Hey everyone...
So, I edited some stuff with this story especially with the pairing. I just realized that I sucked royally in the grammar and I didn't know then that the tense is supposed to be past tense.
I didn't edit everything, mind you. I'm a loyal slacker so I guess you could see that in the story. I think I started in chapter 2 with the major editing...
Anyway, I've written two new chapters after a very long hiatus (sorry i didn't warn any of the guys waiting for almost a year-major problems came up in my family and school). Second year high school was hectic in Phil-Sci. At least in my third year this year, it won't be so hectic.
I'm done with promising you guys for a certain time for my update. I'm done with breaking my promises. I can't even tell you guys how sorry I am.
Since those who had been waiting for this story to update probably got sick of waiting, I'm just going to say sorry and i hope you'll forgive me. To those who had been reading my stories and making Story Alerts and some even gave a few reviews, thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.
P.S. : This note is just going to repeat from the first chap until the 22nd chapter of my story.
Chapter 20 – Eavesdropping isn't a good idea
"WHAT?" everyone yelled in chorus as Mikan and Futon announced what had been planned for them. Sumire stood up angrily and started to pace, her feet stomping angrily as she did so.
"Why the hell do they want us to be the judges for this stupid contest?" Nonoko shrieked and almost pulled her head out. Anna helplessly tried to calm her down to no avail.
Mikan kept quiet as everyone—excluding Hotaru and Futon—ranted over the subject.
Flashback
Kazu Izumi, the principal, kept his hand-over-his-mouth posture as he observed Mikan's gaping mouth and Futon's steaming head.
"Oh, that?" he asked as if there weren't two teenagers ready to blow. "That's just an announcement to be made by next week."
Futon's glare intensified. "Don't you know what this would cost Mikan and her band?" he nearly yelled. Mikan had to keep a restraining hand on Futon's arm to stop him from jumping over the table and strangling the man behind it.
Kazu remained calm. "That's why I called Mikan here to ask for her opinion, boy. Didn't we teach you to be patient?" he retorted with an eyebrow raised. He then cleared his throat and turned his attention to the frozen teen.
"Our school is losing its funds due to the refurnishing and the many famous people signing up to it and their privileges," he explained while he put his arms on the table. "The public knowing that Blue Moon is the judge for the competition would have them buy tickets and our merchandise just to see you. Of course, Dark Sky is a major help but we need more. Besides, I think it's a good publicity for you, don't you think?"
"That's the least they need, old man," Futon answered for Mikan. "They need privacy. Not the stupid publicity."
Kazu turned to his son with a small glare. "I need the opinion of whom I'm speaking with, young man, and not a steamy teenager. Perhaps you should improve your respect next time. Too bad your mother forgot about that."
Mikan became scared. She wasn't scared for Futon. No, she was scared what Futon could do.
But she was surprised when Futon turned to back away after saying—hissing is a better term—an, "I'm outta here" and slammed the door shut when he went out. She could still feel Futon's deathly aura.
Mikan could only shake her head in pity and turned back to the man behind the desk.
"With all due respect, Uncle, I agree with Futon," she replied. "We need privacy to keep our band intact. With all the hiding we've been through, Aoi Hyuuga already knows who we are. Luna Koizumi isn't much of a problem—" she stopped in mid-sentence because she was about to add, "because she's a stupid b****" but thought otherwise.
She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I would have loved to help but I also need my band's opinion not just mine. How about I give you the answer by the day after tomorrow?"
Kazu rubbed his chin. "Very well. But please, promise that you'd give me the answer as soon as possible. It's quite important for the school."
Mikan nodded and bowed again. She was about to turn the door knob before stopping.
"Have you ever thought why Futon hates you so much?" she asked suddenly.
She could feel Kazu's stern gaze on her. "No," he replied frostily.
"Maybe you should think what you've done for him and his mother recently," she murmured loud enough for him to hear and went out to follow where Futon had gone to.
End of flashback
After she left the office, she had found Futon almost demolishing a thirty-second of the Western Woods. Good thing the Western Woods were far from the school or else people would be coming there to see a part of the forest barren and the trees uprooted.
"I don't like this idea," Yuu stated the obvious, bringing our dear Mikan back to Earth. "I actually despise it. Why in the world does the principal expect us to get exposed to the public like this?"
"It's not yet decided," Mikan interrupted whatever Sumire was about to rant. "I told him to give us time until the day after tomorrow. I agree with you, though. Nobody likes this idea."
