Y/n woke up that night in the hospital bed. Her body was sore, feeling incredibly feverish and nauseaous.
But more than anything, she felt lifeless. Killing Reiner would've probably been a satisfying thought but at the same time she's relieved to know that the inconsistent bastard was caught.
Lifting herself with the strength left in her body, she sat up and looked around the dark room.
It was familiar. She almost wanted to laugh over the fact that when she came into this world for the first time, she was hospitalized as well. And now that she thought about it, she just recently came back from her world this time around again and was once again hospitalized the same day.
It was exactly the end of internship days so Y/n didn't have time to do an actualy internship. When she went back to the agency, she didn't even caught glimpse of her mentor, unable to thank and apologize to him.
Hatter was the one who welcomed her back in the agency and walked her to the station after having tea with him. He explained to her that the hero recieved a confidential assignment so he didn't even get the chance to wait for her to wake up but did left a message to 'stay positive' is what the sidekick had relayed.
Although confused, Y/n simply gave a nod before they separated on the train station.
The girl had been feeling down too. Althought that goodbye with the people on her world was kinda peaceful, it's still depressing to know that she will not be seeing them again unless she finds a way to do so.
Sighing, she stared blankly at the window and watched herself getting far from Hosu. The entire time she began reflecting over the passed week on what she did. To think that her 3 days of disappearance only took a day and a half when she came back.
She then turned to her fist that was laying on the window. It has been clenched eversince she had a mental flashback of her last night in her home.
The hug with levi that lasted only a few minutes felt like an incomplete blanket of warmth. Just imagining how brief that meeting was made her heart hurt depite knowing that her brother wasn't angry at her. Her hand then moved to her neck that was still wrapped in bandage until to the joints of her shoulder.
To think that the injury the nomu did didn't heal yet... she began to rub her neck lightly, feeling the wave of pain the healing wound gave when she touched it.
Her healing ability isn't working again. Maybe it had something to do with her mental fortitude. She started speculating for a reason to her unresponsive regenerative ability. But the only thing she could think of is her emotional state. If not, then she had no other idea.
Sighing, the girl closed her eyes for a moment. It would be nice if she can dream being with her family. She didn't even have a time to mourn for her father's death that it hurt more.
Kenny might've been absent during the years. But the connection and gratitude she had for that man who didn't let her die, rather, entrusted her to someone he knew that would take care of her was still there. He also did took care of her for three years-- when she was born until she was three-- and came to secretly visit her without levi knowing because he said not to tell him so.
Y/n's vague memory of her father's back that was always leaving...
Although that stopped when she was seven, it's still a precious thought. And she loves her father dearly and unconditionally.
Knowing these, she had a lot of regrets again.
Holding her head in frustration, she let out a light groan. She wanted to be alone for a while. She needed to think, but that doesn't seem to be a plausible idea...
Given the fact that when she got out of the station, four guards from her guardian's people came to pick her up. And she understood why...
Because there were reporters swarming from the entrance.
To make it worse, she couldn't even escape the attention and questions being thrown at her. It was clearly worse than facing the jury back in her country. She was then questioned simulteanously by different reporters trying to get anything from her.
"What are your thoughts about what heppened in Hosu?"
"Y/n Ackerman, looking at what you did to that villain, don't you feel guilty for cutting his body?"
"What can you say about Hosu's battle?"
"Seeing as you have similar quirk with that giant villain, are you two perhaps related?"
"Are your family from the lineage of hero?"
"That villain is a foreigner like you, have you known about him?"
"Or did you collude with the villain to damage the city?"
The guards was able to take her in the car while she ignored the questions. She sat on the back seat blankly while they drove off. The familiar road soon welcomed her sight.
Leaning her head on the window and watched the city scape changing into a pile of trees and empty road leading to the former laboratory she's been staying.
After an hour and a half, they managed to reach the isolated building. Y/n just made her way in, her eyes straight to the the way, walking blankly into the empty hallways.
She then reached Overhaul's office--while being guided by the guards following behind her. Soon as she stood in front of the door, the guards left without saying a word.
Opening the door, the girl stepped in. She was met with Chrono who gave a nod. "It's good to see you came back safely." He started.
She lookined down sullenly. Her eyes were still emmiting nothing ignoring the man's greeting.
"I'll be on my way then." Seeing no response, Chrono understood that there must've been a lot in her mind after her fight in Hosu which became internationally popular that evening. He didn't bother ask further given that she herself needed a privacy for her own thoughts.
Closing the door, the room became a sanctuary of silence. Overhaul looked at her while she stood there looking down. Having nothing but a kid biting her lower lip, the older stood up from his chair and walked closer. He observed a little, seeing that she had her neck wrapped up.
"Your injury didn't heal yet. I think you should let the doctor check it..." he paused. Stunned for a moment, seeing how she leaned her forehead into his chest.
