Something You've Read Before

Chapter Thirty One

Now

Mikan enjoyed her breakfast with Narumi containing rice which she had two servings already, bacon that had the right salty taste, ate three rolls of eggs, and drank two glasses of juice. It was a hearty meal and Mikan ate a lot, telling her father that she needed energy because today was the first day of dreadful exam week. Narumi tried to equal his daughter's enthusiasm by cheering her on as she made her way to the academy, wearing the lightest of heart and looking ahead in anticipation. As both of Mikan's hands buried on the pocket of her coat, she admired the way winter changed the surrounding. The trees were left with only its branches now but some breed had their brown, dried blossom intact. Every morning felt like twilight as the sun had lesser exposure time in this season, the houses were still, the only noises heard came from birds. Usually, shops opened before lunch time during winter and that meant less people in an early morning.

Sniffing the morning air and hugging herself to trick her body into feeling warm, Mikan enjoyed her walk, greeting some of their neighbors along the way. She stopped by her favorite house. It looked melancholic to her as usual with how strong it replicated her house in Akita. Mikan still dreamt of a complete family lodging in one house but she could not force things like that and maybe that time would come someday in the most unforeseen way. One thing she learned this year was that fate had a way of making itself relevant to her life. Mikan never meant to become friends with Natsume let alone love him but it happened. She did not expect, even in her wildest dreams, that meeting Youichi was gonna be as laidback as it did. In her mind, she always predicted the worst and most dramatic outcomes but it never happened. Mikan giggled inwardly, glad that any complication stopped in her mind and did not occur in real life.

The Alice Academy gates were wide open and it always gave that inviting aura with the way it spread its two wings, painted in black with a stash of gold, and built as tall like those in palaces. Mikan particularly loved the way Sakura Tress aligned on both sides of the pathway leading to the school even if they were withered now because of the season. As she looked at both of her sides, she saw more students driving and parking their bikes and a group of friends who met at the gate and hopped together. Simply watching them placed a smile on Mikan's face, realizing she was getting so absorbed by the little things today and before she got late, she ran her way to the locker area.

It happened all so quick, from changing her shoes and putting the materials she only needed for the day to walking toward the actual school hallway. Mikan was reviewing out loud the math equation taught by Natsume yesterday, counting using her fingers but failing so, until she saw Ken Nagihiko in an immovable state in front of the announcement area. The last time Mikan bonded with Ken and his friends was the celebration for their win during the Arts & Media Week and since then, she only saw him time to time with Yura and during the large meeting held with the students at Glassroots wherein he expressed his worry about the state of the school.

Mikan tapped him on the shoulder, overlapping both of her hands in her back, and asked, "Hey, Ken! What are you looking at?"

"The list," Ken replied without feigning excitement upon seeing an old comrade. His eyes stayed glued on the board after paying Mikan a glance, taking a picture of it which made Mikan wonder what was wrong. "It's a lot different compared to the ones presented before."

"What do you mean?" Mikan asked, taking a peek for herself. Honestly, Mikan did not know what was the difference with the original list Ken mentioned to this one but it did look less in numbers.

"Some clubs are confident that they would retain their status but that's not the case for everybody. Good for the Student Council to still hold their position. At least their influence worked."

Ken made two steps back from the board, placing hands on his waist while shaking his head. Mikan pouted at Ken's display of discontent, feeling offended in lieu of the Student Council. When it came to changing how Ken viewed the Student Council, it failed to modify even after the clarifications during A&M Week. Although, he showed to be non-aggressive after that event and somehow the council had one less person to worry about.

"Why do I think you're being sarcastic with that?" Mikan shot.

"Not really. I just know some people who are disappointed that their club did not make the cut."

Mikan finally got his point, thinking that Ken was just looking out for the others . Imagine when you thought you were in such a stable position then everything wiggled and it became too late to save what you had. She knew some of her classmates were saddened with the dissolvement of some of the clubs and they only stayed quiet because majority of the students agreed with the decision of the council. In this kind of situation, the minority really felt the consequences of being voiceless and not having the popular opinion.

"Maybe they can try next year," said Mikan quietly, remorse robbing her heart off.

"Or it never needed trying in the first place," Ken emphasized with his shoulders shrugging, "I wonder what entered the brains of The Board when they messed with students like this? For me, it seemed illogical since Alice Academy is doing better than well. Do you think it's a personal vendetta or something? Did the Student Council upset them or could it be one of the heads of the club?"

Mikan felt a vein twitched in her forehead. "I wonder, too. See you around?" Mikan waved her hands as she disappeared from Ken's sight.

Sometimes, Ken's creativity had the inclination to transcend reality and how he got all of that accurate was beyond Mikan's cognition. But, hearing it straight from somebody's mouth who was not within the council circle made Mikan feel that the cause of this was not that too hidden to stay unnoticed. Staring at the gigantic digital clock which signaled that Mikan came early in school compared to other days, she decided to wait for Natsume at his classroom. As she walked, her hands were clasped together, head looking down because her mind was preoccupied with Ken's words earlier. Natsume did his best to remove the guilty tendencies she had but it seemed so wrong not to feel so because it was really just Kaoru's way of threatening their relationship and pushing them in the corner. Alice Academy might not be shaken and the students could graduate without qualms.

