Beginning Note: Next chapter! After this chapter, I will be writing lengthier ones to make up for the long wait. Prepare for a lengthy chapter eight filled with a lot of happenings. However, I am willing to write shorter ones with quicker updates if that is more preferred (that is if time permits!).

Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice belongs to Higuchi Tachibana.

True Synopsis: Just another troubled teen trying to win at the game called Life. Except this game has been set to difficult and it includes the stereotypical high school social norms, sickly romances, dramatic characters, and mysterious backgrounds all in one whole packaged deal. Wonderful.

Sakura Mikan: Pairing with Ando Tsubasa / Hyuuga Natsume

Chapter Seven

*WINTER*

His fingers laced through the brown tresses of her hair as he moved in unison with her clumsy lips. It was so soft and so gentle that it almost felt surreal. This very same guy who was well known and liked around school, was standing in front of her and pressing his lips up against hers. Mikan could feel a sensation warming her up that the cold no longer mattered.

Her responses felt clumsy as she had no prior experience to kissing. However, he did not appear to mind and casually took the lead.

It was all so strange.

She felt his fingers trail down to her cheek until they paused for a second before squeezing the skin.

Her eyes shot open as she took a look at her surroundings. She was still outside but there was an audience watching her closely.

"Hey, are you okay?" a worried voice said. She turned her head into the direction of the voice and met a pair of beautiful eyes looking at her with concern.

"She's clearly fine now that she's awake," the fiery Misaki grumbled. "Just get up from the doorstep already and come back inside," she said bitterly.

Mikan raised a hand to her suddenly aching head and sat up. "What happened?" she asked in confusion. Her head was pounding crazy and she could feel soreness on her forehead.

"When you decided to make your grand exit, you happened to slip on an obvious patch of ice and got knocked unconscious," said Misaki. She crossed her arms and looked down at the brunette still clutching her aching head. "Are you going to get up? I mean, you can stay here all night in the cold if you want. No one is stopping you."

Mikan internally groaned as she slowly rose to her feet with the help of Tsubasa. Judging by the looks of the situation, she had barely made it two steps before falling and getting knocked out. She looked down in embarrassment and proceeded to walk past Misaki and into the warm house.

"Does this mean we get to continue with the game?" Nonoko questioned.

"No," Misaki replied firmly. She rolled her eyes at the blue headed female when she huffed, and turned to face Mikan. The girl in question was busy taking off her shoes to bother with the burning stare. "I think we've had enough fun for tonight and its time for you all to leave. . . except Tsubasa."

"That game was boring anyways. Can't we go out for karaoke?" Nonoko asserted.

Sumire's ears perked up at the suggestion and clasped her hands together. "Yes! I want to go to karaoke." Her head turned to the brunette, a mischievous grin manifesting on her face. "How about we invite dear Mikan to come with us? I'm sure it'll be fun this time."

"I have homework," the addressed deadpanned. She quickly turned on her heels and walked up the stairs to avoid any other confrontations.

"That kills the mood. Now I don't want to go anymore," Sumire huffed. She gathered herself off the couch and stood up. "Looks like I'm going home."

"What the hell Sumire, you can't just change your mind," Nonoko glared at the girl who was currently putting on her coat.

"Are you forgetting that I had my sister drop us here? We need a ride back," Anna who had previously been quiet, joined.

"I'll take you guys," Hayate offered and he too got his things together.

A groan escaped from Nonoko's throat as she went to put on her shoes. "I hate you guys."

The three girls left with Hayate, leaving Tsubasa and Misaki behind in the house.

"We need to talk."

Misaki's brows furrowed as her mind tried to deduce the reason behind this sudden command from her usually passive (unrecognized) ex. "Not here," she said. Knowing that Mikan was within earshot of their conversation, she grabbed Tsubasa by the wrist and led him to the basement.

The room was decorated to have an appearance of a leisure lounge. There was a long couch and a large flat screen TV hooked up against the wall. In addition to those, there was a pool table and a bookcase full of board games.

The two of them sat side by side on the long couch but were turned to face one another. "Okay now let's talk," Misaki pressed and leaned back on the couch.

"Don't you think you're being too harsh on the Sakura girl."

A light chuckle came from Misaki. "I haven't done anything bad to her per say. My home has been offered for her to stay in. Isn't that a show of kindness in itself?"

"Your personality says otherwise…" Tsubasa muttered.

"In what way? Because I distinctly remember you saying that you loved me for this very same personality."

"You were different back then, but now you've completely changed into another person."

"I'm still the same old Misaki that everyone knows and loves. The only difference you're seeing is the realism in me."

Tsubasa sighed to himself. It appeared that his words had no effect on her reasoning and that she was adamant about keeping her opinions locked in her deluded conscious.

"I'm only trying to help you," he said.

"Ha!" Misaki scoffed. "You cannot be serious."

"I've never been more serious."

"That's hilarious coming from the person who tried to break it off so that you could fuck someone else." Misaki placed a hand on Tsubasa's leg and leaned forward. "You didn't even leave an explanation but I have reason to believe your sudden interest in the outlier has to do with it and I don't like it."

