9/17/2012: This chapter was re-edited, checked for typos and grammar errors but the content remained the same. No modification to the original plot was produced.

NOTES:

Hello, mina! I'm happy to tell you that I finally finished a part of 'Real Life' (about half of it) and I can proceed to posting. It's not the first fanfiction I'm writing but is the first that I'm publishing. There will be more coming, of course. ^^

You see, my native language isn't English (I'm from Romania if you didn't read that in my profile) so I'm sure that there will be grammatical errors or vocabulary misunderstandings or it may even seem a little poor. Please, bear with me but tell me whatever you think is wrong or could be made better. I would not be mad; actually, I'd be grateful. :)

Now, I really want to say a big and special 'THANK YOU!" to Drippingly Sarcastic for helping me with this chapter and not only (She played the beta for me, correcting my mistakes for this installment. ^^), as well as for being so patient with me all this time (and believe me, I speak about a LONG time). So thank you very much! I own you!(Typo intended!) The least I can do is to dedicate this chapter for you though I know it's not enough.

I also want to say thanks to -MyNameIsAlice- (aka Kitserix) and EminaKotek-nightmare for being patient and waiting for me to post it. Thank you girls! ^^ I'm flattered. I'll try updating every week.

Also, music is very important to me so you'll find many references to songs, band and especially guitars or just... music.

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho (c) Yoshihiro Togashi; 'Hit the road Jack' (c) Ray Charles; 'Nothing else matters' (c) Metallica; 'Highway to hell' (c) ACDC

Real Life

Prologue

Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.

Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more.

'What you say?...'

Ray Charles' deformed voice could be heard from the old radio placed on top of the refrigerator. Small clouds of smoke rose from the cigarette the dirty blonde woman was smoking peacefully as she continued to look outside the window from her place at the table. Shizuru blinked slowly, wearing her usual bored expression while she took a sip from her coffee. That was the usual mourning routine in Kuwabara's family: wake up, wash herself, prepare the breakfast for her baby bro and, while he's doing his stuff, she'll smoke her cigar and drink her coffee. Soon, Kazuma will burst into the kitchen yelling that he's gonna be late for school and demanding his food. The woman sighed, shaking the ashes from the cigar as she took another sip. She'll have just another few minutes until the storm will come in. Her brother really was a loud guy.

'…I guess if you say so

I have to pack ma things and go.'

That's right.

Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.

Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more…

Shizuru played with her lighter, the one that Sakyo gave it to her four years ago. Her eyes continued to watch the initials that were starting to loose their brightness after being used so much. She rubbed her big thumb over the small scratch that cut through a monogrammed 'SN'. "After all this time… I still wonder how it would've been if it was to be…"

…'Well baby, listen baby, don't ya treat me this-a way

Cause I'll be back on my feet some day.'

Don't care if you do 'cause it's understood

you ain't got no money you just ain't no good…

From outside the kitchen bustle, rumbles and other noises announced that Kuwabara just got out of the bathroom. "Damn it. I'm gonna be late!" the boy yelled covering with his voice the stumbles and sounds of falling objects. "Damn it, why did the school have to start again?"

Shizuru rolled her eyes and just mumbled an 'Idiot'. She continued to smoke and drink her coffee with the same bored expression, placing her head on her hand. The song ended, its low notes being covered by another series of stumbles that meant he was trying to put some clothes on him. A hurrying Kuwabara, still trying to dress his shirt came rushing in the kitchen.

"Your breakfast." the woman stated pointing her chin towards the bowl with rice and the other with udon on the table. "And stop complaining, you big mouthed moron. If you had woken up earlier, you wouldn't have been running out of time now. Ch. Not my fault your morning shower takes ages."

Kuwabara raised an eyebrow, looking up from his food to his older sister. "Since when did you start sounding like the shrimp, sis?"

"Fuck off."

"Grumpy like every morning I see." The boy sighed returning his attention to his food. "And I wasn't complaining. It was just a way of speaking, I didn't mean it."

