Summary: I don't know how I didn't put the two together. How could I have not? When our eyes met, I automatically knew it was him. So what did I do? I ran, same as I did five years ago.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.

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Different Now: Chapter One

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"Come on, Mikan. You have to come with us." One of my best friends, Anna Umenoyima, pleaded. We, my three best friends and I, were all sitting in our apartment we shared together since right after college. The three of them were trying to convince me to go to some boy band concert tonight.

I sigh, rolling my eyes. "I mean, even Hotaru is going, Mikan. You must." Anna's cousin, Nonoko Ogasawara, said. Anna has long, wavy, bubble-gum pink hair with short bangs cut just above her big cerulean blue eyes. Nonoko has long, straight, navy blue hair with straight-cut bangs and dark, icey blue eyes.

"Please, don't make me go., Hotaru" I said, turning to my last roommate. I give her my famous puppy dog eyes, but they never work on her. I hoped they would this time.

But no. "If I have to go listen to this gay, wanna-be boy band, then you must as well." Hotaru said sternly. I puffed out my cheeks. Hotaru Imai, my best friend since I can remember. We have been together since before we were born; our mothers were best friends just like us, so of course, we grew up together. She has short, jet black hair and beautiful, amethyst colored eyes. She doesn't like them and thinks they are weird, but they are a very attractive trait of hers.

"But I have so much work to do." I say, making up any excuse that I can. Concerts aren't my type of place. I'm more suited for a quiet library with lots of books. Anna and Nonoko are the opposite; both party go-ers and love loud music. I'd much rather sit in my room and read a book or something.

Hotaru and I have known Anna and Nonoko since our first years in high school. Ever since I can remember, they have always had a thing with going to concerts. They get free tickets to this one famous coliseum because Anna's father and Nonoko's father run the place. Lucky for Hotaru and I, that means we get dragged along.

They all stare at me, not believing a word I say. I sigh, a sign of defeat. "Fine. I'll go with you." I mutter, but my last words are drowned out by the cousins' screams of joy.

I am Mikan Sakura. I have long, curly, auburn colored hair with slanted bangs that are getting a little too long right now. I might have to cut them soon. I have caramel colored eyes, my skin is pale, and I'm really short. Like really short. Anna and Nonoko are about five foot seven-eight, Hotaru is five foot six and three-quarters on the dot – she has to have everything precise, and I am stuck at five foot four. I am twenty-seven years old and I haven't grown an inch since the end of middle school. The rest of my body hasn't either. I'm not exactly flat chested, but I don't have Anna's rack either. She's like a D while I'm a low B cup.

Enough of my breast size; I am a writer. I don't exactly have anything published yet, but I really am working on it. I work for a newspaper company in Tokyo, only a twenty minute drive from our apartment. I'm on a secretary, but I work for a really well-known author. I hope one day working under her will get my name know..

Anna is a chef. She has her own cafe right below our apartment, actually. It's one of those places where you can walk into the store, go to the back, walk up the stairs, and be at our front door. It's convenient. Anna and Nonoko run the place. I help out, but only on weekends. Hotaru invented most everything in the place. That's what she does, invents. She is really well-known for her inventions. She has gotten famous so quickly since college. She took a couple semesters and studied abroad in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. And even though she's famous, Hotaru chooses to stay here in Japan with us.

Eight o'clock comes around faster than I would have liked. I was working when the twins, as Hotaru and I call the cousins, came barging into my room yelling at me to get ready. What do you wear to concerts? I mean I've been to plenty, but I never know what to wear. I end up throwing my hair up into a loose pony tail and put on a pair of old dark-washed jean shorts, a baby blue camisole, a black elbow-sleeved cardigan, and my favorite black converse.

"You look cute." Anna said as I walked out of mine and Hotaru's room. She was dressed in a light pink mini skirt, a white tank-top, her favorite green jacket, and a pair of white and pink vans. Nonoko was dressed very similarly, yet her skirt was a jean skirt, and her jacket was dark blue. Hotaru was wearing a pair of tight, black jeans, a black hoodie with the words 'Imai Corp' printed on the back in white letters and topped off with her very own black converse.

"Let's get this night over with." I said softly, sighing again, wondering just how I get myself into these situations.

The Ume-Oga coliseum was packed, as usual. I had no idea who we were going to see, but everyone seemed really excited for whom ever. We get inside after showing off our VIP passes, girls glaring at us as we cut in line, and I see the signs: "I LOVE YOU CF," "CRIMSON FLAME," "I HEART NH," and many others. Crimson Flame. Why does that name sound familiar? Maybe I've heard them on the radio or something.

The four of us reach our front row seats, and I sit. No one else is sitting even though the first twenty rows are all chairs. Hundreds of more screaming fans are behind those rows, all jumping around and dancing. I feel so out of place. Anna is giving me one of her looks. She wants me to stand up and dance, but she should be happy that I even came here.

