19 Smoke

As soon as the piece came to an end, Hotaru stood up. Ready to give a bow along with Mikan. After the crowd applause, they carefully made their way down the stair to the side of the stage. Mikan was nothing but relief. Hotaru was smirking.

"Told you your skirt would be secured," Hotaru stated in a matter of a fact tone.

Mikan scrunched up her face in annoyance and looked around. "Now that settle, can you please bring me home now, Hotaru?" She turned to look at her with pleading eyes.

Hotaru raised her brows at her. "Just now you were flipping mad at me and now you want me to bring you home?" She walked passed her brunette best friend.

"Oh come on Hotaru! I already apologized, didn't I?" Mikan whined, tailing her from behind. "Now can we please go home?" She tugged at Hotaru's arm. Hotaru had Narumi's car—again—so she couldn't go home unless Hotaru sent her.

They finally stopped at a refreshment table. Hotaru leisurely picked up a glass of lemonade and slowly sipping it, enjoying her time torturing her best friend. Mikan fumed, "Hotaru, for goodness sake! Let's go home please!" She finally resorting to stomping her feet like a small child.

But Hotaru ignored her still. She thought she would tease Mikan a bit. So placing the glass down and grabbed for a mini sandwich placed on a nearby plate, she began eating. "You want some, Mikan?" she motioned for the sandwich. "It tastes great. Surprising that it comes from the hospital," she trailed off.

Mikan's eyes began to shoot lasers. "Hotaru Imai," she said through gritted teeth. "I don't give a fuck about the food." She exploded. "You're clearly torturing me right now!"

Hotaru gulped down the food she was chewing and smirked. "Oh so you realized," she said sarcastically. She picked up her drink where she left before.

"Oh god, Hotaru. Not now." Mikan shook her head in despair. "Don't do this now. I don't want to see him." She knew earlier she had thought that seeing Hyuuga, she didn't want to run away as much as knowing Kou would be here. But now, she seconded that thought. Kou would be the bigger crisis here. She had to run away from him. Hyuuga's just a jerk who annoyed her to death but Kou, on the other hand, they had history together; one which she refused to remember. Damn, she needs to elope now.

Hotaru glanced around while sipping her lemonade. "Who said anything has to do with him?"

"I know what you're doing, baka Hotaru!" Mikan puffed her cheeks irritatingly at her raven haired best friend. "You don't even like him in the first place, so why are you doing this to me?"

Mikan could already figured out what Hotaru was doing. But drag it, they could have just gone straight home but Hotaru, she was buying time. Mikan knew that. And she didn't really favor that idea one bit. She tugged at Hotaru's arm again. "Let's just go."

But Hotaru, she was enjoying the frantic look on Mikan's face. Don't get her wrong. She loves Mikan. So much, at that. But really, what's a best friend if she didn't tease her sometimes. Bullying Mikan sometimes set her heart happy. Somehow, it always made her think that Mikan was still vulnerable even though she always had on a tough demeanor. That made her want to protect her more. Plus, even if that baka best friend of hers always had a strong face, only she knew how easily she could break, only she knew what her weakness are. Her stand in her best friend's life is that major.

Putting down her glass, she smiled. "Alright alright, we'll go home." Mikan's face light up but immediately turned into a scowl when she continued, "That is, after I take another bite of this scrumptious sandwich." She picked up another one from the tray. "You sure you don't want one? This one tastes a lot better compared to their usual hospital food."

Mikan was close to strangling her best friend due to excess frustration. One more annoying teasing come from Hotaru, Mikan doubt she would stay still any longer. She would commit her first homicidal crime today if Hotaru still play around with her. "Blimey Hotaru, you're a devil itself." Mikan clenched her fist. "I swore if I happened to meet him here, you can say goodbye to your Western crabs." Mikan began threatening. "You know damn well Subaru-nii is quite fond of me, ne Hotaru?"

The effect was fast. Hotaru quickly tossed her sandwich away and announced, "Okay, let's get home then." Taking her last sip of her lemonade, she spun around, tossing that glass away too, she made her way towards the exit. Mikan smiled in triumph. Hotaru didn't have as many weaknesses as she did, but Mikan made sure she would use every single of her best friend's weaknesses well. Slowly, she followed from behind.

When Mikan suddenly heard Hotaru groaned, she was about to ask her what's wrong but then she saw it. Ahead of them, stood the lot; Eye Candy parasites. All of them were there, except for that corn haired slit-eyed named Kitsuneme. Ah, now she understood. Nogi's there. Hotaru suddenly halted in her tracks and she spun around. "We're not going pass there."

