I disclaim Gakuen Alice.

THE FOURTH CHAPTER

LET US WELCOME THE NEW STUDENT

"I had a mannerism that when the first day of class comes, I'll end up going home or been appointed into a clinic because I always get dizzy because of homesickness." - mannequin GF

It's a windy day. The flowers and grasses keeps on swaying like they are dancing before the phantom princess. Bees and bugs are fluttering around in the air surrounding her, while she reaches for them even though she knew they're unreachable. Her long golden brown hair was tied in a braid and wears a summer hat which has intricate designed laces in it. She was sitting on the grass while her silky pink gown spreads around her. The big bow on the back of her waist has excess laces which freely touches the ground. She put down her gloved hand and caressed some dandelions that when touched, the tiny powder like petals flew away and danced with the breeze.

She doesn't look like a phantom but a princess. Something that an artist would like to capture, for every beauty and purity was enveloped in each of her smiles. No one ever wanted to disturb her peaceful picture. But poor Subaru had to interrupt her princess because it was almost time to go.

"Mikan. I'm afraid we have to get going. She is waiting at the entrance of the forest." He did not yelled, but just enough volume she could hear.

Subaru Imai is a former student in Alice Academy. He was now working as a doctor in the Academy's hospital and is the head. He possesses the Alice of Healing and Pain which allows him to cure certain illness of a person or an animal and transfer it to the same kind. He was the cause of all healed injuries of Mikan when she acquires some from playing.

She looked sadly on the dandelions which were now bald but smiled. "We'll be not seeing each other for long. I'll be missing you." she whispered like the flowers could hear her. She looked up and blinded by the sun and stood up. She took up the long skirt of her gown and took steps towards her waiting senpai, somehow letting the latter saw that she does not wear any shoes.

Arranging his glasses, Subaru questioned her. "Where are your shoes?"

Mikan blushed with embarrassment and bit her gloved finger, looking away. "I'm sorry, senpai. I forgot where I left it." She pointed to the grassy ground where she came from. "I took them off at the meadow."

Subaru took her chin and make her look up, seeing his smiling face. "Don't worry. I'll get them for you." He said then headed to the grasses to search for the missing shoes. He left the mallet with Mikan.

Mikan looked up at her little house, wanting to bid farewell but shed a tear instead. She said all she wanted to say in her mind and kept it inaudible. She smiled and wiped the tear away, exactly when Subaru came and handed her the pink doll shoes. He placed it near Mikan's bare feet and the little princess lifted her skirt a bit, giving the grown up lad the privilege to wear them to her himself.

"Arigatou, senpai." she said.

He stood up straight and smirked. "Please let us go."

She held his senpai's bare hand and holds it tightly. "Here goes." And when she closed her eyes, a glowing bright white light surrounded them and they gone disappear. It was like clockwork. They just appeared before a raven haired gal with cold and bored amethyst eyes wearing blue pleated skirt and long sleeved attire with blue lace tied in the collar.

"HOTARU!" The brunette scurried and opened her arms wide to hug her best friend which the latter gladly accepted. Mikan rubbed her cheek to Hotaru's and told her how much she missed her. She had forgotten the fact that Hotaru visited her only a day ago after the night Natsume left.

Hotaru Imai, a middle school student, one of the holders of the special star ranking. She has the Alice of Invention which allows her to create magnificent and incredible gadgets. Her creations started to be distributed all over the country when she was still an elementary student, and now that she is a middle schooler, her inventions were limitedly sold in other Asian and American countries.

Hotaru accidentally met Mikan in the forest while the latter is playing with some animals. Hotaru had some business with a certain Animal Pheromone Alice but led her to discovering the Phantom Princess. Shocked and intrigued with her existence, she befriended her but further loved her as a sister. She is not even aware that Mikan got close to her and the closest among all of her other classmates back at the Academy. And because of their built relationship, Himemiya did not bother to cut it and found it as an advantage so that Mikan will not grow old alone.

She pinned her bored eyes to his brother, Subaru Imai, and let the brunette hug her until satisfaction but she didn't hugged back. "What's taking you so long?"

"Gomen, Hotaru." it was Mikan who replied to her question. "I lost my shoes on the meadow and Onii-san searched them for me. I'm sorry."

Finding the reason valid enough, Hotaru rolled her eyes and broke the brunette's hug. She turned her back to both of them and said, "Let's get going. It's near late." she coldly said.

