HEYHEYHEYHEY! I'M BACK!

Extremely long hiatus? I know. :D

Anyways, my reasons for being such a prick and not updating are college... and I have been working on a one-shot!

Or should I say... A REALLY LONG ONE SHOT. :)

What can I say? It's the story of my life. Well, college life anyways. :D

My friend made a movie out of hers, why can't I make a story about mine? Although I did enhance it so that my life in college wouldn't appear as sucky as it really is.

HAHAHA! Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, because uhm. I feel bad for not updating.

O.O

Our trip to Japan was one hell of a ride. They rummaged through my bags and the bags in my bags to make sure I had everything I needed. And by everything I needed, I mean everything that Hotaru wanted me to bring.

"For goodness sake, Hotaru! You repacked everything!" I exclaim as I enter my room. The moment I had opened the door, she pushed past me and went straight up to my room and locked it.

"Please, Mikan. You don't call it repacking when all you had was a tiny backpack." I had a medium-seized luggage. "How long did you think we'd stay there? Three days?"

I pause. "We could have had my clothes dry cleaned!"

She looks straight at me. "No."

I sigh as I collapse into my bed and look at the time. We still had a few minutes. Hotaru zips up my bag and lies down right beside me.

"You don't know how excited I am for this."

"Well, you were always the evil one."

"But I always had good intentions." I was about to retort, but then again she had a point. She then rests her head on her palm and looks at me. "Mikan, I don't say this very often but, you're one of my most treasured people."

Tears started welling up. "You are too."

"And the reason why I said that is because I want us to be happy. You'll get your revenge and I'll get to witness Natsume being an idiot. It's a win-win situation. Serves him right for always getting better grades than I did."

I laugh. Oh, how I love her. "Yeah, I guess it's about time I had a little fun."

She smiles. "Now, we're talking."

I get up and offer her my hand. She gladly accepts it.

"Let's get going," I say. "We have a flight to catch."

Even though I'm not that completely open to the fact that I'm going to try and take my revenge — because if it were up to me, I wouldn't even dare — but having Hotaru by my side made a whole lot easier.

As long as she's with me, I'm fine.

The whole plane ride was a blur. And the next thing I knew, we were in front of a hotel.

A very expensive-looking hotel.

"Tell me again, how the heck did Hotaru drag us into this?" I ask Tsubasa as we watch her and Ruka talk to the person manning the front desk.

"This is for your own good, Miss Mikan." He says, although I admit, a bit half-heartedly. It makes me question whether it really is.

"And how do you know that this is for my own good? You haven't even visited Japan in years."

"Hey, it's not my fault my aunt accepts my interests more than my parents do." He replies defensively. As you all may know by now, Tsubasa was disinherited and kicked out of his own home when he decided to "come out of the closet." He strived hard to earn up the money to fly to New York and stay with his aunt, who gladly accepted him.

"That reminds me! I forgot to tell my mom that I'm in Japan!" Then I think. "Although I don't really know where she is." Maybe I'll e-mail her once we're checked in.

"Ah, your mom. Always so outgoing." He says, smiling. The moment he met my mom, which was during a spontaneous visit to the office, they instantly clicked. They bonded over girly stuff and a long conversation over my obvious lack of fashion.

It kind of makes me feel jealous that Tsubasa is so much closer to my mom than I ever was, but I shrug it aside knowing that they're both idiots and I both love them.

"How do you think she'll react once she hears about the plan?" I ask Tsubasa, since they pretty much have the same personalities.

"Hm," Tsubasa says, thinking. "Maybe she'll be a bit skeptical about it at first, but once she hears the reason behind it, she'll be supportive. After all, she is your mother. And your mother is awesome."

Enough with the showering of compliments. "Gee. Thanks Tsubasa."

"Always a pleasure, Miss Mikan."

"There will be enough that formal name calling," Hotaru says, holding our room keys. She points to Tsubasa. "From now own, you will call her 'Babe.' And Mikan, do likewise." I couldn't see Tsubasa's reaction because I was too busy with mine.

But I'm pretty sure they're the same.

