The Days I Remembered

Chapter nine: Alice Academy Graduation Day; 2001

This day was one of the most special moments in Alice Academy. It was none other than the yearly graduation ceremony.

It was saddening, of course. The students will be parting ways, some teachers would be retiring. The tears of the graduating students, altogether, were enough to fill a pool. And Mikan's tears alone could a drum full.

While Yuu was delivering his parting speech, some of the graduating students and their juniors had their faces buried in their palms. Some simply took their handkerchiefs from their pockets and secretly dabbed some tears. Others were holding it all in and were biting their lips in attempt not to falter in front of their juniors. Some teachers were also teary-eyed with the speech of the graduating Student Council President.

"… and now, my one year of service as the Council President has ended," Yuu said, "I would hand my position over, content that I have served all of you. Content that I made a better Student Body. Content that I have done all my duties according to my word. And content that not only have I done them, but I surpassed them beyond expectations."

By that, the students cried some more. Even the juniors did too, with the Elementary and Middle School students.

Yuu laughed a bit before ending his speech, "Don't cry. It makes me think that I'm a bad person."

The students laughed as they sniffed.

"To the next Student Council President, do not be pressured. For I know that you will exceed my abilities. To my batch mates and comrades, we may not attend the same college or universities but I hope to see you along the streets as I walk, to see you going to your own professions. To see you successful and proud that you are graduates… of Alice Academy."

Yuu went down from the platform and bowed to his batch mates, then to his teachers. They stood up and clapped for him. He smiled as he went down from the stage to his seat beside Ruka. And together, the graduates of Alice Academy batch 2001 sang the school anthem for the last time. And for the last time, they all sang their hearts out in respect of their Alma Mater.

-;-

Mikan's palms were sweating as she walked outside the ballroom of the hotel Alice Academy provided for the after-party of the graduates.

"Mikan?" said a voice that almost made her jump.

She slowly turned around to face the speaker, "Natsume…"

Natsume, sensing that there was something bothering her, took a step forward towards her. He stares directly at her eyes and said,

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing." She stammered.

Natsume raised a brow at her answer. "No. seriously, what's wrong?"

Mikan bit her lower lip and finally gave up. "You're leaving the day after tomorrow, right?"

Natsume frowned at her, "Mikan, we talked about this. It wasn't my decision, it was mom's! And if I don't agree to Harvard, there's Princeton. If not, there's Yale. You know that my mom thinks these schools are perfect for my chosen degree. She thinks that if I'm a graduate from those schools, the reputation of Hyuuga Corporations would skyrocket. She thinks that if the successor to the CEO throne graduated from a big school, investors would be impressed and would choose to invest in our company."

Mikan shut her eyes tight. It hurts her because he is leaving. It hurts her because he was too responsible. It hurts her because he was a genius to pass the tests in those big schools.

And what's worse? It hurts her because she understands. She understands her Aunt Kaoru's decisions. She understands that Natsume has to do it. She understands that it was his responsibility. She understands because she trusts him…

And she will not let herself be a hindrance to that responsibility, which caused her to make a decision she didn't know she might regret.

With her head bowed, she started, "Natsume…" he looked at her, "shall we break up?"

Natsume's brows knotted in confusion. He didn't understand what she meant.

"Mikan, what are you saying? Don't be ridiculous." He, then, laughed nervously.

Mikan looked up at him with a tear-stained face, his eyes searching hers.

"Shall we break up?" she repeated.

"What was that supposed to mean?" he asked, not believing what he was hearing.

"What it was supposed to mean, Natsume. Shall we break up?"

Frustrated, Natsume raked his fingers through his hair and tried to calm his senses.

"I am asking you, Natsume." Mikan said, still with her tears flowing, "I am asking you, so that… so that we can say that we decided to break up mutually. Not because we didn't pull that 'long distance relationship' thing off."

After hearing what she said, Natsume faced Mikan. "Was that it? The reason why you're breaking up with me? Because you're afraid long distance relationship won't work on us?"

Mikan sniffed and continued to cry, but she managed to shake her head in reply.

"Then why?!"

She bit her lip before answering. "Shall we break up?"

Natsume just stared at her. He just stared and stared and stared. It seemed like eons before he spoke.

"Would that give you a peace of mind?" he asked.

She nodded.

He sighed and, once again, raked his fingers through his hair.

"So… " Mikan started, her voice cracked, "Shall we break up?"

"Yes." Natsume said,"I guess we should."

Mikan bit her tongue as she steadied her own breathing. She looked up him and tried to smile.

"It's nice knowing you, Hyuuga-san."

Natsume's hand reached up to wipe her tears. "It's nice meeting you, Sakura-san."

She tiptoed and gave him a kiss of goodbye. And even before her tears once again spring free, she freed herself from his grasp, turned around, ran, and hailed a cab. She remembered saying she's going to the train station, she bought her ticket and rode the last ride. She didn't care if she looked like shit. All she wanted was to go home.

Home in Nagoya. Home with her mom and dad and grandfather.

Home… where she could just lock herself up in her sanctuary and cry…

A/N: AND SO I HAVE UPDATED… I'M STILL ALIVE, DON'T WORRY (^_^)

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