Posted: March 12th, 2015

Times Edited: 1

Last Edited: March 18th, 2015

~Time flies~

Warning: Foul language, non-Hana-centric chapter, high-running emotions (as if that isn't already the theme of this fic), anticlimactic as hell, and changing POVs throughout this chapter while continuing in third person for this chapter only.

Flashback:

Now, there were only a couple more steps to take before gaining complete control, and one was dangerously close to being realized:

Find the Star-Child and harness his prowess to take over not just Japan, but the world.

This is the future of the Todd Famiglia.

Chapter Ten: Snowdrop

The snowdrop flower is often described as having the appearance of three drops of milk spilling forth from a bright green stem. Unlike many other flowers – which are generous with their color variations – snowdrop flowers only come in a sophisticated, creamy white hue. Another thing that makes these flowers so unique is that they may sometimes flower early, often poking through layers of snow. Because of their simplicity and lack of major variation, there are really only two species that are regularly cultivated. The snowdrop flower is well-loved not only for its simple beauty, but for its distinct, honey-like scent.

Meaning: hope, purity, and/or consolation.

The tired sun peeked through the blinds of the Kurokawa household, stirring a dreary-eyed Akahana from her slumber. The echoes of the previous night still rang in her head, but she dared not ask for the reason behind her husband's sudden burst of anger. The birds fluttered by with gentle grace as they tweeted their good mornings to all life in the outside world.

Sleeping pills rested beside her side of the bed; sprawled around in her midnight haste to down a couple to drown out her own thoughts and tears. Masato's side of the bed, however, was neatly misshapen. He was nowhere to be found, even though Akahana was sure he'd plopped right down onto the bed after grabbing a couple of drinks.

"Hmm?"

Akahana's sleek chestnut locks stuck out awkwardly as she neglected to tame them. Her bare feet sunk into the carpet as she slowly made her way out of her bedroom, peeking outside into the hallway. The home was eerily quiet; it was almost as if it was frozen in time. Not even the breathing of the other inhabitants could be heard over her thoughts.

Was he still angry with her?

How was Hana coping?

Would her own daughter be angry with the both of them for their decision to stick together, despite Masato's unpredictability?

"Masato?"

Her almost-timid question hung in the air for more than a few moments as she came to the stairs. Nothing seemed to be out-of-place in the home, but the hair on Akahana's arms stood up as she made her way down the stairs, listening carefully for a voice.

"Let the water pour, let the screaming start, even the breaking of my heart begin," she inwardly pleaded, making a sudden turn toward the front door, which was oddly ajar. "As long as he is home to put my unrequited love to rest."

Her pale, slender hand latched onto the doorknob, but before she turned the knob, she took a deep breath.

"I know it's not there. Why am I checking? I know he's gone. I know he's gone."

Against her better judgment, she opened the front door anyway, and her heart dropped when she noticed the absence of her beloved maroon car.

"I knew it," Akahana's breath became short as she delved into panic. "I knew he'd taken it. Where'd he go? Why? Is it because of me? What about Hana?"

Thoughts poured into Akahana's mind, crowding it, suffocating it, until there was hardly room for rational ones. Her gentle hands travelled up her face, wiping away the first presence of tears, and continuing until they explored her misshapen hair. Gentleness turned to fierceness as she pulled at the roots of her scalp, allowing the searing pain to replace the mental stress put upon her brain.

The quietness of the home closed in on her as she slowly drowned in her own mind. The large front door shut as Akahana hurried upstairs to greet her daughter with the horrible news, tripping over her own feet in her haste.

Hana's door loomed before her as Akahana pushed it open, expecting to see her daughter either sleeping or sitting at her desk, cranking away at her schoolwork. Instead, she was greeted with nothing but silence. Her daughter's bed sheets were just as neatly misshapen as her father's.

A anguished murmur escaped from Akahana's lips as she closed the door to Hana's room and opened it again. The scene never changed, even if she stood there and did the same trick ten times.

The reality then began to sink in:

Her baby–her only child and daughter–was gone.

An alarm ringing in the distance woke Shoichi, who scrambled for his glasses and checked the time on his own clock. It was 9:01am and he quickly grabbed for his phone. It lay beside his head, but when he unlocked it, there was a special surprise: not a single message from his best friend.

"Weird; I usually wake up to a message from Hana cursing me out for any obscure reason."

