Author's Note – I'm in the 21st chapter. Can you believe it? I've gone so far with this story. I can't believe it.

I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU LISTEN TO THE SONG THAT I FEATURED IN THIS CHAPTER: BEAUTIFUL – PATRICK NUO. THE EFFECT OF THIS CHAPTER WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU LISTENED TO IT WHILE READING. ;D

Disclaimer – I don't own Gakuen Alice

Thank you – Pekopon Pudding, dominiqueanne, candyxgirl, pukite, flamehaze, k0nek0, Marshmallow-chan35, Spring Fairy14, Amaterazu Setsuko, -KuroTenshi11-, ash-chan, darkness, Pathetic Rainbow, sakurapetal246, Aki Eschirott, Cutenatsumexmikan, niceladysakura, kyatoraina-chan, funny sakura, Irumi Kanzaki, Star Saphhirex, anitsirhc, x0x0aishiterux0x0, sparkling-saphyre, -KateDominque-, Bisi, RainbowPrincess326, 'Blue Moon and Roses', Annie Mae, HengHeng, minahoru and akerue. for the reviews. If I missed out on anyone, sorry. :)

Chapter 21

Unexpected, understatement of the year – and that's for sure.

I've always known that I'd fall in love eventually, but I didn't think it was possible enough for me to love a cold-hearted and sarcastic pervert. But I was wrong.

It wasn't the three kisses that made me fall in love with Natsume Hyuuga, but it was everything that happened between the two of us. From our unexpected meeting in the CD shop, to the surprising turnout of us being roommates. From our Christmas together to our trip to the hot springs in Nagoya. And they all piled into one thing. And I never thought it would happen – but it did.

I have fallen in love with Natsume Hyuuga.

\\

The phone rang.

"Hello?" Mikan said, once she picked up the phone.

"Hello, Mikan" It was Jii-chan.

"Jii-chan! How are you?" Mikan said, her voice lighting up.

"I'm fine, thanks. Anyway, I've been thinking about the way you were spacing out the other day. Maybe the stress is getting to you?"

"No, no, of course not"

Jii-chan ignored this. "Why don't we take a trip to our cabin in Hokkaido?"

"Our cabin in Hokkaido?!" Mikan gasped. The last time she and her Jii-chan took a trip to their house in Hokkaido was two summers ago, and that was terribly far away. She adored their small cabin, enough for two people. It was so homey and it was surrounded by a lush field of lavender.

"Yes, maybe this weekend?"

"Yes, yes!! I'd love that!!" Mikan said, nodding vigorously. After this phone call, she'd go straight to her bedroom and pack.

"Maybe Natsume would want to come?"

"…."

Mikan gulped. Natsume? Natsume to come to their getaway house in Hokkaido? That'd be…so…

"Mikan-chan?"

"Uh…yeah?" Mikan croaked.

"I said, maybe Natsume would want to come?"

"Uh…I don't know if he'd like to, but I'll ask him" Mikan said, her voice quivering.

"Alright then, give me a call if he'd want to. Bye!"

"Okay, bye!" Mikan said, and closed the phone.

She turned to Natsume, who was lying down on the sofa, reading a magazine.

"Ah…" she began. Ever since she realized that she had feelings for him, she was absolutely tongue tied and lost for words whenever she tried to speak to him.

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "What?" he murmured.

"Ah…Jii-chan's inviting you to stay at our cabin in Hokkaido, I mean, that is…spend the weekend with us there…you don't h-have to if you don't…" Mikan said, clearing her throat at every pause. "If you don't…"

"Okay" Natsume said, flipping through the pages.

Mikan felt like she swallowed her tongue. "What?"

"Okay, I'll go" Natsume said, putting down the magazine and looking at her intently.

"But you don't have to--

"I want to" Natsume said quickly, not waiting for her to finish.

Mikan's heart skipped a beat. She stared at Natsume for quite sometime, not quite finding the words to say.

After sometime, she managed to say "Why?"

Natsume gave her a careless smirk, his cheeks bright pink. "Because"

And the conversation ended there.

/

Ruka and Natsume met up that evening.

They walked through the crowded streets swarming with teenagers in their school uniforms, businesspeople with their Iphones and Blackberries and suitcases, and people wearing tie-dye shirts with rabbit headdresses. Above them were flickering neon lights and giant televisions blaring out commercials.

"You're going to Mikan's place in Hokkaido?!" Ruka said, his eyes widening.

Natsume raised his eyebrows as a signal for "yes".

"Why?"

"She invited me" Natsume said blankly.

"Oh God, so it's just going to be you and her?!" Ruka choked.

