*** Please be noted that Mikan Sakura and her friends are already in high school in this story. Enjoy :)
CHAPTER 1
"Ahh! I'm gonna be late again!"
It was already 7:45 am when I woke up that morning and my class starts at 8! I went straight to the bathroom and showered quickly. I can't be late today because I was already late in the class yesterday. I'm dead again! My terror teacher in calculus will scold me if I came late again to his class!
I overslept this morning. I was having a very, very nice dream… I'm sure my dearest Hotaru-chan is already at school and doing some serious advance reading. She's such a responsible student, unlike me.
As soon as I'm done tying my hair into pigtails, I ran out of the room. I'm already late and I have to ready myself for some serious scolding. Crap.
I was running on the hallway when I bumped into someone.
"Aww..!"
I fell on the floor but the person I ran into didn't seem to sway even a little when I bumped into him. I rubbed my butt while still on the floor. It really hurts! Damn it! This is just not my day.
"I—diot."
As soon as I heard that voice and that word, I already knew who it was. I looked up and saw my favorite bad boy Natsume Hyuga who didn't even bother to help me get up.
"Natsume! Aww… help me get up," I said to Natsume. I was having a hard time gaining my balance so I raised my hand to Natsume to help me stand up.
"You are so clumsy, polka dots."
Natsume was still not picking my hand to help me stand.
"Help me get up, you retard. I can't get my balance together," I wobbled my hand to him.
"Hey polka dots, you're not wearing polka dots today. What's with the lacy white panty? That's new, isn't it? This is my first time to see you wear lace"
I looked down at my skirt and saw that my panty was showing and that pervy Natsume is still looking at it!
"You pervert!" I pulled down my skirt; and he was right, my panty is new. I can feel my face turning red and my blood boiling. Natsume seeing my panty wasn't really new to me but still, it's embarrassing. He has always been like that since elementary but even so, we're already in high school and I'm almost a woman now. But Natsume didn't seem to realize it yet or he just didn't care at all.
"Help me get up, you perverted man!"
Natsume finally took my hands and helped me stand up. As soon as I was stable on my feet, I beat Natsume with my bag.
"Pervert! Pervert! Pervert! Stop looking at my panty!" I was beating him all over but he didn't seem to mind. He started walking and I followed him while still beating him.
"Then stop showing it."
"I wasn't showing it, you perv!"
Natsume and I have always been like that. We are like cats and dogs; but even though we always fight and quarrel, Natsume is very special to me and I'm sure that I'm also someone whom Natsume cares about. He was always there for me to protect me and save me from danger and even though he's rude and could be really violent at times, he still has his soft side that shows when he's with his friends.
We've become closer through the years and almost everyone around us thinks that we are a couple and to those who know us well are already used to our almost-lovers-but-still-enemies kind of relationship. Natsume and I didn't really talk about it but we know even to ourselves that we are undoubtedly not only 'just friends'. We're comfortable with each other and we seem to have a mutual understanding of our feelings.
"Why are you late again, polka dots?"
"I overslept this morning. Ahh! Minami-sensei will scold me again!" I had already stopped beating Natsume with my bag. I've gotten tired and I knew that it has no effect on him anyway. We were now just walking together on our way to our classroom.
"Why did you oversleep, you dummy?"
"Well, I was dreaming, it was such a nice dream…" I remembered my dream last night and was now lost in it. It was so wonderful I want to dream about it again tonight…
"You should stop dreaming perverted dreams about me, you perverted woman." Natsume said then smirked at me.
"What?! Eew! No! It wasn't perverted!" I blushed. Yes, I've dreamt of Natsume last night but it was a wholesome dream! I dreamed that we were on a date and having romantic moments… unlike the one we're having now.
"But it was still about me. It just wasn't perverted." He smiled arrogantly at me.
"I… uh... Hmp—!" I didn't know what else to say. He was able to corner me again so I just hit him once more on the head.
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I entered our classroom reluctantly with Natsume. Minami-sensei is discussing something on the board when we entered and as soon as we walked in inside, he's got his terror look on me again. Just on me. He doesn't mind if Natsume came in late because all the students in Gakuen Alice and most of the teachers are afraid of him.
"Sakura! You're late again! How dare you come—"
"She's with me."
Natsume cut short our teacher then he went to his seat at the back. I looked at Minami-sensei who looks obviously infuriated but he had no choice but to let me off this time. He obviously wanted to scold me more but he doesn't want to cross Natsume.
"Go to your seat now, Sakura." Minami-sensei said to me, looking sullen.
I was totally relieved! I definitely owe Natsume for saving me from detention. I'll just thank him later then treat him a howalon next time we go to central town. I looked apologetically at Minami-sensei who turned his back to me to continue his lecture.
I went to my seat next to my best friend Hotaru. I smiled and whispered good morning to her but she just looked at me in return. I'm already to use to her cool attitude. Other people may think that she doesn't care about me but I know it is just the way she is. I know she cares about me as much as I care about her.
