"I think it's time we should talk" Hiro tells Zorome with a determined look on his face after a long time for self reflection. Wasting two hours of detention with nothing but the silent treatment, Hiro concludes that they both deserve some proper closure just so they could continue on with their lives as if nothing ever happened between them; they didn't even need to be friends again, well, if they ever WERE friends anyway.

"There's nothing to talk about." Zorome mutters while facing away from the raven haired teen. Zorome wasn't the type to talk about his feelings, in fact, he majorly sucks at it because once the going gets tough, he explodes like a bomb.

And the last thing he'd ever want to do is open up to the wuss who was being hypocritical for his own sake. 'He talks about opening up when he doesn't even do it.'

"I believe there is.." he hears him talk once more before pausing, a pregnant silence ensuing, only to be interrupted by Hiro, "You know...I remember you and I being good friends back then..you'd challenge me all the time with different things and regardless who wins or lose, we'd just laugh it out and continue the next day.." his voice comes out more softer than he'd expected. Facing up, he looks at Zorome with a tinge of melancholy in his eyes.

"So why...why'd we become like this?"

Silence was his answer.

Sighing, Hiro tries once more, "Can I at least know why you hit the ball at me earlier?" he asks, to which, Zorome instantly replies in a matter-of-fact kind of tone, "You deserved it."

"Why?" Hiro prods further.

"Because." Zorome could feel his blood boiling again over how insistent the other guy was.

"Because?"

Like gasoline being poured into fire, Zorome stands abruptly from his seat and combusts, "Because! Goddamnit, why're you so irritating? Making me share my feelings and shit; like you're the one to talk! For the past five fucking years you've never even shared an ounce of what's going on in your goddamn head and you expect me to open up to you? Well guess what, I'm gonna do it just so you could understand why I fucking hate you so much and maybe then, you'd leave me alone, huh?!" He finishes out of breath by staring hard at Hiro, who had pretty much bowed his head when he started ranting.

When he feels his emotions come down, Zorome sits in his chair once more with his head on his hands. 'No backing out now..' taking a deep breath, he begins his story.

"Believe it or not...I used to envy you back then…."

"Look you fools! Marvel over Zorome-sama's super greatness!"

Third grader Zorome gloats as he shows various soccer tricks to a few kids who've been playing in the playground. He is satisfied when he hears the overflowing compliments coming from them as their eyes sparkled everytime he keeps the soccer ball up in the air, after all, he IS a natural after all with the sport.

"Woah!"

"Amazing!"

"How'd you do that?"

"You're so great Zorome!"

"That's Zorome-sama to ya!" He playfully scolds.

Yes...this was what he wanted to hear. Praises of glory was music to hears; now if only his parents could see just how great he was instead of going to different places all the time. Maybe if they could actually stick around, then they'd realize how lucky they were that HE was their son.

Thinking about his mum and dad left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Anyways, he and the other children continue on for a while, only for their happiness to be cut short by the teacher in charge. On their way back, he could hear the hushed discussions of his teachers by the faculty room and out of curiosity, he stays back and listens for a bit.

"That student of yours, Hiro was it? I've heard he's a natural at public speaking, is it true?" One teacher asks.

"Oh yes, yes it is! That child is very charismatic, despite only being in the third grade. He's also very good with other subjects too, I even heard from the principal that his records show he has an IQ of 148!" The other teacher beams in pride.

"That boy, he must be a prodigy!"

"True! He's the best student in our school after all!"

After hearing his teachers talk on and on over Hiro's greatness, something in Zorome snapped. He wanted to be boasted upon as well. He wanted his teachers to acknowledge him like Hiro, but all he ever gets is a scolding over how poor his grades were because of his love for soccer, making him realize that in school, things such as sports and arts weren't favored as much as being academically inclined.

This is later further confirmed as he goes home, he hears the other kids talk about Hiro being such a great student and how they all wanted to be like him.

Hiro.

To be fair, he and Hiro were good friends because of Futoshi. Just like any other kids, they'd meet up along with the others at the river bed and talk and play all day. They'd also play video games on weekends and swap comic books for the other to read. They had fun indeed, but whenever his faced with the fact that Hiro is always being put on a higher pedestal compared to the others and him, he itches over the thought of surpassing him one day and at least getting acknowledged by the adults.

And from that day on, he vows that one day, he will.

"Because of you...I stopped playing the one game I loved and was ever good at; football, just so I could start studying to be better than you and damn was it so hard, even so, I strived 'cause I wanted to be better than you, show the others you weren't as special as they claimed to be, and yet…" Zorome pauses, letting the wooden desk consume him.

"It didn't even bother you, all my constant pestering and challenges. In fact, you'd always smile and tell me to do work hard and do my best. That irritated me, yeah, but it helped me keep on going for my goal 'cause I know someday, I'm gonna reach it and I'm finally gonna get the praise I deserve."

"But one day, you changed." his hands clenched into a fist. "One day, you stopped caring. You stopped standing out and hell, you even stopped talking for the whole seventh grade back then! I know that I should've took that chance to surpass you but, fuck, it would mean nothing. If I, after all the sacrifices I've done, couldn't be able to surpass the Hiro everyone adored, then what was the point? Why would I settle for anything less? Because of you...all these years..my efforts..in vain..because of you...my dreams..wasted…" Trembling over the overwhelming feelings he was having at the moment, Zorome couldn't help but let a few tears slide before shouting,

"Don't you see?! Because of you, I wasted my whole goddamn childhood over something I was never good at and in the end, I didn't get a single good thing as payment for ALL the sacrifices I've made!"

