CHAPTER 10: White Lies
It was like noontime when my eyes opened again. Geez... I fell asleep after my bath. Sigh. Oooppsss... It's not noontime... It's already three in the afternoon. Wow! I slept that much just because I almost stayed up all night, explored nothing in the pool and met black-bad-luck twice today???
I went out of the room, yawning and stretching my arm in the air. The transparent curtain was blown by the wind and the view of the crystalline blue-green water was sparkling before my very eyes. Splendid! If this is a vacation then... NOT BAD.
But what can I do? It's ALREADY BAD! Especially if your stomach was growling loudly. That's when I remembered that I haven't eaten anything last night, plus this morning, plus no-lunch.
I went back inside, checked the fridge and found a pizza. Bad luck number three: the pizza is a cheesy chicken pizza. Bad luck number four: I found a loaf of bread, but a white bread; I'm only eating wheat bread. So??? I ended up eating three apples and gulping the entire cold water in the pitcher.
Maybe I can check out their food stalls below while doing the 'socialization' thing. I don't even know where to begin...
I felt a little relieved because at last! I'll be doing this data-gathering ALONE! I called Hotaru first but the voice assistant answered--- "Imai-sama is busy by the moment (like what? Eating?) Please kindly left your message". I guess she's busy so I left my message.
"Hey Hotaru, could you please look up for some information about a mysterious island near our location. I don't know anything but I saw something showed up when the moon shone clearly and disappeared after that. I'm sure it's not my imagination. And also, a symbol like... uhm... like a moon, a crescent moon... with an image of a flower in it, I can't describe the flower though, it's rare, I never saw one yet. It goes with a letter... I know this is hard... but I need to know immediately if you found it, okay? Just send it to me and also some information about Hajime... thank you... Lots of love, I miss you..."
Now I'm just walking beside the pool, with my yellow backless sundress, sunglasses and an umbrella hat. Thanks to this cold coffee that I'm sipping that I can still walk.
"Hey'ya!!! Mikan-chan!!!" A group of 'bikini-girls' called from a cottage. I looked at them and noticed the blonde from last night. I walked gracefully towards them, not ruining my model-walk, of course. I smiled at them.
"Hey..." I greeted. "You're from last night, right?" I asked the blonde. This is... the first step.
"Yeah! I'm Dione Riveras..." She said, extending her hand. Unique name, huh? "I blabbered about so many things last night, I forgot to introduce myself..." she chuckled while I just smiled and nodded. "By the way... this is my gang..." she said, gesturing to the girls with her. The girls said hi, hello and hey in unison, I just waved a hand at them. "Hey girls..." she talked again. "She's Mikan Sakura..."
But wait. Hotaru said that her name was Ayako Riveras. Why? She just said that it's Dione...
A red-headed girl gasped. "Whoa! The model?" What's wrong with being a model?
"No Way! She's so pretty!!! I never thought you're that simple in personal???" Another girl, white-blonde said, lowering her sunglasses as she looked at me from head to foot then vice-versa.
"Yeah..." Another, from Dione's right, added. "Like she's so glamorous in that Revlon Ad and Sophisticated in that whole-page ad in L'Oreal with Doutzen Kroes and Laetitia Casta..." My lips are slowly disappearing... I thought their the A-class people? Then why are they gaping for simple things like that? They're supposed to be the ones partying with the Hilton sisters and hanging 'round with Lindsay Lohan.
"Uhm..." I managed to sound out. "I'm just hanging around simply off-cam, so that's no-big-deal." I gave them a faint smile.
Dione smiled too while the rest of them was still looking at me, like a child who saw a big, cute dinosaur. I'm cute but I don't look like a dinosaur.
"Let our guest sit..." Dione gestured at me to take a seat. "So... How's your honey moon? How do you like our island?"
"It's beautiful... no... It's wonderful!!!" interesting actually, since the Kounji gang chose here to make their hide-out.
"You're married?" the white-blonde asked.
"Pathetic." Said red-head, laughing with Dione. I'm glad you know that being married with that bastard is pathetic. "Haven't you checked the news???" Wait. The news?
"What's in the news?" we asked in unison. We--- I mean the pathetic white-blonde and me.
The gang looked at us, surprised. "You don't know that you're on the news, baby?" Dione asked. I shook my head. "Oh... I understand... It's a secret wedding, right???" It dawned on me again. She's right. It's a secret wedding and it's supposed to be A SECRET, except to those who need to know. But to the world??? THIS IS CRAZY!
I can feel a limp on my throat. The want to scream, call Hotaru, and kill Reddie was all in my head. I closed my eyes for a second and relaxed.
