"I've been thinking on what we do to open the next door,

we can't retrace our steps anymore; the story's already begun.

Open your eyes."

"It's nothing, really," she muttered quietly, her gaze directed to her feet. "I don't particularly…think anything about it."

He almost scoffed at the response. "If I know you at all, then I know that that's not how you truly feel."

Then you probably don't know me.

"I mean," she said, a bit too loud for her own liking. "I'm wondering why you didn't tell me, or why you didn't warn me…" as she trailed off, tears began to stream down her cheeks, forcibly uplifted and trembling.

Taking a step forward, he was unsure of how to react exactly; whether he wanted to scold her or comfort her blurred together in one, thick line. "What could I tell you?" his voice shuddered faintly. "And…what are you talking about? All this time, Tema-chan and I tried warning you. And what would you do? Rebel against us and try to see 'good' in someone that had none. Look at where it got you, idiot."

It was unnecessary for him to insult her that way, but for some reason, he couldn't stop himself from saying it.

Turning to him, she blinked more tears out of her eyes. "He is good…I didn't know them to begin with, so…I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Yet here you are, trying not to cry." He pointed out shamelessly as he folded his arms, mildly annoyed. "You got your proof. You don't have to defend him anymore. Are you fucking happy now?"

"Don't talk to me like that." She hissed, shaking her head as she shut her eyes tight. Slowly, she looked up at his steel grey eyes, seeing little to no emotion behind them. "...Did you know, Hachiro?"

"I didn't," he shrugged carelessly. "But I warned you so many times. Me, Tema-chan, Kankurō-kun, Miko-chan, Ryota-sensei...should I continue? Or are you finally understanding how fucking stupid you are?"

"Watch your tongue."

At this point, she was only enraged at his words and his actions; a part of her felt as though he wanted her to be angry…he wanted her to seek revenge, even though that was far from what she desired.

"Listen, we both know that that's not what's bothering you right now," muttered Hachiro, as-a-matter-of-factly. "What's bothering you is your blindness to the truth. You know what I'm gonna say? I'm gonna say, I fucking told you so."

With a deliberate exhale parting her lips, she fell to her knees and crouched in a fetal position, embracing herself. She hadn't realized that she was crying until tears began to dot the wooden floorboards beneath her; what frustrated her beyond belief was not the revelation of the truth, but rather, the way her teammate had expected her to respond to it.

He's good. He has goodness within him, I know it. Why does Hachiro want me to see him as nothing but a monster?

I'm not stupid or delusional…I'm not in denial. I didn't know those people. It doesn't matter to me.

Hachiro let out a lengthy, exasperated sigh, still torn between rebuking and reassuring her—but then, after what felt like long minutes in the suffocating ambiance, the older-brother instinct kicked in and made him stride to her in one large step, crouching on his knees to her level. "Come on, get up. You're not a fucking kid."

"Hachiro," she whispered, steadying her shaking arms with a tight grasp. "Language…"

He chuckled half-heartedly, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Out of all the things you can say to me, you tell me to watch my language?"

A little smile pulled at the corners of her lips, but she knew that she couldn't allow his behavior to slide; with a quick nibble on the inside of her mouth, she removed herself from his touch, sniffling faintly.

Surprised by her response, he disappointingly lowered his hands and inched backwards himself. "You know I don't like seeing you this way, Hotaru."

"I told you…I'm fine," mumbling, she looked up at him again, attempting to assure him with a soft smile. "Maybe I just need to think about it…by myself." But she knew that there was nothing to think about; she knew that she didn't want to take any action. What would be the point if she did?

"I mean, you're not lying to me, are you? You and the others truly didn't know, right? You didn't hide it from me…to spare my feelings or...whatever..."

"You know that's not how it is between us," he growled. "I'm just as brutally honest as you think you are."

"Do I, though? Do I know anything right now? After…after today…I'm not sure what to believe anymore, really. This isn't like you either, Hachiro…"

Her questions irritated him, somewhat bothering him on a higher, emotional level. "You know me, Hotaru, and I know you more than anyone ever could." Releasing a sigh, he shook his head, rapidly blinking as his brows furrowed. "I'm sorry. Maybe I…I expected you to react differently."

He wasn't sure why: why did he expect a different reaction from her—a reaction full of hate and anger. Because, he truly did know her more than anyone else; a part of him should've known that she wouldn't want to hurt Gaara.

The sensation of denial gripped his insides; the roles should've been reversed, he believed, but Hotaru seemed more than one-hundred percent sure of her next course of actions.

If she's not in denial, he thought, scrutinizing the subtle movement of her features. Then…does it really not matter to her? Besides…why does her calm reaction annoy me so much?

"I'm sorry," he repeated, running a hand through his hair. "I really am."

Hotaru abruptly shrugged, wiping her eyes with her wrists. "I understand, Chiro-nii."

The mention of the honorific she usually gave him brought some sort of comfort to him; without knowing it, he was already smiling slightly. "Are you sure about this, Aru-chan?"

Just then, the mood had lifted for the both of them; Hotaru glanced at him with nothing more but adoration in her brown eyes. The thought of him being able to trust her after what had happened that day guaranteed her far beyond her wildest beliefs – but…something felt a little off in the light behind his eyes.

"I'm sure," she forced her smile to widen. "Dipstick."

What a naïve little girl, he thought as he followed her smile.

Little did Hotaru know that things were drastically going to change between them from then on.