Up in the sky above Mitakihara, colors of orange and blue mixed and mashed together to form a vibrant display, almost akin to a piece of marvelous artwork displayed on a canvas. As the number of clouds increased and the sun slowly descended into the horizon, Teacher Kuragawa was giving out his monthly practical-test during the last session of today's class. Students ran on the track field as the teacher barked at them to go faster, the teacher once again seemingly enjoying his job as his deep voice blared throughout the track.

At the sides of the school track field, Mamoru sat underneath one of the tall, growing trees with a piece of wood and chisel in his hand. Slowly carving the wood in his hand into a specific shape, the sunset cast a light that was just a few meters away from his feet. Looking up, Mamoru watched students such as Takuya race through the obstacles in the track with ease, while many others collapsed after just a few laps from Kuragawa's test. Far ahead from the group of runners, Takuya had a look on his face that Mamoru only saw whenever he ran or performed in his archery shows. 'Takuya' at most 'Takuya-est', was the only thing Mamoru could describe it as, despite it sounding almost banal.

Stuffing the piece of wood back in his pocket and placing the cover of his chisel back on, Mamoru loosened the tight, sweaty grip his shirt had on his skin. Having been one of the first few to tire out from the test, Mamoru had been resting under the tree for a while already. Physical Education was just a subject that wasn't meant for him nor something he liked. But, he didn't mind it and still received some amusement from watching the students' endeavor to gain marks in the race track. Each time someone fell to their knees, a slight chuckle came from the boy.

Until at one point, Mamoru sighed to himself and looked back up at the beautiful skies above.

Waiting for Homura to return, Mamoru leaned back on the tree and crossed his arms, a cold gust of wind making his sweaty skin shiver and the flowers around him swaying back and forth. Right now, with nobody to talk with or boast at, Mamoru was all alone. Something he rarely was ever since he had met his friends and subsequently created the Freelancer club. Letting out a sudden sneeze, Mamoru wiped his nose and closed his eyes to sleep. Loneliness was something he could never tolerate nowadays. A side-effect of spending most of his time with his friends, he supposed.

"Tezuka!"

A voice called to him and Mamoru recognized it. Opening his eyes, Mamoru looked at the entrance of the school's locker room and saw Homura running up to him in her P.E uniform. Expecting and knowing what she would say just from that vibrant smile still present on her face, Mamoru promptly straightened up his posture and sat up. He shivered when another cold breeze passed by, "From that smile on your face, I'm guessing it went well?"

Skidding to a stop, Homura sat down beside him and curled up her legs. Homura giggled and fidgeted with her fingers, "It did. Better than I had expected, in fact. Even if it seemed like he wouldn't say anything at first, Tateyama did in the end and he was... different when we talked. It was if he was a completely different person."

Smiling at her answer, Mamoru lied down on the grass and stared at the clouds floating above. He watched them slowly go by, his hair strewn about on the grass he lied on, "Then, I assume that he told you everything?" Mamoru rolled his head to look at Homura sitting beside him and saw her giving a slow nod. An almost solemn one, as people who learned about Tateyama's past tended to give, "I see. You've really done a lot to help us, Akemi," Mamoru chuckled, "And here I thought we were the ones watching over you."

Homura shook her head, twirling a strand of hair in her finger as she modestly replied, "It's nothing. Really. I just wanted to help my friends out, that's all there is to it," running a hand on the soft grass around her, Homura then gazed expectantly at Mamoru, before looking back at the track. Curious, Homura inquired, "Tezuka, can I ask you personal question?" she got a quiet nod, Mamoru seemingly eyeing the skies above him with great interest, "Then... do you have... a past of your own?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Like what Hideki and Tateyama have, I mean," Homura tried to find the right words to say it, stammering in the process, "Something that you hide with a facade. Something that you only show to your closest friends."

Surprised by her sudden question, Mamoru sat back up and eyed the scenery around them. Thinking for a bit, Mamoru spoke in a soft tone as he answered, his green eyes staring back at Homura, "To be honest... No. I don't really have anything that haunts me, nor an immediate goal that I push forward endlessly to meet and strive towards. You could say I'm lucky that I live a life where financial problems are never a thing," Mamoru stood up and continued watching Takuya bolt through the track with ease.

