Ruka: I have finished writing this chappie, Hotaru… what do you think about it?

Hotaru : (glance at the script) You are so much worst than that authoress! Now everyone! Find sarahpatrick quickly! (holding her baka gun)

Everyone pretend to search for sarahpatrick as they were afraid to get the upgraded baka gun.

Ladalada: Found her! Here! (points at a small old and smelly box)

Me: shush! Quiet! Hotaru will kill me! I need to hide from her!

Hotaru: You better do the story, right now!d

Me: (cry) okay! Okay! Buu huu… (types very fast as hotaru stands behind sarahpatrick with her baka gun on the guard) Finish! Chapter 9 is here!

Hotaru : give me those! Let me read it! (grabs and fights for the paper)

Arahi Sakura and Mikan: Hotaru… don't be so mean… (sweat drop)

Leenstarz: hehe.. me happy for Mikan and Natsume! hehe

Okaix : Mikan x natsume!

Kemcat16: ah!! Kawaii couples!

Natsume : oy! Shuttup will you! (blushing furiously)

Maplecat: aaaa! Look at him!

Natsumedestiny: his blushing…omg..

Natsume : you better cut that out, sarahpatrick… stop embarrassing me! stop typing!

Me: hehehe… anyway thanks to all that send reviews… really kind… and oh…PinkEverlasting.. Im so sorry… I didn't know… thanks for telling that to me…

Hotaru: okay guys! You all better read this now because im in this chapter at last!

Chapter 9 Money, money, money!

Natsume could hear the early birds had started to chirp outside. The soft ray of sunlight shone through the window and the room was bathing in sunlight beams. The cool air of the fresh morning blew gently into the room from the opened window. Natsume he tried to stretch himself to the refreshing morning with his eyes still closed. Just as he tries to lift up his hand, he could only lift his left hand but not the right… something was either sleeping on his arm or he had slept with a burden on his right arm for the whole night. So, he opened his eyes and what he saw had his eyes widen. He had his face held so close to Mikan's that their lips were almost touching. His left arm was still around her waist. Both Mikan's arms were around his too. And their legs were pinning with each other… Natsume can't believe his eyes how close they were… the thought of it made him smile. He went nearer to her and kissed her lips. Then he played her hair and twisted them around his fingers. Mikan was still asleep. He could see that she was exhausted. He closed his eyes again. He remembered what had happened last night. The mission… the fire… and most importantly… the break-up. (yes natsumedesstiny... your answer is replied) Yes, he heard every single word. He was awake when it happened.

-----FLASHBACK----

(Please read this flashback… I know you might think that I took this flashback 100 from the previous chapter…demo… I have change it into Natsume's POV)

Natsume could hear voices but doesn't know what they are saying. He tried to open his eyes but he was too tired. His mind was racing—as if he had been filled with loads of information. After a while, then he could hear those voices and they were Ruka's and Mikan's. He eventually opened his eyes and looked around.

"I'm in my room…" he murmured as he massaged his aching head. What happened just now…? He thought to himself as he turned to find a comfortable position on his bed. Natsume saw that Mikan and Ruka were both sitting at the couch, talking. At first he decided to ignore them.

"They must be all mushy and lovely doobry…Tch," he snapped. But just then, he realized what they were talking about…

"Do you really love me, Mikan?" he heard Ruka asked her seriously. Mikan hesitated. The room went into silence.

"You see… I believe that silence is the answer, isn't it?" said Ruka at once.

"Ruka—I" she began but Ruka stopped her.

"I know that you love someone… but let me guess… you don't even know that you are actually in love with that person, isn't it?" asked Ruka as he looked at her straight into the eyes. Mikan eyes watered. She tried to find her words. She was lost and confused.

"What does he meant by Mikan's in love with someone else…?" wondered Natsume as he tried to listen to their conversation.

"Yes, I don't know…" he heard her said and she looked away from Ruka's eyes. Mikan looked at Natsume, who was trying his best not to move to blow his cover. Silence came rolling into the room for a long time...

"It's Natsume, isn't it… the one who took away your first kiss," he said so suddenly that Mikan startled. Mikan looked at him but didn't answer. She could remember that moment really well as if it just happened yesterday. She blushed furiously at the thought of it. Natsume who was listening was shocked to hear it. His eyes widen. He knew… thought Natsume in fear.

"I know… the way he calls you… the way he looks at you and how you look at him back… I know the truth, Mikan…" said Ruka calmly. Natsume cannot believe his ears. Both he and Mikan was pang with guilt. Mikan likes Ruka but not love him. However, with Natsume, even though she hates him, she found herself in love him even more. But to call him Hyuuga, it hurts her a lot. It hurts her when he never come and bullies her even for one day. It hurts when he never call her polka-dots. It hurts when she wasn't able to be there to cheer him up. It hurts… Mikan covered her face with her hands and started to cry.

