Chapter 7
...
Red.
He stared at the scoundrels who were now running towards the door.
Burn.
He slowly glanced at his small hands, then at the wall of dancing flames before him. Blazing heat was engulfing the chairs, walls, and paintings inside the mansion.
Fire.
His crimson eyes turned darker, and his body started trembling.
What had he done?
"Natsume."
The young boy turned his head. A few steps away from him was a woman sitting on the floor. Her back was awkwardly propped against the wall to support herself from falling. Like himself, her crimson eyes looked dark, and her black hair was tangled in a messy bun. She used her left hand to add pressure on her bleeding thigh, as a trickle of fresh blood oozed from her temple. The woman gave the boy a weak smile and reached her right arm towards him.
"You were really brave, my son. I'm so proud of you."
Instinctively, the boy wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his face underneath her chin. She's safe. She's alive.
"Are you okay, mom?"
The woman nodded softly, as the boy whispered, "After they s-shot you, there was f-fire coming out of my hand.." His small figure shook as he looked up to see her, "What's happening? P-please don't leave me alone."
Kaoru felt a tug in her chest. She never anticipated that her own children would be involved in such accident, and seeing her son desperately clutched her arms made her heart throb. She stroked his hair gently with a motherly affection and said, "I'm okay, Natsume. Everything is going to be okay. I promise, I won't ever ever leave you. Those bullets only scratched me, you see, I'll be alright."
The young boy stayed still. He looked back at the fire before them and a hundred questions lingered on his mind.
Slowly releasing her hand from Natsume's grip, Kaoru took out her necklace and gently wrapped the dangling pale lemon-colored pendant around her fingers. Natsume stared at the stone, as he had seen her wore it several times. It was, however, his first time seeing a radiating light pulsing throughout it's oval surface.
"This stone can create a shield for us. We will be safe here until help arrives," Kaoru said after a faint glow of Barrier Alice formed around them. "Your father is on his way here."
Natsume looked at her and asked, "He would keep Aoi safe, wouldn't he?"
"Don't worry, I'm sure your father will make sure of that," Kaoru said with reassuring voice and squeezed his small hands.
Upon hearing her words, the young boy felt slightly relieved. That day was supposed to be an ordinary Sunday for the Hyuggas. His father had went with his younger sister to buy some strawberries, their favorite fruit, in a grocery store near their house. Afterwards, they were supposed to visit Mikan at her grandpa's house and spend the rest of the day with her.
Mikan.
The young boy's eyes shot open, as an image of smiling young girl in pigtails flashed his mind. He hadn't seen her since that rainy night. She was crying by herself, before he came and let her cry on his shoulder until she fell asleep. The next day, his mother told him that she had moved to the suburbs with her grandfather, and they would visit her often.
"How about Mikan?"
A little surprised, Kaoru came into a sudden realization. Of course. "Mikan-chan.."
She gazed at the flickering barrier before them with a somber look. They could be targeting Mikan next. She is after all, the legacy of that Alice couple. The whole Alice Community will be keeping their eyes on her, if...
Only if they found out that she exists.
.
'You know what I think? This is our curse for being born as Alices.'
The woman's eyes glazed over as she recalled the memory; a heart to heart she had with her late best friend.
.
'Promise me that you'll protect her, Kaoru. That you'll protect Mikan, if anything ever happens to us.'
Kaoru took a deep breath. What should she do?
.
'I hope my daughter wouldn't have an Alice when she grows up.'
She bit her lower lip, as a thought - no, an answer had crossed her mind. Is this really the only way out?
.
"Mom?"
Natsume was staring at his mother with an anxious expression. His mother had been quiet, as she was enveloped in her own thoughts. The young boy couldn't help but feel a little antsy. Mikan couldn't possibly be in danger, could she?
Blinking a couple times, Kaoru Hyuuga realized she had to make up her decision soon. She looked at her son, whose Alice had awaken, and gave him a soft reply, "Don't worry, my dear. Mikan is going to be safe. No one can ever hurt her. Not anymore."
