08 Infirmary
When they reached the front door of the infirmary, Natsume held out his hand, stopping Ruka, who was walking beside him, on his tracks. The blonde friend quirked one of his perfectly blonde brows at him, questioning his action but then he heard voices coming from the inside. Well, no need to ask further questions right? It was obvious. "Don't tell me you're planning to eavesdrop their whole conversation?" he whispered. The only response he got from his friend was a silent hush. Ruka sweat dropped. What happened to this guy? First, he offered his help willingly and now he's shushing him? Ruka bet Natsume's brain slowly deteriorating when it comes to Mikan Sakura.
So they ended up squatting outside the door, ears pressed against it like two perverts trying to hear a bunch of girls talking. One was the AA kaichou and another one was a well respectable and many look upon to, young man. How funny was the whole situation. They did managed to listen but the voices were up and down most of the time. They could hear perfectly clear though when Hijiri yelled. And when they heard Mikan Sakura threatened to cut his balls, Ruka wanted to laugh at that moment and rolled on the floor while clutching his tummy. Well, he was about to laugh but then Natsume's hand came flying to close his mouth but ended up hitting his nose—the man wasn't watching where his hand was going; he winced and cursed, which finally brought him remembering that he indeed had a broken nose to attend to.
"Fucking hell, Natsume! You hit my broken nose!" he hissed while holding his nose up.
Natsume turned to look at his best friend and smirked. "You're being extremely pussy today."
Ruka tried to glare menacingly at his best friend but failed miserably when he felt like the blood was about to run down his nose. "Shit, not now, Hyuuga. I need treatment. Now!" Ruka stood up and his hand flew to the doorknob. Natsume quickly followed suit but his hand stopped Ruka from twisting the doorknob. "You're not serious, are you? You're barging in?"
Ruka swatted Natsume's hand away. He looked at him irritatingly. "This is not barging in, dumbass. If you're blind, this is an infirmary, a public place in AA for people like me to freely come in incase I need a treatment." He then pointed to his nose, which he now was holding up with his other hand, "And right now, I do. If you failed to see, I have a broken nose to attend to and I swear Natsume, if I don't get in now and treat it, I would faint because of the blood that's about to come out from my nose."
He grabbed for the doorknob again and this time, without wasting a beat because he knew Natsume would try to stop him again, quickly twisted the doorknob, and stepped in. He quickly rushed to the sink and turned the tap on. Natsume slowly followed from behind, his eyes cautious to his every surrounding.
"Ah fuck, Hyuuga!" Ruka cursed out loud. As soon as he bent his head down, blood started to flow out of his nose, dripping into the sink. He winced as he felt the hot fluid running down his nose. "If you weren't my best friend, I would have already punched you back there!" He complained with his head bending down the sink. He started to fill his nose with water before empty it out again. He did it for a couple of times until he was sure blood had stopped running. He looked at the mirror placed on the wall and another curse came out from him. He grabbed for a nearby clean towel, wipe his nose and his whole face before throwing it into a basket, knowing well it was where the dirty towels go to. "Get me one of those," he said as his finger pointed to the drawer behind his back. Natsume opened the drawer, took one plaster out and handed him.
"You're wearing it because it's for treatment or you're wearing it because it makes you look cool?" Natsume asked while smirking.
Ruka tossed the plastic away into the dustbin and scrunched up his nose. That should do it for awhile. He casted an annoying look at him. "Since clearly you're blind," he pressed mockingly, "I have a cut here on the bridge of my nose and I'm wearing for the sake of saving myself from getting throttle by Kitsu if I left any open wounds unintended." He pointed one finger sternly at him. "If you don't want to die out of pure annoyance, get your wounds treated as well or all of us will have to listen to that mad Kitsu's preaching."
Natsume laughed as he leaned against the wall, eyes gleaming with amusement. "So I assumed you were harassed by him about the bruises on my face?"
Ruka scowled. "Damn right. This is not for your own amusement, Hyuuga. You help yourself means you help us all."
He turned around and took a look at his face on the mirror. He looked like he had been brutalized beaten by a group of guys. Who would expect it was cause by a mere girl. He shrugged and pocketed his hands. "I'm going. Fix your face, Hyuuga. Don't be stubborn for once and do it." He headed for the door and soon disappeared.
