Henny: And we're back!
Hitoki: It's the amazing, perverted, yaoi-loving, reviewer-repelling JANYUU'S LITTLE FRIEND SHOW!

Hitoki: You do know that your title sucks. You should have got Crik-ee to give you one. She's poetic and junk. She came up with half of mine.

Henny: Yes, but I am ORIGINAL *_*

Hitoki: ¬¬ Yeah. Sure. And I'm SURE I didn't just write a FULL last chapter for you, and I'll end up doing it again

Henny: Then come up with a better title.

Hitoki: no problem. As I plan on more Just A Day references you should call it Just A Day.

Henny:……OK. As you're writing it. Right?

Hitoki: Depends.

Henny: The Nothing single's a promo.

Hitoki: Then I'm not doing it.

Henny: It's signed. By all of the band.

Hitoki: (teleports to keyboard and starts stabbing at the keys)

-

Kenta POV

-

I'll kill Janyuu. I will.

Ha, that's a big joke. Me? Weedy, pathetic little Kenta? But I'll do it. I'll kill him for whatever the hell he's done to screw up Kazu's mind. After he told me that he'd died- what did he mean?- he just say there, crying. He didn't make any noise. These silent streams of tears started flowing down from his eyes. I hugged him around the shoulders and told him it'd be okay- yeah, whatever- and I left him alone.

I was scared. Kazu tried to kill himself. WHY? I really didn't like that conversation I had on the phone. He sounded like that thing in the Hobbit…Gollum, was it? Always talking in riddles and nonsense.

What was it he said? His life sounded like a Feeder song. I puzzled over that while going to my room. There was a pile of CDs in the corner that Kazu gave me. I like classical music, but Kazu didn't get it into his head. He bought me rock music year after year for my birthdays and Christmases. I couldn't bring myself to throw them away, so they sat in a corner collecting dust.

I dug into the heap and finally found two Feeder CDs. I checked through them quickly, then found the song with the lyrics that Kazu quoted over the phone.

Just A Day. It seemed a harmless enough title. I listened to the song. Then I replayed it. I don't like rock music, I already said that- but this song appealed to me. I found myself lip-synching by the third time.

All by myself

Well, Kazu was on his own for the most part…. He was an only child and all.

Cause I don't wanna take you down, hold you down- cause you're my friend

I recognised the meaning for that. Kazu had to do it on his own because he cared to much about the others, including me- he wanted to go down his downward spiral on his own…. So that's why he wasn't being so friendly.

I blame myself

That sounded familiar. He refused to shirk the blame onto Janyuu, even when it was Janyuu's fault. Why?
I guess you think its funny now, funny now

Well… Kazu did always feel like people were laughing at him whenever he screwed up. It was the main reason he acted like a jerk to everyone.

I dangled my legs over the bed, the song still playing in the background. I love that song. It reminded me of Kazu.

I had to see if he was okay. I dialled his number and waited. It eventually stopped ringing, and I could hear noises in the background.

The phone must have fell off of the stand. I was about to hang up when I heard the shouting in the background.

"STOP IT!"

"You're a useless little swine, you understand?! Come back here, you stupid boy!"
"Please, honey, let's talk this over-"
"FUCK OFF DAD! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"It's no wonder you're so depressed! You're useless, hear me? USELESS!"

"Please, dear, just calm down-"

"You're FUCKING DRUNK! Leave me ALONE!"

Slam.

"I'LL TEACH YOU TO TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!"

"Noooo!"

"GET OFF ME!"

There was screaming. Kazu's mum was screaming. Then she was crying. Then the conversation continued-

"You are a USELESS LITTLE TWERP! YOU HEAR ME, HIROKAZU?!"

"Please, just STOP IT! Both of you!"

"SAY IT!"

"I'm a useless little …"

"FINISH IT!"

"I'm a useless little twerp. You satisfied now?"

CRACK. WHAM. SLAM. Scream. Crying.

"What did you do to him?!"
"I'm leaving. Get the stupid sod cleaned up by the time I get back."
Doorslam.

I stopped, shocked. That can't have been Kazu's dad. I know Kazu got on his dad's nerves a little, but he wouldn't purposely injure him, would he? I slammed the reciever down. I couldn't think any more. It hurt to think.

