AN: Okay, this chapter gets a tad bit lemony. Eventually I'll probably end up changing the rating from T to M, but for now, I'll keep it at T since not a whole lot goes on. Thanks for the reviews! I'll try to keep posting this story fairly frequently.
--- a switched scene
-.-.- going into a flashback
Chapter 2
"...Where are... the rest of the pages? They look like they've been torn out..." Sora stared down at the journal, sadly, sitting on his bed. "..." He stood, putting it back into the dresser drawer he'd grabbed it from before slowly closing the drawer. He held onto the handle for a few moments, taking in the past few moments he'd spent alone in the room.
Slowly, his hand dropped to his side, and he shifted his weight, shoulders drooping as he stared up at the ceiling.
"...That was inappropriate of me... to look through Nao's things... if he wants to talk to me about them... I'm sure he will..." He opened the second drawer down, blushing beet when he saw all of Nao's underwear pushed to one side, his socks on the other.
"..." He pulled out something that looked like a Speedo, sweat dropping. "...I've never seen him wear this..."
"AND YOU NEVER WILL, YOU PERVERT!"
Sora gawked as Nao's briefcase hit him in the back of the head. He turned, annoyed, rubbing his fresh bump. "It's not what it looks like."
"It looks like you're going through my things!" Nao fumed. "...PUT THOSE BACK!"
"Sport them for me?" Sora smirked, raising them up and stretching them a little.
Nao's eyes bulged and he shrugged his shoulders up, annoyed, cheeks turning cherry. "...Put it back. And no, you don't want to see me wearing those. They don't fit."
"They do, too, otherwise you wouldn't keep them! Put them on!"
"They're too big for me, I bought it for..." He trailed off, averting his gaze. "Why are you going through my things!"
"Bought them for who?"
Nao's eyes widened when he realized his top drawer was open a crack. "Hey... you didn't go through my top drawer, did you!" He shoved Sora out of the way, opening it. "...What the hell, Hashiba! You can't just go through other people's stuff!"
"I was just going to bring you an extra pair of clothes." Hashiba raised his bag to prove it. "One set for me, and one for you, I thought you went to the library."
"No, I wanted to come home and shower again while no one was here." Nao snapped, annoyed. "Don't touch my stuff. If I wanted a change of clothes, I would have come home and gotten it myself!"
"I was just trying to be nice..." Hashiba huffed, pouting.
Nao swallowed hard. Despite that Hashiba had probably discovered his journal, he couldn't stay mad at him. His actions kind of resembled...
"..." Sora's eyes narrowed. "Why are you petting my head?"
"Because you're kind of like a little lost pu-"
"DON'T PATRONIZE ME!" Hashiba wailed, shoving Nao away, annoyed before huffing.
"I'm sorry..." Nao sat up, cutely, acting as the epitome of seduction; "A master shouldn't come home to their puppy and hit him on the nose."
"I'm not a freaking dog." Sora huffed, sitting beside Nao. "...I skipped school for you, though, so NO. You shouldn't be so mean to me! And I was thinking of you, I was going to bring you some clothes."
"I wouldn't go to the library if I was skipping school." Nao pointed out before smiling to Hashiba. "...Want to shower with me?"
"...Together?" Hashiba blushed lightly. "...But what if someone sees?"
"Who's here?"
"Nanami-chan sent a lot of people home today..."
"They'll be in bed."
"...Alright..." Sora slowly grabbed a towel.
Nao perked up, happily, turning and opening the door for him. "...Hashiba..."
"Hm?"
"...Did you see... ano... never mind." He smiled.
"...I took a look in your journal and..." Hashiba averted his gaze at Nao's shocked expression. "If... you hadn't torn out those pages, I probably would have read them, in all honesty... but... I'm glad you took them out... I want you to tell me, though... about that time."
"..." Nao glared at him. "Look at me, Hashiba."
"..." Hashiba glanced his way.
"...I don't... want to talk about that time, ever... okay?"
"...But Nao, if you don't-"
"And IF I change my mind- and I WON'T, then I'll tell you when I choose to... but I won't, okay!"
"..." Sora nodded, slowly. "...I'm sorry, Nao..."
"..." Nao turned, heading out with his towel. "...Hurry up."
"Uh... um." Sora nodded, sadly, closing the door to their room.
-.-.-.-
"Hey, Ichikawa!" Sora broke Ichikawa out of his trance.