In a slow movement, Shizuru turned her face to look at him. "Since you started to attend school more often, you started getting smarter." She said sarcastically.

"Ha ha… not. At least I'm trying to do something with my life." The boy cried out. "Someone must be responsible in this family." He continued, mumbling the last sentence.

"Again, not my fault you choose to be the responsible one." She replied the same way. "And hurry up, you're gonna be late in the first day of school!"

"Geez, sis, stop being such a pain. I know what I have to do." He snapped at her, then resumed eating, not before speaking something unintelligible thought.

"I know, baby bro. I know. That's why I feel like shit right now." Shizuru thought as she looked her brother from the corner of her eye. She turned her face to look the same window after she had another smoke. "You're doing your best to be the head of the family even since then… since our parents' death."

The memory of that day stayed with her even now, after all these years. It didn't hurt that much thought, as time heals every wound. That day, at the funerals, after everyone left, she continued to look at the grave, in her sunny black dress, crying silently. Kazuma, back then way smaller than her, came besides her and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Don't worry, one-chan. I'll take care of you." He told her and in those childish eyes she saw not sorrow, not innocence, not pain, but wit and determination. It was really strange. She was the older sibling, she was supposed to take care of her younger brother, not the opposite. Still, since then he was the most responsible one, he was the one who fulfilled the duty of being the head of the family, even if Shizuru was the one to bring more money, having different kind of jobs since Middle School.

After she finished it, she didn't attend High School. She got a job as an assistant at a hairdressing salon and later she got a full time job there. She was saving money to open up her own salon when Kazuma decided to attend school more seriously so she abandoned her plans, using the savings to create an account at a bank for college. "If I couldn't do it, he must do it." She told herself. Now seeing his hard work she doesn't regret it at all. Of course, he never knew about the money or her initial plans and he would never know until the right time comes. The proud man he was, he would've never agreed to her actions.

A ghost of a smile crossed her face. "I suppose it's not that easy to be a high school boy and the protector of the Human World the same time though." She flicked the ash in the ashtray with an unnoticeable sigh. "I have a bad feeling… hard times are coming again."

"Thanks for the breakfast, sis." Kuwabara sat up. "I gotta go now. Bye." He placed the bowl in the sink and ran for the entrance. After another series of sounds, the door shut and silence felt on the entire apartment.

"So close no matter how far
couldn't be much more from the heart
forever trust in who we are
and nothing else matters…"

"Bye." Another song began at the radio but the woman didn't pay attention to it, not even its music or its lyrics.

A small ball of fur came meowing in the kitchen. Eikichi looked up at the woman still watching the sky. "Meow." Shizuru turned towards the kitty which was also looking her curious. "I just hope our kid could handle this too. I don't know why but I have the feeling Rina-chan's gonna play a bigger part in the action this time. And again I feel like shit."

"Meow."

The woman stood up grabbing her empty cup in the action. "Hungry?" she asked the cat which just meowed in response. "Have patience, furball. You'll get your meal right away."

There he was now, waiting at the same crossing as always in the mornings when they had to go to school, gazing at the sky with a relaxed expression on his face, hands in the pockets. He was there always the first one and every time Youko will insist on the same matters.

"Waiting for her, I suppose…" the fox demon's inner voice was heard, even thought only in his mind. As he was expecting it, now that his and Rina's routine started over, he will have to deal with his other self insistence again.

"Youko."

"You're still rejecting your feelings, Kurama?" Youko's voice said.

"Don't you feel a little awkward to address me with your name, Youko?" the redhead replayed with a question.

"Isn't it a little weird for you to address me with your name, Kurama?" the other self turned the question against him.

"No."

"It's getting old, watching you rejecting Rina like you reject me but the funniest part is that you are aware of what you're doing."

"And what is so amusing?" Kurama frowned, not from being mad, but because he was in a battle of words with his other self, with himself actually and that wasn't an easy thing.

