A/N: This is my first Gakuen Alice fanfic, so please go easy on me, and I have a feeling this is going to be so OOC. But I love NatsumexMikan! Woot!

YOU.

I've tried everything to get my mind off you. But it still doesn't work. I thought harmless teasing won't do anything to me or you. Well, not to you anyway. You always look like an idiot.

The problem with you is that you're just too happy.

The problem with me is that I'm beginning to like it that way.

There are a lot of other problems when it comes to you. But when I keep thinking about it, it doesn't sound that bad anymore.

I'm trying to push you away. I'm trying to make you dislike me. There's no point making you hate me when you can never actually hate anyone much.

You're such a stupid little girl. You're clumsy, weird, and way too optimistic. Sometimes I feel like telling you to look in the darker side, but I can't, or else it'll spoil your usual self.

And I'd hate that, despite the fact that I wish I didn't.

I feel like shouting my guts out and let go all the pent up frustration that's invading my mind.

It's unfair. It's unfair. It's unfair. It's unfair!

Out of all people, why me? Why do I have to look at you in a different way?

I know Ruka used to feel the same way I do, but now he's found out that he likes Imai, and Imai knows a lot. She knows everything. She knows that I like you. She knew from a long time ago that Ruka liked her.

Which brings me to wonder, does she know if you like me? Should I try asking her? No, but if I do, then she'll really know that I like you.

"Ohayou minna!!" She shouts, and everyone shouts back the same. Then she tries to hug Imai but fails when Imai takes out her baka gun and shoots her down.

But she still doesn't give up the habit, does she? She's always going to try and hug her best friend, and then get shot down by the baka gun again. She should give up by now.

Darn. Even reading my favourite manga doesn't get my mind off her. And every time I think about her, the first thing that comes to my mind is 'Polka-Dot Panties'.

It's just a name I picked up. And she'll call me pervert in return.

"Oi Polka dots. Can't you shut that thing on your face for one day." I said in my usual tone of voice, but inside, surprisingly, I'm anticipating the lame things that she'll shout back at me.

She looks at me for one second. I tensed a tiny bit under her gaze. Then she frowned.

"What do you mean by that, pervert?!" She shouted.

I realized she took a few seconds to think about what I meant. Stupid girl.

"You took so long to figure what I said? You really are stupid, little girl." I said, smirking slightly.

Ruka looked at the both of us. He was probably expecting her to beat me up. I was too.

But before she could, class started. Well I don't give a crap anyway.

After class, I went to sit under my usual tree and read manga, and then eventually take a small nap maybe.

But as I was reading my book, she had to come along like nothing the matter.

"Natsume! I have a question for you!" She said enthusiastically.

I rolled my eyes mentally and looked at her with a glare. "Who said I'm going to answer your question?" I said.

"Why not?" She asked me.

"Because you're probably too much of an idiot to understand." I said.

"I didn't appreciate what you just said, but you just answered a question of mine!" She said, laughing and making me look like an idiot.

I gritted my teeth and was about to burn her skirt, when that Andou came towards her.

"Mikan! How are you?" He asked, grinning.

"Tsubasa-senpai!" She said, running towards him. Then she hugged him.

Curse you Andou. Curse you.

But I pretended not to care, even though I knew the temperature around us was getting hotter. And I'm sure Andou can feel it too.

After all, he is sweating right now and he is looking at me with a flinch. "Hm…sorry Mikan, but I can't talk long; Misaki's asking me to help her with some work, so maybe we can talk later, ok?" He said.

Mikan looked slightly disappointed, but nevertheless she smiled. "Ok, see you, Tsubasa-senpai!" She said, waving as he left.

He's lucky he left, or else I would have burnt him.

She turned around to look at me. "Oh yeah, my question! Would you come to my room later after dinner? I even asked Ruka-pyon and he said ok! Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Koko and Iinchou are going to be there too! I would like it very much if you come!" She said.

"Why should I come?" I said, uninterested.

