Hiroki's POV

I stormed out of the school, pissed off beyond belief.

"Baka, why does he always have to be so, so... Huh?" I looked over to see a young girl sleeping on the ledge of the fountain in front of the school. 'She couldn't be a year over 7, what's she doing here?' I thought to myself.

She slept quite peacefully, she held a book by her side and stirred a little.

'Damn, she's probably lost or a runaway.' I sighed and walked over.

I gently shook her. Her eyes twitched. She rolled over, almost rolling into the cold water behind her. I grabbed her by the back of her shirt before she could roll in. That woke her up. She turned to face me.

She had short black hair that hung just above her nape, but also framed her youthful face, fair skin, and her eyes were a blue-ish, gray color. She sat up and yawned. She stared at me for a while. "Mom?" she asked.

'MOM?! Do I look like a friggin' woman to you?!' I thought furiously.

She blinked and looked around, looking a little lost.

"Oi are you lost?" I asked, to confirm it. She looked at me and shook her head no. "Did you run away then?" Once again she shook her head no.

I sighed I was in a dilemma; I had no choice. This girl wouldn't tell me a thing about her. "Okay then follow me, I can't leave you alone by yourself, then."

She looked at me with big gray eyes and nodded. 'Damn what have I gotten myself into?' I was about to head toward the door when a small hand grabbed my hand. I turned around and there she stood, waiting for me to move. I sighed again. "Kyouju is going to mock me for this I swear."

"Kyouju?" she asked.

"My boss, the professor that works here." I said. We walked into the building and her eyes wandered around as if she had never seen a school before.

"Ka-mi-jou! Oh how I missed you so." Miyagi greeted me when I approached him.

"Kyouju, please refrain from being a moron today."

"Kyouju?" Miyagi and I looked over at the small figure in the doorway.

"Ah who's this Kamijou?"

I sighed. "Kyouju, I have no idea, I found her outside and I couldn't just leave her out there by herself, so..."

"Ah so she's the child you had with your lover." Miyagi mused, nodding understandingly. Yeah right.

"KYOUJU, HOW IS THAT HUMANLY POSSIBLE?!"

"Ah, I kid, I kid… But in all seriousness we need to see where she came from."

"Right."

"Kamijou do you know her name yet?"

"No, she doesn't seem too talkative."

"Did you even ask her?"

I glared at him, embarrassed that I hadn't asked for her name. "No..."

"Well..." Miyagi knelt down so that he was at eye-level with the girl. "What's your name?"

She was very hesitant, and after a second, she ran behind me, hiding.

"Well she's a shy chibi isn't she? That settles it, then, Kamijou. You ask her what her name is."

"WHAT?! WHY ME?!" I asked, frantically.

"Because she seems very fond of you."

I sighed, exasperated, and knelt down.

"Remember, Kamijou; look happy- not like you have a stick up your as-"

"KYOUJU, SHUT UP!"

"Hai, Hai, gomen."

I sighed angrily. "What's your name?"

"Haru."

I blinked, a little shocked that she answered me. "Ok, Haru… how old are you?"

She held up seven fingers.

"Ok, do you know where you live?"

"OOH Kamijou you naughty, naughty man!"

"KYOUJU!!"

"Hai I'll be quiet now."

"The library." Came a small, quiet reply.

"Huh?" I was in awe.

"I live at the library Baa-chan takes care of me, but she didn't wake up today, so I took a walk."

"She didn't wake up?"

"Hai, I tried to wake her up, but she didn't say that she was teasing this time…"

I looked down, sadly. "Haru, which library?"

"The one down the street."

I sighed and looked at Miyagi, who seemed equally as sad as I did.

"I'll call an ambulance, Kamijou wait outside with Haru-chan."

"Hai." I walked with Haru towards the outside of the building. She grabbed my hand gently. I waited outside by the fountain. Haru was reading a book of haiku.

"Baa-chan is funny in the morning." I looked down to see Haru's small smile. "Baa-chan will lie still and play dead and then once I shake her she laughs and says that she was teasing."