Mikan nodded and got her mallet, assisting her long pink silky skirt and held her hat to avoid it from getting off by the wind. She looked back at the spectacled man and bid goodbye, giving him a sweet smile before finally disappearing with Hotaru.

In the midst towards the famous Hanahime Mansion, Mikan and Hotaru was riding in an animal car which Hotaru invented. The mobile is moving slow through a meadow routing to the mansion. The sun does not strikes so hard but the wind kept swaying thin bodies of grasses and stems, and Mikan having the trouble her hat is causing her. But Hotaru just watches her enjoyably.

"Are you sure of this?" Doubt is evident in Hotaru's tone as she asked the brunette beside her. Mikan puffed her cheeks while keeping her hat in still, which made her really cute. "Why? Don't you want me here?" she asked for a reply.

Hotaru just rolled her eyes like before and did not answer her. In actuality, Hotaru is glad of the sudden enrollment of Mikan to the Academy. But she doubts on the fact why did Himemiya let her appear in front of other people when all her life, she was hidden and kept?

"I know it's kind of a sudden. It was a joke that Hi-sama unbelievably granted true." she told.

Hotaru's eyebrows met, having no clue on the statement, gave Mikan a questioning look. "When Hi-sama brought me dinner, we had a little talk. And when I joked her that I wanted to enroll in the Academy, she said why not." She bit her lip. "It was strange."

"Of course it was strange." Hotaru said in flat tone. "Why do you think?"

Mikan looked at Hotaru and removed her attention in her stupid hat. "I don't know. She became loose when I met Natsume."

"You, dummy. If I didn't saw it myself that you are with him that night, you won't tell it yourself." Hotaru scolded with a vein popped on her head but facial expression is as flat as a paper.

Mikan chuckled nervously, chuckling. "I'm innocent!" she defended herself. "But, how did you knew him?"

"A classmate." she plainly replied.

"How's he as a classmate?" she asked, curious.

"He's a grey area." she answered, uninterested. "Popular in school, special star ranked, and has a cold shoulder to anyone except his best friend."

Mikan paused. Is Hotaru defining herself or something like that? She chuckled, realizing that Natsume and Hotaru really had the same traits as a person. And her chuckle burst into fine laughter and blushes after concluding that she is fond of stoic and deep persons.

Hotaru got pissed with her laughing, she didn't even joked. With bored and chibi figure, she let out her Baka gun and aimed it to Mikan. "What's so funny?"

Mikan was almost teary eyed when she controlled herself or else, she'll be shot by Hotaru's gun. She'd been shot before that's why she had the idea of how it feels when shot by it and believe it, she doesn't wanted to feel it again. She wiped her wet eyes and said, "Nothing. Nothing, I just remembered something hilarious."

Hotaru rolled her amethyst eyes and hid her gun. "Oh, I thought you wanted to fly to the mansion yourself." she paused and maneuvered the wheel of the car. "Prepare yourself, we're almost here."

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Natsume Hyuuga let out a sigh, and it's for the nth time now. He ditched his first class and went to his Citrus tree at the back of the Middle School Building. In his elementary days, he would suppose to rest under a Sakura tree but since he graduated from elementary, travelling from the Middle School Building to the Elementary building just to take a rest at the Sakura Tree would be bothersome. So he looked for a replacement tree nearer from his current building and luckily found an alienated Citrus tree. It looked very odd because it was separated from all other trees around. But he found it as an advantage so he could easily determine his tree out.

He had his back leaned from its robust trunk while his arms are crossed at the back of his head for support. His legs are also crossed right above left and his crimson flare eyes are pinned to the calm sky. The strong wind keep blowing his hair which makes him look cooler than ever. His whole picture was calm and peaceful just like his mind.

Just two days before, he was with the infamous Phantom Princess. But now, it was like as if he forgotten all about her. After he left her alone, going back never landed his mind. Though he doesn't know the very reason why did he react like that In the first place. Knowing that she is a child of Izumi Yukihira and possesses the most harmful Alices ever existed, the primary thing that he got in mind is that he met a very dangerous person, though it is not evident in her sweet and friendly feature. Natsume was just shocked. Someone so composed like him could sometimes act careless of course. Nobody's perfect after all.

A reason why Natsume didn't think of going back is that, he doesn't know how he'll face her. When he left her alone, he saw her piteous as if mentally saying to him not to leave him and stay. But what did he do? He ran away from her like she was a hideous and terrible monster. He admits that what he did was horrible, given that all she did was pure kindness to him. She even made him smile. He just doesn't know what to do in front of her. She might be mad, or upset.

