24 A Tangled Web

Mikan silently followed from behind and when Rei stopped his tracks in front of the concierge counter, Mikan halted her steps too. She quietly peeked under her bangs, looking at her senpai. Oh she's supposed she should call him manager-san now or Persona-san and she better get used to his cold, impassive face. Rei-senpai looked extremely different than his usual self. Was this what he meant when he told her 'it's Persona now'? Definitely different than Rei Serio she knew. But she guessed she had to follow with his way in doing things now that she's entering his line of work. Moreover, she's working under him now. Might as well follow his flow when she didn't know anything from the start.

Rei was extremely happy that Mikan finally decided to accept the recruiting. He was astounded at first but that feeling was quickly replaced with joy over the moon. To be honest, Mikan was a bit surprise. She had not seen her senpai happy to that extent before. So they quickly arranged a meet-up and settled down a few important matters ahead.

Mikan had firmly stated that she refused to be known as Mikan Sakura. Whenever her job is considered, she expected him to fully address her as Ellys Emerys 24/7 and she hoped he would started treat her one as well. She also added that she wished nobody would find out about her alter ego. In order for that to happen, she proposed the idea of dressing herself up and acting as somebody else, literally throwing Mikan Sakura away when she's acting as Ellys Emerys. Thus, Ellys Emerys was now created in the flesh. Rei seemed okay with it for he had not opposed it at all. Guess he was just too ecstatic that he could finally won over Ellys Emerys and won the bet.

So now she stood there, wig the colour of platinum blonde, bangs halfway across her forehead, her eyebrows were shaded darker than usual, her lips were painted with pale pink colour and a grayish blue demi-mask placed on her face. Luna had tried to style her hair wig differently that morning but gave up too soon and finally decided on the fastest hairdo that required the least energy; a tousled-bed hairdo. True enough, Mikan didn't need much energy on that particular hairstyle. She just ruffled her hair wig a little before running her fingers down to the roots with some hair serum, half attempt to properly fix it. And it was a bit shorter than her real hair so it's kinda easy to take care. Hotaru was pleased with it as well. Looks more mature and sexy, she had said. So they had decided on that at the end.

Mikan was fully aware how much she's exposing the length of her legs. She's wearing a denim-clad hot pants matched with an army grey baggy shirt and a small silver stainless steel ring dangling on her chest as a pendant. Luna even paid attention to the details when she forced on some silver bangle on her wrists. They had previously argued about her choice of footwear. Hotaru insisted on ankle-boots, Luna wanted some platforms and Mikan wanted some sneakers so she could be comfortable in. Mikan quietly grinned, looking down at her Nike Blazer Mid sneakers. Thank god she won the argument. She rather like how she looked like right now. Better than what she usually put on.

"Ohayyo-gozaimasu Persona-san." The concierge greeted Rei with a smile.

Mikan silently winced. She should really get used to his new name.

The concierge took notice of another person present with Rei and when she took a peek behind him, a huge smile etched on her smooth looking face. She beamed at Mikan. "Ah, is this the infamous Ellys Emerys?"

Rei turned around and raised a brow at Mikan. He's interested to know how she's gonna react. She's supposed to create Ellys Emerys as an unsociable person. The reason being is, with that kind of attitude, her secret will be more secure since she's so hard to get close to. So nosy people won't be poking around her. Mikan silently glowered at her new-so-called-manager. She knew what he's thinking; he's testing her. And when the man smirked at her, she felt like kicking him right on the spot.

Rei turned back around to face the concierge lady, his face back being impassive. "Hai. Her in the flesh," he had said while gesturing to the girl behind his back. "Are the guys from Eye Candy here yet?"

"Yes, they already arrived. They're waiting for you at the café on the fifth floor." The lady responded, still hadn't wrenched her eyes from Mikan. "My, you're smaller than I thought you are."

Rei snickered. "Well, she's still a kid to begin with." He began strutting towards the elevator, leaving a partly confused concierge lady staring at him unblinking. It was a first time she got an expression from Persona other than his usual cold front. She was perplexed. With that distraction, Mikan quickly scurried away, running after Rei and into the elevator where he was already waiting for her. She heaved a heavy sigh.

