JC: The chapter of the big race. Who will win in the end? This is so exciting. I had a fun time writing this and I tried to make some parts funny. I don't think I'm good in writing funny stuff, but I still try and get inspirations from books. You will also encounter so many anime references here. The kiss is on the line. Our five pairs are going to battle hard to reach the goal.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice or any of the series that are mentioned in the story. I only own Kawashima Kyo, Kawashima Asuka, and Hibiki Ryou.

Obsession

Chapter 14: Aim for the Price, a Sweet Kiss

Pair no. 5, the team of Hyuuga Natsume and Ogasawara Nonoko, charged through the hallways of Seishun Academy. Seishun Academy was a private school famous for its strong tennis club and talented players from the series, Prince of Tennis. The setting was very convenient for Natsume since he was already in his 'Echizen Ryoma' tennis outfit. The moment he and Nonoko opened the starting door, they were immediately transported to the rooftop of the said school. Nonoko's uniform had also changed into the Seishun Academy school uniform for girls and her hair was braided in two low-pigtails, making her cosplay as 'Ryuuzaki Sakuno'.

The two of them left the school building and went to the tennis courts where they saw a Special Ability high school student cosplaying as Atobe Keigo. Except for his pale-violet hair, his hairstyle and facial features were similar to Atobe. When he saw the pair, he grabbed his tennis racquet from the bench and pointed it at them. "Welcome to your first challenge!" he said in an Atobe-like manner.

"What kind of challenge are we going to do?" Nonoko asked. She was a bit worried, because she doesn't have any skills in tennis. She was a chemist and has devoted most of her time doing experiments and creating medicines.

"The challenge is this!" The Atobe look-alike snapped his fingers, and all of a sudden a tennis ball appeared in his hand. "We're going to have a little tennis match. To clear this challenge, one of you has to beat me."

Natsume gripped his racquet tight and held the tip of his cap. "I'll go against you," he said seriously.

"Eh? Natsume-kun, are you sure?" Nonoko said.

Natsume didn't reply and took his position on the court. He wasn't an expert tennis player, but he was confident in his skills. Thinking about the sport made him think of Mikan. She was always athletic and could learn any kind of sport easily. Her overly energetic personality was just the right thing for sports. He would like to smile at the thought, but he stayed serious before his opponent, who was smirking arrogantly at him.

"So, I'm going against Hyuuga, huh?" the high school student muttered as he starting bouncing the tennis ball with his racquet. "I should warn you, Hyuuga…I'm a pro in tennis."

"Like I care," Natsume retorted. "Are we going to start or what?" He was getting impatient. He wanted to go through the race as quickly as possible and win the prize before anyone else.

"Good luck, Natsume-kun," Nonoko said, and as expected Natsume just ignored her. Nonoko understood his desire to win, and she was feeling the same way. She wanted to win the kiss prize as well. Just thinking about it made her blush. Shaking the awkward thoughts away, she motioned over to the bench and sat down.

The players were all set. Natsume held a very stoic expression on his face, while the Atobe look-alike seemed so calm and confident. The latter served the ball with great impact. The tennis ball flew past the flame-caster before he could even blink. "15-Love…" Of course, Natsume was surprised by this, but he maintained his stoic face. Then the Atobe look-alike raked his fingers through his hair and looked at Natsume. "Be awed at the sight of my prowess!" he muttered the most famous line of Atobe from the series.

Natsume gritted his teeth. The older student was going to be tough to beat, but he had no intentions of losing. He'll try and try until he'll succeed.

Atobe served the ball again, and Natsume managed to return it. "Good job…" he said as he ran towards the ball. "But not good enough!" He returned the ball fast that Natsume wasn't able to catch it. He wasn't kidding when he said he was a pro.

"Damn it…" Natsume cursed under his breath.

"That's 30-Love, Hyuuga…" Atobe chuckled and snapped his fingers again. "Honestly, I'm rooting for Hibiki Ryou since I'm also in Mikan-chan's fan club. You're pretty unlucky to face me first. I'll make you lose here and now, Hyuuga."

