Gakuen Alice/ Gakuen Arisu by Higuchi Tachibana

"Who is Mikan?" Hotaru pint points her questions. Her questions just like splash of cold water on his face. How on earth Hotaru knew about Mikan? He never talks nor mention about Mikan before.

"How…?" Hotaru getting more serious and amend an answer.

"3 months ago, you had been brought here and you were on a stage of dying. One of the Alice Elite members possessed an Alice ability of reading people mind. And you're like calling her name over and over even you're this close to death like the gap between fingers. But I just couldn't leave you to death, instead the medical teams lost their hope on you, I get myself involved to bring you back to life… because I've been waiting the day you awake, so I can ask you who Mikan is?"

"Why should I telling you about her?" Natsume was aware with Hotaru, it's his first time meeting with Hotaru; total stranger. Her stone expressions nothing can be related to her voice that sound more commanding than asking. Unless Natsume would like to know a reason why;

"You better explains the reason to me why should I tell you." Hotaru frowns just in short moment and like no other choice she answers to the question which she considered stubborn.

"Fair enough… I got one long lost friend named Mikan. She meant something to me and I telling you nothing more other than that, now just tell me who Mikan is according to you? I just want to know if we talk the same Mikan." For Natsume, it's not about the same Mikan; Either Mikan was a long lost friend of Hotaru or not, Natsume still lose her; it wouldn't change or could bring Mikan's back to life. Natsume smiled bitterly yet with angst, answered to Hotaru;

"…Sakura… Sakura Mikan. Any further than that, Natsume like losing his strength to keep talking about her and if he does, he will cry… Ruka noticed Natsume sudden change of emotions. He tries to comfort him, say something to ease Natsume, but even to tap on his shoulder, Ruka couldn't find the courage to do so, and how could he speak out for condolences to Natsume?

"She's was murdered… Right in front of me." His eyes get stings because of the tear begin to build up in his eyes. Hotaru continue the treatment upon Natsume's legs and spray the content on her hand over Natsume's legs and shoved that can to Ruka. Just a luck Ruka managed to catch the flying can that will hits his face if he fail. Of course Ruka are not happy with it.

"You should return to your room. Nogi, you can help him. I'm going now." Said Hotaru and ready to leave both of them. Ruka just act natural as he agreed. Hotaru once again looking at Natsume; either Natsume will listen to her or not, Hotaru just want to let her know something;

"I am deeply sorry to hear the death of your friend." Said Hotaru to Natsume then she leave but with her hand placing on her chest; Hotaru could be feel relieved, could be feel disappointed as well.

"Where are you…? Yukihira Mikan…" her face describes her sadness as she thinks about 'Yukihira Mikan' and for the past three months she waited for Natsume to woke from his sleep but just to know the person who Natsume held so dear wasn't the person Hotaru searches for.

Hotaru walk passing by the conveyor machine though she was hungry but she just leave the machine alone and head to her room because she just lost her appetites.

Ruka send Natsume back to his room after Natsume gains his balance to walks. Natsume remembered how the ice spikes ruins his legs and he thought that he'll going to die but what he found out after a long sleep, he still in one piece and his legs recovered though it left a faints scars. Why am I still alive? He thought that all the times since he woke up. He lost Mikan as he still can feel the cold hand of her when he touched and just like yesterday Mikan left him behind, but Natsume seems to lose his memories after he cried watching Mikan's death. All he willing to remembers was his screamed and agonies.

Soon they reach Natsume's treatment room. Ruka helps Natsume open the door and continue to aid him climb the bed, but Natsume keep his distant to Ruka in arm length like he get enough hospitality service. Natsume sits on the edge of the bed while Ruka just help himself drags the chair that next to the bed, he sits and choose to keep Natsume in companion. Hakumochi is outside the room waiting Ruka loyally.

"Natsume? Err. If you don't mind, may I call you just Natsume?" Ruka Asks to call Natsume by his name. Natsume look at Ruka with his cold eyes and it took Natsume for a while to answers him back.

"Why not…? It's my name after all." Ruka feel delighted even Natsume doesn't sound friendly to him.

"I'll take that as yes and you can call me Ruka." Said Ruka while make the chair closer an inch to Natsume and he didn't notice it. Natsume touches his hair around his neck as he try to figure out how long his hair been grown. As his palm brushing again his ear, he felt something that wasn't there before. Quickly with the tip of his fingers checking what was the thing that hanging and attaching to his ears.

"Earring? I got pierced?" Natsume figured the earring on his left ear was a round shaped; drop earring while the other side was a plate with noticeable carving surface; an ear cuff. He never done piercing his own ear and now he got one. Natsume looking at Ruka and asks;

"Why I got 'this'? I don't keep earring either." Ruka come to a bit surprised when he asked. Ruka saw his earring and the ear cuff as well.

"You mean, you don't wear any rings before? I don't think…" Natsume try to pulls the ear cuff but Ruka stop him to doing so.

"I don't think so you should take it off. That's might be dangerous for you."

"How on earth such taking this thing off from my ear could be dangerous?" Natsume actually halt his finger and talks to Ruka for second and still attempt to take it away.

"You better don't! (gosh…) wait a minute. I think you are the rumor people talks about. An Alice that been brought here from the burning town." Ruka caught Natsume attention when he said about 'burning town'.

