A/N: at long last, another update! Sorry it took ages - still having computer issues.

- To NatMikan, who asked for a long chapter: here you go. It just so happened that I wanted this one to be more in-depth, haha! That said, I hope it doesn't end up being boring.

- To Guest, who said that Mikan should not apologise for walking into her own bathroom without knocking (see Chapter 2): I agree! Well, to a certain extent anyway (trust me when I say, aaaalways knock on a closed bathroom door, even if it's in your house. Sometimes guests can't lock up properly because they're not used to a certain key, or simply forget). Back to the story though, you're right, Mikan is not at fault. Perhaps I didn't word it properly, but Natsume isn't really blaming her for screaming or entering the room. It's just that, at first, he's completely shocked by the situation (and let's not forget that he's hungover), so instincts kick in; then, when he recognises her, he's just too fixated on teasing her. As for Hotaru, she has her reasons for siding with Natsume. As hinted, she's a bit worried about her friend (in this chapter you'll see why) so she wants to rile her up. A bit like she does in the manga, from time to time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice, nor its marvellous characters. Only the following story is mine.

WARNING: LONG CHAPTER AHEAD


- The Powers of Showers -

by Aurora Notturna

3. The one with the Rain Shower

Mikan had always been pegged as a chatterbox. By her friends, by her teachers, by her grandpa. If she had to be honest, she couldn't blame them. She loved to talk. She loved listening to people, exchanging opinions, hearing about anybody's problems, giving out advice. She even had a soft spot for gossip, although she would never admit it out loud.

So, for the life of her, she could not understand why right now, as she walked on a busy pavement alongside Ruka's friend, her lips seemed to be joined together with super glue. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she'd mistaken him for a stripper the first time she'd seen him; or maybe, just maybe, her brain was still focused on their close encounter in the bathroom just a while earlier. But hey, she was a grown woman, for crying out loud! She should know better than to dwell on a couple of awkward moments! And yet, she had not been able to say a word since they'd come out of her apartment, some ten minutes earlier.

What was even more unnerving was that her companion, by contrast, seemed to be having the time of his life. Sure, he hadn't said much either - except for a couple of comments about the weather, the crowded streets, and her white and yellow summer dress (against her better judgment, her heart had skipped a beat when he'd said that she looked as pretty as a daisy). However, he appeared to be completely at ease with this weird silence going on between them. From time to time, he'd shoot glances at her, smile to himself, and keep walking as confidently as he had since they'd left her place.

Honestly! Why on earth was he acting so smugly? The way he carried himself, you'd think Forbes had just named him among the top ten richest people in the world.

Mikan saw him eyeing her for a brief moment, before returning his focus somewhere in front of them. He smirked. Again.

"Jerk", she mumbled to herself.

"Oh! So you didn't lose your tongue!", she heard Hyuuga exclaim, his taunting voice laced with irony. "For a while there I thought you left it at your place or something."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny", she replied sarcastically, looking straight ahead and refusing to make eye contact. She tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear, and gave out a little cough as she automatically increased her pace.

"Well, can you blame me?", he went on, "you've been uncommonly quiet."

Before she could stop herself, she glanced at his figure from the corner of her eyes. "Uncommonly?", she repeated, still walking. "You don't know what I'm usually like", she pointed out.

"Sure I do", he boldly stated, keeping up with her. "Obviously I don't know you well - yet", he flashed a killer smile with that word, "but I'm sure I can deduce more about you than you can about me."

It was a challenge. She could see it in his eyes.

And she didn't want to accept it. Really. Really. He was so infuriating that she should just turn on her heels and go straight back home.

So, naturally, she did the exact opposite.

She stopped and turned her whole body 90 degrees, to face him better. "Oh?", she said, a small smile now playing on her lips. "Think you have me all figured out?"

Having halted when she had, he turned towards her. They were now standing in the middle of the pavement, their bodies mirroring each other, only a couple of feet apart, and ignoring the surrounding shoppers, commuters, parents, and kids.

As he looked down at her, a few strands of his black hair fell around and over his eyes.

"No", he answered honesty, "but I'm sure it won't take me long."

She placed her hands on her hips, and tilted her head slightly upward to meet his gaze in defiance. She honestly had no clue where all her confidence was coming from all of a sudden, but she didn't mind it one bit. If he thought she was an open book, he had another thing coming.

"Ok then", she countered, "how do you propose we go about this?"

"Are you up for a wager?", he asked, half-expecting her to bow out. He hid his surprise when he saw her head give a single but steady nod.

"How about this", he continued. "For the duration of our lunch, we'll stay away from personal questions as much as possible. No talk about family, friends, pets, studies, if we can help it. We'll try and limit our conversations to the things around us, or random topics. And at the end-"

"At the end we'll draw our conclusions about each other and the people in our lives, based on what we've observed. Whoever gets most right, wins", she finished for him.

Again, Natsume was surprised by this self-assured attitude of hers. Not that he minded - if possible, it made her even more intriguing - but he had to wonder if he was getting way in over his head. He discarded that thought, however. He had always been good at reading people. He wasn't going to lose now.

"Great", he said grinning, "so what's the prize?"

He saw her roll her hazel eyes. "How about the satisfaction of saying 'I told you so' ?", she suggested, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ok, if you win, you can tell me that. And if I win...", he continued, another idea creeping up in that testosterone-filled body of his.

He smirked.

"...a kiss."

Mikan felt her cheeks grow hot. Oh, come on now. Why did he ALWAYS have that effect on her?

