Himeno: Yeah, more than 20 chapters already! I'm so proud. I've never written this much before. I'm really sorry for the late update. School is so tiring!!

Sumire: Enough with you already. Just get the story started.

Himeno: Oh, is Permy excited about this chapter coz she's going to have a moment with Kokoroyomi?

Sumire: NO!! I'm just tired of listening to you. Don't misunderstand me.

Himeno: Just admit it… You like Kokoroyomi.

Sumire: I do not like that simpleton.

Himeno: Denying… Tsk…Tsk…

Sumire: I'm not denying!!

Himeno: Yeah, whatever…

Sumire: Just get on with the story.

Himeno: Fine. As you wish, Permy.

Sumire: Himeno-san doesn't own this story. But feel free to sue her for being nosy.

Himeno: Want me to torture you here?

Sumire: I'd like to see you try.

Himeno: With pleasure… (Evil smiles)

Natsume the Jerk

Episode 21: I don't hate you

Snobbish, proud, arrogant—that's what they called her. It was true. Shouda Sumire couldn't help being so stuck-up around others all the time. It was just her nature. She refused to show other people her frail and weaker side. She was commonly known in school as the loyal and self-proclaimed fan club president of the Natsume-Ruka fan club. She adored the two handsome boys to bits. However, her feelings for those two were not love. It was simply admiration. Actually, her heart belonged to someone else. And for that matter, she had kept it a secret.

"Good morning, curly permy!"

She knew the voice well—the voice that always set her heart in motion. It was HIS voice. "Stop calling me that, moron!" She shot the guy a glare, a rather intense one that was enough to scare other students away. But it was never enough to get him shaken up. "Seeing your face so early in the morning makes me sick. Get out of my sight this instant."

Kokoroyomi let out a good chuckle and clamped one hand on her shoulder. "What makes you think I'll listen to you, permy?" he said in his cheerful voice. "You know what, I like seeing your face early in the morning."

Was he trying to comfort or tease her again? Well, no matter, Sumire still didn't want him around. "Just go away!" she yelled, brushing his hand away. "I can't let the girls see you with me. What do you think they'll say, huh? Plus, you're too annoying for your own good. Why can't you act like an adult for once?"

"I'm still a child," Kokoroyomi answered. "So, I can still act like one."

"Dammit, you just won't shut up!"

"I have a mouth to talk."

"Don't get smart with you, idiot."

Kokoroyomi suddenly held her face between his hands and leaned a bit closer. His lips were so close to hers, and Sumire could feel her cheeks turning red. "Don't get bossy with me either…" he said, presenting a genuine smile. "But I guess being bossy is in your nature. Not that I mind, though…Permy is Permy, right?"

Sumire was losing control over her emotions. She could practically feel his hot breath. She was all tingly inside. She didn't know what to say anymore.

"Permy's so cute when she blushes," Kokoroyomi said before planting on short kiss on her cheek. "Well, I'll see you later, permy!" After that, he ran off.

Sumire touched the part of her cheek where he kissed. "Kokoroyomi…" she muttered his name, her heart pounding wildly. She backed up against the wall, lowered her head as she hugged herself. "Kokoroyomi…why did you do that? You're confusing me again…"

Unknown to Sumire, Aoi Hyuuga was hiding just around the corner. She happened to witness the sweet moment between Sumire and Kokoroyomi a while ago. Kokoroyomi-oniichan and Shouda-san are actually close. She peeked out to see Sumire in her rather shocked state. Are those two in love with each other? Shouda-san seems to be, but I thought she was interested in Ru-chan and Onii-chan. And Kokoroyomi-oniichan seemed to be teasing her.

Checking the time, she decided to go to her classroom. As soon as she opened the classroom door, a guy walked past her, bumping her shoulders in the process. Aoi lost her balance and fell down on the floor. The guy merely smirked at her. "Oops…I didn't see you there," he said. "Sorry about that." He let out a sinister laugh and walked towards his seat.

Some students laughed at her predicament as well, but Aoi pretended to look okay as she sat down. However, as soon as she sat down, she felt something sticky on her bottom. She stood up and saw that it was glue. Thankfully it wasn't super glue or else she would have been stuck to the chair. But her skirt was totally a mess.

