Chapter 7: The Truth behind Her Discovery
"Me? Going out with you?" asked Mikan, taken aback.
"Yes, moving around Tokyo, a little bit sightseeing,…" proposed Ruka. "I'd like Natsume to come along but he has already refused. However, he might join us if you came, too."
Mikan blushed a little. "He would come along if I came?" she thought. Folding her arms, she turned away. "So you're only inviting me to persuade Hyuuga?"
"Wrong." stated Hotaru in her usual way. "Whose fault do you think it is that our last trip was cancelled?"
Mikan blinked twice and pointed a finger at herself. "Me?" she wondered. When she thought back, she remembered that they had planned to promenade last weekend. Owing to her, who had been lying in hospital, their trip had not taken place.
The three friends heard the door opening and turned their heads at the same time. It was Sumire, who entered the classroom, looking annoyed. "Jeez, I can't find him. I even had to ask that Koko to look into the boys' bathroom but he seem as if swallowed up by the earth." she complained. "Is Sakura coming along?"
"She hasn't agreed yet." replied Ruka.
"Well, you don't need to come along anyway." Sumire came nearer and linked arms with Ruka. She dreamily stared into space and imagined. "Ruka and I would have a placid evening together and then, at the top of the Tokyo Tower…"
There was a loud bang and Sumire was interrupted mid-sentence. When she turned her head to the source of it, she saw Hotaru, who thumped the table and stood up, with a grave expression. "Nogi still owes us one, so we're all going, including Hyuuga." Her words sounded more like a threat than an offer. "Furthermore, I don't want to keep your unearned money."
"U-unearned money?" Sumire asked confusedly after overcoming her shock. "What does Imai mean, Ruka?"
Mikan and Ruka knew only too well what Hotaru meant. "Distracting the clingy cat!" they thought. In order to change the topic, there was nothing else for Mikan but to agree to the trip. "Alright, I must change shifts with Anna first but that won't be a problem." she said in a cheerful tone. "The biggest problem would be persuading Hyuuga…" she thought afterwards.
"Mikan, go and ask Hyuuga while we three plan the trip." commanded Hotaru simply.
"Eh? W-why me?" stuttered Mikan. "I'd rather plan the trip with you…"
"Because you are a good deal better at playing hide-and-seek than me or Nogi." Hotaru reasoned. "Now go and find him until classes start."
Mikan didn't know whether to take her last remark as a compliment or not. Nevertheless, she didn't oppose her since the other two looked also affirmatively. "I don't mind but I can't assure you that he'll come." With that said, she ran off because there wasn't much time left.
Hotaru looked at her retreating figure and thought: "He won't turn you down. I'll bet you."
It didn't take Mikan long to find Hyuuga. After Sumire had sifted through each single room in the schoolhouse, the only place left was outside. Thus, she set out for the Sakura tree. Arriving there, she looked up at the person sitting on the branches. "I knew it that I'd find you here…" she smiled, putting her hands behind her. Getting no answer exasperated her though, so she turned half away and scanned the schoolyard. "You don't need to hide anymore. Your fan girls have already gone to their classrooms."
Hyuuga jumped down at lighting speed, which caused her a little fright, and stuffed his hands in his pockets as usually. Standing behind her, he explained: "Not hiding, I'm reposing."
Mikan didn't shift and replied without looking at him. "I guess being a model at this age is a stressful job although you may gain plenty of money."
"I'm not doing it because of the money. I've had a different reason from the outset." confessed Hyuuga. He sounded uneasy about this topic so Mikan didn't inquire anymore. After all, celebrities had their own private life and secrets.
"Anyway, you made the right decision to repose here." told Mikan, lifting her head and looking at the Sakura petals. "This is my favourite spot… a kind of refuge for me, which gives me a peace of mind. It may sound weird or crazy for you but…" Mikan smiled to herself. "…I feel like being a part of nature here. Ok, you can laugh at me if you want since it really sounds insane."
"Not at all." Hearing his comment, she looked briefly backward. She was surprised when she saw his calm face. "I know what you mean. The silence is fine."
Just by looking into his eyes, Mikan knew that he was really serious. Standing under the Sakura tree made her feel good, but sharing that beautiful atmosphere with another person who understood her warmed her heart up. She smiled and returned her gaze to the petals above her. "I've always thought that these petals deliver a feeling of contentment…or their scent to be more precise. Don't you think that it's the loveliest scent all over the world?" She took a deep breath to see for herself.
