"Narumi-sensei!" Mikan and Hana shouted.

Narumi-sensei stopped walking and turned around.

"We wrote another letter to Grandpa!" Mikan and Hana said in unison, "So please, send it for us!"

"A-ah...yes," Narumi stuttered, taking both of the letters in their hands, "Gotcha!"

|| Time Skip ||

"Everyone! I have mail for you!" Takahashi shouted, "I will pass them out from the top. Let's see... Takagi-san. Hayashi-san. Imai-san. Ohmori-san. Kondou-san. Yokoyama-san. And Akeshi-san."

Mikan quickly walked up to Takahashi, dragging Hana with her, "Where's ours? Is there a letter for us?"

"That's all for today," Takahashi said, shaking the bag, "Doesn't look like you got a letter this time, Sakura-san. Sorry Hana-san."

Mikan and Hana walked sadly back to their seats. Hana continued eating while Mikan just sat there in thought.

"Where's my letter?! Where's my letter?!" Mikan shouted suddenly, rolling around on the ground.

"Geez, you're annoying," Hotaru said, kicking Mikan.

"There there, Mikan," Hana comforted, "There there."

|| Time Skip ||

"Mikan's really down in the dumps, huh?" Iinchou said, worried.

"Don't pay attention to her," Hotaru said, "She'll just become more obsessed."

"She's homesick, huh?" Iinchou concluded, "Same thing happened to me, too."

"Cheer up," Iinchou said, trying to cheer Mikan up.

"Do you think something happened to Grandpa?!" Mikan shouted, shaking poor Iinchou.

"I-I know! If you're that worried about your Grandpa, there's a way to find out how he's doing," Iinchou stammered.

Mikan stopped shaking Iinchou, "Really? How?"

"Otonashi has the Divination Alice. They say her fortune are really accurate," Iinchou explained.

"Fortune-telling?" Mikan repeated, walking up to Otonashi, "Otonashi-san! Could you perform a divination to tell me how Grandpa's doing?"

"Dance is the vigor of one's soul," Otonashi said, standing up, "An oracle must feel the person's soul when performing a divination. That is essential."

All of a sudden, three guys with instruments appeared behind her and started chanting, "Old man, how ya doin?" Then Otonashi started doing a crazy dance.

"Sakura-san! Now!" Otonashi shouted, pointing a finger at Mikan. Mikan listened and started doing the crazy dance, too.

"That Mikan. She's quite the challenger to ask Otonashi-san for a divination," Hotaru commented, "She must be at her wit's end."

"Mikan," Hana said worried.

"Her fortune's may be accurate, but there's no way I'd do that dance," Kitsuneme said.

Suddenly, the music stopped and Mikan dropped to the ground, tired.

"Master! Were you able to find anything out?" Mikan asked Otonashi.

"I see it... I can see it...," Otonashi said, placing a hand on her forehead.

"How can she figure out anything with that?" Hotaru wondered out loud.

"Just deal with it, will ya?" Kitsuneme said.

"Sakura-san!" Otonashi interrupted, "Your grandfather is... picking a fight with the mailman!"

"Picking a fight?" Hana repeated.

"But how does he look?" Mikan asked.

"How does he look?" Otonashi repeated, "He's quite old."

"What kind of answer is that?" Kitsuneme said.

"What else?" Mikan asked, standing up.

"He has so many wrinkles that I can't make out his expression," Otonashi said.

"How am I suppose to know how Grandpa's doing with an answer like that?" Mikan shouted.

"He's saying that he hasn't received any letters from either of you," Otonashi continued.

"Eh?! Why, why? Grandpa hasn't received Hana's and my letters?" Mikan shouted, shaking Otonashi.

"How could that happen?" Hana asked, "Mikan and I write letters to Grandpa everyday."

"He's arguing with the young mailman, demanding to know where his grandaughters' letters are," Otonashi continued, once again.

"What in the world?!" Mikan shouted.

