I do not own Gakuen Alice.


The day dragged on. I went on a hunt for every job I'd circled, using the map as a guideline, which proved me no good when I got lost more than I was on track. I dropped off resumes and filled out applications at restaurants, clothing stores, fast food joints, anything that would give me a second glance. The phone number I put down was my cell phone number, the cell phone that Yuka hadn't known I'd had and therefore wouldn't know to reach me on, but the battery wouldn't last forever and eventually I was going to need a place to charge it.

This led me to looking for apartments. I went to the local library and purchased an hour or internet, where I searched for apartments in the area at a reasonable price. The more I looked, however, the more I began to wonder if this city knew what reasonable price meant.

After my hour ran out, I hadn't found anything that was within my price range at the moment and I was beginning to think this whole thing was a bad idea.

I looked outside, at the shining sun and the blue sky that was becoming darker as the day wore on and it got later and later. It was almost six o'clock; my grumbling stomach could attest to that.

"All right, Mikan," I said to myself. "First you're going to need some food."

The darker the day got with no ringing from my cell phone, the more I started to wish I hadn't done this. All it took, though, was to remember the feel of Hibiki's hands over my mouth, or Yuka's claws on my skin, to know that this was the best thing I could have ever done.

I wouldn't have survived much longer there. Here, I could.

The first grocery store I came across was rundown and small with a name I didn't recognize. It was in a dumpy neighbourhood that was full of barking dogs and spray-painted fences. I barely noticed the attention I got from the young men I passed who were lounging against the wall outside the store.

The woman at the desk was frumpy but looked pleased to see me. I liked to think that it was because of my bright smile and friendly, "Hello, how are you?" but I was pretty sure she was just glad to see she wouldn't have to deal with another gangster harassing her.

From the store, I bought two boxes of granola bars. They would have to last me awhile. At least until I got a job. Once I had a job, I'd have some breathing room.

"I haven't seen you around before," the clerk, whose nametag read Miyu, said to me as she rang my boxes through. "Don't see a lot like your folk coming through here."

I stared at her blankly. "My folk…?"

She motioned to my attire, which consisted of skinny jeans, tennis shoes, and a silky lime green and bright pink tank top from my favourite store. I'd ditched the sweater long ago in the escalating heat. "Well dressed, sophisticated. Not a lot of people come here to make conversation with the clerk."

I crinkled my nose, wondering how this woman handled working here. "I'm not from around here. Just passing through. I'm looking for a job. I don't suppose you're hiring?"

She snorted, bagging my items and taking my cash. "Honey, if I hired a girl like you, the cops would be here every other day charging young boys for harassment. Naivety isn't a quality you'd like to have in this neighbourhood."

I nodded in understanding, although I really didn't understand at all. It's not like I was some supermodel. I was just thin, cheerful Mikan, with long brown hair that cascaded down my shoulders like a waterfall and plain brown eyes that hadn't seen a whole lot.

Maybe that was why. Because I hadn't seen a whole lot. Maybe I had something to learn.

"You be careful out there," Miyu said in that tone that would have been more complete if she'd been wagging her finger in my face. "Some guys can read a girl like a book; if they know you haven't got a glue where you're going or what you're doing, they'll take advantage of you."

I packed my purchase into my already-too-tight bag and struggled with the zipper before standing up with a victorious, confident smile on my face. "I can totally take care of myself. Don't you worry about me!" I lugged the bag over my shoulder, intending to stand firmly to prove my point, but the weight of it on my back knocked me off balance and I wobbled. Miyu was shaking her head as I called a goodbye over my shoulder and walked out of the store.

The boys that I'd passed on the way in were still there when I walked back the way I'd come, the map held up in my face as I tried to make sense of the directions and street names and everything else.

"Hey, kitten," one of them called lowly. "Whatcha looking for?"

"Oh, nothing," I replied distractedly as I neared them. "I can find it."

"Come on." Whoever spoke cooed, like they were talking to a cat. "We can help."

