Lanel: Maybe Kazuma would. About the ending, I don't really know. I guess, one or two more? I don't know. It depends upon my ideas. :D
Wyntta: I can't really assure you a happy ending nor a sad one. I'm not saying anything. XD
moonacre99: Here's the update!
SweetieSakura: Thanks for the review, here's the update!
Disclaimer: Like, I don't own Gakuen Alice.
Chapter XI: Two Years Later
It has been two years since they were back in each others' arms. Through those past years, they both have grown to love each other each day and the idea of losing each other would be a great loss for the both of them now. The people around them accepted what they really feel for each other and just let them be, well, except for one. I guess you already know who.
Natsume, who just woke up, climbed out of his bed wearily and reached for his alarm clock and as soon as he was able to reach it, he put its ringing to a stop. Just when he was lying back in his bed and was about to drift off to a soundless sleep again, his phone rang. With a loud groan, he finally stood up, clutching his hair and went to find his ringing phone. When he finally found it, he flipped it open and answered the call without bothering to look who's calling him.
"What?" He said in such a bored manner, as he always does.
"Natsume, man! Where the hell are you?" Koko shouted from the other line.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll be right there in fifteen minutes." Natsume said and hung up.
The moment he placed his phone on his room desk, he remembered something. Yes, it was his beloved Mikan's eighteenth birthday today. And there was something he's going to give her. Something that would make her cry. No, not because she's going to be upset, but because of joy. He is pretty much sure about it. But first, he has to take a bath and go buy his precious gift for her. He smiled at their picture together and stripped his clothes and went to take a bath.
The moment he was finished, he went to his room, leaving a note that he would be out for the day. He knows his parents are going to be home any minute by now. They too, were invited to Mikan's birthday bash later this day. The Hyuuga's and the Hasegawa's sure has settled whatever happened or whatever conflict they once had with each other.
Natsume looked for his keys and the moment he found it, he immediately went to his parking lot and picked a car of his choice for today. The moment he already picked one, he started it and drove it at full speed. After few minutes of driving, he finally arrived at his destination.
"Yo, Natsume's finally here guys!" Koko shouted upon seeing Natsume get off his highly-expensive car.
"Hn." Was all that Natsume said as he pushed the button of his remote, locking his car.
"Natsume, good luck." Ruka said as he patted Natsume's back. Natsume just rolled his eyes at him which made Ruka chuckle. Natsume seems to be nervous. Well, if he was going to do what Natsume would do, his knees would probably shake real hard. He chuckled once again at the thought.
"So, man. You wanna start looking for it?" Mochu asked as he caught up with Natsume's pace.
"I definitely would. What did you think I came here for, idiot?" Natsume said as he glared at him at the same time.
"Okay, man. Chill down. You're really tense, I must say." Mochu said, waving both his hands in the air.
"Whatever." Natsume said, pretty obvious that he was somewhat nervous of what he was about to do. Mikan's mind is quiet unpredictable, he must say. But the bottom line here is, like the hell he cares at all.
"Man, I thought I couldn't live to this day, seeing Natsume nervous for the first time." Koko hissed to Ruka, who just laughed at his statement. He too, was quiet surprised at how Natsume is acting in front of all of them just now.
After hours of browsing and rejecting kinds of what they were looking for, Natsume doesn't seem to be interested with any of them. There's nothing in display that he would be able to give Mikan. Although he knows that Mikan won't mind of the kind and price, he still feels like he needs to give her the best that he can find.
"Whoa, man. Don't tell me you haven't chosen any yet?" Koko said as he sat down on a nearby bench.
"We've went to almost every shop that sells it. Why don't you give that ruby one to her instead? It's really expensive you know. I'm pretty much sure she won't reject it." Mochu said as he sat down beside Koko, both of them tired of all the walking they have done.
"Come on, guys. Don't pressure Natsume. You're making him feel much worse." Ruka said jokingly as he sat down beside the guys. The guys just laughed, not minding Natsume at the moment who was staring at a certain something that caught his eye. Okay, so, he is so gonna buy that one. That one would surely fit Mikan perfectly. Though it's price is quiet unusually high.
After few moments of talking, the guys finally stood up and said, "Natsume, I think we should go." Koko said.
"Wait, I think I found the perfect one." Natsume said as he went inside a shop where he saw the certain thing he was looking at just awhile ago.
The moment Natsume was gone, Mochu asked both of the guys, "He found what he's looking for?" Both of the guys just shrugged and went to follow Natsume.
Meanwhile..
"Arggh, why isn't he calling me still?" Mikan asked herself as she checked on her cellphone for the umpteenth time this day. Still, no message or missed calls from Natsume. Did he really forget that it is her birthday today?
