"Daichi, are you done getting ready? We have to go soon."

If his mother wanted a simple answer then yes, he was.

Daichi sat slumped in his computer chair. He wore a black suit that was on the verge of wrinkling. His blazer was draped behind him while his tie sat in his hand. He hadn't turned his bedroom light on in days—five days to be exact.

Five days since he had been gone.

Thinking about it brought tears to Daichi's eyes. After the initial shock was over, after he was taken home by Asuka, he threw a fit. He damned life for taking Manjoume away from him; he damned his brothers for their abuse and hurting Manjoume to the point where he couldn't have survived any longer. What was the most painful thing to do was damning Manjoume—Daichi damned him for not listening when he said something felt off.

Daichi had warned and pleaded for Manjoume to come back to his house instead. If Manjoume had listened, then maybe he would still be alive.

But Daichi hated himself the most for thinking like that. It wasn't Manjoume's fault. He didn't ask to be born into a family that left him with abusive older brothers. Manjoume didn't ask for his parents to pass on and leave him alone with them. It wasn't his fault.

It wasn't his fault at all.

His bedroom door creaked open. His mother stepped into the room and knelt before him. Daichi opened his red, dry eyes and looked down at her. Her smile was gentle, but he could see the sadness in her eyes. He could only imagine what she thought of him right now. Daichi figured that he looked pathetic.

"Hey, sweetie…" his mother said. "We have to get going."

Daichi held his tie out to her, silently asking for help.

Without saying another word, his mother took the tie. She stood up and worked on putting it on him. Her smile was constant as she helped Daichi. He wondered who she was keeping it up for—herself or for him? Mrs. Misawa was staying strong for one of them. Daichi didn't want her to do this for him, but he had no energy left. Being strong for himself took too much of his energy and the sleepless nights he had were spent crying or staring up at his ceiling.

Sleeping was impossible. All Daichi could see was how Manjoume looked when he was escorted out of the manor.

"You're all set," Mrs. Misawa said.

She stood up and reached behind him to grab his coat. Daichi sighed and stood up. He didn't want to rely on her to get dressed, but there was nothing he could do to take care of himself.

"There. You look wonderful," his mother said quietly.

Daichi stood stock still as his mother hugged him. He expected he would be touched a lot today. It wouldn't be something that he wanted, but there would be little choice. There would be plenty of people who would reach out and touch him. They would want to give him their sympathy even though he would rather crawl into a hole and not deal with anyone.

His steps were heavy as he followed his mother downstairs. There, his father stood by the open door, forcing a smile of his own. When Daichi reached the bottom, he was pulled into another hug. It was a strange time to realize that he was just as tall as his father. How long ago had it been since Daichi was shorter than him?

"I know you don't want to, but we have to see Jun's lawyer after the funeral," Mr. Misawa said.

Daichi bit back a groan. "So soon?"

"You've been putting it off longer than the lawyer would have liked," he responded. "You can't put it off any longer. It'll be better to do it now and get it over with."

It was true. Every time she called, Daichi delayed going down to her office. He couldn't bare going to hear Manjoume's last wishes. It made Daichi feel that Manjoume knew what was going to happen if he went home that night. And that only made the feeling in his stomach worse. It meant that Daichi would have to admit to himself that Manjoume knew he was going to die.

Daichi didn't want to think like that. He couldn't believe that Manjoume knew all along what would happen.

"Fine. I'll go…" Daichi muttered.

He felt like he was attached to marionette strings as he followed his parents to the car. Daichi sat in the back. He pressed his forehead against the cool window. His mind was fuzzy as he watched the city pass him by. Every now and then, something would pierce through the fog, only to be swallowed up by the fog again. Daichi thought about what would happen to the workers in the manor. There would be many without a job. Then there was the matter of Manjoume's fish and trophies. Where would they go?

Daichi buried his face in his hand. Despite crying so much for the past few days, there were still a few more tears left. He ran his hand down his face. He realized that his mother was looking at him over her shoulder while his father glanced at him through the rearview mirror. This wasn't the first time they had been keeping an eye on him like this.

