Chapter 14

(A/N: Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter! So, here is the next chapter and I hope I can get at least 5 reviews or more...can you do it for me?)

Paris, France after six months...

Mikan's POV at 2 o'clock in the early morning

Ring. Ring. Ring.

I stirred on my bed as soon as I heard my phone ringing and vibrating at the edge of my bedside table. I slightly opened my eyes and took a quick peek at the alarm clock that was lying beside my phone. 2 am it says. Shit. Who the hell in their right mind would call me so early in the morning?! I tossed and turned and groaned. I even tried to keep my eyes closed and concentrate on going back to my sleep but that phone keeps on ringing and ringing! I am so pissed off right now and so I grabbed the stupid phone and placed it on my ears

"Who the hell is this? Can't you see that it's just 2 am in the morning and you've just disturbed my sleep!" I spat with annoyance in my tone.

"Well, I couldn't see that it's 2 am in there coz my watch says it's 5pm here." The voice replied.

I was stunned. My eyes widened upon hearing the voice at the other line. I quickly sat up on my bed and replied back, with my voice stammering "N-N-Na-Natsume?"

"Hn."

"It's the first time that you've called me and how did you get my number?"

"I have my ways and I think my timing is bad...hearing you yell at me a while ago. I disturbed your sleep so I guess I'll just hang up"

"W-Wait"

"Hmm?"

"It's alright. You don't need to hang up. I'm awake now and I couldn't go back to sleep anyway so let's just talk"

"Alright then. So, how are you? It's been six months since you've left"

"Yeah, I know. I'm doing well in here...My classmates were nice and I've got two close friends here. But honestly, I miss all of you guys there. If I could only go back in there as soon as possible, I would do it. So, what are the latest happenings in there?"

"Everything was just the same. Nothing was out of the ordinary except that you are not here."

"Yeah, and I am so sorry for leaving you guys"

"Polka..."

"What?"

"I saw the photo collage that you've sent Imai six months ago"

I gulped "And? What about it?"

"Nothing. I just...never mind"

"Hey, don't be a cliffhanger. Spill it already..."

"Have you kept your promise of not drinking any alcohol again?"

"You sure do like to change topics, Natsume...Yeah, so far, I haven't drunk any alcohol so yeah, the promise remains intact."

"Good."

"May I ask the reason why did you call me today? This is the first time you've called and this is out of your character" I asked. Why did I ask that anyway? Am I expecting him to say something good like if he misses me? Oh dear. I did not just think that.

"I just called because I...just want to know if you're fine"

"Oh." My voice was deadpanned. Yeah, Mikan you dummy... you won't expect him to say that he misses you right?

"And to say that I miss you...Polka dotted panty girl"

And then my jaw dropped. Did he just say what I am expecting him to say? "What did you just say?"

"Sorry Polka dots but I won't repeat it again so if you didn't heard it then it's not my problem anymore"

"Jerk"

"Go to sleep now. You still have classes right? And it's almost dinner here so let's hang up"

"Oh...uhhmmm...yeah...uhmm...Natsume?"

"What?"

"Thanks for calling" I said while smiling though he cannot see it, but I am really happy that he called me.

"No problem"

And the next thing I knew, the call ended.

Natsume's POV

The moment that I ended the phone call, I couldn't really decipher the emotions that were rushing all throughout my system. Am I happy because I got to hear Polka's voice again after six months? Am I sad because we didn't talk a little longer much to my chagrin? I don't really know how to react! Anyway, nobody would notice it since I'm on my poker face 24/7. Facial expression is never my problem.

"Are you going insane Hyuuga?" an icy voice disrupted me. I hissed "what now Imai?"

"You can fool others but you can never fool me. I saw you a while ago, for a moment you smiled and then you immediately scowled. If you feel like going to a mental institution, then I will be honored to bring you there myself" Imai mocked.

"Shut up"

"Is Mikan the one you're talking to a while ago?" she asked me again.

"None of your business" I scoffed.