"Come on, Mikan. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure Natsume would not be able to forget this special day of yours. He may just be so busy at the moment. Besides, since when did he ever forget your birthday?" Anna assured Mikan. And at the same time patting her back, who was currently sulking on a bench because Natsume did not message nor call her today.
"Cheer up, dummy. He definitely won't forget. Or else I'll get his head chopped off." Hotaru said, sitting beside Mikan.
"Mou, it's almost lunch time. Do you think he's still asleep or busy at the moment?" Mikan asked her friends, worrying about Natsume's whereabouts.
"Maybe. Or maybe he's just busy preparing for your birthday. Maybe he's planning to make it special this time that's why he's spending extra time in preparing for it." Nonoko said as she handed Mikan an ice cream so as to cool her down.
"Thanks." Mikan mouthed as she got the ice cream from Nonoko and started eating it, worry still painted on her pretty face.
"Did you call him already?" Hotaru asked.
"I did. But his phone seems to be off and unreachable at the moment." Mikan said, looking down.
"I guess you'll just have to wait until he calls you then." Anna said, looking at Mikan.
Suddenly, Mikan's phone rang. Mikan hurriedly fished her phone from her bag that she almost dropped it. Finally, it was Natsume. She excused herself and answered the call that she has been waiting for hours already.
"Natsume? Why the hell did you call just now?" Mikan impatiently asked Natsume.
"Sorry. I got so busy. Anyway, happy birthday. You're finally eighteen."
"Well, yeah, thanks Natsume."
"Hn."
"Anyway, where are you now?"
"Just around somewhere."
"Somewhere? Where's that somewhere?"
"You don't have to know. Anyway, see you later."
"Sigh. Alright, alright. Love you."
"Love you too." Then, he hung up.
"So, what happened? Why didn't he call?" Anna asked upon seeing Mikan who was approaching the bench she was sitting on just awhile ago.
"Just like you said, he got so busy." Mikan said as she sat down beside the girls.
"Oohh." The girls chorused and laughed. Well, except for Hotaru of course. She's still as emotionless as usual.
"Why don't we all have fun? It's Saturday anyway and it's Mikan's birthday!" Nonoko exclaimed, standing up in the process.
"So, where do we go?" Mikan asked, standing up.
"I don't know. Just drive." Hotaru said as she grabbed the remote of Mikan's car from Mikan and pushed the button, unlocking the car doors. The moment it was unlocked, Hotaru and the others immediately got in the car and waited for Mikan to start the car. Hotaru was on the passenger's seat while Nonoko and Anna were at the back seat.
They went to different malls to shop and bought everything they wanted, it was Mikan's treat since it was her birthday after all. And Hotaru being Hotaru, took advantage of this and picked up everything that she think would be of use to any of her interests. But the four of them mostly shopped for clothes. They did not have any hard time in choosing since most of the dress that was being sold fitted them. But the dresses fitted Mikan the most. Finally, their last stop, Le Magnifique! Boutique, where Mikan had her debut gown ordered.
She asked the designer whether she could see the gown that she ordered for her debut but the designer politely declined. It was better if she would see it later, it would spoil all the surprise, the designer reasoned out. Mikan thought about it for awhile and finally considered the designer's reason. It would be much better if she would be surprised. Besides, the girls, even Hotaru herself, agreed with the designer's decision.
After such a tiring morning, they decided to go to a certain restaurant to eat. "Great! We bought a lot of great designer clothes today!" Mikan exclaimed as she sat down on a private room of the said restaurant.
"The dresses you chose was way too perfect, I must say, Mikan." Anna said as she too, sat down.
"It definitely was!" Nonoko agreed. Hotaru just sat down quietly and waited for the waiter to collect their orders.
After eating, they decided to take a walk around the park to burn some calories. Few hours later, it was finally afternoon. The girls decided to go on their own ways to prepare themselves for Mikan's birthday bash later this day. Mikan too, decided to go home and start preparing for her birthday bash. This birthday of hers is definitely special, and she could feel it.
The moment she reached home, it was already late afternoon since the park they hanged out was quiet far from their mansion. A lot of make-up artists were already there as well as the designer of her gown. The gown is probably here, she thought.
"Mikan, my dear! Hurry and freshen up already. You have to get ready for your birthday bash. The guests would be probably be arriving soon." Mikan's mother, Yuka said to her daughter as she pushed Mikan to the staircase to make her hurry.
"Okay, mom. Don't panic." Mikan said with a smile and hurriedly went to her room to freshen up. The moment she was done, she put on a robe and called the make-up artists to come to her room. She prefers to stay in her room while her get-up is still being done. The make-up artists hurriedly went upstairs and knocked on her room door. She made them come in and so the makeover began.
