Hello, Stranger

A/n: Here's my longest chapter, I guess? I hope you drop a review after :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.

Chapter 15

Whistling Past the Graveyard

"Mikan! It's here!"

A brunette little girl ran downstairs and towards her mother as her pigtails jumped up and down. "Where is it, mom? Where is it?" She excitedly said as she had a big grin plastered on her face. Her hands clasped together as her deep hazel eyes twinkled in happiness and giddiness. And she gasped in surprise when she saw a big box with a big tangerine ribbon wrapped around it.

"Here's your present, honey!" Her mother beamed at her as she stepped backward so her daughter could see full view of the present for her. "Come on, Mikan." Her mother teased with a smile. "Open it. I know you're excited!"

"Yay!" Mikan beamed as she skipped happily towards the box. The box was almost big as her size as she looked at it and she touched it, caressed the present before she opened it. She tiptoed a little as both of her hands pulled the tangerine ribbon and slowly the boxed open. "Wow!" Her hands covered her mouth as she tried to stop her gasp. "So beautiful."

It was a tangerine teddy bear and it was almost her size. A crimson red ribbon was wrapped around the neck of the teddy bear. Her hands slowly reached the bear as she couldn't believe how beautiful it is. Today is her 7th birthday and it now became her best birthday ever. Once she got hold of the bear, she hugged it tight and squealed in happiness. "So pretty!"

"I know it is, baby girl." Her mother agreed as she smiled on her daughter's reaction.

But Mikan knew this isn't the present she would be getting today. She heard last night that she will finally see the present she's been waiting for. She turned around and faced her mother with a smile on her face, looking more excited. "So where's my other gift, mom?"

But her mother only looked at her with a confuse face. "Um, honey, what do you mean other gift?"

Mikan let out a chuckle. "Mom, please don't get mad at me but I have eavesdropped when you were talking about Natsume coming for my birthday party." She grinned and looked at her mother. "So where is he, mom? Where is he?" She asked as she jumped down in excitement.

But her excitement slowly vanished when she saw the guilt and sadness in her mother's face. And she knew that her present and her best birthday only ended on the teddy bear at her back. "Oh." She said.

"Mikan." Her mother knelt down in front of her and caressed her cheeks. "Natsume's father called early this morning and he told us that Natsume has examinations to study so he couldn't fly here in Japan. I'm so sorry."

"No, it's okay." She gathered all her strength to flash her mother a believable happy smile. "I completely understand."

"Mikan—"

"I'm going upstairs, mom." She immediately said and walked past her mother.

"How about your gift, Mikan?" Her mother said with a sad smile on her face.

She turned around and looked at the teddy bear but as she looked at it, all she could feel is the anger and the sadness of not seeing the person whom she haven't seen for years. The person that before she left in America promised her that he would come back to Japan for her but never did. "I'm just too tired to carry it upstairs." She muttered as she ran immediately to her bedroom and cried herself to sleep.

"Mikan…" Natsume's voice trailed off my name as guilt immediately spread around his face.

Right now, we are at our balcony and we just started our blast from the past conversation. I just told him the beginning but it slowly opened the unhealed wound in my heart that I could feel the pain over and over again. I grab the next shot of my tequila and drank it as I gulped it right down to my throat. "Don't give me that guilty look, Hyuuga." I muttered as I put the glass down.

"I feel sorry that day. I swear to God I threw tantrums around the house because my dick father cancelled my flight back to Japan. I was about to surprise you." He looked at with all the frustration on his face as he finds the right words to ease whatever pain I had felt back at that time. "He grounded me for a month because of it. He took my phone, my computer everything that could be my access to you! Damn it. He didn't even allow me to greet you."

I laughed at his reaction. I knew he was telling the truth because he started to look like he is going to find his father after this and give him a good punch or two. "It's okay, Natsume." I said with a smile. "Though I was really hurt and disappointed that day. I was just so excited to see you. We haven't seen each other for years already and I was holding on with your promise that you'll come back."

