be the last time I walk through the gateway as a student.

Without missing a beat, Shizune carries on. She seems unfazed by the significance of the moment, and I wonder if it even had occurred to her. She doesn't seem to dwell on sentimentality in the first place, and the encounter with Lilly certainly got her dander up. The ever strong and determined strides she leads us on with are still a challenge to match. Misha and I manage, even though the two of us are both rather out of breath by doing so. My girlfriend leads us into the main building of the school and up the stairs. Being late afternoon, the building is empty. It reminds me of the many times we were here on Student Council business at all hours.

She pushes the door to the roof open and sunlight spills into the stairwell as Misha and I follow behind. There's a gentle breeze, making it just a little chilly as the sun approaches the horizon. We can hear a few students still mingling about in the courtyard and paths down below, but the roof is empty.

Shizune picks our usual spot and starts to open the bag of food as Misha and I set down our shopping bags in a big pile. Wordlessly, my girlfriend portions out our dishes to us as we sit on either side of her to make a triangle. I watch her as she sorts out the orders, surprised to see a pleasant smile on her face.

[Shizune,] I sign to her as soon as my hands are free, [We should talk about what happened back there.]

She frowns at my words. Putting down the containers in her hands, she asks, [Why?]

Blinking in surprise, I answer, [You have a family reunion! A graduation party! Shouldn't you go to that instead of running home with me?] Her frown deepens as her brow knits together.

[Would you rather I not go home with you now?] she asks with slashing motions of her hands.

["No!!"] I sign urgently, saying the words in my panic at her response. ["I want you to come home with me more than anything, I'm thrilled that you want to come visit me!"]

[Good,] she nods, though still looks very upset. [Then I'm going back with you,] she declares decisively, going back to setting out the food to make it clear she's done with the conversation.

I glance over at Misha but she won't look at us, her head down and focusing instead on the food that Shizune has placed in front of her. Reaching over, I take hold of Shizune's wrist, stopping what she's doing with the bags of food. She looks up at me from the task in front of her, meeting my gaze with an angry, piercing stare. Bracing myself, I move my hands.

[Shizune,] I begin, [I don't want to cause any problems between you and your family.] She watches me with a steely gaze.

[You're not,] Shizune signs simply, with finality. I lift an eyebrow at her and she only glares at me defiantly.

Sighing, I point out, [I'm sure your father's going to be furious when he hears the message you sent poor Lilly back with.]

[Let him be,] she answers. [I don't really care.]

I glance back over again at Misha, only to see her still averting her gaze and focusing on eating. It strikes me the advantage of using sign language, Shizune and I can have a perfectly private conversation while Misha sits next to us.

Though, I'm sure that the fury of our argument isn't lost on her, the air seems to crackle between us.

[Shizune,] I try again, [it's a reunion, people in your family that you won't get to see again for a long time. What's more, they're gathering to celebrate you and Lilly graduating.] She frowns more deeply. [You really shouldn't skip out on this.]

She stares at me intently, then signs, [What should I do, Hisao?] she asks. [Go to see a lot of people I barely know, none of whom can speak or read one word of sign language, including my father? Should I spend my weekend alone, surrounded by people who can't communicate with me, let alone relate to me?]

I sit back, stunned by stark the picture of isolation that she painted. I get a sudden vision of being in a crowded room of people talking and laughing with each other, speaking in some foreign language I can't understand, and every word I say is lost on them.

[Or,] she signs, [should I go home with my boyfriend, who not only knows sign language, but learned it just because he wanted to talk to me?] She stares intently into my eyes as she signs, her expression softening as she goes on, making my heart swell up in my chest. She goes on, [my amazing, wonderful boyfriend, who spontaneously asked me today to come home with him and spend the entire vacation together, just because otherwise he was going to miss me too much to do anything else?]

As she signs, a smile blooms on her lips, her eyes growing tender as she stares at me. My heart swells up in my chest as I blush at her words, my own smile mirroring hers. She leans forward, reaching out to wrap her arm around my neck, pulling my lips against hers to kiss me lovingly. My breath catches at the touch of her lips to mine, my neck getting goosebumps at her touch.

"Awwww~!" I hear Misha say, causing me to smirk and giggle within our kiss. Shizune pulls away, looking at me with a confused expression. I nod my head over to Misha, and we both turn to look at her. ["You two are SO cute~!!"] she signs and says.