Thirty minutes later, she was finally done. She was definitely stunning. Her make-up tonight, although light, emphasized her pretty face especially her hazel eyes. She faced her whole body mirror and a very stunning woman faced her. She wore a blood-red balloon gown with three thick straps. The first strap was at her left shoulder with a red rose at the bottom of it, attached to the gown itself and so was the second only that it does not have a rose on it. The third was also on her right, but not on her shoulder. It was in an off-shoulder style. The gown wrapped her petite body perfectly, exposing some cleavage and the curves of her body until her thigh.
The rest of the gown that started from her thigh was in a balloon style that reached until the ground, hiding her black high heel stilettos. She also wore a pair of black long gloves that reached until below her elbows and a thick black choker. She had her hair in a messy and complicated chignon and wore a pair of double Chanel earrings. Her lipstick was like the shade of her dress, blood-red but light. (a/n: If you want to see pictures of what she's currently wearing, just tell me and I'll show you where I based her outfit for this scene.)
Finally, she was ready. She was told to sit down on her room until she was called. Her outfit was the highlight of the night after all.
Meanwhile, at the garden..
The guests finally started arriving, including Mikan's closest of friends. Namely, Koko, Mochu, Ruka, Yuu, Anna, Nonoko, Hotaru, and of course last but not the least, Natsume. Luna, Sumire, and the rest of the students attending in Alice Academy were invited too. The moment the girls arrived, they immediately searched for Mikan. Yuka told them that she would go down any minute by now and that they would just have to wait.
Finally, the guests settled down as Mikan went down the enormous staircase. The crowd was so stunned seeing Mikan's whole new look this evening. She looked really like somebody else but still with her trademark smile, they could tell that it really is Mikan Sakura. Natsume himself stared at Mikan and was stunned too.
Koko then approached him and hissed, "She sure is stunning, Natsume. Such a great catch, I must say." Natsume just rolled his eyes at Koko and looked back at Mikan who was nearing the microphone for a little bit of speech.
"Good evening, everyone. Thank you so much for coming to my debut party. Today is such a special day of my life because today, I finally turn eighteen. The start of another stage of my life. Throughout my teenage years, I had a lot of struggles but I managed to get through it of course, with the help of my beloved friends." Mikan said as she faced her friends who were smiling back at her.
"Have fun with the rest of the night everyone!" Mikan said her final words and exited the stage that she was on and went to approach Natsume and the others.
As Ruka saw that Mikan was already approaching, he went to Natsume and hissed to his ear, "Go for it, Natsume. You can do it. You have our support." He patted his back and left.
"Whatever." Natsume replied but deep inside of him, he was quiet nervous. Because tonight, he is going to ask for her hand in marriage and he won't let this night pass without her wonderful "Yes."
"Natsume! I'm glad you're not late like last year!" Mikan called out to Natsume as she went and hugged him.
"Why the hell would I?" Natsume said as he snaked his arms around her petite waist and went to approach the others. Mikan just smiled and walked with him at the same time, greeting every guest on her way.
"Mikan! You look wonderful!" Anna exclaimed as she went to hug Mikan, letting go of her beloved Koko.
"You sure do Mikan." Koko said as he grinned at Natsume.
"Thank you, guys. Also, thank you for coming!" Mikan said. The others approached them as well and had a little chit-chat with the couple as well as the guests in the crowd.
"Baby, I'll just go and get us some drinks." Natsume said to Mikan. Mikan just nodded and continued entertaining her friends and guests.
"Hey, Mikan. You look great tonight." Suddenly, Kazuma came into the picture with a drink on his hand. Mikan was quiet surprised to see him but regained her composure knowing that he was just a guest this time.
"Why, hello Kazuma. It's been a while." Mikan said, facing him.
"It sure is." Kazuma said with a sly smile that made Mikan somehow uncomfortable and suspicious of his actions. Then, as if on cue, Natsume arrived, holding two drinks on his hands.
"Mikan." He called out, seeing that Kazuma was talking with her.
"What are you doing here?" Natsume asked Kazuma.
"Why, I was invited by her parents. Congratulations, Natsume. I heard Mikan's parents and yours finally approves of your relationship." Kazuma said with the tiniest bit of bitterness.
"Not just that, Kazuma. I'll be breaking a news later." Natsume hissed to Kazuma who doesn't seem to understand what he was talking all about all of a sudden.
"Natsume, it's alright." Mikan said as she got the drink from Natsume's other hand and drank from it.
"We'll just go ahead, Kazuma." Mikan said to Kazuma as she and Natsume went to the crowd to entertain some more guests.
