Ya'll are lucky I write so fast ;D

On another note, thank you all so much for the reviews and subscriptions! (especially one kind person who said Nakamura should use my story line. that really made my day!)

I'm so glad everyone is enjoying my spiel. ^_^

Please continue to read and review and I will undoubtedly continue to write! Arigatou Gozaimasu!

TBF101

Always

Chapter Seven: Horrified

"It seems we've finished a bit early today everyone. Good work. All of you are free to leave." The tall editor, Kirishima Zen smiled at the group of assistant before heading back to the Japun editing office.

Yuka and the other three girls squeed in delight after the handsome editor left and they immediately began talking of the Marukawa gossip that occupied the latter half of their days. The topic of today was the appearance of Kirishima's adorable daughter whom the editor had brought to work the other day. She was blond like her father and had the face of an angel (also like her father). Nearly every single woman in the shounen manga department was already smitten with the editor-in-chief, but the presence of a cute little girl and his title as a single father only put a ribbon on the handsome package.

Yuu resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the quartet. God, it truly didn't matter which manga magazine he worked for, all the girls were exactly the same. Yuu's thoughts wandered to Chiaki's three assistants, one of which had a crush on him that he was quite aware of. They were decent workers, still a bit too green, but they were the slightest bit quieter than the shounen department. The four girls who assisted Ijuuin-sensei were the very picture of heart-clutching, (but sharp-tongued) maidens. The only difference was that they could draw action packed battle scenes, weapons, and over prominent six-packs on guys, rather than flowers and innocent shoujo boys.

"Araki-kun," Yuka asked pleasantly. "Are you taking off?"

"Yeah," Hisashi replied, shrugging on his backpack. He had nearly made it out of the room before Ijuuin-sensei came back in the room from a trip to the sales department, muttering under his breath about a 'fucking Yokozawa.'

"I'll be leaving sensei," Hisashi bowed, reaching for the doorknob. But he stopped cold when Ijuuin tapped him on the shoulder.

"If you'll wait just a second Araki-kun, the department has a request."

Hisashi's blue eyes widened.

"Y-Yes Sensei?"

"I just heard from one of the higher administrators that Rurouri Renaka is going to be flying to Tokyo soon for an international manga conference. Seeing as how she's such an important author, and that you are very well acquainted with her, the manga department head was wondering if you would be willing to be her chaperone for the week she is here. Take her out on the town and accompany her to dinners and meetings and such."

Hisashi's eyes went wide with surprise.

And unmistakable horror.

"I—I uh…F-Forgive me Sensei, but seeing as how I just moved here myself, I'm afraid I'd be a rather bad host. I—I'm sure there must be someone better suited than me."

Ijuuin raised an eyebrow.

"I find that hard to believe, Araki-kun. Renaka-san asked for you personally."

All the assistants looked over at Hisashi, who was fumbling with his words and twitching like a leaf. They exchanged glances of concern, but only Yuu looked at the blonde with calculated insight.

"This would be a great chance for you to stand out to the higher-ups Araki. You could get your name out there and you'd be set with this or any other company for life."

"I—I…"

"I mean it, this chance is yours for the taking."

The blonde grimaced at the words, then finally replied.

"I—I…Please forgive me Sensei…but I can't. I am truly, deeply sorry." The blonde all but cried out, folding the upper half of his body in an apologetic bow. "Please forgive me."

Ijuuin looked suspicious, but sighed.

"Well, it's your choice," He shrugged. "I'll get Kirishima to let them know." The manga editor walked past the assistant and sat down at his desk. Without a word, Hisashi grabbed the doorknob and yanked it open, flying out the door without even a goodbye.

"What the matter with him?" Mitsuki whispered to Yuka, who replied with a shrug. The girls all got up and left as a group, giving Yuu and Ijuuin a wave as they left.

Yuu reached down and slid his sketchpad into his bag, preparing to leave himself. But as he was about to lean back up, his eyes caught a strange bit of white on the dark wood of the floor.

Yuu's auburn eyebrows shot up as he immediately recognized the white stone that Araki had hung around his neck. Holding onto the back of his chair, he lengthened an arm out and snatched the rock from underneath the table. He sat up and turned the cool pebble over in his hands, as if trying to satisfy everyone's curiosity as to why Araki was so attached to the thing.

But it was exactly as the blonde had described it. It really was "just a rock."

Except for one thing. On the back side (or the front side as the rock was almost perfectly oval) were two black letters written in magic marker.

H.A.

Yuu's brow creased further. H.A? Well, if one reversed the names, Araki Hisashi could turn out to be H.A. But since Japanese last names were put first, that notion was a bit ridiculous.

"Yanase,"

Yuu glanced up at Ijuuin, who'd put on his coat and was about to leave.

"Don't stay too late." The mangaka jabbed, giving his assistant a slight smile. Yuu returned it, and replied,

"I'm going to stick around a bit. Have a good day Sensei."

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Ijuuin replied, leaving Yuu alone.

The auburn-haired assistant reached back into his bag and took out one of his personal sketchbooks and began thumbing through his many life drawings of Chiaki.

Knowing that this unadorned rock held some significant meaning to the assistant from Hokkaido, Yuu knew that the blonde would be back to claim it.

