Chapter 2

You

Sakura Mikan raced through the halls to find room 56. Aka Imai Hotaru's room. Aka her best friend's room. When she got there, she knocked the door three times. She then began to bash the door since no one answered. Soon, the 14 year old inventor/blackmailer revealed herself. Her eyebrows were burrowed; lips in a scowl, and arms folded across her chest. Clearly, she was not in the mood to talk to.

''What do you want, dummy?'' Hotaru questioned with irritation in her eyes.

''The first time Natsume saved me was in the haunted house. A collapsing wall was heading towards me and he stopped it from crushing me,'' Mikan answered with her finger pointing at the ceiling. ''Oh and he saved me 32 times!''

''Actually stupid, he saved you 57 times,'' her emotionless best friend corrected her.

''Eh! 57 times! Impossible! There's no way he could have!''

Hotaru took out from her jeans' pocket a tiny portable TV screen. She pressed a button and immediately clips of Natsume saving her were played. Mikan's jaw dropped as she saw the videos. She witnessed him saving her from minor and major accidents. It took only a couple of seconds before the short film ended since it was playing in fast mode.

''Idiot, you don't know how to count,'' the inventor commented. Before Mikan can oppose her statement, Hotaru stuck a sticky note on her forehead. ''I'll let you have the fifth clue, but just because I want you out of my sight.''

''Oh, Hotaru! You're so nice! You're my best friend forever and ever!'' she exclaimed.

Before Mikan could embrace her cold best friend, she got smacked by the famous Baka Gun. She whimpered and let out a tear. Hotaru ignored her snivel since this routine was a part of their daily life. She then whipped around and mumbled something before slamming the door.

''Good luck, Mikan.''

Since Hotaru softly whispered it, her best friend couldn't hear it. Mikan afterwards took the sticky note from her forehead and read what letter it was this time. It was ''Y''. She then turned the note to the other side and read the fifth question.

Question 5: How did I fool you into getting you off the carpet in the Special Ability Class RPG at the Alice Festival? When you figure out this answer, go to the Shadow Freak.

Since the brunette knew the answer once she finished reading the question, she began to head to the next person. Her favorite sempai, Ando Tsubasa. After she left, Hotaru slightly creaked open her door and muttered something.

''That bastard better take care of her.''

Mikan's next destination was the Special Ability's Class. She knew that Tsubasa was there, even though it was not a school day, since he was in charge of the class. After he graduated from Alice Academy, Tsubasa didn't want to be far from the academy so he became the teacher of the Special Ability's Class. Nodacchi was still the teacher, but since he frequently traveled across time and space, Tsubasa would mostly take care of the class.

Sooner than expected, she was already opening the door to the SA's Class. She witnessed Tsubasa speaking to her other sempai Tonouchi Akira. When Akira graduated Alice Academy, he stayed there because his best friend Tsubasa was. He didn't receive an actual job at the academy like his best friend, but he substituted for teachers when needed and helped them with their work now and then.

''Tonouchi-sempai! Tsubasa-sempai!'' Mikan shouted while dashing towards them.

''It's Tsubasa-sensei to you,'' Tsubasa playfully corrected.

''Oh yea! Sorry!''

''Hey Mikan-chan, what's up?'' Tonouchi-sempai greeted back.

''Nothing much.''

''So you know the answer to the fifth question?'' the teacher of the SA's Class asked her.

''Yep!''

''What is it, squirt?'' Tonouchi questioned her. ''Seriously tell me. Tsubasa over here wouldn't tell me the answer.''

''Wait how do you know I'm-?''

''I told him that you're on scavenger hunt made by Natsume while I was waiting for you. I hope that was ok with you,'' Tsubasa clarified.

''Oh it's fine with me!'' she responded.

''So what's the answer?'' he asked once more.

''He got me off the carpet because he pretended to be ill, making me jump off the carpet to check on him.''

''Ding! Ding! Ding! Correct!''

''Oh so that's what happened! All these years I didn't know,'' Tonouchi stated. ''Why didn't you ever tell me, Tsubasa?''

''You never asked.''

''Why you little-!''

''Mikan-chan, here's the sixth clue,'' Tsubasa said as he handed it to her.

Mikan immediately flipped to the other side to see what the letter is. It was ''O''. She then looked at the other side to reach the next clue.

Question 6: Who was the person that took you in the borrowing race at the Sports Festival? When you know the answer, find the gay elementary teacher.

Mikan instantly grew excited and eager to see her favorite teacher, Narumi-sensei. Since she graduated elementary school and moved up to middle school, she barely got to talk to him. However from time to time, they scheduled a time to chat and enjoy each other's company.

''Well I got to go to Narumi-sensei! I'll see ya later guys!'' Mikan said and whipped around.

She was about to start heading towards her new destination, but something pulled her wrist. She turned around and saw Tonouchi tightly grasping her.

''What is it, Tonouchi-sempai?''

He suddenly pulled her close to him and then tilted her chin with his hand to face him more clearly.

''You know I'm always available. Just call me and we can hang out. We can do some really fun stuff,'' Tonouchi said in a seductive tone which is oblivious to Mikan.

''Yea, next time I see you let's do some really fun stuff!''

''You serious!'' he replied back astonished.

''Of course! We can play hide and seek or even tag, and we can eat some Fluff Puffs!''

Tonouchi lets go of Mikan and dropped to the floor. Tsubasa bursts out laughing at her idea of fun. Mikan stared at them with a tilted head and a puzzled façade.

''And I thought you matured over the years,'' Tonouchi indistinctly muffled.

''Huh? What did you say?''

''Nothing, Mikan-chan.''

''Well I have to run! Bye Tonouchi-sempai! Bye Tsubasa-sem…I mean Tsubasa-sensei!''

