I took a 2 month break from this story. I'm sorry for not warning anyone and for not having a good excuse. Though I didn't want to give an excuse to begin with. I had honestly lost my inspiration for this story for a while and I forgot about the support all of my reviewers had given me. For those of you that reviewed, thank you. It really means alot to me that you took the time to encourage me and to tell me of your support. I love all of you. ^^ Here's chapter 7 of Highschool on Hold. I hope you enjoy it. This one is a little more angsty than all of the others but it does reveal something about Ryoma.

Chapter 7

Pain flared in Ryoma's eye. He winced, gaining the attention of Fuji and Yukimura. But he didn't care. His hand shot up to his eye, his teeth biting so hard into his lower lip that blood started to pour from the cut. This had happened, once before not that long after the accident, but it was never as bad as it was now. It almost felt like it was happening again. Ryoma fought back a choked sob as he stood up, still holding his eye and quickly told the teacher he needed to go to the nurse. Fuji and Yukimura called after him and he knew that they would follow. It didn't matter. He needed to get something for the pain and he knew the nurse would send him home once he told her he had medicine there. That was the plan he came up with, until he collapsed to the floor. "Hurts," he mumbled to himself with his palm pressed tightly to his eye. It'll pass, he told himself as he curled into himself. Just like the first time, it'll pass.

Thats how the Devils found him, curled up into a small ball with blood coating his lips from where he had bitten them so hard and tears running down from his good eye. He couldn't help it. He wanted it to stop. The pain was too much. "Make it stop," Ryoma whispered to them as they leaned over him, worry in their eyes. Why was he feeling pain now? This shadow pain, this reminder, it would kill him someday.

"What's wrong, Ryoma?" Fuji's voice was soft in his ringing ears, gentle and calm as he reached out to stroke Ryoma's forehead.

"You have to tell us how to make it stop," Yukimura whispered, his voice just as soft as Fuji's as he slowly pulled Ryoma up from the floor. Gently he took Ryoma's hand in his while silently telling Fuji to take the patch off of the boys eye. They had to see what was causing him such pain. What they weren't prepared for was the stark white scar. It ran from his eyebrow all the way to his cheek bone but it was small enough to be covered by the square patch. From the look of it it was almost as if someone wanted to slice Ryoma's eye out.

"I need my medicine," Ryoma mumbled, not fighting the two off like he normally would. So tired, he was just so tired. "I need to go home."

"Do you want us to go and call someone?" Fuji asked gently, reaching for his cell phone. Ryoma's shaking head stopped him. "Why not?"

"There's no one to call. I live alone." A gasp of pain flew from Ryoma's lips. The boy lurched forward, a whimper torn from his throat. Yukimura caught him, bringing the boy close to his body before picking him up. He was so light that Yukimura worried if he was getting enough food.

"We'll take you home." Yukimura stated before directing an order to Fuji, "Text Atobe. Tell him we need to borrow his car. Reason: Ryoma is sick." Fuji did as told, not complaining in the least about being told what to do.

"Atobe said the car should be there by the time we get downstairs." Yukimura nodded his head and the two headed down the stairs to the front gate, Ryoma only half conscious in his arms. Luckily he remembered to tell them where he lived before promptly passing out from the pain.

Fuji was still thinking about Ryoma's eye. It certainly didn't look recent but it didn't look that old either. He wondered not for the first time what happened. Though when Ryoma invited him to his home he hadn't expected it to be quite like this either. Yukimura was examining the boys eye, looking at it intently before giving a sigh.

"It didn't reopen or anything and there's no sign of it being bothered at all. I don't get how it was hurting him." Yukimura explained with another sigh. Being the son of a doctor had its perks in the medical knowledge area.

"Shadow pains?" Fuji's grandpa had suffered from those before after getting into an accident where his leg was impaled by a metal rod. Of course the doctors had gotten the rod out and the wound healed but every so often Fuji's grandfather admitted the small fact of still feeling the pain. Especially when it got near the time of when it happened.

"A possibility," the other boy admitted as he looked down at Ryoma, a frown on his face as he thought. Until the driver told them that they were at their destination. Fuji opened the door, helping Yukimura with Ryoma so that the he could get out before handing him back. Thankfully Fuji had went back to the classroom to get Ryoma's stuff so they wouldn't have to worry about not being able to get into the apartment. But Ryoma was still out like a light and that was worrying Fuji.

Making their way up to Ryoma's floor one thought plagued both boys mind. What happened to Ryoma before he came here? After seeing his eye like that the two boys were surprised he was still alive. From how thick the scar was it seemed like it had been a deep wound.

Opening the door and holding it open for Yukimura, Fuji immediately followed in and shut it, looking around instantly for Ryoma's bed. There would be time to look for the medicine after the boy was comfortable. "Found his room," Yukimura called out quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping boy. It was a wonder how Ryoma hadn't woken up yet with how loud they were before. Since Yukimura found his room, therefore had found his bed, Fuji got to work on looking around for the medicine. He found it easily enough, on the kitchen counter. A pain medication beside sleeping medication. Maybe Ryoma had gotten the two mixed up? He had been sleeping an awful lot in class after all.

"Found the medicine." Fuji called to Yukimura, being sure to be just as quiet. "It's on the kitchen counter." He decided to look around the apartment that looked as if it had yet to be lived in. Everything was spotless, there wasn't a single trace of any personal objects, in the cabinets there was just the basic necessity of plates and glasses for a single person, not a single photo hung on the walls either. It was almost as if Ryoma didn't have anything. With sadness in his heart Fuji thought just maybe Ryoma didn't. He pointed out his observations to Yukimura when he walked out from Ryoma's room.

"Or maybe he just doesn't want anything that could be considered a reminder."

"A reminder?"

"Yea. A reminder of what happened before he came here. Of what happened to his eye. Or of that man named Ryoga." The name that had made them angry before just seemed to make Yukimura sad as he spoke it. "Echizen Ryoga. Ryoma's older brother."

"How do you know that?" Fuji asked, taking a sharp intake of breath.

"I found a letter in Ryoma's room. I know it was wrong to read it but I did." Yukimura took a shaky breath as he forced the next few words out of his mouth. "Ryoma's brother is the reason why Ryoma has that scar over his eye."