JC: Everyone's excited for this chapter. There will be a Natsume and Mikan moment here. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope the mood is all right here. Mikan's going to be fine, but she'll need to rest before she could start practicing again for the Alice Festival. We'll have Natsume to do the nursing job for Mikan.

Reviewers:

deynaz,o0huggies0o,Annaoj, Youichiix33, dominiqueanne,Cute Angel's Own, BaltoGirl,pukite, SeraphMia, natsume-meg93, Charmane, Irumi Kanzaki,Cutenatsumexmikan,funny sakura,pApAw, sHirO-kOi, Natsumedestiny,sarahpatrick,PurpleHime,midnitestarz,Yumiko-chan520,Sakiru Yume,KawaiiLinaKisses,xAngel of deathx, ruin princess,Kimiko-Sakura,ashitahime,sakura-himeno, abreya, Cormet,Cupid's Diary,helltishL0Ve,AnimeLoverXP,090mikanXnatsume090,Mikan Angel, mei, ai-chi, AnnaxBanana,novachipsalice,Yamashita Michiyo, elena potato,niceladysakura,storywriter07,Lady-Von-Bielefeld,IAmTheBattleMaiden,kamiam714, ikazuchi-hime,claireponcherrii, lizeej, melissa1995,kisami93, Optatus Crepusculum, Hamano-chan, etc…

JC: There are so many reviewers. Thank you for the support. I'm so happy and you guys are one of my inspirations. I'm sorry if I can't list down all the names here. Sorry…

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. The characters, Kawashima Kyo and Hibiki Ryou, officially belong to me.

Obsession

Chapter 10: Beauty's Punishment

Going into the middle school division principal's office, Natsume was taken aback to see Kawashima Kyo and Hibiki Ryou, the two representatives of the Mikan Fan Club, standing before the desk of the enigmatic Hii-sama. At the corner of his eyes, he saw the cold-hearted doctor, Imai Subaru, standing in the shadows and beside him was the Dangerous Ability Class moderator, Persona. Subaru's and Persona's presence were enough to rile him, but he didn't show any emotions as he walked towards the desk. He faced the principal with his usual stoic face, not bothering to greet her politely. He managed to catch Ryou murmuring 'jerk' to him. He would like to burn him, but he must behave in front of the principal.

The principal was fanning herself in an elegant way, as her assistant, Yamanouchi Shizune, was fixing some report papers on her desk. Once Shizune was done, the principal placed her fan down and slowly stood up. "How could you let this happen to Mikan no Kimi?" she said in a calm voice. "You are her bodyguard, are you not? You swore to keep her safe and yet…" Her eyes grew sharper and narrower. She sat back and shot Subaru an eerie look.

"Principal, I do agree of punishing him, but must I be the one doing it?" Subaru said, adjusting his glasses. Although he knew that Persona would give Natsume more of a torture than a mere punishment.

Kyo winced a bit at the sound of 'punishing', as Natsume clenched one fist. Ryou, on the other hand, grinned maliciously. Ryou still sees Natsume as nothing more than a pest—a hindrance to Mikan. He thought that Kyo was thinking of the same thing, and when he looked at his best friend, he only saw sadness in his face.

"Imai Subaru, I'll only say this once…" Hii-sama said with a voice so smooth and feminine. "Please punish Hyuuga Natsume for his negligence to protect Sakura Mikan." Her eyes turned so cold when she faced Natsume.

Ryou wondered what kind of punishment Subaru will give him. He was very excited to see Natsume suffer like hell. However, Kyo had a good feeling of what Subaru will probably do to Natsume. Based on his research on the people who cared for Mikan, he knew the full capabilities of Subaru's Alice. It may sound nice, but his Alice can be extremely dangerous. Kyo almost shuddered at the mere thought.

"Yes, principal," Subaru replied, looking colder than before. He walked towards Natsume and put his hand on his right shoulder. His stunning amethyst eyes lanced ardently into Natsume's crimson ones. "This is the pain she felt from the bullet wound." He clenched his shoulder, as he used his Alice on him, and he maintained perfect composure when he saw Natsume's eyes growing wide. He inputted a very powerful pain into Natsume, causing him to drop down on his knees.