It suddenly became difficult to meet the faces of the people Mikan stumbled upon as she made her way to Natsume's classroom. Her imagination ran wild even without the suspicious or judgmental stares. Mikan stopped from her steps for a while, convinced herself to regain her composure or else Natsume would be troubled again. She covered her face with her hands and let out an exasperated breath to release the tension inside her, stretching her lower extremities and twisted her body in order to welcome relaxation. It was useless to reveal her weakness now as already proven and staying strong was the only thing that helped her walk with head high until now. Meeting familiar faces along the way did not become easier but at least Mikan managed until she was in front of the classroom.

Natsume had no idea she was waiting for him and he seemed to be not in the classroom either. She waited by standing near the window, back leaning on the wall while her head turned to the school's tennis club who performed their morning training, feeling sympathy to them because it was the exam week after all. The longer she stayed there, the more students talked about her in a whisper and this scene was such a high school thing. Mikan used to do it with her own classmates whenever they saw one member of the couple waiting for the other outside. They found it sweet and thoughtful and doing the act now made Mikan realized that she was not totally wrong. It was actually thoughtful and sweet. Two more girls whose faces Mikan saw the first time bowed at her and giggled lightly and based on the tag of their uniform, they were freshmen. Mikan quickly concluded that Natsume's fans spanned to every year and not just among their batch.

"Hey, you."

Finally, he arrived. Mikan's attention shifted to Natsume in an instant, waving at him, trodden her steps to mess with his hair with a small laugh. His hair was particularly neat today and the first thing Mikan noticed so she sent her message that something was different with Natsume through that. "Did you open your gift?" she asked as Natsume held her wrist and arranged his hair with his free hand.

Natsume pointed at himself with an arrogant smirk. "Me? When it specifically said to not open it until Christmas?" he taunted.

Mikan laid down a skeptical expression, crossing her arms, and pouting her lips. "So, you didn't, did you?" she asked.

Blowing air through his mouth and copying Mikan's current stance, Natsume said, "Is this your way of saving money by giving me one gift for two occasions?"

That never crossed Mikan's mind but she wanted to ride with the humor and said, "Ooops."

The morning transformed into being a laid back one with the natural light reflecting on the windows of the corridors. Mikan looked like she was caught something doing bad while Natsume snickered over her reaction and it sure made the girls swooned. When the two of them felt the place was not appropriate anymore for the sake of their privacy, they bought some time to continue their conversation on the school's fire exit. The wind welcomed them lovingly, spewing on their faces as they opened the metal door. The coat that came with the school uniform did a poor job of protecting each from the cold but it was manageable at least and their stay outside was only for a short while.

"Don't worry. It took everything from me but I didn't open it. Yet."

Mikan looked up, tried to figure out at first what Natsume meant by that until her brain functioned again and got the wit. "Natsume?"asked Mikan without blinking, "Is everything alright with the Student Council?"

The laidback atmosphere disappeared the moment the question was brought up. Natsume asked himself mentally what caused Mikan to think that the council had problems at the moment. He brushed his nose with his fingers, analyzing the question and the origin of it. He only came up with one idea and that was the list and the rumors that grew along with it. To be honest, Natsume was bothered with the decision of The Board because he really felt they won this time but Kaoru was too smart for her own good. Kaoru was making sure that she would not look like a loser at the end of this battle.

"What do you mean?"

Mikan shrugged her shoulders, tapping her foot on the ground, hands on her back, and seemingly avoiding Natsume's gaze. "I saw the memo. I wonder what is the school's reaction about it. I heard it's a bit different than what was proposed."

Natsume remembered the second e-mail sent to him by Kaoru which he chose not to disclosed to Mikan yet. He tapped her shoulder for assurance but he was unsure with the action himself. "Negotiations are still in progress. Also, we knew from the very start that we're going to lose some, but we intend to gain more."

"I'm sorry if I sound like I'm intruding."

"Don't be. I understand why you're worried."

Mikan hated to be the one bringing up complicated topics especially after Natsume's birthday which turned out to be a beautiful celebration despite its simplicity and him not wanting to celebrate it. Their conversation ended in a low note and they separated with more questions rather than answers. It was a completely foreign feeling for Mikan because her talks with Natsume always ended with solutions and hope but this one certainly looked far from that. There were bad days, too, Mikan thought as she went on with her day. They waved at each other as they walked farther while sharing good luck for the exams.

Yuu stood up from his seat the moment Mikan entered the room, his hands greeting her as adjusted his glasses. They exchanged pleasantries and talked about the first subject for the exam and how bad or good they prepared for it. Not long after, the teacher went in and all the students did the morning greeting and the exams began. Focusing on the task at hand was easier than expected of Mikan. Maybe because she gave ample time to prepare for this day and started gearing up her grades for university. When the brain worked twice harder, the stomach grumbled faster than assumed and good thing for Mikan that she brought herself snacks to silence her hunger and hanged in there until lunch.

During exam seasons, the lunch break differed for every class and every year and that meant no Natsume for lunch today although it was good timing that Hotaru had the same lunch schedule and together with Yuu, they ate their heavy meals. The scenery gave sentimental vibes to Mikan back to where this was her only crowd and not it got bigger and noisier. She missed this quietness and familiarity and it somehow felt more intimate and chill. Mikan had no bad experience by being friends with the council but now she had the time to savor this again she realized that it was more peaceful in a smaller group. She liked hearing Yuu's informative stories and Hotaru's add-ons with it and sometimes her rebuttal. Mikan had always been the listener and the only thing she was good in talking was about daily life. She admitted not being a master of intelligent topics like climate change or the newest Murakami book but that was fine. If ever, their diverse personalities made this small group worked.

Another perk of exam week was the early dismissal which was two hours advanced than the usual. Mikan figured that going home this early would bore her to death and she could not study until the night sky glowered all over. So, she texted Narumi that waiting was nothing for her and she would just stay in his table at the faculty room. Sliding the door open, she only found the one assigned for cleaning and asked the good man on the whereabouts of the teachers. Apparently, they had a meeting. Mikan twirled herself with the chair and selected a book to read from Narumi's small collection of books in his drawer. She only read books because she had to like coming up with an essay report about Catcher in the Rye or To Kill A Mockingbird but on her free time, she did not have the heart to flip pages of her dad's broad collection back home.

It was not scary being alone in such a large hall and to think that this was where they used to discipline students for acting not according to the handbook. Mikan occupied her head by immersing her imagination with her book and avoided to look at the time to shy away from the feeling of impatience. Her phone turned on silent mode and she told no one about being here except Narumi. Not that it was hard to mingle along with the students but Mikan wanted to avoid a possible confrontation or making a bigger mess. She huffed, breathed in and out, stomped her feet, and scolded herself for imagining that there were worse things around the corner. Her negative mindset had to be rebuked sooner or later or else this would affect her demeanor and interaction with others.

Mikan satisfied herself with some cookies from the pantry and made tea to match it up as she realized that it had been more than an hour since she came here. It was kind of embarrassing to act so familiar but she had been allowed by Narumi to help herself to some snack in case she got hungry. Her ears heard musical tone upon the opening of the door and the familiar footsteps. With glee, she waved to Narumi who struggled in matching up her enthusiasm. Narumi grabbed a chair and rested with a sigh. It was evident in his eyes that something bothered him and looked hesitant how to tell Mikan.

Another twirl from the swivel chair and chewing her cookies, Mikan asked, "You're late. Long meeting?"

Narumi sighed again, obviously low in spirits. "Well, something happened. There was a big announcement."

Mikan expected to hear more but when silence followed, she just nodded her head and asked, "Is someone getting married or pregnant?"

"No."

"A promotion? To you perhaps?" Mikan teased but she wondered why her father looked so down.

Narumi shook his head and did not say anything for a moment until he finally revealed it. "Kazumi resigned."

Mikan's voice screamed, "What?!" Her eyes widened and expression became troubled.

Recalling the events earlier ached Narumi's heart. A call for an emergency meeting had been expected by the teachers since the issue of the clubs began and now that it neared its resolution, it was just right to discuss it again. Narumi clearly remembered the way Kazumi Yukihara addressed them in the opening speech, his usual tone and action. They laid out all the points and the meeting actually finished quickly without much interference. It only lengthened with the sudden announcement of resignation of the principal. Everybody was shocked, asking the questions that Kazumi seemed to expect already because he answered them straightforwardly. Narumi remained quiet during this but he had the most questions but considered the place not the appropriate location to throw all what was on his mind.

Narumi explained his statement earlier with his voice shaky. "He… the principal resigned. Kazumi said that he was thinking about it for a long time but I doubt he was telling the truth."

After the meeting, Narumi had the chance to finally commence that talk he requested with Kazumi. The principal's office had no indication of changing and based on the papers on the table, there was still a lot of work waiting to be finished by Kazumi. The principal offered tea like he always did whenever they talked and when they talked, they always dropped the formalities. It was Kazumi who broke the silence and said he knew what Narumi was worried about and their conversation flowed in a way that everything Narumi tried to ask, Kazumi already had the answers. Just like in the meeting earlier. Narumi hated on how scripted their conversation came out.

"Maybe he got an offer from a different school or he wants to pursue other things?" Mikan reasoned out but she himself refused to believe that was the reason.

"I was thinking that the recent clash between The Board and the students finally got a toll on Kazumi."

Those were the words that Mikan did not want to hear but it slapped her in the face especially since it came from Narumi. "Why did you think so?" Mikan asked bitterly.

Narumi hated himself for telling this to Mikan this way because it seemed like he was drilling the problem to her. But, he had no idea on how else he could explain the situation and express his opinion. "To make a graceful exit, they just made him resign. I think they did not like it that he was unable to persuade the students and they had to blame someone for the issue."

"Or else, they lose their image of being good board members of the school," Mikan said in her own words for clarification, stopping for a moment then asked Narumi, "Is the principal close to you?"

"He was actually my English teacher when I was a student here. Also, he's the one who scouted me to work in this school."

"For real?"

How horrifying it was to count the number or people who got involved in this problem. It was obviously the work of Kaoru Hyuuga and Mikan was ready to yell anytime in tears but she did not do that. She only felt a tear dropped, quickly wiping it but no forgetting about the students, the principal, and the school who suffered at their expense. Mikan laughed a little out of spite, refusing to give in to her emotions and on the situation. If Kaoru suddenly wanted to expand her circle of victims to the school officials then something must be done. There was no way Mikan would let this happen without resistance. As Mikan clenched her fists and listened to Narumi's story, she thought of how to approach the principal with this. She needed to know if this was voluntary or forced.

"We go way, way back."

Mikan looked up with a determined look. "Where is he now?" she asked.

"Probably still in his office," Narumi replied and with that, Mikan ran from his sight while he stood and aimed to stop Mikan from making a move, "Mikan, wait! Where are you going?"

Narumi failed to stop Mikan because of her quick run, disappearing before him before he oriented Mikan what to do. Her strides were long, heart thumping from her chest, thinking that it was such a shame that the faculty room situated so far from the principal's office. But, Mikan knew her way too well because she had been called in the office multiple times, for mixed reasons. Mikan skipped steps on the stairs and used her jumping ability to race the time and when she was on the designated floor, she ran faster, and when she reached the front door, she caught her breath. The cold weather prevented her from sweating a lot but she still felt the forming heat on her forehead and back.

Mikan knocked the familiar wooden door, slowly opening it with high hopes of seeing the principal. The door being opened was a good indication that he was still there and when she caught sight of the person she was looking for, Mikan yelled, "Sir!"

The principal looked like he just finished cleaning up the tea cups he used with Narumi. In slow footsteps, Mikan advanced her position and noted the fact that the carpeted floor did prove its use of quieting her heavy strides. It was weird that she came to this office without being called to and that on the many times she talked face to face with the principal, a sense of familiarity ensued to her.

Adjusting his glasses, the principal asked in incredulous tone, "Miss Sakura? What is this about?"

"Did they fire you? Did Kaoru Hyuuga do this? Or is this all voluntary?"

Kazumi was a bit shocked with the bombardment of questions but he realized who he was talking to and put out an amused smile. "I didn't know you are part of the school paper, Miss Sakura."

Mikan hated the sarcasm and realized that it was not the time for jokes. "You sounded so down the last time we talked. And we talked several times and you're not like that so from then I knew something was up."

"We formed a weird bond, right?" Kazumi stated quietly as he stared at his student. "Don't worry about me, Miss Sakura. Worry about yourself."

Mikan did not know if they both had the same idea on what he meant by that. "Did Kaoru Hyuuga make you do this?"

Kazumi indulged himself in sitting on his couch, removing his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose before returning back his eyesight. "My professional relationship with her has not been good ever since. Most of the times, I don't agree to the new things they want to impose but what can I do, right? I am just their employee. I always ended up following their every order even if it was against with my values and how I wanted to run this school. Now, they needed someone to save their faces."

"Why did you do it?" Mikan's voice came out accusing in this one and sort of desperate.

"I don't want to work on an environment that prioritizes personal gain rather than the students and this is a school. We prioritize students here. I don't know why it keeps on happening but I guess Kaoru Hyuuga wants to oppose her son all the time and that's wrong. It became a pattern and everybody notices it but no one blunt enough to tell her."

Crazy how Mikan was hearing that from a person who had no absolute connection with her relationship with Natsume. It meant that Kaoru was really fighting Natsume by using this school. Honestly, when Mikan thought of it in a grand scale, it sounded so implausible but when she looked at it closely and saw it happening, she could only tell herself that nothing was really impossible. This needed to stop. This madness of involving others just to pressure the other side. It made Mikan feel sick with frustration and hate, trying to see what was running on Kaoru's mind when she decided on these things.

"Do you like this school, Principal Yukihara?"

Kazumi turned his head to Mikan whose position did not change for a while. "I have to render 30 days of work before I finally leave and endorse this school to someone, hopefully, better."

"Don't you like Alice Academy?" Mikan repeated.

A smile escaped Kazumi's lips, thinking that Mikan was really one his most stubborn students. Maybe she really wanted to hear it from him. "Oh, Miss Sakura, I like it here very much. It's just that some things are not mean to last forever."

Mikan nodded, bowed, and announced her leave. When she was gone, Kazumi asked himself on what just happened. He did not get the chance to ask Mikan why she looked so affected with his resignation and the questions she threw, there seemed to be history from it. Mikan mentioned the name of Kaoru Hyuuga, the very person was the one who ordered the principal to leave. If there was a connection between Mikan Sakura, Kaoru Hyuuga, and Natsume Hyuuga, it was something that Kazumi had no clear idea but he was sure that Mikan did not randomly feel sympathy over this resignation. Maybe this had a deeper story than he knew.

Breakfast the next day had a foul mood. Narumi kept on lifting the mood but Mikan had no heart to cooperate with his antics. She did not go home straight last night from confronting Kazumi Yukihara and instead she just texted Narumi to rest at home first. This morning, Narumi woke up early but Mikan was earlier, sitting on the living room couch and just watching the tv with the same clothes from yesterday. When Mikan realized that Narumi was up, she went upstairs to take a bath and changed into her new uniform. This act worried Narumi heavily, placing his thoughts on Mikan all day, thinking what were the views going on his daughter's mind. It scared Narumi a little, gluing him on the spot as he watched Mikan descend from the stairs.

Still, Narumi tried his best to act casually even if they were both denying themselves the opportunity to discuss what happened yesterday. He tried to read his daughter's actions but that ended up to be unnecessary because Mikan was being obvious about her current state of mind. Narumi hated this ambiance more than anything because he felt a wall was built overnight that blocked him from reaching out to his own daughter even if she was just an arm's length away. Mikan kept on circling the chopsticks around the egg but not exactly eating it while Narumi tried to ignore the purposeless action but it was impossible to do so. He put down his own chopsticks on the side of the plate and wiped his hands using his apron, an action to calm his nerves.

"Is the food not good?" Narumi asked in annoyance.

"No."

"Then, why are you sulking instead of eating?"

Mikan raised her head and met her father's cold eyes. "I'm finished," she chirped when she felt Narumi was beginning to be in a sour mood and stood up from the table. Her bag was still on the couch and since it was the last day of exams, nothing really had to be changed regarding the contents.

Narumi groaned a little. "Mikan," he called. He did not want to begin the day like this.

"Yes?"

In a quick moment, Narumi recollected how much of a grown up Mikan came to be. Narumi always thought Mikan would stay as the child he adopted nine years ago but that sounded ridiculous now. His daughter faced many internal and external conflicts and came out as a victor several times. He did not want to overlook that Mikan became stronger and the more he thought of that, the more Narumi believed that this was just a temporary thing. Mikan was waiting for his next words with an unchanged expression of somberness. Narumi almost cried at that moment when the difficulty of raising her suddenly flashed his mind but it was in those difficult moments where he experienced the most touching memories he had. From crying with her to laughing at the silliest things, he cherished everything. They survived winter together and welcomed the spring like the new year. Narumi introduced her to the Tokyo way of living and guided her in every way.

Narumi sniffed and all of a sudden, his tears became unstoppable. He was unable to keep his usual calm emotion because of the possibility that whatever was happening now might lead to another breakdown. That Mikan soon got tired for staying strong. Mikan became alarmed with the discreet crying displayed by her father who was usually composed and that was the first time since this morning that her eyes held emotions. Something inside Mikan snapped and she was angry at herself for causing her father to be driven in this state. She ran to him for a tight hug and apologized repeatedly. She was delving into her fears for a long time that she lost track of her surroundings.

"We are not responsible for somebody's action. We might have played a part but the decision is entirely up to that individual. I lost count on how many times I told you that. We always go back to square one and remind you of that important thing. I really wish that this would be the last time I will be telling you this."

Mikan only hugged Narumi tighter, nodding on his every word. But, Narumi wondered if Mikan was really able to get the message.

Natsume was standing like a diligent student in the SC office, looking straight to his adviser. It looked like Narumi waited for the chance to meet Natsume there, asking him if he had time to spare to talk about Mikan. If it got to this point, then maybe something happened, Natsume concluded. He did not bother to burden his thoughts with overthinking because it was stressful as it was. When Narumi entered the office, he wore no smile nor the friendly aura he always ensued in the hallways or at the classroom. Natsume offered snacks but he was turned down respectfully and then they both sat facing each other. Both of them made sure that the door was locked so no one could enter and interrupt their conversation. It was important to maintain the privacy of this talk.

Addressing Natsume was not new to Narumi because they worked closely for Student Council works but they rarely talked about Mikan in a personal manner. He knew that the school was not the proper way to have this talk but this was the only time Narumi could squeeze Natsume in his own busy schedule. There was an awkward silence for a while but the two of them knew exactly their topic of discussion. Tapping his fingers on the wooden table, Narumi began stating his purpose of calling Natsume and did not sugarcoat his words, openly expressing his extreme apprehension about the situation and how Mikan's relationship with Natsume was starting to be unhealthy.

"Usually, unhealthy relationships start when one party is being so demanding or unreasonable. But, for you two, it's your family."

It was the truth but when Natsume heard it straight from Narumi's mouth, he realized that the gravity of situation went deeper. He expected this as soon the news about the principal broke off to the whole school and everybody started rumors about it. Rumors that had somehow a ring of accuracy with it no matter how differently Natsume wanted to interpret it. The next words of Narumi came out like an echo for Natsume but every word was embedded in his mind, knowing fully that Narumi was just looking out for Mikan. Natsume only let out a bitter smile because like him, everybody expected for the situation to be better. They were able to win the students' cooperation and the Student Council made promises which they did their best to abide to. For a moment there, Natsume had a peace of mind, thinking that Kaoru was on the verge of stopping but he was wrong in anticipating that.

