Haha. I uploaded not too soon, yay. Those reviews really made my day. Thank you!

Her Favorite Boy

By Y. M. H.O

Chapter 4: Could You Be Here

"I'm sorry."

Mikan woke up to those words that made her confused for a moment. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw blonde hair… Hmm. Blonde hair.

Then images flashed in her eyes, memories flooded back. Her eyes shot open and met cerulean ones. They stared at each other for a while, taking each other's appearances then both looked away.

There was a deafening silence for a few minutes until she cleared her throat and sat up.

"Umm, it's alright." Mikan mumbled but avoided his gaze. There was something with this guy that was so… enchanting. Even though he had a cold demeanor, once you look into his eyes, you can't look away. She was so engulfed with what she was thinking that she didn't notice him speak.

"Thank you." Those two words were enough to snap anyone back to reality, and being the slightly idiot Mikan that she was, she stared more.

"No problem. I understand what you saw. How is that girl? Hotaru, is it?" She asked, changing the subject abruptly. At this, he seemed to be slightly sadder.

"Yes, Hotaru. She's fine now, your friend Natsume is there with her downstairs, apparently cooking something for us, umm, for you." He added quickly. Mikan snorted, earning a sharp glance from her visitor.

"Ha? Don't mind me. I am just… amused. That's all." She replied but stopped smiling when she caught him looking at her in a strange way.

"I'm Nogi Ruka." He declared, standing up.

"Sakura Mikan. Just call me Mikan." She told him and stood up too. Ruka walked towards the door and she watched him before turning to the bathroom.

"I'm glad you're a girl, Mikan."

She froze and thoughts ran around her head, the walls the only witnesses of the little exchange. The door closed silently, as if prolonging the moment. And there it became silent, contrary to the loud thumping of her heart.

.

.

The smell of eggs, bacon and fried rice wafted through the air as she got down. Mikan paused and deeply inhaled wondering about the various foods waiting for her just meters away. The soup, the pure heave-

"Oi. Are you planning to stand there all day?" Natsume's voice cut her thoughts and her head snapped, meeting a mysterious gaze. Ruka's gaze pierced through her soul and his lips curved into a small smile.

All of a sudden Mikan's face felt hot, and surprisingly, her annoyance with Natsume was all gone. She sat next to her best friend and kept her mouth shut while she gathered eggs, bacon, toasted bread and rice into her plate.

Natsume was suspicious. What the hell happened to his best friend just now? One minute, he was sure that she was going to retort back but suddenly Mikan got… weird.

"Pretty boy, I'm sure I told you before that staring is rude, you know?" Mikan said it much like a statement than a question and Natsume looked away. She smirked and continued eating her breakfast aware of the awkward silence that lingered.

All of them were engulfed by their own worlds that when Hotaru's glass fell from the table with a crash, they all jumped.

"I apologize for what happened." Hotaru uncharacteristically bowed several times before Natsume stopped and held her back.

"It's alright. I don't mind." He said and disappeared from the room to get the broom. The three of them stood in silence. Natsume came back and cleared his throat, breaking the ice that was building inside his house.

"Hotaru, would you like to stay here at my house? Considering that you can't certainly come back to yours, we forbid it." Natsume asked in a casual tone and a wink. Hotaru cheeks were flushed.

"So what do you think?" he asked again with a smirk, and Hotaru went redder.

SMACK

Natsume groaned on the floor, rubbing his head while glaring at the two people who hit him. His red eyes met cerulean and brown ones, and both were angry.

"Do you really need to hit me in the head… with a newspaper?" he asked. Ruka and Mikan were disgusted and had fun and the same time.

SMACK

"What the hell?"

"Sorry, but she will stay in my house. She'll be comfortable… and safe there." Mikan answered and turned to drag Hotaru, not daring to look back to see her breakfast, lest she cries.

"By the way, where's Aunt Kaoru?" She asked, heading for the door.

"Shopping with Aoi. We have dinner later, with Uncle. Mom's going crazy about what she and Aoi have to wear. They went to the mall before you woke up." Natsume said, still rubbing the lump on his head.

"Just say hi to her from me. And good luck to your dinner, maybe the "Uncle" you're talking about may just be your future father." She joked and he just rolled his eyes.

"Bye."

"Right. Where's Ruka?" They looked around confusedly but Hotaru's response satisfied them.

"He went out already while you were talking."

"Oh."

.

.

.

Hotaru's eyes were wide as she took in the place around her. The garden, the fountain, the spectacular mansion that were before her. Mikan got out and she hesitantly followed, a bit intimidated by the stares the servants were giving her. But none were whispering, they just stood by the door, and greeted Mikan.

"Welcome back Mikan-sama." They chorused and bowed while Mikan just shook her head, as if not too happy about their behavior.

"I told you before right? I said no formalities." She said and waved her hand.

"Don't bow to me. I'm no goddess."

Hotaru was stunned. If someone bowed before her she would hold her chin up, and enjoy the feeling of importance. The luxury of clothes, cars and a huge mansion, ooh, she would definitely flaunt it. But this girl just shrugged it off like it was no big deal.

Weird, she thought. Then Mikan's voice called her out of her stupor.

"Guys, this is Imai Hotaru. She'll live her from now on, please treat her well." She said and looked at Hotaru's direction, signaling her to introduce herself.

"Hi. I'm Imai Hotaru, nice to meet you all." Hotaru introduced and bowed a little. The servants smiled and she returned it with a small one.

"If that's all Mikan. We're going back to work." The maid told her and the others scuttled away, probably off to their unfinished tasks. But Miss Miyuki, the head servant, who was probably in her fifties, stayed.

"Mikan your father had arrived an hour ago." She announced in monotone and Mikan's face broke into a smile.

"He's here? Is he alone?" She waited anxiously, and the maid shook her head sadly.

"I heard that he has dinner later, at about 6pm." She answered and Mikan hurriedly went up the stairs. Hotaru followed her closely, occasionally tripping and stumbling.

At last, they stopped at a huge, oak door, a little bigger than the others. The brunette held her breath and released it, as if waiting for the worst. Hotaru just stood behind her, waiting.

She knocked thrice. No response. She knocked again and the cold and firm voice of her father reached her ears.

"Come in."

Mikan slowly pushed the door open and closed it behind her. Then she faced the brightly lit room, her eyes searching for a tall figure. And she found him, and immediately her feet automatically ran towards him, her arms open to a warm embrace.

"Dad!" she ran to hug him and when she was inches away, he raised his arm… to push her away.

She suddenly stopped in front of him, and though her eyes grew sad, Mikan's grin didn't falter.

"How are you? You cancelled our meeting the other day. I was worried." She asked him in an excited tone but Sakura Izumi turned his back to her.

"I'm tired." Was his only reply and waved his hand to dismiss her, but being the slightly naïve Mikan, she paid no heed to this gesture.

"I heard that you have a dinner later. Aren't you tired?" She asked and tilted her head to the side. Her father's patience snapped.

"Let's just make this clear, girl. You don't interfere with my business. Alright?" he told her much more like a harsh command than a question. She just nodded silently.

"But you-" She tried to say but was cut off when he turned to look at her eye to eye, and she shivered from his cold gaze.

"You and I are just mind over matter. You don't matter, I don't mind. Go now. Away."

And with those cold, piercing words said, Izumi Sakura left his daughter alone with a shattered expression.

.

.

.

Hotaru wondered why.

Why Mikan sat on the driver's seat, flailing her arms and feeling the cool wind, and lastly, shouting with the song playing in a very loud volume.

Was the girl crazy or what?

Hotaru clutched the sides of the car with all her might, afraid that she'll fly off the car and to who-knows-where. The blue Ferrari was top-off, and her hair flew in every direction.

"Mikan!" she screamed at her but the girl was just so absorbed in her own world. This time she rocked her head back and forth to the rhythm of the rock music. She was grinning yet there was something wrong with her.

"Mikan! Come on!" She screamed again but Mikan shrugged her off, and continued to drive at an amazing speed that the cheetah would find their car a competition.

"Mikan stop it!" She whimpered when she decided that the girl has gone mad.

