28 Is This Normal?

"Ne, Ruka-pyon," she started. Her fingers were drumming on the surface of the desk.

Her voice was flat like it was void of any emotions. Well, she tried to sound like that but the truth was, her veins were twitching with pure irritation right now. It had been three days and this blondie still couldn't do it. The rest of the guys had theirs done last week and even the dumb Kokoroyome managed to complete his last two days with a little help from Yuu. Even Kitsu had done his without any help at all! Mikan crinkled her nose. She thought Ruka Nogi's supposed to be a smart guy. Why is he lagging behind so much?

She placed a hand under her chin and tilted her head. "Are you supposed to be this dumb?" Then she shook her head at the question. "You aren't supposed to be this dumb," she changed it to a statement, murmuring to herself, more like trying to convince herself more than him.

Ruka, whom at that time was looking so messed up with his blonde hair looking all tousled and a very tired face with dark circles and all, growled at her, "Damn it, I'm trying!" He hit the table with some force and added with a hiss, "Are you blind? Can't you see all these?" There were like, tons of crumpled ones on the floor.

Now that she had been with the guys for almost three weeks already, she managed to see all sides of each of them and now it wasn't that all surprising anymore seeing supposedly-the-nicest-guy-in-the-group Ruka Nogi got mad and cursed or supposedly the-most-sensible-one-in-the-group Tobita Yuu sometimes can offer ludicrously stupid ideas. Same goes with all of the guys. She got to see their sides that other people normally didn't know. Mikan nodded. "I do see that." But then she pointed to a paper he had in front of him which was only scribbled with a few words while the rest of the papers scattered on the table were still empty. "But you're not progressing. It has been a week and you wrote nothing." Except for a few short words with no verses and no proper lines.

Ruka rolled his infamous blue eyes at her. Picking up the one scribbled paper, he crumpled the paper and threw it behind his back where the rest of the crumpled papers had been lying for the past 20 minutes. "Just because you have a knack in writing music, don't look down on me. I'm just slow, that's all." He exhaled sharply. Taking another clean paper, he began writing again. Scribbling, that is. He didn't even know what he's scribbling right now.

She got to know his strong sarcastic side too—which she's bloody sure his girl fans didn't even know he's like that. Mikan scoffed. Her head motioned for the group of guys now sitting in the other side of the room. Only a glass wall separated the two rooms so they still could see what the other guys were doing in the next room. They had been using the practice room for two weeks now. They were taking a break and Yuu was panting hard too; he was lying flat on his back. "Kokoroyome is slow but your definition of slow is slower than his. Do you get what I'm saying?" She leaned forward and feigning a sigh of disappointment. "You're slower than Kokoroyome. Where's your pride, Ruka-pyon?" She's trying to pick on his nerve now. "Please remember that you're way over the deadline and Persona wanted to see yours tomorrow. " Oh they're over the formalities now with Persona so they didn't add -san now to his name.

Ruka gritted his teeth. He's stressing out enough about the deadline. Plus, rather than getting pissed at her for comparing his pace with Koko—though he should—instead, he was more annoyed because of the stupid nickname she called him. Ruka-pyon. It's not once or twice but that name had been stuck on him for almost two weeks already. His irritation immediately tripled up; the deadline, the comparison with Koko and that effing stupid nickname.

"Would you stop calling me that?" God he hated that name. He didn't even know where that name came from. It just suddenly appeared out of nowhere from her.

Mikan smirked. She leaned in closer with a very sickening sweet smile played on her pale pink lips. "Well, you called me Potato."

"That's because you called me that stupid nickname!" He hit the desk in frustration and stood up, his chest heaving in an irregular manner.

Mikan's smirk grew wider as she stared up at the man now standing up before her. "You know, I've never thought that Ruka Nogi can loose his cool like this. Isn't this such a refreshing sight?"

"And I've never thought that vexing people is your forte," he countered. Oh he definitely got to know her sarcastic side too for the past three weeks. But that side got a vile personality going on as well. Mikan Sakura had a habit of cursing too sometimes and her tongue can be barbed too at times. Well, he knew Hotaru Imai has a barbed tongue so it's not that unexpected if Mikan Sakura is like that too.

