#19: Gakuen Alice (Natsume & Mikan)
...xXx...
...xXx...
Her reading glasses reflected the white screen of her notebook in front of her. She stopped typing when she saw the light of the intercom blinking furiously.
Putting aside her notebook, she pressed a button on the intercom and softly said, "Yes?"
A woman's voice replied, "Yukihira-sama on line 2, Mikan-sama."
Her face remained impassive as she picked up the phone and pressed the number.
She softly spoke, "Good afternoon, Otou-sama."
"Good afternoon, Mikan."
"What is it?" she asked while gazing at her notebook.
"Tonight we are going to have dinner with your husband's family, Mikan."
She blinked, and after a moment she calmly replied, "Understood."
After that she ended the call.
Moments later she closed her notebook and put it in her bag. Her driver opened the door of the limo for her as she smoothed her skirt. Grabbing her bag, she slowly stepped out from the limo. She straightened her back and walked towards the restaurant. Right before she reach there, the front door was opened for her. A waitress bowed at her, and she gave a small nod in reply. Without saying anything, she was guided to the table where her family was. When her and her husband's family saw her, they stood up, smiling. She gave a small smile and a small bow in greeting. She went to her seat and sat down. She then noticed that all of the family members had arrived except her husband.
She chatted lightly with her mother-in-law. Just like a drama story, she and her husband were married because of the promise between the two families. Since they were only married by law and both parties hadn't met before, she refused to be a Hyuuga. Yes, though they were married for five years, she had never met her husband before. They only spoke once by phone. She didn't know why her father suddenly decided to have dinner with her husband's family, or his best friend's family to be exact, after all these years. She had known that her husband worked overseas and hadn't been able to come back to Japan. Well, she had a good guess of the reason for this meeting, but she wasn't sure, so she decided that she would wait and see if she was right.
After about thirty minutes Aoi finally decided to make a call as her brother was later than usual. But then, before she could make a call, her father's phone rang. He answered the phone, and then after a few moments he stood up in alarm. Aoi looked at her father worriedly. After ending the call, her father finally passed the news that Natsume was admitted to the hospital as an accident had occurred when he was on his way to the restaurant.
"Nice to meet you, Natsume-san," she spoke evenly through the phone.
"Nice to meet you, too."
After a moment of silence, his voice reached her ears again. "We're married."
She didn't know how to comment on that statement. Nevertheless, she replied, "Yes."
"Hopefully, we can meet one day."
She stared at her husband. Though she didn't feel like meeting him, she didn't want to meet him under this circumstance. She didn't know how long she had stood there watching him.
"I would be happy to meet you again when you're awake, Natsume-san." Her voice was just above a whisper.
The empty silence was her only answer. After a few moments she turned around while closing her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she left the room.
Two weeks had passed since the accident, and her husband still remained the same. She was not very close to her husband, but she felt the obligation to visit him every night. Before going back to her house, she would just stay with him for a few minutes. The bandages had been removed from his body. The only thing that marked him as a sick person was his patient attire. After letting out a soft sigh, she stood up and left the room.
Unknown to her, her husband opened his eyes and saw her back.
Natsume gazed at his mother. Giving her a small smile, he replied, "Tired. How long have I stayed here, Okaa-sama?"
His mother hummed. "More than two weeks. You have made everyone worry about you, Natsume."
Natsume closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."
A soft knock was heard before the door was opened and revealed a brown-haired woman in formal attire. She was beautiful if only she graced her emotionless face with a smile. Her eyes showed nothing but coldness as if she had no feelings. He stared at the woman for a while before looking at his mother again.
His mother smiled. "I will leave the both of you now."
Without waiting for an answer from him, his mother left him with the pale-brown-eyed woman.
The woman approached him with steady steps. When she was right at his side, she softly asked, "How are you feeling, Natsume-san?"
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Her voice was like a soft melody. There was no coldness in her eyes but gentleness. He blinked two times before answering, "Good but tired."
The woman nodded slowly. "It is expected since you've been in coma for more than two weeks."
She sat down on the same chair that was previously occupied by his mother.
"Let me begin again." The woman gave a small smile that he could feel warmth from. "Nice to meet you, Natsume-san."
He blinked then replied with a nod. "Nice to meet you, too."
No one tried to say another word as they fell into silence.
It was the woman who broke the silence as she stood up. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave now."
He nodded as he understood. "It's okay. I understand. If you have things to do, then I won't mind if you leave me alone."
Somehow, his words made her stand still for a while before nodding at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Natsume-san."
"See you tomorrow," he replied while watching the woman slowly leave him. He suddenly remembered that the one he saw yesterday was her, too.
His mother walked into his room again and smiled at him. "I guess everything went well between you two."
He remained silent as his mother started telling him about what happened when she received the news about him being admitted to the hospital. He was about to ask his mother about the woman that had visited him just now, but somehow, something was holding him back, so he kept quiet. He looked out of the window. Who is she?
She felt as though she had lost her voice when her husband asked, "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"
Honestly, she didn't know what he was trying to pull, but looking into his confused eyes, she knew that he was not lying to her. Taking a deep and silent breath, she replied, "I'm Mikan Yukihira. I'm…"
She stopped mid-sentence and gazed at her husband's face. She was debating whether she should tell him the truth or not. She had made a conclusion that her husband remembered everything but her. He didn't remember her at all. She asked herself, Was it because we had never met before that I did not exist in his memory?
Natsume gazed at the woman before him. He was still waiting for her to continue whatever she was trying to say. After a moment he heard the woman named Mikan sigh.
Mikan looked at her husband. "I'm your friend, Natsume-san."
She had decided that she would not tell him about their relationship as she had no proof that she was his wife. True, they had the marriage certificate, but even so he would not believe her as what he knew now was that she was a complete stranger. Even by the world, they were not a married couple as they didn't bear any wedding rings, and she was still holding her maiden name.
Natsume gazed at her while asking her, "How long have I known you?"
She went silent for a while before telling him, "We're not close, but we have known each other for five years, Natsume-san."
He blinked and nodded his head. "I see…"
Five years was quite long for him, but why did he have no recollections about her? He pondered.
