Someone jumped on me, and I groaned, stirring.
"Momma!" I heard an angry voice, "Momma! Get up! It's time to go to school!" My eyes fluttered open, and I saw my son, Natsukan.
"Natsukan?" I muttered sleepily.
"Grrr... Momma, do you wanna be burned?"
"No, no, I'm fine!" I shot up and got ready.
I brushed my pigtailed hair as Natsukan waited beside me.
"Come on, Momma! It's first day!" he whined, tugging my long skirt.
"I know, Natsukan- I need to look professional." He groaned.
"What is it with girls and their STUPID hair?"
"Oi! Natsukan, give me that attitude, and you won't go to school!" He growled.
"Okay, Natsukan, I'm finished!"
"Finally!" he exclaimed, and I pinched his cheek angrily, "Ow, ow, ow!"
"Now come on, sweetie," I picked him up, and he flailed.
"I can walk on my own!" he screamed. "Put me down!"
"Nope~" I chirped happily.
And we went to his new school- Alice Academy.
"Good morning, my son, Natsukan Sakura, is being enrolled today?" I said politely to the guard.
"Oi, Momma, why's there a guard?"
"I'm sure that's perfectly normal!" I chirped, and he grumbled to himself.
"Natsukan? Oh, right this way," the guard started walking in, and we followed, but he stopped and pointed to me. "Not you, ma'am."
"What? I can't drop my kid off?" I said worriedly.
"Oi, Momma, do you think-"
Natsukan wasn't able to finish his sentence- he was taken away.
The wind swayed my hair across my shocked face.
My boy, the only person I knew, Natsukan...
Was just taken away.
I dropped to my knees.
My life was just taken away.
No...
Natsukan's P.O.V.
I flailed, trying to get out of the guard's arms.
"Oi! Let me go! Let me go!"
Momma! Momma!
She needed me!
"Let me go!" I screamed.
Momma...!
"Here's your class, you stupid brat," he threw me into a room. I crawled up and met eyes two meters away.
"Natsume?"
That was the first 'word' out of the guy's mouth.
"No, Natsukan," I corrected him and got up.
"Natsu-"
I didn't let him finish his sentence- I ran away.
Only to bump into someone.
"Oof!" I rubbed my butt and screamed at the person, "Oi! Watch where you're going!"
My eyes met red but dark eyes. LIFELESS eyes.
"Oh, Natsume!" the man from before exclaimed. "Com-"
"Who are you?" the red eyed man asked, his voice hoarse and weak.
"Natsukan. Natsukan Sakura..."
"Sakura? As in Mikan?" he asked, seeming to slump over.
What was with this man? He was so lifeless and weak!
"Yeah, that's my mom..." I said carefully.
"What? Your momma...?"
This man seems so weak...
"You know my Momma?"
"Auh," he nodded weakly. "If she's who I think she is. Can you show me?"
"... First, HOW do you know her?"
"I loved her."
Eh?
"So... you..."
"Loved her."
Huh?
I gulped.
Maybe I shouldn't show Momma such a weak man...
"Oi, I'm not showing you anything, much less my Momma!"
"You know you can't get out of here, right? If you show me her, I can help you get out."
"Natsume!" the man behind me shouted, kind of in fear.
"... Deal," I shook his hand. "But don't act so weak."
"... Right."
And the man guided me away.
Hotkau's P.O.V.
Narumi-sensei went back in the room, and I raised my hand.
"Is Natsume-sensei not coming today?"
That boy was always sad and lifeless, but he was Narumi-sensei's helper.
"Ah... No, sorry, Hotka-chan."
"Hotkau," I corrected him stubbornly.
Hotka sounds like a girl name!
Everyone groaned that Natsume-sensei wouldn't be here.
We all needed a balance- Naru-sensei's cheerfulness with Natsu-sensei's darkness.
It fitted perfectly!
But some days, Natsu-sensei wasn't here, and while Naru-sensei was happy and beaming, the class was dark.
Natsume-sensei is also Uncle Natsume to me because Daddy and Momma are his friends.
Supposedly, I have Momma's intelligence but Daddy's emotions.
Daddy says it's good, but Momma says emotions are useless.
Oh well, Naru-sensei's teaching.
Stuff I already know.
Natsume's P.O.V.
I guided the boy to the gate.
Outside, a lady lay crying.
I nodded to the guard, and the boy ran to the lady. I slumped over.
"Momma, it's okay," he kissed her cheek.
"N-Natsukan?" she looked up, and immediately, I recognized the tear-filled face. I felt as if I was given life.
I fell to my knees in front of her.
"Polka-" I was about to hug her, but the boy beat me to it.
"Momma, I'm right here," he smiled. She hugged him back.
Na... ni?
And... MOMMA?
Oi, what's going on here?
"Polka?"
The boy looked back at me and seemed to realize I was calling her.
"Oi, Momma, the man who brought me here wants you." She looked up from his shoulder, and our eyes met. I about melted.
"Polka..."
"... You..."
"Polka," I wiped the tears of her cheeks, "Why are you crying?"
"Natsukan- Natsukan was stolen from me..." she whimpered, "Natsukan, my son, my LIFE!"
Oi, Natsukan?
Natsume + Mikan...
= Natsukan?
"Who's Natsukan's father?" She gasped and shook, clutching the boy close. "Oi, who's his father?"
"I-I don't know..."
She's acting as if the boy was her LIFE!
But... she doesn't know the father?
"Were you drunk?" She looked offended and shook her head no. "..."
Then who is the father?
"You look like Natsukan," she commented, and I looked at the boy.
She's right- the eyes, the hair, everything was like me. I looked him up and down.
Could it be...?
But...
That night...
That night was the one she left.
I thought she hated me for doing it.
I thought...
That she'd kill the baby...
Why is he here?
Wait...
She doesn't...
Seem to recognize me.
Oi, Polka?
Please, please say...
You remember me...