Himeno: Back with another chapter!
Mikan: Himeno-chan, MTM isn't a kiss right? You see, Ruka-pyon did MTM to me…
Himeno: He did that to save you, Mikan-chan! You should be glad!
Mikan: But it's like a kiss.
Himeno: I know… Well, at least Ruka-pyon's kiss is far better than Hyuuga's, right?
Mikan: Eh? Why are you bringing up Natsume?
Himeno: Hehe! That's because he's your first kiss.
Mikan: Please don't remind me…
Himeno: It was such a tasty first kiss too. What flavor was it? Strawberry…?
Mikan: Don't bring that up, please!
Himeno: Aww… Mikan-chan, you're so cute when you pout.
Mikan: Erm… Let's just start the story.
Himeno: Sure thing! Ahem… I don't own Gakuen Alice.
Natsume the Jerk
Episode 16: Start of Admiration
Aoi let out a very loud scream after Mikan told her and her brother the whole story about she saved the puppy and how Ruka saved her. Of course, Mikan didn't tell them about the mouth-to-mouth thing, since it was kind of embarrassing.
Natsume whacked Aoi's head for being so noisy. "You're voice is too loud and irritating," he grumbled. "Try not to overreact again, baka buriko."
The younger Hyuuga rubbed her head to soothe the pain and gave Natsume the puppy-dog look. "Onii-chan, you didn't have to hit me," she said.
"Yeah, Natsume," Mikan added as she hit Natsume with a throw pillow. "It's not cool to hit a girl."
Natsume narrowed his gaze at Mikan and grabbed a pillow. "And why should I listen to you?" He threw the pillow at Mikan, but the young idol dodged it with ease.
Aoi straightened up and looked at Mikan with a smile. "Let's continue talking about what happened," she said. "So, how's the puppy you saved?"
"It's fine. I'm sure Ruka-pyon took good care of it." Mikan imagined the puppy again, thinking how cute and adorable it was, and giggled.
"You can always count on Ru-chan when it comes to animals."
"Well, I'm really grateful that Ruka-pyon was there to save me," Mikan said. "I almost drowned."
Aoi clasped her hands together. "Mikan-chan, please be careful next time," she said out of concern. "You should think of yourself before going out to save someone."
"When I saw the puppy, I just really thought of saving it and nothing else. That's why I just jumped into the river."
The two girls continued to chat about the experience while Natsume just stared at Mikan in silence. The whole almost-drowning thing did make him a little concern, since the brunette was the victim, but somehow he felt like Mikan's story was somewhat lacking. What happened after she was saved? What did she and Ruka do? In his mind, he imagined his best friend and Mikan sitting together in the limousine, all wet yet happy. For some reason, he felt irritated because of that.
The doorbell rang, and Mikan immediately went to see who it was. As she opened the door, she was greeted by the bright and handsome smile of her favorite senpai, Tsubasa Andou. "Senpai, you're here!" she said happily as she gave him a warm hug.
Natsume silently grew furious inside the minute he saw the brunette hugging the older guy. On the other hand, Aoi gasped in surprise. She knew who Tsubasa Andou was and she was actually a big fan. "Kyaahhh!! It's Tsubasa-sama!" Aoi squealed. Good thing Natsume covered his ears in time.
"Urusai, baka…" Natsume hit Aoi's head again, and she just pouted cutely.
"Why are you here, senpai?" Mikan asked as she released Tsubasa. "Do you need something from me?"
Tsubasa shook his head and carried her bridal style. "I just came here to visit my favorite kouhai," he said, and Mikan just blushed slightly. "I want to see if your new home is good for you."
Natsume clenched one fist. He had the urge to tear Tsubasa into pieces for carrying Mikan like that.
"I'm happy that senpai is here to visit me," Mikan said, fiddling with her fingers, "but can please let me down. Aoi-chan and Natsume are watching us." Of course, she was oblivious to the fact that Natsume was sending death glares at Tsubasa.
However, Tsubasa noticed the glare and the dangerous aura Natsume was emitting. He's jealous…Interesting… He placed Mikan down and patted her on the shoulder. "So, can I come in?"
