It hurts…

I gasped out breathlessly, the muscles in my throat beginning to constrict as the air became harder and harder to breathe.

It hurts…

I clenched onto my chest, feeling a suffocating tightness squeezing against my heart. A teardrop escaped my eyes from the pain as my head rolled off the seat and fell against the cool window.

"H-Hey miss…" The driver said, glancing up the rear-view mirror to look at me. "Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?" His voice was muffled in my ears. I didn't need to make out the words to know what he had asked. I didn't need to see to tell how terrified he was by my behaviour. My lips parted in attempt to reply, but no words came. I shook my head in response, not really caring whether he saw or not.

After a couple of coughs, the pain in my heart finally began to loosen – allowing me to breathe again. My body slumped into the seat limply, feeling quite nauseous. Still able to feel the pain itching to find a way to hurt me, I closed my eyes, hoping to cease it through sleep. I didn't know how long I'd slept for. By the time the driver woke me, I was already at my destination.

Namimori.

I stood in the middle of the empty street and glanced down to the paper that contained the address of the new apartment I've rented.

"Tokyo's air is too polluted so it isn't good for your health."

"We've already got you a place in Namimori. Though it might be a small city, the air there is better for your body."

The memory of those voices whispered inside me as I rubbed my temple. "Polluted…huh?" I whispered, feeling a slight frown tugging on my lips at the sight of my only relatives left. Every time I cough, I could see the fearful looks on their faces as they distanced themselves despite knowing my disease wasn't contagious.

"Fifteen…" I murmured to myself at the remembrance of my birthday coming in two days.

That would mean another year had gone by…

Another year lost in time.

Just as I was deep in thought, childish laughter suddenly pierced through my eardrums. I blinked, returning to reality as I glanced around the empty street.

"Gyahahaha! Lambo-san is the fastest in the world!" Realizing how the voice came from behind me, I turned to see a child slowly coming to view.

A child with an afro and dressed in cow suit that is…

"Tsuna and stupid-dera can't catch Lambo-san! Gyahahaha!" The child laughed as he dashed past me.

'What was…that...?' I wondered to myself as I stared at the thing the child was carrying. For a split second, I could have sworn it was a bazooka or something...but then again, it must be a toy.

'I should get going...' I told myself, staring at the sun that was slowly descending from the sky. As I slowly made my way down the street, two– no,three figures slowly came into view. One was a petite boy with chocolate brown hair and eyes. The boy seemed fragile, almost like the type that bullies tended to look for. By the petite boy's side was another teenager, one whose image completely contrasted the brunet. He had silver-white hair with a fierce expression that made him seemed almost like a delinquent. And behind the two boys, there was something floating in the air with a person riding in it...

"Lambo! Wait!" The brunet shouted as he ran passed me.

"I've only partly tuned it so it's not complete yet!" The person in the floating vehicle yelled before he and the silver haired boy dashed past me as well. I blinked and stared at the floating thing before sighing softly to myself. 'I must be...getting tired.' I gently rubbed my eyes before looking back to the group again...only to see the silver haired boy pulling out something that resembled dynamite.

"Tch! You stupid cow!" He screamed. I quickly turned and walked off. First a child running with a bazooka...then a boy on a floating machine and now this teen just pulled out dynamite from the middle of nowhere. I supposed this was what stress of moving into a new environment was like.

"G-Gokudera-kun wai-"

"Explode!"

The sound of explosion screamed into my ears as I turned to see a blast of smoke slamming against me. "Ah!" I yelped softly, thrown back by the force of the wind as I tumbled down. I coughed heavily as I tried to see through the smoke-filled air, wondering exactly what has happened. When I heard the sound of crying, I quickly looked up to see the afro child dropping down from the sky.

"GYAAAH!" He cried with liquids flooding out of his eyes and nostril.

I gasped upon the sight. Quickly raising my arms, I caught the boy just in the nick of time. "...Are you alright?" I asked softly. Before I could get an answer from the crying child, my eyes caught sight of an object above my head. When I looked up, I realized it was this child's toy bazooka coming straight down at us. Before I could react, darkness swallowed me before another explosion rang against my ears.

xxXxx

"W-what was that explosion?"

Tsuna gasped as he coughed through the smoke filled air.