"Yeah?" He smiled.
"..." Sora's smile faded. "...Thanks... um... for... you know... being here for me... these last couple of days... I just wanted to say... um... well, I really consider you... how should I put this... you were there for me when I came to this school, and aside from Matsuri, you were the first person to make me feel welcome! And then... when I was hurt and in the hospital from my fall, you visited me every day... and even now, through all of this dysfunctional mess, you've stayed by my side... what... what I'm trying to say is that I consider you to be one of my best friends... and... Thank you." Hashiba smiled.
Ichikawa blushed lightly, rubbing the back of his head as all eyes fell on him. "...Um... you, too... I mean... of course I'll always be there for you... for any of you... and I may not be in on everything that's happened to you- and if you don't want to, you don't have to tell me either!" He waved his hands about defensively before laughing it off, waving the matter away. "Not-not that I don't want to know, but I mean... you know... ah, you embarrassed me, Sora-sempai! I can't even talk coherently!"
"...Ichikawa-kuuun... you always stutter when you're nervous..." Matsuri chuckled.
"But he made me!"
"...And also... I think the reason Nagase-sempai helped us out," Nao smiled to him. "Was because he was touched by your influence, Ichikawa-kun."
"...Really?" Ichikawa smiled, sadly. "...Do you think Nagase-Buchou made it out alright?"
"...We don't know..." Nao shrugged and Hashiba elbowed him, annoyed.
"If he's as smart as you say he is, Ichikawa, I'm sure he made it out just fine!"
"...Right..." Ichikawa smiled, sadly. "Fujimori-sempai, thank you for being considerate of my feelings... you have a sad look, yourself... but you look sincerely sorry... I may be out of line in saying this, but... I personally forgive you, and I think that if a person is really sorry, he should be forgiven... but not just by his friends... he has to learn to forgive himself, too... that's what I would also say to Nagase-Buchou... that is... if I ever see him again..."
"..." Nao's smile faded and he nodded, eyes tearing a little as he averted his gaze. "...Thank you... and Ichikawa... I'm sure you'll see him again..."
'Rather... that bastard wouldn't possibly die so easily...' Nao was thinking.
"Thank you... eh?" Ichikawa blinked as Matsuri's phone started ringing. He moved to answer it and blinked, taking it and answering.
"Moushi moushi? ... Nanami-chan!"
Sora and Nao stiffened, turning to look.
"...Got it... thank you very much... we'll be right there!" He hung up, turning to them, smiling excitedly.
"Shinichiro-san is going to be just fine!"
"..." Everyone sighed with relief, before standing there in awkward silence. Sora glanced at Nao, Nao stared at his feet, and Ichikawa shifted uncomfortably.
"...Well... at least now... we don't have to do your math homework... right?" Matsuri offered the weak joke.
"..." The others gawked at him- how inappropriate!
Then they busted up laughing.
"...Sei-tachi..." Sei mumbled, rubbing his eye as he woke up. "...Naka suita... ne?"
"Um." Shiina and Kitamura nodded, both yawning.
"...Let's go see Niichan!" Sora smiled.
The group hurried into the hospital and up to Minato's room.
"Nanami-chan, is he awake!" Sora busted into the room, nervously. Nao stayed outside as the chibis ran into the room, excitedly.
"Is the scary man okay?"
"He's going to be just fine... ne, Shinichiro?" Nanami smiled down at Minato, who's eyes were open slightly. He smiled, still clasping his lover's hand tightly.
"Niichan... I'm sorry... about what I did... I didn't mean to... I mean..." Sora sank to his knees, eyes tearing up.
"It's alright, Hashiba..." Nanami smiled to him, patting his head with his free hand. "...We're fully aware that you were being mind-controlled... everyone is fine now... so there's no need to be sad..."
"..." Shinichiro shut his eyes, letting out a soft sigh before inhaling, parting his lips. "Su... nao... come inside..."
"Shinichiro..." Nanami caressed his cheek. "Don't push yourself too hard... let me be your voice..."
Shinichiro smiled, reaching up to touch Nanami's face.
"..." Nao slowly stepped inside the room, eyes heavy with tears, cheeks puffy from crying in the hall.
"...Sunao..." Shinichiro whispered, moving his hand from his beloved's face and patting the bed. "Come over to us..."
"..." Sunao shook his head sadly, turning and getting ready to leave.
