THE BIG BREAK
by Miss March Muffin
Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. All rights to Tachibana Higuchi. Also, any mentioned song titles throughout this story belongs to their respective artists.
DISC 1
Mikan Sakura slowly came into consciousness to a familiar tune from the radio. The lyrics came to her instantly, without any effort. As her eyes flickered open, she registered the slightly less familiar ceiling and wallpaper, and the unusual loudness of city noise from her window.
The song faded out, the DJ taking over with praises for the song. "And yet again, another amazing song from Japan's Idol Princess, Luna! Already in its third week, it continues to dominate the top charts..."
Mikan sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She quickly made her bed, rushing to her morning routines. The clock on the radio read 6:20. Looks like was going to have to skip breakfast again.
"...Luna must be quite ecstatic that halfway across the world, people are still enjoying her song!" The DJ exclaimed.
Yeah, sure, really happy, Mikan thought to herself sarcastically. She turned off the radio, and got her purse and her coat before rushing out of the door.
Today, she was officially an employee in the daycare she frequently volunteered at. The thought of actually being paid to do something she immensely enjoyed completely overthrew her earlier thoughts.
She ran down the stairs, passing Anna, the young Japanese patisserie who owned the bakery on the first floor.
"Good morning Mikan!"
The brunette paused, and turned, waving. "Morning Anna!"
"Aren't you stopping for breakfast?" Anna asked with a disapproving frown. She was a stickler for healthy eating; one did not skip a meal under Anna Umenomiya's watch.
"Uh, I'm sorta running late, and it's my first official day at Sunshine's, remember?" Mikan admitted guiltily, shifting from one foot to another.
Anna rolled her eyes and picked up a large box on one of the tables outside.
"Here. On the house. Leave some for the kids, okay?"
Mikan grinned. "Thanks, Anna! I knew I loved you for a reason. See you later!"
Anna shook her head amusedly, watching the brunette run off. It was a good thing Sunshine Daycare was only a couple of blocks away.
In her haste, Mikan accidentally pushed open the door to the daycare a bit too enthusiastically. Her harried appearance gave her away to Thelma, the secretary who manned the reception desk.
"Woke up late today, Mikan?" The 26-year-old woman smiled.
Mikan laughed sheepishly. "G-Good morning, Thelma."
"Don't worry, you've still got about 10 minutes before the kids start coming in."
"Thanks, Thelma." Mikan beamed, giddily punching in her time before heading to the staff room in the back. "I'll just be quick!"
When the kids came in and saw Mikan wearing the same daycare apron as their other teachers, they came running with excited squeals. Mikan, genuinely touched, never lost her wide pleased grin.
"That's blatant favoritism right there, Mikan! So unfair," Nonoko Ogasawara, her (now) co-worker, teased during recess time when nearly all the children dog piled the brunette. Mikan stuck out her tongue playfully, huffing from underneath the squirming toddlers.
"All right, all right. That's enough," Serina Yamada, headmistress of the daycare, clapped her hands, getting the attention of the children. "Ms. Mikan here wouldn't be able to come by anymore if you don't stop suffocating her like that."
Immediately, the children gasped and scrambled off away from Mikan, some pulling her up and rubbing her arms and back (or what they could reach of her). Smiling, she assured and soothed the worried little tykes, ruffling hairs and rubbing backs.
"Now, settle down and line up so I can give you all your snacks, okay?"
Obediently, the kids queued up and settled down into their seats after receiving their snacks. "Wasn't that a little bit too mean, Ms. Serina?" Mikan whispered when the children were all preoccupied.
"It got the job done." The blonde woman shrugs indifferently. She raised a brow. "Did you want to be buried by a bunch of kids?"
Mikan laughed nervously, shaking her head vigorously.
Glancing around, she saw the children already formed groups and pairs, chatting animatedly. Some even flitted from table to table. Except for one little boy who sat near the back beside the window. His snacks lay half eaten on the table, but his eyes were trained on the thick book on his lap. To her surprise, it's actually a manga - a genuine, non-translated, Japanese manga.
"Your name's Youichi, right?" She said, as she took a seat beside him. "Interesting book you got there."
"It's called a manga," He glanced at her briefly before going back to reading. "Idiot." He mumbled.
What a charming kid, Mikan thought sarcastically. She frowned. "That's not a nice thing to say to people."
"It wasn't meant to be, ugly."
Mikan's jaw dropped. "How rude! You know you won't get any friends being like that," She scolded him.
Just then, one of the little girls, Nicole, tugged at her hand. "It's no good, Miss Mikan. Youichi's always like that. Come play with us instead. Please?"
