***Chapter 13***
***Rooftop***
***Normal POV***
As the shadow of a man moved closer to the light, Mikan's legs were trembling. She clutched the hem of her short skirt and nibbled on her bottom lip. She seems to do this mannerism every time she's nervous. The girl took one half-step back and almost leaned on the iron railing.
A few more seconds of movement from the person in front of her. He seems to be moving very slowly, as if enjoying the tension Mikan is certainly feeling.
A couple of moments later, the brunette finally had enough. Frustrated at the suspense, Mikan snapped. "Hey, you dimwit, can't you move any faster? If you can't, then what are those stupid feet for? Hurry up out of those shadows and show me your face, bastard sadist!" To emphasise her dissatisfaction, Mikan stomped her foot haughtily on the ground like a spoiled brat.
Wow. That was new. She doesn't let her usually slow burning temper flare up that hot and then get to her tongue most of the time. Even Mikan was taken aback. The mysterious guy didn't, though. He kept his cool, paused, and chuckled once more. At hearing his laugh, Mikan boiled once again and before she could stop herself, she lashed out on the 'innocent' person.
"Jackass, if you think I'll stand here like an idiot and make a fool of myself by being your personal one-man comedy bar and be laughed at by some sadistic butthead, think again."
-Insert pause here-(laughter in the background)
"Shut up and show your face, stupid!"
The words had barely escaped her mouth when Mikan clamped her palm over her lips to stop any more unnecessary and unwanted words. Her already wide eyes widened some more in surprise at what she had just been saying. Her own guffaws bubbled out of her system and she had to support her slim frame on her hands and knees, she was laughing too hard. Her knuckle pounded the cement while the other hand clutched her aching stomach. Her giggles which sounded like resounding wind chimes filled the air with its music. It was rather pleasing to hear, though you'll think you need to call the mental hospital or something.
A minute later, she wiped the tears from her eyes and sat on the bench. "Oh man, I can't believe I just said those profanities. Cursing is absolutely NOT my character." She shook her head making the curls bounce in every motion. A chuckle would escape her every now and then.
"Boy, Hyuuga got a weird girlfriend," a husky voice said.
Mikan's chortling stopped abruptly and she glared at the silhouette. "Natsume is not my boyfriend," she stated plainly but with suppressed anger.
"That's not what the rumours are spreading…" The sentence trailed away. Who knows what the continuation is? What could be behind that ellipse?
"If I said it once, I've said it twice. Natsume is NOT my boyfriend." The glower increased in intensity.
"If what you say is true, then the picture of you and Hyuuga sitting side by side means nothing?" The tone was blank and uncaring.
"WHAT? But she said that the one I have is the only copy!" Eyes wide once again, she slapped the wooden seat with her two hands.
"By 'she' I understand you meant the girl Imai, the blackmailer, the Ice Queen. The woman who makes money out of secretly taken pictures that humiliates handsome men."
"I think that's too harsh. I'm her best friend, ya know?" Mikan stuck her bottom lip out.
"Whatever," he brushed away the pitiful defence. "She hasn't uploaded it yet. I guess that means she doesn't plan to. She probably knows what'll happen to you once they'll learn about you and Hyuuga. Anyway, I haven't seen the picture online. I noticed the snapshot beside you. Are you blind or what?" He sneered.
Mikan's hand brushed the edge of the picture at the side and she picked it up. She stared at the photo in her hands. "Oh. This." Mikan looked up and narrowed her brown eyes to see his face in the shadows in vain. "What has the picture got to do with me? Listen, buster," pointing an accusing finger to the dark phantom in front of her, "I already told you, there is NOTHING going on between Natsume and me."
"Tell that to the fan girls." By the way he said it, it sounded like 'tell that to the judge'.
"Pfft. And what does that make you? A police officer? Have you come to arrest me?" She smirked and rested her head on her palm propped on her knee.
"You are talking nonsense. The sun must have baked your pea-sized brain. After all, it is high noon."
"Nah," she said and waved her hand as if to wave the offer aside, "don't worry about me. I'm a big girl. You must be tired after standing all the time while listening to my ranting. Sit down." She patted the spot next to her. "Come on. I won't bite." Mikan smiled sweetly.