I'm about to say something to her when Shizune puts her hand on my cheek and pulls my face back towards her. She signs, [Hisao, it's really no contest. I'd much rather spend my vacation with you than suffer through anything to do with my family - if you'll still have me, that is...]

It's suddenly hard to swallow, with that lump that's formed in my throat. [Of course I'll still have you,] I sign to her, [I'll always have you.] Her smile to blooms all the more, then I mischievously add, [As if you could get rid of me so easily.] She giggles behind silently behind her hand, her dark blue eyes staring into mine with an adoring gaze.

My smile slips away as a thought occurs to me. [What about your father?] I ask, still terrified by that bear of a man. [He's going to be pissed.]

She smiles sweetly, shrugging. [Let him be. I'll gladly face off against him if it means I get to be with you.]

A nervous smirk spreads across my lips at her words, my hands moving in answer, [it may not be you that has to face off against him...] I point out, trying my best not to look scared.

[If he harms a hair on your head, I'll disown him,] she says with finality. [Let him rant and rave all he wants, he can't do anything to stop me from seeing you.] I nod, though I still feel worried about the storm we've set in motion today.

[Now enough of this nonsense,] she signs with finality. [We shouldn't let my family problems ruin our last night together.] I nod, feeling a world better about everything, though the underlying worry still nags at me. Reading my expression, Shizune adds, [We can talk more about this on the train ride home tomorrow, Hisao.] I smile, nodding at her appreciatively. [Until then, let's enjoy the last of our final day with Misha.]

I nod firmly now. ["It's been a good day,"] I tell her and Misha.

[It has,] Shizune agrees with a smile as she meets my gaze.

["It's been an great day,"] Misha adds, looking visibly relaxed, causing us both to smile at her.

We all wordlessly and hurriedly start to eat, the inability to sign while partaking a meal still driving us to finish quickly.

As usual, Shizune is the first to finish. [So, what classes will you be taking at NYU?] she asks Misha, who looks caught off guard as she glances at Shizune with wide eyes while stuffing a big wad of noodles in her mouth with her chopsticks.

She sits down the paper container of her food as she bites off the portion of noodles and silently signs back, [Advanced Sign Language I, Remedial English, World History 101, Sociology 101, and Literature 101.] She signs further, asking, [What about you?] then proceeds to pick up her food and eat while waiting for Shizune to answer.

Shizune nods at the list, smiling at Misha's question. [Macro Economics I, Psychology 101, Business Etiquette, Japanese History 101, and Intro to Political Science.] Misha nods at the list, but continues eating. [I've decided to pursue a business degree. It should be a fun challenge.] Our pink haired friend smiles as she takes another bite of noodles. Glancing over at me, Shizune grins as I stuff a bite of my chicken dish into my mouth. [What about you, Hisao?] she asks.

I smirk as I chew my bite, setting down my container of food to answer. [I don't have my classes lined up just yet,] I tell her. Shizune scowls at this. Hoping to cut off any lecture I might get, I quickly add, [I was going to do that as soon as I got home.]

It doesn't do me any good.

[I can't believe how irresponsible you're being about your University education!] she scolds me. I pick my food back up with a sigh, glancing over at Misha to share a knowing smirk before I look back at Shizune as she relentlessly continues on. [You should have registered for your first semester classes by now and started preparing!] I take a bite as she adds, [how will you be able to get ready during break if you don't even know what classes you'll be taking?!] As she continues to talk, she gets all the more wound up and excited.

I trade a knowing gaze with Misha, who struggles to keep a straight face. I would have had no trouble doing so, if it weren't for her reaction. Still, I think I manage to mostly keep a lid on it as I take another bite of my food, buying myself some more time. At least Shizune doesn't let on that she's picked up on it. [You're right,] I tell her, figuring the best way to diffuse her is to simply agree with her. [I'll do it via the web as soon as we get to my house,] I continue. [You can watch, and make sure that I do it.]

This seems to satisfy her, as she nods firmly. [Don't think I won't hold you to that!] she signs sharply, her gaze stern as she glares at me. [The first thing we're going to do when we walk in the door tomorrow is get your registration taken care of.] I nod solemnly, meeting her intense gaze with one of my own.

[Absolutely,] I sign, hoping to put an end to this topic. As glad as I am that she cares for me so, I have to confess this feels a little overbearing.

