Beginning Note: Not to confuse anyone but I changed my username. It originally was Napperon but I've changed it to BlossomingThought. This new username is more fitting for my current mindset. I'm in a phase in my life where I see myself maturing fast as I start gaining new perspectives of the world around me. I wanted a username that could represent this changing me and I saw BlossomingThought to be perfect.

Synopsis: 29-year-old Mikan has had a lot of regrets in her life. Not confessing her feelings for a boy she once loved back in her teens, not sticking up for herself when it was necessary, and remaining the greatest pushover in history. But all that changes when she comes across a woman named Yura, who gives her a box of candy that is found to have magical abilities to make one younger again. Frustrated with herself, Mikan decides to take a piece one day and from then on, her life takes an unexpected turn when she wakes up with the mind and body of an extroverted 18-year-old.

Disclaimer: this story is developed from the theme of the Chinese Movie Suddenly Seventeen. It does not follow the same plot nor will it ever. The only similarity will be the theme but all other input and plot is my own. In addition, Gakuen Alice belongs to Higuchi Tachibana.

Candy One: Who Am I?

Aggressiveness was not something I could particularly relate to.

Passive would be more accurate if someone gave me an adjective.

And without going into heavy detail, my life was filled with disappointments left and right.

I allowed insults and taunts that came my way to easily affect me. Or I completely disregarded them instead of tackling them at the moment they came.

I should have been stronger because then 29 wasted years wouldn't have passed.

I wouldn't have missed the opportunity to become someone important.

I wouldn't have skipped out on friend outings because I was afraid of the social experience.

I wouldn't have opted out of participating in school events since I worried about my lack of athleticism.

I wouldn't have held a grudge on everyone that slighted me, even if it was for the pettiest reason.

But I wanted to change all that and somehow, it worked in the strangest way possible.

Early morning sunlight peaked through the curtains of the living room window and the light dimly spread throughout the room, bits of it hitting the kitchen.

"Weather forecast for today predicts high temperatures with a bit of humidity," the newscaster on the television reported.

Whiskers trotted over to his unconscious human companion who had a dying glow surrounding her. He lowered his nose to her sprawled out hand and sniffed it, recognizing her scent to still be the same. The touch of his fur on his companion's skin caused her fingers to twitch. The hand clenched, making Whiskers jump back and hide behind the kitchen island. The feline watched as his companion regained consciousness and slowly sat up with her back against the wood of the island.

There was something different about her that he couldn't quite comprehend.

"Ow … how hard did I fall?" Mikan moaned, clutching her throbbing head. Whiskers crept out of his hiding place and slowly closed the distance between them, thereby alerting her. Mikan stared down at the cat who observed her with curiosity. "Oh my god! Kitty!" she exclaimed and lifted him into her arms. "You're so cute!" she gleefully said while muffling him in her embrace. Whiskers hissed and struggled to jump out of her arms due to her suffocating hold. Realizing how tight she held him, Mikan released him and stood up.

She stretched her arms out and followed Whiskers into the living room. The television set was still on so she grabbed the remote to turn it off. Upon doing so, she couldn't help but notice the leftover chicken delivery still sitting out on the table. However, when she got a closer glimpse of the food, she noticed pieces had been eaten from every drumstick.

"Bad kitty you ate my food!" she reprimanded her feline friend who was busy licking his fur than to take notice of her anger.

Mikan sighed to herself. Of course, the cat didn't care about eating her food. She shook her head and picked up the cellphone on the table to check the time, but unfortunately it ran on low battery. "There you have it," she said to herself and dropped the phone back on the sofa. Charging it could come at later time because right now she needed to brush her grimy teeth.

She walked over to her bathroom and faced the mirror. Taking off the thick rimmed spectacles, the first thing she noticed was the significant difference in visual perception. Her mirror image was considerably clearer and she didn't need to peer in so close to see her own face.

She could tell her prescription and her whole outlook wasn't the same.

