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Thanks for your reviews, it's an encouragement.
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This fanfic is based on the manga not the anime as I didn't finish watching it.
There might be something different from what I know and what you saw in the animation
So if there's anything that you do not understand, please feel free to ask.
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Chapter 2
"Natsume? You awake?" Ruka asked as he knocked on the door.
No reply.
Knock, knock
"Natsume?"
Silence.
Worried. Ruka turn the door knob.
He saw a guy unmistakably Natsume lying on the floor as he opens the door.
"Natsume!" He ran beside him as he saw him trying to sit up on his own.
"Natsume, don't move" Ruka starts to search around "Where….. where is the healing stone?" He fumbled with his words.
"It's finished….." Natsume replied faintly.
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Blood? Ruka looked at the dark red fluid on the corner of Natsume's mouth and hands, the colour that matches the crimson of his eyes.
"Ruka…….." His voice trailed off.
"H-hang on, I-I'll go find something, no, someone!" Ruka stood up but was pulled back by a force on his arm
"No ruka….no….don't….don't let anyone know, nobody should know……no one……especially……" Her.
His eyes were then shut tightly and he was very pale.
Ruka shook him gently "Natsume? Natsume?" what should I do?
He ran out of the room to the hallway, looking left and right as if searching for something.
What should I do? Think Ruka, think! Don't panic! THINK! What—
"What are you doing standing there again?"
He jerked his head to the direction of the voice. Imai!
"Panting Nogi?" she asked
Should I tell her?
"Ruka….don' tell anyone" Natsume's words cling to his ears
Don't tell anyone? But I have no idea what to do, if I don't get help now, Natsume will……
"Nogi?"
Ruka looked at her then to Natsume's direction.
"Imai, can you contact your brother?"
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"Didn't you go to the hospital yesterday?" Subaru Imai asked as he examined Natsume "You are not supposed to miss any treatments, I am sure you know that."
The Howalon Incident passed his mind as a reaction to the question Subaru asked. His heart feels heavy again.
"Nothing. I am just tired."
Subaru knew Natsume is not going to say anymore about it, he dropped the subject. "It was kind of surprise that The Genius Hotaru Imai would ask for my help with a fax written 'Come to the elementary now to prevent a black coloured dying cat from rising to Shangri-La.' said Subaru with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
Ruka sweat "Don't you have a nicer way of saying?"
"Like what?" Hotaru asked looking at Ruka "You have suggestions better than mine?" she looked hard on Ruka.
Silence……..
"I am leaving, take this with you." Subaru took out an Alice stone and gave it to Natsume "You know your conditions, if you want to protect the things you valued, I say that you should take care of yourself first." Giving his sister a glance, he went out.
After watching her brother stepped out, she started to walk out too.
"Imai……." Natsume called out.
Hotaru turns to face him. A question written on her cold face.
Don't tell her…….Mikan…… Natsume was trying to say.
Hotaru looked at his determined crimson eyes. As if she is Koko, she understands what he meant. She nodded and closes the door after her.
"Natsume……….I am sorry…." Ruka mumbled.
When he saw him lying on the floor, coughing out blood and he can't do anything for him. He felt that he is weak and useless when on the other hand, Natsume would have figure out something if it was him, Ruka who is lying on the floor.
At that thought, his fists clenched and unclenched franticly.
"I hope I am older………then I will be stronger…….by then, Natsume will not---
Natsume cut of his words by patting on this head "I know Ruka, I know"
I will be stronger……..someday I will.
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"IS Natsume skipping class again????" Mikan asked searching for Natsume.
"I think he will be late again…….." Sumire looked at the door dreaming "Oh, my dear Natsume and Ruka, I will give them my warm embrace when they open the door………"and wondered off in her dreams.
Mikan crossed her arms "Always skipping classes, so many years have gone by still he have no discipline, that Natsume is-------
"What?" Natsume questioned, kicking the class door open with Ruka beside him "What is it that you are not satisfied with me, huh? Ugly?"
