Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Saiyuki. And I didn't create it. But I'm damn glad Minekura Kazuya-Sama did.

((hi, first time here, not really sure what to do.. please read and review, the plot is actually not well-polished yet, so I'm going to need every bit of advice I could get, and I could only get that from you! Yeah you! Please review my work too! Thanks! ))

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS

Chapter 4

The blonde stepped off the shiny white limo, his hair shining even more than the newly polished vehicle. The car then made for the garage where many other cars resided. Koryu indeed was wealthy, and being poor never seemed like an option to him. He already had his own credit card while still a very young and spoiled child, pointing to anything his eyes found attractive and getting it. Now Koryu knew much better. He sat down at the stone steps leading to a vast garden that almost seemed like a forest when he was still a child. He lighted a cigarette and stared at the big white mansion in front of him. Kaila would have disapproved of his smoking, but she's not here, is she? In fact, I started smoking as soon as you were gone.

Koryu smiled a little, lighting another stick. His chest felt tight, and this happens every time he thought of Kaila. She was the only one who could have changed him and saved him from his present state. His parents, long gone, were never part of his life. Not that it mattered, but sometimes Koryu thought long and hard about how he would have been if he had parents. Maybe he would have been strictly followed. Maybe he would never have had the chance to drink and smoke. Or maybe he will. His thoughts drifted to a beautiful blond girl, always with a warm smile and big hug. Koryu used to detest her being so cheerful, wondering when she'd ever leave him alone. But when it finally happened, all the cheer left his soul. The only family he'd ever recognized and loved, Kaila, died when some freak rammed into her car as she raced home that night. My 10th birthday. It was so important to me then, wasn't it? I had to tell her to run as fast as she could so that she wont miss my party, hadn't I? Koryu never forgave himself for this. He could clearly remember the last conversation he had with his older sister Kaila. She was in college then. Kaila called him from her cellphone to tell him that she was rushing home. Hey bro, I'm coming straight home so don't you dare start without me. Okay Kai, hurry up or I'm not going to talk to you ever again. He had done a little acting there, so that his sister would really hurry. Hurry only to her death. That was the worst, his part on her death. On her funeral day, Koryu didn't do anything but mope around all day, and not even his favorite food could get him to do something. He had spent the day watching over his sister's coffin, crying every few minutes. He was a child still, but on that day, he grew up. After the funeral, Koryu was most silent. He never again ran off on impulse. His childless uncle and aunt had effortlessly taken care of his sister and him, and when he was the only child left, the attention towards him was intense.

Koryu found his first smoke on the day of his sister's funeral. The drivers were at the back of the house and it was the first time Koryu ventured on his own there. The property of his uncle was so vast and it was tiring to just run around the whole house. Then, he begged his driver to give him a taste of the cigarette. The drivers couldn't say no to their little master, who was immediately taken by the new experience and wanted even more. Pretty soon, Koryu hosted smoking parties at the back of the house, mostly composed of himself, the drivers, some maids and the gardener. All of them swore never to tell anyone else about young master Koryu's addiction, but to his dismay, his aunt suddenly walked in on one of these parties while looking for the gardener. Koryu was sent off to his room and was locked inside for a week. He was 14 at that time, a young hotblooded teen who wanted everything in his own way. Some of the maids smuggled alcohol into his room to try to sate his anger, especially since he started throwing some of the furniture out the window. And there another addiction was born. His room would almost always be filled with smoke, and there would be beer and vodka everywhere. He became a very strange student in his school, a still young kid who already smoked and drinked heavily and had almost no friends. It was a private school, and nobody cared about each other in any way at all. He excelled in martial arts and sharpshooting, but not in singing and dancing. He always did well in academics no matter how he tried not to, and so his uncle and aunt finally forgave him about the smoking sessions. They still kept reminding him about the effects of cigarette smoke though, but respected Koryu's own decisions. Koryu had no one else but them now, his second parents. He could almost call them mum and dad for what they had done for him, and he was sure no parent could easily see their son turn to booze and smoke, but they understood his plight and forgave him. Pretty soon, after the new bond and understanding was made between him and his second parents, he cut down on smoke and alcohol and that made his aunt a lot happier. She started to paint and bake again, two hobbies she had forsaken in fear of her nephew's perplexing state. Sometimes he would arrive home to see presents at his bed and letters that told him how happy his uncle and aunt were about him, and that they would support what he does, no matter what. They TRUSTED him. Nothing was better than that, except for a tiny little flaw in the master plan. Kaila wasn't there to share the important events of his life, even the simple ones. The brother Kaila had known was an irresponsible and terribly spoiled brat, and that was not how he wanted her to remember him.

Koryu stood up and collected the cigarette butts on the ground. He thought of Gojyo and how he was so horrible to the poor redhead. The guy didn't really do anything to him. Maybe its because the man who crashed into Kaila was a redhead too. Damn him, it's good he's going to rot in prison now, after all the charges we pressed against him. With uncle's power, he would never again see the daylights as a free man. The criminal was already wanted for a lot more cases, and his uncle, a famous politician and lawyer was able to get the man into prison for life. Good. The fact that the guy would be in prison for life pleased Koryu greatly.

Fine, I'll be friends with that guy. He was the only one who had the courage to speak up to me like that, something no one here is allowed to do. Except for Kai, that is. He walked up the steps to the front door and pushed open large red mahogany doors. Immediately someone ran over to him as usual to offer him this and that. I'm sick of this.

"Good evening. Can I speak to Aiel? Oh, please tell her that this is Gono, her classmate," Gono looked around his room precariously, wishing that no parent or maid would come bursting on him. if that happened, he would probably tell them that they were invading his privacy and push them out of the room. Or perhaps not. He finally mustered enough courage to call Aiel after two hours of deep contemplation. Gono had slipped to him Aiel's number as he went off to his next class and wished him luck.

"Hello?" came Aiel's surprised voice.

"Hello. This is Gono."

"Oh yeah, my mom told me… So.. What's up?"

"Pretty much nothing."

"Okay…"

"Actually, I called to tell you that I'm sorry for acting that way during class. I guess I was just surprised about what you told me and I wasn't able to appreciate your kind advice."

"Oh, that. I did wonder about your reaction. But its okay, no harm done, I still like you."

"Ehm… "

"Where'd you get my number anyway?"

"Gojyo ? "

"I figured. He never told you anything about me?"

"Well, no.. at least not yet."

"Good."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll tell you soon."

"Okay. Uhm, would you like to get together some time?"

"Sure. Just call me anytime. Hey, do you know the other new guy, Koryu?"

"No. But I'm planning to get to know him. Why?"

"Nothing. But you should get to know him for me. He's so.. strange."

"And I'm not?"

"Of course! You're the most sane guy I've ever known."

"That's good isn't it?"

"That's pretty much better than most guys. Hey, gotta go. Call me soon, bye."

"Bye. Goodnight."

Gono put the phone down and climbed into his bed. Well, that was smooth. I better thank Gojyo soon. He had never done anything this bold before. Maybe it's time for change. A change for the better.

((P.S. I'm going to try to update this as often as I could. Thanks! Please review my work so that I could have an idea of my standing here. Its my first fanfic you see. The more reviews, the faster the next chap will be up. Why? Coz you guys are my inspirations! Ü whew, finally our 1st term ends. And im still in the dean's list! Yeah! Ü ))