Himeno: Mikan-chan's childhood revealed here!!!
Natsume: I just hope I won't get bored with the story.
Tsubasa: Hey, you better listen to me carefully, brat.
Natsume: Yeah…Whatever… I just have to find out who this dead friend is. Polka-dots is problematic when she's thinking too much.
Himeno: Hyuuga, can you please call Mikan-chan by her name?
Natsume: No…
Himeno: Damn, you're unbelievable.
Tsubasa: Okay, why don't we start before you two start arguing?
Natsume: Fine with me.
Himeno: Good call, Tsubasa-senpai.
Tsubasa: Himeno-chan doesn't own Gakuen Alice. But this story's plot is definitely hers.
Himeno: Enjoy reading, everyone! Don't forget to review once you're done.
Natsume the Jerk
Episode 30: Childhood Tragedy
Ten Years Ago…
Tears streaming down from her eyes, Serina Yamada hugged a young 4-year old girl. She was saddened at the fact that her good friends, the parents of the young girl, had died in a tragic accident. And when the girl asked her where her parents were, Serina only hugged her tighter and cried silently.
"Where are Otou-san and Okaa-san, Serina-san?" the little girl asked again. "And why are you crying? Are you hurt somewhere?"
Serina pulled back and gazed into her sweet innocent hazel orbs intently. "Mikan, listen to me carefully…" she started, caressing Mikan's cheek. "I'm sorry to tell you this…But your Otou-san and Okaa-san are not coming home anymore."
Mikan blinked her eyes and frowned. "Eh? What do you mean? Otou-san and Okaa-san always come home to play with me," she said.
She bit her lip. She didn't want to break the child's heart but Mikan had the right to know. "Mikan, your parents are no longer alive. They already went up to heaven." Her voice was shaky. Normally, she was a woman with full composure, but her friends' death was enough to drive her close to insanity. "They're not coming back. They left this world." She noticed Mikan widened her eyes and shaking her head in dismay.
"What do you mean they already went up to heaven? Okaa-san told me that only dead people go up to heaven. There's no way Otou-san and Okaa-san are dead!" Mikan gave Serina a shove and backed away from her. "They're coming back. I know they will!" She dashed out of Serina's room and into hers as tears stung her eyes.
The next few days were awfully painful for Mikan. She hadn't been eating properly because of depression and she refused to go to school. She was too devastated with what happened to her parents. And every night she would just cry to sleep. Serina didn't know what to do with her anymore. Although she planned on taking Mikan to a child psychologist, it would take a lot of effort to force Mikan to come out of her room.
One day, Mikan decided to finally come out of the house and visit the park. She realized it was a mistake because the park was filled with happy children spending time with their parents. But she didn't go home right away. She went to sit down under a tree and watched the other children play. And when she saw a mother and father helping their child who fell down on the ground, she couldn't help crying in grief.
"I want my Otou-san and Okaa-san…" she muttered through her sobs. "I want them back."
"Hey, you, if you want to cry, do it someplace else," a cold yet young voice said.
Mikan looked up and saw a raven-haired girl with amethyst-colored eyes. She sported an emotionless face. "Leave me alone…" she said, hugging her knees closer to her chest. "I can cry wherever I want."
"But you're in my spot," the girl said, taking a seat beside Mikan.
"Huh? Your spot? This place doesn't even have your name. Don't claim it as your own."
"I claim it as my own because I come here everyday," the girl explained nonchalantly. "And you… This is the first time I've seen you around here. But I know very well who you are."
Mikan wiped away her tears. "Oh, really?" she said curiously.
"You're Mikan Sakura. Your parents are both celebrities, but they've recently died in a car accident. I guess that's the reason why you're moping around here." She sounded sympathetic and indifferent at the same time.
"My parents are gone and they're never coming back…I can't help but cry…" Mikan was going to cry again when the strange girl suddenly pinched her cheek hard. "Ouch! Hey! What did you do that for?" She rubbed her sore cheek and stared irritably at the girl.
The girl gazed at her and heaved a sigh. "I'm really going to hit you if you cry," she said. "And I don't think your parents will like it if you're sad all the time. Why don't you lighten up?"
