Hitsuzen: Fate of a Cherry Blossom

Chapter 30

A new school term is starting and everyone will be attending the ceremony.

"Now let's give a warm welcome for the new student council president!"

"Ah! The new student council president seems nice and kind. I'm glad he was the one who replaced Sakurano sempai's position," Mikan whispered to Sakura who was standing next to her.

Sakura was focused on the student standing in the middle of the stage. Somehow, she felt a bit uneasy not knowing the reason why. 'I can sense something strange in his aura,' she whispered.

"Nani?" Mikan asked looking at the baffled Sakura. "What are you thinking now, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura let out a sly smile. "Nothing. Anyway, what's his name again?" she asked so the others won't suspect her of anything.

"He's Goshima Hijiri. A high school student," Iinchou explained. "And you know, he's got good grades too. No wonder he was chosen as the president."

"What an incredible person!" Mikan exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

The place soon turned quiet as the new president's voice echoed.

"-And now to everyone, as the new president, I wish to throw away the old rules that the old student council has set. I have now set up a new group called the 'Fuukitai'. "

The students roared into confusion but in the midst of the chaos, one student can be seen turning it's back and fleeing the scene. The mistress of the card's still clueless of what's happening but somehow, she thinks that hearing that word means - trouble.

~ * ~

"Oh, Hyuuga-kun! What happened?"

Natsume didn't bother looking at her side and walked straight off. Sakura kept on following him.

"Hey! Wait! Natsume-kun!" Sakura shouted at the top of her lungs. Natsume stopped while Sakura was still catching her breathe. She shook her head while grinning, remembering that Natsume wanted her to call him by his name. "What happened?" she asked.

"Tch." Natsume turned his head not meeting Sakura's gaze.

Sakura took a step closer, 'he's getting worse again, she thought. "You shouldn't be doing all these things anymore." Thoughts of her talking with the principal surfaced.

"Let's make a deal!" Sakura barged inside the ESP's office, walking straight to his table. The principal didn't expect his rude visitor but was somehow pleased upon seeing Sakura's serious face.

The card mistress made a deal with the ESP so Natsume would stop doing missions given his current condition. Despite her effort to make him better using the HEAL card, his health is quickly deteriorating again from using so much of his alice in these missions. As long as the principal do his end of the bargain, Sakura was left with no choice but to follow the ESP's orders.

However, Sakura wasn't pleased by what she's seeing.

"Your condition..." her voice trailed off. "It's worse isn't it?"

Natsume was stupified by Sakura's words making him the more unable to look at her. "I'm... I'm fine," his voice was weak. "The missions they give me are lighter than before. So I'm fine."

Finally, he looked straight at her.

"But..."

"It's something I decided myself," he continued. "I've decided to protect someone. And in order to do that, it's best if I remain like this. I'm... protecting HER in my own way."