You Me Us
Gripping her pencil, droplets of sweat making its way down her cheeks and on the papers.
She has been looking and flipping through her papers for an hour and still she couldn't do even one of the questions Jinno sensei had set.
"Sakura-san, I see that you had not written anything yet, has your brain dysfunctional?" said Jinno sensei holding his lightning wand "Do you want any help to charged it?"
"N-n-no, my brain is working extremely well..."
Trembling, she concentrate on the first question which usually is the easiest question of the whole paper, realizing that most of her classmates are peeking at her and Jinno sensei as if an interesting scene is going to happen.
Oh no, I can't do this! My head is blank! I remember Iinchō calculating this before... Sweats began to rain down anime-style as Jinno sensei stare at her harder and harder and
'ZAPPEDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'
-------------After Jinno sensei went out holding the papers in hand--------------
"Are you ok Mikan-chan?" asked Iinchō pointing at her head that is electrocuted
"yea...I am sorry Iinchō, after all the couching you had given me, I can't even do a single simple question" said Mikan sulking
"Its fine, it's ok if Mikan-chan doesn't know how to do them as the questions that Jinno sensei set today is quite -----
"Easy " finished Hotaru "it's miracle that anyone do not know how to do it ----- especially the first one"
Everyone has sweats on their faces after listening to this, wondering how they become best friends in the first place
Scared that Mikan will feel depressed, Nonoko tried to cheer her up "Erm, Mikan, I think Hotaru is just------
"HOTARU!!!! You mean you think the papers are EASY??? You mean you know how to do EVERY SINGLE QUESTION??? Wow! My Hotaru is a GENIUS like always!!!" Mikan shouted with stars shinning in her eyes
"..." the whole class stoned for a while, 3 stripes shown on everyone's face.
How idiotic can this girl get? Natsume got up impatiently and went out the class, followed by Ruka holding a bunny in his arms catching up Natsume's footsteps
"Is Natsume in a moody mood again?" inquired Mikan, fixing her electrocuted hair
"...dummy" whispered Hotaru, getting up ready for dinner "I'm hungry, let's go."
"HAI!"
-------After the dinner------
"Stop following me, I got inventions to do, you want me to shoot you with my Baka-cannon?"
Feared that Hotaru would actually shoot her, she stops following and head back to her dormitory feeling down
"Ruka?" she asked walking towards him "why are you standing there?" but then she realized that he is standing in front of Natsume's room "Natsume's not with you?"
Come to think of it, I didn't saw Natsume at dinner too
"yea...he probably went out...for fresh air"
Although she is dumb, Mikan knew that Ruka is just making excuses not to make her worry
"After 'that' incident and Aoi is brought back to her home, Natsume should not be doing missions already, so what is really going on?" questioned Mikan curiously.
Surprised that Mikan didn't believe his lies like last time, Ruka can't figure out what to say.
"Erm...well..."
"Mikan, what are you doing here? I was looking for you"
Both of them turn around and saw Hotaru holding a chicken-like-machine. She was already standing there for a while when Mikan and Ruka were having conversation on Natsume. Only that they didn't realized.
BAKA BAKA BAKA
"Ouch!!! What was that for!" Mikan screamed while Ruka rubbed his forehead.
"That's for not staying in your room causing me to look everywhere for you" dragging Mikan with her , she walk pass Ruka whispering in a very low pitch that only she and Ruka can hear
"and helping you 'out' of the conversation, you owe me big time"
---------------------------------------------
Mikan was dragging her feet helplessly to her room after being tortured by Hotaru in her laboratory when she saw a figure in the hallway
"Natsume?..."she asked recognizing his figure immediately
"It's you...why are you still up late? Go back to your room"
Natsume open his door ready to go in when Mikan grab his wrist "Where are you the whole night?"
Looking at his face for the first time today "You looked pale, are you sick? Do you need the hospital?" asked Mikan again
Among so many people, why did I have to bump into her? "You are the one looking pale, go back to your room, don't spread your virus everywhere" replied Natsume resuming his footsteps into his room
"I was just worried bout you, Hmph! Fine, I am going back now!"
Turning her heels, as if she forgot something she turns back again
"If you are not feeling well, please tell us, I am not the only one who are worried, you know?!" with that, she stormed off.
As he watched her little figure disappear out of his sight, he silently smiled and went into his room.
----------------------------------------------------------
"Hotaru, want to go central town?" pleaded Mikan
"No" replied Hotaru "And don't put up that silly face of yours when I reject you"
"But they are having discount on Howalons, I really really really really really really----
"Fine, shut up, I'll go"
Hearing her answer, Mikan smiled brightly and approaches other friends asking if they wanted to go
As the usual gang is ready to go, Ruka realized that Natsume has no intention of moving
"Natsume, we are going to central town" said Ruka
"Yeah, I know, have fun" not hearing any response from Ruka, he continues "dun worry about me, you go ahead"
Ruka has no choice but to nod and went away disappointed
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"By the way, where's Natsume?" wondered Mikan, looking around
"He's not coming" said Ruka
"Why?"