"She has nothing to do with it," Tsubasa growled.

"Poor you, always trying to hide your true self in the face of others. Don't forget that I know who you really are and all your intentions can never be hidden from me." Misaki's hold on his leg tightened as she continued, "Have you forgotten the promise you made me?"

A cold feeling ran down Tsubasa's spine as the past suddenly was brought up. He remained mute, unsure of how to speak out to the female for her to listen.

"If you try to leave me, I can promise you that I won't leave Mikan alone for as long as it takes for you to come back," Misaki ran her hand up his thigh and reached just under Tsubasa's shirt. She moved her body closer to the male and swung a leg over so that both legs were at his sides. Her fingers continued to play with the hem of his shirt as her head lowered to the level of his exposed neck. Lips met warm skin and continued to pepper the surface.

"I haven't forgotten the promise but you can't use it against me." Tsubasa placed both hands on Misaki's shoulders to push her back.

Frustration was beginning to well up in Misaki as she shrugged his arms off her. Perseverance was a trait she held strongly on to and she definitely wouldn't let it fail. She placed both hands on Tsubasa's face and swooped in for a chaste kiss. "If you haven't forgotten, then you should remember that we belong to each other. It's your fault that we're like this and nothing will change." She fumbled with the belt of his pants and the zipper was pushed down.

"Misaki, we can't do this anymore." Tsubasa pushed her back again, this time he held on to her firmly to prevent her from moving.

"Yes we can, stop trying to deny me now."

"It has to stop." There was firmness in his tone and Misaki did not like it, not one bit.

"You can't do this to me." Tears brimmed the lower lids of Misaki's eyes and she began sniffling. "How could you try to leave me after everything that's happened?"

"Please don't cry," Tsubasa pleaded with her as he used one hand to wipe away the tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her into a hug. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

In the midst of the sobs echoing the room and articles of clothing being removed, the two lay on the couch exchanging heated kisses. The sounds of intimacy were muffled by pressed lips but the resentment burning for one another roared. This damned complication was ruining them and they knew it.

Are you going to answer the contraption you call a phone or not?

Hotaru's text message came through that Sunday afternoon while Mikan was trying to focus on her English assignment. She had completely forgotten about making an excuse the day before, primarily because of other reasons. If the imagined kiss wasn't bad enough, strange noises echoed the walls all throughout the night, making her come to the conclusion that the house was haunted. It sounded so eerily that she threw the covers over herself and tried to fight her way back to sleep.

When she woke that morning, the lack of proper sleep was evident in her sunken eyes. Mikan figured that if she left her hair down maybe it could somewhat conceal the poor complexion.

There was no going back to concentrating on the English assignment so she sent back a reply to the ice queen saying: I'm sorry for not making it yesterday. I can come over today.

Okay. I can send my driver to Harada's house to pick you up. Another text came through from Hotaru.

It surely amazed Mikan that she had been able to track her location but she figured not to question it.

Alright I'll get ready now. . .

((:)):((:))

While at the Imai household the two females worked on Hotaru's art assignment to completion and went on to work on other homework assignments. It was going smoothly until they were once again interrupted by the presence of Hotaru's step sister Luna.

"Hello lovely ladies!" she gleefully greeted them. Skipping into the room, she swung a bag in her hand that seemed to contain something inside from the way it bulged.

"What do you want Luna?" Hotaru glared at the boisterous girl who paid no mind to the threatening stare.

"I just wanted to see Mikan," Luna grinned. She reached them and dropped two decorated envelopes written on in calligraphy, in front of either.

Mikan hesitantly picked up the envelop and turned it to the front which read:

YOUR INVITED

"What is this?" Hotaru monotonously asked. She rolled her eyes when she saw the writing on the envelope. "Are you illiterate?"

"One," Luna raised a finger. "It's an invitation to a party I'm having here this weekend. And two," another digit followed, "You don't have to be so mean. It was Wakako that did the calligraphy and messed up the spelling."

Hotaru shook her head, "So you didn't bother to tell your idiot friend to fix it?" She picked up the envelop and tossed it back into the bag from which it came from. "I don't need an invite to my own home." And it was true. Luna and her mother had moved into the house after Mr. Imai remarried so by default, Hotaru had lived there longer.

"Haven't you heard of organization before? There needs to be an account on who enters and leaves. I can't just have anybody gaining entry to my party," Luna said. She flicked her strawberry blonde hair and smirked. "I only wanted my dear sister to spend time with me."

Tension was rising rapidly and Mikan spoke up, "Sorry to interject but why am I invited?" Since she didn't know Luna all too well, there wasn't any explicable reason why her presence was welcomed into parties. In fact, the events that had happened from the last visit was enough to make Mikan question this girl's weird personality.

"You don't exactly look like you party so I wanted to help you as a friend. Ya know, spice up your life a little," Luna replied.

