17 Charity Stage

"I can't believe you forced me, Hotaru," Mikan said grumpily. Her hands was by her side, repeatedly pulling down a little the hem of the stupid dress that was clad on her body. "Man, this is damn uncomfortable." She yanked it again. God, remind her why is she here again. She should be at home right now, searching for ideas and scraping papers for her new song.

Hotaru smacked her hands away. "Of course it is. You haven't worn a dress since, what, years?" She raised her perfectly arched brows tauntingly at her." Mikan scowled. She puffed her cheeks irritatingly. "I don't see the point why we should wear one. Casual garments are better. Plus, I feel much comfortable in it."

"We don't perform classical piece with casual clothes, that's just how it is," Hotaru replied.

Mikan begin yanking at her dress again. "I don't see why we shouldn't be the first one to achieve that."

Hotaru sighed, looking at her. "Are you that uncomfortable?"

"Of course I'm that uncomfortable!" she bit off. "And why the hell I have to get a white dress while you get to wear a black one?" She looked at her best friend in a very dissatisfied manner. Her eyes glaring at her.

"They both are still dresses, baka, so shut up." Mikan looked much better in white. It brought out her innocence character more—even if sometimes she's just a stupid parasite—but seriously, Hotaru's not gonna tell her that. That baka would immediately take it as praise.

Mikan clicked her tongue. "It's two different colors! Obviously you're color blind, Hotaru." She looked at Hotaru's dress again. Hers was a long cocktail dress and it even trailed on the floor! The thin spaguehetti straps showed off her small pendant necklace around her swanlike neck. Mikan frowned. Hotaru looked so matured and elegant while, she on the other hand, looked like nothing of that sort. She started to yank again. This time, at the piece wrapped securely around her breast. "Damn it! Not only this dress is short, it's making me hard to breathe!" she hissed.

She was wearing a white baby doll dress with an open back. The piece trailed off till it reached just a few inches above her knees. It got a few straps dangling around her slim waist for small accessories. It was matched with a pair of ice blue platform on her feet.

Hotaru moved closer to her brunette friend. Apparently, if they kept talking like this with her standing quite far from her, she expected Mikan would start screaming in rage due to her dress. "Baka, you've worn shorter pants than that hem. Why are you complaining now?" It's true. She had seen Mikan worn hot pants before, and it was really really short. The dress she's wearing right now was only a few inches above her knees. So what's with the outburst?

She grabbed for Hotaru's shoulders. Her hazel eyes were wide. "It's a skirt for crying out loud!" She shook the raven-haired girl hard. "If wind comes, people will see my panties on the stage!" she cried out hysterically.

Hotaru stifled a chuckle. That's what she's worried about? That baka. And she moved around so much in her panicky state. No wonder she couldn't breathe properly in her dress.

She patted Mikan's head. Her amethyst eyes soften. "Come down, Mikan. We're in a hall with full air-conditioning so they won't leave any doors and windows open. No wind will come in." She assured her. "I promise you that."

"You sure?"

Hotaru smiled softly. "Of course I am." She put two fingers under her chin to lift up her almost teary-eyed face. "Now cheer up and let's just enjoy the rest of the performance while we wait for ours." Mikan nodded, believing her entirely. Of course she would; Hotaru's her best friend. Mikan locked her hand with Hotaru's and decided to pay no mind the dress anymore. They both enjoyed the rest of the passing moment together.

The nights slowly passed on. She had calmed down and her mood was rather good, it surprised her.

But. It was too early to feel immensely happy. The lightning on her head had come to strike her back to reality.

Mikan furrowed her brows. She had not paid attention to the stage before—she was whining about the dress non-stop ever since they got to the event. She nudged Hotaru who was sipping a glass of lemonade next to her. She had her eyes glued to the stage meters away in front of her so clearly she didn't realize Hotaru's drink almost spilled. Thus Hotaru gave her a glare. "It'd better be a good reason. You nearly spilled my lemonade."

"Err Hotaru." Hotaru looked at her. Mikan turned to her and had an uneasy smile on her face. "I'm not sure if I imagined things here," she continued before gulping down what seemed like a big rock inside her throat. "Is that who I thought he is?" she pointed to the stage.

Hotaru almost choked on her drinks. She quickly wiped her mouth and placed the drink on the nearby table. She turned to look harder. Her eyes widened. "Bummer," she muttered. What a small world it is. "I believe what you see is real."

She saw the color drained for Mikan's face. "Are you about to faint? I'm not gonna catch you, you know. I'm telling you beforehand. So don't pass out," she said indifferently.

Mikan gave her a look before fanning herself with her hand. It didn't do much effect. She just overworked herself at the end. "Why is he here?" Her voice squeaked.

"Are you blind? He's doing his work, obviously." Hotaru stared at the stage.