"No." Mikan's heart almost stopped when Hyuuga made a step forward and stood directly behind her. "I prefer the scent of tangerines to cherry blossoms." He leaned forward and inhaled deeply the scent of her hair. When he exhaled, his warm breath, which she felt on her neck, made her blood run cold. She stiffened and stood rooted to the ground. Feeling the heat arising on her cheeks, she thought: "Why do I have this strange feeling again? What shall I do now? If I turn over now and meet his gaze, I won't be able to control myself…"
Suddenly, Mikan heard the bell ringing and came back to reality. She moved a few steps away and sighed. "That was my resort." She whispered, resting her hand on her heart. Then, she remembered her class schedule and got a fright. "Oh no, JinJin's going to kill us." She turned over to the person behind her who somehow looked…amused. "What's so funny, Hyuuga? We must hurry up and return to class otherwise…"
"Isn't it too late anyway? That old dodderer would get mad anyway." Hyuuga replied nonchalantly.
Mikan flipped out at his words. She grabbed his hand in a flash and started running, tugging him along. "We won't know unless we give it a try, right? We can still manage it in time. Besides…" She squeezed his hand and ran even faster. "…I don't want you being late again…because of me." Neither did she see his face now, nor did she hear him answering. However, she felt him squeezing her hand, too, and they got their teeth into it.
After entering the school building, Hyuuga broke the silence. "Why were you looking for me primarily?"
Not till then, Mikan recollected the reason. She totally forgot to ask Hyuuga in the name of Ruka and the others. Instead of reproaching herself, she made it short and asked him on their way. "It was my duty…to persuade you…to attend the trip."
"Your 'duty'?" he asked sceptically.
"Yeah…but I wanted to plan the trip…together with the other two girls." she panted. "I wanted to go…to the amusement park…with everyone…so that we could love together…and forget all about our worries…"
Before she could continue, she noticed that they already reached the classroom. When she opened the door, Mikan saw that there was no sign of Mr. Jinno yet. She let out a relieved sigh and closed her eyes to catch her breath for a moment. Then, she heard the chatters of her classmates and reopened her eyes to meet 28 curious gazes darted on her. Looking around, she didn't quite understand what was wrong with them. Even Hotaru was somehow caught off guard and continuously watched Mikan. The whole class was mute and sat on their places besides Ruka, who stood up and looked afraid. "Natsume, are you alright?"
Now, Mikan understood what they were looking at. When the grip on her left hand loosened, she remembered the person beside her and turned toward him. Seeing Hyuuga's current state, her eyes widened horror-stricken: his face was pale and drenched in sweat while he was holding his chest with his free hand and panted heavily. She didn't know what happened to him so suddenly since he seemed to be healthy a minute ago. Before Mikan could open her mouth to ask, Hyuuga squeezed lightly her hand and shot her a reassuring glance. After calming himself and breathing normally, he stood up and answered simply: "I'll come." Thereafter, he slowly went to his seat and didn't say another word.
Mikan didn't quite understand what had happened a minute ago. But when she heard loud steps nearing the classroom, there was nothing else for her but to quietly return to her seat. Ignoring the other students, she only looked at Hotaru's inquiring face.
Mikan could somehow guess what was going on her mind and said only: "He'll come."
After Mikan had changed shifts with Anna, she hurried to the station where she was supposed to meet the others. Arriving there, she saw that everybody was already waiting for her. "I'm sorry but I had to stop by the café and talk to Anna. She was even so kind and gave me some cookies along." she smiled.
"So can we finally get on the train?" proposed Hotaru.
Before Mikan got in, she observed Hyuuga from the corner of her eyes. She was glad that he looked as usual and didn't seem to be sick. When she took a seat next to Hotaru, she asked: "So…where are we going anyway? What did you guys plan for this afternoon?"
"We're going to the amusement park." replied Hotaru.
"Really? That's great." Mikan was happy to hear that. "Cheer up, Hotaru. The amusement park means lots of fun and entertainment, so what are you so gloomy about?"
"We had planned to go to the museum and visit The Tower after eating at a noble restaurant. However, Hyuuga insisted on spending the whole day at the amusement park on short notice." Hotaru explained. "It's been troublesome to come to an agreement with Shouda though."
"He insisted on going to the amusement park?" wondered Mikan in awe. She remembered mentioning the amusement park this morning, too. "He wouldn't…for my sake, right?" Mikan and Hotaru turned their gaze to the left side where the other three were sitting. Ruka held a plan of the amusement park in his hands and showed the sulking Sumire the different attractions whereas Hyuuga, disguised with a cap and his sunglasses, leaned back and seemed to be sleeping. Mikan looked away and satisfied herself. "It's definitely a coincidence. He may want to go there from the beginning to avoid crowded places such as The Tower. In the end, people would be distracted by the rollercoaster to pay attention to a model…"
"What are you waiting for?" asked Hotaru, who stood up and walked towards the door. Not till then, Mikan realized that they had already arrived. If she waited a second longer, she would miss the others. She also stood up and ran after Hotaru. Unfortunately, she tripped and almost fell down when somebody held her hand and pulled her out of the train in the nick of time. It was non other than Hyuuga, who lost his cap in the heat of the moment. After letting go of her hand, he made a step forward and said coolly: "We're even now."
