I Like You, Natsume-oniisan
Chapter 28: In Daze
"I... I'm sorry. I'm not ready for it. Ple... Please give me some time to think about it."
The journey was quiet. His eyes kept looking at the rear mirror and only to see her looking at the front in daze. It had been ten minutes and she did not move an inch at all. Not only that, she did not even say a single word after greeting him.
"You're strangely quiet. Is there something wrong?" he asked as he turned the stirring wheel to the right.
There was no reply.
"Mikan."
Mikan jumped and looked around her cluelessly. Then, she looked at her brother with huge and clueless eyes.
"Onii-san, did you just call me?"
Natsume rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "What do you think? Maybe a ghost had just called you."
"Yes? What do you want?"
"Did something happen just now? You looked very blank."
Mikan blushed and replied, "N... Nothing happened. Everything is fine... Yeah, fine."
Not convinced by her words, Natsume continued, "You look as if you have been picked up by that singer. You know, you're no difference from a typical fan girl."
There was no reply again. Natsume's mouth twitched in annoyance and looked at the rear mirror again. She was still looking as dazed as ever.
"What is wrong with you?" Natsume asked loudly, disrupting whatever thoughts she was thinking about. "Did someone hurt you? Did Imai-san bully you or something?"
Mikan shook her head and sighed, "Like I said, everything is fine. I'm fine too but just a bit tired, that's all."
'Beep! Beep!'
Mikan took out her handphone and checked her message. It was sent by Hotaru, asking Mikan if she wanted photographs of Runo and the comedians. By the way, Hotaru had no idea that Runo was actually Ruka.
The car stopped to a halt and Natsume looked curiously at her handphone. There was something dangling from it which caught his attention.
"Is that a keychain?" Natsume asked.
"Yeah. It was given by Ruka during the cultural festival," Mikan answered and brought the keychain closer to Natsume.
Natsume frowned and mumbled, "Ruka? Where is the 'pyon' now?"
"Yes? What did you just say? You're eating your words."
"What happened to his famous 'pyon' now?" Natsume groaned.
Mikan blushed again and said meekly, "Ah... I forgot to add it in... It's Ruka-pyon. I forgot... Maybe adding 'pyon' to his name sounds weird... He's weird..."
"You have finally come to your senses that calling him 'Ruka-pyon' sounds weird," he scoffed. "Try calling him 'Nogi' instead of 'Ruka'. It will sound way better this way."
"But..."
Mikan paused and looked down.
"But what?"
"N... Nothing," Mikan lied. "If... If someone wants to go out with me and I agree to it, what will Mum and Dad think? I know Dad will disapprove it but how should I convince him?"
"Are you going out with someone?"
"No, not yet. I am just asking. So, how should I tell Dad if I have a boyfriend?"
"I don't know," Natsume replied monotonously and started driving again.
Mikan bit her lips and then asked, "What about you? Will you approve it?"
"I don't know."
"How can you not know? Are you supporting Dad secretly not to let me have a boyfriend?" Mikan pouted.
"I don't know."
"Are you even answering me properly? You are like repeating the same words over and over again!" she whined.
"I don't know."
Mikan frowned and looked away angrily. Natsume was not helping her at all.
It was true that Ruka had confessed to her and asked her to go out with him. Mikan was obviously shocked and told him that she was not ready. She did not reject him but told him to give her some time to think about it since she was a little uncertain about her feelings for him. Basically, Ruka had to wait for her answer.
"Depends," Natsume suddenly spoke. "If it is some guy whom I don't like, then I will disapprove."
Mikan brightened up instantly and asked, "So, which guy you don't like?"
"Every guy in this world."
"What?" Mikan cried.
"But I like myself."
"Narcassist!"
"Dumb girl like you won't get it," Natsume teased.
Mikan stared at him questionably and then looked out of the window. She somehow got it but she did not want the same thing to happen again.
"Onii-san," her voice softened. "I will try not to fall for you again, even if you are trying to make me fall in love with you again, be it intentionally or unintentionally. You don't like how others view us if we are together, right? I promise not to say that phrase too if you are afraid of others getting the wrong idea. It's not like I don't like you or anything, I'm just trying to protect the Andou family's name. I..."
Natsume parked his car outside their house and interrupted her, "Mikan, go and get some sleep after dinner. You're talking too many senseless things today, especially after the concert. I don't know what happened to you but let me tell you this. Though I am not collaborating with Dad, I will disapprove of any boy who wants to go out with you. Not until I tell you that secret shared between Nobara and me."
"Wh... Why don't you tell me now?" Mikan's voice quivered.
"I'm sorry. This is not the right time for me to say it."
Natsume got out of the car, followed by Mikan who had so many question marks all over her face.
Before Natsume could enter into the house, Mikan spoke again, "Natsume-oniisan, is that secret regarding about me?"
Natsume paused in his tracks and looked at her without emotion. Mikan looked into his eyes, trying to find a hint or an answer from them but they showed nothing.
What was Natsume thinking?
She wanted to know it.
She wanted to know it badly since she might be involved in it.
Why wouldn't he tell her?
Was it so bad to share it with his sister?
Why did he share it with the woman whom he did not like at all and had gotten himself into a huge mess?
"Say Natsume-oniisan, just how bad is that secret to get you into a whole lot of trouble?"
"That secret..."
He paused and looked away. He unlocked the door and swung it open, but he still continued to stand there as if he was reluctant to enter into the house.
"... is not a sinful one but a shameful one."
Hi guys, thanks for reading up to Chapter 28.
Next, I would like to thank those who had reviewed Chapter 27. Thanks for all those encouragements. Hope to hear more from you again! :D
Here are the reviewers:
- jennifer8-Mikan Hyuuga
- Scarlet Ammo 19
- NanaShinozaki
- heart12
- CuteChibiNekoChan
- Natsumemikan123
- seraphim.159
- sinables
- nerdyanime123
- sakura-san29
- me enamore de ti
- Gruesome Deaths
- aurora0914
- AnimeMango
- curo neko
- Sariko-chan723
- Sia
- lisaOpine
- Guest
- Vegie-1526
- MirageRaindrop
- crimson hazel hearts
- alicecia
- MinnaSakura
- Millenium Snow
Lastly, I would also like to thank those who had story alerted and favourited this story. :)
Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks! :)