The news that her husband didn't remember her had reached both families. Her mother-in-law was quite devastated to know her son didn't know that she was his wife. For the time being they would keep quiet and wait to see if he would regain his memory back or not. Days became weeks, and weeks became months. It had been two months, and their relationship remained the same except the awkwardness between them had vanished. Just like what she said, they were friends now.
"Mikan."
She blinked and smiled to herself. "Natsume?"
"Are you busy today? I hope we can meet for lunch."
She hummed while gazing at her notebook. "OK."
"Good. I'm coming."
She could imagine his happy smile.
Did she feel anything towards her husband? Two months ago she would say no confidently, but now she wasn't sure anymore. She gazed at the woman before her. Her husband had brought a woman to their lunch today. She felt her heart being gripped so tightly that she had difficulty in breathing properly. Fortunately, her face was fixed with an indifferent mask, so her emotions were guarded, and no one could see it.
"Nice to meet you, Mitsuki-san." Mikan smiled at the woman who was introduced by Natsume as his client.
Mitsuki smiled at her. "Nice to meet you, too, Mikan-san."
During their lunch, Mitsuki told her how she met her husband Natsume. From her observation Mitsuki liked her husband and vice versa. Suddenly, she felt her blood turn cold when her husband told her that he and Mitsuki would like to go for a new relationship.
For the first time in her life, she felt what it was like to be heartbroken. She had unconsciously fallen in love with her husband, but it was clear to her that her husband didn't feel the same. She cried for hours before calling her mother.
Yuka was panicked when she saw her daughter's condition. She had never seen her daughter cry so much. She tried her best to comfort her daughter as she waited for her to calm down and tell her what happened. As expected, her daughter told her and poured her heart out about how much she loved her husband.
"But Okaa-sama, you haven't met her, and I—"
"I will not accept that woman into our family!" Kaoru declared furiously.
Natsume sighed and stared at his mother. "I don't understand, Okaa-sama. Why are you acting like this?"
"Because! Because…" Kaoru clenched her fist tightly as she could not bring herself to tell her son that he was a married man. She had promised Mikan that she would not say a word as long as he was happy. Her anger slowly faded as she unclenched her fist. Before leaving her son, she spoke, "Do whatever you want but never bring her to this house."
Natsume had the feeling that his mother was hiding something from him. Despite his mother's disagreement, he still continued his relationship with Mitsuki. He still continued meeting Mikan for lunch together with Mitsuki. After two months he had come to notice one thing. Mikan seemed to be drawing herself away from him, and he didn't know why.
He began, "Mikan… I would like to ask you, would it be too fast for me to ask for Mitsuki's hand in marriage?"
For a moment, just for a moment, she felt her heart stop beating. When it started beating again, it hurt for her to breath. Her heart was in pain. She closed her eyes to hold the pain. She had come to her limit. As she remembered that he was waiting for her answer or her advice, she told herself that this would be her last advice. Opening her eyes, she gave him a small smile. "If you love her, then it shouldn't be a problem."
"I guess you're right…" He smiled. "I wish to propose to her next weekend. Will you help me set it up?"
Natsume looked up at her with hopeful eyes so she would agree to help him, but the hope in his eyes was replaced with concern. He saw that her face had scrunched up into something like pain. He reached out to her, but she stood up immediately, avoiding his touch and knocking her rose tea to the floor in the process.
The cup produced a loud crash, and everyone who was present in the café stopped talking. All of them stared at them curiously.
He frowned. When he was about to stand up, she stopped him with her voice. "Don't…"
Her voice was a kind of voice that he had never heard before, and it was filled with so much pain that he could almost feel it himself. His eyes widened slowly when he watched the tears that slowly rolled down her face.
She took a step back and blinked her eyes that were now full with tears. She gave him a sad smile. "Goodbye, Natsume…"
He was too shocked to chase after her as this was his first time seeing her tears.
"Okaa-sama," Natsume greeted his mother on the other side of the phone.
"What is it?"
"Can you tell me where Mikan is?" he asked.
"…"
"Okaa-sama?"
"Why?"
"I want to know," he told his mother.
After a moment of silence, he heard his mother sigh. "If you wish to meet her, it's too late for that."
Panic slowly seeped into his body. "What do you mean?"
"Soon, my son. You will know soon."
His mother ended the call without waiting for his answer. Right after he put the phone back in its place, he heard a knock on his door. He blinked and gave his permission. His secretary delivered him a big envelope. When he got his hands on it, he stared at the address. It was from a lawyer. He furrowed his brows in confusion.
His mother never moved from her sitting position as she scanned the paper. It was his marriage certificate that was issued five years ago.
"Marriage certificate." His mother looked up at him.
The answer was obvious, but that wasn't the answer he wanted.
Before he could open his mouth, his mother spoke again, "You're a married man, Natsume. Isn't it obvious now why I never allowed your relationship with that woman as you would have betrayed your lawful wife Mikan?"
He clenched his fists in anger. "Why have you never told me about this? Why have you never told me anything about this?"
"Have you forgotten the car accident that occurred seven months ago, Natsume?"
He remained silent as, of course, he remembered.
"Because of that accident, you lost your memory about Mikan. She wanted nothing but to try and regain your memories. Remember when you were in the hospital and ask yourself why you have never asked her about her reason to visit you every night."
With that said, his mother left him. Ironically, his mother was right. He had never asked her why she always visited him every night when he was still in the hospital. He just thought that it was normal for a friend to visit another friend. He covered his face with his hands in frustration, and then his phone rang. Without looking at the caller ID, he answered, "Hyuuga speaking."
"Natsume."
His dazed mind became clear. "Mitsuki?"
"Where are you now? You asked me to get ready before 7."
He blinked then looked at his wristwatch. It was true; today was the day he would propose to Mitsuki. Propose? He didn't feel like it anymore. How could he? He almost betrayed his lawful wife by marrying another woman. Using his free hand, he took his marriage certificate and placed it on top of the same envelope, but then his eyes caught something. The envelope still had another paper that he hadn't read. Still holding his cell phone, he softly told her, "I'm sorry, Mitsuki. I have to cancel our date."
