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Just One Chance
Chapter 2
Gakuen Alice
THE COOL BREEZE SWEPT through the streets, making Mikan shiver a little. But her gaze was still unwavering and steady on Hotaru, nervously waiting for her reply.
Hotaru, on the other hand, was caught off guard by Mikan's declaration.
"Mikan…" she said slowly after regaining her composure, her dark eyes probing. "Do you even know what the school is?"
"Of course I do," Mikan said in her best confident voice. "The school shelters people who have an alice and keeps them there to contribute to society."
An expression of surprise crossed Hotaru's features for only a moment before it faded as quickly as it came. "How do you know that? I'm positive that I hadn't mentioned that to you before."
Mikan's smile froze on her face. I'm such an idiot! I should've played dumb or else Hotaru will suspect me! Idiot, idiot, idiot!
"Mikan?"
The wheels in Mikan's brain started to whirl rapidly. "Oh, I just read something about it!" she covered up, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.
Hotaru didn't look convinced. "Uh huh…"
"Hotaru!" Mikan said, pouting. "How could you not believe me?"
"I do believe you," Hotaru said flatly, yet there was no mistaking the hint of skepticism in her voice. "That's just your imagination."
Mikan instantly changed the subject, sensing trouble if she dwelled on it any further. "Ne, ne, can I go with you? Huh? Please?"
Hotaru turned to the chauffeur. "Tominaga-san?"
"Hai, Imai-san?"
"Can she go with us?"
The man looked unsure. "I don't know… Does she have an alice?"
"Oh, I do!" Mikan said enthusiastically. "I have the nullification alice!"
She knew that she would never tell them about her other two alices.
.oo0oo.
"YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER told me you had an alice," Hotaru remarked slowly, staring at Mikan suspiciously.
Mikan laughed nervously. "Well, uh… I just found out yesterday. It… It was so cool!"
Hotaru had a blank expression on her face. "Oh, okay."
Mikan glanced at her.
.oo0oo.
"IF IT'S US, NO matter how long it takes, we will meet again. We have a bond that couldn't be broken by something like this. Just like how it was until now… And how it will be from now on.
"Mikan… With the thought of you doing your best… From now on, whatever happens, I, too, can do my best. Smile like you always do. Because that will be our strength. Go and tread the path that you believe in, Mikan…
"I love you. No matter how far apart we are, our hearts will always be together."
.oo0oo.
THE ONE WHO SAID all these to me, Mikan thought wistfully, is the person right here beside me.
Oh, Hotaru. I miss you so much.
"We're here," the chauffeur announced. "Gakuen Alice."
.oo0oo.
MIKAN AND HOTARU GOT out of the car, staring at the school.
"So this is Gakuen Alice," Hotaru said flatly. "I never knew it was this big."
"Sugoii~" Mikan gushed, grinning in wonder. It looked a little different in the future, but I just can't get over on how it's so wide!
Tominaga walked over to a man nearby and started talking to him. Then, he gestured the two over.
"These are the two new students I've brought," he explained when Hotaru and Mikan went over to him. "Can you bring them their uniforms, sensei?"
"Of course," the man said, smiling. "Thanks for bringing them, Tominaga-san."
"Sure, Narumi-sensei," Tominaga said. Then he left, leaving Hotaru and Mikan alone with the teacher.
"Sooo…" Narumi said, turning to them with sparkles in his eyes. "Can you tell me your names?"
Mikan was staring at him, her eyes also sparkling with the same intensity. Narumi-sensei! I'm so glad to see you!
"Imai Hotaru," Hotaru said monotonously.
"Sakura Mikan!" The smile on Mikan's face never wavered.
Narumi was glad to see such enthusiasm coming from her and was a bit bothered by the lack of it from Hotaru. Nevertheless, he led them to a room and gave them their uniforms.
"Here," he said, smiling. "You two can change in here. I'll wait outside."
After they finished changing, Narumi knocked on the door.
"Ah, Imai-san? The Elementary School Principal is calling you and I also need to report to him about your enrollment. Are you two finished?"
"Hai!" Mikan said.
The ESP... she thought, her eyes set with determination.
When Narumi entered the room, he was carrying an unconscious boy in his arms. Hotaru stared at Narumi inquisitively, whereas Mikan was staring at the boy with something in her eyes.
"Ah, this is Natsume-kun," Narumi explained. "He broke a rule, so I gave him a little punishment."
Natsume! Mikan thought, immense relief spreading across her body. Natsume…
Narumi placed Natsume on the couch and turned to Hotaru. "Imai-san, let's go. Sakura-san, do you mind waiting in here for a while?"
