Himeno: Sorry if this chapter took so long. I had to finish up some things before I could focus on this story. Anyway, it's good that I finally updated this.

Aoi: This is the last chapter, right, Himeno-chan?

Himeno: Yup! In this chapter, you'll finally see who will end up with Mikan-chan.

Mikan: I'm kinda nervous for this.

Aoi: Don't worry, Mikan-chan. I'm here for you.

Tsubasa: Good luck to Natsume and Ruka-pyon. They're going to need it.

Mikan: Natsume and Ruka-pyon? Why?

Tsubasa: The love triangle's gonna end here. The decision is up to you, Mikan.

Mikan: What? I don't understand you.

Kokoroyomi: You're so dense (Giggles). But you'll find out soon.

Mikan: Um…Okay…

Himeno: Gakuen Alice doesn't belong to me. I'm only using the characters for my own enjoyment. Characters and the Series belong to Higuchi-sensei.

Natsume the Jerk

Episode 32: Together at Last

Mikan pushed open the front door of Hyuuga household and went inside. Since everything between her favorite senior, Tsubasa, and Misaki Harada was fine and dandy again, she decided to go home first to leave the two lovebirds alone. It was already 11:30 PM when she got home.

She went upstairs and towards her room. As soon as she reached for the bedroom door, someone suddenly slammed his hand on the door. Mikan gasped and quickly turned to face the person. "N-Natsume?" she stuttered. "I didn't know you were still awake."

His eyes, emotionless as ever, narrowed. "Do you have any idea what time it is, polka-dots? Who said that you can go home at this time of night?" His tone was grim and serious.

Mikan raised a brow at him. "Hey, I was out with Misaki-senpai and Tsubasa-senpai," she said. "I had fun, so I didn't realize the time. Jeez, Natsume, you sound like a father scolding his daughter."

Yes, maybe he was acting like a father, but it was in his nature to be protective of her. "I don't want you coming home this late, understand?" he muttered, caging her in with his arms.

"I think I'm allowed to decide that for myself," she said, feeling the thundering sound of her heart. With Natsume so near to her, she felt like she was hyperventilating. She managed to put up an annoyed face instead of a nervous one in front of him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to go to bed." She turned around and reached for the knob.

Clasping her shoulders, Natsume swung her around. "Don't go yet," he said. "I still haven't explained everything to you yet." His expression remained unchanged, but his tone of voice seemed to have softened a bit. Mikan wondered about that and then she remembered the time he hauled her to the chemistry lab. He was about to say something when Ruka came.

"I'm listening," she said, anxious to hear what he has to say. For a while he caressed her soft cheek before he embraced her. The feel of his arms was warm, but Mikan felt a tremor brush at her heart. "Natsume...?"

"Let's stay like this for a little while longer…"

Why he was acting that way was a mystery for her. Sure, she was aware of the fact that Natsume had changed his ways, but for him to act so gentle and touchy with her was another thing. And she had been bombarded with surprises and waves of confusing emotions every time he kisses her.

There was a long moment of silence between them until Mikan's cell phone shattered it. Natsume shrugged and eased away from her, turning his head away to avoid her eyes. Mikan was flushed red, but she quickly answered her phone. It was Tsubasa on the other line.

"Tsubasa-senpai?" Mikan muttered, and Natsume clenched his fists at the sound of his name. "Umm… So, how was your date with Misaki-senpai?"

"It was great. I really owe you big time, Mikan. You helped me get back with Misaki."

"I was happy to help out," Mikan replied in her cheerful tone. "Take good care of Misaki-senpai from now on, okay? Don't leave her behind like what you did before."

"Don't worry. I swore to never again repeat my past mistakes," Tsubasa said sincerely.

Mikan could hear the car pulling over through the phone.

"Well, I'm finally home. I'll talk to you again tomorrow, Mikan. Have a good night sleep."

"Okay… Good night, Tsubasa-senpai," she said. The smile on her face could not be measured as she listened to Tsubasa's sweet good night, and Natsume was getting jealous by the second. "Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite." She giggled and closed her phone.

Why was it always like this? Whenever he gets his chance to confess his feelings, something or someone would always disturb them. "What a way to ruin the mood," he said nonchalantly, spinning around on his heels. "That Andou is such a pest."

Mikan got pissed with him and pounded his head with her fist. "Don't call senpai a pest, pervert," she said, crossing her arms. "By the way, what were you going to say to me?"

Natsume shot her a glare for only a second before he turned his head away. "Forget about it. I'm not in the mood anymore."

"There you go again with this attitude of yours. I know you have something you wanna say to me now. I'm kind of curious myself, since you've been acting strange lately." Her cheeks turned red as she remembered the kisses. "You still act like the Natsume I know, but whenever you k-kiss me and h-hug me…"

"If you weren't so dense, I wouldn't bother trying to make you realize my feelings," he said with a straight face. "You've been in a romantic comedy series before, right? Using that as a reference, what do you think is the reason why a boy would kiss a girl so many times—even if the boy acts like he hates her?" Honestly, he hated that kind of talk, but it was time to knock some sense into her head.

Mikan tapped a finger on her cheek, thinking very hard. "Umm… In my show, the boy only kisses the girl he likes, even though that boy acts like he hates—Eh?" Her eyes grew wide in realization of what she just said. The boy only kisses the girl he likes. Wait a minute… Is Natsume trying to tell me that he likes me? As in he really likes me? Well, he gets very annoyed with me, but the boy in my show also acts like he hates the girl. Mikan got flustered in an instant. Oh, no… Is it possible that Natsume…?

