A/N: So this one obviously took A LOT longer than promised. Gomen nasai! Hontoni gomen nasai! I know I said I'd be able to commit last summer, but that obviously didn't work out. I just keep making empty promises; I don't know what else to say. Sorry :/ Anyway, I just want to thank everyone that favorited and stuck with this story even with such a bad, horrible, terrible, sorry-excuse-for-an-author. I'll try super hard to update again as soon as I can... I just don't really know when that'll be :/ Thanks again to everyone though!

KuroYume: Thanks for the review! Even though I'm replying/updating so late, I think this chapter should answer some main questions ^^ Things are going to be picking up from here on out.

Lady Syndra: Ah, thank you so much and sorry! Your comment(s) really helped to kick me into gear. This chapter totally did not come soon like you asked but I still hope you like it!

Slytherin Studios: Thank you for commenting and supporting! Enjoy!

P.S. I realized I wrote that the Japanese-language teacher's name was Washio for the last chapter... and that's totally not his name at all. It's Inuzuka. Washio was the name of the Japanese teacher in Season 1 of Gokusen. I guess the title of this chapter could apply to me, ne? .


Chapter 11: Baka Ja Nai No?

It was just any other normal day in the world. A quiet day. A calm day. The kind of day that follows a period of unrest and hints at an oncoming one. The Kurogin guys and Momogaoka girls obviously didn't sense this, though. School had gotten out, and they were all at Café de Rovne, goofing off and just hanging around as per usual. They were all scattered about, mingling and having fun inside the establishment. A game of charades was going on as Hayato tried to impersonate some celebrity that the others had to guess. Take, Tsucchi, and Hyuuga had no luck while Maki and Naomi only seemed to throw out the names of idol boys they liked rather than actual guesses. In their defense, however, Hayato really sucked at the game. He was standing up in front striking some questionable poses that didn't really make any sense at all. Sayuri and Ryu weren't really participating (to no one's surprise), and the quiet Aiko was just watching from the sidelines and laughing.

"Downtown!" Hyuuga named the comedy duo as he jumped up from his seat.

"Wait, that's two people," Take said looking at his friend.

The boy remained unfazed and amended, "Hamada!"

"Matsumoto!" Tsucchi guessed the other male.

Hearing that name, Naomi's inner fangirl was triggered, "MatsuJun!"

"YamaPi!" Maki yelled as girlish giggles followed.

"Takakura Ken!"

Everyone grew silent as they all turned to stare at the person who had shouted that last name. Yankumi looked up obliviously, having seemingly been there for a while. "Don't tell me you guys don't know who he is." She sighed to herself taking in the clueless expressions of the others. Sayuri sat back in her seat and tried to stifle her laughter as her friends continued to stare. Nee-san's infatuation with Takakura Ken and yakuza films was really something. Well, growing up on these types of movies herself, the younger girl could empathize somewhat with the woman. "He's – "

"We don't care," Ryu deadpanned.

"Why are you even here?" Hayato asked in exasperation. The math teacher really did have a knack for popping up unexpectedly around them.

"To bond with my precious students," she answered smiling brightly without skipping a beat. The guys all turned away from her as if she hadn't even spoken. The older woman pouted slightly. She opened her mouth to protest or make some sort of rebuttal but was interrupted by the ringing of a phone.

Everyone turned their eyes to Naomi as she smiled guiltily and shrugged her shoulders. "Gomen," she held up a hand sheepishly. The light-haired girl reached into her blazer pocket and pulled out her phone. One look at the caller and her face paled ever-so-slightly. She quickly turned off her phone and put it away. Naomi raised her head and strained to smile at everyone, "It wasn't anything important." Sayuri noted all this with some curiosity, but she wasn't able to push the point.

"Let's go back to the game then," Hayato interjected. "Any more guesses?" He looked around at everyone.

Maki turned to Aiko, "Don't just sit there and laugh, Ai-chan." The girl turned a slight pink. "Any ideas?" Aiko bit down on her lip.

"Akanishi Jin...?"

Another fit of squealing ensued as Maki and Naomi started into a giggle fest about KAT-TUN. The guys could only stand by and watch as this incomprehensible yet fascinating occurrence of nature called fangirling unfolded. "He's my favorite!" Naomi said dreamily.

"Demo yappari," Maki said sitting back down. "I like Kame better."

"Eh, sou?" Naomi responded. "What about Ai-chan?" The calmer girl smiled and gave her shoulders a shrug, indicating that she wasn't quite sure.

Maki turned her attention away. "Yuri-chan?" she directed at the other girl. Sayuri looked up for the first time since the game started.

"Who are they?" she asked in a tone that unintentionally came off as innocent and naïve. Everyone turned to her with various looks of shock and astonishment. Ryu smirked openly from his seat. Not many girls were this slow regarding the entertainment scene, but Sayuri would definitely be one of the ones that was.

"Eh?!" everyone exclaimed collectively.

"Uso," Naomi said practically to herself.

"Yuri-chan…," Hyuuga began.

"Do you really not know?" Tsucchi finished. Even all the guys knew about which groups were in or not. Sayuri sat back in her seat, still very much confused.

"You're kidding," Hayato said. Take, Maki, and Aiko all shook their heads sympathetically at their friend – an act that had the girl feeling slightly irritated.

