Yes, I've finally decided to update. Actually, I've been dying to update this, but I get a little uncertain when I click onto my account and find all my other stories still in-progress. It's probably going to take me centuries to finish all of them. I hate new ideas. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

"They say love hides behind every corner, I must be walking in circles."

"It's so cold." A middle-aged women muttered as she shivered slightly, rapping her pale pink shawl a little tighter around herself as she came down the stairs. "Dear, could you turn the heater on higher?"

Her husband hummed in reply as he searched for the remote. Their two children lay on the sofa, fast asleep with a fluffy, yellow blanket keeping them warm.

It was just a normal winter night for all of them, spending the weekend shopping and eating and having fun.

That is, until an unexpected knock came on the door.

The two toddlers stirred at the sound while their parents gave each other a surprised look, wondering who it could be at this time of the night, especially since it's so cold out.

"I'll go get the door." The women announced, giving her children a peck on the forehead as she passed by, and they laid back down, relaxed.

An icy wind blew against her face the second she opened the door, and she shivered at the contact. She hadn't realized it was already snowing.

Looking left and right, she saw no one, just the endless chains of houses in their neighborhood, illuminated by the numerous street lamps on the street curb.

"Hello?" She called, her voice drifting off into the distance. Suddenly, she felt a small tug at the hem of her shirt. Bewildered, she looked down only to find a small child, covered in dirt and shivering from the cold.

"Oh my god." She whispered to herself as she quickly bent down to take the child into her arms despite the dirt, and the child curled up against her immediately. The poor thing was so small, so thin, and so cold. Her heart broke just looking at it.

"Dear," the women called to her husband and he made his way over quickly, hearing the alert in her voice. "There's a child at our doorstep."

"What?" He asked, unsure he heard correctly. He peered over her shoulder, and sure enough, an unknown child was in her arms, staring back at him with large, innocent eyes.

"There's no one else," the women said. "It's so cold out, we can't just let it freeze to death."

"But we can't just take it in." The man replied, massaging his temples at the sudden turn of events. "We already have two children of our own!"

"Well, I'm not going to let the poor child die." The women said with finality. "We're keeping it." Shifting under her intense gaze, her husband had no choice but to agree. Happy with the response, she made her way up the stairs and to their bedroom with the child safe in her arms. She set the child down on the ground and told it to take a shower, showing it where the bathroom was. Then, after searching and setting down some clothes on the bed, she made her way back down to carry her own kids to their room.

"The child looks so frail," the women said as she walked back down the stairs, all three children asleep. "I think we should take it to the hospital for a body check."

"It's in the middle of the night, sweetie. Let's take it tomorrow." Her husband thought for a moment before grimacing. "The kids still don't know about this."

"Yeah," his wife nodded in agreement. "We'll have to sort everything out tomorrow."

There was definitely something wrong with Mikan, the three girls thought for the nth time that very day; plus Hotaru that really didn't care, but was also getting a little pissed off by her unusual attitude.

She's been silent—silent!—the entire day ever since homeroom with the new teacher. Well, the teacher was definitely hot, and it would have made sense if Mikan was acting all weird because she felt attracted to him like most of the female population of the school…but no. Her 'weird' wasn't like that. It was the 'why-the-fuck-are-you-here' and 'get-the-fuck-out-of-here' kind of vibe that made the girls even more confused than they already were.

They definitely knew each other, Mikan and that teacher. It was obvious, the way she acted when she saw him, the way they looked at each other for the briefest moment when he called her name, not to mention, the way she acted the entire day because of him.

Anna, Nono, Sumire, and, occasionally, Hotaru have been trying to pry something from her all day, but she was as stubborn as a freaking boulder and kept her mouth screwed shut, which was very unusual for Mikan Sakura.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Sumire asked her friends the twentieth time.

"I think we should give her some time." Nono said as they glanced at Mikan who sat in front of them for english class.

"I'm not much of a patient person." Hotaru grunted in disapproval, shooting her infamous glare at the back of her best friend's poor head.

"No shit." Sumire rolled her eyes at the violet eyed girl.

"Shush guys, it's in the middle of class." Anna butted in, putting a finger to her lips. The three glared at her and she raised her brow at them. "What? We can gang up on her in five minutes."

"That's true…" Nono nodded, looking up at the clock that was hanging over the whiteboard.

"She better be prepared for my Tickle Rope and the Lollipop of Truth." Hotaru muttered evilly under her breath and the three girls gave each other uncertain glances.

"Both those names sound ridiculous, but thinking of their effects gives me the chills." Sumire shivered in her chair at the wicked aura Hotaru was giving off.

And so, they watched impatiently as the second hand ticked on, as slowly as ever. Why is it that boring classes always pass by the slowest, especially right before the end of school?

Ten seconds…

Sumire drummed her manicured fingers against her wooden desk impatiently.

Five…

Four…

The girls already started packing up their things silently, trying not to get caught by the teacher.

