06 Instinct
Mikan put one foot on his stomach as she stared at him laying down on the ground, totally beaten up. His white shirt was no longer crisp clean. "If I see you one more time, I'll break other things." Her eyes travelled down the length of his body and stopped at a particular spot. Her lips curled up to a cold smirk. She motioned for his crotch. "Preferably that family crown of yours." She pressed her foot harder and leaned down. "So make sure not to come anywhere near me," she warned.
She tossed the size of a baseball bat chunk of wood aside and rubbed her hands together. "The same goes for you too, buddy." She glanced at the other man laying down next to the drain, all bruised up and unmoving. His horrible cheap looking bleached hair plastered on his forehead due to his sweats. "Sorry if it hurts too much. Go to the hospital if the pain prolong, yeah?" The man blinked rapidly with his brows lowered, not sure if she meant it genuinely or in a sarcastic way but he didn't say anything. Not that he could, with his current state. He could taste blood in his mouth right now.
The two man watched in silent as the brunette muttered something under her breath as she made her way towards the brick gate. Despite the horrible state they're both in right now, their eyebrows shot up in surprise when her pace broke into a run before she grabbed for the top of the gate and made a jump over it. She did it so effortlessly and swiftly, the sight of it looked almost beautiful. She didn't even break a sweat at all.
As they finally lost sight of her, one of the men let out a mortifying sigh. They clearly didn't expect this to happen. Well, obviously because she looked so defenseless. Who would have thought that they're the ones who got beaten up at the end. She looked cute so they followed her from the train and when she headed for an empty backstreet, they thought it was a good time to attack. To think that it actually backfired, they felt the shame of being badly beaten up by a girl. Well, at least she didn't call the cops so they felt grateful a little.
On the other hand, Mikan made a perfect land on the other side of the gate. She pat herself a good job and bent down to pick up her bag. It wasn't there. She looked closely around her. "Shit." Now she remembered. She grabbed for the top of the gate again with both of her hands and pushed herself up so that her head would pop up over the gate. Compared to the other side, the ground on this side wasn't that high so she didn't have to put in so much effort. She saw her bag not far from the drain.
"Hey, you." She saw the two men flinched. "Can you pass me my bag there?" She looked at the two men who looked away, pretending not to hear anything—or they're actually really could not move, she's not sure. "Look, I'm sorry for beating you guys at your own game but on a serious note, you two deserve it. Now, can you please help a girl out? I need to go to my class so can you get my bag there?"
The two men still didn't move. "Okay, fine. If we crossed path next time, I will let you guys run away. How bout it? Your family crown is safe. Deal?" She tried to bargain. She already climbed the gate once and she's not gonna do it another two times for her bag. She hated troublesome work. She had now developed a habit of finding another ways where she could avoid using her own energy.
One of the men turned to look at her. Seemed like he bought the deal. "I can't get up so I'll just toss it over." Now they're oddly compliant, it's kinda funny.
"Yeah that's fine too. Thanks!" She watched as the man painfully tried to grab for the bag and made a tremendous effort to lift it up. "Whoa—on a second thought, let the other one do it." She motioned for the other guy with the bleached hair who was giving her a confusing look. "Look, I just broke your friends' fingers just now. He couldn't even lift my bag, how cruel of you to let him toss it over? That must hurt a lot." The two men gave her an incredulous look that obviously meant, 'bish who's the cruel one to break his fingers in the first place!?'
Nonetheless, the other guy tossed the bag before he quickly fell back on his back as soon as he made the throw. He breathed heavily. Moving around still hurt him apparently, even though he didn't have any broken bones like his friend—or at least that's what he thought for now.
Mikan watched the bag passed over her head, flew over the gate and hit the walls of the back of the storeroom before it fell down on the ground. "You know what, I bet nobody would want to be in your team for PE." She scowled. "You have horrible toss." Nevertheless, she said her thanks again and went to grab for her bag.
She found a pair of eyes openly staring at her. "Never took you as a person who beat people up," he commented. How long had he been there? He was crouching down against the wall of the storeroom. Though it was not a large area—the space between behind the storeroom and the back gate, it was still an open space. So why didn't she notice him before? With the spot he's currently at now, she would have spotted him immediately.
