Himeno: A Date between Hyuuga and Mikan-chan! This is going to be exciting.

Sumire: What?! That Sakura-san is going out with Natsume-kun?! That can't be. What did Sakura-san do to make Natsume-kun agree?

Himeno: It's the other way around. Hyuuga's the one who asked Mikan-chan out in a not so polite way.

Sumire: I don't want to believe it. There's no way Natsume-kun would ask out that girl. He's not even interested in girls.

Himeno: And what makes you say that?

Sumire: I just know so, okay?

Himeno: Hmm… Probably because he considers you and the whole fan club as very annoying.

Sumire: I dare you to repeat that again.

Himeno: Permy, if you won't stop nagging me, I'll make you go lovey-dovey with Kokoroyomi.

Sumire: NO!!

Himeno: I thought so… Okay, I don't own Gakuen Alice. Let the reading commence.

Natsume the Jerk

Episode 25: Wavering Heart

Natsume made his way to in a daze. He didn't even realize when he first walked in that class had already started.

"Thank you for joining us, Natsume-kun," Narumi-sensei said in an upbeat tone.

Natsume shot the teacher a glare and hurried to his seat.

His brunette seatmate greeted him with her trademark smile. As usual, he didn't bother greeting her back. During class, he thought about what he did last night. He basically asked Mikan to go out with him on Sunday. Honestly, he was only forced to do it, because his best friend was planning on asking Mikan as well. His jealousy kicked in right away when he found out, so he went to ask Mikan first.

It wasn't till class has ended that Mikan started asking him about their date. She was eager to learn about his plans for the special day. Though she was wary of Natsume sometimes, she felt quite excited to go out with him.

"You'll find out on Sunday," Natsume told her, "so stop asking. You're really annoying, polka-dots." He didn't actually have a plan yet, but he was sure to come up with one. He had to prove to Mikan that he can give a good surprise as well like Ruka.

Mikan puffed up her cheeks in fury. "You called me polka-dots again!" She shook him back and forth by his shoulders, calling him pervert over and over again.

A few classmates had their eyes on them already. The fan boys had the urge to pull Natsume away from Mikan, while the fan girls of the Natsume-Ruka fan club were green with envy. Well, Sumire was an exception.

Sumire still adored Natsume and Ruka, but her feelings for them were merely admiration. Her heart was set on Kokoroyomi. And she was quite happy that he has already become her boyfriend. However, she had yet to tell this to her members of the fan club.

"I know Sakura-san has been real nice to us, but I just can't stand her flirting with our Natsume-kun," Usumu Wakako said, sighing in frustration.

"Don't try hurting her again," Sumire said, leaning her cheek on her hand, "unless you want to get in trouble with Natsume-kun again."

Usumu shivered as she remembered how Natsume threatened her. He didn't even hesitate to strangle her. Good thing Mikan was nice enough to help her. "Sakura-san is too good to be true. Despite the bad things we said to her, she doesn't get mad at us."

"Yeah…" Sumire heaved a deep sigh as she turned to look at Mikan and Natsume. "Hey, let's stop talking about Sakura-san. It just gets me irritated."

"Okay…How about we talk about boys?" Usumu had an excited face on. "Did you know that the funny guy from the next class? I've just found out that he already has a girlfriend. Can you believe that?"

Sumire almost fell out of the chair. "What?!" She didn't expect her vice-president to bring that up.

"I know Kokoroyomi-kun is like one of the cutest guys in school," she was speaking and imagining Kokoroyomi at the same time, "but no girl can ever stand such a guy. I mean, he likes to goof around and play pranks. He especially likes teasing you for no apparent reason at all. I almost thought he had a crush on you." She laughed at the thought.

Sumire suddenly blushed. "Um…That Kokoroyomi likes making me miserable…" She was able to talk without falter.

"I agree with that. I'm going to pity that guy's girlfriend."

"Okay, let's talk about another boy," Sumire said with a shrug. She was officially Kokoroyomi's girlfriend. But she decided not to tell Usumu first. She wasn't ready yet to show others about their relationship.

That afternoon after school, Mikan invited Natsume, Ruka, and Aoi to spend the afternoon at her mansion listening to her songs, and eating some cake. Mikan was sure enjoying their company until her manager came in and reminded her it was time to go to work.

"We can't afford to be late for the taping," Serina said promptly.

Mikan sighed. "Okay, Serina-san," she said. She stretched lazily and reached for another chip. "This is like the second to the last taping, right?"

"Yes. Now come on."

