Dear readers and fanfictioners,

Accept my most humble apologies in delaying the update of this story. I was deeply preoccupied with the Final exams to the point that I had to drink coffee to pull all nighters. I NEVER drank coffee with caffeine since I always cared for my health. However, I reached a crazed point where I was completely energized by it during the night and managed to actually sleep at one o'clock and no more. That was such a critical point that I felt myself going mad, and, later on, I realized that it was actually kind of cool that I reached such a level. Anyways, school finished on the 23rd of June, and I received my report today. Congratulate me since after all the hard work, I managed to get 95%. I was very glad, so I had to edit this chapter and post it. If you guys want to see more from my story, then I really do recommend that you drop in a review to show your support. In addition, I'll try my best to post another long chapter within this week as there is a big chance that I am travelling next week. I am going to my native land for two weeks, and they have no internet there, so I decided to infrom you guys a bit earlier. Lastly, I wanted to add a little note about the new summary. The 'renown celebrity' and the 'possessive admirer' have yet to appear, and you can keep guessing about their identities as they are definitely characters from Gakuen Alice.

Yours Truly,

Gleaming Hope

Disclaimner: I am in no way associated to the creation, production or possession of Gakuen Alice.


Chapter 3: The Outcomes of a Dance

This was weird.

This was suspicious.

Natsume looked at me with something one would call triumph and victory. His smirk was wider than usual, and for a moment, it looked somehow…ugly. That was rather unusual. His smirks were always… how do I say this… attractive? And although he looked dark from afar, his tanned skin seemed artificial. I smell something fishy going on. This was not Natsume, and I had every reason to believe that. Ok, maybe I didn't. But I had this nagging feeling that the person in front of me was a fraud.

"Would you like to drink something?" he asked in a tone that was definitely too sweet for his own good.

I contemplated the question for a moment and came up with a bright idea, "I don't think so. I prefer getting some fresh air because it is getting hot. Do you want to come with me?"

He raised an eyebrow, indicating that he was thinking deeply about my proposal. He then released a crooked smile, which certainly did not turn out like he wanted it to be, and said, "Not a problem."

He took my hand, placed it on his elbow and dragged me to one of the terraces the hall provided. We glided slowly across the hall, receiving loathing looks from various people. As we entered the terrace, light became only visible from the ballroom, and it reflected the numerous types of flowers in the garden.

I breathed in, pretending to achieve the purpose of coming here. A boy approached us with a plate in hand, holding several beverages on its surface. I took a cocktail juice seeing that it was my favorite. Natsume, who was obviously not Natsume in my view, refused to take anything and looked at the champagne on the plate with unconcealed disgust. This certain action made me immediately recognize who the man feigning to be Natsume was. I quickly dismissed the boy and turned my attention to the so-called "Natsume".

"So, Natsume, how do you feel?"

"Exhilarating," he replied, brushing his hair in an attractive gesture.

I had to restrain a laugh because that was another clue that proved my theory correct of whoever this young man was, "I see. You look really handsome today," his lips curled at my statement, "but…"

His smile contracted, and his face looked grim. "But what? Is there something wrong?"

"You look paler than usual, or shall I say, whiter than usual."

His face had gone a little pale, and he tried to regain his composure. "I, well, added some cream and powder to lighten up my dark color."

"Why would any guy want to put facial cream just to make his face whiter?"

I was already cornering him, and he had no chance of running away because that was always how I busted him. "I did it to… to…," he was obviously running out of excuses, and then, his face suddenly lit up with victory, "I did it to impress the ladies. You know, the usual thing."

"Girls find tanned guys hotter than white guys," I counterattacked. His face contorted with displeasure and I said, "Guys who try to make themselves whiter than they are won't ever gain attention from the ladies."

He stood there in stunned silence, unable to come back at me with anything. I wanted it this to continue, but I had to end it. I had to spare him the shame of being beaten by me. But I wanted to lay down my ultimate trump card, the one where he will be downright owned. I couldn't stop myself because I had to see his expression from my question.

"Lastly," I looked at my nails with all calmness possible to add to the effect and then raised my head so as to give him a serious face, "How come you're not wearing a mask?"

