''I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt.''

Chapter 4

The Chase

It's been a week since no further letters have disappeared. Natsume thought it was just his imagination. He told Narumi about the missing letters and he replied,'' Probably it was just the wind that blew it away, Natsume-kun. Or an animal took it for its nest or something. I don't think you have to worry about this silly matter.'' He's probably right, Natsume dare say it.

He groaned and rested his chin on his knuckles. He watched as Narumi kept blabbing on and on with the-in his judgment-uninteresting and dull lesson. Natsume glanced around the room and saw that no one was paying attention. The bored to death students were passing notes, napping, playing with their alice under their desk, or either staring at something else other than the teacher.

Riiiiiiing

Gratefully, the bell rung. It sounded like heaven to him and all of the scholars. Before anyone could arise, the fair haired teacher ordered everyone to stay in their seats.

''I have a very important announcement to say as your homeroom teacher,'' he announced with a tacky and cliché smile. ''We will have no class tomorrow!''

Everyone cheered and applauded except for the crimson eyed bloke, however he was glad he didn't have to see his loathsome, obnoxious teachers particularly Naru.

''Instead of regular classes, each and every student of Alice Academy is going to help with the preparation for the Christmas Ball on Saturday!'' Everyone immediately stopped cheering and glared at him deadly. Naru ignored it and continued. ''I will separate you into two groups. The ''Decorating Team'' is in charge of decorating the venue and the giant Christmas tree. The ''Cake Team'' is in charge of making the giant Christmas cake at the party. We will split in these two groups and start working tomorrow! Class is dismissed!''

Before anyone could throw ''colorful'' comments at him, he leaped out of the door. Next class was Jinno or Jin-Jin, who was a teacher Natsume didn't really mind since he knew he wouldn't bother him. He plopped his feet up on his desk and placed his hands on the back of his head.

Suddenly, from the corner of his scarlet left eye, he saw something move near the Sakura Tree. He rotated his head and saw the back of a mysterious figure. The figure was decreasing its size since it was running towards the Northern Forest. She was wearing a strange, silky black cloak. He could tell it was a girl since she had nice curves near her hips. The girl's long russet hair swayed side to side in a rapid motion. Natsume's eyes amplified. His heart stopped at the thought that it could be that person. Is it? It's not possible, he thought.

Natsume jolted out of his seat and pushed himself on the ledge of the window next to him. He jumped out of it. Gasps and screams were heard when the valiant fellow flew down. He landed safely on the ground as he expected and rushed to the forest. As Natsume began plummeting deeper in the Northern Forest, the strange figure appeared again. He realized her long mane reached almost to her waist. Just like that person. He stretched his hand to grab hers. When Natsume almost reached the stranger's, she quickened her speed and separated their close distance. He quickened his speed as well. Peculiarly, they ended up at the graveyard.

You probably guessed it already. The person wearing the long black cloak was none other than Sakura Mikan.

''Natsume's following me!'' Mikan screamed in her mind. ''I can't let him see me! I will be in so much trouble if the ESP found out that someone discovered I'm not dead. Natsume will be in danger! I won't let that happen.'' She surged through the lanes of the gravestones. Mikan peeked behind herself and saw Natsume whom was a couple of feet behind her. ''If I just pass through the barrier, he won't be able to see me anymore.''

When the panicky brunette almost reached the invisible barrier, she collided with someone. She tilted her head up and her heart was relieved to see her.

''Mikan! What are you doing here?'' Ruri probed in bewilderment and astounded tone.

''Ruri! I'm so glad you're here!'' she told her in a panicky tone. ''Natsume saw me! He's chasing after me right now!''

''WHAT! Mikan, you baka!'' she scolded and smacked her on the head. ''So he knows you're alive?''

''No! I don't know. Maybe! He just saw my back! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!

''This is not the time to talk! Let's go!''

Ruri-san hastily hauled Mikan to her feet and dragged her in the barrier. The barrier is invisible. Anyone who doesn't have the special bracelet that was given by the ESP won't be allowed to go through the barrier or see people behind it. Since Mikan and Ruri have the bangle, they were able to see the barricade and go through it.

She smacked the chestnut girl's head again. The dupe whined.

''Mikan! I knew this would happen if you went outside! Go back to your room before the ESP finds out you're gone!'' Ruri-san demanded. ''I'll take care of Natsume. He's going to be suspicious of what he saw. Give me your cloak.''

''What? Why?''

''No time for questions! Give me your damn cloak!''

Without asking a second time, she handed Ruri her cloak then headed back to the secret liar of the ESP. She quickly dialed in the code to enter the liar and once the entrance revealed itself, Mikan rushed in. She surged through the hallways. She halted at the corner of the hallway that was near the door to her room. The auburn haired lassie peered right and saw nobody. She peered left and witnessed the ESP talking to one of his loyal employees unlike Ruri and Takesh. She compressed her hands and leaned on the wall. She could just turn right and enter her ''bedroom,'' but if she dashed to her room now the ESP would see her.

