The sunset that spread out in glamorous hues of red, orange and yellow trailed my every step like a shadow as I clutched my bag to my chest and hummed a melody on my journey back home. At the area near the night market, I gasped at a large billboard display of my favourite idol, Rokudo Mukuro. He was a very famous guitar player in a boy band which composed many impressive and wonderful songs, all containing lovely meanings or enchanting stories.

I had changed my hairstyle to be just like his pineapple shape, despite my mother's protests and my classmates' disgust and criticism about me being a copycat. But it was only because I really admired that good-looking man who almost never failed to wear a sweet smile most of the time and wished to be like him. I saw him as my 'master' who gave me inspirations to push forward whenever life forced me to walk down a dull path.

"Ah… I see. Mukuro-sama has organized a live concert with his newest songs," I murmured to myself, staring at the billboard in awe with flushed cheeks and a shining eye. It dawned on me when I came back to my senses and realised what I just said.

"Eh?! Mukuro-sama? A live concert? Newest songs? In Japan?!" I exclaimed in enthusiasm, rubbing my eyes to make sure I was not seeing things. "Oh gosh, I can't believe this! My favourite idol is coming to my home country for an extraordinary concert! Next month! I gotta see him!" I whooped into the air in utter joy, but it was quickly crushed by disappointment. "Okasan will definitely not allow me to watch the performance. She will think the tickets are too expensive and it's a waste of time and tell me to focus on studies and learn to be a good actress next time instead," I grunted, taking one last look at the Italian man before picking up my pace toward home.

I would never get the chance to ask Mukuro-sama for his autograph.


"Tadaima…." I murmured like a dying soul as I dragged my body forcefully into the living room of our bungalow. My mother did not even acknowledge my presence and continued chatting on the telephone with a caller who seemed to be rather engaging and talkative for she was bouncing on the couch and giggling at every word she heard. Shrugging, I trudged up the stairs and enclosed myself in my bedroom.

My hand subconsciously placed itself on the bandage-like eye patch over my right eye socket, horrendous images of how I lost it flashing into my exhausted mind, all coloured with crimson. It was hard to live with a single left eye at first, but I slowly got accustomed to my circumstances as the years flew by with a flick of my fingers.

I glanced over to the right side of my bed, reaching out to the photo frame on the nightstand while adjusting the brightness of the lamp. I stroked my thumb over the picture, staring at the tall man who held my shoulders as he smiled ever so tenderly at the camera. My younger self was grinning toothily in the photograph, in contrast to the sullen scowl on my face at the current moment.

I blinked my eye several times to brush away the tiny tears before they could flow out. This photograph was one of my most precious possessions, something I could never give up even if I was stoned to death or burnt to a crisp, even if I had to dig out my own still beating heart or eat a whole tray of wiggling baby snakes.

I nodded my head in satisfaction at the clear reflection of the ceiling light on the photograph after wiping it with a soft piece of cloth and put it back to the nightstand, where it belonged.


"Ne, Himekawa-chan," Kyoko's sudden voice interrupted my daydreaming and startled me.

"Y-Yes, Kyoko-chan?"

"If you don't mind me asking, why have you been wearing an eye patch over your right eye since you entered school? Is it injured? Is it all right? Do you need to see a doctor?" Kyoko bombarded me with curious questions in one breath.

"The truth is…I have been wearing it since last year, after…er…a-an accident…." I hoped Kyoko would ignore the fact that my voice wavered at the end of my statement and realised that it was a lie, and thankfully, she did. She probably understood that I felt uncomfortable with the topic.

"It's break time now. Please excuse me, Kyoko-chan. I'm going to relax on the rooftop," I stood up abruptly from my seat. "Aren't you going to eat something?" she inquired, noting that I did not carry my bento with me today, which was unusual. I shook my head and came up with an excuse of "I'm not hungry" before almost running out of the classroom.


Footsteps drew near to me like a deadly predator closing in on its prey and I hurriedly rubbed my tears away with my sleeves and fingers, not wanting whoever was approaching me in a few seconds to see my pathetic state.

"Oh. It's just you," I recognised the deep voice of Hibari Kyoya.

"O-Ohayo, Fuki— I mean Hibari-san," I lowered my head and hugged my knees to my chest, trying to avoid his piercing gaze which would no doubt spot my reddish puffy eyes, an indication of my telltale crying that I forced to subside. I had no idea why, but being in his presence made me want to look stronger, even if my insides were crumbling.

However I seemed to forget the fact that this man standing before me was Hibari Kyoya.

