Disclaimer: I do not own K Project or a few of the scenes with Honami, the translated English versions of K Side:Red are from "readlightnovel". I do not own any of the characters except for Hana.

Chapter 6: Providence

October 18, 2009

Everyone was silent. Even Mikoto opened his eyes.

"Wow! That's so incredible Hana-chan!" Tatara, ever the calm one, exclaimed.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Wait you guys believe me?"

A chuckle ran through the bar.

"We saw what ya could do when you helped save Anna. We were just waitin' for you to tell us the truth. It is hard to believe, but as long as you're not here to hurt any of us, you're always welcome." Izumo spoke for the rest of the gang.

"So Hana-chan, you're from another dimension? World? Universe? How does it work? Do you know the future?" Shohei piped in.

"Okay woah. Too many questions. All I can say is I'm not quite sure. In my universe, we don't have talking trash cans that pick up trash, PDAs that have holograms, or Clans. All of this stuff is super high tech, and we're not quite there yet. So I'm from your future in a different way. I know some of what has happened because of a different type of recorded history." To me these people are real, they're flesh and blood. They aren't fictional. I frowned. "You see, I don't exist here. I'm not supposed to be here."
Close enough to the truth, I can't tell them I know them from an anime. UGH THIS IS HARDER THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE. Everyone waited for me to continue. Not even the hotheaded Misaki said anything.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, almost wishing that if I opened them back up I would be home. Opening them again, I looked at the people before me.

"That's why I said that things are complicated. I was sent here, to this universe. I have a vague notion of what is going to happen in the future, but nothing is set in concrete. I have these powers possibly from the Slate. It's how I became friends with Pepper." I gestured towards Izumo. "Kusanagi-san do you mind if I heal your arm? Don't worry, I won't harm you and my powers aren't like Mizuchi's."

(A/N: If you forgot who Mizuchi is, he's the evil dude who wanted to turn Anna into the next Blue King.)

Only Tatara, Mikoto, and Anna really understood the reference.

Izumo walked around his bar and stood to my side. "Do you mind taking off your shirt?"

"If ya wanted to get my shirt off so badly, all ya had to do was ask." Izumo said with his Kansai accent as he buttoned down his shirt. I shot Izumo a glare.

"Oi! Why does he need to take his shirt off!" Misaki yelled out, flustered a bit that a girl was going to see a guy topless.

"Misaki, I was training to be a medical professional before I arrived here. Also I'm a swimmer and a lifeguard, a shirtless guy is nothing."

"Don't call me by my first name!" Misaki pouted.

"I'm American, I always call people by their first name."

"Then why do you call Kusanagi-san by his last name?!"

I shrugged my shoulders, "because I feel like it."

I twisted and placed my arm on his bare shoulder. I gathered my pink aura to my hands and concentrated on healing. Just because I was focusing on healing Izumo, didn't mean I was blind.

Hawt damn. I didn't let my eyes wander, but I'd be stupid not to notice the muscles on Izumo. He wasn't overly muscular as if he bench pressed every day, he was on the skinny side, yet there was definitely a solid amount of muscle in just the right places from what I could see. He would definitely be a butterflyer* if he swam. His muscle structure is on par with some of the faster swimmers that I know.

Everyone watched as the wounds on Izumo's shoulder stitched up before their eyes. When I finished, Izumo flexed his arm, moving it around.

"It's completely healed. You think ya can heal my bar when the boys are gettin' too rowdy?" Izumo's eyes sparkled at the idea.

Chuckles and noises of indignation (probably from Misaki) filtered through the room. "Well, I just found out I can sort of reverse the time flow of certain inanimate objects? So maybe?"

"She's a keeper." Izumo winked. I rolled my eyes.

Everyone laughed. I felt so at ease with everyone, but I was still hesitant about whether or not I would be seen as just me. As just Hana to them, not some weird, interdimensional girl with pink hair.

"So you're a strain?" Shohei interjected.

"Nope."

"Do you belong to a clan?"

