This Is High School

by IAmTheBattleMaiden

Natsume, Hotaru, and Ruka had spent every summer vacationing in Makikawa since they were five years old, becoming the best of friends with local resident Sakura Mikan. When it's decided that Mikan will come to Tokyo to attend high school with them at Alice Academy, what kind of adventures await them? More importantly, will she find love? AU, NatsumeXMikan centric, other pairings

23. So It Begins

Author's Note: I only made it through half of the first day of school before realizing that I needed to split the first day into two chapters, so the rest will be in Chapter 24. I ask for your patience as we've all been waiting 22 chapters for Mikan's first day at Alice Academy to arrive, so I want to really do it justice and not rush it just for the sake of keeping it down to one chapter. Also, the Pinterest page is up to date and I highly recommend following it for all the great pics. Enjoy!

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Chapter 23: So It Begins

Saturday, August 13th, 2016

Mikan abruptly awoke from her sleep, disoriented and breathing heavily. Disturbed, she quickly sat up to look around. She recognized the loft of the pool house and saw the silhouettes of the other girls lying fast asleep in their beds. Quietly, she stretched up to glance over the edge of the loft's half-wall behind the head of her bed and saw the boys down below scattered over the furniture with blankets and pillows. She checked her phone and saw that it was just after 4 a.m. Hunkering back down under the covers, she tried to calm her racing heart. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, she still couldn't shake the jittery, anxious feeling that had taken hold of her. Giving up, she silently crawled out of bed, stepped into her slippers, and snuck down the nearby staircase. She needed comfort and she knew just where she wanted to find it.

When she made it to the door of the only private bedroom on the ground floor, she carefully twisted the knob so as not to disturb any of the boys in the living room. As soon as she stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind her, she saw that Natsume was already propped up on one arm to see who had entered. She quickly crossed over to the bed and climbed in as Natsume held the covers back for her.

"What's the matter, Polka Dots?"

Snuggling close in his willing embrace, she released a shaky breath. "I had that nightmare again, the one about my parents' accident."

Natsume sighed. "Shit..."

To his knowledge, it had been a long time since Mikan had last had that particular nightmare, though she'd had it more often when she was younger. Sometimes she dreamed that she was in the car with them and other times she saw it from the sidelines, but each time she would see their car driving along the mountainous highway before sharply veering off course and crashing horrifically. They'd been on a trip to celebrate their five year wedding anniversary when it had happened. Mikan had been at home with her grandfather, so she hadn't actually witnessed the accident that claimed their lives, but her mind supplied her with a vivid depiction of it nonetheless.

No further words were exchanged between the two friends. None were needed. Natsume simply held her close and rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles. Mikan closed her eyes and felt her tension gradually dissipate. By the time she had completely calmed down, she was too sleepy to resist and was soon slumbering peacefully in Natsume's arms.

The next thing she knew, she was awoken by the alarm on Natsume's phone going off. She blinked in the dim light of early morning that glowed softly behind the blinds on the window. Natsume reached to shut off his phone on the nightstand before snuggling back against her. Closing her eyes again, Mikan murmured, "What time is it?"

"Six."

She scrunched up her nose. "What do you need to do at six in the morning?"

"Work out."

"Mmm… but it's Saturday."

"Which means soccer tryouts are only one week away."

She smirked. "You've worked out almost every day all summer long. Surely missing one session won't affect your performance."

"Discipline, Polka Dots." She opened her eyes and saw that Natsume was studying her face, his expression amused. "I thought you weren't going to sleep with me in a real bed in a real bedroom yet."

Mikan pursed her lips. "This doesn't count. I spent the night upstairs and only came in here a little while ago. Besides, I had a nightmare," she justified. Her lips curved upwards in an impish smile. "If it bothers you though, I won't do it again."

Tightening his arms around her waist beneath the covers, Natsume smirked. "So if it doesn't bother me, will you start sleeping with me every night?"

Mikan rolled her eyes before brushing his long black bangs out of his face. "As tempting as that offer is, Natsume, you'll have to marry me before you get that privilege. I know we've become a lot more intimate with each other, but I still consider myself to be pretty conservative. Besides, I'd like to still be able to look Jii-chan in the eyes next time I see him."

Natsume chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." He gazed at her fondly, enjoying the moment. Although seeing her interact with all of his friends last night had been very pleasant and revealing his feelings for her to them had been more freeing than he would have anticipated, none of it could top the feeling of holding her like this in the warmth of the covers and calm of the early morning hours. The soft, affectionate look in her eyes and the comfortable, trusting way that she snuggled close to him drew his heart to her like a moth to a flame.

Natsume found his eyes wandering from her face to the curve where her neck met her shoulder, left bare by her white tank top's thin straps. His mind tantalized him with the memory of her response to his kiss there yesterday. He swallowed, noting the slight increase in his heart rate. Unlike before, they were all alone now in a locked room at an hour that everyone else was likely still asleep. There was privacy, there was comfort, and there was certainly no lack of desire. His garnet eyes returned to hers, searching their amber depths. All he saw reflected back at him was peace and happiness.

With no incentive to resist, he gently pressed his lips to hers, taking slow, shallow sips of her smile. He was in no rush as he savored her sweet taste. Her lips were soft and smooth and matched his movements perfectly. His heart nearly burst at the open, receptive way that she kissed him back, their emotions perfectly in tune. He felt one of her hands grip the front of his pajama top while the other glided over his bicep, then along his shoulder, then up the back of his neck until her fingers slid into his hair. He smiled when he heard and felt her sigh blissfully, infinitely pleased that she was also enjoying herself.

As the seconds ticked by, Natsume felt his stomach muscles tighten as stronger urges began to grow inside him. His kisses became firmer and longer as his need for her grew. Brushing her long hair aside and sliding one arm under her neck, he rolled over so that Mikan was lying on her back and he was completely on top of her, the covers shielding them both from the morning air.

Mikan felt a thrill course through her veins at the sudden change of position. She could feel the weight of Natsume's warm body on top of her and found herself instinctively clinging to him rather than pushing him away. While one hand stayed at the back of his head, the other hooked under his arm to grip his shoulder, hugging him to her. She felt his hand caress her cheek as they kissed before his fingers traveled down her neck and over her collarbone, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. She couldn't contain the moan that rose up from the back of her throat. Her whole body seemed to be coming alive in ways that weren't familiar to her yet, leaving her feeling heady with desire.

Not for the first time, Natsume found kissing Mikan to be an intoxicating experience. Being with her like this, alone and all wrapped up in each other's arms, the feelings he kept so closely guarded around other people filled his heart and mind, nearly consuming his conscience. He was vividly aware of every shift of her body beneath him and every sound that came from her. When after a short while she moaned against his lips, he felt something shatter deep inside him. His head snapped back as he cursed out loud, breathing heavily as he gazed darkly into her amber eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest as she held his stare, transfixed by the swirl of intense emotions in his garnet eyes. He gripped the bed sheet tightly as he fought to resist temptation, inexperience both heightening his desire and making him weak against it. In the back of his mind, he could hear his mother's voice warning him, Once you cross a line, it's very difficult to go back and very easy to be tempted forward.

Determined to maintain his sense of self-control, Natsume forcibly slowed his breathing and relaxed his tense muscles. After a minute, he swallowed hard. "Okay, you're right. No real beds, for now at least."

As her heart rate came back down to normal, Mikan grinned cheekily. "I told you so."

Smirking, Natsume quickly kissed her forehead before rolling off of her and out of bed. "You really are going to be the death of me one of these days."

"That's such a morbid phrase," Mikan whined as she, too, sat up. "I'd rather drive you insane," she teased as she slid her feet into her slippers.

"You're already doing that."

Natsume stood with his hands in his pockets as he watched her closely. There were no two ways about it; he had just made out with Sakura Mikan. He could tell himself that similar instances had only been kissing, but this time definitely constituted a real, true make-out session. Now that the thrill had worn off a bit, he found his analytical mind recalling past events; Akawa Shinji brushing her hair out of her face as she slept on her back porch… the punk in Owase grabbing her bruised arm as she stood up to him… Kimura Kenta's wandering eyes as he held her closer than necessary at the Starlight Lounge… Kitsu considering asking her out after only knowing her for a few short hours… the news that Yuu had already asked her out and she'd unwittingly accepted…

"Mikan."

