A/N: Watched this movie on the plane WITH subtitles. It is a Filipino movie called, "Always Be My Maybe". I tried to base it off of it as much as I could but I want to say… I DO NOT OWN THAT MOVIE!
It was a cute party and Youichi Hijiri was surrounded by his married friends. The only one who wasn't married was him; the player.
The wives were raving over each other's children, elbowing their husbands in the abdomen and forcing them to agree to whatever random comment they made with each other in their petty little discussion.
"OH MY GOD," Sumire burst, "I just finished decorating my baby's room. Would you guys like to see it?"
Instantly the wives agreed, but the husbands politely declined.
The wives all rushed away and then the guys finally looked at the loner at their table, with some kind of pitying expression that the grey haired man had no one to call his own.
"You know, it wouldn't hurt to date a girl seriously," Koko said.
"Yeah, maybe you might settle down finally," Tsubasa shrugged.
"Guys, hang on. I already have a girl in mind," Youichi announced.
"You do? Who?" Kitsuneme asked.
"Aoi," Youichi smirked back as he leaned back in his chair.
"Your ex-girlfriend? You two broke up a year ago!" Tsubasa yelled.
Youichi rolled his eyes as he folded his arms behind his head, "I am a player. I can woo her with a romantic date ended by a proposal."
"Wait, now you're gonna propose? You could at least date her for a while," Koko argued.
"Yeah but I know her too well. She will coming back for me with just a look from me," Youichi smirked arrogantly.
The other guys at the table sighed and shook their heads. Nothing could really change his mind once he placed his pride on the line. They had hoped he would find a girl that would make him do and feel wonders like their wives had done to them.
-x-
Youichi was looking at all the ugly engagement rings worth thousands and thousands of dollars in one of the best jeweler shops in Japan. Next to him, his assistant, Nobara, was snickering at the hideous jewelry.
"How about this one?" The salesperson asked, exasperated, showing a square cut diamond on top of a white gold ring.
"Um, I would like to say that this girl I want to marry is such a special person to me. We have been together for 5 years and she put up with me that whole time so I want the best of the best ring for her," Youichi flashed a charming smile as he said the cheesy line.
Nobara snorted at the corny line but otherwise kept quiet.
The salesperson got misty eyed and took out the most expensive ring the shop had.
"How about this one? Princess cut," the jeweler beamed.
Youichi looked at it for a full minute before nodding, "I'll take it."
-x-
As Mikan packed up her paint bag and cleaned up her brushes and other tools, her phone beeped. A text message from her boyfriend!
From: Natsume Hyuuga
To: Mikan Yukihira
Sent at: 6:30 PM
Message: I have a reservation at our favorite restaurant. I have something to give you.
Mikan squealed as she read the short, but brief message. The door opened and in came an annoyed Hotaru, followed by her husband, Ruka.
"What is it?" Hotaru snapped.
"Natsume says he has something to give me! Maybe it could be a ring!" Mikan exclaimed.
"Nonsense. It would be an attitude adjuster," Hotaru spat.
"No! It would be a ring!" Mikan yelled.
"Sakura-san, I hate to disagree, but Hotaru has a point. He has been extremely distant lately. Don't you think these are the signs of a breakup coming soon?" Ruka asked.
"No! I just know it! He was probably saving up for a wedding! And a big ring!" Mikan fantasized, not wanting to sound materialistic, but she couldn't help it; her parents died before they could have a proper wedding and it was Yuka's wish for her to get married even if she never has kids.
Hotaru wanted to reason with Mikan and hopefully not get her hopes too much. But Ruka held her back and shook his head. When Hotaru scowled at him he whispered in his girlfriend's ear, "Don't worry. If she gets rejected, we'll be there for her. Like always, remember?"
Hotaru sighed but accepted the compromise.
-x-
Mikan arrived on time at the restaurant and walked up to the counter and said, "A reservation for Hyuuga Natsume?"
The man nodded and looked up his name in the book. But then a look of confusion came when he didn't spot Natsume's name in the list of reservations.
