Just Three Wishes

Wish #10: Epilogue

I strolled into the school compound the following day and it was a surprising quiet morning to begin my long and boring day. What should I expect when there was no Mikan around me anymore? As I stepped into the school garden, somebody stuck out his leg in front of me and I carelessly tripped over his leg. I looked up and scowled at that person who made me tripped.

I stood up and growled angrily at him, "What is your problem?"

Instead of replying me, he blew a whistle using his fingers and soon, a group of children gathered around me. I was flabbergasted by the sudden crowd but I tried to show no sign of weakness.

A boy sniggered out loud, "Hey, scrawny boy! Where is your mommy?"

"Scrawny boy, go to your mommy and cry. Oh yeah! Where is she now? I heard she have joined the angels in heaven. No?" another boy laughed and the others joined in.

The girl whom I had slapped once before taunted while hugging her stomach, "Haha! She is such a horrible mum. She left her family. How sad! I really pity you, scrawny monkey!"

"Shut up!" I shouted angrily. "I'm not scrawny! My mum is not bad! Go away!"

After saying that, I tried to push my way through the crowd but was to no avail. A few pairs of hands pushed me onto the hard and cold ground. Before I could say any further, they kicked and punched me mercilessly. I cried in pain. I had enough of the bullying in this school as it happened almost everyday ever since Mikan had enrolled into this school. Without further ado, I got up and pushed a girl who was pulling my hair onto the ground. As she fell, some girls and boys fell together with her like domino effect. The girl shrieked and slapped me across my face.

"You evil demon! You have made my dress dirty! You got to pay!" she growled as she punched me right in the eye.

I got to admit that girl's punch was really strong. Her punch left my cheek burning and stinging. Who said that girls were not really good at boxing?

A burly boy, who used to be Mikan's fan boy, lifted me up and threw me high up into the air which sent me landing on the hard ground with a very loud thud. I screamed in pain. The pain was so excruciating that I could not move an inch. I was paralysed by that great impact of that fall. I looked down on the ground and much to my horror, the floor was stained with blood and tears! I was actually bleeding all over me and I could not believe that I was crying in pain. All I could hear was the bullies' sniggers. I knew I couldn't defeat them at all. Neither could I approach a teacher for help anymore as no teacher liked me after those horrible rumours were spread. Since when the world had become so unfair?

It seemed that my world was swirling like tornado and my eyelids became very heavy. I could not control my eyes anymore as my vision soon turned pitch black. Even though I was unconscious, I knew my pathetic heart was screaming for someone to save me and of course, I was screaming for Mikan.

"Hey! Are you okay? Please answer me! Say something! Don't die! Please!"

A familiar voice brought me back to Earth. Somehow, I knew this voice. I missed this voice very much too and it was so nostalgic. I slowly opened my eyes and noticed a brunette was hugging me under her arms. I squinted my eyes and noticed that her hair was short. I had never seen her before but she did look like someone I knew. However, I could not make out who she was. Moreover, why did she care so much about me? And, why was she crying?

For goodness sake, why should she be crying over someone like me? Was she one of those bullies who bullied me a moment ago? I glanced around me and found that the bullies were gone. I wondered if she was the one who saved me. Maybe she did save me. I lifted my hand up weakly and placed it on her face to wipe her tears.

"I... I'm... okay..." I stammered weakly. "Why... did you... help me?"

The girl's hand touched mine and whispered, "I cannot bear to see you suffer anymore. We need to report this matter to the teachers..."

"No, they won't listen," I interrupted.

"Your parents?"

"I can't... either. My dad is... undergoing some depression... over my mum's death..."

"Oh dear! First, I will bring you to see a doctor. No objection!" she lifted me up gently and took me to a nearest clinic.

When we entered into the clinic, the doctor looked petrified after he saw me and my current state.

"Who did this?" the doctor asked worriedly.

The girl replied angrily, "It's his classmates! They tortured him and luckily, I stopped them."

I smiled weakly at her and mouthed, "Thanks."

As the doctor applied the antiseptic onto my open wounds, I screamed as the pain seemed to engulf me like a blazing fire. Without warning, the girl quickly held onto my hands tightly. I thought that she was trying to comfort me. After cleansing my wounds, the doctor bandaged them up. I thanked the kind doctor and that girl paid him a small sum of money though he refused to accept it. With that, we left the clinic.

I went to the playground where Mikan had disappeared the day before. That girl followed me too. We took a rest there but there was no exchanged of words between us ever since we got out from the clinic. I wiped my tears from my face which had obviously shown I had cried throughout the bullying session. That was so embarrassing! I should at least start a conversation. If I continued sobbing, that girl might make fun of me like calling me a crybaby. I was not going to let that happen!

I looked at my saviour and asked, "Are you an elementary school student?"

The girl nodded and I stared at her small height.

"How old are you? 10?" I asked again.

She nodded again.

I raised my eyebrows and said, "You're 5 years older than me but why are you so tiny?"

