The three men stopped outside a large, traditional style house. Kyoya knew his father and uncle were proud at their accomplishment of finally capturing Shiori. It was still something he didn't even understand. She wasn't a threat by any means and didn't display any sign of physical strength. There was no gain in capturing her. The three turned to look at Shiori and froze. She was gone. How did she leave without them knowing? Wouldn't they have heard her? Throughout Kyoya's life, he's never seen his father lose his cool until now. He put a hand over his face.

"Where did she go?" Kyoya's uncle asked. "Kyoya, did you hear her leave?" He asked Kyoya.

"No."

Kyoya's father shook with anger. "What shall I do, brother?" The uncle asked.

"Don't do anything."

"Why not?" The uncle asked.

"I'll give her this win for now."

Kyoya was surprised. Usually, his father would have whoever defied him killed or severely injured. However, Shiori was the only exception. She was the one that everyone in the family talked about. Yet, Kyoya didn't know why everyone was obsessed with her. Even though he didn't have many interactions with her, she was always on time and didn't cause any trouble for anyone.

"Shall I give orders?" Kyoya's uncle asked.

"No." Kyoya's father turned his back to them. "If she steps out of line once, Kyoya, go ahead and give her the Hibari specialty."

"Yes, father." It was the only thing he could say. Even he couldn't defy his father. At least he didn't dare do it in the state his father was in. It'd be too dangerous.

For the remainder of the week, I noticed Kyoya watching me a lot. It was probably on his father's orders. He'd even be patrolling the hallway my class was on more than usual. No one in class seemed to noticed. At least, no one openly spoke about it. They were all too afraid of Kyoya. On my way home on Friday, I saw him standing between the school entrance and the gate. I had a feeling he was waiting for me, but I kept walking.

"Stop." He spoke.

I stopped a few feet away from him. "Yes?"

"How's your hand?" He asked.

I tilted my head with confusion. I thought he'd ask how I left or make me go with him. I lifted my hand with my palm facing him. There was only a small scratch left. He was slowly coming to the realization the wound wasn't as bad as it initially looked. "I'll be just fine." I could see his body tense.

"Impossible…" He muttered.

"What is?"

Kyoya grabbed my hand and stared with disbelief. "Your hand should still be sliced open."

"Should it?" He nodded. "I guess I'm a fast healer." It wasn't that at all. I only made one spot in the middle of where I cut that was deeper than the rest. It was enough to fake a larger wound. "May I leave, sir?"

"Yes."

I gave a small bow and walked right past him. I had to cover my mouth as soon as I left the gates. Yuko was starting to rub off on me. I wanted to laugh right in his face, but I knew better. Kyoya was innocent until he tries to attack me. Plus, it'd be more satisfying to laugh at his father and uncle instead. They gave me this small victory probably out of pity. For them, it's one too many victories. They'll come sooner or later. I didn't know when, but I knew I had to be ready at any time. This was a simple game between a cat and a mouse. They just didn't realize they were the mouse.

When I got to the hospital a couple of days later, Dad was resting in bed. I couldn't come before just in case the Hibari would ambush me. The nurse taking care of him told me he was in a coma and wouldn't wake up anytime soon. No one knew when he'd wake up. Even not knowing when he'd wake up, I'd still visit him. I wanted to be by his side as much as possible. I'd change the water for the flowers I got him and talk about how my day was to the finest detail. Just seeing him lay there motionlessly made me feel numb. There was nothing I could do to help him. All I needed to do was wait. The doctor walked in. To my surprise, it was Shamal. This was actually my first time seeing him outside of the school.

"You're that student that passed out." He said with surprise.

"How's my father?" I asked wanting to know what was exactly happening.

Shamal took a look at the chart in his hand. He flipped through a few pages. "He's lucky to be alive from the beating he took. There's a chance he'll make it."

"You don't need to sugar coat things. What's the chance of him actually waking up? I need to know this."

