When we're older, you should let it down.
And that she did.
She didn't have that stupid, yet befitting, pigtails on her now. She let it down, just like how he asked her to all those years ago. Natsume knew that it was probably just a coincidence, but he couldn't stop watching her.
She ran to school, a normal school where children didn't get locked up from their parents. She looked happy. And she looked... pretty.
Beautiful.
Natsume remembered the day he woke up in the academy for years ago, alive. Everyone pampered him like he was a fragile glass, all for the sake of one reason.
Mikan was no longer in the academy.
She sacrificed her Alice for him. And she even forgot about Hotaru. And Hotaru, Noda said that she sacrificed herself so he and Mikan could be together, but now...
She's out there somewhere and Natsume was here, alone.
He remembered meeting the high school principal, trying to get updates about the woman he loved. The principal only said that she was fine and she was living with her grandfather but he didn't tell him when he would be allowed to see her.
Natsume also remembered breaking the school's brick gate for the second time when he was in middle school. He wanted to see her, but that bastard Narumi just had to come and meddle in.
And lastly, he remembered the day he donned the high school uniform for the second time. The principal came in and said that he could go and find her.
Everything led to this moment.
Natsume promised that he would just watch. He didn't want to see her and then knowing that he had to leave her again just so he could continue on that stupid academy. But when those thugs dared to make a move on his girl...
So he burned all of them, just like how he burned down the brick walls in front of her all those years ago.
She spluttered, not recognizing Narumi or Goshima. She'd really forgotten everything...
And when she bumped to him, Natsume could feel each and every memory he had of her rushing to the surface of his mind. From the days he'd call her polka dots, the whole Reo fiasco, the sports festival, the first Christmas when they fell on top of each other and kissed, the second Christmas when they vowed to be with each other forever... it all led to this moment.
So Natsume grabbed her wrists, in a way he always do whenever he held her hands.
He was never letting go.
