Chapter Nine: Shock and Pain

Even though the opening night of Koala-san had the restaurant packed, the three Marukawa employees did not have an unreasonable wait for their food. Chiaki started plowing through his plate while Yuu chided him to slow down and Hisashi picked like a bird.

The dark haired brunette and the manga assistant continued to tell stories about their years in middle school and high school, laughing and playing around as they did. Hisashi watched and listened silently, speaking occasionally but not offering opinion. If anything, the half-German blonde felt a bit out of place, being with two other guys who were obviously very good friends.

Yuu gave Chiaki a few hard smacks on the back when the mangaka choked on a bite of his food, smiling at Chiaki's bumbling carelessness.

"Eat slower Chiaki," Yuu smiled, running his hand across the lithe shoulder blades.

"I know—ack—Yuu…" Chiaki coughed out, his cheeks flushing slightly. Chiaki was about to go back to his food when a phone suddenly went off.

"Is that yours?" Yuu asked, glancing at his own cell.

"Yeah, it's mine." Chiaki replied, opening it. His large blue doe eyes widened.

"Who's calling you?" Yuu asked.

"Tori," He replied, hitting the green button. "Hello?"

Yuu's eyes darkened at the name of Chiaki's caller, and his face grew graver as he heard the editor exploding after Chiaki explained where he was.

"Tori listen—NO it's not like that!…Go home? But we just got here! Tori—…" Chiaki sighed in frustration as the line cut off. He shut his phone, flopping onto the back of their padded booth seat. "Why does he get so angry about these things?" Chiaki sighed, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

"Because he's a control freak," Yuu spat, his teeth gritted into a sharp mesh of ivory. "Chiaki listen, you don't have to do everything he says—…Chiaki?" Yuu's eyes went wide with horror as the dark brunette pulled out his wallet and started to count up his and Hisashi's portion of the bill. He placed it on the table along with the voucher and started to slide into his coat.

"Chiaki?" Yuu murmured again in disbelief.

"I'm sorry Yuu, Araki-kun, but I have to go." Chiaki stated plainly. He glanced at his blonde acquaintance who sat at the end of the half circle booth. "Could you let me out?"

Hisashi dumbfoundedly started to comply, but he and Chiaki both froze when Yuu grabbed the dark brunette's wrist.

"Chiaki," Yuu said, his voice not disguising any of the pain that showed in his eyes and cut deep into his heart. "You don't have to go. Please, stay with me."

Chiaki's lips parted in shock as he saw the longing and frustration in his old friend's eyes. He paused for a few seconds, not moving a muscle. But when Yuu's grip started to slack, the mangaka pulled his wrist out of his friend's hold and slid out of the booth.

"I'm sorry Yuu…"

He walked out the door, leaving both the restaurant, and his friend.

Garnet eyes stared at the entrance for almost a minute, in both shock, and pain. But ever the smart one, Yuu quickly sapped the emotion out of his face and turned to Hisashi.

"Araki-kun, I'm really not that hungry anymore. Would you mind if we left?"

Hisashi shook his head, his food barely touched.

"No, not at all."

The two assistants paid their bill and left the restaurant, walking back to the train station in silence. Yuu stared ahead as he always did as he walked, with his red eyes up and his mind focused on observation. And even while his heart and his pride had suffered yet another blow by his own friend, he kept his face calm, as if trying to convince the storm of emotions inside him that he was as collected as his looked.

Hisashi on the other hand, walked with his eyes down at the cement, barely noticing where he was going. Yuu eyed him a couple times, glancing back and forth to make sure the blonde wouldn't run into anyone. But there was barely anyone out at this time of night, and the street was lifeless.

Suddenly, Yuu's eyes went wide as Hisashi pivoted on his heel and bolted down an alleyway at full speed, leaving Yuu behind.