"Wrong again. I'm not a strain and neither do I belong to one clan. There's the Silver, Gold, Red, Blue, Green, Grey, and Colorless Clans. As you can tell, my aura doesn't belong to any one clan. I'm not quite sure what I am." I twisted my pink hair between my thumb and forefinger.

"You're our friend." Anna's quiet voice was soft, yet clear. She held her marbles tightly in her hand.

"She should join HOMRA!" Tatara exclaimed as if he had an epiphany.

"I would love to… but there's a few things I have to do first." Hana's eyes seemed to fog over, as if she was looking at something in the distance.

(Line Break)

3rd Person POV

Mikoto took a drag of his cigarette, breathing the smoke out before he spoke. "If she can handle the heat, then it's fine." He took another puff. "It's up to you punk. There's something you have to do, huh." It was more of a casual statement than a question, as his half lidded eyes locked onto Hana's. Honestly, it seemed like all the lion wanted to do was retreat back to his den.

"Do what you want, I'm going to sleep."

Mikoto stood up from the couch. As he did so, the entire room snapped to attention and chorused, "Good night King!" as they bowed.

Some of the boys began to head towards the doors as they realized that the day's over and Hana had said all she wanted to say.

Anna, who had been sitting next to Mikoto with a hand on the hem of his shirt, stood up with him. It was as if she was going to follow him to his room. But her eyes glanced back to Hana's form, and worry filled her.

Mikoto noticed Anna's hesitation. "Do what you want kid."

Anna looked up at Mikoto. "Goodnight." Anna wished to the one with the prettiest red.

Mikoto gave a half wave that was punctuated by a yawn as he made his journey up the stairs.

When Anna wrapped her arms around Hana's, it brought Hana out of her thoughts.

"So, guess we'll be seeing you around more often then." Izumo's hands massaged his forehead. It wasn't unusual for them to pick up strays, that's the story behind most of the current HOMRA members, even Tatara.

Well, especially Tatara. He was the first stray they took in.

"Alright everyone, out!" Izumo cleared out the lingering HOMRA members from the bar area.

Everyone said their goodbyes to Anna and Hana as they cleared the room. They all have apartments nearby.

"You guys can take one of the empty rooms next to Mikoto's. I'll be back in the afternoon, I have some things to take care of." Izumo wiped the bar down and explained where he kept the keys as he locked up.

"You trust me?" This entire situation seemed so weird. Why would they trust Hana, a stranger, so quickly? They accepted her explanations even though any other normal person would have called her crazy and chucked her out of their home.

"Anna trusts you and so does King. We do too. We know you're a good person, you don't need to tell us for us to know." Izumo explained.

Confusion still clouded Hana's face.

"We've seen what you've done, and for some reason I know that you're telling the truth." Izumo then ushered them up the stairs and told them to get some sleep.

It's been a long day.

Next day, October 19, 2009

Hana's POV

Light filtered in through the windows as I opened my eyes, making sure to not make too many noises as I didn't want to wake up the sleeping form next to me. I recalled what happened last night. After I was offered a spot in HOMRA, Anna and I took one of the empty rooms in Izumo's bar. At first, we were going to have separate rooms, but when I saw the look on Anna's face, I immediately decided against having her be alone.

It's not like I'm going to stay here long, right?

Anna had been through so much, so I wasn't surprised that she fell asleep almost instantaneously when we got settled in bed. Pepper had gone off in the night, presumably to go hunting or have some free time to herself. I don't own her, she's the one who chose to stay near, so I don't control her actions. Neither do I see her as a pet.

I see Pepper as an equal, a friend, a being that is just as intelligent as a human and who should be treated with respect.

According to my phone, it's 9 in the morning. I guess I'll make breakfast.

I brushed my teeth with a toothbrush Izumo gave me and crept downstairs to use the kitchen.

Sorry Izumo, I'm going to be borrowing your kitchen. I gave a silent prayed that he wouldn't murder me for touching his kitchen.

