A/N: GOD IM SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER TO UPDATE. my goal was to update every few days, even if it was after Christmas, but i ran into so many problems, it was like fate hated this story (rip). first i was in another country and had very bad internet so writing and posting was a challenge. but that was okay bc last week i returned to the states and was excited to get to work and then the second day i was back i got VERY sick. it was so bad that i couldnt stare at any screens too long or my eyes would start watering, which makes writing these heavy chapters a bit of a challenge. it took me til now to finish. im still kinda sick but im recovering. i tested negative for covid btw so its just a normal and irritating flu.
anyway im sorry lovelyhotaruu! this took way too long. i hope youll forgive me!
CHAPTER THREE: Remember last year when you were on your own, you swore the spirit couldn't be found.
a dare for natsume: cinderella
December 19th
NATSUME
"Don't you think you might be putting her in an uncomfortable situation?" Ruka asked.
Natsume looked up at him. "It did occur to me."
They were sitting in the Hyuuga living room, usually deserted, eating some cupcakes Ruka's dad baked while watching Home Alone, Ruka's favorite holiday movie.
"I mean, you do know her better than I do," Ruka conceded. "And you're gonna pick up the notebook in the morning?"
"First thing," Natsume replied, taking another bite of his chocolate cupcake, frosted with green and dotted with Christmas sprinkles. "And then she'll take me all over town again on the next dare, probably."
Ruka hummed, nodding as if he understood something, a stupid know-it-all smile on his mouth. That smile looked a lot like his "I'm so proud of you" smile because they were often the same one.
"What?"
He shrugged, that stupid smile never faltering. "Nothing."
"Why are you smiling?"
"No reason," Ruka assured him unconvincingly. Then he turned again to Natsume, that smile only growing wider. "I just think it's interesting that you call them 'dares' instead of what they are."
"What are they, then, since you know so much?" Natsume asked, plucking another cupcake off the plate.
"Dates," Ruka said. "Just one letter away."
"Shut up," Natsume bit out, reclining against the couch. "Just watch the movie and stop trying to connect dots that aren't there."
He pressed play to watch Macaulay Culkin slap his hands against his cheeks and scream in pain.
"It's just nice watching you fall in love."
"Quiet."
December 20th
"Hayate," Natsume said, shoving at the boy's arm. At a responding grunt, he shoved him again.
"Stoooop," Hayate whined. "Don't you have any compassion in that cold heart of yours?"
"No," Natsume replied. "I'll leave you alone as soon as you give me Mikan's notebook."
The "club" was a lot less exciting in the light of day. The mess that had been made last night was still all over: bottles on the floor, empty plastic cups upturned, blue and silver confetti thrown willy-nilly, and mysterious unpleasant puddles in the corners of the room. Hayate was passed out on the floor, sprawled on the cement floor despite the cold and the sticky stains. Meanwhile, Rui and Yakumo monopolized the tattered and ratty couch, curled into each other as they slept through a hangover, Rui decked out in glitter and blue while Yakumo looked ordinary dressed all in black.
Natsume dropped by as soon as he could, unsurprised to find the three of them heavily unconscious. Too bad for them, he needed the notebook and wouldn't leave without it. Maybe Mikan left him a dare with a time limit. If that was the case, he'd need to get a move on as soon as possible.
Hayate groaned again.
"Hayate," Natsume snapped. "The notebook. Where is it."
"I don't know!" he responded with despair. "Leave me alone!" He covered his face with his arm.
"She didn't leave it with us," Rui responded from his spot on the couch, eyes barely open and brows furrowed at the force of sunlight.
"What, she didn't come?" Natsume asked.
"No, she came," Rui said.
"The one with the red notebook, right?" Yakumo asked, sitting upright a little on the couch, much to Rui's apparent chagrin. When Natsume nodded, Yakumo continued. "Yeah, she was definitely here."
Rui smiled. "She was incredible! Dancing all around in her pretty red boots! She stole the show!"
"Really?" Natsume tried to imagine her, dancing right where he was sitting. He smiled. He shouldn't have been worried at all. "She must have hidden it somewhere if she didn't leave it with you guys."
Rui shrugged, so Natsume began searching the club room for any flash of red. He checked in dark corners, behind chairs, even on stage under the mic. He got on his knees and peered under the cart that held the sound system when it wasn't in use. He reached under to swipe and make sure he wasn't missing anything, just for his hand to run into a very sticky something.
"Ugh," he said, pulling his hand back out and observing a repulsive green substance on his fingers.
He stood up and went to the bathroom to clean up. When he was drying his hands he finally looked up to see the mirror. The message he'd left yesterday was still there, which was good. He hoped she hadn't needed it at all. But then, Natsume looked a little further down and noticed the little reply left in Sharpie under it.
But I'm scared.
His eyes widened. Oh shit.
He emerged from the bathroom, staring at the floor. Ruka was right. His little message hadn't been enough.
"You find it?" Rui asked. Both he and Yakumo were up now, Yakumo stretching and rubbing his tired eyes while Rui was pulling at Hayate's arms to try and get him up.
Natsume shook his head. "This was such a mistake."
"Yeah, no doubt," Hayate replied from his position on the ground. He was impressively resisting Rui's tugs. "Her dance moves could not have been worse. I don't think she has a future in the field, to put it lightly."
"It's true," Yakumo agreed from the couch. "She was passionate for sure, but her skills were mediocre at best."
Hayate scoffed. "She was the worst dancer I've ever seen."
"I shouldn't have sent her here."
"Why?" Rui asked, letting Hayate go, sending him flying against the ground again. "She was the queen."
