Mikan had to bit her lower lip so that no noise would escape her mouth. Her face was blushing bright red as she tried to control her breathing. Mikan wanted to run away but Natsume had his arms around her waist, making her unable to escape. Mikan could feel her heart beating a million beats per second. If he doesn't stop, her heart is going to explode!

"N-N-Natsume, s-s-stop! S-Somebody w-will see u-us!"

"Hn,"

Natsume only answered carelessly as he continued to kiss Mikan's nape, leaving wet trails that made Mikan shivered. Mikan's breath caught in her throat when Natsume bit a particularly sensitive spot. Mikan could taste blood when she bit her lower lip harder as she tried desperately to stop herself from allowing any noise escaped her.

Natsume suddenly stopped and lifted his head. Mikan felt as if her heart stopped for a moment when his piercing ruby eyes looked straight at her eyes. Slowly, his hand caressed the bite mark on Mikan's neck. Natsume leaned in so that his mouth was on her ear. Mikan flinched a little.

"If you're not careful, someone might see this," Natsume whispered in her ears.

Immediately, Mikan's hand when to the bite mark and her eyes widen. Natsume leaned back so that he was staring at Mikan's eyes again before leaning in again, this time, to her lips. Mikan was frozen to the spot. Mikan willed herself to move but her body disobeyed her. Mikan unconsciously closed her eyes when Natsume's lips were almost touching hers.

"Mikan-chan!"

Both of them immediately broke apart when they heard a voice calling out to Mikan. Mikan immediately distanced herself from Natsume as she tried to control her ragged breathing. Natsume shoved his hands into his pockets and casually went to his seat as if nothing happened. At the class door, Nonoko was coming with an excited look of her face. At the last second, Mikan remembered about that bite mark and immediately covered it with her hair.

Nonoko was rushing towards her way with a flyer in her hand with a bright smile on her face. The others were following behind her.

"Mikan-chan! Look! There's a festival this Saturday! It's gonna be so much fun! Everyone else is going too! Let's go together!" Nonoko said excitedly while showing Mikan the flyers in her hand. Mikan took the flyers and read it.

It was a summer festival.

Mikan couldn't control herself as an excited smile broke out. However, just as quickly it came, it quickly disappeared. Mikan was quick to kill the excitement in her mind.

'You can't go,'

Mikan reminded herself bitterly. She had work on that day. Mikan's fringes covered her eyes as she continued to smile that fake smile.

"I'm sorry, Nonoko-chan. I don't think I can go this week. I'll look at my schedule again to see if I'm free at that time or not. I'm really sorry, Nonko-chan!" Mikan apologized with an apologetic smile.

Mikan flinched a little when she saw the disappointment in her eyes.

"Mikan-chan can't go?" Anna asked.

Sadly, Mikan shook her head.

"It's not like I can't go! Maybe I was wrong and am actually free at that day! I'll try to check my schedule again, okay?" Mikan tried to persuade the pouting Nonoko and Anna.

Beside them, Hotaru was looking suspiciously at her best friend.

Ruka went to Natsume's seat and seat at his usual seat.

"Ne, Natsume, don't you think Mikan-chan is acting weird lately?" Ruka asked while patting his rabbit and eyeing Mikan suspiciously.

"Hn,"

After Nonoko and Anna finally stopped pouting, Nonoko said something that made Mikans heart skipped a beat,

"Mikan-chan, you look so pretty with your hair down!"

Mikan tilted her head to the side so that more hair would cover the bite mark as Nonoko examined her hair intently.

"Yeah, Mikan-chan! You look so pretty!" This time, it was Anna who spoke up.

Anna extended her hand to touch Mikan's hair. Images flashed in front of Mikan's eyes. Her father hitting her, her mother slapping her. Both of them had their hands reached out to her. They wanted to hurt her. Unconsciously, Mikan took a step back with fear in her eyes. Anna's hand stopped mid-air when all of them saw Mikan's reaction.

Mikan snapped into reality when Ruka called out to her with concern in his voice,

"Mikan-chan?"

Mikan looked around when she saw everyone looking at her. Her face blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something else," Mikan said with a sheepish smile.

Everyone nodded in understanding. They settled in their seats when Jinno-sensei entered the class. While Jinno-sensei was teaching, Mikan's mind wondered off to the festival. The delicious food and the pretty fireworks and the exciting games and the cute toys and...

Suddenly, Mikan's eyes widen as realization struck her. She took the flyer that Nonoko gave her earlier and read it carefully. She read over and over again and her face paled. Horror sneaked its way to Mikan's heart as she lost her grip on the flyer.

She had to do her first live concert at the same festival.

They're going to find out.

"Sing," he commended coldly.

