Finally! We have reached to new material! We're probably going to use the older material from the frist story again in the next chapter though….


His breaking point

"Gakushu… Are you alright?" Ren asked nervously. He carefully dabbed the cotton ball soaked in disinfectant on Gakushu's cheek. He frowned as he checked his friend's wound, there were some blood dried down the bottom of his lips. Although he was happy that the boy was a very fast healer.

"I'm fine, it will only bruise." Gakushu only shrugged, he was shocked by the chairman's action that he bit his lip when the slap came. He didn't expect to be flung around the classroom, he wondered if his father had some kind of contract with a demon.

"I'm surprised that man had it in him." He chuckled, and he mainly chuckled at his inside joke. Gakushu noticed that Ren flinched. He looked to his friend and knew that he was holding his tongue back.

"Ren?" Gakushu uttered, looking over the pain filled expression of the other.

"Why? Why are you acting as if anything is fine?" Ren almost choked in his words, his hands shaking by his side.

"What are you talking about?" Gakushu was taken back. "What are you trying to say?"

"This isn't right!" Ren lashed out, Gakushu couldn't lie to say that he didn't flinch.

"Gakushu, are you in an abusive relationship with your father?" Ren held out his hands and grabbed the other's shoulders to prevent them from escaping. Even though Gakushu was a reaper, he didn't want to break his friend's arms.

'…. What?!' Gakushu was shocked of the quick conclusions his friend made. "What- no!"

"This is the first time he hit me, that's all!" He held his hands up in surrender but the grip on his shoulder became firmer and tighter.

"Mentally? Emotionally?!"

Gakushu's eyes wavered to the side a bit. 'Kinda, that is beside the point!' Ren caught that small detail.

"I knew it." Ren darkly muttered, and that glare he held, it was so intense that even Gakushu was getting intimated. "I'm going to get that fuck-"

"Stop it Ren! You are starting to creep me out!" Gakushu yelled, trying to snap his friend out of that dark mindset. He feared that his father still had some influence over his hazel haired hair, and then it hit him, he just broke away from his perfect leader act and snapped at his friend. Gakushu felt his face being the colours of Karma's shade of hair.

Ren blankly stared at Gakushu and his red face, he almost winced that the uncomfortable look on the strawberry blonde. Then Gakushu felt the hands on his shoulders stared to shake. "I'm sorry…"

"Ren?"

"I know… I'm sorry." Ren choked his words out and it sent a shard to Gakushu's heart. Ren lowered, as if he was trying to hide the shame he felt.

"Even if you don't see me as the same thing, nothing but another student… you are my friend."

"You were the first friend I made when I moved to this town. If ever, you're the first friend I made ever." Ren confessed, his grip on Gakushu's grew tighter.

'You are the same for me.' Gakushu added, he felt his face burn even more if that was even possible.

'I'm sorry.' Gakushu wanted to cry and apologise to the hazel haired boy, of course Gakushu viewed Ren as his friend, and he just didn't want to show him the true side of him. That he wasn't the perfect leader but a boy who had the biggest sweet-tooth and was told by many of his colleagues that he was their 'cinnamon roll'.

Surely Ren would think he was weird as soon as he took off the mask of formatility he maintained since he first started junior high? It would had been a complete 180 for the hazel haired male.

'You were always so much more.' Gakushu wanted to say, everything of how Ren was so precious to the strawberry blonde but the words won't come out. He knew that he didn't act around Ren like the usual friend would, there always seemed to be some sort of distance between the two. Enough that Gakushu never expressed of his true thoughts and feelings.

"I already lost someone once, I can't have this repeated again." Ren said, his voice never once wavered as his eyes flared with determination. "I can't afford losing someone important!"

Gakushu blushed at those words, of how blatant Ren was with his thoughts and feelings. Ren caught that look, he too was blushing when he thought back at those words. This felt like a confession but there is no turning back, and that look was adorable on the 'cold-hearted or emotionless leader.'

Violet eyes glanced back to be met with hazel brown, any other person thought that Ren was only speaking of teen drama but his eyes tell otherwise. Those eyes that Gakushu adored when they were lit with passion as Ren rambled about poetry, those eyes that spoke of a harsh experience befell on the young boy.

"I know that I'm scaring you…" Ren choked as he pulled closer to the boy, hugging him and tightening his hold. Gakushu thought that Ren was almost about to cry, he felt a stab of guilt digging into his heart, digging deep into his heart.

'Don't cry, please don't cry…'

"I-I…"

'You're doing this.' A voice called out to only Gakushu.

'…I'm doing this…' The strawberry blonde berated himself, cursing himself for making his friend sad.

Gakushu felt some tears began to well up his eyes, 'so warm..' This comfort speaks of Gakushu's untold desires for this same warmth from his father. But he mustn't cry, not in front of friend, Ren deserved so much more.