Mikan looked at her in disbelief. They're almost at the exit door for crying out loud! "Good grief, Hotaru. It's just Nogi!" She glanced at the said boy. Ruka Nogi looked nice as well, with a dark blue hoodie and jeans. Hell, he looked normal—and far sane if compared to Hyuuga—so what's wrong with Hotaru? She turned back her attention to her now annoyed best friend. "And it's not like he's going to eat you up," Mikan added, trying not to stifle a laugh at the thought of it.

Hotaru smacked Mikan's head and scowled. "Your jokes are lame, Sakura." Mikan watched as Hotaru glanced back and growled. When Hotaru looked at her again, her face was sullen. "I don't want to meet him as much as you don't want to see Shirakiin."

Mikan frowned. "Damn it Hotaru. This isn't going anywhere at all." She placed her hands on Hotaru's shoulder and spun her around. "We're almost there, see?" Mikan pointed at the exit door and motioned for the raven-haired lad who was standing close to the door. "Hyuuga's there too but I don't really make a fuss about it."

Actually, now she wished to make a fuss about it. Because it seemed the parasites had spotted them from across the room. Hyuuga was looking at her, that much is obvious. Nogi, well, Mikan had thought his eyes could shoot arrows of love at Hotaru. The rest of the lot, they just watched them. Once in awhile, she could see Kokoroyomi would say something to Yuu Tobita and then he would nod.

'Drag it, they're not talking about us, are they?'Mikan mentally frowned.

She heard Hotaru scoffed at her statement. "Of course you're not fussing about Hyuuga right now. It's because escaping from Shirakiin is the bigger picture here."

Mikan's vein twitched. "Western crabs, Hotaru." She reminded her. "Western crabs."

Hotaru sighed, finally giving up. That blasted Western crabs! "Fine. We'll just walk pass them like they don't even exist there." Hotaru glared at the lot. They're already looking at the two of them. Oh they existed all right. She would had to just imagine she had burned them to crisp by now.

Mikan beamed. "That's the spirit!"

"Or we can just run pass them." She heard Hotaru muttered. Mikan chuckled. "I can, but I doubt you can without tripping over your dress." She heard a curse escape her friend's lips and Mikan laughed. "Oh get over it Hotaru. Who told you to wear—"

"Mikan."

Mikan's words come to a halt when she felt a hand on her shoulder and immediately, she stiffened, frozen all over completely. The voice was low yet, she heard it crystal clear. She knew that voice damn well. Hotaru hissed when she felt the grip of Mikan's hands on her shoulders tightened, like she was somehow gruesomely gripping them. Hotaru spun around and was about to smack her when she finally saw the person standing behind her brunette best friend. Her face paled.

Hotaru cleared her throat forcefully. She motioned her head to Mikan's back and Mikan blinked her brown eyes rapidly while biting her lower lips, indicating that she was well aware who was behind her. She leaned closer to Hotaru and mumbled in a low voice, "You can say goodbye to your western crabs." Hotaru frowned. Damn it.

Mikan took a deep breath before spun around and gulped. Her throat had gotten dry all of a sudden. "Kou." Damn she hated her squeaky voice right now.

The figure stood before her, seven feet tall, had this big smile on his smooth looking face. His purple eyes twinkled as he directly looked at the brunette. His bleached hair glistened under the lamplight and it was styled in a tousled kind of way. His left ear had a black stud pierced on. His lips, oh god his lips. That tiny tiny curve at the corner of his lips where.. Ah shit. Mikan silently gulped.

"I see you've grown older than my great-grandfather," Hotaru commented about his choice of hair colour drily, forcing herself to break the ice among them three. She happened to notice that right now Mikan didn't seem to be functioning quite normally, giving that aside from one word coming out from her mouth—his name only—she's pretty much out of it. "Believe me, you're the second least person I want to see here."

Mikan rolled her eyes at Hotaru's mention about second least person. She bet she knew who the first person is, and that person happened to be just across the room, by the door where she should have escaped minutes ago.

"Fancy meeting you here as well, Hotaru," His deep voice rumbled.

Hotaru scowled at him. "You don't and we both know it. I don't like you as much as you hate frogs."

Kou chuckled and shook his head. Hotaru Imai, using dirt on people as always. No wonder they didn't get along well back in the days.

"Can we get a moment please? I wish to talk to Mikan alone."

This time, Mikan cut in. Finding her words—and voice god knows where she had left them after she met Kou just now—she looked up and her brown gaze directly met with Kou's purple ones. "I don't think it's a good idea, Kou." Blasted, she didn't want to been seen talking to him at all.

