Summary: Natsume's mother died when he was young, only five years old. He never knew his father, only his aunt Yuka - his mother's best friend since their childhood, so Yuka raised him. When Natsume was seventeen, Yuka passed away. Her last words to him were to watch over her daughter and make sure she was okay. Natsume promised he would do so. He just never thought he'd fall in love with the girl too.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.
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Dying Promise: Chapter One
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"You're going to be late to school if you don't hurry up!" I roll my eyes at my father's shout. He says that every morning. It's hard to be late to school every morning when he drives me, and he just happens to be a teacher at my high school. Late by his standards is an hour earlier than most of the other students.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." I call back. I grab my orange backpack from my bed. I stop at the mirror in my room, frowning at my reflection. I see a girl with long, wavy ugly brown colored hair and throw-up hazel colored eyes. I have bangs that fall just above my eyes which I'm sure are uneven, and I am constantly picking at. My hair is up in it's normal ponytail on the back of my head. I try smiling, but I can't find it.
"Mikan!" My father yells, louder this time. Now he's serious. He has actually left before, but luckily, if I wait another half an hour, the bus will show up. I just don't like to be around many people who hate me all at once. So I have avoided the bus since freshman year.
I run down the hallway and down the stairs, my school's uniform skirt flapping up as jump the last three steps. "Don't run in the house!" I smile, a real one, when I see my father waiting impatiently at the front door. He's taller than I am, which isn't hard to come by seeing as I am only five foot four at sixteen years old. I look nothing like my dad. He has sandy blonde hair and big, cerulean blue eyes. He's tan while I'm pale. He's tall; I'm short. I used to think I was adopted, but he always tells me otherwise.
Unlike the teachers at my school, the students have a uniform. It's really not as bad as all the kids complain it to be. Boys have to wear a white buttoned-up shirt, a tie, black pants, black dress shoes, and an optional black overcoat which is typically only worn in Autumn and Fall. Girls wear almost the exact same thing: white buttoned-up shirt, a ribbon tied into a bow, black skirt, white knee high socks with black dress shoes, and an optional black coat. The ties and ribbons are colored by your grade: yellow for freshman, purple for sophomore, red for juniors, and blue for seniors. I have a red ribbon.
We reach the school and my father parks in his usual spot in the faculty parking lot. I step out, pulling my coat tighter around me. It's a chilly October morning. The school looks dark and almost creepy in the dim light. Lights should be on in the next couple minutes.
The whole school is red bricked on the outside and cream colored cement blocks on the inside. It's a small school, only one story tall. Everyone in my school knows one another with their being less than a thousand kids in it – which for me sucks. I'm not exactly the most popular girl; well, actually I'm very close to the bottom of the food chain. But I have my close group of friends. It may only consists of two other kids and myself, but we would do anything for each other.
I walk in with my dad and to his classroom. My father teaches English. That is one of the things we have in common: our love of books. I guess you could say I'm a nerd, geek, or whatever other word comes to mind, and I might be, but I don't mind. I love to read, and I love school. Well, not so much school, but I love to learn.
I sit down at one of the desk in my dad's class, pull out my book, and start reading. Almost an hour later, the buses start arriving. I say goodbye to my father, kiss him on the cheek, and head to first period.
I get to class early, taking my normal seat in the far front seat, closest to the teacher. "Good morning, Mikan!" My teacher says enthusiastically. He is Narumi Anjo, my history teacher. He has long blonde hair and is commonly mistaken for a girl or a gay male, but he is just very flamboyant. I've known him since I was born. He and my dad have been friends since forever, or so they say.
Kids start to walk in; I stay quiet. Then, to my relief, a boy with shaggy blonde hair and light brown eyes walks in. He has a goofy grin on his face as he waves at me. I smile back and wave. He comes over and takes the seat beside me. "Hey, Mi-chan." He says using his nickname for me.
"Good morning, Koko." This is my best friend of all time, Koko Yome. He has been my best friend since elementary school. No one knows me better than he does. I'm not even sure if I know me better than he does. Koko is the opposite of me at school: loud, crazy, does everything to be noticed, and hates school. He doesn't care what people think about him, unlike me. Most people find him annoying, but I know he acts that way just to be annoying here at school. People don't know how we are friends; he, the crazy class clown, and I, the weird, shy, quiet nerd. But then again, most people don't know that I'm actually not quiet or timid.