"Baka, I'm not a cat. And I highly doubt that you'll fulfil your promise. From what I've seen, you can be capable of biting a person's head off if properly irritated." Mikan giggled at the statement. "Furthermore, Hyuuga will burn me to death if he learns I sat next to his girlfriend," he added like an afterthought nonchalantly.
The smile on Mikan's face faded and a frown creased her forehead. The brunette crossed her legs and arms then glared again. "Glare all you like, the glower can't kill," the boy teased. Mikan relaxed and grinned. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. If looks could kill, the entire world would be extinct, like the dinosaurs. Natsume has glared at me lots of times yet I'm still alive." She chortled.
"You sure have queer mood swings. Why do you decline from admitting that you love him, Sakura?"
"That's a sudden question." She looked shocked. Shadow guy thought that she wouldn't respond but he was proven wrong. Mikan had cupped her chin and stared at the horizon. Silence engulfed them for a few moments.
Mikan spoke to cover the blank space. "I myself am not so sure. I'm confused about him. He's a certified pervert. He likes to glare at people and keeps to himself. He stays away from crowds and sits in a corner. He's incredibly smart and quick witted. Much to my dismay, he uses that genius to tease and taunt me. But…" She sighed. "But I somehow think that he's lonely and needs company. He's cold and stoic outside but he's actually nice too. He wants the best for Ruka and his friends. He's all in all a weird guy." Mikan smiled a small smile.
"You don't know how much he's changed."
"Yes. I don't know how much. But I know he has."
"So why don't you say you love him? He's your boyfriend after all."
A nerve burst in Mikan's head. "Are you hard of hearing? I already said I'm not his girlfriend. And he's not my boyfriend. We're just partners. Just partners." She sighed again. "To add to that, there's somebody I'm destined for already."
That last statement caught his attention. "Who?" A soft sound in the ground announced the small movement he did with his feet as he shuffled them in curiosity.
"I'll never know." She shrugged. "I met him in front of the lake."
"Then you'll see him someday. You'll meet him here at the Academy. This school may be big, but you can meet everybody soon enough. You'll see his face even though you didn't get his name."
"Good advice." She frowned. "One problem."
"What?"
"I didn't get to see his face. Not even a sound of his voice. Not even a shape of his silhouette. Just like you."
"Oh."
"Hey, how can I be sure that you're not somebody I know? You could be Natsume, for all I care. Or maybe even Tsubasa-senpai. Why are you here at the rooftop, anyway?" Mikan raised an eyebrow.
"I was minding my own business when you came here and suddenly shouted out of the blue. Of course I'm not Hyuuga. What makes you think that? And how could I be a high school student? They're having class this instant. This is the Middle School Building we're standing on. What an idiot."
"Shut up. If you're not somebody I know why don't you show your face to me then? Or are you too ashamed for me to see?"
"The day I'll be ashamed of my face will be the day the earth stood still. I don't hide my face because I'm ashamed. When Hyuuga learns that I messed with his girlfriend, I'm toast. And if he never even knows, you and I will see each other sooner or later, right? When that happens and you know who I am, won't that cause discomfort to you? That situation would be uncomfortable, even for me."
"You have a point." She replayed the paragraph in her brain. "Hey! I already told you, I'M NOT NATSUME'S GIRLFRIEND!" She screeched. The birds flew away in surprise. She stood up and slammed her hand on the piping-hot iron railing. "Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Hot. Hot. Hot." She jumped on the spot and waved her hand in the air in an attempt to cool the now-burnt palm. "My hand is COOKED." She whined and jumped some more.
"I stand by my belief. You are an idiot." He laughed.
"As I said, you are a sadistic bastard. Can't you even feel pity when somebody is hurt?" She pouted. One eye was closed in a wink, suppressing the pain.
"I won't feel any guilt at all. That's because I know that it wasn't my fault and you caused your pain to yourself. Hahaha." The heartless dummy smirked. Mikan groaned and slumped to her knees. It was starting to hurt real badly. The burnt part was getting kind of red.
"Idiot. Get to the infirmary. You need to have that hand treated. It could get infected. Hurry up!" He ordered. Dang, she was hurting. What should he do? Carry her? But she'll see his face. Poor guy. No, poor her. If he doesn't stop debating with himself soon, she'll faint and the burn will be infected.
