"Because in a world of lies, all I have is you…"
Mikan despondently watched the kids rush off to the courtyard to eat their lunches. She is in high school, and ever since elementary school, she learned she was a lot powerful than she thought she was.
It created fear. And disgust. And envy.
So everyone alienated her. Even Natsume.
A tear dropped down her face as she didn't even struggle to open her lunch box. Mikan would get so scared of going into the cafeteria where there would be pairs of hateful eyes just wishing her to die. Everyone wanted her gone. Except for her uncle, Hotaru, and Nobara.
Her uncle had to love her because he was her uncle and if he didn't love her that wouldn't make him a good family member, whatever the last family she has. Nobara knew what it felt like to be isolated. Even after marrying Persona and having a child, she was still kind and motherly to Mikan. But how could Hotaru even stand the sight of her? A disgusting, powerful, naïve girl could be the end of her but yet she continues to act like this is nothing, like Mikan is the same dorky girl she first met!
Mikan would admit she changed. In a tribute to her mother, she let go of pigtails and quit parting her bangs (sorry guys, I just HATED that annoying part in her bangs and the pigtails :P). She even became more careful of her actions and reasonably logical, not as bubbly and happy as she used to be. While this saved her from Hotaru's baka-gun, the raven haired was worried about her best friend.
"Mikan?"
The brunette lifted her eyes off her meal and looked at her raven haired best friend. Forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes, Mikan beamed a smile that wasn't as bright as the sun. It was a lonely smile and Hotaru knew that.
"Aren't you going to come eat at the cafeteria?" Hotaru asked, worried.
"If I did, people would just wish for me to leave," Mikan blankly looked at her untouched sushi.
"You can't run away from the obvious, Mikan," Hotaru sighed, walking across the room to where Mikan sat.
"I can't go in that cafeteria with you," Mikan whispered, "Natsume hates me, even Ruka."
"Look, I broke up with that jerk, okay?" Hotaru sighed, "It was a bit disappointing that Ruka wasn't that kind hearted as I thought he was. But what I learned was that life moves on and it gets better."
"I know… but it isn't easy when the whole school hates you," Mikan whispered, "I just don't understand how you managed to hold on being my friend."
"Are you kidding?" Hotaru asked, surprised, "Being your friend was the best thing I could ever ask for. I may have not showed it but you are a blessing yourself."
Mikan never considered to understand what Hotaru thought of their friendship. All this time she thought Hotaru felt like their friendship was dragging her down from making her inventions.
"Mikan, you're more important than my inventions," Hotaru softly smiled.
-x-
"Yukihira senpai?" A small voice suddenly jerked Mikan out of her thoughts as she was wordlessly walking down the hallway. Other students had already gone to their dorms. But Mikan had to get a special room due to the bullying, the fear of the teachers, and the fact she is ONLY the principal's niece.
"Hello Youichi," Mikan smiled, watching the little toddler come out from the corner.
Youichi pouted, looking at his teeny tiny form. Mikan understood, and laughed.
"So after you became thirteen you ate another one of Hotaru's Gulliver candy? How many years did it subtract from your look?" Mikan asked.
"Ten…" Youichi fought off a blush.
"You know, I miss you being so little. You're cute," Mikan softly laughed.
A bright red blush crept up Youichi's face, proving that only Mikan could have such an effect on him.
"So what do you need?" Mikan smiled casually.
"I wanted to give you a gift… which isn't howalon," Youichi blushed.
"Well although I would agree Howalon is amazing, it doesn't last as long as an inedible item," Mikan rolled her eyes laughing, "I figured."
Youichi blushed and placed a velvet bag in Mikan's hands. Already knowing the weight of the bag and the warmth and the bright light, Mikan had already guessed what it was.
But just to lessen the kid's anxiety, Mikan opened it and marveled when she saw an emerald Alice stone that emitted a grayish green light. It was pretty big, the size of a nickel. Kind of like when Natsume made a stone for her when they were in elementary school…
"Senpai?"
Mikan was jerked out of her thoughts to see an astonished Youichi pointing at her face.
"You're crying," Youichi whispered.
