Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Mitsuomi weakly opened his eyes as he lay in his bed. He saw a gray ceiling watching over him as a alarm rang out repeatedly. The softness of his sheets and bed did nothing to comfort him from that sound, a great deal of pain and the bleakness of it all. He rolled over to look out at his alarm clock which awoke him from his anguish. His eyes blinked out of sync with each other as he looked at it. It did not matter what it read he already knew what it meant. It was soon time for work.

If there was one thing he hated it was time.

It kept going and going. Time. And you could easily be forgotten in it.

It was the one thing he didn't have and he hated that.

Aching he slowly picked himself up from his bed and placed his feet on the floor. He raised his muscular body from his bed and walked over to his bathroom.

He flicked the light on and ran water from the sink, but the sound of running water could not drown his thoughts. He filled his hands with water, brought it to his face and doused himself in it. He then wiped his face before looking at himself in the mirror as some water still remained. Drops trickled down his face. One started up from his eye down his jaw and then dropped to his chest where it traced itself along his scar.

He brought a finger up to follow it and wiped it off himself. He then looked at himself again in the mirror. He took a deep long look at his own eyes which starred endlessly back at him. They were cold and distant, a clear reflection of what he had become. He closed those eyes, took in a deep breath and then exhaled a depressed, mournful sigh.

When he opened his eyes his fist was planted into the mirror and now even more of his own judgment filled eyes were looking at him.

If he could go back in time he would have done things differently.

If he had time he would try to change those things now.

He bandaged his knuckles, dressed himself, got onto his bike and rode off to school on this bright sunny morning. There was not a cloud to be seen in the sky above him and inside he felt as empty as it.

He arrived at Toudou academy, parked his bike and entered the building. He walked solemnly through the halls on a route that kept him away from most of the students. But he still could see and hear echoes of other people talking, having fun and just enjoying being with each other while he was all alone.

He entered his office and was greeted respectfully by Emi and nonchalantly by Bunshichi, but he did not respond to either one of them. He just walked over his desk and sat behind it stoically. The guilt of time could never escape his thoughts. If he had more time he would have liked to have spent more of it with someone. He turned his chair to face the window knowing she would likely be arriving now herself.

"Was it ever possible?" he wondered to himself "Could it still be possible?". He lamented on that idea wondering if he could somehow he could pull it off.. and how happy it would make him.

Across the campus entering the school was the entire Junken club with their Captain leading the way.

Mitsuomi sat at his desk in his office contemplating his time on this earth, letting out a sigh as he did so. "Could I get her back?" he whispered aloud. He had an idea of what to do, spawned from a thought that just passed through his mind. It was drastic and may send of the wrong impression if he went too far... but he had to do it. He had to see her. He had to talk to her. He needed her time.

It was now after hours at the school. The sun was setting and it shined its last rays into Mitsuomi's office before it left the sky. His office was a mix of dark orange and black as he sat at his desk looking out the window. Emi and Bunshichi had long left since school ended that day while Mitsuomi stayed behind for reasons he would not disclose to them. He was waiting now in the silence and solidarity, patiently awaiting someone. He had escaped his last fight with no injures just as he had planned and he removed his opposition from the playing field. Now he hoped his recent actions would invoke interest in someone. He had things to do and say.

He then heard something in the distance down the hall; footsteps approaching the closed door to his office. The distnace between the footsteps and his door soon diminished as the sound became louder and more furious. It sounded like a stampede outside but he knew it was only one person; it could only be one person. The knob jiggled as it was fiercely grasped from someone outside. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath and then released it. He opened his eyes and turned towards the door to see Maya standing there looking at him coldly. He looked back with a bland expression, one he had adorned for years.

The two looked each other over in the silence of the setting sun. Then Mitsuomi broke the silence.

"Maya" he said her name softly almost in awe of her.

"Mitsuomi" she responded with her voice matching a deathly glare in her eyes. The two continued to look at each other in silence until she broke it.

"Why did you do this?" she asked with distraught in her voice although she tried to hide it.

"I've done a lot of things to you I'm not proud of. Which one are you talking about?"

"The boy!" she shouted

"Nagi" he said his name. She flinched. "I did what I've always done" he said getting up "I fought and I won" he said walking around his desk and up to her. She lowered her head to the floor as he stopped in front of her. "That boy was no dragon". Maya was silent as she continued to look at the floor "Maya" he spoke to get her attention.

"You ruin everything" she muttered as her body began to shake and her lips trembled.

"I know" he admitted

"I hate you" she whispered as tears started to fall uncontrollably from her eyes. "I hate you" she growled, her voice rising as she clenched her fists.

Mitsuomi looked down at her struck by her words although he did not show it externally. He raised a hand to touch her face.

"Maya" he said her name again as he raised his hand and was about to caress her face.

"Don't fucking touch me!" she shouted suddenly as she swatted him away and he retracted his hands. But that only lasted for a moment as he brought them up again "Don't you ever fucking touch me" she pointed to him enraged.

