Hi everyone! How are you doing?

...

Yes, I'm asking you the same question as before. I'm lazy. So lazy that I don't even want to say anything.

I think you already know what's going to happen in this chapter. Be prepared for a lot of tenderness... but not too much, I assure you. Have a good read!


CHAPTER 6 PART 2 : ...AND ITS DANGERS


05/11/2000

11 A.M.


The next day had come. It was finally time for Mikan to go out a little with all these people who showed her a kindness so unknown, but which for her, was as warm as the sun. It was not the first time that the Naegi children and their friends wanted to spend time with her, but now she was happy. And she was willing to do anything to always feel that emotion with them.

"So? Does it look good on you? Which color do you like the most? "

...even if sometimes it led her to make some tough decisions.

"Uh... I-I kind of hesitate between pink and purple... T-they are both pretty..."

Yes, she had to look pretty today, as Komaru said, the girl also offered to lend her one of his dresses, under the agreement of her parents.

"You mean about the dresses? Okay, I prefer green anyway..." Komaru gave her opinion, before asking him the next question. "I guess you never had to choose dresses before? "

"No... I've always worn the same one since... since forever, I think..." Mikan confessed before looking at her in a fearful manner. "Do you think that... that's why I stank? "

"There's a chance. Clothes get ruined quickly. You know, when you don't wash them..."

"Y-yes, I guess..."

Seeing that his friend was starting to get sad, Komaru put his hand on her shoulder with a comforting smile. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. We'll have a good time, all together, you'll see. "

"O-okay..." Mikan smiled at her before making his choice, taking a purple dress with white polka dots. "W-well... I guess I'll take the purple one, after all. I feel like testing this color. "

"Okay. Well, the choice is made, that's good! " Komaru seemed happy. "Come on, let's get dressed now. It's time to get you all dressed up for everyone! "

Mikan blushed at these words. These people, this family, had only said nice things to her since they knew them. The moment they came into her life, everything was better, she was no longer in pain, and she felt good. And she hoped that they would continue to treat her as nicely.


"Well, look at you! You are splendid! "

"That's right, Tsumiki-san! You look great like this! It looks so good on you! "

And apparently, that was their intention. The family had spent the rest of the morning searching and buying clothes for her. And for the first time in her life, she... she thought she could afford to feel good.

"T-thank you very much..." Mikan blushed a little as she heard their compliments, but in view of her nature, she couldn't help but ask in a concerned way, "D-do all these clothes cost a lot? "

"Oh, don't worry about that, sweetie," Mariko smiled at her in a gentle manner. "We've had worse days than this, and anyway, I was looking forward to it anyway. "

"Yeah, and besides, today is your day! " Komaru who was helping her with the choice of different clothes. "We're not going to leave you with just one thing, though! "

Mikan couldn't help but smile, a small tear flowing from his eyes. "T-thank you very much..."

During this touching scene, watching the girls having a good time together, Makoto went to his father who was paying at the reception. He whispered to him, "Otoo-san... I'm a little curious about this. I know you mentioned this before, but..."

"I understand, little guy. " Kotoya put his hand down to rub his son's hair. "Don't worry about it. One day we'll talk to you about it. But I assure you that everything is fine now, we have enough for the family. "

"Okay..." Makoto nodded, but still looked thoughtful. 'It's true, Mom and Dad keep saying it that everything is better... but that means they're having money problems at some point, I guess... still, what could have happened?'

Makoto was interrupted in his thoughts when he heard the receptionist speak. "'Thank you for your purchase! Drop by again anytime, and have a nice day! "

"Thank you, you as well! Goodbye! " Kotoya smiled before taking his son by the hand. "Come on, let's get out of here, son. "

The father of the family opened the door for the rest of the family, with Mikan walking out first.

"Mikan-chan! Mako-chan! Koma-chan! Hi!"

As soon as they were out the door, everyone heard voices that sounded like they were approaching them, and as they turned around, they saw Ruruka and Seiko walking towards her, with rather cheerful expressions.

"Ah, Andoh-san! Kimura-san! " Komaru greeted them first. "We didn't think we'd see you here, but it's nice to see you! "

"Us too..." Seiko smiles behind her mask her mask. "We're glad to see you. Especially you, Tsumiki-san. W-well, I mean-"

"What Seiko-chan means is that we are happy to see you! " Ruruka finished for her with a smile. "You look so pretty, too! "

"T-thank you..." Mikan blushed with the compliments she was receiving.

