Wednesday noon, May 14 - Drama Club room

There was an interesting mood in the Drama Club room at lunch. Tomoya's eyes were still sporting a black and blue hue and his nose was still swollen. Kotomi, ever at his side, was okay until the Fujibayashi twins came in the room. She tried to be brave, but the vision of Tomoya's bloody face was still too fresh in her memory and she couldn't help but hide behind Tomoya when she saw Kyou. Nagisa seemed cheerful and was glad to see Ryou come in the room. A dejected and weary Kyou followed Ryou. Unusually quiet, eyes downcast, arms crossed protectively in front of her, she looked anything but the bully now. And finally, Youhei came into the room.

"What ah you doig hea?" Tomoya said to Youhei.

"I came..." looking down at the floor, Kyou answered the question she thought was directed to her, "I came to apologize to you. To everyone. Then I'll leave if you don't want me around."

"Kyou!" Tomoya barked her name out.

"Yes?" Kyou's head popped up and she cringed as if she were about to be slapped. Then her eyes started to water as she looked at the black and blue eyes and swollen nose that disfigured Tomoya's handsome face. Such grievous damage the she had committed on him.

"I was taakig to Youhei." Tomoya let that sink in a moment then said more softly, "Baka. Dobody hea wahts you to leave."

"Aww, you're no fun," Youhei complained, "I came to watch you make Kyou crawl."

"I thought you debesis was Toboyo?" Tomoya asked, "Why do you have it id foa Kyou dow?"

"Apparently, Kyou has taken an interest in my future." Youhei grumbled, "She actually woke me up this morning to get to school on time and insisted on going over my homework!"

"Kyou-chan," Kotomi asked from behind Tomoya, "are you dating Sunohara-san now?"

"WHAT?!" both Youhei and Kyou cried out.

"EEP!" Kotomi dived out of view behind Tomoya.

"I just want him to make a better effort so he doesn't drag Tomoya down." Kyou said through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me?" Youhei said to Kyou in anger.

"I get it," Nagisa said, "since Okazaki and Sunohara-san are such good friends, you are worried that Sunohara-san's laziness will be a problem for Okazaki."

"What?" Youhei looked at Nagisa in surprise.

"So," Kotomi ventured, "the solution is to make Sunohara-san become a better student as well."

"What?" Youhei looked at Kotomi in alarm at her summary.

"Or kill hib." Tomoya added to Kotomi's solution list.

"WHAT?!" Youhei shrieked as he looked at Tomoya in shock.

"That is no longer an option." Kyou was looking at the floor again. Suddenly the mood in the room was somber again and even Youhei was too uncomfortable to make a witty remark.

"Well," after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Tomoya said, "let's have it thed."

For a moment, no one said anything until Kyou looked up from the floor to see who Tomoya was talking to now. Fear gripped her when she saw that everyone was looking at her. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. Anything but stay here and face the contempt of the people that used to be her friends. But this was part of her penance. She had promised Koumura-sensei and she knew it was the right thing to do.

"Okazaki Tomoya!" Kyou threw herself into a deep bow, "Please forgive..." She tried to get the words out but the fear gripped her and the tears came. What if he didn't forgive her? What if he would hate her forever now? "Please forgive..." What if no-one would forgive her?

Kotomi's hand was on Tomoya's shoulder as she stood behind him. Kotomi felt the fear leave her as she watched Kyou try to get the apology out. She could see the strength and bravado of the usually abrasive girl crumbling before her. Kotomi didn't want Kyou to be a bully, but she didn't want this. Kyou was falling apart in front of them. Looking around the room she could see concern on everyone else's face too. They all knew what was happening and they felt helpless as well. Kotomi looked up to Tomoya and saw that he was looking back at her. As he was looking at her, he started to blink.

Kotomi's mind raced as she tried to think of the correct response but anything she could do had a poor probability of success.

Expand the criteria.

Group dynamic as a solution?

Which actor could lead the group response. Obviously, that would be Tomoya. He was the one that Kyou's attempted apology is aimed at and he is the de-facto leader anyway.

Tomoya's eyes were closed in the middle of the blink now.

What action should he take?

Possible responses crossed her mind but the issue was that this is a live interaction and she doesn't have any way to brief him.

Non-verbal response? Non-optimal but it would be the only solution that could work in the moment.

Kotomi made up her mind.

Tomoya's eyes were open now as he finished the blink.

Without saying a word, Kotomi wrapped her arms around Tomoya in a brief hug, then she pointed to Kyou and gave him a gentle push toward the still bowing and crying girl.

