A/N: You guys know what this chapter is! Dun dun dun DUN! Yup, that's right, Haou's about to make some big connections. :D And there will be moar revelation to what those beasties are. Lol. And I'm glad that they changed the stats back to normal b/c I was rly pissed about that. Woooo. I'm happy now haha. I just hope that I don't make this crazy cuz I'm frickin hyper. 8D

Disclaimer: I do not own GX.

Chapter 11:The First Discovery

For the past few days, Juudai and Johan had continued to pester Haou in great attempts to 'cheer him up.' Although it did little more than annoy him and waste time he could have used for better things—such as finding a way back to Dark World or becoming ruler of Juudai's world—he could not help but find it a little comforting. After all, no one had really ever gone to such lengths to try to make him feel better. He'd just sort of existed…and been lonely despite himself. He had to admit, having someone around made him somewhat feel again. On one hand, it was exhilarating to be able to feel small relief. On another, it was a problem because it might hinder him to have even the slightest hint of emotion. But as much as he'd have liked to crush it again, he could not bring himself to. Living without it for so long had left him so unfulfilled, even as miserable as it could be at times. It was better to live with it, since he remembered what it was like.

He had also noticed that some of his energy had been restored. This was an effect of two reasons: Juudai was spending less time dueling and more time with him. Granted, he did not feel perfect, but at least he did not feel like he was going to drop dead at any given moment.

Currently, though, he was feeling a little tired and was sitting on Juudai's bed, looking through a book on technology. He was trying to concentrate and figure out how the deathbelts worked, but a certain brunet sitting on the top bunk had other plans.

Juudai hung over the edge suddenly, popping in Haou's face. The king jumped a little despite himself. He sent Juudai a warning glare. In response, Juudai blinked. He smiled around the stick of pocky in his mouth.

"Hey, Haou, what's up?" He greeted cheerily.

"Juudai, I'm very busy," Haou responded, having no interest whatsoever in a conversation. He held his book higher over his face, using it as a wall between himself and Juudai. He hoped the other got the hint.

Either he did not or he just disregarded it. He poked a stick of pocky over the edge of Haou's book. It hit his nose. Haou stared at it cross-eyed for a moment, not amused.

"Want some?" Juudai asked, smiling and offering him a stick.

"No, get that out of my face." Haou swatted it away, annoyed.

Juudai dropped down from the bunk, somehow managing to crash land on Haou's knees. Haou stared at him, startled. Grinning, Juudai shoved the pocky in his face again. "Come on. It'll make you feel better!" He insisted, poking it against Haou's tightly sealed lips.

Haou refused to open his mouth. But Juudai was persistent. In fact, he annoyed Haou so much that he eventually could hold his tongue no longer. "Stop that!"

No sooner than Haou had opened his mouth, Juudai shoved the pocky in. Haou glowered at him, but Juudai kept smiling. "It's not so bad, is it?" He pulled another stick out of the box he was holding and offered it to Haou.

Haou scowled in response. "I don't like it."

"Why not?" Juudai seemed puzzled.

"It's too sweet. Now leave me to do my work." Haou shoved Juudai off his knees and turned back to his book.

"How boring," Juudai remarked, pouting. He tried again to get Haou's attention.

Haou ignored him. No matter how much Juudai protested, he refused to advert his gaze to the brunet. Finally seeing that Haou was not in the mood to fool around, Juudai stood and walked towards the door. He turned and cast one last glance at Haou, looking disappointed.

"Since you're cranky, I'll just wait for you to feel better. I'm going to go see Johan."

Haou stiffened at the mention of Johan. This piqued his interest. Slowly, he lowered his book just enough to peek over the edge at Juudai. As much as he wanted to concentrate on his work, this annoyed him. He didn't want Juudai to go messing around with Johan! True, he had come to terms with the envy that it created inside of him. He was not going to deny that any longer. It made him jealous that Juudai would seemingly rather spend time with Johan than him. But this was not really true. Juudai was just trying to get Haou to talk to him. He could pick up on Haou's jealousy and he knew it. Haou refused to let that get to him, though. It didn't matter, he told himself. Juudai could go traipsing off with Johan and he wouldn't let himself care. After all, he had better things to do than entertain the brunet all day.

