Chapter 4 "The Last Preparations"
After the reunion Mikan never went out of the house again except for some wedding issues. As much as possible she didn't want to see the shore for that only reminded her of Natsume. She cried almost all day and night in her room while thinking of her predicament.
"Natsume, don't you really care about me anymore? Fine Natsume… I have to face this on my own now huh?" Mikan said standing up.
"You don't care about me I don't care about you…You… You idiot!" she continued in a loud voice.
"Mikan, are you ready to check the finishing touches on your dress?" Shoichi called from outside.
"I'll be there in a minute!" she called back. She wore her sandals, opened the door and went out where Shoichi was waiting.
"Let's go?"
"Hai…" and they went out of the house and said goodbye to Mikan's mom who was standing on the doorway.
"Be careful you two! Be home before lunch, kay?" Yuka, Mikan's mom, said as she waved her hand and closed the door.
The wedding dress was very pretty. It was an off-shoulder gown with long sleeves. It was white with light pink laces and glitters. Mikan looked like a princess when she tried it on. As she looked at her own reflection in the mirror, she couldn't help but think of Natsume, how he broke his promise and her wedding, how she was forced into it. As she stared at the image before her, she questioned herself, "Am I this person wearing this gown…? Is this the future of the little girl who met her first love on that shore? Is this really my destiny? My destiny…" A tear fell on her cheeks.
"Why am I crying? It's not like he loves me too anyway…" she thought wiping the tear that fell from her eyes.
"Well, I guess this is fine now…" she said showing the dress to Shoichi who was sitting on one of the bean bags.
"You look really pretty…"
"Thanks…" and she closed the curtains again. After that, they went to the Bakeshop to see if the cake's design was good enough. The cake looked really delicious even if it was still in drawing so they continued to the post office to send out the invites. And after everything was done, they returned home.
"Natsume, I heard from Hotaru. It was an arranged marriage and Mikan didn't want to be wed to Shoichi…" Ruka said to Natsume who stood on the cliff, staring blankly on the sea.
"An arranged marriage…?"
"That's what Hotaru said. You see Natsume, when Mikan was still in France, she and Hotaru always talked on the phone. Mikan always updated her best friend with what's happening…"
"Thanks Ruka…" and he ran down the cliff, rode his car and sped away.
"Mikan was forced into this marriage huh…" Natsume thought stopping at one of the houses across the street. Hotaru, a woman with short dark purple hair opened the front door.
"I knew you'd come when you heard from Ruka." She said as Natsume locked the car and walked towards her.
"500 yen and I'll tell you everything…" she continued.
"You're still the same." Natsume said handing out the payment. Hotaru took it from Natsume's hand and signaled him to go inside. Natsume took a seat while Hotaru went to the kitchen to fetch some tea. They talked about what Mikan said through the phone while she was in France. Natsume sat and listened carefully as Hotaru narrated.
"When she learned that it was his father's will to have her married to Shoichi, she couldn't sleep almost every night. She said that it'll be hard for her especially when she made a promise to return. The only thing she can do is not to object because if she did, she'll have no chance of ever going back to Japan. Everything was made for a reason she always said. Maybe this wedding will lead to something great… but…but… she never finished that line. I think she wanted to be with you Natsume. And of course I knew about your promise before she left. She was looking forward to that but she said that she might be the one to break it. You know Natsume… she wanted to say no to her mother and to the marriage but she wasn't sure if you still love her…well, that's about everything… I think…"
"I'm leaving… bye…"
"I'm sure she's waiting for you to defend her Natsume…" but Natsume barely heard this because he already closed the door. He went to his car and took out his cellphone. He texted Mikan to go to the shore and he drove away. He waited patiently at the beach for his princess to come.
Tralala lala lala ting… Tralala lala lala ting…
"Huh?" Mikan said looking at the flashing light in her cell phone.
"A message… from…?" She said taking the phone. "from Natsume… The sea…?" she read.
"And why does he want me to go there? Really at this hour… it's already 8:00 in the evening. Geez… And why should I go anyway? He doesn't care about me… but… it's the first time he sent a message to me. It might be something important…" she said opening the front door.
"Okaa-san… I'm going out for fresh air… I'll be back later…" she said walking away.
"What does Natsume want?" she passed by a street light and another and another until she lost count. The waves were dancing on the shore and the moon gives light on its surface gave a lonely aura that Mikan felt when she saw the figure of the guy standing by the shore.
"What's your problem that you need me to come here?" she said immediately when she stood next to him. Natsue didn't answer and instead he pulled Mikan and kissed her on the lips. Mikan was in an utter shock but she didn't pull away from his grip. She felt like she became part of a story book fantasy, at the last scene when she and her prince were about to live happily ever after. But then she remembered the marriage. The marriage she didn't want to take part in. she couldn't help but to cut the kiss and cry.
"Natsume you idiot! You knew that I will be married tomorrow, but… why? Why did you? BAKA!!" She said. She was regretting everything. She began asking herself how she was forced into the wedding. She was a baka afterall. Natsume was right since the very beginning. She was stupid. Stupid to fall in love with the guy she really likes yet live together with a man she considers a friend, and only a friend.
"That's the reason…"
"huh…?"
"I wanted to be your first kiss, not him…"
"what…" she said not believing what she heard.
"Natsume, tell me, were you lying when you said you didn't love me?" he didn't respond. He was looking at the floor and never taking his eyes off it.
"Natsume, Tell me the truth!!"
"Yes… You'realways that baka girl… so DENSE!!"
"Natsume, why didn't you tell me? I hate you Natsume! You say these things just when all the preparations were done! You stupid moron!" she said and turned about and started to run. But Natsume caught her hand.
"Those words aren't true. I've known you for so long and I could see in your eyes that you're lying. Well, In case I'm wrong, you'll be saying I do to Shoichi tomorrow." And he let her go.