White Magnolias

It had changed.

Yori wondered what she'd been expecting, really. For the embers to still be smoking and for the bodies to still be strewn around, decaying back into the earth undisturbed? Of course it didn't look like she'd seen it last. Humans liked to bury things and try to erase the signs of unpleasant things, and so they had. The rains had put out all signs of smoke, even razing most signs of destruction to the structures other than the charred foundations. Someone had left flowers.

Seeing it look so serene and empty somehow magnifying the bitterness in her, though that's what she'd come looking for. It'd been a month since she stood here last, leaving Hibiya behind. She'd tracked the clan responsible for this with a wild vengeance, even finding them as recently as day ago. That encounter had ended much the same way, with rape, death, and her defeat even worse than before. Worse still, she'd lost their trail completely. Yori stood there, adding some of her blood back into the now clean grounds as if trying to recreate the devastation. She'd come back not to finally mourn and process, but in hopes that she'd find that hateful and powerful rekindling. The power she'd had in her greatest moment of sorrow. If she could just harness that again, next time she found them she'd kill them all.

So here the battered, bloody, and broken young woman stood, forcing herself to relive the end of her world, trying to stoke her rage and sorrow, unable to consider that her body was nearly at its limit. She let the darkness in, begging for it. Even if she did find what she was looking for, as crazy as it was, her body would surely give out and she'd die either a victor or defeated again.

Every day ever since Yori left, he would focus on burying the bodies of the Nishzaka tribe. It was eventually cleaned up after two weeks, all of them resting in peace now. Every day, he would sit alone by the cave and think of the memories he had with Yori while they were still friends. There was a hope in him that she'll come back, that she'll for some reason come back to at least bury her people to give herself a bit of closure. And that'll be the day he would be there for her, ready to stop her from going back out. The white magnolia in his pocket was a treasure to him that he planned to show her to hopefully get her to remember what they once were.

And there she was, returning back to him at last with a bitter and bloody expression. Without even a drop of hesitation in his body, he walked over to her in perfect health this time, recovering well from the wound he received from the chakra blade to the chest. Her face told him that she wasn't looking for any happiness, quite the opposite in fact. No... Not this time. He missed his friend too much to let her go back out on him, not while he was free to stop her this time around. "You've returned... Please say it is for good." Hibiya said to her with his hands in his pockets as he continued to walk towards her. She was weaker and clearly not in the best mindset, he didn't think he'll struggle much against her if she wanted to run.

As he spoke, every muscle in her body seemed to contract, remaining tense as if she was poised to respond to an attack. Whether this response was meant for him or was just instinct after what she'd endured in her time away, it wasn't clear. Yori turned slowly turned toward him, her expression unwelcoming and frankly cold. "Hardly," she snorted, her voice raspy from either lack of use or too much screaming. "I just came back to find the power I need to kill the Fuya next time I catch them," grunted the girl harshly, her hands fists at her sides.

She'd at least succeeded in re-imagining the atrocities that happened in this place. Even now her eyes saw the fire, blood, and bodies, though it wasn't really there. Her mind rewound to what she'd seen before she even intervened, watching the acts happen with renewed horror and rage. It was sick, what she was doing, but she honestly felt it was the only way she'd get her revenge. She'd willingly push herself over the edge if that's what it took.

"Why are you here?" came her flat voice next, shooting him a look of contempt. Hibiya, the boy who had thought her people were weird, but chose to still be friends with her. Her mind twisted it to protect her dark goals.

The pretty face he was used to disappeared, replaced with one with cold intent and potential murderous intent to follow up. She didn't welcome his presence despite his invitation, she seemed intent on killing the Fuya clan. Oh Yori... Where did she go? Hibiya felt a bit of an emotional wound already upon being told "Hardly", her lack of consideration for him taking a toll on him since he cared so much. Waiting every day in hopes she'd return back to him, and that was all he got from her. She didn't change a damn bit, she still wants revenge served cold. "You know... I can't let you do that now that you're here. Whatever power you think you'll find here, I'm going to deny you of every drop." He explained as calmly as he could, somewhat nervous for using such daring words to his superior. She slaughtered him in chakra control before, he knew that he wasn't at her level.

