Chapter Nine

a/n: Okay, I'm getting desperate. I'm on my knees begging for reviews. Please review!

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My hand dropped from Ruka's and flew to my mouth.

I suddenly couldn't breathe. Everything seemed blurry, and the voices seemed but a soft buzz. I could almost see my secret crumbling, shattering. I don't want to be Best Student. I can't be Best Student.

I turned and started running blindly. I pushed through the people, ignoring my friend's calls.

This isn't happening to me.

Ruka's POV

I watched as Miki ran away. Her face was marble white, and she looked as if she were close to tears. I called after her, but she didn't seem to hear me. What was wrong?

"Miki…" Mikan murmured worriedly. I looked at Natsume, and he was just looking at Miki calmly. For the first time, I was annoyed how he looked so calm, and as if he knew something that I didn't know.

"Natsume, do you know something?" I said, as calmly and quietly as I could manage. He just looked at me, and started walking away. "Natsume!" I ran after him and caught his hand. "Please tell me. I'm really worried about Miki." I said pleadingly. "What do you know?"

He was silent. "You don't need to know what you don't need to know." He said. "What do you mean! What do you know about Miki?!" My patience has run out, and I was frustrated. "I promised her I wouldn't say anything." He said simply, and started walking again.

I caught up with him and stopped in front of him. "So you do know something! Please tell me!" I looked steadily into his crimson eyes, but he didn't respond. "Ruka." He said quietly. I widened my eyes, surprised with his serious tone of voice.

Natsume wasn't looking at me anymore. "Miki has her own problems. She doesn't want anyone else butting into her business. It's the same with me." Then he turned to me. "You're not stupid, Ruka. You know all about secrets and promises. So don't ask me anymore. If you really want to know, you should ask Miki. Only she has the right to decide if she wants you to know."

Then he walked away. This time I didn't stop him.

What he said was true.

Only Miki can decide whether or not she wants me to know.

Miki's POV

I took in deep breaths and leaned back on the sakura tree.

Best Student… Everyone would love to be Best Student. Out of those thousands and thousands of people, why was I the one? Was this fate?

Some fate this was.

"Shouta-san?" I looked up and met a pair of ice blue eyes. "Tsubasa-senpai…" I murmured, and lowered my head again. "What's wrong? You look upset." He patted my head and sat down beside me.

I played with my fingers, and Tsubasa-senpai just kept smiling at me. Finally, I broke the silence. "Tsubasa-senpai, do you know what it feels like to be unwanted?" I asked quietly. He stayed quiet for a second, put his arms behind his head, and lay down on the grass. "Shouta-san… I'm guessing this has something about your Alice?"

"I guess. Kind of. Except it's more of a family thing." I mumbled.

"You know, I used to know this person. He's kind of like you, actually. He's more of a quiet type though. He was a perfect student, never caused trouble, had a good Alice—the water Alice, and was popular amongst everyone because he was nice and smart. I once told him that I envied him because he was so well liked. But you know what he asked me?"

I shook my head.

"He asked me if I thought he was happy. I replied yes without a thought, with him seeming as if he had a nice life and all. But he suddenly became sad and told me, 'I just try to be perfect because I'm so imperfect'."

I frowned. "Well, nobody's perfect. But I don't see any major imperfection."

Tsubasa-senpai gave me a lopsided smile. "He was five when his Alice went out of control. He drowned everyone in his hometown. It was painful for him, and he killed everyone he loved—his family, his friends, everyone. It was covered up easily by the academy." I widened my eyes. Drowned everyone he loved…

"That's when he was sent here, to the Alice Academy. He thought of himself as a murderer, and he tried to hide that fact, and tried to be perfect. He never told anyone, because he was afraid everyone would hate him because of his Alice and his past." Tsubasa-senpai looked towards the sky. "Alice Academy is full of secrets. The Academy itself and the people within it. Everyone has a somewhat dark past."

"What happened to that boy?" I asked quietly. Tsubasa-senpai smiled vaguely. "He had the type of Alice that only lasted when he was a kid, so it disappeared when he turned 13. He left the academy around three years before."