"In the end, All of them only sees me as the Zorome whose a dumbass, that one guy who gets in trouble just for breathing…" He looks up at Hiro who was staring at him in disbelief and..

'Pity?'

Zorome's lips curves into a hateful smile.

"..Well, look who's starting to actually care?"

Hiro felt his whole insides grow cold.

After hearing Zorome's story, never would have he imagined just how big an effect he had on the shorter boy. As he was being praised for being a 'prodigy', here was Zorome doing his very best just to be acknowledged, even for just a tiny bit, only to be rewarded by disappointment by none other than him.

'Prodigy..'

Hiro hates himself more after this.

'If only you were normal like the others...if only you'd just shut your big mouth and tried blending in with the others..!'

"Zorome, I…"

"Save it, I don't need your pity." Zorome interrupts, "After all, didn't I tell you, I only said what I've said just so you could understand why I hate you. I don't wanna be friends with a wuss like you." damn, that hurt.

"No..it's not like that..I don't expect you to be my friend again after all the things I've made you go through.." Hiro murmurs, making Zorome turn to him in confusion. "What?"

"I...because of me..this prodigy shit..I've disappointed a lot of people because of it..even myself.." Hiro grits his teeth, trying to control his emotions. He looks at Zorome and smiles ruefully, "hey, if you were jealous of me back then, so was I" Zorome eyes him in disbelief, "Yeah, you might've been a little rowdy and brash, but you were also very passionate and driven-something I was not."

"Beneath this perfect image everybody let on, I had nothing. I had no fire like you, and seeing you back then getting driven, failing, and getting up again like nothing happened, I was happy for you and at the same time jealous…"

"I knew I lacked purpose, something you and everybody has, and I tried searching for it, but I couldn't find it. The prodigy status made me resent myself, because I knew deep inside, amidst all the praises I've garnered because of it, I was nothing. Instead of filling me, I felt worthless and empty because prodigy status aside, who was I? What did I have? Why couldn't I be like all the others?"

"I hated it. Hated how even I was claimed to be someone smart, I couldn't find the answer to my questions. It frustrated me to no end that the only solution I could think of was to destroy every part of me." Hiro faintly recounts to the days he even tried destroying his physical body just to feel better and shudders at that dark memory. "And it worked. I've destroyed every single aspect that binds me to the Hiro of the past, and yet, I still couldn't find what I was looking for."

"I know, I've disappointed a lot of people in the long run, but hearing your story, I couldn't help but hate myself even more for it. You're right, I really am better off dead." a few tears escapes Hiro's eyes over his emotional outburst, meanwhile, Zorome is left shock in his seat. In his mind, he's always thought Hiro was confident with himself and his reclusive state was merely an act of arrogance. Never in his whole goddamn life would have he imagined Hiro acknowledging his past efforts and even admitting jealousy towards him, and never had he expected the guy to be much more complicated and a little fucked up on the inside.

He couldn't help but feel guilty over everything he's done.

Still, Zorome couldn't help but cling on the last bit of pride within him. Yeah, he was slowly understanding what was in Hiro's head, but what about him? He was affected in everything, too after all. Hell, he gave up football for this man! Well, almost, since he starting playing again recently.

But still…

Before he could even set his thoughts straight, the teacher in charge of them barged in, startling the two of them. Being dismissed, the two immediately head out of the classroom, but suddenly, as Hiro passes by him, Zorome hears him quietly whisper,

"I'm sorry…"

Somehow, his guilt grows even stronger.

Back at home, Zorome lies on his bed talking to Miku on the phone. Once more, she scolds him, but this time, he's a lot more receptive towards her.

"Oh I almost forgot! Earlier, some perverts tried to attack me." He hears her say on the other line.

Instinctively, he yells, "WHAT?!"

Miku giggles, "Relax, Zero Two was there to save me."

'Zero Two? The horned chick?'

"In fact.." Miku softly says, "I kinda realized just how unfair I was being with her. I immediately disliked her for her horns and kind of let my pride get the better of me, instead of getting to know her more…"

'Pride…'

"Anyways! I realized she's actually a good girl! A little intimidating though.." After talking for a few more minutes, Miku hangs up, leaving Zorome to his own thoughts.

He writhes in bed in frustration. 'AARRGH! This is why I hate thinking!'

To ease him, he gets his phone and chats Futoshi, who was thankfully online.

'Fatty.'- Zorome

…..

'I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT :I' - Futoshi

'Hiro and I talked.'- Zorome

"Soooo how'd it go?' - Futoshi

Zorome pauses for a while.

'Zorome?' - Futoshi

'I'm a jerk.' - Zorome

'Then just apologize, problem solved.' - Futoshi

'I don't know how..:(' - Zorome

'Hmm..I'll accompany you then ;)' - Futoshi

'Thanks Fatty.'- Zorome

Before he could read Futoshi's reply, Zorome turns off his phone and goes to bed, knowing that tomorrow will be another long day ahead.