*EDITED*
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Chapter 2 is FINALLY up!
So, where was I for the past few weeks?
Well, I went on a hike to the Amazon, got lost there for about a month or two, fought with a few crocodiles and monkeys, but survived and came back to write this EXTREMELY belated chappie.
Or, the simpler version, school was being a bully and I was obssessed with watching three different, LONG animes.
So, by now you all should know that you cannot trust me with deadlines. I'm super super sorry to all my readers for my horrible laziness and lateness.
Happy reading!
Circus
by: momocandy
Chapter 2 - Arrival
XXX
"Well, look who finally showed up," a man with unkempt auburn hair drawled as his eyes flitted from the five girls entering his office to the clock, who's hour hand was currently resting on the number ten. "Three hours late. Wonderful."
"Not our fault, Uncle," Mikan retorted indignantly as she flopped down onto a pillow-laden couch. "Our plane broke. If you have complaints, bring them to the airport."
"And fire all the mechanics while you're at it," Sumire added, grabbing a chocolate chip cookie from a platter on a table. "Because they suck."
She was just about to pop the cookie into her waiting mouth when Anna intervened and snatched it away.
"You're on a diet, Sumi. Cookies are forbidden."
Sumire slowly closed her mouth and gave Anna a look of utter disbelief.
"Says who?"
"Says me," Anna replied simply. "Don't you see the rolls starting to show here?"
She poked Sumire's stomach none-too-gently.
"Fat is horribly unattractive when you dance and dead weight. It has to go. So you're on a diet now."
Sumire wrapped her arms around her tummy protectively and moved out of the pinkette's reach.
"First of all, I don't have fat, I have skin," she corrected defiantly. "And second, even if it was fat, I can dance to burn it off."
Anna tsked and waggled her finger at the greenette.
"It's no use lying to yourself, Sumi," she chided. "For us, dancing is a career, not exercise. That means we have to look good. And that means no cookies."
Sumire crinkled her nose in displeasure.
"Um...how about no. Who made you the goddamn boss of me anyways?"
"This isn't about authority, Sumi," Anna frowned. "This is about your health and well-being."
"Well-being, my ass. There's no way in hell I'm going on a diet. Hand over the cookies. I'm starving."
Anna just shook her head in firm refusal.
"Anna...don't make me come over there..."
The pinkette's look said she wanted to see her try.
"Oh, you'll regret this," Sumire growled as she started to get up.
"Sumire."
Said girl immediately froze and glanced apprehensively at a poker-faced Hotaru.
"...What?"
"Sit down and shut up."
As if by magic, all malicious intentions suddenly vanished and Sumire seated herself like an obedient child. Anna breathed a little sigh of relief and made a mental note to thank Hotaru later.
"Impressive." Principal Kazumi Yukihira, more commonly known as Kazu, acknowledged Hotaru with a slight smile. "But then again, you've always had that kind of effect on other people. Just like your mother."
Hotaru's hand twitched and she quickly hid it by clenching her fist, but Mikan noticed. In return, she sent her uncle a death glare.
"Just give us our dorm number and homeroom so we can leave," she demanded impatiently. "Besides, we're probably distracting you from your work."
"Oh no, don't worry about that." Kazu gave her reassurance that she didn't want. "I've got a free day today."
Mikan bit her lip in annoyance. She didn't want to stay here any longer than necessary but it looked like her uncle had different plans.
"Great. Amazing. Good for you." Her reply dripped with sarcasm. "But we kinda want to get to class, so..."
"And when have you cared so much about school?" Kazu returned, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.
Mikan was not in a teasing mood.
"Well, when have you cared so much about me?"
Silence.
Mikan averted her eyes, already starting to regret what she'd just said. She didn't really mean it, but...she still felt a kind of bitterness towards her uncle. However, Mikan also knew that her words had been too harsh. She knew that her uncle was no longer smiling.
"Mikan, I'm..." She heard Kazu take a shaky breath, his voice suddenly a lot softer. "Mikan...look at me."
Mikan continued to stare at the table, cursing herself and feeling very uncomfortable.
"Please."
At his plea, Mikan reluctantly turned to face her uncle and his hurt, amber eyes. Amber eyes, just like hers, just like that man's—
"I'm sorry, Mikan. I really am. But you're wrong. I do care about you," Kazu stressed, trying desperately to communicate sincerity through his words.
Mikan heard the sincerity but she also saw pain and regret and felt a little guilty.
"Hmm." She gave him the slightest nod.
"So I never want to hear you say something like that again, okay?" he begged.
Mikan nodded again, this time a little more distinctly. Wanting to change the subject as soon as possible, she busied herself with the cookie in her hand.
"So...you remembered my name," she finally stated.
Kazu blinked before he smiled a soft and sad smile.
"Of course I did. I can at least do that much. All of you changed your names, didn't you?"
The other four girls nodded, though Sumire, Anna, and Nonoko were somewhat hesitant. Mikan didn't blame them. After all, unlike Hotaru and herself, they weren't really acquainted with this Kazumi Yukihira, the principal of the most prestigious dancing school in Japan. To just give him all the little details of their secret was risky no matter how you looked at it.