"Oy! Where are you going?" Yuu called after him, but all he could hear were the echoes of the blonde's pants. Yuu took off after him, his eyes fixed on the back of Hisashi's striped hoodie. The blonde suddenly took a left into a dead end, where he fell against a brick wall beside a dumpster.

"Hey!" Yuu called as he caught up. "What the hell do you think you're…" Yuu's words were cut off as he heard the blonde begin to sob, his whole frame being jerked as he panted and gasped.

Tears poured down from Hisashi's gray-blue eyes and his whole face contracted as he started cry violently.

Yuu was completely dumbfounded at the way Hisashi had spontaneously crumbled, but he quickly overcame his shock.

"Araki," He said quietly. "Why are you crying?"

The blonde let out another heart wrenching sob before he stammered a tear-filled reply,

"B-Because…he—he just did that to you! For no reason!"

Yuu's brow creased. Was he talking about Chiaki?

"What do you mean? What did he do to me?"

Hisashi turned, agony mixing with the liquid in his eyes.

"Isn't it obvious?" He cried out. "You love him! You love him and he just threw you away like that! You've been his friend for all those years and he just tossed you aside like you were worthless! WHY?" He practically yelled. "WHY DID HE DO THAT TO YOU?"

Another sob caught in the blonde's throat and he lowered his head as he wailed, his entire face damp with melancholy salt water.

Yuu was stunned at the words. He was stunned that Hisashi was crying. And most of all, he was stunned that a man who was supposed to hate him was shedding tears unashamedly on his behalf…

But yet, in spite of his surprise, and the pain that had filled his heart, the edges of his lips curved.

"The way you cry is appalling," He said quietly, placing a hand on the blonde's thin shoulder.

"Shuddup…" Hisashi hiccupped out, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. Yuu smiled, handing Hisashi a handkerchief from his pocket. The blonde's red shot, stony, blue eyes slowly lifted up as Yuu kneeled next to him.

"Tell me," Yuu murmured. "Why are you crying over something that happened to an co-worker you barely know?"

Hisashi jerked up in a flash, throwing himself against the wall and crying fresh tears.

"Araki," Yuu repeated. "Tell me—"

"BECAUSE I USED TO BE THE SAME WAY!" Hisashi all by screamed out, gritting his teeth in pain. "AND IT WAS ALL MY FAULT!"

"What was?" Yuu asked, the mystery of his co-worker starting to crack.

Hisashi let out another howling wail.

"I WAS AN IDIOT! AND MY BEST FRIEND DIED BECAUSE OF IT! MY BEST FRIEND IS GONE! HE'S DEAD!" He cried out, his hands gripping roughly at his fair hair.

"He's dead!" Hisashi sobbed. "He's dead…"

The blonde fell to his knees once again, and Yuu had to jump forward to make sure he didn't hit something on the cement. His lean arms felt the thinness of the sobbing, shivering blonde, and the garnet-eyed man suddenly found himself wrapping his limbs around his shaking coworker. Hisashi jerked away at first, but after a few seconds, Yuu felt the blonde rest his forehead on his strong shoulder, where he quietly cried out the last of his tears.

They sat in that alleyway for almost a half an hour before the blonde was able to stop crying and breathe normally again. Hisashi dabbed at his dry eyes with Yuu's handkerchief, taking a deep, shaky breath.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered, hugging his knees to his chest in embarrassment. Yuu reached out a warm hand and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.

"It's okay," Yuu said, giving the thin back a firm rub. Hisashi gave a slight hum of contentment, which strangely made Yuu smile.

"But listen," The insightful Yuu said quietly. Hisashi slowly turned his red rimmed eyes.

"I think…it's about time you told me your story…"

Those tired, tearless blue eyes widened and stared…but the mysterious blonde gave Yuu a solid nod.

Don't worry :) I don't have the heart to leave you all in a cliff hanger. New chapter will be up tonight or tomorrow. Promise.

Thank for reading! Tell me what you think! ^^

TBF101