At the sound of her name, Mikan turned to see Natsume gazing solemnly at her. His tone was serious as he came around the bed to stand in front of her. "You put yourself in a vulnerable position by coming in here and climbing into bed with me, which is fine because you trust me and our feelings for each other are mutual." He leaned down to look her straight in the eyes, his tone uncompromising. "Do not put yourself in such a vulnerable position with other guys, if you can possibly avoid it. I'm willing to let Yuu-san escort you to the Sakuradia because I trust him, but if someone ever tries to do a fraction of what I just did to you, I will not be so relaxed about it."

Mikan blushed. "Is that your way of saying that you'll protect me if you need to, but you'd rather not need to?"

Natsume smirked. "Close enough."

Grinning, Mikan stretched up on her toes to place a quick peck on Natsume's lips. "Okay. Thank you. Now come on, let's go work out! I've been getting a bit sluggish since moving here, so I'll join you."

The pair snuck quietly through the house and out the door, careful not to awaken the others. They walked hand in hand across the pool deck in the soft, early morning light before parting ways to change into workout gear and meet back up in the Hyuuga's home gym.

An hour and a half later, they strode into the pool house to find their friends in various stages of getting up. By the time they showered and changed out of their sweaty workout clothes, breakfast had been sent over from the main house and they all enjoyed a casual meal together. Shortly after, the residents bid farewell to their guests as each of their respective rides came to pick them up.

Mikan spent the final two days of summer vacation happily. Following Sumire's instructions, she went through her closet to familiarize herself with her new clothes and accessories. She talked to her grandfather at length, telling him all about her new friends and listening to him describe what new things were happening at the temple. When Ruka surprised Hotaru with a date on Saturday night, Mikan excitedly helped her best friend choose an outfit and wished the pair a great time as they left. At his suggestion, she exercised with Natsume again on Sunday morning to keep her freshly worked muscles limber. Later, she joined Hotaru and Aoi in the younger girl's room to repaint their nails for the first day of school, their manicures from Monday's trip to the spa having begun to chip and peel. That night, both families came together for their traditional night-before-school-starts dinner on the Hyuuga's second story terrace overlooking the backyard. Even Tohru-san and Hatsuharu-san made sure to be home for the meal and presented all of their children, including Mikan, with brand new Imai Tech laptops for school. They all had a wonderful time before the young ones were sent to bed early so they could be well rested for the following day.

As Mikan was preparing for bed, her phone rang. When she saw that it was Natsume calling, she grinned and skipped over to her window. Throwing it open, she saw that sure enough, Natsume was leaning on his own windowsill as he held his phone to his ear.

"Hi, Natsume!"

"Hi, Polka Dots."

They simply stared at each other for a moment before Natsume finally spoke again. "About tomorrow… Just be yourself, okay? It's better for us to hide what we really have between us for now, but I have no intention of pretending to not even be friends in front of other people just because some obnoxious girls might not like it."

Mikan's eyes shone brightly. "I get it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't even a tiny bit nervous about meeting these crazed fan girls I keep hearing about, but I'm Sakura Mikan and I don't know how to be anybody else but me, so all I can do is wait to see how other people will take that."

Natsume couldn't help admiring her. "I never said you didn't have guts, Polka Dots. Just remember that I have your back and I'm not the only one who does. If you're uncertain about a situation, stick to one of our friends. You don't have to deal with anything alone."

"Okay. If I need help, I promise to ask for it, but could you promise me something, too? Try to let me handle things on my own as much as possible. I intend to stand my ground no matter what comes my way, so try your best to let me fight my own battles, okay?"

Natsume hesitated. "I'll try."

Mikan gave him a brilliant smile. "Thank you. Goodnight, Natsume! I'll see you in the morning!"

"Goodnight, Polka Dots."

---

Mikan glanced at herself one last time before turning away from the full length mirror in her closet and heading out the door, grabbing her brown leather school satchel on the way. She had surprised Natsume that morning by showing up in the Hyuuga's home gym at 6 a.m. to work out with him for the third day in a row. She was used to rising with the sun anyway and figured that she could use the exercise since her life had become more sedentary than back home in Makikawa. She also couldn't deny that starting her day by seeing Natsume was nice; even if they weren't directly interacting very much, just being near one another was pleasant. After their workout, she'd returned to her room to shower and change into her new school uniform. She looked quite fetching in the short-sleeve white blouse, black neck ribbon, yellow plaid skirt, white knee-high socks, and black Mary Jane's of the High School Division girl's uniform. After pulling her hair away from her face with a new white ribbon and putting on her mother's pearl earrings and Natsume's ring for good luck, she declared herself ready to face the day ahead.

After breakfast with Hotaru, Saki-san, and Tohru-san, the two girls joined Natsume, Ruka, and Aoi in the driveway. As Mikan came prancing down the front steps of the Imai mansion, Natsume's gaze swept over her appreciatively; no matter how nervous he was about today, he couldn't help thinking that she looked very cute in his school's uniform with his ring once again on her finger. She grinned at the sight of him and Ruka wearing matching boy's uniforms identical to the one that Yuu had worn during her campus tour— white short-sleeve dress shirts, yellow ties, yellow plaid slacks, black belts, and black shoes. Other than the blue plaid skirt denoting the Middle School Division, Aoi's uniform was identical to the older girls'.

The group waved to their parents, then headed off to school. Ruka and Hotaru walked hand-in-hand with their respective best friends beside them and Aoi on the end next to Mikan. As they stepped through the front gate and onto the sidewalk, Aoi grinned excitedly.

"This is it, Mikan-nee! Your first day at Alice Academy! It's really here!"

"I know!" Mikan laughed. "I'm so excited!"

As they made it farther and farther down the street, they began to see other students wearing Alice Academy uniforms leaving their homes and heading in the same direction. When they got close enough, Mikan saw a long line of cars dropping students off in the turnaround in front of the school's main gate, which stood open wide as students passed through. As soon as their group walked past one of the East Gate's security guards and onto the school grounds, Aoi squeezed Mikan's hand.

"I always meet up with Nobara and Yo-chan by the South Gate so that we can walk to the Middle School Division together, so this is where I'll say goodbye. I hope you have a great time today, Mikan-nee! I'll see you after school!"

"You, too, Aoi-chan!"

Mikan waved to her younger friend before continuing down the path that would take them past the Administrative Building and on to the High School Division. Beside her, Hotaru's keen eyes noticed that several students nearby had already stopped to stare at Mikan, likely wondering about the unknown girl who seemed so familiar with Hyuuga Natsume's little sister. A quick glance at Natsume's clenched jaw told the violet-eyed genius that he'd also picked up on their mutual friend's spectators.

Oblivious to the attention that she was receiving, Mikan gazed about as they went. The campus was bustling with students, teachers, staff, and visitors, so she made sure to stick close by Hotaru's side. She blinked curiously when a small cluster of girls spotted them and hurried over to greet them.

"Good morning, Natsume-sama!"

The high school girls bowed to a stone-faced Natsume before turning to smile at his companions. "Good morning, Ruka-san, Imai-sa—" Their voices suddenly cut off as if sliced by a sharp knife, their happy expressions melting into startled ones. "Who are you?"

Mikan tried very hard not to laughter. So these were some of Natsume's fan girls. She couldn't believe that they were actually addressing him with the "sama" honorific. Rather than feeling scared or intimidated, she found their behavior totally hilarious. With an enormous grin, she bobbed a quick bow. "I'm Sakura Mikan. Pleased to meet you!"

Before the girls could respond, Hotaru grabbed Mikan's wrist to pull her along. "Come on, baka," she griped. "You don't want to be late on your first day."

As soon as they'd gotten far enough away from the teenage girls, Mikan covered her mouth and released some of her pent up laughter. "Oh, kami, I can't believe they actually call you Natsume-sama! Hearing about it is one thing, but seeing it is completely different."

"Glad you find it so amusing," Natsume growled lowly.

Mikan chuckled. "Oh, Natsume, I know it bothers you, but really, it's so ridiculous that I can't help laughing. Did you see the way they fluttered their eyelashes at you?" She snorted as she quickly covered her mouth again to stifle another round of laughter.

All along the way, the incident seemed to repeat itself as fellow students (mostly female) stopped to greet them, most of them directing their bows and smiles at Natsume. Almost every time, he would nod curtly, his expression neutral; however, a rare few received an actual spoken greeting from him, all of them boys who addressed him as "Taicho" or "Natsume-taicho" and acknowledged Ruka as well. Ruka leaned over Hotaru's head to quietly narrate to Mikan that they were old teammates from soccer, which reminded her that Natsume had been the Team Captain the previous year and the Vice-Captain the year before that.

