So.. uhm, yeah, here's chapter 4 :)
The nerve in that asshole! Damn it, damn it all.
Mikan continued to curse as she was going towards Hotaru's office where she can loosen up a bit. She took her stilettos and replaced it with her Converse; from all that walking who would never get tired. As soon as the secretary accompanied her to the door, she started babbling and saying stuffs that would ease the tension inside her.
"Oh Hotaru, you will never believe me when I tell you what freaking stuff happened today. It was like-"
She was cut-off when Hotaru suddenly said "When are you going to tell me? You never told me you're marrying Natsume Hyuuga! The Natsume Hyuuga!"
"What? I was never told who I was going to marry, and what's the deal with Natsume Hyuuga? It's not like he's some kind of celebrity or something that freaks the hair out of you."
"What?! Hey don't get me wrong about me having a thing on him. He's the owner of Hacienda Igarashi and it so happened that he's one of the elite bachelors in the country that many girls swoon over."
"He owns the Hacienda Igarashi? Are you serious? He's working in our company."
"Yeah, like where did you get that gossip? The paparazzi? " Hotaru tried to sound sarcastic and she did.
"No! I saw him once in grandfather's office. I'll never forget because.." she stopped mid-sentence as the scene when she waited for Natsume to kiss her flashed in her mind. True, she will never forget Natsume because of that incident.
Hotaru waited for her to finish but Mikan changed the topic.
"..Look, just believe me okay. I know what I saw. Anyway, enough with this ruckus, I was just about to tell you what happened this day."
"Let's hear it." She remained calm and maintained a composed look.
"Well, this day was set for me to meet my fiancé that you just happen to know. And things didn't work well like we expected."
"Oh? So, how did it go?"
"Well, he was the very thing opposite to gentleman. I'm not even sure he's human, I mean, he's egocentric, arrogant, conceited and all that's terrible combined!"
"How disrespectful. What did he do to you?"
"Well, he.. he.. He thinks he's so hot and that I drool over him, but I'm not. He doesn't treat me well, and I bet he does the same to other girls."
"What made you think that he thinks you like him?"
Uh-oh, that was a dangerous line. If she answers incorrectly, she will be regretting it for the rest of her life.
"Well," she was uneasy as she was looking for something to give as an excuse.
"Hey, no secrets remember?"
Okay, she's definitely lost now. "Well it was when I met him, and he leaned closer to me and then I thought he's going to kiss me but he didn't and then I looked like a creepy troll waiting to be kissed by some hottie."
"So he is hot after all." Hotaru raised her brow and put both of her hands on either side of her waist.
Mikan sighed as it signaled her defeat and she sat on the couch.
"I just don't want to see his face again, let alone marry him. End of the story. Ugh, the mere thought of it is giving me nausea."
"That's impossible considering you both agreed to the marriage. Anyway, why don't you just, you know, try to tolerate him or have a new start maybe? Who knows, maybe he has reasons and you're just overreacting."
Mikan glared at her best friend who in turn raised both of her brows and eyed her cruelly.
"You're right. I have been overreacting, and yes I'm going to try that out."
Hiashi was still curious of what happened a while ago and he has no one but Narumi to enlighten him. Unfortunately, his one and only reliable source doesn't know anything about it, thus confusion build more inside him. But he cares for his grand daughter and he's certain Narumi feels the same way too.
"Call Mikan and invite her to dinner, then we'll clear this thing before the sun rises."
Narumi did as he was told the second the old man finished his statement. Obviously, they're troubled for their precious Mikan.
Narumi tapped Mikan's number on speed dial and waited for her to pick up her phone.
"Narumi?"
"Yeah, Mikan, old man wants you here for dinner. Also, he wants to know about earlier. So if you're not busy, we were hoping you could come by later."
"Oh, well I'm kind of in a middle of catching-up with Hotaru right now, and I promised her I would stay. I'm sorry but I can't come for dinner. And about earlier, please send my apologies to grandpa. Don't worry, everything's fine, I just overreacted and it's just a misunderstanding. Really, don't worry about it anymore, and I'll call grandpa later."
Narumi set it on loudspeaker, thus Hiashi heard the whole thing. This made him feel a bit reassured now and it'll only be a matter of time before Mikan calls him. He then comfortably sat on his swivel chair and started scanning his in-tray. He's back to work now, and so does Narumi who bade goodbye and went to his own office.
Moments later, Mikan called his grandfather like she promised, and tried to erase the worry in the old man. Of course, it went well and they can all sleep well now.
Well, almost all of them.
Natsume can't stop thinking of the transformation Mikan displayed in front of him that afternoon, not to mention all that heated argument they had. Her face, her hair, and her figure were all but new to him.
What really caught most of his attention, are her hazel eyes that stared at him furiously. Girls don't give him a look like that, let alone dare to point a finger at him, or insult him publicly. Now he's even more aggravated to make her fall for him.
But how? The brunette's a bit of a hand-full. Nonetheless, he's sure as heaven to make his plan a success. And he'll start his first step tomorrow.