"My brother is a cleanfreak too." She started with a bitter smile. "He doesn't like touching dirty things."
He stared down at her head which was leaning on his chest silently. It was indeed astonishing. Finding how she became vulnerable now that those times where she would looked back at him expressionlessly. Furthermore, this was the first time she's ever said something personal to him.
"He's the strongest soldier of humanity in my country. But he's shorter and thinner than you." She lifelessly chuckled. "He's quiet but scary too like you. And when he's not on expiditions, he'll stay in his spotless office with piled of paperworks. Or probably clean."
"My dad was opposite to him." She clenched her fist, feeling how it became cold. "While my brother was a soldier. Dad was dubbed as Kenny the ripper. He's a criminal who slayed a lot of military police."
"But despite that, I love him." Her shoulders began to tremble. "But just recently, I heard that he's already passed away... I at least wanted to see him off. I wanted to know if they buried his body properly. Leave some flower to his grave. At least something, I, his only daughter could offer."
She felt a light pat on her head. Somehow, a signal of comfort that made all emotions overflow out of her system, causing for her tears to finally escaped her eyes again.
"My brother's the only one I have left. The fact that he'll be going to expiditions without me again and again always hit me hard. Worrying that when the soldiers comes back through the entrance gate, he won't be in the frontline with his usual nonchalance." She held into the end of his jacket tightly. "I don't want to know that while I'm not there, he'll face more and more life threatening activities."
Holding her pained sobs, she watched her tears land into her shoes one drop to another.
"I want to go home." She cried. "Why can't I go home?"
.
.
.
It was already evening. The full moon bloomed through the deep dark night has been showered with the milky dim light. The stars were out as well, because 'they cannot stop from twinkling'.
Chrono was making his way to the office holding some paper in hand as he faced the office where Overhaul was at. When he opened the door, the man was sitting in front of his desk doing nothing but stare into space.
"We were able to make a batch of bullets with what's left of the blood sample taken. The are at least 20 clients who wants to get--"
"Tone it down." Kai cut him off.
Chrono hummed, looking at him closely to see that his eyes were focus at something. Well, someone, when he followed it and saw who was lying on the sofa.
Y/n slept sideway facing the sofa's backrest. Her hair sprawled behind her, her torso was draped with the green jacket overhaul often wears. No wonder he looked different today, his jacket was not on him.
"What happened?" Chrono asked, his tone lower.
"Cried to sleep." The other replied with a tired sigh.
"Should I take her to her room?"
"Let her be, don't disturb her. Get her some blanket once you leave"
He didn't insist on the matter anymore. The man just continued to tell him about the current business like nothing happened. But inside his mind was a chotic mess of questions.
Also, it's been a while since they didn't extract blood from that child. Chrono wondered how long has it been since then. It was probably when he let Y/n meet her.
He looked at the burgundy haired male who sat on his desk quietly. He began to question if this man still had the same thoughts from before they took over this facility. Just thinking about his lack of interest to this business is making him doubt that there's even a continuation to this.
It wasn't like he's exactly change. In fact, he's still how he was. He didn't became nice either nor he stopped killing people. He was still the same Overhaul.
Eversince Y/n Ackerman became a part of his daily life, things had began to change recently. Even if it's the same Kai Chisaki in front of him, it seemed to have erased a the wall of exceptions for this young girl he's recently took in.
Like she became a person who can take off this cold man's mask if she wanted to. He listened to her despite looking like he would refuse her requests, but he never did... not even once.
Chrono began enumerating the things he never thought would be of relevance today. Y/n's interaction with the boss isn't that much. They were only brief everyday greetings. In the morning, she would come here and report her plans then after dismissal, she'd come again to just show her face or plainly add if there was interruption to her schedule or she did something else differently.
She would request if she could play with Eri--despite it being her schedule for blood extraction--and he would tell her to 'go ahead and do what you want' with them being unable to get blood. In fact, that silver haired kid seemed to have gained a little more weight than her usual skinny self eversince meeting Y/n.
And just these recent events. Y/n's popularity boosting up after her overwhelming display of victory to the world. Quickly sending additional guards to follow suit and meet her in the station to escort her back and others on stand by in case she'd have more problems with the media to ensure that she'll safely get home.
He felt like he was piecing a puzzle of memories that answers his own riddles. That riddle that revolve around two people he didn't thought he would actually try to figure out. And even if his mind was refusing to believe it, his eyes and ears would gladly serve as his own evidence and witness to reference his own question:
How special is Y/n Ackerman to Overhaul for him to go to such extent, that sometimes, Chrono find his person almost unrecognizable whenever matters involves her?
.
Ahahaha
Dadsaki, Chronomama, welcome to Y/nology club!
Teeheee.
I'm caught up with the drafts. Every other day uds would be harder to achieve now.