High School Sweethearts

Written by:

13ISMYNUMBER

Chapter 30

Our Business Transactions

"Even if I still love you, what business is that of yours?"

Mikan Sakura

Mikan slowly walked in her heels on the grass. After four years of soul searching, she finally gathered enough courage to go to the place where Sumire told her to go. This was the place where all the heartache could finally stop. And maybe she can finally stop feeling guilty for feeling so much for someone so wrong.

She stood in front of Natsuke's grave.

She felt the lump in her throat back again and she tried her best to stop the tears from flowing. She felt like she betrayed him for falling in love with his brother, for thinking that Natsume was him. It was sad if all those years of friendship were nothing but child's play. And she hated herself for doing that to someone so important to her, to the person who always held her down to earth when she felt like she was being blown away by the wind.

Was it really Natsuke…or was it Natsume that she felt so strongly for?

The tears endlessly flowed down her cheeks, feeling guilty once more for knowing that she loves Natsume more than Natsuke, and even thinking of him when she is right in front of Natsuke's grave.

Then she felt someone's presence coming and she quickly wiped her tears and swallowed the lump on her throat. She pushed her hand inside her bag and swiftly tried to find her shades. She doesn't want anyone from the Hyuuga family to know that she went here…or even that she was back in Japan.

She placed her shades on the moment the person stood beside her and looked at the grave she was awhile ago crying on. She took a deep breath and stopped herself from looking beside her to see who the person was. She wouldn't risk being caught in Natsuke's grave.

She turned around and quickly walked towards the direction she was just before to her car. But before she could reach her car, someone appeared before her. Her eyes looked up but her head didn't follow.

He removed his shades and smirked.

"You're back." He said huskily that smirk never leaving his face.

Mikan stepped to her side and tried to pass him. And much to her surprise he let her. But when she saw her car, Kitsuname was leaning on the door and said, "Sorry, Mikan. After you RSVP-ed, we can't just neglect that, can we?"

"You told him, I'm back?" Mikan said in a pissed tone.

"No, I did." Mikan looked behind her and Hotaru stood there with a smirk too, beside her was Natsume.

Mikan looked away and quickly turned around. She pushed Kitsuname aside but he tried to stop her from entering the car. The moment she grab hold of the handle to open the door, a hand was on top of hers, pulling. He pulled her hand to let go of the handle. And then their eyes met.

"You're back too." Was all Mikan could say.

Eighteenth card: revealed. Because this Hyuuga was willing to bet everything he has just to make sure that he wins this little card game.

High School Sweethearts by 13 is my number

Nonoko pushed a strand out of her face as she placed stack after stack of papers into one pile and handed them to her secretary. "These are the files, I've reviewed and I've edited them just give them to my father and tell him to send me the final papers so I can sign them."

"Yes, Ma'am." The secretary said as she accepted the pile of paper. "By the way, your father would like to meet you before lunch."

"For what reason?" Nonoko said as she sat down behind her desk and checked her phone for her schedule today.

"He wanted you to meet the investor for the new project you're holding." The secretary replied.

"Oh. That's great to hear." Nonoko said as she placed her phone on top of the desk. She stood up and straightened her outfit and said, "I just checked my schedule. Please inform my clients that I would be out of the country for the next 2 weeks for my sister's wedding."

Nonoko's secretary nodded. She made her way towards her office door and decided to arrive ten minutes early to her meeting with her investor.

After four years of training under her father, she can finally prove herself worthy if this project of hers is successful. And in order to do that, she needs a good investor. Hopefully, it's this one.

She stood before her father's office and took a deep breath. She was very much well-known for her professionalism in her father's company. Through the years, paper work after paper work, she has changed. Back then, she thought that you're on top if you have the latest Prada bag, but here, in the real world, the only way you can say you're on top is if everyone can see your ability.

She grabs hold of the knob and pushed open the door. She placed a smile on her face as she said, "Good Morning, father."

But before she could hear her father's reply, someone else caught her eyes.

He stood up from his seat, a smile on his face. His glasses long gone after a surgery for his eyes. And as much as Nonoko hates to admit, he was far more handsome than she last saw him in High School.

"Nonoko, I'm sure you've met Yuu Tobita." Her father said, as she reluctantly walked closer to them. Hearing that name, seeing him just a few feet away made memories flash through her head. How could she forget the man who first broke her heart?

She forced a smile and took a deep breath. She needed this deal, she needs to be professional and not let her emotions get in the way.