Still, she's just given me a great way to surprise her with my going to Tokyo University. I hadn't planned on telling her so early. I wanted to string it out a bit, so that she was all the more excited by the news. But it's too good an opportunity to pass up, and the situation really does make it unavoidable now.

This should be fun.

As we continue eating, I meet Misha's gaze. I can tell she's thinking the same thing I am, I just hope her smirk doesn't clue Shizune into what's coming. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Shizune's expression change as she watches us. She's getting suspicious.

[So what clubs do you think you'll join at Tokyo University?] I ask Shizune after hurriedly putting down my food again, trying to derail her train of thought and throw her of the scent. [Will you be joining the Student Council?] She furrows her brow in thought, and I continue, [Maybe run for president?] Misha looks on with a grin as she continues eating. I pick up my food again and do the same, watching Shizune intently.

To my surprise, she hesitates before answering. I had fully expected her to have an answer ready to go, that she's going to join the student council, run for president, and take over the world. Instead, she finally signs, [I don't now, I haven't decided.]

I look on in shock, a bit of glee welling up within me at the ironic turn of events. Putting down my food, I quickly sign, [Isn't that rather irresponsible?] Misha giggles at this, the sight of which out of the corner of her eye causes Shizune to glare at her, though my continued signing quickly draws her attention back to me. [How will you be able to prepare for your extra circulars if you don't know what you're going to do?] I can't help but grin at her with delight as I confront her with the hypocrisy of it, which only causes her scowl to deepen.

[You're a fine one to talk,] she rebutts, [You haven't even picked your courses yet!]

I grin all the more, replying, [and you're a fine one to criticize me for that, you haven't picked your extracurriculars!]

[It's not the same thing as picking your classes,] she signs to refute my argument, [it's not as important a choice.] I start to sign a reply, but she plows on ahead, [and given that it's a progression like that, it shows that I'm further ahead of you.] She lifts her head haughtily and adjusts her glasses before signing triumphantly, [so that gives me every right to criticize you for your tardiness in picking your classes!]

Damn. That backfired on me.

But then it gets worse.

[Have you even picked a program yet?] she presses me though from the glee in her eyes, I can tell she already knows the answer. [You said you wanted to teach here at Yamaku, but what degree will you get to enable you to do so?]

Having no answer, but not wanting to admit she's right again, my hands remain motionless. My shoulders slump.

[That's what I thought,] she signs haughtily, adjusting her glasses again. Meeting my gaze, she grins at me. [It's a good thing I'm coming home with you tomorrow,] she continues, [you're in worse shape than I thought! You need all the help you can get.]

This whole situation would be a little easier if it weren't for Misha's never ending giggles throughout the whole drubbing my girlfriend just gave me.

I sigh, realizing what a mistake it was to try and take on this fight in the first place. Shizune only grins at the sight of my defeated gaze upon her, opting now to show me a little sympathy. [But don't worry,] she signs with a glint in her eyes, [after we're done getting you to where you need to be, I'll give you a reward...] She gives me a naughty grin, winking at me.

I can't help but smile, now. Misha laughs all the more, while making overly loud kissing noises. I blush at this, causing Shizune to smile wider still. Clearly, she thinks that my flushed cheeks are because of what she said, having no idea of what Misha just did.

Of course, in spite of my embarrassment, I am very much looking forward to the reward that Shizune just promised me. Again I'm reminded why I'm starting to like competing with her, although she seems to win most of the time. Even when I lose, she makes it a rewarding experience.

It's going to be an amazing time to spend with her after we go to my home. I just hope we don't come to regret the decision after her father finds out.

As always, sg1, I find myself grinning like a madman by the end of the chapter. There are a few clouds on the horizon with Jiggy, but that should only add another level of hilarity at the expense of our Master of Romance. *Thumbs up*

I actually had a giant smile on my face when I finished it too. I do hope Lilly and Shizune can reconcile at some point, since the source of their original issues is gone. Rather or not that's actually brought up in this story, though, is another matter.

Hmm, actually, Lilly should be in Scotland at that point...

Shizune's not giving Misha and I a lot of choice.

"Misha and me"

In other news: Shizune is a bitch^^°

I thought in shizune's route Lilly doesn't leave. Hisao runs into Lilly after the point in the timeline she should have left.