"Poor Tsubasa..." the little brunette sighed as she bobbed a piece of cotton on his swelling left eyelid.

"Ouch! Take it easy!!!" he groaned as he inched his head away.

"How could you pity him when he's harassed you?" Ruka asked in a mild tone, yet obviously, he was a little angry. To think, his one goal of being Mikan's second kiss was another goner. His little bunny hopped away when Mikan turned to him with a smile.

"It was... just an accident, Ruka." She breathed with a blush, wiping his wound in the forehead.

Tsubasa saw this and he, too, turned away and hid his face. He was getting a little sour lately after he had accidentally kissed her...

"Too much for an accident." Natsume grunted nailing a look on him.

"Hey!!! When's my turn, idiot!"

"Oh shut up, Natsume." The little brunette whined as she pinned her finger hard on his cheek.

"OUCH!!!!" Natsume flinched as he punched her head. "This's your entire fault idiot!!!"

"And who told you guys to punch each other?!"

The room went silent.

"See what happened to the food you three brought? It all turned out to nothing, because you messed it all up." She said with shady eyes. "No more strawberry shortcake with nuts, no more Natsume's fried chickens, no more Ruka's shrimp noodle soup. And what's worst? We haven't eaten any of them and they just all ended down the trash."

"Mikan..." Yuu comforted her.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!" she burst out, rivers flowing down her cheeks.

All their sweats dropped as they stared at her, except for Tsubasa, who kept unusually quiet as he looked at her.

"Calm down, Mikan... it's a few minutes left to dinner... we could go down and eat some, if you want..." Yuu offered, forcing a smile.

Mikan puffed her cheeks and she looked up to him with big watery childish eyes, making him wince.

Her eyes twinkled as she held back rivers of childish tears.

"I'm hungry..." she murmured, pouting her lips. "I can't wait for dinner..."

"But, Mikan... You can't go out." The spectacled boy with plaster on his nose said.

"I'll go down and get some." Ruka said as he stood up and faced the door.

"No. Let me." Natsume argued.

"And what will people say about your faces?!" Mikan chirped.

"Oh c'mon... It's as easy as telling them we stumbled down the stairs." Ruka smiled as he twisted the knob.

"Altogether?" Natsume jerked, making him stop.

The two argued as Mikan stopped them, while Tsubasa yawned, still unusually silent.

After a few seconds of deep thinking, their blonde four-eyed friend's face lit up.

"I know!"

ooXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXoo

"Narumi... Are you sure about this?" Mr. Noda stammered as Narumi gave the two a big smile.

"Nonsense!!! Mr. Fujitama's idea of having the ball is magnificent! Now we only have to do is to inform the students!" he said with sparkling eyes.

Mr. Misaki dropped a sweat.

"You don't understand. They're all boys, Narumi. What kind of dancing ball would that be? And besides Serina isn't here. We, too, can't dance with anyone." The black haired biology teacher pointed out.

"Like there are no other hotel visitors in here!" the 3rd Year B homeroom adviser shot back, making the two sigh.

"Don't be ridiculous, idiot!" a voice came into their ears and the teachers all turned their backs.

Along the corridor, they saw five students namely the Hot4 and Koko, who all flinched and froze at the sight of their advisers.

"Ah... Boys!" Narumi called, sending Tsubasa and Natsume's brows to pucker.

"Ohayou, Mr. Narumi, Misaki, Noda." Iinchou greeted with a bow.

"So how's your first two days, kids?"

Natsume's eyes twitched.

"We aren't kids anymore, perverted teacher."

At this, their blonde teacher chuckled and rubbed Natsume's head. Natsume grunted and raked his hair with his hand.

Bastard. The raven-haired boy thought as he slid his fingers back in his pockets.

"And how's your cheek, Koko?"

Everyone froze even more, including Koko who lost his smile.

Shoot I forgot the cheek! Yuu thought as he sweated hard.

"Ah, Mr. Narumi! He's doing fine!" Yuu exclaimed as he dragged Koko to his side and they forced smiles.

"Is that true?!" he said as he fingered his chin and Koko nodded without a word.

"And what about-"

"We haven't eaten lunch yet. Do you mind?" Tsubasa blurted and took Koko's wrist, who just flinched and followed him.

After waving goodbye the rest trailed behind the two, turning their backs quickly away.

"Something wrong with the students, Narumi?" Mr. Noda asked, noticing the weird smile in his companion's face.

Mr. Misaki eyed the five suspiciously and turned to him. "Yeah?"

Mr. Narumi raked his bangs up his head and they fell gracefully back.

"Nothing." He said shortly, stealing a glance at Koko.

It's just that I've seen Koko just a minute ago, still lying ill at the clinic.

ooXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXoo

"Jeez... that was a close one!" Koko sighed as he fell on the floor.

Their teacher problems were already gone and they were now peacefully sitting under an oak tree along the small wood beside the hotel, about five plastic bags of grub rolled along the grass. It was a far place, and they need not worry about other people and so, Yuu let out a huge sigh as his sweat dissolved.

