Author's notes: Hi, it's January 23 and somewhere around 12 noon now in my country. Exams are over finally, (huge phew) that means I'm back to business:) Here is another installment of COALS. Yup. Circumstances Of A Love Story—COALS. Neat huh? (jumping merrily) anyway! …A-Aherm, t'was just a result of many reviews… Psst, it's very appreciated by the way…! I got an average review count, whipeee (jumping merrily again) x)
So hope you like this next chapter!!! Let's move on, ja ne! hehe!
---
Circumstances of a Love Story
CHAPTER FOUR
---
Mikan couldn't peel the feeling off.
Even as she stared into his eyes, she couldn't help feeling like she was not important enough despite being flustered and elated.
Natsume… he appeared very elegant in his tailored suit. Everything about him had a quiet carefree nature around him—and something else. Cold. The air of it hung around him despite his friendly smile.
And one other thing—he's very much wealthy. Uncle-Scrooge the zillionaire wealthy. She felt it exuding out from him like pungent yet discreet money smell. It exuded in his quiet manner, his smooth etiquette and his gentlemanly ways.
Not that she had anything against rich people…
The mere fact that he obliged to meet her here—she, a simple girl who only knew simple things and simple ordinary life and simple ordinary livelihood—was enough to make her feel like she's assuming herself to be someone highly important. Her mom told her people like that was the kind who assumes a role that wasn't theirs, in order to live a false life. She had called them Hypocrites. The term, she said, was similar with phonies and conning turds. Even Mikan didn't like the sound of it; it's like the name of an asylum. And…as far she knew, she wasn't a hypocrite. But standing here in this rich-men environment and all these rich people around, she was starting to feel like one.
Mikan started withdrawing into herself at the thought, suddenly feeling out of place. Her sight drifted towards Natsume the Anonymous' direction and saw him looking at her with a strange expression…something that reminded her much of someone who had to accept the consequences of his decision and was now disappointed in it. The realization, for some reason, did not surprise her a lot.
After all, Natsume was here to remind her she was unlike them.
He had ordered Shin to get her after all… She wondered briefly if he did the same when getting expensive boxes and packages in the airport or somewhere else.
…And then wondered again if his time was that important and she was here wasting it.
The thought made her uncomfortable around him.
"Is something wrong?" Natsume's voice drifted out to her. Concerned, annoyed, bluntly caring? She couldn't tell.
It suddenly felt like she totally didn't belong here, standing on a Persian rug with her cheap school shoes, dressed in her plain school uniform amidst beautiful people…and seen with him.
That doesn't look right, her mind screamed.
She was faintly aware of people looking at her, vaguely curious, but to Mikan it was more of the look of people who see something out of place... To her mind, that thing that was out of place here was her. The realization bit hard into her consciousness and overpowered all thoughts she had currently.
Natsume the Anon's voice kept asking her if she was all right, but it all seemed distant.
Right now, only her thoughts mattered.
And her thoughts told her that This doesn't look right.
Uh-uh. Not one bit.
So… what you goin to do about it?
Run like a house on fire?
"Yes…" she whispered back, suddenly glum.
"Mikan?" Now Natsume's voice started to sound concerned. But that was all show, Mikan thought.
Without further ado, she bolted to the stairs, past the shock faces and ran away outside the restaurant, sending customers looking her way and thinking about how the restaurant's restroom was full; the leaving girl appeared constipated. And then, they swung back to their own thoughts to attend to more important matters.
---
The Sakura residence's front door flew open and immediately banged shut, seeming to shake the whole house with the force. Mikan raced to the stairs, catch her breath for a moment, then continued upwards to the sweet security of her bedroom.
Once there, she dropped to her bed and racing to snatch her teddy bear from afar, she cradled it before letting all the tears that had welled so much in her eyes fall…and continue to fall relentlessly.
Thoughts from the recent event of Natsume the Anonymous, thoughts from her past failures, thoughts from her historical grievances and crumbling self-esteem resurfaced—in that order—all sparked by one single fact.