Relenting, Mikan let the child drag her to another table. But from time to time, Mikan kept looking at little Youichi, who was silent throughout the rest of the day, and kept to himself and his manga.
Even as they cleaned up the daycare before closing, thoughts of the strange little Youichi still plagued Mikan's mind.
Nonoko finally took notice of her friend's distractedness. "What's wrong, Mikan? Wiped out from day one already?"
"Huh?" Mikan blinked then registered her friend's teasing remark. "Oh no! No, today was absolutely fun! Just…"
"Hmm…?"
Mikan bit her lip, keeping her gaze on the picture books she was arranging on a shelf. "You know that kid named Youichi?"
"Youichi?" Nonoko paused to look at her. "Yeah, he came in about a month before you started coming here. He doesn't always come here though. Sometimes he doesn't come for a couple of days. I think the longest was about a week, right when you started visiting."
"Oh." The brunette was brimming with questions, but the first that came was, "Has he always been that rude?"
Nonoko laughed, just as Serina came in. "What's so funny, Ms. Nonoko?" She raised an elegant brow.
"It seems Ms. Mikan had her first meeting with little Youichi." She said, finally stifling her giggles. Serina's lips twitched as she made a knowing sound.
"Ah, I thought I saw the little devil come in." Mikan blinked. The older woman went to close the blinds on the windows. "That little Hijiri is probably the most closed off child I have ever come across."
Mikan balked at the thought that even the patient and wise Serina Yamada had trouble with this kid.
"Anyway, to answer your question, yes he's always been that stand-offish." Nonoko said.
Mikan frowned at that. "Is he some kind of troubled kid? I can't think of any way a kid could have such an attitude problem at this age, unless he's going through something bad at home or something…"
Serina considered her for a moment before replying, "Well, that's not actually true. Kids as young as three may have…more difficult personalities, and not necessarily as a result of bad home situations."
"Besides, with an uncle like that, I wouldn't have any problems at home at all," Nonoko added dreamily. Serina sent her a sharp reprimanding look, to which she replied with an impish smile and a shrug.
"His uncle?" Mikan asked.
Serina sighed. "Youichi usually gets dropped off and picked up by his uncle."
"An extremely hot, sexy, Japanese uncle," Nonoko added.
Mikan laughed. "Nonoko, if you wanted a Japanese partner, then what are you doing here in New York?" Her friend stuck her tongue out.
"Are you ladies done now? I want to lock this place up sometime soon," Serina cut in.
Mikan glanced at the wall clock by the door and squeaked at the time. "Eep! It's this late already?"
She hastily finished her task, "There, all done!" Dashing out of the room, she went to get her bag and coat in the locker room, and then with a last backward wave, yelled, "Gotta go, bye! See you tomorrow morning, thanks!"
"Why on earth is she in such a hurry? I thought this was her only job," Serina asked.
Nonoko pointed at the clock. "No, it's not another job. It's just that Mikan apparently does some dancing in a studio a friend of ours owns. She's only allowed to use it until 6pm, since someone else usually rents the studio from then until late night."
"Is she any good?"
Nonoko grins. "You have no idea."
Crap, crap, crap! Mikan screamed mentally as she took the steps up the subway two at a time, weaving through the crowded sidewalks and just barely managing to not bump into the other pedestrians.
With rush hour starting, it was quite a feat.
Barely waiting for the lights to go green, she crossed the last street to the building where Koko rented a dance studio.
She'd wanted to get at least four hours of dancing in, so she could finally finish and polish that routine she'd been practicing all weekend. A little over two hours was probably not going to amount to much.
The dance studio was pretty big, with the floor to ceiling mirrors covering about two thirds of the room. There was a door inside that opened to a small dressing room, and benches lined the remaining third without the mirrors. The shiny wooden floor was clean as Koko always left it in the afternoon and she thanked her lucky stars that gave her such a wonderful cousin like him.
Nonetheless, Mikan hurriedly changed out of her clothes, and into a more comfortable tank top and stretch pants, plugged in her phone to the speakers and warmed up.
After two songs, she picked out the playlist she made that had 50 repetitions of the song she'd been practicing. She'd tweaked it to start after three seconds, and quickly got into position. As soon as the first beat dropped, she let her body move.
And then she was dancing - twisting and moving all her muscles to the beat, her heart and mind resonating with the lyrics of the song.
The words stirred up memories of Kuonji's overbearing and controlling attitude with her career surfaced to the forefront of her mind. Hours and hours of training; dancing and singing 'til her muscles could no longer move, 'til her vocal cords were in danger of becoming damaged.
I feel restrained, I feel confined
And each time she made a single mistake, he'd come with those horrible words that kept haunting her in her sleep; swords that cut deep into her soul.
I cannot take your whispering...