With that, his face had gone completely white, and his eyes were as wide as the most ancient Chinese coins. I pitied him, so I decided to tell him directly that I knew who he was. "You know, I know that you're not Natsume. And I know who you are. So can we talk like we always do without you seeking my attention?"

He frowned slightly at me and then released a sigh of irritation. "Look, I am really sorry for what I did to you, but I only did this so that no guys would go near you. Plus," his face flushed, "I wanted to spend some time with you."

My face softened and broke into a smile as I went to hug him. "Youichi, thank you so much for caring about me."

"So," he inhaled slowly. "May I stay with you and have some fun?"

He looked so desperate to stay with me, but I was very reluctant to let him stay with me. It was true that I needed company, but I can't remain under the shadow of my brother for the rest of my life. I have to be independent and go through things with courage. This decision thus led me to reject him.

"Listen, Youichi," I tried to sound as convincing as possible. "I would love it if you could stay with me, but I want to get to know other people better."

His eyebrows furrowed, indicating frustration at what I said, "Are you implying that I am not allowing you to have friends?"

"Not at all!" I quickly waved my hands in refusal. "I have all the friends in the world that would stand by my side. It's just that…"

"Just what?" he snapped.

"It's just that there are some people who I don't know because an obstacle was in my way," I hastily said, my eyes looking at the floor while I bit my lower lip.

"So, you're saying that you want to flirt with guys?!" he shouted loudly in fury, although no one heard him because the voices in the hall were too loud.

"No, that's not what I meant. It's just that I want to have friends as guys. It's getting very hard for me to interact with the class if I can't even communicate with guys."

He looked insulted and replied in a low voice before he turned on his heel to exit the terrace and left the ball while I chased him.

"Fine, do whatever you want. It seems like you don't want anyone to protect you anymore."


I got off my limo with a cane in hand. The masquerade ball seemed to have started, and I hoped that Mikan was without anyone, in case she was here. That's the reason why I came here anyways.

I was dressed as a young man from the end of the nineteenth century. Obviously knowing that Mikan was obsessed with those historical romance books, I decided to become the man of her dreams by dressing like them.

I was wearing black breeches with black boots. I was wearing a shirt where on top of it was something like a jacket that reached my waist and was long from the back, like it had two long tails. On my collar, something called a cravat was positioned, like the ones you use when you eat, but the man who made it said that it had to be styled in a certain way. A pair of clean white gloves and a long black hat was on my hands and head.

Before I entered the hall, I adjusted the midnight blue mask on my face and looked at a nearby mirror that was next to the entrance. My appearance was immaculate. This was what I aimed to achieve: To become unrecognizable among the crowd but, at the same time, convince Mikan to dance with me.

As I entered the hall, a guy ran out, and I didn't have the chance to look at him. He was probably rejected, poor guy. Anyways, I went in, and a sudden hush came over the students. Everyone was looking at my direction, the girls ogling at me. I scanned the room for a sign of my favorite brunette.

Target found. I saw her at one corner of the hall, next to the terrace. Her eyes were darting back and forth, as if searching for someone important. She seemed oblivious to my presence and the tense silence the attendants were omitting. Well then, I will make it my duty to alert her of it.

A boy approached me, signaling me to hand him my things. I gave him my cane and hat and walked on towards Mikan. After searching the hall thoroughly, she hung her head low and looked at the ground. After the music had stopped because of my grand entrance, it resumed again, and some people returned back to what they were doing, talking and dancing.

As I approached her, I realized how beautiful she looked. She was simply astonishing, except for the fact that she was not smiling anymore. Instead, a feeling of regret was etched on her face. I went up to her, and she suddenly realized my presence. And then, she looked at me.

Her brown eyes were staring at me. We stood there, gazing at each other. I wondered what she was thinking, but from her apprehensive looks, she obviously couldn't recognize me. Why, you ask? I was wearing light blue contacts, which actually suited me very well. My distinguishing feature was gone, leaving me totally unknown and mysterious.

"Who are you?" she first spoke.

I pondered upon the question and spoke in a very eloquent manner. "I am a simple duke, searching for a fair maiden to proclaim her as my duchess. As I have stumbled upon one, would you do me the honor of having this dance with you?"

Her eyes hovered over my figure, perusing and speculating over my appearance. She was obviously mesmerized, a job I could do to any girl in a snap.