Obediently, Mikan did what he ordered her to and sang. In the middle of the song, Mikan accidently sang too high. It was only a moment but Mikan knew that her father heard it. Mikan didn't have time to prepare herself when a kick sunk into her stomach that knocked out the air in her lungs. Mikan fell as she gasped for air. Pain exploded at her stomach where her father had kicked her.

"I was right yesterday, you aren't as useless as I thought, you're even more useless! Maybe I was wrong letting you off early yesterday, oh well, everybody makes mistakes. Next time, I'll make sure it won't happen again. Oh, and remember, if I am not satisfied with your performance you are not the only who will pay the price. I wonder if your favorite 'big brother' enjoy being burn again?"

Mikan heart stopped when she heard that last sentence.

'No! Not Persona-nii!'

"Now, sing,"

Despite the pain gnawing in her stomach, Mikan forced herself to stand up and sing. Mikan had to sing for 4 hours until he was satisfied.

"Do not humiliate me this Saturday or else I can not guarantee 'his' safety,"

Mikan collapsed as soon as he left the room. Tears blurred her vision and her body shook uncontrollably.

'I'm sorry, Persona-nii,'

Right now, Mikan wished she had her mask back. When one of the workers saw her wearing her mask on the third day of work, she was forbidden to wear it during practice. She was only allowed to wear it during concerts.

And this Saturday would be her first since that incident.

"Wow~ It's so pretty!" Aoi's face sparkled in excitement as she dragged the very reluctant Natsume Hyuuga.

Behind them, Anna and Nonoko giggled at Aoi's excitement with Hotaru blank face beside them. Youichi, who was walking beside Ruka, silently let out a sigh of relief that he was not the one being dragged by Aoi but a part of him pitied Natsume.

Suddenly, Aoi stopped on her tracks. She turned around to face her brother and smiled. Natsume immediately groaned. He knew that smile. That smile always means she wanted him to do something.

"Ne, Natsume-nii, I want that kitty!" Aoi said excitedly and pointed to a shooting stall that had a pink kitten.

"Do it yourself," Natsume grumbled.

Slowly, Aoi's smile turned into a smirk that made everyone -except Hotaru- flinched. A smirk that looked exactly like Natsume's.

"I want that kitty, Natsume-nii... or else I'll tell everyone what I saw inside your drawer in your ro-"

Aoi's sentence was cut short when Natsume covered her mouth with his hand and she let out muffled protests. Natsume's eye twitched as he glared darkly at his younger sister.

"Don't you dare say anything," he said darkly.

Somehow, Aoi managed to pull Natsume's hand off her mouth. Her smirk widened.

"Then give me that kitty," Aoi said innocently.

Everybody sweat-dropped when Natsume angrily went to the shooting booth and won the kitten for her. Aoi squealed when Natsume thrusted the toy in her hands.

"Thank you, Natsume-nii!" Aoi said while hugging the toy tightly.

'Aoi-chan is spending too much time with Natsume,' everyone thought when they saw the scene between the siblings.

"Ne, did you heard? There's going to be a live concert! I heard that the singer is really famous but this will be the first time she's going to sing live!" Nonoko said excitedly.

"I heard about it too! She was the one who sang 'Angel Of Darkness'! That's like my most favorite song ever! I can't believe she's actually going to be here!" Anna squealed.

"Is she really that good?" Ruka asked, curious as to why the two best of friends were that excited.

"She's amazing! We just have to hear her concert!" Anna exclaimed if her face full of determination.

Aoi was about to walk to another stall when something caught her eyes. Her body froze in place. Natsume was slightly confused as to why his younger sister was quiet all of a sudden. Before he could to anything, Aoi went to Youichi's side and grabbed his hand.

"Ne, Natsume-nii! I'm going to walk around with Youichi-kun! I'll meet you guys later at the concert!"

Before any of them could protest, Aoi already left them while dragging the confused Youichi. Ruka slightly chuckled when he saw Youichi's confused face while being dragged by Aoi. But, truthfully, even he was confused. Usually, something like this was normal for Aoi but somehow, he saw something wrong about Aoi's movement. As if... she was panicking. Ruka's brows furrowed in confusion when he saw the sudden change of behavior of Aoi. He mentally shook his head, telling himself that he was just thinking too much. Natsume's concern grew when Aoi suddenly left them. His train of thoughts were broken when Ruka elbowed gently him.

"What's wrong, Natsume?" Ruka whispered so that the others won't hear.

"Nothing," Natsume shrugged his shoulders.

After a few minutes, Aoi finally stopped. Youichi straightened his posture and dusted off invisible dust from his clothes before facing Aoi. Aoi was panting and trying to catch her breath. Youichi took this chance to look around and saw that they completely lost the group.

