09 Contemplating

"But Hotaru! That's not fair! I don't want to go there everyday for one whole week!" Mikan whined while tugging at Hotaru's uniform.

Hotaru sent her a glare but she continued walking. "Then who told you to punch Nogi's nose?" When she saw Mikan pouted, she sighed. "Honestly Mikan, you're SA vice-president. Punching another school kaichou's nose is a serious matter. You weren't supposed to be let off that easy, you know."

Mikan stopped walking. She pulled Hotaru to a halt. "What did you do, Hotaru?"

She turned to look at her brunette friend. "I tried my best but Kazumi won't just simply let you off just because you're his niece. So we three reached an agreement. Plus, Nogi seemed fine with the idea so I don't see why not. It's your fault in the first place."

Mikan scowled. "It's Hyuuga's fault in the first place for provoking You-chan!"

"What did Hyuuga provoked him?"

"I don't know because he's not telling!" Mikan yelled exasperatedly with both hands wailing in the air. She yelped in pain when Hotaru flicked her forehead. "Don't just point your finger to other people. Know where you mistakes are, Mikan Sakura. Not anyone else but you punched the gay blondie." Hotaru scolded her.

Mikan gritted her teeth while rubbing her sore forehead. Whatever it is, it's still Hyuuga's fault! Didn't matter if Hotaru do not agree with her, it's what she's thinking matter most.

"Err Hotaru," Mikan furrowed her brows at the look behind Hotaru's back. "Where did you get Narumi's car?"

Hotaru turned to look at the said car. Black metallic Aston Martin. She shrugged and rummaged for the keys inside her pocket and clicked on the key button. When the car let out a beep sound, she headed for the car door. "I stole it, of course."

Mikan stood frozen with both her eyes bulging out. She looked at the car then to her best friend again repeatedly. "You're not effing serious, are you Hotaru?"

"I run his damn school while he comfortably sits at the office doing nothing but watching that stupid anime Ouran Highschool. At least he has to appreciate my bloody efforts by giving me full access to his car." She opened the door and smoothly slide in the driver's seat.

Mikan rushed to the door next to hers and rashly opened it. Instead of going in, she only peeked her head inside. "The man own the school so it doesn't matter what he do in his office. But still, Hotaru, stealing is a crime!"

Hotaru ignored her continuous whining and started the engine when she plucked the key in. She glanced at Mikan annoyingly. "You're so loud, Mikan. Are you getting in or what?' she pressed on the oil pedal, making a loud roaring sound.

When she sensed that Mikan was still staring at her and not moving at all, she sighed tiredly. "He knows I take his car. It's not like this is a first time I stole it. So every time it's missing, he already knew it's me. So just get in, baka."

Hotaru resorted in pulling her in when she saw Mikan was still hesitating. After barking at her to close the door and buckled up, she changed the gear and finally hit the pedal.

After a couple of minutes, Mikan looked outside the window weirdly. She looked at her best friend who was driving beside her. "Hotaru, this is not the way back to our school."

"I know," she responded, eyes glued ahead.

"Then? Where are we going?"

"Your home."

"What, why? Narumi strictly told me to head back to school."

Hotaru scoffed. "That bald man doesn't even realized you already exceed his given time. I doubted he even noticed you're inside the school at all. So I'm sending you home."

Mikan nodded her head without further argument. Hotaru knew Narumi better so anything that include Narumi, Mikan always listen to whatever Hotaru says. Only Hotaru could handle Narumi. She tried once but failed miserably. Narumi is too extreme for her kind. Not only he's too hyperactive, he's too..too weird. Maybe that's why no one really complained when the result was out and Hotaru won the kaichou seat.

"After you picked Youichi up, text me. I'll come to pick you up at your hose. We'll go straight to Trig."

"Are we recording?"

"Yes."

"Alright."

The rest of the trip home was the comfortable silence that they both enjoy. After Hotaru dropped Mikan at her home, she went back to her school and continued the rest of her classes like normal. Well, putting aside Narumi was wailing in his office watching another episode of Ouran Highschool and completely oblivious to her presence when she came to drop his car keys at his office, yes everything pretty much went by normally.

Mikan on the other hand, tossed and turned on her bed during the passing hours. She knew sooner or later she would have to open her mouth. But the thing is, how? From where should she start? There's too many of them! She didn't even know where to begin.

Should she tell You-chan as well about her other bias? She didn't think him knowing her other secret side as Ellys Emery would be the most important thing right now. As long he stopped grumbling about being left behind, that would do it. She would just have to hold on to that secret for just a little longer.