He grabbed the tequila bottle and I watched him as he pour his drink and gulped it down immediately. "Mikan, I—"

"No, let me finish." I cut him off with a smile and looked away. "Since I'm doing this open up shit might as well pour everything out." I let a sour laugh and looked at the twinkling lights of the streets below us as I slowly felt the bitterness of every denied emotion I had with this guy. "I've always been in love with you, Natsume. Always loved you and always waited for you. I will always nag Ruka if you contacted him about me or anything but he said you haven't contacted him. Every day I check my email, my voice mail or ask my mother, my father or my brother."

I laughed at how I sounded desperate for him before but I couldn't deny that I was once a desperate young girl waiting for her supposed to be prince charming. "I know I sounded like one of your fan girls but I was that in love with you. But all I got was you're too busy with school so I tried to understand since I thought school is important. So I decided to wait for you until I got tired. Until Tsubasa happened."

"Not sure if I'm ready about the guy stories now…" Natsume muttered as he pour another drink on his glass and drank it.

I smirked and crossed my arms under my chest. "You want to skip the part of how I turned good girl gone bad?"

I heard him let out a small laugh and smirked back at me. "Now that's what I'm really intrigued about."

"I'm gonna need a smoke." I said as I opened the pack of cigarettes and took one stick. "Lighter?" I asked him as I put the cigarette in my mouth.

"Looking at you doing all the bad girl stuff while you tell me your story? Hm, impressive." He teased as he handed me the lighter.

Rolling my eyes, I light up my cigarette and puffed my first smoke. Ah, smoking. My stress reliever. "Ready?"

I didn't realize he had got himself a share of smoke too. And then he answered with a smirk, "Please include the part of you started smoking and drinking."

Freshman year and Mikan decided to give herself a fresh start. Hotaru, Nonoko and Sumire have convinced her that her life shouldn't stop with Natsume only so ever since they stepped in high school she finally gave herself the life she deserved.

On the sophomore year, she decided to give cheerleading a try. Fortunately she got accepted along with Sumire and Nonoko. And right now they are in the party of an unknown jock who hosted a house party to welcome the new members of the cheerleading team and the baseball team.

"Gosh. I pity Hotaru she's not here." Sumire said as she look amazed with the beers everywhere, people making out with every corner of the house and all the party people stuff surrounding them. "This is better than the freshman acquaintance party we went last year."

Mikan chuckled. "Trust me, Hotaru's having her pity to us since she thinks this party is just an excuse to get laid."

"Not denying it." Nonoko smirked.

"Ew!" Sumire and Mikan laughed as they playfully slap Nonoko's arms.

"What? With all the hot boys everywhere, my kitten is screaming come to momma! And take note for the come." Nonoko joked making the three of them burst in to laughter.

"I see the newbies are having fun." A voice joined them and that made the three of them turn around and looked at him. He flashed them a boyish smile. "I'm Tsubasa. Tsubasa Andou."

"Hi." Mikan answered as she smiled back at him. "I'm Mikan. And these are my girls, Sumire and Nonoko." Both girls waved and smile at Tsubasa.

There was a tension between Tsubasa and Mikan as they continued staring at each other. They looked at each other straight in the eyes and their smiles started to be meaningful. And Sumire who started to look suspicious cleared her throat and said. "We're just gonna grab some drinks. Come Nonoko." She said as she grabbed Nonoko away from Tsubasa and Mikan.

Tsubasa chuckled a little and watched Sumire and Nonoko walk away. "So you three must be the new members of the squad?" He asked as he is now looking at Mikan.

Mikan nodded. "Yes, we are actually. And our captain invited us to this party though not sure who owns this house."

"Come on. I'll introduce you to him." Tsubasa said as he turned around from Mikan and started to walk away. Mikan immediately followed Tsubasa as they walked towards the kitchen. Some girl gave Tsubasa two cups of beers and he handed the other one to Mikan. "You drink?"

