Disclaimer: The characters in the story are from Gakuen Alice and Card Captor Sakura, both of which I do not own.
Chapter 8 - Across the coffee table
Sakura looked across the coffee table and couldn't help herself from staring at the brown hair girl sitting anxiously on the blue sofa
Sakura looked across the coffee table and couldn't help herself from staring at the brown hair girl sitting anxiously on the blue sofa. Although the girl is looking down, she knows that her eyes are like her Tooya's who is currently talking to the one of the professor of the academy where this girl studies.
"Tooya?" Sakura stood up as her brother entered the room, behind him is the dark-haired teacher who sent the letter from this institution, the Alice Academy.
"Sakura, this is Professor Jinno. He told me something important." Sakura bowed and greeted the man behind him. She watched as he asked the girl to go with him out of the room. Something tells her that whatever the letter said it is connected to that girl and based on Tooya's hesitant expression, it also concerns her.
"Sakura, I'm not sure how to start this.." he runs his hand through this dark black hair making it messy but with him it still looks attractive. Sakura sighed, she thinks she is already getting the idea on what is happening. And based on how the girl looks like someone familiar…
"She's my sister, am I right, Nee-chan?" she walked towards the opened window and stared at the Sakura tree at the park across the office. There are cherry buds on its branches right now. "What's her name?"
"Mikan, Mikan Sakura." Tooya stood besides her placing his hand on her shoulder for comfort. "Are you mad at him?"
"I'm not sure yet. What happened?" she looked at her brother's eyes, "Why did we only found out two years after he passed away?" when he couldn't look straight at her, she knows that he already knew much longer than these few days.
"She was a student-assistant where dad was teaching, they were close. It was three years after mom's death, and she was a good woman. It just happened, they were happy together, and was in the relationship for a year when she suddenly disappeared. He didn't know that she was pregnant until she was reported dead. He tried to look for our sister, Sakura, but he wasn't able to find out where she lived or what happened to her." He looked at where Sakura was looking earlier, "In the letter that dad received a few years ago, it was said that his daughter went to the same school as her mother did, that where he found her. He didn't approach her nor revealed himself to her. He was happy though when he found out that she got your name. He told me this when I accidentally found the letters and picture his room."
"What are we going to do?"
"The person who was taking care of her, someone she believes to be her grandfather, died. There is no one left for her, Sakura."
"Does she know?" he shook his head
"I'll talk to her."
Mikan stared at the beautiful green-eyed girl in front of her, curious why she was in this academy, already thinking of what type of Alice does she possess. She seems to be already in high school based on her uniform, that would mean she would be the same age or nearly as old as Hotaru's brother.
"Mikan, my name is Sakura, Sakura Kinomoto." She moved to sit beside her and held her hand. "This might come as a surprise to you, but I just like you to know before my brother tells you everything else." then the girl took her by surprise by hugging her tightly, "Mikan, " her breath is warm against her ear, "Mikan, I'm your sister."
She knows her eyes grew big at the words.
"Well, she's leaving." Natsume ignored the girl talking beside him as he continue to look down at the group of people who are all waving to the three people walking towards a black Benz.
It had been hard these past few months.
There were times that he was so tempted to walk up to her, just to hold her.
Right after that incident at the infirmary, he confronted Persona, but just like the typical jerk that that professor is, he taunted him. Even threatened to reveal Mikan's secret Alice, a very dangerous Alice that cause would threaten the principles of the school and might cause the school body to forcibly take her Alice away from her.
If a person's Alice is taken away, it would cause that person's death. Mikan's Alice stealing ability doesn't actually take the Alice away from its owner, he has experienced it himself a few months back when they were practicing.
"Baka, what are you doing?" Natsume yelled as Mikan nearly caught pierced him with the arrow that accidentally flew from the bow she was tried to use.