"Don't run away, Nao!" Sora caught him by the sleeve, pulling him over to them and hugging him tightly a few feet away. "...It's okay... everything that happened is in the past. You did some terrible things, but in all our eyes... what we did was worse... and ultimately, there's only one person we can blame for all of the misfortune that has befallen upon us, and that person is NOT you... you're one of us... you're a victim of this horrible thing that's happened... and you're also family... we're all family... and family forgives..."
Nao sobbed into Hashiba's shirt, clenching his sleeve as he buried his face in the older teen's chest.
Ichikawa smiled lightly. He had supported his friends, but now it was down to family, and he didn't belong here. He turned, heading silently out of the hospital. Despite what had been said in regards to his being one of Sora-Sempai's best friends, he wasn't as close as Hashiba was to Honjou-sempai and the others.
It was night time, now. He glanced up at the midnight sky. He'd heard something about Ran and Yoru, Hashiba and Sora's split personalities. Staring up at the sky, he was reminded of this. "It's a nice Yoru tonight, huh?" He mumbled to himself. "...Okay, bad pun..." He glanced at the ground, then back up at the hospital. "...At least they got their happy ending..." He turned before glancing to the east, where firefighters were still putting out the fire from the lab.
"Are you really alive and safe, Buchou?" He glanced again at the sky.
"Gaku..." He heard a familiar voice from behind him.
"..." He turned, eyes wide.
"Hey…"
---
"Hey.."
Ichikawa's eyes opened slowly.
"...How do you feel?" Nanami asked, smiling.
"...Nanami-sensei?" Ichikawa blinked, before gasping, sitting up. "...Why am I here? How did I get here!" He looked around.
"Lay down." Nagase snapped at him, irritated from his position against the wall. His arms were folded and he was glancing at Ichikawa with an irritated look. "...You're going to make your fever worse."
"...Nagase-Buchou!" Ichikawa moved to stand, but Nanami pushed him back into a laying position. "Calm down, Ichikawa-kun."
"WAAAAH! I revealed your secret, Nagase-Buchou! I'm so sorry! I'm useless! Useless!"
"No, just extremely noisy..." Nagase picked his ear, annoyed, checking for blood. "...You have kind of an annoying voice."
"Don't say something so insensitive." Nanami admonished, pointing a finger at him. "Apologize, right now."
"..." Minato arched a brow from the opposite wall.
"That's okay, Nanami-sensei! I know my voice is annoying! But I tried changing it, and that didn't work, so I just shout a lot, that way at least everyone can hear me!"
"..." Nagase smiled, lightly. "It's the kind of voice that grows on you. There's no mistaking it, either."
"...That's a nice thing to say... alright, I forgive you." Nanami shrugged.
"...Wait... you wanted me to apologize to you?"
"No, to Ichikawa-kun!"
"...Then... why are you forgiving me?"
"...Shouldn't you be in class?"
"Or burnt to a crisp?" Minato muttered under his breath.
"Oh, did they let you out of the hospital already?" Nagase snapped, glancing at him.
"They had to make room for little boys you've helped beat up."
"Aheh heh heh... now now! Minato-sensei, you have a class to teach, don't you!" Nanami interrupted, nervously.
"I'm about to administer a lesson right now." Minato snapped, still locked in a glaring match with Nagase.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Everyone covered their ears, annoyed, glancing at Ichikawa.
"I forgot! I have to take my history test!"
"You already took it." Nagase reminded him, annoyed. "You missed one question."
"WAAAAAAAAAAH! YOU SAW!"
"STOP SCREAMING!" Minato yelled, annoyed, hands pressed so firmly to his ears he thought he might smash his own head in.
"Shhh..." Nanami raised a tender finger to Ichikawa's lips.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Minato fumed, glowered at the teenager, who blushed, glancing from Nanami to Minato, fearfully.
"Gee, I'm feeling worlds better! I think I'll be leaving..." Ichikawa whispered.
"Do you think you can make it home alone?" Nanami blinked.
"Home? It's only two, I still have one more class, and then chemistry club, I have a presentation to give na? Buchou!"
"No. Chemistry club is canceled." Nagase snapped. "I'll make sure he gets home safe and sound."
"Like we trust you." Minato snapped. "You're not going anywhere until you tell us where Aizawa is."
"That doesn't have anything to do with you. I doubt he'll bother you again, so just dismiss him from your thoughts."
