That night, I snuck out of Kazuma's house to get some snacks. My stomach knew no bounds. There was also the trouble of Hibari members following me. I couldn't allow Kazuma and the rest to get involved. If they got hurt, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. While on my nightly stroll, I could hear footsteps coming up behind me. I couldn't chance anything. So, I hid in an alley way. Two men stopped right in front of the alley, unable to see I was there.

"What shall we do?" One of them asked.

"We were told to bring her to the main branch to be readjusted."

"Readjusted? That girl will be tortured beyond repair. We might even need to put her down."

"We'll find her easier if we split up."

"I'll meet you back at the house later."

When one of them left, the other guy took his phone out. He stayed on the line for five minutes. When the call ended and his back turned towards me, I grabbed him, making sure his mouth was covered. Before he could even look, I snapped his neck with ease. I heard a small crack. Instead of dropping the body, I dragged it further into the alley. I messaged my garbage man where the body would be and left to get snacks. In the small corner store, I found my favorite chocolates and brought them to the counter. I paid and then left. A familiar truck went by. It seems like the garbage man collected the trash. My phone buzzed with a message. It was from an unknown person.

"'I know what you did.' Huh? What kind of cliché text is that?" Another messaged appeared. 'Come to the park. I'll be waiting for you, little bird.' It was one of the Hibari. "I wonder who wants to be in my presence."

As I made my way to the park, I sensed someone following me. They weren't doing a good job at concealing themselves either. I turned and didn't see anyone. "You can come out. I know you're following me." Out from the shadows came a tall, spiky haired man. As I looked closer, I recognized him.

"Levi?" I questioned with surprise. He nodded and walked to me. "Do you have business?" I asked.

"You're wearing Xanxus' feather."

"Huh? Oh. I always wear it."

"Why?"

"It's important to me."

"I see. What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I came to visit someone."

"Why are you out late?" He asked again.

"I went to get snacks. Someone wants to meet me in the park, so I need to get going."

Levi immediately tensed up and held my shoulders. "Let me go with you."

"Why?"

"It could be dangerous."

"I know it's dangerous." I said with furrowed brows.

"Why are you going?"

"I'm curious about who wants to meet me."

"I won't allow you to go without me." I put a hand on top of one of his. He was just worried about me.

"I'll be fine, Levi. Trust me, alright? I can take care of myself."

"And if you're ambushed?"

"I'll deal with it."

"Xanxus wouldn't want you to go alone."

"He…doesn't hate me for leaving?" I questioned.

"He'd never hate you. He's worried about you more than he's ever worried about anything. In fact, we're all worried."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't lie about that." Levi kept staring into my eyes for a straight minute.

"Fine! You can come with me, but you can't show yourself unless I give you a signal."

Thankfully, Levi agreed to this. He filled me in about how everyone was doing. They were all doing well and fighting like usual. I think I'd be worried if they haven't fought. I didn't tell him about dad. If I did, he'd tell Xanxus and then they'd all be here to kill the Hibari. That was my job and my mess to take care of. In the distance, I could see the younger Hibari brother.

"Stay back here." He nodded and hid himself. I walked over.

"I'm glad you made it. I was afraid you'd be scared and run off." The Hibari said with his usual grin.

"Why would I be afraid of you?" I asked sweetly.

"I could end your life any second."

"And?"

"You're not afraid of death?"

"No." I answered truthfully.

He hummed with interest, staying silent for a minute or two. I didn't care how much time passed. It didn't bother me. "I'm interested in you, Shiori. One minute you're this sweet, innocent girl and then I hear you've killed my family."

"Why would I kill your family? It's just your brother that makes my life hell. I'd rather go after him."

"You're not bothered I'm calling you a murderer?"

I smiled brightly. "It's not the first time I've been called that. You get used to it after a while."

He stood up and handed me an envelope. "Open it." I did and saw a large stack of cash. I pulled it put a little and counted. There was more than fifteen thousand dollars. Why would he give me cash if he hated me?

"What's this for?" I asked.

"Take it and get out of the country."

"Why?"

"I looked into why this whole situation came to be. My brother always goes overboard with everything. This is no exception. You didn't listen to the rules and now you're being targeted. Run away. You'll be all set for a while until you're settled."

"I'm confused. Why do you want to help me? I'm the enemy, aren't I?"

"You can say it was Kyoya who insisted." I tilted my head. "He's in the dark about everything happening and the reasons why you're targeted. He knows you don't do anything without being provoked. Even though we're your enemy, you've not once held a grudge against or even tried to harm Kyoya."

"I don't harm those who aren't the issue."

"Excuse me?" He looked at me, unsure how to take my answer.

"Nothing good will come from harming Kyoya. Sure, it'll be fun to see everyone's reactions, but it'll get nothing done in the long-term. If I want to do something where it hurts, I'll go for the one that's causing all the trouble."