"A- a- a kiss?!", she said as though the idea terrified her. (Which, on some level, it did. In a small part of her convoluted mind, however, she was already thinking of ten different scenarios that involved kissing - one better than the other).

She vehemently shook her head.

"Oh ok", he replied with nonchalance, "I guess you know who's going to win then."

Mikan let out an audible "hmph!".

Curse him. She knew he was provoking her. And it worked.

"Fine", she declared. "Bring it on."

After all, she could get very competitive when she wanted to.

He stuck out his hand. If they were going to do this, it had to be done properly. "Nice to meet you officially, then. I'm Hyuuga Natsume."

She smiled, and shook his hand, her gaze never faltering. "Nice to meet you, Hyuuga-san. I'm Sakura Mikan."

Ready. Set. Go.


"You're joking", he said, visibly sceptical, but intrigued nonetheless. He leaned forward a bit, resting his forearms on his side of the table.

"I'm 100% serious!", Mikan exclaimed happily.

She'd just told her companion the story of a teenager in the US who, during a museum visit, had put his glasses on the floor near an official-looking paper, wanting to see if people could mistake them for modern art - spoiler alert: they did.

Mikan loved stories like this one. To her, it just showed how resourceful and open-minded humans can be. Plus, it was a hilarious prank.

"You can look it up on your phone", she added, not wanting him to think she was making something up.

He smiled. "I believe you", he said truthfully. "So, a kid leaves his glasses in a museum exhibit, and the other visitors think it's modern art?"

"That sums it up", Mikan replied beaming, leaning back into her chair. Admittedly, she was enjoying herself more than she had expected. In fact, this was the first time she'd been out in quite a few days. Ever since she had received some… troubling news, she hadn't really wanted to leave her flat. So she had no clue what had possessed her to agree to have lunch out with Hyuuga. But hey, so far so good.

They were sitting at a table in a cosy restaurant - the place had been chosen by Natsume, who thought it had a very quaint, laid-back feel to it. Mikan had agreed. Their table wasn't big but neither of them were bothered by this. If anything, since they were seated opposite each other, it brought them slightly closer together. They had easily slipped into a comfortable conversation, touching different topics and stopping only when one of the owners - an elderly man with grey hair, a kind smile, and a pair of thick, round glasses - had come to take their orders.

As they waited for their food, they continued talking about the 'glasses kid', as Natsume now referred to him.

"See", he said, "it just goes to show that anything could be pegged as art these days. No need for real talent."

"As opposed to all those... older styles?", Mikan asked.

"Sure", he replied with a shrug. "Think of that blood-red painting from a few years ago. It's probably worth millions, and it's literally just a canvas with red paint splattered on it. Doesn't take much talent to paint that. A lot of people could have done it - heck, I could have done it too."

Mikan smiled. "But you didn't", she countered. "And that makes all the difference."

Ok, now he was hooked. Natsume really wanted to see where she was going with this.

Mikan enjoyed his obvious interest. "The way I see it", she went on, "art is not just about the raw skills. It has a greater meaning behind it - it captures a place, a time, an emotional state. And that's what artists do: they use their style and their tools to convey a lasting message - regardless of whether they were the first cavemen, the impressionists, or the postmodernists."

Natsume was floored. In less than a minute, the girl sitting opposite him had successfully challenged his lifelong conviction that modern art wasn't really art. "So...", he tried to conclude, "what you're saying is, it doesn't matter if I'm looking at Van Gogh's Starry Night or a simple red paint on a canvas - what's important is the emotional message I'm getting from it... right?"

She smiled. "I knew you'd get it."

"You explained it well", he replied earnestly. Then he added, smirking, "I was right - you do love talking."

Mikan mentally scolded herself. Damn it. Had she revealed too much of herself? She still hadn't learned much about the guy from the topics they had discussed so far. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. After all, when getting acquainted with someone, you usually cover basic personal information, likes, dislikes, sometimes even life goals. But she couldn't ask him any of that. She'd have to pay more attention to his overall behaviour.

Her thoughts were brought to a halt by a delicious smell reaching her nostrils. Looking away from Ruka's friend, she saw the elderly owner slowly and carefully walking up to their table, balancing a plate in each hand. Suddenly, she felt a pang in her heart. The man reminded her of her grandfather and that, in turn, was making her both sad and scared (for reasons she did not want to think about now). Luckily, her brief mental detour was interrupted by a quick movement on the opposite side of the table. She turned her face towards it, and saw her companion standing up, then walking towards the old man to pick up their plates from him. The waiter bowed his head in appreciation, and exchanged a couple of words with him.

Mikan smiled to herself. Underneath all that charm and annoying self-confidence, the guy definitely had a big, caring heart. She made a mental note of that.


To say the meal was delicious would be an understatement. Natsume was glad he'd spotted this small place from the street outside. He had never been there before, so it was a bit of a risk using it for what was, in his mind, a first date. A shot in the dark, as they say. But it had paid off.

An hour into their lunch, they were both enjoying their dishes. As a matter of fact, he'd never seen someone as excited around food as she was. She kept making little appreciative noises and exclaiming things like "oishiiiii!". As he carried on eating his stew, he couldn't help but wonder if she would like his cooking. If things went well between them, soon enough he'd make her one of his signature dishes. He stopped chewing, analysing his thoughts - here he was, on a simple, first-date lunch, and he was already planning to wow her with a home-cooked meal? Shit, he was really smitten.

