abstract
| - Mikan Sakura is a ten-year-old girl who lives in the country with her grandfather. She is planning a protest to keep her elementary school from being demolished; however, none of her classmates join her because they think it can't be saved. But Mikan, although devastated, wants to save it because it contains so many precious memories, including that of her meeting Hotaru for the first time the year prior. In Mikan's flashbacks, she remembers her first day of school and then Hotaru's enrollment soon after. At first, Mikan didn't like Hotaru because she seemed to serious and cold, however, when Hotaru suddenly asked Mikan to be her partner in sing-and-dance contest, which they won together, Mikan decided to be Hotaru's best friend and has been overly loyal towards her (even though Hotaru tends to get annoyed with Mikan's clingness). Although they frequently fought, they became as close as sisters. Hotaru uses one of her inventions to blast Mikan's memories and calls her a dummy. Mikan soon finds out from her friends that Hotaru is transferring to a school for "genuises" like her. Angry that she was the last person to find out, Mikan runs to Hotaru (only to be hit again by one of her inventions). Mikan spills out her feelings to Hotaru and how sad she is that Hotaru decided to transfer without telling her. Hotaru touches Mikan's cheek and tells her not to cry, and promises to keep in contact. Nine months go by, and Mikan only receives a postcard from Hotaru and believes that Hotaru hs forgotten about her. But, she then finds out from her classmates that Hotaru actually transferred to Alice Academy, an elite school for people with a special power called an Alice. Mikan then accidentally eavesdrops on her principle and Hotaru's mother, who says that Hotaru transferred to the Academy because the academy gives money to the parents and Hotaru wanted to use that money to save her school. Mikan cries and says that Hotaru is hard to understand. Later that night, she runs away from home and mentally apologizes to her grandfather for running away to see Hotaru. Her mission is to find Alice Academy and make sure that Hotaru is alright. Upon arriving in Tokyo, Mikan finally finds the academy but finds no one nearby, except for some gangster-looking guys who offer to take her to the academy but are only wanting to kidnap her. She is saved by a blonde-haired man who talks about the academy to her. The man, a teacher named Narumi, tells her that Alices are not geniuses or prodigies but are natural abilities, and says that he suspects she may be an Alice, much to her joy. However, just as he is about to tell her what her Alice could be, the gate explodes and blows the two away. A boy about Mikan's age appears with a black cat mask. Narumi says that the boy is Natsume Hyuga, who has a powerful Fire Alice.
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