23Konnichiwa! I'm back and now, with no more exams, yeay! I've graduated ;) I've corrected my previous mistakes. Hehe, enjoy.
Somewhere in the middle of Tokyo
It was the beginning of fall season. Leaves had turned yellow and orange and falling from the tree branch.
"Ai-chan, wake up. It's already 7 o'clock. You're going to be late for school." An old women with strike of gray hair said to a sixteen year old girl.
"Ohayou, obaa-chan," The girl greeted while yawning as she just got up. The old woman smiled at her.
"Hurry up and prepare yourself for school. Breakfast will be ready in 10 minutes." And she left the teenage room. Ai got off her bed and makes her bed up and went straight to take her shower. She dressed up in her elite school uniform which consists of black pleated skirt, white school shirt, beige vest and a red tie. She puts her dark brown hair up in a ponytail and clipped her fringe at the side with a simple red clip. She looked at the mirror and pinched her right cheek. "Osh, I'm set." She took her school bag and went downstairs.
"Okaa-san, have you wake her up?" asked a man with black hair but has gray hair at the side and at the back of his head shows that he is in his late 40's. He flipped the newpaper to another page and sipped his coffee.
"She'll be down soon, you know she's never late." Said the grandmother. Just when they were talking, the teen aged girl came down right on time sat the opposite of her father.
"Ohayou gozaimasu, otou-san, obaa-chan." She smiled to the two adults. The man puts down the newspaper and smiled happily at his daughter, "Ohayou, my princess. How are doing this morning?" Ai took a bite on her pancake.
"I'm fine, thank you. I heard that your business is widening up to China. Congrats!" She looked at her father and winked.
Her father looked at her, "I'm touched. You know about otou-san's business life as well." Ai smiled while sweat dropped and then her grandmother interrupted, "you silly boy, she's a clever girl and to answer your ridiculous question, she reads newspaper. Don't you know her anymore?" the women said in strict voice. Ai sweat dropped again as she listened to the two adults's conversed.
Ai wiped her mouth with a napkin and puts it down. "Hai, I'm done. Obaa-san, I'll be back late because I have to go for piano rehearsal right after school and I'll be going with Tomoyo. So, don't wait for me, okay?" she informed her grandmother and kissed her grandmother's cheek and also her dad's. She puts on her shoes and stood up while facing the two of them, "Ja, ittekimasu!"
"Itterashai, Ai-chan!" Her dad said almost shouting. "Not so loud, Takumi." Her grandmother scolded her father. Ai slightly shook her head and smiled. She bid goodbye and left the pent house and headed to the elevator.
Her dad sighed. "She's growing up, okaa-san, and she looks like Kasumi-chan. How long do you think till they get her? I won't be able to do anything" he said with full concern.
His mother nodded and looked up the sky through the kitchen's window. "You're right. She looks more like her mother everyday. Don't worry too much Takumi, she's gonna be fine. I promise," the old women said to her son.
Takumi-san gave out a short sigh and sipped the last coffee. He stood up and took his suitcase and kissed his mother's cheek, "Ja, ittekimasu." The old women smiled, "Itterashai."
At the Alice Academy
"KYAAA! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late! I have another 10 minutes. Darn it! I'd better hurry. It's Jin Jin's class for the first period." Shouted the brunette to herself as she puts on her socks and shoes.
Mikan ran as fast as she could to get to class. As she was to turn at corridor, she bumped into someone and fell backwards. She closed her eyes waiting to fell on her butt but she didn't. Instead, she felt someone gripped her arms. She opened her eyes and saw a pair of familiar auburn eyes looking straight at her. She gasped.
"Uh, a-arigato Natsume." She said stuttering to him.
"Tch, you're such a klutz, Strawberries." He said smirking to her. A vein popped out and…
"NATSUME! YOU PERVERTED IDIOT!" she screamed on top of her lungs and Natsume smirked again and walked away somewhere else. "Baka Natsume. And where is he going? Don't tell me he's cutting class again." She had a thought and sighed. "Baka Natsume! Oh, I've better hurry up!" She rushed to class.
When she entered the classroom, all students were making noise and using their alices to their own benefits. She ignored the situation for a minute.
"Ohayo minna-san!" she greeted her classmates. "Ohayo Mikan-chan." Yuu greeted her back as well as Anna, Nonoko and Kokoro.
"Ne, Iinchou. Why's is everybody making noise and where's Jin Jin?" she asked the class president.
