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Razzelia
Author of 7 Stories |
Because of You
AN: This is version 2 of the first oneshot. Big thanks to my hyperactive friend hope for suggesting on making another version to clear things up. Almost the same ending, but I've explained Hotaru's side of the story. Also, those in italics are usually flashbacks. As for point of views, you guys can figure it out for yourselves. I know you guys are pretty capable.
"Don't worry," said Yuu happily to her. "Everything's going to be fine. The ceremony's only a few hours long."
"But I'm so nervous!" Mikan yelled back desperately. "What if I screw up? What do I do?"
"C'mon-"
"Hey guys."
A broad smile made its way to Mikan's face as the first man entered the dressing room, carrying what seemed to be a live rabbit.
"Ruka-pyon!" she greeted cheerfully. "You look so handsome!"
"T-thanks," Ruka replied quietly. "How're things in here?"
"Glad you came in," Yuu replied. "She's been saying the same three words to me again and again until you came in."
"What?"
"I'm so nervous... I'm so nervous!," Yuu said, imitating Mikan's very worried voice, making his two friends laugh out loud.
"Anyway," Ruka said. "Why don't you go to the hall, Iincho? You're the wedding planner. You should be there."
"I guess," Yuu replied, getting up from his seat. Before closing the door and leaving the room, he turned back to the two and said, "And stop calling me 'Iincho'. We graduated years ago."
"I'm just nervous that I might make a mistake in front of the altar, that's all," Mikan replied, looking down on the floor.
Ruka heaved a sigh. He slowly approached Mikan and kneeled in front of her, trying to get a better look at her face. His eyes widened a bit.
"That's not what's bothering you, is it?" Ruka asked as he tried to wipe away a visible tear from her eyes. Mikan looked at him with gratitude. He was the only one who knew what happened. Not even his husband-to-be knew about what she was carrying inside of her.
"Is that so?" she asked me after I gave her the news.
"Yeah! Isn't it great?" I replied happily to her. I thought that she would be happy for me. I thought that she would give me her blessings. I thought that, maybe it was just no big deal to her.
I was wrong.
"You're breaking your promise?" she asked without even looking at me. My smile faded right away. My promise? I would never...
"I'd never forget that!" I said right away, desperation in my voice. "As I promised in Middle School, I'll never ever leave your side, Hotaru!"
"Then why are you doing this?" she asked calmly. "This is the same as breaking your promise."
"I'm just getting married to Natsume, Hotaru," I explained. "I'm not leaving you!"
"Liar."
"But-"
"Idiot."
"Hotaru!"
"I'm not going to be at your wedding day. Goodbye, Mikan. Be happy."
"Are you sure you want to go through with the wedding?" Ruka asked as he tried to comfort her.
"Of course," Mikan replied right away. "I can't back out now! What will Natsume think of me? Besides, Iincho put a lot of his time in preparing my wedding. It'd be a waste to just let it go."
"If you're sure," Ruka said. "But even Natsume wouldn't be happy if he found out that you have mixed feelings about your special day."
"I know," Mikan replied. "So please Ruka-pyon," she said as she held his hand tightly in her own delicate ones, "don't tell Natsume about this. Please."
Ruka smiled. As much as he hated keeping secrets from his best friend, he replied, "Sure."
The garden has been carefully prepared for the occasion. The tables and chairs for the reception were enchanted with beautiful ribbons, courtesy of Yuu's Alice.
Ruka caught sight of the main center of the garden, which was decorated with alluring pink and white roses, again, courtesy of Yuu's Alice.
He sat down on one of the chairs at the center and pondered about the situation. What was it that Mikan promised Hotaru? Why was Hotaru so angry? And more importantly, why couldn't things just go smoothly?
"Do you really want to know?"
"Aaah!" Ruka had yelled as soon as he heard the voice. He looked around, but so no one near him.
"Up here, Ruka."
Ruka looked up, and found a fly hovering above him. He would've loved to yell again, only he was so speechless to do so.
"H-hotaru?" he asked the fly. "I-is that you?"
"Literally speaking, it's not me, but my invention. Although I am speaking through it."
Ruka just blinked at the queer looking mechanical fly which was steadily buzzing. He slowly wiped his face with his palm, and calmed down.
"I thought you weren't coming today," Ruka said to the fly.
"Well, I'm not," Hotaru's voice replied. "That's why this little guy is there."
"Anyway, do you really want to know what she promised me back in Middle School?" her voice repeated.
"If you don't mind..."
I slowly looked up, and saw Mikan staring at me with that stupid look on her face again. Although I knew how concerened she was for me.
"Tell me, Mikan," I started, lookind down at the grass as the soft breeze made it dance. "Would people still like me if I didn't have my Alice?"