She picked up her bag and dusted it. "Never took you as a smoker either," she responded and slung the bag on her side.
"Not a habitual one, at least." He took a deep puff and exhaled the smoke out. Mikan narrowed her eyes at the sight. He looked the least startled that she found out he smoked nor the fact that they bumped into each other there. "This doesn't match your image."
The blonde-haired student let out a raspy chuckle. "I know." He finished his last puff before throwing it on the ground and stepped on it. He looked at her. "You do that often?"
Mikan furrowed her brows. "How long were you there?"
He shrugged. "Long enough I guess." Mikan looked at the amount of cigarettes butt on the ground. He said he wasn't a habitual smoker but with that amount, he must be stressing out over something. Like, really stressing out. This lackadaisical air around him right now was odd too. She had never known Ruka Nogi could smoke.
She walked over to him and sat down, joining him on the ground. "In my offense, it was for self-defense." She took her bag off and put it down on the ground next to her. She crossed her legs together and leaned against the wall. "They groped me in the train and even followed me to the street. I don't know how to properly beat people up but my instinct told me to fight back so I did," she explained. She tapped her chin, suddenly wondering. "Though I feel kind of bad for going overboard. How much do you think would be the medical cost to treat broken bones?"
Ruka threw her a sideway-dubious look, yet he was overwhelmed by her question. Did she just seriously thinking of it after she just beat them up so horribly like that? Normally, would people even think about it after they beat people up? No, more importantly, wouldn't girls normally be totally shaken after been groped? That's like sexual harassment already, wasn't it? How much of a spirited fighter is she to be able to beat them up like that even after going through such a thing and yet, acting all normal now like nothing had happened? Ruka tried to remember if Mikan was ever so brutal like that. She was not.
To be honest, he didn't exactly know what was going on. He was casually taking a puff there, in need of some sort of stress reliever, minding his own business, listening—not that he wanted to but with where he was at that time, he couldn't not listen since it was close by, just across the gate— to some random after-fight talk when suddenly a girl came jumping over the gate and she did it like it was the most normal thing she ever did. He wouldn't know that she actually beat those people up if he didn't hear it just now when she's so busy trying to get her bag. Hell, he didn't even expect it was Mikan Sakura in the first place.
He was even more surprised at that; to think that Mikan Sakura actually and finally came to school. Since it had been two days since the last time they met at the teachers' lounge. He didn't expect she would come today and certainly not in this kind of situation where they would bump into each other.
"Based on the place of your choice to smoke, I'm guessing Hotaru isn't aware of this," she suddenly declared. "Since you did it so discretely like this."
"I rather hope she doesn't found out." Ruka let out a half-hearted smile. He rather she never found out about it at all. Ever. Because the sole reasons of him being like this was none other than her, too. How ironic that only thing that drove him insanely stress out was also the only thing/person that he love insanely. Hotaru Imai.
"This is about Hotaru, then," Mikan concluded concisely, figuring the core of his problems in just a second like she was some sort of psychic with a crystal ball or something. Ruka's jaw dropped. "You know how scary it is that you able to figure it out in just a second?" He gave her a long stare. "You don't happen to—"
"I can't read minds, Nogi." Mikan laughed. Upon seeing that and hearing it, Ruka felt a very nostalgic feeling warming up inside him. Last time they met, they didn't talk much but even from afar, Ruka could sensed the distant air she had somehow putting on. But now, it just felt like he's joking around with her like the ol' days, although they never talked alone like this before. Strange. Why was she like that then?
"I guess I'm that easy to read huh." He smiled softly as he looked down, a lil bit embarrassed of himself.
"Not really. I'm just quick in picking things up anything that relates to Hotaru," Mikan admitted earnestly. Ruka thought he had seen a sad smile on Mikan's face for a second before it disappeared just as quick half a second later. She turned to look at him with a head tilt. "I'm the closest to her for years, you know that right?" She was hinting him that she could obviously help him.
