I think this is the first time I've tried submitting to the FFML, so
here's hoping it's all correct.

This story begins after the end of the Utena series, so there will be
random spoilers scattered throughout.

Laurie
milo@winternet.com
http://www.winternet.com/~milo

-------------
Familiar Strangers
By Laurie Gerholz

Disclaimer:  "Shoujo Kakumei Utena" is owned by Be-Papas, Chiho 
Saitou and various corporate entities.  The characters and 
storylines from that work are used here without permission.  This 
work has been created by a fan, for fans, for no monetary 
compensation.


Chapter 1 -- Orientation

      Her aunt had warned her that the bookstore would be busiest the 
day before term start, especially with the arrival of all the unwary 
freshmen.  So Utena Tenjou made sure to go shopping for her first 
college textbooks with four days to spare.  It would be too much to 
hope for that she'd actually look at them before classes started, 
but she still felt satisfied in starting college in a reasonably 
organized manner.

      The bookstore was still quite busy, filled undoubtedly with 
upperclassmen and graduate students who already well knew the 
academic routine.  Utena picked up a shopping basket at the 
entrance.  She was carrying a full course load, and expected that 
especially the literature survey class would require multiple texts.

      Utena carefully made her way around the bookstore.  Knowing that 
she'd be returning often, she took the time to wander about the 
entire store, learning the layout.  As she encountered a 
departmental section in which she had coursework, she checked the 
posted listing for the texts for each class.

      Her basket rapidly filled up, particularly with the addition of 
the huge hardbound chemistry text. She saw that she'd have to make a 
separate trip to the copy shop to get the remainder of the required 
class materials.  She resolved to sit down with the books and her 
class schedule to make sure her backpack would hold what was needed 
for each class, knowing that she'd likely have to make periodic 
trips back to her dorm room.  She wondered how she was going to get 
even this load back to her room.

      Upon reaching the literature section, Utena grimaced at having 
her expectations fulfilled.  Her class required four separate books, 
and her shopping basket was already full.  So as she located each 
literature text, she carefully stacked it onto the full basket and 
kept a steadying hand on it while looking for the next book.  With 
the way the aisles were filled with distracted students, everyone 
was constantly jostling everyone else.

      Sure enough, just as Utena retrieved her final book, she was 
bumped from behind.  Only sports-trained reflexes let her secure her 
basket before items tumbled out.  "Sorry," she said.

      "Pardon me," responded a baritone voice.  Utena froze.  She 
would have thought that after five years, voices wouldn't be so easy 
to recognize.  Worse, it was one of the voices she'd hoped to never 
need to hear again.  Hoping that it was a case only of similar 
timbre, Utena turned to face the person she'd collided with.

      Utena was tall for a woman, but she still had to look up to meet 
the violet eyes that regarded her with polite concern.  Dismay 
filled her as shadowed memory suddenly loomed alive and present 
before her.  Long wavy hair still cascaded about his shoulders.  
There was no school uniform of course; instead the broad-shouldered 
physique was now clad in casual jacket and jeans.

      Utena's breath caught in her throat, and she reflexively 
interposed her laden basket between them.  She finally managed to 
choke out, "Saionji."

      Kyouichi Saionji blinked.  "Yes, have we met?"

      She reflected that her appearance had probably changed much more 
than his.  While he'd grown from teen to full adulthood, she'd only 
been thirteen when they had last seen each other.  And even then, 
they'd only been acquainted for a few months.

      He was studying her closely.  Finally concentration broke into 
astonishment, his words only a whisper, "Tenjou.  Utena Tenjou."  
Unconsciously, he took a step towards her.

      Utena found herself backed into the bookshelf.  "We have nothing 
to say to each other," she said tightly.

      "But ..."

      "Nothing.  To.  Say."

      Saionji sighed and held up one hand in surrender.  "Right.  
Nothing to say."  He stepped back against the shelves, giving Utena 
the full width of the aisle.

      With a last wary glance at Saionji, Utena made her way to the 
front of the store as fast as the crowd would let her.  She didn't 
let herself look back as she waited in the checkout line, but stared 
resolutely out the front windows at the passing street traffic.  Not 
until she'd paid and packed her new books into two sturdy sacks did 
she take one final scan across the store.  She saw no sign of 
Saionji.  Feeling suddenly paranoid and silly, Utena hefted her bags 
and began the trek back to her dorm.

