Definition of Terms (for those who doesn't know yet)

Yamero/ Yamete – Stop! (used alternately depending on the use)

ACT 4: SWEET PUNCHES

Ruka had been pacing around the High School Department corridor back and forth. His Hotaru and he apparently had a fight, thanks to Kei, and she hadn't talk to him since then. She didn't even seem to recognize his presence. He had seen her get angry before and she was really, quietly scary.

He was rehearsing his speech when a pair of familiar pair of soft palms covered his eyes. "Hotaru," he cooed.

He turned around, catching the pair of hands on his. He saw a smile drawn all over HIS black-haired beauty. "You're not angry at me anymore?"

Hotaru smirked. "Who says I'm angry at you?" she said in her signature monotone voice. "You were the one who wouldn't talk to me first."

He sighed in relief as a small smile crept on his face. "But I thought you were angry that's why…." He muttered.

She patted his head. "Baka, Ruka"

He caught her in a tight embrace just when a loud, teasing whiste came to their ear.

Hotaru angrily turned to the source of the sound and her face became its usual unemotional one. "Good morning baka! As so you know, if my innocent Mikan turned into a wild adult it will be your fault." She said calmly.

Kei's grin drained away from his face. "Whatever do you mean, Hotaru-chan?"

"She slept in Natsume's room last night."

"What?!" He screamed. His face almost turned to green in anger.

Hotaru smirked. "Why now?! Aren't you the one that told her to give her all to the man she loves?" where her last words before she grabbed Ruka's hand and pulled him inside the classroom.

The blonde gave Hotaru a confused face. "What was that for Hotaru? From the look on his face, who knows what he'll do!" he mumbled.

"Exactly." She said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Now, let Natsume give him a lesson he deserves."

Mikan couldn't quite concentrate well on her lessons since the class started. She could feel Kei's stare piercing through her the moment she went inside the room. She threw a questioningly look at Iinchou but he just shrugged. Hotaru just stayed silent.

Thinking that she just probably imagined everything, she picked up her bag as the bell rang and cheery waived her goodbye to the teacher and her classmates as she hopped out of the room to wait for her friends in the canteen area. Apparently, she woke up late and didn't have anything for breakfast. Upon reaching the canteen entrance, which was still deserted by students, a pair of strong arms grabbed her into the far end of the corridor.

She raised her head and saw the angry brown eyes that had been watching her all morning.

"What is wrong with you Kei?" she hissed. "Let go! You're hurting me!"

"Tell me the truth…" His voice was deadly serious. She can feel his wrath. "Did you or did you not spend the whole night in Hyuuga's room last night?"

Mikan's face flushed in an instant. "Wha— What?!"

His grip tightened. "You did, didn't you?!" His voice was getting a little louder.

Her embarrassment turned into anger. What right did he have to say these words to her right now? He is not even her relative; and besides that… wasn't he the one who suggested IT in the first place?

"Why are you not answering? I can't believe that—"

Mikan managed to get her arms off of Kei and gave him a hard slap on his face.

"When I said let go, LET GO idiot!" she was almost shouting in frustration. "You have no right to talk to me like that!"

He was taken aback by her harsh words. Never in his life had he dreamt of a day that Mikan would say all of this. "I have every right…" he started off. "I am your friend! Damn it!"

"I cannot believe what a jerk you've turned out to be!" she mocked. "Saying those words and getting angry at me when you, yourself, were the one who suggested it."

She stepped few times backwards when she saw him walking closer to her until her back hit the wall. "You— listen to me!" He said as he gripped her shoulder. "I said those as a joke! For you to stop talking about that guy! What don't you understand?!" his voice growing louder and louder at each sentence.

"You know why I stopped complaining and fighting about staying here?" he continued. "It was when I learned you were here too. But what?! I found you with that arrogant, irritating—"

A flash of what seemed like lightning and Mikan saw Kei's body limped on the floor. His hands were drawn in his aching face. Before she could react, she saw Ruka and Kokoroyomi caught Natsume by the arm as they stopped him from further inflicting injuries on the red head.

"Yamero Natsume!" Ruka pleaded as he took hold of Natsume's shoulder and arm. "Let's not make a scene."

Natsume seemed to hear nothing as he continued to fight back to hurt Kei some more. He didn't say anything but his eyes were dark with anger.

Mikan froze at the scene in front of her. She didn't seem to come back to consciousness until Hotaru and Sumire came to her side and patted her on the shoulder.

"Why did you hit me, bastard?" Kei bellowed when he regained his ground.

"Who told you to touch her like that? Who told you to touch her at all?!" Natsume growled.

Kei immediately stood up and took of the small amount of blood on his face. "What we do is none of your business. I've been beside her ten years ahead of you!"

He went forward aiming a punch on Natsume but Kokoroyomi immediately left Natsume and launched himself to him to stop his assault.

"Stop fighting you guys! You'll get us into trouble!" Sumire whispered barely enough for them to hear.

"That's right! It's all Hotaru's fault!" Kei shouted as he turned to the girl beside Mikan. "If it weren't for you, Mikan would have never left home. She would have never left everything behind!"

Hotaru's face twitched. "You better leave her out of it." Ruka silently uttered as he continued to hold Natsume back.

"Why should I?!" Kei smirked. "It was really her fault. From the time she lived in our neighborhood to the time she left! It was all her!"

"That's it!" Ruka roared as he released Natsume and sent Kei a strong punch on the stomach.

"Ruka!" Hotaru yelled as she took hold of Ruka's arms who was about to punch Kei again.

Natsume in turn charge to the red haired guy again and he gave him few kicks on the body. He did not stop until he felt Mikan's arms around his waist.

"Natsume, yamete!" tears were now falling on her beautiful face. "Let's talk about it calmly okay?"

He saw her tears and his heart clenched in anger even more. If only he didn't know that if he continued Mikan will certainly even more depressed, he will surely punch the hell of Kei until he begged for his life. Even so, he might not stop.

He turned to look at Kei who was now too sore to open his eyes fully. "Try to hurt Mikan one more time… try shouting at her again and you'll wish you've never been born!" he threatened. "I'll burn you into crisps!"

He pulled Mikan's arms from his waist and gently dried her tears with his handkerchief. "Let's go." He called to the others as he held Mikan back to the canteen.

Kokoroyomi looked at Natsume then at Kei. "But what about him?" he pointed to Kei, still lying on the floor.

"Just leave him there to rot!" Ruka said angrily as he followed Natsume, holding Hotaru's hand firmly with his, by his side.

Sumire and Kokoroyomi looked at their retreating figures.

"Seems like Kei-kun really pissed them off." She sighed. He nodded. "What should we do?"

Kokoroyomi shrugged. "We better bring him to the high school clinic." He said while studying Kei's bruises. "Seems like he REALLY needs some treatment."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Woohoo!! I got tired from writing it but I hope you like this one!

REVIEW GUYS!! It's my only inspiration to write more and more…