"Oh Grandpa," Hana sighed, shaking her head.

"Clam down, Mikan-chan," Iinchou said, "I'm sure there's an explanation to all this."

"Why hasn't Grandpa gotten any of my letters?! I'm gonna ask Narumi-sensei!" Mikan shouted, before running.

"Hold it," Hotaru said, pulling on a rope, making a basket fall on Mikan, "Do you realize the problems you've already caused myself, Iinchou, and Hana with your thoughtless actions? You need to fix that personality of yours. Do you plan on making matters worse by causing a commotion? You're not the only one who's concerned about their family here."

"H-Hotaru. Don't you think you're being a bit harsh?" Hana asked, watching Mikan cry under the basket.

Hotaru sighed, "Mikan, I don't like spoiling you, but I can show you and Hana how your grandfather's doing."

"Really?!" Mikan shouted, lifting the basket.

|| Time Skip ||

"So, if we use this, it'll project the image of your grandfather that Otonashi is seeing," Hotaru said, placing her Anglerfish Projector on Otonashi's head.

"Otonashi-san, please!" Hana pleaded.

"I see it... I see it," Otonashi repeated.

Suddenly, the Anglerfish Projector glowed, and an image of Grandpa appeared.

"I'll have you know, I did not raise two granddaughters who'd go on a journey without sending me a single letter!" Grandpa shouted, causing Mikan to screamed in surprise.

"Grandpa!" Mikan shouted.

"But I can't deliver something that we haven't received," the mailman said.

"Stop talking back to me!" Grandpa shouted, raising his stick, "Go back, check again, and bring me that letter! You lazy chump!"

"Grandpa, if you get that angry, your blood pressure will..." Hana muttered.

"He's irrational as usual," Hotaru commented, "But if he's that energetic, then there is nothing to worry about."

"S-sorry!" The mailman, cried, quickly driving away.

"Geez, kids these days..." Grandpa grumbled. The scene quickly changed to our backyard, with Grandpa next to the well, dumping water on himself.

"I've been training my body since I was a boy, so I can't imagine losing to these youngsters just yet!" Grandpa stated, proudly. However, he sneezed and started shivering just before the projection turned off.

'If Grandpa was really all right, he wouldn't be getting the shivers from his daily water training routine,' Hana and thought in worry, 'He must be getting sick from worry. He doesn't know where we are? How can that be?'

"How can that be?!" Mikan shouted, breaking Hana's train of thought.

"How should I know?" Hotaru said.

"I don't understand," Hana said quietly, though everyone could hear her, "We sent a bunch of letters. It doesn't make sense."

"He didn't get them of course," Natsume said, from the back of the seat, "Did you really think the teachers would us contact the outside world so easily? You especially, Polka-dots, because you're an idiot who's always causing a commotion."

"Natsume," Hana said, looking at Natsume sadly.

Natsume looked away, avoiding Hana's sad look, "What a simpleton."

"What's with you, all of a sudden?!" Mikan shouted, walking up to him, Hana following her, "You defiant jerk! Narumi-sensei promised us! He said he'd deliver our letters to Grandpa!"

"Then why hasn't your grandfather gotten your letters?" Natsume shot back.

Both Hana and Mikan were silent.

"And since we're on the subject, I'll tell you something," Natsume continued, "There will never come a day when Narumi delivers your letters to your grandfather. If you think there's an adult that you can trust at this academy, you both are dead wrong."

Hana covered her mouth, "T-that can't be true," she said, shaking her head, tears threatening to fall out.

"That goes for us exspecially, because we've already been marked," Natsume said, standing up, trying not to look at Hana's sad face.

"What are you..." Mikan started.

"This is a good opportunity," Natsume said, standing up, "Go find out the truth yourself."

"Natsume's been in a bad mood ever since the day we played dodgeball, hasn't he?" Iinchou asked, watching as Natusme walked away.

"Like I care!" Mikan shouted, throwing a fit.