"Of course, we went to Alice Academy together." Nonoko said as she stood before them. Her father stood up and shook Yuu's hand as a sign of goodbye and said, "Well then, I hope that you can close a deal with this fine gentleman. But I have to skip your meeting; I have to prepare for a lunch meeting with the board of directors."

They heard the door closed and Nonoko's smile went out the door as well, the same moment her father left them. She didn't know what to say. All words left her mouth; she was empty…and trapped.

Yuu cleared his throat and smiled at Nonoko. She didn't smile back. And he finally broke the silence. "It's a pleasure to see you once again, Nonoko."

Her heart skipped a beat as her name rolled of his tongue. How long has it been since someone called her that aside from her family?

But then, the bitter reality was still there: he broke her heart. And yes, she thought so too that she had long forgotten it but the moment she saw him here in her territory, she felt like all the anger that time had banned from her heart suddenly came back like water flowing in the river—fast and dangerous.

"Let's get down to business, Mr. Tobita." She bit back his name. She needed to remind them both that this was a business transaction, and it was only a business transaction, and not a reunion.

Yuu chuckled as if Nonoko told him a joke. The mood seemed to have lightened for Yuu but for Nonoko, it thickened like grass in summer bloom. "No need to be so formal. After all, we had been friends."

For Nonoko, it seemed to have double meaning. As if Yuu was implying that during High School they were not just friends but more, which was true…but why bring it up? What does he want from her, another broken heart?

Nonoko blinked a few times trying to not let her emotions get the best of her. She forced a smile once more and said, "I brought the papers and I hope we can discuss them before lunch, Mr. Tobita."

Because for Nonoko, this was just another business transaction with a man—a man who, just like the others, hoped to have something so much more with her, but for Yuu, it was a chance to bring back the High School love story that she has tried to bury in her box of bad memories so many painful times.

As Yuu Tobita, forcefully played with the cards of fate, the nineteenth card was forcefully shown. But how much is he willing to bet just to win Nonoko back?

High School Sweethearts by 13 is my number

Misaki never felt so at home in her life. She was taking a break from her last year in college and the best vacation she could get is to be home—in Japan. It was just an added bonus that her cousin, Anna, was going to be married to her first, last and longest boyfriend, Kitsuname Ichiou.

She can't believe that after four years, they were going to see each other again. She felt happy, yes, but a part of her can't stop thinking of what would she feel when she sees Tsubasa. Again.

She pushed the door open to her mansion and before she could shout, "I'M HOME!" a sight caught her eyes to blink and for her heart to skip a beat.

Tsubasa Andou was sitting there on their sofa beside her sister.

She forced a smile. She had no right to be angry, just because her sister was dating the guy who broke her into millions of pieces, it doesn't mean she should be involved with them. After all, she got him first before her. It was really hers to start with.

The maid stood beside her and she tried to lighten the air by saying, "Can you fix those things in my closet already? Thank you."

She pushed her hair back and smiled again at Tsubasa, who stood up, and Kendra who tried so hard to look and seem innocent of this situation. Tsubasa was having second thoughts if he should walk towards her and explain or just stay where he is and explain.

"I uhh…we were just—" Tsubasa tried.

"It's none of my business." Misaki said in a forced light tone. "I'm glad to see that you're both happy."

She headed for the stairs and not dared glance back at them. Why does it hurt? Shouldn't she be happy? And besides, she didn't come back here to rekindle some old high school love story. She was here because she wants to be home and Anna is getting married soon.

But didn't she also hope, even just a little, that Tsubasa would have waited for her?

She stopped in the middle of the stairs and said to Kendra, "I know I'm not the best sister but after staying in Rome for four years, I could really say that I missed you, sis."

Kendra's eyes lit and she smiled. Misaki was glad to see that. She placed a paper bag beside her foot and said, "This is the latest Prada bag I got. It's for you."

With that she proceeded to go up the stairs, trying to forget of what she saw. She said it herself; it was none of her business. She should stick to her words. It is none of her business. And she just really hoped that it would never be her business because she might end breaking the walls that took her four years to build around herself.

Was fate really playing with its cards and just got bored in the game so it started tossing any card it gets its hand to? Because the way Misaki sees it, fate needs to rebegin this little game of theirs again because Misaki seems to be in a dead end.

She was scared, scared to see herself bet all of her cards and put them all on the table just for one guy again. She promised herself, her heart that she won't do it again, that she'd take it slow, that she'll be careful the second time around…and that she won't toss her mind aside just because her heart felt something strong. No, she won't do it again. She can't risk it.

But then, why does she feel like she lost so much when she didn't, when she refused to even play this game again?

