Both of them rivet on the laying man.

"Natsume, you finally...arrive." he talks in gasps. the white dew is visible everytime he breathes.

Natsume chuckles darkly "You've got to be kidding me. What kind of acting do you put this time?"

"Natsume!" the brunette yells at him. Hearing the old man coughs, she quickly sits next to him. She's going to change the water after looking at the washbasin if the maid doesn't come to help her with that.

"Change it with a warm water instead, please, and thanks in advance."

"Right away, Miss" The maid walks out the room then comes back in a short time with the desirable thing. Mikan after that squeezes the towel then places it on the old man's forehead.

"Natsume is tired now, Grandpa, but he is really here. You don't have to worry anymore." She says with a tender smile even though the grandpa himself refuses to look at her.

"If it's not because of her, I wouldn't go back here. You should thank her." Natsume frowns then walks out of his room.

"I'm really thankful that you brought Natsume back, Mikan" the beautiful lady says with hoarse voice. The girl can tell she's been crying.

"No, I'm just making the way. Natsume is stubborn in this kind of situation." She still smiles "You can sleep now,Grandma. I'll take care of grandpa now."

"But, how did you..." She can't continue her words when Mikan smiles. How can this girl notice her not bat an eye lid this past few days. So she can just follow her advice and go to the other bedroom.

A long silent comes between them. The old man is actually pretending to sleep.

"Natsume is so lucky to have a caring grandparents." He can tell her sad smile.

"Caring or scaring? Are you insulting me?" The old man suddenly says. Her eyes show how much she surprises.

"Ah, I'm sorry to wake you up, Sir." She says politely.

"..."

"..."

"What did you do to soften that boy's heart?" he suddenly asks due to curiousity.

She rolls her eyes, searching for an answer "I didn't do anything. I'm just being his friend"

"I'm telling you once again. If you're targeting on Hyuuga corporation's wealth, you won't get it that easily by only marrying that boy. I'll still marry him to my friend's granddaughter."

She doesn't know why her heart feels poignant. She never experience this kind of feeling before meeting Natsume. "I know, Sir."

"If you know, leave me alone now. I don't know if you change my medicine with poison instead."

Her heart hurts more. It reminds her of her previous life with Serio's family. Feeling untrustworthy, dumped.

"I won't do it" she blurts out "I won't do such a low—"

"You want to kill me right now?"

"Why are you suspecting me? Is that your behaviour to suspect another without evidence?" her tears is threatening to fall. His tired eyes watch her in silence.

"..."

"I know you are a loving person, but you don't want to show it to others, the same with Natsume." She continues talking "He cares for you because you're the only family he has right now."

"He hates me already after their parents death."

"He's just being stubborn."

"What do you know about stubborn?"

"I'd been stubborn too by refusing other's kindness, because I've suspected them to treat me badly. I didn't want to be treated that way ever again."she looks into his blood shot eyes, just like Natsume.

"What do you mean?"

"Natsume has known my story. I shouldn't tell you. You'll pity me or suspect me to draw your interest which I didn't."

"..."

"I have so many sparseness before and Natsume helped me to fill the gap." She stands up "I guess you've gotten better now. I should be leaving you like you've asked me. You need a good rest."

"That's why I hate having a granddaughter." The old man frowns slightly

Before she's completely gone, she gave him her appealing tooty smile "You can consider me as your grandson instead, I used to be a tomboy after all." She closes the door behind her then sighs.

"What were you talking about with him?" Suddenly a manly voice talks, making her eyes snaps open and turns left. She finds him leaning against the wall.

"Why are you curious?" She smiles.

"Just asking" he denies

She laughs "He thought I'd poisoned him."

"That old man is really—"

"He's just being paranoid, just like you."

"Are you pissing me off?"

She laughs harder looking at his attitude "At least I've fixed his negative thinking toward me. What time is it?"

"3 a.m"

She yawns "That's why I feel so sleepy. Good night, Natsume, or should I say morning instead?"

He remembers that she hasn't been sleeping the whole day yesterday for packing, Christmas preparation, and taking care of his grandpa "I'll go with you to your bedroom."

"Are you being a pervert again? Go to your own room!"

