"I came to the lobby, but she wasn't there." Ryoma said to himself as he slid his hands in his pockets, his back leaning along the wall outside their bathroom.

About nine am, two days after that thing that happened on the hill with Haruka, and since then, he hadn't been seeing her. He had come to the lobby thrice each day, yet she never even left a note for him. Ryoma had even gone to her room twice, but her sister just kept giving alibis. And so, this kept Ryoma worried.

But nevertheless, Ryoma never shared his discovery to either of his friends. He knew if they find out, they'd force her to stop using the watch and hide from Haruka forever. Yet Mikan was too childish and she decided to get along with Haruka and force himself to be her friend, still... without even thinking of the consequences.

"So she wasn't there, eh?" Ruka's voice came.

He had been staring at him all the while since he came out the bath and he looked groomed with his black fit shirt and pedals.

Ryoma nodded and paced towards the door.

"Something wrong?"

Ryoma stopped, and noticed his obviousness. He knew if he'd act like this and keep everything, he'll definitely end up to no solution for the problem. Since he knew Ruka could be trusted, he decided to tell him. (Not that Natsume wasn't trustworthy, but Ruka was definitely more mature.)

He sighed deeply, and faced the blonde boy, as he slowly took off the watch and regained his petite form. The Mikan looked funny with the oversized sweater Ryoma used to wear.

"It's about Haruka..."

Ruka raised an eyebrow and neared her.

"What about her?"

Mikan bit her lip and sat on Natsume's empty bed.

"Actually, it's about both of us. I mean her and Ryoma. I think I'm in a really big mess, Ruka-pyon."

Ruka widened his eyes as he thought of the possibility that Haruka had already told her feelings to Ryoma and Mikan didn't know what to do. But, after they talked for some time, and after Mikan had already told him everything, he never thought the problem was much more than that.

ooXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXoo

"Natsume!"

Natsume was about to turn the knob of their room when his friend's voice came and distracted him.

"What?" he asked bluntly.

Yuu was panting when he reached him.

"I... called up the girls about Tsubasa..."

Natsume puckered a brow.

"They said he'd be staying with Misaki for the rest of the summer."

Natsume's face lit up noticeably and this made Yuu elbow Natsume's sides.

"Congratulations... I think our friend had finally made up his mind..." he said with a smirking face.

Though he kept hiding it, there was still a slight grin present at the corner of Natsume's lips as his thoughts brought him somewhere.

He couldn't have shook away from it, good thing his spectacled friend slapped his head once more.

"Go on! Tell it to your sweet heart!" he joked as Natsume puckered a brow.

ooXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXoo

About a few minutes earlier...

"I think you're in a difficult situation, Mikan... I doubt you could handle it if Natsume won't know."

"No! Please don't tell him. I know he'll get mad at Haruka and might do something to her."

"But..." he bit his lower lip and clenched his fists. "He deserves to know. He's your..."

"I know. He's my boyfriend and he needs to know my problems. But..."

She felt his fingers hold hers as they were sitting beside each other, and a blush crept her cheeks.

"I understand. Natsume doesn't need to know anything."

His grip went tighter as he pulled her closer. Mikan didn't even figure Ruka was too carried away...

Mikan shook her sleazy thoughts and forced back to the topic.

"I... I... What would I tell Haruka?"

"You'd just have to treat her nicely. Don't tell her anything about the watch and just treat her as a friend." He said with a calm, comforting tone. "There're too much people fighting for your love, Mikan... and you don't need another one."

There was a long silence as Mikan looked down the foam.

She knew Ruka had been looking at her, and she felt conscious. For the first time, Mikan's denseness was missing in action, and she didn't like what was happening, so she jumped up and reflected a wide smile.

"Yeah, yeah! You're right, Ruka!"

Ruka smiled weakly as he looked at her, his expression, not changing.

This made Mikan worry, so she thought of something to make Ruka feel better inside.

"Ruka... You're a really nice best friend next to Hotaru-chan... It's nice that I could have someone to keep my secrets with, even if Hotaru isn't here."

A slight frown was visible at the corner of his lips as he looked down the floor.

Mikan was already standing up as Ruka remained sitting down. She noticed his hands clasped the cloth of his pants that wrapped his lap.

The atmosphere of there conversation was slowly shifting to a different problem, and Mikan only noticed it when Ruka's lips went on.

"I won't deny it."