"Why not? I have a surprise for everyone! And I'd be very happy if everyone comes!" She said.

Curse her cheerfulness. Curse her whole being.

"I'll…think about it." I muttered, hoping she heard it because I'd hate to repeat it.

She smiled. It seems she heard it. Good.

"Ok, I'll be waiting!" She said, as she waved and walked off.

I punched the ground and sighed. Why is she making me feel this way? Now that she's told me that she'll be waiting, I feel like I'm supposed to go!

But I felt that if I didn't go, she'd be disappointed. Not that I'd actually care…

Right?

Tch. I looked away from where she's walking, and I don't even feel like reading my manga anymore.

Her smile keeps replaying in my mind, and it won't stop. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, trying to get her image off my mind.

"Natsume." I heard. It was Ruka. I open my eyes and looked at him.

"Hey Ruka." I said, closing my eyes again.

He sat on the other side of the tree, petting his rabbit. "You're going right?" He asked me.

"I don't know." I said, and surprisingly, I sound troubled.

Ruka chuckled. "Well, come on, I'm going so you should come too." He said.

"Hey, you're the one who's going so that you can see Imai." I said.

I knew for sure he's blushing a deep scarlet right now. "W-Well…what's wrong with that?" He asked.

"Are you even going to tell her?" I asked. I sound slightly annoyed.

But…am I annoyed at Ruka, or am I annoyed at myself?

I heard Ruka sigh. "You know it's not that easy, Natsume. I think you, of all people, should know." He said.

"I don't think I know." I told him. Just what is Ruka implying?

"Just saying…" He said. I turned my head slightly to look at him.

"I think you should finally your feelings to her." Ruka said.

"W-Who are you talking about?" I asked, a feeling of…uneasiness taking over me?

Ruka sighed again. "You know full well who I'm talking about, Natsume. Don't try and act like you don't know." He said, and then we both spotted Imai.

When she turned and left the area, Ruka immediately stood up and blushed again.

"W-Well, see you later at her room!" He said, and ran to catch up with Imai, taking out a picture from his pocket.

So that's how he talks to her…

I punch the ground again, and I'm even angrier. Not because Ruka tried to talk smart to me and tell me about her. I'm angry because of myself.

I know, I've been trying to avoid the fact that I like her.

I don't like her. I know I don't.

Sakura Mikan's room.

And here I am. Outside her door, feeling slightly nervous and…shy.

Well, I have a perfectly good reason to be shy, right?! The Hyuuga Natsume is standing outside Sakura Mikan's room.

This stupid Sakura Mikan is that clumsy, cheerful, noisy girl. But she's also cute, friendly, caring…

Tch.

Anyway, I'm about to knock the door, but…

"Just knock already." I heard Imai say. She looked at me nonchalantly, and made me feel slightly tense.

"Huh? Hotaru, what are you…Natsume!" Mikan said, joy written on her face. She took my hand, and I looked at our hands for some time.

"Come on in, I have a very special surprise!" Mikan said, dragging me. I fought back a blush.

I saw Ruka smiling at me and holding a plate of chocolate cake. In fact, everyone's eating chocolate cake. Is this her birthday party or something?

I didn't bring a present!

Wait, why am I freaking out for?!

"Here you go, Natsume!" Mikan said, and I snap out of my daydream. I looked at the plate of chocolate cake she was holding, and I slowly took it.

"Oh right, a fork. Here." Mikan said, and she gave me a fork. I took it.

"Go on, eat it!" Mikan said.

I looked at her. She wants me to eat chocolate cake? That's it?

I turn away from her, and walked towards the window in her room. I took an empty seat and sat on it, and took a bit of the cake.

I heard everyone talking while I ate and looked out the window. Ruka was trying to get Imai to stop taking pictures of him, and Yuu's trying to stop them from fighting.

Well, Ruka's just lying anyway. He likes the attention he's getting from her.