But her mental state threw that out the window. It was a fair fight if she wanted to start one.

"I've been visiting every day." Hibiya replied with a monotone voice to her equally flat voice. "I buried all the bodies I could find, then I wait here every day for you to return. And you have..."

Yori swallowed hard, the depths of her insanity showing on her face as emotions of all sorts crossed it. Sorrow, relief, guilt, remorse, gratefulness, pain, rage...it was all there but she'd let none of them stay long. He'd buried her kin and visited every day. She hadn't asked him to do that, but she hadn't stayed to do it herself. Revenge first. It was his fault the carnage wasn't here to refuel her. "You shouldn't have. You shouldn't have waited for me, either," she muttered, blue eyes squinting.

It was as if she wasn't Yori at all, or maybe that his Yori was deep within a stony shell that vaguely looked like her. "You can't let me. Deny me?" she scoffed, a twisted smile appearing. She let out two hollow laughs. "You can't stop me," she corrected him, reaching into her pouch for a kunai to make her intent clear. Her sneer returning to a deep frown, she pointed it at him. "I'll kill you if you try. Understand, Hibiya?"

Her taunting words and sadistic smile sent shockwaves of doubt through his nervous system, his body shaking and teeth clenched as she told him that she can't stop him. Yori couldn't be thinking that way, there was now way she would be capable of saying such cruel things. Even daring herself to pull a kunai out at him and threaten to kill him if he tries to stop her. Hibiya refused to back down now, he can't let her go now while she is here right now. "You raise a blade an Ayano and expect to kill him?" The blonde asked with a frown equipped, refusing to hold a blade of his own. No, he wasn't going to kill her. He wasn't even going to fight with weapons.

"You're going to have to kill me, because I'm not letting you go!" The Ayano declared, eyes locked onto her from a few meters away. She could just run if she wanted and she would be the winner, he needed to initiate the attack so that he could try to stop her. It was tougher on his end, fighting with no weapon and having to trap her while all she has to do is run worst-case scenario. He charged towards her, aiming a daring fist directly towards the face of the last Nishizaka with his right arm.

Her frown deepened, and then turned into a snarl. In her mindset, it didn't really occur to her that she could just run. Maybe it was because she was so worn down that most of her strength and speed were unavailable to her, subconsciously knowing Hibiya could easily catch her without her sage mode. Or maybe her insanity told her that he was the only thing trying to deprive her of her revenge she craved, as if getting her vengeance would somehow magically make everything better.

As the fist came at her, she arched her back and bent out of the blow's path. Using his momentum angled in on her, she brought one leg up and aimed a frontal kick into his stomach, abruptly the way he came. Pulling herself back onto her two feet, she instantly threw her kunai at his downed form. Though these actions were simple, the strain on her already weakened body caused her to stagger.

Her frontal leg found its way to his stomach, the force enough to knock him on his back. Though the blow was fierce, it was just the first, so he had the consciousness to use his flying momentum to bounce off his back and land back up on his feet. His advantage was her lack of bodily control, sloppy movements that heavily work against her favor. Even the kunai she threw was more than predictable despite him just landing on his feet. Hibiya easily smacked the weapon at the side of it with his backhand to force it down onto the ground. Yori can use as many of those as she likes, but he reads weaponry like the back of his hand that smacked the previous kunai out of the way.

An opening revealed! Though her physical body is capable of miracles should she put her mind to it, said mind is clouded while her body is fatigued. Every action she carried out seemingly comes with a bit of lag if he observed her correctly. Hibiya saw his chance, using all his speed to charge at her directly with his left forearm held out in front of him, lining up with her neck.

Desperate to hold her a bit, he aimed to slam his arm against her throat to push her against a tree with a mighty amount of force. Should he be successful, he'd lock eye to eye with her for a brief moment with his eyes squinted for intimidation when he spoke. "What would your family say if they saw you like this!? Did they teach you to hold grudges... And murder people, huh!?" He pressed intensely with high dynamics. Afterwards, he would aim to add additional damage by using his free right fist to aim multiple punches to the gut.