"You girls are quite amazing," Kazu sighed, resting his chin on his hands as he regarded them. "Doing something so dangerous, heading towards your dreams...truly admirable. I swear I'll try my best to help you in every way I can, but still, please be careful. There are some things even I can't fix."
"Yes, sir," Anna replied with a dutiful nod of her head. "Thank you for everything you've done."
"No, no, no need to thank me."
Sadness drifted into his eyes again. Sumire nudged Mikan and the brunette cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Uncle, the dorm number and homeroom," she repeated.
"Right, right."
Kazu leaned forward with a sigh and ripped a post-it note from the stack on his table. The man seemed to have aged ten years in the last five minutes. Grabbing the closest pen at hand, he scribbled a few things and passed it on to Mikan.
"Building A, Dorm 25. Building C, Homeroom 12-A."
Mikan looked it over and nodded in thanks. Then she and the girls stood up to leave. However, as she was about to pass through the doorway, Mikan hesitated and looked back at her uncle, back at the broken amber eyes that so closely resembled her own. She considered for a moment, and then, taking a deep breath, stepped back into the room. Sumire and the twins closed the door to give them privacy. Hotaru stood behind her, waiting.
Kazu remained silent as he gave Mikan a questioning look. After a few moments of gathering her thoughts, Mikan finally spoke.
"Uncle, I know...that you're not a bad person, and that you probably wouldn't ever hurt me or my friends...but that doesn't change the fact that you're...that man's brother..."
She shifted on her feet a bit and moistened her bottom lip before continuing.
"I've decided to trust you—" It sounded as if she was finalizing it for herself at that moment. "—but...I hope I'm not making a huge mistake."
Kazu smiled weakly. She trusted him. That was enough.
"I swear, on my life, that your secret is safe with me. Cross my heart."
Mikan nodded.
"Alright."
She looked at him and for a second, for a split second Kazu thought he saw a hint of a smile on her lips. Then she turned around and opened the door and was gone. Kazu sighed, putting his head in his hands. Oh, what he would do to have a time machine right now. He could go back to the past and make everything right. But alas, life didn't work that way.
Kazu almost fell over in surprise when he raised his head and saw that Hotaru still hadn't exited the office. No, she was gazing at him with those intelligent, unnerving amethyst eyes of hers.
"Yes, Hotaru? Something the matter?" he asked her.
"You should never swear on life," she replied softly, monotonously. "It is too precious and too easy to lose."
And then she left, leaving Kazu to ponder those ominous words.
"Well that was intense." Sumire fanned herself with her hand as they trudged down the hall. "Did the principal have his AC on? Because I'm sweating waterfalls."
Anna slapped her arm pointedly and glanced worriedly at the quiet Mikan with her head bowed.
"Shush, Sumire. Now isn't the time."
Sumire ignored her and nudged Mikan with her elbow.
"Y'know, instead of throwing that perfectly good cookie in the trash, you could've sneaked it to me."
Silence.
"Seriously, Sumi, shut up. You're not helping," Nonoko hissed.
But Sumire didn't want to shut up. Instead, she sighed and turned around to face Mikan, grabbing her shoulders and giving her a little shake.
"C'mon, girl, quit being all depressed like that. That's not the Mikan I know. Me and you, we'll beat up whoever gets in our way, right? And we're all here whenever you need ears."
The twins voiced their agreement, but Mikan remained mute. Sumire shook her shoulder more vigorously, concern starting to seep into her emerald eyes.
"Hey, Mikan, you okay...?"
That's when Hotaru came up and knocked Mikan on the head with her knuckles.
"The stupid girl's half-asleep. She can't hear you," the dark-haired girl commented flatly. "She's been fighting it for a while."
Sumire stared at Hotaru for a long time before turning back to Mikan.
"What."
She raised Mikan's head only to find that, sure enough, the girl's eyelids were fluttering up and down like tiny butterflies, as if she couldn't decide whether to doze off or stay awake. Sumire felt a sudden surge of annoyance as she pushed down the eyelids and heard a little content sigh escape from Mikan's lips. Jesus, this girl, making her worry for no damn reason...
As she heaved Mikan's arm around her shoulder and draped the other one over Anna's, she grumbled, "Remind me to punch her when she wakes up."
The girls had originally planned to drag Mikan to their dorm and let her sleep there for a while. What they didn't know was that the elevator in Building A was currently under construction. And Dorm 25 was on the fifth floor.
"Okay...I'm really going to punch this girl when she wakes up," Sumire groaned as she strained to make it to the next step, the extra burden limp and heavy on her back.
"Stop complaining, Sumi," Anna huffed, her brow glistening with a sheen of sweat. "I'm carrying her too, y'know. We should let Mikan rest. And stop banging her leg against the stairs."
"Do you think...I'm doing that purpose?" Sumire took one more step before leaning against the rail, panting heavily. "Okay, someone—Nonoko, take over. I can't do this anymore."
"Oh, no thanks, I'm good," Nonoko replied as she hurried up the stairs past them .
Sumire gaped after the fleeing girl before turning to Anna.
"You're sister...is a bitch."
Anna shrugged.
"We get along just fine."
Sumire huffed and stared at Mikan's serene, sleeping face. Then she made a low, growling noise in her throat and once again started heaving Mikan up the stairs with Anna. But it wasn't long before another conflict arose.
