Sorry for the late update everyone! I have been busy dealing with work and now, school : I really have to pull up my grades this time, so I won't be updating for a while. Every stories I wrote here will be put on hold until I can find the time to upload the chapters or...I have more interesting ideas to develop my stories. I already wrote some of the chapters down, just that I did not have the time. Please be patient with me : And if you are angry at the very late updates, blame all on the school and the homework and the projects handed to me.

So as you read on, you will find out that Kanda is...alive! Woohoo! Omg Omg! But our dear Allen still did not know this yet. Will he find out in the future? Read on to find out!

Just to clarify a question that Grigio3Drago, our dear reviewer, has raised (gah, I only replied at this time? Sorry everyone ._. ). There seems to be some mistakes spotted. I just want to tell everyone that this happens three years after the war ended. It is estimated that Allen will be nineteen, Lenalee will be twenty and Lavi and Kanda would be twenty-two. I apologise for the mistakes made. It is really a great help for all of you to point out the mistakes I made. It also helps me check whether I am staying on the right track or writing off the point. Anyway, thank you all for reading! :3

I have promised all of you that I will complete this story by the end of December, so no worries, I will try to update this story as fast as possible. I just hope that I have more free time :

Please point out my mistake if you spotted any! Thank you!

Now, for the next chapter! Read on and review~

PS There will be OOC starting from this chapter onwards. Please do not kill me, but it is necessary. You don't expect them to be the same after all these years right? After the war and the experiences they encountered, their personalities will definitely change a little as they grow up. I wouldn't make it till it was totally OOC, just a slight change in their behaviours. I will definitely not make Allen extremely weak or Kanda extremely emotional. Hope this answered your doubts if you think there are certain parts which you think is OOC :3

Chapter 2: Reminiscence

The sound of water splashes could be heard, the people walking across the streets as the vehicles drove along the road in the late morning. It had rained earlier on, but gradually stopped as the clouds had moved away from the city.

It seemed to hard to imagine, that the wrecked city filled with collapsed buildings, broken homes and dead bodies all over the place ever since the war started, had changed so much within years. Now, it looked as if nothing had happened, and that people had returned to their usual routines.

Frankly, he was not really used to it.

He took a deep breath, coming out into the open as he stared at the deep-blue sky above.

It had been such a long time since he visited England. Everywhere looked so nostalgic, though there were many places which he couldn't remember anymore.

Kanda took out his camera and took a picture of the whole city, looking around. The whole country seemed to have changed completely. Now, he was standing at a particular street which was previously a thin road leading to the nearest town from the Black Order. The tall building should be situated around here, though he couldn't recall where it was. The 21-year-old raven-haired adult lowered down his camera, staring at a dark, dirty brown clock situated in the middle of the road. That was the only thing which he remembered, and till now, it was still there, reminding people of the time that was slowly slipping away.

He had been visiting many countries, seeing many different places which inspired him a lot. He had learnt different cultures and had obtained skills along the way. Not only he could wield his swords like in the olden days, he could cook a perfect plate of Japanese soba. He had graduated in a university with a certificate in design. Now, he was a full-fledged designer, travelling all over the world to obtain good pictures for his next integrated project.

Kanda walked around the street, taking his time to observe the city's activities in the day. Some old shops still existed, while others had already closed down, mostly because of the heavy war battles years ago. Now, everything was turning back to normal. People were leading their own lives, doing the things that they wanted to do, and had not done before. It was the same as him.

In the past, he was a rather stubborn one. He hated listening to advice and liked to act in his own ways. He thought that having his sword and the skills would be more than enough in his lifetime, but it was because he thought he was dying and he hadn't considered much at that time. There wasn't any reason to plan further if there wasn't any future for him. But unexpectedly, he survived, and when the war was over, and when he stepped out of the Order which acted like prison, free at last, he realised that there were so many things which he really wanted to do. He had been imprisoned by the job as an Exorcist for so long, that he failed to realise his goals. Now that he thought about it, he always threw away his life too easily.

