Summary: They've been best friends since they were kids. They vowed at each other that they will always be best friends forever. Yes, forever.

Chapter Two

Seven years have passed since Natsume and Mikan became best friends. They always fight and everything at that but they're still best friends. They would go at their tree house every after class and hang out there, tell stories about what happened that day, everything at that. Mikan was so happy that she almost forgot what had happened to her love life seven years ago and everytimes she's reminded of it, Natsume would be there for her to lean.

"Natsu-chan, wait up!" Mikan ran towards him while Natsume was on his way towards the school.

Natsume stopped walking and looked at her while Mikan panted, placing her hands on her knees.

"I... Woke... Up... Late, Natsu-chan! Gomen... nasai...!"

Natsume was suppose to meet Mikan on their Tree House but she still wasn't there and Natsume is going to be late if he waited any further so he decided to leave. "You should learn to set your damn alarm clock, aho." They started walking. "You're making me late too."

"I said I'm sorry!" Mikan pouted.

"Sorry is just an excuse for stupid behavior and it wouldn't do anything once we're late."

"Mou, I'll make it up to you then, Natsu-chan!" Mikan smiled.

"Tch. Fine. Dance in front of Jin-Jin in detention. That would do."

Mikan sweatdropped. "Do you actually think I can do it?"

"An idiot would dance in front of a stupid teacher so yes. I actually think you can do it."

Mikan stuck her tongue out. "Meany!"

When they reached the gates of their school, the school bell rang. "Great." Natsume muttered. He suddenly carried Mikan on his back (a piggy-back ride :P) and started hopping trees to trees. "This is all your fault, Polkadots."

"It's not my fault! It's the alarm clock's fault." She secured her arms around Natsume's neck. "I didn't hear it ring..."

"Then who's fault do you think it really is?"

Mikan pouted. "Mine."

"Good thing you know." said Natsume when the building came in sight. The third floor's window is open and it's their classroom's window. "You'll sleep in the tree house, understood?"

"The tree house?!" Mikan exclaimed. "I can't sleep in the tree house! It's going to be so cold and dark, considering scary!"

"Oi, stop shouting, will you? I'm right here, aho."

"Sorry..." She said in a cute voice. "But really, I don't want to sleep there alone, Natsu-chan..."

"Who said you're going to be alone?" Natsume jumped inside the open window and good thing the teacher isn't there yet. "Looks like you won't have to dance, Polkadots." He smirked.

"Nice entrance, Natsume-kun!" A spikey, dirty-haired blonde boy named Koko waved his hand.

"Ohayou gozaima-" Before Mikan can finish her sentence, Natsume dropped her down. "Itai, Natsu-chan! You don't have to do that." She stood up and dusted her skirt. "Meany..."

"Hn." Natsume sat down on his seat beside his best friend.

"Good morning, Natsume."

"Mornin' Ruka." Natsume greeted back.

And as usual, Mikan would just pass by Ruka and sit on her seat in front of Natsume and talk to her friends, Anna and Nonoko.

Ruka frowned at this. "Ever since that day, she never talked to me anymore."

"It's your fault." Natsume muttered. "Still in broken pieces and whenever she sees you, it breaks more."

"Her heart, I know." Ruka sighed. "You know, I like her too... But only as a friend, Natsume..."

"Then you should have told her that."

"Yeah."

And that was the time their gayish teacher, Narumi, entered.

***

When dismissal came, Mikan waited for Natsume outside their classroom. As she waited, she felt someone tapping her back. She looked around and saw Hotaru.

"Konnichiwa, Hotaru!" She greeted with a smile.

"Mikan, I would like to tell you something regarding Nogi."

Mikan's face dropped. "Oh... What about him ne?"

"He is sad because you don't talk to him." said Hotaru. "I know you wouldn't want anyone to be sad because of you, am I right?"

"Hai, Hotaru..." Mikan lowered her head.

"I want you to talk to him." said Hotaru.

"I-I don't think I can do that!"

"Yes, you can. You just won't." said Hotaru. "It's already the past, Mikan. Learn to let go."

"I already did. I already did, Hotaru." Mikan is going to cry any minute now. "It's just that I can't forget about it..."

"First love."