I frowned over the map at them. "No, I'm really okay. But thanks anyway!"

I heard the door of the store open, but I didn't look over my shoulder. It sounded like Miyu cleared her throat, before the boys pushed themselves off the wall, muttering amongst themselves, and headed in the other direction.

It didn't take long for it to cool down enough that I had to stop and dig for one of my sweaters. By then, my legs were so sore from the constant walking and I was so lost that I nearly collapsed on the first bench I came to. It was a bus stop, but the busy street was clear of busses, so I pulled one of the boxes of granola bars out of my bag and opened it up, allowing myself one bar.

I fished through my backpack until I found my cell phone, wincing when I saw that I had no missed calls from any potential employers and that my battery was slowly running out of juice.

Pulling out my map again, I surveyed it for any indications of buildings that would have plug-ins where I could charge the thing until I found a place to stay. I wasn't entirely happy to think about it, but it looked like tonight would be spent on a bench somewhere, however unsafe that was.

I'd try the library again tomorrow. I hadn't been looking for plug-ins earlier because I hadn't been expecting to not be able to find anything.

It was dark by the time I lugged my tired, sorry carcass off that bench. For a brief second, I wished I could go home and curl up in my bed and deal with Yuka and Hibiki in the morning. As soon as that thought had planted itself in my mind, however, I forced myself to think of how much better off I'd be just as soon as I found myself a job and a place to live.

I tucked my hands into the pockets of my sweater and dug my chin into the collar. The sky was still clear, but the wind had picked up a bit. It wasn't too cold, but enough to make me wish I was inside.

I turned onto a side street, away from the traffic and headed in no particular direction. I didn't know where I saw anyway; it's not like I could get myself anywhere. Part of me wanted to go back to the truck stop, where I could start from the beginning tomorrow, but I knew that it wasn't the beginning and I didn't really want to start over. I wanted to press onwards.

A quiet mewing from my left made me jump ten feet in the air and skitter sideways, snapping me out of my thoughts. The black cat, sitting in the mouth of a dark alley, looked up at me with shiny black eyes, its tail flicking across the ground.

I clapped my hand over my chest, exhaling and inhaling slowly until my heart stopped pounding so hard against my ribs that I was sure the cat could hear it. "You scared me, kitty," I whispered, crouching down. "Come here." I clucked my tongue. The cat mewed again, flashing pearly white teeth, and then darted across the street. I shot to me feet. "Hey!"

Looking both ways like my preschool teacher had taught me – Yuka wouldn't have ever thought to teach me something as important as that – and then crossed the street after the cat. The further down the street I followed it, the darker it seemed to get, and the sketchier. In this area, surrounded by buildings that were dark, streetlights were flickering and I only passed the occasional straggling person who said nothing to me when I politely said hello.

I didn't stop until the cat disappeared into an alley and I heard shouting from just out of my sight.

"Persona wants his cash," someone said, so lowly that I felt a tremor escape up my spine. "If you don't present the rest of it by tomorrow at noon, then he's going to send me after you. I'm sure you can imagine what I'd do to you."

I felt my mouth drop open at the threat. Furthermore, the moment I heard a young man's yelp of pain and surprise, my feet acted on impulse and moved me to the mouth of the alley.

It must have been some secret club's back door at the end of the alley, because I could hear music pumping from beyond it and there were bright lights seeping from underneath the door. The alley was lit by lights on the wall, so I could clearly see the three men. Two of them were standing over the third. The cat was nowhere in sight.

"Hey!" I called down the alley before I could stop myself.

Three pairs of eyes swung to me.

I started towards them, my steps brisk and my scowl prominent. "What do you think you're doing? Get away from him!" I tried to shoo them, but neither of them budged, so I knelt down beside the third man and helped him sit up, muttering, "Damn barbarians. Think it's cool to beat people up. So not cool."

The man I was helping up looked less like a man and more like a boy up close. He pushed his glasses up his nose and looked up at me with fearful admiration. "What are you doing?" Okay, scratch that. He looked horrified.

