Natsume, Friend-zoned

Lady Ehl

CHAPTER TWO

"Answer the damn call." Ruka is bothered by the endless vibration of Natsume's phone. It's interrupting his concentration on the tactics he's building inside his head - a scheme to slaughter Natsume's character in the video game they are currently playing.

"If it's Mikan, then forget it." He nonchalantly said, effortlessly putting up another high score and vanquishing Ruka in the void.

The blonde groaned, throwing his arms to his side on the carpet and lolling his head on the sofa where Natsume's stretched out. Beside him was the table, where the phone still vibrates. He lifted his head to peer on the screen, actually thinking it will display Mikan's name on it but got pretty surprised to see another's. Ruka haven't known the name.

"It's not her." He took the phone and showed it to him. Natsume isn't the least bit bothered by the caller. In fact, he tapped the green button and slid it, answering the call the moment he recognized the name registered on the screen. As for Ruka, it looked liked they've been talking on a regular basis.

"The company needs me so much I can't even take my hands off pen and paper." Natsume chuckled shortly while jamming controls on his joystick, eyes on the game. Ruka rolled his eyes away. "No, not so soon. Maybe a few…I don't know. But I'll see you. Just don't know when." He said to the other line, trying to keep focus on the play. "Right. Bye."

Once the line got cut, Mikan's name popped up on display. Natsume put the phone back on the table, giving Ruka the chance to check. He laughed so hard to discover that Mikan didn't really call him at all. It was the other person. This was the first time in the day the brunette phoned him.

"Alright, Ruka. Keep rubbing salt to my wounds." Natsume growled.

"Fine! It's just so -" Natsume eyed him once and it made Ruka surrender. "Okay, okay. I'll take this call." He pushed himself to stand, answering Mikan's call. "Hey, Mikan. It's Ruka."

The brunette was quite surprised to hear Ruka from the other line. "Oh. Hi, Ruka. Is Natsume there?" The blonde turned to his best friend and nodded. "Yeah, he's here."

"Can I?" She asked, but Ruka's gonna have to give it to Natsume this time. He told him he's busy, so much that he can't take his hands off pen and paper.

"What is it that you want to say? I can relay the message later."

"Well, I kind of needed his help here in the bakery. Nonoko got diarrhea and I forgot Anna filed a leave today so I'm short of staff." She said, frantic. It was obvious she was having a hard time right now considering the clanks and noises over the line. "But I can't help it if he's busy. Guess I'll have to call Hotaru over."

Upon hearing the name, Ruka's ears got bigger. His eyes shined and his soul rose. "You know what, if I tell him you're in a pinch he'll surely come. I can help too. We'll be there in a bit."

Mikan's voice cheered. "That's great to hear! I owe you this one. Thanks, Ruka! See you both."

And the line ended. Ruka hurriedly went to Natsume. "Hey, Nats. How about lending Mikan a hand? She said she needs us."

Natsume merely grunted.

"Come on, cut her some slack." He pulled off the joystick from his best friend, gaining a growl as a response. "You're being such a kid."

The raven head snatched back the joystick. "Was it me, really?" He pretended a laugh. "If there's a kid in here that would be her. Maybe also you. She's idiotic, immature and dense. For four years she'd dated a myriad of guys but none even lasted for, say, three months?" Natsume wanted to take it back, imagining the angry look he'll receive if ever Mikan heard it from him. He shook the thought off shortly.

"She's going out with different people, obsessed with having a relationship, insignificantly worried about not getting married hence with the stupid idea of man-hunting." He added, and also regretted shortly. "Forget I said that. As for you, getting excited at the mention of a certain name."

Ruka's eyebrow shot up.

Apparently, Mikan Sakura was already like that even before he met Natsume. Her Mom used to tell her stories about their family lineage, one that says the girls from their families always had struggles in their love lives. A time she was told that her grandmother almost never married and her sister stayed single until the rest of her life.

Though Natsume considers where she's coming from, but he can't quite comprehend why she needed to give this out of the question effort of forcing love to precipitate from relationships in which love itself is non-existent to begin with. And the fact that he hated the most was she kept on excluding him from the list of her potential romances. Natsume doesn't want to boast but, if compared to all of those guys, he is way more than qualified.

Or maybe that's the reason. Because he's too qualified that he exceeded her standards and so got friendzoned.

"What if I ignore her for the rest of her life?" He said out of the short silence. For a minute it sounded so serious that he felt surprised in his own words. Ruka, on the other hand deemed it impossible as soon as it left Natsume's mouth. For the many times he's underwent things like this, at the end he couldn't really just leave her alone no matter how forfeiting he seemed.

"It's become a cycle." Natsume sighed. "What's my role in this story, huh? I don't intend to be the supporting role every single time."

Complaining? Nagging? Preaching? Ruka could only gaze at this man in front of him. Not once in his life that he envisioned Natsume talking a lot like this. And about love for that matter. Once upon a time he was a snob, someone stingy with his words and never problematic. He could only chuckle inside his head.