"Although, I will admit. My life's never really been a stellar one. Being an only child to a rich family, I never made any honest friends that I could bond with during my younger years. The first few schools I went to left a bad taste in my mouth, as everyone there I met only seemed to care about the fact that I was the son to a famous man," his words brought a bitter frown to his face, as Mamoru furrowed his brow, "It was only until I moved here, that I actually started to enjoy school. It was here, that I found something I strive to keep together."

"And that is?" Homura tilted her head to one side.

There was no reason in sight or mind to not tell her. Having made her talk to two of his closest friends, it seemed counter-productive to not tell her. A sincere smile creeping to his face, Mamoru felt his cheeks grow a bit warm as he answered, "My friends. Takuya, Tateyama, Hideki. They're one of the few people I hold dear to me, and the few who understand me. Ever since we met, I've been trying to keep this little brotherhood together and maintain its strength, even if we will inevitably separate one day. Never knowing what does fate truly have in store for any of us, I'm grateful for every second I can spend with them," his smile then turned into a playful grin, "And to be frank, you have become quite a close friend to us, haven't you? Having gained the trust of all of them in matter of a few days."

Homura scratched her cheek, her flustered reaction getting a small chuckle from Mamoru, "I... I don't know what to say, really. I guess it's just that I had no reasons to not be your friend, right? You all took me in when I was lost, helped me in doubts and kept me company. I... just wanted to return the favor."

"Hmph. For everything you have done to help us, I will say this-" Mamoru cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable with the next words he was about to say as turned to her. Hands at his sides, Mamoru then gave her a deep, respectful bow, his eyes staring at the grass and his feet, "I thank you for speaking to Tateyama and Hideki for me. Although Takuya and I could have possibly done it ourselves, for someone like you to speak to them is rather surprising... and impressive. You've helped us all, and all I can say is that you have me gratitude. And again... Thank you, Homura."

Homura watched as a gust of wind blew past the two, green leaves from the tree above them falling down and brushing past Mamoru's face and hair. After realizing that they had spent too much time talking, Mamoru ran his hands through his hair in embarrassment and gave an awkward laugh, "I suggest you head to Teacher Kuragawa now. P.E session is almost over and I don't think you want to fail this test."

"R-Right," Homura chuckled and picked herself up to race to the track where the test was occurring.

Surprising, he thought. He had not shown that side of him to anyone but his friends for a while. Perhaps - although Mamoru regarded this as nonsense - perhaps meeting Homura was made to happen? Laughable, he knew, but he couldn't help but think of it. And now that he was alone again, Mamoru decided to head back to class to wait for his friends. Entering the locker room doors and feeling the cold of the air-conditioning wash over him, Mamoru sat on the locker room bench and changed into his uniform. As he did, he couldn't help but think about Hideki.

Hideki lied down on his bed, facing the ceiling with his bandaged hands at his sides and his legs spread out. Beside his head, his phone played out various songs to help him calm down and rest. But he just couldn't. Not while he could distinctively hear his father being pushed around by his boss downstairs. From the various sounds of obnoxious laughter, to the distinct smell of cigarettes in the air, Hideki just wished the man would leave the house or that his father would just learn to stand up for himself just this once. If his injuries didn't make most of his movements pain-provoking, Hideki could just climb out the window and go for a walk. He could even stay at Tateyama's place and wait for him to come back.

Sitting up slowly with a grunt, Hideki placed his feet on the floor and used his less-injured left arm to take out a worn crutch from under his bed. The crutch was something his mother had used whenever she came back either injured or over-strained from practice. He had a smaller one made for him before and was displayed prominently on his wall next to the various pictures of his mother. The one he used now was the perfect size for him.

Getting up and heading to the door, Hideki gingerly turned the doorknob and got out of his room. Slowly, Hideki went up to the wooden railing ahead of him and looked down on the living room, just as his father's boss was about to leave with a disgustingly-smug grin. The two did not notice him as Hideki quietly watched them, a hand clutching his sides.

"Alright, Hakamichi, remember the deal: three more overnight shifts and your debt's paid off, got it?" the short man tapped Shin on the chest and he replied with as much faux-enthusiasm the man could muster.

"Of course, Boss. Anything you say."

