Chapter 1 – Of doubts and worries

"Stop hurting my friends!"

"Silly little girl! With the power I have no one can stop me!"

"Mikan! Run!"

"No! I will not run anymore! He's been hurting everyone for his own sake!"

"Kouji! Don't hurt her! She's just an innocent girl!"

"Die already, Narumi!"

"No!"

"Another nightmare?" I said to myself. "For Christ's sake, Mikan. Sensei is safe and sound" I felt a tear roll down my eye. "And everyone else!" I wiped it off and look at the clock. "Shoot! It's already 8 in the morning?!"

It's been 7 years since the defeat of the Elementary School Division Principal and for 7 years, I've been having nightmares with what happened that night. I could say that I haven't moved on and I could even say I've been sulking non-stop for 7 years.

Yuka wants me to finish school and train my alices, my Nullification Alice is still unstable and god knows why. Yuka especially trained me with my Stealing Alice and made it a point to never ever use it unless highly necessary.

"Are you done packing?"

"Oh no, it's time" I thought "Yes, Okaa-san! I'm coming!" I shouted. Yuka's been a great mom to me, though it took us 3 years to actually understand each other and get used to each other's company. Now I can't believe I'm leaving her again. I feel bad as it is.

"Hurry up or you'll be late!" Yuka said

It took us around 40 minutes to get to the academy. It's the September 1, "Everyone's probably there too, Mikan!" Yuka was beaming at me, like a mother dropping off her 6 year old daughter to pre-school. "I asked Narumi-kun to guide you to the High School Division. Now that you're a Special Star student you should show Jin-Jin that you deserve than.. Oi! Mikan!"

"Yes, Okaa-san?" I was startled by Yuka's hand waving at me to get my attention. "Sorry, what were you saying again?"

I heard Yuka sighed, "Mikan" she started. "Are you su—"

"MIKAN-CHAN!" Narumi-sensei interrupted. "HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?" he said, while hugging me tightly.

"Narumi…" It was hard to breathe in Narumi's hug.

"I've missed you so much!"

"Sensei…"

"Narumi-kun, you're killing my daughter"

"Yuka-senpai, I'm sorry!" he said while giving my mother a hug. "It's been a long time"

"Please take care of Mikan"

"There's no need for you to worry. The Elementary School Division Principal is already gone." I can't help but to twitch hearing his name, or title. It still gives me the goosebumps. Because of that man, I had to leave my friends, because of that man some of my classmates died, because of that man I was separated from Natsume.

Natsume, with Hotaru and Ruka, helped us to defeat the Elementary School Division Principal. He overused his alice and was in coma for almost 2 months. If it wasn't for Subaru-kun, he wouldn't have survived. I haven't heard from him or anything about him since the day of his discharge from the hospital.

As if sensing my discomfort, Narumi-sensei placed a hand on my shoulder. "Let's go greet your friends now, shall we?"

"Okay, I'll just say good bye to Yuka." I replied while facing my mother. "Okaa-san, I'll see you in 3 years. We'll be together once again. I'll write to yo—"

"Mikan, don't worry about me now okay?" she interrupted me. I know she's worried about me; I'm worried about her too. "I'll be writing you as soon as I arrive in America, okay?" I nodded and gave her a hug.

Yuka and Shiki-kun are going to America under the strict orders of Z's president. Z didn't give any threats to the academy anymore, actually they started to research for alices to be improved. Yuka and Shiki-kun are one of their top researchers. I've been trying for months to make them tell me why but every time I ask they will just say, "You're still young". For goodness' sake, I'm in high school already!

"So Mikan-chan" Narumi-sensei hasn't changed at all. "Let's go to class, now?"

My heart fell, "Sure, why not" I've been dreading this since Yuka asked me to go back to school. Ever since the day of Natsume's discharge, I haven't had the guts to talk to anyone. After a few months of unanswered mails from me they gave up, even Hotaru gave up. Now I'm going back to their lives? What if suddenly I have to leave again?

"You shouldn't think too much, Mikan." Narumi-sensei once again interrupted my thoughts "You shouldn't worry about it, there wasn't a day they didn't ask me how you are doing." He continued. "And they haven't given up yet, you know. They are still your friends."