"Hotaru enjoys it much more than I do though." Mikan relaxed her stance and shrugged. She placed her hands behind her head and grinned. "Relax, I'm only like this with you when the other guys aren't around." She looked at the next room. "And to be honest, you're the only person here I'm comfortable with, since you know who I really am." She turned around and smiled back at him. Ruka suddenly found himself frozen and he wondered why as he looked at her.

The two of them were left alone in the next room while the rest of them, Persona had ordered them to undergone their dance practice. They would soon to debut in three months time according to Persona's words and that's the maximum time he could give them. That's why he had been ordering them working to the bones like machines. After school, they would go straight to YE and not until 9 they would finally get to go home. They only got Sundays off and that alone was truly a blessing.

Oh did she mention that Rei-senpai is also a perfectionist? Ugh Mikan hated that side of him. Seemed like Persona ignored her pleads not to make her dance. She's a singer and a songwriter, not a dancer. However, Eye Candy was known best for their dance moves beside their original and cover songs. And joining them to debut means that she also had to dance which an idea that she dreaded the most. They had recorded two songs last month and they were all awesome she could tell. Dai-san, whom they worked together with to produce their debut mini album, was incredible. The songs he made for them were top notched, like seriously. And he guided them with so much patience and credibility, the recording flowed just as nice and smooth without any problems. Mikan had to admit—even if she hated the thought—that the guys honestly had incredible voices and they worked with integrity too—it surprised her.

The cons of the songs, unfortunately to Mikan's dismay, had a lot of movements for its choreography. Persona then put them to dance practice immediately. In addition, he had her to learn all the steps even though he knew she was a horrible dancer. She's like a three-legged dancer, like seriously. Her steps were all over the place. She stumbled, she fell, she tripped, she accidentally stepped on the members' feet, she missed the beats and also more than often, she forgot where her spot in the choreography and she ended up crashing on other people. Ugh, she looked so pathetic she felt like crying.

Hence the reason Persona paired her up with Ruka Nogi for extra practice. Yes, Persona knew that Ruka Nogi knew for she had brief him in a short phone call afterwards. Mikan remembered how much she furrowed her brows when she heard how glad Rei-senpai was when she told him. She didn't know what to think of the situation. She assumed that he felt glad that there was other person who can look after her now knowing that Ruka Nogi had a tight lipped. She left out the part how she bribed him to keep his mouth shut though.

Not long after—that long after was two weeks ago—he then put them into song writing work, every each one of them. They were told to create a song each and so, they began writing lyrics. Mikan had it done the next day. She loved creating songs and lyrics so she didn't find it hard to make it one in just a short time. She had lots of ideas to put on papers. Not long after that, she found the perfect beats and rhythms to her lyrics. It's not a catchy song so it's easier to find the suitable beat to it. She only had to wait for the screening process by their songwriter, producer and Persona. If she got a pass, she would start recording it first, Persona had told her.

Yuu Tobita and Natsume Hyuuga got theirs done two days after that. She had not seen theirs yet but based on what she was told, they'll be good since all of Eye Candy previous original songs, those two were the songwriters. Kitsu had his done four days later since he refused any help from anyone and decided to write it with his own effort. Koko had a few struggles with his but he got it done six days later with a little helping hand from Yuu Tobita.

But Ruka Nogi—sigh—was totally out of it. It had already been one week and the guy still had not figured out the theme of his song let alone what he wanted to convey in his song. Thus, Persona had once again—ANOTHER SIGH— partnered him up with Mikan for a helping hand. It seemed fair; Ruka helping him with her dance, Mikan helping her with his song. That's why they had been stuck together lately. And the other members seemed to be the least bothered by it; probably too caught up in their own part of work that they did not have time to bother about the littlest things.

Ruka sighed. He sat again, suddenly felt conscious of the fact that he's hiding something behind his friends' back. And how guilty that felt. "Don't be too comfortable by it," he said.

Mikan raised one of her eyebrows at his words. "Why is that?"

He looked away. "I don't want the other guys to misunderstood."

