Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.
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The Craze
By: Orange Summer Tangerines
...
Christmas is finally around the corner and distinctly colourful decors and lively-looking, sparkling lights were put up for everybody to see.
Undeniably, it's a season for sharing joyful laughter all around the globe.
Identical to that nearly unfamiliar world beyond the huge, tall walls and strong Iron Gate of Gakuen Alice, Central Town showcased its own uniquely beautiful display of celebrating the said season event; and with the academy's students who were already granted a lovely, week-long holiday, every store were twice or even thrice busier than the usual.
However, with the chilly Christmas blanket, some student chose to stay in their dorm rooms as nothing could beat a piping hot mug of cocoa, resting on a cosy couch and savour the comfort of a warm blanket... or better yet, simply sleep the whole afternoon away.
Well, the latter definitely sounded appealing to the likes of Natsume Hyuuga.
Why am I here again?That question came up again for the umpteenth time in his head as it was accompanied by the same, unappreciated answer.
His furrowed brows drew themselves closer.
So, when in the world did sitting on a bench near the bus stop and watch... er, glare towards the distant, obviously busy crowd even bore a thread of connection of what he wanted?
Natsume wanted to sleep. Dammit!
His jaw clenched.
There's only one person who is deemed of receiving all the blame and must obtain all of his annoyance.
As if on cue, her voice came, kicking him out of his trance. She seriously knows how to remind him of her, now does she not?
"Natsume! Aren't we going yet?!"
Polkadots.
The raven headed lad flashed her one of his feared death glare that appeared nothing for she glared back. He then added a narrow of his glinting crimson red orbs. The mere act of recalling that this girl brought him in town on the worst possible time irked him well enough.
Regardless of the former, though, her current actions gravely fuelled his long-lived irritation.
He had no time for this matter.
Vaguely getting his unspoken answer, Mikan Sakura clenched her fists, her nails digging her flesh of her palm, puffing her cheeks along the process as she growled. Thinking of how she understood him in the absolute absence of voice had to be taken care of later.
"Let's go already!" She defiantly insisted. She grabbed his hand and pulled it... sadly, her plan of simply pulling his lazy butt off the bench instantaneously disintegrated when he, in all swiftness, clamped his free hand onto the bench's back rest.
"I am NOT going." He stated, finality evident in his monotonous voice. "Now. Let. Go."
The brunette re-enforced the might in her grip. "Yes. You are!"
"No. I'm NOT." His voice was now a bit raised.
"I said. Yes, YOU are!"
"No—"He strengthen his grip. When did the stubborn brat even gained some more strength anyway? "—I'm not."
Mikan released him. She stomped her foot and angrily huffed that produced white, misty clouds to appear for a brief moment. Then, she crossed her arms over her chest, "If you're being like this, you should have said that earlier.
Her pink lips pursed for a second. "Then—Then—Then I could have asked somebody else instead."
Natsume looked away, sporting a displeased glare. He wasn't afraid of her, mind you, but if he dared to talk right now, that would only imply for his eardrum to finally give up on him and bleed because of her loud-volumed rants.
That can't happen.
The brunette asked him to accompany her to Central Town for a lot of times as her weird brain doesn't seem to comprehend the true meaning of the reply called 'no'. With regards of her actions, he guessed that the academy's partner system surely played a part of that.
Her efforts—that gave him the impression that she was asking a date with him—were partly, kinda irritating on some angles that turning them down fairly paid his wasted time off. She should have foreseen—which she undoubtly failed to—that he'd be going if she asked him rather nicely.
But then...
Natsume shot her a cold, how-many-times-do-I-need-to-repeat-myself look.
Those typical, childish acts of hers, however, didn't occur as she merely muttered a "Fine." And she pivot turned with a murmur that was sharply picked up by his sensitive ears. "Maybe Tsubasa-senpai's more willing than him,"
...she gave up.
He was disappointed. Just a bit... or so, he assumed.
