Puberty takes its toll! Mikan is growing up…with Natsume constantly insulting her flat-chest. However, when someone made Mikan's chest-size bigger, wearing a bra didn't seem such a big deal anymore…especially since suitors flocked everywhere—much to Natsume and Ruka's annoyance. NxMxR. R&R! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. I'm just here to bully the characters.

Author's Notes: Waaaaah! Here goes nothing…I hope this ending won't disappoint you. This chapter includes: 1) The aftermath of the mushy Natsume x Mikan x Ruka in the previous chapters---Mikan makes a decision; 2) We find out who's responsible for Mikan's big boobs-problem and; 3) we'll know the real reason why Hajime keeps Mikan pictures in his lab and hides them from his brother. I hope you'll like it. XD I'll say no more, just read on!

Original Characters:

Hajime Ikashita – dangerous ability type, yields the puppeteer alice that could comatose and control numerous people at the same time, making them act like his puppets: Likes porn, hates Natsume because he refused to watch porn with him.

Hakato Ikashita – dangerous-ability-type, the true identity of Akito Takahashi; yields the shape-shifting alice that enables him to transform into anything he desires anytime, anywhere; his specialty is changing into monsters whereby he acquires their beastly abilities; Youichi's younger friend in the elementary division who has a huge crush on Mikan---also likes to steal potions from Hajime's laboratory to play pranks on others. (If you noticed, I played with Hakato's name a little—try to jumble Akito's whole name ehe…)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

Mikan Wears a Bra

Genre: Romance/Humor/Action

Chapter 8: It All Began With Puberty!

Written By: WizdomGoddess

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

What he had now, may be gone tomorrow.

He feared it, the kind of life he lived: It is his destiny.

Where he was, darkness savored his soul.

"Natsume?"

That voice. The voice which belonged to her: bright and full of life. It appeased him.

"Natsume!"

Pain engulfed his whole body. He knew a hand covered his, and he instinctively gripped it. Natsume knew it was hers.

"Mikan…," he mumbled. The darkness slowly faded, a pale blurry face replaced it.

"I'm here, Natsume."

Natsume forced himself to move, despite the intolerable aches that petrified his body. He rose into a sitting position; his arms functioned as temporary crutches. He held his forehead for a while, massaging it to calm down his nerves. He could tell that the night was not yet over by the dim lighting of the room.

The fragrance that tickled his nostrils brought him to realize he was inside a familiar room---and it was definitely not his.

He opened an eye, only to be greeted by the sight of her tearful face. "Mikan…" he repeated, this time in a low hoarse whisper. The way she looked, he knew she had been crying for a long time. He stared at her.

Mikan flung her arms around him and sobbed on his shoulders, her legs sprawled over the bed as she embraced him. "You idiot! You worried me! We thought you had a heart attack…" she cried, tightening the hug, forgetting he was still recuperating. "I was so worried."

Natsume cringed, but didn't say anything. He stared at the top of her head. "Hey. How did we get here?" he asked.

Mikan lifted her gaze, noticing how exhausted she looked. "Ruka and Hotaru came, right after you collapsed…," she explained. She shifted until her legs dangled from the bed into a proper sitting position. "Ruka?" he replied.

Typical of Ruka…he thought, mused.

"He was also worried about you. We dragged you all the way here with Hotaru," she continued.

"Where is he?"

"He rushed downstairs to get some first aid materials from the dorm robot. We're here in my room," she added.

Natsume stared. "I see." He fixed his eyes on her, an interesting memory returned to him.

Mikan felt uneasy under his gaze, so she settled on staring at her lap, furiously blushing. Her tousled hair fell over her shoulders as she stooped her head.

Suddenly, a voice called from outside. "Natsume!"

A worried Ruka appeared in the doorway, holding a set of bandages, medicine, and small towels in his arms. He rushed towards them and Mikan stood up from the bed to give way for him. Ruka sat next to Natsume and sent him an anxious look. "Natsume, are you feeling better?"