"No," Natsume said. "She was scared and I pushed her too far and she ran away and she didn't even leave the notebook so I can't even apologize for it. I shouldn't have pushed her so far-"
"I'm telling you," Rui said emphatically. "She was having fun. I saw her. She was the belle of the ball!"
"No." Natsume turned towards the tunnel. "I have to find her."
He turned the corner, barely hearing Hayate softly protest, "But she was the queen!"
Back up at the surface, Natsume took a deep breath of cold December air and sighed. No notebook up here either, nothing that had fallen around the steps or the bakery. And not a single dot of red on the dull, dreary, gray street-
His eyes widened at the flash of red left on the curb. He walked over and picked up a red rubber boot, melted snow trickling out of it.
"Your girl's boot!" Rui exclaimed from behind him.
Natsume turned to face him. "You sure?"
"Positive. They're kind of unmistakable."
"Right." He looked down at it. "Why would she leave her boot?"
Rui clapped his hands together. "Maybe she wanted you to find her? Maybe it's a clue! Like your very own Cinderella fairytale!"
"A clue?" Natsume checked the boot, looking at the underside and only seeing the shoe size. He checked inside and wrinkled his nose in confusion. "TDF?" The letters were sewn into the inner fabric of the boot. "What does TDF mean?"
Rui just shrugged. "Maybe she meant DTF? Lucky you."
Natsume rolled his eyes. "You're no help. I need to find someone who can be."
"Maybe it's her initials!" Koko exclaimed as if he'd just cracked the code.
"Her name is Mikan," Ruka said.
Koko shrugged. "Maybe she lied?"
"She had silvery hair and worked at the box office window." Natsume was on the phone with someone from the movie theater. "I don't know," he said into the receiver. "She was kinda impatient and weird and generally off-putting. Well, if that describes all of your employees, then maybe you should hire some new people!" The guy hung up on him and he scowled at his phone. So that lead led nowhere, just like all the others.
"Tokyo?" Ruka suggested. "It's possible that T could mean Tokyo. Maybe that's where she went?"
Koko snapped his fingers. "An address!"
Natsume shook his head, collapsing onto his dad's armchair. "Who knows." He looked up at Koko hopefully. "Did she maybe leave it at the pizza shop?"
Koko bit his lip. "I'm sorry. No red notebook in sight."
They were all gathered at Natsume's, sitting in his living room. Natsume was lounging in his dad's armchair, lacking the energy it would take to sit up. Meanwhile, Ruka was sitting properly on the couch, hands in his lap as he struggled to come up with an answer to the clue and Koko paced around on the carpet.
"Maybe we should Google it?" Ruka suggested. "It might be an acronym."
"No internet," Natsume informed him, sinking deeper into the armchair. "It's an unfair advantage. We agreed."
Ruka stood up. "Give me your phone." He grabbed it off the coffee table, where Natsume had set it after that uninformative call to try and find the girl at the movie theater from when he'd seen The Grinch.
"Why?" Natsume asked, not moving from his position on the chair. "What are you doing?"
"I'm downloading the mommy app," Ruka said, shaking his head, typing away into his friend's phone.
"No," Natsume protested. "Stop. Not that app you're obsessed with-"
"They'll find this girl! These women are like detectives. It's a huge network and they're always on the look-out." He smiled smugly. He'd been trying to get that app on Natsume's phone for months now. "They know everything." Ruka positioned the red boot on the floor so he could take a decent picture. "I'll just post this photo and in no time you'll find out where the matching boot is." He handed Natsume his phone back. "I set you up for notifications. You're welcome."
"What part of 'no internet' do you not understand?" Natsume asked grumpily, refusing to take back his phone out of Ruka's out-stretched hand. "It's against our rules."
"Well, maybe if she didn't leave the notebook, maybe she quit," Koko chimed in wistfully. When he saw Natsume's face fall, he spoke again in a rush. "Not that I know her enough to know what she would do or what she's like! I've never ever met after all!" He exhaled heavily. "Obviously."
"Ugh, fine," Natsume conceded, taking back his phone, allowing Ruka to smile with satisfaction. "But I'm just looking up TDF. No mommies." He typed into his phone and then hummed. "TDF. Theater Development Fund. A costume rental shop and it's in the city… Huh."
Koko jumped up. "Alright! Operation Cinderella is on!"
Natsume stood up, shaking his head. "Please don't start making code names."
"According to our records, that boot has been in plays since 1958, the first one being The Magic Man."
"How is that helpful?" Natsume asked sardonically.
After an hour of riding the bus and wandering the streets looking for the TDF, he and his friends had finally found themselves inside the shop.
He, Ruka, and Koko followed behind a woman, the first one who'd approached them once they entered the TDF, who was quickly walking between racks of costumes and boots and shoes of all sorts. The woman herself was dressed in a Phantom of the Opera-themed ugly Christmas sweater. Natsume was vaguely familiar with that play, but it made sense to him that a woman working at a theater costume shop would be a fan.
"Then it was loaned out to the Alice High School of Performing Arts-"
"We have one of those?" Koko hissed to his friends under his breath. "This city is bigger than I thought."
"-but was never returned."
"Okay, that's more helpful," Natsume said.
The woman flipped through some papers. "It says here someone did send us some cash to pay for the missing boots."
"Oh."
"A 'Senju Mimi-san'."
"Mimi!" Ruka repeated with excitement, elbowing Natsume.
"Mikan!" Koko exclaimed at the same time, also elbowing Natsume.
"Obviously a fake name," the woman asserted. "But the cash is definitely real. And here's the return address right here-"
"Could we possibly get that address?" Natsume asked, both sides of his ribs sore from being elbowed. "So we could give her the boot back?"