No more bags under her eyes from not sleeping properly. Tiny creases forming at the corner of her eyes were no longer present.

And her lips. Her usually dry lips were perfectly plump with a hint of pink.

Her skin felt so much softer and smoother without the random bumps of adult acne on her cheeks.

The hazel iris she inherited from her mother were bright without any signs of tiredness.

Her brunette tresses had volume.

At last, looking down at her body, she saw the lift in her once low rise breasts. A feeling of giddiness overwhelmed her so much that she began jumping up and down.

"This is freaking amazing! I'm not a dump!" she cheered. Once her hyperactivity died down, she rested, placing both hands on her hips and cheekily grinned at her mirror image.

"Let's get this awesome day rolling," Mikan declared and ran out of the bathroom to open her laptop, playing a music playlist from MeTube.

A tune blared throughout the small apartment.

'It's a whole new me, no ordinary gal'

She raised the volume of the music and skipped over to the bathroom.

'Living the dream, this I shall'

She started singing along to the music and preparing for the day.

The act itself did not hold a place in her typical routine. Her initial idea of putting effort into her appearance meant combing her hair and putting on chapstick that worked opposite it's job.

Oh, how easy it was to wake up in the morning just to brush her teeth and wash her face. No need for cosmetics which she had no expertise in. If no one paid her any attention, then what was the point of taking the extra mile to groom herself. As long as she wasn't a smelly grease trap then why not?

Her wardrobe consisted of out of date hand me downs from her mother's closet. Credit to Mikan's mother's paranoia about beauty. She wanted to ensure that her daughter didn't fall victim to beauty standards that could upset the balance of the so called family curse. Mikan, however, didn't care about the curse and thought her mother needed psychological evaluation. Anyone who heard her speak would think the same.

She stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. Taking her glasses with her, she entered her bedroom in search of clothes. Whiskers was spotted casually lounging on her bed while waiting for his meal to be set out for him.

It proved a nuisance finding something suitable to wear because every clothing item reminded Mikan of an elderly woman's attire. She huffed in annoyance and admitted temporary defeat. A pair of denim jeans and the old lady dress shirt would have to do for now.

She decided a little shopping spree could fix the problem. She wore her glasses atop her head mentally scheduled herself to go to the optician to see if she could receive a new prescription. After turning off all appliances and her laptop, she grabbed her purse and dropped her phone into the hollow bag. She then quickly poured out food for whiskers, got her keys and left the apartment.

"Welcome to Rising Star Boutique. Do you need any assistance today?" a greeter said to Mikan as she walked into the flashy store. Distracting shiny lights hung along the pane of the opening, most likely to draw the attention of customers. The vast interior of the shop contained many different clothes and a mannequin at each corner dressed in a trendy outfit. The gleaming tiled floors were adorned with stars much like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, that led to different sections of the store like a pathway. Balloon lights hung from the ceiling, making the whole store look aesthetically pleasing.

Mikan stopped her gaping and turned her attention to the greeter. "Hi! I'm here to revamp my wardrobe because what I'm wearing is expired," she said pointing to her own attire.

The greeter stared her up and down with a red lipped smile. "Yes dear but do you mind me asking how old you are? You just seem rather young and I would assume a young lady your age would be in class now," she said.

So come consequences with the gift of youth.

Mikan smiled and beckoned the greeter to come closer, which she did. "Here's a secret between you and I," Mikan began. Weaseling her way out of this situation did not pose a challenge and she was ready for whatever hit her. "In reality, I'm a twenty-nine years old woman struggling with young face syndrome."

"Young face syndrome?" the greeter said with perplexity, brows raised.

"Yes! It's a troublesome gene only active in females within my family. Always causes misunderstandings because we often are mistaken for children," Mikan said as she feigned sadness to appeal to her sympathy. "I can't enjoy the life of an adult due to this cursed face and often resign to being a hermit until signs of aging show."

"Oh my! I had no idea about this issue." The greeter placed a hand over her chest.

