CHAPTER 12:

Natsume's POV

I stood up from my seat, taking the bags and looked at the brat. "I like to check it now, sweetheart... It'll be perfect for photos during sunset... Let's go..." I said. I don't know where I got that endearment again; it's too late when I realized that I was calling her 'honey' the last time. "By the way, thanks for the information..." I told the crazy being, grasping polka's hand tighter this time and making our way out of the shop.

"What's wrong with you???" Polka hissed at me when were finally out of sight.

"She... That girl is a whimsically eccentric person..." I said, massaging my head with my fingers due to the headache that came just a while ago. I mean it! That girl is crazy!!!

"What are you saying Natsume???" Huh? I looked at her. She called me by my name? Is she fine? And hey, is she worried? Nonsense.

I bet her ring tightened when that crazy crap was giving me wild imaginations. Yeah, wild... VERY WILD. "You're calling me by my name?"

She sighed. "I think it's better to practice saying your name because I always forget it. Now, would you just tell me what the hell happened to you???" Practice?

"What is it to you?" I asked her, still clutching her hand. Her nullification is sure strong---it helped. I didn't really plan to take her hand in the first place, I just can't find Ruka's Alice stone a while ago while that girl was showing me a picture of her---nude and making some pole dancing. And it's the creepiest thing I've ever experienced since seeing brat on her polka-dotted bikinis. But at least the sight of polka was better than that crap!

Exhale.

"She's an alice, right? Loraine used her alice on you..." she said.

"Yes." I answered her, as I started to walk towards the direction given to us.

"What's her alice? Is it anything good or creepy???" She asked with a goofy smile. What now polka? You can even smile like that? That's what you call creepy!

"It's creepy."

"Aaawww... I really thought that she's nice." Nice? Not at all. "What's her alice anyway?"

"I told you it's a creepy alice, so get over it!" I said, accentuating the word creepy.

"I want a specific detail, bastard... We're working here, okay?" She said with a bit of annoyance.

I stopped walking and faced her. "It's the imagination alice. She makes other people see things by infiltrating in the mind, but she can only use the alice on one person at a time." I explained.

She blinked at me. Ok, whatever... So we continued walking even if her baggage is a heck of a heavy load. Turning on the second right, she noticed our hands still intertwined as she raised it infront of her.

"Aren't you planning to let go of me now?" she asked with an obvious tint of crimson on her cheeks--- which is actually cute.

"No." I told her tonelessly, fighting the urge to smile or laugh at her expression. She pouted---cute but she's less cute than that when she's smiling. Why am I suddenly evaluating her facial expressions???

Like I said, I held her hand just to seek refuge from that girl's craziness but when I took it, there's this weird feeling that came to me---I don't even understand it. The pulse of my blood on my fingers became one with her causing it to be stronger, like there's something pumping between our hands. Weird, if you'll think of it. But for the sake of truth, I kinda like it. When this brat's not being so loud and boisterous, everything goes well but hell when she goes throwing anything at me just because of that darn kiss.

Is that a so-big deal to girls? I mean, their first kiss? A lot weirder than anything, again.

At last we found the coffee shop. Turn left.

"Where to?" Polka asked, looking at me. How lame... she didn't memorized the direction at once?

"Left." I simply said, guiding her in a narrow, downward stairway. I glanced at our path left and right to assure our safety.

"Wwwhhhhaaaaaa~~~~~~!!!" She exclaimed. "Astonishing!"

I looked at the direction she was looking at and saw the sun perfectly setting on the horizon. Polka ran towards the fountain in the middle of the park. Now I know what beauty they're talking about.

It's not the fountain---it's the happiness you see in people's faces when they appreciate the simple view they're beholding.

Nevermind... I just saw something in that girl's face that suddenly unexplainably made me happy.

I just notice now that she's child-like in so many ways. Just... running after a butterfly, chasing dragonflies and putting flowers together to make a halo... Let her enjoy the place. I may scold her later for forgetting her job, but I'll leave her for now.

I took the camera Tono left last night. He said the pictures I'll be taking will be going directly to their computers, so I took some shots in the place. Unfortunately, I ran out of battery after my twenty-second take so I need to use my phone. While taking some photos, I crossed her silhouette sitting on the fountain, facing the sunset. The water was sparkling and the light that softly touches the flowers and everything gave me a perfect picture. Of course I took it.

"I can't reach Mikan? Where is she?" Imai called on my earpiece. It's a very minute earpiece that Tono installed behind my ears last night for our permanent communication device.

"She's here with me. I'll make her install her earpiece later" I answered her.

"Do it fast! I need to talk to her before the day ends."

"Got it." I told her.

