Okay. Number one contender for 'Sad realisation of the day'.

Hayabusa and Kasumi are still in DOA3 if you don't go as them, they're the default number five, yeah? Which means that Ayane and Hayate aren't. They are normal characters! O.O

Okay, it sounds simple, but I haven't seen it for so long! To have them number one opponents instead of number five… I didn't realise it was possible!!!

Yeah… I guess it proves I use Hayabusa too much. Onward.

This chapter is Hayabusa-centric, but then again, aren't they all??? *Rolls eyes skyward* But it does have some tie-in to the story, I swear… please don't eat me!

Pointless muse: In my stories, Hayabusa seems to like apples. Weird, huh?

*

I don't think I want to go to this stupid formal after all. It means I have to get a dress. And I won't even have a date. What's the point of going without a date?

She was in History. Woo bloody hoo. Scribbling on the page seemed to be the only entertainment she had. Near her, Hayate was sleeping peacefully, and Tina was painting her fingernails. Hayabusa on the other hand…

"What the hell are you doing?" she whispered loudly, making him start. She flinched as his hand unconsciously gripped his arm, opening the wound from earlier, letting warm blood spurt onto the desk and onto her white blouse. "Dick! You know how hard blood is to get out of white stuff?"

"I do apologise," Emerald green was fixed on the blood oozing casually out of his arm. "I didn't mean to. You startled me,"

"Yeah, blame it on me," she muttered, thrusting a wad of tissues at him. "Mop it up. I don't need you bleeding to death all over my desk,"

"Uh… Ayane?"

"What do you want?" she hissed maliciously, glaring at her half-sister.

"Could you… please… could you please pass me Hayate's textbook for a minute?"

She sighed theatrically, grabbing the book and dumping it on Kasumi's desk. "Happy now?"

Kasumi nodded meekly. "Thanks, Ayane,"

"Hayate, wake up, you dip-shit. The bell just went,"

Despite her shaking him roughly, her half-brother didn't wake up, simply responding with a hand gently pushing her away and some murmurings about orange sheep.

"Hello in there?" she yelled into his ear. Still nothing.

Hayabusa touched her gently on the arm. "This is how you do it,"

"What-" she started before he silenced her with a finger to his lips, picking up a pencil with the other hand, digging it gently into his friend's hip. Nothing for a moment, before Hayate suddenly shot up like a bullet, clutching his side.

"Ouch… Ryu… did you have to do that? I was having a nice little nap, too…"

"The bell went, dip-shit," she muttered. "Come on. Let's go to recess. You and your bloody orange sheep,"

"So…" she started, biting savagely on a fruit bar. "How did the little shopping adventure go?"

Hayabusa turned to her, emerald eyes probing. "Why do you ask?"

"Why not?" she questioned. "Just curious,"

An eyebrow went up. "Ulterior motive?"

She frowned. "Don't be so suspicious,"

The other eyebrow went up, he staring over the top of an apple. "With you I can't help but be. I'd rather be suspicious and not have to be then miss something, especially with you,"

"Well, don't bite my head off for asking a simple question or anything," she muttered.

"Are you going to the formal, Ayane?" Hayate asked, munching on some chips.

She shook her head. "Nope. I was going to, but then I thought, screw that shit, and decided not to. Besides, it's not like anyone will miss me,"

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a little flicker of something flash through Hayabusa's eyes. She noticed it, and pounced on it.

"I mean, they have Kasumi, right? And those idiots would be satisfied with everyone, even Kasumi. So as long as she turns up, they're all good. I don't know enough people at this stupid school to go to a formal here. I'd rather go to one at my old school,"

"The most formal thing they would own is their school uniforms," Hayate snickered, before stopping abruptly as she dug an elbow into his side. "Okay, I was only kidding. But if you don't try to make friends, you won't. You can't just stand around hoping that everyone will stop for you and be nice to you just because you're new, you know,"

"Leave her be, Hayate, you'll just cause trouble," Hayabusa said heavily.

"Trouble is her middle name, huh?" Hayate asked, glancing across at her.

"Shut up, arsehole," she retorted.

"Don't call me an arsehole," Hayate immediately snapped.

"Why don't you both be quiet for once in your lives?" Hayabusa asked heatedly.

She turned, and was surprised to see anger etched across his face. Wow, emotion. Pulling out the big guns, now, are we?

"What's up with you?" Hayate questioned, turning to his somewhat volatile friend.

"I don't know. Just shut it," Emerald eyes glared at them frostily, before disappearing under Hayabusa's hand as he dropped his head.

"Shut it yourself," she retorted angrily. "Just because you're getting PMS doesn't mean you have to take it out on us!"

She didn't know what she was expecting from her statement, but she was certainly not expecting a hand to grab her by her blouse, lifting her up, just off the ground. She struggled desperately in the taller Hayabusa's hold. "Hey, hey… what do you think you're doing? Let go of me, you arsehole! You're hurting me!"

Suddenly, the ground came rushing up to meet her, as she felt a dull pain spread through her back. He… he threw me to the ground! She stood up furiously, ready to make him take back every little action, but…

Huh? Mood swing! Hayabusa was sitting back on the ground, head in hands once more.

"I am really sorry, Ayane, I don't know what came over me,"

"Yeah, and you won't know what came over you when I pay you back for goddamn throwing me, you ass," she muttered grumpily, rubbing her now aching back and dusting off her bum, but her urge to fight had simmered down, seeing Hayabusa like that. Odd the way those things happen.

"I am really sorry," Emerald rose to meet her gaze and she could see just how sorry he was. Not from the expression, never from the expression. Just from the eyes.

"You're weird," she mused aloud.

Hayate rose from the ground, walking over and sitting beside his friend. "Hey, Ryu. What's up? Ayane's right for once in her short and fruitless life. You are acting weirdly,"

"PMS," was the audible mutter.

*