The original author of this story goes to Aileria. Everything plot-wise and anything else necessary goes to her.
Gakuen Alice owned by Higuchi Tachibana
Summer Madness
Chapter 3: The One and Only
The brunette's pale fingers were wrapped tightly around the black handle of her suitcase. Her eyes were glued onto her best friend's enormous house that had windows practically flooding around every corner. Hotaru's mansion was quite intricate with a unique design that was very different from everyone else. The house was in a shape of a dome with two spiral stairways leading towards two glass doors. In the center there was a large cupid fountain was spitting out into the pool of water below. Right on top, stood a large balcony that was surrounded by a protective railing. On either end, there were large glass windows that decreased in size the further it was placed from the balcony. What really stood out to Mikan was the fact that the whole house was painted a glowing white.
Hotaru twirled her keys between her fingers and pressed the center button, locking her car doors. She casually strolled towards the stairs but stopped when she realized the brunette wasn't trailing behind her.
"Are you coming?" Hotaru asked, turning on her heel.
Mikan forced her jaw shut and nodded hesitantly, "T-This is where you live?" She gasped with amazement.
"Why else would I be here?" Hotaru replied, rolling her eyes.
The brunette hesitantly strolled behind Hotaru, dragging her heavy suitcase as she went. When the two girls reached the stairs, Hotaru joggled up the stairs while fishing her house keys out of her pocket. Behind her, Mikan was once again struggling with her luggage.
"Hotaru-" Mikan started.
"No free hands," Hotaru replied as she reached the top. The prodigy stabbed the key into the key hole and twisted the lock open. Hotaru pulled down the gold handle and pushed the door open. With a snap of her fingers, various butlers and maids appeared at Hotaru's side, waiting on her command.
"Sebastian, go help her with her luggage. Rei, go prepare dinner," Hotaru ordered.
"Yes, madam," The two said in unison.
As Mikan heaved her luggage onto another step, she could hear rushing footsteps approaching her. Glancing upwards, she watched a tall, handsome man rush down the steps to help her. He didn't look full Japanese and looked no older than thirty-five.
"Let me grab that for you," Sebastian smiled warmly. The brunette couldn't help but notice his slight British accent.
"T-Thank you," Mikan replied, completely blown away. Using both hands, Sebastian lifted the brunette's luggage like it was no big deal. With her eyes wide open, she watched as Sebastian smoothly made his way up the stairway with no trouble at all.
As the two reached the top, Sebastian carefully sat the luggage down at the doorway. "Here you are, Miss Sakura," he smiled. "If there is anything else you need, please don't hesitate to ask."
The brunette smiled, "Thank you." Mikan's eyes drifted towards her best friend; Hotaru had a couple of blueprints in her hands. "Hotaru!" Mikan shouted.
Hotaru shifted her attention towards the brunette, "Your room is upstairs. Sebastian will escort you there."
"Yes ma-"
Mikan narrowed her eyes. "Why can't you show me to my room?" Mikan interrupted the poor butler. "After all, this is your house."
Sebastian blinked several times in shock, completely stunned at the brunette's words. Hotaru merely let out a heavy sigh and placed her blueprints onto the counter. "You're just as pushy as ever," Hotaru replied.
"Well, are you going to show me to my room?" Mikan huffed.
"Follow me," Hotaru muttered. Before leading the brunette upstairs, she grabbed the key-holder that had a large amount of jingling keys wrapped around it.
Before Sebastian could even get a chance to pick up Mikan's luggage, the brunette already had a tight grip around it. "I got it, thank you," Mikan smiled. Using all of her strength to heave her luggage upwards, Sebastian couldn't help but fear for the brunette's safety.
"Are you sure you can-" Sebastian started before watching the brunette stumble backwards and tripping over the rug that was placed on the wooden floor nearby.
Hotaru watched with amusement as Mikan and her luggage collided with the polished wooden floor, making a loud bang echo throughout the household. The butlers and maids throughout the house stopped in their tracks and rushed towards the living room to see the horrible disaster.
"A-Are you alright?" Sebastian gasped while rushing over towards the woozy brunette.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Mikan chuckled lightly while pulling herself up to her feet.
"Clumsy as always. Make sure you don't scratch my floor," Hotaru sighed with a small smile on her lips. The brunette glared slightly at her best friend who had her elbow learned against the polished railing. Sebastian pulled the suitcase upwards and glanced at the brunette. "Mikan, are you coming or not?"