"You sure you're gonna put up with this front?" He asked, glancing at her. Pushing the button for the floor, the elevator then started to move upwards.

Mikan crossed her arms on her chest and gave him a pointed look. "What's with your front, then?" She noticed the look on the concierge lady when she heard him snickered. Must be rare scene for her to witness it in broad daylight.

Rei shrugged. "Easier to work this way. I get works done faster when people assumed I'm cold-hearted, uptight and strict. Keeps the troublesome stuff away as well."

"Sheesh, you need to loose a little bit. Even I feel tense around you senpai," Mikan added with tired voice.

"Don't bother about me. You just have to focus on bringing Ellys Emerys to life," he advised her, ruffling her hair in the process. When the elevator dinged and the door opened, he casually walked out, leaving a sulking Mikan fixing her wig on. She hastily followed from behind.

From afar, she had already spotted the Eye Candy parasites sitting by the glass window. It was an open café so she could see them clearly. They're wearing their usual AA uniform. Mikan arched her brows questioningly at their choice of outfit but decided to let it slide. Why should she bother on what they're wearing anyways. She stopped her tracks to ready herself. Fixing her hair one more time, she took a deep breath, repeatedly reminding herself that she could do it.

She mentally prompted her mind to remember than she's now acting as Ellys Emerys and Ellys Emerys had not yet met Eye Candy before in real life. So she's planning to act like that; meeting them first time. But she's supposed creating Ellys Emerys as an unsociable girl, things would flow more easily because she didn't really have to make an extra effort to be friendly towards them. Not that she wanted to.

She took another deep breath and letting it out, she dragged her feet to the table, fully aware the eyes were staring at her, following her every move. Rei was already taking a sit as the head of the table and he already got an ice Americano for her, placed on the table. Mikan took the only empty seat there, next to Kokoroyome. And boy, she hated the seat so much because the guy was openly staring at him. Not only that, across from where she sat was Natsume Hyuuga and he had a sour looking expression on. Contrast to Ruka Nogi who was all smiles next to him. How did these two contrast people become best friends? One's glare is like from hell and the other one's smile is like from heaven.

"Why are you wearing a demi-mask?" Koko had asked just as Mikan had settled down in her seat. Mikan slowly turned her head to her side and realized that Koko was way closer than he should. She almost yelped in surprised—almost. He was looking at her so close like he intended to put her under the microscope if he had the chance. Her vein twitched irritatingly. Her icy glare came out. "You're in my personal space, back off," she spat out.

Koko blinked in surprise, totally caught off guard by her cold tone. He didn't expect that would come out of her. Kitsu, who was sitting next to him, quickly pulled him back by his shirt. "She's right. You're way close than you should, Koko."

"Ah sorry," Koko said sheepishly while scratching the back of his head out of habit. "It's just that, she's not wearing one in her videos and now looking at it, it just feels weird." He stared at her again but then the face contorted into despair. "I thought when we finally got to meet her in the flesh, we could see how she really looks like. And now she had to come with a mask on!" he exclaimed in a dissatisfied tone. He looked at her and leaned in closely again. "Is it because you're ugly? Or you have no confidence in your looks? Don't worry, we're—oof!"

A smack came on his head, completely silencing him down. Koko looked at his side with a teary eyed face and a throbbing head. Kitsu was popping his knuckles again and he didn't look too happy. "I swear to god, man. Sometimes you're so stupid, it gets on my nerve." Koko gave him a look of betrayal before getting back in his seat, finally sitting properly but with a sulking face.

Ruka chuckled at the sight of sulking Koko. "That's not a way to ask a question to a lady, Koko. It's as though you're insulting her face for wearing a mask."

"But I wasn't insulting. I was merely stating that it's okay if she's ugly because we're not good looking either," he explained with a pout, before adding, "Except for Natsume and Ruka." He nodded his head towards the two occupants sitting across from him. "These two are out of our league." He said it so matter-of-factly like it was an everyday statement for him.

Kitsu went for a grab of Koko's collar, "Are you indicating that I look ugly?" He asked, half pissed, half annoyed. He shook Koko by his collar, hard. "Have you looked at yourself first? You look far more worse than me."

