Fortuity

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews! This chapter is longer than the usual. Here you go!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GAKUEN ALICE! All characters from Gakuen Alice are owned by Higuchi Tachibana.


Chapter 4

Before Natsume could even react, the girl in front of him suddenly lunged at him and punched him.

Hard.

In the jaw.

His head snapped back from the blow. He even dropped his sunglasses in shock. When he recovered, he scowled. He quickly took a look around to see if anyone saw. Thankfully, no one did. He let out a sigh in relief.

He still couldn't believe what just transpired. Did he actually let his guard down and allowed himself to be punched by a girl? He clenched his fists, trying to tamp down the anger building inside him. He growled at her, "What is wrong with you?"

She glared at him in response. Then, he saw her wince as she massaged the hand that hit him.

He touched his jaw and cursed, feeling the stinging pain from her punch. 'Damn, I hate to admit it, but that kind of hurt.' he thought. He started to worry that it might bruise as he still had a photo shoot to attend to later. It would definitely affect the shoot if it did. As a model, it was a rule not to let anything happen to his face. Normally, he wouldn't even care about superficial things like that. But it was his job and he had decided earlier on that he would do his best at it.

His thoughts were interrupted when the girl in front of him spoke.

"I hate you."

He narrowed his eyes, "You're crazy." Really, she is. "One moment you were apologizing to me and then you punch me? What kind of upbringing did you have?"

"HEY!" She shouted, pointing a finger at him. "Now you're insulting my grandfather? You're the worst!"

"I wasn't even-"

"Yes you were!"

"No, I really wasn't."

"You just asked what kind of upbringing I have! Doesn't that mean that you were questioning–"

Natsume shut his eyes and stopped listening to her. He could feel a headache coming on. Truthfully, he just wanted to walk away and pretend that nothing happened. He wanted to pretend that there were no stains in his clothes, pretend that he wasn't called a pervert, and pretend that he wasn't dragged to the police station in handcuffs. Most of all, he wanted to pretend that he wasn't hit. By a girl.

Ugh. Ruka would never let him hear the end of it when he finds out.

Despite his growing irritation, Natsume knew he was to blame. Why did he even drag this girl with him in the first place? Out of interest? Curiosity?

Seriously, he's regretting it now.

"...It's all your fault! The reason why I had to clean Hotaru's place! Why I had to miss that job interview! Everything is your fault! You bringer of misfortune!" she bawled.

Natsume ran a hand through his hair and decided that he's had enough. He opened his eyes and grabbed her by the shoulders, staring straight into her eyes. "Okay little girl. Stop. Seriously. I've had enough. I don't even know wh–"

He stopped talking when he noticed her eyes.

It was surprisingly familiar.

He was good with faces but despite that, he can't seem to remember where he saw her eyes.

Large orange-colored eyes.

Where did he see those eyes?

He suddenly remembered the girl he saw the other week, but he thought that it was too much of a coincidence. Besides, he was sure that the girl in the alley had brown eyes. Not orange.

He was broken out of his reverie when the girl attempted to break free from him. He strengthened his hold on her. After the brief struggle that ensued, the both of them suddenly heard the shrill sound of a police whistle.

They turned to the sound and saw a policeman walking towards them, "What's the problem over there?"

In an instant, Natsume released her from his grasp. He totally forgot that they were just outside the police station. From an outsider's point of view, it seemed like he was antagonizing her.

Shit.

Not another misunderstanding!

He cursed as he surveyed the area for a way to escape. Just in time, he found a cab by the street looking for a passenger. He ran towards it as fast as he can, leaving behind the angry girl and the bewildered policeman alone.

.

"Thank you for the hard work!" the photographer yelled, signaling the end of the shoot.

Natsume stood up from his seat and stretched. He was glad that the shoot went by without a hitch. He was able to get a new set of clothes from his sponsor and his jaw didn't bruise from the hit. He was really glad that the shoot was successful.

He went towards the photographer and thanked him for a job well done. As he left the set to go to his dressing room, he expressed his gratitude to the staff as well.

When he entered the room, he saw Ruka by the couch, seemingly out of it.

Natsume smirked, then lightly pushed him aside to sit beside him. He put his feet on the coffee table in front of them and crossed his arms behind his head. He then closed his eyes to get some rest.

