I'm back!
I think this story is about to approach the climax+ending. I want to end this fanfic when Ayano graduates high school.
The continuation would be like a sequel, because I don't want a 50+ chapter in a fanfic LOL
Please leave a review?
"Please talk."
Ayano's voice echoed lightly across the dining room. It posed no threat, but rather a demand for a response, from the toddler who was sitting across the table. It was strange enough to invite the kid to her house, and even stranger to watch him drink coffee—which, at such an age, should be unsafe to consume.
When you're an orphan yearning for the whereabout of your biological parents, desperation would accept any leads, even if a five-year-old kid claimed to have one.
But it wasn't desperation that drove the long-haired girl to have this conversation.
It was her sense of loyalty. To the Nicolaous.
She wanted to protect the remaining reputation of her family.
Because despite its unresolved and dark past, her family was the only thing that made Ayano feel like she belonged somewhere. It was her family that gave her an identity that she struggled to find during her times in the orphanage.
And if her family's secrets were supposed to stay buried, then she needed to keep that seal shut.
Which was why she needed to find out where Reborn could possibly have retrieved any "information" about the Nicolaou's past.
"You have a nice house, Ayano-chan."
"What do you know about my mother?" she ignored his compliment, all seriousness in the air with a façade behind the fatigue of the 3-hour sleep that she only got.
"First things first. Are you sure it's fine that you're not helping at the gymnasium?"
It was currently Sunday, the day after Winter Ball, and Reborn's concern was legitimate. As a member of the council, Ayano was required to help with the clean-up operation at the school's gymnasium. Dodging a responsibility was frowned upon in the council. But for the sake of this "talk", she created a lie to excuse herself from the work. Something about a body ache, and that it was the "time" of the month.
"You don't have to worry about me, Mina-chan is vouching for me. Now, as I asked before, what do you know about my mother, and where did you get the information?"
"We have plenty of time, I'll tell you about your mother at the end, saving the best for last. Let's talk about you first."
Ayano didn't like his condition. She was in her own home; shouldn't she be able to dictate how the conversation would go?
"I refuse."
She's good, Reborn admitted. He might have miscalculated her will.
He ignored her refusal and continued, "some Sundays, you travel alone… far. You'd enter this abandon building, then come out after about an hour. Sometimes you'd be there longer," his gaze met hers, searching for a reaction.
Maybe his surprise element was not delivered properly, because she remained steady and calm.
An aspect of the Rain flame, he noted to himself.
"You're stalking me? You're not a normal kid… are you?" behind her glower was a hint of something that Reborn characterized her to have.
Which amused him because he was right. About this girl growing to be a "fighter".
"As I was saying, I eventually figured out what was going on in that abandon building, and I was quite impressed. A range place? Were you learning how to use a firearm?"
She stayed quiet. Any reaction from her could be taken as a confirmation.
"Guns are illegal in Japan, which made me wonder how that place is even allowed in the first place. Turns out, it is a supplier for the Yakuzas, protected by that town's local government. Corruption can really do wonders," Reborn revealed.
In the midst of keeping a calm appearance, her breath staggered a little. Ayano admitted, she was horrified that someone else found out about her secret. But being in her own home gave her the strength to not give in Reborn's underlying intimidation. Not in her own house.
So she remained silent.
"I actually admire your fearlessness. But you made one mistake, Ayano-chan. You forgot that the range place is exclusive only to the residents of that small town."
What mistake? she questioned herself. She was aware of the rules in GM's town. It was even written in her mother's diary. GM also clarified it to her when she told her the truth about herself.
"Let me remind you," Reborn took off his hat. "You have to be a registered resident of that run-down, town to be allowed in that range place. But you're a Namimori resident. Therefore, you have no protection from a criminal charge that you could receive—which is the illegal use of firearm."
She was also aware of this risk, but GM reassured that she was protected under his business.
"I'm not a criminal, Reborn-san, if that's what you are accusing me of. Besides, I am not involved in that activity," she bluffed, which didn't work in the presence of a professional hitman.
