A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! College is a different world, I tell you! I've been so busy for so long! It's been so hectic that I didn't have time to update at all! Anyways, hope you like this chapter! Comment please on the budding intimacy between our beloved charas! ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.

Four.

Ch 4 – Unveiling the "Renovated" room!

Tomorrow's the much awaited day. The day I disclose the redecorated cabin of our dear and beloved Mr. Hyuuga. The day I exact my revenge on him for labelling my clothes as inappropriate and every other thing he's ever done to me.

I had wanted to say a lot of things to him and his breathtakingly brooding face which makes him all the more sexy to the eye, but I didn't say a word. Instead, I pressed my lips together into a thin line all day.

You see, this was all part of my devious revenge: Silent treatment. I know. I'm sure you're thinking I'm stupid but believe me, silent treatment can be the worst kind of punishment for anyone. I'm saying this wholly from experience.

I almost cried once when Hotaru gave me the silent treatment for 2 whole days.

And as far as Natsume Hyuuga went, I could see my plan was working VERY well. I could already see him getting restless and frustrated over my antics.

Hell, he even complimented the coffee I made him. But I wasn't gonna relent. I mean, what's his bloody problem?! He can compliment a fucking coffee but he can't shed his pride and apologize?! MEN, I TELL YOU!

"Mikan, are you okay?" I snapped my head towards Hotaru who was looking at me with concerned eyes. I smiled at her, nodding before taking another sip of my latte.

"Just wondering about what to wear." 'And how to put cocky, arrogant, asshole Nat back in his place.' Of course, she didn't say that out loud but it didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on in Mikan Yukihira's mind.

And a sister who'd lived with her almost all her life? Sue her if she didn't recognize the malicious glint in her otherwise innocently mesmerizing brown irises.

"Sureee. Whatever you say." Hotaru replied with a shrug of her shoulders, rolling her eyes and about to launch into ignorant mode when Mikan sighed and sat down beside her. 'Always works.' Hotaru thought as a small smile twitched across her lips but she composed her expression into that nonchalant, lazy, bored look of hers and instantly a rush of guilt settled in on Mikan's chest.

"Fineee." She drawled before relaying everything to an eager Hotaru whose face grew more and more stunned with each passing word that left Mikan's lips.

"He actually said that?" Hotaru asked, just as shocked as Mikan had been. "Wow. This guy is… Something. How do you deal?" She asked with an amused smile that Mikan returned with a thrilled one of her own.

"I'll admit, I kind of like pissing his ass off. It's... Entertaining." Mikan replied with a mischievous twinkle in her coffee brown eyes that Hotaru almost shuddered.

Her naïve sister could only dream what was hidden behind those playful eyes. "But that's not important right now. I need a dress that's gonna knock the pants right out of his legs."

"Natsume's legs?" Hotaru asked with an innocent voice, her head tilted to the side. Mikan slightly blushed as she suddenly recalled the coffee incident out of the blue, and how she'd most gracefully, not to mention painfully, dropped the coffee on her beloved boss's Armani suit, right on his groin.

She cringed faintly as her mind replayed the image in her head before she nodded. "Yes?" It was more of a question than a statement which Mikan decided not to specify on any further, hoping Hotaru would drop it.

With her childlike social awkwardness however, she ended up doing the one thing Mikan hoped she wouldn't do. "You do realize that that sounds like an incredibly roundabout way of saying that you want to impress him? In an almost..." Hotaru blushed as she forced the words out of her mouth.

"Sexual way. Like, you're indirectly saying you want to have sex–"

"Dude! At least think once before you blurt out something like that!"

"Sorry, I just—sorry." Hotaru apologized sheepishly, but Mikan didn't drop her murderous glare, her cheeks beginning to turn a very embarrassed shade of pink.

Instead of chiding her painfully dense sister however, Mikan decided to charge her rising embarrassment to a more productive cause: Looking for the perfect dress.

And boy did she find it. (Insert here a super, duper sparkly, devilish grin.)

"Err... You're sure Mikan? Isn't that dress like, TOO short?" Mikan gave a wicked little grin that sent a shiver down her sister's spine. True, Mikan looked all set for the runway in the super short glittering blue off-shoulder dress that barely ended at her thighs, but for a no-nonsense office?

Yeah... The outfit was... Debatable.

(You can find the dress online by looking for Gigi Hadid's blue sequin dress. Only remember that it's off shouldered, not a shirt dress like Gigi's.)

Especially since Mikan had very delicate, narrow shoulders, her body lithe and not overly tall or small, giving her a pixie like contour which let her use her body to her advantage. She could appear as tall as a confident seductress in one second and as a shy nymph in the next.