"Stop banging her leg, Sumi!"
"Shut up! I can't help it!"
"Oh no, she's going to have a huge bruise now!"
"Well, my legs are about to break! How about that, huh?"
"How come I can still climb when you can't? Aren't you supposed to be the strong and mighty Sumire?"
"Well, maybe 'cause I'm carrying all the goddamn weight!"
And the extremely loud bickering went on and on. At the top of the stairs, Hotaru and Nonoko sighed.
"They're gonna wake up the stupid girl at this rate," Hotaru muttered.
"Yup," Nonoko agreed.
And sure enough, after a little more leg-banging on the steps and an especially loud yell from Sumire, Mikan raised her head slowly and opened her eyes halfway, yawning.
"What are you doing?" she asked groggily, seeing an infuriated Sumire. "Where are we?"
"What am I doing?" Sumire shrieked before giving the aforementioned punch—hard.
Mikan almost tumbled down the stairs but fortunately caught herself last minute on the railing. Now she was wide awake.
"The hell was that for?" she snapped at Sumire, her cheek turning a splotchy red.
"'Cause you're too heavy, dumbass!" Sumire barked back.
"S'cuse me?"
Hotaru suddenly stepped between the two bickering girls and they fell silent in her presence.
"Now that you're awake, idiot, go take a shower," she addressed Mikan. "You still smell like shit."
"And you," she turned to Sumire, "need to take a shower too, because you also smell like shit."
"See what you've done?" Sumire gave Mikan the stinkeye, her tone accusing. "Now I smell like your puke!"
"Well, I'm so sorry!" Mikan spat before stomping up the stairs. "Do you think I wanted to puke on myself? Jesus, woman!"
After crashing their dorm and taking nice, long showers and settling all room disputes, the girls were ready to go.
Except that their uniforms were nowhere to be found.
"Why does it seem like we've been having super bad luck ever since we left Miyazaki?" Nonoko brought up casually as they headed down the hall. "I mean, a delayed plane, an awkward talk with the principal, a broken elevator, and now this?"
A sign that read 'Main Office' at the end of the hall pointed to the left, so they turned left.
"It's just a coincidence," Mikan shrugged.
After a hot shower and a cold glass of milk, she felt refreshed and energized and didn't feel like thinking about complicated terrible things just yet.
"Ugh, where the fuck is this office?" Sumire whined as they turned once more into another hallway. "How big is this place?"
"Stop complaining, Sumi. We'll get there eventually," Anna chided. "Patience is a virtue."
"Patience is a virtue, Sumi," Sumire imitated in a girly, high-pitched voice. "It's been five years, Anna. You should know by now that I don't have patience."
Anna sighed in agreement. "I know that all too well. Still can't hurt to remind you sometimes. Maybe one day you'll learn, huh?"
"Well, good luck with that," Sumire scoffed.
They finally reached the end of that long hallway, but this time there were no more signs.
"What the hell?" Nonoko looked down the hallway they just walked down. "Did we pass it somewhere?"
"I didn't see an office though," Anna frowned.
"I wasn't paying attention," Sumire admitted. "Because I was busy talking to Anna."
"We didn't pass an office," Hotaru confirmed. "The organization of this building is a complete failure."
Next to her, Mikan exhaled slowly, finally surrendering her good mood to face the current situation.
"Well then, what shall we do?"
Her eyes scoured mostly empty corridor. Of course, since classes were on, there weren't a lot of people in the dorms. She spotted a janitor mopping something far far down the very long hallway. Sumire saw where her eyes were looking and snorted.
"We are not walking all the way down there." She crossed her arms adamantly. "You guys can't make me. I'm not budging."
"Pfft, does it look like I want to walk?" Mikan retorted. "You don't have a choice, girl."
"Noooooo~" Sumire cried as Mikan started to drag her along.
"Wait, look!" Anna suddenly pointed at something and Mikan turned.
"Well, you're in luck."
She dropped Sumire's arm and the greenette stopped whining.
"What?"
Mikan jerked her head towards a little figure sneaking down the hallway to their right. His back was to them, so he hadn't noticed them yet.
"What's a kid doing here?" Nonoko wondered.
"Doesn't matter," Mikan shrugged. "He seems to know his way around. I'll ask him."
She quietly approached him.
"Hey kid."
The boy almost jumped out of his pants and whipped around, the look on his face as if he had been caught doing something very bad. Mikan raised a brow. He didn't look more than seven years old—from the elementary school division, she supposed. He had a mop of silver hair and bright turquoise eyes, which struck her pretty weird. She had no idea what he was doing here in the high-school dorms, but if he could help her, she frankly didn't care.
"Do you know where the main office is?"
He stared up at her with those unnerving turquoise eyes. Mikan suddenly got a strange feeling of deja vu. Why did this boy seem somewhat familiar? She knew she'd never seen him before. Shaking her head clear, Mikan knelt down and repeated her question.
The boy stayed silent, but his eyes shifted downwards to stare at something. Then, without warning, he reached out, grabbed her necklace, and gave it a sharp tug. It came loose into his hand with a snap, and with it clutched between his fingers, the boy turned on his tail and ran for his life.
"What...?"
Mikan blinked a few times in utter surprise and then her hands flew to her neck.
"Shit."