The worst part was Yori didn't even register that her body was lagging and that her movements were sloppy. Her mind was just that shattered, that even in a fight where she was trying to kill someone in her way she didn't realize she lacked the current functions to do so. If this wasn't a friend, she'd surely be killed. No, she just growled in frustration that her attack had missed, and that she couldn't get out of the way fast enough.

Her darkened expression seemed stunned as her back was slammed into a tree, arm at her neck. With the lag, it took a moment for the pain to set in, causing a grimace and a strangled groan under the pressure of his arm. She needed to get loose. Pulling her arms up to grip his, she tried to pry the force from her throat, one eye squinted shut from the pain and effort.

Pissed that he wanted to talk, her one open eye locked on his as well in counter intimidation. "Oh, sorry, they were raped and murdered before they could get to that lesson," she spat. "Who are you kidding?! We're shinobi. That's what we do!" Yori answered, just before taking a couple gut punches. His fist would probably come back smeared with blood from a previously acquired wound, though the blood seeping from the corner of her mouth could truthfully be from either instance, or perhaps a combined effort as a Fuya and Ayano delayed combo.

"Get off me!" she yelled, seeming to regain enough clarity to aim her knee at Hibiya's groin in attempts to free herself. Should that connect as planned, she'd move away from the tree, but not very far since she would then drop into a leg sweeping kick in an effort to send the Ayano to the ground, where she'd attempt to pounce on him.

Though he held his ground with holding her to the tree for as long as he did, Hibiya could feel the blood of her body smearing his fists, a feeling he needed to shake quickly if he wanted to keep the leverage he had. As each punch grew bloodier, he felt his body shake even more from how nervous he was. This was the first person he was brutally assaulting, his first friend and he's ripping her open like present. "That kind of thinking is going to kill you!" He persisted with the same point over and over. But it was unfortunate that he couldn't get that through her head, but she instead got her knee through where it hurt the most.

Instantly, his arm would let her body go as he placed both arms over his stomach due to the immense pain of the unfair low blow. Without even being given the time to recover, her leg swept under his legs to cause him to fall onto his back. "Damn!" Hibiya muttered, the momentum now reversed and in favor of Yori. To secure to leverage that she had, she pounced his on body to create an added weight to the pain he had. His only hope at fight this was to raise both arms and try to block until she left herself open.

"So let it!" Yori retorted, glaring down at him. What business was it of his if she got revenge or died trying? Truth be told, either of those sounded good, though if she did go out she'd rather take a bunch of Fuya with her. Straddling him for leverage, she aimed a few blows indicative of her mastery in taijutsu at his head, not lacking in any strength there despite her condition. Perhaps it was pure adrenaline now, because despite her strong arms, her lower half trembled under the strain of holding him down. Realizing just punching him would probably fail to keep him down so she could leave, she reached back for a kunai.

Thus came the struggle of strength as she bared the kunai down on Hibiya's throat, trying desperately to let the blade taste his blood. Blood dripped down off of her chin, dotting the fabric against his chest. Her rage was intense and completely directed at him for the moment. "Damn it, Hibiya!" she growled. "How can you even think you know how it feels to see what I have?! My clan was raped and tortured until they were finally given the mercy of death. That mercy wasn't extended to me! And you judge me for chasing and killing those bastards? So righteous, when you still have family safe at home to welcome you. How the hell can you begin to think you know what's right for me to do?!" she screamed at him, pushing down harder to try and either pierce or slit his throat.

"Never!" Hibiya replied bluntly, refusing to let her be consumed by the hate that seemed to be possessing her already. The blonde would block a few incoming punches, well versed int he body skill for a moment. However, he leverage was too much for him to handle and she eventually got a good few snaps at his head, rocking him for a moment as well as giving him a minor headache in the process. But such a thing was never enough for those fueled by hatred and murder, she dared rty to end the fight with a kunai. His eyes widened at her attempt at irony, trying to slam the blade against his neck to slit his throat. Like hell he would let that happen! He caught her wrists with his own wrists, pushing back against the momentum, leaving the blade a good inch from his neck as he fought back.