Whether they were boys or girls, genuine acquaintances or simply Natsume's admirers, everyone who spoke to them had one thing in common. Each and every one of them started off smiling and ended up with their eyes landing on Mikan. After that, their expressions ranged from surprise to curiosity to shock to animosity. By the time the quartet made it to the steps leading up to the front doors of the High School Division, Natsume, Hotaru, and even Ruka had counted at least a dozen whispered conversations taking place immediately after people spotted Mikan walking alongside them as if she belonged there.

"Mikan-chan!"

Mikan looked up at the sound of her name being hailed from the top of the front steps. She grinned. "Koko!"

Grinning broadly, the teenage boy raced down the stairs and promptly spun her around in a warm hug. "You made it! Come on, we have Fine Arts Survey 1st period. Let's go!" Before he could move, a hand reached out to whack the back of the excited boy's head.

"Way to be subtle, genius," Sumire scolded her boyfriend in hushed tones. Wakako, Mochu, and Kitsu were right behind her. "Anyone who hadn't noticed her before definitely has now." She was right. Almost every eye in the area was now on their group, or more specifically, on Mikan.

"It's fine! Mikan-chan is going to take the academy by storm anyway, so why not start with a grand entrance?" Koko defended himself cheerfully.

"Just watch out for her this morning, okay? Don't leave her alone," Sumire instructed. Mikan cocked her head curiously, wondering why her friend was being so cautious already when nothing had even happened yet.

"Don't worry, Permy, I'll be fine! This is my school now, too. I have to figure out how to get along sometime."

Koko beamed. "There you have it! I'll watch out for her though, just in case any vampires try to suck her blood." He quickly pecked Sumire's cheek. "We'll see you in Algebra. Save us some seats! Bye, guys!" Without further ado, he swung his arm around Mikan's shoulders, winked at Natsume, and headed up the stairs. They watched silently as the energetic pair headed inside, chatting and laughing as they went.

"And there she goes." Smiling, Ruka squeezed Hotaru's hand as he glanced between her face and Natsume's. "You two going to be okay with her out of your sights for a few hours?"

Neither of them said a word as they headed up the steps and into the building.

Since Mikan didn't need anything out of her locker, she happily followed Koko up the nearest staircase as he led her towards the art studio where their 1st period class would be held. Though they got plenty of stares and curious looks along the way, it was far less than she'd received on her way from the East Gate to the High School Division and had more to do with the pair's vibrant presence and Koko's popularity than with Mikan herself.

When they reached the right room, Koko dropped his arm from Mikan's shoulders so they could step through the doorway one at a time. To their left stood a series of large metal sinks for cleaning paint brushes and other messy materials. To their right, the teacher sat at her desk in the corner next to a gigantic white board that took up most of the front wall. The far wall across from the doorway was filled with windows, allowing plenty of natural light into the space. The back wall to their left was covered from floor to ceiling with storage. The main floor space was occupied by large square tables with one chair per side, allowing four students to sit at each table. All around the room were posters depicting famous works of art, describing various art techniques, and other educational information. After quickly scanning the room, Koko grinned and pulled Mikan in the direction of a table near the windows where two girls were already seated. They looked up as the pair approached.

"Good morning, Anna-chan! Nonoko-chan!" Koko greeted brightly.

"Good morning, Koko-kun! It's nice to see you again," the first girl replied sweetly. She was incredibly pretty with a ponytail of loose, wavy curls a beautiful shade of light pink tumbling down around her shoulders. Her crystal clear, cerulean blue irises turned towards Mikan curiously, but with no sign of hostility.

"How was your summer?" the second girl asked. Even while sitting, Mikan could tell that she was tall and athletically built. Her ramrod straight, navy blue hair was almost as long as Mikan's and was pulled back in a high ponytail. She smiled at Koko before glancing at Mikan with eyes the exact same shade as her hair.

"It was great! Would it be okay for my friend and I to sit here with the two of you?"

"Of course!" the pink haired beauty replied with a friendly smile.

Mikan offered the pair a bright smile of her own as she bowed. "I'm Sakura Mikan. Pleased to meet you!"

The two girls stood to return the gesture. "Umenomiya Anna. Pleased to meet you, too!" the pinkette introduced herself.

"Ogasawara Nonoko. Pleased to make your acquaintance," the bluenette echoed.

As the four took their seats, Koko smiled broadly. "Mikan-chan is a good friend of mine and best friends with Hotaru-san. Today is her first day at Alice Academy."

Nonoko looked surprised. "Really? I've taken quite a few classes with Imai-san. She's the most brilliant girl in our grade."

Mikan beamed. "Hotaru's a genius! We've been best friends since we were five. I love her to pieces!"

Anna giggled. "That sounds just like Nonoko and I. So where are you from, Sakura-san?"

"Please, call me Mikan-chan," Mikan offered warmly, already liking the friendly girls. "I'm from a small village in the south where almost everyone is either a farmer or a fisherman. My last school was tiny compared to this one, so I'm a bit nervous."

Nonoko grinned. "Well then, welcome to Alice Academy, Mikan-chan! Please call me Nonoko-chan. Let us know if you need anything and we'll be sure to help you. We've both been students here all our lives, so we pretty much know what to expect."

"Please call me Anna-chan as well, Mikan-chan," Anna added.

Koko watched with a self-satisfied smile as the three girls continued to get to know each other, getting along exceedingly well right from the get-go. As more students filed in the door, he turned to greet several of them happily, leaving his tablemates to their conversation. When the bell rang signaling the official start of the school day, Narita-sensei closed the door and went to stand at the front of the room. A black smock, black leggings, and black flats gave the middle-aged teacher a minimalistic, artsy look, emphasized all the more by her short black haircut.

"Good morning, students. Please rise. Bow. Sit." After the class had completed her first instructions, she continued. "I am Narita-sensei and this is Fine Arts Survey. If you read the syllabus, then you know that this course is the only required fine arts credit of your high school careers and will cover art history as well as art practicum. Your mid-term and final exams will be comprised of both a written test and a portfolio showcasing your artwork from the semester. Now, seeing as how we only have a limited time together this morning due to the beginning of school ceremony, if you have any questions, you can ask me on an individual basis after class. For now, I'd like to take roll call and hear you introduce yourselves by name and favorite artist, work of art, and type of art to create yourself. There are only 20 of you, so we should be able to finish before heading downstairs." She placed a pair of glasses hanging around her neck onto the bridge of her nose and began reading. "Arai Kimiko."

A girl with curly red hair stood up from her seat near the front of the room and bowed to the teacher. "Arai Kimiko. My favorite artist is Claude Monet, my favorite piece is Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies, and my favorite type of art is painting with acrylics."

"Very good. Endo Tohru."

The boy sitting nearest to Koko stood up. "Endo Tohru. My favorite artist is Leonardo da Vinci, my favorite work of art is the Mona Lisa, and my personal favorite art to create is sculpting with clay."

The class continued in this manner until the teacher reached Nonoko's name. "Ogasawara Nonoko. My favorite artist is Vincent Van Gogh, my favorite piece is The Starry Night, and my favorite type of art is photography."

"Excellent choice. Sakura Mikan."

Mikan stood up and smiled brightly. "I'm Sakura Mikan. My favorite artist is Thomas Kincade, I love too many of his paintings to choose just one, and I think my favorite type of art that I ever created was paint stamping."

Narita-sensei's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. "Paint stamping?"

"Yes, ma'am. It was a project we did at my middle school. We sketched images on rubber pads, carved out the images, then rolled paint onto the pads to create stamps. We got to mix our paints and re-stamp them over and over again to get different results each time. The images turned out beautifully. It was a lot of fun!"

"I see," Narita-sensei mused before smiling. "The first and foremost purpose of art is to evoke emotion, both for the artist and the viewer. If it brought you joy to make, then it served its purpose." Turning back to her attendance sheet, Narita-sensei continued. "Sasaki Daichi."

Mikan quickly took her seat as the next student stood. When she noticed several people staring at her from around the room, she gave them a friendly smile. They all turned back towards the teacher without appearing to acknowledge her presence any further.

Koko was the last student on the roll call. "Yome Kokoro, known as Koko. My favorite artist is Andy Warhol, my favorite work of art by him is the Campbell's soup can, and the best type of art to create is paintball or darts and paint-balloon art."

Narita-sensei quirked an eyebrow. "Why is the Campbell's soup can your favorite piece? It's hardly the most colorful or dramatic example of Warhol's work."

Koko grinned. "That's why I love it. He took the most random, ordinary thing that he could possibly paint and made it iconic."

Narita-sensei nodded. "Fair enough. Alright class, leave your belongings here and line up as I call your name. Since the weather is nice today, the opening ceremony is being held in the quad. Our class will assume position 47, so Arai-san, please look for that number and lead the line to its proper location."

