It was just a day like any other.

A group of middle schoolers were walking in a tight knot from their school towards the orphanage where they lived. The distance was ten blocks or so, yet, for the most righteous out of the lot, the idea to play hookie or move away hadn't crossed his mind. Creasing frown on his limpid forehead, he turned page after page of one of the school books. On his side, walking cautiously to stay in his path of vision, his best friend eyed him with a bit of anxiety.

They were the ony two who went to a different school than the rest. Their age when they arrived to the orphanage meant they could be set into a regular school class with other kids. Housuke had been home-schooled by Dhurke and his Japanese needed practice, but he was up to standards. Aoi had excellent grades to start with and a good foundation. Both were given a go at the entry exam and passed it. Despite their different approaches and upbringing, the director confided they would do okay since they clicked on sight and had such a symbiotic relationship. One would surely look out for the other and likely, keep one another out of trouble.

And trouble had just manifested for the Khura'inese-raised boy...

Aoi had tried to help Housuke out of getting a note on his poor Maths homework, for the director of the orphanage would surely ground him right away after seeing the infraction. Unfortunately, the teacher had issued the note, and he was now giving dirty looks at it, folded in the Maths book he held in his hand Housuke was far too honest to get rid of or hide the note, and, as his name was on it, there was no way Aoi would be able to swap it by posing as the culprit. He had an innate gift for maths, but, try as he might to teach him, his friend was blocked with both the subject and the language.

Orphanages were no place to be weak, that much was certain. They hid quite well any and all frailty by yelling. Few really wanted to have a go at Odoroki and Daichi. The reason was simple: even if the straight nature and wiry, short frame of the aspiring lawyer would have made him an excellent target, the wannabe astronaut was the tallest and stockiest of the class, and, in the narrow hallways, he always walked a couple of steps behind the double-fringed boy's back.

No one did really know or notice that he wasn't doing this as much as a protective measure as a defensive one. Aoi was rather timid with the rest of the kids, and his way of coping was positioning himself behind Housuke. Being much taller, he couldn't hide behind his chipper friend, giving the illusion that he was guarding his back instead. The loud brown-haired kid knew of this, and he kept his friend's secret safe.

Housuke put the paper in his pocket with a sigh, likely thinking about the punishment on sight. No getting out with Aoi to the Space Center. Why had Maths to be so difficult. And then, in Japanese... A lawyer needs no maths, come on.

"Hey guys. How about we do it again?"

One of the older kids, at the beginning of the row, addressed the group in a rallying voice.

"Do what?" Housuke blurted out, confused.

"Ah, yeah, you two are new. It's simple! We call it PPD!"

As he spoke, he casually got closer to an intercom near an apartment building. "At the count of three!"

"Huh? But we don't know the ru-"

"One. Two. Three!"

And he rang the intercom.

Immediately, there was a stampede, as all the kids ran as fast as their legs would take them.

("...?")

("EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?!")

Housuke had been raised in the mountains. He was not the most athletic kid, and he was naive too. He couldn't make sense of the dirty trick in time, and by the time he understood what had happened, his legs had already refused to work.

And then, the door opened in front of him.

With the face of a very angry, middle aged salaryman protruding from the gap, glaring at him.

"You little... Why did you ring the bell? Think it was funny? Eh? Answer me!"

The brown-haired boy opened his mouth, with no idea what to say.

This was going to be big.

Real big.

Grounded for a month, if not more...

Left on his own.

With no chance of defense.

His Chords of Steel failed to respond, too.

Blood rushed to his face...

"I am sorry, sir! I was sure this was the correct building!"

Housuke gasped and turned around. Sure as sunlight coming after rain, Aoi was also rooted to the spot, behind him.

("Why didn't he even try to run?")

He gingerly came over and bowed to the furious man. "We were looking for our teacher, see... he needs Maths remedial classes..."

"Oh. Maths remedials, huh! There was a teacher living here, but he moved out. I've been living here for a week now!" The man grinned at the two kids. "Sorry to scare you, kiddo, I just thought you were playing. Ask for the teacher's address again, will you? Now, if you will excuse me..."

And he closed the door. Housuke let out a big sigh of relief. Why on earth had that happened to him? He looked at Aoi, who had just... lied on his behalf. How did he even know, how could he take that out of nowhere?

"The doorbell" the black-haired boy replied, pointing to the name in it. 'Takahashi-sensei' was written clearly under the intercom. "He didn't look like a teacher, but if the intercom said so..."

"You are a lifesaver" Housuke croaked, feeling his throat sore and knotted. "That was wicked!"

"Say nothing. They played this prank to get us in trouble. Just act as if nothing happened... they are around the next corner..."

As on cue, the aspiring astronaut started talking loudly and animatedly about class, the teachers, their classmates, homework, all without skipping a beat. Housuke understood and joined in the chat, laughing at his comments and commenting back. They doubled the corner and as Aoi had predicted, the rest of the group were waiting, disappointment etched all over their faces.

"Yo, now that you two have finally joined, let's move, we'll be late for dinner!" the older student from before yelled back, in a spiteful tone.

Both friends stopped talking in unison, exchanged glances and a silent grin, as they merged, once again, into the student group.

In front of the soup bowl, slurping the noodles with hungry delight, the aspiring lawyer looked at his friend. He had been banned from getting out for a full week, as expected, but had avoided subsequent trouble thanks to Aoi's quick wits. He had returned to his silent mode after they had come back, and was now sipping the noodles calmly, his eyes slightly narrowed in contentment.

"Daichi, you knew that thing from before..."

"Yeah, Pin Pon Ditch... Seen it a couple times"

"I have seen you in Gym class. You could have... outrun that lot, easily"

Aoi nodded, sipping in the noodles with glee.

"Yet... you didn't. You stayed behind." He paused, aware of what he was about to say. "With me. You knew it was a prank, but you didn't run. Why?"

"Because it was the correct thing to do."

The correct thing, huh. For whom? "How so? You could have saved your skin. You didn't need to get in trouble for me. You could have been grounded, and then, no Space Center for a long while... no going out in the weekends... more chores..."

"You are grounded too, and that would have made the two of us! Besides... it was unfair. You didn't live in a city, so you didn't know the game, you were bound to get caught."

Good reasoning. Housuke made a mental note of keeping his eyes open to the small details. If he wanted to be a lawyer, he should catch on deceit as well as picking even the most insignificant of things. These could completely turn the tides of a case, even!

"I'll say it again, you are a lifesaver!"

"Oh, you won't believe that, once I get you to Maths remedials!"

"Come on, Daichi, I can use a break here, mind? Just for today, I can't handle more stress!"

"Haha, Odoroki, no way! I'll go wash my dishes. See you in the study room in half an hour!"

"Aw man, cut me some slack!"

The reply was a bright grin and a wave of the hand, as the black-haired boy took his tray and joined the queue to the washing line.

His hands full of dishwasher, he acknowledged the lessons of the day. Daichi's sense of justice aligned with his. He thought that, when he would become a lawyer, he would never allow any wrongdoing unpunished. He would try his very best to speak up for those who had their legs rooted to the ground, and those whose voice wouldn't come out or be heard. Because he now knew what it meant and how it felt.

Although, he mused, it wouldn't hurt if someone could make his case regarding the Maths remedials... and spare him the torture!