The phone call came much too late into the night, right as when Hiromi had been sleeping. The soft vibrating of her phone awoke her out of her light slumber, eyes catching the time to be a quarter after three in the morning. Reaching for her cell, the name had snapped her out of whatever tiredness she had.

Kinomiya Takao

Instantly, she tossed the blankets off her form, sliding her finger across the screen. "Takao? What's wrong?"

"I… am not in a good place mentally… I-I had the nightmare again."

Hiromi held back her sigh. She knew that the tag-team tournament, even though it was over, had led to Takao's suicide attempt. What had shocked her was that when Hiromi left the hometown she met Takao in to go to the next town over, Takao had moved there only two months later, claiming that he needed a fresh start and started attending the same college as her.

Though she could chalk that up to her and Kyouju being in the same town. But she also had a feeling it was to get away from the others, as by the numerous phone calls and texts from them that she learned to ignore. Her image of them already wasn't positive and she didn't need them making it worse.

"Do you need to come over to my apartment and spend the night?" She asked, already putting on her slippers.

"Yeah… Yeah, if that would be okay. I'm really sorry to wake you up. I know that we both have school in the morning and that you need your sleep or else you can't focus…"

Hiromi smiled at the concern Takao showed for her. By now with how many times he had stayed at her place that she didn't really mind it. In fact, she had welcomed it. Her apartment had the tendency of getting lonely and company was just the perfect thing to remedy that.

"Takao, I don't mind it. I still have a few pairs of your clothes at my apartment. All you need to do is bring your backpack. As for my lack of sleep, if it's for you, then it's worth it. That being said, I shall see you in a few minutes. If I can't answer the door, the spare key is under the mat."

"Thanks, Hiromi. You're the best. I'll see you in a bit."

"Yep, just be careful when you drive over here."

The click of the phone graced her ears and she suddenly felt anger tinge her chest. There were so many what if's that would have prevented Takao from being the way he is now. And said anger is what had led her to phoning Kai at nearly four in the morning.

"Hiromi? What's wrong?"

"You, Max, and Rei are complete assholes! You picked a stupid title over your own best friend who has done so much for you that you think that leaving him is the right way to pay him back?! Did you know that he had a suicide attempt because you assholes left him?! That for the first few months he was a zombie?! And none of you had the balls to go see him or at least apologize?! You call yourself his friends but really you are just using him so that you can have his fucking title! So you know what?! Fuck you and fuck the others!"

She could hear Kai taking in a breath in order to get a saying in. That was until she had pressed the 'end call' button, throwing her phone on the bed, ignoring the vibrating on her phone. Getting out all of her anger was like a weight being taken off her chest, letting her breath easy. Of course, that didn't last for long as Takao knocked on her door, causing the brunet to run to the door, unlocking it and looking over the ex-blader.

It was safe to say that Takao looked worse for wear, but what had managed to catch her eye was the three red cuts on her friend's wrist. With a deep frown, she pulled the other in her apartment, allowing him to sit down as she raced to get the first aid kit.

In the time it had taken her to come back, Takao had taken off his jacket, sinking into the couch with an arm over his eyes. She didn't ask any questions as she cleaned off his wrist, only happy that he had come to her before he did something worse.

"So." She started. "I had your clothes laying on my bed. You can put your backpack next to mine. And you will be sleeping in the same bed as me." She raised one of her hands just as Takao was getting ready to reject. "I know that you are still not in the right mind and it would make me feel better if I had you laying in bed next to me. Just so that way I know that you are okay."

Takao kept quiet after that, letting Hiromi finish her work before he flexed his wrist, getting used to the bandages before he looked over to her. "You know. Kai called me on my way here. Said something about you yelling at him about me."

A wince came onto the other's face and Hiromi was just waiting for Takao to snap at her and tell her to stay out of his business.

"Thank you."

Chocolate gaze looked up, surprise written on her face as Takao continued. "I didn't think that you would do that for me. That you would literally call Kai just so you can yell at him about how much of a dick he and the others were. You said everything I couldn't. And I can't thank you enough for that Hiromi. That means a lot to me."

A red flush tinted the girl's cheeks, looking away from him with a pout. "Yeah, well. You're welcome. Now go get ready for bed. We had a long day tomorrow and I would like to be prepared for any quizzes that the teachers might spring on us."

The smile that Takao gave her said a thousand words. One filled with love, care, and gratefulness. "Yes, ma'am. Your beauty sleep is important."

"Takao. Do you want to be kicked out?"

"No, ma'am. I'll shush now."