Disclaimer: I do not own HYD or any of its characters, but if I did I would be one happy woman. : P

Chapter 9: Cruel

Susumu waited a few moments after the door closed to peer his head out. "Is she gone yet?"

I looked at my silly brother who had by this time combed his hair and put on a fresh pair of clothes. "She's gone."

"Aaaawwww." he moaned. "I didn't even get a chance to talk to her."

I laughed at his sudden newfound shyness. "So my little brother is in love, eh? I haven't seen you act like that around the other girls at school. I see how she makes you nervous" I giggled.

His face turned red and his eyes narrowed to yell at me. "I'm not nervous! It's just she's different from the other girls at school." His expression softened at the thought of her. 'Did she ask about me?" His eyes filled with excitement at the thought of being mentioned by Hana.

I nodded a no and watched his head lower a little hurt that Hana's visit had not been about him.

"Then why was she here?"

I looked up at him and with a blank expression. "I'm not really sure?"

Looking exasperated with my vagueness Susumu went back into his room slamming the door behind him. Once again I could hear the sounds of the video game he was playing blaring through our thin walls.

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The next day at school the grey sky still loomed overhead. The clouds rumbled in agitation ready to attack once again with a shower. Everywhere you went it was wet. I thought about going to the stairwell, but quickly changed my mind at the chance of meeting Haru there. I started to wish that I had not given him permission go there. Since I promised Hana I would stay away from him, I did not realize at the time I also restricted myself from going there.

I wandered around aimlessly thinking about the haunting image that imbedded itself in my mind. I tried to shake that image out of my mind, but the figure of that dead woman smiling haunted me, I'd heard that somewhere in the world that everyone has someone that looks like their twin. When I met Haru I could have sworn he was Hanazawa Rui. Could it be so coincidental that I looked like Haru's mother? It almost seemed as if fate was playing some cruel game on us. I could feel my heart sinking thinking about how painful it must have been for Haru to see me, a replica of his dead mother. It seemed all too much like a sick game.

For now there was nothing I could really do. I had promised Hana to stay away from him. There was just something in the seriousness in her voice and that look on her face that made me agree to it. But Hana was his sister and she would know what was best for him, right?

"Yo Makino!"

I looked up at Akira who was walking towards me waving his hand. Next to him followed by Shigeru, Soujiro and Doumyouji.

"Hey everyone."

"Why is it that you always have such a worried look on you face when I see you? You don't want to get wrinkles from all that frowning." Shigeru laughed.

"I thought after that passionate night you spent with Doumyouji you would be smiling all the time." Soujiro interrupted.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Doumyouji just looked at me with a blank expression. "I just said you spent the night at my house," he grinned.

"Nothing happened! We just fell asleep on the couch" I yelled towards Soujiro and Akira who were by this point re-enacting a scene from our night together.

"Shhhh..Don't speak." Soujiro mimicked Doumyouji placing his fingers over Akira's lips.

"Doumyouji, please be gentle," Akira whispered in a womanly voice.

They wrapped their arms around each other and began pretending to make out, grabbing at each other.

"Oh Doumyouji, I love you?" Akira whispered in a womanly high pitched voice.

"Please Tsukushi. We've been virgins for way too long already. I can't control myself naymore!" Soujiro replied wrapping his arms around his accomplice.

"Shut up, you two perverts. Nothing happened." I yelled at the two strange boys. "Stop telling them lies, Doumyouji!" I screamed at him with my hands on my hips.

"Sure whatever you say Makino" Akira winked his left eye at me.

"I just told them the truth, you stupid woman" he grumbled with a smile creeping from the side of his mouth.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhh! I can't stand you people!"

They all burst out laughing at my expense.

"It's just too easy to get to you, Makino," Soujiro laughed. "We know you will always be our hard working virgin."

"Don't call me that either!" I grumbled.

I stood with my back to those laughing idiots sulking over how unfair it was to have to always deal with these morons.

"Hey Tsukushi!"

"What is it now?!" I snapped turning my head around.

"Whoa! I just wanted to say hello." Jin backed up a little putting his hands up defensively. Fujio and Haru stood behind him looking a little confused at my sudden outburst.

"Oh sorry."

I looked at the two very different groups standing face to face for the first time. Without Hanazawa Rui they were both evenly matched three on three. They just stared at each other both sizing up the other. It was if they were meticulously eying each other in a competitive manner. Their faces turned grave. They reminded me of animal packs challenging each other over territory.