The guy was in his girlfriend's fan club. No wonder he felt a certain degree of irritation. Natsume wanted to burn him with his Alice, but the rules clearly stated that the players were not allowed to hurt others during the race. Suddenly, Natsume thought of an idea. He can't use his Alice to hurt the tennis guy, but he can use his Alice for other means.

"Get ready for my awesome serve again, Hyuuga," Atobe said, bouncing the ball up and down. He served the ball towards the other court, and Natsume managed to return it with ease. "Predictable!" The ball was heading towards him, and he could easily return it back to Natsume. He swung his racquet, and at this time, Natsume used his Alice to set the ball to fire. Atobe's eyes grew wide in an instant, surprised to see a fireball hauling towards him. He hit the ball with his racquet, but the fire burned through the strings and went straight to the ground.

"30-15," Natsume announced casually. He finally scored a point.

Nonoko clapped her hands in delight. "That was great!" she said, though the fire thing was kind of unfair for the game. Still, she was rooting for her partner.

Atobe threw away his racquet. "Not bad, even though it was a cheap trick. The rules did say that you can use your Alice to help you out." He heaved a sigh as he snapped his fingers. "But I'm far from over, Hyuuga. I won't take it easy on you." Another tennis racquet appeared in his hand. He served the ball, with great strength, only to have it returned by Natsume. However, that was what Atobe was waiting for. He performed the 'Rondo towards Destruction', which knocked the tennis racquet out of Natsume's hand. The 'Rondo towards Destruction' was a powerful two-part smash requiring a lot of control on the ball. The first smash hit the wrist and knocked the racquet out of the opponent's hand. As the ball bounced up from the force of impact, Atobe smashed it once again at the court and scored the point.

"Oh no…" Nonoko gasped. The ball had hit Natsume's wrist and he seemed to be in pain. Was that even allowed in tennis? She didn't know if she should complain about it or stay put. She had no knowledge when it comes to tennis, but she wanted to do something for her partner.

"Rondo towards Destruction…" Natsume knew that technique, because he had read the Prince of Tennis Manga before. That technique can be overcome, he thought silently, and he knew exactly what to do the next time Atobe will use it.

"The score is 40-15, Hyuuga," Atobe said. "I only need one more point to win then its game over for you."

"I'm not going to lose…"

"What a cocky bastard…" Atobe placed his fingers between his eyes and laughed out like a madman. "I'm going to beat you to a pulp." He threw the ball into the air and hit it at full force. The ball charged towards Natsume like a rocket.

Natsume returned the ball and quickly stepped back to prepare for the 'Rondo towards Destruction'. He had to get the trick right or else he will lose. Atobe smashed the ball hard, and Natsume quickly slid the racquet down to get a better grip before the ball hit his wrist. Thus, the racquet still remained in his hand, much to Atobe's surprise. It was a good thing he read the manga. Atobe became irritated and smashed the ball when it went back. Natsume had managed to hit the ball and scored a point. "That's 40-30…" he muttered.

"Amazing…" Nonoko cheered softly. She never knew that Tennis could be so exciting.

"I didn't expect you to use that move…" Atobe said as his face darkened. "So, you're watching Prince of Tennis, huh?"

"Read the manga…" was Natsume's nonchalant reply.

Atobe shrugged. "Hmph…Bastard…" He prepared to serve again as he focused his sight on Natsume. "Take this!" He served the ball, and Natsume returned it with ease. From this point, the two tennis players kept on returning the ball and the ball just went back and forth. It was clear that none of them was willing to give up.

The game was taking too much time, and the race was still on. Natsume realized that Atobe wasn't playing to win anymore, but playing for time. Atobe was delaying Natsume so he will lose the race. Natsume's wasn't going to prolong the game any further. Once his racquet made contact with the ball, he set it on fire.

"What the hell?!" Atobe ducked his head just in time to avoid the blazing ball. And when it was out of the court, he straightened up and shot the raven-haired lad a glare. "You moron! What the hell were you thinking with that stupid head of yours? If I got hurt, you would have been disqualified!"

