The title was inspired by the bonus chapter in the manga, 'Chocolate Cosmos,' although the plot is quite different. My goal here is to make you smile, so please keep that in mind when reading ;)

The way we met was absurd.

It was on a hot summers day, when I was going to the convenience store wearing my favorite yellow sundress. It was in the middle of summer break, and a new issue of my favorite magazine had just come out.

So, being the happy-go-lucky and simple person that I was, I decided that I should immediately rush out to buy it.

The cool AC of the store hit me once I got in, and without further ado, I headed straight to the magazine section, scanning for the magazine that I loved. Finding it, I excitedly picked it up and went to the cashier.

Having bought the magazine, I felt like the entire world was as peaceful and as good as can be.

That is, until I walked out.

"Ah."

Something sticky, cool and wet was on my favorite dress.

I looked down.

Chocolate ice-cream.

My whole body shook at the sight. No, no, no! Not my favorite dress! And it just had to be chocolate! The stain is super obvious!

"Oh my god!" I heard a male voice exclaim. I looked up to find two boys: one with dark raven hair and the other with blonde. The raven guy was holding an empty ice-cream cone, but the blonde was the one talking. "We're so sorry, Miss."

"I—" I really wanted to yell and cry, but I bit my tongue and forced a smile. "It's alright, I don't think it'll stain."

"Are you kidding?" The raven guy lifted an eyebrow. "This'll definitely stain."

An arrow right at my heart. I clenched my fist and reminded myself to not lose my cool.

"It should be alright." I said through grit teeth and a forced smile.

"I sincerely apologize on behalf of my friend." The blonde bowed in apology, but the raven looked completely unfazed, as if it had nothing to do with him. "Is there anything we can do to compensate?"

"No, it's alright." I lifted a hand up to show that it was ok. "I'll just go home and wash it; I live really close."

"But—" The blonde looked really apologetic, but the raven guy intervened.

"Come on, Ruka. She said it was fine. Let's go." Then he walked away without a second glance. The blonde looked torn, and just ended up bowing again before running after his friend.

That jerk! Who does he think he is, ruining other people's clothes, have his friend apologize for him, and then walking away as if nothing happened?

I swore I hated people like him, and that I would never see him again.

But, as usual, things never go my way. The stain on my favorite dress did not fully go away. When I lifted it up, I could still clearly see the stain, even though it has dulled.

And also, the day school started was the day I met him again. We were in the same class.

I learned his name; Natsume Hyuuga.

I recognized his name immediately; who wouldn't? He was always the subject of all rumors, and is infamous among the teachers. Everyone says he's a playboy, a delinquent and has super bad personalities. But still, all the girls swarm around him like bees around honey.

One day, our homeroom teacher began talking about the cultural festival that would be happening shortly. We were to choose a boy and a girl to lead the class.

"Sakura-san should be the leader." A classmate stated and I stiffened.

"Yeah! She's a good leader." Another exclaimed, and soon the entire class had apparently agreed that I should be the female leader of the class. Without any objections, the teacher put my name down as the leader. I didn't actually particularly mind, though it did seem kind of troublesome…but I couldn't possibly say no when everyone was so keen on it.

"And for the male leader?" The teacher asked, and much to my—and everyone's—surprise, Natsume casually raised his hand.

"I'll do it." He announced, and the classroom fell silent.

"T-Then Sakura-san and Hyuuga-san will be the leaders for this years' cultural festival." The teacher finalized the results and I wished so badly that I had objected when I had the chance.

I later went to see if I could exchange the role with someone else, but I had no such luck.

"Sakura, do you hate me?" Was the first thing Natsume asked me once we started preparing for the cultural festival.

"What?" I asked, a little taken aback, but sighed. "Well, when we first met, you did land an ice-cream on my favorite dress."

"It was your favorite?" He asked, spinning the paintbrush in his hand and not working. "That old thing?"

"Hey!" I dabbed my paintbrush on the poster we were making. "Don't insult my dress like that!"

