Author notes, 10/30/07: Hi! I'm back with the update! I wasn't able to upload yesterday because my dear usb got bugged with a virus when I plugged it into a public internet cafe, and the resulting document containing the chapter turned all the letters to italic. xC. Heh, a new way to read fanfiction… Anyways, besides being busy "playing" around (grins), I've managed to come up with a layout for the next chapters on all the stories but haven't gone to composing it just yet due to my time. xD. So here's the latest update!! xD Dang, I think Ruka's turning really OOC… a point on you Springfairy. Yes, I guess he'll really have to change his usual self for this role as the son of a business tycoon. I'm trying to make him into his original self and might just succeed in the later chapters… hopefully. ALSO, I've changed Yusei and Hashimitsu into Narumi and Jinno, respectively... Figured they'll suit the role. But I forgot to bring in the chapters, I left it at home!! This is all I can update for now!! The changes will be posted, maybe tomorrow. ...Soorrry... xD Ah yeah, here's my newest smiley for the month: xD.

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Chapter 4:

In deep mud

---That night…---

Sleeping… Dreaming of good times when he was young…

Ruka as a toddler was very playful. He lived a colorful vivid world where only his family mattered and none of the complicated fields of business have anything to do with him. He's playing freely on the playground having a grand time when all of a sudden, in loud thump, it all vanished.

Knock knock!

Ruka reluctantly opened his eyes then closed it again, willing himself to go back to his dream…when he heard Narumi's voice.

"Master Ruka? May I disturb you for a moment?" Narumi's muffled voice beyond the door came, "It, uh… it appears urgent. You see, Ms. Sakura is---"

At the mention of Mikan's name, Ruka's eyes flew open. All his sleep was suddenly gone and he jumped out of bed, grabbed for the door and yanked it open.

There he was, Narumi his faithful butler, looking dead worried as he twisted and turned his fingers.

"What's wrong?" Ruka inquired of him. It couldn't be helped if he couldn't mask the anxiety in his voice but nonetheless Narumi still looked additionally worried.

He hesitated for a while before moving on, "There seems to be a… problem with Ms. Sakura. I thought it would be wise to inform you… She appears very upset about it." He paused to reconsider, then said, "Jinno and the maids have already arrived there---" he could not go on.

Ruka did not wait for details. Wasting no time, he slid on his slippers and headed for the stairs, then to the first floor, all the while thinking that he have done something---missed some vital information… something which was going to cost him big. He tried to remember what it is but only found speed in his strides for an answer.

"Mikan… what did she do now?" he found himself thinking and quickened his pace.

They went past the deserted halls of the mansion, to the wide dining room past the double door leading to the indoor garden outside. From there the pathway lead to the office, where Narumi said she was.

"Master, she's in there…"

Ruka looked at the door, and then with a sudden burst of familiarity, he somehow knew what he missed: he forgot to tell her something.

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(That afternoon, just as the sun was setting and when it stopped raining, Ruka went to his bedroom, too tired and fatigued by the strain his body underwent for the last two days. He felt so relieved to have a momentary helper in his task that he let his drowsiness to get over him. So even though he only decided to take a nap, he fell asleep and forgot all about checking up on Mikan's progress which was very vital to do so. She was a newbie, and a dumb one for heaven's sake… anything can go wrong. And he was careless enough to entrust an especially important task to her without giving the proper instructions.)

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Jinno and the maids gathered around the room, stock-still at the spectacle of grave issue before them. The family's consultant has this scorned-look about him... The maids whispered and glanced at each other with a worried face; it was the policy of the house not to interfere with the Nogi office, or anything related to the business unless Narumi instructed them to do so, so they stood there and watched quietly as Mikan tried to figure out what to do.

Mikan---the new secretary. She was on her knees on the center amidst the clutter of papers, looking as flustered as ever. She was still wearing the same yellow dress and seemed to have turned dead pale when she saw Ruka. She tried to smile when she saw him but it turned out to look so forced that it hardly appeared close to be considered happy.

"What's the problem?" he asked Narumi, who was standing behind him. His voice he kept in tight control to keep himself from raving.

"Master... Ms. Sakura did something with the Cerulean fishing industry contracts..." Narumi explained hesitantly and didn't tell everything.

"What?" Ruka demanded.

