Chapter 4: Troubles deep within, causing your own pain, a promising guardian

Nearly two hours had passed since Takato left school to return home, he was now back in Shinjuku on a bus heading back towards home, he was simply looking out the window watching the familiar buildings. He had a vacant expression as he was sitting at the back of the bus, there were only three people on the bus so it was quiet, soon after he reached his bus stop, got off and began to walk up the road towards his house. Takato was actually in a pleasant, after all his first day at Frontier high went great, it didn't go off without a hitch.

As he walked down the road, the familiar scent entered his nostrils, the sweet smell of fresh bread, cakes was coming into the air, and he smiled as he was now standing before his home. The Matsuki bakery, his family's home and business, seeing his home, recognizing the smells, it always seemed to put a smile on his face. The bakery was the front of his house was the bakery, while the upstairs and back of the building was their home, there were two doors, and the front was the bakery's entrance while the door of the side was house.

Takato then notice something on the side of the house, he then walked over to the side and suddenly his expression was changed to a sadder one as he sighed, across the wall next to the side door that lead into the house was a small but clear piece of graffiti, the ink was green and dripping. It was a fresh spray that was most likely done just a few moments ago, it read one a word, one single word but it felt like a punch to Takato's chest. 'Freak' the graffiti read, Takato simply stood in front of it and just stared at it.

This was the third incident in which something was sprayed onto the house, with an offensive message written in the exact same spot, but Takato's parents were never aware of this. It seemed to appear like clockwork, like the previous two incidents it happened after school and it would be waiting for Takato to see. It was also clear that it was the same person or group responsible for this vandalism, Takato did suspect that a certain group who used to torment him at junior high and during his first semester at Shinjuku High were responsible.

Takato then realised he needed to clean this up before his parents found out as he then used his key to unlock the door and enter the house. About a few minutes later Takato returned with a bucket of water and soap and a sponge, he sighed once again as he then started to scrub the wall washing the graffiti spray. With each scrub he smudged and eventually wiped away the offensive message, and then he dunked the sponge now stained with the green paint into the bucket rinsing it off and then continued to remove what was left of the paint.

(Back in Shibuya)

Meanwhile at one of the district's parks, some younger kids were playing soccer, couples and people in general were walking with along the path around the park, and just under a large oak tree was a wooden table with bench chair were a group of teenage youths, it was Takuya and the others from Frontier high. He was there along with Zoe, J.P, Koji, Koichi, and another boy, it was shorter and younger than Takato, his hair was short and pale brown, his skin was slightly pale too, his eyes with a greyish blue, he looked about 13.

This was another best friend of Takuya and the others, he was the youngest of their group, his name was Tommy Himi, and he was a freshman at a junior high school. This was there group, these six youths had been friends for almost five years, they met during a very strange occurrence that changed all of their lives forever, and it helped mould each of them into the people that they are today. They were just talking about their first day, what they did over summer vacation, also they wanted to know how Tommy's first day at junior high went...

"So I take it that your first day was pretty good huh Tommy?" Takuya asked his friend who just nodded showing a bright smile, they sat along the bench with Zoe, J.P and Koji on one side, with Takuya, Tommy, and Koichi on the other side

"Yeah it was great, I made some new friends but the work is pretty hard compared to elementary of course" Tommy told his friend, as Takuya then patted his head just like he did Takato's

"I'm sure you can handle the work Tommy, you got pretty good grades in elementary and your focused" Zoe said to Tommy making him smile, he always felt good when his friends treated him equally despite their age difference between him and them

"Yeah you're such a lot smarter than some of us were back then…" Zoe said as she was staring over in Takuya's direction which made Takuya glare at her with slightly annoyed expression

"Hey, I'm not the same kid I was before Zoe, my grades aren't bad now…" Takuya retaliated in response to Zoe's statement as everyone laughed at Takuya who was starting to get irritated

"What about you guys, how was your first as second year students huh?" Tommy asked his friends curious about their first day

"Ah it wasn't that special, just the usual..." J.P answered Tommy with slightly uninterested expression

"Well maybe for us but not for Takuya, he made a new friend after all" Koichi suddenly said as Takuya glanced at him as the image of Takato appeared in his mind and he smiled faintly

"Yes that's right, a really cute and adorable new friend!" Zoe added as it was obvious that Zoe and Koichi were teasing Takuya a little about his sudden friendship with Takato

"Really, so what's he like huh?!" Tommy asked with a small grin as he already identified as Takato as a 'he' without even knowing that he was boy or not as Takuya looked at him a little shocked by that

