Sakiko stiffed a yawn in the back of her throat, making tears appear in the corners of her eyes. She was still sleepy and warm, but she couldn't open her coat doe to her shirt's condition. They were in the shopping district, when suddenly someone yelled „Hey!" The group paid no attention to it, but Sakiko was forced to a stop by hearing „Girl in the brown coat, wait!"
Sakiko looked back to see the boy from the convenience store waving to her and moving through crowd to them.
"You know him?" Hibari growled.
"When I came here, he was too worried about me to sell me food, so I left the store. You can move on, I'll deal with him." Sakiko said back. 'Hn' was the only reply the only reply she got.
"Why do I always find you in dark or near dark? It is not safe for a girl to walk around after dark." The boy asked.
"This is the second time we meet, so don't make assumptions. I can take care of myself." Sakiko told in an annoyed voice, but the boy seemed to pay no heed to it.
"I have seen you more than once near alleys near dark. I hope you aren't selling yourself. If you are. Come to live with me, I'll take care of you." The boy rambled, causing Sakiko to growl in annoyance, but then she smiled and extended her hand for the boy to take. The boy reached to take it, but Sakiko grabbed him by the wrist and twisted to, making the boy bend to avoid pain.
"Au, au, au, let go! Let go!" The boy begged, but Sakiko continued to twist it till the boy turned around.
"You are annoying. Leave me alone. I can take care of myself." She hissed in his ear and then kicked one of his knee caps, making him fall to his knees, and pushed his twisted arm forward, letting it go. The boy fall on his arms.
"Let's go." A voice grunted, causing the two to see Hibari still there, watching. "H-Hibari-san!" The boy stuttered out, flinching from the glare he was receiving. He had not noticed him before.
"Hai, hai!" Sakiko chirped and skipped to the two males, leaving the convenience store boy on the floor wondering what was the relationship between them.
They continued their way through the shopping district, when Sakiko saw a brand shop in smart looks. In her dictionary, brand shop equaled quality. That is why she left her spot of a half-step behind Hibari and went in the shops direction.
"You go on ahead. I need to buy a new shirt." Sakiko said and went in the shop, not even looking if Hibari did as she bid or not. What irritated the girl was that the shop assistant actually sneered at her, when she entered. But she decided to ignore the assistant and went to hunt down a shirt to wear, making a note to make sure the assistant lost her job.
After few minutes of intense searching, she found a yellow silk blouse with a yellow cravat sewed on the shirt's collar. She found her size and went to try it. In the changing cabin she saw that it was Armani, but paid no heed to the expensive label, and pulled it on. The blouse fit well on her so she changed back to her ruined blouse and closed her coat. Once by the cash register, the shop assistant looked skeptically at Sakiko, but said the price. Sakiko only gave her the credit card and pushed the pin code when it was asked. Sakiko wondered how her credit card from future worked, but decided not to ponder about it.
After she bought the blouse she asked to remove the prices and other attached things, confusing the shop assistant. Sakiko sighed and explained. "My blouse got ruined, so I want to change into the new one."
With an 'oh' the shop assistant did as asked and gave the blouse to the girl. After changing into the new blouse and tying the cravat in an intricately knot and pulling on her coat, leaving it open, she went back to the cash register and asked if they could throw out her old shirt, showing them its condition. The shop assistants were wide eye, but agreed. Sakiko smiled at them, thanked them, and left the shop, only to find Kusakabe by the entrance.
"What are you still here, Kusakabe-san?" Sakiko asked with innocent eyes, confusion and surprise shown in her voice.
"Ah, Sakiko-san. Hibari-san wanted me to tell you to go to the Disciplinary Committee after you are done." He explained. Sakiko nodded her head and stalked to the said place's direction, with Kusakabe on her heels.
Once there, she saw Hibari sprawled over one of the coaches again, papers in hand. Sakiko often found in such position, especially with papers in hand. There always seemed to be some paperwork to do. Now she understood why her father hated paperwork so much. Once you think you are done with one sack of papers, 2 more take its place.
Sakiko went to the other coach, and turned around, knee caps by the coaches arm, and let herself fall in it, leaving her legs dangling over the coaches arm. Hibari looked at her with a raised eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation.
"I'm tired. Let me close my eyes for a while." Sakiko murmured and closed her eyes, relaxing her body, quickly slipping into a shallow sleep, while Kusakabe explained Hibari Sakiko's reason for being tired, about her killing the enemy and then protecting them while he slept. Hibari got angry at himself for appearing so weak in front of the girl, but held in his anger, since now he owed the girl a debt, which, rudely speaking, pissed him off.
After about an hour Sakiko woke up with sore back, causing her to groan. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked around the room to find Kusakabe and Hibari sitting next to each other and working on paperwork with 3 cups of tea on the table. She smiled and sat properly on the coach. She took a sip of the tea to find out that it was bitter green tea. Sakiko understood that it was Hibari's tea leaves, which caused her to smile. Hibari rarely shared his tea with anyone, so Sakiko understood that it was his silent way of thanking her. Then she remembered something.
"Kyouya-sama, you might want to return home. I just remembered that one of the imbeciles had called your father to report on the situation." Sakiko said and observed Hibari's reaction. It turned into a deep frown.
"You're coming with me." Was all Hibari said and stood up, putting the pen down. He was looking at Sakiko still with a deep frown on his face, waiting on her. Sakiko took another sip of the tea and stood up, stretching while doing so. Her back cracked. An annoyed expression adorned Hibari's face, at which Sakiko only smiled.
Upon reaching the Hibari compound there were guards stationed by the entrance. Sakiko noted that they were different from the imbeciles from before, so she put up her professional appearance. Back straight, shoulders down and an emotionless expression on her face. Hibari noted it with the corner of his eye, but didn't say anything.