She nodded and took the beer. "Yep." As she took a sip on the drink and continued following Tsubasa, Mikan almost choked but immediately regain her composure. "Yuck." She whispered to herself. Obviously, Mikan Sakura doesn't drink any beer. And even if she wants to decline the beer, she knew showing her goody good girl attitude is another way of kissing this hot guy she's following goodbye. The house was kind of big so it took them like five minutes before they had finally gone out of the house since the crowd made everything even harder. Mikan couldn't help but sigh at the fresh air.

"I see you're not used to parties like this." Tsubasa chuckled as he stared at Mikan. "You okay?"

"Yes, yes." Even if she tries to hide, Mikan is now red as tomato because of embarrassment.

Tsubasa just shrugged and started to walk down the little hill down the house. Mikan felt quite nervous since her mother told her not to go out with strangers but somehow being with a random guy makes everything exciting for her tonight. She stopped on her tracks when she saw Tsubasa sat down on the little bench.

He looked at her as he felt confuse why she is standing there but let out a laugh. "Come, Mikan. I won't bite." He teased and then winked at her.

"O-of course. I perfectly know that you do not bite." She stammered as she walked towards Tsubasa and sat beside him. At first she was a little close to him but she decided to scoot a little just in case she needed to run away or something. And then she gasped a little when there's already a cigarette pressed between Tsubasa's lips. "What is that?"

"It's a cigarette." He said in an as-a-matter-if-fact tone. He lit the cigarette and started smoking but suddenly felt uneasy when he realized the brunette beside him is looking at him like he was an alien. "You haven't seen someone who smokes?"

And her face turned 100 shades of red. "N-no. I… I mean of course I've seen someone who smokes.. I, uh." She looked away as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

Once again Tsubasa laughed. "You don't smoke?"

Deep down, Mikan felt unsure what she would say. Would she like to make Tsubasa look at her like a wild chic or the real goody shoes Mikan Sakura? And she knew what the right answer is. "No, I don't smoke."

The surprise reaction on Tsubasa's face became visible making Mikan felt really conscious and uncomfortable. "You know what, I'm really sorry." She took a deep breath and said. "I'm sorry I'm not like those girls inside. I'm not really the bad girl, you know. I… Okay, fine. I'm ready to hear it. Say it now."

"What am I going to say?" He asked.

"That I'm weird and a loser and I don't belong here and in behalf of the owner, I'm kicking you out of the house." Even saying those words, Mikan felt like she was about to cry anytime.

But she heard the opposite reaction. Tsubasa laughed. Not the usual laugh she has been hearing from him. The kind of laugh like he was really happy, like she found whatever she said funny. "You know what." He said. He threw his cigarette to the ground and looked at Mikan. "You're not a loser." He smiled and continued. "And you might not belong inside but here, beside me, I'm starting to feel like you are where you are supposed to be."

She's not sure if she heard it right but Mikan felt really shocked. She might have heard the words wrong because she wouldn't believe that he told him that she's where she is supposed to be! "Are you serious?"

He nodded and scooted closer to Mikan. "Yup. Now relax."

Mikan couldn't hide the smile on her face as she looked up at Tsubasa. "Okay." And then she realized something. "I thought I'm going to be introduce to the owner?"

"Oh, about that." Suddenly, his one arm stretched at Mikan's shoulder and he grinned. "Say hi to the owner of the house."

Her eyes widen. "You?!"

"Yes. I just said that so I can have you all alone. And I'm not kicking you out." His arm wrapped around her petite waist and he pulled her closer to him. "I'm thinking of keeping you, actually."

And for the first time, Mikan suddenly felt that maybe this time she won't be waiting anymore.

"He influenced you to drink and smoke?" Natsume blurted out as his brows furrowed together. "Why did you even date him? And for the record, in that moment, you were in the wrong damn place." He took my supposed to be shot of the tequila and drank it.

I couldn't help but laugh at Natsume's reaction. He looked so angry and frustrated about my history with Tsubasa. "You look cute when you're jealous." I teased. "And that was my tequila."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but jealousy isn't in my vocabulary." He muttered as he shoot me a pissed of look. "How come Aunt Yuka like him? He was a bad influence for Pete's sake!"

