DISCLAIMER: I do not own GA.

CHAPTER 8: Finding the perfect present

It was already three days before the actual birthday of Natsume. Everything was all set and the people involved already knew about it. The people who are coming would be Ruka, Mikan, Hotaru, and just the Crimson Warriors. It was already enough since the whole basketball team already consists of twelve people.

Mikan was happily walking on the corridors until she suddenly remembered something. She then ran to Hotaru's lab and then talked to her as if there's no tomorrow waiting for her.

"Hotaru!!! I have a super duper mega hyper big problem!!!" Mikan yelled while Hotaru just gave her a very calm "What?" as an answer.

"I still do not have a birthday present for onii-chan and his birthday is in three days already!" Mikan replied.

"Baka. Planning and initiating the party for him is already enough to be a gift for him. You don't have to worry about anything so stop all that panicking stuff. It irritates me."

"I know, but I still want to give onii-chan something… you know, rather special that he would be able to keep forever." She mumbled while Hotaru sill continued working on her new invention for the technology club.

"Well, if you really want to give him something, don't ask me what it is. You're the one who knows what Natsume likes. Just figure it out."

"That's the problem. Natsume-nii is so serious and I can't even figure out what thing he exactly likes other than annoying me with stupid names and playing basketball." Mikan stated.

"I already told you not to worry. You would be able to know what it is soon. Knowing your brother, he would be happy to receive anything as long as it's from you. It's the thought that counts, right?" Hotaru replied.

"Ok. Thanks for your advice, Hotaru. I'll be heading to Central Town now. Maybe I would be able to find something proper for onii-chan there." She said as she bid her goodbye.

"Baka." Hotaru whispered.

~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~

"Oi Ruka, have you seen Polka Dots anywhere? I wanna go home and yet she's nowhere to be found." Natsume asled his best friend who was just done changing his clothes since they just finished their afternoon practice.

"Iie. I haven't seen her ever since our last class. Have you looked at Hotaru's lab? Maybe she's just there having a chat with her or something." Ruka replied while Natsume just nodded in disagreement.

"I already went to the inventor's lair and she's not there. Tch. That baka better have a good explanation for making me wait this long."

"You'll find her soon. Well, I need to go now. I have to pick up Takumi from the elementary branch." Ruka said as he walked away.

After waiting for a few minutes, Natsume has already ran out of his patience so he went home alone but deep down in him, he was so worried.

"Tch. Where could that baka be? She's not even answering her damn phone."

~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~

Mikan was walking all around Central Town hoping to find a perfect gift for her brother until she noticed that it was already late.

"Oh no! I haven't noticed the time! I'm soooo dead once I get home. I bet Natsume-nii is already home and I bet he's mad already." She said to herself as she was taking her phone out for her to call Natsume. But to her luck, it was already out of battery.

"Oh great. I'm really done for it. What a time to get my batteries dead!" she said. "Well, since I'm already late and such, I might as well hurry up and get home." She said while walking faster until she pass a jewelry store. She then saw something that caught her eye and it even made it twinkle. She hurried into the store and then brought the item fast and rode the bus to get home. While she was sitting on the bus, she has a big smile plastered on her face. "I hope onii-chan will like this one."

~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~

It is already 9pm and Mikan was still not at home. This made Natsume worried sick. He was sitting in the couch right in front of the main entrance of their mansion just in case Mikan would arrive home.

"Tch. That stupid Polka Dots has a whole lot of explaining to do for making me worry like this. Sheesh! Events like this make me regret the fact that I'm a big brother!" Natsume thought as the main door of their mansion opened revealing the very reason why he was worrying too much.

"And where have you been little missy?" asked Natsume who was now standing near the living room table while tapping his right foot on the floor with arms folded under his chest.

MIKAN'S POV

I arrived at home real late and since it was already 9pm, I thought that onii-chan was already asleep so I quietly entered the house until I heard a very familiar voice. This voice was the least thing that I wanted to hear right now.

"And where have you been little missy?" he said and I definitely knew that it was from my brother. "Uh-oh. I'm done for it and that's for sure." I thought.

NORMAL POV

"A-ano, I went to Central to buy something. Gomenasai for coming home so late." I apologized as I bowed my head many times in front of Natsume-nii while he just cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Central Town? What the heck are you even doing there?! It's a school night and you're gallivanting over a stupid place! You could at least call or text me where in this world you're headed to so that I won't be worrying like this!" Natsume yelled while Mikan was starting to have tears in her amber eyes.

"Gomen ne. I forgot to charge my phone last night and it ran out of battery so I can't contact you. I only went there because I needed to buy someone special something special. I'm so sorry for making you worry. I will never ever do it again." She replied as tears slowly started to fall from her eyes.

"Are you that stupid?! Can't you even remember to charge your damn phone for a night?! And what's that thing that you're supposed to buy for someone?! Can't you just do that this weekend?! Why do you have to come home late and you didn't even asking a damn permission from me!" Natsume bellowed as Mikan quietly sobbed from her place.

"I said I was sorry! I'm already here so there's no need to make a fuss about it, okay? I'm not a kid anymore so I could go to Central Town all by myself. I only did this for someone who is very special to me so that I could at least make him happy for once since he's always serious when it comes to things. Now, can I go to my room now, OTOU-SAN?!" Mikan retorted while running up the flight of stairs as more tears started to flow while Natsume just stood there not knowing that their housekeeper, Reika, was watching the whole thing.

"Mikan-sama!" Reika said as she also ran to her room but she didn't proceed anymore since she knew very well that Mikan would have probably locked the door already.

"Pardon me, Natsume-sama. I know that you were worried about your sister but don't you think that you were too harsh on her? She has only arrived late for the first time and she's got a reason for it. Please understand her situation first before you go yelling at her like that. Even Yuri-sama wouldn't do such harsh things." Reika said as she walked back to Mikan's room just in case that she has already unlocked the door.

When Reika was gone, Natsume then proceeded to his room as well. He didn't bother to put on the lights anymore and he immediately lied down on his bed.

"Was I being too harsh on her?" Natsume thought to himself as he stared at the ceiling. "Tch. Stupid baka for making me worry." He muttered as he fell asleep.