"Your reasons." Youko stated with his usual cold, confident tone. "You are keeping me locked to protect the people you care about. You keep your feelings also locked because you're afraid to hurt her." The voice went silent a moment, waiting for its words to sink in. "You know yourself better than anyone could ever know himself. After all, having three personalities is a complicated and risky choice. Tell me, Kurama, aren't you aware by this time that your reasons are quite… irrelevant?"

The fox boy thought about it for a moment before answering. "Youko, I know what I'm doing. But there is a time and place for everything, including our fusion and starting a relationship. This is not the right time as well as the place for doing so."

The ex-thief smirked hearing this cunning but straight answer. With other words, his host was telling him to shut his mouth and drop the subject because he wasn't considering this right now. He decided not to pursue the subject anymore. After all, there was a time for everything. "I know. That's why I trust you." He still added for effect. "I just want to make sure that when the time will come, you won't miss it or hold back."

"I know." Kurama said and with that he put Youko asleep at the back of his mind.

Indeed, he agreed with his other self but he knew that he must not rush into things, especially with humans. The girl he liked was completely human, one that knew almost everything and nothing about him, but still… a human. Youko wasn't the type to rush into something but he was cold and calculating, too calculating to continue staying in a human body or in the same group of friends. That's why he wouldn't accept the fusion until that personality won't be completely under control or at least until he won't be ready enough for a fusion. Both of his soul parts were stubborn, calculating, decided to wait and both will want to be in control. So, until they get an agreement, the situation won't change, in both of the matters.

Kurama looked at his left, from where the girl he was waiting for will come soon. "Rina…" When he was alone he will never use any honorifics. A smile appeared on his face as he remembered the day Shizuru introduced her to all of them.

That was almost two years ago, right after Yusuke came back from Makai. She had been a shy girl for a long time, but she started to open up as she became more familiar with everyone in the group. At the same time, they accepted her almost instantly because of her way of entering everyone's heart. The only person that wasn't convinced so easily was Hiei, obviously. The fire demon watched her a long time before he finally gave his approval, though that was to be expected. More surprising was that he seemed interested in this 'onna' and the possibility of affecting the group in a way or another. It's true that Shizuru, in a bad moment, told her the truth about them, before Rina was brought in.

The woman confessed to him that she couldn't keep it in anymore, all of the pain and sorrow, frustration and fears that gathered over the years. Rina arrived in that bad moment and since then, as fate always seems to have its way in people's life, she stayed by her side. It somehow took him by surprise that the strong woman Shizuru had a breakdown, but he could comprehend that too. After all, she was a person, a human even more. And even the strongest beings can break.

However, he never blamed Shizuru for what she did. He knew how much she loves Rina. In fact, he admired her for her courage. Him, he still didn't tell his mother about his demon side, even now, after all these years. Truth be told, he was grateful for Rina's presence. The first thing that caught his attention concerning the new girl was her sharp, open mind, her intelligence. Besides these qualities, he was happy that he had another down-to-earth person in the group. When crisis would appear, she'll be the one to calm down everyone or keep their temper in place, easier than anyone else. She even made Hiei lower his temper when there was a fight between him and Yusuke in a situation that fights inside the group weren't needed.

He had to agree that this was just the first step in forming a bond. Soon, they become closer one with each other and now he could say that if he had to, he would rather lose his life than lose her. Yes, he could say now that he loves her. And he will try to have her, but not now. He just needed one more thing to find out before proceeding to the next step: if she was willing to get involved in such a complicated thing their relationship could become since he felt that her feelings went beyond camaraderie. The redhead tried to analyze her actions, but she knows how to hide them under friendly behaviors very well. Still, he had a good feeling about this...

Kurama looked at his left again and a true smile appeared on his face. "There she is… Rina."

"Yusuke, are you sure you'll do fine alone?" a worried Keiko poked her head in from the entrance of the diner's kitchen to check on her fiancée.

The ex-Spirit Detective was cooking some vegetables on a pan in front of the cooker. "No, I'm not. As if I haven't done this for two years already." Yusuke answered sarcastically rolling his eyes and wearing a grumpy look on his face.

