Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.
Note: Of course, there are no changes in my grammar work.
"Okay, from the top!" instructed Hotaru. For the last few hours, Anna, Hana, Daichi and Natsume have rehearsed their dances, and Anna had practised her lines.
"What? Can't we even have a break?" exclaimed Anna, spinning around to face Hotaru
"No, you can't" Hotaru replied nonchalantly. Anna pouted, turned around and got into position.
"Alright, 5, 6, 7, 8" counted Hotaru as she made her way in front of the mirror before pressing play on the remote.
As the music played, Anna saw Natsume close his eyes and take a deep breath.
'What's wrong with him?' Anna wondered.
"Anna, focus, you're about to miss your cue" said Hotaru. Anna mumbled an apology and focused on dancing.
"Ne, Natsume?" whispered Anna as they danced.
"Hn" replied Natsume.
"If you don't mind my ask-" Anna stopped talking as she danced around Hana. When she was dancing next to Natsume, she spoke again.
"My asking… why is it that your expressions while you dance this dance, it seems as if you're… in pain or some sort?" she asked him. Natsume didn't reply until he was sure that Hana and Daichi would not hear his reply.
"This dance means something to me. It means a lot" he murmured low enough so only Anna could hear. Anna couldn't help but smile. It wasn't every day that Natsume would reply to such a question.
"I see… Indeed, it must mean a lot to you for you to admit it" she whispered.
"Hn" replied Natsume. They then danced the rest of the dance in silence. When they finished, they all turned to face Hotaru who was walking over to her big bag and take out an envelope.
"Alright, make sure that you remember and, what I would recommend, practice the dance again, maybe before the actual performance. I want a flawless performance" said Hotaru. Anna and Hana replied with a simple 'yes' while Daichi and Natsume grunted in reply.
"We're done for today" announced Hotaru. Anna went to the change rooms to change her clothes, while Daichi and Hana decided to leave wearing their current rehearsal clothes. Hana turned around to look at Hotaru, who merrily nodded in response to whatever mute message Hana was sending her.
Hotaru then turned around and made her way to Natsume, who was seated on the floor, leaning against the large mirror.
Natsume didn't bother to look up when he saw Hotaru's feet in front of him. Instead, they both stayed quiet, not bothering to talk. Hotaru put out her hand in front of Natsume's face. In her hand was the envelope that she had taken out of her bag a moment ago. This time, Natsume looked up.
"What's this for? Payment for listening to you and doing as you tell me to?" asked Natsume sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Hotaru rolled her eyes
"Oh, please. Don't be so full of yourself. I would never give you my money, the school's...I would probably give you" retorted Hotaru. Natsume scoffed.
"Right, I would expect you to keep the money yourself-" he said. Hotaru's eyes narrowed.
"I may like money, but I am no thief" she interjected. "Now, are you going to take the envelope, or not?" she asked him, leaning over to her left leg. Natsume sighed.
"Yeah, whatever" he muttered as he leaned off the wall-mirror grabbed the envelope from Hotaru's grasp. And with that, Hotaru turned around and walked away to grab her bag before heading out the door. Though before leaving, she made sure that Anna would practice her line for tomorrow evening.
"Alright, Hotaru" Anna called out as she came out of the changing cubical. As Anna passed Natsume, who was staring at the letter, she bid him goodbye, though he didn't bother to respond. Anna smiled and left the studio, leaving the boy alone. Natsume slumped against the wall-mirror and stared at the envelope.
Silence filled the studio. The only sounds came from outside where the students were leaving the classroom, since classes have finished for the day, though for Natsume, only one thing was filled in Natsume's mind- The envelope in his hand. Natsume's back shot off the wall, which then had him seated up straight, as if he had been electrocuted.
Natsume P.O.V
What the hell is this? Is this some kind of sick joke? Because if it is, Imai isn't going to see tomorrow's daylight, I can guarantee that.
The envelope in my hand was addressed to me, though I didn't care about that. All I cared about was who the letter came from. It was Mikan. Mikan… Mikan. For fuck's sake, it was from MIKAN. How much does this world want to screw with my head?
Heaving a frustrated sigh, I ripped open the envelope, revealing two neatly folding papers filled with Mikan's rugged, yet somewhat neat, writing all over it. The letter was as follows:
Dear Natsume,
How have you been? I'm… somewhere, up and kicking. I realised that something wasn't right with the mission that was given to us by Persona, so I gave this letter to Hotaru, to give it to you when she thought it would be right time.
Honestly, I don't know where to start. There's so much to tell. I don't know where to start… Well, as you would have known, I'm, well, an assassin. And I'm not so proud of that, I must add, but I was aware that there are many fucked up bastards around the area and they need to be gone, so they won't hurt anyone. Ever. My grudge again fucked up bastards? They killed my parents.
Wait, didn't Mikan tell me that her parents owned a company…? Wouldn't that mean that they should be alive? I frowned. I guess this letter's going to be about all the secrets she has. Heaving a sigh, I start reading the letter again.
Well, right now you're probably thinking 'what? I thought her parents were alive. Don't they own a company?' well, no. Well, they do, well, used to… until they were murdered of course.
