-9 Years Later-

It didn't take long before the alarm went off at 6:20 AM on April 15. Its annoying robotic beeps were loud and distinct as a hand was brought to shut the alarm off. The girl sighed, and brought the same hand to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

She then sat up, her red hair falling a bit past her ears, and ended at her chin. she stared into the darkness that she had grown familiar with over the years. Her uncle would be waking up soon, and she didn't want to disturb his sleep, so she quickly got dressed, making sure to put a patch of cloth over her eye.

She went down stairs rather quietly, in hopes of not waking the said uncle up, and reached the kitchen. She then sighed as she walked on over to the fridge, and opened it, examining its contents. She then pulled out some bread and jam. She popped the bread into the toaster and began to wait.

She sighed as she backed away from the toaster, and propped herself into a nearby chair. She then heard a light knocking on the front door, and she hesitantly opened it.

She sighed when she saw the familiar blonde hair that she had grown familiar with over the past ten years, but that was of no concern to her. "Oh, hey Ryuji-kun..." she greeted him with a light-hearted smile.

"Hey Kanari-chan! Is it too early for you?" his voice rang back, a tone of curiosity in his voice. Kanari shrugged. "Well, anyway, I..." he paused, looking for the right words, "I like what you did with your hair, but..." He motioned a hand towards her  hair as his voice trailed off.

"Oh this?" Kanari picked up one of her bright red locks, and spun it in between her fingers, "I thought that it was better off this way... You know, keep their eyes off, but thanks anyways." She smiled again at him, and the blonde just averted his gaze, a look of guilt present. "Do you want to?" She motioned towards the interior of the house, and he nodded. "Then come in."

After Ryuji had walked inside, Kanari shut the door and pressed a finger to her lips. "My uncle is still sleeping..."

"Had a late night?"

"He said that it was necessary, but he ended up teaching one of his students long into the night."

"I see."

"You don't come around that often anymore."

Silence at first, and the tension just grew between them. "Sorry... I've just been... Busy." He seemed to have difficulty finding the words. 

Kanari just stared into his dark brown eyes, and she noticed that the area around his eye was a dark purple. She reached out with her hands, and grabbed the sides of his face, and forced him to look straight at her.

"What the heck, your eye!" Kanari exclaimed, she then dragged the poor boy by the arm and brought him into the kitchen, "Sit." she commanded.

"Do I have to?" he defiantly asked.

"Yes, unless you don't want the swelling to go down." Ryuji complied. "Good." was all she said before she went over to the freezer and opened the door, pulling out an ice pack.

She walked on over to Ryuji, who was just staring into the window, towards the potted plant- a Begonia nestled inside the pot, its bright pink petals stood upright.

"I see you like the flower." Kanari spoke, and Ryuji glanced over at her.

"Eh, its nice."

"Then why were you staring at it?"

"Because it was there."

"Is that it?"

"No." she rubbed the back of his neck as he said so.

"Then what else is there to it?"

"Who gave it to you?"

"Uncle Suigetsu."

"I see."

"He brought it home one day from work, saying a student gave it to him, and he thought that I'd like it."

"And do you?"

"Not really."

"And why's that?"

"Ryuji-kun, you remember my knowledge on flora?"

"Yes, I sure do."

"Well, that's a plus. Anyway, the Bergonia is a symbol of warning of future misfortunes."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay." Kanari heard a pop, signaling that the toaster had done its job, and that it was time for her to finish the preparation for her breakfast. She quickly slathered on the peanut butter and jam on her toast, and ate them in silence.

"So," Ryuji began as he watched her eat, "How is your uncle by the way?"

Her face fell, and she swallowed the bite that she had in her mouth after chewing a bit. "He's been... Busy." she responded.

"How so?"

"I'd rather not talk about it at the moment."

"Bu-"

"Let's get going to school," Kanari stood up, cutting her blonde friend off as she did so, "Anyways, let's get going." She quickly grabbed her bag and was by the front door before Ryuji could even react.

"Hey, hold up!" Ryuji scrambled out of the chair as he exclaimed, and he rushed to put the bag of ice back in the freezer.

Kanari had left him in the house as she exited the door, and she let out a relieving sigh. He had begun to be to pry at her life, and that was something that she couldn't afford. At least, not again.

She slapped her cheeks to mentally set herself straight and walked to the end of the driveway. It was the first day of her first year at the Shujin Academy, and she couldn't let this event set her back.

She knew that Ryuji had meant well, but the information he wanted was a bit much at the moment. "It's not the proper time... Not yet..." She breathed out. Kanari stopped in her tracks. She brought a hand to the patch that was on her left eye.

Out of all the people that Kanari had met in the first fourteen years in her life, there were only three people who accepted her eyes as for what they were- Her parents, both of which were dead, and Ryuji.

She heard the door swung open, and she heard his familiar voice. "Kanari-chan! That was messed up!" He stopped right next to her, panting hard.

"S-Sorry, I just was so worried about the time..." she replied, turning around, her eyes closed and a hand scratching the back of her neck as she did so.

"Just, don't leave me there by myself so early in the morning..."

"Fine. Let's go." She began to walk to the subway station already. He nodded and followed her.