Mikan couldn't hear his mental fight with himself. She tried to stand up while clutching the one hand that was nearing crimson with the fine palm. She wasn't used to pain this intense. Dark spots were appearing in front of her. Her weak knees gave way to the pain and she fell. She closed her orbs shut tightly as she waited for the bash of her skin against the rough cement. She waited for what she felt was an eternity but the crash that she expected never came. She realized that she hadn't even touched the ground. Mikan surmised that she was in the hands of the shadow guy. Eyes half-closed, she peeked at her saviour. The adrenaline from earlier ebbed away and the pain rushed in. As she remembered her predicament, hurt came back, harder and more powerful than earlier. The last thing she saw was scarlet then everything went black.
***…***
Her eyes fluttered open. She scanned the area and drew a blank. She seemed to be lying on an uncomfortable mattress with a rough white sheet. Everything was white. The walls, the pillow on her head, the covering of the chairs, the colour of the plastic table, the dress of the nurse who was blinking her lashes rather rapidly and had a kind of pink hue on her pale cheeks.
The nurse turned her eyes to her patient and saw that she was awake. "Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?" She seemed kind of flustered. Did she have a fever? She shouldn't be working under these circumstances if she did. Mikan raised the hand that was nearest to the nurse and tried to feel her forehead. "Are you sick? You look kind of red. You should take the day off and rest if you have a fever." The voice that came out didn't seem like hers. It was raspy and tired.
"Don't worry, miss. I'm fine. The person who admitted you here was too handsome for his own good." She smiled. Mikan sweat dropped. How old was this woman? Twenty something? She's too old to fantasize about guys who are years younger than her.
"Admitted? I'm at the hospital?" The hoarse voice was getting better. It was less painful. Why'd she even have a hoarse voice? She only got a burn on her hand. She stared at her left hand. Then at her right. She did have a burn, right? But… She blinked twice. There's neither sign nor mark of her even having a blemish on her smooth porcelain hand.
"I'm sure I was burned a while ago… Then the guy in the shadows must have been a dream. But the pain I felt sure didn't seem to be just in my head…" She muttered to herself.
"No, the dream was real. You collapsed at the rooftop when you burned your hand and a very gentlemanly boy took you here to the infirmary. He told me not to mind who he was, but to attend to the inflammation in your hand immediately. The doctor wasn't in." The nurse sighed. "It's a good thing Imai-sama was here to help. He used his Alice and healed your hand." Sickly sweet nurse flashed a smile.
"Imai-sama?" Mikan was puzzled. The only Imai she knew was Hotaru and she isn't the type who heals.
"Yes, Imai Subaru-sama. He has the Healing Alice. If you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving now. There are some patients in the next room who need me. See you later, Miss Sakura." She left and closed the door behind her.
Mikan looked at her watch. 2 pm. She's been out for two whole hours. Hotaru will kill her for sure. Right, Hotaru. She has the same surname as Imai-sama. Are they related? Probably not. Hotaru hasn't told her about any siblings inside the Academy. It must be just a coincidence.
Coincidence… That guy at the rooftop sure wasn't coincidence. It was like he was there for a purpose. He's so weird, like the person across the lake. Mikan must have bad luck with guys related to her love life. Ugh. Love life. The shadow guy said something about rumours spreading… That Mikan was Natsume's- It could be better not to say the word.
Natsume. Mikan has to get a hold of herself and face her feelings for him soon. If not… She won't be able to bear to look through those tantalizing scarlet eyes ever again.
Wait a minute… Scarlet eyes? The last thing Mikan saw there at the rooftop before passing out was scarlet. Could the shadow guy be Natsume? Could Natsume be the one who talked to her sensibly? Who laughed at her? Who worried about her and took her to the infirmary?
No. Natsume couldn't have done that. He couldn't have been at the rooftop with her. He was sleeping with a manga on his face. He was left at the classroom. It couldn't have been him. Couldn't it? She'll have to ask him soon.
Mikan heard a knock. "Come in—" She started to say, but the door opened without waiting for her reply. Amethyst pools greeted her chocolate eyes. "It's you, Hotaru…"
The lavender eyes became puzzled. "Hotaru?" It was a masculine voice. Mikan looked away from the vivid orbs and took a whole-body glance at the person who just entered.
