Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.

Simply Love

Because sometimes, love doesn't have to be so complicated. AU

We met in spring.

I had just moved from Tokyo to the meek town of Sasebo. As a child, I had gone here to see the Huis Ten Bosch and had immediately fallen in love with the town. Adding that it was only about two hours from Fukuoka if I ever needed anything made it more appealing. Ever since then, I made a vow to myself that I would live there once I become stable financially. And I did.

Once I settled in my small house, I decided to tour the town. A bakery I haven't seen before stood out from the neutral colors of the other shops and I decided to go visit. The aroma of cakes and cookies and goodies that could give you diabetes from just smelling it filled the small shop.

She was standing behind the counter, surrounded by so many sweets, but somehow, I couldn't tear away my gaze from her. She had pink hair that looked so natural that I started to doubt my knowledge of natural hair colors. Her blue eyes looked happy as she greeted me and asked what I would like.

I was unable to speak for a moment, then, realizing my ridiculousness, said, "Um, well. What would you recommend?"

She smiled. "Is there a special occasion? A birthday, a reunion—Maybe a wedding?"

I blushed. Did I really look that old?

"No." I croaked out. "Nothing special."

"Oh, okay." She replied, not losing her enthusiasm. "Why don't you try the Happy Cookies?"

I blinked. "Happy Cookies? I've never heard of that before."

She giggled and I was entranced by her laugh. It was genuine and contagious. I struggled to keep the chuckle inside me.

"Of course not. My mother and I made it. It's composed of a dozen chocolate chip cookies, all baked to the perfect texture and taste. The ingredients are all organic, so if you're worried about your health, the Happy Cookies won't do a thing to your body. Also, they're guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. All this in the price of 420 yen."

Even though I wasn't quite fond of cookies, I found myself buying two packs that first day. And they even lived up to their name, because I was smiling once I finished them, though the reason I smiled probably wasn't because of the cookies.

I tried to visit as often as I could after that, buying sweet after sweet as an excuse to see her. The sweets were also wonderful, but I didn't pay as much attention to them as I would have wanted to if she wasn't there. I talked to her about her Peach Cobbler, her Chocolate Cake and her brownies, just to talk to her. I could have been a tiny bit desperate, but it didn't matter then.

I found out that she had always shown promise in baking, ever since she was a little child. Her mother was a baker too and her father was a cook, before passing away. She showed me how to bake small sweets in her spare time, until she began teaching me to make all kinds of cakes. I have never shown as much fascination to desserts as I did then than before I met her.

We talked about her childhood at times. She reminisced about the time she used an expired ingredient and almost let a friend of hers eat it. Fortunately, her mother was there to stop her.

"How she knew that it was spoiled, I never found out." She said, smiling.

Apparently, she could also cook other food, but preferred making desserts. She invited me to a barbeque once and it was the first time I tasted something not sweet from her. Though not as tasty as her desserts, it was still delicious.

She was great at both cooking and baking. She was beautiful, from her eye-catching pink hair to her polka-dot colored toe nails. She was nice and playful, but knew how to act serious when the situation called for it. Did I mention she was a great cook?

I mean, what more could a man ask for?

In summer, I learned more about her and her shop. I learned that she and her mother had initially run the shop, but lately her mother had become sick, so Anna had to learn to work independently.

"It's a bit hard." She confessed one day. "But I get lots of help. Mikan is a usual here and she doesn't hold back in helping me bake in the price of an oreo cheesecake." She chuckled at this. "Nonoko also visits once in a while and helps me with the financial stuff as well as the baking, even with her busy schedule. She's been a big help. Of course, there are also Koko and Sumire who just recently married—I made their wedding cake by the way and their wedding day was so wonderful—Anyway, they have been coming here lately to help out."

I admired her hard work. She was the only one who kept the shop running despite being so young, and it never crossed her mind to give up. This almost never happened in the city.

One day, she invited me to go with her to brunch. I was embarrassed, since usually the guy asks the girl, but I relented when she insisted. I mean, who was I to resist her?

It went a little like this:

"Let me close down the shop first. Then we can talk properly." She said, putting some of the extra desserts in the refrigerator.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Wouldn't your customers wonder why it's closed?"

She smiled. "Nah. We rarely get customers on weekdays anyway. And if someone wanted something, they could just call me."

I forgot that everyone knew who everyone was in this town. So after locking down the bakery, she led me to a small café and we talked. It was the most fun I've had for a long time.