Natsume settled his growl in his throat. The reason was clear and the mere mention of that baldy's name uttered by her would, without missing a heartbeat, ignite a fire inside of him. Thus, at that time, he defeatedly agreed before she could go any further away from him.
Unexpectedly, he blinked, taking notice that the stubborn brunette was no longer in front of him and alarm slightly surfaced on his usually bland crimson red orbs.
Where the hell did that—
"Fine—"She said, unintentionally informing him that she was near him that made him cut his supposed mental question. "—I'll sit here for awhile. But, when I think we're resting long enough, we'll have to go." Her bangs covered most of her facial expression as her voice was rather quiet and dejected.
"Deal?" She added a few seconds later.
"Hn." The raven haired lad rolled his eyes. He held back an amused smirk from cracking on his lips. The word 'long' doesn't stay in her vocabulary, you see.
Silence dominated the air between them, in great contrast of the buzzing noise around them.
Enjoying the comfortable silence that they share once in a while, she lifted her head up and focused her bright hazel brown orbs on a random store.
She'll comply with her words for now.
She tilted her head sideways. Now that she thought about it, she was really wasting her precious time. It would be terrible if ever Hotaru and the rest would arrive at their meeting place—which was the nearby bus stop—and carried their bags.
She had have saved an ample amount of money, her list was long and all she had to do was purchase them up.
Then again, she still can't.
Mikan arched her brows downwards. Their gang agreed to buy their presents in Central Town together. It excited her... although, that feeling was considerably cut into half, much to her dimay.
She was doing nothing, credits for her dear, hardworking class partner.
I should really have asked somebody else... but, She left it hanging as she stole a glance at him through the corner of her eyes. She weaved a short sigh out and those semi-transparent clouds appeared again and faded just as fast as they made themselves known.
The former surely made her gut twist.
"Ne," Mikan begun, gaining the other's attention who quietly snorted. "Can we go now?"
He clicked his tongue. "No."
The brunette pouted. Subsequently, she offered a glare to him, "This is not entertaining."
"You think so?" He nonchalantly countered, earning a half-exaggerated sigh. An annoyed Mikan was entertaining him, after all.
"Geez... I can't believe this." She murmured under her breath, rubbing her thumbs on the sides of her pointer finger.
Her brows knitted themselves together as she bit her lip. If this continues, then...
Mikan willed herself and moved an inch closer towards her quiet partner.
Nothing came.
She moved, once more.
Still nothing.
And yet, another daredevil one.
Sti—
"Polka. I hate clingy people. I can't breathe. Move away."
—she flinched, startled, with shiver ran up her spine.
"I—I wasn't!" She argued. There was four or five inches worth of distance between them. That's not clingy at all!
"..."
It's cold out here. How could you be so insensitive, you jerk! Mikan screamed in her head, placing her hand on the sides of her legs. Then, her palms came in contact with the unforgiving coldness of the seat, causing her a shudder.
Why did she even think he'd care?
She shook her head, waving that idea off. Now, she needed distraction. The almost awkward silence and the coldness had presently taken the top of her list.
After a good of ten seconds, her mouth formed an 'o'.
"Natsume,"
"Hn?"
"What do you think I should give Permy?"
The raven haired lad raised an accusing brow. "Why the hell are you asking me that?"
She averted her eyes. Those crimson red orbs do inflict fear on her sometimes. "Well... you guys have known each other longer than me."
He snorted. "I started interacting with Shouda not too long ago."
"That's not the point." She frowned.
"Tch. You guys seemed close enough. So, why ask?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure what I should give her this year."
He rolled his eyes.
Why she's asking him about this?
He unquestionably had no idea.
After another silent span of time, he grunted, husky voice in a lazily dragged manner. "How about a picture frame?"
The reply was rather quick. "Sheesh. That's too simple."
He hissed. "Let me finish."
"The picture frame seemed great, but I'll pass."
A muscle under his eye twitched. She was brushing his once-in-a-lifetime help off!