He stared at Juudai for a moment, then let his gaze drift back down to the book, seemingly unbothered. Oh, but he was. Inside his blood was boiling. He just let himself simmer. Negative emotions were all right with him. It was the reason for them that made him uncomfortable. Was that really the case? He wasn't sure…He didn't want to believe it.

Seeing that Haou was not going to budge even if he really wanted to talk, Juudai opened the door and slipped out, calling back a goodbye. Haou grunted in response, turning the page of his book. As soon as the door was closed, however, he dropped the book and scowled deeply at the door. Grumbling, he stood and paced around the room, trying to figure out what he wanted to do about this predicament.

So, he wanted to talk to Juudai more. That was…different. Maybe it was just thousands of years of loneliness. Well, that was all right, then. He could handle listening to Juudai to a certain degree but…talking back? What was he supposed to say? He was a very private person and was not sure how much he wanted to reveal. Though, Juudai was him so did it really matter? Couldn't he talk to himself? He supposed he could try. Problem was, he had spent many years practicing silence and refrain. This was definitely going to pose a problem. He did not know how much time he wanted to spend around the brunet. Did he even care at all? Or did he just want to take something from Johan just because he did not have it? Was that all it was? Greed? He gritted his teeth. Human nature did dictate that if one was interested in something, then others would want it. It made sense for him to want Juudai around just because Johan exhibited major interest in him. But at the same time, he wondered if he just did not want Juudai around Johan because he was afraid that that would cause Juudai to like him less. Juudai, after all, would not approve of the things he stood for. At the same time, they were the same person, so shouldn't he be able to cope with it and accept it? It was all so confusing. His head hurt.

Presently, he came to a halt in the middle of the room. What was he doing, pacing back and forth like an indecisive fool? He had to get back to his research! Or else…he might not return to Dark World. Sighing and muttering under his breath, he started to head back over to the bed. Suddenly, he stopped, tensing. What was that he had just heard? He turned slowly towards the closet, and listened intently. Nothing. Concluding it was his imagination playing tricks on him, he flopped back down on the bed. He really needed to stop worrying so much. Things would work themselves out if he just waited.

As he was flipping through the book, looking for a chapter that might give him some insight on technological devices that could cause harm, he heard a small whine from the direction of the closet. Had that been his imagination too? He lowered his book and peered above it at the closet. He stared at the closet door for a long time, sitting as still as possible. Nothing. But he had definitely heard something a moment before. It was not his imagination, was it? He wondered if he truly were going crazy.

Since he was finding it difficult to focus on his book while worrying about what might be in that closet, he finally decided to go check it out. He put the book down and slowly straightened up. Carefully, he made his way across the room, and put a hand on the doorknob. He pressed his ear to the door and listened for anything, any sort of movement or noise. There was quiet. Still not convinced, he turned the knob slowly, and opened the door.

He could see nothing for a moment, only clutter. Then, much to his surprise, a black streak flew out of the closet and scurried under the bed. Frowning, he marched over to the bed and knelt on the floor, looking underneath. He found himself looking at Friendog, who was cowering and whimpering.

Needless to say, Haou was truly startled. A duel monster…in this world? Was it only a spirit? No, it was not transparent. It seemed solid. So, what did this mean? Did it mean that duel monsters did exist in this world, or did it mean…? His eyes widened. There must be a portal back to Dark World somewhere! He felt a rush of excitement wash over him. Maybe he could go back!

As he started to pick himself up off the floor, ready to further investigate the closet, he noticed Friendog start to tremble and back away. He wondered if he was scaring the duel monster. Experimentally, he reached out. But Friendog did not back away from him. Puzzled, he watched the dog's behavior, trying to figure out what it was.

There was a low growl behind him. Haou froze. He recognized that growl. Slowly, he turned, unsure of what he might encounter. He really hoped it was not what he thought it was.

