***Chapter 10***

At the end of the show, Natsume led Mikan back to her dorm. Before leaving, he said to Mikan, "Don't be late tomorrow." After leaving the girl at her doorstep, he walked away. When he was out of sight, Mikan went inside her room. It was as messy as ever, but she didn't care. She was too tired. She fell on her bed fully clothed.

***The Next Morning***

Knock.

What is that sound? It's familiar… Mikan didn't care. She covered her ears with the pillow.

Knock.

Damn that thing. It's annoying. Mikan threw the pillow to where she thought the sound came from. She missed by a mile. The offender smirked. Idiot girl.

Knock.

"Alright already! I'm up! What do you want?" Mikan finally had enough. She sat up on her bed. She looked around. There was nobody in sight. She was puzzled. If there was nobody here, who made that irritating noise? She shrugged and climbed out of her bed. Great. Her dreamless sleep was gone. She was now perfectly awake. Mikan yawned and sat again on her bed, feet dangling. She turned to the clock on her bedside table. It was 11 am.

"No classes today. I'm not going to be late for anything. The event is only this evening. I can sit back, relax, and sleep some more." She said to herself. She lied back on the messy bed. The pillow was on the floor. The blanket was askew. Normal. The girl opened her auburn orbs. Something's not right. Could she have forgotten anything? Breakfast? Nah, she can eat brunch. Appointment, maybe? No… Not very likely… She stood up. Her eyes scanned the area.

Door… Chair… Sofa… Table… Closet… Bathroom door… Pillow… Weird box that hasn't been there last night… Bedside table… Shoes… Hey, wait a minute! Weird box? She scooted over to the object. It was a simple box, the type that you put clothes in. Huh, it must hold a dress. On its top was a bow. It had a note sticking out of it written in fancy script.

Wear this tonight.

As if on cue, the door opened. In came Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, and Sumire. "Ooh, Mikan! Who is from?" Squealed the twins in perfect synchronization. "Dunno, I woke up and it was just there." Mikan replied sullenly. Hotaru looked at her. "It's from a prestigious shop called Perfect! The clothes there are very costly and luxurious. I'm surprised somebody gave you a dress like that."

The 3 girls were speechless. Sumire didn't mind what Hotaru said. "Go on Mikan! Open it and let's see what's inside!" She giggled profusely. The other girls agreed with her. Mikan lifted the expensive-looking cardboard lid. Her heart was hammering. Could it be just a prank? Why would anybody give a dress as costly as Hotaru says to her? Nonoko put the lid on the floor, ribbon side up. The rest peered inside.

Mikan held up gingerly a red and black cocktail dress. I'm not really good with descriptions about clothes, so just imagine a REALLY beautiful gown. For one, it wasn't polka dotted. It was the type rich people wear. I could say it was like the type models wear on the runway. It had matching shoes. If you can't imagine it, I'm really sorry; I can't show you any pictures.

"Mikan! It's so pretty! You HAVE to wear it tonight. You'll be the talk of the Academy!" Anna giggled. Nonoko and Sumire agreed. Hotaru just smiled a tiny smile. Mikan's stomach grumbled. "I forgot I only just woke up…" She reddened in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, Mikan-chan. We'll wait here while you get ready. We came here to fetch you for lunch, anyway. You didn't come to breakfast, so we were a bit worried. Hotaru-san here told us to come before lunch. She said you were probably still sleeping. I guess she was right." Nonoko smiled. The girls filed to Mikan's living room. They looked around uncertainly. Hotaru spoke up. "Since you live in a pig sty, Mikan, we'll assemble in my room across yours. See you in a bit." The girls sweat dropped and followed what the inventor said. They trooped out of Mikan's room and into Hotaru's apartment-type flat.

Mikan hurried her morning tasks. A quick shower, hasty dressing, a flash of tooth brushing, and she was out of her room. She dashed out the door. She knew how Hotaru hated waiting. As she locked her door, her other hand was on Hotaru's doorknob. She twisted her hand and in she went. The other girls were waiting for her. "Mikan-chan! Come on in! Let's eat!" Called the twins. A kangaroo robot was serving them lunch. Mikan stared unbelieving.

