Your Smile In Spring

by jianbird

"You promise?" she whispered. Her other problems would be left unvoiced and to fester inside her heart until it became too heavy for her to shoulder alone. Whatever fears Zero Two was having inside her heart right now, he would be there to immediately ease them away. That's what he swore to do. "I promise." (AO3/FF)

10. You Are

Well, here it is! I made it to the deadline after all. I was certain I wouldn't complete this until January. I've decided to still update this story on since it has so many favorites and follows. Anyway, this is a speeecial chapter, so I hope you all enjoy what I've been working on. A bunch of you follow my story, so it would be nice if a few of you left me some feedback, so I can know whether you like the story so far or not. What parts you don't like, etc. It's nice to know what my readers think, but every time I update, I'm usually met with silence. Anyway, read on, guys.

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March 2, 2028

10:24 PM

Zero Two continued down the wide and seemingly endless hall; the walls dark vanilla as ever and the closed, russet doors identical to one another. Her fingers still latched around the handles of the metal food tray. Her bare feet made the floorboard creak, indicating the mansion's gradual yielding to its old age.

She was careful not to rush down the steps of the reddish-brown darkly colored hardwood stairs, not wishing for any drops of the liquid to spill from outside of their bowls accidentally. Once Zero Two reached the last step, she made a turn straight for the kitchen to find that it was empty. All aside from Saburou who was the house's chef.

It was near dinner time so that's expected.

The tall and rotund man, who was in his late fifties, turned around to look back at his visitor from over his shoulder. Beneath him was a single leek on a plastic cutting board and it was defenseless to the kitchen knife in Saburou's right hand. With agile perfection, he chopped the leek up into fine and even pieces.

Saburou being able to pull this off while averting his eyes from the task at hand showed the chef's true experience with culinary. Zero Two briefly recalled her own adventures in this kitchen and how she would attempt to prepare her own meals by putting different sorts of food into the blender that certainly didn't belong together.

At the time, her younger self hadn't known there would actually be people to feed her and they were all assigned to a regular schedule. It was a change in her lifestyle that Zero Two slowly accommodated to back then. A child going from having nothing to suddenly everything within the palm of her hands? It was unreal.

When Saburou's small, chartreuse eyes laid themselves on Zero Two, his round face broke out into a wide and friendly smile. His knife rose from the cutting board as it ceased chopping the vegetable momentarily.

"Oh! Just in time. I'm serving wagyu steak with mashed potatoes tonight. Would you like some grilled salmon with it?"

He knew it was her favorite, but Zero Two would have to decline. She still didn't have an appetite tonight, so asking Saburou to cook something additional for her would be a waste of good food. The girl shook her head and continued to enter the kitchen, making a beeline for the microwave on the opposite side of the large room.

"Don't worry about me, Sabu. I'm not hungry."

The man didn't outright say anything in response to that, but his eyes did silently look at Zero Two and squint themselves slightly to observe her face. He has always been well adept in reading the expressions of others and concluding their current mood.

It allowed Saburou to know whether he should continue to socialize with that person or give them their personal space. Lately, it's unfortunately been the latter with the teenager before him, but Saburou believed it was now safe for him to assume that things were changing for her.

Ah... Teen, huh? He'd also forgotten that Zero Two was an adult now albeit a very young one. Oh, how time quickly passed a person by. Much too fast for an aging geezer like himself.

Saburou slowly nodded his head at Zero Two.

"Then, I'll wrap up two plates for you and your friend to eat whenever you wish to," The man stated as the corners of his lips lifted upward, causing his eyes to create the illusion that they were also smiling at her.

Without another word, the chef returned his focus to the task he temporarily neglected. The dull sound of a blade repeatedly hitting the plastic board resumed and Zero Two let out a low sigh of relief, thankful that she evaded an interrogation that the two women in the house definitely would've given her.

"Thanks," the girl told him while she walked further into the kitchen, passing by the preoccupied man.

Zero Two placed the food tray down on the counter and uncurled her fingers from around the thin handles. The bright indoor lighting that glinted back onto the granite countertop showed that someone recently cleaned it down. She then picked up Hiro's bowl first and placed it into the microwave which Zero Two then set for three minutes.

While the microwave hummed as it warmed up the boy's meal, Zero Two lift the two glasses from the cork coasters and refilled it with the faucet's water. She knew they were cold enough once the glasses felt like ice against her bare palms.

A new set of footsteps entered the room, and without turning around, Zero Two could tell the person they belonged to was slowly approaching her from behind. The girl could immediately discern who it was by the hard steps the woman made against the kitchen floor.

"Ah. I've taken it that Young Hiro has woken up?" A voice belonging to the person Zero Two suspected asked in an ingenious tone.

The faucet let out a tiny squeak as Zero Two turned it off. Next, she rested the cups back onto their coasters, before turning half of her body towards Mayuki who stood before her. The woman had her hands folded against her lap properly, but on her face, she wore a clever smile as if she already knew the answer to her question.

Zero Two wondered why the woman bothered asking then? She rested her hands against the edge of the countertop and leaned against it. The microwave continued to hum in the background.

"Just Hiro is fine and yes, he's awake. How did you figure?"

Sawako and Mayuki were being nosier than usual today. They haven't left her alone all day. They've been meddlesome ever since her recent discharge, but it was harder for her to dismiss the two women's behaviors when they were being so particularly... odd today.

"It's because you're smiling, sweetheart."

This revelation made Zero Two freeze in her spot and the cheerful smile on her face quickly dipped into her usual bored frown. Zero Two previously had no clue she was walking around the house with the expression sitting openly on her face, but now that she was aware of it, her self-conscious easily consumed her.

Zero Two soon turned away from Mayuki's judging eyes altogether. However, the girl's attempt to "fix" her expression was pointless since the older adult watched the transformation happen right before her eyes. It was a part of Zero Two's personality to be this obstinate though.

"I wasn't. You're imagining it," Zero Two denied as calmly as she could, eyes completely averted from Mayuki's.

It was clear she was doing her best effort to pretend that the woman beside her didn't exist. Instead, Zero Two's eyes looked forward at the bowl that was still slowly spinning in circles inside the yellow, glowing microwave.

Her clear denial earned her a hearty chuckle from the fifty-four-year-old woman who raised a fist to cover her mouth courteously. Hearing the chuckle in her ear made Zero Two feel a bit frustrated, but she tried her best to ignore the prying feeling she was being teased by the adult.

"Oh, I might be well in my mid-fifties, but I know a smile when I see it. There's nothing you can get past me, sweetheart. I've never seen you parade around the house as happy as you are with that boy."

This caused a feeling of awkwardness to ensue within Zero Two and involuntarily, a warm sensation pooled at her normally ivory-white cheeks; pricked with a faint rosy color. Her eyebrows furrowed together, her bottom lip poked itself out into an angry pout, and her heart thumped loudly in her chest. It thumped so loudly that she was almost certain that Mayuki's old ears had some unique way of picking up on it too.

There were rare times in which Zero Two genuinely felt flustered by something or someone else in particular. So, she didn't know how else to deal with her whirlwind of emotions except become frustrated by them. Fortunately, Zero Two wouldn't have to deal with the consequences that would come from her taking her frustration out on Mayuki, of all people, when the microwave let out a life-saving, high-pitched beep.

Zero Two never flung the microwave door open so fast in her life before, not even waiting for it to get to the second beep before she acted. The bowl was hot against her bare fingers as she took the dish out, but Zero Two didn't care. Her left eye only winced as she slowly set the overheated container back down onto the food tray. Her fingers released the bowl and went to slam the microwave door shut, just as Mayuki's taunting chuckles increased in constancy into her ear.

God, honestly. Couldn't the woman go play shogi with Shou like they always do, or something?

"In a haste?" Mayuki continued to tease her, clearly not afraid to step on Zero Two's nerves.

Too bad this said victim didn't want to stick around much longer to hear what else her cheeky guardian had to say to her. She had one more bowl to warm up which was her own, but Zero Two was more than fine with this outcome. She hardly planned on eating herself, so this created a convenient escape plan for Zero Two.

With a small but audible huff, the girl picked up the food tray by its handles once again. Comically, her cheeks still tinged with a rosy color, but it was now harder to discern which was from embarrassment and which was from Zero Two getting unnecessarily riled up.

It would be safe for Mayuki to assume it was from both which added to her amusement.

"I need to return. Darling needs me," she replied haughtily, not even realizing the mistake she made until it was far too late.

Just when Zero Two turned around completely, then came the worst embarrassment she'll possibly ever feel in her life.

"...Darling needs you?"

Oh, fuck.

That time it wasn't Mayuki's words, but Sawako's instead. The woman had just finished preparing the tableware in the nearby dining room when she caught wind of the distant commotion. Upon recognizing Zero Two's voice, she naturally came over to join the conversation. Unfortunately for Zero Two, that meant both of her provokers were now inside the room with her and they just heard the biggest slip-up in her life.

Mayuki's faint, teal blue eyes enlarged in visible surprise, as with Sawako's dark brown ones. Internally the women were questioning if they heard Zero Two correctly. Oh, how Zero Two wished it was only a figment of their imagination, but their ears didn't betray them.

