He sighed while taking off his M2D, his head was pounding. This wasn't right, he thought. This was sick, sick and obsessive. He had never thought that he could trigger such feelings inside of someone. But he should have known better. Because after all the shit he has been through, he should have known this was going to happen.

At first, he tolerated it because he had no other choice. He tolerated it because he needed him. Because without him, they wouldn't be able to do this, they wouldn't be able to save The World they loved and cherished.

But enough is enough.

You could call him selfish for all he cares. He wouldn't give a damn, because damnit, enough is enou- *chime*

His PC chimed, indicating the arrival of a new email. Sighing, he put back his M2D on, and read the email.

Sender: Endrance
Subject: ... I'm sorry

... Haseo... I'm sorry... I wasn't supposed to say that...
but you have to... understand me... I love you...

My love never wavers... Never.

Fuck! this person doesn't understand! The problem is not what he said, the problem is him, He doesn't want that love. It's sick! Sick and stupid.

Rubbing his temple, he turned off his PC and went to bed. Right now, he doesn't want to deal with it. He'll take care of it some other time, just not today.

"Haseeeeoooooo~~!"

"Atoli, would you please shut the fuck up? I'm right next to you!" His ears hurt, and the reason for his misery is standing right beside him. She's annoying. I can't believe I thought she was cute after that stupid quest. Because heck, even Death Grunty is cuter than her.

"Uhm, I'm sorry..." She said, with her hand on her mouth while one of her legs was crossed behind the other. Don't act cute, you're not! God, how he wished he could scream this at her face.

Sighing, "What do you want?" He asked her, annoyed.

"Uhm, nothing... It's just that, uh, there's this item I need... and um, I was wondering if you'd like to go on an item hunt with me? because you know, I can't fight and I'm weak. but I'm doing my best! So, uh, yeah. I'd really like to get that item, I need it. Miss Kaede asked if I could get it for her as well, and um, I instantly thought of you because you're strong and your level is way abo-"

"Okay, okay, fine I get it, I'll go with you, just keep your mouth shut, would ya?"

"Yes!" She smiled so wide he thought her lips would fall off.

Standing before the Chaos Gate, he wondered which area she'd like to go to, just as he was about to ask, he saw Endrance warping in Breg Epona, fuck, I didn't reply to his email from yesterday. was the first thought that came to his mind.

"Uh, Endra-" He didn't even complete his sentence but the other guy was walking away.

He stood there, shocked, what just happened? he kept asking himself. This was so unlike Endrance. He never ignored him before.

"...Haseo?" Atoli asked, uncertainly, while tilting her head to the side.

"Huh?" He replied absentmindedly. "Oh. Never mind."

"Okay..." She said looking as confused as Haseo felt. "So, how about S Cheering, Wrath's, BBQ plate? I think we'll find the items there!"

He looked at her, she seemed cheerful, awfully cheerful. Too cheerful it seemed suspicious.

After a tiring time wasted on Atoli and her big whiney mouth, he logged out and opened his Mail Station, he didn't find anything new, except for an email from Shino reminding him of their meeting later this week at her apartment. He smiled, Shino was the only one who could bring back his good mood.

He turned off his PC, and laid down in bed, it was so unlike Endrance to ignore him because of an email, usually he'd ask what was wrong, or even make excuses for Haseo -Ryou- himself. But today, he didn't even spare him a glance. It worried Ryou. But if you ask him about it ten minutes from now, he'd vehemently deny it. Why should he give a fuck about that guy?

He doesn't even like him. He could ignore him for the rest of his life for all he cared.

Or so he told himself.

He was looking forward to meeting Shino. He really was. But for some reason; he kept spacing off almost the whole time. She would talk about something or the other, and at first he would reply and nod in agreement or shake his head yes when she asked for his opinion, but after a short while, he'd find himself wandering off into another world.

Endrance hasn't been on for a few days, and that's what is messing with his head. He doesn't know why he cares. He doesn't want to care. But he does. Because he knows that Endrance has some kind of a psychological issue, and even though he knows that Endrance wouldn't do something stupid, he couldn't help but worry.

"Ryou?" Shino's voice pulled him out of his musings. And when he noticed the worried look on her face, he decided that he would not, would not, dwell on Endrance's absence. Shino is much more important.

She is.

He got up from his place on the floor and sat next to her on the couch, her apartment was homey, it was a mixture of soft pink, black and white, too girly for his taste, but still lovely. because Shino decorated it.

He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him, her shoulders were thin and her pale skin was intriguing. She looked up at him, and smiled shyly, when she moved he had caught a sniff of her perfume, she smelled good, strawberry and cream, for a nano-second he wondered how Endrance would smell like, feel like in his arms.

And when he realized what his mind was thinking, he jumped up from his seat, "One sec." he said hurriedly and made a mad dash towards the bathroom to wash his burning face.

It was stupid, he told himself. Why on earth did he come here in the first place? Endrance wasn't even Online, why would he be in Indieglut Lugh? Even if it's his favorite place, he wouldn't be here if his status showed that he's offline.

My mind is fucked. He sighed and rubbed his temples, he caught himself doing that a lot these days, I got a new habit, he thought.

He sent a lot of E-mails to Endrance, but he hasn't replied to any of them. And that worried Haseo to no end. It really wasn't usual for Endrance to disappear like that, Endrance was Online almost all of the time, Haseo wouldn't have been surprised if he was a NPC. Actually, he would be, but that was besides the point.

Haseo caught a glimpse of blue light on his right, but he dismissed it as one of those floating lights, which he had no idea what they were.

He was startled when a hand on his shoulder pulled him back from his revere, he turned around, hoping it would be who he came here for, but to his disappointment it was Kuhn.

"Hey, Haseo. What are you doing here?" He asked while raising a knowing eyebrow at Haseo.

"Nothing. Mind your own business." He shrugged the hand off, as is his habit whenever someone touches his shoulder. You never shrugged Endrance's hand away. A little voice mocked him.

"Easy, boy. What got your panties in a twist?" Kuhn chuckled. Haseo was still as cute as ever, if only he were a girl, he would have tamed him... her. whatever.

Haseo looked up at him, Damn them all, why the fuck were they taller than him? "Nothing, I was just leaving." He turned around and walked away to the platform. Just as he was about to warp off, he heard Kuhn mumbling something. "What did you say?" He asked.

"I was just pointing out that brooding over it won't bring him back, y'know. " Kuhn answered with that know-it-all smirk of his.

Haseo felt heat flaming his cheeks. "What the fuck are you talking about?" He asked angrily, or as angrily as one could be when they were flushing in embarrassment.

"Endrance."