Himeno: Minna-san, genki-desu? Watashi wa Sakura Himeno desu… Domo Arigato for reading my fanfic. I'm quite flattered that Jc-Zala is also one of my reviewers.

Anna: Ne, Himeno-chan… Natsume-kun and Mikan-chan are getting along quite well.

Nonoko: If this keeps up, they might be a couple someday.

Kokoroyomi: Couple, huh? That'll be the day.

Sumire: No way! My Natsume-kun will never fall in love with Sakura-san!

Anna: Shouda-san, Natsume-kun isn't yours…

Sumire: I'm the president of his fan club, so I have every right to say that.

Nonoko: Shouda-san, how about Ruka-kun? I think Ruka-kun likes Mikan-chan.

Sumire: That can't be!

Kokoroyomi: I smell a love triangle.

Sumire: Hey! We're not even sure of their feelings yet!

Himeno: Hmm… You better just shut up, permy. And please don't claim the two boys are yours.

Sumire: You can't tell me what to do!

Himeno: Do you want me to torture you in this chapter?

Sumire: Erm…

Himeno: Thought so… You're all talk. Anyway, putting permy aside, I hope you readers are ready for this one. I've worked hard on this chapter late at night. I didn't practically sleep because of this. My sister scolded me a couple times. Hehe…

Sumire: Enough with that and start the story…

Himeno: Hold your horses, permy… Sigh… Oh well… Just remember that I don't own Gakuen Alice.

Natsume the Jerk

Episode 11: The New Housemate is an Idol

Mikan spent a good time with the cast and crew of 'Sakura Kiss'. By the time she got home, she was worn out from acting and performing some stunts. It had been hard work, but she enjoyed the taping very much. She had been offered to do commercials for shampoos and beauty products, and her manager had taken some of the offers. Mikan had agreed with it, since she loved doing commercials.

She took a soda to her room. She was lying on her bed with her eyes closed when her manager came into her room.

"Mikan," Serina said. She looked at Mikan peacefully. "You really look worn out. I don't think soda would replenish your energy."

Mikan opened one eye. "It doesn't matter," she said. "I'm going to sleep anyway."

Serina sighed. "You haven't told me about your little sleepover. How did it go? I hope Hyuuga kept his word by not harassing you or anything like that."

"Serina-san!" Mikan uttered wryly. "Nothing happened between us. We did argue a lot, but there nothing more than that."

"That's good to hear. If Hyuuga did anything to you, I would personally have him killed," Serina said with a firm nod of her head.

Mikan felt chills running down her spine. Her manager can sometimes be scary.

"But may I ask how he is?"

Mikan propped herself up on her elbows and thought about a minute. "Let's see," she said. "He's getting better. At least, he doesn't treat his sister like dirt unlike before. He still likes teasing me for some reason. He didn't push Ruka-pyon away today either. They hang out for the whole day, though Natsume is not being friendly."

Serina smiled sincerely. It occurred to her what was behind Natsume's change. "He's getting better because of you, Mikan," she said.

"I don't think I—"

"Please continue being friends with him."

The brunette's hazel eyes grew wide after what she said. "But I'm already his friend…Erm…I think…" She tapped her finger on her cheek.

"Don't leave him in the dark, Mikan." Serina headed toward the door. Then she turned and gave her star a warm, encouraging smile. "Do your best."

Mikan laid back down on her bed and sighed. "I don't understand what you're saying, Serina-san. Leave him in the dark?"

Early Saturday morning, Mikan was still sleeping soundly on her comfy bed when Tsubasa came into her room and sat on her bed.

"Wake up, chibi," the handsome model said, shaking his little kouhai's shoulder.

"Give me 10 more minutes, senpai," Mikan said sleepily, burrowing under the covers.

"A girl named Aoi Hyuuga came here to see you," Tsubasa said. "She said that something terrible has happened."

Mikan immediately jarred her eyes open and sat up on the bed. "Terrible? What is that about?" Somehow, she had a bad feeling.

