Haruka Nanase was a quite boy. He never was one to express himself. All he did was stand there in the background with a bored expression playing across his features at all times. This was just how Haruka was. No one questioned it, mostly because no one talked to him to so it couldn't be questioned.

The bell rang signaling the start of school. The room filled in with children but Haruka was already sitting in the back. His eyes looked out the window that was beside him. He watched the clouds slowly move across the sky.

"Hello, class, I am your new teacher Mr. Sato. Please take your seats and then I will do roll call." Haruka looked over at the teacher as he made his to his large desk in the front of the room. He picked up a clipboard and began to read each of the names. Haruka's eyes glanced at each fellow student as they raised their hand and announced that they were indeed here. "Ms. Haruka Nanase?" Mr. Sato's eyes scanned the room.

"Here." Haruka pulled his arm up slightly so the back of his hand met with his shoulder. The teacher nodded his head and continued taking roll.

"Psst, hey," a boy whispered. "Nanase. Haruka Nanase."

"What?" Haruka turned and blinked his at the boy to the right of him. His face blank.

"You aren't a girl. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to." Haruka looked away from the boy and back at the teacher.

"But you aren't a girl," the child pressed.

"Mr. Sato knows that now." Haruka kept his eyes forward. The child by him dropped the subject, much to Haruka's excitement.

"Ms. Makoto Tachibana," Mr. Sato glanced around the room.

"I'm here." The boy by Haruka raised his hand in the air, a smile graced his face. "And I'm a boy."

"Yes, I can see that. I won't make the mistake again."

"It's that easy," Makoto said to Haruka when the teacher moved on.

"It was pointless."

Makoto didn't talk to Haruka the rest of the class. He spent his time trying his hardest to pay attention while Haruka stared out the window. When the bell rang for recess Haruka stayed seated as he waited for everyone to leave. One individual stayed.

"Do you want to play with me at recess?" Makoto asked as he stood in front of Haruka's desk.

"No."

"Oh come on. Please? Do you have someone else to play with?"

"No."

"Then play with me. Pretty please?" Makoto's green eyes pleaded.

"Fine." Haruka pulled himself out of his seat and glanced at Makoto. "I won't be much fun."

"I bet you will be lots of fun. Come on." Makoto reached forward and grabbed ahold of Haruka's hand to pull him out of the room. "We will do so many fun things together."

"Haruka!" Makoto ran over to his black haired friend who sat under a large tree behind the playground.

"Don't call me Haruka. I hate my name." Haruka's eyes narrowed as he stared at the ground. He sat with his knees pulled up to his chest with his arms wrapped around his legs. His hand rested on top of his feet.

"What would I call you then? Why do you hate your name?" Makoto sat down beside Haruka. His legs stretched out in front of him and his hands on the ground on each side of him.

"It's a girl's name."

"So is mine. I love my name."

"I hate my name."

"Okay. I'll call you... Haru. You can't be mad at Haru." Makoto looked at Haruka's face to try and read his expression.

"I guess... you're right." Haru's head sank down slowly till all you could see was his eyes over his knees. There was a smile that tugged at his lips.

"Okay, Haru. We should play after school today. We have never played together after school." Makoto pouted and then laughed. "Can we, please?"

"Only if we go to your house." Haru glanced at Makoto.

"Of course we can. We'll have to stop by your house to make sure it's okay." Makoto's grin grew.

"Okay."

The rest of the school day passed quickly. The bell rang to let the children home leaving Haru and Makoto walking side by side towards the Nanase house.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Makoto yelled as they walked. Haru just nodded his head. "I wonder what your parents are like."

"You can't meet them right now," Haru stated.

"Why?"

"You just can't. You also have to wait outside. Okay?"

"Okay. Maybe I can meet them some other day." Makoto smiled at Haru. Haru just gave a simple nod of his head as they walked. When the reached the large house that Haru lived in Makoto waited outside as patiently as he could as Haru went in to talk to his parents. Soon the boy emerged outside again and the two left for Makoto's home.

"Makoto! Where have you been? Oh, and who's your friend?" A woman with long dark olive green hair and green eyes asked when the two boys entered.

"Oh. This is Haru. He's been my friend since the start of school. Isn't that such a long time, Mommy?" Makoto slipped off his shoes and ran to his mother's open arms.

"Yes, that means you guys have been friends for about a month. That is a long time." She smiled at her son before turned her gaze to Haru.

"Hello, Haru I am Mrs. Tachibana." The woman let go her son and held her hand out towards Haru. The boy slipped off his shoes and took a step forward to shake the kind woman's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too."

"Haru is really quiet," Makoto explains.

"Well that isn't a bad thing. It's nice to have someone quiet once in a while. Unlike you." Mrs. Tachibana reached out and pinched Makoto's cheek, making the young boy laugh. "Would you like to help me make dinner, Haru? Mr. Tachibana should be home soon and tonight we are having mackerel."

Haru nodded his head and followed Makoto and his mother into the house. Mrs. Tachibana showed Haru how to she cooks the fish and then helped the two boys make a salad. Haru smiled slightly up at Mrs. Tachibana as she started setting the table.

"This was fun. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I enjoyed cooking with you."

Mr. Tachibana arrived home and greeted Haru. Everyone seemed so kind and loveling. They all sat around the table and make small talk as they ate their food.

"This is so good!" Haru stuffed another bite of the fish into his mouth.

"Have you never had mackerel before?" Mr. Tachibana asked.

"No," Haru said with his mouth full. He chewed and swallowed before continuing. "My mom doesn't make food at home. I just eat whatever she brings home. It's never this good."

"I see. You can eat dinner with us any time you would like," Mrs. Tachibana told him. Haru nods before taking another huge bite of dinner.

"Does that mean Haru will be spending more time here?" Makoto beamed. "I'm so happy."

Haru stayed after dinner and helped the family clean up and spend hours with Makoto and his parents. He enjoyed the light feeling in the room. There was smiles on everyone's faces and it was so happy Haru felt like he could join them. He didn't. He just stayed and listened to them talk and responded whenever they asked him a question. Haru enjoyed it. He never wanted to leave.

Sadly, everything good had to come to an end and Haru had to leave. Mrs. Tachibana and Makoto walked Haru home. He attempted to chat with them but didn't say much the whole walk. He ran ahead of them when his house was in sight and told them they could leave.

Haru pulled the door open slowly and glanced inside once he arrived. No one seemed to be there. He sighed and walked in.

"Where the hell have you been?!"