Himeno: Things are looking better for Mikan-chan and Hyuuga.
Mikan: Himeno-chan, I got kissed by that jerk a lot of times. There's a limit to kisses, you know.
Himeno: But it was so sweet, Mikan-chan! I'm such a fan of yours, and though I don't like Hyuuga that much, I still love pairing you with him.
Natsume: Do you have a female complex, idiotic author?
Himeno: I'm straight for your information. And if you insult me one more time, you big stupid jerk, I'm really going to torture you in this chapter.
Natsume: I dare you, moron.
Himeno: You asked for it.
Mikan: This is bad…Hehe… Um… Himeno-chan doesn't own Gakuen Alice.
Natsume the Jerk
Episode 8: Trouble Again
"Here's another detention slip to add to your collection, Hyuuga. Congratulations."
Natsume Hyuuga reached for the familiar yellow piece of paper and sighed. He was only a few seconds late for Math Class, but Jinno-sensei was being unfair to him again. The teacher really hated Natsume and he always liked torturing him. "Tch…Stupid teacher…" Natsume muttered as he took his seat next to Mikan.
"Jinno-sensei is so mean," Mikan whispered sympathetically. "We have to do something about him, Natsume."
Natsume gave her a cold look and just shrugged. "I don't want to waste my time with that teacher," he grumbled. "And stop talking to me. You might get in trouble, polka-dots."
"Stop calling me that, stupid," Mikan muttered softly so Jinno won't hear her.
"Now, as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted," Jinno-sensei said, casting an annoyed look at Natsume, "we won't be having our regular math lesson today."
A few students applauded, but they stopped quickly at the sight of Jinno's frown. "Instead," the teacher continued, "you'll be talking a Math Aptitude Test. The 5 people who will score the highest in this test will represent the whole school in the Math Olympics next month."
The whole class seemed to groan at once. "That's worse than Jinno's math lesson," Usumu whispered to Sumire.
Jinno tapped his stick on the desk and shot the students a death glare. All of them immediately shut up.
"Math Aptitude Test, huh?" Mikan sighed deeply. "I'm not that good in Math. I'll choose PE and Home Economics any day."
"Natsume, didn't you ace this test last year?" Ruka asked his best friend, catching the attention of Mikan as well. "You were even in the top 5."
"Yeah…But I didn't participate in the Olympics…" Natsume answered Ruka in a very bored tone. He wished that he could skipped Jinno's class, but that would only lead him to more trouble.
"Hmm…" Mikan folded her arms as she looked at Natsume. "You are smart, Natsume, but your attitude is kinda um…"
Ruka let out a long sigh. "That's right…Natsume is kinda…"
The blonde and the brunette immediately shut up when they saw the fierce gaze of Natsume. He really didn't want to hear any comments about his attitude. He knew perfectly well that he had issues and problems with himself, and he didn't need others to tell him that.
"So, why didn't you participate?" Mikan asked.
Natsume didn't seem to be in the mood to answer her, so Ruka talked in his place. "It's because of Jinno-sensei," he whispered. "He was the one who removed Natsume from the competition just because he hates him."
"That's so cruel," Mikan said, clamping her mouth with one hand. She turned to look at the teacher in front and puffed her cheeks. "He doesn't deserve to be a teacher."
Ruka only nodded his head in agreement as Natsume shrugged in his seat.
"I don't see why we need to take a test to find out who the math geeks are," Sumire Shouda complained as she sat down at her usual place in the cafeteria, the table where all the Natsume-Ruka Fan Club members gathered for lunch.
"Me neither," said Usumu Wakako, flipping her dark hair. "Of course, Natsume-kun is different. Even though he's super smart, he's no nerd." She started cooing and daydreaming about her beloved Natsume.
"Natsume-kun is just the coolest guy ever," Sumire added as she opened a bag of potato chips.
"Don't forget Ruka-kun," Usumu said, her eyes sparkling. She was truly in fan girl mode.
"Ruka-kun's a real-life prince," Sumire said, clasping her hands together. "He's a dreamboat."
