Himeno: Kyahh! A lot of good reviews! Thank you so much, readers. You've brightened up my mood.

Kokoroyomi: I read the chapter beforehand and I'm impressed with the romantic moments here.

Sumire: What?! You've read this chapter already?

Kokoroyomi: I was too curious.

Aoi: Kokoyoromi-niichan beat me to it. I haven't even started.

Himeno: Well, Kokoroyomi is such a sly one. I didn't even realize he read it. He probably did that when I wasn't looking.

Kokoroyomi: Don't worry. I won't spoil anyone. This chapter is too good to be spoiled.

Himeno: It's a real treat for NatsumexMikan fans.

Kokoroyomi: That's right.

Sumire: My Natsume-kun and Sakura-san? This can't be happening.

Kokoroyomi: Permy, stop being a fan girl for once. This chapter is extremely important for their budding feelings.

Himeno: Permy, don't try to mess things up for Mikan and Hyuuga.

Sumire: Fine then! Just get started already!

Himeno: I don't own Gakuen Alice. All rights belong to Higuchi Tachibana.

Natsume the Jerk

Episode 31: Attempted Confession

A storm was brewing when everyone in the Hyuuga household was fast asleep. Mikan slept peacefully until she was awakened by the sound of roaring thunder. She let out a shriek as she heard the thunder again. She wasn't afraid of thunder. She hated it because it reminded her of the night her friend died. Trembling, she curled up like a ball and hugged her pillow tight. Silently, she wished for the storm to go away. But her prayers were not answered. The storm only got worse.

Closing her eyes, she recalled her best friend once again. "Hotaru…" she murmured as tears began to fall. "Hotaru… I'm sorry… If it wasn't for me, you would still be here…" She buried her face in her pillow.

All of a sudden, Natsume flung open the door and marched over to her. Because of her sobbing, she didn't realize he was there. "I knew you can't sleep through this storm," he said, sounding heartless as usual. He helped her sat up, and then to her surprise, he embraced her.

She cried silently, her eyes closed, as she buried her face in his chest. "Natsume…" she muttered. "I don't know why I still feel so guilty. I shouldn't blame myself for her death, but—"

"Shut up," Natsume told her, brushing his hands through her soft hair. "Your friend is going to be upset if you keep crying. I don't think she ever wants to see you with such a sad face."

The roar of thunder made her shriek again. "I'm sorry… But I'm always like this during storms. I'm really pathetic, huh? I'm sure Hotaru thinks so." She pulled away from him and wiped away the tears using her sleeves. "Hotaru died during a storm like this. She led those men away to save me. Hotaru wasn't the nicest girl and she was always cold to me, but she was very selfless. She was the best friend I ever had." She bit her lip as she got up from the bed. She didn't want Natsume to look at her face full of regret.

Standing behind her, he was unable to resist reaching around her to cup the round of her shoulders. He buried his face in her hair, sniffing her sweet scent, and said, "What happened to your happy-go-lucky attitude? This isn't like you."

The night gown she was wearing showed off a bit of her shoulders. His hands were warm on her flesh and very comfortable. "I get too emotional during storms. Like I said, I'm really pathetic." She lowered her gaze to the floor.

"You may be ditzy, annoying, and a little reckless sometimes, but you're never pathetic." His voice was questionably soft and gentle. Natsume felt no need to be indifferent at that moment. He released her and walked back around to face her. He tilted her chin up. "I'm sure your friend thinks so too."

"Natsume…" She was finally forced to focus her hazel eyes upon him. She swallowed hard, realizing he was being exceptionally kind to her. It was almost too good to be true. The sound of thunder surprised her yet again. But instead of feeling bad, she remembered the first time she met Hotaru at the park. She remembered how she comforted her with her words. "Hotaru's right… I shouldn't let anything get me down. I should always smile."

Seeing the beautiful smile on her face, Natsume reached out and pulled Mikan against him. "You really have a way of making people worry about you," he crooned, his hand stroking her head gently. "You especially make me worried."