Mikan was about to press him more, like what did he mean by that but their conversation was interrupted by Kokoroyome when he suddenly burst through the door with a phone in one hand. "Kaichou," he called and wiggled the phone to Ruka's direction. "Kaa-sama called. Your mother is missing again."

Mikan's eyes bulged out. That's ought to be an emergency right? She snapped her head to Ruka's side and to her surprise he was calm, too calm. In fact, she was struck dumb when she saw he only sighed in response. Shouldn't he start panicking now? She knew she did at this moment. Though it's hardly visible or noticeable as she tried as hard as she can not to over showed it. She looked at Koko. He didn't seem to be in panic at all too. Are these guys heartless or what? Why aren't they panicking like her right now!?

Ruka took out his phone. She watched in silent as he swiftly moved a finger on the screen before putting it on his ear. "It's not connecting. She must have forgotten to recharge her phone." He placed the phone back in his pocket.

"Ammm, kaichou. I forgot to tell you," Koko said sheepishly. He scratched the back of his head with a hint of guiltiness. "Kaa-sama told me she left her phone at our place. That's why she called me to tell you because she can't reach her and now that she ran away again, kaa-sama's kinda worried."

Ruka chuckled and shook her head. "Why is Aunt Mitsuru panicking? This is not the first time." Mikan quirked her brows looking at the two and listening to their conversation. It's not?

He stood up and started to gather his stuff, putting them all in his sling bag. "Did Natsume try calling his home?"

Koko nodded. "They all did. But she's nowhere to be found."

"Then she's not anywhere but at our house," Ruka simply stated. He still calm and Mikan's getting more puzzled by the seconds. His mother's disappearance, is this a common thing? He didn't look worried at all! Now she's worried because he's not worried. And she doubted this was the way it should be.

Mikan furrowed her brows. "Don't you wanna call your home first to check?" She finally asked, using her usual low Ellys Emerys's tone. She's worried but she still has to keep her façade on.

Ruka smiled. "I don't have to. I know she's there." He grabbed his bag, taking out his car keys and turned to Koko. "It's nearly 9 so I'm going ahead first. Can you let Persona know?"

Koko smiled warmly and patted his kaichou's back. "No problem, man."

He rounded the desk and walked towards the glass wall. He tapped on it lightly to gain his friends' attention inside the practice room. He held up a bunch of keys in his hand and mouthed, "I'm going back first."

Natsume nodded his head in understanding and shooed him away with his hand. Ruka scowled at that and Kitsu laughed seeing the two. Yuu waved him goodbye as he sat up from his lying position. Mikan's frown grew deeper as she saw the reactions of her team members. She turned to Koko, still frowning. "I see you guys are not worried at all."

Koko shrugged. "We did, the first time though. But now it's pretty much a normal thing when kaichou's kaa-san went missing. So don't worry about it. She's safe," he thought for a while before adding, "wherever she is, that is."

Koko bent down his body to Mikan's eye level and whispered to her ear, "The first time this happened, kaichou nearly fainted. Tou-sama sent his men for a search, though the people at the streets were horrified whenever they came close to them or talk to them so they hardly got any results from the search. At the end, they found her at Kitsu's house, drinking champagne with his mum at the backyard. Kaichou was literally on his knees, crying when he found her. But at that time she was drunk so she ended up puking on him. We laughed so hard." Koko cracked a laugh.

Ruka whom at that time heard what he was telling Mikan—though he saw no point in Koko's attempt to whisper when he's just next to him and he could hear every words clearly too—shook his head at the memories and chuckled. "Kaa-chan's been doing that a lot after that." He shrugged, "She went to her friends' houses to drink only when she felt lonely," and smiled. "So I ended up getting used to it."

Koko's head bobbed up and down in agreement. "Yep. We're all used to it. Nagisa-san's pretty attached to her kids. That's why."

She's not seeing the correlation of loving her kids to drinking and disappearing. She heard the story but she's not sure of what to feel now. Isn't Nogi's mother sound a bit immature? How old is she anyway? For her age to act like that. She furrowed her brows back, remembering what they said. This is normal? She quirked her eyebrows. Then if this is normal level, then what's not normal for them? She dreaded the answer to the question.