Natsume stared back at his best friend. "I'm fine Ruka. Don't worry about me," he answered. He could tell from the way his friend behaved that he was tired as well. "You don't have to waste your time with me. Why don't you go to sleep?"

"No, I don't want your wounds to be infected."

Natsume sighed. "Fine."

The clock sang in loud ticks and tocks. Natsume glanced at Mikan, who inhabited the space next to his friend. He found it unusual that she remained complacent watching Ruka tend to his injuries. For the past few years, she usually freaked out and reiterated when awful things happened, asking if he was alright over and over again. She's probably just worn out, he said in his mind, dropping the thought.

"It's done," Ruka said, wiping some sweat off his forehead. He got another towel and mopped his hands with it. He moved his gaze towards his Natsume. "You better rest." He stood up and yawned.

Mikan replaced him on the bed and sat yet again, next to Natsume, bobbing her head towards the blonde-haired young man. "You better rest too Ruka. I'm really sorry for worrying you when I left the dorm," her voice sounded gloomy. "All I do is make everyone worried…"

Ruka shook his head and smiled timidly at her. "Don't think like that, Mikan. It's okay. It's not your fault," he comforted, looking away as a light blush surfaced on his cheeks. When they realized the awkwardness that developed between them, both laughed it off. They turned to Natsume and grinned.

"We still have to go school tomorrow. Let's all go to sleep!" Mikan said, raising a fist into the air, her tone cheerful.

Natsume stared at his two friends who were looking expectantly at him. Slowly, he nodded. "Okay." He proceeded to lie down on the bed, his side facing the two, and settled his head against the soft pillow on Mikan's bed.

Mikan and Ruka sweated.

"Uh Natsume, that's my bed. Why don't you go back to your room?" she asked, scratching her head. What was this guy up to?

"I still don't feel well."

"You can walk, right?"

"No."

"You can't sleep on my bed!" Mikan protested.

She turned to Ruka in panic, who knew his best friend was bluffing---especially since Natsume just shot him a warning look. Ruka only managed to let out a small nervous laugh in response. Her heart sank.

With no Ruka to rescue her, she sighed and stood up. "Fine!" she muttered, feeling more embarrassed by the minute. "I'll go sleep in Hotaru's room!" She was about to walk away when a strong hand grabbed hers and she was pulled back unto the bed. She glared at Natsume, who simply tightened his grip on her wrists.

"Natsume! Let go of me!" she demanded.

The room grew awfully quiet. Natsume decided to break it.

"Why don't you sleep here with me?"

Mikan blinked. Her mouth hung open at this peculiar proposal. A mixture of surprise and stress brushed over Ruka's face.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered nervously.

"Sleep with me." Natsume stated.

"No way!" she wailed and squirmed.

"Idiot, I'm not the only one who needs to rest."

Mikan stopped struggling and stared at him. She heard Ruka let out another yawn from behind her.

Natsume saw this and spoke again. "You stay too Ruka," he ordered.

Ruka blinked, totally confused. "But…"

"Natsume…" Mikan began, then a realization hit her. Was he worried about them too? Maybe he thought that going back to their rooms would be too much of a hassle for them, especially for Ruka. 'Come to think of it, he has always been a sweet guy…even though he has a weird way of showing it' she reflected. Natsume was one unpredictable guy---but she liked it.

She turned to Ruka and instinctively held back Natsume's hand.

"Let's all sleep together. There's really nothing wrong with it, now that I thought about it," she said and smiled, "Natsume is right. We all need to rest." She rubbed her eyes as drowsiness slowly took over.

Ruka contemplated and a curve formed on his lips. "Okay then, but how are we supposed to fit in there?" he asked, pointing out that her bed could only be occupied by two people.

Mikan grinned. "We'll find a way." She glanced at Natsume, who was listening to every word they said. "Right, Natsume?"

"Just sleep already," he replied and gave way when she slid beside him on the bed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

Hotaru had left her two friends so they could attend to the unconscious Natsume in Mikan's room. She went downstairs so she could find something to eat for them. She found some biscuits, made some warm milk, placed the stuff on a tray, and carried it upstairs.

Lost in her thoughts, she walked along the corridors.