The woman stared at him, affronted. "I thought you wanted to give the boot back to its original owner?"
"Well, yes-"
She snatched the boot out of his hand. "We're the original owner!"
Ruka smiled placatingly. "But Senju-san did pay for the boots, so technically they're hers, right?"
"Then we will make sure the boot makes it safely back to her." She started walking away in a huff.
"Wait, I have to return that," Natsume interjected.
"Well, I have to wash a bunch of dirty costumes before we can loan them out to the next performance. Good day, sirs." She turned her back on them.
Koko shoved at Natsume from behind, and when Natsume turned around, both of his friends were gesturing emphatically for him to follow her. He surrendered and did, chasing after her.
"Wait!" he called out. When she turned around and eyed him patiently, he was able to get a full shot of her sweater. "It's not just about a boot!"
"Oh, really?"
"That boot belongs to a girl. And I-I've only been talking to her through a notebook, but I feel like she's important. And, you know, I rarely let people in, like I never let people get to know me-"
"It's true," Koko pitched in. "A big old grouch!"
"He's very closed off," Ruka agreed.
Natsume ignored them. "But this girl - I feel like she gets me. She understands me and I feel safe talking to her. And now - now, I feel like the Phantom -" He gestured to her sweater.
She gasped with offense. "His name is Erik!"
"Erik, right. I wear a mask. I don't let people get to know me. But she sees past it. I finally found…" He hesitated, cringing at what he was about to say. "I finally found someone I can see myself opening up with. But last night, all she left for me to find her was that boot. That's the only clue I have."
The woman gasped again, this time with tears in her eyes and a hand over her heart. "Oh, dear. Like Cinderella."
"Exactly," Natsume said. "I'm not crazy or a stalker. I'm just a boy with a boot trying to find… my Cinderella, so will you help me, please?"
The woman shed some tears, sniffling as she did so. "Oh my goodness. I haven't heard a story so beautiful in some time now." Natsume resisted the urge to furrow his eyebrows at that. "I'm certainly not one to stand in the way of true love!" She handed him an envelope and the boot and beamed brightly. "Good luck to you, Prince Erik! Be good to your princess when you find her!"
Natsume smiled back, gripping tightly at the envelope and boot just in case she changed her mind. "Thanks."
The woman walked away and he peered down at the envelope to see the return address printed in the corner, clear as day.
"Hey," Ruka said, coming up beside him. "Did you really mean all that stuff you said about love?"
Natsume looked up at him, bewildered. "Huh? No way. I was just making shit up so she'd give me the address."
Ruka nodded, obviously let down. "So what's next?"
"We go see Mimi."
"We're going to the address?" Ruka blinked. "Right now?"
"Right now."
"I'm coming too!" Koko exclaimed, putting his arms around his friends. "I have to see this through, make sure Mimi is okay. She's my future friend-in-law after all."
"I'm not sure what gave you that idea," Natsume protested, trying to shrug Koko off.
"You used my code name! Cinderella! Don't you feel like we're in a fairy tale? I sure do. Natsume is Prince Uncharming, a horrible wretched beast who needs someone to kiss him or he'll be ugly forever. Ruka is the handsome and courteous King, who no one could ever love-"
"Hey," Ruka said, a hurt expression on his face. "What did I do?"
"You're going to the dance alone, pal," Koko replied quickly before continuing. "And I'm the dashing jester who always saves the day! And we're all on our way to find the lost princess, Princess Mimi Cinderella!"
"It's Senju," Ruka corrected.
"Happily ever after is just around the corner, I know it!"
a dare for mikan: jii-chan
MIKAN
Horrible coughing greeted her upon entering Tsubasa's room. He moaned from his bed, sniffled a bit, and then let out a half-sob.
"Don't worry," Mikan said, closing the door behind her. "It's just me. You can stop pretending to be sick now."
Mikan had hardly slept last night, and coming back to her apartment at four in the morning was only the first out of many reasons why. The red notebook had stuck by her side for every moment she tossed and turned in bed after Jii-chan grounded her. She had made a horrible mistake. She hadn't fought back in the Hanukkah spirit, hadn't embraced her weirdness, hadn't left the notebook, and now she could never contact Notebook Boy again because she was grounded forever.
"I'm not pretending!" Tsubasa whined, curled up under almost every blanket in the house, sniffling constantly. "I am sick. Why did I think it'd be romantic to sleep on the roof in the middle of December? It was so cold, Mikan. So cold."
Mikan sat on the edge of his bed, dropping the notebook on the blankets next to her. "Why didn't you warn me about Jii-chan? You know I never would have gone out if I knew he was gonna be back from Australia early!"
"Don't yell at me!" Tsubasa whined again. "My heart hurts!"
"Your heart?" Mikan cocked her head to the side. "What's wrong with your heart? And where's Misaki?"
"Jii-chan banned her from the house," he informed her simply, taking a tissue from its box on the nightstand and wiping his nose with it.
"Well, he grounded me for life," Mikan replied. "So I'm gonna need your help." She picked up the notebook to show him. "I may have forgotten to leave this at the club, so Notebook Boy-"
Tsubasa shrugged with annoyance. "Are you kidding me-"
"Listen, Jii-chan won't let me leave under any circumstances! I'm stuck in the house and I need to get this notebook to Notebook Boy. Can you please take this to Yome's Pizza for me? It's less than fifteen minutes away if you run-"
"Run?!"
"There's this guy-Koko-he's Notebook Boy's friend and he'll know what to do. All you have to do is give him the notebook-Please, Tsubasa!"
"I have a fever!" Tsubasa protested. "I can't run in this condition!"
