Gakuen Alice? Disclaimed.

This fic is set 7 years after Mikan's arrival at the academy. And yes, after my other fic, MTRO (Make Them Realize Operation).

Chapter 2

FLASHBACK

Usagi has been disturbed lately. And Ruka didn't even know why. He walked around the school grounds, with Usagi in his arms, not even sure on what to do. They met Anna earlier and from then on, Usagi has been acting so weird. He wondered, Have I forgotten something important? Hmp. Never mind that. I'll just try to remember later.

Ruka stiffened when Usagi 'told' that his blackmailer was just nearby. He put his guard on as he safely tucked Usagi in his arms a little more. He even lowered his head and covered his face with his free hand.

"Poor disguise, Nogi," Hotaru said as she went near him. "You could have tried harder in hiding yourself from me, I suppose."

Ruka gritted his teeth. Okay, he was found out. But he was sure his disguise was unnoticeable. Duh? That's why it's called disguise, Ruka? How thick can you get? He mentally scolded himself. And also… this was Hotaru Imai we're talking about. So, I guess, there's no other way out.

"I-imai- san… what a nice day, ne? I wo-wonder where Natsume could be…" he said, while thinking of an escape plan. Honestly, he had enough of his (psychotic) fangirls due to Imai's timing… and photography skills.

"You may already know he's with the baka at the sakura tree. And don't even think of escaping me this time, Nogi," Hotaru said, with the Mini Baka gun version 1 inside enclosed inside her right hand. "After I finish with what I'm going to say, just stay where you are. Got it?"

Ruka looked at the mini baka gun and then to Hotaru's face. He then gulped. But then, he saw a light shade of pink on her cheeks… making Hotaru Imai a bit… cute? Pffft. Hotaru Imai was never cute. (And don't ever say that to her, ever again. Mikan never got her way out from Hotaru every time she called her cute. And every time, she'd end up… on the ground because of the Baka gun.)

A blush crept into Ruka's face. Come to think of it, he was thinking more and more about her these past few weeks. Her emotionless face, her cold violet eyes, the way she hold on to that Baka gun… and even the way she took his photos.

Maybe I like her? Ruka thought. He blushed again when he looked at Hotaru's face.

"Wh-what are you going t-to say, Imai-san?" he said, barely succeeding from not stammering.

"Ruka Nogi," she said after a few moments. "I think I love you."

Her voice was shaky, must be from confusion. But her eyes and her face held no evidence of confusion or whatsoever. She just stood there, looking at him with that little courage she had. (What can you say? It's her first time in confessing, right? In other instances… it's the other way around, ne?)

"I-imai-san… ano… eto," he said, just before his rabbit leapt out of his grasp. "Ah, wait! Usagi, where are you going? Usagi!"

Ruka ran away, trailing behind his rabbit and left a dumbstruck and heartbroken Hotaru behind.

So much for my first confession. I should have not done that. Now, how can I face him again? Hotaru thought, as she began to mutter things to herself.

END OF FLASHBACK

Usagi shivered because of fear. But it was not his fault that his hungriness was at its full power when Hotaru confessed to Ruka. And it's not the delicious carrot's fault when Usagi was tempted to eat it and ran away from Ruka that time. (Apparently, Ruka and Usagi met Anna, who was carrying her ingredients for her newest recipe, on their way to their classroom. Usagi saw the delicious-looking carrot in Anna's arms, together with the other vegetables, and was coaxed to run after Anna and took a small piece of carrot to lessen his hungriness.)

'Why me? If you hadn't forgotten to feed me this morning, none of this would've never happen in the first place!' Usagi told Ruka.

"Well, you could at least tell me that you're hungry!" Ruka bellowed into Usagi's ear, causing the white rabbit to closed its eyes and put a distance between him and his owner.

'Well, I couldn't resist the delicious carrot, you know! And do I have to remind you every morning to feed me, huh, Ruka?' Usagi said, as he gently pulled his own ears from Ruka's hands.

Honestly, who would ever forget about feeding your pet and your best friend (aside from Natsume that is.)? Ruka sighed. Okay, he must admit it. He also had done something to cause all these confusion.

"Okay, you're right," he told Usagi, as he gently touched its ear (which he pulled just a while ago). "I'm sorry."

'Hmp, and here you are, saying sorry to me all of a sudden,' Usagi told Ruka, as he (or it) touched his (or its) ear. It still hurt from all the pulling that it experienced earlier. He (or it) then turned to Ruka again and talked to him. 'Tell me, Ruka. Just who is more important to you now? Me, and may I quote, your other best friend aside from Natsume, or that inventor slash blackmailer slash Ice Queen slash genius freak also known as Imai Hotaru?'

"She is not a freak, Usagi!" Ruka shouted again, which made the tiny rabbit wince once again.

'Oh, really?' Usagi asked him sarcastically. 'Then, why could I still remember you telling that to me almost every night when you were still in middle school? You even said that you hate her because of how she gets away every time with getting your embarrassing moments on photos. Uh, Ruka, if you don't remember those things that you told me, then, I therefore conclude that you are suffering from selective amnesia.'

