Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. Tachibana Higuchi does.
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"Wow… It's beautiful!" she said as she stared at the scenery.
The clear, cloudless sky was embroidered with thousands of twinkling stars. The surface of the lake in front of them shimmered as it reflected the light of the stars, seemingly like diamonds cast into the open. The glowing face of the moon smiled as it shown down on the two figures standing below, admiring the view.
"Do you like it?" Ruka asked as a blush crept to his face.
"Like it? I love it!" She beamed.
Ruka couldn't help but smile to himself.
-Flashback-
"Hey, that's enough you know. Hotaru will kill me if she sees us like this." He was patting her back as he tried to hush the sobbing brunette.
Mikan looked up with half lidded eyes, tears drowning her brown orbs. "And why so?"
"Because…" Ruka explained. "She'll think I made you cry. You know I can never reason with her."
Mikan sniffled.
"I'll be dead meat the minute she sees you crying, even before I can open my mouth to say anything." Ruka feigned an exasperated sigh.
"You're right." Mikan regained her composure and wiped away the tears in her eyes, smiling.
"You know her. She'll kill anyone who makes you cry. It's either they're dead on the spot or they live the life of total humiliation." His sweat dropped as he remembered the cold purple eyes of the blackmailer.
"Yeah. She claims she's the only one who has the right to make me cry."
Both chuckled.
"So, wanna come with me?" the blonde asked.
"Where to?"
"Just come. I wanna show you something." He smiled, and then extended a hand.
"Okay." She placed his hand in his.
-End of Flashback-
The place seemed to have a spellbinding bliss to it, inviting the chocolate haired girl to feel the cool water.
"Ne, Ruka-pyon." She called to him without averting her eyes from the view, as if afraid it might disappear the second she removes her sight.
He turned to face her.
"Let's put our feet in." Without waiting for his reply, she held his hand in hers and skipped happily towards a plank on the lake.
She untied her shoes and sat on the plank's edge, then dipped her feet in the water, wading it to and fro.
"Ah… It's so cool! Just dipping the feet is relaxing. I wonder how it feels to take a bath here." Mikan mused.
Ruka felt heat rise up his cheeks at her question, as thoughts raced in his head.
Arghh! Stupid thoughts! Go away!
The brunette turned her head to face the blonde lad standing behind her "Why are you standing there, Ruka-pyon? C'mon, try it!" She happily chirped.
Ruka's thoughts were cut off by her voice. "Ah… um… yeah." He proceeded to sit beside her, keeping enough proximity between them. He removed his shoes and imitated her activity of dipping his feet in the water.
Mikan leaned back, her arms on both sides placed on the plank for support.
"Ah, this is so nice. The breeze is so cool, so is the water." She closed her eyes and savored the feeling.
Ruka stared at her face and admired the serenity written all over her features. He was proud of himself for being able to make her smile.
She opened her eyes and stared at the skies.
He was snapped out of his trance and quickly averted his gaze.
"This brings back memories, ne?"
Both reminisced the time when they saw a lake in the mountains, where they promised to exchange alice stones.
Ruka felt a tinge of disappointment when he remembered the fact that Mikan had handed her alice stone to Natsume. He knew Natsume deserved the alice stone more, but decided never to give up on Mikan.
"Ruka-pyon…" She called once more.
He looked up.
"Thank you, for making me smile every time I'm down. You're such a good friend." She smiled at him sweetly.
Her smile made his heart skip a beat, although her last phrase made him feel quite disappointed.
'You're such a good friend.'
That's all I am to her.
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BAKA BAKA BAKA
Tears steamed like waterfalls down Mikan's face. "What was that for Hotaru?! I haven't even made any attempt to hug you!" Mikan wailed as she caressed the growing lump on her head.
"Where had you been yesterday?" Hotaru asked with her usual stoic eyes, ignoring her wails with baka gun in hand.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to deliver your-?"
Another shot from the baka gun sent her crammed to the wall.
"You didn't answer the question." Was Hotaru's reply.
"She wouldn't be able to answer in any way if you keep on doing that." Yuu sweat-dropped. "She'll be dead even before she can give you an explanation."
"That's nothing to worry about. Besides, in all the five years I've been using this on her, she was never sent to the hospital for once. She never even got a single sense knocked in on her head." The purple eyed genius stated flatly.
"I'm beginning to think her skull's too thick for that Imai-san. Why not try upgrading your Baka gun?" Kitsuneme suggested.
"Shut it Kitsuneme! You're not helping here!" Mikan glared as she stood up and dusted her clothes.
Mochu, who was watching, along with the other students, commented. "So much for being best friends."
Hotaru shifted her baka gun's aim to Mochu. "Got a problem with my methods?"
Mochu backed away cautiously. "Ah… no. Gomen no, Imai-san."
