Ha, ha, ha. Another insightful chapter. Yay for insightfulness. Anyone heard of MSTs? I've been doing a few of them recently, and am currently considering doing my own stories (tee hee hee, hey, if anyone else can cope with it then I can too!) anyways, Ryu rules all and nobody is allowed to forget it, otherwise Kurmoi will send her giant army of Easter Eggness to come and eat you all! *Evil grin* So. Enjoy the chapter, as always! And LC Wolf, glad you liked your fight scene! ^_^

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Today I set your heart free…

He slammed the book shut. The story of unrequited love was hitting a little too close to home at the current moment. He glanced sadly at some of the pictures adorning his wall, letting his mind drift back.

He and Ryu at the school fair. He smiled in memory. That had been really difficult, convincing his friend to go to it with him. Ryu had used every excuse in the book twice over before he reluctantly agreed to go with him. He was holding a stick of fairy floss, smiling at the camera and pretending not to notice as Ryu stole half of it.

A picture of the year eleven dance. He, Ryu and Irene in the middle. They were both wearing tuxedos, each with an arm around Irene, who had her famous smile, wearing an exquisite blue satin dress. He sighed softly. Because of his incompetence, neither he nor Ryu would be able to put their arms around her again.

I'm a fool. Why don't more people tell me that? Of all lives to be wasted so early in the piece, why hers? Of all people? She was the greatest to everybody. She didn't deserve to die.

A photo of his family. He and Kasumi were on either side, with an angry-looking Ayane sitting in the front. His father and mother were standing behind them. Even Genra was in the picture with that jovial smile on his face that he always had.

I wonder if Ryu has family pictures too? He might not want them, though, because of his ass of a father… I wish there was something I could do to help him, especially since he's helped me so much… but what can I do?

Speaking of Ryu… the best picture he had ever been able to get without his friend discreetly turning away or finding some other conniving way to get out of the picture was staring at him. Late year ten, it was. A half-smile was on his friend's face, as his intense emerald eyes were fixated on something beyond the camera. That picture had stayed up, even though Ryu himself had demanded it be taken down many a time.

He sighed. I shouldn't be doing this. I should be doing my maths homework. Damn maths homework… perhaps I can get a homework robot or something.

As golden brown eyes drifted over to the maths book, a frown crossed his delicate features. Screw this. Father can have Kasumi carry on the family name. I'm going to try and drop down in math, as soon as possible.

Even still… his father's words echoed unpleasantly in his head.

You want to be a failure?

What do you want in life, Hayate? To be a dropout destitute with no money and no life? Is that what you want? Because you're certainly going the right way about it!

"I don't want to be a failure," he spoke softly into his room. "But it looks like I have no choice. Father, why don't you just adopt Ryu and his father adopts me? Then everyone would be good. Everyone could be happy, instead of nobody,"

"Hayate?" a tentative voice drifted around his half-open door. He turned around to see his sister. "Are you having trouble? Would you like a hand?"

"Not really, but I don't have much choice," he smiled weakly, pulling out a chair for Kasumi to sit down. "Let's see how good you are at explaining things,"

"Kasumi, Kasumi, Kasumi!" he threw up his hands in frustration. "You suck!"

He instantly regretted his words as she looked slightly crestfallen, and he realised belatedly that the constant rejection of friendship by Ayane was probably eating away at her a bit. "Sorry, sis. I guess I'm the dumb one,"

"Don't worry. You get used to hearing it," she smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

He sighed. "Don't let Ayane bother you so much. She isn't worth that much, Kas,"

"She is. She's my sister,"

"Half-sister," he corrected. "Be that as it may, it gives me no right to be frustrated with you. I apologise, Kasumi,"

Kasumi smiled despite herself. "You sound like Hayabusa,"

"I do n-" he stopped abruptly as he ran the words over in his head. "Okay, maybe a little…"

"Dinner's ready, guys!" his mother called from downstairs. They looked at each other, before heading down.

"I am extremely disappointed in you, Hayate," was the first thing that greeted him as he sat down at the table. With embarrassment, he noticed that Genra was sitting at the table, listening to his father berate his bad marks. "I thought that you would be willing to follow in your father's footsteps and make this family proud. Obviously not,"

"Shiden, not while we have company," his mother protested mildly.

"Be quiet, Ayame. The boy needs to learn some discipline," His father turned back to him. "It isn't good form when you need your little sister to explain work you should be able to do to you, Hayate,"

"Yeah?" Before he could think twice, he stood up furiously, slamming his knife and fork onto the table. "So you want to discipline me for trying my hardest? Some father you are. You and Ken would make a good pair,"

"Who's Ken?" Kasumi questioned.

"Don't worry," he muttered. "I've made a decision, by the way. I'm dropping down into the lower maths. Whether you like it or not, mores to the point. Because, finally I've made a decision with what I want to do with my life. And my decision is I'm going to do whatever the hell I want, without either of you persuading me otherwise!"

"Hayate, please-" his mother started but he cut her off before she could say anything else.

"No, Mum. This is what I'm going to do, and neither you nor Father can change my mind. As much as I might want to, I can't live up to your indecently high expectations of me, alright? Nobody, you, Kasumi, Ryu, the maths teacher, nobody can change that,"

"Hayate…" Genra's soft voice was enough to make the heat rise to his face. I totally forgot he was here before I yelled at everyone. What will he think of me? "I'm sure you can do well at maths. Just give it time,"

"You sound like my friend," he muttered under his breath. "He's smart, too, but he was also wrong. Just like you,"

Kasumi put down her knife and fork, albeit a lot more lightly then he had done.

"Hayate, I will help you as much as I can. So will Hayabusa, I'm sure of it. Give it another shot. One mistake doesn't mean you can't,"

"If only that were so," he murmured, pushing his chair in and leaving the table.