Hiya, and thanks for the reviews! I know I don't reply to my reviewers, and I'm really sorry about that. I stay pressed for time. Writing the fics is hectic by itself. If I get questions in my reviews, I try to cover them in the notes on the next chapter I post. I really do love the reviewers, and I thank you all, I just don't have time to reply. But, just so you know, I don't care what the review looks like, even the words "cool," "I liked it," or "UPDATE!" put me in a good mood. Just knowing you guys took the time out to write it :o)

NOTE: As my long time readers know, I always use the FunImation dub spelling of the names. In the original, there were two Suichis, that was Kokoda's name, too, but it was changed in the EV to make it simpler. As for Kaitou, I watched his name get spelled different at least 4 times in a single episode. Whoever was doing the subs wasn't paying attention, so I'm sticking with this one because it's the one on the chapter select screen.

I own nothing. Enjoy!


"Hey! Wait up!"

Suichi and Kokoda turned to see Yuu Kaitou jogging towards them. They waited until he had caught up, then turned back to continue on their way to school. He panted to catch his breath, and fell in line on Suichi's right-hand side. Normally, Kokoda would have teased him about breathing like that after such a little jog, but this morning, the walk had been unusually quiet.

"I'm not cut out for this," Kaitou complained. He then caught sight of his friend's solemn expression. He also noted how Kokoda hadn't taken advantage of that golden opportunity to annoy him for being a nerd. They were both silent, looking at nothing but the ground in front of their feet. "Did I miss something?"

"Huh?" Suichi's head snapped up at the sound of his friend's words. Kaitou then got a good look at his eyes. There were enough red lines going through them to make a road map.

"Are you alright? You look terrible."

"Thank you, Kaitou."

"No, I didn't mean it like that! You just look like...," he fumbled for the words.

"I've just been having some bad dreams. Nothing more."

"Sleep deprivation? That would explain why you look like a zombie..." 'Seems like your personality fits the part today, as well...," Kaitou thought to himself.

They continued to walk, stopping to say goodbye to Kokoda as they passed his school, then the two older boys continued on to their own, still in silence.

This was their first day back to school. Their school had just done some renovations, and they had been given 3 weeks off as a result. They knew they would have to make it up at the end of the school year, but it had seemed like it would be worth it. They each had plans on simply hanging out with their friends during their much needed vacation, maybe playing some video games. Suichi certainly hadn't planned to fill his days with odd feelings and his nights with horrible visions of a past best forgotten.

The two now sat, side-by-side, in their classroom, waiting for their teacher to arrive. Though Suichi was sitting in this room, his thoughts were in another world, literally. He couldn't stop seeing things, despite his best efforts. He kept remembering his younger days.

His days with Kuronue.

He breathed a sigh of relief when his teacher, Mr. Tomo, walked in. He wanted to study today. He wanted any distraction he could get.

"Class, first off, let me welcome you back. I'd like to say that I've missed you, but with all the money I saved on aspirin these last few weeks..." The teacher grinned wide at the students, who were now smiling and giggling in response to his teasing. They all loved Mr. Tomo. He was one of the few teachers who had a sense of humor. "The next thing I have to say is big news," he continued, placing his hands together in front of him. "For the first time in the history of our fine institution, someone has managed to get a perfect score on the entrance exams!"

Shocked faces and oohs and aaahs filled the room. Suichi and Kaitou exchanged looks of amazement. On the scores for the entrance exams, Suichi had set the record, with Kaitou coming in second, lacking only 1 point to tie with him. Both had thought it impossible to attain a perfect score.

"Class, meet Kane Ogata," the teacher said, looking out the partially cracked door. A hush fell over the classroom as the door was pushed inward from the other side. In stepped a boy with long, coal-black hair, neatly gathered into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His eyes were a warm, hazel color, but, Kurama noted some eerie chill in them, hidden, just below the surface, where his peers could not see.

The boy was tall, about 6'2, and slender, but not quite as much so, as Suichi. He gave a silent bow in front of the class, then, he was directed to his seat. Mr. Tomo asked the girl sitting to Suichi's right to move to an empty seat in the second row. He explained that he wanted his three top students sitting right up front. He then explained, that since they were usually done with their assignments first, he often had them assist him in grading papers, or run errands. Sitting up front they wouldn't disturb the rest of the class if he needed to speak with them. Kane nodded, and took his seat.