"Of course, I'd be delighted," she said and curtsied, like a real lady of the nineteenth century would.

Her hand clutched onto my arm, and we proceeded to the dancing area. Everyone was dancing, enjoying their time. We eventually stopped, and I held her in a dancing pose. My right hand held her left, and my left hand was secured tightly over her waist. Soon enough, we began waltzing to the calming classical music.

"If you don't mind, may I ask you a question?" she asked politely, looking up at me and blushing at the same time.

"Of course, sh…" I was going to say 'shoot it', but I restrained myself since that would ruin the perfect noble image of myself in her mind, "please do."

"May I know who you are? Only people from our school, more specifically our high school, are allowed to attend this ball, and I have never seen or come across you within the vicinity of this school."

Oh my god, that English is beyond description. How can she speak such perfect English? It must be because of those books she reads. "You shall know soon enough, my dear."

I smiled brightly at her to ensure her safety, and she beamed back at me. She seemed really happy because she met her duke. I wonder if she has a crush on me. At any rate, I need a place to give a romantic feeling and reveal myself. We danced for around fifteen minutes, chatting and laughing about many things, without excluding the immaculate English. Seeing that it was time to initiate my plan, I decided to take her to the terrace.

"Would you like to accompany me outside?" I did my best not to sound intimidating and assure her that I would do her no harm.

She looked at me hesitantly, and then she looked at me with a trust so strong that no one would ever try to break a promise with her. "With pleasure."

My heart soared when I saw her gaze and heard her answer. She put her hand on my arm once again, and I led her outside the entrance to the hall. I prepared myself for what was going to come. This was the moment.

The moment she was going to know my feelings for her.


The dark-masked man next to me took me out of the entrance to the hall and not to the terrace, unlike Youichi had done. He took me to the garden that was a few meters away from the terrace. When we reached to a stop, he faced me and started staring at me with his clear blue eyes.

Truthfully, I didn't know what to do.

The man standing in front of me gave me mixed emotions. For some reason, he gave this vibe that was so similar to Natsume's. But it couldn't be him. It couldn't. Natsume's eyes were brown, often going to red when he was experiencing a strong emotion. His baring and stature were so intimidating. What's more, he looks exactly like the prince charming I've been waiting for, or the duke, in other words. I was so overwhelmed by his presence that I could do nothing but stare.

Nothing but stare.

Suddenly, he spoke, "Have you figured out who I am?"

"No, I haven't, but you seem awfully familiar," I said dazedly.

"I see," After he said that, his smile curved to form a victorious smirk. "Well, it's good you haven't figured out anyway."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

I was shocked by the confession. Heck, I didn't even know who he was. I wasn't really happy or disappointed, just simply flabbergasted. "May I know who you are?"

"Are you sure? I'm afraid you'll reject me once your eyes set upon me," he gave a wry laugh, thinking it the last thing in the world that I would actually accept him.

"But you never know. I might really accept you," I said encouragingly.

"You won't, Mikan. You won't because you are way too good for me. I can't even compare."

"What are you implying? Are you saying that I misjudge people so easily?" I didn't even give him a chance to speak as I continued. "I give chances and never waste them, so please tell me who you are."

"Do you promise that you will actually think about my confession?" I nodded, urging him to continue. "Well, if you insist."

He took of his mask, and there was a big difference. It showed his pointed nose, straight and perfect. His eyelashes were not too long, but they were the type that really complimented his eyes when they were half closed. His eyebrows were not long, in fact, shorter than the average, but they were straight nonetheless.

He looked so much like Natsume, and there was a moment where I actually prayed in my heart that it would be him. Natsume and this man were exactly the same, except their eyes were such a clear contrast. The man's eyes were a vivid blue, strikingly beautiful and enchanting. And eventually, I found myself sinking in their depths, just like Natsume's.

Without noticing, he was coming closer until his lips finally reached mine. That was when my senses became alerted of his gallant move. It was my first kiss!! Although it was quite worth it, I planned to share it with my love.

And despite the fact that I hated to admit it, I realized that I loved Natsume more than I thought I would.


