I just got back from my trip and from the much obvious, I'm exhausted. But I sort of promised myself to get my ass up and work, so here I am. :)

Disclaimer: Does the beautiful Higuchi Tachibana ring a bell? X)

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Chapter 4

A constant click of heels resounded through the conference room, as a not-so-happy Hotaru Imai entered through the double doors. She looked flawless in her simple high school uniform, pleated skirt and all, but a stone hard expression marred her features, throwing off any and all possibilities that she'd be in the mood for a business meeting today. There was something in her eyes that hinted people to stay away – which they complied with happily – and to top it all off, she was late; never before had she been tardy for anything, be it school or business matters or even a simple party, and she wasn't exactly jumping for joy.

She rounded the long glass table that centered the large room to her place at the head, setting her briefcase neatly on the table before taking her seat to look sternly at her clients – just a sea of faces that stared back at her as she seethed silently to herself. She swallowed hard. 'What the hell are you all looking at?'

"Pardon me for the delay of this meeting." She announced simply, and the whole congregation nodded stiffly before pulling out documents and shuffling some files to discuss. Hotaru herself unlocked her briefcase to reveal a set of crisp folders and envelopes containing essential material for the subject of today's discussion.

Hotaru cleared her throat once, and as if it was a signal, people started talking.

All at once, debates flew in all directions; one man dressed in a fine blue suit started barking about statistics with his booming voice, his assistant timidly handing out papers filled with graphs and charts to each of the clients seated around the table. A tall woman stood up to argue with the man, her blonde hair swaying to her every move, grunting about their priorities to the stock market. Several others either ranted on the importance of organization and what not, or just waited patiently to listen in to what their superior had to say.

She said nothing.

Hotaru shook her head, her attention trailing of to somewhere along the lines of "…the possibility of a thirty percent increase can greatly affect our stand in the economy…" before she lost them completely; her mind was elsewhere, probably fuming over a certain brunette, and she balled her fists in irritation. She concentrated her anger on the files of paper in front of her, glaring down at the sheets like as if they had committed a felony.

SPOTTED: Natsume Hyuuga and an unidentified person engaged in a lovely chat in downtown Tokyo Park yesterday. Mysterious lover's quarrel, perhaps?

The tabloid headlines were stuck in her head in glaring bold letters, blinking endlessly. What more, there was an actual photograph of the said star with a student in incredibly close proximity. The student was a brunette with her hair up in a ponytail, and she wore Alice Academy's signature uniform. She appeared to be pointing at him, and if Hotaru wasn't mistaken, those pearly whites of hers weren't bared in a smile, but a snarl. There was no doubt it was Mikan.

Hotaru had almost cracked when she saw it; if there was a thin line between hate and love, there must've been one single, measly point from genius to insanity, and Hotaru could only handle so much.

She had been trying to contact her, but her calls always led to voice mail, and when she had checked her apartment this morning, there was no sign of the girl. She presumed Mikan had gone to school early and continued her drive to the said academy, but to her disappointment, she wasn't there.

Hotaru was getting worried; pissed, more like it, but it would take a lot to get her agitated to that level. And who could distress Hotaru Imai more than Mikan? Natsume Hyuuga, that's for sure.

She had seen the pictures – that was her top client hanging around her best friend, and she didn't like it. She had her suspicions after her call with Mikan yesterday, but she never expected this. That boy was going to die.

The double doors opened once again, and Hotaru's secretary came bustling in towards her.

The room was silenced; the talking ceased, hands were still, and all eyes were on her. Hotaru loosened her grip on the papers she was holding (crumpling, really) and her eyes lit up just a little, before they narrowed at the look on her face as she leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I'm terribly sorry for the disturbance, Miss Imai, but you have an urgent phone call on hold."

One nod was all it took before Hotaru stood up to excuse herself and walked out the room, leaving her clients to disperse and chat amongst themselves.

Hotaru walked stiffly to her office, shutting the door behind her. Then she turned her heel and walked to her desk, not hesitating to grab the telephone from its cradle.

She drew a steady breath, moving slowly towards the large windows to touch the glass lightly with one hand; just outside, across her headquarters tower, was a giant billboard of Natsume Hyuuga courtesy of her company, promoting some kind of clothing apparel, and she casted a quick glare at his face before whispering into the receiver.

"Did you find her?"

