I do not own Gakuen Alice. I certainly don't!

Me: Central Town!!

Ruka: In this chapter you wil-

BAKA BAKA

Hotaru: Damn. I hate people who give spoilers especially when I already gave warnings before.

Mikan: (sweat-drops)

Me: Hotaru-chan never changes. Wait, I'm warning you. This is another long chapter, but, it has a very interesting ending.

Koko: Oh by the way, thanks for the reviews Nonoko-chan, kradraven, koolasapixels, Mawam, heya-gurl, yamishun, Xmatsume-lovesanimeX, jeje-chan, snowangels88, Jester Baby, x - DragoN PriestesS - x, sarahpatrick, Sie-sama, Leenstarz, XrandomgirlX, jazzflame, wing-gem, ladalada, lMl i n t chocolate xD, and XfhylliseXanne.

Xmatsume-lovesanimeX - tch is hard to explain but its like he was saying it because of being pissed or something.

Central Town.

"Wow!!! I missed this place!!" Mikan shouted once she got down the bus.

Its been a week since Hayato talked with Hotaru. And this is the day where the operation will begin.

"Baka. Stop acting like a ten year old." Natsume said. He was pissed but he want the idea of spending the day with Mikan.

"I can't believe the others didn't come. I want to explore with Hayato and Hotaru today. Why can't they make it??"

"Quit whining. Lets go." Natsume said and started to walk away. 'Why does she want to spend more time with him than with me?'

"Natsume!! Wait for me!!" Mikan said and ran to the direction where Natsume went.

Unknown to them, three pairs of eyes were watching them.

"Hotaru, do you think they'll be okay now?" Ruka asked.

"Yeah. Now lets go back. No need to spoil their day together." Hotaru said.

"Okay, lets go. but how did you make Kaede not go?" Hayato asked.

Hotaru smiled, "I left her with Koko, Anna, Nonoko, Yuu and Sumire."

"We really got a lot of people join this operation huh?"

"Of course."

"Natsume's face when he found out he'll go with Mikan today is priceless!" Ruka said and chuckled.

"Yeah."

FLASHBACK

"Mikan! I'm sorry we can't come to you to Central Town today." Hayato said.

"Why?"

"Well, some mission came up so I can't go. As for the others, they told me they are busy"

"Oh okay. Then I won't go today. I'll go some other day." Mikan said.

"No! I mean you can go. Natsume can accompany you."

"Natsume?"

"Yeah. Kaede can't go so no one will go with him. Why don't you go with him?"

"Alright. But I smell something wrong."

"Wrong? Mikan maybe its all in your head." Hayato said as he sweat-dropped.

Then Natsume arrived.

"Hey Natsume! Got to Central Town today with me!" Mikan said and smiled.

Natsume's eyes widened. His face looks like a mixture of different emotions. Happy, embarassed, shocked. You name it.

CLICK!

"This close-up face picture of Natsume will definitely be a top-seller." Hotaru said, appearing out of nowhere.

Natsume regained his cool, composed look.

"Alright. I'll go with you." he said.

Mikan smiled wider, "Thanks!"

END OF FLASHBACK

"Come on. Lets go back and begin the operation." Hayato said as he rode the bus.

"Okay. Come on."

Back to Mikan and Natsume,

"Howalons still taste great. I missed this thing." Mikan said.

"Tch. You never changed. You are still a kid."

"I turned 14 already! So shut it."

"Hmph."

"Want some?" Mikan asked, offering a howalon to Natsume.

He took it, and didn't say a thing.

"I remember when we went here before. You found out everything about me."

"Oh, I remember."

"I can't remember what was I thinking before when I told you my secret. What was it actually?"

"I dunno. But after that, you kept following and annoying me."

Mikan chuckled, "Those were the fun days. Back in America, Hayato was the one who was with me all the time."

"Tch. That guy?"

"That guy? how rude! maybe. . . you are jealous?"

"..."

"Oh come on!! Admit it."

"I am not! Why would I be jealous?" Natsume said, raising his voice.

"Sheesh! I was just teasing you." Mikan said and pouted.

Natsume thought, 'Of course I was jealous! Sheesh. I wanna burn him to crisps!'

