Chapter V: Siren's Song
Baby, what you heard isn't the truth
You came here to save me but I'm here to save you
'Cause I'm the granddaughter of the witch you never burned
She taught me things that got me kicked out of church
I've got a siren song and I know all the words
(Julian Moon)
"What's it like being engaged to Natsume Hyuuga," someone had asked, unfortunately not for the first time.
"Like a prized cake swarmed by flies," she had replied snippily every time as she pushed their coffee forward, not even bothering to give the customary Have a nice day because they didn't deserve it. They didn't even deserve a cup sleeve to go with their hot drink, but that'd just be mean.
Initially, Mikan thought that the only people she needed to worry about were the interfering press (particularly The Star, who diligently followed Natsume's story as if he were a celebrity rather than someone who just had his fifteen minutes of fame), and the occasional non-press who couldn't mind their own business. Occasional, she thought, not frequent.
It started two days after the proposal, when it wasn't just The Star who saw an interesting story out of Mikan and Natsume's engagement. She was on her morning shift at Hana Hime, serving coffee and tea to their regular, caffeine-driven customers when a university student accidentally blurted out to her friend, "Hey, isn't that Cinderella?"
That had been an embarrassing- not to mention annoying- nickname she got coined with, but it later turned out that she should have been thankful with getting Cinderella.
She was at Bulgari Il Ristorante in Ginza, a Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, waiting for Kaoru and Ioran who asked them out for dinner. Natsume and Mikan were both straight out of work, but unlike Natsume, Mikan had the pleasure of changing into better clothes (since the Bulgari hosts looked way better than she did in her plain work uniform).
Mikan was visually irate, which was a sight considering that was Natsume's perpetual look. She was going on about how a new coworker kept forgetting to purge the steam wand, further delaying each coffee order. After her third rant (of Kina eating Mikan's noodles, again), Natsume asked her straight up what was wrong.
She exhaled deeply, hoping that this also removed the negative energy in her system. Maybe it was time to take yoga, she thought. "I'm tired, okay? I'm tired of people coming to the cafe and asking 'Hey, you're the gold-digger, what are you doing here?' and I have to tell them through gritted teeth that I'm not marrying you for your money-"
"Could've fooled me," he jested, but she merely levelled him with a stare.
"-so your money is not my money, but of course that doesn't stop people from being outright rude." She finished with a huff and popped an edible rose made of beet and jelly on her mouth.
Natsume knew that one small rose the size of a ping-pong ball would hardly make a dent in her appetite, so he pushed forward his towards her while sending words of assurance. "Don't listen to them. People can be stupid. I should know."
"That's easy for you to say," she retorted. "I don't hear your clients commenting about your personal life."
"They'd have to let me go before they do that, but then they'll pay the price," he merely shrugged. "If it bothers you so much, you can always quit."
Mikan pursed her lips. While it had crossed her mind, she didn't want to leave behind the only friends she's had ever since she started living independently. Not to mention, she owed so much to Hīmemiya, who took her in with little experience, and cared for her like a daughter.
"You think you owe your boss a debt of gratitude," Natsume said, voicing her inner turmoil.
Instead of being bothered that he knew exactly what was running through her mind, she just replied, "She's done so much for me."
"And you've paid your fictitious debt a long time ago. Besides, I thought you wanted to hide?"
"I did, but I'm not going to spend forever at home."
"Find another job. Preferably one in a tall building and close to me."
She raised an eyebrow. "You mean Alice?"
He shrugged and casually leaned back on his chair. "That's not what I said."
Mikan shook her head to mask her smile, although it was pretty obvious. "I don't need you to babysit me."
"I wouldn't call it babysitting."
"Deny it all you want but we're on opposite sides of the spectrum- you're a micromanager, I function best without supervision."
"And look where it's got you."
She gave him a steady glare- as if to say, Too soon. But then she just shook her head. "You know what, I'm sure this will blow over soon. People will get tired of Cinderella in a day of two."
While the Cinderella business had been annoying, and many a rants have been spoken in lieu of it, they were nothing compared to- as Sumire warned her- the great Hyuuga family tree: rather, the people she really needed to worry about.
It was at Bulgari when Kaoru announced about the engagement party she wanted to hold for the couple. Natsume wordlessly sent an SOS signal towards Ioran as Kaoru shared her ideas (which included a winter-themed cocktail party at The Lounge in Aman with no less than a hundred guests), but his father merely smiled. Mikan, who was never one for big celebrations, mustered what she hoped was a grateful smile while subtly pinching Natsume's elbow under the table.
A couple of days before the engagement party, Kaoru took Mikan to Aman for an ocular. Despite being in somehow amicable talking terms with the older woman, Mikan was inwardly thankful for the amount of things that needed to be done because it saved her from mumbling like a fool in front of Natsume's mother. As soon as Aoi was out of school, she drove to the hotel to save her future sister-in-law from any potential slip-up at a not-so-subtle interrogation. When Mikan thought they were done taste-testing appetizers, choosing centerpieces, and licking postage stamps, Aoi dragged her to Sumire's.
Sumire's studio wasn't as empty as the last time Mikan was over; when they arrived, the stylist was heard barking orders to two assistants and a frazzled-looking intern two seconds away from a panic attack. Without even getting the chance to sit down, Sumire shoved an armful of clothes towards Mikan and directed her to an empty fitting room.
"Can I wear this?" Aoi asked as she took out a dress from a rack. It was a short, white halter lace dress with frayed scalloped trimmings.
Sumire pursed her lips. "It's good... but I have something better." She walked towards a corner rack, passing by the fitting room. Before she grabbed an item for Aoi, Sumire stopped and partially pulled the blinds, surprising a half-naked Mikan, "How long are you going to stand there? More fitting, less daydreaming!"
