CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1 – The reason he left

Its been 7 years since Mikan entered the academy. Only three months left and it will be 8 years since she entered the academy and three months before she turns 18 on January. She is already 17 years old, her hair is now laid down, her auburn straight hair reached her waist. She wears a little make-up now, thanks to the help of Misaki, who is now engaged to her Tsubasa Sempai. She is still simple despite now that she is already a 3 star after perfecting her nullifying alice. Her cheerfulness, kind attitude never died out. She is still childish but she has matured enough to be serious and not to be dense at some things. Men fall for her and are always challenging each other for who will win her heart. But Mikan is not interested in any of them, she is only interested in one person…

"Mikan!" a girl outside Mikan's bedroom door shouted. Mikan is still inside her room, staring at her reflection on the mirror. She realized the changes which occurred these past years… and she hoped that at least the person she loves will notice her… She was startled when there was a loud bang on her door.

"Okay! Hotaru! I'm coming!" Indeed it was her bestfriend who also changed these past 8 years, she became more expressive on her feelings and she lets people see her true self specially to Mikan and her now 4 years boyfriend, Ruka who is Natsume's bestfriend.

"Wow! Does it took you forever just to fix yourself in the morning? We only got minutes before the class starts!" Hotaru told Mikan. "Then, you should have gone ahead of me if you can't wait to see Ruka soon…Anyway, its our first day in college, we don't want to rush it, right?" Mikan replied with a smile on her face.

They walked towards the college school building. Mikan is looking at the fully bloomed cherry trees, she smiled. She cannot forget the memories she had with Natsume. She wonders when he will return in the academy… its already five years since he left the academy.

Flashback…(5 years ago)

The school was being attacked by the anti-alice academy, the dangerous ability type members were called to gather in the front gate, ready to fight on their arrival… While the others were given task to defend and evacuate the children. Mikan's batch were already highschool so they must remain together with the college to defend.

"Natsume! I want to fight with you, I can help, you know that right? Please Natsume…" Mikan begged to Natsume. While Natsume stand up ready to run to the front gate. They were in the northern forest under the sakura tree having a good conversation, they were already close friends, in fact they looked couple to other people, they just don't want to admit it with each other. "Mikan don't be hard-headed and be with Hotaru and the others, protect the children and be in a safe place, I want you to always be safe, I'm not there to protect you, okay?" Natsume gently said, he kissed Mikan on the forehead then as fast as the wind, he was nowhere in sight. Mikan sighed and ran to where the others were.

End of the flashback.

"Earth to Mikan!" Hotaru shouted in Mikan's right ear. "Whoa! Ouch! That hurts Hotaru! What was that you were saying?" Mikan asked. "I said that you have 3 months left to prepare for your debut, aren't you planning to celebrate?" Hotaru asked.

"Come to think of it, I really don't want to celebrate, I can't enjoy myself like before to tell you honestly…" Mikan replied sadly. "Its been five years since he left the academy Mikan, to go around the world to have fun. You should move on, I know you love him but we don't even know if he will come back and if he will return your love when he comes back. There are so many men, falling head over heels to you Mikan, don't be stupid again to wait for him, you've waited enough." Hotaru snapped.

Mikan was hurt by the words Hotaru said, it hit her. Was she really stupid? Stupid enough to fall for him and wait for his return? Hotaru doesn't know anything. Mikan angrily shouted at Hotaru that she doesn't know anything about Natsume and about them, then she hurriedly ran to the Northern Forest, to their Sakura tree…Mikan lied down on the grass under the Sakura tree… she cried herself out.

Flashback…

The anti-alice and alice academy fought… Mikan and the others already finished evacuating the children then they were off to go and help Natsume and the others. When they arrived at the front gate, many of the dangerous ability types were already badly wounded.