Hotaru turned her eyes to her best friend. "What is the principal's reason to do this?"
"He said that because the school is losing its funds from the refurnishing and stuff and new and famous people getting special treatments."
"But we pay our electrical bills, water bills, and rent," Anna broke in.
"Twin, we don't pay rent," Nonoko reminded her. "We made this, remember?"
"Oh…"
"Still!" Sumire half-shrieked and stomped her foot. "That's just stupid! I mean, I don't see Dark Sky and Luna Bitchy Koizumi get special treatments!"
Though she cringed at her word, Mikan managed to answer her. "Yeah but think about it, they didn't have to pay for tuition, they didn't have to pay for their needs here, and they don't have to pay monthly interests like we do. But I do see your point."
"He only cares about the money and keeping up the fame," a grave voice said. She turned to see Futon rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Besides," he continued. "That's all he's been counting on ever since you guys came here."
"What?" Yuu choked out. "You mean he's been hoping for the world to know about us in time?"
Futon nodded. "Something like that."
Mikan wasn't listening to their exchange though; she was watching how the two communicated. She then realized that Yuu's tone didn't imply the current situation of the band… he meant something else and Futon knew about it.
Someone let out a frustrated sigh. Hotaru. She seemed to have known what Yuu meant and was not the slightest bit relieved of the situation.
"Why can't you say that you'd decline?" Nonoko asked as she held hands with her twin, Anna.
Hotaru answered for Mikan. "This place is our home. We can't just let it get sold because we lost funds."
All of them snapped their heads to her direction and looked at her like she just grew a head and had a third eye.
"Hotaru," Mikan began, her eyes getting teary. "I didn't know you have the heart to do say that—whoa!" She managed to dodge the unexpected bullet from the Idiot Gun she pulled out. Smoke emitted from the nose of the gun and she glared at her.
Despite the tension, Hotaru managed to surprise them yet again with her Ice Queen reputation.
"Don't let it get to your head, stupid," she growled at Mikan while the latter shrank beneath her glare. She turned to the others. "I believe we're in a 50-50 situation here."
"If we agree," Nonoko started. "We'd be risking our identities and our normal life. I don't want that to happen."
"But if we decline, the school would get closed down," Anna meekly said, her face was very sad. "The Room would be found out…"
"Oh no," Sumire moaned. "I can't believe I freaking forgot about the Room!"
"We'd be found out eventually," Yuu continued whatever Anna had cut-off.
Mikan had a sudden urge to hit something. But knowing what it could do, she managed to push it in and let it calm down.
Of course we'd be found out, she thought to herself wistfully. The people here would realize who's this and that and we'd be gone…for good.
"How about I help you guys find jobs?" Futon suggested with hopelessness in his voice. "If we make more money and donate it to the school, maybe we'd be able to push our luck."
"We can't," Hotaru said coldly. "Jobs won't pay the debts of the school." She held up a screen showing the bills.
It would seem that she hacked into every computer database the school had and also hacked into every store and company the school had been in contact with. She showed them her gadget and the only thing you could hear was the gasps, angry puffs and, of course, more than two people cussing over and over again.
Speaking of cursing, Sumire cussed out colorful words, directing them at the principal.
"Five…hundred…million…Yen?" It was Mikan's turn to shriek the total. It was too big.
"Why would the damn principal have this kind of debt?" Nonoko hissed and screeched at the same time as she joined Sumire, who was still cussing out colorful words, in the pacing area.
"This is more like a gamble debt than a school debt." The once calm Yuu was now shaking with anger.
Futon gritted his teeth. "I knew it," he hissed. "That bastard got his hands on the school money and gambled it to shreds."
Mikan couldn't take it anymore and headed downstairs to the Recreational Section and ran full speed towards a punching bag. The bag didn't take the attacks she gave easily and it ripped to shreds. Or it ripped because of what she's been repeating while attacking:
"That f****** damn sh*tty bastard!"
Oh dear… Mikan's not in a mood to talk right now.
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She walked down the hallway towards the principal's office in her uniform. Narumi accompanied her, too, after hearing the situation and promised them that their identities and safety are the most prior things he has to take care of.
Mikan couldn't help but ponder over the decision they've made.
"It feels selfish if we just keep our identities hidden while the school is in turmoil," Yuu had said earlier. "Besides, the more debts the school has made the more of the possibility we'd be found out."
