DISCLAIMER: I do not own GA.

CHAPTER 36: Can you ask him for me?

"Hello there, Mikan-chan." Shizuka stated as her small voice has piped up while she took her seat next to Mikan on the grass. Mikan gave her a smile before she drifted her attention back to the field. Shizuka then yawned lightly and then put of her rubber shoes and lied down on the grass.

"Finally! The race was already over!" She said as she stared at the sky. "Ano, Mikan-chan, did you have fun?" She asked the nullifier.

"Uh-huh." Mikan replied with a smile. "The game was really exciting!"

"Yeah. But it was tiring though. I'm already sleepy." Shizuka answered.

"That's true. But this is way better than studying in the room so we might as well have the most out of it while this week is still here." Mikan replied with one of her bright smiles.

"Tell me about it. I am so not in the mood to listen into one of Jinno's lectures about numbers." She stated while Mikan nodded her head and laughed along with her.

"I swear that Mr. Jin-Jin has his eyes on me most of the time since I'm always late for his class because I have the habit of oversleeping every single morning." Mikan said.

"Hahah. I think that every single student in the academy doesn't even like that teacher." Shizuka commented with a giggle while Mikan nodded.

"He's just way too scary for me." Mikan stated.

"I think that the only students that want to see that sensei are the ones with honors since they love studying." Shizuka stated while Mikan shook her head.

"Iie. Hotaru once told me that she was already fed of his face and then Iinchou told me that the frog on his shoulders are irritating him whenever classes begin so I don't think that they like him as well." Mikan said as she stared at the girl with dark brown hair beside her.

"But no matter how we do, we can't do anything about it because he's a sensei." Shizuka mumbled. "Oh, that reminds me, where's Koko? I haven't seen him ever since the race has ended."

"I think he's still with the nurse." Mikan replied.

"Really? Oh the poor thing. If that's the case I wouldn't wanna mess up whenever Mico is in a group the same as I am." Shizuka stated. "He's kind of scary when it comes to competition. It's as if h could already kill someone when you mess up."

"Uh-huh. That's something that I agree with you on that one. That's a reason why I don't wanna join in competitions like this since I know that I end up with the same team as my brother." Mikan answered.

"Even so, the two of you really worked well together. It's as if you're communicating with each other even without talking a while ago." Shizuka stated with a smile while Mikan just shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe that's one of the thing that out mother was saying that we have this some sort of connection with each other and that's something that cannot be changed since we're twins."

"And did you even know that your twin has an ego that is almost as big as Africa?" Shizuka asked.

"Uh-huh! And don't forget about Asia!" Mikan replied with a smirk while Shizuka laughed.

"You're so different from him. Even if you two look alike, it's so hard to believe that the two of you are twins. You have different personalities." Shizuka stated as she kept on staring at the sky. "Mico and Natsume are different with each other too." She mumbled.

MIKAN'S POV

The smile on my face suddenly vanished and I knew immediately where this talk was headed. Shizuka then coughed and then glanced back at me. "Natsume's the kind of quiet type. He also has a bad boy look but when he's with a girl, he's all so quiet." She explained while I kept quiet. "What I mean is that he doesn't open up too much. Most girls tell me that I am so lucky that I can talk to him freely… but the truth is that he still feels… so… distant."

Natsume? Distant? Since when? He was never distant at all. He is always annoying the hell out of me, fooling around, and always agrees with Mico on whatever they wanna do. Natsume has never been distant with me. He has always been acting with himself whenever he was with Mico, Ruka and me.

"I guess so." I muttered hoping that I don't sound like an interested zombie.

"He never had a serious relationship before. He went out with a few girls most of the time but broke up with them for about a few weeks later so I knew that him and Sumire wouldn't last that long."

"H's probably very picky when it comes to or maybe he's just trying to find for the perfect one." I answered knowing for the fact that Natsume has never been serious about girls because he's crazily in love with someone else.

"OR… he already likes someone else." Shizuka mumbled. Bull's eye. I smiled weakly and then shrugged. I felt like I had to be reminded every day that there was SOMEONE ELSE who was able to make the heart of Natsume to be able to beat like crazy.

"Maybe…" I mumbled as I held my hair from blowing over my face.

"If you haven't figured it out, I like Natsume. I liked him ever since the day I met him last year in the DA type class… and then the winter dance is coming up… so do you think that he'll ask me?"

"I don't know… He has never mentioned anything about who he will ask to the dance with. He hasn't said anything that much after he broke up with Sumire." I said while I forced a small smile. "I don't even know if he still have the plans on going out to the dance." I mumbled. I felt awful.

Shizuka then sat up as she glanced at Mico and Natsume who were showing off to another bunch of girls. "I really wanna go with him. He's so nice and all but everybody wants him right now. Do you even think that I have the chance when it comes to him?" She asked. She looked so innocent and helpless that I wanted to turn around and then run away from the question. What on earth am I supposed to say to something like that? She's an incredibly nice girl and she might even be the mystery girl for all I know. But the thing is… I am in love with Natsume Hyuuga.

Even though I am not considered as competition with Shizuka, I was still confused greatly. I couldn't possibly be the evil girl that tried to keep other girls away from Natsume just because I liked him. I would never have a chance with Natsume or even get Natsume to look at me the same way that he looks whenever he talks about his mystery girl. I couldn't have him even if I wanted him to be mine.

So, me being the nice girl that I was, I gave her my most reassuring smile and said… "Sure."

Shizuka's face suddenly lit up as if she was a two year old kid given a chocolate ice cream. "Do you really think so, Mikan-chan? Do you really think that I have the chance?"

"Of course." I mumbled as she bit her lip and watched Natsume from afar. "Can you ask him for me then?" She asked while the smile on my face suddenly vanished again. WHAT????!!!???!!!

"I mean, I don't know how close you to really are but I figured out that since you are the sister of Mico and that you're just room neighbors, you guys might see him a lot." The word 'a lot' was another understatement. I only nodded my head confusingly. Shizuka then pulled her knees and then hugged them. "What I meant was that… can you kind of ask him on what he thinks of me?" She continued.

I only stared back at her, speechless. Shizuka was completely oblivious to the fact that I suddenly turned into silent mode so she continued to talk.

"Honestly, I am not the kind of girl that asks her friends to help her get the guy that she likes. I really find it kind of ridiculous. A girl should build up the confidence to do things like that all to herself. But Natsume's case is different…" She stated as she glanced at me. "I'm babbling, aren't I?

I shook my head. She sighed.

"I just wanna know what he thinks of me. It would be stupid to try if I had no chance to begin with." She stated as she stared at me with pleading eyes. "Can you just ask him if he thinks that I am annoying or something like that? That's all that I really need to know."

I bit my lip as I began playing with the hem of my skirt. I really don't know whether I could possibly do her request but I also don't wanna ruin her dreams of being with Natsume. It was all up to Natsume, not me, and not with anyone else.

I can't just possibly chase away a girl that might actually be the love of his life. As I have said, everyone is a suspect. I didn't even own Natsume. It wasn't like I had any other authority over what goes on with the life of Natsume. He had his own life, a life that I am particularly NOT a part of. I am just one of the typical girls who fell for him. Yes. Me, as in the Mikan Sakura, the girl who had never have a boyfriend, liked a boy or even loved a boy.

So I couldn't possibly say no to a person that is as nice as her. She even yelled at Sumire for me once when we were at the girls' room. I lifter my auburn eyes to meet Shizuka's eager amethyst eyes. I have a feeling that I will be regretting this decision sooner or later but I just chose to ignore it.

"Sure." I managed to utter.

END OF POV