"I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry!" Iinchou shotued, cowering.

"And why are you taking it out on Class Rep?" Hotaru asked.

"Narumi-sensei's not that kind of person!" Mikan said, "Natsume's just making all that up!"

"I guess we have no choice but to find out for ourselves," Hotaru said, holding up an envelope.

|| Time Skip ||

"Narumi-sensei!"

Narumi turned around to see Hana and Mikan running after him.

"We wrote another letter to Grandpa, so please send it for us!" Mikan said, holding out their letters.

"Huh? Another one? Okay, okay, gotcha!" Narumi said, taking their letters, before walking away.

However, what he didn't know, was that on their letters were stickers of an eye and an ear.

|| Time Skip ||

"Naru, they asked you to send another letter for them?" Serina's voice was heard from the pig machine that Hotaru built.

"Yeah. Well it's the only way she can communicate with her family," Narumi said.

'I'm sure Grandpa hasn't gotten our letters because of an accident, or some kind of error,' Hana thought, 'Narumi-sensei will send our letter to Grandpa, and Grandpa will be relieved...'

"But why are the higher-ups so nervous about that them, just because they have the Nullification Alice?" Serina asked, bringing Hana and Mikan out of their thoughts.

"Ever since that incident, the Nullification Alice has been seen as a taboo," Narumi explained.

"But it's not their fault for having the same Alice-" suddenly, Serina's voice was cut off by static noise.

"Hotaru, I can't hear anything!" Mikan complained.

Hotaru had to hit the pig's head three times before they ccould hear anything.

"-Every time I see their letters get shoved into a desk drawer, I can't help but feel sorry for them, since they're unaware of it all," Serina continued.

Hana's and Mikan's eyes widened at that, 'What... is this conversation?'

"Their letters have piled up this far already..." Narumi said, and they could hear him closing a drawer.

'What was that just now?' Hana thought, standing.

"Every time I see their letters get shoved into a desk drawer, I can't help but feel sorry for them."

"There will never come a day when Narumi delivers your letters to your Grandpa."

"No! That can't be!" Hana shouted, running to the faculty room.

"Hana! Where do you think you're going?" Hotaru shouted, shocked by her actions.

But Hana just ignored her. She kept running until she got to the faculty room. Once she got there, she slammed the doors open, surprised.

"Hana-chan?" Narumi questioned.

But Hana just ran past him to the drawer, and opened it, her and Mikan's letters flying out.

"No," Hana muttered, staring at the letters around her, shocked, "Sensei, why were you hiding my and Mikan's letters?"

"Sakura-san...?" Serina asked, worried.

Narumi looked down, ashamed, "I'm sorry."

"Hana..." Hotaru muttered, as she, Mikan, Iinchou, and Ruka entered the room

Hana looked up, tears in her eyes, breaking everyone's hearts, "I-I trusted you, Narumi-sensei! You lied to us?! Mikan and I always thought you were different... I always thought everyone just misunderstood you! Is it just like everyone says? Are you are our enemy, Narumi-sensei?!" Then she started crying.

That was all it took for Mikan to jump out at Narumi, "Let us see Grandpa! Let us see Grandpa!"

"What is all this racket about?!" Jinno-sensei shouted.

"You again?!" he shouted, seeing Hana crying into Narumi's shirt, and Mikan effortlessly trying to hit Narumi, "I expected this from Sakura-san, but Hana-san, I expected a lot more from you! This is the faculty room!"

Mikan stopped trying to hit Narumi and glared at Jinno.

|| Time Skip ||

"Takahashi-san, could you at least tell us how Hana and Mikan are doing?" Iinchou begged.

"I understand how you feel, but I can't," Takahashi said, knitting, "The academy made it very clear. They can't have any visitors, as part of their punishment."

"The teachers are the ones to blame for all this," Hotaru said, "Confining them to Mikan's room without dinner is unreasonable."