"Good morning, class." Narumi says as soon as all of the student are present for. He leans against his desk and smiles at us. "We have great news, kids." Some of the students groan. "Now don't be like that. We have a new student who is starting today." This brought some heads off the desk. Here in Alice, a small town, it's rare to get new students. Everyone in Alice grew up together, so we all know each other. The word of a new student should have spread about weeks ago. Just hearing this today, well, it's news to everyone.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" One of the girls in my class, Sumire Shouda, called from the back of the class. She's not the most popular girl, but Sumire is pretty well known through our school. She is the talkative, back-mouthing, know-it-all type, but in general, a nice girl. On occasion.
Narumi smiles again. "A boy." And all the girls start whispering amongst one another. "Now, now children. Settle down. Settle down." He says trying to calm the girls down. He walks to the door and opens it. "You can come in now." He waves the boy outside in. This boy with long, raven-like hair and dark, crimson eyes walks in. The girls go quiet, startled by his good looks. "Class, this is Natsume Hyuuga. Be nice to him, okay?" And the whispering starts again.
I look at the guy, trying to get a real good look at him. He is wearing out uniform, but dressed down. His shirt isn't tucked in, the top button is undone, and his tie hangs lose around his neck. His hands are shoved in his pockets. Overall, he gives off this 'cool-guy' look. If he was hoping to impress the girls, he sure did it. He will be the talk of the school by second period.
"Do you wanna say anything, Natsume?" Narumi asks. The girls lean forward in their seats, waiting for him to speak. He just shakes his head in a cool fashion to say no. Some of the girls pout, others groan. The boys are rolling their eyes and secretly wishing they were him. "Okay, well you can sit in the middle next to Ruka Nogi. Ruka, could you please raise your hand?"
A boy in my class with honey blonde hair and baby blue eyes raises his hand. Ruka Nogi, one of the most popular boys in our school. He's always got girls hitting on him and trying to get with him, but he always kindly turns them down. He's only seen with two people; Hotaru Imai and Nobara Ibaragi. He denies that anything is going on with him and either of the girls.
Nobara Ibaragi is popular like Ruka and Hotaru. She has long, icey blue hair and matching blue eyes. She's very timid and soft-spoken, but she has a kind heart. It's nearly impossible to not like her. Then there is Hotaru Imai. Just hearing her her name makes my stomach turn. She's a super genius, and she's really pretty. She has short onyx black hair and lavender colored eyes. She's also my ex-best friend.
I don't really remember why we drifted apart, but it was when we entered middle school. She just stopped eating lunch with Koko and I one afternoon. She met Ruka that year, and they became best friends. She didn't really talk to us after that. And then in eighth grade, Nobara joined their group. The three have been inseparable since.
The new kid took his seat in silence. Ruka turned to him, smiled, and introduced himself. Natsume just raised a single eyebrow at the blonde, not responding. He turned forward in his seat, not paying attention to anyone, even Narumi.
The class last what seemed like forever. Koko said goodbye to me, and we parted ways. I gathered my books and headed out of class. The next class went by smoothly. As I though, rumors of the new kid spread quickly. He was talk of the school in less than an hour. Way to get on the plus side of being the new kid.
On my way to third period, I turned the corner to my classroom and crashed into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" I yelped as my books scattered to the floor. Before I could bend down for my books, the person in front of me kindly picked them up. He straightened up; my eyes locked with his crimson ones. It was the new kid, Natsume Hyuuga. "Oh, thank you." I said quietly, feeling weirdly embarrassed. I waited patiently for him to give me my books back, but he just starred at me. It wasn't a rude kind of starring, but rather as if he was trying to figure something out – or me. Confused, I raised a single eyebrow.
He noticed the change in my facial expression, and his quickly changed. He slowly handed me my books, still examining me. I thanked him again. He opened his mouth, as if to respond, but closed his mouth before any words came out. For a moment, we just starred at each other; I, confused, and he, watching me. Finally, he opened his mouth again. "It's you." Were his only words. Weirdly enough, he sounded almost revealed.
And those were Natsume Hyuuga's first words here at Alice High.