Tomoya wasn't sure what just happened. It was all so fast, his mind was still processing Kotomi's actions as he found himself only a few centimeters from Kyou. He could see her back and shoulders trembling and he knew that under that bow, under all that long lavender hair, Kyou was crying. He knew what Kotomi expected of him now. Tomoya didn't know how much solace Kyou would take from a guy like him, but he would try. He was already reaching for her shoulders and paused as he worried that this might just make her angry with him. 'So what,' he thought to himself, 'an angry Kyou is better than the Kyou I see now.'

Everyone in the room breathed a collective sigh as Tomoya pulled Kyou up onto her toes and embraced her. Kyou was stunned. Her eyes opened wide for a moment as she felt his strong arms around her. The fear was gone. The remorse still lingered.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." She cried into his shoulder.

"It's okay, Kyou." he comforted her, "It's goig to be okay."

"You should hate me. You should all hate me. I'm a monster." Kyou sobbed.

"I dote hate you." Tomoya put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her face into his chest. He looked over her head at the others in the room and nodded.

"I don't hate you Kyou-chan," Nagisa was the first to react, "I'm really glad that you would have me as a friend."

"I appreciate your friendship as well, Kyou-chan." Kotomi added, as Tomoya released Kyou from the embrace.

"Do you really think that I could ever hate you?" Ryou asked her sister.

"No," Kyou choked back a sob, "but I was afraid that you might..."

"Never, Onee-chan!" Ryou said resolutely, "Never."

"Hey, even I don't hate you," Youhei chirped, "but I am a pretty forgiving guy!"

"Really?" Kyou felt good enough to barb with Youhei now, "Even though I woke you up early this morning?"

"Oh, well that's a whole different matter." Youhei said, "I can easily forgive you for breaking Tomoya's face, but waking me up early is pretty unforgivable."

"That's good to know." Kyou said with a lopsided smile as she wiped away a few straggling tears with her sleeve.

"Why is that?" Youhei asked.

"I've made it my mission to wake your sorry ass up every morning until you graduate."

"What?" Youhei screeched, "But I just said that was unforgivable!"
"Yes you did," Kyou's spirit appeared to be coming back, "but I can live with that."

Everyone except Ryou laughed as Youhei cried out in mock agony. Ryou was watching her sister and she was troubled. Kyou's smile was too forced, her eyes too haunted. Something was still wrong with Kyou.

Ryou continued to watch her sister as the desks were moved into position for everyone to eat lunch. Only Youhei was missing as he had to run off to buy something to eat. Kotomi had made a lunch for Tomoya and both Nagisa and Kyou had made a lunch for Ryou. They realized after Youhei had already left that they had enough lunches for everyone.

"Oh," Nagisa started to get up, "I might be able to catch him..."

"Dote botheh," Tomoya waved her off, "he likes bwed." Tomoya finished a bite from the box that Kotomi had brought for him and said to Nagisa, "Id fact, I tode hib that he should try sobe of youh motheh's bwed."

"You didn't!" Nagisa was shocked.

"What's wrong?" Kotomi asked as Tomoya snickered, "Doesn't your mother run a bakery?"

"She does, but..." Nagisa blushed from the embarrassment.

"Her bread is… unique." Ryou offered.

"GAK!" Kyou choked on a swallow of food.

"What's wrong?" Nagisa asked Kyou as Ryou was now looking embarrassed.

"Um… it's a kind of inside joke in our family." Kyou tried to explain without hurting her sister's feelings.

"So, unique means..." Kotomi was trying to figure out.

"Awful." Tomoya said.

"Bad." Nagisa said.

"Inedible." Ryou said.

"It's..." Kyou offered weekly to Ryou, "It's not inedible."

"It even made Botan sick." Ryou admitted.

"Yeah..." Kyou took another bite of her food and tried to forget the memory of the last time she tried something Ryou had made.

"Nagisa-chan," Kotomi asked as Youhei came back into the room with his bread, "How are things going with reforming the Drama Club?"

"Um, not so good." she looked saddened, "I tried to arrange an advisor, but they are all taken. Koumura-sensei said I should talk to Nishina Rie of the Choir Club about it. She seemed willing to try and find a way, but this morning..."

"What?" several voices all asked.

"Well," Nagisa looked very uncomfortable talking about this. She felt Ryou's hand on her arm for support and she felt encouraged. "I got this note..." she held it up and Youhei snatched it out of her hand and unfolded the paper to read it.

"Let's see here," he said aloud around a mouthful of bread, "WHAT!"

"What does it say?" Kyou demanded.

"Give up on making the theater club or you'll be in pain." Youhei read aloud.

"A thweatediig dote?" Tomoya was stunned that someone would send something like that to Furukawa.

"Poor sentence structure." Kotomi chimed in. Ryou looked at her in amazement.

"It was in my desk when I came back from PE." Nagisa explained, "Who could have..."
"If you're in a fight over an advisor with the Choir Club, then it has to be one of them." Youhei interjected.

