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.

And for this series, I also stipulate I do NOT own Gunbound. Softnyx has created it for the free enjoyment of people around the world who are amused by shooting stuff at other people through angle calculation and power adjustment against various atmospheric conditions, wind speed, direction and changes; bullet shape, type, weight, and cannon length.

Uh…before anything else…I'd like you to meet my new muse…Flack. Congratulations! You've become my muse for this fiction!

Flack: Err…what does a muse actually do? (Eyes me weirdly)

Ehm.., I think you're supposed to help me out with any fiction ideas I have. You're supposed to be a guide…an inspiration…and you are supposed to give authors a sane reason why we should continue living and creating these stories…

Flack: That's it! Man, that sucks! I'm outta here!

The muse also has free pass to my cupboard full of chocolate, mint and strawberry imported Pockys! And full access to all my files in the computer and gets to have his own portion in the room where he can sleep and do whatever he wants the whole day!

Flack: Oh god! Thank you for this wonderful job! I'd go and brew you some strong coffee that you like, oh master! rushes off to the kitchen

Sigh, what a little Pocky persuasion would do to a muse…(shakes head) To all those not observant enough, Pocky is a candy? Err…some sort of chocolate-coated pretzel that is aptly half a ruler long and is somewhat SIZED and LENGTHENED enough to give people crazy ideas when you eat them. Yummy…

Flack: Here you are boss! hands me the coffee Now about the Pocky…

(Is thrown by keys to the cupboard)

I'd have to admit he does make nice coffee…(slurps)…anyhow, next update is here. Kinda fast because I have a muse now. Yeah.

Muse general description: (Just took it from his resume')

Name: Flack

Race: Purple bug-eyed short winged Northern Ridgeback Dragon

(If you've played Gunbound, you'd seen him .)

Likes: Pocky…Pocky…my anime' pop music files in the computer…Pocky…T.T

Dislikes: Yuri, straight fiction…A. Sates from Gunbound…peeping Janes (or women that likes to peep in men's showers)…

Well, enough about my muse…time to read the main squeeze (0.0 omg! My Pocky supply for winter suddenly dwindled to a pile of left over plastic…) .


Chapter 8

"L…Lucia?" Haru's hands trembled, as realization dawned on him.

"Yes…Haru…it was me all along…your frequent nightmares…you're…" Lucia bit his lips as he spoke. "I'm really sorry for the whole matter, Haru. I never thought things would come this far. Maybe if anything didn't happen to your family…I'd still be the jackass guy you'd encounter everyday, Haru."

Haru fell into tears, but still kept his gaze at the blonde.

"But…why? Gale…Lucia…was it necessary for you to hate me so? Did you find anything worth it by being mean and making my life so miserable?"

Gale looked at his direction, softening a bit at the sight of Haru, crying.

"C'mon…I don't think this is the best place for us to talk about this…" Gale kept a distance from the other boy.

Haru nodded a bit in confirmation, then wiped at his tears. Resolute on talking about the whole issue later, he walked side by side with the emotionally stricken blonde. His view of him, now unclear and unsure.

Because for the first time in his life, he was now unsure of the people around him.

"Haru-kun…" Shuda voiced out as he saw the blonde enter the Shiro Honya. The boy seemed to have did a lot of crying, based from his puffy eyes and bitten lips.

"Ah…konnichiwa, Shuda-kun. I'm okay…just a bit tired that's all." Haru let out a feigned smile, as the other blonde entered the bookstore as well.

"G'afternoon…Shuda-san…" Gale monotonously said, momentarily stopping to gaze at Haru before passing through to retire to the boarding house. Haru just looked at him worriedly, and Shuda viewed the whole scene with a weird look.

"Is something the matter, Haru?" Shuda finally voiced out, intent on knowing what was behind the two this time.

"Nothing, it's just…some things turned out unexpectedly…and I don't know how to deal with it in the moment." Haru casted his eyes upon the wooden floor.

"Oh, by the way…a boy named Seighart called. Something about meeting him outside tomorrow at 3 am in the morning. Have a morning job now?" Shuda pointed at the written note on a sticky pad he earlier placed in the bulletin.

"Uh, no. We're going to scour for news about my family…concerns about the fisherman's village. I hope something turns up tomorrow."

Shuda just came over and patted Haru's back. "Try not to worry too much, ok? Nothing good's gonna come out of it."

Haru gave a nod and breathed deeply, before opening the back door that led to the boarding house…

Haru heaved up on the stairs towards his room. Upon entering, he immediately threw his things onto the side and flopped tonelessly on the bed. It had been only half a week (was it?) since he first started school, and now…things were just as complicated as nets that quickly entangled upon each other.