"This is so exciting!" Tsubasa exclaims. OK, maybe I was wrong.

"But they'll never believe it!" I cry. "I mean, no offense Tsubasa, but Hotaru look at him!" And she does, from bottom to top (pointed shoes, extremely tight black jeans and a red polo with a gray cardigan on top). I do the same, and at the end I see a pouting Tsubasa.

"Hey, it's not my fault I like to dress up like this!"

I shake my head violently. "That's not what I meant!" I stand, and gesture to all of him. "He's not exactly manly material."

"If you must know, Tsubasa Andou works out three times a week in his flat. He has a mini gym in it." Hotaru defends. Ruka looks uncomfortable. Probably because his wife knows a little bit too much about people. And those people aren't exactly related to her.

I widen my eyes. "Are you serious? Where do get that kind of time?" I ask. He scoffs and smirks.

"What can I say? I've got a great boss. Although she always insists that she do all the work. Makes me feel useless." He says. It makes me think.

Am I that much of a workaholic?

"I agree," Hotaru comments. "Did you know that she has never had a boyfriend?"

"OK, OK, that's enough!" I cry as I grab my room key from Hotaru and storm out.

But then I stop and realize.

I turn and walk back to Hotaru. "Why do we only have two room keys?"

She just smiles. Creepy.

"Can't I just room with you, Hotaru?" I plead as she stands in front of her door.

"No." She says for the last time and slams the door on my face. I hear an apology from Ruka.

Tsubasa's head pops out of our room, looking hurt and offended. "Miss Mikan, I don't bite." He says in solemn voice.

All of a sudden, guilt washes over me. "I… I didn't mean it like that. It's just that…" My voice trails off.

"It's just that what?" He asks in a tiny voice.

"… I haven't been in the same room with any guy before."

Now he seemed offended. "I am not a 'guy.' I am a WOMAN trapped inside a man's body." He says confidently as he catwalks across the hallway. "By now, Miss Mikan, you should know the difference."

I laugh, so loud that Hotaru tells me to shut up. But I ignore her. "Stop it! You're making me laugh too much!" I say in between laughs and gasps. Seriously, I have never seen a person so… out there.

You know what I mean?

He then smiles and takes my hand. "C'mon, let's go to sleep." I nod and take his hand. "We have a long day ahead of us." He says in a high-pitched and excited voice.

"What are we gonna do? The reunion's a day after tomorrow."

He then stiffens up and looks at me, wide-eyed. "We. Are. Going. Shopping."

"Oh. Do you need looser pants?" I joke.

"Ha, very funny Miss Mikan." I wanted to remind him that Hotaru told him not to call me that, but then I prefer this than the one she suggested. "No, this is for you. We're also going to do your hair and make-up…"

"What's wrong with my hair and how I do my make-up?" I ask, offended.

He looks me up and down with an incredulous face and says, "Honey, everything."

I see myself standing in front of New York again. Only this time, I'm surrounded by Japanese people.

"Why do I not recall seeing this ten years ago?" I ask myself.

Apparently, the rest heard me.

"Well, maybe this wasn't here ten years ago." Ruka suggested.

"Either that, or maybe she didn't have the guts to come to a place like this?"

I shout, appalled by her reply. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that ten years ago, you didn't have a sense of fashion."

Before I could defend myself, Tsubasa decides to add salt to the wounds. "And she has a fashion sense now?"

Hotaru smirks and looks at me. "Mikan, your secretary is wonderful. Never fire him."

I sigh. Something tells me that this is going to be a very long day.

And I was right. We jumped from store to store, collects everything that Hotaru says is pretty and charges it on my credit card. Where do they think I get my money… from trees?

"No, you get it from other people's pockets." Hotaru says.

"Banks, to be specific. Our firm does not charge cheap!" Tsubasa chirps in.

"Hey, at least we are really good at what we do!" I defend.

Although aside from the seemingly never-ending walking, the constant swiping of my credit card, and the mountain of bags, I'm really happy to be here with all the people I care about.

Oh, other than my mom.

