A/N 2012: Hi Everyone! Long-time no see!

I realize that it's been over a year since I updated this story, and I am so sorry for that! Because it's been so long, I'm planning to rewrite each chapter beginning from the prologue and eventually continuing where I left off. However, I will keep the old chapters there until I rewrite them, because I've lost all of the original documents due to some computer problems. I'll be making a few small changes, starting with the genre. The more I think about it, the less and less this feels like a romance story, so…

Enjoy!

I own nothing!

Prologue

"How are you today, Kaiya?" the nurse asked brightly as she bustled into the dimly lit room.

She was a plump figure in her slightly tight uniform, but nevertheless had a kind smile as she scanned her first patient of the day.

"I've brought your family here to visit you!" she continued warmly. "That's nice, isn't it?"

The dishevelled figure sitting upright in the sleek white bed simply blinked slightly in recognition as her nurse opened the curtains to let in the sunlight. Instantly, she cowered under her flimsy bed sheets.

"Now, now Kaiya," the nurse scolded affectionately as she handed her patient a handful of pearly white pills, "There is no way that the sunlight can hurt you. Take your pills, dear."

Wrapped in the bedclothes, her sapphire blue eyes stared solemnly at her array of visitors who were now trooping into her room behind the nurse.

Kaiya took the pills with a grimace. The nurse shook her head fondly as she scurried off to attend to her numerous other charges, leaving the girl alone with her family.

"So Kaiya," her mother, Mine, said sweetly, sitting down by her daughter's feet, "How have you been, darling? It's been nearly two weeks since our last visit!"

Her daughter heard the strain behind her mother's voice and took notice of the way her little sister, Fujita, was avoiding eye-contact. Choosing not to answer the question, Kaiya smiled at her older brother, who gave her a hug in return.

"I've missed you," he said, his deep blue eyes sparkling.

Kaiya squeezed him back. Her family had always been afraid of her during their fortnightly visits to the hospital, but Taro was different. She knew he truly loved her.

An hour passed by. Taro was explaining to Kaiya how he had scored the winning goal for the school basketball tournament when there was a small tap on the beige door. It was the nurse again, looking slightly troubled as if she had just remembered something very important.

"May I have a quick word with you all, Mr. and Mrs. Hayashi?" she asked briskly.

"Sure." Kaya's father, Jiro, replied, gesturing towards an empty floral chair in the corner of the room.

The nurse shook her head firmly.

"Outside, please," she specified, flashing a knowing look towards the two parents.

Jiro nodded. Slowly, the family marched out of the space like a military procession.

"Stay here, Kaiya." Nurse ordered in an attempt to be reassuring on her way out. "I'm just going to have a quick word with Mummy and Daddy."

"Fujita, Taro, go and get yourselves something from the café downstairs."

Taro gave Kaiya an apologetic smile as he left the room with their parents.

The forgotten girl leapt out of her uncomfortable bed and onto the cold linoleum floor. Her midnight-black hair fell loosely around her hospital pajamas as she crouched on the dirty floor beside the door, eager to listen in.

It was hard to distinguish the words through the wall. Despite this, Kaiya still managed to catch a lot of the conversation.

"As you know, Kaiya is now seventeen," a voice which she identified as the nurses, said regrettably.

"Yes." Jiro confirmed, sounding slightly confused, "Why does it matter?"

Kaiya frowned and adjusted her position on the floor. She was anxious to hear more.

"Well, no, it doesn't matter in the slightest, of course." She continued purposefully, "But, as you know, Kaiya will need ongoing care after she has reached adulthood, and I'm very sorry to say that here at Beerbrook Children's Psychiatric Hospital, we do not cater for patients who are over the age of eighteen."

"But what will happen to her?" Mine asked, sounding desperate, "We can't just take her home with us!"

"You need to begin thinking about Kaiya's transfer to another establishment, preferably one that specializes in adult cases," she explained. "Now, I know of some excellent facilities which would be more than happy to take her in. If you'd just come with me, I have some paper work for you to sign."

As soon as the sound of footsteps faded away entirely, Kaiya stood up from her position by the wall. What was she going to do? It seemed so permanent. She'd been at this dank hospital for seven years, ever since that day when… Kaiya shook her head firmly. There was only one thing to do – she was going to have to take the freedom which she'd been hoping for years into her own hands. She would wait until nightfall.

Ever since she was the terrified ten hear old who had just been sent to stay in Beerbrook Children's Psychiatric Hospital, Kaiya had longed for the day when she would be able to leave again with her brother. But things were different now.

"I'm sorry, Taro," she said softly as she knelt next to the loose floorboard.

The floorboard concealed a small key that Kaiya had stolen from the nurse just over a year ago. She had done it on a whim one particularly bad day. It was nice to have the feeling that she could escape if she wanted, even if she'd always been too nervous to do it.

Taking a deep breath, Kaiya turned the key into the lock of her room's window and immediately struck a problem. The window was stuck. It was opened so rarely that no-one ever bothered to wax it. Kaiya struggled with it for a few minutes before eventually lifting it all of the way up. A cool breeze swept into the room, engulfing her with smells that she hadn't encountered for years. With one final glance at the room where she'd live for ten years, Kaiya climbed tentatively onto the ledge.

Help me, Taro!

She knew well enough to keep silent as she plummeted down three stories of the hospital. It was her own extremely good fortune that a rosebush waited directly below to catch her fall.