"I just want to have a little chat." He rolls his eyes.

She narrowed her eyes "O..kay then."

Once they arrive, she quickly throws herself to the bed "I never thought I'll miss this bed."

"Are you saying that you miss me?"

"In your dream, dude"

He sighs "That nickname again.."

She giggles. Later, she breaks the moment of silence by yawning "What are we gonna talk about?"

"You, to sleep." He speaks like an order to her.

"You're right" she yawns again "Aren't you sleepy either?"

"I've slept by the time you took care of the old man."

"Okay then" she closes her eyes. In a short time, she's already fallen asleep.

"Idiot" he smiles a little then crawls on to her bed to sleep next to her.

|Hotaruyuzuka|

She moans when she feels a slight caress. She still shrugs it off after a few caresses. Getting annoyed, she yells without opening her eyelid

"Whoever you are, stop it! That's annoying!"

"Wake up, Dear."

"I won't give a damn even if you're a freaking ghost or—" her eyes widened once she realized the voice. That's not a ghost, she knows this husky voice's belong to.

"Nah, that's better" His smirks and crimson eyes is the first thing she saw.

"Holy crap!" she quickly rises from her sleep "What are you doing in my bed?"

"Not my." He mentions her "But my." He points at himself

She snorts "Yeah, right."

"But soon, It'll be ours" he smirks wider while caressing the back of her head.

Her eyes widened "Stop all the teasing, Natsume" she pushes him. Why does she feel different when she's with him now? It's not that they've changed a lot, right?

Right. She thinks.

"Mikan, I wanna talk—" his grandma suddenly bursts into her room. Her eyes capture the two figures on her bed, then she chuckles "Have fun you two. I'll talk later."

"What?" She accidentally blushes and he enjoys every second of watching her. Natsume's smirk gets wider. He really should thank his grandma.

"She has allowed us" he pulls her back to sleep together with him.

"Let me go, you pervert!" she pushes him away then runs outside.

"That's girls insulting word, Dear." He says to himself, much to his enjoyability.

|Hotaruyuzuka|

"Natsume, since I'm still sick, you have temporary licence to be the owner the company."

"I hope the temporary will last forever" He says flatly with a slight of annoyance.

"Please, Natsume. Forgive my mistakes." Natsume's eyes widened, but he manages to hide it well. This is the first time that old man of him apologizing.

"I hope you really mean it." He turns to walk out the room.

"Natsume's shock" Mikan suddenly says subconsciously.

"You really understand him, Mikan." The grandma smiles behind her.

"Ah, good afternoon, Grandma."

"The maid says you're sleeping with Natsume until noon." She glances at the clock which shows 1 P.M.

"You got it wrong" she wags her hands to make it clear "He fell asleep in my room after a little chat early in the morning. I was out of Grandpa's bedroom at 3 a.m."

Her eyes slightly widened "You've got to be kidding me. Then you should rest more."

"No, no, I've been feeling better now. After all, Grandma needs it more than I do. I'll take care of him again today."

She shakes her head "I really have slept so much last night thanks to you. Let's treat him together, shall we?"

"What am I? Girls' toy?" the old man frowns

"Shut up, Honey. You won't be healed if you keep insulting others." The ageless grandpa says to him with a slight annoyance in her voice. The grandpa just turns his head away. Looking at the scene, Mikan can only sweatdrops secretly.

|Hotaruyuzuka|

"Where is she?"

"Grandma is sleeping, Sir. It's 10 p.m already."

"..."

"Aren't Natsume going home quite late?"

"He'll stay at the office. Everytime we have a work, we'll stay at the office until the work's done."

She nods to hear that "At least I have another person that looks like him"

"Are you insulting me again?"

She laughs a bit "But Grandpa is having the same attitude with Natsume. Your appearance too." She looks at his crimson eyes and raven hair.

"The Hyuuga has the dominant gene."

"It's funny to think a dad like Natsume." She's motioning her eyeballs, thinking.

"It's a mom. Natsume's mom is a Hyuuga, not his dad. Since we only have one daughter and the company needs the next owner, we asked his father to change his family name instead and he's okay with that" He corrected.

"Really?" She says, almost yelling "That sure is something."