"Penny for your thoughts?", the object of his musings asked.

He swallowed, and smiled.

"Just thinking that the food is delicious", he replied as confident as ever. (Well... that wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie either.)

"Oh yeah! My soup is amazing!", she exclaimed. "All these spices remind me of a dish I had on the Kenyan coast and-"

But she stopped talking, and a look of frustration took over her face.

"What?", Natsume asked.

"Dang it, I broke the rules! I revealed something about myself!"

Oh, the wager. Right. Truth be told, he'd momentarily forgotten about it. He was genuinely interested in their conversation.

"It's ok", he said. "So, you've been to Africa?", he asked, eager to hear more. Personally, he'd never been outside of East Asia.

But the girl wouldn't budge. "Nu-uh, I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to find out more about me to win our bet!"

"How about this", he countered, "you finish telling me about your trip to Kenya and, in exchange, I'll give you an equally personal piece of information about myself. That'll make us even. Deal?"

She eyed him for a few moments, clearly taking in his proposition. "Alright. You really want to hear about my time in Eastern Africa?"

He nodded.

She put down her spoon, and started telling him about how she'd decided to take a gap year between high school and university. She had travelled to Kenya with an NGO, to help with educational projects and workshops for children and teenagers. As she went into more details, Natsume couldn't help but notice - and admire - how strongly she felt about the subject.

"Did you know that between 30 and 40% of minors are forced to work?", she said at one point, "and it's mostly because their families can't afford studies beyond primary school. It's heart-breaking."

Natsume gave her a slow, attentive nod. He actually did know that, but he didn't want to interrupt her.

"And it's such a shame, because it is truly a beautiful land, with so much potential."

"Do you think you'll go back?", he asked.

She tilted her head to the side, thinking it over. "I don't know", she answered truthfully. "I loved my role there, but... Japan is my home. At times, I missed it a lot. Maybe I can take part in temporary projects once in a while. You know, lend a hand there, but build my life here."

Natsume nodded in understanding. He couldn't blame her for it. "Ok, last question on the subject", he then said, "why Kenya, of all countries?"

"Oh! That's easy to answer, actually. You know, I was already thinking of taking some time off after school, but I really wasn't sure where to go or what to do. Then, one day, I came across this in-depth article about child labour in Kenya - I started reading it and, as I went on, I became more and more engrossed by it. When I finished it, I knew that's where I had to go."

"Huh", Natsume let out. He was thinking. Could she have read the same article that was etched in his brain for a very distinct reason? He had to find out. "Say...do you remember who wrote it? The article, I mean."

He saw her cup her chin, her eyes cast downwards, unfocused, as she visibly tried to recall a name. "Gosh, what was it?", she asked out loud. "I've actually read loads of her stuff since then... It's so captivating and informative... Something Kaoru, I'm sure of that..."

Natsume grinned and leaned back in his chair, waiting for her to catch on.

Meanwhile, the girl was still thinking out loud. "Hyundai... Hyuichi...Hyuug-", she stopped, her jaw dropping. She looked at him. "Hyuuga! Hyuuga Kaoru! Are you related?"

Natsume smiled proudly. "It seems it's my turn to share something personal then. And to answer your question, yes, I am related to her, seeing as I'm her son."

At that, his companion raised her hands in the air and let them fall on the table in excitement, making one hell of a bang, and causing a few heads to turn in the room. She seemed to be completely oblivious to the ruckus she was making, however. "You're Hyuuga Kaoru's son!? She's amazing! Her writing is always on point! And her interviews - wow! I didn't know she had children!", she squeaked.

Then, her expression changed.

If Natsume didn't know any better, he'd say she seemed concerned.

"A journalist like your mother has to travel a lot", she stated, her voice level back to normal. "It must have been hard for you, as a child."

Well, look at that. The girl had straight up described his early years with one sentence. Natsume wouldn't have pegged her for someone so observant, but there you go.

"It had its...challenges", he admitted. "Mum was away half the time, and Dad worked a lot too. But we all made the best of it."

She smiled sweetly. "I see. So, do you have any siblings?"

"I'll leave it to you to figure that out", he said, grinning. Now that he'd been reminded of the bet, he wasn't going to let his guard down again.

"Oh come on! I went on for, like, ten minutes about my gap year! We barely spoke for thirty seconds about your mother."

"True", he conceded, "but you didn't disclose anything too personal. On the other hand, you now know who gave birth to me. That's as intimate as it gets, wouldn't you say?"

"Sure, but-"

"Nope."

"I wouldn't ask you anything el-"

"My lips are sealed."

He saw her slump back in her chair, eyebrows furrowed, lips pouting, and arms crossed. If there was anything he'd learned in the past couple of hours, it was that he could annoy the hell out of her very easily. And he loved it.

"You know", he continued, wanting to push her buttons a bit more, "if you think about it, now you can say that you've seen Hyuuga Kaoru's son naked. Not many people have had that privilege."

That was exaggerating things a bit - he knew she couldn't have seen much with all the steam in the bathroom, not to mention the towel he'd quickly covered himself with - but he just couldn't help it.

And it was so worth it.

Her eyes widened, her mouth shot open, and her skin tone went from pale to crimson in less than a second.

"I- But- But- You- No-", she stammered furiously.

"It's really alright", Natsume went on, deliberately adding fuel to the fire, "since you wanted to see me stripped from the moment we met, I'm just glad to have been of service."

That was it.

