DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN GAKUEN ALICE/ ALICE ACADEMY

AUTHOR'S NOTE: THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR REVIEWS. THIS CHAPTER IS A PRETTY LONG CHAPTER ANYWAY SO BEAR WITH ME GUYS. THANK YOU…

Chapter 10

Revelations…

Sunday morning…

It's getting much colder everyday. Mikan is staring out her window watching the boys and girls having fun in the snow. The place that was once covered with brown dried leaves are now all white. It was a nice sight…very relaxing in fact. Mikan would love to join the others but she is much preoccupied with a lot of things to be thinking of having fun.

Last night is one of the most exhausting night that she had, not just because they stayed up very late but also because a lot of things happened.

Mikan took a deep breath then walked back to her bed. She lay down and stared at the ceiling with her hands on her forehead.

A lot happened for just one night.

Flashback of the other night…(Not just Mikan's)

After performing, Mikan was surprised to get a standing ovation from her friends. They were mesmerized by her performance but knowing Mikan she was clueless of course of how good she was.

When she walked down the stage almost everyone ran to her to say their admiration.

"Wow Mikan you were really great" Yuu told her.

"Yeah, every one loved your performance" Nonoko added

"huh?" Mikan said still clueless of how she caught every one's admiration with what she did. "Thank you". She walked back to place.

"I didn't know you could sing" Tsubasa said teasing her.

"What's that suppose to mean?" she asked raising her brows.

"All he wanted to say is that you were really good" Kaname said.

"And you look really cute too?" Misaki added. "Just watch how the guys look at you now" she continued with a smile.

"ehh" she said feeling embarrassed then she faced Itsuki "thank you for lending me your guitar" she said handing the guitar back.

"anytime as long as I can hear you sing" Itsuki answered with his charming smile. The crowd cheered for them which made Mikan blush.

"You look even cuter when you blush" Misaki teased her more.

"Quit it Misaki" Mikan said blushing even more.

"he really know what to say" Hotaru said addressing to Itsuki.

"What do you mean?" Ruka asked who was just beside her.

"Simple, he's making his moves" Hotaru answered.

"What moves?" Ruka asked trying to pretend clueless when in fact he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Don't play dumb Ruka. We both know what I'm talking about. You'll loose her again if you don't tell her how you feel. You know that Mikan is clueless with these kinds of things. She wouldn't know unless you tell her."

"Natsume still likes her" Ruka said then sighed.

"You're still thinking about your friend. He hurt her once, it doesn't matter what his reasons are, I won't let him hurt her again." Hotaru seems really angry while saying this.

Ruka only sees Hotaru this furious when it is Mikan that is involved. He can understand her feelings though. She is just trying to protect Mikan. He knew how important she is to her; it's just the same with him and Natsume. He couldn't decide what to do. He just stared at Mikan. He's happy seeing her smile that way, she really is happy, she is not just faking it.

On the other hand, the others are still congratulating Mikan, even Sumire. But if there are those who admire her, there are also those who felt irritated from the attention she is getting. "Don't you think you guys are over reacting giving her too much credit for jut a song?" a voice from the crowd silenced everyone.

Everyone followed the voice, and what do you know, no one seemed surprise seeing that it was Kaoru giving such reaction.

"You are just saying that because you know that she did better than you." One of the girls said irritated.

"Of course not, I admit that she is good but not good enough to be praised like God, and…"

"That's enough Kaoru" Itsuki gut her out.

Kaoru feeling much irritated and humiliated walked out of the crowd.

"I'm sorry about her" Itsuki apologized to Mikan and followed Kaoru.

"Don't mind her" others said to her.

"I guess we can call it the night" Yuu suggested.

"Yeah" everybody else agreed.

They went separate ways heading for their dormitory but Ruka headed for the woods. He stopped in on of the trees and leaned back. "Why didn't you join us?" he asked.

"It's a waste of time" Natsume who was up at the tree answered.

"Then why are you here?"

"Just wanted some fresh air"

"Fresh air ? You just wanted to see her right?"

Natsume leaped from the branch to the ground. "I saw the way you look at her, you really liked her that much?'

"You didn't answer my question but I guess there's no need to anyway. Yes, I like her that much and I won't hesitate to tell her that now. I've given you your chance" he said confidently and turns his back on Natsume. He was about to walk away when he heard him talk.

"Take care of her the way I failed to do." Natsume said while clenching his fist, then he walked away before Ruka did.

"I will" then Ruka headed for the dormitory but not to his room but to Mikan's instead.

Mikan just arrived in her room because she helped her friends clean up their mess. She was about to clean up herself and prepare for bed when she heard a knock on her door.