But the answer hit on the girl's nerves and she came in, a vein pumping out of her forehead as she forced herself not to hit him. "It's not my fault you accepted to work here in my place! I didn't ask you!"

"Calm down, damn it, it was a joke!" the boy snapped back. "I never complained about it and if I wasn't sure I can handle working here alone more than half a day, I wouldn't have accepted your parents offer in the first place!" he turned his attention back to the pan that needed to be shaken from time to time. His expression, grumpy before, softened up a little. "Damn it, Keiko, why do we have to go through this every time school starts again? You know better than anyone that I can manage."

Keiko's eyes also softened as she looked at him. She knew indeed that he will do fine, but she couldn't help it. She was worried... not because she didn't have trust in her lover that he could run a restaurant alone during the day, especially since in weekends is closed and there are days when her parents step in too. Also, she helps every time she doesn't have school.

Keiko lowered her eyes to watch his precise movements as he was mixing with a mixing stick the vegetables in the pan. She just felt guilty for making him do something she was sure it wasn't what he really enjoyed. The girl knew better what his heart was truly wishing for.

When Yusuke returned from Makai almost two years ago, he opened up a ramen stand on his own. He was doing fine, but her parents decided to help and offered him her mother's place at the diner, since her mother's illness advanced and she had to stop working. Mister Yukimura was the happiest, as he always thought about the 'loud punk' as his own son. Actually, this scheme was meant to help him with his low financial state. Of course, Keiko knew more about his true financial state, since he was still the ruler of Tourin, one of Makai's kingdoms. Still, she was glad he accepted their proposal.

She was feeling selfish for keeping him 'tied up' like this, but she preferred knowing he's here, near her… safe, not somewhere in the Demon World, fighting for his life with those creepy youkais. Yes, the girl knew he could take care of himself very well, but she, again, couldn't help it. She was feeling uneasy whenever a problem concerning Makai arrived.

"Don't you have anything better to do but stare at what I'm doing?" Yusuke's voice snapped Keiko up from her trance. She looked back at him but the boy turned his back at her to go in front of the counter, filling some plates with the vegetables he cooked.

"Um… yeah, right." The browned haired girl sighed and turned as well, going inside the house again.

The boy watched her leaving the kitchen from the corner of his eye and sighed the moment she was out. He prepared himself for this fight even since morning, but as always, he couldn't keep his cool whenever Keiko got so worked up with letting him alone in the diner. The dark haired boy could only guess how hard it was with college and taking care of the diner the same time, especially since the small traditional diner with only three or for places to sit down and eat transformed in a mini-restaurant while he was in the Makai. Unfortunately, Ms Yukimura's illness got worse and she had to retire, so that's when Mr. Yukimura asked him if he wanted to help him with taking care of the diner in her and sometimes Keiko's place, since she was still in High School. After he accepted, the two men used to work together for some time.

However, the doctors said that Ms Yukimura's health will go down even more if she continued to stay in town. The woman needed better air so the two husbands returned to their hometown, where they had a nice house at the base of the mountains. They came back from time to time or when Yusuke and Keiko needed to go somewhere else. Mr. Yukimura continued to help Yusuke whenever he has the chance, but the boy alone managed to take care of everything pretty well. Keiko also was helping him when she didn't have school. However, he was a hanyou, a half-demon. He had a lot of stamina and their help wasn't that needed, even for a lazy ass like him. That's what his girlfriend couldn't understand and he felt frustrated whenever she looked so worried, because he wasn't able to wave off her worries.

Yusuke knew that the girl was feeling guilty for the situation, but he couldn't tell her the real reason why he accepted her parents' offer in the first place. Part of it was because he wished she could accomplish her dream of attending college but this wasn't all. It was because of his position in the Makai that sometimes was dangerous for the ones he cares about. But his girl didn't have to know this. It will just make her more anxious.