Shamal looked straight into my eyes. "There's a low chance of him actually waking up." My grip on dad's left hand tightened. In the back of my head, I knew that would happen, but I didn't want it to be true. No one wants their parent to be in this situation. "I didn't want to get you depressed." He said with a sigh.

"It's okay. I appreciate you telling me the truth."

"Do you know what happened? Did someone attack him? The entire staff is acting weird and refuses to treat him. So far, it's just me and a traveling nurse who will actually help him."

"I know who did this to him and it's why no one but you will treat him."

"Who did it?" He asked.

"The Hibari family." I didn't bother to look at Shamal. I kept my focus on dad's face. "Everyone in town is afraid of them because they'll break you if you don't obey their laws."

"Have they tried to hurt you?" He asked seriously.

"They've tried multiple times."

"Do you need help escaping town?"

I shook my head and smiled. "I'll leave once my business here is done."

"What business do you have? You could potentially end up like your father. He wouldn't want you to get hurt." These were the times I hated when no one knew what I could endure or what I could do. Even if they did, they'd even be more protective of me. It was a curse and a blessing at the same time.

"It's rather complicated, but it does involve the Hibari family." Shamal then handed me a card. "What's this?" I asked.

"Take it. If you're ever in a bind and need help, call me." He looked too serious for a normal doctor.

"Having you taking care of my father is more than enough for me." I commented.

"And if they end up kidnapping you? What if they torture you instead?" Shamal asked which confirmed my suspicions. No normal doctor would think of something like torture.

"It's okay. I know some terrifying people. One little scratch is all it'll take." I replied with a maddening smile.

"Shiori?"

"I'm from Tokyo. I know scary people."

"Yakuza?" Shamal questioned quietly.

"It's only natural. I was always a curious child that loved adventure. I just so happened to adventure too far into the shadows." I said. Syoko would take the Hibari out without any hesitation if they hurt me. Kaoru would start torturing the men with his blade. Yuko would make them beg for mercy.

"Will you have them killed?" Shamal asked.

"That's not my decision. I only call for help."

"Well, still take my card. You never know when you'll need it."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

Shamal left the hospital room and went on break. Why did the Hibari want to target Shiori's family? They didn't seem like they'd cause trouble. It was unlike anyone, much less a teenager, to be this calm with their parent in a coma. Shiori should be sobbing knowing her father would probably die. Plus, her ties to the yakuza were unexpected. All in all, Shiori was a mystery. Reborn would like her. It's surprising she didn't get on his radar at all. A shadow in the break room moved. Shamal's trained eye caught it immediately and followed behind. The shadow was a man in a suit. He stopped at the door Shiori was in and took out a gun. Shamal could immediately sense the blood lust that came off him. He then fell to the floor thanks to one of Shamal's mosquito.

"That man is already dead. Why are you after Shiori? What do you want with that girl?" Shamal questioned the unconscious man.

By the time Shiori left, the body outside the door was taken care of. Shamal decided to follow Shiori home just in case she was attacked. She hummed softly to herself. Just as Shamal predicted, more men were after her. One walked right up to Shiori.

"Your father is already taken care of and you escaped our family head. His orders were to give you the Hibari specialty." He said with bitter cold.

"If it's anything like what you've done in the past, I don't want any of it. I'm tired." She replied.

"You're not going home tonight or any other night."

"I'm so scared." Shiori sounded bored.

"We were warned about you."

"I'm glad you were. The other warnings weren't taken seriously." She didn't seem bothered by the men.

"You always mock us when we're superior to you, to everyone!" That's when Shiori kicked him as hard as she could between his legs. It made Shamal weak at the knees. The man fell on his back.

Shiori stepped on him. "Look how superior you are now." She spat on him before leaving. Shamal got a phone call shortly after Shiori walked away.

"Shamal."

"Reborn? What do you want?" Shamal asked with surprise. Reborn never called.

"I'm bored and Tsuna isn't very entertaining."

"I see. Where do you want to meet?"

"The café would be nice. I've wanted some decent coffee." Shamal hung up and kept watching Shiori's back getting smaller and smaller. She'll be fine for tonight. He couldn't sense any other bloodlust in the area. He turned around and went to the café. Surprisingly, Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were there as well. The three teens were surprised to see him.

