Beep... Beep... Beep

I sat there, head in my hands, by her her bed. She was silently sleeping, face and clothes clean of blood. It was like nothing had ever happened. Like she never coughed out blood and fell unconscious. I for once, was staring at my large palms that still stunk of metal, I couldn't get it out of my mind.

The melody,

The tapping of the piano,

Her voice,

Then her coughing,

Why didn't I stop her before, when she paused during the song? I c-could've s-saved...

"Hyuuga." I looked up from my hands and stood up straight in my chair with a heavy breath.

"I-Imai, you're here." I let out a nervous laugh.

"Well... Youichi convinced me otherwise. Besides that, you owe me $300 rabbits for this 'favor' you ask of me." I sighed and nodded in response.

"Why ask me?" I looked up again in surprise by her question. I ran a hand through my hair and looked out the window.

"Because, I didn't know what else to do..." I answered honestly. Imai that is... took in the image before her. Then her amethyst orbs landed on Mikan. Slowly, she meandered her over to the other side of her bed, opposite of me.

"Is this the person?" She asked curiously admiring her features, "She's really plain."

"I know." I chuckled slightly.

"Ok." She responded. The she lifted her arm carefully. She pressed a finger on her wrist and waited patiently, "Her pulse is kinda low..." She frowned.

"I just want her to be okay. Can you at least tell me whats wrong with her? None of these stupid doctors know what they're doing." I shook my head in my hands.

"Alright... Tell me exactly what went wrong before she fell unconscious. Did she eat something bad, does she smoke, tell me if she takes any medications that could make her like this." She swiftly traveled from side to side examining her pulse, vision, her allergies, everything.

I took a huge gulp, "I came into the hospital this morning and... they sent me to the rec room where she was. I asked the patients there where she was, and they pointed towards a open door to the side. She was singing a melody while playing the piano when she started coughing. Then she couldn't stop and..." I stopped, having a sick feeling in my stomach. I gripped the handles of the chair and took deep breaths, "Then she fainted, I carried her and called for help. She had blood all over her shirt and her heart was slowing down..."

"That's enough." Her lips pursed in disgust, "Hyuuga... Let me ask you something more. Who exactly is she?" I looked down from her demanding amethyst eyes.

"This is something you cannot tell anyone else, got it?" I stood up and closed the windows and the door. "Ah..." I fell down to my knees. "Where do I even begin?"

"Uhm... Who is she?"

"That's right... This brunette is Sakura Mikan. She's in the Anti-Alice organization." Her eyes widened in surprise. "The principal gave me a... mission. Actually a deal."

"Hm..."

"He... he made a proposal. But I didn't have much of a choice. He said that if I managed to complete this mission, he'd let my sister go. She would be granted freedom, only if I..." I stopped and shook my head.

"What?" She had a hand on her hip and her hair hung loosely from a side ponytail now.

"If I successfully assassinate her."

"..."

"I just have to gain her trust for a couple more weeks then I..." I couldn't say it... I didn't know why but I couldn't...

"Kill her." She finished the sentence for me with a single nod.

"That's right." I ruffled my hair anxiously.

"I'm guessing you don't want to kill her." I looked up and surprisingly, no more like... rarely, she smiled. I didn't answer her.

Because for the first time in my life.

I didn't have an answer.

"Well... Hyuuga. From my calculations, it looks like Mikan is sick."

"Hn..." I nodded sadly. "Just tell me already."

"I'm thinking that she has the life-shortening Alice."