Using his free hand, he pulled out the paper. He dropped his cell phone instantly as he read the paper. He couldn't hear Mitsuki's calling voice from the cell phone anymore as he felt as though his world had turned silent and time had been stopped. After what was like forever, he felt a hand on his right shoulder, and he was pulled back to reality. He turned to his side and found that it was his little sister Aoi. He looked at his little sister as he touched his marriage certificate. "Do you know anything about this, Aoi?"
Natsume was oblivious that Mitsuki could hear his voice from his long forgotten cell phone that was lying on the floor.
"I'm sorry, Onii-sama." Aoi gazed away from her older brother.
He clenched his fist. "Why? Why did no one tell me about this?"
"When were all of you going to tell me about this?" His voice was filled with great anger and sadness.
Aoi sighed. "Onii-sama… Mikan-nee-san, she really loves you."
No one noticed a small gasp that was produced from Natsume's phone. Mitsuki clamped her hand over her mouth as she tried to calm down. She wished she hadn't heard anything. She wished this was just a nightmare. She wanted to end the call immediately, but her heart told her that she should hear more about this.
Aoi began, "Even though both of you were only married by law five years ago, Nee-san still tried to help you regain your lost memory." She sat across her older brother. "When all of us realised you had lost your memory about Nee-san, Nee-san asked all of us to keep quiet as we wanted to see if you would regain your memory about her or not. We've tried to tell you, but we couldn't do that as we had promised Nee-san."
Aoi gazed at her brother with sad eyes. "Seeing you've decided to marry Mitsuki-san, Nee-san gave up. We knew that she would do something like that, but we never thought that she would send you the marriage certificate and the divorce paper at the same time." A tear slid down her face, and slowly more began to as well before she finally silently cried. "Nee-san just wanted you to be happy, Onii-sama."
Looking at his little sister's tears, he suddenly remembered Mikan's tears. Compared to his little sister's tears, Mikan's were more painful to see.
Mitsuki had decided that she should take this chance to comfort and make Natsume forget about Mikan, but then she realized that she couldn't do that. If she was put in the same situation like Mikan, she was sure that she would break down. Furthermore, they were married for five years now even though it was only by law.
She gave him a gentle smile. "I should have known that Mikan-san had feelings for you, Natsume."
He remained silent, and she continued, "I know that both of you are husband and wife."
Shocked, he looked up at her in disbelief and surprise eyes.
Smiling, she told him, "Please, find Mikan-san and be happy with her, Natsume."
Natsume was relieved that Mitsuki was a considerate woman. They promised each other that they would stay as friends. While working on his files, he pondered where he should look for his wife. His and his wife's family refused to tell him about his wife's whereabouts. His pondering stopped when he heard a knock for the second time of the day. He sighed and gave the permission to enter. It was his secretary.
"Can't you speak with me through the line?" Natsume asked with an almost annoyed tone.
His secretary bowed down. "My deepest apologies, Natsume-sama. I have tried to call you for the last 20 minutes, but you didn't answer my calls."
Of course, it shocked him. He didn't know that he had been out for that long. He sighed. "What is it?"
"There's a man that wishes to see you right away, Natsume-sama," she replied.
He blinked. "What's his name? Which company does he come from?"
He saw his secretary shift uncomfortably before replying, "I have tried to ask him, Natsume-sama. But—"
"That's enough. Let him in," he interrupted her.
She bowed and did what she was told.
Not long after his secretary left, a tall brown-haired man walked into his office room. He studied the man who stood still after closing the door behind him. He furrowed his brows then stood up as he inclined the man to sit on the sofa across from him. After seeing the man scan the room, he cleared his throat. "If I may know, who are you?"
The man averted his sapphire eyes back to him. "My name is Akira Azumi."
Somehow, he heard that name before but from where? He couldn't remember where or when, but then he was reminded by him. "Lawyer."
Finally, he remembered that name. The man before him was the one that handled his divorce papers with Mikan.
"I wish to collect the papers now, Natsume-san."
"I will not sign the divorce papers," Natsume told him while looking at him in the eye.
A small smile graced Akira's face as he nodded. "That's good." He stood up. "I guess you might want to work things out with Mikan now."
Natsume narrowed his eyes as he noted his wife's name being mentioned. He realized that the man before him acted as if he was really close to his wife.
Before Akira could leave the room, he stopped him. "Wait."
Akira stopped and turned to look at him over his shoulder. "What is it?"
Natsume gazed at him curiously. "Exactly who are you?"
Akira turned and faced Natsume fully. "I'm just a man that loves your wife with his life."
His eyes widened, and Akira continued, "Mikan is my precious cousin."
Natsume was too shocked to reply.
Akira approached him and handed over a small piece of paper.
He accepted it mutely, and before leaving him alone, Akira spoke, "Go to her, Natsume-san."
Mikan nodded her head, but her eyes were occupied with the sea before her.
Rin bowed and left her mistress with sad eyes. It had been a week, and her mistress still remained like that. Her mistress had not spoken a word to anyone. She was clueless about what happened, but she had a good guess that it had something to do with her mistress's husband. With a soft sigh she walked towards the house and was surprised that a raven-haired man was there. She quickly approached the man. "Excuse me; who are you?"
She was sure that no one knew about this place except the family members of Yukihira.
The man finally noticed her and spoke, "Where's Mikan?"
She gazed at him suspiciously as she had never met the man before and made a few guesses.
Natsume looked around and finally caught a person that was sitting down on the seaside. He was sure that it was his wife. When he was about to make his way towards her, the maid blocked him. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm not going to let you go to Mikan-sama if you came here to hurt her," she spoke loudly but politely at the same time.
"I'm her husband," Natsume stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
She stared at him. "So it was you."
"What are you trying to say?" He was starting to lose his patience.
After a moment she spoke, "Please wait here for a moment."
He was surprised that he himself agreed to wait for her. After a few minutes the maid came back with a tray. He guessed it was rose tea. Did she plan to give the tray to him? His unspoken question was answered when the maid handed the tray to him, and he took it without hesitation.
Rin gave a small smile. "Good luck. I hope you can help Mikan-sama return to her old self again."