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Mikan sighed.
"Sebastian, carry her things," Hotaru instructed.
"Yes, madam," Sebastian bowed slightly.
Rather than arguing, the brunette decided to stay quiet. She didn't want to imagine the pain if she were to roll down all those stairs. As Hotaru continued making her way up the stairs, Mikan noticed that the doors were all a dark shade of maroon and each of them had a specific number written in cursive writing on a gold plate. What was this, a hotel?
"Hotaru, why do you have so many rooms?" Mikan asked curiously.
"They are all used as storage," Hotaru informed. "Technically, there are only two rooms up here; mine and a guest room."
The brunette's lips twitched slightly. "So, where are all the-"
"They sleep downstairs," Hotaru interrupted before the brunette could even finish. The young inventor turned the corner and to Mikan's amazement, there was another short corridor. At the end, stood a abnormally large window welcoming the sun's warm rays. Famous paintings coming from Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci were hung on the white walls to give it more a vibrant look. The brunette was quite astounded; she never knew Hotaru was into art. Hotaru walked all the way towards the end while flipping through the keys on the key-holder. Mikan watched curiously as Hotaru stabbed the key into the key hole, unlocking the door.
Hotaru pushed open the door and stepped off to the side, letting the brunette get a good look at her new home for the summer. Again, paintings were up around the bare walls and there was a large queen sized bed with velvet sheets placed in the center against the wall. Mikan took a step inside and let the sole of her foot sink into the fluffy carpet. There was a small balcony and the transparent curtains were dancing lightly to the cool breeze that was blowing in. Towards the opposite side, a large mirror could be seen masking the walk-in closet that was behind it. And, if you go further, a medium sized marble coated bathroom could be seen with a shower, bathtub and an extremely clean sink. To Mikan, this looked more like a high class hotel than a home.
"This is amazing!" Mikan gasped.
"Hurry and unpack your things," Hotaru replied. "Dinner will be ready soon."
"Ah- Hotaru," Mikan spoke a little louder, making sure her best friend could hear her.
Hotaru turned slightly, "What is it?"
The brunette shifted uncomfortably, "D-Do you think that maybe we can go out later? You know, maybe go see a movie or something? It'll be just like old times when we were in elementary school!"
A sly smile crawled onto Hotaru's lips. "Maybe next time. I have to go out later," she informed.
The brunette's heart sank. Well, so much for her wonderful "date" with Hotaru tonight. "Really? Do you have to go out today?" Mikan sighed. "I just got back."
"Yes, I'm surprised that you aren't tired from that six hour train ride," Hotaru chuckled. "Usually, people would be resting."
Mikan placed her hands on her hips, "I'm not tired!" Hotaru signaled Sebastian to place Mikan's luggage inside the room. As Sebastian shuffled himself in, Mikan jogged towards the young inventor. "Where are you going tonight anyway?"
"A meeting," Hotaru explained.
"S-So, I'm going to be home alone?" Mikan asked, feeling upset.
Hotaru glanced upwards, "Not exactly. Of course you'll have Sebastian and them keeping you company."
"Well, I know that," Mikan replied, rolling her eyes. "You know what I mean, Hotaru."
"I know," Hotaru smirked. "My boss is coming to pick something up later on. So, maybe you two can have a nice chat." The brunette's heart froze. Hotaru couldn't possibly be talking about that boy with the devastating stare. Judging by Mikan's expression, Hotaru already knew that Mikan wasn't enjoying the whole idea. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
The brunette bit her bottom lip. "S-Sure, I guess," Mikan replied hesitantly. "But, isn't he your boss? Shouldn't he be at your meeting too?"
"This doesn't concern him," Hotaru replied bluntly. "At least, this doesn't need his consent." Confused, Mikan just nodded slightly. If she were to ask Hotaru to explain, it would just make her even more confused than she already was. "Anyway, you don't need to concern yourself with this. Like I said, hurry and unpack. Dinner will be ready soon."
Sebastian gave Mikan a small bow before taking his leave. Hotaru closed the door behind her and the two started making their way down the corridor. When the brunette couldn't hear their footsteps anymore she pulled her suitcase handle upwards and dragged it towards her bed. She gently placed her suitcase on the floor and unlocked it with a key that was kept securely in her wallet. As Mikan flipped the front open, she was greeted by her various colorful outfits and necessities. The brunette grabbed a bundle of clothes and plopped them onto the bed. However, when her eye caught a pair of crimson colored PJ's, she placed those aside from the rest, having thoughts to wear those later after she took a nice bath.
