It's Obligation

An uncertainty

Quickens the pulse of a heart

Duty is the word

It was bed time. I was dressed in a two-piece sleeping wear that were colored in dark blue. The top was a button down with short sleeves and the pants covered most of my legs until my ankles. The spring weather was good night sleeping weather. I turned off the room lamp and settled myself in bed. I tried to fall asleep like I usually did but my eyes were being stubborn tonight. I stared at my blank ceilings that were hued by grays and blues from the reflection of the moon through my window. I did not know what to have in my mind. Nothing felt safe to contemplate on. I suddenly felt a familiar draft coming into my room.

"Is sleep a problem tonight, Haruna?" It was Seiichi. He came back from where ever he drifted off too.

"Mmm…"

"I will take that as a yes?" He floated next to me and sat crossed-legged next to me. "Nobu told me about the mission for tomorrow. Are you worried?"

"Not as much as I was before. I'm more worried about demons being involved."

"Ah, yes." He mused, "Your demon phobia."

I turned on my side opposite from him. "I wouldn't call it a 'phobia.' I'm not that terrified; I just don't like or trust them…"

The draft shifted again. Seiichi was kneeling on floor on the side that I turned to. His face eye-leveled with mine. He placed a ghostly hand over my head. He made the motion of stoking my hair and by his touch, it felt like a comfortably cold wind which moved as his hand was willed.

"Not all demons are bad. But I do wonder how you would react to the demons the prince had in mind that you might meet."

My eyes widen a bit in the semi-dark. "You know who they are?"

"Perhaps," Seiichi grinned.

I glared at him. I knew his game far too well. "But you're not going to tell me?"

"Haru-chan, sometimes its better not to know. And the prince said it was only a possibility that you would meet them and…" his voice became quietly stern, "honestly, I wouldn't trust them either."

"And sparing me would be the best decision?" I asked him, trying to obtain substantial information. I don't like the feeling that he knows something important and I don't. His smile returned on his facial presence.

He closed the conversation by saying: "Go to sleep, Haru-chan. You have school in the morning and I noticed you were having trouble with chemistry."

He only called me "Haru-chan" when he was either trying to be kind or had to lessen weight on something important. I had a bet on the former. Though, my eyes were lulling closed from the busy day; all that had been thought and happened hardly seemed so relevant anymore.

"Oyasumi nasai, Haruna…"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A dreamless night was interrupted by a horrible buzzing from my small, black, rectangular alarm clock. Just about every morning I make an exasperated slam on the button to shut it off. It was no different this morning. The clock blinked 6:01 am in eye anti-friendly red. I yawned. Every morning I run for training for the track team and uncle insisted on it. My mind was on automatic when lifting myself from my bed and passing by Seiichi sleeping formless form by my door frame. He always slept sitting up as long as I knew him. I never bothered to ask why. I guess it was because I just thought of him using his samurai instincts. He was sensitive to sound and movement. To my sound and movement, he was used to and could easily identify. I yawned once more, stretched and continued on to my morning rituals.

After an energy-induced run, I came home alert. It was only 6:34 am according to my wrist watch. I opened the door and saw breakfast ready but my attention quickly shifted when I had to dodge a choke hold that was inched too close to my neck. My body faced the door way from inside the apartment and it none other than my endearing uncle.

"Ohayo, uncle…" I deadpanned.

"Ohayogozaimasu, Haruna." Uncle said with enthusiasm, "Your reaction time is getting better each day!" He nodded in approval. I rubbed the back of my head.

"I guess. But what is the point?" I already knew the answer but I felt like humoring him.

He made a slight grunt that vibrated from his throat. "You never know what could happen. And it's good for a woman to have decent instincts."

I yawned as I made a right arm stretch, "Sure, uncle. Whatever you say. You went a little easy on me today."

Ever since I turned 11 or 12, uncle would spring random traps and attacks on me. And if it was an attack, he never harmed me enough that it would hurt but would cause a pulse in my brain. Having a water bucket waiting for you at the other side of the door was no laughing matter in this household. Being covered in water meant that you were not trying hard enough.

He walked over to the counter to take his portion of breakfast. "You are part of a mission today. I think that is enough for training outside from school goes for today."

Then I stretched my other arm, "Mm. I doubt its going to be life changing. Is Seiichi awake yet?"