*45 Minutes Later*

As I'm placing the food down on the table, there's enough to feed a medium-sized family, I hear Anna walking down the stairs.

"Ohayo, Anna."

"Ohayo." She rubs her eyes sleepily.

I let her know that I'm going to wake Mikoto up as she clambers onto a bar stool. He's gotta eat breakfast sooner or later. Better warm than cold.

I walk back up the stairs and knock on the first door. He doesn't answer the second or the third knock either.

"I'm coming in Mikoto!" I say as I push open the door.

Mikoto's room is dark and I find him lying on his back, sleeping soundly. The door is left open as I make my way into the room.

I reach for his shoulder to shake his shoulder, "Miko-"

My voice cuts off as his hand darts out and grabs my wrist. It's not painful, but it is a pretty solid grip.

"Oh, it's just you." He lets go and lays his arm on his forehead, as if by blocking me out of sight I'm going to disappear and he can go back to sleep.

Ha. I have two brothers, I know all of the tricks these boys throw at me. I crouch down by the bed and encourage him to get up again, he's been sleeping longer than Anna and I! "Come on Mikoto, I made some breakfast."

No response.

Okay. Fine. Wanna play it that way? "Hm, guess me and Anna will just finish off all the toast and eggs. There'll be none left when we're done with it."

I expected him to bolt right up, as my brothers would have done. But instead, he groaned and shifted his weight so he was now lying on his right side, facing away from me.

How stubborn. Okay, plan C.

I walk out of the room and down the stairs. When I enter the kitchen, Anna looks at me expectantly because she had been waiting for Mikoto before we begin breakfast. I shake my head to her unvoiced question.

Disappointment appears on her face, so I place a gently hand on her head and ask, "Why don't you try waking him up? If you say please I'm sure he'll join us for breakfast."

*Two minutes later*

"Do you want coffee or tea?" I ask a disgruntled Mikoto. I laugh evilly in my head since I'm sure this is the earliest he's ever gotten up since his middle school days.

Plan C stood for plan "Cute." No one can resist Anna's puppy dog eyes.

Anna's munching on French toast, already sipping on orange juice.

"Hn."

"Okay coffee it is." I poured him a cup of black coffee and then served myself some. I added a lot of milk and sugar to mine.

We eat breakfast in a comfortable silence. I gaze out the windows, watching people pass by the bar. The heterochromatic glass in the Homra bar makes it seem like we're in an entirely different world from the outside.

As we finish up breakfast, Mikoto dumps his utensils and plate in the sink. Watching him, Anna does the same.

"I'm going back to sleep. Thanks for the meal." Mikoto mutters.

"Wait, Anna and I are going shopping. Since she's going to be staying with you guys, she needs clothes and other necessities." Mikoto pauses.

Anna tugs on my shirt. "Shopping?" I could see the sparkle in her eyes.

"Yes Anna, you can buy and wear whatever you want. Do you wanna get ready while I finish off washing the dishes?"

Anna agrees and runs upstairs to get herself ready for a day out.

"Fine. Wait for me." Guess Mikoto is coming along with us. Which is better, since it's supposed to be the gang and him shopping with Anna in the K: Side Red light novel.

From what it seemed like, it's just going to be Mikoto and I since the boys aren't at the bar yet.

I contemplate all of these little nuances. Did I change the plot? What is going to happen from here on out due to my presence? I watch his back as he goes up the stairs, his 21 year old self does not yet have the broad, muscular back that I remember from the K project series. He's still toned though, don't get me wrong. But he did not yet adopt his signature look.

There was no star pendant around his neck nor a chain hanging from the hip of his jeans. He was still into his white t-shirts, but there was no black fur-lined puffy jacket that he was often pictured with in the anime or manga.

There's still three more years left until the start of the anime series.

Until Tatara's death.

I sighed as I finished washing up the dishes. So many things will happen. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I guess I'm just along for the ride.

After cleaning the kitchen to perfection to avoid incurring Izumo's wrath, I write them a quick note letting them know we're heading out to get some shopping done.

