Anne sighed as stretched out her body.

"I hate swimming class," she murmured in annoyance as Grace settled down next to her "The boys keep fooling around and interrupt my strokes. Geez, the nerve. Sometimes they get a bit too close and nearly drown me. Our swimming teacher should be stricter."

Grace giggled and shoved Anne playfully.

"They're just showing off in front of you," she said "Admit it, you like the attention."

"Not one bit," Anne grumbled as she shoved Grace back "As if they would do it for me. It's disruptive and I highly doubt any of the boys here like me in that way."

Grace hummed then grabbed Anne's boobs.

"Maybe it's because of these!" she grinned and jiggled them around.

"Oi!" Anne blushed bright red "Stop that!"

"Look how big and soft they are!" Grace grinned wider.

"Hey! Stop it, it's embarrassing! These are nothing but a backache anyway!"

"Oh don't be so modest!" Grace winked as Anne shoved her away "Those two will feed lots and lots of healthy babies! It's a good thing! You'll have plenty of milk to go around!"

"Since when did you become such a pervert?!" Anne exclaimed as she shuffled away from her best friend.

Grace laughed again.

"That's why all the boys are pining for your attention!" she said "You'll make a man very lucky one day, Anna-chan! I'm so jealous."

"Grace-chan, I'm the one who should be jealous," Anne sighed "You're so flat, you don't need to wear constricting bras."

"Don't remind me," Grace sighed in dismay.

"Tch," Anne got up, put her red leather notebook into her locker and closed it, walking out of the girl's changing room with Grace skipping behind her.

Grace hid her face in Zack's back as Daichi closed the infirmary door with a shaky arm.

"We should get going before any of our friends end up like this," he said.

"Inoue, could you not hug me so tightly, please?" Zack murmured.

Grace slackened her grip slowly.

"Sorry."

"What kind of hell is this?!"

Ruka and Seito turned their heads to the sound of the scream.

"Wasn't that Inoue-san's scream?" Ruka asked slowly.

"Sounded like it," Seito nodded.

"We should go and find her, she might be in trouble," Ruka said.

"We can't, that way is a dead end."

Ruka shivered and rubbed his forearms for warmth. Seito smiled softly as he took off his short, black top and placed it over Ruka's long, white one.

"Ah, Oshiro-senpai…"

"The cold doesn't bother me," Seito said as he stretched himself out "I'll be fine."

Ruka blushed shyly and nodded.

"Thank you, senpai…"

Seito ruffled his hair with a chuckle.

"Call me Seito, we're not in school."

"O-OK…Seito-san…"

"(Uwah, he's so soft-spoken and afraid,)" Seito thought as they continued walking down the corridor "(If he keeps up looking this adorable, I might come undone.)"

He stopped as Ruka jumped at something and held onto his arm, shivering.

"(So adorable.)"

"It's alright, Ruka," he said as he gave Ruka a comforting hug "Everything's going to be alright."

"(Look at how his cute red eyes look up at me. Look at how they hold back tears. Look at the way he trembles. So cute…)"

"I hope Yumi-chan is alright," Ruka mumbled as they ascended to the third floor.

"Maki-san?"

Ruka blushed a bit more and nodded.

"I…we…" he giggled slightly "It's embarrassing."

"Embarrassing?" Seito chuckled "You…you haven't been doing naughty things have you?"

"N-No!" Ruka shook his head "No, uh, well…"

He paused and looked around before swallowing.

"We didn't want to tell anyone but because you're…Oshiro-senpai, I feel like I should tell you."

Seito's smile faltered as Ruka coughed shyly.

"Yumi-chan and I started to go out a couple of weeks ago."

Seito blinked and he chuckled.

"Wow, that's…"

"(A nuisance.)"

"…great! How are you two? You need advice or anything?"

"Oh, no, I just wanted to tell you," Ruka shifted his foot slowly "Just to get it out, you know?"

"Right," Seito nodded.

"I'm sure you've had loads of girlfriends!" Ruka chuckled.

"(Never had one, disgusting things.)"

"Eh, one or two," Seito shrugged "I guess I haven't found the right girl yet."

Ruka laughed again. The silence between them as they walked around some more felt awkward to Seito.

"(Out of all the girls, it had to be that creepy little snob?)"

Seito couldn't help but admire the view as Ruka bent over to pick up his scrap of paper that had slipped out.

"Huh, there's a hole in pocket," he said "I suppose I'll just put it in my other pocket."

As they reached the bottom floor, Ruka swallowed nervously, his teeth chattering.

"Are you OK, Ruka?" Seito asked "Are you still cold?"

"I-I'm f-fine, what about y-you?" Ruka looked up at Seito warily.

"Eh, I'm used to the cold. It's fine, because you're younger you should be warm."

Ruka nodded slowly as they went down the hall and jumped, grabbing onto Seito's arm again.

"Seito-san!"

Seito's eyes widened as five bodies lay out across the hall, fresh looking and covered in blood.

"Don't look!" he said and tucked Ruka's head into his bare chest.

