Chapter 1: Shiroi
Inexplicable, love is. Yet, only a few can sincerely proclaim that they have experienced passionate, genuine, pure love. I am one of them.
The rain was pounding hard on the defenseless cold street. Tokyo's streets are usually extremely crowded, but that day the few that were left on them were walking at a fast pace home. Shopping bags stashed absentmindedly inside my left hand, the umbrella in my other, I was in a hurry to arrive at the train station before the light would desert the streets. I am just an ordinary Japanese girl. 1,63m, thin, with black, long hair and brown eyes. I never was physically strong, and the wind that day was too hard, so I decided to catch my breath under a tent for a minute or two. Suddenly my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Michiru, where are you?"
"I'm still in Tokyo, dad; I'll arrive at the train station in half an hour."
"Don't be late, Michiru. Your husband's family is arriving tonight, and I expect you to be on your best behavior and on time !"
"Yes..."
He hung up...
I come from a wealthy family... Or I used to... Dad was a very successful businessman back then; however, along with the crisis came risks and flaws that his perfectionism couldn't accept nor comprehend... To ensure our family's wealth, he had arranged for me to marry the son of his wealthy friend, Mr. Akamura...
Koji was a good guy, very polite and well mannered, but... he was not the guy to keep up with me... Whereas I'm a romantic soul that thrives on Shakespeare and Harlequins, everything in his world is disciplined on narrow-minded finance and money. For him, the true meaning of family is a well-behaved wife and 3 or 4 children...
That wasn't my dream...
The mirage of that life was forced onto me 3 years ago and tore all my dreams into pieces that were thrown harshly inside the river of someone else's perfect view of life. I was waiting desperately for the time I'd reach the age of 18. I wanted to break free, but dad found a way to hold me back from those "childish" dreams once more... I guess I'm too selfish... Someone must sacrifice for the good of the family, after all...
I sighed and kneeled to pick up the shopping bags. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice that my scarf was dangerously hanging from my neck. The wind exhaled with force against my body, and while being pushed back, my scarf took a leap of faith into the vortex and rushed onward, with me chasing behind it like a maniac.
"No!" I cried and ran faster, abandoning the shopping bags mid-air. My legs gave in after a couple of meters. I watched the scarf gracefully climb the walls of a bridge. I hurried up the stairs exhausted and looked around, trying hard to catch my long-gone breath. To my surprise, the scarf was somehow secured in the hand of a stranger.
Very tall, with shoulder-length white hair, the person that I, at first thought was a guy, was grinning at me gracefully, grasping firmly onto my scarf. I sighed in relief and walked towards her.
"Is this yours?" she asked in English.
"Eh?"
"I'm sorry," she replied in Japanese.
"I constantly have to remind myself I'm in Japan."
A gentle breeze raced by, the scarf brushed my cheek, and she made a step toward me.The stranger with perfectly white hair ... How mysterious and yet how intriguing you seemed back then ...
Within an instant, with absolutely no glimpse of the slightest hesitation, she moved her arm around my waist, pulled my wet body onto hers, and moved the umbrella on top of us. I felt the blood within my cheeks boiling, and a rouge stroke of rose petals faded within my cheeks. For some reason, I didn't pull back...She was so warm, and it was so cold. Her smell... Even though so many years have passed, I can still recall and perfectly remember how she smelled. A soft mixture of roses and jasmine. I met her face, and my eyes locked on her shinny, full of curiosity brown ones. There was something so appealing within those eyes. Something indigenously charming and irresistible that could easily blindfold and allure. Her touch, as soft and gentle as the scarf that she gently wrapped around my neck. No...I didn't mind at all that she was holding me so intimately... For an instant, the desire to close my eyes and let go empowered my numbness. How long was I lying steal within your perfect long arms, and for how long did you hold me without asking a single word? Our brilliant, unspoken moonlight promises my Shiroi...