Once fully-clothed, Mikan pushed the blackout curtains to the side, walking down from the elevated platform to join Sumire and Aoi in front of the three-way mirror. She had been trying a variety of clothes in the dusty blue palette, the current one a pastel sleeveless overlap jumpsuit several inches too long for her frame.
"You look like my mom," Aoi pointed out once Mikan fell beside them. Aoi shifted on one foot, gazing at her appearance. Sumire had brought out the bardot midi dress and while it fitted Aoi well, she was sure someone would show up in a similar style.
"Was that a compliment?"
"Sort of. You kind of look like someone-" she cut herself, glancing at the assistants in the room, "Someone Natsume will marry."
Mikan groaned and dropped herself on a divan. As much as she had to gain from this marriage, all the preparations in one afternoon was too exhausting. "That's not a compliment! Where is he, anyway? Isn't he supposed to be getting his tux, too? Would've been nice if we could do this together, share tips on how to face your family, that sort of thing. You know, like normal people."
"Trust me," Aoi warned, "The only tip you need is to grin and bear it. That's what I've been doing for the last seventeen years."
"They're probably going to ask if you're pregnant, too," Sumire added in a low, yet casual, voice. "Don't be offended. Quick engagement, makes sense."
Mikan looked down on her stomach. She was more slim than slender, but the taste testing brought the rare, awkward bump that she hadn't seen since the Hana Hime Halloween Party.
"Don't worry, we'll be there to insist that you are," Aoi chirped.
Unfortunately, none of their warnings were enough to prepare Mikan of what greeted her at Aman.
On the day of her engagement party, Mikan spent most of it at Alice Law. She had been working on the paperworks required for the wedding, among other things- personal documents, health insurance, and charge card application. She decided to squeeze in a lunch date with Sumire, who unfortunately had to cancel for a delayed shoot.
Because Natsume was still in a deposition- the one he was called to, not one he's holding- Mikan was left on her own majority of the morning until early in the afternoon. At Hana Hime, mornings were the shortest and the busiest time of the day. Because of the café's distance from a high school and two universities, work passed by very quickly. At Alice, though, it was different, mainly because everything she needed to do were accomplished by eleven, and she had no one to talk to. Not that anyone seemed like they wanted to talk to her, anyway.
She decided to relieve herself from Natsume's couch and head to the office pantry. Just as she rounded a corner, though, she accidentally bumped to a tall man with an equally tall pile of documents.
"Ruka!" she exclaimed in surprise, and hurriedly bent down to help him out with the scatter on the floor. "Busy morning?"
"Try busy week," Ruka said. He gratefully accepted the load on Mikan's arm, not bothering at all to reject her offer to help. He did need it, after all.
"I thought you could ask some of the paralegals to help you out?"
"Usually, but Misaki has everyone on the class action deposition," Ruka stated with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Times like these I really wish I had my secretary."
"Couldn't you get one now?"
"I was supposed to get a temp, but like I said, everyone's busy with the deposition," he shrugged. "I don't feel like going through an extensive, meticulous process to get one when I'm swamped."
"So you'd rather do all this work on your own?"
"I wasn't always a highly-paid associate. I did do work on my own."
"What, afraid you're going to get attached?" Mikan teased. She pushed open the door to his office and held it ajar for him. "I think you need it, though. The only person keeping Natsume up is probably Narumi, but don't tell him I said that."
"You know what they say. Behind every good lawyer is a great paralegal."
"Who says that?"
"Just… You know, I'm not sure either, but if you ever see an overworked lawyer, you wouldn't want to see his paralegal."
"Well," Mikan's voice trailed, peering at his overflowing desk, "Judging from this workload, you won't be getting any sleep for the next few days. Have you had lunch?"
"What's that?"
She rolled her eyes. "Original. Can you leave the office?"
He looked down at the begging workload on his desk, then back at Mikan. "Please."
An hour later- though this wasn't her intention- Mikan was offered a job.
"You're serious, aren't you?" Mikan gaped as soon as the suggestion hung between them.
Ruka's head tilted to the left, wiping the edge of his mouth with a paper napkin. He gulped down his soda and reached for his bacon egg burger. "I don't follow."
"But I don't- I mean," she sputtered, "I didn't even go to college!"
"Do you mind getting your hands dirty?" Ruka asked vaguely. She shook her head, though face still unsure. "Then we're good."
"Your casual attitude worries me. You're not going to ask me to kill people, are you?"
"What? No. You're just going to make sure I never lose any of my papers, so I don't lose my job."
She pursed her lips and considered his words. "So just a lot of organization?"
"And cleaning. Printing. Photocopying. Faxing. Answering calls. Attending meetings. Taking notes. Err, more organizing. And maybe fetch my lunch, if you get bored. It's not glamorous, but it's a heck lot better than having people talk about you while making their coffee," he added, reminding her of the frustrations she just shared with him.
"But are you even allowed to hire me? Aren't I supposed to go through Human Resources first?"
"Technically, but I'll put in a good word. We're not in a hiring freeze, I can get a recommendation and formal request ready as soon as we get back. My secretary never did any of the legal workload, either, so the only shoes you need to fill would be her coffee-making, and I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem."
"If you're sure…" Mikan's voice trailed. As surprised she was that a rant about work led to a job offer, she didn't want to completely reject it, either. Working at a private company in a secured building had its perks, especially if it meant not dealing with people who had nothing better to do than discuss her life. Next to them, a waiter with a dark brown First Kitchen apron started wiping the recently vacated table. It reminded her of who she was, and what she had to do to survive on her own. "I'll hand in a resume later," she decided. "I have to warn you, all of my work experience is service-related."
