Dark Hood

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice nor its characters but the story is entirely mine.

I was seated on a wooden chair... with a proper breakfast in front of me... at 8:15 in the morning... I must be dreaming.

"Hyuuga-san, would you want any syrup on your pancakes?" asked Mikan who seemed to keep disturbing every little thought I have.

"You're not the waitress in a restaurant, I can do manage perfectly well myself," I grunted, annoyed that I had ignored anything and everything to sleep in my secretary's room. Rumours will start spreading now...

"Oh! I've also made you a lunch for tday. Sorry, I just made extra," she smiled at me.

"Yeah whatever..."

She frowned, "And I made you a black tie."

"Yeah whatever..."

"And..." Her voice drowned itself out and I kept responding with the same phrase.

"Yeah whatever..." What if my family find out that I was here all along?

"So... can... Hyuuga-san?"

"Yeah whatever..." Will they even recognize me as a Hyuuga?

"Hyuuga-san?"

"Yeah whatever..." They'll disown me... And the Koizumis will kill me...

"Natsume~" someone caught my attention.

"What?!" I shouted. Mikan looked at me with frightened eyes. She picked up my empty plate and put it in the sink.

She started humming again but this time she stopped before I could hear clearly. "Sorry Hyuuga-san. You seem to be a little off today and I kept pestering you."

"What did you call me?"

"Hyuuga-san," she answered in a strange tone. Was that what she did whenever she lied? Gosh, she's innocent.

I smirked, "Tell me everything you ask me while I was in a trance."

"That's -!"

"Or I'll simply tell everyone in the office that you still own a stuffed bear that you can't sleep without."

"Damn you Natsume Hyuuga!"

Turns out, it's finally a weekend so it's a great Sunday off for all of the office people... besides me. I'm only head of department because I worked so hard. To get higher, you have to work harder.

Yet today, I was not at work. In fact, I was... shopping. I was planning to go to work but there was a traffic jam that way so...

I went down to the book store for some manga or what not. But there she was again, before I even entered. Her dark hood was on again and she was reading a book wth a dull expression. Backing away, I knew it wasn't the right thing to go in and intrude her.

Honestly, I come to Central Town randomly and she's there again. Hold on, if she was there maybe I could've asked about that hood! But it woul be stupid won't it? She's not a ghost. While I was debating in my head, I came across an art store with a glittering sign: Closing Down Paint Sale.

Strangely, I actually went in to buy cans of orange paint. And to make it more strange, Koko was at the till. So here I am, driving home with (my keys this time,) five cans of orange paint and a set of large brushes. It's just polite isn't it? To give someone a present after you crashed at their place and ate their homemade breakfast.

I entered the building and Permy (Shouda) smiles at me, "Good afternoon Natsume-san!"

"Hn" I walk past her and head fo the stairs again. A while ago, I thought of moving but now it just didn't feel... right to move.

Once I was in my apartment, I made my apologetic call to Koizumi, saying I was sick and all. All she said was, 'I hope you're feeling better. Call me when you are." Then I told my family the same lie. But for Ruka, I had to text. I couldn't lie directly to him, but why was I feeling guilty in the first place? He just told me to get well soon and that he'll come to visit me when Usagi is better.

Mikan wasn't home because I could hear that there was no one next door. I'm not a stalker, the walls were just thin. And I was anxious to give her the paint. Around 2pm, I heard rustling outside, then the keys jingling and lastly Mikan saying, "I'm home!"

"Shut up, you're too loud!" I called back to her. I knew there was a smirk on my face but she's not her, is she?

"Eh? Natsume? Where -? Oh. I'm home Natsume!" she cried out.

"Hn"

"Want to come round?" she offered.

I thought about how to answer her question. "Depends. Do you have coffee?"

"Too much coffee is bad for you. I do have something though. If you come round, I'll let you try it!"

"Whatever." But I still switched off the television and, taking the paint with me, I went over.

"Wow! And this is for me? Thank you so much!" She thanked me again for the paint.

"Well if I'm going to come round for coffee, I can't have it at a place with torn walls," I sighed.

She picked up a paint brush, "So let's paint together!"

