Recap:

"You should rest," he told her. "After you get back on the bed, I'll have to—," "Stay with us to the feast," a voice finished, although that was not what Natsume was about to say. The couple looked up and saw the grinning, blond Ruka Nogi. Natsume frowned at him with loathing. This was not the person he wanted to see.

Chapter 4: Walk for a Cause

The two shared different looks with each other. Ruka had the look of a pleasant tenderness, while the other had the look of anguishing hate.

"Well? Aren't you going to join us?" Ruka asked. Mikan in Natsume's arms still felt woozy. She let out a groan that stole everyone's attention. After some are-you-okays and do-you-need-anythings, Natsume told her that he had to go.

"No…you should…" her voice receded as she became weaker.

Natsume gently laid her down for somebody else to aid and quickly left the room although some were trying to stop him. Mikan was unconscious now, so nobody could stop him. Ruka and all the others were puzzled. Their bodies became white.

Ruka looked over his shoulder, catching their attention and turning them back to their original color. "Um, should we get cooking now?"

Everyone agreed with this, so they soon got their spirits back, including Mikan. All of them enthusiastically stuffed themselves into the kitchen, similarly to how they got out of the hotel room, into the grocery store, and out again. After throwing cooking books at them (literarily and un), Hotaru sat down on the bed with Mikan.

"So how was things while we were gone? How was red-eyed freak?" Hotaru asked her friend.

Mikan looked at her raven-haired friend. She looked sober as she spoke. "You know Hotaru," she said, "I don't think he's so rebellious anymore."

-2 Days Later-

"Ok, places, places everyone!" came a voice. It was the voice of a glasses-wearing blond dressed in mostly blue. Mikan's fever was not completely off, but Hotaru's bitter medicine gave Mikan the energy and resistance she needed, so she was able to rehearse and in this case, act again, as long she was not overly exposed to environmental minerals (nature!).

"Why…why did he do this to me?" the brunette pushed harder into the man's chest, crying more severely. "How...I trusted him…why, why, why?" their background was bathed in the red sunlight of the sunset behind them, but were too emotional to contemplate its beauty. They were the only ones in the area.

"Maybe you should forget about him," the dark-haired man lifted the chin of the crying brunette's face. Her eyelids grew lower to close as their faces got closer and…

"Cut!" at the term, Mikan immediately stopped. "I know that word," she thought to herself proudly, as she released herself from Natsume's arms. Natsume began to wish that Mikan still didn't know that phrase.

"That was great," Tsubasa approached to compliment her, as he had usually done. Then he looked at her with concern written in his mind. "Are you sure that you're well enough to act?"

"Yup!" Mikan rejoined optimistically. "Having a fever is not that bad, but with Hotaru's medicine, it's terrible!" the smile had slipped from her face, but her swinging arms displayed her enthusiasm.

"Mikan," called a bleak voice, "it's time for your medicine." Mikan's arms stopped swinging. Her eyes shifted around, hoping the owner of the voice wouldn't find her.

"Mikan, I can see you, you know." Mikan looked over her shoulder and jumped. "Hotaru!" she exclaimed. Her raven-haired friend held up a small bottle of mysterious green liquid. She removed the cork and held it in one hand. "Time for your medicine," she told her. Mikan sighed and opened her mouth, tears at the sides of her eyes as she closed them.

"How's Mikan?" a blond actor walked approached the blue-haired employee. A different dark-haired man glared at his entrance. Tsubasa answered amiably,

"Oh, she's fine."

"And her fever?"

"It's gone better."

"That's good."

"My tongue burns."

"Stop whining."

The blond visitor looked at the famous brunette. "What's that medicine for?" he congenially asked.

"Energy and sickness-resistance." Came the reply.

"Where did she buy it?"

"She made it herself," Mikan answered, her tongue still out. Ruka gazed eye-twitchingly at the green medicine. They all backed out as it began to change its color to red. Except Hotaru and Mikan, of course.