He found himself staring into carmine eyes and glinting silver fangs. Only, this time, it was not a vision in his mind. It was there, in the flesh, standing in front of him. He felt his blood run cold. The same beast that had been tormenting him…was standing mere inches from his face. And it was alive. If that were the case…had it really been coming to him at night and injuring him? Was it a duel monster too? What was going on?

It moved towards him, causing him to back away. He glanced quickly around the room, looking for anything he could use as a weapon. There was not much in the room he could use. Inwardly, he cursed. His dark energy would have to suffice if push came to shove. By the time he finished deciding this, the beast had cornered him, and was gazing down at him in hungry interest. Was that all he was, some animal's meal? Oh, no, he was not going to let himself be so demeaned.

Fury and indignation flowed through his veins as he watched the creature's every move intently. He tensed, preparing himself for an attack. The monster's arm twitched, a silent indication that it was about to raise it and strike. Haou would not allow this. Before it had the chance, he expelled a rather large burst of energy, slamming it so hard against the wall, the entire dorm shook.

He panted from the exertion and rushed to the other side of the room. At least he was not in the corner anymore. That was the worst place he could be. Staring the animal down, he stood very still, waiting. The only sounds were that of the beast's low growls, Friendog's whimpering, and his own heavy breathing. There was a long, tense silence.

Suddenly, the demon shot up and rushed at Haou, its claws extended and ready to tear him to shreds. He ducked, causing it to crash into the wall. It started to collapse on top of him, but he leapt out of the way. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and fell on his back, leaving him vulnerable to the creature, who soon recovered its shock. It jumped at the chance and pinned Haou down to the floor, its claws digging painfully into his shoulder. Haou struggled and attempted to release another surge of dark energy, only to find it much weaker than before. Murmuring a curse, he realized that Juudai was dueling at the moment, and feeding off his energy. Great. Of all times for Juudai to decide to duel. He would have to find some other way to defeat this enemy.

Before he could come up with a solution, though, the beast raised its arm and started to bring its claws down on his neck. He grasped its wrist, managing to hold it off, though the razor sharp claws were only inches from his throat. He kicked at the beast, trying to knock it over so he could take control again. Well, if he wanted that, he was going to need a little help, it seemed.

As the two struggled, neither noticed the mechanical dog slipping quietly out from under the bed. Friendog paused, then leapt on the creature's back, finally having gained the courage. Perhaps it was because Haou was Juudai. But whatever the reason, Friendog attacked, and refused to let go once it had gotten hold of the creature.

The momentary distraction was all Haou needed to gain the upper hand. He jumped to his feet and let out another burst of energy to stun the creature. This time, it did its job well. The animal howled and tried its best to shake Friendog off, but only ended up falling to the floor. Taking advantage of the situation, Haou searched the room for some sort of weapon to finish it off. He found his duel disk in the corner, and wondered if he could conjure a monster to take care of this demon. He did not waste any time. Hurriedly, he placed a monster on the duel disk, and ordered it to attack. The attack went right through the creature. Realizing that it was nothing but an image, he cursed under his breath and put the duel disk on the bed. If only they had been in Dark World…

As the animal began to recover and get to its feet, Haou searched for something else he could use. He just so happened to peek in the closet. That was when he saw it. It was not a very good weapon, but it would have to do. He snatched the polished mirror and felt the sturdy brass frame. Well, it should at least stun the creature. Never mind superstitions. He was going to do what he had to do.

He moved quickly. Charging at the beast, he swung the mirror at it, and broke it over the animal's head. No sooner had the mirror shattered into a thousand tiny shards, the animal let out a deafening roar, and thrashed as though in pain. There was a large flash of white light, followed by a powerful surge of energy, which slammed Haou against the wall. The light blinded him; it was so bright it made his head ache. As much as he felt he needed to watch what happened, he could not help but squeeze his eyes shut. There was a loud, shrill noise, as though the very fabric of time were ripping, and a violent wind whipped around him, pushing him closer to the wall. He felt as though the dorm might fall to pieces at this rate.