The way Sawako placed so much emphasis on the affectionate term showed that she wanted to more about this. After all, this was the first time the woman—in her long life—has heard the word ever come from Zero Two's mouth. Albeit, the term was nostalgically familiar inside this household, but for another reason entirely.

"Did I hear right, Mayuki? She called that boy her 'darling'."

Shit, shit!

"If neither of our ears betrays us, then I believe so, Sawako."

The two housemaids shared a knowing look with each other before they giggled in unison. The corners of their lips then curved into an identical, sly smile. Meanwhile, Zero Two couldn't muster the strength to turn back around and face them after her fumble. She knew they probably looked smug as hell right about now. For the sake of her pride, she had to at least try to cover for her stupid slip of the tongue.

"I, uh..."

...Nothing. She had absolutely nothing. Feeling herself reach a corner like this made Zero Two's frustration with the situation boil like tea in a pot. Who would put the lid over the pot to prevent it from overflowing?

"Urgh, shut up!" Zero Two suddenly snapped at the two once she had enough.

Yet despite her obvious anger, their impish smiles never diminished. After all, they were used to the young girl's short temper. Normal teenage attitude and whatnot, they've dealt with it all. One day, they must face the fact that Zero Two was a young woman now regardless of how her behavior said the opposite.

As for Zero Two, she genuinely knew no other way to deal with her own emotions besides relying on her anger. However, she chewed down on her bottom lip after the outburst, able to acknowledge how out of line she acted just now. So, Zero Two would do the second best thing she was good at and that was to run away from the situation altogether. She didn't want to go back on her promise to act better towards her only remaining guardians.

Lest Zero Two end up feeling regretful as she had and still does when she lost Werner.

"Wait."

Before she could get more than three steps away from the pair, that single word alone was enough to make her halt abruptly.

At first, her fingers squeezed at the handles of the food tray. Her body and mental state were conditioned to become tense in defense whenever she believed Mayuki was about to scold her. However, she drew in some air then softly expelled it through nostrils to prepare herself for what Zero Two expected to come. The quicker she let this happen, the sooner she could get back to Darling. His stomach must be grumbling right about now.

"What?" Zero Two replied as she looked back at them from over shoulder, sounding more impatient than she intended to. As Mayuki raised a fist to her mouth and cleared her throat, Zero Two had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes.

"Teasing aside; I'm...-" Mayuki took a short pause to spare Sawako a glance, acknowledging her existence in the room.

"-No, I believe I can speak for Sawako and myself when I say we're happy that you've found someone important to you. You deserve this more than anyone else I know. I hope this boy appreciates you fully. Although, he must be quite the gentleman to have captured your heart. I can tell that you care about him plenty too."

Mayuki didn't finish her thoughts without an additional wink at the end. This made Zero Two's stomach stir. Not from disgust, but with something light and fluttery. It was a sensation she'd get whenever someone mentioned Hiro or talked about parts of him she equally admired. It was weird and insane.

"Oh, Yuki! Don't tease the poor girl too much. We might have to drive her back to the hospital if she passes out from embarrassment right here," Sawako added with a chuckle, lightly patting Mayuki on the side of her arm with her hand.

Hypocritically, she was only adding to Zero Two's torment. Her quip drew the victim for tonight out her thoughts, reminding her that at the end of all of this, they were only here to poke fun at her for their own gain. Therefore, the girl knew she shouldn't take them too seriously. This time, Zero Two allowed them to see her annoyed eye-roll and turned her body back around.

"Cya."

As she descended out of the kitchen and traveled back up the wooden stairs, she could still hear Mayuki and Sawako engaging in a conversation between just themselves. Their voices were a little more hushed, but they still echoed throughout the hallway which started at the front door and traveled down too far for anyone to determine where if they didn't live within these quarters. Their words were also very audible, but Zero Two did her best to block out the current topic of their interest.

As her heart continued to run laps in her heart, Zero Two continuously told herself that the possibility of their words having some truth to it shouldn't terrify her.

.

.

.

Hiro sipped the last of the broth from the beef stew into his mouth, slurping noisily as he did so. Once there was nothing else left in the bowl to consume, he gently placed the dish back down onto Zero Two's nightstand with the spoon still inside. With the taste of the stew still fresh on his lips, Hiro smiled over at Zero Two who sat beside him on the bed. He had successfully persuaded her to join him in her bed instead of hanging at the edge as if the furniture wasn't hers.

From then, they shared the appetizing although late lunch together. The meal prepared for him was delicious and it completely sated the starvation Hiro wasn't aware his body had been feeling moments ago. When the irresistible aroma of the beef stew beckoned him, it awoke another deep growl from his poor stomach.

At the time, Zero Two giggled over the involuntary reaction Hiro's body made which added to the boy's further embarrassment.

Even though it disappointedly hadn't been prepared by Zero Two's own hands, Hiro still enjoyed the meal from start to finish. There was something special about knowing the food came specifically from Zero Two's kitchen. He would have to remember to thank whoever prepared his meal before he left.

A quick peek into her bowl allowed Hiro to see that Zero Two finished her meal too. That was good since he had to "threaten" Zero Two to get her to fill her own stomach up. And by 'threaten', he meant refusing to eat unless she did so too. Hiro honestly felt lucky with how well that spontaneous idea worked out. He loved sharing meals with her and for once, it was the same as the other's dish.

"Be careful, it's hot," Zero Two warned Hiro as she slowly passed him the bowl.

Able to see the steam emerging from the surface of the bowl, Hiro heeded her warning when he cautiously took it into his own hands. The chunky stew saturated the air with its tempting aroma, triggering another low cry from his stomach. As a result, this caused his cheeks to flush red in embarrassment over his own state of hunger.

Hiro discreetly hid his face as best he could from the other by focusing on the bowl on his lap. However, that didn't save Hiro from the further embarrassment he felt upon hearing the giggle leave Zero Two's lips. Evidently, her ears didn't fail her as he hoped so.

"Hurry and eat before your stomach beats you up," Zero Two teased him.

He didn't need her to tell him twice. Without a moment's hesitation, Hiro scooped up a large chunk of meat and carrot with the bowl of the silver spoon, brown broth dripping from each side of the utensil. Eagerly, the boy raised the first sample to his awaiting mouth and when the food finally reached his tongue, Hiro could feel his entire mouth explode with the rich and spicy flavor.

It was so delicious!

"Holy crap- Mmm."

He tried to be careful not to speak with his mouth filled, so Hiro quickly closed it. The scrumptiousness of the meal made him momentarily forget his table manners since he couldn't help but immediately appreciate the taste. It was better than what his two hands could put together. Either that, or he was so incredibly hungry that it tasted ten times greater than it actually was.

Whichever was the case, Hiro planned to eat every last bit of it. Just as he was about to bring another bite to his mouth nimbly, his turquoise eyes glanced over and noticed how still Zero Two was. She wasn't touching her own bowl at all, but instead, watched him as he sated his own immense hunger. Surely she had to be hungry herself?

Finding that odd, Hiro slowly lowered the spoon back down into the stew and closed his mouth.

"Aren't you going to eat too?" he asked her.

"Hm? No, I'm not hungry."

Hiro didn't like that answer at all. In fact, it was very hypocritical of Zero Two to persuade him to eat when she wouldn't do the same. That wasn't the main issue, however. How could he feel okay if Zero Two didn't take care of herself as well?

"Then, I won't eat either," Hiro decided resolutely as he dropped his spoon into his bowl altogether now, then dropped his hands into his lap to prove his defiance.

Naturally, Zero Two felt taken aback by this. Surprise filled her eyes for a split second before they quickly narrowed in his direction.

"Stop joking around and eat, Hiro."

"I'm not. If you won't eat, then I don't see why I should."

Hiro shrugged his shoulders as he stressed his view. The boy was unaccustomed to not living up to someone's expectations of him. Therefore, he wasn't too confident if him pretending to want to disobey Zero Two's wish looked believable to her, or not. Yet it worked because Zero Two eventually reached over for her lonely bowl, but not without grumbling indistinct words.

"Fine."

Hiro's frown quickly curved into a contented smile as the boy watched her pick up her own spoon, then slip it into her mouth roughly. Zero Two munched down on her food with unnecessary force and with her brows knitted together in anger, making it clear that she was doing this reluctantly. However, Hiro thought she still looked utterly adorable.

"Happy?" Zero Two asked rhetorically as she looked up from her bowl, trickles of juice dripping down from her lips cutely.

With the precious and funny sight before him, Hiro couldn't hold back the short laughter that escaped him. As a result, Zero Two visibly looked more annoyed with him and since Hiro didn't want the girl to feel that way, he was quick to regain his composure after a minute.

"Mm..." Hiro nodded his head as the boy lifted his spoon, showing he would go through with his end of the deal too, "Completely."

To himself, Hiro shook his head lightly as he recalled what he went through to get the girl to perform such a basic need. Handling Zero Two was similar to handling a child sometimes, but he didn't mean that as an insult. It was definitely far from one.

