07 Snapped

Sweats started to stream down her back. Hell, she's nervous as hell. Nothing could describe her fear right now. Imagining Hotaru walking down the hallway towards the Uncle Kazumi's office with a death glare, made Mikan wonder if she's still given another life to live after this.

She heard the constant beeping sounds and hoped all her life after this that Hotaru won't pick up the call. She would do anything for Hotaru not picking up the phone call. She's willing to exchange with anything. Anything at all! Even her life! She really hoped Hotaru left her phone somewhere back in her locker or miraculously forgot that she had left it at home. Mikan frowned, knowing it's highly impossible for Hotaru Imai to forget anything, especially her phone; the only other thing she always bring around along with her smart brain and sarcastically dry comments. Hotaru would never leave her phone behind. Of course, her everything is inside there; her schedule, the council work. You're an idiot Mikan, wishing for something impossible.

Mikan gulped when the beeps finally stopped and a voice was heard on the other side of the phone. Her hands were already starting to play with the end of her skirt.

"What do you want, Kazumi?" Her cold voice came. It was obvious Hotaru didn't like the person's calling and also hated that a call came from him especially.

Kazumi smiled. "Hotaru Imai, such a pleasure to hear your voice again," he replied dryly. Noted the sarcasm.

"Cut that crap already. It's unpleasing to hear both of our voices altogether. Give me one good reason why I should be talking to you right now. You're disturbing me in my class."

"And I'm afraid I'm going to disturb you after this class as well."

"What do you mean?"

"Your presence is required in my office for a very serious matter."

They heard a scoff on the other side of the line before Hotaru replied, "You know I won't step a foot inside Alice Academy again."

Kazumi confidently assured her, "I'm sure you will."

Her reply was quick and sharp. "No, I won't. Whatever the matter is, I won't come to Alice Academy. Period."

Kazumi inwardly sighed. He'd have to try this in other way. He casually leaned against his leather chair. "Well then, I guess I have to settle this issue with your principal then."

A snicker came. "I'm sure Narumi would be most please to get a call from you."

"Alright then. Then I assumed Mikan would be given special permission to leave all of her classes for today."

The line turned silent.

Mikan grew anxious by the second while a smile leisurely creeping on Kazumi's face. The bomb had just landed.

"MIKAN? WAIT WHAT? Mikan is the serious matter you're talking about? What the hell did she do this time?" Her voice boomed.

Uncle Kazumi looked at me and grinned that pompous grin of his. Oh he's definitely enjoying this. Pissing both of us altogether must be an early Christmas present for him. "Why don't you tell her, Mikan?"

Mikan glared at her uncle. The nerve this old man! He's doing this on purpose!

Mikan flinched when Hotaru barked on the other line. "What the—SHE'S THERE?! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT FUCKING IDIOT DOING THERE?"

"Hotaru, your language please," Kazumi reminded her.

"Like I ever give a fuck anymore about whatever you said," Hotaru hissed. "Mikan, I know you're there so don't act like you're not even breathing right now!"

Mikan couldn't help but flinched again at the sound of Hotaru's high voice. Hotaru's mad right now and she's super scared that she wanted to run and hide at this moment.

"MIKAN SAKURA!" Hotaru finally bellowed.

"Hotaru, I'm sorry!" Mikan blurted out. Damn, she's scared of Hotaru's murderous temper.

"I told you specifically not to go there anymore! Will you ever listen to what I said? What did you do now?" Her voice grew higher. "What the effing hell did you do now, Mikan Sakura?"

Her hands started to twiddle with her shirt like crazy. She looked down guiltily. With a timid voice, she answered, "I swear.. I didn't know he's the Academy kaichou."

"RUKA NOGI? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THAT GAY BLONDIE TO THE EXTEND—"

"Hotaru, I think it's best if you come here now," Kazumi cut in for he knew Hotaru would yell more if he didn't so.

"Don't cut me off, Kazumi!" Hotaru growled.

Pushing aside the kid's temper, Kazumi quickly explained, "If you two continue to bicker on the phone, nothing will be solved."

A moment of silence passed. Hotaru was thinking, Mikan knew. "Fine," she finally agreed. It was evident that Hotaru was gritting her teeth because everyone in the room could heard it clearly. "I'll be there in ten minutes." Both Mikan and Kazumi knew Hotaru was forcing herself to come and it was apparent that she's doing something she really hate and swore would never do again; stepping a foot inside AA again.

"I'll send someone to fetch you."

"No need. I can manage on my own."

Then the line went dead so Mikan assumed Hotaru had ended the line first. Mikan fought the urge from forming a smile at this kind of time because she actually liked how cool Hotaru had ended the call first, just like how she did it just now. They're both are alike in so many ways even if Hotaru persistently denied it.

