Disclaimer: I would never own Mirai Nikki. It belongs to Sakae Esuno-sensei.

CHAPTER 3: NOW OR NEVER

Aru's POV

I sat beside Hinata Hino on the chairs in the Sakurami Hospital's hall for more than 4 hours anxiously.

Yuno's parents were already here, entering the Emergency Unit, yet she was still unconscious. I also had returned Reisuke to his parents although he insisted to be here, waiting for his lovely Yuno-neechan. So that I promised to pick him up tomorrow after school to get here.

My eyes scanned to the door of her room. I still could not believe what I saw earlier.

FLASHBACK

"Yuno!"

Oops. First name called. Honorific dropped. I was too shocked and worried to take notice of that.

"Yuno-neechan!" Reisuke called in worry, almost cried, seeing me kneeling beside her. "Aru-niichan, how is she?"

I checked on her pulse. Her heart was still beating, but irregularly. Next her breath. All right, she was still breathing, though weakly. I grimaced, seeing a nasty wound on her bleeding forehead. Then …

My eyes widened, surprised, seeing tears rolling down from her closed eyes, making her cheeks wet. Was she crying? Because of the wounds? Or … else ?

"Not good. We should bring her to hospital," I answered.

But how? By running to there? Well, the hospital was not far from here though.

I gritted my teeth. She needed serious treatment now. She had no time to wait. I had no time. I had no option here. I should choose the fastest way.

"Let's go, Rei-kun!" I lifted her small body. Bridal style. "And stay close to me!"

"I will, Aru-niichan!" He took her broken binocular into his backpack.

I ran while checking on Reisuke some times as I was afraid I would lose him.

"I can't believe that … that she would be careless." The little boy sadly said.

Silently I agreed, but with deeper meaning. Yuno Gasai, the Second, was not a careless girl. She was so calculating and cunning. Clumsy, doubtful, and forgetful were not in her vocabularies, especially in fighting, protecting Yukiteru-kun, or serious situation. But then again, Yuno Gasai in my arms was not her. Same hair. Same face. Same name. Same physical appearance. Same person. But different world.

I looked at her deeply. I was in awe of her beautiful face. Every time I saw her, I didn't understand why my heart beat faster and my stomach was … well … like there were some butterflies flying in it. In the second world, I had this thing too, but it was really faint, as I should protect the First from her. Afterall, what she did with her high intelligence threatened my duty there, and in the end, I should face the failure as she killed me awfully.

But here, this was the third world. Everything was on the right line. The First was Moe Wakaba's boyfriend. The Third was in the jail. The Fourth was my boss. The Fifth was my assistant. The Sixth was a priestess. The Sevenths got married and had a big family. The Eighth was in the orphanage. The Ninth's face was on every walls in the police offices. The Tenth was happy with his dogs and family. The Eleventh was at the mayor's office. The Twelfth was the silly hero in this city.

While the Second ….

Well, my duty about her started after the explosion at Sakurami Middle School Building six months ago. So I should enter her school.

I still remembered when I had an argument with my parents (Deus gave me a human family: Otoo-san and Okaa-san. For your information, I was adopted from the Eighth's orphanage by them) as I chose Umesato Middle School.

"Is this about a girl?"

I could not believe Otoo-san asked me about that. We … I never talked about girls all these times. It was not I wasn't interested with girls, but no girl caught my attention. The last one was only the Second. Her intelligence somehow was like challenging me, dragging all my attentions only to her. It was nice I met someone that could compete against my brain, and it also made me realize that underestimating girls would be my downfall.

Well, back to my Otoo-san's question, should I say 'yes'? I was sure I would look like a love struck teenager to him. Better I gave a neutral answer. In fact, I talked about business here, a duty from Deus. I should meet the Second, checking on her, observing her, and making sure she wouldn't be back to the berserk mode.

"Not really," I uttered, sighing.

"No additional allowance. You can use your bike to reduce your transport cost. Not to mention that you should get up early. It's far from here though," muttered Otoosan.

I nodded, hiding my disappointment. At least, I got what I wanted.

Actually, my first day in the new school was nothing special, but Yuno Gasai could make it into something.