"I was just saying." He shrugged.

"Just get back to work, Hyuuga." I grumbled, dipping my brush in new paint. "You volunteered to be leader, so act like one."

He merely gave me a scoff.

Our class, 2B, decided on opening a maid/butler café, because it took less effort, was easier to handle, and ensures customers as long as we had a good menu and marketing skills.

Anna Umenomiya and Nonoko Ogasawara of our class were the head chefs, as Anna was incredible at baking—and cooking in general—while Nonoko was a chemist, and was able to create some amazing sauces and recipes.

Our initial idea was to switch the roles of maids and butlers—boys being maids and girls being butlers—but then decided against it.

I mean, guys in cute dresses? It somehow made me shiver in disgust.

We also thought of a cosplay café, but then it took too much effort trying to find costumes that fit everyone and if we let the students free-dress, they might come up with something completely inappropriate.

So we ended up with a normal maid and butler café.

My best friend, Hotaru Imai, was an inventor, and created a tablet for each table so that we didn't have to go around taking orders—the customers just had to tap the products they wanted and the kitchen would automatically receive the order. It was a good idea to have the maids and butlers have less to do so that the pace would be quicker.

Of course, these tablets were on sale, since they had other functions that I have no idea of, but whoever is interested can go ahead and contact her for further details.

And so, the first day of the cultural festival had begun.

With Hotaru promoting our class online and the boys, Kokoroyomi, Kitsuneme and Mochiage going around campus, sweet-talking people in coming, we were pretty busy right off the bat.

Not to mention, we had Natsume Hyuuga in our class. Practically all the girls had come to take a look at their idol in a butler costume. So I guess this idea of maids and butlers really did pay off.

Our costumes were really cute, made by Sumire Shouda and Wakako Usami. For the girls, they had a midnight blue dress with white frills on the bottom and a frilly white apron worn on top. The guys wore a standard butler uniform; a white button-down shirt underneath a black suit, black dress pants, and different colored ties to match the personality of the wearer.

I honestly thought Natsume would slack off and ditch us to go nap somewhere, but surprisingly, he was doing a miraculously good job in serving the customers.

The first day of the cultural festival, thankfully, finished without a hitch, and we had earned more than we thought we would (though it's still a very small amount for Hotaru).

We announced that our goal was to earn even more on the very last day and do better before we left for the day, bidding each other goodbye and good job.

That night, for some reason, I could barely sleep.

The next day came before I knew it, and we were all in a rush to prepare our little café before the customers would come pouring in. That was when Natsume suddenly pulled me aside and asked if we could talk somewhere private.

"What, Hyuuga?" I tapped my foot impatiently once he led us to an abandoned section of the school. "We're all very busy."

"Sakura." He had an extremely serious expression on his face. "Do you hate me?"

I gaped. Is this guy for real?

"You pulled me away just to ask me that?" I asked, completely shocked. My fists were shaking in fury. "Yes, I hate you. Now get back to work."

I turned around and started walking back, but he suddenly pulled me back and before I could register what had happened, his lips were on mine.

Wha—

It was my first kiss, stolen by a jerk who landed an ice-cream on my favorite dress the first time we met.

But the kiss was sweet, somehow. He was gentle, and gave me a warm sensation that seeped into my soul. When he pulled away, my face was burning hot.

"If you hate me, why are you showing me that kind of expression?" He whispered softly, a small smile playing on his lips.

"I—" I cannot imagine how red I was. "You jerk! Why on earth did you do that—"

"I like you." He shrugged with a smirk carelessly.

"You—" I blinked. "What?"

"You don't have to give me an answer right away." His eyes softened. "Think about it. I'll be waiting in the classroom once the dance starts." I clenched my teeth as he started walking away. What could I say?

"Oh, by the way." He gave me his usual mischievous grin. "I only accept two answers: yes or kiss."

I gaped at this shameless jerk. "Excuse me?"