-Mikan's POV-

Nope, you're not dreaming that's me, all exposed on the street. And since you're just reading this, I'll assure you that being all exposed doesn't mean I don't have any clothes on. What do you think I am, some kind of lunatic? Well, Hotaru used to call me that…

Anyway, here I am, walking down the street putting sunglasses on, wondering if I look cool in them. It's actually a disguise, so see how I disappear! Glasses on, glasses off, glasses on, glasses off! Giggle, this is fun! Hotaru never let me do this when I was putting sunglasses on with her. She used to tell me, "Mikan, stop playing with your sunglasses, it makes you look like a lunatic." Well, since I'm all alone now, I can do whatever I want! I sometimes do this, slipping away to get away from the celebrity life, only this time, Hotaru knows I'm gone. All she said when I was about to leave was, "Mikan, just don't make yourself look like a lunatic or else you'll get publicity for being ludicrous." Well, I won't be ludicrous!, whatever that means. I'll just be normal, putting my sunglasses on and off. (What she doesn't know is that people are staring at her like she's some kind of maniac as she continuously giggles putting her sunglasses on and off (but I guess that's ok since she doesn't want to be a lunatic, not maniac, although they're the same thing but she doesn't know that))

I smiled as I walked down the pretty street. When I came past a technological store, selling televisions, radios, walkie-talkies and such, I paused and took my sunglasses on and off 4 times. I stared at the glass window, which had on TV screens behind it. The news lady was reciting the day's news, and there was an article about me. I pushed my fingers to the glass.

"Here we have shocking news of everyone's favorite celebrity, Mikan Sakura," a picture of me wearing a dress, smiling as I crossed the runway showed up. More people started to crowd around, but I didn't mind. I took my sunglasses on and off again. "In the topic, Mikan Sakura was scheduled to get a modeling meet just the day before this one, but disappointed the aficionados by not showing up." Clips of my fans with disappointed faces appeared on the screen. My smile slipped from my face and so did my sunglasses. The news lady continued. "Then when everyone was in despair, the studio got a call from the company that the famous model was not feeling well." Many gasps were heard behind me. "The caller had quite a soulless voice, and it was assumed to be the well-known Hotaru Imai."

"The guy who spoke with her is so lucky!" a voice behind me bellowed. More yells came after that, but they calmed when the news reporter went on.

"But when the studio person asked a few questions, the soulless voice threatened if he wanted to continue. Then the caller hung up. All this is quite extraordinary." Nods and reactions of agreement were performed behind me, but I was still listening intently, my fingers glued to the glass. "Now all the information that was gathered is that Mikan Sakura was not able to come to the meet because she is possibly ill." Music was heard from the TV and the background shifted. "Let us move on to the corruptible celerity, Sumire . Now, all of you have heard of the rumors that she was forming some kind of scandal…"

The crowd behind me began to recede. A clip of Sumire being surrounded by reporters came up. "Enough of that!" she yelled behind her angrily. I saw a peek of her furry collar. "Now all of you pay attention to me," she raised her voice higher. "I am much better than that flimsy Mikan Sakura! One day soon, she is going to have a downfall, and then I'll be the most ideal and favorite idol and celebrity!" several boos and signs of "MIKAN SAKURA RULES" and "SUMIRE MUST GO DOWN" sign propped up behind her. "All of you, shut up!" she yelled behind her.

"But Ms. Sumire, how will you be the most ideal and popular celebrity if you're not even close to the 2nd favorite idol?" one of the reporters bugged in. "What are you talking about?" she said in a voice Hotaru used to describe as ugly and highly conceited. Now what does that mean? "I am the best celebrity ever! Now, you listen to me: that inadequate Mikan Sakura has already a breakdown, starting with that modeling meet she missed! Now you keep that in mind!" more boos were heard as Sumire tried to strut away. "Didn't I tell you to shut up?!" she yelled to her back once again. The clip ended and the news flashed back to the reporter. "It seems that Sumire may be challenging the famous Mikan Sakura. Who will win? We have such high hopes for one!" I turned away from the glass, smiling. I have heard enough, and that was really informative, although I couldn't really understand it.