"Head on into any store and pick the one you like, okay?" I said from Anna's side.

It was a street with various clothing stores, but Anna just walked by them all while looking troubled at them from outside.

"I guess it might just make it harder to choose if you say anything's fine." Tatara's voice joined the conversation.

"Woah, Tatara! When did you get here?"

"Hey Hana-chan, hey King. I just saw you guys passing by and decided to join you." Tatara's face had an easy smile on it. "So Anna-chan, is there any outfit you particularly like?"

I contemplated. "I think she looks good in a frilly dress."

"But that's Mizuchi's taste, isn't it."

"Tch. I forgot, yeah I guess it was." It was so hard to hold back from referring to him as a bastard. But Anna's still young and I'm going to refrain from cursing.

As Tatara and Hanna talked and looked around at the stores, with Mikoto trailing along, Anna looked up at them and spoke, "I liked the shape of those clothes... Honami also said they were cute."

"Hurry up and choose." Mikoto glanced back at Anna. He sounded bored already, even though they hadn't entered a single store yet. Anna didn't look scared at all by his bad mood, and if anything she seemed to calm down a little and slowly looked around the area. Suddenly, her eyes stopped on a certain shop's window.

Anna had chosen a deep red outfit with lots of lace. The sleeves were flared, and so was the skirt that went down just a bit past her knees. Placed on the side of her hair was a little red hat. It was tied down on the opposite side by a red ribbon. Her shoes were also red with shiny enamel.

Wearing that, Anna looked down at herself and turned around trying to twist around and see herself from behind as well. As usual, it was difficult to read her expression and tell whether she was excited about her new clothes or confused by them.

3rd Person POV

All 4 of them left the Shopping Center and headed towards Honami's apartment.

Mikoto wanted to check up on her since they hadn't heard from her since Hana had mentioned her. It also seemed like Hana didn't quite know if Honami knew about Anna being back or not.

Anna didn't say a word. When they arrived at Honami's apartment, she also didn't speak as they went up the stairs, and simply held onto Mikoto's clothes as she moved her legs. Anna had confirmed Honami's safety through her red marble using her power. In which case, it meant she should be safe.

Mikoto rang the doorbell. There was an immediate response. After the sound of someone rushing through the apartment, the door opened.

"Oh my, Suou-kun." Honami's face warmly greeted her former student.

Mikoto and Hana frowned questioningly at how normal her smile was. She didn't seem concerned at all with Anna being at the Hospital as she had been when she talked with Hana. It also seemed like she didn't remember Hana. Which is weird, since they had only spoken about two days ago. With so many things happening that seemed like so long ago.

Suddenly, Honami's eyes landed on Anna, who was beside Mikoto. However, she didn't act glad at Anna's safety, and merely tilted her head in confusion.

"... Is this Suou-kun's little sister?"

So that's how it is.

Mikoto controlled his bitter feelings in silence. He had considered the possibility of Honami's memories being sealed by the Usagis. This way, she would not interfere in the Clans anymore than she should.

While his feelings on that were complicated, he did think it was for the best.

However.

Mikoto looked down at Anna. She showed no signs of being moved, and stared up at Honami. While searching for Honami with her powers, Anna had likely learned of her condition. She had already known that her presence in Honami's heart had been painted over, and she had accepted it.

You oughta cry. Mikoto thought as he looked at Anna's doll-like expression. Even if crying and begging Honami to remember her wouldn't break the Usagi's spell, it would certainly move Honami's heart. Even if Anna right now was a complete stranger, if she cried and wanted Honami to take her back, then Honami would probably try to accept her. That's the sort of person she is.

Totsuka and Hana hung back, but Hana had placed a palm over her heart and made a fist, as if in pain. She quietly watched the situation go on.

But Anna didn't shed a single tear.

"It's okay." She said that in a clear voice to Mikoto, while looking at Honami. It seemed as though she had seen right through Mikoto's heart.