A few weeks later, I was able to meet some of her friends as they visited her. There was Mikan and Nonoko. They were quite nice. There were also best friends Koko and Kitsu along with Koko's wife, Sumire—who everyone seems to call Permy. Unfortunately, Anna said Mochu and Hotaru couldn't make it, since they were busy.

Every time one of them arrived, they asked me the same question, "Are you Anna's boyfriend?"

I quickly said no every time, not wanting any misunderstandings surrounding our relationship. Although I tried to deny it, they seemed to know that I liked her right away and I had no idea how. Was I that transparent?

"You know, if you want to woo Anna," Koko said one day, "You'll have to know how to cook. Nothing—and by that, I mean nothing—makes a guy more attractive to a girl than knowing how to cook."

I wasn't particularly sure if I wanted to woo Anna at that time, but I just let him talk.

Then he grasped my shoulders, his eyes locked on mine. "Trust me. I know."

There was a laugh beside him and we both turned to look at Sumire laughing.

She said, "Yeah right, Koko. You couldn't cook for your life. Trust me. I know."

Then she burst out laughing again. Koko retorted and they started arguing about the things husbands and wives argue about. I smiled as they bickered. Now I know how Anna knew that they were perfect for each other.

"Ne, ne, Yuu-san, is it true that you met Hotaru? " Mikan asked from across the table.

I said yes and she replied with a pout. "I can't believe she doesn't visit anymore. I understand that she's busy, but can't she at least pop in for a few days?"

Even though I know she didn't expect me to answer, I said, "Well, I hear she's had a new client and has been extra busy lately."

Mochu chimed in, "Busy with her new boyfriend, maybe. Ruka Nogi right, Mikan?"

Mikan's frown grew bigger. "Yeah. Must be nice to have a boyfriend."

Anna said, "Well, what about that guy you've been talking so much about?"

Koko, having recovered from his squabbling with his wife, snickered along with Kitsu. "Mikan and Natsume sitting on a tree, K-I-S—"

"Stop that! You're acting like kids." Mikan shouted, her face red. "And I do not talk about him so much!"

I laughed. Anna seemed to be enjoying herself too, seeing her friends after such a long time.

After dinner, I helped her with the dishes while the rest went to crash over at Mikan's house.

"They're fun, aren't they?" Anna asked while I dried a plate.

I smiled. "They sure are energetic."

She laughed. I always liked her laugh. It had this infectious feeling that could make even Hotaru Imai's lips twitch.

"You have great friends, Anna." I smiled down at the plate I was drying. "I had fun today. I really did."

She stopped and for a moment, I was afraid there was something wrong with what I said, but then she put her hand over mine and I was at ease. I looked up at her and she was smiling and there was that twinkle in her eyes. I had always know she was beautiful, but at this moment, she was the most beautiful she could be.

"Me too." She put down the glass she was holding and pecked me on the lips.

I didn't know what I was thinking, but just as she was pulling away, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back. The kiss felt wonderful and although it wasn't in the most romantic place, it felt every bit as wonderful and romantic as it would have been. It couldn't have gotten better than that.

We were both blushing as we pulled apart. If I had not been human and wouldn't have needed air, I would have held on to her forever.

In winter, almost no customers came. Even with the new cappuccino and hot chocolates, nobody seemed to want to be rid of their heaters and this made Anna distressed. This was the first winter she had to run the place alone and she had no idea how her mother drew in customers in the many years she did.

"How about serving soup? Oh God, no." She said, burying her head in her hands. "What has happened to me? Serving soup in a bakery—Seriously, Anna, how could you think that…?"

Her voice trailed off in my mind as she spoke to herself.

I spoke up, "How about a promo?"

She immediately stopped pacing around and stared at me, her eyes wide.

Heat rushed to my face even though it was nearly freezing. "I mean, if you're okay w-with it. It's totally fine if you don't think—"

"No, no, no." She cut me off. "That's a great idea, Yuu!"

"It is?" I asked. Stores always had promos in the city and it has always come to me strange that Anna never had one.

"Yeah." She smiled, then immediately began planning it. Even before it happened, I already knew it was going to be great.

A few days later, Anna had planned the whole event and even invited the mayor to come. She called the event Baking Together. Basically, a couple can arrange a session to be taught how to bake a certain recipe for a price. At the end of the session, they would get to bring home the ones they baked for free. The mayor and his wife seemed to love the idea when we went to tell him. Being the small town that it is, Sasebo was immediately abuzz with the news.

Anna also tried calling some of her friends, possibly Sumire and Koko, to join, but unfortunately, all except Nonoko, were busy and since Nonoko didn't have a boyfriend, she would just be helping in the kitchen.