Right at the same time, all their faces melted and revealing bandages on their faces as Mikan regained her old face. The illusion alice was over.

"I wonder how Koko's-mf!" she failed to finish when a huge dumpling was stuffed into her mouth. She glanced at her side and saw the fire wielder, munching on his own dumpling.

"Nafume!!!" she muffled as she choked.

Ruka smiled and offered her a drink with his soda, yet Natsume pushed it away.

"You drank with that soda already." He muttered, stuffing a straw into her mouth.

"FFF!!!"

Since her lips were safe, according to Natsume's look, Ruka gave her the soda and she sucked it heavily with a cough.

"Natsume, you rotten junk!" she cursed after she had finally swallowed the full.

Natsume grunted and nibbled on his dumpling as he noticed Tsubasa's voice absent. He ran his look and saw Yuu taking out a piece of munchkin neatly, and there was Ruka and Mikan... yet no sign of the one he was looking for.

"Where's the other idiot?" he muffled coolly with plain eyes.

Yuu smiled with a lump in his mouth and pointed up the tree.

And there he was, gazing up the sky as he rested his back along the branch with arms crossed behind his head.

Natsume grunted as he looked away.

"Oi." He called.

Tsubasa noticed the call yet he turned his back on him, ignoring the raven-haired boy.

Natsume looked back and noticed he was avoiding him, and so he stuffed the half-finished dumpling between his teeth and climbed up the tree.

ooXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXoo

"Aah... I'm quite full now!" Mikan chirped as she rested on Ruka's back, who flinched for a moment.

"We have our thanks to Yuu here." He said as he blushed, playing with his bunny on his lap.

Yuu coughed and smiled. "No problem! It took me no sweat at all!"

Mikan jumped up and sat with crossed legs as a smile beamed on her face.

"If only you could make my voice sound like Koko, too! Then there wouldn't be any problem anymore! Right, Yuu?!"

Yuu frowned a bit.

"Yeah. If only."

Yuu turned to Mikan, and saw that she was forcing the smile.

"But don't worry, Mikan. I'll find out a way. Then you won't have to hide in our room the whole summer."

At this Mikan smiled faintly and rested her back once again. "Arigatou, Iinchou."

Yuu scratched his head as a sweat rolled down his temple.

"Would you mind if I take a short nap?" she asked her animal loving friend, lying on is lap.

Ruka blushed and nodded, and she slowly closed her eyes.

Soon after, even Ruka dozed off, and as well as Yuu who had lied on his belly along the grass.

ooXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXoo

"What?" Tsubasa uttered without even looking at him, his hat dragged down his nose.

Natsume settled on a nearby branch and imitated his position.

"Nothing."

Tsubasa sighed as a robin perched on his shoulders and he shooed it away. He wasn't much of an animal lover, unlike Ruka.

"You're unusually silent." Natsume disturbed the silence.

The shadow manipulator sighed once more and he pulled down his hat and it hid his entire face.

At this Natsume grunted and jumped off the tree.

The sixteen year-old was damped deep in his thoughts he didn't even notice Natsume gone. All he knew was that he felt so confused he didn't know why, as his thoughts drifted on her.

-Flashback-

"Help! Stop!"

"What're you doing with that poor little girl?" a guy beneath the shadows appeared, catching their attention...

Silence came as the guy his age faced him.

"Why? You know this girl?"

"No."

"Then fuck off." He hollered as he pushed the little girl down the grass and the rest of his companions, another boy and a girl of his age, laughed.

"That's it, Shoda! Show her why she shouldn't meddle with us!" the girl blabbered; failing to notice her other companion's widening eyes.

"Please, let go of me!" the little brunette pleaded as he squeezed her head with his hands.

"Shit, Shoda! It's... It's..." their wide-eyed friend who was standing beside the girl, stuttered as he backed away.

The girl looked back at what her friend was pointing at.

"Andou!" they all stammered as they moved to run away, yet it was too late, he had already stepped on their shadows and used his alice.

-

-

-

"Are you okay, little girl?" he asked as he knelt down before her.

Surprising him, the girl quickly grabbed his body and sobbed wildly at his chest and he smiled.

"It's okay. You're safe with me now."

"Thank you... Thank you..." She whimpered as he scratched his head.

And slowly, Tsubasa reached out and trapped her in his arms, leaning his head to hers.

At this she looked up to him and their lips almost met with foreheads pressing each other's.

He blushed as he closed his eyes, expecting something else. (Stupid... XD)

"Arigatou.... Sempai."

His eyes widened at the call.

Sempai?

-End of Flashback-

Tsubasa quickly shook his head and frowned.

"What's wrong with you, Andou?!"

But... She's my first kiss... Yeah, she's just a year younger, and we're close... And there's nothing wrong with it!

He slowly touched his lips as he blushed and shook the thought away when Natsume's and Ruka's faces flashed in his head.

Damn! What're you thinking, Tsubasa?! But... It can't be... I can't fall for Mikan?!