Ah, shit, the pain was awful. Natsume held his shoulder as if there was a wound there and closed his eyes in pain. The pain he was feeling—the pain that his girlfriend had to endure—was something he could bear, and this made him realize that, no matter what happens, he mustn't let anything happen to Mikan again. He didn't want Mikan to get hurt or experience any pain as severe as this.

Ryou's lips curved into a wide smirk. "Serves him right," he muttered under his breath. "Isn't that right, Kyo?"

"I don't care…" Kyo said, lowering his head. Somehow the punishment shocked him. The Academy can actually do horrible things to students. Kyo never knew the dark side of the Academy, since he had only been there for a few months. He, along with Ryou, transferred to Alice Academy during the first month of spring of the year.

Natsume felt like he was bleeding, but he can't afford to break down in front of everyone in that office. This was the same pain Mikan felt, so no matter what, he had to stay strong. Still clutching onto his shoulder, he got back to his feet and looked seriously at the principal. There was nothing but pure odium in his crimson eyes, but the principal was not intimidated by this.

"It seems like you're not fit to be Mikan no Kimi's bodyguard anymore," Hii-sama said, picking up her fan from the desk. "I have to replace you…"

And because of what she said, Natsume, though maintaining a poker-face, raised his voice at the woman. "Don't screw with me!" He walked up to the desk and punched it hard. "I won't allow you to replace me." The mere idea of letting someone else protect his one and only girlfriend was unacceptable. It would curse him for the rest of his life.

"I was thinking of replacing you with these two gentlemen here," Hii-sama pointed at Kyo and Ryou with the use of her fan. "These two were the heroes who saved the fair maiden." Of course, she had heard the whole story from the Ice Princess, Ibaragi Nobara.

If it was possible, Natsume would've burned the principal and the whole room by now. Kyo and Ryou as Mikan's bodyguard? No doubt they will accept the job right away, since those two were head-over-heels for Mikan. They would totally take advantage and get closer to Mikan. His jealousy and protectiveness were acting up again as he shot death glares at the two fan boys.

"Imagine us as Mikan-sama's bodyguards!" Ryou uttered excitedly. "This is like a dream come true."

Kyo had just about enough of Ryou's insensitive words and smacked his head hard. He then turned to the principal and bowed his head. "I'm sorry... As much as I want to, we can't be Mikan-sama's bodyguard."

"Eh?!" Ryou gasped, rubbing his poor sore head. "What the hell are you saying, Kyo? This is our chance!" He tried to reason with him, but he ended up getting another smack on the head. Honestly, Kyo's strength was always questionable.

"Kawashima-kun, right?" Hii-sama started fanning herself. "I've heard so many things about you. You're one of the top students in middle school and you have mastery over your Reinforcement Alice. Not only are you a skilled Alice user, you are also a capable fighter and athlete. I don't particularly like men, but I must say that you're one of a kind. I know about your love and admiration for Mikan no Kimi, and I trust that you will not harm her. So, tell me, why won't you accept the job? Like what your friend said, this is your chance."

Kyo swiftly glanced at Natsume before answering the principal. "I appreciate the compliments…" He let out a deep sigh. As Ryou tried to speak out, Kyo immediately covered his mouth with his hand and smacked his head again. He hit Ryou ten times stronger, making him very dizzy that he fell to the floor. Well, Kyo could always drag him out later, but he had to explain things to the principal to make his intentions clear. "Principal, Mikan-sama will surely not want this. We all know her relationship with Hyuuga and there is no doubt that she would disagree if you replace him."

"Oh, I can arrange that…" Hii-sama told him.

"No, please don't…" Kyo bowed, looking desperately this time. "Let Hyuuga be Mikan-sama's bodyguard." Ryou was about to speak again, to reason with him, but Kyo immediately sent him flying towards the wall. He didn't mind if Ryou get hurts. Ryou was pretty used to his punches anyway.

Hii-sama grimaced at the sight. "Boys…They're so unruly." She closed her fan and sighed. "Very well… Hyuuga gets to keep his job."

"Thank you, principal," Kyo said, smiling handsomely.

The pain in his right shoulder was still there, but he felt glad hearing that he could still be Mikan's bodyguard. Although he wondered why Kyo refused the job, which was a perfect opportunity for him to be with Mikan everyday, he respected his decision.