Before Mikan could answer, Natsume butted in by saying "No…" Tsubasa only smiked as he leaned sideway on the doorway. The smirk only irked Natsume even more. "You're not welcomed here, so get out now."
Tsubasa crossed his arms. "I know you're the man of the house and you have every right to send me away…" He removed his hat and took a few steps forward. "But may I ask why am I not welcomed? I'm Mikan's senpai, after all."
"I don't want any stupid guys in my house," Natsume muttered, turning his back at him. He planned on walking away until…
"Hmm…That's funny…" Tsubasa chuckled to himself "You don't want stupid guys in your house? But aren't you quite stupid as well?"
Natsume popped a vein and shot a glare at Tsubasa. "Get out now," he demanded, trying to control himself from attacking the model.
"Hey, Natsume, you're being so rude to senpai," Mikan said. She had always respected and admired her Tsubasa-senpai, and she doesn't tolerate anyone who badmouths or insults him.
Natsume let out a raw sigh of frustration. He was acting like a big jerk again and he was aware of that. But he couldn't help himself. Seeing Tsubasa so close to Mikan was like eating him alive. He didn't dare to say anything anymore. He just walked away and went upstairs to his room.
Mikan turned to her senpai and bowed her head. "I'm sorry about that, senpai. Natsume can be a bit of…Well…you know…"
Aoi bowed her head as well and apologized for her brother's behalf. Normally, her brother was cold-hearted to everyone, but she was puzzled by the way he acted towards Tsubasa. It was different from usual. And she noticed that he grew more irritated when Tsubasa carried Mikan. Don't tell me he's jealous. If he is, then he's probably…
"Tsubasa-sama is so cool!" Aoi gushed the next day at breakfast. "I was so happy that he came to visit. I've wanted to meet him for a long time now. Yesterday was like a dream. I swear I'm going to treasure the autograph he gave me. "
Mikan looked up from her vegetable omelet to Aoi. "You were almost out of breath when he was talking to you," she said, twisting her fork on her place. "And you couldn't take your eyes off of him. You're quite the fan, Aoi-chan."
"Thanks!" Aoi replied, grabbing her glass of warm milk. "Tsubasa-sama is my favorite model. But of course, you're my number one idol, Mikan-chan," she said, her face glowing with admiration.
Mikan blushed at her remark. "Arigato, Aoi-chan," she said.
The two girls ate their breakfast in silence for a while before they engaged into another conversation. They were chatting aimlessly for minutes until Natsume stepped into the kitchen. He looked like he woke up from the wrong side of the bed, since his hair was sticking out everywhere and he had bags under his eyes.
"Onii-chan, did you sleep late again last night?" Aoi asked.
"No…" Natsume answered shortly and walked over the refrigerator. He opened the refrigerator and took out a carton of fresh milk.
"If you didn't sleep late, then what's with the eye bags?" Mikan commented before taking another bite of her omelet.
"Just slept this morning at 3…" Natsume answered.
The girls just gasped in surprise. Mikan almost choked with her food. "Three in the morning?!" she uttered. "What were you doing all night?"
"It's none of your business." Natsume poured the milk into a glass and went to sit down at the table.
Mikan gave him a mischievous look. "Then do you want me to guess?" she asked in a playful tone.
Natsume just raised a brow and shrugged. "Do what you want," he muttered. He picked up the omelet from the platter and placed it on his own plate.
Mikan smirked. "You were playing erotic games all night, weren't you?" she said as soon as Natsume sipped his milk.
He almost spewed the milk out and dropped the glass. "What?" was all he could say to Mikan It wasn't clear on his face, but he was definitely surprised by what she said.
Aoi dropped her fork on her plate. "Onii-chan, you play erotic games?" she asked, looking stunned.
Natsume placed the glass on the table and rose from his seat. He shot Mikan a deadly glare, but the brunette wasn't intimidated one bit. "You're saying nonsense as usual," he said coldly.
"Really now…" Mikan folded her arms over her chest. "I've been to your room, Natsume, and you have a drawer full of Bishoujo games, dating sims, and H-Games. Don't try to deny it. I saw them."
"Onii-chan, I can't believe it," Aoi said, almost sobbing.
"It's no wonder you're a pervert, Natsume," Mikan said, feeling triumphant.
