Hey everyone! So things are looking pretty darn good on my end, I hope everything is looking great on yours! I really want to know: comment something super amazing that happened to you this week!
I hope you enjoy this week's chapter! Everything is starting to make sense in terms of my vision for this story, so hopefully all the loose/confusing ends I've created begin to get pulled together for all of you!
Chapter 6
Mikan stared at the sleek, black door that separated her from the parking garage and the inside of Hyuuga-san's unsurprisingly impressive car, as if it would somehow magically open to welcome her. But it didn't, so she continued to stare until Hyuuga-san paused on the driver's side and peered over at her from across the hood. He watched her idly before ordering in a tone that seemed more bored than authoritative: "Get in."
And maybe it was the way he looked at her with those assertive, crimson eyes. Or maybe it was just her subconscious. Either way, Mikan had no desire to get into that car. "Really, Hyuuga-san," she sook her head, "Its better if I just took the bus."
"Get in the car," Hyuuga-san repeated. His tone never changed, but his eye twitched and that was far more threatening.
"But I live so far—"
"Get. In. The. Car."
This is hardly professional—"
"Sakura!" Mikan jumped. To hear him shout like that made the small woman feel like she had lost the ability to move any of her limbs. Not to mention… he finally said her name. And so, immediately she receded from her defiance only to revert to staring at the handle. All it took then was for her to reach her hand out and pull, and then she would be within the confines of a vehicular prison which was a lot worse than it originally sounded. And then, there was that other problem…
There was an exasperated sigh, and Mikan looked up to find Hyuuga-san eyeing her yet again… or maybe he neve stopped. "We are wasting time," he stated simply.
In reality, they had probably spent about five minutes having this discussion, an amount of time Mikan didn't find to be enough to worry over. But, then again, her boss was different. That was about all she understood about him: Hyuuga-san behaved in such a way that explained his distant demeanor. With attentiveness to both detail and dirt, Hyuuga-san coveted his possessions, and Mikan knew that it was even larger than that. It was this mere fact that stopped her from opening that door with her bare hands. She did not want to witness the aftermath, nor did she want to be the cause. I just—" she stammered, looking for the right words to say. "That means I have to touch your car, and I just don't know if that's a… good idea?" She ended in the tone of a question, almost if she were asking if that was the proper way to express her concern. Oddly enough, Hyuuga-san understood.
He looked away for saying, "I wouldn't offer to do something I wasn't comfortable with." He peered back at her, seemingly embarrassed for having to mention such a thing, so Mikan apologized by appeasing him. She nodded, and welcomed herself into his car. She mumbled something along the lines of "Sorry for the intrusion" before lowering herself into the seat.
She did her best not to touch anything that wasn't meant to be touched. The car door and the seatbelt were the only things that weren't on that list, so she sat with her knees tightly pressed together, and her hands lying upon her lap. Besides her, Hyuuga-san carefully adjusted the ventilation system, all the way down to the direction of the air currents. Mikan did her best not to watch him, but it was peculiar she couldn't help it. It's when he pulled back into his own seat and waited for a few seconds did he decide to finally turn the car on, and Mikan found herself shocked when the vents were brought to life. Extreme comfort, and it was from the corners of her eyes that she realized Hyuuga-san was checking for her reaction, prepared to make any necessary changed. Or it was very possible he was simply waiting for her, which was a thought that found its way to Mikan when Hyuuga-san reminded her, "You'll have to give me directions."
Jumping to life, Mikan told him the district she lived in. Nodding, he kicked the car into gear and began to exit the parking garage. Mikan allowed him to drive in silence, as she assumed that was something he would do if she weren't sitting in the passenger seat. As he drove, Mikan looked out the window and watched the city pass the two of them by. Soon she forgot who was driving her home, and instead reimagined the days when her and her grandpa would drive to different areas simply for the act of it. They would enjoy each other's presence in the silence that they created. Those were the comfortable days, and it almost made Mikan choke up as her grandpa had passed away during her years in college. To prevent herself from getting lost in her emotions, the brunette allowed her eyes to drop and focus on something else. Something like the opportunity to finally address everything that had been weighing heavily on her mind.
"Hyuuga-san?" Mikan looked toward the road before her, avoiding any eye contact that may arise by her sudden inquiry. She saw Hyuuga-san's eyes shift from the road for a fraction of a second before returning to the road. Mikan took this as permission to ask, "Have you ever driven someone home before?"
His eyes narrowed, and Mikan didn't take this as a good sign. Granted, she didn't take anything he ever did as a good sign. "No," he responded firmly. "You're the first to ignore my order that each employee leave before dark."