"Well then," Kazumi clasped his hands and looked merrily at Mikan. His eyes were glistening. Mikan scowled.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you? You did that on purpose! Pissing Hotaru off, she's going to slice my throat open!" Mikan bit off.

A grin formed on his face. "Well, that surely would be interesting to watch."

"Ughh!" Mikan yelled furiously and stomped her feet like a child. "You will never learn, won't you?"

"I didn't see the kid for a few years. So cut me some slack, Mikan. You're being paranoid; a short encounter won't harm a thing."

"Of course it won't harm a thing because I'm not a thing! Hotaru would kill me!" Mikan screamed in frustration.

Kazumi chuckled. "You're overthinking, Mikan. As angry as she is, she won't hurt you. Everybody knows that." His eyes turned soft. Mikan was quite taken aback by that and immediately, her temper died out. Something about what he said just now, suddenly triggered something inside her, like trying to convince herself that he did care and he didn't mean to throw them out. But he did, and it already happened.

Of course everybody knows. Everybody cared for everybody back then.

She sighed. No use in dwelling in the past.

Mikan grabbed Youichi's hand. "I'm going to take Youichi to the infirmary. Call me when Hotaru gets here."

She turned around and headed for the door while dragging a silent Youichi behind.

"You need someone to lead you the way?"

Mikan turned around and threw her uncle a look before finally deciding to against what she was thinking to counter his words. Maybe he's just being hospitable. So she shook her head and replied, "No need. I still remember the way."

"Oh while you're at it, please tell Nogi to get his wounds treated as well. I will need his presence as well later on when Hotaru arrives."

Mikan glanced back at the door before turning her head around. "Don't need to. They can hear you perfectly clear." She motioned her head towards the empty space between the walls. "I broke down your door, remember?"

Kazumi nodded his head mildly. "We'll settle that later. Go on then." He watched in silent as his niece and nephews disappeared through the empty gap. He swung his leather chair around and messaged his temple.

Mikan glanced at her right to the staring eyes of the strangers openly gaping at her. Well, except for the raven haired whom she recognized as Hyuuga, she now knew the blonde gay was AA's kaichou; and both of them were close friends. So she assumed the other three—the two was crouching on the floor doing god knows what—were their close friends as well, probably their band mates too.

She looked at Natsume annoyingly then her gazes shifted to the blonde sitting next to him. He was still wincing. "You heard the old man, so don't expect me to repeat it again," she motioned one finger behind her back to the principal's office, meaning of what he recently said; get Nogi to treat his wounds.

Mikan started to continue her walk but suddenly halted when Anna called out her name. "Sakura-sama, can I help you with anything?"

"Just get someone to treat your kaichou's wounds." She continued walking, dragging a still silent Youichi behind her.

Anna looked at Ruka. "Come along then, kaichou-sama. We need to be quick. Your presence is required in the principal's office later on."

Natsume stood up and stretched his body. "I'll take him to the infirmary."

The others snapped their heads to openly gawk at him. Natsume is offering his help? Yuu raised his eyebrows questioningly. Ruka arched one of his perfectly blonde brows, knowing too well where this heading. "You're planning something and I'm not joining."

"Yes you will." Natsume smirked and pulled Ruka up from his seat. "And besides, I need to treat mine too." He started to drag Ruka away.

Koko's eyes followed his friend's figures walking down the hallway, Natsume dragging a reluctant Ruka behind him. He quirked one brow, without turning his face to Yuu, spoke, "Should I be worried or not?"

Yuu shook his head and stood up. "Depends." He turned left and started walking towards the other end of the hallway. He needed to find something and fast. All of this happening, he could feel something was amiss and something didn't feel quite right. Something was poking at the back of his mind and he couldn't understand what it was. He set his feet towards the school library. He needed to use all the access he can get; or more precisely, all the access he could break into.

Mikan closed the door behind and started to look around the place. Apparently the nurse wasn't around at that time, so she was just poking around the place not knowing what to look for to treat Youichi's wounds.

"How do we treat a broken nose?" She asked, not lifting her face from a box filled with cotton gauze she had found placed on a table near the drawer. Honestly, she knew how to make early treatment for cuts but broken nose, she had never encounter one before. And now, the nurse wasn't here. What could she possibly do?

Youichi, who had long stood infront of the door, had not move a muscle since he first stepped inside the infirmary. He was rooted to his spot, legs slightly apart and hands folded over his chest in a defensive stance kind of way. He's not answering to whatever sound Mikan made. He was fully aware he got a few bruises and a broken nose but he could hardly feel them anymore. His mind was occupied with something far too important to pay attention to, compared to his own wounds.

