Disclaimer: I OWN IT!!! Just kidding. I DO NOT own Gakuen Alice. xPPP

*~CHANGES AND DREAMS~*

by: Laura Juliet Gonzales

Kindergarten students were found anywhere in the campus. The blackmailer queen, Hotaru at the age of 5 was in an abandoned stock room, looking for some metals scraps for Serina's assignment. The animal lover boy, Ruka who isn't scared when it comes to animals was in the garden checking on the butterflies and rabbits.

Natsume, the guy who already has a bad reputation at the age of 6 was under the shade of the giant Sakura tree together with her stupid, idiotic and dumb best friend, Mikan.

"Ne~Ne. Natsume-kun…"called out the 5 years old Mikan at his best friend who was snoring softly.

Natsume woke up with an irritated face. "What Polka?"

Mikan greeted her teeth. "Would you stop calling me names or else I'll report you to Serina-sensei!!!" She warned.

He just ignored her request and asked. "What now?"

Finally, our Mikan went back to her bubbly attitude. "Remember what Serina-sensei told us a while ago?"

"About our dreams." He replied in a disgusted tone.

Mikan nodded like a doggy in a dashboard in a cute and childish way. "Umm… What will you be when you grow up, Natsume-kun?"

"I don't know. Maybe with my wife and three children." He answered and smirked at the thought of Mikan as his wife.

She was dumfounded. "Oh… Natsume-kun, I didn't know that your plan is about having a family someday! Well, do you wanna know what's mine?"

"Blurt it."

Mikan nodded again with her forefinger touching her chin. "Let's see. I want to be a teacher like Serina-sensei too. Or a business woman, so I can build schools and make students businessmen or women in the future once they graduate. Ahah! That's it! I'll build a little clean and adorable school in the province and then hire some teachers and then the teachers will make the students businessmen or women! Then the students who have that profession will build another school, then produce business women or men and the cycle repeats again! Do you get my point, Natsume-kun?"

Natsume's voice and smile showed a bit of amazement. He was amazed that his best friend said something rare and has sense. "I do get it."

She grinned happily. "See! My idea is perfect!"

He chuckled. "Polka, if you will be a business woman then, based on what you said, you are only focused on schools. How about hospital, churches and malls?"

Her eyes widened. "Right." She paused and made the 'Thinker' pose again. It took her some time to realize and say something. "Easy, Natsume-kun! Just like the school. I will build malls, then it will be full of shops, then the shop owners will be inspired and they will make their own malls!"

Natsume laughed at her best friend. "I never knew you know how to think outside the box, Mikan."

She scratched her head. "I know how to think outside the box? Where's the box you are referring to, Natsume-kun?" She questioned, still wondering what he purposely meant.

Natsume laughed again. "No wonder you got the lowest rank in our class and I got the highest."

Mikan got a little mad. "You are insulting me, Natsume-kun! If you do that again, I will never let you borrow my red and black crayons again!" She stuck her tongue out. She stood up and attempted to kick her best friend but he dodged.

"Pandas, now huh, Polka?"

Mikan blushed madly. "PERVERT Natsume-kun!!!"

(Please wait for a moment before the hyperactive Mikan Sakura calms down…)

After a few minutes…

She sighed. "Natsume-kun, I forgot the other thing Serina-sensei told us to do… Still remember it?"

"Oh, she said after you have thought deeply on what you want to be when you grow up, bring something that represents it and show it to the class."

Mikan snapped her fingers. "Yes! Mine should be a ballpen! Since business women always carry a ballpen!" She smiled. "Natsume-kun, what's yours?"

"That would be a secret."

She pouted. "Mou! Tell me, ain't I your best friend?"

Natsume hesitated. "Just wait for tomorrow. Duh…"

She finally gave up. "Fine!" Mikan then crossed her arms.

After that was a long silent. No one dared to speak a word. It was so peaceful that Mikan almost slept and closed her eyes.

But she wasn't able to when Natsume smashed broken the silence.

"Polka, aside from being a business woman, what do you want to be?"

She tapped her foot. "I don't know. Would you mind giving an example or choices?"

He then replied. "A doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, an environmentalist, a secretary, a model, an actress, a writer or a WIFE and a MOTHER." Natsume emphasized the last choice. He was hoping that once he becomes a man, he would propose to Mikan. He has this certain feelings more than of a friend towards the brunette.

"A wife? I am not sure. Weddings are expensive. A mother, I'm not sure too. My momma and Serina-sensei told me that giving birth is hard because it will cause a large hole in my stomach and I don't like that either!"

"So are you telling that there is a possibility that you will be a nun?"

Mikan shooked her head. "I can't see myself as a nun."

(The next day in school…)

"So, what do you have Hotaru-chan?" Serina asked in a polite and soft way.

Hotaru stood up in front of the class carrying a golden screw. "Oh.. You have a screw. What do you want to do with that screw?"

Before Hotaru can reply, some meanie student answered. "Hotaru-chan wants to be a carpenter!" The he was followed by laughter.

Ruka who was on his seat stood up. "You are wrong Koko-krunch! Hotaru-chan wants to be an inventor!"

Hotaru blushed since Ruka defended her. "Yes."

Serina asked. "Where did you get the screw then?"

She replied. "I found it in the abandoned stock room beside our classroom."

Their teacher was amazed. "Wow… You weren't scared. So, class. Let's give a round of applause for Hotaru-chan!"

Then all the students clapped.

"Now, it's your turn Ruka-kun."

Ruka stood up carrying a bottle with a butterfly inside. "I want to be a veteran or an environmentalist some day. I want to protect all the animals and plants." Then he bowed.

The students clapped. "That was cute and sweet, Ruka-kun! Okay, next is Mikan-chan!"

The brunette stood up almost carrying nothing. "Where is the thing, Mikan?" Her teacher asked.

She then shoved something from her pocket. "A ballpen! Because I want to be a business woman someday! I will build schools then produce more businesswomen or men!"

Serina chuckled at her innocence. "Haha. That is so cute, Mikan-chan!"

The pupils clapped.

"So, this time, let's hear it from Natsume-kun!"

Natsume followed Serina's request and pulled out a ring from his pocket.

His classmates gaped. "My, my Natsume seemingly wants to marry someone."

Suddenly, a girl raised her hand. "That ring is for me! Natsume-sama wants to marry me!"

Upon hearing this, Natsume shot a disgusted look at the girl, Sumire.

Serina cleared her throat. "Okay, Natsume-kun, who is that ring for?"

"When I grow up, I want to be with someone whom I love the most, and she is my best friend."

(Fourteen years later…)

Natsume studied his middle and high school in Korea. When he went back to Japan, he was surprised by the news that his only love, Mikan wants to become a nun.

He saw her in the Sakura tree, her hand on the trunk. Mikan isn't considered officially a nun yet, but tomorrow, she will be.

"Mikan."

She looked back with teary eyes. "Natsume."

He went closer to her. "Is it true? Is it true that you chose to be a nun than a businesswoman?"

She just nodded.

"What about your dream? You want to build schools and malls right? What happened to it?!"

Instead of replying, she cried.

"Mikan, remember when we were still kindergarten? My only dream is to marry my best friend, which is you. Mikan, I love you."

She wiped her tears. "Natsume, I love you too." Then she paused. Natsume smiled. "But I love Him more. I want to serve Kami-sama more."

Natsume couldn't do anything about her decision. It is her choice between her best friend and Kami-sama.

Now, none of their first dreams in Kindergarten was granted.

-FIN-