I need you with me.

Fujii barely managed to stay on her feet because of the relief she felt to see him there. She was fully confident that Yohei could end all of that dreadful massacre, but as the battle unfolded again, mixed feelings seized her. She didn't want him to keep fighting, afraid to see the thug that everyone trashtalk... but even more afraid that he would get hurt.

She covered her mouth with one hand, observing that terrible wild side that her friends warned about. The stories about his quarrels at Wakou, passed on by word of mouth throughout Shohoku High School, fell short of what she was witnessing.

Yohei hit Mitsui hard over and over again, encouraging him to get up every time he stayed on the ground for more than a second. His knuckles were bleeding from his right hand, he had recent blow marks on his face, and his hair, always well ordered, showed action that she had no opportunity to see since he looked quite messy from the moment he arrived.

Fujii, concerned about his well-being, looked at him like she never did before. She put her feelings aside momentarily to scrutinize him with all her attention, realizing that he wasn't enjoying hitting Mitsui. She swallowed hard. Yohei wasn't the beast everyone commented on, it was pretty obvious to anyone who stopped long enough to analyze the facts.

Mitsui caught his breath suddenly and punched Yohei hard in the face, who staggered back.

"Do you want to die so badly?" He murmured after regaining his balance, rubbing his battered chin.

He returned the punch to Mitsui, further injuring the knuckles of his hand, which had been bleeding since he faced Norio Hotta and his friends all by himself. At that moment Captain Akagi made an appearance and a new wave of hope spread through the gym. Those involved began to talk to each other; thanks to that, they learned that Mitsui was a valuable basketball player until two years ago, but he left due to a knee injury. Suddenly, coach Anzai entered the gym and appeased the former player with his mere presence on the spot.

Haruko, who had already woken up from her last blackout, was moved to tears by the story. Matsui remained completely calm, and Fujii kept track of Yohei with her chocolate eyes... gaping as she was all that time on the gym. She was afraid of him and the way he fought, so calmly, so much self-control. She had learned that this type of person was very dangerous and avoided them like the plague, but he was the boy she liked, and he had never acted like that with Haruko, Matsui or herself. In fact, those friends who warned her about the bad reputation of those first-year students explained that they fought with anyone who challenged them, but only men. He was very different from the one who slapped Ayako. She bit her thumb. At that very moment, Fujii didn't know whether to listen to her mind or her heart, which were screaming in completely opposite directions.

But when Yohei blamed himself for everything that happened in the gym so they didn't suspend the basketball team, forcing the others to join in with a pair of murderous glances, all of her resentments quickly faded and had no doubt that he was a very sweet and gentle young man, even if he tried hard to maintain that reputation as a gang member. She admired him like never before. And believed that, perhaps, that was why she liked him without knowing him well enough: because she could sense the goodness that was hidden behind the facade of a dangerous boy that he seemed to like to have.

.

.

Love and happiness for everyone.

Stacy Adler.