She looked at me and shrugged her shoulders "Figures. Your expressions are just changing whenever that idiot is involved. If you will deny that then it is your choice but you know, no one escapes the lenses of my camera. Your expression was captured perfectly."

Damn. She got me there. That Imai and her stupid camera. If there is an opportunity, I will definitely crush her camera with my own foot.

"Go away" I hissed. But then, Imai laid her hands in front of me and I raised my eyebrows "What now?"

"Payment" she muttered.

"Payment my ass." I retorted.

Hotaru rolled her eyes "Oh come on Hyuuga...It's impossible for you to call Mikan since I am the only one in the whole academy who knows her number. I saw you through my surveillance camera, sneaking onto my cellphone that I left under my desk while I am talking with some teachers at the faculty room and took her number."

I gritted my teeth but I know that I cannot do anything about it anymore since she got evidence "How much?"

"1,000 rabbits" and I winced but knowing her and her dirty tactics, I have no choice so I grabbed my wallet and took a 1,000 bill and give it to her.

"Make sure that you're the only one who knows about this. And, never give that idiot's number to anyone else. It's just you and me, got it?"

She nodded and then, she laid her hand for the second time "What?" I almost yelled.

"Additional 300 rabbits for your request of not giving Mikan's number to anyone. You know that I am not taking requests for free right?"

I rolled my eyes in irritation. Once Polka returns, she will return all the payment I gave to her blackmailer best friend since it is her fault anyway. If she just gives me her number then I wouldn't even dare to sneak on that evil witch's phone. I then handed Imai another 300 rabbits.

"Now get lost"

And thank heavens; she finally left me in peace.

Hanabusa's POV

It's been six months since Kashino left Morceau de gateau and even though Andou and I can manage it, I must admit that with Kashino's absence, our sales dropped since we don't have the ability to make chocolate sweets since it is way out of our expertise. So, here I am again doing some financial reports when Andou barged into the office.

"Hey" Andou stated. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just studying the sales report that our finance team gave to me and also the feedbacks that we received from our valued customers and according to this, they are missing Kashino's chocolate sweets and they are asking when will Kashino return so that the menu would be complete again."

"But that's quite impossible for now. He cannot go back here unless Mikan-chan graduates and he is currently the manager of St. Marie's Bakeshop in there. We just need to generate new sweets to compensate for the chocolate sweets that we cannot make." Andou replied.

I sighed and then my periphery caught the sight of a picture frame that was displayed on my desk. "If only Ichigo-chan were here..."

"Hey, Hanabusa" Andou cuts off.

I looked at him with a questioning look etched on my picture perfect face (A/N: Yeah, Hanabusa is really narcissistic!). I raised my perfectly shaped eyebrows and mumbled "What?"

"I guess it's about time for the two of us to go back to Paris." Andou replied back.

I looked at the desk calendar and nodded upon realizing what Andou meant "Yeah, I think we need to go back to Paris but who will manage this diner for the meantime? And how long are we going to stay there?"

Andou sat down on the chair adjacent to mine and puts his hands under his chin as if he was thinking of something and then after a few minutes, he finally replied "Is it okay for you to put this diner on hiatus? We'll just stay there for a couple of months hmmm...probably for a maximum of three months? We don't need Kashino's opinion since he was already in there. So all I need is your answer. What do you think?"

I thought about it for a while, thinking about the pros and cons of Andou's suggestion. But after sometime I nodded my head and agreed to him "Yeah, we'll just close this diner for a while and while we're there we can conceptualize new sweets that will be launched here. So, when are we going back?"

Andou replied "Maybe two days from now. We must also talk to our staff here and settle our plane tickets and other stuffs."

I nodded and then I picked up the telephone and dialed a certain number "Hello, this is Satsuki Hanabusa...I would like to book a flight to Paris for two in two days time."

Normal POV

After two days, Andou and Satsuki finally left Tokyo to go back to Paris. They didn't tell Kashino about this for they are going to surprise him once they arrived. They hailed a cab and headed off to St. Marie's Academy so that they can unpack their things in their 'old room'.

