A/N: Wow... it's been way too long. Really sorry about that. It's been a pretty rough school year for me. I had this chapter ready 4 months ago, but life got in the way. I hope to have at least one more chapter ready and posted by the end of the year. I'll try my hardest!

Also, shout-out to my first flamer for that lovely flame! Love you too, dearest not-my-friend~! ^_^

"Misaki," Minami called.

The brown-haired girl swirled the can of milk tea, staring blankly at the fence beyond the can.

"Misaki?"

The girl rubbed tiredly at her eye with her free hand.

"Misaki!"

A yawn.

"MISAKI!" Hanako all but shrieked.

Misaki jumped, the can falling from her grip and spilling onto her skirt. "Kya!" She immediately stood and wiped the liquid off of her skirt with a handkerchief.

Minami handed Misaki spare napkins and took the now empty can away. "You have been less attentive since last weekend. You're worrying us, Misaki. Even our teachers have noticed and asked us what was wrong with you."

"Yeah! Even Yuki-onna-sensei! And we all know how well she lives up to that nickname," Hanako chipped in, shivering at the thought of the teacher's icy glare. [1]

Shadow also showed his concern, nudging his muzzle into Misaki's free hand.

Misaki was both glad and mildly annoyed that she decided to eat lunch without Rin's group today. On one hand, only her close friends saw that embarrassing fumble; on the other hand, she knew that they were going to bring this up as soon as they were alone.

The brown-haired girl knew she wasn't going to get out of this one and didn't bother avoiding their question. "I know I usually start having these nightmares… a couple months from now but…" She took a deep, shuddery breath to try to keep herself calm as images of the nightmare pushed to the front of her mind. "But they… aren't going away. I-I think they're getting worse actually. When I wake up after having them, I feel like that terrified little girl again.

"I thought I was getting better. The nightmares were coming less frequently until they only happened the week of the anniversary. And even then, they were never this bad. They haven't been this bad since the first year after it happened. I thought I could take control of my life and finally break free from this; I thought I was stronger than this. But I'm not. I don't know what I should do!" Misaki cried, her voice cracking as the barriers she worked hard to maintain momentarily lowered in her distress. She managed to keep her tears and sobs at bay, but the other three saw the effort she gave to maintain as much composure as she had.

Minami and Hanako immediately pulled the girl into a hug, resting their heads against the top of Misaki's. Shadow leapt up and nuzzled his head into her chest. The three were silent as Misaki lost her composure and let everything out. They knew Misaki didn't want to show her weakness to anyone; they knew that her simply displaying this outburst of emotion to them showed how much she trusted them.

The sisters gave each other a sad look. There was nothing they could do to help their friend. They couldn't understand neither the pain she felt nor the fear that suffocated her; they never felt the losses she suffered. They could do nothing but hold her close as she cried out and suffered alone.

Only Shadow noticed the figure standing behind the door, hand up to knock but stunned into silence at what he accidentally overheard. Instead of chasing the boy away as he usually would, Shadow allowed the blue-eyed boy to stay. He thought it would be best for Misaki that Rin knew. If anyone could help her, it was Rin.

[1] Yuki-onna translates to snow woman. It is a spirit/yokai in Japanese mythology that wanders during snowy nights and preys on travelers. There are various stories about them, but overall a yuki-onna is beautiful yet ruthless. When a person is called a yuki-onna, it's typically because they have a cold personality. Sensei is the honorific for a teacher/mentor.