"Narumi-sensei told me to check in on her every now and then," Takahashi told them, "They were both crying earlier, but they've settled down now."

|| Time Skip ||

"Grandpa..." Mikan muttered as she and Hana stared at a picture of them and Granpda.

|| Flashback ||

Hana and Mikan were staring at the stars with their Grandpa.

"Grandpa, why don't Mikan and I have a mommy and daddy?" Hana asked.

"Hana, your parents became stars in the sky above," Grandpa explained.

"Oh...?" Mikan said, looking up at the stars again.

"Hana, Mikan, are you two lonely without a mommy and daddy?" Grandpa asked them.

Hana and Mikan shook their heads, "Nope! We're not lonely because we have you, Grandpa!"

"You're two are such good girls," Grandpa praised them, "Grandpa will always be on your side."

|| Flashback over ||

"Grandpa..." Hana sniffled, remembering that memory.

|| Time Skip ||

Takahashi was sitting on a chair in front of Mikan's room, knitting, when she heard a rustle.

"Huh?" Takahashi muttered, turning her light bulb on, seeing a mouse with cheese.

"It's you! You cheese thief!" Takahashi shouted, chasing after the mouse, "Hey! Wait, you cheese thief! That's swiss cheese you've got there! It's expensive, you know! Come back here!"

As she chased the mouse, Ruka walked up the stairs, "Thank you, little mouse," He whispered.

|| Time Skip ||

"You haven't eaten anything, right?" Hana and Mikan looked up to see Ruka walking in, "Imai and Tobita were worried so..." Ruka looked away embarrassed, and held up a bag, "Here. It's from them."

"Ruka!" Hana exclaimed, hugging him.

Ruka gasped in surprise and looked down at the girl.

"I... I want to see Grandpa," Hana sniffled, still hugging Ruka, "Grandpa's worried sick about Mikan and I."

"Hana-chan..." Ruka muttered.

Hana pulled away from the hug and looked up, tears in her eyes, "Even if it's just a glance... I want to see Grandpa!"

Ruka nodded, "Alright."

|| Time Skip ||

"Ruka, I'm sorry about making you do this for me," Hana apologized, wiping away her tears, "and asking you to act as a substitute for me."

Ruka looked down, embarrassed. He and Mikan had switched clothes so now Mikan was wearing the boy uniform and Ruka was wearing the girl uniform. Hana had insisted on wearing the girl uniform, claiming that she was bad at running anyway, so a skirt probably wouldn't do anything.

"We'll be sure to sneak out while you buy us some time," Mikan promised.

"Come right back after you see your grandfather, all right?" Ruka said, calling a large eagle.

Hana and Mikan nodded, "Yes."

Ruka gave them a bag, "This is from Imai."

"Hotaru?" Mikan said, excited.

"Right at the main gate, there's an electric barrier that extends up into the sky. This is a parachute and some cream that will prevent the electric shock," Ruka explained.

"Electricity?!" Mikan exclaimed.

"As soon as the barrier shocks someone, they focus on only that person. So Hana will be able to go over the fence without needing any cream," Ruka continued.

"How come Hana gets to be safe?!" Mikan grumbled.

"I'll get shocked, so you won't have to," Hana offered.

"No, it's okay, Hana-chan. I'll do it," Mikan said, smiling at her sister's generosity.

"Are you sure?" Hana asked, worried.

Mikan nodded, "I'll be fine!"

"Well, as soon as the academy realizes someone went through the barrier, they'll come after you two," Ruka said, "But you're still going, aren't you?"

Hana and Mikan nodded, determined. Hana climbed onto the eagle's back as Mikan held onto a large pink ring. Ruka whistled, and the eagle took off, picking up the large pink ring.

The eagle kept flying until it came near the fence. Once it was near the fence, it let go of the pink ring, dropping Mikan. Mikan shrieked as she fell, and she screamed even more when she got shocked by the fence. The eagle took this opportunity to fly over the fence and set Hana on the ground before quickly flying back over the fence, before the fence stopped shocking Mikan.

|| Time Skip ||

"Narumi-sensei!" The substitute teacher shouted, running into the faculty room, "It's just like you predicted. There was a barrier reaction near the main gate just now. Could Hana-san and Sakura-san have...?"

