They were gone. There was nothing to be done about it. It just had to be accepted. They would be sorely missed, but there was no man who could bring them back. Hinata would have to make due.

It wasn't as if he was alone. He was well liked by the few others who were left in his class. Of sixteen high school students, five remained. Five were untouched by the illness which swept the country, taking away friends and family. Five students tried to live normally, wincing as they smiled or laughed. They tried to keep one another happy, but none of them were spared from the loss.

Of the five, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu had been hit hardest. He was the loneliest, the most distant. His constant companion since childhood had been taken away by the disease, leaving him half of a whole. Pekoyama had fought valiantly to retain her consciousness. She'd been dedicated to continuing to protect Kuzuryuu. They had always seemed to calm one another. Pekoyama made Kuzuryuu happy, despite his impenetrably irritable nature. Now that she was gone, there was nothing for Kuzuryuu to do but attempt to reach out to the other students. Hinata had been his first choice.

The day was characterized by biting cold and rough winds which tousled the boys' short hair as they sat in front of the school. The time they spent together was often quiet. No matter how Kuzuryuu tried, he had never quite figured out how to interact with other people. If Kuzuryuu ever spoke during these times, it was generally crude and brief. Hinata tolerated this, however. He was not the most polite himself, and he supposed he should feel honored that Kuzuryuu would choose him to replace someone he had bonded with so closely.

The two headed back to class without speaking when the lunch period ended. Kuzuryuu slunk through the hall, shoulders hunched as if he were protecting his neck. Just as Hinata had grown used to sitting together in quiet, he had also grown used to Kuzuryuu's defensive manner. The blond had seemed so shy since he had lost Peko. He had once been full of negative energy, but these days he seemed empty.

Hinata cleared his thoughts for class. He had to focus on his grades, as much as the states of his classmates' minds concerned him. He couldn't let his academics slip just because disease was sweeping the nation. Or perhaps he could? He could come down with something any day now. There were no warning signs. The sickness seemed to appear out of thin air. Now he couldn't end his worried daydream. He tried to balance his mind between note taking and his own fragile mortality, until after what seemed like an eternity, school let out. He sighed with relief, standing to pack his bags. As he shoved his notebook into his messenger bag, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face Kuzuryuu, who handed him a folded paper.

"Meet me at six."

Hinata's eyes followed the shorter boy as he made his way out of the room, expecting him to turn around, but he never did. Hinata was left alone with only the note in his hand. He unfolded it, revealing neat text. Inside was nothing but an address. No explanation. Hinata wondered whether he should go. Kuzuryuu was known to have yakuza connections. He took a second glance at the address. He knew the location; a campsite in the mountains. During this colder season, it would be a nice, lonesome place to commit a murder. Was he being invited to his death? It couldn't be. He had never done anything to hurt Kuzuryuu as far as he could remember. He hesitantly made the decision to go, even if the location was a bit far to reach by six. He wouldn't have time to drop his schoolbags off at home, but this seemed to important to miss.

Hinata reached the trail at 6:10. When Kuzuryuu wasn't there, he considered going back, but he had walked for two hours to reach this place. He may as well wait it out. He started up the pathway which led him upward into the mountainside. The uphill hike made his stomach ache, leaving him gasping for breath as he watched his steps.

"Hey." Kuzuryuu's voice startled him. He flinched, whipping his head to the side. The other boy was leaned against a rock wall on a ledge which overlooked the town.

"Uh, hi." Hinata replied awkwardly.

"Come with me, okay?" Kuzuryuu gestured for Hinata to follow, starting his march up the mountain.

Things were quiet again, aside from Hinata's winded breath. Kuzuryuu seemed to have more stamina than Hinata, which seemed strange to him, considering Hinata exercised his muscles often. The trek up the mountain ended briefly at another ledge. The city looked even smaller from here. There was a large rock, which Kuzuryuu climbed onto and sat down, turning his head to look back over his shoulder at Hinata, who climbed up after him.

"Pekoyama brought me here every weekend when she found out she was sick." He stated. "She wanted me to build my strength for when she was gone."

"That's-"

"After a couple of months, we had to stop. She couldn't walk any more. When I visited her, she told me I should be here, fortifying myself. I knew she really wanted me by her side." He smiled slightly.

Hinata was speechless. What could anyone say to something like that? Sorry wouldn't cut it. If Kuzuryuu said sorry for Hinata's losses, he wouldn't accept it either.

"This is going to sound stupid. You're gonna think I'm an idiot. But... I feel like she's here. The wind sounds like her voice." Kuzuryuu looked solemn again, turning to face Hinata directly. "Don't fuckin' laugh at me."

"What's there to laugh at? I've lost people too."

"You didn't lose Peko." Kuzuryuu sneered. "Peko only ever cared about me. She wanted my happiness more than anything. She saw me for the fuckin' sap I really am."

"Maybe you should let somebody else see."

"What do you think I brought you here for? Are you stupid? I wanted to talk. You hang out with my sorry ass every day, so I figure you can tolerate my shit."

"It'd be more tolerable if you talked to me."

"I couldn't. All I want to do is cry. If I open my mouth with everyone watching, I'll embarrass myself."

"We all understand. We all feel the same way. You shouldn't distance yourself."

"I'm not trying to. What do you think I'm doing now? I invited you up here to talk about my stupid feelings. I'm making the effort. Nobody's helping me."

"I'll help you."

"Yeah, right."

"I will. You trusted me enough to bare your soul to me, but you don't think I'll help you make friends?"

"I guess you're right..."