Her drastic change made me cautious (good thing I could hid this perfectly as I played my part as the nice new classmate) to the point that I had doubt that she was the Second, the cold blooded killer and hell stalker. Could her sweet and shy smile be deceiving? Was her kindness fake? Was her sincerity just kinda camouflage? I honestly didn't want to face the same fate like my previous life. Thinking about it and comparing with it, I wanted to challenge her and force her to open her own mask and cover. I meant, could you really blame me? I am the one with the complete photographic memory here and what she did in the second world to me haunted me every day.

It took some months for me to assure that she was definitely different from her other self, and now she successfully made me to take the responsibility for all my doubts about her.

Actually, by taking closer, Yuno Gasai in this third world was a (not too) normal girl (because she stalked Yukiteru Amano). Well, I was fine with it as I always stopped her doing that to make sure she didn't go too far and remember.

Now, only one thing that I should regret. Something stupid that I did to her. It was ignoring my first good impression on her when I landed my eyes to hers at the first time I entered my new class.

Curiousity. Intelligence. Shyness. And innocence. They were perfectly mixed and shown on her beautiful pink orbs. Truthfully, it made me smile at her, and it got wider as she lowered her head with soft pink color on her cheeks.

People ever said to me about 'love at the first sight'. Since I was created by Deus, I was supposed to have no feeling so I didn't know how to describe it.

I only knew that actually I just took one look at her and then-there was just no turning back.

END FLASHBACK

"You still owe me an explanation, Akise." Hinata's statement made me back to the reality. "What happened? I'm listening here."

I sighed. How could I tell her that Yuno fell down the stairs because she was too terrified after I caught her stalking Yukiteru-kun? I would reveal Yuno's and my client (Moe Wakaba)'s secrets!

"… she fell down the stairs," I said.

"I want the details," she retorted.

I got silent and she got my message that I didn't want to speak. So she gave a long sigh.

"You had good point by calling me to call her parents and tell them about Yuno's condition." Hinata changed our topic. "How do you know her parents were so strict and overprotective that they would never let Yuno deal with her male friends?"

"I am a detective in training, remember?" I smiled bitterly. Frankly, I didn't want anyone know how I obtain information about Yuno.

Suddenly the door was opened as Yuno's father came near to us.

"How is Yuno, Mr. Gasai?" Hinata asked after we stood.

"She gained consciousness. She's with my wife now."

"Thank God."

Now Mr. Gasai eyed me suspiciously. "And you are …."

"My name is Aru Akise, Sir. I am Gasai-san's classmate," I introduced myself politely by bowing.

"So you're the one who found Yuno first?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Well, thank you for your help." Despite of kindness in his voice, I caught I-don't-like-you and stay-away-from-my-only-one-daughter looks in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter, Sir."

When Mr. Gasai left us, Hinata smiled at me sadly.

"Well, you need more efforts to gain Yuno's parents' trusts, Detective Boy! But I believe you can do it," Hinata uttered.

I laughed uneasily.

"Hinata, you can come in. Yuno wants to see you," Yuno's mother called her, waving her hand.

"Can he join me, Mrs. Gasai?" Hinata asked.

"S-sure." She said, glancing at me uncomfortably. "You are …."

Once again, I introduced myself politely, wishing she could let me go easier.

X X X

"Yuno-cchi, how are you?" Hinata sat on the chair beside Yuno's bed as I leaned my back against the wall behind the tomboy, hands in the pants pockets. Yuno's mother had left us to join her husband.

"I feel better." Yuno smiled, sitting on her bed, her long pink hair down. There was a bandage circling her wounded forehead. "Thanks for calling my parents, Hinata. Thanks for everything."

"No problem. We're friends, right? Does it sting?" Hinata grimaced, looking at her bandage.

"Not really. The anesthetic blocks the pain."

"Oh."

Then silence filled the room as the tension grew thicker. Everyone in this room were busy with their own thoughts. Yuno bent her legs so her hands could hug them, her eyes staring blankly to the wall, while I was looking at the evening sky from the window.

Hinata sat on her chair, annoyed and also confused. Her hands tightened into balls on her lap as her eyes were like digging her own hands. I could assure she could not stand with this situation.

"Do you want to tell me something?" She questioned both Yuno and me. But no one answered her. So she decided to change the topic, "By the way, are you two dating behind my back?"

"No!" Yuno and I replied at the same time with different tones. Hers was so annoyed while mine was so calm.

"Then why are you two hiding something from me?!" Her voice demanded the answer. "I felt like you two are using me to cover your wrong doings."

