Shout outs: Spazm, xNeve, ShareBearTheDeathBear, KhAeL, Genuisly-Unique, leogirl321

Please be warned for OOC. There will be a lot of that going on in this AU. And thanks to my scouz for betaing!

Chapter 3

Secrets

Kurara was sitting in Mukuro's office, waiting for him to return her keys. Having taken them from her because she had no idea which keys opened which doors, he was now twirling them around his finger while chatting nonchalantly on the phone. Every once in a while he'd glance over and smirk, obviously he was toying with her. Whenever Kurara tried to open her mouth to ask for them back, Mukuro would mischievously swirl his chair around so that his back would face her.

"Yes, that's right. Next Sunday will do. Maybe two or three. I don't know, you tell me. No, it's not a problem at all. Ah, how unfortunate, I'll see you then." He finally put the phone down and threw the keys at Kurara. She caught it clumsily and sighed in relief, she could leave in peace now.

"Thanks," Kurara muttered, getting out of her seat to leave.

"Wait, you – what's your name?" Mukuro asked suddenly.

"Erm, Masao Kurara."

"Kufufu. Be sure to visit again sometime, Kura-chan." At his too-friendly address, she shuddered. He smiled as she started out the door and shut it behind her quite hastily.

Mukuro watched her disappear out of sight through the glass window. He tapped his fingers against his wooden desk while falling deep into thought. It was a first – she hadn't noticed his strange mismatched eyes that most strangers would often recoil at. What then, was this young woman doing here as a miserable janitor? The phone began to ring again, he snapped out of his trance and answered it quickly. "Yes?"

There was a minutes silence as he stopped tapping his fingers against the table. He leaned forward in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. His face turned pale. His body stiffened. It was this phone call every month that he dreaded, but at the same time longingly waited for. Mukuro tried hard not to choke on his words. "She's alright, then? Yes, I want to talk to her."

His free hand was now balled into a fist, white and drained of blood. He tried to keep a smile on his face, in case anyone suddenly barged into his office or walked past the small window. He always had trouble hiding his crumbled self whenever this call came. Once or twice he'd nearly been seen in a chronic fit. It was a real hassle turning sadness into frustration, his greatest fear was to be caught in this distressing state of mind.

"No I'm not busy, talk for as long as you'd like," Mukuro's voice quivered dangerously as he spoke. He tried taking out a stack of paperwork to distract himself, barely skimming over the words as he listened to the sweet voice on the other end of the line. "I miss you too."

Just on her way out of the building, Kurara stopped in her tracks and remembered she had no idea how to get back. Feeling reluctant, she retraced her steps to the scientist's office, hoping he was still there. The corridor became less gloomy the longer she stayed, yet there was a strange feeling that she couldn't quite understand.

When she was once again standing in front of the office door, she raised her fist to knock, but then stopped abruptly at the sound of a man's murmur. Kurara craned her neck to peek through the small window. Mukuro had his face buried in his hands and the phone pressed between his ear and shoulder. He was shaking uncontrollably. Kurara could make out an insane crooked smile spreading across his face. At first she thought that he was going mental, but then, her heart tore into two. A stream of what seemed to be tears ran down his chiselled jaw. Her eyebrows creased at the sight – he was crying alone in his office.

The scene seemed to go on forever, for Kurara could not move from her spot. She knew once the weeping man put his phone down, he would look up and see her wide-eyed expression through the square window. However, her body would not listen to her, so she was left to witness the intimate moment. Her heart was thumping from both fear and heartbreak – why was this charming human being crying and shivering like it was the end of the world? She wanted to know so bad.

He finally moved his hands, revealing his wretched teary eyes. She saw his expression contort into a soft frown. He said something through the phone, but Kurara could only make out a 'goodbye'. And when he hung up, the worse scenario possible happened – he looked up with his tired, strained face and saw Kurara staring at him.

Mukuro froze in his place. Kurara finally noticed his blue and red eyes that were now looking horror-strucked at her. His lips twisted into a smile of anger and hatred, and she knew at that very moment, he would do all he could to unleash onto her horrors she could only imagine, and he would let her know that this was the price to pay for probing into a stranger's personal life. His eyes said it all; she had made a big mistake.

Kurara ran for it, her legs trembling as she did. She burst out the front door and bolted across the field to nowhere in particular. She was afraid for herself; genuinely petrified. Students would stare at her as she continued to sprint from path to path. She felt a throbbing stitch in her stomach, and after 10 or so minutes of jogging, she stopped at a white building and collapsed on the front steps. She panted, her heart still ricocheting loudly in her chest. The sweat across her brow began to dry up as she calmed herself. The horrid stench on her uniform smelt worse than before. Kurara sat up and felt a pang of pain on her right elbow.

What was that? She asked herself. The day wasn't over and already she'd made an enemy. Never mind an enemy, Rokudo Mukuro had the eyes of a serial killer, they were still vividly visible inside her head, his wild livid fury. Kurara was almost certain she wouldn't live for another week. What had she gotten herself into? She was meant to be looking for Mori, she was meant to be invisible! Why hadn't she just kept her big nose out of his private business and left him to cry in peace? Why was a grown-ass man like him even crying?

"Are you alright?" a sweet, twittering voice asked. Kurara looked up to see a pretty young girl with carroty orange hair. She offered her hand. Kurara took it and stumbled as she was helped up. "I think we should get you in the infirmary, can you walk?"

"Yes," Kurara replied, wanting a glass of water more than anything. The petite girl walked up the steps and opened the door to the small building. She motioned for Kurara to go in first.

"Thanks."

The inside was very simple. A few chairs spaced in a row, a glass coffee table and a few vases of flowers here and there. A clock was hung up against the wall. The receptionist at the counter was a tall, beautiful Eurasian lady wearing a white coat. She looked curiously up at Kurara and then glanced over at the carroty haired girl. "Kyoko, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, Bianchi! I found her sitting outside, she doesn't look too well," Kyoko replied, adjusting the strap of her bag and walking over to join them.

"I'm fine, I'd just like something to drink," Kurara said.

"Alright, take a seat, I'll get you a glass of water. Kyoko, don't you have a lecture?"

"Mmm I've no more classes. I'm meeting Haru and the boys later."

"Tell Haru I said hi, and make sure my brother doesn't say anything stupid to her, you know what he's like. His way of showing affection for a girl is ridiculous," Bianchi poured a mug with water and came around the reception to hand it to Kurara. She thanked her and chugged it down at once, water had never tasted so good before. Bianchi smiled. "So what's your name, I've never seen you around before?"

"Kurara, I just started work today."

"I didn't think janitors had to run around campus until collapsing outside the infirmary."

"I – er – um," Kurara stuttered.

"Bianchi, I better go now, my brother is calling me. I hope you feel better, Kurara-chan," Kyoko, who had her phone out, quickly shoved it back inside her bag and hurried out the door. Kurara was thankful that she had been interrupted before she could give a stupid reply to the awkward question. She sank into one of the cosy chairs and sighed contently.

When she really thought about it, even though this was her first day as a janitor, she hadn't done a single ounce of cleaning. Nobody would notice anyway, right? She wondered what she should do tomorrow to avoid losing her head to Mukuro. Her chest tightened at the experience from earlier.

Bianchi took the chair across her, and folded her arms. "So, how has your first day been?"

"Eh?" Kurara really didn't want to talk about it. She rolled the sleeve of her right arm up, and winced at a bloody graze on her elbow.

"Ouch. Don't touch it, I'll fix it up," Bianchi said, getting to her feet again and rummaging behind the counter for a first aid kit. When she'd finally found it, she opened the case, took out a disinfectant, and began spraying lightly on the wound. Kurara flinched as it stung, but Bianchi ignored her scunched up face and continued to question her. "You didn't answer my question, how has your first day been?"

"Overwhelming," Kurara blurted as a cotton pad was swiped over the cuts to clean off the dried blood. Bianchi chuckled as she stuck a few bandaids on her elbow. She was good with her hands, Kurara could see. She was reminded of her time as a nurse in training, if she had managed to finish the course, would she have turned out like Bianchi?

"You know, you don't have to be afraid of telling me anything. I know you're one of those fan girls looking for that guitar hunk."

"What? N-No!"

"A healthy, young girl like you with minimum wages as a janitor? There's plenty of other work around Namimori. The only reason anyone would take such a lousy job in this university would be either because you're old and retired like all of the other janitors, or if you're desperate for something here," Bianchi smirked.

"I … I…" Kurara was stumped. Was this obvious to everyone? She didn't want to have to leave now.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, it'll be our little secret. I think it's admirable you're pursuing love so passionately. Love is everything." Bianchi looked dreamily into space. Kurara was just glad she wouldn't spill the beans on her. She relaxed in her chair again.

"Are there many others?"

"Others?"

"Um. Fan girls?"

"Some of the undergraduates, but none of them have made it into Psychology so far. And students from the high schools nearby like to hover in our library, but the board is going to do something about that soon."

"Oh. W-Well, thanks for telling me," Kurara peered at the clock. Her shift was over long ago, and she was dead tired from running for her life. "I better go now."

"Wait, if you're going to be working here, you should get to know this place a little better."

Kurara tilted her head and looked curiously at the older woman.

Bianchi frowned, a look of seriousness spread across her face. She crossed one leg over the other, and folded her arms. Kurara leaned back in her chair again, she obviously wasn't going to leave after hearing that. Was there something she needed to know?

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Kurara," Bianchi said in a almost severe tone. Her beautiful eyes stared alarmingly at the young janitor, "There is more to the staff than meets the eye in this university, things that a better left unknown. I wonder if you'll be staying for long, chasing a boy you know nothing about. It would have been better if you became a student like all the other fan girls."

"I can't, I dropped out in middle school."

"I see," Bianchi said, peeking around to make sure no one else was listening. She flicked her hair to one side of her shoulder. "Well that's too bad then, you'll have to go with the hard way. How about this, I'll start you off and be your personal guide. Woman striving for love have to look out for each other don't they?"

"I don't know." Kurara scrutinized her for a good measure.

"I just need you to listen to me and I guarantee you'll survive for at least a month. Do you want to find Mori badly enough that you'll stay here as long as it takes?"

Kurara hesitated for a moment, but she knew her resolve before she even came here. It was pointless to go back, she would only disappoint her parents further. "Yes, as long as it takes."

"Good, then you'll listen to me and do as I say?"

Kurara nodded. She really didn't have a choice. Besides, the last thing she needed was another enemy, and even if she didn't know whether to trust this woman or not it was much better than blindly shaking hands with another Mukuro.

"Tell me, who have you met?"

"First person was an economics professor…"

"That was probably Dino, he likes to help newcomers. He's a nice guy, he won't be too much of a threat. But you can't be too sure, there was a rumour going around about him being the head of a mafia back in Sicily, I don't know if this is true or not. Just don't mention Hibari Kyoya, he gets very uncomfortable."

"Why?" Kurara asked, remembering Dino had avoided her questions about the Dean.

"You'll know sooner or later, I don't think I'm the right person to tell you," Bianchi averted her eyes to the ticking clock, then turned her attention back to Kurara. "Avoid Hibari Kyoya at all costs. If you see him flanked with any of his supporters, turn the other way. If you see him alone, run the other way. And whatever you do, never – I repeat – NEVER mention Dino to him," It was as if Bianchi had a clear picture of what would happen if Kurara did mention Dino. She was tempted to ask, but refrained herself from doing so. These two men seemed to share a rocky past.

"Are there any others?"

"Avoid my co-worker Shamal, only because he's an idiot. Don't go near the Law building, the professors there are all psychotic, especially Xanxus, don't even think about talking to him. The people over in Engineering are safe, but they're a bit obsessed with mechanics. As for everywhere else, just be cautious."

Kurara was beginning to think this university was full of raging lunatics. The staff all appeared to be very beautiful, young and gifted people, but judging by everything Bianchi was telling her, they were all on crack. She was then reminded of the one person that hadn't been mentioned. "What about Rokudo Mukuro?"

Bianchi froze. It took her a second before she could register the name that had been uttered in her presence. Her perfect features warped into a terrified, soundless scream. Her eyes had become shockingly large. "You...talked to him?" Kurara was becoming scared.

"I – I was forced by some woman. He'd left his keys in his office."

"Listen Kurara, you were reckless, you should have left the minute you were done with your job. Rokudo Mukuro he – he sullies the word of love. There's not a single girl in the science faculty that has not been ruined by him. He's capable of things worse than death. He's dangerous," Bianchi had leaned forward and gripped the edge of the table so hard, her hands were turning a ghostly white. There was an urgency in her voice that made Kurara panic. She was afraid to tell Bianchi of what had happened when she stupidly turned back and saw him, crying at his office with an expression of misery and helplessness, the twisted smile he had given her when she had been caught, everything was gnawing on her chest.

Bianchi glanced at the clock once more, but instead of turning her attention back to the subject, she got to her feet. "Just promise me you won't go near the science buildings ever again. I've taken a liking to you, and I'd be sad if you leave this place without finding your special someone."

" I didn't plan on going near it ever again," Kurara muttered anxiously, she too got up and started making her way out.

"Come back anytime, I'll be expecting you," Bianchi said.

"Thanks." Kurara left the infirmary with a head full of thoughts. Her gut had tangled into a pile of knots, and she felt a heavy weight on her shoulders.

It had become quite dark outside. She kept walking until she reached the university main entrance where many of the students were leaving. Car lights flashed here and there, she turned a corner and hurried to her bus stop at the other end of the street, there were no people around, and a single street lamp was planted awkwardly behind the bench. The light was dim, and she could barely see her own hands, but when she'd looked down, she realised she was still in her uniform and had left her belongings back on campus. Her phone, her wallet, her clothes, were all stowed in locker 68. She dug around her pocket for some spare change, but could find nothing but her keys.

Kurara felt her eyes brimming with tears. Frustrated, she swore under her breath. She didn't want to go back to that horrid place, she wanted to go home – home where he parents were. Namimori University was nothing like she'd imagined. When did schools become so intimidating? Why were professors like Mukuro even working there?

Things were all starting to seem like a big mistake. Lying to her parents and fending for herself, why did she ever think it would be easy? Her world was once again shifting to a dead end.

At 7 in the evening, Kurara wept quietly on the bench, all alone.