"It's alright. Not many are aware of this rare genetic disorder. In fact, searching it up is futile as doctors don't care to research it since its dubbed unimportant."

Hook. Line. Sinker.

"I apologize for all that you have been through and for me being so ignorant," said the greeter.

"It's completely fine. Many people would kill to have this syndrome but they don't realize how terrible it is in the long run," Mikan replied, batting her eyelashes at the greeter for added dramatization.

"If you need anything please let me know. You have people like me supporting you."

"Thank you so much." If luck were real, this exchange would count as a result of luck. How gullible could the woman be? "May I please enter the store now?" she asked her.

"Definitely, we offer personal assistants in this shop helping you find clothing more your style. In fact, our newest employee will be more than happy to show you around."

Mikan nodded excitedly. "Sure!" she chirped and fully stepped into the store.

The greeter pulled out a tiny bell from her dress pocket and rung it. A tall male with silver hair sluggishly came to the front eyeing the greeter with a blank face. "Yes mom?" he said to her.

"He is my talented son Youichi who is training to become a designer. I assure you that anything he selects will be brilliantly made for you."

A young boy who appeared to be in his late teens, dabbling in the fashion industry? This would be interesting. Mikan craned her neck to smile at the tall boy. "It's nice to meet you Youichi. I'd be very happy having you help me today," she said.

"Let's go," Youichi deadpanned, his tone of voice causing Mikan to pout. She hoped their conversations would pick up in substance instead of him monotonously responding to her each time.

She waved at the greeter and followed Youichi to the women's young adult section.

"You don't have a sense of style," Youichi openly commented after getting a peek at her old-fashioned attire.

"Trust me I know her outfits look pretty outdated," Mikan replied.

"Her?" Youichi's brows furrowed. "Are you wearing someone else's clothes?"

"N-No, I meant my outfits. Slip of tongue," Mikan nervously chuckled and scratched the back of her head.

"Okay." She was glad he didn't appear the type to probe for more clarification. He instead absorbed himself in scanning the clothes racks and picking up shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, one after the other. By the end of his scavenging, Mikan found herself carrying a heavy mountain pile for her to try on. "The changing room is all the way at the back of the store. Try on each outfit and we'll decide which style to go for," Youichi instructed her, pointing to the far off distance.

It took around two hours to finally try on everything but by the end of it, the both were very satisfied with the results.

"Will you be paying with cash or credit?" the cashier at the front desk asked her while in the process of folding the clothes into multiple shopping bags.

Mikan pulled out a card. "Credit," she said and the cashier swiped her card.

"Thank you for your purchase today. If you sign up for our store's membership, you can get first picks at discounted outfits for each cycle," the cashier said.

In a good mood, Mikan agreed to sign up. She gathered all the bags and happily walked to the entrance of the store.

"Thank you for shopping with us. You're welcome anytime," said the greeter.

"No thank you for having me," Mikan said and bowed her head then walked out. As she got further from the store, realization hit her. Not only did her arms carry the weight of ten plus bags, but she didn't own a car to put them in. In her rush to get new clothes, her conscious neglected the burden that would come after. Suddenly, the pounds on her arms felt like tons.

"No I have to deal with this until I get back," she said to herself although she wept inside. Her goal was to get the clothes and then change her prescription. Nothing would stop her from finishing that goal. She sucked it up and proceeded walking to the usual optician clinic that was located a couple blocks from her previous location.

The cool air of the building fanned her heated face and she revealed in the comfort it brought. People stared at her but she paid no mind to them as she walked to the information desk to sign in.

"I'm here to get my eyes checked," she said to the desk assistant. She handed her the clipboard and the assistant's expression changed.

"Are you sure you're Ms. Sakura?"

"Yes," Mikan said. "Why does everyone act so surprised?" It was warranted considering the contrast in appearance but Mikan solely focused on getting this check-up through.

"I'm sorry it's just that you look so different," said the desk assistant.