And he thought it was about time he claimed a bit of information himself.

Hisashi raced into the Marukawa elevator, squeezing in right before it closed. He leaned against the wall of the empty space, trying to catch his breath from the lengthy run. The blonde had discovered that his rock was missing right before he bought his train ticket, leaving nothing around his neck but the black cord. Carefully retracing his steps, he realized that it must have fallen off in the Marukawa building, or even in the workroom while he'd drawn.

Even while he told himself that it was probably just lying in the hallway and he'd find it easily, the blonde was only just swallowing the frantic panic that was welling up in his chest.

What…what if he couldn't find it?

Hisashi shook his head, blinking back a few small pools of moisture in his eyes.

Not if. He would find it. He had to…

The elevator stopped on the manga floor and Hisashi hurriedly checked along the sides of the hallway that led to the workroom Ijuuin used. Not seeing the white rock anywhere, Hisashi's confidence began to crumble like a sandcastle being washed away by a rolling tide. More tears began to form in his eyes as he began to wonder if he'd lost it for good, and his lip quivered when his mind went back to the one who'd gave him that stone.

"Atsushi," He creaked out into the deserted hallway, as if he was pleading for help in finding the white rock.

Almost on the verge of giving up, Hisashi walked to the door of Ijuuin's workroom and forlornly opened it, walking inside without even glancing up.

"Huh. You were back even quicker than I expected."

Hisashi's eyes shot up and widened as he saw Yuu sitting coolly in his chair, lazily shading a sketch.

"Y—Yanase-kun, what are you still doing here?"

Yuu glanced up and raised a mused eyebrow.

"I could ask you the same thing. But since I already know I won't waste our time. You're looking for this aren't you?"

Yuu picked up the rock with two fingers and flashed it to the blonde, whose blue eyes went wider than saucers.

Hisashi almost cried with relief as he saw the familiar white rock, but even in his ease, he wondered why Yanase was handling it.

"Thank you for finding it," Hisashi said as politely as he could manage. "Now could you please give it back to me?"

The blonde took a step forward and held out an eager hand, trying not to show the desperation in his eyes.

Yuu glanced at him coolly.

"I will, after you tell me what it is."

"It's just a rock." Hisashi replied, panic beginning to stir in his mind again. "Nothing more."

Yuu smiled.

"If it 'just a rock,' then why did you come all the way back to the office just to get it? Is it that important to you?"

"No! Now give it back!" Hisashi snapped, not even aware that his sentences were contradictory.

"Oh yes, and I also want to know why a young assistant, who has only been in the system for a month, turned down an offer that could get him work, money, and even high status for the rest of his career?"

"That's none of your business!"

"It may not be," Yuu replied, calmly, but with glinting red eyes. "But I'm sure it's something that everyone, including Sensei, is wondering about now. Here, I'll make a deal with you, the rock for the 411."

"SHUT UP AND GIVE IT BACK!" Hisashi all but yelled, his small, skillful hands clenched into fists. Even Yuu was surprised by the blonde's tone, he'd never heard Araki reflect such emotion before.

Yuu's eyes darkened.

"Not until you tell me what it is."

"It's a rock!" Hisashi cried. "It's nothing but a goddamned rock!"

"Then why would you wear this goddamned rock around your neck everyday like a crucifix? And the rock is obviously more than it appears. You even wrote on it."

Hisashi's eyes went wide with horror as Yuu turned the rock so H.A. showed.

"Just tell me and you can have it back." Yuu repeated, resting his chin on his elbow.

Hisashi's moist blue eyes flickered back and forth from Yuu's hand to the floor, clearly torn about what to say. He stood in silence for so long that Yuu decided to push him even harder.

"But you know, if this thing is 'just a rock,' then I suppose it's useless. Maybe I should just chuck it out the window and let it fly—"

"It belonged to a friend!" Hisashi yelled, his eyes shut tight. "It's a memento of a dead friend!" He cried out, tears finally spilling down his cheeks. "Please…please just give it back." He sobbed.

Yuu passed the rock into the blonde's hand, tilting his head at Hisashi's tears.

"Now was that so hard?" He murmured. Hisashi didn't answer, but just kept clutching the rock, trying to suppress his sobs as he bowed his face. Yuu sighed, pity starting to creep into his mind.

"You know Araki-kun, you act like you don't feel the slightest bit of emotion. You act like your invincible, that nothing, good or bad, sticks to you. But in reality, you can't even see that this mask you're wearing is full of holes. Me, and every else, we can all see right through you. And the more you try to hide it, the more obvious it becomes."

Hisashi took in a deep breath, almost gasping at Yuu's words mixing with his own sobs. Garnet eyes stared in anticipation as the blonde slowly lifted his head.

But those tear filled blue-gray eyes… were full of anger.

"Fuck you." Hisashi snarled out, whipping around and flying out the door for the second time that day and racing out of the building.

Yuu stared in shock at the empty doorway for a few seconds before anger finally descended on his piercing red eyes. He deftly shoved his sketchbook into his bag and walked to the back stairwell, resolving to stay out of other's issues in the future.

P.s. Don't despair. Man sex is coming :)