CHAP 4

A deathly silence filled the classroom and all three of them just sat there. Ruka stroked his bunny. Natsume jiggled his foot. Nana squashed a cockroach under the desk.

This continued on for quite a long time, but…

Nana sighed, got up and said, "Well, I'm here now, may as well cause some trouble." She walked out the door. Natsume and Ruka both sighed inwardly with relief, because it was incredibly uncomfortable with her around. Natsume also got up and said, "I gotta go too, Ruka. Ja ne!"

"Hn," said Ruka, who had been miserable ever since Mikan had left.

Natsume shrugged and walked out the door.

He strolled downstairs, where his feet unconsciously carried him to Mikan's favorite spot: the Sakura tree. He leaned against the warm tree trunk and sighed. Mikan…

Upstairs, Nana sat on her bed. She felt like sitting somewhere else now. She dragged a chair to the window and leaned on the windowsill. For the first time in years, she felt lonely and hated the shadow covering her eyes. She pushed her bangs out of her eyes and stared out the window, the gentle breeze flowing through her hair. She stared into the blue sky, with puffy clouds like pure, white cotton candy. She held out a hand, in a trance, and unconsciously traced the cloud's outline. Cotton candy…

FLASHBACK

A cute little girl with black hair in braids jumped through the crowd at the amusement park, tugging on her mother's hand.

"Mama! Mama! Look, there's cotton candy!"

"Okay, Nana-chan! Do you want some cotton candy?"

"Yes please!"

"Good girl! Here."

"Thank you!"

Nana lost her mother's hand in the bustling crowd, and was pushed through the crowd.

"Mama… Mama!"

END OF FLASHBACK

On a whim, Natsume looked up at the Elementary Division dorms and saw…

Nana, staring at the sky and her eyes dripping silent tears. Her hand dropped from in front of her onto the windowsill, her green eyes filled with despair. She sighed and looked away from the sky to the beautiful Sakura tree in bloom. Her eyes traveled down the tree until at its roots she saw…

Natsume, staring right back at her. Alarmed, she shut the window with a bang and shook her hair to cover her eyes again. Natsume sat, stunned with the sight he had just seen. He had seen her weakness. He had also seen… her beauty. Wait, why was he thinking this? Wasn't he still in the state of grieving for his loss? Mikan??? Natsume was thoroughly confused now and shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. Mikan…