"No."

"But you were the one complaining about them! So you'll have to help," she pouted, holding out a thick brush for me to use.

"Fine." I grabbed the brush, opened the paint and -

"Wait! I haven't covered the furniture yet!" she yelled in distress.

I smirked, "Too bad."

"Hey Nat- I mean, Hyuuga-san! Stop!" she cried again hoping that I would.

"Let's make a deal. If you can call me by my first name the entire time, then I'll cover up the furniture." It's strange for me to be in her house and helping her with her apartment but being called by what my employees call me. But she's my employee too! Oh geez...

"Na-Natsume! There! Now please cover up the furniture before we progress!" she almost demanded.

I smirked again, "No honorifics? Being quite couragous talking to your boss like that."

She grew as red as a beetroot. "I-I... Damn you!"

Once more, the jacket was not visible anywhere. But once more, we had fun. I never did ask about since I believed it wasn't necessary.

"So you aren't a stalker?" she laughed. "Because otherwise, you might be a mind-reader... like Koko!"

"I am not a stalker. I told you a picked the colour orange because it's cheap like you deserve," I grunted, chewing my noodle. Time flew by again and it was dinner time when we finished. Mikan just called Chinese. And guess who the delivery guys was.

"Koko told me that you took a long time deciding," she gave me a sly smile, "You're just thoughtful about the ladies aren't you?"

"What makes you think that?"

She mumbled from her stuffed mouth, "Well... Luna-chan keeps calling you. And - please, don't remember this - we chat about it on the phone. Since I'm receptionist as well, Luna-chan always phones me up. She tells me a lot about you Natsume."

"Such as?" I never really told Koizumi anything about me. This should be fun to listen to what she observed.

"Well," Mikan slurped up her last noodle, "She says you always let her choose first. You're... 'mature.' Oh! And you are a great listener. I get what she means though. You hardly ever talk but I don't get what Luna-chan was saying about letting her pick first. You're always being mean to me... with the coffee and all."

"That reminds me. Where's that coffee you promised?"

"Tell me what you like about coffee first," she shifted her position so that she would look at me carefully. "You always drink it."

I answered, "Coffee is a drink."

"So?" she giggled, "Water's a drink too."

I glared at her, "It's a energizing drink."

"Really?" She flopped around the couch again. "I thought it was disgusting, bitter, calming, sleepy drink. The word coffee makes me sleepy," she yawned.

"That's because you're stupid." I finished the noodles and put it down.

She pouted and got up, "Geez. You're so mean. I'm going to go and get your stupid drink now."

She placed a delicate little cup of jasmine tea in front of me. "Drinking coffee all the time isn't good for you, you know. So jasmine tea is perfect. Today isn't as bad as the past week either. The sky is slowly appearing. So! Jasmine tea is -"

"Okay, got it. I don't need a lecture about it."

"So you'll drink it Natsume?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Only if... You can tell me one of Ruka's secret... that I don't know already."

She groaned, "That's completely against me... Let me think... Do you know about his childhood?"

"Duh."

"So you know about his mother and... the dresses?" she gulped in bewteen. It honestly wasn't that big a secret. Ruka's mum was expecting a girl and all so he wore girl's clothes when he was younger just so his mother would stop whining.

I nodded so she continued, "Oh! I got it! You don't know any of his lady secrets, do you?" I looked up at her this time and she grinned madly, "Well, Ruka has a weak spot when he's going out- I only realized the other day when we went to his apartment. Ruka always hides his important things... Under the bathroom sink!"

"That's the big secret?" I scoffed.

"Well, that and he's stinks at french kis-"

"I don't want to hear about that!" I blurted out. "That's just sick. Fine, I'll drink the tea." It actually tasted clear and light but I didn't say anything about it.

"I also know your secret..." she whispered, her face covered by her soft brunette hair.

"Huh?" I spilt the tea over the carpet.

End of Chapter 4

So I honestly thought it'll be annoying to a chapter on her and Natsume in a bookstore so I hope this still entertains you guys. Thanks a lot for the reviews: lovesemoguys98 and adrienna22. The followers too! Once again Merry Christmas!