"Guren no Kimi," Hii-sama said, looking at Natsume, "I expect you do a better job next time, understand?" There was nothing but seriousness in her voice as her eyes were as cold as ice. "Now, you three are dismissed."

Enough said, Natsume headed towards the door first, still clutching onto his shoulder. Kyo, on the other hand, had to go over to his best friend, who was currently unconscious, and dragged him outside. Once all three of them were out, Kyo asked Natsume if he was going to visit Mikan in the hospital. Instead of giving a straight answer, the raven-haired flame caster only cast him one serious look.

"Hey, don't give me that look," Kyo said, laughing nervously. "It's pretty scary…" He scratched the back of his head.

Natsume leaned against the wall for support. It was amazing that he was able to keep up a stoic face, despite the pain. "Why didn't you accept?" he asked in a cold tone.

"Hmm…" Kyo tapped his finger on his cheek. "Well… I'm not too sure myself…"

Natsume stared at him for a while, and then he walked off. Kyo asked him again if he was going to see Mikan, and much to his annoyance, Natsume answered him with a simple nod and started walking again. Kyo smiled and decided to go with him, of course not forgetting to drag his still unconscious best friend.

"Are you positively sure that you're okay?" Shouda Sumire sounded strict and uncaring as she looked at the brunette sitting up on the hospital bed. She, some of her classmates, and Narumi-sensei paid Mikan a visit to see how she was doing, and they've became so relieved when they saw Mikan's radiant smile. However, Sumire was trying to make sure that Mikan wasn't lying. She was fully aware that the brunette doesn't want other people to worry. "No more poison, right? No injuries and—"

Mikan giggled sweetly at the cat-dog girl. "I'm fine, permy," she said. "But thanks for worrying about me."

"You're worrying to much, Sumire-chan," Narumi-sensei said, smiling attractively at his green-haired student.

"Curly permy is actually a nice person?" The ever-cheerful mind reader, Kokoroyomi, patted Sumire's back several times. "Who would have guessed?" He lightly laughed, as the green-haired girl shot him one mean glare. He wasn't the least bit afraid of her. In fact, he thought of her angry face as the most amusing thing at the moment. He had the knack of teasing Sumire till she snaps like crazy. Considering Sumire's temper, he was bound to get hit one way or another.

"You shut up, idiot!" Sumire hit Kokoroyomi's head hard with her clenched fist and turned her head away. "The nerve…" She folded her arms with a shrug.

"Oh, I feel sorry for Kokoroyomi-kun," Narumi said with a little laughter.

Rubbing his poor head, Kokoroyomi let out a silly little laugh while maintaining his cheerful façade. Mikan and the rest also laughed along with him making Sumire feel very uncomfortable. Seeing the slight blush on her face, Kokoroyomi took the liberty of reading her mind without permission. Plus, it wasn't really a crime to use your Alice, so he read her mind and smiled at her thoughts. He would normally spill the beans whenever he gets his hands on juicy information, but her thoughts at the moment were kind of private and it would be wrong to announce it.

"Anyway…" Sumire turned her head back at Mikan, still maintaining a strict face. "Sakura-san, remember that you're the leading lady in the play. Make sure you get better right away, understand?" She had practiced her villain role really hard and she was excited to perform in the Alice Festival. Though she won't admit it, she can't act enthusiastically without her rival-friend around. Plus, she had to show Mikan how good she was in acting.

Mikan nodded her head. "I'll be discharged first thing tomorrow morning," she said, smiling brightly. "Then I'll be able to practice in the afternoon."

"You're going to practice right away?" Ruka said, placing his little rabbit friend on the bed, as he looked at Mikan with concern. "Maybe you should rest up a bit." He would surely not want Mikan to get exhausted. Knowing Mikan, she will probably force herself in order to let others see that she was fine. Ruka knew that she doesn't want others to worry about her, but he thought about her health as well.

"Ruka-kun's right, Mikan-chan…" Narumi added. Honestly, when he heard about how Reo almost got away with Mikan, he almost freaked out. A certain senior of his will kill him if anything happens to Mikan. He did make a promise to her to protect the brunette. It was a good thing Mikan was saved by Kyo and Ryou, with the help of Nobara. He'll make sure to thank those three later.

