A/N: READ, REVIEW AND ENJOY! Disclaimer is in my profile. Thanks for the votes readers. Enjoy the super long chapter. Err, truth be told, I copy-pasted chapter 18 to 20 in one document. –sweat drop- Anyway, OOC ALERT—!
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MY FOE IS MY FIANCÉ?!
Chapter 18 Back to square one
Written by Sarah Patrick
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Natsume's POV
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It has been a whole one week since we arrived back to Gakuen Alice and I never had a chance to talk to Mikan at all. I have no idea what I did to her that she constantly kept avoiding me.
"Natsu-e," I heard my brother whispered beside me. I merely nodded my head in reply, waiting for him to talk but he didn't say a word. I presumed that he had decided to keep everything in mind again.
I was glad to know that Natsumi got both posts, although to my very surprise they were only temporary, as both Clan Master and Alice Master. He didn't order Mikan around or scolded her like that damn Takashi did. Mikan was living a normal life like all of us. I asked my brother if Mikan was still my fiancée but to my chagrin, he said that he was not allowed to tell me the true relationship between me and Mikan under our dad's order.
Natsumi had changed a lot since the last term of high school started. He now had a lot of Alices after he got my permission if he could duplicate Element type of Alices around the school, but the only Alice he didn't bother to copy was mine, the Fire Alice. I tried to ask him, but all I got for a reply was only a smile and a soft 'no thank you'. I don't want to ask more though, afraid that I might push him too much or something…
Although he was more friendly and out-going than I was, he started to give some cold glare to his, I mean, our stupid deranged fan girls.
To his annoyance, which was to his happiness at first when Natsume & Ruka Fan Club has changed its name to Natsume & Ruka & Natsumi Fan Club, the club has changed its name again to Natsume & Ruka & Mimi-kun Fan Club and now always came bugging him the most amongst three of us, asking constantly if they too could call him with that 'cute' nickname.
I could only bit my lips from laughing out loud every time I think about it. It was entirely Mikan's fault for calling him 'Mimi-kun' in public, causing many heads turned to know that that 'cute' nickname belonged to him.
I sighed in exasperation when I muttered Mikan's name under my breath again.
If I knew what sin I had committed to make her to not talk to me at all now, I would want to apologize to her in an instant. I tried to approach her, to ask her, what I did to make her act that way, but I wasn't given the chance to look at her too if she didn't stop using the invisibility Alice on herself and vanished into thin air.
I balled my fists in frustration and clenched my jaw. I closed my eyes to withstand the pain for not meeting her for so long.
"Mikan Sakura," Jinno-sensei, our Mathematics teacher called in his oh-so strict voice. My eyes flickered open in an instant.
We were all in the classroom, Class D of High School Section at the west wing building in this prestigious enormous Gakuen Alice. The sun rose so high, its sunlight and heat was flooding into the whitewashed classroom. The tall white framed window was opened wide to allow summer breeze to pry in and cool the sweats that trickled down our necks, except mine. Heat doesn't affect me at all since I have the Fire Alice. And oh, Mathematics was our last subject for the day.
"Yes sensei," sang the brunette with that honeyed voice which I liked. I can't help but to look across the room and stared at Mikan who sat beside that Imai. We, Alice Masters, always take the last row of seats for some funny reason we were not sure of. Maybe if we broke some rules, no one would take any notice except for the teachers who would gladly pretend that nothing happened.
"Come to the board and answer the question," instructed the teacher. I got panicked, though my face remained stoic as usual. I just realized that I didn't teach Mikan Mathematics during the summer holidays, the teacher warned me if I didn't successfully make her to master even for one topic…
I swore that Jinno-sensei shot me a knowing look as Mikan took the white chalk in her hand.
I gulped in difficulty. Jinno-sensei has a letter approved by the vicious school principal whom we worked under with, to humiliate me in public, though I have no idea what the teacher would do.
Not affected by the baking heat of the sun, a sweat made its way down to my chin out of uneasiness. I read the question mentally and if I was there to answer the question, I could just write down the answer without writing the equation out. It was that easy. The topic we were studying on now was Matrices.
