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"I-Is it o-okay if I talk to you again, la-later?" Mikan asked, her hands clasped at her chest, anxious from asking the question.
Hinata nodded. "Of course! You're welcome to talk to me anytime."
A small smile appeared on Mikan's face. "Thank you..." She muttered. Hinata smiled back, and left with a friendly wave. Mikan watched him leave.
Out of all the people in the island, only one of them had been unkind to her. It was certainly a welcome first.
But she liked to talk to Hinata the best. While her best friend seemed to be Mioda, Hinata was just so pleasant to her. He was sympathetic towards her tragic backstory, he listened to her tangents on nursing, he gave her advice. Essentially, he was perfect, and Mikan knew of her growing feelings for him.
Though she already knew she would have to stay silent about them. Hinata was already taken. Mikan had seen him holding hands with Nanami, and she even watched them kiss once. But they were so perfect for each other that Mikan wouldn't interfere with their relationship.
Returning sadly back to reality, Mikan realized she was hungry. Glancing up at the sun, she determined it was approximately lunchtime, and began to make her way to the restaurant at the hotel.
On her way she passed Tanaka, who nodded and addressed her by "little rabbit". He had started to call her that after determining she reminded him of one (he was also beginning to use animal nicknames for others, as well. It was accepted that he called Sonia "lioness", and he had once called Souda "meerkat".).
Only a few people lounged around the restaurant, namely Owari, Souda, and Nanami.
"Hello, Tsumiki-san!" Nanami called sweetly, looking up from her lunch.
"H-Hi!" Mikan responded.
"Do you want to come sit with me after you get your food?" Nanami invited, giving her adorable little smile.
Mikan nodded. "Th-Thank you!" She shuffled over to the food, that had changed from breakfast to lunch choices in the time she had spent away from the hotel. She chose something small and simple, and made her way over to her friend. She sat across from her.
"What have you been doing today?" The gamer asked.
"I-I hung out at the beach w-with Mioda-san, and then the pa-park with Hinata-san!"
Nanami's smile was dazzling, and her eyes were practically sparkling. And it was because Mikan was speaking to her. (?!)
Mikan felt her heart leap.
"Wh-What about y-you, Nanami-san...?"
"I woke up late today, so I didn't really do much. In fact, this is the first thing I've eaten all day." Nanami's voice was gentle and sweet. Mikan wouldn't have minded listening to her speak all day.
Realizing what Nanami said, Mikan nearly scolded her for not eating breakfast, but decided against it when she remembered she hadn't been getting enough sleep, so sleeping in late was a good thing. So instead she opted for saying, "I'm glad y-you're getting enough sleep now!"
Nanami nodded. "It feels nice to sleep for a long time for once."
From there the two spoke about other such things, and Nanami went on about a game she was having a hard time with for a bit. Eventually, the gamer was finished with her lunch, and she told Mikan that she would be in the library on the second island if she were to need her for something.
A few moments after Nanami's departure, Mikan stood and threw away the rest of her own food. She waved hello to Sonia as she passed her on the way back to her cabin.
Once she closed the door, she fell onto her bed with a groan. She had had crushes before, but never had the recipients of those crushes been kind to her in return. Therefore, never had her crushes been very intense.
And never had she crushed on both members of a couple before. Just by existing she must make things awkward for Hinata and Nanami, she thought.
She spent the rest of the afternoon in her room, double checking all her medical supplies she kept in her room just in case she needed to care for someone she didn't need to bring to the hospital and reading a book she had found in the library a few days before.
She jumped a little when there was a knock on her door. Mikan got up and answered it to find a familiar redhead smiling at her.
"Hi, Mikan-chan!" Koizumi said pleasantly. "I thought I would tell you that almost everyone is having dinner now, so I thought I would invite you to join us. It's been a while since all of us hung out!"
"O-Okay!" Mikan agreed, and hurried back into her room to put her book down and slip her shoes back on.
While they walked the short distance to the restaurant, Koizumi asked how she was doing. Mikan hesitated.
"If something's up, you can tell me!" Koizumi stopped walking, causing Mikan to do the same.
Mikan fiddled with the hem of her apron, looking at her feet.
