21 Tell me

"Seriously Hotaru?" Mikan's brows twitched when she stared at herself in front of the body length mirror. Her head spun around to glare at her best friend who was now casually lounging on her bed, flipping a magazine. "Hotaru, this is horrible!"

Hotaru took a glance at Mikan before focusing on the magazine again. She shrugged. "I've tried my best." No, she's not actually.

Mikan stomped her feet in pure irritation. "Your best my arse! You're not even trying at all!" Mikan looked at herself again in the mirror and shook her head in dismay. "If this going to be it, I rather kill myself now."

Hotaru closed the magazine and got down from the bed. Mikan watched as she took out her phone and dialed a number before pressing it to her ear. "Who are you calling? CIA? FBI? SWAT? Do they have anyone who can fix this?"

Hotaru gave her a pointed look before walking up to her from across the room to flick her on the forehead. "I'm calling a pro for you, baka."

"Who?" Mikan whined while rubbing her sore forehead.

She smiled her small smile. "Someone we know who's capable of keeping her mouth sealed."

Mikan watched as Hotaru slowly pacing in the room before she heard her voice started talking on the phone.

xxxxx

Kitsu gulped. Sweats started to trail down his neck as it disappeared under the white shirt he worn under his unbutton school uniform. It was hot enough as it was and with how he's tied up right now, it made him even more uncomfortable.

"I still don't get it why we have to tie him up," Koko had said as he bent down his back to tightened up the rope behind the chair where Kitsu was now currently sitting. "Damn it, this ropes are too thick to be tied properly."

Yuu just sighed as he pushed the glasses up his nose. He watched as Koko had now resorting to crouching behind the chair in order to properly tied the rope. "To be honest, you just don't know how to tie it, do you?"

"I know how to tie a damn stupid rope, so shut up Tobita," Koko growled behind the chair.

"Seriously guys, why are you going this far?" Kitsu's nervous voice came. "I told you already nothing is wrong! This is a useless thing you're doing." He shakily laughed though he failed to see where the funny part in this right now. He's been tied up to a chair for god's sake!

He sent Ruka an alarmed look. Ruka was currently perched on the side of windowsills, looking back at him and shook his head helplessly, indicating that he's not gonna help him this time. Natsume, on the other hand, was sitting motionlessly on a chair with his arm propping his chin on the chair seat. "Natsume, seriously, why are you guys doing this?"

Natsume smirked. "I'm actually interested to know what these guys are talking about as well."

Natsume didn't really know where this was going, to be exact. But the guys did tell him something interesting enough so here he was. He was told that Kitsu had been acting strange lately. Even if he was asked many times, it seemed like he refused to tell. More like, he insisted that nothing was wrong. But in fact, the guys knew perfectly well that something's going on and he's just refused to open his mouth.

As stupid as he is, Koko was the first one to voice out that Kitsu was definitely not himself. It had been two weeks since the charity event and Kitsu had been staring at his phone a lot lately and also out of the windows when he's in class. He had not been drinking his usual coke and instead he's been taking a lot of chamomile tea—which none of the guys knew what that was—and that guy often lately became startled with a lot of petty things; like recently when he's woolgathering and wanting to talk to him, Ruka touched his shoulder to catch his attention, Kitsu actually squealed in surprise. Not a deep-voice surprise kinda of yell but like a prissy squeal of a girl. The man clearly had lost his balls because of something. And the guys wanted to know why he was so distracted. And more importantly, what he's so distracted about.

So they came to a pact to force it out of him. Natsume wasn't particularly interested in what his friend was distracted about because he didn't really want to poke much into his friend's life because that too, a privacy of other people that he respected. But, three of his friends clearly were not in the same page as him. Bet they couldn't stand this kind of new Kitsu so they resorted in using this way. He wasn't so sure whether they're purely concerned or disturbed by Kitsu's recent acts. Actually, Natsume was more interested to watch what they're gonna do to Kitsu.

Kitsu finally blew out of his mind. His body jerked violently as he struggled to let himself free from the rope. "Fucking hell what you guys doing are tortures! I don't know where you got this stupid idea but I'm fucking against it!"

Koko reached one hand up and slapped Kitsu's head from the back. "Don't move, baka. You're only hurting yourself more." He nodded his head in satisfaction as he eyed his art of tying ropes. He stood up and joined Ruka on the windowsills.