"What about your parents?" I asked.

She looked up in the sky. "Okaa-san said that I was a mistake." Haru sadly stated.

My eyes widened at this. Every disheartening thing that came out of this girl's mouth saddened me further and further...

"I'm not too sure why; something about… being half blooded."

I hesitantly reached out and put my hand on her head. "Baka, you're not a mistake. Don't let anyone tell you that." I scolded.

Her eyes widened a little, as if she were dreaming.

"Got it?" I questioned.

A huge grin slipped onto her face. "Hai."

I couldn't help, but that smile of hers reminded me too much of Nowaki.

Miyagi waltzed over toward us in a serious manner. "Well, the ambulance is coming, but I need to ask Haru-chan a few questions, just in case."

My eye twitched. "And when you say that, what you mean is that you want me to ask her, am I right?"

Miyagi's face switched from serious to pleading. I sighed, "Fine, what are the questions you want me to ask her?"

"If she has any other relatives, if she knows where they are, and if she can tell us why she lives at the library."

"Okay." I walked back over to Haru and knelt down. "Haru-chan do you have any living relatives left?" I asked.

"Hai, I have my Jii-san, but he's in Osaka and my other relatives are not in contact with us anymore."

I nodded. "Why do you live at the library?"

Haru smiled at this, "Baa-chan owns it. We live in the upper level, it's for her job." I nodded pleased that I received my answers.

"Okay, Haru-chan, come with us alright?" She nodded and followed along. When we reached the library, Haru ran upstairs. Miyagi and I followed her. I looked into a room filled with old books and small trinkets. Haru was on the bed with an old woman who seemed to be pale and dead. Haru looked over at us and put a finger to her mouth. "Shh, Baa-chan is sleeping."

My heart clenched, knowing that her grandma was not among the living anymore.

Shortly, the paramedics showed up, and Haru was still at her grandmother's side. The paramedic shook his head. Haru looked up, still holding her grandmother's hand. They put a blanket over the old woman and told Haru to let go of her hand. Haru shook her head.

"Why are you taking Baa-chan away?" She asked her voice shaking.

"Your Obaa-chan is dead." The paramedic bluntly stated.

"D-dead?" Haru asked in a small voice.

The paramedic sighed. "Your grandma's spirit is gone, she left. I'm sorry, but she won't be returning."

Haru's head drooped, her raven bangs covering her eyes. "Sh-she left me…" Little tears dropped from her eyes. She put her hands to her face and slumped into the bed where her grandma had died. She stayed in that position for a while. My eyes were soft and my heart ached. I sat down beside her. "Baa-chan, why did she leave me?"

I sighed, "Your grandma must have been ill, and she just couldn't go on…" Haru looked up at me, her teary gray eyes glued to me. "I'm sure she didn't want to leave you, but everyone has limits."

Haru sat up and laid her head down on my lap. I stiffened a little, out of shock, but I soon relaxed when she spoke. "Baa-chan was the only one who looked at me in the light, she taught me how to read, write, and she even schooled me at home." I sat there and listened. "Baa-chan told me that I was supposed to exist, even though the rest of my family thought I was a mistake… But now, Baa-chan is gone and I don't know anymore."

Her eyes slid closed and she slept. I sighed, 'Damn, she has nowhere to go, now…' I picked her up and walked down the stairs. Miyagi was down there, waiting for me.

"Kamijou, we were not able to get a hold of her grandfather. Right now, we have two options."

"What would our options be?"

He sighed and lit a cigarette. "Well, we can drop her off at an orphanage, or one of us could take her in until we contact her grandfather."

I sighed and spoke. "No way, I won't let her be taken to an orphanage, and the hell I'll let you watch over a small child, so…" I paused. "I'll take her. She seems quiet enough, and I have a few days off this week so it will be more convenient."

Miyagi smiled and left. I looked over at Haru and sighed. 'What have I gotten myself into?'