Natsume rolled his eyes away and let out a grunt. "It's 40-40 now…." He slipped one hand into his pocket and tapped his shoulder with the racquet. "A deuce…"

The Atobe look-alike gritted his teeth and threw his racquet aside. "I can't believe you tied up with me," he said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "Well, I can't do anything about it now." He snapped his fingers and a door appeared at the middle of the tennis court.

"Wait a minute…" Nonoko stood up from the bench. "Is the match over? I thought it was a tie."

"Yeah…" Atobe tapped his chin with his two fingers and smiled handsomely at Nonoko. "But you two can go."

Nonoko raised a curious brow. "I thought we could only advance to the next level if we beat the challenge." And Natsume was thinking of the same thing.

Atobe nodded his head. "True…" He spun around and walked towards the bench to get his bottle of water. "By dumb luck and recklessness, Hyuuga managed to tie the scores with me. Being able to go so far against a pro like me is good enough. Don't get me wrong, Hyuuga. I still hate you."

Natsume narrowed his crimson eyes at him. "The feeling is the same," he grunted.

"You're done here." Atobe sipped some water before turning to the pair. "The next challenge is right behind that door. Better hurry before I change my mind."

"Um…okay!" Nonoko said in a panicky voice. "Let's go, Natsume-kun." She opened the door and went right in, and Natsume followed after her. In less than five seconds, they were brought into another world, clad in a different costume.

The other pairs had done a great job in their first challenge. Though some of them found it difficult to overcome, they cooperated well and used their Alices to their advantage. Sumire and Kokoroyomi, the Pair No. 1, had just finished their challenge in the 'Tsuyokiss' world. Sumire was dressed up in the sailor-type summer uniform, and she went up against the Special Ability student cosplaying as 'Kiriya Erika', the blonde student council president who is nicknamed Hime, meaning princess, by her peers. All Sumire had to do was to defeat her in a dodge ball game of death. Kokoroyomi, who was cosplaying as 'Tsushima Leo' by the way, wanted to play the challenge, but Sumire immediately butted in and faced the Erika-cosplayer. It was a tough battle, but due to Sumire's perseverance and her Cat-Dog Alice, she managed to win the game. Kokoroyomi had fun watching her and even congratulated her in a goofy way.

Pair No. 2 was currently in the lead. Ryou and Asuka sure weren't wasting any time. The two were working perfectly with one another. Their first challenge was a two-on-two basketball game against two Special Ability students dressed up as Shohoku players from 'Slam Dunk'. Clad in their white basketball uniform, Ryou and Asuka immediately scored points and won the game in less than seven minutes. The second challenge had taken place in the Digital World. All they had to do was to beat some evil Digimon and make their digimon partners digivolve to champion-level. Once they were done, they quickly moved on to the next level.

The Dangerous Ability students, Nobara and Youichi, were facing Orc Zombies in the world of Rune Midgard—the world in Ragnarok Online RPG. Nobara was cosplaying as a High Wizard, which was perfect for her Ice Alice, and Youichi was a Ninja class character. His sharp skills and athletic ability allowed him to administer his ninja weapons properly, despite being a 7-year old who had just grown into a 17-year old. Training with your ability class has its perks after all. Youichi handled the close combat, while Nobara used her Ice Alice to attack from a distance. The two of them were really a perfect team—even if they rarely interact.

The first challenge was fairly easy for Pair No. 4, the team of Ruka and Anna. Truth to be known, Anna did the challenge all by herself. She and Ruka were dressed up as bakers just like in 'Yakitate Japan'. The Special Ability student cosplaying as 'Azuma Kazuma' was administering the challenge and he had presented them with two breads. The task was to differentiate which bread was used with margarine. Anna, being the talented cook, was able to tell just by one bite from the two breads. Ruka was impressed with her.

The remaining challenges were either easy or hard, but the pairs were capable enough to overcome them. As each pair reached their fifth and final challenge, they were more than ready to wing it and claim the prize.

Natsume and Nonoko had been transported to the High School of Suzumiya Haruhi. They were in a classroom setting, with all the chairs and desks moved to the sides. The two of them were wearing the school uniforms of the school, and Nonoko looked pretty cute as she cosplayed as 'Asakura Ryouko'. The administrators for their challenge appeared before them and greeted them with warm smiles. They were none other than Mikan and Misaki.