I poured myself a drink as my laughter couldn't stop. "My mom thought he was charming. Though she didn't like the tattoo under his eye." I remembered how my mother looked shocked when I introduce Tsubasa to her as my boyfriend. Her eyes widen but then we were all surprise when she flashed him a sweet smile saying it's a pleasure to meet him. But then she whispered to me how she doesn't like the tattoo part.

"Of course, who would want to date someone who has tattoos?" He hissed and looked away from me. My smile vanished as little by little I see the seriousness in Natsume's face. His eyes looked distant as he was starting to be drown by his own thoughts. "I'm starting to hate my father more for keeping me away from you. I never thought I could even hate him more. For keeping me from all the things that made me happy. Especially you." He whispered the last part and looked at me straight to the eyes.

My heart soften as I realized how affected he was and I can't find the words to comfort him because knowing he was longing for me too makes everything seem so frustrating. So I reached for his hand and flashed him a smile. "Natsume, whatever happened between me and Tsubasa… it wasn't serious. It was just some high school fling."

And when he intertwined his hand to mine, I knew he felt a little better and that made me laugh a little. "So what happened to you and Tsubasa? Why did you broke up?" he asked me.

Ah, the break up. Best part for him, I guess. "Three months before his graduation he was already babbling about the scholarship he got from Europe and hearing from his words, I knew sooner or later we have to break up and since I don't want him breaking up with me, I decided that I will do the breaking up part a week before his graduation." I let go of Natsume's hand and took one shot of tequila and chuckled as recalling what happened. "I planned everything out. I even asked my friends how to do it and what to say about it and imagine my horror when the same night that I planned everything out, he called me and he broke up with me!" I laughed. "On the phone!"

Natsume looked like he wanted to stop his laughter but I just rolled my eyes on him so he let out a loud laugh. And even if I wanted to feel offended, I couldn't help but laugh as well. Seeing him loosen a bit makes turned this moment kind of perfect. "I know, I know. Who gets dump on the phone? Well, me."

"How did you handle it?" He asked while laughing.

"I freaked out!" I half shouted. "Of course, I did. My ego was like thrown in the floor and got stomped by the mighty Tsubasa Andou. It took me one week to get over him."

"One week?" He raised one of his brow and smirked. "Someone's a chick girl here, then."

I smirked back with a proud look. "Nah, maybe I dated some guys. Flirted a little. Some fling. Never really got steady after that. I went to parties every weekend. I drink to death. Smoke all my worries away. And I never looked back."

Remembering everything like it just happened yesterday makes it weird. Like it was just yesterday when I was always a special guest in a certain party and all the guys are all over me, asking me out, flirting with me, and making out with me. Hotaru would always scold me how screwed up I became but I never game a damn because I was distracted. I forgot everything. All the feeling of hurt was slowly buried at the back of my mind.

I gave a glance at Natsume and his eyes were looking at me intensely and I knew he had imagine some stuffs he thought I did. Yes, I might be some wild chic back then but I was a wise woman too. "If you're thinking the other stuff, don't worry I still have my v-card in my pocket."

He looked surprised with what I said at first but then he smirked. "Hm, I thought it was the bad girl phase during high school?"

"Maybe it was that phase of my life but I never really found the guy who holds the key to my lock." I winked at him.

"Not even Mochou?"

And that was the question that made my teasing aura vanished.

I looked away immediately as I started to feel my heart pounding. The feeling of fear started to sink in me again. I know time will come that I have to tell the story behind Mochou and my mother but by just thinking about it scares the fuck out of me. "I guess it's time to open the chapter of Mikan Sakura's worst nightmare."

"Mikan…" Natsume's voice was filled with concerned and he looked at like he's telling me that if I'm not ready then it can wait.

But I shook my head. I might not be ready now but I was given the chance to tell this now. I don't want to be filled with hidden stories and grudges anymore. Because it's time to look back.

