Café D'Amour

Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice belongs to a specific Japanese mangaka!

Summary: The name of the newly opened French café, 'Café D'Amour'- translated to:'Café of Love' wasn't just for show. It might actually have the power to intertwine the destinies of a certain couple; who were obviously meant to be.

Author's Note: I think this will be a very cute story! It's a bit frenchy, loving, and hopefully- funny. Though to be honest, my sense of humour is quite off, so please bear with me! :P
Enjoy! ;)

l٥ﻻ ﻉ√٥υ f٥гﻉ√ﻉг is just a break between events, happenings, or change in perspectives for those who don't know and have just read my one of my stories for the first time!

Chapter I: CPR Is Not For Me

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Ugh…what time is it? Unwillingly, I eased myself on my elbow and peeked at the electric clock on the floor beside my tatami mat.

6:02 A.M.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Today is…what? I had to look towards the ceiling to think.

Saturday?

…Saturday- the day I start my new part-time job at 6:15 A.M.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

6:02…6:15…

Realization washed over me: I'm going to be late!

BEEP- slamming the 'off' button, I got up to clean my face and clear my mind.

Rushing, I didn't notice the cold, hardwood floor under my feet as I ran to the bathroom and back again in almost no time. My foot had come in contact with something small, green, and on its back on the way- I kicked it out of the way.

Stupid Hotaru.

Tugging at the tank-top and cotton pants I wore to sleep and tripping along the way, I rapidly slid on a skirt and a clean top while I ran to the kitchen and introduced a piece of bread to my toaster. While waiting, I quickly grabbed a random bag under one of my kitchen counters and back into my room to stuff my newest uniform in and set it aside, near the door. Though it's the cutest uniform I've ever seen- it's really not something I'd want other people outside of the café to see me in...

Snatching a glass cup from one of my cupboards, I opened my fridge and poured a reasonable amount of milk in it. When I drained half of it, the bread celebrated becoming toast as it jumped out of the toaster with a small 'pop' sound. Hastily, I consumed what was left of my milk, arrested the toast between my chains of teeth, picked up the bag, and headed out the door of my small apartment.

Before I closed the door behind me, I stuck my head in and shouted, "I'm leaving!" out of habit…and hope. But as usual, no one was there to answer.

With a sigh, I locked the door and immediately started to speed-walk. The café was only a block down from where I live.

When I could recognize the attractive pattern of lovely swirls shaping into hearts of every size and every colour around the wonderful balcony on the second floor, I would instantly know if it was the exterior decoration of Café D'Amour- the newest and bound-to-be-popular café around, and me, Mikan, who was lucky to get a part-time job for it!

I impulsively clicked open the locket I always had around my neck. It was in the colour of silver and it had a clock on one side with a picture on the other. It was also the only thing I had left of my deceased mother.

6:13- Thank goodness! I'm going to make it!

The day was so pleasant, the weather more agreeable than most. Early risers take their morning runs while others with briefcases were making their way to work. I realized, happily, that I might be seeing more than a handful of those people who make a habit of taking a break for tea or coffee.

The sun, rising in the east, was splashing beautiful, bright shades of red, orange, and yellow across the vast sky and flavouring the clouds with it. I watched, fascinated, as the cheerful lights of the rising sun spilled onto the dark streets of Tokyo while I turned into a narrow, nearly abandoned, street.

And, I thought absent-mindedly, illuminating the boy lying in front of the entrance of Café D'Amour as I was approaching.

Munching on the last bits of what was left of my toast, I mentally analyzed my day so far:

1) Got up before 6:15. Check.

2) Had a decent breakfast. Check

3) Dressed appropriately- and properly. Check.

4) Got to work on time with uniform. Check.

5) Remembered not to step on the boy lying unconscious in front of the entrance. Che-huh…?

Oh.

With utter horrified awareness, I finally saw him.

A boy was lying face-down on the pavement, just outside of the isolated café that just opened and happened to hire me in for a part-time job.