"Hinata …." Yuno's voice quivered.

The tomboy stood. "I let you two alone now." Then she left us, closing the door.

That was the time I dared eyeing the pink haired girl in front of me, waiting for her to start it but she was still staring down. I wasn't angry at her (in fact, I was concerned with her condition). I just wanted to resolve this.

"It's your fault," She blamed me, lifting her face to glare at me.

This is it!

"Excuse me, Gasai-san?" I asked her.

"If you didn't bother me, this would never happen."

"I'm sorry. But you do know it was not my first time to warn you to stop stalking him." I said apologetically, managing to calm her down.

"Who knows about this? Whom did you tell?" She changed the topic frantically. Well, no wonder she became like this. Her reputation as the honour student would be doomed if everyone knew she stalked a male student who had a girlfriend. Not to mention her parents would be mortified.

"Gasai-san …." I whispered her name softly as I saw tears started forming in her pink eyes and I knew I could not stand for this situation. Soon I looked away, swallowing hard as the pain in my chest and throat suddenly appeared.

She trembled, trying her best to hold the tears, "Why did you make this more difficult?"

I closed my eyes, sighing. Hearing her words made the pain got worse. The hands in my pockets were shaking, needing to give her comfort.

My mind pleaded, Stop crying. Please stop crying. Please don't make me to do something to you that I will regret later.

She sobbed, "Now everyone will … will …." She didn't dare to finish her sentence.

"They won't." I assured firmly as she soon stopped sobbing.

She glanced at me questionably.

I stared at her soothingly, "No one will bring you down. I guarantee it. In fact, I haven't told anyone yet. This could be our little secret and my assistant, Rei-kun's, if you want."

"Really?" Hope filled her shining thulian eyes.

"But I want you to promise something." I straightened my body and came near to her.

She held her breath, waiting for my request.

"Promise me that you will not stalk Yukiteru Amano anymore. It's the best for you."

She just lowered her head without any words spoken, thinking hard if she would need to agree about it.

I was about to reach the door, leaving her. But hearing her whisper, I stopped on my track.

"Is that just because of Wakaba's request?"

"She is my client," I stated without turning my head.

"It doesn't make any sense, Akise-kun. You caught me when it was my first time stalking him. We both know it was far before everyone knew you are a detective-in-training and before Moe Wakaba even asked you."

I held my breath as I knew where this explanation went. She started getting to know something … something I hid all this time.

Slowly I turned my head. It looked like now she was demonstrating how quick she was to notice things. I looked at her silently, but my eyes were like sending a message: 'Yuno-Gasai,-don't-tell-me-you-had-realized-it-all-this-time-but-you-were-waiting-for-getting-the-chance-to-tell-me'

"Actually, it has been a few months ago I want to ask you about this." Seeing how hard I stared at her, she quickly added, "Well, for your information, falling down the stairs was still unexpected. I really didn't know things would go like this and now I get my chance. I just … just got the feeling that you have another reason, Akise-kun."

I hid my shocked expression behind my shoulder. Well, it seemed I was in no position to deny, but unfortunately, I would not give up and show my cards to her.

"Do you care to answer?" She asked again.

"I will tell you later." I successfully made her pout. Then I walked to the door. "Get well soon, Gasai-san."

"Don't you even give me at least a chance to say thanks for saving me?"

"Allright." I turned around, waiting for her.

"Thank you, Akise-kun." She gave me an unforgettable sincere smile. Somehow, she looked more beautiful after crying. Was it even possible?

Faint blushes were shown on my cheeks. "You are welcomed."

"And I think I haven't allowed you to call me by my first name yet." She shyly reminded me my slip.

"Oh." Now the blushes became darker. "Sorry for that."

"It's okay."

X X X

"You come!" Muru Muru 3 jumped excitedly when we met in the the realm of Time and Space. "Hey, do you bring what I ask?"

"Yeah." I sighed and showed her some new mangas.

"Whoaaa. I have been waiting for these." The little demon grabbed them from me and then jumped to the nearest flying object that could be sat. She opened one of them to start reading. "Anyway, what's up?"

"… it's about Yuno Gasai."

Muru Muru 3 soon closed her manga and glanced at me seriously. "Oh, the Second?"

"She isn't the Second in this world." I corrected her. "She doesn't have a Future Diary here."