His words confused her and enlightened her at the same time. Before she could ask him, his lips covered hers. Her heart skipped a beat. Why was Natsume kissing her? Was he doing it to comfort her? For some reason, she couldn't push him away from him—even though her mind was telling her to. As he deepened the kiss, she felt her eyelids getting heavier.

Natsume picked up the brunette and brought her to the bed, gently laying her down. Then he held her in his arms. He said nothing as he caressed her cheek with one hand.

"N-Natsume…why?" Her voice was low and feeble.

Without giving a reply, he kissed her face and devoured her lips once again. He then bent to kiss her small ear. He let the tip of his tongue explore the delicate whorl of flesh.

Mikan shivered as she felt the hot wetness in her ear. "What are you doing?" she asked.

He pushed the mass of her brown hair aside and began to kiss the soft nape of her neck. The scent she possessed was intoxicating that set his pulses racing. He nipped tenderly at the back of her neck.

"Natsume…" she started nervously. She was astounded by his behavior. It was surely depraved. Then he surprised her further by pinning her down on the bed, his mouth brushing against her neck. "Please…"

He raised his dark head a moment. "Please, what?"

"I don't know what you're doing, but please stop." Mikan knew the panic was rising up in her and to her surprise he seemed to sense it, too.

Kissing her one more time on the lips, he sat up on the bed. "I must've scared you," he said. "But I couldn't control myself. I want you so much, Mikan."

Mikan widened her eyes in surprise. "N-Natsume…did you just… say my name?" He never called her by name before. He would either call her polka-dots or other insulting words.

"So, what if I did?" he said low, and brushed her lips with his lightly. "And that's because I…" He ran his tongue along her lips tauntingly and stopped before he would lose control over himself. He leapt from the bed and walked out of the room in a hurry.

Touching her lips, she lay back down. She closed her eyes and attempted to ease her uneasiness. The Natsume she had always known was ruthless, rude, and undeniably foul-mouthed. However, the Natsume who was with her a while ago was unbelievably gentle and passionate. She asked herself if it was all a dream, but the raging storm reminded her it was all real.

"Good morning, Ruka-pyon, Aoi-chan!" Mikan greeted the two as they walked into the kitchen the next morning. She had just set the table. The breakfast she made was the traditional Japanese one. "What do you want to drink? Milk or Tea?"

Aoi tapped a finger on her cheek. "Um… I'll have chocolate milk please," she said.

Ruka sat down at the table. "I'll have chocolate milk as well," he said. He looked at the breakfast and smiled. "The food looks great as usual and I'm sure it tastes twice as good."

Flushing a little red, Mikan said, "I always do my best in cooking." She then wondered if Natsume was coming down soon to have breakfast with them. She was quite anxious to see him. Last night seemed like a dream. The way he kissed her and the way he comforted her… There has got to be an explanation for his actions.

She was preparing Aoi's and Ruka's drinks when Natsume came in. She swallowed hard and clutched the mugs a little tighter. She didn't know if she could face him properly. She rushed to finish the drinks and served them to Aoi and Ruka. "G-Good morning, Natsume," she said, reminding herself not to stutter. "Umm… Do you want milk or juice?"

Natsume was staring at her with a cold hard expression. "Milk…" he replied. He took a seat at the table and began eating his breakfast in silence.

After breakfast, the four of them walked together to school. Aoi and Ruka found it weird for Mikan to be awfully quiet. She would usually be the one talking about various topics. Mikan wasn't the only one who was acting unusual. Aoi and Ruka had also noticed Natsume sneaking glances at Mikan. While Ruka felt a little jealous, Aoi couldn't help feeling happy.

When they've arrived at school, Natsume secretly hauled Mikan away to a vacant chemistry lab. Pinning her against the wall, he leaned down to give her a kiss. But Mikan ducked her head and closed her eyes. He groaned softly and fastened his arms firmly around her waist. "Keep still or you'll have to answer to the consequences."