"Thank you, Zero Two. That was one of the best meals I've ever had," Hiro told her earnestly, but his honesty earned him a suspicious squint from Zero Two.

"You don't have to flatter me, or anything, you know?"

For Zero Two, the food tasted old to her, so it didn't quite have the same spark as it did the first time she ate beef stew as a child. Beef stew was one of her first genuine meals in fact. When Zero Two was younger, she was accustomed to indulging in stale crackers, or anything else she could find in the pantry that would suffice. So, once she could put real food in her stomach, the experience was as magical as a child discovering candy for the very first time.

"No, I meant it. My cooking can't even compare," he admitted while flustered, scratching his cheek with his finger idly.

Hiro was beginning to feel silly for all those meals he cooked for Zero Two while she was cooped up in the hospital. It was clear her family could've done a much better job than him.

"But I love your food! Hiro, if you stop cooking for me because of this, I'll be really angry with you."

"Heh... Well, I guess I can't have that then. Can I?" Hiro offered her a small, warm smile.

"Nope!" Zero Two loudly proclaimed before folding her arms underneath her breasts, then pushing her chest out much to Hiro's misfortune.

Her childish response normally would elicit a laugh from Hiro in return, but under this circumstance, Hiro failed to resist the urge of his hormones. His eyes lingered to Zero Two's chest for a brief moment and Hiro found himself attracted to how full they appeared. The thickness of her uniform blouse or the bagginess of her hospital gown would usually hide her chest from him.

This definitely wasn't helping Hiro erase the image of Zero Two's bare back from his mind. Once he realized what he was doing, Hiro awkwardly averted his eyes from her body to stare at a wall instead. The last thing he wanted to happen was for Zero Two to catch him staring at her body. She would undoubtedly never let him live it down.

The inopportune mood didn't last for long since an unexpected throb interrupted his thoughts. The pain that was occurring at the front of Hiro's head was fortunately dull this time, but still a literal headache for him.

Hiro closed his lids and rested his forehead into his palm. This has been tormenting him long enough.

"It's still there, isn't it?"

He heard Zero Two knowingly say this, causing him to open his turquoise eyes and lift his head up to look at her. It was clear in her eyes that she was worried for him which made Hiro feel bad. To prevent that, Hiro knew not to look too weak in front of her.

"Ah, yeah..." Hiro forced out a small chuckle, attempting to downplay the actual severity of the pain. This next part was about to be awkward for him to ask of her. "Um... Zero Two?"

Her eyes became wide with alert, "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, but can I ask you to grab something for me?"

"Huh? Yeah, anything! What is it?" Zero Two answered much quicker to his request than Hiro honestly expected. She even scooted closer to him, placing her weight against her arms so that she could lean forward.

It was like she was hanging onto every word he spoke now. This made Hiro feel more in the spotlight which also had the result of making the boy feel a little shy. Seeking an escape from his self-inflicted embarrassment, he averted his eyes from her momentarily.

"My backpack. Did you... uh, bring it?"

Hiro expected an immediate answer from her, but instead, he received a rather unsettling pause. This naturally raised his awareness and forced Hiro to get over himself to make certain she was alright. She stared back at him, but in an unusually quiet state and a nervous look in her wide eyes.

This led Hiro to assume that Zero Two must have left it behind after all. Just as he parted his lips to reassure Zero Two it was fine if she forgot, the girl's hasty voice beat him to the punch.

"Y-Yes," Zero Two stammered uncharacteristically, placing her hands on her knees before curling her fingers up. "What do you... need from your backpack? I'll get it for you."

A sense of relief swept through him upon hearing that. Hiro had a few important things inside his backpack. Although, they weren't anything that was worth getting angry at Zero Two over. His items were replaceable.

"Thanks. I have a white, miniature bottle of painkillers in one of the front compartments. There's no zipper, so you should spot it easily. Can you give it to me?"

"Sure!" Zero Two nodded her head quickly before she swiftly stood up from the bed, the mattress dipping as the weight against the bed shifted.

She appeared to be in a rush and a little tense now, but Hiro couldn't decide what to make out of it other than the girl being eager to nurse him. After all, Zero Two was being just as vocal now as she was when she was instructing him to stay in bed and eat. Zero Two already knew where the backpack was since she remembered placing it by the foot of the bed.

The girl lowered herself to her knees and looked into the already unzipped backpack, checking the place Hiro guided her to. His backpack was free from any clutter, therefore, it was easy for Zero Two to find the very thing Hiro needed.

Once the sound of pills rattling around inside a small and weightless container reached both their ears, the two of them knew they found what they were looking for.

Or so they believed.

Zero Two pulled her arm out of Hiro's bag only to see an orange prescription bottle in her hand instead of the pure white one Hiro described to her. She took hold of the wrong bottle, but what did she hold in her hand right now? Confused and with her curiosity now piqued, she turned the bottle around until the drug's name faced her.

It read 'sertraline' with 'Hiro Akiyama' labeled onto the bottle, an instruction on how many capsules to take each night, and other necessary information for someone who's prescribed to medication. It's a drug for people who suffer from psychological disorders. Zero Two knew this well, but she wasn't sure what to feel about this discovery other than the shock that stiffened her body.

If Darling is medicated for something like this, then... does that explain-...

"...Zero Two? Did you find it?"

The sound of Hiro's voice immediately broke her from her thoughts, but it was the sound of the bedsprings creaking that startled Zero Two more. Suddenly feeling like a deer caught in someone's car headlights, Zero Two quickly stuffed the bottle back into its proper pocket and looked for the right one in more of a rush this time.

"Yeah! Just hold on, uh.."

Fortunately, it didn't take much for Zero Two to retrieve what she was searching for. As soon as the bottle of painkillers were in her grasp, she bounced back onto her feet and rushed to Hiro's bedside. He was already flashing her a grateful smile that should've made Zero Two feel guilty for prying into his belongings. Surprisingly, the guilt didn't show its ugly face this once.

"I guess I spaced out a little. These are it, right?" The girl made up her lie before she took her seat beside Hiro, causing the springs to let out another creak from the additional weight. That was another sign she's long outgrown her old, but still oversized bed.

"Yup. Thanks, Zero Two."

As Hiro took the pills from her and unscrewed the cap, Zero Two turned around to pick up one of the glass cups from the nightstand. The water inside was lukewarm by now and there was only half a sip left, but she hoped it would help Hiro wash down the medicine regardless of these factors.

"Here, Hiro."

Two pills were already in the palm of his hand, so Hiro used the other to accept the glass of water from her. For a split second, his fingers touched hers as she passed the cup over to him, initiating a familiar rise from within him that has only taken place with her on multiple occasions.

"Th-Thanks..." Hiro responded while trying to ignore the rouse he felt from the short physical contact with Zero Two.

He pressed the hand holding his pills over his mouth, popping them in faster in the hope it'll somehow ease his nerves too. Then, he rose the brim of the cup to his mouth and swallowed his pills down with water. While he was trying to forget his own feelings, Hiro missed the fact that Zero Two was going through something too.

Was it okay for her to know that much about him? Would he be angry with her for intentionally taking advantage of his illness to snoop?

He should and while Zero Two knew he had every reason to, it didn't make her feel guilty. Instead, Zero Two was even more worried about him, but worst of all, she was jealous.

She was jealous of Hiro's family. They knew everything about Hiro, the kind of things he dealt with, the sides of himself that he doesn't show her. Yet from where she stood, Zero Two felt like she knew absolutely nothing about the person she cherished. How come Hiro was keeping it to himself?

Hiro released a low groan as he stretched out his arms, his body naturally feeling stiff after the hours he spent sleeping in Zero Two's bed. He pushed the light pink bedsheets to the side and turned his body around, prepared to sit up from the bed.

"It's about time I head back home now. Thank you for everything. Really-"

A hand reflexively came to the center of his chest and applied enough pressure to force Hiro to sink back into the bed. The boy already knew what she was about to say to him next, so he beat her to it.

"I'm fine, Zero Two. It's just a small headache; it won't kill me."

"Hm..." Zero Two was silent as she skeptically looked Hiro up and down, wanting to confirm for herself that he wasn't lying to her.

That was difficult for her to do without being able to experience his pain herself, so she had no other choice but to trust him.

"...Fine. Whatever you say."

She quietly turned back around and slid to the right, making room for Hiro to get up in the bed. Hiro understood the message through her actions. With a relieved smile on his face, he finally moved out from under the sheets. One look at Zero Two's blank expression made Hiro suspect that something was bugging her. However, he surmised it to her finding it hard to fully believe him about his slow recovery.

His movements were slower with the dull pounding taking place in his head, but he hoped that Zero Two wouldn't take notice of it. Once Hiro was up on his feet, his eyes scanned the room in search of his backpack.

"Hey, Zero Two. Where's my- ...Nevermind, I see it."

He noticed that part of his backpack was sticking out from the foot of the bed, so Hiro stepped forward to retrieve his belonging. However, that was then when Zero Two popped up and figuratively jumped onto her feet as if quickly recalling something urgent.