She'd started with small pops and fluid twists, locking in time with each heavy drumbeat. When the chorus came up, she flew, lost in the music, in the beats.
I wanna dance without you! Oh, just let me lose myself...!
She leapt and moved with her whole body. She was flipping high into the air, and crouching gracefully onto the floor, her fists banging soundlessly on the floor. The first few times she'd heard this song, she was instantly captured, her mind filled with endless possible moves, from simple basic steps to complex stunts and twists. Somehow, she'd managed to pull it off to flow smoothly, despite the wide range of steps she'd incorporated.
And now, she'd completed the whole song, and the rest is a blur as the music became her puppet master, and she the puppet.
I wanna dance-!
Sweat dripped on her forehead, into her eyes, down the sides of her face, down the back of her neck. Strands of her hair started escaping the bun she'd tied it into, flinging through the air as she twisted and rotated her head.
All this she barely felt, barely registered. There was only her dancing, and the music.
Two hours sped by in a blur, and Mikan only eventually stopped because her playlist had ended, and the song did not start after three seconds.
It was only then that she realized she was out of breath, and her mouth was completely dry. She walked over to her bag, grabbing the towel and bottled water she'd packed.
In her exhaustion-induced daze, it took her a full minute to process that there were other reflections in the mirror aside from her own.
She spun around with a gasp and a barely held-in scream. Sitting on the benches were seven, young, good looking men wearing a range of expressions from bored, to amused, to sheepish, to impressed. All of them were dressed in baggy, workout (or dance?) clothes.
"Yo." One of them waved a hand, grinning from ear to ear. He had a small star tattoo just below his left eye, and a beanie on his head. "That was some pretty awesome dancing, little missy."
"Uh…uhm…wha…" Mikan thoroughly flustered, could barely stammer out a word. "Wh-who are you guys? W-what are you doing h-here?" She squeaked at last.
The guy paused, looking back at his…friends(? companions? gang members?) and then gave her a strange, measuring look. "I'm Tsubasa, and well, we rent this dance studio every 6pm."
She blinked. "Oh…so you're the guys Koko mentioned… Why are you here early? Usually I leave way before 6…"
He pointed to something behind him, and Mikan peered around. The wall clock beside the door read 6:40pm.
.
.
.
"OH MY GOD! IS THAT THE TIME ALREADY?!" She screeched loudly, making the boys all start in surprise. She quickly grabbed her bag, and made a hasty, low bow, saying, "I'm so sorry for the trouble! I'll let Koko know to let you guys extend or something!"
And for the third time that day, Mikan ran out of a door and praying for time to slow the heck down! God, I hope there aren't too many people…
Koko was going to kill her for sure… if Anna left any part of her still alive.
Today is so not my day!
Tsubasa whistled low. "That was some little missy." Then he grinned slyly in the direction of Natsume, who had, at some point in time, gotten up to head over to the speaker connectors.
When they arrived minutes ago, he wasn't surprised to see Natsume already there, standing outside the room, hidden in the shadows. He was always early for dance practices, even though he wasn't as punctual to their other meet ups. No, that wasn't actually true; Natsume was always early, except he didn't always stay for the whole thing.
What did surprise him was the faint music escaping into the halls, and the lights were all on. Natsume ignored their questioning looks, eyes fixed to the door of the studio - or rather, the person dancing in the studio.
To say he was impressed would be a gross understatement. Tsubasa had only ever met one other person who danced with such skill and grace as her - Natsume. But more than her obvious prowess, her passion and emotion exuded from every single movement, from a twist of her head to the tiny wiggle of her fingers. She wasn't dancing to just the beats, even. It felt like the very lyrics of the song were exactly how she felt.
Well, she definitely "lost herself", that's for sure…
They probably saw the whole routine at least five times with no pause, and she seemed to not even have noticed. He doubted she'd have noticed them if the music hadn't stopped. Tsubasa wondered just how long she'd been dancing before they'd arrived.
It was no wonder Natsume had taken such interest with her. If he were really honest with himself, if he didn't have Misaki in his life right now, he'd probably be interested in dating her too.
"So that's why you're always the first one here."
The others quickly caught on to his words and exchanged knowing, teasing grins. Natsume glared at them over his shoulder.
"Man, you sure know how to pick 'em, Natsume!"
"She was Japanese, right? She looked Japanese to me…"
"Heh, looks a bit too plain-Jane for my taste…" Kitsu muttered, lying down on the bench with his arms behind his head.
"Dude did you see her move?! Forget about her looks. That was some pro-dancing, if 'ya ask me!"
Ruka was the one who noticed he was holding something other than his phone.
"What's that in your hand?" He peered over his best friend's shoulder.