Mikan ignored that last comment. "That's not the only reason, is it?" There was a small pocket of silence that Mikan feared would grow into something she couldn't disperse. So, she quickly attempted to recover by saying, "I apologize, that was out of line!"
"This entire situation is out of line," Hyuuga-san clarified, and Mikan couldn't exactly make a case against his point. Regardless, he surprised Mikan by answering her question with, "Besides. You already have your answer."
Within the confines of the car, Mikan finally removed her eyes from the road to look toward her boss who was already looking in her direction. But rather than looking away, like Mikan half expected him to, his eyes lingered on hers for a moment before returning to the road in fluid motion. Mikan hadn't realized she had held her breath until the contact was broken. Oddly enough, she wasn't afraid like she thought she shouldn't have been. Instead, there was this feeling of intimidation. Not against him, but against the way her body reacting. She shifted in her seat and slowing her breath to calm her heart which pushed warmth up her neck and toward her cheeks. She swallowed. "I—" her voice came out soft, but it didn't waver "—I could be wrong."
"You're not," Hyuuga-san assured her, and so she looked away and out the window. "I can tell in the way you've changed your work habits." He paused. "No secretary of mine has done that before." He paused. "They have all been unforgiving toward my obsessive disorder—" Mikan choked. She hadn't thought he would actually say it "—but you have done so… exceptionally."
Mikan pursued her lips, as a smile threatened to betray her professionality. "Thank you," she expressed, knowing that this was Hyuuga-san's way of providing a compliment. When he nodded, she puffed her chest. Gaining Hyuuga-san's approval was something everyone in the office strived for, Mikan was sure. It couldn't have been just her.
Her smile faded, though, when another question was caught creeping into her mind. The scene of about a week prior popped into her head, and Hyuuga-san's words rung in her head with alarm. "But—" they were approaching her district, so if there was ever a time to ask such a question, it was now "—that won't stop you from firing me, will it?"
With confusion written on his brow, Hyuuga-san asked, "What are you talking about? Who said—"
"You did," Mikan turned in her seat. She didn't know when she had gotten so comfortable in her present situation to become so active in a car that wasn't hers, but her mind was preoccupied to the point where she did not seek to correct herself. And Hyuuga-san didn't correct her either… Instead he was waiting for an explanation. "You said, and I quote, 'We may not have a few months.'" Hyuuga-san face changed when he heard Mikan's imitation of him, and everything about his face said he didn't appreciate the exaggeration. Meanwhile, Mikan thought it was the most accurate impression she's ever done. "I know I'm wrong for inquiring but it was one mistake and—turn right here!"
Hyuuga-san jerked the car to the right, hissing out Mikan's name as he did so. He was seconds from missing the turn, and Mikan hardly expected him to attempt to make it in the first place. But there they were, driving down the street the would eventually lead the two of them to her apartment. Unfortunately, this meant that the conversation would also end, and Mikan didn't feel like ignoring the dejection that began to settle into her stomach.
Beside her, Hyuuga-san continued almost as if Mikan's blunder in giving directions hadn't happened. A weight was lifted off of Mikan's shoulders when Hyuuga-san disclosed, "I have no intention of firing you." Almost to provide further clarification, he restated it by saying, "I was referring to… something else."
"The event," Mikan asked, although she already had her answer. Hyuuga-san nodded, and turned into Mikan's apartment complex when she pointed it out. "Why does Imai-san want you to go to this event?" No answer. "Hyuuga-san—"
"Why are you asking so many questions," Hyuuga-san snapped, and Mikan recoiled almost instantly.
Mikan composed herself more so out of a newfound concern for her boss versus herself. There was something larger at play here, and Mikan felt like she had dragged Hyuuga-san into trouble he had been trying to avoid. And yet, he wasn't going to punish her for it. "Are you in some kind of trouble, Hyuuga-san? Because, if you are, we can just—"
Running and hand through his hair, Hyuuga-san ruined his otherwise perfectly sculpted demeanor. Mikan held her breath. "It's not me Imai wants at that event."
Looking confused, and then with incredulity, Mikan laughed nervously before pointing to herself. She didn't speak a word before Hyuuga-san looked away. Hyuuga-san sighed and then turned the car off. He shifted his position until he was facing Mikan, who was slowly retreating from him. Noticing this, Hyuuga-san looked extremely apologetic for the first time during Mikan's employment. It was far more unsettling than Mikan imagined it would be.
Scared, Mikan whispered, "What are you not telling me?"
Sighing, Natsume looked up to the apartment complex before returning his eyes to Mikan.
"Do you mind if I come in?"