Precipitously, Mikan felt a poke on her shoulder. She jerked in tremor. Her mind was thinking it was one of the faithful followers of the principal, but it was only the mischievous Takeshi who secretly helps her to escape from this imprisonment and truly loathes the ESP with all his heart. She smiled and mentally thanked God.

''Takeshi, I'm so glad you're here,'' she murmured.

''Why are you whispering?'' he questioned.

''Because I'm not supposed to be out of my room, Takeshi!''

''Oh yea, I forgot,'' he said with a cheesy smile. Mikan slapped her forehead. ''Well let's go to your room now, then.''

Before he could leave the corner, the auburn girl towed his arm and he stumbled back to his former spot.

''The ESP is right down this hall. If he sees me out of my room, I'll be dead!''

He peered from the corner and molded his mouth in an ''O''shape. ''I see. Here, I'll create a diversion while you go to your room. Ok?''

''Got it.''

Takeshi leaped from the hidden corner gracefully and approached the demon from hell. She peered again to look at the ESP and witnessed Takeshi grinning and chatting with him. The person the ESP was chatting with before already left. For a person who really despises the principal of the primary division, he appears like he adores him, she mused. He should be an actor one day. Mikan snapped out of her trifling thoughts and listened carefully to their conversation.

''Hello ESP, how's your day?'' Takeshi questioned with a fake beam.

''Fine, Inoue,'' he answered with an irked expression. ''Now would you get out of my way? I need to go and see the rat.''

The brunette cringed at his last spiteful word. I am so not a rat! Mikan thought. The ESP moseyed passed his ''supporter,'' but Takeshi blocked his way yet again.

''Before you do that, I want to ask you something.''

''What? Hurry up now and spit it out!'' he aggressively snapped.

''Can I have a raise?''

''What?''

''Can I have a-''

''I heard you the first time,'' he interrupted him with an aggravated façade. ''Why should I give you a raise?''

''Well,'' Takeshi situated his hand behind his back and signaled Mikan to go,'' because I think I've been doing a great job! Don't you think so?''

''No, you haven't!'' he bellowed.

Mikan slipped out of her hiding spot without a sound and hastened towards her room. She noiselessly flung the door open and afterwards, she soared to her bed. She covered half of her face with the bed sheet and sealed her amber eyes. Mikan was pretending to be asleep. She expected the ESP to come barge through her room any second.

He did.

''Wake up you brat!'' he deafeningly shrieked.

The brunette sat up and imitated drowsiness and lethargy. She rubbed her squinting eyes and stretched her arms out. She yawned to sell the act.

''Good morning, ESP,'' Mikan muttered softly.

''It's not morning!''

She couldn't help, but snicker. Takeshi was snickering too. He gave Mikan the thumbs up for her excellent performance.

''Use your stealing alice and take away these appalling alice stones that your deceased mother put in me.''

''Never. I refuse with my whole life,'' the amber haired girl solemnly said.

The ESP gripped his whip from his belt and raised it high in the air. He aimed the lash at Mikan, but then stopped it halfway at her face. He tossed it to Takeshi who was flabbergasted.

''Show me your loyalty by hitting that girl with my whip. If you do that, I'll raise your salary,'' he told him.

He's not going to hurt me, Mikan thought. But she was utterly wrong. Takeshi stepped towards her and whacked her with the whip. She yelped in pain. When she fluttered her hazel orbs open, she gaped at the abysmal slash on her arm.

''Will you take out these alice stones in my body now?'' the ESP inquired with a sneer.

''No! Never! You can hurt me as much as you like, but I will never take the alices stones my mother put in you!''

''Wipe her again, Inoue!''

Mikan shifted her hazel orbs from the ESP to Takeshi. Her irises enlarged. With one glance of his mournful eyes, she could tell what he was thinking. Takeshi lashed her for the second time, however on the quarry's other arm. She flinched and groaned.

''I will never give in to your demands! You can keep me here until I die!''

''Wipe her again!'' the ESP repeated in rage and frustration.

Takeshi whipped her, but this time on her shoulder. She screamed in anguish. Blood was trickling from her neck and to the bed sheets.

''If that's how you want it then fine. I don't care how long I have to keep you here before you realize taking these wretched stones from my body is the right thing to do. I already kept you locked here for 2 years. I can keep you here for 2 more. Without following my requests, you'll never get out of here and have freedom. Keep that in mind.''

''You….witch,'' she muttered while holding her wounded arm.

''You can keep whipping her as much as you like. Just don't kill her. I still need that spoiled brat,'' the ESP said before he exited.

The tears that the injured girl hid from the ESP finally showed. Takeshi instantly released the whip and ran to the weeping girl. He embraced her snugly and firmly.

''I'm so sorry, Mikan-chan,'' he apologized to her. ''Forgive me.''

''It's alright, Takeshi. I know you had to do that, so the ESP won't find out your true intentions.''

''You're such a strong girl. Do you know that?''

''Thanks,'' she murmured.

