ALONG THE WAY
By: saihei
Disclaimer: "I know they are cute and sweet but...I DON'T OWN GAKUEN ALICE!
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A/N: Sorry it's too late!
09/16/07
CHAPTER 8: "Hotaru's Warning"
Night at the pub;
Mikan walked inside the staff room. She remembered Natsume, it had been a week since she last saw him, and he had been absent in school ever since that day...
...that day he kissed her.
Mikan sighed and walked over to the mirror placed inside the small room. "God..." She studied her brown eyes and sighed again. "No Sakura Mikan...you're impossible...you can't--"
"Miss Mikan, is there anything wrong?"
Mikan almost jumped as she looked back at the door and saw Andrei standing there. "Anou...good evening Andrei."
Andrei anxiously walked closer to Mikan and watched her eyes nervously looked back at him. "What's wrong? You seems like something is troubling you..."
Mikan shook her head and removed her gaze from Andrei. "No I'm okay, maybe because I'm nervous...you know tomorrow is our final exam for this grading, geez...I'm worried about my literature subject!"
"I see," Andrei partially agreed. "I thought it's about the kiss."
Mikan's eyes bulged out and glared at Andrei. "What kiss?! No one kisses--"
Andrei blinked double. "You don't know? The kiss you did with Natsume Hyuuga? Miss Hotaru let me watched that last night, she told me that it's my reward for being so punctual."
Mikan can't believe it. 'That kiss?! It was supposed to be veiled!' "Pardon me?" She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Y-You mean Hotaru had recorder it? H-How?"
Andrei smiled and shook his head. "I don't know, we both know Miss Hotaru, she's such a very intelligent lady, nothing is impossible to her."
Mikan sighed. 'That's right...nothing is impossible to my devious bestfriend.' "Aside from you, who else watched it?"
Andrei once again shook her head. "Um...I think I'm the only employee here who have come to watched it, Miss Hotaru said that if other employees want to watch it, they need to pay $500, it's quite expensive though."
Mikan growled. "Grrr! That witch...is that how a bestfriend should act?! Damn--"
"Curse me and I'll fire you."
Mikan glared at the newcomer. "Ho-ta-ru..." She paced closer to her and pointed her finger to Hotaru. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! I THOUGHT THAT YOU'RE MY BESTFRIEND?! HOW THE HELL DID YOU COVERED IT?!"
Hotaru slapped Mikan's finger away and signaled Andrei to leave the room, the young man followed and left the two girls.
"Let's talk about this civilly." Hotaru said calmly and sat on one of the chair inside the room.
Mikan grunted and sat on the chair across Hotaru. "I hate you."
"Yeah right and I hate you too." Hotaru replied. "Anyway, first I would like to inform you that Andrei was the only person who had watched that promising scene."
Mikan frowned more; her glare never left Hotaru's impassive face. "Simply because no one can afford the $500..."
Hotaru smiled wickedly. "Well..."
Mikan butt-in. "Just shut-up and hand over the film!"
Hotaru's wicked smiled did not fade. "Calm down, you know me very well Mikan, you can't take me by force, you have to--"
"I don't have money! Now just hand it over!" Mikan said bluntly.
"That's too bad," Hotaru said. "But I know someone who has money, can you guess?"
Mikan turned pale, of course she know that. "Hotaru please...I don't want him to..."
Hotaru's face became serious again. "I know Mikan, now, you listen to me."
Mikan pouted. "You know what; I'm beginning to think that you're not really my bestfriend."
Hotaru nodded. "Hyuuga Natsume is the richest bachelor in the country, I know you're dull-witted but I'm hoping that you know that."
"Of course I do!" Mikan answered irritatingly.
Hotaru nodded. "And you're just a poor girl living with your weak and old grand father, who will soon die and will leave without anything to feed yourself...sorry for the word 'die', but I'm a pragmatist."
Mikan slowly nodded. "What are you trying to say then? Don't worry I am not going to use that jerk, if that's what you're thinking."
"That's what I am thinking Mikan." Hotaru said.
Mikan stare to Hotaru, dumbfounded. "What?"
"Be happy the next word I will say might shock you." Hotaru said seriously. "He can give you a good future Mikan, think about it, if Hyuuga-san will fall for you, you don't have to work here anymore...he's--"
"Shut up." Mikan said strongly. "How could you even think that?"
"Mikan, listen." Hotaru stood up and stared directly to Mikan's eyes. "I won't always be around to help you out of your predicaments; you need someone that can support you in any means...I want to secure your future Mikan, like I did mine."
"I can't understand you," Mikan looked down on the floor. "You're still here so why would I think about that, you won't leave me right?"
Hotaru placed her hand on Mikan's shoulder. "After high school I'll go to America and marry Ruka, by then I am not sure if I can always be here to help you...and I don't like that, I don't even like the way I sound now."
Mikan smiled and looked up to meet Hotaru's lavender eyes. "Thanks, now you're my bestfriend."
Hotaru smiled and nodded. "I want Natsume Hyuuga for you Mikan, he's maybe not the kindest guy of all, but I know that he'll protect you, and you need that."
Mikan confusedly stared at Hotaru. "Hotaru, you know me, I'm a strong girl, I can protect my self."
Hotaru frowned and shook her head. "No Mikan, maybe before you met Natsume but not now." Hotaru removed her hand from Mikan's shoulder and crossed her arms. "I know something that you're not aware of Mikan."
"You can tell me Hotaru." Mikan said.
Hotaru walked closer to the door and locked it. "His brother..."
Mikan frowned perplexedly. "Natsume's brother? I thought he's the only son."