"Do you have anything else in mind?" Mikan asked, smilingly.
Natsume brought a hand over his forehead, sighing. Could she not just appreciate his help and be grateful?
Of course, she won't. Mikan is Mikan and she speaks what's in her mind without thinking it over. She does appreciate his help, but there are just some instances that she would wave it off.
"Any problem, Natsume?" She inquired, concern lacing her tone.
"You should ask Koko on that matter."
Mikan looked at her hands as she clenched them alternately. She then added air onto her right cheek, puffing it, as her brow climbed up. Afterwards, she hummed before she mused out loud, "...Do you think a stuff toy would do the trick?"
Natsume shrugged. "I dunno."
She sighed, her shoulders slouching a bit along the process. "I'll go with that, then..."
Mikan shifted on her seat rather uneasily. Then, before she could really stop herself with those words that had been stuck on her throat and was bothering her mind slipped though her lips, "Natsume, Is something bothering you?"
Hearing herself, it took her all of her strength not to cover her big mouth.
On the other hand, Natsume's eyes widened for only a fraction, though they returned back to normal after a second. At the back of her mind, he wondered that if it was because of the years that they had known each other that made her assume of that mentioned matter.
Somehow, he snorted, the tip of his lips turned up a bit.
The brunette glued her gaze onto the ground, "You could tell me anything, you know," She tilted her head, "I'll try to help you out."
Natsume rolled his eyes, half-amused. Why does she have to be acting like this? Just then, he remembered something, which killed the little outcome of their conversation... if ever there was.
She pursed her lips, realizing that she won't be getting any answers. Natsume wasn't the type to really open up, also she had been too pushy—nosy even—and she knows that... but what can she do? She was worried.
"Polkadots."
She blinked.
"Hm?" She lifted her head, bringing her hands up and levelling them with her mouth.
This is stupid. He thought. He was about to simply shut it off and leave it forgotten... except that, his mouth did the opposite. "Number."
She tilted her head, "What? I didn't quite get you."
He hissed. He already started it, so might as well get this over and done with. "What's your favourite number." It was a statement, mind you, and definitely not a question.
The brunette blinked for two times... three times... four(?)
"Heeeeh!?" Her eyes almost came rolling out of her sockets as her jaws dropped.
"Wipe that pathetic look off, or I'll burn your hair off." He threatened while stopping himself from doing anything, like putting a palm on his face, rub his temple to shoo away that upcoming headache or even pinch the bridge of his nose.
Damn! He sounded stupid and off for his very own sanity.
Where were those effective restraints he had throughout out those dreaded weeks go?
The brunette chuckled. Bravely chuckled.
"Stop pushing it, little girl." He warned, intimidatingly.
She was unaffected, much to his disappointment. Her chuckle soon died down as faint pink tints adorned her rose cheeks, but laughter was dancing on her hazel brown orbs, "I never expected a day that Natsume Hyuuga will be fond of that craze, too."
"I'm not." He clarified, glaring on some random location. "I don't even give a damn on your stupid answer, anyways."
She swung her foot alternatively back and forth, "I decided to answer that. I seriously don't want your efforts to go down the drain.
The raven haired lad directed her a death glare while she merely stuck her tongue out as a response. Then, she beamed, staring somewhere else. "My favourite number would always be—"
The question Natsume threw on her, by the way, was recently a famous crazy around the academy. The number itself doesn't really corresponds on one's real favoured number... but was a relation of someone they admired who had that number in terms of class number.
It was a crazy thing, though it somehow gained popularity.
Plus, Mikan here answered that too.
"—9."
He had known that. Why would he even waste energy on acquiring prior knowledge of the possible nine-numbered high school candidates? In their class, Hotaru Imai and Kokoroyome were the representatives. The brunette's best friend was obviously eliminated, no question needed. Whereas, Koko would have his punishment sooner or later(when proven).