"You don't have a fever!" Mikan said, irritated, holding out her hand to feel his forehead. "Oh my gosh! Tsubasa, you're burning up!"
"I told you," Tsubasa said smugly, snuggling deeper under his blankets. "It was the roof. It was so cold, Mikan." He shook his head. "And how could you forget the notebook? I thought leaving it at the club was the whole point of going?"
"The point was to rise up against my oppressors and embrace my weirdness," Mikan argued. "But an oppressor did show up-Mochu-and I certainly didn't rise up against him. He ruined my life in elementary school and now he shows up again just to pick up where he left off!" She sighed. "I knew going there was a mistake. I even considered all the bad things that could happen before I left and it turned out to be even worse! I ran and then Jii-chan-I just know I should never have gone to that club in the first place." She tried handing the notebook to her sick brother again. "Please just take this."
He groaned and rolled his eyes but dutifully snatched the book out of her hands and flipped it open to the latest page. He stared at the page in disgust. "'It's been fun but I have a lot going on right now'? What, you're seriously quitting?"
"It's good to get it out of the way now," Mikan defended. "This way, I still have my dignity intact and he can still think of me as that cool, awesome girl in his head. It's a win/win situation."
"I don't understand how anyone is winning here," Tsubasa said through a stuffy nose. "No way." He threw the book back on his bed.
"No, Tsubasa, you have to!"
"No, I don't," he retorted. "You're the one who wants to give up so bad. If you wanna run away again then you'll go to that pizza shop on your own. Leave me out of it."
He groaned again, turning in his blankets.
"I'll bring you some Ibuprofen," Mikan conceded.
"Good, 'cause you're giving me a headache." Tsubasa sniffled. "Please bring me some tea with honey as well. Thank you."
Notebook still in hand, Mikan made it to the front room. The doorbell rang.
"Jii-chan," she called. "Are you gonna get that?"
He didn't reply, so she nervously approached the door.
A knock came from the other side and she opened the door. She gaped in surprise.
"What are you doing here?"
Tono smiled in greeting. "Hey, Mikan." He patted her on the shoulder and walked past her. "Your grandpa called the whole neighborhood all of a sudden for an impromptu holiday card game."
Tono entered and several other neighbors followed after him. "Where's your grandpa?" a few of them asked.
"Mikan!" her Jii-chan snapped. She jumped up to see him entering the room. "Why are you at the door? You're grounded."
Mikan swallowed her sadness and grinned. "Jii-chan, Tsubasa is really sick, so I was gonna go real quick to the drug store to pick up some Ibuprofen for him. I swear, I'll be right back-"
"Nope, no Ibuprofen. Your brother will survive. Get away from the door." He called out to the neighbors, who were all gathering around the dinner table, taking their coats and hats off. "Hey, make sure to keep your eye on Mikan today! She's grounded so I don't want her near this door! She's not allowed to leave this apartment, not even for a second."
"Let me guess," Tono said, suddenly beside her after having hung up his coat. "He found out about your creep boyfriend?" Mikan smiled wistfully at him. "Trust me, Mikan, you're much better off without him."
"I know that now," Mikan replied, still clutching the notebook to her chest.
Tono ruffled her hair and then rejoined the group by the table, instantly making small talk.
Mikan didn't feel much better off at all, but this was the way things had to be. He didn't know her at all, that Notebook Boy. After all, the girl who had hooked him in the library hadn't even been her-it was some other girl, a fake girl. A smart and snarky girl who was flirty and clever. That wasn't like Mikan at all. She was nothing like the girl that was living in his head. Last night she had proved that she wasn't smart or snarky or flirty or clever at all. She was just an awkward girl stuck at home for the rest of her life, doomed to always making lame dolls and playing board games with her grandpa. And Notebook Boy? Sweet, clever, obliging Notebook Boy who had just tried to cheer her up a little had overestimated just how capable she was. He wouldn't want to know her in real life.
She looked longingly towards the door. In her wildest dreams she could imagine him waiting on the other side, ready to forgive her for failing. But he would never be there. He wouldn't be able to find her and, even if he could, she wasn't worth the trouble.
NATSUME
He, Koko, and Ruka were all standing on the sidewalk, looking up at the tall house.
This was the address on the envelope.
"So," Ruka said. "That's where Senju-san lives."
"I thought we agreed there's no way that's her real name," Natsume argued. "It's not Senju. You can just call her Mikan."
"I'm trying to be respectful," Ruka said under his breath.
"Why are we not calling her Mimi?" Koko asked. "That's obviously her nickname, and it's awesome."
Then the three of them stood there in the December cold, staring at the front-door. Natsume glanced over at Koko, then at Ruka.
"Hey, maybe one of you should talk to her first?" he suggested, taking a step away from the house. "Koko, maybe you could?"
"Me?" Koko asked, taken aback. "Why me? I-I don't know her! I've never met her! She doesn't know me! Why would I talk to her before you do? That's not right. That's messed up. That's crazy, man. You're crazy." He giggled and then looked away towards the ground.
"Well, maybe she doesn't want to see me. She might be mad at me, you know, for last night." Natsume turned to Ruka. "Ruka, you could go. You're more polite anyway. Best foot forward and all that. You could talk to her and tell her how sorry I am and she'll probably love you so she'll stop being mad at me-"
Ruka nodded. "Okay, sure." He took the boot. "If you want me to. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
Natsume exhaled in relief. Then Ruka took a step forward towards the house, ready to ring the doorbell.
"Wait! Hold on! Are you dumb? Me and Koko need to get out of here first."
"Okay." Ruka gestured to the sidewalk. "Then go. I'll take care of this."