I was enjoying the kiss with all my heart. It was exactly what I wished all my life, well, ever since I met her. I felt like I couldn't stop until something moist and salty touched my lips, recognizing it as tears. I immediately stopped and saw what was wrong. She was looking at me and crying as if she could never stop those tears from pouring.

"Is there something wrong? I'm sorry if it was your first kiss. I just…" I was flustered all over; I didn't know what to do at all. When I broke up with my girlfriends before, they used to cry. I never loved them, or liked them to say the least, so I never bothered on how they felt. But now, this was not a matter to be left behind.

"I just wanted to have my first kiss with the person I love," she managed to say between sobs.

I shook with jealousy and anger. Who was this person who was so important to her to that point? I had to know. "If you don't mind, can I know who that person is?"

She stopped crying and looked at me, reluctant to tell me that confidential piece of information. "Will you mock me if I told you? Will you keep it a secret if I told you? Will you not harm him because I love him?"

It was if she knew everything I wanted to do by asking those questions, but in order to know, I had to accept her conditions. "I will not mock you, I will keep it a secret and tell no one and I will not lay a single finger on him."

She looked at me hesitantly and tiptoed so as to reach my ear. I bent a bit lower so that she could reach and whisper to me.

"Natsume Hyuuga."

I stiffened in my position as I heard that name. That name that belonged to me and only me, well as far as my knowledge extends. That name that marked my body and soul, brain and thought. I regained my composure and looked at her. She stood normally again and her eyes were hidden under her bangs. When I finally realized that she actually meant what she said and didn't really know my identity, I had the sudden urge to grab her and hug her tightly, reassuring her that I was truly the person she mentioned.

Before I could do anything, lights flashed from behind us, and we heard the sound of motorcycles. I cursed under my breath, turned around to face the inevitable and saw the thing I had expected and avoided the most.

Youichi Sakura.

The Hawk. Leader of the Silver Orb, one of the top five strongest gangs in the region. A person I barely recognized or never associated with. First year student in Togaku High school. Captain of the regional basketball Togaku team. Youngest leader of a powerful gang ever to be known.

In other simple, ominous words, he was the younger, overprotective brother of my crush, Mikan Sakura.

Which was, of course, not the best news anyone would want to receive after their confession to their crush.

He was sitting on his motorcycle, with around another twenty-five of his cronies behind him doing the same thing. He took off his helmet and looked at me in the eye. He was dressed in a devilish sort of costume, which wasn't red but actually black. We stood there, glaring at each other until he spoke.

"Natsume Hyuuga, you have done the inevitable."

I heard a gasp from behind me, indicating that Mikan finally knew who I was. I had to ignore the gesture since I didn't want to see her expression, but my muscles tensed.

"And what have I done, Youichi Sakura, to cause such a commotion?"

"What have you done, you say?" he asked in a menacing tone and intensifying his glare. "You have broken the 'Restricted Rule'. Allow me to list the rules you have broken. Firstly, you have flirted with my sister. Secondly, you kissed my sister. Thirdly, you made her cry. This is enough to suffice the reasons to which a commotion has been caused."

I sighed with annoyance and decided to come back with something logical, "Listen here, ," he twitched at the nickname, "Doesn't you sister deserve to love and be loved? It's a right everyone has."

"True, but that only applies to me, my mom and her friends. Anyone out of this circle has no right to give and receive that feeling."

He talked of it as if it was a disgusting emotion, and I tried to persuade him and said, "Love is a right everyone has. You can't force anyone not to love; it's one's own emotions to feel and control."

He looked at me revoltingly and said, his eyes softening after each word, "I know. That's why I have to stop guys from loving her before it's too late. That way she won't be hurt. She'll be safe."

"Still," I insisted. "She has a chance to feel joy and happiness, trust and faith, and I am giving her that chance right now."

His eyes flared at that comment, and he began shouting, "Joy? Happiness? Nonsense. All love brings is mistrust, pain, sadness and betrayal. You think I want to see her hurt again, after all what she has been through? I can't trust anyone to take care of her, other than myself, mom or Hotaru."

I stood motionless, not knowing what to answer him back with. Suddenly, a voice argued back and walked ahead to face him.

"But I love him."

I looked at Mikan, and she had a determined look on her face. She turned to look at me and smiled, bringing her hand to mine so as to hold it firmly. "We can go through this together. If you love me, then show it to me by fighting with me right now."

