An hour later, the train reached Shanhaijing. A tired and hurt Kokona walked powerlessly to the Plum Blossom Garden. The orange sky had now become dark. As if reflecting on her mind, Kokona could not stop thinking about how angry Shun would be and the sad figure of Saori. Kokona sadly never learned about her name, and they may not see each other ever again.

"I am sorry, but I can't. Our worlds are completely different, and I will only bring you more trouble if I stay with you. Goodbye!"

'Why does onee-san think that our worlds are different?'

The way she said it, it caused the little brain of the aspiring instructor to work hard. Then, the street lights turned on and it took away Kokona's attention. She saw a silent and empty road, only a small chirp from the crickets. This made her realize.

"That onee-san, chaos is her life. Every day is uncertain and hard. Unlike me, I have Shun nee-san and the others to take care of me. I thought…I am already a mature and responsible lady, but compared to onee-san…I am nothing."

Kokona massaged her arms while biting her lip. She had never experienced that fear and tension just like today, but now she could understand what older people had gone through every single day. No matter how hard, they always put a strong front full of smiles and laughter just so the younger ones are not worried. It put her in comfort and peace.

"An adult's life…is hard…"

Without realizing it, she had already reached the front gate of Plum Blossom Garden. Sighing, she opened the fence without looking and hit a soft bump.

"Hmm?"

"KOKONA!"

"HYAAA! NEE-SAN!"

Kokona woke up from her musing and right in front of her was no Shun with her hands on her hips, glaring at Kokona.

"Um...Shun nee-san...I..."

Kokona hadn't finished her sentence, but she was pulled into a tight hug by Shun. It was soft and warm.

"Where have you been?! Sensei told me you had gone home this afternoon, but you haven't returned until now. I am so worried, Kokona!"

Kokona went silent. She thought that Shun would be livid because she disobeyed her sister. Kokona could feel the worries seeping from every rub on her back and Shun's chin nuzzling her tiny head.

"I am sorry, nee-san. I was…"

"We can talk about that later. You must be tired now. Let's have dinner first, the others have been waiting."

"The others?"

As the door opened, Plum Blossom Garden's children all went after Kokona. They all hugged her with teary eyes and promised not to be bad kids again as long as she came back, they were even willing to call her Instructor Kokona from now on. Overwhelmed, tears trailed down her cheeks.

"Kokona-ch- Ehm no ... instructor, why are you crying?"

Kokona shook her head while trying to cover her sobs with a laugh. She was happy that she could go home, returning to the warmth of a family. They fought, bickered, and pranked each other, but family is always a family. There was never a thought of uncaring towards the other when the situation was the safety and life of another family member. It was something that little Kokona might lose today, and now she was grateful to have and keep it.

She let herself be dragged by the children who were racing to tell her about their day, and with patience she listened. When she passed a window that showed the moon, her mind went back to think about Saori. She silently prayed for her safety and hoped that they could meet again in better circumstances. She wanted to properly thank her, and introduced her to her family; her world.

Meanwhile, on top of an empty building inside the black market, Saori was staring at her phone. There was a message that tells her the pay for her work today. She could only sigh when looking at the numbers, then turned it off. She stood up and removed her mask. She gazed at the moon in silence while letting the cold night wind caress her dirty and bloody cheeks.

"I don't know how long, but until I redeem myself and keep living for the sake of those who trust me, I will keep fighting and surviving."

Suddenly her phone started ringing. It was unusual for her to receive a call, so it made her a bit skeptical.

"Hello? Ah…It's you. I didn't expect to get a call from you at night."

Her voice was calming when she heard someone that she looked up to call her. When she was no longer looking after the Squad, there was still someone who kept her company. She was grateful that despite all of the hard times she is enduring, there was an adult that will guide her through it, and will always pull her back to the light when she fell into the darkness.

"Sensei…do you mind if we chat for a bit?"