Mikan plainly shook her head and smiled at her teacher. "Don't worry… I'll be fine…" She then looked at Ruka and threw him a first class smile. She failed to realize that her smile had once again dazzled the young blonde lad making him blush madly. While the others noticed Ruka's awkward expression, Mikan remained completely oblivious and took hold of his hand. "Ruka-pyon, you were supposed to escort me today to have me fitted for my costume. That will have to wait, unfortunately."

"I'll escort you tomorrow," Ruka suggested, trying not to act too nervous. "Is that okay?" His face was still as red as a tomato as he stared at their entwined hands. It was good thing Natsume wasn't around or else he would've been thrown in a state of panic. His best friend always had jealousy issues and he was fiercely protective of Mikan.

"Yes!"

Mikan, the class representative, Tobita Yuu, and the two girls from the Technical Class, Nonoko and Anna, chatted for a while, and Narumi and Ruka sat quietly watching the brunette. Sumire and Kokoroyomi didn't join in, since the mind reader was teasing the cat-dog girl again. It was as though they had their own world. And as Mikan turned at the sound of the door creaking open, she saw Tsubasa sticking his head out. Mikan smiled at him, happy to see him, and when his girlfriend Misaki pushed him, he tumbled down to the floor. The younger students, of course, laughed at him, and Misaki just stood there beside him.

"What's the big idea?" Tsubasa said, standing up, as he fixed his cap on his head. "You didn't have to push me, Misaki!" He shot the red-haired girl a death glare, but Misaki punched his face and sent him flying towards the wall. She was not in the good mood for sure, and the younger students were intimidated by her. However, when she went up to Mikan, she showed a very pretty smile and held Mikan's hand.

"Misaki-senpai…" Mikan said, sweat dropping, and took a quick glance at Tsubasa who was already recovering from the hit. She merely chuckled as she looked back at Misaki. "You're really tough, senpai."

"I get that a lot," Misaki said with a shrug. "So, how are you? I'm glad that Reo didn't get you." Truth to be known, when she heard about what happened to Mikan, she immediately wanted to see her favorite little junior. Tsubasa also felt the same way.

Kokoroyomi read Misaki's mind and found out why she was in a bad mood. "An accidental kiss…" he blurted out. "Before you came here, you had to finish your work in the Special Ability Class. You were such in a rush. After your work was done, you ran out of the room and bumped into Kage-senpai who also happened to be on his way to the hospital. You bumped into him, knocked him over, and accidentally kissed him on the lips. How sweet…"

"It wasn't sweet!" she yelled. Misaki's face flushed up in an instant. Sure, he had kissed Tsubasa a few times before, but those kisses weren't accidental. The accidental kiss earned her a cut on the lip. She had no right to be angry, but she was still irritated. It was unfortunate she took her anger out on her boyfriend. "Tsubasa and I… well…" Actually, the accidental kiss wasn't the only thing that happened. Misaki and Tsubasa were really surprised when their lips met and they immediately parted. While Tsubasa was trying to help her up, his hand touched her chest by mistake, which earned him a smack on his face. And when Kokoroyomi was about to spill the chest-part, she covered his mouth and threatened him with deadly eyes.

Sumire narrowed his eyes at the mind-reading boy and heaved a sigh. "You never learn to shut up, do you?" she said, seeing that Kokoroyomi was still trying to speak even with Misaki's hand on his mouth. He was only able to make muffling sounds. "You're such an idiot…" She then pulled Kokoroyomi's ear, hauling him away from the high school student, and dragged him outside the room where she hit him again on the head. Instead of whining about the pain, the lad merely chuckled. Sumire sighed once again and shook her head in dismay. How did she end up with a cheerful and mischievous partner like Kokoroyomi?

"Mikan, is your shoulder all right?" Tsubasa asked, sitting down on the bed and taking Mikan's hand. Tsubasa was Mikan's favorite senior and he was always like a big brother to Mikan. He may be a little laid back sometimes, but he was a caring person towards his friends.

Mikan smiled at him. "My shoulder's all better now and it's all thanks to Hotaru's brother," she said cheerfully, as Tsubasa squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry if I can't help out the class today, Tsubasa-senpai."