I just lay on the bed in the foetal position, letting the song in the background lull me to sleep.

-

Kazu POV

-

My head hurts. Am I dead?
I feel weird… like I'm floating. But it hurts. I think I am dead.

Yes!

I made it! Finally! No…. No… It hurts too much. Surely when you die it can't hurt too much, right?

Oh no…. I'm not dead. I'm aware of myself now. My eye hurts. My arm hurts. Oh, please, why didn't I die?

"Mama….?"
"Kazu!" My poor Mum. She's hugging me just like Kenta did after Janyuu…

Why do men like to hurt me so much?

"Mama….Why didn't I die?"

She shakes her head. "You're not allowed to die, Kazu. I forbid it. If you leave me all alone…"

She starts sobbing again. I make people feel so bad, why won't people just let me die? Then they won't be sad anymore, will they?

I tried to move my arm and I swore. Pain shot like a bullet right up to my shoulder. It was almost as if the scars from where I slashed myself yesterday was guiding the pain.

I hate myself. I hate me. I hate my stupid body. I hate my even stupider personality.

"You poor thing, you've broken your arm."

I had to laugh at that. " I broke my arm? I could've sworn that Dad just broke it for me."

"Please, kazu." Even I can see that I'm upsetting her now, so I lay still for a bit while she checks me over. It turns out that I had a black eye, a broken arm, and some sprains along my arm. It felt worse than it actually was.

I had to ask one more thing. "Why does Dad hate me now?"

Mum bit her lip and shook her head. "It's my fault. You know, your dad's…"
"…a homophobic psycho."
"Kind of. Well, I told him that when I picked you up from Henry's, this little boy with glasses had his arm around your waist- and he sort of took it the wrong way." She tilted her head. "And he was drunk."

I groaned, and the pain doubled. "I'm not a fucking fag."

"He thinks so."
"I'm going to kill Kenta." That didn't sound like me. Kenta's my best friend.

"Honey, just calm down. You'll regret what you've said-"

Okay. That was IT.

Up I go. Wobbling a bit, my arm flopping uselessly at my side. Anger starts flowing through my veins, replacing the pain that was there from before- adrenaline starts running high. "You're telling me to CALM DOWN?! Do you know how much I've had to endure in TWO days? I've been abused, been called gay, been insulted, everyone just uses me for their own purpose, and you're telling me TO CALM DOWN?!"

The anger ran dry, and I collapsed onto one of the kitchen stools, erupting into tears.

"Oh, Kazu." Mum's crying too. She puts her arms around me and I put an arm around her, and we end up crying just to each other for hours.

-

Takato POV

-

What's going on?

Now that there's nothing dangerous about, no psycho digimon…unless you count Guilmon… around, I was planning for me and Kenta and Kazu and Henry to just hang out- maybe with Rika, or Ryo if they wanted to. But I rang Kazu's house and there was no answer. Kenta's mum said he was asleep.

I rang up Henry instead, and he agreed to come over. I had the house to myself, which was a major advantage. I rang up Rika and she said she'd come too. Ryo said he was going to an art exhibit. Huh, no accounting for taste.

The second Henry came over he said, rather pointedly, "Normally you have Kazu and Kenta round."

I nodded and said that they wouldn't answer their phones. Henry sat in the front while I stole some of the bread from the store, made turkey sadwhiches and got some lemonade. When I'd finished I had to get another sandwhich and some more lemonade because Rika was at the door. She came in and greeted me by calling me a Goggle-head (cheek) and sat down.

We all started eating and drinking. Suddenly, Rika broke the silence.

"Aren't Kazu and Kenta here?"
I shook my head. She went a little bit pale. "I hope they're okay."
"Why?" Curiosity started flickering over Henry's face. I leant in as well, interested.

"Nevermind." She took a bite out of her sandwhich.

While she was eating me and Henry kept on prompting her to say more. Eventually, she slammed down her glass and plate and glared at us.

"Can't a girl eat in peace?!"
"Tell us what happened," Henry demanded, his arms folded in fornt of him. I nodded. Rika sighed.

"I don't know if Kazu'd be very pleased about telling you what happened."

"C'mon, he's my best friend!" I said, annoyed.

"I thought I was your best friend. And even if you are his best friend, I'm the best friend of his best friend!"

Rika and me blinked at him.