"I'm so sorry I broke the news to you..." Dione apologized.
"No it's fine... I know this will happen anyway... We just avoided the rush at the wedding... You know, we want to preserve the privacy and the solemnity of the ceremony..." I said in the manner I answer my interviews and paparazzi calls. And speaking of paparazzis---"the paparazzis' always there..." I said, managing a chuckle.
"Yeah, that's right..." Red-headed girl seconded, sipping from her juice. "I just saw someone trailing after your husband this morning, asking for a statement."
"Darn it! He's so hot! Damn, drop-dead gorgeous!!! You look perfect for each other!" A brunette said. Oh yeah... like I care?
"Uhm... so I was mistaken that you're Hajime's girl, then..." Whitie said. God! I'm tired of this name-calling! Would they just post their names on their forehead?
"Silly, Loraine!" So white-head's name was Loraine? God, thanks for the answer... "You just heard that she's married... and added to that... to Hyuuga Natsume-kun!"
Natsume-kun? You're close? Loraine gasped again. "Really?" She exclaimed, looking at me. I know that kind of look. That was the kind of asking for a refill when you're cold coffee's cup was nothing but ice.
I nodded at her. Not that I'm going to sit here in silence when they're expecting me to talk about my tragic love story with their 'drop-dead' Hyuuga!!!
"How long have you been together???"
"No, how did you meet?"
One question at a time please...
"Uhm... I began... I was looking for a..." for a what??? "A... a car, that time, and a friend of mine..." Who's friend??? "Uhm... Ruka-kun. He's my friend, and Ruka was..." Reddie's name again??? Darn it!!!! "Ruka and my husband were bestfriends... So he referred me to him..." I shrugged. "You know... he's in the car business, so that's how we met."
"Cars..." Dione nodded in comprehension. Her hair slipped on her shoulder and I saw something black on her neck.
"Then we started dating, but we chose to be away from the press... to avoid the pressure..." I saw Loraine and the nameless brunette giggled and looked up. I didn't mind them... My eyes were fixed on Dione's direction, on her neck specifically. The black mark on her neck looks like the one I saw on the pool this early morning, I just didn't get a good look.
"So...How did he propose???" the brunette asked while chuckling. What so funny with my lies? I don't think it's obvious that I'm lying so... sigh.
"Proposed?" I echoed. They nodded. Geez. How will I make this fake love story up? First, we never met before we were told to get married. Second, I hate him. Third, I totally abhor him! Fourth, WE NEVER DATED! Fifth, there was NO PROPOSAL!!! I am forced, I mean, we were forced to do this!!! I can see their anticipating eyes looking at me, waiting for my make-up story. Where's my writing skill now??? Proposal. A romantic proposal? A normal one? What?
"He... He... He sent me a Porsche." I blinked and exhaled. At least that one is true. So how about the next?
"...and what's next???" asked Dione. That's it... I'm thinking about the 'next'!!!
"Well, there was a note in the car to go to this certain place. I went, and then there he was... on the rooftop of this building at sunset. You can see a beautiful view of the contrast of nature, and the modern urban life below. I mean the setting sun on the perfect horizon and the flickering of city lights... The place was filled with the fragrance of flowers and... Little... stuffed toys..." I felt a sting of pain on my last word. Why on earth did I include that??? I looked up again and continued my story with a smile. "Then he knelt down..." like that would happen. "Uhm... and asked me the you-know-what question. When I said yes, I was surprised to see fireworks and there's this one explosion on the air that forms or says, 'I LOVE YOU'" Wow, so hell-like...
After the long talk, I sighed. The girls' eyes were sparkling. They think it was cool? I think that's the worst I ever made!
"Wow Hyuuga... that's so romantic..." Dione said. Wait I'm married to him but I don't like to be called by his last---
"Thanks." A voice behind me replied. I froze. Did I swallow the ice in my coffee? Because... because I know that voice---that's... Re---
"You're here!?" I outcried after I turned around and saw the red-eyed bastard standing just behind me. I even jumped up in surprise when I saw him. Have he heard--- "How long have you been there???" I asked him, lowering my voice or my companions will notice the worry in it.
He smirked. "Some ten minutes ago."
"Aww... Is that how you greet each other?" the brunette asked, giggling with the other girls, but looking at Hyuuga. Well, I saw them from the corner of my eyes.
Wait. Greet each other. Yeah... We're married. And to tell you the truth, I'd love to greet him with a punch or a blow on the face.
Excuse me... I was never taught how to greet a husband. Hello???