Natsume grimaced when he saw his wife's condition. To him, it seemed like she was barely eating as she was thinner and her face was paler than usual. He had been standing by her side for almost an hour, but she didn't notice him at all. It was heart wrenching to watch his wife's state like that. He kneeled down on one knee at the side of the chair she was sitting in and took her hands that were placed in her lap gently. She blinked but didn't look at him. He felt guilty for making her hurt like this. While stroking the back of her hands, he gently called her, "Mikan."
His voice was like an alarm that brought her to life as she looked away from the sea and at him. They stared into each other's eyes before her eyes widened and she stood up abruptly. He, too, was forced to stand up. She was about to run away, but he caught her right hand. He would not let her run away again.
She kept struggling to free her hand from his hold. "L-let go… l-let go of me…"
He grimaced again as he saw her tears start forming. He gazed into her eyes. "Please… don't push me away, Mikan."
Softly, he continued, "I'm sorry; I can't let go of you."
She finally ceased her struggling, and tears rolled down her face as he spoke, "You are my important friend and… wife."
Using his free hand, he reached out. He saw her flinch but didn't move away. He wiped her tears as he released her hand from his grip and slowly moved closer to her. Her tears finally stopped as he cupped her face. His heart leaped with happiness when he finally wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He was glad that she didn't push him away. He pulled back his hand from her face and wrapped her small frame with both arms. He hugged her tightly and after a moment, she slowly and finally hugged him back. After a moment or two he closed his eyes and a smile graced his face when he heard her hoarse voice whisper that she missed him so much. He, too, told her that he missed her so much. Both agreed to start their relationship again as husband and wife.
He buried his face in her hair and whispered, "I will."
It was his answer for her quiet statement: Remember me.
Putting aside her notebook, she pressed a button on the intercom and softly said, "Yes?"
A woman's voice replied, "Yukihira-sama on line 2, Mikan-sama."
Her face remained impassive as she picked up the phone and pressed the number.
She softly spoke, "Good afternoon, Otou-sama."
"Good afternoon, Mikan."
"What is it?" she asked while gazing at her notebook.
"Tonight we are going to have dinner with your husband's family, Mikan."
She blinked, and after a moment she calmly replied, "Understood."
After that she ended the call.
...xXx...
Mikan stopped typing on her notebook when a voice told her, "Mikan-sama. We have arrived."Moments later she closed her notebook and put it in her bag. Her driver opened the door of the limo for her as she smoothed her skirt. Grabbing her bag, she slowly stepped out from the limo. She straightened her back and walked towards the restaurant. Right before she reach there, the front door was opened for her. A waitress bowed at her, and she gave a small nod in reply. Without saying anything, she was guided to the table where her family was. When her and her husband's family saw her, they stood up, smiling. She gave a small smile and a small bow in greeting. She went to her seat and sat down. She then noticed that all of the family members had arrived except her husband.
She chatted lightly with her mother-in-law. Just like a drama story, she and her husband were married because of the promise between the two families. Since they were only married by law and both parties hadn't met before, she refused to be a Hyuuga. Yes, though they were married for five years, she had never met her husband before. They only spoke once by phone. She didn't know why her father suddenly decided to have dinner with her husband's family, or his best friend's family to be exact, after all these years. She had known that her husband worked overseas and hadn't been able to come back to Japan. Well, she had a good guess of the reason for this meeting, but she wasn't sure, so she decided that she would wait and see if she was right.
After about thirty minutes Aoi finally decided to make a call as her brother was later than usual. But then, before she could make a call, her father's phone rang. He answered the phone, and then after a few moments he stood up in alarm. Aoi looked at her father worriedly. After ending the call, her father finally passed the news that Natsume was admitted to the hospital as an accident had occurred when he was on his way to the restaurant.
...xXx...
Did she feel anything towards her husband? The answer was obviously no. She didn't feel anything towards him. The doctor had announced that her husband would be in coma. For how long they didn't know. She stood at the bedside and stared at her unconscious husband. He looked the same as the photo she had received from her family except for the bandages on his body. Looking at his serene face, she had the urge to touch his face but decided not to. It was so unlike her to touch him even though he was her lawful husband."Nice to meet you, Natsume-san," she spoke evenly through the phone.
"Nice to meet you, too."
After a moment of silence, his voice reached her ears again. "We're married."
She didn't know how to comment on that statement. Nevertheless, she replied, "Yes."
"Hopefully, we can meet one day."
She stared at her husband. Though she didn't feel like meeting him, she didn't want to meet him under this circumstance. She didn't know how long she had stood there watching him.
"I would be happy to meet you again when you're awake, Natsume-san." Her voice was just above a whisper.
The empty silence was her only answer. After a few moments she turned around while closing her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she left the room.
Two weeks had passed since the accident, and her husband still remained the same. She was not very close to her husband, but she felt the obligation to visit him every night. Before going back to her house, she would just stay with him for a few minutes. The bandages had been removed from his body. The only thing that marked him as a sick person was his patient attire. After letting out a soft sigh, she stood up and left the room.
Unknown to her, her husband opened his eyes and saw her back.
...xXx...
"How are you feeling, Natsume?" Kaoru asked with a small smile. She was glad that her son had finally awoken after sixteen days.Natsume gazed at his mother. Giving her a small smile, he replied, "Tired. How long have I stayed here, Okaa-sama?"
His mother hummed. "More than two weeks. You have made everyone worry about you, Natsume."
Natsume closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."
A soft knock was heard before the door was opened and revealed a brown-haired woman in formal attire. She was beautiful if only she graced her emotionless face with a smile. Her eyes showed nothing but coldness as if she had no feelings. He stared at the woman for a while before looking at his mother again.
His mother smiled. "I will leave the both of you now."
Without waiting for an answer from him, his mother left him with the pale-brown-eyed woman.
The woman approached him with steady steps. When she was right at his side, she softly asked, "How are you feeling, Natsume-san?"
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Her voice was like a soft melody. There was no coldness in her eyes but gentleness. He blinked two times before answering, "Good but tired."
The woman nodded slowly. "It is expected since you've been in coma for more than two weeks."
She sat down on the same chair that was previously occupied by his mother.
"Let me begin again." The woman gave a small smile that he could feel warmth from. "Nice to meet you, Natsume-san."