"Welcome back, Kyouya-sama. Who is the girl?" One of the guards asked.
"She's with me." Was all Hibari said as he strode past the guards, Sakiko in her usual spot.
"Your father wishes to see you." The guard called after Hibari. Both of them took of their shoes by the house entrance and went through multiple halls, till they came to a door, in a different part of the compound then Kyouya's room. Kyouya knocked on the door and it was slid open from inside.
Sakiko's gaze was automatically connected with a pair of cold steel grey eyes, the same color as Kyouya's eyes. Kyouya went inside, with Sakiko in tow.
"Father." Kyouya said only one word as a greeting, but the steel eyes didn't turn to their copy, still locked at Sakiko.
"Who is she?" The elder Hibari asked. Sakiko bowed from waist and introduced herself.
"I'm Sawada Sakiko. It is a pleasure to meet you, Hibari-san."
"I wasn't asking you." Was the eldest Hibari's reply to her introduction.
"A herbivore." Was Kyouya's reply, causing Sakiko's eyebrow twitch once before she was able to stop the impulse.
"Then why bring her here?" The eldest asked, his gaze still locked with Sakiko's. Sakiko understood that he wanted to unnerve her, but she wasn't to give in. Still emotionless mask on her face and a calm gaze.
"Because she is an interesting herbivore."
"I heard from guards that she brought the attack." Hibari commented off-handedly.
"It was Kurowa Saito who led the attack, not her." The younger Hibari defended her with a flat voice. The elder Hibari raised an eyebrow at that. It was uncharacteristic of his son to vouch for someone.
"Where is he?" The elder asked. Kyouya shrugged his shoulders, so Sakiko popped in the conversation, tired of their pretending that she wasn't even in the room.
"He got decapitated."
"I don't recall giving you permission to speak." The elder Hibari said, causing the younger to tense.
"I not used to be ignored." Sakiko bit back voice flat.
"Women should know their place." The elder said sternly, demanding obedience, but Sakiko only raised her eyebrow.
"And what would be my place? I was raised that I was equal to any man and not to let myself be trampled over by them." Sakiko didn't back down even thought she was glared on.
"Seize her." Was all the elder Hibari said for the guards in the room move. Sakiko closed her eyes for a second and then kneeled down and kicked the feet under the closest guard, eyes tinted orange. She was half expecting something like this the moment when she looked at the man, so she had her guard up. She rolled out of the way of a hand trying to grab her. Then she stood up, just in time to hit both sides of the neck of another guard, bringing him down.
She fought on, leaving none of the guards in the room in a conscious state and then turned to Hibari's father to see him smiling happily. This confused her, making her lose her guard enough for another guard to sneak up on her and put around his arms around her waist, trapping her and her arms in his embrace. Sakiko hit him with her head, but he did not let go.
"And here I wanted to avoid killing." Sakiko deadpanned causing the elder Hibari raise his eyebrow and smile in an amused way. Kyouya was looking at her, wanting to join the fight, but not wanting to disobey his father who had told him not to interfere.
Sakiko put used the fact that her arms were pinned only till elbows, she slid her hands into the inside pockets of her coat, only to grab the katar's, enchant them with lighting flames and cut her coat open, cutting the guard's legs half-way off. The guard yelled in pain, falling to the ground, letting go of the girl to nurse his legs.
"And you said she was a herbivore." The eldest Hibari mused to his son, not even blinking at the fact that Sakiko decapitated the guard that had been holding her. Sakiko closed her eyes and sensed that she and the two Hibari's were the only active flames in the room, so she opened her eyes to look at the elder Hibari, ready for whatever he would throw at her.
"You pass. I deem you a worthy fighter. Come and fight for me." The eldest Hibari reached his hand out to her. This was something Sakiko didn't expect, causing her to blink, orange hue leaving her eyes.
"I will not fight for someone who has not gained my respect. You have lost the respect I had for you as Kyouya-sama's father." Sakiko replied in a cold voice, eyes ready to kill, even though a moment ago they were surprised.
"So be it then. But how can I regain your trust?" The man asked, suddenly quite welcoming.
"Figure out yourself." Was all Sakiko said and turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Kyouya's father asked.
"It's late. I need to return home before a ditzy, yet kind woman starts to worry about me." Sakiko replied, opening the door.
"Kyouya, take her home. A woman must not walk past dark." The only adult conscious adult in the room said.
"Yes, father." Kyouya said and went out of the door, saying to Sakiko "Follow me."
Sakiko didn't put her katar's away as she followed Kyouya half-step behind him, like always. Only by the exit of the compound did she shelter her weapons.
The walk was silent, so halfway to Sawada residence Sakiko decided to speak.
"You don't have to live under your father's foot, you know."
"Shut up." Was Kyouya's reply, but Sakiko didn't let go.
"You have so much potential. That is why I am following you. I want to see you grow. But for that you have to stand up and walk with your own strength."
"You think I don't know that?" Hibari growled.
"Then why don't you?" Sakiko asked.
"You don't know my father."
"But I know you. Think about it. As I said before, I am there for you." With that Sakiko ended the conversation before Hibari attacked her and she could see his fingers itching to grab his tonfa's. The rest of the way went in silence. Soon Sawada household came into view. They stopped by the gate and Sakiko turned to face Hibari.
"I meant what I said, Kyouya-sama. Think about it." With that Sakiko opened the gate and went inside. When she turned around to close the gate, Hibari was already walking away. Sakiko only smiled and went inside to meet a gushing Sawada Nana, asking where she was and if she was alright.