Mikan was surprised with what she said. "How would you know that they'll be sad? They're already in heaven, so they can't possibly—"
"When a person goes up to heaven, he becomes an angel," she said, staring up at the sky. "And an angel can watch over the humans on earth. I believe your parents have become angels and they're watching you at this very moment."
Fascinated with what she said, she also turned her head to look at the sky. "Wow…I never knew that… So, my parents are just watching me…" Then all those times she cried were witnessed by her parents. "Otou-san and Okaa-san always told me to smile. They don't like it when I'm sad."
"Then why don't you start smiling now, dummy?" the girl said in an icy voice. "I'm sure they'll be happy."
Mikan nodded her head. "I will!" She stood up and waved her hand up in the air, her lips curving into a charming smile. "Otou-san, Okaa-san, I've been crying all this time… I never realized that you were watching me… I must have worried you two a lot. I'm so sorry. From this day onward, I promise to keep on smiling for you."
The girl stood and looked at the brunette. "You know, people might think you're crazy," she said. "I better get away from you before others may think I'm your friend or something." But before she could even take on step, Mikan gave her a great big hug.
"Thank you so much!" Mikan said cheerfully. "You helped me a lot."
"Let go of me, dummy," she said, trying to shove Mikan away. "You're getting your germs all over me. It's disgusting."
Mikan giggled and released her. "You're so mean, but I still like you," she said. "By the way, what's your name? You already know mine, so it's only fair to tell me yours."
"It's Hotaru Imai…" the girl said, rolling her eyes away. "But someone like you will probably forget it."
Mikan shook her head. "No way!" She then held Hotaru's hands. "Hotaru, can I be your friend? Please say yes!"
For some reason, Hotaru couldn't resist the brunette's charms and thought of her as an interesting girl. "Fine then… I'll be your friend," she belatedly replied. "I guess my life won't be boring if I'm with you." Finally, a smile appeared on her face, which thrilled Mikan more that she hugged her again.
End of Flashback
"Because of Hotaru, Mikan was able to move on. They've become the best of friends, even though they were total opposites." The maid brought in snacks for them and Tsubasa began munching on some biscuits. "Hotaru was kinda like you. She was cold and bad-mouthed." He grinned mischievously at Natsume.
Natsume narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to get hit?" he said, and Tsubasa chuckled. "Why don't you just continue with the story?"
Tsubasa finished another biscuit before talking. "Well, when Mikan moved up to second grade, she asked Serina-san to put her in the same school as Hotaru. On the day of her transfer, she saw students bullying Hotaru around. You see, Hotaru was a genius and she has the tendency to be very rational. Her classmates all thought she didn't want to hang out with them because she was too good for them. Because of that, Hotaru was hated." He took a sip of his tea and sighed. "Mikan hated bullying more than anything else, so she defended Hotaru from them."
As expected, he thought silently, the girl he admired always thought of others before herself. Her selflessness was one of the qualities he admired the most, with her cheerfulness being the first. He found himself wondering what Mikan's life would be if she did not meet Hotaru Imai. Perhaps she wouldn't have been able to move on with life.
"With Mikan around, school life became a lot better for Hotaru," Tsubasa said, setting his teacup down on the table. "And everyone in class couldn't resist Mikan. She's too good to be true. Hotaru was glad to have a friend like her."
"Why isn't she around anymore?"
Tsubasa grimaced. "I promised Mikan not to tell this to anyone, but I know I can trust you," he said, looking at Natsume seriously. "Mikan started as a child star in Japan, making her professional debut at the age of seven through a musical. She became the lead star of a TV show together with me and joined other productions. She began her recording career at the age of nine with her first album, Sakura Love, which received a gold certification. As a young performer, Mikan received many awards and was called the Rising Goddess."
Natsume remembered seeing Mikan on television for the first time. She was performing her first concert. Because she looked a lot like the manga character he liked, he became attracted to her at first sight.
"Despite her career, she always made time for her best friend. Hotaru was a business-minded girl and she sold a lot of pictures to Mikan's unofficial fan club at school." Not only was she selling Mikan's pictures, she was also selling his as well, much to his dismay. "One night, when Mikan had just gotten back from work, she decided to take a stroll around the park where she first met Hotaru. She didn't realize the dangers of walking alone at night. So, on her way to the park, she encountered some thugs who wanted to kidnap her for ransom."