Three…

Two…

Anna and Nono mouthed the numbers, eyes glued to the clock.

One…

They almost cheered as the school bell finally rang, signaling the end of school. Jumping out of their seats in a hurry to drag Mikan to a isolated corner of the school, they turned to find…

…Mikan Sakura already gone.

"What?" Anna asked in surprise at the empty desk right in front of them.

"Who knew she could be so fast?" Sumire massaged her temples in irritation.

"Ok, ok." Nono tried to calm them down, grimacing at the sight of Hotaru sitting there as calmly as ever, like the beginning of a massive storm. "Think, guys, think. Where could she be right now?"

"Uh…" Sumire stared at the dark-haired girl. "Home?"

"Most likely, I guess." Anna sighed.

"Hey guys!" All of them, excluding the ever calm Hotaru, jumped at the voice that didn't belong to any of them. "Where would you most likely find a teacher?"

"Mikan!" Anna squeaked. "We thought you went home already." Nono and Sumire nodded in agreement, staring at the brunette, dumbfounded.

"Oh, well…I…uh…kinda didn't understand the science homework so…" Mikan laughed awkwardly.

"But…" Nono stared at her uncertainly. "We didn't have science homework." Bewildered, Mikan's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish.

"Oh, o-of course! I meant…uh…I meant…" She racked her brain for something to say as the four girls stared at her with great suspicion. "Just—Just, where would you most likely find a teacher?"

"In their classroom?" Anna suggested.

"I checked, wasn't in there." Mikan replied with a sigh of disappointment.

"In the faculty office, perhaps?" Hotaru offered with mock sweetness as if she was talking to an extremely stupid kid.

"The faculty office." Mikan repeated to herself quietly. "Of course! Thanks so much, Hotaru!" She tried to give Hotaru a bear hug, but being one that dislikes physical contact, Hotaru took out her infamous Baka Canon from under the desk with the speed of lightning.

"Um…" Mikan backed away slowly as Hotaru pointed the deadly weapon right at her face. "Thanks anyways, Hotaru. It's ok if you don't want a hug." Then she turned to leave.

"You guys don't need to wait for me; go on home without me." She called back and the four girls gave each other wicked grins after Mikan disappeared behind the door. Mikan is really too naive to think that they would give up the chance to spy on her.

This is definitely going to be interesting.

The school hallways were definitely not the best place for four girls to follow their friend secretly. The good thing is that Mikan is completely oblivious to her surroundings; sometimes a little too oblivious.

They followed her all around the school campus, through the buildings, to the school garden, and then back into the building.

"You think she knows where the faculty office is?" Sumire asked uncertainly as they hid behind a plant.

"I thought she did," Nono whispered. "But now I'm not so sure."

"What do you think? It's been almost twenty minutes since school ended and she still hasn't found the place." Hotaru grumbled in annoyance as she blew a leaf away from her face.

"Look!" Anna pointed. "She found it!"

"Took her long enough." Sumire rolled her eyes at the girl.

"You think she did it on purpose because she knew we were following her?" Nono asked and the three girls stared back at her. They took a moment to think about that possibility.

"Nah, she's too stupid." Hotaru answered and the other three didn't comment.

Sitting in front of the door to the faculty office, Hotaru pulled out a few random pieces of machinery that looked completely useless to the other three girls who were staring at her.

"Uh…Hotaru? What are you doing?" Anna asked, trying to keep her voice down.

"Watch." She stated simply as she put what looked like the bottom of a toilet pump on the wall before taking out a radio and arranging its' antenna.

"What exactly are you doing?" Sumire asked more fiercely. Hotaru didn't answer as she continued to adjust the antenna, turning and twisting it until they heard faint sounds and then full sentences.

"Wow." Nono whispered as they listened to exactly what they were saying inside the faculty office.

"What are you doing here?" It was unmistakably Mikan's voice that spoke. There were no other voices or noise so they supposed she was alone with whoever she was talking to.

"That's awfully rude to say to your teacher." The voice that spoke was unfamiliar, and sounded deep, rich and even a little husky.

"Teacher! Ha! Of all the things in the world you could do, of all the schools in the country you could choose from, you just had to choose this one. Why?" Mikan sounded pretty pissed on the radio, the girls thought as they gave each other glances.

"Oh? And why not here? It's close by and has easy transportation. Why would I want to go anywhere else?" The voice sounded teasing.

"Because I don't want you here! Leave!" Mikan was full out screaming now, and they had to turn the radio's volume down so no one else would hear.

"Well, I'm sorry. No one asked for your opinion, and even if someone did, I certainly don't care about your opinion." The person's tone became flat and serious, and the girls inwardly winced at the words.

"Ouch." Sumire whispered.

A soft sniff was heard and it occurred to the four that Mikan was actually crying in there.

"Why are you always so mean to me?" She asked in a shaky voice as she sniffed again. "Do you really hate me so much? Are you trying to make my life a living hell? I don't want to be at school with you too!"