Ruka was doubtful at first but at the end, he let it out. He didn't have anyone to consult with in the first place and he knew what Mikan said actually made sense. Who knew Hotaru better than her anyways? Even though Ruka thought right now their friendship looked somehow like falling apart but now it's not the time to probe about that. He let out a long sigh. "The thing is…" his words trailed. He rubbed his hands together. "Hotaru wanted the wedding ceremony after we both finish our studies."
Mikan nodded her head, listening attentively. It was kind of odd because the last time they met, it seemed like Mikan didn't want to talk and now she's listening to his problems. Ruka continued on, "And on the other hand… my parents want to have it as soon as possible."
"How soon is that soon?"
He hesitated for a while before adding in a quiet voice, "Right after we graduate."
Mikan raised her eyebrows. "From the academy?"
Ruka nodded mildly. "They said good things should not wait." He plopped down on the ground and sighed. "You know how persistent they can get. I'm already out of sorts of what to do." He raked a hand through his blonde hair and felt like pulling them out due to stress.
They were both silent for a while and Ruka assumed Mikan was deep in thoughts so he too, kept quiet. "Alright then, Ruka. Here's the thing." Mikan pat his shoulder lightly after a moment of pondering. She found a way to help him but debated with herself whether she should share the little trick she knew with Ruka since she's the only one who's fully aware of it.
No matter, Ruka's a friend. Even if this had not been in her initial plan, she felt bad if she didn't help him. Her conscious wouldn't like it too if she just turned a blind eye when it was obvious he's so concerned about it. She should lend a hand. "I know this little trick that can get what you want. More like, what your parents want."
Ruka looked at her, feeling slightly uncertain of the whole thing but he listened nonetheless. "I'm sure you know this more than anyone else that Hotaru can be very stubborn."
"Yeah and you parents are persistent too so they match perfectly here," Mikan mumbled under her breath intentionally. Ruka rolled his eyes at her.
"How many times did you ask her about it?" She asked but didn't wait for his answer as she continued on, "I assume you only did it for not more than three times because you think three is the limit since she said no three times straight so you thought if she said no three times straight, she would surely say no to the fourth time as well. So you thought it's not possible after all and eventually stop asking at the end," she deduced in one single breath. The corner of her lips curled up a little. "That's where you're wrong." She pointed one finger at him.
"If you want to get Hotaru to agree on something that she doesn't want to, you have to ask her many times." Mikan nodded her head at the declaration. "Don't limit it to three times only. Ask her as many times as it take because at the end, she will definitely agree on it. I can assure you that."
Ruka narrowed his eyes at her skeptically. "To be honest, that doesn't sound like a good idea at all. You mean I have to ask as many times as I can without knowing when she will say yet but knowing she will definitely agree at the end?"
Mikan nodded her head. "Yeah. That's right." She looked at his unconvinced face. "Ruka, I can vouch for it." She thought of something as proof to tell him that the trick actually worked. Well, there were quite a few actually. She's actually proud of them too because she got the Hotaru Imai to do the things that she didn't want to in the first place. "How bout the time she paid for my meal where she also paid for the caviar that I ate? Or the time I got her to have the same henna as me?"
Ruka remembered that time. Hotaru actually took out her own money to pay for someone else! Since she's usually the one who extorted money from someone else instead. If he could raise his eyebrows than what he already did, his eyebrows would already be lost from his forehead. He was that surprised. Not to mention the time when Hotaru agreed to have her hands henna-ed. That was the most outrageous thing ever that anybody would not have expected for Hotaru Imai to do. Even the air around her crackled when she came to the school the next morning.
She paused as she looked ahead with her eyes looked distant, before adding, "In my case, I'm not sure why she accepted when it's obvious that she didn't want to. Probably because she couldn't stand my constant pestering, asking her so many times that it annoyed her so she gave up and finally said yes to whatever I want," she smiled a little, "or because she saw my effort in asking her so many times that it showed how much I really want it, that eventually changed her mind. Maybe Hotaru just wanted to see how serious I was in wanting it, that's what I often think too." She looked at Ruka again. "Maybe it'll work for you too."