Her endless legs were on unlimited display, her slender shoulders and the curve of her neck adding to her already sensual and alluring curves. She looked very much like the supermodel she'd quit being.

The exquisite short dress which featured three silver stripes at the hem, was teamed with subtle makeup which showed off Mikan's flawless ivory complexion. Her lips were nude pink and she paired the look with as minimal jewellery as possible.

Towering strappy blue heels coordinated with the ensemble, Mikan's long auburn locks were left in free waves around her pretty face, further highlighting her smoky eyeshadow and pink lips.

She looked perky, vivaciously sexy, ready to glam up any room.

Hotaru, however, was dubious if Hyuuga's office was a room that wanted willingly to be glammed up.

"That's kind of like the point, Hotaru." Mikan replied, running a hand through her thick brown tresses to buff it up even more.

"To show that your dress IS short?"

Mikan nodded and grinned again. Obviously, her dense sister wouldn't understand. This was just another menial part of her extensive foolproof plan to torture Hyuuga Natsume. A part of her heated up however, as she wondered if he'd be disgusted to find her in such clothes?

She looked glamorous, sensational even. Would Natsume think so as well?

Taking a deep breath and reminding herself that all this was to torture Natsume, not seek his unwanted approval, Mikan left for work, leaving a curiously confused Hotaru behind.

When she entered the office, everyone turned to look at her. EVERY ONE. Mikan, as a supermodel, was used to the countless stares and awed looks but this was on a whole other level. People weren't just staring. They were GAWKING at her.

Anna was the only one brave enough to walk up and talk to her. "H-Hi, Mikan..." But even Anna couldn't help but let her eyes roam over Mikan's less than covered body. The ride of her breasts, the curve of her neck, the endless legs, the willowy shoulders, everything screamed gorgeous and nobody could take their eyes off of the phenomenon that was Mikan Yukihira.

Mikan flashed a dazzling smile to Anna's flustered face. "Hi, Anna! What do you think?" She gave a graceful twirl to which Anna's face flushed even more.

"Stunning... You look absolutely stunning, Mikan, but... Don't get me wrong, it's just that— isn't that dress a little TOO sparkly?" She asked cautiously, as if afraid to hurt her new friend's feelings. But Mikan simply beamed at her.

"It is?! Oh, thank god! That's exactly what I was hoping for!" Anna blinked, unable to understand her meaning. But before she could ask, Mikan was already out of her sight, making her way upstairs to their boss's room.

Mikan felt her pink lips stretch into a thrilled beyond reason kind of grin, all her pearly white teeth dazzling against the glaring colour of the shining new cabin of her boss.

'Wait till you see this, Nat.' She thought darkly, snickering to herself as she went about the room, seeing that everything was in place, especially the back wall which was the first thing a person would see when one entered the room.

Convinced that everything was in purrrfect order, she left the room hanging the 'Do not disturb, painting in progress' sign once again over the gilded white door.

Thankfully, nobody had visited the office when she'd arranged for the painters and movers to come Sunday morning and redecorate the entire work area and move the furniture accordingly to the new paint. She'd carefully placed the 'do not disturb' sign after she'd left and instructed the guard to inform everyone not to go into the boss's room, for the paint to dry. He followed her orders without complaint and now, her plan had bore such wonderful, satisfying, colourful fruit.

All that's left was for Natsume Hyuuga to appear and open the door of his freshly refurbished office.

Oh, the look on his brooding face….

It gave her chills and goosebumps just trying to imagine it… She grinned again and left the room giddily, her heart beating wildly, impatiently. She couldn't wait. She just couldn't. Mikan was so impatient for Natsume that she almost wanted to leave the office and drag him out of his house by the ear. Her hands were shaking and her breathing was so fast and her smile wouldn't stop spreading across her face. Her cheeks damn fucking hurt from smiling so hard and not being able to contain it. Her stomach was full with butterflies, her skin was fluttering, buzzing with electricity.

My heart almost stopped when I heard my co-workers started whispering that he'd arrived… They were gossiping about my attire, no doubt but I was least concerned. After all, I doubted Natsume would give much weight to my inappropriately short dress in lieu of the surprise that awaited him upstairs.

I was arranging some files… I wasn't even sure if I was arranging them, my fingers were shaking so badly and excitedly. I bit my lip again, glancing from my lowered lashes up at the stern silhouette of Natsume Hyuuga exiting the elevator.

A heated blush ran up my chest as Hotaru's stupid comment suddenly dropped like a bomb on my unprepared mind.

