Partners
(Tsubasa x Misaki)

Disclaimer: I don't, and never will I, own Gakuen Alice.

"Whoo! 3rd year! Time for schedules to get crazy!" was Megane's first yell when they all saw each other again during enrollment for the next semester.

They were 3rd year Architecture majors now, which meant more classes per day and more plates to do at home. It also meant taking more active roles in their organizations, a prime time to take on projects. Of course, they still took the same schedules.

"Looks like not much time for soccer now, Tsubasa?" she teased the guy.

"We'll see, we'll see," he just chuckled.

She immediately glared at him. "Oi, we're taking on leader roles in Projects, if we get on the same project again, don't you dare skip any meeting just because of soccer. And Kaname-kun's still recovering too."

"I'm fine, Misaki-san," Kaname smiled at her. "Tsubasa's got a conscience. He won't play soccer knowing he left behind his best friend who is coincidentally his roommate too, who wants to play also but cannot."

They all shivered at the bright but threatening aura Kaname was emitting.

"Kaname-kun! How was spring break? Are you fully recovered now? Which block did you take? What role did you apply for?" just then, Kaname's ever growing legion of fans arrived. One even gave him a box of homemade cookies.

"I'm fine now. I'm taking the same block as I did last semester. Kana-senpai said she'd like to have me on her team in Externals as per Tono-senpai's recommendation so I'm applying for the Sponsorship team. Ahh, I know I really shouldn't but these cookies look delicious, it will be alright for me to accept this, right?"

They all just shook their heads at the sight in front of them. One moment Kaname was emitting a bright yet scary aura, the next thing you know he's charming swarms of women.

"This guy is really scary, he's at par with you, Misaki," Tsubasa said to which everyone agreed.

After the girls went away, Kaname faced them again. "The cookies look delicious, you guys should try some."

"Woah, what's this, we've got a complete attendance, down to the now inactive elders," Tono exclaimed when Midori, SCA's new Executive Secretary for the current school year, passed him the attendance paper.

"Almost always happens on the 1st meeting for the year, I remember last year we almost had a 100% too, if not for one person. If you weren't the President now we probably won't achieve a 100% again this year," she looked at him meaningfully before taking her place in front. "Good evening, SCA, welcome to our very first general meeting for the year. And congratulations to us too for achieving a perfect attendance today, I see that even the fifth years attended despite declaring inactivity for the year, thank you, senpais. We acknowledge the presence of some of our alumni too. Well, let's have the new President now, which I know, is the reason why you're all excited for this meeting."

Tono stood up and took Midori's place.

"Can you believe it? SCA's in the hands of that old pervert. Not to mention he's already in his fifth year," Misaki immediately shushed Tsubasa.

"Despite being a pervert, he's actually a good leader and he really cares about the org," Kaname said. It was true, and was probably the reason Tono won the presidency unopposed. There were some seniors who originally planned to run but when Tono declared his intention to run despite being a fifth year, or elder as they prefer to call it, everyone knew he was going to win.

"Well, first of all, I guess I should thank everyone again for electing me to be your President this year despite being in my last year. The guys from my batch all declared inactivity now but I'm here, taking responsibility as President. As Midori-chan said, y'all are probably looking forward to my plans for the org, and I must say, I am too. Looking at this generation of SCAers right now, I know this year'll be one filled with achievement and excitement for the org." Tsubasa felt his previous mentor look at him particularly.

Tono spoke a bit more about the current plans for the year, together with the other executive officers, before proceeding to the announcement of roles and departments.

"For Blueprint, Project Head is Saji Ryuu, Programs team leader is Harada Misaki, and Communications team leader is Andou Tsubasa," Saki, Tono's successor as Vice President for Corporate Projects, announced. "Ah, and please take note that this team has a short meeting immediately after."

"Oh ho, looks like a good team. Saji was the best in his batch before, he outshone the second years above him at that time. And that's the duo who made a big turnaround for Pillars last year," alumni and the fifth years commented.

"Looks like we're in the same team again," he raised his fist to Misaki who bumped it with her own.

"I'll make sure to come up with a good lineup, so make sure you get good speakers," he whistled at the challenge.

As he mentioned earlier, Kaname was taken in External Relations as part of the Sponsorship team while Nobara went to the Projects team in the Finance department. Hayate was still under External Relations while Megane took on the role of Recruitment Head.

As Saki had announced earlier, they had a short team meeting first before going.

"Okay, it's just you three for now but later on after the first department meeting you'll have your staff with you. I think you all understand that this is a signature event of SCA, it's what puts the entrepreneurship in our motto. Ryuu-kun, lead this team well. Misaki-san, the lineup is the core of the project. Tsubasa-kun, execution is up to you, make sure you get the best speakers."