"This is getting boring," Natsume declared, placing a hand on his temple. "I'm going back to bed."

"Wait a sec," Mikan said the moment he moved. She reached for his hand.

"How long does it have to take for you to realize anything, polka-dots?" He looked her straight in the eye as she bit her lip. He wore a stoic look. "You are so slow."

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Okay, I admit that I'm slow." She looked seriously at Natsume. "But you're not making things any clearer for me if you don't say what you want to say."

"It's not that easy for me." He held a lock of her silky hair and brushed his lips against it. "It's better if I'll tell it to you some other time."

"But I want to know now."

"If I tell you, I'm sure you won't be able to sleep tonight. You're going to get cranky in the morning and you might mess up breakfast."

Mikan let out a pout. "I don't get cranky and I never mess up breakfast. Come on, you already know that."

Natsume rolled his eyes away. "Whatever… Just get some sleep." From the expression on her face it seemed like she was going to stay stubborn until she gets what she wants from him. "Don't act like a spoiled child, polka-dots, or should I say, flowers?" He presented his familiar yet arrogant smirk.

"F-Flowers?" Mikan turned as red as a tomato. "You pervert! I don't know how you found out, but I'm so going to—"

He clamped her mouth with one hand and sighed in frustration. "You are too damn noisy for your own good," he said. "Remember, Ruka and that stupid Aoi are sleeping."

Mikan slapped his hand away. "It's your fault," she said in a controlled voice. She opened her bedroom door and went inside. She looked at Natsume one more time, clearly frustrated with him, and puffed her cheeks. "Pervert," she muttered and closed the door.

She hopped onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow. "Damn that Natsume…" she said, turning over to stare at the ceiling. Her thoughts about him being a pervert was suddenly replaced by flashbacks of the times he was gentle with her. "Natsume…" She could feel her cheeks burning and heart pounding once more. When he hugged me, I felt so happy… Am I starting to have feelings for him? But what about him?

"He acts like he hates me," she said, swallowing hard. "Natsume mentioned about his feelings... But I don't want to assume anything unless he tells it to me face to face." She placed a hand over her heart, feeling its rapid pace. Natsume, are you going to say those words to me?

The next morning, Mikan met Misaki outside the high school division building, and the two of them walked towards the school garden. They sat on a bench there and talked about Tsubasa.

Mikan was happy to see such a bright smile on Misaki's face. "It's great that you two are back together again," she said. "You guys are meant to be."

"I never thought we would be in a relationship again. I mean, being his girlfriend is great and all, but I still find it hard to believe. After all, we've been apart for so long." Misaki drew in a deep breath as she looked sincerely at Mikan. "Thanks a lot for helping us." Misaki touched her arm.

Mikan felt a warm glow. "You don't have to thank me, senpai," she said. "It was my pleasure."

"Okay, why don't we stop talking about my love life and focus more on you now," Misaki suggested. "I do wonder why a popular idol like you doesn't have a boyfriend yet. Don't tell me you're not interested in having one?"

Unexpectedly, Natsume's image flashed through her mind. She blushed madly and mentally scolded herself for thinking about him. "Umm… I have not yet fallen in love with any guy," she answered nervously, silently trying to erase Natsume from her brain. "And I don't think I have time for a boyfriend because of my career."

"If Tsubasa can manage his time, so can you. Come on, isn't there any guy you're crushing on? Another celebrity perhaps or some boy from this school?"

"I don't have a crush on any—"

"I know!" Misaki muttered in excitement. "Your crush could either be Ruka-kun or Natsume-kun."

Flushing red, Mikan shook her head violently. "That's impossible. I don't have a crush on Natsume. He's nothing but a pervert and he's always mean to me."

Misaki raised brow. "I mentioned Ruka-kun too, but you only mentioned Natsume-kun…" She narrowed her eyes in suspicion as a mischievous smirk appeared on her face. "I get it now. You like Natsume-kun."

With her heart racing, Mikan could no longer think straight. "No way… I don't like Natsume. Well, I do like him as a friend and I…I…" She was stuttering pretty badly. She didn't know what to say anymore. The mere thought of her having a crush on Natsume was driving her closer to insanity.

Giggling, Misaki patted her shoulder. "Woah, calm down, Mikan," she said. "You're making it more obvious that you like Natsume-kun."

Mikan's eyes grew wide. "What?!"

Misaki poked her cheek. "You're in denial and your blushing face tells me that you like him," she said. "I'm pretty sharp when it comes to these things. Plus, Tsubasa told me about your love-hate relationship with Natsume-kun."

Mikan got only more confused. "I like Natsume? But I'm not even sure myself."

Aware of Mikan's naivety, Misaki rubbed her head softly and caressed her cheek. "Take some time to listen to your heart, Mikan. I'm sure you'll realize the feelings you have inside." She then stood up and stretched out. "Well, I'm heading back. It's almost time for class. See you, Mikan." With that, she walked away.

"Listen to my heart…?" Mikan closed her eyes as she drew in a deep breath. "What is my heart telling me about Natsume?"

For the next few days, Mikan and Natsume were very busy. Going to interviews, photo shoots, and doing a commercial took up much of Mikan's time after class, and then she had to go straight home to study or do homework. On the other hand, Natsume spent most of his time in the Special Math Class. It was overtime for the class because competition was near. And being so busy meant that they had no time to do some other things they had gotten habit of doing.

