Special Alice (Gakuen Alice / Alice Academy FF)

SA 67 - Hand

{Author}

" I wonder where Narumi sensei is..." Misaki wandered the academy grounds, her search for Narumi-sensei leaving her perplexed. She strolled outside, scanning the surroundings in the hopes of finding him.

Hotaru and Misaki had decided to split up, each on a mission to locate a specific person. Misaki couldn't help but mumble to herself, " Geez, where could they be?" as she wondered about the whereabouts of Mikan and the rest of her friends.

Her musings were interrupted when she heard someone call her name. " Oi! Misaki~!" the voice exclaimed. Misaki swiftly turned in the direction of the call, spotting Tsubasa, Megane, Tono, and Mikan hidden behind some bushes.

" What are you guys doing over there?" Misaki asked, her curiosity piqued. Tono signaled for her to come closer, motioning her to join them behind the bushes.

Misaki followed Tono's signals and settled on the ground with them. " What's going on, senpai?" she inquired, a puzzled expression on her face.

" We need to keep our voices down, some girls forced their chocolates on us, and some bizarre things occurred," Tsubasa explained, releasing a heavy sigh. Meanwhile, Tono clutched his head in frustration.

" Terrible things happened!" Megane chimed in, removing his gray knitted beanie to reveal a peculiar flower growing from his head. Tsubasa's right hand had transformed into a snake, and Tono was hiding his pig's nose behind a scarf, which did little to alleviate his discomfort but more likely his embarrassment.

Misaki winced as she looked at Tono's altered appearance. Mikan nodded, acknowledging the strangeness of the situation. " Ugly!" Misaki commented.

Out of nowhere, a daring photographer snapped a picture of Tono with his pig nose, vowing to make him the subject of ridicule if the news club published the photo.

" Too late!" the news club member taunted gleefully after successfully capturing the embarrassing image.

Tono's eyes widened in shock as he quickly concealed half of his face with the scarf. He then chased after the news club member.

" You! Stop right there!" Tono shouted loudly as he pursued the photographer. Tsubasa, Megane, and Mikan followed Tono.

Misaki followed behind, trying to comprehend the absurdity of the situation. " Should we really be chasing after him?" she wondered aloud as she struggled to keep up with the group.

" Who knows what will happen to him?" Tsubasa insisted, his concern for Tono urging him to stay close as Tono continued his pursuit.

Suddenly, Tono slipped and fell, landing face-first on the ground. He was unable to catch the photographer.

" Send help, runner Tono has slipped! I repeat, runner Tono has slipped," Tsubasa announced, taking on the role of a commentator while crouching down to check on Tono, who, fortunately, had suffered no injuries.

The academy was in disarray as girls chased after guys, insisting on giving them chocolates. Chaos reigned as everyone scurried about.

" Natsume-kun!" Mikan exclaimed when she spotted Natsume, who was frantically fleeing with Ruka in tow. A relentless group of girls was hot on their heels.

Natsume's eyes widened as he nearly collided with Misaki, who was oblivious to his presence.

" Misaki!" Tsubasa shouted, grabbing her blouse to pull her aside just in the nick of time. However, one of the girls chasing Natsume tossed a chocolate into his mouth, causing him to choke.

" Natsume!" Misaki gasped, alarmed by the sight of him coughing. Tsubasa, more concerned for Natsume than he'd ever let on, crouched down in front of him and patted his back gently.

" Hey, Natsume, are you okay?" Tsubasa inquired, his concern palpable. Natsume's head remained lowered, but his coughing subsided.

" Say something," Tsubasa urged, his anxiety evident. The onlookers observed, curious about the scene unfolding before them.

Natsume slowly raised his head, locking eyes with Tsubasa, who was utterly stunned. " Nat...sume?" Tsubasa called out, unsure of what to make of this turn of events.

Without warning, Natsume clung to Tsubasa, tackling him to the ground. He hugged Tsubasa tightly, leaving everyone in a state of shock.

" What the...!" Misaki was horrified by the scene, prompting her and Mikan to make a hasty retreat, leaving the others behind.

As they walked together, Mikan expressed her exhaustion. " I haven't given everyone their chocolates yet. I never thought that Valentine's would be so intense," she lamented while glancing at her basket, which remained filled with chocolates.

" I never expected Valentine's Day to be so chaotic," Misaki sighed, scratching her neck as they continued on their way.

While walking, Narumi noticed the two girls and decided to greet them. " Misa-chan, Mikan-chan!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up upon seeing them.

" Naru-sensei!" Misaki and Mikan chimed in unison, their spirits lifted at the sight of Narumi.

" Where have you been, sensei?" Mikan inquired, clutching her basket's handle.

Narumi scratched his cheek with an index finger, chuckling. " I was hiding in the hospital, as I wasn't feeling well, with all those girls chasing after us. Now that things have calmed down a bit, I've returned," he explained with a wide smile.

Misaki sneakily glanced at Mikan, who appeared rather dejected. " You know, sensei, Mikan made chocolates for everyone, but it seems like no one wanted them," Misaki began, occasionally looking over at Mikan.

Narumi gazed at Mikan, smiling gently, and then decided to take a piece of her chocolate, nonchalantly popping it into his mouth.

Mikan was taken aback, blinking repeatedly. " Eh..." she stammered, flabbergasted by his sudden actions.

Narumi coughed slightly, and Mikan's eyes widened. " Narumi-sensei!" she gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.

" Just kidding. It made me happy, Mikan-chan. Thank you," Narumi said, cracking a smile, laughing, and patting Mikan lightly on the head.

Mikan hugged Narumi and held onto his gloved hand as they walked on together.

Misaki, observing Mikan's happiness, couldn't help but smile. She couldn't help but notice Narumi's uncovered left hand peeking out from his glove, which drew her attention.

" Sensei," Misaki hesitantly began, her eyes locked onto Narumi's hand as he walked behind them.

" Yes, Misa-chan?" Narumi responded with a smile, bringing their group to a brief halt.

" Your hand," Misaki pointed out, her gaze fixed on Narumi's hand.

Narumi loosened his grip on Mikan's hand and raised his gloved hand. " This? I think I injured it while gardening. I'll ask Misaki-sensei for some medicine, don't worry," he reassured them, not wanting the two girls to be overly concerned.

Misaki offered a small smile. " You should definitely do that, senpai, or else Mikan and I will drag you back to the hospital," she teased. Mikan nodded in agreement, and Narumi joined in their laughter.

" Yes, ma'am," Narumi playfully agreed, and the three continued on their way.