"Saya-chan," Yamamoto called Saya softly before slowly opening her eyes. "We're home now."
"We're home already?" The girl mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Once they reached the front of her house, he gently set her down from his back.
Today had been tough for an ordinary girl like Saya. After eating strawberries, her frail body had begun to feel exhausted. She wobbled as she walked through the forest and along the long path home, leaving her completely worn out by the time they arrived.
"Well, I'll be heading back now," Yamamoto said. Since today wasn't Rain Flame duty, there was no need for him to stay. It was Gokudera's turn to take watch. "You should head inside quickly, Saya-chan. Your parents might worry."
"...Alright... Yamamoto-kun," she replied with a smile before stepping into her house. Before shutting the door, she waved goodbye, and Yamamoto waited until he saw her turn on the lights inside before leaving.
"Hey... you baseball idiot," Gokudera called out as Yamamoto was about to leave.
"...What's up, Gokudera?" he asked, noticing the other's serious expression. Gokudera hesitated for a moment before asking.
"You... have you ever seen her parents at home?"
Yamamoto frowned. Truth be told, he had noticed for a while that Saya's house was unnaturally quiet. Even without paying close attention, the atmosphere of the place gave him a strange feeling. Still, he tried to stay optimistic. "Maybe they're working abroad or out of town and just haven't returned yet."
In reality, none of them had ever asked Saya directly about her family. She acted so normal that it was hard to sense anything unusual about her situation. They'd never seriously questioned her or even brought it up with Reborn.
Perhaps it was because they weren't close enough yet, or maybe they assumed their time together was too short to delve into such matters. Or perhaps Saya herself didn't want to talk about it.
Gokudera exhaled heavily. He felt like lighting a cigarette, but Saya disliked the smell of smoke, so he refrained when he had to watch over her.
"You know, from the very first nights I stayed outside her house, I never saw anyone return. Not once. And when I was on watch, not a single call came in. Even inside the house, there aren't any family photos or anything."
Gokudera continues "Ryohei said the same thing when it was his turn to look after her—he said the house felt so lonely that he brought Kyoko over to keep him company. You saw the messages in the group chat we made about Saya, didn't you?"
Yamamoto recalled the separate chat they had created to discuss Saya. Ryohei had sent some concerning messages during his shift.
"This house is so quiet it's extreme. So empty it's extreme. It's like a total ghost house without Saya-chan around."
The black-haired boy pressed his lips together, lowering his gaze as a small knot of tension formed in his chest. Gokudera continued.
"Now that I think about it, isn't it odd for a girl her age to rent or buy a whole house? This isn't a tiny place—it's an entire house. If she's really living alone, why wouldn't she stay in a condo or an apartment instead? It'd be cheaper and safer, don't you think?"
Yamamoto paused, considering Gokudera's words. It wasn't just Gokudera who found it strange. "So I'm not the only one who thinks Saya-chan might be living alone in that house right now."
"It's too weird. Look—it's this late, and still no one's come home," Gokudera pointed out, glancing at Saya's house. She had turned on all the lights to make it seem like others were there, but they all knew the truth—no one was inside except her. "Looking at the state of things, who do you think Saya-chan could possibly be living with?"
"Sigh..." Saya let out a deep breath after her shower and collapsed onto her bed, completely drained. Something felt different this time as she drifted off to sleep. A dull, tingling pain coursed through her body—a residual effect of the Wind Fire element she bore. However, it wasn't severe enough to fully wake her.
On the contrary, in her deep sleep, she sensed something unusual.
A crimson flame...
Saya could feel the presence of this vivid red fire nearby. It raged intensely but didn't burn or harm her. Instead, it exuded a strange warmth, though its aura was as awe-inspiring as it was intimidating.
"Gokudera-kun," she murmured softly, though she didn't know why the boy's name escaped her lips. At the same time, she became aware of something further away—on the other side of Namimori town. A massive, blazing red light pulsed there, radiating heat and ferocity. It shone with such brilliance, as though it could obliterate everything in its path if it so desired.