Natsume didn't know what to say. He was at a complete loss. He had been outsmarted by Mikan again. He had always made sure the drawer with his games was always locked. He wondered how Mikan was able to see them. Well, he had only started playing bishoujo games five years ago and nobody knew that secret of his, not even his parents, except for Ruka. He didn't even tell his sister.
"So, Natsume, am I right?" Mikan asked, her cunning smirk turning into a friendly smile. "Did you play games all night?"
Natsume sat back down and munched down on his omelet. "What if I did?" he muttered frustratingly.
"Onii-chan, you didn't tell me you play those kinds of games?" Aoi placed a finger on her cheek. "Um…Mind if I play them too?"
He slammed a hand on the table, which startled Aoi and Mikan, and narrowed his crimson eyes at his sister. "No way…" he said. His sister was way too stupid and young to play such games, and she might get funny ideas about it.
"Onii-chan, you're being stingy," Aoi said, sticking her tongue out.
"Do you want me to cut your tongue?"
Aoi clamped her mouth and shook her head.
"Good. Now stay quiet," he said. He turned to Mikan as he poked his omelet with the fork. "And you…If you tell this to anybody, I'll have your head."
Mikan made a peace sign and giggled so cutely. "I won't tell… Don't worry." She was never the type to spread a person's secret. Plus, knowing Natsume's secret was interesting for her, and she can tease Natsume all she wants with it. It was fun to tease a grouchy person.
Natsume was a bit relieved when Aoi stood up and picked up her plate. "I'm going to clean up my room today," she said. "What are you going to do, Mikan-chan?"
"I have work later at the studio," Mikan said.
"All right…" Aoi walked to the sink and placed her plate down. After that, she went out of the kitchen.
Mikan was already done with breakfast, but she decided to spend time with Natsume since she had nothing else to do. "Natsume, do you really enjoy playing dating sims?" she asked, looking keenly at him. "I just can't picture you enjoying a game. If only you smile a lot, then I can probably—"
"I do," Natsume cut in quickly. "But I get bored right away. Those games are just something to pass the time."
"And I thought you only read mangas to pass the time." Mikan lightly laughed. "Anyway, how do you buy H-games? I heard that you can only buy them if you're 18 and up."
"I have my ways…" he said, sipping his milk.
"Hmm…So, what made you interested in them?"
Natsume groaned. "And why should I tell you that, polka-dots?"
"C'mon, just tell me." Mikan tugged on his shirt. "And don't call me polka-dots, hentai…"
"Do you have to be nosy all the time? You're really annoying," he said, finishing his breakfast. "But if you really want to know, then feel free to ask Ruka about it. He knows." There was a perfectly good explanation to why he doesn't want to tell Mikan personally.
"Eh? You found out about the games?" Ruka muttered in surprise. "And I thought Natsume was always careful." He and Mikan sat down at the bench near the school gardens. They were about to have lunch.
Mikan settled her lunchbox on her lap and opened it. "Actually, I accidentally stumbled upon those games," she said with a giggle. "He has quite the collection. It seems like Natsume really likes playing those games. Some of his games are even based on an anime and manga series."
Ruka smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, he really does…" he said. He opened his own lunchbox and started eating.
"Who would've thought that a mean guy like him would play such games?" Mikan picked up a wiener with her chopsticks and flopped it into her mouth. "Natsume doesn't seem to be the type. Well, again I have to say that's he an unpredictable person.
Ruka had to agree with her. She was being right about Natsume's persona. "You know, it's kinda funny how he got interested in Bishoujo games." He stifled a laugh.
"Hmm… Really?" Mikan gave Ruka an interested look.
--Flashback--
Nine year olds, Ruka and Natsume, were at the bookstore. Ruka was searching for a book on how to train dogs and cats. He eventually found the desired book and went to pay for it at the counter. Afterwards, he searched for his best friend. He and Natsume had been friends for over a year now. Even though Natsume was aloof and unfriendly, Ruka thought, he still got along with him just fine. He knew that Natsume wasn't the type of openly show his emotions. He found Natsume at the manga section and saw him scanning the pages of a shounen manga.
"Is that good?" Ruka asked, pointing at the said manga.