"And it's my business aside from when you need my insurance information to pay for my glasses, which I need a new pair or I'll be walking around blind as a bat," Mikan countered.

"I'll notify the doctor right away," the assistant hastily grabbed the telephone and paged the optician. "We have Ms. Sakura in for a check-up … yes … I'll send her in." She placed the phone back in its holder and stood up. "Right this way," she said to Mikan and led her to the optician's examination room. She closed the door behind her once Mikan got settled in the chair.

"It is amazing how many people are letting me get away with stuff," Mikan thought out loud. The door to the examination room opened and in came the optician who was Imai Subaru, Hotaru's older sibling.

He looked up from his papers and eyes slightly widened more than usual. "Your face is not the same," he stated and Mikan nodded. "I'm not going to ask what you had done," he said, making her sigh in relief. Although, she felt a bit miffed by his internal assumption that surgery had given her such beautiful visuals.

"My prescription changed and I need new glasses," Mikan told him.

"I'll need to do an examination first before I can list you for a new pair," he advised her.

"That's fine," she said. Subaru pulled up the machinery that checked her eyes and after a series of tests, he determined that her sight had indeed improved significantly and she could get a new pair of glasses. "Can I get contacts too?" she asked him after selecting a pair of circular shaped, but thin rimmed glasses.

"I don't see any issue in getting them as long as you know how to put them in," Subaru said.

"I'm sure it isn't hard."

"Depends on the individual but I'll give you a trial pair to see for yourself."

"Thanks, and throw in an order for a year supply," Mikan said. She wanted those contacts and she would make sure to get them.

"If you say so," Subaru shrugged and went through the necessary measures to get everything in order. "They should arrive by next week while the glasses will be ready within the next two days," he said as he finalized the order.

"Great have them shipped to my address please," Mikan said. She patted the table and gave Subaru thumbs up. "I'm out of here," she said to him and left the building.

She had new clothes, glasses to give her a new chic look and contacts on the way. How awesome could her day get?

"How in God's name does anyone put these silicon demons in?!" Mikan shouted in frustration after repeatedly failing to get the trial contacts to stay in place. She angrily flicked the contact into its container and huffed. She had managed to get one in but for some reason, the other had a rebellious side, not wanting to submit to her authority. "Behave!" she pointed a finger at the contact.

boom boom boom

Loud banging coming from the apartment door caught Mikan's attention. She forgo putting the second contact in and jogged to the front door. Sliding the cover off the peephole, she saw Hotaru and Sumire standing there impatiently.

"Mikan you better be alive and answer this damn door!" Sumire yelled.

"We've been trying to get a hold of you all day," Hotaru added.

Mikan rolled her eyes at her friends' exaggerated behavior and unlocked the door. She opened it up, bracing herself for their reaction.

"For goodness sa-" Sumire stopped herself mid speech to take in her best friend's new image. "What the actual hell?"

"Geez, nice to see you too. Come in," she grabbed each female's hand and pulled them inside.

"Um …"

"You look like you're eighteen," Hotaru went straight to the point.

Mikan closed the apartment door and went to sit on her table, facing Hotaru and Sumire who sat on her sofa.

"Can I touch your face? This can't be real," Sumire said although she was already reaching for Mikan's face only to get her hands smacked away.

"You'd think I'm crazy if I told you the truth," Mikan said. Explaining that her other self ingested candy that made her young seemed like logical cause to check into an asylum.

"You have no choice," Sumire stated. "Explain how you changed so fast. I just saw you last week and this was not how you were," she demanded.

"Okay but promise you won't freak out," Mikan said, eyes searching their faces for any chance of disagreements.

"We do," Hotaru assured her.

"Wait let me guess. You got some kind of fast healing plastic surgery or Botox injections," Sumire suddenly asserted.

"What!" Mikan sputtered. "Are you insane? I'm a strong advocate for natural beauty which I clearly have."

"What's the name of the doctor? Hook me up so I can look nice for the reunion," Sumire pressed on. Hotaru shook her head at the curly headed girl's antics. Of course, she wanted in on the beautifying secret.