Natsume let out a small laugh that barely could be heard. "I wish"

Ruka smiled. "Oh, so her Jii-chan's going to be with you guys?"

"Mhmm"

Ruka didn't say anything.

They passed through a few booths that sold colorful things that spun and glowed.

"So, how about you? What are you going to do this weekend?" Natsume asked.

"Nothing" Ruka said, sadly.

"Ah. Why don't you go out with Imai-kun?"

Ruka scoffed. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, I'm not. Think about it"

And Ruka did.

/

The weekend arrived.

The windshield wiper swabbed the front of Jii-chan's car furiously as the rain beat against the windows violently.

Mikan leaned against the window, the backseat cramped with luggage and bags.

"Why do I have to stay in the backseat with all the stuff?!" Mikan whined, as Natsume's duffle bag pressed against her.

Jii-chan ignored Mikan, whistling some unrecognizable tune while tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. Natsume sat at the front, reading some manga.

"Look at it pour" Jii-chan finally said, after some silence.

"It's a bad time to travel" responded Mikan.

"Well, we have no other time to take a break. The rest of the weeks are jam-packed for us" Jii-chan said.

Natsume muttered a "Hn" in agreement.

/

As soon as they got to the train station, everything was much of a breeze. Mikan slept, Natsume listened to his Ipod and Jii-chan read some Travel & Living Magazine. The weather had lightened up a bit after boarding, except there was still thunder and a bit of drizzle. But the whole trip was rather uneventful, excluding the bumps and the thuds.

They rode a cab, and Mikan slept again. That girl never got enough rest.

She was awakened by Natsume shaking her gently. "Oi…wake up…" he said softly, tucking some stray hairs from her face in the process.

Mikan opened one eye.

"We're here" he said.

Mikan looked out the cab window. They had already arrived at their destination. And the weather was perfect.

Light puffy clouds streamed across the periwinkle sky as some birds flew into the orangey horizon, which lay above distant faraway purple mountains that had a thick coat of mist hovering over the tips of each. Much as these were beautiful, Mikan's eyes marveled at the small homey cabin that lay before her, surrounded by the lush field of violet lavender flowers, swaying in the cold breeze.

She let out a squeal of excitement and grabbed the keys from her grandfather.

Natsume stood behind her as she unlocked the front door.

It was a quaint little place. There was a small living room, with an old-style TV set and dusty floral couches and an antique rug. The kitchen and dining room was next to it, the table was forest green and had three foldable chairs leaning on it. There were two bedrooms rooms, one belonging to Mikan and one belonging to Jii-chan. The bathroom had only a shower and a toilet. The architect had forgotten a sink.

Then it dawned on Mikan.

"Jii-chan," Mikan said, running up to Jii-chan who was busily unpacking his toiletries. "Where will Natsume sleep?"

Without looking up, Jii-chan said: "In your room"

And for a moment there, Mikan thought she died.

"In MY room?! But he's a guy!!" Mikan choked, her throat immediately closing up.

"Yes, Mikan. And you two LIVE together" Jii-chan said, exasperated.

Mikan thought about this. Jii-chan made sense.

/

"Mikan, call Natsume for dinner. I think he's in the field, playing his guitar" Jii-chan said, as they made dinner that evening.

Mikan went outside, the sun had begun to set, the sky was now a marvelous color of red and purple, and the distant mountains had turned black. The sun blazed against the field of lavenders. Mikan could see Natsume's black head poking out of the violet blur.

He was playing a song on his guitar.

Like a thunderstorm on a summer day
She came out of nowhere and that can say
She's a supernova shinin' through the night
A never sleeping satellite

She's a damn good reason for the sun to ride
When you see her smile in the morning light
When she cries, she cries a wishing well
Played hide and seek with the hounds of hell

She throws you down to take you high
Into her private sky

He had seen her now, and he then turned to her direction. And as if the song was about her, he sang:

She's so
Beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful
Beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful
Magical, mystical, irresistible, cosmical
A wonderful overkill and most of all beautiful
Ooooh ooh ooh aha
Ooooh ooh ooh
She's so oooh ooh ooh
aha oooh ooh ooh
Beautiful
mmh so beautiful

Mikan smiled.

You wanna call her name from the highest hill
And she's better than a 5-million-dollar bill
She swims with you to atlantis' coast
To keep you save while the world explodes

She's diving down to keep you high
Inside her velvet sky

She's so
Beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful
Beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful
Magical, mystical, irresistible, cosmical
A wonderful overkill and most of all beautiful
Ooooh ooh ooh
She's so beautiful
She's so oooh ooh ooh
Aha oooh ooh ooh
Beautiful

He stood up, picking up his guitar with him and walked to Mikan ever so slowly.