Going to a party was not what would spice up her life, Mikan thought. It was what she would do there. She knew herself all too well and there was nothing fun about parties except the alcohol involved. Right now she was on a self-imposed ban on drinks. Rather it couldn't be self-imposed because she simply didn't have access to alcohol and she wasn't going to take anything from the Haradas.

"Luna, you go to an all-girls school. There is nothing fun about a gaggle of idiots like yourself taking up space in my home." Hotaru crossed her arms to show that she wasn't having it. There was no way she would back down.

"I knew you would say that so I sent out e-invites exclusive to anyone remotely popular at your school. I can't wait to see all your classmates." There was something sinister about the tone in her voice that went unnoticed by the skeptical brunette. She was particularly observant when it came to the actions and gestures of people around her. This was a trait she had acquired in her childhood as a result from moving home to home.

Some people just weren't meant to be trusted.

Grrr

An embarrassing loud noise come from the direction of Mikan's stomach. It caught the attention of the bickering sisters and Mikan rubbed the back of her head.

"Sorry, I haven't eaten yet."

"Great! I just brought home some macaroons. Come on, I left them in the mini fridge inside my room." Luna grabbed Mikan's wrist, leading her out the room with Hotaru trailing behind silently.

Luna's room was a stark contrast to Hotaru's. Bright pink colors painted the walls and light accessories aligned each corner. A large queen sized bed covered in alternating pink and baby blue duvets was oddly centered in the middle of the room. A baby blue long rug lay on the pink carpet, lateral to the bed. There was also a vanity desk and a study desk placed next to each other and a piano.

What caught Mikan's attention the most were the many picture frames hung up around the area. One frame did find itself not nailed to the wall but placed on the bedside table.

"You can sit on the bed while I get out the macaroons," Luna said as she shuffled over to the mini fridge.

Hotaru opted out and remained standing while Mikan decided to sit down on the bed. She fiddled with her fingers and openly commented, "You have a lot of pictures in your room."

"Yeah, most of them are of my friends I've known since forever." Luna pulled out a plastic container containing the small desserts and walked over to set it on the bed. She popped the lid and automatically handed one to Mikan, not offering any to her step sibling. Hotaru on the other hand did not care as it could be seen through her unabashed behavior. She snagged herself five of the little treats and proceeded to walk out the room. Upon reaching the door, she paused and turned around.

"Sakura, I'll be waiting in my room when you're done," she said and Mikan nodded. The door closed behind her, leaving Mikan and the suspect crazy individual alone.

"Rude," Luna muttered. She turned her attention back to Mikan who currently nibbled at her macaroon. "As I was saying, a lot of these people in the pictures are longtime friends. My best friend is in the picture frame right next to you." Luna pointed to the frame on the bedside table.

Crimson irises and raven hair.

A wave of familiarity hit Mikan as she tried to pin point where she had seen such features before. The female in the image appeared to be around her age, if not maybe a year younger. She was hugging Luna tightly and smiling with pearly white teeth that glowed. The expression on her face screamed innocence. She hadn't met the girl before but there was something about her that seemed un-new.

"Her name is Aoi Hyuuga and she's my kouhai at my school," Luna interrupted her train of thought.

"Hyuuga?" Mikan questioned. The name definitely sounded familiar to her.

"Yeah! Her really attractive brother transferred to your school recently and I'm so jealous."

'That's why she looked familiar,' Mikan thought to herself. 'She's related to the pervert!'

Nevermind attractiveness, which was undeniably true, his perversions were enough to make her not interested. She couldn't believe that such a person could have an innocent looking person related to them. But then again Mikan could say the same about her devil, newly acknowledged cousins, Rumi and Ume where Mikan was the innocent bystander in the whole mess. That reminded her to called Tono later and demand answers from him.

"Mikan, you're so lucky to be surrounded by such attractive guys at your school. If I were in your place it would be like living in heaven," Luna enthused. "And I just can't wait to have them over this weekend," she squealed.

'That is if Hotaru doesn't prevent you from doing so.' Mikan thought.

"You'll be coming to my party right?"

"Well. . ." It wasn't really appealing especially when people from her school would be coming to it. But it did give her the opportunity to leave the lion's den for some hours.

"Come on you have to. I invited you and it would really hurt my feelings if you declined," Luna persisted. Her palms were clutching Mikan's free hand tightly.

Defeated, Mikan gave in to her persistence, "Okay I'll go." Something was telling her that refusing was not an option.

Luna hopped off the bed and cheered. "I can't wait!" she grinned. "We're having a slumber party that Friday with Wakako and Aoi." She ran over to her desk to rummage through her bag and pulled out a cellphone.

"Great."

No, it wasn't great at all.

"You don't have to entertain her and go to the party," Hotaru said as Mikan re-entered the room ravished by purple décor.

"I know but no offense, she kind of rubs me the wrong way," Mikan confessed. She claimed her spot back on the carpet she had been sitting on before Luna's interruption.

"No offense taken. She and her mother are like plagues in this house," said Hotaru all too casually.

