short story

CONSEQUENCES of I DON'T CARE

If one day you noticed that we haven't talked for a while,

It's not because I don't care anymore. It's because you pushed me away.

-Unknown

.

From the start, all I have ever loved was her.

There was no one else.

No one else but her…

Five years had gone by quite fast for a certain man with tantalizing crimson eyes.

And even until now, he was left wondering how he actually lived and survived with those years that passed.

Days went on with him realizing a little too soon that it just did. He was unmindful of the events that took place, too busy to even care. The next thing he knew, just recently, his calendar was replaced with a new one. It read 'Year 2013.' So long was he to those good old romantic days of his life. So long was he to his old antics of teasing her to get her attention. So long was he to her.

All of those were history.

And he wasn't even aware of it—until now.

RING! RING! RING!

He stirred. His eyes began to open where then a single tear dropped. And it was then that he realized he had cried again.

Confusion dawned on him as mixed emotions began to fog his thinking, as it had always been every day. 'Damn,' he cursed. But nevertheless, right now, he had his phone for a savior. Its constant ringing had saved him from the same nightmare he had once considered his most wonderful dream.

RING! RING! RING!

He groaned.

But his phone kept on ringing nonetheless. And the noise was starting to piss him off.

He was not happy about it—not a bit.

Felt irritated that even this very few hours of rest was robbed from him, his hand had unconsciously travelled towards the desk beside his bed. His eyes now closed. His brows were crossed. When he had felt the thin structure of the useless device, as he had termed it, he pressed a certain region on the flat screen and the alarm stopped.

In most cases, he would have gotten back to sleep. He would just close his eyes and forget that he actually woke up 5 in the morning. However, this day was one of those very few ones that went with an exception note. Right after he had switched off one alarm, another blared from across the bed. Then, another one to his right and then to his left. Soon, his room erupted to a full-blown of five alarms, depriving him yet again from the comforts of sleep.

He forced himself to wake up.

He groggily stood up and went to each of the alarms to switch it off. But upon turning off the last one, his gaze traveled towards a small auburn-colored envelope right beside it. He ran a hand through his hair as he mentally cursed upon his brief absent-mindedness. He picked up the envelope and simply stared at it. It was an invitation. And yes, he hadn't read it and probably he never will. Yet he had somehow known what it contains, courtesy to rumors that spread fast.

Mikan Yukihira and Ruka Nogi, the one person he love and the one man he trusts. Normally, he should be happy for them as any other friend would be. But that was the problem. He wasn't just any ordinary friend. He wasn't some fairy godfather who'd do everything in his power to see a happy ending for them both. Nope! It had practically pained him to see and realize that the second name written should be his and not someone else's.

And even after five long years of trying to forget, he can't.

He had loved her.

And he still does.

-COIDC-

It was on a party. He remembered.

It all started on the one and only party he attended.

It was Sumire's—his childhood friend, to 'commemorate' her last taste of freedom before her marriage with Koko. At that time, Natsume did not intend to be part of the merrymaking. It was out of his character to be on one. Besides, he was still frustrated upon the news laid by his grandfather on the morning of that very same day. But Sumire insisted. And so, he was compelled to attend.

At first, he planned to be there only until introductions. After that, if circumstances permit him, he would sneak out and drive back home. That was his initial plan. And so, with that, he waited.

And waited.

At about 12 in the morning, everything turned wild. Some were drunk. A few others fell asleep—from being too drunk. However, for a guy named Natsume Hyuuga, it was different. He was still in his senses since he refused to get drunk that night. He refused to participate in any way possible. For him, he had no reason to celebrate after all.

So throughout the festivity, he remained passive.

As he sat quietly on the far corner of the room, he noticed a group of people huddled on a certain table. On the middle of the gathering, he caught a glimpse of a woman with long brunette hair. She was encircled by her friends as she drank a few mugs of beer. Reading her contradicting expression, he knew she was only forced to do the act. He watched her as she drank against her will. But after a few passing moments or so, he completely ignored the scene.

