VONGOLA RELOADED!

03: Weakness and Individuality

"They say that Alexander will become Secondo," Kouta said with a sullen look on his face. His orbs, the color of emerald, reflected Ran's own displeased expression. Kouta let out a soft sigh. "Nanami-sama was our last hope," he said, "but now..." His sentence trailed off.

"Stop it." Ran's fists shook, trying to contain his anger---his irritation. He hated that he was unable to stop Nobu from leaving. He hated that Nobu's sister had refused to do anything. He hated that Alexander and his stupid Varia were invading the Neo Vongola. He hated that he, Ran himself, knew that the chances of Alexander not taking over and becoming Secondo were slim to none. "Don't..." Ran's breaths were heavy with frustration, "Don't say it like that!" He wanted to cling onto whatever miniscule hope that there was left.

"Ran..." Kouta stared at his friend with the same saddened expression reflected before him.

They both wanted to.

---

The days passed, but everything else remained the same. Nanami's days were spent with each of her actions constantly watched over by either Kiou or Ran. Today was one of the unfortunate days in which Ran was her guardian. It didn't help that she attended the all-girls Midori Middle School. Having a guy follow you around with a menacing gaze most of the time was not ideal. In fact, the pair received curious looks from everybody they met. Some girls, perhaps from the excitement of seeing a boy on an all-girls' campus, began to flush red and stutter in Ran's presence. He had eventually attracted a small group of girls enough to form his own little fan club. Ran didn't pay much attention to it though. His only objective was to make sure that Nobu's sister was safe---not that he himself cared much for her safety.

Nanami would occasionally steal a quick glance at Ran when they were alone together, walking to or from her school. She didn't understand her classmates' infatuation with him. They had questioned her about Ran with specifics from his name to where he lived---all of which she responded with a simple shrug. Ran wasn't unattractive, but he wasn't exactly a prince either. In Nanami's opinion, Alexander, whom she had known from her childhood---if it was him, then she would have understood the sudden uproar and popularity that Ran had garnered, even if neither one of them had a particularly pleasant or normal personality.

"What?" Ran finally said after having noticed her looking at him. He didn't bother to look at her though.

"Huh?" Nanami automatically said, caught off guard. "O-Oh..." She looks away, realizing that she had been staring at him again. "I... I was just wondering was all..."

"What about?"

Nanami's cheeks felt hot with embarrassment when she was reminded of her thoughts. "N-Nothing!" she quickly said. Silence returned with her sudden outburst. Ran didn't seem to care enough to inquire any further, but Nanami hated the awkwardness that hung in the air.

Nanami sucked in a deep breath of air before asking him a question---the same question that had been on her mind for the past week. "Hey... Why are you and Kiou-san going to such lengths to protect me? I refused to aid the Neo Vongola after all... So..." Her words trailed off into silence. She began to realize that she deserved none of this special treatment that they had provided her with---not that she wanted it in the first place, but she still appreciated the thought behind it. She hated how spiteful she had become.

Without missing a beat, he answered her. "Because," Ran said, "you're Sawada Nanami." He made sure to enunciate each syllable of Nanami's surname. He made sure that she knew he wasn't protecting her because he wanted to, but instead, because he was obligated to. "Because," he said again, "you're Nobu's sister." He stopped walking. "Because," he said for the last time, "mafioso and other potential dangerous organizations wish for you to cease your existence. Kiou gave me the order to prevent that from happening---but if it were up to me," Ran said, looking at Nanami, "I would leave you to die."