"You're excused." I threw my shoe at him, but he dodged it.

Worst way to start the last day of the cultural festival. The entire day I could barely concentrate on my work. What does that mean, yes or kiss? Do I not even have the option to say no?

Gr, this is so frustrating! I'll just not go to the meeting place. Yep, that sounds good. If I don't go there, than it clearly shows I'm not interested in him.

Ah, but he might try to chase me down once normal classes starts again. But I'll just deal with that once it comes down to it…

"Mikan!" I vaguely heard Sumire screech, and it registered to me that I was falling. Immediately, I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist and I was able to regain my balance. Luckily, none of the food on the tray I was carrying spilled.

"My lady, your Café Liégeois." Natsume took the tray from me, set down the dessert and gave an extremely charming smile to the customer.

He covered for me perfectly.

"Quit daydreaming." He whispered into my ear as he walked by, heading towards the kitchen to deliver the next order. My face heated up with anger and embarrassment. Why do you think I'm so out of it, you jerk!?

Gladly, I didn't make any more careless mistakes like that—except I did deliver the wrong order to the wrong table, but who cares about that—and the day ended smoothly. The best part was that we really did earn more than the first day, and we all split up the money evenly among the students.

Night came quickly. Cleaning up after ourselves and taking down decorations used up most of our late afternoon, and the traditional bonfire dance was going to start shortly.

"I'll be waiting in the classroom once the dance starts."

I shook my head frantically, silently scolding myself for remembering something so stupid. I'm not going.

Definitely.

"Mikan," Hotaru called just as we were taking down the last poster, other students taking out the trash. "Let's hurry and go get changed."

"Ok." I grinned at my best friend, handing the poster to a few guys who offered to help. Girls and boys had required costumes for the dance. Girls wore a white, strapless dress that reached mid-thighs, with sapphire butterflies decorating the fringes, making it look like butterflies were flying off the dress, matched with royal blue stilettos with butterfly wings on the opposite sides. On the back was a pair of royal blue butterfly wings, finishing the look. Boys wore a white dress shirt with a midnight blue vest worn over, a ribbon with a sapphire butterfly worn around their neck and matching midnight blue dress pants.

Hotaru and I made our way outside where most of the students were already gathered. A large bonfire was in the middle and food stands were surrounding the area, as well as tables. Fireworks display would start right before the last dance.

Both slow and fast music started playing, and we all had fun, whether it was dancing as a group or with just one partner. But no matter how fun it was, I still had a nagging feeling. I would glance up at the classroom once in a while and wonder if he was still there, waiting for me. But I would shake that thought off each time, because there's no way he'll still be waiting for me. After so long, he must have gotten the hint and left.

But what if he was still there?

The fireworks would start in five minutes. A slow song was playing. My friends were chatting happily, but somehow I could not find the will to smile. I somehow felt guilty for ditching him.

So, being the nice and simple person that I was, I decided that I should still go and see if he was still there, just in case he was.

Of course, I had my heart set on finding an empty classroom.

But once I opened the classroom door, I found him leaning against the window sill, the moonlight and the bonfire illuminating his face; he seemed to glow mysteriously.

"You're late." He stated without looking at me.

I puffed out my cheeks. "I didn't think you'd still be here."

"There's no way I'd leave." He turned towards me, and his eyes were breathtaking. Crimson against a sea of blue. "Not when there was still a chance you'd come."

My heart swayed. "W-Well I came to tell you 'no.'"

"That wasn't an option." He said casually his face impassive.

"Now it is." I hated the fact that my voice shook. "It wasn't fair to give me those options. What the hell is 'yes or kiss' anyways?" He took a step forward, and I took a step backwards. "Anyways, there you go. I gave you my answer."

I turned away as quickly as I could and just wanted to get the hell out of there, out of that smoldering classroom where my mind went completely blank with just the sight of him.

Unexpectedly, he grabbed my wrist and somehow spun me around, placed a hand on my waist and captured my lips with his.