Mikan Sakura who is always sensitive to the word "ugly" at any time starts to blow up.
"Nani? I am not ugly, you perverted fox!" Mikan shouted at him sticking out her tongue.
"Not ugly? Having pigtails at your age is ugly plus retarded " Natsume said, seemed to enjoy the fun of making her angry.
"What do you mean 'at my age'? What's wrong with a 12-year-old having pigtails? You think you are mature than me by reading those stupid manga????" Mikan practically shouted in a louder tone, not wanting to lose.
"Manga are for mature adults, half –developED brain like yours won't be able to understand manga." said Natsume in a relaxed tone.
"HALF-DEVELOPED BRAIN? NATSUME, YOU…………………….."
"Yes?" Natsume continued with a very sly smirk.
Oh no, here comes again…………… Everyone starts to put on cotton buds into their ears.
"NATSUMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Volcano explodes…………..
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"That Natsume……..he is getting on my nerves………" Mikan complained as she walks with her usual gang of friends.
"Nerves? You have only one thick nerve, I remembered." Hotaru said
"Erm, Hotaru-chan, I think that it's too cruel to say that…." Lincho said trying to clam Mikan.
She looked at Mikan "That's ok, she's not listening anyway" taking something out.
Mikan is already heated up where there are flames-like-aura surrounding her. She is frustrated and annoyed thinking of that stupid Natsume that always sneers and insults her.
BAKA BAKA BAKA
"Stop dreaming in your own world" And ignoring me Hotaru said shooting at Mikan's head hard that sends her flying.
"Hotaru…………." Everyone sweats.
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She behaves like there's nothing happen yesterday, I guess I do not need to apologize then. Natsume seemed deep in thought, far away from spirit.
"Natsume?" Ruka called his name for the fifth time, this time bringing him back to reality.
"Hmm?" He questioned absently, hiding his surprised.
"What's wrong?" Ruka asked again.
"Nothing, nothing important."
"I am glad that Sakura-san looks normal, looks like that incident yesterday didn't affect her that much, that's good" said Ruka relieved.
Natsume looked at him Why do you have bad taste over girls?
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This is the assignment that you need to do and I want it by next week if possible." Narumi says as he writes the list of topics for assignments on the board "Now is the best time to show the corporation among you and your partner."
"Hai!"
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"Neh, Natsume, let's give our best to get the highest mark ok?"
Mikan sits opposite him and starts to take out papers to jot down the things to do.
"With you, we'll never get any marks, let alone the highest." Natsume took down his manga from his face and stood up "No way I am going to do that transsexual hentai's assignment."
"Narumi sensei is not transsexual! He is the best sensei ever!"
Best huh? Natsume smirked at Mikan "Whatever."
"Natsume! Why are you walking off? We haven't discussed about the assignments yet! Hey!" Mikan shouted and wanted to chase after him until
BAKA BAKA BAKA
"Shut up dummy." Aiming the baka cannon at Mikan face "You want me to fail my assignments with your loud voice?"
"T.T T.T"
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Without Natsume, Mikan had to go to the library alone.
When she walks, she thought of what happen before
Scene 1:
"Hotaru, can we do assignments together?"
"No"
"But Natsume's not helping me, so I thought---
"No"
Failed.
Scene 2:
"Lincho, can we do assign—"
Mikan stopped. She stared at the mountain in front of Lincho where he is almost buried in them. Are those assignments? She wondered.
"Oh. Mikan-chan, I didn't see you. Were you saying something to me just now?" Lincho lift his head adjusting his spectacles.
Sigh "Iie, betsuni……."
Failed.
Scene 3:
"Nonoko, Anna, will you help me with my assignment?"
"Mikan-chan!!! Watch out!!!!!" shouted Anna.
Too late. A huge amount of unidentified liquid splash on her face and clothes.
