Greetings! Happy Holidays everyone! So sorry for the late update. School is done and I finally got my grades. Thankfully I did well and passed my subjects... well except for one. I have to repeat Law. Sadly.
Anyway, for those who reviewed Chapter 7 ( and newroz). Thank you very much!
Chapter 8: The Childhood Friend
Later that night, when I was doing my homework, I heard my phone ring. I put my pen down and reached for my phone. A small smile graced my lips when I saw who was calling. I then immediately answered the phone.
"Mi-chan," a familiar manly voice said on the other line and my smile widened.
"Tsubasa-nii," I said with a laugh. "How are you?"
I heard him chuckle over the phone. "I should be asking you the same. I saw your reply. You guys moved to Japan huh?"
I leaned back to my chair and pouted. "You didn't really answer my question though," I said. "But yeah, my parents suddenly decided they want to go back to their hometown. And viola, they dragged me with them. Anyway, so how was the project? What are you up to now?"
"Didn't you also want to try living in Japan? I remember before… wasn't it when you were in high school? Anyway, you found that exchange program to Japan but your parents just won't say yes?" Tsubasa said. "And now… you have what you wanted."
"I might have wanted it before," I said with a sigh. "But I mean not in the middle of the school year. Especially when I'm in my third year of college!"
"But aren't you well-adjusted there already?" he asked. "And it's not like you have a problem with the language or anything."
I found myself blushing when he said that. "Well, it was hard at first alright plus I don't have any friends and it was in the middle of the freaking school year!" I say with a pout and I heard him chuckle on the other line. "So, are you going to tell me what's up with you?"
I heard Tsubasa clear his throat on the other line. I tilted my head to the side a bit curious on why he seemed so nervous. "The project was a success! I'll send you a photo later," he said with his usual cheerful manner. My worries immediately left me and after that, he was blabbering and was telling me about his experiences on his latest job. In return, I told him about my new school and about my new friends. But somehow, I did not tell him about Natsume although I do not know why.
My homework lay forgotten for quite a while and I somehow found myself lying down on my bed an hour later still talking with Tsubasa-nii. It's always like this when we talk to each other on our phones. Talking with him like this feels natural. We were in the middle of talking about the nice places he has visited over Dubai while he was undergoing on completing the projects he has, when my eyes landed on my clock and I began to panic.
Without even realizing it, it has become so late into the night. I quickly got up from my bed and took my place at my study table. My cellphone was still on hand and Tsubasa-nii was still talking happily. I let out a sigh since I'm hesitant to end the call here. After all, it has been a while since we last talked to each other. "Tsubasa-nii," I said cutting him on his story.
"What?" he asked stopping mid-sentence.
"It's already late here and I still have a lot to finish," I said a bit sad. "I'll talk to you later?"
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds that I thought Tsubasa did not hear me. I was about to call out again when he spoke. "Ooh, okay," he said in his usual cheerful tone. "I'll see you later then."
"Mmm'kay," I said and we both hang up.
It took me a while before what he said sink into me. I was in the middle of finishing up my homework when I realized it. 'Did he just say "I'll see you later"?' I asked myself. For a while I pondered on what he meant but deciding that it was a slip out of habit, I got ready for bed. That night I slept without realizing that a big surprise was on the midst of happening.
Earlier the next morning, I went about my usual way. And like always, I was the first one to arrive at the classroom. But unlike the usual, I was unusually sleepy. I am not a morning person but I could always handle early morning classes without looking tired and sleep deprived. It might have been because of last night's workload and Tsubasa-nii's unexpected phone call that I uncharacteristically fell asleep.
I didn't know how long I was asleep. It must have been quite long because when I woke up, I was greeted with the most beautiful pair of red eyes I have ever seen. My eyes widened in surprise and I immediately sat up straight. I was a good thing that I was able to keep myself from letting out a startled scream because when I came to my senses, the professor was already in the room and was in the middle of teaching.
I put a hand over my chest to calm myself down. I was sure that I'm blushing real hard right now. Once I was sure that I'm finally stable, I let out a sigh and turned to my side. I directed a glare at Natsume which he returned with a raised eyebrow. "What were you doing?" I asked in a harsh whisper.
Natsume shrugged his shoulders. I continued to stare at him waiting for his answer but he didn't. Instead, he returned his gaze in front.
I let out a small huff and glared at him. I continued to glare for a while. But he seemed determined to ignore me. Realizing that it would not lead to anything productive, I let out a soft resigned sigh and focused my attention to the professor.
The professor went on and on about the subject and I kept on taking down notes. When the bell rang signaling the end of the period, I let out a sigh of relief and stretched out my arms before gathering up my things. I was out the door when Natsume spoke. "Yoo," he said.
I glared to my side and instantly I felt my heart flutter. There he was with all his glory just leaning casually on the wall. His bag was hanging on one of his shoulders. He was so hot and his fiery red eyes were staring at me. I felt myself blush and instantly his lips were gracing their usual smirk.
"What?" I asked trying not to lose my cool and embarrass myself. "Were you waiting for me?"
Natsume detached himself from the wall and walked up to me. "Come on," was all he said.
A small pout graced my lips as I fell into step with him. "You were looking at me a while ago when I fell asleep in class," I said. "Why?"
Natsume shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk in silence beside me. "Come on. I'm really curious. Why were you looking at me a while ago?" I asked. I looked up at him with wide eyes. "Perhaps you thought I was cute while sleeping right? Right?"
He stopped right on his tracks and looked at me. His expression was unreadable. I tilted my head to the side and stopped as well before smiling up at him in a teasing manner. "I was cute sleeping like that wasn't I?" I said teasing him. "You didn't fall for me did you?"
Natsume frowned at that. He reached out his hand to shuffle my hair. "Yaah! You're messing it up!" I said in a loud voice as I try to stop him from doing so. He moved a bit closer to me so that our faces were inches apart. It made me stop struggling.
His usual smirk came once more. He moved his face closer to mine which made me blush more than I preferred. I thought he was going to kiss me but he stopped midway. His smirk grew wider. "I just thought you look funny sleeping," he said with his husky voice. "And besides, you're easy to tease like this."
Before I could react to what he said, he was already off me. I frowned as I tried to catch up to him once I was back to my own sanity. I slapped him hard on the arm once I caught up with him. He let out a small chuckle. "That wasn't nice," I told him as he continue to chuckle. "Meanie."
"That because you're easy to tease," he said as we continued to walk to our next class. We continued our friendly bicker. Well, it was more on I was reprimanding him for being a meanie and him staying silent or shrugging his shoulders every now and then. Really, sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with him or why I even like him.
Once I got tired on talking, I just settled on walking silently next to him. We were rounding the corning and was about to pass the faculty room, which was a few rooms away from our next class when I stopped on my tracks. My eyes widened in surprise.
Natsume was a few steps ahead of me when he noticed that I fell behind. He looked back at me. "Why'd you suddenly stopped?" I barely heard him asked me. My eyes were focused up ahead at the two figures talking outside the faculty room.
"Mikan, come on. We're going to be late," Natsume called to me but I ignored him.
It took me a few seconds to snap out of it. Once I did, I took a step forward, and another and another. Without even realizing it, I walked past Natsume and I found myself a few steps away from the two people. One of them was my uncle, while the other was… "Tsubasa?" I said unsure which got their attention.
So? What do you guys think? I hope you like it!
DISCLAIMER. I DO NOT OWN GAKUEN ALICE.
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