"Welcome to your last challenge, Natsume, Nonoko-chan!" The Mikuru-cosplayer, Mikan, beamed at them. She didn't expect that her boyfriend would end up taking the Haruhi-challenge last, but she was happy that he has gone so far. But she wasn't so sure if Natsume would like the challenge.

"Mikan-chan and senpai are so cute," Nonoko said sweetly, placing a hand on her cheek.

"Thanks…But you look cute too, Nonoko-chan!" Mikan replied. "And, Natsume, I think the uniform suits you."

Nonoko simply blushed at the compliment as Natsume rolled his eyes away.

"You two are amazing," Misaki said, flipping her hair aside just like what Haruhi would do. She was most impressed that Nonoko was able to keep up with Natsume despite his no-nonsense attitude. "I hope you guys ready." She was itching to see Natsume do the challenge. It would be a real laugh for her.

"Your challenge is…" Mikan announced, raising her fist up high, "to dance the Hare Hare Yukai!!" And when she said that, Nonoko gave a questionable look and Natsume raised his eyebrow. Mikan cleared her throat and explained to the two about the Hare Hare Yukai Dance. She and Misaki will give them a demonstration of the dance twice, and in order to beat the challenge, Natsume and Nonoko will have to perform the dance. The dance doesn't have to be perfect; it only needs to be done properly.

Dancing? The challenge was to dance? Natsume raked his fingers through his raven hair. He had zero talent when it comes to performing in front of other people or on stage. Acting? He couldn't even meow a cat's line properly. Playing musical instruments? He was so bad at it. Dancing? He doesn't' do dancing. His last challenge had to be dancing. He preferred slaying monsters and cooking rather than dancing.

"Sounds fun!" Nonoko chirped, clapping her hands in delight.

"We'll start dancing!" Mikan said, winking an eye at Natsume.

"And you start watching!" Misaki said.

The Hare Hare Yukai song had started and the two beautiful cosplayers were dancing to the beat. They were in perfect rhythm and their bodies swayed gracefully to the music. Not only were they dancing, they were also singing the song with their own voices. Both of them had wonderful voices, and it was very entertaining to watch them. The students watching them from the screen were awed by their performance and beauty, as Natsume and Nonoko observed their movements carefully. Of course, Natsume was also admiring his girlfriend at the same time, but he was still cursing the dance. Misaki and Mikan performed the dance again for Nonoko and Natsume, so they would get it right.

When they were done, Mikan approached Natsume and held his arm. "Time for you to dance," she said, smiling brightly at him, and Natsume just shrugged. He was so not in the mood to dance. "C'mon, Natsume, there's no turning back. You made it this far with Nonoko-chan."

Misaki crossed her arms over her chest. "Natsume-kun, Nonoko-chan, you two will have to dance once the music starts." She noticed the reluctant and annoyed look on Natsume's face and thought of something that would encourage him to dance. "If you don't do this, then the other teams are going to beat you. Tsubasa had just informed me that Hibiki-kun and Kawashima-san are almost done with their challenge." She was telling the truth. Pair No. 2 was currently doing the Bleach-challenge, with Tsubasa handling them, and they were doing well. Tsubasa had informed Misaki with the use of the mini-microphone and speaker attached to her.

Natsume clenched his fists. The mere mention of Ryou's name lit up the fire in his eyes. He can't let that fan boy get a kiss from Mikan. "Fine then…" he muttered under his breath.

Nonoko was more than ready to dance. If she wins the challenge, then she gets to kiss a certain someone whom she has been crushing on.

The music started and the dancing began. Honestly, Natsume was dancing like a robot, more like 'Kyon' in the series. On the other hand, Nonoko was dancing cheerfully and gracefully as expected. Mikan cheered them on, and Misaki couldn't help giggling at Natsume's movements. And when the performance was done, majority of the students started laughing out loud. They couldn't believe that the Black Cat of the academy had just danced the Hare Hare Yuka dance. It was hilarious. The crowd laughed at Natsume, some were awed, and the others cheered for Nonoko.