In class, Natsume and I don't sit together. He sits at the back with his best friend Ruka Nogi and I sit in front next to Hotaru.
Before, when we were younger, our classmates noticed that Natsume and I became closer, though we still fight most of the time. The girls from our class and from other year levels who like Natsume would talk about me behind my back but I got used to it that I didn't care anymore. They eventually got tired of gossiping about me and some of them even became my friends. And the self-proclaimed president of Natsume's fan club Sumire Shouda who couldn't accept my closeness to Natsume at first became one of my closest friends in our class, although we still argue sometimes over silly things.
I tried to listen to Minami-sensei's lecture but I just couldn't understand whatever he is saying. There are just too many formula and numbers written on the board. I turned to Hotaru. She's listening intently to our teacher but I'm sure she already knows everything about his lecture. I will just ask her to tutor me later. I'm not exactly stupid, it's just that I'm not as good as Hotaru or Natsume when it comes to academics. But I sure am good in sports and other extracurricular activities.
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Finally, the bell rang for our lunch break. I was in a hurry this morning I was not able to eat breakfast and now I'm starving.
"Let's go, Hotaru! I'm so hungry I think can eat a meal good for two persons!"
I took Hotaru's hand then swayed it back and forth. I'm so happy everytime I'm with my best friend. Actually, I'm always happy. I just couldn't stop myself from being cheery even with no reason.
"Let go of my hand, you dummy. What are you, eight?"
I wasn't offended. It's normal for my dear best friend to say things like that to me. I didn't let go of her hand but I stopped swaying our hands. I turned to Sumire who was talking to one of our classmates.
"Hey permy, wanna have lunch with us?"
Sumire glared at me. She doesn't like it when I call her permy, but I think she got used to it already because everytime I call her that, she automatically turn to look.
"No, thanks. I'll be having lunch with Kokoro today. You have to set an appointment first before I could entertain you." Sumire said snobbishly. I laughed. Sumire could be really snooty but beyond her snooty personality, she is really a good person.
I invited my other girl classmates to have lunch with me and Hotaru. Some of them came with us. I like being around people. Everything seems to be so lively everytime there are many people around me. That's why I have many friends in the class and in other departments.
Before I leave the room with Hotaru and some classmates, I went to Natsume. He was still on his seat talking to Ruka.
"Hey Natsume, thanks for saving my back from Minami-sensei earlier. I owe you one." I smiled at him.
"Yeah, you owe me. So buy me and Ruka lunch today."
I pouted at him. I knew he'd take advantage of my thankfulness. Ruka laughed when he saw my expression.
"You don't have to buy me lunch today, Mikan-san. Don't mind Natsume, he's just joking." Ruka smiled at me. Ruka is the total opposite of Natsume. He is warm and gentle. He is also very considerate, unlike that thick-skinned guy beside him.
I smiled at Ruka.
"Thanks, Ruka-pyon! Natsume's sense of humor really sucked, huh?" I said grinning.
Natsume hit me on the head. It wasn't really a strong hit but my pigtails got a bit disordered.
"Natsume!"
"Shut up, lacey white."
I blushed. I remembered again when Natsume saw my panty that morning. I was ready to strangle him when Hotaru called me from the door. She and our classmates are standing outside the room, waiting for me. I have to postpone strangling Natsume before Hotaru became impatient from waiting.
"I'll go now, Ruka-pyon, Natsume," I smiled at Ruka then glared at Natsume.
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I was buying an ice cream for my dessert when I noticed a girl around my age walking. She caught my attention because she's not wearing a uniform like us. The girl also looks like she's lost because she kept looking sideways. I went to her to see if she needs some help.
"Hello! I'm Mikan Sakura. Do you need any help? You seemed lost." I smiled at the girl. She seems surprised by my approach.
The girl looks shy. The length of her red hair was just below her ears and she's wearing square eyeglasses. She couldn't meet my gaze and her face was turning a bit red.
"I, uhm… I c-couldn't find my way to the principal's o-office." The girl's voice was a little shaky and she was looking down at the floor.
"You just turn right to the next corner over there, and then the first door would be the Principal's office." I said to her.
"T-thank you," the girl tried to look at me in the eyes. She looked grateful for my help.
"Mikan-chan!" I heard my classmates called my name. I turned to them and see them waiting for me in the ice cream stand.
"I gotta go, my friends are waiting for me."
"Okay…" she looked at me like she didn't want me to go yet.
"Uhm, what's your name again?" I asked before I leave.
"Rika T-tsukiro…"
"Okay, nice to meet you Rika-san!"
I left Rika then ran to my friends. When I got there, all my friends are holding each an ice cream. I bought myself a strawberry-flavored ice cream.
"Who was that girl you were talking to, Mikan?" Hotaru asked me as we walk back to our classroom.
"Oh, she was lost; she was looking for the principal's office. I just helped her with the directions."
I was licking the ice cream while we were walking in the hallway. I didn't see immediately my classmate Kitsuneme flying in the hallway. He tumbled on me. The ice cream smeared on my uniform's collar.
"Ahh!"