The other fan girls nodded their heads and some said, "Yeah…"
Usumu grinned. "But I'll take a test you don't have to study any day." She glanced back at Sumire. "What'd you think of it, president?"
"Awesome," Sumire said, staring off into space.
A fan girl dropped her mouth open. "Awesome, huh?" Then she nudged Sumire in the ribs. Sumire seemed to be in another dimension at the moment. "Earth to president…" But Sumire still didn't budge as she kept staring at a certain direction.
"What's she staring at, anyway?" Usumu asked, craning her neck."
"Not what," another fan girl corrected. "She's looking at a who."
"Which who?" Usumu demanded.
"Ruka-kun!"
At the mention of Ruka's name, Sumire came to life. "Ruka-kun," she cooed. "Isn't that the most perfect name you ever heard?"
"I have to agree with you," Usumu said. "But president you were spacing out a while ago."
Sumire smiled. "Oh, I don't care." She shrugged. "I just want to admire my Ruka-kun."
Usumu glanced over at the table where Ruka was sitting with a bunch of his classmates. He was smiling broadly as she kept her eyes glued to Ruka's dazzling blue orbs and shiny blonde hair. He was handsome and gorgeous. But she knitted a frown on her face when she saw Mikan taking a seat beside him. "It's that Sakura again!"
Sumire scowled and clenched her hands. "That Sakura-san is stealing Ruka-kun! I won't forgive her." She banged her fists on the table.
"President, are we going to challenge her again today?" Usumu asked.
"But I heard she has work later. You do know that she's going to star in Sakura Kiss." One of the fan girls seemed excited when she said that. It was apparent that she liked dramas, but she wasn't particularly fan of Mikan.
Sumire folded her hands over her chest and crossed her legs. She started thinking of a plan and she had to make it good. Mikan wasn't easy to beat, she admitted, but she was sure that she has a weakness. She needed to do an investigation on her. "No challenges will be issued today," Sumire declared in a strict tone. "But we'll get her someday."
Natsume was leaving the classroom that morning when Mikan and Ruka joined him. "How was the test for you, Natsume?" Mikan asked.
"Boring…" he answered plainly.
"I do think so, too," Mikan said, holding her head with one hand. "I got confused with the variables during the test. I think I have a headache."
Ruka grinned. "The test was pretty confusing, but I'm sure Natsume did a good job."
Mikan giggled. "I bet you'll get one of the top spots this year too," she said.
"Whatever…" Natsume sighed deeply and walked ahead of them. "Even if I get a top spot, I still can't join the competition." And then he left Ruka and Mikan in the hallways as he went into the boy's bathroom.
Mikan and Ruka glanced at each other and sighed. "We have to do something about Jinno-sensei," Mikan said, cupping her chin with her hand. "Natsume has every right to join."
"You're right," Ruka replied, leaning against the wall. "What do you have in mind, Sakura?"
Mikan paced left and right for a while, rubbing her head in the process, trying to come up with an idea to help Natsume. Then an idea struck her like lightning. "I GOT IT, Ruka-pyon!" she shouted, which surprised Ruka so much. "I got it. I got it! I better make a phone call right away. See you later, Ruka-pyon." As she spun around, she dashed through the hallways like a road runner, leaving a dumbfounded Ruka.
"I wonder what her plan is…" Ruka muttered.
"Hey, where's polka-dots?" Natsume said, appearing right beside Ruka. Ruka was surprised that Natsume came out of the bathroom unnoticed. Ruka didn't even hear the door creaked.
"She just ran off to who knows where," Ruka replied.
"Hmph…" Natsume stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned around. "Let's go, Ruka."
As soon as the two best friends reached the classroom, Raito, Kyo, and Hayate confronted them and challenged Natsume to a fight. Ruka frowned at the sight of them, and Natsume shot them dagger glares. Hayate smirked sinisterly and grabbed Natsume's collar. "Later…After class…at the park…" he said smugly. "Be there or else…"
Natsume neither showed fear or anxiety. He kept his calm and stoic face. "Let go of me, bastard," he said in an icy voice. He slapped Hayate's hand away and backed one step. "You creeps have a lot of nerve."