He was just about to keep moving when Mikan stopped him. "Wait." Assuming that she was talking to him, Hyuuga came to a stop and turned over. As she met his gaze, she looked away and lightly blushed. "Th-thank you."
"So you can thank after all, can't you?" added Hyuuga teasingly and went on with a smug expression.
"Hmph!" She folded her arms and looked away. Actually, she would get mad and start arguing with him but she thought better of it and controlled herself. "I'll never understand that guy!" she thought aloud.
The other three just stood there in astonishment and thought: "You're the one talking…"
"Yeah, it was a great fun, wasn't it?" shouted Mikan happily, running impatiently ahead and spinning around. "So what are we doing next?"
"You sound like a kid, idiot." remarked Hotaru annoyed.
"Jeez, can't we have a break first? Or else, I'm going to puke here and now!" complained Sumire.
"What, you feel drained already? I could still tolerate another round." insisted Mikan.
"Then, how about going there next?" asked Hyuuga, pointing to the haunted mansion.
Mikan stiffened and was rooted to the spot. A sweat drop rolled down her cheek. "H-haunted mansion? You want to go there?"
Hyuuga succeeded in hitting the mark and pressed on. "Are you scared, little girl?" The last term precipitated a crisis in her head. Mikan clenched her fists and gritted her teeth whereas the other three noticed the sudden change of her mood. Hyuuga stopped in front of the entrance of the haunted mansion and looked behind his back at her. "Are you brave enough to follow me?" Without a second thought, Mikan went furiously after him and accepted his challenge.
"I guess we'll split up here." proposed Hotaru. "I'll go with Shouda and eat something. Nogi, you're coming with us."
Ruka sighed. "It's a case of Hobson's choice. Natsume, Sakura, where are we going to meet later?" He called out for them but they had already disappeared in the dark.
"Respect, little girl. Keep on going." praised Hyuuga, only half-serious.
"Impressive, huh?" replied Mikan, self-contented. "To be honest, it's my second time here. Thus, you can say that I'm experienced."
"You've come with your parents before?" he guessed.
"No…it was another person…long time ago." she answered, lost in thoughts.
"Probably, you screamed his ears off back then and I've been spared from it today. We really have to thank that person, little girl."
Mikan was fed up to the back teeth. She stooped and started yelling at him angrily. "Why won't you call me by my name? It's Mi-kan Sa-ku-ra." She stressed each syllable on purpose.
"I don't have to listen to that from you." he hissed back. "You're the one refusing to call me by my name."
"At least, I'm calling you by your second name. What's your problem with me calling you 'Hyuuga' anyway?" she questioned.
"I hate it!" he shouted in such a way that his voice echoed. The sudden rise of his voice startled her. It was the first time she heard him shouting and she could barely swallow the lump in her throat. He might have noticed this since he repeated more softly. "I just have a problem with my family, that's all." Mikan nodded quietly and they continued their way.
After a while, she said: "So that's what he's worrying about."
"What was that?" asked Hyuuga.
Mikan pressed her hand against her mouth and couldn't believe what she just said. "D-did I s-say that out loud?" she stammered.
"You…you've already said something like this twice. Back then, when we ate Umenomiya's cake at the café and also this morning…" he recollected. "What makes you think that I'm worried?"
"Well,…" She didn't know how to put it into words. "Hotaru told me once that no matter how hard you try to hide your feelings, you're eyes will sell you out. Even if you seem to have a strong and tough personality, there's also this…thoughtful and caring side of you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have escorted me to the hospital, right?" Mikan was glad that they stood in the dark, which covered her red face, right now. She finally found the chance to thank him for his help when she felt something slimy on her leg. "Kyaaaa!" It scared her to such an extent that she jumped into his arms and looped hers around his neck.
Hyuuga lost his balance for a moment but he managed to stand still. "Speaking of the hospital…" he mentioned while Mikan tried to calm down. "…I won't always carry you around like this, so don't get used to it." He sounded more amused than annoyed.
"Just stop talking and bring me out of here, pleeeease!" she shrieked and buried her face on his shoulder. Henceforward, she didn't utter one word.
"Hey, do you feel comfortable there?" Mikan didn't know what Hyuuga meant with that. When she lifted her head, she noticed that the sun had already started to go down. "You're not as lightweight as you look, you know…" When she heard his voice again, she turned her head to the other direction and met his ruby eyes. It was not until then that she remembered being in his arms yet.
Mikan deeply blushed when she slowly got off and bowed her head. "I-…I'm really sorry!"