"I am sorry, Ruka… Gomenasai, gomen, gomen…" she cried hardly. Ruka sat beside her and hugged her. Natsume was speechless. Mikan loves me all along… he told himself and it made him feel like a total idiot.

"I must admit… that you have cheated yourself in convince yourself to love me… and also I too was self-fish as I also want you… I am sorry to make you my girlfriend… but you really had given me chances… and that is already good enough for me… arigato, Mikan-chan…" said Ruka as he kissed her forehead.

"So… we're breaking up?" asked Mikan as she looked at him. Ruka gave her a sad smile. Breaking up?! gasped Natsume.

"Yes, Mikan-chan… I think it is time for us to break up…we can't be together anymore…we are not meant to be…" said Ruka. Natsume smiled to himself but he felt sorry for Ruka. He knows that Ruka love her so much but Ruka has to face the real bitter truth… the only person who can be Mikan's true boyfriend is—him…

-----END OF FLASHBACK-----

Just then, his alarm rang.

RRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!! (His face turned white due to shock, eyes widen, hairs all straightened and messy, body vibrates simultaneously as the alarm clock vibrates—anime style! XD!) Natsume burned the alarm clock as he was annoyed (beady eyes, three vain throbbing vigorously on the side of forehead, pouted mouth—anime style!). He just can't believe it was already time to get up to school. He pushed Mikan carefully into position so that she wouldn't fall down the bed. He was about to crawled out of bed quietly but instead he fell flat on his face. (Face red due to pain, many throbbing vain appears, mouth pouts) he tried to stand up but his right leg was stuck. He swiveled to know why his right leg is stuck and he saw—his right leg was held captive between both Mikan's legs. He sweat dropped. He tried to pull his leg free but it was too tight. The more he tries, the harder it gets.

"Oy! Polka-dots! I know you are awake!" he grunted as he poked her on her cheek (beady eyes). Mikan giggled. She had been secretly watching him struggling to take his leg back.

"That is for stealing my container, baka!" she pouted and let go of his leg which made Natsume to fall down on his back. Natsume rubbed his head as his head hurts.

"Baka polka-dots! You make me fall!" he groaned. Mikan laughed. Natsume stood up and took his pillow and threw it at her. Unfortunately, Mikan who was too busy laughing didn't see it coming and it hit her on her face. She took one of the pillow and start hitting him too. At the end, they were pillow-fighting which continued even though the first school bell had rung half-an-hour ago…

MEANWHILE IN THE CLASS

"Nakamura naka-chan" called Narumi-sensei as he checked his class attendance in random order.

"Here!!" replied Naka as she waved her hands up in the air.

"Imai Hotaru-chan"

"Here" she replied emotionlessly.

"Shouda Sumire-chan"

"Here!" she said almost screaming with her cat-dog expression.

"Nendo Kaoru-kun"

"Here…" he said with a wet smile on his face. Sumire looked at him in disgust. She was known to hate him.

"Nogi Ruka-kun"

"Here"

"Hyuuga Natsume-kun"

No answer.

"Hyuuga Natsume-kun" repeated Narumi-sensei as he looked up. He knows that Natsume would never reply him, yet he just called out his name out of annoyance. Narumi-sensei was surprised to see his seat empty as he knows that even if Natsume would skips classes, he would do it after his attendance is taken.

"Wait the minute!" gasped Narumi-sensei. His eyes traveled beside Natsume's empty seat; which is another empty seat, and then he looked around the class.

"Where is my daughter?" asked the virgin Narumi-sensei. Everyone sweat dropped. They knew that Narumi-sensei has been Mikan's foster father since Mikan came to this school five years ago.

"That's odd… why Mikan-chan and Natsume-kun are not here?" asked Narumi-sensei at once. Sumire activates her cat-dog alice at once.

"That Sakura might have kidnap him for herself!" screamed Sumire at once (cat-dog face expression, standing on her chair while her another leg is on the table, fist held high, shinning eyes which say Beware!-I-will-kill-you!, many thunder strike at the background—anime style!) everyone sweat dropped. The class president, Tobita Yuu, approached her.

"Eh…Sumire-chan…Don't you think that you are a little bit tinie-winie harsh on Mikan-chan?" asked Yuu (his right hand is held with index finger pointing upwards). Sumire looked at him then—the atmosphere suddenly changed dark and cold.