"Sumire stop it," Mikan snapped at her, clearly getting annoyed by her bombarding assertions.

"I'm serious! Was it expensive?" Sumire continued.

"No, it was free!"

"Aha! I knew you got work done," the overexcited perm hair friend gloated.

"No!" Mikan shouted at her. "A weird woman gave the other me a box of candy. She ate one and woke up like this … which I have no complaints about." A minute passed by and no one spoke. The other two simply stared at their friend like she had announced her pregnancy to them. "Your responses are running late. Did they miss the speaking bus?" Mikan frowned at them.

"I can't fathom how you managed to get tricked into something dangerous," Hotaru said her piece.

Mikan tilted her head to the side in wonder. "Does that mean you believe me?" she asked.

"I suppose you wouldn't lie as you are a known truther and horrible liar," chimed Sumire.

"I'm pleasantly surprised that you two are taking this well."

"Can we see the candy?" Hotaru asked her. Mikan got the box then headed back into the living room. She knelt to the ground and placed the box on the table in front of them with the lid lifted.

"I'll admit that this is really weird and any other person would have thought you're a psycho. But since we're best friends, I believe you," Sumire said, she gave Mikan a smile and reached for a piece of candy. However, an electric current ran down her finger when she got close to the delicacy, causing her to yelp. "That really hurt!" she exclaimed, waving her bruising finger.

"Are you okay?" Mikan said, worried for her friend.

"It's alright, I'm not dead," Sumire said to assuage her worries despite the throbbing pain.

"Something tells me whoever gave you this box doesn't want other people eating the candy," said Hotaru in her skeptical mood.

"Not only do I have the candy, the box came with a necklace and instructions on this card." Mikan took out the card from its slot and read it to them.

"Okay but what purpose does the necklace serve?" Sumire inquired. She was about to get a hold of the jewelry but Mikan intercepted her.

"Haven't you learned your lesson? Don't touch it or you might get shocked again," she chided her.

Sumire rose her hands up in defeat. "Sorry force of habit," she said and nudged Hotaru jokingly.

"Judging by what the card says, it's safe to assume these effects are only temporary. We should do research on it before you decide to take another piece," Hotaru advised. She reached for her cellphone in her purse and sent out a text to Ruka. "I'll let Ruka know I won't be coming home tonight so we can stay up and figure this out," she notified them.

Feeling a bit guilty for taking Hotaru's attention away from her family, Mikan spoke up. "Are you sure? I don't want to take up your time especially when you have a kid at home," she said.

"Ruka will be fine with Mizuki. Right now, we need to fix this problem and get you back to normal," Hotaru responded.

Fixed.

Nothing about her situation needed fixing. A blessing in disguise treated like a problem. She couldn't allow it to be gone so soon, not when she hadn't made big improvements. Maybe for now, she would go along with it but as soon as the chance arrived, nobody would stop her.

"If I'm being honest, Mikan doesn't look that bad. In fact, this is a great miracle that waited to make its dramatic entrance in her life," Sumire noted, making Mikan silently glad that one other person appreciated her new self.

"Let's be serious Sumire. This candy allegedly turns her into an eighteen-year-old girl when she's twenty-nine years old. People aren't going to react well to her sudden change and will speculate." Hotaru frowned at her and crossed her arms. "You automatically assumed plastic surgery and that's what others will believe too."

"I admit that you have a point but at least give this Mikan a chance," Sumire rolled her emerald irises.

"I second that and the right to not have to listen to anything you say," Mikan inserted with a hand raised.

"We'll make final decisions later after doing research tonight," Hotaru countered firmly. From her mood, she clearly didn't like the idea of there being another version of her best friend. This one had a mouth that could speak and Hotaru couldn't help but be worried for her. She needed to find a way to save her from whatever it was this crazy mysterious woman gave her.