Things have become awkward between her and Natsume. Mikan found it weird that Natsume wasn't harassing her anymore and pissing the hell out of her. And he doesn't even acknowledge her in class. Well, Natsume was the master of indifference, so he could ignore people so easily.

There were a lot of times that Mikan wanted to talk to him. But whenever he looks at her, she suddenly starts getting nervous. She can never stop her heart from pounding just by the mere sight of his crimson eyes.

On the day of the competition, Mikan wanted to wish him good luck personally. However, he was too busy reviewing with his team. "Natsume, do your best," she said as she watched him from a distance.

Finally, after what it seemed like an eternity of Math equations and problem solving, Jinno-sensei got up and went to the podium. After giving out a few words to the audience and some remarks, he said, "And now I'll get down to the moment we've all been waiting for—the winners of the Math Olympics."

There was a stir as students shifted in their seats, and Mikan and Ruka traded glances. The competition was tough. There were a total of six schools that came to compete. One shall emerge victorious.

"So I will announce the third place winner," Jinno-sensei was saying. "Third place goes to Fuuka Academy."

The Math students of Fuuka academy looked happily at each other as they stood up and went up the stage. Everybody applauded. Jinno-sensei handed them their bronze medals and shook their hands.

"Now for the second place winner." Jinno paused for a moment to adjust his glasses. "Second place goes to St. Lily Academy," he said.

St. Lily was an all-girls school. The ladies hugged each other before they went up the stage to receive their silver medals. They were all so gorgeous, so it was no wonder the boys in audience were whistling and howling in admiration.

Aoi was getting a little nervous. "Please let it be onii-chan's group," she said.

"Natsume, Iinchou, and the others worked hard for this. They're going to win," Mikan said, looking very confident.

"And our first place winner," Jinno-sensei said, "is—Alice Academy." He was proud to announce that. After all, he was the one who coached them, despite his distaste for Natsume Hyuuga.

"Oh, my gosh!" Sumire gasped. In her excitement, she hugged Kokoroyomi. "Natsume-kun won!"

Mikan giggled. "I told you so. Everyone in our team was great."

"I'm so happy for onii-chan!" Aoi cheered on.

Ruka watched his best friend go up the stage together with his teammates, taking note of his usual stoic expression. "That Natsume… One smile wouldn't kill him," he muttered. "I guess we can't change the fact that he won't smile openly to anyone."

Aoi nodded in agreement. "Well, before Mikan-chan came to our lives, he won't even smile for us," she explained.

When the medals had been given out, the applause sounded like thunder in the auditorium. Jinno-sensei took the trophy and went to stand in front of his math students, and together they shared the spotlight.

Misaki and Tsubasa were standing by the entrance, clapping their hands as well. Tsubasa had managed to take the day off from his work to watch the Math Olympics. Long ago, Tsubasa offered Jinno-sensei a very delicious proposal that he couldn't refuse. He promised the teacher that he and his students will be featured in a popular magazine if they win the competition. The catch there was to let Natsume in the team or else Tsubasa will have to reconsider. That was how Tsubasa got Natsume into the team.

"Congratulations, onii-chan," Aoi said when the program was over and they were heading towards Ruka's mansion to celebrate.

"Congratulations, Natsume," Ruka said. "You did great."

"It was nothing," Natsume said, clasping the medal in his hand. He stole a quick glance at Mikan. She was awfully quiet. He had yet to hear her say congratulations to him and to think he was expecting her to bounce around and say that he has done a great job in the Olympics. After all, he worked hard to impress her.

Mikan only talked when Aoi and Ruka talks to her. It was annoying him too much. He wanted to say something—anything that would make her talk to him, but he decided to wait until they were alone.

At the mansion, Aoi, Mikan, and Natsume gathered in Ruka's room.

"Here's the cake Mikan-chan baked yesterday," Aoi said, presenting a golden box tied with a cardinal red ribbon. "This is a cake made especially for you, onii-chan." She placed the box on Natsume's lap.

Polka-dots did prepare something for him after all. The congratulations came in the form of a cake. He looked over at Mikan, and once they made eye contact, the brunette blushed and turned her head away. He immediately got suspicious.

Ruka wasn't getting a good feeling about the way Natsume stared at Mikan. "Natsume, why don't you open the box and see what kind of cake is in there?" His suggestion would definitely take his eyes off of Mikan for a while.

Natsume untied the ribbon and lifted the cover. Inside there was a creamy chocolate mallow cake. It looked very tempting and attractive. Honestly, Mikan's skills never ceased to amaze him. "Hmm… A clumsy girl like you can actually bake something as good as this," he said nonchalantly. He was thinking of complimenting her for the cake, but since she was being awkward with him, a nice insult would do. "I'm surprised you didn't blow up the kitchen while you were doing this."

"What did you say?!" Mikan uttered, standing up, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at Natsume. "I worked hard to bake that cake for you and this is the thanks I get. Natsume, you're such an insensitive jerk."

Ruka shook his head in dismay. "They're going to start arguing again," he muttered under his breath.

"Yeah," Aoi added. "But it is kind of fun watching them bicker like a married couple."

What Aoi just said disheartened him a bit. "A married couple, huh?" Ruka admitted that the two act like one most of the time.

Natsume placed the cake on the table. "Why don't you make yourself useful and serve us some cake, polka-dots?"