"Damn it. Why do things have to be so complicated?" Yusuke thought as he washed the dishes at the sink. He had to fix these problems soon, at least with himself. Getting his temper up every time will just make the things worse. "Come to think of it… she still didn't accept my proposal…"

Only the evening light provided by the many thunderbolts outside the large arched windows lightened the dark and large room. In the center of that room, on top of the rounded and large desk meant for meetings, Hiei was standing on his foot looking over one of the rare maps of Makai spread everywhere on the desk. There weren't many of these in all the three worlds and all the maps that still existed were only in the possession of the most powerful demons in the Demon or Spirit world because Makai was almost endless. It was hard and almost useless trying to map this huge world, especially when the relief could always change after intense battles.

The map of Alaric was having many marks. The fire demon narrowed his eyebrows in anger and frustration. His eyes drifted from a map to another, from a place on a map to another

"It doesn't make any sense." The Jaganshi told himself. "The attacks don't follow any order, only that they are more frequent at the borders of the kingdoms or near them. There were two in Alaric, three in Gendar and four in Tourin, coming from no-where and the attackers going to hell-knows-where. They weren't massive, as if the rebels are testing us. They are toying with us." He let out a frustrated growl and straightened his shoulders, his eyes not leaving the attacks signaled on the maps. Hiei sighed and went near the window looking out the flashes of light crossing the Makai sky.

In the last three months, there were registered attacks of rebellious demons in every kingdom of the Makai, as well as the independent or peaceful states that could be easily reached. Is not the first time demons rise up against the actual government which leader is Enki. Most of the demons agreed with Yusuke's proposal and later Enki's rules of making a tournament for the new king at every three years and leaving Ningenkai in peace. Nevertheless, there were still enough who just couldn't accept the changes and were trying to overthrow the king. There were also demons that were doing traffic with humans – human slavery. They would be the first against Enki's rules.

What was annoying for the fire demon was the specific of these attacks. Until now, the rebels' hideout could've been found easily after a few attacks and their wasp's nest destroyed immediately. This time, however, the attackers will initiate some fires or destroy some buildings in different parts of the boarders and not only that they could not be prevented, but they could not be identified either and they disappeared as sudden as they appeared.

The first attack occurred at the border of Tourin. After that, two attacks happened in Gendar, forcing Yomi to return earlier from his trip he initiated to train his son. "Why they attacked Gendar and Tourin more than Alaric?" Hiei thought as he put his hands in the pockets. "What are their goals? What are their true intentions?"

The two doors opened and a man two times taller with a heavy armor on his body and his face covered by a helmet masking his entire face entered. Hiei turned to look at the demon, his emotionless face lightened by the outside flashes. "Hiei-sama, Hokushin is here." The demon spoke as he bowled in respect. Hiei's eyebrows hardened. The arriving of the second in command of Tourin and Yusuke's replacement in Alaric could mean only one thing: trouble. "Mukuro-sama requested us in her office." The demon added.

"Hn." Hiei didn't replay, just walked past the almost two times taller youkai and both went out of the conference room. They passed through the dark halls. When they arrived in front of Mukuro's office Hiei opened the door and entered, the other demon following right behind him.

"Hiei, Kirin, you're here. Good." Mukuro was the first one to speak, from her place at the desk. In a chair, in front of the desk, Hokushin was sitting with a serious expression on his face. Hiei took a sit in the other chair but Kirin went besides the ruler, at her left.

"Aren't you going to ask why I called for you?" the ruler said, hands crossed together in front of her mouth, elbows on the desk.

"Isn't it obvious?" the fire demon shot a glare towards the monk. "Another attack." He stated.

Hokushin nodded before speaking. "This time at the north boarding. The city was almost erased and there are very few survivors. This one is the most violent attack registered until now. The scenario repeated itself: explosions, buildings destroyed, people slaughtered and then they vanished. We found no trace of them."

"Ch. They started to get on my nerves." Hiei turned his face away from the monk.