"Invention 223: Kangaroo Food Dispenser. Inside it is ready-made food, only needed to be heated. It follows you around or comes to you when you call for it. It is still in process, but I thought I could try it with you. So far it's doing well. It has a built-in heater if you want the food cooked already. I'm thinking of selling it, but I'm still looking for the right company." Hotaru's eyes were gleaming. That only means that she's thinking about money. What she didn't say was: I'm still waiting for the right company who can give me the biggest profit. Typical Hotaru. All the girls sweat dropped. The rest of the meal passed by without any event. Sumire babbled on about what she was going to wear that evening.

"… So I was thinking that maybe I should wear that sleeveless pink gown I bought last week, but Koko said it clashed with his tux… Blah… Blah… Blah…"

Mikan was listening… Kind of… Well, she wasn't participating 100%. Her mind was on who sent her that gown. She then asked a question to derail her thoughts elsewhere.

"… Then Mochiage asked me if—"

"Hey, girls, what's with this 'tonight' thing? Nobody's told me anything. It's always 'tonight this' or 'tonight that'… Honestly! What is it about?" Mikan ranted. The other girls looked at her quizzically.

"Oh, right… You're new here so you don't know about the Last Dance." Nonoko said. "Last Dance?" Mikan repeated, curiosity and ignorance evident in her high-pitched voice.

"Yup. It's celebrated every last night of the Alice Festival. Everybody's supposed to wear their best attire. The elementary students have a specified dress code but students in the Middle School and High School Divisions get to wear anything they want." Anna said.

"So that's why Natsume told me to wear something decent…" Mikan wondered aloud.

"Ooh… Natsume-kun said that? Good for you, Mikan!" The twins held up their thumbs. (I was imagining Hikaru and Kaoru of Ouran at this part… The two of them are so cute!) "What does that mean? It's not like we're together or anything… Why would he care?"

"Well—you're so dense, Mikan." Sumire said seriously. "It's clear that—" Hotaru silenced her with a Look. Sumire stopped dead instantly. Nobody disobeys Hotaru. Nobody. So everybody fell silent almost immediately.

It was the Ice queen who broke the silence. She looked at her watch. "It's already past 12. We still need to dress up for the dance tonight. I think you girls need to go back to your rooms now. Your clothes are there, I believe. Mikan here needs help with her hair and make-up." She closed her eyes and sighed. Mikan couldn't understand why she looked so tired. The other girls giggled. Mikan met their eyes with curiosity. Suddenly Mikan knew what was so funny.

"Hn. I have to prepare too. Sigh." Hotaru voiced out what she had been so dreading. Mikan giggled also. "Are you worried that guys will stalk you from now on?" She laughed.

"There's nothing hilarious about that. It's not unusual that boys follow me. I know I'm drop dead gorgeous. Nobody denies that." Hotaru said with a nonchalant face. Mikan scoffed. "Hotaru, you're so full of yourself. I admit though, you are beautiful. I just haven't seen you say it so openly." She rolled her eyes playfully. Then, the other girls funnelled to their rooms. As stated earlier, nobody disobeys the Ice Queen.

So, the rest of the afternoon was spent fixing up Mikan and Hotaru. I can say that Hotaru is good with her hands. After 5 pm, Hotaru ordered Mikan to put on her new gown. As she was dressing, Ruka and Tsubasa passed by. Hotaru was already done. Her slim figure was in a flowing lavender waterfall. Every movement of her body was enunciated by the ripple of the silk material. All in all she looked graceful.

Ruka couldn't help but feel the blood on his cheeks when Hotaru raised an eyebrow at him. It was a very beautiful and perfect eyebrow. Tsubasa laughed at Ruka's reaction. Hotaru smirked. Her usual emotionless face was revealing an expression of amusement. I admit she was charming. Even Tsubasa was momentarily speechless.

