Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice! ^_^v but Naoki sempai is mine

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Wednesday (3:00 pm)

"Hey! Naoki sempai asked me to give you this." A girl in their year gave Mikan a folded note before walking away without another word and leaving their room.

"What's her problem?" Sumire asked as she looked at the retreating girl.

"No clue. Does anyone of you know Naoki sempai?" Mikan asked after opening the note in her hands.

"You don't know him?" asked Anna and Nonoko in unison.

"Should I know him?" Mikan asked slowly.

"Duh! He's only one of the hottest guys around! Well, he's nothing compared to Natsume and Ruka but he's the third most popular guy in the academy." Informed Nonoko excitedly.

"Not only that! He's good in academics and sports too! Plus he has a wood Alice! He gives wood sculptures to the girls he likes and it will last forever! Kyaaa!" Added Anna.

"Hmph! What a cheap trick! He's a loser compared to Natsume sama and Ruka sama!" added Sumire.

"So what does he want?" Nonoko asked her curiously while totally ignoring Sumire's comment as Mikan opened the note.

"Umm…nothing!" Mikan immediately answered earning her suspicious looks from everyone.

"He wants to ask her out." Said Koko loudly.

"Koko! Stop reading my mind!"

"KYAAA! You're so lucky Mikan chan!" replied Anna and Nonoko in unison.

'great.' she thought sadly before yesterday's trip to central town slipped in Mikan's mind. She glanced at Natsume who is currently reading he's manga and not caring at all. She sighed at this and smiled back at her excited friends. Natsume glanced at Mikan from he's peripheral vision and noticed her smiling face. He sighed inwardly before pretending to occupy himself with he's manga. Unknown to the both of them, a pair of amethyst and blue eyes was observing the two quietly.

After class, Mikan came at the promised time and place which is the southern forest, to meet the person named Naoki. She came because she wanted to politely reject his offer and then get on with her life.

"Mikan Sakura?" a deep voice from behind her startled Mikan.

"Umm…yeah! Are you Naoki sempai?"

"The one and only." He replied smugly.

'Geez! I can already feel he's ego suffocating me.' she thought dreadfully as she looked at the brown haired boy with reddish colored eyes.

"Sempai, I came because I would like to..." but he cut her off rudely.

"I know and I feel the same too."

"You do?" she asked in disbelief

"Yeah! I mean…who wouldn't want to go out with a person like me?" he replied while showing her his good physique.

'Ugh! Total narcissist! He is just A BIT good looking! He doesn't even compare to Natsume's looks. I mean, his eyes are so pale compared to Natsume's deep crimson ones! And what's with the chest puffing? Is he a rooster or something? Does he do this all the time? Do girls fall for this type? What a moron! Besides Natsume's body is way hotter than his….wait a freaking minute! Where did that come from? Why am I comparing everything to Natsume? What the hell am I thinking!' She thought distractedly.

"So, you're my girlfriend from now on! See you baby!" He said, bringing her back from her thoughts.

"Huh? Wait! I didn't…"

"Please, it's too late to play hard to get now…baby." He replied before grabbing her chin and emphasizing the word baby which gave Mikan goose bumps.

'Baby? Eww! I feel like taking a shower right now.' She thought to herself before smiling back at him.

"Sempai! I'm sorry but I'm not playing hard to get. I came because I don't want to go out with you." She said as she pried his hands away from her.

"What are you talking about? Of course you do!"

"Uh…no I don't."

"Hahahahahah! You're pulling my leg aren't you? You are so cute baby."

'Stop calling me baby! I'm not your freaking baby!' She thought in annoyance at the boy's persistence and pet name for her.

"I'm not joking. I don't like you. And I'm not going to go out with you." She replied seriously.

"Hahahaha! You're so funny baby!"

"STOP calling me baby! I'm not your baby! And I refuse to go out with you!" She yelled before leaving. The boy's laughter suddenly stopped and all trace of humor on his face was replaced by a blank façade. Mikan didn't get far enough when a tree root suddenly grabbed her ankles. She looked down and then back to Naoki, only to see a different expression on his face while his wood Alice gathered around him. Mikan felt her instincts kick in and tried to activate her Nullification Alice when she was slammed on the tree trunk so suddenly.

"Don't think you can take me lightly baby." He walked towards her as his Alice pinned her on the tree.

"…."

"Scared?"

"You wish." She replied confidently.