The group who came on before the main act was good, another boy band. No one seemed to really know who they were though. Probably a local band trying to get famous. I hope they do. They sounded really good. It was about ten when the main performance came out, Crimson Flame. That name still rings in my head, and I can't figure it out.

All of the sudden, the coliseum is black. The lights have been shut off. Everyone is talking quiet, confused. But then, before anything else can happen, the lights flash back on and there are five boys, all about our age, on stage. The crowd goes wild.

There is a dirty blonde haired boy on the drums in the back. Not far from him was a boy with light brown hair, almost dirty blonde, on the keyboard. Up front is three other guys: one bassist and two guitarist. The boy on the bass has silver hair. One of the guitarist has light, honey blonde hair and the other has onyx black hair. The black haired one approaches the microphone. The crowd is going wild, and he hasn't even said a word yet.

He lets a small smile show - thinking the shadow from his hair will hide it, but I can see it - before placing his lips against the microphone, "Hey." He barely whispers. The girls all scream, his name I think, but I don't hear it. He smirks, letting everyone see. It's not the same as his smile from before. "Let's get this party started." He turns around and nods once to the other members. The music starts and so does the dancing yet again.

He starts singing, swaying with the music. He flips his hair out of his face after the first verse and there I see his eyes for the first time. They are crimson colored. I hear hundreds of girls, and maybe even some boys, calling a name. "We love you Natsume!" Natsume.

Then it clicks. I stand up, Anna cheers, thinking I'm going to dance with her and Nonoko. But I just stand there, starring at him. Trying to put the pieces together. He looks down for a moment, barely catching my look. He has to double-take; his eyes widen slightly. Realization hits me faster than a ton of bricks.

"Natsume.." I whisper, my voice muffled by the screams of all Crimson Flame's adoring fans. He sees that I have said his name, and quickly turns away. He returns to singing, continuing with the next verse. Every so often, he would sneak a peak down at me, and I would be there, starring back at him, still in shock.

What are you supposed to do when your standing in a crowd of hundreds of people and your ex-boyfriend is the one on stage singing that everyone is cheering for. Natsume Hyuuga, is his name. He's twenty-eight now, seeing as I'm twenty-seven. He still has the same raven black hair, but it's longer. His eyes, oh his eyes.. That's how I knew it was him. His eyes haven't changed.

My heart is beating so fast. I can't tell if it's from all the excitement with the concert or that I am seeing Natsume for the first time in five years. Why would I be excited to see Natsume after so long? It's not like I still love him or anything. We called things off five years ago because he wanted to go into the music business and I wanted to stay in town and write. Things would have never worked out. It was a mutual agreement..on my part.

Okay, so I broke up with him. He was going to turn down this big once-in-a-life-time experience with his band to tour around Europe as an opener for some big band, and I couldn't let him do that. That was his dream. And looking at the situation I am in now, it looks like everything worked out for him.

I turn to Hotaru, but she's already got her eyes locked on me, filled with worry. She knows it's him too. Without any warning, she grabs my wrist and pulls me through the crowd. I follow, ignoring Anna and Nonoko's cries for us, but never taking my eyes off Natsume. I don't think he did either.

Once outside in fresh air, I let my breath go. I hadn't even realized I was holding it in until then. "He.. He actually made it." I finally said. Natsume made it to the stage. He's famous. How did I not know this?

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Hotaru asked. "For him to go out and follow his dream?"

I pause for a slight second. "Of course, it was. It is. I'm glad for him.. I just.." I just what? I didn't even know.

"You have two choices." She started. "You can ignore him and wait for his band to move on to the next town and never see him again." I really didn't like how that sounded, but wouldn't that be best for me? Best for him? "Or you can use these VIP passes we have to go backstage and talk to him." I grab a hold of the pass around my neck. "But that's saying he even wants to see you. You did break his heart those years ago."

I did.

I hurt the one I loved the most.

But I did it for him, so does that make me a bad person?

Hotaru squeezes my hand, bringing me back to reality. I blink back the tears. "I- I don't know Hotaru." I whisper. "I don't think I can handle seeing him only to be rejected." I fake a laugh. "Plus, it's been years." I say wiping away my tears. "He's probably moved on."

Hotaru stares at me; I know that look. She concerned, but she would never admit it out loud that she has any kind of feelings towards me at all. "Come on, let's go." She says, tugging my hand. "We can go out for a little while and be back by midnight to get the twins." I smile, thanking her quietly. Hotaru might be socially challenged sometimes because she likes to keep to herself, and she might be monstrous and negative towards me, but when she really needs to be, Hotaru can be the best friend ever. And she is.

I don't think I deserve her as my best friend.