Mikan couldn't believe her ears. How DARE he? That pompous, smug, annoying, infuriating pervert. Back home, after walking in on his shower, she'd been too shocked to make a cohesive argument in her defence, but now she wasn't going to hold back.

She cleared her throat. "Ok, listen here, mister", she started, pointing her index finger at him, "first of all, I did NOT want to see you 'stripped', as you say. Do you remember that I was trying to turn you away when I thought you were a stripper?"

(Technically, that had been for Anna's benefit more than anything else, but he didn't need to know that, right?)

"So", she went on, "my mistake was calling you a stripper, and for that I do apologise. BUT, if you think I'm going to feel sorry for entering my OWN bathroom in my OWN flat without knocking, you're sorely mistaken. And, for the record, I saw NOTHING."

She breathed in, then out, and took a sip of water. She felt satisfied, but the guy's unwavering smirk was throwing her off. Had he not heard a word of what she'd said?

They stayed a few moments in silence. Until-

"You're right", he said with a genuine smile. "I apologise."

Wait, what? Mikan thought she'd heard wrong. Was he actually agreeing with her?

"I should have locked the door", he explained. "My headache was so bad, that I completely forgot about that."

Oh. So he was agreeing with her.

This was... unexpected.

She smiled, appreciating his honesty.

"I... should have knocked after all", she admitted, in a low but clear voice. "Hotaru was right when she said that she'd told me about Ruka staying the night."

Sure, Hotaru and Ruka were usually very careful around the flat, respecting boundaries and definitely remembering to lock doors whenever they were... well, never mind that. But what if, for once, they (especially Ruka) had forgotten to turn the key of the bathroom door? What if she had walked in on her best friend's boyfriend?

That thought alone was enough to make Mikan uncomfortable. Lately, she felt like she wasn't being the greatest of friends to Hotaru (again, for reasons she did not want to think of just now), and adding a whoopsy-doopsy-I-saw-your-boyfriend-naked kind of incident would have been beyond humiliating.

Mikan was just starting to sulk over the recent highs and lows of her relationship with Hotaru, when a pair of crimson orbs brought her back to the present.

Oh, right. Cosy bistro; delicious lunch; charming yet annoying guy.

She hoped her companion hadn't picked up on her momentary brooding because, honestly, it was something she should deal with herself. She didn't want to waste his time and ruin his mood.

He smiled - this time it was a kind, warm smile - and she found herself relaxing instantly.

"So...", she asked tentatively, "no harm done?"

"None", he reassured her. "And, frankly, I wasn't offended by your assumption of me being a stripper either. I was just surprised, that's why I've been teasing you about it. I can see why some people might get offended, but personally I don't think there's anything wrong with the profession. It's just another way of making an honest living, right?"

Mikan slowly nodded. But, now, she felt confused. "Why am I buying you lunch as an apology, then?"

She saw him raise his eyebrows in a mix of surprise and amusement. Then he smiled and leaned forward, stopping a few inches away from her face, his crimson eyes looking into her hazel ones. His answer came in a husky whisper: "I think we've both known for a while that this isn't just a friendly lunch".

Mikan's insides melted. Everything about this guy was captivating - his looks, his voice, his knowledge, his abrupt honesty. Her brain was screaming at her to pull back; to make it clear that she shouldn't be dating; to let him know that she shouldn't get involved with anybody at the moment; but her heart… her heart was sending her the opposite message. She felt herself inch towards him just a little bit, ever so slowly. They were so close that their noses were almost touching. She was just about ready to close the gap, when he pulled away, and resumed eating his food as though they'd been talking about the weather.

What. Had. Just. Happened.

Mikan, now more accustomed to his teasing ways, realised fairly quickly that he was just trying to rile her up.

Gosh, he was so aggravating.

So why did she have the feeling that she was falling for him?


"Was everything in order?", the elderly waiter asked a while later. Natsume saw his date nod her head vigorously.

"It was great! The ingredients were so fresh, the flavours to die for, and the consistency was out of this world!", she happily said.

"My my, you sound like a true food-enthusiast, Miss", the old man said, chuckling.

Natsume assured him that he had thoroughly enjoyed his food too.

"I'm pleased to hear that - you know, my wife and I personally choose our ingredients, either from the local market round the corner, or from small-sized, organic farms around the world. And everything served here is cooked by her and our two sons."

Natsume smiled. He could tell the man was proud of his work. So he indulged him.

"It's a family business then?", he asked.

"Indeed!", the waiter replied, "my wife and I have owned it for nearly thirty years. And soon our children are going to take over the reins from us. We're getting a tad old, and- Gosh! Look at me, going on and on! I apologise, I'm intruding on your time together."

"Please, don't worry about it, we're really interested", Natsume said earnestly. But he immediately realised that he was talking for both him and his date, and it wasn't fair to do so. "Right?", he asked her.

"Oh yes!", she exclaimed. "It's so nice to hear about places like this one - everything's lovely: the food, the ambience, the decor. I can see you've put a lot of work into it."

Natsume nodded. She was right.

She then told the waiter that she'd be back with her friends, and that she was sure they would all love the food. "Especially Anna!", she said excitedly, "she's going to culinary school herself, and she is soooo talented. She'll definitely appreciate the dishes here!"

"I can't wait to have you back with your friends", the waiter said, beaming with pride. "And, perhaps", he continued inquiringly, looking at the two of them, "with this nice young man too?"