Mikan wrote down the equations and end it with a correct answer surprisingly. Jinno-sensei gave her a nod sternly as she bounced her way to her seat with a smile directed to my brother. I then knew that Natsumi has been giving her lessons on Maths. I felt an emotion washed over me… though I hated to know that it was present in my chest… again.
Jealousy.
I kept a critical note in mind that Natsumi was my brother and not someone who would want to steal Mikan away from me.
But the twisted smile and the wink he gave to her blew that trust away almost immediately. I narrowed my eyes as I stared at him at the corner of my eyes.
'Did my brother just flirt with her?'
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End of POV
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The almost seventeen year old raven haired boy sat under the Sakura Tree. The pink petals showered over him with a gush of soothing gentle breeze brushing against his pale skin. He had his back against the tree and his head stared up with his crimson eyes shut tight. Only a few rivulets of sunlight managed to pass through the bushy petals and landed straight on his face.
Natsume was troubled, by both fact that Mikan was no longer talking to him and the fact that his brother did nothing to do about this. He always realized that Natsumi was flirting with her, even if he was there when he did that. To make things worst, he saw that Mikan and Natsumi were always together, going to Central Town and all. But then, he told himself that he was just being paranoid.
Natsume sighed in chagrin, just remembered that he was no longer her partner. So, he gave that a reason why he always found them together most of the time.
To his annoyance, he couldn't help to shrug the feeling off his chest whenever he saw the two of them together. He felt as though he had recklessly intruded into their private moments or so. The thought of it pissed him off.
"Mi-mi-kun," giggled a familiar honeyed voice which he adored so much as she said those in syllable. Natsume head darted to the voice, belonged to Sakura Mikan who was walking in such little distant with his brother as they passed by the tree he was sitting under.
"Yes, Mikan-chan?" smiled his brother handsomely. Natsume bit his lips in irritation as he eyed them in attentive. He watched her hopped in front of Natsumi, causing him to stop on his track and watched the girl in amused. Mikan laid a finger on her chin.
"Umm, Mimi-kun, what do you want to get for your birthday?" she asked him with a smile. Natsumi could only chuckle and glanced down to his feet. He was worried, he knew he could never be able to get what he really wanted, because…
"Err, anything would be fine, Mikan-chan, but you don't have to get me anything though. I'm fine with you to be able to attend the party…and…," he gave her a smirk as she stared at him in interest, waiting for him to continue but he just walked toward the tree near by and leaned against the tree. He threw his gaze over the bright blue sky, painted above him.
"…and what? Natsumi-kun! You have to tell me!" she cried and stood in front of him. "Pretty please…" she pouted and gave him an adorable pleading look. Natsumi choked on his saliva as a blush crept on his face.
"Nah… it's okay. I think it is too much for me to ask you more than that actually," he stated with a chuckle.
"Hmm…" Mikan sighed as she narrowed her eyes and stared at the lad. She shrugged and went to the other side of the tree and sat down.
Natsume could only huff in frustration as he witnessed all that. As the day passed by, he couldn't help to acknowledge that their 'private moments' were getting too passionate and too private. He felt more like a stalker than a happened-to-be bystander by the minute.
"Master Natsumi," Mikan piped up in an almost whisper. Natsumi hummed in reply. He knew if Mikan started to address him with that, it would be something really serious to talk about. "You do aware… that when I am tied with a new Master, my Alices could work on you and by you, whether if you are aware of it or not, don't you?"
Natsumi's forehead creased in befuddlement. "Yes, I do know it. Why do you ask?"
There was only silence that came strolling in, before Mikan burst into a fit of giggle. Natsumi's face turned bright red.
"I heard you, in your head," she laughed as she crawled beside him and sat there. She then laid her dazzling butterscotch eyes at him and said, "Of course I would, Mimi-kun… demo…," Mikan bit her lips as she hesitated for awhile.
"On the first thought of yours… I'm not sure if I do look at you in that way," she said in a hushed tone after that.
Natsumi lips thinned in frustration. He cleared his throat.
"Well, at least you agreed to dance with me during the party… that would be a great present. Thank you," he said gladly, though it was slightly tinged with pain.
Natsume went curious. He couldn't catch up with the conversation all of the sudden, especially when Mikan mentioned 'the first thought of Natsumi's', he began to wonder what it might have been till Mikan had to reject his wish.
