Mikan peeled open the cheese cube, her face screwed up in concentration of taking off the wrapper perfectly. Ignoring the ruckus around her, she gently took a bite of cheese, and suddenly her whole expression transformed into bliss.

Ruka and Natsume tried not to stare at her across the room, Natsume keeping his head as low as possible in his manga and Ruka trying desperately to focus on homework.

"Hey, Natsume," Koko chirped, "Can you teach me to do this worksheet, I don't really understa-"

"No, sorry." Natsume clenched his jaw, sweating with the effort of clearing his mind of a certain brunette.

Koko opened his mouth in confusion, then closed it again, deciding that Natsume was not to be trifled with. "Er, okay. Uh, then, Ruka, can you help…?"

No reply.

Koko stared at the two of them, shaking his head in disbelief. Of all the days to forget to do his homework it had to be the day that the two of the class' geniuses went into breakdown.

He groaned and looked at the clock. There really wasn't much time left. Maybe he should just pretend his dog ate his homework, which would be plausible if he really had one… perhaps the Bear mistook it for Mikan and went to tear it… after all, if Narumi was as stupid as he looked-

"Having trouble?"

He came out of his reverie, jumping slightly and glancing up to see who called him.

Hotaru Imai.

It looked like he was going to be saved, after all.

*

"It's really yummy, right?" Mikan grinned cheerfully, licking the remaining cheese off her fingers.

Hotaru looked at Mikan stonily. "I guess. It's only tasty if you eat it in truckloads." Mikan shook her head skeptically and waited for her best friend to finish eating.

" I don't want it." She unwrapped it with precision and dropped it into Mikan's open mouth, expressionless as ever.

Next to Sumire, who was having a heated debate over cats and dogs with Kitsuneme, Koko shook his head in wonderment. Hotaru Imai was a force to be reckoned with.

Mikan beamed in delight and giggled, leaning over to kiss Hotaru on the cheek. "That was really sweet, Hotaru! This proves you're my best friend!"

Hotaru looked stunned for a moment, but recovered her stoic expression, preparing herself for the next squeal.

"I guess I am, then." Mikan did squeal in absolute delight, and hugged Hotaru, who winced painfully.

Opposite the room the two boys were staring straight at their two classmates, both pale and faces taut.

"Hey," Ruka said, his voice sounding strained, "Natsume. Do you ever wonder if Mikan and Hotaru…" The two best friends stared at each other, incredulity and doubt warring –

"Hotaru did choose her for the ball," Koko piped up, the ever helpful mind reader. "And they're always together."

"Oh no – "

"No-"

"It can't be," they muttered in unison, staring darkly at the two girls.

"I'm out of here," Natsume stood up and stalked out of the room to the Sakura tree where he would spend the next few days pondering.

Ruka stared blankly at his rabbit, sunk in despair and silent for a few seconds before standing up and sagging slightly.

"I'm going to go to the canteen for a bit…" He left the classroom, downcast.

Koko sniggered and walked off to hand up his completed homework, winking at Hotaru in the process.

Across the room, Mikan held up the two remaining cheese cubes. "Hotaru, did you see Natsume and Ruka-pyon anywhere? I wanted to give this to them… oh nevermind, let's share them then."

She handed one over, to Hotaru, who wore a satisfied smirk on her face. She popped the cheese cube into her mouth.

"Yum."