By 8:30 a.m., the entire population of Alice Academy's High School Division had assembled in the quad behind the collection of buildings. Although Mikan glanced around for her friends, she couldn't spot any of them in the massive gathering. There were easily over a thousand students, which was more than Makikawa Elementary, Middle, and High Schools combined.

She was surprised by the number of people on the temporary stage that had been erected for the short event. She assumed that the group of students sitting together was the Student Council because she spotted Yuu among them, but she had no idea who the various groups of adults were. The only three she recognized were Principal Masachika, Narumi-sensei, and Misaki-sensei, having met the three of them last week. There was an older man with a severe facial expression sitting beside Misaki-sensei and Mikan guessed that he must be Jinno-sensei since she remembered Narumi-sensei naming him as the 3rd Year Faculty Advisor. She grimaced. Jinno-sensei was her Algebra teacher and she wasn't looking forward to meeting him 3rd period.

Leaning forward, she whispered to Nonoko, "Who are all of those people on the right?"

Without looking back at her, Nonoko whispered, "They're some of the school's major donors and supporters. There was always a group just like them at our elementary and middle school opening ceremonies. They show up for stuff like this throughout the year." Mikan nodded, her eyes moving to the podium in the center of the stage as Principal Masachika stepped forward.

The opening ceremony wasn't very different from the ones Mikan was used to at her old school, just longer. Principal Masachika gave a speech welcoming the students and faculty back for another year and encouraging everyone to do their best and to uphold the Alice Academy name. Next, the three faculty advisors each gave shorter speeches directed at the students in their respective grade levels. Mikan couldn't help grinning at Narumi-sensei, who was by far the most lively and animated speaker of the group. This series of speeches was followed by yet another speech, this one given by the Student Council President. His speech consisted primarily of reminders to the students regarding various school policies and procedures. Next, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Year Class Representatives each introduced themselves, after which Principal Masachika returned to the podium to present an award to one of the donors who had achieved Platinum Donor status for contributing at or above the Diamond Level (whatever that was) for 25 years. Finally, the students recited the Alice Academy anthem (which Mikan hadn't learned yet, so she mouthed along silently and hoped that no one noticed) and the Japanese national anthem.

Before dismissing them, Principal Masachika reminded the students that due to the opening ceremony, 2nd period had already begun, so they should return to their 1st period classrooms to gather their belongings and then head straight to their 2nd period classes, being mindful that the bell had already sounded. As soon as she reached Narita-sensei's classroom, Mikan exhaled loudly.

"Phew! That was a long time to stand still like that. The opening ceremony at my last school was never that long."

Nonoko smiled as they both headed towards their table to collect their bags. "At least it helps the first day go by faster. We have a shortened 2nd period and then all that's left before lunch is 3rd period."

"What's your next class?" Mikan asked hopefully, wondering if maybe they'd get to stay together.

"Calculus I with Jinno-sensei."

Mikan winced. "I'm nervous about meeting Jinno-sensei. I have him for Algebra 3rd period. I'm about to head to Biology with Misaki-sensei next."

"Those are my next two classes!" Anna announced brightly as she and Koko joined them.

"Really? That's great!" Mikan chirped. "Koko has 2nd period Biology and 3rd period Algebra, too. Would it be okay if we all sat together again?"

"Of course," Anna replied sweetly as she picked up her school satchel. "Let's go."

The four students headed out the doorway, bowing goodbye to Narita-sensei as they went. As they made their way through the halls of the High School Division, they happily compared the rest of their class schedules. Apparently, Nonoko was very gifted in the sciences, so she was taking Advanced Biology 3rd period in addition to her 2nd period Calculus I class. As it turned out, she did have the same two afternoon classes as Mikan, 4th period Japanese I with Narumi-sensei and 5th period Japanese History with Noda-sensei, which Anna and Koko would also be taking on a flip-flopped schedule from Mikan and Nonoko.

Halfway to Misaki-sensei's classroom, Nonoko suddenly veered off a different direction. "Jinno-sensei's classroom is this way. I'll see you guys at lunch!"

"Bye, Nonoko-chan!" Mikan waved happily to the bluenette before continuing on with Anna and Koko. She really didn't know what she'd been so nervous about; she was having a great day so far and had already made two new friends. If this was what attending Alice Academy would be like all the time, she knew she was going to love it.

Misaki-sensei's Biology class was uneventful. Mikan and Anna took seats at a lab bench for two in the front row closest to the window while Koko sat with one of his former soccer teammates at the bench right behind them. Since it was 10 o'clock already, leaving only 45 minutes left of the normally one-and-a-quarter hour period, Misaki-sensei just took roll call and reviewed the syllabus before allowing the students to socialize for the remainder of the time. Mikan chatted happily with Anna as they waited for the bell to dismiss them.

"So they mentioned during the opening ceremony that club sign-ups will happen next week?"

Anna nodded. "Sports tryouts are always the first Saturday morning of the school year and club sign-ups are due by the second Monday. The administrators want us focusing on our classes during the first week, which is why none of the extracurricular offerings begin until the second week."

Mikan grinned. "That makes sense. Oh, I'm so excited! Alice Academy has so many amazing activities that weren't available at my last school, so I can't wait to try something new. Do you and Nonoko-chan normally join any clubs, Anna-chan?"

The sweet pinkette shook her head, the soft curls of her ponytail swishing around her shoulders. "Nonoko plays on the girls' volleyball team, but I don't really participate in any school-sponsored clubs. I spend a lot of time at my parents' bakery after school. Baking is my passion and I'm getting more hands-on experience training there than I could at a cooking club."

"Your parents' bakery?" Mikan blinked. Something about that seemed so familiar—"Oh my goodness! You're Umenomiya Anna! Of course! Your parents must own Umenomiya's!" When Anna nodded, Mikan bounced in her seat as she squealed excitedly, her amber eyes shining brightly. "I heard about it from the Hyuuga's head cook. She said you have the most amazing confections she's ever seen. Oh, I can't wait to visit sometime! It's one of the things I've been looking forward to most here in Tokyo!"

Anna laughed, her voice tinkling like delicate chimes. "Thank you! I'm so happy to hear you say that." She blushed softly. "To be honest, some of our classmates don't really… respect my family. They think our business isn't really that 'serious' or something since it's 'just' a bakery and not something more influential, despite its success. My parents started Umenomiya's together and have worked tirelessly to build it into the multi-branch company that it is today. We make everything from pastries and cakes to gourmet chocolates and confections. We sell them in our shops, take custom orders, and cater desserts for private events. My parents and the bakery itself have won all kinds of awards in the culinary industry for their innovative creations. I'm really quite proud of them."

Mikan's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "That all sounds spectacular, so I can't imagine why people would judge it badly. I think a bakery is an incredibly wonderful business to be a part of! Sweets bring people joy and people need more joy in their lives."

Anna's cerulean blue irises twinkled merrily. "That's what my parents have always taught me to believe. Desserts should make people smile. If they don't, they're worthless." Biting her lip, she leaned closer and lowered her voice. "When I said that some students can be judgmental… I don't want to make you think that everyone here is like that. There are lots of normal, friendly people here at Alice Academy; it's just that there are also some who value things like wealth, social status, power, and influence above all else. Even those students aren't so bad if you don't directly socialize with them, but there's a smaller group that come from families with 'old money'— families that have been wealthy for generations and control very old, well established businesses— who think that families like mine aren't as important because we're what they call 'new money,' families whose wealth was only acquired within one or two generations and who own relatively younger companies." She looked sheepish. "I feel bad speaking poorly about others, but you seem so nice and down to earth—plus you're friends with Koko-kun and he seems to attract the right kind of people— so I just want to caution you about what you may encounter here. From what you told us about your family situation earlier, you definitely fall into the same category of 'new money' as I do."

Mikan chuckled unconcernedly as she shook her head. "I'm probably even lower on the totem pole than that, Anna-chan, since my family doesn't even own a business. I'm paying my way through school with life insurance money I inherited from my parents. It probably doesn't matter anyway; I've been warned repeatedly that even if I did come from a super wealthy, powerful family, I'd still be unpopular because I'm friends with Natsume."

Anna blinked. "Natsume? Hyuuga Natsume? Are you really friends with him?"

"Yes, I am. Why, are you or Nonoko-chan fans of his?"

Anna giggled quietly. "Not at all, I'm just surprised to hear that you're friends with him. We've gone to school together since kindergarten of course, but he's always seemed so standoffish around girls that we've never really gotten to know him. Granted, a lot of other girls like him for his looks, skills, and family, but the only ones I know of that are close to him are Koko-kun's girlfriend Shouda-san, his friend Usami-san's twin sister, and your best friend Imai-san."

