Once Upon A time
Chapter Eleven: Someone From the Past
Somewhere Near The Pastry Shop
"Ruka... Ruka... Uhm... Ruka... OUCH!"
"Hold still, Mikan. I'd have to push harder. Because it won't move an inch."
"BUT IT HURTS! And smells..."
"I know it does. I'm in pain too! But I paid for this."
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING!" Natsume appears behind them.
"I'm teaching Mikan how to cut this jackfruit."
"Where the hell did you get a jackfruit?" Natsume crossed his arms as he watched Mikan and Ruka slice and open the jackfruit.
"I saw an old lady selling some of these by the corner. Clearly you saw her. She wasn't hard to miss. I heard about this sort from my classmate. They stink but they taste good." Ruka tried to open the jackfruit with a pocketknife.
"We can just have the guy from the pastry shop open it." Natsume said.
"Fine fine. I'm sorry for your hands Mikan. They've got scratches now."
Mikan stood up and dusted her shorts. "No big deal, Ruka. It was an experience."
As she was about to speak to Natsume, he held up her hands. He was gentle, it made her feel that her fingers are fragile that a single pinch can tear it apart. She looked at him. His eyes. They were focused on her fingers. examining every curve, every line, every scratch. "You're hurt..." Mikan didn't hear him clearly.
What did he say?, Mikan thought. "What?"
"Doesn't matter. They're little battle scars. Let's move along." Natsume turned back to reality and headed north. Mikan looked at her fingers and his touch still burns.
The Pastry Shop
"The Pastry Shop" Mikan stares at the sign on wood with gold script.
"The Pastry Shop? That's name of the shop? Isn't it ordinary." Natsume crosses his arms and looks at the sign as well. He turns to Ruka who is waiting for them by the door.
"Act like you love the name, Natsume. Pretend this shop is Mikan's. Love it." Ruka opens the door for them.
"Mmm, i love the aura. It's got a homey feeling. It reminds me of home... I think. I don't remember what home is now. And I certainly would want... to..." Mikan looks at Ruka and Natsume who are now staring at her. "Anyway, what's their best seller?"
"Tiramisu."
"Chocolate?" Natsume asked.
"Butterscotch Tower."
"Too sweet." Natsume complained once again.
"Magnum Parfait."
"You're making me fat, Ruka."
"I want to try the Tiramisu." Mikan looks at Ruka with her big, hazel eyes.
"Sure thing, Mikan. Natsume, choose a seat would ya?" Ruka heads to the counter as Natsume chooses a seat beside the window. As Mikan approaches the seat, Natsume stands up and helps her sit down. What an odd man he is today, Mikan thought.
"Natsume, did I feed you something that affected your motor system or any part of your brain?", Mikan watched as Natsume headed back to his seat.
"No. Not at all. I was just struck by Luna's appearance. It made me move back to the past.. Maybe I should be with her."
Mikan felt her blood rise and her heart started beating rapidly. Anger? Jealousy? It must be the latter. Seeing Natsume and Luna be so fond of each other, the way Natsume talks to Luna with familiarity, he doesn't scold her, threaten her, or push her away with force.
"Well... I think-"
"Sorry for taking so long." Ruka returns with three orders. Tiramisu for Mikan, Caramel Parfait for Natsume, and Butterscotch Tower for himself. "You guys look serious. What's up? Not planning your wedding I suppose."
"Natsume said he wanted to... or, he thinks he should be with Luna-chan." Mikan looks at her order. Tiramisu. Chocolate heaven as she would brand it with a touch of caramel.
"You son of a gun. Why? If so, don't bring her home. I don't want to hear her pleasure. It's disturbing." Ruka starts with the top portion of his Butterscotch Tower. It's a tower shaped like the Eiffel, with whip cream at the bottom, and chocolate syrup trailing down.
"Well... I've been thinking a lot about it and I haven't fully... Moved on?"