Before I could ask why, two hands grabbed me and threw me against the wall. The scenario was so much like what had happened with Hibiki – except for this time I had a massive backpack between me and the wall – and yet this time I was overwhelmed with a sense of calm. I didn't thrash or struggle or kick or scream. I stared evenly back.

It may have had something to do with his looks. The man that held me couldn't have been much older than I was. His hair was the color of the night and his hands were strong on my shoulders. Because of his T-shirt, I could see the toned bands of muscle running up his arms and could only imagine the shoulders they led to. His jaw was angular and his nose straight, his cheek bones prominent. In other words, he looked like an angel. But it was his strangely red eyes that held me still. Because eyes were supposed to be the window to the soul, but his were so carefully guarded that I couldn't see past the bleakness. All I could tell was that something in them made me scared. Not for me. But for him.

"What are you doing here?" he said darkly.

I swallowed. "Following a black cat."

He snorted derisively. "You know those are bad luck, don't you?"

"I'm not superstitious. Look, just let me help the poor guy up and I'll leave, okay? Simple enough? You can let me go. It's not like I'm dangerous. I probably weigh half as much as you do. And I'm tired so it's not like I'd put up much of a fight. Not that you should take advantage of me, because that would not be appreciated."

Annoyance flickered across his face. "Shut up."

"Then let me go so I'll stop rambling. It's a condition, I think. I just talk when I'm pinned against walls. Actually, that's not true. I'm not from around here. I just graduated high school. I'm living with my aunt and I'm trying to find a job. This was not exactly how I expected to end my day. Oh, and my name's Mikan!"

"What are you doing?" he growled.

"Establishing familiarity."

His hands left my shoulders so abruptly, I nearly stumbled into him. He pointed to the mouth of the alley. "Leave."

I rubbed my shoulder, sore from where his palms had pressed so tightly. "Would you relax? I'm just going to-"

The man just behind him, who must had been accompanying him, reached into his coat and whipped out something I least expected.

My hands shot up. "Whoa. Okay. I thought this only happened in movies. Would you put that away? I told you, I'm not dangerous. I'm just going to make sure this guy is okay, and then I'm going to leave."

The man that pointed the gun at me didn't lower it until the red-eyed boy shot him a glare.

I dropped very slowly to my knees again, grabbing the boy at my feet by the arms and pulling him to his feet. My eyes never left the red eyes staring back at me.

"You don't belong here," he said to me.

"Why not?"

He looked partly incredulous, like he could not for the life of him think of a reason why I would say that. But it was a perfectly valid question. Other than the fight and the gun, this place wasn't that bad. Just a little bit sketchy.

"Just leave."

"Yes, sir." I gave him one last glance, glared at the man that had held a gun at me, and then dragged the boy in my arms out of the alley and a long way down the street before stopping and turning to him.

"You all right?"

He pushed his glasses up his nose again. He was wearing a button-up shirt and a tie, and he looked like he belonged in an office rather than on the street getting beat up for owing cash to someone for something…maybe for fixing his car or something.

"Y-yes, thank you," he said. "That was really brave of you."

I snorted. "Brave? What was he going to do? Shoot me? People get thrown in jail for that."

He stared at me for a solid three seconds, and then cleared his throat. "W-well, yes, but Reo is not a friendly guy. If you pull his strings, he can get pretty dangerous."

I studied him, and then nodded in understanding. "You were pulling his strings, weren't you?"

He cleared his throat again. It must have been a nervous gesture. "Yes, I suppose I was. But it's not what you think. I'm not into all of that crap. Persona got me out of some things and now I owe him."

"Who's Persona?"

He opened his mouth to reply, and then thought better of it and offered me his hand. "I'm Yuu Tobita."

I grabbed his hand and gave it a solid shake; his palms were sweaty. "Mikan."

