Chapter 12
Love or Just a Childish Infatuation
"But what happens when he's your Prince Charming but you're not his Cinderella?"
Yoichi Hijiri
It was already 6 o'clock in the evening and the girls were at Mikan's place. Yoichi brought out his cell phone and dialled Mikan's number. He waited for her to answer hear phone.
"Hello?" Mikan answered.
"Cuz." Yoichi said in a husky voice.
Mikan lost breath and said, "Yo-yoichi?"
"Am I that scary for you stutter when you say my name?" Yoichi said casually. He heaved sigh and didn't wait for Mikan's answer and said, "Just come here."
"Here is where exactly?!" It was Misaki who asked.
"Golden Stars Hotel, I currently lives here while I'm here at Japan. I need your help."
"Oh." All of the girls in the other line said. Someone took the phone and said, "Will be there." It was Hotaru. Yoichi shut his phone and so did Hotaru.
"Desperate times, calls for desperate measures." Yoichi murmured to himself as he brushed a hand through his silver hair.
Golden Stars Hotel parking lot:
3 sports cars parked with a screech. Girls went out and all breathed a heavy sigh. They looked at one another and headed for Yoichi's Hotel room.
"Okay. Yoichi Hijiri is in room number 361, 3rd floor." Hotaru informed them.
"Let's not waste time here." Mikan paused, "He said he needed our help, that's why we're here, right?" Mikan said, looking at the rest for confirmation.
They headed for the elevator and pressed number 3. They waited until they were at the right floor. And with a ting, they headed out and off to room number 361, where they're cousin were waiting for them.
Mikan hesitantly knocked on the door, so Misaki moved her out of the way and was about to knock when the door was opened for them. "I see, you came," was all Yoichi could say in a whisper.
The twins hugged him and Yoichi hugged him back and asked, "How are you?" The twins looked at each other then at him and then smiled. They entered the room without even answering his question. Yoichi just smiled.
Sumire smiled at him and then said, "I see, you're back. I wonder why."
Yoichi smirked at her and said, "You figure out…or maybe you already did. Since, you are the gossip queen."
Sumire entered and halted and said, "I'm an It Girl…not a gossip queen."
Misaki messed up Yoichi's hair and hugged him tight. "I missed you!" she said. Yoichi hugged her back and motioned her to enter.
Hotaru looked at him with cold eyes and said, "I see the twerp is getting smarter. But of course, you still have a lot of rice to eat." Hotaru entered and chuckled. Yoichi looked at her with a smile and raised a brow.
Mikan was just looking at him. He opened his arms waiting for her hug. Mikan smiled and hugged him. "I hear Natsume Hyuuga is making a move on you." Mikan looked at Yoichi with wide eyes. Yoichi then said, "Tell him, he better be careful."
'Oh. I guess, here comes the, I'm the overprotective cousin!' Mikan thought and giggled.
The girls sat on the couch as Yoichi called the hotel service. The moment Yoichi placed the phone down; he looked at them and said, "I need your help."
"That's why we're here." Mikan beamed.
"What is it about, anyway?" Misaki said.
"It's about a girl." Yoichi said, looking away from them.
Sumire chuckled and so did Hotaru. The twins laughed their guts out with Misaki. While Mikan giggled.
"It's not funny!" Yoichi said standing up from his seat and went to the window.
"Oh, little Yoichi grew up so fast." Nonoko said, followed by Anna, "Now, he's asking us to help him win a girl."
"I am not asking to help me win a girl," Yoichi pointed out and continued, "because I can do that with just a wink of an eye."
"I see the big headed twerp never changed." Hotaru said nonchalantly.
"And I see that my robotic cousin never did change, too." Yoichi retorted with a smirk on his face. Hotaru chuckled.
"So, what do you need our help for, if you can win the girl with just a wink of an eye?" Mikan said while she winked.
"I need you to…give her make over." Yoichi said hesitantly, looking away once more. All the heads snapped back at Yoichi. He looked at them and breathed. He then said, "That's easy for you, right?"
"Of course!" The twins said.