It was a phone. It wasn't some expensive, latest model, but it looked newly bought. There was a passcode so he couldn't exactly open it, but the picture on the wallpaper had her in it. It even had a girly phone chain with a small teddy bear at the end.
"Hold on, is that hers? That's her phone, isn't it?"
"Idiot left her phone."
Natsume pocketed it before plugging in his own phone. Ruka stared after him, "Aren't you supposed to return it to her? How are you gonna do that?"
"Yome." Then Ruka recalled the girl mentioning the studio owner's name. In fact, they were supposed to go out for some drinks after rehearsals tonight at the club Yome co-owns.
The door opened again and the blonde half expected the girl to be there, out of breath and looking for her phone.
Instead, there was Tono, looking smug and self-satisfied despite his tardiness. Probably got laid again. He blinked in surprise at the lack of music and dance practicing going on.
"Wow, looks like I wasn't as late as I thought I'd be." Then in a lower tone, mumbled, "I'm pretty sure we did a lot today… Maybe I'm losing my touch?"
Tsubasa hit him on the head. "No, you are late, you ass. Get your head screwed on straight." At Tono's Cheshire grin, he rolled his eyes and hit him again. "Your other head, doofus."
Holding up his hands, he relented. "Fine, fine. But I don't really see the problem since you guys haven't started anything either. You can't really preach about punctuality yourself."
"We got held up." Hayami explained, chewing on a lollipop stick, his glasses askew on the bridge of his nose.
"Oh?"
"There was a girl dancing here," The other blonde of their group, Kaname, explained, "I think she's the one using this studio in the afternoon before us."
Mochu burst out. "You should'a seen her man! She was a pro with the dance moves! And she was hot!" Then, flinching from Natsume's sharp look, hastily added, "But she's not my type-nor your type either, Tono."
Then in a loud whisper, "Natsume's got the hots for her."
Everybody sniggered even as a half-filled water bottle found its mark on Mochu's bald head.
"Are we gonna dance or not?"
Everybody in the room immediately sobered up and got into positions. Even though to the public and their managerial and production staff and crew, Tsubasa was the acting leader of Black Cat, their group really deferred to Natsume's natural leadership skills and aura.
It was Natsume's own orders that he not be in the main spotlight as head of their boy group, and left most of the technical and managerial decision making to Tsubasa, save for the really important ones.
And in the privacy of the dance studio, it was obvious that Natsume really was the head of the group, leading the choreography with smooth and accurate movements, and clear instructions.
Natsume had a keen eye for group choreography. He directed them effortlessly into routines that switched from slow, deliberate body waves to lightning quick shuffles. Their transitions and levels went so smoothly and attention grabbing because he knew them all so well, knew how to play to their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.
This routine in particular demonstrated the monster Natsume was when it came to timing and footwork, his flare for subtle movements with big impact. For the past few weeks, they've been training every other day for the complicated moves they needed to execute, with Natsume scrutinizing and perfecting every misstep down to the smallest inch, down to the milliseconds.
Even Kaname, the most trained dancer in their group, found this routine a bit of a challenge - more for keeping synchronicity with the rest of the group. None of them doubted the popularity and acclaim that this was going to get them when it was finished.
Today they were going to put them all together with the song they just (finally) finished recording. Given their late start, they weren't really going to get too much polishing done. Not that any of them were really complaining - especially with the show they were treated to just minutes ago.
Tsubasa looked at him once as he went to position. "I'm afraid we'll have to cut things a bit short tonight, Natsume. We still have to get outta here at 9."
He nodded imperceptibly, and felt more than saw the relieved sighs from half the group.
He hid a smirk. No problem; I'll make sure we make up for it next time.
To be completely honest though, Natsume, for once, actually didn't mind all that much. Not when his mind was still enraptured in her dancing.
He felt extremely and unnaturally aware of the extra weight in his pocket. His friends were not the only ones eager for practice to end tonight.
Mikan thanked her lucky stars that she'd been able to slip into a train quickly, despite the huge crowd in the subway. Koko's dance studio was a little out of her way, and it took 20 minutes for her to get to her apartment even with the use of the subway.
Sure enough, Mikan hadn't even been able to sneak up the stairs when Anna caught her in a death grip, worrywart-mother-hen mode on full throttle, fussing over and scolding her all the way into Mikan's apartment and into her late dinner, with Anna sitting across from her on the small dining table.
Mikan let the pink haired woman have her fill, knowing there was no pausing or stopping her rant. Halfway into the chicken potpie Anna made, she finally finished and Mikan let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm really sorry, Anna," Mikan apologized. "I got held up in the daycare a bit too long, and so I got to Koko's studio late. I forgot to alarm my phone and that's why…" She waved her hand to say, 'and the rest is history'.