Mikan groaned when she looked at the clock hanging on her white walls. Dang it, she's too lazy to even pick him up right now! She knew he'd be in a mood to bite her if she didn't start talking. He won't say it—because she had threatened to cut his balls for real but come on, she's not really really gonna do it! He's her precious baby brother, if he looses his balls, what girl would want to take him as a husband and he would start to isolate himself, living alone with 15 pet cats. But that threat did do the trick of shutting him up though—but she knew inside that smart brain of his, a war had erupted and he was doing his best not to explode in rage again, in fear that he might get threatened by his lovely sister again about his crown.

"We really need to get You-chan a phone," she mumbled while climbing off her bed. "A smartphone with GPS, yeah he'll need something like that since he's so awful with directions," she continued mumbling while putting on her pair of skinny jeans. She reached for a crop long sleeve t-shirt and slipped in. Grabbing her purse and phone on her desk along with a pair of Air Jordan Spiz'ke laying on the floor, she headed downstairs after slamming her bedroom door in the process.

She was early it seemed. Didn't matter, she made You-chan waited already yesterday so she could wait another few minutes today. She leaned casually against the brick wall but after another few minutes that felt like a few hours, she ended up sitting on dirt. Humoring her bored self by watching the passing students who went out through the main gate to go home. She would smile a few times when some of them recognized her and she presumed they were among the students who were under her wings few years back. The rest just looked at her oddly.

"What are you doing sitting on the ground?" a voice came in a flat tone.

Mikan looked up and grinned. "You-chan!" She jumped up giddily. "What took you so long?" She padded her butt from dirt before giving him full attention again.

"Nogi-senpai came to see me," he replied nonchalantly.

Nogi-senpai? Mikan inwardly arched her brows. You-chan addressed that blondie as senpai? Coming from him who clearly has issue with addressing people correctly, that's something new. Mikan furrowed her uncompromising brows. "Your AA kaichou? What, why?"

Youichi shrugged. "He came to apologized. He knew Hyuuga said something to enrage me so he came to say sorry."

Mikan nodded while listening. Well, now we know why Nogi is the AA kaichou and not Hyuuga. He seemed to taken his position as a kaichou with responsibility, knowing that one of his fellow students made mistake, he was accountable for it—unlike Hyuuga who is completely guiltless.

They started walking. Mikan, of course couldn't help but started the habit all over again, wrapping her arm around his. Youichi rolled his green eyes but did nothing.

"You seemed to like Ruka Nogi." Mikan started a conversation while walking. They're heading towards the train station. "You call him senpai."

Youichi glanced at her and shrugged. "He earns my respect."

"What, because he came to apologized on behalf of his friend?"

"Yeah, pretty much like that," Youichi replied shortly. He was silent, but then he spoke again. "They wanted to know what my relationship is with you."

Mikan scoffed. "So is everyone in AA." Well, minus Uncle Kazumi obviously. She turned to look at him. "So what did you tell them?"

"I didn't tell them anything." Youichi suddenly stopped walking, halting Mikan's in the process. "Why do they want to know what our relationship is?"

Her shoulders sagged. She breathed out heavily. "Beats me, I don't know."

At that second, Mikan's phone rang. She quickly fished out of her pocket and flipped it open. Immediately her face lighted up. "Hotaru!" she greeted the caller happily.

"Mikan, where are you?"

"I just picked up Youichi."

"Change of plans. I need you to come here straightaway."

"To Trig?" Mikan furrowed her brows. "Why? What's wrong, Hotaru?" She said she would pick her up from home and yet Hotaru's already there! Something must be amiss.

"There's someone here who wants to see you. And by the look of it, he won't wait long."

She nodded. "Alright, I'll be on my way then."

She flipped her phone shut and shoved it back inside her pocket. She started walking again with one arm dragging Youichi from her behind. "I'm sorry You-chan but you need to go home alone for today. Is that okay?" She looked behind her back. Youichi muttered an 'okay' but she knew his mind was distracted with something else. By the look of his face now, he was contemplating.

They reached infront of the train station. "Okay, remember, the first station it stops, get down. Don't walk home. Take the cab." Mikan stared at Youichi. He's not listening; his mind was somewhere else.

Mikan poked his chest. "You-chan, are you listening? I don't want you to walk home. With your awful sense of direction, God knows where you'll be stranded if—"

He grabbed her hand that was continuously poking his chest. His green eyes became hard. His face grew serious. Mikan gulped. What's with him now?

But then he let out a tired sigh. He let go of her hand and went to message the gap between his eyebrows. He was contemplating again, Mikan realized. Does he want to tell me something? "Nee-san," he began. Okay, he does want to tell me something.

Mikan raised one of her eyebrows when she heard his addressing of her. Suddenly calling her nee-san—which was once in a blue moon, so she was rather surprised, if she had to admit. He would always call her baka or other stupid names he could come up with. Though lately, he had this tendency of calling her by her name. Is something the matter with You-chan?

