(A/N: There's a song above! The song Yumiko played in this chapter is the one above! I suggest you listen to it while reading. Up to you!)

The rest of the week passed and Yumiko was healing steadily with only two weeks before she goes to Brazil and her brother coming back from the said place.

Today, as the doctors had promised and predicted, was the last day for her father. She was at the DA's HQ, sitting beside her father's bed, where the man lay sickly. She was clutching the man's hand tightly, just as hard as she was trying to hold back the tears threatening to overflow.

Sure, he was the leader of an assassin group, but how many people would take in children as their own...?

When their parents abandoned them, they were taken in as assassins, but the man was kind to them. Patient.

"Yumiko...?" her father's voice was raspy and hoarse as he struggled to keeps his eyes open. The man, for the first time in his life, had something to be proud of. And it was this girl and her brother. If he had any sort of wish, it was to have at least one of his children by his side when he passes.

"Yes?" "Ryo's going..." "Ryo? Going where?"

"He'll be... the one walking... you down the aisle..."

"What...?" "I'm so proud of you... my little girl, huh?" Her unusually sweet father brushed away hair from her face weakly.

"Come on, dad... You're not helping. But you'll be there, too, right? Watching over me?"

"Of course. What kind of dad would I be if I wasn't?" he manages a small laugh. "I guess so..."

"But one more thing..." "Hm?" "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Dad, we discussed this. I'm going to do-" "No, Yumiko. Are you not in love with anyone else? Like perhaps... Soryu Oh of the Dragons?"

Silence reigned over Yumiko before she nodded. "...I... I'm sure I'm ready. Besides, not like Oh could even ever love me." she laughs quietly, but her words stabbed her.

"Whatever you say. Again, just remember, marriage is commitment like we said before. And it won't just be your day. It'll be the groom's as well. All that matters is..."

"Who's going to be the groom you'll love."

~*****~

"Come on dad, you're getting all mushy." Yumiko decides to ignore the wise words of her father, trying to cover the fact that, yes, she did have a slight crush on the man. But she already made a promise. And it was under her father's wishes, something she couldn't break.

"I suppose, but think of it, my daughter."

"...Of course."

"Besides, I do want the best for my children, hm?" 

"Thank you... But I just wish I could've done something to repay you..."

"Didn't I just say it? Stay happy and everything'll be fine."

"Heh, if my life were as simple as that. I guess I'm just upset..." she smiles wistfully.

"About what?" "Not having a wedding dance with my father... I mean, Ryo is fine but... It's just different."

"Haha, want to have that dance now then?" he father offers, rising from his bed. "No! You're sick, you are not pushing yourself to-"

"Let's go. One last wish for my daughter. My present for your wedding?"

"Dad..." "Let's go, help me out. No buts."

~*****~

"What the... It's my..."

"Didn't think I'd know, hm? Yukio told me that this place was special to you after your 18 roses dance..." the man mutters, letting his daughter support him up the balcony steps. "I thought I might as well make at least one memory here with you. Not better time than now, haha."

The older man laughs, but his daughter was tearing up, a rare sight but fairly common to the man. "May I have this dance?"

"Let me play a little song." Yumiko offered, pulling out her phone. Placing it on a little ledge, she plays a song titled 'As You Dance' and takes the hand of her father.

They were silent and the song filled the quiet air as they danced. Yumiko was hugging her father tightly, afraid he would disappear once she let go. 

The man could feel his daughter's tears dropping onto his shirt as she placed her chin on his shoulder. As they floated across the marble floor, he stroked her hair,  trying to stop her tears, but only made it worse when she began sobbing.

The man, who was beginning to grow weak, was beginning to imagine the young girl he used to hold long ago. Almost 20 years ago.

And during this moment, he wasn't an assassin troop leader, neither was Yumiko an assassin. They were just a normal family. A father and daughter sharing another memory.

When he spins Yumiko, he catches a glimpse of the face she was desperately trying to hide. Tears had streaked her beautiful face and instead of continuing the dance, he stops and brushes the tears away. The blossoms were falling from the cherry blossom tree nearby and remembering Yukio's words about her birthday, the weak man slowly leads his daughter to the tree.

"Here we go." the song was still playing from the gazebo and still could be heard as he plucks a full flower from the tree, turning to his daughter. He tucks the flower behind her ear, brushign away even more tears.

"Excuse me..." the man coughs and covers his mouth. Was it time?

He slowly leans against the tree, sliding down to sit at the base. "Dad...?" "You look so beautiful.. Yumi..." he mutters, looking up to his daughter, who was now kneeling, holding his hand with tears welling in her beautiful red eyes again.

But Yumiko was shocked, he had only ever called her 'daughter', 'Yumiko', or 'Yin'...

"Tell Yukio for me...? I love.. you both..." he wheezes out, clutching his chest. "Dad, being mushy again..." she laughs, but her face was anything but.

"Can't... I be in... front of my own daughter?"

"I guess so..." she smiles squeezing his hand gently.

"Good luck, Yumi... I love you both so much."

The struggled rise and fall of the man's chest falls, but stops there. His hand goes limp in Yumiko's and the girl quietly takes a deep breath as she listens to the song's last few notes. Laying her father's hand on his lap, she stands and grabs her phone, calling for Ryo.

~*****~

"Thank you, Ryo... Just... Take him and send me the time for the funeral. That's all." when her father's loyal right hand man comes, he follows his new leader's orders and does as told as Yumiko leaves the scene to him and a few others.

She returns to the hotel, where all the bidders were waiting in the lounge. "Hey, Yumiko... Where were you?" Ota asked, events of the day unknown to him.

"..." she didn't answer and trudged to her room, but they all noticed the blossom in her hair. The door slammed close behind her and as Yumiko lay alone in her dimmed room, she held a picture.

Of a little, silver haired girl and her father.

~******~

A/N:

I know Soryu wasn't in here but I just thought that I didn't reveal much about her father and their plans so... yeah. But the next chapter will be the bidders and her. And some occasion, which I will not reveal.

For now, thanks for reading!

Ciao!

~DarkAngel