Before Ibuki Sumire came to Tokyo, he met her before, and she already turned him down. It was back before he met Tsueno Mamoru, so naturally, he did not have as much information. About Sumire. Back then, he didn't know anything about her life or her feelings for Terashima.

Back when he was still ignorant, it was easier for him.

It was because he didn't know anything that when he said his honest feelings, she could turn him away the way she did.

….

Year XXX

It was during the funeral of one of the leaders of the Holy Knights. During that funeral, she was the only one who did not shed tears, and many people called her out on being heartless. Since it was a close person to Sumire, but she was the only one who remained calm.

His thoughts broke off, and the room turned silent when the doors opened, revealing a certain brown hair girl.

Sumire...

She brushes past him, and the girl walked up to the coffin. Shin watches as Sumire places her hand on the girl's hair.

"It's better to get killed than disappear, and I said that to you then. But in this instance, I would rather have you disappear."

He watches the girl's eye color change emerald. "Sorry for you; it would have been best if you just died peacefully. But like this, you'll be in hell anyway. That's why.." Sumire leaned forward and kissed the girl's forehead. "Rest in an eternal dream."

Shin recalls it then quite clearly what she said.

'The feeling of being scared... I've forgotten it already.'

Is she....really not afraid?

Someone died already, someone who just until a day ago laughed, cried, got angry, and lived.

...

He kept watching her the entire time, so he didn't hesitate to chase after her the moment she left the hall.

When he finally caught up, he grabbed hold of her wrist." Hold on a minute. Where are you going?"

"Nakara-sensei, let me go."

Shin shook his head. "Not until you tell me where you're going."

Sumire looked blankly at him and proceeded to walk off again. Shin pushed her towards the nearby wall and pinned her with his arms preventing her from escaping. "You can't go anywhere. Someone just died. Why would you go on your own now?"

She is silly and reckless. Even though she looked calm back there, Shin could tell from where he was standing that there was something much more to her expression. Even though he couldn't quite pinpoint what that was.

"I see, you're afraid." It was just a general comment, he did not think anything would come from it, yet when she tells him to shut up, he knew something was wrong.

The brown hair girl reached over and placed her hand on his face, sending warmth all over his body. "I'm not afraid, Nakura-sensei. Even with something like this going on. I've already decided what I have to do. Asahi, she didn't deserve to die. This is my mess, which is why I'll handle the matter as I see fit."

"Let me help you."

Sumire shakes her head, "I can't have that. Idols aren't supposed to cross this line. Nakura-sensei, in the end, the strongest will win. You don't have to worry about me". She was about to push him away when he tightened his grip and brushed his lips against her ear.

No.

He didn't want that.

He didn't want her to go anywhere again. In the first place, it was because she saved him and got wrapped into a troublesome mess.

Shin leans forward and kisses her.

The words he told her friend just recently appeared in his head. 'I won't tell her'.

'That's not possible.'

Yeah. It really isn't. Even if this situation didn't happen, even if it didn't end up this way. For sure, he would have certainly told her. When he pulled away, the girl seemed rather surprised.

A faint pink on her cheeks, it was faint, but it was there. "....N--akura-sensei you...."

"I won't let you push me away. I will get involved even if you'd rather not have me doing so."

Sumire rushed forward and tugged on the edge of his sleeve." You can't.. You can't do that. Nakura, you simply can't."

Shin brought his lips forward again towards her ear. "Then, please stop lying about it. Tell me the truth. You remember me, don't you?"

"If I do?"

She's not even going to deny it anymore... She is affected by this, after all.

"Why didn't you-" His sentence fell short when she placed her finger on his lips.

Sumire shook her head. "I'm sorry."

...

Shin snapped out of his daze and sighed.

She already rejected him.

She rejected him before he could even get his feelings out there. That's why this much should be alright shouldn't it?

Unfortunately, he doesn't know much about the Nagawa family. If it's knowing something about nobles and elites, there is one person that he could rely on telling him that information.

That time, he had abruptly kissed her since fear had welled up inside him, fear that he would also lose her. Lose somebody else that was important to him. Yet losing her would mean losing everything because the one who had told him to work hard and follow his dream had been her.

He found the medkit and walked over to where Sumire was, and kneeled down.

"Even if you stood up for yourself, shouldn't you just-"

"Mm, I do know what you are thinking, Shin, and sometimes I wish I could do just that. But if I do that, then it would mean I am letting him off easily."

"Is it revenge?" It was a stupid question. Shin already knew it wasn't revenge. If it was revenge, she could have easily gone out with him and then dumped him.

What Sumire is doing with Sano now is something different.

Before Shin could say any more, the doors opened.

It was Yuhi who came marching through the door with a bag from a pharmacy in his hands. He waltzed over to Sumire and put the bag in her hands.

"For me?"

"It must hurt."

At that comment, he watched as her expression changed. It was no longer the weak smile or angry look from earlier, and she seemed confused and yet happy.

"I see."

Of course, Yuhi already knew about it. However, Shin found it odd that Yuhi came here. If he knew surely with Yuhis temper, he would have beat Nagawa up already.

Yuhi bent down and tapped his shoulder. He immediately understood and walked back over to his desk. There is no need for him to tend to her wounds if Yuhi is here.

'All humans must die someday.

It's just a matter of sooner or later.'

Once, he quit the world of Yankee's. Shin half expected, no he expected to completely escape the darkness in his life. He thought he would be able to bury away that dark past and live normally.

If one would call not being able to walk the streets peacefully due to fans' ambushing, then yeah, he lived a normal life.

In the beginning, he disliked it. In the end, idols are humans too there not any more special than anyone else. Yet, for some reason, people worship them like gods.

In the end, has anything changed from back when he was a Yakuza? What is he saying? Of course, something has changed, it's different in comparison to before.

He is an idol now, even a student-teacher. He's living his life in a completely different manner than before. His way of living is completely different now. But why does he still get caught up in these situations?