The Game of Let’s Pretend

Summary: “Lookie here,” Natsume told his fan girls, pissed off. “I don’t have time for this. I already have a girlfriend.” He put an arm around Mikan’s shoulders. “Here she is. And you’re making her really jealous.”

Disclaimer: I don’t own Gakuen Alice.
Claimer: This fan fiction, its OCs, Azure Yacht, the Seňorita, and the Quidnunc, are mine.

This fan fiction follows the anime.

Meet Natsume’s Sweetheart

It was an ordinary afternoon in the Alice Academy. The lunchroom was jam-packed, and students were still pouring in. Some were eating, while others engaged themselves in a food fight. In a corner, Mikan, Hotaru, and Yuu could be seen eating their lunch. In the far end was Natsume and Ruka’s table. Elementary, middle school, and high school girls were squealing their hearts out in an attempt to capture the two young men’s attention.

It was a very typical day.

“Honestly!” the seventeen-year-old Mikan exclaimed as she furiously ate her food, glaring at Natsume’s table as she did. “Those girls spend more time watching Natsume eat than studying their lessons! I don’t understand what they see in him!”

Yuu smiled at her understandingly. He could tell that his friend was yet again annoyed with the Black Cat. It was no wonder; just several hours ago, Natsume had burned her hair because of her shouting. “Mikan, just calm down. There’s no use being angry with Natsume.”

“How can I calm down when he always burns my hair? Seven years of burning hair is a lot!” Mikan complained. With a sigh, she put down her fork. “Seven years…” It was astounding to realize how much time had passed them.

It had already been seven long years since Mikan first entered the academy. Throughout those years, she made new friends and new teachers. With them, Yuu and Hotaru, she learned how to manipulate her alice, improving it for the better and using it to help other people. It was not easy, considering the fact that she never knew anything about alice until she came arrived in the academy by mistake. But with her perseverance and the desire not to be a burden to her friends, she was able to be in command of her alice.

She also learned to appreciate her ability. If back then she was easily distraught by comments that it was of no use, that wasn’t the case now. She had already learned not to be vexed by such criticisms. She trusted her alice. She firmly believed she wouldn’t have had it if it would do her no good.

Aside from the alices, everyone’s appearance had changed as well. Mikan grew her hair longer and continued to arrange it in two ponytails. Hotaru, meanwhile, still preferred short hair, and her somber manner never did change. Yuu, intelligent as ever, was beginning to attract girls’ attention, although not the way Natsume’s and Ruka’s presence did. Since they were in high school now, the uniforms they were wearing were those of seniors: the remarkable chocolate-colored skirts and pants. Hotaru and Yuu were now top star students while Mikan’s level went a step up: She had two stars currently.

“Natsume still burned my hair!” Mikan said after a short moment of reminiscing. “I think my hair is dying,” she wept dramatically. “I’ve been growing it for so long and he just burns it! I wish he weren’t my classmate!” She had Natsume in her class, and she thought it was just extremely unlucky of her. A whole year of burning hair… she thought with dismay. “Well, at least you two are with me,” she mumbled, making an effort to cheer herself up.

“Don’t you ever get used to it, Mikan?” Hotaru asked without the slightest empathy. “Natsume always burns your hair because you’re so loud. It pays to shut up sometimes.”

Mikan scowled. “Go ahead, take his side! Some friend you are…” she muttered as she stabbed the meat on her plate. “Sometimes I wonder why I’m friends with you, Hotaru.”

Hotaru was not unnerved. “I’m friends with only one thing in the world: money.”

“Hotaru!” Mikan said, crying this time. She still had that childish attitude in her. “What about your second best friend?” She knew she had no chance to compete with money. She had learned that a long time ago. “That’s me, right?” she asked optimistically.

“My second best friend is money,” Hotaru replied unfeelingly.

“Hotaru…” Yuu said. He looked at the crying Mikan. “Come on, Mikan. It’s okay; I’m sure Hotaru doesn’t mean it and you have a place in her, uh, heart. Right, Hotaru?” he asked, turning to the somber inventor. He was lucky and got the girl’s confirmation.

Hotaru nodded. “Of course.”

Delighted, Mikan stopped crying. Her eyes childishly gleamed in excitement. “Really?” She put down her utensils and looked at her friend with watery eyes. “I knew it!”