Haru took his shirt off, and carelessly aimed for the basket, missing it by a mere inch. Too lazy to correct his mistake however, he just laid in his bed, pondering the whole thing.

A soft knock…

"Come in…" Haru spoke in a half-holler, and half-whisper. A flurry of golden hair came in, and Haru stood from his position to greet the visitor to his room.

"No…just…lie in there." Gale sat at his side, pushing the platinum blonde back to bed. He grimaced a bit when he noticed the dark bruises that he inflicted. He fumbled a bit with the hem of his t-shirt, before finally speaking up.

"Those bruises…sorry for that…" Gale gazed at his fingers, somehow humiliated by its presence. Haru gave a small nod, but quietly observed him.

It had been only a few days, but his view of Gale had quickly changed from a brash hotheaded sadist to that lost, poor orphan-boy, devoid of love. Even those slack eyes that were golden a few days ago lost their tone, and had calmed down to a light green tone.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Haru spoke softly after a few minutes. Gale, somehow taken off guard, shivered a bit from surprise.

"I…there are so many things I wanted to talk about you and your family, Haru…I just don't know where to start…"

"One at a time, Gale…we have all the time to do so…"

Gale heaved a sigh and carefully solicited answers from the platinum blonde. Haru, in the other, answered each and every question with assertion, answers that could both satisfy them.

It was a long afternoon to begin with…and a long night to end…

Haru had spoken first.

"In truth, Gale…father was very much a compassionate man. He was one to help anyone whom he found needed it. Of course, he coupled it along with his sense of justice…" Haru spoke short, somehow pained each time he answered one of Gale's questions. To bring up something you may or may not have momentarily lost was like continuously stabbing your heart with a needle.

Gale smiled a bit, satisfied at being sated of his curiosity. How he admired Haru's kindness. A few days ago, he was acting like a jerk in front of him…now, everything just seemed so, so different.

"Gale…"

"Yes, Haru?"

"Tell me…how many years has it been since you…lost your parents?"

"…close to twelve years now. I was four years old back then. My father, he died in a firefight that involved the police…my mother was accidentally shot. I was left all alone, and I hid amongst the rubble that was once our home. I saw your father, he looked like he was looking for something. I had always thought he was the one responsible for their death."

"I was found later on, and was brought to a local orphanage. The nuns were kind in there. They taught me the basics of school and…all that I would need when I'd grow up. A year later, your father found me. I was angry at him…no, make that furious. He said he'd take me in under his care. I was resistant at first, but the nuns believed him, and handed in my papers."

"My first trip out of the orphanage was to prison. There, he showed me the man who was responsible for killing my parents. I was needless to say, shocked, after realizing the truth. It was then, that I felt very foolish for accusing your father a deed he never had done. All the anger I kept inside seemed to have gone to waste…but I didn't think it was all for nothing. What anger had left void in my soul was quickly replaced by love."

"He told me that I had to study, and I was surprised very much when he showed me a dorm, in my elementary years. He gave me all that I needed, and for gratitude towards him, I studied very well just to make him proud. He was happy for me, and I, for myself also. He acted very much like my father…a bit of a dolt, an idiot to say the least and also childish. But he had character, and he knew how to use it for all its worth."

"Your mother, Aunt Sakura, she was kindly in all the same. She complemented your father very much. She was reasonable, levelheaded, stately and mature. She also made the best chocolate chip cookies I could find. She was just like my mother…"

"Sister Cattleya was just like a younger version of Auntie Sakura. Although she reflected a bit of spunk and courage of her father, she would look where she would go and leap…reasonable like her mother. Everytime she came to drop by my dorm, she would help me with my assignments and all."

Gale hid his eyes in the fringe of his hair. Only a stream of tears visible in his face.

"I was shocked the first time I heard they disappeared one day, Haru. It seemed that everything just broke down inside of me. I wanted immediately to break out of the house and shout to the whole world of my anguish and sorrow at their loss. But, I also had to mind you. After all, you were their son. You fainted immediately, and I had to disregard myself for a while…"

Haru placed his hands over Gale's, and felt the slight trembling the blonde had been experiencing.

"Somehow…I regretted being a jerk towards you! I just don't know whether if it was something between us that prompted them to visit or something, I just don't know! I…I…feel it was my fault…"

Gale screamed, crying uncontrollably, before bringing his hand to wipe tears that had freely streamed across his face. He was struggling to keep his countenance, but all restraint had shattered…and now, he just felt vulnerable to pain once more.

"Gale…"

The blonde was surprised a bit, as arms encircled from behind him. Warmth took over the coldness that threatened to take him. He felt the heat of flesh from across the thin fabric of his shirt. Silver hair waved softly from beside his cheek.

A soft whisper…

"No one's to blame…"

"Haru…"

"Onegai…. I don't want to cry anymore. And I don't want you to cry either."