Natsume shut the manga closed and placed it back on the shelf. "It sucks," he plainly said. He bent down and picked up five mangas on the floor. He had selected those a while ago and he was planning on buying them.
"Five? That's a lot…" Ruka muttered. "You really like reading mangas, huh?"
"You just stated the obvious, dummy," Natsume said nonchalantly. He went to the counter and paid for the mangas.
The two left the bookstore and went into an ice cream parlor. Since it was a hot day, ice cream would really feel good to them. As soon as the waiter took their orders, Natsume put out one of his newly bought mangas and began reading it.
Ruka looked at the cover of the manga, taking note that the art was really beautiful. The cover featured a young brunette girl with hair tied in pigtails, and she was surrounded by cherry blossom petals. Standing back to back against her was a young raven-haired boy with glasses. "Natsume, you're reading romance?"
"Just because the cover art features a couple, it doesn't mean that it's romance, you idiot," Natsume said nonchalantly, flipping one page. "This is a Shounen manga. There are few romantic scenes, but most of them involve demons and sorcery.
"Demons and sorcery…" Ruka took a good look at the picture again and noticed the girl's outfit. It was a wizard's outfit, and the boy behind her had impish ears of a demon. He should know that his best friend will never go for romance, he thought.
Later at night, Natsume and Ruka were at the latter's enormous bedroom. They were munching on some chips and popcorns. Natsume was sleeping-over tonight and he was already in the night attire. It was his first time to stay over at Ruka's, considering that they've been friends for quite a while now.
"I never had anyone sleep over at my house before," Ruka said as he spread out the sleeping bag for Natsume on the floor.
"With a room this big, I could sure live here," Natsume said, leaning back on the comfy couch, as he read his manga. "This room is larger than our living room. Your family's damned rich."
Ruka grabbed some chips and ate them. "Well, both my parents are successful," he said. "By the way, you wanna watch a movie or play PS2 games?"
Natsume briefly glanced at Ruka and said, "I'm fine with whatever…" Then he went back to reading.
"Hmm…I don't think you want to do both," Ruka said, chuckling, as he reached for the remote. He turned on his flat screen TV and in an instant an image of a brunette girl wearing pigtails came into view. "A concert?"
The girl was about his age and she was really cute. She was wearing an adorable white-pink cat costume, which Ruka found to be well-suited for her, and she was holding a microphone. She stood in front of a large audience who was cheering out for her. For someone at her age, she was sure popular. And when she started to sing a very upbeat and cheerful song, Ruka couldn't help but be amazed by her golden voice.
"Now I remember…" Ruka said, tapping his finger on his cheek. "She's known as the rising goddess today, since she instantly became popular at her first debut in showbiz."
Natsume raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't tell me you're interested in her?" he questioned in a monotonous voice.
"No way…" Ruka replied. He was just stating a fact about the girl. He didn't mean it to sound like he was interested in her. But he had to admit that the brunette idol was fairly attractive.
Natsume decided to take a look at the idol on screen. As the camera focused on her at a different angle, his cold façade almost slipped up, because he realized that the girl almost looked exactly like the girl in the manga he's reading. He continued to stare at the girl until Ruka switched the TV to video mode. He blinked once and immediately shifted his eyes towards his manga.
"Since you like manga, I was wondering if we could play this…" Ruka pulled out a Bishoujo game from his drawer and showed it Natsume. He got that game as a gift from one of his father's clients at the clinic. He was father was a veterinarian and he had a large number of clients who are teenagers. "This is kinda easy to play."
The cover of the disc also had a picture of a brunette girl wearing pigtails, and it reminded Natsume again about the idol. Somehow, he wanted to try the game at once. "Fine then, let's play…" he said, maintaining a stoic face.
For the next hours, the boys played the game and ate junk food. It was almost midnight before Ruka felt sleepy and suggested that they should sleep. But his best friend seemed too engrossed with the game. "We can save that and continue in the morning," Ruka told him.
Without even looking at him, Natsume replied, "I can finish this now. If you're really sleepy, then go ahead and sleep. No one's stopping you." He was practically keeping his eyes glued on the brunette pigtailed girl on screen.