"In what way?" Mikan probed, testing her boundaries. Normally she wouldn't be one to interfere in others business but she was honestly curious. Tension was so thick in the air the last time she was in the house, that a knife could cut it. Luna had a weird attitude, the step-mother was rather pushy, and Mr. Imai didn't seem to give two cents about those two except Hotaru. It was a wonder how he could have possible sought marriage with such disregard towards anyone else.

On the other side, Hotaru was contemplating in her mind if this person had even one trust worthy bone in her body. There weren't many, if any at all, people that she could reveal details about her life to. Lack of friends in general was no secret to anyone who knew her. Her lack of emotions and blatant words made it difficult for people to get close. So the very idea that the person sitting before her showed the slightest interest was a wonder.

She decided that there was no harm in telling her even just a little. If anything were to get out, a background check could be run on Mikan and be used against her.

Not that Hotaru believed it would get to that point.

"They're a nuisance to this house, acting like damn parasites all the time," she spat.

"Parasites?"

"Because of their desire to get the company, they continue to behave idiotic. It's starting to get annoying."

A snort escaped from Mikan's lips. She expected a stronger response from the ice queen but it was apparent that even if her step-family's intentions were clear, their power over her was relatively zero. Annoyance was what she felt. Not anger. Not furiousness. Just plain annoyance. Suddenly it made sense why the title of Ice Queen was denoted to her.

Hotaru's eyebrows furrowed as she watched. "What's so funny?" she demanded.

"You know," Mikan began. She had to wait for her laughter to die down before she could continue speaking. "It's amazing how in control you are of yourself. I think you're actually really cool."

And for the first time ever in her life, Mikan was able to witness two rosy tints appear on Imai Hotaru's face. It looked very bright when compared to her pale complexion which made it even more astonishing.

"S-Shut up," the embarrassed Hotaru muttered. She raised her arm to cover her face.

"You're blushing!" Mikan exclaimed. Her mouth opened in awe at the sight before her. A blush of her own colored her cheeks as her lips widened into a grin.

"Whatever," Hotaru growled but the color was still present. "I talked about myself enough. It's your turn to make it fair." As expected of her, nobody was allowed to have the upper hand.

"I don't know where to start. I could tell you a whole monologue but what good would that do?"

"You were getting beaten up by those forgettable faces in the bathroom," Hotaru started.

"Not sure if I agree that they are forgettable but yes. The two attacked me for reasons ridiculous at the time." Emphasis placed on the last few words indicated the change in the current situation.

"Ando huh?" Hotaru scoffed, recalling memories of when she overheard the argument. "What do these girls see in him to make them act like idiots."

Mikan didn't meet her eyes as shrugged her shoulders even if she knew why. If this conversation had taken place before the events of yesterday, there would have been an automatic agreement. She however acted like everyone else wooing over him and succumbed to his charms by enthusiastically kissing him back. Even if it was a dream, it still felt like reality to her. And she inevitably became one of those idiots by default.

"Do you want my opinion?" It was obvious that whatever words were going to come out of Hotaru's mouth was not going to be nice. "You're also dumb."

Exactly.

". . . I know."

"You have been hanging around him haven't you?"

". . ." Mikan remained mute.

"What else has happened?"

To count, he proposed their friendship and they went on an excursion downtown. They encountered each other one too many times in and out of school and to top it off, he kissed her in her dream where she behaved like a fool by accepting it.

"I don't know why but he keeps showing up . . ." For the encounters to be coincidental was an overstatement. Only a few of them were as such. The more she was around the popular group, the higher to probability to meet him it was.

"And?" Hotaru pressed. Her patience was beginning to wear out due to the incomplete answers she was getting.

Mikan twiddled with her hair in nervousness and gulped. "The last time we met . . . was at Misaki's house. A lot of things were said and I left the house only to slip on a patch of ice and get knocked unconscious. I then had a dream where I was kissing him."

For what seemed like eternity, the two gazed at one another until Hotaru broke the ice. "You're an idiot."

"Yeah I am."

"It's okay though. At least you're not that bad," Hotaru said. Mikan could tell her words held the intention of providing comfort in her own Imai Hotaru way.

"Thank you." Mikan smiled at her in gratitude. In spite of the strangeness of their interactions, she was sure that after today they would become friends.

The following day Mikan got ready for school and went downstairs to get breakfast. She was surprised to be finally seeing Mr. Harada sitting at the kitchen table eating his breakfast while Suzuki chatted away about some television show premiere. Misaki was quietly eating her cereal and texting away at her cellphone.

"Good morning," Mikan bowed respectfully and grabbed an already prepared egg sandwich.

"Oh good morning my dear!" Suzuki chirped. "Come sit your pretty self next to me and tell me how your night was." She patted the open chair beside her and Mikan obliged.

"Thank you for the food," She said gratefully.

"Welcome to our home," Mr. Harada suddenly joined in. "I hope you're finding everything to your comfort?"

Mikan bowed her head slightly. "Yes Mr. Harada."

"And is my daughter treating you nicely?" he continued.

The girl had been anything but nice, however, Mikan didn't want to leave a bad impression for the Misaki to confront her about later.

She nervously played with her food as she hesitantly replied, "Y-Yes . . ."