Kyo gritted his teeth. "Who are you calling creeps, you jerk?!" He was tempted to attack Natsume, but Raito held him back.
Hayate shrugged and turned his back at Natsume. "We'll get you later, Hyuuga," he threatened. "C'mon… Let's get back to class." After that, Hayate and his group left.
Ruka looked slightly nervous. "Natsume, you shouldn't fight them," he said. "It's just a waste of time." He had kept telling that to Natsume several times already, but his best friend was too stubborn to listen to him. Natsume never backs down a challenge and he has his pride on the line.
"I can beat them, like always," Natsume said as he opened the classroom door. "So don't try to get in my way, Ruka."
Ruka didn't say anything about that, knowing how serious his best friend gets whenever it involves fights. However, he knew that he had to tell Mikan about this. He had a bad feeling that Hayate and his gang were up to no good. Normally, they would just fight Natsume with brawn, but they looked awfully confident a while ago. It was like they were up to something. Even though Natsume told him not to get in his way, Ruka would still help him.
That afternoon after school, Ruka and Mikan followed Natsume to the park. They hid behind some bushes, keeping their eyes glued to the raven-haired boy. Mikan's hazel's eyes were full of anticipation. When Ruka told her about the challenge, she immediately became worried for Natsume. She couldn't even concentrate during class time. She was supposed to be at the studio, preparing for her taping, but she had called her manager and told her that she was coming in late. She only had a minor role for that day, so she was sure the staff won't mind if she's late.
Ruka smiled nervously at her. "Sakura, Natsume told me not to interfere…" He plucked the leaves of the bushes and sighed. "And I don't know if spying on him is such a good idea."
"But he didn't tell me not to interfere, right?" Mikan showed him an assured smile, making him blush. "I'll help Natsume when he's in a real pinch."
At that moment, Ruka and Mikan heard voices and footsteps coming from a certain direction. To their dismay, they saw Raito, Hayate, and Kyo approaching with wooden kendo swords in their hands.
"Glad you came, Hyuuga," Hayate said, tapping the sword on his shoulder. "Ready to be beaten?" He smirked confidently.
"I've beaten you guys before and I could do it again," Natsume said in monotone. He dropped his school bag and took a quick step forward. He narrowed his crimson eyes at them and fisted both of his hands. He was well-prepared for any attack they would do.
"You're such a cocky bastard, Hyuuga," Raito told him as he pointed his kendo sword at Natsume.
"Enough talk!" Kyo shouted irritably. "I want to beat this guy now!" Impatient as usual, Kyo dashed forward, raising his sword, and tried to hit Natsume. Too bad the stoic lad was agile. Natsume easily dodged the attack and jumped sideward. Kyo bit his lip in anger and attacked again.
"Kyo, that idiot…" Raito said. "He's such a hothead."
"Come on, let's go help him before he gets hurt," Hayate said with a bored and plain voice. He ran towards Natsume first and swiftly grabbed his arm. He pulled Natsume towards him and raised the sword into the air. "Take this, jerk!"
Natsume immediately kicked him on the shin and shoved him away. "Bastard…" he muttered and backed away from Hayate and Kyo. When he saw Raito coming, Natsume stood firmly and focused his sights on the sword. Once Raito tried to strike his head, Natsume blocked the sword with his two hands. "Hmph… Pathetic…" He pushed the sword away and punched Raito on the stomach.
Mikan and Ruka gasped silently. "Natsume's so strong… I don't think we're needed here, Ruka-pyon," she said, and Ruka nodded his head.
Natsume managed to defeat Hayate and Kyo, but Raito had recovered from his damage and stood up again. Natsume wasn't even breaking a sweat fighting them, while the three were getting exhausted. "You guys better give up," Natsume said. "At this rate, you won't be able to go to school tomorrow."