"Thanks for, you know…"

Catching onto his embarrassment, I laughed. "No problem. Stay out of trouble, hey? That red-eyed boy did not seem nice at all." Turning on my heel, I waved over my shoulder. "See you later!"


That night, I found myself under a tree away from the road and away from anyone who could potentially stumble across me. Exhausted and maybe a little bit disheartened, I made a bed for myself on the fallen needles under a pine tree, purposely refusing to think about the bugs. Pulling my blanket out of my bed, I curled myself into the smallest possible ball beneath it and laid my head down.

My stomach grumbled as I drifted off, but tonight I wouldn't have to worry about Yuka coming into my room in a fit of rage, to pull me out of my bed and beat me until she broke down into tears and hugged me and asked for forgiveness. I didn't have to worry about hearing my door creak open, and feel that pair of eyes watching me as I slept…


It was the worst sleep of my life. I woke up at every sound and shifted so much that I woke up with a kink in every inch of my body. My stomach continued to grumble and I was suddenly all to aware of how dry my mouth was. I tried to lick my lips, to no avail. Sitting up, I batted branches away from my face and crawled out from under the tree, dragging my blanket and bag with me.

The sun was shining, but the ground was damp with dew. I'd frozen pretty much the whole night, and still shivered even now. Groaning, I fished through my bag for a compact mirror and held it up in front of me, studying the damage.

My hair was piled on the side of my head, tangled with pine needles and branches and anything else you might find under a tree. I tried to comb most of it out with my fingers, and then sat on the ground using my fragile little comb that I'd gotten for free on picture day at school one year through the rats nest until it ran semi-smooth again.

My clothes were hopelessly dirty. I thought about just shedding my sweater and dusting off my jeans, but ended up changing my shirt all together and beating the debris off of my sweater. When I was satisfied with my appearance, I allowed myself half of a granola bar and checked my phone.

No missed calls.

My heart dropped in unavoidable disappointment for a split second before I straightened my back and inhaled the fresh morning air.

"Let's try again," I said aloud to no one but myself. "This city is huge. How hard can it be to find a job?"

The answer to that question was extremely difficult. It was noon by the time I sat down for a break, and the only reason was because I'd run out of resumes.

I looked up and down the street, sighing. My legs burned. Every inch of my body ached. I felt like a wreck, and I couldn't stop thinking about how I was supposed to find a place to live if I didn't have a job.

With a grunt, I pushed myself to my feet. Eventually, through a stroke of luck or chance or maybe fate, I ended up standing in the parking lot of Yome's Truck Stop and Coffee Shop.

Sighing once more, I headed for the doors.

Koko was behind the counter, pouring someone a cup of coffee. As he slid it across the counter to the big trucker in the seat nearest to him, he looked up, grinning when he saw me.

"Mikan! You came back! Couldn't resist the charm, hey?"

I collapsed on a stool at the counter, dropping my bag to my feet and dropping my head onto the cold, hard surface. "This isn't going well."

"The job search? Where have you applied?" As he spoke, he poured another coffee and slid it to me with a plate of cream and sugar. "You look beat. Rough sleep in the new city?"

Rough sleep is right. "I've applied everywhere you could ever think to apply. Everywhere. In fact, I ran out of resumes and I've never hated filling out applications more in my life. How am I supposed to afford an a-" I stopped myself, gritted my teeth, and angrily poured three creams into my coffee before trying again. "How am I supposed to afford school if I can't even get a job?"

Koko watched me add three sugars and then handed me a spoon with a raised eyebrow. "Triple-triple? Classy." He wiped the escaped granules of sugar off the counter with the rag hanging off his short apron. "Give the places a chance to glance at your resume. They're probably pretty busy."

I stirred the coffee, listening to the spoon clank against the cup with a growing urge to throw the whole thing at the floor. But the moment I felt it, I squelched the feeling and slammed my fist on the counter. "You're right. They'll come around and realize I could be the best employee they ever hired, and then I'm going to blow their minds."