And then, just like that, it was all over. He sat still, panting, becoming aware that he was digging his trembling fingers into the floor. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and looked around. The creature was gone. There was no indication that it had ever been there, except for the mess in the room. Friendog was nowhere in sight either. The only thing that convinced him that it had not been a dream was the broken mirror.

Shakily, he stood, and walked over to the middle of the room. He knelt by the shards of glass on the floor and stared down at them. He jumped a little at the sight of his broken reflection, which soon disappeared as the mirror reflected nothing. Slowly, something else began to appear: a faint red light. He watched as it formed into symbols of katakana. Once more, it was backwards, so he could not read it. Finally, he picked up a fragment of mirror and used it to reflect the word so he could read it. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Shatter.

It began to click. Slowly, he stood, still clutching the piece of mirror in his hand. "Shatter," He whispered, staring out the window.

He flashed back to the day the stranger had come to his castle, offering him a great treasure. What was it that the man had said, again? "If you give me a place to stay for the night, then you will find it to be greatly worth your while. You will receive a reward beyond your wildest dreams, and you will find a treasure on the other side that is far more valuable than anything you could ever buy or even find in this world. It will save you from the imminent downfall of this world."

At the time, he had scoffed at the man and had not believed him. Yet…there he was, in some unknown world. And how had he entered? All he remembered was being extremely sick, and walking over to that mysterious mirror, delusional thoughts flying through his mind. Had it really been his imagination? Or had he really…?

And then there had been those mirrors in Juudai's mind. The one that said something similar: restore. And that had been the one to transport him back to a state of consciousness, had it not? So what did this all mean? Did it mean…?

He stared back down at the mirror fragment in his hand. Closing his fingers around it tightly, his fist shaking, a sick smirk spread across his features. This was good. Very good. This could mean that everything he had ever wished for was finally within his grasp. But he must be careful. These could be a disadvantage too, since he did not know much about them. But he did not know exactly how close to perdition he was...

Feeling something sticky and warm in his hand, he slowly uncurled his fingers. When he did so, blood trickled out of his palm onto the floor. He had grasped the sharp piece too tightly. But he did not care. He was too overwhelmed by his discovery. He could get back to Dark World if he just figured out how to use these. And he just might be able to conquer and control Juudai's world, too, if he had this precious link between the two worlds.

For the time being, he would lay low. After all, he had destroyed the only mirror in sight that could do him any good. But he was convinced that it was not the only one. There had been others he had encountered, after all. He would just have to wait for the opportunity to come to him. Yes, the stranger had been right. He could do and get whatever he wanted. But only if he had the opportunity. And the opportunity was there.

It was only later in the day that Haou bumped into Juudai again. In fact, it was in the Osiris dorm cafeteria at dinnertime. By then, he had calmed down from his discovery earlier that day, and was back to his normal stoic self. He watched in dismay as Juudai sat across from Johan at one of the tables. The other two seats were occupied by Sho and Kenzan. Well, he would not get the chance to sit and talk to Juudai that evening. He did not even try to quell his jealousy. He just let it wash over him as he tried to find an empty table to sit at. No such luck. Before he could even try to find a place to sit to brood by himself, Manjoume had beckoned for him to go sit with him. Well, technically he did not have to and he would not had he not gotten the delicious idea in his mind. Maybe he could make Juudai want to talk to him by not being available. It sounded like a good idea to him.

In all reality, this was just a childish way of getting back at Juudai and trying to make him jealous as well. Haou knew this deep inside. He knew that he it was just an immature impulse so he quickly shook it from his mind. Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. Was he willing to go so far just for Juudai's attention? What was he thinking? He really did not understand why he was beginning to have these crazy ideas. All he knew was that it bothered him. He had never wanted to do something so foolish, especially not for someone else.

In the end, he made up his mind and just sat with Manjoume. There wasn't really anyone else he could bear to sit with, anyway. They all bombarded him with questions and annoying comments about how 'awesome' his dueling was. So what? He had only won a few games. That gave them no right to fawn all over him. Of course, he might have expected them to admire him, but from afar. This was all getting quite annoying. Even Manjoume fawned all over him. Thankfully it was not nearly so evident because he was trying to play it cool to impress him. Yet…

Before he could even so much as finish his thought, Manjoume broke the silence between them. "You seem off today." It was blunt. It was to the point. It was…rude.