"Good timing, Shamal. Did you just get done your shift?" Reborn greeted.

"I did a while ago."

"I hope you weren't stalking any girls. That'd be bad." Reborn teased.

"I wasn't stalking anyone. I was making sure she'd get home safely." Shamal clarified.

"Who are you stalking this time?" Reborn questioned.

"It's not stalking. I was making sure Shiori got home safe."

"Shiori?!" The teens shouted.

"Yes, your classmate."

"She isn't there for you to take advantage of!" Gokudera shouted angrily.

"She isn't your type at all, Shamal. What's going on?" Reborn questioned seriously. The table suddenly got cold. It was as if a breeze was blown into the café.

"Her father was admitted to the hospital about a week or two ago. When he was admitted, his body was completely broken. I'm surprised he survived that. Now, he's in a coma and probably won't wake up. I have a feeling he'll pass away in his sleep from his heart giving out." Shamal explained in a hush tone.

Gokudera tensed up. He knew Shiori was looking for him. She must have found him like that. All of the boys thought about how it'd be like to find their own loved one in that state. "Who attacked him?" Reborn asked.

"Hibari."

"Huh?" The teens questioned.

"Not your classmate. The entire family. I don't think Kyoya has anything to do with it. If he did, he'd probably would have hurt Shiori by now." Shamal said.

"Were they after her father?" Tsuna asked.

"They're after her. They probably attacked him to get her to submit herself to them. So, I gave her my contact information in case she was in trouble." Shamal explained.

"You'd go against the Hibari family? That's awfully brave of you." Reborn commented.

"It is, but I couldn't help it. They're all under orders to give her the Hibari specialty."

This made the teens pale. They knew what Kyoya could do and knew they didn't experience all of his strength when they broke into the disciplinary committee room. "Why are they after her?" Gokudera questioned.

"I don't know. She didn't say either." Shamal wanted to tell them about her yakuza connections, but the three would treat her differently. If they did know, it'd add a lot of stress onto Shiori.

"It looks like Shiori got a lot more interesting." Reborn commented with a smile.

"You're not bringing her into this." Tsuna said.

"I will if she's valuable, but from what I know, she's weak and has body issues. She won't do the family any good."

"Body issues?" Everyone questioned.

"Don't tell me how you've seen how she dresses. She's always covered and doesn't show any skin. She was a gymnast, so she does has a good body."

"I never thought it was weird." Yamamoto said.

"You never think anything is weird." Tsuna and Gokudera said.

"Tsuna, become Shiori's friend and invite her over for dinner." Reborn commanded.

"I can't just do that!"

"Do it or else I'll kill you." Reborn looked at Shamal and saw something bothering him. "Was she attacked on her way home?"

"She was." This got the teens' attention.

"Did you take care of the bastard?" Gokudera said, steadily getting angrier.

"She took care of the guy herself. The guy talked too much and she nailed him right between the legs as hard as she could. The guy instantly passed out."

The four paled from imagining the pain. Even Reborn didn't want to know what that would feel like. Hell, if he was in his adult body, he'd be terrified to piss off the girl. "Well, let's hope Shiori stays safe and her father makes a full recovery." Reborn said enthusiastically.

"It'll be one hell of a miracle if he survives. I'll even celebrate that." Shamal commented unenthusiastically.

Tsuna looked into the distance. Shiori must be going through a lot right now. Her father might die and she's being targeted. She looked like someone who couldn't tolerate any pain. It broke his heart knowing the danger she was in. She was always quiet and minded her business. She didn't deserve to be hunted down like this. It didn't set right with him.

Soon, it was Christmas. It was my favorite holiday, but since I was by myself, it hurt a lot more. The days leading up to Christmas were dull and the actual day numbed me. I still went shopping for food, but everyone stared at me with pity. News spreads fast in Namimori and I'm sure the Hibari were the ones to spread the news about me. "Shiori?"

I looked up from my feet and saw Dino. "Dino? What are you doing here?"