"He probably doesn't want to come to a packed area" replied Hotaru "Come on, let's get your dumb howalons and head back to the academy"
"They are not dumb! They are the most delicious, soft candy I ever eaten, they melts in your mouth the moment you eat them, so sweet that it can make you heart lift up and------------AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, MY HAIRRRRRR!!! TAKE OUT THE FIRE! THE FIRE!!!!"
Hopping around with fire on her pigtails and everyone laughing, she turned to see Natsume standing there with his hands in his pockets
"Natsume……"said Ruka "Why……………"
"I am feeling bored, so I came" replied Natsume
Suddenly appeared from nowhere, Sumire took something out from her bag and start to run towards him
"Natsume! I am so glad to see you! I just bought something for you, hope you use it! It's a frame with my picture so my dearest Natsume-----
Realizing that she is approaching him in a high velocity, he stood aside and "BONG!", she loses her balance and fell on the floor
"Hahahahahahaha, stupid stupid, dumb dumb!!!" laughed Koko pointing at Sumire who is crying and sobbing lying on the floor anime-style.
(You can guess what Sumire did to Koko next)
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"Owwww……… the line for the howalons are soooooooooo long………….." grumbled Mikan
"Never mind, we are here waiting with you too" said Anna
"But Tsubasa senpai and Misaki senpai have a lot of studies to do and can't come with us so I hope I can give this to them as soon as possible!" said Mikan
"You are buying for them too?" asked Ruka
"She is just someone who wants to impress everyone" said Natsume coldly
"No I am not! I just want to share it with them!!!!"
BAKA BAKA BAKA
"Shut up and get on with the queue"
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"Here! everyone have one of these nice howalons!!!! " said Mikan, giving the howalons out
"Here, Ruka, Natsume, howalons for both of you!" giving one to Ruka and Natsume
"I don't want" said Natsume
"But it's nice, you know it, take it!"
"I don't want" repeated Natsume
"But I queue up for a very long time for it, everyone's having it, why won't you want it?" said Mikan, pushing the box of howalons to him
"I am not in the mood for this"
"But it's delicious! And since you are here, you might as well eat it!"
"I came here because Ruka looked disappointed, not because I want to eat your howalons!" said Natsume raising his voice higher
"But Natsume----"
"I told you I don't want it! Why do you keep asking me to have it! You can keep it all to yourself, eat all if you want, so stop being annoying and stop bugging me with your stupid howalons!!!!!"
"B-b-but……"
"I say I DO NOT NEED IT!" Losing his temper, he pushed the howalons away from her hands. The box fell on the floor revealing four howalons rolling out from the box.
Everyone is shocked at Natsume's sudden outburst.
Everyone is looking at them. Everyone.
No one dare to say anything.
The entire area becomes really quiet, as if waiting for anything to proceed to break the cold atmosphere.
Mikan stood there. Stunned.
She stares at her empty hands, then to the howalons lying on the floor.
Slowly, she bent down and starts picking up the howalons without saying anything, everyone thought she would cry or shout like she normally would.
But she didn't.
There are 4 howalons……...this means that…………
Everyone was watching every movement of Mikan and pondering what will happen next.
Mikan took the howalons up trying to brush away the dirts.
When she failed to do so, she tears the surfaces of both howalons where dirts attached to it.
Realizing that the howalons become smaller, she joins them together into one and hands the extra large howalon to Natsume
"Here" shifting the howalon to Natsume's hand "I hope you don't mind eating it after dropping on the floor, don't worry about me, I can buy another one myself some other time."
Mikan force herself to smile brightly even though it doesn't work much as the brightness in her smile faded.
She is hurt.
Everyone who saw the scene has the same thought. It is amazing how she could even pick up the howalons and give it to Natsume after he had been shouting and losing his temper on her PLUS pushing her precious-desired-and-queuing-for-such-a-long-time howalons to the floor without a single sorry.
Natsume realized the fadedness in her smile.
His heart suddenly feels very heavy but his pride made him ignore it.
"So, let's head back then? Hotaru, you must be angry waiting for so long, gobenasai ne."
Smilling at everyone to ensure that she is fine, Mikan start to walk away with Lincho and others following.
"What?" demanded Natsume as Hotaru is looking at him.
"Don't take her kindness to you for granted" said Hotaru
"What are you talking about"
"She is not born for you to crush everything she does for you, you might don't mean it but everyone has their limits. One day you will regret for what you did and till then…………..you will feel helpless as there is nothing you can do to return it back to normal."
After looking at Natsume to confirm he took in everything she said, she rides on her scooter and drives away.
"Natsume-----"
Looking at the howalon, undiscribable feelings rushed towards him
"Let's go back, Ruka."
to be continued----------