Ruka was so used to Natsume's frosty replies that he didn't mind it anymore. He figured that Natsume was being Natsume if he was cold and rather rude. "All right… Just remember to turn it off properly once you're done."
Natsume shrugged. "You don't have to tell me that, dummy. I have my own PS2 at home."
"I was just saying, Ruka replied with a smile. He could see that Natsume had grown to love the Bishoujo game, especially the pigtailed character, but he wouldn't dare say that to him. He crawled between the sheets on his bed and settled his head on the pillow. "I'm going to sleep now. Oyasumi, Natsume…"
Natsume only nodded his head in reply.
Ruka slightly chuckled and did it softly so Natsume wouldn't hear. It was just amusing to see his cold and aloof best friend enjoying the game, even though his face wasn't showing it.
--End of Flashback--
"Oh…It's kinda hard to believe…" Mikan said as she placed her lunch down beside her. "And what's the deal with him and pigtailed girls?"
"There are a lot of characters in the manga with that hairstyle, and I think he's interested in one or two of them," Ruka explained as he finished his lunch. "I usually tease him about it, and I get a glare from him in return. Natsume doesn't like to admit his inner thoughts and feelings."
Mikan sighed. "Yeah… He's really like that," she said. "By the way, about the idol in your little flashback there…" She looked at him with a cheerful smile and brought her face near his.
Ruka blushed madly and quickly turned away. "Erm…Um…Well…" He was stuttering a lot and he mentally slapped himself for being so shy. "It was you… That was the first time Natsume and I saw you on TV…"
"That concert was one of my first," she said, her expression turning solemn. She recalled someone very important there and smiled inwardly. "She was still there when I performed…" She said this so softly that Ruka wasn't able to hear it properly.
"Sakura, you were saying something?"
She shook her head as she looked up at him. "No..." She stood up and stretched out her arms. "I guess it's almost time for class again. Let's go back, Ruka-pyon." If she let herself think about her past memories with that someone, then she would probably end up crying. She wouldn't want to let Ruka see her crying so suddenly. That would be weird, she thought.
Ruka felt something odd about Mikan's expression, but he didn't question about it. "All right, let's go," he said, rising from the bench.
The two of them started towards the middle school building. As they talked along the way, some students who saw them thought of them as a couple. From the way Ruka and Mikan interacted, they could really pass as a couple. Ruka was always polite and a gentleman to Mikan. On the other hand, Mikan was always sweet and friendly to Ruka. Both of them shared gentle personalities and were famous, making them perfect for the eyes of many.
Natsume was just right around the corner when he heard the murmurs and whispers of the students. He felt a knot in his stomach as he gazed upon his best friend and polka-dots. The smile on Mikan's face was just too bright and warm, and he hated the fact that she was giving such a smile to Ruka.
Natsume couldn't concentrate in class. Well, he wasn't a diligent student to begin with, so he doesn't listen during class. But the nagging feeling his heart was a bother to him. It was depriving him from enjoying his manga. And what was the cause of this? It was all thanks to Mikan and Ruka. For the rest of the classes in the afternoon, they interacted a lot, shared ideas about the lessons, and compared notes. Another thing was the fact they didn't even talk to him during class, not even one glance from Mikan.
It was only after class that Mikan talked to him. But she only told him to wait for her at the gate because she still had cleaning duty. And so, Natsume waited by the school gate for the brunette, feeling very bored—even though he was reading his manga.
"Yo, Natsume Hyuuga!" a familiar voice sparked sudden fury in him. He looked up from his manga and saw Tsubasa, clad in a black shirt and jeans, approaching him. He merely glared at Tsubasa and rolled his eyes away.
"Snobbish as usual, huh?" Tsubasa said, patting his back.
Natsume slapped his hand away and narrowed a gaze at him. "Don't you dare touch me again," he said in a deadly tone.
Tsubasa heaved a deep sigh as he scratched the back of his head. "You really don't like me, do you?" he muttered. "And I wonder why…" He gave a look with mischief written all over it. He was going to tease Natsume again.
"It's because you're damned annoying," Natsume retorted, shutting his manga closed. "So, go away."
"We're not in your house, so you can't tell me what to do." Tsubasa had a good point, and it only made Natsume more irritated than before. "And your reason is too shallow. You don't like me because I'm so close to Mikan. You're jealous of me, aren't you?"