And he was right. Upon touching her face, she felt a few drops sliding down her cheek. God she was such a wimp, always wallowing in memories that weren't reality anymore. Forcing a smile, she focused back on Youichi, who magically poofed back to his real age.
"I'm fine," Mikan sniffed, "I am so touched by your gift! But if I knew you were making me an Alice stone, then I would've made one for you too!"
"But you know, Senpai, exchanging Alice stones have much more meaning than just exchanging gifts, and I thought you would know since…" Youichi trailed off.
Mikan didn't need more of a prompt. She remembered in elementary, she gave her first attempt at making an Alice stone (as teeny tiny and mediocre as anyone else's) to Natsume. He had snuck a huge red Alice stone into her room, a stone that glowed like the embers in a fire.
But then when people drifted away from her, so did he. It then struck, when they returned each other's Alice stones, that her very own Bad Boy wasn't as 'bad' as she thought. He wasn't willing to be hated by people just to be with her.
And he lost the big Alice Stone I made him! Mikan added, remembering him telling her that he lost it among the snow (let's just pretend that because I forgot how Natsume ACTUALLY lost it).
"Why would you even want to talk to me?" Mikan suddenly asked.
"What kind of question is that?" Youichi asked, confused.
"When the whole school hates me, minus Hotaru and my uncle, why would you want to even talk to me?" Mikan asked, "Was it some kind of dare? Or a bet?"
"I didn't make any kind of bet," Youichi stepped closer to Mikan, "Why would I want to?"
"I don't know, to be honest," Mikan murmured, "People other than you, Hotaru and uncle who talked to me only did so because they made bets. They would think that I would shoot them with a random Alice if they got near me."
Mikan twirled one of her Alice restraints – AKA the artistic rings on her fingers. Unlike Persona or Natsume or other people who had lots of Alice restraints, she didn't want to get multiple piercings on her body. She just wanted to wear a few rings on her fingers, save the one finger where a wedding ring should go. She still clung onto finding 'the one' for herself.
"I heard a group of guys whispering once in the back of a teacher's classroom," Mikan looked down, "They did a dare to talk to me to gain an implied badge of bravery. They didn't want to be my friends."
"Don't worry, senpai, I'm not fake," Youichi assured.
Mikan nodded, and then froze on the spot when a few girls walked down the corridors, cupping a hand over their mouths when whispering in each other's ears. From the dirty looks that they gave her, Mikan knew they were speaking such mean things about her. And for one thing, they weren't whispering quietly either. That was done on purpose.
"Psst! Miki! Did you see that? That slut Mikan is trying to take YOUR Youichi-kun away!"
"Oh Airi, he will see through her and know that she isn't worth his time!"
"But Yuki, don't you think that she is getting close to him?"
"Exactly what you said, Yuki," Miki arrogantly flipped her chestnut locks over her shoulder, "SHE is trying to get close to him. Not the other way around. Don't worry my little puppies. He will be mine."
Youichi, who had to endure Miki's possessive comments about him, narrowed his eyes distastefully at Miki when their eyes locked.
No words had to back up his un-spoken rejection. In a split second Miki understood his nonverbal message and then she ran down the hallway crying a river, her posse running after her like obedient puppies.
"They really get on my nerves," Youichi whispered, looking back at Mikan, who lowered her head in hurt at Miki's and Airi's mean words.
Mikan raised her head in surprise. Honestly, she knew she wasn't breathtaking gorgeous as some of the popular girls. She was surprised to find that Youichi didn't comment about how prettier Miki was than her. What did he see in her?
"Don't worry, I don't like those fake girls," Youichi put a hand on Mikan's shoulder, "They are trying so hard for something they won't get."
Mikan's blank face broke out into a ghost of her radiant smile. This was the first time she actually smiled ever since elementary school and she meant it.
"Thank you."
-x-
Mikan paced in her room, holding the Alice stone she created, shining a beautiful mandarin orange. It was a rare Alice, and she was proud of it. She was proud that she inherited it from her father. At times like these, Mikan was happy she stood out rather than blending in with everyone else's.
And now she felt proud that she had one of the most unique Alice.
But she didn't know how to give it to Youichi without getting attacked by his annoying fan girls, not to mention that just because Miki got rejected, doesn't mean she didn't give up. If anything, she came bounding back with more force than ever.