Mikan blinked. "Eh? Wait… here? With…"
"Don't worry, don't worry. He won't be getting up for a while," Narumi said reassuringly. "But if he does wake up, just press that emergency button over there. We'll be back as fast as we can."
.oo0oo.
MOM, DAD… IT SEEMS that fate is playing a trick on me.
Mikan stared at Natsume, studying his face. He had on a serene, relaxed expression and was definitely knocked out.
I bet Narumi-sensei used his alice on him again… Mikan thought. He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping… Just like that time in New Year…
.oo0oo.
"YOU… WHAT ARE YOU doing?" Mikan asked almost breathlessly as she went slightly rigid at his proximity.
But Natsume didn't let her go and mumbled, "When it ends tomorrow, I'll return you immediately to Ruka. Just be quiet."
.oo0oo.
MIKAN BLUSHED. WHY DID I suddenly think about that?
Natsume stirred. Mikan jolted and prepared herself for the hard tug on her hair.
It didn't happen. Mikan sighed in relief. I thought he woke up. Silly me…
Then she felt it.
A hard tug on her hair, then the harsh feeling of being plopped forcibly on the couch.
"Oww!" That Natsume! So he was planning to catch me off guard huh? Clever… Just clever…
"Oi," Natsume said roughly. "Answer me in five seconds. If you don't, I'll burn your hair. Who are you?"
Mikan froze.
Absolute déjà vu!
At that moment, the window opened and a blond-haired boy with blue eyes came inside the room through it.
Ruka-pyon! Mikan thought, startled. Hey, wait a minute… In the past, didn't he crash in through the window?*
"Ruka?" Natsume said, loosening his grip slightly on Mikan's hair. "What are you doing here?"
Ruka stared at Mikan, who was being pinned on the couch by Natsume. "Uh… Well… I just came to see how you were doing…"
Natsume glanced at the direction Ruka was staring at. "Oh, her? She was here when I woke up. She refuses to reveal her identity."
"Is she an alice?"
"No clue." Natsume glared at her. "Oi, speak up! Who are you?"
Mikan glared back and stuck out her tongue at him. "No way I'm telling you!"
A vein popped on Natsume's forehead. "Why you…"
Ruka's eyes widened. "Uh, Natsume…"
Mikan could feel him using his alice on her, but she knew that it would have no effect. Take that, she thought smugly. That's payback for grabbing me by the hair!
Suddenly, at that moment, a gust of wind coming from the open window blew on Mikan's skirt, showing her underwear.
Mikan's eyes widened and her body froze completely in place.
Then, at the top of her lungs, she screamed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Ho—How can this be?! And I thought that I could change the way Natsume was calling me! Why? WHY? Why me?!
.oo0oo.
BOTH NARUMI AND HOTARU heard it at the same time.
"Mikan," Hotaru said, instantly running off.
"Geez, what did Natsume do to her?" Narumi mumbled, following Hotaru.
When they reached the room, they hurriedly opened the door and found Natsume and Ruka standing near the window (Natsume went over to Ruka when Mikan screamed) and staring at the latter who was still on the couch and was shaking all over.
"Natsume! Ruka! What did you guys do?" Narumi demanded.
Natsume ignored him and started to escape through the window. But before that, he turned his head towards Mikan.
"See ya, polka dot panties." After that, he and Ruka went out through the window.
Narumi and Hotaru froze.
"No… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Mikan cried out. WHY? Why am I so unfortunate?
.oo0oo.
"NATSUME?" RUKA SAID HESITANTLY.
"What is it?"
Ruka lowered his head slightly, averting his gaze "...It's nothing."
Natsume glanced at him.
.oo0oo.
"By the way, Natsume… How did you find this place?"
He stared at her. "Huh? It's because you were calling me, right? That's how."
A puzzled look came across her face. "Huh…? I wasn't calling you or anything, you know? I don't remember I did."
"I felt that you were calling out strongly for me," he explained slowly, "that's why I made it here."
She blushed furiously. "Well… It's not completely untrue though…"
.oo0oo.
NATSUME STOPPED IN HIS tracks.
"Natsume?" Ruka inquired with a concerned look on his face. "What's wrong?"
Natsume looked confused for a moment, then he shook his head. "It's nothing. I just thought I heard some voices."
END of CHAPTER 2
TO BE CONTINUED
*If you are also wondering about that, then it's because Mikan came together with Hotaru to the school when in the manga, Mikan came to the school after half a year. So, in this case Natsume just broke a rule and was punished for it. Ruka, who was still a sweet guy before the series, then came to see him.
A/N: Finished revising. Now, I am on to the next chapter. Wish me luck. ;)