"That's great my dear!" Suzuki smiled. "I hope you continue to feel welcomed and if you need anything, always know that you can talk to me. I'll be like your second mom."

Misaki paused mid text and frowned at her mother. "She already has one, no need for a second."

"Oh I know honey but she's just too adorable!" Suzuki placed a hand on Mikan's head and patted down the loose hairs. "Dearie, don't you think she looks just like her mother?" she mused.

Mr. Harada cleared his throat and gave his wife a sharp look, not missed by the brunette.

"Would you lighten up a bit? What's the harm in admiring her beauty?" Suzuki rolled her eyes. "Go ahead and eat up your breakfast Mikan. Misaki can give you a ride to school, won't she?" She glanced at her daughter who looked like she wanted to protest.

"Yes mom," Misaki grumbled and angrily stuffed a spoonful of cereal in her mouth.

"I don't want to impose or anything!" Mikan hurriedly said. "I'm fine taking the bus as long as you point me to the correct bus stop. You've already done enough for me."

"It's completely fine! Now that you're living here, we'll treat you like family so it's okay for Misaki to drive you to school. You are both heading in the same direction and its too cold to be waiting for the bus."

"I-If you say so," Mikan said.

"By the way Misaki, what was that noise that was coming from the basement last night?" Suzuki inquired.

Mikan listened intently as Suzuki waited for her daughter's response. She too wanted to know what those eerie sounds were and wished that it had nothing to do with ghosts for she was really fearful of the paranormal.

"I was watching a scary movie with Tsubasa and got scared a couple times," Misaki said. Her pinkish iris glanced at the brunette sitting in her peripheral to see if she would react.

"Tsubasa-san was here?" Suzuki asked. "So that familiar vehicle was his after all."

"What was he doing here so late on a school night?" Mr. Harada frowned in disapproval of his daughter's actions.

"Would you look at the time!" Misaki abruptly stood up. "Mikan, I think it's time for use to head out." She grabbed the startled girl by the forearm and led her out of the kitchen. "Get your school bag and lets go. I'll be warming up the car."

"Okay?" Mikan turned around to head up the stairs for her belongings while Misaki left the house. She came back down and put on her lace up boots. Before leaving the house, she shuffled back into the kitchen where she bade goodbye to her hosts and then rushed outside to the waiting Misaki. She opened the door to the back seat and got inside.

"What are you doing?" Misaki whipped her head around to face her. "I'm carpooling with you, not taking up the job as your chauffeur. Get in the passenger's side."

Mikan wordlessly got out of the car and opened the door to the passenger's seat. She settled in and buckled down, fingers intertwined in her lap.

"When we get close to the school, I'm dropping you off and you can walk the rest of the way."

"Uhm . . ."

"People can't know that I drove with you."

And she stayed true to her word. The moment the academy came in visible sight, she stopped the car in a shaded area and had the brunette step out. She left with one last sentence, "Don't tell anyone," and then sped off.

Mikan huffed and kicked at the snow. "Would it kill you to act like a decent human being?" she angrily said to herself. She took out her phone from her bag and looked at the time. Thanks to Misaki making them leave the house early, she still had an hour and a half before the start of first period. Luckily for her, the academy had their own cafes and shops donated by parents of the rich students.

As she entered an open café, a bell chimed. There were relatively a few students going about their business, seeing as it was too early. Mikan went up to the counter and sat on the stool while she waited for a barista to take her order.

"Tea or coffee?" The barista said with his back turned to her.

"Milk tea please," Mikan replied.

The barista waved a hand back and went ahead to make the order. "Here you go," he turned around and presented the hot cup to her. Almost immediately, Mikan recognized the face of the person whose own eyes widened in surprise.

"K-Koko?"

"Oh hey there babe!" the comical boy said. "Nice to see you looking all pretty this morning."

"My name is Mikan," said girl rolled her auburn eyes.

"I'm just playing with ya."

"Thanks for the tea," Mikan said. "Can I have a spoon and sugar please?"

"No problem milady," Koko placed a hand on his chest and bowed only for Mikan roll her eyes again. He fumbled through a drawer and got out a spoon and then gave her some packets of pure sugar.

"Thanks," Mikan said. She opened up the packets and dumped them into her milk tea. She then used her spoon to help the sugar dissolve faster.

"So what brings you here this early morning?" Koko asked. He took out a napkin and began wiping down the counter.

Mikan shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I'm an early riser." The spoon rose to her lips and she blew softy on the hot liquid before sipping it.

"Let me pick your brain for a bit." Koko stopped wiping the counter and placed his chin on his knuckles.

The proximity of his face to her own, caused her to push back a bit. She gave him a questioning gaze, wondering where he was going with this conversation.

"Why are you so quiet sometimes?" he asked her.

"Never realized I was," Mikan said tersely.

Koko tapped his chin. "Maybe quiet wouldn't be the right word. How about timid? Or a wallflower? As a matter of fact, when are your available times?"

Mikan dropped her spoon in her cup and sighed. "This isn't 21 questions."

