Remember Me

by Princess Serenity-chan

The final story of the "Popping the Question Series". When Gii proposes to Takumi on Tanabata the happiness of the couple is complete. However, their happiness is short-lived as Takumi becomes the victim of a freshman's insane jealousy, which results in serious and grave consequences that might change things between Takumi and Gii forever.

11. Plans, Plots and Confessions Part 2

A/N: Hello Everybody!
Even though I already announced in the author's notes of the previous chapter that it would take me longer to update than usual due to my moving to Tokyo I'd like to apologize for the extremely long wait. Hontou ni gomenasai desu!
The past six weeks have been a living hell. Intitial training at the new company as well as follow-up training, admin- and campaign days kept me busy and I had to work on most of my free days. What little free time I had was spent either at the real estate agent, the city hall or the immigration office and squeezing in some time for writing wasn't easy.
However, some good things happened as well, especially in the middle of March. I attended Dai-chan and Mao's "Talk Live" event, where I had the chance to meet the guys again. I got the chance to talk to them once more and even took a photo with them. To top it all off I won a large poster signed by Dai-chan and Mao which they gave away at the end of the main event. Some of you might have already read my fan report about the event either on FB or on my LJ. If you haven't done so, but want to know how the event was feel free to have a look at the report.

I also want to say a big "Thank You" to all of you, especially those who left me a comment for this story. 207 reviews...that's amazing! I couldn't believe my eyes and I still feel like dreaming every time I read this number. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And now please enjoy the latest chapter of "Remember Me". I couldn't spend as much time on this chapter as on the previous ones, but I hope you'll like it anyway.

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Chapter 10

The sound of the alarm clock echoed in the quiescence of the room and being still half asleep Takumi reached for the device that had disturbed his slumber to silence its annoying, beeping sound before he slowly opened his eyes. "Gii…Gii, are you awake? It's time to get up," he murmured drowsily as it had become his habit over the past few weeks since it had proven to be quite difficult for his amber-haired friend to get up early, but when he received no reply whatsoever from the handsome upper-class man the ebony-haired-youth turned his head to face the other's bed only to find it empty and everything that had happened the previous evening slowly came back to him.

"Inai ka," he whispered, a deep sigh of sadness and dejection tearing from him as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Gii, where will we go from here," Takumi breathed softly and for a long moment he kept his eyes riveted on the deserted bed of his friend and roommate, his heart aching and leaving him feel somehow empty inside as if he had lost a part of him, a part that had, in a way, made him feel complete until that day despite his memory loss.

"Gii," he repeated the handsome upper-class man's name with a tender, almost longing undertone in his voice, which he himself wasn't aware of, as he recalled Shingyouji's advice that he had received from the younger boy when he had poured out his heart to him right after Gii's confession and the attempted kiss the previous afternoon. "Finally I know what I am to you, but what are you to me? What is it that I feel for you? What do I actually see in you?"

With that the ebony-haired student shifted his gaze from Gii's mattress to his precious teddy bear that was sitting near the pillow, leaning comfortably against the headboard of his own bed, staring right back at his owner with his gentle blackish-brown beady eyes. "Oh Dai-chan, what am I to do," he addressed the plushy toy and another sigh escaped his lips. "I'm so confused. Just thinking about Gii makes my heart skip a beat and I have all these questions on my mind. With my feelings being in such turmoil, how am I supposed to sort them out properly? I don't want to end up having any regrets." The boy's voice trailed off and for several long seconds Takumi continued to look intently at the stuffed animal he had grown so fond of, wishing that the teddy bear could speak and provide him with some good, valuable advice as well as some comfort.

Finally Gii's beloved averted his gaze shaking his head at his childish behavior, pushed back the covers and rose from the bed only to sink back down onto the edge of the mattress a short moment later as a fit of dizziness overcame him and his head began to spin. "Shimatta, what's wrong with me," he murmured squeezing his eyes shut in order to stop his world from spinning and started to massage his temples against the headache he felt coming on. "This must be a sign of exhaustion because I couldn't sleep much last night and not very well either."

After he had taken several deep breaths Takumi carefully stood up again and slowly made his way over to his closet to get dressed and ready for the day. Once he was done he took a quick glance at his appearance in the mirror and drew in another deep breath when he noticed the slightly dark circles around his eyes. "I hope that at least the others won't notice," he whispered to himself as he headed for the door. "This morning I really don't feel like answering any questions."

Sighing for the umpteenth time since he had got up the ebony-haired youth laggardly made his way down the stairs to the entrance hall where he happened upon Misu and Shingyouji who were just about to leave. "Ohayo Hayama-san," the second-year student greeted cheerfully, but the bright smile he had worn on his face fell almost instantly when he perceived the weary and doleful expression on his friend's delicate features. "Ohayo Shingyouji-kun, Misu-kun," Gii's beloved replied quietly and forced a half-smile onto his lips.

