She was running

She was running. Again. She knew she wasn't supposed to be. She knew that there was something she needed to do. But she couldn't stop. She tripped and fell to the ground on her knees, gasping for air, willing the constriction near her heart to go away, but it wouldn't. Darkness surrounded her, but she stopped fearing things such as darkness a long time ago. She wasn't sure what she feared anymore, maybe it was nothing, maybe everything. She didn't know what she was running from, she didn't know where she was running to. All that she knew was that she had to.

Mikan…

She sat up, sweating. Her breath came out in catches and her cheeks were wet from the tears she had unknowingly shed. She hugged her knees, rocking back and forth, trying to cope with the sense of despair that had found its way to her heart.

She sighed as she realized that she wouldn't be able to get the good night's sleep that she had been yearning for. If I can't sleep, then why not use the time for something worthwhile?

She wasn't the only one who wasn't asleep, though. Natsume was awake too, because of similar reasons. He looked up at the stars, his eyes seeking the brightest one in the sky. Memories of a long lost time came back to him as he continued to look at the star.

'Hey Natsume! Do you believe in wishes upon stars?'

Natsume smiled at the girl seated beside him. Her eyes were shining with enthusiasm as she turned towards him, waiting for his answer.

'No. I don't.'

She pouted. 'You're no fun! Have you ever tried it? You seem pretty sure it doesn't work.'

Natsume sighed as he wrapped his arm around her. 'No. I have not tried it.'

Her eyes got back the old shine. 'Then let's try it, okay? If it comes true, then you'll believe in wishes won't you?'

Natsume laughed. 'Well alright.' He pinched her nose. 'For you.'

He snapped back into reality, and found himself looking at the star. He turned his sight away from it, as though it disgusted him. Wishes upon stars just don't come true, do they?

"You are awake."

The voice startled him, though he hid it well. He turned to look at Mikan, who was still in her nightgown, clutching something that looked like a letter.

A love letter? Thought Natsume as something stirred within him.

"That's obvious isn't it?"

The two of them were in the balcony of the suite, at the middle of the night, glaring at each other.

"Well I don't know why I even bother, Natsume!" Mikan said, as she noticed his grin.

"What?"

"You called me Natsume, Polka."

Mikan opened her mouth once, but closed it again. "So what, it is your name, isn't it?"

She had a matchbox in her hand as well. She had already taken out a match and was about to light it when Natsume interrupted.

"You know if you want to burn something, I can do it."

She looked at him, unimpressed. "I like to do some things traditionally. Thanks for the offer though, pyro." She lit a match and set the edge of the letter on fire.

What the hell? She writes something and sets it on fire? Or wait, maybe she received it and wanted nobody else to see it… What does it contain, anyways? Natsume thought as he watched her lay the now burning paper on the railing. She looked up at the stars and a smile lit her face. Yeah. Beautiful aren't they?

"Hey Natsume! Do you believe in wishes upon stars?"

A sudden flash appeared in his eyes. Anger? Or maybe grief? But the look passed when Mikan looked at him closely.

"No. I don't."

Mikan wasn't surprised. She strode to the armchair next to Natsume's and sat on it, hugging her knees.

"I used to, you know. On wishes upon stars, coins in the fountain, fortune cookies. But then…" she closed her eyes, breathing hard, as if calming herself. Natsume observed her from the corner of his eyes, taking in every movement. She's bottling up her emotions. It's bad for her.

Mikan suddenly opened her eyes, causing them to lock with Natsume's.

"If only things were so easy, life would be beautiful wouldn't it?" Mikan breathed it out. "If only wishing for something could make it happen, then there would be no cause for sorrow, or tears."

It surprised Natsume that he understood exactly what she meant. He felt the same, the same yearning.

"What fun would that be?"

Mikan looked surprised that he had actually bothered to answer.

"It would be no fun if you get something just by wishing for it. You'll never know it's real value would you? And also, if you've never felt grief in your life, then how will you ever know what joy feels like?"

Now where did that come from? Thought the two of them, shocked by Natsume's words.

Damn it! How the hell did those words come out of my mouth? Because of her?

"I better get going." He said as he stood up. Before I say something more. "It's late. You better go as well."

Mikan just nodded at him. "In a minute. Goodnight Natsume."

He paused under the doorway, his head bent slightly. He whispered something that he hoped went unheard, but wasn't. Mikan looked at his retreating figure, confused by his utterance.

"I used to believe, as well."

"Good Morning, everybody!" Mikan burst into the classroom, bubbling with enthusiasm.

"Hey, Hotaru! Hello Yuu!"

Hotaru just spared Mikan a glance, before getting back to her invention. Yuu smiled nervously at her and examined her, as if hoping to finds some bruises. Or burns.

"Hello Mikan! So you are alright."

"Of course I'm alright Yuu. Why wouldn't I be?" asked Mikan, not knowing what Yuu was worried about.

"He's just wondering if Hyuuga tried to roast you alive." Spoke Hotaru, without looking up.

Mikan's eyes widened as she turned towards Yuu, who was now blushing a shade of deep red.

"Why would he do that? And I can nullify it if he tries his fire on me you know? And yesterday was an accident, I wasn't paying attention." She added quickly when she saw Yuu open his mouth. "Hey! Yuu, what Alice do you have?"

She noticed the way his chest swelled, the glow in his eyes when he replied, "I have the Illusion Alice."

Mikan smiled. "You are proud of it, aren't you?"

Yuu nodded. "Almost all of us are, Mikan. I haven't introduced the class to you have I? This is Anna, she has the Cooking Alice and Nonoko here has the Chemistry Alice." He said, pointing at two girls, who but for their pink and blue hair would have looked like twins. "Ruka has the animal pheromone Alice, Koko was the one who tried to read your mind yesterday." He said, nodding his head towards the sandy haired guy. "Mochu has the Levitation Alice, Otanashi has the Divination Alice and Kitsunume has the Flying Alice. That's all I guess. Oh and of course Natsume has the Fire Alice, as you might have already figured." He grinned as Mikan glared at him and started speaking with Anna and Nonoko. She sat on the empty seat beside Hotaru and turned back to greet the ones behind her.

"Morning Ruka! Morning Natsume!"

Ruka looked up and smiled at her, while Natsume just gave her a weary look.

She expects me to wish her? Stupid polka!

What's wrong with him now? He was speaking with me yesterday night! And just when I thought I can actually get along with him!

"You didn't sleep yesterday, did you?" Mikan raised her head to find Hotaru staring at her.

"H.. How did you know?"

"I am your best friend you know. Maybe you should get one of Nonoko's potions. They really work."

The door opened again as Narumi entered the room with an impossibly cheery grin on his face. Why does he always look like Christmas is round the corner? Thought Mikan as a smile found its way on her face too. But it was wiped off the door opened again, to reveal a person in the high school uniform.

He had tousled golden red hair, that reached just past his nape. His face was angular, with sharp, honed features, his complexion tanned, giving him a bronzed look. He was tall, quite past the normal average and built well at that. His eyes were a silvery grey, which she knew turned stormy whenever he was angry or feeling too much. His long legs ate up the ground as he halted at the teacher's desk and exchanged a few words with Narumi. He straightened as Narumi nodded, quite aware of the fact that his appearance was affecting much of the female population of the class.

"Well class, we have our second new comer in two days. Mikan! Looks like you won't be the only special one!"

The guy paled immediately and turned towards Narumi. "Mikan?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Yes. Mikan." He turned towards the source of the voice and found it.

"Mikan?" he whispered again.

"Yes. Kazue.