The short man then let out an annoying laugh and clapped him on the shoulder. Leaving without saying any formalities, the short man dipped some of the ash from his cigar on the carpet floor before leaving and shutting the door with a loud bang. Shin sat back down on the couch in front of the shelf of golden trophies, burying his face in his palms. Hideki felt better now that the bastard was gone and let out a sigh of relief before heading back to his room.

"Hideki," Shin called out to him, right before Hideki had opened the door, "We need to talk."

Hesitantly, Hideki closed his room door and carefully tread down the flight of carpeted stairs. He flinched whenever he felt a jerk of pain erupting in his arms or torso, as he held onto the railing on his way down. At the foot of the stairs, Hideki murmured, "What's there to talk about? We were already finished talking in the car, weren't we?"

"No, we weren't," Shin then leaned towards the coffee table and took out the fake enlistment forms he found in Hideki's room this morning. His son looked away when he placed them on the table and started speaking, rubbing his hands together for warmth, "First thing's first: I know you don't like my boss, and how I act under him, but he's the only reason we're still living in this city and you must be grateful for that. It takes a lot of money to live in this part of the city, Hideki."

Hideki snickered, bitterly replying as he sat down opposite of his father, the coffee table separating them, "Is it really worth being someone's lap dog?"

Shin glared at the boy, trying to sound stern again. But he couldn't hold that gaze and just sighed, never the type of person that could get angry, "Now for the main point: the fact that you want to enroll in this year's competition. I know this is going to be hard, but I'm going to have to ask to you to stop doing this right now. Look at yourself; do you think you can even be in the tournament like that? Do you really think it's going to be so easy?"

Hideki tightened his grip on his crutch, looking down on the floor.

"Hideki, tell me: is there even a point to all this struggling? You get picked on in school, bullied and harassed constantly. I know how it feels, I go through the same thing in work and I feel just as frustrated. But why can't you just settle down, focus on your studies and get a normal life? Hairi, your mother, she was just like you - full of spirit and all - but in the end, she couldn't face reality and-"

"Don't you dare talk about mom like that," Hideki growled, cutting off his lecture. But Shin, knowing his son, knew he had to continue when suddenly, Hideki got up to his feet and struggled to stand up. Hideki held up a bandaged arm and at pointed a damning finger at his father, "You... You don't even have the right to talk about mom like that! She was the reason we were even able to start a life and the proof is right behind you!"

"Hideki-"

"Shut up! I know you were there when she gained her fame, when she fought and won, but you... You weren't even there when she died!"

Hideki's voice echoed through the household, those last words having struck Shin hard and leaving him speechless. Hideki remembered the day well, the moment he felt his mother's hand go cold and saw those gentle eyes that were shut closed, never to open again. Before Hideki would end up going into another of his anger-filled outbursts, Shin stood up to try and soothe his son's anger for once. Even if the two never understood what each of them go through in their life, Shin had to take care of his son, "Calm down, Hideki, I-"

It was too late. As Hideki raised his left arm and tightened it into fist, he punched his father across the face and sent him crashing into the shelf behind him. The glass casing shattered and left bleeding cuts on Shin's face as trophies fell from the top and crashed onto the carpeted floor with loud thuds. Hideki panted, his fist still in the air, but soon, as his father struggled to stand up with a hand on his bruise, feelings of regret began to replace the very brief satisfaction Hideki received from his actions.

Turning away, Hideki tried not to look back as his father as he quickly went up the stairs to his room and locked himself in there.

On his feet, Shin brushed the bruise and cuts on his face with a free hand and went to the kitchen to find a wet towel. He rinsed his face with cold water and closed the tap tightly before gripping the edges of the sink with his hands, sighing, "Hideki..."

An hour had passed and it was now after school-time. Narita, Homura and the boys were having their dinner at the Shanghai, the place bustling with business as usual with customers that ranged from young students to the elderly, the place was even more packed than yesterday. Since Takuya and Tomura had finished their meals early and quick, they went out for a bit to buy groceries at a nearby shop next door, and over the course of the meal for the rest of the group, Narita was keeping Tateyama's health in check.