"There's no proof so we can't say that." Nagisa looked around the room at the shocked faces, "They wouldn't do such a thing. They're trying to sing together. So they would never do such a thing."

"I don't know..." Kyou was having a hard time keeping a lid on her anger.

"Nishina-san was so kind to Kotomi-chan, as well." Nagisa now sounded as if she were trying to convince herself.

"Can you be so sure?" Youhei stood to leave.

"Wheah ah you goig?" Tomoya also stood and faced his departing friend.

"I'll look into this my way. I think I can report the result by the time school ends, so look forward to it." Youhei said as he rushed out the door.

"Hey wait!" Tomoya moved to stop Youhei but someone had grabbed his sleeve.

"Let him go." Kyou's anger was palpable, "I want to know what he uncovers."

"Do you think... it's something Nishina-san and her friends did?" Nagisa asked. It was clear from the tone of her voice that she was hoping for reassurance, but no-one could offer any.

"We bay dever dow," Tomoya said after a few minutes of silence, "I doubt that idiot will discovah adythig usefuh."

"He acts an idiot," Kyou said quietly as she remembered several conversations where Sunohara had shocked her with his accurate observations, "but, be is more perceptive than he lets on."

"That bay be the nicest thig adyode has evah said about hib." Tomoya commented.

"Ryou-chan," Kotomi quietly asked the younger Fujibayashi, "are you sure Kyou-chan and Youhei-kun are not dating?"

"I heard that." Kyou said with a flat voice.

"Eep!" Kotomi moved behind Tomoya again, but Kyou did not move from her position, watching the open door where Youhei had left the room.

Everyone now worried about what Youhei would find.

.

Wednesday afternoon, May 14 - behind the gym

It had been every bit as disastrous as they had feared. Since Tomoya and Kotomi were camped in the Resource Room for their after school study session, it was Nagisa, Kyou, and Ryou that went to meet Youhei to hear his findings. Youhei had done well to uncover the real culprit and it was one of the choir members after all. Although Nishina Rie was not involved, her friend Sugisaka had made the threat on her behalf. She had given Nagisa a story about how Rie could never play the violin again because of an injury and the Choir Club was her chance to still perform musically. The explanation saddened Nagisa and reminded her of Tomoya's basketball dream ending injury.

The story infuriated Youhei but it was nothing compared to the anger from both Youhei and Kyou when Nagisa accepted Sugisaka's request and said she would no longer fight to get Koumura-sensei as their advisor. Youhei had stormed off after Nagisa had acquiesced, but not before Kyou grabbed the threatening note from him.

"Nagisa," Kyou said through gritted teeth, "you don't have to give in. As of tomorrow morning there won't even be a Choir Club!"

"What? Why?" Nagisa turned to see her friend livid with rage.

"Ah!" Sugisaka gasped when she saw Fujibayashi Kyou. She knew who the girl with the long lavender hair was, and she was scared to death. If all the rumors were true, just earlier this week Kyou had almost killed someone for picking on her twin sister. And now Sugisaka believed it. Kyou's face was dark and her eyes almost seemed to glow red from the rage that welled up inside her like a volcano. She tried to look away from Kyou's eyes but started trembling when she realized that she couldn't. Like a prey animal that has looked too deeply into the eyes of the predator, she just couldn't look away.

"This little idiot just confessed that this note was her doing in front of two class reps." she held the note up so all could see. "All I have to do is take this to the student council. If they don't take any action, I'll turn this in and get her expelled. Then the Choir Club will be dissolved because there won't be enough members."

"No!" Sugisaka realized too late what she had done. She had given the keys to the Choir Clubs undoing to one of the most dangerous people on the campus.

"No Onee-chan!" Ryou cried out to her sister, "you can't do that!"

"I can, and I will!" Kyou turned on her sister, "You should be the last one to try and stop me. Do you remember your duty as a class rep? This is exactly the sort of thing that we are supposed to report."

"Please don't do that Kyou-chan!" Nagisa begged. She was horrified at the actions Kyou was threatening. "You would destroy her. She was just trying to help her friend."

"But," Kyou saw the horror in Nagisa's face and knew she had caused it, "But Nagisa… I'm just trying to help you."

"Onee-chan," Ryou approached her sister, "the cost is too high. Nagisa-chan would only ever remember this as a painful memory."

"You two are too soft!" Kyou was about to say more, but remembered Nagisa's recent words and Koumura-sensei's lesson. The Choir Club would be dissolved and Sugisaka would be destroyed. She had the power to do that. Could she live with that? Maybe not, but she couldn't come up with another option like Koumura had. But maybe she didn't have to… As she unclenched her fists and took a deep breath, a feral smile crossed her face and she folded up the note and put it in her pocket. All the while, staring down the red eyed Sugisaka.

