Wow, I got great feedback for the first chapter :) Thanks to all those who reviewed (Annyxoxo, anon, natsumikanluverization697, , mysticchowz) and to those who favourited/story alert. I really appreciate it.

I'll try to write as quick as I can and I'll update half a chapter ahead. I hope you enjoy the second chapter of Rewind.

Chapter 2: Strawberries

Ichigo Hana was once again caught daydreaming in the middle of class. In fact, ever since she entered class B, she tended to space out a whole lot more than usual. She really couldn't help it. Being back in class B made her feel very nostalgic a lot of the time.

She'd often remember little incidents that occurred in the very classroom she sat in when she was the same age... only it was years ago now. I'd be in middle school if that incident never happened, she thought to herself. I'd be turning fifteen.

She gazed longingly at the endless blue sky. If that never happened. It wasn't like Mikan wasn't content with her life now. She had made many new friends and she still kept in touch with her old ones. Not really much had changed, they were just separated.

In fact, Hotaru would visit her every now and then. Mikan felt blessed to have a friend dear enough to visit her even in the current circumstances. She knew Hotaru loved her, no matter how cruelly she would show it.

No, everything is the same. It's not like I've forgotten. It's not like they have either. I'm just... handicapped. I can freely talk to my old friends about normal things. I just can't let them know of my current... form.

Mikan sighed, If they could just see me now.

And they could. It was actually causing quite a fuss.

Natsume watched as the girl continued to stare out the window, deep in thought. He stared in disbelief. She was the spitting image of a certain someone he knew. Same hair colour, same wonderfully irritating hairstyle, same stupid looking expression.

But Natsume could think of more than one disturbing fact that was wrong with this picture. The first was that the person in question no longer attended this academy. The second and perhaps most significant, was that this girl looked around the age of twelve. Not fourteen, as they should be right now. Elementary age.

That, Natsume concluded to himself, is impossible.

"What's impossible?" asked a sandy haired boy, with a goofy face.

Natsume's face showed irritation. Can you ever just keep to yourself, Koko? He heard the boy chuckle a few paces ahead. Actually, can you come here?

The said boy detached himself from the dynamic crowd and made his way over to where Natsume and Kitsuneme were standing. "Whatcha need?"

Kitsuneme, obviously oblivious to the telepathic conversation that had just occurred, began, "Natsume was just looking in our old classroom and then he went all -"

"That girl," Natsume cut off abruptly, motioning to the auburn haired student, "what's her name?"

Koko and Kitsuneme looked over to where Natsume was pointing. "I can't seem to read her mind, but according to the person next to her, she's Ichigo Hana," Koko reported. "Why did you want to know her … oh."

Kitsuneme could be heard slowly gasping as he realised the same thing that Koko did. "She looks just like Mikan!"

Unfortunately for the three boys, this statement caught the attention of particular ebony haired girl. A pair of lavender eyes narrowed as they searched for the origin of the sound. Imai Hotaru stopped walking, briefly motioned her new boyfriend to keep on going, turned around and went over to the male trio.

"What exactly are you three doing?" she demanded, raising an eyebrow. "You look like stalkers and are going to be late for your next class if you don't get a move on."

"Hey, Imai," Kitseneme beckoned, "doesn't that girl look a lot like Mikan?"

Tensing up a bit as she discovered who he was pointing to, she composed herself and said flatly, "Yes."

"...and?" the boy pressed.

"They're probably related," she replied bluntly.

"Related?" Koko and Kitsuneme exclaimed. Though he remained silent, Natsume was listening intently to the conversation.

"She can have cousins can't she?" Hotaru rolled her eyes.

"Oh, well... um... yeah... I suppose," the two sandy haired boys never really thought that Mikan had any other family besides her grandpa.

"They found her uncle, they can probably find a distant cousin or two. It's very common for Alices to be abundant in the same family," Hotaru pointed out dismissively.

"But do you know if they're related or not?" Kitsuneme asked.

"If I knew, I still wouldn't tell you." With that, she stalked off to rejoin the crowd.

The boys looked helplessly after her.

"Oh, and Kokoro," Hotaru called, "don't even think about reading my mind." The boy was obviously caught in the act, seeing as he had a most guilty expression plastered onto his face. "There a microchips forming a firewall barrier around my cranium," she pointed to the two clips in her hair, "you won't be getting anything out of me." A smirk appeared on her lips.

Defeated, deflated and definitely knowing the girl was not Mikan, the boys continued their journey to the next class. Natsume furrowed his short brows as he once again, lost himself in thought.

Ichigo Hana, he thought, not Mikan Sakura. He sighed. Ichigo... strawberries... A smile played on the corners of his mouth. A few years and two flashes ago, he used to call a certain girl 'strawberry print'...

Tearing her eyes away from the sky, Ichigo sneezed. That's funny, she thought, someone must be thinking about me. As she tensed up from the sneeze she felt her uniform constrict her tightly. It was getting a tad too small for her. Hmm, I only bought this half a year ago and it's already really tight. Indeed, it was peculiar since she bought a size larger. But she shrugged it off, It's probably a growth spurt. I'll go see Narumi-sensei for a bigger uniform anyway.

She let her eyes wander across the desk. As she turned to her right she half expected a pair of feet resting lazily on the table. She half expected them to belong to a rude boy with a smug face and a tangle of jet black hair. But as she turned her head around, there was no such boy. Only a pleasant looking girl with grey, bobbed hair.

The said girl – whose name was Yuri – turned to Ichigo, "Those middle school students are making quite a racket outside, aren't they?"