From questions like "Have your injuries healed" to suggestions like "Take a rest when you get back home", Tateyama quietly, diligently, nodded to each and one of these with respect to the nurse that had watched over the group for quite a while now. She was almost like a parent or guardian to them at school. When Narita finished her coffee and bread, went next door to check on the Fujimaki brothers and see if they had got the groceries without any trouble involved.

The clock above the group ticked as Tateyama finished his rather large meal, Mamoru picked at his teeth with a toothpick and Homura left for the restroom. As soon as she had left, Tateyama and Mamoru starting speaking up, "She doesn't seem that ill to me," Mamoru said, "Didn't she say it was only minor paleness? I'm sure Miss Narita would've done something to cure her during Homura's check-up."

"I know. But, I don't remember anything like this," Tateyama said as a waitress took away his empty plate. He had been keeping a close eye on Homura for a while now and noticed her skin getting eerily pale.

Mamoru placed his elbows on he table, thinking and then answering, "Perhaps we should keep an eye on her?"

Tateyama nodded, "We should. If we see anything else, we inform Miss Narita."

Before Mamoru could speak, a grating voice suddenly shouted through the restaurant, "Eh?! What'd ya mean my order was ruined?!" this sudden shouting caught the attention of the two boys at the table and they directed their eyes to the source of the noise. At one of the counters, a girl around their age was barking at the cashier with all her might. The girl's hair was messy and dark, her outfit carrying an asymmetrical design with almost too many belts. One of the waitresses approached to her calm down, and to Tateyama's surprise, it was Tsukuyo trying her best to ease the girl.

"I-I'm sorry, but the chef had an accident and since our stock is limited for that order, you'd have to come tomorrow if you want to place another order..." Tsukuyo was trembling, holding a tray to her chest as girl glared at her.

"Don't give me that crap!" the girl spouted and began barking some more, "Oriko said she wanted her cake today and she's getting it! Tea time's later and we need a cake for God's sake!"

"Umm... can you please lower your voice? You're disturbing the other customers..."

Each polite request was brushed off or ignored completely by the persistent girl. With his sharp eye, Tateyama could see that she was one of the students from the neighboring classes as he knew her name: Kirika Kure, a girl that was usually not very talkative to others and had a tendency to skip classes. Strange, considering how she was acting right in front of their eyes. Judging from the looks of the other workers, they didn't look like they wanted to deal with the girl and had possibly sent Tsukuyo to do it in their stead. Some were already ending their shifts and left the restaurant with even less workers to deal with her.

But each shouted demand from Kirika to Tsukuyo angered Tateyama to no end, her endless barking and spoiled attitude making the boy slowly scowl. Tsukuyo would always tell him to stay put during these kind of situations, so that they wouldn't cause any trouble. But enough was enough. Earlier's talk with Homura gave the boy a clear path of mind and Tateyama wasn't intent on just watching while the girl went on endlessly. To no protests at all from Mamoru, Tateyama promptly got off from his chair, walked pass the other tables and stood behind the girl, catching her attention the moment he had stepped close.

"Heh, what do you want?" Kirika childishly scoffed at the glare Tateyama gave her, shoving him away with one hand, "If you want to order, get in line. I got here first."

"C-Calm down, Tateyama," Tsukuyo suggested, "I'll..."

Tateyama's waved a hand to cut her off. His glare panning back to Kirika, Tateyama's brow furrowed as his glare did not wither. Kirika raised her hand again to push him away, but Tateyama's reacted this time and swatted away her wrist almost nonchalantly, "If you want to act like a brat, get out and talk to someone that actually cares. This isn't a place for a kid like you."

His confrontational words ignited something within Kirika as the girl's eyebrow twitched violently, her tone turning highly-aggressive. Suddenly, Kirika grabbed Tateyama by the collar in a flash and barked at his face. Although the boy was unfazed as Mamoru stood up to try and help Tateyama, Tsukuyo pleading the girl to release him while Kirika's grip slowly tightened, "Who are you calling a k-k-kid?!"

Homura had returned to see the ugly sight, but before she could do anything, another girl had come in to intervene.