"I came here for New Year's."

"And Christmas?" I questioned.

"This was the only flight. Do you celebrate Christmas?" He asked.

"I do."

"Why do you sound so sad?"

"I'm by myself this year."

Dino frowned. "Are your parents working?"

"It's something like that." I gave a small bow. "I'll see you later." I walked away but Dino ran up to me.

"I'm not leaving you by yourself on Christmas. We can celebrate together."

"Why? You probably have plans somewhere else." He gave me a large smile that told me everything. "You were looking for me, weren't you?"

"You and Squalo can see right through me."

"You make it too easy." I commented dryly.

Dino laughed. "Squalo says the same thing all the time." When we got to my house, we walked right in. Even Dino could feel how empty and cold it was. Once the door closed, Dino became serious. "What's wrong? Are your parents really working?"

"They're not."

"Where are they?" I put the bags on the table.

"My mom abandoned us. Those people attacked my father, putting him in a coma he'll probably never wake up from. Even if he does, the wounds he took were severe." I explained as I took the groceries out of the bags.

Dino's expression turned from serious to shock. It looked like he was tearing up. "Why did your mom abandon you?"

"I was stupid and because of what those people did to me years ago, my mom lost her love for me."

"She shouldn't hate you for that. She was probably worried."

"You don't understand, Dino. She changed after I was rescued. She became fake and distant. She didn't even help me recover. My dad was the only one that cared and now…" I stopped myself and sighed. I couldn't even say it myself.

"You don't know your dad won't survive."

"It'll be a miracle if he'll even wake up. They broke him, Dino. His whole body was broken." I could still see every detail on dad's body whenever I remembered what happened. There was nothing left untouched.

Dino ran and hugged me tightly. "It'll be alright. I can't promise your father will survive, but I'll do anything to help you with whatever you need."

"You don't have to."

His grip on me tightened. "You're my friend, Shiori. And as your friend, I won't stop bugging you until you're in Italy with everyone."

"Huh?"

"Squalo told me. You're staying with Xanxus when everything is taken care of, right?" I nodded. "See? Even if the worse happens, you have everyone back home."

"Home…" I said to myself.

"Your new home." It's still hard to consider anyone a friend. It's even harder trusting them. Slowly, I started to trust them bit by bit. If any of them were to turn their back on me, I'd probably never be able to open up to anyone again. Dino let go with his usual idiotic smile that always eased my worries. "Let's get on with the Christmas celebration!"

When Dino left, Shiori was sleeping on the couch in her pajamas with a heated blanket on her. The television was on a random food program that she seemed to enjoy. She's been suffering lately and it was Dino's job to make her as comfortable as possible. The Varia weren't here to help her, so he had to do everything in his power to help. Dino went to Tsuna's to sleep and to check in with Reborn. Dino planned on bothering Shiori tomorrow and for the rest of the time he's in Japan. When he entered the house, Reborn and Nana were up having tea.

"You're here late. Did your plane get delayed?" Nana asked.

"I was with a friend."

"Really? Why?" Nana asked with curiosity. There was no ill meaning behind the question.

"Her father is in the hospital, so I spent Christmas with her. It seems to be her favorite holiday."

"That's awfully nice of you, Dino. You should bring your friend over so we can all meet her." Nana said brightly.

"I might one day." Nana shortly went upstairs to sleep.

"How's she doing?" Reborn asked.

"She's clearly depressed. She isn't even looking at the possibility of her father living."

"At least she has her mother." Dino stayed silent after Reborn spoke. "What do you know?"

"Her mother had an affair with a Hibari and abandoned Shiori. She's all alone. Her father is all she has." Dino spoke in an empty voice.

"What about friends?"

Dino shook his head. "She says she doesn't have any. I consider her a friend, but she doesn't see me as one." He explained.

"Was she sleeping when you left?" Reborn asked.

"She's all snuggled up in an electric blanket with one of her favorite programs on the television. We made a lot of food, so she has food for tomorrow."