Mikan emerged from the 'dressing room'. The three people snapped their heads to Mikan's direction. Natsume appeared at the doorway without anybody taking any notice of him. He was wearing an invisible smile. This is going to be great.

It was Mikan's head that first peeped out from the covers. It was a darling thing. Her caramel hair was still in its signature pigtails, but they were curled to dainty ringlets that framed her face. Her make-up was divine; just perfect for the evening. She was wearing a nervous smile. Ruka felt the second wave of crimson tint on his face.

Slowly, dramatically, Mikan's body set itself apart from the curtains. Her petite body was swathed in the gown she received earlier. It was great on her skin tone. Perfect indeed. The gown reached to her ankles. ("I guess the benefactor didn't want Mikan to show too much skin…" Kitsu said later. Koko nodded in agreement. Yuu rolled his eyes.) Her matching shoes fit perfectly. She was a beauty!

"Mikan-chan! Who knew you were so pretty! Be sure to take my number when you grow a little bit older!" Tsubasa joked. Hotaru glanced at him. "Anyway, Imai-san's skills are fantastic! Beneath that surly attitude is a definite woman!" Hotaru sent him a few shots. "Hotaru, stop! You'll ruin senpai's suit!" Mikan exclaimed. Her hand reached out to restrain her best friend from inflicting any more damage.

Ruka was too star-struck at Mikan's sudden burst of feminine beauty that for a while he couldn't speak. First Hotaru, now Mikan. It's all too fast. A hundred shades of red presented themselves tonight. Tsubasa laughed at Ruka once again. The shadow manipulator was clutching his head and checking for bumps. He shook the dust off his suit while still chuckling. His laughter died away the instant he looked up, he saw Misaki. He wasn't surprised. He told her he would be at Mikan's room. Misaki didn't trust him enough. She stormed off to the girl's dorm and saw Hotaru's open door. She led herself in and found them there, gaping at Mikan. No wonder! She was a sight to behold.

Mikan flushed slight pink at everybody's open admiration. Even Hotaru looked approvingly. Then, typical Hotaru extracted her favourite camera from her pocketbook and snapped a few pictures of everyone, especially Ruka. "These will sell a lot to his fan girls. Hn, a blushing bunny boy…" Ruka flushed an even deeper colour. He was nearing flaming red. If he exceeds that, he'll have a place in the world records! Ahem… Excuse me… I'm wandering… So…

"Ruka-pyon, lighten up. The night is young and you are too excited. Chill…" Mikan giggled. "So, shall we go?" Asked Tsubasa. He held out his hand to Misaki. "Let's." Misaki smiled and took his offered hand. Hotaru grabbed Ruka and followed the couple. "Wait a minute! Sa-Sa-Sa-Sa-Sakura-san! Aren't you coming?" Ruka stuttered. Mikan shook her head. "I'll follow you guys later. I still have to find somebody…" She trailed off, blushing.

Hotaru understood. She pulled on Ruka even harder. "Hurry up. The show is about to start. I don't want to miss the buffet." She said with her voice devoid of any expression. The boy finally succumbed to Hotaru. The two of them ran after Tsubasa and Misaki. Mikan stayed behind. She put some finishing touches on her make-up. She dabbed on a pinch of her favourite perfume. Then, she criticized her reflection on the mirror. Seeing herself alright, she headed off to the Open Field.

The Open Field is a clear space in the middle of the Eastern Forest. It is surrounded by trees and covered by well-kept fresh green grass. It is taken care of by Middle School and High School students of the Somatic Ability class. For the activity tonight, lamps have been strewn over the field to give some light to the event. It also works for the romantic aura. Tables are scattered around the circular area but there is a huge space in the center for dancing. The tables are circular, adorned by white sheets and a pretty vase of flowers. A few sets of silverware are provided. Seats are found near them. For every table there are 4 chairs. There are more than a hundred tables littered.

