Because You Are Here

君がいるから

Chapter 1

"Byakuran-nii!!!" a young girl called out to a teenage boy, who was dragging his feet as he walked, "Come on~!" The white haired teen of sixteen years old scratched his head and sighed as he looked ahead at the excited ten-year old. She jumped repeatedly as she waited for him and when he drew closer to her, she started to run again. Even at the age of ten, Byakuran felt sorry that she had to pretend to be a boy whenever they go out to the city. He talked to her parents about it but they said it would become a matter of life and death for her if something were to happen to their Family. They even had the people back in the mafia headquarter to fashion her hairstyle and changed her clothes to make her look like a boy but the guise would break the moment Hime smiled.

Even though Hime tried to evade them, they caught her the day before yesterday and cut her hair. Her platinum hair became shorter than his and he honestly did not feel happy looking at her sad face whenever they cut her hair. He knew she wanted to have long hair like her mother but there was nothing he could do about it, perhaps she may be able to live as a girl again when all mafia wars and conflicts stopped. Until then, he can only smile at Hime, hoping that she will smile back at him like she always does.

"Hime-sama!" Byakuran called out, "Don't run! I'll get in trouble if you fall!" The girl didn't seem to hear him and ran into her favourite cake house. He sighed and jogged towards the cake house. Even though he didn't seem to like his job as Hime's playmate, he loved the time he was allowed to spend with her. The things he had to learn as a young mafia became something he was eager to show her, as long as it wasn't anything violent. He even became a studious boy when Hime began to ask him things when she just began to learn how to speak. However, he recently slowed down on his studies and concentrated on his physical skills because he was no longer her playmate but a bodyguard in disguise.

"Byakuran-nii! Money~!" Byakuran heard her shouting from the cashier of the cake house. Byakuran walked towards his jumpy little princess and shook his head, thinking, "I wonder where she gets all that energy to jump around."

Byakuran paid for the cake before taking the cake in one hand and held Hime's hand with the other. He tugged onto the hand, wordlessly telling her to not run far from him again. She understood and gripped his hand in return. Hime smiled as she pulled him down the road towards their Home. Light conversation filled their time as they strolled through the peaceful town in a suburban area of the Italian town.

"I wonder if Papa and Mama would be surprised," Hime looked up at him with her bright blue eyes. Byakuran never knew how she knew that today was her parents' wedding anniversary but however she knew it and whatever she wants to do, he would be glad to oblige, even though he may go through loads of lecturing from her parents afterwards.

"I'm sure they will be," Byakuran said as he pulled Hime's cap lower to hide her face with his fingers. Hime giggled as they continued their slow walk.

Byakuran's violet eyes shot upwards towards the sky when he heard the sound of helicopters. He tightened his hold on Hime's hand and watched as three black helicopters made its way towards their Home. Instinctively, he stopped and turned around, pulling Hime with him and discarded the cake into the nearest dumpster. As they ran away from their Home, an explosion erupted behind them. Byakuran shielded Hime from the view but her eyes had already captured the scene into her mind. She froze to her feet, unwilling to run no matter what Byakuran said to her. He had no choice but to forcibly carry her away from the scene.

Byakuran was careful to keep her cap on while he carried with an arm around her waist along dark alleys towards the residential area where the Family had another secret safe house. He dashed up two flights of stairs and used his master swipe card on the door of the last apartment. Once safely inside the humbly-furnished apartment, Byakuran gently set Hime onto the sofa. Only when Byakuran pat her on her head did she begin to cry. He hushed her with a brotherly hug.

"Hime-sama," Byakuran said gently to her, "Don't cry. I'm sure everyone is alright." He knew he was lying. There was no way anyone in the Family knew about the sudden attack on the remaining force of the Primula Family. The Family was not as strong as it used to be a hundred years ago and the other mafia families who were discontent with the way Primula conducted themselves were trying to erase the Family from history. The only records of Primula was kept in their Home but now that it is engulfed in flame, nothing would remain except the information within the minds of the survivors but the human mind is feeble and easily corrupted.

Byakuran only knew that if anything were to happen, his job was to protect Hime and wait for help. He was waiting for the help to come and half an hour after the attack, the only phone in the apartment rang. It's loud rings jolted Byakuran from Hime. He was wary of the phone call but answered anyway.

"Hello?" he said to the receiver.

"Byakuran! Is that you? Is Hime alright!?" the voice of a woman's pierced Byakuran's ears which he recognized it as Hime's aunt. Aunt Serin was a family member whom the Primula Family had cut its relation with, for the safety of her own family, as Primula was always being hunted. Serin, however, still kept a secret but close relation with her sister and niece. Byakuran was relieved to know she was the help his Boss had mentioned and handed the phone to Hime, who also stiffened up when her aunt began to throw worried statements at her.

"Byakuran," Serin said to him when the phone was passed back to him, "All that is left of the Primula Family are you and Hime. The rest were murdered in that explosion. I've told Hime about it but I don't know how she is taking it." Byakuran looked at Hime, who had a faraway look, as if she was still trying to digest the information Serin had told her. "Anyway," Serin continued, "That apartment should be safe but keep a low profile for a while. The food in the refrigerator should last for a week but I'll have people buy lunch and dinner for you until the issue settles down a bit. After that, we'll think of the next step."

Byakuran was as speechless as Hime when he hung up the phone. He walked over to Hime and looked at her in the eyes. It didn't take long for him to penetrate the thin wall she tried to build. Tears formed in her eyes and she threw herself at him as she cried out for her father and mother. Byakuran only hugged the child as tightly as he could. He was devastated about the loss but at the same time, he knew that he was the only one who can protect Hime now. He knew there was no help that will miraculously come to them if they were in a pinch.