"Pardon me?" she asked as she bent slightly.

"I'm still hell in love with you, Mikan. And it hurts me to hear that another person's starting to fall for you, too."

"Oh c'mon, Ruka..." she forced a giggle. "Haruka's a girl and it's too silly if you'd get jealous, too... It'll make you more like Nats-"

"And I'm also hurt... That you could only treat me your second best friend, when I always thought about you more than that."

This silenced her and when Ruka grabbed her back, she felt stiff and grim.

"I can't take it, Mikan... I don't know... I think I still haven't accepted it!" the corners of his tears were filled with droplets of tears, though he kept holding them back. "I know I promised to hide it now. Now that Natsume had already won. I smile whenever I see you two play sweet together. But..."

Her eyes widened when he paused.

"I can't help but cry when I'm alone..." said he, his grip on her sleeves loosened and he stood and hugged her tight.

She couldn't think of anything to say. She knew she should shrug him away, but her mind fought with her heart. Her conscience bugged her that all the time she had been happy with Natsume in front of him, thinking the problem with Ruka was over, yet now she finds out he had been acting all along... just to make his two friends happy. And that moment, she felt more like a self-centered idiot.

"Ruka..." she said with watery eyes.

"Ruka? Mikan?"

The moment was too painful, not for Yuu who had called their attention, but for the raven haired boy who kept still as he stared down the floor. Natsume's fingers were cold as they held the knob's door, in contrast with what his fire alice was supposed to do.

And of course, with the look on their faces, Mikan knew Natsume heard everything Ruka said. Everything, from the time Ruka said his real feelings.

-

Yuu shivered as he felt weird with the eerie silence. Noise had failed them for five minutes now, and he knew it would continue if he won't do something.

"Ugh, guys... I think I should... leave for a moment..." he said with a roll of sweat, creeping out the door and closed it behind him, leaving the three to themselves.

A few minutes went on, until Ruka shook himself and forced a smile.

"I think I have to do an errand!" he smiled and scratched his head. "Ugh... see you later, guys-"

"Stay."

Natsume and Mikan's voice came in unison, with the Natsume's being stiff, and Mikan's comforting.

Ruka sighed and his jolly eyes vanished beneath his bangs as he closed back the door.

"I want to end this. Tell me the truth." Said Natsume, who didn't bother look up.

Mikan felt her heart skip a beat.

"Natsume. Please don't take what Ruka said seriously. He's-"

"Stay out of this." He darted, looking straight into her eyes. And after he made sure she silenced up, his eyes shot Ruka's.

"What happened to those things you said back at the ball?" he asked with slightly smooth eyes and he felt a sting when he noticed the dried tears at the corner of his eyes.

A grin crept Ruka's lips as he scratched his eyes.

"So... does this mean my problems aren't over yet? I was glad before I opened that door, to tell you the truth. Because I had already found out that my problem with Tsubasa was over."

Ruka's eyes changed a bit.

Mikan flinched.

"What do you mean?"

"We've known before that when Tsubasa accidentally had his first kiss with someone else, he got confused. But now, I'm glad he finally made up his decision and found out his true feelings are for his best friend. And that made me happy; thinking both of us won't have problems anymore."

-

"... But now, after I opened the door. Hearing that... changed what I thought..."

The blonde boy clenched his fists.

"So I guess from now on. I won't be trusting her alone with you again." He smiled and took Mikan's wrist.

The little brunette felt confused with her boyfriend's expression, but she couldn't free her hands away.

"Natsume?" she asked him as she looked as his back.

He approached Ruka and held his cheeks with his free hand.

"I don't want to see you crying."

Those were his last words until he closed the bathroom's door behind them.

Ruka's eyes widened as he realized he was all alone.

He knew his friend was too possessive of her, and this made him confused why he didn't even burn his hair or punch him after he saw him hugging Mikan. But... There he was, unharmed and Natsume even told him to stop crying.

I don't get him. Ruka thought as he puckered a brow. Does he mean... he's glad that I'll keep on fighting him over Mikan?

After a few more minutes of brainstorming, Ruka smiled.

"That Natsume! He never wants to end a challenge with me!"

And so, the blonde boy ran to the bathroom's door and made a racket.

"Open up! Hey, Natsume! What're you doing to her!" he cried with a smile.

I hope you'll give reviews this time, since it took a long time for me to update. Thank you!