"Doesn't matter," Ruka assured goodnaturedly, "Anna and Narumi can help you out with anything that might be new, but like I said, your workload might not even be the same. Anything difficult, I turn it over to the paralegals. They go straight to me, but if you like, you can harass them for it." Ruka paused. "Don't harass them."
Mikan chuckled. "Now I get what Aoi told me- sometimes you really are just playing tough. You know, I never really pegged you as a lawyer."
There was amusement in his eyes. She wasn't the first person to admit that, yet the presumption always felt foreign to him every time it's brought up. "Did the hair give it away? I've been told way too many blonde jokes in law school."
"No, you're just…" She tried to think of a word, but landed with the one she first came up with, "Nice."
Ruka's chin was now resting on his hand, and he gave a short laugh. It pushed the skin on his chin forward, and for a moment he looked young- tired, still, but not as if he just spent the past two days awake, even though he did. "To tell you the truth, didn't think I would, either. But I was offered a scholarship, and it made sense to get a degree the university is best known for, then law school became the next thing."
"And that's where you met Natsume?" she asked. Though it's been a while, Natsume's personal life didn't often make an appearance in any conversation.
"No, that's where we met Imai. I knew Natsume when we were the only two kids in kindergarten who refused to take part in sing-a-long."
She snorted. "Yeah, I don't think he would've."
"He's always been difficult. Not on purpose- I bet you can imagine how it's like since you've been living with him."
Mikan thought back to just last night with Natsume, when they were having dinner at home. They spent most of it arguing (over Coco Ichibanya's spicy hashed beef curry, no less) about whether a toilet seat should be put up or down. It wasn't supposed to generate that big of an argument- or any argument at all- but Natsume kept giving supporting details that made Mikan reluctantly admit that he made sense, and the toilet seat deserved to be put up at all times.
(However, it should be noted that when Mikan felt the aftereffects of ordering a level 8 curry around ten in the evening, she found the toilet seat and lid down.)
"It's not so bad," she found herself saying, a smile playfully settling on her lips. "Could be worse, but I guess I'm not that unlucky."
Famous last words, she'd think later that night.
Appearance wise, The Lounge was even more breathtaking; Kaoru set up an elaborate tunnel of baby's breath and snapdragons, lodged a massive crystal ceiling installation, and stationed spray-painted branches as centerpieces. While everyone and everything blended in white, Mikan stood out in her dusty blue wrap dress, and she hated it.
If the engagement party wasn't filled with unpleasantly irritating meddlers perhaps she'd think differently. It wasn't that they weren't trying to be discreet- they asked pretty unassuming questions but with the way they looked at her, Mikan just knew she needed to avail the free-flowing cocktail bar to get her through the next few hours.
What this managed to do, naturally, was repel any assumption that she was pregnant. What it didn't do was repel unwanted attention.
Case in point was Rikako, a sixty-two-year-old distant relative that arrived an hour late to the party, wearing gaudy gold earrings and a floor-length taffeta gown.
Mikan already hated her, too.
It had nothing to do with how Rikako was dressed- the guests could come in fur and underwear and Mikan wouldn't care- but it was the stuck-up way that she addressed the hosts and waiters. Unfortunately, because Rikako was guest and family, Mikan allowed herself to be intercepted by this woman not long since her arrival. It was all very casual at first, with questions that Mikan can answer without much thought because of how often it had been asked throughout the party.
Until Rikako made comments about Mikan's family.
What Mikan initially shared was very brief and so far people have been nice enough to not comment about it. Whether it was tact or they were warned beforehand, Mikan wasn't sure, but she wasn't one to complain. So, the same answer was provided to aunt Rikako, who nodded to Mikan's explanations that her parents weren't around and she had been living alone since she became a legal adult.
"You poor girl," Rikako said in her sickeningly condescending voice, "That's why you're getting married so early."
Mikan's smile turned strain. "Sorry?"
"Oh, you don't need to be coy. You must've been so sad being alone all these years."
Unable to keep her voice at bay, she pointed out, "Natsume's getting married, too. So far, no one has said it's because he's sad."
"Oh, I know, but men get married any time they want, and no one bats an eye. With women, well, not always the case, is it? You can't have babies when you're dangerously close to menopause! That's why I tell my girls, get married with the first, handsome, rich guy who shows you attention, figure out the rest later. Rather you marry early than be lonely- but in your case, you were perhaps lonely far too long."
Mikan sharply breathed through her nose, praying to any god that could be listening to please grant her the patience not to strike this disdainful wicked woman. She exhaled deeply and gave Rikako a sickeningly saccharine smile. "I think people get married because they care for each other."
"Call me old fashioned but you haven't been dating long. You must be doing something for him to want to marry you so soon."
Somehow, Mikan wasn't sure that was a compliment.
The conversation ended far too late for Mikan's liking, and as soon as Rikako found another poor niece or cousin to torture, Aoi flanked bank to Mikan's side.
"God, I hate aunt Rikako. What did she say?"
"Some double standard crap about how I'm marrying early because I don't have parents."
"God, I hate aunt Rikako," Aoi repeated, this time with more vehemence. "But, just to get her out of your mind, I have a surprise for you."
Mikan immediately scowled at the word 'surprise'. "If that's another relative, I will kill you. Right here."
Not long ago, way before aunt Rikako arrived and threatened the servers and every other relative within a five-meter radius, Mikan met Grandmother Hyuuga- eldest of the family who always showed up to events but never with a gift, until her favorite great-grandson's engagement party.
Mikan only said three sentences to her: "I've heard so much about you" (even if she hasn't), "I'm glad you can come" (which she wasn't), and "I love your gift" (she didn't), with Natsume doing most of the talking because of course it made sense that he was the family favorite.