"That was great! You guys did a good job!" Mikan said, bouncing up and down. "And I can't believe Natsume just danced!"

Misaki held her temple and shook her head. "I can't believe it either…" She stifled a laugh before she snapped her fingers. "You guys are done. Now you only have to race to the finish line to win." A door magically appeared in front of the two and opened by itself.

"I'll see you at the finish line, Natsume," Mikan said, waving her hand at him.

Taking one more look at Mikan, Natsume felt more enthusiastic about winning. His girlfriend was not allowed to kiss any other guy, and that was his possessiveness talking. He doesn't even let her peck on the cheek with Tsubasa or Ruka. Youichi was fine since he was still a kid, but it irritates him when Youchi clings so much to her when he's in his older form. As Natsume went inside the door, along with Nonoko, they immediately appeared on a track field.

"Our clothes have changed, Natsume-kun," Nonoko said, taking a good look at her attire. She was wearing blue and white running outfit, and her dark-blue straight hair was tied in a ponytail. She glanced at Natsume and took note of his running outfit with the same colors as hers.

"AH! HYUUGA!" a loud voice suddenly shouted.

Nonoko and Natsume turned to the direction of the voice and saw Ryou and Asuka wearing green and white running outfits. Natsume glared at the fan boy, feeling more determined to defeat Ryou. But it will be tough. Ryou and Asuka were athletically inclined. He wasn't sure if Nonoko could keep up with him during the race.

"I'm gonna beat you for sure," Ryou said, smirking arrogantly, and he suddenly got whacked by a paper fan. "Ouch! What was that for?" He shot Asuka a glare, but Asuka merely pummeled him with the paper fan again.

"Quit yapping and start running!" Asuka put away the paper fan and ran off, leaving Ryou to bite the dust.

"Ah! Wait up!" Ryou stuck his tongue out at Natsume before he dashed off in a nerve-wrecking speed to catch up to Asuka.

Natsume gritted his teeth. He shouldn't lose to them. He turned to Nonoko and grabbed her wrist. "Run as fast as you can," he said in a very intimidating voice. His crimson eyes were like burning holes in her, and Nonoko just stared at him with fear in her eyes. "And don't even think about stopping or tripping…" Without giving the young chemist the chance to reply, he ran off, hauling her with him.

The rules did say that you can use your Alice to help you out, and so when Natsume and Nonoko caught up with Asuka and Ryou, Natsume used his Alice to create a fire wall around them. He got a few curses from Ryou, but he didn't care. All he cared about was winning the prize. He zoomed past them, pulling Nonoko with him, and this time he was the one who stuck out his tongue at Ryou.

"THAT BASTARD!" Ryou stomped his foot on the track continuously. "That good-for-nothing Hyuuga!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, which got Asuka irritated.

"Oh, shut up!" Asuka whacked him once again with her trusty paper fan. "Gosh, you're so stupid, Ryou." She pulled out water stone from her pocket and used its power to summon water from the ground. In almost an instant the fire was extinguished by the water. The stone was one of her Alice creations again.

"Wow…" Ryou stared at her in amazement. "Good thinking, Asuka-san…"

Asuka let out a frustrating groan. "C'mon… We still have a race."

Ryou nodded his head. "Let's win this!" Without further ado, they dashed through the track like a pair of cheetahs. It didn't take them long to catch up with Natsume and Nonoko. "There you are, you bastard!" Ryou picked up speed even more to go side by side with Natsume.

"You're an eyesore as always…" Natsume said nonchalantly.

"And you're a moron!" Ryou retorted. He wanted to utter more insults at Natsume, but Asuka, who was already running by his side, smacked him again with the paper fan. "Can you stop doing that?!"

Asuka's heterochromatic eyes turned evil. "Then stop fighting with Hyuuga!" she yelled out. "In case you haven't notice, we're almost at the finish line. If you don't do this seriously, we're going to lose." She wasn't actually playing to win, but she would love to see the look on Natsume's face when Ryou claims a kiss from Mikan. She was such a sly devil.