Gale leaned back, tears now slowly subsiding. He clutched one of Haru's hands, a slight twitch came as response. A slight musk scent came into his attention, and Gale snuggled closer to where it was emanating, not realizing he was on Haru's neck. Only a soft whisper came…a purr or rumbling of some sort…

"We'll see them once more…one way or another…"

"I believe…Haru…"

Gale had immediately left him just as he came. He was still shaken from the things that had happened, but nevertheless had felt that a burden was finally taken away from his shoulders.

An hour passed by before each was called to have dinner downstairs. Haru and Gale met at the stairs, their gazes meeting each other, before smiling a bit and proceeding downstairs together.

Shuda kept staring at Gale and Haru, who now seemed more cordial and friendly towards each other. Whatever happened to them up stairs, especially that unexpected scream that came from Gale in Haru's room, Shuda had absolutely no idea what was happening right now.

He was just about to speak out his thoughts when Musica timely interrupted him.

"All right, now I'm weirded here. What the hell just happened to both of you?" Musica placed his fork and spoon down, went over to Haru and checked his temperature, his other hand going to Gale's forehead as well.

"Nothing…you're taking things too seriously, Musica-kun. " Haru mildly brushed the hand off his forehead, as did Gale, who seemed mildly affronted at being disturbed of his meal.

"Really, we being cordial with each other had nothing to do with being sick and all. Let's just say that Haru and I…uhm…"over-compromised" over a few things…" Gale glanced at Haru, to which the other nodded in the positive.

"Oh, really?" Shuda cocked an eyebrow, a bit surprised. To say the least, he'd have believed that Haru and Gale were like the angel and the demon, the dog and the cat, heaven and hell, water and oil. Such analogies…Shuda shook his head.

"Are you not comfortable with the way we now treat each other? Musica-san? Shuda-san?" Gale shuffled his gaze between the two.

"No…we're fine with that. We just…we didn't think that we'd see the day when you and Haru would get along." Shuda replied, with Musica nodding in agreement.

Both suddenly turned their heads.

"Musica…when they get to sleep, try to stick thermometers into their mouths. Make sure you have our stock of penicillin ready as well. We have a very serious case in our hands…" Shuda whispered as he and Musica huddled in a corner, turning chibi.

"Heard that…" Haru and Gale drolled, before impassively throwing cooking pans at both of their heads.

"So…can I join you later, Haru?"

Gale gazed at Haru fetchingly while both made their assignments at Haru's room. Haru halted at writing for a while, looking at the flaxen-haired boy.

"Really, it'd be just okay…the more, the merrier I guess. Just make sure you wake up at 3 am later or we'll leave without you." Haru resumed to writing his essay.

Gale nodded a bit, and went on with his work. Unable to resist, he asked another question.

"Wouldn't Seighart be uncomfortable with me around? He doesn't trust me…nobody does. Maybe I shouldn't just join…"Gale lingered on.

"I trust you…" Haru continued writing his essay.

Gale stopped writing for a while, eyes fixed on his pen. Bringing his gaze up steadily at the platinum blonde, he whispered softly…

"Thank you, Haru…you just don't know how much that meant to me…"

"Does it?" Haru asked, in innocence and outward curiosity.

Gale smiled a bit, before resuming to his work.

What a day…Gale thought in his mind.

What a day…

3 a.m.

"Haru…"

A soft moan.

"Uh…Haru…"

A rustling of bed covers.

"Oh…the stubborn one are we…" Lucia piffed, then turned neko and hobbled towards the foot of the bed.

Bringing the covers above Haru's knees, Lucia gazed at what he was looking for.

Haru's feet.

Taking the second toe from Haru's left foot, Lucia took careful hold and massaged the area before slowly…

"YEOOOOOOOOOW!"

"What the fuck was that! Aaaah…" Haru clutched at the toe, massaging it slowly. Lucia shrugged at the side.

"You practically broke my toe!" Haru whined, pointing at the reddening appendage of his foot.

"Sorry. Couldn't help it. Back at the orphanage, that's what we do to wake people up. Besides, I just cracked it…" Lucia grinned bashfully, before cracking both of his hands, the sounds resembling like carrots snapped into two.

"What's the deal waking me anyhow, it's just three in the morning…" Haru scratched his head as he yawned.

"That's just it…it's three in the morning…" Gale pointed at the luminous dials of his watch. "Or have you forgotten of your previous engagement with a certain blue-haired boy?"

Haru woke up, startled. In record time, he rushed off to take a shower, groomed and clothed himself. Haru looked a bit startled when he realized Gale was already in his school uniform.

"Oh this?" Gale pointed at his uniform. "The deal…I go to the bar, I wear a jacket…by sunrise, we go to school. No need to change back in here and get ourselves late."