"Huh? Must be Itsuki getting his jacket back." With that thought Mikan walked to her door and opened it "Itsuki thanks for the…" Mikan stopped when she realized who it was. "Oh Ruka, I'm sorry. I thought it was Itsuki getting his jacket back. Is there something you want?"

"Well, uhm. I know it's late but there's something I've been wanting to tell you." Ruka is really feeling nervous.

"Do you want to come in, go out or say it here?"

"Here will be fine."

"Ok, so what is it?"

"I'm not sure if this is the right time but I will say it anyway. You see I…I… I like you Mikan" finally he said it. That was a relief for him but to Mikan it was a big surprise. "I've liked you for a very long time now, it just so happened that Natsume felt the same way towards you and I know you like him too. I was scared of being rejected by you but after what happened between you and him, I've learned how to take chances. It just took me a long time to gather enough courage in telling you"

"W-why me? There are a lot of girls better than me who likes you."

"There are, but there is no one like. You're different Mikan. You're not like the other girls. You may not have noticed it yet but it's not only me who likes you. There are other guys out there who feel the same way I do." Mikan was really speechless. She can't find the right words to say. "Well anyway, I hope this won't complicate things between us. I'll be going now. Goodnight or rather good morning." Ruka didn't wait for Mikan to talk he just walked away.

The speechless Mikan went inside her room and gone straight to her bed but a minute hasn't passed yet she heard another knock. "Did he forget to say something else?" Mikan walked to her door and opened it but it was not Ruka this time…it was Itsuki.

"hey, I was just checking if you're already here." Itsuki said smiling.

"I just got here"

"Mmm, I just wanted to apologize again for what Kaoru said. You see, she's used having all the attention to her alone."

"There's nothing to worry about it. I didn't mind that at all. I used to get that all the time when I first arrived here."

"That's good to hear. Well you seem to be doing fine so I should. It's late anyway you should be resting." He was a bout to walk away when…

"Ahm, Itsuki. I'll give your jacket back when I washed it."

"No need, you can keep it" then he continued walking.

End of flashback…

Why Ruka? Why me? Mikan kept on sighing upon remembering his words but what really bugs her is…Natsume like me? But why did he deny it? Why did he hurt me? She shook her head and sat on her bedside, something caught her eyes… it was Itsuki's jacket. Itsuki's smiling face suddenly appeared on her head. That guy, he's too perfect to be real. She remembered the times she was with Itsuki. He's just plain perfect but his cousin…what's the deal with her anyway? Why is she so mad at me? ahhhh….. she yelled inside her head. this is too much. Why did things turn out this way? Mikan stood up from her bed went to her closet and took a jacket. I need to get out.

"Kaoru opened the door, I know you're in there" Itsuki was knocking hard on Kaoru's door. He followed her last night but it just resulted in a fight. "About what happened last night, I'm sorry ok, but you went over board"

"Over board?! You just don't want that girl to be humiliated so you shut me up" Kaoru sounds really angry.

" it's not part of the plan" Itsuki said calmly.

"Really, and you falling for her is part of the plan?" Kaoru still isn't opening her door.

"I'll go for now, we'll talk when you cooled down."

"Avoiding the question aren't you?" Kaoru opened her door and faced Itsuki.

"I'm not falling for her. Getting her trust is part of the plan and that's all I'm doing." Itsuki answered still calm.

"You better be sure, because once she turned completely against us, we might be the one to execute her" Kaoru said with a threatening voice then she went back inside her room and locked the door.

Itsuki stood still for a moment thinking back to what Kaoru just said. I'm not falling for her, Itsuki tried to put that on his head but his heart is telling him otherwise.

"What did she say to you after you told her?" Hotaru asked Ruka. Ruka came to her laboratory where she was staying for awhile. He said to her that he already told Mikan how she felt.

After Ruka told Mikan everything, he can't get to sleep. It's true that he felt relieved, he just took off a burden out of her shoulder but then again it was just replaced buy another one.

"She asked me why. I told her everything there is to tell. Until I left, I never heard another word from her again." He answered with a disappointed tone. He was staring out the window as if watching what was outside but the truth was he was thinking of Mikan.

Hotaru stopped on what she was doing and walked to the window where Ruka was standing "It's a normal reaction. But you are glad that you told her don't you?"

"yeah. I'm just a little worried"

"What is there to worry about?" Hotaru asked curiously.

"Remember the time when we went to central town and received fortune telling" he stopped then look at Hotaru "the fortune teller told me that I will make a choice between the feeling I had for a girl and for a friend. She said that whatever choice I make I should be prepared for the consequences. My first choice was to give up Mikan for Natsume and as for the consequence you are aware of what happened. I'm afraid that something like that or worst than that might happen again" he explained continuously.