"But that is not the case. The case is why the hell would you want your 'soon-to-be-girl' have a make over?" Misaki asked while moving her hands around. She was shocked because Yoichi never choose girls who are not a model type.
"Because." Yoichi reasoned out.
"Oh." Sumire finally said. All heads looked at her, asking for her to explain but she didn't. Instead she said, "That's a good reason." She didn't say it with sarcasm but with seriousness in her voice.
Yoichi smiled at her and said, "So, you're in?"
"Who's the girl?" Hotaru asked before anyone could actually say anything or decide anything.
"Aoi Hyuuga, am I right?" Sumire answered for Yoichi, who just nodded.
Mikan smiled and said, "I'm in."
"So are we!" The twins beamed.
Misaki heaved a sigh and said, "I'm in."
Hotaru smirked at Yoichi and said, "I guess I have no choice. I am in."
"So am I." Sumire murmured.
Only one thought ran through the girls, except Sumire, 'Why does he want to do this?'
Hyuuga Mansion:
Aoi just got home. She closed the door behind her. She was looking down on the floor. The moment she looked up she saw 5 boys in front of her in a line and just stared at her. She didn't stare back. She slipped to her right and passed the boys. She headed for the stairs but before she reached it, a hand stopped her. She turned around to see her older brother looking at her with his friends.
"Why are you only now?" Natsume asked with no emotion at all.
"I went shopping." Aoi whispered but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Shopping? But you hate—" Tsubasa started but was cut off by a hit in the elbow by Yuu and was silence by a 'shut up' from Ruka. "Okay, I'll shut up." He whispered.
"If that's all, I'll be heading to my room." Aoi turned around and took a step but was yet again stopped by her brother, "I know what happened. Don't think I'm stupid."
"I am not thinking your stupid." Aoi whispered in defence.
"Then why don't you turn around and tell me your side of the story." Natsume demanded.
"Can we not talk about this?" Aoi said trying to stop her tears. "I'm really tired."
"Then when are we gonna talk about it? After a decade?" Natsume said with sarcasm.
"Stop it." Aoi begged her brother.
"Face me." Natsume said through gritted teeth.
"I can't." Aoi defended again as she fought her voice to leech her out to letting her brother know that she was now crying.
Natsume clenched his fists and said, "Do you know how much self-control I have to put up with, so that I wouldn't kill Reo today?"
Aoi didn't answer.
"I wanted to murder him, burn him alive, and make him eat his words, the moment I heard that gossip!"
Aoi was crying.
"And you tell me, you don't want to talk about it?! Do you really want me to kill him!?" Natsume shouted.
Aoi still didn't answer him.
"I am going to kill him!" Natsume shouted. He lost his patience and headed for the door. The boys stopped him but it was no use.
"Natsume, stop this!" Koko said.
Ruka was holding his arm and Tsubasa was pushing him back.
"Calm down!" Yuu shouted.
Aoi turned around. "Do you know how much I hate myself right now!?" Aoi shouted which made the boys look at her and Natsume halt.
Aoi let the tears slide down her face and shouted again, "You think you were the only one who had a rough day!? I ended up being the laughing stock of the whole batch, heck, even the whole school! And you want me to talk about it!?"
Aoi wiped her face harshly. She breathed in and then out. She closed her eyes for a minute before saying, "It's my mess and because I let it happen to me, because I chose it—it must be important and necessary!" She kept on pointing at herself every time she will say me and I. "I'm tired, okay? So for once can you just shut up! And leave me be?" She looked at them and then continued, "And don't say that it's gonna be okay. That we are going to make him regret…because…nothings gonna go back to normal…and I wont be okay. Okay!?" with that she stomped off upstairs crying.
Natsume watched her back and then shouted, "Damn it!"
Room Number 361:
Yoichi was left alone when the clock stroke 8 o'clock pm. He looked out the window and thought about what he said to his cousins.
"But that is not the case. The case is why the hell would you want your 'soon-to-be-girl' have a make over?" Misaki asked while moving her hands around. She was shocked because Yoichi never choose girls who are not a model type.