"Shut up, you talkative rabbit! Okay fine, I did say those things about her. But, you know… people do change, Usagi. E-even their f-feelings."

He fell silent for a while. Then, a realization hit him like Dobby's rogue Bludger (A/N: Sorry. I just watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. I think it's cool! And I cried when Dobby died. Sniff, sniff. So I really have to mention him here. LOL. Oh, and I don't own Dobby or anything from the Harry Potter series. Thank you.).

'I think I like her. Gulp. Oh, no.'

"I like her," he whispered softly.

'Come again, Ruka?'

"I already told you, Usagi. Don't' make me repeat it all over again."

'Psssh. You're no fun, Ruka. And here I am, thinking of some plans just to help you and Imai,' the white rabbit said, while turning his back away from Ruka a little bit, but still making sure that he (or it) can see Ruka's facial expression. He (or it) sighed when Ruka just stared at an empty space, thinking deeply. 'Ja, Ruka. Since I'm still hungry, I'll go search for Anna and ask for some spare carrots from her. See you later, alligator.'

And just as before Usagi leapt out from his grasp, Ruka whispered to his ear.

"Okay, Usagi. Fine. I'm going to say it once again," he said, before taking a sigh. "I… I… I…"

'Pssssh. Just spill it out, Ruka! Geez. You're so… what's the right word? Hmmm. I can't seem to think of a right word to describe you, Ruka. Maybe, I'll just go and ask Natsume for the word to… Errr. I'm getting redundant, too. Yes, I'll just ask Natsume. Hmmm…'

"Fine! Just stop ranting about stupid things, you talkative rabbit!" Ruka shouted. Tssss. He felt like he was not himself today. Funny how things go crazy when she thinks about Hotaru. He sighed deeply and finally said, "I like… no. I lo-lo-love Imai Ho-hotaru. There. I said it. Happy?"

'Actually, more than that, Ruka. I'm ecstatic,' Usagi told him as he leapt out from Ruka's arms. 'I suddenly remembered I'm hungry, Ruka. I'll just go and find for something to eat. I'll see you later, alligator!' Usagi said before he went into the woods and into a bush just near the big sakura tree. He went behind it and poked someone, who he (or it) thought, was still listening to Ruka's thoughts. He (or it) pressed a button near his foot, where a small compartment revealed its true size and turned into a small white board equipped with an eraser and a marker.

KOKO'S POV

"She is not a freak, Usagi!" I heard someone said, just as I head outside Hotaru's laboratory. I decided to go to Natsume's sakura tree to pass some time and to ask Natsume where Ruka was (since he was always in that spot with Mikan). But fortunately, Ruka was already there, with his white rabbit in his arms, sitting on his lap. There was a moment of silence before I realized that Usagi was talking to him.

So, I decided to crouch behind a random bush and listen to their conversation. I wouldn't call it eavesdropping because… eavesdropping was not nice! And I'm only listening to them. Not eavesdropping, got it?

I suddenly frowned a minute later.

I can't read Usagi's mind! Tch. How can I figure out what were they talking about now? Tsss.

'This is getting hopeless, Koko. You know that you are awesome but there are just things that your awesomeness can't reach. And you also know that you're-'

"Shut up, you talkative rabbit! Okay fine, I did say those things about her. But, you know… people do change, Usagi. E-even their f-feelings."

'Heh, Ruka sure acts out of his character today, huh? Quite a scene to see,' I thought, as a side of my lips curled upward. My smirk grew into a genuine smile when I heard Ruka's thoughts.

'Her cold voice that seemed to cheer me up whenever I hear it. Her emotionless cute face that brightens every time she holds money. Her eyes, they're violet every time the light hits them… and the way they turn black whenever she's annoyed… (Sudden silence…) I think I like her. Gulp. Oh, no.'

Ruka Nogi, say what?

"I like her," I heard him say. I gently shook my head my head when Ruka admitted his feelings to his trusted pet.

Who would have thought, really? I chuckled a bit after hearing what Ruka said a while later.

'He likes… no. Loves Hotaru? Really? Hahaha. What a funny couple-to-be,' I thought, amusement invading my head. I felt a poke on the side of my waist. I looked at my side and there, he (or it) was, the talkative rabbit as Ruka says.

"Uh, hi, Usagi," I greeted the rabbit while it wrote something on the white board. "You heard everything he said, right?" I read. I nodded and smiled sheepishly at him. Really, this rabbit has a nicer penmanship than me!

Usagi nodded gently and motioned to erase his writing on the white board, maybe to write a something on it again. And I was right. Usagi scribbled something, while occasionally touching his chin. Hmmm. Now, he acts more human than me. What a funny thought.

"You've got to help me with that guy over there, and the freak genius inside that laboratory," I read softly. The smirk returned on my face when I saw that glint on Usagi's eyes. And I think could almost read his thoughts, because technically, I know that we're thinking of the same thing now.

"This is getting interesting, ne, Usagi?" I ask him as I put my hand near his paw, waiting for something like a high five from this cute white fur ball. He enthusiastically nodded as he let his paw hit my waiting palm.