Mikan clenched her fists tightly. "I'm no servant, Natsume," she yelled. "And stop calling me polka-dots!"

"I won't because that's the pattern you're wearing today."

Mikan, together with Ruka and Aoi, flushed red in an instant. "You… You are definitely the biggest pervert ever, Natsume!"

"You're finally talking to me without being awkward," Natsume said, looking at her with a small smile. "I was beginning to think you were upset with me."

"Oh, you guys haven't been interacting much for the past few days because of your busy schedules," Aoi said.

"And for some reason, Natsume here was keeping his distance from Sakura. I've always wondered about that. Care to explain it to us, Natsume," Ruka demanded.

Natsume kept his eyes on Mikan as he spoke. "Ruka, our battle has gone long enough. I think it's time for us to tell her."

Mikan felt her heart skipped a beat. She was getting uncomfortable as she continued to maintain eyes on Natsume's. "What does Ruka-pyon have to do anything with this? I thought this was between you and me, Natsume."

"No, this is between the three of us."

"Wait a minute… What's going on?" Aoi asked.

"This doesn't concern you, stupid," Natsume harshly said.

"Don't be so mean to Aoi-chan!" Mikan said, taking hold of Aoi's hand. "Look, my patience is growing thin. If you have something to say to me, then say it now. Don't make me wait any longer, Natsume. You're only making me more anxious. Let's go, Aoi-chan." She hauled the raven-haired girl out of the room, not bothering to close the door behind them.

Ruka stood up and reached out for Natsume's arm. "What was that all about, Natsume?" he questioned seriously. "I think I deserve an explanation."

"I can no longer hide these feelings from her."

Blue eyes shot wide in surprise. "So, you're going to confess to her, is that it?"

Natsume said nothing as he glanced down at the cake.

"If you're ready, I'm ready as well." Ruka released his arm.

"She has to choose between the two of us." Natsume turned to face his best friend again.

"I don't want to cause any problems for Sakura, but it can't be helped."

"Mikan-chan, what exactly is going on between you and onii-chan?" Aoi asked as the two of them stepped outside.

Good question, Mikan thought. She couldn't even explain the situation herself. "This is getting too complicated!" she yelled out, scratching her head furiously. She leaned against the door and sighed. "I'm so confused, Aoi-chan. Your brother had been acting so strange."

"How strange?"

"As in he-kisses-you-without-warning-strange," Mikan answered, placing a palm over her temple. "At first, I thought he was kissing me just to annoy me. But lately he's been doing that for another reason."

Although she doesn't get the whole picture yet, Aoi understood her brother's feelings towards Mikan. "Onii-chan is in love with you, Mikan-chan," she said. "Think about it… Why would he kiss you so many times if he hated you?" Aoi held both of her hands. "In addition to that, you're the only girl he's ever nice with. Do you see him interacting with other girls? No, right?"

"Well, how about you?"

Aoi giggled. "I'm his sister. It's different with me."

"Deep down, I always had a feeling he might have feelings for me," Mikan said, lowering her gaze to the tips of her shoes. "This is like the drama series I've starred in. The boy acts like he hates the girl, but he's only teasing her just to get her attention. Natsume is like that boy. Up until now, I've been denying the possibility of him ever liking me more than a friend."

"I see. I don't blame you for thinking that way. You can't figure out onii-chan's way of thinking right away."

Mikan's lips curved into a smile. "I guess so." She straightened up and touched her lips. "Those kisses were his way of showing his feelings. But I still want to hear the words coming from his mouth. Those three words… There were times that he probably tried to confess, but his chances always get ruined."

Aoi thought back of the time she barged into Mikan's room and found her brother there with Mikan. She finally figured out why Natsume was sore at her. Her brother was trying to confess his feelings at that time. Guilty as charged, Aoi pointed a finger at herself. "I guess I'm responsible for ruining one of his chances," she said with a nervous chuckle. "How about you, Mikan-chan? What do you feel towards my brother?"

Her feelings for Natsume were questionable at the moment. All she knew was that she cared about Natsume. Taking Misaki's advice about listening to her heart, Mikan politely asked Aoi to leave her alone for a while. She needed some time to think before she could answer the girl's question.

Respecting her decision, Aoi wished her good luck and went back inside the mansion.

Mikan walked towards the garden and sat down under the shade of a tree. "I don't think I can face Natsume properly anymore," she muttered to herself, hugging her legs against her chest. "If Hotaru was here, I wonder what she'll probably say."

It was just after six o'clock in the evening that everyone started to wonder where Mikan was. Aoi left her alone two hours ago and still she hasn't come back inside. The boys figured that Mikan was probably too uneasy to face them again and they decided to search for her outside.

After ten minutes of searching, the three of them met at the front door. None of them saw Mikan. Where could she have gone off to?

Ruka went to ask the gardener and found out that Mikan left the grounds an hour ago. "Sakura already left? Why didn't she tell us?"

Natsume stared down into his sister's eyes, his expression cold and unhappy. "You shouldn't have left her alone, idiot," he said. He looked up suddenly, his eyes sharp with determination. "I'm going to look for her."

"Mikan-chan probably went home," Aoi said.

"I doubt it. She left without saying anything. I don't think she's at her mansion either." Natsume had a feeling that she might be at that particular place. "You two stay here and wait just in case she comes back." After saying that, he ran off in a hurry. He knew exactly where to look for her. He didn't doubt his intuition for a second.

