Chapter 3

Turbulent Emotions

Mikan woke up with a splitting headache. She is in an unfamiliar room and her vision is swaying. Wait, the whole room is actually swaying. Where the hell is she? She grudgingly rose up from the bed and stared out the window.

"Oh my God!" She whispered. She is in a place surrounded by water! This place is probably a yacht or a boat, and she doesn't even know anybody who owns a yacht or a boat! She's been kidnapped! She is also wearing a man's large t-shirt. She distinctly remembers that she is wearing a red gown last night. She closed her eyes in distressed. Was she rape? Oh my God! They made her a sex slave! However, wait, she calmed herself. Her body seems to be fine. Nothing seems to be aching. Calm yourself, Mikan. Get a grip.

She entered the small bathroom and gasped in the mirror. She looks horrible! Her make up from the previous night before has been smudge and her hair is in wild disarray. She stifled a groan at the sight of her big Panda like eyes cause by her smudge eyeliner. In a way, she felt comforted with her appearance. Because there is no man in his right mind who would lust after her then rape her. She washed her face and gargled her mouth. She hopes that whoever owns the yacht would not mind that she made herself comfortable.

Loud footsteps coming down alerted her. She grabbed a bathrobe from a nearby chair and readied herself to meet the mysterious person who brought her here. She went out of the bathroom and saw a tall man arranging breakfast on a table. The man seems very familiar to her. She readied a friendly smile on her face. The man turned towards her and she felt herself froze instantly.

"Oh my God!" She whispered audibly.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?" Natsume smiled at her.

"You? You brought me here?" Mikan asked in disbelief.

"Surely that is not a way to greet an old friend, Mikan." Natsume pointed out lazily.

"You are not an old friend!" Mikan shouted angrily. How dare he bring her here? How dare he act so friendly towards her? What pisses her even more is that he looks so damn gorgeous despite this very early hour!

"That's right. I'm not. An old lover perhaps?" Natsume teased.

"You bastard!"Mikan shouted furiously.

"I see your temperament still hadn't change, my love. You may look sweet and beautiful but your temper is dangerously volatile. I use to find it so sexy back then." He smiled reminiscently

"I don't waste my time thinking about the past anymore. What matters more is the present." Mikan retorted icily.

Natsume did not reply to her banter. Instead, he is studying her face curiously. She is even more beautiful in person. Her photographs on the magazines are nothing compared to her personally. Something heat up inside of him, jealousy. He feels jealousy for the lucky Christopher to whom she will spend the rest of her life with. Even until now, he cursed his fate on why he can never be with the people he truly loves.

"I want to leave. Please show me the way where I can hail a taxi." Mikan announced coldly.

"You can't leave."

"Why the hell not?" Mikan retorted angrily.

"You can't leave because we are in the middle of the ocean. The boat doesn't have any gasoline left." Natsume replied calmly.

"What? You've got to be kidding me!"

"I'm not kidding. Feel free to look around."

"There must be a radio on this boat. Can't we call help?"

"We're too far away to contact help. We just have to wait around for another boat to find us."

"But that could take days, right? Or weeks?" Mikan asked in horror.

"Yup. Maybe even months." Natsume merely shrugged his shoulders uncaringly.

Mikan turned her back and stared out the window. Angry tears rolled down her cheeks helplessly. God help her, she cannot stay on this boat with him! She will definitely kill him!

"Hey, don't cry. I'll take care of you. We will not starve. I know how to fish." Natsume said comfortingly.

"It's not that! I don't want to be stranded here with someone like you!"

"Someone like me?" Natsume echoed unbelievingly.

"Yes! You who is arrogant, deceitful and a cunning swine!"

"Is that what you think of me?"

"Yes!" Mikan replied with convincing conviction.

"I see. Well, you just have to bear with me. Tough luck. " Natsume countered unemotionally. He strolled out of the room and left her in solitude.