Her cheeks turned a warm, rosy pink. "Natsume, why are you acting this way? Last night you really surprised me. Now you're only scaring me. I think I deserve an explanation. You can't just kiss me whenever you want."

"Don't you realize my feelings for you yet?" His voice was a deep, husky whisper that sent tiny arrows darting along her spine. When his hand slid along the length of her back, she reflexively arched into it. "Don't you realize how much I want you, Mikan?"

Coming from his lips, her name sounded so good. It was the second time she heard him say her name. However, she felt more confused than ever. "What do you mean?" she asked. "What is it that you want from me, Natsume?"

"I want you…" he said, pausing for a while to tuck her hair behind her ear. "That's because I—"

"What are you guys doing here?" a familiar voice interrupted.

The moment they laid eyes on the unsuspecting guy they immediately separated from one another. Mikan was panting hard as her heart thumped loudly like a drum. On the other hand, Natsume stayed calm and composed.

Mikan forced a smile upon her face. "Hi, Ruka-pyon… What you saw a while ago… It's not what you think." How would she explain it to Ruka? Her head was totally spinning. "Umm… Excuse me… I have to go…" She dashed out of the lab, leaving the two boys.

Ruka narrowed his eyes at his best friend. Seeing Sakura in the arms of Natsume a while ago made his blood boil in jealousy. "Natsume, what were you doing to Sakura?" he grimly asked.

Natsume shrugged. "It's none of your business, Ruka," he replied nonchalantly. He could see the resentment in his eyes. He couldn't blame Ruka for feeling jealous, because Ruka was also head-over-heels in love with Mikan.

"You were taking advantage of her, weren't you?"

"What's it to you?"

"Don't make it sound like it's nothing."

"You know how I feel about her," he said, clenching his jaw. "And I have no intention of giving her to you or anyone else. That's why I'm making my move."

"But it seemed like you were only complicating things. I saw how confused Sakura looked before she left."

"That girl is too innocent to realize anything…"

"So what? Her innocence is not a reason for you to be aggressive with her."

Mentally admitting to himself he was wrong, Natsume turned his head away. His love for Mikan had turned him into some obsessive person. After hearing Mikan's childhood past, he had the desire to protect her even more and to make her the happiest girl in the world. However, he was only scaring her instead. He was supposed to be a genius, but he could be such a moron. In addition to being sore about himself, he was also upset at Ruka for interrupting him from confessing. He was so close. But he also thought of what would happen if he did manage to confess his love to her. Would she be able to give an answer right away? He didn't even know if she felt the same way like he did.

Thinking how weird it was for Natsume to be so silent, Ruka approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I'm not mad at you…just a little upset…" he said, as Natsume looked at him. "And jealous too… We're still fighting to see who Sakura likes best." And he had no intention of losing or cheating his way to victory.

Jealousy was a common sensation for him, Natsume thought. Whenever he sees Mikan clinging to Tsubsa Andou or hanging around Ruka so comfortably, he would always feel the pang of envy and the urge to snatch Mikan away.

"If Sakura chooses either one of us, promise me we'll stay as friends forever," Ruka said.

Natsume smirked confidently. "I'll make sure she chooses me in the end," he said, and Ruka sighed. "But no matter what happens, we'll always be friends."

The blonde's lips curved into a smile. "Hearing those kind of words coming from your mouth make it sound so unrealistic. Natsume, you've really changed a lot and it's all thanks to Sakura." He gave Natsume a pat on the shoulder before he spun around on his heels. "When you see Sakura, you better apologize to her. She seemed so confused and scared."

"Whatever…" Natsume said with a shrug. Yeah, an apology was in order, as well as a confession. He wondered when he was going to have another chance at confessing.

The telephone rang the minute Misaki Harada stepped into her house. She didn't bother to answer it, knowing it would be probably be one of her suitors again or one of her mother's friends.

"Misaki!" Mrs. Harada shouted down at the staircase. "That was Mikan Sakura-chan on the phone and she would be by in thirty minutes to pick you up and you better be well better be ready to go."

