A/N: Hey guys! Okay so like, early update because I don't know, I feel like it. Hope y'all like this. It's a bit hard to wind down from the last chapter tho. ; A ; also it's a bit weird. Anyhow, here's the chapter!

After the last plate was dried and packed away, they both stood there, a little unsure of what to do next. Finally, the blond piped up first.

"Well, I mean…it's late so…" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, chuckling softly. "I should be…um." He gestured towards the door.

Hiroomi felt a sharp tug at his heart. He didn't want him to go. But he forced out a laugh anyway. "Yeah. I'll, um. I'll see you tomorrow." Both boys stood there for perhaps only a few seconds, before Akihito laughed. He turned around and waved, opening the door.

"Bye then." Hiroomi walked towards the door, holding it open as the blond made his way down the stairs, watching him as he left. The green-eyed male was about to close the door when Akihito turned around.

"Hiroomi. Thank you."

He left quickly after that, the whisper almost inaudible in the night but it echoed in the raven-haired male's mind, repeating and replaying over and over. There was something almost like goodbye in those three words and Hiroomi couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Uneasily, he trudged upstairs, his heart heavy, and his footsteps even heavier. He shrugged off his shirt and slid out of his jeans, and slipped on a pair of cotton pants before collapsing into his bed.

Sleeping half-naked always felt better than with those stupid itchy clothes on. To be honest, Hiroomi preferred sleeping completely naked but suffering the many lectures from Izumi-neesan and Mitsuki just wasn't worth it.

He gazed at the ceiling, his mind wide awake and he lay there for hours, the clock ticking slowly away. He heard Mitsuki and Izumi-neesan come home, opening and shutting the door quietly, and heard their footsteps fade away to an inaudible click from their bedroom doors.

Even so, the anxious feeling just wouldn't go away. He tossed and turned and when he finally fell into a troubled slumber, he dreamt of things that he couldn't remember, but even so, would leave lingering traces in his mind. He dreamt of the most torturous anguish imaginable. He dreamt of screams that would ring throughout his mind, even in the morning. And he dreamt of incomparable suffering.

He dreamt of Akihito, chained as a youmu to a wall and watched as he was slashed over and over and over till his vision was stained red by blood that wasn't his and tears that would never stop. Akihito screamed for help, wailing, weeping, begging for salvation but he could do nothing. He struggled against the ropes that held him, but nothing would work and he was rendered useless. Always useless. So he surrendered to the sadness and wept silently at the pain that wasn't his own.

And he forgot.

Hiroomi gasped and sat up, drenched in cold sweat. His whole body felt like it was on fire and he panted breathlessly. He drew his knees towards his chest and wrapped his arms around them, still breathing heavily. His mind was hazy and his head had a pounding headache. Reaching a hand to his forehead, he swiped his fringe away and took a deep breath, pressing an exceedingly warm hand to his brow. The headache pounded like a drum and he could hardly think straight. He stumbled out of bed, still half-naked and made his way down to the kitchen. Pouring a cold glass of water, he downed it in a gulp, and stood leaning over the sink, feeling a little better. He opened the tap and put his head under the running water, enjoying the coolness it provided, and slowly, his headache receded.

That was a bad dream. A really bad dream. He couldn't remember what, but he shuddered at the thought of it.

He hadn't had any nightmares for a while now. Not since…the last time Akkey had….

He dodged a look at the clock.

6:30.

It was early. Much earlier than normal. He shivered. The cold was starting to get to him again.

"Guess I'll go for a run then…."

Hiroomi tiptoed upstairs, careful not to disturb anyone else and slipped on a light t-shirt and track pants. He put his earphones in and turned up the volume and hit the streets running, enjoying the rising sun against his back and the deserted streets, stopping a few times to say muted Good Mornings to those who were up, mostly elderly people, and to a few stray cats he chanced upon.

Normally this would've felt divine. The wind against his face, the crunching of ground beneath his sneakers, the smell of the world in the morning. The warmth that spread through his entire body that made him feel so, so alive. The feeling of superiority that the rest of the world was asleep and he was not. The feeling that, without a doubt, that there was life bubbling underneath the surface of this city, but he could pretend that there wasn't. That he was the only person alive in this wide, vast world.

Normally.

But today, something was off. Terribly off. The wind seemed almost suffocating. The ground felt like mud; dragging him down with every step he took. The air was sticky and it clung to his skin and his whole body felt cold; the sun felt cold and running did nothing to warm him up. He felt like a dead man walking. The city seemed bereft of life. Like the vein of energy running like roots beneath the ground had been cut off and the normally innate thrum of vitality was just gone.

Hiroomi clicked his tongue, annoyed and apprehensive, and took the short way home and intended to ask Izumi-neesan about it. As he veered into his front yard, he slowed to a walk and gathered his breath before entering, walking into the kitchen. He walked to the bench, getting another glass of water and flicked his eyes to the clock.

7:30.

