As soon as the sun's rays began to peek through his window and shine onto him, the first thing he did was move the covers over his head. All he wanted to do was sleep, just for a few more hours. He could have sworn he had made sure to close the blinds all the way to. The man let out an annoyed groan as he tried to get comfortable, avoiding that ray of bright light from his face.

He had managed to accomplish that after another moment of tossing around in bed and then he was asleep once again. But the return to a peaceful slumber would not last long. A pair of footsteps could be heard moving outside the room, creaking against the floorboards. There was a 'shush' sound and the footsteps went quiet. A door creaking open followed shortly after. Then more footsteps.

"Hayato?" A young voice asked before a hand had reached out to poke at the one sleeping in bed. "It's morning time."

"You're sleeping in again." An even younger voice, this time, spoke up.

Hayato stretched underneath the covers, letting out a yawn as he was now forced to wake up. He waited a moment as he began to sit up in bed, tossing the covers aside as he looked down to his two brothers with tired eyes and a warm smile.

"Thanks for waking me up." He lets out another yawn. "Sorry, I was up late last night getting a report done."

"Oh! We should have let you slept in then..." Yuuta looks down with a sad look.

"Sorry, big brother..." Shun follows the action, feeling bad for waking their older brother up.

"Don't apologize over that." Hayato reaches out and puts a hand onto each of their heads, ruffling their hair. "It's not like you knew and I need to be up anyway. Thanks."

More sleep would have been nice, welcomed. But, even phantom thieves had normal responsibilities to attend to during the day. This phantom thief did anyway.

"I'm guessing you two came because you were hungry?" As if on cue, Yuuta's stomach growls and he has an embarrassed look. He nods and mumbles a 'yes'. "Alright, you two go on ahead. I'll make something in a bit, okay?"

His younger brothers smiled upon hearing that, dashing out of his room. Giggles could be heard, slowly turning to cheers as they had possibly ran to the kitchen. Hayato was now alone, left to slowly wake himself up. It was always difficult to start up a day when he had less than four hours of sleep. (Some nights he barely even managed to get an hour in, those were the worse.) He should have been used to this by now. While he didn't go out every night, he did go out often enough that his body should have been used to this, or so he wanted to believe.

Whatever. I'll just have to get some coffee later to wake me up.

As he got up from his bed, he began to double check his items from last night. His thieving outfit was still in place, hidden behind another suit (thankfully his outfit could blend in as an ordinary suit upon a quick glance, looking further would reveal more tricks that he'd prefer to keep secret). His other accessories, helpful devices, temporary (blue) hair dye, and especially his mask, had to be hidden behind a secret drawer in his closet.

After checking that, he went to look underneath his bed, tapping a specific beat lightly against one of the boards until it had moved on its own, revealing the treasure from last night. He was planning to move it down to their- his secret basement, along where all the other loot was stashed. But for now, that would stay here.

Hayato yawned again and was reminded that he needed to get to breakfast when he heard pots and pans clattering together.

~...~

Dark eyes looked up to the large white building, a hospital. His feet seemed glued to the ground as his were searching for a room, a window. As he found the one he always visited, he smiled as he could see the vague figure of a woman. Upon that sight, his feet seemed to be freed from that frozen trap.

Hayato had dashed towards the building, slowing his run to a walk once he had passed through the automatic sliding doors. He went up to the desk, smiling and asking to visit the same room number as always. Once granted permission, he made his way up, taking the elevator as a quicker route.

When he had made it to the third floor, he hopped off, now heading towards room number 312. Hayato didn't need to look at the numbered plates (his eyes always glanced over to her number, reading her name every time, Matatagi Saki.) , he had been here so many times he already knew the rooms by heart. And most importantly, the one he wanted to go to.

"Mom!" Hayato smiles as soon as he's by the door.

The woman's head turns and a gentle smile is on her face, lighting up her features. (She looks so pale and weak sometimes, today she looks almost as healthy as anyone else.) "Hayato, you're here. I saw you from the window."

"You did?" He asked while walking over to her bedside, moving the vacant chair over to sit beside her. "I tried to come sooner but..." He hesitates and looks away for a moment. "I kind of slept in..."