Panic rushed through me as my imagination ran wild and free. I could see the headlines of tomorrow's daily newspaper now:

Café D'Amour Employee Suspected for Murder
Café D'Amour, along with their newly-hired waitress, infamous for working in the café haunted by the mysterious, ghostly soul of a departed boy who appeared out of nowhere on an unexpected, beautiful day-

I noticed his back moving up and down slowly…which means…?

He's breathing! Which means…?

….He's alive! Relief spread through me like a wave as I released a sigh and pressed a hand to my chest- reassuring myself that I was still breathing as well.

Panic found its way back to me as I crouched near the boy and dropped my bag next to me. If he is breathing but unconscious, then there is still the slight chance that his airway might get cut off if the problem's not found and something's not done.

I'm glad we had that CPR unit back in middle school and that I actually paid attention. And to think that back then, I thought the day when I'd need it would never even exist.

Boy was I ever wrong!

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Step-by-step, Mikan thought and did everything slowly and watchfully. She didn't want to hurt him in any way as her old, annoying, and snippy sensei's voice rang through her mind:

"First step: Check the person's surroundings to make sure that there isn't anything potentially dangerous that can harm them in any way…MIKAN! DON'T STARE AT THE ICE-CREAM TRUCK! CONCENTRATE ON THE UNCONSCIOUS MAN!"

Mikan rolled her eyes as she observed her surroundings. Nope, nothing, and smiled. Not even an ice cream truck.

"Second step: Make loud noises, like slapping the floor, to make sure the person is actually unconscious and not asleep. NO, MIKAN! DON'T SLAP HIM! SLAP THE GROUND!"

Grinning, Mikan placed both her hands on either side of the boy's head and started to slap them against the cold, hard, pavement.

"Are you okay? Are you awake? Can you hear me? Hel-lo!" No response.

"Third Step: After making sure they are unconscious, tell someone nearby to call the ambulance to tell them of your location and the situation at hand. And NO, Mikan, don't even think about wasting energy, trying to scream 'help' for Superman to take him to the hospital!"

That sensei knew me pretty well, she mused. Mikan took a good look around her, she didn't own a cell. This café was located between trees for shade and an exotic look. Almost no one knew about it or thinks about crossing paths here- not yet anyway.

There's no one around. Totally missing the fact that the café was likely to have a phone inside.

Great, just great. I guess I have no choice but to skip that step and hope that there's nothing seriously wrong with this boy.

"Fourth step: Make sure that they're facing up-ward so that you can check their breathing. Do not forget the standard and safe way of turning them over- MIKAN! YOU CAN'T MOVE HIM IF YOU'RE HUGGING HIM!" Mikan scowled and then beamed. Her sensei wasn't patient with her at all. Sensei didn't seem to understand how Mikan's mind works. Mikan was simply hugging the dummy while wishing and willing him to become conscious, being the dense kid she was.

And still is.

Carefully, at a snail's pace, Mikan clutched the left side of the boy's head with her right hand underneath his stomach and eased him onto his back. My, what a handsome face…eh? He's not even a boy, Mikan realized in shock, he's…he's…

HE'S A MAN!

Mikan shook off the surprise and scolded herself, concentrate! She bent down with her left ear facing his mouth while her eyes watched for any movement on his chest. She could hear him breathing and his chest moved like any normal, breathing, alive person. Unfortunately, the breathing was both shaky and raspy.

He's not choking on anything- that's a relief. Mikan knew it meant that she still had to give him CPR to clear his airway since it was obviously hard for him to breathe. Which means…?

I have to give him mouth-to-mouth…Mikan gulped and looked down at him nervously and studied him. Look's to be around my age...a strong facial structure...thin, moist lips…-She shook her head violently, forcing the image that formed in her mind's eye to disappear. It's not the time to be thinking impure thoughts! she told herself.

Before she could convince herself that keeping her first kiss for her future-special-someone was more important than saving a life, Mikan placed her left hand on his forehead and the index and middle fingers of her right hand under his chin to tilt his head back and part his lips. Hesitating slightly, Mikan lowered her head even while her blood pumped hot and her heart drummed against her chest. Doki-doki-doki-doki. She couldn't seem to close her eyes as they were too attached on the handsome visage a few centimeters away...her lips were so close that they could have already touched...she was close enough to feel his breath...