She noticed Ruka was standing by the door and he was tapping his foot on the floor. "What?" She asked, not knowing why he's still standing there.

"Didn't you listen to what I said?"

Mikan mentally frowned. Did he said something?

"You're coming with me," he repeated.

Oh that. Huh, what?

Mikan abruptly stood up. "What, why?"

"We'll continue the work at my home. So you're coming with me."

Mikan stood there unblinking. Did he really say that? Why had not she heard it?

"You're going to my home first?" Koko had asked. Since his home is in a closer neighborhood with YE.

"Yeah, I may as well pick up kaa-chan's phone on my way home." His eyes moved to Mikan's. "Why aren't you still moving? Hurry up, Potato." He turned around and disappeared through the door. Mikan growled at the mention of the nickname but eventually sighed in defeat. Grunting, she picked up her bag and she followed after him. Persona had put her in charge of his progress, she might as well do her job properly and help him to get it done by tomorrow.

"Bye kaichou, Ellys-chan!" Koko called out.

He went back inside the practice room and sat next to Kitsu. "Kaichou's taking Ellys-chan with him. They're going to continue the work at his home," he informed the rest of the guys.

Natsume nodded his head in regard of Koko's words, ignoring Kitsu's talking in the background of how close those two had recently became. "He might as well. The new deadline Persona gave him is tomorrow. He needs to get it done by tonight."

"He'll make it," Yuu confidently cut in.

"How can you be so sure?" Kitsu gave Yuu his full attention.

"I see why Persona put her in charge of him. She's bloody talented. I took a glimpse of her lyrics and she already got the music notes ready on her sheets too and it's only a day after Persona gave us the task. Personally I think we're way behind her."

"On the other hand, Kaichou sucks at song writing. He just couldn't express his thoughts into real words." Koko smirked. "And I used to think Natsume would have this problem instead since he has a problem expressing himself."

Natsume kicked Koko by his foot. "You took six days to properly write one, dumbass. If it weren't for Yuu, yours would already become a trash. So don't be so full of yourself," he remarked.

Yuu suddenly thought of something. "Where did he say he's going?" Yuu suddenly voiced out his question.

"He'll stop by my house first to pick up Nagisa-san's phone before heading home, that's what he told me," Koko responded. Taking a half-filled bottle behind him, he unclasped the cap and took a mouthful before gulping the water down his throat.

Yuu sweatdropped. "Uhh, Koko." He sent him a look. "You've never told Emerys-san what your parents do for a living huh?"

Koko wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and threw the empty bottle in the nearby dustbin. Persona's very particular with cleanliness so they were taught to keep the place clean. "No. Why?" He answered shortly, the least bit concerned if he did.

"Ahh, souka." Yuu chuckled. "No wonder she doesn't look reluctant to go." Because they all did after they heard about Koko's family.

. . .

"What the hell is this?" Mikan's mouth hanged open. Her eyes were wide as her eyes glanced from left to right repeatedly. They are now standing in front of a huge traditional Japanese house with a huge name board hung high above the ground on the front of a traditional wood gate. She could see the sakura trees branches from outside the gate.

Ruka tried to hide his laugh after he saw Mikan's face. "This is Koko's house."

"You're shitting me!" She puffed. "Please tell me his family runs an onsen." She took a step back. She knew damn well this house had no onsen inside.

Then suddenly the carved door opened and a group of five scary looking guys wearing black yukatas rushed out. Or was it hakama? Mikan went pale immediately as she hid behind Ruka. Now she thought they rather looked like shinigamis wearing shihakusho.

"Osu Ruka-dono!" They bowed down, a 90 degree respectful style.

"Osu," Ruka replied back awkwardly. He's still not used to it even if years had passed. They still intimidate him a little. But the thing that despite the years had passed, still made him comfortable was the high level of respect they're giving him as Koko's friend.

"Koko-dono had informed us that you will drop by to pick up the cellphone," the one stood in the middle spoke up. Mikan peeked from behind and saw the said bald man handed Ruka what looked like a phone. Just when she thought she caught a glimpse of a scar carved on the side of his left face, their eyes suddenly met. Mikan whimpered and quickly hid herself back. She was never a frightened little mouse before. Then again, she had never met a real life gangster before in her life.