"Wait a minute," Mikan said, turning her head at Aoi. "Can Aoi-chan come with us? She won't be any trouble."

Serina didn't have to think twice to answer. "Of course, she can come," she replied, and then she left the room first.

Aoi leaped up from her chair in joy. "This is great! I'll be able to see Mikan-chan in action." She approached the brunette and held her two hands. "Mikan-chan, you'll introduce me to your co-star, right? I want to meet him as well." Her crimson eyes just sparkled with delight.

"Sure!" Mikan then turned to Natsume. "I hope you don't mind me borrowing your sister for a while, Natsume."

The raven-haired boy only shrugged. "Just take the idiot and go already," he said. "And be home before dinner."

Mikan popped a vein and showed Natsume her fist. "Stop calling Aoi-chan an idiot, you jerk." She grabbed Aoi's hand and went to the door. "And don't worry. We'll be home in time."

Ruka took a sip of his tea and sat the cup down on the table. "Good luck with your work, Sakura," he said, smiling handsomely as usual.

"Thanks, Ruka-pyon! I'll see you two later!"

"Bye, Onii-chan, Ru-chan!"

Once the girls were gone the whole room was enveloped in silence. The two boys continued eating their snacks and sipping their tea, with no intention to start a conversation. It was only after they finished their snacks that Ruka decided to talk to his best friend about the object of their affections.

"Sakura told me that you asked her out on a date," Ruka said, looking a little bit serious. "I was planning on asking her out first, but you beat me to her."

"You already had her time with her," Natsume said, leaning back on his chair. "It's my turn next."

Ruka was impressed on how serious Natsume was to win Mikan. But he was a little worried about their date. He wasn't sure if Natsume would give her a good time. "What's your plan? How are you going to spend your date? I'm rather curious to know."

Natsume raised a brow. "And why should I tell you?" he questioned. "I know you're against it. Don't tell me you're planning to ruin our date?"

The blonde shook his head. "You know, I would never do that." He was being honest about it. It wasn't his nature to play dirty. "I just want to know if you can give her a good time."

"Just wait and see, Ruka…" Natsume said, rising up from his seat. "Don't go spying on my date as well. If I catch you, you're dead meat."

Ruka let out a chuckle. "You do have a way of threatening people, Natsume," he said. "I won't disturb you and Sakura on Sunday. You can count on it."

Mikan woke up bright and early on Saturday. She did a few exercises before she went downstairs to prepare breakfast. After cooking, she set the table and went to the living room to do some vacuuming.

"Sakura, what are you doing?" Ruka asked as he stepped into the living room.

"Good morning, Ruka-pyon!" the brunette greeted cheerfully as she switched the vacuum off. "You're up early. Breakfast is all set. You can go eat if you want."

"Sure… But why are you cleaning? Wait a minute… Did Natsume order you to do this?"

"No…" she replied. "I just like cleaning and doing all sorts of chores. Consider it as a hobby."

Normally, popular idols wouldn't even bother with house work, but Mikan was different. In addition to that, Mikan was doing chores in somebody else's house. "You don't have to do the cleaning, Sakura. I could get a maid to do it."

Mikan immediately shook her head. "A maid is not needed, Ruka-pyon," she told him. "I'm perfectly fine in handling the housework. Don't worry coz I don't mind it. But I appreciate the thought."

"Do you need any help with the cleaning?"

"Thank you, but there's no need," Mikan assured him. "I can handle the cleaning."

"She's more fit to be a maid than an idol," Natsume said as he came into the living room. He had his typical stoic face on. "Leave her and let's go have some breakfast, Ruka."

Mikan grabbed a pillow from the sofa and threw it at Natsume. Unfortunately, the guy managed to catch it. "Natsume, why can't you be nice in the morning for a change?!" she exclaimed. "You're always grouchy."

Natsume threw the pillow back to the sofa. "Just go back to your job, maid," he said, rolling his eyes away.

"I'm no maid!" Mikan yelled back, clenching a fist. "I just like cleaning. It's a good thing I take care of things around the house, unlike you. You're like a freeloader here who doesn't do any chores."

"So what? Did I tell you to clean the house? Besides, this is my house, so I can do whatever I want here."

"Yeah… That includes being super lazy," Mikan said with a shrug.

A frustrated sigh escaped from his lips as he shot her a glare. "Why don't you shut the hell up and get back to work?" he said in a rough tone. "I'm going to have my breakfast now."

