RECAP:
"Natsume," her voice became soft but the fierceness of it was still evident. I knew she wanted to prove her point and to debate against me, "you are just trying to make meaning to things that doesn't have one. I am aware that you have gone a long way but you have to stop."
"That is all the more reason not to stop. I have already slowed down because taking care of you is more important than solving the puzzles in my mind. But please understand, this is not the time to bring things to a close, not when I think I have found the person that can have the answers." I looked at her with determined eyes. There is no way I will let it end here, not this time.
"Natsume," she called my name once again.
"Please, not now. It's late and I have to go to school tomorrow." I tore off my gaze from her. I was tired and I do not want to argue any longer.
"Okay. Good night Natsume." She told me gently; no longer was the fierce sound of her voice in our previous argument. I smiled and turned around, not forgetting to reply.
"Good night Misaki."
Chapter 6:
Birds chirped and flowers bloomed as the first rise of sun rays glowed, signaling the start of the day. With a small gap in Natsume's curtain, he felt the warm rays waking him up from his sleep. It being against his will, he tried moving around his bed to get a comfortable position to doze off once again, but it seems as if someone has another plan for him.
With both his eyes still closed, he suddenly heard the creaking of the door, followed by footsteps inside his room. After a few rustling sound, he sensed more of the warm rays of the sun that had threatened to wake him up before.
He groaned then squinted his eyes, only to be met by a smiling face which seems to enjoy disrupting his much needed sleep.
"Ruka," he said each syllable of the boy's name slowly as if trying to put pressure, which clearly did not work.
"Natsume," the boy calmly uttered back, still smiling like he did not understand or even recognize the menace in Natsume's voice, "We have school today and Misaki asked me to wake you up. Well, just in case you're going to ask."
Sighing, Natsume quietly stood up and sat on the edge of his bed. "Of course, I should have known." He answered sarcastically.
He sighed for the second time when he heard the boy, who by this time have sat beside him on his bed, chuckle.
"I'm going to change," Natsume stated as he stood up from the soft cushion of his mattress and looked at Ruka. Ruka looked back at him in a questioning stare.
"I'm going to change or else we'll be late soon," he said once again while staring back at the boy.
"I know," Ruka replied rather calmly.
Natsume's eyebrows then twitched in annoyance at his answer and with a few more jerks, the raven-haired lad exasperatedly said, "Really? Then you should realize by now, Ruka, that you have to get out of my room."
Before the other could reply, Natsume shouted, "Now!" prior to practically yanking the boy out of the door.
With Ruka out of sight, Natsume sighed for the nth time that day. It seems almost as if the exquisite onset of daylight didn't catch up to him, but he knew that is going to change. What he probably did not make out was that what he was planning to do is not just going to change his day but his life forever.
Just outside his room, a certain blonde stayed rooted on his spot with his back leaning against Natsume's door. For a moment he stared at the space in front of him like he was trying to decipher something only he can see, but it was so brief that no one would even notice it.
He suddenly closed his eyes and darkness invaded his every senses. For a few seconds, he did not move even an inch that anyone who sees him would think he had fallen asleep while standing, which seems unlikely for the prince-like figure of Ruka.
Then, like a flash of lightning against the dark storm clouds, a form flared in the shadows of Ruka's mind with a voice that echoes throughout his psyche, "It has started. Be ready."
In one catch of breath, the blonde opened his eyes and whispered, "I know." His voice was so soft that his words seem to blend into the air just to be hidden forever.
"Ruka?" Misaki inquired of the boy just as she had climbed up the stairs. He looked at her with a smile.
"Yes?"
"Have you woke him up?"
"Yes. He'll be coming down soon. Come on, let's wait for him downstairs. I'm sure he doesn't want to see us prying on him outside his door," the blond lad answered with the calmness he is known for as he led Misaki down towards the kitchen, "Sunny side up? I'm sure that would make Natsume's day."
"Hahaha. That's funny Ruka." Natsume's voice trailed along sarcastically at Ruka's somewhat lame joke, "Don't get me wrong Misaki. I still love your cooking."
With Natsume's sudden use of her name, the girl turned her attention to the boys as she served them their coffee. "It's not like I'm not used to the two of you. Now, stop chitchatting and eat like usual boys do."
"Now don't say that Misaki," Ruka instantly replied with utmost urgency as if Misaki's comment would cause the end of the world if not rebutted abruptly, which for him probably would without the whole tornado-and-earthquake-bringing-destruction stuff going on and just his bestfriend probably killing him – not literally maybe but still somewhere along that line. Well, that would not have been the case, opposite to what he actually thought, if he just did not open his mouth next which of course, he did. "Maybe that's why Natsume becomes a mute donkey outside this house. People might think he's a girl."
It was supposed to be a joke and damage control – sort of – against Misaki's statement, at least in Ruka's mind, evident with his soft joking voice coupled with a light chuckle. But it actually became the trigger to Natsume's bad day, if not already because of his lack of sleep, and that did not go unnoticed by Ruka who stopped chuckling and instead started choking on his coffee with Natsume's lack of a following remark.