Hotaru smiled to herself. Mikan went through a lot of problems again. She seemed to have the knack of getting into trouble all the time. Maybe she really was a jinx. She knew her friend was strong despite tribulations---with that she trusted her. Besides, things always livened up with Mikan around. She changed a lot of people, like the two boys currently infatuated with her. She knew those two will protect her best friend no matter what, just like she will.

When she reached Mikan's room, the door was wide open. She lifted a brow and stepped in, only to be greeted by an unusual sight.

Inside the room were the sleeping forms of her three friends: Mikan and Natsume occupied the bed, snuggled against each other. Both lay on their sides facing in one direction, with Natsume behind Mikan. Both faced Ruka, who was bent over from a chair at the side of the bed. With his face in front of Mikan, his head slightly popped out in the middle of his folded arms resting on the soft carnation sheets. Mikan and Ruka's faces were mere inches away from each other, their hands were clasped together, eyes closed. Hotaru moved her gaze towards Natsume, who had his head nuzzled against Mikan's neck from behind, lost strands of her hair spilled over his face. Both his arms were wrapped around her petite waist and she took note that Mikan looked really comfortable in his embrace.

All three slept peacefully as the night went on its course.

Hotaru smiled. She quietly placed the tray on her friend's study table, just beside an empty lid-less bottle. She walked over to the cabinet and pulled out two blankets. Carefully, she spread the first blanket over Natsume and Mikan on the bed, tucking them in gently. She placed the other over Ruka's shoulders until it covered his whole back and arms. Ruka stirred from the warmth that suddenly engulfed him but fell back into a deep slumber. She smirked, musing that the poor guy would probably wake up with a backache in the morning.

She walked back to the door and smiled at the scene. They looked like sleeping babies. "Big babies," she added in a soft whisper.

Sumire along with the other Natsume and Ruka fan-girls will throw a fit when they find out about this. She smiled evilly.

With one last glance, Hotaru switched off the lights and closed the door with hardly a sound.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

"Hotaaaaru! I'm so happy!"

Mikan walked happily beside her, her breasts were back to the old flatness again---just like an airport runway. Earlier that morning, Hotaru had woken up Sumire and told her that Mikan wanted to talk to her. Sumire got there just in time to see both Natsume and Ruka trudge out of Mikan's bedroom. The moment she saw Mikan, she transformed into her cat-dog state in rage, chased her all over the dorm stirring up chaos, and demanded what the heck the two most hard-to-get guys in the whole school were doing inside her room.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Mikan tripped while running down the stairs and her body slammed at the bottom with a loud thud. She was motionless for several minutes. When Sumire turned her over to check if she was alright, her large breasts were gone. She was back to normal!

Mikan could never be happier that morning, she even hugged Sumire when she found out her chest was flat again.

Hotaru glanced at her friend, who was smiling to herself. "It's a miracle you're not jumping around telling everybody your chest is back to normal," she remarked and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Are you really back to normal?"

Mikan turned to her and nodded. "Don't worry Hotaru! I'm fine! I'm just happy that's all!" Hotaru looked unconvinced.

Their conversation was disrupted by a loud series of whispers from a crowd of high school girls. They were gathered outside a classroom. They buzzed and peeped inside, some were blushing, some were squealing---and all looked stunned. Mikan and Hotaru looked at each other. They raced towards the commotion out of curiosity.

"Oh my god! I can't believe they're all in one place!" one girl squealed.

"Is this some sort of dangerous-ability type gathering?"

"This is so rare!"

'That's Youichi, isn't it? He sure grew well!"

"They're all so good-looking!"

"Ruka is also in there! Oh my god, he's so hot!"

"Natsume is mine!" one girl cried.

"No, he's mine!" the other screamed.

Mikan poked one of the girls and asked her if they could let them through. "I want to see what's going on!" Mikan asked politely. "Can I?"

The older girl pushed her away harshly. "Go away!" she sneered.

Hotaru frowned and stepped forward. "Let us through," she requested calmly. She looked at the girl, eye to eye. The girl stood with her hands on her hips, refusing to move.

"And if I don't?" the girl lifted a brow, while the others glared at them.

In the end, Mikan and Hotaru easily made their way through, thanks to Hotaru's latest invention. "Invention number 347, the Squealing Stubborn Fan-girls dispersion machine. It's one hundred percent reliable," she announced monotonously, pulling out a round red ball-shaped device.

Mikan was shocked when mechanical hands flew from the seemingly useless ball and slapped every girl in the crowd. While the older girls were busy trying to get the things off their faces, Hotaru and Mikan walked through the now-dispersed crowd.

She sweated. 'Hotaru! That's a mean thing to do! You're so evil!" she cried, watching one of the girls scream in horror when a hand slapped her silly face over and over again. Hotaru shook her head. 'No, it's called punishment," she explained, with an evil grin.

When they entered the doorway, inside the classroom was Ruka, along with four familiar faces---indeed all from the dangerous ability types.

Near the window at the back of the classroom, Ruka was sitting calmly beside Natsume, who had his feet up one of the tables, a manga on his lap, and hands in his pockets. Youichi was sitting on the table across the aisle from Natsume. Hajime and Hakato sat in front of Natsume and Ruka, leaning against their respective chairs.

Natsume and Hajime shot dirty looks at each other.

"Horny bastard," Natsume barked, narrowing his eyes.

"Impotent moron," Hajime retorted, lifting his right ankle on top of his left knee with a smirk.

"Pervert."

"Gay."

Mikan and Hotaru sweated at their interesting exchange of words.

Youichi noticed their presence in the room and waved. "Over here! Mikan! Hotaru!"

Everyone lifted their gaze towards the two approaching girls, except Hajime and Natsume, who were busy throwing cusses at each other.

Hakato jumped from his seat and ran towards Mikan. "MIIIIIIKAAAAAAAN! HUUUUG MEEEEE!" he squealed in delight and threw his arms around Mikan's waist. She beamed and hugged him back. "Oh! Hello Hakato!"

As soon as Hakato was pressed against her, he noticed something different with Mikan. "Hey! You're flat-chested again!" he cried out, looking disappointed. Youichi slapped his forehead, marched towards Hakato, and dragged him away from Mikan by the ear. He flung the younger boy back to his seat and shot him a warning look.

The younger boy wailed and threw a tantrum. "YOUICHI! You party-pooper!" he glared at his friend, sticking out his lower lip. "You're just like Natsume!"

"At least I'm not as perverted as your brother." Youichi replied, and turned to the girls. "Anyway, we're here to find out what Hajime's been up to the past few days."

Hotaru took a seat beside him. "So he's the one behind all this?"

Hajime and Natsume finally looked away from each other and decided to join their conversation.

Beside Hajime, his little brother cried a bucket of tears. The puppeteer placed a hand on top of his brother's head and gave the younger boy a comforting look. Hakato instantly stopped and resorted to sniffing.

Natsume ignored them and stared at Mikan instead. She avoided his gaze, blushing.

Ruka coughed. "Anyway, what really happened, Youchi?" the blonde-haired boy inquired, turning to the gray-haired boy. "You never reported to us."

"Hakato babbled almost everything to me last night." He glared at Hakato, who stuck out his tongue. "To sum it up, Hakato used his shape-shifting alice and transformed into this Akito Takahashi who Mikan has been hanging out with for the past few weeks. All this time, Hakato is really Akito."

Hotaru looked insightful. "I guess that makes sense. But Mikan has a nullifying alice. Hakato can't possibly stay as Akito for long."

"Correct, Hotaru." Youichi nodded, and continued. "That is why Hakato fed her Hajime's alice-neutralizing potion through the drinks he offered her. It prevented Mikan from using her nullifying alice."

Ruka lifted a brow. "Why would he do something like that in the first place?" he asked, befuddled. "Mikan told me that it was probably Hajime who controlled Natsume into attacking her last night."

Hajime glared at Youichi. The evil-spirit summoner sweated-dropped. "Well, yeah. That was his doing but I'm sworn to secrecy, sorry."

Mikan clapped her hands over her mouth. "I remember Hakato saying that Hajime hated Natsume!" she uttered, growing curious. "Why?"

Youichi hesitated at first, but decided to answer her question. "Natsume doesn't want to watch porn with Hajime," he told her.

Ruka and Hotaru sweated. Mikan blinked. "What? Horn? That's the thing you blow with your mouth right? Or is it the other one? What's wrong with Natsume's horn?" she asked innocently, eyes wide with curiosity. Ruka fell off his chair, trying hard not to laugh. Hotaru and Youichi snickered.

"You're almost there, but not quite." Natsume remarked. Mikan deliberated the issue in her mind. "Heeeey, wait a minute. You don't have a horn!" she told him and frowned.

Hajime fixed his golden eyes on her. "You have no idea."

He could see Natsume glare threateningly at him at the corner of his eye. He ignored him, took out a cigarette, placed it in his mouth and turned his attention back to Mikan. "Do you want me to teach you what porn means?"

"Wow! That will be great!"

His cigarette instantly burned to a crisp, and Hajime watched the ashen shreds flutter down his lap. He turned to Natsume, who was now giving him a death glare, and raised a brow.

"What's wrong with you Natsume? You want to teach her?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Hajime took out another cigarette and shot him a bored look. "Then why don't you give her practical lessons? Experience is the best teacher as they say. You had the opportunity last night in the forest. You're such a loser."

His cigarette got burned again.

"Stop burning my cigarettes, Natsume."

"Shut up."

"Want to borrow my porn magazines?"

"No."

"You should enjoy your manhood, you know. Take it from me."

"Why should I listen to you?"

Youichi decided to butt in and changed the subject. "Anyway, why do you have pictures of Mikan plastered in your laboratory Hajime? What about that life-size puppet of Mikan?" he asked, crossing his arms and waiting for an explanation.

"You have a collection of Mikan pictures?" Hakato turned to his older brother in shock, tears formed at the rim of his eyes. He looked hurt. "Why didn't you tell me?"

There was a pause, all eyes were on him.

Hajime realized he was cornered and gave in. "I took pictures of her so I can copy and create a perfect replica of Mikan," he admitted, and turned to his little brother. "I want it to be the perfect Mikan puppet for my little brother. It was supposed to be my birthday gift to you Hakato."

The young boy looked overjoyed and leapt towards his brother for a bear hug.

"Oh! Thank you Hajime!"

"But I'm not finished with it."

"That's alright! Can you make her breasts big and squishy?"

"Ofcourse. How big?"

"How many can you make?" All eyes turned to Natsume, who asked the latter question. Ruka turned brick red, and his jaw dropped open.

Hajime pursed his lips. "Why? Are you interested? I can make another one just for you," he offered, a malicious glint in his eye.

Natsume didn't answer. He looked deeply absorbed in his thoughts.

"While he's making a decision…" Hotaru began, she turned to Hajime. "Are you the one who made Mikan's breasts bigger?"

"No." he replied flatly.

"Her alice going berserk and the weird happenings affecting her environment are the only side-effects of the potion." Youichi explained.

Hajime added. "I listed the potions Hakato stole for the past weeks. It's impossible to conjure up a strong potion with that same breast enlarging side-effect, much more as a main effect, using those ingredients."

Deadly silence engulfed the classroom.

They looked at each other questioningly---except Natsume who still had the idea of a Mikan puppet swirling in his thoughts.

…

If Hajime and Hakato didn't do it, who did?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

Somewhere in the academy, a high-pitched scream pierced through the hallways.

A pink-haired girl barged into the room filled with bottles and chemicals only to find a trembling Nonoko sobbing on the floor. Worried, Anna rushed to her side and supported her friend upright.

"Nonoko-chan! What's wrong!"

"I-I accidentally mistook the breast enlargement potion for a shampoo that I gave to Mikan!" she cried, shaking Anna in the process. "I just found out today when I was looking for it! I don't know why it worked on her…waaah!"

Anna stared at her in disbelief. "WHAT! So YOU were the one responsible for Mikan's troubles!" she exclaimed. She paused and rubbed her chin. "You think we should tell them?"

Nonoko shook her head violently.

"Are you kidding? No way! You've seen how angry Natsume and Ruka were for the past few weeks!" she shivered and looked pleadingly at Anna. "Those two will KILL me! Keep it a secret?" She brushed a tear from her eye. Anna beamed and patted her friend on the shoulder.

"It's our little secret! They don't have to know, right?" she promised, flashing her sweetest smile.

"Right! Oh, I love you Anna!" Nonoko squealed, hugging her friend.

"I love you too!"

"But I feel bad about this…"

"Can't you see? This is the advantage of being extra characters. We can get away with it!" Anna chirped, and hugged her friend back.

The two extra characters started jumping together and sang in unison. "It's nice being a chopped liver!"

Nonoko and Anna looked at each other and giggled. Both girls laughed heartily, with no care in the world.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

Through the middle of the leaf crowns, flowed streams of light that visibly illuminated the crust beneath its shade. Here, they rested. Ruka and Natsume sat beside each other: Natsume reading his manga, Ruka stroking his pet bunny.

"Hey Natsume."

"Yeah?"

"Did you tell her your feelings?" Ruka asked, glancing at his friend.

"I didn't tell her."

"You just showed her right?"

Natsume didn't answer; Ruka took the silence as a yes. He gazed at the clear sprinkles of dewdrops that showered over them in broad daylight. He smiled, feeling relieved somehow. Remembering how she had gazed back at him when he confessed to her; remembering the time he picked her undergarments and the way she flared when he saw her bare; remembering the times he saw her in his best friend's embrace; all seemed like a distant memory, yet a memory cherished forever in his mind.

"So this is where you two are!" somebody chirped in his ear. He whirled around and saw her smiling face glistening with radiance. Both young men looked up and moved away from each other, giving enough space for her to sit in between them.

Mikan sat there with Natsume and Ruka on both sides: The latter smiled back while the former continued reading his manga.

She lingered, playing with the blades of green around them. To their surprise, she wrapped her fingers around each of their elbows; her right on Ruka's, her left on Natsume's. Both turned and faced her, confused.

"Ruka…Natsume…" she began, "I know how you two feel. I'm sorry for not seeing it sooner."

Natsume and Ruka stared at her, their gazes softened. She began fumbling with her feet.

"I guess you two would like to hear an answer…"

Natsume let go of his manga and joined Ruka in listening to what she had to say.

Mikan looked at Ruka, then at Natsume, and took a deep breath.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

From afar, Hotaru watched quietly.

She noticed the slight changes in Mikan---as if she matured during the weeks that passed. She watched as her best friend sat between Ruka and Natsume, talking to them about something serious; she observed how delicate their stares had become ever since they told Mikan how they felt, one way or another. She knew those two will take care of her, no matter who she ends up with---and where will that leave her in Mikan's life?

Hotaru felt a sharp pang.

Since the day her Mikan started wearing a bra, it dawned on her that her best friend was changing, and so was she: They were both growing up. Deep in her heart, she was afraid they might drift apart. She loved Mikan with all her heart, no matter how ironic her behavior was towards her friend. Lately, she had been using her baka gun more often on her best friend. Hotaru realized it was her way of keeping things the same like the old times, but she knew deep inside, that she could never outsmart the inevitable.

For the past few weeks, she had been feeling strange. Since boys flocked around Mikan when her breasts grew large, with Natsume and Ruka closely eyeing her, she barely had the time to hang out with her. She knew the rumors about her hooking up with someone wasn't true; she knew her friend from top to bottom, inside and out; but she began to have doubts when Mikan started to disappear more often. She searched for her, not because of the money she owed her---Hotaru simply missed her best friend.

Moreover, Hotaru wanted to punish her for disappearing without telling her.

Hotaru was aware she can be a cruel person; but Mikan always saw right through her. Seeing Mikan now, sharing her heart with two persons other than her, brought her loneliness; the reality that she wasn't the only one who had her best friend's heart anymore made her somewhat—jealous.

Will the childhood friend who used to follow her everywhere change? Will her best friend leave her, and find someone else?

Hotaru was intelligent, but at that moment, she was at a loss.

Another pang hit her.

When she looked at the three once more, she was surprised to find that Mikan was no longer in between them. She looked around and saw her best friend grinning beside her.

"Hi Hotaru! I knew you were here!"

Hotaru blinked. "Oh. I thought you were going to stay with Natsume and Ruka? Did you answer them?"

Her friend looked pensive. "I told them I just want to be good friends for now. I'm not planning to enter a relationship yet. I'm happy where we are now," she explained, her cheeks pink. "Just being friends…"

Hotaru listened as she continued. "And you know what, they agreed with me! Ruka said he'd wait as long as I wanted and Natsume said I shouldn't bother answering them if I wasn't ready." Mikan laughed at this.

Smiling brightly, Mikan took Hotaru's hand in hers. "Let's go? I want to hang out with you today," she asked pleadingly, "Will you?"

Hotaru nodded calmly. "Okay," she replied, and held back her best friend's hand.

The two girls walked together, leaving the shelter of the trees, towards a vast clearing where they could simply watch the clouds journey through the sky of boundless horizons.

"Hey Mikan," Hotaru spoke. Her friend turned to her, wide-eyed and content.

"Yes Hotaru?"

"What do you think of growing up?"

"I love it! Especially since you're with me Hotaru! Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

Mikan was right, for once.

Hotaru smiled inwardly.

Growing up was not so bad, especially with a good friend around to make it all the merrier---someone like her best friend.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

THE END.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

This fanfiction is dedicated and created to celebrate the friendship shared by Mikan and Hotaru as well as Natsume and Ruka, once they begin life as teenagers. I hope you enjoyed it!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

Your reviews will be much appreciated! I want to know what you think of the ending! I'll make another fanfic soon, ending with the N x M pairing / R x M pairing / R x H pairing next time. This will do for now.

If you see errors, feel free to tell me!

TO ALL BELOVED READERS/REVIEWERS: I made a simple webpage dedicated to all of you--- a token of my appreciation for all your support! It's a small gift (w/ snippets from the manga)! Turn up your speakers too. Please visit my profile (click on the WizdomGoddess link at the top of this page) and you'll see a link there right away. I hope you like it!

End Notes: Hehehe, the real reason why I made Hajime and Hakato was to keep you guys off track Nonoko's trail (the "shampoo" Mikan was using during Chapter 2 was actually Nonoko's missing breast enlargement potion---you can see a paragraph in Chapter 5 mentioning Nonoko's "shampoo" and the time she acquired it. XD So if Mikan used the potion everyday during the time she was spiked with the alice-neutralizing formula, it would really make her breasts grow big!)

I created new characters to try to mislead you guys into thinking the Ikashita brothers were the ones responsible for Mikan's sudden breast enlargement---well, partly they are---but not quite. XD But actually, it would be easy to predict if you read that particular paragraph in Chappie 5.

I purposely added the slight change in Mikan's character that Hotaru noticed in the end of the story. Mikan acted a little bit more "grown-up" (or mature) here. If you noticed, Mikan became more and more sensitive with her surroundings as the chapters progressed—it was difficult to make the transition and I hope it turned out okay. And yes, Hotaru scores and wins Mikan yet again (Sorry Natsume…Sorry Ruka…you two will just have to wait XD). So Mikan doesn't want a boyfriend yet…she's got a best friend anyhow. XD Hehehehe!

Teenage life (as we all know) doesn't only revolve around boys, gross stuff, morbidity, and stuff like that, it involves all the changes in our relationships with other people---especially with friends (and family—but since they're away from their families---I don't think it's applicable in GA XD). This is why I used the term 'friend' in this fanfic a whole lot coz it'll end there—and this is also the reason why I started with Hotaru and Mikan.

The Lesson: Things change and true friendships last despite these changes.

I'm sure almost all of you can relate to that.

And…(bounces around happily) Yay! I actually finished a series fanfic! This is the first time I've written a story this long! I can't believe it! XD