"I found the warp hole..." A voice popped on my mind. It's her--- She can use telepathy? How many alice does she have?

"Polka..." I called her from a distance. I turned to look at me and wha--- Is she smiling? I'll admit I was taken aback by her expression. Why, suddenly???

"You heard it?" she asked. I just nodded in response and went near her to check. "It's here." She pointed with her fingers as it slowly opened and almost sucked her hand in it if I didn't snap it away from the warp hole.

"Idiot! Aren't you thinking?" I hissed at her. She frowned and looked at me.

"I am! That's why I'm trying if this'll work."

"Enough for now that we found out that there are warp holes here. Let's go... before they know that we know something about this. Remember---"

"...that we're acting innocent... Yeah, yeah, yeah! Fine!" She said, stamping away from me. Ok... childish also, in most ways...

We walked again to where the car is. She actually insisted of teleporting to the suite but I don't think that it's a good idea and when she tried to use her alice without using her head--- "Where do you think you're going, huh, polka???" I asked her, grasping her hand.

"Away from you, bastard! And stop calling me polka!!!" Whatever. I pulled her along with me, let alone the weight of her shopping bags and her body resisting the pull I'm making.

"Obey, or I'll burn this all, brat..." I said, when she stopped, glaring daggers at me.

"You'll never try..." she warned.

"And why not?" I asked sarcastically raising an eyebrow on her.

"Because you are a loving husband, aren't you sweetheart?" she said in a very mild manner, smiling at me as I caught a sight of the white-blonde again. Why can't she get lost or evaporate??? I mean---that stupid human being with that imagination alice! Little by little the brat managed to get her hand away.

I gritted my teeth. "Are you trying to say that you'll not help me with that girl's attacking alice, huh?"

"Just be nice..." she said, still smiling. What a witch!?

"Blackmailing me huh?" I said, getting nearer to her and putting an arm around her. I know she hates this. "You should be the one behaving, honey... Anyways, you don't want you ring finger being cut, and you don't want to mess up the plan, do you?"

"And I want your arms off me!" she added in a warning tone, which is funny. I don't think she has the choice in the first place. We're in this, stuck in this together--- without escape, so why not play along???

We were in the car when she bursted with her anger. She's so loud and noisy that I can't help it but use the silencing spray Imai gave me (actually intended for this kind of situations) on her. It says here 'one spray: good for 2 hours. Tested by Chemists (Nonoko) and Inventor (Hotaru)'

She started to be wild, punching me, slapping me and sobbing. The latter made me guilty. Can't she live without talking? She really suffers silence that much? How odd!

Well it's kinda odd for me, since I lived in silence for so many years, with my parents hiding us, siblings from peoples attention since we're alices. I lived discreetly with my family, away from the crowd and amusing ourselves with books, music and little pleasures we can have to quench our thirst from exploring outside. I met people outside, but most of them are quite, and they only open their mouth for sensible things, but this girl?

I'm giving you this advice not because I'm Hotaru's fan but I know how it feels when your eardrum is about to explode: BUY THIS SILENCING SPRAY, or THE SOUND-PROOF COCOON!

She finally behaved, sitting there in the passenger's seat in silence as I drove back to the suite. She didn't move an inch, looking at the flickering lights outside. When we're finally there, I went out and opened her door before getting her baggage. She seemed surprised by my action but I ignored it.

Upon arrival at the suite, I started to look for that needle-like earpiece Imai was talking about. It was a needle-like pin, to be place behind one's ear. It stings a little at first but you will never feel anything after some minutes. I had difficulty last night so Tono helped. Now I wonder if she'll be fine putting this on by herself.

Where's that girl anyway???

Oh, there... At the balcony, looking away.

"Hey brat," I called at her. "Put this behind your ears..." I said, handing her the pin. She took it and looked at me. Just looked at me--- anyway, what should I expect??? She can't talk remember?

"It's a communication device..."

"How should I wear this, idiot!" she said through her alice. Now, I think the spray can't do anything at all since she can still talk through telepathy. I shook my head.

"Just... infix it to the skin behind your ears... Do it right away or it'll bend..." I said as she started to put the pin just where I told her to.

"Darn you bastard!" she winced on her head. I just smirked. Yeah... how stupid... baka...

"Let me..." I offered my hand (even if I don't want to, just to keep Imai from bugging me) to get the pin from her. She glared at me but still handed me the object.

So now... what should I do with this one, huh???

A/N: I don't really know what to do next... that's why the delay was... you know... there were so many things to do... sorry everyone! But I finished the summary outline, so I think things will be swift from now... HOPEFULLY... don't hesitate to suggest songs or any events you want me to include here... I'll love it!

Yours truly, Yuka=)