Despite the busyness of her friends, the people from the town certainly weren't. Before the week duration, there were lots of couples inquiring about it and scheduling sessions. A few days before the promo, there had already been five scheduled sessions.

On the actual week, things were really busy. Even with Nonoko and me helping with the bakery and Anna focusing on the sessions, the shop was filled. Even some single women wanted to join, but Anna strictly said that it was for couples only. Countless times, people asked about the promo and we had to explain it every time.

At the middle of the week, the buzz has decreased a little, but the shop was still full. It came as a total surprise to us when Hotaru came in with her boyfriend and said that they had scheduled a session. She didn't seem too happy about it, but went anyway.

"I don't even like sweets." I heard her murmur to herself before going to their session.

As for Anna, she worked harder than ever and I admired her for being able to hold all this together, although I was a bit worried that she would just collapse from all the work. At the end of the week, people seem to be rushing to schedule and, two days before the end of the promo, every available slot was full.

The shop, of course, received lots of advantages. Customers came and came. The finance has never been better Anna said and everyone seemed to love her sweets. I couldn't believe a simple promo could produce so much, but perhaps any promo could be successful with Anna Umenomiya's delicious sweets.

It was on Sunday afternoon when I finally convinced Anna to sit down. She had eye bags under her eyes for sleeping late and working up early, but she looked largely satisfied. She smiled, watching the customers inside and almost went back to work, but I was there to stop her.

"Anna, you need to rest." I told her. "You're exhausted."

She replied, "I'll rest when this is over. There's just a few hours left and after that, I can get all the rest I want. But right now, Yuu, I have to work."

I sighed. "I guess there's no stopping you, but can't you just sit down for five minutes?"

She seemed to ponder on it for a moment, but then smiled. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

I smiled back. "Nope."

A few people looked at us from their lines, and I noticed that the mayor was back for the second time. I was thankful for Nonoko and how she was happy to sub for Anna and me, although it was already hard with the two of us. I was also glad for Anna and her hard work, but I just wish she could learn to lie down for a minute.

"This is the best business the shop's had for years." She suddenly said. "Thanks, Yuu."

"Me? What did I do? Help carry the cakes, take orders? That's nothing special."

"It is special and I'm really thankful you're here." She replied, looking around. "Besides, you also kinda came up with the idea of the promo."

"Oh yeah." I chuckled. "I did that too."

"You know," She started, "You're really nice. And I don't mean okay nice. I mean, nice nice."

My face was warm and I was thankful that she wasn't looking at me or she would have seen my red face. "A-Am I?"

She nodded slowly. "Mm-hmm."

Then she leaned her head on my shoulder and I froze. After a few seconds of shock, I turned my head mechanically and saw that she was sleeping. I let her sleep for a while, even though I knew that she would get mad at me once she wakes up.

And she did, but I didn't regret anything.

Autumn came and, although not as many as there were during winter, the number of customers seemed to have multiplied. Nonoko had left and that meant only Anna and I were handling the customers. Several people have asked about the promo and we have replied politely that it was already finished.

Mochu came to visit for a short time though and, although he wasn't much of a help in the kitchen since he couldn't bake for his life, he became handy in talking to the female customers. Of course, he asked me if I was Anna's boyfriend and I realized it was harder for me to say no this time.

Even though I had always known that I liked Anna, I never really planned on confessing to her. And after all we've been through, I find out that the urge to make her mine only goes stronger and stronger. Every time a guy confesses to her, even though she declines politely, I feel jealous.

Why couldn't I have their courage? Why couldn't I do what they did? I quickly dismissed these thoughts after realizing that I sounded like a hormonal teenage girl jealous of another hormonal teenage girl.

"Yuu? Yuu! Hello, earth to Yuu!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and saw a hand in front of my face. It was Anna's hand and she was standing in front of me, carrying a boxed cake.

"Stop zoning out like that." She said, then thrust the box in front of her. "Anyway, can you go and give this to Hayate Matsudaira? He's that guy in the blue shirt and cardigan. I don't really want to talk to him since he just pesters me about Hotaru. Please?"

Of course, I couldn't resist her.

"Thanks." She smiled. "You're such a big help."

A week later, Mikan visited once again but this time, she was accompanied by a raven-haired guy who had the strangest red eyes.

"Oh, hi, Yuu!" She greeted me once she entered the bakery. "This is Natsume, my boyfriend. Have you seen Anna?"

I smiled. So that was who Koko and Kitsu were talking about

"She's gone to the grocery store to get some eggs." I explained. "But she left a while ago, so she won't be long. Why don't you just sit?"