"Yeah, alright," Natsume said. Koko started walking away, no problem, but Natsume hesitated. He followed Koko for a few steps before he shook his head. "Nope. Nope, nope, nope, no way. I'm not a coward. Give me that." He took the boot back from Ruka. Ruka smiled obligingly. "I have to do this myself. You have to go. This is a Natsume and… Mimi moment."
"Sure thing," Ruka said. He gave Natsume a pat on the back. "Good luck. You can do this."
"I know I can," Natsume said dismissively. "You have to go." Ruka started following Koko down the sidewalk. "Thank you, Ruka." Ruka turned back, just to smile knowingly, before running ahead to catch up with Koko.
Natsume took a deep breath and then approached the front door, which was decorated with a festive Christmas wreath. Mikan was probably inside, maybe furious with him for what he put her through. He rang the doorbell and stood there, waiting, the boot in his hand.
The door swung open and Natsume's jaw dropped.
Well.
That was unexpected.
A man stood in the doorway, dressed extravagantly, blond hair going down to his shoulders, smiling at his guest. "Hello," the man greeted.
"Hi," Natsume replied.
The man looked down at Natsume's hand and then gasped with surprise. "You found my boot!" He took it out of Natsume's hand with a grin. "Thank you for returning it to me!"
Natsume eyed him skeptically. "M… Mimi?"
The blond man chuckled. "Mimi, yes. To some people. Nobody's called me that for some time now."
"Did you go to a punk show last night?" Natsume asked nervously. Hadn't the waitress at Miruku's told him that Mikan definitely wasn't forty, and definitely wasn't tricking him? Though, if Natsume had been tricked, why would Mikan's friends spill the beans?
"Did I?" The man looked up, as if trying to remember. "No, I don't think so. Not last night. I spent all day yesterday with Misaki and he is not a fan of punk."
"Okay, have you been writing to someone in a red notebook?"
The man's green eyes lit up. "Ah. I see. Now I understand why you're here. Come on in."
Natsume followed the man into the house, closing the door behind himself. Natsume took off his shoes and was ushered into the living room. He wandered around the room for a while, waiting. There was gaudy furniture all over the house, which was glamorous and large. There were many potted plants, hanging from the ceiling, sitting in the corner, perched on shelves and tables, and positioned on window sills. There wasn't a TV in the room, but there were two huge paintings, portraits of two different men. One looked strikingly like the blond man, while the other was of a dark haired man with a stern face.
Was this… Mikan's house?
He sat at the couch and tapped his fingers on his knees for a few minutes, looking over all the knick knacks and decor scattered around the exquisite room.
"Let me put your mind at ease," the man said when he entered the living room, a silver tray of tea cups in his hands. He served Natsume a cup, offering him some milk and sugar before he served himself. "I'm not the person you're looking for."
Natsume sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God."
"Well, I'm not old, but I'm a little too old to be writing to a teenager," the man said, sitting in the chair adjacent to the couch Natsume was sitting on. "I'm Narumi. Some people used to call me Mimi for short."
"So is there another Mimi here then?"
Narumi ignored him. "Who are you?"
"Well, we've been kinda anonymous with the notebook-"
"I need your name, please."
"Uhh… Natsume?"
"Natsume," Narumi said with a smile. "Like a date. Delicious."
Natsume stared at him for a second. "Uhh… yeah. Anyway, she and I have been writing to each other in this red notebook-"
"Yes, I gave that to her, as well as those red majorette boots. You know, first they were her mother's." He smiled. "You're looking for my niece. Mikan."
"Oh," Natsume held back a triumphant smile. "Great. Can I talk to her?"
Narumi leaned in, a smirk on his lips. "Are you in love with her?"
Natsume froze. "What?" He shook his head. "No. I don't even know her."
Narumi pouted. "Well, then, I'm frankly not interested. You can show yourself out." He made to get out of his seat.
"Wait."
"I'm just saying," Narumi said, shaking his head with disappointment. "You don't seem very committed and that makes me doubt if you're any good for dear sweet Mikan in the first place. She's a bright ball of sunshine and she's very sensitive. I don't think you're right for her." He was standing, looking down at Natsume while sipping from his teacup. "Do you believe in fairies?"
Natsume made a face. "No."
"The power of wishes?" Narumi grinned. "Love at first sight? Musical theater?"
"I'm not really a guy who believes in things."
Narumi raised an eyebrow. "You believed that you could find a girl in a big city with only one red boot as a clue."
"Listen, man, I just need to know where she is, so if you could just fill me in real quick, that would be a real help-"
"Her grandfather will never let you see her. She's precious to everyone, but most of all to him. He won't even let me see her, for reasons I could never understand." He sat back down, slumping sadly, returning the cup to the table. "Well, there was that one time I took her on a cruise without letting anybody else know about it-"
"Could you maybe try? You know, just so I can give her the boot?"
Narumi glared at him, offended. "I don't see why I should! You don't know her, you're not in love with her - Why should I go back to my father's house where I'm unwelcome for somebody who Mikan might not want to talk to in the first place?"
Natsume exhaled heavily, clutching the boot in his hand. "Okay, to be honest, last night I had her do something - something she wasn't - I don't know, it just scared her. She ran away. And I haven't heard from her since and really I just want to make sure that she's okay, that she's not hurt."
"Why?"
"Why?" He remembered the nervousness in his gut when Ruka suggested his dare might have been too much for her, how it only grew when Rui and Hayate told him she hadn't left the notebook behind, how his stomach sank when he saw her message on the mirror. She was scared because he put her in a situation she didn't feel safe in and then she ran away. He might never be able to speak to her again and that was the worst part; because he really wanted to speak to her again. "Why? 'Cause I care about her."
