Teah..sorry for the late update..but I hope youor inerest hasn't gone yet..thank you readers!

Yes, they're like 17 here and well…it really resembles Special A more than Maid-sama but NatsuMikan's character here almost matches with Misaki and Usui's. but this chapter does not resemble any of the two anymore. Just read and find out!


Where could he be this time? The last time we had our meeting, he was 20 minutes late and now beating that record- almost 31 minutes late!

This is exactly one of the reasons why I cannot recognize and consider our current condition. Whenever we have our lab projects, most of them are done at home actually due to time constrain- imagine, dissecting frogs and other subjects even those poor leaves for their cell structures and DNA in just an hour! And would you even believe that right now, our project is cloning a hamster? Well, I'm not quite sure if the subject here inside the cage are hamsters or mice. But we're not planning to make it in my or in his dorm, we are at the lab for the required optimum of the experiment.

And I can't even start doing it even with the instructions aid on my table and even with those apparatuses all ready to be used simply because he's not here.

Okay, don't take it mistakenly but I need him because he knows this better. Yeah, it suddenly occurred to me the last time we dissected a frog that his biology skills are really standing out than mine-doubt if I even have those. He just gave a quick glance over the instructions and there he managed to do it..alone while I seemingly became his watcher..his student ( often called idiot or stupid whenever I failed to get his point).

But sometimes, I really feel guilty for being happy to be with him just because he's a lifesaver. For as long as he's my partner, my Biology grade will be floating above the average because this experiment is 50% of our grade whether you learned something out of it or simply ignored it and whether you did it or you just sat down and let your partner do the honor.

I know that grades are supposedly hard-earned but then when you know that something is just hard for you to achieve, as a normal person, you'll have to formulate a new plan and accomplish it, be it fair or not for your pawns.

In addition to my guilt of having happiness is my guilt of ignoring him when Biology is not concerned. Sometimes, I even give him icy glares or just simply rolling my eyes like he's not worth seeing. But he always remains stoic. And we've been like this for two months ever since we were paired up.

And how in the world did that happen?

Jinno-sensei found out that more than half of the class was failing in his subject so he needed to do an intervention and defining it.. it was the partner stuff. If we were allowed to choose, then Hotaru would have been my partner and I would have felt much comfortable with her around. But fate had a different plan, no we didn't do a lottery. We were forced.

Sensei announced our partial grades and according to his records, I ranked second next to Natsume which was not questionable. And then, he thought for a while of how he was to do the pairing. He thought a bit harder but just sighed. So, he concluded that since partners mean two then with the ranking sheet as the basis, we were paired by two consecutively.

I ended up with him. If you're thinking that it's okay, you probably want to be at my feet. Hell, those girls almost choked me to death and the others were complaining why I and Natsume became partners when we both excel at the subject. Guess, they hadn't understood Sensei's system.

And so did I, until now, I can't digest the fact that Natsume is my partner.

Great, waiting for him drove me out of my mind..and the door creaked open revealing that exhausted face of his like the whole world had just fallen upon his shoulders.

" You're late again! Can't you see it's almost eight o'clock and we're still here without anything started yet! Geez, I wonder what the hell are you-"

I cut my sentence off when I noticed him walking shakily with his hand stroking his forehead. And he was ashen..and about to fall.

I ran up to him and prevented him from falling. Got no choice but to use my body and hands to hold him. I fell on my butt with him leaning on my shoulder. I adjusted my position and relaxed his body as I cradled him with my right knee as his support.

" Natsume? Natsume?" I am worried sick. I know this feeling. And I don't feel right.

He's burning. And I don't have my medicine kit here, the room is air-conditioned, he needs help.

"Mikan," I froze when I heard my name called. He's suffering from pain! Excruciating pain!

I want to ask what happened, why he ended up getting a high fever, where he was all this time and how he's feeling.

" Natsume, I'll go call the doctor, just stay here, I'll be back," I was already disentangling myself from cradling him and I was already on my feet to go when he suddenly adjusted to a sitting position and grabbed my hand hard that I fell down on my knees hard.

But I was not able to feel the crackling of my bones. All I can feel is his warmth. He's still not letting of my hand while his other hand is on my lower back pulling me against him. I can hear the muffled and heavy sound of his breathing.

And I suddenly feel like I need to stay..even with this awkward position. I know I should have break away from him but I can't. it's not that I'm enjoying it or taking advantage of it but then I can sense his pain and his need of someone to hold on to.

" I don't need them, i..need..you..please," I can tell he's so vulnerable for the first time. His voice lined with agony and he shudders not just because of his fever but also with some deeper reasons…like fear.

My arms started to respond. I hugged him back and in a minute, I don't know why there are already tears forming in my eyes.

" Tell me what happened," I need to know. I need to share the pain he's feeling. I need to help him. I need to tell him that I care.

Being his partner for two months made a lot of changes on how I see him, on how I treat him, on how I feel for him. Yes, he's a jerk but only for times when he needs attention. And I understand. But he cares deeply for others. There are times when he skipped classes together with our other classmates not to roam around but to tutor them.

But nobody knows that except his students and me. I happened to know it when I excused myself during our class session to go to the comfort room. There, I saw them at a corner hidden from the classroom view . he was holding Physics book with his ballpen and though lazily, he explained how everything works. I started admiring him for that.