"Kamenashi Kazuya, Akanishi Jin, Taguchi Junnosuke, Tanaka Koki, Ueda Tatsuya, and Nakamaru Yuichi," Yankumi listed from the side in an impressive manner. "KAT-TUN." The high-schoolers all stood with their mouths parted, gaping at the pig-tailed woman. More surprising than Sayuri not knowing about KAT-TUN was Yankumi actually knowing them. She never knew anything unless it was yakuza-related. She barely even knew math despite possessing a teaching degree for the subject. It was with these thoughts in mind that Sayuri leaned forward – hand on knee – and posed her next question.

"Is that the new rival clan (gumi)?" The attention of everyone in the room was once again drawn back to the dark-haired girl as she realized her slip-up. She really was starting to pick up on the yakuza speech from everyone at the Oedo household. It was starting to become a bad habit.

"Rival clan?" the others repeated.

"E-eto," she struggled as both Ryu and Hayato looked away, unable to help salvage the situation or at least unable to watch. Yankumi was at least trying to help by waving her arms and motioning signals, but Sayuri couldn't decipher or comprehend any of it. "I was saying... is that the new rival... Kumi-nee?" a nervous laugh followed as she looked around at her friends. "Heh heh. You know how you guys go around causing trouble," she babbled on taking a sip from her drink and avoiding eye contact with anyone. Lying was never really the girl's strong suit. Her dense friends all seemed to buy it, though. She let out a small sigh of relief.

"Well they're not whatever you seem to think they are," Naomi explained in a voice that made Sayuri feel a little dumb. "Demo daijobu," the spirited girl chirped in that lively way of hers. "We're here to enlighten you." Sayuri cautiously raised an eyebrow at this comment.

"Yay?" she said in an uncertain voice. The dark-haired girl really didn't know if she was expected to be enthusiastic about this, but she did know that she felt a little fearful.

As if on cue, both Maki and Naomi whipped their school bags onto the table. Instead of pulling out textbooks or anything school-related or educational, the girls pulled out the latest issues of various gossip and fashion magazines. You would think that they had raided the teen section of a newsstand – which Sayuri didn't exactly doubt they had. The next hour or so was dedicated to trying to explain to Sayuri about the various music groups and actors that were in at the moment and even a few of those that weren't. The girls made it a point to rate each person and show a photo for the other girl's benefit. The guys even threw in their own comments and opinions here and there. When Sayuri's knowledge reached a somewhat acceptable level (to her friends' standards), Maki and Naomi placed two photos of Akanishi Jin and Kamenashi Kazuya side by side on the table.

"So...," Maki prompted inquisitively. Sayuri pursed her lips as she thought over the two prospects.

"Which one is it?" Naomi demanded impatiently. Her dark-haired friend suddenly looked up.

"Ne," she began in an unsure voice that slowly became steady. "Don't they kind of look like Hayato and Ryu?"

"Eh?" everyone exclaimed as the two Kurogin leaders looked towards their childhood friend with eyebrows raised. Hayato quickly gained a cocky smirk, though, taking the unintended compliment to his head.

"Sou?" he tried to say coolly. "Demo na, don't I look better?" the conceited boy confidently placed his hand under his chin. Ryu simply shook his head at his friend. Despite everyone else scoffing and laughing at Hayato's arrogance, it was evident that they could see what Sayuri was getting at: Hayato resembled Akanishi Jin while Ryu resembled Kamenashi Kazuya. Now Aiko's guess for the game of charades (which apparently everyone had forgotten about) didn't seem so far off.

"Maa," Take said nodding his head. "Now that you say it… they do look similar." The others all nodded their heads in agreement also.

"Just a little though," Naomi relented. She still remained defiant, not willing to so easily normalize these two celebrities she had already immortalized.

"A little?" Sayuri said head tilted and ready to argue her point, but Ryu cut in calmly from his seat before she could.

"So," he started, all eyes turning to him. "Which is it then?" Hayato's eyes turned slightly serious as he caught on to Ryu's intent. "Between the two idol boys," he clarified in an attempt to divert the attention of the slower people present.

"Eh?" Sayuri said to herself, clearly being one of those people. She was quickly deep in thought about who to pick once again. "Dare…?" the girl asked herself as she looked back at the photos and bit her lip trying to decide. Ryu and Hayato unconsciously sat on the edge of their seats awaiting her answer. "Since this is just about looks...," Sayuri said pointing to the picture of Akanishi Jin as she looked up with an innocent smile. Hayato matched it with his own childish grin. Ryu slightly cleared his throat and looked away coolly. Naomi stuck her tongue out towards Maki in a gesture that said 'I win'. The others all just nodded their heads at Sayuri's choice. "... I guess," the dark-haired girl added as an afterthought. "It's hard to choose really." She gave a frustrated pout that had Ryu smiling fondly despite himself. Hayato continued to remain unfazed by her comment as he continued his own little internal celebration over finally being picked over his best friend – even if it was only indirectly.