"Are you okay?"Her deep voice waved good morning to my mind, and the blush within my cheeks grew brighter.
"Yes... I'm so sorry."
"I saw you chasing this from down the street. I was just about to assist, but it flew up here so, I decided to wait for you", the stranger grinned, "What's your name?"
"My name?"
"Yes."
"Aoyagi Michiru"
"Michiru?" she smiled,
"What a beautiful name you have, my lady. I'm Shiroi. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you," I added shyly.
"Is your house close by?"
"I live in Osaka."
"Osaka?! Heh! And where are you going to stay in this weather?"
I suddenly faced my watch and panicked."I have to rush to the train station, or I'll miss the train!"
"Look," she said softly and touched my wet blouse. "You are all wet. No way I'm letting you take the train to Osaka in these clothes. You'll catch a cold. My house is nearby. You can stay there till the rain stops."
I forced myself to search for her eyes, desperately trying to identify the slightest trace of corruption.
"But...I have nothing to wear."
"Don't worry, I have lots of shirts you can borrow."I looked up at her once more, wondering if it was okay to go home alone with a man 2 times taller than me.
"Okay."
She grinned, her perfect white teeth shining beautifully in front of me."Well, then allow me," to my surprise, she unbuttoned her shirt, placed it on my shoulders, and remained only in a small white vest. I gasped.
"What's wrong?" She worried.
"You are a girl?!"
She looked down at her chest and then up at my shocked face; after a minute of silence, a burst of loud, melodic laughter escaped her lips. I hugged the shirt tighter, begging for it to conceal my stupidity. She picked up my bags and pointed the way to her house.
"Does that mean you won't come with me now?" she chuckled.
"Of course not! I'm relieved!"
"Heh," she smiled and looked at me ." Now little lady, take a piece of advice from me. Gender is not really that important. If a woman my size wanted to hurt you, she'd hurt you too. You shouldn't trust strangers so quickly."
I raised my eyebrow.
"Is that a warning?"
"Well, I'm not a stranger anymore, am I?" she laughed as we made a right turn.
What a weird encounter. I've never met anyone else like her before. Her personality is too peculiar for an accurate definition...I don't think there'll ever be anyone else like Shiroi... She was too mature for her age but then so childish and adorable. Always telling you what she feels without a glimpse of a lie in her words, even if the truth was not always the one you wanted to hear. Very calm and gentle and very romantic in a sweet, old-fashioned way. She was the perfect personification of the sought-after concept of Prince Charming. Even today, I can't think of anything she'd do that'd bother.
"Here we are!" she said and opened the door of the skyscraper.
"You live here?" I gasped in amazement. This was a block only rich foreigners would live in.
"Yeh, the apartments are really nice here," she grinned.
"I bet they are,"
I looked up at the tall building, admiring its size and structure.
"After you, my lady."
I froze.
Shiroi was holding the door for me. After a second, I smiled and walked in.
We soon arrived at her apartment that was on the 46th floor. In the elevator, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful her body was... Not exactly the kind of body you could call girly. She was muscly and very athletic. To my surprise, she had... sort of... big boobs, not the huge ones but not the small ones either. Well, maybe they were not that big... I just couldn't take my eyes off her wet vest... I felt so embarrassed I had confused her for a guy. She was approximately 1,68m or 1,67m. She didn't look too old; maybe the dyed, white hair made her seem slightly older before.
"Do you like it?" she asked as we walked in."Wow!"
Everything was decorated in perfect detail. In front of me was a huge living room. There was a plasma on the wall, a long black couch in front of it, and a black carpet dressing the floor. Next to the plasma was a fireplace, and then a long counter would separate the kitchen from the living room. On the other side, there was a white grand piano. Behind it, paintings of stars and space dressed the walls. On the wall in front of me was a big window, and that was what had amazed me the most, with the most incredible view I had ever seen. You could see all the lights of the city spreading in front of you like a carpet of black, gold, red, green, and blue. At the very end of this brilliantly illuminated black carpet was the "Tokyo Tower," distinct in the distance.