An hour? I've been out an hour? He frowned. Today's run had seemed shorter to him, but apparently he had been gone as long as he normally would've been. Why was everything so strange today? Everything felt so wrong and-

"Hiroomi."

He turned around, coming face to face with Izumi.

"…Izumi-neesan. Good morning."

She smiled. "Good morning. How was your run?" She walked towards Hiroomi, and he felt a little intimidated. Izumi always made him feel like that. She gestured to the coffee machine behind him. "May I?"

He silently moved out of the way, leaning against the bench with his arms crossed, setting his cup down. "Something's wrong, nee-san. What is it?"

She hummed lightly under her breath, quietly making her coffee. "Hiroomi, we had a guest over yesterday, did we not?"

Hiroomi stiffened a little and closed his eyes before answering. "Yes."

"Who?"

"….Akkey."

"I see." Izumi finished making her coffee and pulled out a chair, cradling the mug in her hands.

Hiroomi opened his eyes. "But that doesn't answer my question. What's wrong?"

Izumi swirled her coffee around with a teaspoon before taking a sip. "Hiroomi, I want you to escort Kanbara-kun from school to the Photo Studio today. Shindou-san wanted to see him I believe." She smiled, the smile not quite reaching her eyes. "If you need help, you can ask Mitsuki, but I don't imagine you would."

Hiroomi was suspicious. What isn't she telling me? No, why isn't she telling me? Because I will endanger her plan? In that case, she's going to do something bad. Something I won't like and I will change. Mitsuki? No. She wants me to escort Akihito…

Akihito.

Something's going to happen, and Akihito is involved.

Why? Why is he involved? What could Izumi-neesan want from him that would benefit the Nase family? After all, that's all she wanted.

Ayaka-san wanted to see him too…maybe something to do with youmu?

Hiroomi's mind whirred away and Izumi could see that. Nevertheless, she had perfect confidence that he wouldn't find out what she had planned. She didn't allow him to.

"Hiroomi? Will you do it?"

He flicked his eyes to her, suspicious but not rebellious. "…Yes."

She smiled again and took another sip from her coffee, closing her eyes. "That's good. I suggest you start getting ready for school. And call Mitsuki up will you please?"

Hiroomi stood there hesitantly, narrowing his eyes at his sister, but obeyed, draining his cup of water and made his way upstairs. Standing outside Mitsuki's room, he arranged his face into something more light-hearted. Mitsuki didn't know about any of this and he intended to keep it that way.

"Mitsuki~ Good moooorning!"

Flinging her door open, he leapt on the bed. The empty bed. Mitsuki stood next to it, her arms crossed, dressed and ready to go. She shot a disgusted glare at her brother. "It's barely 8. Can you keep your inner pervert under control?"

Hiroomi chuckled. "How can I? It's my cute sister after all." Those words that he could usually say without a problem now felt uncomfortable in his mouth. It didn't feel right. It felt fake and artificial and just saying it felt like betrayal.

I can't even be normal anymore. The irony made him laugh and he let out a soft chuckle. Mitsuki stepped back a little, wary of her brother.

"Are you going to do something perverted again?"

Hiroomi looked up and smiled. "No; I just thought of something funny." She didn't say anything, merely narrowing her burgundy eyes and flicked her hair over her shoulder, stalking out of her room.

"Hurry up or I'm going to leave without you. And get off my bed! You stink of sweat!"

Hiroomi laughed, got off of the bed and trudged to his own room, throwing on his winter uniform and his green scarf, before going downstairs. Izumi was still there, chatting amiably away with Mitsuki while eating breakfast and the both of them seemed to be having a good time. Mitsuki didn't know exactly how scary their sister could get; in fact, she idolised her. So it was up to Hiroomi to keep a watchful eye.

Leaning over a chair, he grabbed a piece of toast and made to take a glass of warm milk but Mitsuki had gotten up, picking up her bag. "I'm leaving. I'll see you later, Izumi-neesama." Izumi smiled and waved at her and Hiroomi clicked his tongue quietly. He wanted to eat breakfast. Downing the milk in one gulp, he picked up the toast and made for the door as well.

"Hiroomi." Izumi called out. He turned around. Izumi's eyes held something a little strange. "Remember, family is forever."

He stared for a few seconds, an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach and he turned back around, muttering a quiet 'I'm leaving' and shut the door. Mitsuki was already at the end of the driveway, but he didn't bother catching up, his mind instead focusing on the strange behaviour of his sister.

His body switched to auto pilot and his mind wandered. Youmu…maybe Ayaka-san just wanted to talk to Akkey about something youmu-related? No…nee-san wouldn't get me to escort him if it was just something trivial like that. What is she scheming?

Slightly frustrated, he trudged on, hands buried deep in his pockets. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. It worked mostly, but he was still somewhat jittery. I'll ask him when I see him at school….

A/N: I'm sorry for crappy chappy /sobbu but I do wonder what's going to happen next. Only because I don't even know what's going to happen next. So, read, review, favourite and follow! Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to read my fanfic. Much love.