"His name's Takato, he's a first year, but he's a little shy I guess… You would've met him today but he said he had help out his parents, plus he lives in Shinjuku too" Takuya told Tommy giving him a short intro about the boy he met today, then Zoe smirked a little as they continued to talk and socialize with each other

(Back with Takato)

Takato was up in his room drawing in his pad, almost an hour had passed since he got home, after he cleaned the offensive message off the wall he helped his parents out in the shop, he didn't tell them about the graffiti as he didn't want them worrying about him. He was wearing a blue jumper, cream short and white long socks, as he sat quietly on his bed just sketching away, he didn't get any homework on his first day so he was just going to continue his sketches until dinner, he was drawing what looked like a person as he was using the pencil to shade in certain areas, and suddenly a vibrating noise was heard.

"Huh…? Is that my phone, uh where is it?" the teen said as he then closed his drawing pad and looked around to see where his phone was, then he looked to his cabinet to see the phone moving with each vibrate

"I wonder whose calling me…?" Takato wondered as he then took up his phone and saw that it read a number under the Takuya's name, it was Takuya calling him as he then pressed the answer button

"Hello, hey there Takuya-Senpai…" Takato politely answered calling Takuya 'Senpai' as the older boy on the other line has a slightly confused expression as he just grinned

"Hey there Takato… So you're calling me Senpai now Huh? That is so precious!" Takuya said down the phone grinning brightly while Takato blushed with an embarrassed look on his face

"Um yeah… I mean… I'm supposed to refer my upperclassmen like that aren't I…? If you don't want me to call you that…" Takato felt embarrassed as he sat on his bed while Takuya just smiled as he was walking slightly behind his friends for some privacy as he talked to Takato

"Ah don't get upset Takato, I think it's really cute that you wanna call me Senpai, and it shows your respect hehe…" Takuya said as Takato blushed pink as he suddenly cracked a smile after hearing that

"So how's it going buddy, did you make it home safely?" Takuya asked Takato as he just looked around admiring the scenery of the park as he walked with the sun was beginning to set

"Oh… Yeah I made it back okay thanks, I helped out my parents and now I'm just sketching…" the boy answered Takuya through the phone as he was holding it with his shoulder and his neck while he drew in his sketch book

"That's cool, so I was wondering during your free period tomorrow if wanna hang out some more?" Takuya asked the youth as he suddenly stopped drawing and thought about it, Takuya wanted to hang out with him again, he quickly smiled hearing that

"Uh… Yeah alright if you really wanna, I mean I'm pretty sure that I'm free period is after lunch tomorrow" Takato reluctantly answered his friend while Takuya just grinned

"Also, there's a small festival on Friday over here, I wanted to know if you would like to come out with me and the others for that too?" Takuya added as Takato paused wondering about it

"Ah I don't really know about that? I have to help out in the bakery, plus I don't know how much homework I'll get for this week so… I'm not really sure about it" Takato answered, to be honest he was still a little nervous about meeting other people and he really did want to focus on his studies and help out his parents

"Oh come, it'll be lots of fun, there's game, food, and a fireworks display!" Takuya said attempting to persuade Takato to come to the festival with him, while Takato thought about it

"It does sounds like fun, but I'm not really sure…" Takato began to speak but Takuya cut him off

"Alright then, how about this instead… From now until Friday I try and convince you to come with us, until I get a yes from you okay!" Takuya said as Takato just chuckled slightly

"Haha… Well you can try, but I'm really not sure about it…" Takato said as scribbling on the page of his sketch book while Takuya who had stopped walking as he listened to his friend

"Well will see, when it's closer to the day… Alright then I'll leave you draw and I'll see you tomorrow" Takuya said as his friends noticed he had stopped as they signalled to him as he just waved at them in response

"Oh okay then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, enjoy the rest of your evening then…" Takato politely said to the boy while Takuya just smiled as he just looked on at the scenery around him

"Alright, have a good night then pal…" Takuya replied to Takato as they both hung up the phone, Takuya just stared at his phone before putting it back in his pocket as he caught up with his friends, while Takato placed his phone back on his cabinet as he just sighed before laying back on his bed, his expression was a sadden one as he just looked at the ceiling

"He really does seem nice, sort of like a big brother… But it wouldn't matter, if he knew about me… He wouldn't even talk to me, he'd just be like the others… He'd look at me with such hate, and disgust" Takato said to himself as his sad expression started to change as he slowly sat up