Mikan grinned. "Yeah, Natsume isn't the super friendly type and doesn't really care for girls who drool over him. He's been one of my best friends since we were five though, along with Hotaru and Ruka-pyon. They all vacation near my home each summer."

Anna tilted her head curiously. "Ruka…pyon?"

Mikan opened her mouth to explain the odd nickname, but was interrupted by the bell signaling the end of 2nd period. The girls quickly slipped their satchel straps over their heads and headed out the door, not wanting to risk being late on their first day. Koko was right behind them as they made their way towards Jinno-sensei's classroom. Since Nonoko had Advanced Biology 3rd period in the room they'd just left, they were able to smile and wave when they passed each other in the hallway as they switched classrooms. "They don't call him Jin-Jin-kara for nothing," she warned in a stage whisper. "Good luck!"

Mikan and Anna exchanged wide-eyed glances, bracing themselves for what lay ahead. When they reached the correct room number in the mathematics wing, they hesitantly peaked in the door before stepping inside. Jinno-sensei was sitting at his desk looking over a stack of papers and completely ignoring the incoming students. When her gaze swept over the rest of the classroom, Mikan immediately spotted Sumire and Wakako having a hushed conversation in the back of the room. Beaming, Mikan grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her along as she skipped towards their seats.

"Sumire-chan! Wakako-chan! You're here!" The girls immediately looked up at the sound of their names, their faces registering surprise when they saw Anna being towed along by Mikan. "This is my new friend Umenomiya Anna. Anna-chan, these are my friends Shouda Sumire and Usami Wakako."

Sumire rolled her eyes. "We know each other, baka. We've gone to school together our whole lives. You don't have to introduce us like we've never met before."

Mikan laughed. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Turning to Anna, she smiled broadly. "Sit with us, Anna-chan!"

Anna looked hesitant. "It's okay, I can sit over—"

"Sit with us," Sumire interrupted, her tone confident, but not commanding. "You have a good reputation, so I'm glad that Mikan-chan has made friends with you."

Anna looked surprised. "My reputation really isn't that good actually…"

Wakako smirked. "The part of your reputation that matters to us is good. We don't care about wealth or social status. We care that you're nice and not a drama queen."

"And not one of Natsume-san's crazy super fans," Sumire added distastefully.

Smiling, Mikan and Anna hung their bags on the desks directly in front of Sumire and Wakako, spinning their chairs around so they could see each other as they talked. Koko had been watching the exchange smugly, proud of his part in bringing the girls together. After pecking Sumire's cheek, he sat down beside her as the girls continued their conversation.

Wakako eyed Anna with interest. "You know, I've always wanted to get my hands on your hair. This shade of pink is so rare. It goes with your skin tone perfectly."

Anna blushed shyly. "Thank you." Swallowing, she confessed, "I'm ashamed to admit that I've kind of always assumed you two might be snobs. I shouldn't have judged you without getting to know you better." She was relieved when both girls grinned.

"It comes with the territory of being attached to the fashion industry," Sumire replied with a shrug. "We're unrepentantly prima donnas when it comes to clothing, hair, and make-up, which can come across as being arrogant and shallow, so it's only natural that you thought we might be stuck up. It's a false stereotype, but a common stereotype nonetheless."

"You and your friend—what's her name? Ogasawara-san?— should join us at Eternal Sakura later this week to pick out dresses for the Sakuradia if you haven't already," Wakako suggested. "Sumire here could dress you girls to the nines."

"It's true," Mikan chipped in with a grin. "Sumire-chan can make anybody look fabulous."

Sumire nodded as she studied the girl's features. "I'd love to get you two in some of Eternal Sakura's designs. I can already think of several that could look stunning on the pair of you."

Anna blinked before smiling brightly. "Okay! That sounds great. Thank you!"

"So how has your morning been so far?" Sumire asked, quirking an eyebrow as she turned her attention to Mikan.

"It's been great! I made friends with Anna-chan and Nonoko-chan in Fine Arts Survey first thing this morning. Koko introduced us. Narita-sensei and Misaki-sensei both seem nice and I haven't gotten lost yet. Overall, it's been a good morning so far."

"Hmm…" Sumire glanced at her boyfriend, her expression cautious. "So no one has approached you yet asking questions about your identity?"

Mikan shook her head vigorously. "Nope! Not a one."

Clicking her tongue, Sumire's emerald eyes observed her closely. "I see." She brushed her forest green locks behind one ear. "They're probably gathering information before making any moves. Wakako and I overheard some girls talking in the bathroom before last period. They googled you and couldn't find anything, so they were wondering if you're going by an alias because you're actually someone really important."

Wakako snorted. "One of them even suggested that maybe you've been raised overseas and that's why they've never heard of you."

Mikan's jaw dropped. "Seriously? They googled me? That's kind of creepy. All that speculation just because I was seen walking with Natsume this morning? We weren't even walking next to each other! Ruka-pyon and Hotaru were both between us."

"It's not just that you were seen interacting with his inner group," Wakako piped up, "it's that you were seen being very familiar with Hotaru-san. She's the heiress to the mega-important Imai Tech and she has a reputation of being very choosy about who she's close with, so rumors are already circulating about who you could be to merit a place in the Ice Queen's posse. That's what really seemed to make them nervous, the idea that if you're someone important enough to be acknowledged by Hotaru-san, then maybe that gives you access to Natsume-san and the means to compete for him."

Mikan rolled her eyes. "That is so stupid. I'm close to their precious Natsume-sama, so I have to be someone they'd consider a worthy opponent? Is he not allowed to be friends with normal, ordinary girls?"

"Of course not," Sumire spat disgustedly. "They think he only deserves the best, the cream of the crop. Very few girls are good enough for him in their eyes, yet of course, every single one of them considers herself to be the perfect candidate."

With a sigh, Mikan turned to Anna, who had been listening silently. "Sorry, Anna-chan. I'm sure this all sounds really pathetic to you. I mentioned before that I'm friends with Natsume and I've repeatedly been warned that his fan girls here won't like that. Apparently, it's true."

Anna smiled. "I'm not surprised. Hyuuga-san has been the most sought after guy in our grade since pretty much… well, always. Nogi-san used to be really popular with the girls, too, until he started dating Imai-san when we all reached middle school."

Koko laughed. "Yeah, no one is about to compete with Hotaru-san for him."

Mikan grinned. "I don't blame them. Hotaru is sheer perfection and Ruka-pyon isn't about to let her go for anything."

Sumire was eyeing Koko suspiciously. "You really didn't hear anything being said about Mikan-chan this morning? You're normally one of the first people to catch wind of new gossip."

Koko grinned cheekily. "I haven't heard anything, but I have noticed things. There was a lot of staring in our first two classes, along with some texting and a few whispered conversations that were definitely about her. I even caught Suzuki Rima snapping a picture of her on her cell phone in the hallway on our way here."

Sumire snorted. "Of course she would. Suzuki-san fancies herself one of Natsume-san's most loyal admirers."

Mikan blinked at him. "Really? I didn't notice any of that."

Wakako rolled her eyes. "Why does that not surprise me? Be more aware of your surroundings, baka. You're going to be the hottest topic on campus for awhile. You should be prepared for people to be abnormally interested in you."

Mikan exchanged a sidelong glance with Anna before shrugging. "To be honest, I don't really care if people want to gawk at me or speculate about me behind my back. If someone wants to introduce themselves and get to know me, that's fine, but I don't plan to bother myself with closet skeptics and hearsay."

Anna smiled. "That sounds like a wise way to look at things."

Just then, a wide grin spread across Koko's face when something caught his attention at the front of the room. Mochu and Kitsu came rushing up the aisle towards the group just as the bell rang signaling the start of class. They quickly slipped into the seats beside Mikan and Anna, ignoring the empty desk beside the window next to Wakako.

"Phew," Kitsu whispered, "we made it."

"Barely," Mochu grumbled. "Tomorrow, I choose the route."

Mikan smiled as she and Anna corrected their chairs to face the front, all eyes turning to Jinno-sensei as he stood up from his desk, shut the classroom door, and stood with a clipboard at the front of the room. "I am Jinno-sensei and this is Algebra. If you're not in the right place, please leave immediately and check your schedule more closely next time. For those of you who are where you're meant to be, it is your own responsibility to familiarize yourself with the course syllabus, so we will not be wasting class time doing so today. When I call your name, respond only with 'here.' The seats you are in now will be yours until I say otherwise."