"We need him to turn over guardianship of Fujimori-kun to us." Nanami stated, smiling kindly to Nagase. "Won't you please help us?"
"..." Nagase glared at him. "Don't think your siren like voice or seductive manipulation tactics will work on me, Nanami-sensei. Gaku, I'll take you home."
"But Buchou, I have another test..." Ichikawa blinked, before standing. "Thank you all for your concern, but-"
"I said I'll take you home. You can easily make up a test."
"No, I can't. I have activities after school."
"Make it up before school."
"And miss my shower?"
"Shower before you go to bed!"
"In this heat I need a shower before I go to sleep and after I wake up."
"What's WITH THIS HEAT!" Nagase snapped, annoyed.
"Oh, so it does affect you like it would any other human..." Ichikawa blinked.
"Yeah, no shit."
"I won't allow you to go home with him, Ichikawa-kun. I'm sorry, but he's already inflicted injuries onto you and-" Nanami was cut off, instantly grabbing his ears when Ichikawa started whining loudly again.
"Wha! I don't know what you're talking about!" Ichikawa gawked. No pun intended. "These are all wounds from kendo class!"
"But... they appeared after you confronted him the other day."
"That's not true, not to mention, this one is from Sora-sempai!" He gestured to a wound on his arm. "And this one," He gestured to the bandage on his cheek, "Is from Fujimori-sempai."
"...He punched you?"
"I think he was aiming for Sora-sempai, but... he ducked, and I was there... it was an accident- they all were, na? Nagase-Buchou!"
"..." Nagase fell silent before turning, gesturing for Ichikawa to follow him.
"...Mn..." Nanami and Minato glared, watching as the two headed out.
"...Don't worry." Minato settled a hand on Nanami's shoulder. "...Ichikawa-kun is smart. If he senses any danger-"
"With Aizawa... sometimes you don't sense the danger until it's too late..."
"...Do you feel that Nagase Kai is the same as his father?"
"...I don't know... When we were younger... when I was working at the lab... he..."
"I have a class to go to." Minato, sensing Nanami's distress at even thinking of that time, rested a hand on his beloved's shoulder. "...I'll see you after school... I hope they get this heat problem fixed... or we might just end up having to think up something to do to get our minds OFF of the heat..."
"...There's no heat problem at our place." Nanami huffed.
"Heh."
"We should invite the boys over." Nanami stated, thoughtfully.
"...You're one of those people who's too nice."
"...We should invite Nagase, too..." Nanami smiled. "...You know... I think... no... I believe that people can change, if they have a really strong inspiration and motivation... and support."
"...I don't trust that guy. I'd invite Soushi over before inviting Nagase."
"Great! You invite Soushi, I'll invite Nagase!"
"...Wha-"
"I'll go shopping on my way home." Nanami smiled, cutely.
"WHA-!"
"Excuse me, Nanami-sensei... I feel faint..." A student suddenly entered, gawking when he saw Minato. "...Aren't you the guy who gave me a detention for being late? Your class is waiting for you... it's been ten minutes..."
"...Do you still have that detention slip?"
The boy handed it over.
Minato tore it up. "Never speak of his again."
"I dunno... never's a looong time..." The boy waved his other ten detention slips in front of the math teacher.
"...You look fine to me." Minato shoved him out of the infirmary and headed to class, annoyed.
---
"...Ha-Hashiba..." Nao blushed, turning his head to the side and biting the back of his hand as Sora's strong fingers touched places Nao wouldn't let anyone else touch.
"Hashibaaa... that's a little formal for someone touching you here." Sora pinched one of Nao's nipples, smirking.
"Aaah..."
"Try again..."
"Kuu-chaan..." Nao whispered, softly, cheeks going a shade darker than his hair.
"That's better..." Hashiba moved to color Nao's collar bone with love bites.
"Yame... I want to wear tank tops in this heat..." Nao whispered. "Hashiba, be more considerate!"
"...When we're in our room alone it won't matter... furthermore..."
He gave Nao's nipple a twist.
"YAAAEEEEE!"
"Call me Kuu-chan... it's so cute when you say it in that sexy voice." Hashiba snapped, and Nao slapped him across the face, annoyed. "OWW!"
"...Pervert..." Nao huffed, before raising his arms up around his chest, "...The shower's cold..."