Mikan seemed like she was going to blow up like a volcano, but she managed to calm herself down. "For your information, I made that breakfast. Why don't you show a little gratitude?" She positioned the vacuum's nose on the carpet as she turned away from him. "Never mind… Just go have breakfast." She then started the vacuum.

The two boys walked into the kitchen and saw the delicious breakfast set on the table.

"Sakura, can really cook a meal, huh?" Ruka said as he took a seat.

"It's not bad," Natsume said, reaching out for a slice of bread.

Ruka let out a sigh. "Natsume, do you have to be so rude every time you talk to Sakura?" he asked.

Natsume spread peanut-butter on his bread and grabbed another slice to complete the sandwich. "I'll do whatever I want with her," he replied.

"And you're planning to take her on a date with that attitude?" Ruka said, slightly chuckling. "Won't Sakura be irritated at you? You're supposed to give her a good time during the date. Don't forget that, Natsume."

"You don't have to tell me that, idiot."

Ruka took a bite of his hotdog, chewed it, and swallowed it. "Natsume, don't fool around with Sakura, understand?" he said, slicing up another piece of hotdog. "You'll have to answer to me if you do."

Raising a brow, Natsume almost crushed his sandwich. "What are you? Her father? Don't get too cocky, Ruka, just because you gave her such a nice surprise. I won't hand her over to you that easily."

"Natsume... I didn't mean tha—" Ruka was interrupted by Mikan, who just waltzed right into the kitchen. "S-Sakura…"

"Are you enjoying the meal?" Mikan asked, taking the seat beside Natsume. "I sure hope so."

"The food's great, Sakura," Ruka said, smiling gently at her. "Thank you for making breakfast for us."

Mikan tilted her head a bit and smiled adorably. "It's no problem at all, Ruka-pyon," she said.

Seeing her smile made Ruka blushed furiously, and Natsume noticed that right away. He continued eating his breakfast in peace, though his heart was racing fast.

It was a slow afternoon at the mall. At the moment, Tsubasa Andou was doing some window shopping just to pass time. Everything he wore was branded. A gothic-style printed red shirt was overlapped with a black jacket, and his denim pants were decorated with silver chains and embroidered skulls by the pockets. His silver hat matched perfectly with his attire and the cool sunglasses totally suit him, and these things were needed to hide his identity from the crowd. It would be trouble for him if the fans knew he was roaming around the mall. After all, he was a famous model.

He took a break from walking and decided to indulge himself with snacks at a café. "I'll have a chocolate milk shake please," he told the waitress without making eye contact. The waitress looked curiously at him, saying that she has seen him somewhere before. But Tsubasa just told her that she was mistaken.

The waitress was rather suspicious, but she didn't' question him further. "I'm sorry to be nosy, sir," she said, smiling at him. "But let me just say that you look cool."

Tsubasa flashed a well-toothed smile. "Thank you," he said. "It's an honor to have such a cute lady compliment me."

Blushing madly, the waitress giggled. "Thank you, sir. Please excuse me now." She bowed politely and walked away.

"That was a close one." Tsubasa sighed in relief. As a celebrity, he can't actually be careless around a public place or else he'll end up being devoured by fans.

While waiting for his dessert, he played a PSP game in order not to get bored. His concentration was focused on the game until he heard a familiar voice. He peered over his shoulder, setting his eyes on the table next to him, and saw a red-haired girl he knew so well. But she wasn't alone. She was with a guy who seemed to be older than him, probably in his twenties or so.

"Thank you for going out with me, Misaki-chan," the guy said, being a gentleman and pulling a seat for the lady. "You know, I expected you to refuse."

Misaki took a seat and smiled at the guy. "I had nothing better to do," she said. "Besides, I don't mind going out with you."

Tsubasa glared down at his console, not caring if his character was getting beat up in the game. Going out? That means they're dating. Just who is this guy? And he even called her Misaki-chan! He briefly glanced at the guy, taking note of his features, before he rolled his eyesa away. Okay, he's good-looking, but he's not good enough for Misaki. The guy had shoulder-length blonde hair and sharp-looking eyes.

"How's school life, Misaki-chan?" the guy asked.

"A little tough," Misaki replied with a sigh, "but it's great."

"Are there still shameless boys who flirt with you?" he asked, sounding a little bit serious. "I know you're pretty popular in your school."

Once again she let out a sigh. "Unfortunately, there are a lot of stupid boys in school," she said. "And I'm so not interested in them."