As he reached the destination, which was the park where she first met Hotaru, Natsume saw her sitting on one of the swings. But she wasn't alone. A certain emerald-green haired guy was trying to get her to come with him.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Mikan pulled her hand away from the boy who was none other than Raito Tsurugi, one of Natsume's enemies at school. "I don't want to go with you."

Raito smirked. "Come with me, and I promise to give you a good time," he said.

Grabbing Raito by the shoulder, Natsume spun him around and punched him on the face. "Don't you dare lay one finger on her again, Tsurugi," he said in a deadly tone.

"N-Natsume?" Mikan gasped.

"Not you again," Raito grumbled, rubbing his now sore cheek.

Natsume shot him a glare. "Get out of my sight or else," he demanded.

Raito shrugged. "You're lucky that I'm not in the mood to fight you," he said. He glanced at Mikan and winked an eye at her. "I'll try to ask you out next time. Please do consider on having a date with me, okay?"

Jealousy kicked into his system as Natsume blocked Mikan from Raito's view. "She's never going on a date with you—even if you were the last man on earth. Besides, she belongs to me, so back off."

Raito shook his head in disbelief. "There's no way an idol like Mikan Sakura would ever go out with a bastard like you, Hyuuga," he said with a sarcastic laugh. "Reality check… You're a delinquent. It won't be good for her career if she would have you as a boyfriend."

Mikan stood up and approached Raito. She slapped him hard across the face. "If I were to choose between the two of you, I would definitely choose Natsume. Sure, Natsume can be mean and cold, but he's a good person inside. And it won't really affect my career if I'd have him as a boyfriend or not."

"Hyuuga…? A good person? You have got to be kidding me." He narrowed his topaz eyes at Natsume. "You know, from the way you're talking, you sound as if you like the jerk. Tell me something… What is Hyuuga to you anyway?"

Mikan smiled, a slow one designed to aggravate Raito. She noticed that it worked. "Natsume is a very important person to me," she said, "and I like him a lot."

"You like him? Okay, it's official—the world is totally screwed. I'm out of here." Frustrated, Raito spun around on his heels and walked away with a bitter expression on his face.

"You like me a lot, huh?" Natsume said, raising a brow, and Mikan sat down on the swing. "Were you serious with what you said?"

Mikan nodded her head. "Yeah, I like you a lot as a friend," she said, and Natsume grimaced in response. "That is up until I realized something." She could feel the hot color climbing up her neck. She stood up again and looked at him.

He gave her an expectant look.

"Natsume, this is your chance," she said.

Natsume grabbed her chin and tipped her face up for his inspection. "You drive me crazy, polka-dots," he said.

Mikan blinked twice. "Oh, really now? How so?"

"I wouldn't be having such a hard time if you weren't so clueless about love." His expression softened a little. "But that's one of the things I like about you. And to tell you the truth, everything about you is tempting beyond belief." He promptly demonstrated just how tempting she really was.

Mikan immediately recognized that this was what she'd been waiting for—Natsume's lips against her, his tongue exploring her mouth, his arms holding her tightly against him. Her heart quickened with anticipation and she shifted slightly to a more comfortable position.

When Natsume lifted his head, Mikan burrowed into his chest, unwilling to let him read the emotions on her face. Not that he didn't know.

"Mikan…" The sound of his voice calling her name was music to her ears. "Look at me…" he told her, and she did. Her blushing face brought a smile on his lips. He leaned forward to touch her temple with his, and she closed her eyes, reluctant to have him kissed her again. "Don't close your eyes, Mikan."

She opened them again, revealing the luscious color of hazel. "I feel strange when you call me by my name," she said, "and happy…"

"I don't know what your reaction will be after I say this, but I can no longer hide it from you." Natsume paused for a moment to caress her cheek. "When I first met you, I merely thought of you as an annoying and ditzy girl. You were the first girl to ever stand against me. You weren't scared of getting close to me at all. Even though I kept pushing you away, you still wanted to be my friend and you were willing to help me change."

"You were cold to everyone. You kept acting like a jerk. It wasn't right. Your sister and Ruka-pyon were worried about you. I had to do something for their sake and for your sake as well."

"That selfless attitude of yours is one reason why I was attracted to you."

"Are you saying that you love me?"

"If I didn't, then I shouldn't be doing this…" He gave her a short kiss on the lips.

She fumbled for words, scarcely knowing what she was saying. "I-I should have noticed this. I'm so slow when it comes to this."

"I don't mind." He thrust his hands into her hair and held her face immobile. "I wanted you ever since I've fallen in love with you. Whenever I kiss you, all I could think about was how much I wanted to keep you all to myself."

Her heart was thundering. "Natsume, I-I don't know what to say. I'm still struggling with my own feelings, so I can't give you my response yet." She yielded away from him, but when he took impatient hold of her uniform she shoo off his hands. "I need you to give me some time to think about this."

"Dammit, I already gave you enough time." He sighed heavily. "Don't make me wait, Mikan." He didn't mean to rush her, but he wanted to know right away before Ruka would have the chance to make his move.

"Have you forgotten that you also made me wait?" Mikan held his hand and squeezed it gently. "You have to be patient, Natsume. I promise you that I'll give you my answer soon."

Natsume knew that he had no right to pressure her, so he agreed to be patient. Silently he hoped that she would return his feelings.