"Yuck!" The girl beside her made a disgusted face. "What the hell is wrong with you, Hyuuga-san? Why don't you go and wash that off instead of standing there like an idiot?"

The boy in front Aoi looked back and showed a smirk. "After you're done washing your skirt, make sure you clean your chair as well. You don't want the teacher to see that now." He then noticed her getting teary-eyed. "What? You're going to cry? Go ahead and cry you ugly girl."

Aoi stayed trying and held back her tears. She quickly exited the classroom and headed for the comfort room. Once she entered one of the cubicles and sat down on a closed toilet-seat. Her classmates hadn't change a bit. They were still mean and she was still the object for bullying. She was getting sick of it.

Just then, she heard someone bursting into the room, shouting, "I don't understand you, Kokoroyomi!" Aoi was surprised to hear the name. She peeked out only to see Shouda Sumire facing the mirror with a pissed look on her face.

Sumire turned on the faucet and washed her face. She didn't care if her make-up will get ruined. Well, she didn't apply much anyway. "Damn that Kokoroyomi…" she muttered, rubbing her face hard and slapping it lightly. "I've got to pull myself together. I already told myself to forget about him." But deep within her heart, it was impossible. Though she denied it countless time, she was still in love with Kokoroyomi.

She has the habit of talking to herself…Aoi giggled silently. Somehow, her view of Sumire changed. At first, Aoi thought that Sumire was nothing but a flirty girl who is boy-crazy. From the way Sumire was acting, Aoi could say she was in love with Kokoroyomi. She wanted to make sure of that, so she decided to reveal herself. "Hello, Shouda-san…" she said, walking out of the cubicle.

Sumire turned around fast. "You? Were you there from the start?" she asked nervously.

Aoi smiled as she nodded. "I didn't mean to listen to you, but you were pretty loud."

Sumire blushed a bit and turned her head away. "Excuse me for being loud."

"I've noticed that you're not in good terms with Kokoroyomi-oniichan. Why is that?"

"It's none of your business."

"But it seems like you like him in a way."

Sumire shot the young Hyuuga a glare. "I don't like him! He's just annoying."

"Is that so?" Aoi suddenly thought of a way to make Sumire confess. "Um…Shouda-san, if you don't like him, then it means that you hate him or maybe you're in love with him. Love and Like are different."

Sumire didn't answer. Instead, she bit her lip and crossed her arms over her chest. Aoi has a point, which made it hard for her to reply.

Aoi knew she was getting through to Sumire. "You know, Kokoroyomi-oniichan likes talking about you whenever we're together. He seems to enjoy teasing you, not just for fun, but to get your attention. He didn't actually explain to me why he wants your attention all the time. It makes me wonder what kind of relationship you had with him before."

"It's…It's nothing special…" Sumire replied softly. Kokoroyomi teases me to get my attention? He's such a weird one.

"Shouda-san, I don't want to be nosy or anything, but I want to ask you again. Do you hate Kokoroyomi-oniichan or not?"

Sumire found it so hard to answer. Not wanting to be rude or anything, she looked up at Aoi seriously. "I don't hate him…" she muttered. "I actually lo—" She was unfortunately cut off by the bell. "Oh, it's time…Wait! It's time for class!" She went into the state of panic and rushed out of the comfort room immediately.

Aoi had a satisfied smile on her face. "So, she doesn't hate him…That's good to hear." After a few seconds of thinking about Kokoroyomi and Sumire, she realized the time. "OH NO! I'm going to be late!" And with that, she ran out of the room and went straight to class.

"Ruka-pyon, wait up!" Mikan raced along the hallways to catch up to Ruka. "Ruka-pyon!"

Ruka stopped and turned to face her. "Sakura, what is it?"

Mikan took her friend by the shoulders and stared into sapphire eyes. "Have you seen Natsume?" she asked. "I can't find him anywhere." And she was pretty tired from running from here to there looking for him.

"You didn't know Natsume is going to attend special Math classes?" By looking at her confused eyes, Ruka immediately knew the answer to her question. "I guess he didn't tell you. Natsume will attend special Math class everyday after class. It starts today. He, along with the other chosen math Olympic students, will be busy preparing for the competition next month."