Natsume thought for a while but then started to rummage through the drawers, looking for a bottle of yellow fluid that he often saw people use on wounds. He had not once been inside the infirmary all his time studying at AA. He never saw the need to. He rarely got sick and he rarely got into serious fights, unlike this one. And now that the nurse wasn't around, guess he needed to fix himself up with his own hands. He won't stand Kitsu's awful preaching so he would have to listen to Ruka's words this time.
He almost accidentally damaged the knob, yanking the drawer open when a voice charged him by surprised. He looked at the culprit in disdain. It was Mikan Sakura. She looked scornfully at him and her voice was dripping with ice and hostility. "As much as I want to treat you with full respect, I don't see the point anymore so I would pretty much appreciate if you leave the place."
He was about to counter back her words when Hijiri came behind her. "Nah, he doesn't have to. I'm going anyway." He saw Mikan Sakura snapped her head around, dissatisfied clearly portrayed on her smooth face. "You're leaving already?"
Youichi nodded his head and shoved his left hand inside his pocket. "I still have class so I'm going." He pulled her face near and planted a soft peck on her cheek. "I'll see you after school." He disliked the idea of having to resolve to use PDA as a counter attack but this time was an exception. His man-pride actually bloomed with triumphs when, at the corner of his eyes, he saw Hyuuga clenched his jaw. He smirked.
He neared Natsume and pausing just infront of him, he reached out behind his back to the small drawer. "Seeing how she took care of your kaichou, I don't think she have any problem handling you if I leave you two alone," he whispered meanwhile. Natsume heard the little brat scoffed as well. The nerve this kid. Hijiri pulled back and wiggled a plaster in front of his eyes. He smirked and turned around. "See you later, Mikan." He headed for the door.
"Stay out of trouble!" Mikan called out to him, reminding for one last time. When he was finally gone, a tired sigh escaped from her lips. How long can that kid stay out trouble? She doubted, it wouldn't be long enough. She looked at Hyuuga who's openly staring at her, so casually leaning against the end of the table with both of his hands in his pockets. Mikan stared back. Then shook her head.
"Quit staring, psycho." She scrunched her nose in disgust. "What do you want?"
She raised her brows in a puzzle when Natsume held out one hand towards her. "What?"
"That iodine bottle, it's with you, isn't it?" He asked her. When he saw she was still in dazed, hardly understand what he meant and had not move, he added, "Unless you wish to treat me with your own hands." He smirked.
Mikan gritted her teeth and spun around, headed back to where she had left the bottle, grabbed it and walked back to where Natsume was. She shoved the bottle in his hand. "Keep dreaming, Hyuuga." Walking towards the door, with one last glare behind her back, she walked out, slamming the door in the process.
Natsume chuckled. He playfully tossed the bottle up in the air before catching it again in his hand. "And dreaming I shall, Mikan Sakura." He smiled. "Because that dream will soon turn to real ones."
Mikan, who was outside the door, heard his words perfectly clear. She rolled her eyes at his words but despite that, her cheeks had grown red. Her back slide down the door till her butt touched the cold floor. Her forehead was on her knees as she tried to level her breaths. She hated to admit it but she was oddly attracted to the guy for a second there. Only for a second! When she felt herself staring at him when he was staring at her, she found the whole thing rather hot. Again, only for a second! That is when she caught herself realizing it was wrong, she quickly pushed the vile thoughts away. And getting away from him seemed to be the best option at that time. She couldn't possibly be attracted to the guy for real, could she? That's impossible.
Her head snapped up when she heard a phone rang. It was from the inside so immediately she knew it was Hyuuga's.
Natsume fished his ringing phone out of his back pocket. He looked at the screen. Kitsu.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Where are you, man?"
"I'm still at the infirmary."
"What the hell are you doing there for so long? Ruka is here already!"
"Don't shout, fucktard. My ears are experiencing internal bleeding because of your loud voice."
"Oh sorry man. Why are you still there anyway?"
Mikan heard the sound of opening and closing of drawers.
"I'm still trying to figure out some stuff."
"What stuff? Dude, you're in the infirmary, not a fucking library."
"Hey do you know where they put the white thing to soak the iodine in?"
"White thing? Natsume, what are you talking about here? Are you high?"
"I'm not high, Kitsu." Natsume groaned in annoyance.
"Then what the hell are you talking about? What white thing? Are you sure you're at the infirmary? Is the nurse there?"
"She's not here that's why I'm asking you where the fuck is that white thing! I need to soak it with iodine, man!" Natsume growled.
"Why do you need an iodine for?"