"I'm fine…" Daichi sniffed.

"No, you're not," his mother honestly said.

He knew his mother would call him out. Daichi spent the rest of the ride in silence.

At the cemetery, crowds of people stood at the top of the hill, a larger crowd than Daichi was expecting. They parked the car in a spot that was designated for them. It took Daichi a long time to gather the strength to step out of the car, but his parents waited patiently for him. He finally did it when he thought he had stalled long enough. His parents each wrapped an arm around him as they made their way up the hill. The crowds of people parted when Daichi approached. What he saw in the center of the crowd almost had his resolve shattering.

The picture chosen for Manjoume was one of Daichi's favorites. Yukiko was in charge of that aspect, knowing that Daichi wouldn't have been able to do it. It was a picture from their first vacation together. Manjoume looked happy and was smiling at the camera, something that was rare back then. Daichi stepped closer to the picture. His finger traced along Manjoume's jaw, thinking back to that vacation so long ago.

A hand touched his shoulder. When Daichi looked at her, Yukiko looked ready to cry. In her arms was Rin who was already crying. Daichi stepped closer and hugged them close. They weren't the only pair he needed to console—there were his friends and then a few other workers from the manor that he knew.

But he didn't want to be at the cemetery any longer than he had to be.

Daichi wanted to be home.

During the ceremony, Daichi didn't feel like he was there. He felt far away from the ceremony and the grave where they would lower Manjoume's body into. Now and then, a hand would touch Daichi's shoulder, but it always felt like pins and needles. Asuka sat close to him along with Judai and Shou. They had tried to say something to him earlier, but their words choked in their throats. He was grateful for their silence.

Mrs. Misawa shook Daichi as his name was called. He had forgotten that he was meant to share a few words today. It was something that he meant to work on but there was no time to do it.

Truthfully, he tried to avoid it. If he avoided it, Daichi believed that he could pretend Manjoume wasn't gone.

Finally, he stood up and straightened his suit. Daichi stood before Manjoume's casket and felt the hole in his chest grow bigger. He looked up at all the people staring at him. They were waiting patiently to hear what he had to say.

Daichi shrugged. "Jun hated me when we first met."

He was met with laughter at his bluntness. That was good. It would make some of this easier.

"He hated that I was much smarter than him and we had a strange rivalry happening between us—one that I didn't know we were part of. That was something that Jun liked to do, too. You never knew when he had something going on with you. However, I think he hated that I wasn't afraid of him and he hated that I wanted to be his friend."

Daichi ran his fingers through his hair. "Jun wasn't a nice guy at first. My friends told me to stay away from him and I did in the beginning. … Until he managed to place the blame on to me for something his brothers did… He even managed to threaten my family to get me to be his servant! Now, is that the foundation of friendship? Or isn't it?"

More laughter met his words. Daichi wondered how many people thought he was joking. Only a few would know that his words were true.

"But, despite all this, I learned so much about him. Jun cared about others even though he didn't show it much. Even when I was his servant, he tried to push me further and further away because he was worried. He wasn't worried about what his brothers would do to him, but what they would do to me if I wasn't careful. Jun even enjoyed aquatic life and had different kinds of fish tanks in his rooms. I never saw someone take such good care of their pets the way he did."

Daichi saw Rin and smiled at her. "He loved kids. Jun loved Rin so much and he would take pictures of his young fans during our personal time together." What he wanted to say next made his heartache. He looked over at all the faces staring at him. Some were teary-eyed and others weren't.

"I hate that I didn't do anything to stop his brothers. Jun asked me not to do anything and I was foolish enough to listen to him. The night that it happened, I begged Jun not to go. I wanted him home with me so that he could be safe. But he told me not to worry about it and that he would be fine. I knew he wasn't being honest, even to himself.