"Ah, for me, I'd just like to say that I'm a person who does things personally. Expect a few sleepovers or rather all night-ers together. But I guess you guys won't have problems with that, there's probably nothing awkward between you guys anymore," Ryuu said.

"Our friendship skipped too large gaps, we got synchronized with each other without really knowing each other well. Plus we didn't have a chance to be awkward because there's not an hour that we don't fight," Misaki waved her hand dismissively.

"We get along well, we can survive under the same roof, but don't ask me things like her favorite food, she had eaten every food I saw her come across," he added.

"Hey, you make me sound like a pig," she glared at him.

"Well, you're the one who called it 'pigging out' every time we're in a party." WHACK!

"Kids, this is already our third activity but why do you always pair with the same person? You won't be working with the same engineer or contractor for every project, don't let yourself get used to the same person. Hurry up, change partners this instant," the professor clapped his hands. They all had no choice but to switch partners.

The eight of them looked at each other. He and Kaname, Misaki and Nobara, Megane and Hayate, and of course Anna and Nonoko, they had always paired like this since the second semester of last year. They all just stared at each other not knowing what to do until Kaname spoke.

"Hayate-kun, we never got in the same group, let's pair up this time," Kaname moved his seat towards Hayate. They all followed suit. He pulled pulled Misaki's seat to the spot Kaname vacated. Anna moved beside Nobara and Megane moved beside Nonoko. They all started working after that.

"I just thought of an idea, why don't we do it like this? I think it'll be awesome," Kaname was the loudest in the class.

"Oi, pipe it down a little, will you? You're the only one talking here," he tried shutting him up.

"Not really, it's just that you two are not talking at all. Why are you two awkward? It's not like it's your first time working together," Kaname said, waving a ruler as he spoke. "We kinda miss the fighting every time you two are working together."

He and Misaki looked at each other. It actually was awkward.

"It's been quite a while since we last worked as a pair in schoolwork," Misaki said. "And the last time we worked together, we got into a serious fight."

"And you're awkward because of that? Wow, you guys, you already lived together under one roof, just the two of you. You played the Pocky game, became co-leaders in a project, have an eating pattern together, had practically the same outputs, heck, you even saw him half naked already!" "SSHHH!" "Oops, sorry, got carried away."

"Sono-kun, isn't it?" the professor approached them. They all went quiet immediately. "The one who had an operation, and undisputedly part of the top of the batch. I think you should be focusing on your work if you want to reclaim the top spot." He then looked at the whole class, his gaze stopping at Tsubasa. "Oh, I forgot the one on top is your friend. And he's actually back with his well-known partner. Sono-kun, maybe you should find a partner too if you want to beat Andou-kun."

"Being top of the batch is not really my goal, sensei," Kaname said before giving the professor his bright smile. "Oh, Hayate-kun, that's great. See, it would be awesome if we did that!"

The professor peered in on the duo's work before looking at them again. "Andou-kun, looks like you really can't rest easy. There's another naturally talented one in this batch."

"Is their work that great?" Misaki wondered.

"Don't mind it," he continued drawing on their paper.

"I'm not one to back down, you know that," she then tapped her own face with both hands. "Ah, Kaname-kun's right, we should stop this silly awkwardness. Let's show 'em Corporate Projects' best duo."

"I bet my money that they'll start arguing again now that they got over the awkwardness," Kaname declared.

"I don't know if they're a poor or good match. Someone's too hyped up and the other one's too lax," Megane shook his head at them.

And they did start arguing again, which lasted until the end of the class.

"Okay, class, make groups of 6, we're going to have a report next week," of course, the six of them grouped together, Megane, Hayate, Nobara, Kaname, Tsubasa, and her. Anna and Nonoko weren't their classmates for this class.

"What a lucky number," Kaname exclaimed when they got into a group circle.

"Oh ho, the top guns grouped together," Professor Tsukimiya commented when he saw them. "Let's see, we have Yamada-sensei's shoo in for the top spot, Sono Kaname, then Narumi-sensei's favorite pair, top guy Andou Tsubasa and his partner Harada Misaki. Make sure to show me something I haven't seen before."

"Argh, I don't like the pressure but I don't like common presentations either," she said.

"Her eyes are burning, she'll spit out fire," Tsubasa and Megane laughed. WHACK! WHACK!

"Especially you two, don't you dare be troublemakers. We should come up with a concept immediately," she looked at the topic assigned to them in the book.