"My brother."

"Exactly." I handed him the cash back. "I'm thankful you thought of me in a good light and want to help, but this won't change what's been done. My father is still dying. Money won't fix him and it definitely won't change how I feel towards your brother."

"It'll guarantee your safety." He countered.

"Safety can never be guaranteed." I retorted

"Do you want to risk getting killed?"

I shrugged. "If I die, I die. It's as easy as that. If that's all you wanted to discuss, I must be getting back. I'm tired." I started walking back to where Levi was hiding.

"Wait." I turned back around. "Why are you unfazed at what we're doing to you?"

"Why do birds have wings?" I asked him the same thing when I met him.

"That question again? It's pointless. Birds fly for survival. When they're kept in cages, they prosper."

"When you figure out the correct answer, you'll know why I'm the way I am." I walked away, eventually meeting up with Levi. "See? It wasn't bad at all."

"What did he want?"

"He offered me a lot of money to run to another country."

"Why?" He asked as we started walking.

"They're after me, Levi. His brother is the one that wants me killed."

"Does Xanxus know?"

"He does. He knows this is personal, so he's letting me take care of the situation myself. When I'm done dealing with them, I'll go to Italy."

"Where will you stay?"

"I'll stay with him."

"You're okay with that? He is a man."

I sighed. Everyone thought that because Xanxus is a man, I should be afraid to live with him. He wouldn't dare hurt me. "Xanxus is the only person I have the capability of fully trusting."

"Why is that?" Levi asked.

"He makes me feel safe. When I'm in his presence, the screaming goes away."

"Screaming?" I nodded and took out one of my snacks. I took a bite. "What screaming?"

"My own."

"Shiori…"

"I'm pretty messed up, but he doesn't seem to mind. I like that about him. I know he wants to know what happened, but I need to face what happened myself before I can face him."

"I think no matter what you tell him, he'll call you an idiot for worrying."

I smiled, thinking of Xanxus saying exactly that. "I'm sure that will happen."

"Have a good night, Shiori. I'll be in Japan for a week. Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, Levi. I might like some company actually. I've been rather lonely."

The next day, I was forced to go to the shops with Hanayo, Tsubasa, and Nozomi. The three refused to go without me. All I wanted to do was go home. It was mundane, but it wasn't entirely terrible. I even bought myself some things. I could tell Levi was watching me from a distance. He didn't need to keep watching me, but he was extremely protective. He'd probably be by my side if I allowed it. It was, in a strange way, endearing. One shop in particular we went to was a lingerie store. The three kept picking things up and wondering if they should get it.

"Hey, Shiori, you have a boyfriend, right?" Tsubasa asked.

"No." I answered firmly.

"Who was the guy you showed us?" Nozomi asked.

"He's a friend of mine."

"You're wearing his feather." I nodded.

"What color does he like?" Hanayo questioned.

"I don't know. Why are you asking?"

They wore an innocent smile that worried me. "Don't you want to impress him? He's a potential boyfriend."

My face lit on fire. Me and Xanxus? There was no way. "It's always good to have a few nice sets for special occasions. We buy these things for ourselves." Hanayo led me off to get sized. After being sized, the three went crazy, looking at different sets. I could either look for myself or stand awkwardly. So, I went to the opposite side of the store and looked through a few racks.

I really had no intention of buying anything here. Some things were just too cutesy. It wasn't my style. "Are you looking for something?" A clerk walked over to me.

"I'm just looking."

"You don't seem to like these styles too much."

"They're too cute for me." I admitted. She smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Let me bring you to another section of the store. This section is more for teenagers and women who want to be young again."

"I see." I was led to the very back of the store where the lingerie was on the sexy and revealing side. There were only a few customers. Most of the women looked like they wouldn't wear lingerie of this kind.

"I'll leave you be. If you need any help, don't be afraid to bother me. It's my job."

"Thank you."

I walked to one of the tables and instantly saw a difference. These sets were much more revealing and mature. There were no hearts or cliché designs. I actually liked the sets. I picked up a black lacy set and actually liked it. That's when I saw movement from the window in front of me. I looked and saw Levi in the distance.

"What is he doing?"

He pointed to the set I was holding and held a thumbs up. I sighed heavily and kept looking, trying my best to ignore him. I found a red set similar to the black I held. I saw Levi shake his head. I tilted my head. What didn't he like? He mouthed 'color'.

"Oh."

I picked up another similar set that was a darker red. Levi nodded. "You're finding things you like?" Nozomi walked over to me.

"Yeah." I said, keeping my eyes on Levi.

"I always knew you'd be this type."

"I just like them. There's no hidden meaning."