"Because you're going to become one of them! That same monster is going to live within you once you're done with them!" Hibiya exclaimed, feeling the tip of the blade against his throat, but he didn't give a damn, he's going to get her to understand how he felt one way or another. "You're right, I have a family that greets me when I'm home! But they did the same thing to my people as well as yours, you say that one girl with chakra blades! Don't act like my clan hasn't been touched by them either!" Red liquid dripped at the tip of the kunai knife, but he wouldn't allow her to push further.

He pulled his right leg towards him so that his knee would be right under her butt, trying to lift her body upwards a small bit with his leg to force her leverage to work against her. All her strength focused on the blade, he managed to twist his body to the side to completely turn them both around so that he'd be on top of her. (Permission granted via Discord). "That's enough!" Hibiya announced as he raised his left backhand to smack the kunai out from her grip, leaving it many meters away from the both of them. "Enough with the family crap!" The blonde ordered, aiming a mass right fist to the face with all the emotion bottled in him being released from the strike. "Enough with me being told I don't know a damn thing!" Another punch, this time aimed for her heart so that she can feel her body suddenly lose grip since the most important organ causing it to function has been bat at for the moment. "Enough with searching for them just to pay them back!" A tear dripping as he placed his knees onto her arms so that she couldn't move her lower body or her arms, leaving her to be a mere head exposed for a free punch.

"Because..." His fist opened up, placed inside his pocket to pluck out the white magnolia they had when they both met for the first time. The time he saw her naked, they escaped back to the village happily, the times where they trained their chakras and she whooped his ass, where they even decided to rebel against her clan for some fun... All those memories placed in this small white flower. "I love you, Yori..." The tear shed dropped beside her head, feeling no urge to continue assaulting her. "You're the only friend I've ever had... Please don't reject me again..." Hibiya rolled his body off of her, sitting up as he looked at her. He didn't want to fight her, he just wanted her back in his life...

The blow knocked her silly for a moment, shutting her up and causing the world disappear momentarily. The blow to her chest over her heart left her gasping. Though she tried to struggle and get loose, literally looking every bit of a woman possessed by some vengeful demon, she lacked the strength now. It was as if his blows sapped her muscles dry, but not her spirit. Sheer force of will had her screaming and trying to get free.

But then...the white magnolia. As soon as he plucked it out and held it up, her eyes froze on it. Her pupils dilated, brows furrowing in confusion before arching up in realization. The fractures in her mind started to seal back together. All the fight went straight out of her, leaving her panting for air but eerily quiet as she processed the meaning behind his gesture, and the memories along with it that she'd been ignoring. Now that her shell had broken, his words wounded her, causing her physical pain which made her wince as tears welled up and started spilling out of her eyes.

As he rolled off to sit next to her, her desire to kill him for trying to stop her was completley gone. Most of the rage was too, leaving only intense remorse and guilt. She laid there, fumbling a weak hand into her own pocket, remembering she still had hers as well. It was a little stained from blood, but otherwise in decent shape. She held it up so Hibiya could see it, hand shaking as she did so.

Somehow, even with her body spent, she sat up with much strain. Yori knew she didn't deserve what she was about to do, but how could she not. Sobs wracked her small body as she leaned toward him and hugged him, feeling the full weight of everything that had happened and everything she'd done. "H-Hibiya..." she sniffled. Yori was back at herself, as agonizing as that was. She'd been absolutely horrible to her friend. How could she have ever tried to kill him? He was crying for her, because of her. She didn't deserve his kindness in light of what she'd done. "I'm s-sorry!" she choked, her hug weakening a great deal as blood burst from her lips. Her eyes were getting heavy. Darkness was closing in. Her body was done.

Her vulnerability revealed itself to him once again, eyes soft with remorse for her actions as he watched her. It was a mere tear, but hers looked like waterfalls despite the beauty that returned to them instead of their former hollow ones. Hibiya panted a small amount as he felt the adrenaline leaving his body, pain forming on his being as he had blood still dripping from his neck. Nothing too serious, a mere cut that didn't go deep enough to actually kill him. The white magnolia in her pocket... Another tear dripped from his left eye. This time, one of happiness. She kept him along with her the whole time.