"Hmph! Just because I took a liking to you doesn't mean you can act all bitchy on me. I'm not like that bastard Hyuuga who takes crap from you." He smirked at her while looking deep into her eyes. Mikan just glared at him when he insulted her and Natsume.

"Unlike him…I ALWAYS get what I want…baby" he replied darkly as he leaned down to kiss her. He was almost inches from her when he felt something hard hit his most precious body part.

"UMPH!" he groaned before sliding down in pain on the ground.

"Don't underestimate me. I'm not Natsume's partner for nothing you know." She said over him smugly as she watched the groveling boy on the ground. She stood before him as his Alice gets sucked into a small stone on her hand giving it a brown color. She used the barrier Alice to hide her stealing Alice from being detected, but since she used it once, she won't be able to use it again.

"See you around sempai!" She said happily as she played with the stone on her hands and walked off.

"Wait! My Alice! You little…" She stopped on her tracks and turned around quickly before giving Naoki a bright smile.

"I wouldn't continue that sentence if I were you sempai. I might accidentally lose your Alice and get you out of this academy or I might just tell on you to my uncle and guardian. I'm sure you know THEM very well since they are the 2 PRINCIPALS of this school."

"Wha…"

"Oh! And sempai, if you want to get your Alice back, be ready to apologize okay? Also make sure it is sincere or else your Alice might find a new owner." with that she left him gaping at her back.

She was grinning and feeling too happy to realize that a pair of crimson eyes watched her as she walked leisurely around the cherry blossom trees.

'I wonder if Natsume came to central town too.' She thought distractedly before a voice interrupted her.

"Aren't you too old to wear polka dots?"

Mikan swiveled her head around to find the owner of the voice, not that she doesn't know who it was. Hell she would know his voice anywhere.

"You pervert! Show yourself!" She half heartedly shouted.

"I'm not the one you should be calling a pervert, when you're the one openly showing it." he replied in an amused tone.

"WHAT?" She looked down and saw her skirt swaying around in the breeze.

"IIIYYYYAAHHHHH! You moron! You could have told me sooner!" she angrily replied as she held on to her skirt.

"I did." He replied before plucking a cherry blossom on the tree and letting it fall freely with the wind.

"That's not telling!"

"Not my fault you're dense."

"Natsume!" she balled her fist on her sides and stared up at the cherry blossom above her.

"So, how was the situation with that sempai?" he changed the subject. Mikan simply stared at him in surprise. She wasn't really expecting him to ask since he doesn't seem to care when they were taking about it before.

"Ummm…it was okay I guess."

"Hn." He replied as he rested on the branch lazily without looking down at her.

'What is wrong with me? Why did I suddenly feel disappointed at his reaction?' She thought sadly as she stared up at him.

"Natsume do you want to…"

"Natsume." A voice from behind cut Mikan off, she whirled around only to find Persona standing there without his mask on.

"Persona…" she whispered in disbelief.

"Good afternoon Miss Sakura. How are you doing?"

"Umm…fine and you?"

"What do you want Persona?" the fire caster interrupted.

"Can I talk to you alone?" He asked calmly while the two students looked at him in apprehension.

"Don't worry. I'm not sending you out on missions that was already in the past." He reassured.

"What do you want?" Mikan asked.

"It's not something that concerns you." He replied impassively.

"What do you…"

"Leave" Natsume's voice cut her off as he jumped down in front of her without taking his eyes off Persona.

"What?" She asked him in disbelief.

"I said leave. I'll talk to him alone."

"Natsume! I won't…"

"Don't make me force you to leave."

"Fine!" She surrendered before leaving the two men to talk. When Natsume made sure she wasn't listening around, he turned towards the mark of death Alice manipulator.

"I'm listening."

Meanwhile….somewhere in central town…

"Ugh! Will you shut up already! You've been ranting about Natsume sama for over an hour now!" Sumire said in annoyance. The girls are spending their afternoon study period in central town. Well, after Narumi left Fukutan sensei as substitute for study period, the whole class boycotted him and left for central town, ergo, study period in central town.

"Sorry Permy, but I'm just worried!"

"We know already! Persona is bad news especially when Natsume is involved, but that was in the past Mikan. The war is already over and the treaty had been signed already by the 3 principals. I'm sure Persona wouldn't be stupid enough to harm Natsume in the academy." She explained rationally.

"You're right! I guess I'm worrying too much." Mikan replied nervously.

