2 Weeks Later.

"Aren't you excited?" Horohoro asked Yoh cheerfully, stretching out on the grass in front of the school after school had let out. It was a brilliantly sunny day with a slight breeze, the perfect kind of day to relax.

"Hmmm?" Yoh asked. "Excited for what?"

Horhoro laughed. "Trust you not to know," he snorted. "Tomorrow is the school camping trip...we're going up into the mountains, idiot."

"Oh. That."

"So...?"

Yoh's only response was a long, lazy snore.

Horohoro sighed. He wished he was excited as he sounded, but things were not going to be pretty. He thought back to the afternoon's occurences.

"Class, please check the cabin listings to see who you will be bunking with. The cabins are not co-ed, and I tried to put you in cabins with friends and people you don't get along with, after all, the whole point of this trip is to make new friends and keep old ones in a different, more grueling enviornment. There are 6 per cabin."

Excited, Horohoro and Yoh ran to check the list posted on the door.

Horohoro scanned the list, looking for his name. "Cool," he said. "Look, Yoh. We're in the same cabin!"

"Really?" Yoh grunted. "I can't see. Read it aloud to me."

Horohoro craned his neck, elbowing some people aside. "Let's see...Usui Horohoro, that would be me...Asakura Yoh, that's you...Asakura Hao, Lyserg Diethel, Chocolove McDaniel...and...Tao Ren."

Yoh laughed. "We're going to have fun torturing the little brat, aren't we?"

"Yeah...I guess we will..."

He furrowed his brow, coming back to reality. Of course they were going to have fun. Of course he would enjoy tormenting Ren.

The next day came sooner than anticipated. Ren was dreading it. A whole week trapped in a cabin, with almost no adult supervision with the five boys that hated his guts. Sighing, Ren found a seat in the back of the bus, away from everyone else, and plopped down his duffel bag.

It was a long bus ride. They rolled through mountains, over freeways, and through forests. Ren glanced nervously towards the bus's front, where a certain blue-haired Ainu flashed him a very offensive finger indeed. He quickly looked away and focused on the scenery outside the window.

The ride didn't last long enough for Ren. Before he knew it, they had arrived. The ride had been so long that the sun was already setting.

A fat lady in park ranger clothing introduced herself as the camp supervisor, and she said that they would have the rest of the day to themselves in their cabins, and a delivery of food would come to each later for dinner.

Laughing and talking endlessly, Horohoro, Chocolove, Yoh, Lyserg, and Hao hurried to their cabin. Ren was already there, sitting on his bunk and looking through his bag.

"Oh, it's you," scoffed Horohoro.

"Oh...I'm sorry..." Ren muttered, as if to apologize for his existence.

"Whatever," the Ainu snorted, throwing his belongings carelessly onto the bunk he wanted. "Just don't get in my way."

Slowly, Ren began unpacking his things. He dared not speak a word, or to look at any of them.

Presently, the fat supervisor arrived holding a stack of boxes filled with food. "One for each of you nice boys," she said cheerfully, handing them to Horohoro. "I'll trust you to pass them out."

"No problem, ma'am," Horohoro replied, as he handed some boxes to each of his friends. "Here," he grunted, extending a box towards Ren. "Hurry up and take it."

"Wait one second there," Hao sneered, shoving Ren aside. "What makes you think that the little eyesore deserves anything to eat?"

Horohoro's eyes narrowed, but he said, "Yeah, Hao. I guess you have a point."

Hao smirked. "Let's split this between the deserving people, shall we? Since feeding him this stuff would be a waste...isn't that right, Ren-chan?" He slapped Ren hard, knocking him back against the wall.

"I asked you...isn't that right?" he repeated.

Ren sullenly nodded. "Y-yes...you're right..." he stammered. "It would b-be...really...w-wasteful..."

Smiling, Hao grabbed him by the collar. "Don't think we're going to feed you tomorrow, either," he announced. "If we're not going to waste food today, then we shouldn't anytime soon, right?"

Ren didn't reply. Trembling, he let Hao hit him again.

"Right!?"

"Lay off, Hao," Horohoro snapped. He froze. He totally did not mean to say that.

Hao raised an eyebrow. "I believe it was you, Usui, who said that those who defend rubbish becomes one of them," he replied.

"That's not what I meant," he said quickly. "I'm not defending him."

"Oh?"

"That's right. I'm just saying not to waste your time telling him that stuff, because he's too stupid to comprehend it anyways. Now get over here and eat your dinner."

Hao chuckled. "You're smart, Usui," he said, releasing Ren. The smaller boy instantly shrank away from Hao.

"Well, let's eat. We can have more fun with the nerd after we're done."

Terrified, Ren huddled up on the corner of his bunk, trying to get as far away as possible.

And true to his words, after he finished eating, Hao cast away the empty box and rose to his feet. "Hey, Yoh," he drawled lazily.

"Hrmpgh?" Yoh asked, with his mouth full of rice. "Fut ish eh, Hur?" (In other words, "What is it, Hao?")

"Get over here."

Yoh swallowed his food with a loud gulp and cheerfully complied, walking over to Hao. "Yeah?"

Hao grinned. "Hold his left arm, will you?"

"Huh?"

"Just do it."

Yoh shrugged and approached Ren. The Chinese boy's eyes widened. "N-no..." he stammered, trying to defend himself by holding his thin arms in front of himself. "Don't touch me..."

Yoh glanced nervously at Hao. "Can't we leave him alone for a bit, Hao?"

"No." Hao glared dangerously at Yoh.

"Sorry, pal," Yoh said cheerfully before siezing Ren's left arm as instructed by Hao.

"Good," Hao said, walking over and siezing Ren's right. "I was starting to get irritated." He turned towards Horohoro, who was cleaning up after his meal. "C'mon, Usui. You look stressed. Wanna take it out on your personal punching bag? Me and Yoh have him all ready for you."

Horohoro froze. He couldn't do it. Ren looked at him frantically with wide golden eyes, silently pelading Horohoro to have mercy just one time. The Ainu scratched his head furiously, irritated that he was harboring such feelings. he marched straight up to Ren, blocking out his sympathy.

"Thanks, guys," he said, trying to grin and appear confident. Ren strugled feebly, eyes darting around desperately, trying to scope out any means of escape.

"Don't try to be smart," Hao smirked, slapping Ren with his free hand. The boy gasped, and Hao's grin widened. "Do it now, Usui," he said.

Horohoro licked his lips. "Sure," he said, but he was mentally uncertain. His heart pounded inside his chest, but he refused to back down under the fearful eyes and helpless form.

In a swift movement, he punched Ren hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Ren cried out, coughed harshly, and struggled to catch his breath, a tear rolling down his cheek.

Horohoro gritted his teeth. He hated Ren for looking so gosh darn innocent. He hated Hao for talking him into hurting him, and he hated himself for allowing it.

"Hit him again," Hao encouraged.

"No," Horohoro said flatly.

Ren looked up in disbelief, and Hao's eyes narrowed. "Why not, Ainu? Do you pity the insect?"

"No!" Horohoro snapped furiously. "I just...I just..."

"Yes?"

"I just...have...have...I just have to...I have to go to the bathroom," he muttered. "You can beat him up while I...take a pee..."

"Much obliged," Hao said, smiling and raising his hand to strike the defenseless Ren again. Horohoro stumbled into the restroom, slammed the door, and locked it. He clamped his hands over his ears when he heard Hao's laughter and Ren's screaming start.