Tsubasa shrugged. "I don't know," he said sympathetically. "But that girl had teary eyes. You should hurry up, Mikan." He placed a kiss on her temple and patted her head. He gave her a significant look before he stood up and exited the room.

"Aoi-chan…" Mikan muttered under her breath. Without another moment to spare, she jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed in a simple pink t-shirt and white shorts. After that, she went downstairs and saw Aoi sitting on the sofa.

"Mikan-chan!" Aoi said. Tsubasa was right. She had tears in her crimson eyes. "Mikan-chan, please help me!" She ran towards the brunette and hugged her tight.

"W-What happened?" Mikan wrapped her arms around the younger girl. At that point, she was begun thinking that Natsume might be the cause of her tears again. "What did that stupid Natsume do to you this time?" She silently cursed him under her breath.

Aoi shook her head rapidly. "Onii-chan did nothing. But he's hurt pretty badly!" She was clearly in a panic state. "This morning, I found Onii-chan by the doorstep all beaten up and unconscious. I didn't know what to do. Please help, Mikan-chan."

"Eh? He's hurt?!" Mikan felt a sudden pang in her heart. "W-We should go now!" She grabbed Aoi's hand and literally dragged her out.

The two of them ran all the way from the mansion towards the Hyuuga Residence. It was a good thing they lived so close. When they reached the said place, Aoi led Mikan to the living room where she saw Natsume lying on the couch. Aoi wasn't kidding when she said that Natsume was beaten up. The wounds and bruises on his body were no laughing matter.

"N-Natsume…" Mikan was appalled at the sight. She knelt down before the couch and brushed her hand against Natsume's cheek. "Who did this to him?" she asked herself.

Aoi couldn't hold back her tears. She had almost fainted earlier when she saw him at the doorstep, and with all her strength, she had managed to drag her brother into the living room and placed him on the couch. "This is the first time I saw him like this. He doesn't faint after fights." She cried and trembled in fear for her brother.

"Yeah…I know Natsume's a great fighter, so why did this happen?" Mikan began removing his shirt. "Aoi-chan, I need first aid, quick!" The wounds weren't serious, but it still needed to be treated properly. When Aoi came back with the first-aid kit, Mikan immediately started working on Natsume.

Aoi watched her brunette idol quietly, trying to hold back her sobs. The brother she knew was always strong and he would never lose a fight. He would sometimes go home with bruises everywhere, but he was still capable of walking properly as if nothing happened to him. But, at that moment, Aoi couldn't believe that Natsume looked like he lost the fight somehow.

"There…" Mikan said after she wrapped the bandages around Natsume's wounded arm. She had placed patches all over his bruised body and some band-aids on his right cheek and at the side of his forehead. "He'll be okay."

"I'm sorry for dragging you all the way here, Mikan-chan," Aoi said with a sigh as she took a seat. "I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sure that I've been a bother to you."

Mikan approached the raven-haired girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right. Besides, I'm always here when you need me, Aoi-chan. I'm willing to help you and Natsume any time. You can count on it."

"Thanks…" Aoi's lips curved into a smile. "Thank you, Mikan-chan…" It was really great to have Mikan as a friend. The brunette had been nothing but kind to her, and she was starting to feel the need to repay her back somehow. She was in the middle of her brooding when her tummy suddenly grumbled.

Mikan giggled at the sound. "You haven't had breakfast yet, right? Well, me too." She walked towards the kitchen and turned back at Aoi. "What would you like for breakfast, Aoi-chan?" she asked.

"Omelet!" uttered Aoi.

"All right, omelet it is!" Mikan made a swift twirl and faced the kitchen. But as soon as she took a step forward, Aoi let out gasp and stood up from her seat. "What's the matter?" she asked, peering over her shoulders to look at Aoi.

"I just remembered that we ran out of eggs!" Aoi said, placing both hands on her cheeks. "I'll go buy some!" In a blink of an eye, Aoi zoomed out of the house and went straight to the nearest convenience store.

