I do not own Snafu. One-shot.
In the busy streets of Chiba filled with busy people, a lone girl stands, looking at the various business-oriented individuals heading to their destinations, paying no attention to the lone girl. Some would glance, but only for a second before ignoring her and continuing with their lives. The girl did not mind; the business-people all dressed in various shade of a depressing gray starts to blend and mesh together into some blob as they pass her. Understanding nobody is going to help her, the girl wanders around, standing out not only being for a child in the sea of melancholic businessman and women, but also as her color clothes makes her easily to distinguish from the crowd.
Crossing various intersections places her walking down a busy sidewalk going against the flow of pedestrians. Many people bump into her, but don't say anything and continue. She is mindful and tries her best to not bump into others, but the sheer volume makes the small task impossible. At this point, she wonders if it is worth going through all the trouble. There is nothing worth rushing for at her final destination, not to mention she will be there, possibly readying to scold her than to show compassion for her current ordeal.
It is during this moment of self-thought the girl walks straight into something sturdy, forcing her to the ground as she lands on her bottom. She rubs her bottom before looking at what she ran into. She though it was a wall at first, but a wall in the middle of a sidewalk is preposterous. The person in question is wearing a jet-black suit, well-pampered, and build like a wall. He is in no way fat, but her build looks sturdy. The girl noticed the people walking behind him were moving to his sides as they would not dare to bump or push him out of the way. The man is in his mid-forties and intimidating, but the young girl remains unfazed by his presence for she is well-acquainted with someone who is more intimidating than the random stranger before her, and she is very well known by the big shots in the city.
"What wrong, little one?" the man inquires, breaking the silence between the two of them as the pedestrians take no mind to the two. The girl first picks herself up from the floor, wiping off the dust off her skirt before looking into the stranger's eyes. Unlike the various businesspeople who glance at her with apathy, the stranger's eyes are showing concern—something new for the young girl.
"I got separated from my Mom." She answers, almost in a professional manner, to which the man notices as he unnoticeably tilts back. "And I don't know where she is." The man takes a long moment, looking at her with curiosity and concern and her at him with intent and content.
"You don't seem to be too frightened by your current situation or have an urgency to return to her." He brings up. The girl remains silent. More time passes before the man takes a knee all the way to meet her at eye level, now staring into her vibrant, purple-hued eyes. "What your name?" the man inquires. The girl looks away, contemplating whether to share that information him. The girl reengages eye contact again.
"Yukinoshita…. Yukinoshita Haruno." A young Haruno reveals. The man, who she first labeled as daunting and professional with his black suit, cracks a faint smile at the ends of his lips.
"That's a pretty name, Haruno." He comments, but Haruno's expression remains the same, not bothering to smile upon taking the compliment. "You're quite brave, you know." He continues as he extends his hand to her. "Come… let me help you." Haruno contemplates as to what she should do. She just met this stranger, and he wants to help her return to her family. This is normally something the police should do, but she could not find a police box where she is. This is also not to mention she is only 10 years old. She has no way of knowing, but something tells her this man doesn't not have a family of his own—no significant other and no children. So for a kid to go with this type of man is questionable, not to mention dangerous for young Haruno. However, out of everybody that past her, he was the only one to stop his busy day to help her, and his eyes show no deceit or maliciousness.
Haruno takes a deep breath and slowly extends her small hand into the palm of the man. The man slowly assumes his standing position and both walk together, hand in hand, reminiscent of a father holding the hand of his daughter.
20 minutes passes before the reach a tall building with Yukinoshita Industries printed over the entrance as they stand out the gate to the main building.
"I don't know where you came from, but your parents are well known in this city, so I am sure these people inside can help you much more than I can." He explains as he brings her to the steps just outside the entrance to the building. However, Haruno remains where she is, staring intently at her parents' company building. It's clear to the man something is bothering her, but he doubts a girl he just met will tell him anything.
He has no reason to help her, but at the same time, he has no reason not to help her.
"Haruno." He calls her, kneeling to her height one last time, making eye contact with each other. She notices his hand rummaging through his pocket as they both share a silence. Eventually, he pulls out something shiny.
"A Pen?" she blurts out.
"It's a special king of pen." He corrects as he places the middle of the pen on his finger, putting little effort in it as the pen balances perfectly.
"See. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be." Haruno continues to stare at the balanced pen, not moving whatsoever as she finds herself somewhat intrigued. "Too much to one side…" he stares, moving his finger in such a way that the pen almost falls off. "And the other…" the pen now moves to the other side, repeats the same process. It does fall, but the man catches the pan before it hits the ground.
"Here." He presents to her. "Take it." Haruno hesitates, but slowly reaches for it. The people around them do look on, but don't say anything for those two are in their own world.
The pencil wobbles, almost falling to the right before Haruno overcorrects and know starts to fall to the left. She eventually does notice the other people looking at her.
"Concentrate." The man advises. Taking his advice, Haruno continues.
"There…" he congratulates as Haruno balances the pencil on her finger. "You should get a move on. I know your parents must be worried sick." Haruno freezes, her expression becoming blank and stoic. "However, whenever you have trouble, just remember what I told you. I believe doing so will help you in the future." The man rises back to his original height, his shadow cast over Haruno as she looks up at him. He gives her one last faint smile before turning around, and walks away, his shadow no longer eclipsing her. Her cheek muscles strain as her lips barely curl up genuinely as opposed to other situations. Looking at the pen, she stashes it into her front pocket and proceeds to walk towards the Yukinoshita building.
"Nee-san, what is the meaning of this?" An irritated Yukino Yukinoshita questions her older sister, with her acquittances Yui Yuigahama and Hachiman Hikigaya right behind her. Haruno gazes over at Yukino, then Yui, then Hachiman, and allows herself for a faint grin to impose on her lips. "Isn't it obvious? I wanted to talk to all three of you." She answers joyously.
"Then why did you call us here? In Mother's office, and why are you sitting in her chair?" He rebukes as Haruno can feel the venom drenched in Yukino's tone. Haruno's grin slowly returns to a blank expression, seemingly ignoring her sister as she looks at both Yui and Hachiman.
"Gahama-san and Hikigaya-kun." She begins, her voice almost thunderous. "would you please grab ahold of Yukino." Both look at each other with concern. "No, I don't mean it like that. Her hand or even her clothes would suffice." She clarifies.
"What are you planning, Nee-san?" Yukino pushes, but Haruno says nothing. "Answer me!" silence. Eventually, Yukino feels a warm sensation on her left hand. Looking down, she sees the hand of Yui holding onto her, just as Haruno had requested. "I think…" Yui begins. "she'll tell you if we just listen to her." Yukino then feels a tug on the right side of her blazer.
"Hikigaya-kun…" Yukino trails off.
"I don't want to be here anymore then you do, so let's just do what she says so we can leave." He explains. All of them turn their attention to Haruno, who pushes herself off the recliner and walks around the desk, approaching Yukino. However, all of them notice something gold covering her left hand.
"Nee-san, what is that?" Yukino points at her left hand.
"Oh this…" he lifts her left hand up, revealing the golden gauntlet with six mysterious, colorful stones located on her forehand: five located on the knuckles and one right beneath them. Yukino jumps as Haruno lifts her left hand up so all three can see. They take notice that her thumb and middle finger are pressing against each other.
"You'll see."
*snap*