One More Chance

Chapter 9: The Betrayal

*What's better? A lie that draws a smile? Or the truth that draws a tear?

"Okay, baka. Spit it out." Hotaru demanded the moment Mikan entered her room.

Hotaru's room was a little bit bigger than Mikan's room, probably due to the fact that she needed a lot of space for her inventions. It had lilac walls, a sofa, a flat screen T.V. and other gadgets that were most probably created by Hotaru herself. In the center was Hotaru's bed.

Mikan didn't speak immediately. Instead, she sat on the sofa and crossed her legs, occasionally fluffing the cushions every few seconds. Hotaru finally got annoyed and before Mikan even realized it, she was shot on the head by the baka gun.

"Ouch! Hotaru, why did you do that for?" She cried, rubbing the back of her head.

"Quit stalling baka, and just tell me already!" Hotaru ordered, obvious irritation showing in her face.

Mikan sighed and looked at her best friend. Hotaru's amethyst eyes were absolutely serious; there was no room for distractions anymore.

"What do you want to know?" Mikan asked.

"Everything, of course. Right from the moment when we left the four of you in the waiting area. And don't you dare leave any single detail behind." Hotaru demanded.

Mikan took a deep breath and finally, she told Hotaru everything that had happened earlier that afternoon.

Hotaru didn't ask questions. She didn't react at all. She just listened and urged Mikan to continue telling the story. She had always been that way, even when they were still children. Always listening, never interrupting. And when Mikan was finally finished, Hotaru had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Mikan." She called after several minutes of silence.

Mikan turned to look at her.

"What is it, Hotaru?" She asked.

Hotaru's eyes bore into hers. They were intense, serious and intimating, and yet, Mikan couldn't look away.

"Are you still in love with Hyuuga?"

Mikan forced herself to look away. She should have known that Hotaru would ask her that question. It was the question that she'd been asking herself since the moment Natsume arrived at the school. The question that she'd been dreading to answer ever since she found out that Natsume still loved her.

She nodded.

Hotaru was about to say something, but Mikan cut her off.

"Hotaru, I know that I'm probably making a fool out of myself again, but even until now, I've realized that I still loved Natsume. No, I realized that I never stopped loving him." She admitted.

Hotaru sighed. Mikan finally glanced at her direction.

"I expected this to happen." She muttered.

"You did?" Mikan asked in surprise.

Hotaru gave her a look that implied, "Are you for real?".

"Baka, I'm not blind, you know. Even a blind man would see the stars in your eyes whenever you look at Hyuuga." She grumbled. "But are you really sure of your feelings for him?" Her expression turned serious once again.

"I'm definitely sure." Mikan insisted.

"What about Nakamura then?"

Mikan hesitated. She had already decided on this. But it was really hard to voice the idea out.

"I'm…going to have to…break up with him." She finally managed to say it out loud.

Hotaru nodded in agreement.

Mikan knew that this was the right thing to do. After all, she couldn't continue to do this to Eiji anymore. It was better this way. She shouldn't continue hurting him anymore than she already had.

After a few minutes, Mikan finally left Hotaru's room to return to her own. But as she walked through the corridors, she noticed a familiar figure walking towards the other direction. She caught a glimpse of blond hair.

It couldn't be?

Mikan followed the figure. She was probably wrong with her assumptions. But when the person turned around the corner, Mikan's suspicions were confirmed.

What is Eiji doing in the girl's dorm room in the middle of the night? Mikan pondered.

She continued to follow him. He was walking quickly, glancing around his surroundings cautiously, as though he was afraid that someone might see him. It didn't make sense at all. Finally, he stopped in front of a room and knocked on the door. Mikan hid behind the wall.

Suddenly, a beautiful girl who had dark hair and sky blue eyes came out of the room. Mikan immediately realized who she was. She was Mayumi Yoshikawa, a student from Class 2-C and president of the drama club.

But why would Eiji be meeting her at this time of the night? She wondered, although she already had a clue on what it could possibly be.

"What took you so long?" Mayumi asked.

Eiji snaked his arm around her waist and grinned at her.

"Sorry, I had to meet up with my other girlfriend." He said.

Mayumi gave an annoyed expression and sneered.

"Eiji, how long are you going to keep your relationship with that Yukihara girl? You already promised me that you would break up with her already!" She yelled.

"Come on, Mayumi. Just a little longer. I have to keep getting on her good side. After all, she just might probably be the key for me getting discovered by the NBA." Eiji insisted.

Mayumi seemed to consider that for a moment. Then, she smiled wickedly.

"Fine, but the moment you get scouted, break up with her." She demanded.

Eiji grinned. "Of course I will. After all, you have always been my first." He leaned onto her and kissed her.

Mikan couldn't take it any longer. She turned around and planned to escape undetected, but unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side that night. She bumped into a stand that was on the side, and the vase on top of it fell and shattered. Eiji and Mayumi instantly broke apart and glanced at her direction. Their eyes widened in shocked surprise when they saw her.

"Mikan, what are you doing here?"