Mikan scratched her head. "I didn't know Aoi-chan can run that fast." Aoi did tell her about her lack of skills in athletics. Mikan was willing to teach her sports if she had time. "Now I have to wait till she comes back." She walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch. She stretched out her arms a bit and yawned. She was still sleepy since it was still early. She wouldn't usually wake up till its noon during weekends.

She looked at Natsume for a while and wondered about his past life again. Natsume…Why are you blaming yourself for your parents' death? I don't understand you. She couldn't come up with the perfect reasons for his actions. I know you're trying to get along with Aoi-chan and Ruka-pyon, but you're still shutting yourself from the world like a bird in a cage. Mikan rubbed her temples and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She had a lot to learn about Natsume.

Aoi was taking a lot longer than she'd expected. Mikan was kind of getting bored. There was a bookshelf by the living room, so she decided to check out if there were any books that she can read. She wasn't fond of reading books, but it was better than doing nothing. She scanned the shelves and sighed in disappointment. The books were all boring. But when she came across a photo album, she took it out and opened it. "It's a family album…" she muttered, looking at the pictures inside.

There was a picture of Natsume's parents. Mikan was so amazed with Natsume's mother. She was like a Madonna—the queen of beauty—and her eyes were red like the siblings'. She also noticed that Natsume looked like his mother. "Hmm…So this is their mother…" She flipped to the next page and saw a close-up picture of Natsume's father carrying a 2-year old Aoi in his arms. The father was smiling widely as Aoi was pulling his hair. Mikan giggled at this. It was such a cute picture, and Aoi looked adorable.

Looking at those pictures, Mikan could say that Natsume had a great family once. Then he changed after his parents died… Mikan closed the album and stood there for a while. How did his parents die in the first place? So many questions ran through her head and she wanted answers, though she can't force Aoi or Natsume to tell her. It would only bring painful memories to them for sure, she thought.

She snapped back from her thoughts when she heard Natsume grumble. Mikan placed the album back into its proper place and motioned over to his side and noticed that he was gaining consciousness. A smile appeared on her face as Natsume slowly opened his eyes. "Natsume, are you all right?" she asked.

Natsume's vision was a little blurry when he opened his eyes. He had to blink several times before he could see well. "You…? What are you doing here?" He tried to sit up, but the pain shot through his body like a thousand needles. He quickly lied back down and groaned.

"Baka, you shouldn't get up yet," Mikan told him with a warning finger. "You're totally hurt."

"Tch…" He rolled his eyes away from her. "So, what are you doing here anyway?"

"Aoi came over to my place to fetch me," Mikan answered. "She asked for my help, because she didn't know what to do with you. I treated all your wounds, but it's better if you let a doctor check up on you."

She treated all his wounds, he silently thought. Natsume could see that he was shirtless and there were bandages all over his body. He wanted to thank Mikan for her help, but he wasn't the type to say thanks. "Aoi that idiot…" he grumbled under his breath. "She didn't need to ask for your help."

Mikan pulled his ear hard. "Don't call her an idiot, baka hentai!" she shouted.

"Shut up, polka-dots. You're annoying."

"Polka-dots?!" Mikan clenched one hand into a fist. "I have a name, Natsume, or are you just too stupid to say it?!"

"No, I just don't feel like it," he said nonchalantly. "Besides, nicknames are much better."

"You really know how to get on my nerves, Natsume…" She heaved a deep sigh to release some frustration. "Anyway… I saw pictures of your parents. Your mom is really beautiful, Natsume." She hoped Natsume would talk about his parents. She wanted to find out more about them and his past.

Natsume was a bit surprised. No one had ever talked about his parents to him ever since they died. Though he kept a stoic expression, he felt glad to hear someone complimenting his mother. "What about her?" he replied her, watching her intently.

"What was your mother like?" Mikan asked, and Natsume narrowed his eyes at her. She guessed that he may not like talking about his parents. "Sorry for asking…"

"She was an intimidating woman," Natsume said bluntly. "She was cold and she rarely smiled."

Mikan raised a brow. Was Natsume really talking about his mother or himself? The descriptions about her mother fitted him perfectly as well. "But she was a good mother, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Do you miss her?"

