"The One Who is Numbered Infinitely"

By: Anjellove

Chapter 6:

"I know." She says, amethyst eyes warming for a second. "I'm not dumb. I know what stupid ordeal this is all about, idiot."

I smiled, propping myself up the wide bar railings of the pavilion. "I know. You are Hotaru Imai, and you're right in all ways."

Hotaru leaned on the bar. "Death is inevitable. You can't run away from it, neither do I."

"Understood. What I'm just saying is; I want to make the most of my time." I said, trying to defend myself. I don't exactly know why she's so worked-up upon learning this escapade of mine.

"I'm not stopping you with whatever you want to do to make people say 'oh gosh, that girl's legend, surviving a world full of atrocious beings'."

I could not help but laugh at Hotaru's attempt to mimic some other's flirtatious-like voice. "Mikan, you are living to the fullest, that I wouldn't dare to counter, every damn human in this world would be able to see that. But don't you think that you're dragging too many lives to your death? They don't even know who you really are, or the stupid tumour spreading across your breast to your labia."

Of course, she's right. I chuckled softly. "Good thought pointed out." I don't even know what else to say. Heck, I don't even have anything to say about that. She's Hotaru Imai, and Hotaru means being right.

The orange hues of the sky suddenly caught my attention. The seemingly innocent birds, flapping their wings against the gentle blow of winds, and the sun dangerously at the brink of its death, all miraculously enticing my senses with life. "God," I muttered, closing my orbs.

I could feel her eyes on me. "Somehow, I feel like twilight." I heard myself saying in a breathy manner. Suddenly, her warm hand is intertwining with mine. "You're always dawn to me."

"Breaking dawn, eh."

Hotaru slapped my hand at the comment.

"Why the heavens spoil the moment?" I said, laughing in between, knowing her reasons. "Yukihara, the hell are you thinking? Are you despising me now?"

"What? I was only relating."

"Oh, please. Don't even start Edward-Bella on me, I'll kill you before you even reached your last."

I snickered. "So I can Jacob on you?"

"Sod this." She stood up, leaving a laughing me behind.

1700, Still Day 30.

"You sure you're going now?" I asked, intertwining and untangling my fingers with Hotaru's. I tip her chin to my level (it's a good thing I'm taller than her :P) and found a rare for-Mikan-only smile gracing her soft lips. Just that small thing warmed my heart in an instant, and like a psychic contagion, it brought a small smile to play on my lips too.

"I'll be here in Tokyo. Call me in case your heart's beating you to pulp." She says gently, amethyst eyes searching my soul through the pair of brown orbs. I nod at her. It wouldn't be long, Hotaru. It won't be.

Day 40.

Koko stared at Ruka's form who is currently staring worriedly at Natsume. Red orbs continued to brood over the sakura tree just outside the window, as if waiting for someone to emerge from inside the tree and greet him good morning. A low sigh escaped Natsume's lips. He turned to the door. Ruka sat up straight to look at what he's been looking; Koko cocked his head to watch the two.

After a moment, Natsume turned back to the tree, and the same process repeats all over again.

-A pity.

-Seriously a pitiable state.

-One Word: Hopelessness

It's been a week since the news erupted of Sky suddenly dropping off from the school. No sign of him, no news, no reasons given. Even the faculty were too cautious of letting slip any information. Not even Misaki Harada would speak of it.

And it's making Natsume Hyuuga crazier in the passing moments. "Damn that woman." He cursed under his breath, got up and left the room.

Suddenly finding himself with the dog Mikan likes to call Holmes. He sat beside the dog house and he finds the German Sheppard cuddling closer to where he is. Ruffling the soft gray tresses, the dog seems to be a lot like its owner. He let out a low chuckle.

"Natsume Hyuuga."

He looked up, surprised to see someone he did not expect.

Hotaru started to disentangle the dog chain from the short bar beside the dog house. "Damn that Yukihara." She muttered. "Just what the hell did she do to this?" This time, Natsume kneeled just beside the woman and undid the twist himself.

"Thanks."

"Hn."

-Sudden awkward silence

"She wants to see you." Hotaru said. Standing up and willing Holmes to follow her. "In case you want to know."

Natsume stood up as well. "Where is she?"

1100 o' clock, Day 40.

"I brought you a guest." Hotaru stated, knocking at the door of the bedroom just adjacent hers.

"Who is it?" a soft voice asked back that sounded weak and tired and too used.

"Hyuuga." Hotaru answered just as silence came back to her. There was a bit of noise resounding from the room, a sound of someone clearing her throat, then came that same balmy voice. "Okay, you can let him in now."

Turning the knob, Natsume walked in to the room. The walls were newly painted in a shade of powdery blue. At the corner, lay a small study table filled with all sorts of books and some DVDs. On the side is another table, much smaller than that of the study mountained with bouquets of flowers. And right there at the heart of the lonesome room is two-spacer bed, and a woman sitting rather peacefully. Her face shows no sign of suffering even though there's a cannula attached to her nose and a couple of wires taped right to her chest area, a machine on her left side showing the processes and beating of her heart.

She waves at him, like nothing is wrong. And there's that smile that he missed so much. It made him smile back. "Hi." She accosts and pats to a space on the bed. He strides towards her and sat on that space.

"Hey." He greets back. "You're a pretty bad liar, you know that." He says.

She laughs at it. "I'm sorry. I just want to live a normal cancer-free life before taking responsibility of the tumour right here." Mikan points to her right frontal lobe.

"Then how would you take responsibility for me?" Natsume asked.

"Hmm?"

He tips her chin, making her look right back at him. With that crimson eyes melting her down and the sexy curve formed whenever a smile graces his face, the defined jaw and his perfect nose. She gazes back to his eyes, feeling a heat creeping up her face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean just this." Leaning down, he captured her lips in a slow passionate music. How perfect it felt. He tugs lightly at her lower lip, coaxing her to take him in. Mikan snaked her arms to his neck, pulling him closer, opening her mouth just to let him have his way to her…inside her heart, her mind, her soul.

She pulled back, beet red and panting. "Are you sure you still want a dying woman?" She saw a smile. "Damn yes. I've never been this confident in my life." Natsume answers. At that, she kissed him again, deep and lovely and passionate.