Mikan found her friends huddled together in a corner. They had already occupied quite a few tables. Mikan said hi. Tsubasa motioned for Mikan to head to their table. Mikan excused herself from Anna, Nonoko, Yuu and Kitsu. As Mikan ventured closer, she realized that their table was already full. Tsubasa, Misaki and two other men were seated. Misaki introduced the two guys to Mikan.

"This guy's name is Kaname Sonoh. He's currently visiting us. It's a real treat because he's usually cooped up in the hospital. He's a close friend of ours." Kaname stood up and clasped Mikan's hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Tsubasa and Misaki here have told me all about you." He smiled and sat back down. He had quite a pale tint on his cheeks. He was quite good-looking. Mikan grinned and her attention was turned to the handsome long-haired high school student who sat beside Kaname.

"Hi there, chibi! I'm Tonouchi. You can call me Tono. (I'm really sorry but I don't know his surname. If you know what his last name is, kindly tell me later. I would really appreciate it. ) Give me a call later on, 'kay? I'm free all weekend." He winked after he took possession of Mikan's reluctant hand. He slipped a card through her fingers. Misaki slapped away his hand. The calling card fell to the floor. "Mikan-chan, stay away from him. He's already screwed a lot of girls in the high school section." She warned Mikan. "And, you! Don't you dare lay a single finger on her! You've done enough." Only the last sentence was said with a laugh.

"Pshaw…" Tono replied. He sat back down. It was Tsubasa's turn to speak. "Hey, I noticed that all tables are taken except the one your best friend occupies. She seems to be reserving seat for you." A short pause. "Why aren't you with someone? A girl your age has to have a boyfriend by now… Or could it be that you're with that Hyuuga?" Mikan blushed. "No! Completely no! Of course not! What made you think that?" Tsubasa just chuckled. He caught Hotaru's stare and backed off. "I think the program's about to start. You should get to your seat." "Yes… Perhaps it is best. See you later, senpais!" Mikan waltzed off.

Hotaru motioned for her to sit down. Mikan obeyed. "I take it nobody's asked you yet?" The inventor asked while sipping a drink. She pushed her empty glass to Ruka who was sitting beside her. Ruka excused himself and went to the buffet table to get another drink. "Uhmmm… What?" Mikan finally replied. "I can see that you don't have a clue so I expect Hyuuga to be your companion for tonight. Never mind Nogi. He can take care of himself." Hotaru rolled her eyes. Mikan shrugged and finally concentrated on her best friend. She looked beautiful. Mikan glanced around her and spotted some guys taking double takes when they passed their table. Some were even taking some pictures. Mikan rolled her eyes. "Anyway, you said Natsume was going to be my companion. What do you mean? Was that what Jinno-sensei meant yesterday?" "So finally understood. Good for you. That probably means he's somewhere around here." She appeared to be not interested.

"That reminds me, where is he?" Mikan's forehead creased. "How should I know? Am I his nanny? Stop that or you'll ruin your make-up." Hotaru ordered. Mikan did as she was told. She then stood up. "I'll come back later. Ruka's already heading back. You guys need some alone time." Hotaru scoffed. "I'm not with him. Shut up. Go find your date." "He's not my date." "We are now on the same ground. Now scat." Mikan walked away from the table leaving Hotaru alone with her plate of crab brains. As she said, Ruka was already closing in. Mikan noticed a few girls giggling as he passed by them. Fan girls. You can never trust them.

Anyway, Mikan walked away from the din of people. The students were still piling in. As Mikan approached the fringe of the crowd, a hand from the shadows restrained her from going any farther. "What do you want, pervert?" She screeched. A few people glanced at her. The hand pulled her in behind some trees.