"I didn't know," Mikan said. "But I'm surprised to hear that Natsume actually went to the class. Won't he find it boring there? You know him…"

"Yes, but he's kind of inspired for this." Ruka knew the reason why Natsume was motivated. Since it was through Mikan's help that got him into the math Olympics, Natsume decided to do his best just for her sake. Ruka wished he could do something for Mikan to, to make her feel proud of him. "Sakura, why don't we head somewhere for a bite to eat?" It was his chance to treat Mikan.

"Sure thing!" she replied. "How about McDonalds or Pizza Hut?"

"Pizza Hut sounds nice."

"Then Pizza hut it is!" Mikan exclaimed excitedly. "How about if we invite Aoi-chan and Kokoroyomi-kun too? The more the merrier."

Ruka managed a small smile. He wanted to spend some time alone with Mikan. He didn't expect her to invite someone else. But thankfully Aoi and Kokoroyomi weren't available. "Aoi and that guy have already gone home."

"That's too bad. Oh well…More pizza for the both of us, right?" She showed off her bright and lovely smile, which made Ruka, blushed.

The both of them had a swell time in pizza hut. There were the occasional fans who would come up to Mikan and ask for her autograph, and a few paparazzi who asked her if Ruka was her boyfriend. Mikan was always happy to sign autographs and she was used to answering questions from paparazzi. It wasn't only Mikan being the center of attention in the Pizza Hut. Some middle school and high school girls couldn't help but gawk at Ruka. With his charming looks, it was no wonder he was a head-turner for girls. The pizza they ate was delicious, and of course, Ruka paid for it. Mikan was going to pay her share too, but Ruka insisted that it was his treat.

When they got to the Hyuuga residence, Mikan invited Ruka to stay for a while. Aoi wasn't home yet, probably with Kokoroyomi, and Natsume was still at the special class. She didn't want to be alone, so she asked Ruka to keep her company. Ruka was happy to do so.

"I'm going to prepare dinner for Natsume and Aoi-chan," Mikan said, putting on her pink apron.

"Do you always cook for them?" Ruka asked, and Mikan nodded. So, Natsume always gets a taste of Mikan's delicious homemade food everyday. Ruka silently wished Mikan would be his personal cook instead. He would love to eat her dishes for the rest of his life. "Sakura, do you need any help?"

Mikan took out a frying pan from the cabinet and sat it beside the stove. "You can help my by chopping the vegetables," she said as she grabbed the knife and chopping board. "I'm planning to make hamburger steak for dinner and vegetable salad." She set the utensils down and marched over to the refrigerator to get the greens.

"Sure, I can do that," Ruka said. He may be a rich and pampered, but he knew a thing or two in the kitchen. As soon as Mikan gave him the vegetables, he started doing his job. However, he was occasionally distracted by Mikan, who hummed a beautiful tune while she cooked the hamburgers. He would steal a glance every now and then, and because of that, he managed to cut himself. "Oh..." He dropped the knife and held his injured finger.

Mikan heard him and motioned over to his side right away. "It's a cut," she said, taking his hand in hers. "It's nothing serious. It will get better after I do this." She first smiled at Ruka before she inserted his finger into her mouth. It was usually a standard procedure whenever someone gets a cut on their finger accidentally.

His heart was beating like a pounding drum. His eyes softened as he watched the brunette do her wonders on his finger. He never felt so nervous yet happy at the same time.

Hearing a thud, Mikan removed his finger from her mouth and turned to see Natsume standing in between the kitchen and the living room. She noticed his bag on the floor, thinking that Natsume dropped it on purpose. "You're finally home," she said with an innocent smile. "Welcome back, Natsume."

Natsume saw their little moment. He saw Ruka's finger in her mouth and got jealous instantly. He managed not to erupt and maintain his cool under the situation, but he couldn't help but stare seriously at the two.

"I'm not yet done with dinner, so wait up a bit," Mikan said, going back to her cooking. "If you must know, Aoi-chan isn't back yet. But don't worry about her. She's with Kokoroyomi-kun."

The raven-haired boy stayed quiet. If he'll talk, he might end up insulting her again and Ruka as well. He decided to head back into the living room and watch TV, not bothering to pick up his school bag again. As soon as he sat down on the couch, he sensed someone coming right behind him. He knew who it was, but he didn't bother acknowledging him.

"Natsume, are you angry?" Ruka asked, placing his hands down on the back of the couch.