      Winter had given way to a crisp, windy spring.  Utena's heavy 
sweater kept her comfortable enough but halfway home she found 
herself wishing she'd brought her gloves.  Under the chill wind, and 
being unable to stick her hands into pockets, Utena's fingers were 
stiff and red by the time she reached the dorm.  She also resolved 
to wear a hat when she went out again, as the way she had braided 
her hair to the side kept only one ear warm.

      Utena's room was on the third floor of the old-fashioned brown 
brick building.  Normally she was happy to get the exercise of the 
stairs but today she punched the button for the elevator.  With a 
sigh of relief, she rubbed some circulation back into her fingers as 
the elevator carried her and her packages.

      As Utena unlocked the door to her room, she noted that the next 
door down was open.  The light spilling from the room out into the 
hall shifted as the room's occupant moved about.  Utena quickly 
deposited her purchases inside by her desk, then returned to the 
open room next door.

      "Yuki?" called Utena as she rapped on the doorframe.

      "Hey girl, what can I do for you?"  Yuki Hanazawa was stretched 
out on her bed, one delicate finger marking her place in the 
magazine she'd been reading.  She was an incoming freshman just like 
Utena.  They'd met the day Utena moved in and had been making the 
rounds of most of the freshman events together.  But Yuki had had 
another appointment earlier that day so Utena had gone alone to buy 
her books.

      "First, you were right about the sheer volume of stuff they 
expect us to read," said Utena.  "It was a pain and a half to carry 
it all back."

      "Told you.  I saw what my older brother brought back after he 
graduated, and he'd sold off some of it first."

      Utena studied the slight-framed young woman, her short cut hair 
moussed up into spikes, giving her a sprightly appearance.  Yuki was 
a gymnast, giving her good strength, but Utena's arms were still 
aching from her trip.  "Tell you what," she offered, "if you're 
still free after dinner, we'll go together to get your books.  The 
bookstore is keeping extended hours this week until classes start."

      Yuki smiled.  "That would be great.  Yeah, let's do that."

      Utena shuffled one toe against the carpeting.  "So then could 
you help me find something on the campus net?"

      "Ah ha!  There was a price," lamented Yuki, rolling her eyes.

      "Yuki!"

      "Joking!"  Yuki bounced off the bed to her desk, where a tap of 
the keyboard brought her computer to life.  "What do you need?"

      Utena came to crouch next to Yuki, so she could also read the 
screen.  "During orientation, do you remember if they said there was 
a roster of students?  I *think* so, but darned if I can remember 
where it was."

      "Yeah," mused Yuki as she tapped her way through links.  "The 
sections of this intranet are definitely not all created equal.  The 
administrative pages are the worst.  But ... here we are."  Yuki's 
fingers remained poised on the keyboard as Utena studied the roster 
screen.  "So who are we looking for?"

      "Kyouichi Saionji."  As soon as she spoke, Utena regretted it.  
Once she knew how to find the roster, she should have just done the 
search back in her own room.  But the roster had already responded 
to Yuki's query and was displaying the entry for Saionji.

      "So, is he cute?" asked Yuki.

      "Excuse me?"

      Yuki waggled an admonishing finger at Utena.  "This says the 
guy's a senior and he lives off-campus.  You said this is your first 
time in this town.  Therefore you know him from somewhere else."

      "Um, yeah.  During junior high I spent almost a year at a 
different school.  Saionji was one of the people I met there."

      "So is he cute?"

      Utena pondered.  "Never really thought about it.  I guess he is.  
Handsome, even."

      "Oh, don't worry, I was just curious.  If he's an old friend of 
yours, I'm not gonna do anything."

      "What?" cried Utena, astonished at the idea.  "He's no friend of 
mine."

      "No?"

      "No.  When I knew him at Ohtori, he was one of the biggest jerks 
I'd ever met.  Angry, mean."

      "Oh."  Yuki's expression shifted from teasing to serious 
concern.  "Is he going to be trouble?"

      Utena turned about to lean against the desk and gazed out the 
window, thinking.  "I don't think so," she said at last.  "It's a 
big campus.  There's no reason I'd have to deal with him.  And the 
problems between us are five years past.  I'm probably blowing 
things all out of proportion.  It was just the shock of running into 
him like that, out of the blue.  I haven't talked to *anyone* from 
Ohtori since I left, after all."

