A/N: Hello~! It's been a while since the last time I've written a fic. I have finished Jin's route months ago and have been itching to write a fic for him, but couldn't find a free time *sobs*. This is also my first multi-chaptered fic. I'm still not used to this though. The succeeding chapters will be based from the conversations they have from the game. Thanks to Yuki (clock_tower) of LJ for the translation! :) Now, onto the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own TMGS, and its characters. I own the story though.

Prologue

Spending my life like this… this should be okay.

Jin stares in space absent-mindedly. They have just finished school for today so he and his gang decide to stroll aimlessly around the town for hours. Just plain hanging around for they do not have a place where they belong to begin with. They are not the studious type of students, so library is a no-no. Excluding Jin, most of his friends wear a rough and rugged look that anyone would get scared even just by looking at them. This results to them being labelled as a 'yankee' by their schoolmates. Of course, no club welcomes them. None of them likes to go home after school as well. Either there won't be anyone to welcome them at home or they would only hear nothing but berates from their parents. They've long admitted unconsciously to themselves one dreadful truth: they are unwanted—unwanted by the society.

But today is different. It has been a while since they've had a peaceful afternoon like this; no fights, no running away from other thugs, or anything alike. Sometimes he wishes that this kind of day would remain for a long time.

Some of his fellow thugs have been going this way for a long time. They all have their own share of story and Jin is no exception. He was not like this before. He was not someone whom people are scared off; not even the troublesome guy he is now. Jin was an honor student back in his glorious days. Emphasis on WAS. Some people may think he might be regretting his life but he is feeling the opposite. He is doing great—greater than when he was on top. When you are topping the exams, you feel that you are an elite; the greatest student among the bunch. It is indeed an achievement for Jin. From his classmates to his parents, everyone admires him; aching for his attention because if he does, they feel that they can share the limelight with him. It was enough to make him feel ecstatic. Being a celebrity that he was, lots of people flocked around him; some offering genuine affection but most were sham. Not too long before he realized that, his so-called 'friends' never really looked at him as a comrade. Jin was considered a foe, he was nothing but a threat towards their goal on being the number one student in their school. It may have looked like a trivial thing but it caused a major impact on him. He felt betrayed, lost, and alone. The people whom he thought he could turn too kicked him aside and laugh at his back. He was hopeless. That is when he turned to fighting. When he does that, he allows himself to release all the tension that was wearing his shoulders all those years. Along the way, he met other 'unsought' individuals. They fight, and fight…and fight for no apparent reason, for no apparent objective.

If I only have enough reason to change, to correct my incorrigible life . If I only have something 'that' important to me that I'll want to cherish…or someone.

"Oi Jin. Oii!" one of his friends called him, interrupting his thoughts. His mind drifts back to the present and it annoys him for some reason.

"What do you want?" He does not want to sound irritated. It's just kind of vexing. Their situation that is. He tries to soften his features and instead raises an eyebrow to the crimson-haired guy on his left.

"Chill man. I was just suggesting we go to game centre and have some fun instead of like this," he says, gesturing to their round-and-round walking.

"Sure. Whatever," he shrugs. He continues walking with no exact place to go to. Normally they'd be neck-to-neck with other guys at this hour of the day so it is very shocking his friends find their 'strolling' boring. On the contrary, Jin enjoys this. He does not want to admit it but he loves being enraptured by the calmness of the day.

"You're easily irked up nowadays Jin," another guy behind him comments. The others answer in agreement a little loudly. Some passersby give them nasty look while others stay away from their path.

"He just probably needs a girlfriend," the one on his right clasps Jin's shoulder as he laughs. His remark gains teases from his friends. Jin snorts with his friends' joke, resulting to another burst of laughter from the other guys.

Just then, a pair of girls passes them. One of them looks cute and energetic as she speaks to her friend. She has her ginger hair tied-up, and she talks very fast. Compared to her friend, the other one seems meek and docile. She is lean with her pinkish hair. They are both wearing Habataki Academy uniforms.

"There are lot of girls around here. With your looks, I bet they can't resist you." The guy on his left said in low voice, looking around at the several girls who are staring at Jin's direction with admiring eyes.

'I beg to disagree,' Jin thought wistfully as he stares at the girl with pink hair, chatting merrily with her friend, unaware of the unwavering gaze thrown at her by him.

...so what do you think? :D I'll post the chapter 1 in the following days. I also named the heroine Takagi Harumi. Takagi from well, Shuujin from Bakuman xD and Harumi...from my imagination lol.

As always, thanks to Nami-chan and Jaye-kaachan. ^_^