Anna's frown lessened a bit. "But still, I've been calling you for the past hour, and you never even picked up! I was worried sick, thinking of the worst!"
"I said I'm sorry, really…" Mikan stopped, realizing something.
She quickly dove for her bag, rifling through her stuff for a moment before simply up-ending her bag, and shaking out all the contents. Anna's worried questions were ignored completely.
Clothes, towel, keys, water bottle, spare money, wallet, phone charger, earphones… But no phone.
Mikan stood up and felt for her pockets. Empty.
"My phone's missing." She finally said. She was trying her best to tamp down her panic.
"What?"
Turning, she looked back at Anna, worried frown on her face. "My phone! It's not here, not in my pockets, not in my bag..."
Worried now, Anna stood and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Did you lose it? Do you think it got snatched unnoticed on the train or while you were walking?"
Mikan paled. "I think I left it at Koko's dance studio. I told you, remember? I lost track of time, and it was almost seven… The people who were going to use it next were already waiting, and I panicked and rushed out… I must've forgotten it and left it plugged on…!"
"You're sure that's where you left it? It didn't get stolen or anything?"
Mikan nodded. "Mm… That's probably why I wasn't answering any of your calls. I would've felt it vibrating in my bag otherwise…"
Anna sighed. "Well, at least you'll probably get a hold of it much easier. You're seeing Koko tonight, right? Let him know about it. At the very least, he'll be in contact with the other people renting his studio, right?"
Gently, she guided the brunette back to her seat. "Now, finish your dinner. It's already 8, and I thought you said you needed to be there at 9…"
Quickly snapping out of her depression, Mikan shoveled her food down her throat.
I'll be damned if I'm late to Koko's too!
Steel Lights and Sounds was busy tonight, even though it wasn't a Friday. It wasn't really surprising considering that this was one of the more popular and more reputable nightclubs in the district. It had professional DJs and superbly trained bartenders - both in mixing the perfect drinks and entertaining the customers while at it. The place is decked out just as the name implies - steel bars and poles artistically and functionally placed to act as vague dividers between the booths, the bar and the dance area. Neon lights lit up swirling paths around the three sections, and the up the staircase that led to the VIP rooms which were usually occupied by celebrities and successful businessmen.
Soujou Yome had built the establishment from scratch decades ago; now, Koko was his uncle's protégé, his right hand man, his successor; learning each aspect of the business, and climbing up the ladder.
Tonight, Koko kept a watchful eye on the entrance, even as he expertly mixed and served martinis and cocktails at the bar. Mikan was supposed to come by and help him tonight (upon her insistence; against his wishes), but she was late.
And not just a few minutes late - no, he was used to that. But tonight, she was an hour late. Worry niggled at his mind.
"Oi, Yome! Your favorite regulars are back for the usual." A hand clapped him in the shoulder, and Koko grinned good-naturedly in greeting. He quickly worked on their orders; eight different drinks for eight different, but all fun and good people.
"Hey Tsubasa, how was rehearsal tonight? Natsume been a monster again?" He asked.
Tsubasa grinned. "Actually no. Tonight, Natsume was actually looking forward to seeing you."
At this, Koko paused, blinking. Was he so distracted that he was hearing things?
"You heard correctly," Tsubasa assured, amusement crinkling his eyes. "Ah, here comes the devil himself."
True enough, the aforementioned man immediately occupied the stool in front of Koko.
"Yome, tell me about the girl who owns this." He demanded without preamble, sliding a phone across the table. Koko recognized it immediately.
"Why do you have Mikan's phone?"
The two men were a bit surprised at the worry in his tone. But Natsume only really cared about one word. He quickly snatched back the phone. 'Mikan,' huh?
"Why do you have that? Did anything happen earlier? Where is she?"
At Koko's growing worry, Tsubasa immediately placed a placating hand on his shoulder. "Whoa, calm down there, man. If your 'Mikan' was the girl we saw dancing earlier in your studio," Natsume tried not to bristle at the words, 'your Mikan'. "Then she's probably fine. She left in a hurry when she saw the time and forgot her phone plugged into the speakers. We didn't do anything to her, swear."
When Koko returned to fixing drinks, Tsubasa let his curiosity take over. "Why are you so worried? Is she your sister or something?"
The bartender swiftly put all eight finished drinks on a tray and slid it to them. He looked thoughtful as he wiped a glass dry. "Well, I guess so. Technically we're cousins. But we're pretty close enough to be brother and sister."
Just then, Mochu came barreling into the bar, shoving himself between Tsubasa and Natsume. Koko managed to catch a glimpse of the face of his 'target' before snapping his attention to the already slightly drunk guy in front of him. Behind him trailed the rest of the members of Black Cat wearing minimal disguises.