That kid just ran off with her mother's memento. A very very special necklace that her mother had given her for her fifth birthday—the last birthday she had celebrated with her family.
How dare he.
"Kid, when I catch you I am so gonna BEAT YOUR ASS," she growled as she took off after him.
Hotaru ran after her without a word of explanation, leaving the other girls very surprised and very confused.
"What just happened?" Sumire brows were raised.
"Who knows?" Anna shrugged. "C'mon, let's go."
Pulling Nonoko and Sumire along, she also started to run, but both were extremely reluctant.
"C'monnnnn! What are you guys going to do if you just stand there?" Anna asked them pointedly. "I have a feeling we're not gonna be coming back very soon."
"Ughhhhhh," Sumire groaned as she started moving her legs. "We should've just asked the janitor."
So much for directions, Mikan thought as she sped between the trees. The little brat was making her run through a fucking forest.
After luring her out of the school, the boy headed directly for a clump of treesCMikan assumed they separated Building A from some other building. But instead of using the path like most normal people would, he jumped right into the bushes.
Well, Mikan thought again, if she had been the one being chased by some crazy stranger, she probably would've done the same. But then again, it wasn't like him being chased was her fault.
"Why'd you...take my necklace...huh? Do you know...how important that...necklace is to me?" she shouted between gasps of breath.
She doubted he heard her, so she stopped trying to speak and put on speed. But really, she was not wearing the proper attire to be running through a forest.
"Ow, shit!"
She winced as another gash appeared on her thigh. Donning just a T-shirt and shorts, her legs were completely exposed and the underbrush was merciless—hence the various cuts and scratches on her skin and that big, bloody one on her left calf that probably needed disinfecting.
Mikan was used to injuries, so this was no big deal. What she was worried about was that any longer in this hazardous forest and she was gonna trip over something and break her neck.
Now that would be a big deal.
However, unlike her, the kid seemed to know exactly where he was going.
He's probably run through here enough times to know it like the back of his hand. Filthy cheater. Mikan cursed the boy in her head.
After a few more minutes of painful trekking, she finally emerged into the sunlight. Taking a deep breath of fresh, insect-free air, she brushed off all the dirt and leaves that had accumulated on her head and shoulders and resumed the chase. Now, without any obstacles, the boy couldn't outrun her.
Or at least, that's what she thought, until he began climbing a tree.
A very big tree right next to a school building.
"Are you serious?" Mikan sighed.
A tree or two wasn't anything she couldn't take on, but this was not what she'd pictured herself doing her first day here. If she was caught by anyone, it wouldn't be good...
"Oh hell, I've already made it this far."
Mikan threw away all hesitation and began to claw her way up the tree. Seeing that his pursuer had taken up the challenge, the boy scrambled up even faster. After a few moments, Mikan glimpsed the rest of the girls rushing past the tree and into the building, led by Hotaru. They looked a lot better off than her, so Mikan guessed that they'd used the forest path. Of course Hotaru would be the smart one.
A sharp click made her look up. The little boy had climbed to a thick branch that stretched all the way to a window, and he had somehow opened that window from outside. Or someone inside had unlocked it for him beforehand. The gears in Mikan's brain started whirring.
If she could climb up to that window and get inside the room, she would have the kid cornered because she was sure the other girls would be blocking the way out. And then she could give him a proper beating...
Mikan smirked. Oh, victory was close...
In a flash, she was on the branch. The brat had seriously underestimated who he was dealing with here. He had also foolishly left the window open, so, without thinking, Mikan swung right through the opening and landed lightly on a...
...desk?
Her eyes met with surprised crimson ones and time slowed for a second as something dawned on her, and then her momentum took her a step forward and she stepped on something thin and round and not stable.
SLIP.
Shit.
And she was falling—backwards.
With a loud bang and a dull thump, Mikan crashed into something rock hard—the row of desks under the desk that she had stepped on.
Thank god nobody had been sitting there.
There was absolute silence for five seconds, and then a cloud of hushed whispers came to life around her. Mikan pulled herself upright with a bit of effort and opened her eyes—only to find herself staring at a class full of bewildered students staring at her.
"Oh fuck..."
And then she heard a door slam and Anna's frantic voice through the pounding in her head and a heartbeat later, someone was dragging her up.
"Oh my god, are you okay? Did you hit your head? God, you're a mess!"
Mikan quickly brushed her off and patted her hand reassuringly. Anna could freak out later when there was no one watching. Her gaze then traveled to the front of the classroom, where a blonde-haired teacher was looking at her with an expectant smile, as if waiting for her to say something.
"Um..." Mikan began uncertainly, her throat dry. "...sorry?"
So much for not getting caught. Now she was going to be the talk of the school—the deranged girl who flew through the window on the tenth-something floor in pursuit of a seven-year-old. Mikan groaned inwardly at the thought.
"Oh, don't worry!" the teacher replied cheerfully, almost as if he had read her mind. "Youichi's always been a troublemaker. Quite notorious in the academy, you should know. I can pretty much guess what happened here. In the meantime, you should go to the infirmary. It's not safe to leave so many cuts untreated."
Anna perked up instantly and grabbed Mikan's wrist.
"Yes, that's a great idea! Thank you, sensei! I always tell her that but she never listens. Cuts need to be treated! The infirmary, it is!"