The sun had already risen in the sky as it lightly dappled over his desk and some of the scattered miscellaneous papers atop of it.

Shoichi got up from his bed, rubbing his slightly-ruffled hair and adjusted his glasses once more.

"They're so annoying," he rambled, standing up and stretching for the first time that morning, pushing the damned things back into place before they slipped off of his face. "Hana's right; I should look into getting contacts instead… even though they cost more as a whole…"

Shoichi dug through the heaps of clothes that had not yet been folded and put away in a laundry basket just beside his bed. A green shirt touched his left hand first and he settled with that, stripping himself of the dirty shirt he currently had on. The sound of the door closing from downstairs signified his mother finally leaving the two-story apartment that they both shared, and he let out a quick breath when thinking about last night.

It wasn't as if Hana deserved any of the emotional turmoil that she received from her parent's constantly fighting and arguing, right?

"After all, I know what that feels like. I'll just try to take her mind off of it and make her look forward to coming to my graduation ceremony next week. If anything, I'll be able to get an idea of what she might want for her birthday next month. I've run dry of ideas: pens, notebooks, pencils… I'm going to have to put some work into what I want to give her this time because of our circumstance. It very well might be the last present we ever give to each other if we end up going separate ways."

The thought put his mind to a standstill. It was hard to even consider not being friends with the fiery girl. It was she who had pushed him to disobey his mother's number one rule: no girl would ever be allowed in their large apartment ever again. Not after his sister, anyway. Hell, Hana had even blatantly disobeyed his mother's rules when the woman was home. The memory of how she hid in that closet to avoid his mother's wrath was rather ripe.

Shoichi's phone buzzed lightly, and just as he stuck his arms through the armholes in his shirt, he gravitated toward it. The first thought that entered his mind was of Hana and how she might have just woken up. Instead, it was only a text from his mother:

Mom

9:18 AM

Shoichi; do not forget to begin packing for college. I do not want to be burdened with your clutter while my nest is empty. Keep in touch. I want at least one email a week. Make new friends, stay away from girls, and eat healthy. Do not forget to do your homework. Anything less than top of your class and I will pull you out of that place, understand? We can talk more about this when I return home tonight.

Love xx

Shoichi read and reread the message multiple times, ultimately deciding that it was a bunch of bullshit.

"It's as if I'm leaving tomorrow! I've got at least two months before the term begins! She didn't even bother to tell me in person."

He texted back a quick "yes mom" and finished dressing, making his way to the restroom to clean.

"Forgot to shower. I completely forgot to shower this morning. I'm such a useless bottle of shampoo."

With a groan, he quickly stripped down again and removed his glasses before jumping into the small, clean shower. The cold water cascaded down his face and body as he reluctantly began washing himself and his hair, thinking back to the text.

"I can't believe she'd rather text me than tell me when she comes home," he muttered aloud. "Do I really mean that little to her?"

It would definitely be a new low. Shoichi had been used to his mother caring about multiple things above her own son, but to know that she would almost rather discuss an important topic over a text rather than in person at a good time was almost baffling.

"Still, she DID say that we would continue the conversation after she comes home. Maybe I'm counting my chickens before they hatch."

Shoichi took his time showering and got out, patiently waiting for his hair to dry, when he finally received another message. Lunging for his phone, he unlocked it and read the new message waiting for him.

Private Number

9:34 AM

I suggest you make your way to the Kurokawa household as quickly as you can.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Shoichi stared at the message, puzzled. Who was this person and how did they manage to get his phone number? He couldn't even check: the number was somehow "private".

"Anonymity aside, this must be someone who knows Hana judging by their summons to her place. If anything, it's probably her mom. I don't know why she would text in that manner, though."

Immediately, another text followed:

Private Number

9:35 AM

Start your journey and continue until you are able to meet me. For now, farewell.

Shoichi stared at the second message and put it together with the first. The idea of it possibly being Hana's mother went out the window in an instant.

"It doesn't make any sense," he scrolled up and down to look at the two messages continuously, his wet hair dripping constantly onto the screen of his phone and hardly another thought in his head. "None of this adds up."

"What if something went wrong? Just like Hana usually says when she's watching those crime shows on TV. It could be a 'setup'… but then, I can't just ignore it. I promised Hana that I'd hang out with her today."