His mother lets out a sigh to that, her smile faltering a bit but remains put. "You went out again last night?" She asks before reaching a hand out to him, delicate fingers brushing against his arm. "Hayato, you know that's dangerous. You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"No, mom, I'm fine," he reassures her as he looks to her now. "You know they'll never be able to catch me. I have so many tricks up my sleeve, its impossible for them to even get close to me." Hayato tries not to sound to boastful in front of her, but his pride slips out.

"I believe in you, I really do, but...it's a mother's job to worry over her children," Saki says softly, concern in her eyes. "I worry every time you pull off those stunts. You shouldn't be doing such things at your age. University should be your primary concern, and going out, and having fun and doing normal young adult things."

"I know. I'm not that proud of doing it, but..." What other choice do I have? He didn't want to ask that since he was well aware there were other options, professions that he could go after. Those that would bring money into their home, to help with his mother and his illness and to live with his brothers. But everything took time, time they- she didn't have. Pulling off heists seemed the easiest and fastest way to obtain money, even if it was against the law.

Saki looks to her son, almost knowing what he's thinking. She pulls her hand away from him, having them rest upon her lap. "Promise me you'll still be safe?"

"I promise. I'm always one step ahead of them," Hayato said with a small grin.

"You should be two, no, three steps ahead. If you do get hurt, no more running around at night, okay?" She uses her motherly tone and Hayato has to hold back a sigh.

"Okay, mom."

"Now then...how is school going? You're still attending, right?" The question causes him to pause for a moment, a weary smile on his face appears.

"Of course I am." I shouldn't tell her I'm missing one class to be here right now... "I have class later and I'm going to it. I just wanted to drop by since I couldn't yesterday." At least that part was true.

"That's good. I still want to see passing grades, alright? You can't rely on your nightlife career for the rest of your life." She wouldn't allow it. The moment she were to be out of this hospital, they both know that he'd have to hang up his thieving 'career' for good. "How are Shun and Yuuta?"

"They're doing good. They miss you. I told them I'd try to bring them here, but I think Shun is a bit scared of the hospital..." (Or scared of seeing his mother in an even more frail state.)

"Oh, I wish I could go home...I'm missing so much."

"You'll be able to go home soon. As long as I keep doing my job, you'll be home, mom. We'll have enough money for anything. I promise."

You sound just like him, she thinks, but would never dare to utter that aloud to him. "I still want to tell you to do something else, but I know how stubborn my little boy can be. So, what magic trick did you pull off last night, my little phantom?"

~...~

Hayato let out a long sigh as he grabbed his cup of coffee and began to drink. He wasn't even sure what he had ordered, he had gone with whatever would wake him up, something popular amongst the college kids and filled with caffeine. He made a slightly disgusted face after swallowing some down. Even if this wasn't too his taste, it would keep him going for the rest of the day. He hoped.

He rested against the seat, hand tapping against the table and looking out of the coffee shop window. His gaze seemed to focus on nothing, simply watching all the other students walk on by. In the back of his mind was the worry about his class. He should be getting prepared for that in a while. Part of him felt like skipping, just going home and taking a nap before he had to make dinner for his brothers.

No, I should still go. Mom wants me to. Hayato shook his head and looked to his cup. Another sigh escaping him before taking more of that drink. Ugh. I don't know how the rest of this campus can even survive off this crap...

His thoughts began to return to his 'profession'. What was the amazing thief Hayabusa going to steal next? He was sure he'd think of something soon. He didn't need to rush into another heist after just doing one, but it never hurt to have too much treasure on hand. Especially since he'd have to begin pawning some of it soon.

He closed his eyes for a moment, wondering if he had seen anything else worth stealing. There hadn't been any news about some fantastic treasure yet, had there?

"The Flora Art Gallery will be opening up a new exhibit next week. It will be featuring artwork from a painter, showing of his finest works. Fans of his work will be excited to know that his star painting will also be on display, the Embodiment of Spirit. This piece of art is said to..."

Hayato grinned upon hearing that. He didn't need to hear the rest of that announcement. He knew what his next heist was going to be.