Koko blinked, looking at Kitsu's eyes. "At least I can see properly."

Kitsu gritted his teeth. "Just because I'm slit-eyed, doesn't mean I can't see!" He shook him harder. Koko's eyes almost bounced up and down like a loose screw in their sockets; if that could ever happen for real.

It seemed Yuu was the only one who was concerned of Koko's neck. He feared if Kitsu continued shaking Koko so crazy like that, Koko might break his neck for lolling back too much. "Kitsu, you're going to break his neck if you keep shaking him like that."

"I didn't realize this baka has a neck." To prove his point, he shook Koko again, harder this time. Koko's head really lolled back and forth, left and right like a ball glued on top of a spring. One second, Yuu was amazed but then quickly the worries came. He held up his hand, "Seriously man, I don't want to see Final Destination here."

"Fine." He let go of Koko's collar. "As long as he keeps his mouth shut."

"Man, you're PMS-ing a lot worse these days." Koko saw Kitsu's glare and quickly shut up, looking elsewhere.

Persona chuckled at the sight of revelation of his new team's characters. Now he could probably foresee how it's like working with his new kouhais. They're different from one another. But at the same time, strangely as it may sound, they're not much different from one another. Only thing is now, he needed to figure out Natsume Hyuuga. He looked at the raven hair lad. He's yet to show any kind of emotion. The only expression Persona noticed he had on his face up till now was an impassive one.

Persona placed a hand over his mouth to cover his scoff; Natsume Hyuuga's impassive expression couldn't even be considered as a proper expression anyway. Well, it didn't look like he bothered about anything right now. More like, he wanted this meeting to quickly ends, most likely. 'This is interesting,' he thought with one of his small rare smile.

"So, let's look at the contract, shall we?" Persona began. He started pulling files from his briefcase and placed them on top of the table before distributing one to each of his kouhais. All of them began flipping the pages. One particular person just froze on the spot at page 3. Persona raised his brows looking at her. He peeked at the pages she was frozen at. It was on the company information.

"Ah, senpai. Ohayyo-gozaimasu."

Persona turned his head around. Standing there, a few feet far from where they were, looking so casual with both his hands in his shorts pockets was a silver haired teen, with his usual bored looking face. Persona chuckled at the sight of his messy bed hair.

"Overslept?" he asked.

The teen nodded and yawned. He glanced at the people around the table with half-asleep eyes then looked around at the cafe. It's still early morning so there's not much people there. "Meeting at the café? Ehh that's new. Got a new project going on?"

"Ah," Persona then finally remembered something. Turning back around, he saw Mikan's head hanging down. Her hair came down, covering her whole face. He blinked rapidly, not knowing what to do. What is she doing?

"Are you doing an exorcism meeting, senpai?" Persona didn't notice that the boy had walked to their table. And now he's standing just next to him, looking at Mikan so curiously. Persona didn't know whether to sweat drop at his lacking ability to read the mood or the fact that he didn't know who she exactly is. And Mikan's now acting way too weird. She's not lifting her head up. Is she trying to be Sadoko?

It clicked in his fast working brain as he assessed the whole thing.

Did Mikan not tell him anything about this?

He cleared his throat. "It's a new group I'm handling."

The teen yawned again before asking, "So what happen to the bet you're previously working for? Did you loose again?" he asked lazily.

"They were the bet." Persona emphasized on the past tense verb, motioning for the rest of the occupants of the table.

The teen nodded his head in understanding. So his senpai finally won the project. He then looked at the rest of the occupants. He mentally furrowed his brows looking at their school uniforms. So this is the new group he's managing? AA students? His eyes met with a pair of crimson ones and he happened to catch the small, barely visible smirk Youicihi was giving him. The guy didn't look too happy to see it though. Youichi looked at the girl. "So this is the infamous Ellys Emerys?" He asked before yawning again. He had heard about her.

"She looks like she's been possessed," he commented drily, staring at her with a bored looking face. "Is this what this meeting is all about? Are you exorcising her?"

"Ano, manager-san?" Yuu suddenly spoke in a hesitant voice.

