Anime: Maria-sama ga Miteru
Title: Ginkgo nuts
Pairing: ShimakoxNoriko
Rating: T
Words: Around 2k
Notes: Someone give me a few slaps for writing this.
“Do you come here every day?”
“Yes. Since the cherry blossoms began to bloom, I have been captivated. There are many beautiful cherry blossom trees. But none are as beautiful as this one. I wonder why…”
Silence, but it was not awkward.
“…Because it is the only tree blooming beautifully among the ginkgos.”
It was autumn, it was a school day, and it was after school time. As usual, the Gigantea family sat behind the building, where there weren’t many people and curious eyes, but many cherry blossom trees and ginkgos.
Dark brown eyes watched the light pink flowers tumble down, a pair of blue eyes following along. They had not spoken for the last several minutes. So entranced by the fluid movements of the fallen air, they didn’t feel the back of their necks straining. It was until one flower fell on one brown eye did they finally move.
Shaking her head slightly to clear her view, Noriko looked down at her newly brought wristwatch. “The meeting is going to be held soon,” she commented.
“I guess it is about time we take our leave,” Shimako replied, shaking the fallen pink flowers off her black skirt, she stood up and followed Noriko who had already led the way.
“The meet – hoawa,” having seen than hear Noriko falling backwards, Shimako rushed toward her, hands out to hold her back.
“Are you alright?” Blue eyes scanned around before they settled on crushed ginkgo nuts at their feet. Her eyes then roamed over Noriko’s body and realised how provocative a position they were in. But Noriko was already trying to move away.
“Y-yes, sorry to burden you like this,” the shortest of the two muttered, back still facing toward the other, and kept on walking. When she found out that only her footsteps were heard, she glanced back.
They were both blushing.
-----
The meeting ended.
Shimako placed her eyes to the window at her right again, observing the already leaf-fallen trees. Her chin on her open palm, using the table as support, trying to be as comfortable as she can.
A flicker of white china and black cloth passed through the periphery of her sight, and she absentmindedly noted that a cup of steamy hot tea awaited at her side.
A thumping sound resonated the room, but Shimako didn’t hear it.
She noticed a ginkgo nut falling from its stem outside.
She didn’t hear soft footsteps.
She noticed familiar warmth approaching behind her.
Gasping in surprise, she whipped her head around and found herself nose to nose with her other half.
“There were cherry blossom flowers in your hair,” Noriko said weakly. And then backed off.
-----
A week later, and they both individually wondered if they were somehow avoiding the other since past week, now found themselves together at Shimako’s residence.
It was awkward at first, but several minutes later they were back into their old selves, giggling and talking about the usual things. And trying to forget the embarrassing incidents whilst doing so.
It suddenly rained.
Noriko had stood up in shock, ran to Shimako’s room window and gasped at the splashing of water upon it. “It’s pouring,” she cried. “Now how am I going to get home?”
Shimako fidgeted for a while, and suddenly found her feet the most intriguing thing in the room, “You can…sleep here for the night.”
“But I wouldn-” Noriko turned around and caught Shimako’s face expression, though half-hidden, she can still read it and she realised that it’s Shimako she’s talking to. “Thank you.”
The older girl smiled, and stood up as well, “I’ll go get a futon for you, or would you like to sleep on my bed?”
“No, a futon is fine!”
Both girls were taken aback by such a reply.
“S-Sorry, I don’t know what came over me,” Noriko took a deep breath. “Please, letting me stay here is already enough, you don’t need to sleep on the ground for me.”
Shimako opened her mouth to differ, but stopped when she saw the anxious expression the other girl wore. Exhaling a breath, she nodded, “Alright.” She then made her way to leave the room for the nearest storage cabinet. Suddenly stopping at the doorframe, she spun around, an indescribable smile tinting her lips, “But if you feel uncomfortable, you’re sleeping with me.” And left.
She missed the ambiguity of the command.
Noriko didn’t. Her cheeks proved it.
-----
They sat under the only ginkgo tree around Shimako’s residence. To be more specific, it was only Noriko that was sitting, Shimako was lying on her back, her head on Noriko’s lap. Faced away.
Noriko idly brushed a few strands of brown hair, not noticing that she sometimes patted the other girl on the head as her eyes looked afar to the horizon. Shimako’s eyes were directed to the sky, a hand covering half of her face, as if to block the sunlight from directly lighting her eyes. “Noriko?”
The girl above her looked down. “Hm?”
“Don’t leave me.” And found herself wanting to take back the words after muttering them.