What Aoi and Sumire wisely left out of their warnings was that, unfortunately, Grandmother was a traditional but vindictive woman who did not fancy the idea of her first grandson getting married before the lady was even introduced. While Grandmother mentioned this to Mikan in what Natsume assured was a joking manner, Mikan wasn't sure. Thankfully, that was the last time Mikan had to talk to Grandmother that evening, but then aunt Rikako happened.
"Nope," Aoi grinned, pulling Mikan by the wrist, "Not my guest. Yours."
"But I don't have any…" Mikan didn't bother inviting her friends because she didn't think they'd want to, but there they were, standing awkwardly by the bar, all with drinks in hand: Saki, Mayumi, and Kina.
"No way," Mikan said in a low voice, her annoyance over her difficult soon-to-be family now slightly forgotten. "How'd you guys get here?"
"We took a cab?" Kina guessed playfully.
Saki took a sip before explaining. "Your boyfriend dropped by yesterday when you were out. Hi wanted to go but she says she doesn't want to play favorites."
"Everyone knows I'm Hi's favorite," Mayumi said with a snort.
"Who said that? She hates you. You always arrive on time."
"How is being on time a bad thing?"
Kina sighed. "Because you're not supposed to arrive on the dot, idiot. How have you not learned about this yet? Anyway, Mikan, we know you've got a fancy schmancy thing going here, but afterwards can we interest you in a- drumroll, girls," Kina paused dramatically, but none of them made such sound. She rolled her eyes, "Whatever, spoilsports. Bridezilla, we're going to party!"
Mikan's eyes jumped from one hopeful face to another. "Great! Bu I- err… I have to ask Natsume first."
"Go ahead," Natsume said, coming up behind her. He nodded towards her friends. "I'm sure you'll have more fun with them than here."
"I wouldn't exactly put it that way…" Mikan mumbled, but he merely gave her the rare, small smile.
Aoi tugged on her brother's cuff. "Can I go?" When he visibly hesitated she said, "I'm a bridesmaid. Of course I can."
"Bridesmaid?" he interrupted. "We haven't even planned the wedding yet."
"You didn't, but mom did." She turned around and slung an arm around one of Mikan's friends. "Hi Kina, I've heard all about you! Where are we drinking?"
"Aoi!"
"What? You started drinking when you were fourteen. Tsk, tsk," she frowned at him, "Talk about double standards."
"Yeah, Natsume" chimed Mikan, "Talk about double standards."
Knowing it was a bad move to come against Mikan and Aoi together, Natsume decided to let it go with a stern warning. "Let's go tell my parents." When Mikan and Natsume were further away from their small crowd, he asked her quietly, "I saw you talking to aunt Rikako. Don't tell anyone, but I hate that woman."
"You should've warned me earlier," Mikan complained. "You know what she said to me?"
"Nothing nice, I presume."
"Oh, she said my dress was pretty but that I was too skinny- after asking whether she should start buying baby clothes! But I wasn't annoyed by that because that's what everyone was saying anyway, both in my face and behind my back- no, your aunt said I'm craving for attention!"
"She said that?" Natsume asked in surprise. "I've always known she was rude, but…"
"Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. She didn't say in such… well, specific terms, but that's what she implied, and I bet it's not just her. You're getting married late in the game but I don't hear you getting called out."
"Hey, I'm not old."
"Tell that to yourself- just to remind you, I'm the one heading out for a pre-wedding party, not you. All the grooms do it."
"Ruka's my only friend. It's not like I can invite him to go to a strip club. But I guess I can make plans."
Mikan playfully swatted him on the shoulder. "If you smell like stripper when you come home, the wedding is cancelled."
"No offense," Saki started, using the customary introduction to an offensive statement, "but your engagement party is boring! I mean, what's up with the jazz music in a free-flowing bar with no dance floor? It's like a suits conference, not a party."
"Hey," Mayumi said, lightly shoving Saki. "You said it was pretty!"
"It is, doesn't mean it was fun," Saki rolled her eyes, always the more straightforward of the group.
B.H. (Before Hyuuga or Before Hatsuni? Mikan hasn't decided) their idea of a night out was cheap beer at an izakaya, but since Mikan acquired her credit card, the girls insisted that they needed to have a night out fit for the shiny new weapon.
Paranoia was a hip club downtown, where guests weren't allowed to wear jeans because apparently that wasn't fashion-worthy. Thanks to their engagement party getup, they fit in quite well- especially because Mikan was drunk.
Her hair was haphazardly tied into a loose, messy ponytail, courtesy of Kina when Mikan rushed out of their booth for her first toilet visit of the night. She had just come back from her third, which was why Mayumi had been helpfully filling her shot glass with cold water, pretending it was alcohol.
"I think I'm drunk," Mikan said.
"You are drunk," Saki pointed out.
"I'm drunk!" Aoi slumped her head against the table. "My parents are going to kill me!"
"You can go home with me," Mikan offered.
"Your apartment can hardly fit you, let alone two," Saki snorted.
"Not true. I live with Natsume. It can fit eeeeeveryone in this club!"
"Cohabitation already? Not judging but… Already?"
Mayumi hummed, her fingers lightly drumming the edge of the table. "They are getting married. Besides, didn't you live with your boyfriend?"
"And look how well that's turned out," Saki muttered. "Anyway- beside the point, we've been together since high school."
"Yet I don't see you with the ring," Mikan pointed out. The three girls spun to her, mouths gaped. She wasn't usually as crass- in fact, she was the nicest among them, as far as mouth filters go. "Aren't you worried you'll get tired of the same chinpo everyday you're not married?"
Instead of being offended, Saki snorted in amusement, causing a bit of the liquid trickle down her chin. She wiped her mouth and said, "I can't believe you just said that."