"Okay!" Mikan chirped. "While we wait, can I have a pack of Happy Cookies?"

"Sure." I replied then proceeded to take a batch and give them their change.

I then realized that the Happy Cookies were the first I had bought from Anna. I still remembered some of what she said on that day and how I was so entranced by her whole appearance and her smile. Especially her smile. It's one of the many things I loved about her.

"I'm back!" snapped me back into reality for the nth time this month.

"Oh, Anna, I'm so glad to see you!" Mikan said and ran up to Anna crushing her with a hug.

Mikan has always been so energetic. I wondered where she gets her energy from. They proceeded to chat a bit, then agreed for a get-together later in the afternoon. They both couldn't wait, though Mikan's boyfriend didn't seem too happy about it.

"I knew they would get together!" Anna said when she went beside me. "They're so cute together."

They did, so I agreed. It made me a bit sad though, knowing that everyone is pairing up around us. I looked at Anna who had that dreamy look on her face as she put away the eggs she bought and I decided that I would confess to her. I wasn't sure about when, but I was determined to do it.

It wasn't as if I was thinking 'Oh no. What if she rejects me?' Well, maybe that too, but just a little bit. It was more of 'Oh no. What if she thinks I'm so pathetic and absurd to ever think that I could win her heart and because of that, will ignore me for the rest of my woeful life and, when we see each other in the street coincidentally, she will walk by me with such grace that people around will think that she doesn't know me and we have not shared a wonderful past together?'

It could happen and I was afraid it would.

As promised, we went to meet Mikan and Natsume in a small café after closing the shop early. Anna and Mikan gushed about how she got together with Natsume and although it was a nice story, I couldn't bring myself to listen.

When I accompanied her to her door, she seemed to be glowing with happiness. And as we exchanged good-nights, I decided to tell her as soon as I get my feelings in order. Being me, that was hard.

So for the next couple of weeks, I struggled to keep my heart from beating out of my chest and my head clear of my feelings for her, and decided to think about, well, us. It didn't go well though. Every time, I think I've succeeded in temporarily brushing her out of my mind, she does something that pulls me back.

One day, after we closed down the shop, she did her usual thank-you and was going to leave, but seemed to change her mind, went back, and kissed me on the cheek. I could have sworn she was smiling when she left, although her back was turned toward me.

"Okay, Yuu. You can do this." I told myself a week later.

I decided to tell her after we finish up, since that was probably the only alone time we had until next year, since Christmas is fast approaching. I had asked her out to dinner in Fukuoka, though I don't think she classified it as a date. It was a bit far, but worth it if I get her to be my girlfriend.

"I'm so excited for tonight!" Anna exclaimed, bringing me back to earth. "I can't believe you were able to get a reservation there! It's supposed to be really expensive."

I smiled, the smile when one knows something another doesn't. "I'm excited too. Hotaru recommended it to me last year and said that the crabs there were amazing."

She smiled back. "Well, now I know what to try first! Thanks so much, Yuu. You know, you don't need to do this."

I patted her on the head. "But I do. Someone needs to give this little missy a break once in a while."

She giggled. Then, she attended to a customer, the smile not leaving her face. I reminisced about meeting her for the first time. Somehow, I've gotten more sentimental since meeting her. I would never have thought I would meet my dream girl in my dream town. It seemed a little too cliché to be real.

That night, as I waited outside of Anna's house in my car, I tried practicing what I was going to say.

"Anna Umenomiya, will you be—No, no. That sounds too much like I'm proposing." I berated myself, frustrated that I haven't been able to make up what I was going to say. "Would you like to b-be…If it's okay with you…"

Maybe I should have done this a little later. Or maybe I shouldn't have done this at all. I could live without making Anna my girlfriend. I mean, I could move on and find another girl. It's not as if we were made for each other and there's no guarantee that she'll be my wife in a few years. Maybe we weren't even supposed to meet each other. Maybe meeting her was just a coincidence and she was just another girl that I'm going to look back on in my future, saying 'Oh, I really liked her before, but not anymore.'

Somehow, that thought made me feel a bit sad.

"Yuu!" I turned to my right and saw that Anna was walking toward my car.

I went out and was with the intention of helping her inside, but she looked so stunning that I wasn't able to move for a second. She wasn't wearing anything special, just a black dress and a necklace, but nonetheless, with her hair tied up in a bun and her makeup done, she looked really beautiful. And then I realized that I didn't care if we weren't meant to be together. It doesn't matter, because at that moment, I had this satisfying feeling that I could defy destiny if she was with me. I couldn't explain it, but that was how I felt and it felt wonderful.