"Miss Imai, dinner is ready to be served," Rei, a maid with fair jet-black hair and dark blue eyes approached Hotaru who was reading a magazine on her couch.
Hotaru glanced upwards and placed the magazine onto the glass table. "Thanks Rei. Mind calling her down for me?" Hotaru pointed upwards towards the second floor. Rei bowed slightly and swiftly made her way up the stairs.
The young brunette snuggled herself comfortably in her crimson colored PJ's. They were quite thin but they were awfully fuzzy and warm. Adding onto her cozy outfit was a pair of candy-cane pattern warming her cold feet. Her usual straight auburn hair was now curled slightly and as Mikan threw herself onto her soft bed sheets, her locks bounced nicely against her shoulders. Mikan noticed that even though it was evening, the sun was still glistening brightly in the sky.
A soft knock came from the maroon colored door. "Miss Sakura? Dinner is prepared," Rei's soft voice came from the other side.
Mikan jumped lightly off the bed and jogged towards the door. When she opened it, Rei had a small smile on her face. "Really?" Mikan asked eagerly.
Rei nodded, "The mistress is awaiting you. You wouldn't want your dinner to get cold."
The brunette felt slightly awkward that someone would address Hotaru as a "mistress." Well, she might as well get used to it. Mikan stepped outside and before she could even close her door behind her, Rei had already done so.
"T-Thank you," Mikan chuckled.
"Not a problem," Rei smiled. "It's became a habit of mine."
As Rei escorted the brunette down the spiral stairway, Mikan couldn't help but feel slightly iffy about what was really behind all these doors. Hotaru did mention that they were all storage for her inventions, and she probably wouldn't want Mikan to ruin them because of her clumsiness. But still, there was something that was poking at the brunette. And, it wasn't a good feeling.
When the two girls stepped onto the polished wooden floor, Rei continued to escort the brunette towards the abnormally large dining room. As the two strolled past the living room, a giant chandelier that was hanging from the ceiling allured the brunette's gaze.
"Miss Sakura, this way please," Rei called from the kitchen entrance.
"Coming!" Mikan called, wondering why she hadn't notice the chandelier before.
As Rei extended out her arm, the brunette peeked around the corner. Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor as a fairly long and large dining table was placed straight in the center. A vibrant chandelier was placed above, giving the finishing touch to the flamboyant looking room. On Hotaru's side, there was a small compartment within the white wall. Mikan squinted and noticed that the compartment contained a small fireplace with light sparks flying within.
"Well, take a seat," Hotaru spoke impatiently.
"T-This is amazing." Mikan clapped her hands together as Sebastian pulled out a chair.
The brunette quietly walked towards her seat and sat down onto the squishy cushion. Chefs emerged from both sides wheeling in carts that had a metal cover on the food.
"Hotaru, you should definitely invite me over more often!" Mikan exclaimed excitedly.
"So you can leech off of me? No thanks." Hotaru smirked from the opposite end.
"You know that's not the case," Mikan replied, rolling her eyes.
"I should have known that you're a materialistic kind of girl," Hotaru continued.
The brunette narrowed her eyes, "Hotaru!"
"Miss Sakura, your dinner is served." A chef dressed in pure white placed a large plate onto Mikan's side of the table along with a small extravagant looking bowl on the other side.
"Thank you," Mikan smiled warmly.
As both chefs uncovered the food, the brunette's eyes widened drastically. The alluring scent filled her nostrils and her stomach started to growl hungrily. Hotaru picked up her fork and knife in the proper hands and started to cut at her large streak. Unintentionally, Mikan started to drool. As Hotaru ate a small piece of her steak, she glared slightly at the brunette.
"You're drooling," Hotaru informed.
Mikan quickly shook her head slightly and wiped her drool away. "It looks so good!" The brunette exclaimed while picking up her silverware.
Hotaru watched with amusement as Mikan started to stab at her steak. Yup, this girl hadn't changed a bit since elementary. The inventor snapped her fingers and the chefs swiftly strolled to the brunette's side.
"Excuse me, Miss Sakura," the chef on the right side spoke up.
"Hm?" Mikan asked with her mouth full.
