Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.

AN: Set before Mikan's entry and the start of the series.

I'm never quite sure what to say. I'm never quite sure what I should say. Some times, I go through my day so tired after the previous night's mission that I'm not sure what I did say.

Oh, right. I see you've provided us with a list of things we can write about. Your handwriting sucks.

1. Write about yourself.

I'm Natsume Hyuuga.

I know you've heard of me, don't bother denying it. Even I've heard of me. And everything the gossips say is both true and false. The only person who could set you straight on the facts regarding me is Ruka and he'd rather die than do that so you can forget that half-formed idea you had of pestering him for information.

Ruka says I'm too serious. He says I make everything a life or death issue. But isn't everything already a life or death issue at the Academy?

2. Write about your family and home.

We used to have a big house which had a Sakura tree in the yard. Dad, Mom, Aoi and I lived there. Ruka lived in an even bigger house nearby and we both went to a school down the road from there. Ruka says that school was much better than the Academy but I'm not too sure. Everyone there talked about me in barely hushed whispers. Everyone here talks about me too. And they rarely say nice things about me. There's a girl with Seaweed-y hair though, here at the Academy. She says she likes the way I look. I would rather someone liked me but that's okay too, I guess. Although she's irritating at least she doesn't say bad stuff. That's the only reason I haven't burnt her hair yet.

I burnt my house. Just me and no one else.

3. What do you like most about Alice Academy?

I hate this place but I do like some stuff here, I guess. I like being able to use my Alice. At home, my parents wouldn't let me use it 'cause they said it would get us all in trouble and it did. But now that I'm already in trouble I want to use my Alice as much as I can. I love fire. It never fails me. It's always there whenever I call it.

I also like being scary. At home, Mom was scarier than me so she used to make me bathe. Here, everyone's too afraid of me to tell me to do that. I hate water. It douses my Alice fire. I'm helpless in water and I hate being helpless.

4. Which is your favourite class?

I'm saying this for the first and last time, so savour it, Narumi. Yours. It's the only class in which I can relax and read my mangas. It's also the only class I know I can bunk without being reported.

You're not a bad guy. Although you're so girly I'm not sure whether you're a guy at all.

5. What is your goal in life?

If I get out of Alice Academy alive, I'll think about it.

6. Write about your best friend.

Ruka's a cool guy. He's my opposite so we balance each other out pretty well. He remains calm and collected no matter how bad the problem is and seeing him like that makes relax a bit too. Just a little bit though, because Persona doesn't like it if I relax too much. He generally listens to all my rants whenever I'm in a bad mood although it makes him uncomfortable. I'm keep promising myself I'm not going to rant anymore but after every Dangerous Abilities Class I can't really stop. I wish there was someone around who'd listen to me and smile. Not fake-smile like an adult but not fake-smile like Ruka either.

But I still think that Ruka's really cool 'cause he was there with me whenever I needed him, no questions asked.

7. What are your hobbies?

I like mangas, especially the ones in which everyone thinks the hero is going to sacrifice himself to save the world but he discovers a new power he didn't know he had just before the ending. Then he saves the world and flies off to freedom ever after.

I also like mangas because I can use them to cover my face whenever I want to sleep in a class. Especially yours.

8. Write about your Alice.

My Alice is fire. It's a dangerous ability so it's probably a good thing that it's of the fourth type. It's limitless but lessens my life-span if I keep using it.

But despite all that stuff people have explained to me, I still like using my Alice whenever I feel like it. Who even cares if I fall a little sick once in a while? Mom and Aoi aren't here. Ruka cares but he won't tell me to stop 'cause he knows my Alice is pretty much the only reminder of my family I have left. Yeah, I know, I use it for stupid stuff like burning those lame homework assignments you set us but I have fun doing it and I deserve to have some fun.

My Alice is already super-powerful. Persona told me that if I worked hard it would become even stronger. I hate him but I like the idea of getting stronger. Maybe if I get strong enough, I'll be able to escape the Academy.

9. What do you want for Christmas?

I think I'd like a sakura flower. Of course, if you tell anyone I want a flower I will roast you alive with the new Hell Flames I learnt last week.

But those things remind me of home. My Mom loved them. They also smell nice unlike that horrible perfume you wore yesterday. That smelt like dung.

10. Are you secretly in love with me?

NO.

AN: Would anyone be interested in reading another, similar essay written by Natsume a couple of years after Mikan arrives?