No reply. Natsume simply turned his head away. Of course, as a son, he missed his mother very much. He wasn't just open about it.

"How about your father?"

Yes, he wanted to say that. His father was nothing like his mother in terms of personality, but he was a great man, an artistic one to boot.

Even without his replies, Mikan knew what Natsume truly felt about his parents. "Ne, Natsume, don't get mad at me for asking this…" She lowered her head, staring down at her own two feet. "Why are you blaming yourself for your parents' death?"

"Because it's really my fault," Natsume said straightforwardly. "There's no more to it than that."

"If you keep blaming yourself, then you can't move on," Mikan said, looking at him. "Ruka-pyon said that it wasn't your fault."

Natsume abruptly sat up, despite the pain, and shot her a glare. "It's my fault, got that?! So just shut up!" He winced a little due to the pain.

"Why? What did you do to parents? What exactly is the reason?"

"I don't need to tell you anything."

"Natsume, I'm your friend. You can trust me."

Natsume massaged his temples and laid back down. "You're really persistent," he muttered. "You won't shut up unless I tell you, huh?"

"I wanna hear the whole story, Natsume…"

He stared at her in silence for a while, contemplating whether to tell her or not. He didn't want to admit it but he was scared of what Mikan might think of him after he tells her the story. The memory of his parents' death was still fresh in his mind. Painful and nerve-wrecking as it was, he stayed calm and composed. "I don't feel like telling…" he said.

"EH?? Natsume, stop being stubborn!"

He let out a raw sigh of frustration. "Whatever…" he muttered and carefully stood up from the couch. "I'm hungry. I'll get something to eat."

"Wait! I'll get it for you!" Mikan stopped him from walking by grabbing onto his wounded arm. When Natsume flinched, she quickly released him and bowed her head. "Ah, I'm sorry about that."

"You should think before you act, little girl," Natsume said.

"I know! It's just that you're hurt and you shouldn't get up yet."

"I feel fine. It's not like I'm crippled or anything."

"No!" She sat down on the couch and tugged on Natsume's hand, bearing in mind not to hurt him. "Just sit down and rest. I'll prepare breakfast for you, but I'm still waiting for Aoi-chan to come back with the eggs."

"Let go, polka-dots," he said in an icy tone, trying to scare her with his usual glare, but it didn't work. Mikan then pulled Natsume with full force that he lost balance and fell on top of her on the couch. "Tch…Look at what you did, you annoying girl…" He balanced himself on his elbows and looked down at her.

At that moment, time seemed to stop as he met her hazel eyes. She was in a state of shock as she stared at him with a blushing face. Natsume found it to be cute and he couldn't help being drawn towards her lips. He had kissed those lips before and he wanted to taste it again. His fantasy about her came to an end when he heard the front door open.

Mikan got back to her senses and shoved Natsume away from her. "Hentai!" she said, standing up right away. Honestly, her heart was beating so fast. She had to admit that her mind wasn't working properly when she saw his crimson eyes up close. Him being on top of her…Thinking about it made her blush more.

"Not my fault…" he said.

"Not my fault either!" she retorted, turning her back at him.

"I'm back, Mikan-chan," Aoi said, coming into the living room, carrying a plastic bag with a tray of eggs. "Ara…Onii-chan, you're awake! Are you all right?" She approached her brother and smiled.

"What do you think?" Natsume scoffed.

"I'm glad that you're okay, Onii-chan," Aoi said, giggling. "Mikan-chan, I have the eggs. Let's start making breakfast."

Mikan nodded her head like a child. "Sure!"

"I'm pooped," Mikan said at the dinner table that night.

"You were at Natsume-kun's house for the whole morning and did the taping in the afternoon," said Serina, helping herself to some lasagna. "It's no wonder you're tired."

Mikan played with her fork and let out a sigh. "I became that pervert's personal nurse." She clenched one fist as she recalled her day with him. "He really likes teasing me. He's so annoying."

Tsubasa reached for his glass of water. "Isn't that nice? You're getting closer to that Natsume fellow." He sipped his drink and leaned back on his chair. "Maybe you'll fall in love with him someday." He smiled cunningly at her.