Ah yeah, I had forgotten to mention, didn't I? Uncle could see Seiichi just as clearly as I could.

"He is." He walked over to the "coffee table" and settled our breakfast. "You know better than to assume, Haruna."

I sat down with him on the floor, at his left from the table. I made a smile, "I'll be aware uncle; it's not a big deal."

We gave thanks before we took our chopsticks to start eating. I took my first my bite when my uncle decided to speak once more, "Unless the demons were involved. But I'm sure you will get over it."

I stopped eating for a moment and looking at my bowl, I asked, "Do you know the demons that I might meet?"

He ate a bit and chewed before responding, "Personally, no. Stories, yes. In these circumstances, I would decide to lend at least a little trust."

"I will try if it happens. Otherwise, that is not a promise I can make, uncle." I told him in a settled voice. He nodded in understanding. We finished our breakfast then uncle broke to me that he had to leave this morning to meet up with Koenma-sama. He said to me that he would return close to sunset to see me off later. With that, I went to the bathroom to take a shower and prepare for a half-day of classes.

By a 15-minute walk, I was by the front gates of Meio High. Today was just another Saturday until the sun sets. But I felt ready to deal with school first and was prepared. If wearing my bright red uniform, my messenger bag and I having my long, black hair tied to the low left of my head wasn't prepared enough, I didn't know what was. My bangs were actually neat since I decided to bother with it this morning. The days that I chose to manage my hair are close to random.

Today was a random day.

The first bell had not rung yet.

I was early!

I walked through the halls and made it to my homeroom at 2-A. There were a few reflexive glances towards me as I walked in then the students went back doing what it was that they were doing. The homeroom teacher wasn't here yet so the class was scattered around. The students were either talking, eating breakfast if they didn't have the chance before, doing last minute homework, and a few were sleeping quietly and out of sight. Mayu-chan waved to me from the right-middle desk that she sat at. I walked over and greeted her with the same wave.

"Ohayou Haruna-chan!" she beamed.

"Ohayou! Mayu-chan, you look like you are in a super good mood today." I tilted my head slightly wandering what could be the occasion.

She smiled then she motioned her hand to have me come closer to her. I bent towards her, our noses nearly touching. "I saw Minamino coming out of the nurse's office when I was walking to class yesterday. And last I remembered, weren't you resting in there?" Her expression was sweetly suspicious.

My eyes widened and I remembered that it was smarter than not to be cautious when interacting with Minamino. Gossip likes to spread around fast, especially anything about our class genius. And I use that term loosely. He only gets the best grades in this whole school when it came to exams. Near perfect. He does exceedingly well in every class. I didn't really know this much before until Mayu-chan started talking about him when we have time to talk. I was pretty oblivious for a student who had him last year and Mayu-chan just had him as a classmate on this one. When I told her that fact, she felt it was her duty to keep me up to speed of what was going on with him and anyone whom she deemed relevant. I am failing to recall other than Minamino.

My left black eye brow arched. "It was nothing. He was doing a favor for the nurse since she was occupied and he happened to be there to do it for her. Nothing happened." Mayu-chan inched closer to my eyes to check for sure that I wasn't lying, "Honest! He gave me the bag the nurse sent him with, he asked me of what happened in gym, I told him what happened, he bowed and left. The end." I explained as easily as if I was explaining what I did this morning, which, would've been harder because I had to walk around the 'my uncle trying to choke hold me was completely normal because he likes to test my instincts' event. But in this story, I only had to cut off the samurai ghost paranoia part. She wasn't going to think that I left something out. Right?

"What is he like, Haruna-chan?" She asked me, excited. I blinked. I think I just understood what was going on here.

"Mayu… You have never spoken to Minamino? Not a word?" Her instant reaction of a tint of pink on her cheeks confirmed it for me.

I scratched my cheek in thought. "Then, talk to him. Say hello. Say how are you feeling today? Say how is the weather? Something. He's nice enough, I think. What's weird about two classmates talking to each other?" She looked unsure. Her brown hair in loose waves and her eyes expressed emotions as if you were looking through a clean, untainted mirror. Mayu-chan looked cute and innocent. I think I saw her eyes sparkle…

The door from the class door opened again and without moving my body, my eyes diverted to the person that just arrived. Minamino. He looked as he always did— He walked in with his great posture, the ends of his long, scarlet hair in flicks and a calm aloofness as he took his seat by the corner, next to the window. I thought about his seat for a minute and the first time I realized that his seat would be one of the first ones you were to see if you were to enter this classroom and kept your eyes straight ahead. Unlike Minamino, there were a few students that were aware that he was definitely in the room and that reflexive look would linger just a few seconds longer before it would go back to its former attention.

