Chapter 3: Worries

Mikan stepped out from the bush and walked helplessly to her dorm, eyes half closed. Her body swayed a little, causing her to fell down on the hard ground. She instantly fell unconscious.

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Narumi-sensei took his students' attendance. He smiled in satisfaction that his students were very hardworking to come early for his and other teachers' lessons. After he cleared his things for other class started, he noticed that Imai Hotaru hadn't come to class.

"She's never late for class. Usually she's the first to arrive." He thought, looking at Hotaru's empty seat.

Then he walked to the back seat and approached Natsume and Ruka.

Ruka paused petting his bunny and glanced up at Narumi-sensei. Natsume didn't seem to care he's there.

"Ruka-kun, Natsume-kun, I have something to ask you two," he said in a serious tone. Ruka raised his eyebrows. Natsume glanced at him from his manga.

"Do you know where Hotaru-chan is? She didn't come to class today... do you guys know where she would be?" he began.

"Imai didn't come to class? That's so unlike her..." Ruka replied, not sure.

"Not only that, it seems that Mikan-chan didn't come today too. Usually she would come even though how late she is..." Narumi-sensei put his thumb under his chin thoughtfully.

Natsume's heart skipped as he heard Mikan's name. "That's weird... she would be here at this time..." he thought.

Suddenly, the bell rang, indicating first period had started with Jinno-sensei's class.

"Sorry to trouble you two! I'll ask you again some other time!"

Ruka smiled.

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The bell rang for recess time. All students dashed out of their classroom to the cafeteria to order their food.

Ruka and Natsume didn't order their food. They just sat at the far corner of the cafeteria. Natsume continued pretending to read his manga while his mind is focused on Mikan's weird behavior yesterday.

He blushed as he remembered Mikan 'admitted' that he is her boyfriend. Sure, he would like to be her boyfriend, but that's just... too soon... and weird at the same time. That's certainly not the usual Mikan he knew. He doubted whether Mikan understood the meaning of 'boyfriend'.

"Natsume, you want a drink?" Ruka asked suddenly as he stood up.

"Ah... buy me a mineral water," he said, eyes not leaving the manga he's reading. Ruka just sighed. "He's still the same as usual..." he thought.

When he was about to leave the seat, he saw Hotaru at the counter paying for her drink. He turned back to Natsume. "Oi, Natsume!"

"What? Haven't you buy my drink yet?" he asked, irritated.

"It's not that! I saw Imai at the counter, paying her drink!"

"So...?"

"She might know where your beloved Sakura!"

Natsume spanked Ruka's head for saying that out loud. This earned a few stares from other students, looking at him and Ruka.

"What?!" he glared annoyingly at them. They winced and quickly mind their own business. Natsume walked out of the cafeteria together with his best friend.

"My head still hurts! You don't have to hit me that hard, you know..." Ruka whined slowly.

Natsume glared at him. "It's your fault for that out loud in front of other students."

Ruka grinned. "Okay, okay! It's my fault!"

Natsume smirked. "So where this Imai you were talking about?"

"I don't know... I lost sight of her..." just then he saw Hotaru again, turning at the end of the corridor. "She's there!"

They dashed towards the end of the corridor and stopped.

"This place is..." Ruka looked around. He saw several patients are sitting on the bench against the wall, waiting for their turn or family member.

"This place is a clinic... I wonder what does she do here?" Natsume thought.

"Natsume, let's go inside the clinic room," Ruka suggested. Natsume just narrowed his eyes at him.

"Idiot, peeking through the door is enough," he sighed. He placed his hand and doorknob and turned it slowly. Inside the room, both of them saw Hotaru sitting on a chair beside a patient's bed.

"Idiot... why are you always making me worried? Mikan no baka..." Hotaru sighed inwardly and looked at her best friend's peaceful sleeping face.

Natsume and Ruka heard Hotaru said Mikan's name. "Mikan's in here? How? What happened?" Natsume wondered.

Hotaru rose up and went over to her bag pack. She took out her baka gun and clicked it. She shot two bullets at the door. "Whose there?" she demanded.

Ruka opened the door wide. "It's us, Imai. Geez, you make us look like your enemy."

"Well, indeed you're my enemy..." she said nonchalantly. The two went in.

"How did Polka Dots end up being here?" Natsume asked as he stared at Mikan's sleeping figure.

"I brought her here," replied Hotaru. She smirked as she heard a slight concern in Natsume's voice.

"So that's why you didn't come to class until now?" this time Ruka asked, sitting on the chair that Hotaru sat just now.

"Care to tell us?" Natsume asked, sitting at the edge of Mikan's bed.

"Well, I was walking on my own to school went I saw Mikan lying on the ground. She was covered with leaves on her clothes and in her hair. I don't know how she ended up on the ground. So I have no choice but to bring her here with my duck scooter." She finished explaining.

She went over to Mikan and checked on her forehead. "She has a little fever..."

Natsume and Ruka sighed in relief. "Good thing she's alright..."

Hotaru nodded.

"Where are you going?" Ruka asked as he noticed Hotaru turning the dorrknob. She glanced at him.

"Of course I'm going back to my dorm, idiot..." she replied.

"Wait, you don't want to stay here with Sakura?" he asked again, curious.

"Why should I? There's always a nurse that take care for her."

"Nurse not always here, you know..."

"Hmm... well, Natsume-kun, you stay here with Mikan." She instructed.

Natsume blinked for a second. "Why would I? You as her best friend should stay here as well."

"Well, I don't want her to see me the first thing in the morning. It would be better if it were you," she smirked evilly. Natsume felt a little scared, but he didn't show it.

"Fine... I don't know what will happen to her if I stay here," he crossed his arms. Hotaru raised an eyebrow. Then she smirked.

"As if you would do something to your beloved Mikan," she snickered as she went out the door. Natsume looked away, blushing.

"Okay, Natsume! I'm going back!" Ruka said, smiling. Natsume nodded. Ruka finally closed the door and that leave him and Mikan alone.

He shifted the chair next to Mikan's side and sit on it. He stared at Mikan who just slept peacefully.

He remembered again the incident the other day when Mikan was seducing him. He blushed. "No, there's no way Polka Dots is that kind of girl..." he shook his head.

After a few minutes, he became very boring and looking for something to read. He cursed that he didn't bring his manga along with him. So he had to read some boring stuffs like newspaper.

After 5 minutes, his eyes became heavy. He yawned and put the newspaper on the floor. He noticed the sky had become dark and he decided to get some sleep. He slept on his arms by Mikan's side.

Natsume didn't even notice a dark figure peeked through the door and cursed silently.

TBC...

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