No, Natsume wasn't angry. He was just jealous—plain old jealous. But he couldn't tell Ruka that. It would hurt his pride. "I'm not angry or anything," he said with a shrug. "Why do you think so?"

Ruka heaved a heavy sigh. "Don't lie to me, Natsume," he said. "You're my best friend and I know something is bothering you. It's about Sakura, right? You didn't like what you saw back there in the kitchen."

And Ruka hit the mark. "What are you doing here anyway?" Natsume said, rising up and giving Ruka a serious look. "Is it to take advantage of her while I'm not around? Is that it?" He clenched both fists.

Okay, Ruka had to admit that Natsume was almost correct with his assumption, but the main reason he was there was because he wanted to spend some time with Mikan. His intention wasn't to take advantage or to make his best friend jealous. "Natsume, you're really in love with her. Aren't you?" He showed off a friendly smile.

Natsume raised a brow. "So what? You're in love with her too," he blurted out, rolling his eyes away. "I never expected us to fall for the same ditzy girl." Yeah, the same ditzy girl who pulled him out of the darkness and helped him so many times.

Ruka lightly laughed. "You're right. Who would have thought?"

"I'm not going to lose," Natsume said as he sat back down on the couch. He focused his sights on the television screen, but his mind was thinking of Mikan. "I'm not going to lose her to you." And he wasn't kidding about this. Natsume was never the one to kid around.

Being his best friend since childhood, Ruka knew very well that Natsume hated to lose. But Ruka wasn't intending on letting Natsume win either. Like Natsume, he was determined to win Mikan's love. "Right back at you, Natsume," he said. "I won't let you have her easily."

Next day at school, approximately about Lunch Time, Aoi was running through the hallways. She was in a hurry to get to the rooftop where she would eat lunch together with Mikan, Natsume, and Ruka. She held her lunchbox in her times tightly, as if it was a stuff toy, and wondered what kind of food was in it. She always looked forward to the lunch well-prepared by Mikan.

As she turned around the corner, a female student put out her leg which made the crimson-eyed girl trip. She fell to the cold floor, holding the lunchbox tight. She had somehow saved her food and she doesn't seem to be seriously hurt. She looked up at the person responsible for her fall and saw that it was her own classmate.

"What's the big hurry, bitch?" the girl said, her lips curving into an ugly smirk. "You shouldn't be running in the hallways like that. What are you? Ten?!" This particular classmate had always been bullying Aoi since elementary, and Aoi was used to her bad-mouth.

Aoi got back to her feet and just showed her classmate a smile. "I'm just on my way to the rooftop," she said. "Onii-chan, Mikan-chan, and Ru-chan are all waiting for me there."

"Don't address Sakura-san as if you're close to her," the girl said, flipping her hair gracefully. "And don't call Ruka-kun with such a pathetic pet name. It's inappropriate and ugly just like you."

"But the two of them don't mind," Aoi replied. She spun around on her heels and started walking away.

The classmate got pissed at Aoi and wanted to make her pay. She took out a tube of super glue from her pocket, removed the lid, and marched up to Aoi. She was going to dump super glue on Aoi's head, but a hand stopped her.

Aoi, oblivious to what was happening, continued to walk on until she reached the stairs and climbed up.

The girl scowled at the unwanted person. The glue would have been a great prank, she thought. "You're Sumire Shouda! I can't believe you. Why the hell did you stop me?" she asked, pulling her hand away from the Sumire's grasp. It was only natural for her to know who Sumire was. "Is it because that stupid Aoi Hyuuga is the sister of your idol?"

Sumire shot her a deadly glare and grasped her collar with one hand. "I stopped you because what you were about to do was wrong, you idiot," she explained with a controlled voice. "And don't you think you were going overboard with the super glue? If you had squirted that on her head, then she might become bald. Ever thought of that, bitch?"

"Don't call me a bitch, you deranged fan girl," the girl said, giving Sumire a hard shove. "Besides, what I do to that girl is none of your concern. So, step aside!"

Not being able to control her temper anymore, Sumire slapped the girl's face hard. "For someone who's in the lower year than me, you sure can talk big. Too bad you're attitude is so rotten." Sumire placed her hands on her waist and shook her head. "You know, you better stop bullying Hyuuga-san if you know what's good for you."

The girl was immobilized for a minute because of the slap. "You…How dare you hit me…" She had a face that wanted to cry. "You're despicable, Shouda!" After saying that, she ran off.

