School was the same with the exception of Dino escorting me to school. He insisted to do it himself instead of having his men escort me. It was strange, but I didn't mind it. If Xanxus wanted Dino to protect me, I'd allow it. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't just attack Angelo in the open. I will do what I need to for survival, but I won't act unless it's necessary. "What time should I pick you up?" Dino asked me.

"Around five. I have club after school."

"I'll be waiting. If anything happens, call me immediately."

"I will. Thank you, Dino."

My classes were the same as usual. No one bothered me. At club, I saw the writer and Angelo. They were going to watch us practice. Unfortunately, Angelo decided to be by my side to watch me. "I see we meet again, Bern. How good is your aim?" He asked in a sultry voice.

"It depends if I'm right in front of you or a few yards away." I said as coldly as possibly.

"That hurt." I shot the arrow into the middle like usual. He whistled. "That's pretty impressive." As he kept talking, I shot another arrow. Angelo got right behind me and put his hands all over without looking too out of place. Not even the people next to me noticed. Angelo wasn't a novice at this. I could definitely tell this was not his first time.

"Hands off." I growled.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just seeing how athletic your body is. You must be strong to be an archer." I know he was doing this to make sure I can't fight him off when he goes in for his attack. I relaxed my muscles so he wouldn't feel how developed I really am. "You're rather normal for your age. Soft, too."

"And you have experience with that, you sick bastard?" I said quietly so only he would hear.

"Why do you think I'm a bad guy?"

"I know you're a bad guy."

"You have no evidence." He whispered.

"I don't have any that you're aware of."

By the end of practice, Angelo followed me out. Dino was at the gate waiting for me. He paled when he saw Angelo right behind me. "Get behind me." I said in a hushed voice and grabbed Dino's wrist and kept walking. Angelo stopped at the gates and kept watching like the predator he is. It made me physically ill.

"You can't run from me. I've already chosen you, my dear." Angelo called out to me.

I felt sick but kept going. I ended up letting go of Dino and running. I made it near my house when I stopped. I held the wall for support. Dino caught up, huffing and puffing. "Y-you're really fast. You alright?" Dino asked in between pants. He wasn't in the best shape, but I am more athletic than the normal person. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I puked everything I had in my stomach out. Dino instantly came to my side, rubbing my back.

"It'll be alright." He said. When I was done, I walked a few steps before collapsing onto my knees. I was exhausted. "Did he touch you?" I nodded. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Stop apologizing. I hate it." I ordered.

"I'm just worried about you."

"I…I know his type all too well." It was unfortunate I knew. I wished I didn't, but it'd keep me alive if Angelo ever tried something. I just wouldn't allow him to know that.

"What do you mean?"

"They start by flirting to get you hooked on their looks. They sometimes go to the extreme of getting plastic surgery to enhance their body. When they find a target they like, they won't stop until they get what they want. They'll then feel you up no matter what you do to see the physique you have so they'll know what kind of force to use. If you fight against them, it makes things easier for them. After that, they'll break you down until you can't take it anymore and submit to them. Once you do that, it's over. They'll do whatever they want to you." Dino hugged me tightly. "Dino?" I questioned softly. Why was he hugging me?

"You need to tell me the truth, Shiori. Were you raped at a younger age?" I didn't know Dino was capable of being this serious. I guess he had his moments.

"Almost. I think you'd call what those people did to me was torture. It was inhumane. No matter how much I screamed, no one came." I could feel myself get shaky just remembering what happened. I forced myself to stop talking. If I continued, I'd go insane.

Dino put me on his back and brought me to the hotel where his men were. They protected the entire floor we were on. "Are you feeling better?" Dino asked after he put me down in the room. I sat on the bed and relaxed.

"I am. Thank you." Dino handed me a cup of hot tea that was waiting. "Can you not tell anyone what I told you?" I asked quietly.

"Of course."

"You especially can't tell Xanxus and the rest of them. I don't know what they'd do if they found out. They'd probably treat me differently than everyone else. They'll treat me like I'm made of glass. That usually happens." I said.

"I won't." I nodded and put my attention to the cup. I could see my reflection. I don't think I could ever have long hair again. Even though I liked it, I'd be too paranoid everything would happen again. I didn't want anyone to use my hair against me. "Shiori?"

I looked up at Dino. "Yes?"

"Have you wanted to go back to Italy?" Did he ask me this to distract me from earlier?