"All right," Misaki answered her mother, and went into her room. "Damn, I still haven't decided on an outfit to wear. I'm going to have dinner in one of the finest restaurants in the city, so I have to dress in something fancy."

Misaki was showered, dressed and sitting in the porch when Mikan arrived in her limousine. The idol was wearing a pure white spaghetti-strapped short party dress with silver satin belt, and a pair of silver sandals. Her brown hair was tied in a half-ponytail with a white ribbon. She was only wearing light make-up with a touch of pale pink on her lips. "Mikan, you look great," Misaki said, although she really wanted to say she looks angelic.

Mikan blushed at the compliment. "Thanks…" She took a good look at her senior from head to toe. Misaki was wearing a light blue short and flirty tulle dress with a V-neckline and low back, A-line tulle skirt and a satin contrasting belt with rhinestone buckle. A pair of fabulous silver t-strap sandals with rhinestones completed the outfit and her hair was tied in a cluttered loose bun. "Wow… Misaki-senpai, you're absolutely beautiful!" And she wasn't kidding about that. Misaki was both sexy and totally attractive.

"Do you think he'll like it?" Misaki asked, not wanting to sound thrilled or anything.

"Tsubasa-senpai is going to drool over you, Misaki-senpai!"

"I certainly hope not or else I'll hit him with my fist," Misaki said.

The driver drove with the destination in mind. It only took them a half an hour to get to the restaurant. The driver swung the car into a parking area and got out to open the door for the girls.

Mikan stepped out of the car first. "We're finally here," she said. "I've been to this restaurant countless times already. How about you, Misaki-senpai?"

Getting out of the car, Misaki looked at the restaurant. "This is my second time," she sadly said. "I came here with Tsubasa before when we were still together."

"Oh, I see…" Mikan took hold of Misaki's hand and dragged her over to the main entrance of the restaurant. "Tsubasa-senpai is coming in later. He said he still had some stuff to do. In the meantime, we should enjoy ourselves to dinner. Don't worry because I'm paying."

Misaki's spirt sank low. She'd been hoping that Tsubasa would be dining with her. Instead, he was out there doing some stuff. She figured it has something to do with his work again. She thought Tsubasa would no longer prioritize work over important meetings.

Dinner was delicious and wonderful. They didn't stay any longer at the restaurant after eating and went to walk along the garden path beside the restaurant. The sounds of crickets were like music to their ears and the evening breeze was cool and relaxing against their skin.

"You know, this garden wasn't here when I first came here," Misaki said, stretching out her arms. "This place is beautiful. Thanks a lot for bringing me here, Mikan."

Mikan ran towards the center of the garden and twirled around twice before facing Misaki. "Since it's such a perfect night, I feel like singing a song. I have a perfectly new song for you, which was composed by Tsubasa-senpai himself. I hope you'll like it, Misaki-senpai." She drew in a deep breath and clasped her hands together. "The song's title is 'Aishiteru'."

kanashikute kanashikute nakida shisou ni naru
tada tsuyoiku nari tai dake namida wa nagasenai

taisetsu na anata no hitomi ni
watashi wa utsutteru nokana
komorebi sashikomu madobe ni wa
doushite yasashiku nareru n da rou

kokoro kaku shite kodou kaku shite
itsumo no you ni
wakariaenai tsurasa ga tomaranai

waraitai waraitai kokoro no mannaka de
anata ni wa buchiake you
tsuyogaru watashi yowaki na watashi
kinou no hanashi dou demo ii koto mo zenbu
aishiteru kore kara mo zutto
ude wo kunde aruite ikou Yeah!

ki setsu wa watashi dake nokoshite
taisetsu na hito tsurete yuku n da ne

kimi wo saga shite kimi wo saga shite
donna toki demo kimi wo sagashiteiru kedo
mitsu kara no sore wa kimi na no?

kanashikute kanashikute nakida shisou ni naru
dore dake no omoi nara dakishimete kureru no?