Unexpectedly, the blonde manager gave Tsubasa a swift kick under the table.

"Ouch!" Tsubasa cried, reaching down to rub his shin. "Serina-san, what did you do that for?" He whined like a little boy.

Serina pretended to be innocent and stoic as she continued eating her meal. Without even looking at Tsubasa, she told him, "I don't know what you're accusing me for."

Tsubasa shrugged, knowing that he can't argue with the manager. "So anyway," he said. "Do you like Natsume?"

"Of course," Mikan replied, smiling cheerfully as usual, as she showed a thumb up. "He's my friend after all." Ah, she was always the naive type and her denseness had never changed since she was little.

Tsubasa slapped his forehead. "Not as a friend!" He took another sip of water and placed the glass back on the table. "I mean, do you like him more than a friend?"

"Eh?" Mikan raised a curious brow, tilting her head sideward. "More than a friend? What's beyond that, senpai?" She wasn't aware of the fact that Tsubasa was talking about.

"Ah…Young love…" Tsubasa muttered with a firm nod of the head. "It's so nice to fall in love."

Mikan got flustered. "Love? Senpai, I'm not in love with Natsume!" Heck, falling in love with Natsume the jerk would be the last thing she'll ever do. Being friends with him was hard enough already!

"But aren't you getting along with him?" Tsubasa continued with his teasing as the smirk on his face grew. "And that brat is changing because of you."

The manager kicked Tsubasa once again as she sipped her glass of water.

"Oww…That was harder than the last one," Tsubasa grumbled, rubbing his poor shin. "Serina-san, I was only kidding, you know."

Serina looked at him with a stern face, giving Tsubasa a strange and frightful feeling. "Why are you telling me that? I didn't do anything to you." She wiped her mouth with napkin and stood up from her seat. "Well, I have some to arrange Mikan's schedules, so please excuse me." She slightly bowed her head before she turned to leave the dining room.

"Che…Serina-san is quite mean…" Tsubasa shrugged, scratching his head. He, as well as Mikan, went back to their food, and after a brief silence, Tsubasa asked Mikan about Ruka. "You're pretty close to that Ruka guy too. Is he just another fan or a potential boyfriend?"

Mikan almost choked. "Ruka-pyon? Boyfriend? Tsubasa-senpai, he's a friend! Mou…Please stop teasing me about that matter."

"Hmm…Ruka-pyon seems like a nice boy and cute too. If he decides to court you, invite him over any time."

"Senpai…" Mikan sighed deeply. "I don't think that will happen."

Tsubasa chuckled heartily. "Who knows? You can never tell what's going to happen, Mikan."

Mikan thought for a minute. "Then how about you, senpai? When are you getting a girlfriend?" She pointed a finger at him as she smiled mischievously. "It's not hard for you to get a girl, since you're famous and all."

Tsubasa grimaced and looked at his hands. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I'm not interested in girls at the moment," he said happily, though his voice lacked the usual exuberance. "Besides…I still haven't forgotten her…" Before Mikan could reply to him, Tsubasa stood up and walked out of the room.

"Senpai…" Mikan's hazel eyes were shiny with concern. Did I say something wrong? He seemed kinda sad. I wonder…

After dinner, Mikan invited Tsubasa to play a board game with her, but he politely declined and said that he had some stuff to do in his room. But when she peeked into his room to check up on him, she saw him sprawled out on the floor while holding a picture in his hand. She also heard him saying "I miss you" twice at the picture. More questions rose up in her head. Her senior was definitely not his usual self.

Mikan walked slowly around the park, brooding about her favorite senior and the picture. "I've never seen senpai so down," she said. She stepped over a can and fell butt first on the ground. "Oww…That hurts…"

"Sakura?"

Mikan looked up at the person who called her. "Ruka-pyon!" she uttered, quickly getting back to her feet. "You're here! Umm…Good afternoon, I mean, good evening!" She lightly laughed.

"What are you doing here this late at night?" Ruka asked.