"I-I'm his girlfriend and he told me he had a reservation," Mikan quickly introduced herself, "Yukihira Mikan."
"I don't see his name on the list, Yukihira-san," the man apologized, "But there is a free table over there. Let me lead you over there."
Mikan hesitantly nodded and followed the waiter to the said table, near the back of the restaurant. Once she reached the table, she placed down her purse and ordered some water for herself because she barely had enough money herself, as she didn't take too much money with her. She thought her boyfriend would pay it, like always.
A couple of tables away, Youichi had the table prepared with flowers, chocolates and a giant teddy bear as he waited for his ex-girlfriend to come. Aoi is Natsume's little sister and he knew that if he could sway Aoi's heart, then he might be able to convince Natsume to let him marry her.
Aoi hesitantly came to the table and Youichi sprang up from his chair to pull out one for Aoi. The raven haired girl hesitantly sat down as she waited for her ex to speak.
"I wanted to say I was a jerk in letting you go, and I am deeply in love with you," Youichi paused as he got down on one knee and opened up the black velvet box, containing the ring, "Will you marry me?"
Aoi's eyes bugged out of her skull and her head whipped around to make sure that nobody was seeing this flashy scene. Embarrassed, she pulled Youichi to his feet and motioned for him to sit down.
"Youichi, you're too late," Aoi whispered.
"What do you mean? Are you m-married?" Youichi frantically checked Aoi's left ring finger, and was relieved to find it bare.
"No, but you're too late, one year too late, I found someone else. I don't want to marry you," Aoi said.
Youichi froze, and he felt so foolish. He bought those flowers, the chocolates and the bright pink teddy bear all for Aoi (even though he hated the color he swallowed it all for that girl). And not to mention, he blew his money for a designer engagement ring. And this is how he got repaid?
Aoi patted his shoulder and got up and left the restaurant. Youichi scoffed. Guess he was throwing away all that expensive stuff he bought.
Back at Mikan's table, the brunette had been waiting for over an hour and hadn't caught sight of her boyfriend. She was getting worried and stopped by a waiter who happened to know the couple very well.
"Sir, do you know if my boyfriend is coming or not?" Mikan asked.
The waiter shook his head gravely and took something from behind his back. It was all the paint books and expensive art supplies she had gifted to Natsume over the years of their relationship, all untouched.
"He told me to give these things back to you and to say thank you for all of your generosity, but he actually was never into art as you were. I'm so sorry," the waiter placed the items in Mikan's hands as he walked away sadly.
Suddenly the brunette's phone buzzed, indicating an alert. A text message, but not from Natsume, but Hotaru.
From: Hota-chan
To: Yukihira Mikan
Sent at: 8:00 PM
Message: CHECK NATSUME'S FACEBOOK PROFILE!
Curious, Mikan did just that. She looked up Natsume on Facebook and clicked 'About'. His relationship status made her heart stop.
Natsume had been in a relationship with Koizumi Luna, her enemy, for at least a month. All behind her back.
Suddenly she didn't feel hungry at all and she grabbed her things and fled the restaurant.
At the same time, the heartbroken couple, Youichi and Mikan got into their cars. Mikan was full on weeping by now and Youichi had a hardened expression of hatred and anger. This was the last time he would ever let girls affect him the way Aoi did.
"Tch, girls are stupid anyways," Youichi grumbled.
-x-
Mikan burst into her neighborhood to see her friends waiting on their porch at their house, next to her's.
"Mikan what happened?" Ruka asked.
"You idiot, I told you!" Hotaru growled, "I hope those are tears of joy to find out you don't have to spend time on that idiot."
Mikan shook her head and burst into her own house, now feeling even worse. Ruka scolded his girlfriend for being a little too insensitive.
-x-
Mikan cleaned herself up after hours and hours of crying and opened her camcorder on her laptop and forced a smile.
She was a youtuber who made tutorials about love by using art as metaphors.
"My next tutorial is how to erase your boyfriend from your life. You will need some sharpies and erasers and a ton worth of papers to do this!" Mikan hiccupped as she wiped a couple tears away.
TBC…