"Natsume!" Mikan worriedly shouted for his name. His body is already weakening due to the use of his alice… Mikan badly wanted to save them and stop this fight so she hurriedly went to the front gate where antialice members were trying to desperately destroy the gate to invade inside, without letting anyone stop her. She hold onto the railings of the gate. The men saw her and wants to make her their hostage to open up the building if they can only destroy the little barrier left in the gate. She looked at Natsume who then by that time also looked at her direction. Natsume was shocked and he was unguarded and was thrown to the wall of the gate. "Natsume!" Mikan was now mad and worried. She then took a deep breath and released her alice and the whole anti-alice group was nullified from the gate she was holding spreading to the outside of the academy. Not only that her power enveloped the whole school like a blue transparent shield. They retreated. Mikan who used her alice to the full extent collapsed.

She woke up to find herself in a hospital room, Natsume was there holding her hand… Natsume was glad she was awake. "I thought you would never wake up, you've been asleep for one week now. I was so worried, don't do that ever again, okay?" Natsume scolded. "Sorry, I just want to end it all, end the war, I badly wanted it. I don't want danger to you and everyone." Mikan explained.

"Listen Mikan, I have to go away and finish off the anti-alice, I'm with the other members. We cannot let this happen again, them attacking the school. We are going around the world and find the instigators. Just like you said, we have to end it. We cannot be forever defensive, so Persona decided to make us offensive too." Natsume said to Mikan. Mikan thought she didn't hear it correctly, go away? Around the world? Mission? End? Mikan's thought was disturbed again by Natsume. "So, Mikan, I will go away, I can't promise you that I'd be back, this is a tough mission, I trusted you as my closest friend more than Ruka, so you are the only one who knows the true reason why I will go away. Mikan, the anti-alice wants you, that's why I also volunteered to go to this mission, I don't want you in danger. The reason that the others know is that we will attend many alice academies around the world to perfect our alice. We can't let the true mission slip away from anyone's mouth as much as possible. Heck, even you wasn't allowed to know the true reason. But I hope you understand. I'm doing this for you, for the whole academy. Don't let anyone know the true reason, even Hotaru, promise me Mikan?" Natsume asked. "I can't accept that you're going to leave me, I… lo-…like you Natsume, you're the friend who is always there for me, Don't leave me behind please…" Mikan pleaded. "Now, that I know you're okay, we can leave as soon as possible, Mikan, I want you to accept it and understand, Here take this…" Natsume gave Mikan a necklace with their names' engravings at the back. Natsume put it at Mikan's neck and locked it. "This will serve as a reminder of me, take care of it, it belongs to my mother although I had someone to put our names at the back.. Mikan, for you, I will do my best to come back but I can't promise, I'll always be thinking of you, you're my light in darkness." Mikan quietly nodded. "You know Mikan, you should put your hair down, you're old for pigtails…" Natsume said. Mikan weakly smiled at Natsume, she was still tired, she fell asleep until the next day. When she was sound asleep, Natsume left for the mission but before he left, he kissed Mikan's sweet lips, a teardrop fell from Mikan's eyes, Natsume kissed it away then left.

End of flashback.

Mikan sat up, she misses Natsume. But he left for her five years ago, no one knows that. She looked at the necklace and kissed it. She was angry that Natsume left without saying goodbye. Somehow, she wished that Natsume is safe wherever he is.

After two hours, Mikan went back to her classroom, she missed the first period. Hotaru was not talking to her, so Mikan sat at the back of the room. Then, Narumi sensei walked in, she announced that there will be a student chosen to work while studying but as a singer. The government wants that a student must be at least be seen on media in order not to arouse suspicions from people around the world that their school was not normal.

"Mikan, you were chosen, since you have the talent and that the academy trusts that you could do this." Narumi gladly told Mikan and then left giving them a free period, Mikan was shocked. But Mikan accepted it since she wants something that can make her forget Natsume for awhile. So her official training and recording will start tomorrow. Mikan was congratulated by her friends. She approached Hotaru and excused her outside.

"Hotaru, I'm sorry. But you can't make me forget him just like that, so let me move on myself if I think that it's time that I should." Mikan said to Hotaru. Hotaru smiled and said sorry but promised that he will hit Natsume 100 times of her latest baka gun the moment he returns. Then they hugged each other and went back to their friends to talk about Mikan's career.