"Did you know that Principal Yukihara is resigning?" asked Narumi with contempt. The scenario was still fresh in his mind but he did not mean to be rude to Natsume, he was just upset about the situation and how Kazumi handled it.

"Yes," Natsume replied. He knew beforehand because Kaoru informed him through e-mail. "I really hope I can do something about it," he added.

Narumi shook his head. "You don't have to worry about Kazumi. That is his choice. What I worry about is that Mikan thinks this is about her, your relationship with her."

Natsume gulped, noting the peculiar way Narumi was acting because this time his words were of a father's. That was when Natsume felt embarrassed to face Narumi longer because it seemed like he lost Narumi's fondness of him and he would not be surprised if one day Narumi advised Mikan to end this relationship. The mere thought sent shivers to Natsume, biting his lip because he failed to contain the fear of a possible breakup. Narumi sensed the sudden change in Natsume's expression and somehow was able to read it. The teacher must admit that he was a bit accusing and aggressive with his words when Natsume did nothing but protect Mikan and made her the happiest she could be and that thought widened his eyes and his perspective.

They were just teenagers yet they experienced scrutiny for being together. Narumi brushed a hand to his face and bowed to Natsume in apology. He suddenly took consideration everything Natsume did for Mikan. All of Natsume's effort that he was able to witness like the street food, his promise to bring Mikan home the moment in Shirahama became suffocating, carrying her when she was injured, finding work for Izumi, causing her to let out the sweetest smiles, and bringing Mikan and Youichi together. Narumi held so little of Natsume's efforts when it meant the world. The young Hyuuga was Mikan's world-changer.

"I am willing to do anything for Mikan," Natsume stated with a firm tone as he also made a bow not meant for apology but for a promise, his tone more persuasive compared to his other promises, "Even if it meant changing the world."

Narumi's remorse crept on his insides but his hope spiked again because if there was someone who could help Mikan with this, it was the Natsume Hyuuga. "I know," Narumi managed to say with a trembling voice, "No one can do it but the both of you."

"I will deal with this family problem once and for all and will make sure that no one will get hurt anymore," Natsume added.

To be honest, Narumi did not clearly get what Natsume meant by that and as he watched him leave, there was a scary feeling left behind but also a hint of hope. Maybe things reached its climax and from there everything it would go downhill? This was a challenge that Mikan and Natsume had to face with brave hearts but why did it feel like Natsume was willing to absorb it all?

Natsume finished his last exam ahead of time and waited silently in front of Mikan's classroom. It was funny on how he was doing the same action did on the first day of exams. From time to time he watched her scratched her head, hoping for an answer. Mikan had the habit of tapping her feet when she was analyzing a problem and she did that for a whole hour. They were not able to talk for some reason and Natsume assumed it was because she was busy preparing for the last day of exam but it turned out to be a different reason. He groaned, somehow feeling thankful that he had the chance to talk to Narumi about this new development before facing Mikan. Natsume was almost sure that Narumi was so near in asking him to leave Mikan but a miraculous intervention refrained the teacher from doing so. Whether it was from the heavens or just an accident, Natsume was more than appreciative of it.

One student passed his exam and left with his bag and he was slowly followed by other students while Mikan belonged to the group that finished last together with Yuu. She thanked her teacher and grabbed her bag, hair slightly in disarray as a result of the scratching with a pencil from earlier. Mikan abruptly paused from walking the moment she recognized the familiar shoes and stance of Natsume. The two boys greeted each other until Yuu excused himself because he sensed that Natsume came for a serious matter. The girls before her even made waves to Natsume and giggled when they were a few meters away. He was leaning on the window with arms crossed, locking gaze with Mikan the moment they realized each other's presence. It felt so long since they last met even if it was just during their talk in the fire exit.

The exam week started and it was understandable that they had different schedules and their time was dedicated to studying rather than fooling around. Natsume did not think anything of it, even the fact that Mikan's text became a rare commodity since the other day. He let all that passed because he really thought that he was doing her a favor then suddenly the news about the principal erupted and then Narumi called him for a talk all of a sudden, then Mikan was nowhere to be seen. The best thing was just to ambush her because this was the first time she actively avoided him since they got together.

"Natsume."

Natsume disconnected his back with the cold window and started walking. "Go with me somewhere?" he asked but as always he did not wait for Mikan's answer although he really wanted to say he missed hearing her voice.

"I don't–" Mikan resisted.

But, Natsume was always the quicker one when it came to this. He looked back, determined to play the unconvinced one no matter what Mikan's excuse would be. "Today is the last day of exams, Mikan. No reason to be busy."

He did not even give time to hear her reason because he knew that whatever it was, it would be a lie. Mikan surrendered with that short banter. "Fine," she mumbled.