Hazy. It was as if everything was clouded in a heavy fog, with the air so dry that it was getting harder to breathe. The grass beneath her, moss green and wet with dew, felt like spikes on her bare feet. The most unsightly of things had surrounded the perimeter – mushrooms and weeds, pests and shrubbery, dead earth. She fought down the chills that ran up and down her spine as she moved forward, wary of tripping over herself and avoiding anything that was a tad close to gross.

There were tingles rushing from her toes with each step that she took, sending peculiar sensations running throughout her body. She shivered in effect, rubbing a hand hastily on her arm. She could feel the blood drain from her hands and feet, the first symptoms of hypothermia kicking in.

She dropped down on her knees, succumbing to the cold. The wind roared fiercely, ice-cold as it blew like blades, sharp against her skin, making the girl whimper in despair. Her teeth chattered rapidly; she had lost complete control of her nerves, and her body was acting on its own. She was starting to lose feeling, and to her dismay, her hands were so numb that she could not lift a finger.

Her body was exhausted; she could feel the weight on her lids, her shoulders stooping, falling back to the ground. She only had a few seconds before the cold would take over. She moved her lips, mouthing some words to the violent sky. A shadow of some sorts blinded her sight, and she closed her eyes.

Frozen.

The light was painful.

She blinked, her eyes registering a faint figure hovering above her. Cherry blossoms were scattering around her, and she blew a few off of her face. She moved her elbows, leaning on the ground for support as she looked up. A young girl sat, perched on the top branch of an old cherry blossom tree. She jumped up in alarm.

'Get down from there!'

The sound of laughter pealed through the air; the girl was giggling in fits. She frowned, her eyebrows furrowing as she called out to her. 'You might get hurt!'

She noticed the slight shake of a head, and her body seated comfortably on the branch. 'Careful, now!'

The girl raised her arm, beckoning her to come up. She bit her lip, her heart raising. 'I can't.' she mouthed to her, but to no avail. She kept motioning to her, patting to a spot beside her.

She breathed a heavy sigh, nodding. With a heavy heart, she reached out to touch the trunk, surprised at the warmth it emitted. It felt good.

A smile broke across her face as she pressed a cheek to the tree, enjoying its warmth. She then grasped it tightly, and with a kick, she lifted herself off the ground.

'Hand, hand, foot, foot!' she heard the girl holler from above her. She nodded, repeating the words, chanting quietly to herself. 'Hand, hand, foot, foot.' She climbed in a steady rhythm.

This went on for a while, the tree seeming to stretch, the girl on the top bough fading. 'Oh no…'

Still, she kept going, reaching up to the first branch, this time, chanting loudly. 'Hand, hand, foot, foot!' she shouted at the top of her lungs.

She wasn't going to make it; for what seemed like an eternity, she climbed, but she couldn't seem to get past that one first branch. Her muscles were aching, her knees shaking, but she wouldn't stop. She let out a desperate cry, calling out to the girl.

She giggled in reply, crawling swiftly down a couple branches to her level. She shot out a slender arm, her hand small and white, reaching out to her.

She raised her left arm, trying to grab hold of her hand, swiping it madly in the air. She felt herself slipping; the branch was breaking. She shut her eyes.

'Help!'

The hand grasped hers, holding it tightly. But it was not the hand of the laughing girl on the top bough. No, this hand was large, with long fingers curled around hers, and a rough palm. It was still the same pasty white, but everything else was a different feeling entirely. 'What the…'

She felt her grip loosen, and she struggled. The branch snapped and she screamed, feeling her hand slip from the person's hold. She was falling, and in reflex, she shot her eyes open.

A broad figure took place from where the little girl sat legs dangling, arm outreached, beckoning. A strange voice penetrated through her thoughts. Everything else was fading, but the force of her descent was evident. A tear slipped from her eyes.

She was afraid to fall.

Blue eyes peered at her, wide and curious. Defined features of a young man came into view. Star-shaped scar. Unruly, black hair. A big, cheeky grin. Broad shoulders and a long neck. His breath fanning over her face, the warmth sending static tingles through her body. Too close. He was too close for her liking.

'Am I still dreaming?'

A voice. That voice; it was so familiar. So deep, and annoyingly loud. She had heard that voice somewhere before. She was curious – she wanted to know who it was. Her mind had other plans.

