Chapter 1
Mikan smiles at herself in the mirror. Her new dress shapes her body nicely. She rarely cares about her appearance, but looking good really has its advantages. She looks confident and kawaii! She is wearing a simple white spaghetti strap sundress that stops just above her knees. Her long hair hangs loosely around her shoulders. Mikan's body has changed gracefully through the years. She has a body with curves of a young woman, but a mind of a 10 year old. Well, some things never change.
A lot of things happened in the Academy. Everything is peaceful now after the defeat of their enemies a few years back. Families of students are now allowed to visit them once a week. Students like Natsume are not send off in dangerous missions anymore. Students do not rebel anymore and are able to focus on their studies and make lasting friendships. Some became couples like tsubasa senpai and misaki senpai. They got married 3 years ago after they graduated from the academy. Students now graduate from the academy when they turned 18. They now have to freedom to take up college like normal people do.
Today is a very important day! It's her seventeenth birthday. Mikan and Hotaru are going to celebrate it by going to central town. They are going to dine in a fine restaurant, and perhaps have howalon for dessert! A knock on the door interrupted Mikan's dreamy thoughts.
"Come in!" shouts Mikan.
"It's me. I just want to remind..." Hotaru stops suddenly, staring at her speechless.
"I'm ready, Hotaru! What? " Mikan asked suddenly confuse.
"You look very beautiful, Mikan." Hotaru said, with a small smile on her face.
"Thanks Hotaru! I can't believe it myself. Thank you for this beautiful dress! "
"Idiot. Just want your day to be special or else you will pest me with your whining."
"Hotaru you meanie!" Mikan cried at her best friend. Hotaru also changed in the past year. She still wears her hair short but somehow instead of making her look boyish, it made her more feminine. Her beautiful violet eyes sparkled like jewels especially when she is earning lots of rabbits. Like Mikan, she's still the same.
Mikan and Hotaru entered the strangely lit restaurant.
"Hotaru! It's very dark in here. I'm scared. Let's eat somewhere else!" Mikan tried to grab Hotaru's hand and realize she is not at her side anymore.
"Hotaru! Where are you? I'm scared." Mikan cried.
Suddenly, the whole room brightened and Mikan gasped in surprise.
"Surprise! Happy Birthday Mikan!"
Mikan saw her classmates and friends. She was so shocked. The whole room was beautifully decorated. Lots of colourful balloons and streamers. She saw a huge pink bunny cake with her picture in it.
"We've been planning for this for so long, Mikan!" Iinchou said handing her his present.
"Thank you so much guys!" Mikan said tearfully.
"Stop crying. It makes you uglier." Hotaru said.
"But still, this is my best birthday ever! Thanks guys!"
"Let's eat everyone! Mikan, you must try all the food we cooked for you!" Anna said grabbing Mikan towards the buffet.
"Mikan, open your presents first!" Permy said thrusting her present at Mikan. Permy also turned into a beautiful young woman. But unlike Mikan's innocent and childish looks, Permy is sexy and confident. She is wearing a very provocative outfit that emphasizes her body. She is famous and a lot of boys have a crush on her. She is notorious for changing boyfriends every month. She is still one of Mikan's close friends.
Mikan opened the present and found a very revealing tube.
"Permy! Where would I wear this kind of thing?" Sakura said blushing furiously.
"You may never know." Permy said winking mischievously.
"Mikan you look good by the way. Here's my present. " Ruka said blushing furiously. Ruka is still a handsome young man. He got taller and his body has now muscles because he and Natsume often play basketball. A lot of girls still fancy him because of his boy next door looks. Mikan opened it and found a portrait of her smiling beneath a sakura tree. She remembered it was taken about 7 years ago. She looked so young, with the pig tails and all.
"Thanks Ruka! I love it!" Mikan said kissing Ruka on the cheek. Ruka blushed so red that it looks like he's going to faint. After all this years, he still has a crush on Mikan. But he did not dare take make his feeling known. He is very aware of Natsume's feelings for Mikan. In fact, almost everybody noticed it except for Mikan herself. He knows that Natsume is still fighting for his feelings. But someday, he knows that he will eventually come to his senses and proposed to Mikan. Hopefully, sooner. They will graduate in about 9 months time and who knows where their paths will lead them. Deep in his heart, he knows that Natsume is the right guy for Mikan. He is the only person that can truly control Mikan especially when she is in one of her tantrums. He acts impatient and like he did not care but he cannot resist helping her when she is in trouble. Which is a lot! And Mikan, she is the only girl that can make Natsume smile.
"Mikan, Narumi sensei said that he will come. He's late. Can you please try to look for him?" Hotaru said with a twinkle in her eye.