He blinked then replied with a nod. "Nice to meet you, too."
No one tried to say another word as they fell into silence.
It was the woman who broke the silence as she stood up. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave now."
He nodded as he understood. "It's okay. I understand. If you have things to do, then I won't mind if you leave me alone."
Somehow, his words made her stand still for a while before nodding at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Natsume-san."
"See you tomorrow," he replied while watching the woman slowly leave him. He suddenly remembered that the one he saw yesterday was her, too.
His mother walked into his room again and smiled at him. "I guess everything went well between you two."
He remained silent as his mother started telling him about what happened when she received the news about him being admitted to the hospital. He was about to ask his mother about the woman that had visited him just now, but somehow, something was holding him back, so he kept quiet. He looked out of the window. Who is she?
...xXx...
She felt numb.She felt as though she had lost her voice when her husband asked, "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"
Honestly, she didn't know what he was trying to pull, but looking into his confused eyes, she knew that he was not lying to her. Taking a deep and silent breath, she replied, "I'm Mikan Yukihira. I'm…"
She stopped mid-sentence and gazed at her husband's face. She was debating whether she should tell him the truth or not. She had made a conclusion that her husband remembered everything but her. He didn't remember her at all. She asked herself, Was it because we had never met before that I did not exist in his memory?
Natsume gazed at the woman before him. He was still waiting for her to continue whatever she was trying to say. After a moment he heard the woman named Mikan sigh.
Mikan looked at her husband. "I'm your friend, Natsume-san."
She had decided that she would not tell him about their relationship as she had no proof that she was his wife. True, they had the marriage certificate, but even so he would not believe her as what he knew now was that she was a complete stranger. Even by the world, they were not a married couple as they didn't bear any wedding rings, and she was still holding her maiden name.
Natsume gazed at her while asking her, "How long have I known you?"
She went silent for a while before telling him, "We're not close, but we have known each other for five years, Natsume-san."
He blinked and nodded his head. "I see…"
Five years was quite long for him, but why did he have no recollections about her? He pondered.
The news that her husband didn't remember her had reached both families. Her mother-in-law was quite devastated to know her son didn't know that she was his wife. For the time being they would keep quiet and wait to see if he would regain his memory back or not. Days became weeks, and weeks became months. It had been two months, and their relationship remained the same except the awkwardness between them had vanished. Just like what she said, they were friends now.
...xXx...
Picking up her cell phone, Mikan answered, "Yukihira speaking.""Mikan."
She blinked and smiled to herself. "Natsume?"
"Are you busy today? I hope we can meet for lunch."
She hummed while gazing at her notebook. "OK."
"Good. I'm coming."
She could imagine his happy smile.
Did she feel anything towards her husband? Two months ago she would say no confidently, but now she wasn't sure anymore. She gazed at the woman before her. Her husband had brought a woman to their lunch today. She felt her heart being gripped so tightly that she had difficulty in breathing properly. Fortunately, her face was fixed with an indifferent mask, so her emotions were guarded, and no one could see it.
"Nice to meet you, Mitsuki-san." Mikan smiled at the woman who was introduced by Natsume as his client.
Mitsuki smiled at her. "Nice to meet you, too, Mikan-san."
During their lunch, Mitsuki told her how she met her husband Natsume. From her observation Mitsuki liked her husband and vice versa. Suddenly, she felt her blood turn cold when her husband told her that he and Mitsuki would like to go for a new relationship.
For the first time in her life, she felt what it was like to be heartbroken. She had unconsciously fallen in love with her husband, but it was clear to her that her husband didn't feel the same. She cried for hours before calling her mother.
Yuka was panicked when she saw her daughter's condition. She had never seen her daughter cry so much. She tried her best to comfort her daughter as she waited for her to calm down and tell her what happened. As expected, her daughter told her and poured her heart out about how much she loved her husband.
...xXx...
Anger was written all over Kaoru's face as she exclaimed, "Unacceptable!""But Okaa-sama, you haven't met her, and I—"
"I will not accept that woman into our family!" Kaoru declared furiously.
Natsume sighed and stared at his mother. "I don't understand, Okaa-sama. Why are you acting like this?"
"Because! Because…" Kaoru clenched her fist tightly as she could not bring herself to tell her son that he was a married man. She had promised Mikan that she would not say a word as long as he was happy. Her anger slowly faded as she unclenched her fist. Before leaving her son, she spoke, "Do whatever you want but never bring her to this house."
Natsume had the feeling that his mother was hiding something from him. Despite his mother's disagreement, he still continued his relationship with Mitsuki. He still continued meeting Mikan for lunch together with Mitsuki. After two months he had come to notice one thing. Mikan seemed to be drawing herself away from him, and he didn't know why.
...xXx...
They were sitting at their usual table, but this time, there was no Mitsuki. It was just her and Natsume. How long had it been? It had been six months since their last time together like this.He began, "Mikan… I would like to ask you, would it be too fast for me to ask for Mitsuki's hand in marriage?"
For a moment, just for a moment, she felt her heart stop beating. When it started beating again, it hurt for her to breath. Her heart was in pain. She closed her eyes to hold the pain. She had come to her limit. As she remembered that he was waiting for her answer or her advice, she told herself that this would be her last advice. Opening her eyes, she gave him a small smile. "If you love her, then it shouldn't be a problem."
"I guess you're right…" He smiled. "I wish to propose to her next weekend. Will you help me set it up?"
Natsume looked up at her with hopeful eyes so she would agree to help him, but the hope in his eyes was replaced with concern. He saw that her face had scrunched up into something like pain. He reached out to her, but she stood up immediately, avoiding his touch and knocking her rose tea to the floor in the process.
The cup produced a loud crash, and everyone who was present in the café stopped talking. All of them stared at them curiously.
He frowned. When he was about to stand up, she stopped him with her voice. "Don't…"
Her voice was a kind of voice that he had never heard before, and it was filled with so much pain that he could almost feel it himself. His eyes widened slowly when he watched the tears that slowly rolled down her face.
She took a step back and blinked her eyes that were now full with tears. She gave him a sad smile. "Goodbye, Natsume…"
He was too shocked to chase after her as this was his first time seeing her tears.
