Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, Amano Akira does.

Chapter 3: Hayama

"This semester is going to be fantastic! We're doing this exchange program and there's this extremely famous visiting professor coming. He's a genius in the mathematics field." Akaya raved as we walked away from the bus station.

"Sounds interesting." I murmured absent-mindedly as I took in the historical streets of Kyoto.

I thought we went to different universities in distant areas, but Greenie had recently started to do an internship at an after school program near her brother's school. I scanned the oddly familiar path as I followed Akaya down the road.

Everything was foreign to me, but at the same time oddly nostalgic.

Everyday I would receive subtle glimpses of Midori's memories after encountering certain objects. We would go to the convenience store and I would automatically pick out a beverage I've never tasted before, and it was apparently always my "favorite".

I slowly started doing things I never used to do, I had second thoughts concerning those who approached me. Were they lost? Did they need money? What if they left their wallet at home? What if someone just robbed them? That was until I could hear my own voice scream, he's trying to take your money to buy illegal crap! He's trying to rob you, say no!

It was like her personality was starting to clash with mine, to merge with it.

It was disconcerting.

"Yeah and he's visiting with a bunch of foreign exchange students from Italy! I've already met one, he's my speech-buddy you should meet him." Akaya's enthusiastically said, breaking me out of my musings.

I grimaced, "Sounds wonderful."

I was also becoming paranoid towards anything concerning Italy, or Namimori for that matter. After the close encounter with the skylark known as Hibari Kyoya, I shut myself in the guest bedroom of Sayaka's house till it was time to leave. I avoided sushi restaurants, baseball parks, and walking in Namimori entirely. I was not going to have any random chance encounters.

Not one chance.

I felt moderately safe in Kyoto, Namimori was approximately 100 miles away. Even if the canon characters decided to visit Kyoto on a school field trip I would probably be able to notice them. A hoard of annoying teenagers were hard to miss, all I had to do was high tail out of there.

But the prospect of Italy and anything to do with it, still put me on the edge. Which was preposterous, because why would Reborn even be in Japan if he wasn't here to tutor Tsuna?

I practically had zero chances of running into Reborn and his mafia crew.

But stupid Midori, and her stupid belief in superstitions had me wary. As if she was here and mocking me I could hear my own voice chanting in a higher pitch, "Terrible luck, terrible luck, you've got terrible luck!"

So far, I was having bad luck too. I had already stubbed my toe three times, hit my funny bone once, and gotten four hot drinks spilled on me since that stupid oracle reading. However for the past few days nothing horrible happened, and I was hoping I was hitting a lucky streak.

Or something awful was about to occur, really it could go either way.

After parting ways with Akaya, I entered an elementary school building. Hakagawa Elementary was a prestigious school that offered an after-school program for children to enrich their minds and bodies.

Which translated to a program where rich kids were placed because they had too much time on their hands, whereas their parents didn't have any time for them.

"Welcome back Midori! Glad we get to finally work together. How was vacation?" An energetic young woman greeted me at the door. Her black hair was pulled into a tight ponytail and her long bangs were clipped back with a pin embellished with a cartoon character, that must have been popular with the kids.

"It was fine."

I glanced at her name-tag when she wasn't looking at me, "How about you, Riko?" I hid a grimace as an image of the young woman drinking tea with me emerged.

"Great! I went to visit my grandparents." I smiled slightly as the bubbly woman told me stories about her day. Riko and Midori were co-workers who instantly got along, as they bonded over herbal teas and traditional medicines when they first met in university. Which was a bit strange in my opinion. I knew Riko was interested in those things due to her parents owning an herbal shop, however I had no idea why Midori had been so invested in it.

Despite her memories coming back to me, there were still many things about Midori that I didn't know about.

We rotated around the classroom, helping kids with homework or starting them on group activities. It was tiring, I had never worked with kids in my life and trying to handle them had taken a toll on my stress level.

I sat down and gratefully looked out the window, it was getting dark out and a majority of the kids had gone home. I blinked in confusion as I noticed a young girl sitting by herself reading a book. Had she been there the whole time?

"Hey, who is that girl over there?"

Riko glanced up and said, "Oh Hayama? She's a rich kid. Mother's a famous actress and her step-father is part of some big shot company."

I rolled my eyes, her family background wasn't what I wanted to know. "Why is she alone? Does she have problems with her classmates?"

Riko's lips thinned, "I wouldn't say problems, it's just they don't really like her. The other kids think she's creepy. She sometimes blanks off and just stares at people."

"But she's a good kid, right?" I had to stop myself from tugging on my ringlets, a nervous habit Midori had developed in elementary school.

She smiled, "Of course she is, she's a polite and sweet girl. She does her homework no problem, she's just a bit introverted."

"Introverted?"

"She doesn't really talk to anyone. I tried to do group activities and get her involved with the other kids but she just doesn't want to interact with them. She might just be really shy."

I nodded slowly and frowned as I thought how lonely it must have been for her. I paused and shook my head.

Why the heck did I even care about this girl?

There was an odd part of me that empathized with her. That wanted to comfort her, be her friend, and tell her everything was going to be okay.

Why did I feel so compelled to help her?

Before I knew it, I was crouched down and facing the sitting blue haired girl.

"Hey there sweetie, I need some help stapling. Do you want to help?" The words left my mouth before I could even register them.

I fought a grimace, as I felt utterly revolted with myself at the sickening sweet and high pitched voice that came from my mouth.

Did I just use the word sweetie? Oh my god what was I becoming?

The girl blinked owlishly and nodded shyly. She fidgeted with her fingers as she followed me slowly into the hallway.

I felt awkward. Was I supposed to engage her in a conversation? What was I supposed to say? She was so quiet!

I paused my stapling as I saw her stay rooted to her spot, staring at one of the drawings.

"Let's see, what are you looking at?"

I crouched down slightly and glanced at a picturesque painting of a meadow, a family of three cats were crowded around the center. There were two large cats gathered around a much smaller kitten. I spotted another cat perched high up in a tree with a bright yellow halo placed above it.

"What a pretty picture," she blushed heavily as I smiled. "Did you draw it?"

She nodded shyly and wrung her hands together. I stared at for awhile as I started to realize, this was probably a drawing of Hayama's home-life. Quickly I erased the impending frown from my lips and turned towards her with a gentle expression.

"You did a great job," I awkwardly patted her shoulder.

She smiled slightly and turned towards me as if to say something.

"Hayama-chan, your caretaker is here!" The girl immediately shot up from her position and looked towards the door.

A middle-aged man with rectangular glasses was standing next to Riko. He had a pristine black suit on and he stood by the entrance way, checking his watch impatiently. He glanced at us and called out to her, "Nagi."

I flinched and leaned against the wall, as pain erupted in my head. A barrage of memories of a blue haired girl with a pineapple hairstyle hit me. She was laying on the floor with her stomach collapsed, and blood dribbled from her mouth as she whimpered.

Nagi, I need you.

Mukuro-sama.

You have done well, my cute little Chrome.

I winced as I tried to ignore the ache, and I glanced at the blue-haired girl warily who stared at me blankly. I shifted my body slightly backwards, startled by how dull looking her stare was. It was slightly unsettling and I started to understand why the children found her creepy.

The man briskly continued, "Hurry up your mother is on a tight schedule. She needs to be leaving for Tokyo soon."

Her stare lingered on me for a moment longer before she nodded and darted into the classroom door. Almost immediately she was back out again with her bag in hand. She fumbled with her zipper as she tried to put her coat on, causing her to drop her bag in haste.

Her caretaker clicked his tongue and grabbed the blue haired girl's book bag, "We're leaving now."

Riko sent him off, "Have a good day."

The man dismissively nodded and walked out the door. Hayama quickened her pace, bowed to the teachers and stumbled as she tried to chase after the man while putting on her shoe.

Riko scoffed, "That manager is always so rude. Same with the mother, it's a wonder Hayama knows any manners."

I breathed deeply and asked cautiously, "Earlier that man called her something else."

The dark haired woman glanced at me and ranted, "I know right? He doesn't even use honorifics or Hayama's surname, just goes straight to her first name. It's so rude!"

"So her full name is...?"

There's no way she could possibly be-

Terrible luck terrible luck, you have terrible luck!

"Hayama, Nagi."

A dry laugh escaped my lips.

I mean really, what were the chances?