He looked at Mikan and smiled. "Well, you're lucky Mikan-chan. Mr. Jinno just left minutes ago. The teachers have a meeting today. So, it's the day off." He explained to her.
Mikan smiled ear to ear. Anna and Nonoko smiled seeing Mikan smiling that childish smile. "Sou desu ka? YEEAAAY! Looks like there won't be any homework tonight." She grinned happily.
Yuu frowned, "Yeah, no homework..." Mikan laughed nervously while sweat dropped. Everyone in the class knew that Tobita Yuu, the Class President was the only one who ever loved homework.
Anna approched Mikan, "Ne Mikan-chan. Since it is a day off, why not we go to Central Town for fun?" Mikan smiled even brightly. Mikan has never gone tired with Central Town even if she had been there for so many times. She remembered the first time she was there. The first fluff puffsshe tried with her own hard work money that she made together with her friends. "Of course, why not! We should invite a few others too. Koko, you're coming aren't you?" Kokoro nodded and grinned. "Even better. Now is for Iinchou to come along. Right, Iinchou?" Yuu nodded as well. Mikan smiled in satisfaction.
"Chotto." She looked around the class when she noticed something missing. "What's wrong Mikan-chan?" Yuu asked. Mikan was about to asked Yuu until Koko spoke up, "Imai-san is in her lab. She left the class right after Jinno did."
"Arigato Koko! Right, I'll meet you guys at the bus stop in an hour, okay? Ja ne!" Before she left the class, she remembered Ruka. "I wonder if he would like to come with us. I should go asked him." She approached Ruka, "Ohayou Ruka-pyon! Ne, do you want to come with us to Central Town today?"
Ruka looked up from his bunny and smiled while a tint of small blush on his cheeks, "Ohayou Sakura-san. Ano, sumimasen, but I can't. All the animals in the shelter including Piyo needs to be checked by the vet today so it's important for me to be there today." He said to her with a sound of disappointment in his voice.
Mikan frowned a little but she puts back her usual smile. "Daijobu! We can go next time. Ano, Ruka-pyon. Eto.. Do you, urm, might know where Natsume would be?" Her cheeks were tinted with red blush.
Ruka smiled because he knows that the brunette has feelings for his best friend, the infamous fire caster, Hyuuga Natsume. "He said he's going to his room." He patted Usagi's head. Mikan smiled happily and bowed to him a little, "Arigato, Ruka-pyon! Ja na." She ran out of the class.
Ruka looked at the door where Mikan left. He doesn't blush madly in front of Mikan like he used to. He doesn't know why but his feelings towards Mikan were not like before for some reasons. Nowadays, he felt his heart beats fast for someone else. Oh yes, the feeling blooms after 5 years had past by them. He falls for Mikan's best friend, the Ice Queen, Imai Hotaru. As he thought about the Ice Queen, how he had fallen head over heels in love with her, a blush crept on his face.
Flashback
"Imai! You get back here with those pictures! Come on. Don't be so mean Imai." The animal boy shouted at her while chasing her on a rhino and she was on her duck scooter running away.
"And why should I give back the pictures. They're top selling pictures and all your fan girls would die for them. They pay me big cash you know." She said in a monotone voice and keep on that emotionless face and cold attractive violet eyes.
"Oh come on, Imai. Give it up already. Please…" He pleaded. Still there was no response from her. Then she said, "It's still a NO." then she flew off faster. "Argh! Imai. You're gonna regret this!" Ruka said that and called his eagle, hopped on and searching for Hotaru.
After 10minutes of search, he found her sleeping under a tree with a book on her lap. Ruka went quietly to her. He approached her and bent down. He looked at her face. Then he blushes 30 shades of red lines. "She looks, beautiful. Chotto! Erk, what am I thinking?! She blackmails you for god sake. But still, come to think of it, she's still a girl and she looks like an angle when she sleeps." He thought. He then looked at the book she's holding. He took it away slowly, "Maybe this is something precious of hers. I might as well 'borrow' it for a while.'
He sat beside her and opened the book. At the middle page of the book, he couldn't believe his eyes. His eyes widened shock as he looked at the picture. It was… a picture of… himself. A picture of him smiling in class. 'I look pretty good.' He looked at the Snow Queen finding for an answer. He looked at the back of the picture and saw…
'Aishiteru, Ruka-kun.'
Ruka was shocked when he read that. "She, she loves me? That's imposible. But, this is her hand writing. I need an answer from her." He looked at her and smiled. "She is beautiful." Then he could hear his heart beating fast and blood rush up to his cheeks. He shook his head furiously trying to get back to reality.
As soon as he realized, the Snow Queen woke up and saw him. She was surprised. "Nogi, what are you doing here?" she asked in a monotone voice, "What the heck is he doing here and wait, where's my book. Crap!" she quickly snapped back into reality and took out her Baka Gun and pointed at him.
"Hotaru wait! Before you shoot me, answer me first. What's this?" he asked her while showing her book. "Are you dumb? It's a book, you idiot and who allowed you to call me by my first name?" She said in a strict yet again, monotone voice
"Don't play stupid with me Hotaru! And now, I decided I want to call you by that name. It sounds nicer. Explain to me Hotaru!" he exclaimed to her.
"…"she couldn't say anything. She was lost of words. She looked away, and she stood up to leave until a strong grip on her wrist and pinned her to the tree. She was taken back when she saw a pair of blue orbs stared straight at her. She felt blush creeping up her face. "You're not going anywhere without telling me, Hotaru. Is it true?" he asked.
"… It's none of your business, Ruka-kun. Since when do you stick your nose in people's business? Now let go of me, INSTANTLY!" she was trying hard to hide her feelings. She doesn't want him to know because she doesn't want to feel embarrassed.
Ruka smirked, "You're a bad liar at this. You love me, don't you? Don't deny it. You can't run away nor hid it anymore." Hotaru just looked at the grounds, she didn't dare to look at him. He lifted her chin and went closer to her face. Their lips were just centimeters away. She felt nervous. She quickly pushed him away. She took the book which was on the ground and rode off.
He smiled to himself, "I got you now, Hotaru"
End of flashback
"That was unexpected from her. Imai Hotaru. My blackmailer. You can't run anymore. You just wait…" Ruka thought to himself and head to the shelter.
Mikan was walking heading to the boys dorm to search for Natsume. On her way there, she felt like going pass the Sakura tree where she and Natsume would always sit under it and share their time. She stopped at her track when she saw someone very familiar to her. Her feet started to move to the Sakura tree, to that person. She approached him slowly and stopped just 3 steps away from him. "Konnichiwa, Natsume." she smiled brightly with a loud voice. "Ne ne, Natsume. Do you want to go to Central Town with us?"
Natsume didn't bother to look up who it is since it's already obvious it's her. "Shut up, Polka. You're too loud and no, I don't want to go. It's a waste of time going with you." He said coldly.
"Come on Natsume… it'll be fun and can't you be nice to me a little, baka Natsume". She pouts. Natsume couldn't resist that cute pout. He is fighting in his head and he couldn't go against his brunette. He has to be there with her just in case she couldn't "take care" of herself. The truth is already obvious. It's because that he can't let Mikan go to Central Town without him even if she's not exactly alone. To be exact, he just didn't like how other guys stared at Mikan's pretty body. True, they are all 15 and Mikan's childish figure were long gone. She has the right curves at right places. He looked up at her and saw her cute pouting face.
"Tch, whatever Polka." Mikan smiled even more.
"Arigato Natsume. Meet up with us at the bus stop in an hour. I want to look for Hotaru at her lab and invite her as well. Ja!" She went off to find her best friend. Natsume smirked and left the place.
Mikan ran towards Hotaru's lab and asked the robot if she's in. Hotaru lets her in but when Mikan asked her to come along, Hotaru refused it her own way. "I'm busy Mikan. Now leave, before I hit you." Mikan pouted, "Mou, Hotaru you meanie. Fine." Mikan sighed, "Next time then, ja ne, Hotaru!" She left running towards the bus stop.
It was already 11.50 a.m. Everyone was already there except for one person, Sakura Mikan. "Mikan-chan's late." Anna said. "And the fact that she was the one who asked us to be here in an hour." Sumire added. Everyone else sweat dropped except Natsume. Mochu interrupted, "You were the one who wanted to ta-" Sumire glared at her boyfriend.
"I did not wanted to tag along because Natsume-kun is following." Mochu sighed and everyone sweat dropped again. Natsume sensed his brunette. He looked from the corner of his eyes, and saw Mikan running towards them. She stopped, gasping for air. "Minna, gomenasai. I got lost." She laughed nervously.
"You got lost? Sakura, we've been schooling here for 15 years and you still can't get it right. Really, you're a bother." Sumire said it arrogantly. The bus arrived and everyone went in. They sat by partners and it is already obvious that Natsume sat beside Mikan and let her sit by the window. While the gang was having fun, the teachers were having a meeting.
In the Headmaster's office
The teachers of higher boards were waiting for the headmaster to arrive. The door opened and revealed a man in his late 30's. Dirty blonde hair almost brunette, tall and good features. He smiled and sat on his chair. "Good morning to all teachers. Please have a sit." The headmaster by the name Aoshi said to the teachers.
Narumi-sensei puts down his cup of tea in front of him and looked at the headmaster. "What's the important business until you call us up. And to my surprise even Persona is here? So I have to say that it must be something important. What is it, Aoshi-sama?"
Persona just stands beside the window in the shadows. He leaned against the wall with his arms folded together and listened to the meeting.
Aoshi smiled and looked at every teacher. He picked up the file in front of him and read it. There was a moment of silent. "I was going to get to the point, Narumi-sensei. Actually this meeting is especially for you and Persona. There is and errand you need to do for academy." The headmaster's words caught everyone's attention. Aoshi grinned, "You and Persona, need to fetch a girl for me. Every detail that you need to know about her is in the profile right in front of you. Give the other one to Persona," Aoshi said.
Narumi passed the file to Persona. They looked through the details inside stated in the file. Persona raised an eyebrow. "What does this has to do with me?" Aoshi smiled calmly, "I told you didn't I? It's for the academy. It is very important for us to keep her safe in this special academy."
Persona felt a little uncomfortable but he didn't show it. He had a thought, "This is more like doing it for you, Aoshi." Narumi saw through Persona and looked back at the headmaster. "Aoshi-sama, I have a question."
"What is it, Narumi-sensei?"
"You have never asked any teachers to fetch anyone before. Now, why do you really need me and more importantly, Persona to fetch this very girl? What's her alice since it's not stated in here?"
Aoshi got off from his chair and stood beside his chair, "I just thought the both of you are suitable for this job. About her alice, she's not just an ordinary one. Have you heard of Paper Masters?" Aoshi asked to all the teachers in the room.
Misaki looked up at Aoshi. "Oh, I've heard of that. They have strong ability or more like power to control papers into anything they want. Not only control them, they are able to do anything with papers including clothes, weapons and just about everything." Mr. Misaki explained.
Aoshi smiled in satisfaction with Misaki's explaination. "Very good Misaki-sensei. You heard what Misaki-sensei said. Any other question?" Aoshi appointed the question to Mr. Narumi and Persona.
Persona walked away a few steps from his previous state. He looked at Aoshi, "I don't see any reason for me to do this particular errand for you, Aoshi."
Aoshi smirked. "Must I repeat myself? I said she's special and besides, you shouldn't take this for granted, just because, nothing interests you, yet. There's a lot more about her that you don't know." Persona remained silent. Jinno decided to speak up, "Aoshi-sama, will this girl be the same trouble as the academy's Kuro Neko? The academy does not need another rebel."
"Maybe. But it is important for me to have her here right in the academy. All I can promise you is that when you already know her, you'll know why she'll make an interesting impression in you, Persona. So, please, do it." Aoshi said in a strict voice.
Persona couldn't ignore Aoshi's words. Persona just left the room. Narumi looked at Aoshi and gave a small smile. "Alright then. When will we be fetching her?" Narumi asked in his usual cheerful voice.
"Both you and Persona will leave early tomorrow morning and follow the address I gave you in her file, okay?" He said, "And to all the other teachers, please prepare a special star room and a pair of high school uniform. You may leave now." With those last words, he dismissed the teachers.
Serina sat on her chair at her table and stared blankly at her paper work. 'I wonder, if the girl Aoshi-sama was talking about was really senpai's daughter..' She thought. Narumi saw Serina's expression and walked out the staff room. He looked at the file and smiled, "Looks like you're going to meet, Mikan-chan." Narumi said to himself and walked to his room to pack.
That was a relieve! On to the next chapter. R&R okay?
Japanese to English
Ohayou / Ohayou gozaimasu - Good morning
Konnichiwa - Hello
Obaa-chan - Grandmother
Otou-san - Father
Ittekimasu - I'll be leaving now
Itterashai - Have a nice day
Minna / minna-san - Everyone
Gomenasai / Gomen / Sumimasen - Sorry
Iinchou - Class President
Daijobu - It's okay
Chotto - Wait
Arigato - Thanks
Baka - Stupid / idiot /fool
Ja ne/na - See you
Haruka Ai ;)