By the time Teshigawara's bedroom door opened for the second time that day, he found Mochizuki being walked in by Mika Teshigawara. The reddish-brown haired boy was clinging to the blue kimono the woman was wearing, his face red and swollen with tears.

Teshigawara forced himself to sit up again, his tired eyes looking over his friend. He frowned and swung his legs off the bed, trying to be the friend he knew he needed to be.

"Mochizuki..." Teshigawara frowned as his feet hit the ground, his legs unsteady, not used to holding his slim weight anymore. "Mochizuki, I... I am sorry..."

The slighter boy's hand clenched in the blue fabric as fresh tears cascading down his cheeks. He shook his head before he stepped closer to Mika, pressing against her. He wanted his mother, not understanding why she had chosen to leave him alone after his sister had just died. He knew that Riku would have been devastated by her oldest child passing away, but still... He wanted his mother to be here with him, needed her to tell him everything would be okay.

"T-teshigawara..." Mochizuki's voice was strangled, his body shaking. He slowly released the kimono in his hands, taking a few hesitant steps towards his friend. "...Teshigawara..."

The light-brown haired boy closed the distance between them, wrapping the smaller one in his arms. He let Mochizuki cry into him, knowing that he wasn't the only one who needed someone there for him.

"It's alright," Teshigawara whispered, resting his chin on dull-coloured hair. He sighed before he spoke again, the most interactive he had been in a long time. "It's alright, Mochizuki."

Mika wiped at her wet eyes, the pain caused by seeing her son like this unbearable. Teshigawara had been so distant, so shut off from the world – to see him suddenly talking and even walking broke her heart, the behaviour rarely heard of ever since he got out of the hospital.

Mochizuki cried into his friend's chest, whimpering for his sister to come back. Teshigawara couldn't blame him, remembering how much it hurt to know that Kazami had left him. He sat down on the ground, pulling the slighter boy onto his lap. He leant against the wall behind them, humming softly, hoping he could be some sort of help to his friend.

Mika had to leave the room, unable to see her son like this any longer; why had it taken such a horrible event to bring him out of his catatonic state? Why did her beautiful child have to be like this? He had been so happy, so carefree...

Teshigawara didn't let go of his friend once the smaller had fallen asleep. Tears slipped past tightly closed eyelids as small murmurs and cries of pain left those pale lips. He eventually fell asleep himself, the effort of having to move like this taking its toll on his weakened body.

~~Not long later~~

When Teshigawara's eyes opened, he looked down, trying to work out where Mochizuki had disappeared to. He looked towards the door to his bedroom, finding it ajar when it had been closed when he fell asleep.

The light-brown haired teenager stood up and staggered towards the door, having barely been so much as standing lately taking its toll on him. He stumbled down the hallway and, once he stepped into the living room, he collapsed onto the hardwood floor.

"Naoya!"

The addressed boy flinched as someone rushed to his side, pulling away from the hands that grabbed at him. He looked up with wary eyes, finding his father kneeling by his side, his mother standing by the couch with a look of horror on her face.

"Naoya, are you okay?" Satoshi pulled his son into his arms, trying to help the smaller regain his feet. He bit his lip and held the boy close, trying to comprehend what he could do for his child. "Naoya?"

Teshigawara wiped at his eyes, a small sob escaping his lips. He pulled away from his father, so ashamed of the fact that he could barely even walk. He didn't want to be seen like this. He didn't want to be seen at all. He wanted to be happy like he used to be. Why did he have to be dealt such a cruel hand in life? Why?!

"Naoya, perhaps you should go back to bed, honey..." Mika sounded as if she were about to cry.

Teshigawara shook his head, pushing Satoshi away. "I am fine... Please..."

Mochizuki was sitting on the couch, his small hand gripping Miku's kimono. His eyes were wide and fearful, almost as if he didn't understand what was happening. His lip quivered as tears welled up in his eyes, his sister's name escaping his lips almost as if he were seeing her in place of his friend.

Teshigawara got back to his feet and stumbled over to the smaller boy, reaching out to take his hand. He gasped and jumped back when his hand was slapped away, a look of anger on Mochizuki's face.

"M-mochizuki...?" Teshigawara whispered in shock, unable to believe what his friend had just done. Why was life so hard for them both? Why did they have to be moulded into these fearful, angry boys?

"Leave me alone!" Mochizuki screamed before burying his face into Mika's side. His body quivered as he cried, uttering small pleas to Teshigawara to leave him alone.

Teshigawara himself was in shock; he had never seen his friend react like this before. He slumped his shoulders, fearful of the smaller boy's temper; the memory of Mochizuki yelling at him seconds before he punched the wall was fresh in his mind. "...I..."

Mika's arms wrapped around Mochizuki, torn between comforting these two boys. She wanted to comfort her son and tell him everything would be okay, but how could she ignore the smaller boy when his own mother didn't want him anymore?

The brunet-haired woman would find it hard to tell Mochizuki but, after phoning his mother to offer her condolences, Rika had voiced her dislike towards the idea of getting her heart broken again, wanting nothing to do with her son in order to avoid her own pain. Hearing the way Rika frantically screamed that she no longer had a son tore Mika's heart apart.

"Naoya, baby, come here." Mika opened her arm wide, inviting her child onto her lap. She held him close, two young boys either side of her. "It's alright, Naoya. It's alright."

Teshigawara didn't cry, but he came close to it. He leant his head against his mother's shoulder, watching Satoshi warily as the black-haired man approached them carefully.

"Mika, would you like for me to do anything here?" Satoshi's voice was quiet as he spoke, his eyes scanning the teenagers. He wanted to be able to do something for them, but it was harder than it seemed when every attempt you made at making your child just look at you ended in failure.

"It's okay." Mika offered a sad smile towards her husband. "I have them. I'll talk to them later about... that."

Satoshi nodded. "Alright. I'll prepare a late lunch."

Teshigawara's eyes followed his father out of the living room, watching him disappear into the kitchen. He pressed closer against his mother, the absolute emotional exhaustion overwhelming him. He sighed as his eyelids drooped, feeling sleep taking over him again.

"Don't fall asleep, sweetie." Mika shook her child gently, trying to get him to wake once again. "Lunch will be ready soon. Will you eat with us today?"

Teshigawara didn't respond, staring blankly at the wall opposite them as his thoughts started to torment him once again. Mika could only sigh, having gotten her hopes up.

Mochizuki's eyes were closed, feeling his body shaking from the anger he felt. He couldn't understand why, but when Teshigawara had approached him in an attempt to help, he just... snapped. Why? Why had he done that? Why had the thought of comfort from the brunet hurt him enough to make him mad?

With a sigh, Mochizuki pulled away from his friend's mother and instead curled up on the end of the couch, his tired eyes closing as he fell asleep once more.