As Maki and Naomi began to argue over their respective idols pulling Aiko in with them, the guys also began conversing about which boy looked like he could fight better or at least last longer hanging with them. The place almost instantly filled with chatter. Sayuri smiled affectionately at her group of friends. She looked around, expecting to catch sight of Yankumi doing the same, but it seemed as if the older woman had already disappeared. Evidently, she wanted to go in the same manner as she had come: without anyone knowing. Sayuri mentally kicked herself for this lapse in perceptiveness. (It was happening too often for her liking lately.) Unable to keep up with either of the conversations going on, she chose instead to walk over to the counter where Ochida-san was stoically working away.

"Has Nori-chan still not come by?" she asked the man although she already knew the answer. It was always the same. Ochida-san gave a regretful shake of his head. "Sou...," Sayuri said to herself. Despite her previous resolve, fixing things with Noriko was proving to be harder than planned. She had been coming here every day since the whole Joyful Company incident hoping to catch the other girl, but the two hadn't met even once since their brief and curt reunion. As for Ta-chan, she hadn't seen him since… "Anno ne," Sayuri began. "That boy that came in the other time, it seemed like you knew him." The dark-haired girl thought back to when Taro had rushed into Café de Rovne and the look of recognition the owner had gotten. She had been putting off asking the man for a while now.

"Eh?" he questioned for a moment. "Ah, Takagi-kun?" Sayuri perked up at the name and the familiarity with which it was said. "He and Noriko are close friends. They seem to have known each other from way back." Sayuri's brows furrowed together for a moment as she processed this, considering what it could possibly mean. A small sigh quickly followed. So, the two people that have been avoiding her have actually been in contact with each other this whole time? Figures.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," she thanked Ochida-san for the information with a smile. He returned it before turning away to continue with his work.

"So, what'll you do now?" the question popped up from Sayuri's left but failed to startle her. Ryu internally pouted at this. What did he expect from the girl anyway? She was clearly more than experienced at these kinds of things, having to deal with Yankumi and all.

Sayuri looked over at her friend with an almost helpless look. "What should I do, Ryu?" The quiet boy smiled softly at her.

"Handle it in that Sayuri-style of yours," he said in a voice full of unwavering belief. "Keep trying stubbornly to show them how you feel, and you'll get through to them eventually." The smaller girl looked towards her friend for a moment then broke into a heartwarming smile. Ryu bashfully looked away from her. "Taro will definitely come around," he said as reassurance.

"Yeah, especially now that you're back," Hayato muttered as he walked over to the other two, having obviously eavesdropped on their little conversation. Hearing the quiet comment, Ryu smirked bitterly. He had just been thinking the same thought himself.

"Eh? Nani?" Sayuri questioned cluelessly. Despite passing the exam for Waseda, there was so much that she was still ignorant about.

"Nandemo nai," the two Kurogin leaders answered in sync. Sayuri merely pursed her lips and pouted at them.

"Anno ne," Hayato spoke up in a serious tone. "If you go talk to him again, I want to be there." Ryu cast a curious look towards the louder boy. He couldn't possibly be trying to stake claim on Sayuri without having even made a move himself yet. "After what he did for us, I can't abandon him now," Hayato took a deep breath then smiled. "Aren't we comrades or something?" His two companions broke into bright grins of their own at his familiar words.

"We're more than that," Ryu said. Although he had said it softly, there was so much authority in the words.

"Lifelong friends," Sayuri added with a little exaggeration, knowing full well how cheesy the words were but meaning them nonetheless. "Demo," the smaller girl began with a strained smile. "I think I should do this on my own..." She thought back to what the guys had told her about how Taro believed that it was his fault that she had left Tokyo. If that's true, then they really had a lot to talk about. Ryu and Hayato thought back to the same thing themselves. Although they were both curious, neither of them wanted to push Sayuri – or Taro for that matter. They only nodded their heads in understanding. The Momo girl smiled warmly back at them before returning to the others. The girls still seemed to be arguing amongst themselves about boy bands while the guys had already progressed onto the foosball table. The three former Haiirokin leaders all moved to join their respective gender groups just like that. They put on smiles as they hung out with their friends who were present, but their hearts and minds were thinking to those who weren't.


"Yuri-chan!"

The call had come from Naomi as she ran up to her friend. The group had already dispersed some time ago, and everyone had headed on home in their own separate ways. Sayuri was walking along by herself when Naomi caught up to her. The light-haired girl held a flushed face as she bent over to catch her breathe. "Doshita?" Sayuri asked worriedly after her.

"I… needed… to talk… to you," she said between breathes. The dark-haired girl gave her head a quick nod, not quite understanding but reacting right away. The two girls relocated to a nearby food stand so they could sit and talk. Naomi was able to quickly calm her breathing, but she remained silent for a while, biting her lip out of hesitation. This was nowhere near her usual behavior, and Sayuri noted this with some worry.

"Nani? What's wrong, Naomi-chan?" she asked concerned. Naomi sat there looking at her friend, trying to figure out how best to phrase what she was trying to say. Sayuri suddenly remembered the call her friend had received early and wondered if it was connected to this. She asked the girl just as much.

"Anno sa… actually, that call was from Takagi-kun. He's been calling me a lot lately…," she trailed off. Sayuri immediately pounced on the words she heard, though, freaking out about what this could mean. "Don't worry," Naomi replied quickly, seeing her friend's reaction and holding up her hands in defense. "I haven't talked to him since I told you that we ended it," she assured the girl who was so evidently worried. "It's just… I don't really know what I should do now." The light-haired girl sounded so lost, as she confessed this. She obviously was not used to being the one to request help from others, but she recalled all the events that occurred between Kurogin and Todoroki and Sayuri's particular concern in this matter. Who better to ask for help from?