“Yes,” Hotaru replied without the slightest trace of sincerity. “You have a place, of course.”

“And that place is…?” Mikan asked expectantly, now grinning from ear to ear. She knew her friend just couldn’t leave her crying like that. Hotaru’s so kind… she thought, the idea seemingly so poignant to her. That’s why she’s my best friend…

“At the bottom of my list.”

۞۞۞

“Natsume! Please take me out!” one girl screamed, clutching her hands to her chest. Then she fainted histrionically, whispering, “Oh, Natsume…!”

It made Natsume shudder.

“No! Take me!” the others screamed.

“Ruka!” other girls yelled. “I’d love to take care of your pet for you!”

“I’m very interested in animals, Ruka! In fact, I have so many pets which – ”

“Natsume!”

“I am sooo in love with you, Natsume!”

“I’d go anywhere with anyone of you!”

Sumire shoved them away. “Back off! He’s mine!” She turned to Natsume, batting her eyelashes beautifully. The seventeen-year-old Sumire hadn’t changed at all: She was still a devoted Natsume-Ruka admirer. Her temper was still the same, and she was even snottier than she had been years before.

At that moment, she was feeling rather confident that she would get Natsume’s attention. “Right, my darling?” She then sighed like a lover, evidently daydreaming. It crept almost everyone out. “Oh, Natsume. I’m sure one of these days you will ask me to have a date with you. Worry not; I’ll say yes immediately!”

Natsume just glared at her and at them. Instead of such act repelling them, however, it just made them squeal louder than ever. He winced as he gritted his teeth. Do these girls hurt my ears. He turned his attention to his food, appearing to be distracted.

“Oh, my! Natsume looked at me!” a girl screeched. The others threw her a glare. One would have to wonder if they were really just like that or if delusion ate up their brains completely. Either way, they weren’t pleasing to the eyes. Or the ears. Especially not to Natsume’s or to Ruka’s.

Natsume smirked, eyeing the female population with annoyance. A soft grunt escaped his lips. “Tch.” It was evident that he was getting impatient. His gaze fell on the wall clock, and he got even more irritated. “I knew it was a mistake to be here.”

Ruka grimaced in agreement. The fan girls seemed even more agitated today, and he wondered why that was so. What’s their problem? They’re not usually as restless as this, he thought.

“Get out of my way,” a black-haired, rather pretty high school girl amongst the fan girls commanded. Behind her were her underlings – or friends (whatever you call them). She stared at Sumire. “Who are you?” she asked.

Sumire raised her brows menacingly. “Don’t who-are-you? me. I’m Sumire Shouda, and I’m the president of the Natsume-Ruka fan club,” she said in a disdainful tone. “And who are you?” she asked with a demeaning look.

“Sumire Shouda?” the girl repeated, blandly, as if the name didn’t interest her. “I haven’t heard of you before,” she said with a serious gaze. She looked very confident and irritated the hell out of Sumire – who was used to bossing everyone around.

“What?” Sumire asked disbelievingly, slightly insulted. “How come you haven’t heard of me?” Where does she live, under a rock? I don’t even know who she is.

“I’m Mina Morisato,” the girl replied with a small smile, looking as though she was used to being followed. Her pale face was matched by her short black hair, with her neatly trimmed bangs reaching down her eyebrows. The careful, nonchalant expression in her brown eyes gave the impression that she didn’t tolerate nonsense. She was wearing a brown uniform, which indicated that she was in high school, too. Unlike Sumire, she looked calm and unruffled. She handed the other girl an I.D.

Sumire took and studied it. It said:

Mina Morisato

President

Official Natsume Fan Club

“Official?” Sumire said. Her eyes were wide in astonishment. “What made it official? Mine is the official one!” That’s not true, but who cares? she thought. It was bothersome; she was sure she had vaguely heard of this club before, but it was far from a club with IDs and a president. I thought they were so unsystematic they nearly dissolved.

“Well, your fan club includes Ruka. Mine doesn’t,” Mina replied. Everyone but her devotees immediately hated her. They could stand Sumire, but this unknown girl practically popped out of nowhere. “We have a separate fan club for him. And a separate president, of course.”

“Oh, really?” Sumire said mockingly.

“Really,” Mina said, her gaze unchanging. “Don’t get worked up, Miss Shouda. It’s just that our group is better than yours.”

