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Kittens, Cats, and Him
03
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"Can't believe..." Mikan grumbled, "Grandpa said no..." We all knew this was coming. What kind of grandfather would say yes, if their only grandaughter brought home a young boy her age and told him he's her new pet?
"I don't see what's so astonishing about it," Hotaru commented.
"Hmp. If he doesn't want Natsume, then he doesn't want me either! It's good to help out the needy!" Mikan pouted, "Come on. Let's go around the neighbohood. Grandpa will definatly say yes after a walk. He just needs a while to think about it." Natsume nodded.
"You can go for a walk. It's almost two. I promised brother to be home. I'll see you tomorrow," she gave a slight wave to Mikan, her facial expression still very immutable, "You. I still got my eyes on you." she snapped to Natsume before she left. He glared back.
The scenery around the area was beautiful. It was the countryside, after all. The mountains were in the background and the scene around was just a typical countryside town. The countryside towns they show in movie, they weren't lying, they really do look like that. The clouds look like little white pieces of cotton candy.
"It's a small town, but has everything you need. But I wish to visit the big cities one day...Tokyo...Maybe for a few days or so?" Mikan smiled at her impossible hopes. Ironic, it just so happened that Natsume was from Tokyo. He probably rode the train for at least 7 hours to get here.
But he liked this place. It was different from where he used to live and he would do anything to get out of that place.
"Where do you want to go? We won't be going back home for a few hours. Is there any place in particular you want to visit?" she asked. Natsume would have liked to burst out something on the lines of, 'I don't know this place, you idiot. You have to actually guide me around the town'. But then, he realized there was one place he would like to go to.
"School."
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School, what a strange boy. Mikan wondered. Who in the world who volunteerly like to go to a school? Well, she guess it didn't matter, now that officially he's her pet. Mikan's school was very small. Unlike the large city schools, in the countryside, where the population was very small, there were not many schools. Elementry, middle, and high schools had to be cramped up together in one building.
"We study here," she entered the building with Natsume and opened the door on the very left of the building. He guessed since the population wasn't very large, there was only one class per grade. This was the classroom was for ninth graders.
He sniffed around. Ah, so this is what a school smells like.
"Have you never been at school?"
Natsume stood silently. He have, but not properly. He usually missed classes often, "Not really." he whispered quietly.
"Oh, really," Mikan whispered back. She guessed his master wasn't a very good one, as Natsume told her earlier. School, nobody should miss school. Even though it's a bit annoying with work and teachers, it was a daily lifestyle for most children. No matter how much you complain about, it was difficult to sincerely hate it. It was depressing that Natsume couldn't enjoy such an istutitution.
She smiled, "Would like to go to school?" He looked up, "Not immediatly. Maybe in a few weeks, after we get you all settled down. We'll get you used to the neighborhood first."
School. Natsume couldn't help but give a very, very faint grin.
Oh. Mikan noticed it. He looks cute when he smiles, she wondered. Why doesn't he smile more often? Is it because he is afraid? Did his master ban him from smiling?...Well, it doesn't matter anymore.
She petted his soft hair, "...You smell nice, like fruits."
He cracked another faint grin.
If he doesn't know how to smile, I'll teach him how to.
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So, while the master and pet were enjoying a tour around town, Grandfather was in a dilema.
"What to do..."
He said bring home a pet, not a human boy that you insist is a pet. The more he thought about it, the situation got even more complicated. It looked as if Mikan honestly wanted the boy. She's always been a kind girl. Ever since her father and mother entrusted her with her grandfather, she's never complained about anything.
She's never complained about why she has no parents. He taught her to help those in need and that was exactly what she was trying to do, help a boy who needs a home.
She never asked for anything so dearly. That made it even more strange. What about this boy made Mikan beg so helplessly? His eyes, they fumed with anger. At the same time, they gave a shadded aura of sadness. Two emotions, contradicting each other. He was a hard boy to understand.
He didn't seem like a bad person. He was quite good-looking as well. Oh, wait. What is he thinking?
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"Really?"
"Yes, but only if he promises to become a proper member of the family. Which means he has to go to school properly." Grandfather added quickly. That wasn't a big problem. Mikan knew Natsume wanted to go to school. Even though he hasn't said anything, his smile told the truth.
She turned to Natsume and gave a blissful smile, "Isn't that great news?" Natsume looked up, "You'll have a home!"
Home.
How long he waited to hear those words.
"Where will Natsume sleep though?" she asked her grandfather.
"We'll have to figure that out. We live in a very old fashioned house in a very small village in the countryside. We don't have any beds and we all sleep on the floor with blankets. Would you be bothered by that?"
Natsume shook his head.
"That's good." Grandfather smiled with Mikan.
The warmth of his new 'family' was all so overwhelming. He's never been treated as a family member for quite a while. It was strange, new, foregin to him... The happiness of the Grandfather and his grandaughter was all so difficult to understand.
But it didn't feel bad.
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Chapter 03
fin
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Who lives in the Southern California area? (wave)
Any of you rabid anime fans in California going to Anime Expo?