The eldest Wakamatsu girl gave her a reassuring smile. "Thanks for telling me this, Naomi-chan. I'll take care of it," she began, taking this as an opportunity to also resolve her issues with Taro. Naomi, however, immediately shot this plan down, shaking her head forcefully.

"I'm a part of this too. Whatever you decide, we should do it together," the determined girl flashed a stubborn smile. Sayuri let out a small sigh and shook her head, but a smile crept onto her face also. This was why they got along so well – they were so much alike.

"Wakatta," she answered after a pause. "Demo, things could get ugly so you have to listen to what I tell you." Naomi nodded her head in understanding as Sayuri took in a deep breath to clear her own. "For now, we'll wait and see if he calls again," the dark-haired girl said slowly. She was clearly making things up as she went, but Naomi didn't seem to notice. "If he does, don't answer and call me right away, ne? We'll go… talk things out with him. Don't try to do anything by yourself, though, alright?" Sayuri made sure to stress this point.

"Hai hai, I wouldn't have told you if I was going to do that," Naomi answered, playfully flicking her friend in the forehead. "Stop stressing out so much or you'll mess up your pretty face." Both girls laughed at this. As their laughter began to die out, Naomi's face gained more seriousness. "Demo…," she began. Still smiling, Sayuri turned her full attention towards the light-haired girl. "How exactly do you know Takagi-kun? 'Close' doesn't seem like the right word, but it looks like you know him pretty well," she said carefully. She had actually suppressing her curiosity over this matter for quite some time now.

Sayuri's smile fell ever so slightly. She gained a wistful air about her. "I wouldn't even say I know that guy well… but thanks to him I met a really good friend," the yakuza-bred girl replied softly. Naomi cocked an eyebrow, prodding for more information. "Ta-chan… his younger cousin. He went to Haiirokin with me and the guys," the dark-haired girl clarified. She let out a reminiscent laugh, "We were our own little gang back then, running around causing trouble and starting fights… Maa, I guess things haven't changed that much now. We're all just…" Sayuri stared down at her hands and bit her lip, searching for an accurate description, "Disconnected… as much as I hate that thought." She looked up at her friend with a sad expression. Naomi placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"… Is he cute?" she asked in a somber tone. The two Momo students made eye contact and busted out laughing at this. Sayuri playfully pushed her friend. "Hontoni," Naomi said as she was still giggling. "It sounds like you really like him."

The laughter stopped abruptly, but Sayuri smiled kindly, "Iie. Taro…," she struggled to phrase her feelings. "He means to me what you all mean to me."

Naomi nodded her head patronizingly. "Mhmm, and who do you mean by 'you all'?"

"You, Maki-chan, Ai-chan, the guys…," Sayuri answered slightly confused.

"And does he mean more like us or more like the guys to you?" the light-haired girl questioned as if she were a psychiatrist and Sayuri her very unwilling patient.

"Well, he is a guy…," her friend answered guardedly.

"And which guy is he most like?" she continued.

"Eh?"

"Hyuuga-kun? Or Tsuchiya-kun? Or Takeda-kun? Or…?" Naomi said all of this slowly as she carefully eyed Sayuri. She suddenly jumped up from her seat and pounced on her friend, successfully scaring her a bit in the process. "Who were you thinking of just now?!"

Sayuri's eyes widened when she realized what Naomi was trying to do. "N-na-nani?" she stuttered. "I don't know what you're talking about… I wasn't thinking about anyone!"

Her light-haired friend sat back down with a triumphant smirk. "Iie, you definitely thought of a name just now. And that, Yuri-chan, is the answer to your current problems." Sayuri looked up with lost and confused eyes. "Consider this an early thank you for helping me out," Naomi smiled brightly and gave her companion a hearty pat on the back. She caught a look at her watch, though, and gasped at the time. "I'll let you think on all this, but for now, it's time for goodbye," the lively girl said with all added dramatics. Sayuri wondered if it was alright for the girl to be walking around by herself given the circumstances, though. "Daijobu. Scream, knee to groin, run… I've seen it in dramas," she assured dismissively, grabbing her worried friend's face, kissing her head then running off while she waved goodbye back. Sayuri just sat in her seat and laughed at the other girl's antics as she shook her head. Her thoughts, however, quickly shifted from Naomi's actions to her words.

'What does she mean by my current problems?' the clueless girl wondered to herself, completely in denial about it all. She sighed then got up to begin her own way home as well. As she walked along the streets, though, Sayuri still couldn't shake the thoughts from her head. 'I definitely wasn't thinking of anyone… definitely…,' she chanted the mantra to herself. The Momo student was so lost in her own world that she wasn't paying attention to what was in front of her. She blindly walked forward, bumping into someone ahead. "Ah, sumimasen!" she apologized profusely with her head bowed. On raising it, however, her eyes widened in shock. "Noriko…"

Said girl now looked up in shock, "Yuri…" At the familiarity, Sayuri dared a small smile. Noriko caught herself, though, and turned her head away abashedly. Her smile faltered ever so slightly, but the dark-haired girl remained adamant.