Natsume hid a grin. He was sure the elderly man had only intended to be kind, but his date's reaction was delightfully amusing. Her cheeks got rosy - again - and she struggled to form a coherent reply. "Well, uh, I suppose, if he likes it I mean, yeah, we could, uhm, all come back."

For the first time since meeting her, Natsume actually decided to come to the girl's aid. So he changed the subject.

"Does the place date to the pre-war era?", he asked the man. Although his mind had been very much occupied by other thoughts for the past few hours, his quick eyes hadn't failed to notice that the restaurant looked way older than its surrounding buildings. It wasn't old old - it lacked many traditional elements of ancient Japanese architecture - but it definitely hadn't been built in the past 70 years.

"Ah, you are very observant", the elder replied, with a slight bow. "It's a small building, but it has a fascinating history. It has undergone many changes. Would you like to speculate as to what they were?"

Mikan saw the young man's eyes light up at the question, the fire of curiosity burning in them. She quietly observed how he scanned the room with interest, taking in the clay walls around them, the wide tiles on the floor, the wooden ceiling, and the very unusual stained glass windows. She was far from an expert, but even she could tell this was not your typical Japanese family restaurant.

When her companion spoke next, he sounded both collected and fired up, the way great teachers do when they're passionate about their subject.

"It's...hard to pinpoint", he started, cautious. "The small abode and low wooden ceilings suggest that it's old, but the windows are definitely of Western influence, something which most likely happened during the Meiji era. What's strange about the windows is their stained glass, which is usually found in Churches."

He kept on talking for a couple of minutes, and Mikan found that she didn't mind at all. She listened in comfortable silence, looking around the room as he illustrated how a particular feature was probably so-and-so years old, while another one dated to more recent times, and how the place had clearly been impacted by a Western owner at some point in its history. If that was how the guy always explained things, he could probably make accounting sound as interesting as romantic literature.

When he finished, the elderly man beamed and actually gave a little clap. Mikan was in awe - apparently Ruka's friend had correctly deduced most of the building's history. Was he as good at reading people as he was with architecture? If so, she had little chance of winning their little competition. Why did he have to be so damn good at everything?

"Thank you for humouring me", the waiter said to him. "Now, would either of you like anything else? If you don't that's completely fine, but I'd stay put for a while longer if I were you - it's going to rain soon."

Rain?

At that, both Mikan and Natsume looked out of the nearest window. Despite the lightly-coloured glass, they could see that the sky was cloudy. When had the weather changed? It had been so sunny earlier! Perhaps they hadn't noticed before because, after all, the stained-glass windows weren't totally transparent. Either that, or they'd both been too focused on one another. Whatever.

Mikan saw her companion look at her with a teasing glint in his eyes. "I'm rather full, but I've really been looking forward to dessert... how about we… share?"

How was it that he could make the simplest proposition sound so alluring? She managed to keep her cool when she answered. "That sounds perfect."

The waiter - seemingly oblivious to their light innuendos - happily gave them a few choices. (And if Mikan had been any less full, she would have picked all of them.)

She was surprised when Hyuuga went for the one thing she wanted most.

"Strawberry cheesecake."

The heck. Was he a mind reader now?


"Tell me", she commanded for the umpteenth time, as she dug her teaspoon in the delicate, tasty cake placed in the middle of the table. She was still trying to figure out how her companion had chosen a dessert with her favourite fruit.

"How do you know that it's not my favourite too?", he rebutted, smiling.

"I just do", she stated defyingly. Well, in all honesty, she had simply noticed throughout their meal that he was avoiding anything remotely sweet - nothing with corn, or carrots, or pumpkin, you name it. So she had come to the conclusion that he didn't have much of a sweet tooth, so she had expected him to choose a less sugary dessert. But she didn't want to tell him just now - she'd rather reveal all this information at the end of their little competition.

He looked at her, intrigued. "Ok... let's say this isn't my favourite dessert and that I did pick it for you. Maybe I'm that good, right?", he teased her.

She shook her head. "Nope. There were quite a few options to choose from. There's very little chance you could have guessed it unless someone had tol- Oh. It was Hotaru, wasn't it?"

He tipped an invisible hat to her. "You got me", he said smiling. "She told me you loved strawberries."

Mikan supposed she ought to feel thankful towards her friend, but deep down she could feel insecurity edging its way into her mind - if Hotaru had told him this, could she have disclosed other things? Could she have told him about Ji-chan? No, no. That was personal. As much as Hotaru worried about her, she wouldn't have talked about her recent struggles to a semi-complete stranger.

She sighed. Here she was, sharing an excellent meal with a clever, handsome and - by the looks of it - caring guy, and she just couldn't keep her fears at bay.

She hoped he hadn't noticed her weariness.

Alas, he had. "Is something bothering you?", he asked.

Great. Of all times to act like a gentleman...

She brushed it off with a little fake laugh. "Nothing important", she replied, smiling.

He put down his spoon. "You're a terrible liar", he stated gently. "Can I help you somehow?"

She shook her head. "It's fine, really... It's not a big deal."

"Alright", was his reply.

Natsume didn't want to impose. On the other hand, he knew from experience that talking to a trusted friend can do wonders if you're having problems of some sort. So, he added: "Would you like to go home? I'm sure Imai would be more than glad to hear you out."

That was putting it mildly, Mikan thought. Ever since her grandfather's diagnosis, all Hotaru and her friends wanted to do was talk about it. Talk talk talk talk talk TALK. But she just wasn't ready.

"I mean", her companion continued when she didn't answer, "I can tell things haven't been great between you two lately, but it's clear that you care about each oth-"

"How do you know that?!", Mikan asked, bewildered. Was it that obvious?