I whispered close to Mayu, "There he is. Go ahead and say something." She wouldn't move from her seat and I knew the teacher would be here at in about 5 minutes. I grabbed her arm as discreetly as I could so it would look like she was just following me compared to it seeming that I made her get up. I wanted to do this quick before anybody in the class begins to take note of what we were doing.

I barely have ever said anything to Minamino myself but I thought it was ridiculous that she hasn't told him a word since she liked to talk about him. It didn't make sense to me. Then again, half of the things people do in this world would hardly be comprehensible in my mind. Socializing wasn't a skill I knew well. What I'm doing now was this: I had an uncontrollable impulse to have Mayu-chan make her own opinion of Minamino without asking me by those two to exchange words.

If you understood me, even just a little, I would just hug you.

Minamino had his desk set up for the upcoming class and was reading a book. I think it was for leisure because it didn't look familiar. Even though he seemed occupied, his green eyes peered from above the literary pages when I stood in front of his desk.

"Ohayou, Minamino." I said with a smile. He placed the book down from his reading space. He returned the pleasantry.

Very quick bit of info: I refused to call Minamino, Minamino-kun. No. I can't stand the way the honorific sounded with his surname. It made me cringe whenever a girl (especially if she had a high pitch voice), to say his name like that. He never seemed to mind. I do try to hide my extremely formal side at school because I wanted to blend in for the sake of not attracting attention. Yes, make a clingy friend and then they might get the chills to wet themselves when ghosts are around me. I told you, Seiichi, school was not for you.

"Ohayou. Ah, how is the head today Aoki?"

"It's fine. It wasn't a concussion." I nudged at Mayu-chan next to me to talk.

"O-ohayou, Minamino." She said in a low voice and her vision was directed to the floor.

His eyes turned to her, his head tilted to the side slightly, "Ohayou Fujishima. Are you alright? I barely heard you."

"Ohayou!" I ducked her down because if the class wasn't as loud as it was, I swore everyone would've heard her.

I hissed between my teeth at her, "Idiot!"

Minamino's eyes perked up by her startling second chance of greeting him. Then his composure came back. He made a cool, collected smile. "You must be well now, Fujishima. That was quick improvement."

By the corner of my eye I saw the teacher coming in; quickly I made a bow to Minamino and dragged Mayu back to her seat and my own. My seat was behind hers. Compared to Minamino's, I was two seats to the right and three seat to the back away from him. She whispered to me a thank you before the teacher finally had everyone's attention for roll call.

Class time flew by since it was a half a day. It was weird when I suddenly realized that I hardly thought about the mission I have to do later tonight. I wondered if my mind was working under a defensive mechanism without me knowing. I read that it could happen. Regardless, I stretched my arms as the final class bell rang; I got myself ready for the o soji. (A/N: In case if any of you didn't know what it is or don't remember, when classes ended in Japanese schools the students would gather and help each other to clean the homeroom and the school. You most likely saw this being done in Fruits Basket, if you have read/watched it. ^^) My duty was to clean the board, erasers and help move the desks out of the way. Doesn't that sound like fun?

After o soji, Track club went by in a blur. This entire day did. Was there a side of me that was looking forward to this mission? The feelings of doubt still lingered but I tried to remain optimistic because I literally had no expectations unless demons became part of it.

I gathered my things and began getting ready to wait for uncle at home. By the shoe boxes, as I was switching my inside shoes for my outdoor ones, I noticed there was a folded piece of white paper inside one of my shoes. I blinked a couple of times before carefully taking it and opening the fold. What I saw was neatly written kanji and hiragana and oddly enough, it seemed ambiguous to me:

あなたが見つけるかもしれないことに注意してください。

Anata ga mitsukeru kamo shirenai koto ni chūi shite kudasai.

And I not recognizing it meant anything. The only writing I knew in this school were my own and Mayu's. I do not memorize the hand writings of my teachers when I get marks. Who does that?