Narumi gasped and stood up quickly running past the substitute teacher.

|| Time Skip ||

"Oww..." Mikan muttered, "Hotaru... I can't really tell if your cream worked or not..."

"Mikan! Are you okay?!" Hana asked, worried.

"I'm fine, Hana-chan," Mikan assured her, getting up, "but we have to run!"

"If you hurry, you'll be able to catch the last train, so head straight to the station."

Little did they know, there was a man that spotted them.

"Hello?" he spoke into his cell phone, "There are two kids from that academy wandering around."

|| Time Skip ||

"I feel like it's been forever since we came to this school, Hana-chan," Mikan said, looking around, "Where was the train station..."

"Little girls!" Hana and Mikan turned around to see a man behind, "What's wrong?"

"Umm, could you please tell us where the train station is?" Mikan asked him. Hana just watched him with suspicion.

"Ah, you two want directions to the train station?" the man repeated, "Well, it's actually a bit confusing. If you two wait just a minute, I can drop you two off near the station. Little girls, you're both Alice Academy students, right?"

"Mikan, I don't trust him," Hana warned Mikan, quietly.

"It's fine," Mikan whispered back. Then she said to the man, "Umm... we'd like to catch the last train, so we're kind of in a hurry."

"Just a minute," the man called back, "I'll be ready in a bit."

"Mister, please!" Mikan begged.

"Just a little bit longer." Just as the man said that, a car pulled up, and two other guys walked out.

Hana and Mikan took a step back.

"Good job," one of the men (probably the boss) praised.

"Alices fetch the highest prices in human trafficking rings, right?" the man who called him said, "So how about a generous reward for the tip, huh?"

"Be sure to call us next time, too," The boss said, handing the money to the man.

"What's this all about?!" Mikan shouted, outrage, turning to run. Hana was turning to run, too, but before she could take off, the other man the boss came with grabbed her wrist.

"Hold it right there, Kitten. You're going to a fun place with us, okay?"

"Hana-chan!" Mikan shouted, running over to help her sister. She quickly grabbed the man's hand and bit it.

"Ow!"

Mikan and Hana used this as an opportunity and ran as fast as they could away from the creepy men.

"You idiot!" the boss shouted, "Don't let them get away!"

"Hey wait!" the henchman (the man who grabbed Hana) shouted, chasing after the girls. However, before he could grab them, he whipped, "What the hell?!"

"Don't you dare lay a finger on my students!" Hana and Mikan looked up to see Narumi glaring at the men, his bean whip in hand.

'Narumi-sensei!'

"I can pretty much guess the devious scheme you guys were planning," Narumi said, twisting the hunchman's arm.

"Screw you!" the boss shouted, pulling out his gun and pulling the trigger two times. Unfortunately, one of the bullets scraped Narumi's arm while the other scraped his head, inflicting so much pain that he was forced to kneel in front of Hana and Mikan.

"Let's make a run for it!" the boss shouted, as he himself started running, the other two men, running after him.

"Hana-chan, Mikan-chan, are you hurt?" Narumi asked, smiling at them, trying to refrain himself from wincing.

"Narumi-sensei...," Hana said, scared and shocked, "You just shielded us, and... are you all right?"

Narumi placed a hand on Hana's shoulders, "Thank goodness. I'm so glad you're both all right, Hana-chan, Mikan-chan."

Hana and Mikan started to cry. "We-we're sorry! It's our fault that you got hurt. Because of what we did."

"Let's go back," Narumi said, "The outside world is a much more dangerous place for both of you now. From the moment we found out that you're both Alices, it became more likely that you'd get dragged into trouble like this."

"But, Grandpa is..." Mikan started.