I just sighed and continued walking. After a few minutes, I heard sensei sigh too. "I guess he gave up on me too" I thought.

It took us 15 minutes to get to the high school division. "We're here!" Narumi said and I simply followed. "Here we go. I'll just call Tobita-kun, wait here" he said, "Hi class—"

"Mikan?"

"Yuu-kun!" I simply said. "Long time no see"

"Mikan?"

"Uh, earth to Yuu-kun?"

"Is that really you?

BAKA!

"Holy shit!" Hotaru's here. "What the hell was that for Hotaru? I said.

"Hotaru-kun, please calm down!" said Yuu-kun. "

"What the hell was that for!?" Hotaru shouted. "Is that all you can say!? You haven't replied to any of our mails for 7 whole years and you ask me what hell was that for!?"

"Hotaru..."

"You are the most ungrateful best friend known to man kind! You don't deserve any of—" I hugged Hotaru, it's been 7 years since I felt this warm. "Hotaru, please understand." I simply said and she nodded in return. I know she understands, of all people she would understand how I feel.

"Mikan-chan" said Yuu "How are you?" he asked. I gave him a hug before answering "I'm good"

"Class, let's open our arms once again to our old classmate and old friend to our beloved Mikan Sakura" we heard Narumi and I felt the class tensed up. As I entered the door I can feel everyone's gazes. I can see in their eyes their disbelief and the pain that I have caused them. "Why don't you seat in your usual seat, huh Mikan?" Narumi-sensei suggested.

"Please" I would recognize that voice anywhere, Natsume's. "She was gone for 7 years, this seat beside me isn't for her anymore" After that, he left the classroom.

"Please excuse me, Narumi-sensei" and I started to run after him.

"Natsume!" I shouted at him as I saw his shadow. "Please! Listen to me!" I shouted and he looked at me and waited for me to catch up to him.

"What do you want?" he simply said.

"I haven't seen you in 7 years and you tell me that what? I don't belong here?" I was surprise in how much anger I'm showing right now.

"Are you hurt, Sakura?" he said. "Did you know how hard we tried to contact you? Did you know that for 7 years everyone of us has been trying to contact you? Not a single reply, Mikan!!"

"You? You tried?! Yes I did not reply to any of your emails but I read every single one of them! And you're telling me you tried?"

"Yes I'm telling you I tried!"

"Not a single word from you, Natsume! Not one! I visited you every single fucking day and the minute you got discharged you left without a single trace!"

"I had my own reasons!"

"Who cares, huh?" a single tear rolled down my cheeks. "I tried too look for you, I even asked Shiki-kun to look for you." I can see in Natsume's eyes that he was surprised with my tears as I am. "You burned your files in the hospital and no one has any idea where you went, I was worried sick for you. And no you have the guts to shout at me? Unbelievable, Natsume."

I couldn't care less. I ran away to my dorm and cried there. Cried and cried… When I came out, it was dark already and time for dinner. I was surprised when I saw Hotaru outside the hallway. "Hey, Hotaru! What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, idiot. It's time for dinner" I can tell that she knows I cried for hours and I can tell she knows why. "I won't let you skip dinner, you already skipped lunch."

"I'm coming, don't worry. My stomach is betraying me anyway." I said. "Hotaru, I thought you're going to France? Weren't you asked by some top notch inventing company to work for them?"

"Oh that" she started "I was supposed to leave yesterday but when I overheard Narumi and Misaki-kun that you're coming back, I couldn't help but to stay. Now you have to give me the best high school memories ever, okay?"

I stopped. "What were you thinking?" Another sacrifice for me. "You idiot, you shouldn't pass something like that."

"Don't worry about it, Mikan. I don't like France anyway."

"Then why did you accept the offer in the first place?"

I could tell that Hotaru was surprised. "You know Mikan, you shouldn't push people away from you." And she ran to the cafeteria. I lost my appetite so I returned to my room. Pushing away people? I'm not pushing them away; I simply don't want them to make unnecessary sacrifices for me anymore.