Narumi's eyes started to have a filmy look behind his thick spectacles as he said, "I'm sure she only understood it wrong. She lacked the proper decorum---"

Ruka shot him a look that said to cut beating around the bush.

"The contracts... She thought you said it was important, so she arranged it accordingly... She turned it into the shape of a pie, thought you said pie instead of 'pile'..."

Jinno butted in from behind him, "Ms. Sakura made a mistake it seems…. and a big one. She didn't know exactly how you meant by 'arrangement' and look how she defined it on her own." He sounded like he was sharing a good joke.

And there on the leftmost wall, right on cue Ruka saw his precious contracts pasted together on end to form the shape of a ridiculous-looking makeshift pie---that looks a little like a fish.

"And I thought I was supposed to sign it, not display it..." he thought in that split second of time. He stood there, unable to decide whether to fall on his knees and cry because of his stupidity, or grieve and trash about because he just lost one of the most important deals of his father's business---of the Nogi industry.

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Never mind if it was the "twelve-stars" contracts that got mugged, rotten or incinerated. The famous line of the prestigious Twelve-star Hotels, with its unique innovations consisting of exotic and highly effective inventions, is partner in business with the Nogi corporation. It was just another of the Nogi's partner companies, only a few levels higher than the rest, and Ruka can just consult his girlfriend to renew the copies if it got ruined. But the Cerulean fishing industry--CFI--it was an industry that was highly respected for its production of the finest fish goods in the whole world. The president of the company and Ruka's father were good friends and allies in business, but now that Ruka's father was gone and the strict president of CFI doesn't trust his 20 year old son Ruka to handle his dealings, what will happen now? He can almost visualize himself phoning the president and telling him about the "incident" only to be hanged up before he can finish.

Wonderful. This is what happens to him when he gets time to rest himself.

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Ruka tried to get over himself. He knew it was not right to get mad at his new secretary who probably had an IQ of 40, but still...

He turned to see Mikan, wanting to get angry... and stopped. Mikan was standing there by the wall, trying in vain to recover from her fatal mistake by peeling off the ruined soggy paper on its end but only to tear it apart. She didn't stop trying though and continued to do her futile work...and all the while, she has this forced smile on her face. Ruka suddenly regretted how he felt... It was like seeing a young pup lose his mother.

Ruka went forward and tried to think what to do when Jinno, who stood behind him, said a mocking pity on his face, "If I had not rebuked her and seen what she's been doing, she could've thrown everything into the fire." he was saying matter of factly, "Master, have you realized what you've gotten yourself into? …This is what happens when you stray from my orders. You will be lost without me…" he finished and left the room.

A concerned maid came forward and asked if she could do anything to help but Ruka waved her off.

"I'll prove you wrong, Jinno… I can make it without you."

Ruka continued with his task alongside a very upset Mikan, helping her sort out the papers meanwhile the butler ordered the maids to return to their quarters. Narumi stayed behind to await orders, if there was going to be any.

The two continued working the hours, sorting and arranging the pile. It occurred to the heir of the Nogi industry why he's here helping this newbie employee of his when Mikan's voice floated to him.

"I'm sorry for being such a bother… I really shouldn't have done that."

Ruka dismissed her, "It's not your fault. I missed out on giving you the proper instructions, and that was my error."

"Even so, I know how much this is important to you… I know my abilities---and it's not that much. You knew that yet you still hired me… and this is how I repay you…" she begins to cry.

Ruka stopped to stare at her.

"I'm sorry…" Mikan mumbled between tears.

"Say that again and tomorrow you can pack your clothes." A firm voice quite unlike Ruka's said.

"What?"

"I hired you so you can prove to me what you're capable of, not to waste your time apologizing."

Mikan momentarily registered shock, then a smile formed on her lips, "Thank you…" she said sincerely, "I'll do my best not to make a mistake."

Somewhere, a part within the young man filled with warmth at what she said, and he inwardly blushed to himself.

They continued to work everything out. Meanwhile Narumi observes the two and smiles to himself.

His young master was growing up.

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--into the night—

Mikan shivers to herself and keeps nodding her head, as if in sleep. Ruka apparently noticed and ordered Narumi to prepare her bedroom and send her to bed, to which the tired girl consented meekly.