It said: Be careful of what you might find.

I read it softly to myself, "'Be careful of what you might find…?' What is this suppose to be about?"

"Could that be a warning?" My whole stiffened by the extra voice. I looked to my shoulder and ended up making a hop away from my left.

"Seiichi! What I told you about personal space in school?" I swiftly searched all around me to make sure that no one was around or close by to hear me. It seemed like I left the Track team a little later than I expected. "I hope you have a good excuse this time." I gave him the expression that I hopefully expressed: "you better not give me games today."

His ghostly form stood in front of me as he was a live person. His arms were folded over his not overly broad chest; his short hair partly covered his left eye. The blue kimono he wore was perfectly displayed on his form. His face was pensive as if he was waiting for something. He at last spoke: "Nobu-san sent me to tell you to do the search on your own first and by around 21.00 (9 pm) you are to meet the detective and one of his friends. I suppose partner would be more accurate. I have the location memorized." Seiichi calls my uncle with the san honorific when it's business-related. Just like what this mission was— another form of business.

I mulled the information over. Afterward I asked, "Why the change of plans?"

"I will tell you at home." His hazel eyes stared at the breast pocket of my uniform where I stuffed the note I found. "Who gave you that?"

"It was in my shoe locker. I don't recognize the hand writing at all," I shrugged nonchalantly, "let's not be suspicious."

Seiichi tilted his head slightly to the side and smiled eagerly, "Let's!"

"I'll think about it. Let's worry about tonight." I asserted for us to go on our way home.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

At home, it felt hallow without uncle here. This wasn't the first time uncle wasn't home when I arrive back from Meio, but it was just today I felt a dash bothered. I left my school bag by the door as I always did and went into my room to change out of my uniform. Seiichi stood outside of my room, likely leaning against my door.

"Nobu-san did also want to apologize for not being with you right now. His part of the mission is different from yours."

I took off my uniform jacket as he said this and I began debating which top to wear. "Seiichi, I'm used to it. Uncle did used to serve under Koenma-sama and Enma-sama. And because he did so, he would occasionally help Koenma-sama here in the Ningenkai when his skills were needed." Seiichi knew the story just as well as I did, but maybe repeating the circumstances vocally to him and to me would ease the temporary emptiness. "Most people who quit working for the Reikai wouldn't still do missions."

"Remember, Haruna? He does these missions out of his own free will. When his duty as an exorcist was called for, how could he not do it?" I had made up my mind of what clothes to wear. It wasn't too difficult; half of my closet was taken over by my uniforms.

I sighed, "I know. I just worry when he comes back from those missions."

"I feel this mission is not that difficult on him compared to you. This would be a good time to worry about you." Seiichi always spoke strongly about duty.

I opened my door to signify to Seiichi that it was safe to enter. Yes, he was like any ghost and was able to go through walls and objects at will but opening the door was more obvious compared to yelling from the other side. Did any of you worried that he would peek on me as I changed? Despite his personality, Seiichi had some of his version of morality left in him. Not once he ever made an effort to peek on me whenever I changing or taking a shower. And when he's in the room, his eyes would be shut. Never once I felt he lied about this dignity from him. He had a reason. He was almost twice my age when he died.

I was wearing a thick purple and white striped shirt and dark blue denim jeans. I didn't bother with my hair.

"You look ready." He looked over to the clock by my bedside, "Its 15.03 (3.03). That allows a great deal of time until evening."

"Hmm, it does. And I don't have the faintest idea of where to start." I crossed my arms to try coming up with a potential plan. "Koenma-sama didn't have much leads either. "

"Haru, that's the point. We are to find one." He leaned against the wall; his eyes wandered to the ceiling. "There had been a few strange ghosts around here lately. Something felt…out of it." His head came back to neutral position, his eyes slanted slightly as he gazed at the floor.

"Do you remember where? That could give us a start."

"It's about an hour walk."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Today was a seasonably spring day in Tokyo. The sidewalks and streets were slowly becoming filled with life. The children from elementary schools and daycares were being picked from their working and non-working parents. Others were shopping, socializing or perhaps wandering. No one was paying any attention to me and Seiichi walking around being aware of our surroundings. Seiichi doesn't count since he was invisible to everyone. There would be an odd person taking a glance back at me as I walked because she or he might've felt or sensed him. Luckily, most people have weak spiritual awareness. Seiichi was leading the way above me so he wouldn't be in contact with humans and cause one to feel like something was touching or watching them from afar. Spiritual awareness in humans could be the equivalent feeling of a sneaky stalker. That feeling when you just know that something was following you but you can't indentify it until you see it.

