Hi there! So this is a special fic, it's not about a ship I particularly ship, but it's my girlfriend OTP so I decided to write this for her. And I want to thank her for helping me edit this fic.

"This is where our paths diverge, Nio-san."

Nio couldn't believe the scene unfolding in front of her. She gazed at the woman she viewed as her queen with incomprehension wracking her mind, the wind whipping over the roof and past the helicopter that they stood by.

"W-Why?! Did… did I fail you?"

"No, you did nothing wrong," Yuri replied.

"Then why…?! I don't understand- why are you leaving me? I must stay by your side- I belong to you- you're my queen!"

"Ah, this is where you're wrong. You no longer belong to me, nor am I your queen."

"What… what do you mean… how?!"

Yuri remained quiet for a moment, smiling in the same way she always does, the smile Nio found so beautiful. A superficial and empty smile.

"Ichinose Haru survived Class Black. She succeeded in her initiation. She is now the new Queen Bee, and Myojo Academy shall be her hive. A hive can't have two queens, and so I must leave."

"Then bring me with you… !"

"I can't. By succeeding me as Myojo's chairwoman, Ichinose-san will inherit everything that belongs to me. And that includes you, Nio-san."

Nio couldn't accept what she was hearing. She fell on her knees, tears flowing from her eyes.

"I don't want that! I only belong to you! You're my queen! I will never accept her as my queen. I hate her! Please, don't leave me with her!"

"Ichinose-san will be a formidable Queen Bee. The clan never has never had a queen like her- a queen that… can feel and be loved. I'm certain she'll bring interesting changes that will be for the better of the clan and of the world. And she'll take great care of you."

"Someone like that will doom the clan! She's dumb and naive- she wants no one to die, but it's impossible! She's going to ruin century-long traditions…"

"Maybe the clan needs to break free from old traditions- be more modern, in a sense- and I'm convinced Ichinose-san will be the one to accomplish that. And you'll be by her side as her guardian, helping her along the way."

Nio was rendered speechless, tears still rolling down her cheeks. Yuri turned back on her, walking towards the helicopter. Nio immediately rose up, running towards her, incapable of accepting her parting. But before she could reach her, Yuri swiveled around, glaring at her with a cold gaze.

"Don't move," Yuri ordered.

Nio was paralyzed. She couldn't even take a step forward. Not with a command like that. Yuri wasn't smiling anymore, no, she was emotionless, an expression Nio never saw on her face.

"You'll stay with Ichinose-san and serve her. This is not negotiable."

"B-But…. I… I love you!"

"No, you don't. And I don't love you either. You're only under the influence of my power."

"I don't care! I just want to stay by your side, no matter what! You're my queen, always...!"

"Nio-san, that's enough. Let me give you one last order, as your 'queen'."

Yuri felt so distant- so unrelentingly cold that Nio involuntarily shuddered.

"As soon as I disappear from your sight, I will no longer be your queen. Your queen will be then Ichinose-san, whom you must serve, obey and protect, until she says otherwise."

Nio knew it was over now. She could feel her entire being be overtaken by a force that she couldn't fight back. Yuri lowered her arm and her usual smile came back.

"Goodbye, Nio-san. Take care of Ichinose-san, and… allow yourself to experience true love."

With that, Yuri finally entered the helicopter and shut the door. Nio watched powerlessly her queen flew away until she had passed the skyline. Her stomach sank when she knew what it meant. Haru was now her queen. Upon this realization, Nio fell to the ground, crying in despair at the loss of the only queen she wanted to serve.

"Many new girls have been born to the clan. What are you planning for their training?" Nio asked.

Sitting at her desk, Haru was deep in thought, pondering the question with doubt spread across her face. Nio disliked seeing her there. It used to be Yuri's desk- her office- she who was the only real queen that deserved this place. But she had to admit, a suit jacket and tie did fit Haru quite well.

"About that… I have... nothing planned," Haru admitted.

It took a lot of effort for Nio to not let her true emotions show themselves. She had a feeling Haru would say that, but she couldn't help but be surprised regardless.

"... Nothing at all? Then how are you going to form your successor? What about the next Class Black?"

"I... have decided to abolish that. No more Class Black or targetting girls from the clan. I don't want anyone… to go through what I did anymore," Haru replied.

"Then how will your successor be ready to take your place? Queen Bees get stronger the more their lives are threatened, so how one would become strong enough to lead the clan if you do away with all of that?"

"Even without our intervention, girls go through a lot in their life. The clan is big, and so one of them may experience enough hardship to grow her power stronger and be a fine candidate as my successor. Anyways, I still have plenty of time before I have to choose a successor. I don't want any more bloodshed for the clan- no one needs to suffer anymore."

Nio expected that. Of course, it didn't stop it from grating on her severely. Haru was no queen- she was just a little princess, naive and unrealistic. There was no way it could work- the clan would collapse under Haru's rule. Nio wished she could kill her so a more competent queen- preferably Yuri, could take her place. But it was impossible. She received the order to serve, obey and protect Haru. Attempting to murder her would go against that order. She was really condemned to serve this incompetent queen and fall with her.