And so, the three of them began a late night investigation of the candy, but it took very long because there were virtually no reports of people aging backwards. Many times, 'This person has found the secret to youth: doctors hate her/him' advertisements came on the list of search results. Sumire threatened to throw her cellphone if she saw another one of those bogus clickbait ads. Very exhausted from staring at her laptop screen for so long, Mikan retired to her bedroom early, leaving the two to take charge of the search. Her beloved feline friend decided to keep the two company while she slept.

The next morning, yelling erupted from the living, causing Mikan to wake up and bolt out of her bed. Her legs became tangled with the sheets that she fell face first to the carpet floor. After managing to escape the trap of sheets, she hurried out the bedroom shouting, "Whiskers!" but screamed when instead her two best friends were sitting in her living room grinning at her laptop screen.

"What are you two doing here!" Mikan exclaimed.

Hotaru and Sumire tore their attention away from the screen and simultaneously gasped.

"She turned back to normal," Sumire commented as a matter of fact.

"I can see that," Hotaru said.

"Can either of you answer my question? Did I invite you last night?" She walked over to them, ruffling her hair. "Why is my vision in both eyes distorted? It's like I can see in one eye but the other is blurry," she questioned.

"Mikan honey, you should sit down," said Sumire who guided her friend to the sofa. "We came over last night and discovered you consumed candy that makes you young. But now that I see you, the effects have worn off."

From the puzzlement in her expression, Hotaru was one hundred percent sure Mikan did not remember last night's events. "We can write down memory loss as a side effect," she said.

"Do you at least remember that you took the candy?" Sumire asked.

"That much I can remember … eating candy but then I woke up in my bed this morning," Mikan said. "I don't know what happened to me in between. I took the candy thinking I would become young but I still feel the same."

"The candy did work. You did become young again," Hotaru revealed to her.

"But now you look the same," Sumire pointed out.

"Oh my goodness how could I not remember any of that? It defeats the purpose if I'm not in control of myself when I take the candy," Mikan groaned. She started biting at her fingernails.

"That's what I discovered after doing my research. We found the person who gave you the candy and she's rather sketchy," Hotaru said, pulling up the information on the laptop. "She has a whole secretive business designed to fulfill the wishes of people with many regrets in life."

"There's no direct address you can reach her at because she comes to you," Sumire added.

"In other words, don't trust anything she says," Mikan concluded.

"That's a decision for you to make on your own," Sumire interjected before Hotaru could say anything. "Not that I don't already love who you are, but last night's Mikan was so different. She oozed confidence and I want this Mikan to be just like her." Hotaru glared at Sumire for cutting her off but couldn't say a word because of Sumire's unrelenting vocalization. "Maybe you should take the candy again and see how it works for you because I don't think the woman is trying to poison you. It could be a big step in the right direction."

"You just want her to look pretty," Hotaru retorted.

"She already looks pretty," Sumire emphasized but she sneakily kicked Hotaru's leg only to receive retribution in the form of a smack to the head. "Ow!"

"Please don't fight over this," Mikan pleaded with them. "I'll make the decision and I'm sure I want to take the candy. Why let it go to waste?"

"And go ahead with the added amnesia while you're at it," Hotaru snubbed

"She can record messages in between personas for her to stay connected," suggested Sumire.

Hotaru crossed her arms and leaned back on the sofa. "The idea isn't dumb but I still feel wary about it," she shared. "It's easy to lose sight of what you intended to do, when you have this power. And you may end up using it for wrong motives."

"What do you mean?" Mikan inquired from her. She had no motives to do wrong. At least she didn't think she wanted something greater out of it.

"Tell me you weren't suddenly willed to take the candy the night before because of Luna's supposed engagement to my cousin," Hotaru answered.

Mikan hesitated to respond because she herself couldn't understand what her true goal was. She tried to rack her brain why she so badly desired change. Was it for a transformation? What kind of change constituted a good one?