Speaking of which, she's calling. I struggle to shift the bags to my left hand. "Hey, Mom! Where are you? I haven't heard from you in awhile!"

"Hi, darling! So good to hear from you! Right now, I'm in Paris! I heard you're back in Japan?" She asks.

"Paris? What are you doing there?" For the past few years, my mom has been so in demand that foreigners ask her to flaunt her creations where they live.

"Oh, you know. Business." Just as she finished her sentence, I hear a faint voice of what seems to be a French man.

"Sure, business." I say, rolling my eyes. I feel the handles of the paper bags about to give in.

"Mikan, skeptical as ever. Anways, darling, I promise to visit you as soon as you return to New York. And about your little scheme, I love it! After what that — although I must say, really gorgeous — bastard did to you, he deserves to be eaten alive. But dear, I have to go now! I love you, Mikan. Au revior!" She says in a single breath then hangs up. I sigh as I dig my phone back into my pocket.

My mom has been like this since two years after my father passed away. Don't get me wrong, she's a wonderful woman and a great mother. But sometimes, it makes me feel like she's being too reckless.

Or maybe I'm a bit envious that she has been on more dates than I have.

"Another man?" Ruka interrupts my thoughts.

I laugh softly. "Yeah, I guess."

He pats my head and says something to comfort me, and it works. Seriously, Hotaru is the luckiest woman alive.

"C'mon, I see a coffee shop right over there. Let's go." Hotaru says as she shoves the bags into Ruka's hands and walks off.

Ruka stares at his wife and laughs. "Alright, alright."

I almost die. Seriously, their love is the best kind I have ever seen. Wait, scratch that. Ruka's love is the best thing i have ever seen.

Since it's about lunch time, the cafe is just about full. We struggle to look for a table for six (two for the shopping bags) and succeed.

"I'll just go over there and order for us. What do you all want?" Ruka offers. Hotaru orders cup of black coffee and a slice of carrot cake, while Tsubasa and I go for cold drinks.

Hotaru stares intently as Ruka walks over to the counter. I notice this and try calling her name several times. She responds only when I tell her I'll give her a dollar.

"How is Tsubasa going to manage? I mean, with his accent and all. And don't get me started with the clothing."

"You should know, that I can talk and dress manlier."

"Oh, yeah? Prove it," I dare. I tried imagining a not gay Tsubasa, and it was hardly possible. I ended up picturing someone like Jim Parsons instead.

A/N: I LOVE JIM PARSONS! THE BIG BANG THEORY!

"I will prove it. Tomorrow night." He says, and I don't respond. Not be rude or anything, it's only because I realized that Hotaru wasn't participating in our discussion or even listening because if she was, by now we would have discussed about the penalty and the rewards. She is still eyeing Ruka with eyes burning with something. Hate?

But why?

I turn around and look at Ruka — Tsubasa does the same — then I understand why. Ruka could pass as a model. He's tall, buff, and he's half-french. He walks with such grace and speaks with such gentleness. Which is kind of the reason why women stare. Or gawk. Or something.

Maybe it wasn't hate. It was jealousy. And maybe it wasn't Ruka she was staring at. Maybe she was staring at all the females around him (and may I add, looking at him).

"Doesn't he realize that the cashier is flirting with him?" Hotaru says aloud. "She's trying to make him talk to her more by offering things he might want to order."

"The way I see it, he's oblivious to it." Tsubasa comments. It seems that Ruka has ordered a slice of Coffee Crumble.

Hotaru sighs. I turn back to her. "It has always been like this, even in America." The way she said that shocked the very being of me. She had not once shared this fact to me, and most probably to anyone. I had always viewed Hotaru to be one of the most strongest people I know.

But right now… she seemed so vulnerable.

I take her hand and give it a squeeze. "You know Ruka loves you. Why else would he still be here?"

"Because he's afraid that I might hunt him down and kill him?"

"Not likely. You know Ruka. Trust him."

"It's not him I don't trust. It's those filthy women." She replies with repulsiveness.

This makes me laugh. She glares at me. "Sorry, but think about it. You're such a beautiful and successful woman, who loves him very much. I don't think he'd try to run off with someone, especially if she spends most of her adult life behind a counter."