Sumire sighed as she crossed her arms. "You're the one who's despicable."

"Curly permy actually stood up for Aoi-chan."

Sumire felt the hair of the back of her neck stand up. She turned around and saw Kokoroyomi. "Since when did you get here?!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger at him and taking two steps backward.

"I was going to stop that girl too, but you came first," Kokoroyomi said, cheerful as ever. "To tell you the truth, I was surprised. But thanks for stopping that girl."

"It's no big deal," Sumire said, her face turning a little red. "Plus, I didn't actually do it for Hyuuga-san. I just hate it when someone plays dirty."

"You were always different from the other fan girls."

"And what do you mean by that?" she asked, raising a stern eyebrow.

"Even though Mikan-chan is very close to both Hyuuga and Nogi, you still want to beat her fair and square."

"Don't bring up Sakura-san's name here," Sumire said with a shrug. She then remembered the talk she had with Aoi yesterday at the comfort room. Aoi had asked her if she hated Kokoroyomi, and Sumire was forced to answer her. Sumire had told Aoi that she didn't hate Kokoroyomi.

Kokoroyomi laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "Don't be jealous of Mikan-chan," he said. "She's only my friend. I don't have a crush on her or anything like that, so you don't have to worry about me getting taken away from you."

"WHAT?!" Sumire blushed ten shades of red. "What the hell are you saying? Why would I get worried about you in the first place? You're just a good-for-nothing moron. I may be a little jealous of Sakura-san, but I could hardly imagine you falling in love with her. That'll be the day. Besides, you're no good with girls either. You're not fit to have a girlfriend. Even so, I don't know why I can't hate you. Until now, I still lo—" She was going on and on, ranting about unnecessary stuffs. Good thing she came to her senses when she was about to confess to him.

His usual smile changed into a gentle one. His eyes softened as he pulled her into his arms for a warm embrace. "It's good to know that you don't hate me, permy," he whispered softly into her ear, making her all tingly inside. "After what I did in the past, I thought you would end up hating me forever."

She could never hate him. He may have hurt her before, but she never hated him for that. She wanted to hate him, but she couldn't force herself to. She just loved him too much. "Kokoroyomi…" she muttered, looking up to face him. "I…I think of you as…Well…" It wasn't in her character to stutter, but she was having a heart-thumping situation.

"I've gotta go," Kokoroyomi said, releasing her from his arms. He changed back to his usual cheerful persona and waved his hand slightly at Sumire. "See you around…" He turned around, and before running off, he muttered something which took her by surprise. "Sumire…"

Sumire was stunned, speechless and happy all at once. It had been a long time since she last heard her name coming from Kokoroyomi's mouth. The guy would usually call her Permy to annoy her. "Kokoroyomi…" He acted so sweet and warm to her, and it felt so good to be in his arms. She wanted to be embraced by him again. Maybe next time, she ought to confess her feelings to him. However, there was still the fear from the past that lingered inside her heart.

End of Episode 21

Himeno: How were the Kokoroyomi and Sumire pairing?

Sumire: I can't believe you made him hug me!

Himeno: Oh, come on… I know you loved it.

Sumire: And who gave you that idea, idiot?

Himeno: Permy, you're not really honest with yourself, huh?

Aoi: Shouda-san actually admitted to me that she doesn't hate Kokoryomi-oniichan.

Himeno: Since you don't hate Kokoroyomi, you like him!!

Sumire: I can't stand this. Just talk to the hand.

Himeno: You're in denial.

Aoi: That was such a good chapter, except for the bullying parts. I wish my classmates would treat me nicely.

Himeno: Those bullies are just jealous of you. Don't mind them. And one of those bullies will play a role between Kokoroyomi-kun and Permy.

Aoi: Umm…yeah…

Himeno: Okay, there's going to be a nice surprise in the next chapter.

Aoi: What's surprise is that?

Himeno: I can't tell. Hehe…

Aoi: Hmm…Who shall I support? Ru-chan or my onii-chan… Both of them are good enough for Mikan-chan.

Himeno: That's right.

Aoi: Well, Himeno-chan, you better update soon. You mustn't keep the readers waiting.

Himeno: I know…I'll try to update fast. But remember I have school work to attend to first. I would love to read reviews. No flaming