Hotaru can see in Ruka's eyes that he is really afraid so she finds the right words to calm him down. "you just made the wrong choice. That's all"

Ruka smiled after hearing Hotaru's words. "Thank you. Talking to you really helped a lot"

"You're welcome, just don't make mistake like your friend did, if that happens, I might kill you"

Ruka laughed thinking what Hotaru said was a joke but when he looked at her…she's serious, isn't she?

Mikan's original plan when she went out her room was to go to Hotaru, but when she was near Hotaru's lab she noticed a familiar figure standing beside the window. Ruka. There was no way she could go in there now. She's not ready to face Ruka yet, so she decided to look for Tsubasa instead. Next to Hotaru, Tsubasa is the one she trusts. He's like an older brother to her.

Mikan found Tsubasa having tea with Kaname, Misaki and Tono. "Tsubasa" she called out.

"Who do we have hear?" Tsubasa asked teasing her. "what a great honor to receive a visit from a popular girl like you" he added.

"cut it out. I want to talk to you about something, do you have time?" she asked seriously.

Tsubasa noticed the seriousness in Mikan's tone. "Sure" he answered "let's go"

"Excuse us" Mikan said to the others that was left.

"Mikan's changed, isn't she?" Kaname asked.

"yeah, a lot for that matter" Misaki answered. They we're looking at the two who just left.

"She's pretty mature for her age" Tono added.

"that's part of her that changed. If you have seen her when she first arrived here, she was so childish" Misaki told Tono.

"I remember her telling me to stop using my Alice, we just met then but she was so worried about me. After I told her my story she understood me right away. She took care of Mr. Bear while I was away. She is really a nice girl" Kaname defined Mikan.

"Do you, by any chance like Mikan?" Tono asked Kaname.

"I do. I'm not sure when I started liking her. Maybe ever since I met her. I spend lesser time in the Hospital because I hate seeing her worried face. She's different from the other girls. She's Mikan, she's unique."

Misaki and Tono were surprised hearing Kaname's answer hey but they don't have any objection on how he defined Mikan.

"So what is it you want to talk about?" Tsubasa asked Mikan. They stopped at the shed in the forest near their mixed class building. Tsubasa was sitting but Mikan was standing.

"Have you told Misaki how you feel for her?" Mikan asked back looking directly at Tsubasa.

"What's with that question so suddenly?" Tsubasa really looks puzzled.

"just answer me."

"well not exactly. But there's no need to because she knows my feelings towards her and the same thing goes for me. We have a mutual understanding. No need for words, we just show each other how we feel. Now can you tell me why you're asking me this question?" he's curious of where their conversation is heading to.

"You know I like Natsume even I haven't told you yet right?"

"I had a hunch"

"well he does things that made me felt that he had the same feelings towards me so I asked him and he said I was mistaken. He told me that there's no way he will like a nobody like me. I was devastated"

"Is that why you're acting weird this past few weeks?"

"Yes, but I'm over it or maybe that's what I thought."

"What do you mean?"

"just last night, after the gathering, Ruka came to my room and out of the blue told me that he liked me."

"Of course he does, everyone knows that"

"well I didn't, I didn't see it that way. Anyway that's not all he said. He said that he liked me for a long time but he didn't tell me because he's giving way to Natsume. In short he told me Natsume likes me"

"That one is much obvious, he's changed a lot since you arrived at the Academy. You are the only one that is able to enter his world, except for Ruka that is."

"Then why, why did he have to deny that in front of me? Why does he have to hurt me?" she asked with tears forming in her eyes.

"there is a reason for everything we do and I know he does too" he answered briefly. "anyway, I don't think that Natsume is your only problem, am I right?"

"Well yeah. Another one is I don't know how will I face Ruka after what he just told me"

"That's not your problem it's his" he said directly "next question"

"Itsuki, he's…" before Mikan could continue her words Tsubasa cut her out and stood up from his seat.

"Be careful with that guy. He's too perfect to be real" he warned her.

"I was thinking the same thing. I was wondering why he's so nice to me and I was also wondering why Kaoru is so mad at me. I don't remember doing anything that would make her dislike me like that"

"be careful with those two, that's all I can say" Tsubasa said really serious.

"thank you, Tsubasa. It's really great having you around"

"don't flatter me too much, anyway we should get back to the others" and so they head back to the cafeteria.

When they arrived there was a really deafening silence among the three.

"What's with you guys, you seem to have seen a ghost" Tsubasa said.

"it was nothing. What took you so long anyway?" Misaki covered up.

"I just asked Tsubasa some private questions" Mikan looked at Tsubasa as if reminding him not to tell anybody. "Anyway I should be going now. See you guys around, bye" Mikan walked away waving her hands.

"and off she goes" Tono said with a smile.

"did something happened here?" Tsubasa asked curiously.

"Nothing, really" Kaname answered with a weird smile. Tsubasa knows that his friends are hiding something but he didn't bother forcing them to spill it out.