"How is he going to get it?" Mikan thought miserably. Then an idea popped in her head. Hotaru!
Mikan fished her cell phone and she called her best friend. After two rings, Hotaru's annoyed voice greeted her on the other side.
"Listen, Nogi, if you are asking me to get back with you, you better prepare yourself to be hit with a hundred and one bullets of my latest model of Baka Gun. And then I will make you pay for those bullets, because those suckers aren't cheap," Hotaru droned through the phone.
"Surprise!" Mikan laughed.
"Oh, Mikan! Heheh sorry about that! You see, I turned my cell phone into a land line when I come to my laboratory, so it doesn't show the cell phone number and name on the screen when anyone calls my cell phone when I am in the Lab. So what's up?" Hotaru apologized.
"Well a week ago Yo-chan gave me his alice stone-"
"He WHAT?" Hotaru uncharacteristically exclaimed.
"I know, and then I thought about it and I made one for him-"
"You WHAT?"
"Hotaru, can you at least let me finish? Then I will gladly let you scream my head off."
"Sorry. Go on."
"So I made one, and it is as big as a quarter. I want to give it to him, but his crazy and insane fan girls are always around him and trying to claim him for their beloved 'Miki-sama' so I thought you could give it to him for me?" Mikan asked.
"Say no more. Hand it to me tomorrow, and I am on it," Hotaru quickly said.
"You are the best Hotaru," Mikan smiled before hanging up.
On the other line, Hotaru smiled when she heard the dial tone. She always wanted Mikan to know that there was someone who loved her more than Natsume. And now she saw.
"I know, Mikan," Hotaru smiled before hanging up herself, though she knew Mikan didn't hear her.
-x-
Hotaru felt the little toddler pulling on her long skirt in home period. Looking down at the little Youichi, she pulled him on her lap and whispered into his ear, "Mikan told me to give you something."
Youichi looked up in confusion as Hotaru rummaged through her book bag, searching for the little box Mikan gave to her that morning.
"Ah, here it is," Hotaru smiled, finding the little box. She handed it to Youichi, who was surprised like Mikan that it wasn't big enough to be howalon.
"It isn't edible," Hotaru laughed and went back to her blueprints for her invention.
Youichi hopped off Hotaru's lap, promising to find her after school. He was a bit like Natsume, a rebel who skips classes. But not for the same reason. While Natsume skipped due to hating school and missions from the ESP, Youichi would skip because he didn't want to face the fan club.
When he came into the playground for elementary kids, he sat down on the swing, after a bit of a struggle with his little body.
Youichi placed the box neatly on his lap and undid the green ribbon that was on the dark green box. Opening it, he found a bright mandarin Alice stone the size of a quarter.
He knew Hotaru was telling the truth. No other Alice stone had an orange shade this light, bright and beautiful. No other than Mikan's.
There was a note under the stone. He picked up the note and set the stone back down.
It read:
Youichi,
I would have confronted you directly but knowing after THAT incident long ago and the fact you have a fan club, I don't know if I would make it in one piece just handing you a gift in front of the whole school.
But I was touched that you put all of your feelings into making a stone for me. Let me say mine was no bigger than a tiny pebble I made – of course that stone brings back bad memories.
What I am saying is that despite others thinking I am some kind of bubble-headed brunette I looked like back then, I am more than what my looks are.
I know the legend, and I know it holds true today. I think that is why you have nearly the whole female population running after you and chucking their stones at you.
But I didn't actually fall in love with you magically last week. I fell in love with you long before that. When you didn't act the way I thought you would, I understood that in order to love someone, you have to look past the external looks and dive deeper. Because what's on the inside really counts.
I didn't know what that funny feeling was at first. I brushed it off – thinking it was just a silly little crush that would never be returned because there was no chance for me to spend time with you unlike other girls.
And there was Natsume, who told me he was getting jealous of you spending time with me. I was so desperate for any kind of affection back then that I forced myself to accept that Natsume was the one for me and you would always be my little brother. But when I finally accepted this fantasy, I didn't know why my heart ached silently, like it was crying tears no one would see.
