Alright. Hi guys! Finally, I was able to post this. I know I said that I would be posting during the weekends but I posted today, Monday. Blame the lack of internet last night and my roomie who wanted to go someplace else.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. And thanks for those who reviewed and those who followed me on tumblr!

(krystalshine . tumblr . com)

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

Ninth Letter

Mikan didn't get much sleep and her eyes are paying for it dearly. When she faced herself in the mirror this morning, she was surprised to see a panda bear staring back at her. She would've squealed cute had she not noticed that it was not furry, not fat and certainly not an animal. It was her.

Mikan sighed.

It's all so stupid, she thought. She couldn't sleep because she can't stop thinking about yesterday and about what Natsume told her. She can't believe that she's looking so wasted just because a guy likes her but she can't like him back because...of many other reasons which are equally stupid. And it doesn't help that the said person was just breathing silently next to her that night.

Okay. Maybe she termed her dilemma a bit too simple – but same point! Right?

She wanted to laugh. This was not the Mikan she knew three weeks ago. She certainly didn't see it coming that she would be so depressed just because of a stupid love life, which, by the way, she didn't even want to have. But then, here it was! In front of her, served in a silver platter.

Know what's funny? Just when she was about to dine on it, this sour-looking old woman comes and retrieves it, saying 'Sorry, miss. Wrong order. It's not for you.' It's like being pranked on. Oh how she wishes everything were merely a gag.

Nevertheless, she decided that she'd no longer dwell on the issue. She'll be happy. She won't care anymore. After all, with her days left, it's better to remember herself having the time of her life than to slump somewhere else like an emo. From now on, her motto will be Carpe Diem. Sieze the day!

While she still can.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

"You-" Natsume started but caught himself. Closing the door, he greeted silently, "Good Morning,"

Mikan stared at him. It looks like he had just finished jogging. She doesn't know since she was sleeping and when she woke up, he was no longer beside her. But Natsume saying 'good morning'? Wow. That's new. "Did you just catch a bug?"

He stared at her weirdly as he got himself a towel and dried his sweat-soaked scalp. "Did you?"

She rolled her eyes. "No,"

Mikan fiddled with her hair. Natsume continued to dry himself.

"Well this is awkward," the brunette muttered finally, a semi-pout on her face.

Here she was with her new resolution and everything just turns awkward. Well, what was she expecting anyway? Natsume must probably also feel a little off because of what happened yesterday.

"Oh yeah?" her fiancé replied as he caught the hem of his shirt. "You pointing out that it's awkward makes it more so, you know." He said as he continued to tug his shirt off his body.

Mikan began to panic. "W-what are you doing, you pervert! You undressing yourself in front of me makes it awkward!"

"Oh?" he asked sexily, now with a hint of amusement, only his left crimson eye peeking from the fabric. "So you feel antsy looking at me like this?"

"Shut up!" Mikan screeched, covering her face. "Goodness! We have a bathroom, Natsume, in case you didn't notice! You're free to use it!"

He smirked. "Make me,"

Releasing another screech, Mikan stood up from the bed, stomped to her fiancé and without looking at him in the eye, she turned him towards the bathroom and pushed him, her slender hands laid perfectly on his toned back. She can feel his muscles underneath her palm and she was resisting the urge to travel her hands through the rest of his back and hug him.

"You're hopeless," she muttered, her eyes trained on the floor as she continued to push.

"Yeah, I'm-"

"And no more corny punch lines from you, mister." She equipped. Finally depositing him in the bathroom, Mikan released and glared at him only to see the lad smirking at her.

"Any last words?" he asked.

Mikan snorted. "What, before you die?"

"Sadly, no. Before I take a bath and before the time you'll be missing the splendid sight of me,"

She scoffed. "I do,"

"Let's hear them." He replied.

"Have you been working out?"

Then the door slammed right before her eyes and just before she stalked off for the bed, Mikan thought she heard Natsume mutter.

"Pervert,"

She smiled.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

The Mansion's Dining Hall resonated awkwardly in silence, everyone bating his or her breaths, not daring to make any noise. There, after all, seated on both ends of the long grand table are two of the scariest women in Japan and both seemed ready to launch the third World war.

No breakfast was being served as the maidservants waited respectfully for a signal to start their jobs. This was far from commencing however, as the lot was still missing two other people who were still yet to come.

The ex-Empress muttered disapprovingly from the right end of the table. "I would think that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess knew how to be punctual. What have you been teaching them?" Then, with a dramatic harrumph, she continued. "Manners!"