"I know but.." her words trailed off. "I didn't expect to see Kou here," she finished off. Her face didn't look too good. Hotaru's brain was slowly panicking. Mikan's not gonna faint for real, is she?

"Are you gonna go and say hi?"

Mikan's eyes bulged out. "OF COURSE NOT!"

Hotaru silently felt relief. Oh good, she's not gonna faint then. Or planning to, just in case.

"You're not planning to let him know you're here, aren't you?"

"That is an impossible wish to hope for." Mikan sighed. "He'll bind to know I'm here sooner or later. Our time to perform isn't long now. We'll be on stage soon. He'll see me."

Hotaru nodded. "That's one matured way of thinking." A good way to self hypnotizes yourself to be optimistic.

Mikan tried to cheer herself up. "So now, I will just ermm, keep myself busy. Yes! I will busy myself until our time to perform comes!" she said, trying to maker her voice sounds chirpy. She spun around, wanting to head to the buffet table to grab some fruits.

In some way, she managed to spot one member of Eye Candy just at the corner of the hall. Kokoroyomi was seen to be walking around, holding a glass of orange juice. A look of grimace passed her face.

'If I could see one breathing creature of Eye Candy here, it meant that the rest of the Eye Candy creatures are here as well,' Mikan thought wearily.

And so, she was right. Just across the room, there stood Hyuuga and the rest of the parasites. The narcissist was donning black garments, from head to toe. She had not seen him since that day at the library. The kisses, Mikan frowned. Damn it. He looked unexpectedly good in the clothes. Just when Mikan thought of that compliment, he turned around and their eyes met, and a mighty smirk came on his lips, directing right at her. Mikan's face turned sullen. Why did I ever compliment him just now? Waste of my mental energy. He deserves no nice words from me!

"Hotaru, Eye Candy parasites are here." Mikan sourly informed her friend who was coolly sipping a lemonade drink beside her. Hotaru looked around and among the mass of people, she saw the usual group of Eye Candy, and Ruka Nogi was looking at her. Her cold amethyst eyes turned ominous.

She returned her attention back to the lemonade at her hand. If her eyes could freeze the water inside the glass. "So I see, they're here." She took a sip of her drinks. "Well, to be honest, I'm not that surprised. This is an open event. Whoever wish to perform is all welcome to. This is a charity event after all."

Mikan tugged on her arm. "But Hotaru," she whined. "Hyuuga is here!" Even she didn't want to run away as much when she knew Kou was here.

Hotaru's face turned irked. "So is Nogi," she hissed under her breath. Now she felt really uncomfortable with that blonde parasite roaming around the room. She could feel his eyes on her every moves.

"Can we just go home? It's an open event right? No one would notice if we fled." Mikan suggested hopefully.

She considered Mikan's idea. "My brother will." She sighed, totally beaten. "Tsubaru was the one who put our names up. I don't want to join in the first place but he promised me some expensive crabs from the western so I said yes," she explained. Her fingers clenched the glass she was holding. "Might as well ignore the disturbances and get this over with quickly."

Mikan gave her a disbelief look. "You drag me into this for the sake of the crabs?" she bellowed.

Hotaru gave her a cold look. "Western crabs." Trust baka Mikan not to know the differences in levels between their crabs and the Westerners'.

Mikan puffed her cheeks angrily. "Oooh! Crabs for god's sake! I should have known!"

"It's a charity event. Why do you think I would come if don't get anything back?" Hotaru's indifferent face and flat voice made Mikan more frustrated.

"Because it's a hospital!" she bit off. "I thought you would do it for free for the first time! Even I have a hard time to believe it at first but I thought it could happen so I came with you. But noooo," she trailed off, "You wouldn't do anything for free! There's always something in return for you!" She stormed off, leaving Hotaru behind.

Damn she's pissed.

She thought, for once, Hotaru would just do it sincerely this time, without having any benefit gains out of it. But of course, Mikan wanted to laugh out loud right now,—if she could—she had been friends with Hotaru all of her life, she knew exactly how Hotaru is and hoping that would happen, was unlikely possible. Hotaru wasn't capable of empathy. She's cold down to the core towards other people. But still, Mikan smiled. She supposed she should at least be happy on her part because Hotaru wasn't that cold to her. Hotaru's still capable of empathy with her. So is it a blessing in disguise?

She had walked far from where she had left Hotaru, it seemed. Mikan now found herself at the back of the room, leaning against the wall where the lights were dimmed. Standing here, she could see the entire hall, well minus the second floor of course. But only people's heads, she could make out. She should get back to Hotaru. Maybe she would give her some of her crabs? Mikan smiled. Hardly possible.