Ruka hugged him tightly as Seito examined each of the bodies slowly.

"Students…they're all in school uniform…how could this have happened?"

"A-Ah! Seito-san, behind us!"

Seito turned his head suddenly and jumped when he saw a blue figure crouched on the floor, staring ahead blankly.

"A kid?" he muttered.

"It's unreal! He's not real!" Ruka hugged Seito tighter "Seito-san, he doesn't feel human!"

"(He's right. What's with this uneasy chill?)" Seito thought as he held Ruka closer.

"Chhlme…wiff…mhee…"

Ruka went rigid as the boy looked up at him.

"Ruka?" Seito murmured.

Ruka looked terrified as the boy stood, staring at him.

"Chllme wiff me…"

"Oi, Ruka, what's wrong?" Seito nudged Ruka.

"I can't…look away," Ruka whispered "His eyes…they're paralysing! I can hardly move!"

"Chlmme wiff me!"

"Shit!" Seito cursed as he scooped Ruka up in his arms and bolted down the hall when the boy began walking towards them.

He carried Ruka up another flight of stairs on the other side of the hallway and gasped as he fell by the hallway. Ruka relaxed and panted, taking in deep, panicked breaths.

"Ah, that was…so…" Ruka gasped and shivered, burying his face into Seito's chest.

"(His flushed cheeks feel so warm against me,)" Seito closed his eyes and cradled Ruka's head close "(So sweet. I just want to cuddle him forever.)"

"What kind of hell is this?!"

Both boys jumped at Grace's voice echoing down the hall.

"Inoue-san?" Ruka murmured as Seito put him down and stood, looking up and down the corridor.

"Oi! Inoue!" he called "Inoue! Are you there?"

There was no reply and Ruka shakily got up to his feet.

"I-Inoue-san?!" he called "Inoue-san?! Can you hear us?"

"Oshiro-kun! Nakahura-kun!"

The boys turned to see Sakura run down towards them, gasping for breath.

"Thank God!" she gasped "I thought I was here all alone!"

"Hamasaki-san!" Ruka exclaimed.

"You're bleeding," Seito observed.

"Ah yes, it was like this when I woke up," Sakura winced and held her arms.

"We shouldn't leave it like that," Ruka said and opened the infirmary doors next to them "We should-wah!"

He fell over with a surprised yelp.

"What's wrong?!"

Seito poked his head in and Sakura screamed at the dead body inside.

"Ah…ah…" Ruka gasped as Seito approached it and nudged it to the side with his foot.

Seito gave a glance at Sakura and sighed.

"I'll see if there are any bandages," he said.

He walked towards the shelves, leaning up to one of the shelves.

"(Bandages and ointments, perfect,)" he thought as he found the items he was looking for "(Enough to bandage that stupid bitch's cut. I wonder if there's anything that will help shock for little Ruka…)"

His mind began to wander.

"Ha, take that you stupid freak!"

"Ow! Stop that!"

"Hey, hey, what does this say? Oh wait, you can't read!"

The boys began laughing loudly as Ruka nursed his bruises.

"You're so stupid, how can you not read simple sentences?"

"I'm…dyslexic…" Ruka coughed.

"Eh? Dyslexic?"

"It's a learning disability so just leave me alone!"

"But then what about this girly white hair?"

"And those freaky red eyes?"

"Lots of people have white hair and red eyes!"

"Not together!"

Ruka coughed as he got kicked again.

"Hey, hey, check this out!"

Ruka was held down and his shirt stripped off.

"Oh, what are these weird markings?"

"Heh, you part of a cult or something?"

"Such a freak!"

"I bet it's one of those cults that kills people and marks their children!"

"That must have been what happened! Poor little Nakahura's parents get killed then he gets marked! They must have tried to rape him because of how much of a girl he looks!"

"Yeah, yeah! And because he's so stupid, little Nakahura can probably only get money by selling himself out!"

"Stop it!" Ruka cried out as he strained against the other boys' strengths.

"Not that anyone would want to sleep with a creepy thing like you!"

"You'd probably be better off in the gutter! As if anyone would care for you!"

"Shut up! You don't know anything so just leave me alone!"

"You're never going to pass college, are you? You're weak, frail and scary looking. Not to mention so stupid!"

"Stupid, stupid, Nakahura!"

Ruka winced as someone slammed a foot into his back.

"Stupid, weak, scary!"

"Freaky, dumb whore!"

"That's how you got into the school, isn't it? You slept with the paedophilic principal!"

"Ow!" Ruka winced as they turned him on his side and kicked his chest "Shut up! Leave me alone! Stop it! Please!"

"You should drop out! There's no point in you being here! You worthless piece of trash!"

"Let me go! Just leave me alone!"

"Oi!"

A resounding boom was heard as the toilet door was slammed open. The three boys stepped away from Ruka as the taller boy came in.

"Fujiora! Fukui! Hashimoto! Principal's office, NOW!"

"O-Oshiro-senpai!" the boys stuttered.

"Out!"