"Onee-chan?" Ryou called out to her sister as Kyou walked past her and then past Nagisa.

Sugisaka stood immobilized in fear. The urge to run away grew as each step Kyou took brought her closer to Sugisaka. Kyou no longer gave off a demonic aura but she still looked angry enough to fight a bear… and win.

"Listen carefully, kohai!" Kyou growled as she took the scared girl by the coat collar, "I'm holding on to this note, but I'm not going to do anything with it. Do you know why?"

"Um… no." Sugisaka answered weakly.

"No, what?" Kyou barked.

"No, senpai!" Sugisaka fearfully replied with closed eyes.

"Because you are going to find a solution to all this, aren't you?" the question sounded more like a command.

"Yes, senpai!" Sugisaka's answer sounded strong, but her legs were trembling. She wanted so bad to get away from this terrifying girl.

"That's good." Kyou lost some of the anger but still sounded harsh as she continued, "You see, Nagisa-chan is my friend. And I will be very angry if she has to give up on her dream. You understand what that's like, don't you?"

"Yes, senpai." Sugisaka had to acknowledge that, as much as she hated standing here and being terrified, none of this would have happened if she had not chosen this way to protect her friend. The friend that had told her that she wanted to think about the Drama Club's request.

"Good," Kyou let go of the girl's collar and took a step back, "now go and tell Nishina-san what you have done."

"Ah!" Sugisaka gasped.

"And beg her forgiveness." Kyou ordered, "Do it quick, before she hears about it from someone else."

"But..." Sugisaka didn't want to tell her friend what she had done, but Kyou's last words were an effective warning. Sugisaka took a step back herself and bowed, "Yes, senpai."

Ryou and Nagisa watched the terrified second year stand back up, turn, and run from behind the gym where the meeting had been. They had considered interfering when they thought Kyou was going to assault the girl, but kept back when they heard Kyou say that she wouldn't use the note against Sugisaka. Then they watched Kyou turn to face them and suddenly fall to her hands and knees.

"Onee-chan!" Ryou let go of Nagisa and rushed to her fallen sister.

"Kyou-chan!" Nagisa also rushed forward, but stopped when she saw Kyou's hand wave her off.

"It's okay, I think." Kyou said quietly, "My legs just gave out."

"Adrenalin?" Ryou asked.

"Yeah," Kyou was still shaking but continued, "but it's okay. At least I'm in the right position for this."

"Eh?" Ryou and Nagisa were both surprised by that comment.

"Furukawa-san," Kyou bowed her head. The fiery anger was gone now and Kyou sounded sad as she asked Nagisa, "Please forgive me but I just couldn't watch you let go of your dream like that… I just couldn't do it."

"Onee-chan." Ryou put her hand on her sister's back and felt the tremors that followed the adrenal surge that Kyou had been riding through the whole encounter with Sugisaka.

"Kyou-chan," Nagisa said, "Thank you."

"What?" Kyou raised her head.

"You can be pretty scary," Nagisa smiled and offered her hand to the still kneeling Kyou, "Tomoya warned me about that. But right in the middle of being all scary, you made me so happy when you told her that I was your friend."

"Tomoya warned you about me huh?" Kyou said with a cheerless laugh. A week ago she would have been thinking of how she would get even with Tomoya for that comment, but now… "Yeah, I guess I deserved that."

"Onee-chan..." Ryou knew her sister was hurting. She felt better when Kyou looked up and made ready to get back on her feet.

"Thank you very much, Nagisa-chan," Kyou accepted her hand and Ryou's help as well. Back on her feet, she thought about Nagisa's words. So, I'm the scary friend? It was a bittersweet title, but she accepted it.

.

Wednesday afternoon, May 14 - Resource Room

Youhei had found Tomoya and Kotomi packing up to leave the Resource Room where they had been studying, and started ranting. He had immediately started ranting about Nagisa's decision and his anger was making Kotomi nervous.

"Hey," Tomoya yelled to interrupt Youhei's rant, "calb dowd!"

"Why should I be calm?" Youhei looked at Tomoya incredulously, "Why should you be calm? Isn't this what you were supposed to be helping Nagisa with?"

"You ah scawing Kotobi." Tomoya said evenly.

"Oh!" Youhei looked like he had not noticed Kotomi until just that moment, "I'm sorry Kotomi-chan. I guess I was pretty worked up."

"Is that Sunohara-san?" a girl's voice called from the back of the Resource Room.

"Eh?" Youhei looked in the direction of the voice and wondered who else was in the room.

"Yes," Tomoya answered, "I did't dow you two had bet."