"What are you trying to say to me, Yuu…?" asked Sumire (monstrous face, eyes that shines brightly in the dark, background thunder storm—anime style!) Yuu freaked out and sweat dropped.

"Why don't we check upon them?" suggested Hotaru as she picked up her camera from her bag.

"What's with the camera, Hotaru-chan?" asked Narumi-sensei as he scretched his un-itchy head as he knows what the reply is going to be… Hotaru gave the teacher the most darkest and meanest twisted smile ever seen in history… (An electric wave appeared at the dark background and her eyes glows in the dark… the background is filled with the word 'money money money'…). Everyone in the class including Narumi-sensei himself freaked out (faces all white, hairs all spiked up, back hairs all stands up and loads of sweat drop—anime style!)

BACK TO NATSUME'S ROOM

"Just look at the mess in my room…" groaned Natsume as he stares at the condition of his room. The floor is filled with the stuffing of the pillows, and so are they. Mikan who is still in her pink pyjamas bit her lips. Her eyes travelled around the room and then she looked at the clock.

"Oh my goodness… we're late!" she shrieked. She ran across the room immediately. Natsume ran after her.

"Mikan!" he called her but she didn't hear him and reached the door. She opened it and ran out the room. Natsume who was faster than her, took her by her hand and pinned her to the wall.

"No need, polka-dots!" he told her.

"It's alright if we're late or escape school today…" he said emotionlessly. Mikan hesitated but then—

-----FLASHBACK-----

"No need, polka-dots!" he told her.

-----END OF FLASHBACK------

Mikan exploded like a super volcano eruption.

"BAKA HENTAI!!!!" she screamed and hit him continuously at his chest. Natsume smirked and took her hands.

"Do you know your punches are so weak…" he sneered. Mikan got angrier and wanted to hit him more but she was stunned by his moves. Natsume cupped her chin and brought her nearer to him. Her eyes widen. Her face was getting closer to his. 15cm… 7cm… 1 inch… 1cm… their lips were only millimeters away… Mikan blushed furiously and closed her eyes and she too move closer to him…

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

Natsume and Mikan startled. They looked around to see the distracter… Natsume was furious for that sound had disturbed their moments…

"Gonna burn that thing to bits…" he thought evilly… and what they saw made them sweat dropped. Hotaru was taking pictures of them in pyjamas with some of pillow stuffing's was still stuck on their hair and in this very awkward position, at every angle.

"Money Money Money Money Money Money Money" she muttered non-stop as she clicked her camera continuously at every angle and every corner. Her eyes were glimmered with the '$' symbol….

"SSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed an angry Sumire running towards them (her eyes shines brightly and she was carrying a big tree with her). She wanted to kill Mikan for taking her Natsume. Everyone sweat dropped.

"WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" screamed Mikan as she tried to run away but Natsume didn't let her go. Instead, a fire ball appeared and circled around Sumire. Sumire shrieked in fear and let go of the tree she was holding. The class dodged away from the tree as the tree was falling towards them.

"What the…" muttered Natsume as he saw his classmates.

"What the hell are you all doing here?" asked Natsume emotionlessly.

"We're checking on both of you, of course…" said Narumi-sensei with a smile on his face. "You and Mikan-chan didn't come to class… we got worried," he continued. Natsume glared at him and roll his eyes.

"Tch. Whatever…" he said, annoyed and folded his arms. Narumi-sensei approached him.

"Why don't you go and hit the shower and come to class… we are going to have a special meeting for next month's special event…" he said as he pat his head. Natsume slapped his hand. Narumi-sensei just smiled at him and watched him walked back into his room. He turned to Mikan.

"You too, Mikan-chan…" he said. Mikan ran towards her room. She was avoiding Sumire's hard stare. Once she reached her room, she closed the door behind her and ran to the bathroom. She turned the tap on and filled the bathtub with warm water. She took of her clothes and went in once it was full. She sat and hugged her legs. She flashback the moment that had happened just now between her and Natsume…

"Natsume…" she said softly as she remembered when they were almost kiss. It made her blushed furiously. Meanwhile, in Natsume's bathroom, Natsume was taking a hot shower. He smiled to himself as he remembered the moment that had happened just now between him and Mikan…

"Mikan…" he said softly and smiled to himself. He closed his eyes as he cherished this memory. He never felt so happy. Mikan is mine… he told himself.

-----END OF CHAPTER----

Me : SORRY! I KNOW, I know… the end bit is a bit OOC… but you have to blame it to the Manga Fruit Basket! I was reading it when I was writing this chapter and the story is still effecting me like hell… even this chappie felt like fruit basket between kyo/yuki with tohru… omg… help… I need to be in Gakuen Alice mood! Not furuba… lTTl