What is that...? Saya was stunned. Who could it be...?
In that moment, she felt as though she were pulled into someone else's body. Through their eyes, she caught sight of a young girl in Chinese attire. Saya recognized her as I-Pin, just before a man's voice resonated in her mind.
"Ah, please allow me a moment of privacy with my pupil. As for you, the one intruding, I'll come to you shortly. Wait for me."
Saya jolted awake, sitting upright in a panic. Beads of sweat covered her trembling body as she clutched her chest. Then she noticed someone beside her.
"…Gokudera...kun," she called out to the silver-haired boy. His gaze was filled with concern.
"…A nightmare?" he asked. His voice wasn't particularly gentle, but it struck her as unusual. Normally, Gokudera's tone when addressing her was tinged with irritation or annoyance. Yet, this time, his words carried a rare sincerity and care.
"Yeah…" Saya nodded, hesitating before deciding against telling him the truth. "Just a nightmare."
"I need to ask you something… Why… are you living alone?" Gokudera asked, sitting beside the bed. Saya faltered, unable to answer. He pressed further, "And your parents? Where are they?"
Her pale blue eyes lingered on him for a moment before she cast her gaze downward, avoiding his eyes. It was difficult to explain why she lived alone in such a large house. Her delicate hands gripped the blanket tightly, something Gokudera noticed. After a moment of deliberation, Saya finally began to speak.
"…My parents divorced," she said hesitantly. "And… my relatives aren't very kind. My grandmother, who I was closest to, passed away a long time ago. The only person I was close to was a maid." Saya paused, but Gokudera stayed silent, listening. "As for… friends, I didn't really have any before. I tend to keep to myself... Sounds unbelievable, doesn't it?"
Saya asked this after catching sight of Gokudera's wide-eyed disbelief.
To him, Saya always seemed reserved, perhaps because she rarely initiated conversations. However, she wasn't unfriendly. Whenever spoken to, she would respond easily and politely, showing good manners by smiling or listening attentively.
She would even joke around occasionally. Her words now contradicted everything Gokudera had observed in the past week, making him wonder if the Saya he knew was just a façade. Yet, her sorrowful, pale blue eyes made it hard for him to dismiss her words entirely.
Saya smiled faintly at his silence and continued. "…About five years ago, my father discovered that my mother was having an affair. They were never in love; their marriage was a business arrangement… They finalized their divorce just last month.
My mother remarried her lover after the divorce, and my father moved overseas for work. After everything that happened, I ended up living here alone."
In truth, Saya's parents had always been at odds, alternating between heated arguments and cold wars. Their marriage had been a means to save Saya's mother's family from bankruptcy. Her father had accepted the arrangement, marrying the famous model and actress Mikasa Tomoe in exchange for financial support.
Since Saya's birth, it had been her grandmother, who passed away when she was seven, and the household staff who cared for her. Her mother was more concerned with social events than her child, only ensuring Saya's education and behavior were flawless to maintain the family's image. Her father, on the other hand, was preoccupied with his business, paying little attention to anything else. Their family was nothing more than a business venture.
Saya had tried countless times to earn their love and keep the family together, but it all crumbled, slowly at first, then catastrophically five years ago when her mother's affair came to light. This, coupled with her father's business troubles, ultimately led to the divorce.
"My story ends there," Saya said with a brittle smile, attempting to appear composed. However, her trembling lips and unsmiling eyes betrayed her. "Boring, right? But you still listened to the end… Thank you, Gokudera-kun."
Gokudera was stunned by her reaction. Finally, he spoke.
"…You left out a lot, Saya-chan." His words made her flinch. She had thought she could maintain control, but… "You left out… so much."
His silver eyes softened, causing hers to widen in surprise. Her heartbeat quickened unexpectedly, and she caught a faint whiff of unisex cologne. In that moment, Gokudera seemed inexplicably charming, his warmth enveloping her like a protective cocoon.
If she continued, she would have to reveal the harsh truth about herself—about the diagnosis that had made her someone no one wanted…
"Isn't it necessary to throw away the parts that make you gain weight?" she said, her heart beating strangely, soft and sensitive, as he slowly smiled, making his handsome face even more captivating.
