"Good evening, Ren," Horohoro said bitterly, addressing the boy he had loved for such a long time with a rather cold tone. "I see you're married now. Congratulations. I bet you'll be happier with that rich old man than you would ever be with me. Really, Ren, you're so shallow."

"No...Th-That's not it!" Ren protested. "You don't understand, Horohoro. I didn't want to marry him. My father forced me to. You know I love you and would never do anything like that if I had the choice."

The Ainu blinked. "Is that true? Are you telling me the truth, Ren?"

Ren nodded. "I am, Horohoro." Another tear splashed to the cold ground. "In fact...I'm out here because I wanted to get away from him. He...he got drunk, and I didn't really want to hang around..."

"It's okay," Horohoro sympathized. "It's not your fault." He approached the Chinese boy, squatting next to him and hugging him tightly.

"Please," Ren begged. "Please, Horohoro, help me escape from here. I can't live with that man, he's one of Hao's minions, and he's horrible. My father basically sold me to him, it's all about money for him and his greedy delusions."

"Are you sure?" Horohoro asked skeptically. "Your father would kill you."

"I don't care," Ren insisted. "Please, please, please...I'd rather die than live with that man for the rest of my life."

Looking around, the blue-haired boy sighed. "Alright, Ren. We'll run away back to Japan where they won't find you...I'll take you back to my place."

"Really?" Ren asked. "Would you really do that with me?"

"I would."

Ren smiled faintly, in such a way that it went by unnoticed by Horohoro.

"Let's get going," Horohoro muttered, taking Ren's hand. "We'll get a taxi to the airport." Ren hurried off into the darkness after Horohoro, eager to get away and live a life he could call his own.

(The Next Morning)

"DAMMIT, WHERE IS THAT FILTHY WHORE!?" Zan Ching roared, sending a table crashing to the floor with a swing of his massive fist. He had just woken up and noticed that Ren had disappeared.

"I beg of you, sir, calm down," urged Ran, Ren's mother. "My son is sure to be hiding somewhere. I've sent my daughter, Jun, and a kyonshii search party to look for him."

At that moment, Jun burst into the room, her green bangs plastered to her forehead with persperation. "I couldn't find him," she panted. "But one of the kyonshii guards said he saw him run off to an unknown destination with a blue-haired boy around his age."

"What!?" Ran exclaimed, shocked. "Ren...Ren ran away? But why?"

Jun lowered her gaze sadly. "He probably didn't want to go with this whole marriage charade and left. Mother, you shouldn't have let this happen. It's not right."

"I know," she replied, anxiously wringing her hands. "But I didn't have a say in this. It's all as your father says must go."

"Bring me back that little bitch," Zan Ching hissed, pounding his fist and creating a deafening sound. "How dare he run away from his husband with another boy?"

"This is ridiculous." En Tao stormed into the room, face pale with fury. "That wicked boy...I knew no good would ever come from him. He's not suitable to be heir to the Tao..."

"Calm down, dear," Ran implored, hurrying to her husband's side. "You can't blame him...after all, we did force him into the situation."

By the end of the day, news had been splashed across headlines and all across China, telling of the "Runaway Tao Bride."

(At the Airport)

"Ren, the boarding time is in five minutes," Horohoro said briskly. Ren didn't have time to pack his things the previous night, so all he had were the clothes on his back.

Ren nodded, standing up and stretching, waiting for the announcement to board. It finally came, and the two gathered up Horohoro's suitcases and stepped aboard the craft.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Horohoro inquired, glancing at the Chinese boy as they took their seats on the plane.

He nodded slowly. "It's a dishonor to run away from marriage in China...but I could care less about what's honorable and what isn't. They're all hypocrites...it's also dishonorable to force your own child into these situations."

"Good." Horohoro squeezed Ren's hand lightly. "We're in this together, Ren, do you understand? If you get caught and punished, then so do I. You hear me?"

Ren sighed. It was dangerous for Horohoro to help him in this way. If they were caught, they would both be punished severely. Ren would be forced back with Zan Ching, and the Tao would surely sentence Horohoro to death.

"I don't know about that. Once we get to Japan, I'm going on my own way. It's too risky and I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Oh, come on, Ren. I don't care about that." He grinned sheepishly. "I'll be happy if you are. Deal?"

Ren laughed. Horohoro was so optimistic and stubborn. That was why he loved him.

"Deal."