My childhood friend loves me

Dedicated to: Hana no Uta


"First love is not about being foolish, but being curious"


Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice is not mine. Higuchi tachibana-sama owns it.


Previously:

I tried to approach her but she ran off, tears flowing on her red cheeks. I eyed Kato as I eyed my friends.

His face, regretful and guilty.

To be continued…

End of act six…


Act seven: jealousy and misunderstandings

I elbowed him at his ribs causing him to wince in pain.

"I'll go after her first,"

After that I ran away from him, tailing my best friend who ran away after seeing the two of us going out from their patisserie shop.

I was looking for her everywhere but I haven't found her yet. Then it occurred to me that the only place that I haven't look yet was the playground-the place were we first met- I ran there as fast as I can, praying on the way that she's there. I don't want her to misunderstand things. I know how it feels to be like that and I don't want to see her eyes dull and regretful ever again. I got there on time. She was there,

Swinging herself back and forth on a slow motion. She was looking down, her skirt, wet from all the crying she did. I approached her slowly and cautiously. She felt my presence beside her and she stood up from abruptly.

She eyed with which such anger and frustration but that didn't make me feel discouraged. I slowly closed the distance between us. I pulled her into a hug, saying my sorry while doing so. She didn't say anything and I presumed that by then she understand what had happened but after I broke my hug, I felt her hand against my warm cheeks.

She slapped me.

I looked down for a while, and met her gaze, her tears started to drip down one by one. Her face was confused and angry at the same time.

"Don't tell me that you're sorry even though you're not!" she shouted right on my face.

I stayed quiet.

"I didn't mean to hurt you hotaru," I was reaching my hands for her arm, but she slapped it away. "You misunderstood everything, I was, we were talking about you. I heard it from anna and the others that Kato…"

I didn't continue my explanation after seeing her expression.

Hard and flustered. She was listening to me but a part of her was projecting that she was hurt enough to listen and remember her past. I continued talking.

"he….loves you very much hotaru, he's willing to protect you, to protect you even if it means that he'll have to face his own parents, he cherishes you." I can see her violent side through her violet eyes but that didn't stop me from saying what we really talked about.

"it was his…regret that he let his parents hurt you before. He was deeply affected on how your relationship turned up side down…"

I stopped to wait for her response. Violence got the best of her. She started shouting saying that "you'll never understand what really happened! You just came here. You know nothing about me,"

She was right. I don't know anything about her and I made me feel bad. I stared at her with such tenderness and understanding that she calmed down a bit..

"I know… that I don't… know anything about you, and now that I am aware of it, I'll try my best to get to know you, your important to me hotaru," I started crying too.

She was quiet and composed then she said "don't sympathize with me, I don't need it. This is between Kato and I.." saying Kato's name brought her caring and gentle side but for a second there, it felt like saying his name is very difficult for her.

"I know. But let me clarify things first hotaru, nothing's going on between us, nothing."

She was silent but her face was still rough. Dubious and anger filled.

I started walking away far from her. I give up. She didn't listen to anything that I said and I hurt her.

"Mikan!!"

I turned to see who it was, it was Kato.

I didn't mumble anything as I passed him. He held on my arm and said, "Stay here. Im going to need your presence with me," he smiled.

I stared at him wide eyed. The left corner of his lips were bruised, blood oozing.

"What happened?"

"Your boyfriend sure can throw punches huh?" his voice was mocking, teasing me.

"He punched you?!" I shouted at him.

"Easy there girl, we'll deal about it later, now we need to talk to 'her'"

I nodded and together we walked towards her.

She cringed at the sight of us being near.

"I think I should-," he cut me off..

"NO!" his voice was defined.

"but-,"

"I'll clear things up, sorry for the trouble," he whispered on my ear.

His warm and sweet voice sent shivers on my back I ended up blushing for the third time while with him.

"That's fine." I said at him. My voice relaxed and tense at the same time.

We walked continuously and stopped in front of her.

"What happened to your cheek? It looks kind of swollen."

"Your GIRLFRIEND sure can slap hard ne?" I mocked him the same way as he mocked me.

"Im sorry," he mumbled.

"It's fine! I deserve it anyway," I smiled.

"Hotaru," he called.

She stared at him, irritated and humiliated at the same time.

"What?!" I guess she was furious by my presence near him.

"We need to talk," his voice was hard, face serious.

"There's nothing to talk about." she was trying to avoid his mesmerizing look.

He grabbed her by the arm on time. She was trying to get away from him. Trying to think about the past they had-the past of being together-

He pulled her into a hug and she resumed crying. I never realized that hotaru is a fragile girl, a fragile girl that needs someone else's company.

I heard him mumbling words of sincere apology which made her cry louder. I eyed them hugging with such passion and honesty that I decided to walk away from them, farther.

The last thing I saw was he kneeling down in front of her, kissing her hand.

I walked home, crying and happy at the same time. My heart sank after I remembered all of their reaction at the sight of Kato and I being together. I felt horrible for hurting natsume, who I know loves me so much and I hate how I became so oblivious on things that I needs to be left out. I shouldn't have been so nosy but I realized that what I did a while ago cannot be undo anymore. What I did a while will change someone else's life.