"Tenth, are you alright?" Gokudera asked in concern as he rushed to Tsuna's side. At that, Tsuna looked up before giving a weak nod.

"Y-yeah...but what was that explosion just now?" Tsuna whispered as the smoke started to clear.

"Oh, I hope it's not the ten year bazooka!" Ganini whined just as two figures within the smoke started coming into view. The gentle breeze blew away the last layer of smoke, revealing the adult form of Lambo.

"My, my...if it isn't the young Vongola."

"Adult Lambo!" Tsuna gasped before noticing another person sitting behind Lambo. A pale woman with long snow white hair tied up in a high ponytail by a long, lavender ribbon. Her long hair fluttered against the wind, sparkling under the sunlight like a stream of river.

"Who's...that?"

xxXxx

'W-what's going on...? Why... where am I?' My mind cried out in panic. My thoughts were all tangled up, unable to put anything together. For a moment, I could have sworn I was at the street with this child in my arms.

So why...how?

"Hm...What's this?" The deep male's voice spoke as I flinched slightly. I hesitantly glanced up at the man that was cornering me against the wall. Though he was crouching, I could tell that he's tall. His skin was pale with messy black hair and dressed in a plain black kimono. His dark, piercing eyes were locked onto me, sending shivers down my spine.

Just one glance, I could tell that this man...he's dangerous.

'What's going on...?'

I tried to piece what had happened together, but no matter how I thought, nothing made any sense. My eyes snuck a glance to my wrists that were pinned tightly against the wall by those larger hands. His body gave off a pressuring feeling that completely immobilized me. I couldn't move, couldn't speak...couldn't even feel my own fingers through his grasp. As though noticing the fear plastered over my face, the man gently released my wrists and backed away. "Breathe." He spoke in a demanding tone yet somehow…his cold voice held strange softness.

It wasn't until his words reached me that I realized.

I had been holding my breath.

Feeling my lungs burning with unbearable pain, I quickly swallowed down the air around me. As I panted, I watched the man walked over to a table. "U-umm..." I mumbled breathlessly, unable to find any words to say as the man poured out a cup of tea. At his gesture I began to somewhat relax, but immediately tensed when I noticed the man sprinkled something like powder into the cup…

The man came back to me and held out the cup of tea at me as though telling me to drink it. I stared at him in unease before back at the cup of tea. "I didn't poison it." He stated plainly, as though knowing what I was thinking.

"N-no…I didn't…" I shuttered softly as I watched the man taking a sip on the tea just to assure me. After that, he held the cup towards me again. "T-thank...you...?" I whispered, unable to reject him as I carefully took the cup into my hands.

"Umm...where...where am I? Who are you...?" I asked quietly, trying hard to keep my voice from quivering.

At that, the man's eyes seemed to widened slightly in surprise. However, he quickly regained his composer as his gaze drifted away. He murmured something beneath his breath, something I couldn't quite well hear.

"E...excuse me–"

"Kyo-san, it's me." A voice called from outside, startling me as the man in black kimono glanced up. "Tetsu." He mumbled as the door slide open, revealing this suited man with a-...a Regent hairstyle.

"Kyo-san, your package has-"

However, the man named Tetsu was immediately cut off when he laid his eyes upon me. "Suzume-san?" He exclaimed as I jumped slightly, startled by his suddenly outburst.

"H-how do you know my name…?" I whispered, feeling more and more nervous by the second.

"Ah, please don't be afraid. I'm Kyo-san's subordinate, Kusakabe Tetsuya." The man introduced. Despite his appearance, he didn't seem like a bad person.

'Kyo-san?' I thought as I slowly turn my gaze to the man from the corner of my eyes.

"It brings back memories. You were still so young." Kusakabe-san smiled. At that, I blinked, turning back to Kusakabe-san as though he just grew another head. Perhaps it was because of my poor socializing skills, but I had absolutely no idea what the man was talking about.

"Have we met before…?" I hesitatingly asked. Kusakabe then parted his lips as though to speak – however, no words came out of his mouth. He was clearly speaking… his lips were moving but…

I couldn't hear anything.

It was as though an invisible wall has plugged my ears, blocking out all the sounds.

My eyes flew wide at the pain that stabbed into my chest. I panted heavily, sweat rolling down my forehead. I tried to breathe as lightly as I could but despite what I was doing, each breath increased the pain. The air around me grew hotter and hotter...or perhaps it was only my body's temperature that was rising. I shut my eyes due to the pain. Unable to put any strength into my body, I felt myself starting to fall.