"LOOK! IT'S MIKAN SAKURA!" an abrupt look and I went running for the other way. These people were eye-sharp geniuses, how could they recognize me? I put my hands to my face to put my sunglasses on and off, but that was the minute I found out that I didn't have them!

"OhmanOhmanOhman," I muttered as I chugged my arms up and down to get faster. I attempted to keep running straight, but someone pulled me into an alley. The people all brushed through me as I squatted, and they all soon disappeared. I gave a sigh of relief as I got up to turn the other side, but I found myself staring into dark, dark, dark, red genes. I was so shocked that my mouth fell open like a trapdoor. I turned all white and I'm sure my hair was sticking up. Like what happens when you hold that silver ball thing they let you touch in conventions.

I squatted there, frozen white. Soon the red genes furthered and it turned into the face of a fair, blue-gray haired guy. "Natsume?" he turned away and leaned his back on the alley wall. I followed.

"Have you…" he started.

"Ever got trampled by fans? Oh sure." I replied.

"No…have you ever witnessed someone you like with another person?" I looked at him. Huh? I didn't get what he said. I put my finger to my lip and tried to remember last time I saw someone I liked with another person.

"Oh yeah!" I finally came up with an answer. "I see Hotaru with lots of people. Like the time she was all exposed on the—,"

"That's not what I meant," he interrupted. Our distance was getting pretty short. "I mean…" he put on a hurt face. My heart acted immediately. I hastily (yet tenderly) grabbed at his hand.

"It's all right," I assured him. "There's loads of fish in the sea….that you can eat." He looked at me and all I could see were his shining eyes. My feelings got even deeper when I found out all the emotions hidden in his eyes were finally being revealed. As our faces got closer, I found my arms wrapped around his neck. His arms wrapped around my waist and I realized something.

He was there.

"Mikan?" I heard a voice, and I immediately pulled away from whatever I was doing. I looked up and saw friendly, curious, silver-blue eyes.

"Ruka!" I grabbed the arms he offered to me and got up.

"What are you doing here in the alley?" he asked me.

"Um...I…" I looked up confusedly. What was I doing again? I looked at Ruka. "I forgot." Ruka let out chuckle. Then he leaned away from me and looked at whoever was there.

"Oh, Natsume-sama," he said cheerfully. I turned to him but he only gave Ruka a glare. A smile slipped from my face at a realization.

"Well, we should get going now," Ruka told us. He looked at me. "Hotaru sent me to look for you. She said you were a minute late."

"Oh no!" I gasped. "How many hours is a minute?!"

"Um, just 60 seconds, Mikan."

"That's even worse!" I wailed. "I can just imagine what Hotaru'll say…" an image of Hotaru with red horns shouting at me appeared in my mind.

"Well, that means we better get going then," Ruka smiled. He looked at Natsume.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked.

"Nah," he got up. "I'll go by myself."

I was still quizzical, but Ruka tugged at me and I remembered what I was supposed to do. After all, Hotaru's scolds were scarier than an attacking swamp beast on a bad day. I'd rather be chased by a beast any day…not that I want to.

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A/N: There, 4th chap done! I'm not sure you liked it, but I hope so. Sumire is now included in the story, and as a rival star. You can see how the fans hate her though. I gave you a clue about something, and I hope you found it out already, I don't want to spoil! But anyway, I'm sure you didn't get it when Mikan said, "He was there", but anyway, you'd already know even if Mikan didn't say it. I just wanted to tell you that she knew (except that she forgot it). Knew what, you ask? I told you I don't want to spoil! Clue: It's something you realized in this chapter!