I Like You, Natsume-oniisan
Chapter 12: The Legends of Runo
"It's all your fault, idiot!"
"Hey Imai-san, do you have dementia? You are the one who suggested it!"
"Oh yeah? Who is the one who failed big time while playing with the slot machines?"
"Who is the one who wanted me to have fun in there?"
"Mikan and your pride."
Mikan turned around and glared at Hotaru who was smirking at the flustered Ruka.
"Since when I am part of your argument?" Mikan shrieked and threw her duster at Hotaru.
Ruka agreed and added on, "And since when my pride comes into our conversation?"
Hotaru sniffed while feigning cry, "You two are really a couple. For Mikan, even an idiot is willing give up his pride and listen to her. I'm so happy... Not! I will never give Mikan to the likes of a moron!"
Hotaru picked up the duster and aimed at Ruka's face. Upon seeing the duster flying towards him, he dodged the attack but the duster accidentally smashed onto Anna's face instead. Anna let out a yelp and fell onto the ground.
"My face! My beloved face!" Anna screamed and cupped her blackened face in horror. "My foundation and make up! They are ruined!"
"Say sorry to her, idiot!" Hotaru demanded.
Ruka stared at the girls in disbelief and said loudly, "Alright, I'm very sorry! Wait... Imai-san! You should be saying that too! You threw that thing onto her face!"
"But I did not mean to hit her. It was you whom I wanted to hit."
Nonoko helped Anna up and grumbled, "Geez! It's all of our fault. Stop blaming one another already! If all of us hadn't entered into the casino, we would be safe."
Mikan nodded guility while Ruka and Hotaru looked down on the dusty floor of a storeroom. The whole room remained its silence until Mikan accidentally sneezed. The room was very dusty and when she sneezed, a small cloud of dust flew up in the air, choking herself further.
"I think we should better clean this room up before Natsume-sensei returns," Nonoko quickly suggested as she picked up that poor duster.
The reason why they had to clean up this dark and dusty storeroom was actually like this: Anna and Nonoko were playing with the slot machines until they were bored with the game. As they were walking back to where Ruka and Hotaru were sitting, they noticed someone was loitering around the garden outside the casino. Afraid to be caught for slacking off, the two friends decided to put on a show that their group members were indeed working. As soon as they stepped outside of the casino, they ran to a bush and began picking up the leaves. That someone who was actually Natsume walked over to them and asked where the others were. The girls lied to him that they were probably sweeping the other side of the garden behind the casino. Natsume frowned and told them not to lie to him because he knew exactly where the five of them were earlier. The reason he knew this was because he had heard complains from the other groups that they entered into the casino. He scolded them for lying until they cried and told them to wait with him for Mikan, Ruka and Hotaru to come out of the mini-casino. After a few minutes had passed, the three came out and was immediately scolded and punished. For their new punishment, they had to clean up the storeroom near the gymnasium, then they could return back home after that. What a luck!
"Nonoko-chan is right. We have to finish up our job, if not we can't go back home," Mikan mumbled while rubbing her nose.
"Your brother is a jerk. He didn't have to get mad over this type of thing. I wonder how his girlfriend can stand him," Hotaru complained angrily as she dusted the shelves. "Mikan, is he always like that?"
"Not really. When I was younger, he used to be very kind but he had a very sharp tongue. But now, I feel that he has completely changed a lot. He said it was for his job, that is why he pretended not to know me. But he is treating me like some inferior rebellious child!"
Mikan lowered her head and tried to refrain herself from crying again. Hotaru walked over to her and ruffled her brown hair.
"Mikan, you promised not to cry for him. So smile, okay?" Hotaru whispered and looked at Anna and Nonoko. "Hey guys, let's talk about Runo! I think we have already done quite a lot here so taking a short break would be fine."
"Ahh! Runo-kun!" Anna and Nonoko squealed loudly, making Ruka jumped in fright.
Anna began excitedly, "You know, in the recent magazine, Runo is caught having an intimate relationship with his manager. Oh my god! Forbidden love!"
"Do you know what they had done? In a snapshot, they were shown having a kiss in public. Oh! I can die in happiness!" Nonoko chirped while holding out the magazine and pretending to faint.
Ruka snatched the magazine and retorted, "They must be photoshoped!"
"What if it is real?" Hotaru asked Ruka with a cunning smirk.
"I bet you a hundred percent that they did not do it!" Ruka blurted and quickly stopped.
He looked stunned as many pairs of eyes glued at him suspiciously. Even Mikan who had been quiet all these while was also staring at him questionably.
