Chapter 13: The Plans.

Sumire's hatred towards Mikan was getting obvious. What Otonashi said few days ago was true. And there was news spreading about Mikan's true character was a flirter, and everything related to that. Several students started to think badly about her. No matter how many times Hotaru said not to worry, the condition gets worse. So, one day, Mikan took the strength to face Sumire.

"Hey, Sumire!" Mikan said angrily. The permy paused from talking with her friends and turned her head. "What's with you, spreading the news like that!?"

"Oh? What's the proof that the news came from my mouth?" Sumire asked.

"It came from your fan club members…" Mikan said dully. Sumire winced and eyed her friends. "So, it's true then."

Sumire stood up, "Well, you were flirting with Natsume all the time. He doesn't even talk to me! But… you! He actually did care!"

Mikan was confused. 50 he was nice, but another 50 he acts so mean…

Natsume moved his attention towards the noise, after pausing from reading his manga. "What's that idiot doing?!"

"The idiot you said," Hotaru answered, not looking back. "She wants to stop the rumours from spreading…"

Ruka sweat dropped. "I wonder how she is going to defend herself from being accused as a major flirter…"

Natsume furrowed his brows and resumed his manga reading. "Whatever she's going to do, I think she'll be all right."

Hotaru and Ruka simultaneously stared at him, and then to each other. "He did say that, didn't he?" Ruka asked. Hotaru nodded.

Mikan said, "Why would I flirt with Natsume or Ruka? I already have a boyfriend…" Sumire and her gangs flinched. "His name is Sono Kaname, you could ask him if you want prove…"

Sumire's eyes widened, Natsume's eyes twitched and Hotaru only stared at Mikan. The seaweed hair girl gaped, "K-Kaname?! T-that bishounen, Kaname Sono?!"

Mikan backed from Sumire. She nodded and smiled weirdly. "Err… y-you knew him…?"

"Heck yes!!!" Sumire howled. "He's the hottest senior ever, even though he's a new guy!! He's from that private high school near Shinjuku, right?!!" Mikan was forced to nod. "H-he's your boyfriend!?"

Natsume eyed on Mikan' blushing face. What an idiot… You still consider him as your man, even though… Jeez, whatever!

Mikan gave a slight nod. Sumire wailed louder, and just in time, Misaki-sensei entered the class. "Just what on earth are you wailing about, Shouda?! I could hear you from the office!"

Sumire faced Misaki-sensei. "M-Mikan, s-she!! She had Kaname-senpai!!"

Misaki-sensei sweat dropped. "Now, now. Resume to your place…"

Mikan and Sumire returned to their desks and sat down quietly. Hotaru gave a grin to Mikan, telling her that it was a good move to prevent Sumire from harassing her life. Natsume felt angered with Mikan and Ruka could sense that he is jealous.

X

Otonashi walked side by side with Natsume, Ruka, Mikan and Hotaru. "Whoa, I didn't know about Kaname! You should've told me about him!!"

Mikan sweat dropped. "Is he that famous?"

"Of course he is!" Otonashi said loudly. "He was a new guy from Nagoya. The first time he came into the class, every girls in the whole school has a crush on him! Moreover, he's still single at that time!"

Natsume only scoffed. "If he's that famous, he might as well become a superstar and leave this place as soon as possible." He teased.

"Hey," Otonashi said shockingly. "That's not a nice thing to say…"

"Hotaru…" A guy called from behind. Hotaru turned to see that her brother was walking towards her. "Let me help you with the packing. I'll have to get my things from there too." Hotaru silenced and walked together with her brother to the different direction.

Otonashi said, "They're so… cold…" She wrapped her arms around her body. "They seemed to be like statues…"

"Yeah, I guessed you could say that again…" Ruka said. "Ah, Otonashi. Your house's that way, isn't it?" He said while pointing to a left junction.

She nodded. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me. See you guys tomorrow!" Otonashi ran towards the road and left.

"Now that I think of it…" Mikan said, as she thought deeply about Kaname's face. "Kaname really reminded me of my dad. Their faces are alike to each other, ne?"

Ruka gave a long thought. "Err, yeah. The blonde does match…"

"That's why, every time I talked to him…" She walked on with both of them. "I could feel the warmth, just like my dad's. It's like; he's my brother or something. Pretty weird, right?"

"Anything's weird when it comes out from your mouth." Natsume snapped.

Mikan pouted and marched towards the garden. "Imai-senpai called me earlier. He said I need to quit my part-time job…"

Ruka said, "Is it because of your dad's situation?" She nodded. "Em, I think you should quit, even though it's fun for you."

"Yeah, I don't want to make dad worried about me…" She lowered her voice. "I'll give a call to the manager…" Mikan walked inside the mansion and picked up her cell phone.

Ruka stared as she called the manager for a resignation. "She seemed pretty sad…"

"Hn…" Natsume went upstairs to take a bath.

After talking for about 10 minutes on the phone, she hung up and walked towards Ruka. "I've resigned…"

"What took you so long?" Ruka asked.

"She was asking why suddenly I resigned. So, I said, I need to concentrate on my studies…"

He patted on her head, "After these problems are over, you could get the job back. I'm sure of it."

She vehemently nodded and said, "Say, Ruka? Do you want to have lunch here? I'll cook."

He thought for a while. "Em, sure. I kind of missed your miso."