"That's the spirit. Can I get you something to eat? You're looking a little pale. Well, paler."

I rested my hand on my stomach gingerly, feeling drool pool in my mouth at the thought of a delicious warm crescent sliding its way down my throat, the butter coating my lips and firing up my taste buds with its salty goodness…

"No, thank you. I already ate."

"Hey! Skinny boy!" A man sitting across the room at a booth by himself waved for Koko. "Gonna take my order?"

Koko threw the rag over his shoulder, grabbed his notebook out of his apron, and walked around the counter, mumbling something about a late waitress.

I took a sip of the coffee, felt its bittersweet taste and warmth on my tongue, and chugged the rest. The fat man sitting in the stool next to me watched me expectantly. I smiled at him and turned back to my empty mug, and waited for him to look away. When he didn't, I turned in my seat to face him.

"I'm Mikan."

"Honey, you looking for a job?" he asked in a whisper.

I nodded my head eagerly. "I need one really badly. Like life or death here. Well, not really, since it's just for school, but it's still life or death. I think I'll give myself until tomorrow to at least get an interview, and if not by then, then I'm screwed-"

"Were you listening to the boy?" he interrupted impatiently. "The waitress here, she's a rich little girl whose parents forced her to get a job. She shows up when she wants and stays until she's bored. She's got Koko's old man wrapped around her finger. Know why? Because she brings in business and as much as Koko hates to admit it, this place wouldn't be doing so good without her. But you," He sat back in his chair, looking smug, "You're a cutie. And you sound like you'd make a reasonable employee."

I felt my eyes light up. I clasped my hands together under my chin and scooted forward on my chin. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, yeah I do. Lemme handle this." As Koko came around the counter to pin the other man's order on the window leading to the kitchen, the man beside me motioned him closer. "Koko, my boy, you need some help around this place."

Koko grinned, oblivious to the anxiety radiating off of me. "What, Daichi, you thinking of taking a job here? You won't miss the big rigs?"

Daichi laughed a booming laugh. "No, kid, you know who I'm talking about." He jerked his thumb in my direction. "Don't even try to deny that she would be an asset to this place."

Koko's eyes flashed to me for a split second, suddenly serious. "Daichi, she's not fit for a place like this."

"I'm not?" I asked, at the same time Daichi said, "Why the hell would you think that?"

"You've seen the people that come in here and hit on Sumire," he muttered lowly. "But she can hold her own with that snobby attitude of hers. That's why it's safe to keep her around." He turned to me. "Mikan, I think you're too nice for this job."

I frowned. "Too nice to waitress or bus tables? Oh, please. Give me a break. I just said I'd blow the mind of any employer who gave me a chance."

"No. I won't have all these pigs of men trying to take advantage of you. I have to break up enough fights and kick enough people out because of Sumire. This is a truck stop, Mikan. Truckers who spend days at a time on the road with nothing but themselves and their own two hands come in here. Obviously, they're going to be a little bored and do what they can to change that."

Daichi waved his hand dismissively. "Spare her the lecture, Koko. She may be a little naïve, but leave her with Sumire for a little while and she'll pick up on that attitude."

Koko studied me, and then shook his head. "No she won't. You probably apologize to doorframes when you run into them, don't you?"

I opened my mouth to object, and then slammed it shut again when I realized if I objected I would be lying. Because I did do that. On occasion. It's not like I went around bumping into doorframes everyday.

"That's what I thought. Mikan, I don't doubt that you would be a great employee. I just don't think you're the right fit to be working here. You're going to have to look elsewhere."

My eyes threatened to burn, but I fought it back and pouted. "Koko, if I don't get a job, my aunt's going to kill me, my future is going to go down the toilet, and I'm never going to get married." It was surprising how easily the lies came now that I had my story down pat.

"What does this have to do with getting married?"

"I'm going to end up being a bum. No one wants to marry a bum." Of course, I left out that I was already a bum.

"Mikan, you're a beautiful girl. If worse comes to worse, go into modelling."