Natsume's vein twitched irritatingly. He breathed out heavily. "You know what man, forget it. I'll manage on my own. Tell Ruka I'll be there in a sec." He pushed the end call button and taking a seat on a chair, his shoulders sagged against the soft cushion. My friend is an idiot, he kept thinking tiredly. He held the bottle high up above his eyes and shook it. The bottle made a splashing sound. From down below, his crimson eyes stared at the bottle, which he's holding up.
The moment he heard the door opened, he didn't look up, instead, his tired voice spoke, "I've got cuts and bruises and I need treatment." Screw the white thing! He couldn't find it. If it's up to him, he would have already splashed the iodine on his face and already left the room by now. But there are still rules and protocols and he's in a place where the owner wasn't around. Better not do something you clearly have no idea about. But now that the nurse's finally here, he no longer had to give a fuck about finding that thing to soak the iodine in and just let her treat him quickly. After all, she's the academy nurse; she knew better.
He heard the sound of someone opening and closing a few drawers. He also heard the sound of a chair being pulled before finally sensing someone sitting by his side. He turned around. Astonishingly, he furrowed his brows at her. "What are you doing here?"
The brunette looked at him before pulling him up, urging him to sit properly. He watched as she grabbed the iodine bottle from his hand and uncapped the lid, she spoke, "this white thing," she showed him a small size cotton she's holding with her other hand, "is the gauze." He noticed she was biting her lips, clearly preventing her lips from forming a smile. But her hazel eyes, they couldn't deceive him; they were dancing with humor as they glistened. "You soak the gauze in the iodine." She pressed on the word gauze.
A smile crept at the corner of his lips, he's finally getting on what she's implying. "How long were you outside?"
Mikan shrugged. Her hand skillfully soaked the gauze with the iodine. "Long enough to hear the entire conversation." She smiled. Her smile widened more when he looked away in embarrassment. But knowing this is Natsume Hyuuga she's fronting, she knew he's not looking away because of embarrassment. Natsume Hyuuga doesn't do embarrassment.
She placed her hand on the side of his cheek and pulled his face back towards hers so she could start dabbing the gauze slowly on his skin. "You know, you could have nicely asked for my help instead of being a jackass trying to pull his flirting tricks on me." Mikan carefully dabbed on his skin. "You don't even know what a gauze is." She laughed.
He winced in pain when the dabbing started to reach the corner of his lips where Hijiri had recently punched him. He threw her an annoying look before wincing again when she dabbed on the cut. When she moved back towards the table—on her chair with rollers by the way—to get a change of the gauze, he commented, "You're being awfully nice and hospitable."
"Such a shocking, isn't it? Especially to someone like you who clearly doesn't deserve my kindness," she remarked sarcastically. She moved back to him, rolling on her chair to his side and started to dab again after she soaked it with iodine. "I can be nice when I want to," she added with a knowing smile.
"Who are you?"
Mikan's hands, which had actively working, dabbing the gauze on his skin, halted in their tracks. Mikan's gaze wavered. She silently gulped.
That came out unexpected.
"Don't act like you don't know my name, Hyuuga." She forced her trembled voice out. Faking her normal voice was hard enough, voicing it all out was another different matter.
Natsume stared at her, his crimson eyes not leaving her face nor her eyes. He's accessing her now.
"Mikan Sakura, I know your name." He shrugged and continued, "You talked back to our principal, raise your voice and even threatened him. Cursing even. And yet, he doesn't get mad. You know your way around the academy. And I'm not dumb enough to overlook that Umenomiya really look up to you."
Mikan continued working with her hands. She stayed silent, no words came out like she had not heard him talking, like he wasn't even there at all.
"But what really caught my interest is," he halted and move closer to her. Mikan stopped her work and moved back an inch. But when Natsume reached out and grabbed her chair behind her back to hold her still, she knew she didn't have any other choice; she was cornered. Natsume leaned forward, his crimson eyes not leaving her hazel ones, nose almost touching. "Your relationship with Hijiri." he added lastly.
He's too close damn it! Mikan glared at him. Instead of blushing scarlet red because of their distance, which she actually was right now, but she concealed it perfectly well with a menacing glare. "You're too close, more than necessary, Hyuuga." She warned him. And why the hell does he want to know what my relationship is with You-chan?