"What? It's true. And everyone thinks so."
"Hey, hey," Mayumi stopped Mikan before she could go on, "Don't start anything."
"It's cool," Saki assured her friends. "I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind. Why else do you think I stopped living with him?"
"Can I live with you?" Aoi pleaded drunkenly, interrupting the tirade. She didn't seem to have heard any bit of the conversation, or she did, but wasn't of sound mind. "Natsume won't kill me even if he wanted to."
"Yes!" Mikan practically bounced on her seat. "I won't tell him. Swinky pear. Pinky swear. He won't even know you're there."
"Mikan, I'm not that drunk," she argued, though anyone within hearing distance could easily rebut that. "I know there's no way you can hide anything without him knowing."
She seemed to take this in consideration- and then, "Wanna bet?"
Despite her new credit card, Mikan has yet to make a dent in it. While getting a table as a walk-in wasn't easy (or cheap, but props to Aoi for that), there was still much left, and there was only one thing she wanted the money for in the first place. In Mikan's mind that evening, this was consumable cash, something that she's blessed with at this point of her lifetime.
With Kina's phone she dialed Reo's number (after all, Mikan was drunk, not stupid), rubbing Aoi's back as she threw up half the alcohol in her body in an alley dumpster.
"Who is this?" the voice on the other line demanded, no trace of warmth in it.
"It's- cough - Mikan. Sakura."
Reo Mouri gave a short cheerless laugh. There was a soft creak on the other side- probably standing up, she noted. "Nice of you to finally call, Sakura."
"Where are you?" Mikan asked instead, because how else should she reply?
"Shouldn't I be asking that question? Never mind, I know where you are."
Mikan gulped. Next to her, Aoi gave another loud, painstaking retch. "You know where I live?"
"I know you don't live at the old apartment anymore, but I know where your new boyfriend works. For someone who's trying to keep a low profile, you're pretty bad at hiding."
"I'm not hiding!" she fibbed loudly. "I was… temporarily missing." Another round of bile went from Aoi's stomach to the trash can.
"Huh. You drunk?"
"Yes. No."
"Is that why you decided to pay me?"
Mikan chose not to answer this. "I'll transfer it to your account."
"And you know I don't do paper trails. Send cash."
"I can't do cash."
"Sakura," Reo growled, "You're the one whose payment is late. Give it to me in cash. I'll send someone to claim the money."
"The bank will notify Natsume if I make the withdrawal. This is your last chance," she threatened him, though threats have never been her strongest suit, but Reo didn't need to know that. "He's going to be very attentive of my future transactions."
Reo cursed under his breath. He never did like lending his services to young adult. "You did the math?" he relented.
"I know how much I'm due," Mikan told him firmly.
"Pays to have a rich boyfriend, huh?" Reo muttered, meaning for her to hear this. "I'll send my account number. Make sure you have the correct amount or else."
kina_midori: wild night for bridechilla msakura! mayumimimi, yangasaki, heyitsaoi
1 photo attached.
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yangasaki: just made msakura an account! Welcome her to normalcy
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heyitsaoi: Glammed up with my best friend and future sister-in-law msakura. Both of us by my amazing cousin at StyledbyS
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rukaru2014 replied to heyitsaoi's tweet: I love the outfit. Where's it from?
heyitsaoi replied to rukaru2014's tweet: Ask StyledbyS! ;)
javhirashi replied to heyitsaoi's tweet: msakura is so pretty!
heyitsaoi replied to javhirashi's tweet: thanks! My brother's lucky i'm sharing her :P
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mayumimimi replied to kina_midori: i look ugly here. I hope you trip on your heels.
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mayumimimi: your friends are for keeps when they buy a bottle worth 40k and let you finish it
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mayumimimi: from izakayas to Paranoia sakiyanga kina_midori msakura
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mayumimimi replied to kina_midori's post: stop retweeting this photo
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heyitsaoi: engagement party at The Lounge! Can you say fancy? msakura
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heyitsaoi: MIA Bridechilla. Here's her #bridesquad mayumimimi yangasaki kina_midori
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mayumimimi replied to heyitsaoi: these photos I like! You are my new friend.
yangasaki replied to heyitsaoi: send me pics! Also, is mikan with you now?
kina_midori replied to yangasaki: i'm with aoi. At Seico across the street. Mikan not here.
yangasaki replied to kina_midori: are you joking?
yangasaki replied to kina_midori: call me
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dollyraku, iametsuko, ayahisakawa, and 748 others liked kina_midori's post
akihikoxyz, setzu0316, nemesiswas, and 396 others retweeted kina_midori's post
suzuki999 replied to kina_midori's post: is this the girl hyuuga is marrying?
lovetoyama replied to kina_midori's post: Stanning YuraxNatsume but i see this and it's happening
emirenj0 replied to kina_midori's post: why is this photo getting more attention than relevant national issues?
umekox replied to emirenj0: oh, shut up. No one wants to hear it.
emirenj0 replied to umekox: you're not relevant, either
konanami replied to suzuki999: I think so. The grey haired girl is his sister.
shiramine_u replied to kina_midori's post: Does anyone think they're really friends? Or is it fake?
msakura replied to shiramine_u: We were friends way before I met Natsume. Why are you so obsessed with me?
nemesiswas, tinytakumi, megzing, and 1284 others liked msakura's reply.
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sarahiromasa, shihtzulove, amakusa0880, and 685 others followed msakura.
Hotaru drank her coffee as she played Natsume's deposition from his laptop. It was a little over an hour long and thick with sarcasm, that, she noted, almost a good chunk was of him being an outright asshat to Rei Serio, Sora's lawyer.