"Sashiburi," she greeted a little timidly. "Genki?" genuine concern laced her voice causing Noriko to look up despite herself. Her brows furrowed together, almost as if they were saying that she didn't know what she was supposed to be feeling. Sayuri took an unconscious step forward, reaching out to comfort her friend. "I – " she tried to continue on but was cut off. The brown-haired girl had quickly turned on her heels and was hurrying away. This time, however, Sayuri would not let her leave. She ran forward and jumped in front of the girl, blocking her path. "Chotto matte! Onegai! We need to talk," her voice was practically pleading. "Nori-chan…"


It was some time near the end of April. The cherry blossoms that year had not stopped blooming. Just about everything seemed to be covered in pink petals. The new school year had been in session for weeks now. Fortunately, Sayuri and the guys had been able to stay together as they moved onto their third year at Haiirokin Elementary School. It went without saying that they ruled this class also – they pretty much had control over the entire school actually, but the sempai needed to keep face so it was never really made official. The day started off normally. The class was talking loudly as usual; the boys goofing off, the girls gossiping and whatnot. Sayuri observed everyone as per her personality, laughing once in a while because her friends were being their stupid selves yet again. The small girl found herself unable to hold onto her smile for long, though. It had been like this for a while now. She found her gaze wandering off towards the other girls in the class. They sat far up front and to the sides in groups close together, talking and giggling with one another, making Sayuri burn with jealousy without even realizing it. It's not like the dark-haired girl was getting tired of hanging out with the guys all the time or anything. She always felt comfortable and at ease with them. It was just that she yearned to have another girl in their secluded, little group – someone she could hold a meaningful conversation with about the cute, new Hello Kitty pencil case Okaa-san just got her for the start of the school year or about how the new season of Sailor Moon started airing a while ago and is totally not as good as the one before it. Boys just don't get that kind of stuff. These were the types of thoughts that were going through Sayuri's mind when Sensei walked in that morning with a girl around their age trailing behind her.

The class almost immediately quieted down and eagerly focused their attention to the front of the room. There were excited whispers throughout as everyone began to wonder who the new girl was and if she was going to be a part of the class from now on. Despite all the hopes Sayuri secretly held onto for a female companion, she only looked up to note that the girl was relatively pretty. She had already resigned herself to forever be stuck in the company of loud, obnoxious boys. It seemed to be a yakuza thing since that's how it always was at home and any time she had gone out with her father… except that the boys were a lot louder, a lot bigger, and a lot hairier than her friends were. They also had a lot of pictures drawn on their skin and they carried around a lot of pipes and wrenches and – Well, that's not really the point.

"Minna, listen up," Sensei started as the whispers began to cease. "This is Ochida Noriko-chan. She's just transferred to Haiirokin and will be a part of 3B starting today. Look after her, okay?" The older woman said smiling and gave the smaller girl a nudge encouraging her to give a little introduction.

"H-hai. Hajimemashite, Ochida Noriko desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," Noriko said in a small voice as she gave a slight bow, clearly not liking all the attention that was being focused on her.

The class gave the obligatory round of applause as the teacher directed the girl to an empty seat. Said seat, however, just so happened to be right in front of Sayuri. It reminded the dark-haired girl of the first day of first grade with Taro. Yet again, the teacher was placing a kid in front of Sayuri, giving her the perfect opportunity to make another friend. You might think that maybe fate somehow had a hand in this, but, in reality, the rest of the class (excluding Ryu, Hayato, Take, and Taro of course) just wasn't comfortable enough to sit anywhere near the tough girl. Her entire group was situated in the back of the classroom, Sayuri in the middle with Hayato and Taro on either side of her. In front of all the guys were other boys in the class who weren't exactly averse to sitting so close to the school's leading crew, but it wasn't as if they ever turned around for a pleasant afternoon chat either. It was like everyone had a badass radar that told them when they were all in the presence of too much awesomeness they couldn't handle it and needed to stay away… or at least that's what Sayuri always used to comfort herself. As Noriko sat down, the others in the class started up their whisperings again. Some of it even reached all the way to the back of the room.

"Daijobu?" one girl worried to another. "She doesn't know anything about the school yet and we're making her sit around Wakamatsu-san."

"Dayo ne? What if she makes a mistake or something?"

"Demo," a boy said, cutting in. "Wakamatsu-chan isn't the type to blow up over something like that, ne?"

"Tashika ni. They might even actually become friends…"

"Tabun. Demo… that's pretty unfair."

"Deshou? She'll be hanging close around Haya-kun and the others."

"Sou! Wakamatsu-san is one thing, but this girl just came here."

"Tch, who does she even think she is?"

Noriko began to shift uncomfortably in her seat as she listened to those around. This was why she hated drawing attention to herself. Her shoulders were hunched, head bowed, eyes boring into the desktop. Sayuri began to feel an uncomfortable pang welling up inside her chest that Nee-san had taught her meant she was feeling the need to right an injustice going on around her. Yosh, there's no helping it. She'll just have to –

"Sensei!" Ryu called out with his hand raised. "Isn't the moral of this story: 'treat others the way you want to be treated… or deal with the wrath of a cruel, third-grade banchou'?" With a quick peak towards the aforementioned banchou, the group that had been whispering up until then immediately quieted, embarrassedly looking forward. Noriko looked towards the boy in appreciation, but he was still looking towards the teacher.