Youichi inwardly groaned. Ugh, he wished would not have to tell her but he knew he have to at the end. Because he knew, starting tomorrow, he would bet every dime that Hyuuga would start a move on his sister.

After Nogi-senpai apologized, he asked him if he was okay if Mikan Sakura do her punishment at AA, which was thoughtful of senpai asking if he's comfortable or not with her presence around—even though the fact that they knew nothing about their relationship—but honestly, he found all of it very disturbing. He knew very well Hyuuga was after his sister. And her being around AA starting tomorrow will make his chase even easier. Ugh, that narcissist bastard.

He looked at her, his arms fell on his sides. "Hyuuga wants you."

Mikan looked oddly at his little brother. "What?"

Youichi groaned. He gritted his teeth. "Hyuuga said he wants you!"

She waved her hand dismissively. "I know, I heard it the first time you told me."

Youichi looked at her in disbelief. "Then why did you ask me again?"

"Because it's ridiculous!" she laughed.

Youichi grabbed her shoulders and immediately her laugh died out. "Nee-san, I'm serious." He shook her and his face was dead serious this time around. "Starting tomorrow, I know you'll be around AA ground so I don't want you to be near him at all."

Mikan looked at him dumbfounded. She pushed his hands away and crossed her arms on her chest. "Why would he want me? That's just crazy."

He shoved his hands inside his pockets and glared. "Why do you think I got so mad and punched him?"

Then everything dawned on her that pretty much everything began to click. "Oh."

His eyes soften and he let out another exasperated sigh. He look down and began to massage his neck. "I'm just worried. You're my sister so I have to be worried about it when a guy openly admit that he wants you." He looked up and softly chuckled, easing the tense air around them, his green eyes glimmered a little. "I'm overprotective like that." He gave her a small smile.

Mikan's phone rang again. Absentmindedly and not leaving her eyes from Youichi's face, she moved her numb hand to reach her phone out of her pocket. She flipped the phone open and put it close to her ear.

"Mikan, where are you? Why aren't you here yet?" It's Hotaru.

"I'm err..I'm..I'm still at the..the station."

"Hurry up. The man is impatient. I swear, if he opens his mouth one more time, I can't guarantee his safety."

The line clicked.

Mikan shoved the phone back inside her pocket.

"It's okay. Go now. I can manage on my own." Youichi pushed her away. Pushing the thoughts of what she just heard about Hyuuga away, she looked worriedly at him.

He smiled reassuringly at her. "Get down at the first train and take a cab, I know. I'm not a child anymore, baka. Go now." He put one hand behind her back and pushed her. Mikan stumbled into a pace and started walking slowly. She glanced back and watched Youichi's figure slowly walked inside the station and soon disappeared among the mass of people. She sighed and turned around to continue her way towards Trig.

The bell at the door chimed as Mikan walked in. She pulled up her hair and tight it in a ponytail. She made her way to the counter with heavy steps and slammed her purse on the table. "One Americano please." Kaname, who was beside the counter, chuckled at her sight. "Rough day, ne Mikan-chan?" His fingers quickly work on the screen for her order.

Mikan let out a really tired sigh. "You have no idea." She looked around. "Where's Hotaru?"

"Over here, baka." She turned around and saw Hotaru walking down the stairs, still wearing their school uniform. "By the look of what you're wearing right now, I assume you haven't gone home yet. What's the rush?" She looked weirdly at her.

Hotaru scowled and pointed towards a chair at the corner of the café, just beside the glass. "That's what the 'rush' is."

Mikan turned around and squinted her eyes a little for a better view. A man was seen sitting at the said chair while sipping his drink from a cup. "Hotaru, who's that?" She couldn't see well with the exposing sunlight streaming in through the glass from outside.

"An old acquaintance." She looked at the man as well. He was enjoying him coffee and it annoyed her. He knew Mikan's here already and yet he's dragging the time. "He wants to see you, saying he has something to discuss with you."

"Discuss what?"

Hotaru's vein twitched irritatingly. "You think I'd know? Just go already," she barked.

Mikan looked at her oddly. Hotaru seemed to be in a biting mode. Did something happen? Mikan stared at her best friend some more. Hotaru looked restless as well. Who's this man to make her in such state?

Mikan made her way towards the man's table. Just halfway there, she could finally make out his face. Upon seeing his look, it finally dawned on her who the heck he was. Her brown eyes bulged out at the sight of him and her mouth was gaping wide. She watched in stunned as the man finally sensed her presence—looking up from under his thick eyelashes—and stood up.

He was tall, no doubt. She could be only his chest height. His spiky hair was darker than dark, if it's possible that such color even exist. His black eyes watched her reactions in amusement as they glistened under the light. A small smile was seen curved up upon his dark painted lips and his skin was pale as she had remembered it.

"Mikan Sakura," the man greeted, "hisashiburi."

TBC.