"Ruka." He coldly muttered when Ruka suddenly appeared before him, panting.

"Natsume!" He greeted, a bit worried and scared.

Natsume stood up straight and dusted his pants, walking closer to the blue eyed blonde. "How'd you found me?"

"Well, I should thank those fan girls for bringing me here. They were after me again and I just ran where my feet will take me and luckily, they led me to you." He said between breaths. Natsume smirked, "Tch."

"How did you know I was looking for you?" Ruka said after catching up his breath and got to Natsume's side as they began to retreat the area.

"You always do when I ditch class. Seriously, Ruka, you never changed." he said, smirking.

Ruka exchanged smirks while scratching the back of his head. "Gee, I am not aware." He chuckled afterwards and then Natsume joined him.

Ruka Nogi, he is Natsume's best friend ever since the world knows. He had ocean blue eyes and blonde hair. Ruka is half French and half Japanese, having a gentle and pleasant personality that balances that of Natsume's. He is a Somatic Class student since he possesses the Animal Pheromone Alice and a Triple Star student. Ruka would've been a special rank if it weren't because of himself.

When he was given the special rank, he did something for the higher ups to retrieve back a star, making him a Triple star student again. In actuality, Ruka doesn't care about the star ranking. He rather wanted to be a No star, believing that he doesn't deserve a Triple one. But because the ranking affects the allowance and his living inside the Academy, Natsume persuaded him to let him stay as Triple.

"Gimme that!"

"Come and get it!"

"Ohayo, Natsume-kun!"

"Look at my cupcake! It's dancing!"

"Great work, Anna-chan!"

"Do you know where Imai-san went?"

Different ranges, pitches and tones of voices are mixing inside the room of Class B. It is where the class Natsume, Ruka and Hotaru belongs. A class full of varied personalities: geniuses up to morons, geeks and dorks to snobbish and chicks, stoics to stupids.

The students are having a riot after Serina Yamada's class was dismissed. Some are running after each other, some are teasing fellow students, some are trying to catch somebody's attention, some are using their Alices to kill time, some are searching for someone who isn't present at the moment and some are just ignoring the whole thing around. But the noisy crowd was interrupted by the class' homeroom teacher, none other than the famous blonde teacher, Narumi Anju.

Narumi has amethyst eyes just like Hotaru's, but looks livelier than her. His blonde hair extends up to his shoulder and was curled in a pretty way. He usually wears wardrobe with ruffles in it that basically makes him look like a gay or something but he really is a true man.

He twirled and twirled until he reaches the teacher's desk in the middle of the wooden platform in front of the class while exclaiming his greetings. "Ohayo gozai masu! It's such a windy day, ne class?" He plastered a warm smile at the class while pink puffing imaginary hearts scattered around him. Others welcomed him by greeting him back, but for others like Natsume, he just rolled his eyes and shrugs him with ignorance. While Ruka beside him stayed as quiet as he can.

"Why don't we start the day with a good news?" Narumi said in excitement. "Just this morning, I met a beautiful lady. She is nice, kind and sweet. I bet you guys will definitely like her."

"Yay! A girl!" someone from the crowd exclaimed.

"Yes, it's a she." Narumi chuckled.

"So, that is the good news?" a green haired girl with emerald eyes and whose ends of hair were elegantly permed at the end. She is called Sumire Shouda, the President of the Natsume-Ruka fan club. She's been the President since elementary and does not have any plans in retiring.

Narumi lifted a brow. "Well, the good news is…she's going to be your classmate!" Popping of party poppers was heard and confetti comes from everywhere as Narumi celebrates with the half of the class.

While they are celebrating, Natsume and Ruka just ignored the whole thing. They don't care if someone will add into the class' population or if it was a girl or not. Just right now, Natsume regrets of him attending the blonde's class even if he knew he will just blabber about something in minutes and will give the class a break which was actually the dismissal itself. Natsume looked away and gazed at the view framed in the window.

"Are you excited about it?" A big and cheerful "YES" was heard and not in a moment, Narumi spoke. "Imai-san, you can go in."

"She's with Hotaru-san?" a pink haired girl called Anna Umenomiya said in doubt. "So that's the reason why she's not in our first class."

As Narumi told Hotaru to get in, she entered the class in her usual middle school uniform but she was holding someone's hands when she got in, a gloved hand in particular. "Hey dummy, get inside." Hotaru murmured to the new student.

"Sorry, Hotaru. I stepped on my skirt." the girl whispered.