"Okay I admit defeat," Koko lifted both hands up. "I have an ulterior motive."

"Which would be?" Mikan tilted her head to the side.

"The basketball club is in desperate need of another manager to help the current one," the sandy haired male admitted. "You just happened to make your presence known at the perfect time."

Mikan hesitated in her response. She already had a lot on her plate and didn't need to juggle more. And then there was the matter of getting home late in the evening. She wasn't sure if the Haradas would appreciate her coming back to the house late.

"I don't know. . ." she said with uncertainty.

"If you need to get back, you can always get a ride with the other manager. She'd be happy to help," Koko said to try to reassure her.

"Who is the other manager?"

"Imai Hotaru."

That was a shock. The ice queen participated in extracurricular activities of some kind that didn't involve blackmailing.

"Hotaru?" Mikan said to herself, albeit rather loudly.

"Yeah, her parents fund the team so naturally she became the manager," Koko explained. "Although she basically owns us and makes that known," he added with a mutter.

"Sure."

"Wait really?!" Koko said in excitement. He threw his arms over her shoulders, although it was a bit awkward considering the counter between them. "Thanks a bunch babe!"

Pushing him forcibly back, Mikan frowned at him. "I'll change my mind if you call me babe again," she said.

Not even bothered by her threat, Koko merely chuckled and said, "Drink your tea before it gets cold. By the way, practices are after school today so it would be great if you could stop by."

"Are you even on the basketball team?" Mikan asked. "I don't see you hanging out with the other jocks during lunch.

"Me and the other guys are what you can call, alternates," Koko explained to her. "We only get to play when the starters are tired or injured."

"Basically backups," Mikan noted.

"If you want to put it that way, then yeah we are."

A gust of wind blew into the café and the doorbell chimed. Mikan unconsciously turned around to see who had entered and was surprised to see Natsume making his casual entry, hands in pocket. The raven haired boy met her gaze and a slow smirk rose to his face, causing Mikan to quickly focus her vision on something else, in hopes that he got the message that she didn't want to interact with him.

Unfortunately, it seemed that it would not work.

Natsume walked over to the counter and sat directly next to her.

"Hey dude!" Koko greeted him. "Always early as usual," he said.

"Hn," Natsume nodded in his direction. His crimson eyes roamed the room and then settled on Mikan who had been trying to conceal her face with her hair.

"Fancy meeting you here little girl," he said in a teasing tone.

Mikan's head shot in his direction and she glared at him. "I'm not a little girl. And please don't talk to me."

"What a way to greet someone, don't you think?" he mocked.

Mikan ignored him and lifted up her tea cup to her lips to sip in the lukewarm drink. She set it down and searched for a paper towel to wipe her lips with. The object of interest just so happened to be located on Natsume's right. She groaned and rose a hand to her tea covered lips. "Can you pass me a tissue?" she asked him.

Natsume drummed his fingers on the counter and didn't respond. It took a minute for Mikan to understand why he was behaving that way. "Please?" she said. With that, the whole container was handed to her and she went about cleaning her lips.

"Are you going to order something?" Mikan said when she finished cleaning herself up.

"Why does it matter?" Natsume countered. It was clear that he was testing her reaction and Koko who was busy watching their interaction, did nothing to stop him.

Mikan tucked a hair behind her ear and played with the rim of her cup without facing him. "You're in my personal space."

"I believe you too are in mine."

"Says the one who sat next to me."

"Is it a crime to occupy a chair in my legal right?"

At that statement, Mikan frowned at him. "You are unbelievably annoying."

"Or dashingly handsome, might I say myself?" he smirked. His fingers laced through his raven locks, causing Mikan to mentally scoff. Yes, he was attractive but his personality ruined his whole image. He came off a narcissist and it made Mikan want to spill her tea on him just to get him to wipe the darn smirk off his face.

"You know what?" she began, clearing her throat. It was too early to start the day feeling grumpy so she decided to swallow her pride and gave her unintended companion a forced smile. "We clearly got off on the wrong foot. So let me reintroduce myself to you." She reached out her hand to him and said, "Hi, my name is Sakura Mikan and I happen to be a close friend of Ruka."

There was a long pause and Mikan's hovering hand was beginning to ache. Just when she was about to pull back, Natsume grabbed on to it and shook it before quickly retrieving his hand.

"Hi," he said curtly. It was evident that his now failed attempt at teasing her would no longer rouse irritation in her, and suddenly he felt bored.

"Sorry to interrupt you two, but I'm ending my shift early so that I can finish the math homework I'm behind on," Koko blurted. "Do either of you mind sparing me your answers just this once?"

Not caring about him seeing her work, Mikan took out the sheet and placed it on the counter. "I'm not sure if it's all correct though, but I did try my best."

Before Koko could reach for it, the sheet was swiped from his reach and in the hands of Natsume.

"Judging by these answers, you obviously didn't try your best," he commented.

An eyebrow twitched in irritation but Mikan was not about to let his comments annoy her. "Okay then help me correct it so I don't get him wrong," she spat.