"Don't you worry, she's A-okay. Sleeping like a baby, drooling, even. No need for such harsh words." The voice rumbled again, and Mikan flinched; too loud. 'Okay, definitely not dreaming.' She turned to her side, groaning. A small gruff, the sounds of a door clicking, foot steps fading away. She sighed, letting her guard down.

'Oh, god, I have to get out of here.'

She willed her eyes open, only to back away at the light that blinded her. She squinted, allowing a few seconds for her eyes to adjust before she took a quick look at her surroundings.

The walls were white, almost bare, with sleek moldings and a carpeted floor. A single window shed light into the room, blinds raised. The furniture was simple: a black dresser, a desk, and a bed. Posters and picture frames were situated at one side of the desk, where a lone lamp stood. Typical – this must be the bedroom. A heavy feeling shot through her body, and Mikan's eyes widened. 'Bed…room?'

She put a hand to her chest, her heart having the run for its life. She looked at herself, raising her arms and patting herself silly, a wave of relief washing over her when she found her clothes still in tact.

'Oh god, I was kidnapped, wasn't I? Way to go, Mikan! You just love passing out at the wrong time, don't you? Now you're being held for ransom and who knows what they could've done to you during your little blackout…'

There was a loud thump and the girl squeaked, her eyes trained on the door to her left. A shadow had passed by, and her mouth ran dry. She jumped upon hearing a door slam, and she crawled out of the bed. The sound of a shower running made her cringe, her body tense.

Spotting a speck of green through her peripherals, she was relieved to see her messenger nestled atop the dresser, stuffed and closed. She let out a bottled breath. Grabbing the bag, she tiptoed to the door, reaching out to the knob and turning it slowly, slipping through the small gap she allowed.

The hallway was deserted, save for a few doors running along the tight walls, and a few portraits that hung at one side, but other than that, nothing. She swallowed the lump in her throat, easing her way to the end of a corridor.

There was this nagging feeling down at the pit of her stomach, like she had been here before. The flat looked a lot like the apartments that Hotaru's real estate department agents were handling, and she had been one of them. But she had checked her stats – she had sold all her assignments to responsible families or friends of Hotaru's. Had she missed something?

She took a right, her nerves getting excited as she spotted a door – it was a classic French door, with white accents and a peek hole – definitely A Hotaru Imai design. Mikan waved off that thought and focused on her plan of escape. Only an obstacle of furniture stood in her way. 'This is my chance!'

She needed to escape. She needed to leave before anyone could find out she was missing. But she felt her resolve disintegrate into a million pieces when she saw a figure shift in one of the couches, followed by a loud chuckle that struck her nerves oh so familiarly. 'That voice...'

'No, Mikan, you need to get out of here. Find some other way out before anyone notices. Oh, quick, he's coming!'

Mikan turned sharply on her heel, craning her head back to see blue eyes shocked out of their mind as a figure appeared around the corner. "Hey, wait!" He shouted, breaking into a run after her.

She sprinted towards a door to her left, planning to hide, only to be surprised when it had opened before she even reached the knob. "No, not there!"

"Oh my god…"

She felt her eyes bulge out, her jaw drop. A thousand thoughts ran through her head, jumbling all over and bumping one another, with her nervous system in a wreck. Her heart skipped a beat or two, and her face grew a few shades whiter. A flick of beige dropped in a thud to the floor. Her eyes travelled up and down his body – the body that belonged to the man she had just recently taken a loathing to; the body of the man that drove her almost to the point of insanity, the body that covered almost half of Tokyo – no, the whole of Japan's billboards and advertising. The body that sent a million hearts at his feet, or to their graves.

"What the hell…" bloodshot eyes stared, "…polka?"

The body of Natsume Hyuuga, in the flesh, literally. Naked.

ROFL.

Well, that was unexpected; really not what I planned, but that last bit just came out of nowhere. And yes, I am back. Not for long though, because school is just around the corner, creeping up and ready to jump when I'm not looking. O.O But I've got it all planned, really. Updates at least once a month should be a fair exchange – now I just need to stick to my schedule.

Not much happened in this chapter, really. I was really itching to write the future chapters, 'cause that's where all the action begins. And don't forget the revelations! Mwahahaha… X)

Poor Mikan, and her 'de-virginized' eyes. (no such word, I know.) Hmm.. Do you think Natsume'd feel real violated right about now? And what about the other guy? Pretty obvious.

That is all I can give away… for now. Free hug? :)