"But I still couldn't stop him, and I should have tried harder because he might still be alive today…" Daichi choked on a sob and wrung his hands together. "I loved him so much and it hurts knowing that I couldn't help him—that I didn't help him. There were a few friends of mine and people in school who didn't think he was a nice person at all. But he was and he always was. Jun just did his best to try and protect himself and others."

Daichi opened his mouth but snapped it shut. The words were caught in his throat to finish what he started. But maybe he said all that he needed to say. He admitted that he knew about Manjoume's abuse and did nothing to stop it; he told them all about how much of a good person he really was.

That was all they needed to hear.

Thanking them, Daichi moved to sit between his parents and his friends. The ceremony continued and he spent the rest of it trying not to cry again. Hands touched his shoulders and Daichi shrugged them off. He wanted to shout at them to stop touching him, but he had to behave himself.

There was still one other thing he had to do.

The seat Daichi found himself in was extremely uncomfortable. It squeaked when he moved, and the sound drew everyone's attention to him. Daichi couldn't help it. Here he was, in a room that was gloomy due to the people that filled it. They were all waiting for Manjoume's lawyer and they've been waiting for an hour. Rin was sleeping in Yukiko's arms and his parents talked in hushed tones.

The door opened and they all turned their heads.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." A tall, dark-skinned woman stepped into the room. She closed the door behind her and walked to her seat behind the desk. "Before we continue, I'd just like to say that I'm sorry for your loss."

Daichi ran a hand through his hair. He didn't like how Manjoume's lawyer was looking at him. He wanted her to continue with the meeting so that he could leave.

She tucked a piece of hair back. "Now, about Manjoume's will…" Sitting down, she reached into her files. She thumbed through a few papers before finding one. This one, she slid over to Yukiko. "He requested that you be the first to hear what he has left behind. Manjoume had been putting aside money since Rin had been born for a college fund and then some. It'll keep growing and she'll have access to it when she's eighteen."

Yukiko lifted the paper and read it over. She let out a sob and covered her mouth. Rin stirred in her lap, but she didn't wake up. Instead, she pressed her face into Yukiko's neck.

"Now, Daichi… Manjoume gave me a letter to give to you," the lawyer said. She slid an envelope over to him. "There is a fund for you as well to do what you wish. Your mother's medical bills will be covered until she no longer needs it. Money for your grandmother's funeral when the time comes." She gave him a sad smile. "Your family's expenses are covered for a long time."

Daichi's voice caught in his throat. His mother had to muffle her sobs to keep from waking Rin. His father touched his shoulder and squeezed it hard.

This was too much.

Manjoume had given him more than himself or any of his family members needed.

Daichi rubbed at his eyes. They were itchy and burning and trying to relieve the feeling was futile.

He couldn't remember what else happened during the session. There was a vague feeling of signing something and hugging Yukiko, but that was it. That was the only thing that Daichi could remember and be aware of. He could only recall coming to as he walked to the elevator with his parents. Feeling like he was being suffocated, Daichi lunged forward to call the elevator. They waited silently for it to come. Mrs. Misawa ran a hand up and down his back. It should have been comforting, but it wasn't working. Something still lingered at the back of his mind.

"Shoji and Chosaku are going to get away with what they did, aren't they?" Daichi asked. His voice was quiet and could hardly be considered a whispered. "They'll get a slap on the wrist and no one will care that they hurt Jun to the point of killing him…"

"Not if we have anything to say about it."

Turning around, Daichi felt his heart filled with hope. Mokuba approached them, followed by his lawyer. Daichi had seen the lawyer once before when Manjoume first filled out the papers required of him. Mokuba shook hands with his parents while Daichi stared at them, stunned.

"First, let me say that the Kaiba family sends their sympathies," Mokuba said. "We understand if you aren't in the mood to talk to us right now."

"It depends on what," Mr. Misawa said. "We've had a very exhausting day, and I believe my son wishes to go home."

"We're building a case against the older Manjoume boys," Mokuba answered. "Witnesses, medical records, anything that we can use. We'll need your help, Daichi, and yours as well, Dr. Misawa."