He shook his head. "Nah, it's okay. Your health is more important." Then, releasing her hand, he stood up and glanced at Misaki. "Our little kouhai here has always been working hard for the Special Ability Class. A little break will do her good, right?" He expected a nod of her head or a simple 'yes' for an answer, but Misaki shot him a glare. It was apparent that she was still annoyed at their little accident.

Misaki shifted her eyes from Tsubasa to Mikan. "You rest up and leave the work to us. The class can handle it." Placing a hand on Tsubasa's shoulder, she gave off a strange and dangerous aura, making the shadow manipulator swallow hard. "We've got to go now, chibi. We'll come and visit again later."

"Ok," Mikan replied, waving a hand at them. "Thanks for coming, Tsubasa-senpai, Misaki-senpai…"

"We're also going, too, Mikan-chan," Yuu spoke up as he went closer to Mikan. "Please take care of yourself." His bright and solemn eyes were crystal clear through his glasses and his smile was soft as he looked at the brunette. Tobita Yuu had been the class representative of their class since elementary. A Triple Star Student, he was one of the top students in class and he possessed the Alice of Illusion.

"Yes, I will!"

"Mikan-chan, I'll bake you cookies once you're discharged," the pink-haired Anna said, smiling like a little angel, as she held Nonoko's shoulders.

"Really? That's great! I really love your cookies, Anna-chan!" Mikan was fond of treats and snacks, but she always managed to stay slim and slender.

Nonoko gave a smile as well. "I'm glad my medicine is working well for you, Mikan-chan," she said, clasping her hands together.

"And I'm grateful for the medicine, Nonoko-chan," Mikan said, remembering the shot she got from the doctor. When she was given the antidote, her breathing became normal and her complexion returned to its original state.

When the all of the visitors, with the exception of Ruka and his rabbit, left the hospital room, Mikan lay back down on the bed and covered herself with the blanket up to her nose. She giggled sweetly, thinking how wonderful and thoughtful her friends were. She felt a twinge of guilt for making them worry, but at least she was able to smile at them to show that she was fine. As she recalled what happened last night—when Reo knocked her out—she suddenly shivered in fear. The AAO had numerously tried to apprehend her for a long time. They've also hunted her down when she went to visit her grandfather. It was fortunate that Natsume was always there to protect her from them. She almost didn't want to leave her grandfather alone, knowing that the AAO could use him, but the Academy sent someone to protect her grandfather in secret. The problems with the AAO still lingered until now and she wondered when they would stop coming for her.

"Sakura," Ruka spoke, his face flushing red. "D-do you want me to t-take care of you while you're h-here?" He didn't even make eye contact to her when he said that. He suddenly got shy.

Mikan smiled gratefully. It was nice of Ruka to offer his aid, but she remembered about the acting, the practice, and the rest of the Somatic Class. Ruka was, after all, one of the stars of the play. The practice was a must for him, and Mikan would feel bad if he would miss it. "Thank you, Ruka-pyon… But…You should practice for the play. The Alice Festival is drawing near, you know."

"I can manage the play," Ruka replied, turning his head at Mikan. He could feel his face heating up just by gazing at her amber orbs. "I don't know if I could practice without you…knowing that you're here…"

"Don't worry about me, Ruka-pyon!" She sat up on the bed and raised her arm up high. "As you can see, I'm A-OK!!"

Ruka lightly laughed. "I can see that." Leave it to Mikan to always bring a smile on his face. She never failed to enlighten him.

From outside the room, they could hear Kawashima Kyo's voice and Hibiki Ryou's, talking, or more like, threatening someone. Ryou's was talking loudly and he sounded pretty cocky when he said: "I can't believe you gave up such an opportunity, Kyo!" Mikan and Ruka wondered why was Ryou scolding his own best friend and what he meant by opportunity. Then Ryou continued his rant. "We're far better than this arrogant jerk here…" Obviously, Ryou and Kyo weren't the only ones there. There was another person.