"Hey Natsume. Let's continue exploring." Mikan said and dragged Natsume to various stores.

The whole day, Mikan kept annoying and dragging Natsume to somewhere else. They enjoyed every moment they had together. It was night time and they stayed to watch the fireworks display. They were at the Sakura Tree on top of a hill. Mikan kept talking about what happened in America and so on. In a couple of minutes, Natsume felt sleepy and so, he slept. When he opened his eyes, Mikan asked him,

"How did you become Kaede's boyfriend?"

"She asked me and I accepted."

"Why?"

"I saw you in her. I saw in her some of you. There was a time when she told me what happened to her childhood. It was horrible."

"Is that why you said yes to her?"

"Yes."

"I see. Then let me ask again. Why do you call her Kaede?"

"Baka. That's her name. Of course I will call her that."

"But, why don't you call me by my name?" Mikan asked.

Natsume's eyes widened, "I don't know."

Mikan thought for a while. 'Maybe, I should be more open to him and tell him how I feel. I just used my alice so probably. . .'

"Natsume. . .I...I...I feel envious of her."

"What?" Natsume asked.

'She is jealous of Kaede? No. That can't be. I must've heard something else.'

Mikan sighed. "I'll tell you now. I am jealous. You spend more time with her now. You call her by her real name. You never tease her like how much you teased me before. You never became a pervert in front of her. You were always defending her. You were always beside her. I am really jealous Natsume!" she said and cried.

"Pol-ka. Why are you-" he said but Mikan interuptted him.

"You know, I was really happy when you told me to come to you whenever I had nightmares and whenever I wanted to cry. But now, I feel pain in my heart. I wanted to be with you, to be beside you. I wanted to replace Kaede in your heart."

"Polka, why are you saying this?"

"Are you dense? Can't you understand?"

"I can't. So tell me." Natsume said. His heart was beating really fast.

'What do you want to say Polka? Tell me. Tell me what you mean...So it will be all clear.' he thought.

Mikan was silent as she continued crying. Then she said it,

"I love you Natsume! I really do!"

Natsume was taken aback. 'Did I hear her say that? It can't be. This idiot doesn't like me. She can't'

"Stop kidding around!" Natsume shouted. He didn't want to believe what she just said.

"I am not joking! I love you so much that it breaks my heart when I see you with her! but I can't hate Kaede. I just can't!"

"I'm happy you said you like me, but..."

"It has to be her?" she asked, tears kept flowing from her eyes.

Natsume slightly nodded. Mikan stood up and turned her back from Natsume.

"I'm sorry Mi-" he said but his sentence was cut by Mikan when she told him,

"No need. I just experienced a rejection. So this is how it feels."

"Mika-"

"Stop. I'm really sorry I acted that way. From now on, I won't be too friendly with you." Mikan said and ran away. Away from him.

Natsume ran after her but Mikan kept shouting,

"You baka! Go away!"

After that, he stopped following her. Natsume fell down on his knees and cried,

"I'm sorry Mikan. I love you too but, I can't express my feelings. I was shocked and if I tell you, Kaede will be hurt. I'm sorry."

Natsume closed his eyes and when he opened them, he was back to the Sakura Tree where he and Mikan argued.

'Was that all a dream? or was it reality?' he asked himself.

Yes, he was unsure of what just happened. Whether if it was real or a dream. He touched his face, only to find it wet with his tears.

'So, it was real? And you baka made me think it was a dream. Tch. but, I'm really happy you said I love you to me.'

The wind blew gently and then it rained. Mikan was running away. She just kept on running to wherever her feet will take her. Then she tripped.

"So, is the sky crying with me as well?" Mikan asked.

She covered her face with her hands. Then she cried harder,

''I shouldn't have told him. I became heart-broken again. I really shouldn't have told him. You are such an idiot Natsume! I'm sorry I had to use my Alice on you. For you it might seem like a dream but it was real for me."

Then with that, she collapsed on the cold cement in the streets of Central Town.

A month after Mikan's talk with Natsume, Mikan was nowhere to be found. Hotaru searched the grounds and she wasn't there. They were all worried, considering she didn't attend classes.

"Hayato-kun, did you see Mikan today?" Hotaru asked.