...xXx...
Just like what she said to him a few days ago, she left him. He could no longer contact her as her number was not in use anymore. He was confused. What happened? His plan to propose to Mitsuki had been long forgotten as he was trying to look for Mikan. He had tried to go to her office but found that she was replaced by someone else. It frustrated him."Okaa-sama," Natsume greeted his mother on the other side of the phone.
"What is it?"
"Can you tell me where Mikan is?" he asked.
"…"
"Okaa-sama?"
"Why?"
"I want to know," he told his mother.
After a moment of silence, he heard his mother sigh. "If you wish to meet her, it's too late for that."
Panic slowly seeped into his body. "What do you mean?"
"Soon, my son. You will know soon."
His mother ended the call without waiting for his answer. Right after he put the phone back in its place, he heard a knock on his door. He blinked and gave his permission. His secretary delivered him a big envelope. When he got his hands on it, he stared at the address. It was from a lawyer. He furrowed his brows in confusion.
...xXx...
Natsume slammed his right hand on the decorated paper before him. "What's the meaning of this, Okaa-sama!"His mother never moved from her sitting position as she scanned the paper. It was his marriage certificate that was issued five years ago.
"Marriage certificate." His mother looked up at him.
The answer was obvious, but that wasn't the answer he wanted.
Before he could open his mouth, his mother spoke again, "You're a married man, Natsume. Isn't it obvious now why I never allowed your relationship with that woman as you would have betrayed your lawful wife Mikan?"
He clenched his fists in anger. "Why have you never told me about this? Why have you never told me anything about this?"
"Have you forgotten the car accident that occurred seven months ago, Natsume?"
He remained silent as, of course, he remembered.
"Because of that accident, you lost your memory about Mikan. She wanted nothing but to try and regain your memories. Remember when you were in the hospital and ask yourself why you have never asked her about her reason to visit you every night."
With that said, his mother left him. Ironically, his mother was right. He had never asked her why she always visited him every night when he was still in the hospital. He just thought that it was normal for a friend to visit another friend. He covered his face with his hands in frustration, and then his phone rang. Without looking at the caller ID, he answered, "Hyuuga speaking."
"Natsume."
His dazed mind became clear. "Mitsuki?"
"Where are you now? You asked me to get ready before 7."
He blinked then looked at his wristwatch. It was true; today was the day he would propose to Mitsuki. Propose? He didn't feel like it anymore. How could he? He almost betrayed his lawful wife by marrying another woman. Using his free hand, he took his marriage certificate and placed it on top of the same envelope, but then his eyes caught something. The envelope still had another paper that he hadn't read. Still holding his cell phone, he softly told her, "I'm sorry, Mitsuki. I have to cancel our date."
Using his free hand, he pulled out the paper. He dropped his cell phone instantly as he read the paper. He couldn't hear Mitsuki's calling voice from the cell phone anymore as he felt as though his world had turned silent and time had been stopped. After what was like forever, he felt a hand on his right shoulder, and he was pulled back to reality. He turned to his side and found that it was his little sister Aoi. He looked at his little sister as he touched his marriage certificate. "Do you know anything about this, Aoi?"
Natsume was oblivious that Mitsuki could hear his voice from his long forgotten cell phone that was lying on the floor.
"I'm sorry, Onii-sama." Aoi gazed away from her older brother.
He clenched his fist. "Why? Why did no one tell me about this?"
"When were all of you going to tell me about this?" His voice was filled with great anger and sadness.
Aoi sighed. "Onii-sama… Mikan-nee-san, she really loves you."
No one noticed a small gasp that was produced from Natsume's phone. Mitsuki clamped her hand over her mouth as she tried to calm down. She wished she hadn't heard anything. She wished this was just a nightmare. She wanted to end the call immediately, but her heart told her that she should hear more about this.
Aoi began, "Even though both of you were only married by law five years ago, Nee-san still tried to help you regain your lost memory." She sat across her older brother. "When all of us realised you had lost your memory about Nee-san, Nee-san asked all of us to keep quiet as we wanted to see if you would regain your memory about her or not. We've tried to tell you, but we couldn't do that as we had promised Nee-san."
Aoi gazed at her brother with sad eyes. "Seeing you've decided to marry Mitsuki-san, Nee-san gave up. We knew that she would do something like that, but we never thought that she would send you the marriage certificate and the divorce paper at the same time." A tear slid down her face, and slowly more began to as well before she finally silently cried. "Nee-san just wanted you to be happy, Onii-sama."
Looking at his little sister's tears, he suddenly remembered Mikan's tears. Compared to his little sister's tears, Mikan's were more painful to see.
...xXx...
"Why are you apologising?" Natsume spoke with a low voice.Mitsuki had decided that she should take this chance to comfort and make Natsume forget about Mikan, but then she realized that she couldn't do that. If she was put in the same situation like Mikan, she was sure that she would break down. Furthermore, they were married for five years now even though it was only by law.
She gave him a gentle smile. "I should have known that Mikan-san had feelings for you, Natsume."
He remained silent, and she continued, "I know that both of you are husband and wife."
Shocked, he looked up at her in disbelief and surprise eyes.
Smiling, she told him, "Please, find Mikan-san and be happy with her, Natsume."
Natsume was relieved that Mitsuki was a considerate woman. They promised each other that they would stay as friends. While working on his files, he pondered where he should look for his wife. His and his wife's family refused to tell him about his wife's whereabouts. His pondering stopped when he heard a knock for the second time of the day. He sighed and gave the permission to enter. It was his secretary.
"Can't you speak with me through the line?" Natsume asked with an almost annoyed tone.
His secretary bowed down. "My deepest apologies, Natsume-sama. I have tried to call you for the last 20 minutes, but you didn't answer my calls."
Of course, it shocked him. He didn't know that he had been out for that long. He sighed. "What is it?"
"There's a man that wishes to see you right away, Natsume-sama," she replied.
He blinked. "What's his name? Which company does he come from?"
He saw his secretary shift uncomfortably before replying, "I have tried to ask him, Natsume-sama. But—"
"That's enough. Let him in," he interrupted her.
She bowed and did what she was told.
