Gakuen Alice/ Gakuen Arisu by Higuchi Tachibana
"Mom?"
"Yes Natsume dear?" As long as i can remember while I'm nestling on the back seat of the car that has been wheeled by my father, I'm asking my mother a quiet identical question as before
"Are we moving again... mom?"
"Yes dear... I'm..."
"It's okay mom... Moving are not so bad..." I know it's not anybody fault that we keep on moved from town to another town. And mother keep apologizing about it, which is i don't even mind.
And the reason I'm on an unknown journey, I am an Alice ... And the reason for the rest of the reason is, my parent gambling their own life to protect me from the AAM (Alice Abolishes Movement)
Thought I'm neither sure nor familiar... About it.
After a long journey, we reached to a small town. Quite the scenery and peaceful enough to my small family. I was living life like refugees all the time, I don't have choice rather, and there is no chance... I never had a permanent address, school and a "permanent friend". I know this is not what I'm looking for, but I have to learn what mature is... And become mature not just by word "mature."
But it seems everything is just doing fine in this little town. My father had opened clinic and he soon become a big help for this little town since the town quite isolates from the other town even the nearest one would take 10 to 12 hours to reach. Well it's a bummer for certain people... But for my parent, it's a truly blessed for our little family, which they can rest assure that I'm completely away from harm.
As if finally we're going to stay as long as no harm approach, mom still keep myself from public; keep me hidden. I know mom only wants to protect me. Like every mother had the instinct for their children.
But I got my own limit... I mean, for my own sanity, I want to take a "Mini Tour" around the town... Maybe just around places that wouldn't be so far from my house... It's been 2 months that I even not allowed going to school or, joining any school.
Mom always spends her time in the living room writing; which she's a freelance journalist after all.
The moment are absolute mine, so no falling back and decide to give a quiet atmosphere for mom, I sneaked out from my room.
The path just is right in front of me. For the first time in my life that's how freedom feels like... I pacing the path, begin my little explore.
I've finally walking on my feet in this new yet stranger town with a stick in my right-hand... I found that earlier thought I'm not sure why I need to pick up the stick as if the stick will be something useful to me later... The sun feels refreshing as I walk over a shaded tree.
I closed my eyes for 2 to 3 second and let the breeze brushing all over my face. I feel alive... all the time I only can see the world behind the window. And now, the blue sky just under me...
"TO AHO!" I'm not really the type of "one with the nature" but that sudden like sharp voice broken into thin air... Quite annoying... Then I decided to continue walking but as I saw a bunch of girls running down on a small hill with a bag pack on their back.
"Just wait when I got this situation to each of your mom!" I heard someone cursing in a high pitched voice I heard before. I changed my direction and crossing the field... It's feels like I was attracted to the voice. I try to ignore but my feet somehow betrayed my brain.
Oh it's a cherry tree... Ah... I believe she's the one that shouting her lung out just now... I don't mean the tree. There a girl trying so bad to climb up the cherry tree... It's... It's pink...
"Oi." I looked up and cover my sight with my hand as a blind. All that meeting my eyes was a wavers couple of locks of hazel hair not until she cracked her neck and looking at me.
I was surprised in silent.
'The most enchanting female that I ever saw is my mother.'
You only loved your mother until you found the woman of your lifetime...
She is looking at me with watery eyes... Cracking and confusing. Total innocently charming... I just stacked where I stood, although she got the boring clear dark brown pair of eyes but somehow, the pair of eyes that belongs to her just way too captivating, because it's her... It does belong to her. It's beautiful...
I don't know how to start. But before I start any conversation whenever I got met or bump to a girl, they would go hysteria within a crazy phase. Instead of screaming or 'gya-ing', She just staring and froze hanging on the tree... Like monkey.
"Oi..." As if something snapped her mind, her fingers slipped from the bark and sliding down to the ground... and I was standing and watching like nothing happened.
"Are you okay?" I only asking that inside my mind... since my mind only learn to register the girl as a complete stranger. I continue looking at her next "what to do" moment. She brushing her blouse from top and down to her skirt rid off the dirt... My brain questioning a lot rather asking her why... So I tilt my head, and the reason she tried to climb the cherry tree because there a mini fancy purse like a strawberry shaped in design, hanging one on the cherry tree's branch. Since it just hanging and I still can reach it, I try to jump and grab it by my hand. When I attempt to do so...
"You going to ruin my purse or break the branches!" Yelled the brown haired girl with all her moist in her face.
I got no plan to having further conversation with her but she starts to annoy me...
"I'm trying to help you... You idiot."
"Fine! I won't forgive you if you ruin or break it!" What was wrong with this girl? She was irate at me as I already told her that I was trying to help her...
"... In that case, I'll break the branch so I can retrieve the purse in one piece."
"YOU CAN"T!" She burst in tear that makes me shocked and widens my eyes.
"... It's just a branch I'm not going to break one after another."
"No! You can't! This tree had planted by my father and I will protect it!" Hu...? I don't know what she was talking about, she's totally annoying me, but she make me bother to her settlement. I'm working my brain; figuring out how not to ruin the purse and the branch. Then I realized the stick that I brought before.
So it was just like I was thought before, the stick that I holding might come useful: plus, there a 'Y' shaped at the point of the stick. I reach out my hand and it's long enough to trap the purse's strap between the 'Y' shaped. Not even a sweat; I've already retrieve her purse in no time; no ruining, no breaking.
