Note:I apologize for updating only now! As always, I'd like to thank those who favorited, followed and reviewed! Your reviews make me really happy!

At the end of each chapter I always write whose story will come next, but if there's someone you're particularly interested in, ask about them in your review and I'll send you a PM, letting you know if I plan to write a chapter about that character.

This time is Miki's turn. Unlike the previous ones, this chapter is a bit sad. That being said, I hope you enjoy~

Warning:The usual EveryonexFuruichi if you squint. And a bit of sadness.

Disclaimer:For the characters' joy, I don't own them or this manga/anime. The original story belongs to Tamura Ryuuhei.


MIKI

It was a cold day of winter, a day which most would prefer to spend indoor. Though Furuichi was happily walking in the streets with a bag on his left hand, full of fresh bought manga.

He was in a awfully good mood since the shop he went to had a 3x2 discount, so he was able to buy even more manga than his budget would usually allow him to. Spending less money now could turn out useful another time after all, and all the more if you were around someone like Oga, who just couldn't, or rather, wouldn't care less about Furuichi's wallet.

He walked past a small park, but then he stopped and walked backward. Something, or rather someone caught his attention, and that someone was none other than Miki Hisaya.

Furuichi walked towards the other and approached him, "Hello Miki, what are you doing here?" smiling all the while.

Miki, who was sitting in a swing, flicked slightly, seeming surprised by the silver-haired boy's presence. Upon seeing him like that, Furuichi thought that the other was probably day-dreaming since under normal circumstances, he would have noticed his presence before he even spoke up. And a bit, just a tiny bit, Furuichi noticed displeasure in the other's eyes...even if just for a spit fraction of second.

Whatever Furuichi saw in the other's eyes, was quickly replaced by a smile "Hi, Furuichi-kun. I was drinking my coffee, what about you?"

Furuichi sat down on the free swing near the other boy's "I was on my way home from buying manga."

Then, they were wrapped in a silence. Not an awkward one but definitely not a comfortable one either…it was a heavy silence. One full of words…one that both wanted to fill by saying something they wanted to tell the other since long ago.

The one to speak first was Furuichi "Say Miki…do you regret what happened with Oga?"

Furuichi's words caught Miki off guard, but he couldn't say that he didn't expect them. What surprised him was that the one he heard those words from, of all people, was him.

"…What about you? Do you regret being with Oga?" Miki was looking at the can of coffee he was holding in his hands when he answered. But when he lifted his eyes, what he saw was Furuichi's smiling face. It was a smile no matter how you looked at it, but...it was a stained, tired and melancholic smile, one that Miki saw the other wearing too often lately.

"I don't regret anything I've done. But you know…"

Miki was conflicted, looking at the other's pained expression hurt him as well, but he just couldn't avert his eyes.

"…I don't regret it, but lately I often think about you and me. Look at you, now you're strong, cool and everything, while look at me…weak, useless and pathetic. I can't even protect myself properly and not only that, I also cause trouble for the ones around me…."

Miki crushed the empty can in his hand, "Nonsense. That's not true, you're-"

"Miki…without the Pillars I can't do anything." Furuichi's eyes were overflowing with sadness and Miki felt something painfully squeeze his chest.

"Though it must have been painful, I think that for you getting away from Oga was the best, at least for a while. That's why despite after knowing everything I didn't interfere. I thought that things would turn out better for you like this, and that a clean cut was the only way to end things. You were able to grow and become this strong after all."

"What are you saying!? How dare you? Do you even know how much I suffered because of what happened? Do you-" Miki's voice raised and raised, until he was almost shouting. When, to his surprise, a cold hand found its way to his cheek, caressing his scars.

"I don't know Miki, because I was always by Oga's side so I don't know. But these, these scars, are proof of what happened and proof of how strong you are."

And just as quickly as it came, Furuichi's pale hand was gone.

"I've always been under Oga's wing. He always protected me so I don't know what it means to fight, to protect someone else. Because as weak as I am, even when I tried, nothing happened. But I'm not blaming Oga, you know. It's not his fault, the one to blame here is me…"

Furuichi looked at his ex-schoolmate, to check if the other was still listening to him and saw that Miki was paying full attention to his speech. To the silver-head this was unusual, because he normally didn't talk about himself and even when he did, the other party wouldn't seriously listen to him.

"I'm not saying this because I want your pity. I just wanted to tell you that even if our positions were reversed, you'd be strong nonetheless, and I would still be...the same me. If I had been the one Oga left behind, then surely I wouldn't have been able to do the same as you. To grow and use that feeling of hatred to become stronger and stronger... I know I can't to do that, to get over that feeling of betrayal. But you did Miki, because you have the straight and the determination to."

"You have the straight to do so as well. I think you should get away from Oga for a bit…Why don't you transfer to Saint Ishiyama ? Our school suits you better that the one you're in now!" declared rather than suggested, Miki.