"Suzume-san!"

Just before I hit the tatami, I felt a strong arm wrapped around me and broke my fall. I was then pulled against a warm body. The splashing sound of water echoed into the room as burning liquid touched my cheek, causing me to further wince.

"Kyo-san!" I heard Kusakabe-san's voice shouted.

The minute my eyes opened, I found myself staring at an arm hovering over me. The arm was soaked in boiling hot tea with steam rising up from the man's pale skin. My eyes widened at the sight before spotting the empty cup lying by my side. "You should have just drank it." The man muttered, sounding quite irritated. However, I didn't pay much attention to that. My eyes were locked on the man's burnt arm…my eyes wide in fright.

"Your–!" My sentence was interrupted by a from the pain crushing my heart. I gave out a dry, breathless cough. My chest hurt. It was as though someone was squeezing my heart.

"Suzume-san, what's wrong?" Kusakabe-san gasped, but I couldn't reply.

"Tetsu, pour a cup of tea." The man ordered in a cold tone. Immediately Kusakabe-san rushed to the table and poured the tea into another cup. Meanwhile, the man gently steadied me against him.

"Here, Kyo-san." Kusakabe-san said, rushing back as he held the cup of tea to the man. With his free hand, the man reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small package wrapped in brown paper. I tried to speak, but it only increased the pain pounding inside my chest. "Suzume-san, please don't speak." Kusakabe-san said in concern as I swallowed lightly. I stayed still and watched as the man pulled out a capsule from within the package. With his fingers, he snapped the capsule in two, breaking it right down from the center. The medicine within the capsule sprinkled down and mixed itself in with the tea.

That was when I noticed…it was the same grayish powder from before.

"Kyo-san, I'll go get an ice pack."

Kusakabe-san said and with that, he rushed out the room. Ignoring his subordinate that had just left, the man pressed the edge of the cup against my lips and tilted it slightly to let the tea flow down my lips. When I felt the liquid touched my tongue, I nearly spat it back out. The tea was unbelievable bitter. Just the scent of it made me feel like vomiting. I pulled myself away from the cup and coughed heavily. I didn't want to drink it, but the man thought otherwise and grabbed my chin. Before I could do anything, I felt the bitter tea flowing down my throat. It all happened so fast that I couldn't react. By the time I came to, my mouth was filled with the horrible aftertaste. The man had forced every last drop of the tea down my system. I coughed and desperately tried to hold myself back from throwing up.

"Your arm..." I whispered as I remembered back to how he had protected me. When I gazed over his arm, I realized how it was now glowing in red. "D-does...does it hurt?" I asked in worry as the man stared down at me with his unchanged glaze. I instantly felt stupid in asking such thing. Of course it hurts…his skin was burning. "I'm really sorry...I..." I whispered, my voice trailing off, unable to think of what to say.

It was the first time. The first time someone had protected me like that so I didn't know what I was supposed to say in such situation. The first time someone got hurt protecting me…it was frightening. I was so scared during that split second. Scared of what I did not know…

"Kyo-san, I've brought it." Kusakabe-san said as he hurried into the room. He came over to us and placed down an ice pack as well as some bandages onto the tatami. The man who still held me said nothing more but a mere nod. "Suzume-san, are you feeling better now?" Kusakabe-san then asked, turning towards me as I blinked. Quickly remembering my previous pain, I felt around my chest before taking a couple of normal breaths.

'Huh…?' I rubbed my chest in confusion.

The pain…it's gone…?

"How…?" I whispered, but I didn't dwell on that matter than longer than a second before remembering the man's arm again.

"Ah, y-your arm...!"

I gasped, quickly grabbing the ice pack and pulled the man's hand towards me. I gently placed the ice pack onto his reddish skin, careful as to not hurt him. The man just sat quietly as he allowed me to tend to his injured arm. To the side, Kusakabe-san watched with a soft smile plastered over his face. However, his smile soon left when he glanced down at his wristwatch. "Strange…five minutes should have passed long ago." I heard him muttered quietly to himself. I glanced up, wondering if I was hindering them from something.

"Tetsu." The man suddenly called as Kusakabe-san quickly glanced back up.

