This chapter is leading somewhere. Don't worry. It's more of an 'interim waffle' chapter, so don't eat me over it :( Oh, OmegaReaper, and ultimate-ruler92, I feel bad. I forgot to answer your questions from previous chapters *sheepish grin*

OmegaReaper, I don't think so, but if he did it would be at the end, that's when he did it in the other games. But then again, I don't have the game *sniff* so I couldn't be sure about that.

Ultimate-ruler92, I love you reviewing! Don't mind how many times you review because it's nice that you are regardless! ^_^

Wolf, that's a good idea. Mmm, war-hammer… *snatches it off Ryu* I can make some minced meat with this!

Ryu: O.O My war-hammer!

Iie, imasen, baby! *Swings it around and nearly drops it* Man, this thing weighs a bitch! Not literally, mind you, but… watch your heads while I got it anyways, just in case…

*

"Okay, NO discussing cows," the geek stated bluntly as soon as he and Ryu walked into the classroom, dropping his whiteboard marker to look down through his glasses at the two. "If I even hear a single solitary word beginning with 'c' and ending with 'ows', then whoever mentions it is going to be on detention for the rest of the week,"

"Isn't that a bit of overkill?" he asked Ryu as they walked down to their usual seats.

"Probably, although I suppose it's all for the best. Not that I mind talking about, uh-" his friend paused briefly. "-cattle,"

"Mr Hayabusa!" the geek's voice thundered across the room.

"Forgive me, sir, I was explaining to Hayate the foolhardiness of incurring a conversation involving cattle. Yes, it will cease now," Ryu rolled his eyes, sitting down.

"You're too smart-arse for your own good, did you know that?" he asked sarcastically, dropping his books on the desk closest to the wall. There was a pause, before he noticed something. "Hey. I wonder where Ayane went?"

"She was probably sensible enough to leave when she had the chance," Ryu shrugged. "I think she went home. I'll collect the work for her. Not that she actually does it, however,"

"Fine. Exercise 5.2, left hand side only. This should be second nature revision to you. Anyone talking can stay back with whoever mentions the word 'cows'. Got it?" the geek banged his hand on the desk loud enough to make half the class jump. "Now, get on with it,"

5.2. Revision. You have to be kidding me. He stared, eyes wide, at the questions. "These mean as much to me as English does to a Japanese person who only sees English when they get a shirt or something with an English logo, Ryu,"

"Okay, okay," Ryu turned to him. "Calculator,"

In about ten minutes of him staring open-mouthed, Ryu shoved his book back to him, complete with answers.

"What… what the… hell…?!" he managed to stutter. "You're a… a… freak!"

"Thankyou," Ryu replied, scribbling down the answers in his own book. "Oh, and Hayate?"

Silence. "Shut your mouth," Ryu finished.

"Oh. Right,"

Suddenly, the geek stood up. "Oh, and year twelves, I want you to complete exercise 5.4 as well. You'll need these sorts of questions for the exams, so make sure you can do them. If you can't, learn them, otherwise you'll have no hope with the exams,"

He opened the book at 5.4 and wished instantly that he hadn't. "There is no way on heaven, hell or earth that I can even look at these questions for another second, Ryu," he slammed the book shut. "Fine. Looks like I'll just fail the exams. Because there is no way I stand a chance completing these types of questions,"

"Don't say that," Ryu inputted quickly before he shut his maths book. "Yes, they look difficult. Yes, they are difficult, no point in lying to you. But wait a minute, give it a chance and you'll be perfectly fine. I'll help you with them, alright?"

"You're wasting your time," his voice was flat. I give up.

"Either way, it's my time. If I want to waste it on you, then it's my time,"

Some soft yet aggravating whistling was coming from the corner. He turned, to see Jann-Lee, whistling under his breath as he scribbled on his books. Almost as if his gaze could be felt, the other teenager looked up, glaring.

"What the hell do you want?"

"You to shut the hell up," he retorted.

"Piss off," Jann-Lee muttered, turning back to his books and whistling louder then ever. He noticed Ryu shift slightly beside him, managing to somehow block his ears and continue writing at the same time. The whistling continued until a soft voice sounded from the front.

"Jann-Lee, stop it. Please,"

He glanced up to see that young year eleven with the plaited hair. Leifang. To his absolute surprise, Jann-Lee did stop, not before shooting him and Ryu a glare for good measure. He smirked behind his book, giving the eccentric fellow the finger, before turning back to Ryu.

"Looks like somebody has a soft spot for Lei here, huh?"

Ryu glanced up, unblocking his ears, looking from a now working Jann-Lee to a suddenly conscientious Leifang. "You could certainly make that assumption,"

"Aww, sweet… Jann-Lee has a soft spot for Leifang!"

He looked over his shoulder to see a sarcastically cooing Bayman and rolled his eyes.

"The dickhead strikes again,"

"Who the hell you think you're talking to?" The bulky teen stood up, upsetting both his books and his desk in the process.

"Mr Bayman, sit down!" the geek exclaimed from the front.

"Then tell this prefect guy to stop harassing me," Bayman retorted.

"Respect those who are a better person then you could ever be. Now shut up,"

He blinked. That was an odd statement, especially from his best friend.

Bayman snorted. "You think you're better then me, faggot?"

He could swear he saw his friend literally bristle from the comment, but his voice remained calm. "Hardly. I was simply saying that you should respect those who are. Hayate is a better person then you could ever be. So shut up before I go over there and make you,"

"Mr Hayabusa…" the geek blustered, but Bayman interrupted.

"Oh yeah? Like you did the last time? That was just a fluke. Besides, you cheated, you stupid faggot," Bayman menacingly cracked his knuckles. "When Leon comes back, you'll be a goner. Just you wait,"

"Wow, I can hardly contain my excitement," Three steps and Ryu was standing over Bayman's chair. "I said that I would make you shut up, and I meant it. Got it?"

Before he could make his friend stop, say something, anything, Ryu leant forward, and from the angle that he was sitting, he could see his friend whispering into the other's ear. However, from another point of view, it could easily be mistaken as…

"Eww! Hayabusa and Bayman are kissing!" one of the girls sitting near them squealed.

Ryu then lifted his hand backwards and slapped the other teenager neatly across the face, shattering the kissing imagery. Thank gods for that.

"Got it?"

Bayman glared, but didn't say anything for a moment. There was a brief period of silence before he did speak. "You're nothing but a stupid, good-for-nothing faggot, you know that?"

His friend held up a hand in mocking amity. "You've told me enough,"

*

Because I'm an idiot and like teasing you (just kidding… kind of…) I'll give you a little snippet of the next chapter. It has a bit more action… (finally!) some more Rachel, angsty Hayate (BYO earmuffs) and good ol' Ayane getting her hands dirty at last. Kick ass, Ayane! Oh, and Ryu's father. (You know, when I first played the original NG, I really liked Ryu's father. All these stories I'm writing about him are making me, err… dislike him. *cough*)

Oh well, what can you do?