Persona instantly remembered that there were other people with them as well. He was caught up with this weird scene with these two people, he forgot his other kouhais were still at the table.

"Are you acquaintance with Hijiri-san?" He continued asking.

Persona was surprised. "You know him as well?" He glanced at Youichi but Youichi just gave him a bored face.

Ruka smiled. "We went to the same school." He's surprised that Youichi's acting like he didn't know them. Is he doing it on purpose?

"Ahhh yes," Persona nodded in remembrance. He recalled Youichi did mention something about transferring to AA before. But this brat—he mentally shook his head—must not know his senpais at the academy. Forget getting to know senpais, he bet Youichi don't even mingle there.

"Youichi, they're your senpais at the AA. Recognize them?" Persona asked blurred looking face Youichi.

Youichi took one look at each of them at the table and shook his head—more like he didn't even care to know. Though he did recognize some of them, especially the one's glaring at him now with his crimson eyes. He just didn't bother to act like he actually knew them. Supposedly he's curious to know why it happened to be them but then, his lack of interest in participating in the future conversation that soon to involved if he were to ask, is more troublesome to handle so he just let it slid like he didn't really care if they're there or not. He looked at his watch and bowed his head. "Senpai, I'm going."

"Shachou's in today?"

"Yeah. If not, why else would I come." He shrugged and then turned to leave.

"Ano, manager-san…" Yuu asked again after Youichi had left. He couldn't help it; his curiosity's killing him. Just like the rest of the guys. Though, he noticed, Kitsu had one hand on Koko's mouth already—probably stopping his baka friend from saying anything stupid—and Natsume's air was getting even more foul after Hijiri came.

"He's our President's son," Persona immediately replied, already guessing Yuu's question.

The guys froze. Kitsu's hand dropped from Koko's mouth, revealing a wide-open hanging down of his mouth. Even Natsume was surprised. He had his forehead creased. Yuu was blinking hard. Ruka, well, he was the opposite of Yuu; he sat there not blinking.

"Persona-san."

"Hmm?" Persona turned to Mikan. She already lifted up her face and it didn't look any good. And her voice shook.

"May I speak with you in private for a moment please?" she suddenly said as her face getting paler.

Persona nodded his head and stood up. She must want to talk about just now. "The rest of you, please continue reading the contract first. Let me know if you have any dissatisfaction later. I'll change it to your content."

Mikan walked first, followed by Persona. They both took the elevator and got out a few floors down, back to the lobby of the building, thinking that she should get them, as far she should from hearing distance. The lobby was empty and the concierge counter was far, which was good. She needed not anybody heard what they're talking. As soon as Mikan stepped out of the elevator, she spun around and her eyes were wide as saucers. Her forehead was sweating.

"Shachou.. YE shachou is okaa-san?" She asked in disbelief. She was close to hyperventilating. "Senpai, why didn't you tell me!?" She hissed.

Persona looked at her, surprised. "You didn't know?"

"Fuck if I know, I wouldn't come here in the first place!" forget coming here, she wouldn't even dream of debuting under this company! No way in hell she would sign the contract.

Persona silently grimaced at Mikan's usage of cuss word. It's a first time he heard it from her. He massaged the bridge of his nose. "I thought you rejected my previous offer because you knew."

Mikan nearly ripped her hair out of frustration and madness. "I didn't know! Hell I didn't know it at all!" She started pacing back and forth.

"How can you not know it?" A sudden voice had asked; a recognized voice that's all too familiar. "After all, it's the president of the company you're working for." Mikan turned around and she swore her heart just dropped down to her vagina. Youichi was there, leaning against the wall next to the elevator door with one legged propped up against it, face looking ever so indifferent. "Right, nee-san?" he pressed while shooting her a glare.

Wasn't he in the fifth floor just now? How the heck did he come down here? What kind of crazy sorcery is this!?

"You-chan," Mikan choked at the mention of his name on her tongue. All she could think inside her mind right now was 'Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.'

"If you're going to act like you did back there, I suggest you to take acting classes first. Your acting was so horrible I could barf." He glowered at her.

Mikan let out an incredulous gasp. "You already knew it was me?" You-chan was playing all along when he already knew it was her from the start?