"You ARE worrying too much! Besides Natsume sama can handle Persona."

"That's true…"

"Mikan chan stop worrying and let's just enjoy the free period!" Anna added happily.

"More importantly Mikan chan….how did it go with Naoki sempai?" Nonoko curiously asked.

"Oh! That?"

"It seems things went smoothly with the way you're grinning like that." Sumire pointed out before taking a bite out of her Howalon.

"Hehehehe! Let's just say, things are great with sempai and I, but not in a romantic way." She grinned mischievously.

"What do you mean Mikan chan?" Asked Anna.

"Hehehehe! You'll see! AH! Hotaru that's my Howalon!"

"…"

"Give it back!"

Back to Natsume and Persona…..

"What did you say?" Natsume asked seriously.

"The ESP got impatient and sent someone to test Sakura whether she can use her steal and insertion Alice already."

"Who?" The crimson eyed boy asked darkly.

"Luna." Natsume's eyes widened in surprise after hearing the ex D.A. member with the soul sucking Alice. Natsume fisted his hands on his side in anger before glaring at Persona. Luna was a DA member that was loyal to the ESP and would do anything for him. That's why when she got the wind that Mikan's mother was the reason for the ESP's predicament; she went crazy and went after Mikan.

"I'm sure you remember who she is." Persona added after seeing the boy's reaction.

Natsume kept himself silent. Of course he remembered her. She ALMOST killed Mikan in the war so how can he forget! If he was just a tad bit late back then, Mikan wouldn't be here standing with him. Good thing Mikan was already unconscious back then and wasn't aware that someone went after her life. Natsume hated the woman very much that just hearing her name makes his blood boil.

"Why are you telling me this? How would I know that you are telling the truth?" Natsume asked suspiciously.

"It depends on you whether you want to believe me or not but I already did my part."

"What part?"

"Nobara asked me to protect Sakura in her stead and now I'm finished." Persona explained before turning away from the fire caster.

"Oh by the way, I heard Luna was heading towards central town. You better hurry up before it's too late" Person added before vanishing.

"FUCK!" with that Natsume sped off towards central town to find the soul sucking girl before she finds Mikan.

Back to Mikan at central town…..

"Mikan that was priceless! Hahahaha!" Sumire commented while laughing her ass off.

"Even I am impressed Mikan." Hotaru added while smiling at her conniving best friend.

"Of course! I learned it all from you Hotaru chan! Hehehehe!" She replied happily.

"Hahahaha! Sumire's right! I mean asking Naoki sempai to do that for you while apologizing is really hilarious!" added Nonoko

"But don't you guys think its mean?" Anna asked worriedly

"Huh? He deserves it after what he did to Mikan!" Sumire argued.

"But what if he takes revenge on her?"

"Don't worry Anna, sempai doesn't have the guts to take another shot at me. He knows what would happen to him if he does." Mikan replied confidently while smiling goofily with her friends.

"How come?" the pink haired girl asked.

"Because I told him I might tell on him to my uncle and Shiki kun!"

"Hm…you're getting good at this Mikan" Commented her amethyst eyed best friend.

"Thank you Hotaru chan! So it's almost 5 pm guys, you wanna head back already?"

"Yeah I guess we should. The Robot dorm manager won't let us off that easily this time after we got caught sneaking out last week" Added Nonoko worriedly, unknown to them that a pair of cold blue eyes watched them from a distance.

"I found you Mikan Sakura…" the girl whispered as she smiled at them cruelly. The girls stood up from their spot and walked towards their dorm when something….more like someone bumped into Mikan which caused both of them to fall on the ground.

"OW!" Mikan cried out but stopped when her eyes landed on a beautiful girl with strawberry blonde hair that reached her shoulders and a pair of blue eyes. She also has a beauty mark under her lip which made her look cuter in the auburn haired girls' eyes.

'Wow…she's beautiful.' Mikan thought immediately.

"That hurts…" the girl complained.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking." Mikan apologized as she stood up immediately before holding her hand out towards the fallen girl. Mikan felt something weird when the girl touched her hand and pulled herself up. The auburn haired girl looked at the beautiful girl in front of her warily which caught the attention of her best friend.

"Mikan what's wrong?" Hotaru asked suspiciously. Hotaru didn't like the aura of the girl even though her looks said otherwise.

