The Prince's Plaything

2 Years Ago

Ding dong!

Hotaru waited patiently at the Sakuras residence's porch. A maid yanked the door open and bowed, then in a split second, a jovial Yuka greeted and ushered her in.

"Hey Hotaru-chan! Mikan's taking a shower. Just go upstairs to her room and I'll bring you girls some milk and cookies." Yuka pointed her thumb specifically to the stairway behind her and skidded to the kitchen.

Hotaru merely gave her a faint smiled and nodded in appreciation before barging into her best friend's unbolted room. She then made herself comfortable on one of the beanbags that were seemingly scattered throughout the place. She's memorized every single detail of the brunette's 'sanctuary' down to the very last stroke of paint on the wall, seeing that she's already been here let's say…a couple of thousand times? But then, maybe, just maybe, she's a percent of a hundred mistaken.

There stood askew, her best friend's furtive closet. Now don't get me wrong, 'cause she's already witnessed the wonders that that astounding kingdom boasts. So it isn't the ocean of Prada shoes that perked her interest. It's not the street of neat Chanel riches, Burberry coats, nor Dolce 'n Gabbana jewelries, 'cause trust me, it's just about a quarter of what she has in her own closet. What flicked her interest is the undie lingerie poking at the handle of the doorknob of the brunette's "mini mall."

As she neared the eye-catching item, her mind is at vocabulary shindig. "This is seriously, absolutely, appallingly, undeniably, nauseatingly childish." She eyed the poor, innocent object in utter disgust. It's white…with pink…POLKADOTS!…it even has 'Monday' embedded on it for god's sake!! As though underwears have to be worn on precise schedule!

She delved into a large drawer which is indisputably, the only thing in Mikan's life that she hasn't intruded yet. What greeted her was a sea of technicolored dots. Particularly POLKADOTS. And they were arranged according to the day that was entrenched on each and everyone of them. Looking at the oceanic spots beneath her makes her uncertain and wonder if the girl is just plain naïve or a five year old little girl stuck in a sixteen year old's body.

As she heard the shower hushed, Hotaru closed the aberrant drawer quickly and went outside the closet. She sat on the beanbag and picked up a random magazine and started to dig in it just in time to see the Mikan opening the bathroom door.

"Oh hey Hotaru! Sorry I took my time, my alarm clock busted on me again." A brunette youngster just came out of her bathroom clad in a towel. Beads of water waterlogged the floor from her damped hair as she made her way to her closet.

"Little wonders that your simple punch can make." Hotaru said in a sarcastic voice.

"Hush now my dear students!" A blonde man by the age of thirties slightly raised his right hand in gesture of silence. His amethyst eyes wandering through the four corners of the classroom indicating that the gesture made is in general.

Everyone silenced giving him the go signal to speak.

"Now this is actually Jinno-sensei's job to begin with. But as you lot have known, we have two new transferee students that'll accompany us 'til he end of the school year."

Giggles and dreamy sighs could be heard as Mr. Narumi ushered the two gentlemen inside. Wow, good news sure travels like a lightning bullet shot on a rocket launching wild bull and gorillas fast. (A/N: What the heck did I just say?)

Mikan and her clique who were sitting at the far most corner of the room just watched as girls drool, giggle, fantasize, and some even faint at the scene at in front of them. Though Mikan, trying hard to keep a steady visage, couldn't really hide the blush that's caused by the throbbing sensation she currently feels. Hotaru watched her best friend from the corner of the eye with a glint of tomfoolery and smirked.

"Why don't you two give us a proper introduction." Mr. Narumi said as he motioned a 'the floor is all yours' hand.

Ruka is the first one to talk, seeing as his best pal has no plan of initiating the introduction.

He offered a warm smile that made some of the girls drool, giggle, fantasize, and some even faint, yet again before starting.

"Hi! I'm Nogi Ruka and he's Hyuuga Natsume. Yoroshiku!" He finished off with a slight bow and glanced at Natsume. Looking bored as usual. But Ruka could see through and more. 'Hmm,.Mikan huh.', he thought.

True enough, the moment Natsume stepped inside, his crimson pair of eyes caught a familiar idiot.

