This part of the story will be set more from Kotarou's point of view.

Chapter Four

Kotarou looked up at the clock and panicked. It was time to go to work! He jumped off his bed and ran down the stairs and out the door, heading to the Green Drugstore for his first day. Lucky for him, he had been hired by Kazahaya and his family to work at their store. Kakei, Kazahaya's father, had told him his jobs would be to help stock shelves and then help out the other boys with side jobs.

As he ran down the street, he spotted his cousin, Tatsuki. Kotarou muttered angrily about not bothering to tell him he was late as he struggled to catch up with his relative. Kotarou and Tatsuki, as well as their friend Yuuto, had been hired to work in the Green Drugstore, all with similar jobs.

"I'm here!" Kotarou called as he slammed open the door. He blinked as he saw that the store was empty. "Yuuto?" He called, "Tatsuki? Kazahaya?" He looked around the store as he called for his friends.

"They're in Kakei's office," came a voice. Kotarou jumped and whipped around to see Saiga, Rikuo's father. "They're getting their first side job."

"Shouldn't I be there?" Kotarou asked.

"No, don't interrupt; they'll fill you in later." Saiga said as he sat down and lit a cigarette.

Kotarou nodded and then sighed, feeling left out, and decided to stock shelves. A while later, Rikuo, Kazahaya, Tatsuki, and Yuuto emerged from the office, Kakei following them.

"Remember," Kakei was saying, "It's just a test to see how well you work together. You don't have to bring back the ring, though I'd prefer it."

Kotarou stopped what he was doing and went over to the others. "What are we doing?" He asked.

"There's a ring we have to find," Kazahaya explained as he took his cell phone out to check the information that had been sent to him, "all we have to help us is where the ring was seen last, though it's probably been moved, and a blurry picture of the last guy who owned it." Rikuo produced a picture and let Kotarou look at it. It looked like a black blur on a grey background. The younger boy frowned and returned it. "We have until dawn tomorrow to find it," Kazahaya finished as he returned the phone to his pocket.

"Shouldn't we check the place it was last?" Yuuto asked.

"Yeah, but just a second, I have to see something first." Kazahaya took the picture from Rikuo and then seemed to blank out. He teetered and then started to fall backwards in a faint when Rikuo caught him. Kazahaya opened his eyes and then shoved Rikuo away.

"See anything?" Rikuo asked.

"Yeah, but not much," Kazahaya muttered, "There was only a boy who looked about eight and had a big grin and he was wearing the ring on his left hand, though it was too big."

Kotarou tilted his head, wondering how he had known that by looking at the picture.

"I might be able to help," Yuuto offered, hand out to take the picture. Kazahaya nodded and let him see it. Yuuto studied it for a minute. "Hey, Kotarou," Yuuto said, "look at this!"

"What?" Kotarou asked, rushing to Yuuto's side. Yuuto grabbled Kotarou's shoulder and the two stared at the picture. "I don't see anything…" Kotarou muttered.

"I do," Yuuto said, letting go of Kotarou, "The boy is worried or upset about something, though he's hiding it. He's covering it up by acting happy."

"Finally we get something apparently useful," Rikuo said, taking back the picture. "Now we can go to the place it last was."

Kotarou was puzzled, though followed them as they left.

It was evening by the time they reached the old apartment room. The whole building was deserted and in poor shape, a strange spot for the ring to be. Tatsuki looked around and then took Kotarou's hand, making the boy jump. "What are you doing?" Kotarou snarled, trying to pull away.

"It's a big place," Tatsuki said coldly, "You might get lost or some perverted old homeless man might live here and take you and try to have his way with you."

"Yeah right, ass hole!" Kotarou muttered, though didn't struggle. Tatsuki was crushing his hand and it hurt to move it.

"The boy's room is 217," Tatsuki said as he found some stairs and started to climb them as though following something, dragging Kotarou after him. The other's followed. Kotarou glanced back at Kazahaya, wanting to tell him that the hand holding with his cousin didn't mean that he was gay, but thought that would be more suspicious.

Tatsuki turned a corner. "The boy got in a fight with his mom," He said, "And threw the ring down that way," He pointed down the hall.