"Oi, Koko, d'you know that hot chick using your dance studio earlier this evening? Had brown hair and eyes, looked Japanese?" He asked in rapid-fire succession, his excitement oozing off of him like a child on Christmas morning. Then, sensing Natsume's feral glare, quickly added, "'Ya know, 'cuz we really wanna know 'cuz Natsume's got the hots for her."
Natsume flung out a hand and swiped him on the head swiftly, silencing Mochu. Koko raised an amused brow.
"I believe, based on the interrogation from Natsume here awhile ago, that you are pertaining to my dear beloved cousin," He grinned. "Who has just come through the door and is about to get here in about five seconds."
All the boys whipped their heads around just in time to see the brunette fling herself over the bar and land beside Koko.
"I'm here!" She said; her arms raised overhead. And then promptly bent over double, breathing hard. "I'm sooooo sorry I'm super late! I thought I could make it by taking a taxi, but there was this 30 minute traffic jam, and I just decided to ditch the ride and run all the way here!" She said in between breaths.
"Okay," Koko said simply, his eyes laughing at the sight of his dumbstruck friends on the other side of the bar.
Mikan looked up sharply. "Okay? You're not mad? Usually I have to bribe you with a dance or dinner or something," She looked at him suspiciously, still not aware of their little audience.
"Not tonight. Tonight, you will introduce yourself to my friends and let them officially meet you," He placed his hands on her shoulder, turning her to face the members of Black Cat.
"Guys, this is my cousin, Mikan." Mikan's jaw dropped; Koko grinned. "Mikan, meet my friends, Tsubasa, Mochu, Natsume, Hayami, Kitsu and Tono."
Then, whispering to her ear, "Keep quiet, but they're Black Cat."
Mikan looked at him blankly for a moment. "Black Cat?"
Koko gave her a look and a tiny, indiscriminate nod.
"Oh my gosh, you guys are Bla-!?" Koko quickly slapped a hand over her lips.
"Mi-chi, I said keep quiet didn't I?" Mikan slapped away his hand, with a pout. "I was just surprised…" She mumbled.
"It's nice to meet you guys. My name's Mikan Sakura." She said grinning sheepishly. "Sorry I ran out earlier, and sorry I took up some of your time. I forgot to set an alarm and…"
Then her eyes caught sight of the phone still in Natsume's hand. "MY PHONE! Oh thank you so much, you found it!" She squealed and reached for it.
Except, Natsume swiftly moved it out of reach before she could grasp it.
"W-Wha-"
"Who said I was planning on giving it back to you? You're the idiot who forgot it."
Mikan was not the only one who was shocked.
Tsubasa quickly got out of his stupor. "Now, now, Natsume, be nice and give the girl her phone back." He said in a placating tone. He seriously had no idea what has gotten into the normally taciturn guy. "A phone's a pretty personal thing you know, especially to a girl."
Koko snapped his fingers. "Ah-hah! Why don't you guys just battle over it?"
Nine pairs of eyes stared back at the grinning bartender.
"Natsume and Mikan battle it out on the dance floor," He gestured to the half-empty dance floor. "Winner gets to have Mikan's phone, and a drink on me."
"What?! You can't make me! And that's rightfully my phone! Even my wallpaper has my face on it!" Mikan replied hotly.
Koko wiggled a finger in her face. "Ah-ah-ah. But you said you'd make it up to me for being late, didn't you? And you owe it to them, since you cut into their practice time."
Now the gang turned to the two people involved. Mikan was scowling (pouting) while Natsume looked impassive…save for the interested gleam in his eyes. Ruka and Tsubasa, the two who knew Natsume the most, smirked. His eyes always gave away his real feelings.
Mikan looked at Koko for a moment, then at Natsume and the phone (her phone!) in his hand.
"Fine." She turned and headed for the raised platform where the DJ was.
Natsume shrugged and followed after her, tossing the phone back to Koko who grinned.
Mochu looked at his friends. "Anybody care for a little wager?"
All the boys grinned wolfishly.
The moment they both got to the middle of the dance floor, the DJ turned on the mike.
"Ey, yo, yo, yo!" He yelled, getting the attention of the people in the club. "Look who's out here on the dance floor folks! It's our little Orange Top!"
Cheers erupted from the quickly gathering crowd. Mikan gave a little salute. She caught a glimpse of the other boys from Black Cat among the first ring of people around the dance area.
"And it looks like someone's just challenged our Dancing Queen…!" The crowd gave a mix of roars and cheers and boo's. Natsume remained nonchalant as he rolled his neck and shoulders.