Takeshi pushed her back a bit and wiped away her tears. Blood was pouring down to her bed sheet, but Mikan didn't mind since the sheets were already permanently stained with her previous blood from the torture of the ESP. Without warning, Ruri barged in the room. Takeshi and Mikan both flinched of the abrupt entrance.

''Mikan! Are you alright?'' Ruri's bright green eyes expanded at the gushing blood. ''What happened? Did the ESP hurt you again?''

''It wasn't the ESP who hurt her. It was me. I whipped her,'' Takeshi answered for Mikan and released his grip from her shoulders. ''But I only did that beca-''

''YOU BASTARD!''

Ruri hastily charged to Takeshi and sucker punched him in the face. Takeshi collapsed to the wooden floor with a strident thud.

''Takeshi!'' Mikan shrieked and kneeled down to the floor. ''He's out cold.''

''That's what he deserves for hurting you,'' she said with disgust in her voice.

''But Ruri-san, he only did that because the ESP told him to. If he didn't then the ESP would be suspicious of him and may find out his true intentions,'' the auburn miss explained. ''It's not at all Takeshi's fault.''

''Oh oops,'' Ruri replied while scratching the back of her head and chuckling nervously. She then stooped down to the floor and smiled at the unconscious Takeshi. ''Don't worry. He'll wake up in a few minutes. I didn't hit him that hard that it would kill him. My deadly punch is reserved for the ESP!''

''That wasn't your deadly punch?'' she responded astonished.

''Nope!''

''I'm scared to be the victim of your deadly punch.''

''Don't worry. You'll never experience it.''

''Oh my! I almost forgot. How did it go with Natsume? What did you do to him?''

''Well…''

Flashback

Once Ruri saw Mikan enter the hidden liar, she wrapped her cloak around her and snapped her fingers. Suddenly, her height began to decrease a couple of inches and her furious violet mane changed to a soft light cocoa color. Her irises then transferred to a lighter shade of green.

Ruri's alice lets her change to look like another person, but she had to have seen them first. She changed her looks, so that Natsume would think he mistaken her for Mikan. She made herself to appear like her younger sister, Yuri, who died because the ESP murdered her. This is why she loathes the ESP so much. Mikan and Yuri are about the same age. Yuri's appearance and personality are quite similar to Mikan, so it was a good idea to change into her.

When Ruri's appearance officially altered, she twirled around and departed the invisible barrier. Natsume's pupils amplified when he saw the new transformed Ruri. He frowned. She noticed his crimson eyes were filled with grief and sorrow.

''Why were you chasing me?'' she asked.

''Who are you!'' he demanded in a punitive tone.

''I'm,'' Ruri hesitated at first, but continued,'' Yuri from the junior high division. It's nice to meet you.''

''Why were you running away from me?''

''Because…I thought you…were going to beat me up. I heard rumors that Hyuuga Natsume beats up people whom he doesn't like,'' she lied.

''I wasn't going to do that, idiot,'' he answered distantly. ''Why are you wearing such a ridiculous cloak?''

''It's for…the play I'm doing. I'm the…cloak girl,'' she responded nervously. ''Why were you chasing me?''

''Because I thought…never mind.''

''Please tell me,'' she kindly begged him. Ruri already knew the answer. She just wanted to hear him say it.

''I just thought you were someone else.''

''Who?'' She was enjoying acting like a dumbass, but at the same time was feeling repentant for the boy.

''It's none of your business,'' he snapped.

''Since you were chasing me so desperately, I'm guessing you badly wanted to talk to the girl you thought I was.''

He was inaudible for a few seconds before replying. ''Yea.''

''Did you guys get in a fight?''

''No.''

''Do you miss her?''

''That's none of your concern,'' he austerely retorted.

''You do miss the person you thought I was. I can tell.''

''So what? You can't even do anything about it. Sakura Mikan is dead!''

Her lime eyes impulsively expanded. Natsme bangs were covering half of his face and his fists were tightly clenched.

''So that's the girl you thought I was. I met Mikan before. She was really nice and thoughtful. She was always smiling,'' she closed her eyes and remembered Mikan's smile,'' I know she misses you too. I just know it. She probably wishes that she could tell you what she feels right now. She would probably say she's alright and smile. That's just the kind of person she is.''

When Ruri opened her jade eyes, Natsume was staring at her with a stunned façade. She smirked in triumph.

''Well I got to go now back to class. It was nice meeting you, Hyuuga!''

''So that what happened,'' Mikan responded after the lilac haired lady explained. ''Thank you for saying that to him. If I could talk to him right now, that is exactly what I would say.''

''I was also going to add that 'she loves you,' but that would make me seem suspicious.''

''Ruri!''

All of a sudden, Takeshi's body flinched. He gradually opened his eyes. The lad glanced at Ruri and then at Mikan. Takeshi was finally awake. He touched his nose and moaned in pain.

''Why did you have to hit me, Ruri-chan?''

Mikan and Ruri looked at each other and started laughing.