Rokujo walked past the front office and saw a guy with bleached-blond hair inside, crying as the lady put her hand on his shoulder apologetically. Rokujo heard faint words through the window.

"Sorry...mourn...She'd..."

Rokujo stared for a bit and walked to the gym.

"Fweet! Practice is over! Go change out!"

Rokujo's eyes flicked shut and back open and staggered on his way to the locker rooms. Stumbling to the sinks, he splashes his warm face with cool water. Why...am I so tired...?

"Rokujo!?"

Rokujo's legs collapsed as he crumpled to the ground and his vision disappears.

...

...

...

"Rokujo-kun..Rokujo-kun?"

The sound of faint voices echoed in Rokujo's head. Who's...calling out to me? Who..?

...

Lacrimosa dies illa

Qua resurget ex favilla

Judicandus homo reus

Huic ergo parce, deus

Pie jesu domine

Judicandus homo reus

Huice ergo parce, deus

Pie Jesu domine

...It's that song again..Where's it coming from..? ...I don't...understand..

...

(note, this song is from d gray man, but Rokujo hears it in a male voice and the song is really slow)

"Rokujo-kun!"

Hinata flicks awake to Kuroko's eyes uncomfortably close to Hinata's, foreheads pressed together. So close, When Hinata opened his eyes, his eyelashes scraped Kuroko's cornea.

"I-ita-tata!" (ita or itai or ite mean Ow or Ouch)

Kuroko reels backward with his hands over his eyes.

"Good...your awake"

Kuroko tossed an apple pie into his hands and grabs his milkshake cup that sat in a puddle of condensation.

He sits back in one of the chairs, the other occupied by the sleeping red-haired tiger giant

"You were asleep for four hours or so. Everyone else went home... sluuurp..."

Kuroko's shake was nearly empty.

"Were you two waiting the whole time?"

Kuroko continues with his shake, not saying anything.

"...Sorry"

"...You know, Kagami-kun carried you here."

Rokujo felt himself smile a little.

"Arigatou..Katsumi-kun"

Kuroko paused and chuckles a bit.

"You never could remember names..You should think of a nick name"

"..."

"..."

"Kami-sama?" (Kami-sama means God)

Kuroko attempts a shot at the trashcan across the room with his empty cup.

Clunk

Kuroko looked at the cup on the floor and went to retrieve it. He walks back and retries, still missing.

"...Use your forearm and less of your whole arm, Kuroto"

Clunk

The cup landed at the bottom of the trashcan.

"...Thank-"

"Yaaaaaaaawn~!"

Kagami stretches his arms and legs and wipes his eyes.

"Ohayo...gozaimasu.." (ohayo gozaimasu means good morning)

"Ohayo Gozaimasu, Kami-sama."

Rokujo and Kuroko look at Kagami with apathetic faces and monotone voices.

"K-Kami...? Forget it. I don't even want to know. Oi, Rokujo, you feeling better? You fainted from fatigue and hunger..Riko said. When was the last time you ate?"

"...Two seconds ago"

Rokujo crumpled the wrapper of the recently finished pie and tossed it directly into the trash.

"Ah...thats not what I-never mind. Lets get in a practice round before we go home"

"Hai" (Jesus... I hope, if you're an anime fan you'd know what that means.. and if you dont...woooh..)

K

B

!

!

Rokujo slid open the shoji (traditional-style paper sliding door) with a lot on his mind.

Maybe I should call Otou-san soon...

I wonder who's mom died.. or if its just a rumor.

Our first match of the season is against Kaijo...that's Kito-kun's school (He meant Kise-kun's)

That song...

The voice...it sounded..almost..Familiar.

Who is it..?

I need to practice...

Its already dark out.

Rokujo put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

...

"I need to practice"

...

...

...

"nn...Midnight... I have to go to bed."

Rokujo went to bed..and for the first time in a while, he had a dream about his past...about his parents.

"Ohayo Gozaimasu! Rokujo-kun~!"

Riko put her hand on Rokujo's back.

"...Ohayo...Rika-san"

"Did you get enough rest? Did you eat enough? Let me check you later during practice, okay~? Ja ne~!" (Ja ne means "See you" or "See you later")

Psst...psst...Rokujo...psst...

?

Rokujo turned his head and saw a few guys holding their hands to their mouths to cover what they're saying.

"Thinks he's so great...Bringing that stupid sword...thinks he's so cool...psst.."

...

Rokujo turned and started walking away, his long ponytail trailing behind him. It seemed to follow him..the voices.

"What a girl...psst...Long hair...psst..."

He clenched his teeth and starts to gain speed until he turns a quick corner, nearly knocking the person on the other side over.

"? R-Rokujo? What're you..?"

Kagami looked at his trembling eyes.

"R-Rokujo?"

Kagami had called out to Rokujo as he ran off.

... Whats wrong with him..?

Slamming the door behind him, Rokujo sighed and sat in his chair that was in the corner of the room next to the window.

"...Hello, Rokun."

Kuroko said, eyes glue to his book.

"..."

Kuroko turned to Rokujo.

"Something wrong?"

"No"

Rokujo buried his face on the desk and sighed.

K
B

!

Rokujo...girl...Rokujo...psst...

Rokujo had gotten a little used to all the spreading rumors. After a days the whispering started to draw to a close, but that wasn't the end of Rokujo's problems.

SLAM

Rokujo collides with the brick wall behind the school and stumbles down to the ground.

"Pfft... what a weakling.. So what if you're some kind of 'ninja' You ain't worth shit"

The bleached-haired blonde lifted his foot and grinded Rokujo further into the gravel.

"Aren't you gunna fight back? Think your so tough?!"

He swung his foot into Rokujo's ribs, he felt something pop a little.

"GET UP!" He yanked him up by his ponytail, Rokujo looked at him, but his eyes seemed to look straight through him, as if he wasn't even acknowledging he was even there.

"Wipe that look off your face."

Rokujo said nothing.

Rokujo slammed back into the wall again. He felt a wincing pain but still remained with his apathetic face.

"Fight me!"

Rokujo stood up, the blonde stepped back a little.

"Why do you want to fight me?"

He stepped back even further with trembling eyes.

"Sh-Shut up and fight!"

He swung his arm at Rokujo, just for him to grab it and spin it into a hand lock.

"I don't want to hurt you"

Rokujo said

A slow tear ran down the guy's face.

"You think you're so great..."

"I don't"

"You do! You have it easy! Friends, family, you have it all! People like you have NO problems!"

"I don't have a family"

The blonde turned back with widened eyes.

"...My mother died long ago, my father doesn't think of me as his child...

You're "

Rokujo loosened his grip and he fell forward. Rokujo placed a hand on Itsuya's shoulder.

"You musn't mourn for your mother. She may be happy that you have been saddened by her passing but she might also be sad that she has inflicted pain and suffering into her own kin. Allow your mother to pass peacefully without having to worry that her family has regret that she has passed."

Itsuya sought comfort in Rokujo's arms and sobbed softly, trying his best to remain as masculine as he can, holding back his tears.

"Cry now, but never again. You may cry as much as you are able.. or as much as you would like."

Itsuya started bawling loudly, Rokujo sat perfectly still, holding onto the bleach blonde.

Several moments passed. Itsuya stood and Rokujo stood.

Itsuya turns to Rokujo and bows.

"Rokujo, you are a valuable friend. Thank you for allowing me to accept my mother's...passing. I respect you...And please don't tell anybody about what you saw today!"

And with that, Itsuya sprinted off, wiping his eyes of left tears.

Shit...I'm not gay!

he thought.