"I'm sitting here in the cafeteria, barely halfway through one of the worst school days of my life thus far, preparing to eat the dumpster rejected substance which the administrators are attempting to pass off as food, and then I will be subjected to three more hours of academic classes which I have no interest in whatsoever... I think I have a right to be glaring, whether it be at you, her, the principal, or this lumpy stuff on my plate!"

"Calm down, Kou! What's got you so upset?" Sora asked, sitting across from a very visibly upset Koushirou. His face was more pale than usual, and he clenched his spork tightly in his hand. He took several deep breaths and shook his head.

"It's nothing--sorry I lashed out at you like that. It was illogical and you didn't deserve it," he said, the tone of his voice subdued and quiet as he resumed poking at his 'food' with his spork.

Sora glanced over to Jyou, who shrugged, and Miyako, who looked curious.

"C'mon, we're all friends here--you can tell us, Kou," Miyako said, leaning over the table.

"I said it was nothing, Miyako. It's nothing I can't handle," Koushirou said, not looking up from his plate, where he was busily mutilating the 'food.'

"But, you admit that there /is/ something, because you said you can handle it. So, I ask out of genuine concern, and not a need for gossip, what's up?"

Koushirou stood up and gathered his things, then turned to Jyou, who had spoken last, and glared. "I can handle it," he said, then walked out of the cafeteria.

Back at the table, a pin could be heard dropping as they shared confused glances. What was wrong with Koushirou?

The occupants of the table were still in this state of semi shock when Taichi walked up, tray in hand. "Where's 'Shirou?" he asked as he sat in an empty chair.

"He... left." Sora answered after an awkward silence.

"Well, where'd he go?" Tai asked in between bites. He, unlike Koushirou, had no problems with eating the mystery 'food' product of the day.

"Out of here's all we know," Miyako put in.

"Why'd he leave?" Tai asked, a little agitated as he was beginning to think he was an unwilling participant in 20 questions. He'd always hated that game.

This time Jyou answered, wording his sentence carefully. "It must have been us asking him what was wrong--he was upset but wouldn't tell us why."

Tai stopped eating and looked first worried, then angry. "You should know by now that you can't bug him like that! He'll talk when he's ready, but before that you just piss him off!" The anger was evident in the brunette's words.

Jyou flinched, and they all averted their gazes, ashamed of what they had apparently done. Taichi sighed and buried his face in his hands. "This'll sound really clichéd," he mumbled through his hands, "but which way did he go?"

Three hands wordlessly pointed the southern exit, and within twenty seconds Tai was out of sight.

Yamato walked up and seated himself in Tai's recently vacated seat, looking at the south doors with an odd look on his face. "Did I miss something, here?"

"We all must have, Yama," Sora answered, rubbing her temples wearily. This was going to be a long week.

* * *

"Hey, did Koushirou pass by here?"

"Yeah, not too long ago. He seemed to be heading toward the courtyard," Daisuke answered, keeping in his mild curiosity as to why Tai was acting like a mad man running around trying to find the red headed computer genius.

"The computer lab is also in that direction." Ken had walked up in time to hear the information Daisuke had given. "As is the library; you may want to look there as well, if he's not anywhere else you look," Ken said, then turned to Daisuke and smiled. "Come on, let's find Takeru and eat before all the food's gone."

Daisuke returned the soft smile and waved goodbye to Taichi. "Good luck!" he shouted down the hallway at Tai, who had proceeded onward once it was apparent that the other boys were not going to provide him with any more information.

The first suggested search area that he came across was the library. He ran through the doors, his eyes searching out the bright red hair of his friend. He didn't see it, but just to be sure, he decided to ask. "Koushirou here?" A few students shook their heads, so Tai returned to the hallway, running to the computer lab.

It was empty and the doors were locked, so he ran to the courtyard. "'Shirou?" he asked, walking through the door.

"What?" came the subdued sounding reply.

"Hey," Tai said, walking over to where his friend sat on a large rock. "What's up? Sora, Miya, and Jyou said you were upset and ran off. So, spill." Tai sat next to Koushirou on the rock as the younger boy shook his head and looked away.

"Come on Kou, don't be like that. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Another shake of the head.

"Tai, I'd rather not talk about it, okay? I can take care of myself just fine."

"Look 'Shirou, I care about you -- a lot -- and I don't like seeing you like this." Tai looked away, speaking softly. "If something's up and you don't feel you can talk to me, then talk to someone else. I want to help, but I can't if you don't let me." At this point, he sighed and drew his knees up to his chest, balancing precariously on the rock.

Koushirou looked at Tai and almost hesitantly reached his hand out to turn Tai's head toward him. "Thank you Tai," he said, a little of his normal demeanor showing.

"No big deal, 'Shirou. It's what friends are for, after all." Tai held his hand out in a typical handshake gesture. "Friends?"

Koushirou nodded and shook the hand in front of him. "Definitely, Tai. Friends." Giving in to sudden impulse, he pulled Tai into a hug that caught him by surprise, nearly costing him his perch on the rock. Luckily, he recovered balance and returned the hug with enthusiasm equal to that of Koushirou's.

Tai laughed as they separated. "Well, had I just known you only needed a hug," he said while tousling Koushirou's hair.

Koushirou grinned and swatted playfully at Tai's hand, muttering about psychotic bullying kids, then got off the rock to pick his book bag up. "Come on, Tai, let's go back inside."

Tai nodded and jumped off the rock, pausing to get his own bag before following the redhead into the school.

Soon after entering the school, the bell rang, causing the two boys to part ways to get to their classes.

* * *