"Who are they?" Doumyouji asked breaking the silence. He protectively put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him.

I suddenly realized the overpowering testosterone in the air. "Oh, Akira, Soujioro, Doumyouji, Jin, Fujio." I pointed at each person as I introduced each person. When my finger came to Haru I stumbled, "and this is Har.I mean Hatsuhara." My mind quickly decided against calling him Haru as I remembered Hana's mentioning how their mother called him Haru. I watched his face change for a second a little hurt at my choice of words.

"Yo," they six men replied to each other.

Shigeru popped up from behind me and poked me in my side, "Introduce me!" she whispered.

Wincing in pain at being poked in my side I smiled. "Oh and this is Shigeru."

"Hello. It's nice to meet you. I hope you are enjoying yourselves at Eitoku." Shigeru cheerily exclaimed.

She grabbed Fujio by the arm and dragged him off to the side grilling him for information. I almost felt a little sorry for him being bombarded with questions by Shigeru. The entire time she spoke to him talking a mile a minute. Fujio just politely nodded his head and kept that same warm smile on his face he always had.

Akira and Soujiro were huddled together glaring at Jin. They could sense the aura of a fellow playboy. The three of them just glared at each other not blinking in a face off. I was scared at what was going to happen. The air was suddenly very tense.

"Yo Jin," Akira yelled in a serious tone surprising all of us.

"Yeah," Jin coldly replied.

"How many?" Soujiro asked.

"250. You?"

"Impressive. 290." Soujiro replied.

Akira looked at both of them and triumphantly stated, "320."

I almost fell over in shock. Their serious faces drastically changed into smiles. Jin walked over to Akira and Soujiro's, who each put an arm around his shoulder letting him into the club. They each pulled out their little black books and began to compare which girls they had each dated comparing notes. They laughed and joked over which girl did what, the good ones, and the bad ones. I looked on in amazement at how quickly they had switched from a serious fight tone to this cheerful camaraderie.

"You three are pigs" I sighed in exasperation.

The three of them looked up at me and just shrugged lost in their own little playboy circle.

During this entire time Haru stood a little away uncertain of what to do. His two companions were now stolen for the moment. I couldn't help but notice he kept looking over in my direction. He shifted uneasily for a little bit standing alone before turning around and walking away without saying anything.

I just continue to watch in fascination of the playboy conference in awe. This entire time Doumyouji held onto me tightly.

"I don't like him?"

"Who?" I asked still observing the playboys.

"That guy, Hatsuahara. I don't like him." Doumyouji icily stated.

I looked up to notice Doumyouji's eyes boring down on Haru's departing backside. I could see that familiar look on his eyes. "Why?" I asked a little frightened to hear his response.

"I don't like the way he looks at you. He wouldn't stop staring at you." He grumbled.

I sensed the impeding jealous outburst that was waiting to burst forth. "Leave him alone. His sister told me he lost his mother a few months ago. She said I look a lot like her. He just stares because I remind him of her," I whispered. "He's suffered enough already."

Doumyouji seemed to ignore my explanation. "Sad how someone his age is such a mother's boy," he snorted in disgust.

I looked up angrily at him for his insensitivity. "Unlike some people who have a sister complex." I sneered. I threw his arm off my shoulder. "You can be such a jerk sometimes."

"Hey where did Haru go?" Jin asked suddenly looking up.

"I think he left." Fujio replied.

"Why didn't he wait for us? Let's go find him." Jin complained.

"Nice to meet you." Fujio politely bowed before running off after Jin who had already left.

Akira, Soujiro and Shigeru gathered next to Doumyouji and me.

"Is it just me or does Hatsuhara look a lot like Hanazawa Rui? He even acts a little like him?" Shigeru asked.

"I was just thinking the same thing" Akira replied scratching his head.

"Yeah. It's just what we need. Another quiet, strange Hanazawa Rui." Soujiro laughed.

The three of them stood there laughing over the thought of another lazy, sleepy Hanazawa Rui running free in the world.

"I'm leaving now. See you guys later." I needed to get away from Doumyouji before I really lost my temper.

"Wait, Tsukushi." Doumyouji called after me.

I pretended that I didn't hear him calling and just continued walking. He always found some way to ruin everything. That was Doumyouji.