Wow, heaps of reviews for the laster chapter (YAY! Thank you guys, you're epic!)

Everyone's for Natsumikan (which is healthy, so good job) and so am I (or not? *evil laugh*)

Including this one, only four more chapters to go 0.0

Welllll, please enjoy ^.^

CHAPTER 18: YOU

Souma Kiseki stood there. Conflicting emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He had just kissed the girl he liked. The girl he liked had just rejected him. He was feeling sad and disappointed that she did not return his feelings. But for some reason, he felt guilty and sick for making her cry.

But he knew, there was another thing nagging at the back of his mind that he didn't want to accept. He was feeling crushed. He was feeling angry. He was feeling contempt for the person he had, once again, lost to... Hyuuga Natsume, his first cousin.

Right on cue, he saw a flash in the corner of his eye. He whipped his head around to find none other than his rival himself. How long had he been there? Was he hiding in the tree? What the hell is up with him? These questions were running through Kiseki's mind. He felt like spitting them all out to the crimson-eyed boy in the rudest way possible, but decided to hold his tongue and wait for him to speak.

Once he was sure that Kiseki had accepted his presence, Natsume spoke. Now, he didn't answer any of Kiseki's questions, not at all. He merely growled in a low and dangerous voice, "You made her cry, and I can't forgive you so easily for that."

I was in the middle of running and sobbing to who knows where. My feelings were out of whack and I couldn't think straight. All I knew was that I needed to get away from there. I needed to recover.

One thing I didn't need, was what exactly happened just then. A group of students had just run past me, in the opposite direction. One of them, Hotaru, did not fail to grab and drag me along with them back to where I had just come from. Back to where I had just left my heartbroken friend.

The recent events had happened all in a flash, in less than a few seconds. I was, of course, utterly confused and finding it extremely hard to retrieve my bearings. I was about to open my mouth when I realised it was covered, or rather, taped. My eyes expanded in surprise. I attempted to bring my hand up to remove it from my mouth when I realised, in equal surprise, that I was bound by some sort of rope.

I turned my head to find that I was mercilessly being dragged on a leash – connected to the rope binding me – by none other than my best friend. How it mysteriously appeared on me in less than a second, without me noticing, was unknown. But I had a feeling that Hotaru had developed some sort of contraption to achieve this.

My brain had officially decided to shut down 80% of its cells, preventing me from comprehending any of the past events. I decided not to defy its decision. Perhaps it was the best. Instead, I decided on focusing on what was happening right now. And since I was unable to move or speak, I resorted to observing the current situation.

We were running back to the scene I was desperate to leave. Hotaru was pulling me back with them – them being Koko, Ruka and herself. Hotaru had a large, strange, metal cap on Koko's head. There were screws here and there and lights dotting it. It looked very technical, as if it were about to suck all the information out of his head. The cap seemed to be connected to Hotaru's old panda earphones which she currently had on.

"Can you hear them, Koko?" asked Ruka urgently. "What's happening?"

"Yeah, their thoughts are pretty loud," Koko confirmed. "Imai, can you?"

Hotaru nodded and listened intently to her earphones. "The conversation seems to be heating up, but it's only just begun. Natsume just scolded him for making the baka cry." Why was I sure that the baka was me?

"Oh really?" questioned Ruka in interest. "You can really hear all the thoughts that Koko hears with that invention." She nodded.

"It's a good thing Aoi tipped you off about this feud, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to track them," Koko told Ruka.

"Yes," Hotaru agreed. "Once Souma-san dragged Mikan off, and you saw Natsume follow them, we knew something was gonna be up and I had time to prepare the equipment."

Koko turned to me, "Mikan your thoughts were so loud! That's how we found you so easily. But now for some reason they've dropped to a low buzz. Are you okay?"

I shrugged. I didn't want to think about thinking. I didn't want to think at all. My brain had already shut down for the most part. I was only half-heartedly comprehending what my captors were saying. A part of me longed for my whole brain to shut down. Being brain dead sounded very peaceful and welcoming right now.

It was obvious that Koko had been 'convinced' by Hotaru to be used as a tracking and listening device. She had probably thought of some way she could profit from this. Koko seemed mildly interested though, he didn't seem to mind being used equipment. In fact, he looked like he was enjoying himself.

Ruka on the other hand looked worried sick. "Natsume," he mumbled under his breath, "don't do anything reckless, please." Natsume? What about Natsume? What was going on? They seemed to know more about this than I did. Alas, my brain stubbornly refused to comprehend any of this.

We were nearing the clearing onto the field. But, instead of heading through the opening between the bushes, the party had jumped straight into one of them, dragging my half conscious self along.

We briefly adjusted our positions within the shrubbery and peered out onto the scene on the field.

Hotaru had conveniently packed a pair of binoculars. However, it did not seem to be needed because the only two people on the grounds were within ten metres of our hiding spot and could be heard perfectly clear. Instead, Hotaru pulled a video camera out of her pack, and after adjusting the mic, she began filming the scene that played out before us.

I turned my attention to the two boys on the field. Alarm bells started ringing when I realised who they were. It was Kiseki, there where I left him. But it was who he was staring intensely at that shocked me... Natsume.

Had he been there the whole time? Did he see... everything? I choked on a sob. The atmosphere between the two seemed heavy, very tense. My attention was focused on the two people in front of me. Parts of my brain began to function again, all in an attempt to understand this situation.

Why were they both there? Why were they looking each at other with such contemptuous eyes? Why was the air so thick with loathing and burning anger that it made me sick? I felt my eyes water when I realised that it was Natsume and Kiseki. My boyfriend and beloved tutor and friend were the two people in this situation with such hatefulness between them. Why? Why on earth would they be doing this?

Koko, obviously hearing my thoughts, turned to me, "Well, why else?"

I looked at him questioningly.

"You."

She's so thick... :P I liked writing this chapter :)

Well next two chapters will be lotsa Kiseki and Natsume stuff (fighting/forgiving/both?)

I love those reviews, so pretty please keep 'em coming (Y)

New chapter should be up tomorrow