"Why can't things be like they were before…?" Takato whispered to himself as he just sat there, suddenly his phone vibrated as he looked over at, was it Takuya sending him a message or something, he then reached over and grabbed it and looked at it as his friend went pale as he quickly pressed some buttons as he deleted the message, it wasn't Takuya that sent him that text

He looked so upset, as he then tossed at the end of his bed, his face was a mix of emotions, his eyes got teary and slightly red to show his sadness, and he was clenching his teeth from his frustration and anger. Suddenly he held his right wrist tightly as his expression was becoming a more angered one as he pulled up his sleeve to his shoulder revealing very faint cut marks around his wrist as he then looked over to his bedroom door, it was closed as he then opened his cabinet inside were some books and loose papers.

As looked through his things and hidden between them was a sharp broken piece of glass, he stared at the piece of glass, his grip on it was slightly shaky, and around the edges of the shard faint small red marks on it, tears ran down his face as he suddenly closed his eyes as he held out his wrist as he slowly started to move the shard towards his wrist. An inch away from his wrist Takato readied to pierce his flesh when his phone suddenly went ringing as a call was coming in as he opened his eyes as looked over at the phone.

He just paused wondering if it was individuals who were harassing him as he put the shard down next to him and slowly reached over to his phone as he then sighed with slightly relief. Takuya's name and number appeared on the screen, as the boy just stared at the phone as he left to ring before it finally stopped as the icon of a recorder appeared indicating that Takato had a voicemail message left from Takuya. He then pressed the button to hear the message as he put the device to his hear.

"Hey there Takato… I guess you must be busy or you don't have your phone on you… Anyway I just wanted to remind you about what we talked about earlier, you know if feel like talking about anything… Don't feel like you can't speak to me, I know you must that it's weird after all we only just met today…"

"But I want you to feel comfortable talking to me, and if I'm being too overbearing okay haha… But anyway I'll see you tomorrow okay, you have a good night Takato"

A dialling tone was heard after Takuya's message finished playing, Takato whose expression was a combination of slight confusion, shock and calm as he sniffled a couple of time from his crying earlier as he faint smiled. Then he looked over at the shard and then picked it up before he then placed in between his books and papers in the cabinet and closed it. The brown haired youth then wiped away his tears and then pulled his sleeve back down as he then got up to go and change into his night clothes.

About ten minutes later now dressed in his pajamas consisted of a pale yellow button-up shirt and pants, Takato was laying in his bed with his window curtains opened as he looked out to the night sky. During the ordeal at his previous school Takato in moments of pure despair and pain he started to cut himself every so often, the last time he did was during his first semester back at Shinjuku high school. Hearing Takuya's message to him made forget about the hurtful message he got earlier.

An hour later Takato had fallen asleep, he looked peaceful as slept with the moonlight shining on his face as it was almost quiet over Shinjuku with only the sound of traffic in the distance with a few neon lights. His parents were both asleep as it was silent at the Matsuki residence, if Takuya had tried to call him and left him that voicemail Takato would've hurt himself once again. In a way the boy stopped Takato for injuring himself and his words gave a sense of hope that he had a new friend who could rely on…

(Meanwhile with Takuya)

Back in Shibuya about three hours had passed since Takuya and Takato spoke, Takuya was now in his room he was wearing a yellow shirt and brown short as he was laying on his bed looking at his phone, he was staring at Takato's contact details. He wondered if Takato had gotten his voicemail, to other people it would appear strange that Takuya was becoming so invested in this boy that he had only met today, Takuya's friends however knew him all too well and it was in his nature to make friends quickly.

A little later Takuya after having a shower had on long red boxers with his hair slightly wet as he was on his laptop searching information for bus times and routes from Shinjuku to Shibuya, he then stopped as he then closed his eyes as the image of Takato smiling faintly, and then the two of them walking together appeared in his head as he smiled he looked at the information on his computer, eventually after a while the teen had fallen asleep as he was spread out all over his bed snoring loudly…

End of Chapter 4

Hoped you liked the new chapter, wanted to explore a little darker nature with Takato and everything that happened to him the previous term. Anyway already working on Chapter 5 but it's going to be longer than this chapter as I want to get to more emotional and interesting part of the story, which will continue in the later chapters now. In the next chapter after a few more weeks pass Takato and Takuya become great friends as the two learn a little more about each other as Takato develops feelings for his friend as he tries to reject and hide them unaware of Takuya's own feelings towards him. Please review and I'll update faster!

Bye for now!