"I would love to go someday. I wouldn't even mind moving there permanently. I really enjoyed my stay when I was there. The people were kind and nothing ever stressed me out."

"If I gave you a ticket to Italy and a place to live where you didn't have to worry about anything, would you take it?" He said. I could tell he wasn't lying.

"I wouldn't right now. I have business I need to take care of first." I said.

"What business?"

My eyes got dark. "I want to destroy that family."

Dino seemed taken aback from me. "Do you want to kill them?"

"Killing them is too kind at this point. I need to show I'm the stronger one. They were confident I wouldn't escape Kyoto, but I managed just fine. Sure, Xanxus and everyone saved me after I passed out, but I still got out alive. I'm not a killer, but I'll make their lives certainly miserable. It's something I'm great at."

Once the weekend came, I was forced to deal with Angelo since he was invited to watch what went on behind the scenes. Some people who have worked with the author for years knew Angelo pretty well. This was normal for Angelo to be here. Kiyomi saw how uncomfortable I was with him and would always be with me. We shared an unspoken language. She could tell he wasn't exactly the best person. We went through the play straight through without stopping to correct any mistakes. Afterwards, the writer pulled me aside.

"Did I do something wrong?" I questioned.

"For the last scream, I need you to give it everything you got. Make everyone feel your pain. Shake the heavens!" He explained with great emotion.

"I'll try."

The play lasted for four hours. It was a long play, but the writer was known for creating long plays. I couldn't wait until I got home. I needed to relax. A nice hot bath seemed ideal. I'm sure mom and dad are done fighting by now. When I got home, I stopped at the door. I could hear screaming. They were still fighting? It was the worst I've heard so far. I wonder when it'll end. Would mom send the Hibari family after dad?

"At least don't make it obvious in front of our daughter!" Dad yelled.

"I'll do what I want." Mom's voice was cold.

"You're being selfish."

"Me? Selfish? Why can't you see I'm not happy?" Mom shouted at dad.

"You need to communicate that with me! I'm not a mind reader."

"I can't get anything through that think skull of yours, can I? I haven't been happy for seventeen years!" My eyes widened. She was happier without me.

"Don't you dare blame it on Shiori." Dad's voice was low, full of anger.

"She's the cause of this whole mess! How can I not blame it on her? She's the only thing that changed!" The hand that gripped the door handle shook. I couldn't tell if I was angry or sad. "She was never a normal girl anyway. She can't even do something as simple as make friends to save her life." Mom said in a mocking tone.

"If you even payed attention, you'd know she actually made friends."

"Well, it's about time, isn't it?" She spat sarcastically. "And don't get me started about the incident." Mom started up again after a few seconds of silence. "What idiot just openly trusts strangers? Because of that, her body is scarred. Even if she does have friends, who would really accept that? Who would love someone broken like that?" I took a step back. Was this what she really thought of me?

"You can't blame her for that! She was a kid!" Dad yelled.

"She's a stupid kid. I thought we taught her better, but I guess that didn't help her. I don't care what the papers say. She's as stupid as they get."

"Don't talk about our daughter like that! What would you do if she heard this?"

"It'd get a lot off my plate." Mom said without a care in the world.

I took a few more steps away from the door. This couldn't be happening, right? I looked into the window and saw it really was mom who was saying those things. I took a few more steps back before leaving. I had to for my own sanity. I didn't want to hear more of what she thought of me. It was more than enough to break me. She brought back all those memories again. I went to the park and sat on the swing. It started to rain.

"Great." I muttered to myself. This was rather a cliché moment. Never in my life did something like this happen. Though, the weather report did say it'll rain. I contemplated on calling Dino, but I didn't feel like hearing his voice or dealing with him. My phone rang. I picked it up. "Hello?"

"What's wrong?" It was Xanxus.

"It's nothing. Why did you call?" I questioned.

"Don't bullshit me. I can feel your emotions the same way you could feel when I was injured."

"Oh." I still didn't understand why that happened.

"Your voice is empty. Who hurt you?"

"I just heard some unpleasant things. That's all." I replied.

"What was said?" His voice was soothing.

"I'd rather not say. You'd start questioning me and I don't want to remember what happened."

He let out a sigh. "Who made you feel like this?"

"My mom. Apparently…I'm the cause of her unhappiness. I'm the cause of everything. My existence is the reason everything is falling apart." I said. I felt like I was going to explode.