It was mean, I know, but it was enough to bring Hotaru out of her solemn state. "You're right, Mikan."

"And besides, you're way prettier than her." Tsubasa adds.

"Prettier than who?" Ruka asks, just as he sets the tray of orders on the table.

"Oh, no one." I say, nonchalantly.

"Well, whoever that woman is," He says, sitting beside Hotaru. "I agree. Because Hotaru is, hands down, the most gorgeous woman I have ever laid eyes on." He ends his statement with a kiss on Hotaru's cheek.

I hear a loud noise from, what I believe, behind the cash register. But I don't really process the noise, because I was too busy dying from Hotaru's reaction.

Who knew that the ice queen could blush so hard?

Just as I was half done with my coffee, my phone rang.

"Guys, hold on. I need to answer this." I say quickly as I walk out of the cafe.

"Yes, hello, Mr. Freeman." I greet with an almost American accent (and in English, of course). I have always found it ironically funny that his name is 'Freeman,' and yet he's a lawyer. "Of course, I'll be back in more or less two weeks. Goodbye, sir."

It's still surprising that he was so open about me having a vacation. But then again, I don't remember having a vacation since I entered the firm…

Just as I was about to go back in, a person speaks up from behind.

"Hey," He says. "You a lawyer?"

I turn around, appalled by how someone can ask that so boldly. But when I do…

I see that same jet black hair. That same mocking smile. That same crimson eyes.

I tense up immediately. I could not respond. Or move any muscle for that matter.

"Are you a lawyer?" He repeats, a bit annoyed. I still couldn't say anything. "Do you speak Japanese? You certainly look like a Japanese woman."

"N…" was all I could muster. Then I blink. Twice. Couldn't he recognize me?

I slowly gain composure. "Yes, I am a lawyer."

"I knew it." He smirks. I raise an eyebrow. "You look like one."

"So you approached me just so you could see if you were right?" I ask him, crossing my arms. Since he can't remember who I am, I might as well not act like I've seen a ghost.

"Oh, I'm just getting started." He says, in a different tone. "I also approached you to ask you if you wanted to go get some dinner tonight."

I was downright shocked. The Natsume I knew would never do something like this! Ask random girls out, then eventually into his bed…

Natsume, what happened to you? I managed to hold back the tears, because really, why should I feel sad?

"Is that a yes from milady? Although before that you might wanna change—"

"N-no! Who would ever want to go out with a man like you?" I cry.

He seemed rather shocked by my statement. "Uh, every woman in the city."

Now it was my turn to be shocked. "You've dated everyone woman in the city?"

He shrugged. "Well, of course, not everyone." Then he looks at me and puts rests his chin on his hand. "Although, you look oddly familiar. LIke I remember you from somewhere…" He trails off, observing me.

I tense up. I hear him sigh and I look up. I almost gasp at what I see. His eyes reflected so much pain and sadness.

But then he blinked, and it was gone.

"Nah, you couldn't be." He says, shaking his head. "So anyways, how about that date?"

"Still no. I have a boyfriend." I say. And then I think, why didn't I say that in the first place?

He frowns, and then smirks. "Is he as good-looking as I am?"

"Whatever," I shrug, and leave.

"You're the first to reject me, you know!" He shouts cheerfully, or so I think.

Good to know. Jerk.

"Mikan, what took you so long? Your coffee's cold now," Tsubasa says.

"I'm sorry," I reply. Should I tell them what happened?

"Anyways," Hotaru said. "Just bring your coffee. Let's hit the salon."

I nod and pick up my coffee. I remember the way his eyes looked.

Just who was he trying to remember? Was it me?

(End of Chapter)

HEHEHEHEHEHE.

Done. So the next chapter would be the reunion. How do you think Natsume would react once he sees Mikan?

Again?

Please review, and tell me what you think!

Oh, and one more thing. You guys all agree that Mikan and Natsume should still end up together, right?

If you have any questions that you would want me to answer, please don't hesitate!

Bye now! Oh, and happy new year guys! (LATE GREETING)