"Hiei, it's getting worse." Mukuro spoke seriously, catching the fire demon's full attention. It wasn't often when Mukuro became this serious about something like this. "We don't want this to get out of our hands. We need to take action as soon as possible. Enki gave us free hand to do whatever is necessary to repress the rebels."

"That fool can't take care of this himself?" Hiei hissed bored and the same time with lost patience. "Our job is to do the patrolling, not clean up after those scums or hunt them. This is his job."

"King Enki alone can't do it." Hokushin spoke irritated. After all, the current ruler of Makai was a good friend of his previous master. "And from what I know, the Reikai Tantei's duties are to protect the Ningenkai. The situation could cause harm to humans too if it gets out of control." Hokushin's face was serious, but the mocking in his voice pushed the buttons of the Jaganshi. The tempered half-Koorime shot him his famous death glare, clearly insulted by the monk's words.

"I don't care what happens with Ningenkai. It's that binky breath's duty." He hardened his eyes. "I never was a Reikai Tantei to begin with."

"But you worked with our Lord, Yusuke, many times before." Hokushin replied.

"So? I was following my own business that had nothing to do with the protection of those filthy creatures or with you."

The monk smirked at his answer. He expected it after all the stories Yusuke told him. Indeed, the fire demon was one in whose mind you cannot enter that easily but the Mazoku successor told him that not always what the Jagan user sustained was true.

"I see. I didn't want to pry." Hokushin's look became more serious now. "Although, Yusuke-sama must be aware of what's happening. I believe this situation requires that even the General of Gendar, Kurama-san, must know."

"Kurama isn't Gendar's General anymore but I agree that Yusuke needs to move his lazy ass to do what he is supposed to do." Hiei stood and placed his hands in the pockets sighing.

"What's your plan?" Mukuro asked as she watched closely every move of her heir.

"Hn. Go to Ningenkai. Even if Kurama is not involved anymore, he will be interested if it concerns Ningenkai. If I still have to go I'll inform the detective too." Hiei answered as he walked towards the door.

Mukuro stood silent, her way of giving her approval as the fire demon walked out of the room under the other demons gaze. He continued his walk through dark halls lightened by the many lightings of the storm. "It's almost evening here that means it's morning in the Ningenkai." He thought. "It's too early to see the detective… maybe I'll check on Yukina first. It's been a while…"

The alarm clock went off, it's piercing sound being the most irritable thing to hear in a morning, especially in the first school-morning. Adding the sunlight throwing glares at everything through the window, you obtain the best recipe for a hell of a wake up.

"Gaah! Shut that annoying sound up already!"

Brown eyes opened up slowly to see through blurry vision a brunette lying on her bed, one leg over the covers and the pillow pressed hard on her head.

"Why the hell we need to go to school agaaain?" the same brunette complained again.

The sleepy brown eyed girl smiled a bit and shouted down the alarm clock and it's noise.

"Finally!" the brunette cried out as she got her head out from under the pillow.

"Oh, shut up!"

As she moved from a side of her bed to the other, turning her back at her roommate, the small girl closed her brown eyes pulling the covers more on her eyes to keep out the light from the sun.

Even half-asleep she agreed with her roommate's complains. It was the beginning of April again, that means school started… again. As if it wasn't enough, this was the last year of High School, the most important one. Not only because of the graduation or entrance exams for college, but because of the other activities she had put in mind as priorities too.

A moan and movements right besides her, coming from her other roommate remembered our girl that it was morning and she really had to get up. She stretched her arms and legs as the covers were pushed at the end of the bed. Opening her eyes again and getting up in a sitting position the girl ran a hand through her messy hair while taking a look around the only-for-girls hostel room she was living in with her two roommates.

It was quite a small one, considering that there were living three girls. There were three one-person beds, two next to each other - with a bedside separating them – at the right of the entrance door where she and one of her colleagues were sleeping in. The third bed was positioned on the other side of the room and it was the brunette's bed. Each one of them had a tall closet for clothes and books and a bedside with a few drawers. A small table was also in front of the big window that opened up inside the school grounds so the middle of the room was left empty, giving the impression of a bigger space in the actually small room.

