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Addicted To You
Chapter 7

Closer, Together

It was already the end of class. The weather was fine, the birds were humming merrily. Under the shade of a Sakura tree, two figures were sitting under it. They were silent but you could see in their face that they were happy together.

"How was your trip to the other branch of the academy?" Mikan asked breaking the ice between them.

"I had fun. I met many friends." Tsubasa answered, smiling while looking at the sky.

Mikan stared at him and smiled.

"That's great." She commented.

"By the way, there were new students in your class right?"

"Yeah. My class won't be the same anymore." Mikan said with a glint of sadness in her voice. Tsubasa chuckled a bit.

"Things don't always stay as they are. Sometimes you need something new." Tsubasa pointed out. "New things are always fun, Mikan-chan!"

"I know, but one of them is really creepy." Mikan shivered at the thought of the crimson eyed lad.

"I see. Is that the guy you bumped a while ago?" Tsubasa questioned.

"You saw that?" Mikan asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, I was going to surprise you but looks like your mind is flying and bumped into him. But he's good huh, fast reflexes." Mikan slapped her forehead after hearing this from Tsubasa.

"By the way, I'm not the only one who saw it, your fan boys also saw it." Tsubasa added and then laughed aloud.

"Oh. God!" Mikan exclaimed and started to mutter incoherent words under her breath.

'Guess my wish to have a peaceful living was already ruined.' She thought.

"You know, you were acting weird today, is there something bothering you?" Tsubasa suddenly asked out of the blue.

Mikan almost panicked because of his question. She stared at those cool blue eyes of Tsubasa. Her heart started to pound erratically because she missed this guy a lot.

Mikan sighed and diverted her eyes to the peaceful sky. "Nothing, I just missed you." Her voice was so honest.

"Well, I miss you too." Tsubasa replied with a gleeful smile.

Mikan immediately looked away to hide her blushing face. Tsubasa noticed this. His eyes sadden.

Tsubasa remembered what Hotaru said when he arrived earlier.

Flashback…

'Ohayou, Imai-san, why call me here?' Tsubasa, who just arrived back on the Academy, greeted Hotaru.

'I'll be straight. That baka likes you a lot, Andou.' Hotaru said with a serious face.

'I do like Mikan-chan, too, Imai-san, I don't get you.'

'She likes you romantically, Andou. You are stupid and dense so I'm pointing this out, that even the most stupid person will understand.' Hotaru said in a very straightforward tone.

'I had my sources. You'll just break her heart so better fix this before that happen'. Hotaru continued. With one last glare, she walked away.

Tsubasa shivered at her coldness. But her words still lingered in his mind.

"Hey Mikan-chan, do you like someone?" Tsubasa asked. He saw her blush again.

She nodded. Tsubasa replied her with a smile.

"Me too. I also like someone." Tsubasa said. Mikan saw him looked at the sky. She could feel her heart beat faster than usual.

"Who?" She asked, looking hopefully at him.

"I met her at the other branch of academy. She looks cute, just like you." Tsubasa saw her face sadden. She lowered her head. Tsubasa flashed a sad smile and sighed.

'Mikan, I'm sorry.'

Mikan felt something inside her shattered.

Mikan's POV

It hurt. It seriously hurt.

I wish I never heard those words coming from him.

I like him. But he doesn't like me.

I heaved a sigh. He looked at me. He was smiling sadly at me.

"Good for you." I replied, my voice was hoarse. I was in the verge of crying. But I controlled it.

"Mikan-chan. I hope you'll find the right person for you." He said to me, with that warm smile that melted my heart.

I knew. He knew it. I smile at the thought.

"I'm happy you said it right now, Tsubasa-senpai." I said smiling at him. He smiled back.

Somehow, I felt relieved.

At least he knew what I feel. And for me, I could stop falling deeper.

"I need to go now, Tsubasa-senpai." I said. He nodded and patted my head like he always do.

"Take care huh? My precious little kouhai." He said again, with his trademark cheery smile that I've liked the most.

I ran away, going to who-knows-where.

I was glad he said it, but it still hurt a lot.

End of Mikan's POV

Mikan was running as fast as she could. She couldn't believe what just had happened. She didn't mind where she was running into. Until…

BUMMMPPP…

She collided with someone, hard. She fell on top of the stranger.

She heard a door creaked and closed.

She heard someone grunted in pain.

Things happened so fast and when she opened her eyes darkness welcomed her. She couldn't see anything. She felt something soft under her. She panicked. It was a person.

"W-who are you?" Mikan asked, stuttering.

"Is bumping someone really your hobby now?" She heard that strangely familiar voice grunted.

"Are you hurt?" Mikan asked, her voice panicking. She stood up and touched the wall and started to search for the light switch.

The lights tuned on. Mikan covered her eyes and due to the sudden light that spread through the surrounding. When her sight adjusted with the light...

…she saw him. That annoying stalker she had in her class named Natsume. He was holding his right shoulder. It was bleeding. Looks like he hit the ladder beside him. Her eyes widen in shock.

"Gosh! I'm sorry." Mikan apologized. She ran to him and was about to help him but…

"Don't touch me." Natsume said icily. He didn't like what he was feeling. The pain he was feeling was getting into him.

"Just let me aid your wound." Mikan pleaded, worry was visible in her eyes.