"What—wait—Anna, stop—I haven't gotten my necklace back yet," Mikan hissed as she struggled against the pinkette's vice-like grip.
"Just get it later," she replied dismissively.
"Anna~" Mikan whined as she was pulled to the door.
"Ah!" the teacher suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone looked at him, including Anna.
"Since you're new here, you wouldn't know where the infirmary is, would you?"
Anna put a thoughtful finger to her chin.
"Point taken."
Mikan sighed in relief and tried to break free once more, but Anna's other hand seemed to have a mind of its own and would not let go.
"Well then, why don't we have Natsume guide you there?"
Anna tilted her head to the side.
"Natsume? Who's that?"
"Natsume, come here!" The teacher called, eyes at the back of the room.
There was a heavy sigh followed by a few whispered words and then five boys stood at once. Mikan immediately recognized them as the five boys that they had talked to this morning.
What luck.
Anna's brows raised.
"Wow, they're all named Natsume?"
"Uh, no," the boy with the sandy hair answered her. "But wherever Natsume—" He clapped a hand on the crimson-eyed guy's shoulder, "—goes, we go. We are his loyal followers."
The other guys didn't seem to agree so much with this statement, but they said nothing.
Mikan eyed the so-called Natsume. It was his desk that she had slipped on, wasn't it? Then she noticed a certain little brat clinging onto Natsume's shirt.
"Hey." She nodded at the boy. "I'll go to the infirmary if that kid comes with us."
The sandy-haired boy grinned. "Yeah, no prob! Youichi goes wherever Natsume goes too."
Youichi looked extremely unwilling as he shrunk behind Natsume, but he didn't utter a word of protest.
"Alright," Mikan sent him a very evil smile before turning towards the door. "To the infirmary!"
This time, it was her pulling Anna.
"You're the girl who smelled like shit."
Mikan sighed and stopped to glare at Natsume, who she found was an extremely rude guy.
"Yes, nice to meet you too. And I took a shower, for your information."
He turned away from her, crinkling his nose.
"You still smell like shit."
Mikan just rolled her eyes.
"Well, who told your little brother or whoever he is to make me chase him through the forest?"
"Oh no, not the forest," the sandy haired boy winced. "Youichi, did you really take her through the forest?"
The boy turned up his nose and didn't respond.
"What a brat..." Mikan muttered under her breath.
Youichi proceed to kick her in the the shin.
"Oww!"
Mikan bit her lip and kicked him back, in the ass.
"Owwie! Natsume-nii~that hag kicked me~" Youichi cried to the older boy as he covered his behind.
"Pfft, crybaby," Mikan snickered.
Youichi immediately stopped whining.
"No I'm not!"
"What a girl~"
"I'm not!"
"Then why don't you face me like a man, huh?"
Youichi puffed up his chest and stood in front of Mikan, trying to look tough. Mikan just snorted and ruffled his hair.
"Gotta try harder than that, kid."
"Wow, they get along pretty well, huh?" the sandy-haired boy commented, watching the two with delighted amusement. "That's a first for Youichi."
He turned to the other girls. "I'm Koko, by the way. And we're not actual loyal followers of Natsume, we were just interested in you guys since this morning so we wanted to get to know you better."
"Wow, he just goes out and says it," the blonde boy sighed.
Anna blinked in surprise before she burst out laughing.
"Mikan, come over here for a second," she beckoned the brunette, who obeyed.
"This is Mikan, Hotaru, Sumire, and Nonoko, who's my twin sister. I'm Anna," she introduced herself and the girls.
"Wait, you're twins?" another sandy-haired guy asked in surprise.
"Hmm, we are. What about it?" Anna replied curiously.
"Actually, we're also twins," he pointed to himself and Koko. "I'm Kitsu."
Nonoko raised her brows.
"Wow, really?" Anna gasped. "No way, what a coincidence!"
"Obviously this was meant to be," Koko teased, a boyish grin on his lips. "You know what this is called? Destiny."
"Ha," Sumire snorted. "I've never heard such a lame pick-up line in my life."
Koko pouted. "What if I just wanna be friends?"
She rolled her eyes in response. "Oh please, that's what they all say."
"Hmm, really now," Koko smirked playfully. "Well I dunno, we'll have to see..."
"You're about a millennium too early, boy," Sumire scoffed. "Introduce the rest of your friends to us please."
"A millennium is a bit too long, isn't it?" he complained.
Sumire glared at him and he raised his hands in defense.
"Okay, okay. That's Ruka and that's Yuu."
He gestured to the blonde, who introduced himself as Ruka, and the olive-green haired boy, who introduced himself as Yuu. Mikan stared at Ruka, who raised a questioning brow at her.
"Ruka, you don't exactly look Japanese..." she mused. "Is your hair natural, by any chance?"
"I'm half-French," he explained. "So yeah, it's natural."
"Wow, classy." Mikan was impressed. "I mean Anna here has pink hair but obviously that's dyed. You look like a real prince. Must have a horde of girls after you, huh?"
"Uh...I guess?" Ruka scratched his head sheepishly.
Mikan patted his arm sympathetically. "Stay safe."
"Thanks...I'll try?" he chuckled. "But I'm not as smart as Yuu, so I'm sure I lose some girls to him."