"Ruruka! Seiko! Don't run, please! "

Quickly, two adults joined them by their side. Makoto recognized Takara right away, but it was the first time he saw what he thought was Ruruka's mother, since she had the same hair as his daughter.

Taka smiled at them when he saw them. "Ah, I see you guys have decided to go out too! That feels good! "

"Yes, us too. " Kotoya returned the gesture, then looked at his wife. "Am I to conclude that you are..."

"His wife, yes. Andoh Akemi, nice to meet you. " The woman named Akemi replied, nodding her head. "And you, you must be friends of Takara?"

"Yes, we met after an incident concerning our son. " Mariko confirmed as she introduced her family members. "I am Naegi Mariko. This is my husband Kotoya, and my children Makoto and Komaru. And we also have Tsumiki accompanying us. "

"Hello! "

"Y-yes, hello..."

"Okaa-san, these are the friends I told you about! "Ruruka smiled at her mother. "You'll see, they are super nice! "

"I don't doubt it, my treasure. " Akemi smiled at her daughter before turning her gaze to Makoto's parents. "You say she's going with you. Does that mean she's not..."

"No, she..." Mariko hesitated for a moment. "It's rather complicated..."

"Don't worry, we understand. " Takara gave her a comforting smile, before turning to her companion, looking less cheerful. "I'll explain later, but it's a sensitive subject. "

"Okay, okay, no need to get upset..." Akemi nodded, before turning to Ruruka, "I know you're happy to see your friends, sweetie, but you also know not to walk away from me and daddy when we're in public, right? Who knows what could happen if someone ever takes advantage of it? "

"Okay. Sorry, Okaa-san..." Ruruka promised her, a little ashamed, before she got another hopeful smile on her face. "Otoo-san, Okaa-san, can we eat with them? I want to play with Mikan-chan and the others! "

"Oh yes, that would be a good idea! "Katara immediately seemed to be excited about the idea. "We haven't seen each other for a while, so it's perfect timing! "

"Oh yes, it would be a good opportunity to get to know each other better! "Mariko also seemed to be in favor of it with her husband. "That is, if you agree, of course, Andoh-san..."

The mother seemed a little hesitant, before finally giving a small smile. "Well, I have nothing against it. Besides, this way, we can keep an eye on the kids. "

"Ah, perfect! "Kotoya smiles, "I know a small restaurant not far away. We can set up shop there! "

"Good idea, honey! " Mariko then turned to her children. "Did you hear that, kids? "

"Yeah! "

Ruruka's parents took the opportunity to go into a little exile. Or rather, it was Akemi who dragged her husband away, and although she spoke low, Takara could hear that she was not happy. "You could have told me that you had made friends, though! And with the parents of our daughter's new friends, at that! "

"I didn't think it was important. Besides, you wanted to know about Ruruka..."

"That includes who she's befrieding too! If she hadn't told me herself, you wouldn't have! "

"You're exaggerating, it's only been two days since you arrived. Besides, it's not a bad thing for her to make friends... "

"That's not the point, and you know it! "

"Is everything okay? "

The parents looked back at Mariko who seemed worried, before Takara smiled at her, "Yes, yes, everything is fine! Don't worry, we were just agreeing on a few things! "

"Well, if you say so..." Mariko smiled at them before turning back to the children who were talking among themselves. "Let us know if there's a problem. "

"No worries! " Katata smiled before turning to her wife. "Look, we're not here to argue, okay? It can wait until we're alone for that. For now, we're smiling to please Ruruka."

"You didn't have to tell me, that's why I'm here in the first place. " Akemi answered him in a serious way, before joining the group.

The children were delighted to see them getting closer and talking with the other adults... but our curious little one couldn't help but notice the tension around her friend's parents. Her parents too, looking at each other and communicating with their eyes.

But this was not a time for doubts, but for good humor. It was indiscreet to judge someone you barely knew.


It didn't take long for the two families to move to the restaurant, the parents ordering the table while everyone else took their places. In this order and clockwise, there was Makoto, Komaru, Mikan, Seiko, Ruruka, Akemi, Takara, Kotoya and Mariko.