The class was oh so silent as a pretty girl came in who wears a cute pink silky gown with a big ribbon on the back of her waist. Her long brown hair is braided as it extend up to her leg. To complete her country princess girl figure, a nice pink hat is on her head covering her undiscovered face. Gloved hands and doll shoed.

The new girl is bowing her head low while walking towards the platform which makes the class excited on how she looks. Majority of the population's jaws were almost dropped and some stares amusingly at her. All of their reactions were predictable but for someone. The ever stoic and expressionless Natsume Hyuuga looked so nervous and his eyes were widened. His hands were clenched and laid flat on his desk as if waiting for the new student to show her face whose features looked so familiar.

Could it be that she's her? He shook. It's impossible. She is bound to step the premises of the Academy. But who could have that long brown hair other than her? And that dress…she always wear those same kind of dresses. No…It couldn't be.

"Natsume?" Ruka was worried with his best friend's action. He doesn't have these reactions towards other people. Could it be because he's feeling weird with the weird new student?

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" Narumi told the girl with a warm smile.

"Ohayo." Slowly, her head lifts up, showing her face from chin to her chocolate eyes. "Watashi wa Sakura Mikan." she smiled at the crowd, which made a lot of guys in the room faint.

It really is her. What is she doing here?

Mikan looked around, hoping to find a guy whom she met in the clock tower. Someone who she told her secrets with, someone who she had the moon oath with, someone who walked out away from her twice. She searched for the first row, the second row, the third row, the fourth and at the fifth. And she found him on the fifth row, and saw him looking so scared and nervous. "Nat…" Before she even muttered his name, Narumi caught her attention.

"Why, Mikan-chan looked so moe!" he said.

"M-Moe?" Mikan curiously asked.

Narumi nodded childishly. "Now you can go to your seat. There at the fourth row at the left."

But Natsume is at the fifth row at the right.

Somehow, Natsume and Mikan should be thankful for someone called Kokoroyome wears his control device. Because if not, he would have known that they already know each other and could lead into much trouble.

Hotaru escorted Mikan towards her new seat which was just beside hers. As they go farther and farther from the front, as well as they gather more and more gazes particularly for the brunette. Even the snobbish Sumire hadn't got anything to say with her cuteness. Poor Sumire, she had another rival towards Natsume's affection.

Mikan stared at Natsume and didn't put away her eyes of him. She had those lonely eyes, having the thought that Natsume might really hate her now. She tried to capture his crimson ones but he kept looking away at her and had that face of i-don't-care. At least for the fire caster, he had managed to compose himself after he got shocked when he realized it was really her, the idiot Polka Dots.

"Okay! I'm giving you an early break, I just have some appointment at my office so…" he chuckled. "Just enjoy the break everybody!" With that, he scurried away and disappeared.

As students already knew that it was dismissal, curious students went to Mikan's chair and encircled her, ready to interrogate the newbie. And as for Mikan who sweat drops at the moment, she welcomed them with kindness. She let them sit near her and gave them a smile. Hotaru just stayed beside her.

"Hello, Sakura-chan! My, my! What a pretty dress you have!" The known twin sisters of the class greeted in unison. "I'm Anna Umenomiya!" said a pink haired girl. "And I'm Nonoko Ogasawara!" said the dark blue haired girl.

Mikan nodded. "Nice to meet you, Umenomiya-san, Ogasawara-san!" she replied cheerfully. "I still don't have my uniform so they permitted me to wear my own clothes."

"Oh, we see. " The twins giggled. "Please just call us in our first names."

"Uhm, sure." Mikan chuckled. "Please call me at my first name too."

"No worries!"

"We want to introduce our classmates to you, Mikan-chan!" The twins exclaimed in unison.

"He's Tobita Yuu!" Anna said, pulling a shy blonde with glasses near. "He's our class representative when we are in elementary. He was supposed to be a special ranked student but he decided to trade it for being the Student Council member instead, isn't it wonderful?"

"Wow, that's very nice of you, Yuu." Mikan giggled.

"So there's Kokoroyome, the blonde guy with a smiling face. He's known as Koko for short." Nonoko pointed as Koko smiled nicely at her. "The other blonde beside him is Kitsuneme! And the nearly bald guy over there is Mochiage."

"It's great to have them as classmates." the brunette gladly said.

"Yes. The silver haired girl was Yura Otonashi." Anna said. "The short haired girl there is Wakako and the green haired girl with her is Sumire Shouda."

"They're pretty." Mikan said which made Hotaru frown.