"Ahhh, it's nice to be back" Hanabusa said as he stepped his foot on the grounds of St. Marie's Academy.

"Yeah, I feel nostalgic...it's been years since we left here" Andou replied as he took out his luggage from the cab's trunk. "We better go to our dorm room first and unpack our stuffs. Later on, we can take a little tour in the school grounds."

The two lads then proceeded to their dorm room inside the school grounds. Those rooms were the ones that they used when they were still students in the academy and since the Sweets Princes were well-known, the academy staff decided that they can use their rooms anytime they are in Paris and it is now technically their property. Once they unpacked their luggage, both of them took a quick shower and changed their clothes before strutting out of their room.

"So, where do we go first?" Andou asked as they were walking down their dorm.

"Hmmm...Let's visit the lake that I missed so much" Hanabusa replied and Andou just nodded his head.

It was a fine day today and Mikan is in a very good mood. She went to the academy's pastry café and bought five different shortcakes. She is in the mood to eat today though she is all alone today since Ellie and Nattie were busy doing other things. The brunette scanned the café and noticed that it is quite packed with students and so she decided to just eat her cakes somewhere else, where she can eat in peace and can see the nature and then an ideal place popped into her mind-the academy's man-made lake.

Mikan grinned at herself. She knows that she can eat there peacefully since students rarely goes in there so she turned to her heels and made her way towards the lake. Once she got there, she noticed two familiar figures near the lake. Mikan walked closer so that she can distinguish them even though their backs were facing her. As she got near them, the brunette gasped.

"Hanabusa? Andou-kun? Is that you?"

And then, both of them turned around and that answered her question.

"Hi there Mikan-chan! Long time no see!" Andou replied.

"W-w-why a-are you here?" Mikan stuttered.

"Oh, we just want to have a little break from work and so we decided to visit here. We're going to stay here for three months" Hanabusa replied.

"Oh really? That's nice to hear! Oh, yeah does Kashino know about your sudden visit?" Mikan asked.

Both of them shook their heads and it was Hanabusa who answered Mikan's query "Nope, we're going to surprise him. Speaking of him, where is he now?"

"He's at work. I barely see him here in the academy." Mikan answered.

"Work? What work? He didn't mention it in his e-mails" Andou said

The brunette chuckled "Oh maybe he doesn't want to tell it to you guys or he just forgot, either of the two. Anyway, he currently works as the manager of St. Marie's Bakeshop while he's here."

Hanabusa grinned "Oh really? That sly fox..."

Mikan frowned at Hanabusa's response "Huh?"

Andou butts in "You see, Mikan-chan...When we were still students here, we always wanted to work in St. Marie's Bakeshop. That is the best training ground for aspiring patissieres since it is owned by St. Marie's and in there, a patissiere can exhibit his/her sweets and let the world know it since its customers were mostly members of the elite society."

"Wow, that's cool. I didn't know that!" Mikan chuckled. "Oh, I've bought some shortcake from the pastry café, want some?"

Andou replied "We love to"

And so, the three of them sat down at the edge of the lake without knowing that someone is watching them from afar.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Hello?" a woman answered the phone.

"Hello, mom it's me" a voice replied.

"Oh, what made you call today?"

"It's them mom...they're back in the academy"

"Who?"

"The Sweets Princes"

"Really? I thought they left years ago"

"Yeah, I thought so too..."

"Well, I guess they returned because it's almost time."

"Do you really think that they returned because of that reason?"

"Well, I can't think of anything."

"Oh well, I'll hang up now...Let's just see what happens next"

And the call ended.

End of Chapter 14!

Share me your thoughts about it! Review please?

So, what do you think is the reason why Hanabusa and Andou returned to Paris since they said that "it's about time"? And what's with the mysterious phone conversation? Can you guess? The answer will be on the next chapter so stay tuned!

Sorry for spelling or grammar errors if there is any.

~Natsumi Yuki-Hime