Raito wasn't going to give in. "And who would listen to you, jerk?!" He threw the sword away and pulled out a handgun from his uniform. He pointed the gun at Natsume and smirked evilly. "This belongs to my dad who's a policeman by the way and you can bet that it's real."
"What the hell is that guy thinking?" Ruka said anxiously. "A gun? How unfair…"
"Oh no… Ruka-pyon, he might shoot Natsume," Mikan said, trying to keep her voice low and steady. But it was obvious that she was getting more worried.
"Coward," Natsume scowled, glaring intensely at Raito.
"I'll do anything to get back at you, Hyuuga," Raito muttered, his voice filled with poison. He placed pressure on the trigger. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll just torture you, that's all."
Running away wouldn't solve his predicament. A gun can shoot you even at a distance. Natsume started thinking of ways to outsmart Raito. But when Raito pushed the trigger, Natsume was suddenly tackled by Mikan who came out of the bushes to save him. The two of them pummeled to the ground, with the brunette hugging the raven-haired boy tightly. Natsume sat up and saw a scrape on her arm, which was probably caused by the bullet. It was a good thing that it was only a scrape. However, Natsume can't forgive Raito for shooting the gun.
On the other hand, Raito was dumbfounded. "Mikan Sakura…?" Raito muttered, dropping his hand to his side. "I almost shot her…" He was actually a fan of Mikan, so it was a great shock to him to see her there.
Kyo and Hayate were slowly getting back to their feet as they saw Raito starting to tremble.
Ruka came out of hiding and ran towards his friends. He knelt down to Natsume's level and took Mikan in his arms. "Sakura, are you all right?" he asked.
Mikan let out a small giggle. "Yeah, I'm fine." She then turned her head at Natsume. "How about you, Natsume?"
Natsume can't believe that Mikan could still smile after what just happened. "What were you thinking doing a reckless thing like that? You could've been shot." Anger and anxiety were visible in his eyes.
"I guess I wasn't thinking," Mikan said. "But I'm still alive…"
"Tch…" Natsume stood up and faced the delinquent boys, now with eyes more furious than ever. "You're going to pay…" he said in a deadly voice.
Raito felt ashamed for what he did to Mikan, but he felt his anger rose up when he heard Natsume. "We'll back off for now, Hyuuga," he said. "We'll get you next time." He then spun around and ran off.
Kyo and Hayate threw Natsume one serious glare before they followed Raito.
Ruka took out his handkerchief and tied it around Mikan's arm. "I was really surprised when you suddenly barged into the scene like that," he muttered as he gazed upon the brunette's eyes.
Mikan chuckled nervously. "When I saw Natsume in danger, my body sort of acted on its own." She looked up at Natsume and gave him a warm smile. "I'm glad that you're not hurt, Natsume."
However, instead of smiling back like a normal guy would to a beautiful girl like Mikan, Natsume narrowed his crimson eyes and clenched his fists. "Ruka, didn't I tell you not to interfere?" His voice was crisp. "And you even told this girl…" He hid his eyes under his bangs and turned his back at them.
"Natsume…" Ruka stood up and helped Mikan get back to her feet. "I was just worried about you…" he said sincerely, taking a step closer to Natsume. He placed a hand on Natsume's shoulder, but the raven-haired boy brushed it away.
Mikan raised her elegant brow and went in front of Natsume. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" She planted her hands on her waist. "Is it a crime for your best friend to be worried about you? You should be grateful that Ruka-pyon cares for you."
"I didn't ask him to care for me," Natsume retorted, his fist trembling. "Worrying over a guy like me would only lead you guys to trouble…" He sounded almost sincere when he said that, but his face expressed otherwise.
Ruka lowered his head and stared at the ground. "Natsume, if this is about the incident with your parents—"
"Shut the hell up!" Natsume growled, giving Ruka one serious death glare.
"Stop blaming yourself, Natsume!" Ruka bravely said, looking straight at Natsume. His alluring blue eyes were in contrast with Natsume's red ones. "It wasn't your fault. Why can't you get it into that thick head of yours?!"