"Definitely not," Yuu denied.
"If you're smart then you might be good friends with Hotaru." Sumire jerked at thumb at the quiet, apathetic girl. "Though it's hard to talk to her in general. But if you've got something intelligent to say then there's a 50% higher chance that she'll listen to you."
"Haha, really?" Yuu laughed. "I might give a shot, but Ruka was exaggerating. I'm not really that smart."
"Says the guy who gets full points on all of his tests," Kitsu gave Yuu an incredulous sideways glance. "You're too good to be humble, man. Stop trying."
"Book smart, maybe," Yuu defended himself. "But street smart? You guys all beat me easily at that."
"He's trying so hard to be humble," Kitsu sighed.
"I know," Ruka shook his head. "He doesn't understand the struggles of those who aren't natural born geniuses."
"Hey, stop making me look bad in an backhanded way," Yuu protested with a frown.
The girls couldn't help but smile as they watched this. These guys were actually pretty fun.
"Well, Natsume's pretty smart too," Ruka thought. "But he just doesn't try."
"Why have a brain and not use it?" Mikan wondered aloud.
Natsume narrowed his eyes at her but she just raised her brows at him as if genuinely curious.
"Because he's too cool for school," Koko snickered.
That got him a kick in the back.
"Okay it's actually because Natsume spends all his time practicing so he doesn't have time to study," Koko explained after recovering from the blow.
"Ooh, sounds like someone I know," Anna giggled, looking at Mikan.
"Except she wouldn't study even if she had time," Nonoko sighed.
"I don't need to be book smart, man," Mikan shrugged. "As long as I have dancing, I'm good."
At this, Natsume nodded his head slightly in agreement.
"Don't let her fool you though—when she tries, Mikan is pretty damn smart," Sumire praised her friend with a grudging pat on the back. "Scared the hell out of me when she took her first big exam at school and ranked first. I thought an alien had abducted her. She's normally so dumb."
"Wow, thanks," Mikan scoffed at the greenette. "I'm flattered."
"No need," Sumire declined courteously. "I know you deserve compliments too sometimes."
Mikan gave her a stinkeye and was about to say something when she stumbled.
"Woah, careful." Ruka grabbed her arm to steady her.
"You...never gave me a reply when I asked whether or not you hit your head, right?" Anna narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Uh..."
"Turn around."
Mikan sighed and obeyed.
"I did hit it, okay? But it's fine, no big d—"
She was cut off by Anna's squeak of alarm.
"Mikan!"
Mikan faced her.
"What?"
"You're bleeding..." Anna showed her fingers stained with red.
"Oh really?"
Mikan felt the back of her head and indeed, her hand came back bloody.
"Well...that sucks," she commented.
"Does this happen often? Because you seem very calm, Mikan." Koko winced as he glanced at the blood on her hand.
Mikan rubbed her stained fingers and shrugged.
"I just...don't have a big reaction to blood." Her eyes suddenly became dark and clouded as she mumbled, "I've seen much worse."
"What'd you say?" Koko asked.
"Oh, nothing," Mikan looked up and her eyes were clear again. "Blood doesn't bother me so I'm fine."
"Wow, you get more interesting by the minute, Mikan," Koko grinned and Mikan just gave him a don't even try look, her face showing no trace of it's previous distress.
But Natsume had seen and heard perfectly clearly and he regarded her with an unreadable expression, not sure what to make of it. However, his thoughts were distracted by Anna as she clamped a hand around Mikan's wrist.
"Mikan, stop dilly-dallying, we have to get you to the nurse!" she declared and Mikan could only succumb wordlessly as the pinkette dragged her full speed ahead.
"Anna, you're pretty good at this, aren't you?" Yuu remarked as he watched the pinkette carefully wrap a bandage around Mikan's head.
The nurse was out on her lunch break, but that didn't stop Anna from barging in and using all of the supplies as if she owned the place.
"These girls get hurt all the time practicing, especially Mikan," Anna sighed. "Someone's gotta take care of them."
"I see," Yuu smiled. What a kind girl.
"Alright, show me your legs," Anna ordered as she deftly tied off the bandage on Mikan's head.
"Yes, doctor," Mikan obeyed, lifting her battered legs onto Anna's lap.
"Ooh, ouch," Koko cringed as he noticed the nasty gash on her calf. "Wow, you've been walking on that? I didn't even notice."
"You should've told us," Ruka frowned. "We could've helped."
"Nah, it's fine, I've got a high pain tolerance," Mikan shrugged nonchalantly. "Trust me, it doesn't even hurt."
Anna slapped a cloth damp with disinfectant on the wound and Mikan flinched violently.
"Stop acting tough, Mikan," the pinkette chided. "Any longer and this would've gotten infected."
"Dammit, Anna. Stop exaggerating."
Mikan tried to keep the pain out of her voice, but everyone heard it. After watching the brunette for a while, Natsume turned to the little boy standing next him, who was staring at Mikan's wounds in horror and guilt.
"Youichi."
Said boy jumped and looked up at him, putting on a defiant face.
"What?"
"What did you take from her?"
The others stopped to look at Natsume and Youichi.
"I-I didn't take anything!" Youichi protested, but the lie was clear as day.