"Yes?"

"Leave." The man commanded in an icy tone, not even bothering to look to his subordinate.

Kusakabe-san didn't question and simply nodded. "I understand." His gaze was then shifted onto me. "Then Suzume-san, please take care." He said and with a bow, he left, leaving the two of us once again alone in the room. I sat there in silent, staring at nothing but the ice pack. I carefully removed the ice pack from his arm, placing it down before picking up the bandage.

"I'm…really sorry..." I whispered another apology as I carefully wrapped the bandage around him.

"Enough." The man finally spoke. The irritation in his voice made me flinched a little.

"Ah, yes...Sor- I mean, umm…thank you." The man didn't say anything. I was grateful for him ignoring me. If he were to speak, I wouldn't know what to say. After I finished tying a knot on the bandage, I reached for the ice pack to cool his arm down once more. However, the man suddenly grabbed my wrist, stopping me. With a tug, I gasped as the man pulled me onto my feet with surprising strength.

Before I could get a chance to speak, the man dragged me out of the room. "U-umm..." I tried to call out to him, but that's when I realized.

This man…I don't even know his name.

The only thing I knew was that Kusakabe-san calls him by Kyo-san though it was obvious that it wasn't his full name.

"Suzume, Suzume~!" A high-pitched childish voice chirped.

At that, I quickly looked around; curious as to whom the sweet voice belonged to. That was when I noticed, a fluffy little yellow bird circling over my head. With a soft chirp, it fluttered down and landed onto my shoulder. "Eh...?" I gasped, surprised at how unexpectedly friendly the little bird was.

"Suzume, Suzume~!" The little bird sang as my eyes widened.

"You can speak?" I whispered in excitement as the chirp flapped its wings. With a couple more flaps, it skipped into the air and nested onto the man's head. 'Is that his bird?' I thought to myself as I noticed how happy the little bird seemed.

But then it dawned me.

Just now…did that bird called out to my name?

'No…it must be referring to the sparrows (Suzume means sparrow)." I quickly told myself.

"Hibari, Hibari~!" It sang happily.

'Hibari...?' I thought before staring at the man.

Could that be this man's name?

Once the man pulled me out of the dark tunnel, he released my wrist and started walking down the lonely street. I slowly glanced around the quiet street before following after him, knowing that was probably what he wanted. As I walked, the little bird flew over and rested back onto my shoulder. I smiled softly and gently rubbed my finger against its soft creamy feathers. Delighted by my touch, the little bird leaned towards my finger, as though seeking for more warmth.

"Pick up your pace." The man's voice broke through my ears.

I quickly looked up and saw the man waiting for me by an alley. 'It's dark...' I thought in slight discomfort as I arrived by his side. I peered into the dark alley. Since it was pretty much night time, I couldn't see a single thing. With his bandaged hand, the man wrapped his long, slender fingers around my wrist and started dragging me into the alley. I wanted to protest, but decided against it and hesitantly moved my legs to his pace. As I nervously looked around, I subconsciously drew myself closer to the man until our shoulders brushed against each other. I held his hand tightly, forgetting his injuries as my eyes stared at the uncomfortable darkness around us.

Soon, light started coming into view at the very end of the long, narrow alley. When we emerged into the light, my eyes widened. Unlike the streets from before, this street was unusually lively. There were red lanterns hanging everywhere and people dressed in kimonos walking about.

"This is...?"

When the wind blew, I found petals of sakura, fluttering down the sky like rain. There were so much that the street was coated by a thin layer of pink carpets. From the looks, there appeared to be some sort of festival taking place. "...!" I gasped when my face suddenly collided against something soft and fluffy with a sweet aroma. When I pulled my face out, I noticed that it was a cotton candy.

"Eh…?" I whispered as I stared at the man who held the cotton candy towards me. "Is this...for me...?" I guessed, clueless as to what he wanted especially with that apathetic expression of his. Without saying a word, the man just pushed the cotton candy onto me. At that, I quickly picked up my pace a bit, enough to catch up to him. "Umm…thank–...thank you!" I said, trying to speak as loud as I could through all the noises. I stared down to the cotton candy in my hand before a feeling joy overwhelmed me.

"Ah! Hibari-san! Did you come here to view the sakura?"