Despite insistence that Natsume remained as civil as possible, there was evident difficulty in his part. He had gone to the deposition solo, rejecting the offers to be assisted, probably so that no one could stop him from his sardonic savagery.
"Do you have proof that the relationship you're denying didn't exist?" were one of Rei's questions.
"Do you have proof that it does?" Natsume had replied snippily.
The deposition- eventually- ended with him clarifying that he had no personal, emotional, or sexual involvement with Yura Hatsuni outside of their professional relationship; that he had met with her outside of the office a total of three times, all of it recorded; that he was with her at KOI•ZUMI DESIGNS for work, not for pleasure.
Which could have gone better had Serio not meet up with the plaintiff first- because Yura Hatsuni admitted that she was in love with her lawyer.
After this came out- during his deposition, no less- Natsume called over Hatsuni to demand why she thought it'd be a good idea to say something like that, but only got a defensive "Well, it's true" reply from her.
"Note that this isn't mutual," he growled, before dismissing her.
Even Rei Serio could tell that Sora Takaheshi's complaint was malicious, however, like any complainant he should be considered seriously. Unfortunately that was before Hatsuni dropped the bomb, and so Natsume, with extreme reluctance, requested that Hotaru offer her impartial comments regarding the deposition earlier that day.
Which led her to sitting in his office at two AM, drinking coffee from his ridiculously complicated Concordia Integra, carefully noting each eye movement and hand gesture, dissecting what was said and what it really meant.
From what Hotaru gathered, Yura Hatsuni was in love with the idea of love- or she was just the stereotypical beautiful and realistic twenty-something in love with a wealthy man in two legs. Despite Natsume not displaying anything that could've led to said feelings (because this transpired during "her time of vulnerability" wherein Natsume had been "a source of assurance and strength"- even though everyone who knew him knew he's doing it for his billables).
She was three-fourths way through when her phone rang.
"Are you still in the office," were the words that greeted her as soon as she accepted the call. Despite the time, the question wasn't out of place. As soon as the engagement party finished, Hotaru and Natsume went straight back to the office- she, to work; he, to pick up items. Natsume already left two hours ahead of her, leaving the office vacant of another overworked human soul.
"Depends why you're asking."
"I need your help."
"You never run to me for help."
"It's Mikan," Ruka hurriedly said, but agitatedly so. "She's in trouble."
"She's at a bachelorette, Nogi. You should be worried if they don't get into some sort of trouble."
"No, you don't understand. She's not with them. Not now, at least. I couldn't call Aoi because her phone's unreachable, and I don't want to risk Natsume knowing."
"Where are you?" she asked suspiciously.
There was a hesitant pause from the other line. "Downstairs."
"The lobby?"
"The sidewalk," Ruka clarified. "I can't take her home. Can't take her to the Hyuugas without Aoi. I'm in a bind here, Imai."
"Then what do you want me to do? I'm not going to take care of a twenty-one-year-old drunk."
"I was thinking, since you live close to-"
"No."
"Even if Natsume were asleep, I can't get inside without the passcode, and to be honest, I don't trust her to know right now."
"But I doooo," whined a voice on Ruka's end.
"I'll figure it out," Hotaru sighed in exasperation. "Stay there. I'll get the car."
"Are we going to your unit," he asked, sounding hopeful.
"No. We're going to hers."
"I already told you, I don't know-" Click.
It took Hotaru precisely six minutes to finish whatever work she was doing, then to her her car, then to the sidewalk corner of A.A. Tower where Mikan, now sitting upright, whined and cried next to a panicked-looking Ruka Nogi. She parked next to them and opened the door, not bothering to get out. Ruka helped Mikan inside while she continued on whatever verbal rampage she was on.
"They think I have it easy," she was saying, "That I just marry a guy and- oof." The sound she made wasn't part of her sentence, rather a reaction from when Ruka gave up being careful and just tossed her inside.
Ruka walked towards the front passenger seat but Hotaru merely locked the door and pointed backseat. Reluctantly, he let go of the handle and sat next to Mikan, who hasn't stopped talking.
"How'd you find her?" Hotaru asked as she pressed on the gas.
"Outside the 7-Eleven a few blocks from here. She was trying to push a bill on the coin slot of a vending machine. I was just passing by right before an employee took her out by the elbows."
"But I didn't!" Mikan suddenly cried, causing Ruka to jump a little on his seat. "My life is not all it's cracked up to be! Just because I have- ten, nine, eight... seven million yen doesn't mean my life is just as I want it."
"Seven million yen?" Hotaru repeated in confusion, although her eyes stayed on the road. "That's not what we agreed."
"Oh. I- hiccup- gave it to Reo."
Beeeeeeeeep!
"Who's Reo?" Ruka asked as he stopped himself and Mikan from plummeting against the back of the car seats.
Hotaru, on the other hand, spun around so fast, her neck ached. "You gave it to Reo?!"
Oops! Mikan Sakura suffers wardrobe malfunction at bachelorette; face-off with Hatsuni
In case you haven't heard, lawyer Natsume Hyuuga proposed to his girlfriend last week- nope, not Yura Hatsuni the Actress, but to Mikan Sakura the Waitress.
Yesterday, Hyuuga, 32, and Sakura, 21, celebrated their engagement in an artful winter-themed party at Aman, followed by a girls-only night out between the bride-to-be and her friends, including Hyuuga's younger sister. Here is a photo taken from Aoi Hyuuga's Twitter account.
Sakura headed to Paranoia with her bridal party still clad in her blue-grey strappy wrap dress, which probably wasn't made for partying. At one point in the night (photographed below), her nude shapewear rode up around her hips, accidentally flashing her thighs and underwear as she danced and walked, thanks to the flimsy wrap detail. Way to go, Sumire Shouda.