A strange aura had filled the room. A girl with fluttering, silver hair tied into a ponytail, walked into the restaurant with an utmost calm and serene expression. It was something that was indescribable as her mere presence made Kirika release Tateyama from her grip and shoved him away before running up to the new girl that had appeared. From the looks of her red uniform, she looked like a student of another school. As Kirika hid behind her, Tateyama rubbed his neck, Mamoru glared at the ominous silver-haired girl, and Homura and Tsukuyo could only watch as the new girl spoke in a voice that showed that she belonged to a high-class family.

"I'm sorry for the disturbance my friend has caused," she apologized and patted the black-haired girl on the head, "Kirika isn't a very... stable person, so I apologize again for the major commotion she made. And ff there isn't anything else I need to apologize for, we shall take our leave now," strangely, the girl's silver eyes panned to Homura, who's face only responded with expressed confusion. Spinning around to leave, the silver-haired girl smiled mysteriously as Kirika clung to her arm. The two left a strange atmosphere in the room even after they were gone and Mamoru could even feel a chill running down his spine.

Tsukuyo watched as Tateyama nonchalantly rubbed his neck and groaned a bit from Kirika's tight grip. Letting out a sigh of relief, she fixed his collar before speaking to him, "You shouldn't have made her mad," she said, worried and still shaking, "Look, you got yourself hurt."

"I'm fine. But... I couldn't just sit down and watch her talk to you like that. It annoyed me, and I was tired of not doing anything," Tateyama looked at Tsukuyo with a serious expression that surprised her, his tone sounding more serious than he usually was, " I don't want to watch people just do this to you anymore. If you can't speak up for yourself, then I'll do it."

"I... Uh..." Tsukuyo was left speechless, fiddling with her work apron as Tateyama had left to get his stuff from the table.

Meanwhile, Homura tried lowering the tension that the white-haired girl had left on them, even thought she was unsure of what had just happened, "Now that they're gone, why don't we just sit down and wait for the others? Mamoru?"

The green-haired boy turned away from the door and looked at Homura, "Ah, my bad, I just... I thought I had recognized that girl," Mamoru wrung his wrist and pushed away the thoughts of that silver-haired girl. Shrugging, he then saw Homura's movements falter for a while before she continued moving normally again. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but it seemed that Homura's paleness was getting worse.

A worried frown on his face, Mamoru thought if he should wait for any other signs of sickness before telling Miss Narita when Takuya, Tomura and the nurse herself finally came back from their trip to the store.

It was nightfall as Homura, Narita and the boys were now on the way back to their respective houses. The night sky above them were shrouded with black clouds that furthered the darkness of the skies as streetlights lighted up the path they walked on with cones of yellow light. It had been a long day as everyone were tired and exhausted from the events today. It was now time to return home and rest after all the things that had happened today.

As they headed back, Takuya was talking to Mamoru about things like how he got the highest marks in this afternoon's test, even managing to beat Homura. Tateyama and Mamoru were surprised when he said that, expecting that Homura would be the one to get the highest instead. But in Tateyama's head, he wondered if this was a result of Homura's possible sickness.

Letting out a long yawn, Tateyama looked behind him and saw Homura almost dragging her feet as she walked. She had been slowly breaking away from the group and was far behind them. Noticing the sweat that was pouring off her face, Tateyama stopped and rushed to her side, "Homura, are you alright?" he reached out a hand to assist her, but Homura waved off the offer.

"I-I'm fine... Tateyama... Just a little tired," Homura chuckled weakly, clutching the side of her head where her scar was. Even though she only looked pale this afternoon and morning, she didn't feel anything up until now. Completely drained, Homura felt her vision was blur and her throat beginning to tighten. She took hard labored breaths, coming to a stop and putting her hands on her knees. The others had noticed Tateyama and Homura stopping behind and turned around, wondering what was going on.

"Tateyama, is there something wrong?" asked a worried Narita, her hands on the handles of Tomura's wheelchair.

Tateyama held up Homura with one hand and placed his other hand on her sweaty forehead to feel her burning temperature in his palm. Tateyama was going to shout to Narita that Homura had a fever when suddenly, as if she had lost all control, Homura collapsed in Tateyama's arms and began panting for air. Trembling in his arms, Homura cried in pain as she felt her body burning with agony, the group beginning to panic as Narita rushed to her aid.

"Homura?!" Narita picked her up from Tateyama's arms and the girl could only cry in response, "She's burning up! Quick, help me get her to the house!"