Next was when we met a crying 4-year-old child on our way to the lab as partners. I asked the child what happened and he wouldn't give me an answer. Natsume started calling me names..putting an adjective..not insulting but funny names. And even burned my hair..both my pig tails! I scampered along the hallway to extinguish the fire and when I managed to do it, I went back to where they were. I saw Natsume carrying the child, who already stopped crying and was then thumb sucking ,walked past me and said, " You can't be a good mother" with that smirk.

I followed them. We came upon the back part of the Nursery building where there are many trees. The child mumbled incoherent words and pointed up and we saw a blue balloon. So, that must be the reason why he was crying.

" Polka, you take care of the child and don't you ever make him cry, tch," he gave me the child so I had my chance to carry him, too. Didn't want to say it but we looked like a family.

" Can I trust you?" he asked me as he was staring up there where the balloon was.

" Of course, everybody trusts me except you, actually," and that's partially true, during our lab sessions, he won't even let me do the first step without him directing me.

" Now, I trust you," with that he started jumping on each branch of the big umbrella tree until he reached the blue balloon which was good thing trapped in two intertwined branches with their leaves overlapping that prevented it from soaring up high in the sky.

Natsume then started his way down and when he landed, he approached me and gave the balloon to the child and the child smiled and chuckled.

I swear, I saw Natsume smile…like a father.

We then take the child to his room which took us one hour to find because of the child's language..you know it.

I admire him more after that.

He has also helped me a lot in my subjects. I don't need help I know, except in Biology, but I can't seem to concentrate on my studies because of a strange reason which my mind hasn't revealed yet. So, whenever I'm down with a downward curve plastered across my face, he'll always give me a tap on my back or ruffled my hair like a pet or pinch my cheek out of the blue. And then I'll be busy fighting with him until I forget my problems in my subjects. Then in the moment of our short breaths, he would get his books and would sit beside me.

" Study, if you can't…we will," he'd always say as he burns my pigtail. That has become his habit and well, I treasure the times he does it.

He's so mean yet at the same time too good to me even when he knows I consider him a rival or an enemy because I always see to it that I make it a point to him that my grades and position and reputation are all at stake and I can't let him ruin my world completely; that no matter what happens, I'll compete with him.

He never says anything about or against my decision. He just smirks..as always.

Perhaps, I can't concede what I really feel because of pushing myself to the thought that he's no one else but my enemy and you can't possibly like your enemy because that would mean you as the loser in the battle. But I can't resist it.

All this time, I am running away from everything..from every single thing reminding me of the truth I want to deny. I live on the pretending that maybe it's just an attachment…we're just apparently close..that's why I'm having this kind of feeling. The feeling of wanting to be always near him.

Maybe, just maybe, I'm not used to being alone without him because we are tied by a commitment as partners and that I can't get away from that. But I've always known, it isn't. if this is purely just attachment, pain shouldn't be existing. Whenever he's not here, I keep on searching for him because I can't stand it! I miss his tease, his not-so-funny jokes, his voice, his eyes, his hair, the way he walks, the way he calls me Polka…hell…I miss everything about him that I couldn't really survive if he would be out of my sight.

And now that we're here, I'm sure of it.

" I'm tired of my missions but I know…giving up will mean death," he almost choked in every word he said. Those missions, how fool of me to think that he was just taking them easily, they're killing him slowly.

" But you don't have to push yourself, Natsume. Stop if that's what you need," I whispered in a solemn voice.

"Polka, you're really an idiot. If I do that, I'd be putting my friends and those who are special to me in a dangerous situation," he even had the nerve to tease me. I'm glad..i know..he's okay.

" But you don't have to sacrifice for them all the time, do they even care?" I really don't get it. His efforts are not even recognized and still he continues to torment himself.

He looked straight at my face.

" Do you care?" his face is serious with a tinge of loneliness clouding above him. I know he wants an answer, he begs for it.

I released myself from him and cupped my face with my hands and I cried.

I can't control it.

" Why are you crying?" he shouldn't be the one worried. He's sick! But I can't really stop myself. I need to let them out. I didn't give an answer. I couldn't.

" Didn't I tell you that I don't want to see you cry?"

" But it's because of you..Natsume..that I'm crying..," I then wiped my tears and meet up with his eyes.

" There was a thief in the night,"I paused hoping he'll get what I mean.

But he gave a quizzical look like wondering how there could be a thief in the academy.

" What did he steal?" he asked in a louder voice showing controlled contempt towards that thief.

" He stole my heart," and I started crying again.

His eyes softened. Still I'm not sure if he understands me.

" So, am I to bring it back?" I was surprised by his question. Does he mean it? Now, it's I that can't understand.

After a few seconds, I finally understand it and I have the perfect answer.

" No, just take care of it," I smiled, happy that I finally released it.

" Of course," and then he pulled me in a tight embrace and kissed my forehead.

" Are you feeling much better now?" I giggled when I felt that he's no longer hot as before.

" Yeah, thanks to you," he laughed, too.

And from that moment, I know we can survive whatever there is to overcome as long as he's here for me and I'm there for him.


" Stealing is different from wanting it to be mine"


There! Hope you enjoyed it! Leave a review! And to those who have reviewed this already and added this to their fave list and for the story alerts..all thanks to you! My plan is sending each and every one of you a thank you note which I always do with my other stories but I've got a short of time. Still, I will someday.

Love yah!