Vermilion Steps asks: Has Natsume been jealous of You-chan (Yoichi)?

Hello friends, compatriots, enemies, squirrels! How are you? School's almost over YAAAAY! I love this question because Natsume is such a hot-headed stu—

Kuro Neko: …

Yeah I'mma just start now. Before I'm killed. Or eviscerated.

I drummed my fingers idly on the desk, boredom swirling through my heart and soul. Natsume was either sleeping or ignoring me with his eyes closed, Hotaru was discussing something with Ruka – shocker of shockers, and everyone else was finishing making up work, courtesy or last week's flu outbreak. Hotaru said I didn't get it because I was stupid, and she said she and Natsume scared sicknesses away. Yeah right. She probably just took incriminating photos of the sickness and blackmailed it.

"I'm so bored!" I whined, louder than my normal voice and right next to Natsume's ear. His eyebrow twitched and one eye slid open. He shoved my head away and closed his eyes once again.

"No."

"Ruka?" my voice was desperate and I knew it, but I just couldn't stand the absolute monotony of my situation. Contemplations of committing suicide or homicide swirled through my head, acting as creative and unrealistic outlets for this undiluted boredom.

"Yes, Sakura?" he smiled slightly, seeming amused by my tedium. Hotaru rolled her eyes and seemed to decide to allow me to continue my spiel.

"I'm very bored," I told him honestly, trying to use my puppy dog eyes. "And Natsume is being a huge mean jerk face fox person thing."

"Worst insult ever," Natsume muttered under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear.

I glared at him and Ruka laughed, his azure eyes twinkling. "Why don't you go get Yoichi? I hear that the middle division kids have free time, and he never does anything except sit by himself."

"That's such a good idea!" I squealed, hopping out of my seat. I pecked Natsume's cheek and waved goodbye to the mostly empty room. I skipped outside and grinned as I saw the little middle kids frolic and use their alices on each other. Being in the high school division made the middle division feel so distant; it was a blur of changes, missions, and new couples. Nobody ever thought that Koko and Sumire would end up being together. It was honestly, and still is, astounding.

I immediately spotted Yoichi, isolated from everybody else and lazing underneath one of the Sakura trees. I crept over silently behind him and slid my hands over his eyes. "Guess who?"

"A hag?"

"Yoichi!" I complained, wrapping my arms around the silver-haired boy. He glared at me and shoved me off, his cheeks the slightest red. "You haven't changed at all. Come on, you know that you love me."

"You think what you want, foolish girl," Yoichi stood up and dusted off his pants. I shot up and latched on to his arm, refusing to relinquish the first interesting thing that had happened all day. "What the hell are you doing?"

"You can't go. You can't leave me to the cold and hard clutches of silence and lack of human communication that is the room where Natsume, Hotaru, and Ruka reside! Please!" I cried refusing to let go, despite his incessant tugging. I think that my previous boredom was like a gateway mood, leading me into a completely capricious one. "You're coming back to the classroom with me. You will be my talking companion. And you will not leave unless told to do so," my voice was dangerously low and I think I even saw the indomitable Yoichi flinch.

He gave a begrudging nod and silently trailed after me. I was in a considerably better mood now that I knew I would have a companion that wasn't allowed to leave me. I arrived into the classroom once again, this time with a Yoichi in tow. Hotaru nodded curtly and Ruka gave us an insouciant wave. I plopped down into my chair and Yoichi sat stiffly on my desk. "Hey, Natsume-nii."

Natsume opened his eyes and smiled faintly, reaching over to ruffle Yoichi's hair. "Hey, kid."

"No! None of that!" I moved Natsume's hand away and grabbed on to Yoichi, tugging him closer to me and sticking my tongue out at Natsume. "Yoichi is mine today. I don't want you to taint him with your perverted mean-ness."

Kuro Neko: I think it's my turn. I don't want you feeding them lies, idiot.

Humph! Fine. Do what you want, I don't feel like writing anymore anyway!

This obviously escaped the idiot's attention, but a very satisfied look carved itself on to Yoichi's face. I had no idea as to when Yoichi started to grow up, and I especially don't recall when he started crushing on what was obviously mine. One day that scathing look that used to rival my own turned soft; but only when pointed in the direction of an effusive brunette. With the information above in mind, I wasn't the most pleased when Mikan so effortlessly attached herself to him.

"Whatever." I slumped over my desk, head resting in my arms. I secretly kept one eye open though, just to make sure that her darling Yoichi wouldn't try anything.

"Oh!" she gasped, her pink lips forming a perfect o-shape. "Let's play a card game! Like Gold Fish!"

I pressed my lips tightly together to keep from smiling, or even less favorable, laughing. She was just such an oblivious little girl. Her innocence could be spotted like pure white beacon, that only gleamed brighter when she began to speak. Imai's cold voice cut through her excitement like a sterile scalpel. "You do realize that it's Go Fish, right?"

"U-Um, yeah! I totally knew that!" she quickly tried to cover her mistake, her words tripping over themselves in a hurry to get out and convince everybody of her knowledge. Yoichi gave her a small smirk and patted her hair, and I felt something hot burn inside. My chest tightened and every heart beat seemed to echo a mantra, pounding, Burn him. "I'm going to go get the cards!"

He stayed behind – though from his demeanor and posture it was unwilling to say the least – eyes attached to her swaying form as if there was a damn bull's-eye on her curves. As if he had a right to do so. She disappeared from the room to complete the valiant quest of locating the cards. I lifted my head from its prior position and turned Yoichi to face me, speaking in a low tone. "That little girl belongs to me. So, take your damn hands off of her, take your damn eyes off of her, and we won't have any issues."

For a moment, he looked as though he were going to retaliate, but that small flame in his eyes quickly died down. He gave a small nod and I smirked, condescendingly patting him on the head. Mikan came back into the room, a deck of cards presented proudly and prominently in her hands. "I got them! Natsume, you're not pretending to sleep anymore! Do you want to play?"

I had to hide my bewilderment at how easily she had noticed and called out my act. A knowing spark danced around her warm hazel eyes, and once again I had to question how much of an idiot she really was. She approached the desk and plopped the cards in front of a still-shaken Yoichi to shuffle and deal and sat in the other seat beside me. "You didn't bully Yoichi too much, did you?"

I shook my head in amusement. She was an idiot, but the sharpest idiot I'd ever met. Realistically, she probably was still unaware of his affections, but she just noted his nervous attitude and my smug air. "I didn't bully him. I just put him in his place."

She giggled her chime-like laugh and nuzzled her head on my shoulder. I grasped her hand and intertwined our fingers, allowing mywalls to be knocked down by a sweet smile for just a moment. "You're so cute when you're jealous, Natsume."

"Shut up."

Natsume won't even let me read what he wrote. I hate it when they do this! When Hotaru, Ruka, and Natsume write chapters but won't even let me read them, I have to trust this psychopath to edit them!

Miss. Author Person: And what a grievous mistake that is. I'm banned from four countries because of the products of my editing.

W-What?

Miss. Author Person: BUT DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT!

… Anyways, thanks for reading guys! We just reached our 25 chapter which might be significant? I don't know, you tell me! Review, favorite, follow, do something!

Miss. Author Person: We decided to start whoring the story out! Byeeee!