Chapter Two: You've got Guts

When Hotaru unfroze, she immediately walked back to her office. The receptionist in shift was the jolly one and when she regarded her boss she was ignored. She cocked her head to the side as she noticed Hotaru's fast pace and bowed head. Her secretary was still in office.

"Ma'am, only Miss Mikan called and she- Ma'am? Are you alright? Your face is red. Shall I ask for medicine?"

"No, I'm fine." Hotaru walked ahead and locked her office knowing her secretary had a key anyway.

Her phone was ringing but she did not pick it up. Instead she stared at the files neatly arranged on her desk.

"I was kissed by a stranger." Hotaru whispered while touching her lips.

Meanwhile, Mikan couldn't take it anymore. Hotaru was not picking up. She never did not pick up. She called Hotaru's secretary.

"Where is she now?" She called before the secretary could greet.

"Miss Mikan? She had just returned." The secretary answered, obvious surprise lacing her voice.

"She is not picking up." Mikan's voice turned to a tone of concern.

"I don't know about that. She locked her office door."

"Did something happen? Was she irked when she came back?" Mikan asked.

"She wasn't. But one thing I know, her face was totatlly flushed." The secretary replied with amusement.

"What?" Mikan asked, taken aback by the secretary's report.

"She was blushing."

"Hotaru? Blushing?" Mikan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." The secretary squealed.

"Okay, thanks. Better not disturb her for now." Mikan sighed. Of course her secretary would squeal, Hotaru rarely showed any emotion rarely even anger let alone blush. Especially not when she is in public view.

"Okay, ma'am."

Mikan dropped the call and sighed and slumped on the couch but then smiled.

"So, how was it?" A masculine voice asked.

"She did not pick up but I learned something interesting." The brunette said as she leaned forward resting her chin on her intertwined fingers. Her raven-haired companion raised an eyebrow in question.

"Hn." He said simply but she knew he wanted to know.

"According to her secretary, when Hotaru returned her face was flushed."

"Imai? Blushing?" His eyes widened.

"Yes!" Mikan squealed.

"I wonder who was able to draw out emotions from that robot?" He asked regaining his stoic face.

"Oh come on Natsume. This is a good sign. I've known Hotaru since we were two and this never happened." Mikan squealed, practically jumping on the couch.

Natsume was about to say something when his secretary opened the door and announced that his bestfriend had arrived. In came a blond prince that the couple knew all too well.

"Ruka-pyon!" Mikan greeted, jumping out of the couch.

"Hey, Mikan. Natsume." He smiled.

"Ruka." Natsume greeted as he strode to give his bestfriend a fist-pump.

"What took you so long? Your flight arrived hours ago." Mikan asked.

"Well, I did some walking to see if anything's changed and I stopped by a caffe for a cup of coffee. I paid for a raven-head and got change more than what I paid for." He smiled. Mikan perked up upon hearing 'raven'.

"Ruka, is this raven an overly stoic amethyst-eyed woman with a really dominating aura?" Mikan asked. The way she called Ruka by his name without the '-pyon' shocked both males.

"How can you describe your bestfriend that way?" Natsume sighed at Mikan's description of Hotaru, earning a glare from Mikan.

"Well, yeah. How did ya guess?" Ruka replied after some thought.

"What do you mean by 'change more than what you paid for'?" Mikan asked is suspicion.

"You're really weird, Mikan. But I'll answer ya. I shared a table with her since I found her intriguing then as thanks for her approval I paid for her bill."

"Paid for her? I can't believe she would even share a table with anybody." Mikan narrowed her eyes. "Continue on, Ruka."

"I went out first and while walking she caught up to me and insisted she pay her share. I rejected her saying that it was my thanks for her sharing her table with me. But she insisted on paying since she did not want to owe a stranger anything and..." Ruka stopped and scratched the back of his neck.

"And? Ruka don't stop. Keep talking." Mikan exclaimed, impatient.

"I kissed her. After that, I told her she was paid in full then walked off."

"Lucky she did not kill you." Natsume chuckled.

"That's some guts. I better call her secretary." Mikan said sitting on the couch. She looked down but in truth she was stopping herself from jumping. She called Hotaru's secretary.

"Kyouko. Please tell Hotaru to come to Natsume's office. Tell her it's urgent and I need her right now." Mikan ordered.

"But- Yes, ma'am." Replied the secretary in obvious surprise though Mikan was sure she could hear fear in the secretary's voice.

"Snap her out of whatever trance she's in." Mikan said and dropped the phone before the other line could reply. Little did the brunette know that the blackmailer had literally snapped out of her trance and is extremely pissed off. Ruka looked at her quizically.

"You know the girl I met?" Ruka asked confused.

"Well if our hunch is right, you are both lucky and unlucky." Natsume smirked.

"Why?"

"You'll know."

"Is she some kind of evil villain that is gonna be out to kill me because I stole one single kiss?"

"The kiss you stole was no ordinary one. If it really is Hotaru, it would have been her first."

"Yes, maybe partially." Natsume smirked.

"But that was my first too." Ruka complained.

"So you decided to give your first to some stranger?" Natsume asked suspiciously.

"Well, she intrigued me and I kind of just did it." Ruka blushed.

"That's some guts you have there, buddy. But if we are right. The girl you met could have been my bestfriend."

"Best friend?"

"Yes. And knowing her she'd arrive in ten minutes but when I say urgent. She arrives in lesser minutes."

"Oh kill me now." Ruka said.

"Why?" Mikan asked.

"If she is as scary as Natsume thinks then what's gonna become of me?" Ruka said with a little tremble in his voice.

"Oh I don't think she'll hurt you yet." Mikan winked at Ruka as she said yet. "Well, not until she can snap out of her trance." She high-fived with Natsume who in turn smirked.

Natsume went over his table and ordered his staff. "If Imai Hotaru ever pass. Clear her way please." Of course this was sent in all of their department phones and no outsider can hear it.

"Sir she has already entered building premises." Said a voice of a woman.

"Good. Thanks." Natsume replied as he took a seat and intertwined his fingers.

"Ruka-pyon sit in front of Natsume." Mikan ordered as she sat on the couch. She knew that when you enter Natsume's office, the couch is the first you see and you'll see Natsume last. This was the perfect setting so that Hotaru will not notice Ruka first.

Ruka reluctantly sat in front of Natsume as the raven listened to the reports the staff relayed. When it was his secretary who spoke, Mikan beamed. "Everybody, act natural."

The door slammed open revealing a suspiciously calm yet dark-aura surrounded raven.