"Youichi-kun..."

Youichi stopped examining his surroundings and faced the younger Hyuuga one more.

"What?"

Aoi was silent for a while, mentally debating whether it was the right thing to do. Well, she already dragged Youichi this far, no turning back now...

"Where is Mikan-nee right now?"

Youichi was slightly taken back by the unexpected question. Actually, the said girl was supposed to be here, tonight. She was going to be singing her first live concert. Youichi eyed Aoi warily. Is this just a coincidence or...

"Why are you asking me?"

"Well. Mikan-nee said that she can't come tonight with us because she's busy..." Aoi's sentence trailed off.

"So...?"

Aoi bit her lower lip nervously.

"Then why did I see Mikan-nee just now?"

Youichi's eyes slightly widen in surprise but he kept his cool so that he won't give it away.

"You must be seeing things," Youichi dismissed it nonchalantly.

"No! I really did see her!"

Youichi stared at Aoi for a few minutes before he shrugged.

"Again I ask, why are you asking me?"

Aoi was getting nervous as she tried to think of a reasonable reason.

"B-Because you're the closest to Mikan-nee so you must know something..."

Youichi carefully thought about his answer. One little mistake and she might found out...

"Are you really sure the girl you saw was Mikan-nee?"

Aoi considered his question for a while before a slight blush tinted her cheeks.

"W-Well… she was wearing a mask... but! She had exactly the same hair as Mikan-nee!" Aoi tried to desperately convince him.

Youichi mentally sighed in relief when he heard her answer.

"Lots of people have the same hairstyle as Mikan-nee… Just because she had the same hair as Mikan-nee, doesn't mean she's the real Mikan-nee. Besides, she was wearing a mask so you can't be completely sure," Youichi coolly answered.

"How can you be sure?" Aoi asked desperately.

Youischi slightly raised his hand and rested it on Aoi's shoulder, something that she would never expect.

"I trust Mikan-nee. She would never lie to us."

Somewhere in his heart, guilt made its way. Slowly, a smile broke out from Aoi's face. A smile of relief. A smile that only made the guilt inside of him grew.

"You're right, Youichi-kun! I trust Mikan-nee too! She would never lie to us!" Aoi exclaimed happily.

Aoi's smile soften and a grateful smile replaced its place.

"Thank you, Youichi-kun!"

Aoi grabbed his hand and grinned at his confused face.

"Come on! Let's go and play!"

Soon, Youichi found himself being dragged for the second time that night. However, this time, he didn't mind as much when he saw the happy face of Aoi. But, somewhere in his heart, he was concern for the older brunette.

'Mikan-nee, please be safe,' he silently prayed.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The group turned towards the direction of the noise. There was a large crowd and everyone was screaming their heads' off.

"What happened?" Anna wondered aloud.

The group shrugged. Nonoko went to one of the girl that was screaming.

"Excuse me, but why is everyone gathering here?" Nonoko asked politely.

"Don't you know?! It's Snow Angel!" the girl gushed excitedly before she turned towards the crowd and started to scream again.

Nonoko walked back towards the group.

"Well?"

Nonoko answered, a little confused,

"The girl said it's Snow Angel. I wondered who she is?"

The group pondered for a while, with the exception of Natsume and Hotaru, trying to think if the name ring a bell.

"Ah!" Yuu snapped his finger in realization.

"Isn't Snow Angel the name of the singer that sang 'Angel Of Darkness'? She also sang 'Concrete Angel', a song that was the top three in the radio last week,"

Realization dawned on both Nonoko and Anna as they rushed towards the crowd and started screaming like everyone else. Ruka sweat-dropped at their behavior.

"How could they love a song but don't even know the name of the singer?"

Hotaru was silent for a while but her eyes suddenly gleamed. Ruka and Yuu slowly backed off when they felt the evil aura surrounding the girl.

"I-Imai-san?" Yuu asked nervously.

"I could make a lot of money from her," Hotaru whispered. But it was enough for everyone to hear.

Ruka nervously chuckled.

"You haven't change at all,"

Natsume was his usual uncaring way when he suddenly caught a glimpse at the singer. He was taken back when he saw her.

"Polkadots?"

MERRY XMAS EVERYONE!

I finally updated! I'm really sorry for the late update.*bows nervously*

And I can't BELIEVE I actually wrote that! (I'm talking about the part where Natsume kisses Mikan's neck) It was so embarrassing! But I had to do it for the story to work!

Anyway, thank you again for giving me support when I was studying for my exam and I just got the results and I got straight A's. THANK YOU! And because of that, I will try to update as soon as possible to show my thanks!