I do not own Gakuen Alice!

He was longing for her. Her smile, her face, her laughter, her personality, everything about her. But, it seems he can no longer take it. He was too depressed. Too depressed to even think about anything else.

'Why did you leave me?' he thought.

Natsume sat up in his bed, unable to sleep. Its been a year after that event. And still, he could not forget. The same goes with the gang. You could always see Ruka chasing after Hotaru after she blackmailed him. But even though they are still the same, you wouldn't see Hotaru smile. Ruka felt bad too. He can't concentrate about his animals anymore. Hayato can sometimes be seen gallanting around the school, going wherever his feet took him. It was really sad for them to lose her. Even now, at the school festival, they weren't enjoying themselves like the others did. They will just sulk and sulk all day.

"Everyone, be prepared for the last dance tonight!" Narumi shouted with a cheerful voice.

"Ok." The class responded.

Almost all the girls talked about their partners and the dresses they will be wearing. As for the boys, they groaned because they lack the courage to ask a girl to the dance.

"Ruka, you coming to the dance?" Natsume asked.

"Maybe." the animal-lover responded. "You?"

"Dunno. But I think I'll come to kill time."

"I'm coming Ruka." Hotaru suddenly asked.

This made Ruka twitch, "What?"

"For a change. Sulking won't do good in my business."

"Back to normal?" Hayato asked.

Hotaru smirked, "Not really. Just this night. I feel its going to be interesting."

"In what way?" Kaede asked.

"I don't know. But, I am sure of what I am going to do there."

"What?" everyone asked.

Hotaru's eyes sparkled, "Silly. Of course I am going to go to sell pictures. It's been a while."

The rest sweat-dropped.

Meanwhile,

"Are you coming?" a lady asked.

The girl smiled, "Of course, I am gonna miss it if I do not come."

"Come on. We will be late if you don't hurry up."

"Okay. Just wait!"

The Dance.

"It's still as lively as ever." Kaede said as the gang entered the hall.

The place itself is captivating. It is designed beautifully and wonderfully. You can see clearly the effects made by some of the students' alice.

"It's much better than last year!" Nonoko exclaimed and clung her hands at Koko's arm.

Koko smiled, "Yeah. They wanted it to be this way this year because of the events that happened last year"

Everyone was happy a bit. Hotaru sold some pictures of Natsume and Hayato. (Remember: She doesn't sell Ruka's pictures anymore. The pictures are just for blackmail) While selling a few pictures, a girl asked,

"May I buy one?"

The girl looked at Hotaru straight in the eye. Apparently, the are having eye-contact. Hotaru looked intently at the girl, then she gave a rare smile.

"It's yours if you like."

"Thank you."

"Welcome."

After giving the picture, the girl walked away and disappeared. Then, while Ruka was looking for Hotaru, the same girl passed by him, giving him a smile and mumbling,

"The one you are looking for is there, selling some pictures."

Ruka looked at her first and followed what she said.

"Hotaru!" he called.

Hotaru went towards him and smiled,

"You saw the girl?"

"Her?"

"Yeah. Same hazel orbs."

"Same auburn hair."

"Same smile."

"So...she's here. which means..."

"I knew this night is gonna be interesting."

Meanwhile at the balcony of the hall, a few girls approached Natsume. Asking him to dance with them.

"Natsume-sama. Please dance with me!" a girl asked.

"No! Dance with me." another,

"Dance with me Natsume-sama." and another.

"Natsume-kun, please dance with me! Its my last year here and I wanted to-" the senior said but Natsume cut him off by saying,

"No can't do. I'm saving my dance for only one girl."

"bu-bu-but. . ."

"but what?"

"Who is she?"

"My most important woman."

"What's her name?"

"She is-" he said but upon the sight of a girl, he stopped.

"Natsume-kun?" the senior asked.

They saw the look he was giving to the girl who arrived so they decide to leave the two of them alone. Once alone, the girl smiled and asked,

"Who is she?"