And it didn't take long either for Ruruka to share her joy once they were settled. "It's so nice to see you all! I was so not expecting it! "

"Neither were we, sweetie! "Takara laughed with her daughter. "We didn't know we were going to run into you guys, but it's all for the best! "

"Yes, I guess it's a good opportunity..." Akemi followed, seeming a little hesitant, before elaborating. "I mean, this is my first time in this part of town, and I don't know many people here..."

"Ah? Well, we'll gladly help you find your way around, if you like. " Kotoya smiled at him, "Who knows, there might be some interesting businesses for you. "

"Yes, I suppose it's worth a look..." Ruruka's mother smiled modestly before turning to her daughter. "So, Ruruka? You told me about your new friends, how about you introduce me to them? "

"Yes, Okaa-san! "Ruruka smiled at her before starting. "The girl with the bandages is Mikan-chan! Mikan Tsumiki! She likes to heal others, like Seiko-chan!"

"E-enchanted..." Mikan smiled nervously at her. "I-I hope we can get along well..."

"Well, so far, I think we're off to a good start, little one..." Akemi smiled a little, before looking down at her bandages. "I know this is intrusive and we've already talked about this, but... are you in pain? "

Obviously, the poor thing started to get nervous. "E-erm... well..."

But Seiko, seeing her distress, went to her rescue. "Excuse her, she doesn't like to talk about it... we've seen other people hurt her..."

"That's right." Mariko joined her at once. "We've taken care of her injuries. We're trying to help her to get better. "

"Ah. I see. " Akemi had the decency to look a little ashamed before apologizing. "I'm sorry, it's just... I'm a little curious. I'm sorry I asked the question, little one. "

"Th-that's okay, ma'am. " Mikan replied with a small smile. "You couldn't have known..."

"Okay, well, I'll try to remember that. " Ruruka's mother assured her, before looking at the Naegi children. "What about you two? "

"Oh I'm Komaru Naegi! Nice to meet you! " Komaru smiled at her, "And this is my brother Makoto! "

Makoto bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Andoh. "

"Likewise, likewise. " The woman replied, before getting a pensive look on her face. "Wait... Makoto... why does that name sound so familiar? "

"It's because he's the one who saved Seiko-chan! "Ruruka explained with a smile. "I told you about him a little before I left, remember? "

Akemi frowned a little, before widening her eyebrows. "Ah, that's right! It was after the incident with Seiko, right? " She turned to the boy with a serious look. "You know it's still dangerous, right? I don't have to tell you what your parents probably told you. "

"No, ma'am..." The boy apologized with a sincere but nervous tone, under the gaze of the parents who were surprised by the tone she seemed to take with their son, but in view of what had happened, they only looked at each other in a... intrigued way.

Takara, on the other hand, did not appreciate the gesture, and he let her know. "Akemi, we already told him not to do it again. And you can see that you're embarrassing him as well. "

"But we still have to remind him so that it doesn't happen again! It's important to think about the safety of the children! "Akemi turned to Komaru, Mariko and Kotoya. "That's what you told her, isn't it? "

"Yes, of course! " Komaru confirmed to her. "We made him promise not to put himself in danger like that again. Not true, big brother! "

"Y-yes, it's true, ma'am," Makoto nodded. "I promise not to do it again. "

"That's good. We don't want this kind of incident to happen again. You might worry your patents even more with these stories. "

Kotoya and Mariko didn't really like the tone she was taking with the children, and especially that she sounded proud of herself, but her worries seemed valid enough to them, and they didn't want to leave a bad impression of them towards the wife of a friend; a friend who seemed exasperated by her worry. As for the children, they all seemed confused by the situation. Ruruka was looking at her parents in a confused way, as were Makoto and Komaru who were worried, the little one holding Mikan's hand who was starting to panic slightly.

Seiko, too, seemed nervous, and made the decision to speak. "M-Madam Andoh...c-that wasn't her basic fault. M-my book had been thrown on the road, and I wanted to get it back. M-but the xamion came so fast, and...j-I couldn't move..."