She sighed again. "Fine."
She glanced at Henry. "Your dad raped him."
There was a silence for around three minutes.

Then me and Henry burst out laughing. I fell off of the stool and rolled on the floor, Henry was whacking the table with his fist. Rika growled at us.

"This is serious, you guys!"
"My dad's about FORTY," Henry said loudly. "And Kazu's, what, just turned thirteen?"
"I know," I agreed. "What'd Janyuu want with him? I mean, aside from the age difference, Kazu's the loudest, most abrasive, annoying thing to ever walk this planet."
"It doesn't change anything," Rika frowned at us. "I saw it. It messed up Kazu a bit."

"…" I paused. "You're serious."
"OF COURSE I AM!" Rika yelled, losing her temper.

"I'll go ring him up and ask him." Henry stood up. Then he realized the sheer stupidity of the idea and sat back down.

"I'll ring him up. I'm his friend," I said. I walked to the phone and dialled in the number.

Brrinnng….

"Who the hell're you?"
"Takato Matsuki, sir."

Groan. "You're HIS little friend, aren't you? Do you wear glasses?"
"No sir. Goggles."
"Well then, you can talk to him. If he'll let you."

There was a silence, then shallow breathing down the end of the phone. I could hear rock music playing in the background.

"Hey Kazu."
"Hi Takato."
"You okay? I couldn't get through to you before."

There was a stop in the breathing, as if he was taken aback. "How… I mean… we went shopping."
"Right." I rolled my eyes. Why are all of my friends such awful liars? "Rika said… that something happened to you."
There was a little laugh on the other end. "As in what? Do you mean the fact I got screwed by someone's dad, or that some people think I'm gay, or the fact that my dad just beat the crap out of me?"
"Stop swearing, Kazu." This seemed scary now. Rika was right. It happened. "Kazu, come round."

"No." he sounded a little scared now.

"Please?"
Silence. "For how long?"

"A few minutes."

"…Okay."

The phone clicked softly when the line freed. I turned to face the others. "He's coming over. He said….he said it happened."

"Hate to say I told you so," Rika murmured under her breath.

"That's jut not right," Henry said quietly. It sounded as if he was being strangled. "My dad wouldn't… He'd never…"

We sat in silence again, until the doorbell rang. I raced to get it.

"Oh my GOD, Kazu!"

He blinked at me. "That's a nice welcome."
His eyes had gone dark. I don't know how, but they weren't like they normally were. He had a large purple-blue mark ringing his right eye, and one of his arms was in a sling. He grinned weakly. "I've been in the wars."

"I'll say. Come in." I gestured to the kitchen. He looked around like a frightened animal before slowly inching into the room, and he flinched when he saw Rika and Henry. Especially at Henry.

"Hi Kazu." Rika waved. Henry didn't say anything, he just blinked at him in disbelief.

I shoved him on a chair (carefully) and sat down myself. "What happened?"
"I don't want to-"
"Kazu, please."

And so it all came out. About Janyu. About Kenta. About his dad. Rikam Henry and me all just sat there, speechless, after he's finished.

"It's okay." He rested his sling and his free arm on the table. "Feel free to hate me. Half of the world does."

"I don't hate you," I said almost instantly.

"Me neither," agreed Rika.

Henry managed to say, "Me neither," but he still looked a bit shocked. I don't really blame him.

Kazu shook his head. "Everyone hates me. My dad hates me. My mum hates me. Kenta probably hates me. I make everyone cry and act angry. I wish I were dead." He said all of that flatly. I couldn't help it. I reached out and clutched him by the shoulders.

"Kazu. Look at me."

He flinched and looked up.

"I….do….not….hate you." I said it slowly. A little bit of the light from his old self came back into his eyes. Rika nodded and walked around the table to pat him on the back. Henry managed to smile at him.

"I'll always be your friend, okay, Kazu?" I kept the eye contact perfectly. He nodded.

"Will Kenta?"
"Yup." Rika fielded that one for me. "Kenta's your little fanboy. It'd be impossible for him to hate you."

He grinned at her. He smiled at everyone. "Thanks, guys."

I truly believed that the problem was solved then.

But then it got a LOT more complicated.

-

Henny: Will be continued… (waves 'A' tickets in the air)
Hitoki: (growls)