After a few moments of silence, Ruka sighed and called out his name, "Natsume..."

"What?" he asked, cracking one of his eyes open.

"I feel like I'm haunted..," he groaned.

Natsume raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Ho-hotaru Imai. That girl.. She's everywhere!" Ruka cried out as he cautiously looked around the room. "There are pictures of me in all the places I went to for the past week! I don't see her, but I swear, sometimes... I can hear the shutter sound of the camera! I can't even stay at the studio anymore. When I hear the camera, I feel like she'll pop out of nowhere!"

"So is that why you're hiding out here?" Natsume clicked his tongue, "Wasn't it your fault to begin with? She asked you to sign a contract about her having exclusive rights of selling your photos – and that you will not sue her. Ever."

"I didn't know the contract was about that!" Ruka exclaimed.

"Yeah, you didn't read it properly because you were so engrossed by her, inevitably falling for her ploy."

Ruka shut his eyes, as if trying to forget what happened that faithful day. He remembered meeting up in a cafe with Hotaru the day after they met. It was to follow up with the favor he owed her. When he saw her, she was smiling gently at him as she shyly tucked her short black hair behind her ears. Then, she sat beside him and gave him a paper. He thought she wanted an autograph so he was even embarrassed when he signed it.

"Looking back, it was really mortifying, what I did... so humiliating! I can't believe I was attracted to her." Ruka complained. "When I finished signing the paper, she immediately took a photo of me! Then she laughed.." he hugged himself in fear, "It was an evil laugh Natsume! Then she.. she pointed out that what I actually signed was a contract! Then she left!"

Natsume threw his head back laughing, "Never judge a book by its cover, Ruka." He paused, "She was amusing though. She purposely acted that way just so she can throw you off guard!"

"Honestly, I can't imagine how hard life is for her friend." Ruka sighed. Then he turned to Natsume and said, "I'm so glad that you're not Hotaru. I wouldn't know what to do if you were like her."

"Speaking of.. do you remember her friend?" Natsume asked.

Ruka nodded, "Yeah. I can still remember what she looks like. Why?"

"What's the color of her eyes?"

Ruka tilted his head to the side, "Eyes? Why would you want to know?"

Natsume shrugged, "Just curious."

"Hmm.. From what I remember, I believe it was br–"

Their conversation was cut short when the door suddenly opened. Just as they turned their heads to the door, the sound of a camera was heard.

Click click click

The instant the traumatized Ruka heard the sound, he covered his ears and dived under the table.

Natsume rolled his eyes and kicked him lightly in the butt, "Oy oy. You look pathetic. Stop it."

Ruka refused to budge and shut his eyes tightly.

The girl who entered giggled as she walked towards the two. She bent down to Ruka's level and asked, "What's wrong Ruka?"

Ruka opened one of his eyes after hearing the familiar voice. He saw a raven-haired girl smiling at him. Natsume's sister. "A-A-Aoi!" he stammered, then hit his head on the table. "Ow!"

Aoi just laughed as she took a picture of Ruka's humiliating moment.

.

The siblings relocated to a nearby cafe after the incident at the dressing room. Even though both of them were famous in their own right, no one bothered them in this place. The cafe they were at was different than the usual ones. It offered private rooms for people like them who wanted their own peace. Ruka was invited to come with them, but he had other manager errands to attend to so he left first. The siblings knew though that he was just too embarrassed to join them.

"Don't look at me like that." Natsume said as he sipped his coffee.

Aoi blinked a couple of times before asking, "Did I hear that right?"

He rolled his eyes and nodded, "Yes."

"Wow brother!" Aoi grinned as she clapped her hands, "You actually have a heart?"

"Oy!"

She laughed, "I was kidding! But seriously, I never thought that the day would come when you'd ask a favor regarding our company!"

"I never thought the day would come too," he mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. So can you do it?"

"Of course!" Aoi answered. She was the vice-president of their company after all! Even if she doesn't look like it, Aoi is an accomplished woman. She graduated at the top of her class in the most prestigious university in Tokyo. Everyone in the company admired her because she didn't use her connections to instantly get to the top. Despite their family owning the business, she insisted to start at the bottom to learn the basics and to show everyone that she has the skill. From there, she worked her way up. In a span of two years, she was able to get to where she was now. "You did something for me this morning too! So what's your favor?"