Almost an hour passed. Natsume finally found the perfect timing to escape. He immediately stood up from his seat as people rocked out with the guest band Sumire had invited. Amidst the rabid crowd, he made his way out of the building.

But as he walked along the hallways, heading towards his parked car, someone was careless enough and tried to rush past him.

"Watch where you're going!" he irritatingly yelled as he faced the person who so inadvertently bumped him in the shoulder. To his surprise, it was that same brunette woman he saw an hour back. She was holding the brick wall for support, trying to steady her feet. Her other hand clutched her head. Then after a few while, she looked up at him. Her hazel eyes stared directly at his crimson ones.

In that moment, Natsume did not know what possessed him that looking away seemed a hard thing to do. She was not someone he knew. Nor was she half as pretty as the other girls at the party. But then, there was something in those hazel eyes that totally captivated him. And lured him in.

"My, aren't you a gorgeous young man?" her words were the only one that brought him out of his reverie. He stared at her crookedly walking towards his direction. He raised a brow, unable to process the situation at hand. "Were you-?" But then, his words were cut short when that very woman placed her hands on his shoulder and slammed her lips into his.

He would've opted to push her away.

Then again, he didn't.

When the next day came and she happened to wake up in his bed, Natsume could hear a loud scream that erupted from his room. He was at his office that time, going through some of the documents his secretary left for him last night. He sighed, before dropping the piece of paper on the table. He stood up and went to check up on her.

When he reached the room, she was still on the bed, holding the blanket close to her fully-clothed body.

"You!" she accusingly pointed a finger at him, "What the hell did you do to me, you rapist!"

Natsume scoffed. He folded his hands and leaned on the doorframe. "And I'm the rapist now? If I remembered clearly, it was not I who was too drunk last night."

He stared at her scratch her head, seemingly trying to remember the events that happened. Her eyes would occasionally widen. Then, she would frown. Her brows knitted. Then, she would raise them in absolute uncertainty. And after what seemed like forever, he finally saw her slump her shoulders then sighed. She released the blanket from her tight embrace.

"Something… happened, right?" She caught her breath and stared at him, "And if there is, thank you and I'm sorry. I must've had caused you trouble. That happens a lot—every time I'm drunk."

"I figured that one out," Natsume replied simply. He saw her nod before getting out of the bed. As she was about to tie the straps of her sandals, her head shot towards his direction once again and she asked, "Wait! You really didn't do something to me, did you?"

He smirked. "Tried my best not to ride with it," he shrugged.

She stared at him in teasing shock. Her mouth slightly parted, almost ready to retort. "I would close my mouth if I were you," but he beat her to it, "a fly might get stuck in there." He smirked again, for the second time in the last twenty-two years or so of his living. This woman just never failed to amuse him to no end. Back in those days, one could almost say that Natsume Hyuuga had finally found that one person who could get along with him—other than Ruka.

Then again, that was 'back in those days.'

"Excuse me-"

"Now, back to business," he cut her short, "Because of the event last night, for giving me the trouble of 'restraining' you and for accusing me as a rapist, I'm giving you two options."

"Why the hell would I pay you now-?"

"Plus that, it's an additional to your debts," he stared at her, telling her how freaking serious he was. She shut her mouth close. Seeing her quiet figure, Natsume cleared his throat and proceeded, going back to his business mode.

"For all those damages you caused, one, you may pay me back in monetary unit—approximately a hundred thousand dollars only," Mikan's eyes widened in shock. "Only?" she asked.

"Yes, it's just a small amount," he answered her, placing his hands inside his pockets.

"What's the second option then?" she asked him.

"Just answer me a 'yes'," he replied.

"A 'yes'… to what?" she raised a quizzical brow.

He paused for a while, breathing in as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Then, he stared back at her.

"To being my girlfriend."

If you are thinking that this is the same as the other common plots one way or another, no! It is not. Well, I think so. :)