"I told you, my most important woman." Then, "Baka. It's obviously you." he said walking towards her.

"It's been a while Natsume."

"Yes. I'm glad to see you again Mikan. Shall we dance?"

"Gladly."

Natsume led Mikan to the dance floor, stared at by almost everyone inside. They are gracefully dancing and you can really see the two of them enjoyed it. Hotaru and Ruka danced but only just a while because Hotaru will not let the chance pass of video-taping the two of them dancing. After the dance,

"Wanna stroll around for just a while?" Natsume asked.

Mikan smiled, "Sure."

The two of them walked outside. While walking, they decided to talk.

"Weren't you dead?" Natsume asked.

Mikan laughed, "I died for a few seconds, but, I lived again."

"How?"

"I remember the nurse telling me that after you guys were ushered out of the room, my heart started to work again but it was very weak. I was in a coma up until 2 months ago. My parents told the hospital not to say I am alive yet because they think that is what I wish for."

"So, it was actually the work of the doctor that is why you lived again."

"No. You see, I had a sort of dream and that is where I got my courage and had the will to live again."

"I see."

"Can I ask you something personal Natsume?"

"Ok"

"Were you lonely when you thought I was dead?" Mikan asked, her face serious.

Natsume was taken aback, then he said, "Lonely? Well, you could say that. But not really."

"What do you mean?"

"Its embarrassing to admit this but, I was sulking, I was depressed, I couldn't concentrate but, the saddest thing that happened to me was being apart from you. Losing you." he said, blushing.

Mikan giggled, "I missed you Natsume. Actually, it was you who gave me the will to live."

"Me?"

"Yeah. If you didn't do that in my dream, I might be dead by now."

FLASHBACK

"What is happening to me?" she asked.

She was walking at the corridors, all the students passing through her. She ran and started to cry. She ended up at the Sakura Tree and saw Natsume reading his manga. Mikan sat beside him and told him what was happening to her,

"You know Natsume, all the students passed by me. Like I didn't exist. Natsume, I am scared. I don't know what I should do."

Natsume kept quiet and kept on reading. Mikan looked at him, more tears flowing from her eyes. She assumed he could not hear her nor see her too. She stood up and said,

"I guess its pointless. Bye bye Natsume. Bye bye...and I love you. . ."

As she walked away, a pair of strong arms grabbed her, then a voice said,

"Baka, I could definitely see and hear you. No need to cry."

"Natsume?" Mikan asked, turning around.

"Idiot, I am not like the others, I love you too Mikan, ever since then."

"Natsume!!"

"So what I want you to do is live. Live for me, live for us, for everyone. because if you don't, everyone will be sad."

"Including you?"

"Of course, most especially me. Live Mikan. Live."

END OF FLASHBACK

"So, Natsume, shall we go back to everyone?" Mikan asked, smiling widely at him.

Natsume held her hand and smiled, "Let's go."

And together they ran back to the hall, holding each others hand, never letting go.

Everyone enjoyed the night, filled with happiness and laughter.

Glad to see Mikan back, and glad to see everything back to normal.

I would like to say it was fate and destiny that brought Natsume and Mikan together. That brought everyone together.

It was also fate that no matter how many problems they faced, they were able to overcome them.

And I think it was planned out right from the start, when their worlds collided with each other, when they met.

Now, I would like to end this by saying a reality. . .

All of us, once reading a book, closes it, thinking it was the end. Thinking it was over.

We were all contented once the last line of the book says "and they lived happily ever after"

But, do you ever think about what is going to happen afterwards?

I thought about that a lot of times and now, I wanted to say that

For me, the truth is that the ending is just the beginning of a new story.

Don't you think so?

Well, thank you for all of you who had been with me ever since I started writing this.

I am really glad and I am thankful for all of you who have reviewed and who told me that my story is interesting.

Thank you very much.

I am glad that I finished this story but quite sad too, that I had to end it.

See you once again in another story of mine.

Again, thank you so much.

-imhappy15-