"I'll take that as a "Wow, it's gorgeous! One of a kind!", she made a step behind me, "Just like you," she whispered in my ear and once more forced me awake. I looked down, embarrassed.
"It's so beautiful!"
"Do you have to call someone?"
I nodded and took out my cell phone.
"All right then, umm, there's the kitchen" she pointed at the place behind the counter. "Bathroom" at the door next to me, "Bedroom," she winked, and I smiled. "And that's pretty much it. I'll go get you some warm clothes, make your phone call, and I'll be right back, okay?"
I nodded as she disappeared behind the bedroom door.
"Dad?... Hey, I...Well, it's raining too much, and I'm staying over at friends."
"What, friend? Do you have friends in Tokyo?"
"Yes... It's an old classmate."
"Who is it?"
"You...You don't know them."
"Is it a guy or a girl?"
"It's a girl."
"When will you arrive?! What will I tell them?!"
"That I'm stuck in Tokyo because of the bad weather?"
"Fine, I'll see what I'll do. Take care! And don't fool around!"
"Yes, dad..."
I sighed and hung up. Shiroi walked back into the room majestically after changing into a long black shirt that perfectly matched her white skin and hair color.
" I don't really wear girly clothes like you do, lady," she said and gave me a huge, for my size, pink shirt, and shorts. "But with a little bit of imagination, we can just pretend that's a dress."
I laughed and hurried into the bathroom. I took a shower, changed, and walked out. She was sitting on the couch, searching for something on TV. When she heard the click of the closing door, she turned around, to my surprise, her eyes glowing in amazement.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked, embarrassed.
"You have no idea how much that suits you."
I blushed at her unexpected compliment and walked toward her.
"Please sit down." She pointed at the empty space next to her. I think the couch was big enough to fit 10 people. "Do you like pizza?"
"Yes!"
"Alright then," she took out her cell phone and dialed a number, said something in English, and then hung up." It'll be here in 30-40 minutes, so until then," she clicked the TV off, "I can get to know you better."
She smiled and lied back comfortably on the couch, flashing a sweet glance at me.
"I don't know what to say..."
"Well, how old are you?"
"22"
"Really? I'm 23."
I looked up at her, slowly studying her face. She didn't look older than 25 for sure, but still, it was a surprise to realize she was just a year older than me.
"Why so shocked?" she chuckled and ran her fingers through her hair, creating a slightly messy but handsome look.
"You look older, to be honest."
"Eh, it's the height and the hair" she pointed at her hair; imitating my shocked expression, I laughed.
"Why is your hair white?"
"Doesn't it suit me?"I opened my mouth to answer and then closed it again. She really looked so handsome, even if her hair was white. Like a prince from another world...
"Yes, it does."She grinned and sat closer to me.
"So tell me a little bit about yourself. Do you work? Are you engaged?"
"Yes, I'm an artist" I smiled and looked at the floor.
"I love drawing, mostly nature. Sometimes it feels like paintings are my only sanctuary." When I looked up, she was looking at me in a way that made me blush again. As if someone was constantly enforcing a red, burning glow on my cheeks when I was around her. Unexpectedly I felt her cold skin against mine as her fingers brushed my jawline.
"Why are you blushing so much?"Her eyes met mine, searching for an answer. She really was too good to be real, and no one had treated me with such kindness before.
"I...I don't know."
"You don't know?" she laughed. "Oi... you are even more adorable than I thought you were." I smiled; the glow on my cheeks was brighter.
"Shiroi?"
"Mmmh?"
I wanted to ask something that had been spinning in my mind ever since I found out she was a girl. I was trying to structure the question in my mind as politely as possible, but it would sound rude no matter how I asked it, so I just decided to ask and wait for the consequences.
"Why do you act like a guy?"
"Excuse me?"