"As you wish, Ichinose-san."

"Ah, please, you can still call me Haru."

"Very well, Haru-chan."

Haru suddenly rose from her chair and approached her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Nio, I want things to stay the same between us. It's not because I'm the chairwoman now that I want you to view me differently. I know things didn't end the best way between us, but I believe in the friendship we had during Class Black. I want things to be like before- I want us to be friends! It's not an order... but a request."

Nio nearly laughed. If Haru thought they were really friends, then she was more stupid than she thought. She never viewed Haru as a friend, nor anyone in Class Black. To be frank, she hated them all. She only acted friendly with them for the sake of her role as the arbitrator. Just as before, for the sake of her role as the queen's property, she's going to pretend to be friends with her.

"Of course, let's be friends!~" Nio replied with her best fake smile.

Haru smiled too, but hers was sincere. It was less beautiful than Yuri's smile, but more… warm? Not that it mattered to Nio.

"Oh, by the way, are you free next Saturday?" Haru suddenly asked.

"I work for you. I'm only free when you allow me to be."

"Then it's decided! Next Saturday, we're going on a date together!" Haru exclaimed excitedly.

"... A date?"

"You know, hanging out somewhere as friends!"

"Oh! Hm, yeah, sure. Let's do that!" Nio replied, trying to copy Haru's enthusiasm.

Haru smiled sweetly, imitated by Nio, who was already exhausted just thinking about the upcoming "date" she was going to have with her unwanted queen.

It already been 10 minutes. Haru was late. She would have expected a queen to be punctual, but perhaps it was too much asked from an incompetent princess. Nio glanced back at her watch, and when she raised her eyes, she then saw Haru running towards her and waving. She then stopped right in front of her, panting, yet smiling brightly. Nio forced herself to smile back despite her annoyance.

"Sorry for being late!" Haru apologized.

"It's okay, I didn't wait for long."

Nio took the time to properly examine Haru. Her "queen" was wearing a simple outfit, pretty cute and girly, maybe, but still simple. She was half-expecting her to come with her professional clothing, but the more she thought about it, the more she considered that it suited Haru. A totally normal and banal outfil like the normal and banal girl Haru was.

"I'm surprised Tokaku-san agreed to let you meet with me alone," Nio said.

"Ah- Tokaku is on a mission right now, and since she didn't want me to be alone, I thought it would be the perfect time to be with you. Ah, not that it's the only reason why I asked you on a date, though- I really do want to just hang out with you!"

Nio wasn't surprised. She was Haru's property now- why else would she be with her if it wasn't to protect her queen? But Haru was an hypocrite, hiding the truth behind some fake friendship. At least Yuri had always been honest about their relationship.

"You look cute~" Nio complimented.

"Ah, thank you! I got a little bit nervous so I wasn't sure what to wear… I'm glad you like it! And you… why are you wearing your school uniform?"

"I don't have many other outfits to be frank, and not to mention, I just like wearing this."

Nio had never been into fashion. She always wore the clothes Yuri gave her. Her old queen always wanted her to be elegant, so Nio let her dress her the way she liked and accepted it, like she was her personal doll. The Myojo uniform was the proof that she belonged to her, and now that she didn't anymore, it was her only reminder of Yuri.

"I see… uh… I know a nice ice cream shop near here, wanna go?" Haru proposed.

"Oh, sure. Whatever you want, Haru-chan," Nio replied with a cat-like smile.

Haru smiled too and they both headed towards the ice cream shop, Haru leading the way. They arrived in front of a truck selling ice cream.

"What flavour do you want?" Haru asked.

"Hm, I suppose there isn't a melon bun flavour huh…"

"Ah, no, not from anything I've seen."

"Then.. I'll take vanilla."

"Okay!"

Haru went to the truck to order. This "date" had barely started and Nio was already tired of it. Pretending to be a friendly and enthusiastic person was so tiresome, but she had to continue. It was part of the persona she's built- the mask she was constantly wearing. It was necessary, given her job and obligation to fit into society, but she hated every second of it.

Haru came back with two ice cream cones, one vanilla and one a reddish colour- likely some kind of fruit flavouring. She gave the vanilla one to Nio and started to lick hers as they began to walk together.

"What flavour is yours?" Nio asked.

"Strawberry! It's my favourite. In fact, strawberries are my favourite food ever!"

"Oh, really? Are there any foods you dislike?"

"Nope! I like pretty much everything- I'm not really picky about food. What about you?"

"As you already know, melon buns are my favourite food. As for my least favourite… I hate veggies."

"Huh!? But vegetables are good for your health- it's important to eat them. Are there any vegetables you at least like a little or can eat?"

"None!"

"Not even cooked a certain way?"

"Nope, I just hate them all ~"

"Hm…"

Nio started to lick her ice cream. This conversation kind of felt nostalgic- she remembered talking about this once with Yuri.