"It'll be hot when we get out, though." Sora moved a hand on either side of Nao, trapping him against the wall. "...I don't feel cold... maybe I'm not trying hard enough for you..." He leaned down, kissing Nao's shoulder bone before kissing up his upper trapezius to his jaw, kissing right below Nao's ear.
(An: I never noticed this before, but trapezius isn't a sexy word at all... it's the muscle on either side of your neck, though, but it makes it sound like they were fooling around, then suddenly showed up at a circus... ne? Oops... did I ruin the mood? My bad...)
"...Hashiba..." Nao shut his eyes, gripping Sora's hips to steady himself. "..."
"Why won't you call me Kuu-chan anymore?" Hashiba whispered, moving his lips to Nao's, but he didn't expect for, nor allow Sunao to answer.
"Mm.. Yame..." Nao whimpered, pulling away from their kiss when Hashiba moved his hand below his waist. "...Not in a public place... let's go back to our room..."
"But it's hot in there..." Hashiba whined.
"Please? Kuu-chan?"
"...Tsh..." Hashiba huffed, turning off the water. "I'll meet you in the room. Hurry up and wash your hair, okay?"
"It'll only take ten minutes."
"JUST TO WASH YOUR HAIR! Just cut it already, you're going to die of over-heat exhaustion if you keep it long!"
"...True... and I DID only have it long so as to help me to seduce you... but... I kind of like it."
"...Yeah... whatever... just hurry up."
"I will." Nao smiled, handing Sora his towel.
---
"..." Minato glared into his empty class room. "What the hell? Damn brats. Even if it's only study hall, THIS IS GOING TO COUNT AGAINST THEIR GRADES!"
---
"This is where you live?" Nagase blinked, pushing open the door to Ichikawa's dorm room.
"Eh." Ichikawa smiled, heading in and going straight for the fridge. "Want something to drink?"
"Please."
"What would you like? I have water, tea, soda-"
"Soda? The carbonation in those drinks eats away at your bones."
"...It's for guests... you never know what they might want."
"...You should stop lying. It's an unattractive face on you."
"I'm telling you the truth!" Ichikawa huffed, offended.
"...Then why is there one open inside?" Nagase pointed.
"...That's from when Fujimori-sempai was living with me... I'm saving it in case he wants it when he gets back."
"...Wasn't that al most a week ago?"
"...Yeah... I guess I should throw it out."
"Nanami-sensei gave you a physical while you were asleep."
"...That's a little awkward... you were there?"
"Yeah."
"...Did you see it?"
"He didn't remove your underwear."
"...Oh... good.." Ichikawa smiled, turning and tossing Nagase a bottle of water. Nagase blinked before catching it. It was nice and cool.
"Thank you."
"Sorry about all the trouble... you were probably busy..."
"...No... I was heading home when I heard your name over the intercom. Then I saw you in that computer lab... are you enrolled in an internet course?"
"Um. Japanese history."
"Oh..." Nagase nodded.
"...You've graduated already... haven't you, Buchou?"
"Yeah. I just help out around the school for college credits."
"...I um... I'm sorry that I revealed your whereabouts unintentionally... to those two... why don't you want them to know where you are?"
"...I don't know... I don't mind it, I guess... It's mostly that I dislike both of them... I just would prefer to avoid them... but naturally, if your safety or health is in..." He trailed off, glancing at Ichikawa.
"...What?" Ichikawa was listening and watching Nagase. He'd put his pillow in the fridge and was laying his head on it.
"..." Nagase smiled, lightly. "...How do you feel?"
"Good, now."
"...Are any of those wounds really from your friends... or kendo?"
"Most of them are from judo! Don't worry. All the bruises you put on me are gone no- o-ow..." He covered his mouth, eyes wide. 'Idiot!'
".." Nagase sighed, opening his water and drinking some. "...You were right."
"Hmm? Right about what?" Ichikawa drank from his own water bottle.
"That day... by the forest... when you told me that I had intentionally given you that note to pass onto Fujimori..."
Ichikawa set his water down on his tummy, still watching Nagase through narrowed sleepy eyes.
"...When you... told me that I did it on purpose... so that you could find a way to put an end to my father's plan... you were right... but I underestimated you... I thought you would run off and try to help your friend."
"..." Ichikawa shut his eyes, sadly. He should have done just that. Then none of that mess would have happened...