"Do you think I should wear something fancier?" She asked me, tugging at her dress a bit. "I can't believe this. It's been such a long time since I went somewhere fancy."

"No, no." I replied, opening the door for her. "You look fine. I mean, nice—I mean—"

"Thanks, Yuu." She cut me off, smiling, then went inside.

I awkwardly smiled back although I knew she wouldn't see it and settled on the driver's seat. It was a quiet ride there, with little chit-chat during stoplights and further delving in on how great she looked. I might have made a fool of myself that night, but I didn't regret it, since Anna was there with me and she was smiling and she was happy. And that mattered more than making her mine, I realized.

Then I realized that I was realizing a lot of things that night.

"Wow." She breathed out when we entered the restaurant.

She continued admiring the place while I asked for our reservation and she seemed quite impressed when I pulled out a chair for her.

"I never knew you were such a gentleman." She laughed lightly.

The food was top notch, just as Hotaru said. I should have known though, because she had such high standards. Anna couldn't help but gossip about Mikan's boyfriend which irritated me slightly, but not enough to put off my confession.

"He used to live here, you know?" She said. "While we were kids. But he moved away and we never heard from him again, until Mikan mentioned him. I guess they really were meant to be."

"Yeah." I replied although I didn't really pay attention.

She was quiet for a while and we ate silently.

Then she said, "Yuu?"

"Yeah?"

She squirmed in her chair. "Is this a date?"

I noticed she had a red hair clip in her hair before I answered. "Um… Maybe? Well—Uh, what do you want it to be?"

I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks as I waited for her answer. I felt like a teenage girl waiting for her crush to open my love letter for him.

"It's a date then." Then she smiled with her eyes.

"Um, Anna…" I started, feeling foolish, "I asked you…here for a reason."

She put down her fork and said, "I knew it."

I couldn't help but think of excuses not to continue. It was too soon. This didn't seem like the right time. She might be destined to be in love with a hot guy with blonde hair and blue eyes but they haven't met each other yet.

I turned to look at her and I realized I was staring at my plate for a minute. She had that playful glint in her eyes. I wiped at my chin even though there was nothing there.

I tried to keep my voice from quavering. "Anna, I—Oh, God. I'm sorry. I mean, I've known you for almost a year and I think—"

She was smiling in front of me, encouraging me to go on. She might have already known. She might have even known before I knew.

I took a deep breath, calming myself. "Anna, I really like you—I might even l-love you, so would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"I would." Anna answered quickly.

"I would." She repeated, softer this time, as if talking to herself.

I swore I had that stupid smile on my face until I drove her home. Everything went well and although not really according to plan, it was perfect nonetheless. I drove home with this wonderful feeling in my stomach and even pinched myself a few times to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

A year before, I would never have imagined myself falling in love in my dream town and succeeding in winning her heart in autumn. A year before, I would never have imagined myself ever confessing. A year before, I couldn't even imagine myself being in love.

"Good night." I said, feeling awkward in front of her house.

"Good night." She replied, not making any move to go inside.

Even though I had kissed her a few times before, this was the first time I would kiss her as her boyfriend.

I leaned in and kissed her. Just like that. Then we pulled away, smiling. I never knew something as simple as a kiss could make me feel so ecstatic. The twinkle in her eyes told me that she felt the same too.

"Good night." I said again, no longer feeling awkward.

"Good night." She replied, then turned around to open her door.

I walked away and couldn't resist sneaking a peek back. I caught her looking back too and we both laughed lightly before really going back. We were acting like teenagers discovering love for the first time, but it didn't matter, because we were in love and we won't let anyone go between us.

At that moment, it didn't matter what would happen in the future and whether we would end up marrying each other. The only thing that mattered was that we loved each other. And sometimes, that's the only thing we need to know.

A/n: I wanted to write something about that love that we fight for like the love Juliet had for Romeo, the love where we don't mask anything, and the love which helps us become strong even as our love is no longer in this world like the love Theresa Osborne had for Garret Blake. I wanted to write about love in its purest and most raw form, because everything is so messed up right now. If that makes sense.

Also, I'm sorry if this was a bit (or a lot) boring. I can't seem to find a way around it.

P.S. I know I messed with the seasons, but it wouldn't have worked if autumn came first. Sorry, guys. Had to defy nature a bit here. :) So here, autumn is December to February and winter is on September to November, so the holidays are in autumn.