Mikan slept soundly in her bed that night as she was being comforted by her best friend. Waking up now, she has nothing to think of aside from how to be nice to her fiancé. She was lazily yawning as she lifts her comforter when her phone beeped. It was from an unknown sender.
"I should greet you a good morning, but then I thought you're still not thinking of being friends with me. So, I hope it'll suffice if I just wish you a great day. x"
Mikan already figured who the sender is, and that is Natsume Hyuuga. She rolled her eyes and attempts to place her phone back to the side table. She was then taken aback when she recalled what Hotaru said to her.
"Why don't you just, you know, try to tolerate him or have a new start maybe?"
Mikan sighed, and thinking this is an opportunity for her to execute her act of kindness, and considering that the man was being nice to her, she tapped her reply.
'Yeah, wishing me a great day would do. Good morning to you too. And how did you get my number? You better have a good excuse or I'll take this as stalking.'
She then hit Send and went towards the bathroom.
Minutes later, she went out, now fresh and new, and into her closer to find some home clothes. As soon as she was finished, she checked her phone for messages. She scrolled it down, and was surprised to see a reply from Natsume. What's surprising is that he replied seconds later after she sent her message.
"Should I thank heavens for making you respond to me? Anyway, you're my fiancé. I have the right to have at least your contact numbers. And I take it you're in good mood today, so I was hoping you'd allow me to take you to lunch. x"
Her conscious was shouting to decline his offer, but somewhere down, her unconscious is whispering that she should accept it. Besides, it's not everyday a man says he'll take you to lunch. Thus, she replied that she'll be available at 10:30 and that she'll be the one to pick the place.
Of course, Natsume agreed to her compromise, even if the place she picked is not suitable for a decent meal.
Mikan felt triumphant as she made Natsume agree to have lunch in the streets.
Streetfoods! Hah! Let's see whose guts are going to blow-off now. She happily thought to herself.
Meanwhile, in Yukihira Co, Narumi is still pressing Hiashi about his opinion to Natsume Hyuuga. The old man, getting fed-up to hearing the same thing, gave up and explained things to Narumi.
"I don't understand Hiashi-san. It's not like you to just accept random people easily. I know he's the son of a Hyuuga and Igarashi, but-"
"Narumi, are you telling me I look at things incompetently?" The old man raised his brows and waited for Narumi's reply.
"… No, Hiashi-san. And I'm sorry for behaving rashly."
Hiashi breathed in and sat more comfortably in his armchair.
"It's not that I accept Natsume Hyuuga easily without proper judgement, it's because what I see in him is a potential that can have a future impact on the industry."
"You said that like you've met him already."
"Yes, I did meet him. He made an appointment with me about a couple of days ago. He was sent from the company he's working."
"I thought he owns Hacienda Igarashi?"
"Yes, and that's what impressed me. He took a position in another company for purposes of knowing business tactics. He applied for a job that involves meeting different businessmen and observes their strategies. His aim is for their company to grow, considering they're the only one's left and he has no plans of giving it to others."
Narumi looked like he was in deep thought. No doubt, he too was impressed of the Hyuuga kid.
"Wait, you said you met him couple of days ago, and the Board suggested of a corporation. Does this merge have anything to do with your meeting with him?"
"Yes. His name ringed a bell and I recalled my promise to Yuka. Hence, I tried to help the young man by offering a merge, and he accepted it. Of course, I still have to ask the Board of each of the two companies, so I made an appointment with the Chairman of the Hacienda Igarashi. Fortunately, the Chairman was their uncle, and he too has a promise with her late sister."
"Kyou Igarashi? So that's why things happen so easily."
"Yes, and I hope that cleared your uneasiness Narumi."
Narumi had nothing more to say thus he nodded his head and looked calmer. Suddenly, his face became serious as he added "But we're not sure if he treats Mikan pleasantly. We still have to be cautious."
"I am well aware of that possibility. So I suggest we let the two have their time together before marrying. I already gave Mikan's contact number to him and I presume they're having a healthy chit-chat by now." Hiashi smiled at the thought while Narumi is still anxious.
Mikan was already dressed for their lunch date and was roguishly smiling at the thought of Natsume flipping out. She wore denim shorts, white top with black cardigan, a scarf loosely hanging around her neck, and a pair of knee-length boots. She added her outfit with a painter hat on her raggedly loose locks. She smiled at her reflection on the mirror and was waiting for Natsume's text.
Moments later, she received a message from Natsume saying that he's ready to go and that they'll meet at the nearest mall. She then grabbed her sling bag and went straight to the said place.
She was the first one to arrive and was irritated at the thought that Natsume could just be playing on her about having lunch together. She was beginning to get furious for waiting 10 minutes when Natsume poked her shoulder from the behind.
"When did you arrive?" asked Natsume who was clad in formal working attire. He eyed Mikan from head to toe, and was giving a satisfied look.
"After you're done pleasuring your eyes, why don't we get this lunch date started?" she said sarcastically. "Oh, and I just came here."
Natsume quickly hid his smile and said "Yeah, we should get going, I'm famished."