"Wait! Let me get it for you," she said rather hastily, not allowing the other a chance to protest before she sprinted over to where his backpack was and bent down on her knees.

Hiro couldn't see anything from over the bed in his current spot, but his ears picked up the sound of a zipper being closed. Not long after, Zero Two turned back around and walked over to where he stood, holding out his backpack towards him.

He accepted his belonging back and took the loose straps from Zero Two's hand, eyes silently observing the girl's expression the entire time. He suspected nothing about her kindness since he knew Zero Two to be a thoughtful person regardless of what was whispered about her. What raised Hiro's suspicion, in particular, was how off she seemed right at this moment.

He couldn't look away from the nervousness that Zero Two was failing to keep under wraps.

"Are..." The first word he uttered made Zero Two's gaze avert from the backpack in his hands and look back into his eyes. A pretty, sea-colored ocean of anxiety stared back at him.

"...you okay?"

Hiro waited to see how she would answer him, however, the boy knew he wouldn't receive the one he wanted to hear once Zero Two nodded her head much too quickly. It seemed as if it was more of a tactic to dismiss his concern rather than to reassure him she was fine.

"There's nothing about me to worry about. I'll find Shou and have him drive you home now. Come on," she replied verbally now, already turning away from him and making a move towards the only door out of her bedroom.

Although Zero Two claimed there was nothing to fret about, Hiro felt that its become second nature of him to think about her. It possibly wasn't his place to pry, but he couldn't help conclude that he might be the cause of Zero Two's behavior? But he could also very well be overthinking it. His head wasn't in its best state to be thinking critically.

As Hiro's questions and doubts continued to stir around in his head, he placed his backpack over one shoulder and caught up with Zero Two until they were walking side by side. As she led the way, Hiro silently took an interest in the interior of the massive house.

He's been in many places inside the city with Zero Two, but never her own place. Therefore, it was natural for Hiro to be intrigued by every little thing he passed and pay attention to its detail. Despite the unfortunate and embarrassing circumstances that brought him here, a large part of himself hoped this wouldn't be the last time he'll ever see this place.

Then, he noticed that on the dark vanilla walls were silver nails perfectly aligned and deeply affixed into the wall. There were enough for Hiro to believe they were once portraits that hung on this specific wall, but why take them down?

Weird.

He didn't think another second of it before he turned his head back around to Zero Two and genuinely smiled at her.

"Thanks... for offering a ride that is. You know you don't have to this," Hiro said, trying to return the subject to where it initially was.

"I want to do it. Isn't that enough?" Zero Two responded plainly, arms folded against her chest in a seemingly comforting way.

Her tone was becoming more distinct by the second and that alone would've been enough for anyone to get the message to lay off. Hiro wasn't just anyone though. He saw the dodginess in her eyes and the way she bit down on her lower lip as a substitute for her thumb's nail. She was still nervous about something, but she was trying not to show it.

He couldn't ignore this then.

"Zero Two... Did I happen to say, or do anything you didn't like?"

For a few seconds, only their sock-covered feet made a sound as they caused the floorboards to creak every so often. Hiro's eyes remained fixated on Zero Two the entire time.

"...Not really," she finally spoke, fingers curling around the end of her shirt's sleeve.

"Then, what's wrong? You seem sorta diff-"

"Hey, Shou!" Zero Two suddenly raised her voice, arms quickly unfolding themselves. She then scurried away from him to meet the tall man at the end of the hallway.

The mentioned man paused in his tracks and had already turned his body towards Zero Two before she even stopped in front of him. It was like Shou was trained to respond in this fashion to her voice. Hiro didn't have any servants of his own, so he didn't know how it felt to have people other than his siblings in his home. Shou didn't appear to be any older than in his late forties or early fifties from Hiro's first impression of him. The man looked rather clean for his assumed age, donning a formal and freshly ironed suit.

The suit was black from head-to-toe; made together by dark trousers, a white blouse with a topcoat worn over it, and silky white cuffs at end of his sleeves. The final touch was the striped blue tie fastened around his wrinkly neck. Hiro assumed there were also some dress shoes at the front door to complete this professional look, but instead the elder courteously wore slippers on his feet.

At the moment, it didn't seem as if Shou was in the middle of anything in particular. It was likely that he was the same person who had picked them up earlier unless there were more designated drivers around the mansion. It wouldn't surprise Hiro if that was the case.

Hiro watched the two up ahead converse with one another. There was a patient smile on Shou's face the entire time which showed that he was engaged in his conversation with her. The moment the elder looked up from Zero Two to take a swift glance at him told Hiro that they were currently discussing his favor. The boy took that as his cue to catch up with them and enter himself into their conversation.

His doubts about Zero Two would have to lie to rest for the remainder of the night. While tugging the strap of his backpack closer to his body, Hiro calmly walked over to Zero Two and Shou. Then, he looked up at his senior with the most professional smile he could muster and bowed deeply before him.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Hiro."

March 2, 2028

11:18 PM

"Thanks for the ride," Hiro said into the stretched limousine, leaning down to be at eye level with the person who'd driven him back to his house.

He held the car door open with his right hand which Shou had attempted to come around and open it for him, but Hiro made certain not to make his senior do more than he needed to.

"It's my pleasure, Young Hiro," Shou replied with a single and courteous nod, his wrinkly hands holding onto the steering wheel.

The still limousine's engine continued to hum. Shou intended to drive off soon, but he would only do so once he was certain that Hiro got into his home alright. In the back of the elder's mind, Shou knew Zero Two wouldn't easily forgive him if something were to happen to Hiro on his account.

"...I think she would be thrilled to see you come around again. Of course, we would be too," the man included truthfully.

By 'she', Hiro immediately understood that Shou was referring to Zero Two. However, he didn't want to act too bold in case Shou only felt obligated to be generous to him because he was Zero Two's house guest.

Surely, Zero Two had other people she would rather spend time with too. Such as her friends although he's never seen them with her.

"I'll try to stop by again sometime then," Hiro responded while unsure if he'd actually go through with those words.

However, it would be rude of him to tell the man he might not be able to come around.

"We'll look forward to your next visit, Young Hiro," Shou responded with an excited grin the elder did his best to contain.

He didn't completely understand the reaction, but nonetheless, Hiro returned the smile with one of his own. Then, he finally shut the black car door and turned around to walk toward the front of his home. The surrounding sky was a midnight blue and he could hardly make out the details of his home in the darkness which showed how late it was. However, the light that came from the downstairs living room reassured Hiro that somebody was awake.

The crispy cold air covered his arms in goosebumps and made Hiro want to make his way inside as soon as possible. In the meantime, he folded his arms against his chest and used his hands to rub them up and down as to conduct some heat. It was surely hot during the day, but boy, did the temperature drop once the sun fell.

He ascended up the stone-made footsteps, the pathway lights illuminating the entire walk there. They were timed to turn on every day at 5 o'clock PM which was just when the sun would set. Just as Hiro made it up all the steps, the front door suddenly flung open. His smallest sister stood before him with a shocked expression plastered on her face.

"Hiro!"

Hiro greeted her with a half-tired smile, "I'm home, Ich-"

She didn't allow Hiro a chance to say another word, running straight toward him instead until Hiro felt the weight of her body against his. Ichigo embraced him tightly with her face against his warm chest, but Hiro was too alarmed by her behavior to return the familial affection. Instead, his arms hung in the air awkwardly.

"-go...?"

"God. Where the hell have you been? We were worried sick!"

"R-Really? ...Sorry, Ichigo. I-"

His sister unwrapped her short arms from around his body and took a step back, looking him in the eyes. Surprisingly, she didn't look angry but relieved.

"Wait. Explain yourself inside. I'm not the only one who's worried about you."

Normally, Hiro would've immediately felt guilty for causing such a stir amongst his household. But instead, he could only think about how much he wasn't looking forward to what was to come. He felt mentally and physically tired, but Hiro nodded his head and took a step inside.

Almost immediately, he found his problem with the cold cared to since there was always a heater on to keep the place toasty whenever the temperature outside dropped. Therefore, walking inside his home felt the same as walking into a warm oven.

However, as a result, Hiro was feeling even wearier now. Thoughts of throwing himself down on his bed and not waking up until the following morning filled his mind. Ichigo closed the door behind the two of them calmly, but not before he picked up the sharp screech of a car's tire in the background. This let Hiro know Shou had finally driven off.

"There he is," Goro said from in between Futoshi and Ikuno on the seat. There was a relieved look on his face rather than the large grin Hiro's accustomed to.

He was surprised to see his siblings all awake and together all in one place. Had they been waiting for him in the living room this entire time? Some of his siblings were bundled up on the couch, including Naomi and Futoshi who had fallen fast asleep against each other with a cotton-made blanket draped over their bodies. The rest of his siblings stood and had their heads turned towards him with wide eyes minus Misturu who looked mildly frustrated instead.

"We were worried about you, you big idiot!" Miku yelled, tears pricking her long lashes which she was quick to wipe away with her index finger.