"The guy is near an alleyway that connects to a dumping area." Seiichi paused; I believed he was recollecting a memory. "It's close to some sort of machine place." In order to communicate with him without speaking out loud and without seeming like an overstressed and crazy teenage girl among these crowds of people, I would stop by a corner or off the side of the middle of the sidewalk somewhere to write in small black notebook that I carried with me. I casually walked over to the side and leaned against a street lamp pole, then I took out the aforementioned notebook from the side-strapped carrying bag I had on me along with a mechanical pencil. The bag was smaller than my school one.

I wrote to him, void of any perceptible emotion on my face so people wouldn't suspect anything off if there were people paying any attention to me: "Ma-chine place?"

Seiichi peered over my shoulder to read what I wrote to him. I kept in mind to write to him syllables instead of using the substituted kanji of certain things because they did not exist in his time. There wasn't a name, word or symbol for it. Seiichi had been with me for a while so he had caught on what things were in this time period but he would hardly remember the correct representation for them. It was that, and he also admitted that reading wasn't his best skill. I had to keep it easy for him. I also made sure to indicate the whole word by underlining the characters for each.

"I believe we passed by it a couple of times. It's that place where those kids go to play on machines? They put a coin inside of a machine and it becomes alive!"

I frowned; keeping my composure. I wrote: "The arc-ade?"

He stared at my written question as he sounded out the syllables a few times in order to locate a recollection in his memory, "T-that's it!"

Recollection acquired. He remembered when I would talk about it. Before going into my 2nd year of Meioh High, I used to stop by the arcade almost every Saturday. Classes or not.

Before he would think that I was completely done exchanging words with him. I tilted my head up and gave a momentary look with eyes to inform him that I was going to write something else.

I wrote again but in the proper kanji this time: "Seiichi, you are an idiot." I closed my book after he read it and put the book away in the bag.

He crossed his arms. "Excuse me for not remembering where you would go when you were slacking off from training and studies." I rolled my eyes. I thought it was no big deal to slack off on Saturdays. I wasn't able to so anymore after I was scolded by uncle when this new school year came around. It was during the summer that I slowly had to abandon the arcade. I moved from my spot to continued walking, and leading, since I knew the location now just as well as he did.

The arcade. I was faced of the shining lights of a place where imperfect teenagers know that studying all the time was a bust. Yet I managed to survive striving to have academic excellence that Meio High could deal with. My grades were on the average level, therefore, when they were posted on the wall, they could be easily overlooked. I felt that was good enough if you had a sight of the school's workload. The arcade had not changed; it felt good to be in near those shiny lights and recorded sounds again. I was tempted to go inside to play a game of Tekken before Seiichi got my attention by calling out my name and pointing to the alleyway he was talking about. I halted the moment that my heart would become forlorn and pressed on to our destination.

The alley wasn't a narrow space but it was still small. Passing through the path, we ended up in the back of the arcade of where they would dispose their trash. This area felt strange. It was strange enough that I had to be near the scent of whatever was rotting in the large garbage bin a couple of meters away from me. This area held an air that made my skin crawl. By the naked eye, no one— nothing- was out here.

"Seiichi. Something's here."

From the corner of my eye he moved from the air to standing next me. "Haruna, look to your left." I did. My eyes were staring at a brick wall. Your typical red brick wall that was vandalized in gangster graffiti. My heart began to pulse a couple of beats quicker.

"Are you ready Haruna? Ready to see what I see?" Seiichi asked, unafraid. I nodded.

He flew backwards behind me then his arms surrounded my shoulders. The garbage alley became hued in a light of purple. The red brick wall that I was looking at before had a red circle spiritually painted on. Near it, someone was slumped on the floor. I took a step forward. Seiichi's arms held me a bit tighter. His arms weren't as translucent as before.

"Careful. The last time I saw him, he was constantly mumbling about nothings while he stared at the dumpster behind us. I thought he probably died suicidal or crazed. Now I'm only half sure." Seiichi informed me. There was still no fear but there was caution in his voice. The figure hasn't moved.