A gentle smile was forming on the boy's lips, a smile that only appears when Mikan's name was mentioned. Kaoru watched him with sad eyes, as she knew that she'd miss that sweet look on his face.
I'm sorry, Natsume, this is for the best.
...
Narumi was starting to question whether he made the right call. The number of emails in his inbox were piling up, and it gave him the biggest headache. It was only Monday for Alice's sake. He covered his face with his hands, and decided that he need a break. Coffee break. A couple knocks were heard on the door, and Jinno's head appeared behind the wooden frame, "You did this to yourself, Naru."
He closed the door and left, causing Narumi to feel even more frustrated. Did he really have to stop by only to point the matter of fact in his face?
Mikan and Natsume's partnership had became a major issue within the Academy. Everyone, especially those from higher-up management, was questioning Narumi's motives. He had to join a number of emergency meetings that day, only to explain his reason: he saw potential for both Alices to help each other in utilizing their powers. Of course, he decided to keep his real reason in secret. Another set of knocks were heard on the door, and the middle-aged blond groaned, "If that's you again, Jinno, I swear -"
Instead of seeing his colleague, a pair of hazel eyes met his instead, and Narumi's face lit up with a grin, "Oh hello, Mikan-chan!"
The brunette smiled and stepped inside the office, "Good afternoon, Narumi-sensei. I'm here to uh, report to you."
She stepped inside the room, and following her was a lad with an annoyed look on his face. Their teacher's grin grew bigger as he saw the duo together, "Why of course. I'm glad Natsume-kun can join us today."
Seeing the carefree attitude that his direct supervisor had, Natsume rolled his eyes, as as he found it hard to take Narumi seriously when he looked like he was goofing around most of the time. "I can't believe you haven't taken down the Newsletter, Naru."
Narumi shook his head and replied lightly, "It is too late for that, Natsume. The only thing that we can do is to minimize the damage. Hayami will of course, need to provide an explanation behind all these..mess."
Inside, the raven haired felt a little grateful that he hadn't been able to punch Hayami in the face. His reckless action would've caused a bigger issue than it already was.
"Sensei, do I need to come and see you everyday until my probation period is over?" Mikan asked straight to the chase. She was getting frustrated with her current situation, and didn't even want to think about what happened earlier in the lobby. She only knew that she better lay real low for the next few days.
Narumi chuckled, as her straightforward behavior reminded him of someone dear to him, a similar brunette from his past.
"Would you two like to take a walk to Central Town? Let us all have a quick chat over coffee."
.
Anna Umenomiya smiled widely when she saw her customers stepping inside Morukawa Cafe that evening. She immediately went outside of the cashier counter and greeted them in a heartbeat.
"Oh, Mikan, I'm so glad to see you again!" The baker gave Mikan a big hug, surprising the brunette for receiving such affection.
"Happy to see you too, Anna. I missed your cake already."
The pinkette looked at the two males behind Mikan, and politely nodded towards them, "Welcome to Morukawa Cafe, Narumi-sensei and Natsume-kun!"
Inhaling the bitter smell of coffee in the room, Narumi felt his previous headache started to dissipate. Those coffee beans must be made of magic. He quickly ordered 3 cups of Latte and a slice of banana cake, which Anna swiftly noted on the register.
Anna decided that Mikan's order will be on the house, receiving a flustered 'thank you' from the brunette who was grateful for her kind gesture. After all, that was the least that she could do to cheer her up. She noticed that Mikan was unusually calm in this situation, if it was her, she would've freaked out really badly. Dealing with all the gossip and pressure from everyone around them is in no way easy. Anna really liked Mikan since the first time they met, as she seemed very genuine; a trait that Anna appreciated most. Hopefully the brunette would decide to stay in the Academy after her probation period's over.
"Just text me if you're coming next time. I'll make sure to give you samples of my new recipes." The pinkette winked, causing a giddy smile to form on Mikan's lips, "You're the best, Anna! I'll do that for sure."