"We met at Ichinose-san's birthday party," Yukine Miyazawa came out from behind the book shelves with her book bag and the key in her hand. It was obvious that she was ready to lock up the room for the day.

Kotomi and Tomoya quietly left the room while Youhei chatted with Yukine.

"We did? You're pretty cute. I should have remembered you." Youhei looked a bit puzzled and was clearly trying to remember her as they walked out of the room.

"You were a little out of it," Yukine explained as she locked the door. Then turning back to Sunohara, she said, "I'm Miyazawa Yukine. I took care of you after Fujibayashi Kyou had knocked you out the last time."

"Yeah," Youhei smiled at the pretty girl and rubbed his head as if it might help jog a memory, "I guess I was pretty much out of it. I remember someone helping me but not much else. I hope I wasn't too much trouble."

"Not at all," Yukine smiled as she locked the Resource Room door. "I would like to chat with you some more, but I'm afraid I have another commitment for this evening. If you would like to stop by and chat, you can often find me in this Resource Room."

"Yeah," going to a Resource Room was not Youhei's idea of a good time, but she was cute, "I just might do that. Thanks, Miyazawa-san."

"Good night, Sunohara-san." Yukine smiled and took the exit door from the building.

Looking around, Youhei realized that he was alone in the hallway. Kotomi and Tomoya had got away while he was talking with Yukine. With a sigh, he put his hands in his pockets and headed for the dormitory.

.

Thursday morning, May 15 - High School Gym

"I can't believe you guys!" Youhei yelled when he saw Tomoya coming from the gym the next morning.

"Not agaid," Tomoya looked in the direction of Youhei and saw Kyou right behind him. That seemed odd until he remembered Kyou saying that she would make it a personal mission to make sure Youhei got to school on time.

"It would be sibpler if you just killed hib." Tomoya said to Kyou.

"Oh no," Kyou looked as mad as Youhei sounded, "I agree with Youhei this time."

"What?" Tomoya was genuinely surprised that there was something that those two could agree on. He wanted to hear this but as angry as Youhei and Kyou looked, he knew it would be too much for Kotomi. "Kotobi-chan," he held up a hand to the other two as he calmly told his girlfriend, "Why dote you go od to your class. I will beet you id the Draba Club roob for luch."

"Yes, Tomoya-kun." Kotomi smiled as she went up on her toes and kissed the surprised Tomoya on the cheek. Tomoya, Youhei, and Kyou all watched her walk off with different expressions of amazement.

"She doesn't embarrass easily, does she?" Kyou asked.

"It's kiid of weird," Tomoya answered, "sobe thidgs dod't ebbarrass her at all and thed she gets all shy add ebbarrassed at thidgs that I cad't figure out."

"Yeah," Sunohara remembered why he was there and what he was upset about just then, "Hey, you ditched me last night! We need to talk about Nagisa. She's giving up on the Drama Club!"

"I kdow," Tomoya tried to deflate Youhei, "you told be that last dight before you got distracted by Biyazawa-sad."

"Then why aren't you doing anything..." Kyou stopped in mid-sentence and turned to Youhei, "Who is Miyazawa-san?"

"Now you're getting distracted!" Youhei shot back at Kyou.

"Listed," Tomoya tried to be calm, "It doesd't batter if we're distracted right dow. There is dothing we cad do udtil ludch whed we all sit dowd add discuss this."

"Yeah, I guess." Youhei conceded after a minute and started stalking off toward the Resource Room.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kyou grabbed the back of Youhei's jacket and stopped him in his tracks.

"Um," Youhei fidgeted, "I think I'll hang out in the Resource Room."

"Oh no you don't," Kyou growled, "after all the trouble I went to. You're here on time and you're going to be in your seat and awake when they call roll!" With that, she gave him a shove in the direction of the classrooms and watched him sheepishly head to class. Then she turned to Tomoya.

"I kdow, I kdow!" Tomoya raised his hands in acquiescence, "I'll be od tibe too."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that." Kyou said with a little blush, "You've been doing great Tomoya. Really… great."

"Oh, uh... thadks." Tomoya replied uncomfortably.

"I just wanted to say that your face is looking better today," she half smiled, "and again how sorry I am."

Hey, I'b goidg to be okay," Tomoya reassured her, "Too bad I dod't heal as fast as Youhei. It will take be sobe tibe, but I'll get there."

"Yeah." Kyou answered automatically.

They walked to the classrooms the rest of the way in silence. Kyou was feeling the guilt and grief welling up inside her again.

Tomoya knew something was wrong but he couldn't think of the right thing to say. She was hurting inside and she would need her friends to get back to being herself. He just didn't want to say the wrong thing and make Kyou feel worse, but Tomoya knew he had to say something though. As they got to his classroom door, he stopped Kyou.

