Yoshiki slammed the door behind him as he stepped into his apartment. He was so frustrated! Just when he finally got the courage to confess what he felt to Ayumi.

Shinozaki, but...!

I am really sorry, Kishinuma. But... I love Satoshi.

He was so close.

He always wanted to have her as his. But no, Satoshi had to take her away.

He hated it.

Yoshiki didn't know what to feel anymore. He was so broken and devastated that his one true love rejected him.

But who could blame her? Yoshiki was ugly. He was a delinquent. He was a jerk. He was a dumbass. No one would want anything to do with him.

Maybe he should have thought this through already before he tried it.

4 MONTHS LATER, JUNE 18

Satoshi sighed. "Yoshiki has been avoiding us for a full three months now. What's wrong with him?" He asked himself. Naomi shook her head. "We've been trying to get in contact with him ever since. I'm getting worried."

Seiko frowned. "What happened to him, I wonder?" She thought aloud. Seiko turned to Ayumi, who squirmed in her spot. Three full months of no Yoshiki has been rubbing off their backs ever since. Seiko knew that Ayumi knew the full story of why Yoshiki disappeared from their sight, but she didn't plan on telling anybody what she thought. "Alright, class. Settle down for the day." The teacher suddenly interrupted their talk, cutting them short.

"Shig-bro, do you have any clues about Kishinuma?" Mayu asked Morishige. Said teen shook his head in reply.

Satoshi never understood why Seiko asked for Yoshiki's home address that day.

"Yo-ku-n..." Seiko hummed as she passed by the apartment doors. She looked for her classmate's apartment number. She was about to give up looking when the door behind her suddenly slammed open. Seiko shouted out in shock, and backed off. Yoshiki stood there, blinking. "Um... Shinohara?" Yoshiki muttered, confused.

Seiko sighed in relief when she saw that it was only Yoshiki. "Kishinuma! What was that long absence all about?" She asked bluntly, but her face contorted with worry. Yoshiki didn't answer and looked down. Seiko frowned.

"Why don't you come in." Yoshiki said in a depressed voice. Seiko noticed this immediately, and thought of confronting him about it after they get inside. Seiko was surprised. Yoshiki had a clean environment in his home. "Wow. I always thought boys would trash their house when their parents aren't around." Seiko said quietly.

Yoshiki sat on his couch, still staring at the ground beneath him. Seiko, not knowing what to say, just took the seat next to him, and faced the ground with him. It was quiet, but Yoshiki broke the awkward silence. "So, what are you doing here?" Yoshiki asked. Seiko looked offended. "Hey!It's like you don't even want me here."

"What?! N-No! I certainly wasn't expecting you, that's all." Yoshiki replied back quickly, not wanting to upset his classmate. Seiko pouted. "Everyone's worried about you. You've been out of school for three months already. Mind telling me why?"

Yoshiki bit his lip. Seiko's eyes softened, and a gentle smile crept up her face. "Is this about Shinozaki?" She asked softly as possible, as if saying the sentence in the bluntest way possible would break Yoshiki's heart. Yoshiki stared at her, surprised. "Actually... Yes, it is..." He admitted. Seiko blinked, certainly not expecting him to admit it so quickly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She offered. Suddenly, Yoshiki found himself acting so lost. "It's... I just don't understand." Seiko let him continue. "She's still so obsessed with Satoshi. It's not like I'm hating on him or anything. It's just... He's turned her down so many times yet she still can't find a way to get over him." Yoshiki rubbed his temples, clearly not able to hold anything else any longer. Seiko winced away slightly when she heard Yoshiki laugh humorlessly.

"Then again, what would she possibly want with a guy like me?" He asked rhetorically. "I mean, I'm a dumbass. I'm a rebel. I'm a jerk. And I look like total shit." He paused. "I guess I really am out of her league."

Seiko stared at him in frustration. "What are you saying?! Yoshiki. You might be rebellious and I admit you can act like a total herp at times, but you're the nicest person I've ever met." Yoshiki's eyes targeted Seiko's. "Don't give me that look. Whatever I'm saying now, it's true. All of it. And you're not a dumbass nor an ugly bastard. You're smart, and you certainly look more mature than anyone. And That is a compliment."

Yoshiki stared at Seiko. Was she serious? Was she really thinking of him that way?

"...What the hell was I thinking?" Yoshiki said half-heartedly. He gave Seiko a bright smile. "Thank you, Shinohara."

Seiko's eyes brightened, and gave him a very happy smile back. "See? That's the Kishinuma-kins I know!" She said playfully. Yoshiki felt like laughing at her easy attitude. "So, are you coming to school tomorrow? The whole gang misses you!" Seiko asked. Yoshiki hummed, thinking about it.

"Sure, I will." He said finally. Seiko grinned. "That's the spirit!"

Seiko looked him in the eye. "And as punishment, I'll be your tutor for four months!"

Yoshiki grinned back. "Uh.. Sure. Thanks, Shinohara."

Perhaps there was a little bit of light to his darkening, after all.