How could he talk to her like that so easily? It makes me feel envious.

"Mikan, me and Iinchou are gonna go now!" Koko said, as he opened the door.

"Really? I'm so happy to hear it!" Mikan said, opening the door fully to them and waving.

You better tell her already.

I heard Koko's voice in my head; right after Mikan closed the door.

I started coughing, because when I heard what he said, I swallowed a chunk of cake I stuffed in my mouth.

Mikan rushed over to me in concern, and Ruka handed me a glass of water. I drunk a bit of it, and felt better.

Mikan looked at me. "Is…is the cake bad?" She asked me.

I didn't say anything, because I was trying to stop a blush from coming over to me, and I was afraid I might stutter.

She stood up, smiling sadly. "Well, you don't have to finish it…" She said.

Ruka and Imai looked at me expectantly. I'm supposed to say something!

"…"

Ruka sighed, and Mikan and I looked at him. Imai slowly turned to look at him.

"I-Imai-san…" He started, and my eyes slowly widened. He was…going to…

"Imai-san, I want to tell you…that…I…I…like you…very much." He said with difficulty and nervously.

He blushed a deep red and looked at her. She looked at him.

Mikan looked at them, looking slightly confused. Heh, she'll never understand, will she?

Then, Imai gave him a small smile. "I suppose it's the same for me…" She said softly.

Mikan looked overjoyed. "You did great, Ruka-pyon!" She said, happy for the two.

"Well, if that's done, I'd like to go back to my room." Imai said, and Ruka felt like he should follow her, and looked at Mikan and smiled.

She smiled back at him, and let him go. She opened the door for them, and then waved at them as they left.

This left me to wonder if Ruka was trying to show me that I was supposed to do the same.

I stared at the cake, and slowly I started daydreaming because I was thinking if I was supposed to go tell her or not.

"You know, if you really don't want to eat it, you don't have to." She said, and made me snap out of my daydream again. I looked at her.

"It's not good, is it? It is after all, my first time baking a cake. I wonder if everyone was actually saying the truth…" She said, the last few words turning into a whisper.

"It's not bad." I wanted to say, but I couldn't. I don't know why. It's like…time stopped for me, and all I could hear were her painful whispers.

She looked sad, she looked really upset. I…

No…

Don't cry…

I don't want to see you like that…

Her eyes brimmed with tears and I wanted to wipe them away. I felt thoroughly guilty to have said nothing.

She hastily wiped her tears. "I'm acting stupid again…crying for nothing…" She whispered.

I placed the cake on the table next to the window. I stood up…and...

Embraced her.

She stiffened, but slowly relaxed. She buried her face into my shirt, and I hugged her tighter.

"I'm…sorry." I said.

I don't know if she's surprised, but I think she should be.

"Out of all people, I really wanted to know if you and Hotaru liked it." She told me.

I let out a breath. "Imai…huh…" I said. Hotaru was always lucky. She always had Mikan by her side.

"Hotaru's a very important person to me. I'd be happy if she was happy, and I'd be even happier to see her being happiest." She said.

"Imai's…very lucky to have a person like you." I said.

"Hotaru has me, but you have Ruka-pyon." She said, smiling, even though I can't see it.

"Yeah…you're right…but now…Ruka has Imai…and now…" I stopped for a moment, feeling awkward.

"I want you…to stay by my side." She finished for me.

I looked at her in surprise. She broke the hug, and smiled at me.

"Thank you, Natsume. I'm very happy…" She said.

And I hugged her again.

"If I was happy, would Hotaru be happy?" She asked me.

"Yeah. But if Ruka, Imai and you were happy, I'd be the happiest." I said.

"Thank you, Natsume, but I believe that you're happiness will be mine as well." She said.

I, Hyuuga Natsume, have fallen for Sakura Mikan.

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Author's Notes: I'm sorry for the OOC-ness, I think…anyway, I hope everyone who read this likes it…I hope…review, please? Flames accepted, for the first time.