"Anyway," began Natsumi as he took two steps forward and turned on his heel to face her. He gave her a wide smile. "I know I shouldn't say this to you, especially that you are going to be my sister-in-law…but," his voice trailed and he faced his back to her again. "I love you Mikan," he said in a hushed voice and walked away, leaving the guilty Mikan alone and the baffled Natsume behind.
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Mikan could only massage her aching forehead. She couldn't believe that Natsumi would actually say those out loud.
'I would want you for my birthday,' Mikan dug her head in between her knees and puffed in frustration. Natsumi's voice was echoing in her head. That was his first and actual wish for his birthday present. All she wanted to do was to run away and not to get involve with any of the Hyuuga family anymore. But no matter what she did, everything would evolve around her and them.
Natsume stood up right and threw his gaze over the girl who was under the other Sakura Tree where she was sulking. The wind blew hard once a while, rained with petals and sweet scent of the Sakura flower was in the air. He quietly gathered his pace toward the girl in silent, hoping that she wouldn't notice him coming toward her.
He knelt behind her and embraced her. He dug his head into the side of her neck. Mikan gasped in surprised.
"I missed you, Mikan," he mumbled softly. She froze on her ground, before anger took over her whole.
"Let go off me, Hyuuga," she screamed in disgust and threw his arms away from her. Natsume stared at her wide-eyed, disbelief panged on his chest as he fell backwards.
"W-W-What did you call me?" was his bewildered response. Mikan stared at him with her eyes narrowed and her lips thinned. A frown reached her lips.
"I called you Hyuuga, Hyuuga," she snapped at him, jumped on her feet and stormed away. Natsume went speechless. He too sprang on his feet and took hold of her wrist, turning her to face him.
"What did I do to you--" he began to ask but she cut him off at once with a frown and a roll on her eyes in loath, "Oh please, stop with your acting. You win, again as usual Hyuuga. You've finally proved that I am and always be the stupidest person on Earth. Congratulation,"
His eyebrows furrowed. He couldn't understand, even a draft, on what she was talking about.
"I… seriously don't get you and I'm not acting, Mikan," he admitted as he said each word carefully.
"Oh shut up," she spat at him and gave a hard push on his chest. "I hate you," and she vanished into thin air before his very eyes.
Then, it hit him.
The fact that why Mikan was acting this way toward him.
The tone and those three heart-wrenching words gave it all.
He heard those too often and got to familiar with them before, for fourteen years. He shook his head in chagrin and let a low deep sigh escaped his lips.
Only this time, when she said them, it broke his heart. To know that Mikan thought that he was faking his real feelings toward her, to know that she now hated him with all her life… it saddened him entirely.
He couldn't understand why his life would be so cursed like that.
Why wouldn't she believe him that he was sincerely and truly in love with her?
She was his heart, his life, his everything.
Too lose her was too much for him.
The pain he felt was too naked to bare.
He was on his knees, with his hands over his face, praying to the god in the heaven high above, to wake him up from this terrible nightmare but only one word he could whisper into the wind to carry his sorrow within.
"Mikan…"
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Natsume's POV
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I knew, since that day, it was hard for me to approach her. I was in love with her, so much, that if she said that she wanted me to let her go, I would do it, for the sake of her happiness. I knew that would hurt me, but for her, I'll do anything.
But I don't want to let her go now, not in this way, when she registered me in mind as a 'jerk' like I had always been before. I knew I changed, but she mistook my changes as a way to seek my so-call vengeance we had when we were younger.
"Tch," I sighed in frustration as I leaned against the wall behind the school building. I could see my favorite Sakura Tree in a distant but my feet felt too heavy to go there since it would remind me a lot about what had happened that day.
I closed my eyes in chagrin, pinched the bridge of my nose and slowly crouch down.
I have no idea on how to confront her since she now hated to meet me. Should I send the messages into the wind, or print them into words with the Sakura petals or…
"Say it quick. You have one minute. I can't stand it to hear your voice in my head all the time," snapped a voice. I straightened up and saw the gorgeous brunette was standing a couple of meter away from me. Her arms were folded on her chest.