"This is wrong." He repeatedly said. "This is definitely wrong in every levels! You are clearly refusing my rights!"

"Sorry, Kitsu. We've tried but your bloody mouth just won't tell us anything," Ruka informed.

"Then that means there is nothing to tell! I don't get what you're trying to find out here," his voice turned shaky as he started to panic when Yuu began clipping something here and there on his skin. The square box monitor that stood beside him started to let out a beep. It was a pulse monitor.

Natsume looked at the square box in amusement. "Where did you get that?"

"I took it from the infirmary." Yuu was now looking at the screen and began clicked a few buttons among the many ones.

"Will it work?"

Yuu nodded his head. "Supposedly. It measures his heart rate after all."

Natsume smirk widened. "Then let's test it, shall we?"

The colour drained from Kitsu's face. He looked at the beeping square box in horror. Oh god, they're gonna torture him till he spilled everything out!

"This is not a fucking game, Natsume," Kitsu growled.

Natsume snickered. "This is interesting enough for me."

"God I fucking hate you guys," Kitsu spat out. He began jerking violently again, trying to wriggling both his body and wrists free.

"We were right though," Ruka suddenly spoke up. "You clearly hiding something. If not, you won't try this hard to get free." His keen blue eyes stared at him, analyzing what he's seeing.

Kitsu immediately froze. Shit. He got caught. Then realized he had suddenly frozen. He cursed again. It made even more clearer that he's hiding something.

Koko removed himself from the windowsills and headed to where Yuu was. Yuu was still busy pressing here and there on the buttons of another small square box next to the monitor. He was still trying to make it work. It took a bit of time though because he needed to alter a few things so that Kitsu won't die when they zapped him. "Will it work okay?"

His hands worked as fast as his brain. Koko watched in silent as Yuu moved around. One minute he was pressing a few buttons on the monitor, the next second he was adjusting the wires of another box beside the monitor on Kitsu's body. "Yeah. Give me a few seconds. I need to adjust the volt. We don't want Kitsu to die when we mistakenly zap him with too much volt."

Kitsu's face instantly paled. They're intended to zap him? Isn't this going way too far?

Ruka had noticed Kitsu had stopped moving. "Oh you've calmed down already?" he teased.

Kitsu glared daggers. "I swear to god, you guys are going to fucking get it when I finally get my hands on every each one of you."

Ruka laughed. "Be careful. If things go wrong, we might accidentally killed you, you know." Of course they would try their best not to kill their best friend but really, what's best friends if they don't continuously annoy and piss one another.

"That's not near funny at all, Ruka," Kitsu hissed.

Even if Kitsu knew Ruka was just joking but still, he sent a silent prayer to the god. He didn't want to die just yet.

"Okay, we're good to go," Yuu announced, finally finished with his tinkering.

Ruka jumped down from the windowsills to move closer. "Well, this is definitely an interesting sight," he said with a thoughtful look, as he looked Kitsu up and down from where he was tied up. There were wires everywhere. On Kitsu's temples, necks, biceps. The wires also gone under his shirt so Ruka assumed Yuu probably had placed some on Kitsu's tummy and chest as well. His eyes trailed the wires where they disappeared behind the chair. Seemed like he put some on Kitsu's hands as well. Though he couldn't really figure out which ones from the heart monitor and which ones for the zap. They were entangled on top of one another.

"If someone else sees this, surely we're gonna get reported to the police. This is just like an episode of Criminal Minds, you know," Ruka added before turning around. He walked to the door to check once again whether it was really locked. They were using the student council meeting room and since it was after school time, Ruka knew no one would really come but still, there's still precautious measure to be taken. He headed back to where the rest of the guys were.

He clasped his hands together. "So, shall we begin?"

They had to start asking random questions first to see Kitsu's heartbeat pattern to check whether the monitor really works. Yuu was a bit concern of the fact that Koko's the one who's gonna push the button to zap Kitsu. First because Koko was dumb so he might accidentally pushed the button when it's not even time to zap or just simply push it again and again because it's fun. Secondly, Yuu had to consider the fact that Koko had a yakuza blood in him so the probability of him wanting to hurt other people, exist. But the said person looked really excited to push the button, made Yuu even more concern about his decision of letting Koko to do so.