.
Natsume couldn't help but make a mental note that Mikan Yukihira was a warm and cheerful person. Her face lit up during her whole conversation with Anna, and she wouldn't shy away from expressing her emotions. It was a shame that a single article could leave a bad impression on such a kind person.
He was grabbing his paper cup filled with coffee, when Anna suddenly chirped, "Oh, and Natsume! I was meaning to say this a while ago; don't hesitate to let me know if you need more of those strawberry-based cake recipes. I remember Aoi mentioned that you tried-"
"I'll let you know. Thank you, Anna," Natsume quickly said before the pinkette finished her words. He could feel his cheeks burning and immediately proceeded to an empty table, followed by Narumi and Mikan.
Anna chuckled from the counter, as she realized the young man didn't want other people to know that he had asked her for cake recipes. Mikan sat next to him with raised eyebrows. "Do you like to bake, Natsume?"
The raven haired brushed his hair with his fingers, slightly frustrated. He didn't want people to know that he had attempted to bake, once. It was for Aoi's birthday, and also one of the worst decisions he ever made.
"Not really."
Mikan took the hint and bit back a smile when she saw his flushed face. It seemed like there is a rather soft side within her partner, and she hoped she could see more of that in the future, "I can't bake either, but I love eating cakes, especially strawberry shortcakes."
.
Observing the two was Narumi Anju, who looked very satisfied. He had made a good decision after all.
"Instead of reporting to me for the rest of the week, I would like you two to spend time together in the Academy every day instead."
Raising his gaze, Natsume looked at the blond teacher and wondered what he was scheming this time. Everything seemed off right from the beginning. Typically Alices wouldn't be assigned a partner until they officially pledge to be a member. He also never heard of members under probation who were allowed to roam free within Academy's ground without an authorized personnel's supervision. Natsume might be a high-rank Quest member, but he had no administrative or teacher role that gave him that level of responsibility.
As if reading his mind, Narumi continued, "We can all agree that someone should watch over Mikan while she's under probation. Seeing how things had turned out for the past 24 hours, we should prioritize her safety and privacy at all cost. This role couldn't be more perfect for other than her partner, who is Natsume-kun."
Natsume glanced at Mikan, who was looking at her coffee with a worried expression. He decided to nod quietly and asked, "What should I do?"
"Please show Mikan the regular routine of an Alice Academy member. You know, the usual," Narumi paused, as if debating whether he should mention the last bit of instruction, "Also, please show her the Mission Bunker. Basement level."
Upon hearing that, Natsume's eyes widen in surprise, "But, Naru, you can't possibly-"
"Rest assured, I will take care of it. Perhaps you can give her that special tour on her last day of probation."
Mikan felt her head spinning as there was so many information to take. She didn't even had the chance to process everything as one event led to another, and it drove her a little crazy. She felt a hand was stroking her shoulder. It was Narumi sensei's, and he gave her a gentle squeeze. His eyes grew lighter as he spoke in a soothing voice, "Don't worry, Mikan. You're in good hands. Natsume here will help you discover more about your Alice."
Strangely, Mikan felt a rush of peaceful feeling through her veins, and saw Narumi's eyes glinted for a few seconds. Could he possibly be using his Alice to calm her down?
Before she had the chance to ask, the blond man looked at the blinking alerts on his phone and quickly stood up from his chair, "Unfortunately, I must take my leave now, I'm already late for a meeting in the Headquarters. It was nice chatting with you both."
As Narumi-sensei left, Mikan could feel her train of thoughts coming back to her. She was about to close her eyes, when a plate of dessert was placed next to her hand.
"Here, you should eat something sweet."
The brunette looked at the young man next to her, whose hand was mid-air; he was holding a tiny fork, prompting her to take it. She was surprised, yet grateful, and gladly took the fork, "Thank you. Something sweet sounds good at the moment."
Mikan took a small bite of the warm cake with cream cheese frosting and gushed, "This is really good."