"What does she mean by 'I don't want to be at school with you too?'" Nono asked in confusion. Anna and Sumire shrugged in response.

"Look, I came here because they wanted me to keep an eye on you." The voice sounded softer and gentler as he spoke, but his words only confused the girls even more.

"I'm going to be just fine even if you don't teach here." Mikan sniffed again, but seemed calmer now.

"Now you're just being stubborn. Suck it up, would you? I'm not going to quit this job just because you want me to." The person scolded. "And if I really do quit, you're gonna have to explain to them why I did so." Mikan groaned at that.

The girls gave each other another glance.

"Come on, wipe your eyes. I'm going to be nagged to death if they find out you've been crying." Mikan let out a small laugh at what he said. "I'll give you a ride home."

"Shit!" Sumire cursed as they heard footsteps even without the radio. "They're coming out!"

"Hurry, hide!" Anna whispered harshly as they scrambled onto their feet as Hotaru removed her invention from the wall with great difficulty.

The door clicked open and the girls, in their haste, tripped on each other and fell in a tangled mess on the floor.

"Oh no," Nono cried. "We're never going to make it!"

"Guys?" They nearly jumped out of their skins at the familiar voice. They gave her an innocent smile as they lay, tangled, on the floor in front of the faculty office.

"Get off of me." Hotaru demanded in her cold voice and the other three scrambled off her quickly, afraid of her wrath.

"Mikan," Hotaru's cold, violet eyes went from the nervous brunette to the male standing next to her. "Explain."

"Uh…well…I went to…uh…" Mikan fidgeted with her skirt as she tried to come up with something that would convince Hotaru and the rest.

"Don't try to think up a stupid lie. We heard everything you said in there." Sumire stood up and dusted off her skirt before standing right next to Hotaru, arms crossed against her chest. Anna and Nono followed their lead, demanding an explanation.

"I…we…um…" Finally, she sighed in surrender. "I'm sorry for trying to keep this a secret." The girls waited for her to continue. The male stood silent as he watched the five with great amusement.

"This is…uh…" She glanced at the male next to her, who lifted his brows in response. "This is…"

"For heaven's sake, girl!" Sumire screeched, her patience snapping. "Would you just spit it out?"

"Fine!" Mikan screamed, surprising all of them except Hotaru and the male. "You want the truth? Fine, I'll give you the truth!"

She stomped forward, spinning around on her heels and pointed almost accusingly at the male.

"This is my brother, Natsume Hyuuga."

Were you surprised? With this, the plot has finally started unraveling. Started unraveling. As in, there's still a lot of things you, my lovely readers, don't know about yet. Yet.

Now, I want to take the time—er, space—here to thank those who have reviewed, favorited and followed from the first chapter. The names below are thanks to those who reviewed, because you guys are the best, and amazing, and have been supporting this as well as my other stories for quite a while now, so thank you so, so much. I think I would have quit this website if not for you guys. Haha!

- StarElsie

- BrimstoneButterfly

- Ayame-hime 11d7

- BlackMaskedBeauty

- Dwmalove

- AnimeMango

- CrimsonPrincess14

- Anilissa

- Yoshida Haru

- MarSette

- HeartlessEffervescence

- musicalgemstones

Don't you wish you reviewed last chapter? You get to have your pen name put on my story! Looks cool, doesn't it? If you're not on here, don't be too sad; if you continue to support me, I would know. I promise you guys, if you're still here by the time I finish this story, your pen name will be also be written on my story for the entire world to see how awesome you are, whether you reviewed, followed or favorited this story. Sound good? ;)

I feel like I just bribed you guys O.O But seriously, I hope you guys will continue supporting me. Comments, critics and suggestions are welcome! If you wanna flame, better do it with a real account and not as a guest (seen too many of those, don't even know who to reply to). I promise I won't swear at you ^.^

Please R&R!

P.S

Omg I just realized like 10 minutes after I posted this that what I did in the author's note was super similar to the second chapter of 'I Like You, Natsume-oniisan' by Crimson Knights. Ok, I will admit that yes, I got this idea from that story, which, by the way, I absolutely adore and I strongly recommend all of you to read it (but you might abandon my story once you do, so, internal conflict). BUT. But, that is not my only inspiration and I promise all of you, that this story will be completely—well, I can guarantee most of it to be—original. I haven't read a lot of stories on this topic, and I'm trying to do research but...eh...so if you see anything that 'looks plagiarized' please do not start going mad and give me a dozen reviews yelling at me for being a plagiarizer and a copier and whatnot. If you see something suspiciously intelligent that I would have never've thought of, please PM or review (NO FLAMES) and state that lines blah blah blah seems like it was copied from blah blah blah and ask me for an explanation. I will answer 100% of the time.

P.P.S

I seriously didn't know I did something so similar to 'I Like You, Natsume-oniisan' until just now. I swear.