"Because." Yoichi reasoned out.
"Oh." Sumire finally said. All heads looked at her, asking for her to explain but she didn't. Instead she said, "That's a good reason." She didn't say it with sarcasm but with seriousness in her voice.
'I wonder if Sumire really knows the reason." He said to himself. He then leaned back at the wall and had other thoughts. He remembered Aoi.
He reminisced through his elementary days with her. He thought about when he first felt jealous over her. He thought it was just a best friend overprotective thing…but he was wrong…and now, he is trying to figure out if it was love or just a childish infatuation.
"And then…she ended up with my best friend." Yoichi said. He closed his eyes and heaved a sigh.
"I can't really say I am doing the right thing…but I don't think it's wrong either." He said to himself.
The next day:
Mikan Sakura and the rest of the girls headed for their lockers. They opened it and got their books. Mikan slammed her locker shut and said, "Spill, Sumire!"
Sumire looked at her with an annoyed face, "What!?"
"I have been bugged all night of why Yoichi wants our help!"
"Okay." Sumire said as she slowly closed the door.
"Okay? That's it?" Mikan said irritated.
"Listen," Sumire said facing Mikan, "All I know is…we will find out the reason when we finish the job. So, if I were you…I'll stop whining and start getting to know Aoi."
Sumire turned around and strutted off, only to see Britany and her posses. Britany stopped in front of her and held out a paper. "What's this?" Sumire asked.
"Read." Britany demanded.
Sumire read the paper and said, "So the challenge for the 'who has the bigger wardrobe' will be held in Hijiri's party?"
"Yes. Who ever have the prettier dress wins."
"And how the hell will we know who wins?" Sumire asked nonchalantly.
"Vote. I already made arrangements."
Sumire passed her and said, "Right. See you at Saturday." She walked off. But Britany said, "Get ready to lose wanabee."
Sumire looked back and chuckled, "I don't lose." And with that she strutted off again, leaving a very pissed Britany hanging there.
Mikan left with her cousins. They were all silent until they saw the boys. Natsume kissed Mikan on the cheek and said a good morning. Kitsuname grabbed Anna's books from her hand.
"What are you doing?" Anna said through gritted teeth.
"I'll walk to your class today." Kitsuname answered with that irrisistable smile.
"But I don't want you to." Anna reasoned out. Then everybody in the hall looked at her, someone said, "You don't want to walk with the Kitsuname?"
Anna looked horrid. She didn't know what to say, "I-it's not th-that. It's just that…I..uh…don't think it's a great idea."
Kitsuname laughed at her stuttering and said, "Well, you don't have a choice." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight. Anna tried to get her hand back…but because of too much struggling Kitsuname took a chance to kiss her.
Kitsuname kissed Anna again…but this time…everybody saw it.
The moment Kitsuname pulled he whispered, "Now, everybody knows your mine."
Anna looked down and pouted. Kitsuname looked up with a smile…but the moment Yuu appeared, his smile became pursed lips.
Misaki noticed this and asked Tsubasa, "What's going on?"
"They had a fight yesterday." Tsubasa said nonchalantly. Misaki looked at him. Tsubasa smiled at her and then changed the topic. "I'll walk you to class too."
Misaki gulped and then said, "And I say no?"
"You can't." Tsubasa said with a smirk.
Misaki faced him properly and then said, "Is that a like a tradition here, nobody can say no to you guys?"
"No." Tsubasa said. "It's a rule."
Misaki laughed and then said between laughs, "You must be kidding me!"
"Sadly, no." pause. "And this one too is no joke."
Tsubasa faced the whole student body in the hall and announced, "Misaki Harada is my new girlfriend."
Misaki coughed from laughing and said, "Say what!? I never agree—"
But she was hushed by dark blue eyes staring at her. She didn't loose herself in those eyes but instead she lost herself in the message it was giving her, 'You just got caught by the devil himself.' It wasn't scary but it was like it was challenging her. Tsubasa bent down to her ear and whispered, "Let's see how far you could get." Misaki clenched and unclenched her fists. She was losing her temper. Tsubasa is so gonna get it later. He is gonna be a toasted man!