Xanxus stayed silent. He probably didn't know what to say. "If Japan is too much, you're welcomed to stay with me."

"With you?" I asked with slight surprise. He made a noise. "Dino offered something similar. He said if he gave me a place and a ticket where I don't have to worry about anything, if I'd go."

Xanxus clicked his tongue in response. "Don't accept any offer from him."

"I won't. I'd take your offer immediately, but I still have business here."

"You plan on destroying that family." Xanxus said.

"Yes. Plus, I'd like for my father to be comfortable. He's suffering more than me."

"He can come with you. After you destroy them, I'll provide you and your father with everything you need."

"Really?"

"Really." He said. I knew he wasn't trying to make me feel better. He was speaking the truth.

"Even if we end up being a burden?" I asked as if I was a child. I felt like that when I was vulnerable.

"You're not a burden. If anyone says a word, I'll kill them." I don't know why, but I felt happy. I could cry. "Call Dino. Your safety is still my priority."

"Yes, sir."

Two weeks have passed. Today, the school was celebrating the archery club members for volunteering in the play. I guess this is something they do every year. Some teachers even made extra credit where they'd have to go to the play and show the ticket the next day we had class. The ones involved in the play were even given extra credit. Kyoko ran up to me with a couple of other students from class.

"Are you nervous?" A student asked.

"I'm not." I replied.

"It must be great working with professionals." A girl said in a dream like state, imagining what it'd be like.

"Hey, will we be able to recognize you?" Someone asked.

"No. I wear a wig and colored eye contacts."

"When do you appear?" Someone else asked.

"Near the end of the first part."

"Really? That's boring."

"Not really." I replied awkwardly.

Yamamoto walked up to me. "What's your character?"

"I play Bern the witch of miracles."

"Really? That sounds interesting. I'll be sure to go, right, Tsuna?" Yamamoto turned to Tsuna with a big smile.

"Y-yeah." It felt strange to be the center of attention at school. I got a message. 'Stop being nervous. It's pissing me off.' It was Xanxus. I must have bothered him.

"Who's that?" Kyoko asked.

"A friend."

"Really? Do you have a boyfriend? Was that him?" She pressed.

"It's just a friend." Kyoko wasn't convinced and kept humming happily. "Is your friend going?" She asked.

"I don't know."

"What a lame boyfriend." I sighed heavily and went back to my seat. School is tiring.

The rest of the week went fine. Soon, it was our last dress rehearsal. Kiyomi and I had a little thing where we'd both lay on the ground backstage holding hands. Some other joined in where we had the main cast involved. That and the cold floor helped us clear our minds.

"We'll do just fine." Kiyomi said, snuggling into me.

"We will." I snuggled into her shoulder.

"Alright! Let's get the last dress rehearsal going." The director said, clapping his hands a few times.

We all got up, already dressed in our outfits. We all went through the play with no trouble. I was still told to give an even better scream for the real thing. I'll have to really come up with the most desperate scream I could muster. I'll probably lose my voice. I got a call from Lussuria just as I was gathering my things. Before I could even speak, Lussuria started talking.

"We're here!" He said happily.

"Huh?!"

"We're all here taking a vacation for a few weeks."

"Really?"

"Are you in the middle of rehearsing?" He asked.

"We just got done."

"Let's meet up soon. We'll be at the bakery from last time."

"O-okay." I ended the call and took my costume off. I then hurried up to put my own clothes on.

"What's the rush?" Kiyomi asked.

"I have friends visiting Tokyo and they just arrived."

"Have fun." Kiyomi rubbed the top of my head how a big sister would.

"I will."

When I left, I quickly walked all the way to the bakery. Bel was standing outside, looking around. He saw me and smiled. "It's about time you arrived." He said.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." We went inside where I saw everyone else at a table. Even Dino was there.

"Shiori!" Lussuria jumped up and hugged me tightly, lifting me off the ground.

"It's nice to see you again, Lussuria. Can you not crush me to death?" He giggled and put me down. I took a deep breath. I sat down with a sigh.

"How was rehearsal?" He asked.

"It went really well. I might end up losing my voice after the play."

"Why?" He asked.

"You'll see why. I'll be the very last thing you hear."

"You have the spot light at the end?" Bel asked.