Yori stuttered his name one time, her regretful tone revealing itself to him, giving him some hope before she lunged at him with her arms wide open and her eyes being bawled out. "Yori... I'm sorry for your loss." Hibiya explained as he would wrap his arms around her. He gently brushed her from the hair down to add as much comfort as he could as she apologized to him. "I know... You are a good girl, I forgive you."

She passed out momentarily after her apology. It seemed like she was returning with him back to the village at least. Hibiya lifted her body up with his own, proceeding to walk on two aching legs to the hospital. Yori was going to need all the emotional support she could get, Hibiya was going to stay with her as long as he needed to. So he carried her body over.

Six Hours Later

Yori laid in her hospital bed, seeming small and frail in the sterile environment as most do. An IV dripped nourishing and replenishing liquids into her body, making up for all the poor care she'd taken of herself since the incident. More of her body was bandaged than wasn't, making it all look much worse than it was. Most signs of damage were hidden under the clean whites of gauze and tape, all except the busted lip and black eye. There really wasn't a bandage for those, and the nurses had only tended her more important injuries since ninja kept the hospital very busy. Yori could heal the little ones herself.

At first her unconsciousness had most likely been the most peace she'd had in a month, but it was clear she'd be waking up soon. Her chest had started heaving in the last few minutes, showing signs of distress to go along with her frantically darting eyes beneath her lids. A nightmare, for sure. That was to be expected, right? Considering all the horrors she'd seen, it was a surprise she'd slept as long as she had.

Finally, the moment was at hand. The Nishizaka yelled out, her body jerking abruptly into a sitting position, forehead in a cold sweat. The ghost images lingered for mere seconds before dispersing like dust in a summer's breeze. There was no fire, no hanging bodies, no screams from assault. Her hands weren't bloody, but her knuckles were bruised. She was dressed in a brilliant white gown, in a cold white room with white lights...and a window showing her Konoha. The air smelled of cleaners and...she turned her head suddenly, looking to the only other person in the room with a face that didn't dare to know what emotion to show, since they were all buzzing inside of her.

"Shhhhhhh!" Hibiya shushed with his finger placed up to his lips, looking back to her when she screamed out for perhaps the next few hallways to hear. There he was, sitting in the hospital for six hours just to hear her scream his ears out for that moment. When Yori looked directly at him, he smiled back at her. "Morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling? You passed out on me, you know." The Ayano explained to her as he would walk up to her, sitting down on her bed while looking to the side so that he could still talk to her while looking at her directly.

"It's been a bit since... Well..." He plucked the white magnolia from his pocket onto her lap. The one momento to save them both was right there. The blonde had an idea for a while about what he would like to do with her to help her get over the cruel past that she suffered through a month ago, followed up with their little fight. "Hey Yori... If you don't mind, I have an idea." Hibiya explained, his blue eyes trying to lock with hers as he moved his face closer so that they'd be about a foot away from each other. "Let's get out of here, leave our troubles behind for a little bit and explore the world together. I would really love to get away from what happened for a little, and maybe we can find some fun things to do." He placed his head back and turned around, humbly adding onto it. "I don't blame you if you don't want to. Just an idea."

Picking up his magnolia, Yori held it in one hand and glanced at it warmly, though not without sadness. At first she was afraid to look up at him and meet his eyes, but his gentle tone lead her to think it would be alright, especially once he used her name to get her attention. She stared into his face that was so close to her own, feeling an ease that she was certain she didn't deserve. After what she'd done, she was a little surprised he was still here, let alone sitting so closely and making...an offer? Her brows shot up in disbelief.

Get away from it all and explore the world. She'd just gotten back from a bit of exploring, though it had none of the light hearted spirit that word usually contained. No, exploring is what she'd done. She'd hunted, tracked, and sough violence. She'd let her heart and soul be infected with the Fuya's darkness. She'd almost killed her best friend, the only person she could consider traveling the world with for fun. When he turned away and voiced his doubt, she leapt to a response without thinking.

Grabbing his hand, she gave it a squeeze. "Let's go," she nodded, offering him a weak smile. It was the best she had at the moment, since she was trying her best to cope. Even as she smiled, though, tears rimmed her eyes. "If you don't mind going with someone like me after what I did, how could I find a reason to not want to go with you?"