But wait, that's not all. Apparently, Hatsuni, 28, was at Paranoia, too, and these two even bumped into each other on the way to the bathroom, a source said.
"Sakura practically shoved Hatsuni to the side," claimed the source. "Hatsuni was too shocked to say anything."
Natsume has always been a heavy sleeper, but he had an uncanny ability to wake up at exactly the time he needed to, as if his body clock was programmed to nudge him to life before his alarm clock rang (except that one time Ruka asked Narumi to pick him up- that was just cruel). So, imagine his surprise when he woke up the next morning, in his boxers and bathrobe, to find five drunk females sprawled around his living room. Kina and Mayumi were sharing the tuxedo sofa, half of Aoi's body was tucked under the coffee table, Saki was unattractively slumped against the back of the sofa, and Mikan, in the corner most of the room, laid in a fetus position with two sets of blankets.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened, and because he was once their age he knew what to do- he went to pick up six orders of tonkotsu ramen with extra noodles and shichimi, a large bowl of miso soup with heaps of clams, and threw in bottles of Pocari Sweat just in case. By the time he returned home, Aoi had already showered and was perched on a bar stool with her feet up, a buttered toast on her left hand as she edited photos from last night.
"No headache?" he asked, trying to hide his surprise.
"Please," she scoffed, "You're not that special. Did you think you're the only one immune to hangovers?"
He chose not to answer this. "What time did you get here?"
Aoi tried to not be transparent, which was no easy task when you've got a lawyer for a brother. "I forgot," she said almost nonchalantly, even though she remembered- everything, from throwing up on an alley while Mikan transferred money to Reo Mouri's bank account, to accidentally losing Mikan on their way back to the club, to panicking inside Seico because no one could find Mikan, to getting a cab to Natsume's house while practicing their speech on how to explain that his fiancee was missing, to finding Hotaru pulling out her car just as they alighted the cab, then spending the next thirty minutes getting everyone to the living room and sending them to sleep while Mikan slurred in a drunken stupor.
"Do you think I have it easy?" Mikan had asked for the sixth time since they arrived.
"Shhh," an annoyed Saki hissed.
Aoi, by then more tired than ever, replied with an exasperated "No, Mikan. I don't."
"Everyone thinks so. Even Saki thinks so. Don't you, Saki?"
Saki pushed a pillow against her ear. "I will punch you in the face if you don't shut up," she groused.
Mikan had ignored her friend's threats and went on. "You know what- what I- well, what they- but also me- what we think? That life is easy. After I met Natsume. Like everything was handed to me on a golden- silver platter."
"That's not true," Aoi replied automatically, though sleepily.
"I mean, it's funny!" Mikan exclaimed, causing Saki to groan in frustration. "It's funny because I'm here because… Because, Reo! And Natsume, he helped me. So he- me. I have it easy. Right?"
Aoi doubted anyone who could be overhearing would remember the conversation anyway, so she didn't bother telling Mikan to keep quiet. However, she really, really wanted to go to sleep, so she decided to assure Mikan, "You guys met at exactly the right time. You both need each other. Can I go to sleep now?"
Aoi thought this had done the trick, because Mikan didn't say anything, until her voice flitted across the room, "But does he?"
Aoi sighed. "Does he what?"
"Need me?"
"Yes, Mikan. He does."
"Then why does it feel like I need him more?"
Though half of her mind had already started spiralling towards a deep, post-drinking slumber, a part of her considered what Mikan had said, and so Aoi went to sleep with the last of her thoughts occupied by this. She was about to take it up to Natsume, now that she's in a better thinking state, but they were interrupted.
"Ugh," a voice moaned from the living room. The siblings diverted their gaze from each other and to the opposite side of the open space. Saki was just sitting up, her face scrunched. She looked around and cursed. "Where the hell am I?"
"My house," Natsume replied loudly, not bothering to be quiet anymore. He'd have to wake them all up eventually if he wanted to get to work before rush hour. "Food's ready. Help yourselves." Natsume walked off, towards his bedroom.
"Hey," Saki said, nudging a lightly snoring Mayumi. "Hey. Wake up. Now." Mayumi just moaned. "Get your ass up, Yumi, you have a ten AM shift!"
Immediately, Mayumi's eyes darted open, and she sat up so fast she almost threw up.
But no- she actually threw up- on Natsume's black wool rug.
Mikan moaned through the sudden quiet, her nose twitching at the repugnant smell. She tossed and turned before eventually sitting up herself, gazing around the room through bleary eyes. "Who farted?" She blinked a couple of times, then noticed the vomit in front of Mayumi, just inches from Kina's hanging arm on the couch. Mikan's eyes widened. "Did you just-"
Natsume had just walked in the room and asked, "What the hell is this?"
Mayumi gulped, ready to offer her next three paycheck for the dry cleaning, but it turned out Natsume wasn't looking at her. He was looking at Mikan, holding out his phone.
Mikan squinted at his phone, trying to make sense what was wrong with the photos Aoi uploaded last night. "I don't get it?"
Natsume took back the mobile and scrolled back up to the headline, to the bold, capitalized text of 'oops' and 'wardrobe malfunction' next to her name. Mikan's eyes quickly gleamed through the article before looking back at Natsume, "This isn't true. I mean- the dress thing, probably, but you can't even see my underwear! It's a weird angle, look closely, I'll zoom it in-"
"I don't want to zoom it in!"
"I'm making a point! And that bit about Hatsuni, I swear, I don't remember seeing her. I can't even remember if she was there!"
Natsume sighed. "You were drunk, let's leave it at that. But did you have to touch her?"