'Ren deserves so much more.' That voice called out, whispering close to his ear.

"I know that I don't deserve you after I abandoned you, to be a test animal for your father…" Ren softly said, Gakushu felt the tears dripping onto his back.

'That's not true! It was my duty!' He obviously couldn't say that, Gakushu couldn't say that went down to second place on purpose because a ghost organisation ordered him to.

"That's not true." Gakushu whispered back. He slowly extended his arms around, when Ren thought that the boy would push him away, Gakushu did the opposite. With unsureness, he wrapped his arms around Ren. Now that he had thought about it, Gakushu felt very small around his arms.

"It wasn't your fault that you were under the Chairman's influence… It was mine because I did nothing to stop it." Gakushu answered, he held a small smile as he gently rubbed his friend's back. "If anything, it was my fault."

Ren jolted out, his eyes now had anger in them but Gakushu knew that it wasn't directed at him. He shook his head and softly smile back at him. "I did nothing to help you break from his spell. I am more at fault here."

"I knew what was going on… but I did nothing." The younger boy reach out and cupped Ren's face, rubbing the tears away. "It was my fault, not yours that I was slapped by the Chairman. I pushed him to that act, not you."

Ren looked at him with sadness, saddened by the distance Gakushu had with his father, when he said Chairman more than he said father. "Please don't cry."

'Please don't be sad.' Gakushu looked deep into his friend's eyes, as he slowly stood up with a soft smile. Somehow, it made Ren's heart pull. "I'm fine, truly I am."

"Are you sure?" Ren whispered, he held the other's wrist. His hands were soft and gentle, it almost made Gakushu cry.

"Yes. Positive." Gakushu nodded, "I'm sure."

'Are you really?' That voice called out once more, Gakushu needed to get away.

"I have to go now, I have to do some errands…" Gakushu had to go, before he burst into tears, from the kindness that he believed that he didn't deserve.

"Gaksuhu-" The strawberry blonde walked out of the room before he bolted. Ren tried to run after him but by the time he set foot outside of the nurse's office, Gakushu was already gone and out of sight.

It was a cruel metaphor for Gakushu Asano, because humans couldn't follow after a reaper, no matter how much Gakushu wanted Ren by his side.

'Running as always?'


Gakushu stared at the bathroom mirror, eyes red as he stared at his chartreuse phosphorescent eyes behind his black-framed glasses. After he ran out of the school, never once he tried to wait for his father who went to the Class-E's building. He instead ran for the nearest reaper-run Team Mart convenience store.

He ran past Hoshino Kin, the light-pink haired worker without a second glance. It made the reaper concerned, she thought something happened at school as she watched Gakushu dashed into the staff room for the 'door'.

'Cutie pie…?' She didn't like what her gut was feeling. And that was what Gakushu imagined what she was thinking, he knew that was he did was out of character for him. But, he didn't want her to see whatever state he was in. So he rushed to the male bathrooms.

The voices in his head that started to talk again when he took off his glasses. 'You know it is true.' It whispered and Gakushu tried his best to block it out. He splashed his face with the cold water.

"I have to get my uniform." He spoke to no-one in particular, he visualised the black double-breasted hooded coat sitting on his bed.

He removed the contacts and emptily stared at the mirror, he hated this colour, this inhumane colour of his eyes. He wanted to bash the mirror just as he did when he was 10, but he restrained himself from doing so. He told himself that he was completely different from that child four years ago, now he has a proper base of support, he had friends, and he had hobbies, even if it took his death of achieving that paradise.

'But this isn't paradise.' A voice told him, 'And you know it.'

Shut up.

'This is limbo. That is what the Department is. It is for everyone; Lucia, Wolfie, Ivan, Gretel.'

Shut up!

But that voice continued to list more of Gakushu's friends, 'Noct, Iggy, Arthur. They are still here even after decades of hard work just to earn their forgiveness. How many years have William even been here again?'

Stop it.

'Lucia cries for the child she will never have, Rilliane ask for the colour she couldn't remember, Noct begs for the looks to go away.'

Stop it!

'An couldn't live like a couple, poor Johnny and Ikeda has to act as a bystander than the partner they strive to be. Even if they are nothing like that person that pushed her into that pact.'

'It's not like that man knows anything in the first place.'

Gakushu denied what it said, even though what it said was true. Gakuhou Asano didn't even ask when he came back from overseas of how Gakushu was, when Gakushu stepped foot back into the human world as a full-fledge reaper. 'He wouldn't even care, nobody in that world care about you like how the Department does. He's supposed to be your father.'

Gakushu wanted his mind to quiet, he want to deny everything it said. 'Wait!'