So that was it, they've agreed to do the judging but under some conditions.
Narumi knocked on the door gingerly and opened it after a voice commanded him to do so. Mikan poked her head in before making her whole body enter the room. Narumi followed and closed the door.
"And?" the principal urged.
She took a deep breath first. Then after she'd made sure that she was ready to answer (without cursing at anyone), she looked into the eyes of Kazu.
"We've agreed to be the judges," she said. Kazu's expression lightened up immediately.
"But on certain conditions," Narumi inserted and Kazu became solemn again.
"Conditions?" Kazu repeated as he crossed his fingers together and put them in front of his mouth. "If they are something that involves social change, then that is something I cannot help you with."
Narumi ignored the jibe. "First, the audience should be at least 10 meters away from the band and no one, even the contestants, was to touch them during the competition besides the guard and such. Second, they were to only have one category of judging—"
"Elaborate," the principal commanded.
"For example, Mikan here is to only judge about the music style, so on and so forth," Narumi said with a hint of irritation in his voice. "Third, they are allowed to perform on stage but they would use their own equipment for security reasons. Fourth, no one, as in even the best paparazzi, was to know where they were to stay even the decoy information for their resting place. Lastly, they would keep the money earned during the competition, or even after that, which would be used for the school as you had said."
A moment of silence lingered in the office. Mikan shifted against the tension. Then, Kazu sat upright and looked at the two of them.
"I'm fine with the conditions except one," he stated. "Why should you keep the money?"
"It would have seemed that you had been gambling with it lately," Mikan replied with the same cold tone. "With a whooping amount of five hundred million Yen."
Kazu's face was angered but his eyes were surprised and guilty. "How did you know?"
Mikan put her finger on her chin as she started to enumerate. "Let me see…the school database said that you had one billion in store for the school. The refurnishing only took 300 million Yen and the staff paycheck was 200 million Yen. Now, I wonder where the other 500 million went off?"
Kazu was about to retaliate but Mikan continued while ignoring him.
"We had a video captured that you went to a casino and gambled the rest of it there," she said while she had the fake-innocent look on your face.
"Where did you get that information?" Kazu's voice was shocked and furious.
"Hotaru is the Ice Queen but she is also called the Blackmail Queen," she answered matter-of-factly. "She told me that she'd show the video and the bills to every part of the school if ever you break those conditions. Now do you get the reason why we have to keep the money?"
Kazu didn't reply to her question though. "How could I trust you about the safe-keeping?"
With some effort, Mikan managed not roll her eyes.
"I'll have the ticket sellers get the amount and give them directly to you and I would also have a copy of it," Narumi replied this time. "That way nobody cheats the conditions."
The principal seemed to be cornered by the conditions, Mikan had thought. But nonetheless, the man sighed and fixed his glasses into place.
"Fine then," he replied. "But I need to speak with Narumi alone."
Without further adieu, Mikan exited leaving Narumi and the principal alone. But nobody knew that Mikan intended to listen to their conversation with the use of Hotaru's inventions.
"… exposing them?" Narumi said. "Did you forget the agreement?"
"No, I did not. I was regretful for the loss of money and still am regretful that it would be a matter of time before they would be exposed because of this. Other than that, though it is bad news for you, it would be better if they knew that the heirs are here in school. That way, the paparazzi are going to pay just to get—"
"Is that all you care about? The money?"
"In a way, yes! Nobody in this world could resist two cases of cash!"
"How about Mikan? She's starting to remember because of those people! She's starting to act like the way she was before this chaos. Don't you care about your niece?"
There was a shuffle of a chair and then a thump. Mikan gasped lightly before she heard her uncle's very angry tone.
"I care, you imbecile! But no matter what they do, nobody could change the fact that they will be broken apart because they are the heirs!"
"It was starting to change. After a year of staying here, she's starting to forget all of this! But now that Dark Sky and most especially that Hyuuga came here, she's starting to remember! Why did you even let them come?"
"I was blackmailed yet again! Is that my fault?"
"With all due respect sir, yes it is. Which would you choose your own reputation or the safety and sanity of your daughter-figure?"
Silence engulfed the atmosphere. But to Mikan, she was still dazed of what she was hearing.
"Furthermore, do you even care about your own son? Who would you choose, your son or Mikan?"
"Never give me those choices, Narumi. You do not know the whole story."