"Who cares? With or without Future Diary, she is the Second in my eyes," she said ignorantly.

I sighed again, realizing how stubborn she was. "Well, I want to know about Yukiteru-kun's arrival before the explosion in Sakurami Middle School."

She grimaced. "For what?"

"You know, my duty to observe Yuno Gasai started from that time. Before it happened, I didn't know anything."

"The First came to stop the Second from killing herself in this world. He met Yuno Gasai in this world in her house … locked in the cage."

"Cage?" I repeated it as I thought I must hear wrong.

"Yeah. Cage. It was the way her parents punished her if she could not meet their demands. They put her in the cage like an animal without food. Six months ago was the peak moment, the longest punishment she ever had. Almost a week. So she ate tatami shreds to fill her stomach. She choked, her throat was heavily injured because of that. She was dying."

I held my breath. Who knew her abusive parents had the responsibility for making her feel unwanted and encouraging her emotion to be impulsive and possessive?

I narrowed my eyes, index finger and thumb on my chin, thinking sympathetically. No wonder she was extremely scared and aggressive when I tried my best to separate her from Yukiteru-kun. Her unstable condition only had a single thought: Yukkii was her everything.

Then I remembered the faces of Yuno's parents at the hospital a few hours ago. Hatred slowly consumed my mind.

They … parents … a word that should be defined to bring love, comfort, and support for the children could be one of the cruelest things in this world.

"Hey, are you still listening?" Muru Muru 3 asked me, annoyed.

"Yeah, please continue."

"The First came to the rescue. He called the police and the ambulance. But since the Second already came and hunted her, he carried her to the Sakurami Middle School Building before placing her in their class."

It seemed this was the point that I should mark. "Was she conscious at that moment?"

"Not really. Why do you ask?"

"Don't you think she can remember about Yukiteru-kun?"

"Well, likely. She dreamed about him almost every night. I saw from the monitor."

I was perplexed, but still steadily complaining, "And you didn't tell me about it all this time?!"

"Ugh … you never ask." She was a bit nervous.

"How about her parents now? Do they still …."

"No. They stopped after that incident. The Second has a happy family now."

"That's … good." But there was a small doubt in my mind. Talking about the trauma, did she have it?

"Hey!" Muru Muru 3 called me, disturbed.

"What is it?"

"I can see you have been working great to be an observer so far. Have you thought about the reward from Deus yet?"

"Reward?"

"Why not?" She grinned mischievously. "You can ask freedom from him."

I smiled. "I understand what you mean. But as I know, Deus never offer reward to anyone. If he even offer, I prefer to get it from his test, not as his reward."

"Hmph! Your confidence will be your end, Observer."

I just gave her my trademark smirk.

X X X

On the next day after school, I picked Rei-kun up to the Sakurami Hospital. The boy was so excited to meet Yuno. He even brought a fresh pink rose.

"Aru-niichan, do you want to bring a flower to her too?" He questioned, sitting behind me when I started pedaling my bike.

"Hmm … no."

"If you want to give her flower, I suggest the red rose. It means 'I love you'," he uttered innocently.

"Thanks for the advice." I gave him a fake smile to hide my nervousness. Kids these days.

When we arrived and walked to the nurse station, I saw Hinata and Mao.

I smiled, seeing them wave their hands to tell me to come to them.

"A friend from the next class came to visit Yuno-cchi. Moe Wakaba," Hinata explained. "She said her homeroom teacher asked her."

"Oh."

"But she doesn't come alone. She's with her boyfriend. Yukiteru Amano."

Too bad I didn't realize Hinata's cheeks turn pink as my mind was too focused on the name.

"Where are they now?" My heart started beating uncontrollably.

"Well I just asked them to go inside."

I ran to Yuno's room. Now I stood in front of the closed door. Alarmed things were inside me.

She is with Yukiteru Amano!

I didn't want them to interact each other. I didn't want Yuno feel triggered to remember. This third world was her place. She should be here. She needed to be here. For her parents and friends. For keeping the balance. For the peace. For her happy life. For her bright future.

For … me …?

I was stunned for the voice inside me. What the-? Where did the last thought come from?

My hands shakily tightened into balls. The right one was lifted up, ready for my brain to give an order, knocking on the door.

It's now or never.

TO BE CONTINUED ….