Chapter 7: A Talk with My Dance Partner

Ruka's POV

'Okay…here I go…'

"Imai, wouldyoubemyLastDance?"

Man…I'm so pathetic…

"So you finally asked me out. And you did it just in time."

'Just in time..? What does she mean?'

"What do you mean, 'just in time' ?"

"I mean that I thought you'd never ask me. I thought that someone already asked you or you asked someone else. I thought maybe you forgot."

Wow…is that really true..? I'll ask her again…

"Really? You thought that..?"

"Yes, I did."

Wow…She really was thinking about me…

Normal POV

It was already time to start the Last Dance. They already shot the arrow of fire that lights up the big…thingy (Oo) but everyone's super excited about the Dance.

Mikan and Hotaru were already there, and they were just waiting for their partners to come. While waiting, Mikan and Hotaru talked for a while.

"So…who asked you then, ne, Hotaru?" Mikan asked playfully.

Hotaru looked at her sideways then replied, "You'll find out later."

They talked for awhile, until several fangirls suddenly screamed a few meters away from them.

"Isn't that Hyuuga Natsume?" one of them said.

"Ooh! I wonder who is partner is!" another said.

"How about Ruka?" said a third girl.

"Oh yeah…I forgot…" blurted out a fourth girl.

"Hey you! Don't you dare go a step closer!" said a girl whose hair was short and permed. Yes, it's the brat, Sumire.

"Huh?" the others said.

"Yeah! All of you! Get out of my way!" Sumire said, threatening the other girls by using her Alice.

"Good…now that they're out of my way," she said, turning to Ruka and Natsume. "Will you dance with me?"

"Sorry, but we have partners." Ruka said.

Strike one for Sumire.

"Now get out of our way, Permy." Natsume said.

Strike two for Sumire.

'Well, at least I have one more chance.' Sumire thought.

"So, who're your partners?" she asked.

"Them." Ruka and Natsume said, pointing at Mikan and Hotaru.

Aaaaaaaaand…she's out.

But Sumire wasn't the only one shocked. Everyone heard and witnessed Natsume, the genius of the elementary division, and Ruka, his best friend, admit that their partners were Mikan, the innocent idiot, and Hotaru, her cold-hearted best friend.

"Well, are we going or not?" Natsume asked Mikan.

"Let's go." Hotaru said, grabbing Ruka's arm.

People watched as Natsume and Mikan went off to the drinks while Hotaru drags Ruka to the cakes.

After the people's attention slowly turned away from them, Mikan asked Natsume something she really wanted to know about him.

"Ne, Natsume…do you…like somebody?"

"…"

"Natsume?"

"Just why would you want to know?"

"Well, because…"

The truth is, Mikan didn't know why she wanted to know whether Natsume likes someone else or not. All she knew was that she REALLY wants to know.

"Nothing. Just curious…" she said.

"Tch. You're wasting my time."

The two of them watched the others dance with their partners. Then Mikan thought that the whole point of having a partner for the Last Dance was to dance with them. She has a partner, so not dancing with her partner in the Last Dance would be meaningless.

"Do you want to dance, Natsume?"

"Huh?"

He was a little shocked. She asked him to dance?

"It's going to be useless even if we attend but not dance, right? You are my partner…and you were the one who asked me to be your partner, after all…" she told him.

Natsume was silent. What Mikan said IS true. He's her Last Dance but they not dancing would just be a waste of his effort and time. But, he can't seem to say "yes" to her.

Then suddenly Mikan grabbed his hand and said, "C'mon! Let's dance!". Then she smiled.

Meanwhile…

Hotaru and Ruka were sitting on a table, Hotaru eating some cake while Ruka silently watching her.

"Ne, Imai…" he started.

Hotaru didn't look up, but just replied, "What?".

"You told me that you would tell—"

"The question I wanted to ask you before in Central Town? I thought that you would forget, but now that it's been brought up, I guess I'll have to tell you already."

"Uh…well, yeah, that's it," he replied.

The two of them stared at each other for a few minutes. Then Hotaru started to talk.

"I wanted to ask whether you've gotten over Mikan already," she said. "It's because you didn't blush when you talked to her like you usually do."

Ruka's eyes grew wide. Hotaru, who never fell in love with someone, would ask something like that?

"Well? I told you already, so now you have to answer me," she reminded.

"I…well…yeah, I did…"

"So that means you like someone else now, right?"

"Yeah…sort of, I'm kinda confused myself…"

"So who is it?"

"I…"

Ruka was a little tongue-tied. Hotaru wants to know the person who he really likes. But, should he keep it a secret, or tell her the truth?

"I'll tell you later, somewhere…private," he replied.

"I see."

Hotaru stood up and went to get more food.

Ruka was making a decision, and made a final one.

He's telling her how he really feels for her.

A/N: So…how was it..? At least the chapter's gotten longer…Well, pls. review:D