Don't throw away your life so easily! Don't you have anything that you want to accomplish in your life? Don't you have anything that you want to fight for? It does not necessarily have to do with being an Exorcist!

Kanda stopped for a moment. That voice just...came into his mind so easily, ringing in his head again and again. He hated to admit it, but he was glad that he chided him with those words. The sentences hit him hard, like he had finally understand the whole meaning to it, to what he was implementing at that time. It was thanks to him, that he was standing here, having aims in his life. He was leading his life to the fullest, not sitting somewhere being obstinate.

He entered a shop. The small bell jingled softly as the glass door slowly closed. Kanda looked around, seeing many accessaries and bags displayed inside the glass case and at the side of the shop.

Christmas was approaching. General Tiedoll, Marie and Chaoji were currently staying in England as well. He heard that the old man was too reluctant to leave the town that he had stayed for years since the war started. Chaoji started a business here, and Marie was going to leave after Christmas for a business seminar. He thought of visiting them, though he wondered whether he had the time. The deadline for handling his assessment was approaching, and he needed to rush back to Canada to finish his task.

"Do you want to buy something here, sir?" The lady tending the shop went to him.

"I'm just looking," He replied. He looked across the glass cases, and something caught his eye. It was a pair of plain brown woollen gloves. Kanda stared at them as something came across his mind.

"Why are you only wearing a glove at your left hand?"

"It's...my Innocence. The parasite Inncence weapon."

"Sir?" Kanda blinked, before turning to face the lady.

"Can you help me pack this pair of gloves?" She nodded her head before getting them out of the glass case. As Kanda continued to look around, he wondered why he bought them in the first place. Was it because of that memory which appeared in his dreams countless times? At this, he shook his head.

"Here is your package, sir. Please come back again."

The small bell attached at the glass door jingled faintly as Kanda stepped out of the shop, a paper bag at his left hand. He let out a sigh, before staring at the bag he was holding.

"Why did I buy this?" He wondered. He wasn't expecting someone to appear in his mind at this question. Kanda frowned, pondering about this. There could be many reasons, but it couldn't, and would definitely not because of remembering those memories with him! He wasn't that type of person who would think of someone continuously, and it would simply be ridiculous. No matter how he thought, that person should be the last one to be concerned about.

"Excuse me." Kanda turned and saw a young couple standing beside him. The guy looked at him hesitantly, before stepping up and handed him a camera.

"Can you...help us take a picture?"

Kanda took the camera, slightly astonished by the sudden approach. He took the camera carefully by his slender fingers and stepped backwards, his eyes focusing on the screen. Even though the picture that he was going to take was not his work, he would put in his best effort to take a perfect one, not allowing a single, tiny mistake. That was his motto, whether it was work or personal. He found a good position and stopped, getting ready to snap the picture.

"Ready?" The young couple started to smile sweetly in front of the camera lens. Their eyes shone beautifully in the sun, enough to stun him slightly. He almost forgot that they were just people who were asking a favour from him. He stared at the screen, before staring at the couple for a while, feeling a tinge of emptiness for a split second.

What was he thinking?

"Um..." The man was waving at him. Kanda came out of his daze and realised that he had to take the picture. As he pressed down, something white flashed right at his eyes, blinding him slightly. He realised he had forgotten to switch off the flash mode. He stared at their faces in the picture, thinking that it was still okay. After looking more closely, he spotted a blurred shadow of a stranger taken inside as well. He frowned.

"There is someone inside. Should I take another picture for the two of you?" The couple just smiled and shook their heads.

"It's okay. Thank you." Kanda nodded his head and returned the camera back to them. As they walked away, he could see smiles on their faces. He turned around slowly, realising that he was not focused at all. The raven-haired adult slipped his hands into the pockets of his brown coat as he started to walk, deep into thoughts. As he reached a lamppost, he stopped. His mind returned back to the photo he had taken.

Something caught his eye just now. The stranger's hair was...silvery grey.

...silver?

"Hello Allen!" The door opened as Allen entered the store. He smiled at the uncle standing at the counter.