Cold fear caused the hair on Shoichi's arms and the back of his neck to stick straight up. Is that why Hana hadn't even left a text for him to read that morning? Is that why the groove, the rhythmic way in which he lived his life, had been thrown off from the start of the day?

Conflicted thoughts swirled in Shoichi's head as he redressed himself and dried his hair.

If he went with his gut-feeling and texted Hana that he couldn't make it, best case scenario, she might get angry and he'd seen his fair-share of that. Worst case scenario, she would be burdened with more arguing from her parents and he would feel guilty.

If he ignored his gut-feeling and went over there anyway, best case scenario would be that it was some elaborate joke that Hana had pulled on him. After all, with a smile on his face, he couldn't find it in himself to put that past her. Worst case scenario, he could wind up hurt or even worse.

"It's obvious what the smart choice would be. It's even more obvious what the pre-Hana version of me would do in a situation like this. The current me, the post-Hana version, isn't that cautious anymore."

That was all it took to get him to hurry out of his apartment, jam the button on the elevator, jaywalk on major streets, and jog his way to Hana's home, merely a mile away from his apartment. The dark home appeared in Shoichi's line of sight and he only picked up his jogging pace. When he stopped at the front porch, he checked behind him twice before ringing the doorbell. His breathing came at a fast pace as he fought to keep it under control.

When there appeared to be no response, Shoichi tried his hand at ringing the doorbell again.

Just as he raised his hand to try a third time, footsteps behind him caused Shoichi to freeze where he stood.

"You're here, too!"

A rather-feminine voice greeted him, and he turned around to see Sasagawa Kyoko and another boy by the name of Yamamoto Takeshi standing behind her. The two of them looked visibly older than the last time the four of them had had a joint hangout. Kyoko's bright, spring dress stayed rigidly still and Yamamoto's laidback posture set him apart from the tension in the air. He appeared to be sweaty and a bag with a bat sticking out of the back clung to his shoulder.

Shoichi's eyebrows creased as the tightness of the situation set in.

"I don't get it. Was I not the only one who got the texts? This is getting uncomfortable."

A simple greeting sufficed for both Kyoko and Yamamoto and Shoichi reached for the doorbell once more. The stillness of the morning unnerved him to a point of near-panic, and the mutual friends that he had encountered felt it as well.

"What's up?" Yamamoto addressed Shoichi, shrugging the baseball gear that hung loosely on his shoulder away from his face. "You look worried."

"If you were worried you were being watched, you would be, too!"

The outburst threatened to escape from Shoichi's worried state-of-mind, but it faltered and lost its power when he stared at the legitimate concern on the baseball star's face. The furrowed eyebrows of his added to Shoichi's confusion as well as Kyoko's uneasiness. Her posture had morphed from respectful to almost fearful before lowering her gaze to the ground.

"No, I'm okay," Shoichi mumbled instead, reaching for the doorbell a fifth time. "I just–"

It was then when the labored breathing of someone behind him startled Kyoko, Takeshi, and himself in turn as Hana's mother, Akahana, bore down on them. Her usually friendly demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Her hair was splayed in all different directions, categorized as a mess on top of her head. The eyes that so often stared happily around at their surroundings now appeared haunted and tired. Even her body language gave off an uncertain vibe as well.

"Is Hana with you?" A quiet whisper came out of her mouth with the question as her dead eyes wandered behind Shoichi and landed on Kyoko. "Did she spend the night over?"

The questions that Akahana asked were almost unanswerable. Shoichi stared at her, awaiting further explanation, but nothing was said.

"No," Kyoko finally answered, her honey-brown eyes betraying confusion. "I haven't seen her since school let out yesterday."

The finality seemed to set itself within Akahana's state of mind, as she stared accusingly at the three teenagers in front of her. A single breath was almost a queue for the realization to sink over all of the individuals who stood before Akahana and the door.

"Why; where is she?" Kyoko asked, glancing behind Akahana to peer inside of the dark home.

Unfortunately, Shoichi felt as though he already knew the answer, regardless of how much he wanted to believe that it wasn't true.

"She's too reckless for her own good."

Hana's mother only brought her hand to her face before quickly retreating back into the home, closing the door just softly enough that it faded out before her final words echoed into the still, spring morning:

"She's gone."

The words shot through Shoichi like a needle penetrating into the skin of a patient. They were the very same words that he knew he would hear, but had elected to ignore the niggling feeling.