"But instead, you wanted to help me, as well... if you hadn't said that... if you had gone and told them... you would have made it before that blonde idiot sent them on that wild goose chase... and then that would have exposed Fujimori. He would have run away, and we'd leave and formulate another plan... Fujimori would never see Hashiba again... and I... I would be placed on another assignment. I'd still be affiliated with my father right now... even though you were hurt... and so many other people were hurt... you did the right thing... confronting me about it... I think... if things had turned out any other way... "
"Buchou..." Ichikawa sat up, slowly, so as not to hit his head on the inside of the fridge. "...Are you really not affiliated with your father? I mean... it's okay if you tell me it's none of my business..."
"No... I'm not... I don't want to have anything to do with him ever again... Even if he's my father... he doesn't care about anyone... just science... I don't want to be like that... I want to be like you and your friends…I want people in my life… not just experiments…"
"...Buchou..." Ichikawa moved to sit beside him. "..." He slowly moved his hand over Nagase's, nervous that the older man might shove his hand away, but he didn't. Instead, he turned, resting his head against Ichikawa's shoulder.
The blue haired boy's eyes widened. His beloved Buchou was actually...
"Can I ask you something? I know you'll be perfectly honest about anything..." Nagase smiled, lightly, turning so that his words breezed across Ichikawa's ear. "...Should I... try to help my father? Or is he a lost cause?"
"..." Ichikawa instantly dismissed the fact that all of his schoolboy fantasies were coming to life right here in his room. Nagase was asking for his advice... and acting so gentle... he sincerely wanted his help... right?
"...I don't believe there's such a thing... as a lost cause in a person... Buchou... you said to be honest... in my opinion... and I know it's creepy that I know you so well from watching you constantly, but... the way you acted toward Nanami-sensei today... and given the fact that you two share the same first name... was your father perhaps... in some way... attached to Nanami-sensei? And if so... that means... he has a soft spot somewhere inside his heart, right?"
"..." Nagase glanced down at Ichikawa, shocked.
"...If... I were to judge your father... which is inappropriate, since I don't even know him... but based off of the facts I am aware of... I would have to say that his actions toward Sora-sempai and the others... were much like Fujimori-Sempai's... meaning that... they seem to me to be lashing out at those they loved... who hurt them... which means they definitely have feelings..." Ichikawa smiled.
"Lashing out at those who they loved who hurt them?" Nagase repeated. Good point. He smiled lightly. "...You really are... intel-" He froze, suddenly, chills shooting down his spine.
"...Buchou?" Ichikawa blinked as Nagase sat up, brows furrowed anxiously.
'Does that mean that my father would attack a person I care about to get revenge against me?" He glanced down at Ichikawa. Remembering all of the things that Hashiba and Fujimori had gone through... he wouldn't possibly allow any of that kind of stuff to happen to his precious--
"Buchou? Are you okay? What're you thinking about? You have a freaky expression on your face..." Ichikawa pointed out. "Why are you looking at me like hat?"
"Uh..." Nagase snapped out of it before taking off his glasses. "...Gaku... if what you said is true... I want you to be careful... you're... important to me."
"..." Ichikawa's cheeks went pink and he fell back onto the bed, smiling happily. "Whoo! I almost fainted!"
"Khhuh." Ichikawa winked an eye open, smiling. Somehow, he felt that was likely the closest thing to a laugh he was going to get out of his beloved Buchou.
"Listen..." Nagase smiled. "I'd better get going... I want to try to confront my father today... if you need anything... here's my cell phone number..." He handed over his card and Ichikawa took it, smiling.
"Your cell number?"
"Right... here, give me your phone; I'll put my number in your phone directly."
"Uh... I don't have one..." Ichikawa pouted, sitting up.
"You have this huge room but no cell phone?" Nagase blinked.
"...Why does everyone think just because I have a big room that I'm rich? I actually... my family isn't really very well-off. I made it here on scholarships. They paid for this room... "
"...You're... poor?"
"I'm not poor... I just have basically no money what-so-ever..." Ichikawa sweat dropped. "I'd get a job, but then my GPA might drop, plus, it's not really allowed."
"...In that case..." Nagase deleted some of the people off of the phone before handing it over. "Take it."
"I'm not gonna take your phone!" Ichikawa exclaimed, pushing it back into Nagase's arms.
"...I have two anyway."
"...Lying face! That's a lying face!" Ichikawa sat up, pointing at Nagase, glaring. "Hypocrite."
"I have money. I have a job."
"You just said you weren't affiliated with your father anymore!"