Noriko’s lips curved upwards, not mockingly, but kind as always, eliminating half of fears. “I won’t leave you.”
“And I won’t leave you,” Shimako continued.
They both knew in their hearts that they wouldn’t, but it felt better to finally hear them in words.
Another eye lock, and then they laughed.
-----
The week after, it was at Noriko’s residence they had met up outside school times. Both, unknowingly, had done their shopping before the meeting time, which was at noon, so they were quite surprised when they saw each other laden with bags in her arms. They took a full minute to laugh, just to happily and freely laugh, before airily walking to Noriko’s house.
Shimako placed the non-branded bag, which was full of ginkgo nuts, on the dining table and slipped onto a chair. In her excitement, she had used her legs to intertwine with the chair’s and pulled it forward.
She had forgotten that one of the dining chairs had rough feet.
The grating sound made the other occupant of the room, her dear Noriko, look over her shoulder, face tinged with amusement. “Those sweets won’t be going anywhere but your stomach, Shimako-san.” She eyed the other bag Shimako still held, “Usual place?”
“Yes,” Shimako replied softly, well aware that her cheeks were doing an fantastic imitation of tomatoes. “It’s been a few weeks since I last had them.” All the while, her fingers had a mind of its own, and somehow managed to break the seal of the bag, one hand already inside the polymer container.
Noriko noticed this, and giggled. A few months ago, Shimako had trouble breaking the seal, and had always asked for her assistance. “I guess it’s true then.”
The blue-eyed girl simply blinked at her, “What is?”
Dark eyes showing a suspicious glint, its owner smiled an impish smile before she elaborated, “That people with a sweet tooth are beautiful.”
Shimako stared, whilst making a mental note that she should enter the annual ‘Japan’s reddest tomato’ competition. She was sure that she held its champion. Or champions. She then noticed that Noriko was still speaking, and mentally shook her thoughts off to listen.
“But only you, Shimako-san, had proved that myth true,” the Buddhist paused, then gave an unexpected small bow of her head, “Sorry, you’re probably sick of people complimenting on your appearances.”
The pluralist shook her head, “No…no, it sounds different from you. Because you’re a honest person.” And know me well, but she didn’t voice that out loud. Curiously, she lifted up a hand to touch her right cheek.
Yes, she really needs to consider entering that competition.
Shaking her head again, she smiled as she looked up to the other girl, noticing that they had been alone for a while. “By the way, where’s your aunt, Noriko?”
“Oh, she went out a while ago to take a little walk, she caught a bit of the common cold, which is why I’m cooking some okayu at the moment,” she replied as she took out a few products from the shopping bag. She gave a gasp when she found an item she had brought in curiosity but was temporarily forgotten, she held it out for Shimako to see. “A can of edible ginkgo seeds.”
Blue eyes widened when they sighted the object. “What do you eat it with?”
Noriko hummed in thought, “Well, I heard that the Chinese use ginkgo nuts sometimes in their congee, and they used it for this vegetarian dish called ‘Buddha’s delight’,” Here Shimako giggled, “Don’t know if it applies for the seeds…Oh well, we might as well try them with the okayu? I know for sure we shouldn’t consume more than five though.”
“Ee, I guess it wouldn’t hurt then,” Shimako agreed.
What can a few ginkgo seeds do anyway?
-----
Having finished cleaning the kitchen utensils and table, Noriko went up to her room for Shimako had took their bowls of okayu there. Closing the bedroom door after she entered, she ambled over to the older girl and sat on the chair next to her. Noriko then had a sudden mischievous thought, leant forward and took the already okayu-covered spoon off the girl’s hand. “Here, let me feed you.”
Shimako turned to face her, eye locking her. And Noriko noticed how considerably dark those blue eyes were than the last time she had seen them. She wondered if it was because of the lack of light.
Looking up, she found her bedroom lone, but strong, light bulb glaring at her – literally.
Mentally shaking her head for her sudden stupidity, she blinked, pin-pricks of colours dancing before her, hot and moist on her lips.
Wait a minute.
For a split second, Noriko tried to calculate how her temporary blinded eyes could be related to the sudden warmth that was felt several centimetres underneath.
She felt her name on her lips – she blinked again – and saw eyelashes splayed on flushed skin.
The feeling left as abruptly as it came. And now she could see those darkened blue eyes again. “Shimako?” and she wondered why she was whispering. Her tongue flickering over her lips, tasting the smell of uncrushed ginkgo nuts.