Daichi threw his hands out. "So you'd encourage her to follow a career that entails anorexia and bulimia and drugs and health issues, but you won't let her work here. What kind of twisted logic is this?"

"The modelling agency doesn't have Natsume," Koko replied dryly. "And the people that associate with him."

Daichi snorted. "You honestly think Natsume would let her get involved in all that crap? Sumire hasn't gotten anywhere with him, no matter how much she fawns over him."

"If they come in here, see her and find ample opportunity to use her without Natsume's knowledge, then what?"

I looked between them, feeling the electricity from their heated stares. "I'm failing to understand how this Natsume character has anything to do with me working here. I'd just be a waitress. It's not like I'm tying strings or anything. Whoever he's associated with, they're not going to give me the time of day."

Daichi pointed at me, his eyes never leaving Koko's, and gave him a thumbs-up gesture, nodding. "See? She's not that naïve. Knows a thing or two about how to handle herself."

Koko gritted his teeth in frustration. "You two are-" He stopped in mid-sentence, cursed, and looked at the clock on the wall behind him. "Speaking of Natsume, looks like he just drove up."

"Watch," Daichi said confidently. "He won't even give her a second glance. Pretty as she is, Natsume doesn't make a habit of mingling with the ladies."

"Is he gay?" I asked innocently.

Koko managed to laugh. "No. He's just a little rough around the edges. He draws girls in unintentionally with his shockingly good looks and bad-ass vibe, and then he scares them away with his brooding, intentionally rude personality. He's not the kind of crowd you want to mix with. Hell, he doesn't even want to mix with the crowd he mixes with. Natsume's a complicated guy."

Daichi clapped his hands together. "Let this be a test. If Natsume scares her away, then she's not hired. She holds her ground, you have to hire her. And if you won't, I'll talk to your old man. I know what he'll say about her."

Koko clenched his jaw, ignoring my hopeful smile, and then slammed his hand on the counter. "All right. Fine. She'll run screaming."

"Yes," I murmured, hauling my bag up over the counter and tossing it at Koko. "Keep that back there so it doesn't look like I'm too much of the new girl in town. This guy's not making me go anywhere. Where does he sit?"

"Right where you're sitting, honey," Daichi said.

"Oh, good. What a great way to introduce myself."

Koko shook his head, covering his mouth with one hand, hiding a smile. "Daichi, I give her a minute and a half before she grabs her bag and makes a beeline for the door."

Daichi shook his head confidently. "She'll still be here when Ruka rolls up."

I frowned. "Who's Ruka?"

"Natsume and Ruka have been best friends since elementary. They meet here for coffee every Monday since their lifestyles aren't exactly going in the same direction."

The door dinged open behind me. Koko looked over my head and grinned, waving energetically before turning to the kitchen when the cook yelled, "Order up!" Daichi glanced over his shoulder, adjusted his position on his seat, and murmured, "He's on his way over. Don't let him break you, honey. Not even with those good looks. You've got this."

I took a deep breath and listened to the heavy footfalls of heavy boots across the tiled floor, until they came to a stop just behind me. Mustering up my smile that was confident, cheery, and determined – because my future was on the line here – I turned in the rotating stool to face this oh-so-scary Natsume…

…and my mouth promptly dropped open.

I pointed a finger at him in shock. "You!"

The expression on his face was unreadable, but like the night before, I saw a tinge of anger, followed by an even more subtle flash of amusement through those red eyes. "Yeah, me. And you're on my stool."


A/N: My dear readers, I would like to thank you all once again for the support I've been getting. It really is wonderful to hear from all of you! Please note that if I don't reply to your reviews, I have still received them and do take them into consideration! So keep reviewing! :)

Some of you are probably getting impatient with the introduction into the romance, but for a story like this, the background is just as important as the romance! Unlike my other stories, this one is going to need more building up for it to seem as realistic as possible! Don't you worry though! Now that Mikan and Natsume have met, it's time to introduce the attraction!