"Now this is just for formality's sake, but," The DJ began before a spotlight was fixed on Mikan. "Dear Orange Top, our reigning Dancing Queen, do you accept this challenge made to your throne?"
Mikan gave a show of turning down her thumb's up at Natsume's face. The crowd gave a cheer.
"Well that settles it, folks! Three rounds of no holds barred, freestyle showdown. Give it your best shot dude, 'cuz Orange Top here ain't Queen for nothin'!"
The lights around the club dimmed, while the whole dance area was lit with neon strobe lights. The music began, and the two started grooving to it, standing close to each other.
"You're gonna give me my phone back," Mikan said in a low voice.
Natsume smirked. "Make me."
The beat dropped into a livelier riff, and Natsume moved backwards with a gigantic back flip, landing in time with the beat.
Mikan watched, secretly impressed as he made waves from different points of his body - left arm to right leg to head to both arms - with such fluidity he looked as though he had no bones. But then he followed through with clean, distinct pops with nearly every joint he had in his body.
Of course, Mikan wasn't one to lose easily, especially with her phone on the line…Okay, and maybe her reputation as well.
When the opening came, she dived in, copying his moves perfectly in synch. Mikan didn't bother to hide the smug smile on her face at his surprise. She deviated smoothly with her own pops and waves, and then just simply let the music move her body.
She barely heard the roaring of the crowds.
But then she was jarred out of her rhythm when Natsume moved in front of her, keeping close enough to smell his sharp musk, to feel his body heat flowing from his body, but not actually touching any part of her. Catching her off guard, he took advantage of it and moved around her, moving with such grace and sharpness that was so undeniably…masculine.
They continued this routine, taking turns doing more and more complex and bold moves and stunts. The crowd at the club had become torn somewhere along the way, some cheering for Mikan, some for Natsume.
But neither of the two noticed anything aside from their dancing, from the music. Natsume was eager to see how far she could go, challenging her again and again, and Mikan refused to back down, becoming bolder and more daring with each move. Something about the way she danced attracted him; he'd always been skilled with his body, and that allowed him to learn any and all kinds of dances he came across. But hers had a burning passion in her movements; as though she was a phoenix, dancing with her heart and soul blazing and bared for the world to see.
He'd never seen anything like it before.
When he'd had his fill, he let her take over and show him up with a clean, masterfully executed air flare.
There was a loud blaring horn, and the two finally registered the roaring crowd closing in on them - or, well, Mikan, mostly. Natsume zipped up his jacket and tugged his hood lower, melting in with the crowd, while Mikan, who was all dazed and sweaty, got swept up by the excited and half-drunk crowd.
The Black Cat group had moved up to one of the VIP rooms, and Natsume joined them, remaining silent as they showered him with cheers and jokes and jabs and wolf-whistles.
"Man, you dog, Natsume!" Mochu said, clapping his friend in the back. "Made me almost wish I could'a danced with her instead."
Kitsu laughed, "Yeah, sure, if you could! You'd have lost at the first round, Mochu!"
"That's why I said 'almost made me wish' dumbass," Mochu grumbled, smacking the dirty-blonde haired guy on the back of his head.
"But hot damn, Natsume," Tono whistled, "You sure know how to pick 'em."
"Don't have another bimbo on your arm tonight? That's surprising." Natsume raised a brow. "Not losing your touch, are you jiji?"
Tono scowled. "Who are you calling old man, you little brat! And don't think your tactic of changing topics is going to get you out of this one!"
Natsume merely shrugged, opening a can of beer. "Don't know what you're talking about, jiji."
Minutes later, Koko joined them with a slightly frazzled Mikan in tow. The boys praised and complimented her performance, inserting teasing jabs at Natsume, which made the guy glare at them. Thankfully though, it seemed the brunette neither noticed nor understood their double entendres and suggestive looks.
Eventually, they settled down into smaller conversations and Mikan strode over to Natsume, palm up. "Gimme back my phone."
After a moment, Natsume unceremoniously tossed her back the phone, and Mikan pocketed it quickly.
When she still didn't leave, Natsume raised a brow askance.
"You cheated." She frowned. "You let me win that last round."
Natsume considered her for a moment, not expecting her to have noticed.
"Did you want your phone back or not?"
"Of course I did!" She retorted hotly. "But that doesn't mean you needed to take it easy on me. What, were you mocking me?"
"No." He took a sip of his beer, but did not elaborate further. Sensing her rising temper, Ruka decided to placate and translate for the brunette.
"What he means, Ms. Sakura," The brunette blinked, only then noticing the blonde. "…Is that Natsume was satisfied by your performance already, and so didn't see the need to prolong the battle."
Mikan looked unconvinced.