Honami spoke in a confused voice, "... Suou-kun.. is something... wrong?"

He looked at her and frowned, "... what's wrong with you?"

Honami was crying.

Her eyes were open wide, and shedding tear after tear. She looked confused as she caught her falling tears in her hands. She stared at them in confusion as Mikoto could only watch.

Suddenly, Anna moved and her small hand took Honami's. As thought trying to comfort Honami, Anna held Honami's pale hands tightly, and slowly her expression changed.

Letting go of her doll-like expression, she loosened her tight face. It turned into a smile, a smile that even Mikoto would have to laugh at as awkward.

With that awkward smile, she spoke kindly to Honami, "Don't cry. It's okay."

Honami blinked. "You're..." Honami looked at Anna in a way that was confused, pained, and fretful all at once. Mikoto saw that and let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry I was a bad student until the end." He said while roughly wiping her tear-streaked cheek on his palm.

"What are you saying?"

"...no." He laughed a little bitterly, "It's nothing."

He turned away and didn't turn around again even after she called his name in confusion.

They left the apartment and headed towards the park across from it. It was a shortcut to the HOMRA bar.

Before they entered the park, Hana spoke up, "I'm going to see the Gold King. I was the one who told him about Mizuchi so I need to take responsibility."

"Be back for dinner Hana!" Tatara reminded her that she was still welcome in HOMRA.

"See you guys in a bit." Hana hugged Tatara and Anna, then gave a nod to Mikoto.

(Hana's meeting with the Gold King will be in the next chapter, but for now we follow the others).

Tatara, Anna, and Mikoto continued on their way to HOMRA. As they passed the park's entrance, Anna abruptly stopped behind him.

"Mikoto." Anna called him quietly, and held out her hands to him as though asking for something. "I want Mikoto's red."

Mikoto shifted slightly at those straightforward words. Anna was both an immature and dangerous Strain. As Mizuchi had been obsessed with her, she also held an ability that would make her easily targeted by others. Going by how the Usagis had erased her from Honami's memory, it likely meant that they no longer thought it was safe to leave her with civilians.

However, the red clan wouldn't allow her to be taken by the gold clan. In other words, the gold clan was compromising by allowing the red clan to keep Anna.

It could also be seen as the red clan being told to take responsibility for storming the hospital and rescuing her. However, even now, Mikoto was still unsure.

Am I scared? Of being entrusted with one brat's life.

This was the heaviness he felt as he increased his comrades, his clansmen. Sometimes, Mikoto would feel a discomfort he could do nothing about as he was entrusted with people's live and feelings as King.

"I don't plan on throwing you out... but I can't guarantee anything either." There is no way to predict if the aura will accept her or not.

"That's fine." Anna replied immediately to the warning. "I'm going to follow Mikoto because that's what I want to do. Mikoto doesn't have to promise anything."

Her clear, burgundy eyes didn't waver.

Mikoto slowly held one hand out to her. In front of her, his hand was surrounded in red flame. "Can you take this hand?"

Anna didn't hesitate even a moment. She grabbed his hand with both of hers, and treating it as if it were a precious treasure, she hugged it to her chest. The fire spread from Mikoto's hand to her whole body. It was a flame of providence, which would never burn her.

The HOMRA insignia appeared within Anna's left eye.

A/N:

*Butterly is a swimming stroke. For swimmers, sometimes we can tell the type of swimming stroke a person is good at based on their physique. Izumo Kusanagi sort of resembles Michael Phelps, a famous butterflyer. They are around the same height, but Izumo's arms and legs aren't as toned as Michael's.

S/O to UnderwaterNymph, xXFallenSakuraXx52, alice-chan8, yukiki1, LunaSoraYamiMoonlightCrystal, Kikikitsune18, joeykun938, Random2Friends, BlackMoonWhiteSky, AliceRuiLin, KotoriZ, fairytailbunchan, and Willow310, PrisD for the favorite/follow!

Also, big thanks for the reviews xFluffyx and pixiewinx.