I was alone.

In the span of maybe half a day, I made new friends, shared secrets, and formed what I thought were going to be lasting bonds.

In an even shorter amount of time, I had ruined it.

It wasn't as though I hadn't expected it. This was hardly the first time that people had fought with me, brushed me off like some unwanted speck of dust. But still, it was one of those things in life that, no matter how often you face it, will continue to hurt. People need other people. And people like me, who shied away from any human contact, were no exceptions.

Xxx

After lunch, we had some free time. My first plan had been to spend some time in my new room, get some rest before what would undoubtedly continue to be an eventful day. There was only one problem, which I realized almost as soon as the idea came up- I shared a room with Malik now. With my luck, if I went in there at that time, he would be there too. And honestly, I wasn't sure if I was ready to face that yet.

The second plan that came to mind was to explore the floor I was currently living on. After all, I couldn't rely on other people to take me places forever. Especially not when I had no one I could comfortably ask.

And so I wandered, passing by all the spots that had been pointed out to me the night before. This time, I made a mental note of everything, noticing things that I had failed to see in last night's tired haze. As I walked, I found myself lost in thought. More specifically, thoughts about the two people I had met earlier that day.

Malik was a good person; that much I could tell. He had done everything he could to make me feel welcome in this place, which couldn't have been easy. Of course he was going to have flaws- he was a human. And he was here. But he had a good side as well, I was sure of it. The only question was, would I ever get to see it again while I was here? Or had I ruined any chances of friendship yet again? Knowing how hard it was for me to have even a normal conversation with people, I guessed that it would be the latter.

Meanwhile, Bakura was someone I felt like I should stay away from. Yet, I was curious about him. It was so cliché, like something out of a romance novel, but something about him made me want to know more, drawing me in with all the unknowns surrounding him. He was cruel, but what had made him that way? He was antisocial, but had he always been that way? There were too many unanswered questions, that I couldn't help but want the answers to.

It was all so confusing to me. These people, who I had only just met, were all I could think about. I couldn't remember the last time something like that had happened to me. That had to mean something.

Maybe, just maybe, these people had already grown to be important to me.

"I'll have to face them again, sooner or later," I told myself. "Why not make it happen sooner? Come to think of it, I have nothing to lose. So what is there to hold me back?" Of course, I already knew the answer to that question. It was nothing more than pure fear. I had already been hurt multiple times today, and the last thing I wanted to happen was to experience it yet again. It was the same thing that held me back from talking to anyone, whether it be something simple like participating in class, or something like this. And as much as I hated it, there was nothing I could do about it.

You're so stupid, Ryou. How could you let something like that get you so worked up?

I wished with all my heart that I knew the answer to that question. Then maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to fix it.

I glanced up at my surroundings. Apparently through all my wandering, I had ended up right back in the hallway that held my room. Or had I even left in the first place? I had been so lost in thought; I didn't quite know the answer. But at this point, I was sick of wandering, sick of thinking. All I wanted was some down time, maybe a chance to rearrange my thoughts so they formed a cohesive shape. And of I was going to get that, I would have to take my chances on my room. Maybe, with some luck, I would get that peace and quiet I so desired.

…Except, I had forgotten- luck was rarely if ever on my side. Because as soon as I creaked open the door, I saw Malik, sitting on his bed with his knees held to his chest, his expression invisible from where I was standing. I swallowed. What could I possibly say in this situation?

Maybe a simple greeting would be the easiest way to start.

"Malik? Um, hi. Listen, I'm sorry about-"

"You made him cry." Malik's voice was deeper than I remembered from earlier, almost gravely. I wanted to see his face, but his expression was still unreadable.

"…I'm sorry?" I finally said, after a short pause. "Um, who exactly do you mean by 'him?'" It was a practical question, really, and I had thought nothing of it. My assumption had been that he was talking to himself, which may have been what made the next words out of his mouth so horrifyingly confusing.

"You should know exactly what I mean, Ryou Bakura. You made Malik cry, didn't you?" for the first time, the man on the bed looked up. And what I saw only added to the confusion and terror of the moment. His eyes, which had previously been alive with emotion, were now a dull violet, his pupils barely visible. "I don't know what happened, but it upset him quite a bit."

It happened so fast, I didn't know how to react. Malik- or the man pretending to be Malik, whoever it was- lunged from the bed and over to the doorway, slamming me into the wall by the door and keeping me in place with a firm grip on my throat. Just like that, I felt the air being cut off from my body. I struggled in a panic, but his grip stayed firm. This was so bad, I was going to die like this…

"What exactly was it that you said, Ryou?" "Malik's" voice was dripping with venom, and his cold eyes were fixed on my terrified face. "Malik doesn't cry. He likes to bottle everything inside, until…" He moved his face closer to mine, so I could feel his warm breath on my face. "He gets sent over the edge, so to speak. He tries to stay positive for everyone, as he slowly kills himself on the inside and outside. So, what was it? What could someone as pathetic-looking as you have possibly done to make him break such an old habit?"

"I… Sorry… it was… a mistake…" It took all of my effort to choke those words out. My throat felt sore, and I was quickly growing dizzy from lack of oxygen. Yet Malik didn't relent in the slightest. Rather, he grinned, in a way that wasn't quite sane, before laughing in a way that was even less sane.

"Apologize louder! Come on, you admit that you did something wrong, so let me hear you plead for forgiveness! Get on your knees!" Quickly, Malik released me, punching me in the stomach with full force. I couldn't help but meet his demands. I fell on my knees, but I couldn't say anything. I tried to cough violently, inhaling as quickly as I could, but with the wind completely knocked out of me from the blow, I only managed a panicked expression and a couple of pathetic wheezes. My vision started to go a bit fuzzy around the edges, but I refused to give in. I focused on Malik's cries of, "Come on! I can't hear you! Apologize, to Malik and to me!"

From the background, I heard the sound of footsteps and the voices of both nurses and Malik, who the nurses seemed to be trying to restrain with full force. I tried to breathe again, and to my relief, I immediately started coughing as I inhaled roughly, still doubled over from the hit I had taken. I felt tears streaming from my eyes, another sign of the panic that was currently settling in as I struggled for air. One or two of the nurses bent down to look at me, and they yelled things that I couldn't really comprehend in my current state. A crowd had formed around us at this point, and normally, that would have terrified me further. But at this point, I was tired of fighting off the invitations into unconsciousness, and slowly let myself drift away from the chaos all around me.

Xxx

Ooh, things are heating up now, aren't they~ At this point, it should be a bit more obvious as to what Malik's issue is. It will be officially revealed in the next chapter, but I'm sure my readers are smart enough to figure it out for themselves. Although I'll be honest, Bakura's story is the one I'm looking forward to revealing the most! Oh, well. It may take some time, but I promise, we will get to that point eventually~