Author's note: Hey, this is my first fanfiction ever submitted here... So I hope you like it. It's a bit long considering it's a one-shot, so bare with me.;) I'm only 13, so please understand if there are certain grammar problems that you spot... Tips are greatly appreciated!

This is about how bad and hurtful Natsume's been acting to Mikan recently. How come she never asks him about it? Or ever gets seriously angry? Well, with this fanfic, you'll know why and how they resolve it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice/Alice Academy. But if I did, I would've made season 2 by now, and would be making some merchandise for faithful fan people like me out there.

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This leaves off, when Mikan finally does her re-test for her recent failing marks.

It was around 4p.m. in the Alice academy grade school building. Everything was quiet since it was already dismissal time. Mikan though, had to stay in the classroom for her re-test regarding a few subjects she failed.

She was confident since Natsume and Hotaru gave her some tutorials a day before the test. She just had finished a minute ago. "Whew! Hotaru's right, the re-tests are a whole lot easier!" Mikan said in relaxation. She slumped in her chair while folding her test papers for the submission.

She then stood up and left the classroom to hand the test papers to the teachers in the teacher's lounge. "Hmmm.." She said while passing the empty classrooms. "Am i the only one who had to take the re-test?" Mikan questioned herself. She finally arrived in front of the teacher's lounge.

Mikan knocked on the door, Knock knock knock, and awaited patiently the for the teachers to open it. "Hmmm... no reply? Where has everyone gone off to?" Mikan thought. "Hello? Mr. Narumi? ANYONE?" She screamed. Still, no reply. She huffed her hair up from her forehead and just slid the test papers in, through the bottom of the door, which had a small opening. "I hope they get it!" Mikan hopefully said, as she turns to leave the empty hallway.

She walks towards the stairs going down, as she notices a shadow-like, human figure near the staircase. She wonders who that figure could be. "Hey! Are you in my class? Why are you staying there, all alone?" Mikan shouted towards the figure. She walked closer with a broad smile on her face, as if she wanted it to be her friend. "Don't be shy! Please tell me your name." Mikan said, as she goes closer... and closer...

When she finally gets at least 4 meters closer, she finally gets a good image of who that figure was. "Oh, it's you." Mikan said with a cute pout. It was Natsume, the emo-boy whom is gifted and at the same time, cursed with the Alice of fire. "What are you so angry about?" Natsume said, going closer to Mikan. "Nothing; I just thought it was someone i could've been friends with." Mikan honestly said, in a kind of disappointed tone. Natsume just raised his eyebrow at her, not knowing what to say.

"Hey Natsume, why aren't you with Rukka?" Mikan asked curiously, as she skips going down the staircase. "He had to facilitate the newly opened animal shelter of the school." Natsume said, following Mikan down the staircase. "Whoa! I didn't know our school's going to have a new animal shelter!" Mikan said, continuing her path going down. "It's because you're so ancient when it comes to news." Natsume said, with a faint smirk shown in his face. Mikan stopped her skipping and halted. Her sudden stop made Natsume stop as well, making their gap around only one step from each other. "What's the hold-up, polka-dot?" Natsume said looking down at her face, which looked very different from her usual, sun-shining look.

"Natsume, do you hate me?" Mikan said, with a sad smile on her face, as she looked directly into his eyes deeply. Natsume was shocked to hear this; She's never serious about his teasing and name-calling. She never, ever was. "No, you're just so fun to tease, strawberry-print girl." Natsume said, closing his eyes in ignorance. "Well, won't you stop it already? It's hurting me a lot now!" Mikan said, going down the remaining steps, stomping. "I'll stop it if you stop bothering me when I read... haha" Natsume said, smirking. He didn't really mean it, he'd expect Mikan to say something like: "But I like visiting you!" or "But it's become a hobby of mine"... But she just stood there, quiet.

Then she looked at him again, with the same sad smile Natsume thought looked so horrible in his eyes. "If you dislike me visiting you... I'll stop" Mikan replied, looking deeply hurt with Natsume's sudden request. She went down the last few steps remaining in the staircase, and slowly walks through the big doors of the grade school building; She faces the path leading to a beautiful garden pathway full of cherry-blossom trees and small rivers, glowing with crystal-like shine. Mikan slowly walks towards the red stone pavement, leading to that pathway.

Natsume follows her, hoping that he wouldn't ignore him. "This must be puberty" He thought, as he follows her trail. "What's up with you, little girl? You're not acting like yourself today..." Natsume said, with his voice showing a half worried and half annoyed sound. "Like what you say, you're acting as if you know me... But you don't Natsume, you don't." Mikan said, with tears slowly forming in her eyes.