The Empress' mother, meanwhile, who surprisingly didn't seize the chance to tick the older lady off faced Kaoru and asked her. "Have you any idea what those two are doing?"

The Empress choked. Everyone around the table knew very well that she was running perverted thoughts inside her head as she stifled a giggle. "Oh Mother," she said airily. "I'm sure they're alright. And I will be, after nine months."

"You and your ideas, Kaoru."

The Empress looked hurt. "But they're plausible!" she insisted.

Himemiya smacked her daughter with her fan, looking at her incredulously. "Goodness, Kaoru! I can only imagine the suffering these kids have to go through under your guidance. You still haven't changed."

A nervous laughter reverberated throughout the room but was soon silenced as Kaoru shot the kids with a withering look.

Pouting, she retorted. "Please." She said. "They're not suffering. In fact, I'm a very helpful Guardian. I even help them with their diets, don't I now?" she smiled at Youichi.

Youichi scratched his head. "Sure Aunt. If you call starving us helping." He grinned as his said Aunt glared at him.

Miyabi on the other hand looked baffled at this spilled news. "You starve my kid?" she asked Kaoru scandalously.

Kaoru simply rolled her crimson orbs. "I don't starve your kid. I told you, I'm helping them with their diets. With the fatty foods you're feeding You-chan over there in England, it's no wonder his flabs wiggle whenever he walks."

"Hey! I don't have flabs!" Youichi protested as Aoi looked at his torso curiously. "And they don't wiggle!"

"Brother," Miyabi turned to Ioran, an exasperated look on her face. The latter simply smiled at her. "Do something about your wife, would you? I didn't raise You-chan to starve. There's a reason we're called the Royal Family and not the Royal Beggars okay?"

"No, actually, we are the Royal Family. You're a Royal beggar. Remember that one time you begged me for – " another smack landed on Kaoru even before she finished her sentence.

Himemiya looked at her granddaughter. "Aoi-chan, could you please call your brother? It's about time he and Mikan no Kimi shows up."

Tsubasa grinned on his place. "Yeah. But keep yourself from screaming, okay? Because last time you checked on Nattie, you woke the whole Palace up."

The raven-haired girl turned the brightest shade of red. "I-I'm…"

"Goodness. Don't tell me they already-"

A cough was heard through the table and as everyone perked up to see who it was, the ex-Empress gaze lingered sharply on each of them.

"I have an announcement to make," she said. "And it's too bad we can't wait for Yukihira-dono to hear it."

After all, she is the one most involved in this.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

"Okay Natsume," Mikan breathed as both of them exited their room, both aware that they were awfully late for breakfast. "We are so not doing it."

The lad simply looked at him difficulty but Mikan knew that he wasn't backing his argument down. He's so stubborn that it frustrates her so much.

Knowing that the look he threw at her didn't mean so much as of relenting, she was compelled to strengthen her argument and make him relent to her protest. She sighed.

"Lookie here, mister," she started, wiggling her index finger motherly. "Yesterday, we agreed that the charade would only last for a day. Abide by your words, o Prince of Japan," she huffed.

This only made Natsume look at her more skeptically. "Oh yeah?" he challenged.

"Yeah!"

He smirked and somehow Mikan knew that he was hatching some sort of evil plan to lure her into his trap again. Maybe Natsume wasn't a ladybug or a cat after all. Maybe he's some evil rooster and she's some poor worm wriggling her escape from him only to be pecked from the ground.

"Alright then," he said cockily as they walked. "So I did say we'd enact the deal for one day only yesterday huh?"

Mikan failed resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, Your Royal amnesiac," she muttered.

Natsume chose to ignore this. "Really,"

"Really," the brunette sputtered impatiently. "Could you please get to the point already?" she said as she turned to him, only to see him grinning amusedly at her. She wanted to punch his royal face.

"Correct me if I am wrong but," he said pretentiously in his cocky manner. "One day equates to twenty four whole hours, am I wrong?"

Mikan sighed. "Duh, Natsume. Duh,"

"Well, duh back to you, Polka," he said triumphantly.

"What?"

"The deal's not over yet." He smirked wickedly as he walked ahead of her with his victory. "At least, until this afternoon." She heard him say.

And Mikan had to curse.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

Everyone stared at the new emerging person from the drapery of the Dining Hall, unsure of how to react.

There, in front of them, just beside the ex-Empress is a lithe young girl about the age of seventeen with strawberry blonde hair and a distinct beauty mark on her delicate face. Her eyes were pink like Misaki's but lighter and somehow wore a pallor of innocence. Although if one studies more carefully, it can be observed that she was feigning it and that her genuine-appearing smile isn't as it appears to be.