When Mikan exited out of the room, Tsubasa smacked Tonouchi on the head.

''You're still a pervert as always,'' he remarked.

''I wouldn't be me if I wasn't.''

With his comment, Tsubasa smacked Tonouchi again, but only this time harder. Much harder.

''That girl belongs to Natsume and you know it.''

''I know, but she doesn't know,'' Tonouchi responded with a half-smile.

As Mikan was running to the Elementary School, she was reminiscing the day of Alice Academy's Sports Festival when she was ten. She had a great time, but something perturbed her. Natsume rejected her offer to go on the White Team with her, but agreed to go with Luna to the Red Team when she asked him. She was dismayed and confused why he declined her proposal, but kept it to herself. During the borrowing race, an unidentified masked boy grabbed her. She noticed he was somewhat familiar. She felt like she knew this person. Mikan then saw the earring on his left ear and supposed it was Natsume. He took her somewhere distant and then let go of her. The suppose Natsume then ran away from her dropping the crumpled paper that wrote his command. Mikan's eyes widened when the command was shot in the sky as fireworks. It read: Borrow the person you love. After the race, she questioned if it was him, but Luna came and said he was with her the whole time. However, Mikan still believes even to this day, it was Natsume was the one who borrowed her.

From ruminating through her past, she hardly noticed she entered the Elementary School building and bumped into one of the staff. She plunged to the floor and rubbed her butt since it was the one to come in contact with the floor. Mikan looked up and saw her former Class B substitute teacher and the man that has the Hair Alice, Fukutan.

''Fukutan-sensei! I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been doing?'' Mikan asks as she arises from the floor and helps the teacher up.

''I've b-been um doing, um well, Sakura-san,'' Fukutan stutters since he's the self-conscious type.

''That's good!'' she exclaims. ''Have you seen Narumi-sensei?''

''Um yea, he's um in Class B.''

''Thanks!''

The cheerful girl afterwards passed by her old substitute teacher and proceeded her way to her former classroom. Since she left in such a rush, Mikan didn't hear what Fukutan said.

''She hasn't changed. Sakura is still a nice person,'' he uttered. ''I wish I still had here in my class.''

Once he said that, he headed towards the teacher's lounge. Meanwhile, Mikan grabbed hold of the knob and pulled the door open. She then witnessed Narumi resting on his chair with his feet crossed watching something on his IPhone. She sauntered to him with a big smile.

''Hello Narumi-sensei!'' she greeted.

''Hi Mikan-chan, how have you been doing?'' Narumi questioned and removed his mauve eyes off his IPhone for a brief second to look at her old student.

''I've been doing great!'' she exclaimed. ''Ne, what are you watching?''

''Oh, I'm watching this anime called Gakuen Alice!''

''I didn't know you were an otaku, Narumi-sensei,'' Mikan replied a bit stunned.

''I'm not until now.''

''I see, what's Gakuen Alice about?''

''It's about a young cheerful girl just like yourself who follows her best friend when she transfers to a prestigious academy in Tokyo. And then…hahahahaha! This is so funny!'' he squealed between chuckles. ''There's also a manga of Gakuen Alice. I'm gonna read it when I finish the anime first though. I heard that the manga is better than the anime. You should watch and read Gakuen Alice! ''

''Ok! This Gakuen Alice sounds very interesting! I'll give it a try.''

''Anyways you're here because I, your lovable elementary teacher, has the seventh clue!''

''Yep!''

''So, what is the answer?'' he questions her.

''It was Natsume who borrowed me in the borrowing race at the Sports Festival.''

''Oh really? Fascinating!'' he reacted while handing her a note.

''Eh, you didn't know?''

''Nope!'' he answered with a grin.

''So if I guessed wrong, you would have gave me the clue anyway?''

''That's right!''

Mikan sweat dropped. Her Narumi-sensei has not changed one bit. She let out a soft giggle before looking at the new letter on the note. It was ''U''.

''So now I have 'WILLYOU'? Eh, is that a name?'' Mikan pondered aloud. ''I never heard of a name like that before.''

Now it was Narumi's turn to sweat drop. ''Mikan, darling, I think it's 'Will YOU'.''

''Huh? 'Will You?' Oh I see it now! You're right! It is 'Will You?' But will I what?''

''That's for you to find out at the end,'' Narumi responded while patting her head.

Mikan smiled at him before reading the other side. Her eyes widened as she read the next clue. Narumi tried to take a glimpse of the clue, but when after Mikan was done reading it, she quickly put it behind her back so that he couldn't see.

''Mikan-chan? What's wrong? Can I see the clue?''

''Uh well, um, I rather prefer you don't,'' she answered tensely with a flushed face.

''I'm your Otou-san! Now can you please tell me what it says?''

Mikan bit her lower lip. She defiantly didn't want her old teacher who was a fatherly figure to her see this. Without thinking, she whipped around and sped out the door while shouting something at her ''Otou-san''.

''I'll tell you later, Narumi-sensei!''

''Mikan-chan!''

He sighed when she zipped out the door. Narumi desired to see the seventh question. It was probably embarrassing for Mikan-chan he thought. Even though Narumi had the seventh clue for hours he didn't open it. It was prohibited to open it, Natsume said to him. Narumi contacted the some of the other collaborators in the scavenger hunt and they said that they could open their clue. He wondered why Natsume didn't want him to open the clue he had.

''Oh well, I guess I'll never know,'' he quietly said to himself and then went back to watching his anime.

Meanwhile, Mikan was laying her weary back in an empty hallway. She kept the seventh clue close to her heart. The brunette couldn't believe Natsume put this as a clue. Mikan then took the clue off her chest and read it again.

Question 7: When did we first kiss? When you know the answer, go to that place. You better know the answer, Polka Dots.