Author's note: This is the promised sequel of Way Too Far... Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice and its character.
Too lazy to proof-read :(
Way Too Far: Sequel
It was a typical cloudy day in the Alice Restaurant. Everyone was busy taking orders at the morning, reserving tables for VIP's, greeting every customer that comes in, and passing on coffees and espresso.
"Reserve table for two on the window-side." The manager shouted out as one of his employees ran and put the reservation card on the wood-like stand.
"Your orders sir?" The cashier asked the tall man with pale skin. He gives off an aura of a prince.
"One order of lime pancake and strawberry waffle, a cup of hot milk and one hot chocolate please." His gentle voice answered. The woman in front of him smiled.
"Anything else sir?" The man shook his head and smiled back.
"Hey Kaname, tidy up the empty tables." Natsume commanded his co-worker.
"Y-Yes sir."
"Don't be so nervous. I'm not gonna eat you." Natsume said and walked away. Kaname sighed and smiled.
"Good thing he changed." He said to no one and cleaned the table.
The bell chime and everyone looked at the guest.
"Where is the table reserved for Ms. Yukihira?" The waiter stared at the woman in front of him. She was wearing a shade, a yellow turtle-neck long sleeves and jeans. She turned her head to the side and waved her hand in front of the guy.
"Hello?" She smiled and repeated her question.
"Ahm, I… I'm sorry Ma'am. This way please." The waiter slightly bowed and turned around. He led her on her reserved table.
He then again stared at her after she sat on her chair. She gave him a confused look.
"Excuse me Ma'am, but are you by chance, that girl?" The waited pointed outside.
"That girl in the poster?" She confirmed and the waiter nodded nervously. She just smiled at him and took off her shade.
"Can I see the menu please?"
The waiter gave her the menu with shaking hands. She giggled and browsed the menu.
"I want some hot cocoa and… one orange cream pie with nut crust." She gave back the menu and the waiter wrote down her order.
"Anything else miss?"
"No, but ahm I'll be calling again when my company arrives. Thank you very much." The waited bowed and walked out. He excitedly went to the kitchen and jumped out of joy.
"What happened to you Tsubasa?" The patissier raised his brow.
"I. Just. Met. A. Model! And she's like an angel Tono!" He shouted for the whole people in the room to hear.
"WHAT? Where?" Tono asked and looked outside.
"Oh, I see her! That's the girl on the poster right? She's quite famous! You're so lucky!" Tono slapped Tsubasa's back and grinned.
"Whoa, she's really an angel." Koko said and smiled.
"You're morning sure is good." Anna said and looked at her friends.
"I know! And I got to hear her voice and see her up-close!" He proudly said and looked at the door's round window.
"What's happening here?" Natsume asked irritatingly and glared at his co-workers.
"Come on sir, look outside! There's a model there!" Tono said and looked back at the brunette.
"Tch. It's only a model. What are you making a fuss about?" Natsume asked and rolled his eyes.
"But she's so beautiful I can't take my eyes off of her!" Tsubasa said and sighed dreamily.
"Get back to work you bunch of idiots!" Natsume shouted out and everyone complied.
"What's her name?" Tono asked Tsubasa while making the brunette's hot cocoa.
"Hmm… I think she's Ms. Yukihira?" He answered while scratching his chin. "But she's familiar to me. I think I saw her somewhere."
"Yeah right. You saw her on the the poster." Tono rolled his eyes.
"Here's your order Ms…" Tsubasa put down the brunette's order.
"Mikan." The brunette continued for him and smiled at him.
"I think I heard that name before…" Tsubasa frowned and tried to think. He went back to the kitchen and when he was gone, Mikan laughed lightly and started eating her food.
"You're such a flirt you mongrel!" Tono whacked his head and grimaced.
"What did I do wrong?" Tsubasa caressed his head and winced because of the pain.
"You just…UGH!" Tono pulled his hair like a retarded person.
"And I was gonna tell you something interesting!" Tsubasa shouted and took a seat on the stool. Tono raised his brow at him.
"What is it?" He asked him narrowing his eyes.
"What are you guys talking about again? You're always slacking off at work." Natsume sighed and shook his head.
"It's about the model, the MODEL Natsume." Tsubasa said not minding on adding an honorific to his upper-classman's name.
"About that woman again? What? Is she that beautiful?" Natsume said trying to mingle with his 'friends'.
"Yeah, she probably is. She's nice, blooming, she's radiating. If ever I compare her to something, it'll be the sun." Tsubasa said and grinned. Natsume felt a pang on his chest.
"Sun, huh?" Natsume painfully said, his memories of his sun rewinded on his mind. It was her smile that made their day. It was her optimism that motivated them. It was her presence that made him go to work every day. She's the light that warmed his heart.
"Mikan." Tsubasa muttered while smiling.
Natsume widened his eyes and looked at him confusedly.
"What did you just say?" He asked him awaiting for his answer.
"Her name is Mikan." Tsubasa rested his arms on the bar top and heaved a sigh.
"The model?" Tono confirmed while whisking an egg on the bowl.
"Yeah." Tsubasa nodded and buried his face.
Natsume suddenly ran and looked around the kitchen's window and found a brunette, happily drinking her hot cocoa. It's her. His Mikan.
He felt his heart race.
Why is it still painful?
He clenched his chest and bit his lower lip.
"Mikan…" He muttered and closed his eyes.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…
"My Mikan…" He opened the door and slowly walked to her table.
"What did he say?" Tono asked curiously.
"He said my Mikan." Kaname smiled at them and left.