"Sure. I'll be back." Mikan said cheerfully.
Mikan walked outside the restaurant and started walking around Central Town. She wondered where she will look for Narumi sensei. She decided she will start by the woods. She was under the sakura tree when she suddenly realized that this is where she handed Natsume some Howalon 7 years ago. I wonder where Natsume is.
"Oi." A familiar voice said. She turns but like the clumsy girl that she is, lost her balance and fell face down on the ground.
"Idiot. You never change at all, Mikan. I saw your white panties." He grinned.
"Natsume! You pervert! Please stop peeking into my panties. If you keep doing that I'm afraid that other boys might think that it's okay and do it their selves!" Mikan said furiously.
"Why? Did anybody tried to do that?" Natsume asked suddenly with a dangerous tone in his voice.
"No. So far you're the only one who keeps doing it you maniac!"
"Good. I am the only one who can do that, Mikan."
Mikan blushed furiously. Why is he always looking at me like that? She thought. His expression becomes tender and his eyes become gentle. And why is my heart beating so fast whenever his near? Mikan thought placing her hand unconsciously into her heart. It's like it's trying to say something but I do not know what it is. It's like I do not want this moment to end.
"I have a gift for you little girl. Here." Natsume handed her a small box wrapped prettily with a simple ribbon. Mikan open the box and found a beautiful sparkling ring. It has a large diamond shape like a heart.
"Natsume! It's beautiful! But it must have been expensive! You shouldn't have." Mikan cried. It's perfect! She thought. But why did he bother to give me such an expensive present? She thought.
"I thought of you when I saw it. I knew that this would fit you." Natsume whispered to her. He took her hand and slips the ring into her fingers. Mikan hold her breath. It fits her finger very well.
"Natsume, I..." Mikan stuttered. She can't think of anything to say right now. Her mind goes blank from happiness and at the same time embarrassment.
"Thank you." She said simply. She kisses him on the cheek just like what she did to Ruka.
"Surely, I deserve something much extreme than that little girl?" Natsume asked wickedly. Natsume grabs her waist and kiss her lips. Mikan felt her body stiffen from shock. She's never been kiss before. And Natsume is doing it right now. Of all people, Natsume is her first kiss!
Natsume kissed her slowly as if asking for her permission. Mikan's lips responded softly, she shyly kissed him back. Natsume grab her body closer and kissed her more deeply. Mikan feverishly put her hand in Natsume's neck. They kissed passionately like two people that waited for a lifetime to be together. They were in their own world where the two of them is the only thing that matters.
A loud fireworks explosion brought them back to reality. Mikan broke their kiss abruptly. They are breathing rapidly trying to capture their breaths again. Both were blushing furiously and both loss for words.
"Natsume." Mikan whispered. Touching her lips. She can still feel his lips that touched hers. Her heart pounded so hard that it aches. Her face is burning so much that she feels like her whole body is going to explode. She can't take it anymore and must escape.
"I have to go..." Mikan hurriedly said and started to run away from Natsume. She run back to the restaurant as fast as her feet can carry her.
Mikan ran so fast that Natsume was not able to stop her.
Why the hell did she left? He thought wildly. She did not like my kiss? No, that can't be it. Natsume smiled as he remembered Mikan's response to him. After dreaming of it for so many years, he finally knew how her lips would taste like. He felt like the world stops turning and like what Mikan always did to him, made him forget. She made him forget the darkness that used to engulf him, especially when he was younger.
At first, he was irritated by her bubbly and talkative personality. She was beyond annoying and seems to be the only girl in Class B that is not afraid of him. She doesn't even have a crush on him which he found refreshing. She cares about the people that surround her. That's probably why everybody loves her. She doesn't seem to know when to give up. She is always smiling and encouraged the people around her to do the same.
And she is the one that I love the most. Natsume sighed. He tried to fight it for so many years. At first, he tried to avoid her for Ruka. He knows that Ruka fell for Mikan too. But he can't. He tried. He remembered the Snow White play when they were in elementary school. As Mikan was about to kiss Ruka, he threw Yochan's apple towards Mikan. He was shocked to realize that he was jealous. Ruka is his best friend. He should be happy for him! But he can't seem to let go of polka-dotted panties girl. He smiled as he remembered his nickname for her.
And now the time has come. He can't runaway anymore. He finally wants her to know. After all this years, he is finally ready to share his life with her. He wants Mikan to be officially his. And I don't want to lose her after graduation. He cannot even imagine life without her. Natsume thought. He wondered how Mikan will react if she learned that his birthday gift is actually an engagement ring. He grinned and started to follow Mikan towards the restaurant. Perhaps he will steal another kiss from her before this day ends.
"Mikan! Are you alright? Why are you running? You look flushed." Nonoko asked Mikan.