"Are you done?" Ruka pretended to yawn.

Natsume forced his eyes shut and looked away. "Forget I was out of character a minute ago."

The blonde just smiled, staring at the interesting image his best friend shows him. He's quite amused. "You've gone tamed. Like, really tamed."

"I miss my old self."

"I prefer this version of you."

"For real?" Natsume stared at him with full curiosity.

But Ruka Nogi just wanted to make fun of him, since he doesn't get many chances. "Can we go now?"

"Fuck you, Ruka."

And laughter filled the room.

--

The bakery is in a frenzy. Today is a Monday, no less. The whole place is packed with employed workers trying to grab a quick snack, college students with their chatters and laptops and impatient senior citizens on the counter. Forget about getting tired, Mikan only wanted to give what her customers went here for.

"Alright, here's a cheese roll and a cup of black coffee. You may get the creamer and sugar at the side. Take as many as you want." The brunette handed the order to a woman with a suitcase. Next in line was a grandmother. "Hi, there. Sorry to keep you waiting. We originally have a priority lane for elders but I'm short staffed right now. What's your order?"

About ten more customers are in line, some were already turning to their watches countless times. There were also some murmuring that they're late for their schedules. Screw them, it's hard to accomodate them alone.

Then the door suddenly opened, revealing two shining people. One with messy black hair, and the other got fixed golden locks. It caught the attention of the crowd for a bit, especially the women.

"Oh thank goodness!" Mikan heaved. "Natsume, Ruka, take the counters. I'll go check the bread."

"This is what you call busy." Ruka whispered at his best bud, taking Anna's apron on the coat hanger.

Natsume just shrugged his shoulders. "Since you're so good at talking, you go and take the orders. I'll go check my bread." He smirked.

Four hours passed by so fast and it's already six in the evening. The bakery is almost empty and the racks were left barren. There were traces of chitchats disappearing behind the door, and the floor was left with dirty shoe imprints. Fatigue began to seep in, and Mikan sat down first in those four hours.

"Why, Mondays were never like this when it's the three of us here." She said, pertaining to Anna, Nonoko and her. Sure there were hectic times, but not for continuous hours. "I wonder why."

Both of the guys looked at each other. "It's probably because of us. Crowd is where good looking men are." It was Natsume who verbalized their conniving thoughts. He doesn't usually let others hear him talk like this.

Anyhow, Mikan is too tired to bicker. "Thank you, you both. I would never survive that if I was alone." She sincerely thanked them, but suddenly her eyes focused on Ruka's restlessness. He's been turning his head there and then.

"If you're looking for Hotaru, she didn't come." The brunette bluntly said. "Unfortunately, she's not in town." She gave him a knowing smile.

Natsume laughed. Yes, karma is real. Ruka finally got a taste of his own medicine, and so he sighed in defeat. He scratched his cheek and tried to tell Mikan he wasn't after Hotaru, despite being very obvious. The brunette let him off the hook this time, since Ruka is also most likely exhausted. He was the one who took and prepared all the orders while Natsume just stood on the cashier with a stoic expression in his face. After a while Ruka bid goodbye to the two, since he had no reason to stay longer. He thought Natsume would go, but it seemed he's long forgotten the fact that he's sulking a few hours ago.

"Mentioning Hotaru's name is really efficient." Mikan said while watching Ruka's car disappear on the road, earning a look from Natsume. "Don't look at me like that!" She chuckled. "It was true that I called Hotaru and it was also true that she's nowhere near. I was just glad it was Ruka who took the call."

"Ugh, this day sure is exhausting. I can't wait to lay down." She groaned, stretching her arms up in the air. "But really, thank you for coming despite your busy schedule."

Guilt strikes, Natsume put his hands on his pockets. "It's nothing. It's just papers."

"Right. I suppose we can call it a day. It's not a crime to close your own shop an hour before the usual closing time." Mikan walked towards the windows and began pulling the rails down. He observed her carefully.

At times, Natsume can't help but wonder if this is the only role he can portray in Mikan's life. She needs him, but not all the time. When she doesn't, he'll disappear from the scene. It's pissing him off.

"Natsume?" Mikan's sweet voice shook him away from his thoughts. "Does sleepover sound nice to you?"

Oh. Shall we neglect the part where he's pissed?

"I'm fine with it." He nonchalantly replied, but he's overjoyed like a kid being taken by her momma on the park. But let him be, it's been a great while since the last sleepover.

"Great. It's your apartment." She sounded so excited. "How about we watch some movies? I got new ones from a customer the other day."

"Perfect."

"Okay. Help me with the rails. I can't believe you are just watching me do all of this by myself. Natsume you lazy head. I'll go pack some foodies since your fridge might not yield anything. Seriously, what's the use of a fridge if not use it?"

Woah an update after three years. Is anyone still interested in this story? :'D