"What the? His Mikan? Are you kidding me?" Tono stifled a laugh and continued cooking. Suddenly, Tsubasa jerked up, his eyes wide and his mouth dried up.
"Mikan? Mikan Sakura?"
"What are you saying?" Tono said and straightened his body up. "WHAT?"
"I knew it! She's Mikan Sakura, the cute pigtailed girl that worked here!" Tsubasa stood up and looked at her again. "She changed a lot, huh?"
"That innocent girl who I always harass before?" Tono blurted out loud enough for Tsubasa to hear. The latter looked at him with dark eyes and clenched his fist.
"Did you just say you harassed her?"
Natsume looked at her while thinking what to say. His pulse is rising every second. His breathing is so heavy and fast. His chest is tightening and his hands are sweating.
He looked down and breathed deeply, trying to relax his self.
"Hotaru! Here!" Mikan stood up and waited for her best friend to reach their table.
Natsume looked at her and tightened his jaw.
Am I gonna back out now?
He stopped dead on his tracks and shook his head.
What a chicken.
He turned around and slowly walked away from her.
I can't do this.
He can hear her laugh on the background.
Damn it.
"Excuse me. Ahm, waiter?" Mikan called out. He continued walking not minding her call.
"Hey?" She frowned and stood up.
"You black haired man! Why are you ignoring your customer?" Mikan irritatingly said and walked onto him.
Natsume stopped and hyperventilated.
What should I do? Fuck.
"Hey, are you deaf?" Everyone was looking at them now. Mikan didn't mind the stares she was receiving since she's in a bad mood.
She held the man's shoulder and turned him around.
"I was calling you for-" She stopped babbling when she saw him, the same man she's in-love with for three years.
"N-Natsume." She called out feeling weak. She dropped her hands to her side and felt a lump on her throat. Natsume intently looked at her, giving her a chill on her spine.
"I… I'm sorry Miss." Natsume clicked his tongue and walked away from her. He closed his eyes and sighed.
"Sir Natsume, excuse me but…" Kaname blocked his way, "I thought you were strong, why are you walking away now? You never backed out from anything before. Why are you running away?" He held his shoulder and sighed.
"You're not the Natsume that I know. Go back there and talk to her. Apologize to Mikan-chan. I know you were the reason why she resigned here." Kaname looked at him with seriousness in his eyes and turned him around.
"Go Natsume!" He pushed him to meet the brunette.
"H-Hey." Natsume started out pinching his arms on his back.
"How are you?" Mikan asked him while looking at the floor.
"I'm fine."
"…"
"You two idiot, why don't you sit here and talk? You are blocking the way." Hotaru shouted at them and stood up from her seat. The two blushed and walked to the table.
"So…" Mikan tried to start a decent conversation.
It's now or never.
"I… I want to tell you something. Please lend me your ear." Natsume said and held on Mikan's hand. The lass blushed and looked at his eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry for the way I treated you, I was such a heartless jerk who's insensitive and grumpy. I didn't realize everything until you were gone. I felt… like shit this past three years. Everything was gloomy and dark when you're not here. It wasn't lively anymore… You're the life of this restaurant…"
Mikan bit her lips and pulled her hand away. She looked pissed.
"I see. The life of this restaurant huh?"
"Mikan…" Natsume held her hands once again. "I'm not finished yet." Natsume warned glaring at her. He faked a cough to get her attention.
"I never thought that you'll affect me this much. I wasn't my usual self anymore. Some says I changed. My co-workers talk to me normally now, though sometimes they still are afraid of me. I became someone I don't know. It was because of you that I'm like this… I don't know if this is good or not." Natsume blew some air to ease his nervousness.
"I am never this nervous in my whole life. Just by looking at you, my heart races and I can feel butterflies in my stomach. I searched for you everywhere, but in the end of the day, I never did see you after telling you to disappear. I'm really sorry… I didn't mean to say that. I was just… surprised. Embarassed that you saw me got dumped. I knew your very existence. I know you too well that time."
"Then why didn't you spare a glance at me?" Mikan asked with a painful expression.
"Don't you know? What do you think is the reason why I always get mad at you? I always see you that's why! I watched your every move, your clumsiness, your easy-going attitude. How those guys flirted with you without you noticing their motive. That's irritating. Too irritating that I want you to only look at me."
Mikan's tears were forming in her eyes.
"I didn't know that I love you the whole time. You were my sun, the light that changed me, giving me warmth and security. You taught me that nothing could go wrong if you always think positively. You're so important to me that I felt so bad chasing you away. I hope I'm not yet too late to have you back…" Natsume looked down and closed his eyes. He loosened his hold on her and slowly pulls back his hands but…
Mikan held it tightly.
"You just said you want me back, so why are you pulling away? Are you running from me now?" Mikan smiled at him.
"I'm sorry… I'm just… afraid that you'll reject me." Mikan laughed heartily at him. She looked at his eyes and waited for something.
Natsume brought her hands to his lips and kissed it gently.
"I love you Mikan…" The brunette's tears ran down on her cheeks. She was crying out of pure joy. She suddenly stood up and hugged him.
"I love you Natsume, more than you'll ever know. I was always waiting for you, waiting for you to love me too... I'm so happy Natsume. Thank you..." She whispered in his ears and everyone on the restaurant whistled and cheered on them.
"KISS! KISS! KISS!" The crowd shouted back at them. The two new couple looked at each other and gave in to their request.
"WOO! Yeah!" The workers on the restaurant happily cheered and gave each other a high-five.
"How lucky. I envy him." Tono said while holding an ice pack on his head.
Dedicated to: Bane Flower, mistycrimson