"It's more like the last twenty minutes that includes a twelve minute song." I slammed my head onto the table and groaned.

"It must be tough. You're going from no attention to all the attention." Lussuria rubbed my back.

"It's not like I hate it. You won't be able to recognize me at all which is nice."

"Will you tell us what you look like?" Levi asked me.

"I'm the last person you'll see at the end of the first half."

"You seem like an important character." Dino said cheerfully.

"Unfortunately, it goes a lot deeper than just being an important character."

When Shiori banged her head on the table, Dino could see the beginning of a scar. It shouldn't have shocked him after vaguely being told what she went through. This was probably what she meant. Squalo kicked him under the table. He shot Dino a look. Xanxus noticed and looked between the two and then Shiori.

"Why don't you go order something? I'm sure you're hungry." Dino suggested. Shiori picked up her head.

"I'll just leave and get food. It'll be cheaper."

"Will you be back after?" Bel asked.

"Of course. I'll bring the food here." Once Shiori left, everyone was glaring at Dino.

"What the hell is going on?" Squalo asked dangerously.

"I don't know what you're referring to." Dino nervously replied.

"You looked at Shiori and then winced."

"Did she get hurt?" Xanxus asked.

"No! It's…something she vaguely told me about. She made me promise not to tell anyone." Dino said, standing his ground. He was being cornered and felt like he'd die with one wrong answer.

"Can't you give us any hints?" Squalo asked.

"No."

"Does it have to do with her hair?" A woman walked over to the group of men.

"Who are you?" Squalo questioned.

"I'm Kiyomi. I happen to be Shiori's co-star and the main role of the play." She glared at Dino. "Answer."

"I don't know, but when she talked about it, she'd grab her hair." He explained.

Kiyomi sighed. "I see."

"What do you see?" Levi questioned her.

"She looks beautiful with long hair but refuses to grow it long after an incident happened. She instantly shut herself down when I asked." Kiyomi said quietly.

The entire Varia had a bad feeling. Some, specifically Squalo and Xanxus, were already getting angry. Shiori walked back with a bag of food. "Why is everyone angry? Kiyomi? Did you say something?" Kiyomi pinched Shiori's cheeks.

"Why would I say something?" She asked playfully.

"It's like you to do that." Shiori said.

Kiyomi laughed and hugged Shiori. "You're just too adorable." Shiori instantly warmed up to Kiyomi.

"Shut up." Shiori commented.

"You'll be even more beautiful during the play. I'm expecting a lot out of the witch of miracles."

"It'll be a miracle if I can go through with it all." Kiyomi laughed and left the bakery. Shiori looked at the men and then glared at Dino. "Did you say something?" She asked.

"I didn't!"

"You were too quick to answer." Dino paled. With Shiori and the Varia questioning him, he was in a corner.

"Dino was looking at you with a weird look. That's why we're angry." Squalo said. They all saw Shiori fix her shirt. She was definitely hiding something.

"Stop staring and you'll live." Shiori said quickly.

"I'll stop." Dino said. Xanxus could feel the uneasiness she felt. She was scared of something. "Are you going home tonight?" Dino asked her.

"I don't know. With how things are, I'm not sure what'll happen." Xanxus remembered the conversation very well. He made a promise that even surprised him, but he meant it. If it'll keep Shiori safe, he'll put her in the Varia's headquarters for the rest of her life.

Why was Xanxus staring right at me? Why was it so intense? It was uncomfortable. I looked at him and tilted my head. He looked right away. I gave a small yawn. I didn't realize how tired I really was. "Are you tired?" Levi asked.

"The play is four hours long. What do you think?"

"Why don't you go home?" Dino suggested.

"I'll try. I'm not sure if I could even enter." I'm not sure if I could face my mom.

"We'll go and if you can't go home, we'll take care of you." Lussuria said.

"If you want to be idiots, go ahead." And as the idiots they are, they all started following me. It's not like I expected anything different. The train ride was quiet. When I got home, I got to the door. They were still yelling. Xanxus walked up behind me and could hear them.

"She's useless! Stop trying to change my mind!" When will they stop fighting?

"Shiori is far from useless." Dad said. I haven't heard him this angry before.

"I just want to start over. If she wasn't in the picture, I'd stay."

"I'm not abandoning my daughter." Dad spoke with passion.

"Suit yourself."

