A/N: I don't own Alice Gakuen.

Chapter 4: Kuonji and Psychology

Ten days on, the Literary Club were congregated in the same seminar room, discussing 'experience'. Mochu was the one who brought the subject up up; 'Do you think it's possible to write about something you haven't experienced?' he had asked. The responses varied.

"No." Natsume answered first, very firmly. "I mean no virgin could come up with the shit I write."

Persona sighed at this, "Is sex the only thing you think about?"

Yuu responded to Natsume's statement. "What about the Church? Religious and mystical writing can be very explicit despite having been written by virgins."

Natsume snorted in disbelief, muttering, "I doubt they were all virgins…"

"Well on the topic of religion," Persona's voice was now studious and serious, "religious literature often explores unchartered territory. For example, the subject of life after death. They write with conviction despite the fact that nobody has ever experienced death to then tell the tale."

"Hey, hey," Mochu pulled the small cross necklace from underneath his shirt, and held it up for the group to see, "what do you think we believe? We believe in Christ because he came back from the dead!"

"What you have is faith." Persona deadpanned. "And most of us don't have faith anymore."

"And that's probably why it's so subjective and causes so much conflict. Religious writing is so didactic despite the lack of convincing experiences recorded." Natsume's tone was still firm. "So: yes, it is possible to write about something you haven't experienced, but it will not be very successful. Writing from experience is better."

Mochu frowned, "But doesn't that mean you're rejecting fiction as a genre? Most stories come from the imagination…"

"Stories come from the mind, which is shaped by your experience."

Persona snorted. "You have a Lockean way of thinking."

"Perhaps; but I'm just stating my preference for realism. That's all."

Suddenly, the door to their seminar room opened. All four of them casually looked towards the door, to inspect their intruder, but they all immediately straightened when they saw who it was at the door.

Yuu felt his palms sweat, and his cheeks flush slightly. It was Z Kuonji.

Persona was the first to react. He stood up, bowing slightly. "Kuonji-sama. I… we did not know that you would be joining us today. If we did, we would have prepared some snacks—"

"I thought I'd surprise you all." Kuonji's voice was cold, and very soft. He spoke very slowly, enunciating every syllable clearly, as his dark eyes flitted around the room. "Ah. You must be Yuu, our newest member."

Yuu stumbled as he stood up. "H-Hello!" he stammered out, bowing deeply. "I'm Yuu Tobita! I—"

"Sit, sit."

Both Persona and Yuu sat back down.

Kuonji joined them.

To Yuu, the next few minutes felt like blur. He was so star-struck – so much so, that he had to consciously keep reminding himself to actually listen to Kuonji. The excited screams in his mind did not simmer down easily. But once his shock of seeing and hearing Kuonji in the flesh subsided, a very different emotion took over.

Kuonji was not what he expected at all. Of course; the effect he had on all four of them was profound—Persona somewhat religiously listened to Kuonji's every word; the mouthy Natsume now studiously nodded; and the bleary-eyed Mochu looked completely sober (even sombre).

Clearly here was a respected man.

Yet despite the effect he had on each member, it was clear that all the members were actually disheartened by Kuonji's presence, even words. In his slow voice, Kuonji was talking about the prevalent corruption within publishing companies.

For Yuu, the next few minutes felt somewhat cold, empty and hollow. He was too scared to speak – he felt crushed by Kuonji's elite presence: literary authority silenced both his voice and mind.

Kuonji's presence was oppressive in every sense.

By the end of the meeting, Yuu could not even look at him in the eye.

"I must go." were Kuonji's parting words. "Persona, walk with me."

Persona complied.

Kuonji did not even say goodbye – silently, he left the seminar room, with Persona following him like a shadow.

Yuu exhaled a breath he did not know he was holding.

Mochu looked at him with a knowing expression as he slapped Yuu twice on his back, in a brotherly fashion. "You still a fan of Kuonji?"