"Is something wrong, Mikan-chan?"
"W-Well, um..."
"I'm here to help you in any way I can. We can wait to go to dinner if we need to."
"U-Um... It's nothing bad... B-But..."
Koizumi gave her an encouraging look.
Mikan knew she could trust Koizumi. "I... I have a c-c-crush on so-someone...." Mikan's heart was beating wildly. She couldn't believe she had managed to say it.
Koizumi's face lit up. "Really? Who?"
"...Someone who's a-already taken..."
Koizumi took a moment to think of all the couples on the island. She knew for sure about Hinata and Nanami, and she was pretty sure Sonia and Tanaka had a thing... No one really knew what was up with Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama, but they spent an awful lot of time together.
"Is it Tanaka? I've seen you hang out with him."
Mikan shook her head. Tanaka was very sweet to her, and she thought he was a very good friend, but that was what he was to her. A friend.
"...Hinata?" Koizumi tried.
Mikan paused. "Y-Yes, b-but..."
"Seriously? Wow. I'm sorry, Mikan-chan. I would help you confess to him, but I'm not sure what to do since he's taken."
"I..." Mikan spoke in the quietest voice she could manage, despite knowing Koizumi wouldn't judge her for what she was about to say. "I... Also h-have a cr-crush on Nanami-san..."
"Oh my goodness."
Mikan felt increasingly awkward, and decided to ask Koizumi for a favor. Koizumi nodded in reply to the question.
"D-Do you think you c-could tell them f-for me...?"
"Well... Sure."
"I w-want to keep myself from doing something stupid around them..."
"I understand."
"A-And... Can you p-please beg them not to hate me!" Mikan meant for it to be a question, but she ended up yelling.
Koizumi nodded again. "Would you like to go in now?" She gestured to the stairs leading up to the restaurant. Mikan nodded, and followed Koizumi when she started walking.
"Why don't you go sit with Ibuki-chan and Sonia-chan?" Koizumi looked over where the musician and princess sat in conversation.
"O-Okay." Mikan agreed, and ventured over to where the food was laid out, changed once again to suit the meal they were to eat.
After she got her dinner, she walked over to Mioda and Sonia, anxiously glancing back at Koizumi, who was talking to Saionji. “U-Um… C-Can I sit with you guys…?” She asked, turning back to the two girls in front of her.
“Of course!” Sonia exclaimed.
“You don’t need to ask, Mikan-chan! You’re always welcome to sit with Ibuki!”
Mikan sat. She gave short answers to anything she was asked, too busy having anxiety gnaw on her insides to pay full attention to her tablemates. Her eyes kept flicking back to Koizumi. After a bit, the photographer got up, and walked towards Hinata and Nanami, who sat together away from the rest of the group.
Mikan nearly choked on her food (much to Mioda and Sonia's concern). She felt herself tear up from worry as she carefully watched their expressions.
Nanami's hand was brought to her mouth, just a little of her fingers showing from under her long sleeves.
Hinata answered Koizumi, expressionless. Until he smiled.
Nanami followed suit, her lips turning up, as she brought her hand to her chest as she did sometimes. She said something.
Koizumi nodded, and turned back around. She smiled at Mikan before finding her place by Saionji.
Mikan wondered how it went.
Approximately twenty minutes later, she felt a tap at her shoulder. She turned to meet the warm green eyes of Hinata.
She froze. She felt so stupid. Her mind was running a mile a minute, berating her for asking Koizumi to confess, or even for telling her at all.
"Chiaki and I wanna talk to you, is that okay?" He asked. Mikan didn't detect any anger in his voice, and that was good. Unless he was a better actor than she thought...
She nodded, and stood up. She followed Hinata to where Nanami stood by the stairs, shaking the whole way.
"Hi, Tsumiki-san." Nanami greeted, "Hajime and I were going to hang out in my room tonight. We were planning on gaming some. Would you like to join us?"
"J-Join you...?" Mikan asked in confusion. "I don't want to in-interfere--!"
"You won't interfere!" Hinata assured. "We'd like you to hang out with us, Tsumiki. Only if you want to, of course."
"I-I..."
"It was really brave of you to confess to us." Nanami smiled. "We're very glad you did, too. You're very adorable."
