Chapter Five
NHyuuga: Hey
Are my eyes playing tricks on me or did Natsume just send me an IM?
'NHyuuga'; that's definitely Natsume's. He's an old contact, but I didn't bother removing him along with the others from my contacts list since I hardly ever use my messenger after I've been cast out by my own friends. I just started using it again recently when Hotaru and I started hanging out.
If Natsume was able to IM me, that means he hasn't deleted me on his list either. I wonder what made him message me now. It's been so long since the last time we've exchanged messages on messenger. And even when we were still on speaking terms with each other, he seldom starts the conversation. I was usually the one who would send the first message.
Out of sheer curiosity, I chose to type back.
Mikan0101: hey
After several minutes later, when I thought he would no longer reply and that he has only mistakenly clicked my name on his list, a new message from him came up.
NHyuuga: what's up?
Mikan0101: not much. Do u need something?
Natsume replied faster this time,
NHyuuga: why wud I need something?
Mikan0101: idk. I just assumed that u do coz u messaged me
NHyuuga: ah
Mikan0101: 'ah' what?
NHyuuga: do I need to need something before I can msg u?
Considering everything that happened and how things are right now, he must have some underlying motive for messaging me out of the blue. I wanted to say that but decided not to and just sent him a one-word response instead.
Mikan0101: no
NHyuuga: So what are u doing?
A crease was formed on my forehead in bewilderment. If this chat happened nine months ago, his query would be a standard everyday question between friends chatting online.
But obviously, it's different now. We're no longer friends.
NHyuuga: Mikan?
A new one came up and then I realized I've been idle for a few minutes now.
NHyuuga: u still there?
I was about to type back but I was interrupted by a knock on my door.
"Mikan?" My mom's voice called out as she slightly opened the door and poked her head inside to find me, "Are you busy?"
"Nope, I'm done with my homework."
"I want to talk to you." My mom, Yuka Sakura, said as she walked inside the room.
Judging from the serious look on her face, I knew this talk would take a while.
"Oh, okay. Yeah, just a sec," I said and then turned back to my laptop to make a quick reply to Natsume.
Mikan0101: yeah, sorry. Gotta go
And then I logged out of the messenger without waiting for his reply.
"So your dad told me that you were thinking of applying to Princeton for college," my mom began when I finally gave her my undivided attention. She went on talking for another twenty minutes about the cons and difficulties of living all by myself in a foreign country and when she ran out of things to say to discourage me, she heaved a sigh and asked,
"Will this make you happy, going to Princeton and live in another country?"
I smiled and answered, "It will, mom. It'll be a nice change."
A sad, defeated look was instantly shown all over my mom's face as she sat at the end of my bed, looking dejected.
"Mom," I called out to her, feeling a little guilty, as I got up from my chair to sit beside her, "It's not like I'll live there forever. I'll only be gone for four or maybe five years max."
"Four, five years? That's a long time, Mikan!" cried mom in a strained, upset voice.
"I can work part-time jobs and save up for plane tickets so I can come home during summer and Christmas breaks." I said consolingly to my mom whose eyes are now starting to fill with tears.
"Mom, don't get so worked up by this. We're not even sure yet if I'll get accepted. There's always a chance for Tokyo University."
"Of course you'll get accepted! You're the smartest in your batch!" My mom exclaimed rather proudly despite her sobbing state.
I could not help but laugh a little. "Well, Yuu Tobita's running for Valedictorian, too."
"What if you get into another accident again and we're not there with you?" I momentarily froze beside her. I knew this would come up. That's basically the primary reason why my mom has become so overprotective of me.
"That won't happen again. I'll be very careful, I promise." I actually didn't know what else to say except for that.
After a few more minutes of consoling and convincing, my mom has finally calmed down and conceded.
"I haven't left yet and you already miss me."
"Of course."
"When I'm off to college, you and dad will have the house all to yourselves. Maybe when I get back, I'll have a new baby brother or sister waiting for me." I said teasingly to my mom, glad that she's no longer teary-eyed.
"Maybe," she giggled, and then got up and said goodnight. "Don't stay up too late, Mikan. Try to sleep early tonight. You still have school tomorrow."
"Goodnight, mom," I said as she gave me a kiss on the forehead before she headed out of my room.
When I was finally alone again, I went back in front of my laptop, and for a moment, I debated with myself if I should sign back in to my messenger or just go straight to bed, try to sleep early and fight off my insomnia.
But knowing that the last option was close to impossible, I chose the former. I'll just check if Natsume left an offline message. He might have replied to my last message without me reading it because I signed out too quickly.
But when I logged in, there were no messages for me. I checked his name on my list of contacts to see if he was still online but he wasn't anymore.
The next day, Natsume was absent from school. I knew that piece of information because he was my classmate in History and he didn't show up in class. I also noticed that Luca was not accompanied by his best friend during lunch time at the cafeteria. Not that I was deliberately looking for Natsume, I just happened to notice that he wasn't around. Really.
Anyway, after school, Hotaru and I were finally able to go to that seafood restaurant in Central Town. Hotaru unquestionably has a bigger appetite than I do, and that's saying something. Admittedly, it was pretty refreshing to be out again with someone I can talk to about the most insignificant things, even though that someone was a gluttonous pig.