"Hey," he looked into her eyes to let her know he wasn't joking around, "probise be you'll be id the Draba Club roob for ludch."

"Why?" she asked with a little suspicion in her voice. Even though he looked serious, she had known him long enough to wonder what he might be up to.

"Because," Tomoya wanted to say something impressive and meaningful… but nothing like that came to mind. Instead he fell back on the truth, "if we're goidg to save the Draba Club for Dagisa, we are goidg to deed you."

"I already gave my name..." she was cut off.

"Do," he said firmly, "dot just your nabe. We deed you. Probise be you'll be there."

"Yes," Kyou's eyes opened wide as she looked wistfully at the admirable man that Tomoya was turning into. Even with the raccoon bruises across his eyes and his still swollen nose, she was drawn to him. She understood what he meant to her, and it hurt. He had been a classmate, an acquaintance, and a friend. Now, he was one of her best friends - but her heart was telling her every day that soon, that would not be enough. Oh, the incredible unfairness that she should love him more, after he and Kotomi had begun a relationship! "Yes," she said again, "I will be there."

Tomoya watched her walk toward her classroom and worried about her. At least she promised to join us for lunch. He thought to himself, Maybe the others can help her where I couldn't.

.

Thursday morning, May 15 - Resource Room

Youhei was too worked up to stay in class. As he promised Kyou, he was there for the attendance roll, but he left after the first break and headed for the Resource Room. The Resource Room was in the first floor of the building as the Drama Club, so this would be convenient for lunch as well. Youhei figured he could talk with Yukine a bit and maybe take a nap before lunch. When he got to the room, he heard Yukine in conversation toward the back of the room near the windows. As he cleared the last bookcase, he saw Yukine talking to a short girl that seemed strangely familiar. Both the girls noticed him standing there. Yukine looked pleased to see him but the short girl had a startling reaction.

"Ah! The weird guy!"

"Fuko?" Youhei felt dizzy and was having a hard time standing, "You can't be here. You're in the…" The room went dark for Youhei as his body went limp and he slumped to the floor. He heard a voice and felt that his head was on something soft and familiar. He opened his eyes and had an excellent view of Yukine's neck and jaw. This looked unreal so he reached out to the vision to try and make sense of it.

"Oh," Yukine looked down at Youhei when his hand touched the side of her face, "you're awake. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he was still confused, "where am I?"

"You're in my lap?" Yukine answered pleasantly.

"What?" he sat up suddenly and immediately wished he hadn't.

"Careful," Yukine warned him, "you may feel a little dizzy."

"Why?" Youhei looked around and asked, "What happened to me?"

"You passed out." A voice to his left said.

"Fuko?" Youhei asked as he saw the girl sitting next to him for the first time. "But?" Youhei passed out again but this time he was in no danger of hurting himself. Yukine saw his eyes roll up and guided his slumping body back into her lap. It was better than the time she took care of him at the birthday party. This time he hadn't been kicked or brained by a dictionary so there was just the expected dizziness to deal with.

"Fu-chan," Yukine told the girl looking at the weird guy lying in Yukine's lap, "next time Sunohara-san wakes up, let me talk to him for a bit before you say anything."

"Eh?" Fuko looked up at her friend.

"It is difficult for him but I think I can help."

"But why should you bother with him, Yu-chan?" Fuko stated, "He is a weird person."

"No, Fu-chan," Yukine looked down at the blond haired boy and smiled, "Underneath his silly antics, Sunohara-san is someone that cares. He is very loyal to his friends."

"Hey, thanks." Youhei had heard Yukine's last comment and appreciated it, but wondered how she knew him so well. He was going to try to get up again, but Yukine put her hand on his head.

"Just stay there for a minute and relax." She told him.

"But my head is in your lap…" Youhei offered.

"I don't mind." Yukine told him, "Unless you find it uncomfortable?"

"Oh no, it's very nice…" Youhei blushed, "I mean… you're very nice!"

"It's okay, Sunohara-san," she comforted him. Then she placed her hand on his forehead and smiled as she asked him, "Sunohara-san, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Youhei was intrigued by this friendly girl but he wished he could remember when he had met her before.

"Sunohara-san, do you know what an ikiryo is?"

"You mean the superstition of the evil-eye spirit?"

"Not that one," Yukine explained, "there is another definition of ikiryo that has to do with the projected soul of someone who is very sick or asleep."

"Like a ghost?" Youhei asked.

"Except an ikiryo represents someone who is still alive. They would appear as if they were alive and well and could interact with you as if they were really there."

"I didn't know that one," Youhei admitted, "but what would this ikiryo be up to? Are they out for revenge?"

"Not revenge." Yukine said softly, "Sometimes it is because there is something they desperately want to do for someone. There may be an unfulfilled promise they feel they must fulfill."