His doubts faded away swiftly after he felt her soft palm squeezing his own, a firm grip to assure him of genuine emotion as she stated that they should go. A smile lapsed on his face at the answer, feeling as though Yori never even did what she did before. Her child-like innocence and equally innocent shy facial expression brought him a warmth through him that couldn't help but express itself with a slight chuckle. "Someone like you is the exact person I would love to travel the world with. It's not something I mind, it's an honor." Hibiya declared with a warm smile before holding up their connected hands together, and covering the back of her exposed hand with his other palm. "We'll leave tomorrow morning, make sure to get some good rest."

He then placed her palm back down onto her lap, assuring her a bit more rest before they set off. "Everything is going to be all right. I'll be right here until then." Anything to assure her that she was in safe hands and that he'll be there to comfort her. As for him, he had an idea of where the two should set off to.

She smiled back at him, tears making their way down her cheeks. Leaning back against the bed's incline and pillows, Yori sighed and lifted a hand to smooth the unruly things away. It seemed her eyes had minds of their own, leaking whenever they felt like it. She trusted him when he said things would be alright, but right now it didn't feel like that would ever be the case. The best she could do would be to plug all the holes and hope she didn't sink.

If she could think of the last place she wanted to be, it was the hospital. How could anyone rest with the shuffling in the halls and all the sterility of it all? It put her on edge. She already missed the fact that nothing used to set her on edge other than happenings on missions. Reaching over, the Nishizaka pulled the IV out of her arm and maneuvered herself to sit beside Hibiya with her legs dangling in preparation for getting up. "I'll rest much better back ho-" she cut off, forgetting herself for a moment. Her room, her family home, those faces... were gone. After clearing her throat and having a moment of silence to collect herself and her voice, she corrected herself. "I'll rest much better at my apartment," her voice came weakly, and she regretted trusting it at all. Forcing herself to move on from that thought, she looked at Hibiya again. "Where will we go first?" she asked, tilting her head to the side a little.

Hibiya didn't address her apartment or her former home, but would instead proceed to talk about where they were going. He'll make sure to guide her on her way out of the hospital, his body being a clutch for her if needed. It was great to see her trying to be active again, and she looked to him with a look that didn't seem to want to rip him open like a present or a picked chicken. He smiled back at her doubtful expression, genuine with his smile as he would explain his plan. "I think we should go to the land of iron. It's a completely different way of life, the way of my people I guess you could say. Samurai!" The Ayano explained to her, placing his feet against the ground while keeping his eyes locked onto her.

"You remember how I mentioned being a Samurai, right? Well there are plenty over there, and the traditions they have for men and women are loads of fun." Hibiya explained to her before placing his left pointer finger up to his lips, winking his left eye. "They'll be a surprise for you, but I know you'll just love them!" They were great for relaxing and keeping one busy as well, which was a great goal for them at this point. Her leaky eyes didn't go unnoticed, so he placed his fingers on her cheeks to catch the tears, then addressing her weaker smile. "You look beautiful with a smile on, you know that?"

Right, he was a samurai. She knew that, but the refresher enticed her mind as to just how different a land without ninja would be. Yori couldn't begin to imagine the culture and traditions. If they were looking for a change of scenery to heal and just move on, no better place that somewhere utterly foreign from everything she knew. This really was the first step, because she was already looking forward to it. A lot of time and new experiences with her best friend who hadn't given up on her even when she was a monster.

Hibiya distracted her from her mental voyage among her version of samurai when he stole her tears away. Then, he'd just done it. It was barely noticable, but the smallest bit of pink rose into her pale cheeks. Granted, she was in her most vulnerable and non-composed form, but a blush was a blush compared to what she usually did to get Hibiya all flustered in the past. "I do now," she replied to his words, daring to keep eye contact for a few moments before looking away in a rare moment of embarrassment. Then she stood, a little shaky but strong enough to gather her bloody clothes and other items she'd had with her. Lastly she found her magnolia, looking it over before safely tucking it away.

"Let's go before the nurse catches me," she said at the door way, and the two made their way out and into the streets of the busy village. At times she did need a little bit of support from him, since even after the six hours of rest her body was tired and sluggish to obey simple commands. Yori had pushed it too far, far beyond what it should have allowed with the abuse she'd put it through.