She wasn't sure if it was the atmosphere, but it made her feel good, especially the breeze from the slightly open window, which felt gentle. The cool wind made Gokudera's silver hair flutter lightly. The mystery in his face, reflecting the light, seemed to allure her oddly. His sharp, gleaming eyes sparkled like stars.
Saya felt as though she was under the spell of the evening. Gokudera was like the evening breeze, gently blowing into her room through the slightly open window.
"Eating too much cake makes you fat," he said softly, almost a whisper, before slowly moving closer. The young man's hand slowly moved up the bed before supporting himself, positioning his face level with Saya's.
His handsome face moved closer to hers slowly. When he saw that the young girl didn't resist, he moved even closer. The pale blue eyes slowly closed, just like his. Now, both of them could only feel each other's warm breath on their faces. Saya could smell the cool mint from his breath, while Gokudera could smell a faint floral and fruity scent from her.
Just one more inch, and their lips would touch.
"Well... did I interrupt something?" A baby in a red Chinese robe, looking like a swordsman, called out from the desk. This made Saya open her eyes in surprise, just as Gokudera did.
"Wait!" The young man shouted, but Saya, startled and out of her wits, pushed Gokudera, making him fall backward from the bed.
"Sorry! Is Gokudera alright!?" the girl screamed, while Gokudera slowly climbed back onto the bed with an irritated expression.
"It seems this little girl called me over," Gokudera said. Saya was confused by his words. "Looks like she's not a bad person. In fact, she's a lovely, cute girl, just like Ippon said."
The baby spoke, and a little puff of air blew from the chest, revealing a nipple like Reborn's but in red.
"Who are you?" Saya asked, and the mysterious baby, who looked like Reborn, walked closer to her.
"My name is Fong. I'm an Arcobaleno like Reborn," Fong said, clasping his hands in front of him and bowing like a traditional Chinese greeting.
"Hello, Fong," Saya stood up from the bed and bowed politely. "I'm Saya Tomoe."
"Oh… so you're the one Ippon told me about," Fong said with a smile. "You're really the cute girl he described. And… it seems the fire inside you is pretty strong too."
"You know about the fire?" Saya asked as Gokudera stood up, rubbing his head, but not saying anything.
"Well, I can help control the fire when I'm near, but it's not permanent," Fong said. "By the way, it seems you're quite close to Gokudera-kun, judging by what I see."
"We're not close at all!" Gokudera said, trying to hide his red face. "I just have to take responsibility."
"Heh heh," Fong chuckled, glancing at Gokudera, which made the young man angry, while the Arcobaleno turned away, raising his hand near his mouth to maintain politeness before turning back to Saya.
"...It seems the fire inside you is starting to die down, but your body still needs to balance with the element. After that, I think it would be good if you trained to control the fire. But it will take some time before you can do that."
"...You're not part of the mafia, are you?" Gokudera asked, frowning. "You shouldn't get too involved."
"...But isn't it you who brought this lovely girl into this, Gokudera-kun?" Fong said, making the cause of it speechless. He could only press his lips together and clench his fists. "If that's the case, shouldn't it be right for you to help her control the fire so she can live normally?"
Gokudera couldn't argue anymore, and Fong smiled with his eyes and mouth curving before jumping toward the window.
"When the time comes, you'll be able to control the fire by yourself, Saya. At that time, you won't need a protector by your side," he said before glancing at Gokudera, who was now standing still. "Well then, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."
Fong bowed again in the Chinese cultural way, then turned and disappeared with the breeze.
"I thought I couldn't control the fire by myself. But if I train, I can do it!" Saya repeated. "If I can't go back to the way I was, at least being able to control the fire is a good thing, just like Fong said. Right, Gokudera-kun?"
"..."
"Is something wrong?" Saya asked when she saw he didn't respond. His expression remained neutral as he turned to look at her standing not far away. After several seconds, he spoke.
"It's nothing," he said. "Nothing at all."