Youichi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You think I'm that stupid?" He grabbed for her shoulders and shook her hard. "It would take a great deal of a plastic surgeon with God's hands to change you in order for me not to recognize my own stupid sister." He frowned at her hair then glared at her mask. "What the effing hell are you wearing?" He pulled the mask up her face and onto her head. Her sister was pale as a sheet. "I hope you don't dye your hair for real." He flipped the strands of her hair. Thank god it's a wig.

"So this is your idea of Ellys Emerys?" he asked drily. His eyes traveled from her head to toe. With what she's wearing now, god he felt like choking her right now. Putting aside his sister's choice of garment, he needed to focus on the bigger picture here first.

"Why didn't you tell me you're Ellys Emerys?" He was truly disappointed in his sister. He thought she had told him everything during the time he wasn't with her. But she didn't. His sister still kept secrets from him. God knows how many more she's yet to tell him. Youichi turned to look at Persona with another look of disappointment. "Senpai, why didn't you tell me that Ellys Emerys is this stupid baka?"

Persona looked almost guilty. "Sorry kiddo. I thought you knew." And he thought Mikan had already told Youichi all about it. Seemed like he's wrong. Now he's tangled up in a serious web. He sighed. "I'll leave you two behind to settle things. But after that, Mikan, please return so we could discuss the contract."

Mikan's face was tight. "I'm not coming back. I won't sign the contract." And she sounded so firm too.

As soon as Persona heard it, he was truly perplexed and was about to demur when Youichi cut him off. "Senpai, give us a few minutes and she will join you guys back later."

Persona was hesitant. Mikan had just told him she won't sign the contract! If things turn out like that, he would definitely loose his job. The company had been informed of the collaboration of the two; Eye Candy and Ellys Emerys and a lot of arrangements had been made. Most importantly, how the heck he's going to explain that the biggest project that they bid would be an immediate huge success, went out of the building to everyone in the company?

"Senpai," Youichi called out again. "I'll make sure she gets back up. So don't worry about it." Youichi seemed to understand Persona's dispirited face.

Persona sighed and shook his head meekly. He'll have to leave this one to his kouhai to take care of. After all, Youichi might understand how his sister's brain works, better. He really hoped Mikan won't back out, not at a time like this. He went for the elevator, pushed the button and when it dinged, he walked in as the door opened. He was gone in an instant as the door closed.

Youichi turned his attention back to his sister. "This is not a child's play, baka." His face was serious.

She guessed by the ways of Youichi saying things, she assumed his brother knew how this company works, as well as what things going around in the company. Presumably, he knew about the bet and the contract and the collaboration as well. Basically, Mikan guessed Youichi knew everything in the company. And also, he might as well already guess the reason why she wanted to back out now.

"Are you running away because of Okaa-san?" he asked. When Mikan flinched, it didn't go pass his eyes. He was right on the dot.

Youichi sighed. "You're not a kid anymore. Please take things seriously once you started them. You're going to give problems to everyone if you back out now." He pulled Mikan's hands, intended to take her back to the café but Mikan didn't budge.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She suddenly asked. "You-chan, why didn't you tell me she's here in Japan?" And when she looked up at him, Youchi's heart felt so heavy seeing her dejected face.

"And if I told you, would it make any difference? Will you still go and see her?" He was pushing it back on her.

Mikan was startled by his reply. Youichi was right. Even if she knew in the first place, it didn't really matter because she's sure as heck won't go and see her. But the thought of meeting her again, she never imagined it. Probably because she never hoped she would see her again. Mikan shook her head. "I won't."

Youichi heaved a heavy sigh, yet again. His sister was so hard to convince. He wondered where she got that trait. "You won't see her here. She's rarely in the office anyways." Youichi tugged at the mask on top of her head and pulled it down to cover back her eyes. He didn't understand what his sister was doing. With what's happening for the past ten minutes, he could guess perfectly well what she's doing—though he didn't understand why she wanted to do it in the first place. To be honest, he's certainly surprised. He was doing his regular weekly morning greetings to okaa-san and he was startled to see his sister sitting next to Rio-senpai—he didn't know that they had met again—but her appearances were all different. And with the ways of she hiding her face quickly, he immediately knew she did not wish for him to recognize her. With that, he understood she didn't expect to see him there as well. But his sister was a terrible actress; never in his life to be grateful of his sister's poor ability. So he played along, acting like he didn't recognize her.