The moment they were out of earshot, Kazuma said to himself with an evil smile, "Wait 'til I could get you to bite my trap. I won't lose to you, Hyuuga." And then, he disappeared into the crowd.
Finally, it was time for the debutant to dance with the eighteen roses. The first dance was with Koko. The second was with Yuu, third with Mochu, fourth with Ruka, fifth to fifteenth with some unknown guy, sixteenth with Kazuma, and eighteenth with Natsume of course.
The DJ, knowing that they were a couple, intended the music to be extra romantic. It made the crowd cheer and the couple just look at each other and smile. They were really a perfect pair. Nobody else would be good enough for Natsume and nobody else would be good enough for Mikan. They were just perfect. They were born to be each others' half.
Both of them swayed to the music, feeling it as well. As they were dancing, they kept on laughing on what the other said and vice versa. They both looked at each others' eyes and just kept on dancing along with the music. Everything just felt so right for the both of them. They both wanted this moment to last, too bad they could not.
From afar, Kazuma was looking at them with disgust and was burning with jealousy. Ruka went to approach him and patted his back saying, "Just let them be, they are both meant to be anyway."
Kazuma shoved Ruka's hand away and said to him, "Don't stick your nose on other people's business, will you?"
"Okay." Ruka said with a smile, making Kazuma even more furious. He is definitely going to take Mikan away from Natsume completely and get rid of him. Yes, that's what he's going to do.
Finally, the music stopped. Looking at the guys, Natsume asked for the signal of his proposal. The guys made an approve sign and Natsume just nodded. This is really is it. There's no escaping and turning back.
"Mikan. I have to ask you something." Natsume said as he let go of Mikan and looked at her straight in the eyes.
"Eh? What is it?" Mikan asked with a smile.
Natsume slowly knelt down and got something from his pocket. It was a ring box, Mikan could tell. What he asked her were the exact words she was yearning to hear in her whole life. And this very minute, it came true and what makes it best is that, it's from the man whom she loved the most for the past two years of her life. And heck does she want to spend the rest of her life with him.
Opening the box, Natsume handed it to her and asked her, "Mikan, will you marry me?"
Not exactly knowing how to answer his question, she just smiled at him almost teary-eyed, got the ring from the box and wore it. Then without any hesitations she said, "Yes, I definitely will marry you."
With too much delight, Natsume stood up and kissed Mikan in front of everyone. Their parents, seeing this, just smiled and clapped making the crowd do the same. Kazuma, who was fully disgusted by what he saw, just turned around and walked away, fuming. Ruka looked at him at the corner of his eye and just smiled. Finally, the long wait's done. Natsume finally got Mikan's hand for marriage.
"I love you Mikan." Natsume said as he let go of her, still holding her in his arms.
"I love you too, Natsume." Mikan said with so much delight.
The rest of the night, it was the talk of the crowd. They finally decided to tie the knot. They can't seem to wait for the wedding. They can't wait to see what Mikan would be wearing. But above all that, they can't wait to witness the couple tie the knot together as they profess their undying love for each other. Then, the rest after the occasion would be the next chapter of their lives.
Finally, it was time to go home. It was already so late. Her friends and guests congratulated the both of them, especially Natsume for being so successful.
"Mikan. Good luck." Anna said.
"Don't worry Mikan. We'll always be here for you." Nonoko said, hugging Mikan in the process.
"Girls, too much drama makes me sick." Hotaru reminded everyone. But before she turned around to leave, she said to Mikan, "I don't care if you're married, I'm still your best friend, dummy."
And with that, Mikan hugged her so tight so thankful that she has these kind of friends. She really considers them as the greatest treasures of her life. Because of them, her life was full of meaning.
With one last kiss, Mikan and Natsume finally bode each other goodbye.
The next day, what happened last night shocked the whole Japan and infuriated Kazuma the most. It on the headlines of the newspapers and magazines, Natsume and Mikan's engagement on Mikan's Debut Party, it says.
With full force, Kazuma threw the newspaper he was reading to the floor, burning with fury. He can't take this, Mikan can't be Natsume's! He definitely has to do something!
"Arggh, This is bullshit, this really is bullshit. I need to do something!" Kazuma said as he breathed heavily and thought of plans to get rid of that Hyuuga kid and make Mikan his, just his!
"Calm down, will you? I suggest you make a move after their marriage. I don't care when, just do it after their marriage. Get it? That way, it would be so much fun."
"You're right, definitely right. You're really useful." Kazuma said as he looked out his office window, to the horizon and smirked evilly to himself.
Chapter eleven is here! Here's the thing, the next chapter would be the last! Please do review!
Next chapter on Modern-day Monarchy:
"Expect The Unexpected"