"Sexual way. Like, you're indirectly saying you want to have sex–"

I mean, I was so not expecting to remember THAT at a moment like this. It was not what I was supposed to be thinking! But again, as I glanced up from the corner of my eye at Natsume and his totally delectable face and all the more mouth-watering body, I found myself thinking about the feel of his touch again.

It was almost painful thinking about his warm, manly hands on my cheek, shoulder, waist, hips, breasts, inside my—

'CONTROL Mikan! Get that dirty mind of yours out of the gutter! Remember, he's the enemy here! You can't give in to his inhumanely sexy good looks! It's what he wants!' I reminded myself but I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have his mouth glide against my skin? Bite and tease me until I glared and moaned for him to stop but secretly wished for more? Suck on my neck, leave his mark until I begged for him to—

"Mikan?" I jumped and let out a small gasp. I whirled around to find Anna handing me a sheet of paper. "You dropped this." She smiled sweetly and I nodded, face red and hot as I took it back. Thank god I had long hair and thank god, it effing covered my flushed face. What was I thinking?!

This time, I didn't have to pretend to be cross with him and hide my inner laughter. No, the anger arose in me by itself. He didn't even have to do anything. I was now on a rampage to finish my work with pin point accuracy. I was so focused on my work that I didn't even notice other people.

I crossed paths with Natsume bloody Hyuuga on my way to the DTP, (desk-top publishing, basically software for printing) and didn't so much as lift my head to acknowledge him, much less greet my boss. I pressed the controls too hard and with an undying scowl on my face, that everyone around me began to back away slowly from fright. When I finished, I took the papers back by myself, slamming them to the desk with a deafening thud that echoed throughout the morgue quiet office.

I was not in a mood to mess. I was pissed.

In all honesty though, I was just frustrated over feeling some unpleasant (They were not in the least unpleasant) sensation flutter through my entire being wherever this stupid Hyuuga was concerned. It was so annoying that he should evoke in me such, such reactions, such thoughts...

I was supposed to hate the bloody jerk! {Why the HELL did I just use past tense?! I still very much hate him! (Frankly, I think it can be looked upon as a controversial issue whether I hate him or not...)} Why the hell am I thinking about what his touch would feel like?! Why is my mind so filled with thoughts of his too perfect face and even more perfect body?! {Why the FUCK did I use present tense here?! This is the place where I'm supposed to use past tense! This is all that idiot Hotaru's fault! (Not really, I think she just pointed out something I knew myself...)}

A/N: These are inner thoughts of Mikan where she struggles with her conscience who tells her, her own true feelings and she's hell bent on denying it.

So yes, I was pissed. And Hyuuga Natsume didn't seem to care. He approached me despite the fact that I was feeling murderous enough to kill him with a fork. I mean, he was the subject of my unchecked wrath. And that said man was standing in front of me, clueless and bewildered.

I was in a glittery, sequin blue dress in an office full of dull beige, grey and black after all. I guess the bewildered look wasn't entirely his fault...

Worse, my dress ended scandalously just above my thighs, offering a sultry view of my shoulders and neck where everyone else in the office had full sleeves and their legs covered up till their knees.

So when he spoke up, clearing his throat not so discreetly, I obviously glared at him just as not so discreetly... Since his gorgeous face brought back the very thoughts I was working so hard to keep at bay.

Natsume's point of view:

My days in this wretched office just keep getting worse and worse.

For 2 whole days, I hadn't earned a word out of my blessed secretary. She seemed hell bent on not talking to me. The woman didn't so much as meet my eye, like I was cursed or something. Was my face really that ugly to look at? What the hell did I do to deserve this?

Despite my previous argument which led to this unfortunate circumstance, I found my eyes wandering over her sylphlike, exotic body. Like, how she wasn't entirely slim or voluptuous.

I found myself brushing the sensual curves of her flawless globular breasts and hips with my eyes that grew darker and darker, as they lingered on her lips for longer than necessary, becoming more and more conscious of the willowy arc of her waist and her long, silken legs.

I was becoming increasingly aware of her… In a different, perceptive way… Than I had become in the past 2 days.

Heaven knows why, I couldn't rip my eyes off her. She reminded me of a lone star, blindly shining in the dull blackness of the endless night sky.

The blue sequin glittered like a barbaric flower in a room full of ferns and mosses. She stood out like a sore thumb and she looked indefinitely stunning doing it.

Despite all this, I couldn't allow such costumes in my office. I wasn't conducting a fashion show here.

Thanks again to Miss Mikan's fashion aptitude, I didn't find murmurs, I found my staff actually gossiping in the hallways all the way to the elevator with the sound of a distressed elephant. Men couldn't stop turning their heads and she seemed utterly unconcerned, strutting across the hall in her ridiculously short dress like she was wearing a potato sack, not a dress the size of Aoi's camisole.