"We both know the truth. I have proofs; pictures of you entering the place, which I can send to that town's city hall. They might think that you are a spy for a higher branch of the government. The yakuza business doesn't play. Even worse, they will eliminate anyone who dares to disrupt their business."
Never mind her safety. But she realized one consequence that Reborn seemed to not be knowledgeable about.
If Reborn proceeded with his threat, she might end up putting GM's business in jeopardy.
GM revealed previously he almost lost his wife due to Dimitri's carelessness. What would happen if GM was found to be cheating the deal between the Yakuza and the local town hall? Would she be the reason that GM's life would once again, be put in a messy situation?
Ayano could not allow such thing to happen. Her little brave façade was slowly crumbling, which Reborn noticed.
Turbulence disrupting the ever-calming rain, he smirked. A victory for him, that the conversation was going according to his plan.
"You're too intelligent at such a young age. What are you, Reborn-san?" panic was lurking around her, but her remaining courage was guarding.
"Fair enough, I guess it's time for me to be transparent to you about myself. I'm a professional hitman. It's too complicated to tell you why I have this body, but I am a lot older than you are."
Hitman? She found this hard to believe. But at the same time, what else would explain how a kid could have a mannerism of an adult?
Dwarfism? That's a real medical condition for sure, which would explain his physical appearance. But a hitman? She was doubting it.
"I don't get it, Reborn-san… What would you gain from this, from your intimidation?"
The toddler took a sip of his morning coffee. "I have a deal, in exchange for the confidentiality of your illegal… hobby."
"A deal? This is more like a blackmail," she corrected.
More or less, Reborn beamed to himself. "My condition is simple. I want you to join Vongola. I evaluated that you are mature enough to know the details about this."
Vongola—this term she heard already multiple times in the past, but never really cared to seek its meaning.
"Vongola is the most powerful mafia organization." Before he could continue with his pitch, an interruption came from Ayano slamming her palm on the table.
"That is the silliest thing I've heard. Is this a joke? Why would I join a crime organization? To commit even more crime?"
He blinked at her, then smiled upon her frowned reaction. "Because I know how your mother is tied with the underground world."
She let out a small gasp, which indicated that she briefly forgot the conversation was supposed to be about her mother.
"Ten years ago, a syndicate infiltrated a base owned by a Vongola branch. All firearms and weapons were stolen. And that syndicate was led by a female figure."
Reborn pulled out a document from his briefcase, revealing a photo taken by the surveillance camera. He continued, "her identity was not difficult to figure out by the investigators. She's been on the run, I'm assuming from her enemies, this whole time. The Soteria scandal."
The woman in the grainy photo definitely resembled her mother, and the date on the corner confirmed that it occurred around the time Reborn claimed.
"And what proof do you have that what you're telling me is real information?"
"This information is supposed to be available in public, even online. But for some reason, any search results are immediately shut down. It seems that someone is trying to erase their existence online."
"If she was on the wanted list, then why was I never apprehended, being her only daughter?"
"Because no one knew about your existence. Besides, I also found out that she got banned from entering Japan. That might be the reason why you've never been investigated by any of her enemies, because it just never crossed their minds that she would have a kid in Japan."
She was protecting me, Ayano recalled GM's advice to her. Which was why she should protect her mother as well, by not letting such information be unearthed.
He handed all the documents to her, as if he suddenly lost interest in the value of those papers.
"You can have these. I know you don't want anyone else to know about your family, Ayano-chan."
Her eyes darted back to the toddler. "What are you implying?"
"You stopped investigating your mother. There's a reason, right? Like Pandora opening a box she wasn't supposed to open, so now you want to protect whatever is left."
How did he read through me? A chill run down Ayano's back.
"Was I right?" Reborn smirked. "If you join us, your friend will help absolve your mother's crime to the Vongola, as well as help clean your family's name, and I will keep your own crime a secret between us."
This was a questionable compromise, at least for the Nicolaou girl. She struggled to gulp, but she fought back the impediment. "What friend are you talking about?"
"He's training to be Vongola's 10th generation boss. He goes to Namimori high. Oh, and his other friends are also involved. I think you're smart enough to connect the dots."
Indeed she was. She now recalled which "friends" have mentioned the word "Vongola" before: the Sawada circle.
Wait a minute, she collected her composure. Couldn't she just threaten him back about reporting the Sawada—
"Don't even think of turning the table around, Ayano-chan. Reporting us to the authorities is futile. We are more powerful than you think," Reborn warned.
So her hands were back from being tied. "But why me? I'm not fit for it…"
The toddler put his fedora hat back on. "Of course you are. Leadership runs through your family, you just haven't explored your potential. I'll let you enjoy the rest of the year. I'll get your answer after this month. Think about it carefully."
The moment he walked out of her house, Ayano's legs collapsed on the floor. Putting up a brave front exhausted her. She wanted to consult her aunt, but she wouldn't want Agatha to get involved.
What should I do, mother?
The Nicolaou girl didn't sleep a wink these past two days. First, the Winter Ball involved a lot of work to make the event a success, and with Reborn's revelation, how could she sleep comfortably?
To make it worse, with the semester ending in two weeks, there were a lot of things needed to be completed in the office, on top of studying for the final exams. How was she supposed to focus when the thought of Reborn haunted her everywhere?
It was currently after school, and Kusakabe just informed her about the big pile of paper on her desk that needed to be processed. To Ayano, that meant one thing: awkwardly spending a big amount of time with a guy who "rejected" her two days ago.
As she stood still in front of Hibari's office, hesitant to even knock, her thoughts raced a mile.
Her brain screamed, it's just school work, be professional!
Her heart fought, run away girl!
She convinced herself that the rejection should serve as a closure. But still, she felt a little uncomfortable to go back too soon to her normal routine as Hibari's secretary.
"Are you coming in or not?"
The dreaded, familiar voice behind made her jolt, accidentally crumpling the paper she was holding.
"The door is not going to open itself, woman."
She stepped to the side to let the male enter his office first before following his footsteps. As soon as the door closed, no one muttered a word.
The pile on her desk made her wish she had contracted the flu so she could stay home instead.
She cleared her throat in an attempt to dispel the awkward silence. "Uhm… This is quite a pile of paperwork; do you want me to complete all by the end of today, Hibari-san?"
"Hn."
"What a cruel man," she muttered under her breath.
So the two worked endlessly. Except that one of them was very distracted.
She was distracted.
Distracted by the fact that everything seemed back to normal. As if that night never happened in this room.
Hibari didn't even look bothered, at all. Which she thought was unfair because, why was she the only one suffering from this, uncomfortable situation?
She was juggling too many thoughts in her mind. There was Reborn's proposition. Also, who knew that a couple of Namimori students ran a powerful underground organization?
One hour passed and Ayano was still moving at the speed of a sloth.
"You are awfully slow, herbivore."
She didn't hear him. In fact, the mess in her brain might have impaired her sense of hearing for a while.
Her eyes widened by a sudden warm feeling on her hand. Her head turned at the sight of her left hand being jailed by her chairman's grasp.
"You're cold. Get yourself something warm. I don't need an incompetent worker right now," and with those words he released her hand.
His unexpected behavior brought Ayano's attention to his bracelet that engraved the word "Vongola" in it.
You are kidding me. She slowly pushed herself out along with the chair, recognition dawned on her face upon a seemingly another, revelation.
"Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?" his eyebrow raised upon the sound of her pen rolling out of her desk and hitting the floor.
Her attention returned to his wrist. "Your absolute authority and power over everything, it all makes sense now."
Hibari traced her point of vision, which ended on his exposed Vongola gear bracelet.
"Is your head ill? I have no idea what you're talking about, herbivore."
"Reborn-san told me everything… about the… Vongola," the word catapulted itself out from Ayano, which her chairman countered with a frown.
"It's all child's play. Why would you believe it?" He feigned ignorance by continuing his paperwork.
"It's not about believing it, it's about… you won't get it," she looked away feeling defeated.
She couldn't care less about the Vongola stuff. She was not that different from them—her family ran an underground organization, too.
To her, it was about protecting GM's occupation and possibly, saving her mother from the manhunt by a powerful mafia.
"Then get away from him if he bothers you. Even if it's true, then you know the danger. I thought you're smart."
"You don't know me." She rose from her seat, approached the door and was suddenly stopped before she reached the knob. She slowly turned around, facing her adamant chairman who trapped her with his arms so that she could not run away.
"What did the toddler tell you?" Hibari could tell that something was wrong. It was written all over her face—something was making his secretary feel conflicted.
"He…wanted me to join," she looked up to avoid eye contact, her eyelids fluttered to suppress the moisture forming in her eyes.
Something was telling him that there was more than that. "What else?"
"If I tell you, you wouldn't understand. Because you always put your pride first."
"What does my pride have to do with this?"
"I'm afraid… that you'll hurt me."
A tear accidentally escaped and rolled down her cheeks, which she quickly wiped off. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to prevent any more tears from coming out.
She was indeed, afraid of his judgement. She was afraid that if he found out about her usage of firearms, he might perceive her as a threat to his beloved Namimori town.
And the fact that she cared about what he thought of her was a sign that, she still liked him.
"Why would I hurt you?"
Her gaze reverted itself back to his. He now looked determined to find out what the toddler told her. She opened her mouth, but words wouldn't come out.
She wanted to speak desperately, to explain her situation, to seek for comfort. She wanted him to see from her eyes where she was coming from.
But what would Hibari know about sympathy?
Ayano's head hung low. "He left me with no choice but to play his game. Your mafia game. How I wish it is only just a game."
Her pain was evident. He could tell that her tongue was tied, not being able to say more than what she wanted to.
He blackmailed her, was the only answer that made sense.
Hibari's body moved by itself, accordingly, closing the distance between their body and wrapping his arms around her head. Her small frame fit perfectly against his own, his chin resting on the top of her head.
"Hibari-san?" her muffled voice searched its way to be heard. "What are you doing?"
"I will find the toddler and bite him to death for blackmailing a Namimori student."
He figured it… out? Oddly enough, she felt a sense of relief.
Because he seemed to have respected the fact that she couldn't fully disclose her situation.
Her arms climbed up, finding their way to intertwine with Hibari's back.
"This is confusing, usually you don't hug the person you rejected," her soft, unsettled laugh drowned on his uniform.
"Who said I rejected you?"
Ayano looked up in surprise—maybe a little too quickly.
Because she just accidentally hit his chin up with her forehead.
Which also resulted to their intimate action breaking apart.
She was mortified. He was irritated, slightly.
"Can you stop being clumsy for a day, herbivore?" he softly glared at her, clearly the impact stung by the way he was rubbing his chin.
She blinked at his irritated reaction. Then, her mouth curved into a smile that let out a small laugh.
"I'm sorry, Hibari-san, I… just… we are really bad at communicating, huh?" she chuckled, despite wincing at the pain that her forehead received. So I wasn't rejected, I just assumed the worst scenario, she scolded herself.
He scrutinized the sudden change in her mood. One moment ago, she was helpless. Now she was back to her usual self—the cheerful Ayano that he enjoyed occasionally.
Good, he mumbled mentally. Hibari turned around to go back to his desk.
"Herbivore, learn how to defend yourself before playing this game. If you can't, then stay out of our way."
She did know self-defense. What she learned and how she learned it—she could not reveal to him, yet.
"Again, you don't know me."
With the tension in the room gone, the Nicolaou girl approached her bag to retrieve her wallet.
"I'll be back I promise, I'm just going to get myself a warm drink."
Who knew that the person she dreaded to see today was the one that calmed the storm inside her?
So I finished the story outline of Safe and Sound...
and I don't think y'all ready to meet the mysterious mother. *tease* *tease*
I want to know, from the bits of pieces that I dropped about Yoshino, what kind of person do you guys think she is?