"Burning city? What's that by mean?" Natsume's sharp and piercing sight found Ruka's eyes; even Ruka could suddenly feel the chills from his eyes. Try not to be appearing edgy, Ruka answers Natsume with a slow tone of voices;

"According to the elites workers itself, the town was blazing hell; the town where they found you. the town left nothing but ashes… It was impossible if someone actually survived in that town covered with a sea of fire but someone saw you enclosed with the fire. It took three Alices of barrier as the shield to send someone to stop you. They said you're completely psyche and attacked the barrier with no intent to stop. Lucky the one they send to stop you was a guy with this ehrmm… Pheromone Alice. And… you were coughing blood, I mean like what they said you were throw up blood as they fly you all the way to HQ. You were suffering from the inside, in the other words your Alice getting stronger and erode you at the same time. So the earring and the cuff you've got there something you cannot simply take it away from you." Natsume lost in his words; looking at Ruka with a shocked set of eyes but not because of his condition. When he heard the town was blazing and impossible for someone to survive, include when he heard 'nothing but ashes'.

"If it was true…" Natsume turns his head and facing the floor and ask Ruka to leave.

"I'm sorry, but can you leave me alone? I feel so… Tired…" Ruka become wary with their situation; he was afraid that he triggered some unwanted feeling from the rumor he told to Natsume. Ruka wants to ask him as he wants know what made him in a sudden gloom? But Ruka wouldn't guess as he knows Natsume won't give a hint. What he can do for Natsume is just like what Natsume aksed for; leave him.

As Ruka walks to the door, Ruka take the chance that he was glad to meet Natsume;

"I'm glad to meet you Natsume. You can always find me here if you need anything. Well then… Goodnight…" Ruka close the door before him and yet still check on Natsume until there is no light between the gaps as the door shut.

As the second moment Natsume heard the door closed behind him, Natsume once again feel the stings in his eyes. Tears start to form…

"Mikan… The moment I've lost you, I lost my mind too and I burned the whole town to ashes… Including you…" His tears finally roll down with his breath he could even listen. He wraps his arms around himself as he wish so bad Mikan is in his arms right now; embraced her. But all he can feels was his crossed arms and an empty chest of him.

"I want Natsume to having a good time with me." The voices and words of Mikan back there is still fresh and new to him. He just could not or rather he won't accept the fact that she was gone. He heartily regretted to hear such a lovely words from Mikan If he knew she left.

"How could this happen to me…? If I stay with her, she might be alive today. If I just run with her, she might here with me… If I could cheat death for you..." in the strange building for Natsume and in his very own treatment room yet strange enough for him, he cries in silent; powerless to stops his own tears, he mourn quietly in his agony, put himself down on the bed and curled…

The pain he was through are pushing him to a corner as if he wants to tear out his heart and let his breath choked him to death but to take his own life is the least thing he wanted to. Even so… Natsume would care no more if the next day he probably dies from broken heart.

In the next morning, Natsume realized that he cries himself to sleep. Natsume awake and sits on the corner of his bed and looking at the curtains with a faint light from the outside.

The light.

Natsume stands and walk toward the curtains, he slides aside the curtains and reveal the outside world. He also notices there a flower bed just outside the window and the flower was wet with dew. Natsume look through the glass window start from his left to his right side. His sight stopped at certain scenery. Natsume rubs his eyelid and blinks, again, he look at the same place where he caught it in his sight.

"…" Natsume took a step backward and turned from the window. He reaches for the door and leaves the room once again. With his barefoot, Natsume walking on the cold floor looking for an exit, to the outside.

He search for elevator but instead, he found a door to the stairs. Like nothing going to stop him to going to the other side of the wall he is now, Natsume walking down the stairs even he is slow as the hand on clock's face. On the top of that, Natsume never wish to be caught by anybody or he will be brought back to the room before he gets the chances to step on the outside.

After beneath of 6th floor, Natsume finally saw a door that leads to the outside, just one more door and he did it… with plenty of people walking, sitting on the bench and many more typical activities people usually does.

By looking at his surrounding Natsume kind of petrified as he looks on his left to the right and he noticed somebody already checking him out. Natsume proceed to the door and act like nothing; just like normal. Natsume try to move a little bit faster, Natsume soon his hand reach the handle, push the door let him pass it behind. With a blow of relieve breath, Natsume made it to the outside. Natsume now can see the scenery that caught his eyes and attention even clear. Natsume stepped on a grass and continue walking towards the scenery… Natsume just keep looking at it as he walking, approaching the place a step at a time, he is crossing a field and the scenery that caught is eyes and attention was the cherry blossoms tree across the field and as he turn on the opposite and he can see the window to his room from across the field where he is standing at.

Natsume saw cherry tree blossoms and that's the reason why he wanted to go outside. Because no one else he was reminded of but the girl of her love life…

"Sakura Mikan…" Natsume look at the flowers that start to falls from the tree. Each of the petals like dancing in the rhythm of the breeze, while Natsume spread both of his arms and catch the falling pink petals on his hands… Natsume closed his eyes and think of something.

"The petals that falls from the tree just like tears… 'sakura's tears'" Natsume open his eyes and tears falls from his eyes as well…

"I won't cry anymore after this… I promised you… Mikan; My Love."