"Do you at least eat fruit?" Haru asked.

"Of course, I like sugary stuff. Ah, but I've never tried a fruity ice cream."

"Oh, wanna try then?" Haru proposed as she put her ice cream close to Nio's face. "Don't worry, I didn't lick this side."

Nio looked at the strawberry ice cream, uncertain. She then leaned in and took a quick bite. It tasted sweet and soft, a little bit more sugary than regular strawberries, but it was pretty good.

"How do you find it?" Haru asked.

"It's alright. Wanna taste mine~?" Nio proposed with a playful smile.

"Mhm, yeah!~"

Before Nio could offer her ice cream, Haru brushed a finger on her check and then brought it closer to her face. Nio could see a vanilla ice cream spot on Haru's finger before she put it in her mouth. This sight made her feel strange. It wasn't unpleasant, no- it was actually kind of… alluring.

"Hm, that's good!"

"It's just vanilla."

"Then maybe it's better than usual because it touched you?"

Again, Nio felt uneasy. Haru was too familiar with her, verging on… flirty. But she knew Haru wasn't doing that on purpose. She wasn't the promiscuous type… or was she?

The two girls continued to walk and eventually finished their respective ice cream. Haru stopped walking and gawked at some building. Looking closer, Nio saw that it was a clothes shop.

"Wanna go there? It could be fun," Haru proposed.

"Yeah, if you want."

They both entered the shop. Nio didn't remember the last time she went a place like this. Haru looked around with sparkles in her eyes.

"Everything here is so pretty! What do you think of this outfit, would you like it?" Haru said, proudly holding up a blouse to Nio.

"Hm… I don't know… it wouldn't cover my tattoos."

"Oh right, those… how about you pick something you like and show me?"

"I can do that."

Nio paced around the shop, looking for clothes she might have liked. Frankly, she didn't care about this. She just wanted to pick something quickly and be over with this.

She needed something that cover her tattoo and was relatively elegant. Eventually, after some hesitation, she picked up some clothes she thought were decent and went to the changing room. Stripping to her underwear, she couldn't help but take note of her reflection in the mirror. Those tattoos are the ones she would only show Yuri- those tattoos she got for her sake- but it didn't matter anymore.

Once she fit into the clothes she had chosen, she took a long look at herself in the mirror. A turtleneck sweater with a skirt, tights and a pair of boots. She kind of appreciated the result. Choosing her own clothes felt good, and even… empowering. She wasn't sure if it was okay for her to feel that way.

"Nio? Are you ready? Can you show me?" Haru said, her voice coming from outside.

Nio's body was shaking a little, as if she was… nervous. She couldn't understand why. She took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping outside of the changing room. Haru was waiting there for her and remained silent for a moment, looking Nio up and down, which certainly didn't help with Nio's nervousness.

"It's terrible, huh…?"

"No!" Haru suddenly exclaimed. "I think you look good! It's pretty cute and it suits you."

Nio didn't know if Haru was being honest or simply polite. Regardless, she didn't care about her opinion. But it did feel good to be complimented, whether it was sincere or not.

"I'll buy it for you." Haru said.

"It's okay, you don't have to-"

"I insist. It's an outfit you choose, and I… I want you to be able to wear other clothes than your uniform- clothes that you like!"

It took a moment for Nio to realize what Haru meant. So she came here… for her. Because she… cared about her. To know that felt strange for Nio. She was nothing more than a queen's property- her life was worthless- so why did Haru care? It didn't make any sense to her.

"Thank you..." Nio replied, a little bit more grateful than she intended to be.

Haru smiled cheerfully, and Nio smiled too. This time... it wasn't forced. They continued to search for more clothes, Haru paying for what they had found, before finally leaving the shop.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Haru said.

"Mmhm."

Together, Nio and Haru sat in a park, admiring the sunset. Nio never felt anything at the sight of beautiful scenery, but it was kind of pleasant to look at it with someone.

"I had lot of fun with you today," Haru said happily.

"Aww, me too~"

"We should do that again soon."

"Yeah... I would love that."

Haru's smile was even brighter than the sun. And her eyes… they were the exact same colour as Yuri's. But they still looked so different. Haru's eyes were so much more alive, full of sparkles and warmth. Looking in them was like watching sunlight reflecting off the ocean.

"It's starting to get late," Nio said, a little bit flustered.

"You're right. Then, let's hang out another day soon, okay?"

"Yeah, let's do that."

Surprisingly, Nio had more fun today than she initially thought she would. Maybe being Haru's property wouldn't be so bad after all…

"...allow yourself to experience true love."

Nio suddenly remembered the words Yuri told her and seized with frustration. She went back to Myojo Academy with Haru, silent, thinking about those damned parting words, determined to not let that happen.

"I won't fall in love with Ichinose! I will never love another queen than Yuri-san, never! I swear that I will never fall in love with her!"

This is not a one-shot, there will be other chapters.

I hope you liked it and thanks for reading!