"Don't push anything else. Just this button alone," he reminded Koko while strictly pointing to a blue button. Koko's head bounced up and down giddily. "Only when we told you to do so," he reminded again. Koko nodded his head again, his forefinger already hanging on air just above the blue button.

Yuu turned the sound of the monitor beeper on and moved to stand next to Ruka. "Should I be worried of leaving that to Koko?" he mumbled to his blonde friend.

Ruka looked at Koko. That idiot definitely looked worrisome. "Is the volt high?"

Yuu shook his head. "No, just mild. But if it's done repeatedly, it might stings."

"Then it's okay. It's not like we really want to kill Kitsu."

Natsume turned to look at his two friends. He's waiting for them to start.

But even before they could properly start with the question, the monitor had already started beeping so loud like it suddenly gone haywire. Kitsu was even more frantic. He was nervous enough that they're going to start asking him questions and now with the loud beeping sound echoing throughout the whole room, he was even more anxious. His inconsistent heartbeat would definitely give him in.

"Wow, what's with you, man?" Koko asked, looking at him oddly.

"Kitsu, calm down. Your heart rate is too high." Yuu tried telling him.

Ruka's grin grew wider. "See, we were right on the spot. You're definitely hiding something. Your pulses say it all."

"What calm down!" Kitsu snarled. "Imagine being tied, you idiots!"

The effect was fast. When Koko pushed the button, Kitsu let out a loud yell before he doubled over and started groaning. It fucking hurt! The loud beeping too had stopped. Ruka and Yuu looked at Koko with an accusing look. "What the hell were you doing?"

Koko smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I couldn't stand the loud beeping." He looked at the monitor. He motioned for the screen. "Oh look! His heart rate just dropped. Isn't that a good thing?"

"That's why I'm worried leaving him with the button," Yuu muttered under his breath. Ruka sweat dropped. "Well, at least he did something right even if he didn't realized it."

When Kitsu came around, his eyes were burning with fire. "Fucking hell, Kokoroyomi. You better pray you're still gonna be alive when I get my hands on you!" he spat out. "I'm gonna break every pieces of your bones and feed them to the wild dogs!"

Yuu and Ruka had reached an unspoken conclusion at that moment. Kitsu cursed a lot more when he's really against something down the core of his bone. Or maybe he just cursed a lot when he's tied up. And his threats were more colorful and more imaginative too. That's definitely a side they didn't know before.

Koko's grin became wider. He suddenly thought of something very interesting. "Hey, Kitsu, are you gay?" He stupidly asked. He looked at the screen monitor and waited.

"What the fuck are you talking about, dumbass!" Kitsu's body jerked. "Of course I'm not!"

Koko looked at the screen disappointedly. "Awwh man. He's telling the truth."

Kitsu stared at him in disbelief. "I'm going crazy, like seriously," he mumbled tiredly under his breath.

"The machine works fine to me," Natsume concluded. He turned to look at his two friends who were beside him. "So what exactly are you trying to find out from him anyways?"

Ruka, Yuu and Koko looked at each other repeatedly. Now that they're on it, what exactly do they wanna ask? They knew Kitsu's hiding something from them and that's pretty obvious by now. But from where should they start poking in order for him to spill it out? They didn't exactly knew what in particular that he's hiding anyway.

Feeling the silent atmosphere and the constant glance his friends were throwing to one another, Kitsu snickered. "Can't believe you do all this without a proper plan at all." Ruka and Yuu looked away guiltily. They had not really thought before about which questions to ask.

Koko flicked his finger in remembrance. "Ah, I've been meaning to ask you this. What smoke are you talking about the last time we were in the car on our way back home from the charity event?"

Kitsu's flinched. Ah drag it.

Koko looked at the screen. "Your heartbeat rise. Why's that? Are you not telling us something?"

Kitsu sighed. This much is okay, he thought wearily. It's just his habits anyways.

"I was taking a smoke."

Koko's eyes bulged. "Smoke? You mean, cigarettes? You were smoking?!" He was yelling to Kitsu's face.

Ruka massaged his nose bridge. Koko's loud voice was oddly annoying right now. "Yes, Koko. I think that's what he meant."

"I hate hospitals. So I get edgy and angsty. So I went out for a smoke."

Koko smacked his forehead. "Holy shit. I didn't expect you to be a smoker."

Natsume and Yuu didn't look particularly surprise though.