Then what should I do??? AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGG!!! I hate this!!! I hate this!!! I hate this!!!
I went near him and gave him a peck on his cheeks, while he took my arms and wrapped it around him. "How's your day honey?" He whispered but loud enough in purpose to make the girls hear.
I buried my nose on his clavicle to hide my annoyed face while making them think I'm a sweetie wife and answered in a sharp manner. "Very fine..." But hey, not bad... he smells 'very fine' or am I just so hungry? But there's no way I'm gonna eat him!
"So... how many kids do you plan to have???" WHHHAAA!!! I almost threw myself in the pool! What the hell are they talking about??? Kids??? Children??? With him??? Oh NO! NO! NO! NO!!!
I looked at Hyuuga's face, but he's so composed even if he saw me with the face of an electrocuted being.
"We're still planning on it..." he said confidently, I exhaled. "So... can I take her now, girls? We need to talk over some stuffs, you know..." then he looked at me, like waiting for my confirmation. I looked back at the bevy of bikini girls behind me and saw Dione flicked her hair, revealing the mark on her neck.
Exactly the symbol I saw!!!
I think I need to hang out with her--- more often.
"Let's go..." I told Hyuuga. Waving a hand goodbye to the girls but leaving an eye to Dione's neck. "By the way, nice tattoo..." I told her, seeing her narrow her eyes a little. I shouldn't be blind to even small reactions a that, I'll remember that.
"Bye...bye..." they shouted in unison when we're in a little far from them.
"You never told me about what you saw last night." Hyuuga said, in a very low voice, his arms still wrapping the back of my waist.
"You didn't want to be disturbed right?" I reminded him. "By the way, how did you know?"
I was about to take his arms around when he tightened it more because we saw Hajime on a shady cottage. I acted cool and smiled at him.
"Are you afraid of him?" Hyuuga asked, looking down at me. I failed to see his red eyes behind those dark shades.
"No... I just don't know how strong he is that the ring almost cut my finger."
"He didn't use his alice on you..." he said, making me look up at him. "I'll tell you in the suite..."
Surprising as it is but that was the first time that we walked quietly until we reached the room! It never ever came to my mind that this kind of thing is possible. But well, it is possible.
"It's not Hajime. It was that girl... Ayako Riveras" he said after locking the door behind him.
"We have some weird repugnance over her true name. Hotaru also told me last night that her name's Ayako... but while talking to her, I found out that her name was Dione, or I don't know what is the true name." I told him.
"And the island?" he asked.
"I saw it from the terrace after mistaking you for my cat..." I glared at him "...and there's this symbol, if we can call it a symbol, in the pool... it glittered for five seconds just before I saw the island... I already reported it to them..."
"You should've told me..." Reddie said. I was going to tell him that he's not my priority but I can't ruin the nice atmosphere now that I'm finally having it.
"Sorry..." I just told him... That's nicer, isn't it? "I also saw that symbol on that girl's neck before we left. I think she's a clue to this case..." I added, while he just nodded. "By the way, what's with that Hajime guy?"
"Tono told me last night about the ring... he said that it'll only hurt you, when the other is hurt or if one of us is in a bad situation. Hotaru made it this way for us to be aware of each other..." he explained.
"So, when my ring was tightening, it's you... I mean, you're the one being attacked."
"Exactly... and when I felt the pain, it was you who's being attacked." He confirmed.
"What's her alice?" I asked him.
"I'm not sure, but by the way I observed, she can inflict pain into someone just by thinking about it..."
"Pain-Infliction Alice... rare... But... we're not... affected..." I muttered, pondering over the details. That girl's alice, attacking us... but why? And the pain's not ordinary, so it means that... she's strong...
"You're a nullifier, remember? While I used Ruka's alice stone." Ruka-kun's barrier alice, now I get it... "She doesn't know that you're an alice, polka..."
"STOP CALLING ME POLKA!!! BASTARD!!!" ok, I lost it and threw him a cushion pillow. I should remember to bring with me always some hard objects in case this situation comes up again, so that I may have something hard to throw him.
"But she thought that you were affected when you flinched. She just didn't understand why because she was attacking me when you reacted---that confused her..." He said as he catches the pillow and walked across the room to get a glass of water.
I opened the laptop on the table and checked the internet.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" I screamed. What the hell is this!!!???
Author's Note: Why did Mikan scream??? Wanna guess what she saw on the internet???
Hehehe...just something to make things interesting for the next chapter... Please review guys...
ARIGATOU! Thank you!!! Grazie!!!!
Mwah!
Yuka_Aimi=(^.^)=