Hotaru looked at Ruka, "Aren't you gonna walk me to my class?"
"I am." Ruka said proudly. "And I am also gonna take you out later."
"Sorry, I'm busy."
"Busy with what?"
Hotaru neared his face and said, "With my other lover."
Ruka was taken aback and said, "You seriously want somebody dead, huh?" He said in a pissed tone. Nobody steals women from Ruka Nogi…only Ruka Nogi steals from other men!
Hotaru smirked, "It was a joke, don't get too stressed out…I mean, we're only playing, right?"
Ruka was no more pissed but he became serious, "I don't want play anymore."
Hotaru then said in a cold manner, "You can't quit."
"Watch me."
"Once you quit…everything ends here. And when I mean everything I meant, from meeting you to talking to you." She said as she walked away.
Ruka was frustrated. This was just suppose to be a game…when did he became so serious and forgot how to play?
Mikan and Natsume where talking about Yuu and Kitsuname…about what happened yesterday.
"You tell me… they just fought for some odd reason but you won't tell me what it is?" Mikan asked.
"It's a guy thing." Natsume said nonchalantly.
"Fine. You win…I won't ask anymore. I have to go to class. Bye!" Mikan walked away when Sumire came. She was beside Koko.
"I love you!" Natsume shouted behind Mikan.
And the most awkward thing happened, Mikan slipped and fell on the ground, butt first then back, and said, "You what?" Although, Natsume didn't hear her, he rushed to her side. She dusted herself off, the moment she stood up and said, "I'm okay. I'll see you around. Bye!" Mikan said in haste and walked fast to her class.
"What was that all about?" Koko asked. Sumire then laughed like a moron.
"This is so hilarious!" She shouted. Everyone looked at her and when she noticed the eyes on her she stopped laughing and said, "Maybe not."
She tried to stop her laughter. Natsume then faced them and said, "She didn't reply back. Do you know what's going on?" Natsume looked at the twins, Misaki and Sumire. Anna dragged Nonoko and ran away from them. Misaki smiled and said, "Oh look at the time! Bye!" with that she also ran.
Sumire concentrating on her laughter didn't realize that Natsume was looking at her. "Sumire, do you know what's up?"
Sumire looked up and burst into laughter. She was really enjoying this. And when she finally composed herself, she said in a loud voice, "Do you know what you just said?!"
"I said I love her." Natsume answered like it was the most normal thing to say.
"Exactly." Sumire chuckled, "Love? You must be kidding me." She snorted.
Natsume didn't reply but just look at her to continue. He wasn't catching up to her. He was…lost in her words.
"Love…at this age? For God's sake, we are only 17. Love…love is…is…" she couldn't finish her sentence. Love was just something so far for young people like them to actually say. She then turned serious, "Natsume, Mikan…doesn't believe in loving someone at this age. She believes that…teens like us…just find people we really like…but love? That's plain stupid."
"Stop, Sumire," Koko said as he grabbed her by the shoulder. Sumire shrugged it off and chuckled.
"Saying that you love her is like telling everyone else that you enjoy history in high school." She turned to face the rest of the boys who were listening to what she was saying the whole time, "Puh-lease. We are in High School, and for you to say you feel something like love is preposterous. You'll meet people after high school and after college, too. And by the time you look back you might say everything that happened in my High School days with the girl you met and became serious with is just something like a childish infatuation or plain vanity."
Tsubasa shoved her bag at his back and turned around, letting Sumire face his back, "What do you know about love?"
Sumire turned quiet. She pursed her lips and looked down. Tsubasa was still waiting for her answer and she obliged. "I know enough to tell you these, to laugh at you when you say you love someone and to tell you that in our world love is just something that rarely happens. And even if it does happen, it's impossible for you to have a happy ending and end up together forever."
Tsubasa didn't look back but just walked away. Kitsuname shook his head and muttered, "I have to go to Anna for her books," and left, not wanting to go anymore further with this topic. Sure, what Sumire said hit him but…there's just this question that kept on running through his head, 'Is it enough to stop me?'