"No thanks, he needs to learn for himself not to procrastinate next time. And you need to pay more attention in class." Natsume pushed the sheet back in the other two's direction and got up. "But I will help you. . . if you do me a favor."

Mikan looked between him and Koko and narrowed her eyes. "Are you asking me or him?" she demanded.

"You," Natsume said. He leaned forward and settled an elbow on the counter so he could rest his chin on his knuckles.

"What does it entail?"

"I'll think about it and then let you know. For now, keep it in mind for the future."

"Fine," Mikan said but she really hoped that he would forget about the favor and never bring it up again.

"Thanks a lot babe!" Koko exclaimed and received another glare from Mikan.

The three relocated to a table and a staff member took Koko's place in managing the counter while they worked on the math homework. Well, more so Natsume correcting Mikan's answers and Koko copying them down.

"I don't think you should write down every answer as correct," Mikan said. "I don't want to make it so obvious especially when it appears like you don't take your homework seriously," she added without filter.

Koko on the other hand took no offense to her words and gave her a sheepish grin. "Will do," he said.

'bzzt' 'bzzt'

Mikan's cellphone buzzed and she looked at the screen. It was a text from Luna.

Don't forget! Sleepover this Friday 3

It hadn't been a day yet and she had already forgotten about the sleepover and the party to follow the next day. In addition to that, she was suddenly reminded of the girl who resembled Natsume that was in Luna's photo.

"Do you have a sister?" she found herself saying before she was able to stop herself. Of course she knew he had a sister, as revealed via Luna. What she didn't understand is what force made her ask him anyways.

Natsume looked up from the homework with slightly widened eyes. However, as soon as the widened, they quickly narrowed. "Why do you ask?"

Nervousness was beginning to creep up and it was displayed through her stuttering, "I-I saw a photo at my f-friend's house of a girl who looked just like y-you."

She was watched for a moment and then got a reply, "Yes."

"You have a sister?" Koko piped in. "Is she cute?"

Mikan elbowed him hard and he yelped.

"What was that for?" he rubbed his side.

"Finish the homework so we can get to class. We have art first period, remember?" Mikan said.

"Okay, okay I got it," Koko grumbled to himself and then connected his earphones to his phone and put the earbuds in. Soon after, loud rock music was sounding through the buds.

Natsume, who was sitting opposite to Mikan began speaking, "How do you know Ruka?" he asked.

A bit curious to his probe, Mikan answered him, "I've known him since I first came to Alice Academy."

"I see," said Natsume. He focused his attention on the students walking around outside. Many of them were getting ready to head into the main building for classes.

"How do you know him?" Mikan countered.

"Childhood," was all she got.

"Okay." An awkward silence, on her part, followed. She painstakingly waited for Koko to finish his assignment and was glad when he removed the earbuds and stretched his arms up in victory.

"I'm finally done!" he cheered. "Thanks for your help you guys!" He handed Mikan back her homework sheet and stood up, gathering his things together. "I need to change back into my uniform and then we can head out," he said with a wave and disappeared into the back of the café, leaving the two alone.

The silence was killing Mikan. Even though she was quiet herself around people, Natsume clearly had her beat in this silent competition. The clock tick tock away and she played with the edges of her skirt to find a distraction. When she couldn't handle it any longer, she spoke up "Uhm," she began. Natsume let his eyes meet hers. "So the weather huh? It's really cold outside."

"You don't have to force yourself to act interested. It sounds fake," he pointed out and Mikan's eyebrow rose.

"What?"

"Give me your number."

"Huh?"

Without waiting for her, he took out his cellphone and placed it next to hers for infrared to exchange their numbers.

"Don't get your hopes up. It's so I can easily contact you when I know what favor I want you to do," he said.

Koko finally came out from the back and jogged up to their table. He lifted his messenger bag over his shoulder and grinned. "Let's go!" he shouted enthusiastically.

The other two took their things and stood up, following Koko out the café and into the cold air of the outdoors.

Koko and Mikan entered their art classroom and spotted Ruka in the back who gave them a confused look. The two walked over and sat on either side of him.

"Nice to see you two getting along," he said, but he was only looking at Mikan.

"He was copying my math homework and we came to class together after he finished," Mikan said. Although she didn't see any reason to be giving him reassurance that there was nothing suspicious between the two of them. Forgetting that, she wanted to confront him about Anna knowing of her adoption. She was still upset that it had so easily been told to another without her consent.

"Ah."

"Hello my wonderful students!" Ms. Rosie the art teacher greeted. "We will be doing self-portraits today." she said.

Drowning out her voice in the background, Mikan leaned in and whispered to Ruka, "Did you tell Anna about my situation?"

"What do you mean?" Ruka whispered back. He was averting his eyes from her.

"She knows things that only could have been told to her through you."

Sighing to himself, Ruka hesitantly faced her with an apologetic look. "I may have mentioned a couple things to her, back when we were together."

"Are you kidding me?!" she hissed. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"I'm really sorry Mikan," Ruka clasped his hands together. "It came out of my mouth before I could retract my words. I regretted telling her but I had hoped that she wouldn't say anything to anyone."