She was having a hard time sleeping that night. Natsume's confession bothered her dreams and she hated herself for not being able to sort out her feelings yet. She kept on shuffling in her bed. Giving up on sleep, she hopped off the bed, left the room, and went downstairs for a glass of milk. As she sat down at the table, she wondered why it was so difficult to understand what her heart was telling her. Natsume kissed her more than once and there were times that she responded to his kisses. And to be honest, Natsume was the only guy to ever make her feel so edgy. She also understood that she was afraid of how to answer him.

"Sakura, what's the matter?"

Mikan looked up and saw Ruka standing by the entrance to the kitchen. "Oh, Ruka-pyon…"

"Can't sleep?"

She nodded her head in reply.

"Is it because of Natsume?" There was a hint of bitterness in Ruka's voice.

"Yes."

Ruka lowered his head, knowing that something happened between them. When Natsume returned with Mikan to the mansion, he saw them holding hands. The reluctant look on Mikan's face at that time told him that Natsume may have confessed his feelings to her. Ruka was troubled by that and he, too, had the desire to tell her about his love. But there were certain things in mind that was stopping him from doing so.

"My heart has been reacting oddly, feeling lost and helpless." Mikan hugged herself, closing her eyes to picture herself in Natsume's arms. "Just by being close with him, I feel like I can't be myself. Especially now that he told me how he feels about me, my heart's pounding even more."

"Sakura…" Ruka felt pain in his heart. "You love Natsume…" He was almost hesitant to speak.

Flushing red, Mikan stood up abruptly. "I-I…I…" She clamped her mouth with both hands and mumbled, "I think of Natsume as a…as a…"

Ruka motioned over to her side and wrapped his arms around her. "Sakura…" It was becoming clear to him that Mikan had feelings for Natsume. He tried to deny it before, especially when he overheard Misaki and Mikan talked about it.

He was taking a stroll around the garden when he heard Mikan's voice. Cautiously, he followed her voice until he saw the brunette talking with Misaki-senpai.

"I know!" Misaki muttered in excitement. "Your crush could either be Ruka-kun or Natsume-kun."

Upon hearing that, he quickly hid behind a tree and monitor Mikan's reaction from there.

Flushing red, Mikan shook her head violently. "That's impossible. I don't have a crush on Natsume. He's nothing but a pervert and he's always mean to me."

Misaki raised brow. "I mentioned Ruka-kun too, but you only mentioned Natsume-kun…" She narrowed her eyes in suspicion as a mischievous smirk appeared on her face. "I get it now. You like Natsume-kun."

"No way… I don't like Natsume. Well, I do like him as a friend and I…I…" She was stuttering pretty badly.

Giggling, Misaki patted her shoulder. "Woah, calm down, Mikan," she said. "You're making it more obvious that you like Natsume-kun."

Mikan's eyes grew wide. "What?!"

Misaki poked her cheek. "You're in denial and your blushing face tells me that you like him," she said. "I'm pretty sharp when it comes to these things. Plus, Tsubasa told me about your love-hate relationship with Natsume-kun."

Ruka couldn't believe it. "Sakura's in love with Natsume? No…" he muttered, wishing he didn't eavesdrop on their conversation in the first place.

"You love Natsume," he repeated his line again, though it pained him so much. "You should go tell him that." Confessing to her was something he preferred not to do anymore. He decided to support her feelings for Natsume instead.

Mikan looked up at him. "Ruka-pyon, I don't know when it started," she said, swallowing hard. "But the feelings I have for him now—I shouldn't have denied it for so long." Her lips curved into a gentle smile as she leaned her head against his chest. "Thank you for making me sure of myself."

"Flirting in the middle of the night... That's unexpected," an unruly voice spoke, surprising them both.

"Natsume…" Ruka muttered, narrowing his eyes. "We were not flirting." He could sense jealousy from him.

"Then why are you guys so close to each other?" Natsume was glaring.

Ruka eased away from Mikan, feeling a bit reluctant to release her. "Don't jump to conclu—"

"I take it that you finally confessed your feelings to her," Natsume cut him off.

Mikan's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Ruka-pyon, what does he mean by that?"

"It's nothing," Ruka answered her before he shot Natsume a serious look. "Natsume, you're clearly misunderstanding the whole situation."

Natsume was unwilling to listen to any excuses. "Just shut up, Ruka." He grabbed Mikan's hand and pulled her away from Ruka. "We may be the best of friends, but I'm not willing to lose her to you."

Ruka heaved a deep sigh. "Is that so? Well, I'm not willing to let this rivalry continue." He ran his fingers through his blonde locks as he chuckled. His best friend's possessiveness was kind of amusing. "Natsume, our battle's over."

Before he could get the chance to ask Ruka, the blonde boy simply patted him on a shoulder, gave him a smile, and left the room quietly.

"Natsume…" Mikan tugged on his arm. She took a moment to give in some thought on what she was about to say, hoping she wouldn't stutter.

He turned to look at her again before he led her to the living room, and he asked her what she and Ruka did before he came. She bit her lip as her cheeks turned red, and Natsume didn't like that at all. He pinned her down on the couch and demanded an answer from her. Mikan, however, refused to even look at him. "Why was he hugging you?" He was becoming desperate, but still his expression remained serious. "Why did he say our battle's over?"

"I know nothing about your battle."

Natsume gripped Mikan's wrist. "Then what's with the hug? Did you let him hug you because you love him?" He dug his nails deeper into her skin, making her wince in pain. "Answer me! Do you love Ruka?!"