Furuichi smiled gratefully at his friend's kind propose, but then shook his head "No, Miki. That would be like running away. Since long ago I've already chosen this path, so even if things are difficult…even if I get kidnapped, beaten and laughed at, this is still the path I chose. The only thing I can do now is trying to improve myself and support that idiot the best way I can. That's the least I could do as his friend..." and then Furuichi paused, and somehow his face melted into a softer yet sadder smile.

"Though recently it seems that I'm no longer needed…" whispered Furuichi before he got up.

As softly spoken as they were, Miki heard the silver-haired boy's words...he heard but he didn't know how to reply, afraid to hurt the other even more.

"I guess it's time I head back. Sorry for imposing such a heavy conversation. Well then-"

As the silver-head was about to turn, Miki grabbed his wrist and held him still.

"…I don't regret it either. It was painful, but thanks to what happened I am the person I am now and I could meet amazing people that otherwise I wouldn't have. I don't regret it." were Miki's determined answer to the forgotten question.

Truth is, he didn't want to meet Furuichi or Oga right now, since they reminded him of what he couldn't be and have, but after listening to Furuichi, somehow he felt that the burden he was carrying lightened a bit.

He felt better now, but he knew that the other was still silently suffering.

"I see. I'm grad to-" Furuichi couldn't even finish his sentence, when a loud and deep voice interrupted "Oi Furuichi! Catch!"

The first-year had only enough time to turn around when a wrapped croquette hit him right in the face. Fortunately, he was able to catch it before in landed on the floor, but the damage done to his face still annoyed him.

"What the hell Oga?! Just who in the world would trow food at others' faces? And a hot croquette nonetheless!" complained Furuichi in a scolding voice.

Oga on the other hand made no sign of apologizing or moving closer to the other two teenagers.

"It that how you thank the awesome me for treating you to a delicious croquette?" asked in a mocking and challenging tone the Ogre.

Furuichi sighed, knowing that arguing with his friend meant an endless path…one he had no intention of taking, not right now at least "Yeah yeah, thank you very much sir!"

"Come one, let's go. I'm freezing here." said the top delinquent as he hugged Beel, whose head popped out of the jacket, right under Oga's chin. By holding the small body closer to himself, the brunette was trying to get warmth from the child.

Oga noticed Miki, their eyes locked so Miki was certain that the other knew he was there, but still…Oga did nothing to show he acknowledged his presence, and Miki was fine with it. After all, rather than a friend, to him he was more of a rival now.

"Ok, now I really have to go." smiled Furuichi as he picked up his bag and he waved at Miki.

As he was about to walk away, he half-way turned around, looked at his scarred friend and said in a soft and tender voice "By the way, thank you for listening to me." and as he whispered those words, he dashed to Oga's side, who looked at Miki and nodded to him, before walking away with the silver-haired friend by his side.


Omake

Miki looked at the two backs that were getting farther and farther, until they completely disappeared after turning a corner.

He closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky. He breathed slowly and deeply, when he opened his eyes what he saw was a grayish white sky. A color that belonged to the winter only, a color incredibly pure yet so very saddening...a color that reminded him of Furuichi.

«Furuichi...by staying with Oga you're bound to get hurt, and you know that. After all, things have already begun to take an ugly way for you...yet why do you still not let go of him? Stubbornness? Habit? Loyalty? ...or as you said, friendship?»

Miki sighed and closed his eyes once more. When he opened them again, the sky looked whiter and wider. The sky seemed deeper and ready to fall on him at any moment.

He frowned slightly and smiled bitterly...He envied him.

Since long ago, he always envied Furuichi for being Oga's friend. Back in middle school, even when they hung out all together, he felt that he could never hold the same position as Furuichi. He knew, that's why he envied the silver-head.

But now things were different.

Now, the one he envied was Oga. Not for his strength or, as Furuichi says, his harem. He envied him because he had...Furuichi. He had someone who would always be by his side, a person who stops him when he takes the wrong way and supports him when he makes the right decision, someone who was wiling to be with him even if that meant getting hurt. He had a friend.

Miki got considerably along with the people at his school, and he wasn't in bad relationships with the two childhood-friends either, but...none could compare to Oga and Furuichi's bond.

«But you know Furuichi...even if our positions were reversed, things wouldn't had end up that way. It's because it was me that Oga could do what he did, there's no way he'd let go of you.»

Then Miki chuckled, finding funny the fact that Oga was behaving childishly when he cared about someone more than he actually openly showed.

"Oga...you'd better hold Furuichi close if you don't want to lose him along your thorny path. Otherwise...I might take him." whispered the Rokkisei's member with a challenging smile adoring his lips.


Thank you very much for reading.
I'll update as soon as possible.
Next one will be Kazuya&Azusa, please do look forward to it.
Ciao Ciao~ \(´¬`)ノ