His Psychotic Love
Chapter 4: Engraved
Mikan looked around and realised that everyone had left the restroom. She purposely chose to be the last one to change into her outdoors attire. She removed her turtleneck jacket and took off her shirt. She wore the clean cotton shirt and put back on the jacket. She also changed to her track pants and immediately left.
"Sakura, are you sick? You don't have to wear a jacket for outdoor activities. You will die from dehydration," Ruka asked worriedly as he happened to walk past her.
Mikan feigned a cold by pretending to sneeze and nodded. Ruka could tell that there was really something wrong with her but he remained quiet about it.
When they arrived at the track field, everyone was already doing their warm ups. The two of them were seriously late. Ruka had his reason as he had a bad stomach ache so the teacher let him go. As for Mikan, she said that she had a cold and was in the restroom blowing her nose until it ran dry. The teacher was not convinced at first but judging by her jacket, the teacher told her to rest at the side of the track field. Who would want to be responsible for someone else's cold if something worse happened?
In fact, Mikan was perspiring under the jacket. She wanted to hide something badly. If others found out about it, she would be a centre of attraction.
When the teacher was not paying attention, Hotaru walked over to Mikan's side and asked worriedly, "Are you all right, Mikan? You look very sick today."
Mikan nodded.
Hotaru sat down and grumbled, "I want to take a rest first. I cannot believe that this teacher made us run ten laps around the field. I'm tired!"
Mikan nodded again.
"Yesterday, I thought you would call me back but you didn't," Hotaru pouted.
"I'm sorry," Mikan apologised in a hoarse voice.
Hotaru tried to recall something and spoke, "If I am not wrong, I heard your mother said that Natsume called you. Why did he call you?"
Mikan shook her head and replied, "Nothing much. He was just bored at home."
"Is he the only child?"
"Yes, he is. He lives next to me so I know him quite well. In fact, we have known each other since elementary school till now."
"Was he from the same elementary school as us?"
"Yes, he used to but he stopped schooling from Grade 5 onwards."
Hotaru went into deeper thoughts. Who would know that the sadist would go to school? He looked like a barbarian to her.
Hotaru asked again, "He stopped schooling, is it because of the inconvenience on the wheelchair?"
Mikan nodded again but her face turned very pale.
"Can we stop talking about him? Let's talk about our project work," Mikan suggested with a weak smile.
Hotaru realised that she had asked too much so she apologised to her. She quietly signaled Ruka to come over to them. Surprisingly, Ruka was glad to do so because he disliked running. He skipped to them and sat next to Mikan.
"Are you trying to ditch with Sakura?" Ruka laughed at Hotaru which made her frown.
"Well, you too!" Hotaru retorted. "Well, Mikan wants to discuss our project together now."
"Now? What if that crazy teacher caught us?" Ruka asked worriedly.
"Just say that you still have a slight tummy ache and he will let you go," she replied. "As for me, I will say that I am babysitting the both of you. He will definitely fall for that."
"Who will fall for what?"
Hotaru stuck up her nose higher and repeated, "That crazy teacher will fall for my excuse."
Ruka mumbled, "Imai..."
"Hotaru Imai, you will run another ten laps for trying to trick me and calling me names!"
Hotaru turned around and saw the crazy teacher just right behind her. She stood up and gaped. Without saying a word, she ran off and did another ten laps obediently.
-:-:-:-
Hotaru walked tiredly into the restroom, grumbling on and on to herself about how evil that teacher was. Furthermore, she was the last one to be released because of those extra ten laps. She opened her locker and took out her uniform. She hurriedly changed into it and slammed the locker shut. Just then, she heard a sound coming from the other side of the lockers. She thought that she was the only one left in the restroom.
She gulped. She had heard of ghosts appearing in girl's restroom and had scared many girls in this school. She shuddered and brushed off that intimidating thought. As she slowly approached to the other side of the lockers, she noticed a familiar girl changing into her uniform.
"Mikan, is that you?" Hotaru called out and walked over to her.
That girl was indeed Mikan. Upon hearing someone called her name, she quickly used her jacket and wrapped herself from her head to her waist.
"Don't come any closer to me," Mikan warned loudly.
Hotaru was taken aback by her words. Refusing to listen to her warnings, she charged forward and flung the jacket away from her.
Hotaru had the greatest shock of her life. She saw cuts all over Mikan's neck and arms. The cuts seemed fresh but were not very deep. On her neck, there were a few heart shapes carved while on her arms, there were words written. On her left arm, it was written 'Natsume's' and on the other arm, it was written 'Property'.
"That Natsume guy did it, didn't he?" Hotaru snapped.