"She never thinks before she does something," Natsume icily said.
"Hey… She was only a little kid. Besides, Mikan likes going to the park, especially when she's tired from work." Tsubasa took a biscuit and ate it all up. "But that night wasn't her lucky night and a storm was brewing."
Flashback
"Look at what we have here," a rugged man said, eyeing the young brunette maliciously. "If it isn't the little star… What are you doing here at this time of night?"
Mikan, being the innocent child she was, cheerfully smiled at the two strangers. "I'm on my way to the park!" she said. "How about you?"
"We were planning on drinking all night, but…"
The other man continued. "We decided to accompany you, little girl. We can't let a cute girl like you walk alone at night. You might run into trouble."
"Really? That's so nice of you two!" Mikan's eyes shimmered with glee. She tugged on the men's sleeves and jumped up and down. "C'mon… Let's go! We can play on the swings once we get there."
The two men looked at each other, smirking. Then one of them grabbed Mikan and covered her mouth with his hand. "You're going to make us rich, little girl," he said. "Don't try to resist or else we'll hurt you."
Panicked, Mikan struggled and swung her free arm towards the man's face. But the other man blocked her punch and gripped her wrist tight. "Feisty little one, aren't you?" he said.
Just then, someone hit the man with a metal pipe, knocking the man unconscious. Her captor was stunned at the audacity that she took the chance to break free from his grasp by biting his hand. Once she was released, the person who helped her grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the men. To her surprise, that person was none other than Hotaru.
"Hotaru, what are you—"
"Shut up and keep running, dummy," Hotaru blurted out, keeping a stoic expression on her face. By the time they've reached a safe distance, rain came pouring down on them. Hotaru whacked Mikan's head with her fist and shot her a glare. "You really are a blockhead. Didn't anyone ever teach you not to walk alone at night? It isn't safe, you know."
Mikan winced at the sound of thunder. The rain has escalated to a heavy down pour, soaking them thoroughly. "But I just wanted to visit the park… Today is the day we first met, Hotaru…" she explained feebly, lowering her gaze to the tips of her shoes. "I was so busy at work that I didn't have time to go there with you today. I wanted to call you when I get there and tell you how lucky I am to have met you. I'm sorry if I caused trouble for you, Hotaru. I didn't expect those guys to be bad."
Hotaru sighed deeply. "Dummy, you should have called me first before you left," she said. "What's the point of going there alone to celebrate the day we first met? As usual, you're not using your head."
"But…I know how cranky you get when I disturb you at night…" Mikan fiddled with her fingers.
"It goes to show how much you know my character," Hotaru said, placing a hand on Mikan's shoulder. "You know, it was a good thing Serina-san called to tell me you left the house without permission."
Mikan's face brightened up. "So, that's why you're here right now!" she said, embracing Hotaru. "I'm really glad. You saved me from those guys. Thank you very much, Hotaru. You're the best!"
Tempted to gag her, Hotaru pulled Mikan's hair. "You're getting your germs all over me," she coldly said. "And we shouldn't stay here any longer. Those men might—"
Too late! The men have already caught up with them. The two girls ran away as fast as they could. As they reached a fork in the road, Hotaru told Mikan to take the other path and meet her back at the mansion. Mikan hesitated at first, because she didn't want to be separated, but another glare from Hotaru made her go.
End of Flashback
"Hotaru took the other path, even though she knew it would lead to a dead end," Tsubasa explained, brushing his hand through his unruly hair. "Those thugs caught up with Hotaru and brutally killed her. Hotaru made Mikan take the other path in order to save her. She sacrificed herself. Mikan found out about Hotaru's death the next day and blamed herself for what happened."
Natsume found himself gazing at the floor. Indeed the story was sad and he felt sorry for Hotaru Imai. "How did she get over it?" he asked with a hint of concern.
Tsubasa smiled. "I've managed to snap her out of depression," he said. "I had to deal with her tears everyday until she learned to smile again. It was all worth it."
Feeling a pang of envy, Natsume rose up from his seat. "That's all I have to know," he said. He turned to make his leave, but Tsubasa grabbed hold of his wrist. "Let go of me."