"Moved on? With a question mark at the end? You bloody bastard. How dare you speak of this when Mikan is around. If you go with Luna, you'll understand what you'll put Mikan through."
"Uhm, don't talk about me in the third person. I am still here you know." Mikan butted in as she takes the first bit of her dessert. "This is delicious."
"I'm sorry, Mikan-chan. Apparently, Natsume doesn't know when he's breaking a girl's heart. I SHIP YOU TOO."
"You what?" Natsume and Mikan look at Ruka with puzzled expressions.
"I ship you too. I pair you guys up. Same banana." Ruka smiled.
"No. No. No. Ruka. You can't. It's... illegal in some ways." Natsume said.
"ILLEGAL? SO, YOU DO WANT TO PAIR UP WITH MIKAN. But you're afraid to do so because it is ILLEGAL. You bloody bastard. I knew you would spit it out one way or another. So why return to Luna?"
"WHAT? No. I-"
"I don't want to pair up with Natsume. He's an idiot. His room stinks. He's a pervert. He's the opposite of my ideal man."
"Opposites attract, Mikan-chan." Ruka prints a smug across his face.
"My point is Natsume is not my type." Mikan takes another bite.
"Well, you're not my type either. You are not the seductive type."
"Excuse me? Go to strip clubs why don't you? Get laid or something!"
"Mikan?"
Mikan turned around and she saw the boy who made her heart beat ages ago. He still had his navy blue hair and a star at the corner of his eye. He wore his signature clothes: a beanie, plain phrase shirts, and cargo shorts with matching shoes. His shirt says "Catch me but don't Fall".
"T-T-Tsubasa!" Mikan quickly got up and ran to hug him. He carried her for a few seconds and put her down.
"My, my. You haven't changed a bit. You grew taller, actually. And still very light. Are you eating well? How have you been?"
"I'm fine. Same old story. You? How are you?"
"Same old. Same old. Still single, too. Haven't found the right girl, yet. Probably, I have no time for that. The folks are great. I've moved here as you can see and I'd be transferring to Alice Academy next term as a 3rd year."
"WHAT? Just for one year? Then you'll be heading off to college..."
"One year is enough to catch up for an eternity with you." He winks at Mikan and she feels her heart beating faster. She snaps out of her reverie. "You have to meet my older brothers."
"Well, shall we?"
Mikan takes hold of Tsubasa's hand and they walk to Ruka and Natsume.
"At least pretend you like him, Natsume." Ruka whispers to his twin.
"This is Tsubasa Ando. I first met him at the orphanage. He's like my older brother slash father." Mikan smiles.
"Pleasure to meet you, Ando-senpai. I'm Ruka, the hotter twin." Ruka lends out his hand and Tsubasa shakes it.
"Natsume." Natsume lends out his hand as well.
"Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."
"We were heading to the Abyss of No Return. But I bet you'd take us somewhere else... Nice?" Ruka smiles.
"Oh. I'm not familiar with this place. I just moved here, you see."
"Yes, I smell grass and daisies." Natsume says.
"Don't mind him, he's just jealous." Ruka says.
"Again with the 'Natsume's jealous', Ruka?" Natsume shoots a glare at his twin.
"Well... I was hoping you guys could show me around."
"Will do Tsubasa-senpai! You can do catching up with Mikan-chan as well." Ruka says as he finishes the last bite of his dessert. "Suck it up, you pansy! We're going to show Tsuabsa-senpai this lot." Ruka slaps Natsume's back.
Mikan laughs then turns to Tsubasa. "Oh, I have so much to tell you. Kazuki's here as well!"
"You don't say. It's good to see that rascal. Where is he?"
"You'll find him everywhere!" Mikan laughs once again.
"So. We're all set. Let's move." Ruka stands up followed by Natsume. Tsubasa opens the door for Mikan and they are off to tour him around.
"You'll grow to like this place, Tsubasa-senpai." Mikan looks up at her first love.
"I think I'm liking it now." He smiles at her and pats her shoulder.
End of Chapter