"E-ehhh, Odagiri-kun," she began shakily, straining a smile. "Anno, we're learning math right now… Demo… I don't believe there is such a saying…" Her eyebrows knit together both in confusion and in concern.

"Ah sou," was all Ryu said in reply, sitting back in his seat as if nothing had happened. He and Sayuri made eye contact, though, and she gave him a huge smile. She could always count on Ryu to take care of things without prompting. His sense of justice definitely didn't lose to hers. The silent boy just smiled back – justice not exactly having been the only thing on his mind.

"Ne, Nori-chan," the two girls turned their heads to look at the source of the entreaty. Hayato was smiling a rare smile, not full of mischief but of reassurance. "Don't worry about it. Some people here just like to talk too much," he had said it soft enough to go unnoticed by the teacher but loud enough so that Sayuri and Ryu could hear. Noriko blushed at the nickname, but she merely bit her lip, lowered her eyes, and gave Hayato a grateful nod. Sayuri also turned and gave the boy an appreciative smile as he held a thumbs up to her. She held up her own in response. "Ore wa kakkoii, ne?" the conceited boy mouthed in an attempt to impress the girl further. It had the opposite effect, instantly turning Sayuri's thumbs up into a thumbs down with an added Nose Wrinkle of Distaste. From the other side of Hayato, Ryu let out a quiet laugh as he shook his head at his friend.

The small girl turned her attention back to the other small girl in front of her. She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and tapped Noriko on the shoulder. The new girl hesitantly turned around. "If someone bothers you, you can let me know anytime," Sayuri said with a warm smile. "Especially if it's any of these guys," she added jokingly, gesturing to all four of her friends who nodded their heads in greeting.

Noriko sat there blankly for a moment. She was never really good at socializing or making friends. That was one of the reasons why she had initially been so nervous about transferring here and having to start over again. What had happened just now with the murmured undertones and cutting remarks was enough to convince Noriko that she would forever be an outcast in this scary, new school… but here were people she had met for the first time standing up for her and reaching out, trying to talk to her. It was such a rare occurrence that the shy girl didn't know how to react.

The dark-haired girl also took pause, unsure of how to continue on in this silence. She then held out a tentative hand. "E-eto, Wakamatsu Sayuri desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," she properly introduced herself quietly.

Noriko sat still for another short moment. Despite whatever fears one may hold, the girl knew you had to put in effort for any sort of friendship with anyone to begin. "A-an-anno…," she started off uncertainly, looking anywhere just to avoid eye contact. Her gaze landed on something on the other girl's desk. She unconsciously stood up from her seat. "Y-your pencil case…," she said as everyone turned to her direction.

"Ochida-chan?" Sensei asked startled. "Nan desu ka?"

"Hontoni kawaii desu!" the girl exclaimed. She quickly bowed her head – face red, eyes closed – mortified at her own stupid attempt at girl bonding. Noriko was contemplating running out of class right then and there when something caused her to look up. Sayuri was barely hanging onto her seat, laughing wholeheartedly with the brightest smile the other girl had ever seen. The rest of the class joined in (albeit a few were snickering rather than laughing) while Sensei just gave another confused smile. Noriko turned even redder and made a move to bolt out of the room.

"We're gonna be great friends!" the still laughing Sayuri announced, grinning ear to ear. The other laughter died out as Noriko slowly turned back around to face the girl, who's beaming expression did not waver. Ryu, Hayato, Take, and Taro all turned towards their friend, genuinely adoring smiles on their faces.

A smile creeping onto her own face, Noriko replied, "Hai!"


Taro was walking alone down the street with his hands stuffed into his blazer pockets. It was one of those rare occasions where the Todoroki guys actually gave him some space to breathe instead of constantly following him around like a bunch of lost puppies… you know, if puppies were savage, bloodthirsty little creatures who bit and tore apart any and everything that came across their path. Especially if those things wore a Kurogin uniform. Just look at what happened to – Taro shook his head. He didn't want to be thinking about what had happened last week with Tanabe. It was neither his fault nor his problem, and he had told Sa-chan as much. Taro normally never got involved in these types of situations, so just even informing the smaller girl of where the guys were was doing a lot for him. The dark-haired boy couldn't help but wonder why he had broken his own personal rule, though. Sure, they were his childhood friends, but he had long ago vowed to break ties with them. Nothing had really changed since, with the exception of Sa-chan's sudden reappearance of course. 'Sa-chan…,' the boy thought wistfully. No. He couldn't afford to start reminiscing now. Reminiscing leads to missing, and missing leads to hoping for reconciliation or some sort of possible future. If Taro was sure of one thing, it was that there was no going back for him. There was only going forward, and, tonight, going forward meant going to meet Noriko. The two of them hadn't talked in a while, and he sure as hell hadn't been able to consult with her about anything that had been happening to him as of late. She was obviously informed on everything else about the whole "Haiirokin Issue", but the boy just hadn't been able to get a hold of her for the past week to update her. And Noriko was the only real friend he had to talk to – the only one he could talk to.