"From our last conversation over the phone, I told you to get over him because I know the type of person he is. Natsume is a known sucker for beautiful women. He'll be bewitched one moment but then dump you the next once he's had his fill," Hotaru's voice drew her out of her train of thought.

"As long as she doesn't get caught in his womanizing ways I'm sure she'll be fine," Sumire remarked.

"We don't know how capable her other self is," snapped Hotaru. "Why do you keep undermining me?"

"I'm not trying to. You just make it easy to with your overly cautious ways," Sumire bit back.

"Your reckless decisions are what gets you into trouble. How many times have I bailed you out?" scoffed Hotaru.

"Can you two please stop arguing for once? I thought you were helping me. Recording myself is a fantastic idea that'll help me gain control of my other self. I can also recall what happens during her reign over my mind," Mikan interrupted to burst the bubble of expanding tension. "I'll have her document what each candy does to me so we can get a better idea of its effects."

"Okay," Hotaru said in defeat, though visibly still vexed by the heated exchange. She pulled out her phone and opened the camera application. She raised it up to be at face-level with Mikan. "Say what you want to say to her," she said and pressed record.

Mikan cleared her throat and tucked her disheveled hair behind her ears. "Hello other me. I am the older version of you and I have a very important message to relay to you."

"Don't sound so robotic. You're talking to yourself," Sumire said.

"Right."

"And relax," Hotaru included.

"Okay I'll do it again. Re-record," Mikan motioned for Hotaru to start the video. "Hello Mikan, it's the older you. It appears that my memory is gone after taking the first candy. To ensure both our safety, we should communicate with one another by sending video messages to each other. I took the candy for a purpose you are aware of. I want to be more confident and capable of anything. Please help me fulfill my wish. Thank you very much." She finished with a bow and waved at the camera before Hotaru pressed stop.

"That was great!" Sumire clapped her hands.

"I'm sending the video to your phone. You need to charge it before taking the candy again," Hotaru reminded her. It would be spell bad news if she transformed without have the videos safety hold on her other self.

"I'll do it right now." Mikan stood up and went to her room to find her charger but was met with shock at the number of shopping bags in the room. She peeked through each bag and pulled out the clothing inside. "Oh no," she said to herself while angrily dumping the clothes out of the bags. She threw one of the bags in frustration and whipped her body around to go back into the living room.

"I need to see my laptop," she told Hotaru who still had it on her lap. Her friend immediately gave it back to her and Mikan typed away. "I knew it. She used my credit card to buy so many things!" She wept at the thought of seeing her next credit card statement. "Let me record another video," she sniffed. Hotaru wordlessly opened the camera application again and pressed record. Mikan began speaking, "We need to set some rules and boundaries. My credit card cannot be used for unnecessary purchases. You went overboard with the clothes and I only earn so much to feed myself and Whiskers. My livelihood will be ruined if you don't listen. Also with the clothes you bought, please dress modestly or you'll ruin my reputation." Hotaru pressed stop and proceeded to send the video.

"You sound ridiculous right now." Sumire tried to contain her laughter.

"It's not funny! She took my card to buy clothes, a new pair of glasses and contacts. There's no telling what else she'll do next. Now I'm having doubts about letting her in my life," Mikan griped.

"We'll help you pay off your next bill," Hotaru said and Sumire nodded. Every day she was reminded how blessed she was to have such remarkable and helpful friends. They were always there to help her and she truly appreciated it.

Mikan looked at them teary eyed and placed her laptop down to hug them. "I don't deserve you ladies as my best friends," she cried. The two hugged her back.

After the meeting with the three friends, they came to a consensus that Mikan needed to wait a few days before taking the candy again. That way her plan of action could be strategically set out before reintroducing the younger Mikan to the world. Luckily, it was a weekend that she could relax before having to go to work on Monday. Mikan recorded another video diary informing her other self of her duties required of her in preparation for that day.

Come Monday, Mikan woke up and wrote a note to herself, taping it to her apartment door. She went to the kitchen to consume the next candy.

Unraveling it, the color was mellow yellow.