"Whatever…" Ryou muttered and picked up the speed. He past Natsume quite easily, along with Asuka, and the finish line was near. Ryou and Asuka were confident that they would win, because Natsume has Nonoko to drag along with him.

Nonoko felt sad. She knew that she was holding Natsume back and she wished she could do something about it. She wanted to win too. She was running with all her might, as Natsume held her wrist. And then an idea struck her. "I hope it's here…" She searched her pockets with her free hand and pulled out two vials containing black liquid. "Natsume-kun, throw this at them quick." She handed the vials to Natsume.

"And what are these?" he asked coldly.

Nonoko didn't have time to explain, so she just urged Natsume to throw the vials at Ryou and Asuka. "Um… Hibiki-kun, Kawashima-senpai!" Nonoko yelled out loud, which got their attentions right away.

Natsume lobbed the small vials towards them, and when they hit the ground, thick heavy black smoke was produced. At that point, Natsume immediately realized Nonoko's plan. The smoke disturbed Asuka's and Ryou's eyesight as well as their breathing. Since they couldn't move properly, Natsume and Nonoko took the chance and ran past them. Players were allowed to use their Alices, and technically the liquid in the vials were created by Nonoko's Alice.

"What is this? Argh!" Ryou said between his coughs.

"I can't see anything in this smoke," Asuka said, closing her eyes in dismay. "Damn it…" She moved around and managed to step on Ryou's foot.

"OUCH!" Ryou shouted. "Watch where you're going!" He was scolding her yet he can't see her.

"It's not my fault if I can't see," Asuka replied. She took several steps backward and got out of the smoke. She sighed in relief as she wiped some beads of sweat off her temple. Just then, she heard running footsteps. She turned around only to see another pair catching up. She stayed calm as she turned to the smoke again. Ryou is still in there, huh? That moron… Well, we're going to lose in this rate. Not that I care though… When the pair ran past her, she just winked an eye at them and told them good luck.

Natsume and Nonoko were almost at the finishing line. Natsume was confident he was going to win and claim the prize. He wasn't the type of guy to enjoy that kind of event, but the prize made him excited. But all his excitement went down the drain when his feet got frozen in solid ice.

"What is this?!" Nonoko gasped. She, too, had both of her feet frozen solid. "So cold…" She slightly shivered.

Taking a moment to look down at the ice, Natsume could only think of one person.

"Simply not there yet, Onii-chan…"

Natsume lifted his chin at the sound of the cold yet familiar voice. Peering over his shoulders, he saw his fellow classmates of the Dangerous Ability Class, Youichi and Nobara. They were riding on a snowboard made of ice, wearing silver and white running outfit. Nobara had her arms wrapped around Youichi's waist. The force pushing the board to move were the ghosts that Youichi summoned. Natsume didn't have time to react because they moved past him in high speed.

"Oh no!" Nonoko said as her knees trembled due to the cold. "They're going to win."

Almost instantly, Natsume melted the ice with his fire. "Let's hurry…" he said seriously. He started running and pulling Nonoko again. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to catch Youichi and Nobara. Thus, Natsume and Nonoko lost the race. Natsume released Nonoko's wrist and lowered his head to the point his bangs covered his eyes. He can't believe he just lost to Youichi, his junior.

"And we have a winner, ladies and gentleman!" The Special Ability student dressed up as a hunter announced to the whole audience about the wonderful performance and victory of the Dangerous Pair, Hijiri Youichi and Ibaragi Nobara. The crowd would normally be scared of them, but they were cheering for them this time. It's not everyday you see a 7-year old kid and a shy girl win such an intense race against other formidable pairs.

The Winners stood beside the announcer, while the other pairs were standing at the sidelines. On the other hand, the prizes— the people with their kisses on the line—were standing at the opposite side of the announcer. During the race, before Youichi and Nobara crossed the finish lines, Pair No. 4 and Pair No. 1 were still busy doing their final challenge. As for Pair No. 5 and Pair No. 1, they got into trouble with ice and smoke. When the winning pair finished the race, the remaining pairs were immediately transported out of the Cosplay World. They were back to wearing their school uniforms again.