Ichigo moved away from the door and in front of Hiro instead, craning her neck to look up at him; something she was used to having to do with all her brothers.

She began with clearing her throat. "Hiro, why didn't you check in with any of us? This isn't like you. Also, who was that person driving the limo?"

"A limo?" Miku said in slight confusion, hands resting on her hips. Hiro could also detect half-jealousy in her tone. "Hmph. Why doesn't Papa ever let us ride in a limo?"

Ichigo spared Miku a serious glance from over her shoulder which the ginger-haired girl quickly understood without any words being exchanged.

"Sheesh. I got it, I got it," His younger sister sighed as she rolled her sky blue eyes, twin-tails swinging with her as Miku looked away from them both.

Her hands were still on her hips and although she was ignoring Ichigo, Miku was still actively listening for Hiro's answer. Hiro, however, didn't feel up for any of this interrogation. His headache hadn't subsided yet. It was still there even though it was dull and he mentally didn't have the energy to keep up with his siblings' feelings tonight. He just wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep to the throbbing in his head.

"I know. I... I'll explain it all in the morning. I just want to sleep for now. Sorry, guys."

With his head hung low, Hiro slowly walked past his siblings without thinking about how his action would make them feel. He saw their worried looks, but he didn't want to think about them right now.

"Hiro," Mitsuru suddenly called out to him which caused Hiro to pause before he made his next step.

This was surprising since his brother usually only spoke when he felt it was necessary to. Mitsuru always had a lot of opinions and he wasn't afraid to be as blunt as possible about them. Because Hiro knew that, he'd already mentally jumped to defense mode.

"I... We all think it's great you've found someone you can trust in place of us, but you're forgetting that we're your family too."

When Hiro heard this, he turned back around to be face-to-face with his nine siblings again. He mostly focused on the impatient look in Mitsuru's hard eyes though.

"What?" Hiro said, ignorant as to what Mitsuru was trying to imply.

"I'm saying don't we deserve to know what's going on in your life more than a pretty stranger who's charmed her way into your heart?"

The mention of Zero Two from Mitsuru's mouth in such an obnoxious tone was enough to get a rise out of him. Hiro already couldn't think rationally, so it was easy for him to misunderstand Mitsuru's intention. Only able to see this as a verbal attack towards Zero Two, Hiro felt ready to retort viciously, but he didn't.

He didn't want to explode at any of his family members no matter how much he felt the need to tell them to leave him alone. Instead, he did his best to suppress his clumsy aggression with a closed fist. His eyes lowered to his feet and his shaggy, black bangs draped over his face to hide their irritation.

Meanwhile, his other siblings had yet to move a muscle, or disagree with Mitsuru aloud. This meant they felt the same way as he did. Did all of them talk about him and Zero Two behind their backs?

"I see. Is this how you all feel about Zero Two?" he asked sharply.

Kokoro's eyes widened slightly. Out of all of them, she was the one who hated confrontations and miscommunication the most considering her gentle and sympathetic nature. Therefore, what she was about to say was natural of her.

"No! That's not what Mitsuru means at all. We love her. She... Zero Two seems like a good friend to you and all, but um..."

"Yeah! Zero Two seems like a fun person too," Miku quickly added after hearing Kokoro fail to finish her thoughts.

Mitsuru clicked his tongue against his teeth with his arms folded against his chest, eyes still staring Hiro down.

"Don't make excuses for him. That girl is running your entire life now, isn't she? Do you even remember who we are?" he sneered.

That's it.

Hiro couldn't just stand idly by when Zero Two was being bashed by his own brother out of all people. He held his head up and narrowed his eyes towards Mitsuru's own, fingers slowly uncurling from his fist. All thoughts of his own tiredness left his mind as his brain was replaced with a new need: defending Zero Two.

Hiro locked his jaw muscles and took a courageous step forward. Meanwhile, Mitsuru unfolded his arms and appeared ready for anything that would happen next. However, before Hiro could take another step, Ichigo placed herself in between them.

"Enough," she said, spreading her arms out to keep them away from one another. Fortunately, neither of the boys took another step, but their ire towards one another was still clear.

No one knew what would've happened had Ichigo not intervened, but frankly, they didn't want to find out either.

"Let's leave Hiro alone. He's had a long day," Ichigo stated as she looked between their faces. Their expressions were both full of contempt.

This wasn't the first time an argument has broken out from within the Akiyama household, but it's surely been a while since most of them were often quiet about their true feelings. Maybe this was not as much of an argument then, but something that should've happened much earlier.

With his eyebrows furrowed, Mitsuru clicked his tongue against his teeth in frustration.

"Whatever," he responded and looked away from Hiro, trying to appear careless about the situation. With his arms folded, the boy walked around Ichigo and Hiro until he was out of the living room area altogether. He decided he would blow off his steam in their vacant library down the hall.

Ichigo let out a tired sigh before dropping her arms down to her sides all at once. While she was relieved that the situation didn't escalate when it easily could've, the girl wasn't happy about the way they handled their emotions. She looked up at Hiro whose eyes were closed and chin tilted slightly downwards.

Hiro looked both tired and guilty about his own actions.

"Go ahead," the blue-haired said to him lowly before walking away from Hiro first. In a much louder tone, she then addressed the rest of her sisters and brothers. "Let's head to bed, guys. Papa will be upset that we're up past our curfew."

After Ichigo made her call, the group awkwardly spread out one by one. They mostly were tired from staying up a little past their bedtime, to begin with, but the tension in the air was far too thick for anyone to speak about the confrontation which went astray. So, they silently followed behind each other up the stairs; some arms folded against their pajama-covered chests.

"We stayed up because of him," Zorome mumbled grumpily before his small steps ascended up the stairs as well.

Hiro stood alone.

.

.

.

He slowly sat down on the edge of his bed and leaned over with his elbows against his knees. One hand held onto the front of his head, his fingers slipping through the locks of his black hair and then curling slightly like he was trying to get a handful. Due to the amount of stress he worked up, the intensity of his migraine had increased. Now he could feel his entire skull throbbing harshly like a heartbeat.

So much for feeling better, huh?

Hiro let out a half-hearted chuckle. He was tired and just wanted to sleep for several hours. In fact, he didn't even want to deal with waking up in the middle of the night from his nightly terrors. Hiro didn't even want to wake up early in the morning by the usual knock behind his door. He just... wanted some... relief.

Hiro considered consuming more pills to ensure that his headache would be out of the way by the time he regained consciousness. But with his long life of being on medication to medication, he knew better than to abuse the substance. He'll have to follow whatever the bottle instructed even if it was over-the-counter medication.

With a small grunt, Hiro shrugged his backpack off his shoulders and placed it onto his lap. Then, he unzipped it all the way and stuck his arm inside, already aware where everything inside his bag was. His fingers moved on muscle memory and went to fetch the compartment he always put his pill bottles in, but then they brushed against the outline of something Hiro didn't recognize at all.

That genuinely surprised Hiro since he knew every single thing he carried inside his backpack. The boy smoothly glided his fingers along the surface and the sides of the unknown object. The surface felt padded with leather while its edges were perfectly rounded. After shortly feeling it some more, Hiro could make out the shape of a book.

He pulled it out to confirm his conclusion and shortly found that his guess had been rather close. It wasn't a book, but what appeared to be a thick and black notebook. It looked well-kept, but the wrinkles indented into the cover told him it was used. Maybe even recently since the ribbon page marker was left in the middle of the book.

None of the notebooks he owned were this elegant, therefore, Hiro knew right away this was nothing of his. How did this item end up in his hands then? The only two places his backpack has been are the ice cream parlor and Zero Two's place. Did her personal belonging somehow get accidentally mixed in with his?

Hiro didn't understand how that possibly occurred when she specifically checked his bag before he left. Was it really hers then? Hiro couldn't answer where else it would come from if it wasn't Zero Two's though.

...Maybe there's a name on the inside?

He opened the notebook by its silver clasp and turned the cover over to search for a name possibly written in, but there was nothing but a blank page. His eyes shifted to the first page, but instead of receiving any actual kind of school notes, he was faced with several doodles. It covered the page from top to bottom and it appeared to be drawn by the hands of a child. Despite that, however, the art style was a bit remarkable compared to his own artistic skills back then.

That wasn't to say it was any better now.

Intrigued by this notebook, he flipped to the second page and found more doodles. Then, even more on the next couple ones. Eventually, it led to complete pictures which were all drawn in color pencil. Hiro could tell what the artist liked the most through their art since it consisted mostly of nature and a reoccurring girl in a bright red, princess-like dress.

The little princess was always doing things that seemed fun, but she was always alone. Hiro knew these were only pictures, but he couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the girl. Maybe these drawings reflected the artist's feelings itself? If that's the case, then he would assume the owner of this notebook is a girl.

Even deeper inside the book now, Hiro understood that what he held was far from an ordinary notebook. Can he even call it that with the consistent art? But then, he finally reached the first set of words found inside the notebook which made Hiro sigh internally.

Finally.

The notes would surely help get him a step closer to figuring out its owner, right? Hiro normally respected the privacy of others, but since this wasn't about his personal gain, he didn't hesitate to read from the first line of the notes.

