Disclaimer: Hmm...no, no and no. I do not own Groove Adventure Rave; it's characters and the series. And although I don't own Japan either, I perfectly understand I'm allowed to use their language. And...uhhh, other things like that.


Chapter 6

"Yo, Haru-san"

Haru looked up from his steps as he saw Elie waving at him in the corridor. Gale let out an unmistakable grunt as the brunette girl came forward, throwing a dirty look at Gale.

"Let's go, Haru-san...I don't like him at all..."Elie sniveled a whisper in Haru's ear. Gale's ears suddenly twitched at the callous comment and turned around to glare at the woman.

"Mind your place, little girl. I will not have any second thoughts of throwing you in a locker if you make any more snide comments towards me..." Gale snapped haughtily at her, resuming his pace.

"Elie, please...just don't get in his way...or do anything to make him angry..." Haru pleaded deeply into her eyes.

"Sigh...Haru-san...fine, if it will make you any better..." Elie resigned to Haru's pouting. If it was anything that would make her change her mind into anything, it would be Haru's puppy eyes...or how the way he would just pout and stare at her.

"Arigato, Elie..." Haru returned to his happy demeanor again, and both passively walked the corridor, keeping distance with the blond. A few minutes passed before they both had reached class.

"Peh...Literature..." Elie stuck a tongue out as they reached their respective room. Both had decided to stick at seats in the nearest corner near to the teacher, so both could pay full attention.

Haru could not, and would not, pay attention to the teacher.

The tears of Gale kept replaying in his mind, over and over again, like an addiction. An addiction to pain.

He gazed at his hand, the one that touched Gale. It was enough that he could touch the blond. The mere brush of fabric passed on to Haru a tale of his life...Gale's life...

Isolation...

Pain...

Death...

And most of all...

Hatred...

Haru had felt his skin burn at the sensation of fury and anger. How was it that Gale can mix an even combination of anger, sadness and pain into himself and still come out sane in the outside?

It was new to him, this...this feeling of the negative. All his life, he had felt happiness. A few times he would be sad, but then it would be gone.

Gale...whoever he was...has sadness as his companion his entire young life.

A desire began welling up into Haru's being...of being part of this intriguing man's life. Yet, how would that happen if the same person hated him from the core because of the way he was?

If only to tell him that he understands his pain, maybe the blond would...

A smile crept in Haru's face, as he realized a plan he was sure would work but felt was risky at the same time.

Haru liked taking risks...


The afternoon passed swiftly with Haru smiling in full blast. His friends had treated him for an afternoon tour to the city and he had a fun time visiting the local malls and eating out. Parting at the crossroads of their neighborhood, each had bid each other farewell and until the morrow.

A scuffle of yellow hair appeared in the horizon, slowly back dropped by the setting, scarlet sun.

"Konnichiwa, Gale-san." Haru waved at the blond, to which the other made no comment. Seeing the platinum blond smile and grin so excessively made Gale make a face in disgust. Haru didn't mind the slight irritation and walked side by side with him.

The doorbell to the Shiro Honya rang to the entrance of the two men.

"Haru..."

Shuda blinked at the two of them as he slowly placed the receiver of the phone he held up down. Shuda's grim look immediately replaced Haru's happy disposition.

"Shu...Shuda-san...is there something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? " Haru's voice was now laced with panic, noting that Shuda was looking at him pitifully, something with the hint that something was wrong...

That something was terribly wrong...

"No...it is best that we talk this over in the right manner...You two, go upstairs and clean yourselves up. Haru, we'll talk about something at dinnertime..." Shuda turned his back, dismissing the two with a cock of his head.

"Shuda-san..."

"NOW! Haru! And you too, Gale..." Shuda blinked apologetically for raising his voice but left it out. The two decided to just follow Shuda's orders. It was the first time Shuda raised his voice.

What was it that made him so upset?


Haru patiently waited until dinnertime; doing all his assignments, finishing up his room chores, taking a bath. He really wanted to know what Shuda wanted to say.

And he would bet an arm that it all had to do something with him.

"Dinnertime...."

"Sigh. Here we go, Haru Glory. The big news..." Haru brought himself up and out the room, Gale coming out as well, walking silently behind him. A few minutes passed before everyone , including Musica, was finally settled in the dinner table.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable munching of food, and the unusual silence that settled within the group; Shuda ordered that no one leaves the table until he comes back. Musica quirked an eye at him, Gale just picked on his teeth, but it was Haru who was heavily laden the most. His eyes shuffled back and forth, his hands were trembling a bit and his breathing hitched at the slightest. Shuda appeared later with a glass of water in hand and settled in his seat.

"So...what's the big news that you kept everyone waiting?" Gale impassively gazed at Shuda, his teeth clenching the toothpick he chewed on.

"Haru..." Shuda braced his hands into a fist. Haru gazed heavily at Shuda, wanting to hear what he wanted to say.

"Your family...they...they were..." Shuda stuttered heavily, unable to continue straight with the bluntness of the topic he wanted to say.

"They disappeared..."


Haru's jaw dropped at the news. Musica looked at him straight in the eye. Even Gale suddenly delivered his attention at the otherwise not interesting news for him.

"What...what did you mean "disappeared", Shuda-san?" Haru's heart was beating faster and faster, sweat accumulating in his forehead as things were now revealing itself.

"They...decided to visit you...so they boarded a ferry towards Japan. A storm hit the boat...there were no bodies found on the sea..."

Musica cast a worried look at Haru, who was now huffing dangerously and forcefully. His eyes were set on grief and disbelief; his knees were dangerously weak and almost about to give way.

"They are presumed dead, according to the lifeguard..."

And with those final words; Haru's breath hitched, his eyes closed limply and he fell to his side, fainting in weakness and still unbelieving.

He did not feel the touch of comfort from someone he least expected condolence...