"Where do you think you were going?" Natsume asked. "I was looking for you…" Mikan replied. In the darkness she can only see his face. "Hn." He scanned her appearance headfirst to her feet. "I see you're wearing that gown I sent." Mikan groaned. She was anticipating this. "You look fine, but…" His hand once again reached out to her. "Wha-wha-what are you doing?" His hand came closer. Natsume clutched her pigtails. "You'll look like a preschooler if you have these." He sneered. He pulled on the ties until they came off. Mikan's caramel locks fell to her shoulders. Her auburn curls bounced. Natsume took a step back and criticized her again. He frowned.

"Is there something wrong, Natsume?" Mikan inquired. "You lack something." He rummaged around his pockets. "Turn around." Mikan obliged. She felt Natsume's warm hands put something cold around her neck. A necklace? In the limited light she can see the red gleam of the ruby pendant. Ruby red—the colour of Natsume's eyes. Mikan blushed. "There. A bit of colour on your cheeks. Perfect. Now we can proceed." He took her hand once more and led her out of the forest.

They were at the back of the crowd. Natsume navigated his way to the tables. Mikan glanced at the man beside her. He was wearing a black tux with a red shirt inside. They matched. His hair was in its usual messy do. So handsome. His shoes were Italian leather. Suave.

Eventually they reached Hotaru and Ruka's table. Anna and Nonoko giggled from their table. Natsume was still holding Mikan's hand. She quickly retracted her hand. Mikan blushed and sat down on the chair Natsume held out for her. Hotaru was staring at Natsume. No, she was glaring. Natsume rolled his eyes and sat down opposite her. Ruka just sat there, awestruck. He never knew they were together now… I guess he doesn't have a chance anymore, does he?

"It's not what you think, Ruka. Jinno's orders."

Ruka sighed gratefully. Hey, why was he sighing? Why does he even care if they're not together? Why is he even asking himself these questions? He slapped his face. Hotaru muttered, "baka." She sipped on her 5th glass of the evening. Why was she even irritated? Queer.

The dancing started. Hotaru put down her drink and grabbed Ruka. Natsume didn't move an inch. Mikan glared at him. What was the point of letting her wear this dress and 5-inch heels if he wasn't going to ask her to dance? She sighed in frustration. "If you're not going to dance, Natsume, I'll head to Nonoko and Anna's table. Excuse me." "Whatever." Natsume just looked away. Mikan sighed once again and stood up. The twins were signalling Mikan to come to their table furiously. Sumire had sat with them.

"MIKAN! Why didn't you tell us Natsume asked you out?" Sumire demanded. "Well it's not like he asked to… It's not like I wanted to… Jinno-sensei's orders." Mikan explained simply. "I don't care. Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "Why is this night called the last dance? Is there something special tonight?" Mikan wanted to know. The twins wanted to reply but it was Sumire who answered. "You'll just have to see to find out." She said in a mysterious manner. Mikan thought this odd.

The girls chatted on and on for a few minutes. The girls' companions for the night asked them to dance. Anna was with Yuu, Nonoko with Kitsu and Sumire with Koko. In the end, Mikan was left alone. She went back to Natsume's table. "Did you have fun?" He still didn't budge. Mikan watched Hotaru dance instead. She was currently waltzing with Ruka. The poor boy was blushing furiously. Mikan giggled. Natsume followed her thread of sight and rolled his eyes. At least Ruka wasn't dancing with Mikan.

A new song played. Kaname darted to where Mikan was. "May I have this dance?" Mikan glanced at Natsume. He just looked at her. Mikan answered Kaname yes. He led her to the dance floor. Mikan had a great time. Tsubasa asked her next. Tono followed. Yuu partnered her for the next song. Koko joined in. Currently, she was dancing with Narumi. He wasn't a bad dancer.

Meanwhile, Ruka and Hotaru were resting for the moment. Hotaru sent Ruka to get her some cake. Ruka dashed off. "The last dance is a few songs away. The game is about to start." She stared at Natsume. He nodded. They waited. Hotaru and Natsume's eyes were glued to Mikan's every twirl. They were keeping watch.