"It's the first time we're all in the same group, why don't we come up with a team name first," Kaname suggested. "What about our duo's name, Bear and Friends? Let's expand, Tsubasa."

"It's so childish and you're the only one who calls us that," Tsubasa immediately rejected it.

"What's up with the Bear thing?"

"He likes bears. He even knows how to make plushies, I bet he's even better than you at it, Misaki."

"I don't even know how to make a plushie," she said blankly.

"Do you even have a single hobby that's for girls?" WHACK! "Ah, right, you like to fight in your free time." WHACK!

"Want me to make you guys plushies?" Kaname offered.

"Ah, their roles are reversed," Megane said, all of them looking at the two: Kaname who was smiling brightly thinking of plushies and her beside him who had Tsubasa's collar in her hands.

"Make sure you start on your parts this weekend, okay? So that we just have to compile them and start working on our presentation when we get back together next week," she reminded the group before they went their separate ways that Friday.

"Sure, Misaki-san, see you next week," Nobara waved before rushing outside, a little bit too excitedly, she noted but disregarded it.

"Oi, Hayate, this will just be a short meeting, don't even dare take a nap or else we'll both get it from Misaki," Tsubasa reminded Hayate who was on his way back to the dorms to get his and Tsubasa's bags. Since they didn't have anything that afternoon, they decided to go home today rather than wake up early tomorrow morning.

"Oh, looks like we're all here," Ryuu said when he came inside the clubroom and saw the two of them already there. "I guess we should start immediately, Misaki-san, I already saw your list of ideas for the lineup, and I like it, but Tono-senpai was asking if we could somehow incorporate this topic. I got a vague idea of maybe combining that to this part of Misaki-san's lineup, what do you think, Tsubasa-kun?"

"It's interesting, and definitely new, but I still need to look up on possible speakers. I already got a list fit to Misaki's lineup but if we're incorporating that, I think we need to alter the lineup, like removing some of the sub topics to increase focus on that one," Tsubasa said as he studied the list in front of him. "We'll take note of that and try to come up with the first draft of the lineup this weekend."

"We still have that report, you think we can do both this weekend?"

"Well, you basically have the content of our report pinned down, I think we have more than enough time for this. Knowing you, you'll probably start altering the lineup at the train later," he said to her nonchalantly. "And you don't really need to rush in coming up with a presentation concept, we're having a sleepover for that anyway."

"Okay, looks like we're done with this meeting. I'll wait for that lineup draft, send it to me immediately so that I can review. See you next week, guys," Ryuu sent them off.

The meeting ended at the right timing. Hayate, who was waiting at the lobby of the clubroom, was almost dozing off. "Dude, we're going."

They stopped by her place to get her bags first before going on to the train station.

As Tsubasa had said, she started working on the lineup as soon as they sat in the train.

"If we do it like this, do you think it'll be better? Or will it be too broad?" she asked Tsubasa, showing him her notes.

"Hayate, you want some chips?" Tsubasa passed the bag of chips to Hayate without looking at him, then took her notebook to look at the words carefully.

"You offered me the chips before Harada, that's a first," Hayate noted as he took the bag from Tsubasa.

"She doesn't like eating junk food when she's writing," Tsubasa explained without looking at him.

"Not that I care much, but I feel like a third wheel when I'm with you two," but they still didn't pay any attention to him. "Should I move to Projects then? Nah, too hassle."

"Oh, we're already here, just upload that later so that we can work on it together," Tsubasa stretched before preparing his bags. "Oi, Hayate, wake up, we're here."

Hayate opened his eyes and blinked thrice before realizing that they've arrived. "Misaki-san, bye," he nodded to her before following Tsubasa out of the train. Pretty soon it was her stop too.

"Ahh, made it with lots of time to spare!" Misaki said as she stretched out her arms and legs. She had just sent to Ryuu the first draft she made. "Now time to think of that concept for our presentation."

"Misaki-chan, it's dinnertime!"

"Coming!" she took her pen and notebook down as she tried coming up with an idea for their presentation.

"Misaki-chan, it's time to eat, why are you still holding that notebook? You've been working since you came home yesterday," her mom reprimanded her.

"I'm just trying to come up with a concept for my group's presentation," she said but she did put down the notebook and focused on the food.

"A group presentation this time? Earlier you said that you're working on a program lineup for your org. Why are you doing so much? Do you even have time to go out with friends?"

"Working on extra-curricular activities and working on projects like these help big time when I become a fresh grad, mom," she explained.

"You're an Architecture student, Misaki-chan. You're not going into corporate business. If you were taking on activities that require you to draw plans, that will help you."