I was dumbstruck for a moment, but then quickly held her hand tightly and faced Youichi, feeling a new sense of confidence and strength. I felt that if I had her by my side, I would be triumphant in the face of anything.

Youichi gave a sarcastic laugh and looked at Mikan, "Mikan, are you serious? You're going to side with him against him. I am your brother, and I know what's best for you. I suggest you come here, go home with me and forget this whole pretense."

"I am dead serious, Youichi. Even if you are my brother, that fact won't prevent me from loving him."

He frowned and told her desperately, "I didn't mean what I said before. Forgive me for misunderstanding you in any way. I've always wanted the best for you; I'll always be there to protect you, but he won't. Mikan, he's a playboy. He dumps every girl that's next to him in a span of two days. I won't let you be heartbroken with this guy."

"Well, you are my brother; aren't you?" she asked him.

"Yes."

"You are the leader of a very powerful gang; am I right?"

"Yes."

"Then I trust you to beat the pulp out of this guy if he ever dares to dump me," she said while pointing at me.

He looked at her, confused, not knowing what to say against that. He really didn't have anything to say against that. However, very surprisingly, he did.

"Then please let me challenge him," he pleaded.

"But…"

"I accept," I said impetuously. I had to prove to him that I was worthy of Mikan's love and trust and that I would remain faithful to her at all costs.

"Wonderful," he smirked. "Tomorrow, Taiga court, four o'clock, b-ball and three players only, including yourself."

And with that, he and his gang drove off after waving to Mikan. She looked at me, puzzled at something.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"What's b-ball?"

I cracked up with laughter as tears started to accumulate in my eyes. She pouted and said, "Why are you laughing so much? I was just asking a question. Is the question so silly to that point?"

I nodded as I couldn't even reply to what she asked due to the laughter. She turned around and said sadly, "It's like ten minutes after my crush confesses to me, and here he is, laughing at me like I'm some stupid thing he bought. What a bad first impression of your first boyfriend."

I immediately stopped laughing and walked up to her, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face me. In a low voice, I whispered, afraid of what might happen, "Hey, are you considering rejecting me? Please don't; I'll do anything. I'll stop laughing at you, at anyone or at anything in the world if you ask for it."

After that, she was the one who started laughing. But for some reason, her laugh sounded loving and caring, not mocking in any way. "Now, why are you laughing?" I asked, emphasizing the 'you'.

"It's just that you sounded so sincere and honest. I'm sorry; that was just a joke. I didn't mean it; it just came out like that," she stopped laughing and smiled at me.

I relaxed and decided to hug her and cherish her touch like how she held my hand moments ago. "It's good that you weren't serious about that. I really thought that you were going to dump me ten minutes after being my girlfriend."

"Idiot, I wasn't going to do that. You should know me better than to do that to anyone," she said as she grasped my shirt.

I let go of her and went back to the original topic, "You said you wanted to know what b-ball is, right?" she nodded, and I continued, "B-ball is a shorthand term for basketball. Though I wonder why your brother used it."

"He's a man of few words. It was quite surprising that he spoke more than his usual rate today."

I smiled, but she didn't notice it since we began walking, and she was looking forward. We continued to walk until she suddenly halted and looked up at me worriedly, "Will you be able to defeat my brother? He's quite good at the game, and I wouldn't say he's an easy opponent either."

"Haven't you seen my skills in practice? Although I've never seen him play, Youichi and I must be at an equal level or something," I reassured her.

"I know, but my brother is really good, especially when he's provoked," she said, exasperated.

I bent my body a bit lower so that my face was at the same level as hers and kissed her forehead. "Do you or do you not trust me?"

"I do."

"Then there's nothing to worry about," I patted her head and walked by her side, holding her hand once again.

Silence fell on us until we entered back inside the hall, and everyone was gazing at us.

"Do you know what time it is?" she asked.

"It's…" I said as I looked at my watch, "eleven o'clock."

"I guess I have to go home now. It's quite late, and my mom will give me a lecture about it," After she said that, she slammed her hand against her forehead. "Damn it! I forgot to check my mobile for any miscalls."