"Oh," Youhei found this interesting but wondered what it had to do with anything, "so they aren't up to anything evil so I guess they're okay then."

"Yes, that's right." Yukine was happy that Youhei had come to that conclusion. It would make the next step easier. "So tell me, do you know who Fuko Ibuki is?"

"Fuko?" Youhei recalled the name, "Yeah… she was the little sister of the teacher that got married here at the school, right? Isn't she in a hospital somewhere?"

"Yes," Yukine told him, "she was involved in an accident on her first day of school here and has been in a coma ever since."

"Oh yeah," the memory dawned on Youhei, "I think I heard that once."

"Have you heard the story of the ghost of the girl that runs through the halls and laughs?" Yukine asked the leading question. If she did this right, Fuko might be able to talk to another person at the school.

"Yeah," Youhei laughed, "everyone has heard that one."

"Well," Yukine hoped Youhei was ready for the next step, "what if the ghost is actually the ikiryo of Fuko Ibuki and she is running all over the school trying to find her friends?"

"Yeah," Youhei was impressed with Yukine's imagination and thought her idea made a better story than the ghost explanation. "Yeah, that makes a pretty good story."

"So, you think it might be possible?" Yukine asked.

"I don't know," Youhei said doubtfully, "but it does make a good story."

"Oh, I see." Yukine seemed disappointed.

"Why is this important to you?"

"Well," Yukine admitted, "I was hoping you might be open to the idea in case…"

"In case what?" Youhei was curious what Yukine was hiding now.

"In case you meet her."

"Fuko?" Youhei asked.

"Yes?" a voice came from his left.

"Fuko!" Youhei gasped when he turned his head and saw Fuko sitting next to him. The memories came back and he felt the dizziness again but there was something else. Something he had to know. He reached out and took Fuko's hand and held on to it.

"Ah!" Fuko cried out, "The weird guy grabbed Fuko!"

"Stop calling me that!" Youhei tried to think, "I have to hold on! I have to remember you!"

"Oh," Fuko stopped struggling, "Do you? Do you remember Fuko?"

"Yes." Youhei turned to Yukine now and asked her, "Do you remember her too?"

"For some reason," Yukine explained, "I never forgot her."

"Oh," Youhei considered this, "but, why didn't you tell me? Have you told Tomoya and Nagisa yet?"

"No," Yukine seemed happy as she told him, "you are the first. But I don't know how long it will last."

"What do you mean?" Youhei asked.
"You may forget her if you let go of her hand or when she is out of sight. You may remember her until you go to sleep tonight. There is a chance you may never forget her now. I just don't know." Yukine took Youhei's other hand and told him, "This isn't the first time you have remembered her. There are a few others that have seen her and started to remember too, but it is painful for them and sometimes they even black out. But they always forget afterwards."

"Oh," Youhei could see the delight in Yukine's face and knew that something special had happened. "But now that I've remembered, I don't want to forget again."

"I know," Yukine squeezed his hand, "you have made a tremendous step being able to see Fu-chan and not pass out this time."

"You," Fuko asked Youhei timidly, "you want to remember Fuko?"

"Yeah, Fuko." Youhei told her, "We did something important together. Well, mostly you and Tomoya and Furukawa. But I helped a lot, right?"

"Yes," Fuko admitted, "Fuko appreciates you coming to Fuko's sister's wedding at the school."

"You see Fuko," Youhei told her, "I haven't done a lot of things that were important or useful since I started high school, so I don't want to forget this." Turning back to Yukine he asked, "So, what do we do now?"

"Well," Yukine said apologetically, "I hate to suggest it since you just said how much you want to remember, but… we need to see how long you can remember Fu-chan."

"Eh?"

"You need to look at Fu-chan but let go of her hand now." Yukine explained.

"Okay," Youhei started to let go but then grasped the hand firmly, "What if I forget?"

"Don't worry," Yukine promised, "I will help you to remember Fu-chan again."

"Promise?" Youhei asked while still looking at Fuko.

"I promise." Yukine said and saw Youhei let go of Fuko's hand.

"Miyazawa-san, I still see Fuko!" Youhei said triumphantly.

"Good!" Yukine congratulated him. "Now let's try something else. I want you to call me Yu-chan."

"What?" Youhei started to turn his head to look at the girl making the sudden request but Yukine put her hand on his head and kept him facing Fuko.

"Just try it a few times," she told him.

"Yu-chan," Youhei said aloud, "Hello Yu-chan."

"Hello Sunohara-san." she replied.

"That's not going to work," Youhei decided, "if I'm going to call you Yu-chan, you should call me Youhei-kun."

"Thank you, Youhei-kun."

"You're welcome, Yu-chan."