"I still have plenty money saved up in my credit cards and money from my thesis publications."
"... But..."
"Besides, now that I no longer work for my father, I don't have any need for it."
"Are you sure?" Ichikawa asked, smiling at the thought of owning Nagase Kai's cell phone.
"Um. I'll give you my new number tomorrow..." Nagase reached up for Ichikawa's forehead, feeling to see if he was still feverish. "...Lay down and get some rest... I'll call you in the morning."
Ichikawa blushed lightly. "...Buchou... I think it's great... that you want to change, I mean... but only the whole experimenting on people part... everything else... I think is perfect, just the way it is..." He laid down, pulling the covers up over himself.
Nagase smiled slightly, lifting the younger boy and setting him down in front of the fridge. "...I'll see you tomorrow..."
"I wonder when they're going to get the heat fixed..." Ichikawa shut his eyes, smiling, hugging the phone to his chest. "...Goodnight, Buchou."
"...Hmm." Nagase stood, heading out. He closed the door slowly, locking it from the outside before sliding the key under the door. "Goodnight... Gaku..." Placing his hands in his pockets, he headed off to find the exit.
---
"Hashibaa..." Nao whined, their room trashed. "I SAID I'D TALK ABOUT IT WHEN I FELT READY!"
"...I didn't do this... I got here and it was like this... hey, I thought you were gonna wash your hair!" Hashiba snapped.
"Why bother? We're gonna shower again after... we partake in-"
"After we have sex, yeah, I got it..." Hashiba knelt down, raising the journal. "...Someone was looking through all of our things... This was open on the floor..."
"...Who'd do something like this?"
"Matsuriii!" The two turned to grab him and suddenly Nao's phone went off.
Hesitantly, he grabbed it. "...Hello?"
"Seven days..."
"...What?"
"I said, 'seven days'..."
"...Until what?"
"...It's from a movie, you jack-ass... it's a joke."
"...Don't call me a jack ass..." Nao mumbled, annoyed.
"Can I talk to Sora?" Minato snapped.
"It's for you." Nao handed the phone over.
"Hello?"
"Seven days."
"AAAAAAAH!"
"Well excuse me for getting tortured while you guys went to the MOVIES!" Nao snapped.
"Quit bringing that up. Nag nag nag, next time, we'll take you to the movies and let Sora get tortured, okay?"
"...Okay."
"HEY!"
"Nanami wanted me to invite you two over today, since it's nice and cool." Minato snapped.
"...One sec." Hashiba covered the receiver. "Damnit... we wanted to have sex... oh well... at least it's air conditioned there..."
"Oh? They're inviting us over?" Nao pouted. "I should have washed my hair... hey, what about our room?"
"Nao... AIR CONDITIONE-"
"Right. Say yes."
---
"Damnit... we could be having sex, but nooooo, we have to go and be NIIICE..." Minato was covering the receiver of the phone.
"Shinichiro!" Nanami scolded, cooking. "...I'm giving you the burnt ones!"
"Hellooooo?"
"I'm here." Minato snapped. "...Hey, do you have your friend Ichikawa's phone number?"
"...No, but I'm right below his dorm, want me to go get him?"
"We want him to come, too, and..." He grimaced, glancing at Nanami, who glared, raising a greasy spatula as a warning. "...We want him to bring Nagase... with him."
"...Nagase?" Sora's eyes widened. "...He's here?"
"Yeah."
"..." Sora bit his thumb. Was it Nagase that had done this to his room?
"Nagase's here?" Nao blinked. "...Huh. I thought he died."
"He was your partner and all you can say is 'huh… I thought he died.' WHAT THE HELL!" Sora snapped.
"More like supervisor…"
"Invite Matsuri, too, then get your asses over here, we're having Soushi for dinner."
"…You're cooking him? Niichan, that's gross! He won't be sweet at all, flavorless, ugh-"
"Don't be a smart ass, or I'll turn the heat up."
"We'll bring gifts!"
---
AN: Okay, that's it for chapter 2. Next chapter: Nao, Matsuri, and Hashiba go over to Nanami and Minato's, where they meet up with Soushi, Ayano, and the ultra-cutie, Kano-kun! Yay! Cuteness ensues, but more importantly, Hashiba finds the missing pages to Nao's journal! Will he read them? Will he confront Nao? Why wouldn't Nao just throw them away? Dummy. Catch ya next time.