Nature wasn't sure how to reply. He leaned in, and talked calmly. "Sorry, I know this is absolutely none of my business. It's just something that I picked up from a few of your interactions, and from Imai's body language when talking about you."

He remembered how Imai's shoulders had tensed up when she'd said that her flatmate didn't get up till noon lately, and how she'd wanted to tell him something serious about her, but had changed her mind at the last moment - opting to disclose only the girl's fondness for strawberries.

He looked for a reaction on his date's face. She smiled - but it was different from her previous smiles. It seemed...sad. "The waiter was right", she said sweetly, "you are observant. And, I hate to admit it, I've had a great time these past couple of hours. But..."

Somehow, Natsume could tell he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

"...but there are things in my life, right now, that I need to take care of. Believe me when I say, you don't want to go out with me. I'm a hopeless mess. So this" - she gestured towards their meal - "is a one-time thing."

Natsume wasted no time in replying. "I appreciate the honesty, but don't you think that- woah, what are you doing?", he then asked, as she suddenly stood up and picked her bag from the back of her chair.

"This was a mistake. Sorry for wasting your time", she said apologetically. "I should go", she then added, adamantly, although to Natsume it sounded as though she was trying to convince herself, more than him.

"Hang on!", he half-shouted as he followed her through the room, towards the exit. When she got to the doorway, he caught up with her. "Wait!", he said, "it's raining cats and dogs now. You'll get drenched if you go outside."

But Mikan knew that she had to get out of there, before she changed her mind. She reminded herself that she had very valid reasons for staying out of the dating game at the moment… even if it was really tempting to make an exception for the guy standing beside her. "I'll be fine", she replied, half to him, half to herself. "It's just a light rain shower."

Before Natsume could stop her, she was out the door.

He blinked, as though trying to wake up from a weird dream. What had caused this sudden change in her behaviour? He was so flabbergasted that he didn't notice a presence behind him until a gentle voice spoke up.

"It's not your fault, son", said the old owner, patting him on the back, "something has been clearly bothering her for a while."

"...How can you tell?"

The man smiled sweetly. "I hope you don't mind, but I was keeping an eye on you two - it was refreshing to see a couple of young souls conversing away so freely. Trust me, it's not what you said that upset her. It simply brought up unresolved issues."

Natsume didn't know what to say. If it was true that it wasn't his fault, good. Still, it didn't change the fact that right now his date was somewhere in the streets outside, likely soaked to the bone. More than anything, he was worried about her health.

He couldn't have that.

His hand flew to the doorknob, but before he could leave the place, he heard a soft chuckle. Why on earth was the man laughing now?

"Well, it won't do you any good if you both get wet", he said matter-of-factly. "Here, take this", he then added, presenting Natsume with a big red umbrella.

"Oh."

"Don't worry, you can return it on your next date", the elder said with a wink.

Next date?

Natsume thought that was a bit too optimistic - especially when the girl had specifically said that he shouldn't be dating her - but he thanked the kind man, took the umbrella, and gave him enough money for the meal, before darting off.


Capital. Just capital. Out of all the things that could have happened, she just had to get lost. Mikan shook her head - how the heck had she managed it?

Now she was cold, wet and, on top of that, utterly disoriented. She had slowed down her pace simply because she had no clue where she was going. Her phone had run out of battery. The heavy raindrops continued plummeting on her head and body. Her thin summer dress was now sticking to her skin, and her shoes were soaked. In addition to that, she couldn't even ask anyone for directions, since the streets were deserted now - she assumed everybody was waiting indoors for the shower to be over.

She hugged herself, trying to keep warm.

Ok, maybe she should have stayed at the restaurant. But how could she, when, with every passing moment, she was falling more and more for the guy? She let out a half-laugh, thinking of what Sumire would say. Something along the lines of: "Let me get this straight: there's a handsome, smart, sexy guy who's clearly interested in you and you DON'T want to go out with him?"

Precisely.

Because falling for someone leaves you exposed; it makes you vulnerable; more importantly, in the event that something bad should happen, it breaks your heart. And, right now, due to Ji-chan's illness, her heart was already on the verge of cracking. She couldn't risk giving it to somebody else. Why why why had she agreed to have lunch with the guy in the first place? Momentary lapse of judgement, for sure.

Mikan stopped and looked around, trying to at least pinpoint any specific landmarks that would help her understand where she was. What she saw was of little use: Misaki's Blossoms, a flower shop; Alice Academy, a school; Central Town, a theme park of some kind - none of these places seemed familiar.

Her observations were interrupted when a red umbrella appeared above her head from behind. She spun around and, lo and behold, in front of her was the very same person she was desperately trying to get away from.

"What do you think you're doing?!", she blurted out.

Natsume stayed silent for a few seconds, his face serious. He thought of making some silly joke to ease the tension, but his heart was thumping like mad in his chest - partly because of how fast he'd run, partly because of suddenly facing a woman who apparently wanted nothing to do with him.

"We haven't settled the bet yet", he finally said - his tone was firm, but not at all forceful.

Mikan was caught by surprise. "Look, Hyuug-"

"I'll start", he offered. He might not get to date the girl, but he could at least let her know what he thought of her before they went their separate ways.

"It's unnecess-"

"You're stubborn", he cut her off. "And you have a fiery attitude."

He saw her open her mouth, but he didn't give her a chance to speak. "You're also very empathetic, which I imagine makes you a great listener."