Haou scowled deeply as he took a dainty bite of his fish. He chewed for a moment and swallowed before replying. "Is that so?"

"Yeah…you seem…I don't know. Miffed? Jealous?" How was it that obvious? Or was Manjoume just that perceptive?

Haou thought of a good way to respond to this comment. Finally, he said philosophically, "It is human nature to have times when one envies another's gain."

Rolling his eyes, Manjoume muttered, "Well, duh. Damn, aren't you full of it today?"

Haou's eyes narrowed into golden slits. "Do you have a problem?" He asked, laying his chopsticks down on his plate and looking directly at Manjoume.

"As a matter of fact, yes I do." Manjoume replied, glaring down at his food. "Maybe I'm jealous too."

Haou raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" Well, he could see where this was going. And he was not so sure he liked it.

"What does Juudai have that I don't?" Manjoume asked, glowering, "You're supposed to be training me. But you barely spend any time with me."

Haou blinked. "Is that it? Well, there's no need to worry. I will keep my promise when the time is right. As for Juudai? He has nothing to do with the fact that I haven't spent much time working with you."

Despite his words, he was not sure if this were really the truth. Had he gotten so caught up in his envy over Johan that he had forgotten that crucial part of his plan? He did need Manjoume as a pawn but…if he wanted that, then he would have to work with him and keep him from getting discontent. Already, Manjoume was eyeing him suspiciously. He did not need this. He needed Manjoume's cooperation! He needed the other's trust as well. So he would have to be more careful. Perhaps if he played his cards right, he could use Manjoume as more than a pawn of conquering…

Once more, that possibility entered his mind. He tried to chase it away. But the more he thought about it, the more appealing it sounded. Suppose he did act on this childish impulse. Suppose he did useManjoume to make Juudai jealous. After all, it was obvious that the boy had a bit of a crush on him. But would it really work? That was the question. Would it be worth his effort? Was this even something he would normally do? Something had to be messing with his head…Suddenly, he no longer had an appetite.

"I'll work with you early tomorrow morning before class," Haou muttered, standing.

"Wait, where are you going?" Manjoume asked, looking surprised, "Did I make you mad?"

"It does not matter my reasons. I will see you tomorrow," Haou said curtly, even coldly.

Manjoume opened his mouth to protest, but Haou would hear none of it. He turned and hurried towards the door, ignoring Juudai and Johan as best as he could.

As he stepped through the door, he caught a glimpse of the two out of the corner of his eye. It was only for a brief moment, but it was enough to make him nearly sick to his stomach in surprise and disgust. Johan leaned over, brushing his lips to Juudai's chin, close to his lips, his hand on the other's face. The door slammed hard, causing them to jump. Both looked at the door, wondering who had just left and what he had been angry about. Neither of them knew the truth, the truth that even Haou was finding difficulty in accepting.

"Sick," Haou grumbled to himself, trudging along the path later that evening. He had been wandering around for hours, trying to think things over. But every time he tried to clear his mind of his problem, it kept coming back. And he knew it was wrong. "Sick, sick, SICK."

It was enough to make him hate. He was not sure what he hated, whether it was Juudai or Johan or Manjoume or even himself. But it did not matter. It was all the same either way. It was wrong, it was disgusting; Juudai was the same person, for God's sake! Granted, it was a little bit different than vanity, but still. Such an atrocity must not be committed. He must not let himself fall victim to such a hideous feeling. Whether it was attraction or lust or a need for a friend he did not care. It all led down the same path to him. It all meant that he was becoming weak. And if he wanted to continue with his plans, then he could have no room for such petty things. He knew he had been pushing this problem aside for awhile, then, which only disturbed him even more. How long had he felt that way? How long had he…?