ah waraitai waraitai
nani mo kamo nage sutete
anata ni wa buchiake you
kinou no hanashi ashita no hanashi
futari no mirai kakae kirenai hodo zenbu
yakusoku wa shinakute mo ii yo
futari massugu ni hokou Yeah

Speechless for a moment, Misaki was amazed with her singing voice. She already knew about Mikan's golden voice but hearing it personally made her admire the young girl even more. In addition to that, the lyrics of the song were very touching. She found it hard to believe Tsubasa could compose such a song. "Mikan, I really love it. The song is incredible and your voice is so lovely," she said. "If your fans knew about your little performance, I'm sure they would want to be in my shoes right now."

Mikan walked over to Misaki and took one hand. "I want you to know that Tsubasa-senpai composed that song for you. He put his heart and soul into it." She smiled adorably and placed a midnight-blue envelope on Misaki's hand. "Tsubasa-senpai also wrote you a letter."

"Wait a minute… A letter? Isn't he coming here at all? I thought he wanted to apologize to me personally."

"Senpai, open the envelope and read the letter," Mikan said.

Misaki was reluctant to do so. If the letter inside was a letter of apology, then she could never let herself forgive Tsubasa. An apology should be done face to face. But she decided to trust Tsubasa and tore open the envelope. She began reading the letter.

Misaki,

Did you like the song I made for you? It sounds good when Mikan sings it, right? Well, for the past days I've been thinking a lot about you. Because of you, I was so inspired to write the song. You must think I'm pretty sappy, right? I think so too. I trust that dinner went well. I know you dislike the fancy stuff, but Mikan insisted on treating you to an expensive dinner. If you think I had anything to do with the expenses, you're dead wrong. Mikan wouldn't even let me pay your dinner. She could be so stubborn sometimes, but she's a very good girl.

I was so happy when Mikan told me you were willing to listen to what I have to say. I know a sorry is not enough for you to forgive me, so I thought about a plan real hard. I've been such a jerk to you before and I never once stopped to notice your feelings. I guess I let fame get the best of me. When we broke up, I couldn't eat or sleep well for days. And I almost quit my modeling career. But Mikan reminded me to keep moving forward and hoped for the best in the future.

Because of her, I was able to meet you again. You don't know how happy I was when I first saw you at school. Misaki, even though we've been apart for so long, I still love you with all my heart. You're the only girl for me. Okay, this may be getting cornier by the minute, but I'm telling you the truth. I'm not sure if you still have feelings for me, but I'm willing to accept any answer you'll give me.

Yours truly,

Tsubasa

A drop of tear fell on the letter. "This is one silly letter," she said, her voice trembling a little. "Only a fool would write something like this." She brought the letter close to her chest and lowered her gaze to the ground. She didn't expect herself to cry after reading such a letter.

"You're right… Only a fool would write that…" a familiar voice surprised Misaki.

Sucking in her breath, she looked up only to see Tsubasa Andou standing a few feet away from her. He was wearing a formal black suit. She noticed that Mikan was already gone and she was left alone with him. Her heart started pounding fast. "T-Tsubasa…" she said. "Since when did you…"

"The problems in a relationship are not to destroy you. They are to make you learn to be a better person. I was the problem in our relationship. When I realized that, I've wanted to change for you." He held out a blue rose and knelt down before her. "Misaki, I'm here right now to apologize for all the things I've done. I'm willing to accept any punishment from you—be it a punch or a kick. Do whatever you must to get back at me."

She took a deep breath. It was now or ever. "You've hurt me so much before. I mean, how could you leave me alone all the time?! You never made time for me. You'd rather spend time with your annoying fan girls. You didn't realize how jealous I was when I see you holding hands with another model. Our relationship didn't seem possible for me. After our break-up I tried to convince myself it was for the best." She knelt down to his level and flicked his forehead. "But that's all in the past. I'm not angry with you anymore, Tsubasa. I accept your forgiveness. And to tell you the truth, I really missed you."