Bingo! Tsubasa was absolutely correct, much to Natsume's dismay. He thought he was so good in hiding his emotions, but his jealousy was pointed out by the young model. In any case, he can't let Tsubasa get the best of him. "And why should I be jealous of you, idiot?"
Tsubasa suddenly grabbed Natsume and placed him in a headlock. "That's because you're in love with my cute little kouhai," he said, ruffling Natsume's raven hair.
"Let me go, baka," Natsume growled, pushing Tsubasa away. "I'll definitely kill you. And about what you said…It's not true. I'm not in love with that clumsy girl."
"You're in denial, stupid. I know love when I see one, you know."
"Then you're really mistaken."
"No, I'm not."
"Hmm…Then you won't mind me kissing Mikan?" Tsubasa said, as Natsume's eyebrows twitched.
Natsume knew that Tsubasa was just playing him, so he tried to resist landing one punch on the guy. "Go ahead and kiss her," he said with slight hesitation. "I don't care."
"Is that so?" Tsubasa saw Mikan coming towards them with her skates on and waved a hand at her. "Yo, Mikan!"
Natsume's ears reacted to Mikan's name, and casually he turned his head to see the brunette. "Tch…You had to make me wait this guy—"
Tsubasa immediately cut him off. "Mikan, let's go on a date!" His plan on making Natsume jealous as hell was starting. He swore that he'll make Natsume admit his feelings for Mikan. He spread out his arms, and Mikan lunged forward for the hug.
"Of course!" Mikan answered happily. "I would love to go on a date with you." She had been going on friendly dates with her favorite senpai since she was little.
"I'll try to find free time for the both of us. I'll just inform you later about the venue and the time, okay?"
"Yeah!" Mikan said, still hugging her senpai.
Tsubasa looked at Natsume, and when he saw the enraged expression on his face, he just smirked widely. Now then… The kiss… Let's see how you are going to stop me… He pulled away to face Mikan and brushed his hand through her brown hair. "You're really cute as usual, Mikan…" he said. He leaned forward to kiss Mikan on the temple, but a manga suddenly appeared in between him and Mikan. "What the?!"
Mikan, being very innocent, only turned to Natsume curiously. "Um…Natsume, what are you doing?" she asked.
What was he doing? Well, Natsume was going crazy inside. He was being calm on the outside, but his mind was throwing thousands of curses at Tsubasa already. He definitely fell for Tsubasa's plan, and his little action just proved that he was jealous.
Tsubasa smirked proudly. "I knew it… I was right all along…" he said, releasing the brunette from his arms. "You can't fool me, Natsume." He pushed the manga away from his face.
Mikan tilted her head in confusion. "Right all along? What are you talking about, Tsubasa-senpai?"
"Well, Natsume here actually has a big—"
Natsume immediately blocked his mouth with his manga and shot him a glare. "If you say it then you'll die," he threatened him.
"I guess you'll just have to say it when the time comes," Tsubasa said, winking an eye at him. He patted Mikan's shoulders and gave her a smile.
Mikan really didn't know what was going on between Tsubasa and Natsume. She figured that it was a guy thing, so she didn't question them about it.
End of Episode 16
Himeno: Tsubasa-senpai is so cool.
Tsubasa: Hehe… Thanks a lot…
Himeno: You're always good at teasing Natsume. Hehe… That jerk gets easily jealous.
Tsubasa: I know. He just won't admit that he likes Mikan.
Himeno: Are you going to tease Ruka-pyon as well? He likes Mikan too.
Tsubasa: I'm planning on that.
Himeno: That's great! I can't wait!
Aoi: Himeno-chan, when are you really going to reveal how are parents died?
Himeno: Oh, it's in chapter 18.
Aoi: Eh? But next chapter is 17. You're planning to make the readers anxious.
Himeno: Yeah… That's because I'm going to introduce an OC of mine in the next chapter.
Aoi: And that would be?
Himeno: A relative of yours, Aoi-chan? He's the one who's been supporting you financially.
Aoi: Oh, is that so?
Himeno: It's going to be a little shocking too.
Aoi: Please don't forget to review. NO flaming!