Mikan felt herself stiffened when she noticed a presence beside her. A very familiar looming presence. And she knew that cologne all too well. "Go away, Hyuuga," she told coldly.

"Incredible ability you got there," his deep velvety voice came. She heard a small laugh as well. "Maybe you should sign up for the Avengers with that awesome psychic power."

Mikan fought the urge to gasp when his whole figure came into view. When she saw him just now across the room was nothing compared to now, seeing him up close. He was devilishly and remarkably good looking. And she was devastated. He affected her that much. She pretended to ignore his previous comment but the truth was, she couldn't afford a reply for she feared her voice might squeak if she opened her mouth. That would definitely happened, seeing as now she was openly staring at him.

"Enjoying the view?" He asked mockingly after he took a spot standing next to her. He knew she was staring at him. His crimson eyes were teasing and they glinted with amusement under the low light.

Mikan rolled her eyes at him. And he had to open his stupid mouth to speak like that. That narcissist parasite.

All her breakdown, nervousness and whatsoever dissolved just like that. And all she saw right now is one guy who think he's all that. Tch, mighty Hyuuga.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she diverged the previously stupid conversation to something more bearable. And to think that, this was how they meet up again after that wretched incident in the library, Mikan inwardly scowled.

"It's a charity event. Such a waste not to join and contribute something for the sake of others," he replied in a as-matter-of-fact tone. "We get to give them at least a few hours of fun to enjoy themselves," he continued then shrugged. "It felt good to give something without expect anything back in return for once. Just knowing that they had a great time, give us enough joy."

Mikan looked at him oddly. Such words coming out from him were so strange. Even Hotaru didn't do it for free, and this guy right here, said he felt good? What happened to the almighty-I'm-better-than-everybody-else?

"Honestly, I don't get you." Mikan suddenly said, surprising Natsume with her statement.

Natsume raised one of his brows. He didn't understand what she was saying.

"You have so many sides of you. I don't know which one I should keep up with," Mikan finally said honestly. She shook her head in confusion. Natsume Hyuuga was a tough one to figure out. One second he was vile, the other second he could be an angel.

She watched as he pondered on her statement. Is that even something to think about?

He suddenly leaned down to her face. They were close. "You should just keep up with that one side of me that wants you." His breath touched her lips. It was warm. The image of him kissing her in the library came rushing in inside her mind again. She mentally groaned.

Mikan's hand reached out and grabbed for his raven hair to pull his head away a little. If it weren't for her startled at the sudden rush of the feel she suddenly remembered in the back of her mind, she wouldn't do otherwise. She pushed his head away after that. Then she heard him laugh. "I always knew why I want you. You always surprise me."

She doubted it.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not sure whether to take it as a compliment or you just badmouthing me."

Natsume chuckled. "A compliment for sure."

They were disturbed by the sound of lights came out. When the lights on the stage came on again, they both turned to look. Natsume noticed the person, who previously performed just now, who he heard the name as Kou Shirakiin, went up again. This time, he's performing a duet. He had heard about him before. He first debuted when he was in middle school and he was a big shot ever since. His partner right now was also from the same company as his, Misami Haruka.

"They're from big companies. It's weird why they came to a small charity event like this," Natsume said. He expected a respond but when he got none, he turned his head to look at the brunette. She was also watching the performance, deeply absorbed, even.

But. He didn't like the look she was having right now.

Because he knew what that look could possibly meant.

And he didn't like it one bit.

So he did what he thought was best to get her attention at that time. He pulled her chin towards his and instead of smashing his lips to hers, like what he did in the library, it was a small peck on her forehead. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds but it caught her off guard so she was left trembling and startled. Her face was flushed red. Despite her eyes were big right now, due to the sudden surprise, they were blinking rapidly, staring at him.

"I'm not gonna give up," he reminded her, his voice was low and soft but full with assurance and confidence. He stroked one finger across her cheek before pulling his hand back from her face. "You look beautiful, by the way," he said sincerely. This time his eyes became a pool of crimson softness that she thought she could have melt inside it. She watched as he turned to walk away. All the while, she's completely oblivious to the fact that her face had now turned scarlet red.

'What the hell just happened?', she thought while touching her forehead, stunned.

Natsume debated whether what he did was the right thing but he sure did not regret it. He had to do something. When he pulled her chin towards his, he was right; what he thought before was right. Because he realized that just now, Mikan Sakura had the look of affection on her face. And it wasn't his doing, it was Kou Shirakiin's, he's sure of it. They could be assumedly acquaintance or maybe she was just crushing on him as a fan, but the possibility was there. He didn't know why but she could be very much in love with Kou Shirakiin. Adore him, even.

And he could not have that.

Natsume Hyuuga, after all, is possessive.

TBC.

A/N: Ah, alas, a new character finally made an appearance. It's about time, huh.