"Here." I reach once my hand at her as I returning her purse whiles my eyes staring at her expression.
'Worth of thousand pictures.'
She's smiling... It feels like; somewhat calm and secure, like an evening after pouring rain, as you describing heaven, that's how my view locked upon her.
"T... Thank you..." her hands like gladly to takes the purse and ah... I draw away the purse. My mind changed. It's not fair though my genius head. I would like something in exchange.
Her hands chasing after my hand.
"M- May I have my purse back?" While I'll buy sometime and running my mind for ultimate plan, I finally utter my will while I hide her purse behind me. She looked at me with a sceptical sight.
"One condition." The girl fixed her eyes on me immediately. As she listen and obey.
"Let me know your name and I give it to you when I have your name." When I said the condition, her face change at once. Her chin dropped and...
"What? What for? Why do I have to give it to you?" Oh... She's start feel the nerve... I like that. I try another tease on her.
"I helped you to get your purse back. Add least let me know your name." Her eyes slits as if she can read through my mind.
"Why don't you introduce yourself at the first place?" Said the girl puckered her lips with her face tilt meets my eyes. And here I go again buying some more time.
"Why don't you guess mine?" I said deliberately so I can broaden the times with her.
"Aho! I'm not telepathic! You don't even give me a clue or hint!" I'm holding my face muscle from carving a smile. She just takes a turn into my game.
"Oh you want some clue... My name after a red fruit." Her reaction like 'what?' She raising her eyebrow but it seems she's working her brain on it and puzzle over for an answer.
Then she looking at me;
"Ichigo?" (Strawberry)
"Guess again." She shows her droopy face and almost makes me laugh but I keep it in my stomach.
"Ah!... Ni... Ninjin?" (Carrot)
"That is not going to happened in the world, I mean, what kind of parent to giving such name? Besides that's a veggie not fruit." Now she gets in my nerve but I cannot just give her my name... Not until I am content.
I can tell how she working hard to figure out my name... I felt like she gives an attention towards me.
Suddenly her eyes roll at the corner, looking the tree behind her.
"Don't tell me you're thinking about sakuranbo (Cherry)"
I won't put any blame since she got no idea at all yet she is still trying and stay on the game.
"Ringo?" (Apple)
"What a lame, but you almost there..." Ringo...? Duh.
"I give up... I can't guess it anymore..."
"Come on. I'm not done yet. It's just getting interesting. You almost got my name... Try figuring the previous fruit." Her eyes seems got the answer like it wondering in the empty space...
"The apple? Kaede?" (Maple) Hahaha... I give up... She's too dense to play this simple game. But I completely feel content that I can keep her stay for a bit longer.
But when I utter my name, there another line of voice that synchronizes my word that I speak out even it is not the same tone.
"Natsume." (Jujube)
I heard she spoke my name.
"Too late." I declared she is lost the game which I didn't mean it yet I am glad.
"Ok... Na... Natsume." I don't know, but the way she called my name give me a different way of feeling, not like the rest of girls that I ever met. 'Natsume kun' with ridiculous tones...
And now she just likes a calm dazzling river cold and fresh. But that not last very long...
"Now let me know your name." Her expression change again but its look like she got me into the game, which it was me started it.
"You are going to guess my name because it's not fair if I'm the only one..."
"Any clue?" She twitching when I skipped her conversion but she replied it anyway.
"No! There is no clue!" She plays strict on me... Haha... I like it even more.
"How about the colour?" I asked deliberately.
"No way I going to tell you the colour!"
"Ah~ha... So your name also after a fruit name huh?" Believe it or not its worth and amusing. Her eyes straight shows her whispered heart 'how did he found out?!' But I am truly surprised when I knew her name resemble of fruit despite from the beginning she refused to give me such as the colour, what else could be a perfect clue for fruit but the colours?
"You only can guess once. Not more than that." ... The game seems to turn to her favour now.
I can't let this opportunity slipped away since she manage to give me only one chance and breaking the rule meaning of failure.
"So you give me only one chance...? Tchk... You pink... Polka dots..." The air seems getting into the way. Whooshing between me and the girl.
Her face turning red like boiled prawn realizing that I knew rather, saw something.
"You are jerk!" Spontaneously she grabs her skirt flat and bailed from the game.
"I won't thank you for the help!" As she yelled and turn to leave the scene, before she is out of my sight;
"Hey~~" I thought she wouldn't turn to me. But there is nothing that she does that wouldn't disappoint me besides she makes my day cheerful, yes it's true.
"See you around... Mikan" (Mandarin/Tangerine)
She is totally baffled... Looks like I nailed her.
"Mikan, right?" All her question displayed on her forehead 'How did you know?!'
"H-h-h-h did you... Know?!"
"You give me the clue of course."
"But I don't!"
"You denied me when I asked for the colour which its give me a hint about fruit only orange fruit that named after the colour, well I thought about satsuma but it doesn't suit you 100% so Mikan is my final answer." And then I heard the ground like shaking.
"Ah... there she goes..." She; Mikan that girl sprinting leaving my surround... She doesn't even bother the fact that she left her purse. More to the fact that I refused to return it to her. But that's not going to be very long as I've obtained an asset that going to be our meeting in the future.
Orange which colour of an orange or certain citrus where Mikan afraid that I will know the answer without thinking harder.
"I'll meet you soon... Mikan."