"You're always supposed to hold the knife in your dominant hand," the other continued. "That is the proper way to hold your silverware."
Mikan blinked several times. Was she hallucinating? She quickly darted her head back towards the other chef. Both of them had a sly smile plastered on their faces.
"We're twins, you see," the one on the left chuckled. "Don't be too alarmed."
"That one over there is Hikaru," the chef on the right pointed. "My name is Kaoru."
The one named Hikaru shook his head, "No, no. You have it all wrong. He's Hikaru, I'm Kaoru," he sighed, rubbing his temples.
Mikan glanced back and forth but all she was getting from them was a large, playful smile. They really know how to play with people's minds. "Wait-" Mikan started.
"You don't need to know their names," Hotaru spoke up quite loudly. "I merely wanted you to teach her the proper way of holding silverware. Was that too much to ask?"
"Ah, sorry," the two chuckled. "Anyway, you know what to do, right Miss Sakura?"
Mikan placed her fork in her left hand and her knife in her right. It felt so awkward. The two chefs disappeared, whisking the carts away, leaving the two girls for some alone time.
"H-How did you eat so fast?" Mikan gasped as she gazed upon Hotaru's nearly empty plate.
"I told you-" Hotaru started, finishing off the last of her steak. "I have a meeting to attend too. I can't be late."
Mikan's heart fell. "Oh, right."
"It's okay, you won't be so lonely," Hotaru smirked. She picked up her glass of water and started to chug it down.
The brunette narrowed her eyes, "Are you suggesting that your boss is-" Suddenly, the harmonious ring of the doorbell interrupted the brunette. Both girls glanced towards the sound and Sebastian quickly whisked out from the corridor. "Don't tell me-" Mikan bit her bottom lip.
"Seems like he's early," Hotaru chuckled.
Pulling open the door, Sebastian came face to face with a neatly dressed young man with dark hazel eyes. His hair looked messy but in a very alluring sort of way. His lips were formed in a neat line as he gazed upon the young looking butler.
"Evening, Sebastian," Natsume greeted.
"Good evening, Mr. Hyuuga. The madam will see you soon. She is just finishing up her dinner," Sebastian informed.
Natsume stepped inside, taking a good look around. "It's alright. I won't be staying long," he replied.
"You're quite early," Hotaru's slightly robotic voice echoed throughout the area.
Sebastian and Natsume both turned to see Hotaru emerging from the dining room. "I am," Natsume smirked. "I thought I might catch you before you leave."
"Well, sorry to disappoint. But, I haven't printed out the stuff that you needed yet," Hotaru replied.
"Right now, I have time to spare," Natsume replied quietly.
"Please, take a seat, Mr. Hyuuga," Sebastian extended out his arm towards the sofa.
Natsume gave Sebastian a small nod, showing his thanks. Hotaru disappeared around the corner while a brunette peeked her head out from the entry way. To her dismay, it really was Hyuuga Natsume; the one who sent shivers down her spine.
"Ah! Miss Sakura, are you finished with your meal?" Sebastian asked, taking notice of the brunette.
By the mention of her name, Natsume slightly turned his head; just enough so he could see her out of the corner of his eye. It was her. That annoying, self-centered auburn haired girl that Ruka met on the train. Ever since Mikan and Hotaru left the building, Nonoko started asking non-stop questions about the mysterious brunette. Being the kind person he was, Ruka answered all of them. Even though Natsume found it annoying, he couldn't help but feel slightly curious about it as well.
Mikan took a step onto the wooden floor. "Actually, I just came to see who it was," she chuckled.
"This is Mr. Hyuuga," Sebastian introduced. "I'm sure you have heard of him before."
The brunette bit her bottom lip. Kind of? "Hotaru's boss, right? We met earlier today."
Instead of answering to her question, Natsume plopped himself down onto the sofa and pulled out his red iPhone. Feeling slightly offended, Mikan shot him a small glare.
"Well, I'm going to go finish my food," Mikan announced.
Turning on her heel, the brunette swiftly made her way back to her seat. However, she didn't notice the raven colored hair boy glancing at her out from the corner of his eye.
Stabbing her fork into the steak, the brunette could hear soft mumbling coming from the living room. She was surprised that anyone could possibly have a conversation with him. He seemed like the person who was quiet and distant.
"Mikan," Hotaru's voice echoed throughout Mikan's eardrums. The brunette turned around with a smile.