Mikan watched Natsume's back as she followed him, tying her hair when she felt sweat forming on her nape. Feeling nervous around Natsume was an entirely foreign feeling for her and the fact that no one was saying anything made the atmosphere more uncomfortable. Mikan had a familiar feeling of being called to the principal's office and readied herself to be scolded anytime. This scene was exactly like that except that it was Natsume who was going to reprimand her in a bit. They took the stairs, turned left, then turned right, and Mikan got confused on their destination until she saw cars. The parking lot.

Obviously, the parking lot became a primary location of their emotional moments like the confession but Mikan hated it when Natsume used nostalgia to tickle her weak feelings. She followed him with no complaints until he stopped and she hit his back. Natsume turned in a bit and held both of Mikan's arms before pushing her to the cemented seat. The brunette struggled a bit, quite surprised with the action but said nothing because Natsume did it in a gentle manner. Mikan grunted, crossed her legs and her arms while Natsume crossed his own arms and their eyes met in a challenging gaze. They had not acted like this for so long and the last time maybe was when they were fighting over Ruka. Mikan attempted to stand up but Natsume pushed her down again. She was about to protest verbally but Natsume interrupted her again.

"The high school principal is resigning. You probably heard that."

Mikan frowned. "Yes."

They both felt comfortable upon hearing the voice of each other even if sounded like they were about to fight.

Natsume glared at her. "And you probably blame yourself for it."

Mikan uncrossed her legs then successfully stood up from her place. "How can I not, Natsume? He's totally innocent!" she yelled, glad that no one around was exactly interested in them.

The concern in Mikan's eyes finally made an impression to Natsume. Her coldness from minutes earlier totally vanished and it was replaced by this uneasy reaction which was a good thing for Natsume because he was able to break the wall in a short time. Or Mikan was just really open when it came to him. That did not matter as he held her hands and brushed her cheek because he missed feeling her warmth like she was the truth that he searched for a long time and got the chance to finally hold it. Mikan sensed his longingness and returned his touch.

"Don't you think when it comes to things like this you should ask me how I feel also? How to figure this out together?"

Mikan felt her throat narrowed when she heard that. Her actions were not meant to consider less of Natsume's feelings but she that seemed to be unsuccessful by just looking at his reaction. "Am I being insensitive to you?" she asked.

"Because I hate seeing you like this," Natsume admitted, "It makes me want to blame myself instead when we are all just victims. I never expected Kaoru would go this far. Principal Yukihara resigned so someone could take responsibility with all the commotion that happened."

Mikan laughed resentfully and using a vile tone, she said, "Your mother is really something. She is such a manipulative woman."

With every addition to Kaoru's evil deeds, Mikan found it harder to consider placing an effort to be at least liked by her. How could a parent be so against to the happiness of her child? It was Kaoru who should felt the happiest first and foremost when Natsume moved on from his convoluted past but she did the opposite. Mikan hated it when she badmouthed others especially Kaoru who was Natsume's mother but this was the only way she could at least let out her frustrations against the woman. She groaned and clenched her teeth to composed herself as she counted the countless time Kaoru interfered with everybody's lives. What was the real motive of Kaoru Hyuuga for being so stubborn on this matter? Mikan felt her head was about to explode by coming up with varying theories.

"I agree."

Mikan did not expect Natsume to concur so fast. She distanced herself, placing hands on her waist, and threw a grimace. "And, I hate that this is far from the end. I don't know what to say to the people who got affected by this. I can't even look straight at those students who got their clubs removed because I know why that happened in the first place. It's not about budget or their performance, it's just about the two of us! Imagine if they find that out, Natsume. Do you think they would let us go easily?"

Finally, Mikan said precisely what she felt and this made talking about the issue easier for Natsume. He saw her insecurities, her worries, her mountain-high guilt, and he saw why they always went back to this problem despite explaining to her that they were the victims. Because Mikan Sakura had been blamed her whole life. Natsume almost forgot that very important truth about her and it made him squirm as he saw Mikan pacing back and forth, fanning herself even though it was already the winter season.

"Polka."

"What?!" Mikan yelled as she stopped from her pacing.

Natsume gestured her to stay where she was and said, "Calm down."

"Don't expect me to because this is drilling my mind! I am on the verge of crying in front of them, to apologize, to say that we did everything but I know they will just pull my hair when I do," Mikan said without pausing and it was clear that her anxiety was beginning to be uncontrollable, "Oh, Natsume, you know I am a friendly bee but I don't think that I can be friends with your mother at all! Your family is so narrow-minded. They only think about what others will say and care so much about flourishing an all-ready big company."

Natsume did not particularly like the way his family behaved at most times and there were a lot of times he thought that he was better off being born in an average family but he still took offense on what Mikan just said. "Are you trying to take revenge on me by criticizing my family? Do you think that will help?" he asked with his voice getting louder.

They promised never to fight again like the way they did about the Photography Club where they screamed at each other's faces. On every word they shouted, a distance was added in their position and that was proven to be one of the most rotten feelings they faced. Mikan saw her hands were shaking, her surrounding felt crowded even though they were in an open space. Her gaze spotted Natsume's hurt look and right there she wanted to mutter an apology. Of course her words reflected her honesty but she did not mean to say it in the way where Natsume would feel hurt. They both avoided staring at each other and then the silence emerged similar to that of a forest inhabited by any moving creature. Mikan closed the distance between her legs, hands on the sides as she let out a long and loud scream which was meant to release her anxieties and dry her throat.