"Hello uncle! How have you been?" He asked, helping him to sort out the goods. The uncle smiled back at him, as they began to chat between themselves happily. The silver-haired teen took a bottle of mineral water and opened the refrigerator, putting it inside. The assistants came out, and he greeted them as always, with a cheerful smile at his lips.

"So, how's your education so far? Can you keep up?"

"I think so. I hope I can pass the final examinations this November!" Allen replied.

"Of course you will! You are a genius!" Allen blushed slightly for the flattery. He laughed sheepishly, like a small child who was content with the smallest compliment.

"I'm not, Uncle Stephen!"

"Yes, you are, niisan! You helped me in my Mathematics homework, though you are better in Literature. Thanks to your advice, I have been improving!" Allen turned, looking at a teenage girl who was the same age as him. She stared at him and gave a warm smile in return, her golden eyes twinkling in his direction.

"I'm glad. Keep it up!" Allen said as he rubbed her head playfully, the two of them bursting into laughter. They continued to talk and sort out the goods. The silver-haired teen offered to look after the shop and tend to their customers while they went for their dinner. He did not intend to go back yet, because Lenalee would be out tonight, and Komui would only be back probably by next week. It wasn't really pleasant staying at an empty house with no one around, thus it would be better to find himself something to do.

He took out his notes and started studying. At this time, he felt cold wind blowing at his face, as the door was opened. The first customer arrived, walking to the back of the shelves. He couldn't see the person rather clearly as his back was facing him, but he greeted nonetheless. After that, he returned back to his books.

The shuffles of the boots could be heard from a distance, and frankly speaking, it was slightly disturbing. Allen looked up from his notes occasionally, wondering when he could bring the products that he wanted to buy to the counter. He knew it wasn't right to hurry the customers to purchase their things quickly. Allen flicked his pencil between his fingers, feeling a little frustrated.

He began to stare at the shadow cast on the floors. As the light at the floors was slowly disappearing, he realised that someone was approaching the counter, probably from that customer who first entered the shore. Allen put his books and stationary aside hurriedly, getting ready to serve him or her. As he saw the basket being put rather quietly on the counter, Allen's eyes widened slightly at a beautiful white bracelet worn on his left wrist which looked so familiar.

"Thank you so much for helping us, niisan! Now it's our turn! Please go and have your dinner!" He did not know what happened. He only knew he was being pushed towards the door, and after a few minutes, he was standing outside, dazed.

"What happened?" He wondered. The silver-haired teen slowly turned around, and as he faced the door, someone walked out and turned to the left, disappearing into the darkness. He went inside, wanting to help, but was chased out again, this time with his notes and books.

"You should stay at home and study. Work hard, Allen. I'm sure you can do well," Uncle Stephen said and patted his shoulders, before returning to the store. Allen just blinked, before he smiled and proceeded to the bus stop. As he stood there and waited, a gust of cold wind blew right at his face, making him shiver. Allen sneezed and rubbed his hands, peering at the dark sky. He regretted not wearing an extra clothing inside in this type of cold weather.

The night was peaceful and tranquil. As it was rather late, there were only a few vehicles travelling along the road, probably on their way home. No one would be staying up late in such harsh weather which was torturing them. Allen turned, seeing a couple whispering something quietly to each other, before they laughed softly. He turned away, slightly embarrassed. He knew this wasn't surprising, yet as he flushed, memories of him started coming back. He hugged his books tightly as he closed his eyes, not wanting to think too much.

"When we step out of this place, we are finally free. Right, Allen?" Lenalee was walking with him as they were meeting Komui at the gates. Everything was cleared out and their belongings were at their hands. The Black Order was going to be disbanded today, and after today, the happenings here would soon be forgotten.

"Yeah, Lenalee." She nodded her head as she started to skip, probably because she was looking forward to this day. Of course, he was happy for her, and he should be happy for himself. He, who was cursed, should be dead in the battlefield, yet he still managed to survive, though he shouldn't. He stared in front, realising that they were approaching the destination soon.

Soon...

