Ok soooo. Yeah. Idk. I have no excuse this time. I've changed a lot since I last updated this story, and although I still enjoy reading it, I visibly cringe reading it thinking on how absolutely weeb I was. ...but I missed it too. I'm not sure if I've the heart to return to my normal intros and outros, but if people liked them then I definitely will! I know most of my readers will have died and already have moved on now, but I hope I can gain a few new ones if I can't win their hearts back 33 This story makes me happy, and for the first time in a long time I'm writing for fun and not because I feel I have to. So, thank you to whoever reads this and know that you've all helped me through dark times by encouraging me to write this. I hope we can share a lot more time together, but if not then I respect your decision. Please read and review...

Nyaha :)

To say Hikari and Mitsunari were displeased was an understatement. To say Sasuke was disappointment was one even more so. Magoichi and Tsuruhime watched on, both wearing matching grimaces.

This is going to be a long year...

"You've got to be kidding!" Hikari growled, placing a demanding hand in front of Mitsunari. "Show me your keys! Surely it's a mistake!"

"Yeah I wish," the silver haired boy shot back, equally hostile. "Look here, princess." As he'd claimed, D2 was etched on the side of his keychain. "There's nothing to be done about it now, just let me in and put my things away," he muttered, seemingly resigned.

Hikari bit her lip and contemplated speaking for a moment before turning on her heel and stalking back into the dorm room, surprising all present. Tsuruhime followed after her, lips pursed. Sasuke, Nagamasa and Nene had already retreated to their room with a hasty "Good night!", although Magoichi was certain she saw tufts of hair poking out from the door every now and then.

Motonari stayed though; he marched straight up to Mitsunari and sneered. "You look at the wrong time, the wrong way or touch in any way at all and you are dead." There were no lies in his promise and he grabbed the other boy's collar for good measure.

"Like I'd want to," Mitsunari spat back, pushing Motonari away. "Bakas, the lot of you!" Motonari looked as if he were about to kill him

"I think it's time we went to bed," Magoichi announced, squeezing herself Inbetween the two of them. "Ishida you're in the bunk below Hikari-chan and Mori stop pretending to be tough, it doesn't suit you. Tsuruhime and I will look out for Hikari-chan, even though I doubt she needs protecting, ok?" It was less a request and more a command.

"Hn." Both males grunted in affirmation, Mitsunari heard muttering 'Ishida-san' under his breath.

"May I at least talk to Hikari one last time?"

"It doesn't sound like she wants to talk to anyone right now, but go ahead." Magoichi shrugged; it wasn't her place to say. "But do it out here, this is Ishida-"

"Ishida-san!"

"'s room too. So take it outside and let the rest of us sleep." It was then Motonari noticed the bags under her eyes. He nodded obediently and Magoichi sighed. "Ishida get in here and get to sleep. Make this less painful on all of us," she grumbled, pulling the man in by the elbow. He protested but found himself complying nonetheless.

Motonari hesitantly approached the door himself, peeking in to see where his friend had gotten to. She was currently curled up on her bed, Tsuruhime chatting to her quietly from beside her. He heard murmurings of "It'll be fine," and "Everything will be alright," to which he grimaced at. He felt responsible somehow for all of this. Hikari caught sight of him and much to his relief, climbed down (more like jumped, really) from her bunk. He motioned for her to meet him outside and took a step back, drifting towards the centre of the common room. There were blank frames hung up on the walls and settled atop the fireplace-the school's pathetic attempt at trying to be 'homely', Motonari noted. Nothing could be homely. Nothing was home unless it was Chūgoku. The mere attempt at trying to match such a beautiful land made his blood boil-

"Motonari?" He whipped around to find Hikari standing behind him, hands clasped. "You wanted to talk to me?"

All at once, Motonari felt guilt creep into his core. She was slouching and her eyes were heavy with dark under circles. What other people thought to be a good figure wasn't natural for how she had been before and he knew scars were lying beneath her sleeves. But he couldn't bring that up now, not when he was in his position. Not when so much of it was his fault.

"Oh, uh," he stumbled, realising he'd been silent for ten seconds too long. "I just wanted to...wish you good night." They hadn't spoken properly in so long, the air around them was suddenly laden with awkward undertones. I refuse to play into this trope, he internally scowled. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Hikari's shoulder, squeezing it. "Hikari, don't worr-"

"Nothing turned out right today..." She whispered, finding her feet fascinating. "No one got along, that stupid nurse and even stupider Ishida and Date and Chosokabe and those boys in the supermarket parking lot-"

"What boys?" Motonari cut in, eyes narrowing.

"Just...today...I was waiting for Sasuke and then...these guys came up to me and...yeah... But it's okay, Kotarō helped me out."

"I see..." Motonari didn't push it for the time being, but made a mental note to remember it for later. "But, this is how high school is. Not everyone is going to go along with the idea of all of us being some sort of big happy family, least of all me." His words cut her, and he knew this but it was just the truth. "I'm your family though, remember that," he continued in a gentler tone. "And as your family if Ishida-teme lays a hand on you, he will answer to me." Hikari giggled in response, allowing Motonari to rest easier. He hadn't totally fucked up then.

"I don't think he'll do that, I just..." Hikari sighed. "I'd just wanted someone to speak to. Like Mago-chan and Tsuruhime-chan are so close and I just thought... I dunno, I'd get someone willing to talk to me through the bunk at night?" She chuckled dryly. "But it's okay, I'm sure everything will be okay. I have you if all else fails, right?" It was meant to be in jest, he knew, but he still couldn't fight the urge to reply.

"Of course. You've been too close an ally for too long for me to simply throw you away." He smiled before deciding that the time for sentimentality was over. "I think you'd ought to get to bed now. You wouldn't want to wake up Magoichi-chan and Tsuruhime-chan when they were finally getting some sleep...besides I'm tired too," he muttered.

"Right!" She covered her mouth. "R-Right..." The two stood still for a moment, Motonari's hand now retracted and that sense of awkwardness returning. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then? Is it orientation..?" She, herself was beginning to yawn now and her eyelids were progressively dropping lower and lower.

"Yes, it is. Which is why we should both be in bed right now." He began to push her towards the door, albeit gently.

"You're the one who wanted to talk to begin!" She retorted, huffing.

"There's the simple-minded Hikari I know. Now go to sleep and don't be afraid to murder if you need to." He pet her back and left soon after, seeking out his own room. "If they've rigged my bed in any way there will be punishment," he said to himself darkly as he went, triggering one last soft laugh from Hikari. There, he'd done his job. You can stop rolling in your grave, oba-san.

Upon opening the door, he discovered everyone to be asleep, excluding Nene. She appeared to be dipping Nagamasa's left hand into a small bowl of warm water. Motonari didn't comment and ignored her startled expression as he ventured into the ensuite to change into pyjamas. He couldn't be bothered to shower after the day he'd had. And the days that were to come made him feel even worse.

Hikari meanwhile was tiptoeing through her own room to avoid waking poor Tsuruhime and Magoichi. Mitsunari was awake, and she could feel his gaze on her as she traversed the room. She didn't return it and instead got ready for bed as quickly as humanly possible. Motonari was right, she reasoned as she slipped under the covers, shivering. Not everyone would want to get along like she'd wanted.

She smiled though; it didn't mean she couldn't try.