Mikan shook her head vigorously. "I only like Ruka-pyon's as a friend," she said with tears in her eyes. "The one I love is you, Natsume…"

Everything seemed to stop for Natsume. Much to his surprise, her words took time to process in his brain. He didn't expect her to confess at that very moment. "You…You're just full of surprises," he muttered, entwining his hands with hers and laying his head down on her chest. "And I thought it would take you some time to give me an answer…" No wonder Ruka announced that their battle was over. He'd won.

"I love you, Natsume," she said happily as the tears continued to flow.

"I love you, too, Mikan. I'm sorry I was such a pain in the ass over this. I guess I let my emotions get the best of me." And then he laughed. "It was stupid of me to get so worked up about Ruka and you."

It was her first time to ever hear his laugh. It was a nice tune. "Hearing you talk like this makes me wonder if you're really Natsume," she said with a giggle. "Love can really change people."

"It's not only love… You're also responsible for my change. I'm glad and relieved that you came into my life," he said as he looked at her.

Before she could speak, Natsume pressed her deep into the couch, using his mouth, his hands, and his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she answered his fierce kisses. Bolts of desire ran through her veins.

Temptation was strong, but Natsume knew his limits. He sat up and pulled her to a sitting position. "We should go back to bed," he said.

"Yeah, it's so late…" she said, lifting herself from the couch. Her nervous voice consented to her aching flesh and pounding heart. "Hey, how about if I sleep with you?" she innocently asked, making the boy uneasy.

"What the hell are you saying?" Natsume pinched her cheek hard. "If Aoi and Ruka caught us, what do you think they'll say?"

Mikan giggled. "I was only kidding." She dropped down on his lap and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to have sweet dreams tonight."

Natsume shrugged. "Whatever, polka-dots…or should I say pink with frills?"

Mikan blushed like crazy. "Natsume, you big per—"

He dropped a quick kiss on her open lips to stop her from yelling. "Yeah, I'm a pervert—only with you…"

She sighed deeply and placed both hands on his cheeks. With a smile, she said, "That's one part you're not willing to change."

Mikan showed up at her mansion only half an hour late for the party. She had a taping to do, which explains her tardiness. A smile graced her lips as she saw the birthday celebrant hurry to welcome her. "Happy Birthday, Aoi-chan!" Mikan greeted. She handed the girl a nearly wrapped package. "I'm sorry I'm late."

Aoi accepted the package, smiling brightly at the idol. She was wearing a traditional Japanese kimono dyed in royal blue with butterfly patterns on it. Her short bob cut hair was clipped a little to the left with red and gold hair ornaments. "Thanks for the gift, Mikan-chan," she said. "And you don't need to apologize. It's good that you're finally here."

"So, did you blow out the candles yet?"

She shook her head. "I can't start the party without you, Mikan-chan. After all, you are the main attraction."

Mikan took off the coat, revealing the kimono she was wearing. It was extravagant in texture and design. The lavishing petals of Cherry Blossoms decorated the carnation pink kimono. Mikan's beautiful hair was done in an updo hair arrangement with pink kanzashi hairpins.

"I can't wait to hear you sing, Mikan-chan," Aoi went on. "I feel very lucky to have an idol as one of my closest friends. Now that you're here, let's get the party started." Taking Mikan's arm, Aoi pulled her into the center of the party.

A lot of people were there, enjoying the party. Tsubasa and Misaki were happily chatting with Umenomiya Anna and Ogasawara Nonoko. The two girls were also big fans of Tsubasa, so they were honored to talk to him. Not only that, they found it very pleasing to talk to Misaki, one of the popular girls in school. Kokoroyomi was being chased around by Sumire. Obviously, Kokoroyomi had done something to do provoke the rabid fan girl again. It was his way of showing his fondness towards her. Tobita Yuu, also known as Iinchou, was together with Serina Yamada at a table. Serina was interested in letting him co-star with Mikan in an upcoming commercial about computers.

Ruka, who was standing by the buffet table with Natsume, couldn't help admiring Mikan in her kimono. "Sakura's really cute," he said, grinning at Natsume. "I'm amazed that you two have been running a smooth relationship for the past few months. Well, sure, you two would argue every now and then, but I still kind of envy you guys."

Natsume raised a brow. "Do you still love her, Ruka?"

"Yeah, I still do." Ruka poured himself a glass of punch. "But I have no intention of stealing her away from you. I'm not that kind of guy. As long as you make Sakura happy, then I'm completely fine with it." He took a sip before he turned his attention to the crowd.

Mikan went up the stage, bestowing a breathtaking smile upon the audience, and took the microphone from its stand. "This song is dedicated to the birthday celebrant, Aoi-chan," she said. "I hope you'll like it."

The music kicked in and Mikan started chanting:

(CHU-LU CHU-LU CHU-LU PA-YA-PA)

Smoke came out and covered Mikan. After that, the wind effects came and blew the smoke away.

(DISCO LADY DISCO LADY DEEP EMOTION DEEP EMOTION)

Mikan spun around, revealing her smile to everyone, and she was no longer wearing her kimono. Her costume was a short strapless white dress with pink ruffles on the side, and it was above the knee with a pink trim on the top. She also has white gloves and high heeled boots with pale pink pearls on the wrists and ankles and pink cuffs that extended to her mid-arm and slightly below the knees. Adorning the back of her waist was a pink bow. She had let her hair down to be more suitable for the dress.