"I don't smoke on school grounds though, kaichou." He said to Ruka. "The smells take longer to fade so I don't do it at school. Especially when we have Jinno-sensei with his sharp nose. If I get caught, Jinno would definitely suspend me."

Ruka nodded his head in understatement. To be honest, he didn't expect one of his close friends to be a smoker. And he too, was a kaichou. Between responsibility and friendship, clearly as sensible as he is and as much as he hated it because there wasn't really a choice from the start, responsibility weighed more than their friendship and the rest of the guys knew that too. So if time comes where Ruka had to punish one of his close friends too, he had to do it for the sake responsibility. He's not gonna be biased just because they're his best friends.

As much surprised as he was, he silently thanked the god that Kitsu didn't smoke in school grounds. Even as a kaichou, he hated the idea of punishing his own best friend. He would want to avoid it as much as possible.

"So that's what you were doing in the garden?"

Kitsu's gulped and nodded. He tried his best not to feel anxious at the mention of the garden. If things go the way he expected—and he rather not it happened the way he expected—the things he had been kept for the past two weeks might meet its end today.

But to his dismay, even if he hoped he could control it, he couldn't help but feel restless and edgy. And that fluctuated his heart rate. When it rose, he quickly tried to calm himself down so it fell. But then it raised again. Over and over.

Natsume raised his brows in an intriguing manner. Kitsu suddenly felt cold and dreaded. At that time too he chose the wrong moment to look at Natsume. Their eyes met and Natsume held his gaze with his crimson ones straight on. "What else were you doing in the garden?" He slowly dragged out the question. His instinct was telling him something.

"I wasn't doing anything. I told you, I just smoked because I feel anxious about being in a hospital," Kitsu lied.

Kitsu's heart rate spiked up and the beeping sound went crazy. He looked at the monitor screen in aghast.

"That's not really the only thing you were doing in the garden." Natsume pressed his voice, emphasizing the statement that he knew there was something else going on instead. His instinct was dead on. If he think what it was he was thinking, he for sure as hell he would want to know about it. When Kitsu stayed silent, Natsume sent a signal to Koko to push the button.

Kitsu's yell echoed in the whole room. His body jerked violently as he groaned, trying to withstand the pain. The pain from the zap before was still lingering and with a new one, it was more painful and unbearable. Yuu said it would sting but it didn't. He felt like his skin was been fucking ripped apart! His face contorted with terrible pain. His forehead began sweating.

Ruka now felt worried as he looked at his best friend. He whispered to Yuu, "You sure the volt isn't that strong?" After Yuu assured him that it was put on a mild level, Ruka asked again. "Then why does his face screw up like that? He looked like he's in a huge pain."

"I told you. If it is used repeatedly, it will sting."

"It doesn't look like it stings. He looks as if someone was torching him down with fire."

Forget the volt, now Yuu's more worried about what Natsume did. He just told Koko to push the button.

"It's gonna hurt a lot more if you do not start telling," Natsume's cold voice came. "What did you hear in the garden, Kitsu?"

Kitsu dreaded to think that Natsume finally caught up with what he's trying most to avoid. He shuddered at the look of Natsume right now. Natsume was looking at him with his coldest stare. His crimson orbs fixed and yet, motionless. Kitsu gulped. Natsume was emitting that killer aura now. No, scratch that. It's not killer aura he's emitting. It felt almost as he's ready to jump on his throat if Kitsu didn't start open his mouth.

"Kitsu, I ask you once again, what did you hear in the garden?" It was a warning he's giving, Kitsu noticed.

The other three looked strangely at the change of Natsume's mood. Natsume's being extremely icy-cold right now. And he kept asking what had Kitsu heard in the garden. Could Natsume possibly caught up something that they don't?

Kitsu looked down. He's not telling.

Natsume looked at Koko. "Raised the volt."

Koko stared, extremely dubious. "You're kidding."

Natsume actually stood up himself. He went for the machine and raised it himself. Yuu had to rush to his side to stop him. "Natsume, what are you doing? Kitsu's already hurt enough. If you raised the volt, it's going to hurt him more!"

But Natsume won't budge. He continued pressing the button to increase the volt. At the background, the whole room could hear the loud crazy beeping sound. It's like the machine suddenly broke down and gone insane. But it only meant that Kitsu's heartbeats were in a hysterical state now. "Final warning, Kitsu. What did you hear in the garden?"