Jinno-sensei then proceeded to take the fastest, most succinct roll call that Mikan had ever witnessed. As soon as he was finished, he handed a stack of papers to the student in the first seat. "Take one and pass them along. You are permitted only a pencil and a calculator. Any cheating will result in an immediate failure. You are to put away any smart watches or cell phones; any seen will be confiscated and turned in to the office. This test covers all of the skills that you should be competent in from middle school mathematics. Turn your test in face down on my desk when you finish. You have until the end of the period. Start."

---

When Tobita Yuu entered Misaki-sensei's classroom for his 3rd period Advanced Biology class, his eyes immediately fell on Nogi Ruka and Imai Hotaru sitting at a lab bench towards the back of the room. Just behind them sat Hyuuga Natsume in the very last row with an empty seat beside him. With a smile, the 1st Year Class Representative headed towards the small group.

"Good morning, Hotaru-san, Ruka-san, Natsume-san." After the trio returned his greeting, Yuu turned to Natsume with a smile. "May I take that seat?"

"Please do," Natsume responded, inclining his head agreeably. It wasn't unusual for Yuu to sit with them when their classes aligned since they were all exceptionally smart and Natsume was grateful to have the empty spot beside him claimed by someone sane before one of his fan girls got brave enough to try to take it.

When Ruka spoke, Yuu turned to see the princely blonde smiling amiably at him. "How was your summer, Yuu-san?"

"It was lovely, thank you, Ruka-san. How was yours?"

"Great. We always enjoy getting away from the city for a couple months." After glancing at his best friend, Ruka continued. "Mikan-chan told us that she enjoyed the campus tour you gave her last week. She said that the two of you are going to the Sakuradia together next month."

Yuu smiled broadly, his light brown irises shining brightly. "It was my pleasure. Mikan-chan was very enthusiastic and cheerful, so I had a great time, too. I'm looking forward to escorting her to the Sakuradia. She seems like the kind of person who has fun no matter what she's doing."

"She is. As far back as I can remember, she's been very optimistic, always looking on the bright side of things. She's been our dear friend since we were small."

Yuu's expression became inquisitive. "That's what it sounded like when she was describing her friendship with all of you. I'm pleased to know that she already has such good friends here at the academy. She seemed especially enamored with you, Hotaru-san."

The girl in question snorted. "Of course she did, the baka."

Yuu looked surprised by the insult. "She said that the two of you are best friends."

"We are," Hotaru answered simply. "She's still a baka and a crybaby."

Ruka chuckled. "She can be a bit reckless, to be fair, and she's definitely very open with her emotions."

Yuu smiled. "I see."

"Why did you ask her?"

Looking beside him, Yuu blinked at Natsume, who had remained silent until now. "Pardon?"

Natsume's garnet eyes regarded him steadily. "Why did you ask her to the Sakuradia?"

Yuu met his gaze unwaveringly, his expression innocent. "I never bothered having a date in middle school so that I could always focus on my role with the Student Council while at social events, but I've been thinking that I should start gaining the experience of escorting girls now that I'm in high school. Mikan-chan seems like someone that I could have a really good time with."

Natsume's tone was devoid of emotion. "So you felt attracted to her?"

"Oh yes," Yuu replied honestly with no hint of hesitation.

"Romantically?"

His look turned pensive. "Maybe..." As he searched Natsume's face for understanding, something suddenly seemed to dawn on him. "She definitely caught my interest, but I barely know her, so I can state honestly that my intentions towards her at the moment are purely for the sake of developing a friendship. I can assure you that I have no inappropriate motives and will treat your friend with the utmost respect when I escort her."

A small smile flashed across Natsume's face. "I'm sure you will, Yuu-san. Thank you for indulging my curiosity."

Yuu smiled genuinely as he adjusted his glasses. "I understand, Natsume-san. I apologize if my behavior worried you. It didn't occur to me until now what it must have looked like from your all's perspectives, having your close friend asked out by someone who just met her. Like I said, I've never asked a girl out before, so I didn't stop to think about how it must have appeared." He felt relieved when his lab bench companion shrugged dismissively.

"Don't sweat it. I really wasn't that worried, since it was you."

The subtle compliment was duly noted as the bell rang and class began. As Misaki-sensei took roll call and reviewed the syllabus, Natsume mulled over the specimen that was Tobita Yuu. The dirty blond had always gotten along well with Natsume and his posse, and he'd consistently demonstrated character qualities that Natsume respected. Perhaps it was high time that the two of them became better friends. Besides, if the teenager was going to be good friends with Mikan, Natsume wanted to keep him close anyway.

The two pairs of partners worked diligently until the teacher allowed them to socialize for the remaining ten minutes of the period. The four were chatting amiably when a shadow appeared beside Ruka and Hotaru's lab bench. "Excuse me, Imai-san?"

The violet-eyed beauty gazed calmly at the navy-haired girl. "Yes, Ogasawara-san?"

Nonoko offered her a small smile. "I met your friend Mikan-chan this morning. She's in my 1st period Fine Arts Survey class."

Ruka and Natsume both noticed the pleased glint that entered Hotaru's eyes at the news. "Good. She could use a friend like you."

Nonoko blinked in surprise. "Oh… thank you." Her smile quickly returned. "She seems really nice. Anna and I both really liked her, so I guess I just wanted to see if our first impression of her was accurate. I assumed it was since Koko-san said that she's a good friend of his, but since she named you as her best friend, I thought you'd be the one to ask."

"If your first impression of her was that she's unusually innocent, overly friendly, a chatterbox, authentic to the point of wearing her heart on her sleeve, naïve, and a good person with noble intentions, then yes, it was accurate."

Nonoko laughed. "I didn't quite pick up on all of that after one class together, but that answers my question. It seems Anna and I chose a good person to make friends with."

"You did," Hotaru acknowledged. "Please keep her in your care. As I said, she could use friends like you and Umenomiya-san."

"I can imagine why," Nonoko nodded, lowering her voice slightly. "When she told us a bit about her background, I couldn't help but worry that she might end up facing some of the same unjust scrutiny that Anna has at times. I'm happy to hear that she really is who she seemed to be. We'll be sure to watch out for her when we can. Anna has 2nd and 3rd period with her and I share both of her afternoon classes. Of course, we all have 1st period together, too."

"It seems that Mikan-chan is settling in well," Yuu spoke up from the back row. "I promised her that we would sit together in Japanese History 5th period, so I'll be sure to look for you as well, Ogasawara-san."

Nonoko smiled. "Thank you, Iinchou. So you've met Mikan-chan, too, then?"

He nodded. "I met her last week when she visited the campus for the first time. She seems to make friends easily."

When Nonoko bit her lip at the comment, Ruka's eyebrows furrowed in mild concern. "Is something wrong, Ogasawara-san?"

Hesitantly, Nonoko glanced at Hotaru before answering. "I just noticed a couple of the girls in our art class glaring at her. I have no idea why, but the dirty looks they were giving her seemed unusually hostile towards someone brand new."

Yuu frowned. "Are you sure?" When she nodded, he looked around at the others quizzically. "Why would anyone have a problem with Mikan-chan before even meeting her?"

"Jealousy," Hotaru spat.

When Yuu and Nonoko both tilted their heads in confusion, Ruka jabbed a thumb in Natsume's direction and explained. "It's because she's friends with this guy. You've probably noticed the unhealthy obsession that some girls have with Natsume. A few of them noticed her walking to school with us this morning and didn't seem very happy to see an unfamiliar girl hanging around him." They both frowned in understanding, their eyes wandering to Natsume's stone-faced expression.

Before the topic could be discussed further, the class abruptly ended. After Nonoko grabbed her school bag from a nearby lab bench, Hotaru spoke to her again. "You and Umenomiya-san should sit with us for lunch. Mikan would be happy to have her old friends and new friends sitting together on her first day." Nonoko smiled at the invitation. "You, too, Iinchou," Hotaru added to Yuu as the group made their way down the aisle towards the door. The class representative warmly accepted.

As the five teenagers drew closer to the High School Division's food court style cafeteria, Natsume found his eyes darting around in search of Mikan. Although he'd been pleased to learn that she'd already made two new friends (especially ones that Hotaru was so quick to approve of and he himself had never had a problem with), he just wouldn't feel satisfied until he saw for himself that she was okay.

