Shattered Facade
Serenade in Silence
After her grandfather's death, Mikan could take no longer. She could no longer pretend to be happy, when in reality, her emotions are the exact opposite. And so... the idiotic, bubbly, dense Mikan Sakura... died, replaced by the real Mikan Sakura. Sadly for Mikan, it doesn't rest well with many of those whom she believed were her friends.
Prologue: What's My Fate, Sempai?
"Who are you?" Hotaru asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
As Mikan was about to speak up, Sumire, who has become one of her best buds since a year back, said, "Yeah. You're not the Mikan we know and love."
This statement caused a wave of agreement from their peers, and only Mikan's best friends said nothing. But... it was evident in their eyes, all but Natsume's and Koko's, that they agreed. Even Hotaru, Mikan's best friend since forever.
It pierced Mikan's heart, hurt her so badly to know that this was their reaction to her true self. No, she wasn't an impostor. She was the real deal. She just stripped off the mask she's worn for how many years and threw it away. This was the real Mikan Sakura.
They were silenced by her scoff, and all turned to look at her. Slowly turning away, she told them, "Tch. Hate me for all I care." in a voice so cold, so full of venom, but also full of masked pain. With that, she walked away, leaving them all behind, losing more people she cares about than she already has.
Her transformation, her sudden change, it all took place when she received news of the death of her last living relative, Grandpa. She couldn't hold it in anymore, and now... here she was.
"Mikan-chan? Daijoubu?" Tsubasa asked his kouhai. "You haven't been acting yourself lately."
Lowering the arm that shielded her arms from the glaring light, Mikan looked at him coldly. "I am myself," she told him. "But... feel free to leave me like they all did..."
She slouched even deeper into her seat, and re-covered her eyes with hands intertwined. "... like Mother and Father..." A sob. "... Grandpa... Hotaru..." Ragged breathing. "Ruka, Anna, Nonoko..." A teardrop. "... Yuu, Sumire... all of them." A pause. "Feel free to leave me like they all did..."
"Mikan-chan..." her sempai started worriedly. What happened?, he wanted to ask.
Mikan took a deep breath and breathed, "You guys are all I have left..." More tears. "Just you guys, Koko-kun, Narumi-sensei... and Natsume-kun... You guys... you guys are all I have left..."
There was an awkward silence. "Tell me, sempai," she continued, "is it my fate to suffer and slowly lose everything I have?"
To Be Continued...
Ah. I've long wanted to write this story, but nothing ever came to me. But today, it just... it just came, y'know? Anyways, I'm hoping to have some flashbacks in the next chapter, about how she lost certain people she cared about, but it all depends on what my imagination says. :) 'Til later!