Ruka's eyes wedged. from Natsume then to Mikan. And he can't help but think that fate really is fused to his side. For it's making everything easy for him. Peanut easy. 'This is going to be the most interesting year yet.'

'Gawd! Of all people! Why him?!'

Mikan shifted uncomfortably on her seat. She felt like melting like a cheddar cheese under those red gazes and can't help but confer out a pout. She, for the nth time, glanced at her new smuggish seatmate but was not taken aback when her eyes captured crimson ones staring right back at her. He's been doing that since he took a seat on that cursed chair making our brunette aggravated as ever.

'Hotaru Imai..you are sooo gonna pay for this.' She cursed inwardly with a drilling glare at her best friend's back. You might be wondering how the heck did Imai got in front of Sakura when the last time I told you is that they're sitting at the far most corner of the classroom. Well, let's just say, Imai got interested in playing the role of Cupid.

"So class, I know you're old enough to be told but, let me say it again: be NICE to your new classmates."

It seems that the word NICE barred through the girls' thick head in a different angle.

"Ruka-kun! I'll sure be nice to you! I'm going to give you a morning kiss every single day!"

"Natsume-sama! I'm going to show my niceness by being your slave! My dignity is all yours!"

The boys, Mikan, and Mr. Narumi sweatdropped while Hotaru triggered her Baka Ammo which shut the fanatical girls' traps.

"Ehehe..ehem..uuhh since two of my students who sits in front already dropped out, the two of you can fill in their empty seats." Mr. Narumi signaled the two to their seats when Hotaru's hand shots up mid way to call the teacher's attention.

"Yes miss Imai-san?"

"I have bad eyesight." She said in a very unconvincing way that made Mikan chuckle sarcastically beside her. But the Ice Queen ignored it. 'Laugh while you still can.' She thought with an evil grin. Peeking at her POV sure beats winter coldness.

"Since when Einstein?" the brunette teased her best friend.

"About five minutes ago." Mikan rolled her eyes by this reply. Whatever. Mr. Narumi wouldn't believe her anyway.

"Uuhhm..well then, you can take the seat here in front while Mr. No…"

"aaaaI have bad eyesight too Mr. Narumi-sensei!" Ruka sliced in the teacher's words before he even finishes it. Natsume eyed him bizarrely. 'Since when?' as if Ruka read his mind, the blonde merely gave him a shrug…and…an wicked grin.

Mikan was flabbergasted. How can a handsome, intelligent…to summarize it..perfect teacher be so gullible?!

"Oh. Well then, that leaves Mr. Hyuuga-san to seat at the back. Tell me, is yours 20-20?" Natsume's thoughts were cut by the mention of his name. He answered the question thrown at him by just walking towards the seat that's scornfully awaiting him.

Natsume and Hotaru walked past each other on the way to their new respected seats. Oh boy, bet you could imagine. Fire and Ice. Brushed through the same vicinity, the same air, at the same exact time, locked each other's gazes in a battle of the fierce cold glares. The ambiance so intense that dark clouds and loud cracking thunders seem to fill the four cornered room.

The whole class just gawked at their not-so-pleasant exchange of glares. And it won't take ten dancing hippos to figure out what the whole student body's thinking.

'Weird.'

"Would you mind? You're boring a hole through my head." Mikan have had enough and decided to sardonically confront the head driller.

"Yes, I would mind. But on the other hand, I'd love to see through that hole and plant my name in it." He said in a very seductive tone and leaned closer to Mikan's ear. Her eyes are threatening to bulge out of their sockets when she felt him blow on her ears.

"N-naru-sen-se-i…." She wanted to scream her lungs out but couldn't. It's like the guy bewitched her and made her voice crumple inside. Natsume merely smirked when he saw her reaction. It's so darn hilarious at the same time interesting. Any normal girl would love to get harassed by The Natsume Hyuuga but would never yelp for SOS. Been living in utter boredom his whole life means he's hankering for something interesting. And whatever that interesting would be, should consider its mere being as the luckiest little creature on the planet. For it has just been embossed, as Natsume's toy. It just so happens that that it isn't an it…it's a she.

Things just get more and more interesting…