"..."

"..."

"I asked them to go everseas with private jet. Managing the branch office." His words attracts her "I never thought they will have such accident."

"Don't blame yourself. It's all ruled by God and he knows the best for us." she remembers saying the same words to the younger Hyuuga. The old man stunned by her words.

"Nah, I think you're sleepy now." she removes the towel, dips it into the washbasin, squeezes it, then places it back to his forehead until it covers his eyes too. "I'll see you tomorrow, Grandpa. Get well soon. Grandma will be so happy to hear that."

"That boy surely doesn't want me to get well quickly."

She laughs "You love to joke, huh? I'll take care of him for you. Good night, Grandpa"

"That's annoying, Brat" she laughs harder by his words then walks out of the room.

"But I think I'll let you take care of him" he secretly smiles, the thing he hasn't done for a long time.

|Hotaruyuzuka|

"The weather is terrific today, Grandpa!"

"I'm not your Grandpa"

"But you are Natsume's Grandpa and I'm his friend. So I'll just call you that." She happily opens the curtain.

"..."

"By the way, Grandma is going somewhere early in the morning. I don't know the reason nor where she went to." She says in a slight confusion. But he knows where she goes. She's going to arrange the new year party in Hyuuga mansion. Actually a surprise party for her. He's told Natsume to choose his own fiancee candidate and then ordered him to announce her as his fiancee this new year.

"Hey, get me a glass of water."

"Okay." She grabs the empty glass from the table and walks outside. When she's walking back to his room, suddenly her sight blurring.

"Am I lack of sleep again?" She mumbles.

"Miss Mikan, may I help you? You look pale." One of the maid greets her

"Thank you very much, but I can do it by myself" she smiles at her then continues walking.

|Hotaruyuzuka|

"What took you so long?"

"I don't know either." She whispers to herself. Suddenly, she losses her balance. Making the glass on her hand fall broken.

"You—" he wants to yell at her but his eyes widened instead. She pratfalls in the middle of the broken glass.

"Watch out, your hand is bleeding because of the glass!" he subconciously descended from his bed. His maids burst into the room when they heard him yelling.

"Miss Mikan is faint, Sir. Her temperature is so high!" One of them says in panic. The others clean the broken glass carefully.

The first time in his life, The Goshima Hyuuga is not calling his grandson due to matters of work "Natsume, your—" He sounds pleading and panic "Mikan fell unconcious! I didn't do anything to her, she's just—" Before he finished talking, the phone has been rang off and he isn't angry this time.

"Take her to her room immediately." He orders the maids.

|Hotaruyuzuka|

"She doesn't have any serious illnesses. She's just tired, overwrought to be exact. But, if it's continued, It might be endangered her liver." The personal doctor of Hyuuga family says.

Natsume holds her hands tightly. It's cold, but her face is so hot "She has fainted for the freaking three times already. Isn't that risky?"

"She pushes herself too much. Here's the prescription. It'll help her to relax and sleep well so she'll recover fast. I think this girl is an active type person."

Natsume just looks at her peaceful sleeping face.

"Now I'll excuse myself. I hope Miss Mikan will recover soon."

"Okay, thanks for your concern, Doc."

"..."

"Natsume, I'll go out now. Take care of her." The old man says after grabs him on the shoulder mindfully.

A long silence fills the entire room before Natsume speaks "It's unusual for me to begin a conversation."

"..."

"You are the only one that can shock me to death in only a short time."

The girl is breathing calmly as an answer.

"Two days to go before the party and I haven't propose to you."

"..."

"You should at least be surprised or yelled at me, damn it." He tightened his grip still with care.

|Hotaruyuzuka|

She slowly opens her eyes. The curtain has been closed. She quickly wakes up, resulting the sensation of stabbing pain in her head.

She groans while touching her head "What has happened to me?"

"You finally wake up, damn it! Don't you know how long you've slept?" Suddenly her body hugged by the yelling man. She finds out later that it's Natsume who slept next to her the whole day.

"I feel like dying." She groans again

"Here's your medicine. Before that, you need to eat first." He takes a bowl of porridge from the tray "Here." Then he feeds her

She looks at the spoon and him "Are you sick? Why do you suddenly care?"

