Sorry for the belated chapter! And yes, I will update my stories, but this is important too! I will be quite busy for now, but I will try to write as much. Enjoy!

P.S. Arigato, Sode no Shirayuki-chan, for you help! It means a lot to me!

Before the petals fall, I'll wait for you forever. It's her and those words, again. Her face was carved into perfection. We were standing on a plain, with soft grass and zero soil protruding out in an ugly manner, in the middle of nowhere. Petals landed gracefully around the both of us. Who are you? I kept asking. I want to know that person's name.

She did not answer, and continued to gaze at me with the same expression. Why won't she tell me her name? Come on, it's just a name.

A breeze blew by, and it played with her hair gracefully, her dress swayed like long drapes of curtains. Everything about her seemed so perfect.

Sometimes, I wonder why I wanted to see her so much.

Then she disappeared. And my eyes were opened.

Groaning, I got out of bed and got dressed. She appeared in my dreams more frequently these few days, I wonder why.

"Yu, are you there? YU!" Stupid rabbit. I flung the door open. "WHAT?"

That redhead gave me a toothy grin, as if he did not know the dangerous state he was in right now. "Come on Yu, let's get some breakfast!" I grunted and stomped out of my room, with that guy tailing me, firing annoying stuff like meeting cute girls and some other stupid things.

Che, like I cared.

I entered the cafeteria and ordered the usual. Normally, Lavi would leave me and join Beansprout, but this time he followed me to my seat. I eyed him as I ate my soba. What's wrong with him today? Everyone is silent to me. Well, they're silent to me every day, but today's a sentence-left-hanging silence, rather than a beware-it's-Kanda silence.

Not like I care, though.

After I was done with my meal, I headed to the forest for my training.

I blindfolded myself with a piece of cloth and began my training. Removing Mugen from its scabbard, I leapt from tree to tree, branch to branch. The wind and leaves brushed past me as I slice leaves off the branches.

Then I heard some movement. It's just a slight movement, but I sensed it.

"First Illusion: Insects of the Underworld!" I slashed Mugen as that direction.

"Kya!" And it got hit. Or so I thought.

I removed my blindfold and realized that the creatures I summoned were destroyed. I'm not surprised, as I made out who that person was. She landed beside me swiftly and inactivated her Dark Boots.

"What are you doing here?" I glanced at Lenalee. She sighed, "I was taking a breather. And boy, if it wasn't for my reflexes, I'll get bitten." I 'hmp'ed and went to put my blindfold back on.

"So," Lenalee started, "do you always do this, besides meditating?"

Putting my blindfold back down and glancing at her, I shrugged. "What else could I do?"

Lenalee cocked her head to one side. "Eat something beside soba, talking to us, reading books…"

I rolled my eyes. "If I do that, I'll be spending all my time with you people."

She widened her eyes, not getting what I meant.

I sighed. "Eating belongs to Beansprout, talking belongs to you, and reading belongs to that rabbit." She 'oh'ed and thought for a few more moments. "Just go back," I tightened my grip on Mugen and listened to my surroundings, searching for a nearby branch. "Come to the cafeteria after this." She informed me. Whatever, I thought to myself, just let me be.

When the sound of her footsteps faded, silence regained its place once more, and it got easier for me to sense my surroundings and I leapt to a branch above me.

Ahaha… Someone was laughing. One moment it was here, the next it was gone. I swung my head around. "Shoot, another hallucination?" It couldn't be her, right?

There. I heard the laugh again. Yes, it was childlike; I think it came from a boy. It sounds familiar, but where?

Yu… I gasped. It was him, no doubt. I tried to call his name out, but when I tried, it felt like all my energy had been drained.

I attempted to carry on with my training, but I kept hearing that voice. It kept moaning for me, disturbing me with its laughter.

Sighing in defeat, I returned to my room. While I did, I went on thinking why had I heard those sounds. I should be seeing lotuses, not hearing voices.

I recalled what Old Man Zhi told me:

Kanda... Do you still see the flower?
I see... Let's keep this a secret, just you and me.
You mustn't dwell on it. It's just an illusion.

This flower is an illusion.

Come to the cafeteria after this. I wondered what she meant. Nevertheless, I headed there, I was hungry anyway.

POP!

Loud pops went off around me once I stepped into the cafeteria. "What the…" I glared at everyone. Then I saw the banner hanging on above us-Happy Birthday Kanda-I glared at them, they even remember these kinds of stuff. Beansprout and Lenalee had been about the same. I was dared to sing, which I didn't, on Beansprout's birthday, people deciding who to give the cake to Lenalee on hers, and mine?

Komui gave his biggest smile, which crept me out and exclaimed, "Happy birthday, Kanda! I know you don't like sweet stuff, and Jeryy insisted that he makes soba for your birthday, so here it is!" An extra large serving of soba appeared before me. Well, that was bigger than my extra large soba for dinner…

"Yu! Happy birthday!" cried Lavi and he prepared to lung at me. Of course, he never had the chance to, as I twisted my body and he fell flat on the floor. Beansprout, obviously reluctant, said the two words to me. "I hope you make a wish that you will not call me Beansprout anymore." He added.

"Che, like I would ever make stupid wishes."

Lenalee put up and cheerful smile. "Come on, everyone. On the count of three. One, two, three!"

"Happy birthday, Kanda!" everyone cheered.

Whatever, I thought, It's just a once in a year thing, just hope that this day will past quickly.

Happy birthday, someone's voice chimed in my head. I raised my head. It was that person. Maybe it's because of my birthday that she appeared more frequently in my dreams. My lips curved up a little.

Before the petals fall, I will wait for you forever.

Yeah, that's about it! Now I have to plan for Lavi's!

Everyone, let's pray for Hoshino-sensei and everyone in Japan!

Me: Kanda, you better appear sooner or later and congrats for being the first, again!

Kanda: Che, whatever.

Me: Well, tune in for chapters!