An old lady at one of the food stores exclaimed as she ran over to us. 'He really is called Hibari-san…' I thought to myself as I noticed how the old woman bowed at Hibari-san before coming to me.

"My~! Suzume-chan! It's only been three months yet you looked younger than before! Was Italy fun? Speaking of which, have you cut your hair?" The old lady said, combing her fingers through my shoulder length hair. I shivered at the touch, but strangely it wasn't unpleasant.

"I...I didn't really..." I whispered, not knowing what exactly to say in such awkward situation. "I-I'm sorry…I think you got the wrong-" I was about to say, until another voice interrupted mine.

"Excuse me, is there anyone here?" A customer called as the old lady quickly looked up.

"Ah, coming! Then I'll see you later, Hibari-san, Suzume-chan." And with that, the old lady rushed back to greet her customer.

'How does she...know my name?' I thought to myself as I stared at the old lady, very certain that I had never in my life met her before.

"What are you loitering around for?" Hibari-san's cold voice called as I quickly caught up to his pace again. As we walked further down the lively street, I couldn't help but noticed all these people's glazes directed towards us. Despite the fact that the street was crowded, everyone seemed to form a path for us to walk down.

"Hibari-san!"

"Hibari-san when did you return to Namimori?"

The people around exclaimed at the sight of the man before me.

'Wait...just now...Namimori?' I quietly thought to myself before slowly looking around.

I'm still in Namimori…?

"Oh Suzume!"

Through the wave of noises, I heard my name being called. When I turned, I noticed this young man about his mid-20 waving at my direction. At first, I thought he was waving to someone else, so I paid no attention to him until he screamed to me again. "Suzume, over here~!" At that, I slowly walked over before noticing the man holding out a chocolate banana towards me.

"Sorry, I don't–" I mumbled as the man shoved the chocolate banana into my hands.

"It's been months second since we've last met!" The man laughed as I blink, dumbfounded.

"H…huh…?" I mumbled softly, unable to understand his words. I wasn't sure if I saw properly…but this man...there was a faint blush creeping over his cheeks. Or maybe it was just the light from the lanterns. "U-Umm…I don't know what you're…but this banana…I can't-" I whispered softly as the man smiled.

"Don't sweat it! It's on the house~! Say Suzume, you free this Saturday?" He suddenly asked as I blinked.

"…Eh?"

"Never mind Saturday, are you free now? I know the best spot for fireworks tonight!"

He said as he suddenly grabbed my hands. "E-excuse me…" I whispered, but was suddenly pulled over to the man. "Love your haircut." He said as I nervously stared at the hand caressing my cheek and combing through my hair. "I-I didn't cut- Please…c-could you please…my hands…?" Confused by what was happening, my words didn't come out in order.

"its fine, it's fine, no need to be all–!"

CRASH

I didn't know what had happened then…but by the time I knew it, the tent at the Chocolate Banana stand suddenly crashed down. It wasn't that the tent just fell over – the metal bars that were supporting it…they broke down. Or rather, it was more like something sharp had sliced it into millions of pieces. I yelped in surprise as the man that was holding onto my hand crashed onto the ground with his red tent collapsing over him. The clashing sound of the remains of metal bars rained down. Upon the ringing sounds of metal, the passing people stopped what they were doing and turned their attentions over to see what the commotion was about.

"What the heck?"

The man screamed as he began crawling out from under his fallen tent. "Are you alright?" I asked hesitantly. Just when I was about to extend a hand to help, a large hand roughly grabbed my arm and stopped me. When I turned, I realized it was Hibari-san. Just that moment, I noticed something moving out of the corner of my eyes. I turned back, only to catch sight of a tree falling towards that our directions. I gasped in surprise as the grip upon my arm tightened. With a tug, Hibari-san pulled me back just in time as the tree slammed right down into the man and missing my nose by a mere inch.

"GAAAAH!"

I stood there, stunned from shock as whispers traveled around people. I glanced around; confused and shocked as to why they were just standing there doing nothing to help. When I tried to reach for the man, I was sharply tugged back. Hibari-san, acting as though nothing of the scene had even took place, began dragging me away. "P-please wait…! T-that man! He's-!" I quickly stopped midway in my sentence when Hibari-san turned to me. When I met his eyes, I froze…feeling a chill crawling up my spine. For some reason, Hibari-san was releasing a bloodcurdling glare. I froze up like a deer before headlight. He glared at me deeply before suddenly snatching the chocolate banana from my hand and flung it against the ground. He threw it so hard that the banana smashed into the ground and turned to mush. I stared in silent fear, not daring to do anything as I allowed him to drag me away quietly.