He looked at her with a confused expression. "Woah… I didn't think you'd missed me." His lips curved into a smile. "It's surprising, but I'm grateful. So, are we friends again?"

She dropped a quick kiss on his open lips. "I don't want us to be mere friends again. I've done a lot of thinking these past days and I've realized that I was still in love with you." She took the rose and giggled at his stunned expression. "I'm not kidding, Tsubasa. I still love you. Do you want me to hit you as proof that you're not dreaming?"

Tsubasa shook his head. "This is all true! Yeah!" He leaped up for joy and pulled Misaki into his arms. "Thank you for accepting my feelings again! Misaki, I love you! I've always loved you! Now why don't you give me a kiss again?" He leaned forward and puckered up.

"Don't push your luck!" Misaki exclaimed, giving him a dragon uppercut. He was sent flying to the air and landed roughly on the bushes. "I already gave you a kiss. Why are you asking for more?!"

"But you kissed me so suddenly. I wanted a kiss to be more passionate." He stepped out of the bushes and brushed away the leaves from his clothes. "C'mon, Misaki, don't be so stingy."

Misaki sighed in frustration. "You're annoying me." She clenched her hands and walked up to him. Tsubasa shut his eyes, thinking she was going to pummel him again, but he was gently touched on the cheek. When he opened his eyes, he saw Misaki with a tender expression. "But your antics never get old for me."

He bent down and kissed her lightly, tenderly. "I love you, Misaki," he said.

She sighed contentedly. "I love you too, Tsubasa. Don't ever make me regret saying that again."

Tsubasa gave a lighthearted laugh. "I promise," he said happily, hugging her, kissing her, and loving her with all his heart.

Mikan was watching the couple from a distance behind a tree. "This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship," she said, thrilled to see the two kissed. Nonetheless, the kiss reminded her of Natsume. Her heart thundered all of a sudden. "What is this feeling? Why do I feel uneasy when I think of him?"

END OF EPISODE 32

Himeno: Well, that's the end of Tsubasa's problem. He got back with Misaki. Their relationship will bloom from now on. Ah… It's good to see a loving couple together. Tsubasa-sama was just so cool in this chapter. Misaki-senpai is also awesome.

Aoi: I agree with you. Let's see… Natsume-oniichan changed because of Mikan-chan. He's is good terms with me and Ru-chan again. Tsubasa-sama got the love of his life back. My bullying problems are all over. Shouda-san and Kokoroyomi-oniichan are a couple now. Basically, everyone's problems are solved.

Himeno: Aoi-chan, you've forgotten one thing. The love triangle is still there. Mikan-chan has yet to realize her feelings.

Aoi: Who is she falling for anyway?

Himeno: Both boys are determined to win her love. Be prepared for more romance and heartbreaks in the next chapter.

Aoi: Isn't the next chapter the final one?

Himeno: You're right, Aoi-chan.

Sumire: What?! It's the last one! I can't believe it. I still haven't beaten Sakura-san in anything yet.

Himeno: Oh, give it up, Permy. You'll never win against Mikan-chan.

Sumire: But she's stealing Ruka-kun and Natsume-kun away from me.

Aoi: Shouda-san, you already have Kokoroyomi-oniichan.

Kokoroyomi: She's not contented with one boy. Permy, you're a playgirl.

Sumire: I'm not a playgirl. I just adore Ruka-kun and Natsume-kun.

Kokoroyomi: Hmm… Well, it's fine with me. Just keep your admiration to a minimum level, okay? I may be happy-go-lucky all the time, but I'm still your boyfriend. I can get jealous too. (Smiles happily in an eerie way)

Sumire: (Gets nervous but doesn't show it much) Umm… Whatever…

Aoi: You two are really good together. (Giggles) By the way, the song Mikan-chan sang here is from Bokura ga Ita, right? It's nice. And Mikan-chan's voice is so lovely!

Himeno: Correct! Well, that's all for this chapter. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to the final one. Don't forget to leave good and interesting feedbacks to keep me motivated. No flaming!