The guy tapped his finger on his cheek, looking at her keenly. "And that's because you only have one guy in your heart." He placed a hand on top of hers. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Misaki slightly blushed and lowered her gaze from him. "Yeah…You're right…"

Tsubasa couldn't believe what he just heard. He couldn't even believe that Misaki actually blushed because of that guy. Misaki...Don't you have feelings for me anymore? With little self-control, he put away his PSP and rose up from his seat. You love that guy now? Why? Clenching his fists, he went over to their table and slammed his fist on it.

"Excuse me?" Misaki said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Rude much? Who are you anyway?"

The model only continued to stare at Misaki. He didn't know what to say to her at that moment.

The blonde guy stood up from his chair and placed a hand on Tsubasa's shoulder. "We don't want any trouble, so may I ask what do you want from us?"

Tsubasa brushed his hand away and removed his sunglasses. "Misaki, tell me… Is he your boyfriend?"

"Tsubasa?!" Misaki said in surprise.

"Tsubasa…?" the blonde muttered, glancing back at Misaki then back at Tsubasa again. "You are Tsubasa Andou. What's a model like you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm still talking to Misaki," Tsubasa said, keeping his eyes focused on the red-headed girl.

Misaki shrugged. "You have no right to be rude to Rui-san," she said.

"Don't worry. Its fine with me. I guess he's just jealous of me since we're dating." Rui said with a smirk.

Tsubasa grew more jealous. "So, you're her boyfriend?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Rui said proudly. "The name is Rui Amane."

"I didn't ask for your name," Tsubasa snapped, turning his back at them. "I'm not planning on getting to know you either. I'm leaving." He started walking away, hurriedly making his way towards the door. He wasn't even looking straight anymore. Because of that, he bumped into the waitress, who took his order a while ago, causing her to fall down on the floor along with his milkshake.

The waitress groaned softly, rubbing her butt. "Um… I'm so sorry, sir," she said.

Tsubasa shook his head and extended an arm to help her. "I should be the one saying sorry," he said sincerely.

"No, it's really my fault," she said, taking his hand. As she looked up at him, she paused for a moment. She blinked several times before realizing who he was. "Kyaaaahhh!! TSUBASA-SAMA!" Her voice practically boomed inside the café, catching everyone's attention.

Three girls who were sitting near them stood up and crowded around Tsubasa. "It's really him!" one of them said. "Tsubasa-sama, we're your biggest fans!" another one exclaimed. "We love you, Tsubasa-sama!" the third one added, clinging on his arm.

More and more girls surrounded him, including the 29-year old manager of the café. All of them were such devoted fans. Tsubasa felt like he was going to be devoured by them. He was so jealous over Misaki and Rui he forgot to put on his sunglasses again.

Irritated, Misaki slammed her palms on the table. "Great… He's being smothered by his fans again," she sarcastically said. "He thinks he's so handsome."

Rui sat down and leaned his cheek against his hand. "Misaki-chan, you sound like you're jealous," he said.

Misaki shot him a glare. "I'm not jealous," she said in a controlled voice through gritted teeth. "I don't even care about Tsubasa anymore. He's nothing but a jerk. He likes his career better than me. That guy is an eyesore."

"Oh, really now?" Rui said with a cunning smile. "If Tsubasa is such a jerk, then why was he showing jealousy a while ago? He clearly got angry when I said that we're dating."

She looked down on her lap as she nibbled on her lower lip. Rui got her there. She had to admit that Tsubasa got jealous, but she wasn't going to soften up to him because of that. Nevertheless, she was getting annoyed with the girl's squeals and giggles. "Rui-san, let's go," she said, rising abruptly from her seat. "I don't want to eat here anymore."

"If you say so, Misaki-chan," Rui replied.

They made their way to the door, but before Misaki left, she took one more look Tsubasa and heaved a deep sigh. "Idiot…" she muttered sadly.

When Mikan woke up on Sunday morning, she lay in bed for a few seconds. Today was her date with Natsume. She hoped this date wasn't some kind of a joke. She wasn't sure if she would have a good time with him.

After taking a short shower, she donned herself in one of her best outfits—a white tube mid-thigh length dress with pleated skirt, a stylish silver belt around her waist, a light pink jacket with 3/4 length sleeves, and a pair of light pink lace up boots. She also wore pink bangles and silver bracelets on her wrists. She decided to let her hair down.

"I'm all set," she said, smiling in satisfaction at her own reflection in the mirror. "Let's see… Natsume told me to meet at the park. Knowing him, he's probably there already." She still has five more minutes to spare and the park was just near. She didn't need to worry.

Aoi dropped in to check up on her. "Mikan-chan, you look great!" she said. "I still can't believe Onii-chan actually asked you out."