Meanwhile, Ruka's left alone in the room…and suddenly he finds himself wondering not for the first time about Mikan. She seems…well, she intrigues him for some reason. She has that certain quality that was rare to come by. He tried to figure out what that is but only found his father's voice for an answer. It was a long time ago…

"Ruka, the truly successful people learn how to smile at the face of adversity…"

"What's 'adversity' papa?"

"It means enemies. They don't sulk at it or deal with it with a frown on their face. Solutions don't always come in returning back the same treatment but in softening it… in that way, they learn more about the best things in life, and that is to always face problems with a smile."

"I don't understand."

"In time you will... When you've met people like them, you'll understand…"

And Ruka wonders if Mikan was that kind of person.

He continued to work until the wee hours of morning, the thought lingering on the back of his mind for a long time.

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--The next day…--

The work was finally finished by the time the sun was peeking over the horizon.

Ruka, with apparent dark circles under his eyes, finally finished it. Narumi came through the door and greeted him a warm good morning, all the while handed him the news for the day.

"Master, one of our gardeners retired… shall we put a notice for hiring?"

"Yes, do that…" Ruka mumbled sleepily.

As Narumi was about to go, he remembered something, "Oh, by the way. The twelve star hotel phoned this morning… The owner would like to give a message that she will visit you shortly."

Ruka somewhat paled at this announcement. He barely had time enough to rest…but it doesn't look like he'll be getting one soon.

"Master, shall I prepare the luxuries?" Narumi inquired.

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---Mikan's room that morning---

The sunlight filtered into the room when Mikan woke up feeling refreshed and alive… she thought she could smell mild fragrance around her---or did she imagine it? Mikan looked around the room, not recognizing it. And then she remembered; the butler named Narumi prepared this room for her… her own bedroom. The realization dawned on her as she stared around, incredulous.

Usually, the room she had back home was small, about the size of the bed she was sitting on and her bed was hard and made of straw. One can just imagine the difference it made when she was suddenly sleeping in a bed fit for a princess, and the transition was hard getting use to.

It was indeed elegant, enough for Mikan to consider it as the highest form of aesthetic she has ever seen in her entire lifetime. Her bed was like a big bag of soft royal pink cushion and mattress fused together to facilitate the best comfort possible, and the polished floor was covered with a material that strongly reminded her of her blanket back at home.

Home---

Youichi and Natsume…

"I wonder how Youichi's doing?" she thought, suddenly home-sick. Usually when it rains and thunders outside, she sleeps at Natsume's bed in his house, Youichi wedged between the two of them. The little boy couldn't get through the night without his mother Aoi cuddled next to him, and he was used to having Mikan beside when it's thundering. It rained heavy last night… she suddenly felt like going back home that time, but she contented herself with writing them a letter.

Right on cue, there was a knock on the door. Mikan immediately recognized the kind voice as Narumi's, the butler, and told him to enter.

"Pardon me, Ms. Sakura, for barging in so early… Master Ruka asks if there's anything you need?"

Mikan shrugged nonchalantly, "Oh it's okay…" she said.

"By the way, can I have a paper and a pen? I would really like to write to my friend back at home. I'm sure they're worried about me." she said sincerely.

"Certainly Ms. Sakura, right away…"

Narumi was about to leave when Mikan called for him, "Please tell Mr. Nogi that I appreciate his concern."

The butler smiled back good-naturedly, "With pleasure, Ms. Sakura."

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---after a while---

Mikan got the writing materials and began composing,

"Natsume and Youichi,

I am finally here in my boss' big house and I'm starting my job as his secretary. Mr. Nogi is very kind, he even gave me my own bedroom! Everyone is treating me kindly here… I'm very lucky to have heard that radio ad, don't you think:) and even though it took me long and drained my savings finding the place, I met a kind old man who showed me the way to the mansion through a hand-written map. I traveled nearly for the whole day, and just when I was thinking of going back, I saw this big place towering over everything else… I look at the map and it matches! See, I told you I'm lucky. ;)

Mr. Nogi is really very kind Natsume; they said my resume was very bad but he accepted me anyway.

You should meet him sometime. He's as tall as you. :)

I've got to go, I still have a one week trial to prove myself.

Take care of Youichi for me.

-Mikan"

She folded the paper and tucked it somewhere for later posting.

-

Shortly after, that mid-morning, Mikan came down hailing the halls with her loud voice.