Kou gave a dismissal wave of his hand. "This is a close small event. Plus, reporters aren't allowed in here so it should be fine." He grabbed for Mikan's hand and began pulling.

Hotaru stepped up and stopped him. "Even if there no reporters, what you're doing can cause a scandal." She stopped her words before furrowing her brows at him. "Or is that what you wished for? For Mikan to be one of your many scores of women in your scandalous rumors?"

She watched as he looked down, bangs covering his eyes. "If you don't let me," she heard him said and continued. "I will cause a scene." And as he lifted his face up, his purple eyes were no longer twinkling but they had grown fiery and seething. "Only then will Mikan be on the paper. If that's what you want," he added quietly with a glare. It was a dare, Hotaru realized.

Hotaru looked at him, stunned. Kou Shirakiin knew how to threaten people? When did the boy even knew how to be like that?

"Don't push your luck, Shirakiin. The second when that happen, you won't be able to sing anymore," Hotaru replied menacingly. "I will make sure of it."

Mikan sighed. These two are at it again.

"It's okay, Hotaru. Wait for me at the door."

When there's Nogi there? "Fucking hell no."

Mikan looked behind her. Nogi's watching them. So as the rest of the lot. Ah shit. They can't possibly talk here. "Then wait somewhere."

But Hotaru, she's not letting Mikan go anywhere. Certainly not with the guy who happened to break her heart years ago. "No." The raven haired girl stood her ground.

Mikan gave her a pointed look. "Hotaru. Go." She finally said sternly. When she sensed Hotaru's strong refusal, Mikan finally sighed. "I'll be back in a minute. Promise." She smiled a little before adding, "You'll get your western crabs so wait for me somewhere."

Hotaru clicked her tongue in pure irritation. Damn, Mikan got her there.

So as she watched those two walked somewhere together, Hotaru began calculating. Well, she supposed she could tail them from behind in discrete and it's not like that's the first time she had done it before—nonetheless, she knew Mikan would be flipping mad if she did that—though she doubted Mikan would be thoroughly thick skulled not to be able to notice anything amiss. She had to admit, despite being a baka, Mikan can be quick-witted sometimes.

It's easier to fool Shirakiin though. When Mikan's around him, he couldn't even notice anything happened around him. Let it be if a tree tumbled down or a car crash, he won't even notice. He was too preoccupied with the girl in his mind. She didn't know whether he's too stupid or he's just too madly in love with Mikan. Hotaru inwardly snickered. Well, that's years ago. I doubt he's still like that towards Mikan. Her amethyst eyes narrowed as she watched them took a turn at the corner of the room. They're going outside to the garden. And now, she started to feel restless.

On the other side of the room stood another person who felt agitated.

"And off to the garden they went," Ruka mumbled, eyes watching the soon disappearing figures.

"So I noticed," Natsume replied through gritted teeth. He was right. He had never really paid much attention to his intuition in the past. It proved him wrong many times before but this time, he intuition actually dead on the spot. Mikan Sakura did have something going on with Kou Shirakiin. They actually knew each other.

"Mikan Sakura knows Kou Shirakiin?" Koko's voice came from behind them. "I'm quite surprised. Her network is beyond what I expected."

"By the look of it, I think Kou Shirakiin goes way back with Mikan Sakura and Hotaru Imai," Yuu concluded. His studious eyes clouded.

Ruka clicked his tongue, probably annoyed at what he's hearing. He almost yelped in surprise when he felt Natsume's arm on his shoulder. It was a sudden act nonetheless. He knew where this was going and what Natsume wanted. He wanted him to talk to Hotaru Imai and asked her directly. So Ruka quickly said, "No, whatever you're thinking of wanting me to do, no, I will not do it." He turned to look at Natsume who was now standing beside him with his arm wrapping around his precious neck. Natsume was smirking. Ruka scowled. "Fucking hell no."

"Don't be such a pussy, Nogi." Natsume taunted, tightened his grip around Ruka's neck a little. "Your wife is just across the room and she's alone. I bet she's pretty lonely right now." He was trying to tempt Ruka, to lure him into bending to his needs.

"No way man. Don't use me as a sacrificial lamb just to get what you want." He pushed Natsume's arm away. "If you want someone to sacrifice, might as well throw Koko in. He's thick-skinned."

Koko choked on the guy's words. "Oh no no no." He came defending his valuable life. "As stupid as I am, I still value my life. Did you not see how angry she was, Natsume? If you want one of us to talk to her right now, we might ended up getting killed in the middle of a public event!" he exclaimed in a terrified mode.