['I came to see you, but you weren't there. Let's meet up in our spot next time, okay?']

No... These weren't notes at all, but a series of sentences?

['You aren't around when I come in now. I'm sorry...']

This was... a conversation between two people. It suddenly struck Hiro that this wasn't a notebook, or even an art book, but someone's private journal.

['That really does suck, but... You left this behind for me, right? I'll take care of it when you aren't here!']

Hiro couldn't put a name on the writers behind these exchanges, but he had a good estimation about their ages. Judging by their handwriting skills, the duo behind this ink were small children. The words were unnecessarily bold and wide for one person while the other's were eligible, but hunched together. It was laced with mistakes only a child could make.

What could've possibly occurred with these two kids though?

Maybe this was just an old page and he'll find something useful if he kept lurking? There were several pages still left after all. Hiro flipped to the following one where the series of written messages continued on each page and from the same two people.

['I miss you.']

Flip. Flip.

Their conversation completely intrigued Hiro and not because he was nosy by nature. No, this feeling was far from it. It felt... nostalgic in a sense; like he was forgetting something utterly important that he couldn't remember. Hiro couldn't put his finger on it, or decide why he felt this way, but something... something told him he's read these words before.

He's had these conversations before with someone, but he couldn't remember who. That shouldn't be possible though since how would he not remember sharing this conversation?

A secret spot between him and someone else would've been too special to have clumsily forgotten even for his age. Hiro didn't understand his own thoughts and frankly, he was afraid to read more of this; unsure of what it would unlock from within, but he had to. Something urged him to read more, to keep flipping the pages until he understood everything.

Hiro needed to figure this out. Nervously, his eyes darted to the next line:

['Me too, but I swear we'll meet again. So, until then will you wait for me, Sakura?']

That's it.

The handwriting... He knew it was familiar. The slightly italic and hunched together handwriting looked like his from when he was a kid, but what in the world did that mean for him?

He... didn't understand a single thing!

When did he ever have this notebook in his possession? Who could he possibly be talking to? The nostalgia didn't stop just at the words either. He first felt it when he opened the book and saw the drawings. The princess with the long, pink hair that flowed down to her back, the drawings of strange, two-headed white birds, the different colors of the sky, the pink-petaled spring.

[I-]

He closed the journal before he could read any more and quickly placed it aside, his breathing irregular and heavier now. Hiro leaned over with his hands on his knees and his lids squeezed shut. His head was throbbing even harder now and Hiro surmised that to result from getting even more worked up. Or, maybe it was even because he strained his eyes while trying to read with a headache?

He needed to calm down. Hiro still wasn't sure what to think right now and while it was surely just himself overthinking again, he really needed a glass of water to cool his head.

Maybe then... he'll come to a rational explanation for all of his resurfaced feelings. He slid the notebook back into his backpack and then placed his belonging onto the seat of his desk chair. Whoever the journal truly belonged to, it was in a safe place for now.

.

.

.

As opposed to the time Hiro came home, all the rooms downstairs were draped in darkness now except for the dim lights coming from the kitchen. Much to his surprise, this indicated that someone was still awake. All of them were careful about their curfew since their father worked late hours every day and didn't come home until 1 o'clock AM. If any of them were still awake by the time Papa returned home, they would be in serious trouble. The clock was cutting close to midnight too.

Hiro crept down the last steps of the stairs, made a turn towards the only source of light downstairs, and was a little baffled by who he saw inside the kitchen. Out of all his guesses, Hiro wouldn't have suspected to find Ichigo still up and about. She was the most serious about Papa's rules and always made certain that everyone was on top of them too. So, to see her diligently wiping the countertop clean with a disinfectant wipe at this hour was odd.

Something must be wrong?

Hiro closed the distance between them more and that seemed to be enough for Ichigo to notice him finally. Her hand abruptly stopped in its circular motions and she turned her head to the side, brushing her falling bangs over her ear to see him better. Hiro concluded that she must've gotten ready for bed, but then hopped out since Ichigo always removed her hairclip before she went to sleep. Was she also feeling restless then?

"Oh, Hiro," Ichigo dragged out a relieved sigh, "It's just you. I... I thought you went up to your room to sleep?"

Hiro felt bad for startling her, but he didn't mention it and went straight to her question instead.

"Yeah. I just came down for a glass of water since I was feeling thirsty."

That wasn't the entire reason, but it wasn't a sin to not tell her every bit of detail. He would rather not worry his sister since he knew how much of a worrywart Ichigo can be.

"Oh. Well, you should have more than just that. We saved you some leftovers from dinner. They're in the fridge," Ichigo said with her lips curved into a smile, using her thumb to point to the running refrigerator behind them.

"Oh, you didn't have to. I ate dinner at Zero Two's place," Hiro reassured her, unaware that it would cause his sister to quickly deflate into a frown.

He didn't want to think there really was a sensitivity to the mention of Zero Two's name in his own house.

"I see. Well, it's good that she takes care of you well."

Ichigo picked up her wipe and continued where she left off. When her long bangs fell loosely over her face again, she didn't brush them back this time.

"Take care of me?"

Hiro never thought of his and Zero Two's relationship like that, but her actions today proved she could fully do so.

"...I think it's more that we take care of each other," he spoke as a warmth rekindled from within his heart and expanded throughout his body.

It was the same magical sensation he would always feel whenever he thought of Zero Two, or when anyone else would say her name to him. She was the only person who did that to him and he had a few guesses why. True to what was told, there was a warm smile curving onto his face right now at the mere thought of her.

"I'm really grateful for Zero Two. I believe she's the greatest influence in my life right now."

Ichigo began to wipe the countertop a tad harder and quicker from before.

"I see..." The other replied, her tone recognizable to the one she'll often take whenever Ichigo wanted to say more about a matter but was holding herself back.

With a dragged out and heavy sigh, her working arm came to a slow stop as she leaned her weight into the table. Ichigo didn't look back up at him, however.

"If that's the case, then I'm really happy you met Zero Two. You smile and laugh more frequently because of her, and I've never seen you step outside to the rest of the world as many times as you do now. I'm really thankful for Zero Two because of all those things."

Hiro grinned proudly at her, "Ichigo, you've changed."

"Huh?" Ichigo looked up at him dumbfoundedly, clearly caught off-guard by this statement, "How so?"

"I mean I'm only making an observation. Your perspective on Zero Two has changed tremendously. Thank you, Ichigo."

"Oh," Ichigo lowered her gaze back to the countertop which was more than disinfected by now, "It's no problem. I'm just telling the truth, aren't I?"

She took a short pause.

"And also..."

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for how Mitsuru acted with you back there. I don't believe that was the appropriate way to handle his feelings," Ichigo apologized sincerely.

At the mention of Mitsuru, Hiro felt his good mood slowly returning to what it once was. That's right. He said those things about Zero Two which were uncalled for. Although, he didn't wish to discuss it right now.

"It's whatever. I know how Mitsuru is, so I'll ignor-"

"But I don't think he was wrong about his point," she quickly and sharply interjected. As soon as the words were out there, Ichigo felt her chest tighten up.

She knew she couldn't take her words back, she'll have to go through with them now. But as much as the confrontation made her uneasy, Ichigo felt she needed to speak for everyone instead of letting their feelings fall mute.

"What?" Hiro asked with his eyes widened, taken aback by her words.

Ichigo's fingers curled firmly around the wet wipe.

"You've been running out to see her practically every day. Tonight, you spent the entire day with her despite telling us you'll be home by dinner time. What are we to think if you don't do as you say, or even make an attempt to contact us?"

Out of frustration, she let go of the wipe and threw it across the counter without a care for where it landed. "You never disobeyed the rules, or skipped out on a school until you met her!"

Hiro didn't understand the nature of Ichigo's words, but judging by how the confrontation with Mitsuru just went, he was certain this was about to lead up towards another verbal attack. He was quick to become defensive and his need to protect Zero Two before himself kicked in.

"So, what do you want me to do? Stop seeing Zero Two?" Hiro asked, trying his best to keep his frustration under wraps. However, his efforts were futile since his feelings couldn't be any more present in his current tone.

Ichigo could hear the other's defensiveness but suspected her brother would respond this way. If she wanted to look after her family properly, she'd have to ignore Hiro's emotions for once as bad as that sounded. She'll have to push until he understood.

"No. That's not what I'm saying here, I..." She took a deep breath as if to work up the strength for this next part and pushed her petite chest out. Her usually soft, green eyes locked hardly with Hiro's agitated, narrowed ones.

"...For these past months, it's felt to all of us that you're putting someone you only just met a few months ago before your entire family."

There! It's out there now. Just keep going, Ichigo. Just kee-

"We always do our hardest to reach out to you, but we receive nothing in return. I've always been patient with you, Hiro. But... It's plain to see that you're more stressed out than usual lately. I initially put it aside because of Zero Two's situation, but she's discharged and you're still being distant from us. Half of the time you... You look like you want to cry and say so many things whenever I look at you."

