Unknown side

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By XxMEOWxMeWxX

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Chapter Eight: Untangling Memories

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"。。。…when you came back to the gakuen again."

It was stupid, I admit it. I was stupid because no matter what happens I can't seem to stay mad that that idiot for long. And before I knew it, I was falling for him again.

Ok get this cheesy scene into your brains: standing in front of a window, under the moonlight, with his arms around me. Crazy, I know since a few moments ago I was looking for something to kill. But then again, how can you not be calm when the campus's heartthrob has his arms around you?

"You're going on missions, you know the conditions we have to bare with. I had to push you away… to protect you," he said calmly as if he rehearsed it millions of times inside his head before. And it was all for this one moment.

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Two years ago: SUMMER

Natsume walked silently across the floor of the Northern Forest, avoiding dried leaves and small animals; trying his best to be silence. It was stupid, everything was crazy. His Mikan came back to visit him and yet he's forced to push her away. Again and again. Why can't she just leave him alone for once? he grumbled inside his head. Times had changed since he last seen her, back then when they were kids and when everything was plain and simple.

He saved her from 'bullies' and then, in return, she had befriended him. He still remembers the happiness that he felt for the first time in his life. Although he was much more innocent back then, he was still scared from all the loneliness around him.

It was the memories from back then that had kept him going throughout these years, like the single streak of light in the dark world.

When he had agreed to help the academy by doing missions, he had also agreed to push everyone away from him, for everyone else's safety. And he never had big problems doing it…. that is until she came back into his life.

It was stupid how the infamous Black Cat has a soft spot for a certain brunette. And once Persona realizes this, who knows what will happen to her. No, he just had to bare the fact that he has to push her away all the time; for her safety.

The boy sighted. And then he looked at what was in his hand: a red, transparent Alice stone stolen from one of the many AAO hideouts. It was the legendary Alice stone or something. It won't ever fade away and has almost every Alice inside it. A deadly weapon one can say.

Natsume couldn't believe that he had survived and completed the hardest mission that was given to him so far. Others went with him, of course, but it was he that got the prized possession. After he got the Alice stone, he had rushed back to the Academy when the rest the Academy's pawns cleaned up after him.

He smirks while thinking about the others who were probably still cleaning up.

But his 'happiness' was short lived as he sensed something was wrong. Natsume stopped walking and narrowed his eyes. Something was misplaced. Had one of the others accidentally let a member of the AAO slip pass them? He hoped not.

"Who's there?" his voice echoed through the forest.

The figure step from the tree that they hid behind, and to his surprise it was the last person he expected to be standing in front of him.

No, it was not Persona, or an AAO member. But it was the brunette that he was thinking about mere seconds ago. Why did life hate him so badly?

Her chocolate eyes had determination written all over them.

Natsume stared at her. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I was going to ask you the same question. I noticed that you sneaked out of your room almost every night," a clear voice replied.

He growled.

"Anyways I have a much more important question to ask you," Mikan said.

Then that idiot took a step towards me. "Why are you behaving like this?" she demanded.

To tell the truth I hadn't been expecting that question directed at me. "Why?" I heard myself replying.

"Yes! You're so different from the last time I saw you. Are you still mad at me for leaving? If there's something you want to say, then say it to my face!"

Anger flooded me. Why can't she just leave me alone? How can she possibly know what I'm going through right now, the shitty situation I'm in? The fact that I CAN'T tell her anything. Can't she not be so annoying for once? And she talks as if she was the prey.

"Stop buzzing in other people's business you idiot. This has nothing to do with you so you can just skip away to your happy little life!"

Mikan looked taken back at the harsh words of her fellow classmate. "B-But Natsume…" she trialed off.

"Just leave me alone, I don't need your stupid voice chasing me around."

The girl crumpled onto the floor for a while before she reacted. "You were so different before Natsume," she said in a calm voice, totally different from the previous reactions. "I know who you really are inside. I remember the Natsume that was my friend years ago."

"Things change, people change. Now would you get out of my way now?"

"But… What's wrong Natsume," Hazel met crimson. "Why are you acting so strange all of a sudden?"

"You're so annoying," I growled. "Just get away from me. I don't need you anymore"

Damn it woman, save yourself! Just go away!

I turned away from her teary eyes as she shook her head. "You don't mean that! You don't mean that Natsume. Say it!" Then she took me by surprise as she ran towards me and took the Alice stone.

"Natsume, I demand some answers," she says when she ran to what she thought was an appropriate distance away from me. "This is important to you right?" She fingered the stone. "So I'm not going to give it back until you give me some answers."

And then Natsume let out a string of curses inside his head. Who knew he had such a wide vocabulary…?

"Just hand it over," I growled.

"No!" the girl shrieked. "Natsume, I thought you were my friend! I wanted to see you so I came back to the gakuen again. Don't tell me that Permy affected you with her mean germs."

"I never said I was going to be you 'friend'" he answered. "You declared that all on your own."

Please Mikan… just get away from me…

An internal fight raged inside the raven haired boy. It took all he had to keep his cool as he struggled more and more…

The brunette's eyes opened in shock, her face crumpled with pain.

With that the boy snatched the Alice stone away from the vulnerable Mikan and spun on his heels.

A calm breeze passed through the trees and once again the boy sensed that there was someone else watching them. Then at the corner of his eyes he caught the sight of a white mask. It could only be one person: Persona.

He forced himself not to growl, trying hard to put on the act.

I'm sorry Mikan…

"Leave me alone. You're no one; you're nothing to me. Just a useless pile of junk. No one needs you. No one needs to cares about you, and no one will ever like or love you."

Then he continued: "Why don't you just stop your pathetic struggle? You can disappear forever, die, and no one will ever notice."

For the second time that day, the brunette crumpled to the floor.

"I-I trusted you, Natsume! You were everything to me before."

"You declared that yourself," he forced out the words. "I'll say it again: never needed you."

"I-I hate you Natsume!" she screamed as the boy disappeared into the shadows where he can hide the tear that slipped from his face. He quickly wiped it off knowing that Persona was close by.

"NATSUME NO BAKA!" echoed throughout the forest.

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End of Chapter 8