"Allen..." He wished to turn around, to say that he had forgotten something in his room, and want to retrieve it before he come with them. He couldn't lose it, because it was very important to him, one which he treasured more than his very own life.

"It's Kanda." But he had to stop lying to himself. It was something which he had already let go. He couldn't get it back.

"Where would you be going, Kanda?" Allen stopped in his tracks, hearing Lenalee's voice getting softer as she went to the raven teen. His head was downcast, and at this instant, he realised that he was dreading this moment. He was running away because of this.

Because of him.

"Moyashi." That voice echoed softly in his mind. He gripped his bag and walked towards the two of them. As he reached the raven-haired teen, he stopped, standing beside him. He knew he had to decide now. It was something that he couldn't turn back anymore, no matter how much he wanted to. No matter how much he wanted the situation to change, it was impossible.

They had to part ways. They had to.

"Goodbye..." He opened his lips. Then, he took off and stepped out, before he murmured another word softly, tears welling up his eyes.

"...Kanda."

The windows were opened, as he gazed outside aimlessly. The bus continued its way as it drove in the expressway. There were only a few passengers inside. No one said a word, the whole place so silent that he wished someone could just say some random stuff to break it. His head leaned against the glass, feeling the night breeze touching his cold face gently, like there was someone stroking his cheeks.

It was too dark to read anything in the bus, and he did not have the mood to concentrate either. It had been three whole years, yet there wasn't a single moment when he did not start thinking of Kanda. He was confused with those emotions himself. He started wondering what they actually meant. What made him so attracted to that raven-haired teen, so much till it could not get out of his mind? No doubt that Kanda's childhood was almost the same as him. They were in the same situation, and through that, they understood each other very well. He hated Kanda's arrogance, yet he did not want him to get hurt.

Till now, he had been asking the same question himself.

Why? Why would he think of that?

The journey was getting slightly bumpy, as the bus was entering the next district. He flicked open his cellphone, realising that it was already nine. Lenalee should be home by then, and she was going to lecture him for being home so late again. Allen rubbed his head as he breathed out, a swirl of warm vapour escaping into the cold air. He buttoned his dark brown winter coat fully as he pressed the bell. The bus gradually stopped as it opened its doors. He slowly stepped outside, feeling the coldness stinging the sides of his cheeks. He rubbed his freezing hands, blowing puffs of warm air to warm them.

He stared at the sky. The empty scenery looked so solemn and so depressing all of a sudden. Allen touched his chest, feeling emptiness within. Does winter always let people have this feeling of loneliness all the time? The descending snowflakes were so beautiful, yet this brought him a saddened feeling which he couldn't shake away.

After all these years, he felt so tired. He wished that every of these would end, that he would forget and the weight lingering at his chest would disappear. He had hoped many times, and grieved many times till he couldn't remember. Those memories ran in his head repeatedly before he slept every night. But he knew all of these wouldn't last forever. He wasn't happy either, because he was gradually forgetting some of the details in his memory, and he started to fear that he would forget everything about him completely.

Now, he did not want to ask for more, just a few memorable moments which marked their unspoken and complicated friendship.

Lenalee was pacing around the living room, looking at the clock once in a while. She shouldn't act like this because Allen was already past eighteen, yet she was still worried. Allen came home late once in a while, but this was the very first time he hadn't come back yet, and it was already ten minutes past ten. The olive-haired girl had called Uncle Stephen, knowing that he would stop there every day to help the old man, yet he said Allen had gone off quite a while ago.

"Allen, where could you be?" She muttered, getting anxious as every second passed by. The silver-haired teen had been preoccupied by something lately as well, which was another reason why she was worried about him. After so many years, she did not want Allen to be miserable again. The twisted face expression that she saw that night...was the very last thing that she wanted to see.

She turned towards the sofa, seeing a photo album that was left opened. She walked towards it, seeing pictures taken when they were still Exorcists. She knew Allen cherished them a lot, because they meant everything to him. The Black Order was once his home, and these people who created memories with him were once his family and friends. Everyone was carrying happy faces, leaving a happy story behind their smiles. Lenalee laughed softly as she saw a particular picture of Allen being chased by Komurin.