"I thought I am not your Master, how come you could hear me?" I asked out of curiosity. She rolled her eyes on me and said, "Your brother is the person whom I have to currently serve, but you are the only person whom I have to obey and get connected to for my entire life until the curses are lifted," Her tone was in loath. The fact seemed bitter to her. And the fact that we had to get married would be the only way to break those curses, disgust her to hell. "But of course now, since you are under penalty, I can't obey you," I bit my lips and hesitated.
"Time is ticking, Hyuuga," she added impatiently, tapping her shoe.
I had so many things to say to her. That would take me a hundred years to finish telling her what were in my heart and mind, but I don't know how to tell all those in just less than a minute. I tried to speak up, but words merely stuck in my throat. Maybe the fact that she just called me with my family name had paralyzed me in dismay. Maybe the way she stared at me in hatred with those beautiful butterscotch eyes crestfallen me. Maybe the fact that she doesn't love me anymore… made my life felt so miserable, till I felt like a pathetic loser.
"Mikan…" I began. I saw her fidgeting slightly. She might have still felt awkward when I addressed her so. "I…--"
"That's enough. Your time is up," her voice was shaking as she piped up. I darted to look at her, staring at her to give me more time but she avoided my eyes and said in a hushed voice, "Please leave me alone,"
She turned on her heels and started to walk away. Fear began to terrorizing me, the fear of losing her. Before I knew it, I threw my arms around her with her back facing me. I laid my head on her shoulder, breathing onto her neck.
"Please," I pleaded in silent. "I don't know what I've done to you, but I love you Mikan. I really do love you," I felt her stiffened in my arm. "I can't let you go without you knowing that I am," My throat felt dry. "And I can't effort losing you too,"
There was only silence after that. I tightened my grip around her waist as I laid my lips on her neck.
"After the marriage, I want a divorce." I stopped breathing at once as I drank in those bitter words. I slowly let go off her and faced my back on hers as I stuffed my fists into my brown checkered pants.
"Okay then," I answered her in a bare whisper. She began to walk away when I took her wrist again. "Before you go…," I began as I stared into her eyes for the last time, "I just want you to know that I'll never bother you again. Sorry for everything," I activated my Wind Alice and with a jump, I flew high and reached the four storey building's roof and I jumped to roof to another and into the Northern Forest.
Sorry for everything…
I reached to the large lake. The surface of the water was so calm. The crickets were singing. The wind blew gently. But none of that green serene scenery reached into my raging heart. I activated my Water Alice at once and with a wave on my hand, the water from the lake shot upwards and fell back with a large splash. The ground was shaking because of my Earth Alice, and a couple of trees caught fire from my Fire Alice. I threw my rage out of my chest, hoping that I would feel better…
…but I didn't.
Sadly, I didn't.
But I did felt stupid for destroying some of the trees.
I dove into the lake, and I sank. I didn't intent to activate my Water Alice as I went deeper into the deep lake, a large air capsule formed to prevent me from drowning. Everything was in dark blue shades and mossy green. It was beautiful. I began to wonder if mermaids do exist.
I felt tired, my eyes felt heavy. The clouded feeling in my chest felt as though like a weight that pulled me down into the lake. I laid my head on my hands and closed my eyes. A short nap wouldn't do any harm, wouldn't it?
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End of POV
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Unconsciously, Hyuuga Natsume deactivated the Water Alice as he fell asleep. The air capsule, which was his only source of breathing already, began to shrink.
But death wouldn't feel so bad either, wouldn't it?
The stones of the seven Alice Masters began to glow and dimmed continuously. It was a signal that one of them was at the brink of death, breaking the bond of the Alice Flame. If one died without an heir, the world wouldn't be as quiet and peaceful as it was now.
At a corner of a world, in the darkest and the deepest dungeon, where foul smell lingered in the air, a creature, so deadly, awoke from its deep slumber. The spell of the Alice Flame was slipping away. With a shake on its body, it opened its eyes that glowed red in the sea of darkness.
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To Be Continued
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A/N: Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy reading this. Sorry if there are any errors here, I don't have the time to check them. Hope you enjoy this. Review much appriciated. Next chapter would be even longer, the ending is coming too.
--Sarah Patrick