"Ren is different! He swallowed his pride for my sake! He cares for me!"

'…' Gakushu felt triumphant, having now beaten that voice. He smiled at the mirror but then the movement on the mirror didn't mimic his own.

'Ren is going first, just like that and there is nothing to could do about it.' His reflection spoke. 'He is going to follow the path that you are forbidden to go.'

"I know that!"

Gakushu slammed his fist onto the counter. "Maybe I can delay that day?! It will only be extra paperwork duties! Only some more years!"

'You can't do anything to change that fate. Humans have to die at some point.'

"Nothing…" Gakushu felt the tears now dropping down from his eyes.

'Yes, nothing….'


'Ren… My first friend.'

'Why can't you be like him, a person who only knew me from school and only since junior high… why is he more loving than you?' Gakushu now walked aimlessly, in his school uniform to the Central Building.

'Why, why did he knew to hug me when you never bother?' He no longer cared of how he looked like as he continued his train of thought.

'Why couldn't he be the one who save me that day?' An who was sitting with Johnny by the lounge felt unsettled as she looked over to Gakushu.

'Why, why did it come to this?' Rilliane didn't like how fidgety Gakushu was.

'No, it has always been like this.' James didn't knew how to respond to the strawberry blonde, he felt something wasn't right.

'Since I could remember…' Gakushu closed his eyes are he went through his thoughts.

'My Ren…' The images of Ren took over his mind.

"Shuuie?" Antonio asked and he extended his arm a bit, "Shuuie are you alright?" And gave a gentle tap.


There was a man who stood in line with light hair of white-platinum blonde, it was layered and the middle fringe that covered his forehead that a slight curliness that swayed to the left. Donned in a dark and well-fitted suit set matched with a dark trench-coat, black gloves and polished prada-shoes.

"What is going on?" Ikeda watched as there were more reapers started to surround around one area. And then he was filled with a bit of sadness when he got the idea, 'More be another episode.'

It was a normal occurrence in the halls of the Department after all. So normal that many other reapers continued to stay in line and waited to hand in their collection books to front desk. Another there were some juniors who were uncomfortable and some even confused about the scenario just played out.

Ikeda would shrug it off, offered his condolences and move on. It was the life of a reaper and he went back to read his briefing reports. He couldn't wait to go on that trip to Dubai in a few weeks, maybe he could tease his cute 'little strawberry' Shu with some outlandish gifts.

'I wonder what I should buy something for An, what will make Johnny jealous?'

"Shuuie! Gakushu!" Antonio cried out.

'What!?' Ikead snapped at the voice of his friend. He jolted from his reports, slamming them on the coffee table and turned back to the scene. The man bolted in a split second, rushing to them in fear.

'Please don't tell me-'

"Argggghhhh!" Gakushu was struggling under the Spaniard's hold, as the man could just barely kept him constrained under his grip. The strawberry blonde screamed, as he was a caged animal trying to break away from his prison. He gritted his teeth, his violet purple eyes resembled almost as a crazed animal.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He clawed at the reapers who came to restrain him. Ikeda included.

"Does anyone have a kit!?" A reaper with dirty blonde hair named Johnny screamed. He was barely able to hold down the child's arm.

"Gakushu!" An, the Australian reaper with black hair tied in a mid-ponytail and curly fringe cried. She attempted to pulled smaller boy's arm down to keep them from hurting the others but mainly at himself.

"Gakushu-chan, you have calm down." Rilliane called out to her junior, she tear up along with An. Somehow, the group managed to position the boy down to the floor.

"Medic! We need the Ward here!" Ikeda called out. "Geez, for a kid, you have a lot of kick in you!"

"Ikeda! Not a good time!" Johnny snapped as Ikeda scoffed, before the light haired man could retort back, help has come to them.

"Hold him down." A male voice asked, Kim Tae-sik was preparing the kit with fast hands, opening container and inside was the syringe kit and a bottle of sedatives. He stabbed the soft cap the small glass bottle, pulling the plunger and watched as it filled up with the sleeping agent.

He glanced over around to Gakushu, who was baring his teeth out, still roaring and his neon-green eyes flashed with fury as he struggled. He kneed to the ground, the strawberry blonde froze the moment he felt the needle being injected into his neck.

His voice gave out as the sedative was being pushed into his system. All the needed requirement was coursing in the boy, Gakushu slowly drifted away into unconsciousness and his eyes slowly closing. He stared blankly up to the ceiling, with tears tearing down from his eyes. He weakly turned his head around and was met with Rilliane.

"R-Ren, don't cry. Please don't cry."

"It is not… you're fault. It is my-"

And finally, Gakushu gave into the drug and went into the world of sleep.

Another one to add to the Ward's growing list.

It was another day at the Department.