Alice Gakuen/ Arisu Gakuen By Higuchi Tachibana
After 20 days of searching I've finally I found her...
But...
"Mikan..." I step forward to approach her but when I put another step, she will step backward. Her tears rolls and rolls and she keeps says 'no'.
What's wrong with her...? I try to persuade my own self that Mikan could probably traumatized from this attacked...
"Mikan... It's me... Natsume." She even gets shocked when I mention my name... Now Mikan's face turning sad and shake her face from side to side slowly.
"Mi... Mikan."
"No... No..." Suddenly Mikan turn and run away from me. It makes me confused. There must be something makes her fear about me... I'm rushing to running after her.
"Mikan! Stop right there!" I knew she will ignore it. She just keeps running and fast. But I don't want to lose her anymore, never! I need some explanation too. I run as fast as I could and grab her arm.
"Why are you run away from me?!" Like she's not even listening but she's struggle to free herself from me.
"Let me go! Go! Go away!" I won't let her go whatever she'll do to free herself.
"Calm down you idiot! It's me! Don't you remember me?! I'm Natsume!"
"You are not Natsume! Get away from me!" She won't stop struggling until she calms herself... But I don't see she will come to her sense and calm even a bit and her hand swing to right and left vigorously still resisting so bad. I've got no choice... I pull her into my chest and embrace her. Her hand still try to pushing me away and slips her finger scratch on my cheek but that just small wound... To let her go because of the scratch not even shakes my determination.
"I won't let you go... Anymore. Please... calm down..." somehow Mikan had stopped struggling but still pushing my chest away.
"You are not Natsume... I won't believe single words you say..."
"Then why don't you guess my name?" I bring her closer to my embrace chaining my arm around her even tight... I try to recall everything just like the first time I've met her...
"My name is after a red fruit..." her finger slightly gripping my cloth and she start to cry again...
"...Natsume... Natsume..." her voice... She called out my name... I am really felt... 'This is for real?' a thousand relieve...
"Yes...You guess it right; It's me..."
"Why... Why are you attacking me Natsume...?" There is no where I would hurt her... But it is left impact in my chest when she asks such question to me... I won't deny that when I release fire towards her.
"No...! Forgive me... I don't mean to... I won't do that again..." I want her to feel safe in my embraced... I'm going to tell her everything will be just fine. She can cry hard now but one thing I will not let her go anymore...
"I'm scared... Natsume. They killed Jiichan... Jiichan... I'm alone..." My hand move naturally caressing her hair, denied that she is not alone.
"Don't you ever think that you are alone...! You still got me. I'm here now ok? Promise me you won't leave me alone too..."
"Natsume... They killed Jiichan... promise you won't kill me..." before she completed her sentences, she brings herself down; her knees weaken.
"Oi! Mikan! Hold on to yourself!" I hold her body from prevent her from fall and knock the snowy earth. Her skin like icy cold along with her shivering body...
"You getting cold Mikan, hang in there..." I won't wait any minute. I need to bring her somewhere I could warm her up. But I completely immobilized when Mikan reach her hand meets my face.
"You are so warm Natsume... That's why you never wear gloves..." The aching sensation once again beats in my heart... maybe the happiness I felt of the chances to reunite with her finally has come, conflict with my anxious feeling afraid of she will soon disappeared from my side. I can feel my own hand tremble. Afraid that something more worst might occurred, I carry her weak body in my arms, rushing back to my hiding place; the basement.
She looks awfully sick... her lower eye's skins became dark while the other parts pale just like how white are described. Her feet marked with a blue bruises. It's an enormous grieve and I lose my guts to stare even a glimpse, I rather bite my lips to overcome the unbearable sadness in my chest. Thinking how she'd been suffered alone before... She was alone...
As soon as I reached the basement, I take her in and lay her back on my bed, the piece of thorn fabric that covered her body soaking wet and cold...
"Mikan, let me... Take off..." In just a millisecond I swing single hit with my palm on my face. There no time to feel embarrass. I should do what I have to do. I take off all her shirt and cover her with a thick blanket while I wait for the water boils... Mikan seems lost conscious but her face shows that she's relax and calm.
My heart beats has been stopped racing and it return to normal beats since I could see her right in front of my eyes... the chills that I could feel in each of my fingers now gone giving me signal nothing to be worry of. I sit down next to the bed, watching her sleeping in dim...
'Promise you won't kill me...' I wonder what she meant about that...? And when recalling how terrified she became when I said I am Natsume and she attempted to runaway. As if she will regret her whole life if the person she saw is me...
Only the time is right, I will ask her why... There something I must know about it, and I couldn't hide from her anymore that I'm an Alice. How she saw my fire burned her cloak and how the fire flews in the air, there nothing to wonder if she became terrified what she saw...
I'll do anything that I could for her... anything to let her stay by my side.
"Mikan..." I reached her hand beneath the blanket; it's cold... I stick my hand on her, to keep it warm. I might sound crazy, but I couldn't help myself that I actually start talking to that sleeping Mikan.