Haru nodded in agreement. Donning his own uniform, he took a black jacket and his cap. Gale brought him coffee in a paper cup, one that he made. He had two prepared as well, one for him and the other for Seighart.

The doorbell of the bookshop rang.

"Let's go, Gale…" Haru took the other boy's hand as they trotted towards the door.

Passing through the shop, they reached the street outside. Seighart was a bit startled upon seeing Gale, giving Haru the glare that read "Did-he-blackmail-you-into-this?" type of glare.

Gale looked apprehensive, tugging softly at Haru's elbow. "I don't think I'm sure about this…" Gale said, whimpering a bit at the effect of humiliation.

Seighart, of course, was a bit startled. Seeing Gale suddenly turn lamb, when just the past few days he had the reputation of a hotheaded wolf, was a bit…suspicious for his tastes. Haru had to coerce the flaxen-haired boy again to go on with the short trip.

Needless to say, the three took off; time restraining Seighart to stir Haru why the blond was there with them.

The trip to the docks was nevertheless, long. However, it did give Seighart the time to observe Gale…more so with his attitude and approach to Haru.

When Haru whimpered of the cold morning wind, Gale had offered to hold his cup of coffee while the boy wore his jacket over his uniform.

If that wasn't enough, he even took hold of Haru's cap and gingerly wore it on Haru. Haru gave a small word of thanks, and Gale just nodded a bit, handing back the cup.

When Seighart and Haru idly talked for awhile, Gale just kept mum at his side, keeping to himself. Seighart sensed he was itching to join in the conversation, but somehow suppressed himself from doing so.

After an hour's walk to the fishing ports, the trio finally managed to see one of the few lights that led to the bars. The three searched for a decent bar to go in, and settled by the counter, waiting to be served by the bartender.

Seighart calmly came closer to the bartender, a burly man who didn't seem to have understood the context of "clean shaving" and "health sanitation". He whispered back, albeit discreetly. His yellowish teeth showing behind his smile, or rather, grin.

"It seems" Seighart told Haru. " that the fisherman themselves had been doing patrol work as well as fishing these past few days. They'd found survivors on the nearby islands, and have sent them to the coast guards for identification. "

Haru nodded in understanding. " So, in the end, the coast guard's office would still be the only place for me to find them?"

"It seems so…"

Haru turned to the bartender, who was busy cleaning the counter top with a dirty rag.

"Had they found any family within yesterday?" Haru asked meekly.

Speaking without rancor, the bartender threw the towel to the basin below and leaned on his elbows to speak closer to the kid before him.

"Listen, kid. The men here usually find only dead bodies, either ones that are floating or have been washed up on the shore. In any case, the last I've heard of that they've found was an old lady. Is she related to you or something?"

Haru abated his worries. "No…no. It was my family that was on the ship. I haven't had news of them since yesterday…"

"Ah…I see…"

Haru slumped on his stool as Seighart looked at him with a look between worry and empathy. At least, there was no news yet…

"Sake' for me…"

Haru looked startled when he realized Gale started to order, just for himself, the clear liquor that had marked their first meeting.

"Gale…I don't think you should drink…"Haru prodded the boy, nervously.

Taking his first shot, Gale let a sigh pass his lips as his gaze dropped to the table, his fringe covering his eyes. Red started to creep into his face as a small smile crept towards it.

"One shot is all I need Haru…to calm me…guess I'm still worried…"

Gale faced the boy, smiling so…calm and carefree.

Leaning back to tilt his head, he closed his eyes and let the sensations around him dissipate into insignificant distractions. The noise outside seeming to be distant whispers and the touch of people around him turning into caresses of the wind.

Turning sober, he pulled out a few coins and paid for that single shot of wine and stood up. Haru wondered a bit, as Gale went out of the bar.

The sun had slowly peeked across the horizon, with Gale gazing at the returning fisherman in their boats. Haru walked to his side, not facing the blonde however.

"They're…still out there…Haru…"

"I know…and I'm more glad in that than finding them as cold…"

"Shush…don't talk such nonsense."

Gale looked at him a bit, before finally taking leave of Haru and walked back to the city alone. Haru sensed he wanted to be alone, and in his opinion, so would he…

"Haru…"

The boy looked back at Seighart.

"Is it time to go, Seighart?"

The other just nodded, and taking the other by hand, walked slowly towards the bus stop. The only thing they can do for now…is wait…


Sorry for the slow. slow update…school is really bugging me TT Oh the joy of being in one with a trimester setting…

Flack: Excuses…you're just plain lazy…

(stuffs a newspaper in his mouth) If you would help me in my work, rather than finishing my supply of Pocky…geez…

(goes after Flack to raid what was left of the Pocky