As she flipped the page, she was slightly stunned to only see a pair of boots taken. They looked new. She looked at the picture beside it, and saw Lavi's smile with a V sign formed from his fingers. Lenalee shifted her gaze around, slightly uncomfortable. This was the first photo that only had Lavi's face on it and frankly, if she didn't see this photo, she would have forgotten his features partially.

She sighed as her hand touched his face of the photo. Like Kanda, they hadn't been in touch for the last three years when they parted ways. She didn't get to see Lavi for the last time before they left. Lavi wasn't...there.

The olive-haired girl shook her head and stood up, leaving the photo album by the sofa. She walked to the balcony, taking in a deep breath of fresh air to clear her head. Lavi was her close friend, someone who had comforted her many times when they were still in the Order. He had helped her countless times, putting his life on the line. She felt guilty about it, though he was not only saving her but anyone who needed help.

She really wanted to thank him for everything that he had done for her throughout the years. She really wanted to, yet he wasn't here anymore. Maybe, Lavi did not exist anymore. After all, it was only an alias, something which represented him temporarily. She remembered that Lavi had no real name, because he abandoned it. She probably won't get to see him again.

And because of that alias, because of being part of the Bookman clan, he pushed her away. She had always known that he was lying all along. She hated everything about his past and the Bookman clan, because they stole Lavi away. They robbed his feelings and emotions, slowly turning him into an emotionless person. Lavi wasn't Lavi at all. Lavi couldn't smile that naturally, not because he wouldn't, but he couldn't, and because of this, Lavi was slowly slipping away.

But you have understood all along, Lenalee. You knew it.

Somehow, her chest hurt. Lenalee blinked, staring at the night sky. She wanted to erase them completely, yet there was something which could never be removed, no matter how she tried to.

"Lavi..." Lenalee murmured softly, warm air escaped from her lips. It was simply wrong to call him that. The redhead might have...another name by then. If she spotted him across the streets, he might not recognise her because she called the wrong name. She shook her aching head, feeling flustered. She was confused by her own emotions.

Lavi had made his stand so clearly, and it hurt her so badly, yet she wasn't feeling angry. There was only a weird, aching feeling remained, and sometimes, it felt so unbearable that it was suffocating her slightly.

Suddenly, she heard some shuffles in the darkness. Lenalee stepped back, wondering what that was.

"Who is it?"

No one answered. The only thing she knew was that it was getting closer to where she was. Lenalee bit her lip, gripping onto the nearest pillar as fear started to sink in.

"Is it Allen? Don't do this. It isn't funny at all." Her voice was getting shaky, her body trembling with fear. She hated ghost stories since young, and she still hated them now. She just wished that whoever was doing this would stop.

"Allen? Is that you?"

The shuffles slowly reached the stairs, as she heard the slow creak of the wood echoing the whole place. She knew she just had to run away from here, yet her legs refused to move a muscle. She was terribly scared, wondering what would happen to her when a burglar entered her house. No one would be there to protect her. No one...

Lenalee.

Suddenly, she felt something warm on her shoulder. She jumped, startled.

"Lenalee, it's me! I thought of scaring you, but I didn't know you would have a big reaction over it." Allen said, laughing softly. Lenalee just blinked, still recovering from the shock.

"Is it?"

"Anyway, why are you standing here? You know the weather's getting cold. You might fall sick," Allen said, before he realised that something was wrong. He stared at the olive-haired girl who hadn't scolded him yet.

"Lenalee?"

"Are you the one who made the noise below?" She asked. Allen just blinked in bewilderment.

"What noise?" She turned around, showing an angry face for the first time.

"This isn't funny, Allen!" Lenalee exclaimed, walking past Allen as she went back into the house, leaving the silver-haired teen standing there, stunned. She went upstairs and into her room, slamming the door behind her. The olive-haired girl then sank onto her bed, wiping away the remaining tears in her eyes. She rarely got angry, especially at Allen. Yet, she knew it wasn't the younger teen's fault. She shouldn't have shouted at him. It was all because of those memories and the nostalgic feeling she had the moment she heard someone calling her name. It was as though...he was the one calling her.