"First crush," Mikan corrected. "Infatutaition."

"Infatuation, baka." Hotaru corrected too. "I don't think it is infatuation, because if it is, you shouldn't be getting hurt right?"

"I'm not hurt." Mikan shrugged.

"Then go ahead and talk to him."

"I can't..."

"Polkadots, let's go." Natsume stepped out of the room then he saw Mikan's back facing him and she was talking to Hotaru.

Mikan wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks and faced Natsume with a smile. "Alright, Natsu-chan!"

Natsume glared at Hotaru then Hotaru glared back.

"You better talk to him." Hotaru said coldly and walked away.

Natsume looked at Mikan who's head is lowered. "Let's go." then he started walking and Mikan followed.

***

On the tree house, Mikan and Natsume was eating their dinner, fried chicken and rice. They were quiet for a very long time until Mikan started the conversation. "Ne, it was a good thing that we didn't get late, right, Natsu-chan?"

"Hn." is all he said then silence again.

Mikan was thinking of what to say but still nothing. She chewed the chicken's leg as she looked at Natsume drinking his Coke.

Natsume placed the can down and looked at Mikan. "What are you looking at, aho?"

Mikan put the chicken leg down and smiled. "I was just remembering the times we slept here together, Natsu-chan. The first was when we were eight years old... The time when Grampa scolded me because I didn't get to finish my food... I went here in the tree house and cried and then you came and also sermoned me about it..." She laughed. "The second was when we were ten... I accidentally tripped and got my knee bruised... And I was afraid to go home because I knew Grampa will get mad at me... And you were here and you were the one who aided my knee..."

"I remember. The next day, your Grampa ran here and actually climbed the tree house. He was so worried about you."

"I thought he would get mad but then I was wrong..." Mikan giggled and drank her Coke. "And this will be the third time... The reason why we'll be sleeping here is I don't wake up early in the morning."

"And I am going to be your alarm clock." Natsume rolled his eyes.

"I remembered why we didn't get to sleep here between eleven to thirteen years old..." Mikan frowned. "You were gone for a very long time... And our source of communication is the internet... We chatted with each other for so long that my Grampa always had to remind me it's already one o'clock in the morning..." She smiled then frowned again. "You went to the Gakuen Alice America for some reasons, right? And yet, you're still not telling me..."

Natsume was quiet.

"Natsu-chan?"

"Hn?"

"Please don't go far away anymore..." She looked at her best friend. "Alright?"

"Tch. Idiot. You already forgot your stupid motto, didn't you?"

Mikan grinned. "Hahaha! Nope. 'We maybe apart in distance but never in heart.' I still remember."

"Aho."

Mikan just stuck her tongue out.

Natsume rolled his eyes.

"But still... Natsu-chan, alright? Don't go far away anymore..."

"Enough with that. What did you and Imai talk about?"

Mikan looked down. "Nothing..."

Natsume leaned closer to her. "I can see you're lying... Obviously, you're lying."

Mikan pouted. "Hotaru wants me to talk to Ruka-pyon... She said he's sad because I don't talk to him anymore. Did you know about it? That Ruka-pyon is sad?"

"Yeah. I know."

Mikan looked down.

"Then talk to him, idiot. It's seven years ago, for crying out loud. Why can't you forget it already?"

"I like Ruka-pyon..."

Natsume widened his eyes.

"I still do until now... I-I just don't know why..."

Natsume lowered his head, causing his bangs to cover his eyes.

"Natsu-chan, you know I have an illness... I stay away from Ruka-pyon because... If my heart pounds..."

"Heart illness. I know."

"I also know you understand why I don't talk to him anymore. Right?"

"Yeah. I do."

"And I don't want to talk about him anymore. I don't want to like him anymore..."

Natsume didn't respond.

"Is there anything I can do to not like him anymore, Natsu-chan?"

Natsume tapped his shoulder and Mikan knew what he means.

She stood up and kneeled infront of him then she rested her forehead on his shoulder and started crying.

After awhile, Mikan's cry turned to sob then stopped.

"Polkadots has cried herself to sleep again." Natsume rolled his eyes and lied her down the matress.

~~~~~0o0o0o0o0~~~~~