The MC walked up the 'stage'. He cleared his throat to catch everybody's attention. He succeeded. The music stopped entirely. "Good evening, ladies and gents. It's that time of the night again that we have the last dance. May everybody stand up and step to the floor. For those who are new, here's how it goes: This last song will be multi-partner. No one will be danced with twice. Those who cannot find a new partner will please sit down."

Sumire had inched near Mikan. "I guess it's about time you know the legend of the last dance. As you have heard, no one gets to dance with the same partner twice. Usually, most people can't find new partners. They sit down. Only some lucky ones manage to finish the song. I'm telling you, this song is a bit long. It is almost impossible to finish. But some girls want to dance with their idol more than once, so they have to sit down, too. If it wasn't the partner's choice and you dance with him twice, you sit down. It's very strict. This is because rumour has it that the last dance you have will be the one you are destined for to date in the future. It's pretty exciting, don't you think? But, because of this, some guys who like some girls refrain from dancing to have the chance to partner the girl they like in the last dance's last partner. In the end, they have to save the girl's back when they don't have a choice and end up dancing with her before the last partner because the girl couldn't have anybody to dance with. Shame." She pouted. Mikan can tell this was from experience. Sumire smiled bitterly.

And so, the last dance started. I'm going to stick to Mikan's routine. She started off with guys she never knew yet seemed to enjoy dancing with her anyway. One guy even asked for Mikan's name and room number. He was in high school. Not very handsome, just average. His sleeve suddenly caught fire and Mikan had t steer the two of them to the buffet table and pour some punch to his flaming arm. It was a good thing that this was about the time to change partners so Mikan didn't have to sit down. The poor guy was taken to the infirmary but told Mikan, who was already dancing with another man, not to come with him and that he will be alright so not to worry.

As the dance droned on and he night deepened, more and more students had to take their seats. Mikan need not worry about having a problem with who her next partner will be. A couple of guys were ready to dance with Mikan. They were sorry, though, that they couldn't be the right man for such a pretty girl. Mikan just shrugged but was grateful to those who openly expressed their admiration.

Only a few were left. Kaname, with his weak body, had to stop. Tsubasa and Misaki had already taken a breather. All the elementary students were wiped out and resting. The Middle School Division students were slowly dwindling in number. Those in high school tried to keep up but failed. Go Middle School! Oh sorry, I'm straying again…

So anyway, there were a few left. Mikan was still holding on. Her feet ached, but guys were still claiming her for the next turn. Even Hotaru was irritated. It was all she could do to keep from shooting those airheads of admirers with her infamous Baka Gun. Only two more changes and they'll all have their new boyfriends/girlfriends. Not that Mikan or Hotaru were excited or mad about that or anything… The two of them honestly didn't care. Mikan just wanted to have the most out of her first festival. Hotaru thinks she had to protect Mikan from annoying men. The two of them were dancing close together, by any chance.

Currently, Hotaru was dancing with a guy in her class that she hasn't bothered asking his name. Mikan was twirling with a still blushing Ruka. "I told you, Ruka-pyon, chill. Just one more change and it's all over." Mikan tried to console him but to no avail. The guy with Hotaru just broke away and she was stranded with nobody to hold her. A thought quickly raced through her mind: Oh no! Hotaru's going to have to sit down! Without thinking, Mikan pushed Ruka nearer to her best friend. Hotaru instantly caught Ruka's hand and they started to move with the music.

"You idiot. Now who's going to dance with you? You're going to have to sit down!" Hotaru hissed frantically. Mikan panicked. Everybody here had danced with her already. She can still remember their faces.

Somebody suddenly held Mikan's waist and guided her with an expert hand. This guy was good. Mikan found herself doing moves that she thought she couldn't do. Quick twists, flash steps, body arches… God, she can do that? The music was starting to end. One more twirl and she was in his arms in a half-split. She looked up to see the face of that great dancer. She was staring into familiar crimson. Natsume.

Wait a minute! The song has ended? Natsume was her destined date? WHAT?

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This has got to be a dream…

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Wasn't it?