Ruka sat pondering. What Mikan said was indeed logical. There were other solid proofs too now that he thought about it. So now he should just asked her as many times as he should? Would it be a full hundred percent confirmation that she would agree at the end anyways? He turned around when he heard a buzz. Mikan was rummaging her bag and took out a phone.
"Ah sorry. I got caught up with something," she said to the other line and stood up, dusting her skirt. "Yeah I already fetch your parcel so I'll be heading there now. Oh you're there already?" She looked at the screen of her phone before putting it back to her ear. "I lost track of the time, my bad. Okay I'm going there now." She hanged up and returned it back to where she pulled it out from her bag.
Ruka looked at her. "New number?" He noticed there was short pause before Mikan answered, "Nah, not mine. Someone just lent it to me for awhile because I don't have a phone." She then gave him a small smile which to Ruka's view, looked slightly downcast. "I don't think I'll be needing one for now." She stared at Ruka like she was expecting something. "You're not going to class? Homeroom is already over."
"I'm gonna stay for a bit longer." He shrugged and leaned back. "At least until the smell fade away a little."
"You should've brought a perfume or something." She picked up her bag and turning around, she started to walk the other way.
"Exactly that," Ruka mumbled under his breath, not sure whether it's loud enough for her to hear although he had not really have the intention wanting her to hear it. He looked at his watch. If he came to school today, this would be the time he usually came to fetch him to class. Ruka wondered how this would turn out. It's not that he's really looking forward to see it for fun, it's just that he's quite curious how all of this will unravel and affect the rest of the whole school term after this.
At that precise moment, someone appeared from the corner of the building, walking towards the direction where Mikan was heading. Ruka sat still, his eyes were a fixed gaze, concentrating on the whole scene that was slowly playing before his eyes. He was kinda anticipating it to be honest.
The raven-haired were looking at his phone while holding something in his other hand. His feet were moving but his attention was elsewhere. But Mikan, on the other hand, Ruka turned his attention to her now. He could only see her back but he knew Mikan had seen him already but oddly enough, and surprisingly, she didn't stop walking. It just made him wonder even more what Mikan was thinking. Somehow seeing it all as a third person, he could feel the butterflies flying wildly, colliding like they were drunk, in his stomach. He didn't feel anything before but now that both of them were walking closer to each other, he actually thought his heart would wreck due to too much pounding. He was that eagerly anticipating what will happen.
"Damn it Nogi stop forgetting things like an old geezer. " The raven-haired looked up just in time when Mikan passed him. Ruka thought his breath hitched up that very second. "Telling me to fetch your stuff, I'm not your—Ow! That fucking hurts!" Snapping, he turned around with a hand over the back of his head. "I told you to stop doing that, Mikan!" He growled.
He then suddenly froze. What on earth did just come out from his mouth? Now he felt oddly lost when he just realized he blurted it out unconsciously. He didn't even realize it himself. Now seeing the person whom he thought was responsible for the whack on the back of his head, he wondered in awe why he automatically called out Mikan's name when it's not even her. He didn't recognize who she was. Natsume furrowed his brows harder, staring at the retreating figure, still walking away like she had not committed a crime of hitting a person's head.
Just when she made a turn at the corner, she raised a hand and gave him a very familiar looking back wave before disappearing. He had seen that kind of hand waving before.
He was hesitant at first because he could not recognize the girl with such odd hair colour—plus, by the time he turned around, her hair was all he could see, not her face—but now, putting the small pieces together, it was definitely Mikan Sakura. He's sure of it now. It was all a familiar occurrence; maybe that's why his instinct worked faster than his brain this time around.
It was on that moment that Natsume Hyuuga was stupefied.
Ruka was beside him in a second. "How did you know it was her?" He took the perfume from Natsume's unmoving and stiff hand, feeling slightly surprised at the turn of events. He looked at his best friend and wondered if he already knew that she's coming back to school today since he seemed so quick in recognizing her just now.
"I didn't."
But Mikan Sakura was the only person who would/dare smack his head like that. His instinct unconsciously acted and he just… knew.
TBC.