She grimaced, tears started welling up her eyes again. She felt so bad at herself, treating Allen like this. At that moment, the person she thought was scaring her was Lavi and not Allen. She thought it was him, only to feel the pain of disappointment when she realised that he wasn't here all along.

"What am I doing..." She murmured to herself, covering her forehead.

It was morning, and the two of them did not say anything to each other since yesterday night. Lenalee was preparing breakfast as usual, and Allen was packing his bag, getting ready for work. Everything seemed to be normal, but the atmosphere was too weird.

Allen looked at her once in a while, observing her expressions. Lenalee's face was blank, signs of anger left long ago. She looked almost the same, but something was disturbing him greatly. He wanted to ask what happened yesterday and the reason she was crying alone at the balcony. The last time she cried was when they were at battle, which was years ago.

He approached the table, where Lenalee was putting down plates of bread and glasses of milk. She noticed him as she stared at him with a rather cold gaze. Allen paused for a moment, slightly hesitant. She then looked away and walked back to the kitchen. He sighed as he pulled the chair and sat down, eating his breakfast. The whole atmosphere was so tense that he did not know how to bring it out to her.

"Um..."

Lenalee slammed the newspaper on the table, startling him. Allen blinked as she sat down on the chair and took it up calmly, flipping over the pages. He looked downwards, getting a little hesitant. He had never seen Lenalee so angry before. He did not really understand. He just wanted to give a tap on her shoulder when she was practically staring into space. Was she still angry at that?

"Um, Lenalee..."

His cellphone rang. Allen sighed, wondering who that person was who was calling at the wrong time. He stole a glance at the other, before picking it up.

"Hello?"

"Is this Allen Walker?" Allen slowly excused himself from the table and walked to the balcony.

"Yes. Who is it?"

"Can't you recognise my voice, Allen-kun?"

"Huh?" Allen blinked, before realisation hit him. His eyes slowly widened.

"General...Tiedoll?"

"I'm not a general now. Just call me Froi." A hearty chuckle was heard from the phone. Allen felt slightly confused. He wasn't used to calling a general by his own name, but that was already in the past.

"Yes, Froi-san. I'm really surprised that you called me. How did you know my phone number?" He asked.

"Komui gave it to me. You must have heard of the Christmas party whereby all of us would be gathered together once again right?"

"Yeah." It had been so long since they parted ways. Now, after three years, they were going to meet again. Till now, he had been feeling jittery over this. What should he talk about to them at their very first meeting? No doubt the whole situation would be slightly awkward because of the large time gap, but he was very glad that this party was organised.

"Is that General Tiedoll?" Lenalee went to him and asked. Allen nodded his head.

"Is that Lenalee's voice?"

"Yeah. Currently we are living together."

"Oh. Anyway, can you help me check who would be coming for the party?"

"Um...yes?" Allen spoke slowly, getting slightly hesitant. Lenalee noticed this as she stood beside him.

"Good. Komui's currently overseas, so I have a lot of work to do. Your help is greatly appreciated. Can you come to my house and collect the list?" Allen was pacing around the living room, before he walked towards the counter and got himself a paper and a pen.

"Okay. What is your address?" Allen nodded his head as he wrote down, before he ended the call. He turned towards Lenalee and gave a soft sigh. She smiled in return.

"We can finally be together." She murmured softly. Allen wasn't very sure how he should reply. He turned and as he leaned lightly against the glass doors, he gazed at the city and the activities displayed below him. He should be happy but somehow, his mood was not lifted up in the slightest. Rather, he felt like he was going to suffocate soon as the day approached.

"Is it? Anyway I have to rush for work now. I will give him a visit after I got off from work." Allen replied, grabbing his bag as he ran towards the door and went out, closing it behind him. Lenalee stood there silently, not saying a word. She already knew why Allen was making such a hurtful expression for the whole time. Even if he did not mention it, she somehow had already guessed it.