"Ah... Adorable?"
"Yes. We would love it if you joined us on some of our dates." Nanami answered.
"I don't w-want to third-wheel you two, th-though..."
"They'll be dates with all three of us, silly." Nanami giggled.
"I'm perfectly fine with having a three-way relationship with you two!" Hinata said.
"Isn't that... Cheating?" Mikan asked.
"Not if we all know about and are okay with it!" Hinata grinned.
"Do you want to join us?" Nanami asked again.
Happiness exploded in Mikan's chest as she thought about it. "I-If it's tr-truly okay!"
Nanami grabbed Mikan's hand, and started down the stairs. Hinata followed, and smiled reassuringly as Mikan looked up at him.
Before she knew it, Mikan was sitting on pillows and her legs were tangled in blankets and a game controller was being handed to her and Hinata was on one side of her and Nanami was on the other. The game began.
Mikan was honestly terrible at it. She easily lost every round, with Hinata obviously coming in second.
They played until Hinata commented on Nanami getting too involved in the game, and suggested they shut it off.
They sat and talked about little things, then all went comfortably silent for a few minutes. Mikan took that as a shot to speak up.
"Th-Thank you so much for inviting me!" She exclaimed. "A-And thank you for letting me play your game, Nanami-san!"
Nanami giggled. "Of course! ...And you can call me Chiaki, y'know!"
"Oh, yeah." Hinata said. "If you want, you can call me Hajime."
Mikan's face lit up. "Th-Then please call me Mikan!"
"Of course." They both answered, then looked at each other in mild surprise they spoke in unison.
"Hey, Mikan?" Chiaki asked.
"Hm?" Mikan asked.
"Is it okay if I lay on your lap?"
"She's pretty clingy sometimes." Hajime commented, laughing.
Mikan looked at Hajime for a moment before returning her gaze to Chiaki to answer, "Y-Yes!"
Chiaki scooted over and lay so her head rested on the nurse's lap. Hajime suddenly stood and retrieved a blanket he had been sitting on and one from Chiaki's bed. He then draped one over Chiaki, and one over Mikan's shoulders. He then leaned over and placed a kiss to her head. She blushed.
He then adjusted a stack of pillows so he could recline on them.
"Chiaki and I have wanted you to join us for a while, to be honest." Hajime said.
"R-Really...?"
"Yep. We just didn't know if you felt the same, and we, uh... We didn't want you to feel obligated to. It's amazing you happened to crush on both of us in return."
"It's even more amazing y-you invited me..." Mikan replied weakly.
"I was so happy when Koizumi told us at dinner. You really were brave to confess."
"Th-Thank you..." Mikan felt her face warm up again.
A light snore suddenly sounded from Chiaki.
Hajime laughed again. Mikan really liked the sound of his laugh. It was genuine and... His smile was really cute.
"It's kinda late, isn't it." He commented.
"O-Oh..." Mikan said sadly, knowing she would have to return to her cabin.
"Would you like to stay here, Mikan?" Hajime asked.
"Huh?"
"I'm sure Chiaki won't mind! It'll be fun to try and fit into that bed together, too."
Mikan nodded. "I-If you're sure it's okay if I stay!"
"Of course I'm sure!" Hajime stood again, and bent over to pick up Chiaki. It took him a moment and a few funny expressions, but he managed to bring the gamer to her bed. "I'm not very strong, hah."
Mikan stood, but didn't know where to go from there. Hajime held out a hand. "Over here."
She walked over to him and took his hand. He gazed at her for a moment and stroked her hair with the hand that wasn't gently holding hers. He then looked over at the bed. "Do you wanna lay in the middle?"
"Um..." Mikan thought about it. It sounded like a cozy idea. "Sh-Sure."
"Go ahead." Hajime smiled.
She crawled under the covers next to the sleeping Chiaki, Hajime soon to follow after he turned out the lights.
"Goodnight, Mikan." Hajime's voice came from the darkness.
"G-Goodnight, Hajime--! Chiaki too..."
All she got was a snore in response. Hajime's laugh was the last thing she heard before she fell peacefully asleep with comforting warmth on either side of her.