"Geez, just eat it already." He forces her to open her mouth, which later she is obliging.

He feeds her with care in silence. She doesn't know what to chat about.

"Can you at least talk or something? It's annoying." The boy suddenly says

"What? You finds me annoying even when I'm silent? The nerve of you" she frowns, which he thinks it's cute.

"Nah, that's better" he smiles slightly. She blushes then turns her face from him subconciously.

He realizes her habit "Why are you suddenly quiet?" he teases

"Because there's nothing to talk about." She replies shortly

He puts the bowl back then takes a piece of paper from his pocket "Lucky me then. There is something I wanna discuss with you." He opens the fold "You still remember our deal ,right?"

"Of course I do, that will be troublesome if I don't" she don't know why her tongue feels bitter when she said that.

"Can you tell me the contents?"

"I'll be your fake wive. Then after you've gotten the ownership of Hyuuga Corporation, we'll get divorce and you'll give me the appropriate amount of money that has been written in the agreement."

"Nice memory." He handed the agreement to her "Will you still do the deal for me?"

She's almost speechless by his sudden question, but she manages to reply "As long as I can help you, It'll be fine." Her heart hurts more than his head and she doesn't know the reason a single bit.

Suddenly he trapped her between her bed and his body "Sadly, I don't wanna do it any longer."

Her eyes widened "So you'll expel me again?" she doesn't aware of her already tremble voice. She feels like she wanna cry.

He touch her tremble lips with his thumb "What's the matter? Are you crying?"

She slaps his hand from her and manages to push him then sits herself "Stop playing with me. Just tell me what your plan is." She frowns. But the pain in her heart still hasn't stopped.

"Listen to me first. It's not that I want to expel you." He completely trapped her again between him and the wall "And stop avoiding my gaze." He touches her jaw so she doesn't have any choice but to look at him. Her eyes almost widened again when meeting his. That crimson eyes look begging. Begging with the slight of amusement and seriousness.

"Wh-what?" she looks away again. Damn, he won't get enough of that habit.

"Here's the revision of our deal." He handed her another paper.

Once it is on her hand, she reads it out loud "I, Mikan Sakura will accept the prososal of marriage from the next heir of Hyuuga Corporation named Natsume Hyuuga. No rejecting. If—"

"If you do then I'll just force you to accept it." He immediately kisses her. He parts her not ready lips and roams inside. She can only moan by his action until he lets go. She gasps. It's a mystery why Natsume can breathe normally and smirk after that "Now sign it."

"A-are you saying that you've just proposing to me?"

"What else?"

"That's not a proposal to a woman, Bastard! That's one sided order!"

"So, you're considering yourself as a girl now?" he teases her more. Once again she turns her face away

"You are the one who has turned me like this" she mumbles while signing the paper, but he can hear it.

"Here is the gift for our engagement or should I say boyfriend and girlfriend relationship for this moment?" he places a pearl decorated ring to her ring finger. She looks at the ring and him repeatedly, still hard to believe. "For the package, don't open it until I ask you to."

"For how long?"

"Not too long, you just have to wait for two days."

"What is it exactly?" she asks curiously

"Open it, and you'll know the consequences."

Looking at his threatening voice, she can only close her mouth and turn her attention to the beautiful ring.

"Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful." she smiles subconciously

"Do you like me?"

"I'm not sure." Her reply makes him irk. It's not that he's overconfidence. From the way she acts, he knows that she likes him. The fact that she doesn't reject his proposal is clear enough. But that clumsy brain of her hasn't realized it yet.

"Do you have any objection for the deal?" he asks once again

"No, I think."

Sometimes he really wants to ask whether she loves him or not.

|Hotaruyuzuka|

The new year party begins at 10 p.m on the 31st of December in Hyuuga mansion. Once again, the representatives of Hyuuga's partner and subsidiary companies come, but it's not as formal as the previous party. Natsume wearing coat, pants and shiny shoes in black. He wears white shirt under the coat. Being Natsume, he doesn't button up the first button of his shirt.

The heir of Hyuuga Corporation looks around, searching for a certain brunette. She won't be walking down from the staircase anymore. She will appear between the guests because he has solved the previous gossip and published that Mikan Sakura has officially engaged with Natsume Hyuuga, the next owner of Hyuuga Corporation.