I didn't know where he was going, but as we walked, the festival light grew further and further away. Soon, the only light we could rely on was the moon's as he led me through a deep forest. Never had I walked so long without rest, I felt myself sweating uncontrollably and energy being drained away. But at the memory of that icy glare, I didn't dare to speak. I panted softly as my chest ached. I didn't know whether Hibari-san knew or not, but he stopped just in time as I broke into heavy coughs. Due to all the walking, my legs were completely worn out. Unable to support my weight any longer, I fell onto my knees. That moment, my heart suddenly tightened as I gave out a breathless cry. With another heavy cough, I felt warm liquid...rising up my throat and gushing out of my mouth. I didn't need to see to know what that coppery taste around my tongue was.

Blood

With my last bit of strength leaving my body, I fell forward and into a pair of warm arms. My eyes were hazed, unable to see anything aside from the darkness. My entire body felt numb. I gritted my teeth, trying to hold in a scream as pain overwhelmed me.

I felt my body being pulled upright with something was pressing against my lips. "Swallow it." I heard Hibari-san's muffled voice. Drained of energy, my eyelids slowly slide across my amethyst eyes. "Swallow, Suzu." Hibari-san's voice repeated sternly.

I tried…I really did, but I couldn't.

I couldn't summon any strength.

Just a second before I completely lost myself to the dark, I felt something warm…something soft and tender, brushing gently against my lips…

Within the darkness, I didn't know how much time was lost.

By the time I woke, the pain in my body was gone. My eyes slowly fluttered open to see the clear night sky. A dark sky illuminated only by the lights of the moon and stars. I lay staring at the sky as I tried to recall what happened. As I searched my mind, a soft greenish light danced by my eyes. At the sight of the light, I forgot all my thoughts and slowly pulled myself up. When I did, my eyes widened at the sight. I was no longer within that dark forest. Before me was a beautiful lake, reflecting the lights scattered over the sky above. By my side was a field of white flowers, one which I had never seen before. And within the field, the soft green light emitted by the fireflies danced. So distracted by the beautiful scenery, I failed to see the person sitting beside me until it spoke.

"Hibari~ Hibari~" Jumping in surprise, I quickly turned to find Hibari-san sitting right beside me with the little bird chirping on his head.

I gasped before quickly bowing down in apology. "I-I'm sorry...!"

"...For what?" Hibari-san questioned as I pulled myself back up while avoiding his glaze. "Were–" I swallowed dryly, "...were you...angry with me...perhaps?" I whispered, but my question came out as though I was asking myself more than to Hibari-san. With my volume, I doubted that he could hear…but he did, with surprisingly keen ears.

"No." He replied. A short, simple reply.

I then tried to speak, but I didn't know what to say. I watched as Hibari-san suddenly reached into his sleeve and pulled out a rectangular box wrapped with violet wrapping paper. He silently held it towards me. I knew from the gesture that he wanted me to take it. Not daring to go against him, I slowly reached my hands out, gently taking the box.

"T-This is...?"

"Open it."

He commanded as I stared down at the box resting in my hand. I carefully peeled the wrapping paper off before opening the box to find a long ribbon resting inside. A long lavender ribbon. From the touch, it seemed the ribbon was made purely of silk.

"It's beautiful..."

"It's yours now." Hibari-san said as I my head snapped up to him.

"N-no wait, I can't-"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Suzu." Hibari-san spoke in a firm voice.

I stared at him, my lips apart as though trying to protest, but I couldn't. 'Suzu...?' I thought to myself, wondering where that name came from.

"Um...can I ask you something...Hibari-san...?" I whispered as those metallic eyes shifted and landed upon me. "Why are you so nice to me...?" I whispered softly as I stared back into his eyes, barely hanging on under his intense glaze. "I'm sure we've never met before…I'm just a stranger…but why…?" My voice trailed off as my eyes widened as the memory of when I first met him flashed across my mind. 'Come to think of it...' I remembered back to that capsule and the tea that Hibari-san made me drank.

