This took me longer than I thought. I'm experimenting on new pairs and also I've wanted readers to know how the characters are related to one another in this fanfic. So, here. Again, disclaimed. :)

Second Chapter

Girls are peculiar beings, Natsume Hyuuga thought. He just couldn't understand the female population every now and then, the reason why he chose to have a fewer number of female friends. He was especially surprised with him being friends with the club president.

Sumire Shouda was loud, strict and sometimes what people call the drama queen. She was a year older than him. They knew each other's existence on account of a common friend back when Natsume was about to enter high school through a common friend whose name is Koko. Natsume wasn't much of talker while SUmire had so much to talk about. Soon after, the topic went to dancing and Koko remembered both were skilled on that category leading to a suggestion that Natsume enlist for the club Sumire was in. He was reluctant since he really didn't like joining such groups but with a little persuasion, he unenthusiastically agreed on a condition that he wouldn't do any auditions.

At first, he only put up with it because of the privileges he had been receiving, given the chance to have his own time in the studio and being able to practically do what he wants as long as he attends performances. But later on, Sumire seemed to be pretty outgoing and easier to talk to once you really get to know her. With all of their practices, they seem to form a friendship out of their keenness for dancing.

Other than Sumire, Anna Umenomiya made it on the list. Unlike the club president, Anna was the reserved type. She's simple and she always has this ribbon tied on her hair whenever she pulls her pink curls up in a ponytail, which she does very often saying how frizzy it must look if she let it down.

Natsume, as noticed, is introverted and with Anna's shyness, she momentarily wondered how those two will interact so she made a little experiment by pairing them up for their first stage show of the school year.

She scheduled their first Monday practice dragging Anna along with her. She thought of hundreds of circumstances on how Natsume would acknowledge Anna but was baffled because he exceeded way beyond her expectations.

"Hi, Hyuuga-san. My name's Anna Umenomiya. Pleased to meet you," she introduced albeit diffidently, reaching her hand out.

He shook it and nodded, "Pleased to meet you, too, Anna."

Sumire never thought he'd go on a first-name-basis immediately considering he is Natsume Hyuuga. He still even calls her Shouda most of the time. This earned Natsume a smirk and one raised brow from Sumire which he defensively rationalized after that calling her Umenomiya was a mouthful. She waved it off and thought he might have sensed Anna's timid nature and did what he can to ease it.

His stunt did the trick. Anna, who looked like a steaming kettle on the first hour, was smiling at the end of practice. Small talks during minute breaks and an occasional smile from Natsume whenever Anna would get a step wrong was all they needed. Ever since then, Natsume requested to be her permanent partner as it was a hassle to change every dance routine.

Aside from the two, he has other friends but he really doesn't consider them having the same tight friendship he has with Anna and Sumire.

But after meeting Mikan Sakura, that might have to change.

-:-

Mikan Sakura loved anything red. In fact, she loved the color so much that almost everything she owned was tainted with red. It was that vivid red dress and the glitters of the red polish painted on her nails a few years ago got her attracted to the hue. But as time passed on, situations happened, she slowly abhorred it.

It was something she deeply kept hidden from a lot of people.

-:-

Mikan looked down on the untouched food on her tray and started poking on the green peas surrounding the dish. Her mind wandered on the circumstances that brought her to her present condition. Surely, if she did the right things, she wouldn't be caught up in this tangle. She should be eating with her old friends right about now, talking about how terrible the cafeteria food is and chatting animatedly about the boys in their neighborhood. Contrary to what should be happening, she is seated alone, murdering the food with her fork.

A thing she liked about having another distinct environment is being able to show a different side to her, like another Mikan, a whole new her but sometimes she wished she could just go back to her old self.

"What's Tsubasa taking so long today?" she huffed. Other than the nosy people who had nothing else better to do, Tsubasa was the only person she talked to, the guy who transferred with her. Oh, and apparently, she made friends with this Natsume Hyuuga brought about by her curious wandering around the campus. She thought that if history would repeat itself and got herself thrown out again, then it's really not necessary to meet new people. Transferring schools isn't something entirely new to her, after all.

She checked the time on her clock. 12:39 pm and still a no show, Tsubasa?

Mikan rolled her eyes and stood up, making her way to the trash bin. So much for lunch. She still has time to kill but where would she go? She won't enter the classroom until a minute is left before the designated time and the library is definitely not an option.

She strolled out of the cafeteria and overheard two people talking about the school festival. It's in a month and she couldn't help but hear as she walked past them.

"I hope the choreography's ready! I'm hyped about this year's festival since we're part of the main event!" chirped the student with flowing navy blue locks. She was talking to this guy with spiky blond hair who looked as thrilled as her.

"I hope so, too. I heard Sumire came up with a good routine this year. She teamed up with Natsume!"

Could they be part of the dance club? That guy mentioned Surime-whatever her name was and Natsume! He mentioned Natsume, too.

Mikan walked faster, knowing where to go. She headed for the studio, the one where Natsume practiced, hoping to see him. When she got there, she opened the door and peeked inside. It was dead silent. She went inside further, "Natsume, are you here?"

BAM!

She flinched at the loud bang of the closed door and turned around with wide eyes, her hand clutching tightly on her shirt. Natsume Hyuuga was leaning on the wall beside the doorframe, smirking with his right arm stretched across it.

"Wipe that smirk, Hyuuga. Damn, you scared the shit out of me!" she bawled while fixing the strap of the handbag onto her shoulder.

"Stingy. Is Aunt Flo on her monthly visit?" he asked, still smirking.

"Idiot."

Mikan strode toward the mirror and sat down, leaning her back and hugged her knees. She motioned Natsume to sit beside her which he complied.

"I think I passed by some of the members of the dance club. They were talking about Suri…me, what was it again, her name?"

"Sumire."

"Uh-huh. So, they were talking about you two teaming up for the routine."

"What about it?"

"Point is, if you recall not too long ago, I need to audition and for that to happen, I need to talk to Surime, stupid."

"Why not just call her Shouda if you just keep on messing up her name? Better yet, call her senpai. That way, she won't ever forget you."

"Whichever."

She let her head prop on her knee and then tilted it so she was looking at him. His legs were sprawled on the floor and his arms were extended on the side, palm on the base for support.

"Don't worry. I got it covered," Natsume stated coolly, back on the topic at hand.

She smiled appreciatively. Mikan didn't really notice upon first glance but while she was smiling at him, she saw the glint in his eyes, they were enticing her. And then she noticed the color…

"Your eyes," she whispered, "they're red."

It was too low to be heard but he turned his head to hers, nonetheless. Their eyes locked. It was red! She hated red! She shouldn't stare, right? She loathed the color but why is she still looking at them? The more she stared, the more she got lost, obscured.

And the more she got lost, the more they're drawing her to him. She hated red but why is she not repulsed by his eyes?

The start was...a drag but I want to know what you guys think. Uhh, review? :)

Mishie Eru 5-25-2012 3:33pm