She'd direct them both onto the path leading not too far away from the hospital. She lived on the upper floor of one of the taller buildings that offered affordable single rooms for those striking out on their own or needed a convenient place to crash when village duties took over. "Now you know where I live," she said, mustering up a shadow of her former irreverence. "Should I be afraid? You always said you'd get me back for my pranks."

The both of them arrived to Yori's apartment, Hibiya smiling happily from receiving the most adorable facial expression, rosy red cheeks that'll make anyone laugh for a moment. It was a fun memory to have kept stored in his mind to taunt her on later, though he meant what he said in a platonic sense at that moment. The poor Nishizaka asked him if she should be afraid because he promised that he would get back at he for her pranks on him. Admittedly, he tempted the thought of reassuring her he would do nothing. That likely couldn't work since she could seem like he's lying through his teeth. So instead, he would just look at her directly in the eye with his smile equipped.

"Turn around then." The Ayano ordered with a soft tone. Fine, he'll get the prank done and over with so that they can be even and don't have to worry about each other with this whole one-up prank game they were playing. Of course, he true intentions didn't lie within actually doing something mean to her, definitely not after the hospital trip they took. But it was certainly going to fool her. "Or are you too scared?" Hibiya slyly challenged, a sheepish look on his face.

Entering her place and setting her things down, Yori took only a moment to glance around before turning to Hibiya at his sudden words. Eyeing him, she took a second to think about it while her brow quirked up. What did the Ayano have planned in that brain of his? Her brow lowered back down, taking the other with it even lower as she squinted at him in suspicion. "I'm not scared," she emphasized defiantly, never one to back down from some sort of challenge. The uncertainty of what he was going to do both thrilled her and worried her. It couldn't be too bad, but just not knowing...

Giving in and showing no fear, she turned around. "Do your worst," she dared, though she was somewhat tensed and waiting to react. Pranks were easier when you didn't know they were coming. Anticipation made it so much worse.

Do his worst? Those sound like words that dared to challenge him back, in which he would just smile even more upon hearing them. "You got it~" Hibiya would tauntly reply to her with agreement in his tone before he would slowly walk up behind her as wrap his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder before just calmly letting a sheepish quip from his lips. "Gotcha~" The best prank was the one that seemed like one, but ended up not being one. Now as for the "do your worst" part, he made sure to firmly hug her without giving her a chance to turn around and return it to him. In a way, it was a fun sort of revenge where she could do nothing while he just did the action. "I'm glad you're back." Finally a genuine sentence had been said, his eyes closed and lips forming a white grin.

Afterwards, he would let her go and take a step back, nodding his head with satisfaction. "Well, I think we're even now. Care to allow me into your apartment? I wouldn't want to be a stranger." The Ayano explained with his hands placed back into his pockets.

Oh, this boy. This was hardly like any prank she'd think of, but she'd take it gladly. "Me too," she responded quietly. while unable to return the embrace, she could at least place her hands on his arms and lean her cheek against his head on her shoulder. What would she do without him? If not for him, she may have never returned. She would have never imagined this is where they would end up, let alone be on the cusp of the adventure of a lifetime. He released her, so she turned and looked at him with a pleasant expression. So they were even...for now.

When he asked to be let in, she almost felt rude. She'd just assumed he'd follow her in since they were so close, but manners were a thing, right? "You're certainly no stranger," Yori said, motioning for him to come inside. "Come on. It's a little small, but the view is nice," she said, and it was true. There was enough room for a book shelf at the end of a bed with a leafy pattern against the left wall. A small kitchenette on the right wall complete with rice maker, little fridge, and two-man table and chairs was on the right wall. The best part was the sliding glass door leading to a little balcony between the two. The stoop held several pots of plants and a lovely view of the more forested part of the village within the walls. Inside had several plants as well, seeming to be her attempt to bring nature inside with her. The bookshelf had many worn books on wildlife and nature, as well as some much loved stuffed animals such as a bunny and a bear. It was funny how much a living space could tell an outside about the person it belongs to. Yori made her way to the bed and sat down heavily, rubbing her face in her hands.