The girl giggled and patted my head. I blushed and looked down. That girl was very cute. Cute? Since when the word 'cute' became one of my vocabulary list? I could feel the girl's small hand stroking my hair gently.

"I'm maybe tiny but I'm strong," she said confidently and she began showing off her arms' muscles which apparently, she did not have any.

I just smiled at her and looked at her hazel brown eyes. They were soft and gentle, unlike mine. Her eyes resembled someone's eyes which I had always admired the most. I kept staring at her and her short brown hair seemed to glitter under the golden sun. That hair looked very familiar too! Without hesitation, I reached out to touch her hair. They were soft and smooth. The girl did not push me away but she just grinned at me. Embarrassed, I quickly removed my hand away from her head and apologised. Oh dear! My face became very hot. I scolded myself in my head as to why I did that. What was so interesting about her hair and eyes?

"Ah! Scrawny monkey is with his girlfriend!" a voice echoed around the neighbourhood.

Next, followed by another voice, "Where? Where?"

"He has a girlfriend? How unfair!" another voice shouted.

I stiffened to hear the bullies' voice but the girl just gripped my hand tightly. She turned around and saw the bullies. She glared at them and smirked.

"Hey kids, I've prepared a game for you barbarians to play. Want to know?" she snarled.

The bullies gulped. I was also slightly taken aback by her scary tone.

"Since you like to bash weaklings, why don't you try bashing yourselves up? Want to know why too?"

The bullies stared at her with frightened looks painted on their faces. I wanted to laugh at their faces but at the same time, I was a little irritated that the girl had indirectly called me a weakling.

"It's because you're weaklings yourselves. Now, the game has started. Quick, bash yourselves up. There's no rule to it, as long as you keep bashing yourselves up till you look like chimpanzees to the public, that is. Interesting, is it?" she laughed sarcastically. "Maybe you will be the next one running to your own mommy or maybe to your daddy."

The bullies' mouths gaped. The girl placed her arms on her small hip and smirked at them. She took a piece of paper from her school bag and began writing something.

"Hurry, I'm waiting! I want to record down the best chimpanzee out there. I think I have spotted one among you guys. Will he be a potential ape-man?" she said while tilting her head to one side.

This time, a girl among the bullies screamed and ran away.

Slowly, one by one began screaming for no particular reason and ran away too. The girl laughed at their stupidity. Of course, there was no potential ape-man out there. She was just kidding and scaring their wits out of them. This time, I laughed too. Those bullies should see their own priceless faces. It was too funny.

"Don't you dare bully him again! Chimps!" she shouted at them.

She looked at me and hugged me while stroking my head gently again.

"It's okay. It's fine now. I don't think they would dare to touch you again," she whispered gently to my ears.

I knew I was blushing heavily. The girl let go of me and ruffled my hair, smiling.

"It's going to be dark soon. I think I have to go now. Bye," the girl said and waved to me.

Without thinking, I quickly grabbed her wrist.

"Will... Will... you come to this playground and meet me again?" I asked anxiously.

The girl smiled and replied, "I guess so."

I smiled widely and said, "Then, let's meet here in the future. I'll wait for you. I'll wait till you come. Promise?"

She nodded and walked further away from me.

"I'm Natsume Hyuuga. What about you?" I shouted.

She turned around and beamed.

"Mikan Yukihara is my name," she shouted back.

Mikan? Come to think of it, that girl looked like the angel, Mikan! The only difference was that Angel Mikan's hair was slightly longer than hers. Did Angel Mikan fulfill my third wish? I thought she could not fulfill it for me but why was there a girl called Mikan Yukihara who looked exactly like Angel Mikan?

I waved back to her as her figure diminished into the alley and I quickly walked home. However, that girl, Mikan Yukihara, did not keep her promise and so, I did not meet her ever again.

It seemed that my third wish was somehow fulfilled as my life began to revolve around a world of Mikan. Even after thirteen years later, I had finally become a high school third year student and guessed what?

My high school homeroom teacher was also called Mikan but this time the surname was different, although she had the same long hazel brown hair and eyes.

Her name was Mikan Sakura.

Of course, this would be in another story 'I Like You, Mikan-sensei'.

Thanks for reading Chapter 10! Well, it's the last chapter and honestly, I really enjoyed writing this story. I want to thank all those who have supported me throughout the process of writing this story. Thank you! :')

Responses to the reviews:
- Animegirlfreak17: Thanks for reviewing! In case you haven't read the 2nd prequel of 'I Like You, Mikan', I hope you would read it. It's called 'One More Chance'. Hope to see your reviews there! :)
- TooLazy: Thanks for reviewing too! Here is the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed reading this story! In case you haven't read the 2nd prequel of 'I Like You, Mikan', I hope you would read it. It's called 'One More Chance'. Hope to see your reviews there! :)

Lastly, please do review this very last chapter! Your replies will sent via PM. At the mean time, please do check out my other stories too! :)