Daichi couldn't believe what he had just heard. It sounded too good to be true. It felt like a ray of hope had shone down on him.

"I'll help," Mr. Misawa said. "I may have sworn to secrecy Jun, but medical records are the one thing I haven't thrown away. There are notes and notes of things that they had done in the office."

Mokuba smiled. "Glad to hear it. I'm sorry, Mrs. Misawa, but I'm going to have to borrow your husband for a while. I promise to return him in one piece."

Mrs. Misawa nodded. She placed a hand on Daichi's shoulder. "I understand. Please bring justice for Jun."

Daichi still stood silently while his father and Mokuba talked. His mother wrapped an arm around him to pull him into the elevator. The door closed on the sight of Mr. Misawa talking to the Kaiba brother's lawyer. The elevator lurched downwards. His mother brushed his knuckles against Daichi's cheek, a silent gesture that said, "let's go home." Neither of them said anything as they walked through the parking garage to the car.

Inside, Daichi turned it on to let the vehicle warm up. Occasionally, his mother would turn to smile at her son. He would look at her, but his gaze would turn back to the wheel. Daichi didn't want to think about what that smile meant. There was only so much hope Daichi can hold onto before it was ripped away from him.

Daichi's fragile heart couldn't take much more of it.

"Can we stop somewhere before we go home?" Daichi asked, setting the car to drive.

"Whatever you wish to do, I'll be with you when you're ready," Mrs. Misawa answered.

Daichi smiled at her, knowing that it would mean a lot if he did. "Thank you."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

The drive didn't take long. Daichi knew where they were going and his mother didn't ask any questions. They reached the center of the city and drove into the visitors parking for Kaiba Corp. Mrs. Misawa still didn't say a word, but she stared at Daichi with wide eyes. He smiled at her.

Daichi led her into the building, assuring his mother that things were okay. However, he wasn't sure if things truly were or not. Before he was there with Manjoume and there was an appointment involved. But Daichi was just a random person who wanted to see Seto Kaiba. The receptionist probably wouldn't let him get more than three feet to the reception desk.

As he predicted, the receptionist sneered at him. Her brunette hair was tied in a bun and gold hoops hung from her ears. Her red lipstick was smudged from drinking out of a fancy looking water bottle. She didn't want to be bothered with them.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice high and condescending.

Daichi cleared his throat. "I would like to see Mr. Kaiba, please."

"Do you have an appointment?"

He knew this would raise an issue. "I, unfortunately, do not."

"Then you can't see him." She didn't apologize.

Daichi sighed. "Please, it's for something important."

She rolled her eyes. "What part of—"

"It's okay. They can go up and see him." The women who spoke had a soothing voice. She had silver-blue hair that reached the middle of her back and blue eyes that were a deep hue. She wore a dress suit, nothing too fancy for the corporation. Her smile drew Daichi in. Waving her hand, she motioned to the elevator. "Right this way. I'll take you up."

"Thank you," Daichi whispered. His mother and he followed her to the elevator.

"It's my pleasure. He's waiting for you."

This startled Daichi. It had him wondering why. After all, Daichi had never made any calls to tell Kaiba that he was coming over. This was a spur of the moment type of visit. If he was the CEO of a major gaming company, Daichi would have felt irritated that someone was interrupting his work.

They rode silently up to the top floor. As the doors opened, Daichi could see that nothing had changed. Their guide walked out first, stepping closer Kaiba's office door. Daichi stood frozen in the elevator. His mother held a hand on the elevator doors to keep them from closing. All Daichi had to do was step forward. He didn't know why he couldn't move, but he had to if he wanted to speak to Kaiba.

Daichi finally stepped forward.

Their guide smiled and opened the door to Kaiba's office. Daichi stared into those piercing blue eyes of Kaiba, finding himself frozen once more in the middle of his office. To the side, Mrs. Misawa was discussing whether tea or coffee should be served with the woman who brought them up. They weren't whispering, but they sounded far away to Daichi.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Kaiba said, nodding his head.