He paused.

Despite her best efforts, Mikan couldn't help but feel curious. What was his opinion of her? Her shoulders relaxed a little, and she looked at him with anticipation.

Natsume took that as a good sign, and carried on.

"You like art, perhaps you even draw or paint, but I don't think that's what you're studying. My guess is that your major has something to do with children - primary education, maybe - since you immediately questioned the type of childhood I had when you found out about my mother's profession. And, as I've said before, you like talking, and you like listening. You have an open mind; you enjoy travelling, learning about different cultures, trying foreign foods..."

He smiled, and Mikan felt her emotional walls coming down, one by one.

"…but, above all else, you love those closest to you. You always include them in whatever you plan, and you're a bright, loyal, constant presence in their lives."

With that, Natsume concluded his assessment. The rain shower was beginning to lighten up. He felt content. He was sure he'd gotten most things right, if not everything. What he hadn't counted on, however, was the girl's reaction. Slowly, her eyes welled up and tears started streaming silently down her cheeks.

Crap. Had he been rude, without realising it? Had he said something insensitive? Something upsetting? Insulting, even?

Her meek voice interrupted his silent questions. "Sorry", she said, trying to smile, and brushing the years away from her eyes. "It's just that... I haven't been that person for a while now."

Natsume wasn't sure how to reply.

Mikan could see the confused look on his face. She could hardly blame him.

"I...", she hesitated. She wanted to explain herself to him. To let him know that he'd done nothing wrong. That all this... weirdness she was displaying wasn't because of him. But then she'd have to go into further details about what was actually upsetting her, and she wasn't sure she could take that.

"It's ok", he said when she didn't elaborate. Natsume knew first hand how difficult it could be to open up about personal issues. Besides, who was he to waltz into her life and demand to know everything about it? He was a mere stranger. If she didn't feel like sharing, it wasn't his place to push her.

He glanced up at the sky. When had the rain stopped? He closed the umbrella. A ray of sunshine found its way down to them, as it fought to come out through the clouds. It was a stark contrast to the girl's soaked body.

It was then that Natsume truly realised how wet her clothes were. Her light dress had become almost see-through. He scratched the back of his neck and looked away, feeling slightly awkward. Part of him wanted to look at her again (damn it, hormones), but he managed to listen to the rational section of his brain.

He cleared his throat. "You'll catch a cold if you stay like this - you should probably change into something dry", he said, hoping he wouldn't come off as patronising.

Mikan looked down at her soaked clothes. With horror, she realised how her dress had become semi-transparent. Oh God. How embarrassing. She was genuinely thankful that he was looking away from her, but that didn't change how exposed she felt. "Uhm, yeah. You're right", was all she was able to utter.

Before she could think of anything else to say, Ruka's friend suddenly took off, crossing the empty street. "Wait there!", he called over his shoulder.

Mikan saw him enter what looked like a sports shop. What the...? She wondered what he was up to. Luckily, she didn't have to guess for long.

When he came out, he was holding something grey in his hands. "Here", he said as he reached her and handed her the item - it was a rather large hoodie. She looked up at the guy, not quite knowing what to do.

Natsume was afraid he'd overstepped his boundaries. "Sorry, I know it's not great, there weren't a lot of options, and this was the only size left in grey. I just figured it would keep you warm until you get home", he explained hastily.

He noticed her looking down at the piece of clothing in her hands, then back up at him. Her mouth formed a small 'oh', finally understanding the gesture. She put it on. It was baggy, and definitely too long for her (it almost reached her knees).

Yet, Mikan couldn't have felt more thankful in that moment. "I look ridiculous... but it's perfect", she said beaming. "Thanks."

"Anytime", he replied with a smile that made her feel giddy, despite the absurdity of the situation.

If ever there was a good time to part ways, this was it.

And yet... Mikan couldn't bring herself to do so. "Could you walk me home?", she asked before she could stop herself. "I kind of got lost", she quickly added. Great, now she felt like an idiot.

"Figures", Hyuuga replied with a smirk. "Come on, it's this way."

And, just like that, the air around them got lighter. They walked in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes. Somehow, the simple gesture with the hoodie had put Mikan at ease. Oddly enough, she felt much better now than she had in the past few weeks. Sure, she still had her doubts and fears... but, for some reason, she finally felt ready to open up about them. So she did.

"I'm sorry", she started, "for my behaviour this past half hour. You must think I'm crazy."

"Not at all", her companion answered. "I guess you're just going through some stuff."

She nodded. "The things you said about me... You were right. I'm usually very outgoing, sociable, talkative. I love spending time with my friends. And yes, I do paint as a hobby. Occasionally."

She saw him give out a triumphant grin.

"I'm not very good though", she immediately added.

"Sure you aren't", he countered sarcastically.

"Anyway", she continued, "lately I haven't been myself. I, uh... I got some bad news recently, and... let's just say I didn't react very well."

She stopped talking to see if Hyuuga wanted to ask her anything. To her surprise, and relief, he didn't. He gave her a simple nod, as to say "I'm listening."

She took a deep breath. "You see", she explained, her voice slightly trembling, "my family is very small. Just my granddad and me. My parents passed away when I was young, so it's always been him and me since then. And, three weeks ago" - she felt her eyes well up again - "he got diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia."

She suddenly halted and closed her eyes, trying to breathe evenly and not break down completely. Amazingly, she managed to keep her composure.