It was the first one-sided kiss they had shared, but it was the second kiss, nevertheless. The first had happened on the day Shimako returned from her class trip to Italy.
A flush spread within the flushed skin and Shimako could only open and close her mouth like a goldfish. “N-Noriko, t-that was inappropriate of me,” she stood up and the chair fell on its back, the harsh sound breaking the frozen spell the other girl was in, “I-I don’t know what came over me.”
Shimako felt her eyes hungrily trail down Noriko’s neck, her collarbones, her overall fair skin, and briefly thought how tasty they looked – she felt fear – the collarbones were getting bigger, and she wondered why, wondered why she was walking, bending her head down and – what is she doing with her lips?!
Why isn’t she pushing me away?!
Shimako’s ears registered a sound, a sound that was suspiciously similar to a moan – it came again – and this time she was sure. She looked up.
Noriko’s face was a flushed as she had felt hers, her mouth open, giving out noises that made her stomach twist oddly, made her unmentionables twitch.
She silently thanked Maria-sama that Sumireko-san was away for the day. And hoped she was definitely not watching what they were doing.
Now that she had thought about it, what are we doing?!
“S-Shimako…” called girl’s ears picked up, and she sub-consciously noticed the drop of the usual honorific, “…don’t stop.”
They didn’t resist once more.
-----------
Notes (For Japanese words):
Futon: A low and flat bed, looks like a lone mattress.
Okayu: Rice congee, Asian rice porridge, usually consumed by the ill and, sometimes, special occasions.
A/N: Firstly, I had only watched the TV-series and read a few chapters of the Manga. I have not read the Novels but a few of its notes. I’m planning to buy the latter when I think my Japanese is good enough to read it. I believe it’s one of the things that can be only fully enjoyed when original (aka no translations).
Secondly, you can consider this a sequel of ‘Under the umbrella’.
Thirdly, excuse the pun of the title – I couldn’t help myself. Oh, and the sudden boosted horny-ness Shimako and Noriko had? It’s the ginkgos’ fault. I heard they’re quite aphrodisiac. Don’t know how to make its aphrodisiacs work though. So apologies for that, and made it up that they got horny by its seeds. (shrugs) Don’t know its level ness and how long it kicks in as well, consider it another anime law of ignorance. : )
Please excuse me again if you find them OOC. Tell me if you think they are.
Title: Ginkgo nuts
Pairing: ShimakoxNoriko
Rating: T
Words: Around 2k
Notes: Someone give me a few slaps for writing this.
“Do you come here every day?”
“Yes. Since the cherry blossoms began to bloom, I have been captivated. There are many beautiful cherry blossom trees. But none are as beautiful as this one. I wonder why…”
Silence, but it was not awkward.
“…Because it is the only tree blooming beautifully among the ginkgos.”
It was autumn, it was a school day, and it was after school time. As usual, the Gigantea family sat behind the building, where there weren’t many people and curious eyes, but many cherry blossom trees and ginkgos.
Dark brown eyes watched the light pink flowers tumble down, a pair of blue eyes following along. They had not spoken for the last several minutes. So entranced by the fluid movements of the fallen air, they didn’t feel the back of their necks straining. It was until one flower fell on one brown eye did they finally move.
Shaking her head slightly to clear her view, Noriko looked down at her newly brought wristwatch. “The meeting is going to be held soon,” she commented.
“I guess it is about time we take our leave,” Shimako replied, shaking the fallen pink flowers off her black skirt, she stood up and followed Noriko who had already led the way.
“The meet – hoawa,” having seen than hear Noriko falling backwards, Shimako rushed toward her, hands out to hold her back.
“Are you alright?” Blue eyes scanned around before they settled on crushed ginkgo nuts at their feet. Her eyes then roamed over Noriko’s body and realised how provocative a position they were in. But Noriko was already trying to move away.
“Y-yes, sorry to burden you like this,” the shortest of the two muttered, back still facing toward the other, and kept on walking. When she found out that only her footsteps were heard, she glanced back.
They were both blushing.
-----
The meeting ended.
Shimako placed her eyes to the window at her right again, observing the already leaf-fallen trees. Her chin on her open palm, using the table as support, trying to be as comfortable as she can.
A flicker of white china and black cloth passed through the periphery of her sight, and she absentmindedly noted that a cup of steamy hot tea awaited at her side.
A thumping sound resonated the room, but Shimako didn’t hear it.
She noticed a ginkgo nut falling from its stem outside.
She didn’t hear soft footsteps.
She noticed familiar warmth approaching behind her.