Narumi clapped his hands together. "That's more like it!"
MIKAN
Knock, knock, knock, on the door again.
Mikan looked up from where she had been sitting in the living room, watching a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie. These movies were all the same and lacked true holiday spirit, though they all claimed to be about finding the magic of Christmas. She wished desperately that a Rankin/Bass movie was playing instead. That was holiday spirit!
Knock, knock, knock.
Mikan groaned. "Jii-chan," she called. "Someone's at the door I'm not allowed to touch."
Laughter roared from the dining room, where Jii-chan and all the neighbors were gathered around, playing cards. He did not reply to her call.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Okay, fine," Mikan said, mostly to herself but secretly to Jii-chan. "Don't say I didn't call you. But someone's at the door." She got to her feet, actually relieved to be separated from the boring movie.
She shot one more glance in the direction of the dining room before she turned back to the door and opened it. Her eyes shot wide open.
"Oh my goodness, it can't be!"
Uncle Narumi stood in the doorway with his signature grin. "Mikan! Oh, sweetheart, it's been forever!"
She leapt into his arms. "I've missed you so much, you have no idea!"
They embraced for a moment until Narumi pulled away to give her a kiss on the forehead. "Are you doing alright, Mikan?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes.
"To be honest, I've been better."
"A very out-of-character phrase," Narumi said, feigning an affronted expression. He glanced nervously towards the dining room, where the group was still chattering loudly, not noticing Narumi's entrance at all. "But I think I know what you're missing! You're short a boot, if I'm not mistaken?"
Mikan led them to the couch. "How did you know?" she asked in awe, turning off the TV. "Did you become a psychic since the last time I saw you?"
"Well, yes, but that's besides the point." He chuckled to himself. "A young man tracked it to me."
Mikan stared, shocked, until a little smile crept on her mouth. "Notebook Boy?"
"Very impressive detective work - the work of somebody who truly cares."
"He doesn't really - I mean, he wouldn't if he saw me last night. I was nothing like what he expected me to be. I was a disaster. I ruined everything. I ran away -"
"He's worried about you," Narumi told her softly.
"He's not worried about me," Mikan argued. "He's worried about the girl in his head. A girl that he thinks is snarky and witty and confident and sure of herself and smart and empowered and rises up against her oppressors. He's worried about the girl my friends made up. I'm not her, and last night all I did was prove it. I tried so hard to be her last night but I failed. If he knew how much I embarrassed myself, he wouldn't be looking for me."
"If you have your doubts, you should ask him yourself. I don't think you'd believe me if I tried speaking for him now." Narumi took her hand in his own. "I had him keep the boot just in case. After all, it's Prince Charming who returns the glass slipper, not the fairy godmother."
Mikan pouted. "It's not that simple. Even if I wanted to talk to him, I can't, 'cause I'm -"
"She's grounded!"
Both Mikan and Narumi jumped from their spots on the couch to see Jii-chan, standing away from the dining room table.
"Hi, Dad," Narumi greeted cheekily.
"So are we doing this or what?" Tono asked impatiently from the dining room. "I brought my good pack of cards today, you know!"
"Everyone out," Jii-chan said. "Game's over."
Everyone in the dining room groaned in disappointment, but there was no arguing with Jii-chan, especially when he used that tone of voice. They all left without complaint.
When the final neighbor left, Jii-chan finally locked eyes on Narumi. "I meant everyone."
Narumi simply put a hand on his hip. "Why did you ground my little niece? You can't honestly be telling me she's done anything wrong in her whole life, ever?"
Mikan bit her lip, ashamedly. "Well, I was out 'til four in the morning," she muttered to herself.
"At a punk show," Narumi whispered back. "I like that boy's style."
"I don't think you have the right to weigh in on family matters anymore, Anju, since you turned your back on your family -"
"How?" Narumi shot back. "By marrying a man?"
Jii-chan gawked at him. "No! Anju, we were all at your wedding, and we're very supportive. We love Misaki!"
"Hmph."
"The problem with you is that you are not a good influence for Mikan or Tsubasa. You're unreasonable, irresponsible -"
"Is this about the cruise again?"
"Yes, it's about the cruise!"
"Mikan wanted to go!"
"She was eight!" Jii-chan snapped. "Of course she wanted to go! And you were gone for a whole weekend and you never let anybody know!"
"Hey, I left a note!" Narumi defended. "I'm not stupid!"
"Your note said, 'I took Mikan, I love her so much, I'm never giving her back.'"
Narumi gestured emphatically. "See?"
"You didn't even sign it! We called the cops! We searched the woods!"
"I don't see the issue."
"We thought she was kidnapped!"
Mikan stood between them, remembering her own experience of that time. Her uncle mostly spent time lounging by the side of the pool, flirting with anyone who came near (this was before he met the love of his life, on Christmas). Meanwhile, she spent the whole vacation sipping on Shirley Temples, floating in the pool, and wishing there were other kids on the ship. A cruise ship is no fun for a little kid, not when they're surrounded by adults.
"It was a very frosty winter that year. I couldn't stand to watch her freeze."
"Can you please just leave?"
Narumi put his arm around Mikan. "I am your son, and more importantly, Mikan's uncle. I think I should have a say in what goes on around here, especially when you're being unreasonable."
"Me? Unreasonable?" Jii-chan scowled. "Ugh, fine! Mikan, go to your room. This conversation doesn't concern you."
Mikan gaped at him but when he pointed in the direction of her room again, she gave up and walked away.
