Authoress: I'm back! Are you happy to see me?

Midorikawa: I'm not.

Authoress: Now, now, don't be like that, Midori-chan. You know I love you ^w^

Midorikawa: Yet, you enjoy seeing me suffer -_-

Authoress: Heh! Aren't every author does that to their favourite character?

Midorikawa: …

Authoress: Okay, enough talk. Before we start the next chapter of 'The Other Side Of Me', I would like to thank everyone who read, reviewed, favourite and followed my story. You make me very happy!

Midorikawa: …she owns nothing. Except for…

Authoress: YOU BE QUIET!

~ x ~

Chapter 2: Always Be There

Darkness. That was all there was. Darkness. Nothing but endless darkness.

"Hello?" He called out, but there was no reply. Fear gripped his heart, as his body started to shake. This felt familiar. Too familiar. The familiarity he didn't want to feel ever again.

"Hello?" He called again, voice cracked. Mentally, he was begging. He was begging for someone, anyone to reply, to show him that he was not alone in this place.

"But Ry-kun. You know you are not alone here."

His body went stiffed. That voice. That nightmarish voice…

"Now, that's just mean, Ry-kun. Don't you remember that once upon many years ago, you really liked it whenever I talked to you?"

He didn't bother to turn around to see who was talking. He knew who was talking, knew very well. The demon who stepped out from the endless darkness, whose voice so sweet it was sickening. That voice used to be able to comfort him, but now, he knew he was a fool back then. A fool who had fallen into a deadly trap with no way out.

"I see you are ignoring me." There was a chuckled, and his body went even more stiffed when a pair of arms wrapped over his shoulders. "My, I feel unloved. After everything I have done to you, and this is what I received in return? Sounds unfair, don't you think?"

He didn't reply. No, he couldn't reply. The fear was too great that the words got stuck in his throat. His heart was slamming its fists against the ribcage, like it was desperately wanted to jump out and escape. He wanted to escape too, to run to somewhere so far, far away where it couldn't find him.

"Don't be so naïve, Ry-kun. You can't run from me. Not now. Not ever. Not even stabbing yourself with a pair of scissors can get rid of our connection…"

Stabbing himself with a pair of scissors?

Suddenly, it all came back. The memory of that night, the fear, the desperation. He remembered taking the scissors on the desk, he remembered stabbing himself in the stomach. But, there was no pain. He didn't feel any pain at that time. All he felt was the feeling of satisfaction, when the scissors sunk deeper into the flesh. He remembered laughter, was that his laughter, and the hotness of blood seeping through his fingertips.

Blood…

My name is Midorikawa Ryuji.

"Yeah, you wrote that, didn't you?" A mock sigh. "Sure makes me think you don't want to be Reize."

Reize…

Reize…

Reize…

His eyes widened, and in one swift movement, he pushed the other's arms away and spun around, hands balled into fists. The other just looked at him in amusement, a cold smirk present. Ignoring the fear that was trying to swallow him when he saw that face, he look straight into those eyes and hissed out.

"I'm Midorikawa Ryuji."

…And just like that, his eyes snapped open. For a while, he just laid there, panting, eyes locked at the ceiling. Cold sweats rolled down the side of his face, but it was the last of is concern. He was too busy trying to figure out where he was.

Maybe sitting up could help him see his surroundings.

With that thought in mind, Midorikawa carefully pushed himself up in a sitting position, using his elbows. But, no matter how careful he tried, he soon realised the best thing he should have done was not trying to sit up at all. Because, once he sat up, pain shot through his whole being, and, for a moment, all he could see was the colour white. Instinctively, a gasp escaped his lips.

"Midorikawa!" Someone was calling for him. Blinking a couple of times, he realised this someone was holding him by his shoulders. Looking up, his black eyes met with green orbs.

"Midorikawa, you're okay?" The owner of said green orbs asked, voice filled with concern. Swallowing hard, he gasped out.

"Hiroto?"

"Yes, it's me." The redhead smiled, but Midorikawa could see the smile did not reach his eyes. "I'm glad you're finally awake. You have us all worried."

"How long-?" He muttered, glancing around. This familiar surrounding…he was in his room?

"Five days." Hiroto replied, carefully sitting down next to his friend. "Five days you just laid there motionlessly. Five days, you did nothing but breathing…"

"You have been with me for five days?"

"Yes." Hiroto nodded, as he took Midorikawa's hand in his. "But Midorikawa, why? Why did you do that? What's going on?"

Midorikawa was silent, his gaze set on the blanket covered the lower half of his body. What could he say? What should he say? If Hiroto knew, he would laugh at him. Calling him weak. No. His mind whispered softly. Hiroto is a great person. So nice and sweet. He would never do something like that. Yes, he knew it was true. So why couldn't he tell the redhead what was happening? Why couldn't he tell him the reason why he was suffering?

"You won't believe me." Ah, that's right, this was the reason. Who could believe him if he told them the truth? Who could believe such story? If he weren't the one who had to go through it, he wouldn't believe it either.

"Try me." Hiroto said, only to see the greenette shaking his head.

"You won't believe me. I know that."

"Midorik-"

"Don't. Just don't."

For a while, there was only silence, as both boys didn't know what else to say. They just sat there, with Hiroto holding Midorikawa's hand, and the only sound could be heard was their own breathing.

"I understand," finally, it was Hiroto who broke the silence. "I won't ask you what's going on." Midorikawa just nodded at what his friend said, otherwise did nothing else. But, his eyes did widen a little when the redhead lifted his chin up, and once again, black met green.

"But Midorikawa, I will always be by your side, you know that, right?" Hiroto smiled. "So, if you want to talk, I will always more than ready to listen. When you are ready to tell me what's wrong, then come and find me, okay? I will always be here for you. No matter what."

Midorikawa just stared at his best friend. Hiroto…would always be there for him? No matter what?

Once again had his gaze down, Midorikawa finally allowed himself to smile a little, as he reached out and brought Hiroto's hand to his cheek, where he held the other's hand there.

"…thank you, Hiroto."

Unbeknown to them, someone was silently watching, with a cold smirk on their face. As they watched the scene and heard the conversation, the person's dark eyes flashed, and their smirk became wider.

"Yes, he will always be there for you. And so will I."

With that, the person vanished.

~ x ~

Authoress: And we have chapter 2! Don't you just love Hiroto and Midorikawa's moment in this?

Midorikawa: …corny…

Authoress: No one asks you, so please, just be quiet. Anyway, hope all the lovely readers out there like this chapter, and please stay tuned for the next chappie of 'The Other Side Of Me". Now, HiroMido4ever out!