Yuu's eyes widened when he looked at the volume. He began panicking. "What the hell are you doing, Natsume! That's too much! He can't handle that high volt!" Koko who was standing around them, peeked at the volume and he instantly froze. "That's too high," he muttered in a small, frightened voice. His face screwed up, clearly bothered by the annoying loud beeping sound.

Ruka on the other hand, just stood there unmoving. Everyone else was panicking. Kitsu too, the color was draining from his face. He was as white as sheet. But Ruka still had not move. Certainly Natsume's planning something. So he's going with Natsume's flow.

"I'll tell. I'll tell you what I heard so just knock it off already!" Kitsu's frantic voice came.

Natsume actually pulled off the plug for both of the machines with his bare hands. The loud beeping sound finally stopped. Koko looked unblinking, wondering what just happened. Yuu stared at Natsume in disbelief. Ruka's tense shoulders finally loosen up. Natsume smirked.

Kitsu sighed in defeat. His head lolling back. His heart was pounding like rage right now and the loud beeping sound, he couldn't stand it anymore, even if it's his own heartbeat. Thank god for that. Plus, Natsume's super scary. Kitsu heaved a heavy sigh. He gave up.

"You two are monsters," he remarked.

Ruka shrugged and chuckled. "Nawh, I'm just going with Natsume's flows."

"That's why I said you're a monster. Natsume is already one himself for threatening me like this. Following him makes you one too," he commented wearily. Seriously, these two were in another different level then the rest of them.

Natsume pulled up a chair infront of him and took a seat. He leaned his back on the chair seat and crossed his leg. "You should have given up from the start. Look how much energy you already spent restraining." He acknowledged his effort with a condescending sneer. "You're stupid for your own good, Kitsu."

"You're too much, Hyuuga."

Natsume smirked. "You must be thanking all the gods above since I didn't push that button at the end." Kitsu scoffed at his empty words. "Aren't you going to untie me?" He struggled a little with the lack of comfortableness. The pain from the previous zaps too was still throbbing.

"Not until you tell us first what you heard in the garden." Natsume reminded him.

Kitsu sighed. This guy always get what he wants, doesn't he?

"Fine. Yes, I did hear something," he finally admitted. "And I guess you already had the idea that it was Mikan Sakura's and Kou Shirakiin's conversation." He sent a pointed look to Natsume. 'That's why you kept pressing me. It's because of Mikan Sakura, isn't it?"

Kitsu scoffed. "Man, you're extremely sharp in that department. You caught up real quick too."

Koko blinked, finally came around. He went and grabbed for Kitsu's shoulders, making the poor lad wince at his previous pain. He neared his face to Kitsu's. "So you did see them in the garden!" He shook his tied-up friend in dissatisfaction. "So why didn't you say so before when I asked you!"

"It's because you will start asking questions!" Kitsu responded before adding with a snarl, "And clearly if I open my mouth about it, I'm invading their privacy and abusing their rights. Plus, it's not in my place to tell such things." He shook his head in dismay. "I shouldn't have heard it. No; I shouldn't be there in the first place." He regretted his decision. Why the bloody hell he didn't leave when he had the chance?

"So you think it's okay to tell right now?" Yuu asked. One finger pushed his glasses up his nose. He just got over the fact that Natsume was just threatening Kitsu to give in. He didn't intend to zap Kitsu with that high volt at all from the start. Ruka was aware of Natsume antics. That's why he was the least hysterical when Yuu thought Natsume had lost it. Seriously, these two, Yuu mentally shook his head. He couldn't keep up with them because they're way ahead.

"And have myself tortured with this crazy madman if I didn't?" Kitsu jerked his head to Natsume's direction before letting out a mocking laugh. "No thank you. My life values much more than anything right now."

"Start telling."

"Man you're persistent." Kitsu rolled his eyes at Natsume. "But I warned you beforehand, you're not gonna like what I'm about to tell you, Natsume."

Natsume waved his hand dismissively. "Just tell us already."

