So remember that friend that gave me cookies to make this story? I told her all about the nice comments I got, including the ones that asked if I could make a sequel. She agreed with them, but I didn't take it too seriously.

Some time passed, I forgot all about it, and then she actually baked me a cake. A whole chocolate cake, with frosting. Okay, well, it was mostly for my birthday, but when she asked again, I couldn't resist. I feel guilty it took so long to write though…

Hope you enjoy this new chapter! Please tell me what you all think, and I'll write a few more chapters to finish this story when I can. Thank you!

After spending a week in the hospital and several days in bed at home, Furuichi was finally able to go back to school. Not that he was looking forward to it or anything.

He couldn't help but be nervous as he walked through the gates of Ishiyama. His soreness hadn't completely faded, and the stitches over his chest felt like they were the only thing holding him together. Moreover the school was dangerous for his well-being even on a good day; now that he was in less than good shape, he wasn't sure if he'd survive long enough to get his stitches out.

He hadn't seen Oga since the ride in the ambulance. Furuichi chuckled at the memory from a week and a half ago. Oga's demonic stare sure had freaked the paramedics out. He and baby Beel sat very still next to their friend as they watched the medics work. Furuichi was barely conscious at the time, but was awake enough to explain that Oga was not a criminal, or a thug, and definitely not the guy that injured him. Then suddenly he felt really lightheaded, and Oga's hand crushing his was the last thing he remembered before waking up in the hospital.

In fact, now that he thought about it, no one else had visited him at the hospital, either. He had hoped the girls from school would take pity on him and show some sign of kindness. He was also hoping to see Hilda or Kunieda in a nurse uniform and be at his beck and call, asking to take his temperature, his pulse, his virginity—okay, that fantasy was definitely never coming true, but what else could he do when lying still on a hospital bed?

Not to mention lying in pain on a hospital bed. But Furuichi still had about 10 days worth of pain meds left, so at least that was mostly under control. The wound still ached at night, though.

Furuichi made it to the classroom door and steeled himself. He hoped his expression looked calm on the outside because on the inside he could feel his heart beating faster. Why was he so anxious, anyway? It was just a normal day at school. Nothing unusual. He let out a breath and slid open the door.

Furuichi didn't look up until he got to his seat. The class was rowdy and loud as always, and no one paid the slightest bit of attention to the addition of a silver-haired boy. Furuichi relaxed in his chair, smiling gratefully. He should have known that no one really acknowledged him unless it had something to do with Oga. And surprisingly, Furuichi was okay with that.

Speaking of, Oga wasn't even here. Furuichi wondered where the idiot was—sure, Oga never actually learned anything in school (academically, anyway) but he always showed up. Furuichi looked around the room, accidentally meeting Kanzaki's eyes. The delinquent had his feet up on his desk, looking like he was trying his best to ignore Paako's incessant demands to bring his niece so they could go together to some amusement park.

Kanzaki sized Furuichi up with a piercing stare, scowled, then leaned over the side of his desk toward the boy. "You should go home."

Furuichi blinked. "Huh?" That was…unexpected.

"I said—"

"—Oi." Oga interrupted, somehow appearing out of the blue right behind Kanzaki.

Furuichi flinched. "Oga?"

"Move. You're in the way." Oga's fierce glare left no room for protest.

"Che. Who says I should listen to you?" Kanzaki mumbled. He leaned back against his chair anyway, crossing his arms.

Oga sat noisily into his seat in front of Furuichi, not even sparing a glance. Class started a few minutes later, and Oga slept through most of it like always, but didn't turn around to bother his friend at all. When it was finally time for lunch, Furuichi expected Oga to order him to go buy bread for them, but Oga didn't say a thing. This behavior was getting to be even more confusing than Kanzaki's.

Furuichi wasn't sure what to think. What happened to Oga all of a sudden? He was acting as if they had a fight or something, but they hadn't seen each other for almost two weeks. And that was obviously Oga's fault. If anything, it was Furuichi who should be mad. Well if Oga wasn't going to talk then Furuichi would do the same. He huffed in frustration, picking absentmindedly at his half-eaten bento. He didn't really feel like eating anymore.

"Hey, Furuichi, are you okay?"

The silver-haired boy snapped to attention. At least Kunieda was talking to him out of pity! "Ah, yeah. I'm just not that hungry."

The Red Tails girl regarded him silently for a moment, and it reminded Furuichi of Kanzaki's stare that morning. "You look really pale," Kunieda stated. She paused. "More than usual."

Furuichi gave an uneasy smile. "Is that so?"

Kunieda frowned at Furuichi's unusual response. "You really should eat something," she pressed.

Was Kunieda worried? For him? It was too good to be true…right? Furuichi shook his head. "It's fine, really." He touched his hand to his chin, suddenly remembering something. "Actually, I haven't eaten much all week. I could barely eat anything at the hospital—"

"—Hospital?!" Kunieda exclaimed, cutting Furuichi off. "You were at the hospital?"

Instantly, the classroom became silent. All eyes were on Furuichi.

"Wh…y-yeah." Furuichi stuttered, perturbed from the attention. "I thought you guys knew."

Kunieda furiously turned around in her seat to face Oga, shouting, "You said he was at home catching up on bishoujo games!

Furuichi's eyes bulged and his jaw dropped. "And you believed him?!"

"I don't remember that," Oga replied nonchalantly.

Furuichi stood up, fuming while the people around him started to laugh. He slammed his hands on his desk loudly. "What the hell, Oga? I don't even—That's the worst image you could've possibly given!"

"Daa! Daa! Ai!" Beel cried, getting riled from all the noise.

Furuichi flinched when his stomach spasmed from the stress. Ow, that had hurt. He probably shouldn't yell.

"What happened?" Kunieda asked immediately. "How did you get hurt?"

Furuichi didn't know how to respond so quickly. Sure, he was happy from all the attention he was getting from the lovely Kunieda, but with everyone looking at him, he felt shaken up and uncomfortable.

"You should sit down," Natsume piped up from the desk behind him, surprising Furuichi.

The silver-headed boy complied, wondering what the hell had gotten into his classmates—and himself—today.

"It's, um, a long story," he said, hoping to leave it at that. Kunieda shot him a stern glare, and reluctantly, Furuichi relented. "Uh…a demon—" he quickly remembered the rest of the class was listening, "—I mean someone from Akumano Academay cut me. He was trying to get to Oga, and I guess I was in the way." Furuichi glanced up at Himekawa, Kanzaki, and Natsume silently pleading that they help.

It was Oga who stepped in, though. Rather than words, he gripped Furuichi's arm, raised the boy up from his seat, and started dragging him to the door.

"O-Oga?" Furuichi faltered, completely overwhelmed at the situation. How in the world did things progress to this?

Oga turned back to the class before leaving the room with the silver-haired boy in tow. "Nurse's office," was all he said.

Out of shock, no one said a word until the sound of their footsteps disappeared.

Next chapter on the way!