25 Minutes Too Late
[REVISED]
By ejo
Summary: She's getting married and he knows he isn't the groom.
Author's Note: Fast-paced. Winks. Natsume isn't the kind of man you think he is, this story is different.
Under the crystal clear chandelier, a young man in his late twenties stands. His dazzling, yellow hair sways as he paces left and right in the room. His blue eyes wander in worry as hundreds of thoughts enter his mind.
"Natsume," a blond boy calls with a heavy tone. His pair of cerulean eyes compliments his newly-brought suit for this evening. His friend, named Natsume Hyuuga, walks toward him with a bored look engraved on his face. "You're twenty-five minutes late."
He raises one of his brows and shoves a box to his friend's stomach, making the blond oofed. "What does that got to do with anything?"
"Everything," the blond replies in haste. He checks the box with a small bow tied on it and turns to his friend who was staring back at him. "What is this for?" He raises the box and eyes his friend.
"A gift," Natsume answers in a matter-of-factly tone. He studies his friend's clothing, wondering why he wore something...formal. It was unlike him, he would usually wear thin shirts with matching printed boxers. "Ruka, why are you dressed like that?"
"Natsume," he calls one more time with a serious tone, making the raven-haired boy sense that something is up. "I'm getting married."
"To whom?" he asks
He gives out a fake cough. "Mikan Sakura."
Natsume scoffs at him. His eyes show surprise at his friend's revelation. "When?"
"Next week."
With that, Natsume feels his world crashing down.
His eyes stare blankly into space. It's almost been two hours since he left the restaurant. As soon as he heard her name, he felt an aching throbbing inside his chest. He couldn't stand talking about her so he decided to leave the restaurant as soon as he could.
"Mikan Sakura." he mutters, as his body shifts from one spot and to another on his bed.
He could hear her voice lingering in the air.
It's been seven years since they've last met, but he still couldn't forget her expression under the covers of his bed.
/Flashback/
"I love you," she moans, her hands wrapped around Natsume's neck. "Natsume."
He places his lips onto hers and flashes a smile. She's the only one who could see him smiling like this and it usually happens when she gets into his bed naked. It isn't because he enjoyed her lustfully but he feels himself whenever he's right beside her.
"I love you more." he whispered back, his hand trailing on her bare skin.
She caresses his cheek gently, her head on his arms while her eyes focuses on his. "Promise me," she says as she moistens her lower lip. "We'll be together forever."
Natsume shrugs her words and shifts to the other side of the bed. He closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.
Natsume Hyuuga doesn't make promises nor does he keep them.
Why would he? Promises of love mean nothing to him.
After all, true love doesn't exist.
/End of Flashback/
Their relationship ends bitterly when the brunette caught him with another woman on bed the following day. Of course, he let the brunette to break it off to keep his gentleman approach. After that incident, they lost contact to one another, except when their high school class has their reunion held which usually happens once a year but he didn't bother attending those events.
"Sorry Ruka," he whispers to himself. "I can't let you have her."
He dials a number in his phone and calls.
"What do you want?" a voice says from the other line, obviously from the tone of her voice, she's pissed about something or someone.
"Imai," he starts in distaste. Deep down he knows that if needs something, there's one person he would ask: Hotaru Imai. They aren't close or weren't in a relationship together before, she is just an ex's best friend. And that's how he plans it to be evermore.
"I want a goddamn reunion," he orders. "Within this week. Better yet tomorrow."
Before he could say another thing, the other line is quickly dropped.
"Fuck."
/Flashback/
Pure white snow covers the entire surrounding of the gazebo, not a single plant is in sight. Under its roof, a brunette and a raven-haired lad stand. Their fingers interlocking one another, their eyes meeting and their noses red from the cold.
He steadily looks at her before asking. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
Her cheeks brighten up like red candy canes hung on her house's door. He's her first boyfriend whilst she was just one of his countless girlfriends he had. But that didn't bother her, because in spite of everything she's willing to accept him no matter what.
"Yes." she replies.
A small smile forms on his lips, making the girl giggle.
"I love you." he speaks softly in her ear.
"I love you more." she returns as she closes her eyes and waits. He leans slowly to her, closing the distance between them and plants a long, puckered kiss on her lips. His hand gradually falls to her hips as the kiss took longer than what they expected.
Another snowflake falls to the ground.
/End of Flashback/
"Mikan!" a voice cries out, making his ears twitch. "You're getting married! Congratulations." It's Sumire Shouda. She outgrew her short perm hair, now, her greenish hair is lengthen up to her waist with bits of curl in every end.
Her loud voice made Natsume's gathering thoughts crumble, shaking him to go back to reality once again. He sees her smiling and waving frantically at her friends. It's his first time seeing her in flesh once again.
He glances at his hands which he finds shaking from apprehension. How can he keep calm when she's just a few meters away from him? She's simply too much for him.
"Talk to her," a cold voice suggests. He turns his head to see and finds Hotaru Imai munching a few crab sticks. "I specifically prepared this reunion for you yet you're acting like a chicken now." Her icy voice pierces Natsume's chest thoroughly. Him? A chicken? No way!
He grunts as the purple-eyed girl flashes a grin. She's clearing enjoying this, Natsume muses as he took one last glimpse at the crab-loving female. He walks straight to the brunette who's momentarily surrounded by her friends. As he makes every step, each of the brunette's friends eyes him suspiciously.