"I… I don't even remember what we just talked about."

"Don't worry. I felt like that too." Mochu's smile was sympathetic. "You'll get used to it though. Not to mention, he doesn't appear all too much, so no need to get tense."

Natsume on the other hand seemed unfazed. But perhaps his indifference came from experience, too. He was used to Kuonji's coldness and elitist attitude: he knew now not to expect anything else from him. Forgetting already about the exchange, he was checking the time on his phone.

"As much as I want to join this bitching session about Kuonji," Natsume stood up, "I have to go. Mikan's only got a fifteen minute lunch break today, so I can't really afford to be late."

"Again?" Mochu questioned, his tone non-accusatory, but rather like a nosy grandma. "And let me guess – she's also coming to yours tonight? Take it from me – you need to give your girlfriend some degree of space—"

"She's not my girlfriend," Natsume answered, as he walked to the door, "it's a casual thing. We're just two people who enjoy each other's company, both in and out of bed." But he didn't deny the fact that, yes, Mikan was also spending the night at his again tonight. He waved a goodbye, and left.

Whilst Mochu got some amusement out of Natsume's situation, Yuu on the other hand still seemed slightly dejected. Mochu noticed, and tried again to console Yuu: "Seriously Yuu, don't take it to heart. It might take a few more sessions for you to get used to his manner. And, it might not seem this way to you now, but even discussions like these are useful for us."

Yuu sighed. "I… I just thought he would talk about writing, rather than lecture us about money."

Mochu barked a laugh. "Oh, Yuu…"

Yuu glanced at Mochu, feeling once again like a child. "Are you going to call me naïve?"

Mochu shook his head. "Nah. I was just thinking the world needs more people like you."

"It's just that I feel like I had this certain image in my head. In my head, I had dreamt out my first meeting with Kuonji. And in my imagination, we actually spoke, rather than him just talking for fifteen minutes straight about corruption, money and infidelity. It's just… well, a bit depressing."

"Sounds like disillusionment to me." Mochu stood up, and held a hand out for Yuu. "Come on; let's go get some lunch." They both walked away from the seminar room, and Mochu continued, "I think being disappointed is part of growing up. It doesn't get any better as you age, but the more you age, the less you care. Perhaps that's the only good thing about growing old."

Yuu contemplated this. He asked (trying not to be so hopeful), "Does he ever read our work?"

"Yeah, he does." Mochu nodded. "He just didn't notify us that he was coming today, so we didn't bother giving our pieces from this week. Usually, he let's us know two or three days beforehand so we can hand it straight to him. But you'll have to ask Persona about that—he's in charge of that."

That was another concern of his. Yuu decided to confide in Mochu: "I'm not sure if I like Persona." He didn't know he could be so straightforward; he surprised himself with his own words.

Mochu, on the other hand, did not seem so surprised. "You've caught on, huh? Well, Anna," Mochu's girlfriend, "doesn't like him much either. From what she's heard from Nonoko, a pharmaceutical student," suddenly, Mochu lowered his voice and leaned towards Yuu as they walked down the corridor, "Persona is rumoured to be a drug dealer. And I know this warning may seem a bit rich coming from me, the stoner, but I would keep him at arm's length. I do think he is a nice guy though… just involved with some shady people."

Mochu's diagnosis seemed to be correct: disillusionment followed Yuu like a shadow from that day onwards, from the moment he woke, to the moment he fell asleep. The week passed both quickly and agonizingly slowly – whether it was suddenly or finally Friday, he wasn't quite sure.

He was sat on the grass in the quad, alone, thinking.

"Yuu?"

He looked up. It was a face he had not seen in a few weeks – Shino Shin, affectionately dubbed as Koko by his friends. He had met Koko back at Luca's party three weeks ago. As far as he remembered, Koko was an incredibly friendly psychology student.

"Hey," Yuu smiled, "how are you?"