The group had barely stepped through the cafeteria doors when the same greetings that Natsume and company had received on their way to 1st period that morning began ringing out again. He sighed irritably. By the time they'd crossed the entire length of the enormous room and reached the doors to the outdoor courtyard, he still hadn't seen any sign of Mikan. The courtyard was scattered with lunch tables of various sizes and attractively designed with gray stone paving, lush flowerbeds, flowering trees, and a water feature right in the middle. His eyes swept over the open space, but it was Nonoko who first spotted the amber-eyed girl as they rounded the courtyard's fountain centerpiece. "Anna! Mikan-chan!"

There she was, sitting at a table for 12 at the very back of the courtyard where the High School Division buildings ended and the vast, grassy quad began. Natsume's heart clenched with worry at the site of her sitting with her head buried in her arms on the tabletop. A pinkette he recognized as Umenomiya Anna sat beside her with a hand placed comfortingly on her shoulder while Wakako, Sumire, Koko, Kitsu, and Mochu sat across from the two girls. At the sound of Nonoko calling her name, Mikan raised her head. Immediately, she rushed forward to meet them, her expression miserable.

"Hotaruuuuuuu!" she whined piteously, throwing her arms around her stoic best friend. "The most terrible, awful, no good thing happened last period!" Leaning back, she gripped Hotaru's shoulders. "Jinno-sensei gave a test—a test!—on the first day of school! What kind of teacher does that?"

Relief washed over Natsume as Hotaru replied blandly, "The kind who cares about his students' education."

"But Hotaruuuuu…" Mikan continued to lament as the newest arrivals began setting their bags down on the lunch table. "I haven't looked at a math problem harder than my grocery budget in months. How can Jinno-sensei expect us to remember all of that stuff without any kind of review?"

Yuu smiled kindly. "Don't worry, Mikan-chan, I'm sure you did fine. Even if you didn't, it's just a review exam. It's not the end of the world."

Mikan blinked at him blankly for a moment before a brilliant smile lit up her face, changing her entire countenance. "Iinchou! Hi!"

The class representative chuckled. "Hi, Mikan-chan."

"You're here!" Mikan squealed, grabbing his and Nonoko's hands. It was as if the surprise math test was completely forgotten. "Iinchou, do you know Anna-chan and Nonoko-chan? We became friends in art class this morning! Isn't that great?"

Yuu chuckled warmly. "I heard from Ogasawara-san. I'm happy to hear that you're settling in well."

"Do you know what you'd like to eat?" Nonoko asked her as Anna joined them.

Mikan grinned. "I have no idea, but I'm not picky, so I'll just grab something from wherever you guys go."

Natsume stood with his hands in his pockets, watching silently as Mikan headed off with Anna, Nonoko, and Yuu to get something to eat. Although it was good to see her happily hanging out with new friends, his sharp eyes noticed the stares and curious looks she received from several tables as her small group passed through the courtyard. Even knowing that she wasn't alone, the attention she was receiving made him want to keep an eye on her until she'd made it back to their table.

After Mochu volunteered to stay behind to watch everyone's bags, the remaining teens headed into the cafeteria, the boys walking towards a booth that served stir fry while Hotaru, Sumire, and Wakako split off to head for the salad bar. Natsume kept Mikan's group in the corner of his eye, which wasn't difficult since the food line they'd chosen wasn't very far away from the stir fry booth. He didn't notice anyone try to bother her as she chatted happily with her friends, placed her order, received her food, and headed outside.

After getting his lunch, Natsume waited until Ruka, Koko, and Kitsu had also received their stir fry orders (plus one extra for Mochu) before they all made their way back out to the courtyard. As soon as they passed through the exterior doors, Natsume mentally groaned. "Shit."

Hearing his low exclamation, the others stopped with him. When they spotted the reason for his sudden angst, Koko grinned. "Oh, boy, here we go!"

Less than twenty feet away, Mikan's group was being blocked by a pair of girls they knew only too well. Suzuki Rima and Kobayashi Mayuri had been a thorn in Natsume's side for years, becoming especially troublesome throughout middle school. They were two of his pushier, more outspoken admirers who gave his fan girls a bad rep among him and his close friends. Predictably, curious onlookers at nearby tables were watching the exchange without taking part, gleaning what information they could by listening from the sidelines.

Bracing himself for another unpleasant encounter, Natsume kept his expression dead neutral as he slowly approached, wanting to get close enough to hear what was being said, but not so close that his presence would be noticed yet. Ruka, Koko, and Kitsu silently followed close behind him.

"You'll have to excuse our curiosity," Kobayashi Mayuri was saying as she tossed her cascade of straight ebony locks over her shoulder. "It's just so rare for us to get new students here at Alice Academy."

"That's okay," Mikan replied cheerily. "I don't mind at all. Like I said, my last school was just the local public one, so nothing special."

"Then why won't you tell us the name of it?" Suzuki Rima asked, arms crossed haughtily as she cocked a thin eyebrow. The tall brunette sported a wispy bun on top of her head and her baby blue eyes regarded Mikan skeptically.

Mikan shrugged apologetically. "I'm afraid I can't. For security reasons, I'm not allowed to reveal where I'm from since the Hyuugas and Imais vacation there."

Rima and Mayuri both straightened, their eyes instantly widening. "You know where Natsume-sama vacations each summer?" Mayuri asked eagerly, her jade eyes blinking in astonishment. Unseen in the background, Natsume's companions exchanged glances. The location of the vacation home had been coveted knowledge among Natsume's fan girls for years, but had thankfully remained undisclosed.

Mikan smiled innocently. "I do."

Rima's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she calculated an unexpected possibility. "I beg your pardon, Sakura-san, but could it be that you only know the Hyuugas and Imais because they vacation near your home?"

"Yep."

Mayuri glanced at Rima in disbelief. "So your family doesn't have any sort of business connections to either of them?"

Mikan seemed completely unperturbed by the direct line of questioning. "Nope. My parents are passed on and my grandfather is a Shinto priest, so we don't have any need to do business with Imai Tech or Hyuuga Defense Industries. I just became friends with their families by spending our summers together, that's all."

Rima blinked in confusion as she struggled to comprehend the idea. "So the reason we've never heard of you and there's not a trace of you or your family on the internet is because you're just... a nobody?"

Mikan smirked. After her conversation with Kimura Kenta at the Starlight Lounge last week, she wasn't surprised by this kind of social prejudice. "I'm sure our definitions of a 'nobody' are quite different, but if significant wealth or power is what makes a person a 'somebody' in your book, then you probably would consider me a nobody."

Both girls stared at Mikan utterly dumbfounded. "Then what on earth are you doing at Alice Academy?" Mayuri blurted out disapprovingly.

"Kobayashi-san," Yuu intervened with a frown, "Mikan-chan is here for the same reason the rest of us are— to get a good education."

"But that's ridiculous," Rima protested, her voice dripping with disgust, all pretext of polite curiosity gone. "You expect us to believe that you're just some orphan charity case the academy let in on a whim? Because what, the Hyuugas or the Imais pitied you and begged the administration to admit you? Are you blackmailing their families into paying your tuition, too?"

Nearby, Natsume and Ruka both clenched their jaws, their eyes narrowing to slits. Even though they'd expected this type of attitude towards Mikan from some of their classmates, actually hearing them tear into her so degradingly made their tempers flare. They remained as they were though, trying their best to honor Mikan's request to handle these types of situations herself as much as possible. Nonoko, however, hadn't made any such agreement with Mikan and had listened silently to Rima and Mayuri's harsh words long enough. Her navy ponytail snapped sharply as she took a step forward, her tone scathing. "Well, that's a rather uninformed and undignified accusation, Suzuki-san."

Beside her, Mikan grinned, completely unfazed. "It's okay, Nonoko-chan. Maybe she doesn't know that it's impolite to inquire into other people's finances. I'm sure she didn't mean to be rude." She turned back to Rima, whose face was turning an unattractive shade of red at the passive insult. "I'm paying my own tuition. The Hyuugas and Imais are my friends, not my financial backers. Now if you'll excuse us." She attempted to sidestep the pair, but Rima was quick to block her again, leaning down to scowl in her face.

"Listen hear, you little rat," she hissed, "we've known Natsume-sama and his friends practically our whole lives and they've never once mentioned you, so don't think for one second that you can just waltz in here claiming to be anything more than a parasite taking advantage of their families' philanthropy. I don't know how you weaseled your way in here, but whatever it was doesn't put you on our level. We're the best of the best here at Alice Academy and if you tarnish Natsume-sama's reputation or our school's in any way, you'll be out of here faster than a race car on the Audubon."

As he listened, Yuu's jaw hung open in shock, unable to comprehend that a fellow classmate would speak so cruelly for such unjustified reasons. On Mikan's other side, Nonoko was bristling with indignation, outraged by the wrongful treatment the girl was receiving, reminding her so much of what her best friend Anna has occasionally experienced. Beside her, the pinkette looked on wide-eyed, her heart clenching painfully for her new friend.