"Huh?" Ichigo snapped her head towards the door where some loud muttering could be heard from before. As her eyes fell upon the doorway, she had almost missed them. Almost.

Her heart skipped a beat. Right as she looked, she caught a glimpse of a tangle of jet black hair. An earring. Her eyes lingered on the doorway.

She stared for what could have been an eternity. She tired to comprehend.

That hair. That earring. They could only belong to one person Ichigo – or rather Mikan – knew... Natsume Hyuuga.

Finally, it was the end of class. Hotaru Imai was being accompanied by her boyfriend Ruka from the classroom. They walked in a comfortable silence. Hotaru was deep in thought, seemingly contemplating something in her mind. Ruka walked wordlessly by her side, simply enjoying being with her and respecting her train of thought.

Very abruptly, Hotaru stopped. Ruka almost walked right past her. "What's up?" Ruka asked.

Hotaru decisively nodded to herself. "You can leave me here," she stated tersely and began to walk away.

"W-wait a second!" called a bewildered Ruka after her. "What is it? I'm coming with you!"

Hotaru stopped. She turned around to face the blonde teenager, "It's none of your business."

Ruka opened his mouth to speak but Hotaru interrupted him. Her face turned chibi, "Unless of course you want me to release this." She produced a photo and held it up in her hands.

Upon sight, Ruka's faced became a deep shade of red.

It was him.

In a bunny suit.

In a bed.

Snuggling up with a rabbit.

How she acquired such a photo, Ruka did not know. However, what he did know was that his girlfriend was cruel enough to stay true to her word.

Clenching his fists but staying rooted to the spot, Ruka choked, "I'll stay." Ruthless, Ruka thought to himself, completely ruthless. He cursed himself for the nature of this relationship.

Hotaru pocketed the image, patted his head and said, "Good boy." There goes my dignity, thought a flushed Ruka. But then, Hotaru leaned in a kissed his cheek. Ruka's eyes widened in surprise as his ebony haired girlfriend stalked off.

But then again, came his afterthought, there's always a plus side.

A knock came at the door of Ichigo's dorm. Pushing her seat away from the desk, Ichigo gladly abandoned her homework and headed for the door. She opened it and realised who was standing on the other side. Hardly even a gasp later, a scream echoed across the hallway.

"HOTARUUUUU!" Ichigo lunged at her best friend. "I haven't seen you all week!"

Hotaru let Ichigo embrace her. But her hug time was short-lived. Baka! Baka! Baka!

"Ouch!" she whined as she rubbed her head. "That wasn't nice."

Hotaru let herself in and shut the door behind her. "Same, immature Mikan as always," the ebony haired girl sighed.

"Hey! It's not my fault I'm stuck in this form," Ichigo motioned at her twelve-year-old body.

Hotaru rolled her eyes, "Technically, it is your fault. Anyway, that's exactly what I wanted to talk about."

"Eh?"

"Our class was walking past the elementary this morning and some of them happened to spot you. They started to get suspicious but I quickly erased their doubt. I don't think any of them think it's you. Plus, they know its not theoretically possible for you to suddenly be twelve."

Ichigo started to feel a strange, nervousness creep up inside her. "Really? What are we going to do about it? You've got a plan, haven't you?"

"Of course I do," replied Hotaru confidently. All doubt melted away. Ichigo listened intently. "There's no point hiding you from them. For all we know, they might even try and find out more about you and catch you off guard. No, that wouldn't be good.

"What I think is best is if we arrange a meeting with you in a perfectly controlled situation. You can calmly introduce yourself as Ichigo Hana, talk to them a bit. Convince them you have no idea who Mikan is. That way you can be on your guard and they can get used to it. Don't worry, they'll believe their eyes."

Ichigo's eyes lit up as she beamed at her best friend, "Hotaru, you are such a genius!"

Hotaru smiled smugly before continuing, "I'll speak to Narumi-sensei about it and try to organise something. That is, if you're up to all of this." She raised an eyebrow.

"Of course!" Ichigo responded without hesitation. "I'll do what I can."

"Alright, but at any rate, be prepared. Seeing as this will be co-organised by Narumi we don't know how messed up or how soon it will be. I'll try to keep him under wraps as much as possible though."

"Roger!"

"Well," Hotaru concluded, "I best be off to see Narumi now. I'll try to make it tomorrow. That's best so that the boys can't go snooping any time after that. See you."

After a quick farewell, Hotaru was off. Ichigo quickly completed her homework. She spread herself out on her bed thinking about future events.

I'm going to see everyone again. Not just watch from a distance but actually speak with and interact. Ichigo's eyes glistened. She began to reminisce on the past, a smile playing on the corners of her mouth. I wonder what they'll all be like. I can't wait to tell them...

Tell them what? Her face pulled down into a frown. She realised that she wasn't going to speaking to them as Mikan, but as Ichigo. I wonder what that's going to be like. That's right, I'm supposed to be studying with my uncle. That's so strange.

A foreign sadness welled up inside of her. Besides the postcards, will I ever be able to speak with them as Mikan ever again? The gravity of her situation felt as if it all came crashing down on her in an instant.

She shook her head furiously, pushing the thoughts away. No! I will be able to speak to them as Mikan again, I will. It's not something to be sad about. She blinked hard and her smile reappeared on her face.

It's going to be fun. I know it. You're going to see everyone again. That's got to be good enough, right?

YAY for that chapter! I find that Rutaru fluff is actually amusing to write. I really enjoy writing this fic, it's fun to come up with the plot. I hope you like it to. Yes? No? REVIEW IT! Long, short, always good! They are my inspiration =]