      "You only spent a year there?"

      "Not even that.  There was ... trouble, and I was injured.  It 
seemed better that I go back home where my aunt could care for me."  
There was so much more than that, but there was no reason to bother 
Yuki with the whole sordid, unbelievable tale.

      "Did this guy remember you now?"

      "Yeah, but it took him a bit.  Come to think of it, that's a 
good sign."  Utena pushed herself up from the desk.  "Thanks for the 
help.  I should get out of your hair.  Do you still want to get your 
books later?"

      "I better.  We can grab dinner then wander over to the 
bookstore."

      Utena returned to her room, feeling much calmer about the 
encounter after talking it over with Yuki.  Still, before she began 
sorting out her textbooks, Utena called up the campus roster on her 
own system.  She searched for every name she recalled from Ohtori 
Academy.  No other familiar names appeared to haunt her.

      *****

      With only a few days remaining before the start of classes, 
Utena and Yuki continued their explorations of their new home.  Both 
young women had grown up elsewhere, and were anxious to get their 
bearings.  

      Having begun with a thorough tracing of the college campus 
itself, next they expanded out into the surrounding neighborhoods 
which they could reach on foot.  They took note of appealing stores, 
where various services were located, and which restaurants they 
could afford.  There were actually quite a few shops that fell 
within their budgets, as most of the local merchants were well aware 
of the financial situations of their student clientele.

      On the last day before classes, Yuki produced a street map of 
the town, and suggested they explore further using the trains.  So 
they'd take a train out as far as it would go across town, see what 
was at the other end, then catch the next returning train and 
observe what they'd missed on the way out.

      As the day drew to a close, and they were on yet another return 
trip, they decided that would be their final trip of the day.  As a 
result, they disembarked from the train further out than they 
normally would, so they could do some final exploration.  When Utena 
spotted the grocery store that was farther from their dorm than what 
they�d already found, she insisted they examine it.

      "Why?" cried Yuki.  "They have *food*.  Same as Shinoda's."

      "But, but it might be different food," protested Utena.  "I want 
to look."

      "Different food," muttered Yuki, but she followed Utena into the 
store.  Utena wandered up and down each aisle, pointing out items 
that Shinoda's didn't carry.  Yuki trailed behind, only half-
heartedly attending to Utena's monologue.

      As Utena perused the fresh produce, she sighed.  "I just don't 
know why I'm bothering."

      "What?"

      "I'm already missing Aunt Yurika's kitchen."

      "Do a lot of cooking at home?" asked Yuki.

      "Yeah.  But all I've got here is a hot plate in my room.  And I 
rented a mini-fridge."

      "Well, I got a fridge too," confirmed Yuki.  "Cold drinks are a 
necessity.  But what about the kitchen in the dorm?"

      "It's not the same, it's public.  Normally, I really like doing 
things with other people.  But not ... cooking.  I think living with 
Aunt Yurika has spoiled me."  Utena carefully looked over the 
apples, decided they were worth the price and selected a few.  She 
cast an apologetic look to Yuki.  "Want to share these later?"

      "Well ..."

      "You're being awfully nice about hitting the shops I want to 
see."

      "Okay, you've convinced me.  But hey, how did you cook at that 
other school, or did you just give it up while you were there?"

      "What?  At Ohtori?"

      "Yeah.  You made it sound like a boarding school."

      "It was."  The two young women made their way to the checkout 
and Utena paid for her apples.  "But I wasn't too interested in 
cooking while I was there.  I only got into it after I left Ohtori."

      Utena drifted off into memory as they left the store, 
unexpectedly caught up in the confused jumble of remembered joy and 
pain which Yuki's questions invoked.  They were halfway down the 
block before Utena continued.  "Of course, I didn't really have much 
opportunity to cook.  Anthy insisted on doing it all.  Only time I 
got to use the kitchen was on Saturday nights when Anthy would go 
*visit* Akio.  Then I had the kitchen all to myself."

      "I suppose everybody else in the dorm was out on Saturdays."

      "Oh, no.  We were the only two residents."  Utena had to stop 
walking and look back at Yuki, who'd halted in her tracks at that 
statement.

      "What?" cried Yuki.  "Two people for an entire dorm?  That's 
crazy!"

      Utena smiled and cocked her head.  "Yeah, I guess it was.  
Should've been a big clue, eh?  But nobody asked those questions.  
Not there."  They continued walking.