"That may be so but I know that I must find a way that Mikan would be happy with her friends and not trapped in an office full of problems and papers!"
"You must have forgotten that they are almost eighteen. The deal said so."
"They're still kids…" Narumi murmured ever so gently that Mikan had to strain her ears to listen. "Why are they subjected to this?"
Mikan presumed that her uncle sat down because she heard the shuffling of a chair again.
"There's nothing, not even I, could do to change it," her uncle replied in a grave voice. "I believe this is the end of the conversation." And he called out Mikan's name.
Mikan entered the room a bit shakily but no one noticed. She looked at the principal whose suit was a bit ruffled and his hair was a little messy.
"I accept the conditions," Kazu said as if he wasn't yelling earlier. "I have no strings attached. Go on and tell them."
Mikan nodded instead of answering, not trusting her voice. Then, together with Narumi, they strode out of the office back to the band.
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"How about Mikan? She's starting to remember because of those people! She's starting to act like the way she was before this chaos. Don't you care about your niece?"
"It was starting to change. After a year of staying here, she's starting to forget all of this! But now that Dark Sky and most especially that Hyuuga came here, she's starting to remember! Why did you even let them come?"
"I was blackmailed yet again! Is that my fault?"
"With all due respect sir, yes it is. Which would you choose your own reputation or the safety and sanity of your daughter-figure?"
"Furthermore, do you even care about your own son? Who would you choose, your son or Mikan?"
"Never give me those choices, Narumi. You do not know the whole story."
What's happening?
"MIKAN!" someone yelled and she fluttered her eyes open. She saw her friends looking at her with curiosity and concern. It would seem that it was Sumire who called her attention back to Earth.
"You okay?" the permed-girl asked. "You're spacing out."
Mikan shook her head with a weak smile. "I'm fine."
"You sure?" Nonoko asked. "You went over the song. It was done like five seconds ago."
"S-sorry," she stuttered. "I need to get some air." Then, she left her guitar on a stand without bothering to unplug it from the amp.
Her friends looked at her retreating back before looking at each other.
"What do you think happened in the principal's office?" Yuu asked as his thoughts were filled with concern over Mikan.
"I'm gonna find out soon," Hotaru muttered and started to unplug her guitar. "Let's call it quits. Dinner's going to be late if you don't cook soon." She gave the Twins a knowing glance and all of them went out of the room. She, however, proceeded before them to find the missing band mate.
As it is, she found Mikan in her room, making random tunes on her guitar. Random would be stupid because Hotaru noticed that the sound Mikan was making with her guitar was somewhat…confused and lost.
Then it clicked.
"What happened?" Hotaru asked as she sat down on Mikan's bed beside her.
Miakn kept silent and looked as if she was thinking about something.
"Hotaru…" Mikan murmured. "Please. Don't keep me in the dark anymore." Then Hotaru was shocked as she saw Mikan's half-crazy eyes.
"I want to know what's happening," Mikan continued. "I'm going crazy and it's gonna get worse if this moves on longer! What are you guys hiding from me? Why are Uncle and Narumi fighting over something that would break us apart?" And, to show that she can't take it anymore, she fell and knelt on the ground with her face touching the ground.
Hotaru lost her "Ice Queen" character and knelt to heave Mikan up. Mikan was indeed looked like someone who just found out that her mother was dead and she was a rape-product.
"What did you hear?" Hotaru tried to ask in a gentle voice.
Mikan took deep breaths and relayed to Hotaru what she heard. Hotaru kept solemn all the time but her eyes were troubled.
It's surfacing, Hotaru thought. I was afraid this would happen.
"Mikan," Hotaru began. "For the last time, please –"
"No!" Mikan yelled like her life depended on it. "Hotaru, I'm tired of this! What are mom, dad, you, Anna, Nonoko, Yuu, Permy, my brothers, Futon, Uncle, Narumi, and even Aoi hiding from me?" Shockingly so, she started to hyperventilate.
Hotaru immediately tried to calm her down. "Mikan, ssh, calm down," she said. "Take deep breaths and I'll call the band, okay? Just calm down."
Mikan did so and Hotaru stood up with an "I'll be back" and got out of the room. She headed towards the dining room and met the surprised faces.
"There's no backing down now," she said in a grave tone. "We're going to tell her the truth."
Everyone looked at her like she just killed ten puppies.
She narrowed her eyes. "If we don't tell her," she began. "She's going to break down harder than she will if she knows from somebody else."