"Great," Yukine went to the next step in her plan, "now turn your head and look at me and see if you still remember Fu-chan after you aren't looking at her any more."

"Okay," Youhei turned his head and looked up into Yukine's eyes from his position down in her lap.

Yukine watched his face to see if there was any change. His expression was the same and his eyes were still the steel blue eyes they had always been. She had hopes that Youhei might still remember until he spoke.

"Miyazawa-san, why is my head in your lap?"

"Oh..." she almost called him Youhei-kun, "Sunohara-san! Are you okay now? You came in the room quite upset about something and fainted. I have been taking care of you."

"You have?" Youhei looked around, "uh… thanks. I think I can get up now."

"Okay," Yukine tried to hide her disappointment that he seemed to remember nothing of Fuko… again. "Was there something you needed to talk about?

Yukine listened to his story of the meeting with Sugisaka and Nagisa Furukawa's decision to give up on the Drama Club. She didn't know what to do about that situation. She didn't tell Youhei, but she really sided with Nagisa Furukawa on the issue. It was her effort to re-establish the Drama Club so the decision do drop it should be hers as well. Although she couldn't give him any advice, it seemed to help him that she listened – and she used the opportunity to read Youhei his horoscope before he went off to lunch. He seemed to get an idea from the astrological fortune and left the room very quickly.

"Yu-chan?" Fuko asked after he had left.

"Yes?" Yukine sipped her coffee.

"Why didn't you make him see Fuko again?"

"I don't want to wear him out," Yukine explained, "but he will see you again. I promise."

"Hmmm." Fuko considered.

"Fu-chan," Yukine asked her friend, "Do you want him to see you again?"

"Fuko isn't sure. Fuko still thinks he is a weird guy."

"I see," Yukine took another sip of the coffee, then suggested, "You should follow him around and see what kind of a person he is."

"Fuko doesn't want..."

"Or you can drink some of my special dark roast coffee?"

"Fuko doesn't like the dark coffee!" Fuko abruptly stood and moved to the door, "Fuko will follow the weird guy now!"

.

Only a minute after leaving the Resource Room, Youhei ran into Tomoyo in the hall. She was getting pressured from two students to join the Girls Judo Club. At first he was tempted to take another staircase and let her get hassled. But things were different now. If she was as athletic at basketball as she had been at kick-the-Youhei, she might be able to help with his plan. Turning around again, he headed for the confrontation.

"Hello Sakagami-san," he said as he moved in between Tomoyo and the two students. "We have to go now." he said as he took her hand.

"What?" Tomoyo was surprised but embraced the opportunity to get away from the Judo Club captains, "Oh yes."

The two Judo Club captains were about to try and stop him but they recognized Youhei. They weren't afraid of him but they could not afford to get involved with one of the two most notorious delinquents on campus. They also wondered what business Sakagami Tomoyo would have with a person like that.

"Okay Sunohara," she came to a stop after they had made it through the double-doors into the next hallway, "I appreciate you getting me away from those guys, but what are you up to?"

"Can't I just be a nice guy?" Youhei asked brightly.

"No." Tomoyo answered with a little scorn.

"No really," he tried to be sincere, "this time is different!"

"You've said that before," she remembered unhappily, "several times."

"Fair enough," Youhei admitted, "This time it's not about you or me. It's about Nagisa Furukawa and the Drama Club."

"Eh?" Tomoyo was truly surprised, but a part of her suspected he was still hatching some plot to embarrass her again. "I thought that was Okazaki's pet project?"

"It still is," Youhei explained, "but Tomoya is my friend and I'm trying to help."

"I've already told Okazaki that I don't have time to join the Drama Club."

"I know," Youhei continued, "but all I need is for you to play a game of basketball with Tomoya and me against the basketball team."

"Uh huh..." Tomoyo said skeptically, "You want me to play basketball for the Drama Club… with you and Okazaki… against the basketball team. This is really sounding like another trick."

"I…" Youhei started to argue with her, but he realized she was right. He also knew that she had no reason to trust him. Looking at her now, he could see that she was already preparing herself for one of his attacks. Not this time though. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Never mind. You're right – it does sound like a trick. And you have no reason to trust me. I'm sorry for that."

Tomoyo relaxed a little as Youhei walked away. He seemed different somehow. Maybe he really wasn't up to anything. There was something else about him that was troubling her. It was something odd about the way he was walking. His right hand was in his pocket but his left hand was in an odd position. It was as if he was holding hands with someone that wasn't there. For an instant, she thought there might be a short girl walking next to Youhei and holding his hand, but she blinked and there was no-one there. She watched Youhei until he entered the Drama Club room. Alone in this almost unused hallway, she headed off now. She had her own agenda, goals and dream – and she would move heaven and Earth to fulfill them.