He was tall, about as tall as Tono. He had glossy raven hair that topped his perfect face. Sharp violet eyes peered behind rimless glasses. He was wearing the high school uniform and he looked around the age to graduate. He must be a senior of the high school section.
"Are you Subaru Imai-sama?" Realization dawned on her. This could be no other than the person whom she was indebted to. Her eyes became wide. She bowed her head and thanked him. "Imai-sama, I cannot express my gratitude enough for curing me. Thank you very much."
"Raise your head and sit straight. There is no problem. It is my duty as a Healing Alice carrier to heal people. If I don't, what is my Alice for?" He said this without much emotion. He kind of reminds her of Hotaru. Kind of makes sense if they really are siblings.
"Right," Mikan said in response with a smile. "What brings you here, Imai-sama?" Her smile is enough to make any rock hard dummy melt like butter. It was too innocent and pure.
Subaru pushed his spectacles in place and covered his face with his raven bangs. "'Sama' might be too much. Call me senpai. I have visited you here to tell you that you may go back to your room when the bell rings if you wish. Since you are awake and fully healed, I see no reason to make you stay any longer than you need to."
"Alright, then. I'll keep that in mind, Imai-senpai." Another grin.
"If you need anything else, feel free to holler for the nurse." He inclined his head in salutation and headed for the door.
He would have left if there was nobody blocking the door. Subaru stared at his female counterpart who was glaring daggers at him. The middle school girl stood in the doorway, blocking his exit. She was backed by their other friends who were peeping curiously over the girl's shoulders.
Subaru made another shallow bow with his head. "Sister." Hotaru merely blinked. "Brother." You could feel the Antarctic air in the atmosphere. Static could be heard in the deafening silence. Mikan sweat dropped. They really were brother and sister. They matched in every way…
"I'll take my leave now. If you all will excuse me…" Subaru's amethyst eyes were cold steel. The gang made a pathway for him and stepped back. Except for Hotaru. She kept her ground and stared at the man who was a foot taller than her. "I see you will be employed here as the Academy doctor after you graduate."
"Yes. Kindly move aside. I have already spoken to your friend. She may come with you if she wishes. She needs not stay in the infirmary longer than needed." Spoken like Hotaru's brother. Sigh. So straightforward and strict. His voice unwavering, he spoke directly to his little sister's face. Why don't they talk simply, like everyone else?
Hotaru nodded once and shifted her torso a little to indicate that she was making way for him. He took this and swiftly walked down the hallway. He disappeared quickly.
Everyone present looked at his retreating back. When his shadow became nothing but a dot, Mikan spoke. "Uh, so… What brings you people here? I was just about to return to class when Imai-senpai showed up and—"
BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!
"Why must it be that every time you land here in the infirmary it has to be because you met some random guy who hid in the shadows? Can you be any more idiotic Mikan? Cause you have reached rock bottom." Black flames were erupting behind Hotaru who was dangerously cold.
"Uhmmm… I guess it was my fault. I was walking without thinking and I landed on the rooftop. I thought nobody was there so I decided to hang around for a while but a boy came from the shadows and spoke to me. I got mad at something he said and slammed my hand on the iron railings and got burned. The last thing I remember was being carried swiftly by him."
"Really? A boy?" Sumire's face came out of the blue and suddenly appeared in front of Mikan's shocked face. Typical of Sumire to become excited when a boy comes into the question. "Then? Then? Did you see his face? Was he handsome? Did he look really cool? Do we know him? Did you get his number? Did he ask for yours? Did he try to do anything to you? Well? Well? Well?"
"Uhmmm… Sorry, I didn't see his face. I blacked out when he jumped out of the darkness. The shade was too dark for me to see. He also said I shouldn't see him or else… Uhmmm… Or else he'll be uncomfortable if ever we see each other in the campus by mistake."
"But surely you caught his name?" Sumire was starting to feel disappointed with this girl. Anna and Nonoko giggled behind the green-haired girl. "Forgive me, but no. For the same reasons." Sumire looked crestfallen. Mikan became alarmed and hastily tried to console her. "B-but he knew me and seemed to be a middle school student. H-he said he couldn't be from the High School section because they were having classes that instant."