Without an invite, Koko sat himself next to Yuu. "Ugh, bored!" He released an exaggerated yawn, squeaking slightly. "I just had a three hour lecture block. I'm exhausted! How are you?"

"I…" Yuu sighed. "I'm fine, I guess."

Koko raised an eyebrow, excitedly, before he gushed, "Do I spy an opportunity?"

"Huh?"

"You seem down in the dumps."

"I am… but why are you excited by this, exactly?"

Koko actually clapped his hands, jubilantly. "Oh, excellent! Well, kiss your lucky stars tonight, Yuu, because I am going to psychoanalyze you – for free!"

"…What?"

Koko was already pulling out a notebook from his shoulder bag, rummaging for a pen too. "Look – people don't think about psychology until they are unhappy. That's just the truth. What kind of people gets therapy? People with problems. And lucky for us psychologists, that's most people. Why? Humans are endlessly complicated. I mean, have you ever seen a happy person buy a self-help book? So, I'm going to psychoanalyze you – don't worry, it's very simple! – with the purpose to make you feel better. Because at the end of the day, people like to understand themselves, to understand why they are feeling the way they do. In the past, people used to look at horoscopes to try to understand their personalities. After Freud, we don't need to look at the stars anymore: we just need to look within to get the answers. Aha!" He had finally found a pen. He opened his notebook. "Right. So can I psychoanalyze you?"

Yuu laughed unsurely. "I don't think you're going to take no for an answer, so sure."

"Okay," Koko passed the notebook and the pen to Yuu, "I'm going to tell a story, and you have to imagine it in your head. Sometimes I am going to ask you questions. Write down what your imagination sees here."

Yuu nodded, taking the paper and pen. "I'm ready."

Koko's smile faded, and now, in a very serious but calming tone, he started: "You're walking on a beach. Suddenly, an animal passes by you. What animal was it? Was it big, or small? Describe it in a few words. … Now, you keep walking but then you see a cage in the middle in front of you. What's in the cage? What kind of cage is it? Is it small, or spacious? Is it locked up tightly or open and free? … Finally, your path is blocked by a wall. What kind of wall stops your path? Is it tall, or small? What is the wall made out of? … That's it!"

Yuu blinked. "That's it? There were only three questions…" He couldn't help feel sceptical – the test itself reminded him of being a child!

Koko nodded. "Now, read out your answers! What animal did you see?"

With a dubious look, Yuu shrugged and read out his scribbles. "Well… I saw small puppy. I'm not sure what breed it was, but it was small. It looked nice." He glanced up at Koko, and seeing his encouraging smile, he continued, "Um… the cage was empty; it was made of steel but it was very rusty. Then, the wall was very tall, very oppressive – made of metal."

Koko nodded, understandingly, pensively and sagely. "I see… well, here's your analysis. So, the animal you saw is supposed to be yourself: you see yourself as a small, nice-looking puppy, but the fact that you're unsure of its breed might indicate that you're unsure of yourself. Not to mention, the fact that you're still a puppy might suggest innocence… basically, you're not yet a dog. The cage is supposed to represent an intimate relationship – the fact that your cage is empty means that you don't have a partner in your life yet. The steel could indicate that you want something strong and substantial in a relationship, but the rust perhaps shows your reluctance? Maybe you're not quite ready for a relationship. Finally, the wall is supposed to show how close or far death is. Don't worry – your wall was strong, meaning that death is still very far away from you. But the fact that your wall was oppressive might mean that you're finding life quite oppressive at the moment." Koko breathed, before he smiled. "How did I do? Was that quite accurate?"

Yuu didn't want to admit how accurate Koko was. Granted, there were a lot of 'maybes', but overall, it was truthful. He opened and closed his mouth. Then, "I—"

"Koko!"

Both Koko and Yuu looked up: two girls were walking towards them, smiling, holding large folders in their hands. Yuu recognized the one of the right to be Hotaru Imai, yet he did not know who the pretty brunette was on her left. It was the brunette who had called Koko's name, and Koko now replied back, with an equally sunny voice, "Mikan, my love!"