It was Mikan's first day for her major class. She's now a sophomore but in college already and in college everything's serious. So she finally realized she need to move on from her bad girl phase and she has been doing well in college. Never dated anyone, though. She had forgotten Natsume already, somehow. And somehow in her life right now, she felt okay. She felt happy and at peace.

Placing her things on the table beside the window, Mikan looked around and obviously today's not her lucky day because she knows no one. It sucks that she and her girls doesn't have the same course but it's kind of exciting to meet another set of new people.

"Excuse me?" Mikan snapped her head to the right and saw a guy looking standing beside her. His bag was hanging on his right shoulder and he was holding tons of books. "Hi." He awkwardly said. "I'm Mochou. And is it okay if I sit beside you?"

Mikan looked surprised at first but flashed her a small smile. "Sure. No problem. I'm Mikan, by the way." She said then sat on her seat as Mochou followed her. "You're business course student too?"

He nodded. "Yes but I'm from Mexico. I just moved here because I had to live with my uncle."

"That's nice." She chuckled. "Welcome to Japan, then?"

I took my drink and said. "Mochou and I had no one in our class so we basically became friends. We became partners in projects, assignments and studied together. Friends, that's what we have become. And then he confessed his love to me."

It was already 9 in the evening and Mikan and Mochou are still in the library, studying for their long quiz for the next week. They've become quite close together and they have helped each other with their studies. But Mikan somehow felt that something has been wrong with Mochou with the way he treats her but she decided to ignore it.

"Mikan, did you ask you parents about the study tour in Europe already?"

Mikan did not look up, she continued writing down some notes and murmured. "Not yet, though. What about you? Did your uncle allow you?"

She didn't hear any response from Mochou at first and then he cleared his throat. "I have something to tell you."

And with the serious tone of Mochou's voice, she decided to look up. "Is there something wrong?"

"Mikan…" He stuttered her name at first but then took a deep breathe. His eyes looked intensely at Mikan and his hand reached for hers. "I'm in love with you."

Mikan couldn't believe what she just heard. She knew that his actions have certain hidden emotions behind it but she never thought he would confess. And she knew that to preserve the friendship, she needs to be honest with him. Slowly, she removed her hand to from his touch and flashed him a sincere smile. "Mochou… I'm sorry." She began. "I…I'm in love with someone else and I don't want to hurt you so I want to be honest with you."

He tried to look as cool as he usually was and said. "You're still in love with the Hyuuga, huh?"

"What did you say to him?" I can feel the anxiousness of Natsume as he asks me the question. His eyes looked straight to me as he waited for an answer.

And if I'm going to be honest, I have to tell him the truth. "Yes. I said yes. And even if I try to erase the emotion, at the back of my mind and heart the answer will always be yes."

After having a talk with Mochou, they both decided to not let the friendship be affected of the one-sided love Mochou felt for Mikan. She immediately went home since it has been a long day for her. It was almost past midnight when Mikan arrived at their house and almost everyone was already on their sleep. She silently walked upstairs and went towards her room but before she could twist the doorknob open…

"Why are you home so late, Mikan?" Her mother's voice almost made her scream in surprised.

"Mom." She breathlessly said. But seeing her mother glaring at her, she knew she was in trouble. "I'm sorry I was home late. We really have this long quiz for our major and Mochou and I need to study and prepare for—"

"Mochou again?!" she shouted at her daughter. "You've been hanging out with him for the past few months. Are you dating this guy, Mikan? Because if yes, you better end whatever nonsense you're having with him. Now!"

She took a step forward closer to her mother but was stunned when Yuka shouted. "You're married, Mikan! You're married to Natsume. What would he think of you if he finds out that you're spending time with Mochou?"

"I was so stunned when I heard those words from my mother's mouth." Slowly, revealing everything from Natsume gives an ache to my heart. I never thought that reminiscing the days of what happened after I found out everything will be this painful. "I asked her if she was serious and how everything could be possible. And she was so angry, telling me that I shouldn't have provoked her from telling what they were supposed to tell me when you get back from America."