"The people who weren't able to get to their job interviews today..."

"You want me to give them a second chance?" she asked, finishing his sentence for him.

"Exactly."

Aoi placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands, "Why?"

Natsume pressed his lips together into a thin line, "I was hoping you wouldn't ask me that."

"Come on!" she insisted, "I want to know why. It's the first time you're asking me for a favor! If you don't tell me, then I won't do it!"

"Just let this one pass, Aoi."

She stuck out her tongue, "Deal or no deal brother." Then she grinned. She knew he would tell her.

"Fine." He sighed, "I was the reason why one of them couldn't make it." In reality, Natsume felt bad for being the reason why the girl he met didn't make it to her interview. The girl was pissed when she was accusing him but, "That girl, she seemed like she was really sad that she didn't make it."

"Ohhh. So it's a girl," Aoi teased. Then she paused, "But wait, why didn't you just tell me to employ her directly?"

"I don't know her name."

She slammed her hand on the table, "WHAT? You don't know her name? You?"

"Nope. For her, I was 'the bringer of misfortune.' She probably doesn't even care that I'm me."

Aoi gasped, "B-but!" Then she started talking dramatically, "But you are THE Natsume Hyuuga! Without you asking for it, all the girls tell you their names! They even put their names together with yours. With a heart! They throw themselves at you everywhere you go! Even her, S-s.. what's her name again? Wait, never mind."

Natsume chuckled when he was reminded of what the girl threw at him, "She 'threw' me a punch."

With that, Aoi's jaw dropped, "She punched you?" She laughed heartily after, "Man! What an interesting girl! Okay brother. You just got yourself a deal- I'll talk to the department involved immediately. I hope she gets in! Whoever she is!"

"Thank you, Aoi. But remember.."

"Yes yes. Not to tell our family that you asked this favor. I know."

Natsume gave her a small smile, one he rarely showed people. A comfortable silence passed between them after that. Despite being siblings, the two of them barely see each other because of the circumstances in their family. And even though they saw each other that morning, their meeting didn't even last ten minutes. He just helped her out with a few business contracts. He wasn't even allowed to do so, but they managed to keep it a secret.

Aoi smiled wistfully at her brother and asked, "Hey, won't you come back home?"

"We already talked about this."

"Honestly, I don't get why you're still in the entertainment business," she confessed. "You're already 24, and you have better credentials than I have. You help me out when I'm having trouble in the company, but you never let anyone know. Brother, our grandfather is getting older. You're the best candidate to inherit the company! Even more so than our father."

He ran a hand through his hair, "You're already aware of the reason why I don't want to."

"Everyone wants you to come back, you know. In the house. In the company."

Natsume remained silent. Before they can continue their conversation, there was a knock on the door. A man wearing a black suit and tie entered the room. He bowed to the two of them.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation sir," he said.

Natsume, back to his cold persona, just nodded at him.

The man turned to Aoi, "It's getting late, Miss. We must go home now." He bowed once more to Natsume before he left.

Aoi frowned, clearly upset that she had to go. She turned to her brother, "Sorry. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Natsume smiled, "You know where to find me."

.

.

.

Mikan stared at the sunglasses on the table in front of her. She was currently at the cafe where she was dragged off to by Natsume. She absentmindedly played with the sunglasses. When he abruptly left yesterday, she instantly felt bad for her attitude towards him. She took the sunglasses he dropped on the pavement and kept it, in hopes of returning it to him when she saw him next.

She lightly hit herself on her head, ashamed of her behavior. It was the first time she acted that way, punching and accusing someone else. If her grandfather found out, he would have scolded her.

She flinched, already imagining what would happen to her if he finds out.

Mikan sighed, but she remembered the things Natsume did.

He almost stole her first kiss!

He was the reason why she had to clean Hotaru's apartment!

He made her miss her interview!

But...

She spilled her drink in his clothes.

She shouted to the world that he was a pervert.

She was the reason he was brought to the police station.

She punched him! On the face.

"Hotaru told me before that a model's face is his life..." she said to herself.

Mikan groaned. Then, she decided that the next time she sees him, she has to apologize for her actions. It was the right thing to do after all, as she had brought misfortune to him as well. She has to give back his sunglasses too.