"Now, for these self-portraits, you're going to partner up with another classmate and draw one another," Ms. Rosie's voice boomed.

"Hey Koko," Mikan tilted so that she was in his view. "Do you want to work together?"

"Sure thing," Koko said.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" Ruka asked Mikan.

"Mad wouldn't be the right word to describe how I'm feeling. Maybe irate."

"I'm so sorry."

"I don't want to talk to you right now. Hey Koko, switch spots with Ruka so we can draw each other better."

Koko got up and motioned for Ruka to switch seats with him. The blue eyes watching Mikan, held regret as its owner stood up and moved to the other side.

After class, while Mikan was packing her things up, Ms. Rosie slipped over to her side.

"I know you said that you didn't want your artwork to be displayed at the annual art show. However, I thought I should let you know that there is a scholarship involved that helps you get into a school abroad," Ms. Rosie said. "You can take your time to accept this or not so please don't feel rushed."

"Alright," Mikan said. She was suddenly feeling a spark of interest when she heard the words scholarship and abroad. "What do I need to do to get this scholarship?"

"Well, that's where there is a catch. You need a partner because its awarded to two wining partnered students," explained Ms. Rosie. "That's why I was hoping for you and Miss Harada to work together to win."

No way was she going to work with that person.

"I think that Harada's talent is far too complex and I would feel like a burden to her if we are partnered."

"Well then who do you suppose you can work with, if not her?" Ms. Rosie questioned. It was a good question. Who was she going to find that would be willing to work with her to win?

"I'm sure I can find someone soon enough," Mikan said, although she wasn't too sure where she would find said individual.

"Great!" Ms. Rosie chirped. "Let me known by the end of next week." She then pranced away to her desk.

((:)):((:))

Later in the day, Mikan encountered Rumi and Ume on the way to the cafeteria where she planned to meet up with Hotaru. They made it clear that they wouldn't acknowledge their presence. Rumi busied herself with her sketchy upperclassman boyfriend while Ume conversed with the other friends hanging around them. Although it hurt a bit, knowing that they were her relatives, she decided to ignore the feelings and walk past them.

"Hey Sakura," one of the twin's friends greeted as she walked by. It couldn't be judged whether it was a friendly hello or one to mock her. Either way, Mikan decided to nod and continue walking down the hall.

"Don't talk to her," she could hear one of the twins say as she walked away.

The cafeteria was full as ever but luckily for her, the lines were not too long. She got her food and looked around to see if she could spot Hotaru. She found her sitting at a table right next to the one Ruka and his friends normally sit.

"Hey," she said and set her tray on the granite surface. She ignored Ruka's stares as she sat down opposite Hotaru.

"You're late," came Hotaru's monotonous voice.

"Sorry, I didn't realize two minutes was still considered late," Mikan joked but received no laugh.

"Wow, someone found a way to befriend the ice queen," said one of the boys, Mochu, from the table beside them.

"Maybe she was blackmailed into it," Kitsuneme joined.

"Shut it you guys! Imai is our cool manager," Koko hushed the two. "And Mikan will be our second manager starting today."

Ruka stopped eating his apple and turned to Mikan. "You are?" he asked.

"Yes," Mikan deadpanned. She nibbled on her cookie.

"O-Oh, congrats I guess."

"Let's meet again after classes and head to the gym. I don't want your idiot self getting lost," Hotaru said.

"I know where the gym is," Mikan grumbled. She was directionally challenged at times, but Hotaru didn't know her well enough to even know that fact about her.

"We have a separate gym in the recreation center for athletes," Koko said, making Mikan nod in understanding.

"Anybody know where Natsume is?" Kitsuneme asked out of the blue.

"Probably hiding out somewhere to skip," Ruka responded. He stood up and grabbed his tray. "I'm not hungry anymore so I'll go find him." He threw the contents of his tray out in a trash bin and then left with a wave.

"What's his problem?" Mochu asked and only got shrugs.

"Who knows," Koko said but he was looking at Mikan as he spoke.

End Note: Thanks for the reviews of support! I really appreciate them a lot! Thank you also for being patient with me! The next chapter is where I'll include the party and all the fun of it. Yippe.

The "lemon" was intentionally written as is.

Since the intended lead is Mikan, I don't want to bring too much detail into surrounding characters. At the same time, I'm leaving enough detail so that the surrounding characters aren't left as supporting roles. For purposes of keeping the story centered on Mikan, her development will be gradual. It won't be so painstakingly slow because I'm going to pick up the pace starting on CHP. 8 and throughout. I have major plans for her hopefully realistic development. Otherwise I would just be perpetuating stereotypical young adult writing (although I probably am already guilty on many accounts).

Sorry for making the characters so cruel! But behind every cruel individual is an interesting background.

Yay more Natsume! Stay tuned for the next chapter's wildness.

Thank you for reading and please follow up with a review! I would really appreciate any advice and or criticism. C:

Proof-Read: 12/31/2016

Rated M for Violence, Language and Adult Themes

Author: Napperon