Mikan stared at Natsume's retreating figure unbelievingly. How dare he walk out one her? Mikan felt herself becoming more infuriated with him. The nerve of that man! She bet her life that Christopher would never dare walk out on her. He loves her that much. Oh my God! Christopher! He must be so worried about her. She practically disappeared last night.

Come on, Mikan, think! How can you get yourself out of here? There has to be a way. She surveyed her surroundings and saw a familiar red clutch by the chair. Her bag! Her cell phone is in it! She hurriedly opens the clutch and gave a big sighed of relief when she saw her phone. There were about a dozen missed calls and messages from Christopher. There was also an urgent message from Hotaru telling her to contact her immediately. She and Ruka are here in Japan! She can call and ask them to rescue her right now. Hotaru can definitely find them!

Her phone suddenly flash a message, the battery is almost empty. No! Please hold on. She prayed fervently. She speed dialled Hotaru's number and it rung immediately. Come on, Hotaru! Answer your damn phone! A few more rings and she finally answered.

"Mikan baka! Where the hell are you? We are so worried about you. You just disappeared! Christopher is worried sick about you! He even-"

"Hotaru! I don't have the time. I'll explain everything later. You have to rescue me! I'm in a yacht in the middle of the ocean! He kidnapped me!"

"A yacht? Why the hell are you in a yacht? Who kidnapped you?" Hotaru asked with undisguised panic in her voice.

"It's him! He came back! Nat--" Mikan's phone suddenly turned off.

"No!" She cried in frustration. She threw her phone and it smacked the wall nearby. She sat weakly on the floor.

"Hotaru... Please come and save me immediately. I am not ready for this. " Mikan sobbed.

"Mikan!" Hotaru shrieked at her phone. The call just abruptly ended.

"Hotaru, what happened?" Ruka asked worriedly as he entered the room.

"I just got a phone call from Mikan. I think she is in a lot of danger. She said she was kidnap! She is in a yacht in the middle of nowhere! "

"Calm down, darling. Kidnap? By who? "

"She was about to tell me but call suddenly ended. I think she said Nat."

"Nat?" Ruka repeated with a deep frown on his face.

"She said something about he came back... She definitely said Nat! Who the hell is this Nat? Do we know a guy named Nat?" Hotaru walked back and fourth in agitation.

"Hotaru..." Ruka grabbed her shoulders and stared seriously into her eyes. "I think I know who he is."

"Oh my God!" Hotaru gasped as comprehension dawned on her.

"But were still not that sure... We might be wrong. We have to find Mikan soon."

"Who else could it be? Ruka, honey, arrange the yacht. I have to grab something."

"What are you going to get?" Ruka inquired anxiously.

"My baka gun. That guy owes me a lot, and it's been seven long years overdue."

Mikan quietly stepped out of the room. Where the hell are her clothes? How dare he remove her clothes when she was unconscious? That pervert! He never changed. She scanned her surroundings but he seems to be nowhere in sight. Hopefully, he's fixing this damn boat. She thought angrily.

A small island faraway caught her attention. She wondered if she could make it if she swims. Mikan, baka, that's a lot of kilometres! You know you were never a good swimmer anyway! She scolded herself. Still... she looked longingly at the island. Is it better to drown than stay here with Natsume?

Hey, maybe that water is not that deep. She thought. She kneeled on the floor and look intently at the deep blue water, somehow, trying to fathom the ocean floor. She shivered with fear. It's definitely deep! She was about to rise up when a voice startled her.

"What are you doing??" A deep masculine voice asked that is full of amusement.

Mikan rose with as much elegance as she could master and tried to look as haughty as possible.

"Nothing. It's none of your damn business!"

"Don't tell me you're contemplating of swimming away from this boat? I know for a fact that you can't swim." Natsume pointed out lazily.

"Of course not! I'm not an idiot!" Mikan snapped at him, her face a little flushed. Damn him! He knows her too well.

"Then what are you doing then?" He asked again with one of his eyebrows raised.