"Oh? I see we have another guest with you, Ruka-dono." His words made the others perked up altogether. They started to gather around the two youngsters to take a look behind Ruka's back. But the girl was wearing a mask so they couldn't see much no matter how much they strained their necks.

"A friend," Ruka answered briefly.

"Is she a friend of Koko-dono too?" Damn this bald man seemed eager to meet her, Mikan was whimpering on the inside too.

"She is." Ruka smiled when he saw the men's face beamed in delight. He remembered how fond these people are towards Koko. They're interested in knowing all Koko's friends and how his life outside his home went like. He never thought their affections could still grow even to this day when Koko's already this big. "But, Kido-san, I think she's a little afraid though." He stifled a chuckle before added, "since Ellys-san had no idea that Koko comes from a yakuza family." He watched in amusement as the men blinked in excitement at the mention of her name and ended up not realizing at the mention of the yakuza family. Yep, he's doing that on purpose. He wasn't trying to properly introduce her yet anyways—but he did want them to know her name. The girl was shaking after all. He could feel her aura tensing all over behind his back.

He thought he heard a gasp behind his back when he mentioned Yakuza family and he couldn't help but chuckled again at the sound of it. Well, he did that on purpose too because he's darn sure that she didn't know that Koko's parents are yakuzas. Nobody had told her, that he's bloody sure. He's supposed she should be informed beforehand but the topic regarding Koko's family wasn't something easy to throw in a random conversation.

"Ah! Then please take this for Ellys-dono." The man who stood next to the bald guy named Kido-san, took something out of his stash and handed it to Ruka with a very warm smile plastered on his face. Despite the formidable look he had because of his scary looking face, he's a bit of a softy inside; anything with regards of their Koko-dono and the family. Then again, all of the men in Yome's house were like that.

"Then, please have a safe trip home, Ruka-dono and Ellys-dono!" They sent them off with another 90 degree bow.

As they walked back towards the car, Mikan turned back to peek and yelped when she saw they waved the two of them goodbye. She frowned in response at Ruka's laugh. "Why didn't nobody tell me that Kokoroyome comes from a yakuza family?!"

"Were you scared?" Ruka's chest still shook with the leftover laugh he had. He climbed the driver seat and started the engine after he closed the door.

"Damn yes!" She puffed and slammed the passenger seat closed.

Ruka shook his head at her childish temper. "I thought you could figure it out already based on what Koko told you."

"Tell me what?" No images came in mind about Koko told her anything about his family.

"The story about when my mother first disappeared."

Mikan furrowed her brows. What story? Her brain tried to pick up the pieces. "Oh that." Mikan's mouth formed an 'O' as she suddenly remembered. Well, she did heard Kokoroyome mentioned something about the people at the streets were horrified of his dad's men. But then again… "Baka, how on earth can I figure it out when he just put it so bluntly like that!?" She hit Ruka on his arm.

Ruka laughed again. "They're not that scary at all." He paused then added quietly, "Well sometimes they are because they can't help it that they're yakuzas, but," his words trailed off as he tried to make something out of it, "deep down they're just a bunch of nice people. Because Koko's just like that." He smiled. "Here. Shido-san wanted me to give this to you."

He handed her a lollipop. Mikan took it in bewilderment. He watched her as she looked at it with a very deep furrow on her face.

"They're a bunch of weird people," she commented as she took the lollipop and stared oddly at it. Why would a scary looking man, a yakuza member on top of that, gave her a lollipop? Why would he have one in the first place anyway?

"That's one way to describe them." The corner of Ruka's mouth curled up. He knew because Koko is a weird one too.

The rest of the trip was silent. The only sound they heard was the songs played on the radio.

"Ne, Ruka-pyon."

He mentally sighed at the name she called him but he responded still, "Hmm?"

"Is Kido-san and Shido-san possibly be related?"

Ruka laughed. So her mind still pondered somewhere close to Koko's family still. Finally getting interested ey? "Yes. Those two are brothers."

TBC.