There was the sound of muffled voices through the bottom of the door, where Mikan sat, hugging her knees. Narumi, her attorney, and Jii-chan, the prosecutor. She wondered what the verdict would be, or how strange it was that she wasn't even allowed to be present for her own trial. She should be there to defend herself, right? Narumi wasn't even there - he couldn't properly explain what happened like she could.
"Well, because!" she heard Jii-chan exclaim.
And then Narumi - "You must know how little sense that makes, right?"
Mikan jumped to her feet, tired of sitting. It didn't make sense! Why was she still locked away, forever, when she didn't even do anything that bad?
She opened the door and stepped into the living room, newly enthused and fired up. "Jii-chan! I'm fed up! It's my life! It wasn't even a school night, and -"
She stopped talking when she saw Jii-chan quickly turn away, his face glistening with tears, and Narumi sadly looked down.
"What - What happened to him? What did I do? Jii-chan, I'm so sorry - I'll never go out again -"
Narumi stood up, holding out his hands to assure her. "Mikan, sunshine, this has nothing to do with you. But, you should talk to him. A conversation needs to be had here." He smiled and started heading away from the couch. "I hope you feel better," he said to Jii-chan. "And it would be nice if we could talk more like this in the future."
Jii-chan waved him off, still hiding his teary face.
"You can't leave me to deal with this! He's crying!" Mikan hissed as Narumi headed for the door.
Narumi smiled. "So many people believe in you. You're the only skeptic. Such a tragedy, the nonbeliever." Then he walked through the door.
"What does that mean?" she called, receiving no answer. The door closed firmly behind him. He was gone, for now, and Jii-chan was crying.
"Jii-chan!" Mikan sat on the couch next to him. "What happened? Why are you crying?"
He sniffled, turned away from her. They sat in silence for a moment before he began. "I broke up with my Australian girlfriend," he said.
"What? But you were so… happy…" Mikan looked forlornly at him. "I'm so sorry, Jii-chan. I know you love her."
"It was too much. I live in Japan. She lives in Australia. A long-distance relationship can't be permanent. Either the distance goes, or we throw in the towel. That's what she said. It was too much for her, not knowing how long it would go on for."
"And neither one of you wanted to move?"
"She doesn't want to live in Japan."
"Do you want to live in Australia?"
Jii-chan shook his head, finally turning forward more so Mikan could see his face. "There are spiders there the size of my head, Mikan."
"But is your girlfriend worth it?" Mikan asked. "Do you love her enough to deal with spiders the size of your head and beefy kangaroos and backwards seasons?"
"She…" Jii-chan sighed, looking Mikan straight in the eyes. "She understands me. Makes me feel less lonely."
Mikan smiled, taking her grandpa's hand in her own. "I know how that feels. It's wonderful. Maybe running into huge spiders is worth it if you're doing it to feel less lonely?"
Jii-chan shrugged, a hint of a smile creeping up the corner of his mouth. "Well, I do like those backwards seasons you mentioned. A toasty Christmas…" He sighed again. "I was heart-broken, returning much earlier - and lonelier - than I thought I'd be. I just didn't want to be alone for Christmas, but when I came back, you were gone and there was a girl in Tsubasa's bed and I - I overreacted. I was too harsh." The smile was fully realized now. "You're still grounded for the rest of the day, but not forever. And I'd like to take you out for ice cream, as an apology."
Mikan beamed. "Oh, Jii-chan, I'd love that!" Then she thought of the red notebook, still sitting in her room, and then Narumi's message about Notebook Boy. "But I have something other than ice cream in mind."
Yome's Pizza was lively. It smelled divine and Mikan's stomach growled just at the scent alone.
"Not a bad place, Mikan," Jii-chan commented as they found a booth and sat, taking off their coats. "How did you find it?"
"A friend recommended it to me," she said offhandedly. "The pizza is great, I promise. I'll order for us."
Jii-chan nodded. "The more vegetables, the better," he said.
"Of course," Mikan said, already getting up. She approached the register in the front, and sighed in relief to see Koko standing there, taking orders. She rushed forward, cutting in front of a guy who protested loudly. "Sorry, sorry, just a minute," she said apologetically before turning to an awestruck Koko.
"Where have you been?" he asked. "You've been driving him crazy, thus all of us are now crazy!"
"Who's all of you?"
"That doesn't matter! Do you have the notebook?"
Mikan pulled it out of her bag and set it on the counter, ignoring the long line of loud, angry customers. "You do delivery, right?"
Koko raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I can give it to him at the end of my -"
"We don't have time for that!" Mikan cut him off. "This is time sensitive! This needs to be delivered before 5!"
Koko glanced up at the clock and his face faltered. "So why'd you come so late?"
"Well, you do delivery, right?"
"I'm working the counter!"
"Please? I owe him," Mikan pouted, making a puppy dog face.
"You know, that sort of thing won't work on him, so you're gonna need to learn new tactics before you meet him."
"But does it work on you?"
Koko glanced between the clock on the wall, the long line of angry customers, the red notebook, and Mikan. "Ugh, fine! My uncle's gonna kill me for this!"
He grabbed the notebook off the counter and darted out the door.
"Hey!" the next guy in line shouted before turning to Mikan. "He's coming back soon though, right?"
mikan's dare 6: believe
NATSUME
Natsume was sitting on his couch next to a red boot, slumped over and watching TV, bored out of his mind and a little down. Ruka had demanded he "called it what it was" and admitted he was sad, but Natsume wasn't really sad. How could he be sad? He didn't even know Mikan. If anything, he was a bit concerned because she disappeared all of a sudden, but if her uncle had conveyed his message and she chose not to respond, that was her business. After all, she was the one who started this whole thing. He had merely stumbled upon her. If she didn't wanna talk anymore, what did it matter? His life would be the same.