I realized I love you, but I thought, it would have been best to bury it. I thought you wouldn't like me the way I wanted you to. But now I feel a little bit hopeful that I was right long time ago, that that funny feeling I felt in elementary school was not some silly crush, but it was the feeling of falling in love.
From,
Mikan
Youichi stared at the paper in shock. Who knew Mikan was very expressive with her feelings, making metaphors and personifications and similes of her feelings?
But most of all was the dread coming over him. HE wanted to tell her this, every single word, not the other way around! He didn't know that Mikan felt about him the way he felt about her!
One thought ran through his mind: He needed to find her.
-x-
Nobody wanted to talk to Mikan, but that didn't bother the brunette. She had Hotaru to hang out with.
"I still can't believe you would want to socialize with me and only me," Mikan took a sip of her orange juice as they ate their lunches.
"Well they're idiots. You didn't do anything wrong and their hatred for you makes them pure sissies," Hotaru retorted, biting into her noodles.
"Yeah but I am pretty sure they would be fine with you socializing with me on the side. They would still accept you," Mikan smiled, picking up her sandwich to bite into.
"I don't care about having multiple friends," Hotaru wagged her left index finger as if Mikan were a little child, "I only care about having genuine friends. And you and Youichi are enough."
"So how are you doing, fending off Ruka and your own fan club?" Mikan laughed.
"Ugh, don't remind me," Hotaru grumbled, "They are so much work to deal with. I already have them pay for the baka gun bullets I had to use on them to teach them a lesson. With interest, of course."
"But I don't know if them paying for the bullets would teach them a lesson. This IS your ex and your fan club, Hotaru," Mikan sighed.
"That is true," Hotaru nodded, "But until the problem goes out of hand, I will enjoy the profit I make out of those dummies."
Then Hotaru spotted a little figure darting in their direction. She smirked. Youichi.
"Speaking of surprises, I think you are in for one, Mikan," Hotaru smirked, snapping on her helmet and riding off on her swan scooter as quickly as possible.
"Hotaru!" Mikan yelled after her best friend, "Ugh…"
Looking in front of her, Mikan saw what Hotaru meant. It was Youichi. If he had something to say, then it would be okay, seeing as lunch just started and she barely touched hers.
"Hello Yo-chan," Mikan smiled, patting the spot next to her, "You want some water?"
"No, why?" Youichi asked.
"Well… you look out of breath," Mikan pointed to Youichi panting and wheezing and gasping for oxygen.
"No, I'm fine," Youichi said and then suddenly he poofed back to his actual age.
"I hate Gulliver's candy," Youichi glared at his now elongated arms which just a minute ago were pudgy, small arms of a toddler.
"And now don't steal them from Hotaru," Mikan smiled.
"I won't," Youichi smiled, "I don't want to be an adult who turns into a teenager."
-x-
They spent the lunch talking and laughing. Mikan was happy. Although she would love to spend lunch with her best friend, she loved it when she talked to someone who really understood what it meant to be just pushed in the shadows, forgotten.
"So I have been meaning to ask, if you made one for me," Youcihi held up the orange Alice stone, "Where is the one I made for you?"
Mikan simply smiled.
She pulled out a silver chain, which besides Hotaru's small purple Alice stone, hung Youichi's beautiful green one.
"Right here, near my heart."
-fin-
Hey you guys!
I am so sorry for not going onto Fanfiction over the summer! I was busy with volunteering, summer classes at a community college, college visits, summer projects, and trying to pretend that this summer was the best summer EVER (cue the sarcasm).
You guys imagine the ending! Yes, you know how much of a Youcihi/ Mikan sucker I am. Go ahead, laugh.
This one shot is for you, ERI! EternalNight88, you are the best co-author EVER and no other person would be so sweet, kind, and understanding like you! (And I will work hard to start the next chapter of MS just for you, sweet pea!)
I got accepted to the college of my dreams so I guess I can allow myself to get consumed by senioritis and not care about school until college? Lol, JK guys!
LOVE YOU ALL and STAY AWESOME! (Love you, my INFINITIES! – I tried to come up with my own fan base name, how lame am I? And to think after all these years I am still such a sucky romantic… :P)
Infinite Snow