Hayato shrugged and replied, "No, I kept knocking on her door and found out she wasn't there so I thought she came here already."

"I'm getting scared, where is she? Its been a month now" Anna asked.

"I'm quite busy this month so I haven't got the chance to talk with her. Wonder what happened?"

Suddenly, Anna, Nonoko, Hotaru, Koko, Ruka, Hayato, Yuu and Sumire turned and glared at Natsume, who glared back.

'Why are they glaring at me? Do they think I was the cause of her absence this past month?' Natsume thought.

Their glaring contest ended when Narumi entered the room and clapped his hand,

"I bet everyone is wondering why Mikan-chan isn't here, correct?" he said.

"Do you know where she is Narumi?" Hayato asked.

"Yes. Last month, she collapsed when she was in Central Town so she had to be hospitalized. She just woke up."

"What? The idiot got hospitalized?" Hotaru asked, her voice louder than usual.

"I guess no one knew and Hayato, why didn't you tell us about her 3 mont-"

"You didn't ask. And why bring it up now?" Hayato snapped.

"I was just shocked. She's currently called by Persona, for her to meet her mother."

"Really? Finally!"

"And Hotaru-chan, Hayato-kun, she told you to go there. She wants the two of you to meet her."

"Yes. We'll be leaving immediately." Hotaru said and dashed out of the room.

"Wait for me Imai!" Hayato shouted and shortly left after her.

The class was dumfounded, some were even thinking,

'Why did she not call for Natsume?'

As for Natsume, he was thinking, 'Was it because of me that's why she was hospitalized? I need to find out'

He stood up and started to walk towards the door.

"Natsume! I'm coming with you" Kaede shouted.

Natsume looked back and said, "No need. Your company doesn't make a difference anyway."

And with that, he left the room, leaving the class and Kaede shocked and jaw-dropped.

As Natsume saw the hospital, he wasn't sure whether he wanted to go and ask what happened or not. He still didn't want to see Mikan, after rejecting her, it was like he was stabbed several times in his heart. He sighed and turned around. Then he walk towards the place where he wanted to be at the current moment and where he can finally assess his feelings, the Sakura Tree.

A moment later, on one of the branches of the Sakura Tree, Natsume was thinking hard.

"Was it alright if I didn't go to the hospital? Was it okay if I didn't check on her?" he said to no one.

His heart was beating fast. He didn't know why. There he sat, watching the Sakura petals being carried by the wind.

"Who is Mikan in my life?" he asked.

Then he thought so much things.

Mikan was there for him all the time. She made him smile, made him laugh, made him more open to others. She was also the reason why he stopped taking missions and the reason why his sister was back. Mikan gave everything he ever wanted. Also, everytime he teases her, she would be fuming with anger but after about a few seconds, she will flash a smile at him again. And with that smiling face, her laughs, sometimes even her annoying voice and her presence. That was enough to make him fall in love with her. If it wasn't for her, his life might definitely still be empty.

"And what about Kaede?" he asked again.

Kaede was like Mikan, only for the fact that she never did anything for him. Yes, sometimes she made him smile but that was it. She was just like a substitute for Mikan but there are no replacements in someone's heart. He heard her stories and how she overcame them. On how she could still smile despite of all her problems.

After thinking some more, Natsume was now sure on whoever he loves.

"So, I guess it has to be her...the tangerine that was always in my heart, right from the start." he said and smiled.

Me: End of chapter.

Hayato: That's more like it.

Hotaru: Tch. Pathetic. Realizing his feelings when he already rejected her.

Ruka: Yeah. I still root for him though.

Me: Me too. By the way, in the scene of Natsume and Mikan, it was REAL. but she used her alice to make it seem like a dream. If you have anymore questions, please feel free to ask. I'm sorry if that part was confusing.

Koko: (sigh) Next chapter, is all about confessions and revelations.

Sumire: Next chapter will be...(drum rolls) Kaede's worst day ever! (laughs evilly.)

Me: Sumire, you are right. Hahahahaha.

Yuu: Please review! We are now nearing the end of the story. But, there are still a few more chapters to go.

Me: Please review!! Onegai!

Uhm...Question. . .I want some suggestions about what Kaede's punishment would be like. I want some ideas! Arigato! Give me some!