At this, the mother sighed. "Seiko, I think I and the one who runs the orphanage have already told you, you can't keep letting yourself be tormented like this, let alone do nothing when your life is at stake. You won't be so lucky the next time it happens. "

"Akemi. " Takara let her know once again her displeasure. "You know very well that she doesn't like stress. She is already aware of that. "

"I'm just saying be careful! You never know what might happen, and especially right now with this story running around. "

"Oh?" Kotoya raised his eyebrows. "What story? "

"You mean you don't know about it?! "Akemi seemed very surprised to hear that. "There are yakuza fights taking place in the streets! It surprises me that it's me who has to tell you about it! "

The tension then began to rise "Ah... ah well?" Mariko asked the next question, sounding a bit dubious. "And how do you know that? "

"But because I heard it on the street, of course! This kind of thing, it's easily spread, everyone talks about it! I really don't understand how you could have missed it! "

"We wanted to spend time with Mikan, that's why we didn't hear it until today..." Mariko explained, a little confused by the other woman's reaction. "But thanks for letting us know. "

Akemi sighed a little. "Well, if you tell me that, it means you haven't had any problems so far, so much the better. " Akemi looked at them seriously. "But I'd rather bring you up to speed. The Kuzuryus are apparently very nervous about these fights. "

"Y-yes, we heard some of the agents complaining about that at the orphanage..." Seiko added nervously. "We haven't seen anyone really dangerous around, but it's still scary..."

"I understand..." Makoto nodded, before asking a question. "Is that why Sonhosuke isn't here? Did he get in trouble? "

"Yes, his dad told him to stay home for now. " Ruruka sighed sadly. "That's a shame, I wanted to spend some time with him..."

"Don't worry, sweetie," Takara smiled at her, "I'm sure you'll get a chance to see him once his dad is done working with the Kuzuryus. "

"Yes... let's hope it's over soon. " Akemi commented. "I have to tell you that I'm not very comfortable when we talk about this. It always puts me in one of those states... this environment is dangerous after all. "

Mikan leaned towards Komaru to whisper, "Should we... should we tell him about Kuzuryu-san? "

"I don't think that's a good idea..." Komaru replied quietly. "Ruruka-san doesn't seem to have mentioned it either, yet..."

"No, she preferred not to say anything about it..." Seiko joined the conversation. "She's not angry with her anymore, but she prefers not to bring up the subject. "

"Okay..." Makoto nodded, while the adults discussed. They thought it was best not to mention Natsumi for now, since Ruruka's mom didn't seem to like the environment.

But he couldn't help but have a thought for his friends. 'I hope they're okay...'


"Damn it! Damn it to hell! "

"That's five times you've said the same thing, Natsumi..."

"You shut the fuck up! I'm really not in the mood right now! "

"Y-young mistress..."

Peko was trying, as best he could, to calm down the situation between the two Kuzuryus, but Natsumi's temper, already fiery from the start, was now explosive. The reason?

"I don't believe it! Otoo-san and Ojii-san says he finally has a clue about this accident, but they refuse to tell me more?! What is this shit?! "Natsumi cried out. "Why telling me this, then?! Doesn't they know I'm trying to help?! "

"Natsumi, you know very well why! They said we shouldn't get involved! "Her brother came from behind. "You have to trust the family! "

"Yeah?! What am I supposed to do about it, huh? "Natsumi shouted in his face. "I promised to punish those bastards who almost killed my best friend, how can I do that when I'm forced to be here with nothing to do?! "

"Young mistress, I understand your frustration..." Peko raised his voice a little louder to make himself heard. "But I think you should try to think. What would happen if you were seen outside? With apparently all the conflict going on, a fight could break out... and you know how dangerous that gets..."

The blonde calmed down slightly, but still wasn't happy. "At least I could contribute something..."

"Makoto and the others wouldn't want to see you like this. "

A moment of silence followed that sentence, before Natsumi sighed heavily. "Damn it..." She headed for the door. "I'm going to my room. "

Fuyuhiko watched her go, sighing in turn. Peko went to her side with a worried look on his face, "Young master... should I follow her? "

"Nah, you know she doesn't like it when you spy on her like that. " He replied seriously, before looking at her. "Especially now. Since the incident the other day, she's been in a tizzy. "

"It's understandable... but this is the first time I've seen her this frustrated in a long time..." Peko remarked. "Do you think... it was a good idea to tell her that? "

"I don't know, honestly. But as soon as Makoto is involved, she completely changes her behavior. " Natsumi's brother looked at the door. "But you can tell it's not easy for her. And frankly, who can blame her? "

His bodyguard could only mimic his gesture, looking worried. It's true, Natsumi was a hothead, but before she met Makoto, nothing seemed to stop her in her tracks. Now they could see that she was trying to think before she acted, and was rushing ahead.