Sumire looked at Yuu. "I have a question."
"Shoot."
"How can you say you love somebody already?" Sumire said as she smirked knowing that Yuu couldn't answer her. And she was right. He couldn't. He does have some answers but not enough to actually prove you're in love.
Yuu bit his lower lip and looked away. Sumire turned her gaze to Natsume but didn't say anything. She just turned around and walked away. She wasn't up for arguing what love is. It will be pathetic. They shouldn't even be thinking about such a thing. Everyone knows what will happen after school days…they'll be forced to marry someone they barely know or barely care about…and if worse comes to worst, they might even marry someone they hate.
Yoichi came to Alice Academy. He was walking around the campus. He headed for Freshmen Building. He entered and looked around, wondering what it would have felt to continue studying here and be with her. He blames himself for not warning her, but is it really his fault or does he just want to be a hero, her hero?
Yoichi got out of the building and headed for the back garden. He was walking with hands inside his pockets and looking down on the ground. He looked up at the trees and flowers ahead of him. And he smiled. He missed this. Everything about this plays makes all those pains and sacrifices he made just to get back here for her all worth while. He looked around only to see her…the angel herself.
He walked towards her, not even afraid of what she might say. She probably knew about his arrival since the invitations for his welcome back party has been sent out yesterday.
She was seating there all alone reading a book. He didn't seat with her, instead he stood beside her and leaned on the tree that was shading her from the heat of the sun. She didn't feel his presence until he finally spoke, "It's been a long time, huh?"
The girl looked up. She wasn't surprised to see him. In fact, she was waiting for him, ever since he came.
She tapped the ground beside her, motioning for him to sit. But he declined, preferring to stand up. He then spoke up again, "I can't say I didn't miss you because I did. How've you been?"
"Should you really ask that? I bet you know how I have been." She said turning her gaze from him to the flowers ahead of her. "I mean, you know about the Reo thing, right?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Yoichi said. "Aoi," he whispered.
Aoi looked up and waited for him to continue.
"What did you tell him?" He said casually.
She didn't flinch or looked away but she answered him in a small voice, "I said I like him ever since we were in Middle School."
"And he rejected you." It wasn't a question but it was stated as a fact. A painful fact.
Aoi just nodded her head and tried to smile for Yoichi.
"Don't smile, when you can't. It wouldn't make sense. Don't act strong in front of me, because I know you better than anyone." Yoichi said sternly.
The smile from her face vanished and was replaced by pursed lips. She didn't cry. All of the tears were drained out of her last night.
"Did you really say you like him…or did you say you love him?"
Aoi was silent for awhile then said, "I said…love. He's my prince charming, you know. I just know it. I feel it."
Yoichi kept quiet.
"Why did you come back?" Aoi asked.
"Because I needed to."
"Why did you needed to?" Aoi asked again trying to make him say the what he really mean by that.
"Because I wanted to." He answered.
"Why did you wanted to?"
"Because wanting is the root of needing stuff, I needed to come back because I wanted to. And I wanted to be back because I needed to. Understand?" Yoichi said. No way was he telling her. It wasn't part of his plan. The game has just begun.
Aoi looked at her with those crimson eyes and said, "Reo's your best friend, right?"
"He was. I don't know him anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, he change. I changed. Everybody did. I realized you don't need people like him who disappear when he no longer needs you."
"Something happened. What is it?"
"Many things happened. You'll figure it out sooner or later. The game has just begun."
Aoi stood up and was ready to leave Yoichi alone until he caught her arm and said,
"You said, he is your Prince Charming," Yoichi paused and looked in her eyes. Emerald met Ruby. He let her go but looked at her more sternly as he said, "But what happens when he's your Prince Charming but you're not his Cinderella?"
End!
Anyway, i did this when i was in the hospital guarding my idiotic brother, whom i really hate.
bY THE WAY, dont forget to leave your REVIEWS!
thanks
13ismynumber