The ex-Empress was about to introduce her when the grand doors burst open, revealing a huffing Mikan after a nonchalant Natsume. Both stopped on their tracks at the sight of the girl. Natsume simply looked at her carefully, not an ounce of fondness evident on his face while the brunette paled considerably, a churning feeling bubbling inside her.

She just knew that it was her. But why is she here?! This is too soon. Why?

A cough radiated once again. "Very well," the Youko muttered sternly but spared the couple from her chastising. "This is Koizumi Luna – "

DEVILSPAWN. DEVILSPAWN! KILL IT. KILL THE DEVILSPAWN!

For a moment, the scene looked almost comical, the hilarious outburst bursting at the right moment as the ex-Empress introduced the newbie. Tsubasa would have laughed had his grandmother not travelled everyone with sharp glares. The electronic voice continued to reverberate. Mikan felt her lips curve upward ever so slightly. Even Natsume seemed amused.

KILL IT. KILL IT WITH FIRE! DEVILSPAWN. DEVILSPAWN! It wailed again. KILL THE DEVILSPAWN WITH FIRE!

"Whose is it?" The ex-Empress demanded furiously. "Ma – "

Hotaru fumbled in her pocket. "It's mine," she muttered stoically. She knew she would be scolded for sure but she risked it anyway. "A ringtone of my phone. I found it pretty interesting. Although I might say, I didn't think its receptors would work."

"I think it's broken," Luna offered measuredly from her spot.

Hotaru simply flicked a glance at her then back to the screen of her phone. "Oh no. It's working perfectly fine. Really did sense something evil around," she said, narrowing her eyes. " The brunette wanted to hug her best friend.

By now, the ex-Empress' lips were paper-thin and it was all she can do from exploding with madness. "This was the second time that you have disrupted me. Have you not learned anything?" she gritted her teeth. "Have you no shame? The rules in this house are mine and you are obliged to follow every. single. one. of. them!"

Himemiya's perfect black eyebrows shot up. "Not in this house," she said. The ex-Empress looked at her. "My house. My rules. I would just like to remind you that you are my visitor and that I was kind enough to even offer the least bit of my hospitality."

"How dare – "

"Mother," Ioran butted in calmly. "Please learn your place. Mother-in-law is right. You are no longer in the Palace and even then, I was simply too lenient on your actions. Do not disgrace the name of the Royal Family anymore. Please. It was enough that you brought in a visitor unwantedly." He said as he travelled his gaze to the petite Luna.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Youko breathed in deeply. "Very well," she said relatively calm. "Let me just continue on with what I was saying."

With eyes of a lioness, Himemiya nodded.

"This is Koizumi Luna, a daughter of a very good friend of mine who asked me to look after her for awhile. I expect you to treat her very well." She said. "As for where she is to stay, I suggest that Yukihira-dono,"

Mikan flinched at this but held a steady gaze at the ex-Empress. "Would have to move in with," she swallowed with difficulty. "Imai-dono and Luna here would share a room with the Cr – "

"That's crazy!" Tsubasa burst out.

The ex-Empress pursed her lips. "I'm sorry?"

"Depositing Koizumi-san with Natsume," Tsubasa repeated. "That's crazy!"

"And what do you suggest?" Youko challenged her grandson, her black eyes narrowing.

"She could stay with me," he said, receiving a whack from his fiancée, Misaki.

The ex-Empress shook her head. "Cheating in front of your betrothed. Disgraceful. I decline. She is to stay with – "

"She can have my room," Natsume said for the first time. Luna seemed to lighten up on this. "I'll move in with Ruka. Mikan could go with Imai over there." He nodded towards his cousin who was looking at him icily.

This time, Youko seemed to frown. She cann't conjure up a more reasonable alternative than the one suggested. Mikan, on the other hand, seemed to like the idea very much. Truthfully, she despised the idea of leaving Natsume with a treacherous snake like Luna so she was really grateful for Natsume's reasonable suggestion.

That is, until Hotaru spoke that had sent Mikan's nerves a tremendous chill. "I refuse,"

Mikan probably looked like she swallowed a rock. She didn't know which one really put her on edge. Whether it was Hotaru's sudden coldness of Luna's triumphant smirk.

"I'd rather share my room with that strawberry," Hotaru said with finality. "I don't want a wailing pig as a roommate after all," she said.

The brunette felt her heart stop and her mouth hang open as if awaiting the beating cardiac mass to travel its way out of her system so she wouldn't feel so much pain.