It was strange thinking about it actually. Back when they were still a tight group, he and Noriko never really talked much. It wasn't like they disliked each other or anything; they just never had the chance to get to know one another (that is, until that day). Noriko was pretty shy back then. She only ever really opened up when she was around Sa-chan. Taro suspected everyone in the group was like that, though – the small girl had a way of bringing out the sincerity and trueness in those near her. Noriko was just one of the more obvious people. In that sense, it seemed to only be natural that their little Haiirokin clique would fall apart once you took the glue away. After Sa-chan had moved, Taro and Noriko distanced themselves from the group. They were able to find a common bond in not only the secret they shared but also in what they had both lost. The two eventually developed an almost sibling like relationship, and that's just the way things have been since then – no thoughts of it being any other way.

The Todoroki leader now slowed as he approached the corner that would take him to Café de Rovne – owned by Noriko's father and frequented by all his old friends as he had just recently discovered. The boy crept along the wall of the adjacent building and poked his head around the corner to check and see if the coast was clear, unwilling to risk any chances of running into anyone from the old Haiirokin gang. Seeing no other soul in sight, he made a quick beeline towards the door, just in case someone were to spot him on the way in. His hand reached towards the handle of the door but, on catching a look inside the establishment, froze before it even made contact. Taro madly flattened himself against the wall near the entrance, barely breathing. He dared a peak through the small, circular, speakeasy-like window in the door just to confirm his suspicions.

True enough, there, sitting at the bar in the café like two girlfriends having a night out, were Noriko and Sayuri. Taro was too confused and dumbfounded to even curse at his predicament. He leaned his head back against the wall of the building, trying to figure out what his next move should be. How could Noriko betray him like this? It was supposed to be the two of them against the world (or something along those lines). There was always the unspoken agreement they had that they would never return to the way things were before. Could never… but Noriko knew that as well as Taro did. The delinquent boy stole another look inside the café, and this time he noticed how the two girls – although in fact sitting together – awkwardly avoided eye contact and didn't speak a word to each other. 'Sa-chan must have cornered her into coming here,' he deduced from the scene, feeling slightly guilty for having doubted Noriko even for a second.

"A-anno…," Sayuri hedged cautiously. Taro's first instinct was to immediately duck out of the way, in case he were to be seen, but the fellow Haiirokin alum fought against his better judgment and remained by the door to spy on the girls.

Inside Café de Rovne, the two objects of his attention had fallen into another period of silence. After being persuaded by Sayuri to hear her out, Noriko had brought the girl the café, having already been on the way to meet Taro here herself. She intended to quickly get this whole ordeal done and over with, tired of having to constantly run away. Her father had even left early leaving her to close up because he wanted to give the two some space. Of course, that had been about a half hour ago. Neither girl had been able to build up enough courage to say anything at all to the other. Every few minutes, they'd mumble something like Sayuri just had, but it would always die out before turning into any actual, concrete words. Noriko sighed. She needed to end this before Taro came. It had only occurred to her sometime after the fifth stretch of silence that maybe bringing Sayuri here hadn't been the brightest of ideas. Taro was surely to take in this situation as well as – well, he just wouldn't take it well at all. She took in a deep breath, "If this is all you have to say… then I think it's okay for you to leave now."

Sayuri quit her nervous fiddling of her hands and whipped her head up, "Nori –"

"If you don't mind," the other girl cut her off as she got out of her seat. "I actually have plans."

"Matte!" the Momo student exclaimed as she got up out of her set also. "Chotto matte!" She reached out and nervously grabbed onto Noriko's arm to keep her from leaving. "Watashi…," she said, desperately searching for the right words to say like she had been this entire time. Her eyes flitted around as she stared at the ground. She suddenly dropped her hand to her side and bowed her head. "Gomen nasai!"

"Eh?!" Noriko gasped in confusion as Taro leaned in closer from the outside. "What are you apologizing for?"

The dark-haired girl raised her head slowly, "You're mad at me for suddenly leaving the way I did back then, ne?" Her voice was melancholy and resigned, "I left you alone even though we were friends… even though I knew how the girls in class were like… even though you should never abandon someone you care about." Both Noriko and Taro lowered their gazes at her words. "I'm really just… the worst," she said, biting her lip. "I shouldn't have left like that… Gomen nasai!" She bowed her head once again.

The brown-haired girl clenched her fist as she turned her head away. She let out a sort of scoff. "Baka…You don't even know what you're talking about!" she said angrily. Sayuri looked up, eyes wide, as Taro made a move for the door handle. "You don't even know who should be apologizing to whom! You probably don't even know the reason you had to move! You –"

"NORIKO!" Taro shouted as the bell to the door entrance sounded. Both girls turned towards the disruption. He headed straight towards the upset one of the two, face serious.

"Ta-chan," Sayuri said to herself as the boy walked past, giving her only one quick glance.

He grabbed the other girl's arm to pull her in closer. "Calm yourself," he whispered lowly to her. "Don't say anything you might regret." Noriko looked over at him helplessly having snapped out of her daze. The boy's expression softened as he gave her a pat on the head.