Well, in the very least, it was not that bad. He figured he had caught it early enough to crush. After all, it was probably just jealousy. That was all. He just wanted something he did not have. And once he had it, then he would not want it any more. It was simple as that. He did not need to obtain Juudai if he told himself this truth. All he had to do then was forget about it. It could not be that hard, could it?

Maybe he just wanted Juudai's friendship. Maybe that was all it was. To be honest, he did not know. He just could not tell the difference. He was far too confused. It hurt his head to think about it, so he decided he should not dwell on it much longer. Just long enough to figure out exactly what he was going to do and exactly what he wanted.

What did he want?

Puzzled, he finally sat down beneath a tree near a cliff, which just so happened to be Juudai's favorite spot. He pulled his knees up to his chest and stared out over the ocean, watching the moonlight sparkle off the dark waters. Sighing, he leaned against the rough bark of the tree and went over everything in his mind again. He did not necessarily want Juudai in a perverted way. So it could not be lust then. He did not have the urge to treat Juudai the same way Johan treated him, so it could not be attraction. And he really wanted to be around him. He wanted to be able to share things with Juudai and trust him. That led him to one conclusion: he wanted Juudai's friendship.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him. A wave of relief washed over him. It had just been so long since he had had any sort of relationship with anyone…they all kind of melted together. But at least he realized that he did not want Juudai in the same way Johan did. That concern had been resolved.

And yet…

There was still this quandary. What was he to do? Sit around and go on like normal? Should he just sit back and wait for things to play out? He knew he should not go looking for Juudai's friendship. That might make things worse for him. But, at the same time…

Worry. Intense worry. It felt awful. The anxiety…it was all coming back to him. And he hated it with a passion. And he just wished he had never come to this world. It was making him crazy. Taking a deep breath, he dug his fingers into the soil, and let it sift through his fingers. He took another deep breath, inhaling the earthy smell as he tried to clear his mind. Gradually, he crushed the newfound emotions until he felt nothing again.

Numbness. What sort of life was lived like that? What sort of fulfillment did that bring? How could he be happy with his accomplishments if he felt…nothing? Nothing at all? And yet, it hurt too. It made everything ache dully. It made him…empty. He almost even thought he did not have a soul. Did he really have a purpose to life, then? If he was not taking pleasure in what he gained? Maybe that was why he was jealous of Johan. Because he was so happy. Because his love for dueling and Juudai fueled him. Other than Juudai, Haou had never seen anyone as happy and fulfilled as Johan. Did those things, happiness and love, make life worth living? Maybe that was why he could not find peace. Maybe that was why…his spirit had grown so weak and sickly that he had nearly died. He was destroying himself by pushing these things away. He was not reaching his full potential.

That was when he decided to experiment. For a few days, he would let himself fall gradually into slight emotion. He would try to find something good about his life, though he was not going to embrace it. He just wanted to make sure he was not missing anything. And it was not like he could not turn back around and change his mind. It was not like he was going to be going around smiling and spreading joy to those around him. No, it would be a slight change. But maybe it would be enough for him to figure out what made Johan and Juudai so…content.

That was it. He was dissatisfied. There were things he was missing out on, and he did not know what those things were. But he would find out. Though he was not sure he would ever change his ways. Actually, he knew he would never change permanently. But if he could at least get a brief taste, then maybe it would be all worth it.

Maybe in the end…what he was telling himself was that he would let Juudai in. He was going to allow himself a friendship with Juudai. If only he knew how to handle it. If only he could figure out how to convey that he wanted to talk to Juudai. But it just made him too uncomfortable. He did not know if he could ever accomplish this goal.

Why was it so hard for him? Frustration washed over him. What was he supposed to do? It just was not easy to do the things he felt he should do. Actually, he did not know what he was supposed to do. Should he just…forget about it?

Before he had a chance to grow angry over it, he was torn from his thoughts by the sound of a twig snapping. Immediately, he stiffened. There had been so many enemies lately. He never knew when he was in danger again.