"Oh, sorry, Mikan-san!" Kitsuneme said apologetically to me. I was not mad at him but I was frustrated because we still have two classes left. I can't go back to the dormitory just to change my blouse. There are only ten minutes left before the start of our next class and I don't want to be late.
"I'll just go to the restroom to clean this, Hotaru-chan. you go ahead in the classroom."
"Okay, don't be late" Hotaru said.
I have no choice but to at least try to clean the stain so it wouldn't be too noticeable. I was walking on my way to the restroom when I heard someone call my name. I turned around and saw a guy. He was tall, I think as tall as Natsume. He wasn't also wearing a uniform. His spiky hair is white but not because of old age, he looks like he's just as old as me. I've never seen him before.
"Did you call me?" I asked him even though I know it was a stupid question because there are only two of us in that hallway.
Instead of answering my question, he just walked towards me then he stopped in front of me. I'm now confused. How did he know my name? I'm pretty sure I've never met him before.
"How did you know my name?" I asked him again.
The guy just smiled at me. He is starting to creep me out now.
"Hey, can you hear me?" I know it was a bit rude but I'm getting annoyed at him. The guy seems to notice that I was starting to lose my patience.
"I heard your classmate called you Mikan when he stumbled on you," he said.
"Huh?" I didn't see him anywhere in the hallway earlier.
"It's nice to meet you. I got to go but I'll see you again." He said to me as if he's sure that we'll see each other again.
I watched him as he walked away from me.
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Our last class for today was already over. Hotaru and I are on our way to our dorm. I told her about the white-haired guy earlier.
"Then he said he'll see me again. He was really creepy, Hotaru-chan."
"You should have asked his name." Hotaru said.
"well… I forgot,"
"dummy."
__________________________________________________________
I was putting my newly washed clothes in my drawer that evening when I heard the window in my room creaked open. I saw Natsume coming in from the window.
"Natsume! You scared me!" I hissed at him. I didn't yell at him because girls from other rooms might hear my voice.
"You're over reacting. I always come here through your window, you're used to it."
I ignored him. I continue putting all my clothes in my drawer. Natsume lay down on my bed while watching me.
"Do you wanna sleep in my room tonight?" he suddenly said. I looked at him, shocked like I was scandalized.
"What?!"
"You're so loud."
"What?" I lowered my voice.
"Why do you always have to over react? It's not like it'll be your first time to sleep in my room." He said nonchalantly.
"Well, Natsume, I'm a girl. I'm entitled to over react when a guy asked me to sleep in his room."
"I'm not gonna eat you. Don't flatter yourself. Flat-chested girls like you don't excite me."
"You retard! I'm not flat!" well, I still wear brassieres so I'm not exactly flat. That pervert Natsume.
"Whatever. If you don't wanna sleep in my room, fine." He got up from my bed then walked towards the window. "I just don't want to be alone tonight." He said softly.
Natsume opened the window again and he looks like he was going back to his room now. I feel myself soften for him. Whether he's bluffing or not, I don't want him to feel alone. Natsume is a difficult man to understand. Not everyone knows how to handle him. Ruka and I are the only ones in the school who can cope with him. Natsume may look fierce and rough on the outside but he also has his soft side, he just doesn't show it more often.
"Natsume," I called him before he gets out of the window. "You can sleep here in my room, if you want" I just couldn't stand knowing that he's feeling alone.
Natsume closed the window. He went to my bed and lay down again. I saw a smirk forming on his lips. He was acting!
"Natsume!"
"You said I can sleep here. I'm sleeping here tonight. You can sleep on the floor if you don't want to sleep next to me on your bed."
I went to the side of my bed. I started kicking him on his legs but he's still not moving. I have no choice but to let him be. He's definitely not going anywhere.
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"Natsume, move a little to your side, I'm gonna fall" I pushed Natsume on his side. I was gonna sleep on the floor but it was so cold. I don't wanna catch a cold nor have a backache tomorrow morning.
"You have a king-sized bed in your room but you opted to sleep here on my bed. You're taking all my space!"
"Blame yourself. I asked you to sleep in my room but you want to sleep here in your tiny bed."
"What? And now it's my fault? You—"
I wasn't able to finish my sentence when Natsume grabbed my waist and pulled me closer. He wrapped his arm on my shoulder then he turned my head on his chest.
"Natsu—"
"Shut up now, Mikan. Let's sleep already."
I looked up at Natsume's face. His eyes were already closed and his face looks calm. I closed my eyes, too. I couldn't make myself to complain anymore because I am totally comfortable with my position.
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I just finished watching the anime series of Gakuen Alice but i'm not done reading the manga yet. I really love the MikanXNatsume pairing so much that i just feel like writing a fanfic about them. hehe.. :P
I've added a couple of new characters here so i'm not sure if anyone would buy the story... :}
Anyway, i hope someone would bother to read this story of mine. LOL. XD
Let me know if you (yeah, YOU! :P) like it. haha ^.~
xoxox
E.E.
**i'll update chapter 2 as soon as i can. (: