yamishun: err, yeah. I'm back! I don't know if the changes in my writing style are evident here, save for the obvious shortness of the chapter. Writing drabbles is the most visible change in me since I used to love writing long chapters. I'm still fighting the urge to rewrite the earlier chapters because I noticed a lot of grammatical errors and such. Thank you for still patronizing this after almost a year of no updates!

A Little Too Late

(A Gakuen Alice Fanfiction)

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"Youichi what was that all about?" Natsume inquired the now 8-yr-old boy.

The latter averted his gaze away from the guy he has always considered his big brother.

"Youichi!" Natsume raised his voice. The gray haired boy cutely looked up to him. He was hesitating, but he knew it would just make things worse. His 'onii-chan' isn't exactly the role model for patience. He hated this. To be cornered and trapped, especially by someone he really respects. Although Natsume didn't specify what does 'that' stand for, he knew that it was about Mikan and what he said to Ruka.

He sighed and raised both his hands up in the air like a criminal caught by the police. "Ok... Ok. I give up Natsume-nii. I'll tell." He brought his hands down again and intently stared straight to Natsume's fiery eyes. "I was just trying to help!"

"Help? Help who, Youichi? You certainly weren't helping Ruka."

The younger boy sighed and let his gaze leave those blood red eyes. He ruffled his hair while answering with a mix of irritation and concern in his tone, "I was helping... you... niichan. You."

Natsume was taken aback. His eyes widened while his mouth drooped slightly. Youichi was helping him? Why would he? Were his feelings that obvious? He continued to look at the young boy, he was serious. He slightly bent his head low, his raven bangs covering his eyes. He smiled lightly, just like when Youichi was still 3 yrs old. He patted the young boy's head.

"I'm fine Youichi. I'm fine." he said reassuringly.

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Chapter 10 (part 2): Youichi's Game

'For love brings naught but pain and suffering… how long are we willing to endure it?'

Hijiri Youichi begrudgingly stalked the bricked pathway that led to the elementary boys' dormitory. Natsume was being irritatingly difficult by telling him to stay clear of Mikan and Ruka's blossoming relationship. He fought the urge to snort at the thought. His nii-chan deserved his own happiness. He doesn't know about Ruka but he knows was that Sakura Mikan is the only happiness for Natsume. But there was nothing he could do but concede in the face of the fire alice user. Unless he wanted to make his life harder, which he doesn't. And so things became this way. With the little gray-haired dangerous ability type alice reluctantly yielding to Natsume's firm words, or at least pretend to.

His scowl vanished when he was under the protection of the dormitory building. His steps lightened and his pace slowed into a casual walk. He grinned slyly. Natsume had underestimated him if the former had not anticipated that he could sense it if someone followed him. The grin faded slightly as he thought of the circumstancesIt wouldn't be easy to find a chance where he could display his talents. Ah, well, he just needs to be a bit more subtle with his moves in the future.

'Sorry Natsume-nii, but this is for your own good.'

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Ruka silently entered his room, carefully closing his door so as to not wake the still sleeping Mikan on his bed. He stepped closer to have a look at her face and found streaks of dried tears; some were from when he caught her earlier while some coursed down to the mattress. 'She cried in her sleep,' he thought sadly. An overwhelming pain pinched his heart at the scene. It diminished what confidence he had built up over the sleepless nights since he had confessed. His hands balled into fists, he shouldn't let this push him down. No one else can catch her when she falls, not when Natsume has already conceded and trusted him to take care of her. His fingers ghosted over the dried tears, stopping when she stirred a bit.

'I'll stay by your side even if you'll never love me back.'

He stroked her hair, fingers sliding smoothly on her soft locks. Her eyes opened without warning, startling him. He considered pulling back his hand but she made no move of disapproval with where it was at the moment. "Ruka-pyon?" she murmured, her voice slightly hoarsed from crying.

He smiled at her and resumed stroking her hair to soothe her, "I'm here Mikan."

Mikan nodded and closed her eyes again, her hand blindly reaching for Ruka's other hand. She smiled when he took her hand in his. "Ruka-pyon's hand is soft… and comforting…" her words faded into a barely audible murmur as the calls of slumber reached her ears again. Ruka's heart swelled with joy at her words. It had been well over a minute since she half-consciously mumbled those words but he remained still, waiting for the thought to finally sink in. His hand clutched hers tighter and whispered, "Thank you, for not pushing me away."

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Natsume sat on one of the thick sturdy branches of the tree that stood near the window of Ruka's room. He watched over the two people in the academy he cared about the most, excluding the little Hijiri Youichi, with a heavy heart. It was for the best. At least that was what he had been repeating in his head since he told Ruka he would give up. He felt the same overwhelming muddled emotions roar in his chest; jealousy, irritation, frustration, anger, guilt, and confusion. It was an endless struggle to maintain his composure and look people in the eye while he uttered the worst lie he could ever say, that he didn't love her.

"Mikan,"

He gave her a long look, pausing on the small frown on her soft pink lips, before he vanished into the dark night, more than ready to fulfill another mission for the academy. 'I'll be gone for a while. Be safe until I return to your side again.' Oh how he longed to tell her those words—to see her saddened face brighten up as his lips brushed against hers soothingly.

He stopped in the middle of the denser parts of the Northern Forest. "It'll never happen so stop thinking about it!" he scolded himself as he knelt on the ground, covering his eyes with the palm of his hand.

"Ruka is the better choice! The safer choice!" His fist collided with the grassy earth. Emotions caught up with him again.

xx End Of Chapter xx

yamishun: See?? It's pretty short. I'm sorry for that. Anyway this is only the continuation of chapter 10 part 1. Thank you to the readers of the previous update! I'm sorry I couldn't put your usernames here since I seriously need sleep now. I wanted to be able to post this as early as I could, before I start to forget again. Originally, this was supposed to be a longer update but then, what would be the point of putting all those scenes if it won't help the progress of the story right? Also, I think ending it there has a nice touch~ no?