"When are you going to confess to her, Natsume?" Tsubasa asked with a knowing smile on his face. "I know you love her. If you're not going to make a move soon, Ruka-pyon or some other guy might snatch her away from you. Who knows? I might make her my girlfriend." Of course, he was only kidding about that part. He just wanted to see how Natsume would react.
Natsume narrowed his crimson eyes and abruptly pulled his hand away. "Don't you dare. I'll personally make your life a living hell if you do." He wasn't kidding about that. "I'm going. I don't want to waste any more time here with you." With that, he strode out of the living room.
"That brat is quite possessive," Tsubasa said, taking another biscuit. "But I'm sure he can make Mikan happy."
Stepping out of her limousine, Mikan bid goodbye to her driver. She was tired from work and she couldn't wait to flop down on her comfy bed. It was already 8:30 PM. She was sure that everyone at home already had dinner since she informed them earlier she'll be coming home late. As she went into the house, she was greeted by Aoi at the door.
She noticed something different about her. The younger Hyuuga had a unique shimmer in her crimson eyes. "Aoi-chan, did something happen?" she asked. "You look happy. Does it have something to do with school?"
"Aside from the fact I won't be bullied by Morisato-san and Sumeragi-san anymore, I'm happy because Onii-chan finally acted like a brother to me," Aoi said cheerfully, clasping her hands together, picturing Natsume's expression when he told her it was good to have a sister like her. "Onii-chan is the best!"
Mikan took Aoi's hands into hers and smiled. "That's great, Aoi-chan," she said. "I'm glad that jerk isn't such a jerk anymore." She giggled.
Natsume walked out of the kitchen just in time to hear Mikan. "Who are you calling a jerk, polka-dots?" he said in an unruly voice. "And why are you late? It's already past eight. We have curfew here if you must know."
Pouting cutely, she marched over to Natsume. "Stop acting like my father!" she exclaimed. "I'm only late because of my job. Oh, yeah, before I forget, stop calling me polka-dots. I'm not even wearing that pattern and it's not my name."
"Tch… You're making such a fuss over such small things," he said nonchalantly, and Mikan growled like an angry cat.
"Are you two arguing again?" Ruka said as he appeared. "I'm surprised you two never get tired of getting at each other's nerves. By the way, welcome home, Sakura. How was work?" He showed a charming smile—the one smile reserved only for Mikan.
Returning his smile, Mikan said, "It was great. I met a lot of new people today." She didn't realize she sparked jealousy within Natsume by smiling at Ruka. "I'm glad you asked. So, did you guys have dinner already? I had mine on the way home."
Ruka nodded his head. "But I wished we could've eaten your home cooked meal, Sakura," he said. "Your cooking is amazing. I'm sure you'll make a great wife someday, Sakura."
Flushing red, Mikan let out a light giggle as she scratched the back of her head. "I'm not sure about being a wife, but thanks…" she said. She then noticed Natsume turning his head away. "Hey, Natsume, what's the matter?" She only received a glare in return, which startled her a bit. And before she could say something to him, the guy spun around on his heels and walked away.
Aoi wrinkled her nose in confusion. "What's wrong with onii-chan?" she asked. "Do you know, Ru-chan?"
Sighing, Ruka slowly shook his head. "Natsume is such a complicated person. I sometimes don't know what goes through that head of his." Actually, Ruka knew the real reason for Natsume's sudden grumpy mood. "Don't worry about him."
END OF EPISODE 30
Himeno: We're going to have some intimate moments in the next chapter.
Aoi: Really? Tell me more, Himeno-chan.
Himeno: Well, since your brother knows about Mikan's childhood past, he's going out of his way to comfort her.
Aoi: How will he comfort her?
Himeno: I don't want to spoil the readers.
Aoi: Aww… But I want to know. I'm so excited.
Himeno: You'll just have to wait like everyone else.
Aoi: Hmm… Ah! How about Tsubasa-sama? Is he finally going to have the love of his life back?
Himeno: Sorry… I can't reveal that too.
Aoi: Oh well… I have to be patient.
Himeno: That's right. Patience is a virtue. So, my dear readers, I hope you'll wait until my next update. Please review. No flaming.