Training was over for the day. The ravenette agreed to let it be over since your legs shook from the tremendous effort your muscles had put into it. You sat in the middle of the garden, laying on a star shape facing the spongy cotton candy-like clouds, your own eyes thoughtlessly shifting from one to another. He sat next to you and faced up, an action that he was used to after spacing out.

For several minutes, neither of you spoke a word, pleased to enjoy the serenity of the moment.

Your eyes unconsciously wandered from the blue sky to your master's profile, as he was frowning at the clouds.

"What is that one supposed to be? A demon?"

"I think it's a dog"

"What? How?"

A low chuckle left your lips, curved upwards. He simply diverted his gaze towards another being that caught his attention soaring through the sky. Squinting his misty blue eyes, he questioned whether or not it was a dove or a somehow white crow, for the most part due to not remembering the names of any other species.

His brows furrowed further. His hand crawled towards yours, in a shy attempt for you see his distress and help. But holding hands was a whole other level for you and all you could think about was of the possibility of your hands sweating.

"[Y/N], what kind of bird is that?" the boy pointed with his other hand, bringing you to reality from your daydreaming.

You blinked several times, exchanging a look between the creature and your master's troubled face.

"T-Tokito-sama, that's a butterfly"

Muichiro's expression softened, going back to the usual.

"Oh"

You admired his sudden change of expression, your mind flashing images of how cute he was while mentally adding that situation to your precious memories.

Muichiro's head turned to your side. "What's the difference?"

You sweat-dropped, putting on a gentle smile.

Don't tell me you already forgot about that, Tokito-sama...

When he went back to his daze, your expression became saddened, not focusing on anything in particular in the vastness of the sky. Your free hand attempted to reach it —the clouds, the bright blue, the infinity of it all—, yet it quickly retrieved, it was too high up.

"Master, have you ever heard of the word 'Infinity'?"

Muichiro did not question the nature of such topic. He answered nonetheless. At the very least, that was something he knew the meaning of and that he could remember.

"Something that has no limit, that never runs out; why?"

"Like time? Although, I guess people say 'eternal' when they refer to it, don't they?"

He nodded, both of you staring at the seemingly infinite sky.

"Infinity..."

He felt your hand, intertwined with his, feel heavy. Profound sadness washed over you, weighting your head with images you were desperate to forget in any way. From cruel images of the first time you stepped on the hospital, of your parents turning their backs on you when you were just four years old, of the rejection of each person who saw a girl with dead eyes and sick skin, to the agonizing minutes in which the hospital was painted with a reddish-brown liquid, and the horrified faces of the sick and the nurses were collapsing around you. Because that sky reminded you of the fact that everyone around you eventually left, from your parents to the nurses.

Everyone. No exceptions.

But now everything is different, right? Tokito-sama and Shinobu-san would never abandon me, right?

You squeezed your master's hand a little harder without thinking, a twisted spirit wandering above you. Muichiro did not let go of your hand and just watched you expectantly. Although his questions didn't stop arising from the sudden sadness that overwhelmed you, he maintained his stoic posture.

"I-I...I would love to share an infinite amount of moments with you, I wish for us to be eternally a master and a student, is too much to ask? Is that too selfish?"

His eyes widened, lips split enough to let out a short exhale, witnessing the hefty tears that rolled down your face, along with your completely red cheeks just like your crystallized eyes.

«Don't cry»

But no words surged. He remained still, the breeze brushed against the fresh grass beneath them, the whistle of the wind and your cries were the only sounds his ears allowed him to listen to.

Your hand left his to assist the other in its task of drying the river of liquid pearls that fell down your face. Coldness wrapped Muichiro's hand, which somehow felt naked without yours.

"B-because you... because you were the first person that actually saw who I am and didn't reject me. I-I've never had friends or a family, people's pitifulness forced me to be ashamed of myself to the point in which I questioned why I was born in the first place!" breathy gasps made it difficult for you to speak, tasting your own salty tears, trembling "And... and since I was out of the hospital and met you and Shinobu-san, I buried those feelings of crushing anguish and controlled the rage that dragged me down... all to finally have the ability to live like any other normal person would. E-Even if I'm silly or sometimes shy, and a failure of a student at times, Tokito-sama, you... you didn't abandon me"

He did not do such a thing because he was forced to stay with you. Oyakata-sama ordered him to. Because if it weren't the case, he would have abandoned you like the others.

But...

Now, he felt grateful towards Oyakata-sama for taking that decision. Because he wouldn't dare to abandon you anymore.

Your cry subsided, leaving only the trail of tears in their place. Without thinking, Muichiro's hands were placed on either side of your rosy cheeks, gently taking hold of your saddened self. His lips became a fine line. He hadn't the slightest idea what to do or say, he felt that if he released you, you would break into a million little pieces.

Your hands were placed over his, carried by the fear of the possibility of your face's heat burning his hands.

"...For that reason alone, Tokito-sama, you're my family... Shinobu and the little girls from the butterfly estate are my friends as well! S-so, Can I call this place home?" you let out another small weep "Can I call you my family?"

«Family...?»

For a brief moment, the boy's face lit up, a spiral of emotions he didn't know existed shook his entire world and stole his voice away from him. For a second he swore he saw a person identical to him and an adult couple smiling broadly at him, disappearing in a flutter. His gaze focused on you again, a complete wreck of tears before him.

The word 'family' kept resonating inside his head. He didn't know if he had one and when asked, he would shrug. But... the sensation of someone considering him family was so warm that it reached his cheeks turning them a pale pink.

It was impossible for him to stray his eyes away from you as he answered, "Yes"