For a split second, Ichigo's voice cracked and her bottom lip started to quiver, but she bit down on it to compensate for her weakness. She needed to finish her thoughts. After all, it wasn't just her heart she was speaking out from.

"When you smile at us, I know it isn't genuine," she shakily continued and her shoulders soon followed, "Why do you keep your feelings to yourself? Why do you always suffer alone?! We're here for you too, you know! We always have! Anything Zero Two can do for you, we can too. That's why we're family, aren't we?!"

"Ichigo..." He said in disbelief.

Every inch of Hiro's ire completely fled his body and his expression now wavered between shocked and sorrowful.

This was his first time hearing such a thing from any of them. The fact that every one of them held this deep inside their hearts until now hit Hiro hard. He was speechless and felt pathetic. This was a mess he caused because of his own stupidity, therefore, this was his responsibility to fix.

He finally understood now. This was what Mitsuru meant by his words, but he'd been too hot-headed to even let his brother's own feelings reach him. God, he truly is an idiot.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo. ...To all of you, in fact," Hiro replied with a heavy sigh and lowered his head in shame. He turned around so he could lean his weight against the counter, raising one hand to his forehead in thought. "I've been a horrible brother, haven't I?"

Ichigo sniffed softly, trying to hold back the tears heavy between her lashes. Luckily, they didn't fall for the sake of her own pride, but Hiro already knew about the sensitive girl underneath the rock-hard mask. He always silently appreciated how much better she was with her emotions compared to himself.

He was so weak.

"Yeah," she confirmed in a weak voice which made Hiro stare at her for a few seconds. Then, as if they were both in on an inside joke, they both erupted into a small, but meaningful fit of faint laughter.

"You didn't have to confirm it," Hiro responded jokingly as he nudged her arm in a playful manner which Ichigo kindly reciprocated. No, he was fully aware of how much he deserved to hear that.

He's an asshole, but he only wanted to hear the truth from now since it would motivate him to treat the only people closest to him better. It was the same promise he made with Zero Two: to be honest with one another. If he could establish something like that with her, he could do the same with his own family.

"From now on, I want you guys to be completely honest with me no matter how you think I'll respond. I'm an idiot, so I'll probably won't get it the first time," Hiro stated as he cracked half a smile.

"True. You've always been the biggest idiot I know," Ichigo humored him and shared a playful smile with him. She brought her hand to one eye at a time, wiping away her tear-filled jades.

More laughter simultaneously left their mouths. They probably had a strange sense of humor to laugh at such an inappropriate time, but this went to show how comfortable they were with one another. Eventually, their laughter died into a harmonious silence as they were soon left with their own thoughts. Ichigo mimicked Hiro's posture, leaning into the counter so that both their backs faced the entrance to the kitchen.

"...To be honest, I'm not sure what's been going on with myself lately either. I wish I could give you guys a clear answer, but it's difficult to."

Ichigo turned her head towards Hiro and raised a brow questionably, "What does that mean?"

"I don't know, but I promise that when I get everything sorted out, I'll sit down and tell you all about it. No more secrets, okay?"

"Pinky promise me."

Hiro stared at the pinky finger Ichigo pointed out towards him before he let out a chuckle.

"Really now? Are we still children?" He shook his head lightly at her childishness, but he held back any further comments when his eyes met with her threatening glare.

"Fine, fine." Hiro hooked his pinky finger around hers, then pulled on their interlocked fingers snugly, "I pinky promise to talk to you and everyone else truthfully for now on."

Ichigo's hardened expression slowly eased into contentment until she was smiling at him again.

"Good. Now you're forbidden from breaking it," she warned, tugging on his pinky back.

Comically, Hiro wondered to himself what would happen in the unlikely instance he went back on his promise. However, his mind went back to the threat Zero Two made when he rejected her dinner and he decided it might be better not knowing.

"You wanted a glass of water, right? Go ahead, I won't hold you up anymore."

Oh, right.

He'd almost forgotten what he initially came for. Hiro moved from his spot and opened the cabinet that held all their glassware, then took a short one from the bottom shelf. He then made his way over to the refrigerator and turned the water dispenser on. As he watched the ice-cold water fill the glass up in his hand, Hiro's mind drifted someplace else.

"Hey, Ichi. Can I ask you a really weird question?"

At the thought of Hiro possibly leaning onto her for advice, her posture perked up and her eyes lit up in readiness. Even though Ichigo was young, she still wanted to be taken seriously and leaned on more often in and outside of her family.

"Sure. Bring it on."

Now that he put himself on the spot, Hiro felt nervous about asking Ichigo the question he had in mind, but he knew he wouldn't have a peace of mind if he didn't.

"...Does the word 'darling' mean anything to you?"

This question understandably put Ichigo off. Out of everything she expected the other to ask her about, it wasn't quite that.

"Darling?" Ichigo repeated as if the word was foreign to her, but really, she was just taken aback. She looked at Hiro again who confirmed she'd heard right with a small nod.

"Well, I know it's a term of endearment people call their significant other. I'm sure it can be familial too, but that's all, I guess? Why would you ask that?"

Significant other... Familial...

"I don't know. I just heard the word recently and I can't get it out of my head for some reason."

Hiro already knew what the word meant, but the dilemma was that he couldn't connect it to his dreams in any way. It felt like the largest clue he's been given so far and yet he couldn't figure it out.

"Oh, really? Did Zero Two call you that?" Ichigo teased him while maintaining her casual voice, eliminating any hint she was only playing with him.

"Huh? No, she didn't! That's not why I asked. It came from someone else actually," Hiro denied, awkwardly scratching his cheek to suppress his increasing nerves.

It was an old habit of his that made Ichigo smile softly when she noticed.

"Hm? Well, you've had a lot of admirers growing up. I'm sure one of them called you something affectionate at some point."

Ichigo moved around the kitchen island to pick up the discarded wipe she carelessly threw earlier, making sure it entered the trash bin. Hiro raised the brim of his glass to his lips and took a short sip. He no longer had the desire for the drink, but the coolness of the water running down his throat helped him think.

"No... That's not it either. I'm sure I would remember something like that," Hiro actually couldn't confirm that, but it didn't sit right with him. It didn't feel like the right answer.

There couldn't be any familial or romantic relationship connected to the mysterious little girl in his dreams. He remembered all the relationships he's had with people and none of them were romantic. There weren't any blood-related family members of his who were alive either.

Meanwhile, Ichigo didn't understand why this was an issue in the first place, but she could tell this was important to Hiro judging by the distress in his eyes. Wanting to lessen the weight on his shoulders, she did her best to come up with answers for Hiro.

"I don't know. There's also that girl you met at the hospital a long time ago. I don't know many of the people you've met."

...Huh?

Hiro completely froze up and the brim of his cup never met his lips again. His entire world stopped spinning and the cogs in his brain ceased all motion. It took a moment for Hiro to even process what he just heard, or believed her heard from Ichigo's mouth.

"Wait, what? What girl, Ichigo?"

"Huh?" His sister looked up at him as if she was dismayed that he didn't remember, "You know. That girl. The one you met at the hospital and would talk about all the time. But one day, you stopped mentioning her entirely, so it was more of your little secret."

Hiro's eyes enlarged in shock and his face became blank, unable to register the information coming from Ichigo's lips fast enough to react.

What the hell? Why didn't he remember any of this?! This was something he should remember vividly; not Ichigo. So, why didn't he?!

"Her name! Tell me her name, please!" Hiro exclaimed suddenly and slammed the cup down onto the counter.

His unexpected reaction caused Ichigo to jump slightly in place.

"W-What?! I can't remember that far back!" she protested reasonably.

Ichigo's never seen Hiro get so riled up about something before, so this was all a genuine surprise to her. However, the girl was unaware of how much she's helped lead Hiro onto the right path with just a few sentences. Hiro was so close to solving the mystery that kept him awake every night.

Yet the fact that Ichigo couldn't recall this girl's name put him right back where he started. He had confirmation there's a possibility he's met the little girl before, but she still had a blank face inside his head and remained unnamed. Ichigo watched Hiro's face fall in defeat and seeing that look on his face pained her. She wanted to help so badly and if there was something she could do to lessen the burden, then Ichigo would try it.

With a soft sigh falling from her lips, Ichigo tried her best to recollect the rest of her memories from that time.

"But I'll try. Let's see, uh... Was it Sara-? Sayu-? ...Saku-?"

"Sakura," Hiro finished for her. Not as a suggestion, but with certainty this was the correct answer.

"Huh? Oh, yeah... That sounds right," Ichigo slowly nodded her head as it all came back to her, then smiled at Hiro. "Looks like you kept your memory after all."

Sakura.

Sakura... is the name of the girl in that journal. She's also the name of the girl from his dreams; he felt it inside his heart. They're the same person. Sakura wasn't a figment of his imagination, but a real person he's had a bond with in the past.

Someone he didn't previously remember, but now the answers were rushing into his mind with no halt. It was as if the lock to a door inside his brain finally unlatched after all this time. All of his mentally suppressed memories resurfaced at the top of his brain and flooded his head with a flurry of information.