"Now you know that he's not." Hotaru said. "And believe me; he's more evil than me."
"I don't consider you as evil Hotaru, you're just wise." Mikan answered with an assuring smile.
"Kid yourself." Hotaru remarked. "Now listen carefully, this is important."
Mikan nodded. It was very rare for her to see Hotaru like that. "Go on."
Hotaru sighed and sat back on the chair she occupied a while ago and begun. "His name is Persona, he's seven years older than Natsume but he's a very powerful guy."
Mikan nodded to show her interest, Hotaru continued.
"He had been watching you since that day you met Hyuuga Natsume, and he doesn't like it that much." Hotaru said with a little apprehension mingling with her usual bland voice. "He can do anything to satisfy his self, I'm worried that by that time that he'll do something worst, I cannot stand for you, I have no power that can rivaled his, Mikan, even my own family follows their family...that's why you need Natsume."
Mikan incredulously shook her head. "I don't understand..."
"The only person that can protect you against him is Natsume." Hotaru spoke directly.
"If Hyuuga Natsume is the problem, I can easily stay away from him; we don't need to worry about his brother anymore." Mikan contemplated.
"You're not listening." Hotaru said rather vehemently. "Ever since that day that you met Natsume, Persona never left you...because he saw it..."
"What 'it'?" Mikan asked naively.
Hotaru smiled with meaning and proceed. "Natsume's eyes...the special way he gazed at you, that's the 'it', Mikan."
Mikan stare at Hotaru's eyes impassively. She doesn't know what to answer. She doesn't know that. "Special way he gazed at me?"
Hotaru sighed. "Oh yeah, I forgot you're not just stupid, you're also dense."
Mikan frowned and pouted. "Sorry if I'm not as smart as you, at least I am not greedy."
Hotaru shook her head and began pacing closer to the locked door. "Just listen to me Mikan, you're better off with Natsume."
Mikan glared at Hotaru's back and angrily stomped her foot. "Still! I cannot see the reason why the hell you snuck a camera inside the music room and recorded that cursed thing!"
Hotaru looked at Mikan sidewardly and smirked. "I want to have something to blackmail Natsume-kun, so far; that is the best thing I got."
"WHAT?! YOU EVIL--"
"It's time for your shift Mikan, finished whatever thing you're doing and do your job." Hotaru ordered and left Mikan alone inside the staff room.
Mikan sighed when she saw Hotaru closed the door. "Geez...she's so hard to understand." She remembered the thing that Hotaru said.
'...the special way he gazed at you...'
Mikan' frowned and pouted again. "Whatever, he gaze at me like he wants to eat me or kill me, is that what they see special? Those people are nuts!"
Mikan did her apron and went outside to serve drinks in Hotaru's pub again. What she saw on the floor made her lost her breath.
Natsume was there; sitting at his usual table.
"What are you staring at?" Natsume asked with sarcasm as he saw Mikan staring at him.
Mikan gulped and paced closer toward the table.
As expected the place was not well illuminated and people are dancing along with the rhythm of the loud contemporary music. But the lively tune seemed unheard for both of them. Mikan and Natsume could see each other beyond the dim lighted room and their eventful surrounding.
Natsume could sense Mikan's hard breathing as the young girl made her way to him. He just stared.
"Hi." Mikan started as she apprehensively approached Natsume. "You were absent in school."
Natsume finished his third glass of wine and gaped at Mikan. "Are you talking to me?" The Hyuuga heir picked his wine of bottle and filled his empty glass once again.
Mikan frowned. "Why? Can't you hear me well?" She asked innocently as she took into consideration the obvious music surrounding the pub.
Natsume scoffed and empty his glass. "I thought you said that I'm frightening you, aren't you suppose a meter away from me?"
Mikan frown faded and was replaced with a remorseful look. "I didn't mean it that way..."
Natsume remained quiet as Mikan continued. "I...I'm not afraid of you...I'm afraid of what you can do."
Natsume looked up to stare at Mikan's face and began laughing insultingly.
Mikan could feel the scorn emotion that Natsume's laugh displayed. It hurts her ear. "What's so funny?" She asked irritatingly.
Natsume stopped laughing. He straightly drank his wine and once again emptied his glass. He pinned his crimsoned gaze down to his empty glass and began talking. "You know what...I can get any girl I want inside this pub, I'll just smile at them and they'll be all over me in a minute..."
Mikan's eyes narrowed in miff.
Natsume filled his glass again and instantly drank it. After emptying the glass again he put it down on the table with a thud. He smirked as he continued his suspended sentence. "...and they'll love everything I'll do, compared to them..." Natsume gazed up to Mikan's face. "...you're just a servant baka-youjo."
Those words are painful. Mikan could feel her heart ached for that foul speech. That was not the first time that Natsume insulted her, but there was something in his voice that made it sound worst. Though pained, Mikan jerkily stood straight and spoke her mind. "If you'll just insult me, I'll go now and do my job." She turned around and was about to leave when Natsume spoke again. She listened without turning her back.
"But believe it or not," Natsume closed his eyes and focus his eyes on his glass. "...you're the one I want to look at me."
Mikan was dumbfounded. She slowly turned around and found Natsume's eyes straightly looking up to her brown orbs.
"The one I want...is you." Natsume said.
To BE ConTiNueD...
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A/N:
Chapter 9 up!
Sorry guys if this update was so damn late!
It's hard to steal time while doing the work hehe!
Anyway guys, I really enjoyed reading your reviews, those are very effective energizers!
Thanks again everyone!
REVIEWS PLEASE!!!