"Good enough," Youko remarked. "I also expect you to make Luna feel comfortable,"

"That isn't really a problem," Tono said reassuringly, looking at the others around her except Mikan and Natsume, summoning a more uneasy feeling inside the brunette. She felt like throwing up.

And although she felt the vile travelling its way up her throat she never thought she was capable of retching just because of some words she heard so she clamped her hands on her mouth as she dealt with her pain silently.

All around her, she saw her friends nod in agreement over the comfort of Luna and she felt betrayed. But most of all, she lost her appetite.

Then she ran for the bathroom.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

The breakfast had ended when Mikan finally had the guts to come back inside. It was not that she was trying to steal the spotlight, as she really did feel plenty awful. She just couldn't believe that Hotaru said that or that everyone seemed so enthusiastic about the idea of Luna inside the house.

Well, she supposes that she can't blame them, as they have no idea that she would be the one replacing the young brunette's place. But she really couldn't stop the feeling of jealousy that is seeping through her veins. She hates it. But what she hates more is the feeling of disappointment that's poisoning her system.

Not one of them ran after her to the bathroom. Not a single one. Not Hotaru, not Misaki, not even Tsubasa or Shu. It was just Natsume. Natsume who looked pretty much stupid talking to a closed door trying to gauze Mikan out of the bathroom. She smiled. Maybe it was enough to somewhat partially fill the void inside her.

When the brunette had finally reentered the Dining Hall, it was only the Empress who asked her how she felt together with the older Hyuga women. However, they had already finished with the meal and Mikan had no appetite left anyway so she simply went on with everyone with their plan to sail the ocean with their private yacht.

Which is where Mikan has found herself right now, quietly gazing out at the vast expanse of blue water. She sighed as she stole a side-long glance at the bunch behind her. They were all beside Luna, pampering her as she giggled and looked at Mikan superiorly. Only Natsume dozed off beside the brunette, a manga covering his face.

The strawberry-haired girl stood up and made her way to Mikan. She sat beside her, a challenging smile spread across her face. "Are you alright?"

The brunette nodded mutely, not trusting herself to speak. Mikan felt Natsume stir under his manga. He was awake.

"I didn't quite catch your name but I was presuming that you're Yukihira Mikan-chan, yes?" she asked.

Again, Mikan nodded mutely.

"Mmmm," Luna thought spitefully, an evil grin replacing her angelic smile now that everyone was too preoccupied with their break from babysitting her to notice. "So you do know then?" she asked mysteriously.

The brunette just shot her a confused look.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh don't play dumb with me." Luna said venomously, a hint of triumph on her face as she crept her gaze on Natsume's lying figure. "You and I both know that you're a fake."

This time, Mikan glared at her and wished that it would pierce her annoying face. It didn't.

"And do you know what the rich people like the Royal Family do with fakes?" she taunted, smirking. Then, nearing her face to the brunette's ear, she whispered. "They throw them out."

Mikan stiffened at this and Natsume must've felt it as one of his crimson eyes peeked invisibly beyond his manga. Retreating from her whispering position so that Mikan could see the full view of the smug expression on Luna's face, the brunette decided to reply.

"Funny, what you said there," she said neutrally, earning two shot up eyebrows from the other girl.

Luna crossed her arms. "Really," she replied. "I thought you were mute. Would have been more logical as to why the Royal Family would definitely dispose you like garbage."

Mikan brushed this off and said, "Well at least I'm biodegradable unlike your face made of plastic and silicon. Oh, did you know that it takes billions of years to decompose plastics like your face? It must be complementing that saying about how bad grasses die last in this world. You, my dear, are the perfect example," Mikan smirked at the flabbergasted and literally dumbfounded expression on Luna's face.

"That still doesn't change the fact that you're a garbage!" Luna screeched after the brunette as she stood up and balanced herself on the yacht's railing.

Sticking out her tongue on the newcomer, Mikan replied. "Oh yeah? By the way, the lipstick you're wearing so doesn't match you. You look like a club bouncer punched you on the lips for trespassing. Underage huh?" she teased.

Letting out a frustrated screech, Luna quickly got on her feet and balanced like Mikan on the railing to catch her, or at least, one of her low pigtails and shove her to the sea. That would be wonderful.

She did. But as she caught one of her tendrils, she found the both of them oddly out of balanced and dashing for the vast ocean. They would have plunged into the water had Natsume not leapt on his feet and dashed after them. Triumphantly, Luna let go of Mikan's hair so that if Natsume does save her, he wouldn't salvage the brunette as well.

