It was just supposed to be a joke. I never thought it would end like this... with Mikan in the hospital...


"Everyone understand?"

"Hai."

"Then let operation Birthday Surprise begin."


Mikan's POV

The sky was clear and bright. The exact opposite of what I felt. Even thought it was my birthday I felt horrible, like someone ripped a hole in my heart. I needed to talk to someone. Anyone.

"Hey Hotaru..."

Hotaru looked at me and sent a look of complete and utter disgust. She walked away without a single glance back. I was shocked. Hotaru was cold, but never this cold. The coldest she has ever been was when she wouldn't talk to me, but she never looked disgusted. I felt my heart crack a little. Maybe Hotaru is having a bad day too. I willed myself not to let the tears fall again, and I looked for someone else to talk to.

"Anna! Nonoko! Please wait for me."

When I yelled their names they abruptly stopped talking and turned to me.

"What do you want?"

I froze. They were never cold. They were always happy to see me. What was wrong?

"Can I talk to you guys?" I whispered in a small voice.

"No."

They both turned and walked away. My heart cracked a little more. I shook my head. Must be coincidence right? I haven't done anything to make anyone mad. I kept telling myself that. I spotted Ruka. Surely he would talk to me. Right?

"Uh... Ruka?"

He turned around. I was relieved not to see his face twisted in disgust. But before I could talk to him he said,

"Sorry Mikan, can't talk now."

He quickly walked away. Is everyone avoiding me? My heart broke a little more. It was like that all day.

"Can I talk to you?"

"No."

*Crack*

"Can we talk?"

"Sorry, not right now."

*Crack*

"Can I talk to you?"

Silence

*Crack*

Even Narumi-Sensei and Tsubasa-Senpai didn't want to talk to me. I felt myself going crazy. No one. No one had time to listen. I need to tell someone. Anyone. My heart was breaking, but I held it together. There was still one person I could talk to. If this didn't work I don't know what will. I walked to a tree. Not any normal tree. It was his tree. Natsume's. I looked around the trunk and found him sitting with his manga on his face. I felt my heart flutter, but I had no time for that. Please, please talk to me!

"Uh... Natsume?"

"What?"

His voice was sounded annoyed and irritated, but I didn't care. My heart was soaring from the fact that he was talking to me. Not with a voice filled with utter disgust, it was just a regular voice.

"Can we talk?"

"I don't know. Why would I want to talk to you?"

I laughed nervously. Please just listen. I need to talk to someone. Please don't brush me off.

"Please, can I talk to you? I think everyone else is ignoring me, but I really need to tell someone this..."

I took in a breath to say what's been eating at me all day, but...

"They're probably not talking to you because you're annoying."

I froze, my heart was pounding.

"What?"

He stood up and glared at me. "You are annoying, ugly, and a stupid little girl who just wants attention from everyone."

This time my heart did break. It broke into a million pieces. Not from the fact that Natsume insulted me (though that was part of the reason), but from the fact that I had no one else to talk to. No one else who would actually listen. I tried everyone, but they all ignored me. I felt numb.

I tried my best at a smile. Now that I knew that no one cared, I knew what I would do.

"Thanks. Everything is so clear now. I know what I should do."

I started walking away. Forcing myself not to cry. Yet. I stopped. "Sayonara Natsume." And I ran. I ran past the trees. I ran past all the cold heartless people. I ran into the school. I ran past all the classrooms. I ran up the all the stairs. I ran straight to the roof.


Natsume walked back to the classroom. Mikan was acting very strange. 'Sayonara Natsume'? I feel like something bad is going to happen.

He walked into the class room where everyone was waiting.

"Well?" Hotaru asked coldly.

"I was harsh and cold, just like you wanted."

She turned to everyone, "Did you all ignore or act coldly to her?"

Everyone simply nodded.

Anna and Nonoko were shivering, "It felt really bad being mean to Mikan. Why did we have to do that again?"