Not long after his secretary left, a tall brown-haired man walked into his office room. He studied the man who stood still after closing the door behind him. He furrowed his brows then stood up as he inclined the man to sit on the sofa across from him. After seeing the man scan the room, he cleared his throat. "If I may know, who are you?"
The man averted his sapphire eyes back to him. "My name is Akira Azumi."
Somehow, he heard that name before but from where? He couldn't remember where or when, but then he was reminded by him. "Lawyer."
Finally, he remembered that name. The man before him was the one that handled his divorce papers with Mikan.
"I wish to collect the papers now, Natsume-san."
"I will not sign the divorce papers," Natsume told him while looking at him in the eye.
A small smile graced Akira's face as he nodded. "That's good." He stood up. "I guess you might want to work things out with Mikan now."
Natsume narrowed his eyes as he noted his wife's name being mentioned. He realized that the man before him acted as if he was really close to his wife.
Before Akira could leave the room, he stopped him. "Wait."
Akira stopped and turned to look at him over his shoulder. "What is it?"
Natsume gazed at him curiously. "Exactly who are you?"
Akira turned and faced Natsume fully. "I'm just a man that loves your wife with his life."
His eyes widened, and Akira continued, "Mikan is my precious cousin."
Natsume was too shocked to reply.
Akira approached him and handed over a small piece of paper.
He accepted it mutely, and before leaving him alone, Akira spoke, "Go to her, Natsume-san."
...xXx...
Natsume stared out of the window. He could smell the salt of the sea. Akira had given him his wife's address. He couldn't afford to waste a second as he quickly rushed to the address to meet his wife. Even though he couldn't remember her yet, she was like his family. It was awkward at the beginning, but after being with her for a few weeks, he was glad to know her. Thus, she had become an important part of his life, and he had realized that he couldn't live without her. After travelling for a long four hours, the limo finally stopped. The door of the limo was opened for him. He stepped out from the limo and asked his driver to leave him. When the limo left, he looked at the beach house that was not far from his position. He made his way to the beach house hastily.
...xXx...
Rin, Mikan's personal maid, quietly asked, "Mikan-sama, is ice rose tea alright with you?"Mikan nodded her head, but her eyes were occupied with the sea before her.
Rin bowed and left her mistress with sad eyes. It had been a week, and her mistress still remained like that. Her mistress had not spoken a word to anyone. She was clueless about what happened, but she had a good guess that it had something to do with her mistress's husband. With a soft sigh she walked towards the house and was surprised that a raven-haired man was there. She quickly approached the man. "Excuse me; who are you?"
She was sure that no one knew about this place except the family members of Yukihira.
The man finally noticed her and spoke, "Where's Mikan?"
She gazed at him suspiciously as she had never met the man before and made a few guesses.
Natsume looked around and finally caught a person that was sitting down on the seaside. He was sure that it was his wife. When he was about to make his way towards her, the maid blocked him. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm not going to let you go to Mikan-sama if you came here to hurt her," she spoke loudly but politely at the same time.
"I'm her husband," Natsume stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
She stared at him. "So it was you."
"What are you trying to say?" He was starting to lose his patience.
After a moment she spoke, "Please wait here for a moment."
He was surprised that he himself agreed to wait for her. After a few minutes the maid came back with a tray. He guessed it was rose tea. Did she plan to give the tray to him? His unspoken question was answered when the maid handed the tray to him, and he took it without hesitation.
Rin gave a small smile. "Good luck. I hope you can help Mikan-sama return to her old self again."
Natsume grimaced when he saw his wife's condition. To him, it seemed like she was barely eating as she was thinner and her face was paler than usual. He had been standing by her side for almost an hour, but she didn't notice him at all. It was heart wrenching to watch his wife's state like that. He kneeled down on one knee at the side of the chair she was sitting in and took her hands that were placed in her lap gently. She blinked but didn't look at him. He felt guilty for making her hurt like this. While stroking the back of her hands, he gently called her, "Mikan."
His voice was like an alarm that brought her to life as she looked away from the sea and at him. They stared into each other's eyes before her eyes widened and she stood up abruptly. He, too, was forced to stand up. She was about to run away, but he caught her right hand. He would not let her run away again.
She kept struggling to free her hand from his hold. "L-let go… l-let go of me…"
He grimaced again as he saw her tears start forming. He gazed into her eyes. "Please… don't push me away, Mikan."
Softly, he continued, "I'm sorry; I can't let go of you."
She finally ceased her struggling, and tears rolled down her face as he spoke, "You are my important friend and… wife."
Using his free hand, he reached out. He saw her flinch but didn't move away. He wiped her tears as he released her hand from his grip and slowly moved closer to her. Her tears finally stopped as he cupped her face. His heart leaped with happiness when he finally wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He was glad that she didn't push him away. He pulled back his hand from her face and wrapped her small frame with both arms. He hugged her tightly and after a moment, she slowly and finally hugged him back. After a moment or two he closed his eyes and a smile graced his face when he heard her hoarse voice whisper that she missed him so much. He, too, told her that he missed her so much. Both agreed to start their relationship again as husband and wife.
He buried his face in her hair and whispered, "I will."
It was his answer for her quiet statement: Remember me.
The End
Thanks for reading.
lol i love it
ReplyDeleteThere were tears in my eyes... watering my sight yet I couldn't let them fall cause I HAVE to read till the very end!!
ReplyDeleteawesome...i cried...poor mikan..but a pretty nice ending though
ReplyDeleteyou are a great author...;)
It was so 's situation is just the same as the guy ended up with the other girl than like i'm living in tragedy.I wish my ending was like for the beautiful story.
ReplyDeletecute...i love mikan here
ReplyDeleteso nice :) I like your title it matches
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful...
ReplyDeleteA little bit sad though. But, I'm happy it all work out in the end
Mikan is so strong, I would be heart broken if the guy I like said he doesn't remember me. Although I don't have anyone I like :P
Continue writing more beautiful story!
another good job... as expected! )
ReplyDeletethough there were several mistakes
yeah wish you all luck, do your best!
aww it was cute and sad ! i really like this ! and good luck at your finals for next week
ReplyDeletenice story :D
ReplyDeleteI love it . Please make more chapters . Although I love the ending now but I want more . xd
ReplyDeletethis is a true romantic story :) i love it!