Natsume, having stopped too, patiently waited. When she opened her glassy eyes and looked at him, he finally spoke. "I'm really sorry to hear that", he said genuinely. "I can't imagine what you're going through."

They started walking again.

"Thanks... It was a tough blow. I'm terrified about what might happen. What's worse, my behaviour has been abysmal lately". She shook her head disapprovingly. "It's as though I can't face reality - so I stay cooped up in bed for hours; I've skipped so many lectures; I haven't held a paintbrush in weeks. I've been shutting out my friends and, worst of all, my grandfather. I don't do house chores anymore, and leave them all to Hotaru... I'm a horrible person."

"Indeed, you're a horrible person", Natsume replied, causing the girl to look at him in disbelief. He smiled, and continued. "Either that, or you're just a normal human being who's trying to come to terms with something sad, that is out of their control."

He waited for her response.

"That was... quite the reply", Mikan said with a shy smile. But it had worked. Hearing somebody else say that yes, she was a horrible person (even if it had been sarcastic) had made her realise how ridiculous that sounded.

Natsume put a hand in his pocket, while the other kept the closed umbrella. "Look", he said, "I won't tell you that it's going to be alright. I don't know that. What I do know, however, is that you seem to have people, like your friends, who care about you. So let them help you. How does that sound?"

He was glad to see the girl smile again. "I guess that's doable", she replied.

Mikan felt as though a weight had been lifted from her chest. She'd done it! She had finally opened up about Ji-chan's illness and how poorly she was reacting to it. Next stop, she was going to sit down with Hotaru and have a long, overdue talk. She glanced at the guy walking beside her and concluded that not only was he a handsome person on the outside - he was just as beautiful inside. Because in the few hours she'd been with him, she had felt a mix of emotions like never before; she had felt like she wanted to know everything about him; and, most of all, she had finally felt comfortable sharing her deepest fears.

So maybe, just maybe... falling for this guy was worth the risk.

"You know", she said with a coy smile, "I guess it's my turn now."

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Your turn?"

"To settle the bet", she clarified.

He grinned. "Let's hear it then."

"Ok", she said confidently, "first of all, you're just one of those people - you know, the ones who are good at practically everything?"

He threw his head back in laughter, then shook it. "I'm not that skilled", he protested humbly.

"Second of all", Mikan continued, "because you're so damn good at everything, you have high expectations of everybody else. And you're probably a pain in the ass when those expectations aren't met."

Natsume could tell she didn't mean that as an insult, but that didn't keep him from firing back. "Hey! There's nothing wrong with pushing for higher standards, you know."

"Also", she went on, "you definitely have an interest in architecture, but you're a logical, rational person, who probably looks more at the structure of a building rather than its aesthetics - so I think you're majoring in engineering... presumably civil engineering? Anyway, what else..."

She thought hard about their interactions.

"Oh!", she exclaimed with a clap of her hands, "You were raised to be independent, but also to take care of others, so I'm guessing you have a younger sibling. You're confident and proud, but not too much, so you're comfortable accepting other people's help."

They had reached her place. They stopped in front of the building's front door.

"Last but not least", Mikan concluded, "you're a caring person, who doesn't think twice before helping out a stranger. Oh, and you hate sweet stuff."

She placed her hand on her hips and puffed out her chest proudly. "So, how did I do?"

For once in his life, Natsume was utterly, genuinely, literally speechless. Everything she'd said was true. EVERYTHING. "How... did you guess all this stuff?", he finally asked, astonished.

She gave him a cheeky smile. "You did great too - there's only one teeny, tiny detail that you got wrong. I don't study primary education. I'm majoring in child psychology. And, as part of that, I had to take some classes in the basics of general psychology-"

"Which is why you could deduce so many things about me", Natsume finished for her, impressed. "That's cheating", he then said with a grin.

"Is it? I don't think we said anything against using our expertise when we listed the rules", Mikan declared triumphantly. She took out her house keys and unlocked the door. She pushed it open slightly, and went through the threshold. She looked back at the guy.

"I believe I've earned the right to say: I told you so", she said beaming.

Natsume smiled, and bowed his head in acceptance. After all, he couldn't have lost to a worthier opponent.

"I'd better go and get changed", she then said. "By the way", she asked looking at the umbrella, "where did that come from?"

Natsume glanced down at the object in his hand. "Oh, right. The waiter gave it to me - he said I could return it to him next time I'm there."

At that, she perked up. "Alright, let's do that. How about next Tuesday?"

He blinked. Then blinked again. Was she actually… asking him out? He had to be sure. "You mean… you want to go together? Like, on a date?"

"Well, I still owe you a lunch, don't I?", she answered with a wink.

He grinned.

They exchanged numbers, said their goodbyes, and returned to their respective flats.

Tuesday couldn't come round fast enough - for both of them.


A/N: if you've made it this far, THANK YOU for taking the time to read this chappie. Yeah, I know, this one had a different feel to it. Less light banter, and more serious conversations. Sometimes, it's easier to open up to people we don't know very well than to those closest to us. I felt like using this narrative for this story. Natsume buying that hoodie is so simple and down-to-earth, that it's exactly what Mikan needed at the moment - both physically and emotionally.

Fun facts: the glasses story is totally true, it happened in San Francisco a few years ago. Just google 'teenager leaves glasses in museum' or something; the modern painting mentioned by Natsume is the Blood Red Mirror, painted by Gerhard Richter in the early '90s.

'Oishii' = tasty, delicious.

As always, please leave a review. All the best!

- Aurora