Grr… sorry, I'm not angry at you guys, just I've been playing DOA3 and been getting gradually more and more frustrated with CERTAIN characters. *Glares* Now, I don't want to offend anyone who's favourite character is more then likely on my hit (oh yes, very HARD hit) list, so I won't mention it. A very long list, you see. Now, if Ryu wasn't my favourite character, he'd be on it. As is, he's on the 'spank-'em' list instead. Hahahahahaha.

Onto more constructive things. For some reason, reviews don't always show up properly. I know both my friend and I are having that problem. I wonder why? Anyway… enjoy the chapter, and this chapter is dedicated to Han and Lexy for listening to my Ryu rants with patience, still! And Han also for whenever I show her my phone, she always looks. And it's always the same picture of Ryu on it. She's a good sport. Either that, or just silly. ^_^

*

A short exhale of breath, shutting his eyes and leaning his head on the table, ignoring the coffee he had ordered a few moments ago which was slowly getting cold.

I was such a fool. And now because of that, Ayane's lying in a hospital bed. She could have died. I suppose her hating me with such intensity is the lesser of two evils.

What if I hadn't been so harsh to her? Would she still have tried overdosing on those drugs? Was it what I said? Or just a combination of things?

I suppose 'what if' is a nice fantasy. It certainly won't happen… nothing can change reality. Wait. Nothing, except for those stupid pills she took. Gods, I can't believe that she would do something like that. It seems so unlike her to be affected so brutally by something someone said. Something I said; to make it even worse. Why did I say those things to her?

He started as a hand touched his shoulder.

"Thought you might have gone. Decided to check here to see if you were here. Besides, I'm starving," Hayate sat down, golden brown eyes examining the menu. "Hmm. Lemonade, hamburger… sounds more like a fast food joint then a hospital restaurant. You hungry?"

He shook his head, and was shocked to hear his voice so faint when he responded. "No. Thankyou,"

"You should eat something," Hayate handed him the menu.

He pushed it away. "No, dammit!"

It wasn't my intention to raise my voice so loudly. Now everybody's staring at me. The bastard that nearly got his best friend's sister killed.

"I have to get out of here," Suddenly, all the people in the room were so suffocating. Slowly suffocating him until he perished. Must… must get out of here…

Ayane would be happy if that happened. She's probably come and spit on my grave.

Hell, I'd be happy if it happened right now. She is right…

"Ryu, wait-" Hayate broke off as he broke into a run. He had to get out of here. Through the winding labyrinth of corridors, nearly running into a hospital trolley complete with patient about to go into the operating theatre. Finally, the doors, like two gates to heaven. He threw them open, breathing in the fresh air.

She nearly died. She nearly died. All because of what? Me?

A near-death on my conscience… adds to Irene, I suppose. Must be my luck.

Luck of the draw…

Luck of the damn draw.

He continued running once more. Running from everybody. No time to stop and look at who he had just run into. No. Keep on running, running…

That nasty voice in the back of his consciousness was snickering at him. There're reasons people like you shouldn't try to get close to anybody. Why? Because all you do is suffocate them. Slowly and painfully. Like Ayane. A flickering flame. A flame which you nearly extinguished. You bastard.

"Get out of my head," his voice was but a mere whisper as he stopped to catch his breath. The run hadn't been that tiring, but…

And now she hates you. You deserved so much more. You deserved to die, just like she said… she is so right.

"Stop it!" A searing pain shot through his head as he clenched his hands together desperately.

Killed her… you nearly killed her…

"Ryu?"

He turned fearfully at the sound of his father's voice. What is he doing here? Isn't it always the way. If something has a fifty percent chance of going wrong, then nine times out of ten it will. Oh well, I suppose it's just more luck of the draw. Right?

He glanced down. Oh. His father was carrying a bag with various bottles of alcohol. Should have guessed. There must have been some reason he hasn't already hit me across the walkway. He's halfway sober. Must have run out of alcohol back home.

"I'm sorry. Look, something happened, I'll go back to school right away…"

"Wait,"

He flinched as a strong hand encircled his arm, and nausea engulfed him like a wave. Not now, please not now… not here, where everyone can see you! "Let go of me!"

"What's wrong with you?"

What? He sounds… almost concerned… no, he can't be. He hates me. He's probably concerned that I'm spoiling his reputation or something.

He hates you too. You deserve to be hated, after what you did to Ayane…

He wrenched his arm away from his father. "Let go! Stop it!"

