Chapter 3: Practical Joke
A thin, reedy birdcall drifted as Mikan Sakura swung the doors open before her, sending a brilliant shaft of sunlight into the hall of the Middle School Dormitory.
It was the silence that woke her early the next morning. After days of waking to a clap of thunder and or a crackle of lightning, the stillness was deafening.
She saw the way spread out before her, bright and empty in the early morning sun. The huge white limestone slabs formed a broad avenue, which spangled all the colors of a spectrum in the distance due to the small puddles which are vestiges of the rain.
Long she had wanted the raining to suppress that it lifted her spirits when bits of the sun crept through her window.
It was strangely lucky of her and she wished it to last all throughout the day.
"Your nightmares' let you out early today," said someone.
Mikan let out a long, dejected sigh. She wished just too early.
The hurdle to all her luck was sitting on the lowest of the marble steps that led up to the dormitory.
Natsume Hyuuga.
His striking reddish brown eyes had a teasing glint in them as he regarded her. The bauble on his uniform shone brightly as if hawking that its beholder is undeniably a special star student.
Mikan was not pleased to see him.
"Very funny," she said dismissively.
The short haired girl jumped down the steps, gazing curiously at Natsume. It was more of a reflective stare, for she was wondering why her blond head friend (who usually tags along with him) wasn't around.
Come to think of it, she woke up without the riot and hubbub of rabid fan girls. They become extreme only when two particular friends of hers go past them and it does matter a lot when one is seen without the other.
Is he waiting for his best friend to wake up? In addition, did she wake up earlier than Ruka this-
"Oh, what's that?" Mikan interrupted herself, pointing to a huge glittering jewel in Natsume's hand.
Mikan gawked at the wonderful jewel, wondering how a person such as Natsume acquired it.
Natsume became aware of the girl's attraction toward the stone for wherever he motioned it, either left to right or up and down, she kept her gaze at it.
"You want it?" Natsume asked.
Mikan blinked twice at his query and it made her think she was still dreaming.
"W-why, are you going to give it to me?" She murmured, her face turning bright red.
"Here," Natsume offered.
"Are you kidding?" Mikan asked weakly, eyeing the precious stone.
"Fine."
"N-no!"
Natsume tried to hide the gem from the dribbling girl when she held his hand all of a sudden. He looked at her and saw the same cherubic smile he had always yearned.
He looked away as she droned on about knowing all along that he was a nice person. Hearing all this made his blood rush in on his cheeks, attempting to reveal his feelings under pretense.
"-and of course I want it. It's incredible," she continued, picking the jewel up. "Thank you."
She turned the jewel sideways and saw a lilliputian button. She looked at Natsume to ask him about it, but he was already walking away with hands in his pockets.
'Timidity must have overcome him again,' Mikan surmised. She smiled to the thought that Natsume actually waited for her just to give her a gift, not to mention he had in fact, chipped in to her chain of luck.
Still keyed up by the button she found, she returned her gaze at the dazzling present in her hand.
She turned the jewel upright and pressed the little button. Suddenly, the top of the jewel flew off, and a dark green ink shot out of the gem so quickly that Mikan didn't have time to move away.
The next thing she knew, the ink had washed across her, staining her face.
Just when the incident occurred, more students burst out of the dormitory. They were enjoying the heat of the sun, just as Mikan did when she went out. But their faces turned pallid when they saw a green-faced monster with murderous eyes just below the steps.
It even shocked them that the monster knew how to speak, and it took them precisely fifteen seconds to realize that it was only none other than the indefatigable Mikan Sakura.
"NATSUUUME!" she shrieked, serving as five minutes advanced alarm for those who are still asleep.
She ran as if she were an automaton towards Natsume and sent him a flying kick, which of course, was deflected, hurtling her in front of him.
"Harum-scarum." Natsume stuck his tongue out at Mikan, who confronted him with punches and kicks that he had always dodged ever since elementary.
"You could've used your selfish Alice to repel it, stupid." He said casually, just after eluding another one of Mikan's blows.
"It-pant-caught me off-guard because I-pant-actually thought---ARGH! Wash that silly look off your face!"
Mikan propelled yet another blow, but Natsume was always quicker than her. He has already foreseen the inevitable slipping.
So when Mikan had thrust her arm, Natsume pulled her hand and allowed her to skid past him. When he looked at her, he was relieved to see her still in position to continue her 'beating'.
She's completely oblivious to the fact that he had actually helped her, for her green-streaked face was now filled with greater agitation.
The contretemps continued as Mikan chased Natsume out of the futile heat across the courtyard and into the cool shade of the park trees that led out of the Middle School Dormitory courtyard and into the avenue Mikan had wished earlier to tread alone, peacefully.
Ponpokopi no Bebenben!
Waaaaaaaaaai! Sorry if I took too long to upload this short chapter. I was really busy with the theatre, not to mention the problems I had and still have. Maa! But anyway, here are the notes...
(1) Natsume-kun is wearing his special star! Wow, that's just great! Great OOC you mean? Mwahahaha! I've made him wear a complete uniform to show Mikan-chan's influence on him, since that would mean he was now following the rules. (I'm referring to my first fic, if ever you've read it.) But then, wouldn't that make Mikan-chan OOC too? It will be explained in one of the following chapters. I just don't know which. XD
(2) Did Natsume-kun really wait there just to give it to her? A yes and no answer, so one answer. YES. Another OOC, this is just fascinating. But no. You'll find out more in chapter four.
Hee! I'm happy to have handled a NatMi chapter at last. I hope you stay tuned! Thanks a lot for the reviews.