Mikan entered her father's room and Hotaru was left alone, standing awkwardly in the deserted corridor. She felt her legs move, and she walked carefully towards the end of the hall and down the intricately carved staircase. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the view. It was all so grand, perhaps the grandest place she has seen in her whole life. Hotaru descended the stairs noiselessly and followed a series of portraits, until she came upon what she deduced as the dining hall. It looked too lonely, despite the grandeur. The design was impeccable, but she couldn't help but feel that the hall hasn't been used in a long time.

A right turn and an open door led her to the kitchens. Her eyes grew wide when she saw a huge cabinet, er, a refrigerator and reached out before hesitating to pull the handle. She pulled it anyway—and wow.

Her mouth hung open when she saw different kinds food in there. To the most expensive milk in Japan, delicious-looking hams, and many more that she hasn't eaten in her whole life. Her mouth slightly watered and she was tempted to grab something and get away with it, but footsteps were heard not far from where she was standing. She closed the fridge hastily and took a peek.

A handsome man, probably in his forties went down a different staircase and disappeared to a door, Hotaru guessed, that was headed to the garage. A silent whirring was heard, and a creak that signaled the gates opening. Maybe that man was Mikan's father. One look and she knew that he was one of those typical, rich bachelors.

There was a tap on her shoulder, breaking her thoughts and making her jump up in fright. Suddenly Mikan was behind her, with an eerie smile on her face but the glint on her eyes was gone.

"Let's climb a mountain."

Oh how Hotaru hoped that she didn't agree to her proposal but there they were now, heading to a nearby province, at least that's what Mikan told her.

Her hair was whipped and she smelled the sea, and as fast as her dread had come, it disappeared. It was her first time to behold the sea. Mikan was laughing loudly now, and Hotaru was surprised that she joined in.

Two girls laughing like maniacs, how queer.

They continued laughing when all of a sudden, Mikan stopped. Hotaru turned to look at her, and realized that Mikan was wiping something from her face.

"Mikan what's wrong?" she asked as Mikan looked away and a small laugh escaped her throat.

"Nothing." She answered and continued to drive. Mikan kept on wiping something from her face while laughing loudly, shouting to the song of Avril Lavigne's I'm With You.

"It's a damn cold night!" The brunette shouted.

"Trying to figure out this life!" Hotaru shouted and looked over at Mikan, and she realized something. Mikan was wiping tears.

She couldn't decide what to do. What would she do? Try to comfort her? Just don't mind? Tell her everything will be okay? She didn't know and she chose the best solution.

She sang more loudly than her that it was a contest on whose voice was louder.

"Yeah yeahi-e yeahi-e yeahi-e yeahi-e haaaaaaaa!" They both sang and soon they were both laughing their hearts out. Two songs more and their throats were aching already that they had to stop by a country side store.

They got out of the car and parked alongside the store's entrance. The inside was acceptable and quite presentable, although the faded letters of the convenience store reminded her of a horror movie.

They got six bottles of water, 3 packs of Cheetos, and different kinds of chocolate. Little did they know that three pairs of eyes were watching their every movement curiously. They headed for the counter when a voice resonated through the room.

"Welcome to the Beautiful, Fantastic, Marvelous Store!" A funny, masculine voice announced and they looked towards the cashier only to find a guy with brown hair beaming at them. Next to him was a handsome lad and a quite ordinary girl who were staring at them.

"Umm. Hi." Mikan awkwardly greeted and together with Hotaru, they placed on the counter their purchases. The handsome lad kept staring at Mikan and she stared fiercely back and it became a staring contest.

"Six Hundred fifty-two." The girl announced and Mikan handed her the money, breaking eye contact. He handed her the change and both Mikan and Hotaru turned to leave when the funny guy held them back.

"Wait!" Mikan and Hotaru looked back. The funny guy motioned them to come closer.

"I'm curious. Are you a boy or a girl?" He asked and a vein popped out of Mikan's head.

"Girl." She answered impassively and started to walk away when something stopped them again.

"Wait." The handsome boy with dark blue hair called out. Another vein popped out of her head.

"What?"

She turned too fast and-

"…"

She met the lips of the lad.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. Hahaha, this chapter is a cliffhanger. And guys, please read and remember even the small details, the plot's starting to uncover. Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun!

Review?

Y. M. H. O