Ruka stammered softly, "As... As I was saying, I heard Runo is not a homosexual from a friend of mine. He... He has a girlfriend... and is... is currently going out with her. The case about having a relationship with his manager is... is definitely not true at all."
"Come to think of it, Nogi-kun's eyes look a bit like Runo-kun. Do you wear contact lens?" Anna asked.
"Nope. Mine is natural. Maybe Runo is wearing blue contact lens. You may not know," Ruka replied with a weak laugh.
The girls looked at one another and shrugged. They did not know if Runo's eye colour was fake or not. Either way, they still liked Runo.
"There are also a few legends about Runo," Hotaru changed the topic to divert everyone's attention. "I read them online. One of them is about his divine past."
"Divine? What's that?"
"Before Runo was born, there was a virgin who was in search of a medicine which can heal her poor health. One day, she went into a forest to search for that herb and met a sickly old man along the journey. She helped him and brought him back to his home. She treated him until he got better. The old man wanted to give her a reward so he asked her what she wanted. Unfortunately, the woman refused to tell him and told him that she helped people was not because of receiving reward but to do it out of kindness. After that, she left and returned to the forest. While walking halfway, she met the old man again. She had the greatest shock of her life but the old man told her to calm down. He took out a golden plant from his pocket and handed it to her. He said that it was a herb which could heal her health and give her something extraordinary. Though she was intrigued by the fact that the old man knew what she wanted, she thanked him and returned home to brew the golden herb. After drinking the herb, she was healed instantly and became stronger. After a few weeks, she was gifted with a child which is Runo. That old man was actually a mountain god."
"You mean, Runo doesn't have a father? And his mother is like Virgin Mary?" Anna gasped while cleaning her dirty face with a little water.
Hotaru nodded and replied, "Yup! He is a child from heaven and is blessed with great voice and heart. Those who listen to him will fall in love with his voice."
"It's obviously another fan-made story," Ruka snorted. "Not to mention about the golden herb, do you really think that a mountain god exists in this world? It only happens in myths."
"I... I agree with Ruka-pyon. Mountain god doesn't exist and there is no way a virgin will get pregnant," Mikan said. "Un... Unless that woman and that old man had... had... you know... and then she got pregnant with his child."
"Virgin Mary," Hotaru stated. "She is one example of being a virgin and is blessed with a holy child from Father in heaven."
"Maybe Mary was an exceptional," Ruka argued back and crossed his arms.
"Who cares if you believe it or not?" Hotaru spat. "Now, on to the next legend of Runo."
"Why are there so many legends about that brunette guy?" Ruka shouted.
"Be quiet," Hotaru hissed and started on the story. "Before Runo became a star, he actually made a contract with a devil so that girls from all over the world would be enamoured by him. After a year of fame, he wanted to break off the contract because he was confident that he could capture more hearts by himself, but there was a punishment. His taste for love changed. That's why he has become a gay!"
The girls gasped at the last sentence, except for Ruka. Even though they knew that Runo had a weird relationship with his manager, their reaction of him being a genuine gay was dramatic. But that was not the point. Which divine person would possibly make a contract with an evil being?
Sometimes, things do not click together, no matter how much the creators of the legends tried to link from one legend to another.
"On to the next legend!" Hotaru said.
Ruka coughed and interrupted her, "Enough of whatever legends you have here. We've rested enough too so let's finish up our cleaning."
"Oh yeah. Hotaru, we can continue hearing the legends after this," Mikan claimed.
Hotaru looked at Mikan with a worried look and smiled gently, "I hope you feel much better now."
Mikan held onto the broom and looked at everyone's faces. She guessed Hotaru and the others must have known about her discomfort when it came to Natsume and her issues, so they must have been trying to use legends and stories of Runo to cheer her up. She was somehow touched by their efforts and smiled upon the thought of it. Although Ruka did not know a thing between the siblings, he could somehow feel the tension whenever the two of them were brought together. However, he knew that Mikan would probably tell him what was going on between her brother and her one day. Looking at Mikan's assuring smile, he smiled back at her. She had a faint blush flashed across her cheeks and she quickly bowed down to her friends gratefully.
"Yeah, thank you."
Hi guys, thanks for reading up to Chapter 12.
Next, I would like to thank those who had reviewed Chapter 11. Thanks for all those encouragements. Hope to hear more from you again! :D
Here are the reviewers:
- Sariko-chan723
- i. Love. food. but. not. you
- Coldheart12
- sakura-san2910
- someone
- ScarletAmmo19
- Vegie - 1526
- aurora0914
- Firealice14789
- edwardelric108
- Vehemens Ford
- jennifer8-Mikan Hyuuga
Lastly, I would also like to thank those who had story alerted and favourited this story. :)