"Why are you crying?" he leant against the wall beside my petite frame. I bit down on my bottom lip and tried to control my urge to burst into doleful tears again.

"Hey," Hibari suddenly sprang out a tonfa menacingly out of nowhere, causing me to flinch and cower in fright. "Eek! D-Don't attack me! Please! I-I'll leave you alone! I won't disturb you any further! Don't hurt me!" I shielded my head protectively with my hands, praying for the blow to never befall on me.

"Are they gone?" he said, keeping his weapon away in a twinkling of an eye like a magic trick.

"Huh?" I mustered my courage and made eye contact with him in confusion.

"Your hiccups".

"O-Oh, I-I see…so that was it," I chuckled nervously, rubbing my tense shoulders that were infected with countless goosebumps. Hibari was not intending to harm me, but was simply trying to scare my hiccups out of me.

"Arigato, Hibari-san".

"Hn. Stand up. Don't sit there like a herbivore crying your…eye out," his tone was stern, yet it held a hint of concern. I staggered to my feet with the wall as a support, but accidentally gripped onto Hibari's jacket when I tripped a little.

"S-Sorry," I apologised, retreating back from him in embarrassment, "I was just crying…because I miss my father….."

Hibari stared off into space but nodded his head to show that he was listening and a silent command for me to continue. I smiled and before I knew it, I was pouring out my grievances to the Disciplinary Leader.


"Nagi! Good! Perfect timing!" Okasan rushed up to me in gaiety as if she had just won the lottery the instant I creaked open the front door, "remember that you must dress up as prettily as you can tomorrow evening! I have invited guests to come over to our house!"

"E-Eh?" I gaped dazedly, trying to absorb whatever my mother just said into my blank mind, somehow managing to catch the words 'dress up', 'tomorrow' and 'guests'.

"Okay! You will know the entire thing tomorrow! Just remember my instructions!" with that, she danced away merrily, whistling and humming blissfully, leaving me to ponder like a lost sheep in the middle of an unfamiliar field of grass.


"I lost my father when I was eight. We were crossing a road, soaked from head to toe from the heavy rain," I began the tragic story of the fateful day as I sat cross-legged against the fence on the rooftop and Hibari laid beside me, his hands under his head to serve as his pillow.

"The pedestrian light was flashing green, yet a Ferrari car driving at insane speed rushed toward us. I would have been hit if it weren't for my father. He didn't care about himself. H-He j-just…." I realised I was crying when a pack of tissue was tossed to me. I whispered a soft "thank you" to Hibari and wiped off my unsightly tears and snout.

"Without a single sign of hesitation, he pushed me out of the way and let his body be the only target for the car. He was flung a few metres by the enormous impact of the crash, and he laid there on the road motionless".

"Just then, four men emerged from the Ferrari and stormed toward my father. I had a shock of my life when they started k-kicking and punching h-him like a heap of trash. I then recognised those men as the loan sharks who were mercilessly chasing my father for debt issues".

"I was screaming and bawling my eyes out, pleading for them to stop hurting Otosan. It got worse when I was held back by another man. I-I couldn't break loose to help my father…. I just kept crying and screaming while watching him being beaten and stabbed to death….."

" Despite that….Otosan….he still told me to bite the man restraining me and run….run as far as I could….. Run no matter what I saw or heard….just run until I was safe. I couldn't t-take it…. The men were roaring with laughter and c-chopping him up limb by limb… He was getting killed right in front of me, and I couldn't do a thing to save him. I-I couldn't bear the grotesque sight of his body in a pool of blood and torn body parts in the end…and f-fainted".

Another pack of tissue patted my lap and my quivering fingers fumbled with the package trying to split it open. Seeing my difficulty in doing so because of my blurry vision blocked by tears and the weakness of my movements, Hibari tore the pack open with just a tiny snap and pulled out a tissue for me.

It was strange, confiding my sorrow in someone I hardly knew, yet it was calming and assuring. His mere presence had the amazing ability to heal my shattered heart, sealing the holes that had grew over the years of melancholy and loneliness in the absence of the company of the only person who I loved, and who loved me back just the same. I understood Hibari Kyoya was a man of few words, and I need not him to comfort my agony in the form of consoling speech.

Hibari flicked his fingers and something plopped onto my head. I reached up to touch it and found a yellow fluffy canary making a cozy nest out of my hair while reciting the Nami Chuu's anthem, imaginary musical scores floating around it. "That's Hibird," Hibari explained when he noticed my confused expression, "just listen to its singing and you will stop crying".

I smiled genially, making a mental note to treat Hibari to my homemade bento the next time we encountered each other in exchange for his efforts to cheer me up in his own unique way.


I looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror, inspecting every inch of my cadmium light yellow sundress with an orange sky ribbon wrapped around my waist plus beads at the helm for a more feminine appeal. I grumbled as I tidied the wrinkles caused by my mother's horrible job of ironing my clothes. She purposely did so to make me swear that I would do the chore myself. Scheming, was she not?

I combed my short hair one last time before leaving my bedroom to await the arrival of the unknown guests.


I was having a dumbfounded staring contest with the guest sitting opposite me until Okasan shook me out of my trance, "Nagi? What's wrong?"

"Do you know her?" the woman with curly black hair and a fair complexion inquired the teenager while pointing a finger at me.

"… She's a student of Namimori Middle," he replied, still half-stunned. The woman clapped her hands in glee, "oh! So you two have met before! That makes things better!"

"W-What's going on, Okasan?" I tugged my mother's sleeve, almost ripping it off, "w-why on earth is H-Hibari-san here?"

My face paled as the clock ticked by, listening in shock to Okasan's explanation that the woman sitting beside Hibari was his mother, who in turn was fast friends with her since their elementary school years. Although they walked down different paths, they continued to keep in contact and recently met to discuss and share about their life stories.

"We had been interested in drama since young, and even though we worked for different companies, we are both actresses. We both share the same goal. Isn't that right, Suki?"

"Sure, Amechi. We are still the same as ever," Hibari Suki chuckled girlishly and extended her hand to me in greeting, "hajimemashite, Nagi-chan".

Casting away my uneasiness and shyness, I shook her hand, glancing at Hibari Kyoya from the corner of my eye. This was the first time I saw him in casual wear. He wore a sweater in cardigan style over a white shirt, and charcoal black trousers. Such a handsome feature added to my plain home. But still! I couldn't believe that his mother was associated with the acting world and was startlingly my mother's nakama!

"What are we doing here?" Hibari hissed at his mother, who was unfazed by his dark glare.

"Oh! That's right! We have a special surprise for you and Nagi-chan!" Suki and Okasan exchanged winks while Hibari and I raised our eyebrows. What were these crazy women up to now?

"Nagi," my mother's evil grin made me gulp warily, "Hibari Kyoya is going to be your fiancé".

W-What the hell was going on? Had the world ended? Was I going to have a heart attack?

"E-EEEEHHHH?!" I screamed in indescribable horror and the echo seemed to shake the entire house. "What?!" Hibari widened his eyes at his mother, demanding for an explanation.

"Are you insane, Okasan?" Hibari fumed, hands balling into fists like a volcano ready to erupt and cause the ultimate mass destruction.

"I certainly am not, Kyo-kun," Suki smiled mirthfully, "Amechi and I have decided to engage our children for future marriage".

"And what's the herbivorous reason?"

"Family alliance".

"Don't give me that crap!"

"Kyo-kun!" Suki pouted crossly, "Amechi and I need to be connected by our families so that we can work side by side and help each other with our careers! I'm thinking of dumping my current job and join her company because its salary is much higher. Isn't that wonderful?"

"No," Hibari snarled resentfully, "whether you want to change your job or not is none of my concern. But you cannot use us anyway you like just for some sort of alliance".

"Too bad, Kyo-kun," Suki feigned a sympathetic smile, "our decision is final".

"I refuse," I said firmly, standing up from the couch. My mother yanked at my arm roughly, "Nagi! What're you doing? Sit down! Don't be rude and shame me in front of our guests!"

"I refuse, Okasan!"

She winced at my seldom rise in volume, and then stood to a greater height than I, her eyes burning in infuriation. "Nagi, I'm warning you. Listen to me and sit down". Beads of perspiration formed on my forehead, my wet palms became jelly-like and my legs were threatening to collapse. I clenched my fists till my knuckles turned white, looking straight at my exasperated mother in stubborn determination.

"I refuse to be married to someone I don't even know well, let alone love".

"C'mon, Nagi-chan," Suki spoke up to destroy the tension hanging in the air, "it won't be that bad. You have already met my son. He's a nice guy, isn't he? Marrying him won't kill you, my dear".

I pinched my arm to prevent the furious tears from flowing out. I must not cry in front of Hibari. I slumped down on the couch in defeat, shutting the elated voices of Okasan and Suki out, but the devastating news of the Hibari family moving into our bungalow after the confirmed engagement still managed to pierce my mind. Hibari rubbed his temple, his eyebrows creased downward in frustration. I bit my lip till it almost bled. What did I do to deserve such a terrible life?