"Let's... let's go back together," Narumi cut her off.

|| Time Skip ||

"Ow!" Narumi shouted, causing Hana to wince, believing she was the reason Narumi was in pain.

"Of course it hurts. You have a gaping wound, how could it not," Misaki(-sensei) said, "Honestly. I understand why you want to keep this quiet, but you have to think about your own limits. Well I'm returning to my room."

"Yeah, thanks for your help," Narumi said.

"Thank so much for helping Narumi-sensei, Misaki-sensei!" Hana exclaimed, bowing.

Misaki smiled at Hana, but it turned into a glare once he looked at Narumi, "Make sure you go to the hospital tomorrow and get that wound checked. Also don't expect me to forgive you if you take another bean whip without my permission."

As soon as Misaki left the room, Hana and Mikan looked at Narumi, worried.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Don't make those faces," Narumi said, trying to cheer them up, "A lot has happened, so you both are probably tired. Why don't you two stay here at my place tonight?"

"Narumi-sensei?" Hana asked, looking up, "Why didn't you send our letters?" She looked down again. "Why are Mikan and I marked by the academy?"

Narumi looked at Hana, guilt shown in his eyes, "I'm sorry, Hana-chan. I can't tell you two anything right now. There are still a lot of things I have to think about, myself. When the time comes, I'm sure I'll be able to tell you both everything. I'm sorry about not letting you see your grandfather."

"Narumi-sensei." Tears appeared in Hana's eyes again. "Grandpa's all alone and he's worried about Mikan and I."

"I promise I'll do something about that," Narumi promised, looking at both Hana and Mikan.

"Narumi-sensei," Hana and Mikan said in unison.

"I'm sure it's hard to believe anything I tell you now, but I want you two to accept this situation for now, and trust this matter with me. I always wish to be on your and all the other students' sides. I know it's hard to be isolated from society and not get any answers. To you, this academy may be a place full of lies, but I want to change that. There are teachers who truly want this academy to be a place where students can be happy. I'm sure this sounds like a thing to ask of you two, but I don't want you two to forget how to trust people."

|| Time Skip ||

Narumi was looking at some pictures when he heard the door open. He looked up to see Hana and Mikan standing in the doorway.

"Hana-chan? Mikan-chan?"

"Narumi-sensei, can we sleep next to you?" Hana asked.

Narumi smiled, "Of course. Come here, you two."

|| Time Skip ||

"Whenever Hana-chan and I got scared, Grandpa would let us sleep next to him," Mikan explained.

"I see. He's a kind grandfather, isn't he?" Narumi asked.

Mikan and Narumi were on the ends of the bed, while Hana was in the middle, smiling as she listened to the conversation.

"Narumi-sensei, do you snore?" Mikan asked.

"Hmm, I don't think I do..." Narumi said.

"Grandpa snores like crazy. He sounds like a vacuum when he snores," Mikan said, causing Hana to giggle.

Hana pulled the blankets over her mouth, "Narumi-sensei..."

Narumi smiled at Hana's cute action, "Yes?"

"Can we call you 'Grandpa'?" Hana asked.

"Eh? 'Grandpa' is a bit... I'm still in my twenties, you know," Narumi said, "Then, what about 'Dad'?"

Hana and Mikan smiled at that.

"D-Dad?" Mikan tried.

"Yes?" Narumi said, now smiling at Mikan's action.

"Dad..." Hana said, the blankets still covering her mouth.

"Yes? Yes?" Narumi said, smiling even bigger.

|| Hana's thoughts... ||

That night, Narumi-sensei stayed by our sides until we fell asleep. The stars were really pretty that night. Right before we fell asleep, Narumi-sensei whispered, "It's going to be sunny tomorrow." Today my heart was cloudy followed by rain showers, and I'm pretty sure Mikan's was too, so when I wake up tomorrow, I hope our hearts will be sunny, just like the weather. Because by tomorrow, I'm sure we'll be alright.