The question though is, when will she see him again? It's so rare to see celebrities in public. She was probably already lucky to have seen him for quite a few times now.

She sighed once more.

All of a sudden, someone took the seat in front of her, "What's with the long face?"

Her eyebrows furrowed when she saw the man with a smile on his face. The cap he was wearing hid his hair. He looked familiar and so she asked, "Excuse me, have we met?"

The man gasped and put his hands over his heart as if in pain, "I can't believe you don't recognize me!" He took off his cap and grinned, "Remember now?"

When she saw his spiky dirty blonde hair, she immediately recognized him. "Ah!" she clasped her hands, "You helped me out yesterday!"

"That's right! I'm Kokoroyomi, by the way. You can call me Koko. You're Mikan, right?"

"Yes! Thank you again for your help! I was able to find it, and you described it well too." She spread her arms wide, "Huge sign that says Hyuuga Corporations, remember?"

Both of them laughed.

Then, Koko asked, "So how was your interview?"

Mikan's face dropped. She played with her hands, "I didn't make it.. Something unfor- I mean, something happened! So I wasn't able to make it."

He frowned at that, "There are other companies out there who would hire you, I'm sure."

"Yup! It's a shame though. Hyuuga Corporations is the best out of all of them. Based on my research anyway," she coyly smiled.

"You know what?" he started to say, "Maybe I can help you out! Wait, I'll call my friend to ask about it." He took his phone from his pocket and started to dial a number.

Mikan shook her head, "No no, it's okay! Really, Koko. It's fine!" In actuality, even if she really wanted to get in the company, it would be too much to ask for someone's help. Besides, she already got over it.

Well, trying to.

She tried to stop him from calling but he already had someone on the other line. He shushed her before speaking, "Hey, Nonoko!... How are you? I miss you!... Hehe okay, you caught me. I'll go straight to the point." Koko just winked at Mikan then turned back to his conversation, "Is Anna still working at the Human Resources department?... Oh really? Great! You see I have a friend who missed her interview yesterday... Huh? What? Really?... Okay okay. I'll tell her. Thanks! Bye!" When he put down the phone, he beamed at Mikan, "Everything's solved!"

She blinked, "What do you mean?"

"It means..." He leaned towards her, "You can go to the interview again! For real!"

Mikan asked in disbelief, "Really?"

"Yup! Just wait for their message. I think they're working on it now."

As if on cue, her phone rang once. A message was sent to her phone.

Miss Sakura. Seeing as you weren't able to attend your interview yesterday, this message has been sent to inform you that you are given another chance. The interview will be held tomorrow at the same time. Please proceed to the HR Office. Reply with your full name for confirmation. Thank you.

She shouted in glee, "Koko! My lifesaver!" She immediately messaged back her full name, thanking them for another opportunity.

He smiled, happy for his new-found friend, "It's not really because of-"

"Thank you!" she held his hands, "Thank you! I'll go now! I have to prepare for it! I'll make sure I won't get lost this time!" She swiped the sunglasses off the table, and got her bag. She took off, skipping away happily.

"me..." Koko finished.

Oh well.

He's just glad he was able to help someone out. He noticed though that the sunglasses she had seemed familiar. 'Was that...?' he thought. Then he dismissed that thought immediately, "Nah. It's impossible. It would be too coincidental if that sunglasses turned out to be his."

.

.

.

"In our company, our employees are given a chance to make their own projects. If your project is good enough, the company would help you make that project into a reality. So for your last question. If you are hired, what kind of project would you make?" the interviewer asked.

Before answering the question, Mikan thought hard. A project? A project for who? She really wanted to join this corporation because of the numerous projects they launched that helped the community. She wanted to do the same for a long time now, and she realized that the company would help her in achieving this.

Mikan smiled, "I'll be honest. At the moment, I don't have a specific project in mind. However, I would like my project to be for the greater good of other people. I want to be of service to others, and if you hire me, I will make sure that the company would be known to a lot of people – if not to everyone, as a company that doesn't only think about money. I would make it known that the company would like a lot of people to benefit from its projects as well."

The interviewer smiled back at her, "That was a good answer. Thank you, Ms. Sakura, for coming to the interview."