It was so hard to grasp hold onto something which had long slipped away.

Kanda was inside the tram, proceeding to that old man's house which was rather faraway. As his left hand was gripping onto the railing, his other hand was holding onto a map, as well as a small slip of white paper which had the address written on it. He glanced at it for a while, before looking at the names of the streets he had passed by, making sure he was at the right places. He could have taken a cab, but the fee was expensive, and his money was gradually running low from buying the resources that he needed for his project.

The whole old vehicle was shaking rather violently throughout the journey, making his headache worse as every second went by, but he was already used to this type of situation. He couldn't complain like he did in the past, because everything had already changed, though he was slightly irritated.

The tram was currently passing by a large district, filled with many people. It reduced its speed as it stopped for passengers to board. The whole place was getting so narrow that he couldn't even read his map at the same time. Kanda grunted as he folded it nicely and slipped it into his bag. The wind whistled softly into his ears, ringing melodiously in his mind. The sound reminded him of the bell which was in the training room. It also produced similar soft sound as the wind.

"Excuse me, miss."

The voice was from an old lady, and she talked rather loud, which felt disturbing for him who liked peaceful places, but this was a public transport and not a typical garden. Kanda ignored it and looked elsewhere.

"Excuse me, miss."

The voice got extremely louder, to his slight displeasure. Kanda shifted a little from his position, feeling some slight pushes from the crowd. It was really rude to do that. Hadn't that old lady have any manners? It really reminded him of that old man he had known for many years. He always had that stupid face expression on his face, which really annoyed him.

There was a rather hard tap on his shoulders. He turned, and to his astonishment, realised that the old lady was staring hardly at him. Everyone inside was also giving him weird and accusing stares, thinking that he shouldn't be rude and ignore that pitiful old lady. But Kanda couldn't even understand what the hell was about.

"Yes?" He asked, frowning.

"Yes? Miss, I have been calling you for a while. Why didn't you answer? I didn't know there are such rude young people around these days."

Kanda raised his eyebrow, before he realised what this commotion was all about. And he was certainly not pleased.

"I say, how can you treat an old lady like this, young miss?" Kanda took in a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger at that ignorant old lady who had totally mistaken everything. As far as he had known ever since he was borne into this world, he was a male and not a...female.

"Madam, as far as I know, I am NOT a miss."

"No, you are definitely a miss." She insisted.

"Madam, I'm not a miss. I'm a guy." Kanda tried to explain, but that ignorant old lady insisted that he was a female, pointing to him that he had long beautiful hair similar to a fair maiden. He was already slightly pissed. All these misunderstandings was because of his...hair?

"No, I have already told you madam, I'm a ..."

"Madam, he's definitely a guy. You have mistaken him." A voice came from behind. Kanda stopped and looked at the direction where it came from.

"And how do you know that?" She asked. There were shuffles heard at the back, as everyone was moving aside. He could hear the low sound of the boots echoing through the silent surrounding, before someone emerged out of the crowd, standing in front of him. The person slowly grinned, adjusting the cap on his head.

"That is because...I know him." Kanda's eyes slowly widened.

"Lavi?" The redhead only smiled, before he called to the driver that he wanted to alight at the next stop. As the tram slowly went to a halt, he pulled Kanda down before the raven-haired teen could react.

"What are you...doing, you stupid rabbit?" Kanda growled, slapping off his hand as they stopped by the roadside. Lavi stopped as well, breathing heavily as he couldn't stop laughing.

"No, Yuu. I mean, seriously...you have not changed one bit since we left the Order! You still look...more beautiful than before." Kanda heard that forbidden word and wanted to slap that stupid head of his, only to miss as Lavi tilted his body slightly and dodged it easily.

"Are you going to hit me at our first meeting? That's so mean, Yuu! We are friends, you know!" Lavi whined, showing puppy eyes to the other. Kanda just pushed that disgusting face away from his sight and walked forward.