Ryou kept on grumbling unnecessary curses. He was a little happy at the fact that Natsume didn't win, but he was still sore because a kid beat him.

Asuka cleared her throat. "Uh, Ryou, you're acting like a child."

"I don't care…"

Not having the will to smack him, she shifted her gaze from him to the winning pair. "Hijiri Youichi-kun and Ibaragi Nobara-san…" She placed a finger on her cheek and tilted her head a little to the side. "An unlikely pair, yet they're so strong…"

"As said before, the winners for today's race will receive a meal ticket and a kiss!" the announcer said, and the crowd went wilder than before. He approached the Ice Princess first and held the microphone for her. "So, Ibaragi-san, who will you choose? Will it be Andou Tsubasa or Kawashima Kyo?"

Nobara lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers. She was being shy again. She hadn't thought about the prize at all during the race and she couldn't come up with a decision right away. Absentmindedly, she answered, "Mikan-chan!" and buried her face in her palms.

The announcer scratched the back of his head. "Eh? You want Mikan-sama?"

"Um…Yeah..." Nobara timidly said.

"But you must choose a guy, Ibaragi-san…" the announcer said with a sweat-drop. "You're a girl after all."

She understood what he was trying to say, but she didn't want to kiss Tsubasa or Kyo. She wasn't interested in them and she felt so nervous about it. "Mikan-chan is fine…" she said.

The announcer was going to say something until Mikan took a step forward and said, "Its okay." She approached Nobara and removed her palms from her face. "Nobara-chan, congratulations." Mikan leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. The kiss was nothing more than a simple kiss between close friends.

Nobara's face flushed red in an instant. "Mikan-chan…um…thanks…" she said, her lips curving into a bashful smile.

"You're welcome, Nobara-chan," Mikan said, smiling back at her.

The announcer moved on to the 7-year Youichi and asked him if he wanted to kiss Misaki or Mikan.

Youichi wasted no time in giving an answer. "Mikan-onee-chan…" He shot the announcer a stern look. He may be a kid, but he had dangerous aura flowing within him.

"I knew it…" Ruka muttered with a small giggle. "He really likes Mikan, right, Natsume?"

Natsume had his arms crossed over his chest. He gave no more than a shrug as a reply. He was well-aware of Youichi's innocent crush on Mikan. An innocent crush was no threat to him. And Youichi was his junior and the mini-version of him, so he wasn't worried about getting jealous.

"You-chan, you did great in the race." Mikan knelt down to his level and patted his head. "I'm really impressed." She failed to realize that her first class smile was setting Youichi's heart in motion.

Youichi maintained a calm façade, even though his heart was pumping madly. For a 7-year old boy with a crush on an older girl, he sure wasn't naïve like the rest of the children. Aside from not letting other guys kiss Mikan, his goal was to win as well. It was nice to beat Natsume once in a while. He turned his head to Natsume and smirked, making Natsume wonder what he was up to. When Youichi looked up at Mikan, he transformed into a 17-year old boy. "Where's my prize?" he asked the brunette.

"You don't have to change, You-chan," Mikan said. It would be quite awkward to kiss Youichi's 17-year old form. Kissing a child was much more comfortable.

"Tch…Just get over with it," Youichi muttered impatiently.

"Okay…" Mikan had to stand on her toes since Youichi was taller than her now. She was about to give him a kiss on the cheek when a bouncing pink ball appeared all of the sudden and hit Youichi's face. The impact caused the young boy to turn his head. Therefore, Mikan accidentally landed a kiss on his lips.

To be continued…

JC: Mikan kissed Youichi on the lips! I intended to let Youichi and Nobara win the race in the first place, but the kissing idea just came out towards the end. How will Natsume react to that? Will he get jealous over Youichi? The fan boys would go ballistic for sure. In this chapter, you can already guess who Nonoko's crush is. She'll have a little moment with him in the next chapter. Remember Sugita Aya? She'll make her appearance again in the next chapter too. There will be Natsume and Mikan moments in the next chapter. Please review. No flaming.