Chapter 6: Night by your side

As the fire caster approach the gang, most of them are nervous especially Aoi. All resumed their dinner as Natsume sits on the chair. "What's up with you? Why is it that you all look like terrified?" Natsume asked frankly. Mucho was so nervous that his sweat rolls down his forehead, his hands trembling with fear so he suddenly stood up and shouted, "I give up!" Hotaru touches her forehead in disappointment and shakes her head, and then Mucho continues as he walks near Natsume and kneels in his front, pulling his shirt down, and crying, "It's all her fault but she didn't mean to hurt her."

"What do you mean 'she' and 'her'?" Natsume asked

"She didn't mean to hurt her. Oh, please don't scold your sister."

"Aoi! And who's 'her'?"

"I don't know where Mikan we-"

Mucho paused when Natsume asked Aoi angrily, "What have you done with her?" Aoi, nervous, stood up with all her might and said, "Why? It's not my fault that I insulted her! She stained my skirt with juice!" " Do you think it is reasonable for… for you to just tell insults to her! Did you even just let her explain?" Natsume shouting, questioned her sister. "Hey, why is it that you're protecting her? I'm your sister, you shouldn't be mad at me?!" Aoi insisted. Hotaru smiled a little when she heard Aoi's lines and said to her thoughts, "Good Question!" Natsume paused a bit then replied with a sigh, "I'm not protecting her! What you did is just not right! Don't you understand?" Aoi didn't answer and just remained quiet. "Which way did she go?" Natsume asked the others. Yuu answered while pointing to the west, "There" After that Natsume ran away, trying to find Mikan.

Natsume ran about 20 meters away from then when the others gave a very deep sigh. "Hay, at last, it's finished!" Aoi said contentedly. "Good work Mucho!" Hotaru complimented Mucho. "Yeah! I didn't know I have a very brilliant boyfriend!" Sumire said joyfully as she kisses Mucho's cheeks. Mucho blushed and said, "Anytime!" Then Yuu interrupted, "Our first step is finished. Now, all we need to do is to know where Mikan went." " Yeah, but how are we going to find her?" Anna said. "Easy!" Hotaru exclaimed. "How?!" the group said in unison. "Don't you know that I've improved the baka gun already?" Hotaru confidently answered. "What do you mean?" Nonoko asked. "Simple. The baka gun I used on Mikan and Natsume is already improved to the sense that it has stronger impact on the victim, a lot smaller which is very convenient for me to carry, unlimited pellet, and of course…" Hotaru paused for quite a long time. "And what Hotaru, spit it out!" Sumire and the others demanded except Ruka. Koko, getting impatient of the long pause, read her mind. "a detector which lets us know where and what are they doing right now!" Koko interrupted. The others have their ooh-ahh-amazing look and you're-really-a-genius look at Hotaru upon hearing what Koko said.

After a couple of seconds, Hotaru handed out a portable little television and her baka gun. "These are the things needed to monitor the stubborn lovebirds" Hotaru said then continued, "By the way, that was a very good question Aoi! I like it, but he didn't answer it though and good acting also" Aoi smiled as a sign of gratitude. Hotaru opened the television and plug in a wire that connects the baka gun and the television. A little blurry at the start, little by little it shows a figure of a brunette haired girl walking like a drank woman, but she is, holding a bottle of beer in the Central Town. Across are five boys, addicted boys to be specific, planning to do something bad to her. Then suddenly, they heard a noise, a manly voice saying, "Mikan! Where are you? Please, my sister didn't mean it! I'm sorry!" "Shoot! Is that Natsume? This is the first time I heard him apologize to a girl!" Ruka said shockingly. Then, they saw Natsume walking at about 150 meters away from Mikan.

"There you are! I've been looking for you!" Natsume said to Mikan in front of the addicted boys. "Hey this is our girl. Don't take her away from us!" one of the addicted boys said. Mikan, quite groggy, said "Oh hi there Natsume! Glad to see you!" then she laughs. "Hey, we have to go back to the party." Natsume said holding Mikan at her back. "Can we please stay here for just a little while? Please!" Mikan insisted. "Hey, the girl wants to stay with us! Don't interrupt!" one of the addicted boys said. Natsume losing his patience, turned back with Mikan walking their way back to the party when one of the addicted boys touched his shoulder and punch him on the face. Mikan, without knowing, lied on the floor while Natsume fighting his way to the five boys. He was punched and punched but still he didn't use his Alice. Blood came out of his mouth; many bruises were made in that moment. After a couple of minutes, the five boys were found exhausted lying on the road. Natsume, who is tired and full of bruises went near Mikan who was fast asleep the whole time. He carried her, bridal style, back to the dormitory.

When he arrived there, he went to Mikan's room and found the door, luckily open. He saw the wall clock that says that it's already 12 midnight. He laid Mikan on her bed. He went in Mikan's side, touched her hair – making Mikan a bit awake but then, still continued to sleep. He fixed her by removing her shoes and putting her blanket on. After doing that, he took a deep breath and decided to go to his room. He walked near the door but was stopped when he heard someone said, "Nat-su-me, please don'-t le-ave me." It was Mikan and then she continued, "You haven't bought me any fluff puffs yet!" Natsume, giggling a bit, said to himself, "Oh, guess nothing ever changed! You're still dreaming of me!" However, he is right – the brunette is, indeed, dreaming of him. With the unintentional request, he decided to stay with her temporarily for the night. He sat in a chair beside Mikan's bed. Staring at her, it seems that she's going to melt at any period of time. Yes, he missed her, a lot but what is it that stops him on telling the girl what he really feels about her. Time passed by quickly, it was already 6 am. Still staring, he leaned closer to her, rubbing her hair. He didn't sleep, he just stared at her, thinking deeply what is hindering him to say what he needs to say to Mikan. There he suddenly found himself singing…

Hate the way you walk
Hate the way you talk
Hate the way you look at me

I hate the way you smile
Hate those big brown eyes
Cause I know they're not for me

Cause we can never be
More than friends
And it hurts me
Every time I close my eyes
All I see is you

(Chorus)
And this crazy love
Crazy love
Oh this crazy love
Crazy love

I hate thinkin of you
cause everytime i do
I just keep on missing you

and I hate the way I feel
everytime your near
cause its feels like time is standing still

but we can never be
More than friends
And it hurts me

Every time I close my eyes
All I see is you

(chorus)
and this crazy love
crazy love
oh this crazy love
crazy love

I hate it when you're blue
And how I cared for you
Hate the way my heart desires

And I hate those sleepless nights
And the pain I kept inside
But I keep on
Pretending it's alright

but we can never be
more than friends
and it hurts me
everytime i close my eyes
all I see is you

(chorus)
And this crazy love
Crazy love
Oh this crazy love
Crazy love

I don't know what to do
Hate me for loving you
Cause I know it's wrong for
Me to say...I love you...

Then after singing, he heard Mikan's voice said, "Thank you but I'm sorry." Natsume was astounded, confused on whether or not she's really sleeping or not. He was about to ask when suddenly someone knocked on the door. He fixed himself as the door slowly opens, and… guess who's at the door?!

The song's title is Crazy Love by Kim Chui… Just incase you don't know…