Definition

Sought

"Where are you going so early in the morning?"

"..."

"Hannah?"

"... Technically, Nikolai only said I shouldn't go alone... That doesn't mean it has to be with him."

"What?"

That was how Muraku got himself into a train with Hannah at 6.30 in the morning. They were heading for the other side of the city for only-she-knows-why. He gave her a look, but the smile she gave in return was irresistable.

Wait.

Back up.

Irresistable? Since when had he ever thought that way about her? He shook his head to clear away his thoughts.

Alright. This time, he'll ask with words. "Why are we going so far away this early in the morning?"

"It's... not something I could explain. Not right now, anyway."

What's that supposed to mean? "Why not?"

"It's complicated. It's easier for you to see for yourself."

"... A warning at least?"

She bit her lip. "We're going to try and find my mom. My real mom."

His eyes widened by a fraction but immediately softened. "Alright. Let me know what I could do to help."

She was smiling again. "I will."

The train ride was relatively short, but they still had quite the walk left. Muraku spent the time skimming through the file she sent him, as replacement of an explanation.

Kenichi Hanabi, alias: Kenbishi Hannah. Born in Japan, 2042. Parents' names: Kenichi Takahashi (Father), Kenichi Ayami (Mother). Father's status: Missing. Mother's status: Alive.

He scrolled further and found an address. He assumed that's where they were going now. He looked up just in time to stop himself from bumping into her. Her eyes were wide as they stared up a tall white building.

A hospital.

~~~~~

Mikhail blinked as he looked over the table. "Where did Hannah and Muraku go?"

"A date, probably." Vanessa snickered.

"No, seriously, I haven't seen them all morning and now, it's almost noon."

"Oh..." The purple haired girl crossed her arms. "That's kind of worrying..."

Just then, Nikolai slammed the door open, startling everyone inside. He scanned over their heads, as if looking for something, before letting out a groan. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What's wrong?" Haruki asked, looking up from his table.

"I told her to wake me up if she wanted to go early, but she didn't! That's what!" He grumbled, taking his seat next to his ex-Rossius friends. He looked around once again before letting out a sigh. "Well, at least she took Muraku with her."

Kageto furrowed his eyebrows. "What the heck are you even talking about?"

The Russian eyed them all one at a time before realizing that none of them knew the results of Wataru's search. "Right, well, long story short, we have a lead on Hana's real parents."

"You did?!" Vanessa's ear twitched. "And... Did you just pronounced her name differently?"

"Yes for both questions." He leaned back on his chair. "Turns out, Hannah's real name is Kenichi Hanabi. I'm calling her Hana because it's pretty similar to what we've been calling her this whole time."

"Hana and Hanabi have completely different meanings, though." Yuno pointed out.

"But it sure explains a lot about her... explosive nature." He shook his head. "I don't think she minds being called Hanabi either. She loves fireworks as much as she loves flowers."

~~~~~

"Then, what should I call you now?"

"Hana, I guess. Nikolai's reverting to that too."

"Alright then, Hana."

They sat in the lobby, waiting for their turn on the counter. The hospital was quite busy with guests and visitors. They had to take a number and wait to be called upon before asking.

"I wonder if she's okay... I know this is a hospital and that if she's okay, she wouldn't be here, but still... I hope it's nothing too bad."

"Mm..." Purple eyes wandered around the room. "This place is really big. Seeing the many people here, they must have reliable doctors too."

"I could almost picture Miss Higurashi here." She chuckled.

"Number 87!"

"That's us." She stood up and made her way to the desk. "I'm here to visit Kenichi Ayami..."

"You're a new face." The receptionist stated, clearly surprised. "There's only one person who has ever visited Ayami-san. Are you a family member perhaps?"

"Biological daughter."

"Oh my..." The woman leaned in as she blinked. "Wow... I do see the resemblence. Well then," She scribbled on a sticky note and handed the page to her. "That's her room number. Take the elevator and head left."

She nodded. "Thank you."

She turned to her friend and the two made their way to the elevator. Muraku observed her expression. She was looking down at the note, but he could see the small smile on her face, something she rarely ever showed.

"That woman on the desk..." She turned to him, the smile becoming clearly visible. It was bright and full of life, unlike how she usually is. "She said I resembled her! She saw something about me that looked like my mom!"

He couldn't help a smile of his own. "I'm happy for you, Hana."

They got off on the designated floor and headed left, as per the instructions. Room 133... 133... 133...

"Hana." She looked back to find Muraku standing before one of the doors. "It's this one, right?"

She walked back and checked the plate. "Yeah... That's it alright." Placing her hand on the knob, she took a deep breath.

The door made a creaking noise as it opened. The two peeked in, before fully entering the room.

They heard a hum coming from the bed, and a muffled voice spoke. "Mayumi? Is that you? You never visit twice a month, though-" She cut herself off when her eyes landed on them. "You're not Mayumi..."

"I..." The brunette bit her lip. The person before her was a beautiful woman with black hair and teal eyes. An IV drip was on her wrist and she had an oxygen mask on her. Hana shook her head and start over. "I'm... We're sorry for intruding. My name is... I-I mean, I'm..." She looked down nervously, trying to squeeze it out.

"Take your time. Deep breaths. Although, that statement's quite ironic coming from me." The woman chuckled to herself.

"I... I..." She turned to the boy beside her, who gave a reassuring nod. She took a deep breath. "My name is Kenichi Hanabi."

~~~~~~~~~~

Sought: That is looked for