"Good morrow, darling!" Mikan called back in jest, flicking Koko on the head before she sat down next to him. Hotaru joined them on the grass too.

"Hello, Yuu."

"Hello Hotaru-san!" Yuu warmly said.

"It's good to see you again." Hotaru faintly smiled. "We should go out for a drink again soon."

Yuu nodded, smiling, happy. "That's a great idea." He promised.

"Oh, you must be Tobita Yuu? From the Literary Writing Club?" Mikan asked, inclining her body towards him. Yuu nodded, somewhat shyly. She was incredibly pretty and bright, with her big eyes looking excitedly at him, with sincere curiousity. "I've heard so much about you! You've certainly impressed Hotaru over here. Ooh," she glanced down at the notebook Yuu was holding, "are you writing a short story for your meeting? Mind if I take a look?"

Yuu blushed. "Oh, no, this isn't—"

Koko explained for Yuu, "No, this is something more important than a short story… this is Yuu's psyche!"

Mikan raised an eyebrow. Hotaru narrowed her eyes, then sighed, before she looked at Yuu in a sorry manner. "Did he psychoanalyze you with some bullshit story about a beach and a cage?"

"…Um," Yuu's eyes were flitting between Koko and Hotaru, "um…"

Mikan laughed. "Again, Koko? Are you planning to do this test on everybody you meet?"

"Psychology is such a silly subject," Hotaru added, with an entertained expression, as she rested her chin on her hand, which was propped up on her leg, "honestly, it's offensive that it's even categorised as a science."

"You only hate psychology because when I did this test on you in first year, I hit the nail right on the head!" harrumphed the affronted Koko, sticking his tongue out childishly at Hotaru. "You think you're a mystery but three mere questions told me so much about you, and that scares you."

"Adorable, but no." Hotaru shook her head.

"What animal did you see?" Yuu asked, genuinely curious.

Hotaru's lips thinned. Mikan answered instead, "Hotaru saw a cat. Self-sufficient, you know. I saw an orangutan! I love orangutans…" She smiled at Yuu, but then, she jumped as if she realized something. "Oh, I'm sorry! I haven't introduced myself. I'm Mikan Sakura – third year medic." She gave him a small wave.

"Oh! You're Natsume's..." Yuu had spoken before he thought. Immediately, he flushed. He didn't know if saying 'Natsume's fling' was appropriate or not (probably not – what girl likes to be categorised as someone's fling?). He regretted his words. He tried to rectify his mistake, "I-I mean…"

Understandingly, Mikan smiled, and said with ease, "That's right. I'm Natsume's new friend."

Yuu couldn't believe he didn't realize who this was until now. Of course; of course this was Mikan Sakura, Natsume's current muse. Of course Natsume's muse would be someone extraordinary – extraordinarily pretty and kind. He expected no less of Natsume, after all. Her long brown hair, her small charming face, her intelligent smile, her easeful laughter, her clear manner of speaking … Yuu could see exactly why Natsume was so attracted to and besotted with her. She was lovely.

Koko beside him, however, gasped. "What! Natsume, as in Natsume Hyuuga my flatmate from first year?" When Mikan nodded, Koko gasped again. "You're going out with him?!"

"Didn't you hear what I just said? I said his 'new friend'! Friend, Koko, friend."

Koko snorted. "You mean his new 'bed' friend."

Unashamed, and straightforwardly Mikan replied, "I guess you could call us bed friends."

Koko then cried out, as if a sudden revelation descended from the heavens, "Friends with benefit!"

Mikan unabashedly shrugged, nodding. "You could call it that too. Call it whatever you like, Koko."

Koko abruptly grabbed Mikan's hand with both of his hands. "Mikan, my love… I thought I was your one and only!"

"Hey, I'm not the one dating Sumire!"