This time, though, he had no need to worry. It was only Juudai who stepped slowly out of the trees. He stopped when he saw Haou, and seemed indecisive. The two stared at each other for a moment, involuntarily and unconsciously communicating. Haou felt Juudai's confusion and frustration, which equaled his own. Only…something else was bothering him. Something that he was withholding.

The brunet carefully sat down next to Haou and brought his knees to his chest in a likewise fashion. They sat in silence for several long moments, each to his own thoughts. A lengthy sigh from Juudai prompted Haou to glance over, and their gazes locked again. Juudai's large dark eyes seemed almost even sad. Though he was smiling, he was torn inside.

"Can I talk to you?"

The question surprised Haou. He stared at Juudai for a moment, dumbfounded. Finally, he nodded slowly as he began to realize what Juudai wanted.

There was another long silence before Juudai finally spoke again. He sighed and ran a hand through his choppy brown hair as he told Haou, "I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?" Haou could not help but prod for more information. He was worried about his Hikari, despite himself.

"Johan's…he's…" Juudai fumbled with his jacket, staring down at his hands as he struggled to put the right words together. "He's coming on way too strong."

Haou nodded slowly as the information sank in. He did not want to draw any conclusions right away, so he would not allow himself to think about this comment before Juudai explained himself.

"I mean, he is my best friend. I really think he's awesome. And he's a great duelist. He's a lot of fun. And I don't mind some things…I don't mind hugging him or anything. He just…I wish I knew how to tell him to stop kissing me. I'm not interested in him like that. But I don't want to hurt him." Juudai explained, looking frustrated as he wrapped his arms around his legs, hugging them to himself.

Haou could not help but be surprised. He really should not have been. Though, he had thought that Juudai had liked him mutually. Just maybe not so much. "You don't like him the same way." It may have been spoken like a comment, but it really was a question.

Juudai shook his head. "I did like him for awhile. Just not as much as he liked me. He…he told me he loved me. I guess I just freaked out when he said that because I just don't want that."

Haou nodded and watched Juudai, waiting for him to continue. Juudai only dug his fingers in his sleeves and stared at the ocean for a long time, as though in thought. So Haou did not say anything either.

"I wish," Juudai finally broke the silence again, though his voice was very quiet, "that I knew how to let him down without totally ruining our friendship. I just wish that things didn't have to be this complicated."

A beat.

"Why are you telling me this?" Haou asked, frowning a little in thought. "Because I can't very well help you with your problem."

"I know," Juudai muttered, beginning to pick at the grass, "I just needed to talk to someone about it. I needed…to talk to you about it, believe it or not. I just felt comfortable telling you about it, though I don't really know why." He glanced up, grinning slightly. "And I guess I was hoping you could help me. You're really smart."

"So are you." Haou told him, frowning, "There's no reason why you can't figure this out on your own."

"I guess you're right," Juudai said slowly, twirling a blade of grass between his fingers, "But it's not like I want to be any less close. I don't know. There are just…some things that are really confusing me right now. And looks like you're having the same problem."

Haou refused to reply for a moment. He was not sure what to say. After all, it was true. But as it turned out, he did not have to say anything.

Grinning, Juudai slung an arm around his shoulders, giving him a little half hug. That was when he whispered something that Haou could not stop thinking about the entire night:

"Don't worry, Haou, I am your friend. You don't have to try to earn that. It's…not friendship that you have to earn from me."

As much as this puzzled Haou on the surface, he knew deep inside what Juudai meant. He did not reply as Juudai stood and eventually retreated back towards the dorm. It wasn't until much later that he did give his delayed reply.

"I know, Juudai, I know."

Haou did not move from that spot for the rest of the night.

A/N: 8D Ok, so…maybe I lied by accident. This chapter didn't quite turn out the same way as I thought, just hinted at it. BUT it IS a turning point. Soon it will be explicitly stated how Haou got that body and all. I just could NOT cram it in and make it sound good here. OK?! Ok. Lol. I already crammed too much in here. DX Ummm but was it bad? 8DDD I don't care. I likes it. :P Though it WAS a little rushed/detached in places? Idk DX I guess I just didn't have enough closure but oh well. I still like it so whatever. D: