Another Life Journey

summary:

Two different people together in a mission where dangers abound and feelings developed. Face with a difficult situation, what will she choose, to live in a dream where there's no pain or to come back to reality where somebody is waiting?

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It was like any another day. The birds chirping happily as the sun's rays begin to show. The soft wind breeze rustling the tree's leaves and the slow blooming of flowers. Except that the loudest girl in the elementary is already awake and sitting on a big tree's shade under the glowing sun, instead of resting on her room. Mikan was just staring at her blonde teacher's face, thinking.

"Listen Mikan, the academy really needs you" Mr. Narumi said

Silence

Mr. Narumi just sighed and started to walk away saying "I'll give you some time alone, just tell me your decision as soon as possible"

Soon, Mikan was left alone thinking while staring at her hands. It's not like she was given a choice. It's between tons of life with one life. She needed—no; she must do this for her friends' safety. Mikan was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear footsteps approaching her.

--

There was still an hour left before classes start and Natsume wanted to spend it reading or just lay under a big shady tree. Heading his way to the forest, he saw Mr. Narumi emerging from it with a very strenuous face. The blonde looked up and saw Natsume, he smiled at him. The two of them just passed each other with a expression of their own. Mr. Narumi, was smiling while Natsume, has a deep frown etched on his face.

'So early in the morning and I get to see his ugly face' Natsume thought as he walked around searching for a big tree. He, of course, saw one but someone was already resting beside it, a girl with hazel hair.

She was just staring at her hands and didn't seem to notice his presence. Unlike before there was no trace of a smile on her face; instead, there was a trace of pure concentration.

"Is there something wrong?" Natsume asked, stopping himself just in time in insulting the troubled girl.

Mikan didn't seem to hear him, so Natsume went to stand beside her resting his back on the tree's trunk. "Hey little girl is there something wrong?"

She slowly turned her face to look at Natsume with a fake smile on her face, she greeted him. "Good Morning, Natsume- san!"

If Natsume didn't saw the concentration on her face earlier, he would have believed that Mikan was really happy, but he saw it. He saw that it was just one big fake smile. "No need to fake the smile. It's just me around…"

When Natsume said that, Mikan's smile began to falter, but she just replaced it with a smile, closer to a real smile, instead. "I like to smile"

"Whatever" he said "you know little girl, whatever was troubling you earlier, do what you think is right"

Mikan didn't know what to say to what Natsume just said so she just thanked him "Arigato, Natsume- san!"

"You better go to class, polka dots"

"You pervert! My name is Mikan!" she bellowed "try using—"

Suddenly the bell rang and Mikan panicked. "Oh no, I'm going to be late again!" she cried running away. She looked back and saw that Natsume was just sitting and reading his book. "Come on Natsume! Are you planning on skipping again?"

Silence

"I'm going now!" Mikan cried back, her voice sounding far

"Do whatever you like" Natsume growled, even though he knew she won't hear him.

--

Natsume sighed silently and frowned. He just met with Persona on the way to his classes and he was just told about another mission.

'Darn school' he thought

He glared at everyone inside the room and they all seem to be affected by it, except one. Mikan Sakura wasn't. He continue to give glares at everyone who seemed to grow smaller every time its directed to them, while he thinks about the encounter earlier with Persona.

"You'll be having a partner in this mission" Persona said

"What! That'll just slow me down!" Natsume cried

"She'll be helping you with her alice" Persona said as if Natsume didn't protested

"She?" the student asked "who is she?"

"I don't know but Narumi said she's supposed to be good" with that said Persona took his leave leaving Natsume alone

Natsume looked around the room and felt that someone keeps on glancing at him. He waited for that someone to glance his way again. Finally that someone did. It was Mikan and she keeps on glancing at Natsume with a troubled look. Natsume would always catch Mikan glancing at him so he would just give her a glare or two.

Finally lunch came and students were allowed to go out and eat. Natsume went out to stay at the northern woods to think alone, while Ruka spends his lunch with Mikan and the others.

"What's wrong with Natsume?" Hotaru asked Ruka monotonously

"I don't know… he's not his usual self" Ruka answered

"Tell me about it, he glared at everyone during classes" Yuu said

Mikan of course was smiling but inside she was worried sick for someone, to be more specific to Natsume. Something was bothering him and he was grouchier than usual. What could it be that bothered him that much? She thought, maybe another mission was to be done later, or maybe he already know—that'll really explain the glares he gives me—

"Mikan- chan, are you alright?" Ruka asked noticing that Mikan stopped walking with them and was now 5 feet away from them.

"Yeah, I just realize I'm not that hungry" Mikan smiled scratching the back of her neck. Good thing her tummy didn't let out a growl on the spot. "I'll see you later, I've got something to do, Bye, Yuu- san, Hotaru- chan and Ruka- pyon!"

As Mikan walked out on them, Hotaru's mind was working, very amused. Mikan doesn't miss meals, She's always hungry. Now, when your best friend skipped meals, you'll be worried, right? But Hotaru isn't because she knew Mikan will be looking for someone.

"Do you think something is wrong with her?" asks Yuu worried as they sit across each other with meals on their plate.

"Maybe… but we shouldn't really bother her" Hotaru answered tonelessly

"How do you know that?"

"She's just up to something really nice" Hotaru replied unconsciously before putting food in her mouth

Ruka just stared at the raven haired beside him fascinated at her intelligence of hers. He continued to stare at Hotaru taking in every detail on her face. Her cute little nose and her amethyst eyes. How come I never noticed it before? Ruka thought to himself, Hotaru is beautiful.

--

Natsume was sitting peacefully below an old tree were the lake was in view and the place was surrounded by nature. In the middle of his thoughts, someone came into view at his left, it was Mikan.