"Come on, let's find the others. You must be starving right now." He went ahead, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"How did he know that again?" she wondered, following him obediently. "I start to believe that you can really read my mind…" She had to nearly run to keep pace with him.
"I only have good ears, that's all." he said simply.
As assumed, they found Ruka's group at the snack bar. While Ruka was paying the bill over the counter, Hotaru sipped her drink at the table and Sumire was talking to a pretty boy a few metres away. "So that's her 'clingy cat attitude'…" Mikan thought when they went to Ruka's side to order something, too.
"Ah, there you are." Ruka was glad that both of them seemed to be…fine. Seriously, he expected them to be in the heat of a cat-and-dog fight. "Sakura, Imai was so kind and bought you some hamburgers."
"Yeah!" Mikan beamed and rejoiced as a small child.
"Go ahead before you drool." Natsume commented dryly.
A vein popped out of her head and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Be sure that I won't wait for you, jerk!" With that said, she walked frustrated to Hotaru.
Ruka shot a brief glance at his friend and smiled. "You'll never change, will you?"
"In which way?"
"Instead of 'before you drool', you should have said 'you don't need to wait for me' or something like that." informed Ruka. "This brings back memories though. Seeing how you treat her reminds me of your relationship with your sister…or how you treated me when we first met."
Natsume showed a rare, brief smile as Ruka mentioned their past. "Perhaps, it'd be the best to return to those old days, right? Living like a child, without considering the consequences of your actions, without any fears and worries about the future…"
Thinking one step ahead, Ruka had a bad feeling about this. "You mean…"
"Yes." Natsume looked at the table where the carefree brunette sat with her friend. "Only this time, I'll act selfish without thinking about consequences. I'll tell her at the top of the Ferris wheel. At least, she will be forced to listen to me until the end."
"Rukaaaa, are we finally going to the Ferris wheel?" shrieked Sumire, running towards the two guys.
They winced at her shrill yelling. Mikan and Hotaru heard it, too, and joined the three of them. "So, what do we do next?" asked Mikan, bursting with energy.
"Weren't you mad three minutes ago?" wondered Natsume, surprised by her sudden change of mood.
Mikan wagged her finger at him. "Well, food works wonders! Sorry, but even you can't spoil my humour right now." She went up to Sumire and linked arms with her. They both started humming cheerfully. "Ferris wheel, Ferris wheel, we're finally going to the Ferris wheel!"
"Wait." Hotaru's firm command made everyone look at her. "We'll have a break before we go to the Ferris wheel. You should go to the toilet, Mikan, since you've drunk a large bottle of Coke."
Taken aback, Mikan reddened deeply. "D-don't treat me like a little child, Hotaru!"
"Tsk, I don't want to hear that you need to pee at 100 metres in height." Natsume frowned.
Hearing his comment, Mikan blushed more and gritted her teeth. "Hy-u-ga!"
Sumire managed to calm her down before Mikan freaked out. "Come on, Sakura. I need to freshen up my make-up anyway."
Mikan rolled her eyes. "I'm only escorting Sumire so don't get the wrong idea!" she hissed angrily.
"Nogi, go with them." Ruka blinked in confusion as Hotaru continued. "I don't want them to dawdle for hours." He didn't know why Hotaru made a fuss about it because they still had plenty of time to spend there. However, she glared at him dangerously, thus he didn't dare to ask about the reason. He nodded quietly and followed the two girls.
After they were out of sight, Natsume turned over and faced Hotaru with a cold expression. "So you succeeded in separating me from Ruka. What do you want?"
Hotaru wasn't impressed at all. She could also tell that the same went for him. This guy was different from the others, actually an equal opponent. Not only that he wasn't intimidated by her; Natsume Hyuuga was a mystery, which she couldn't unravel yet. She observed him from tip to toe and darted her eyes on his. "You want me to come straight to the point? Fine with me. I know that you're Mikan's childhood friend."
There was a moment of silence. Neither Hotaru, nor Natsume turned their gazes from each other. She would be only too pleased to know what he was thinking. After a while, Natsume arched a brow and looked at her sceptically. "So what? Since you haven't already told her, I assume that you have a reason for this."
"I've waited for you to spit it out." she answered with a stoic face.
"Then you won't have to wait any longer. I'll tell her today." He turned away and was just about to go when her next words stopped him.
"I can't allow that."
This time, she could tell that he was surprised. Even if he tried to hide it, she caught a glimpse of insecurity in his eyes. "Pardon?" he asked, as if he didn't get it right.
With a determined expression, she repeated: "I will bar you from revealing your true identity to Mikan, by any means!"
I'll tell you beforehand that it'll take at least two weeks for the next chapter. I'm moving from home this weekend and university will start next week, which will keep me busy for a while. Thanking you in anticipation for your patience... and reviews!
Next chapter: The Truth behind Her Motive