She's a mermaid who's left her fairytale
She wrote a brandnew song for the nightingale
Sometimes I think she's invented but
Thank-god she's made of flesh and blood.

She's everything I've ever missed the more
But most of all she is

He strummed his guitar, plucking every string meticulously.

Beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful
Beautiful wonderful powerful magical mystical
Irresistible overkill and most of all beau-ti-ful
Ooooh ooh ooh aha
She's so beautiful
She's so oooh ooh ooh
Aha oooh ooh ooh

He ended the final verse, and then placed his guitar down.

"That was fantastic!" Mikan said, applauding.

"Tch. Just because you know who it is about" Natsume said, rolling his eyes.

Mikan blushed. "Dinner's ready" she said.

When they got back to the house, the table was set and a bowl of hot cheesy macaroni awaited them.

They helped themselves to its creamy goodness, and as they ate, Jii-chan spoke.

"So there's word on you having a concert in the United States, am I right?" he asked Natsume.

"Yeah, I might perform there" Natsume said dully.

Mikan almost gagged out her food. "WHATTTTTT?"

Jii-chan turned to Mikan. "Natsume here, has so many fans in the United States, that he was been given an offer to perform in California"

Mikan's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Is this true, Natsume-kun?"

Natsume nodded, helping himself to another serving of macaroni.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I forgot" Natsume said flatly.

"Can I come with you?"

"Nnn…"

"As a matter of fact, why don't you two sing a duet?" Jii-chan popped in.

The two teenagers almost spat out their dinner.

"It'd be great! And it's great publicity for Mikan-chan! You two better start preparing!"

"Jii-chan I don't think --

Jii-chan gave Mikan a dark and murderous look which spelled out OBEY-OR-YOU-SHALL-SUFFER-THE-CONSEQUENCES.

Mikan immediately retreated from protesting.

Mikan gave Natsume a terrified look. Jii-chan looked at him for approval.

Natsume enjoyed seeing Mikan suffer, so he said:

"Sure, why not?"

/

"I CANNOT believe you agreed to Jii-chan!!" Mikan yelled, as they got ready for bed.

Natsume lay on the mattress they laid out for them, reading his magazine. He ignored Mikan.

"Natsume-kun!! Do you hear me?!" Mikan said, kicking the side of his mattress.

Natsume nodded.

"Natsume-kun!! You CAN'T possibly be serious about us singing together!!" Mikan whined, stomping on the floor.

Natsume was sick of this crap.

He slammed his magazine shut. "LOOK, MIKAN. I DON'T THINK IT'S A BAD IDEA, AND I'D WANT TO SING WITH YOU, OKAY?! SO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT OR YOU'LL NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT" Natsume yelled, his voice piercing the tiny bedroom.

Mikan fell silent.

"O-okay…" she said, taken aback.

Natsume got ready for bed and lay down, putting his magazine aside. He couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt after the way he yelled at Mikan. He wanted to kill himself. How could he do that? Well, he always yells at her. But this time he was serious…and he knew it hurt Mikan. And if it did so, it hurt him too.

Mikan closed the lights and climbed up to her bed.

The way she tossed and turned, Natsume could tell she couldn't fall asleep. Heck, he couldn't fall asleep either. The conversation hadn't ended, and it was waiting for an apology, and it hung in the air like a wet curtain.

Natsume sighed. "Polka Dots?" he said, under the covers.

Mikan didn't reply.

"Look, you don't…you don't have to sing with me if you don't want to" he said very slowly and clearly, so that it could be heard.

Mikan turned to his side, he could see from below that her eyes were open, and she was staring down at him.

"Natsume-kun…" he heard her say.

"Really. I'm serious. You don't have to sing if you don't want to…"

She had put out her hand, and it was hanging from the bedside limply.

Natsume couldn't resist it, so he took her hand and held it. She immediately tugged it out of his grasp.

He sighed and shook his head. He was about to turn around when suddenly, she took his hand and held it even tighter.

"I want to," Mikan whispered in the dark, and after some pause she whispered again,

"I really want to"

/

Back in Tokyo (Mikan and Natsume's Apartment)

click.

"Hi! This is Mikan! I'm not here right now, so please leave a message after the beep!!"

BEEEPPPPPPPPPPP

click

"Hello, Mikan? This is Ruka! Something happened with Hotaru. Please go to the hospital as soon as possible. It's an emergency!"

BEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

/

End of Chapter

Song featured: Beautiful – Patrick Nuo (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)