Can You Keep a Secret?

Chapter 2 "Flame"

Chapter 2 "Flame"

My footsteps what all that can be heard in the silent morning. Darn it, I was gonna be late! And it's all that Natsume Hyuuga, boss-guy's fault for trespassing into my cursed dream last night – or more to call it, a nightmare.

There I was, eating pink cotton candy in the middle of a pretty meadow with rainbows and stuff when suddenly the sky turned dark and a voice kept repeating, "I'm gonna embarrass you to death! I'm gonna embarrass you to death! MUHAHAHAHAHA!"

With a 'ting' the elevator door opened and I quickly got in. Great, now I was late in the FIRST DAY. Before I know it, that Hyuuga-boss-guy would make me janitor! What face am I going to show Mom and Jii-chan, now?

I ran outside the lobby and into the busy streets of Tokyo. Flame Co. was only a walk away from the hotel; no wonder Hyuuga-boss-guy chose to stay there – and just my luck, I ended up staying at the room next to his!

Just when I was about to go inside of the building, the guard stopped me.

"Excuse me, Miss. Now, who might you be?" he asked. His body build-up made him look pretty scary. Not to mention that deep tan, too.

"Sakura Mikan," I said. "You know...um...the new guy – girl?"

His face lightened up. "OH! That eighteen-year-old? Everybody was talking about you when they found out! Come in, come in!" He shoved me inside the building to the elevator.

That made me dazed. I'm so popular! When Hyuuga-boss-guy tells everyone about that encounter, I'll be the laughing stock for all season! And I wasn't wearing my lucky panties today, too!

"Mitsumi-san was looking for you," he added. "Check out the third floor, I think she's there right now!"

He pressed the elevator for me and shoved me in again. It was not like I could move or shove away, because he was strong. Freaking boss, freakish guard, freaking-out employee...what else, in this goddamn place, is FREAKY?

TING!

My eyes widened. I had to ask, didn't I?

This place was BEYOND normal. Everything was so cyber-tech, yet the paint-job is all family-of-red! Talk about a HOT-colored atmosphere. It made me feel like autumn and summer were joining together for some reason – only the air-conditioning is good. Now I get why the company's name had been 'Flame'.

"Hey, that new girl is here!" somebody shouted and everyone stopped what they were doing.

I stood out – what am I talking about? Of COURSE I stood out! I was wearing BLUE, for god's sake!

"Ah, Mikan-chan, you're here!" a familiar voice said. I turn my head to see it was Yakako.

"Thank goodness, you're here!" she added. "I almost thought you wouldn't show up!"

I sweat-dropped. Yeah, I was kinda debating on that myself a while ago.

"Good, now you're here, Mr. Hyuuga wants to talk to you." OH, GREAT. Just GREAT.

"Let me lead you the way," she said, escorting me to the elevator. Elevators? Yeah, I hate elevators. That's was when I saw him again. And come to think of it, I might have a trauma in riding air planes now.

When the elevator doors opened again, we were on the top floor. Through the way, I was glad Yakako didn't ask about my reaction in seeing Hyuuga-boss-guy yesterday. That made me feel...special, understood and all.

Yakako stopped walking. My heartbeat became faster and faster reading and swallowing at every letter carved on that gold nameplate.

NATSUME HYUUGA