He heaved a heavy sigh before began. "Mikan Sakura and Kou Shirakiin, they used to be in a relationship, the two of them." Kitsu paused, waiting for Natsume's reaction. Koko's eyes already bulged out like sauces, Yuu already had his mouth gaped open and Ruka was, well, he was literally tensed. Natsume, however, didn't show any signs yet, or maybe he's trying not to, so Kitsu continued. "Before I get into their part of the story, I'll tell you guys this first; the reason why Mikan Sakura and Hotaru Imai were expelled because they got involved in a fight. It went out of hand so the cops came to break it off."

Yuu pushed his chin up to close his gaping mouth. He cleared his throat. "If it's so bad, isn't it supposed to be viral? But why haven't we heard of it before?"

"Ah," Kitsu gave a knowing look. "That's because Shouda's kids were involved. He didn't want the news to spread so he pulled some strings by using his power as a politician."

"Shinichi Shouda and Sumire Shouda? Both of them at the same time?"

"Sumire Shouda? Holy crap, Natsume dated her once!"

Kitsu's head spun towards Natsume. "Seriously man?"

Natsume made another gesture of waving his hand in a dismissal. "Once and it was long time ago. Only lasted two days anyway. I can't stand her. It's not really important so continue talking."

Kitsu blinked rapidly at his friend but he decided to let it go so he continued, "Apparently, Shouda's son got one of AA's girl pregnant and refused to be responsible so they went to his school to find him. I don't really understand what really happened but I heard Sumire Shouda was extremely mad."

"That girl is crazy from the start anyway," Natsume muttered drily under his breath.

"Politician Shouda demanded for Principal Kazumi to kick the involved students out or else, AA had to be closed down. So at the end, they got kicked out and that's when AA became co-ed."

Ruka nodded his head, finally understanding the whole thing. No wonder it didn't state in their files regarding the reason why they were expelled. But he had not imagined it was this bad. But then, both of them held high positions in SA now. Guess good things came behind bad things.

"Continuing about Mikan Sakura and Kou Shirakiin, their story is quite a mess because I don't really understand the whole thing at all. When they were in the garden, Kou Shirakiin was asking for Mikan Sakura back."

Natsume's hands clenched into fists. His knuckles turned white.

"From what I understand, Kou Shirakiin left her few years ago without telling and he had not contacted her at all too so Mikan Sakura had thought they were over already. But the guy insisted that they weren't yet over because he claimed that he didn't really leave her."

Natsume's mood had now turned extremely sour.

"So, did they get back together or something?" Yuu asked, already sitting down on a chair he pulled close by.

Kitsu shook his head. "Mikan Sakura refused. She even told him not to find her anymore and he should respect her life and continue on living his."

Natsume couldn't help but twitching a small smile when he heard it. His knuckles gained its color back as his fist now became unclenched.

"But if you asked me," Kitsu added with a deep thoughtful look on his face. "I don't think he will give up." He shook his head again, remembering what he saw when Mikan Sakura had left. Kou Shirakiin punched the freaking tree. "I saw how he reacted. Yes, he was frustrated, but he didn't have that look that says he gave up. No, not just yet. If I'm being honest, I think he would try even harder now." Yep, he definitely saw the blood dripping from his hand.

Ruka, Yuu, Koko and Kitsu all had the same expression on their faces when they heard Natsume clicked his tongue in irritation. Natsume was pissed. It was more proven when he roughly shoved his hands in his pockets and his eyes turned ominous. The rest of the guys sweat dropped. Thought his mood had changed just now, and now it's back being dark again.

"So, can you please untie me now? I've told you everything I know."

Ruka went to untie him. He scowled when he got to the part of the rope that was supposed to tie Kitsu's hands together behind the chair. "Koko, what the hell did you do with the ropes?" He tugged at the knots. It's impossible to untie it back if that idiot already tied it like a dead end.

"Oh, that one can't be untie. I made it that way," Koko leisurely replied.

Kitsu was steaming. "Kaichou, why did you let him do it in the first place?" He asked, half-pissed, half defeated and tired.

Ruka gave Kitsu an apologetic look before turning back to Koko. "Fix it."

Koko grinned. He took a pocketknife. "You just have to cut it." He went to the ropes and cut it easily after a few tries.

Yuu shook his head at Koko's ways of doing things and wondering why Koko chose to take the long way instead of getting the easiest one for a shortcut every single time.

Kitsu rubbed his sore reddening wrist. "It was on her birthday," he had said.

Natsume furrowed his brows. "What?"

Kitsu's face turned apologetic. "He left her on her birthday."

TBC.