"This is so frustrating! No wonder your father set himself free!" Mikan screamed louder and Natsume only shook his head in disdain.

If this conversation carried on longer, they would only end up hurting each other even if that was not the agenda of this meeting. All of a sudden, Mikan ran to Natsume and gripped his scarf which choked him a little. Her eyes gazed deeply into his ruby orbs, their faces only a few inches away. Many things happened and Kaoru must be the most evil person she met but her heroine tendencies won her every time. Mikan tightened her grip as she wiggled Natsume's body, burying her head to his chest while Natsume only felt confusion with what was happening. He heard her groaning, mumbling something, then sniffing. He disliked it when Mikan cried especially if it was because of him.

"But, I want to know where this is coming from. I want to understand her. Badly!" Mikan stated, looking up again. As always, she was more than willing to help Kaoru Hyuuga overcome whatever she was facing now.

Natsume blinked, speechless on her mission. "Woah. Where did that come from?" he managed to say.

Mikan released her hold and made hand gestures as she kept on talking, "Why does she do this? I want to know! Why does she act like this? Doesn't she feel lonely at all? Natsume, I hate your mother but I want to help her. And I hate myself for feeling so!" Stains of tears reflected when Mikan's face was hit by the golden hour glow.

"I thought we're fighting," Natsume clarified because he was in the midst of confusion.

"We are!" Mikan yelled, swaying her arm in midair.

Exhaustion attacked Natsume as he dropped to the ground, laughing and smirking like a crazy person. "You make my head spin, Polka."

Mikan digested Natsume's comment and when she realized why, shelaughed along with him because she indeed acted like a stupid child earlier. She mimicked Natsume's position, just sitting before him. The dirty ground did not matter to their elegant uniforms because the position kind of toned down the intense atmosphere. Natsume kept on shaking his head just to get over of his disbelief on the sudden shift in the situation. He almost forgot how unpredictable Mikan could be and as he looked at her, he had an idea what was going on to her head. Mikan was not yet able to work her charm to Kaoru Hyuuga. She had not given the chance to pry to Kaoru's life like what she did to her circle of friends.

"We agree to fight until the end but what if fighting her is not the solution? Maybe that's why we haven't made any progress. What's the use of always provoking her?"

It was known to fight fire with fire but that never told of any happy ending. What Mikan was saying made sense to Natsume and by letting that out, they simultaneously realized what they should have done a long time ago. They never tried it before. What they had in mind before Kaoru even started doing anything was that they would fight her head to head. And that was exhausting. What if there was a way of giving it your all without losing anyone? If there was, hopefully they were not late and hopefully it worked.

"You're right," Natsume agreed, standing up.

"What's your plan?" Mikan asked as she stood from the ground. She believed that Natsume only made that reaction because he had something in mind.

There was no clear plan yet but Natsume had a flicker of idea on what it was going to be. It was hazy now but he figured that by careful planning and being honest would help a lot with this unaggressive way of countering Kaoru. "Trust me on this?" he asked as he took her hands.

Mikan smiled, wiping the tear stains in her face. "When you look so cool when you say that, how can I not?"

"Then, let me be cool this one time."

"You are always cool," Mikan said to build his confidence but it was also the truth. "You're cool when you think, when you talk in front of the crowd. You're cool when you hug me, when you say you love me, and the time you set up this little picnic in the rooftop. Yet, you are the warmest person I met in my life."

The sun had set and the campus lights paved its way to illuminate the surroundings but they were both unbothered by the change. That night was different from the rest of the nights they spent together and apart. A feeling of uncertainty glowed in their hearts and as a natural reaction, the two of them got scared of the future. Well, the future had always been scary but since it was happening, they seemed to be not ready for it. Even so, they were willing to go through it because they had each other. Trying new things out was always a dreadful thing to do because of the risks but always held the most worth. Natsume smiled at what Mikan said about him which definitely boosted his mood.

"Natsume?" It came like a whisper of a pleading.

"Hm?"

"Let's do this. Then, come back to me, okay?"

Natsume pinched her cheeks and shook her head at the same time but made sure he was being gentle. Mikan furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to reach Natsume's face to do the same. Tonight felt like they bloomed individually and as a couple but here they were acting like children. The two forgot about their phone which were receiving calls that time.

End of Chapter

You know how in most Japanese romcom movies they always compliment the male lead by saying he looks 'cool'? One of the many clichés of movies. Thank you for your responses from the previous chapter! I missed reading from you guys. SYRB is just a few chapters away from ending and you probably can feel it by the tone of the recent chapters. I am currently writing the next chapter and things there are somehow sensitive. To tell you honestly, I wrote so much until I almost reached the ending but hey, the indecisiveness of me won and changed the path I took. Again. But, I am not confused, just challenged. Stick with me until the end? See you on the next!