"You didn't take anything, but she chased you through the forest and ended up like this?" Natsume questioned calmly.
Youichi glanced again at Mikan's bandages and struggled to keep up his indignant facade.
"S-She took it from me first! I was only taking it back!" he retorted.
"Wow, who taught you how to lie, brat?" Mikan snorted from where she was sitting on the cot. "Because you suck at it."
"I'm not lying!" Youichi insisted. "Look Natsume-nii! She had my necklace!"
He took the broken necklace out of his pocket and handed it to Natsume, who raised it up in the air to scrutinize it. There was complete silence for a few long moments as Natsume turned the necklace over and over in his hand, brows furrowed.
"This is Youichi's necklace," he finally confirmed before giving Mikan a strange look.
Everyone was speechless. Mikan gaped at him as if he had just grown eight heads.
"What?" she laughed forcefully. "That's not possible. I've never met this boy before."
"I'm not saying you have," Natsume shrugged. "But this is his necklace."
"You're kidding, aren't you? This is some elaborate prank you guys set up, isn't it?" Mikan growled. "Give me my necklace back."
"No, it's mine!" Youichi cried as he tried to grab the necklace from Natsume's hand, but Natsume raised it out of his reach.
"It's not yours, it's mine!" Mikan snapped, and she felt her anger rising. "You don't know how important that necklace is to me! Why the hell would I chase you through the fucking forest if it wasn't that important, huh?"
"Mikan!" Anna exclaimed, smacking the brunette's leg disapprovingly and making her wince. "Calm down for a second, okay? It's probably just a misunderstanding."
Then she turned to Natsume and the other boys.
"That necklace is really Mikan's," she said firmly. "She's worn it ever since we met her five years ago. She doesn't even take it off in the shower."
"It's a memento," Hotaru spoke up for the first time, her quiet voice threatening. "Give it back to her."
The boys looked at each other in confusion and then looked at Youichi.
"But...that necklace is really Youichi's too," Kitsu stated hesitantly. "We've also seen him wear it from time to time."
Nonoko frowned, her eyes doubtful.
"Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"I mean, I'm not sure but Natsume says it is and he definitely knows," Kitsu nodded towards the crimson-eyed boy.
"But that's impossible." Sumire's brows knitted together and she gave the boys a suspicious look. "Trust me, we aren't lying. But are you?"
"Nobody's lying," Yuu clarified. "The only real explanation to this is that both of them just happen to have the same necklace. I know it's a stretch, but it's the only way."
"The same...necklace?" Mikan echoed hollowly as she stared down at her hands.
Her mother's memento? Someone else had the same necklace?
"I don't agree with this," Hotaru argued venomously. "One of you isn't telling the truth. That is Mikan's necklace and her's only."
The other girls were startled by Hotaru uncharacteristic reaction.
"Hotaru, what's wrong? You're normally the down-to-earth, reasonable one." Nonoko's brows were raised as she put a hand on the dark-haired girl's shoulder.
"It's impossible that the kid has the same necklace. Give it back. Right now," Hotaru demanded with silent fury.
The boys started to sweat under her deathly glare.
"Natsume, maybe you should just give it to her," Koko whispered. "This girl looks like she could kill."
Natsume said nothing as he stared Hotaru down. He might not have shown it much but he was just as confused as the rest of them. What the hell was going on?
"Hotaru," Mikan suddenly called softly, and said girl turned her head to look as her. "Hotaru, it's okay."
Mikan's eyes were sad and empty and Hotaru scowled.
"No, it isn't. That necklace is yours."
"Hotaru, stop it. It's really fine. They aren't lying," Mikan persisted. "What they said is probably true, that there is two of the necklace."
"Impossible."
"Hotaru, it is possible. Stop being stubborn," Mikan retorted, her voice hard. "I guess...it just wasn't as special as I thought it was."
"Mikan—", Hotaru protested, but she was cut off by a shake of her friend's head.
"Actually, this is perfect timing, don't you think?" Mikan managed a smile. "We're here for a new future."
Anyone could tell that Hotaru was very displeased, but after exchanging a few looks with Mikan, she backed off reluctantly.
"My bad, guys, I overreacted," Mikan apologized to the others. "Everything's fine now. Brat, you can take the necklace."
"Wait, wait, wait, but if this necklace is actually yours, Youichi shouldn't be taking it and you shouldn't be apologizing," Ruka intervened as he massaged his temples, looking very troubled. "And I'm pretty sure it is yours."
"I don't need something that's a duplicate," Mikan crossed her arms adamantly. "As of right now, I officially cut ties with that necklace. Brat, you can have it since you were so sure it was yours."
"But you chased him through the forest for it," Kitsu reminded her.
"You cursed at a little kid for it," Koko added.
"Well yeah, that necklace was extremely important to me until about two seconds ago," Mikan shrugged.
"Wait, are you sure, Mikan?" Ruka still looked extremely troubled.
"I'm sure." She patted his arm reassuringly. "It's a personal matter that I've just come to terms with. Don't worry about it."
Ruka looked at her uncertainly and she just nodded.
"Okay then, if you say so..."
Ruka then turned to Youichi and put his hands on his hips.
"Don't you have something to say to Mikan, mister?" he demanded sternly.