Xanxus put his hands over my ears so I wouldn't hear. In a way, I was grateful I couldn't hear anything. A sense of serenity washed over my body. That warm feeling washed over me like a blanket. Once the warm feeling left my body, I felt comfortable enough to go inside. Xanxus took his hands away. I opened the door, surprising my parents.

"Shiori?" They both stammered out.

"I'm home."

"Who are these people?" Mom asked me.

"Friends."

"I'm surprised. I thought you didn't have friends." Mom said, hiding her real self.

It's about time, isn't it? "Surprise." I said with no emotion. Dad walked to me.

"You shouldn't stay here, Shiori."

"Can I at least gather some clothing?" He nodded. Xanxus was the only one that followed me to my room. I closed the door and let out a sigh.

"She's vile." Xanxus spat.

"I know." I said quietly. I got a bag and took all my clothes and put them inside. There was still room, so I got a few more things. I stayed sitting, just staring at the wall. It was nice to hear nothing from them. Xanxus got down put a hand on my back to comfort me.

"I'll take care of you."

I leaned into his arm. "Even if I'm broken?" I asked, putting a shirt in my bag.

"Did your mother say that?" I nodded, feeling my eyes water. I shouldn't cry over this. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I didn't understand why he was doing this, but I felt safe. I haven't felt this way in years. I didn't care if it was embarrassing. Xanxus knew I was slowly losing my composure. The door burst open. Squalo ran in.

"VOI!" He stopped and stared at us. "W-what are you two doing?"

"Leave." Xanxus demanded.

"Everyone is getting suspicious. Let's go before Lussuria tries something." I stood up with my bag. I left with the two behind me.

"That took awfully long." Mom said.

"I was looking for something." I responded.

"Are you sure?" She asked, trying not to be her real self.

"I'm sure." Dad looked at me with dread and regret. Mom didn't look at me. "I'm sorry for being a broken idiot." This left everyone in the room shocked before I left.

I didn't care at this point. I just wanted to take a hot shower. "We'll go to the hotel I'm staying at. The entire floor is booked. You're all free to stay." Dino said.

"We'll take it." Squalo said.

At the hotel, Xanxus forced me to stay with him. "Don't do anything too bad." Lussuria teased.

I didn't even react like I should have. I didn't react at all. It worried him, but he let me be. I took a shower in hopes it'd help. After I was out, Xanxus went in. I stared at myself in the mirror. My hair was starting to get long. I immediately grabbed the scissors I packed and started to trim my hair after getting dressed. It became a habit of mine. Xanxus walked out.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Isn't it obvious?"

He took the scissors out of my hands. He then started to cut my hair for me. I was surprised he knew what he was doing. When he was done, he put the scissors down. Dino then walked in with dinner. His face turned red. Xanxus was still in a towel.

"W-what's going on?"

"He's trimming my hair." I pointed out the obvious.

"W-well, dinner is here." Dino said, putting two plates down.

"Thank you, Dino."

He left as fast as he could, slamming the door behind him. There were two large plates full of food. I wasn't as hungry as I thought. The words mom spat did this to me. She was going to break me. After Xanxus got dressed, we sat at the table and ate. It was quiet, but I appreciated it. Squalo came in without knocking. He had dessert.

"Why do I feel like I came in at a bad time?" He asked himself. We were just eating. "Are you alright? You'd be finished by now." Squalo said after looking at my half-full plate.

"I lost my appetite."

"Was it your mom?" He asked. I nodded and sighed. "Did it also have to do what you said before you left?" I nodded again. "Why did your mom call you broken?" Squalo asked.

"My body is broken because I was an idiot. It's my fault." I spoke in a monotone like fashion.

"What happened?" Xanxus asked me.

"I…can't talk about it." I tugged at my hair out of habit.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Squalo asked me.

"Don't ask me about what happened. I hate myself over it. Too many people already know. They all saw." Xanxus shot Squalo a look I couldn't make out.

"We won't ask anymore." Squalo put a hand on top of my head.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Get some rest." Once Squalo left, I let out a deep breathe. There was a small piece of cake on the table.

"Eat it." Xanxus said, pushing it towards me.

"I can't." Not even cake will help me in this situation.

"Don't you remember? Once that family is dealt with, you're coming home with me. This town will be a distant memory."

"I know, but it still hurts. I never knew my mom would think of me like that. I knew some people would, but not her."

"Go lay down. I'll take care of everything."