This is a revised and rewritten version of the story, HOMRA's New Stray ; renamed to Home Sweet HOMRA. I will eventually delete the old version of the story and will only continue with this one. If you have any compliment or critique, please drop it in the reviews so that I may improve in my writing.

Disclaimer: K is owned by GoRa and GoHands, I only take credit for my OC, Shishio Harumi.

CHAPTER 2

I blinked several times as my eyes slowly grew accustomed to the light. I heaved myself to a sitting position on the couch I slept on.

"Ah~ you're awake now are you, mademoiselle." a blonde male said to me with a smile on his lips. Kusanagi was his name if I recall.

"Judging from your size, you must have not eaten for some time," he continued. "Totsuka, bring that omurice over."

"Hai hai, one omurice for the young lady, coming right up," a tall guy with light brown hair said cheerfully as he placed the dish before me. "Eat up"

"Th- thanks for the meal." I started to eat. It wasn't much but to me, it was heaven. I gobbled down the food quickly, earning some stares from the people around me but I was far too hungry to be bothered.

"Do you mind telling us your name?" Totsuka asked as I finished eating.

"Harumi. Shishio Harumi," I replied, wiping my mouth with a tissue.

"Nice to meet you, Harumi-chan. I'm Totsuka Tatara," he said, flashing me a grin. "Anyway, why don't you tell us where's your home so we can send you back? Your family must be worried."

I couldn't help but flinch. Home… Family… It sounds so empty.

"I… I won't call it a home, it's more like a prison," I said in a soft voice, staring down at my feet. "My father, he never bothered to rescuing me. He just left me to rot or crawl back if they eventually gave up on me," I stopped when I noticed their pitying stares and plastered a wry smile on my face. A façade I learnt to put on no matter the pain, to never cry… father hated tears. "Anyway, I think I should go. Thank you for saving me and for the food."

Totsuka grabbed my wrist as I started to make a leave for the door, "If you don't want to go back, you can always stay here."

"Totsuka, we aren't a foster home or some help center," Kusanagi said warningly but his voice lack of edge.

Totsuka opened his mouth to convince the older man but before he could a small girl cladded in black and red gothic-lolita styled dress ran up to me. She pulled out a red marble from her frilly sleeve and stare through it at me with her red eyes with a doll-like face, devoid of expression. "So sad. So lonely."

"See? Even Anna-chan wants her to stay. Think of it, Harumi-chan would be happier here, right?" Totsuka pleaded the older man with puppy-like eyes.

The little girl known as Anna, cling onto my arm. "Izumo, let her stay."

The older man stare back and forth at the blonde male and the child several times before letting out a long sigh as if admitting defeat. "Fine. If Anna-chan says so, I don't see anything wrong with it. Go ask Mikoto if he have anything to say about this. He's probably dead asleep."

"Ano, I don't want to be of a bother to you. You've rescued me and that is more than enough," I protested but the idea of not returning to that hellhole intrigued me.

"It's fine. It's fine. It'll work out somehow," Totsuka chimed. "Come, I'll bring you to our king." Before I could debate any further, he took hold of my hand and dragged me up a flight of stairs behind the doorway near to where we sat earlier. He stopped at a door and gave it a knock. "King, we're coming in." The room was barely furnished save it for a bed, a table or two and a couch. I gasped and unconsciously took a step back. What surprised me was not the lack of décor but a redhead male lying on the couch. The male around mid-20s and had a lean but rather muscular build, red flames licking and dancing on every part of him. Despite his lazy position on the couch, he emits an aura like a lion ready to pounce on his unsuspecting prey.

"Ah, you're awake King," Totsuka smiled, entering the room as the male sat up. He didn't comment about the flames though. Either he's ignoring it or I'm still hungry that I'm hallucinating, I don't know. Either way, I followed him in.

"King, this is the girl we rescued from back then. Her name is Shishio Harumi. Apparently, she's in rather … complicated situation. Kusanagi and I discussed through and thought why not let her stay here for a bit? So whadya' say?"

'King' didn't reply just merely stared at me for several seconds. Seconds that felt like eternity. I tried to look elsewhere but his hazel eyes held me captive.

"Do whatever you want," he finally said in his deep husky voice.

"Eh, honto? Great, I go tell Kusanagi-san the good news," Totsuka turned towards the door and gave me a discreet wink on his way out. I bowed my head at the redhead and mumbled thanks before leaving the room, catching a last glimpse of him before I close the door behind me.

"Who is that man?" I asked Totsuka once I felt we were out of his earshot.

"You mean Mikoto? He's kinda our leader. He might look a little scary but he's a nice guy," he added with a laugh.

"You called him "King" earlier."

"Well, he is a "King"," Totsuka said so-matter-of-factly as he lead me towards the couch. He gestured me to sit and I obediently obeyed. "You see, a "King" is one that endowed with great power that embodies the natural laws of this world. There are seven kings existing and each clan receives a certain power that differs from each king that rules them."

"Huh?" I tilted my head in confusion.

"To be short, Suoh Mikoto is the king of the red clan and we are his clansmen. Ever heard of HOMRA? Well, that's us."

I nodded. HOMRA. Mentioning that name brought back snips and bits of stories and rumors I've heard before. Something about being a violent gang and there's people being burned to death or some sort. Last I heard they were devil worshippers. I asked.

"Devil worshippers?" Totsuka burst into laughter, "That's a new one. No we aren't."

"Anyway," Kusanagi came up to us, wiping his hands on a cloth, "Harumi-chan may stay in the spare room upstairs for as long as you would need to. Granted, you come down a help around in the bar from time to time as a small payment. Having a beautiful mademoiselle serving at the bar might bring in more costumers." He flashed a playful smile at me.

I blushed and bowed my head in thanks, "I'm sorry if I'm being a hassle but thank you for putting up with me."

"It's fine. It's fine," Totsuka waved it off, "We tend to rescue damsels in distress from time to time. Why don't we spruce up the room a bit? It's been sometime since someone lived in it."

I nodded in agreement and followed him up the flight of stairs again whilst my mind wondering, did I make the right decision on staying here? If I did, then how come I have this nudging feeling that I just escaped the crocodiles but fell into a lion's den instead?