30 minutes later…

I just saw Hotaru got out from her laboratory, her eyes were no longer red and puffy from crying a while ago. She mentioned an invention earlier that could lessen the redness of your eyes, or any part of the body for that matter. But I can't seem to remember that invention's… name. Yeah.

So, I went straight to her like what we planned and tried to start a conversation with her. I could tell that she was really trying not to think about Ruka (mind-reader, duh?) and that she was trying to be cheerful. Yeah, if you only know how cheerful Hotaru could be. Note: Please do notice my sarcasm.

I tried to take her at the back of the school buildings without her knowing… or noticing. And as we near the place, we heard a voice, no other than Ruka's.

"Usagi's good. I'd give him that," I softly said as I noticed Hotaru looking at me, the look in her eyes were sharp and piercing.

"Yome, I think you didn't remember a thing from what we talked about a few hours ago."

Gulp.

Here she goes again.

I smiled nervously.

"Uh, why don't you go ahead, Imai? I think I heard Natsume over there," I told her as I point to a direction opposite of where we were heading to. And I was surprise that she took my bait and looked at the direction that I pointed at. And immediately, with her looking away, I took that as my escape and ran into my safest place. My room. But I remembered that before I could even run away, I think I heard her thought of something like 'Thanks, Koko. I really need to talk to him anyway.' But I just shrugged that thought away and headed inside my room.

I really need to rest now. So many things happened today. It's kinda tiring, you know.

END OF POV

With Ruka and Usagi…

'Seriously, Ruka, you need to talk to her!'

Ruka scratched his head because of frustration. His pet rabbit just told him about something which involves him talking and confessing to Hotaru.

What the hell? he thought.

"But, Usagi! I'm not yet ready. I just realized my feelings! Can't I just wait for… a few weeks maybe?"

Usagi shook his head violently. This master of him doesn't know anything when it comes to that stuff.

'Are you going to just stand there and wait, Ruka? All you need to do is tell her what you feel, and viola! All things fixed!'

"Easy for you to say. You're just a rabbit, Usagi," Ruka said. He turned a little when she heard Hotaru's voice.

"Yome, I think you didn't remember a thing from what we talked about a few hours ago."

She's with Koko again? What the heck? Ruka thought once again, his fist clenched without him knowing.

Usagi leapt from his Ruka's arms once again. He (or it. A/N: LOL. I'm getting tired of this. Haha. Better stop it. Pffft.) ran to the direction where he heard Hotaru's name and took a small peek. With his back facing Ruka, he smirked (A/N: if rabbits could smirk. Hehe) when Koko escaped and Hotaru continued walking to where Ruka was.

'She's with Koko a while ago, Ruka. And I think they talked about something… serious. I wonder what their secret could be…'

"Just shut up, Usagi!" Ruka shouted with his right hand on his forehead. He saw Usagi cringe with the sound of his voice. He then closed his eyes and touched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, Usagi. I just don't know what to do with these feelings anymore. I- Hotaru. She just makes me feel this way, Usagi. And it's driving me crazy."

"What did you say?"

His eyes snapped open when he heard her voice. She stood on the spot where Usagi was before. Her eyes were quite wide with confusion because of what she heard.

"Hotaru…"

"It's Imai to you, Nogi."

"Look, Hotaru. I have something to tell you. Look, Hotaru. I just realized that…"

Ruka confessed and got shot with the mini Baka gun after that. They kissed and Hotaru asked Ruka for 500 rabbits for taking her first kiss.

And the rest was history. The end. Woohoo!

Koko got up when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door. He opened it, only to find nothing. He was going to close it again when a white rabbit tugged his pants. He softly rubbed his eyes, checking if was really awake. And yeah. Usagi was really there, outside his room, holding out the white board with something written on it.

"The plan was a success," he read aloud. Usagi nodded proudly.

Koko chuckled softly. Usagi sure was a good planner and a matchmaker.

He picked Usagi up and sat on the floor beside his bed. Koko patted Usagi's head as he imagined what would their friends say when they found out that Ruka and Hotaru were already a couple.

Usagi raised the white board after scribbling something on it.

He smiled after reading it.

"So, I guess it's just the two of us now, buddy," the board says.

The end. Promise. :)

A/N: Woooh! I'll leave the confession scene with your imagination. Hehe. I finished and published this just in time for Natsume's birthday. I'm so happy :) So, this two-shot is now, done. I quite enjoyed writing this. I really love rabbits, you see! I even have a pet rabbit. Only one now though because sadly, my other rabbit died a few weeks after my birthday… (sniff, sniff)

Okay… I didn't type any jokes here. Haha. Sorry for the corny joke last time, guys. LOL.

Okay, before I forget. Altogether now! Happy birthday, Natsume! (smiles then waves) Okay. That's all, folks. Bye bye!

P.S.: All my readers for my other fic… Errr. Hehe. I'm currently suffering from a writer's block. I can't seem to write a sensible chapter for that fic. Which is getting annoying. But don't worry. I'll update whenever I finished writing the next chapter. See you then. Take care, everyone!