Mikan clamped her hand in reaction to Ruka's statement. Just what did Ruka-pyon mean by it wasn't Natsume's fault? Why was Natsume blaming himself? Such questions lingered on Mikan's mind and she was itching for an answer. But she wouldn't dare to ask seeing the current situation between the boys. She could sense the concern and sincerity within Ruka. On the other hand, she felt nothing but darkness within Natsume.
"No, it was my fault," Natsume said, turning away from Ruka. "So stop trying to console me, you stupid idiot." At that, Natsume ran off in a flash.
"Hey, come back here!" Mikan shouted at Natsume. But Natsume didn't stop and continued running until he was out of their sight. Mikan sighed in frustration as she turned to Ruka. "That jerk was so mean. I can't believe he would disregard you like that, Ruka-pyon."
Ruka placed a hand against his temple. "He still doesn't let go of the past until now…" He brushed his fingers through his blonde locks and turned his head at Mikan. "He's still blaming himself, Sakura… I-I don't know what to do with him anymore. I don't want to give up on him, but I—"
"No, don't give up on him, Ruka-pyon!" Mikan grabbed his shoulders and brought him closer to her. Ruka couldn't help blushing when he found his face so close to hers. "You mustn't give up on him, because he's your best friend. We can't change the fact that Natsume's a total jerk right now and his complicated personality is still confusing. I may not understand what's really going on in that thick head of his, but I know that he's shouldering his problems all by himself. That guy seriously needs help, and even though he might act like he doesn't need you, he still does. I'm sure of it."
"But, Sakura, I've tried to change him during these past 5 years and still I—"
Mikan immediately shook him and inched a bit closer to his face. He could feel her hot breath against his skin, as his face turned redder. "Ruka-pyon, no matter how long it takes, you should never lose. Continue to support Natsume as your dear friend. Never give up on him." Giving up wasn't in Mikan's vocabulary. She was always a strong-willed girl.
Yet again Ruka was amazed by Mikan's determination and spunk. She was right. He shouldn't give up on his best friend no matter what. Giving off a handsome smile, Ruka said, "Sakura, let's work together to help change Natsume."
Mikan smiled cutely and held both of his hands. "Let's do our best, Ruka-pyon!" And then she hugged him so tightly, sending the boy's soul to heaven. Kidding. Ruka's whole body just turned bloody red that he was already letting out steam. Though it was like a dream come true to be hugged by the pretty brunette, he felt like his heart was going to explode. In order to get away, Ruka simply reminded her of her taping, which got Mikan into panic mode. "OH NO! I'm SUPER LATE!" she yelled out loud that Ruka had to cover his poor ears.
"Take care, Sakura, and good luck with your taping," Ruka said.
"Yeah! Thanks!" Mikan started dashing towards the exit of the park. As she reached the exit, she stopped and turned around to Ruka. "Hey, I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?! Take care, Ruka-pyon!" After that, she made a run for it again.
Ruka cracked an even wider smile. Truly the brunette was a charming and entertaining friend to have. Not only that, Mikan proved to be a kind-hearted person who was ready to help others in need.
End of Episode 08
Himeno: I have to stop there.
Mikan: Wow! That was good.
Anna: Mikan-chan, you really did a good job saving Natsume-kun.
Nonoko: Mikan-chan, you're so brave.
Mikan: Blushes Um…Thanks…
Himeno: Oh, Mikan-chan, you're so cute when you blush! Kyahhh!!!
Natsume: The stupid author is going fangirl mode again. Such an idiot.
Himeno: Hyuuga, as usual, you're mouth is as rotten as your attitude. Well, I'll be revealing some of your past in the next chapter.
Natsume: Hmph… My past is nothing important.
Himeno: But it's crucial to this story, idiot.
Mikan: I also want to know more about Natsume, so I can't wait for the next chapter.
Anna&Nonoko: Me too!!!
Himeno: Readers, don't forget to review my story.
Mikan: Please don't flame. Constructive criticisms are welcome.