"Well, I'm just taking a stroll. It's such a wonderful night and it's such a pity to stay indoors." She kept on babbling unnecessary reasons until the blonde boy stopped her by placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Ah…What was I saying again?"

"Sakura, are you all right? You're acting kinda weird."

Mikan sighed. "I'm worried about Tsubasa-senpai," she said. "I don't know what's wrong but he seems pretty down. He started acting strange when I mentioned about him getting a girl."

"Maybe he's not interested in girls."

"Well, that's true," Mikan said, tapping her cheek. "But he was looking at a picture in his room. The person in that picture might have something to do with his current mood."

"Did you ask him about that?"

Mikan shook her head. "No…But I'll try to ask him." She looked at him and put on a smile. "By the way, what are you doing here, Ruka-pyon?"

"I'm on my way home. I just came from Natsume's house."

"So, how is he? I hope he's resting well. I don't want him pushing himself too much after all the hard work I've done for him." Being his personal nurse was like hell to her. Natsume was being so bossy and demanding all the time that she almost killed him with a knife. It was a good thing Aoi was there to calm her down.

Ruka giggled. "He's doing fine," he replied. "I want to thank you, Sakura, for helping him again."

"No problem. I'm always willing to help out."

Ruka nodded understandingly. "It would be nice if you're with him all the time," he said calmly as he looked up at the starry sky. "Natsume's still cold yet he's becoming the Natsume I've known five years ago."

If I'm with him all the time, huh? Mikan joined him in his star gazing as she began thinking about Natsume. He's not such a bad guy once you get to know him. Sure, the guy was hard to understand, but she had to admit that he was still a person who deserved to be loved and cared.

"Don't leave him in the dark, Mikan." Serina's words came up all of the sudden and at that point, she kind of understood those words. Serina was telling her to always give Natsume her support and be his friend till the end. And because of that, she thought of an interesting idea. "Ruka-pyon!" She grabbed Ruka's hands and leaned forward until her face were just inches away from his.

Ruka blushed so hard that his face looked like a bright red apple. "W-What is it, S-Sakura?" he stammered badly.

"This may sound crazy but it's worth a try," she said excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

She released her hands and hopped a few steps away. "I'm sure Aoi-chan would be pleased and I can't wait to see Natsume's face." She crossed her arms behind her back and smiled happily at Ruka. "I will definitely help Natsume move on. He can't stay in the past forever."

"Sakura…" Ruka's blue eyes softened. Mikan was amazing, he silently thought, and her optimistic nature was admirable. Ruka wished he had the same determination like Mikan. He felt a little strange about her idea, though he didn't know what it was, but he could trust Mikan.

Mikan paused in front of the Hyuuga house the next morning. Settled right beside her was a big pink-white stroller bag with her initials on the side. She had a confident smile on her face. She took a deep breath before stepping inside the house.

"Oh, Mikan-chan," Aoi said in her chirpy voice. She was wearing an apron and a bandana on her head. Aoi was doing some cleaning. "What brings you here? And what's with the bag?" Aoi pointed at the bag behind Mikan.

Mikan perched meekly on the edge of her stroller bag. "I'm going to live her from now on, Aoi-chan."

Aoi's crimson eyes grew wide in an instant. "Live here?!" she uttered, dropping the rag on the floor. "Are you serious?" Her lips were slowly curving into a smile.

Mikan nodded. "I'm serious. My manager agreed to it, as long as I don't neglect my studies and career."

"That's wonderful," Aoi exclaimed, beaming a smile at the brunette. Without hesitation, she lunged forward and hugged her idol. "I can't believe you're going to stay here with me and Onii-chan."

"Seriously?" Natsume interrupted who suddenly appeared from the kitchen. He held the same stoic expression as always. "An annoying girl like you living here with us? Are you crazy?" he said in a deep, cold voice.

"I'm not annoying, Mr. I'm-so-full-of-myself!" Mikan exploded. "I'm going to live here whether you like it or not."

Natsume tore his eyes away from her. "Tch…Do whatever you want. Just don't mess things up here and don't get in my way." He knew that arguing with the brunette would lead him to no good. Besides, he was secretly glad that she was going to live with him under the same roof.