"Of course we were." Sumire snobbishly said while walking towards Mikan and the others with hands on her waist. "So, Mikan Sakura isn't it?" she asked.

"Uhm, Yes." Mikan answered.

"Doozo yoroshiku. Again, I am Sumire Shouda. The President of the Natsume-Ruka fanclub." she introduced with pride. She held her hand out for a shake.

"Yeah, the self proclaimed whatever it is." Koko cracked that made the others laugh. Sumire's head became hot because of embarrassment as she yelled at Koko. "Bite your tongue, mind reader!"

Mikan can't help it but sweat drop and just shook hands with her. "What's it again? The club who?"

Sumire laughed with her question. She had her hand on her chin and bursted evilly, something like that. "You don't know?"

"I-I don't."

"That's good." Sumire turned around and waved her hand. Since Mikan said she didn't know, Sumire had been thinking that she's safe with something she was the only one who knows. After all, sometimes, Sumire was the only person who can understand herself. "Well, it's such a great opportunity to be your classmate, Mikan Sakura." Once again, she laughed that way while retreating.

The whole group of people was left dumbfounded. They just watched her leave with Wakako peacefully before Mikan broke the silence. "What's with her?"

"Don't mind her, Mikan-chan. Sumire's always like that. Right, Anna-chan?" Nonoko turned to Anna and made a high five then giggled.

"Years ago, Shouda-san proclaimed herself as Natsume-kun and Ruka-kun's fanclub." Yuu explained.

"Oh yes, how could we forget?" Anna suddenly said while she laid her index finger on her lip. "Two of the most popular and sought after guys in the whole Academy can be found here in Class B."

"One of them is Nogi Ruka-kun. The blonde one with blue eyes, isn't he the dreamiest?" Nonoko's eyes turned into pink hearts as she showed her admiration towards the blonde prince. "And the other guy beside him who reads a manga is no other than Hyuuga Natsume-kun."

Hearing his name pounded her heart and bore a hole in it. She gazed towards where Nonoko's finger is pointing, towards somebody who had a stoic face who seems like is mentally saying to her that he doesn't care if she showed up. A face that says to her that he had already forgotten everything about her.

She waited for his response, and somehow hoping he would at least recognize her. She had her hopes up, for somehow she believes in the Natsume she met in the tower and the Natsume she brought to her house. She even put up a weak smile at him, while Hotaru just watches the fire caster and ready to shoot him with her Baka gun if ever he did something stupid.

He diverted his eyes from his manga to the group of people who had their eyes pinned to him, waiting for any response or whatever. He looked at the new student and saw her smile. But that smile made him guiltier of what he did to her that night. He hurriedly looked away and stood up. "Let's go, Ruka." He got his manga with him and walked before Ruka and headed for the door where he had to pass in Mikan's seat before finally leaving the room. Natsume composed himself and tried not to look at her and he was successful, while Ruka told Mikan that he was glad to meet her before finally disappearing with Natsume.

It was hurtful. She was ignored. She pulled herself close together and forced a sly smile at Ruka and nodded. She can feel the warning that her tears wanted to escape from his eyes. But that was just childish and Hotaru wouldn't be happy if she cried right now. She would just make things complicated if she cried for a narrow reason.

"Nah, don't mind him. He's always like that believe me. You don't have to worry, Mikan-chan. He's not mad at you or anything." Anna comforted.

Mikan looked up and smiled. "Really? Then I guess there's nothing to be worried of."

"Uh-huh." Anna nodded. "Natsume-kun and Ruka-kun had many differences with each other. And yet, they're still together for almost all of their lives. Both balance each other's attitude out that's why they lasted as friends. I really am a fan of their friendship."

"Enough about them." Nonoko interrupted. "They are always the main topic in every girl in the Academy. Let's just enjoy our time with Mikan-chan here."

Interesting.

"I'm so sorry, I got carried away. He he." Anna apologized and easily recovered. "So, Mikan-chan! Can we ask you some questions?" Nonoko and Yuu agreed as they nodded and smiled altogether.

"Of course!" Mikan rejoiced, putting Natsume's case aside. After all, she doesn't want the new chapter of her life focused to somebody who doesn't want her to be a part of it. Being a student in Alice Academy makes her feel like any other normal person. It makes her like a free spirit and just now, she feels so excited to meet these good people and other people. She wanted to roam around the areas that she was bound to step, like the famous Central Town because believe it or not, with her thirteen years at the Academy, she's never been in the Central Town.

"So, what's your Alice, Mikan-chan?"

An update!

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