"Would you like me to drop you home? I'll take you by my limo," I offered.

"That would be great," she replied cheerfully, and my heart soared at her enthusiastic smile. "Just let me go and tell Hotaru about it."

"Sure, but can I come with you?" For some reason, I didn't want to leave her tonight. I wanted to show everyone that she was mine and only mine.

"Of course," she answered, and we both headed to the center of the ballroom where Ruka was dancing with Hotaru. She suddenly stopped and looked up at me. She gazed at me quizzically with her left eyebrow raised. After a minute, she said, "Please take those lenses off. I love your original color more; it suits you more than this one does."

"Alright, milady," I gave a low bow, took the lenses out of my eyes and instantly threw them in the trash bin. "There, satisfied?"

"Mmhm," she nodded happily, held my hand, and scurried off to Hotaru and Ruka.

Even though I needed those lenses to hide my identity from the already chasing, crazed fangirls, it was worth getting her to hold my hand, which certainly made me smile.

What made me smile more was the fact that we were going to do this more often.


I was so happy I could've said that this was the best day of my life. All I wanted to do was just stay in Natsume's arms and enjoy the feeling. Unfortunately, I had to go tell Hotaru that I was going home with Natsume, and I had to explain the situation to my mom. I was mentally getting ready for her lecture.

Soon enough, Natsume and I reached Hotaru and Ruka who were both still dancing to their hearts content.

"Hi Hotaru," I greeted happily.

She stopped dancing with Ruka and was going to shout at me but then ceased when she saw Natsume grinning behind me. "What is the meaning of this, Mikan?"

"You and Ruka stop dancing, and come sit somewhere with us," I urged them, and all of us eventually sat down on four separate chairs out of the dancing area. I sat next to Natsume while Hotaru sat next to Ruka.

I inhaled and exhaled deeply and announced with confidence while clutching Natume's hand, "Natsume and I are officially a couple now."

Ruka's jaw dropped, and Hotaru's eyes widened by an inch. Hotaru quickly regained her composure and nudged Ruka in his stomach with her elbow. Ruka snapped out of his trance and said, "How the hell did that happen? How can Hotaru's best friend who's a sweet, intelligent, caring and kind girl be the girlfriend of my best friend who's a mean, inconsiderate, vulgar and unruly gang leader?"

I felt Natsume twitching next to me as he said, "Are you insulting your superior best friend, Ruka?"

"That's not what I meant, Natsume, but…"

"Then be quiet. Spouting such nonsense in front of my girlfriend; how vile!"

I noticed the anger building in Natsume and soothingly massaged his upper arm. "I'm sure he didn't mean it. And besides, in my eyes, I have a very good image of you, so no one can ruin it." He instantly calmed down under my touch and silently glared at Ruka.

"Anyways, let me tell you how it all happened," I told Hotaru the whole story of how I saw Youichi in the beginning to how we held off Youichi in the end. Surprisingly, I just realized how it all began and ended with Youichi.

"What a soap opera," Ruka commented.

"Indeed," Hotaru added.

"So, I just wanted to tell you that Natsume is going to drop me home, so you wouldn't need to worry about me. You should have fun with Ruka," I finally said what I wanted to say.

"Go ahead," she waved her hand in a small gesture indicating 'shoo', grabbed Ruka by the hand and went off somewhere.

"Well, I did my duty. Let's go Natsume," I told Natsume as we got off the chairs and went out of the entrance and yawned, "So many things happened that I feel really tired tonight."

A black, shiny limo was waiting outside the entrance as we got out. Natsume went ahead of me and opened the door. "After you, milady."

I smiled brightly at him and entered inside while he went from the other side. The car set off, and I got a chance to see what it was to be inside a limo. It was quite big and spacious, and that was all I could say about it. I won't go any further with the details since I want you guys to fantasize about it until you are actually inside it.

Anyways, back to the point. I was examining all the things inside the limo until Natsume spoke, "Impressed?"

"Duh. Although I've been in a limo before, yours is really well-decorated. It's really nice."

"Thanks, but all the credit goes to my driver. He's the one who maintains its good shape and appearance whenever we need it," he admitted.

"That's very kind of him."

"It's his job."

"Even though, you can see that he does an excellent job in giving you the best quality. Doesn't he?" I tried to convince him.