Daichi smiled sadly. "Thank you for giving him the freedom he deserved."

"Freedom," Kaiba muttered. Not once did he look away from Daichi. "He deserved better."

Yes, he did but Daichi didn't say it out loud. Right now, he was struggling to understand why he had come here in the first place. It was an impulse, a need to see someone who was helping him seek justice for what happened to Manjoume.

"Jun talked about you when he first spoke with me," Kaiba said.

Daichi's heart clenched and he had to dig his fingers into his palms.

Kaiba continued, "He was straight forward and honest about wanting to have his boyfriend travel the world with him."

The woman giggled. She walked over to place a coffee cup at Kaiba's elbow. "He was so red in the face when Seto questioned him about it."

"Kisara," Kaiba said, touching her wrist.

Kisara covered his hand with her own. "I'm sorry, Seto, but he should know. And Jun was so cute when it happened."

She looked at Daichi and he felt his heart rate increase.

"He spoke very highly of you," Kisara said. "Jun told us how he had changed because you entered his life. I remember how quickly his facial expressions contorted. He'd frown when he talked about how he treated you in the beginning, but his smile? I've never seen him smile like that. Not for photographers or for interviews, nothing could compare to the smile he had when he spoke of you.

"Jun wanted to give something back to you. He wanted to find his own way of saying thank you."

Kaiba sat his cup down. "That was why he gave those gifts to your friends."

Yes, that's true," Kisara agreed. "But he wanted to do more and do right by you. Jun wanted to take you around the world with him so that he had someone special to share it with."

By the end, Daichi had to sit down. His mother was by his side, a cup of water in her hand. Daichi wished that Manjoume could have told him this himself. All the opportunities they had where it could have been said. The quiet moments when they knew they should be awake, but they didn't move from the bed. Instead, they whispered to each other, quiet promises as they wrapped their arms tighter around one another.

Why couldn't he have said something then?

Daichi let out a shuddering breath. "Is there a chance that they'll win this case?"

"Not likely," Kaiba answered. He sounded so confident. "If your father cooperates, they will lose. They'll spend a long time behind bars, whether it's a 'private' prison or not. No one will remember them by the time they get out."

"My husband will give your brother and lawyer any, and all, the information he needs," Mrs. Misawa assured.

Kaiba nodded. "This is good to hear." He closed his laptop and stood. "Is there anything else you need?"

Mrs. Misawa cupped Daichi's face to turn it towards her. She searched her son for something that even he didn't know about. But soon, Daichi nodded

"I think that will be all, Mr. Kaiba," his mother said. She helped Daichi to his feet, wrapping an arm around him. "Thank you for your time. It was a pleasure meeting you both."

Kisara left Kaiba's side and walked with them. "I'll walk you to the elevator."

Daichi remained silent as they walked to the elevator. He felt regret at not thanking Kaiba himself. He made a note to send a letter or to give him a call to do so. At the elevator, Kisara pressed the button to call it. She talked to Mrs. Misawa about various teas that they both enjoyed. Daichi heard bits and pieces of the conversation, but he didn't respond.

The elevator doors opened.

"You know…" Kisara placed a hand on the elevator doors. "You're invited to see the court case when it happens. Daichi, you could be the most valuable witness we need."

Manjoume did tell him everything. Daichi had even witnessed a brutal attack once. He feared that he couldn't stomach seeping the older Manjoume boys again. The thought of testifying made him nervous and he could already see the looks they would give him. They would try to silence him with fear.

"I'll think about it," Daichi answered.

If Kisara was bothered by his decision, she didn't show it. She still smiled kindly. "No pressure. We can still win even without your testimony."

Daichi smiled at her. "Thank you…"

"You're welcome." Kisara's smile turned sad. "Jun truly did love you…"

Daichi closed his eyes. All those times that they spent together in school, traveling around the world, and so much more…

Daichi opened his eyes and smiled. "I loved him, too."