Mikan pursed her lips. "He's such a jerk," she complained, throwing her shoulders back. She then looked at Aoi with a smile. "So, Aoi-chan, I guess I'll be sharing a room with you."

"Huh?" Aoi was surprised. "Are you sure? My room's a bit tiny for us. Do you want to stay in our parents' room instead? It's much bigger."

"Your parents' room?" Mikan muttered. Natsume didn't mention that his parents' room still existed. She could've slept in that room instead of sleeping in one room with him. Natsume had tricked her! Eyebrows twitching, she dashed into the living room and found him sitting on the couch watching TV. "NATSUME!"

Natsume turned to her with a bored expression. "You don't have to shout, polka-dots," he said.

"Why didn't you tell me that you still have a spare room?! I bet you didn't tell me so you can just sleep with me in your room. You're such a pervert!"

Aoi clamped her mouth in surprise. "Mikan-chan slept with Onii-chan in his room?"

Mikan was suddenly struck with awkwardness. "It's not what you think, Aoi-chan. I did sleep with him in one room, but nothing happened to us." She tried her best to explain things, but Aoi seemed unconvinced.

"Wah… Onii-chan, how could you?" Aoi's voice was trembling.

The raven-haired lad sighed. "Stop acting like a weak little girl, idiot," he told his sister. "So, what if something happened between us? It's not like you can do anything about it."

"What?!" Mikan exclaimed, having the urge to punch Natsume. "You're making it look like something did happen to us!"

"Not my problem, so go away," Natsume said coolly as he turned his head back at the television screen.

"Nothing happened, right, Mikan-chan?" Aoi clasped her hands together as she shot Mikan a distressed look. "You and Onii-chan didn't—"

"Of course not!" Mikan hastily replied with a chuckle.

"Then that's good!" Aoi clapped her hands in delight. "I was worried there for a second."

Mikan marched over to Natsume and stood in front of him, blocking his view from the television. "You have a knack of making me angry, jerk." She folded her arms in front of her chest. "I don't know if I'm going to like living here with you, but I won't regret about the decision I make."

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "Whatever… Just move away. I can't see my show."

"Hmph! There's a more polite way to say it, idiot!" Mikan yelled at him. She cleared her throat before she spoke up again. "Since I'll be your new housemate, let's try to get along." She extended her hand to shake with him.

Natsume stared at her hand for a while before he looked up at her. "Get along? Is that even possible for us?" he said nonchalantly, and Mikan nodded. He let out a sigh. "You really are annoying…" Instead of shaking hands with her, he grabbed her hand and forced her sit on his lap.

Mikan, as well as Aoi, gasped. "What do you think you're doing, baka hentai?!" Her face flushed red a little.

"I can't watch TV with you standing there," he replied, looking coldly at her. Though he may not look like he cared, he was indeed happy that Mikan was going to stay with him and be with him everyday. He can't explain his feelings for her, but it felt good to be with her.

End of Episode 11

Himeno: Mikan-chan is going to stay with Hyuuga now.

Aoi: This means that they're going to have more moments!

Anna: How exciting!

Nonoko: Yeah!

Sumire: I won't accept it. Sakura-san is not even part of the fan club and yet she's too close to Natsume-kun and to Ruka-kun too. AH! I can't stand her. And why is Natsume-kun and Ruka-kun so interested in her? What does Sakura-san got that I don't have?

Kokoroyomi: I'll answer that. Let's see… Mikan-chan is a lot cuter than you. She's friendly, energetic, optimistic, super-talented, bright, a little clumsy yet funny, and she's very innocent.

Sumire: Are you trying to make me mad?!

Kokoroyomi: Yes.

Sumire: I'm going to kill you!

Anna: Shouda-san, please calm down.

Nonoko: She's scary when she's mad.

Himeno: Ahh… Permy is in Medusa-mode again.

Aoi: So scary…

Himeno: I'll post the next chapter next week. I hope you like this chapter. Please send in the reviews. No flaming.