"If he didn't, then he would obviously be fired."

"But," I was going to argue, but he somehow had a point there, so I decided to give up. "Whatever, it's useless arguing with you. But that is very heartless of you to say."

He was taken aback by what I said and quickly amended his words, "I'm sorry. It's just that I am used to look at things in a business like way. I was taught to discard emotions and feelings when looking at someone."

"Oh, I see. That's kind of sad."

"But, Mikan, I love you from the bottom of my heart, and when I fell in love with you, I never looked at you in a profitable way. I looked at you, who you really were," he said while looking at me, his eyes holding such passion.

"I feel the same way, Natsume," I hugged him, and we exchanged a light kiss.

"Master, we're here," the driver's voice was heard from behind the black window that separated him from us.

Natsume briskly got out of the limo, went to the door next to me and opened once more for me. I held his waiting hand and got out, enjoying the light breeze that was tickling my face. It was a very romantic night, indeed.

"You are late," my mom said, standing in front of the main door of our house.

I looked at my mom sheepishly and apologized, "I am really sorry. I lost track time. Please forgive me."

She was going to retort until she saw Natsume standing behind me. Seriously, why does everyone stop scolding me when they see Natsume? Maybe he glares at them behind my back. Well, if I'm ever going to get berated, then I'll make sure to bring Natsume with me.

"I spy with my little eye a guy with you, Mikan," she said enthusiastically while I silently thanked God for letting me off the lecture.

"Yea, remember Natsume from last time?" I asked her, and she nodded. "Well, he decided to take me back home."

"My pleasure in seeing you again, Mrs. Sakura," he said in a gentleman like way. Wow! He sure knew how to act around the ladies. Truly manipulative guy.

"How romantic!" my mother exclaimed. "Did you guys dance? Oh, I doubt since Mikan…"

Natsume interrupted her and curtly said with a flashy smile, "We did."

"And I don't suppose you guys went out of the ballroom to enjoy a private moment, have you?" my mom asked, looking slightly hopeful.

"We have."

"Then etiquette states that after this turnout of events, you kissed under the moonlight and held each other's gaze for a few minutes; am I mistaken?" she said after a few gestures to explain what she meant.

"Yes, you are; I am afraid," her shoulders that were tensed with excitement suddenly drooped with disappointment. "However, we kissed under the lamps illuminating the place, not under the moonlight."

"That's marvelous. I could faint from joy right now," she said shamelessly and went up to me to hug me excitedly. "My little Mikan finally received her first kiss."

"And got a boyfriend in the process," Natsume added gallantly.

My mother suddenly became quiet and stiffened as she released me from the tight hug she held me in. And the unexpected happened. She cried.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly. She never broke down unless it was because of dad, of whom I don't have memories.

"It's just that…" she said between sobs and looked at me proudly, "I never thought you would love again, or trust anyone with your life for that matter."

Truthfully, I had no idea about what she said. Natsume gave me a questioning look, but I silently told him that I had no idea of what she said.

She stopped crying after a while. "You won't understand, and I hope you never will," she said after clearing the tears from her eyes and looked at me sternly. "Now, off to bed, young lady. It's quite late, and I have not the heart to lecture you. Now, go in quickly."

I hurriedly went inside but decided to hide behind the staircase to know what my mother was going to say Natsume.

"Natsume Hyuuga," she called out.

"Yes, ma'am," he responded.

"Take care of that girl for me."

"I will."

"She has been through so much pain. Do you really love her?" she inquired, her voice serious and blunt.

"With all my heart."

"Then promise me that you will protect her and never harm her unless it's for her sake," she demanded.

"I promise," he said firmly.

"Then I welcome you to my family," her voice changed to a sweet, caring tone. "Would you like to have dinner, although it is very late?"

"Thank you very much, but I have to go now," he said as he entered his limo and waved goodbye to my mom. He set off, and I quickly ran up the stairs, confused about what they said and realizing that my mom was going to enter the house any minute. But before she closed the door, she looked at the road the limo drove on and uttered an inaudible whisper that I managed to catch.

"Don't forget your promise, Natsume Hyuuga."


Please drop a review if you want me to continue this story; I need all the encouragement I can get people.