"I'm... looking for my clothes."

"At the bottom of the ocean?"

"Yes! So what? You're so ruthless that you probably threw them just to spite me!"

"My darling, I would never do such a thing. Your clothes are in the dryer. As a matter of fact, I've cleaned them for you."

"I didn't asked you too! Moreover, don't call me darling! I am not your darling."

"But you could be. Again." Natsume replied and smiled seductively at hers.

Mikan sucked in her breath. Is he out of his mind?

"I would rather burn in hell that be your darling again! Especially, not after you dragged me into your boat and kidnapped me!"

"Kidnap? I did not kidnapped you! Come to think of it, I was merely helping you."

"Helping me?" Mikan repeated incredulously.

"Yes! You fell unconscious. I took it upon me to do the honourable thing and help you.

"It would have been better if you left me alone."

"And left you to die? I don't think so. It would be such a waste." Natsume stated as he let his eyes travelled on to her barely clothed body.

"You pervert!" She hissed angrily at him.

"It's been so long since I was called that name. Come to think of it, I think it's about seven years."

However, Mikan is barely listening to his reply. She sidestepped him and began looking for the floatation device, because she cannot spend another minute with him in this boat!

"What are you doing?"

"I cannot possibly spend another damn minute in your presence! I would rather swim to that island."

"Really? Swim?" Natsume mocked.

Mikan rolled her eyes at him. She finally gave up looking. She can't believe there's no floatation device in this yacht.

"I'm so sorry. There's nothing in this boat that can help you get into that island."

"Well then, I just have to rely on my swimming skills then." She announced bravely. She walked near the edge and readied herself to dive. Lord, please help me.

"Mikan, are you really going to do this? I promise that I won't tease you anymore."

"It's too late Natsume! I can do this. You cannot possibly stop me."

She dived into the water and began to swim steadily. Ha! I bet I surprise you, huh? Good thing she listened to Christopher and took swimming lessons. She paused and looks triumphantly at Natsume.

"Impressive. You finally learned how to swim. By the way, did you also learn how to fend off sharks?"

"Sharks?" Mikan squeaked.

"Yes. Did I forget to mention that there are sharks in the water?"

"Ha-ha. I won't fall for that one. Screw you, Natsume!" Mikan shouted furiously at him. She began to swim furiously away from the boat. She was a good distance from the boat when she felt the pain. Oh my God! She's having cramps! She struggled to stay above the water as the pain on her feet worsens.

"Help me!" She managed to scream as the water finally engulfed her. After that, she lost consciousness.

Natsume lay breathlessly on the floor with Mikan. What an idiot! They almost didn't make it back to the yacht. As long as he lives, he will never forget the terror that he felt when he saw her drowning. Good thing he was already swimming after her when she started having cramps. Or else, He would not have been able to reach her in time. He struggled to regain his breath when he realized that Mikan is still not breathing.

"Damn you, Mikan, don't you dare die on me! I would never forgive you!" Natsume cursed as he started thrusting his hands on to her chest in order to revive her heart. He did not hesitate as he performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

"Dammit, Mikan, breath!" He shook her limp body in frustration.

He sighed in relief when she suddenly breathed for air and heaved seawater.

"Thank God!" Natsume cradled Mikan's body closer to his and hugged her tightly.

Loud footsteps bewildered him as he turn his head and face the newcomers.

"What the hell did you do to her, Hyuuga?" A furious and pregnant Hotaru Nogi asked with her huge baka gun pointed at him.

Hey guys, do you still remember me? Yes! I am still alive! And I don't even know where to begin my heartfelt sorry. I truly miss you guys. I terribly miss writing and the reviews! But it is really something that cannot be helped because I was really busy these past few months. I feel guilty when I read my emails and you guys are asking me to update. Gomen ne!

Hope you like this chapter. Since, I'm finished with school (hurray!), I would definitely have more time to update. So Please, don't hate me anymore. (o)

Don't forget to leave your comments!

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