"OHAIYO! You must be Mikan-chan, the new waitress I hired! Welcome to my café…oh, is that your boyfriend? Iye, Mikan! You mustn't get so lovey-dovey right in front my café! What will the neighbours say?" The store owner was waving and greeting Mikan warmly, teasing her at the same time from the second floor balcony.

Mikan froze as soon as she heard the loud voice and snapped back into reality. It took awhile for her to grasp what Narumi-sensei- he had told her to call him that over the phone- had said and what she was doing, finally taking in that she was only a breath away from a lip-to-lip contact.

With relief and confusing disappointment, Mikan swung her head back up and looked for the source of Narumi-sensei's voice. She looked up and saw him…wearing the uniform for his café.

A black and white outfit that was tailored to look like a French maid's work uniform.

Yup, he was wearing it alright.

"E-to…Narumi-sensei, I have to be honest with you, but I thought you were a man when we spoke over the phone- I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude- I didn't realize that um…you were…I mean, I thought-" Mikan stumbled with words.

"Ah! This?" Narumi-sensei looked down at what he was wearing. He seemed to not notice how ridiculous it would've looked on a man's anatomy, "I was just checking to see how it would look like- in case I wanted it changed or altered in any way. Actually, I was waiting for you so I could see it, but you were late as of…"he glanced down at his wrist watch, "Nine minutes ago." The corners of his mouth pulled into a smile.

"My apologies! I was sure I was here on time…" Mikan looked down and remembered why she was late, "AH! NARUMI-SENSEI! THERE'S AN UNCONSCIOUS STRANGER WHO NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL!"

"So he's not your boyfriend, I'm relieved!" He joked and winked, "I'm coming down- give me a second throw on something more manly."

Mikan was thankful that an adult was around. She wouldn't know what to do if she gave the man thirty chest compressions and broke his ribs.

Why was it possible? She broke the dummy. Then she thought of something even more serious: If their lips had met. She would've lost her first kiss to a complete stranger!

Narumi-sensei came through the rotating entrance of the café, dressed uniquely, but in a way that you can still tell that he was a 'he'. "Stand back and let me take a look." Mikan picked up her bag, stood up, and gave them some space. Narumi-sensei was listening to his breathing and put a hand to his stomach, too, like she did.

Mikan took this chance to study her boss. Wavy, blond hair, unique style of clothing, a heart-warming smile, and two beauty marks under his left eye- overall, looks too young to be a café owner. Fortunately, he appeared to be a friendly, kind, and understanding person. Mikan nodded in approval to herself, he's bound to be better than my CPR-sensei anyway, and smiled as she watched him.

"Mikan-chan, what were you doing? This boy's not unconscious, he is simply asleep."

Mikan was about to argue with the fact that that 'boy' was really a man- but decided to drop it since he probably seemed like a boy to an adult like Narumi-sensei. Then the more essential thing he had said dawned on her, "How? I thought…I made noises! He didn't even budge!"

"He hadn't had anything to eat and fainted. You could hear his stomach growling like a lion's roar and he probably ended up sleeping since he had no energy to get up. His raspy breathing is due to the lack of nutrition. He needs to be taken care of." Like the 'man' weighed nothing, Narumi picked him up and over his shoulders, then walked through the rotating doors.

Mikan stood there for a moment, trying to absorb all the information.

She used her hand to hit her head as a way of punishment.

Note to self: Never assume that all men lying in front of entrances and sleeping on cement floors needs to have their lives saved.
P.S. CPR is not for me.
P.P.S. Am I allowed to put "P.S.'s" into mental notes that are for myself?

With that last lingering though, she followed Narumi-sensei inside the café to treat the impossibly dazzling 'man' over his shoulders.

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Author's Note: To anyone who thinks this story isn't very good based on this chapter, I encourage you to keep going because it gets better! :)

Thanks for reading!

Red Strings Of Fate