"Maya I-"

"I fucking hate you!" she screamed and sobbed. He flinched at her outcry of emotion and anger. It tore him up inside when he heard it. He really hoped she didn't really mean it.

He tried to touch her but she swatted him away again, practically jumping as she did so. "Don't touch me, don't you ever fucking touch me" she repeated.

"Maya-"

"I fucking hate you!" her shrill voice let out and she sobbed as her lips trembled.

Mitsuomi looked her over as she stood there, her gaze now away from him, her tears staining the floor and her body trembling from anger and misery. He brought both his arms up now slowly as she continued to tremble. He barely made contact with her wrists but she did not bother to stop him as he touched her. He then raised his hands up gliding from her wrists to her elbow and then to her shoulders which he gripped firmly as he reached them.

She continued to look down as he looked at her. He then brought his right hand to her face and softly cupped her chin. She snapped her head away from him sniffling and tears flew as she did. He tried again but slower and this time he turned her face towards his.

He looked into her deeply troubled eyes as tears burned her cheeks. She then blurted out some more tears and sniffling as she was caught in his blank stare.

Then slowly and gently he brought her into himself and hugged her. Maya collapsed into him fully now with all her weight onto him as she continued to cry.

"I'm sorry" he whispered into her ear as she dampened his shirt "I never wanted this" he said. She put her arms around his back completing the embrace as they held on even tighter now.

Still embracing, they lowered each other down to the floor and onto their knees as Maya continued to cry and Mitsuomi still held her. She sniffled and sobbed as Mitsuomi remained silent. They sat there for what seemed like an eternity but was actually only a few minutes. Maya still wept but no more tears came.

"I'm sorry" he said again as he stroked her hair.

"I know" she finally whimpered in response. The two then loosened their grips on each other and slowly backed out of each other's arms as they remained on the floor. The two then looked each other over as the shadows hid half their face.

Mitsuomi reached up and wiped her cheek gently. Maya brought up her own hands and kept his hand pressed against her face tenderly, savoring his touch. Her eyes drifted from his hand up his arm and then to his face and looked into his eyes longingly as he looked back with the same emotion even if his face didn't show it.

He slowly brought his hand back to his body as her head followed. She let go of his hand and leaned her face towards his. Their faced continued to get closer until their lips were pressed together.

For far too long where they denied this. They were filled with passion, confusion, and guilt for many different reasons but they enjoyed every second.

Maya started to lean into him more and more and Mitsuomi continued to fall with her until he was on his back. Maya planted herself on top of him removing her shirt and discarding it across the room. Then she fell back on top of him and started wildly kissing him and held onto him tightly. Mitsuomi raised his arms to grab a hold of her to contain her while keeping himself locked in their kiss. They rolled across the floor pressed up against each other in a fit of passion. Their tongues became intertwined within each other's mouths; their hands ravaged each other's bodies as they grinded against each other on the floor. Maya moaned and Mitsuomi grunted.

Then suddenly he felt it. A sharp sheering pain in his chest. His eyes shot open in panic as he suddenly gripped Maya with force and she winced. Then in a flash he shoved her off of him.

"Hey, what the-"she was cut off as Mitsuomi suddenly gagged. Then he threw up blood all over himself. "Oh my-" Maya covered her mouth in shock as he coughed up more blood onto the floor. His mouth was red as blood covered his torso and dripped off his body and onto the floor. "Mitsuomi!" she cried out to him as he violently hacked up more blood onto himself. It poured out from his mouth, nose, ears, whatever space it could escape his body from. Maya then stood up and looked around frantically as he continued to expel more blood from his mouth. "I'll uh-I'll go- I" she panicked as red tears fell from his eyes "I'll call the hospital!" she said before heading for the door.

"NO!" he shouted stopping her in her tracks. She turned to him as he had an outstretched red hand to her. He then struggled to lift himself up. But when he could not find the strength to do it he crawled and perched himself against his desk, leaving a trail of blood as he moved. He sat gasping for air as Maya looked him over, frightened and concerned.

"I think-" he breathed in deeply "you should go now" he exhaled. Maya said nothing. She walked over to get her shirt and covered her body with it. She then walked towards the door and he watched her go.

She stopped at the door frame and turned back to him "Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked worry evident in both her face and voice.

"Don't worry about me" he stated, his breathing now returning to normal. Watching down on him from across the room Maya looked at him one more time and put a weak smile on her face which prompted Mitsuomi to form his own.

"So I'll see you tomorrow..right?" she asked

"Yeah.. sure" he grunted he said as sincerely as possible. Maya's smile became more confident and although no more words were exchanged her eyes said three distinct words she wanted to say to him for a long time. She got one last look at him before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Mitsuomi listened as her footsteps got farther and farther away until he could hear them no more. His vision became blurry and his breathes were now less frequent. A red smile formed on his face; happy he had the time to fix something he broke so long ago.

A friendship.

A love.

He closed his eyes and they never opened again.