She plucked the candy into her mouth and taste the flavor of mango and lemon. She swallowed and sat on the ground in case another dizzy spell would leave her plummeting. The candy's powers began its works much faster than the first. It took twenty minutes for it to finally take effect on her body.

Younger Mikan finally woke. She jumped up and skipped out of the kitchen, noticing the paper taped to the apartment door.

"To my other self, please watch the video diaries on your cellphone before leaving the apartment. From twenty-nine years old Mikan," she read. The cellphone was readily placed on the key table next to the door. She unlocked the phone and started playing each video. A tick formed on her head when she got to the second video of her older self complaining about the credit card purchases. Mikan immediately started a reply video saying, "I understand what you want me to do and I'll totally listen. But in my defense, your clothes were super ugly and I did you a favor. I'm dressing to turn heads in your direction. Enjoy!" She stopped the video and smiled to herself. One day her other self would thank her. She started humming and went to get herself ready for work.

Success came her way when she managed to get both trial contacts in after a lot less attempts. She washed her face and applied sunscreen lotion. She then side parted her hair and curled it in waves. Her outfit was a white, over the shoulders sundress with red polka dots. On her feet, she wore a forgotten pair of red pumps that had ribbons on the back.

Satisfied with her appearance, Mikan rose two thumbs up then gathered her belongings.

Today, she would walk to work hoping for the whole world to admire her.

"Bye kitty!" She kissed Whiskers and left the apartment.

As expected, there were many onlookers wondering who this young beauty was. A couple whistles were thrown her way but she ignored them. She got to the office building and smirked to herself at the thought of the reaction she would receive from her coworkers. She mentally cheered herself on and took a step inside.

Heads turning. Many whispering.

"Is that a high school intern?" someone whispered to the person beside her.

"I have no idea. Never seen her before in my life," the person whispered back.

"There's something familiar about her though. I've seen someone who looks like a less attractive version of her," another said.

"I can hear everything each of you are saying," Mikan loudly announced to her gawking audience. They all went silent and scrambled away. "You don't have to run away! I promise I don't bite," she said after the dispersing crowd. When they didn't listen to her, she shrugged her shoulders and went to the elevator that luckily opened right as she stepped got to it. She stepped inside and pressed the number 14 button to her division's floor. The elevator remained empty for a few floors but opened three floors away from her division. In came a tall man holding a brief case and busily scrolling through his phone.

"What floor?" Mikan asked him.

"Fourteenth," the man said, attention still on his phone.

"Oh, that's the same floor as me," Mikan said and raised her head to look up at him. It was then she recognized the man who shared the lift with her was none other than Hyuuga Natsume. By some strange coincidence, his crimson irises met her hazel ones at the same time.

And for the first time in her life, Mikan witnessed the monumental moment of Hyuuga Natsume experiencing disbelief.

"Sakura?"

Something about Hotaru's words rubbed me the wrong way, even though they were said with good intentions. I wish I understood it during that time.

End Note: If you watched the Seventeen Again movie you should notice the similarity of trying to communicate with oneself through video message in this chapter.

Understanding the glasses: This is a response to one of the reviews! Mikan's glasses are not supposed to symbolize mediocrity. In fact, I only placed emphasis on her original pair because it was a way for me to introduce the idea of her getting new ones. Also, I personally don't see her as mediocre as an individual but someone who has room for improvement. She needs to gain confidence in who she is.

The overarching theme of this story is "Being your best self." That doesn't mean becoming a beauty that people suddenly pay attention to is the idea of being one's best self. It'll become clearer as the plot progress. I appreciate that review pointing it out. Sorry for the confusion! C:

Throughout the development of this story, you may come across common tropes or stereotypes that I will be using to synthesize a message or messages. Don't focus too much on the trope or stereotype itself but its overall significance.

Thanks for reading and or reviewing!

Rated T for minor adult themes and language.

Proof-Read: 5/23/17

Author: BlossomingThought formerly, Napperon