"I've been searching for you ever since I lost my parent... I never losing my faith that we will see each other again. I could not put any strength to my soul if it's not you that I searching for...
I... Don't know if I could spare my strength if you disappeared again." I could feel my eyes burning like tears will rolls on my cheeks.
Afraid she will suddenly disappear in the middle of the night, with my overwhelmed feels, I lay myself beside her; embraced her as if that the only way to make my eyes sure she'll never leave my side.
My mind reminisces and pictured her crying face back that day where I've said goodbye to her... Now I completely know how she felt back then.
I buried my face on her... Tighten my arm around her... She's sleeping and it's ok... She will never notice my tears drops on her; I won't let her see me cry...
"Don't leave me..."
The reason I'd survived is because of her, I keep moving forward to see her again as my heart yearned to see her pretty smile. And the biggest part that affecting my whole feels and the bitter sweet unexplained sensation towards her is...
"I Love You." Guess I'm the Idiot after all. It's feels like; it was there but I just keep playing with it, yeah... It is look simple but it is hard to say it out loud to her than I called her idiot all the time before... though she didn't heard a thing I've said to her.
But what the best I wanted is her existent in my life; as I'm going to let her know that my life, her shield. I'll do anything to keep her by my side even means to kill...
How I missing her for the last 20 days and such a day would come between us, like the burden had crumble and fall from my shoulder... In the cold white night, Mikan sleeps in my arm as my eyes closed and slowly put me to rest hoping that faith will never turn this reality into just a mere dream.
"Natsume..." I thought I heard a voice calling my name waking my dreamless sleep. I could feel a soft and gentle hand caressing across my cheek in slow pace. I open my eyes; a pair of hazel eyes watching me lying beside her all night...
"It's... It's you Natsume." Like I do not know how to react in front of her, I lost in words. Like I still couldn't believe she's actually there.
"Natsume." Her tears mix with her smile. Within nothing to hold back she reaches for me and embraces me...
She's the only one that I wanted in this world. I hold her back, I could feel my own hand tremble even I'm actually feels relieved...
"Whenever you're ready, let leaves this place... together..." Just like what I decided long time ago I will leaves this place only when I had Mikan by my side. And for the first time in the whole days after the attacked that I don't have to leave the basement because Mikan's with me...
Mikan sitting beside me and somehow she's a bit reluctant to talk... colour had return to her pale skin. I just break the silent by telling her how I've been before. Maybe Mikan wants me to tell just about anything...
"I lost my parent... I guess they trapped on fire and gone. But I better telling you the truth; we were actually run away from the AAM..."
"AAM...?"
"Alice Abolition Movement, my family are on their list... I was run from that movement since I was born. Alice are called for people that born with a supernatural power, or elemental power. I'm a fire Alice. Mom and dad also an Alice, but I don't know what kind of Alice my mom had but maybe invading people's mind.
We were enjoyed our last cupped ramen together, then I thought I'm going to delivered their coffees and cakes too, but it just too late... thought that I felt like despair in me, I'm willing to make myself calm and start to searching for you. I've went to your place... but you wasn't there, If I didn't pull myself together, I might be fall crazy because of my head keep thinking the possibilities that could happen to you, including death... but there something keep telling me that you still alive somewhere out there..." I do not need to guess that Mikan will shed another tear while she listens to me, her embrace taking the place of her words...
"Just like I thought... You are strong. But damn you gave me a fear..."
"I believe you... I never stop believe in you Natsume." When she said that; it gives me strength and spirit to become stronger.
"Liar~ you just said yesterday you won't believe a single word from me." A tease would be good, a little.
"You scared me yesterday that's why... But I do believe you will found me... you promised that you will protect me."
...
I felt I am just become a treasure, when she said that I promised to protect her. She keeps my words all the time...
I chained my arms around her once again, 'I definitely couldn't live without her after this' I could not imagine life without her...
"Listen to me, whatever excuses you make, I won't allow you to leave me. We will leave this town and start a new life, together. Just one thing you going to promise for the rest of your life Mikan..." I might sound like obsess, but I never wanted her slip away or vanished even if I can break a fate, I won't let dead taking her from me.
"Don't leave me." Her moisten eyes locked on me. Either take it or leave it I could not figure it out.
"You even found me, how I could leave, Natsume. After all of these, I only thought about you... I'm scared and pray that I will see you again... Whenever I felt that I getting weak, I speak out your name, I wish you can hear me and come to me... So you got to promise me that you won't leave me."
"Idiot. Of course I won't... Where have you've been hiding all the time?" I try to asking her a question as little from time to time...
"I keep moving from another place, I'm afraid they will found me..." They? I wonder...
"I'm sorry, but can you tell me how your Jiichan get killed by them? By a weird weapon that almost looks like shotgun or..."
"They did not bring a weapon Natsume... He... He just touched Jiichan and the list thing I can remember when I saw Jiichan's hand full of bruises..."
I am into a deep thought, and it's getting clear what she mean by 'like they killed Jiichan.'
What If the Alice Abolition Movement is Alice Wielder itself?