Sumire perked up a little bit after hearing Mikan with her flimsy consolation. "Then that means there's a chance that you'll see this guy! Isn't that right, Natsume-kun?" She turned to Natsume who was standing in the back of the pack. The gang turned around to witness his reaction.
Natsume shrugged and covered his eyes with his bangs. Why were they staring at him like the idiots they are? Koko poked his back and Natsume glared at him. "I think that's too harsh, Natsume. You shouldn't think about your friends like that," the mind reader whispered. I don't fucking care. Koko flinched. Natsume's cursing again. The flame caster just smirked.
"Natsume? What are you smirking for? Is something funny?" Mikan asked. The boy moved his eyes to where she lay. "It's nothing. I like to make people suffer." The smirk widened. Mikan snorted. "Bastard sadist. Don't you tire of cursing in your mind? Won't you feel any pity on Koko?"
"I don't think so. I won't feel any guilt. He read my mind and that's his fee." A crooked smile adorned his angelic face. "Fee? Is your perverted brain a toll gate at the freeway? Or could it be at the bus terminal? Probably at the dock area. How much do you earn?"
Everybody in the room sweat dropped. Mikan was getting more and more pathetic each second.
"I stand by my belief. You are an idiot."
Mikan froze for a second. Was this déjà vu? Where had she heard that before? People are starting to use same statements nowadays. Could this be the third time she heard that? Odd… It's not a small world, perverts these days are just using words from the same dictionaries. Then that means the shadow guy was a pervert as is Natsume.
"Mikan-chan?" asked Yuu. "Is anything wrong? You suddenly looked pale." His face was worried. Koko was puzzled. What was going through her minds was hard to understand. It was all jumbled up and difficult to read. Sumire poked Koko at the small of his back and whispered, "Deactivate." Koko nodded and followed her advice. He sighed in content. Meanwhile, Anna and Nonoko were staring at Natsume. Hotaru was glaring at him.
The raven boy was horror-struck. His crimson eyes met mad amethyst. Her lavender orbs widened with the accusation she was dying to set loose. Natsume blinked. Hotaru took this as a confirmation. She glowered one more time as if reprimanding him then looked at Mikan.
"Dummy, it's so unfortunate my brother cannot heal head cases. Yours is too extreme of an idiotic problem."
Mikan woke from her daze and glanced at her best friend. Her features scrunched up a bit for a split second but turned into a smile immediately. The quick frown would be too fast for the untrained eye, but Natsume and Hotaru noticed almost at the same time. She was suspicious. Could she have known?
"I know. Mine is incurable." The smile brightened. It was too bright. "Sorry for making you worry. It's fine, really. I just remembered something from a while ago and it was uncannily eerie." She stuck out her tongue and wrinkled her nose in mock disgust that vanished with a smile. "That reminds me, won't there be a get-together later? Why are we all still here? Let's go!" She jumped out of her bed and stood with her hands behind her back.
"Well, what are we standing here for?" said Sumire. "Preparations are ready. The room is set and the robots are waiting. All that is wanting are the participants!" She took Koko's arm and walked out of the room. Anna, Nonoko, Kitsu, Mochu and Yuu shrugged and followed them.
"Mikan-chan? Hotaru-san? Natsume-san? Ruka-san? Are you coming?" Yuu popped his head back inside the room. Mikan clapped her hands together. "Yes! We're coming!" Then she skipped after them. She was halfway through the door when she turned around and raised an eyebrow t her 3 companions in silent question. Hotaru met her eyes and pointed to Ruka. Mikan nodded and hauled the animal lover out the door. Ruka looked one last time at Natsume then sighed and allowed himself to be lugged by the nullifier.
"Come on, Ruka-pyon! The food's waiting! I bet Usagi's hungry, too!" Her high-pitched voice faded away in the distance. When they were out of earshot, Hotaru glowered at Natsume.
"Tell me, Hyuuga, for my piece of mind, what she meant by suddenly becoming stiff as a board then lying to us with a smile."
"Yeah. She's getting better at lying, don't you think?" he said with the air of someone complimenting the weather.
"Don't change the subject. Why did she turn pale like that?"
"She probably remembered something, like she said she did. She didn't lie about that part."