"What about me, hmm?" They all turned and looked up, to see Luca Nogi and a tall, beautiful girl with dark green hair standing beside their little huddled group. It was the girl who had spoke – she had one hand on her hip, and one thin eyebrow raised.

Koko squeaked, before letting Mikan's hand go as if it were on fire. He shot up, to stand beside her. "Sumi-chan!" He cried affectionately, only to throw his arms around her. He was shorter than her, and so had to tiptoe to place his arms around her neck. "I missed you!"

"That's Sumire Shouda," Hotaru murmured to Yuu, "Koko's girlfriend."

Yuu felt his jaw drop slightly. Sumire Shouda was gorgeous, and whilst Koko was… cute, in a silly, sloppy way, never would he have guessed them to be a couple upon first glance. She seemed so regal, and well put together, whilst Koko looked as if he got a child to dress him everyday. She seemed like the type of woman who got her nails done every two weeks, whilst Koko looked as if he hadn't got a haircut in a year.

Shoving her boyfriend away from her, Sumire sat down besides Mikan. "Hey, babe. How are you?"

"I'm good," Mikan turned to Luca. "Hey Luca!"

"Hey guys," Luca joined them on the grass. Koko too sat back down, and squeezed himself next to Sumire.

Sumire looked around, then asked, "Who's this?" She was gazing at Yuu. "I haven't seen you around."

"I'm Tobita Yuu." Yuu answered, his back straightening. It was slightly unnerving to be stared at so intently by Sumire's piercing green eyes. "I'm a first year Literature student. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Sumire Shouda. I do veterinary sciences with Luca. Nice to meet you too."

Mikan nudged Yuu, and friendly said, "Sumire might act and talk like a bitch, but you should know she's actually one of the nicest girls I know."

"Thank you for that backhanded compliment, you bitch." Sumire barked, but her eyes were soft and kind.

Koko didn't like to be ignored by his girlfriend, and so attempted to get her attention by saying, "Sumi-chan, Sumi-chan! Guess what! Mikan is screwing Natsume Hyuuga!"

Sumire glanced at her boyfriend, "Luca got there first. He just told me."

Dejected, Koko slumped and pouted.

Sumire turned to Mikan. "Just because I'm not squealing right now doesn't mean I didn't squeal when Luca told me ten minutes ago. Mikan!" Mikan jumped at her sudden raised voice. "Is it true?"

"Yes." Mikan then sighed, "Why is this such a big deal? You guys all know what I'm like. I like to screw people; I shamelessly enjoy it. This isn't my first casual relationship, and it most likely won't be my last. So why is everyone gasping and raising their voice just because it's Hyuuga?"

"Um, maybe because he's fucking hot?" Sumire answered, in a 'duh-are-you-dumb' voice. "You're fucking the most fuckable piece of meat on campus!"

Luca seemed uncomfortable at the fact that his best friend was reduced to a 'fuckable piece of meat', and Yuu could only blush at Sumire's brazen declaration. Hotaru snorted, amused. Koko, on the other hand, cried, horrified. "Sumi-chan! Nooo—"

Ignoring Koko's jealous cries, Mikan joked, "Good thing I'm not a vegetarian."

Sumire and Hotaru laughed.

Somewhat worried to interrupt this girl-talk, Luca cleared his voice before saying, "On the subject of Natsume... Mikan," Mikan looked at Luca, "Natsume was looking for you."

Girl-talk resumed at once: Hotaru, looked at Mikan and groaned, "God, he's getting needy, huh?"

Mikan snorted, "You don't know the half of it. You should have heard him this morning: Mikan," her voice contorted into a low but babyish tone as she started to imitate Natsume from earlier this morning, "Mikaaannnn I'm coldddd, I'm hungwyyyyy, Mikannn come backkk, Mikaaaannnnn!" Sumire cackled with laughter, clapping her hands manically, "God," (Mikan's normal voice returned), "men are such whining babies!"