A smirk formed at the corner of his lips. He leaned another inch closer. Their nose already touching but their lips were not; barely though. But still, each of them could feel the hot breaths coming out from their opposite lips. His hand went to touch her hair, running his fingers loose to the end it. His other hand cupped her cheeks, holding her face in place. He tilted his face to the side to close the distance between their lips.
It should be working. His attempts never failed before.
.
.
.
The room suddenly filled with his chuckles.
Apparently, his attempts didn't actually work this time around.
In fact, Mikan Sakura was pulling his hair back right now. And she's not doing it very nicely or filled with any sort of love and affection. She's doing it with rage and wrath. The turn out event was unexpected that he had to laugh.
"Don't ever think you can get your chance so effing easily, Hyuuga." He heard her growl. But the funniest thing of all is, he could still found all of this funny when he's having his back hair being pulled right now. Well, literally, it sounds hot, having a girl pulling your hair, but reality is, such thing's not happening right now. In fact, the hot thing now is, Mikan's Sakura's raging temperature.
She leaned closer; her eyes were infuriating. "Got that? Whatever you're thinking, it's not going to happen." He wondered how she could get her hands behind his head. Her hands movement was fast. He didn't realize she moved her hands before. He thought she was still holding the gauze. Apparently not.
When Mikan sensed that Hyuuga wasn't even listening, she tugged at his hair forcefully this time. "Are you even listening? I'm wasting my damn breath talking to you and you—"
The door suddenly opened with a bang. A familiar looking figure stood at the door with an icy cold look plastered on her porcelain looking face. Her amethyst eyes stared at the two inside the room. Her mind quickly accessing the whole situation she's seeing; Mikan was pulling a guy's hair to the extend his neck was cracking, his head was lolled to the back and the guy's hand was holding the back of Mikan's chair.
"Oh Hotaru!" Mikan said in surprised. "You're here already."
Hotaru glanced at the guy coldly before returning back her attention to Mikan. "Let's go back. I've already talked to Kazumi."
Mikan raised her eyebrows at the girl. "That fast? They didn't even informed me that you already here."
"Mikan, let's just go. This place makes me vomit in annoyance, I don't want to stay another second here." She looked around irritatingly. She didn't even want to waste her breath in such a place!
Mikan nodded her head and suddenly realized she was still holding Hyuuga's hair. The man didn't wince or groaned in pain at all. She only heard him chuckled once. They were talking while she's still holding Hyuuga's hair. She didn't know whether to apologize at him or laugh. The entire scene must have looked rather funny to other people's eyes. Mikan quickly let go of his hair and jumped off the seat. "Okay, I'll be out in a sec."
Mikan watched as Hotaru disappeared from the door. Her sudden death is coming near and she's scared as hell. Hearing that Hotaru settled the issue alone with Uncle Kazumi must be very nerve wrecking to watch. Hotaru hates Uncle Kazumi. The entire situation must be pretty heavy like two hit mans trying to kill one another. To top it off, Hotaru had to force herself come to this wretched AA that she hates so much because of what Mikan Sakura had done. Mikan thought her death torture won't be that less painful, in fact it would be so painful that she wished her death would just come by right this second.
She went to the table and pulled out a drawer before taking out a plaster. She worked quickly. Hotaru hates waiting so she couldn't waste another second. She went back to Hyuuga and quickly smacked the plaster on the side of his lips. She did it rather rash on purpose but the guy still didn't wince in pain. Mikan silently groaned. Is the man ironman or what?
"Stay away from Youichi, Hyuuga." She warned him lastly before turning around to start walking to the door.
She felt a tug before turning around again, her eyes widened in surprise. Her hands went to cover her mouth that was about to let out a yelp.
Hyuuga was holding the tip of her long hair.
Well, that much wasn't something to be freaked out about, right?
BUT.
And he's kissing it!
That much should be something that she should be freaking out now.
He looked up from under his eyelashes to look at her. "What would you give me if I leave him alone hm?" He gave her that one lazy grin that slowly and languidly formed on his luscious lips.
TBC.
A/N: So I googled what Yandere is and I still couldn't understand what it is. It said here at Urban Dictionary that 'it is an anime character who is either psychotic or violent or both, and shows affection to the main character'. So idk, maybe yeah I guess. I'm still keeping her sweet and bubbly sides but really, she has other personalities as well, just like the rest of us are. We act differently depends on which people we surround ourselves with or in which situations we're in. So in Mikan's case, she' all different when she's with Hotaru and when she's mad or pissed (even at Youichi), you can't expect her to stay all sweet and bubbly right? My points exactly.