"Ren, wait!" Horohoro shouted, watching as the Chinese boy began running. "Ren!"

He ran after him and reached out, grabbing him by the wrist to stop him. "Ren, please-"

"Let go of me!" Ren yelped, trying to jerk his wrist away from Horohoro's grip. Horohoro looked down and his eyes widened. More scars across them. Ren had stopped cutting his wrists a while ago after he started living with Horohoro, but with a horrible sense of guilt, the Ainu realized that he had started again because of him.

"Ren, how...how did you do that?"

He looked away. "Broken glass. Please...please let go..."

Horohoro didn't release him, but just stared at him with a stunned expression on his face. "Ren?" he said uncertainly. "Are you really telling the truth?"

Ren nodded quietly. "I love you, Horohoro. I have no reason to lie to you."

He turned around. Hao was nowhere to be seen. He had probably chickened out, unable to face Horohoro when the real truth was revealed.

He looked back to Ren, guilt stabbing at his heart. Why had he been such a fool to believe Hao's nonsense? If he hadn't been so gullible, maybe he wouldn't have hurt Ren like this.

He felt so stupid. It was shameful to know that he had fallen right into Hao's trap so easily. And even worse, he had hurt Ren in the most unimaginable ways. He had beaten him, raped him, made a fool of him, broken his heart, and forced him onto the streets.

Horo wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close in a apologetic hug, "Ren...I'm so sorry." He stroked the boy's hair, whispering, "I'll admit it, I was stupid. I take back all those things I said to you, and everything I did to you...I only wish there was something I could do to let you forgive me."

Ren smiled faintly. "It's alright," he said softly. "You don't have to do anything. All I needed was your apology."

"No, that's not enough. I'll make it up to you." He paused for a moment, trying to think of some way he could atone for his crimes. No matter how hard he thought, it didn't seem like there was anything he could do.

He gently brushed his lips against Ren's forehead, holding him tightly. "Please don't hate me, Ren."

"It...it's nothing," the Chinese boy stammered, blushing as Horohoro's lips made contact with his skin. "I...I still love you...and even if something like this happens again...I'll still love you..."

"Do you mean it?"

"Yes..."

"Aww, Ren...you really are cute."

Before he could say another word, Ren suddenly doubled over in pain, coughing violently. He crossed his arms over his stomach, squeezing his eyes shut as another wave of coughs shook his frail body.

"Ren!" Horohoro yelped, startled. "Ren, what's wrong?"

The boy didn't answer. Panting heavily, he crumpled to the floor, clutching his stomach, letting out yet another harsh fit of coughs.

"M...My stomach..."

Eyes wide in horror, the Ainu glanced down to the tile floor. Blood was splashed across the pristine freshly scrubbed whiteness. Blood that he knew Ren had just been coughing up.

He knelt down next to Ren, attempting to support him with his arms. "What's wrong?"

"I...I'm alright, Horohoro..."

A sick feeling began bubbling up in Horohoro's stomach. He knew that this was probably the result of the beating he had given Ren the other day. After all, he had kicked him in the stomach with reasonable force various times.

"Oh, god...What have I done to you?"