Koko stormed into his living room, arms flailing. Natsume jumped, startled.
"What the heck, man? Ever heard of knocking?"
"Mikan," Koko wheezed out. "Pizza!"
"What?"
Koko shook his head, gasping for air. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the red notebook. "You have to be there before five," he said simply with a scratchy voice.
"Where did you find that?" Natsume asked, getting to his feet and walking with Koko out the door.
"The tip jar," he answered with a shrug, face red from running.
"How do you keep missing her?" Natsume asked, confounded. "She keeps coming in at busy times and putting a notebook under the tip jar without you noticing? You must be blind."
"Hehehehehe," Koko chuckled - or more like wheezed. "I must be."
Notebook Boy,
I'm sorry I messed up the game. When I first got to that club, I was so worried about what people were thinking about me, or how much I couldn't fit in, that I could only think about the bad stuff. I don't really do well with bad stuff or bad feelings. I live by that saying, when there's rain, look for a rainbow. I couldn't see a rainbow in that club, so I ran away. I ran away because I was scared that there was no way I could be the girl you thought I could be.
But then I saw your message.
Natsume finally made it to the neighborhood she told him to reach. It was a relief to hold that notebook again after a whole day of worrying. The game was back on and Mikan was safe and sound.
You knew exactly how I was feeling. You understood. Just knowing that gave me courage to go back out there. This time I definitely saw a rainbow. I saw people dancing, fighting their oppressors, having fun. I love fun. So I chose to have fun too, and it was amazing. I didn't know I could do that. A whole new world opened up to me, and it only happened because you believed in me enough to encourage me to try.
I want to do the same for you.
He headed down the block. The street was so clean, all the snow neatly cut away from the sidewalks, the houses lit up with Christmas lights. Definitely a rich neighborhood, thus one Natsume wasn't overly familiar with.
Welcome to Candy Cane Lane.
Start with the Nutcracker House. You'll know it when you see it.
Natsume walked until he was in front of a house excessively decorated for the holidays. There were light-up inflatable nutcrackers placed every few feet in the lawn, lights strewn all over the house and front gate, and even a little crowd gathered in front to stare at the spectacle.
Are you there?
"I'm here," Natsume answered to nobody, feeling dizzy just looking at the bright house.
Write down what you see.
Natsume took one more look at the house and then took out his pencil to write:
I see plastic nutcrackers. Fake santas. Lots of money spent to have the house everyone gawks at during the holidays. Rich people spend so much money on fake snow and fake icicles and fake santas. There's nothing real here at all.
He put his pencil in his pocket again, and continued reading Mikan's entry.
Yeah, I figured you'd have lots of snarky and snarly opinions. But look again! Give it another chance.
Go back out there, Natsume :)
"Ugh." Natsume reluctantly looked back up.
I see…
There was an elderly couple among the crowd, far more enthused than the other spectators. They were clinging to each other, taking pictures, being affectionate. They were lit up by the obnoxious lights, smiles clear on their faces. They were happy here. Happy together.
I see an older couple who probably come here every year and take a picture in front of this house on Candy Cane Lane. They probably have years and years of photographs to look back on, hung up on their wall. I see them holding hands. I see that they must know each other very well.
Natsume put his pen away again, satisfied with his answer. He kept walking down the street, looking at the decorated houses but also the kids playing in the snow, the couples walking by with interlacing hands, families smiling, all lit up by those colorful lights.
You know, Notebook Boy, for a really long time I wanted someone to understand me. I wanted someone to really get me, quirks and all, and to like me anyway. I kept thinking it was just going to happen somehow, that I'd just magically feel understood by someone all of a sudden.
But this notebook is magic. We created our own magic out of it and we see what we look for. So I hope you keep looking for the good stuff, and seeing the magic you can make.
And I know that sounds cheesy and dumb, but I'm gonna help you out. Be at the last street on the block when the clock strikes five. I'll send you a sign and then you'll see what I mean.
Natsume made it to the last house, decorated elegantly with white string lights and glowing reindeer frames. There was a large gate in the front, with an arch, as well as several short evergreen trees, all neatly trimmed and manicured, lit up to the nines. Natsume checked his phone. 4:59. He was right on time.
He glanced around, looking for a sign.
Then it was five, and the gate lit up, with letters on the arch glowing in red.
BELIEVE, it said.
Natsume smiled, and he was just glad Koko and Ruka weren't around to gawk or tease him for it or to praise him for opening himself up or something. This was just between him and the notebook, because Mikan didn't need to know she had charmed him either.
I believe in you, Notebook Boy. Do you still believe in me?
What a dumb question.
Natsume looked around. He'd never been to Candy Cane Lane. It was a little bit of an absurd concept, that these rich people would all agree to fit their houses up for the holidays so they stood out and became a tourist attraction for the rest of the city.
But it was pretty, all the houses shining and glowing in every color imaginable, all with different themes for yard decorations.
He could see why someone like Mikan would like this place. Maybe one day, he'd go here with his own family, if his dad was ever around for Christmas again.
But Natsume had only seen the half of it, it seemed, because it had just begun to snow. He stared at the sky as little white flakes fell down towards him.
Everyone else on the street was watching with delight, sticking their tongues out to catch some.
And because nobody he knew was around, and he was already embarrassing himself by smiling, he stuck out his tongue as well. He caught a few snowflakes and could feel his cheeks hurting from the smiling. He should probably stop.
He put his tongue away and tried to banish his smile, though it was hard to make it go fully go away. All in all, this wasn't the worst dare she'd sent him on.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a message.
please come home natsume i need help :(
His smile finally withered away.