Natsume was silent the whole time I was telling him about my mother and now he looked like he wanted to say something but the look in his face tells him that one simple question feels like have the power relive forgotten pain. "What happened next?"

Yes. One simple question with an unbearable answers. "I cried all night. Hating myself for being such a screwed up person when all these times I was already married to you. I hated myself for hating you and for trying to forget you when in fact I already had you. Maybe not physically but somehow I had you already."

She tossed in her bed for the millionth time as she drowned herself with thoughts. Mikan decided to skip school and instead chose to overthink how she would handle this situation. Her right hand was holding her phone as she thought maybe she could now finally call Natsume. But what would she say? That this is his wife, Mikan? What if he still doesn't know about her and him being married already?

"But it's now or never, Mikan…" She muttered to herself. So she took a deep, deep breathe and sat up. She eyed her phone like her life depends on it… maybe not her life, but her married life sort of depends on this call. Shaking, she slowly dialed Natsume's number and she almost forgot to breathe when she heard the first ring.

"Ugh. Mikan. This is ridiculous." She mumbled as she started to feel impatient as another ring was heard on the other line.

"Hello?" The voice was heard on the other line. Mikan's mouth hung open because Natsume didn't answer his phone. "Hello?"

Mikan took a deep breath and stop the tears from falling from her eyes. "Who's this?" She stuttered as she asked. "Is this Natsume Hyuuga's number?"

"Oh." The voice sounded so jolly and happy as she answered. "This is Anna. Natsume is still asleep. Who's this, by the way?"

Tears were falling from Mikan's eyes but she didn't call him for nothing so gathering all her strength she said. "If he wakes up… tell him someone called him. Someone named Mikan Sakura." And then she hung up.

"Mi-mikan." I could hear his voice shaking as he said my name. "I-I… Anna never told me you called! Goddamnit." He cursed as he reach for his hair in frustration. "I swear to God, I couldn't even remembered she was on my room or she had my phone. Damn it!" he shouted as he curled his hand in to a fist. "I swear to God, Mikan, there's nothing between me and Anna."

I reached for his hand and flashed him a faint smile. Seeing all Natsume's reaction provoke guilt in me. All throughout I thought he already abandoned me with other women that he met but with his reaction right now, I knew I was wrong. "It's okay, Natsume. I guess life isn't really supportive for us before." I removed my hand away from his and looked away. Knowing I'm already in the scariest part of my story, I took a deep breath and continued.

"I was so angry and hurt that night." I said. "It felt like my hope of having you was just gone in one snap of a finger. That's why I hated Anna so much, can you still remember how angry I was with her?" I chuckled as Natsume grinned a little and nodded. "The moment you introduced me to Anna back in the park, I remembered her voice and how she took you away from him. You just don't know Natsume how I summoned all my self-control not to punch her in the face when she hugged you in front of me."

I felt relieved a little when I heard his throaty laugh. My head snapped at his side and eyed him while he had his laugh. "Who would have thought you had the amazon power in you."

And I couldn't help but laugh on his comment. "I guess there's a lot of things you need to figure out about me."

When I felt his touch on my cheek, I was quite surprise but I know a blush was visible in my cheeks. His crimson eyes looked at me with such mesmerizing stares like he was not comforting me physically but right through my smile and no had ever looked at me like that. And I hated how weak I reacted as tears where on the tip of my eyes. "I'll never get tired of knowing you, Mikan. And not all the bad things about you would change how much I love you." He smiled a little at me and said. "I want to know what happened, do you want to continue this?"

I nodded and smiled back at him. This is my only chance. "The next morning I asked Mochou to skip school and meet me. And he was surprised to see me crying so I told him everything. And I asked him to run away with me because I'm so desperate to get away from all the hurt." Another deep breath. "All the years of trying to forget you and still I was in love with you."

"Have you lost your mind, Mikan?" Mochou hissed. "You're running away from here? Are you insane?"

"I don't care." Mikan shouted as she continued to sob. Her brown eyes looked straight to Mochou's and she begged. "Please, Mochou. Take me away from here. I don't want to see Natsume. I don't want to be married with him anymore. Please."