The awkward atmosphere that followed absolutely did nothing to ease the situation but was only broken as Natsume stood up and left for school, quietly maybe but apparently too quiet for both Misaki and Ruka.
"What's wrong with him now?" Ruka asked Misaki who only looked at him disapprovingly after which she took Natsume's plate to dispose the somehow uneaten sunny side up. "So now it's my fault? I actually thought that I… okay there was a little joke in there but… it's not my fault. I mean… I just…"
"Just go Ruka or you'll have to run just to catch up to Natsume. Unless, that's what you want," Misaki interrupted the confused Ruka after seeing his sincerity. Of course, still with his somehow bewildered and unbelieving state that he failed to mask as he ran after his angry bestfriend.
Misaki laughed watching the boys' shadows leaving the house, and talked to herself as if she was still not used to the two bestfriend's bickering, unlike what she just commented awhile ago, "Boys."
"Natsume!" Ruka shouted, well, he tried to shout as he ran towards his best friend, but his heavy breaths prevented him to. "Do you have to walk out like that? Maybe you are a girl. You can't even take a joke seriously."
"Don't push it Ruka. I'm not in the mood." Natsume continued walking, completely ignoring the boy beside him who seems to need every effort just to keep up with him.
"Yeah, but you should know. Misaki's worried, she's not just showing it." Ruka continued. His heavy breaths still obvious in between every word he said.
Ruka looked at Natsume, waiting for some kind of reaction, any kind of reaction from the lad because that's what he does with just a mention of Misaki's name. He knew he loved the girl, a little too much for Ruka's taste but he knew what she meant to his best friend. So the lack of any words or even the slightest response from the crimson-haired boy had Ruka guessing. It was a first and looking at how things are going, Ruka guessed it won't be the last.
The thought had Ruka smiling. He stopped himself at the next words he wishes to utter; after all it would just be a waste knowing that nothing could get Natsume's attention, at least for now.
The two friends walked side by side with no words said, not even the slightest sound. Only the stomping of their feet against the cemented road and the passing of cars could be heard. The wind blew bringing with it the words left unspoken by the two lads, but there is a connection between the two that made words and sounds wither away with time. Anyone could see that. For even when their eyes couldn't see any sign of a talk, there is an understanding that a conversation was heard. They were silent but in others' eyes, for the people who passed and saw them, it didn't seem like they were having a fight. It's just the opposite actually; because their conversation encompasses even the silence. And they both knew that.
The knowledge of it left Natsume and Ruka smiling as if they had just finished a funny discussion and for them, it was just like any other moments they had.
"You found something." Ruka broke the silence that enveloped them, leaving his face with only a curious look with the realization that came upon him. No more was the smile that decorated his face seconds ago.
"Not yet but I will," Natsume answered as he stopped in his tracks. He looked at Ruka, his smile much wider than before.
Ruka only raised his brow at Natsume's answer, also stopping as he realized they were already in front of the campus gates. He saw Natsume turn his attention elsewhere, the wide smile meant for him now turning into a devilish smirk. He noticed Natsume's lips move and as he did, he looked at the figure that caught Natsume's interest. Sakura Mikan.
"Soon."
The girl noticed them looking at her and with a quizzical brow, she left not following behind her group of friends as she usually does. It was an unusual morning, Ruka thought for anyone who had the luxury to observe both Mikan and Natsume and the wisdom to be curious would notice how the two acted differently than they normally would. But no one did. No one, except for Ruka and someone else.
He tried to follow Sakura Mikan's figure but the sudden appearance of Koko and Kitsuneme right in front of his face did not allow him to.
"Hey Ruka!" Koko greeted him enthusiastically as he practically jumped on Ruka's face out of nowhere. The two went stumbling backwards and both fell to the ground.
"Could you greet me like normal people do, Koko? You don't have to jump towards me and tackle me to the ground." Ruka remarked with a gentle tone that masked the harshness of his choice of words, harsh enough for Ruka that is.
He was helped by Kitsuneme as he brushed the dirt of his uniform. "Hey Ruka."
"Hi. Morning to you too." The blond boy gave Kitsuneme a warm smile.
"Morning to you too, Ruka." Koko interrupted, his energy level never failing not even today.
"That's the second time you greeted me Koko."
"I know."
Koko's childish behavior left Ruka laughing. It would get Natsume feeling annoyed but annoyance was never a trait of Ruka. "Morning Koko."
Koko smiled, feeling satisfied with Ruka's attention. But he didn't seem to forget Ruka's first remark at him that morning. "And by the way, maybe I'm not a normal person. I'm too extraordinary." He said, uttering the last word with every emphasis that he could add.
With a laugh, Kitsuneme immediately commented, "Right Koko. I bet that's why girls come running away from you."
"Shut up Kitsuneme, like you're any better than me."
"At least I don't care."
"Guys, not at the start of the day please." Ruka interrupted the quarreling duo as he looked around for a crimson haired boy. "Have you seen Natsume? He was here with me awhile ago."
"Maybe he got tired listening to Koko saying he's Mr. Extraordinaire." Kitsuneme jokingly said.