"No no," she shook her head. "Thank you for giving me another chance, Ms. Anna."

Anna led Mikan out the door, "We would inform you of the results as soon as possible. I hope to see you around, Mikan."

"Me too. Thank you for your time!"

.

Mikan was on cloud nine. She was daydreaming about her interview that morning as she rested at the bench in the park near her apartment. It was one of her favorite spots in the neighborhood. The sun was setting and everything around her was peaceful.

She smiled to herself, glad that everything went to plan accordingly. She closed her eyes and thought about her day. When she saw the interior of Hyuuga Corporations, she already felt happy and at home. The employees were nice and courteous. While waiting for her turn, she heard that the bosses were kind to everyone. A lot of people were also given chances to improve their lives. Taking into account the company's ideals, she was even more convinced that it was the perfect place to work at.

She could only wish for the best.

As she continued ruminating about the company, she suddenly heard a voice.

"Hey."

When she opened her eyes, she was given the surprise of a lifetime. Natsume was there, squatting down in front of her.

She yelped, slapping a hand over her pounding heart. "You scared me."

Natsume smirked at her and stood up. He put his hands inside his jeans pocket. He looked at her with an amused expression. "Who would have thought..." he said.

Mikan merely stared up at him, seeing him in all his glory. She never looked at him properly before because of their unusual meetings. But here, where she can soak in all of him without disturbances, she was surprised at herself for finding him attractive. His raven black hair complemented his complexion. His crimson eyes looked even more amazing. His body looked like it was sculpted to perfection.

This man is handsome, without a doubt.

No.

He is gorgeous.

Feeling his intense gaze at her, Mikan's cheeks turned all shades of red. It was the first time she felt under scrutiny by a beautiful person such as him, and it unnerved her. Realizing that she was ogling him, she shook her head and cleared her 'impure' thoughts. No, she wouldn't let herself get pulled in by his appearance. She was way better than that.

She decided to start the conversation as the silence was becoming unbearable. It was awkward. And so she smiled up to him, the first genuine one she had given ever since they first met. "So, we meet again."

He was taken aback by that. He glanced elsewhere, avoiding her eyes. "Yeah."

Then she stood up and said, "I know I behaved badly the last time we met. And after thinking about it, I just wanted to say sorry for everything. I was out of line.. Well, way out of line."

"That's all you want to say?"

"I know I'm a nobody in your eyes but," She hesitated before she continued, "I want us to start over. Let's forget all the bad things that occurred between us, okay?"

"You want us to be friends?" he asked, surprised.

She clasped her hands and looked at him, her eyes shining. "Yes. We had a bad start, didn't we?" When she saw him looking skeptical, she quickly added, "I'm not being presumptuous! We don't have to be friends friends. I just want us to start over in a clean slate. Let's pretend that I didn't spill my drink all over you and pretend that you didn't drag me away from my interview. And of course, everything else that followed after that." She wanted to say, pretend you didn't kiss me, but she didn't want to make things even more awkward between them.

Natsume contemplated what she said for a moment then he nodded, "Your name?" He uttered it out as if it were foreign words.

She grinned and held out her hand. As she did, she told him, "Oh! You don't have to worry about the interview! Thanks to my friend, I was able to get another one! He really was my lifesaver!"

Natsume was about to shake it but when he heard what she said, his lips turned into a grim line. Annoyed with the turn of events, he turned his back against her and started walking away without a word.

Mikan's mouth twitched. She retracted her hand. She was being nice already! She muttered to herself, "Seriously! I was trying to patch things up and he just walked away?" What is with this person and his mood swings?

When he was a few meters away from her, Mikan suddenly had an idea. She frantically dug out his sunglasses from her bag. Her eyes narrowed at Natsume's retreating figure as she held his belonging in her hand. She knew it was petty but she had to get back at him.

And so, with all her strength, she threw it at the back of his head.

"Ow!"

Bullseye!

She whooped and pumped her fist in the air. She stopped celebrating though when he turned around with a hand over the spot she hit. He yelled, "What the hell?"

"Just returning what's yours!" she yelled back. "And..."

She grabbed her bag from the bench. Before leaving, she continued what she was saying with a finger pointed at her face.

"I'm Mikan Sakura, you jerk!"


AN: Let me hear your thoughts! Reviews please? :)