"I'm just expanding my field, mom. It's not like being an architect only means drawing plates. If it were, there won't be enough jobs for architects," she defended her stand.

"Sometimes I don't think it's a good thing that you're an achiever. You've been like that since grade school," her mom shook her head in defeat. "But you do have friends, right?"

"Mom! Of course I do. I'm not antisocial."

"What about a boyfriend? That's supposed to be the kind of problems you have at that age," her mom continued to interrogate her.

"I don't need to have a boyfriend, I'm too busy for that kind of thing," she said, exasperated.

"Or is there no one who likes you? Well, that's impossible, you're pretty, but then again, it's no use if you're too intimidating. You're an achiever, and your hobbies include sports and also fighting. Just to clarify, are you really a tomboy? C'mon, you can tell mom."

"For the hundredth time, I'm a girl. There are many girls who do sports out there, that's why there are women's teams."

"But they aren't really skilled in fighting."

"I cook."

"That's because you live alone."

"I wear dresses."

"But you eat like a pig even when you wear them."

Her eyes started to roll. "I have girl friends who are with me always."

"But there are guys in your group and you're with them more than the girls."

"That's because we're in the same team."

"Right, and you can even have sleepovers with guys without getting awkward."

"There was no choice at that time but to skip the awkwardness."

"Just get a boyfriend, please," and her mom got up with her plate.

"Ugh," she sighed, defeated.

"I really would rather have you having problems with guys than things that you should think of when you're at least 5 years older than now. Ah, you have a bunch of male friends in school, is there anyone handsome among them?" her mom faced her as with a dish in her hand and a sponge in the other.

"We have a total Casanova in our group," she downed her last spoonful of food and followed it with water then stood up and placed her plate on the sink. "I'm going up now."

"Come to think of it, this is going to be our first sleepover," Nobara said as they went to her apartment. "Maybe we should have invited Anna-chan and Nonoko-chan."

"But we'll probably be up the entire night, it'll just tire them," she said. They reached her apartment to pick up her overnight bag then went on to Nobara's house.

They all knew Nobara was rich, but they didn't expect her to live in a mansion. "Come in, guys. Ah, is Father here?" she asked the maid.

"No, Nobara-sama," Nobara nodded then led them to a guest room where they will be working for the night.

"Okay, guys, let's start this. Did you guys prepare for your parts already? Tsubasa, Kaname-kun, were you able to do that drawing I told you guys to do?" everyone was on alert as soon as she clapped her hands.

"What we experience for 1 and a half hour every week, we'll experience for the whole night, Tsubasa," Hayate whined. She immediately glared at him.

"Anyway, huddle around guys, let's discuss the concept again before we start practicing and preparing," it was Kaname's turn to clap his hands. With the two of them leading the group, they started working until one of the maids called them for dinner.

"Is your father joining us, Nobara-chan?" she asked Nobara.

"No, I've got a feeling he's either in a meeting right now or had just finished with one," Nobara smiled. They arrived at the dining room and, as they have already guessed, a long table greeted them inside.

"Eh, Nobara-san, you told us it's just you and your father here, why do you have so many seats?" Megane asked.

"That's just how it is with large houses, you idiot," Tsubasa whacked him.

"Do you often eat alone in this big table when your father is not yet home?" she asked Nobara, leaving the boys to bicker on their own.

"Yeah, he usually comes home either I just finished eating or when I'm already asleep," Nobara answered.

They did get to meet Nobara's father that night, who arrived just as they were about to finish dinner.

"It's okay, I already ate in a dinner meeting. Nobara, make sure you take care of the visitors. I'm going to my study for now, Rei and I still have some things to talk about," Nobara's father gave them a nod before going out of the dining room, his secretary, Rei, following behind him closely.

Nobara's father intimidated her a bit. He carried an authoritative aura with him, and he looked just like the tycoon he is. She shrugged it off and led the group back into the room again.

"Okay guys, let's take a few minutes of break since we just ate dinner. Those who are going to take a shower or change their clothes do so now," she clapped her hands before rummaging inside her own bag for her clothes.

She took a shower first then went to the bed with her laptop to check on her SNS while waiting for the guys who queued up on the use of the bathroom after her. It was Nobara's surprised scream that made her look up again.

"TSU-BA-SA! How many times do I need to tell you to change your clothes inside the bathroom?" she immediately turned her head away when she saw the reason for Nobara's scream.

"It was just the top," Tsubasa retorted back as he put on a shirt, then he started mumbling. "Damn that Hayate for making me rush."