The girl didn't wander her eyes too much because the clock showed already 7:17 AM. She stood up, grabbed a face towel and all she needed for washing and, after she took her slippers, she started to walk towards the common washroom.

It wasn't an expensive hostel so there weren't bathrooms in each room. In fact, it was quite a small hostel. Because most of the students continue their studies at the same school they started the Elementary and usually in the same town, the need for High School hostels was little. However, since there were still kids who wanted or were forced to come to big towns like Tokyo, Osaka, Nagasaki, Yokohama and many others, there were created hostels for High School students, very different from boarding schools or college hostels. In a boarding school, the students are living there all the time except for breaks, when they go back to their family. On the other hand, in High School hostels, students are living only during the week, when there are classes. In weekends and breaks they have to go back home. Also, in a hostel could live people from different schools, not only the school that's responsible for management and maintenance.

Since this particular hostel was quite a cheep one, because of the low number of students that could be accommodated, it was set with only one common washroom at every level, about twenty rooms, many of them having between 6 and 10 beds, with a few exceptions. It could easily be imagined how crowded the washrooms were in the mornings and evenings, a reason why some of the girls woke up earlier or later than 7:00 AM to be able to catch a free sink… or toilet.

This morning didn't make any difference, even thought the girl didn't arrive at the rush hour. After a minute of waiting, a girl freed a sink so she could do her routine. Taping off the water she looked in the mirror with sleepy eyes. But what is with this brown eyed who seems just too sleepy right now to think about herself or anything at all besides sleep?

Her name is Hana Hirata. 19 years old. Dark-brown and long hair cut before it could reach the waist, less than the average high and skinny but with proportional measures. She's one of Tokyo Metropolitan University High School students and, like all the other girls from the hostel, she was coming from a small town, Takogame, two hours from Tokyo – in west - by train. She came in Tokyo because the Metropolitan University was one of the best public schools in the capital and she was able to enter the 11th in the specialization she wanted, IT.

Her mother also finished here, but as life has its games, she couldn't attend college. She had to go back to Takogame and there she got quite a good job, three years before Hana's birth. However, Hana didn't go to the same High School just because her mother finished there too. The girl's reasons were a little deeper. It did happen that she liked computers and everything related to technology… but mostly, she chose it because she wasn't really better at anything else.

After finishing the morning routine, Hana went back to her room to find her roommates also preparing for school. At her left, the talkative brunette, Kiri, was the most hyperactive girl she ever met. She wasn't taller than Hana, they had almost the same high, but she wasn't that skinny, her forms were more pronounced, forms that made a lot of boys turn their heads when she was passing. Kiri-chan was studying in another High School, only for girls, the one that Rina told her that another friend of her, Keiko, just finished last year. The other girl, Kaede-chan, the quiet one, was one year younger than Hana and Kiri but she was at the same specialization and from the same town Hana was. In fact, the two girls knew each other since they were in kindergarten. Kaede's form was smaller than both of the girls but pretty nonetheless. She wasn't that quiet normally, but in the mornings she was as sleepy as Hana so only Kiri remained the most cheerful one. Hana always asked herself how the hell was she able to maintain her spirit even in the mornings, the time in a day she really hated.

"Morning, girls." Hana spoke as she sat back on her bed. She was still sleepy but if it wasn't morning, her hyperactive spirit would rival Kiri's sometimes, thought she will never pass her friend.

"Morning." The active girl answered not in a very cheerful mood.

That was something unusual...

Hana smirked as she began dressing the uniform. She already knew the reasons but still asked. "What got your tail? You are grumpy since you woke up." Kiri just put a sad face but in a funny way, looking like a child who lost his favorite teddy bear.

"I don't wanna go to school." She complained. "Why did school have to start again? I wanna go home."

"Then go. Who stops you?"