      "What about this Anthy?  Your roommate, right?" guessed Yuki.  
Utena nodded confirmation.  "Or her boyfriend?"

      "No."

      "They couldn't see the weirdness?"

      "No, Akio wasn't Anthy's boyfriend.  He was her older brother."

      "But, the way you said 'visit' ..." stammered Yuki.

      "Yes?"  Utena gave her a bitter smile.

      "You're scaring me.  I don't really want to know, do I?"

      "Not in the least," confirmed Utena, staring resolutely ahead.  
Yuki had to run a little to catch up with Utena's suddenly 
lengthened strides.

      "I wasn't trying to upset you," said Yuki, once they were 
walking side by side again.

      "I know."

      "I'm sorry."

      "It's okay, really."  Utena's smile returned.  "How could you 
know?  How could I?  I thought I was following a wonderful dream 
when I transferred there.  It just ... didn't turn out very well."

      They walked in silence for a bit when suddenly Utena stopped and 
turned fully around, examining their surroundings.  "Are we going in 
the right direction?  I didn't even look when we left the grocery 
store."

      "Worry not," responded Yuki, opening up the street map.  She 
pointed out their course since they'd left the train.  "Now we've 
come a couple of blocks from the store and are here.  We'll go this 
way, across the campus to the dorm."  She giggled at Utena's obvious 
relief.  "I knew where we were.  You were so distracted talking 
about that school, but I'd have said something if you'd started 
wandering off in the wrong direction."

      "Yes, I feel silly," agreed Utena.  She read the name of the 
street Yuki was pointing to on the map and compared it to the street 
sign at the corner.  Then she stiffened as the street name 
registered.  Utena whipped around, scanning the nearby building 
numbers.

      "*Now* what?" asked an exasperated Yuki.

      "The address.  He lives somewhere around here."  Utena was still 
carefully searching the street and buildings.  She pointed at a 
four-story building across the street, a block down in their 
intended direction.  "That's probably his apartment building."

      "He?  He *who*?" cried Yuki.

      "Saionji."  Utena's face was grim.

      Yuki just shook her head in puzzlement.  "Wait, not that guy you 
had me look up a few days ago?"

      "The same."  Utena started for the corner and turned there.

      "Hey, where are you going?"  Yuki again had to run to catch up.

      "Call me paranoid but--"

      "You're paranoid."

      "Thanks," said Utena dryly.  "We're going to detour around the 
block."

      "So we don't have to walk in front of his building?"

      "Yup."

      "That's idiotic," complained Yuki.

      "Probably," agreed Utena, but made no move to alter her course.  
But she turned to look Yuki in the eye.  "Before you even ask, no, 
I'm not afraid of this guy.  But haven't you ever had such a lousy 
relationship with someone that you'd go out of your way just to 
avoid the grief of dealing with them?"

      Yuki was silent, thinking.  "Yeah, I guess so.  There was this 
girl in sixth grade.  For reasons I'll never know, she took a real 
hate to me and loved to show me up every chance she could.  I didn't 
come out too badly from those little 'matches', but it was such a 
pain.  It was a lot easier to avoid her if I could."

      "Yeah, kind of like that," agreed Utena.  At the end of the 
block their path jogged back to the original street they'd been 
following.  Utena took a look back over her shoulder at the suspect 
building, which glance was not lost on Yuki.

      The shorter woman smirked.  "Know what I find really interesting 
about all this?"

      "What?"

      "You remembered this guy's address, after professing to dislike 
him so much."

      "It's not like that," spluttered Utena.  "I was just trying to 
figure out which areas to avoid."

      "Then why did we just stumble into the neighborhood?  If you'd 
planned to stay away, we wouldn't have bothered with this train 
route.  There were other routes we skipped today that we could have 
tried instead."

      "I don't think I want to talk about this any more," Utena said 
with a scowl.

      "Okay," Yuki agreed brightly.  True to her word, Yuki began 
chattering about her classes due to start the next day.  Utena 
relaxed at that, and took comfort from the fact that the apartment 
building she now wished to avoid lay almost directly on the opposite 
side of the college campus from her own dorm.
      


Author's Notes:  Honest C&C is very welcome, flames will be 
laughed at and cheerfully ignored. 

Laurie Gerholz
milo@winternet.com
http://www.winternet.com/~milo


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