"Demo," Mikan pondered, pulling him out of his train of thoughts for the second time in the day.
Natsume stared at her, pointedly. How about you'll receive that punishment? That doesn't bad, does it?
"I liked another number, you see." She confessed, a finger scratching her cheek.
The tip of her lip twitched, annoyed. Was I plotting murder on the wrong set of people now?
"It ranks the same as nine, though." She carried on.
"Really." The raven haired lad deadpanned.
She nodded in an earnest manner. She had always liked nine since Hotaru and her had that as their first group number when they first met. Surely, Hotaru had that number right now, but Mikan never really got the hung or the entire thought of that odd, roaming craze.
Nevertheless, her favourites could only be two numbers and that number craze won't affect that.
Ever.
"Well~" She hummed, looking ahead whilst he followed suit and resulted for him to miss the chance to spot those pink tints gracing her cheeks once more, and the person herself appeared not to take notice of that too.
She shifted a little before she warmed her pams using her warm breath, and then, she rubbed them. What's with the sudden nervousness in her?
She'll think of that later, too.
Natsume blinked, his eyes bland.
Was waiting for that damned answer even worth the time?
One way or another, it really is, and at the same time, a part of him said otherwise.
He peered at her through the corner of his eyes.
Making him wait like this must be worth it, or else. You see, nobody makes him wait, though she was spared for an insanely A LOT of times.
His eyes turned half-lidded.
After what seemed to be forever of plainly nothing, she spoke. Her voice was holding something that it doesn't naturally have.
"I like 27."
Oh. 27, huh.
Gaining no replies, she turned her head in his direction, "You know, I like 27 because—"
"Why are you telling me this, polkadots?" He nearly snarled, his narrowed eyes meeting her hazel brown ones.
She persisted as if the intervention never happened. "—I like it because that's you birthday."
They're best friends, so that was more than enough as a reason.
Natsume blinked, finding that unexpected. All his conscious thoughts—most of them were annoy-coated—evaporated in thin air as that warm, comforting yet foreign feeling spread within his chest.
Clicking his tongue, he flicked his head forehead and his bangs casting a shadow on the upper part of his face.
Mikan was about to speak up, however, was unable to since her eyes ended up widening themselves and her cheeks to gather more colour.
What is he—Came her initial query that was cut when her palms were pressed on her face, credits for the hand of her partner as he stood from his seat. Just then, warmness greeted her frost bitten skin.
She blinked couple of times.
Too bad, his sudden action resulted for her not to see any reaction he might have worn. Hoping isn't bad, right?
His hand soon left the back of her hands and he started to walk away.
She instantly stood up, alarmed. "He-Hey! Where are you going?!"
She didn't get him.
Natsume is confusing—in both actions and in words.
He stopped, slightly turned on his heel and looked over his shoulders. A raised brow was sent her way, "Aren't we going yet?"
The tips of her lips twisted upwards, her eyebrows rising up, "About time we leave this bench!" She announce, approaching him with a little bounce on her heels and her excitement gradually rushing within her veins.
Natsume rolled his eyes. He moved forward at the time she stood beside him.
Seriously, she had him worrying for nothing, yet she has no need of knowing that.
On the other hand, Mikan couldn't help but let her smile expand. Certainly, she caught sight of the faintest trace of a smile on his either frowned or neutral-lined thin lips.
Their best friends and witnessing that brought a swirl of happy sensation in her along with that comforting warmness in her chest.
...
Author's Note: I know. It's a bit fluff contained and random too. Though, I hope you enjoyed this story. This would be my present to all of you this Christmas and also for New Year ^^ this was longer than what I actually thought and this concept popped randomly too x) I apologize for any grammatical errors, I'll try to go over them some time later.
Sorry if they're both a bit OOC and its rated T because of mild language, as you read above.
My other stories would be updated soon... but sadly, I had to do another revision for one of my stories. Sorry!
Tell me what you think, ne^^
It'll make me improve and I love hearing what you think.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!