Natsume was about to walk towards the exit when Mikan caught his attention.
"Wait, so you're okay with having lunch on the streets?" she asked and was a bit disappointed of how things turned out. She was planning to pester Natsume, and now it seems that she has no hopes of doing that.
Natsume turned his head towards Mikan and raised his brows. "Why? You think I'm some picky child who doesn't eat unless the food is classy?" he smirked and waited for Mikan's reply.
"… No, of course I don't think of you like that." She was obviously disappointed and now she's stuck with Natsume for the whole morning.
"Then, let's get going. But you should lead the way. I'm not familiar with these places."
That said, Mikan opted for a place where char-grilled chicken meat (Yakitori) is being sold. The place was of course smoky, but it was also half-decent. It has no tables and chairs, thus they're going to eat on a standing position. The place is fully-packed and it seems as though the whole lane was occupied by various stalls.
Natsume scanned the place like he's some kind of foreigner on an alien land. As he saw the raw meat on sticks, he felt his stomach sickening. He swallowed hard, and tried to display a composed face to Mikan.
Damn it and I thought I'm going to be stuffed. I should've taken my breakfast earlier. Natsume thought to himself as he was holding his breath to keep himself from vomiting.
Mikan on the other hand, was already paying at the 'cashier' and took 2 sticks of Yakitori. She gave one to Natsume who in turn accepted it.
Mikan finished hers in less than a minute and was ready for round 2. She was about to get another one when she saw Natsume staring at his barbecue.
Aww, look at the poor baby gawking innocently at his meal. She sarcastically thought to herself. Shaking her head, she took Natsume's stick and is about to give him a demonstration.
"Haven't you eaten Yakitori before?"
"I have tasted it. I'm just scanning for charcoal."
Mikan gawked in disbelief and silently laughed. "You know, this doesn't have charcoals stuck on it, look at the way it's cooked." She motioned towards the grill and Natsume looked at it profoundly.
Mikan gave Natsume's barbecue back, and was waiting for him to eat it.
Natsume carefully opened his mouth and took one bite. He chewed it and was satisfied of the exotic taste. He took another until he savored the last chunk of meat. He was a first-timer, thus he left Tare sauce around his mouth.
He took another one but suddenly stopped by Mikan.
"What? I'm hungry." He childishly pouted as he took a stick.
"You have sauce all over your mouth, airhead." She slightly laughed as she searched for a hanky on her bag. As soon as she found it, she offered it to Natsume who was busy chomping his third stick.
Natsume took it and wiped his mouth clean. Mikan smiled at the thought of Natsume being unexpected and adorable at the same time.
They were having the time of their lives when suddenly someone bumped Natsume on his back that almost sent him to the ground. He felt his wallet taken from his pocket and turned directly to the man who is running hastily, bumping a handful of civilians.
His face turned sour and he shouted "HEY! My wallet!". Mikan looked immediately at the subject of commotion. And as if a second nature instinct, she instantly ran towards the direction of the crook and followed him. Natsume was appalled at her sudden behavior, and thus went after her.
Several bystanders helped by directing Mikan where the snatcher went, and it led her to a dead end where the man was breathing heavily and scans for a spot where he could escape.
Natsume came not too long and saw Mikan gaining distance towards the man. He tried to stop her but she won't budge.
"Mikan, come back here! It's only a wallet damn it! I'll call the police. Come back here!"
He dialed the nearest police station and reported the incident. He was willing to wait for the patrollers, but Mikan continued to finish what she's doing.
The man found an opening and swiftly dash below Mikan's right. Mikan on the other hand was prepared to give an agonizing lariat using her right arm on the man's neck. Having done so, the man choked and was towed with his back on the ground, Mikan stepping hard on his chest.
She searched the man's pockets for Natsume's wallet and eventually found it untouched and still has its contents. She took it and grinned victoriously at the man who is flinching in pain.
She's still breathing hard as she smiled "I'll take this back, thank you very much" and went towards Natsume who's stunned at the recent performance. As if on cue, the police came, and is already putting the man in shackles. They thanked Mikan, who gave them a reassuring smile.
The crowd was amazed and applauded at how Mikan single-handedly dumped the dangerous man. She recovered from that entire running and heart-stopping act as she turned to Natsume who looked a bit furious.
"What were you doing?! You could get yourself killed out there! Seriously, please think and act human once in a while. You should've just let the police do the work and save your shitty ass from trouble!" he exasperated.
"But I wasn't harmed! Look at me, I'm alive and kicking." She tried to humor him but Natsume gave her a fuming look.
"Okay, okay I'm sorry. I won't do that again. And why are you suddenly concerned with me?" she raised one of her brows and angled her head a bit to the left.
Hearing her query, he changed the topic by suggesting they buy something refreshing. The brunette of course agreed and they were on their way to a vending machine.
As soon as they had their beverages, Mikan suggested they spend the rest of their morning on the benches near the bay. Natsume complied, and found both of them watching the waves vehemently hit the dike.
End of chapter 4