"I hate it when you spout answers like this," Kotarou said under his breath.

"Good," Kazahaya said, "Kotarou, you and Rikuo and I should check room 217. Tatsuki and Yuuto, you look down that hall."

Tatsuki nodded and he and Yuuto went down the hall one way and Kotarou and the older boys went down the other way to the room.

"217," Rikuo read and then tried the door. It was locked. He put his shoulder to it, but it wouldn't budge. He then stood back, a glare on his face, and then looked down at the knob. There was a soft click and, when Rikuo tried it again, the door swung open.

"Kazahaya, are you going to check the door," Rikuo asked as he stepped inside, "Or do you see something more interesting in this empty room?"

Suddenly, the floor started to shake. "Earthquake!" Kotarou yelled ducking down to the ground and covering his head. The other two boys did something similar as they heard something crash and then shouts from Tatsuki and Yuuto.

"Yuuto! Tatsuki!" Kotarou cried as he struggled to stand and help his friends, wherever they were.

"Kotarou!" Kazahaya shouted before leaping up and knocking the other boy down and out of the way of a piece of ceiling that could have crushed him. Kotarou looked up at his friend in worry as Kazahaya screamed.

Among the mess of the visions that filled Kazahaya's mind from touching Kotarou, one stood out.

"Yuuto," Tatsuki said, "the ring fell down here!" The dark haired boy knelt down and touched a hole in the wooden floor.

"It can't be down too far," Yuuto said, kneeling beside Tatsuki and looking at the hole, "we might be able to get it out with the 'gum and string' technique."

"Yuuto," Tatsuki said, "That trick doesn't work in real life."

The floor began to shake and someone cried out "Earthquake!"

The two boys looked at each other and then the floor collapsed beneath them. They screamed as they fell, though it wasn't far, only about four feet. They lay there gasping as dust fell and other bits of floor fell in on them.

"Kazahaya!" Kotarou shouted. The earthquake had stopped and they all knew they had to get out of there quickly; there could be an after shock. "Kazahaya!"

The boy slowly opened his eyes. "I think they found it…" He muttered, "Tatsuki and Yuuto…"

"What?" Rikuo asked, going to Kazahaya's side, "What did you see?"

"They fell through the floor," Kazahaya said, "I think they found a hidden passage where the ring fell."

Rikuo nodded and then helped Kazahaya to his feet. "Okay, let's go." He said. He led the other two boys down the hall to the hole in the floor. The trio looked down to see Tatsuki underneath Yuuto and holding up the very ring they had been looking for.

"Only 2,000 yen!" Kazahaya exclaimed as he held up his pay, "But we worked hard! What about the rest of it?"

"The rest of it was divided fairly between the other four people you worked with," Kakei said.

"But…" Kazahaya paused, knowing he couldn't fight Kakei.

"Now," Kakei said, "What do you think of your new partners?"

"It was easier to find the ring," Kazahaya said, "But I don't like splitting the pay so many ways!"

Kakei nodded. "I'm sorry," He said, "But Kazahaya is right; we can't pay so many of you."

Tatsuki, Yuuto, and Kotarou nodded, though Kotarou was still confused from the mission for the ring. The three younger psychic boys started to leave when Kazahaya ran out of the office. "Hey, Kotarou," he said, "Kakei told me you had something to tell me in private."

"I do?" Kotarou asked, though followed as Kazahaya led him up to his room.

"Well?" Kazahaya prompted, sitting down on his bed.

"I…" Kotarou was puzzled at this and then looked up into Kazahaya's eyes. He felt a longing again, like the time they walked to the store together for the first time and the time he had been dragged up the stairs by Tatsuki. He couldn't help it, he leaned forward and lightly kissed Kazahaya.

Kazahaya's eyes widened as the simple kiss strengthened his power and let him feel the confusion and…and love that was inside Kotarou. He found his eyes closing as he kissed the younger boy back. Finally, the two boys pulled away from each other.

"Um…visit whenever." Kazahaya said. Kotarou blushed but nodded as he went back downstairs to join his friends.

End

Heh. I read book three of Legal Drug after finishing this and was kinda upset at how much it was like my story…oh well. I hope that this inspires more Hands Off! fans to write fan fics! Moo!