He held onto his head in pain with one hand and gripped the edge of the countertop with the other, unable to hold himself up otherwise. It hurt, but he needed to do this. He had to keep looking no matter what.

Blurred mages that were previously scraps of nothing turned into something meaningful. They turned into... full pictures. Soft, long and pink hair. A beautiful smile, dazzling emerald eyes behind long lashes. Limbs covered in faint bruises.

For the first time, he had a face to match with the girl in his dreams.

At long last, he finally had his answer and he... He needed to see-

"...Zero Two," Hiro mumbled aloud.

"Hiro?!"

Ichigo's voice resurfaced from the white noise inside his head and he finally registered her touch against his arm. He hadn't meant to tune her out, and Hiro knew he would have to explain this all to her, but now wasn't the time. He couldn't stick around here for much longer.

Now that he's remembered the things his mind had blocked out for several years, he needed to move. He couldn't let Zero Two feel all alone any longer.

He needed to see her.

With his heart drumming inside his chest wildly, Hiro forced his feet towards the door in a haste. He didn't stop to think rationally about what he was about to do since his emotions were deciding everything for him.

"W-Wait! Where are you going, Hiro?!" Ichigo exclaimed, completely in the dark about what just unfolded before her.

She instantly followed behind Hiro's steps, but it was hard for Ichigo to match his speed with her short height. Therefore, the girl was already left behind by time Hiro crossed the living room and made it to the front door. Hiro had no qualms about the situation either since he preferred for Ichigo not to follow him.

Ichigo probably didn't know it, but she's already helped him tremendously by uncovering the major piece to this puzzle. The rest of this matter was between Zero Two and himself now.

"I'll be back, Ichigo! Thank you!"

"Huh?!" Ichigo breathlessly replied, but her only response was the sound of the bottom of Hiro's shoes rapidly stepping down the front stairway.

He was already out the door, headed to a place she was completely clueless about. Hiro planned to explain everything once he returned, but as of now, he felt like he had no time to waste.

Hopefully, his heart was leading him down the right path.

---

March 2, 2028

12:10 AM

He could feel his heart throbbing in his chest and it felt ready to pop out at any second. His body's perspiration broke out across his forehead, slicking certain strands of his black hair flat against it. His feet ached and screamed, but he forced them to maintain their vigorous pace.

Hiro inhaled and exhaled heavily and erratically, his body unaware of the meaning of 'stop'. Inside his head, he was mentally tracing the pathway back to Zero Two's place. Hiro was thankful he stayed awake the entire car ride home since he was able to recall the roads Shou went down. However, not by their names, but by their appearance.

Fortunately, Milstilteinn had many parts of itself that looked different from one another and Hiro was very familiar with the roads since he walked around the city often.

He knew wasn't too far, so he couldn't stop now. No matter what the distance between him and Zero Two was, he'll still cross it to see her.

His chest felt heavy, and it felt like the surrounding air was beginning to suffocate his lungs, but Hiro didn't slow down in his pacer. The muscles in his legs were becoming sore and cried out with every step he made, but he continued to push them. He continued to exert them pass their limit.

His choice wasn't wise and Hiro acknowledged that.

He was probably the biggest idiot on Earth for running through the city at this time of night. He was only assuming that Zero Two would still be on the other side of the door once he made it to her place. Hiro also knew of the risks he was making by his actions, but it didn't feel wrong. None of what he was doing felt wrong to him in the slightest.

If anything, Hiro has never felt so right about something in the longest. Hopefully, Zero Two will feel the same.

His head pounded severely, but it carried thoughts of her. Even now, vaguely familiar memories were flashing through his mind that all pertained to him- No, not him, but them.

He's always had someone else. He was never alone.

She was always there too, and he repaid her by forgetting her. There was nothing Hiro could do to atone for his mistake, but attempt to make amends with Zero Two now.

Hiro turned left on a familiar intersection and eventually, he could see the top of her large, white mansion from just down the road. It stood pridefully tall from the smaller neighboring houses and had an elegant architecture that the others lacked.

He finally slowed his feet down, but he didn't use that opportunity to catch his breath. His mind was still set on his goal, so Hiro went straight towards the front gates to the fence. It was black and went around the entire house to most likely protect themselves from unwelcomed guests. It was possible he was one of them considering what time it was.

Hiro remembered that the gates needed to be open in order to leave, so logically, it was the same to enter. It was easy to spot the intercom since it was right beside the front entrance, on its own platform. With his chest heaving up and down in large takes, Hiro pressed his finger against the buzzer to alert someone of his presence.

The yellow light that bled through the downstairs and upstairs curtains kept Hiro's hopes alive that someone was awake.

After three minutes, a voice that belonged to an older woman came from the other side of the intercom. There was no live footage from his side, but the camera pointed straight at him told Hiro he could be seen from her side.

"Who is it?" The voice asked politely.

"It's me! The boy from earlier: Hiro. I'm Zero Two's friend, I need to speak to her urgently! Please!" Hiro rushed out all at once, completely breathless but too anxious to possibly calm down.

He was losing the ability to stand up on his own due to how much his legs burned and trembled, so he rested a hand against the fence to keep himself upright.

"Ah, Hiro. Did you leave something behind? I'll open the gate right away. Hold on, dear."

With only a small delay, the gates started slowly invited him inside, but Hiro didn't want for them to open fully on their own. He squeezed himself through the slit once it appeared big enough to and quickly crossed the path from the front entrance to the front of the mansion. At first, Hiro ran fast as his body still could, but the closer he came to his destination, the more his feet abated in speed.

The front door was already halfway opened and from behind it stepped a woman clothed in a grey dress that stopped past her knees with a white apron tied snugly around her waist. Hiro assumed it was the same lady who'd buzzed him in. Sawako initially had a friendly smile on her face, but once she observed Hiro's condition at this proximity, the wrinkles on her face stretched themselves into a concerned frown.

"Oh my. Let me get you some water, dear," she said, taking a step back to hold the door open even wider. This was to allow Hiro more room to walk inside the warm and toasty house.

Hiro pictured that he looked like a maniac right now. The sweat from his forehead rolled down to his cheeks now, his shirt clung to his skin grossly, and he could barely catch his breath. Moreover, he probably smelled unpleasant too, but none of these were Hiro's main concerns.

"I need to speak with Zero Two first. Where is she? Please tell me where she is," he asked once he was inside and Sawako closed the door behind him.

He needed water for sure, but he didn't want it right now.

"Oh? Young mistress is in the kitchen," Sawako answered Hiro's question, pointing down the hall that would lead to the kitchen with one finger.

"Thank you!" Hiro immediately spat out and didn't waste another moment to take Sawako's directions.

It was possibly rude to run out abruptly on the person who invited him inside, but he couldn't think of anything except Zero Two right now. His eyes searched for the discernible head of long, gorgeous pink hair. He searched for her delicate cream-white complexion and her beautiful, sea-green eyes. Thinking of all her smiles made a warmth radiate from within his chest which Hiro knew wasn't just his blood rushing upwards from adrenaline.

He wanted... to see her so badly.

The sound of running water in the nearby distance caught his attention and Hiro followed the noise, assuming it would lead to the kitchen. Once Hiro found that his instincts were right, and he looked into the kitchen, he felt his next breath get trapped inside his lungs.

There she was.

Hiro was only faced with her back profile since she stood in front of the sink. There was a woman who stood hip-to-hip with Zero Two, dark brown hair tied up into a high and neat bun. They both had their sleeves rolled up to their elbows, so he assumed they were in the middle of helping out with the dishes.

Briefly, Hiro's brain made a comparison of Zero Two's backside to the one he regularly saw in his dreams.

They're definitely the same...

"I'll go put these up," Hiro heard Zero Two say to the lady beside her, a stack of four beautifully decorated china plates in her hands.

The girl turned on her sock-protected feet, but when their eyes unexpectantly met, she froze up and so did he. Her jaw fell open and her face became white in shock.

"H-Hiro? What are you...?"

His name raised the attention of the woman beside her, but Hiro paid no mind to her. His only focus was Zero Two, but even though that was the case, everything he planned to say to her flew out his head right then.

This left plenty of room for his usual doubts to enter in their stead.

What if Zero Two doesn't remember? What if I make a fool out of myself?

What if she's not even the right person, and he's only made himself believe Zero Two's the one-

But that wasn't any reason to back down from this. He ran all the way here, spent so many nights trying to figure this puzzle out, and now the key to everything stood right before him. Hiro only had one question that would put all of this confusion and pain to rest for good.

"Zero Two."

She said nothing back, so he took a deep breath to prepare himself for his next words.

"Is your name... Sakura?"

And just like that, everything collapsed.

Zero Two accidentally lost grip of the plates she was carrying and they shattered into large shards of glass when they impacted with the ground harshly, but neither of them cared. They only continued to stare at each other which felt like forever.

Zero Two still had her arms angled as if plates never fell from her hands and Hiro could only wait on the edge of his seat for her response. But after a couple seconds more, Hiro's eyes went wide.

Tears came forth and ran down Zero Two's face.