"But I have to go to school too…" Kiri continued to act like an upset kid in his first day of 1st grade. She was just so funny, adorable even, when she put up that face.

"Then stop complaining." Hana stated with a smile.

"But I hate school!" the girl balanced her legs like a spoiled brat again. "Life isn't fair."

"Yep, you're right. Life isn't fair but what else you can do?" Hana knew this conversation was pointless but she was used to playing the mature person in this room. In fact, since she was the eldest child in her family even between cousins, it remained in her nature to take care of the others, younger than her. Of course, she had moments when she was acting really childish or dumb but those were just outside the serious things. Because Kiri was six months younger, she assumed the role of being 'the voice of an adult' in this little play Kiri always puts at the beginning of a new semester.

Hana smiled a little, another thought entering her mind. "Only when I'm with Rina I feel like I can play the child… she's the only one around whom I know I'm allowed to make mistakes or just be me, with my childish, irresponsible side. I'm really lucky to have such a person by my side."

"Why can't I just lay here and sleep?" Kiri spoke again as she launched herself on the bed hugging the pillow.

"Because you have to go to school." And again, Hana responded with a smirk. "This is getting nowhere, just like that freekin' dilemma: who was first? The chicken or the egg?"

In that moment, Kaede burst into laugher and she turned her face from her closet to the other girls who were watching her questioning. "So I'm not the only one who thinks this conversation is running around it's tail?" she spoke through laughs.

Hana smirked too and began brushing her long hair. "Neah, I'm aware of that too but I made her game again. What else can you do when you're dealing with a spoiled brat?"

"Hana-chan! I'm not spoiled!"

They all laughed at this old joke. Again, a regular morning, just like the other times. Since they lived two years together, they knew each other's odds very well. Kiri was the hyper girl and very talkative even when she was sad or crying. Kaede was just so calm and around her time seemed to pass without taking note of its existence. Hana was a mixture of both, depending on her feelings, state of mind or mood. She could get very excited and most of the time she was in a good mood – except for mornings; she also had a constant divine patience and calm in any situation, including the stressful ones.

However, even with these different personalities they were very close. They've been in a lot of difficult situations concerning every one of them and got over everything together, just like sisters would've done. Living like this so much gave them the feeling this was something that will never change.

In a few minutes, Hana finished her morning routine and was walking through the halls, out of the hostel. She was lucky to live in a hostel built right in the interior of her High School's grounds. She wasn't forced to wake up too early to be in time for classes. Yes, definitely lucky. The girl continued to walk and soon she was out, being welcomed by a bunch of kids from all grades hurrying to go to their classes. She didn't even know most of them except for her classmates and a few from other classes and those only because of her deskmate, Arisa-chan.

"Well, here we go again." Hana thought and sighed. "Last year of High School, the only one in which I can prove myself I can attend the college I'm hoping for. The only one in which I can compete against Rina for the Olympiad of Physics. It will be a tough year… ugh, and I have to take chemistry again with that old bitch. Damn my luck! Didn't she said she was retiring two times already?"

The girl walked through the mass of people, careful not to bump into someone or something. With her new glasses which she didn't get used to yet, that was a great possibility. She walked up the stairs to the 1st floor and continued until she was right in front of her classroom: 3-A. Checking the time again, she sighed and opened the door. "As I said, here we go again. Wish myself good luck… I'll need it! Damn the school!" With that she stepped inside her class, humming the tone of 'Highway to hell'...

'…Hey Momma, look at me
I'm on my way to the promised land
I'm on the highway to hell...'

Notes:

Well, this was the prologue. Did it confuse you? Just wait for the next chapter. ^^

Also, I made a trailer for the story, you can find the link in my profile. From time to time, I'm gonna post pictures edited, inspired from certain chapters on Deviant. You can check them out if you want, I'll announce when I'll publish anything. For example, right now I only have one picture (the link it's in my profile too). Again, I'd be glad to hear from you.

Don't forget, your opinion is important to me, so please review and point out everything that you liked/disliked. ^.^