"It was not at all that he was mocking or insulting you. As a matter of fact, if he had deemed your dancing below satisfactory, Natsume would have simply walked out after the first round. But see? He stayed all through the three rounds." Ruka grinned cheekily. "If I may speak so boldly, I dare say he even enjoyed the battle."
The young blonde quickly blocked the jab aimed at his side, but took the slight punch to the arm good-naturedly. Natsume resolutely avoided their eyes as he stood up and threw the can into a bin and walked over to the mini bar where Koko was pouring a drink for Tsubasa and Kaname.
"You were really awesome, by the way."
Mikan snapped her head back to Ruka. Then, registering his words, blushed. "Thanks."
"So, as promised, here is your favorite 'Godchild' amaretto drink." Koko slid her the drink the moment she joined them at the bar.
Natsume raised a brow at the heaping mound of cream on top. "Is there supposed to be any liquor in that?"
"Yes. As Koko said, it's amaretto."
"I think you lost it somewhere in the milk." Natsume said dryly.
"It's cream, thank you very much. And why are you so fussy about my drink, anyway? Mind your own goddamn business." Mikan snapped.
Tsubasa laughed. "Man, I think this is the first girl I've seen who's actually snapping at you rather than flirting with you."
Natsume grunted.
"Are you sure those girls had brains? Let alone, eyes?" Mikan muttered, finishing off her drink. Tsubasa only laughed harder.
"I like 'ya, Mik," He said finally, wiping a tear. "Ah man, that was a good laugh."
"Hey, I'm curious, what took you guys so long to get here?" Kaname asked. "I didn't think the crowd was so big tonight."
Mikan looked a bit uneasy, while Koko grinned wide. Kitsu, who'd been eavesdropping, pointed an accusing finger at…Koko's general direction. "Don't tell me you snuck in a little kissy-kissy with Mikan!"
Koko threw an ice cube at him. "Don't be ridiculous. We just took care of some privacy and security issues. Can't have any publicity about you guys going all out in my bar, now can we? Besides, who on earth would want to kiss his sister? Lay off the booze, Kitsu."
Mikan stared incredulously as Kitsu seemed to deflate then return to his drinking partner. When Koko made to prepare her another drink, she shook her head.
"Not tonight, Koko; I've got work tomorrow morning."
Koko raised his brows. Mikan grinned, her right hand in a victory pose.
"No way, you got the job? Congrats, Mik! Why didn't you say so earlier?! Have another one, also on the house! Cheers!"
The other boys who heard (and sober enough to understand) raised their own drinks in cheers and congratulatory greetings.
"Are you an idiot?" Mikan smacked his arm. "I just told you I have work tomorrow morning! I can't go to the daycare with a hangover on my second day at work! Serina would fire me in a second!"
Her cousin pouted. "Oh come on, it's just one more drink; you won't get a hangover! If you want, I'll even drive you home."
Mikan looked between him and the fresh glass of amaretto.
"Drink! Drink! Drink!" Mochu and Kitsu chanted, both more than halfway drunk. Pretty soon most of the boys joined in in good spirit.
Finally relenting, she sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll take the damned drink! But you're driving me home, Yome!"
"It would be an honor, Princess." Koko tipped an imaginary hat.
With a clink of glasses and bottles, they toasted merrily.
Natsume remained his usual silent, taciturn self, staring at Mikan from the corner of his eyes while inwardly trying to remember where he'd heard the name Serina before.
"…I can't go to the daycare…"
Taking one last sip of his drink, Natsume hid a smirk. He had a feeling he was going to look forward to fetching Youichi tomorrow from Sunshine Daycare.
He hadn't missed the uneasy look on Mikan's face when Yome spouted that nonsense about taking care of possible leakage about them. They've been here plenty of times before, and the ambiance of the place sufficiently covered up what their minimal disguises couldn't.
Mikan on the other hand…
Natsume stared at Mikan from the corner of his eyes, a speculative glint in his eyes.
What are you hiding?
A/N.
Hey guys! Thanks for reading :) Double that if you read even this note.
In terms of story conception, I've had this spinning around for the longest time, though mostly only really there when my friends link me to videos of their favorite kpop bands in their fits of fangirling. I have nothing against kpop, jpop or any other idol groups or popstars and the like. In fact, it's from their dance vids (and a few interview/talk show vids) that really drove me to put this into words.
Okay, to be warned: I cannot promise a constant update of this (partly because of school, partly because I have another story to prioritize, mostly because my muse for this is sporadic at best).
Hope you all enjoy the ride :) You're welcome to send me any comments or suggestions! I'd love to hear from you guys! In fact, if you even have links you wanna share about your fave boy/girl groups, send them over!
-Miss March Muffin