"Despite what I say, you're a good man, Dino. You just have to wait for her to be legal and then marry her." Dino shook his head. He didn't want to face the consequences of even having a crush on her. Plus, Xanxus would get pissed at him and that's one level of hell by itself.

By the next morning, I woke up on the couch. The blanket Dino put on me kept me nice and warm. I didn't want to get up. Thankfully, the remote was close by for me. I wanted to watch cartoons. The door opened, letting in the cold winter air. "Shiori? Are you up?" Dino asked.

"Yes."

Dino walked in with a bag of things from the convenience store. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Warm."

"I'm guessing you like the warmth."

"It's the only thing that makes me feel safe." I muttered as I sat up.

"Like the warmth when Xanxus cuddled with you all night?" Dino teased.

My cheeks turned pink. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're probably right. I was tired that morning." Dino sat on the couch with a knowing smile. I didn't want to think about that. That was so unlikely of me to do. "So, what's on the agenda today?" Dino asked me.

"Nothing."

"Sounds good to me. I brought snacks on the way. Squalo told me these are your favorite." I took the bag and looked inside.

"For someone like him, he's awfully good at remembering mundane things." I commented, taking a chocolate bar out.

"Knowing someone's favorite snacks isn't something mundane. It means he knows you well."

"No. These are the ones I tell him to get and the only ones I got when he was with me." I unwrapped the chocolate and started eating it. "Hey, Dino?"

"Yeah?"

"When you're dealing with a big problem, where do you start?"

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

"If you had an argument with someone very close, where would you start to mend that relationship?"

"Squalo told me you just went and disappeared in Tokyo. I'm sure you're worried about what Xanxus thinks. Knowing him, you just need to pout and everything will be alright." Dino replied with a warm smile.

"It's not about Xanxus." I said sadly.

Dino was confused but tried to help me. "Well, you'd just have to start from the beginning."

"And if you're scared of going to the beginning?" I asked quietly.

"I don't know. I've always had someone forcing me to do it. Though, it did make me feel much better after I went through it." I sighed heavily and finished my first snack. This would be a long process. "Why did you leave Xanxus?" Dino asked out of the blue.

"Enough was enough. I was using them too much as an emotional crutch."

"And you're dealing with everything alone?" I made a noise of agreement. "You can't face things by yourself. Sometimes, you need someone by your side."

"I'll be fine. This is something I need to do by myself." I replied. I didn't want anyone with me. I didn't want anyone to know my past.

"Shiori…"

"I'm sorry, Dino."

"It's alright. I know how hard it is for you to trust someone." He replied softly.

"You wouldn't even know the struggle."

"You're probably right. So, what will you do first?"

"The only thing I can do is go to the very beginning of everything. I guess I just needed someone to tell me to do it." I said.

"If you need anything, even if it's just company, I'll be here."

"Thank you."

When Dino left, I went to the hospital. Dad was still in bed, not moving an inch. They had him hooked up to many machines to help him live. It was mind-numbing to see him. Shamal walked in with his report.

"He's the same as the last time you came to see him."

"Do you think he'll survive by next week?" I asked.

"Yes, but anything can happen."

I wrote my number down on paper and handed it to him. "Call me if anything changes in the slightest."

"Will you be out of the area?"

"Yes." I stood and left the room and went straight to the train station.

I'd be in Kyoto in two hours. My leg shook the entire way from nerves. I wanted to go back home, but I needed to do this. If I couldn't face this, I wouldn't be able to face what happened in Tokyo. The train finally stopped. I got off and went off the beaten path. The path I was looking for was hidden behind a building and a few bushes that were planted to keep people out. This path was one I used to take all the time for months. It used to be full of students. Now, the only things on the path were toriis and nature. I stared at the stairs leading towards the final torii. At the top, I saw a tall, broken down building. Nature had already gone and overtaken the entire thing. Even when I used to go here all the time, the building looked like it was going to be swallowed by the forest. It's what happens when years pass.

"It's about time you came back. At least, that's what you'd say to me." My former school stood in front of me with all its glory. "I'm here, Kanade."