I found myself standing in front of my house. The long walk that I did from the playground to here was fast. My thoughts of how selfish and selfless I am occupied me.

I saw natsume sitting in front of my house. Silent yet upset. I approached his side quietly, trying to surprise him but things turned the other way around. He surprised me. His grip on my arms was forceful and powerful. I winced as i welcome pain silently just because I deserve it. his ruby eyes were flaming, flaming in anger.

"What was that all about?!" he demanded. His voice husky and defined.

"Nothing. I just helped them." I said calmly.

"What do you mean nothing?! What if you got hurt?!"

I can understand that he was concern. I can understand that he cherishes me so much that he'll die for me but what I cant understand was that why cant he understand that the one I just helped was no stranger to me?

"I can't just leave them natsume. They're important to me. They're as important as you are in my life. I can't afford to just let them suffer like that. You know that natsume, you know that." My voice was slowly rising from its normal pitch. I found myself arguing with natsume.

"They'll ask you for help if they want to, but don't just come barging into other people's businesses, mikan."

"I know that natsume. I know that."

"Then why-," I cut him off.

"Its hotaru where talking about here natsume, my best friend. We all now how silent and independent she is. But after seeing her eyes full of hurt and regret, I just can't stand there, and stare could I, natsume, could I?" I can't help myself to shout. His far too reasonable than me, but what we're talking about isn't my safety, it's I helping hotaru.

He stood there silent but looking down. He loosen his grip on my arms and turned around "maybe they're more important that I am," his voice was low, almost a whisper but I heard it 100 clear. I started crying.

"That's not it," I cried.

He turned to meet my watery eyes.

"It's all a misunderstanding natsume. You know who's the most important person to me right? Why won't you understand? Im just trying to help them, to lessen their burdens yet-," he cut me off and pulled me into a hug.

His arms were strong and warm as usual but this time its soothing, almost relaxing.

He kissed my hair and we stayed liked that for a while.

We both didn't care if someone was watching.

"Im sorry, Im sorry," he whispered.

I continued crying until I ran out of tears.

Tears of disappointment, relief, and happiness poured. My salty tears messed his shirt up, but he didn't care. As long as we're together and good everything's going to be fine.

I looked up at him. I stretched my toes to reach him up. I captured his lips just in time before he could talk.

My kiss on him was sweet, gentle, and ordinary. There's no tongue wrestling, no nothing. We want to take things slowly and surely.

"Im sorry, hon," I mumbled as I rest my head on his granite, and comforting chest.

"Sorry."

He escorted me as I went inside the house. I was glad that everything turned out fine. His hand was on my waist but I didn't mind. I know that he won't do something perverted on me. Or at least for the mean time.

I was about to go and enter the kitchen when I suddenly felt dizzy and I lost balance. It was a good thing that he was there to catch my weight. He touched my forehead which I flinched after feeling his ice cold hands.

"Your cold." I said, still in his arms.

"Your burning hot idiot!" the last thing I remember was his panic filled face. His ruby eyes wide and shock.

"No, no, Im fine" was the last thing I said before I lost my consciousness.

I woke up later that night. One thirty in the morning to be exact. I felt his hand touching mine and I saw him sleeping innocently on my side. Near the bed table was a small blue basin filled with a big block of ice and another spare face towel. I then felt the cold numbing feeling from my forehead, it was the other face towel, wet and has been sitting on my burning temple not so long ago.

I saw his eyes open. He yawned and stretched. He started scolding me on how careless I had been this past few days which was true because I have been studying hard to pass all of my exams.

Our hands are still touching as he asked me how I was feeling. I smiled at him convincingly saying that I'm fine and I can go to school later but he immediately said NO causing me to pout. He chuckled on my face, telling me how "childish" I was. And I laughed too.

My back was resting against the bed's hardwood. For a whole minute, I tighten my grip on his hand causing him to stare at me directly and seriously. After letting it go he asked, "What's the matter?"

"Nat,"

"Hmm?" his face was smooth, unreadable.

"Someone confessed to me, during lunch time," I said in a calm voice. Looking up on the ceiling as if something's there to read.

"Who?" he was calm, calmer than I thought.

"Uhm,"

"Hmm?"

"Ruka"

His features stiffened and he didn't say anything, causing my heart to race sky high.

"Natsume?"

"What did he said to you?" his face was blank.

"Nothing. He just told me that he likes me,' my answer calm and more to the point.

"oh,"

End of act seven


a/n: that was a fast update.. hee hee XD

anyway, hope you like this act..
to be honest, for my "search for the next hyuuga bride" readers, Im having a hard time writing a well thought ending. An ending that you'll all like so give me a little more of ur patience, onegai! XD
sorry for this..


Preview: act eight: my sick little fiancée

"You idiot, why didn't you tell us?"

"Uhm, memory gap?"

"Ha-ha, funny mikan, funny!"

"Im sorry"

"Thanks mikan! I love you!"

"Uhm…"


For this chap's and last chap's reviews, thanks!!