She smiled and went into the kitchen. Moments later, he heard a door opening from the main door. It was Hotaru and his brother with butlers carrying their bags. "Hotaru, those things are…" He said pointing to a trolley with a lot of electronic items.

"My inventions…" She replied solemnly. "Onii-chan, mind having the room next to mine? It'll be much better to organise the plans…"

Subaru only nodded and walked upstairs with the butlers, leaving Hotaru and Ruka. He said, while walking towards the dining room. "What plans?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you guys?" She said without emotions. "My brother and I will create a time-table for Mikan, enabling her to be safe 24/7."

Ruka sweat dropped a lot. "T-time table?! I don't think Mikan would follow your time table…"

"Why not?" She said, holding up a book.

He was scared that she might hit him. "N-no, y-you're right!"

"Hm…" Hotaru smiled. Later, Natsume came down from the stairs with Sekuhara. "Come here for a while, you two."

Natsume moved his eyes to where the voice came from. "Imai…" After all of them gathered around the table, Mikan peeked from the kitchen. "Oi, cook faster! Don't eavesdrop." He turned his head to the spot where she was peeping.

Mikan was startled and then stuck her tongue at him. "Jeez, I'm just checking how many people want lunch!" She counted one by one. "All right! 4 people!" She went back in the kitchen.

"My sister and I have decided to make a time-table for her." Sekuhara said. "Hotaru, show them."

She took out a paper from her file and placed it on the table for everyone to see. "We can only guard her in the house. When she's outside, the special bodyguards will help out. Since Natsume and I were doted to become her protector, I've written certain things…"

Natsume looked through the paper and winced. "Playing games with Mikan—Natsume Hyuuga's job?! What the… heck… Cooking with her too?!" He squinted and widened his eyes, "Go to any festival celebrations with Mikan and several bodyguards? Imai, what on earth are you trying to pull at?!"

Hotaru stared at him, "Nothing. I have far worse things, okay? I'll be guarding her, even when she's sleeping!"

"These things are wasting my time." Natsume snapped. "I never agreed on becoming her guard, anyway." He placed both his hands behind his head and shuts his eyes.

Ruka sweat dropped. "Well, Hotaru? Don't you think this job is heavy for him?"

Hotaru moved her eyes on Ruka, without moving her face. "It's either he accepts it or she'll be dead in no time. I have created weapon proof clothes, so nobody will get harmed at all."

Subaru folded his arms, "Yeah, it looked like normal clothes, but it's really weapon proof. I'm here as a family doctor. I've graduated last year and I'll be in charge of healing people."

Natsume opened his eyes. "Fine, whatever. I'll accept this, but you need her agreement."

Subaru replied, "Hotaru's in charge of that. Don't worry." Mikan arrived with a tray of food and placed in on the table. "Um, thanks…"

"No problem!" Mikan smiled. "Help yourselves." Hotaru showed her the paper and explained the whole thing. "W-what?! I… I don't need those things!"

Hotaru smacked her head. "Idiot, just follow the whole plan. Or else, you might die. All right?"

"B-but, there's a weapon armour! I could use it!" She rejected the offer.

"Don't be stupid." Subaru said. "You are unaware of your surroundings. With that, you can't protect yourself well."

"I might be busy most of the time with my brother, so Natsume is in charge." Hotaru said as she ate sashimi.

Mikan stunned, she turned to look at Natsume who was eating the food emotionlessly. "N-no way!!"

X

Mikan was in her room, thinking what happened 5 hours ago. She could not accept having to hang out with Natsume most of the time, because she was terrified that something that she does not wish to happen, will come true. She heard the door knock and went for it. It was Natsume and Hotaru.

"H-hey… What's up?" Mikan asked terrifyingly when she received an unusual glare from Natsume. Hotaru pushed him inside the room. "Hotaru!!"

"Study time…" Hotaru murmured. "Get at least 60 in all subjects, except physical exercise, since that's the only subject you excelled. Natsume'll help you. I'm busy." She took the door knob and slammed it shut.

Mikan gaped at the door, trying to digest what Hotaru has just said to her. Then, she turned to her back, seeing Natsume sitting on a chair near her desk. "W-what's going on here?!"

"Studying, you idiot!" Natsume snapped. "Your idiotic friend blackmailed me. Get on with it; take out your Additional Mathematics book 2." He demanded while slamming the table with his palm.

"I-I don't need any tuition! I'm fine on my—" She paused when he held up her paper results for the make-up exam. "W-where did you—"

"Hotaru got it for me. I asked her to. I wanted to see how bad you did, and, by the looks of it…" He said while opening the book, checking the scores. "This is the worst results I've ever seen for a make-up examination."

She tried to retrieve it from him, but he quickly hid it inside his jacket. "G-give me that!!"

Natsume grabbed her hand and pulled her down to sit next to him. He felt her hands are trembling. "Hey, are you nervous or something?"

"No, I'm not!" She blushed. "It's cold, that's why!" She took out her math book from the bag and said, "Here, what do you want me to do with this?"

He flipped open the pages and looked through. Natsume pointed to the upper left of the page towards the bottom. "I'll show you on how to solve these long questions. Then you repeat back what I've thought you."

"Okay…" Mikan pouted. She was thinking of calling her friends but, with Natsume here, it's impossible.

X