She was hurt. She was sick of having to take all of the backstabs and insults from her "friends". Hotaru's starting to call her idiot more often than her name now, not to mention being ignorant of what Mikan would feel. Natsume's also teasing her non-stop, even if she pleads for him to stop. Sumire, Anna and Nonoko are always teasing her now, of how stupid and weird she is. As a result, the whole class, joins them too. She couldn't take it anymore; everyone treated her like a worm; a worm that you can just poke around, without expecting what it would feel or what it could do in return. She just kept it in, but now she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I'm sick of all the things people say about me. I try to smile, the best smile I could ever show everyday, but everyone except Rukka and Yuu pushes me to do otherwise." Mikan said, this time swallowing a large bump in her throat, avoiding to cry. If she did cry, he would tease her again, of being such a cry-baby all the time.

Natsume's eyes widen. He has never seen Mikan THIS upset before, never in his life... He went closer to her, since she was walking very slow. He then, caught up beside her, and changed his speed to match hers. "...You know you could've asked me for advice or something" Natsume replied, looking at her with a frown.

He thought to himself, he should've said something like: "I'm sorry I say those things, the truth is... I really care about you, and I love it when you smile... It's just very hard for me to express the way I feel. It always is." But in considering his social status, he would never do such a thing; even if it was for Mikan. "I'm a coward" he thought to himself, as he waits for her reply.

"Natsume, you're confusing me. One minute, you want to help... Then after a day, you become the problem... again" Mikan said, with a sniff and a gently wipe to her nose with her arm. She knew that, he knew. He was too smart for him not to know that. He was about to reply, but then he was interrupted by Mikan. "You're just too hard to understand..." Mikan said, looking away. They both arrived at a beautiful river side. The water was flowing from the spring cave, and white carps were swimming within the river; the white carps seem to shimmer with the sunlight so beautifully.

Mikan thought it was silly to be so sad at a beautiful day like this, it was the last day of classes and she had an easy time with her test. Why was she so miserable? Why today?

She spotted a small bench fit for two beside a flower bed. She sat there and looked at the water feature quietly. Natsume sighed and sat beside her. "You know, you really shouldn't take my constant teasing seriously." Natsume said looking away in embarrassment. He rarely becomes this honest and sweet, and 98 of those times are when Mikan's around; not that he would want her to know that.

"But... It's annoying me, Natsume" Mikan said with a cute pout afterwards. This gave Natsume a spark of hope in his mind. Mikan wasn't being completely serious. She still had that, girly, cute essence of her, within. He then thought of what to say.

"It's... As if you... make me feel..." Natsume then, realizes what he was going to say. "You make me feel complete" Is such a dead give-away; he thought. So he just froze, in embarrassment in what Mikan would say. "What? Superior? Proud? Angry?" Mikan said, with tears forming within her hazel-brown eyes, that seem to melt within Natsume's heart all the time.

"She misunderstood him... It's the other way around" he thought. "You make me feel complete, you make me feel happy and you make me feel like I'm not alone." He said, screaming with every bit of power left in him. He then realizes, he wasn't screaming in his head. No, he screamed it out loud.

"Shit" he thought to himself. As he quickly stands up and runs away, far from Mikan... The only girl who ever pushed herself to the limit just to understand him... The only girl who rarely gets mad even with the constant bullying and teasing he does... The only girl who ever stood up for him, even when he threatens her not to... The only person, he ever loved.

Then something grab hold of him. A soft hand, grabbed his wrist. "Natsume, please listen to me! Just this once!" Mikan shouted, as she pulls Natsume to face her. She smiles at him with the most beautiful smile she has ever shown. She looked like the happy Mikan, Natsume loved so much. "I'm glad you feel that way. I always thought you're mad at me or something... I love you Natsume, I keep pushing myself closer to you... because I love you. But constant teasing makes my chest hurt, and I don't know why." Natsume switches to a more comfortable position, and suddenly tints of red crawl up his cheeks. "She's so innocent." He thinks to himself, as he walks slowly, towards Mikan. He places his hand gently on her back and pulls Mikan closer to him. He then, puts his other hand, slightly above the hand he placed in earlier, making it into a warm embrace he's always longed to give her for ages. "Mikan, I love you" He said, with his eyes closed.

Mikan's face was as red as blood. She's never dreamt of Natsume being like this, she'd always imagine him burning her alive when she confesses, "I guess I just thought wrong...again" she thinks to herself. She closes her eyes and embraces him back, this time, around his neck. She leans on his chest gently and smiles once more.