Is this really how it was supposed to be? That right after giving so much time to bring yourself back, to make sure that every piece of you is still there and after trying to hard in putting those pieces back together, after seeing the one person who broke you, you feel like all those years were nothing but trash talk? That you were just continuously lying to yourself so that you won't end up crying at night, is that really the bitter truth that she was trying to escape?

She felt so stupid for letting her emotions get the best of her again. She closed the door behind her and she slowly slid her back down to the floor.

"You won't know how hard you fell until you hit the ground." She murmured to herself.

She had no more tears to cry. She was dry and empty.

Yes, she felt something when she saw Tsubasa. And she also felt like the whole world threw a heavy meteor right at her when she saw Tsubasa with Kendra. But what can she do? She was better off without him and they were better off thinking that was happy for them, which, somehow, she was.

She wasn't lying to them or to herself when she said she was happy for them, she was just partly telling the truth. What's wrong with that?

She stood up from where she was and chuckled at how silly she was. She was over thinking things again.

She has decided. As long as they're in love and happy, she has no right whatsoever to even be involved with them…because she said it a long time ago and she'll say it again, love was never supposed to hurt like this.

And even if it was, it was supposed to be bearable.

The twentieth card has been revealed. Are you ready to see more?

High School Sweethearts by 13 is my number

"I'll leave this copy of the contract in your hands for you to further study, Mr. Tobita." Nonoko said as she passed the thick black folder with the contract inside. She had managed to finish discussing the contract with Yuu without any flaw in her professionalism.

Yuu smiled as he took the folder from her hands. "I'm guessing that you'll be away for two weeks?"

"Of course you would know. You got invited." Nonoko said with a chuckle afterwards.

Yuu nodded and said, "I guess, this is their way of saying High school reunion."

There he was again with his double meanings. Or was it just Nonoko's paranoidism that is getting the best of her? She blinked the thought away and said, "Yes, maybe."

She stood up from her seat and Yuu followed too. Nonoko offered a hand to shake and when Yuu grabbed it, she felt like she wanted to just pull it back. But of course, she didn't.

"Glad we finished this before lunch." Nonoko said with a smile.

Yuu smiled back and said, "Then maybe we can grab lunch together?"

Nonoko removed her hand from his grip and said, "Thanks but no thanks."

She headed for the door of the office when Yuu spoke, "Shouldn't you be at least trying to keep me happy? After all, I am your investor. I mean, without me, there would be no project."

Nonoko turned around and showed him an irritated smile. "Please, if you really are a true professional at this type as they say you are then I'm pretty much confident that you wouldn't back out just because your ego got hurt." She took a deep breath and continued, "I'll tell my secretary to tell your secretary of the time of our meeting for the contract signing tomorrow. Good day, Mr. Tobita."

She turned around and Yuu was swiftly behind her, and he grabbed hold of her hand but without turning her around. "Please, don't be like this. We are friends, aren't we?"

Nonoko didn't turn but said with venom, "Awhile ago you said, we had been friends. And now you're saying that we are friends? Sorry, Mr. Tobita, I prefer the former."

She tried to remove again her hand from his but he wouldn't let go and said, "Nonoko."

Her name rolled on his tongue like fire on ice—thick and mysterious. She took a deep breath and turned around, that was it. She hated this situation and never would she get back on this again. NEVER.

"It's Ms. Ogasawara. We have nothing but a business transaction, Mr. Tobita. And it just so happens that my sister is getting married to your close friend and that it also just so happens that we went to the same High School back in Japan. But that's it! It is nothing but coincidence. And us? We are nothing but two people having a business transaction." Nonoko said, her professionalism long gone. Her voice had gone from a soft sweet serenade to hard and harsh one like wind that can cut right through you.

Nonoko used force in taking Yuu's hand of hers but before she could even turn around, Yuu said, "Have you forgotten that you fell in love with me and me with you?"

"Yes, I have." Nonoko's words pierced through Yuu like a rose being stabbed again and again by a knife—painful for the rose but beautiful at the sight of the sinner. And what's even more hurtful was the words she said next, "Unless, you want me to remember that you broke my heart…first."

High School Sweethearts by 13 is my number

Mikan stood where she was just moments ago—in front of Natsuke's grave. This is where Natsume wanted to talk? Why here, why here where she would feel so guilty, helpless and nothing but a traitor?

They were just standing there. Not looking at each other, not touching, not talking. Just standing, while she hoped that the silence won't kill her, Natsume hoped that he'll manage to say the right words.

"Mikan Azumi?" Natsume said with a chuckle.