Natsume rolled his eyes at him. 'You have a yakuza for a father yet you're scared of a girl,' he thought drily. Though, Koko's right. They all could see Hotaru Imai's pretty much in a bad mood right now. Even Ruka's afraid to come close to her. Natsume looked at the said girl. She had her back facing them. Natsume narrowed his eyes and smirked. Her aura's pretty much killing right now, that's for sure.

Ruka looked behind his back. Looking around them, he narrowed his eyes. "Where's Kitsu?"

Koko looked around them as well and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah I didn't notice he wasn't with us at all."

"Probably went to freshen up," Yuu responded.

The guys looked at him oddly. Went to what?

"To powder his nose maybe," Koko added with a snicker.

Yuu shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. That's what he said earlier."

xxxx

Kitsu coughed as smoke coming out from his lips. He coughed harder when he suddenly felt his throat had gotten drier. He cursed. Someone must be talking bad about him right now, he assumed. He had escaped the hectic room filled with people to freshen up himself. He took his cigarette and inhaled deeply. He mentally snickered at himself. Here he was, smoking in a hospital ground. He should be able to tick one off his bucket list of 100 things to do before he died—that is, if he had one.

Edging himself further behind the tree silhouette, he took another deep intake of the cancer breeder. Since he's doing it in hospital ground, he did not wish to be caught, especially not by a doctor. He groaned. Ugh. He hated hospitals. That's why he got all fidgety and angsty. Which brings to what he's doing right now. He opened his mouth as the smoke flew out. Whenever he felt apprehensive, he just had to smoke.

As if he heard something, he narrowed his eyes. Taking a peek behind the tree, he almost choked on his cigarette. Someone's coming!, he thought in panic. Immediately he coughed and covered his mouth. He repeatedly cursed. The almost finished cigarette quickly tossed aside and stepped on. He edged himself further back into the shadows. All the while his mind kept repeating all the 'colorful' words he had in his vocabulary.

"We really shouldn't be doing this." He heard a girl's voice had said.

"We're just gonna talk. It's not like we're doing anything horrible out here." Deep voice, a male.

Kitsu rolled his eyes and frowned. Great, just great. Now he's stuck listening to a lover's quarrel. He looked around. He needed to find a way to escape. If the girl ended up slapping the guy, he didn't want to be the sole witness to it. He saw the two had finally stopped to a nearby bench. The guy took a seat while the girl was still standing. He groaned. Why would they talk outside anyways? The air conditioning room inside is far better than the temperature outside. He shrugged at his own thoughts. Then again, the garden view outside is far better. He turned around and leaned against the tree bark and sighed. Didn't seem like he couldn't get inside now.

"Hotaru won't like it." He heard the girl said again. Damn it. Even if he's not looking, he could still hear them talking. And they're pretty close by as well.

Eh. Hotaru?

Kitsu scratched his head. Where had he heard that name before?

"I see you're still with her. That's good."

"Of course. Nobody understands me better than her."

Kitsu ruffled his hair in frustration. Surely he had heard that name before but who was it?

"I searched for you." He heard the guy said again. This time, in a softer voice.

Kitsu rolled his eyes and shook his head pathetically at the lad. If you're begging her to come back, that trick is pretty weak.

He felt his phone vibrated and thanked the god that he somehow put it in vibration mode. He fished it out from his back pocket and looked at the screen. It was Yuu. A finger scrolled across the screen as he rejected the call. He opened his text box and began typing, informing Yuu that he couldn't talk right now because he was stuck with a lovebird's affair. Yuu texted back seconds after that, asking what the hell does he meant. Kitsu replied, telling Yuu he'll get back inside in a few minutes. He put the phone inside his back pocket again. Kitsu quirked his brows. Strange, they're being awfully silent now. Did the girl finally bought the guy's cheap tricks?

"Kou, please don't beat around the bushes. What is it that you really want?" After some time, he finally heard the girl spoke again. "I'm sorry but I do not wish to see you at all. Talking to you is the least what I wanna do right now."

Ah, so the girl doesn't want the guy? Now he felt sorry for the poor lad. I understand how you feel, Kou. Kitsu, suddenly getting on the first name basis with the guy, even if he had not met him, shook his head sadly.

"Is that why you've been avoiding me all these years, Mikan?" The man's voice was heard again.

Hearing the name, Kitsu's eyes bulged and he choked. He quickly covered his mouth, stopping himself from coughing too loud. Damn it, the smoke before made it worse. He went teary-eyed for holding his cough back. He spun around and peeked behind the tree. Immediately his urge to cough stop and his mouth gaped wide open.

TBH.