Obviously, as the boss here, I HAD to say something. "Miss Mikan—" I started. It was all I got to say. Before I could even say anything more, the woman looked up with a grimace so brutal and vicious, I blinked in mortified horror. Her cheek, all the way to her tantalizing neck was red. Her lips though from the lipstick color, was a nude pink, were also turning a bright pink from all the biting she'd been inflicting on those poor delicate lips.

My hand itched to run across those poor lips, to ease the pain even just a little. But I clenched them into fists, seeing as Miss Mikan was doing the same. She held the pen so hard in her grip, the nib of the ballpoint pen was now tearing into the paper.

"What?!" She barked the word out, but this time, I was more surprised by the fact that she'd talked to me than from the dripping poison oozing from the spoken word. I blinked, unable to believe it for a second but then, my lips twitched and I gave up.

Mikan Yukihira, my unsuspecting secretary who looks very much normal at first sight but is anything and everything BUT normal within, blinked in confusion at the smile that I unconsciously gave her. Hell, even I was surprised.

"What's so damn funny?" She asked this time and I smiled even more. I seriously could not help it. I glanced up from my lashes innocently at her, my face morphing into some sort of gleeful triumph. She blinked yet again, cocking her head to the side like a cute little bird, demanding answers impatiently.

I leaned into her as much as I could, my voice as a low a whisper as I could make it. "You spoke to me." I said, the delight evident in my voice and smile and eyes. Her eyes widened as if she just realized.

I remembered that we still had an audience behind us, so I straightened my back as I spoke with clear authority. "I am not aware of what version of the company rules you carry around with you, Miss Mikan, but that attire strictly goes against the rules of the organization. So, unless you want me to sign your resignation letter, please do me the favour of changing into something more fit to be seen. My office is not your personal disco or catwalk. I trust my room has been renovated?"

I moved away from her to put some distance between us, moving towards the stairs. "Should I be expecting some sort of rebellious flourish that clearly goes against the policies of the company there as well? Or have you managed to actually do a proper job for once?" I asked with implied sarcasm.

To my surprise, my secretary followed behind quietly without speaking. Compared to the nonchalant silent treatment she was giving me just recently, this was more of a forced pursing of her lips, as if she was determined not to open her mouth.

Her mouth and jaw worked furiously, despite her lips not moving at all. It was as if like she was trying to grind or break all her teeth. She looked ridiculous, squinting and trying so hard not to speak.

I was fighting back a smile myself at her unexpected and comical reaction. Little did I know, I would be in the same state in less than a few seconds.

Abruptly, my phone rang and I fished it out, talking to one of the investors on the other line as I simultaneously opened the door to my new office….

WHAT.

THE.

BLOODY.

FUCKING.

HELL.

IN.

THE.

HISTORY.

OF.

BLOODY.

FUCKING.

HELLS.

My mind went blank. I couldn't even think. My mouth fell open like a puffer fish.

The hand that was pressing my phone against my ear fell slack and down the phone fell, clattering like a useless machine against the newly tinted floor.

The newly tinted PINK floor.

I ground my teeth collectively, struggling hard not to lash out at the oblivious fool behind me, who I'm sure was enjoying this. Now I understood all too well why that stupid idiot was trying so hard not to open her mouth.

She wasn't trying not to speak to me. She was trying not to LAUGH.

PINK!

P.

I.

N.

K.

PINK!

My entire cabin, in a glaring shade of the same colour everywhere! PINK, PINK, PINK!

Pink chairs, pink cupboards, pink desk, pink pens, pink files, pink lights, pink sofa, pink windows, pink curtains, pink frames for the pink paintings, pink flowers, pink vase, pink floor, pink ceiling, pink walls! PINK! EVERYWHERE, PINK!

That's when I noticed it. The wall. Oh my god. Jesus Holy Christ. How am I even still standing?! How had I not yet fainted with shock on the floor?!

Someone save me from this crap nightmare. Lord fucking no. Don't do this to me.

But no. It was there. A whole damned wall. It was impossible to deny. I didn't want to believe it so I turned my back to it, placing a hand to my heart, breathing hard. I looked up to my beloved secretary, the wretched witch-woman, and widened my eyes at her.

I couldn't even speak. She freaking stole my ability to form words. I didn't have the vocabulary to put into words my absolute horror.

I don't think I'd have been this shocked even if she came to office in a two piece bikini or I found her shagging some man I didn't know.

But no. she went ahead and did this.