Hotaru and I ate so much at the restaurant that it left me so full I had to skip dinner that night at my house.
Since I've finished all my schoolwork ahead of time, there was nothing left for me to do.
I turned my laptop on and logged onto my messenger. I checked for Hotaru but she was still offline, and then my eyes wandered down to my other contacts and stopped on Natsume's user ID. He was offline, too. But then, to my surprise, the gray dot beside his name suddenly turned green, indicating the user was now online.
And not a minute later, a new window appeared on my screen,
NHyuuga: Mikan?
I blinked a couple of times on my computer before typing on my keyboard to give a reply,
Mikan0101: hey
NHyuuga: what happened to u last nyt?
Mikan0101: Sorry abt that. mom came in to talk
NHyuuga: ah, ok
Mikan0101: yeah
NHyuuga: so what's up
Mikan0101: nothing
And before I could stop myself, I typed in another one,
Mikan0101: why weren't you in school today?
NHyuuga: u noticed?
I mentally scolded myself for asking. He must've thought that I was purposely looking for him at school. I can now picture Natsume with that smirk plastered on his face while in front of his computer. He's quite famous for that smirk; he does it whenever he's pleased or amused at something, or just simply feeling arrogant. The girls at school practically swoon every time Natsume has that on his face, especially when it's directed at them.
Because Natsume, he doesn't smile. He smirks.
Mikan0101: the teacher did a roll call at history, he called ur name & u weren't there
I probably came off defensive but whatever.
NHyuuga: my grandma arrived today from US, I wanted to pick her up myself at the airport
I've met Natsume's grandmother a couple of times before, and I genuinely like her. She reminded me a lot of my own grandfather who passed away a few years ago.
Mikan0101: Really? how long is she staying here in Japan this time?
NHyuuga: I'm not sure. she'll be celebrating her bday here
Mikan0101: oh, ok. Tell her I said hi
And then there were several minutes of gap before he answered again.
NHyuuga: do u wanna come and see her?
It took me a while before I could come up with a proper response. To be honest, I'd love to see his grandmother again. It would just feel awkward for me to go to his house after all those months of ignoring each other.
Mikan0101: I'd love to. but I've lots of things to do. I might not have the time
NHyuuga: that a yes or a no?
Duh. Obviously, that's my subtle and polite way of saying no. Can't he take a hint?
Mikan0101: no, I can't
NHyuuga: u can't or u won't?
Mikan0101: can't
NHyuuga: ok. She'll be really happy to see u though
Mikan0101: yeah, sorry
And when I thought our conversation would end there, Natsume typed in another one,
NHyuuga: u know
Mikan0101: I know…?
NHyuuga: U haven't thanked me yet
Mikan0101: thank u for what?
NHyuuga: breaking Akiyama's nose for u
Mikan0101: I didn't ask u to do it!
NHyuuga: yeah, well, I did. And I had to clean the gym for it
Mikan0101: not my fault. If u didn't go punching him, u wouldn't have to
NHyuuga: you're ungrateful
Mikan0101: what? Now I'm ungrateful?
Mikan0101: THANK YOU
Mikan0101: there! Happy now?
NHyuuga: you're welcome
Mikan0101: whatever. Gotta go now
NHyuuga: to sleep?
Mikan0101: no
NHyuuga: why then?
Mikan0101: no reason
NHyuuga: so why r u leaving? we're still chatting. don't be rude, Mikan
I frowned. What's up with him? This is really starting to weird me out. Maybe this person who I've been chatting with for the past hour or so isn't really Natsume. Maybe some other person was using his account.
Mikan0101: who is this?
NHyuuga: what?
Mikan0101: you hacked Natsume's messenger!
NHyuuga: idiot
Mikan0101: i'm gonna report u
NHyuuga: stupid girl. i am Natsume
Mikan0101: prove it
To my surprise, a new notification appeared below my last message,
NHyuuga wants to start a video call.
[]Answer call
[]Decline
Hesitantly, I clicked on the first button.
The chatbox expanded on the screen as two separate boxes emerged just above the messages, viewing two web cams: one was mine, and the other was Natsume's.
My eyes widened as I stared at my screen. I can now see Natsume through his web cam. He wasn't looking directly at the cam but the slight smirk on his face was visible. I can only see half of him, from his chest up to his face; he was wearing a plain black shirt and his black hair messier than it usually was. Behind him was his wide bed and his other stuff. I guess he was in his study table like me.
And then it hit me. He can also see me in his computer. I quickly yet discreetly checked myself on the box that views my web cam. I was a bit relieved to see that I looked... normal. I was wearing a yellow t-shirt that night with my hair tied up in a slightly messy bun.
I turned my eyes again back to Natsume's cam. Both our microphones are turned off so there were no sounds coming from each of us.
NHyuuga: is this proof enough?
Feeling a bit stupid for my earlier accusations, I scowled.
Mikan0101: I was just making sure
NHyuuga: right
Awkward pause.
I couldn't think of anything else to say. This is just so beyond weird, especially now that we're viewing each other's webcams.
Natsume then started typing on his keyboard,
NHyuuga: So, should I start stripping my clothes off, or do u wanna do it first?
After reading his message, I was positive my face turned red.
Mikan0101: pervert!
Mikan0101 ended the video call.
Mikan0101 has signed out of messenger.
::-::
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