I hugged my knees, listening to the wind blow against the leaves. Secrets…

I looked up, just in time to see Natsume walking towards us. "Oi, Miki." He said tonelessly. I looked at him questioningly. "Well, if it isn't our short tempered fire wielding friend." Tsubasa-senpai teased. Natsume pointed at Tsubasa-senpai without looking at him, and his sleeve caught on fire.

While he was jumping around trying to put the fire out, Natsume stuffed his hands in his pockets and said, "Ruka asked me about you."

I stiffened.

"I didn't say anything, but you'll have to prepare for his interrogating." He shrugged and I looked at him gratefully. "Thanks, Natsume."

"Whatever." And then he started walking away.

Then he stopped for a second and said without looking back,

"He cares a lot for you."

I watched as he walked away. He cares a lot for you… I smiled wistfully towards the sky. I had a feeling I shouldn't think too much. Ruka probably only cares for me as much Hotaru, Mikan, and Natsume cares for me.

Anyway, I don't have time to think about this now. The Best Student… the home visit… I don't even have a place to call home. I laughed bitterly.

Maybe I don't have to visit home. Maybe it isn't mandatory. I mean, they try so hard to keep students in. So wouldn't they be happy if I stayed? Then they won't have as much trouble.

"Hey, Shouta-san, what'd Natsume say to you?" Tsubasa-senpai had recovered, and he looked at me curiously. "Nothing." I said, waving my hand. He looked at me doubtfully, but didn't say anything more.

I smiled warily at him and said, "Thanks, Tsubasa-senpai. I have to go now. Bye." And I walked away, leaving him scratching his head in confusion.

Ruka's POV

I spotted Miki and started following her. I know spying isn't the best thing to do in the world, but I could care less right now. She stopped at the teacher's door, and looked around her.

She looked at the ground and took a few deep breaths. She seemed really nervous.

Finally, she knocked. "Miki Shouta of elementary division class B. Sorry for the interruption."

What was she doing?

Miki's POV

"Why, Shouta-san! What a pleasant surprise. May a help you?" Narumi-sensei smiled charmingly at me. I shifted my weight from foot to foot. There was the teacher with the crystal ball; Serina Yamada-sensei was it?

"Shouta-san. Congratulations on the Best Student award." She smiled vaguely, her voice soft and mysterious. I smiled warily at her.

"Shouta-san… Best Student! Not bad, not bad!" Narumi-sensei congratulated me, with a wide grin. I took a deep breath and said, "Narumi-sensei, I heard that the best student gets to visit home, right?"

Narumi-sensei's face immediately became serious. "Shouta-san… it's about that, isn't it." I shifted my gaze, drumming my fingers against my thigh uncomfortably. Serina-sensei was looking at me with interest and curiosity.

"Narumi-sensei, is it mandatory? Because one week…" I bit my lip nervously. Narumi-sensei sighed. "It isn't the first time this problem has come up. But I still have to request permission from the headmaster." My heart skipped a beat. I was hanging to this thin line of hope. Please, please, let me stay.

"Well, Miki, you may leave now. I'll see what I can do." He gave me a half hearted smile, but I was too happy to notice.

I happily walked out, not noticing a figure lurking by…

Narumi-sensei's POV

"Is it that Imai again?" The headmaster's voice rang out, his voice bored. "No, sir." I responded. His eyes lightened, slightly perked up in interest. "Who is it this time."

"It's the new student, Miki Shouta from the elementary division." I replied. "Ah… the girl with the Mirror Alice." He smiled eerily. He put a finger upon his lips, as if thinking.

"As I would like to say, Shouta-san would like to request her staying." I looked at him, and felt fear grow in my heart as his eerie smile grew wider. "No." He said. "What?" My eyes widened at his response. He had never said no.

"That girl's an interesting one." He said, his tone slightly amused. "I'll make it mandatory. She must go home for a week. I'd like to see what she'd do." I clenched my teeth. There was it again. Torturing all the Alices, as if it were fun.

Shouta-san…

I turned to leave, but was stopped by the headmaster's voice. "Wait. Let's make this more interesting." I narrowed my eyes. What does he want now?

"... How about we make her take three friends with her?"