He placed his arms on her shoulders and neared his face to hers. "Ne nee-san, I remembered you to be quite the awesome sister I once had. When you strive for something, you would do your best to achieve it because you don't want to trouble those around you. No matter what, you'll get there, you told me. Now what happened to that awesome sister of mine?" Youichi gave her one of his rarest warm smile. He's encouraging her, Mikan concluded. Why is he encouraging her? Mikan fought the urge to furrow her brows. Did You-chan just compliment her? He had called her baka many time but now he complimented her? What?

Now Mikan felt guilty. She did feel like bolting away now, forgetting whatever crazy things she had wanted to do as Ellys Emrys and just stayed at home living her life normally as Mikan Sakura. But she had set her mind to bring Ellys Emerys to life. And that goal of hers was what brought her to where she was now.

Wait a second. What goal exactly? Mikan blinked. Her real goal was to see what's so great about to be an idol. Because of a certain someone, she had made up her mind to bring Ellys Emerys to the outside world—which she had previously kept only in the virtual world. The only way she could see how great it is to be an idol was to bring Ellys Emerys to life. So she could be one.

"I don't understand what crazy shit you're doing right now, posing as Ellys Emerys, and debuting on top of all," he paused and smiled encouragingly at his loving sister, "but whatever you do, I'll support you." He held her face between his palms. "I'll keep my mouth shut if that's what will take you to get back up there. Okaa-san won't even know. I promise." If she came here wanting to pursue her dreams, and yet not knowing of the fact regarding their okaa-san, he shall seal his mouth like none of this ever happened. He'll support her no matter what. He shrugged, "If that's what you want. You're bargaining your dreams after all right now."

Mikan sweat-dropped. Her intentions weren't that pure in the first place anyways. Not that You-chan knows about it. But damn, now she's torn apart. What should she do? Run away and forget the contract because okaa-san's here. Or go with how she previously planned?

"You-chan, you know the things going around in the company, right?"

"More or less. I haven't been here that long though."

"Pray tell, if I bolt, what might happen to Rio-senpai?"

"Worst case scenario, fired."

Mikan gulped. She didn't want to be the sole reason her senpai lost his job. "Least case?"

"He loose his face with his colleagues. No one ever gonna put any trust on him anymore, he might get depressed because of that. Who knows," he shrugged, "he might end up commit suicide because he can't stand it." And he said it so leisurely like it wasn't much of a big deal, Mikan had the urge to mentally rolled her eyes at him.

The least case didn't make anything much better at all! If comparing, the least one sound much more horrible than being fired. Suicide? That's like so fucked up. "Shit. I'm bound either way," Mikan bit her lower lip.

Youichi smirked. "If you're a responsible person and which I know you are, you've got no where to run but to get back up there."

Mikan took a really, really deep breath and heaved it all out. She fixed her mask and her hair. She needed to do this. She mentally encouraged herself. Comparing to what she might have to overcome in the future of working in YE—her possibility in encounter with her okaa-san which was the real reason why she really wanted to bolt away right now—she could just forget the contract because her intention in starting all this wasn't that pure/worthwhile at all—all because of a certain someone—but then again, thinking what might happen to her senpai, made her stomach churned with guiltiness. She had decided to do this in the first place so there's not backing out now. She won't create any trouble for others so she just had to go with it. Whatever happens, happens after that. She won't bother about it now.

"You're getting back up there?" Youichi asked, a small smile cornering at his lips.

"Damn right. I don't want to be the reason senpai lost his job." And then with full confidence, she began strutting for the elevator door with a smirking Youichi tailing from behind. He finally had a very content look on his face.

The door dinged and they got inside after the door opened.

"You better keep all this a secret, You-chan."

Leaning against the wall in the elevator behind his sister, Youichi hid his smile. "You have my word."

TBC.

P/s: Sorry for the long post.