"It's not like her to disappear. Of all things, she would never just leave without saying goodbye. She's reckless, but not this reckless."

Shoichi's thoughts faded as Kyoko continually stared at the door, her face scrunching up in disbelief. Takeshi even seemed to sober up as he gently nudged for Kyoko to move away from the door. A sudden somberness settled above the three acquaintances as the daily struggles of life seemed so far away now.

Suddenly, to Shoichi, the thought of going to college was swept out of his mind. His mother was of no concern right now. Nothing even seemed to matter as a bigger, much more pressing thought entered his mind. His breathing went shallow and his chest began to close up as if he was beginning to slowly drown in his own fears.

What if something had happened to Hana?

What if she is lying out there, somewhere cold, in need of assistance?

What if Hana, the best friend that he had ever had in his short eighteen years of living, would never return?

48 hours.

That was how long he had been running. Running from his nonexistence. Running from his duties. Running from the people who loved him. Running from the people who wanted to use him.

Running.

It was all he knew how to do, and arriving in a brand-new town was nothing short of a deep sigh of relief for the child. He had been running for as long as he could remember; diving into trains unseen because of his age, between people and into the arms of a caring individual, and even dodging the occasional confrontation. After all, he was doing this to protect his family; to keep them out of harm's way.

The piece of paper that he held in his palm was more or less drenched with sweat, but while frantically checking his short-and-sweet note, it was still legible. His brown hair stuck to his face as he found a soft hill on the outskirts of town, out of sight to anyone who may potentially be following him. After all, he had gotten used to it by now.

The young boy's note shivered in his hand, and with a deep breath, he watched it go as the soft wind took it out of his hand. It twisted and twirled as it passed the trees and hit miscellaneous branches before it slowly went out of sight. As much as the boy's brown eyes filled with tears, he had something that he could never let go of: faith that no matter what, that note would reach his parents wherever they were.

Mom and Pop

I have arrived in Namimori and I am searching for a place to live and someone to protect me. Don't worry. I won't come back.

Take care.

S.C.

Q&A:

So what was the point of this chapter?

I dunno, man; I figured that doing a chapter like this would give everyone a break from the main plot and show that the world still turns without the main character around other characters. Also, I'm a huge fan of cameos and I think you guys got a little glimpse of it.

Yamamoto and Kyoko are still here?!

Yeah, I planned for them to be in this story more, but somehow that got moved to later… I'm not even sure how, but it happened. Anyway, I'm hoping for them to have a much more significant part in this story without throwing them into it if that makes even a lick of sense.

What about Tsuna and Reborn and all of the other characters that we love?

Again, somehow that got moved to much later even though I planned for them to have a bigger part here. I'm not even sure how it happened, guys, but everything that I want to get done doesn't want to get done. Unless we want 20k-word chapters and a three-month updating schedule. I know I don't.

Who was the "Private Number" who texted Shoichi?

Well, I'm going to let you guys guess in the reviews for this one. I may not be able to reveal this HUGE plot-twist so soon, but I think it'd be cool to see what you guys think. All I can say is that this is huge and that it is not who you think it is. This troupe will be reoccurring as well (or at least, I'm hoping for it… knowing me, I'll forget about it) so it will only build to the suspense. Trust me; it ain't obvious.

S.C.?

Not an OC. I think it was a little obvious, but I'll expand on it more soon.

Author's Note:

Next chapter, we'll be back to Hana-centric. Fret not! This chapter was quite difficult to write (as you can see due to my probably choppy writing and the long update gap) and I hope it sufficed. I'm trying my best to start updating once a week, but knowing me, don't get your hopes up.

I finally had the time to go back and edit some chapters! At the same rate, I also reread my previous version of this story and I got some ideas so that my humor is not stale… not that it already isn't, but you know. Hopefully I can incorporate certain aspects of it in this version in a fashion that does not degrade the story.

I'm still not sure how I feel about the first part of this chapter with Akahana. I wanted it to be longer and in-depth but I didn't want to spend time on pointless stuff and I can't decide if it's rushed or not. I know that that will something that I will come back to and edit.

I think it's safe to say this story is turning stale, but I'm gonna finish it. I've thought too hard about it to not finish it. My confidence is at an all-time low and this chapter actually put me at a standstill, but I'm gonna finish it.

~Teafully~