"We are going to find out now, then. He can't be that bad off." I told him, indifferently.

"Don't be stupid, Haruna." Seiichi mumbled. I walked slowly towards to the figure in front of me. All I was able to tell as I came closer was that his hair was black and short. This body seemed to be of someone that stopped growing and he died in his street clothes. I kneeled down in front of him to have a better look. My confidence wavered.

"Hey, um, guy?" I placed my trembling hands on his head to see if I could have a better look at his face. I felt a sensation down my arms. His eyes were closed. Blood splatters were covered throughout his face. A great deal of the blood seemed to had come from underneath his eyelids. Since he was a spirit, the blood wouldn't feel anything against my touch. But right now, in this state of spiritual seeing that Seiichi had brought me in, the blood had a cold, chilly, airy feeling. As if I was only feeling the blood from a close proximity without actually touching it.

The ghost continued to be motionless. I turned my head to my right, I asked to my poltergeist companion, "What could be wrong with him?" My voice soothed with sympathy, "I have never seen a ghost in this state before."

"He was attacked. By what, I can't tell you…" Suddenly something was changing. The circle brightened and the hole in the center began to turn noticeably dark. A black hand was reaching out of the circle. I jumped back from the limp ghost. The hand reached out further, and soon enough that hand was connected to a small body that jumped out of the walled hole. The entire body was shaped like a black flame with hands. The flame stared with large white eye sockets and a mouth to match. The flame stood in front of the ghost body. My body was frozen. Something about this thing was making me feel distressed in an exponentially fast rate. I couldn't speak. I simply stared at it.

"Haruna!" Seiichi called out to me. His voice sounded distant even though he was so close to me. "Haruna! You have to move!" I heard his words but they wouldn't reach to my brain. No, they wouldn't. The black flame with hands jumped back to the slumped ghost then disappearing within him. The bloodied ghost opened its eyes, they were blood-shot. That was when he stood up. The changed position made it obvious that the person the ghost belong to died young; he looked like he could've been a college student. The ghost came to me in a haunting slow pace. My brain was telling my body to move.

To self defend.

But nothing.

My nerves were frozen.

Blood cold.

I sensed Seiichi pulling me back. Eventually his spirit was talking to mine and my body was finally, but heavily, moving backwards. The possessed ghost continued to come towards me in a terrifyingly slow rate. The movement created the illusion of suspense that it could hurt me. But really, it could. Why wouldn't it? It was made to. It wants to hurt me. It wants to hurt me. It wants to- The spirit expanded its mouth before I heard a foreign cry. A far foreign cry. All of my senses became dark and heavy.

He was after my life…

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

A/N: I have intended to not have these chapters to be this long but...it just happened? I intended them to be a little shorter, but I am not going to start questioning the plot/writer bunny about it... Anyway, an idea I had earlier last week was to put a haiku on the beginning of every chapter but I completely forgot when I posted chapter 1. Its there now, so if you feel interested to what the haiku is. The haiku itself could symbolize a number of things: a summary, an idea throughout the chapter, a character's feelings, etc. Its up to the reader, really. The story should be obviously different to its former chapter 2... Also, Haruna is not going to find out about Kurama being who he is until later on. When? Ah...can't tell you. ;) It'll happen when it does. And meeting Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei is going to be different too.

One more thing: Since lately I have been watching YYH in japanese and learning the language myself, I am going to have a tendency to put in Japanese words and habits. For example: How Haruna, Mayu and Shuichi talk to each other. Since they are classmates, I found out it might be a little too much to put -san plus last name. -San is better for complete strangers and people who just met each other. School classmates doesn't seem to be as strict with that kind of rule compared to a work environment. If I'm wrong with this information, you can let me know. And Haruna is a little old-fashioned in her upraising (I don't know if I portrayed that enough yet) so even though Minamino had been a classmate since year 1, she doesn't feel right to say Minamino-kun (obviously). If Mayu had wanted, she could've referred to him like that, but instead, she followed Haruna's lead.

Aaannnd, I think that's it! The translations for a few words I used:

*Oyasumi nasai- Good night, used only when going to sleep.

*Ohayogozaimasu/ ohayo- Good morning formal/informal