It didn't take long before the duo had reached the subway station, and before they knew, they were in Aoyama Itchitome, right outside the gates of the prestigious academy. She mentally pumped herself up. "Let's do this!" she said.

"You seem all pumped up..." Her blonde friend replied nervously.

"A new day, a new school year, at a completely new school! I am, and so should you."

"Eh, I don't feel like it."

"Why not?"

"It's not really my thing though."

"Try, please?"

"Why?"

"Please? For me?"

Ryuji just stared at her. "Fine," he submitted, "But I make no promises that it'll work."

"That's fine with me though!" she nodded her head as she threw a fist in the air triumphantly.

Ryuji just stared at the building intensely for a few moments. Then all of a sudden, his eyes squinted as he had done so. He had done this as Kanari watched in anticipation. 

"You can do it..." she muttered quietly, hope visible in her eyes.

He then stopped, and sighed. "It didn't work."

Kanari facepalmed as she too sighed. "You're hopeless..."

"I actually have a question for you."

She looked at him, "Shoot."

"The patch," he motioned towards her eye, "Why don't you remove it?"

"Because people would just stare at it and ask, and I would rather avoid all the attention, I just... I want to be a face in the crowd, barely noticeable. I want to protect those I care for too, but..." she trailed off, she didn't want to divulge anymore information.

"Fine." Ryuji walked off ahead of her, and turned put his arms carefree behind  his head.

"I-"

"No really it's fine. I just was curious, because you never really show me both of your beautiful eyes." He casually remarked.

That comment brought a blush to her face almost as bright as her dyed hair, and her face heated up as she dropped her gaze, thinking about what to say. Nobody really had commented on her in any way shape or form, so she was unsure of how to do so.

"Are you okay?" he asked, almost as if nothing had happened.

"Huh?" she brought her gaze up, most of her blush gone, "Oh, yeah." and as she had said so, something strange caught her gaze.

She was looking past Ryuji, and she saw a dark aura around one of the faculty members, and their aura was unlike any she had ever seen. 

The man's aura was rather large, and the tendrils were stretched out, and they connected to a variety of the students, which all appeared to be second or third years. The tendrils ended with claws which grasped their auras.

And for a moment, Kanari could swear that the man wasn't dressed for work.

"Hey, Kanari-chan?" Ryuji literally shook her out of her thoughts, and she was brought to be staring into the blonde's dark brown orbs.

"Oh sorry, I spaced out for a bit."

"If that's so, then what thought brought fear to your face?"

Fear? That's right, she remembered the aura. "Oh, it was nothing, just first day jitters is all." She waved her arms in defense.

"Really?" He looked at her, a face of disbelief on it, and Kanari knew that he did not believe her. "One of these days Kanari-chan, I will understand what goes on in your head." He then proceeded to pat her head.

"Sure you will Ryuji-kun." she remarked sarcastically.

And with that, the duo separated into their respective classes.

After school got out, she was walking down the hallway, among the multitudes of students, her gaze on the floor, as she didn't want to see the auras of anyone. She then snuck a gaze up and she saw one of the students. The tendril was connected, but as soon as he stepped foot off of the campus that tendril disappeared, and Kanari returned her gaze into the ground.

At least not until she got home. For as long as Kanari could remember, she could always see the auras of people, to which she never really understood the reason as to how or why. And the man's aura that she saw today, was only minutely comparable to one other person that she knew. And that  was her Uncle Suigetsu.

He would let her watch the lessons he'd give sometimes, and she only went to one, constantly making an excuse to avoid it, because that lesson made her afraid. It was the reason that she avoided Ryuji's prying question when he was at her house that morning. 

Her uncle's lesson was normal, but due to her clairvoyance, Kanari saw his dark, foreboding, and ominous aura.

It was at least three times worse than the one she saw today, the thick tendrils were dripping a bright pink substance and the students' auras were completely covered by the massive claws. The dark aura of her uncle had piercing red eyes, with its jaws protruding forward, and the inside of the aura seemed to be swirling with various shadows of people.

They looked young, and that was for a peculiar reason- They were the shadows of his students there. After the lesson, Kanari had to immediately leave, rushing into the nearest bathroom and threw up in the toilet.

She feared her clairvoyance ever since, and all she wanted was for her to never see it again. "Hey Kanari-chan!" Ryuji's voice came gushing out, dragging her from her horrific thoughts.

"Yeah Ryuji-kun?" She turned her head to look at him, and he sighed.

"Your face." He motioned towards her face, and Kanari quickly looked away.

"Oh sorry... I just was doing some deep thinking..."

"Scary thoughts?"

"Somewhat. Look," Kanari then looked at the blonde, her tone shifting as she said so, "I know you mean well but I'm okay really."

Ryuji took a moment to contemplate on her words. "Okay," he replied, "Look, Kanari-chan, I'm here when you need me. You can talk to me whenever right?"

Kanari nodded her head. "I just need to think on them for a while okay?"

Ryuji nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. I have track practice."

"Yeah. See you." She waved him goodbye, and Ryuji smiled at her as he walked off.

Kanari waited for him to be completely out of sight, and Kanari began to run off towards the subway station, running past the remaining students connected to the dark tendrils.

Translation Notes: Kimyōna hi: A Strange Day, which I think it's written as 奇妙な日