"I want to also learn how to fight and defend myself, Natsume." She looked like she was about to weep, "I don't want to be a burden to my friends anymore, I don't want to be a burden to you."
Out of impulse, he grabbed her and hugged her head against his chest.
"They like protecting you, polka-dots." He said, not wanting Mikan to see the truth in his eyes that he also wants to protect her.
Mikan pushed away from Natsume, and glared at him, "And they won't do that if only I can defend myself or fight back on my own. Since my Alice doesn't allow me to do that, I want to learn how to use other things to help them."
"Why don't you just improve your nullification, that way you will be able to use it as a shield to protect anyone." Mikan smiled at this and nodded. "Let's go practice Natsume.
This is what he hates about their practice.
"Again." Mikan bravely challenged
Although it does help his Alice and improve his fighting skills, he doesn't want it when he surpasses his ability and her Alice.
"Argh.." he immediately runs to her side as she dropped to the ground in flames. "Sorry." He overcame her Alice once again and nearly burned her.
"I'm okay, I'm not hurt." She stood up with a smile on her ash-dirty face. "You promised an hour of practice, Natsume. We still have fifteen minutes."
"No." he stood up beside her and glared at the stubborn girl
"You promised."
"You can't force me to kill you."
"You promised." Suddenly Natsume felt as if there's an aura flowing out of his body. Both jumped apart when Mikan's fisted hand was engulfed to flames. Natsume tried to call it back to him, it wouldn't. He was so worried thinking that he have accidentally unleashed his frustration and annoyance at Mikan that way. But as they both looked closer at her fist, it was not getting burn, and when Natsume touched the flame, he was the one who got burned.
"Mikan?"
"I don't know how it happened." They both know that they were thinking back at the time when she did something similar, when Professor Narumi told Mikan what type of Alice this is. "Natsume, I have something to tell you."
"I know. I heard him – Narumi-sensei. I was outside the door." Mikan still gazed at her flaming fist. "Do you know how to give it back?"
When Mikan started to shake her head, she suddenly passed out. She couldn't handle his strong Alice.
With practice, Mikan slowly discovered how to give back what she borrowed. She was also the only one to be able to control the Alice when it grew stronger for Natsume's power-binding jewelry to suppress.
Since Mikan couldn't remember him, she often walk pass him in the hallway. And based on what Narumi-sensei told them – Ruka, Kokoro and him – she should hear nor see his face, for it might trigger her memory and cause her extreme pain since it was still fresh. He tried his best to avoid her, resulting to him sneaking into her room late at night to leave strawberries on her coffee table for her breakfast, for him to be transferred to another section and content himself at watching her from afar as she laughs at Anna's jokes and Ruka's antics.
And now she will be farther away from him.
If only.
If only he could say goodbye. Just hug her, or touch her hair.
If only.
If only she would just look at him with a smile. Or pound him with frustration.
Anything, just to say that he existed. That he is alive. Because the moment that she walked away and forgot him, he realized that he lived in the darkness.
And that she was his light.
Turning away from the scene of the Benz going out of the school gate, Natsume walked backed to the door that leads to this rooftop.
"Natsume."
"I'm not in the mood to listen to you, Koizumi."
He didn't know that this was his destination, he was just walking and out of the blue he found himself walking into her room. It feels empty yet he could still hear her laughter bouncing on the walls, could still smell that delicious combination of strawberries and sunshine and feel the warmth of her smile.
As he started to go out of the room, he noticed something.
On the coffee table were the strawberries he left last night. But there ate only three of them left.
Whoever you are, I will not forget you.
Thank you for the strawberries and memories.
Your friend,
Mikan Sakura
P.S.
I left some for you.
Share them with me sometime.
Natsume read the note for the third time, nearly leaving creases on them with his shaking hands.
He reached for the strawberry and looked across the table. There he saw Mikan smiling at him, and then laughing as she bit into her strawberry.
Slowly she became blurry and Natsume felt some wet drip on his hand.
