Thank you very much to those who reviewed me from the previous chapter:
StarAngel02
miKaN'natSuMe525
fire
dragonheart
thundra18
dominiqueanne
Wishing You Knew
Luna
Harmony
Sakura-hime246
sexy Seren
UnreadableMe
Irumi
Kanzaki
animeaddict09
Hellmaster
FIbby
rockprincess412
animeaddict.7
xXx Simple Silent
xXx
catheriney2004
babyblossom91
kikyorules10
cutiebear14
090mikanXnatsume090
khatzie
bloodyraven.13
xXiceyfireXx
mag
My Message (MM):
400 reviews!! I can't believe I accomplished 400 reviews!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH MINNA-SAMA!!
I present to you Chapter 16 of Youichi's Birthday Present. August 10 and 13 has been a very special day to me… including 7 of course!!
Sorry if this updated really late. I warned you already… but it seems like it was yesterday when I started making this story. And I'm now at Chapter 16! Well, here I am, starting the story.
Chapter 16 – Thank You, and Goodbye
Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. It belongs to someone else!!
"YES! We're finally back from Canada! I missed Japan!" Mikan said, holding her luggage while Youichi was beside her.
Natsume, on the other hand, carried his own luggage and went inside the house.
"You miss Japan because you didn't like boarding on planes." Natsume whispered.
"I heard that!" Mikan said, "It's nice to be at home."
Mikan went to the kitchen to get something to drink. Natsume entered the kitchen too. When they were going to get a glass from the tray, their hands meet. Both looked at each other, and then turned away.
"Why is he acting like that?" Mikan asked herself. Suddenly, she remembered something… she was having flashbacks.
Flashback:
"I want you to pretend to be Youichi's mom."
"Youichi knows that I'm here to be his mother and he doesn't want us far away because he thinks I'm Maya!"
"You're just here to act Maya, but even if it's the end of the world, you'll never take Maya's place."
"It seems that Natsume can't turn over a new leaf on Maya. He can't accept her death."
"You're pretending to be my wife. It's your job."
"As long as you're not married to that Hyuuga and you're currently living in this house, well you're not considered as a part of the true family. This is not job you're supposed to be doing. Even if it costs 500, 000 yen, I can't allow that.
"One day, the child will know that this is just a setup for him. And it feels bad to be lied than telling the truth."
"I know this job is ridiculous, and I know it will ruin my reputation. But, I want to stay here, because they treat me like a part of a family now."
"I wonder why I've decided to act like a mother in exchange of a big amount. It might sound easy, but I can't imagine myself doing this job."
"You know why I'm still here? Because I want to make Youichi happy, that's it!"
"I thought your main reason of staying in my house was because you're falling for me."
"Falling for you? Oh please!"
"I won't let go of you."
End of Flashback
"I guess Youichi's wish came true. His mom will never leave him." Mikan thought.
Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard. It seemed strange, since they only arrived from Canada. Who was expecting them?
Mikan went to get the door. When she opened it, it was none other then her sister, Hikari.
"Nee-chan…" Hikari said.
"What do you want?" Mikan asked angrily.
"Gee, you seemed kind of cranky. Anyways… um…" Hikari said while hopping up and down.
"What?" Mikan asked once more… and to her surprise, behind Hikari, was none other than Hotaru.
"HOTARU-CHAN" Mikan was surprised to see Hotaru. She wanted to hug her, unfortunately…
BAKABAKABAKABAKABAKA
"Ouch!" Mikan uttered
"How many times should I tell you that if you hug me again, you'll taste the wrath of my Baka gun?" Hotaru said, watching Mikan rub her head.
"I'm sorry Hotaru. I mean, it's so surprising seeing you here. You were here last summer, weren't you?" Mikan asked.
"Well yeah. I'm in town this week and I was wondering if you will come with me to America." Hotaru replied
"Look Hotaru. I already told you that I'm staying. I can't leave Youichi." Mikan said. After that, Hotaru dragged Mikan outside to talk.
"You're seriously going to take care of Youichi until you die?" Hotaru asked
"Yes. And I really mean it." Mikan replied
"Could you take a look at the boy Mikan?" Hotaru said, "He's growing. What are you going to do? Continue this masquerade party until the boy discovers that you're not really his mother? Mikan, you're not really Natsume's wife. You're just pretending to be her!"
"And what's wrong with that Hotaru?! Could you tell me what's wrong with that?!"
"You're not really doing this for them! You're doing this as your job! You're not really married to him! It's just a scene!"
"At least Youichi's now happy that I'm always beside him!"
"That's because he thinks you're his mother! He's happy because his mother is with him, but he won't be happy if he realizes that all this time he was tricked by his father. Would you like that to happen?"
"I'm treated here as a family!"
"You're missing the point Mikan! The point here is that you won't be a mother to Youichi forever. You're just someone who does her job. You're only doing this just for money. If you want to stay here forever, it's fine with me. But you have one week to change your mind." Hotaru ended the conversation, and walked away without another word.
"Eh, Hotaru-Chan, you're not staying?" Hikari asked as Hotaru continues to walk forward.
Mikan, on the other hand, felt like crying.
"You're missing the point Mikan! The point here is that you won't be a mother to Youichi forever. You're just someone who does her job. You're only doing this just for money."
"Hotaru thinks that I'm a gold digger." Mikan said.
"You're not a gold digger Mikan. You're just doing your job." Hikari replied while comforting her big sister.
"I guess that whatever I do to this family, Youichi will always think that I'm Maya, but not Mikan. And Natsume won't think of me as the real Mikan, but his dead wife." Mikan expressed her thoughts as she continues to cry.