Unfortunately, change was never easy... especially since habits can easily take over.

The droplets on the floor at the door were evidence of this.


Back with Makoto and the others, lunch was coming to an end. Since Makoto's parents had already paid a lot of money for Mikan, Takara had decided to devote himself for this time. Of course, the Naegi parents didn't want him to spend his money on them, but he insisted, leaving them with little choice, which Mariko and Kotoya thought was generous... but his wife didn't seem to appreciate the attention her husband was giving them.

While the parents were chatting with each other, the children were saying goodbye. "Okay, well... this is where we say goodbye. " Seiko gave them a small smile. "It was nice to see you all again..."

"U-us too..." Mikan laughed shyly. "We should all meet again sometime. It's good to be together..."

"Yes, it is! "Komaru added. "Say hello to Sonhosuke-san for us! And maybe Kiriko-san too when we see her again!"

"Of course! " Ruruka smiled at him, before looking at Makoto, her smile becoming calmer, "Mako-chan... you'll say the same for Natsumi-chan and the others, right? I couldn't tell her, but... I hope it gets better when we meet again. "

Makoto smiled slowly when he heard Ruruka say that. He knew what it meant, and this sign made him happy. It was a sign that things would get better. "Alright. I'll tell him. "

"Ruruka! Seiko! " Akemi called to them. "We have to go now! "

"Yes, we're coming! "Ruruka warned her mother before smiling at them one last time. "See you soon! See you on my birthday! "

"Bye..."

"Bye! "

Seeing Ruruka's family leave, Kotoya and Mariko approached their children and Mikan, the husband saying, "Well, that was a nice little surprise... we'll have to do that again. "

"Yes, it was interesting. Especially meeting Ruruka's mother... that was something. " Mariko commented, before smiling at her children. "So, are you ready for the rest of my day! Especially you, Mikan? "

"Yes!"

"Y-yes..."

Seeing the smiles of his children and Mikan, the parents took their hands and continued on their way, spending the rest of the day for Mikan, aiming to give him good times...

FRST! FRST!

Without hearing the sound of the bushes behind them, near the restaurant.

And without hearing the voices lurking there. Young... and familiar voices.

"So, are they gone? "

"Yeah, they went their separate ways. "

"I can't believe it, we're jinxed! Seeing them in the same place as us..."

"Yeah, why is the girl with the bandages going with them in the first place? "

"I don't know... but seeing her all happy after what she did to us, it makes me mad! Because of her, I can hardly leave the house anymore! "

"Yeah, same thing! I'm suffocating at home now! All because we messed with the other girl with the mask! "

"By the way, why did the other dummy with the wick save it?! She's just a freak! "

"Yeah, and we didn't even do it! It was Katzuyo who got mad-"

"Hey, you idiots, I'm right here! And keep your voice down, we can only hear you! "

The third voice silenced the other two, letting the silence last a minute... then, she spoke again.

"You haven't understood yet, or what? This is the perfect opportunity that we have, there! "

" Huh? What are you talking about? "

"Haven't you been listening?! One of her dumbass friends' birthdays is coming up! "

"Yeah, so what?"

And if his tone before was hostile... now it was cruel.

"Then we're in luck. We get to settle the score. "


And here it is!

Damn... it took a long time for this one! Longer than necessary.

Technically, I managed to get the chapter out before the end of the month, so... but still, it took me a while!

And believe me, it might get harder, with my new job, during the rest of the year! So... I think my original schedule of one chapter per story every two months can be thrown out. Yep, I'm unsalvageable.

So, you can expect everything to happen. A chapter of each of my stories, you can't know which, but you'll know it's a least once a month! A semblance of organization for this chaotic mess that is my mind, which shall stay unorganized.

And don't worry about the other main fic. You shall see the second chapter very soon! I would say… next week-end!

Well, I'll do my best to continue! In the meantime, be well, that's the most important! Ciao!

Pupla out, Corona begone. Stay safe, people.