"There you are, I was looking for you" the brunette said

"What is it you want, little girl?" Natsume asked glaring

"Nothing, I was just worried about you" she answered sitting five feet away from Natsume. "I didn't see you at the cafeteria, you see"

'Her? Worried about me?' Natsume thought 'that's rich… although I kind of like the feeling that she cares about me even through all the teasing' "what do you want?"

"I told you, nothing" she said just gazing at the lake before them.

Then a thought struck Natsume's head. "What did Narumi told you earlier?"

Mikan, surprised that Natsume still didn't know, stared at Natsume. His red ruby eyes reflecting her shocked face; his pointed nose and his lips. How she didn't notice how handsome Natsume is, she didn't know, until now.

She must have been staring too long and taking too long in answering the question that Natsume said to her "What are you gawking at?"

"No—nothing" Mikan stammered looking away with a tint of pink on her cheeks "Narumi- sensei talked to me about the task at hand later tonight"

'So she's the girl' Natsume thought 'wait! Her! Why am I cool about that! She can be so moronic sometimes… she might even get hurt! That is not what I want!—did I just thought what I think I just thought? That's weird, I never cared about her… well things are about to change, I guess'

When Natsume didn't say anything but just looked away, Mikan began to worry. Natsume don't just look away when he could have a chance to scold Mikan. Something must be wrong, thought Mikan.

"Is that alright with you, Natsume?" Mikan asked staring again at the side of his gorgeous face

"I don't have a choice, Do I, Idiot?" Natsume said staring back at the brunette with equal curiosity in his eyes. Minutes passed in silence while they were staring at each other, each lost in their own thoughts, and Natsume broke it. "But you have a choice…"

At first Mikan was lost then remembered what they were talking about. 'Damn those red eyes' she cursed "I don't… I agree for the same reason you agree…"

Suddenly the bell rang signaling that Lunch time was over and they should be heading to their classes. This didn't break the moment the two were sharing, though. They were still staring at each other.

Only a few seconds passed and Mikan came back to reality. She smiled at Natsume and hugged him, saying "I'll see you later, Natsume! We'll take care of each other" He didn't do anything at all, he just continued to sit there staring at the space where Mikan's face was before, But now her face was buried at his shoulders. If you were to see that scene, you would probably think that the girl was near in killing the boy.

When Mikan realized what she was doing, she blushed crimson red and ran away waving back, leaving Natsume all alone again. Natsume was just sitting there gazing into nothingness. He never felt that way before. Well, maybe he felt it before but can't remember when it was. He felt the warmth a fire can't produce; a safety that fire can't ensure and a calm moment that fire can never erase. Natsume really liked the feeling and wanted to experience it again.

Suddenly a picture of Mikan entered his mind, and he blushed a little bit. He shakes his head trying to remove the picture but it doesn't seem to fade away, it was plastered in his mind. Her long brown hair, her eyes full of life and the most beautiful smile he has ever seen, her smile, a true smile.

'I guess being with her tonight won't be that bad…' he thought and went to take a nap with the image of Mikan in his head.

--

As time pass by, Mikan was constantly flashing Natsume a smile saying, 'we'll be alright'. Natsume didn't mind at all, he was kind of getting used to it already. He was also getting good to not show his feelings outside. Some part during the day the two of them bumped with each other, and if he didn't have the reputation of the coldest guy in the room, he would have blushed uncontrollably.

Finally dinner came and everyone was enjoying their meals. Mikan was trying her best to forget about what will happen later on that evening and instead enjoy the remaining time left before the mission.

"What are you looking at, Mikan?" asked Yuu

"Uhh—nothing, just thought I saw something weird" Mikan said looking away from Natsume's face with the slightest tint of pink on her cheeks that didn't go unnoticed by her best friend, Hotaru.

'Interesting' Hotaru thought as she swallowed her food. She looked at Natsume who was eating quietly and beside him was Ruka, his spoonful of food paused halfway to his mouth. His eyes were focused on only one thing, or to be more literal, on one person.

Hotaru returned to her food ignoring the look Ruka was giving her. Every once in a while, she would catch Ruka staring at her.

"Ruka?" Natsume asked turning to face his friend. He looked at who his friend was looking at and saw it was a certain raven haired girl. Natsume smirked and ruffled Ruka's hair. "Let me know if you even get to talk to her within two minutes without the topic of blackmailing, will you?"

Ruka just blushed and tried to return his food but with a poor result. He ended up staring again at Hotaru. Oh Hotaru, if only you knew how beautiful you are, Ruka thought. Natsume just smirked at his friend and continued with his food but not before glancing at a certain brunette named Mikan Sakura.

--

IDIOT! IDIOT! IDIOT!

With those three blasts of Hotaru's idiot gun, Ruka was sent flying at the other end of the hallway to the dorms. Some curious students poked thir head through their door to know what was going on, only to get hit by Hotaru's gun square on their face. It was already quarter to 10 making the hallways empty and dark.

Hotaru walked to Ruka who was limping on the floor staring at her.

IDIOT!

This brought Ruka back to reality.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ruka demanded

"Funny I was just going to ask you the same thing" Hotaru said looking down on Ruka "What do you think were you doing earlier inside the dinning hall."

"I wasn't doing anything" the blonde said still not getting up. Then, he noticed a familiar clicking sound, his face immediately turn to red. "Where are you hiding the camera, Imai-san!"

"And why would I tell you that?" She smirked and got out a remote from her pocket and presses a red button. After a few seconds, her ride came and she rode on it.

"Imai-san!" Ruka shouted through the halls running after the girl he's been admiring from afar.

--End of chapter 1