AUTHOR'S NOTE AND DISCLAIMER: I apologize for the super late update. I've been really busy lately. Gomenasai minna-san. Here's chapter four, folks. I hope you like it. Enjoy! I DO NOT OWN GAKUEN ALICE!
Chapter 4
Ruka Nogi banged his head against the trunk of the Sakura tree. Blood dripped from his forehead, and his eyes were scrunched up in pain, yet he didn't stop hurting himself. Proceeding to punch the tree with his already-bruised knuckles, he grunted as he threw his first punch.
"How could I be so stupid?!," he yelled in between punches, cursing himself silently.
He had ruined the trust she had in him.
He had violated her.
And now, he was extremely sure that he didn't have a chance of gaining her love anymore.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid-
"Nogi."
Ruka turned to see Hotaru Imai standing before him, her eyes as expressionless as usual.
"WHAT THE F*** DO YOU WANT, IMAI?! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY? DO YOU WANT TO TAKE PICTURES OF ME CRYING MY EYES OUT? THAT WOULD SURELY SELL A LOT, RIGHT?," he screamed at her, "CAN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE? I'M SUFFERING ENOUGH, GODDAMIT!".
He huffed and panted, his voice slightly hoarse, and his eyes staring at the inventor, glaring with the fiery intensity that only a few can muster. She stared at him stoically, the same blank expression present on her face.
"Nogi,-"
"WHAT?! You just can't keep on saying 'Nogi' all the time with that piteous tone! I feel so low already, so there's no need to rub it in! You want to beat me up for what I did to Mikan? Then by all means, go on! I deserve it anyway!", he exclaimed angrily, "Though I really do regret what I've done," he continued, his tone softening up, "Will you tell her I'm sorry, Imai? Will you tell her that I apologize-"
Ruka's pupils dilated slightly as Imai Hotaru, the ice queen of Gakuen Alice, wrapped her arms around him consolingly.
"It's all right, Ruka," she murmured. Her usually icy voice hushed down, and somehow turned into a loving, comforting tone that seemed to lighten up the depressed lad's spirits.
Resting his head on her shoulder, he broke down and cried.
--
Mikan stared at herself in the mirror, examining the bags under her eyes. Ruka's shocking act was still fresh on her mind, and to keep her thoughts from straying towards it, she decided to get lost in her reflection.
You've let yourself go, Mikan.
Tilting her head slightly, she tried to smile. Yet what came out wasn't a genuine display of happiness at all.
The smile she had was hollow.
Empty.
False.
Sighing, she got up and flopped on her bed. Looking up at the ceiling, she decided to visit Natsume's room once more.
He won't come back.
These words echoed on her mind, as tears streamed down her face. She knew that her friends had expected her to at least try to move on, and she was indeed trying, but she can't help but yearn for Natsume's return.
Natsume, look at what you've done to me.
I feel like a dead leaf, being tossed around by the wind, not knowing where my actual destination is.
And despite the cold truth that you won't come back, I'm waiting for you.
So please..
Please don't be dead. Please let it be one of the Academy's stupid schemes to hide you from the AAO. Just please..
Be alive.
--
Natsume watched as the girl of his dreams broke into pieces right in front of him. Strangely, he could hear her thoughts, and he felt his heart getting crushed bit by bit.
I'm so sorry.
Laughter suddenly echoed through Natsume's head. Whipping around, he searched for the culprit, straining his ears for any kind of sound, anything that gave him a hint about his whereabouts.
"Who's there?"
His voice echoed back, yet somehow, he knew that someone was watching him.
Someone was playing tricks on him.
"Who's there?", he repeated, looking around suspiciously, his eyes narrowed to slits.
There's the laughter again, he thought, as faint chuckles echoed in the darkness.
"Peek a boo, Natsume…"
Natsume looked around, trying to follow the source of the voice.
"Catch me if you can…"
"SHOW YOURSELF, COWARD!"
"Here kitty, kitty…"
Natsume ran aimlessly, trying to run towards the voice. The floor started to turn, making him stumble, and as much as he tried, he couldn't get back up.
"Here kitty, kitty.."
"Here kitty, kitty.."
"Here kitty, kitty.."
Natsume's scream filled the endless void, echoing through the nothingness. Sobbing uncontrollably, his desperate pleas for an end to all the psychological torture sounded off into the dark.
I'm begging you. Just let this end…