SWEETIE DARLIN odorimashou hajikeru BEAUTY LADY
umarekawatte amai yume sotto irodori tai no

She danced well to the beat and the audience was amazed.

guramarasu naku chibiru PINKU iro no tsuya meku neiru
garasu no mukou gawa ni utsuru sugao shuuru na Days
kimi dake ni SO misete itai kokoro no naka hitomi no oku
AH soba ni ite hoshii yo tsuki no MIRROR BALL terasarete

MY DARLIN ne VIVIDO na koishi masho hajikeru SEXY BEAUTY
umarekawatte amai yume sotto irodoru MY LOVE hora sekai wa kawaru

She skipped and spun around, waving her hands to her fans.

(CHU-LU CHU-LU CHU-LU PA-YA-PA)
(SEXY FEELING CHU CHU... CHU CHU...)

DORAMATIKKU na jounetsu ase nai dejavu mi tsuduke taku te
karafuru na SWEETY STORY kokoro fukaku kizamikomu
chiisana yami ga otozure te mo koi no jumon tonae ta nara
sou kitto hate nai sora hoshikuzu no SHOWER ga furisosogu

dakara HAPPY STATION mezashite yukou 50 / 50 awasete
hyaku PAASENTO ijou no ai yuruginaku koko ni aru to watashi omotteru

She blew a flying kiss at Natsume and winked an eye. The said boy was a bit surprised at what she did, and Aoi couldn't help teasing him.

(CHU-LU CHU-LU CHU-LU PA-YA-PA)

puroguresshibu to konsabatibu na jibun
kimi ni ari no mama o suki de ite hoshii to
negai wa (DISCO LADY DISCO LADY)
sekirara (DEEP EMOTION TRUE EMOTION)

MY DARLIN motto issho ni odori mashou SECRET NIGHT suteki na
RABU SONGU no dekoreeshon futari no haato de AH kanade awase te

MY DARLIN ne VIVIDDO na koishi masho hajikeru SEXY BEAUTY
umarekawatte amai yume sotto irodoru MY LOVE hora sekai wa kawaru
(CHU-LU CHU-LU CHU-LU PA-YA-PA)

Her movements followed the beat and for the finale, fireworks were lit up and she posed in a very cute yet sexy manner on stage. As the music ended, the crowd went wild, especially the birthday celebrant. They all felt like they were in a concert.

"Thank you very much!" Mikan exclaimed, waving a hand. As she stepped down the stage, Aoi ran up to her and hugged her. "I'm guessing that you like the song?"

"Like it? I love it!" Aoi replied cheerfully. "You're so awesome, Mikan-chan."

"That's good to hear," she said.

When Aoi went to mingle with her other guests, Mikan approached Natsume who was standing at a corner. "How did you like my performance?" she asked, hoping to get a good answer from him.

"The song was good. It suits your style. The performance wasn't bad either. You did great for someone so annoying."

Mikan pouted cutely. "Why do you have to include insults in your compliments, huh?"

"You're supposed to be used to it by now, polka-dots," he said, taking hold of her skirt. "Damn, you can really move in this thing without any worries. You're not wearing shorts, aren't you? What if another guy sees your underwear?"

"And why are you bringing that up?" Mikan crossed her arms in over her chest. "For the record, you're the only guy I know who likes peeking at my panties."

Natsume rolled his eyes away. "I have the right to do so, dummy" he said nonchalantly.

"It's sexual harassment, jerk!" Mikan uttered, punching his arm with little strength.

Smirking, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. "I don't mind sexually harassing you," he whispered hotly into her ears. "Besides, you're mine to keep." He wound his fingers into her silky hair, tilted her head back and devoured her lips.

She melted against him, arms coming up to wind around his neck, her slim body pressed close to his. He kissed her until they were both breathless.

"I want you to sing that song again for me when we get back home," he muttered, tracing the line of her eyebrows with his mouth.

She drew back far enough to look into his crimson eyes. "Do you want me to dance as well?"

"That's not a bad idea."

"I see…" she whispered against his mouth. "You know, I think you're a much bigger fan than your sister.

END OF STORY

Himeno: Now I can sit back and relax. Chapter has ended. The story has ended. A total of 32 chapters—Wow! It's such an accomplishment for me.

Mikan: Congratulations on finishing the story, Himeno-chan. And you even updated it on Christmas.

Himeno: This is my Christmas gift to my wonderful reviewers.

Aoi: After reading this, I'm sure they're happy. Things turned out well in the end. It's a good ending.

Himeno: I love happy endings. By the way, the song Mikan-chan sang here is the OP song of Rosario+Vampire Capu2 entitled, "Discotheque". The original singer is Nana Mizuki.

Kokoroyomi: Good choice of song. So, are you going to work on another story? Am I going to be in it?

Himeno: Yup, I'm currently working on another one. I'll probably update it on New Year's ever or so. Of course, you're in it, Koko-kun.

Sumire: Hey, how about me?

Himeno: Gee, I don't know… I have to think about it…

Sumire: Hey!

Himeno: (Laughs) I'm just messing with you, permy.

Mikan: All right… Would you mind sharing some facts about your new story to the readers?

Himeno: If you want to know about it, just check my profile. By the way, my sister, akatsuki-hime, still has an ongoing Gakuen Alice story entitled Fragments of an Undying Love. It's a great story. Be sure to read it. Thank you so much for reading this story. Don't forget to leave some feedbacks. No flames please!

Mikan: Merry Christmas everyone!!!