They fled and Seito sneered at them.

"Tch, think they're so clever in having two 'bodyguards' outside," he muttered and crouched beside Ruka "Hey, they're gone, let me see the damage."

Ruka curled up into a ball and Seito's eyes softened. He fingered the marks on Ruka's back.

"Did they do this?" he asked gently.

"No, those are scars from years ago…" Ruka whispered.

"Ah. Let me see the damage. Please, I can clean you up without having to take you the infirmary and letting anyone see you like this."

Ruka looked up at him with his eyes brimming with tears. Seito smiled sympathetically and brushed them away.

"I can help."

Ruka whined and shifted to lean his head on Seito's chest. Seito cradled him close.

"(Such a small, shivering body…)"

"Waah!"

Seito turned his head sharply and saw Ruka standing in front of Sakura.

"Stay back, Hamasaki-san!"

Seito ran out and looked down at the headless child before them.

"What the?"

Sakura screamed again as she pointed to the girl's hand which was dragging a rotting head. She pointed to them and lunged forward.

"Ruka, watch out!"

Seito lunged for Ruka and they rolled away to the other end of the corridor.

"No! Don't!"

Seito covered Ruka's ears and held his head to his chest as he watched in horror as the girl grabbed Sakura's leg and began dragging her away at an inhuman speed, leaving a trail of blood behind.

"Oshiro-kun! Nakahura-kun!"

Ruka looked up at Seito warily.

"Seito-san?" he said slowly "We…need to help her…"

"Why?" Seito suddenly snarled "She's dead anyway if this amount of blood has already been lost."

"Seito-san!" Ruka looked shocked.

"Ruka, what are girls good for?" he asked darkly "We don't need them."

Ruka's eyes widened and he pushed away from Seito.

"Seito-san, you're scaring me," he whimpered.

"(Ah, his whimpering is so sweet.)"

Seito sat up and grabbed Ruka's arm to stop him from moving away.

"Come here, Ruka. I can show you that we don't need girls to be happy."

"Seito-san, let go!" Ruka whined as he tugged away helplessly.

He was dragged into Seito's lap and froze as Seito's hands slowly pulled his top up. His eyes widened even more as dark wisps began encasing the elder boy's body.

"Seito-san!"

"Ruka, my Ruka," Seito whispered as he peppered kisses up Ruka's spine.

"Let me go! Seito-san!"

Seito licked his lips as he pulled the tops up further…

"Hm?"

Seito froze when he saw the burns that marred Ruka's back. Ruka paused as Seito's body began trembling.

"Ruka? What?"

"(What am I doing?!)"

Seito suddenly shoved Ruka off his lap, covering his mouth in horror. Ruka took one glance at Seito before scrambling up to his feet and running down the bloody path.

"Oi, Ruka!" Seito called as he got up "Ruka, come back!"

He then stiffened as he was hit around the head and fell to the floor, blacking out.

Ruka fell to his knees at where the blood trail ended at, shivering and shaking his head.

"Hamasaki-san…" he whispered "Where did you go?"

He hugged himself and began trembling, his breath coming out and condensing.

"Damn it," he whispered as he pulled his top down along with Seito's "What's with this place?"

"Hello."

Ruka looked up at the girl next to him who stared down at him lifelessly.

"(Her eyes…kind of remind me of dead fish.)"

"Are you looking for someone?" she asked.

Ruka looked back down again.

"Not much of a talker, are you?"

Ruka still didn't respond.

"Whatever, I don't want to waste my time with you."

She walked off as Ruka continued staring at the place where Sakura's blood was oddly cut off. He may have stayed there for a while or just briefly when finally a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Nakahura-kun?"

Ruka jumped to his feet as a young girl came around the corner.

"Fujimoto-san!"

Riku sighed as she ran up to him.

"Nakahura-kun, have you seen Sakura-chan? She just ran off and I can't find her anywhere…"

Ruka glanced down at the blood on the floor.

"She just got dragged off but I can't find her," he said "Damn it, this is just like a nightmare."

Riku looked up at him sadly and sighed, looking down.

"Hey, I have heard that this school is held together by vengeful spirits," she said and shifted "Do you think we might be able to get out of here by appeasing them?"

"Appeasing them?" Ruka repeated slowly.

"Yeah, I read a couple of old newspapers around here and because you're dyslexic, I assume you probably haven't read them."

Riku winced expectantly but Ruka shrugged.

"Tell me."

"Apparently at Heavenly Host Elementary School, four children got kidnapped. Three of them were killed and they all had their tongues taken out. One of them even had her head slowly removed."

"Ah, just now…" Ruka said as he shifted warily "A spirit with no head just dragged Hamasaki-san away."

Riku balked and Ruka sighed.

"Damn it…"

"I heard that the killer may be in this school somewhere," Riku piped up "Maybe if we get him to regret his murders then we could get out of here!"

Ruka looked hesitant.

"I suppose…it's a lead…" he murmured "Let's go then."

Riku smiled brightly and nodded as they walked off through the dark school.