"You look gorgeous!" he hears Koko's voice. His gaze turns to a bunch of guys he knows. The blond and his spiky haired friend with almost the same hair colored, the dark long haired man with the slightly oranges haired man and the dark spiky haired man. And five of them are centring around a brunette girl. His brunette to be exact.

"Thanks." she smiles happily. That white dress is his gift for their engagement. He is really thankful that it fits her perfectly, eventhough he didn't know her size when he bought it. She doesn't wear any accessories except that pearl decorated ring on her left ring finger. Her natural make-up and milky white heels complete her dress.

"You looks really beautiful!" Tono exclaims in excitement. He's going to hug her when suddenly someone pulls her away from him

"Don't you dare." He sounds threatening then dragged her with him.

"What was that all about?" she asks, a little angry

"Is that wrong for someone to take over his girlfriend from other guys?" He blurts out. Her eyes widened. A second after, she turns away her gaze. He examines her appearance, she turns her long brunette to a messy hair bun which he finds it pretty.

"Don't act cute, or I'll kiss you" he teases while caressing her face. Her jaw drops much to her surprise. He almost bursts to laugh by seeing her. He chuckles and smirks instead. She frowns cutely while still blushing.

"S-stop teasing me, Natsume."

He smiles "It's almost midnight. Let's go to the balcony" he holds her hand gently. Once they arrive there, they can talk freely without anyone's attention to them. They're never tired of talking with each other, until the MC starts the countdown.

"10..!"

"Let's go inside and join the countdown" she pulls him, but he stands still.

"9..!"

"8..!"

He pulls her instead to his embrace.

"7..!"

"6..!"

"Natsume?"

He smiles.

"5..!"

"4..!"

"There will be fireworks outside. The view from here is the greatest." He says

"3..!" she began the countdown

"Come on, Natsume! 2..!"

"1..!" and the trumpets blown everywhere

"Happy Ne—"

Before she finishes her words, he kisses her tenderly

"Happy birthday" her eyes widened

"How did you.."

"I have my way." He removes the ring from her finger and replace it with the more extravagant diamond ring "Nah, that'll match mine." How did he know that she likes diamond better than the more expensive pearl?

"Will you marry me?" he continues

Her eyes now widened as wide as a saucer "I beg your pardon?"

He smirks instead to hear her reaction "Will you, my girlfriend Sakura Mikan, marry me?"

Her jaw drops "Are you kidding me? It's too soon for Pete's sake!"

"Stop being dramatic, Idiot. Just say yes."

She sighs "There's no 'No' too, huh?" but she gives him a hug because she feels like crying now. her heart beats too fast. she never imagined someone to congratulate her on her birthday after Narumi's gone to America. Not also as sweet as this.

"I'll take that as a Yes then" he hugs her back with smile.

"We even haven't said Happy new year to each other." She mumbles in his embrace which is him the only one who can hear it.

"I'll congratulate you first, before it or anything else, every year."

Her grip gets tighter on his coat.

"Happy new year, Dude" her voice's hoarse

"Happy new year, Birthday girl." He caresses her sweet tangerine fragrant hair.

|Hotaruyuzuka|

1st of January. His grandpa is taking over the company again, so Natsume's staying at home. Later, he is grateful for his grandpa not asking him to come to the office because Shouda family keeps calling the office for explanation about Natsume and Mikan's engagement news. The old man said sorry to them in a harsh way, telling them that they actually aren't his friend's granddaughter.

As a matter of fact, he has lost his old friend's number and he has just asked his subordinate to search it in his old document. His friend's name is Kazu, but he forgot his family name. He remembers it ended with 'A'. Not Shouda... Sakura? I don't think so. A.. Surira? Sukira? What the hell? In the end of the day, he is pissed by his own senility.

|Hotaruyuzuka|

How romantic~! *snort*

I'm sorry if it's not good enough for a long duration update.

By the way, this is Mikan's dress that is given by Natsume. I think it's pretty

http:/ static. thehollywoodgossip. com/images/gallery/natalie-portman-dress. Jpg