ReplyDeleteThis was sad! i was tearing!
ReplyDeleteso cute! love it as always! 3
ReplyDeletewah!
ReplyDeleteI'm really neared to tears...
actually...
there's already a drop of tear threatening to fall down behind my eyes...
wah!...
so heart-warming...!really!...
I like this...
a lot!...
it made me to cry...
especially when the song of Taylor Swift, which is "The Way I Loved You" had started to hum...
(bursting to tears)wahH!
P.S...I'm hoping for you to right more amazing stories, onegai!...
JA!
aw i hope you make more stories :}
ReplyDelete'NicE oNe..iT wAs a grEAt sTory..LovE it..!hEhehe..XD
ReplyDeleteI love this story!
ReplyDeleteit's so sweet!
It made me kinda cry but i cant since
i placed something in my eyes.
but you get the point. :)) ))
love it!
-kmac
*wanna be friends?
:)) ))
aww. i so love this story..it made me feel all warm abnd fuzzy and tingly inside!
ReplyDeleteOMG THIS IS SO GOOD! -teary eyed- and hey i was thinking about... Mikan's ring... won't Natsume notice her ring? And ask her who is she married to? oh well, even though he asks her, i dun think she's going to say it's him.. oh well XD
ReplyDeleteXXOO
PUU
Hey! Hey!
ReplyDeleteI was bored and coincidentally stumbling into one of your one-shots (oh yeah, I love to read one-shot now, since I barely have time to read chapter-ed stories again T_T).
I want to give you two thumbs up for improving greatly. Aside from the nice plot (not rushing), you also add more details in situation, expression, and feelings. I can imagine what's happening in the story in my head clearer :)
The story is good. I won't comment if Natsume's OOC or not. Depending on the situation, I think the character can act different if you give the character a reason/background of why he/she acts like that. Besides, I don't feel disturbed with the way you portrayed Natsume. I think it's just fine :)
The ending...hm, hm...i found it romantic actually. But well, I think this part can be improvised:
-He buried his face in her hair and whispered, “I will.” It was his answer for her quiet statement: Remember Me-
Maybe like this:
-Burying his face in her hair, he inhaled her sweet scent, carving it deeply into his memory.
"Remember me..." she stated quietly.
He smiled and whispered, "I will."-
Um..okay...how was that? ;
I don't find it necessary to bold the words which you made as the title. I believe people will find the relation between the title and the story just by reading it and following the plot until the last scene. But well, that's just my opinion :D
Anyway, keep improving, Sachiyo-san! You have awesome ideas there in your head XD
illutia mist
i love it.
ReplyDeletebittersweet. it was like a brewed coffee that was added with the finest sugar. hm...
haha..(so sorry)
WRITE ON!
That was so good!
ReplyDeleteI love the story!
It felt just right.
No rush at all.
While reading it, my head was calm.
It was like a story that naturally and steadily makes you imagine it vividly.
Keep up the good work!
It's so touching
ReplyDeletethats SO sWeeT
ReplyDeletekooL storYY
I pity mikan when natsume forgets about her :(
ReplyDeleteanyway, like this story! it's so interesting!
but i was curious what happen to Mitsuki?
like this! :D
ReplyDelete( : Stupid Natsume for making Mikan worry to the point of becoming a thin stick. D: Grr. Rin should have beaten him up before letting him take the rose tea to her.
ReplyDeleteI love those scenes where Akira says he loves Mikan to Natsume to make him jealous and then tell him that he's actually just a family member. Lmfao. P:
Great job!
it was really beautiful, not alot make me emotional but i could so relate to Mikan on how i became a close friend to my ex bf and i'm helping him to woo out this friend of mine and (TTnTT)sadness all inside!
ReplyDeleteHELLLLO(: awwwww, how cuteeee SUCH A BEAUTIFUL STORY :D
ReplyDeleteAw, this was by far one of the most cutest stories I have ever read out of your collection. I really liked how this played out and Mikan was a true martyr in here. The poor woman, I'm so glad Natsume finally realized that he loved her. Very cute and lovely until the end of the one-shot. I really loved it!
ReplyDeletegood thing he remembered mikan!:D
ReplyDeletenice!:D
Awwwwww tht made me cry...
ReplyDeleteAwwwww. That was soooooo cute! It made me cry because it was so touching!
ReplyDeleteSweetKaiariChan:)
sad enough to make me cry :D but then again, im pretty emotional...
ReplyDeleteO_O AWESOME. :) I was almost to crying and... GAAH! It's so sweet! :D GREAT JOB ! :D
ReplyDeleteSachinee:
ReplyDeleteSad story? You betcha!
Not enough to make me cry? Almost, sister, almost! This was so beautiful, that I have no words for it. I love it too much! It’s beautiful, and lovely, and phenomenal and enchanting. ( I wish this will happen to me someday) Love it more than words can describe! And I LOVE the ending! I have a story with same story (although about Wakako) Do check our my stories! I would love to hear from you!
With love,
Elle/Ria
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO WRITE STORIES THIS GOOD!
ReplyDeleteI WANNA DO THAT, WWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
This is just so... great.
ReplyDeleteI can't say anything more. It is, once again, perfect.
It's very much touching... Your words does not just tell stories. They do reach into our hearts and souls. I feel exactly the same way as Mikan does, especially when she felt so heartbroken whenever Natsume is with Mitsuki. I'm so attached to your story that it affected me so much. You're not like the other authors who only write empty words. You, yours are always brimming with emotions.
You have such an astounding writing ability. Keep it up!
Take Care, God Bless. 3
OrangeKiss
It was sad enough to make me cry, thank you
ReplyDeleteHeartwarming story, truly. I had a few tears in my eyes when Natsume wanted to married to Misuki and he told that to Mikan, but all my tears were gone when they were reunited once again… such a good story
ReplyDeleteIve been looking for this story for almost two years its one of my favorites on fanfiction thank you for writing love love love it so happy i finally found it.
ReplyDeleteThe ending was just flawless!!!! A very tear-jerking story indeed. Job well done!
ReplyDelete