Oh, they know him all right.
The guy who tricked their friend.
Natsume Hyuuga.
"Natsume!" Mikan exclaims as she beams a smile when she sees his head popping out in the crowd. "Long time no see." Natsume studies her face carefully, nothing much changed about her except she grew taller and slender than before. Her used-to-be pigtailed hair is now tied up in a bun with a few strands sticking out but nonetheless she still looks beautiful.
"How have you been? I heard you've taken a liking into writing." he tells with a smirk plastered on his face.
She beams at this. "I've decided to work as a freelance authoress," she replies as she lightly pats his shoulders. "I'm doing well. I heard Ruka told you about the... um..." She ponders on what word to use but the raven-haired boy knows better.
"Wedding." he cuts.
"Yes, the wedding," she motions and smiles. "Are you going?"
He is clearly running out of words to say next. 'Don't marry him.' or 'Don't get Ruka.' is what he wants to speak ever since this party started but every time he does he feels his throat going dry. He glances at the floor below, searching for words to say.
"Natsume?" she calls, adding mixed emotions swirling in his stomach. "Are you okay?"
He turns to her, his eyes looking afar. "I'm fine," he quickly abrupt. "And I'm coming."
His answer makes the brunette's lips form an even wider smile. "Splendid." she says as she leans to him and plants a kiss on his cheek. He could smell her perfume lingering around him as soon as she left to find Ruka.
"You're so obvious, Hyuuga." Hotaru implies as she nudges the breath-taken man.
He composes himself and turns. "What are you trying to say, Imai?"
"That you still love her," she replies, making Natsume flinch. "That you still want her."
"Ridiculous rubbish." he spats as an annoyed expression find its way to his face.
Maybe Hotaru is right, maybe he wants her back. He feels an unimaginable churn in his stomach. Is it too late?
"Hyuuga, do you want some coffee?" she offers as she points her thumb to the refreshment area.
"No."
To Natsume Hyuuga,
You Are Cordially Invited To
Ruka Nogi and Mikan Sakura's Nuptial.
When: June Sixteenth Twenty Thousand Eleven, Ten O' Clock In The Morning.
Where: Alice Academy's Grounds.
He continues to stare at the ceiling endlessly.
All day long, he lay on his bed doing nothing but contemplate on what'll happen in just a few hours. He could feel his feet tired from all the pacing he did last night. He finds himself sulking because for the past few days he didn't do anything to stop her. He didn't do a single thing. He did nothing.
He bites his lower lip in frustration.
"That you still love her," her voice rings, leaving an uncomfortable situation for him. "That you still want her."
Damn.
He quickly rises from his bed and heads outside of his house with his coat hanging against the wind. He didn't bother locking his house, because in his mind there's only one thing: her.
I'm going after her.
He hops into his car and lungs the keys in. Without wasting a few seconds, he drives off, leaving puffs of smoke behind.
Honks of cars fills the city air, every single street is cover by cars, catching Natsume in traffic. The worse condition is that not a single vehicle is moving. He pounds his fist against the steering wheel and mutters a curse under his breath.
Only a few minutes left and time is of the essence.
He runs out of the car, rushing his way to his old school's vicinity. He launches forward to the motionless cars to cross the other side of the road. A couple of drivers swear on him, thinking that he might have broken their cars.
From a distance, he finally sights the school's bell tower. He charges towards the school area, not minding the stares that some of the students give him. He's determining to confess his feelings and to break the wedding.
He's determined but his determination isn't enough.
As soon as his vision displays the white decorations, he stops midway. Everything looks freakishly familiar to him. The white surrounding, the nearby lushes of trees and a gazebo. Gazebo!
He feels his knees giving up on him. This is the place where they became a couple and the place where they shared their first kiss to commemorate their relationship. But now, this is the place where she shares a kiss to vow commitment to another man.
"You may now kiss the bride." the priest says, blessing the couple in front of him.
Mikan's bashful smiling face is visible in the veil. Ruka lifts the thing off and tucks a few strand of hair at the back of her ear. "I love you." she whispers softly.
"I love you more." he whispers back. He wraps his arms around her waist which draw them nearer, filling the missing gap, and lunges forward to give her a kiss.
He's late. Too late.
He presses his lips, trying to do his best not to breakdown. He feels a light tap on his shoulders and he turns his head a bit. He finds Hotaru Imai, wearing a purple knee-length dress, smiling pitifully at him. "You're late." she says.
Natsume couldn't help but give out a force chuckle. He's in no mood to kid around, after all, he lost the girl he likes to his best friend.
"It's your fault though," Hotaru tells him. "You shouldn't have let her go in the first place. Maybe you could have been the guy standing beside her right now."
"Maybe." he softly replies as he run his fingers through his hair. He glances at the newly-wed before saying. "They both deserve each other."
Hotaru whistles, causing the raven-haired to glance back at her. "What?" he hisses, slightly annoyed at the girl's reaction.
"Despite the fact that we love each other, we can't be together." she teases sarcastically.
"Whatever." he shrugs his shoulders and asks. "Do you still want that coffee?"
A smile crawls into her lips. "I've been waiting for you to say that a long time ago."
The End
Challenge: The Best Kiss Portrayal
Challenge Period: October 2 - October 22
Voting Period: October 23 - 26
Announcement of results: October 27
Where: GA Oneshot Challenge's Profile