Gasping in surprise, she whipped her head around and found herself nose to nose with her other half.
“There were cherry blossom flowers in your hair,” Noriko said weakly. And then backed off.
-----
A week later, and they both individually wondered if they were somehow avoiding the other since past week, now found themselves together at Shimako’s residence.
It was awkward at first, but several minutes later they were back into their old selves, giggling and talking about the usual things. And trying to forget the embarrassing incidents whilst doing so.
It suddenly rained.
Noriko had stood up in shock, ran to Shimako’s room window and gasped at the splashing of water upon it. “It’s pouring,” she cried. “Now how am I going to get home?”
Shimako fidgeted for a while, and suddenly found her feet the most intriguing thing in the room, “You can…sleep here for the night.”
“But I wouldn-” Noriko turned around and caught Shimako’s face expression, though half-hidden, she can still read it and she realised that it’s Shimako she’s talking to. “Thank you.”
The older girl smiled, and stood up as well, “I’ll go get a futon for you, or would you like to sleep on my bed?”
“No, a futon is fine!”
Both girls were taken aback by such a reply.
“S-Sorry, I don’t know what came over me,” Noriko took a deep breath. “Please, letting me stay here is already enough, you don’t need to sleep on the ground for me.”
Shimako opened her mouth to differ, but stopped when she saw the anxious expression the other girl wore. Exhaling a breath, she nodded, “Alright.” She then made her way to leave the room for the nearest storage cabinet. Suddenly stopping at the doorframe, she spun around, an indescribable smile tinting her lips, “But if you feel uncomfortable, you’re sleeping with me.” And left.
She missed the ambiguity of the command.
Noriko didn’t. Her cheeks proved it.
-----
They sat under the only ginkgo tree around Shimako’s residence. To be more specific, it was only Noriko that was sitting, Shimako was lying on her back, her head on Noriko’s lap. Faced away.
Noriko idly brushed a few strands of brown hair, not noticing that she sometimes patted the other girl on the head as her eyes looked afar to the horizon. Shimako’s eyes were directed to the sky, a hand covering half of her face, as if to block the sunlight from directly lighting her eyes. “Noriko?”
The girl above her looked down. “Hm?”
“Don’t leave me.” And found herself wanting to take back the words after muttering them.
Noriko’s lips curved upwards, not mockingly, but kind as always, eliminating half of fears. “I won’t leave you.”
“And I won’t leave you,” Shimako continued.
They both knew in their hearts that they wouldn’t, but it felt better to finally hear them in words.
Another eye lock, and then they laughed.
-----
The week after, it was at Noriko’s residence they had met up outside school times. Both, unknowingly, had done their shopping before the meeting time, which was at noon, so they were quite surprised when they saw each other laden with bags in her arms. They took a full minute to laugh, just to happily and freely laugh, before airily walking to Noriko’s house.
Shimako placed the non-branded bag, which was full of ginkgo nuts, on the dining table and slipped onto a chair. In her excitement, she had used her legs to intertwine with the chair’s and pulled it forward.
She had forgotten that one of the dining chairs had rough feet.
The grating sound made the other occupant of the room, her dear Noriko, look over her shoulder, face tinged with amusement. “Those sweets won’t be going anywhere but your stomach, Shimako-san.” She eyed the other bag Shimako still held, “Usual place?”
“Yes,” Shimako replied softly, well aware that her cheeks were doing an fantastic imitation of tomatoes. “It’s been a few weeks since I last had them.” All the while, her fingers had a mind of its own, and somehow managed to break the seal of the bag, one hand already inside the polymer container.
Noriko noticed this, and giggled. A few months ago, Shimako had trouble breaking the seal, and had always asked for her assistance. “I guess it’s true then.”
The blue-eyed girl simply blinked at her, “What is?”
Dark eyes showing a suspicious glint, its owner smiled an impish smile before she elaborated, “That people with a sweet tooth are beautiful.”
Shimako stared, whilst making a mental note that she should enter the annual ‘Japan’s reddest tomato’ competition. She was sure that she held its champion. Or champions. She then noticed that Noriko was still speaking, and mentally shook her thoughts off to listen.
“But only you, Shimako-san, had proved that myth true,” the Buddhist paused, then gave an unexpected small bow of her head, “Sorry, you’re probably sick of people complimenting on your appearances.”
The pluralist shook her head, “No…no, it sounds different from you. Because you’re a honest person.” And know me well, but she didn’t voice that out loud. Curiously, she lifted up a hand to touch her right cheek.