"You should try the light blue." Nozomi handed one set over. Levi shook his head, making an X with his arms.

"Who's that?" She asked.

"He's a friend."

"Does he know the mystery X man?"

"He does." Nozomi held a dark navy blue set up. Levi nodded. Tsubasa and Hanayo walked in and saw Nozomi showing Levi made different sets.

"What's she doing?" They asked.

"A friend of Shiori's mystery man is here and helping pick things out for Shiori." Nozomi explained.

"Isn't that weird? He could be picking things he likes." Tsubasa said. She did have a good point, but Levi isn't that kind of man.

"No." They looked at me. "He's too loyal to do that."

"Oh!"

The two joined Nozomi. Levi was on the phone, talking to someone. I hope it wasn't Xanxus. By the end, there was a pile of sets compiling of different designs and styles. "There you go, Shiori. You're all set for seducing any man you want." Tsubasa said too enthusiastically for my taste.

"I really didn't want that." I responded, gathering the pile and bringing them to the counter. Levi was already there, with a card in his hand. "What are you doing, Levi?!" I questioned.

"I'm buying them for you."

"What? Why?"

"Lussuria told me to."

"That's who you were talking to?!" He nodded. The clerk smiled as she took the pile out of my hands. In total, all of the sets cost about three hundred dollars.

"If you want, you can add some matching garter belts. It's only a few more dollars." The clerk said with a sweet tone.

"Get them!" Tsubasa chanted. The clerk added them in.

"Levi, you don't have to buy them." I said.

"No. Let me. Xanxus is allowing me to buy them."

"He knows about the sets?!" The four of us shouted.

"He just knows it's something for you."

"Look at that, Shiori. You have a rich man." Tsubasa said, patting my back.

"Shut up, Tsubasa."

Levi gave me the bag and left. "I wish I had a man like you do, Shiori." Nozomi commented.

"Shut up, Nozomi. We're nothing other than friends."

"Just leave her alone. She did buy something after all. We'll leave her love life for another day." Hanayo calmed the two idiots down. We left the store and went window shopping for a little bit. I looked at the time on my phone.

"I should leave before it gets too later. I'd like to make it home before sunset."

"Have a safe trip back, Shiori." Hanayo said.

"If you see you know who, tell us how it goes."

"Shut up, Tsubasa." I knew why Kazuma stomps on her all the time.

"Visit us soon, okay?"

We went our separate ways. Levi was still following me. I dealt with it and got to the train station. He stopped when I got on the train. When I got back to Namimori, I started walking home. It was an accomplishment that I made it home a couple of hours before sunset.

"It's Shiori." I stopped and saw Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Gokudera.

"Did you need something?" I asked.

"How was Kanade?" Yamamoto asked.

"She's doing well. If that's all, I need to get home."

"What's in the bag?" Yamamoto asked me. He was persistent. It was something I hated.

"It's just some things I bought." Gokudera squinted his eyes at the bag. The name of the store was in French.

"Lingerie?" He said quietly. The two beside him gasped.

"You should keep things to yourself, Gokudera."

"Wait! It's actually lingerie?" I sighed.

"Are you even old enough to buy it?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna was flabbergasted by his friends.

"I'm seventeen. I'll be eighteen in a few months."

"You're older than us?" I nodded.

"Why are you in our year?" Tsuna asked the only legitimate question.

"Between traveling and transferring schools all the time, there were some screw ups. The school here just stuck me in a random class instead of actually fixing the problem." Plus, having to recover from two life threatening incidents that left my body broken definitely didn't help. It was why I was put in some advanced classes that helped get me up to speed.

"Where have you traveled?" Tsuna asked with genuine interest.

"I've been to many places." I answered.

"Like where?" Yamamoto questioned.

"I've been to Canada, China, Spain, and a handful of others." Their eyes were wide with shock.

"Why did you travel to all those places?" Gokudera asked.

"I studied in different countries."

"You must be rich."

"I'm not rich, Yamamoto. I'm just smart."

"How does that work?" Tsuna questioned. He seemed to be interested in traveling. At least, he was interested in me traveling.

"I put in an application. Since I get nothing but perfects on my exams, the school paid for everything."

"You should tutor me, Shiori, since you're so smart." Yamamoto said cheerfully.

"I'll do it for a price."

"How much do you want?"

"A thousand dollars for every session."

"What?!" They shouted.

"That's an absurd amount of money." Tsuna was flabbergasted.

"Is it? That's how much I got payed back in Tokyo to tutor some delinquents. Though, their families were Yakuza. I guess I'm used to how things were in Tokyo." Their mouths were gaped open. I took a step away from them.

"You're involved in the Yakuza?" Tsuna asked.

"No. They just gave me money because their sons are absolute degenerates with no futures in academics. Now, I must really be going. I'm tired and extremely hungry."

After that little run in, I finally got home. I made a large feast for myself. Food came first before anything else. I've always been like this. After eating a large stir fry, I washed all the lingerie I bought. There were fifteen sets in total. There was one that was too risky to wear no matter the special occasion. I'm still not sure why I decided to take it, but Levi seemed adamant I get that one. Was it Lussuria that wanted me to get it? I wonder why, but we're talking about Lussuria. He's more concerned about fashion than anything else. I started the washer and took a well-deserved shower. After, I looked at all the bills that were backed up. Thankfully, Kaoru and Syoko insisted on paying for the larger bills. The house mortgage included water and electricity. That was the only large bill I had. Everything was junk mail. However, there was a letter from the hospital. I opened it.

"'It's to my deepest regrets that payment will be due after the patient leaves our facility.' They want me to pay the hospital bill?" I looked passed everything and saw the price tags. At the bottom were multiple dates and charges. By today, I would owe three hundred thousand dollars. If dad stayed for a couple more months, I'd need to pay over a million in fees. "I see what you're doing, Hibari. I won't be made a fool of." I put my shoes on and went to the hospital.

Thankfully, the first person I saw was Shamal. "Here to see your dad?" I handed him the letter immediately. His eyes widened. "They're forcing you to pay?"

"Yes."

"I wouldn't know anything about this. You'd have to talk to administration."

"Can you bring me to them?" I asked quietly. I could see a few Hibari family members in the waiting room. Shamal brought me across the hall to a room. He stayed by my side when I went to talk to the one in charge. And of course, it was a Hibari.

"You move fast. Are you here about the letter?" He asked.

"I thought I wouldn't pay anything."

"That would be true if it wasn't for your little disappearance act."

I tilted my head. "Why am I just now getting the letter?" I questioned.

"It's the hospital protocol. What will you do, miss? Will you pull the plug now or wait until the patient passes to pay?" Shamal was shocked into silence. He wasn't expecting that question and neither was I.

"I'll wait and pay the full amount." I answered confidently.

"If your payment is late, there will be even more fees."

"I'm aware, sir." His smile had a sadistic tint to it. He was enjoying this.

"I wonder where you'll get this money. However, the head of my family will pay if you meet him."

I smiled at him, throwing both men off. "Tell him I'll meet him in hell. I'll reserve him a seat right next to me so we can spend all of eternity together." I said in a light, airy, and condescending tone.

"What? Are you threatening the head of the Hibari?!"

By this time, everyone was staring with fear. Everyone in this damn town but me was terrified of the Hibari. "I'm not saying I'll kill him. Just, if he's drowning, I'll destroy the life preserver. Have a good day, sir." I turned around and walked to the door.

"Let's hope you'll have a peaceful sleep tonight, miss. You might have a nightmare." That's how it'll be. I put a hand on the handle. I softly laughed as I walked out. Shamal ran to me.

"You can't stay home tonight, Shiori." He warned.

"Why not?"

"They'll possibly kill you."

"What can you do?"

"I'll bring you to a place where you'll be safe."

I shook my head. "I don't trust you. I have a feeling you're not what you really are." He tensed right up. I got my answer with his body language.

"Why can't you trust me?"

"I don't have the capability to trust anyone. I'll deal with my mess. You're only a doctor." I said coldly.

"You're only a kid." I couldn't stand to be in his presence anymore.

"Your only job is to keep my father alive. Keep it that way."

"What if I could help you pay?"

"Everything comes at a price. Let's say I do let you pay. What do you want in return?"

"Nothing."

"You're a liar. Sure, doctors make a pretty penny, but who in their right mind would throw that much money away unless they were part of something else? No regular doctor would, Shamal. You don't need to tell me what you're involved in but know I'm aware of what happens in the background."

As I was walking down the street, I saw Kyoya. He stopped me. "You." I kept a neutral expression on my face.

"Is there something I can help you with?" I asked.

"One of my father's men disappeared after he went to your place a couple of weeks ago. Do you know where he went? We're afraid he's been kidnapped." Kyoya said.

"If I remember, his name is Kai, right?" He nodded. I hummed and put a finger to my chin. "He looked over my house and then left. I'm not sure what happened. If I see him, I'll let you know." He nodded and kept walking.

I knew Kyoya was smart. Naturally, he suspected me. The entire Hibari family is my enemy. Kyoya is only easy to manipulate. I'm seen as a trouble child to everyone but him. At the same time, I knew if his father told him to kill me, he wouldn't hesitate. The moment anyone tries to kill me is the moment they'll beg for mercy. Unfortunately for them, I can't forgive easily or care about mercy. They'll get what's coming soon enough. One by one, I'll show the Hibari family head just who he's dealing with. I'll make this whole town go mad.