"Mr. Tomo," a voice said from the hall. "I need to speak to you for a moment." Mr. Tomo walked into the hall, closing the door behind him. The girls in the back of the class started exchanging excited whispers, and giggling could be heard all around.

Kaitou leaned over in his seat, nearing Suichi. "Looks like you're not number one with the ladies any more...," he said, in a hushed tone.

"Pity," Suichi mused.

Despite Kaitou's efforts to keep the conversation between the two of them, a boy behind him had heard his comment. "Like we need another one!" he spoke in a harsh, semi-whispering fashion to his friend. "Yeah, really," the other boy agreed.

Kaitou sighed, knowing how these boys felt, then looked back to Suichi. He noticed that he was looking in Kane's direction. He leaned forward in his seat a little, to see past the redhead. Kane was fidgeting with his collar for some reason.

Suichi watched as Kane pulled out two tiny black dots from his collar. Next he saw the wires attached to those dots. Kane stuck each of the "ear-dot" headphones in, and pulled up one side of the fuchsia jacket of his uniform. There, Suichi saw a tiny, black box, with buttons all over it.

'MP3 player? In school? Not what one would expect of the top-ranking test scores in the school's history...,' Suichi thought. He soon heard the music coming from the headphones. A familiar tune, even though it wasn't exactly his cup of tea. He'd heard it many times anyway; everyone had. Kurama continued to listen, as the lead singer of AC/DC started to sing at the end of the instrumental introduction.

Back in black
I hit the sack
I've been too long I'm glad to be back
Yes, I'm let loose
From the noose
That's kept me hanging about
I've been looking at the sky
'Cause it's gettin' me high
Forget the hearse 'cause I never die
I got nine lives
Cat's eyes
Abusin' every one of them and runnin' wild

'Cause I'm back
Yes, I'm back
Well, I'm back
Yes, I'm back
Well, I'm back, back
(Well) I'm back in black
Yes, I'm back in black

Back in the back
Of a Cadillac
Number one with a bullet, I'm a power pack
Yes, I'm in a bang
With a gang
They've got to catch me if they want me to hang
Cause I'm back on the track
And I'm beatin' the flack
Nobody's gonna get me on another rap
So look at me now
I'm just makin' my play
Don't try to push your luck, just get out of my way

Well, I'm back, Yes I'm back
Well, I'm back, Yes I'm back
Well, I'm back, back

Kane hit the off button and hid his headphones as the teacher returned to the room. Kurama found it interesting how he'd hid his headphones. Instead of reaching up and removing them, he had given a tug on the bottom of the wire, the part that was hooked into his MP3 player. Kurama gave an internal grin. This boy was sneaky. This could make school more interesting. It also bothered him, how he knew every word of that song just by hearing the faint, muffled voice from the phones. Had Kokoda, Yusuke, Kuwabara and Okubo drilled it into him that much? He had to find another way to keep them entertained...

He continued thinking about this and other things, mostly his school work. He also slipped a glance at the new boy every so often, usually finding him staring at one of the short skirts the girls in their school were required to wear. He had found him rolling his eyes at their teachers more than once.

At lunch, Kaitou and Suichi had decided that they would talk to him about his test scores after school. They had started to then, but found him surrounded by girls, and it was obvious, even from the distance they were standing at, that he was "returning" the attention he was getting, tenfold.

At least this new boy and his antics had brought his mind away from where it had been that morning...


Hope you liked this chappie! I can't wait to see the reviews!

As for the song choice, I just thought that it would fit, "BACK in Black..." You get the idea. Besides that, well, like I said, EVERYBODY has heard it. If the lyrics are screwy, look over it. Funny story for you guys, when I was looking around on the web to make sure the lyrics were right, I found a million different sites that had the lyrics listed, and none of 'em MATCHED! Which tells me, that these people have been goin' around singin' this song ( or screamin' it,) for the last 26 years, and not a damned one of 'em knows what they're singin' LOL ( Remember that commercial where the man and woman are in the car and he sings the wrong words to Pour Some Sugar on Me and his girl calls the library...?)