Isn't hate a wonderful emotion, Ryu? So nice…

"For god's sake, get out of my head," he whispered brokenly as blackness swirled around, obscuring his vision. No, can't black out… can't black out… what's wrong with me, anyway? Just all of a sudden, I get dizzy and… my consciousness is… talking to me..? I don't know…

"Sorry…" he murmured as if on a reflex, his father caught his falling form and blackness overtook him, slowly but surely.

He couldn't help but feel a slight pang of concern, gently putting a hand on his son's forehead. No temperature. Then what the hell possessed him to faint in the middle of the street? He thought to himself. No plausible reason came to mind.

"But… it doesn't mean I've forgiven you!" he exclaimed to the limp body in his arms. "Only because your mother would have a fit if I didn't take care of you now,"

Even still, lugging his son home was not on his to-do list, especially with a bag of drinks in one hand. He swore under his breath. Sure, Ryu wasn't heavy. But certainly heavier then it would have been to carry drinks alone.

Dumping his drinks on the table and his son on the couch, he pulled open the drawer and grabbed a glass, decanting a bottle of beer into it, sipping it absently as he looked down at his son, and felt the alcohol kick in instantly. Other then being paler then usual, nothing seemed to look amiss. In fact, Ryu looked rather peaceful, draped on the couch like that.

"Arsehole," he muttered, downing the contents of the glass in seconds. "It's no fun when you're unconscious like that. People don't scream when they're unconscious,"

Another glass, and the room became comfortingly bright. "Stupid idiot was talking to himself like a psycho," he greeted as the door slammed. Obviously Raidou.

"Well, always knew he was screwed in the head. But there you go. He's your son," Raidou slurred. Obviously he had been drinking before entering the house.

"You can't talk. Your daughter's a frigging lunatic. She really needs a chill pill or something,"

He brushed his shoulder-length russet locks over his shoulder. "You really deserved that kick in the nuts, arsehole,"

Suddenly, there was a soft murmur from the couch. Both he and Raidou looked down as Ryu slowly stirred, finally waking and blinking big green eyes.

"What… where am I…?"

As soon as they made eye contact, Ryu was on his feet.

"Oh, Father… I'm sorry for what happened, I-"

He took one step forward, another.

"You're a dickhead. Did you know?" he slammed the glass down on the table, suddenly furiously angry. Drinking made him hate his son all the more.

"Now I do," Ryu just looked… what was the word? Sad. There was no other word to describe it accurately. "Thankyou for bringing me back here. I suppose… I suppose I had better go back to school now,"

"Go, before I bash your skull in," he hissed, pointing at the door. Ryu went.

Ayane… there's no hope of you being able to forgive me, is there… no. You would never be able to forgive me for what I did to you…

He was wandering aimlessly now in the main town area. He hadn't gone back to school. His things were still at the school, however. Oh well. They can rot there for all I care.

People were bustling down the street, people shouting across the way to each other. He simply ignored it all, walking down the street and ignoring everything. Until…

"Pst. You, kid. Yeah, you," a voice hissed from the shadows. He spun around, instantly spotting a short, balding man beckoning to him. "Want some stuff?"

"What sort of 'stuff' are you referring to?" he asked. Things are looking up, especially if he's talking about what I think he is.

The little man held out a small plastic bag. "The good stuff," he said, drawing out the syllable of 'good'. "Real cheap, too. Only forty for this, a real bargain. Whatcha reckon?"

"What exactly is it? How do you use it?"

"You don't know, kid? You're in for a treat. One sniff of this and all your problems go away. Whoosh. Nothing left except for a super high. Want to have some? Just sniff it,"

Oh, really? It does sound tempting…

God. Father would literally kill me if he ever caught me on drugs. And after Ayane's little trick earlier, I don't know if I want to…

Come on, his sub-consciousness hissed enticingly. What do you have to lose? Only your stupid, worthless life…

"No, thankyou," he tore his eyes away from the drugs that the man was holding in his hands almost reluctantly. "I would like to, but the consequences would be dire if I chose to do so,"

"Sure? You're missing out," the man chided.

"No thankyou,"

"Your loss," the man turned to try and persuade another person on the street.

Left alone again. He continued walking down the street, not completely sure where his feet were taking him. Sad, that. But not so bad. You get used to it after a while. And solitude is good in a way. Nobody can get hurt from your actions. Nobody except you. And god, you hurt because of them every day.

His hair swung forward into his face. He pulled the tie out of it carelessly, running a hand through it and putting the tie around his wrist as he continued walking.

This is so pointless.

*

Next chapter: Ayane breaks out! Sort-of… in other words, the formal! Yay!