"Pathetic," Hotaru spat out, with a very amused grin.

Yuu paled at the thought of Natsume crying like a baby for Mikan. But for some reason, it didn't seem too farfetched.

"You're in luck, honey," Sumire said, turning to Koko, with a big smile, "after hearing that, Natsume Hyuuga is no longer so appealing to me anymore." Koko's eyes brightened. "You're my number one, babe."

"Oh, Sumi-chan!" Koko jubilantly wailed, throwing himself on his beloved girlfriend. "I knew that you would come to your senses and see that I'm twice the man Natsume is!"

"Twice the baby…" Hotaru corrected, causing the girls to fall about in laughter again.

"Oh, shit!" Mikan piped up, all of a sudden, laughter gone. "I'm going to be late for my assessment!" Gathering her folder, she stood up. "It was nice to meet you, Yuu!" She then transferred her smile to the rest of her friends; "I'll see you all soon! Oh, and Luca - thanks for the message. I'll contact Natsume after my assessment. If he pesters you again before I contact him though, tell him I'm done at six today."

Luca nodded, "Will do."

"Thanks! See you all soon!" Mikan rushed off as they all waved her off, Sumire calling after her with a kind, "Bye, slut!"

Turning, Mikan shouted back just as kindly, "Bye, seaweed witch!"

In that moment, Yuu realized how little he actually understood girls.

It was only a few hours later that Yuu also realized that he was no longer disillusioned. Maybe, he thought, maybe Koko's psychoanalysis isn't complete and utter bullshit after all.

A/N: Hello! A bit more 'set-up'. You'll be seeing Mikan and Natsume together in the next chapter. And now, review replies…

Ginger Velvet: Wow, thanks so much for your long review! It was great to read. Yeah, England is a mess right now. And the worst part is, it doesn't look like it's going to get any better soon… Still in a shock, to be honest. Anyway – back to the story! Thanks for letting me know about the typos and grammatical errors. I'll have to go back and check/correct them (I'm so lazy…). Glad you enjoyed the juicy bits, and if you do end up reciting poetry (or singing for that matter) next time, I will be happy (lol) to know that my writing inspired you in that department, haha. Glad you like this witty Mikan. I feel like in this fandom, the easy option is just to characterize Mikan as a silly, naïve girl, that squeals, bounces and falls over all the time, but I dunno… I would say she's pretty damn assertive in the manga and anime? Maybe not as book-smart, but she knows how to carry herself confidently. In this chapter, I hoped to fill her out more – hope you still like her. And yup: all the kink IS here, mwhahaha. Thanks for the review!

SunBabyBoss: Hello, thanks for your review! I'm glad you like my take on Natsume and Mikan. Yeah, I think I've definitely grown up and away from their 10 year old mannerisms… I mean, being in my early 20s, it would be creepy if I still thought like a 10 year old, my God. Anyway, thanks for your review!

Lexi1989: Yay, glad you liked the previous chapter. Yup, characters are OOC, but I hope that won't be a problem for you, or any other readers. Glad you like my idea thus far! And hopefully you're not too disappointed that you did not get to accompany Natsume on his doctor's appointment, haha. Thanks for your review!

Anilissa: Will they fall for each other, you ask? *cackles* Well, my friend, only time will tell… mwhahaha. Thanks for your review!

Also, try the 'psychology' test out on your friends! It's quite fun, haha – some of my friends came up with the most extraordinary answers! It's not a serious test, mind you…

Also, Persona said, "You have a Lockean way of thinking." – for those who don't know what this means: John Locke was a philosopher back in the day, and he philosophized that we are all born as a 'blank slate', and our characteristics come from our experiences. Essentially, the blank slate (me, or you, or he, she, it) is 'coloured' in by their surroundings and experiences. So, it differs from the previous orthodox ideas of predestination and such, as John Locke states that experiences determine your life, not God etc. (Very simplified explanation – google is your best friend!)