"Arrogant jerk?" Mikan was starting to have a feeling that she might know this arrogant jerk Ryou was talking about. She pulled the bed sheet and covered half her face, as she stared at the door. Things got a little quiet for a while, and then Ryou suddenly blurted an insult and walked away. After that, Mikan heard Kyo apologizing and ran off. Kyo's voice was low yet sincere. Mikan had always known him to be a very proud guy, smart nevertheless, and cunning. Ryou was different than Kyo, Mikan thought, recalling the time she first met them.

The door creaked open and in went Natsume, looking positively composed. The sheer sight of him brightened Mikan up so much that she greeted him with open arms. "Hi! Natsume!" she said out loud, and Natsume just shrugged. "Where have you been? Did you know that some of our classmates came to visit?" She was giggling when Natsume sat down on her bed.

"Nowhere…" Natsume replied nonchalantly. He then turned to Ruka, giving him a significant look, which Ruka immediately understood.

"Since Natsume's here, I'll better be going now," Ruka said and walked towards the door. He could sense something different with Natsume and he guessed that he wanted to be alone with Mikan. Even though he stays quiet about his feelings, he unconsciously pours all his emotions on the people he cares. Whenever he was sad and lonely, he would isolate himself from the rest, but deep down his heart wanted someone to comfort him. Ruka was always there for him, because Natsume was his best friend. The certain sadness he felt within Natsume was comprehensible to him, but he was sure that he'll only need Mikan at the moment. "I'll see you later, Sakura."

"Ok!" Mikan showed him a thumb up. "Do your best at practice, Ruka-pyon!"

"I will," Ruka replied, and then he stepped out of the room and slowly closed the door behind him.

"So, Natsume, are you planning to stay with me the whole day?" Mikan asked, clinging to his arm. "You'll get bored, you know. Did you bring any mangas with you?" She searched Natsume for any signs of manga, but he wasn't bringing one with him. That was strange. Natsume would always have manga with him.

"Mikan…" As he said her name, he pulled her into a warm embrace and nestled his chin on her shoulder. He was still experiencing some pains in his right shoulder, but for some reason they seem to lessen when he caressed her. Mikan was his strength and his will. There was nothing else in the world that could compare the feelings he has for her. To be able to hold her so close was enough to lighten him up.

"Natsume… Are you still worried about me?" Mikan said, her lips curving into an angelic smile. "It's okay now. I'm fine." She knew that Natsume doesn't like to be frank with his innermost feelings, but he usually showed his tenderness through his actions. Natsume was always a guy of few words anyway.

"Worried?" he said with a shrug. He pulled away and stared at her with a stoic face. "Don't flatter yourself, polka-dots. By the way, your chest is really soft." His lips curved into an arrogant smirk as he touched one of her breast.

In an instant, Mikan's face paled. "What the…You…I can't believe…" She tightened her fists and gritted her teeth. "You perverted moron! You never change!!" she shouted loudly as she started hitting Natsume with a pillow.

He really liked teasing her, seeing her pout, but he didn't like her high-pitched voice. Oh, well, it was something he had to bear. And he wasn't kidding about her chest part. He mentally snickered like a little devil inside his mind, while he maintained a bored look on his face. He was still getting hit over and over again by Mikan. And when he was fed up with it, he grabbed the pillow, tossed it aside, and pinned Mikan on the bed.

"You're going to harass me again, pervert?!" Mikan said with her face flushed red.

"Something like that," Natsume replied coolly. He then leaned down and kissed her luscious lips.

Mikan didn't do anything to push him away. She just let him do as he pleased, as she closed her eyes and savored his kiss. Her heart was racing fast and she was sure that her cheeks were as red as apples. Even so, it felt good to be able to share a moment with him. Natsume was the only guy to ever make her feel that way and he was the only guy that she'll ever love wholeheartedly.

To be continued…

JC: It has to stop right there. Kyo is really a nice guy once you get to know him better. Ryou, well, is a jerk, I know, but he has good points to. He's just very proud and arrogant, but it is apparent that he cares for Kyo and Mikan. I'll be introducing another OC in the next chapter. She'll be Kyo's older sister. Her Alice is pretty fun and she belongs to the Technical Class. You'll get to know her soon. I'm sorry for the ways things happen with Natsume. Hii-sama has some issues with guys and she can be very cruel. That's all for now. Please review. No flaming.