"Hotaru, what is it?" Mikan asked.
"Do you mind keeping him company?" Hotaru replied.
"E-Eh?" The brunette's face went pale.
"The printer keeps jamming and I have to go for my meeting now. Sebastian is fixing it and I wouldn't want him to be alone in the living room," Hotaru explained.
Mikan wiggled her eyebrows, "Concerned for him much?" She laughed.
Hotaru shot a dangerous glare. "Think what you want," she replied. "I'm leaving now." As Hotaru took her leave, the brunette quickly stuffed the remains of her food inside her mouth.
"Hotaru! Wait!" Mikan screamed slightly.
Instead of answering to Mikan's call, Hotaru merely continued towards the door. "Leaving now?" Natsume's voice was quiet but noticeable.
Hotaru nodded, "Hopefully it'll be fixed soon." Before anyone could utter another word, Hotaru shut the door behind her.
"Hotaru!" The brunette found herself sliding against the smooth wooden floor and when she tried coming to a halt, Mikan slipped and collided butt first onto the cold floor. Natsume watched with amusement as she pulled herself up to her feet.
"How immature," Natsume mumbled, trying to hide his smirk.
"I heard that," Mikan replied, shifting her attention towards the arrogant boy.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to offend you," Natsume replied sarcastically while rolling her eyes.
Mikan placed her hands on her hips, "You know, you could be more polite."
"Polite is a word that is nonexistent in my vocabulary," Natsume mumbled.
Puffing out her cheeks lightly, the brunette stomped towards him, wanting to punch some respect into this guy. Natsume shifted his gaze away from the screen of his iPhone and watched the brunette stomp up to him.
"Since that is a word that isn't in your vocabulary, I'll read you a definition of it. At least, you would know what it means," Mikan huffed, snatching Natsume's iPhone out of his hands.
"Hey!-" Natsume grumbled.
As soon as Mikan took a small glimpse at Natsume's iPhone screen, the color completely drained from her face. There, on the screen was a woman with drastically long black hair limping slowly up to a little girl who was cowering in the corner. What the hell was Natsume watching?
"W-What is this?" Mikan screamed, nearly dropping the phone.
Natsume quickly snatched it back, "A movie, what else?" he spat. Mikan was never a fan of horror movies. In the past, she would always be the one watching comedy upstairs while the rest of her friends were screaming downstairs.
However, instead of freaking out like she usually would, a sly smile crawled onto her lips. "Really? Or, did you just pull that up because you were watching adult themed films?"
Feeling extremely infuriated, Natsume smacked Mikan across the head. "You have a big mouth for someone so small," Natsume hissed.
"W-Well-" Mikan flinched, "At least I have some respect for other people!"
Natsume scoffed, "Are you sure it's called respect? I think it's more of nosing yourself into other people's business."
Rubbing her aching head, the brunette shot Natsume a dangerous glance. "At least, I don't start hitting people whenever I'm angry!"
"Oh, I'm sorry that I'm different from everyone else," Natsume scowled. "I never knew it was a sin to be different."
For some odd reason, Mikan felt somewhat hurt from Natsume's comment. "I never said you were different. I meant-"
"Mr. Hyuuga. Here are your papers," Sebastian's cheery voice interrupted the two arguing individuals. In his hands were a bundle of warm papers that the printer had just printed off.
Natsume took a step to the side; Mikan noticed that he absolutely refused to meet her gaze. "Thanks Sebastian," Natsume replied as he strolled up to him.
"I'm extremely sorry for the long wait," Sebastian apologized.
Taking the papers from his hands, Natsume bowed slightly, showing his thanks. As Natsume quietly made his way towards the doorway, Mikan jogged up to him, wanting to apologize for the things that she said.
"U-Um-" Mikan started hesitantly.
Natsume slipped on his shoes and took one last glance at the brunette. Just by his glance, a cold shiver was sent down her spine once again. It was a glance that was far different than before. Tearing their gaze away, Natsume opened the door and closed it behind him without another glimpse.
Chapter three everyone! :D I bet you read the bit of Ouran High School Host Club, well it was originally there (: (Characters owned by Hatori Bisco) LOL Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did!
AkInA-AyUmE-ErZa-MiSaKi, My Hopeless Love Rival- Thank you so very much for the reviews! I'm fiddling in my head whether I should update two chapters a day or once a day.