Hotaru rolled her eyes, "If she gets ignored, she'll feel really bad, right?"

Everyone nodded.

"So she'll run somewhere once everyone has ignored her, right?"

Again, everyone nodded.

"I predict she'll run here, to the classroom. When she does, we'll surprise her with a party. She won't be expecting it. Then you can apologize."

Everyone agreed. Hotaru knew Mikan must have felt horrible when she ignored her, it was horrible to act so mean to Mikan, but Mikan would instantly be happy when she saw the party planned. Boy was she wrong. They were all sitting around waiting for the sad brunette when the door was flung open.

"Surprise!"

But it wasn't Mikan who opened the door, it was Yuu. His face was red and he was panting heavily.

"Mikan is about to commit suicide!"

Everyone froze then rushed outside.

There was a large crowd in front of the school. Hotaru pushed through the crowd. She nearly fainted when she saw Mikan on the roof about to jump. Hotaru found Narumi-Sensei and grabbed him by his shoulders and shook him.

"Why isn't anyone using their Alice to get her down?"

"Her nullification alice is blocking everyone else's!"

"Then send up a machine or something!"

"She inserted the barrier Alice into herself! No one can get to her!"

Hotaru's heart stopped. There was nothing she could do to save Mikan. She couldn't send her machines. She couldn't get someone to use their Alice. For the first time in her life, Hotaru felt helpless.


Everyone was panicking so they weren't thinking straight. Natsume knew to stop Mikan he needed to go to the roof. He looked calm on the outside, but on the inside he was freaking out. All he could think of was Mikan. He threw open the door to the roof and saw Mikan on the wall about to jump.


Mikan looked down at the people below her. There was a big crowd, but she didn't care. She felt numb. She was about to jump when she felt a strong pair of arms wrapped around her. She looked behind her and saw a panting Natsume.

"Natsume! You idiot let me go!"

Mikan struggled. All she wanted to do was to jump. Why did nothing go her way?

"Are you an idiot or something?"

Mikan kept struggling, but Natsume wouldn't let go of her. He kept his arms around Mikan's waist in a tight bear hug.

"Throwing your life away, just because no one was talking to you?"

She stopped struggling. She knew everyone below her could hear their conversation, but she didn't care.

"You don't know anything Natsume." She said dangerously. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

Natsume was shocked to see Mikan trembling. He decided to try a softer approach.

"That's right. I don't know anything because you won't tell me what's bothering you."

He felt Mikan stiffen.

"I didn't tell you? I didn't tell you? Did you know that I've been trying to tell everyone, anyone, all day?"

Mikan let out a sob.

"My grandpa died."

Natsume couldn't believe his ears.

"What?"

"MY GRANDPA DIED! DO YOU KNOW HOW MESSED UP THAT IS? HE DIED ON MY BIRTHDAY! I tried to tell you. I tried to tell everyone! You guys didn't listen. You didn't even try to know how I feel. You guys were all, 'Can't talk right now' or 'I don't want to talk to you'. Do you know how much that killed me? I was fine at first, I just wanted to tell Hotaru. Just wanted to let my feelings out. But she ignored me, you all ignored me. Right when I needed you guys the most, you ignored me. You made me bottle up my feelings. Those feelings were killing me.

I might have been fine, but then everyone ignored me. Every time I tried to tell someone, they ignored me. Left me. My heart was breaking. I was dying on the inside. Then I tried talking to you."

Mikan's voice grew bitter.

"I thought you of all people would listen. Just for a little. But you just insulted me. Calling me annoying, ugly, stupid. That pushed me over the edge. No one cared. Nothing didn't matter. If no one cared, then who would mind if I died? I should have done this in the first place. Now I can join Jii-Chan. Bye forever, Natsume, Hotaru, everyone. Bye forever."

With that, Mikan elbowed Natsume in the face causing him to let go, and she jumped.