My family insisted of me, my mother and my father. Persona is my brother. Not blood related, but I consider him as my brother. He's been there to catch me when I fall for…well, ever since infant years.
So, what else is there about my background? Ah, yes, what I told you about my relationship with Watanabe was real, as well as how much I dislike him. The reason I dislike him is still money/fortune-related.
It was probably a Saturday evening, I guess. And we were seated outside a café, talking about…something, I'm not sure. Suddenly, I don't know why, (it had something to do with our conversation) but I told him about the money my parents left behind for me. Seems like since then he's been aiming for it ever since.
Well, that's the end of that. Now, going on about the actual me…
My Alices, yes, I guess that's a starter. I have, as you know, Nullification. I have two Alices. My second Alice is S.E.C- Steal, erase, copy. You've probably heard of it. The name says it all. What I could to an Alice. Then with the help of my S.E.C Alice, I copied many Alices, like ice, mind reading, teleport… and fire. Yes, I have the Fire Alice, though I rarely use it, since it never seems to agree with whatever I want it to do…
I raised an amused eyebrow at the letter. I could just imagine the annoyed and irritated look on Mikan's face as she wrote that last sentence.
Persona helped me master my Alices over the many years that I didn't go to school. Of course, it was quite hard since Persona doesn't exactly have many of the Alices that I have. He could only teach from what he had picked up over the years at the academy, watching, observing…acting scary as he usually does. Persona's only Alice is Death, as you know, though I had given him mind reading and teleporting Alice, and now I obviously regret it, but, whatever.
I felt like face-palming myself. Darn it. So Persona would have been reading my mind the entire time? That f-… No… I will not let the creepy guy get to me. No, I will not. Taking a deep breath in, I continued to read the letter.
Anyway, about me being as…assassin and all, I started when I was about…12 or 13, maybe? So it's been 4 or 5 years, maybe? Just about 5 years. I've killed-I don't know- lots of people probably, 50 at least to 65 most? It's horrible, I know.
And now I wonder what you're thinking. Actually, I always wonder 'what's he thinking at the moment? Does he hate me? Do I irritate him? Do I annoy him? Do you feel disgusted by me?'
Honestly, many questions run through my mind each day… wondering what you are thinking. Although I can use my mind reading Alice and simply read your mind, I guess it's more fun to guess.
But…I guess the most coming question I ask myself would be… 'Who am I to you?' because one thing for sure… I consider you more than just a mere classmate and assigned partner.
Well, I don't really know what to go on about… I guess I'll see you soon?
Well, until the next time we see each other,
Much love,
Mikan Sakura.
I stared the letter in my hand, reading the last few paragraphs again. 'I consider you more than just a mere classmate and assigned partner' she had written. I could feel a smile threatening to stretch across my face, though I controlled it. I slumped my back against the wall once again and tilted my head back and leaned it against the wall-mirror and closed my eyes to wait until my mind would process everything I just read.
End Natsume P.O.V
Natsume lay down on the floor and stayed in the studio until it started getting dark outside before finally getting up and exiting the studio to head to The Sakura tree.
'I think today could be one of the best times I've had in a while' thought Natsume, smirking as he made his quietly to his destination.
Knock, knock, knock
Mikan turned around to face the door. Mikan's body tensed up and she eyed the door before letting the person in. Mikan's body went to ease when she saw Kaito in front of her. Smiling, she opened the door wider to let Kaito enter.
"Hey, Kaito" Mikan greeted him. Kaito nodded and gave Mikan a half smile in return.
They talked aimlessly for half an hour or so until Kaito closed his eyes and then reopened then and looked at Mikan with a serious expression.
"Are you sure about tonight?" Kaito asked her, referring to her plan to escape the AAO. Mikan smiled.
"Yes, I am sure of it. I need to go back. Are sure about your decision?" Mikan asked him.
"Yes I am" answered Kaito. Mikan nodded and slowly turned away and walked over to the window and leaned her forehead against it.
"Alright, then I hope it all turn out well" said Mikan, turning around to face Kaito and leaned against the wall.
"As do I" said Kaito. The room was then silent. No one said a word. They didn't even talk about the kiss that happened earlier on in the day.
"So you're still planning the same route?" asked Kaito. Mikan nodded and headed over to the kitchen that was included in the room. Basically, the room that was given to her was like an apartment. A very nice one.
"Well then, I guess I'll get going" announced Kaito. Mikan walked with him to the door. When Mikan opened the door, Kaito grabbed the doorknob, removing Mikan's hands first, and stepped outside to close the door behind him. Half way on closing the door, Kaito stopped and opened the door wide. "I'll see you… when I do" he said. He then leaned over and kissed Mikan on the forehead.
"Yeah…" was all Mikan could utter. Kaito nodded and closed the door. When Kaito left, Mikan continued to stay in the same spot. Finally, she snapped out of it and walked over to bed and let herself fall onto the bed. She then buried her face into her pillow and screamed.
As soon as Mikan finished screaming, she sat up on the edge of the bed and used her hands to cover her face. She then ran her fingers through her hair and looked around her apartment-like room.
"Gosh, what am I doing? This isn't me" Mikan murmured. She felt as if she needed to get a tattoo saying 'FOREVER NATSUME HYUUGA' all over her body. Mikan chuckled at the thought. Then at the mentioning of tattoos, Mikan shot up from her bed and ran in front of a mirror and lifted up her shirt, and checked the bottom left side of her abdomen.
'My Sakura flower…' thought Mikan. Her Sakura flower tattoo had faded. And that wasn't right. From what she knew, the tattoos she got were permanent. No wonder she thought something was different about her when she was changing her clothes. Still in deep thought, Mikan slowly pulled her shirt down. Mikan then pushed the thought aside and went over to her study table and looked over her escape plan for tonight. When she was done, she stood up and headed over to the window and looked outside.
"Let's just hope all goes as planned" muttered Mikan before heading back to her bed, deciding to take a quick nap before her great escape starts. Mikan muttered five words before she was pulled into the darkness.
"I'll see you soon, Natsume"
"What do you mean by that?" exclaimed Kaito. Reo leaned back on his chair and turned it around 180 degrees.
"If she's planning to escape, we'll let her escape, but not before we give her a goodbye present" said Reo. Kaito frowned.
"Yes, I understand that bit. I just don't understand why we should bother" said Kaito.
"My, my, my, Kaito, what could you possibly mean by that?" asked Reo, turning his chair around to face Kaito again. Kaito leaned back on his chair as Reo leaned forward from his to put his elbows on the table. Kaito got up from his seat and started to walk around the room.
"I actually don't know" replied Kaito honestly. Reo nodded, as if understanding what Kaito meant. He then got up and walked over to Kaito and patted him on the back.
"All will be fine, my friend" said Reo. He then chuckled. Kaito turned around to face Reo.
"What's so funny?" asked Kaito.
"Not much" replied Reo. "It's quite interesting how all these years we've known each other, you've grown onto me so much that I consider you like my brother" said Reo. Kaito chuckled along with Reo.
"I guess so" said Kaito.
"How about you join me for dinner?" offered Reo.
"Glad to" replied Kaito, and followed Reo out the door, closing it behind him.
"Dig in" said Reo when the food arrived, after they thanked the person who made the food.
"Thanks" replied Kaito.
Reo and Kaito ate and talked throughout the night. They continued to talk after they had finished dinner, catching up on a few things. They continued to talk into the night, unaware the time passing by. When Reo finally checked the time, he declared the need to get ready. Kaito immediately caught on.
"It's almost time..." stated Kaito more than asked, but Reo answered anyway.
"Yes, it is" replied Reo before standing up and walking over to a telephone and punched in a couple of numbers.
"Get them ready as quick as you can. Make sure they're all in position in half an hour, there and ready" Reo ordered to someone over the phone. Kaito could vaguely hear the person on the other line reply with a "Yes, Sir. Right away" before shouting away from the phone about "people", "needed now", "positions" and "half hour".
When Reo was off the phone, he turned around to Kaito. "Well, it's time. Are you going to join?" asked Reo as he made his way to the door. Kaito immediately stood up and followed Reo to the door.
"Yes, of course" answered Kaito. Reo grinned.
"Glad to hear" said Reo before telling the person by the door to open it. As soon as the door opened, Reo grabbed a gun from the person by the door and put it away somewhere on his body in which Kaito wasn't able to see. Reo then turned around and tossed a gun towards Kaito's direction, who caught it with ease. Kaito stared at Reo, confused. Reo smirked.
"You might end up needing that. Who knows, we might join the fun" supposed Reo. Kaito let out a half-hearted laugh.
"Yeah, right" responded Kaito.
"Well, let's get going. Don't want to be late, do we?" asked Reo. Though, he didn't bother to wait for an answer and headed off to their hide out- where they would be waiting for Mikan.
Mikan had woken up about an hour ago, around 3am, and was getting ready for her escape. Mikan was running around her room, searching for the weapons that she had teleported away from Natsume, Daichi and Hana before she teleported them back to the academy. Mikan grinned when she finally found them. She grabbed two guns, that belonged to Natsume and Daichi, and placed them into two separate leather bands on each thigh, in which she made for tonight, with her Alice. She then grabbed the daggers, which belonged to Hana, and placed them into a specially made pocket in her boots, hiding them. Finally, Mikan grabbed her metal rod and pressed a button on it. In a flash, it was about as tall as she was. Mikan couldn't help but grin.
'I can't wait till the blade comes out, turning it into a scythe-like form' thought Mikan. She then pressed another button on the rod and it went back to its original 20cm form and turned around to check the time. 'It's almost 4am already. Wow' thought Mikan. 'Better get going' she told herself.
Mikan exited the room, closing the door, and soundlessly made her way through the empty hallways of the AAO, holding onto her rod tightly.
A/N: Hello! So, how y'all been? (:
Yeah…I'm taking too long to update. And I apologise. I've been having a difficult time figuring out what would happen next. But no worries, I now have the rest of the story planned and I am typing them down already (:
So I'll try to update quicker. Two weeks at most ;p
Well, till next time~
Don't forget to REVIEWWW~