Chapter 6

3 days had passed...

"How is Mikan-chan doing?" Nonoko asked Hotaru who was busy conceptualizing new designs for her new invention.

"Still the same" Hotaru bluntly replied. "Ne~ after this chaos is over, let's begin our real project to be submitted to Misaki-sensei"

Nonoko shrieked "what? You mean, the frizzy froth is not our real project?"

Hotaru nodded.

"Then why did you even ask me to make a potion like that, Hotaru-chan?"

"Like what I've told you before, I want to make a certain idiot's wish to come true that's why this idea came into my mind"

Nonoko just nodded in response. She didn't want to interrogate Hotaru's plans anymore. "Well, I'll go back to my room now. Just inform me about your plans for our real project" and then she left.

Meanwhile, in Natsume's room...

Knock. Knock. Knock

"Come in" the fire caster said. The door opened and revealed his blonde best friend. Ruka entered the room and sat on the couch.

"Ne, Natsume, Koko and Kitsuneme are going to Central Town today...wanna join them?" he asked.

Natsume who was lying on another couch bluntly replied "not interested"

Ruka sighed. "Is there anything wrong?"

"Nothing." Natsume replied then he grabs a manga and put it on top of his face.

Ruka was about to reply when suddenly Koko and Kitsuneme barged into the room.

"Natsume-kun is sulking because he misses Mikan-chan! She's been absent for more than 3 days now and Natsume-kun is so lonely living all alone in this special star dorm" Koko said, a grin plastered on his face.

Kitsuneme was about to talk when he sniffed something in the air "Hey, I smell something burning". Kitsuneme turned his head and hollered "Koko! Your pants are burning!"

Koko panicked and hurriedly ran to Natsume's bathroom and plunged himself to the bath tub. His scream surfaced the room "Natsume-kun, that's bad you know!"

Ruka just stood there, worry can be seen on his face because one of his friends was burned by Natsume's flame.

"Don't you dare read my mind again or else your body itself will turn into ashes" Natsume threatened, his manga was still on his face.

Kitsuneme who was busy helping Koko at the bathroom grinned and decided to tease Natsume "So you REALLY are thinking about Mikan! You said so yourself! She is in your thoughts!"

"Shut the hell up!" Natsume flinched on the couch and stood up. A flame was starting to form in his right hand that is holding the manga, burning it in the process.

Ruka just stood there, dumbfounded. "He's acting like Mikan once again. Natsume is giving me a headache" he thought.

Just then, Natsume turned on his heels and jumped out of the window. Ruka's eyes widened when he noticed that his best friend was blushing dark shades of red.

"Alright, this is what happens when you read his mind Koko" Ruka said "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright. Lucky, I brought extra clothes with me just in case something happen" Koko smiled.

"You really dare to read his thought Koko. I thought he is on your not-to-read-their-minds list?" Kitsuneme asked.

"Yeah but you see, I can't help it. I saw Mikan in his mind and so I am tempted to read what is going on in his mind and I am just to giddy that I blurted it out" Koko replied.

"And look what happened when you spill something that you should just keep instead." Ruka blurted out. "We need to find Natsume. He is a bit odd these days and it may be bad if he met random people and he might burn their pants just like what he did to you"

Koko and Kitsuneme nodded their heads and headed out of the room to look for the pissed fire caster.

Meanwhile, Natsume wandered through the Northern Forest, trying to calm himself after an embarrassing feat with his friends who he thinks is making fun of him.

"Damn that Koko. I'll get back at him I swear" Natsume muttered.

Then he remembered what Koko had said...

"Natsume-kun is sulking because he misses Mikan-chan! She's been absent for more than 3 days now and Natsume-kun is so lonely living all alone in this special star dorm"

Natsume stopped on his tracks and sighed "Am I missing that polka dots? No way in hell. But it is really strange that she is not showing up for more than three days now and that Imai is not spilling anything about this." He said to himself.

Since Natsume was spacing out, he didn't realize that he walks his way towards a place where most students were afraid to even catch a glimpse on...

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Bear's lodge.

His short eye brows twitched upon seeing the sight of the lodge. Yeah, he is not afraid of Bear because he can burn him down any minute he wants but he just hated Bear for unknown reasons. Maybe he just likes to hate him. He shrugged his shoulders and was about to turn back when he heard a voice that he "misses" for the past three days...

"Bear, have you seen my notebook?!" a female voice echoed through the lodge.

Natsume was surprised when he recognized that the voice was Mikan's. "Is she staying at that stupid small wooden house?" he thought to himself.

Natsume walks slowly towards the lodge to confirm if it was really Mikan. But when he was just a few meters away, he stopped.

It seems that there is a certain barrier that surrounds the lodge.

Natsume gritted his teeth upon confirming that there is really a barrier. He wonders who the heck would put a barrier around Bear's lodge. Just then, he lit a small flame in his hands, trying to break even a little part of the barrier. At first, he failed but he didn't know why he is even exerting a lot of effort just to break the barrier and enter the house. After many attempts, at last a crack was made from Natsume's flames. Though it is just a small crack, he manages to crawl just to penetrate the barrier and he succeeds.

He tiptoed towards one of the small windows and peeked to see what is inside. His crimson orbs were doing an ocular inspection with the purpose of looking for a brunette who has been missing for the past days. His gaze landed on the dining table where piles of textbooks were laid down. He then saw Mikan who is carrying strawberry shortcake and makes her way towards the dining table.

Natsume walks towards the front door and opened it without even knocking. Well, he is Natsume Hyuuga anyway, why would he even bother to knock?

"I finally found you, polka dots." He smirked.

Mikan, who was busy munching on her shortcake, was flabbergasted upon hearing a voice she haven't heard for a few days. She stood up from her seat, still with icing on her cheeks and screamed.

"STRIPES!"

Without warning, Mikan ran towards Natsume and smirked "Missing me?"

"Quit teasing me" Natsume said as he pouted his lips. (He really pouted his lips! That is so not like him!)

Just then, Mikan pulled Natsume towards her and leaned on his ears and whispered "Then, why are you here in front of me?"

Natsume giggled and replied back "You're teasing me again you mad woman. I just happened to be here"

"Don't fool me. I am not stupid. Hotaru surrounded this place with a barrier that even my Alice will not work to it. How the heck did you break it?"

"So it is that machine freak's doing that a barrier was casted around here." He thought and then he replied back...

"I have my ways polka. Don't even bother to ask."

Just then, Natsume's stomach grumbled ruining the moment they are sharing.

Mikan sent an evil grin on Natsume "You haven't eaten anything yet aren't you? Come inside, I've got some shortcakes you can share it with me"

Mikan was about to turn her heels around but then she was pulled back by Natsume and he leaned closer to her and stick out his tongue making its way to Mikan's cheeks and slowly licking the icing off.

Natsume pulled back and looked at Mikan straight into her brown orbs while licking his lips, savoring the taste of the strawberry icing.

"Now I'm full"

End of Chapter 6...well how was it? It is a bit shorter than the previous ones but I guess it's fine. R&R!

Thanks for all those who reviewed the previous chapters. ! I love you all :)