"Good day everyone!! How are you today??" she exclaimed to the surprised maids. From afar, Jinno heard the distinct voice and frowned in disgust, knowing without a doubt who caused it. Mikan spotted Ruka from the corner, slouching like a zombie. She dashed to his place and greeted out loud, "Good morning Mr. Nogi!!" she smiled brilliantly at him, "How are you today?"

The exhausted young man started to say something to her, looked at her face then seemed to blush deeply into himself, as if he had a sudden embarrassing thought. He didn't finish what he saying.

"What?" Mikan said aloud, inclining her head as if to hear him better, "Did you say something Mr. Nogi?" she looked at his struggling face again, noting with slight surprise that it was turning pink, "Mr. Nogi, are you choking on something?"

Ruka managed to look at her before turning away, blushing furiously.

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---meanwhile---

The musical doorbell of the mansion soon rang along the halls, its ringing was persistent as if the one on the other end was dying. This caused the nearest maid to drop whatever she was doing and answer the door. Three people dressed in elegant tailored suits appeared before her.

"Oh, Ms. Imai…" the maid trailed off in surprise, especially when she saw her companions. Hotaru Imai stared at the maid until she finally caught her meaning.

"Please come in…" the maid immediately motioned them inside.

Sumire gave the maid a piercing glance before moving past, "Precisely. You should know better."

Tobita Yuu followed along behind her, remarking how the mansion never loses its own grandeur.

"It looks the same as always…" Yuu marveled, "Don't you agree Sumire?"

The other stopped on her tracks and looked as if she was smelling the air as she moved her head this way and that. "Yes… but I smell something---"she held a finger in the air, "'poor' about here…"

"Sumire it's probably the fish." Yuu told her timidly, worrying about the tone of her voice, "I don't smell anything."

But the intuitive woman paid heedless to him and wandered to the living hall, her brow furrowed as she heard a loud, shrill voice.

"Mr. Nogi, what's wrong?"

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"…Huh? Are you okay? What---"

Ruka stopped short and stared at the new arrivals… Hotaru Imai appeared, along with the Nogi friends Sumire and Yuu. She appeared elegant yet imposing as ever in her formal Gucci attire of chic blazer, skirt and high sandals, all in the stately color of black that clearly matched her deep indigo eyes…

They were looking at Ruka now.

He didn't know what to say. He felt like a goon caught red-handed, except that he didn't do anything wrong… not that he know of. Mikan stood beside him, transfixed and unmoving as she tried to figure out what's happening.

"Well, look who's caught in the headlights…" Sumire's haughty voice said, eyeing Mikan and her pajamas, "Won't you care to introduce us to her, Ruka?"

Mikan was not sure what to do. She was well aware that she's wearing night clothes, her long hair was a mess and that she never was prepared for this…when Ruka spoke.

"Hotaru, what brings?"

She came forward and in a smooth, slow motion, kissed him on the cheek, all the while eyeing Mikan and her pajamas by the corner of her eyes. Mikan couldn't help feeling that the gesture was meant for her as she stood there helplessly, looking at this elegant woman who was probably his girl friend…

"I came here to settle an important deal." Hotaru was saying, emphasizing on every word, "Our company has just launch an innovation concerning a prototype machinery that allows synthesis of artificial weather. I would like to discuss it with you." She said formally, her tone blank and plain with only a slight hint of efficiency.

"Of course." Ruka nodded when he saw her staring at Mikan.

"This is Mikan, my new secretary---" Ruka introduced.

"Who slept in your mansion?" Sumire remarked again, her haughty voice shrill as she stared at Mikan with cold eyes, but it was Hotaru's that really bit.

She did not only appear to give her a fixed stare; she looked as if she were appraising Mikan like a stale jewel, her deep indigo eyes prying her open, searching what was worth---

Ruka's perspiring profusely as he staggered with his explanation. "It's not how it is." then looked to Hotaru, as if she making her agree. "Right?"

The young lady gave Mikan a final head-to-toe examination before letting her gaze off, as if finally seeing her worth. "Let's talk this over at your office, Ruka…" she said as she went away, "I don't want to know that I'm dealing with this worthlessly..."

Ruka and the others followed suit, leaving Mikan to decide for herself…

Meanwhile Mikan's bemused to herself; she didn't know she had another problem to deal with.

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Author note: Please review!!! xD