"You're pretending to be my wife. It's your job."
"I guess Hotaru was right. I am just doing my job." Those were Mikan's last words.
OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO
That night, Mikan confronted Natsume. She wanted to talk with him, so they went outside.
"What do you want to talk about, poultry?" Natsume asked.
Mikan was frowning. She wanted to tell Natsume something, but she doesn't have the courage to do it.
"Um…"
"You're sad." Natsume told Mikan as he went towards her. "Just tell me what you want to say. I'll be here, listening."
"That… that… YOUR ACTING SUCKS!"
"What?"
"You think that I'll fall for that scheme? Well for your information, I'm not going to fall for it."
"Whatever… if you don't want to say it, then don't."
"FINE JIRAIYA-SAMA!"
"Fine Tsunade-Sama."
And they left without saying anything to each other.
"I'm still hesitating on whether I should tell it to Natsume or not." Mikan said to herself.
OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO
"Am I really that girl who can make those two happy? Or do they only think of me as Maya?" Mikan asked herself.
In every minute, Mikan continues to reminisce her moments with Natsume (and Youichi, of course). As she reminisce those irreplaceable memories, she begins to question herself. A lo of questions popped in her head like a pack of wilder beasts running at the valley.
"Why" was the question she asked herself a lot of times. She wondered why she did those things. Why she made it happen. Why everything is so confusing… until she finally realized her next move.
Her next move was pretty obvious. She went to Natsume for a talk.
They went outside the backyard. It was getting cloudy that time, and water might fall from the sky.
Finally, Mikan asked Natsume. "Natsume, why did you hire me as Youichi's mother?" she asked but in a serious but gentle tone. "I mean, of all the million women there, why me?"
Natsume replied. "Why the hell would you ask that kind of ques--"
"JUST ANSWER ME PROPERLY!" Mikan exclaimed. "I want to know the truth. I'm tired of living under the shadows now."
Natsume gave a sigh, puts his hands in his pockets, and answered. "It's because you look like Youichi's mother, Maya. I mean, you can't find any other girls there who look like Maya."
"Is that so?"
"Well, yeah."
"Natsume, I want to ask you something." Mikan said as she began shaking because of nervousness. "When you first saw me, did you look at me as Mikan?... or as Maya?"
This question began to startle Natsume. Should he tell the truth, or make a white lie?
"Just tell me the truth. Don't worry, I'll accept it." Mikan said.
"Why are you asking these questions?" Natsume asked, walking away from his position.
"It's because I want to know what you feel about me. I want to know what you think of me. I know that I look like Maya. I do Maya's job everyday. But did you ever notice me as Mikan? Have you ever looked at me as who I am?" Mikan began asking Natsume.
"What I think of you? You want to hear the answer? Fine. When I first saw you, I thought of Maya. I thought that you were her when Youichi was hugging you. When I see you, I see Maya. I think that you're really Maya even though I know that you're Mikan. But… but I'm not sure of what I see with you. It's just that you remind me of Maya whenever I see you."
"Is that so?" Mikan asked. "Then, what about Youichi? Any improvements on him?"
"You're changing the topic! I thought we were talking about you and your issues!"
"Well Natsume, I decided that… I should quit."
Silence filled the place for a moment. And then, rain fell down from the skies.
"What"
"I said--."
"I know what you said. But why do you want to quit?"
"I don't know why, Natsume. But I think everyday, when I'm with you, my love grows as well. I know you won't be marrying me nor be Maya but I think that I should quit for my sake."
"Then how about Youichi's sake?"
"I've thought about it, and I've decided that I will leave Youichi as well. I will leave this family. I don't know if Youichi knows that I'm not really his mother, but I know that sooner or later he will find out that what we're playing with him is a trick. He'll know soon that I'm really Mikan, not Maya." Mikan explained. "I don't want to worsen these things, Natsume. I also don't want to disturb your family. I know that I can't take Maya's place. But could you please accept the fact that Maya's dead?"
"Fine. You're fired!"
"I know. But here's my last message for you: be honest with yourself. I don't know why, but I just want to let you know that there are such certain things in life you just have to accept… including the fact about your dead wife." Mikan said.
"I'm hoping that I won't be seeing you starting now. Until next time… thank you". She said as she bows her head as her bid of farewell
"Goodbye…" and she left him under the rain. She ran inside, got her bag, and went outside without another word.
Natsume, on the other hand, was left frozen by those words Mikan said. He balled his fists, looked at this bright moon, and thought about what Mikan said.
"Goodbye, Mikan Sakura."
Natsume went inside to dry himself up. While he was wiping himself with his towel, Youichi walked up to him and said, "Daddy". He was looking pale, and suddenly, Youichi fainted.
Natsume was shocked to see this. He touched Youichi's arm, and he was flaring up. "Youichi, Youichi" Natsume said as he tried to wake up the little boy. But he was sick as he is.
Mikan, on the other hand, went to the hotel Hotaru was staying in. She knocked on Hotaru's hotel room, and when Hotaru opened it, it was a wet chick.
"Mikan, what happened to you?" Hotaru asked as Mikan continues to stand there.
END OF CHAPTER
MM: Well, that's it folks. That only took me a few days!! Yey me!! Oh well, here's a preview for the next chapter:
"Youichi's has a deadly flu. If he's lucky, he'd still be alive."
"No, this can't happen!"
"Where's mommy? I want to see mommy."
Please review, my dear reader. And I might update the next chapter a bit late! So… see you!
Hana-Chan