"What?"
"A lot of people have become engrossed about me over the years because of the inventions that I create through the use of my Alice. A lot of them have even payed large sums of money for them, but if I didn't have this Alice, would people still like me? Would people still pay me?"
I looked up at Mikan again, only to find her staring at me with a funny expression on her face. "Tell me Hotaru. Are you really concerned about the people, or just the money?"
"I'm being serious, Mikan," I replied firmly, my eyes narrowing a bit.
She gave a nervous laugh and sat beside me on the ground. She hugged my arm, just like she did before. With a smile, she said, "Even is they won't like you without your Alice, I'll always like you just the way you are! I've always liked you Hotaru, even before I learned about you being an Alice! I promise, we'll be best friends forever!"
"You really promise?"
"Yep!"
"Do you want me to blackmail you again, Ruka?" came Hotaru's usual calm voice from the hovering fly. "I still have those photos of you in your Snow White costume."
"No!" Ruka begged. "Please don't! I was just joking!"
After clearing his throat, he continued, "But it doesn't mean that just because you two are getting married, you two won't be best friends anymore, right?"
"I know...," came the voice, more faintly than before. "But there's a saying, isn't there? Once a person's in love, he or she forgets everything else. That includes myself on her list-"
"That's not true!" Ruka yelled, interrupting her. "There's no way that Mikan would ever forget about you!"
"Even if she doesn't forget me, it just won't be the same," Hotaru's voice retorted, her tone rising, almost yelling. "She'll be spending most of her time with Natsume, and eventually, she'll forget..."
"If you're really her best friend," Ruka started, "if you're really Mikan's best friend, you'll let her do what she wants. You'll let her become happy."
"Mikan's the only one who I have in this world, Hotaru said suddenly. "Both my parents are dead. She's the only one that I have who's still alive."
"Then at least tell me, tell me why you didn't want to attend her wedding," Ruka asked, finally giving up in coercing her to let Mikan do what she wishes. "You're her bestfriend."
"I don't want to see her leave me..."
"Hotaru."
Ruka stared in horror as he realized that Natsume himself was there, and he had heard everything they were conversing about.
"D'you have a minute, Hotaru?"
"Yeah, sure."
Ruka stared again, for the voice that replied didn't come from the fly, but from behind a post that was nearby, a post from where Hotaru was hiding behind of all along.
"S-s-she was there the whole time?" he asked in a stutter, disbelief in his voice.
"Didn't you even hear my real voice from behind the post?"
It had been a long talk between the two, but finally, Hotaru came back to the garden.
"What happened?" Ruka asked right away. "What did you two talk about?"
Hotary muttered something in reply, yet not lifting her eyes to look at him.
"He loves her that much... He loves her so much, that he's ready to do such a thing... Yet I..."
Ruka's eyes softened, because for the first time, for the first time in his life, he saw tears welling up Hotaru's amethyst eyes.
And there was nothing he could do but calm her down with a friendly embrace.
"Of course I'm fine," Mikan said happily. "Don't worry about me."
"Who said I was worried?"
"You still can't change your way of expressing your emotions."
"Oh, give me a break."
The ceremony went on as planned. The cathedral music, the echoes of the priest's voice, they weren't enterting Mikan's head. Her heart felt heavy. Something felt so wrong in her. It was her, their special day, yet her heart didn't feel delighted. Something wasn't there. Something was missing.
It was her voice, her insults.
Her love for her.
"Do you," the priest bellowed, "take this young lady to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
Natsume glanced at Mikan with his eyes full of sorrow before answering the priests with the words he never wanted to say on that day.
"I don't."
A series of loud gasps came from the crowd as soon as they heard Natsume's answer, one coming from the priest himself.
Mikan still wasn't listening. She hadn't realized what had happened until Yuu yelled it to her.
"What?" she asked. "But, Natsume?"
"Go to your dressing room," Natsume said right away. "She's there."
Mikan's eyes widened, and tears were forming in her eyes once again. "But-"
"I can't marry someone who doesn't love me wholly," Natsume explained. "Sorry."
"Natsume," Mikan had yelled after she threw her arms around Natsume, who answered her back with a tight embrace. This was probrably the last time he'd ever hold her in his arms.
"Thank you."
"Just go already before I change my mind."
At last, she reached the door to her dressing room. Without a moment to lose, she burst in the room, and directly into the arms of her beloved best friend.
"Mikan," Hotaru muttered.
"I guess I kept my promise after all," Mikan said happily.
Hotaru gave a small smile, and replied, "Idiot."
"Hey Ruka," Natsume said when the two of them were getting ready to leave the cathedral.
"What?"
"How about you and I get married?"
"WHAT?"
"Hell, I'm kidding, you dolt."