The eldest Wakamatsu daughter took in the scene before her. As she also processed the words Noriko had just shouted, something clicked in her mind. "Masaka," she said in disbelief. Her two companions looked over towards her. "You were both there that day…?" They both froze for a short moment before regaining their composure, but it was enough for Sayuri to understand. "Arienai…"

Noriko turned away as Taro threw his hands into his pockets and grumbled. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, trying stubbornly to denying it until the end.

"Don't screw around with me!" the yakuza-bred girl barked, flip fully switched on. Her childhood friends stared at her in surprise. "Baka ja nai no?! Blaming yourselves over something like that?!" the small girl huffed indignantly.

Taro gave a scornful laugh, "'Something like that?'… Do you think your mother would describe it as 'something like that'?"

Sayuri flinched at his words but didn't back down. "Whatever you choose to call it… It's stupid to blame yourselves –"

"Demo!" Noriko interrupted. "It's true we could have stopped it. Then Yuri-chan wouldn't have had to –"

"Ii kagen ni shiro!" she interrupted the other girl right back. "Stop being stupid, little brats for one moment and think! It wasn't the type of situation two nine-year-olds could just change on their own!" Both Noriko and Taro lowered their heads. Sayuri took a deep breath to calm herself and continued on in a more level tone. "What do you think you guys could have done? Blindly charged in to rescue her? What do you think would have happened to you guys then? This isn't some sort of manga where the hero always beats the bad guys. It's life… and life likes to put you through hell – unimaginable pain and suffering. Sometimes there may not seem like a reason for it, but, even if you don't realize it, everything is meant to help you grow and learn so that one day even life itself can't screw you over," the dark-haired girl said, taking in another deep breath. "Kedo… you have to be willing to accept the hell you went through and move past it for it to be of any use to you," she continued pleadingly, taking a step towards the others.

Noriko retreated, raising her head to show tears in her eyes. "You don't get it!" she yelled. "It's not that easy to forgive yourself!" She made a move as if to run past Sayuri and out the door, but the other girl caught her and held on with an expression of stubborn determination. The two just looked at each other for a long while. "I was scared…," Noriko finally said in a tiny, cracked voice.

Taro walked over and pulled the crying girl's arm from Sayuri's grasp. "You don't know how we felt," the usually bristly boy stated in a vulnerable and defenseless tone. "All we thought in that moment was how scared we were… We ran away. We didn't think about jumping in or helping once back then. All that came after the guilt set in… We were just… too scared," his voice grew smaller as it reached that last part.

The Momo student's features softened as her jaw remained set. "Isn't that alright?" she asked quietly. Two pairs of eyes searched her face. "It's okay to think about yourself. It's okay to be scared." Taro opened his mouth but closed it without saying anything.

"Doesn't that make us bad people. Doesn't it mean we don't deserve friendship?" Noriko voiced the thought and reasoning that the two of them had shared all these years. "Don't you hate us for this?"

Sayuri smiled for the first time since she returned to the café. "Baka ja nai no?" Unlike the first time she had said it, this time was filled with warmth. "You guys are my very precious friends… Nothing could change that." She took both their hands in her own as her smile widened. "Nandemo," she repeated with conviction.

"Yuri…," Noriko called out, tears running down her face as she failed to hold back a small smile of her own. Sayuri let out a laugh as she moved to wipe the other girl's tears and engulfed her in a hug, letting go of Taro's hand in the process. He shoved both into his pockets like the cool, tough, delinquent leader he is but couldn't help but stand there and smile at the site of the two girls laughing and hugging it out.

"You guys... aren't allowed to ignore me from now on," the small girl said, pulling back and staring at the other two with a pout on her lips.

"Wakarimashita," the sole boy replied gently. Noriko nudged him playfully as all three of them broke into smiles.

"Ah," Sayuri said as if remembering something. "We need to tell the guys right away!" Her companions looked a little wide eyed and made nervous gestures like rubbing their necks and biting their lips. "Daijobu… they've missed the two of you," she stated without an ounce of hesitation, placing a comforting hand back on each of their arms.

"Will they really take us back in just like that?" Taro wondered out loud, scared at the actual answer. So much had happened between all of them. Would it really be that easy? Sayuri just gave him a reassuring smile and a pat on the back.

"Real friendships don't end as easily as you may think," she told the boy who couldn't stop himself from staring back at her.

At that exact moment, however, the guys they were just talking about (plus Tsucchi and Hyuuga) barreled into Café de Rovne in a frenzy, clearly having been searching for something but stopping in surprise at the sight of the other half of their old gang. Both Ryu and Hayato lingered for a moment on the way Taro was looking at Sayuri. "You guys…," Take uttered in shock, which was basically the dominant emotion in the face of everyone present. No one else had a chance to speak another word before Maki and Aiko trailed in from behind.

"Yuri-chan!" Aiko exclaimed.

"Were you here the whole time?" Maki asked frantically, not taking note of the company the other girl was with. "Why didn't you pick up your phone?"

"Eh?" Sayuri breathed as she reached for her cellphone. The screen was black. "It looks like the battery died... Gomen, doshita no?" It was more than obvious that something was up.

"Naomi-chan's gone missing."


I've planned about 20-ish chapters for this series, but it still depends on how things all go. A lot of my story ideas have been changed along the way, though. Hopefully, you'll all see another chapter soon, but I won't try to deceive you guys with any false promises this time… Still, let me know what you though of this one?