'Where have I seen her before?' Hotaru asked herself. The raven haired girl eyed the new comer warily without the others noticing her. Mikan suddenly got out of her stupor and apologized for staring rudely at the strawberry blonde girl while Anna and Nonoko introduced themselves to her politely.

"I'm Rina Kanzaki by the way! I'm new here so I got lost… Umm...if it's not too much to ask, can you girls help me get back to the dorm?" Rina said hopefully.

"Oh! You're in luck! We were about to go back as well!" Anna replied kindly.

"Yeah!" Mikan agreed before smiling at the blue eyed girl. Rina smiled back at them and followed the girls as they lead her back to the dorm.

They took the forest path that leads straight to the dorms and walked for minutes. The girls neared the dorms soon enough but a group of boys blocked their path.

"Hey! What are you guys doing?" Mikan asked warily as she recognized the boys in her class holding some weapons on their hands. The boys didn't reply, instead they went towards Mikan and charged at her. The auburn haired girl immediately dodged the attack easily due to the constant training she had with Natsume. She flipped, jumped and blocked the attacks before hitting the boys to make them unconscious. Anna and Nonoko screamed when three boys captured them and held a knife in their throats.

"ANNA! NONOKO!" Mikan yelled when she saw the scene. The boys held the grasped the girls neck which made Anna and Nonoko had a hard time breathing.

"Let them go! What is wrong with you guys?" She yelled back at them. The boys just stayed quiet and stared at them impassively while holding the girls hostages. Hotaru just finished bashing some guy when she noticed some kind of bite mark on the boy's neck. She then looked at the others and saw the similar mark on their neck. Just then Hotaru remembered where he saw the girl before.

"Mikan! It's Luna Koizumi!" She yelled but it was too late. Mikan whipped around to see Luna grabbing onto Hotaru from behind while pointing a knife at her neck. Anna and Nonoko screamed in portest but it was useless cause they were bound as well.

"You really are too smart for your own good, however you were a bit too late dear." Luna replied as she held the knife on Hotaru's neck closer. Mikan panicked and watched in horror as her to friends coughed for air while the other is being threatened with a knife.

"Luna Koizumi?" She yelled in anger.

"Now, now! No need to get so angry Mikan dear. Is that how you greet an old friend?" She replied nonchalantly.

"You're not my friend! You helped the ESP kill my mother!"

"Well…I do regret Yuka's death but it was an accident." She explained without slacking her hold on the raven haired girl.

"Liar!" Mikan yelled back as she fisted her hands on her side and keeping herself from breaking down after remembering her mother's death.

"Nothing's gonna change even if you blame me for it, so I'll just go straight to the point. I'm here because the ESP is getting impatient with you…"

"I don't care what you want! Let them go!" She cut her off rudely.

"Not just yet…We know that you've already mastered Yuka's Alices and that annoying MSP and that insolent HSP banned you from using it but that farce is already too long for us to tolerate, so now the ESP sent me here to test it out whether it's true." She explained seriously. Mikan gritted her teeth and glared at the soul sucking Alice user.

"My answer is still the same, I still can't control it." Mikan lied perfectly.

"I'll see it for myself Mikan chan. shall we begin then?" She replied while slyly smiling at the auburn haired girl. Luna then snapped her fingers and a group of boys that Mikan haven't seen before, emerged from the trees. She backed away as they activated their Alices.

"Now Mikan chan, you must defeat these boys to save your friends but it won't be fair if you use your nullification on them right? It will defeat the purpose of the test. So, the ESP placed a special item on them that would render your nullification useless. He made it especially for you; see how special you are to him?" Luna continued before snapping her fingers again and the boys started to attack her.

Mikan jumped, flipped and dodged their attacks as much as she could manage but it wasn't easy for her to take down 5 guys at once especially if her nullification isn't working. She managed to avoid a lighting strike to her right and a punch on her left after she moved around. She was starting to get tired as her attackers attacked her continuously.

"Mikan chan, don't take too long or you'll be too late to save your friends!" Luna yelled at her egging her to use her secret Alice.

"Mikan don't mind this idiot! You can fight those morons! Hyuuga taught you for years! Don't waste it!" Hotaru yelled at her best friend. Luna got annoyed at the raven haired girl and pushed the knife deeper in her throat when she saw Mikan fight desperately without using her Alice.

"Try that again and you will be forever silent" Luna threatened her coldly but Hotaru was also strong willed and brave like her friend, so instead of being scared she smirked at the Luna and ignored her. Luna got annoyed and slit Hotaru a little bit, drawing blood. Mikan saw this and lost focus, so she got hit punched and flew backwards. She winced in pain but she stood back up again.

"Hotaru!" She yelled back while clutching her stomach in pain. She also took a hit from the iron Alice from before and the lightning Alice so her body isn't fit to fight anymore.

"Well, you better hurry up Mikan chan or else I might get bored and let the knife slip or let those boys have fun" Luna taunted her and pointed at the Anna and Nonoko gasping for air.

"Stop it!" Mikan yelled in frustration while stopping herself from crying after seeing her friends getting hurt because of her.

"Time's ticking Mikan chan. You won't defeat them without an Alice"

"Mikan chan…" Anna whispered weakly.

"Run…." Nonoko said softly while trying to wriggle out of the offender's grasp.

"Anna! Nonoko!" Mikan lost focus as her emotions got the better of her.

'What do I do? They might die if I don't use it! but Shiki san said to never use it…but my friends! What do I do? Natsume? Natsume what do I do?' Mikan thought desperately as tears slid down her face. Luna saw the girl break down and snapped her fingers again. The boys holding the girls' hostage tightened their grip which made the girls whimper in pain.

"NO! Stop it!" she cried out and run towards the girls but the other group blocked her path. Mikan looked at the Anna and Nonoko as they went unconscious in the hands of the offenders.

'I'm sorry Shiki san…I don't care about what happens to me…but my friends…I can't let them die here because of me…' She thought in defeat as she watched them. Mikan closed her eyes in concentration as she tried to activate her steal/insertion Alice.

"That's right…that's it Mikan chan use it…then everything would be over."Luna watched as Mikan relaxed and started to walk towards the group of boys with their Alice.

"Mikan you idiot! I won't forgive you for this!" Hotaru's voice echoed disturbing Mikan's concentration as she was about to touch one of the offender and steal his Alice and take it as her own. Luna got angry at the disruption.

"You fool! Just a little bit more and the barrier would have reacted already!" Luna yelled in anger. Her beautiful face started to darken and the atmosphere around her dropped. Her blue eyes turned cold and heartless as she grabbed the knife and pointed it at Hotaru's chest.

"I'm tired of playing children's games already, show me your Alice or I'll kill this girl!" She stated menacingly.

"Hotaru!"

"Show it to me!" She yelled back and pushed the tip of the knife into Hotaru's chest making the girl wince in pain. Mikan couldn't take the torture anymore and continued to her advance. She was almost inches from him when flames encircled her distancing her away from her target.

"Drop the knife before I burn your head." Natsume's voice resounded in the ears of Luna, as she suddenly felt shivers down her spine. Natsume was behind her as he held her head in his hand while keeping his Alice activated making her hair start to burn slightly. Luna dropped the knife and letting Hotaru go. Hotaru ran behind Natsume and watched as the fire caster control the heartless girl.

'Damn I got to careless.' She thought regretfully as she stood still waiting for the boys next order.

"Get your Alice off those guys."

"Not fair, get your hands off of me first."

"I'm not in the mood for concessions Luna, get them off now." His voice darkened. Luna sighed in defeat and snapped her fingers and removing the marks on their neck. The boys that were controlled became unconscious and fell on the ground.

"Natsume….Thank God…"Mikan's weak voice disrupted the boy and Luna took that as an opportunity to escape.

"Tch! You got lucky again Mikan. Next time, we'll make sure you won't get away." Luna vowed before disappearing behind the trees along with the group of boys with the anti nullification device. Natsume was about to follow them but Mikan held him back. He dismissed his fire around her and watched the bruised and beaten girl flopped down on the ground. He hated himself for not being able to protect her earlier and blamed himself for her state. He walked towards her to inspect the degree of damage she suffered while Hotaru checked on Anna and Nonoko.

Mikan's emotional and mental state was already over the edge so when she saw Natsume to her rescue, she collapsed in fatigue.

"I'm bringing Mikan to the hospital. I'm leaving the other to you." Natsume replied as he carried Mikan off the ground gently. Hotaru nodded silently and with that Natsume vanished.

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To be continued…

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Thanks so much all! Hope that you keep supporting me!

Jd

Kuroichibineko

Razux

PassionInWriting - I'm not really sure but I will try.

sapphireangel09 – nope XD he just did that to annoy her XD