Much to Mochu and everyone's relief, Hotaru lowered her baka gun and turned back to Mikan.
"Just went somewhere." Mikan answered.
"You're a terrible liar. You're hiding something from me." Her purple eyes glinted with a little hurt before returning to emotionless ones in a matter of a split-second.
Of course, Hotaru knew her all too well. She seemed like a glass to look through whenever she was in front of her best friend. The fact that she wasn't used to lying made things far worst.
"I don't want you to worry, Hotaru. I'm fine now. Thanks for the concern anyway." Mikan gave a small smile.
"I always keep your stupidity in check. There's nothing new about that. Besides, I'm more worried with my parcel. I knew I should have picked it up myself." Hotaru made her way to her chair and plopped herself down.
"Don't worry, Hotaru-chan. Your parcel's safe. And about your question, I'll tell you later. But not now okay?" Mikan assured her.
"Alright. By the way…"
"Hm?"
"You owe me 1000 rabbits for making me worry, 1500 for standing me up in the library and making me wait there for my parcel and 3000 for convincing me to upgrade my baka gun."
"Say what?! I didn't convince you!" Mikan blurted.
Hotaru responded, "You're idiot of a brain did. I'll never be able to rattle your nerves with this since you seemed to have been used to it already. A new and improved one might just be the thing that can break through that thick-as-a-mountain skull of yours." Her face void of expression.
"Hotaru! You meanie!"
Sheesh, Hotaru really sees profit in all the weirdest ways. Well, that's Hotaru for you.
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"Oi, Shouda" Natsume called, rather rudely.
Sumire was taken aback. This was the first time Natsume called her, (though it was rude) heck, he hardly paid her any attention at all. She dreamily stared at the raven-haired boy and said "Yes, Natsume-kun?" in a sweet singy voice.
She was more surprised at his next move. He caught her by the neck and pinned her up the wall.
His eyes were ablaze, indicating he was angry.
Angry Natsume is equal to death, evident by his death grip choking the life out of her.
"Na-natsume…kun…" She gagged.
"Next time you do that…" he paused. "You and your stupid hags for girl friends will never see the light of the next day, understood?"
"Ha… Hai… Na… Nat-su…me… sa-ma"
She gasped when Natsume dropped her and walked away.
She looked at his retreating back and made up her mind.
You are so dead, Sakura.
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"Well?" Hotaru was getting impatient.
She had been holding up the conversation, saying that it wasn't the right time yet. Of course, if she told Hotaru and Sumire was there, Hotaru would only need a split second before running off to Sumire and stashing freaky perm-haired's face with her horse-shoe gloves.
Now that Sumire was no where to be found, she felt it safe to tell her best friend.
"Well, Sumire and the other fan girls came up to me yesterday. They were angry about the gossip on me and Natsume being Youichi's parents and something about Ruka. Although I can't imagine how the news reached to their ears." She poked her lower lip with a finger.
"That's it?"
"I ran off to my room after they insulted me, and Ruka-pyon comforted me by bringing me to the lake." She continued.
"Then I'll just have to hunt down those hordes of fan girls and that Nogi later on for making me wait in the library for nothing."
"Ahehe… no need to do that, Hotaru-chan." Mikan sweat-dropped. "Besides. Ruka-pyon helped me."
"Who cares, because of what he did, my parcel's not delivered to me." With that, she frowned a bit.
Hotaru looked at her chicken clock invention and turned to the brunette beside her. "Why are you still following me anyway? Tokoryoku-kei is over there." She pointed to a row of trees leading to one of the buildings.
"E-eh?" Mikan realized her mistake. "Waaah! I'm gonna be late!" She hurriedly rushed off to the other direction, tripping in the process.
"Baka." muttered her raven-haired best friend. When Mikan was out of sight, she continued her walk. "Nogi. Tsk. You never fail me. You still are taking care of her on your own way." A rare smile cracked from her lips.
I could swear that smile was worth millions of rabbits.
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A/N:
Well, as promised! Here's the next chap… This was supposed to be dedicated to one of my friends who suggested the lake scene, but um… I kinda forgot who among them suggested it. Gomen no… please tell me who you are…
I'd like to open a poll here guys. It's for my future chap, the Winter Dance. So please cooperate, ok?
1st question: Who do you choose to be Mikan's special dance at the Winter Dance?
Natsume, Ruka, Tsubasa or Yuki?
2nd question: What songs would you recommend for the Winter Dance?
Reminders: I'll be choosing probably 4 to 5 songs. All the 4 boys will get their chance to dance with her, but of course, the special dance is… SPECIAL…
Send your answers in your reviews or just PM me, ok?
Well, that's about it! Keep those reviews coming, they really make me happy.
BTW, I love constructive comments, corrections and critiques. Of course, they are helpful, so give me something I can use, ok?