"But she wasn't telling the truth when she said nothing was wrong. Something is definitely not right. She isn't the type of person to fall silent all of a sudden like that. I have known her for years and this is the first time I've seen her like that."
"'Known her for years'? Didn't you just meet on her first day here?"
"No. We knew each other from way back. Before I came here. But that is not important. This is not what is needed to be discussed right now. I'm only going to ask this one more time so get it straight. What happened, Hyuuga?" She folded her arms and stared into his crimson eyes. Unlike Mikan, she didn't become lost in them. She knew how to deal with him and he knew that. Natsume sighed and leaned on the wall behind him. The room is not all that big so there were only a few feet of distance between them.
"She must have heard my remark from someone else. She was shocked because she thought that it was too weird to be coincidence so she became suspicious. She probably thought that I was the guy whom she heard that statement from. She could be right. That wasn't the first time I said that to her. I'm not sure how many times I've said that to her, though."
"Oh really. Is that all?"
"Yes. Now, I want you to answer my questions. What did you mean by you 'knew each other from way back'? Does that mean that you had known about her but she hadn't recognized you?"
"…"
"It must have hurt, eh?"
"The hell you care."
"I don't find you as the type of person who gets hurt when you have a way to avoid it. You could have just introduced yourself, could you not? She could have recognized you if you did things which would make her remember you."
…
"Then that means you hurt her before. Then, you would have tried to do penance and inflicted the pain to yourself. What a martyr."
"I did nothing of the sort to become a martyr. I left her. She found me now. I cannot tell her my real connection with her if there is a chance that she would hate me and leave me again."
"So that means you are afraid?"
"Afraid? I am not a coward, Hyuuga."
"Probably. Tell her that. She'll understand. You said you knew her. But that was 10 years ago. She could have changed."
"I caused her nightmares."
"Give her dreams today."
"I made her cry."
"Guess what, so did I."
"I didn't contact her all throughout the time I spent here inside the Academy."
"Talk to her now. Today. Tomorrow."
"I kept secrets."
"So did I."
"Correction, Hyuuga. So do you. Present participle. Ongoing. You haven't told her yet. It's been, what? Two weeks? And then, there is that encounter to—"
The door burst open and in came Mikan. She was pissed. "You said you were coming and yet you're 10 minutes late! The party's already started and the everybody's already there. The only ones wanting are the two of you and me so let's go!" She took a hand from each raven haired friend and hauled them out the room like what she did to Ruka earlier. The two couldn't do anything but whip their hands out of her grasp and walk quietly behind the brunette.
Natsume couldn't help but his inwardly. He was kind of grateful that Mikan cut through his and Hotaru's conversation. Who knows where that talk could have ended if Mikan hadn't come stomping in?
They exited the building and entered the dorms. After riding the elevator, they arrived at the right floor. When they passed the narrow hallway, Mikan put her hand on the door knob of Hotaru's room and opened the door.
The party is starting.
***Author's Corner***
Yo! I'm still alive, people! Sorry once again for that last pathetic chapter. I'm feeling down in the dumps right now. Plus I haven't updated in a while, so sorry again.
I have tried a little bit harder for this new one, so please bear with me.
Anyway… 'Rooftop' introduces Mikan and Hotaru's childhood. If you really read my story, you can remember the nightmare Mikan had in a past chapter. There was a part where Mikan's parents were previewed and the part where a raven-haired friend walked away and rode a black car. Now, you can probably guess who the raven-haired friend is. I don't think that would be such a mystery.
I had actually planned something else for this chapter. But another plot popped out of nowhere and totally messed with my hands. Then… The part where Hotaru slipped her connection with Mikan was instant, too. I hadn't planned for that, actually. Also with the intro of Subaru. Hehehe
Like I said, the plot of this chapter is completely different. I had a problem with the original plot and the running of time so 'Rooftop' turned to this. It wasn't even supposed to be titled that, but I couldn't think of anything else. The chapter didn't even happen mostly in the rooftop. What the heck was I thinking? I must be infected with Mikan's contagious idiocy. Sigh.
Stay tuned for the next chapter. I'm sure it'll be posted soon. Please have faith in me and stay there. I don't even mind if you leave a review. Thanks!