Youichi shuffled on his feet and looked away, his face scrunched up in a way that showed he was unwilling to apologize or take back any words. Mikan was not amused.
"Looks like you have two of the same necklace now, huh?" she smirked at him. "Feeling pretty good about yourself, brat? You won't be able to tell which one's actually yours now."
For a moment, Youichi said nothing. Then he turned to face her with a full-fledged glare and muttered a single word.
"Hag."
Mikan blinked twice before she burst out laughing. So did the other girls.
"Oh man, did he just call me 'hag'?" Mikan guffawed.
"You've got good eyes," Sumire gave the confused boy an approving pat on the back.
Mikan slapped Sumire as she continued to laugh. Then she looked at Anna for permission to get off of the bed and stepped over to crouch in front of Youichi. Youichi took a small step backwards but stared at her with both determination and apprehension in his eyes.
"You're such an annoying little brat," Mikan finally said and she ruffled his hair, to his utter dismay. "Tell Natsume to teach you better insults."
The she stood, gave Natsume a narrow-eyed look, and glanced at the necklace in his hand one last time.
"Take care of it for me," she mouthed, and he gave her a curt nod.
"Alright, then we'll be leaving first." Mikan waved at the boys as she started limping towards the door. "Sorry for all the drama. Thanks for bringing me here."
"No, it was Youichi's fault to begin with," Yuu shook his head. "We should be apologizing."
"Don't beat him up, he's just a kid," Mikan replied. "And he didn't have any bad intentions."
Yuu smiled warmly. "You're a nice girl, Mikan."
"Ha," Mikan snorted. "That's a first."
"Are you okay?" Ruka asked in concern as he watched her limp forward. "Do you need help?"
"She's fine," Sumire dismissed before the brunette could say it herself. "Don't worry about her, really."
"Wow, Sumi, thanks for caring," Mikan drawled sarcastically. "But yeah, she's right."
"You look like a delinquent, Mikan," Koko commented. "Hardcore gang leader."
Mikan stopped and struck a pose with her bloody clothes and bandaged limbs, making Koko laugh.
"She is a delinquent," Nonoko muttered.
"Okay, okay, let's go." Mikan opened the door. "Bye guys."
The guys replied back with goodbyes and then the girls were gone. The sudden quiet was deafening.
"Well, that was...interesting," Ruka said as he sat down on the cot Mikan had been nursed on.
"Interesting?" Koko exclaimed. "That was great! I say we all ask the girls' out tomorrow. Get them before they're taken, y'know?"
"Are you dumb? We just met them." Kitsu rolled his eyes at his brother's stupidity. "Besides, who would you even ask?"
"Hmm..." Koko pondered thoughtfully. "Actually, I dunno! But you would totally go for Nonoko, wouldn't you?"
"Shut up."
Koko smiled slyly and poked his brother in the arm.
"You would, wouldn't you? Aww, Kitsu's blushing!"
"Shut up before punch you."
The boyish grin lingered on Koko's face but he backed away and turned to the others.
"So, what about you guys?"
Ruka sighed. "Like Kitsu said, we just met them. We hardly know each other. I think we should be more concerned about the necklace thing."
He glanced at Youichi, who pouted.
"C'mon, why are you still caught up over that?" Koko complained. "Mikan already said it was fine so it's fine, right?"
"You're so insensitive," his brother muttered.
"Youichi, who'd gave you your necklace?" Ruka asked the little boy.
"Not telling." Youichi stuck up his nose.
"Youichi, please cooperate with me..."
"No. I didn't do anything wrong."
Ruka exhaled. "I'm not saying you did, but...Natsume, help me a little, man."
Natsume looked at Youichi, who shook his head vigorously.
"Who he got the necklace from doesn't matter," the older boy finally stated.
"Natsume—"
"It's like Yuu said, both of them just happen to have the same necklace. That's it. Case closed."
"But Mikan looked like she was giving it up—"
"What that girl does is her own business." Natsume gave Ruka a pointed look. "She clearly made a decision and we have nothing to do with it. Stop worrying, Ruka."
Ruka frowned, but he couldn't say anything in return.
"Well, the chances of us meeting them again are very thin, so let's just put this behind us," Yuu agreed. "Natsume's right, we're not in a position to be nosy."
"Aww, but I want to see them again!" Koko whined in dismay.
"There are hundreds of classes in this school," Yuu replied factually. "What are the chances we'll be in the same one?"
Koko pouted, disappointed. "Darn, you guys are no fun."
"Think of it like this," Kitsu consoled his brother. "We're already lucky enough to have met them."
All done!
So, this chappie was probably really boring considering the long LONG wait you guys had to endure for it.
But everything that's happened in this chappie is vital to the plot of the fanfic, so I had to include it somehow.
I promise they will dance in the next chappie.
Natsume's character is gonna be a bit different, or a lot, I'm not quite sure yet. But I don't want to exactly follow the sexy, bad-boy, cliche personality that he always has. You'll get a lot more of him in the next chappie *wink* *wink*
Again, I'm gonna try my best to update, but I can't really set a deadline for you guys. I don't wanna lie to you again. But I WILL try my best! Yosh!
And of course, if there was anything you didn't like or you were confused about or you want to critique in this chappie, don't hesitate! I love reading ALL reviews!
-momocandy XD