Gakuen Alice 71

February is closing in, but nobody got demoted or lost any stars as yet. This leads to some excessive merriment at the expense of poor Ruka. His grand gesture in the end of chapter 70 is not something anyone could pass a chance to crack a joke about, since he got to keep all of his starts despite the big talking. Even Natsume couldn't resist the tempatation. What to say about the delightful absolutely tactless Hotaru-chan and kokoroyomi-kun? They are positively overjoyed. Mikan's sticking to Hotaru, hugging and babbling nonsense, which cause people to wonder what's wrong with Imai-san. Pama finds it particularly disturbing. Normally Hotaru would've hit her a long time ago. What's going on? Iincho remembers what Hotaru told him: "I just put the things in perspective. When I saw her lifeless and unmoving, I thought that this, noisy way, she's much better." Mikan is overjoyed because she understood that Hotaru really cares for her. Tsubasa-sempai tells her that it was Hotaru who asked her brother to treat Mikan and to be admitted to hospital. And she was nursing (kanbyou) Mikan all the time she was unconscious. Hotaru's brother confirmed the story, that it was his sister who asked him for help: "I want you to tell her... that I want her to hurry up and bring that thing we talked about". Then he adds: "you seem to be a very important person for my sister. To think that that sister would rely on me... would ask me for help... or perhaps it's just that I don't know her at all." Hotaru's older brother: "Take good care of my sister... So that she would bring the thing we've agreed upon the soonest possible" So Mikan is all lovey-dovey. Hotaru's bearing as well as she can. But while Iincho is in the midst of remebering what hotaru told him she understood and how that noisy and lovey-dovey Mikan is better than the lifeless form, as Pama says: "Oh, good. All's well". Hotaru's newly acquired patience was short-termed. Mikan was set flying in the opposite direction.Meanwhile the two characters that the least being hugged by Mikan are near the tree. It's a chapter of reminiscencing actually since that's what everyone's doing. Natsume has got a present in his hand, which he hides in his pocket as Ruka makes the appearance.

Natsume doesn't miss out on an opportunity to tease his friend and greets him: "Hey, A no star failure!" (The one who couldn't become a no star) Ruka gets all embarassed. Natsume laughs and Ruka says. "It reminds me a lot, this tree. I could never have imagined that some day you would laugh like that (like now). Your smile... it's Sakura who made it, right? That's why you've decided to stay at school to protect her, right?"

Natsume replies: "Yeah. From now on I want to protect her from everything that would be trying to block her way"

Ruka: "Me too, I will protect sakura. I won't loose to Natsume. And also Natsume's smile that I also want to protect"

But then the mangaka had to explain Natsume's escape somehow. Figures he was not extremely popular among sempais - since he's something representative for no obvious reason. Thing were going rather rough for everyone. Besides there were all these rumours about how he killed his family and the like. And then one of the pupils talking says something along the lines: "No, his dad's arrive and writing letters everyday. Only they are not being transmitted. My grand dad works there, so he knows." Natsume stops to ask questions and the guys propose a deal - If Natsume's so cool as he's made out to be, he'll sneak out of school and then return at the end of the day without anyone noticing. If he's able to do that, they will sneak in a letter from his Dad. Of course Natsume knows full well they are not going to keep their promise, because it's too dangerous for the weaklings of the sort and that they just want to see Natsume fall from his position. But Natsume is in doubt.Ruka sees it and says: "Natsume, let's run away for a while for our own sake. Not because someone told us but to get a break. I know you want to do it. It’s written all over your face. If only for a single day, we might feel better after a bit of freedom". Then those guys who have set them up, drop a note about intended escape near the teacher's office and Narumi picks it up.