"You are so gentle and nice... so well mannered... You get the doors, and you are protective... You...Do you consider yourself a guy? I don't understand..."
She studied my face and, after a minute, leaned onto her hand, looking at me straight in the eyes.
"So a girl can not be gentle, nice, well mannered, get doors, and be protective without being considered a guy?"
I looked back at her, trying to reply, but I found nothing to say. She was right...In this world, we have separated tasks into tasks for males and females. That's why males and females who do not stick to society's rules are considered abnormal outcasts. But if you think about it. What is normal at the end of the day? For each individual, normal is a different thing, and who are we? As a whole, to judge that individual for doing something that pleases them. There I was, judging her without realizing it, just for being nice to me.
"You see," she smiled," I think that it's important these days to be polite."
I looked at her, desperate for an answer to my questions.
"I believe that while trying to be modern and open-minded, most of us humans lost our values and forget that there are things that are unacceptable and limits must be enforced on them. In this modern society, you hear more swears every day than good words coming from someone next to you. In some places, they even greet themselves with swears. I don't think that getting the door for a lady makes me a guy. It just makes me polite. This is who I am. If I didn't get that door for you, I'd consider it wrong. If I didn't get that door for you, it wouldn't be me. Most people confuse me for a guy, from my looks and from the way I act. But this is just how I am. It can't be changed because, frankly, I like it. "
"Would you get the door for a guy as well?"
"If he was in need and couldn't do it himself, yes I would"
I smiled and leaned back on the couch, making myself more comfortable.
"I see."
She smiled, and suddenly her face formed a cute pout.
"Are you trying to avoid my question?"
"Eh?"
"Are you engaged? Do you have a lover?"
I looked on the floor, my smile softly fading away from my lips, becoming bitter and cold.
"I'm engaged..."
"Ah...Then why such a sad face? Was it without your will?"
I nodded.
"My dad wants to ensure our family's wealth... He has arranged for me to marry a guy in 3 years from now... He's a nice, rich guy... I shouldn't be complaining..."
"Are you in love with someone else?"
"No, I've never... had a lover."
"Never?"
"Never...Well, there was a singer I fancied at school, but there was nothing as serious as that."
Soon our talk was interrupted by the doorbell. She got the pizza and served it on the table. We watched a hilarious movie about a gay Jewish couple.
"They look so cute together!" I giggled and looked at her.
She was quietly sleeping on the couch. I took her plate, trying hard not to wake her up, and placed it on the table, on top of mine. I was so surprised to see that we ate an extra-large pizza on our own. I turned off the TV and lied back on the couch, looking at her. Her face was so calm. She looked like an angel. I wasn't that tired so, I decided to observe her for a bit. Her breath was soft and steady. How could anyone be so beautiful? Her beauty was mysterious, the kind of beauty you see in old Greek statues and not that manufactured Hollywood beauty. I slowly fell asleep on the couch, next to her, and when I woke up in the morning I somehow found myself in her arms...She was awake, looking at me, I suppose. She greeted me with a soft kiss on the nose and said that the rain was over and that she had already bought me a train ticket to Osaka. The kiss made my heart race. I thanked her for everything.
On my way home, on the train, I realized something that made my heart sink. I didn't have her number.
New Chapters Out Every Saturday
Note From The Author:
I can't believe I'm finally doing this! How refreshing to have a pure lesbian romance written by an actual lesbian without the unnecessary man-serving. I hope y'all enjoy this book from the bottom of my heart. It's about to get really dark from here on out. Message me on IG, Snapchat, or Tik Tok (@nohugsband) and let me know which character you liked the most. Do you have any questions about the characters so far?
You can find all my links on www. direct.me/nohugsband . If you want to support the novel please feel free to venmo me at @nohugsband. Each chapter will also feature a unique custom cover art ^_^
Best,
Narcie
P.S Here's a random selfie of mine, while I'm waiting for a meet + greet to happen.