"How did you…what!" Mikan said in a shock. That was the name she used in Italy for four years. She stayed hidden, worked in a small company as a secretary after college, she didn't even tell anyone about her true identity. Then, how did he know?

"I found out that you left and told no one about your whereabouts." Natsume stated innocently and looked at her. "You first went to America as Mikan Sakura, changed your name to Mikan Azumi and went to Italy."

"You stalker!" Mikan shouted at him. "And where were you anyway!"

"Same place where you were. You were just so naïve to have noticed me." Natsume said with a smile. He took a deep breath and took a step towards Mikan but she took a step back.

He tried, in every way possible, to get close to her even without her knowing, but every step that he took, she takes a step on the opposite direction. She was running away from him like a person from a plague.

Mikan looked down on her feet then back at Natsume. What was she doing? Playing another game with him? They weren't kids anymore. This isn't High School anymore. It has been four years of running and she knew deep down that they were bound to see each other again, whether she was prepared or not. They will meet.

So why is she running again?

Why is she scared again?

Is it because…she knew deep down that she wasn't just soul searching in those four years in Italy but trying her best to forget him and move on? Which, by the way, she failed oh-so miserably.

This was a moment of truth.

No more lying to herself.

She still loves him…with all of her heart.

And she knows that he loves her still too.

But the only question is, how far is she willing to risk, to give, and take just to try again? Haven't they broken each other's hearts enough? Didn't they both get the message that they are better of without each other? So why are they still standing too close to each other, looking at each others eyes, silently but both where shouting inside their hearts of how much they missed each other?

Natsume tried to touch her but he decided against it. He can't. Not now, not today. "How have you been?" He tried to start a conversation between them.

Mikan laughed, he would already know how she would have been. After all, in those four years, he has stalked her. "Stop it, Hyuuga." He cringed at the name she used to call him. "What do you want? Why are we still talking? When we both know that our mouths are just better at kissing when we're together because once we use them for other things—like talking—we both end up hurting like the whole world threw spears, swords and rocks at us."

Natsume had to agree. He does know that they would both end up just hurting.

"So, stop this crap and cut to the chase. What do you want?" Mikan said with venom. She said it without even blinking.

Natsume hated it.

He knows he messed up four years ago…but she could have at least forgotten it, right? And if she didn't, maybe she would change her mind when he would say the right words.

"I still love you, Mikan."

Yup, right words. Oh how he messed up.

Mikan laughed and said, "Yeah, and we're both hoping that those words could change something. But sadly it can't." She turned around and started walking away from him. She made it seem like this was nothing but an uncleaned break up. But for Natsume, it wasn't.

Because if it was, then why does he still want her so badly?

Natsume shouted behind her, not moving from where he was standing, "And you don't love me back? Please, we both know you do."

Mikan stopped walking and turned around. She smiled but said nothing.

"Why lie about the only thing we can be sure of, Mikan? Why?" Natsume continued shouting.

Mikan walked a few steps back to him but just enough space to have a conversation without shouting. She looked at Natsume and said, "Who said I was lying? I didn't even say a single word about what I feel for you."

Natsume smirked. 'Touché',' he thought. "So, you still do feel the same way."

He won.

At least he thought he did.

Silence. A few seconds passed, and Mikan didn't reply. She just looked at him, but she didn't seem to be thinking of the right words to say. And Natsume was a tad bit confused.

Mikan's smile slowly faded and she felt a lump on her throat. Silence…that was exactly what they needed, to just stand in front of each other, look at each other's eyes without saying a word but seem like they were talking—loud and clear. But Mikan could hear one thing and she doesn't like it. Because for her, it doesn't, and will never seem right.

She swallowed the lump on her throat—hard—looked at Natsume through her tears, as she tried to utter the right reply. She knows that she needs to say something hurtful, endure the pain a little longer; just so that both of them could figure out that they were never meant to be because deep down she knows she couldn't look straight in his eyes without thinking of both of them being traitors. She needed to say something that would make him stop caring about her.

She tried to smirk, tried to seem stronger, like what she was about to say was not going to affect her. And she finally said the reply that hurts her as much as it pierced through Natsume's heart, "Even if I still love you, what business is that of yours?"

There!:D

HAHAHA. I could finally say that I gave you a REAL chapter!:)) HAHAHA. Anyway, I am going to say that this is the best (so far) that I have every created for this story. Although it is a little bit shorter than the other chapters. But I managed to place so much words, and so much lit. in it, if you guys get what I mean. HAHAHA.

So yeah, this is it. Please do REVIEW. This is not the last chapter. There's still a few more to come, Okay? So stay tuned!:D

Stay safe.

XOXO,

13ismynumber