"As if you haven't seen his body yet, Misaki-san," Kaname teased, reminding them all of the time when their dorm was caught on fire. "Plus we're all friends here. I think we really should just get used to this scene, I've got a feeling we'll be having these sleepovers more often."

"Our friendship hasn't reached that level of comfortableness yet, Kaname-kun," she argued back. "I don't think we'll ever get used to that show, it's just so awkward."

"Hmnn, between you and him, I think there's a high chance you two are gonna reach that stage soon," Kaname said mysteriously. As if on cue, Hayate came out of the bathroom, the same state as Tsubasa when he stepped out. Kaname instantly threw his towel at him. "Get inside, Hayate-kun, don't embarrass the girls."

As they had predicted, the sleepover didn't really gave them that much time to sleep. Every time they complete the report, they come up with another thing to change. It was around 3 am when she felt her energy start slipping away.

"I think that was already good. We should sleep now," she announced, her voice obviously sleepy.

"Yeah, we should. We really need it, you're even using Tsubasa as a pillow now," Kaname pointed out to her. That's when she noticed she'd been leaning on Tsubasa's back since their last dry run.

She immediately pulled herself away and stood up. "Let's sleep now, c'mon," she said and climbed the bed. Nobara went beside her and the guys started fighting over who gets to sleep at the outer side of the futons lined up on the ground.

"You can sleep in your room if you're not used to sleeping in the same room with guys, Nobara-chan," she said to Nobara when she noticed her carefully get in their bed.

"Don't worry about Misaki-san, she's already slept with Tsubasa anyway."

"Hayate-kun, that sounds so wrong!" almost all of them said at the same.

"Anyway, I prefer to be with you guys, it's the first time I actually had a sleepover," Nobara's happy smile was the last thing they saw before they turned off the lights.

"Good job, everyone. I think we did well," she said as soon as they got out of their classroom after their report.

"Want to celebrate before we go home?" Tsubasa suggested. Almost everyone immediately agreed.

"Is it okay if I pass today? I have to go somewhere," they all looked at Nobara curiously.

"Do you have a function with your father today?" they were all aware that Nobara's father often brings Nobara to gatherings.

"Uh, yeah," Nobara looked away from them. Just then, they saw a familiar car pull up in front of the campus gates. "There's my car, I'll go now. See you guys next week!"

"What about you, Kaname, Megane? We three might go grab a bite before we go home," Tsubasa then faced the two.

"Yeah, let's just do that," the two immediately agreed. They went their separate ways to get their stuff before meeting up again.

"Her father didn't seem to say anything about that this morning, though," she wondered to herself. They had a tense breakfast that morning with Nobara's father. He did wish them luck before they went but he didn't seem like he had anything else to say to Nobara.

She reached her apartment and didn't think too much about it anymore. She hurriedly packed up her things for the journey home then met up with the guys to have a quick snack at the burger joint before going to the train station with Tsubasa and Kaname.

"Misaki-chan, dinner time!" her mom called out. She came downstairs with her tablet in her hand. She was checking her SNS with it. Her mom took a peek before moving on to set the table. "And you tell me you have girl friends. Seriously, Misaki-chan, I would really be more relieved if what you're whispering about in front of that tablet is wondering who could that girl be lurking on your boyfriend, oh nevermind that, crush's profile, rather than those updates in groups."

She was checking updates in the group for Blueprint when she saw Kaname upload the photo of the five of them earlier in the burger joint.

"Mom, I am a normal human being in her college years, I assure you. It's just that making more out of my student years is my priority," she said with her palms raised in front of her mom. She then picked up her utensils and started eating to end the conversation. "Itadakimasu!"

Her mother just rolled her eyes at her. "More like being too workaholic."

Her weekly routine had always been going back to the city on Mondays at 7 am to reach her apartment at 9 am, then go to school before 10 am. She'll go back home either Friday or Saturday depending on events and SCA stuff.

That Monday, she got to the city pretty early, she reached her apartment by 8:30. But she got a surprise when she reached her door.

"Nobara-chan? Why are you here?" her eyes widened at the sight of Nobara. She didn't know what surprised her more, the fact that Nobara was here, or that Nobara was here with not just her schoolbag but also a large luggage as if she was going on a one week field trip.

So I'm a bit late today, but hey, I updated :) It's not that I forgot, it's just that I wasn't feeling well the whole day (no, I wasn't sick at all), and just didn't do anything at all until later in the evening, which is why I'm only posting this now. Anyway thank you for reaching this chapter, we still have a long way to go, I hope you're in for the ride, whether or not you tell me. To th1rd3ye, yes, I will continue to update this, no matter what :) Thank you for giving me your time to read and review. Mina-san, see you all next week!