The fact that Natsume was wealthy beyond her wildest dreams, handsome like she'd never even imagined, and attitude she knew he could possess but feared to expect, all have to do with that single act. Okay, so it's not single, fine. But it all has to do with it.
And now she cries. Some part of her, the tiny microscopic bit of herself, told that if she do just that, the painful realization would go away…and with it, her failure to be something she would be proud of, too.
With the thought staying in her mind, she fell asleep soon after with tears in her eyes. And when she wakes up the next morning, she'd realized she was wrong on that part.
The pain will not go away. It will stay and revisit her for some years to come…
---
"Damn it! What did I do??" Natsume cursed to himself, sitting on the couch with his head back. He swept his dark raven hair around in frustration.
Shin sat on the other couch facing him, his face difficult to express, as if he's holding from laughing out loud or merely trying to understand Natsume's situation.
Either way, Natsume didn't care. He watched him, suddenly at lost for what to do. Even at times like this, people like Shin could use an ear to lend to—like a dummy.
"What the hell do you think I did to make her go like that?" he asked frustrated, though it was more to himself. He had grown to not relying on Shin's advice; it was worst than a lie.
He continued, like a guilty man confessing to a crime, "She was looking weird at the moment, I kept asking her what was wrong and she just ignored me..." Natsume was talking to himself as he examined his hands, then added in a more apologizing tone, "And I thought I was being proper…"
Shin found the opportunity to butt in, "Boss, I don't think your definition of proper goes anywhere along the lines of her type of expected meeting…" he had the inclination to laugh dryly at his joke, "In fact, she might've thought something else." he said sluggishly, then added in an undertone, "And besides, don't you think you're overreacting too much? She's just one girl." The words slipped out before he could stop himself. He gasped inwardly, clapped a hand over his mouth too late then reluctantly rose to meet his eyes.
For a moment, Natsume just stared at him… then he slipped back again to his own couch, "Whatever. I'll do what I want and get it if I have to." He was saying, his tone growing bitter, "And if this is anywhere near your business, I'll tell you. In the meantime, keep your opinions to yourself when they're not needed." He said curtly.
The reply hit like a slap on Shin's moon-like face, shock registering itself there. Natsume, for all their time being together, had never invoked so much as a harsh scolding to him—well, maybe all those snide remarks—but never so open as this…
Shin sighed and thought it best to leave this young man alone with his cranky emotions. He glanced at him, his back to his, and thought again why he acted like that…
The words coming from his own lips came back again.
…Just one girl…
Shin left him lying on the couch, feeling something wrong with his decision about Kanmik-Mikan as he studied Natsume's defiant back to his.
Deep within, he had a feeling he will regret it soon.
---
The phone tightened for sometime in his grip before he pushed the 8 telephone numbers of the spyware community. Then he let his grip relax as he listened to the constant ringing on the other end, his thoughts inevitably going back reassessing his decision.
After all, nobody who's having second thoughts go to the world's renowned spying community…that would be like signing a "rip-your-privacy" contract. But, for another good hunch feeling, he felt it was going to do him good, this spying thing.
And his, for that matter.
The other end's ringing finally dropped to receive him. It crackled a little as the phone was taken from its place, then a sullen voice talked.
"What can I get for you?" its naughty, mischievous voice was almost inhuman.
"Everything." He thought, then went on to discuss business.
---
Author's notes: the plot is thickening as Mikan and Natsume's relationship takes one unexpected swing! (whoosh!) What will happen when someone close to Natsume (hint!hint!) senses that Mikan is getting a little bitty too close enough to be a threat for his attention? (woooot) Yup, someone is actually behind the background in Natsume's very rich life, and this someone doesn't want any simple girl like Mikan to ruin his schemes... and he would do everything to keep her under his watchful eye.
What will happen now?? This chapter is a little short, so I'll make the next one long. Review review! Please? …for the sake of the next chapter:) Thank you!