Yes, she really needs to consider entering that competition.
Shaking her head again, she smiled as she looked up to the other girl, noticing that they had been alone for a while. “By the way, where’s your aunt, Noriko?”
“Oh, she went out a while ago to take a little walk, she caught a bit of the common cold, which is why I’m cooking some okayu at the moment,” she replied as she took out a few products from the shopping bag. She gave a gasp when she found an item she had brought in curiosity but was temporarily forgotten, she held it out for Shimako to see. “A can of edible ginkgo seeds.”
Blue eyes widened when they sighted the object. “What do you eat it with?”
Noriko hummed in thought, “Well, I heard that the Chinese use ginkgo nuts sometimes in their congee, and they used it for this vegetarian dish called ‘Buddha’s delight’,” Here Shimako giggled, “Don’t know if it applies for the seeds…Oh well, we might as well try them with the okayu? I know for sure we shouldn’t consume more than five though.”
“Ee, I guess it wouldn’t hurt then,” Shimako agreed.
What can a few ginkgo seeds do anyway?
-----
Having finished cleaning the kitchen utensils and table, Noriko went up to her room for Shimako had took their bowls of okayu there. Closing the bedroom door after she entered, she ambled over to the older girl and sat on the chair next to her. Noriko then had a sudden mischievous thought, leant forward and took the already okayu-covered spoon off the girl’s hand. “Here, let me feed you.”
Shimako turned to face her, eye locking her. And Noriko noticed how considerably dark those blue eyes were than the last time she had seen them. She wondered if it was because of the lack of light.
Looking up, she found her bedroom lone, but strong, light bulb glaring at her – literally.
Mentally shaking her head for her sudden stupidity, she blinked, pin-pricks of colours dancing before her, hot and moist on her lips.
Wait a minute.
For a split second, Noriko tried to calculate how her temporary blinded eyes could be related to the sudden warmth that was felt several centimetres underneath.
She felt her name on her lips – she blinked again – and saw eyelashes splayed on flushed skin.
The feeling left as abruptly as it came. And now she could see those darkened blue eyes again. “Shimako?” and she wondered why she was whispering. Her tongue flickering over her lips, tasting the smell of uncrushed ginkgo nuts.
It was the first one-sided kiss they had shared, but it was the second kiss, nevertheless. The first had happened on the day Shimako returned from her class trip to Italy.
A flush spread within the flushed skin and Shimako could only open and close her mouth like a goldfish. “N-Noriko, t-that was inappropriate of me,” she stood up and the chair fell on its back, the harsh sound breaking the frozen spell the other girl was in, “I-I don’t know what came over me.”
Shimako felt her eyes hungrily trail down Noriko’s neck, her collarbones, her overall fair skin, and briefly thought how tasty they looked – she felt fear – the collarbones were getting bigger, and she wondered why, wondered why she was walking, bending her head down and – what is she doing with her lips?!
Why isn’t she pushing me away?!
Shimako’s ears registered a sound, a sound that was suspiciously similar to a moan – it came again – and this time she was sure. She looked up.
Noriko’s face was a flushed as she had felt hers, her mouth open, giving out noises that made her stomach twist oddly, made her unmentionables twitch.
She silently thanked Maria-sama that Sumireko-san was away for the day. And hoped she was definitely not watching what they were doing.
Now that she had thought about it, what are we doing?!
“S-Shimako…” called girl’s ears picked up, and she sub-consciously noticed the drop of the usual honorific, “…don’t stop.”
They didn’t resist once more.
-----------
Notes (For Japanese words):
Futon: A low and flat bed, looks like a lone mattress.
Okayu: Rice congee, Asian rice porridge, usually consumed by the ill and, sometimes, special occasions.
A/N: Firstly, I had only watched the TV-series and read a few chapters of the Manga. I have not read the Novels but a few of its notes. I’m planning to buy the latter when I think my Japanese is good enough to read it. I believe it’s one of the things that can be only fully enjoyed when original (aka no translations).
Secondly, you can consider this a sequel of ‘Under the umbrella’.
Thirdly, excuse the pun of the title – I couldn’t help myself. Oh, and the sudden boosted horny-ness Shimako and Noriko had? It’s the ginkgos’ fault. I heard they’re quite aphrodisiac. Don’t know how to make its aphrodisiacs work though. So apologies for that, and made it up that they got horny by its seeds. (shrugs) Don’t know its level ness and how long it kicks in as well, consider it another anime law of ignorance. : )
Please excuse me again if you find them OOC. Tell me if you think they are.
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