This was a little different than the first. It was a little bit needier, a tiny bit more passionate, and yet was somehow gentler.

I found myself closing my eyes and kissing him back.

Then he pulled away just as quickly as he kissed me. I was panting ever so slightly.

"If it's a 'no,'" he leaned his forehead against mine and sounded just the slightest bit arrogant, "how come you closed your eyes and kissed me back?"

"I don't know." My face turned red hot. "You jerk."

"I told you, 'no' is not an option." He laced our fingers.

"Yes it is." I argued.

"No it's not." He said confidently. "Not when it comes to me."

"You arrogant jerk." I hissed and tried to pull away, but he was a lot stronger than I imagined.

"Then, it's a yes, I assume?" He grinned and I huffed.

"It's a no." I said stubbornly, but he merely chuckled.

"Someone's asking for another kiss." He pulled me closer and I almost yelled bloody murder. "You see, until you say 'yes' to me, I'll just keep kissing you."

"That's cheating!" I cried. "You cheater!"

"Just say it." He kissed me again. And again. I couldn't even pull away. He gave me a particularly long kiss. "Say yes."

"No!" I wailed between kisses.

"You're awfully stubborn." He chuckled. "Or perhaps you just enjoy kissing me." He kept kissing me, breaking down all my barriers, raining kisses all over my face.

"Say it, Mikan." This time his voice sounded almost pleading. "Say it."

"Fine!" I screamed, pushing away and hoping for a time out. "Yes! Yes already!" I had closed my eyes out of embarrassment and tried to catch my breath, but when I opened my eyes, his crimson eyes were glowing a soft and warm color, his lips pulled up into a genuine smile.

That just destroyed my last barrier, and I couldn't deny my own feelings. "You jerk."

I heard fireworks outside. Slow songs. The colors illuminated the walls and floors of the classroom, and most importantly illuminated Natsume. He looked somehow like an illusion—he seemed too good to be true that very moment. The colors of the fireworks shined in his eyes, making them even more beautiful.

He glanced at the fireworks for a brief second, dwelling on their beauty, before he gave me another sweet smile and leaned in for another long kiss.

This time I responded without hesitation.

It was a long, sweet kiss under the blooming fireworks and romantic songs, a kiss I would never forget in my lifetime.

When had it happened? Somewhere along the way, I had fallen in love with him before I even knew it. The reason why I didn't want to come to meet him was because I couldn't bear to say no, and yet did not even know my heart wanted me to say yes.

I swore I hated people like him, and that I would never see him again, but we ended up in the same class and I ended up loving him.

First date.

Yes, I am now officially dating Natsume Hyuuga, something I never ever in my entire life would think of doing.

But, here I am, going to our meeting place at the park for our first ever date.

"Hey." Natsume greeted casually once I got to him, and the sight of him made my heart thump (stupid heart).

"Hi." I answered awkwardly, my face probably as red as a tomato now.

"I have something to give you." He said, handing me a package and looking away, probably because he was shy.

"A gift?" I asked excitedly. "Can I open it?" He nodded. We sat down at a bench and I excitedly opened the box. I found a yellow sundress.

My eyes softened as I lifted it up.

"Do you like it?" Natsume asked casually, but I could tell that he was actually quite nervous about my reaction.

I laughed. "I'm not going to fall for that old trick." I rolled my eyes and inwardly grinned at my smartness. "Yes."

"That's good." He stated with his infamous smirk, before leaning down and attempting to give me a kiss, but thankfully my reflexes were fast enough to push his chest and keep him at bay.

"Hey! That's cheating." I whined, trying to push him away, but he was too strong. "I said yes!"

"But I want a kiss." He grinned. "Just one."

"No!" I yelled, but his eyes sparkled.

"That's not an answer, my princess."

So in the end, he got his kiss, and I have a new favorite dress.

So~ did I make you smile? If I did, give me review! ;)

Please R&R!