• Chapter 2: The Dynamic Duo



    tab Shizuma groaned as she stuffed her head underneath her pillow to keep the sun from her eyes. By student tradition, and unless she and Nagisa had other plans, Saturdays were for sleeping in. Usually, she and Nagisa would lazy about in bed or hang around the house taking part in some non-school related non-strenuous activity.
    This time however, she found the other side of the bed cold and devoid of Nagisa. She made a grab for her bathrobe and donned it as she groggily rose to her feet. Though Miator preferred its students to be alert and punctual, Shizuma had quickly adapted to the unwritten college student rule not to rise before noon on weekends after she had graduated. She yawned slightly and noticed the time. 10:32 am. Way too early for the average college student.
    "Nagisa?" she called but could not find her in the kitchen. Though Nagisa had been up first, she hadn't started breakfast yet. A quick inspection also showed the TV and Nagisa's Wii to be untouched. She was about to call out again when she noticed Nagisa on the phone out on the balcony. The glass door was closed, but it was obvious that Nagisa was quite upset with whoever she was on the phone with.
    Shizuma watched Nagisa for a moment. Nagisa seemed meek and frightened, close to tears. Shizuma was about to step onto the balcony when Nagisa switched off the phone and slid the door open.
    Nagisa gasped for a moment when she noticed Shizuma standing in front of her. The two lovers stared at each other in silence for a moment.
    "Are you alright?" Shizuma asked.
    Nagisa nodded slightly. "It, uh, it was my father."
    Nagisa allowed herself to be taken in a comforting embrace. But even though they were in close contact, Shizuma couldn't help but feel there was something wrong. Nagisa seemed very distant to her. When they had first became lovers, Nagisa still had the tendency to be intimidated by Shizuma. Even after they had first made love, it had taken Shizuma months to convince Nagisa to stop calling her 'Shizuma-sama'. They'd been getting closer ever since that time, however, but now it seemed as if... as if...
    Shizuma was certainly no stranger to depression, and to see the first signs manifesting in the love of her life was painful and worrying to her. Nagisa was always sad after getting a phone call or a letter from her parents, mostly stemming from the fact that despite how much Nagisa would want for her parents to accept Shizuma into her and their lives, her parents constantly and bluntly made it clear that that was not going to happen. And with every such refusal, Nagisa would get sadder and sadder.
    "Shall I fix you some tea, Nagisa?" Shizuma asked, to which Nagisa shook her head. "Nagisa, tell me what happened. Let me help you."
    Nagisa smiled, broke the embrace, but slid her hands across Shizuma's arms to finally hold on to her lover's hands for a moment.
    "Thank you, Shizuma, but... this is something I have to deal with myself. I... I have some thinking to do. I'm going out for a while. I don't know when I'll be back yet, but..."
    Shizuma nodded. Her lover needed some space, some breathing room. She could respect that, even if she was getting more and more worried about Nagisa. She watched Nagisa get her coat and head to the door. Just before she left, she stopped for a moment.
    "Nagisa," Shizuma spoke, almost a whisper. "Please. Don't shut me out, Nagisa."
    "I love you," Nagisa said softly and without looking at Shizuma. But it sounded differently from the way she usually said it. It was without joy, and almost without feeling. Almost as if she was trying to convince herself that everything was going to be alright. "So very much..." Nagisa added, with more feeling and looking over her shoulder to Shizuma this time
    Shizuma felt the overwhelming urge to rush to Nagisa's side to comfort her and to tell her that everything would be alright. But she sensed that that wasn't what Nagisa needed at this time. "I love you too," she tried to smile and tried to convey in those words all the feelings she had for the girl standing before her.
    She saw Nagisa's eyes well up with near-tears for a moment and smile warmly at her. And then she was gone.
    ________________________________________
    After Nagisa had left, Shizuma tried to keep herself occupied, but her thoughts kept drifting to her love. No matter what she did or what she tried, her apartment seemed a little grayer than it had been before. Her bonsai gave her no joy, nor did her flowers. She couldn't concentrate on her reading. Eventually, she took a seat at the piano and tried her hand at a little Handel, but somehow the music simply wouldn't flow. She moved from Handel to Mozart, from Mozart to Bach, but all symphonies were mercilessly butchered due to Shizuma's lack of focus. Her last attempt was trying to play Mancini's Baby Elephant Walk, but she simply wasn't in the mood a goofy cheerful piece like that. The recital ended with the telltale clang of two fists slamming into the keys.
    Leaving the piano behind, she tried to take a look at some of her textbooks. It didn't take long for her to put them down again. She switched on the TV, but discovered today to be a slow news day. With the TV still on, she moved to the kitchen to fix herself something to eat in the afternoon, but all she found was a can of tomato-soup two days past its expiration date. Shizuma hardly enjoyed the lukewarm soup after microwaving it, but it was filling at least.
    She was about to go outside for a bit of a walk, when the doorbell rung. Shizuma looked through the peep-hole and saw a middle-aged woman with an uncanny resemblance to Nagisa standing in front of the door. She took a few deep breaths and opened the door.
    "Yes?" she asked carefully.
    "Kajitsu," the woman bowed gently, a gesture Shizuma mimiced. "Are you our daughter's girlfriend? Shizuma-san?"
    "Aoi-san, I presume?" Shizuma replied. "A good day to you as well. I'm afraid Nagisa isn't in."
    Nagisa's mother nodded. "That's alright. I would like to talk to you, if you would allow it."

    "Please, come in."
    A few moments later, Shizuma and Nagisa's mother were sitting at the dining table enjoying a cup of tea that Shizuma had hastily prepared.
    "I like your apartment," Nagisa's mother said as she looked around.
    "Thank you. Nagisa and I put a lot of work in it," Shizuma replied. Of course, Nagisa's mother was right. She and Nagisa had fallen in love with this apartment the moment they first viewed it. It was seasonably large, and had a lovely view of the city and the sea beyond. Aside from that, it was the first thing that they owned together. They had had so much fun decorating and furnishing it a couple of months ago. It had both something of Nagisa's and something of Shizuma's touch. Part of the balcony had been turned into a miniature greenhouse and there were holders for Shizuma's plants and bonsai all over the apartment. One of Nagisa's ideas was to have some planks with rows of stuffed animals at strategic places. It was very difficult to keep it dust-free, but it did add greatly to the decor.
    "Aoi-san," Shizuma asked.
    "Please, call me Kaede."
    "Kaede-san, then," Shizuma corrected herself. "Why are you here?"
    "Well, I... just wanted to talk to you for a moment," Kaede said. "About you and Nagisa."
    Shizuma nodded. "Nagisa was very upset. Still is," she said coldly. "She won't tell me much of what you've talked about yesterday, but..."
    "Orito, that's my husband, might have been a little too harsh to her," Kaede offered. "He's always been very strict with her. You see, we're very concerned about Nagisa. And about her relationship with you."
    "I love my wife," Shizuma stated bluntly. And she meant it.
    Kaede nodded. "I... I don't doubt that you love Nagisa. That's not in question. We're just... worried about her."
    Shizuma could feel the forced politeness coming from the both of them in the air. She could practically taste it.
    "We're worried that she's living a fantasy. Again, I don't doubt that you love Nagisa or that she loves you, but... isn't this just a girl's love? She's so young still. This marriage. Forgive me for saying so, Shizuma-san, but it isn't real."
    Shizuma narrowed her eyes. "Our wedding was real to us. Our marriage IS real to us. All our friends were there. My father was there. Nagisa's aunt Konoko was there. You were both invited, but you didn't show. And that caused Nagisa real pain." She didn't mean to have brought it so harsh, but her memories of the happiest day of her life were marred by the image of Nagisa standing on the hill waiting for her parents. Her father had told her later that Nagisa had asked him to delay the ceremony slightly on the off chance that her parents might have shown up in those few minutes. But they never did.
    Kaede bowed slightly. "I have overstepped my bounds. Gomen nasai, Shizuma-san. It is just that... this world is not the sheltered life of the Strawberry Dorms. There is cruelty here and misunderstanding. Not everybody will accept your relationship. You and Nagisa might have trouble finding jobs or become the victim of a hate crime. Some might consider you both as... socially undesirables. I would hate to see that happy to my little girl."
    "And so do I. But isn't that all the more reason to hold on to our love?" Shizuma said. "And there are plenty of people who do accept us. We have friends who just see us as two persons in love... who just happen to be both women."
    Shizuma had never met Nagisa's parents, but she had had certain preconceptions about them. She had expected them to be vastly disapproving of their relationship out of religious reasons and that they would see her as the Big Bad Evil Dyke who had stolen their precious daughter's innocence. But Shizuma was instead confronted with a woman who not only treated her with a measure of respect, but also seemed genuinely concerned about her daughter's well-being, future and social standing. 'It would have been easier for me if she had just been a complete jerk', Shizuma thought.
    "My sister Konoko," said Kaede, "she's... like you... But she has a family. A husband and two children. But she also has her lover Yuki. Konoko and Yuki can be together regularly, while Konoko still has the social graces and standing of a family of her own. Isn't... Wouldn't such a thing be possible for you and Nagisa?"
    Shizuma blinked once... twice. "Are you asking me to become Nagisa's mistress?"
    "It would be a solution that would be acceptable," Kaede spoke. "It would allow everybody to benefit. The family would be preserved, Nagisa would gain the social status she deserves while still being able to see you."
    "Yes," Shizuma sighed. "Everybody'd be happy... except me and Nagisa. We'd be together, but in secret. We'd be the skeletons in the closet of a family that's living a lie."
    "It works for my sister, Shizuma-san," Kaede spoke. "She and Yuki have been together for longer than she and her husband have been. For over twenty years. It has worked out fine."
    "Yet your sister did not fight for her love and instead hid behind a fake marriage," Shizuma spat, but immediately regretted her words. It had been a different time when Konoko and Yuki had first become lovers, after all. There had been far less choice in these matters.
    "You do not know my sister well enough to say that, Shizuma-san."
    "I regret my words," Shizuma said. "I apologize."
    "Apology accepted," Kaede replied.
    "The point is, these are different times," Shizuma replied. "More and more people are accepting of a love like ours now. Believe that I love Nagisa deeply, and that I would never do anything to hurt her."
    Kaede looked thoughtful for a moment. "Nagisa told me you are considering starting a family of your own. Is this true?"
    Shizuma smiled at this. "Nagisa and I have a lot of plans for our future. We'd be lucky if we could even make half of those plans reality, but it's fun to think about it. If we do decide to adopt, it's not something for the near future, though. Only when we're both ready to carry the responsibilities to take proper care of a child."
    "I urge you to give Nagisa the choice to have a family of her own," Kaede stressed. "And to do not hold Nagisa back if she chooses for that."
    "Will you promise not to hold Nagisa back if she would prefer to stay with me?" Shizuma asked.
    Kaede thought for a moment. "I can't promise that," she finally said.
    "An honest answer," Shizuma replied. "But if that is your answer, I cannot not make any promises to you either." Shizuma had wanted to be much harsher, but felt she had to tread carefully.
    "I see," Kaede spoke. "I just hope that, if things go well between Nagisa and Hikaru, you will not stand in their way..."
    Shizuma frowned. "Excuse me? Hikaru?"
    Kaede seemed surprised for a moment, and then gasped. "Oh, my apologies. I... I assumed Nagisa told you."
    "Told me about what, exactly?" Shizuma felt her heart constrict. She was about to hear something she really didn't want to hear.
    "Allow me to explain For a couple of months, our family has been in contact with the Kawatsuki family. Hikaru is a handsome, smart boy who is eager to start a family with our daughter, according to the Kawatsukis. They will meet each other for the first time tonight and will have dinner for two at a romantic restaurant. They have a lot of common interests, so we're hoping things will work out between them. I'm so sorry. I thought Nagisa had told you."
    Shizuma felt as if she had been hit in the chest with a sledge-hammer, and then driven over by a steam-roller. She felt her heart pound in her chest for a moment. Kaede mouth moved, but Shizuma did not hear the words.
    "You... you haven't even seen Nagisa for three years and now you're... arranging a marriage for her?" Shizuma spoke softly, biting down on her lip to contain her anger and grief.
    "No... no, not at all. We're hoping for it, of course, but we won't press Nagisa into a loveless marriage... Or, I will not let my husband press her into a loveless marriage, at least, you can trust me on that. We picked Hikaru from a long list of eligable candidates and he was a perfect match for her."
    "I... Nagisa... She didn't tell me about this at all."
    "Nagisa deserves happiness," Kaede spoke as she rose from her seat. "I thank you for your conversation and the tea, Shizuma-san. I hope you will take my words to heart and give Nagisa a choice. I will let myself out. Thank you again. I hope you will do the right thing, if you really do truly love our Nagisa as you say you do."
    Kaede bowed slightly and left the saddened Shizuma to watch her leave.
    Shizuma stared blankly in front of her for a moment, trying to process what she had just heard. Nagisa... some boy named Hikaru... This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. But no, Shizuma couldn't believe it. Nagisa would never go for it. Nagisa loved her. She had heard it in her words, saw it in her eyes and in her smile. But... what if? Just what if?
    'No,' Shizuma told herself. 'NO! I loved Kaori and I lost her to death. I couldn't do anything about that. But now, I love Nagisa. And I'll be damned before I'll lose her to ignorant bigotry! And I definitely REFUSE to play second fiddle to some boy!’
    She had to do something, but she had to find Nagisa first. If she could just talk to her. Just talk... No doubt Nagisa was only going along with this because her parents make her. If Shizuma could just tell her that Nagisa wasn't alone in this that she was there for her no matter what. Then maybe they could start working towards a solution. Together.
    A quick phonecall revealed that Nagisa had her phone switched off. She thought of going out and check out every single restaurant in town... but this city was bigger than it looked, and it would simply take too long.
    Though she was loath to do so, she dialed again. This time, it was the number of the only two people who could possibly help her.
    ________________________________________
    "Say it again. Please. It sounds so good."
    Shizuma sighed heavily. "I... would like your help."
    "That wasn't the word you used last time."
    "I... need your help," Shizuma admitted.
    "Say it again, make it roll over the tongue a bit more this time."
    "You are really pushing your luck, lady!" Shizuma fumed.
    "Easy, easy," Momomi broke in. Shizuma relaxed slightly while Kaname took a sip from her coffee. The attention from the clientele in the cafe that their raised voices had brought to them slowly started to die down. The two ex-Spicans had barely changed at all the past two years. Kaname was wearing casual clothes and had a black beret on her head, while Momomi wore a snazzy suit finished off with a red beret on top of her head.

    Despite that the two girls were attending the same university as she was; Shizuma had had very little contact with them other than greetings in the hallways or superficial chats during lunch hours. She was however quite aware of the reputation they had built up over the past year. Many rumors were floating around about them. One rumor stated that they had disinherited themselves because they refused to marry the persons promised to them, favoring to stay together. Another rumor stated that they were connected to a group of people who preferred to remain in the background at all times. A third rumor was that they could find anything anywhere for anyone, for the right price, through their personal network of contacts. A fourth rumor was that they were actually agents of MI5 on a secret mission.
    Shizuma didn't doubt many of these rumors had been spread by them themselves in a very calculated plan of disinformation and redirection. It made them both look important and mysterious. Already Kaname and Momomi had managed to gain positions in important student groups.
    After Shizuma had called them, Kaname had suggested the three of them meet up at a nearby cafe. She just hoped some of the rumors were true and that they could do something to help her find Nagisa in time.
    "Sorry," Kaname shrugged. "I was just basking in the glory of someone no less than the etoile-sama asking us for help. I take it this is serious, right?"
    Shizuma nodded. She told the two ex-Spica students about what had happened. How Nagisa had met with her parents and how this had somehow created a rift between the two lovers. How she would be meeting with a boy at a local restaurant somewhere. All she had was a name to go on, Kawatsuki Hikaru.
    "That sucks, Shizuma-sama," Momomi said. "There must be something we could do to help. We understand. We're not heartless, you know."
    "Have no fear!" Kaname announced proudly. "I have a cunning plan which cannot fail!"
    Shizuma raised an eyebrow. "This cunning plan of yours wouldn't involve trying to introduce Nagisa's mother to the pleasures of girl-girl love by molesting her, would it?"
    "Uh..." Kaname avoided Shizuma's gaze. "...maybe..."
    "Oh, dear God," Shizuma felt the sudden need to rub her temples.
    "Plan B, honey," Momomi suggested.
    "Okay, snookums," Kaname said. "In that case, we do nothing."
    "Come again?" Shizuma asked. "How does that help Nagisa?"
    "Nothing but strategic observation," Kaname said. "We study the situation and take the appropriate action based on our observations. It worked for Caesar."
    "If I remember correctly," Shizuma frowned. "He was betrayed by the Roman senate and was stabbed over fifty times."
    "Exactly my point," Kaname replied. "That wouldn't have happened if he would have taken just a little more time for strategic observation. He got really sloppy nearing the end of his life."
    "I don't know," Shizuma shook her head. "I thought I... I mean subterfuge? I should trust in our love."
    "Oh, please," Kaname snorted. "Trusting in love? That never helped anyone. Romeo and Juliet trusted in their love. And where are they now? I'll tell you. They're dead, that's where they are. The Mayans trusted in love too. And guess what, they disappeared without a trace!"
    "You wouldn't have come to us in the first place if you believed that, Shizuma-sama," Momomi added.
    "Sure, sure, you keep trusting in love, Shizuma-sama," Kaname nodded. "I'm sure you'll enjoy kicking yourself when you see that boy taking your Nagisa down the aisle."
    "Why do I have the feeling I'm going to regret this?" Shizuma sighed.
    "Don't worry," Momomi said. "You'll have Nagisa back in your arms before you can say 'yuri'."
    Shizuma sighed. "I don't even know what restaurant they'll be going to. Nagisa never told me."
    "We have our network for that," Kaname smirked. "Momomi's got a hacker on that. Nice boy, no life, very nerdy. A few kind words and a wink from Momomi and he'll jump through a hoop for us. He's got programs that can check out the reservation systems for every restaurant in the city. This shouldn't take long."
    Momomi was already on the phone trying to track down the restaurant in question, while Shizuma wondered just what the hell she'd gotten herself involved in.