The pink-haired boy visited Kairya as the fellow defender had been absent from school. Kirino didn't know why but he felt that the other was avoiding him. The message he had sent him had remained unanswered and the phone call had been unsuccessful as well.

Kirino knew he might be intrusive as he rang the bell again and again but he just had to know what was wrong.

"Geez", Kariya finally opened the door. "You can be really annoying, do you know that?"

"Masaki." Kirino was surprised, although he had waited for him. "Err… I'm sorry. I didn't want to bother you."

The blue-haired defender didn't hesitate. "Fine, then please leave. I'm busy." Not waiting for an answer he attempted to close the door again.

"Wait!" Kirino hastily put his foot between the door and its frame. "What's wrong with you?! I'm worried!", the boy shouted more agitated than he wanted.

"None of your business", Kariya answered shortly. "Would you please leave now?", the defender added impatiently.

The cold look the blue-haired boy gave him made Kirino shiver. Kariya's behavior was the opposite of how he usually was.

"Aren't we friends?", Kirino asked in a last attempt to bring his friend to talk to him. "Aren't you the one who wanted us to be friends? Who literally forced me to it?"

"Hm?" Kariya looked up. "Do you want to know why I did it?" His eyes narrowed and Kirino got a bad feeling.

As the blue-haired boy didn't continue, the other male finally asked. "Why?

"It's easy", Kariya explained. "To get closer to Shindou. Yeah, you got it right", he added as he saw Kirino's unbelieving expression. "He's the one I am after. You were merely a tool for me."

"Masaki...", the pink-haired boy still didn't fully understand the words of the other defender. But without another word the door closed and Kirino remained alone.

What was the meaning of that? Confused, the pink-haired defender stared on the door as if the wood or the glass of the window would explain what had happened.

xxx

Lost in thoughts Shindou looked into the sky. He had tried to find Kirino but it seems the pink-haired boy had vanished. His last hope had been the Steel Tower Plaza but even here was no sight of his friend. The Raimon captain sighed and finally decided to go home as a familiar voice called his name.

"Kirino! I looked everywhere for you!" Happy to see the other boy, Shindou waved. However, as he noted the unhinged look on Kirino's face the brunette stopped. "What happened?", he asked immediately. The tears in his friend's big azure eyes didn't promise anything good.

Holding him tightly Shindou waited until Kirino had calmed down. Forgotten were the things he had wanted to question his friend about.

"Kariya … ", the pink-haired boy began hesitating and then continued to explain what has happened.

"You know how he is", the brunette answered calmly as his friend had finished. It did make him angry how Kariya had hurt his friend, but as the captain of the Raimon soccer team, he couldn't just hate the blue-aired defender as he wished. "He has difficulties expressing himself and showing his feelings. He probably wanted to say something completely different."

Kirino's doubting look hit him. "You're defending him?", he asked slowly. "Is it because it's true what he said? About you and him?" Considering the harsh words he said, the defender was surprisingly calm as he himself did not believe his words. But Kirino also could not explain why his friend wasn't on his side.

"How can you say something like this?!", Shindou asked, letting go of his friend and stepping back. "Do you think I could ever betray you? I wasn't the one who went to the cinema with Kariya." Seriously, how could his friend doubt him when the brunette himself was the one who should be doubting?

Kirino jerked under Shindou's sudden outburst. "See? That's him. That's Kariya—he wants to separate us, probably for his own amusement."

"That's nonsense, Kirino", the brunette answered with his usual calmness. "I'm sorry for doubting you", he added after a short break, reaching out his hand. "I trust you, Kirino."

"No, it's all my fault, Shindou. Sorry for not telling you about Masaki. You're kind, Shindou." The tears returned. "I don't know why you're so patient with me, I mean I like you so much and, and…."

He couldn't finish the sentence as his friend's lips gently touched his, leading to a kiss.

"I'm not such a good person as you think", the brunette whispered as the kiss broke. "I love you so much, I can't be upset with you."

"Shindou… I – I feel the same way. I'm so sorry for everything… but I love you too, Shindou." Kirino didn't leave his friend any time to think about his words as this time, it was him who kissed the other boy.

Happy New Year!