Mikan told her that she found it unbelievable as well, but she didn't think of the date as something romantic.

"You know, I saw Onii-chan left the house and he seemed pretty excited for the date," Aoi said. "Well, it wasn't obvious on his face that he was excited, but I kinda sensed it."

"I'm sure Natsume just wants me to accompany him to some place," Mikan said, applying lip gloss.

"Is that what you think?"

"Yeah… What else?"

Aoi just sweat dropped. Mikan-chan is so naïve. I hope the date goes well…

Natsume was waiting at the park, leaning against a tree. He was looking cool as usual. He was clad in black shirt with a skull print, denim pants with a silver chain and Nike rubber shoes, and he also wore silver bracelets and black wristband.

He checked the time on his cellphone and sighed in frustration. Mikan was already two minutes late. He was going to scold her once he sees her. Just then, a cheerful voice called out his name, and he immediately turned to the direction of the voice. The moment he laid eyes on the brunette, he found himself mesmerized by her outfit.

He snapped back to reality when she asked him, "Did you wait long?" He was planning on scolding her for being minutes late, but he wasn't in the mood anymore. "Natsume, don't tell me I'm late? My watch is on the right track, I think…" She stuck out her tongue cutely.

"No… You came just in time," he said, straightening up. "Let's go."

That was totally unexpected. Natsume didn't even scold her or give her an insult. She wondered if he woke up at the wrong side of the bed.

First stop on their date was the mall. Of course, Mikan didn't forget to put her sunglasses and hat on. Mustn't let the public know that a celebrity was around. When they walked around the mall, Natsume noticed a lot of boys looking at Mikan. Well, she was always a head-turner for boys, much to Natsume's chagrin.

"Natsume, where are we off too?" Mikan said. "Are we going to your favorite manga shop? The arcade?"

"No…" he replied shortly. And why the hell was she suggesting places the HE would wanna go? This date was supposed to be for her. And he was going to prove that he was better than Ruka.

And so, he actually did show Mikan a good time. He treated her to Pizza Hut, bought her a teddy bear, and watched a movie with her. The movie was quite entertaining for him since Jacky Chan and Jet Li were in it, and Mikan loved the action too. All throughout the date, he had yet to utter one insult at Mikan, not even called her by the nickname, Polka-dots. He was sometimes cold and rude to her, but often he was being nice for a change.

When it was getting late, Natsume and Mikan decided to go home. As they walked through the park, Natsume suddenly held her hand. This made Mikan look at him curiously. "What's the matter, Natsume?" she asked.

"What is Ruka to you?" he asked, deeply disguising the resentment in his tone.

Mikan tilted her head to the side. "Why are you asking that?" she asked so innocently. "You do know that Ruka-pyon is one of my precious friends."

Natsume shrugged. "Just friends… Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, Ruka-pyon is a friend just like you," she said.

Natsume tightened his grip on her hand, hurting her in the process.

"Hey, let go!" Mikan pulled her hand away and took a step backward. "What's the matter with you? You didn't have to do that."

"Am I only a friend to you?" Natsume asked, his eyes lay hidden under his eyes.

Mikan nodded her head with a smile. "Of course! Even though you're such a complicated guy, you're really a good friend."

"Tch… I want to be something more," Natsume muttered in a low and deep voice.

"I don't get what you mean."

"You…You just don't get it…" He clamped his hands on her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "You're such a dummy." Without hesitation, he brought his lips down to hers.

END OF EPISODE 25

Himeno: Hyuuga was being aggressive again.

Sumire: My Natsume-kun kissed Sakura!

Kokoroyomi: What do you mean yours? Permy, he doesn't belong to you.

Sumire: Oh, just shut up!

Aoi: Hehe… By the way, what's the matter with Tsubasa-sama and Misaki-senpai? They don't seem to be in friendly terms.

Himeno: They will have a scene together in the next chapter, and it's not a happy one.

Aoi: I see… And I have to deal with bullies again in the next one too. I wish they'll stop picking on me.

Himeno: They will. Kokoroyomi and Permy are going to help you out. Don't worry about a thing, Aoi-chan.

Aoi: Really?

Himeno: Yeah! Mikan-chan will be there for you too.

Aoi: That's great! By the way, I wonder what Mikan-chan's going to do. She just got kissed by Onii-chan again. What a surprise.

Himeno: Mikan-chan will soon realize her own feelings.

Aoi: So exciting!

Himeno: Readers, don't forget to review this chapter. No flaming please!