Chapter Five

– I'll Show You Warmth –

The three guys and Aiko were walking in the streets. All of them kept quiet and the three glanced at each other. Kiba glanced at Toboe along with Hige and the younger male student glanced at the two older students. The three continued on like this and Aiko noticed how they were all giving each other slight glances.

"Um," she began but none of them spoke. "Excuse me," she said out politely but still they wouldn't talk. "What's going on here? Do you three know each other?" she asked and Toboe looked at her.

"Sorry I don't…I was just…"

"It's just we never saw each other before," Hige said out and Toboe nodded.

"I see…so you three must be wondering who other person is," Aiko clapped her hands together. "Well, this is my friend Toboe and those two," Hige and Kiba looked at the girl and she sweat dropped. "Sorry, I don't know you two that much at all."

"Heh…" Hige said out and he cleared his throat. "My name is Hige."

"I'm Kiba," Kiba introduced.

'Kiba…what a cool name,' Aiko thought to herself and she found herself feeling exciting.

"So what school do you attend?" Kiba asked.

"H-Himura Academy…I'm a sophomore at the school."

"Sophomore, huh?" Hige raised an eyebrow and he snickered. "So you two are sophomores after all."

"What about it?" Aiko asked out.

"Isn't it strange how some seniors are hanging out with two sophomores?"

Aiko looked at Hige confusedly then she looked at Toboe while shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't see a problem with that," she said out and Kiba smiled slightly.

Suddenly Aiko's cell phone rang and she pulled it out of her backpack and answered it.

"Ai!" Minako cried out. "You have to come to the hospital quick!"

"What? Why?"

"No time for questions! Takashi…Takashi…" Minako's voice was shaking. "Please…just hurry!"

Just as Aiko was about to ask one last question the phone hung up. She then quickly looked at the screen and started to push some buttons quickly. The three guys looked at her then suddenly Aiko looked at them.

"I'm sorry but I have to go."

"What's wrong?" Toboe asked.

"T-Taka-kun…I think something happened to him."

"Then I'm going with you!" Toboe said out.

"No, I'm sure it's fine…I'll see you tomorrow Toboe," she said out and waved at the two older males and ran off.

"What's the sudden hurry?" Hige asked out and Toboe took off running but quickly Hige grabbed his arm. "Why are you in a hurry also?"

"Because someone's hurt!" Toboe shouted out and Hige looked at him strangely.

"So, they're humans."

"I don't care. I'm going!" Toboe snapped away Hige's grasp and ran off after Aiko.

Kiba looked at the two and he felt a sudden sadness passing by.

"We should go," Kiba said out and Hige looked at him in shock.

"Why!"

"Because I don't want to lose the lunar flower…she has it and I'm going to get it somehow."

Kiba took off running and Hige rolled his eyes then followed after him.

In the hospital and right outside the surgery room Minako sat on the chair. She had her hands grasped together and she was whispering something while her eyes were closed. Across from her sat a tall male with silver hair and in his school uniform slightly messy.

'Damn kid…why did he…?'

The sounds of rushed footsteps were heard and Minako along with the male student looked towards the noise. Minako got up with tears in her eyes and she stood weakly.

"A-Ai-chan," Minako cried out and Aiko quickly rushed over towards her friend.

"What happened? Where's Taka-kun?" Aiko asked and Minako cried out. "Calm down and tell me," Aiko said out in a calmed voice but by the looks that Minako gave off she knew it was serious.

"He…he's seriously injured," Minako said out through tears. "He spilt a lot of blood…someone stabbed him!"

"Taka-kun, when did he go into the surgery room?"

"Right before I called you," Minako said out and Aiko looked towards the door.

"Aiko-chan!" Toboe called out and as he arrived he gasped when he looked at the male student sitting alone.

'A…another wolf,' Toboe thought as he eyed the silver haired male then suddenly he heard Kiba and Hige's footsteps.

Minako continued on crying then suddenly she looked at the three guys.

"Who are they?"

"Huh? They're…just friends," Aiko smiled then suddenly the doors opened and the surgeons were rushing out with Takashi on a bed.

Quickly they placed him in a room and Aiko stood outside with one of the surgeons.

"How is he, doctor?" Aiko asked out and the doctor looked at her with pity.

"It's pretty serious. Since the wound was pretty deep…it was a good thing that guy brought him in as soon as possible."

Aiko looked towards the tough male and she then thanked the doctor.

"Takashi is it? Well…he should get some rest. He sure is lucky to have good friends like you and the rest."

The doctor walked away and Aiko rushed into the room and looked at her friend. She saw how his eyes were closed and the bandages wrapped around his waist. Now that she thought about it…Takashi had a good body…but that wasn't the main thing she realized. The most thing she realized was the girl crying while holding onto his hand.

'Did…Mina really care for him this much?'

Aiko suddenly felt jealousy but overall she felt pain in her chest.

"He's…going to be all right," Aiko whispered and Minako looked at her and nodded slightly.

"Thank goodness. I was so worried."

"I'll go get you something to drink," Aiko said out and she walked out of the hospital room and stood aside.

"Taka-kun," Minako whispered. "Please…you have to wake up. Don't you know that I care for you so much?"

"Crying again?" Takashi whispered and Minako stopped crying.

"Takashi-kun," she said out surprised and Takashi smiled softly then winced in pain. "Are you all right?"

"Of course," he smiled at her then cupped her cheek in his hands. "I'm sorry…for making my girl cry."

So it played out like that. Aiko couldn't believe what she had just heard. The pain in her chest throbbed more and it felt there was a tight knot. She placed her hand up to her heart and felt tears watering her eyes.

'All this time…they were together?' Aiko thought. 'All this time…he had someone special and it wasn't me…it wasn't me…'

Aiko slowly walked away from the room then she took off running outside. As she did so she ran past Tsume and she just barely brushed past him. He looked at her and felt the sudden presence of a familiar scent.

She continued on running then ran into Kiba and fell to the ground. He looked at slightly surprised and saw how she wasn't getting up. Her face was looking down at the ground and her body was slightly shaking. Kiba kneeled before her and looked at her and then saw small droplets fall to the dry ground.

"Aiko," Kiba called out to her and she covered her mouth with one hand.

"I'm so stupid," she whispered and Kiba looked at her carefully.

"What happened?"

"All this time…Taka-kun and Mina…they were together…and yet I've been…"

Tears streamed down her face and Kiba looked at her with sympathy.

"Shouldn't you be happy?" he asked.

"I should be…I should be happy but how can I when I…looked towards him?"

She poured out crying and Kiba slowly placed his hand upon her shoulder then pulled her in towards him. Warmly he wrapped his arm around her and she…unknowingly placed her arm around him for comfort.