Was that painkiller?

Whatever it was, what worried me was that Hibari-san gave it to me…

"Why…do you know about my disease." My voice didn't even come out as question. I stared at Hibari-san with wide eyes. Both confusion and shock glazed my amethyst eyes.

Hibari-san stared back at me with unreadable expression. After a moment of silence, he spoke in words I've never thought I would hear.

"I can cure your disease."

I blinked – I was stupefied as I stared at him.

"W-Wha…" My voice choked out before I broke into a soft fit of laughter. I didn't know why I was laughing, but I did with bitter tears threatening to stream down my eyes. "Please don't joke around...that's not possible...because...this disease is...this is..." I whispered; trailing off as my own smile faded from my lips.

"How many years do you have left?" This time, I wasn't surprised. I wasn't surprised at all. After all, if he knew my disease…then this should have been expected, right?

I just smiled, my eyes staring at the flower blooming by my feet.

"Two years." I replied.

Though I knew that I was smiling...something wet was flowing down my cheek, leaving behind a chilling trail. I could feel salty liquid sliding into the gap of my lips and caressed the tip of my tongue.

"Do you wish to die?" Hibari-san questioned. He was now gazing out to the lake as another firefly flew by me.

"It's fine..." I whispered softly. I didn't know why I was even telling Hibari-san such things…but I did. Perhaps I've grew tired of it….tired of keeping everything within my heart. The longing of sharing me own feelings with someone else – which I was never able to since there was never anyone to share with.

"The doctor already said it's a miracle I had lived so long...so it's fine. I've already...lived long enough. Besides, it's not like I can go anywhere...if I actually..."

"Then why do you cry?"

Hibari-san pointed out as my eyes widened slightly. I slowly raised my hand, brushing my fingers over my cheek to feel my own tears. At that, I frowned deeply as I sniffed softly. "I-I'm not-" I tried to deny, though I knew it was no use. I had been prepared. I had been prepared since long ago. Two years was still far away and plenty enough...yet why? When Hibari-san asked, I couldn't help but felt regret and sadness swarming within me, eating my insides…craving a hole within my body.

"I...I'm not crying...it's not like anyone needed me-"

"You used your own disease as an excuse to distant yourself away from others. You made your own life miserable so that you wouldn't feel regret in your life. You made yourself into an empty shell just so you wouldn't be hurt in the end." Hibari-san said in a calm and composed voice.

I sat stiffly upon his words as more pearl-like tears streamed down my face. "Why...?" My voice left my lips in a ghostly whisper. "Why…do you…?" I choked, unable to believe what I had just heard from him. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't deny it. Everything Hibari-san had said was the truth. So many questions flooded my mind. Why was he telling me these things? Why does he know me so? And more importantly, why were there tears dripping down my eyes?

My mind was a complete mess.

"Suzu." Hibari-san's soothing voice called out to me.

Before I knew it, two long arms wrapped around me and I was pulled into an embrace. I honestly couldn't remember the last time someone had touched me with so gently. I sat within his arms, unable to move due to surprise and confusion. I could feel Hibari-san's warm arms tightening around me as he pushed my head so I could rest against his chest.

"W-Why...?" I whispered softly, feeling his warmth overwhelming me. "Why are you so kind to me...?" I screamed. For the first time in my life, I had screamed. I couldn't take it anymore. Dropping down all my defences, I clenched onto Hibari-san's kimono and broke into a cry.

This man...he gave me a kindness which I had never experienced before.

He made me realized what it was like to feel the warmth of another. He shattered all these years of my hard work...shattering my only defense against time…shattering that barrier that was supposed to protect me.

"Why are you so kind to me? If you didn't...I–...all these years I've..." As I cried, I could feel his large, warm hands quietly rubbed small circles at my back. I didn't know why, but I didn't hate his touch. In fact, it was comforting. Everything revolving around him was comforting. That lively street, those kind people, Kusakabe-san...and most of all, Hibari-san. They were strangely craved deeply within my memories…the memories of today – deeper than any memories I ever had in my life's time.

"Do you want to die, Suzu?"

Hibari-san asked once last time as I shut my eyes tightly.

"I-I...I don't want to die. I don't want to die..." I sniffed.

At that, Hibari-san slowly pulled me away from him before brushing my tears away with his long, slender finger. He pulled out an awfully familiar package from his sleeve. "This is the medicine for your disease." He said as my eyes widened.