"I didn't even know I so much as looked at her! Come on, Natsume, I have never seen Hatsuni, we've never been in the same room. And I know you guys aren't dating, so why would I- what did the article say?- shove her?"
Aoi quickly stood up from the stool and announced, "Why don't you guys do this in private, hm?" as she pushed her brother and Mikan from the living room (narrowly missing Mayumi's vomit on the rug) to the hallway, towards the furthest room in the house- his office.
"But there's nothing to talk about!" Mikan argued, but Aoi had already shut the door behind her, leaving a disgruntled Natsume and a disconcerted Mikan. They stared at each other for a heartbeat more before she said, "I swear that's not me."
He gave her an exasperated look.
"Okay, you're right, it is me, and I did go a little crazy last night…"
"A little?"
"A lot, then, sheesh. But I didn't touch her. If I did, I wasn't in sound mind, and I'm not that ridiculously drunk so I know I didn't."
"Really?" Natsume asked, and she gave him an eager nod that made her head spin. "Then how about you tell me why your new bank account is missing 4,086,000 yen?"
She gazed at her feet, suddenly feeling sheepish. "We may have gone overboard…"
Natsume tipped her chin to meet his eyes. "I know how much the drinks, table, and entrance was worth. They were all taken note of. I know I told you to have fun and to spend away, but I want to know what the four million money transfer was for."
Mikan almost shuddered under his stare. "I… ordered tickets?"
"Tickets to?"
"A ballet I'm watching. With Saki, Mayumi… you know. Them."
"And are you paying for their tickets, too?"
She gulped. "I thought it'd be a nice present, you know."
"You're the one who's getting married."
"I know, but I think the concert would be-"
"Concert? I thought it was a ballet."
"It's a- well, it's more of like a ballet concert, I guess."
Natsume paused. "You do know I remember who you owe four million to?"
Mikan sighed in exasperation, then asked, sounding annoyed, "Then why'd you ask me?"
"Because I don't want you lying to me," Natsume revealed exasperatedly, as if Mikan should've known that. "And I'm not saying this because of the money. You asked for time. I'm asking for honesty."
"I was going to tell you-"
"Really, now."
"Yes!" she nodded vigorously. "It's too early in the morning. I never do math this early. I was going to tell you once I at least get some food in my system. Food makes me think better."
"What's breakfast got to do with it?" he asked, walking towards the door now that their conversation was close to its termination. "You just say 'Hey, I decided to forgo whatever we talked about and pay my loan shark the amount he was willing to kill my landlord for'."
She scowled and stomped pass him, opening the door herself. "That's exactly why!"
Natsume followed behind her, as they walked through the short hallway to the dining. "What did I say?"
"Didn't I just lock you guys in a room to settle this in private," Aoi added meaningfully, giving the two a hard, steady glare. Kina was already awake and they were all clustered around the four-person table, eating their hangovers away.
Mikan ignored Aoi and turned to Natsume. "You just- you do this! All the time! Telling me what to do just because you have the upper hand!"
"I have the upper hand? You're the one who's doing things without asking me-"
"This is the one time I did something without consulting Your Royal Pain in the Ass, and you're just mad because this is the one time you didn't get what you want. Grow. Up. Hyuuga."
"God," Saki groaned in the background, unable to enjoy the hot soup through the shouting, "Someone shut them up. They're not even married yet!"
"I'm just saying," Natsume went on, mimicking Mikan's indifference towards their unwilling audience, "You could have told me about it, so we can make the decision. As a couple," he emphasized.
"Now you want to make decisions 'as a couple'," she laughed humorlessly, using air quotes as emphasis. "Listen to me, Hyuuga. I didn't agree to say yes to whatever you tell me. When I found out about Hatsuni, I didn't crap all over you, I waited for you to tell me the truth, like an adult. So stop feeling so entitled. I'll tell you things when I'm ready."
"Sure, as long as you promise to be honest about it," he sneered.
Mikan felt her cheeks flare up in embarrassment. Then, she closed her eyes, breathed through her nose, and gave a loud exhale. Her eyes now back to Natsume, she said, in a calmed voice, "Fine. I was wrong. I'm sorry for not telling the truth. But I also have the right to withhold it until I'm ready to tell you."
Noting her decision for a civilized parley, Natsume echoed her stance. "And I'm sorry for springing it up to you like that."
"Huh," Aoi commented from her seat, watching her brother and her friend get so close to biting each other's heads off to making peace. "This is the first time I've heard you both apologize."
"Shut up, Aoi," they said in unison.
As Mikan reheated her ramen two minutes later, Natsume started brewing his first cup of coffee next to her. Quietly, she said, "I know you disapprove, but it was my fault." For some reason, he already knew what she was talking about, despite the growing list of sins they mentally tallied against each other. "I borrowed money I knew I couldn't pay back, and if I were to sue him, that'd be like… running away from my responsibilities. I know what he's doing isn't good, but borrowing money shouldn't have been my escape route, either, even though I was nineteen and poor and stupid."
"You're not stupid," he countered automatically.
"But I am poor," she chuckled.
He shrugged. "Not anymore. Didn't you just spend almost ninety thousand yen in one night? How can you even spend that much in one night?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Natsume just smirked, and she rolled her eyes. He pushed a button and waited for the coffee to brew, so he turned back to Mikan and asked thoughtfully, "That wardrobe malfunction wasn't photoshopped, was it?"
"Nope."
"And did you really mean to zoom it?"
"Oh, shut up."
"Someone grab me a bucket," Mayumi griped from the table, "If they start kissing, I am going to throw up. Again."
A/N: While the aforementioned restaurants, fast food, hotels, etc. are actual places, they are used in a fictitious manner and should be treated as such. Paranoia, however, is fictional, and so is The Star.