"I'm fine Nonoko. I'm just trying to do some workouts." Mikan excused still shocked with her encounter with Natsume.
"Tsubasa and Misaki are here! Narumi finally arrived too." Nonoko said excitingly dragging Mikan towards their table.
"Aunty Mikan! Happy birthday!" A cute chubby girl screams while hugging Mikan's legs.
"Miyuki! I missed you so much. You grow bigger every time I see you. " Mikan lifted little Miyuki from the ground and hugged her small body. Miyuki is Tsubasa and Misaki's 3 year old daughter. She was conceived a year before their graduation. They were all shocked when Misaki announced that she was pregnant. But then, everyone can see that they truly love each other. It's not exactly uncommon since almost everybody in their school fall in love with people who has an Alice too.
"Aunty! Papa said I can go to Alice academy next year! Papa said be a good girl then I can go." Miyuki boast to her favourite god mother.
"Well, I will definitely look forward to having Miyuki in Class A." Narumi sensei said smiling.
"Tsubasa is still reluctant to let our little girl go. He is afraid that she will get into a lot of trouble." Misaki said.
"Well, what can I do, she is definitely like her troublesome mother!" Tsubasa pointed at Misaki. They all laughed while Misaki punched Tsubasa playfully.
"Mikan, where did you get that ring? It's beautiful!" Anna gushed pointing at Mikan's hand. Everybody looked at Mikan's ring and expressed their admiration.
"It's so big I think I might get blind by looking at it." Permy said.
"It's from Natsume." Mikan replied looking at her ring.
"What?" Permy gasped. Everybody stared at Mikan shocked.
"Mikan, does that mean that you and Natsume are..." Nonoko asked too shy to finish her sentence.
"It's his birthday gift. He said that it reminded him of me when he saw it."
"But Mikan, you do know what this means right?" Misaki asked slowly.
"What? I'm confused." Mikan replied looking at their expectant faces.
"Mikan, you idiot! When a guy gives a ring to a girl, and the girl accepts it, it means that they are engage. Engage to be married!" Hotaru admonished. But her eyes have a weird twinkle in them.
"What??? That Natsume! He must be playing a trick on me!" Mikan yells angrily.
"Maybe it is really just a gift from Natsume." Koko said cheerfully.
"Yeah. That must be it. It is not as if they sealed it with a kiss!!!" Permy replied half laughing.
Mikan's mouth dropped. She feels her face turning red again just remembering Natsume's lips against her own. Everybody stared at Mikan's guilty face.
"I think I'm going to faint." Permy whispered. Narumi sensei was the first one to get over his shock.
"Mikan! Congratulations! I always knew that you and Natsume belong together. Don't forget me in your wedding entourage. I must admit that I was trying my matchmaking skills when I assigned Natsume to be your partner during your first day at school." Narumi grinned.
"Congratulations Mikan! I must admit I never saw it coming. You used to hate him remember? But then, that's how that way true love works." Tsubasa said happily patting Mikan's back.
"But..." Mikan stuttered. She literally can't speak. It's as if something is blocking her throat.
"Mikan, I never thought that you would be the first one to get married! But I'm really happy for you. We must start planning your wedding!" Permy cried hugging Mikan. Nonoko and Anna also started jumping excitedly.
''I guess this party is a double celebration after all. I am happy for my most treasured friends, Mikan and Natsume." Ruka announced sincerely.
"Mikan. I'm glad that somebody will finally take you off my arms. " Hotaru said. Her eyes are suspiciously moist.
"But everyone..." Mikan tried to talk again but failed to do so.
"Hey everybody! Natsume is here!" Koko announced happily.
"Natsume! You finally did it! You finally proposed." Ruka said patting Natsume's back.
"Natsume, I can understand because your graduation is very near. You don't want Mikan out of your sight, right?" Narumi winked at Natsume.
Mikan slowly turned around. Her eyes met contact with Natsume. His face is unreadable.
"Natsume." Mikan said calmly. But inside she was struggling to keep her emotions in control.
"Mikan." He replied.
"Natsume." This time there is an unmistakable threat in her voice.
"Mikan." He replied. But this time, a small smile playing around his lips.
"Natsume!!!" Mikan screeched. She grabbed Hotaru's baka gun and started to run after him. Natsume knew that this was coming and quickly run for his life.
Mean while, everybody stared at their retreating figure. Their mouths hanging open from what just happened.
"I really thought that it's for real this time." Anna said shaking her head.
"It's so obvious that both of them are perfect for each other!" Permy sighed.
"Idiots!" Hotaru stated.
"Don't lose hope everyone. We all know that it will eventually come." Narumi said. Everybody agreed nodding their heads.