“Why you…” Sumire growled. Unfortunately, she didn’t hold the girl’s attention anymore. Mina’s concentration was now on Natsume – who was done eating and standing up from his seat. To her exasperation, Mina walked up to him. “That girl!” she muttered.

۞۞۞

“Oh, and will you look at that,” Natsume said. “One of them is approaching,” he told his friend. His eyes narrowed to slits. “This is our lucky day, Ruka. Let’s get out of here.” He and Ruka stood up and walked casually towards the lunchroom’s door.

Before they could even walk halfway, the black-haired girl obstructed their way, her lips forming a smile. Natsume smirked in dislike. He always hated it when girls thought they were cute. “What do you want?” he asked in a dangerous tone.

“Natsume Hyuuga,” the girl said without pause, handing him an I.D. He didn’t take it; he just looked at it. What was written made him grit his teeth. “I’m honored to have the chance of talking to you like this. I’m Mina Morisato,” she continued.

Natsume just looked fixedly at her.

There were oohs and aahs from the spectators. They considered it cute (of all things).

Mina’s smile didn’t disappear. She just clipped the I.D. back to its place. “Everyone in the fan club completely looks up to you,” she said. “You certainly are popular these days, Black Cat.” She paused. “We’d like to invite you to a dinner we prepared for you. A celebration of the fan club’s seventh year. It would definitely be an honor to have you dine with us.”

“Leave me and Ruka alone,” Natsume said in an uninterested tone. Seventh year, huh? And what made it official?

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Mina replied. “I’m only the president of the fan club. I don’t control the emotions of the members. They want you to attend the celebration. As the president, I’m asking you to come, hoping you’ll say yes.”

Ruka shook his head at the preposterousness of it all. “Natsume, we better get out of here,” he whispered. “Just don’t pay attention to them,” he added. “I’m sure they’ll let us go if we proceed now.”

“Ruka, I’ve long lost my patience when it comes to them,” Natsume said in a voice audible enough for everyone to hear. “I can’t stand them bothering us everyday. It’s time we make them realize they should stop this nonsense.” His lips twisted into a mocking smirk. His gaze never left the fan club president’s gaze.

“Natsume…” Ruka said, worried.

His friend looked serious.

And that spelt T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

۞۞۞

“Excuse us, excuse us!” Mikan said as she, Yuu, and Hotaru made their way to the lunchroom’s door. The place seemed more crowded as minutes passed by. “Excuse us!” she repeated emphatically, squeezing past clusters of girls. “What’s their problem?” she asked as she walked.

The girls were turning to and glaring at her, clearly not pleased to be bothered.

Mikan didn’t care. She just wanted to get out of the lunchroom. “Excuse me!” she reiterated. After a short while, she and her friends reached a clear area – that without those annoying girls. “What’s the matter with them?” she asked Yuu and Hotaru. “There are tables back there; why don’t they occupy them?”

“I don’t think that’s the problem,” Hotaru said. “It’s those two.” She motioned a direction, a half-amused expression on her face.

Yuu and Mikan followed where she pointed. “Oh. Natsume and Ruka,” Yuu said. “The girls are following them, which is nothing new.” He smiled. “They’re really popular.”

Mikan just frowned. “I understand why they adore Ruka… but I don’t know why Natsume receives that much attention,” she complained. “I mean, he’s such a big meanie and all, and…” She approached Natsume. “Oh, will you look at that, Mister Meanie. So many girls are surrounding you,” she said in a fake congratulatory tone. “How does that feel, huh?” she continued.

Natsume threw a look at her but didn’t respond. He was talking to a female high school student. She stood next to him and by chance saw what was written on the girl’s I.D. “Oh, and you have a fan club?” she said in incredulity. “I can’t believe these girls really waste time on you.”

“Lookie here,” she heard Natsume tell his fan girls, pissed off. “I don’t have time for this.”

“And why is that?” the girl asked. To Mikan, the girl suddenly looked scary, although still calm.

“It’s because I already have a girlfriend,” he continued as he suddenly put an arm around Mikan’s shoulders. “Here she is. And you’re making her really jealous.”

…to be continued…

So yeah, this is a product of my boredom. It’s my first attempt at NatsumeMikan. I’m not a fan of the pairing; I’m actually more interested in RukaHotaru and Narumi and Noda. Oh well. It doesn’t hurt to try something new, does it? :D

Hilaire
05.15.07