OH MY FUCKING DAMN CRAP HOLY SHIT BLOODY GOD IN HELL AND HEAVEN! &%# !$^*)(% #%^&

I was yelling all the cusses I knew in my mind, it was a web of words that couldn't even be considered as the language English. But physically, I couldn't even let out a sound.

On the wall was a mural.

A WHOLE GODDAMN MURAL OF BARBIE! FUCKING MALIBU PINK PRINCESS BARBIE AND DOG AND WHATNOT!

BARBIE!

I was feeling faint. I felt like I couldn't breathe. Is this what dying feels like? Is my heart failing? Are my lungs failing?! Did my brain explode?! What is happening?! Why the fuck is it happening?!

I looked up at her. If I was going to die, I at least wanted an explanation. I simply looked at her, waiting for her to explain. That insufferable, stupid witch had the effing nerve to smile at me.

"I DID ask which colour you'd prefer…" She stated all matter of factly. My eyes widened even more. I still couldn't talk. I gestured to the whole room by swinging my arms around wildly to the damn colour that was everywhere.

She smirked. Smugly at that. Christ, I have NEVER wanted to strangle a woman so badly in my entire god to damn life.

"At least now people will be able to call you a devoted feminist. You'll be a hero to girls worldwide, boss! You should thank me… For redeeming your character as a chauvinistic, opinionated jackass. Everybody deserves second chances after all."

I blinked at her. I see. NOW, I see. So this is what it was all about. Revenge… For what, I still was unclear about. But it was about revenge. Revenge on what, no clue. But it was revenge.

Okay. So, that's it then. I'd hired a madwoman in my office. A damn psychopath. She's a psychopath. I have no other explanation.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" She exclaimed, grinning the one grin I'd learned to fear now. Nothing good happens when Mikan Yukihira grins.

"Oh no," I mumbled, my voice somewhat returning at the prospect of another damn surprise. My frail heart was now literally at the mercy of my secretary who seemed to receive immense pleasure in mentally and physically torturing me.

With a smile as dazzling as a rainbow in a clear, cloudless sky, she approached me with a spring in her step. She didn't stop until she was right in front of me, her face a hair's length away from mine. I could smell her sweet, magnetic scent, she was so close...

Her brown eyes were twinkling. I was again so conscious of her womanly body. Of the fact that she was a woman. A beautiful, dangerous woman. Her body molded, melted into mine, arching perfectly over my muscles of my torso. I could feel the faint outline, the trace of her breasts touching my chest.

Before I could fully grasp the feeling of her chest pressed against mine, she reached up, her fingertips grazing my hair. I felt an electric current, a sort of restless energy rush through me, igniting goosebumps over my skin and my body, against my will, jerked forward, into her.

Unconsciously, I'd pressed my hard chest to hers, leaving us both breathless. She'd looked up then, just as I looked down, and we both sort of realized that we were standing close. Too close.

We were standing so close, bodies pushed against each other, breaths mingling, eyes locked on each other that we forgot for a second that there was a world outside of this room... That outside of this room, (even in the room) we were still boss and employee...

We were absent-mindedly standing as close as humanely possible, so close, that it couldn't even be considered standing. We were almost embracing.

I could still feel her fingers in my hair, and sucked in a sharp breath. She parted her soft lips, her scent, her sweet breath assaulting me. I breathed her in, unable to part from the heavenly fragrance of her skin.

Her fingers skimmed my cheekbones and jaw, clipping something around my shoulders, pressing her palm flat against my chest. My skin burned.

God, she truly was dangerous. I could barely think, let alone speak.

Then, she smiled. The same dazzling, irresistible smile. For a moment, all I wanted to do was revel in that smile of hers, swim in it, delight myself. But my moment with her was short lived. Why? The wretched woman opened her mouth.

"There! Now you match!" She said with a shiny smile, her even teeth sparkling. "Look!"

Despite my head warning me, I turned to look at the floor length mirror in front of me, assessing myself.

She'd Barbie-d me.

My raven hair was adorned in a shiny pink tiara the size of a sea turtle, with pink rhinestones and ribbons and sparkles on my black head. Around my shoulders was the pinkest of coats I'd seen with the logo of Barbie on it. A princess crown on my head, a princess barbie cape of satin material on my shoulders. I looked ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

"Awww! You look soo schweet and cute, Nat!" She said with what was surely a sarcastically patronizing snicker, pinching my cheeks like a woman would her neighbor's kid. Worse, she was gushing over me like I was a five year old.

'What did I do to deserve this?!' I asked myself for the 1000th time, with no answer as usual. Mikan Yukihira was a dangerous, brutal art. Nobody could hope to understand her, after all.