"…What?" I whispered, unable to comprehend his words. Did he meant painkillers?

"There's not enough time, be silent and listen."

Not having the energy to question or wanted to, I did as he told while silently drying my tears. Now that I had cried the weight over my heart out and cleared my head, I felt suddenly embarrassed by my unsightly behaviour.

"These medicines will only temporarily stop your disease's growth. Take it every time your pain acts. There are only enough to extent your time by four more years. On the last year when your medicine runs out would be when the cure for your disease be discovered."

'I can be...cure?' I thought to myself, feeling hope rising from my heart. "You–...you mean if...if I can live through six more years, my disease...it can be cured?" I whispered as Hibari-san gave me a small, casual nod. Although his words sounded ridiculous and hard to believe, I didn't doubt him. For some reason, I just believed him completely. With an undoubting heart, I smiled...a real smile that I hadn't used for a long, long time. Tears started flowing out of my eyes all over again, but unlike the previous ones, these tears were from joy.

"Six years..."

I whispered happily, starting to feel hope rising out. So stuck in my thought, I didn't noticed what was happening around me. By the time I came to, I found my own hair tied up into a high ponytail by my newly given ribbons. "Eh...?" I gasped; quickly reaching back to feel the soft silky texture of the ribbon. When the wind blew by, I shivered; feeling the wind brushing against my bare neck and cheeks that were usually shielded by my hair.

"Namimori Middle. He will help you in your operation six years later." Hibari-san said, threading his fingers through my hair.

"…He?"

Hibari-san suddenly gave me a small push, pushing me backward and making me lost my balance. "Ah..!" I gasped when I noticed that the lake was behind me.

"Your hair. Grow it out."

Those were the last words I heard before pinkish smoke suddenly filled my sight. My body then slammed against something hard. It wasn't water. Instead, it felt more like cement. No…it was cement. "Ugh!" I gasped as I fell back first onto the rough ground. "W-where...?' I whispered, pulling myself up as I slowly looked around.

The field...the fireflies...the lake...and even Hibari-san...everything was gone.

"H-Hibari…san…?" I looked around my new surroundings. It's almost like I've been teleported into an entirely different place. "T-This is...where am I?" I whispered nervously before noticing a large building standing before me.

"It's just like before..." I mumbled and slowly pulling myself onto my feet. "Could it be…a dream...?" I wondered at first, but immediately rethought it when I noticed the package of medicine in my hands. When I let my glaze drifted slightly, I caught sight of a name plate at the side of the gate behind me. The dim streetlamp light allowed me see clearly on what was written there.

"Na…mi..." I slowly read the words before a gasp escaped my throat. "Namimori Middle?" I quickly glanced back to the building beyond the gate. "This is Namimori Middle?" I looked again, unable to believe my eyes. "What is going on?" I glanced around before taking a small step back. When I did, I heard a crisp, wrinkling sound from beneath my feet.

That was when I noticed a piece of paper lying under my foot. I picked it up and was about to throw it into the garbage can when I noticed the content that was written there. "...What is this?" I could feel my hair standing on its roots as I stared at the little note. This note...it was written by me. I mean...this is definitely my hand writing, but I had never written such note. But what really gave me Goosebumps was this content…

For the sake of your future.

If you wish to live, study at Namimori Middle.

Meet him, and the rest of your family.

The content was almost the exact same as what Hibari-san had told me. "What exactly is...?" I could feel my head pounding in pain as nothing that was happening makes any sense.

Just as I was deep in thought, I suddenly felt a chilling, ominous presence behind me.

"What are you doing loitering around in the night?"

A deep, cold voice spoke as I my eyes widened slightly. 'That voice…' I thought as I slowly turned to see a figure walking out from the shadow…stepping out of the gate surrounding Namimori Middle. The first thing my eyes caught where the tonfas the person gripped tightly in his hands.

"You are breaking the school's policy. I'll bite you to death."

And that was when my life truly begun...

Special thanks to PsychedelicFlame who had kindly used some of her time to give me some suggestions and helped me edited this chapter! Thank you very much, PsychedelicFlame~!

There is a sequel to this one shot call Time Reversed and a spinoff to both shots called Dew of Time. I hope you enjoy =)