Most of their audience wasn't close enough to hear Rima's speech, but could guess the nature of it by her body language and facial expression. They waited curiously for the new girl's response. Mikan surprised them all when she merely tilted her head and blinked cutely. "What's the Audubon?"

"It's a highway in Germany that doesn't have a maximum speed limit."

When the cluster of teens looked up to identify the new voice that had joined the conversation, Rima and Mayuri's faces lit up with angelic smiles. "Natsume-sama!" Mayuri skipped up to the handsome teenager, her face morphing into a flirtatious pout. "Sakura-san is trying to take advantage of your impeccable social standing. She's saying all kinds of things about being close to your family and your friends' families." Behind her, Mikan bit her lip to keep from giggling. Clearly Mayuri was too blinded by her feelings to recognize the dark ire in Natsume's garnet eyes, a clear indication to those who knew him well that he was seriously pissed off.

"She is."

Mayuri's smile froze in place. "Pardon?"

Natsume balanced his lunch tray on one arm while his other hand fisted discreetly in his pocket. "She is a close family friend, and not just of my family, but of the Imais and Nogis as well."

Rima glanced at Mikan uncertainly before taking a step towards Natsume. "But she's a nobody, she said so herself." Behind the girls' backs, Mikan rolled her eyes. These fan girls really were just as obnoxious as she'd been warned.

Entirely fed up, Natsume turned towards Mikan, wordlessly dismissing Rima and Mayuri. "Come on, Polka Dots. We'll be late for 4th period if we don't eat soon." Turning his back, he continued across the courtyard. Ruka, Koko, and Kitsu followed his lead, expecting the girls' confrontation to end there.

"Polka Dots…?" Mayuri blinked. "Is that a nickname?"

Frowning speculatively, Rima opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, Mikan's voice stopped her cold. "Coming, Natsume!"

The effect was instantaneous. Trembling with fury, Rima whirled around, her baby blue eyes glaring frostily. "How dare you address Natsume-sama by his given name without an honorific!"

Mayuri was just as irate. "That proves it! If you really were his friend, you'd at least show him some respect!"

Mikan grinned. "I've always called him by his given name without an honorific, same as Hotaru and Ruka-pyon. They're my best friends!"

Rima growled. "Why you—"

Mayuri interrupted her with a hand on her arm. She was smirking triumphantly, as if she'd discovered a delightful loophole. "Oh, I see! You're Imai-san's friend and Natsume-sama just has to put up with you because she's his best friend's girlfriend. Well, that makes things simpler." Her lips curled into a malicious smile. "To think I actually made the mistake of admiring Imai-san before I learned what kind of low caliber associations she was making during her school breaks. If she insists on maintaining her friendship with you, I suppose it's only a matter of time before she sinks into the gutter with you." Several feet away, Ruka stopped dead in his tracks, his sapphire eyes becoming chips of ice as the ebony-haired oujo-sama blatantly insulted not only one of his best friends, but his girlfriend as well.

Yuu adjusted his glasses, his light brown eyes narrowed disapprovingly. "Really, Kobayashi-san, this kind of talk is truly unbefitting—" His words cut off when Mikan raised a hand to silence him. He was taken aback by the menacing golden light that had filled her amber eyes.

"Excuse me?" she hissed lowly. Anna and Nonoko blinked in surprise, not expecting the sudden change in the teenager's attitude. Rima and Mayuri, too, seemed caught off guard by her reaction. "Imai Hotaru is flawless. You can say what you want about me, but don't you ever slander Hotaru."

Mayuri's lips pulled back in a sneer, ready to hurl another snide comment when a male voice firmly entered the conversation once again.

"Mikan."

An audible gasp arose from the onlookers. Poking her head around the pair of fan girls, Mikan saw that Natsume was looking back at her pointedly. "Hurry up." With a huff, she finally managed to skirt around the girls with Anna, Nonoko, and Yuu in tow. Mayuri and Rima simply stared after them, scandalized into silence.

When her small group had caught up to Natsume's, Mikan glanced up at him curiously as they made their way back to their table. "Why'd they suddenly give up?"

On Natsume's other side, Koko grinned. "Natsume called you by your given name without an honorific."

"Which has never happened with a girl before," Kitsu snickered gleefully. "I think the shock was too much for them to handle."

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Good grief. Do they keep a diary of everything he eats and every time he uses the bathroom, too?"

"Maybe," Kitsu joked back as they all sat down.

Pausing with a forkful of salad raised to her mouth, Sumire quirked an eyebrow at the returning group. "What took you all so long?"

After pecking her cheek, Koko replied, "Mikan-chan got accosted by Suzuki Rima and Kobayashi Mayuri."

"No!" Sumire's eyes widened. "And I missed it?! How'd it go?"

"Mikan-chan won," Kitsu cackled. "It was a little bit epic, not gonna lie."

"I didn't win anything. There was nothing to win," Mikan protested as she broke apart her chopsticks.

"I thought you were great, Mikan-chan," Anna complimented with a pretty smile. "You didn't seem intimidated at all."

The caramel-haired teenager shrugged. "Like I said before, I really don't care what other people think of me, but the dark-haired one did make me mad when she insulted Hotaru for being my friend."

Several seats away, Hotaru studied her boyfriend's agitated expression before rolling her eyes. "You two throw temper tantrums over the most pointless things. Do you really think my reputation is so fragile that either of those girls could leave a mark?"

"That's not the point," Mikan objected around a bite of rice. "I just don't like people making fun of my friends."

"I'm on your side, Mikan-chan," Nonoko contributed. "I think it's important to stand up for your friends when others are putting them down."

"I still can't believe they actually talked to you like that," Yuu lamented. "I knew some of our classmates have a rather high opinion of themselves for the wrong reasons, but the fact that they'd actually behave so improperly is shocking and shameful. I'm sorry you had to experience that, especially on your first day here, Mikan-chan."

Mikan smiled brightly. "It's okay, Iinchou! It really wasn't that bad actually. Based on everything I've been warned about, I'm prepared for much worse."

Wakako snorted. "Be careful what you wish for."

The teenagers continued to socialize as they ate. From the last seat, Natsume stared silently down at his plate with furrowed eyebrows as he dug into his beef and broccoli stir fry. Across from him, Mochu studied his friend's tense countenance. "You're angry."

Natsume's garnet eyes flashed with displeasure as he muttered darkly, "Damn right I'm angry. I don't appreciate spoiled Barbies bitching at my… friend. Polka Dots is better than all of them and deserves better than all of them."

Mochu shifted his gaze down the table. "It sounds like she held her ground pretty well though, so she's no weakling."

Natsume's lips twisted into a wry smirk. "She may be strong and feisty, but she's also reckless and stubborn. She never should have let their comments about Imai rile her up like that."

"Says the guy whose blood is boiling because of comments made about her," Ruka quietly pointed out from beside him. "It's easy to say 'Don't let it get to you' in theory, but reality is quite different. I know because I'm in the same boat; they actually managed to tick me off even though I thought I was prepared for this level of negativity and I usually have a much longer fuse than you."

"We'll all keep watching her back," Mochu vowed. "She said it herself, if this is the worst they dish out, she'll manage."

Ruka frowned. "And if it's not?"

Natsume glanced down the table. Mikan was happily chatting with her friends, all signs of the previous encounter gone. Her caramel tresses glistened in the sunlight as she threw her head back in a joyful laugh. Looking away, he met his best friend's concerned gaze. "We'll make sure they regret it."

---

Author's Note: Okay, so I've gotten messages from people who are worried that Natsume and Mikan are going to have sex and I've gotten messages from people who want them to have sex, so let me set the record straight. NO, Natsume and Mikan will NOT be having sex any time soon. They are 14, people (Natsume is almost 15, but still). Whether or not they have sex in their later teens remains to be seen, but for now, they are simply experiencing and experimenting with kisses and cuddles and desires, nothing over PG13 material. Honestly, when my kids are 14, I won't want them doing the kind of things that I'm having the characters do, but this is fiction, and more importantly, fan fiction. I enjoy squealing like a fan girl at the intimate scenes just like most of you, so there will be plenty of them, but they will progress in maturity over time. Plus, the Natsume in the manga/anime is a pervert, so even though I've toned down that part of him, I don't want to lose it entirely. Lastly, please keep in mind that this story is not rated MA, so I can't get too explicit anyway even when they're older. I hope this puts us all on the same page! Thanks!