"Ewwwww, what's this?" Mikan pulled out her hanky and start to wipe herself.
"Nonoko is trying to do an energetic drink so that everyone can do their assignments well" Anna said putting some cookies into the pot that has a weird colour and odour.
"R-re-really……I think I should get going…" Eye-ing the bubbles coming out of the pot, Mikan walk out of the room in a faster pace.
"Demo, matte yo, Mikan-chan…………………"
Failed.
Scene 4:
"Neh Koko, you see, Nats---
Before she finished her line, Koko's partner Sumire stares at her that it sends shivers down her spine.
"N-never mind…….."
Koko watch her run away, no idea what had happened.
Failed.
And etc………..
In the end, She started to search for information in the library herself, flipping through books, magazines. Writing important notes that she thought is equivalent. Asking help from Lincho, Ruka or Hotaru although Hotaru would shoot her after using her precious time to help her.
This continues for days and Hotaru started to worry as Mikan often do her assignments overnight and end up getting up late the next morning.
With her brain and the high level of her retardness, she will never finish on time. That Hyuuga…………………….telling him to help her is like asking pigs to fly.
Afraid that she will get sick at the rate she is going, Hotaru helped her out in the difficult parts of her assignments which of course made Mikan jumped with joy.
"Natsume, aren't you going to help Sakura-san? She really needs your help or she might won't finish it in time and both of you will not get any marks." Ruka asked looking at Mikan and her pile of reference books scattered on her table. Wished I can help her out…..but that Imai……. "If you really want to help her, talk to Hyuuga".
"Don't worry about that idiot, everything will be fine in the end." said Natsume
"Fine?" Ruka looked at him, confused.
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"Finally! Done!"
Mikan collect her papers, stack them in order and bind them together. She reads them again to make sure everything's fine.
I hope I did a good job, hope it won't disappoint Natsume………..WAIT, what the hell am I thinking of that lazy fox?
SighWell, I guess he got his reasons for this since he hate the academy and teachers so much………..
Happily. She took the completed assignment and rushed to the staff office. I am the last to hand in again, luckily its Narumi sensei and not Jinno sensei.
"Narumi-sensei! Gobenasai for the late hand in work!" Mikan shoved the assignment to Narumi-sensei.
"Assignment? Mikan-chan's?" Narumi looked at the papers she's holding and took up a stack of papers from his desk "I got your assignments already, Ruka gave them to me with his together, Mikan."
"Mine? Impossible!!!!, mine is here, I spend days and nights to complete it!"
"Hmm……I guess 'someone' did it for you then" Narumi guessed.
"Someone?"
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"Why did Sakura-san asked you to hand in the assignment? I thought she would delighted to hand it in to Narumi herself" patting his bunny, Ruka asked.
"She didn't" Natsume replied shortly
Ruka looked at him surprised "She didn't? Then…….." thinking for a moment "You mean, you did the assignment?"
Without looking away from his manga he replied briefly "She's slow. I finished it on the second day."
"But why didn't you tell her? She is having a hard time with the assignment, she will be really happy and relax if you offered to do it." said Ruka
Because it's fun watching her working hard.
"I forgot." replied Natsume, keeping his thoughts to himself.
"You forgot?"
"You forgot?"
Why are there 2 voices? Ruka's and……….
"Sakura-san??!!" Ruka exclaimed, shocked to see her standing at the doorway.
Natsume is shocked too but he recovered immediately
"Eaves-dropping I see?" he smirk
"You forgot?" Mikan repeated her question, her voice trembles a bit.
Natsume noticed the trembling in her voice and looked up from his manga to her.
For a moment, he couldn't get any words to come out from his mouth when he saw the expression on her face that he never came across before.
Ruka noticed it immediately. Trying to smoothes the tension in the air, he smiled at Mikan "Actually, Natsume's just----
"Yeah, I forgot"
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to be continued……