Unconsciously, Natsume smiled when he saw her face lighten up.
.
"How do you feel?"
The brunette looked up from the plate. A pair of concerned crimson eyes were staring at her. She started fidgeting with her fingers, as she didn't know what to say.
"I'm scared. I feel a little overwhelmed," Mikan squeaked as she felt a rush of emotion filling up her head. She was so used to hiding how she really felt on the outside. Her composed demeanor was a facade that she always pulled in front of others. However, after the momentum was gone, her emotions would hit her at once, entrapping her within a bubble of anxiety that she found hard to escape.
Her eyes glazed with tears, but she quickly let out a small nervous laugh to hide them, "B-but you know, I think I'll be fine. I'm sure everyone has to go through the same thing, right?"
Natsume saw the glistening water on her fingers when she wiped her eyes quickly. He didn't like that worried expression on her face. The first few days in the Academy were always hard for new members, but Natsume felt that she had it worse. This was all because she was partnered with him.
The fire caster started to recall his past experience and said, "It's normal to feel scared and overwhelmed. You had a normal life, and suddenly you discovered that you possess a special power that basically changed your life forever. That, is not easy," Natsume couldn't believe those words were coming out of his mouth, but continued nevertheless, "My first week in the Academy was also terrible. I was only nine years old when I joined. Similar like you, I became the talk of the town on my first day here. It was all thanks to Ruka who helped me see things differently, that I decided to stay. I hope you get to see that too; the good side of the Academy, and a reason or two for you to stay."
Mikan didn't actually expect him to comfort her. His words were encouraging and somehow patched her weary heart. She found empathy in his eyes, which made her feel calmer than before. The young man before her seemed different from the scary flame thrower who gave her snarky attitude a few days ago. Perhaps, she should rely on this person more, just like Narumi had suggested her to.
"Thanks Natsume, I feel a lot better after hearing that from you," the brunette smiled, "For what it's worth, I'm glad to have you as my partner."
For a few seconds, the raven haired lad was taken aback after hearing Mikan's honest acknowledgement. He smiled boyishly after the meaning behind her words sank in, and replied, "Anytime, partner."
Both of them decided to stay for another hour and chat inside the Cafe. They talked about their first day back in the University as well as their mundane college life. One would've thought that they were once-close acquaintances who were catching up on their lives. Little did they know, that Anna was peeking at them behind the counter. Her lips turned into a broad smile when seeing the two get along pretty well.
What a unique pair, she thought, one of the most dangerous Quest members in Alice Academy, and the new mysterious Alice in town.
...
Narumi looked at the boy who was sitting on the couch, gazing at the rain outside the window with a blank expression.
They were at the Headquarters, and it was his first time meeting Natsume Hyuuga. When Kaoru-senpai called him with urgency in her voice, he felt his heart stopped. For a few seconds, he was reminded of one of the worst phone calls in his life that traumatized him until that day. The blond teacher seated himself across the young lad who was still staring at the droplets of water. He could only imagine how the boy must have felt. A few days ago, he and his mom was attacked by members from Zero, a new rising Anti-Alice Organization that had inflicted rage within Alice Community.
"Natsume-kun, why do you want to join Alice Academy?"
The young boy looked at the adult before him with a cold look. He thought of his mom who was still in the hospital, who tried assuring him that she was going to be fine, even though he clearly knew she wasn't after hearing the surgeon's test results. The young Natsume took out his right hand groggily, then concentrated all of his energy to his palm, and successfully summoned a fire ball, leaving an astonished Narumi who witnessed his action. The boy wasn't supposed to have so much control over his Alice in just a few days after his power awakened.
With venom in his words, Natsume's crimson eyes turned darker and he looked at Narumi in the face, "I want revenge."
...
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A/N
Here you go folks, another chapter!
Also, thank you for all of your kind reviews! I love reading what you think about the story. Knowing that you're looking forward to the next chapters really warmed my heart :)
See ya in 2 weeks ~