There was hesitation in Mochou but he loved this woman in front of him. He never felt real love and no matter how crazy this decision was but the hurt he seeing in Mikan's face is enough to take the risk. "Okay, listen to me…"

"He told me that I need to convince my parents to go with the Europe tour but instead we will go to Korea. No one will think of me going there if I'm going to run away since it's an unlikely place to hide. He told me that he will be getting our tickets and his uncle had cousins back there in Korea." I took a glance at Natsume and I realized we already stopped drinking tequila and right at that moment I knew we were on the real nightmare.

"I convinced my parents and no one knew my plans with Mochou, not even Hotaru. And we successfully left for Korea but after a week…" I stopped.

I can't do this. I can't even dare to remember what happened.

"Mikan…" Natsume called my name. I couldn't look at him. "What is it? You can tell me."

"I can't Natsume…" Tears were now falling freely in to my eyes as slowly the memory consumes me. "I'm scared…" I sobbed quietly. "I'm scared to tell it because… it starts to feel real again."

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and he pulled me close to his chest and I sobbed to him. He didn't say anything, he just let me cry. And I hated myself. I feel so weak. All these years of trying, in the end I'm still the weak Mikan Sakura.

"Natsume… I got hit by a bus."

My words came out like a whisper. At first I thought he didn't heard me but when I felt his body stiffens, I know I have opened the door to my life that no has even entered. "I woke up… And Mochou was gone. He left me. And there we guards in the house. And my mother was there."

"Mom?" She thought she was dreaming as she her mother standing right in front of her. There were five or six men standing behind her with guns in their waist. "Wha…What are you doing here?"

Slap!

And she knew she wasn't dreaming. Her hand reached for her swollen cheek and she looked at her mother in disbelief. But her mother was different. She was strong and she didn't felt any pity. Instead she looked at Mikan in disgust. "You sicken me, Mikan! How dare you run away with that boy? You even allowed his uncle in our company?! I didn't know I had a pathetic daughter!"

The words that came out from her mother's mouth hit Mikan right in the spot and she just simply swallowed the pain because one thing is running in her mind… "Where's Mochou?"

"He left you!" Her mother shouted. "He left you the moment he saw my car approaching this filthy house. You think that man would stick for you? He was like a bastard like his uncle! And you were an idiot because you allowed yourself to be used by those filthy creatures!"

Tears were falling from Mikan's eyes as she couldn't believe what she just heard. Mochou wouldn't do that. He was her friend and he knew she trusted him even if she didn't love him back but Mochou was quite aware how Mikan trusted him. "No! Mochou wouldn't do that to me—"

Slap!

"Get hold of yourself, Mikan. What would you think Natsume will think of you if he finds out that he was marrying a woman who ran away with a guy?" She grabbed her wrist and said. "We are going back to Japan right at this moment!"

But she jerk away her hand from her mother's grip and shouted. "No!"

"I remembered running away from my mother called my name again and again. The guards were following me… And then there was a bus… and…" I closed my eyes as I remembered everything that day.

Hotaru told me that no matter how strong a person is, there will be a moment that she'll stop being strong and she'll have her breaking point. And at this moment, this is my breaking point.

I cried on Natsume's chest as I released the tears I've been holding back for how many years. The pain of loving Natsume too much, of losing myself, of being betrayed by Mochou and by my mother it all came back and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't swallow the pain because it hurts so badly. And the hatred of being so weak hurts me.

"I'm so weak…" I murmured as I continued crying in to his chest.

"Shh." He whispered in my ear. "Tonight, I'm going to be your strength Mikan. Just break down tonight. I promise I'll pick you up again and again."

His hand rubbed my back as he comforted me. He wrapped me in his arms protectively as he allowed me to cry in his chest. He allowed me to break down as he whispered how everything will be okay and how he loves me so much no matter what happened in the past.

And as he carried me to our bed and wrapped me around his arms again, he kissed my forehead and for the first time in forever, I have finally felt home.

Review? I hope you did love this chapter! :)