"Funny Kitsuneme. At least I'm something, what are you?" Koko replied back.
"Like I said, I don't care." He told Koko, probably to finish a nonsensical conversation between the two. Not like it's going to be the last for the day, and knowing Koko, he never forgets. Nevertheless, he turned to Ruka and said, "Come on, he probably went ahead already. Or we can just wait in the classroom."
"Yeah, let's go." Ruka agreed, giving the field a last look for Natsume before following behind his friends.
Sakura Mikan does not lie. She never did but now she had. And worse of all, she had to lie to the boy she loves. Even she did not understand why. She could have just told him that she'd go meet Hyuuga Natsume at the back of the school because he told her, somehow if telling means looking and nodding at her, that he'd want to meet. But she didn't and instead told Tsubasa that she needs to go to the student government's office to get a file she has to give to Mr. Narumi and when he insisted to go with her; she awkwardly shouted no and just left. And now she couldn't take her mind off how to apologize to Tsubasa and explain everything to him.
"You're here." She suddenly heard a voice and turned around, only to be met by an expected face. But even when she anticipated him coming, surprise was still evident in her face, after all it could have just been an imagination in Mikan's mind. But it's not and he's here.
"You're the one who wanted to talk." She strongly replied, quickly hiding her surprise.
"Yeah, but I did not expect you to come or even know we'll meet here, in this specific place."
"I didn't. I just -" the realization came to Mikan just as fast as she understood Natsume's signal a while ago. This time, she couldn't mask her shock. She couldn't help but be in wonder of how she knew. She blinked – once, twice, thrice – and a last one, slowly, as she looked at Natsume's knowing face.
"You just what, Sakura Mikan?" Natsume asked behind the smirk he had ever since he arrived.
"I just knew." Mikan replied but not to Natsume's question. She said this more to herself to answer her curiosity and Natsume knew this.
"And how do you think you knew?"
"I… I don… I don't know." Mikan answered Natsume while taking a step back as Natsume stepped forward.
"Are you sure you don't know, Sakura Mikan?"
"I don't know, Natsume."
"Just last night you called me Hyuuga. It was always Hyuuga but never Natsume. Why call me by my first name now?"
"I already told you, I don't know. There's just something familiar. I… I don't know."
"Something familiar? Are you sure it's not something you knew?" Natsume continued prying Mikan as they seem to play a game of him stepping forward and Mikan taking a step back.
"How many times do I have to tell you Natsume, I don't know." Sakura answered once again, now her voice rising a little higher than before. Her uncertainty now replaced by annoyance and anger.
"Bullshit!" Natsume shouted, the volume of his voice easily towering that of Mikan's. "Stop the act, Sakura. You know something. I know you know something. That's why you knew I wanted to talk to you because in the first place, you knew what I wanted to talk about. The dreams, the promise – you're the one who keeps sending them to me. That's why you knew I wanted to talk here, in this place, because you were the one who told me about this tree. You're the one who gave me these puzzles. You're the one who wanted me to solve this and I found you, so why not tell me everything?" Natsume slammed his fist on the tree just beside Mikan's face, causing the girl to wince at the sound of impact.
She looked up at Natsume's angry face, clearly scared of the lad's outburst but at the sound of her voice as she opened her mouth next surprised Natsume for despite her fear, she spoke to him with a degree of calmness and gentleness he did not expect.
"Nat.. Hyuuga, I swear I meant it when I said I don't know. I gave no dream, no puzzles to anyone. I did not know what you wanted to talk about and I didn't know you wanted to talk here. But this place, even I could not explain why, but for some reason it's as if I am aware, somewhere inside of me, that you knew this place, that we both knew this place like it's connected to us. I don't know anything Nats… Hyuuga. I swear I don't."
Natsume could only hit the tree once again at Mikan's answer. The girl could only wince. She could not move. She bet Natsume wouldn't let her seeing she's stuck with her back against the tree and Natsume in front of her.
She looked at Natsume's face once more as the boy looked at her as well. He can see the sincerity in the girl's eyes. That is why even if he did not want to believe, he knew it to be true – whatever it is Sakura Mikan told her. Mikan could see the disappointment in Natsume's eyes as he turned back, attempting to leave.
As if not wanting him to, Mikan spoke, increasing the volume of her voice to taunt Natsume to answer her.
"Why do you want to know? What kind of dreams are they?"
Natsume stopped in his tracks. As Mikan looked at his back, it seems as if he was debating against himself whether to tell her or not. And she was right. Natsume knew better than to tell Mikan, heck he did not even tell Misaki or Ruka what his dreams were about, but he decided against his better judgment because he could still remember the sincerity in Mikan's eyes and even her voice had a tint of it.
Natsume turned around and walked towards Mikan who stayed standing with her back touching the tree. With each step towards her, she can't help but notice the boy's wanting eyes – eyes who seem to long for anyone to talk to as if he'd kept everything bottled up inside only to be known when he, himself, breaks.
And the sight before Sakura Mikan's eyes is Hyuuga Natsume breaking.
"Help me."