Only, he didn't.

Passing through Luna, he headed for the brunette and grabbed her arm, securing her in his embrace as both of them toppled to the deck safely.

Then, wild splash was heard.

Followed by a loud yelling for help.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

Hotaru looked over to the sprawled blonde on her bed and frowned. The girl giggled. Grabbing her Baka Bazooka, the raven-haired girl fired at the defenseless girl, hitting her squarely on the face.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" she screamed, clutching her face.

Setting her invention aside, Hotaru sat queen-like on the couch and scrutinized the newcomer strictly. "Stop laughing like a lunatic. You're starting to sound like the witch that you are."

"Is this how you treat a visitor?" Luna asked, sitting properly. "God, you Royal people suck at hospitality. What happened to your cordial welcome a while ago?"

The raven-haired girl scoffed. "Dumb," she muttered. "Anyone would notice that it was a charade."

Luna's eyebrows shut up as she grinned in amusement. "Anyone clearly does not include your best friend, yes? Because clearly, that bitch can't even decipher two from two."

Hotaru twitched as she stopped herself from firing another cannon on Luna. "She isn't supposed to."

"Oh," the strawberry-haired girl replied, a nerve hitting her. "Right. Right. Were you trying to distract me from Natsume?"

Hotaru didn't reply, just glared at her.

The annoying grin on her face widened. "I knew that. Sorry to tell you but," she paused dramatically. "It won't work. That's not what I'm after right now," she smiled, showing off her incisors that she looked almost like a vampire.

And with a flick of Luna's wrist, Hotaru though that she saw a vial of clear liquid concealed under the girl's sleeve.

Luna grinned.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

"This is stupid," Mikan mumbled through the pillow, muffling her sentence.

"What is stupid?" Natsume asked, making Mikan jump on the bed.

Clutching her chest, the brunette faced Natsume and frowned. "You scared me,"

"Wow," the Prince replied sarcastically. "Now I look like a ghost. I must've scraped myself clear the in the bath to look transparent to you."

The brunette rolled her hazel orbs. "You suck at joking Natsume. Please spare me."

He simply carried on with drying his hair with the towel as he sat on their sofa. "What is it?" he asked after a while.

"What was what?" the brunette asked skeptically.

Natsume looked at her. "What's with you and that girl?"

Mikan smiled at the way he called her, sending her waves of relief. "Well," she started. "That girl is a witch."

"A bitch,"

"I'm sorry, what?" Mikan said, a half-grin on her face.

"Say it," Natsume said through his towel. "You think she's a bitch. Your face says it all."

The brunette laughed. "Okay. That girl is a bitch and I hate her."

"She's my childhood friend."

Mikan stopped. "Oh," she muttered then after a while, "Sorry."

It was Natsume's turn to laugh. Mikan threw a pillow at him that he caught.

"Stop messing up with me, Natsume!" she pouted then laughed. "Goodness, that was awkward." She breathed. "Were you serious?" she asked.

He nodded.

She gasped. "Okay, I'm really sorry."

"But you still hate her." He said, throwing the towel away and joining Mikan on their bed.

Mikan set up the long pillow between them. She bit her lip. "Yeah,"

He ruffled her hair. "That's okay."

"Really?" she asked, her big brown eyes fill of hope.

He nodded. "Yeah,"

I hate her too.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

December 19, 20XX

Dear Natsume,

Today was supposed to be a good day. I was so bent up on making everything good for the remaining days. But then, turns out, I don't have them anymore. Luna's here. She's the one I was talking to you about.

Your real bride.

I don't like her. Maybe it was because I knew that she'd take my place and I was jealous. I don't know. I just hate her. Everyone else likes her though. It hurts. Hotaru especially, likes her better than me. It's painful thinking that after I go, I know that you guys would move on just as fast as how you guys accepted her.

I can't blame you though. You don't know that she'll be kicking me out of the house. And even if you did, I don't even know if you'll be affected. After all, what am I to you?

But I was grateful to you because you stood by my side the whole time and never left me. You're a good friend Natsume. A really, really good friend. I just hope it would still stay like this even when I go. And I hope you guys would be happy with Luna.

I don't know how many more days I can stay with you. Maybe I'll be kicked out as soon as we come back to the Palace. Until then, I'll try to act normal so you wouldn't know. So that I can leave quietly and secretly just like how I entered your lives.

I'm not sure but hopefully there will still be…

Five more days Natsume. Five more letters. Five more messages for you. Five more days with you.

Love,

Mikan

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

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