"Are you a nurse?" He stood up and walked to the door. It was locked. He tried to push it, but his shoulder hurts.

"Damn. It's locked." He growled in annoyance.

"What?" Mikan almost shouted. She also walked to the door and twisted the knob. "Oh no…"

Natsume sat on the floor, clenching his fist, trying to ease the pain. He grunted again. Mikan looked at him. She felt really guilty.

She approached him again. Pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket, she started cleaning the wound, ignoring the fact that the guy was glaring at her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Mikan sadly and sincerely said. Natsume looked at her. He was about to say something when Mikan hit his wound hard. He winced.

"Tch. be careful." He said diverting his eyes to the ceiling.

He winced in pain again.

"God, you sucked at this." He lied and stared at her.

"Well, I'm sorry!" She shouted and sighed.

"Your loud voice is adding up to the pain." Natsume lied again. He saw her controlling her anger. He mentally laughed.

He watched her cleaning his bleeding wound up. Somehow, the excruciating pain he was feeling earlier was fading away.

Mikan finished aiding his wound by tying her handkerchief around his arms. She smiled, looking satisfied at her achievement.

She looked at Natsume, and she flashed a sad smile.

"I'm really sorry." She sighed and sat beside him.

"It's nothing." Natsume replied, his heart beating faster once again.

"Well, my stalker, thank you." She added sarcastically.

"I'm not stalking you." Natsume plainly replied.

"Well you do." Mikan retorted.

"I did not."

"You do!"

"I said I did not."

"Then why are you here?" Mikan asked looking at Natsume.

"Is it wrong to study here?" Natsume defended.

"This is too much to be coincidence. All I did was to give you a present. Why need to stalk me?" Mikan asked.

Natsume stopped for a second. He also asked that to himself.

"If it's about the picture, fine, it's still on my phone. Okay, I didn't delete it, but if you want, I'll delete it later." Mikan added. Natsume smirked after knowing that fact.

"No." Natsume informed.

"What?" Mikan replied, confused.

"I'm just curious about Koko's cousin." Natsume lied.

"So it's Koko's fault huh? That jerk." She clenched her fist while imagining that goofy look at Koko's face.

"Don't call me stalker again." Natsume requested.

"Fine, Hyuuga-san."

"Call me Natsume."

"What a – Geez, a demanding jerk."

"My surname cost billions. So don't call me on my surname." Natsume arrogantly stated.

"Fine. Natsume."

"Good. Polka." Natsume called out which made Mikan confused.

'Huh? Polka?' Mikan thought and her eyes widen.

"Argh! You're not only a jerk! You're also panty peeking pervert!" Mikan yelled, flushing furiously.

"I didn't peek. It just showed. And honestly, I didn't enjoy it." Natsume stated with his notorious smirk.

"YOU! I hate you!" Mikan playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"Aw…" Natsume faked a wince.

"Gomen!" Mikan apologized and looked worriedly at him.

"What an idiot, my wound is on the other side." Natsume said teasingly.

"Argh! You're a jerk!"

"And you're so childish. Polkadots. Tch."

"Pervert! Grrrr..."

Their arguing continued as a new blossoming friendship started.

Hours Later… At the Academy Halls…

"Imai-san! Stop taking pictures of me!" Ruka shouted while following a smirking raven haired girl.

"No. Only few days have passed and you have a lot of fan girls. It means more money."

Click. Click. Click.

Ruka sighed. Hotaru had been following and taking pictures of him ever since the break time started.

"Stop it now." Ruka pleaded. Hotaru stopped for the moment and took something out of her pocket.

Hotaru showed him a picture. It was the very first picture Hotaru taken of him six years ago. In the picture, his eyes were wide opened and his lips were parted in shock. His face in the picture was so surprised which made Ruka blushed in embarrassment.

"You still have that? ! Give me that!" Ruka said, trying to sound threatening.

"No, it's mine and only mine." Hotaru replied nonchalantly, with an unknown emotion on her eyes.

Ruka became confused and blushed hard when he noticed that Hotaru face was moving near his.

Closer…

Closer…

Click.

"Perfect. Tomato face."

"IMAI! !" Hotaru ran away from Ruka with a small smile on her face.

"IMAI GIVE THAT TO ME!" Ruka yelled with fury in his voice.

But Hotaru suddenly stopped when she noticed something familiar at the hallway.

Mikan's bag.

Ruka caught up on her. He was about to yell at her again but stopped when she saw her picked up something on the floor and stared at the door in front of her. He followed where her eyes were looking – the storage room.

"Nogi, call the janitor now."

"But why?"

"Follow me or I will hit you." Hotaru threatened, with a very deadly glare.

….

"Open it fast!" Hotaru threatened to the poor janitor.

"Oh, I hate you, janitor-san." Ruka said after hearing Hotaru's reasoning.

"Gomen! I don't know anything!" The janitor defended while trembling.

After which seemed forever, the janitor finally opened the storage room.

Ruka jawdropped. He was dumfounded, flabbergasted, astonished, speechless, staggered.

Hotaru eyes widen for the moment, but later on – a smirked form in her face.

The janitor was thunderstruck.

"Never thought they will look perfect with each other." Hotaru said nonchalantly, took a picture of the scene in front of her and then started to walked away.

They just saw Mikan and Natsume, sleeping soundly on the cold floor of the storage room… hugging each other.

End of Chapter 7