Mikan fell onto her knees and said in between sobs, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Hotaru kneeled down and asked, "Why are you apologising to me? Please answer my previous question."
Mikan covered her face and nodded. Hotaru grabbed the jacket and helped Mikan to put it on.
"You should have told me about it," Hotaru grumbled. "I feel upset and useless when I don't even know what is wrong with you!"
"I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologising again?"
"Natsume deleted your contact, together with Ruka's. I am sorry."
Hotaru smacked her forehead and muttered under her breath, "I dare you to say sorry again because this is getting a little irritating. It is obviously not your fault and you are apologising for that Natsume guy."
Mikan looked down and spoke, "I'm sorry."
"Stop it. That guy doesn't deserve to have someone apologising on his behalf! He is abusive and sick," Hotaru ranted. "You should just leave him alone."
"I can't!"
"What? Why?"
"That's because," Mikan's voice softened. "It is a very long story."
Hotaru did not want to pry into Mikan's painful memories so she stopped asking her any further.
-:-:-:-
Lessons ended late and Hotaru suggested that they should complete the project by the end of the day. It was all because of the restriction in Mikan's handphone. Ruka did not know anything about that so he just felt weird as to why Hotaru kept insisting on completing the project fast.
They went to Hotaru's house and started on it as soon as possible. Ruka spread a large sheet of paper and began writing on it. Mikan and Hotaru cut out a few pictures and glued them at the side of the paper.
Ruka looked at Mikan and sighed. She definitely looked sick and weak. He still thought that she had a bad cold.
"Sakura, if you are not feeling very well, you can go home. We can do your part for this time only," Ruka said in concern.
Mikan smiled at him and replied, "I'm feeling better. Thank you."
Hotaru looked at Ruka and then back at Mikan. Ruka did not seem to know anything about Mikan's pain and misery yet. She knew that Mikan did not want to go home because of Natsume since he just lived next to her. Then, she got a brilliant idea.
"Mikan, do you want to stay over here for the night?" Hotaru asked.
Mikan looked at Hotaru and nodded desperately. Hotaru cheered and quickly hugged her in response. Upon seeing this, Ruka scowled as he thought he was really seeing two lesbians hugging together.
Ruka groaned, "Stop that, will you? It is disgusting!"
Hotaru let go of Mikan and shouted angrily at him, "What is so disgusting than that sadistic freak? I want to help Mikan and save her from him! You, idiot!"
After saying that, Hotaru immediately covered her mouth as she had realised that she had said too much.
"What are you talking about?" Ruka snorted and crossed his arms. "I knew it. Both of you are hiding something from me all this while. Don't you even consider me as your friend?"
"Yes, we did!" Mikan interjected. "However, I just don't want to say it to anyone else other than Hotaru. I'm sorry."
Ruka bit his lips as he rubbed the back of his forehead and mumbled, "It's okay. It's not like I am going to force you to say it out but I just want to support you as a friend. I will feel kind of useless if my friends don't trust me. That's all. I didn't mean to say that."
"It's okay, Ruka," Mikan assured softly.
Hotaru grunted, "Mikan, I'm sorry too. I should not have said too much. As for Nogi, I am also very sorry. You do not know anything, yet I just snapped at you. It is my entire fault. Guys, I'm sorry!"
Hotaru put her knees together as she bowed down with her head touching the floor.
"It's okay!" Ruka and Mikan answered together, making both of them blushed.
Suddenly, Mikan unzipped her jacket and slowly pulled it down.
Ruka immediately looked away and stuttered in embarrassment, "Sa... Sakura! Wh... What are you doing?"
Hotaru looked up and gaped. What was Mikan trying to do?
Mikan pushed the jacket aside and spoke, "Ruka, look."
"Mikan, don't!" Hotaru shouted.
Ruka slowly turned his head towards Mikan and he saw them. He saw the scars and her glistering sweats all over her neck and arms. Just then, he had fully understood her situation. She was not sick but was hurt. The pain she bore could not be measured just by looking at the scars.
He was sure that those words which were 'engraved' on her body were definitely done by someone who loved her till the extent of abusing her. Not just physically, but also mentally.
Hi guys, thanks for reading up to Chapter 4.
I would like to thank those who had reviewed Chapter 3. Thanks for all those encouragements. Hope to hear more from you again! :D
Here are the reviewers:
- i. Love. food. but. not. you
- yuri-chan
- Ayaka-hime
- Anna The Weird
- Aki-Hime Kaname
- Prick 'n Improper
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- Akigane
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- Sairento Kira
Lastly, I would also like to thank those who had story alerted and favourited this story. :)
Don't forget to review this chapter! Hmm... what about 55 reviews this time? :D