Mikan glanced at her brother before shifting her position to the other end of the room, mindlessly opening one drawer after another. "Maybe we should treat your bruises and cuts first." She had found a bottle of iodine and walking back to where she had found the cotton gauze, she took a few before tugging at Youichi's sleeve to the other side of the room where the beds are placed. But still, Youichi won't budge. Mikan frowned. "Don't make this even harder, You-chan."

Youichi looked down at her, his eyes hard and his face serious. "You know what I want."

Mikan shook her head. "I don't know what you want." She knew what he wants.

"I want some answers, damn it!" he growled. He grabbed for Mikan's suddenly stiff shoulders and shook them roughly. His eyes grew impatient. "Don't treat me like a fucking ten years old anymore! I need answers!"

Mikan was surprised by his outburst. The moment he first yelled at her, she knew all her body had went stiff. And when he shook her like he was possessed, nearly scared her shitless. He was silent and passive all this time, who expected him to hold so much in to suddenly explode like this? She knew he deserved every right to know; he's her brother for god's sake. But there's so much to tell and she didn't trust herself to tell him that everything.

"Mikan, don't treat me like this," his voice suddenly changed to a breaking one and Mikan's heart swelled at the sound of it. He didn't called her baka like he always did, he didn't call her nee-san like she always order him to; he called her by her name. How many years had she missed of his life that she failed to see that her brother was finally growing up. And he deserved every right to know everything.

"I'll tell you everything. Every single thing." She saw Youichi's face light up and quickly dimmed when she continued, "But not now."

"And why not?"

"This is not the right place to discuss."

His hands fell to his sides and had balled into fists. She saw them shaking. His head fell and his bangs were covering his face. She didn't think he could hold the storm any longer. "I've been standing in the room like effing moron who knows nothing of what's going on! I've been keeping my mouth shut because I knew the moment I didn't, I would be raging like hell." His voice sounded strained.

"Youichi.." One of her hands reached out to him.

"Fuck, Mikan! What the hell happened when I was gone!? All the things you and Uncle Kazumi were throwing to one another, you don't think I won't pick up any of that? I'm not that stupid." He looked up and she saw the fury in his eyes. "Hell, I'm not fucking stupid to be easily deceived by both of you guys that nothing is wrong! Something happened and I want to know!"

Mikan looked away. "Youichi, I told you, I'll tell you everything. Just not now."

"When, when Mikan?"

"When I think the time is right."

She heard him scoffed. "When the time is right? What are we in now? Shakespeare's literature art?" Despite his provoking voice, he raised both of his brows in disbelief; he was mocking her. "When is it, when the time is right? Another three years from now? How bout another five years starting from now?" he's vexing her now. Then he looked at her straight in the eyes, his stare unwavering. "I missed five years of your life and you told me to wait for another fucking five years?" He sighed in defeat and disappointment. "I should not have come back."

Mikan looked at him angrily. Her inner thoughts were boiling now. How dare he said it so casually like that! "You don't think I also missed five years of your life as well?! You've been gone for five years and you think I knew everything happened to you during those years? I didn't know anything okay! Fucking nothing!" She took a step forward, launched herself onto him so she could grabbed a fistful of his silver hair. Youichi winced in pain when Mikan pulled his hair like crazy. "When I told you not now, I effing meant it! So shut the hell up like you're the one who suffered for the past five years and I swore, if you said anything like 'i should not have come back' again ever so casually like that, I would cut your balls before sending you off to the States myself!"

"Ow ow ow! That hurts, woman!" Youichi winced as he tried swatting her hands away from pulling his hair.

Mikan pulled his hair again. "Don't you dare talking like you're the only fucking victim here!" she puffed before letting go of her hands.

Youichi staggered back a step. Shit, his head is pounding mad now. He glared at his sister. "You're a monster, do you know that?" he ran a hand through his now super messy hair thanks to his sister's work of art hands.

"Do you want me to cut your balls for real?" she threatened him.

Youichi looked at her in disbelief and quickly shook his head. Man, she's not kidding!

Mikan flipped her hair out of habit before motioned for the bed again. "Now come, let's get your wound treated." She headed for the bed first. Sitting on the end of it, she padded for the spot next to her. Youichi quickly obliged. Guess he had to trust her this time. Not now, means really not now. As long as she would still tell her the answers.

Mikan started to dab the iodine onto his face with the cotton gauze. "What did that Hyuuga provoke you with anyway?" She knew Youichi won't start a fight first unless he's provoked by someone. Usually he would just let go but if the provoking is something really infuriated him, he would go berserk.

She noticed he was clenching his jaw. A sign he's not telling. She bet she wouldn't get an answer to that question for now.

TBC.