"I don't remember being friends with you in the first place, usagi." Lavi only pouted in reply. Kanda shifted his sling bag by his shoulder, wondering what he should do. That stupid redhead had disrupted his whole journey. He did not even know where he was now! At this thought, he hissed in slight frustration.

"Are you going somewhere, Yuu-chan?" Lavi asked, tilting his head to look closely at him.

"Yeah, and thanks to you, I don't even know where I am." Kanda sighed as he took down his brown-coloured winter newsboy cap, running his fingers through the thick streads of loose hair and put it on again. The two of them walked silently through the thick crowd. The raven teen peered at Lavi, wondering how he knew he was here.

"When did you get here, Lavi?"

"Me? Um, about a while ago. I was deciding to look around the beautiful England before meeting up with Panda Gramps at the hotel at four. But I did not expect to meet you inside the tram." Kanda just snorted in reply. What beautiful England?

"Ne, Yuu. When I spotted you just now, frankly, I was slightly stunned. It was like...you are completely different from the Yuu in the past." Kanda peered at him, silent. Lavi chuckled softly as he breathed in, looking at the cloudy sky above.

"I'm really glad that I can meet you after all these years! It just felt so nice." He turned and gave his usual smile as always. Kanda turned away and looked in front.

"You look different too, usagi." He said. Receiving no reply from the other, Kanda turned, and was slightly astonished to see that touched teary expression Lavi was making. Was the redhead so elated at hearing his comments this much? Now that he remembered, he hadn't been nice to anyone.

"Really?" Kanda hissed as he pushed away that tearful face Lavi was making, sighing. Deep inside, he was slightly glad to meet Lavi here. That stupid redhead had also changed throughout the years. His hair was still dyed red, but it had lengthened to his shoulders. The hairband wasn't there anymore, his long fringe led down as it covered part of his face. Somehow, he looked a little muscular as well.

"Yuu?"

"Stop calling me that!" Kanda snapped in annoyance, glaring hardly at him. Lavi started laughing again. They stopped by a coffee cafe, as Lavi queued up to buy two cups of hot and refreshing coffee for the two of them. Kanda was standing at the side, folding his arms as he waited. The cafe was rather crowded, everyone with many bags as they prepared for Christmas. He grunted as he closed his eyes. What a waste of time.

"Yuu, have you met anyone beside me?"

"No. Have you?"

"Same. I wonder how everyone is doing right now. I really miss them!" Lavi said, looking at the menu above.

"Really?" Kanda said rather softly, looking around at these people who might be someone he had known before. He was rather relieved that no one here was someone he had known in the past. He wondered why he felt so hesitant in identifying them. He admitted that he hated crowds and hated socialising with them, but why was he reacting this way, like he was trying to avoid someone he did not want to see...

Avoid?

"Yuu? Yuu!" Kanda blinked as he stared at the redhead who had bought the coffee. He nodded his head as they exited from the cafe. They looked around as they sipped the hot drink. Lavi pulled him around, showing him many things in the busy market, but he wasn't really interested, though he should, which might help in his project. He looked at the scenery and took out his camera, wanting to take a picture of it, but as he was about to snap it, he stopped.

He saw someone walking past him. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, looking again. No one was there.

"Yuu?" Lavi asked, beside him. Kanda shook his head slightly and took it, hanging his camera around his neck. They came across an opening, whereby there was a rather old and ancient clock situated in the middle. People, mostly couples, were sitting on white benches, whispering and giggling to one another. The raven-haired teen just stared, before he slowly took his camera and looked at the screen, ready to take another picture.

"Hey, wait for me!"

His finger was going to press the button, taking everything down. As someone dashed out, there was a white flash of light. Time seemed to stall for seconds, before it started moving again.

"Yuu?"

He continued to stare at the screen, hearing footsteps. He slowly took down his camera, his eyes staring at someone a few metres across who looked so similar to the teenager whom he had met many years ago, etched deeply in his memory.

"Okay! Hurry up!"

Kanda's eyes went wide, shocked and slightly shaken. That boy's hair was...silvery grey.

Allen?