"Hayama, you look pale and positively worn out," Misu stated in his usual blunt and straight-forward manner. "Is there something wrong?" "I didn't sleep very well last night," Takumi answered truthfully, but tried desperately to avoid his friend's keen, searching gaze. "But there is no need for you to worry." "Then tell me…where is Saki," the head of the student council asked slyly. "The two of you usually leave the dorm together in the mornings. Shall we wait for him?" "A-Ano…, I…I don't know," the so addressed boy stammered and lowered his eyes, fidgeting nervously. "M-Maybe it's best not to wait for him today. L-Let's just go ahead okay?"

And with that the ebony-haired youth quickly brushed past his two friends, hastily taking his leave which caused Misu to look questioningly at his lover who instantly averted his gaze. "You know something Shingyouji, don't you," Gii's former rival asked his boyfriend in a hushed voice as they followed Takumi outside. "What do you mean Arata-san," the sophomore asked back, trying his best to sound innocent and casual. "Don't play dumb Shingyouji. I know you to well," the older boy demanded somewhat sternly. "Something happened between Saki and Hayama again and you know the details."

"G-Gomen Arata-san," Shingyouji answered meekly and hung his head in shame. "Please don't be angry with me. What you just said is true. I know indeed what happened, but I promised Hayama not to say anything about it to anyone and I'm determined to keep my promise. Besides I'm convinced that you as well as Akaike and Toshihisa will hear about this incident soon enough." "Well, I guess the others and I will have to wait patiently then until either Saki or Hayama decide to tell us what's going on," the head of the student council mused quietly while placing his hand gently on his lover's shoulder before squeezing it reassuringly in order to show the younger boy that he wasn't cross with him for keeping the details, regarding the latest incident between Shidou's most popular student and the one he had given his heart to, to himself.

oOo

When Misu and Takumi entered the classroom Toshihisa and Akaike were already there chatting animatedly with each other. "Ohayo," they greeted their friends in unison as the two boys approached them. "Hayama, did you have a sleepless night," the president of the disciplinary committee asked worriedly. "You look exhausted." "S-Something like that," the so addressed boy answered reluctantly and fell silent upon which Akaike gazed questioningly at Misu who gave him a look that said 'don't ask any further' and at once Gii's best friend nodded his understanding in an almost imperceptible manner.

"Where is Gii," Toshihisa asked glancing over Takumi's shoulder towards the door. "It's only a few more minutes until homeroom and he usually comes to class together with you." "A-Ano," the ebony-haired youth began hesitantly only to be interrupted instantaneously by the head of the student council. "Saki got delayed this morning, supposedly because of his duties," he stated quickly and gave Toshihisa the same look he had given Akaike only a minute before. Luckily the boy caught on immediately and quickly changed the subject of the conversation to the school day and the duties that were awaiting all of them.

However, Takumi proved to be anything but communicative despite everybody's effort and soon excused himself to join Ichikawa Motoki who had been gazing intently at him ever since he and Misu had entered the classroom. Gii's beloved had just turned his back to his friends and was about to walk over to his desk when an all too familiar voice began to ring in his ears which caused him to turn around once more and to face the door. "Ohayo." "Good lord Gii, what happened to you," Akaike exclaimed upon noticing the pale face of his best friend and his red, slightly puffy eyes. "You look terrible."

"Ohayo Takumi," the handsome upper-class man addressed his one and only, ignoring the other boy's question and comment. "Ohayo…Gii," Takumi returned the greeting more than hesitantly and quickly averted his gaze upon which an awkward silence fell between the two friends. "A-Ano, I'll see you guys later," the ebony-haired youth finally stammered clumsily and strode hastily over to Ichikawa who gave him a questioning look. "You look troubled my friend," he stated carefully. "What happened?" "Nothing Motoki, nothing," the so addressed student answered quietly, trying hard to ignore the sad, longing glances Gii kept throwing him. "Shall we have lunch together today?" "Sure, you owe me one anyway," Ichikawa replied with a warm smile playing about his mouth. Getting the hint that, for the time being, his friend from junior high school had obviously no intention to talk about the issue that was troubling him the brown-haired student refrained from asking any further and began to chat about various but insignificant things instead.

Having witnessed the whole scene Akaike, Misu and Toshihisa looked questioningly back and forth Takumi and Gii, waiting for the handsome upper-class man to say something, but much to their dismay the most popular student of Shidou Gakuin chose to remain silent and kept his eyes riveted on his beloved instead. "Alright Saki, what is the meaning of this," Misu finally whispered impatiently. "What is going on between you and Hayama?" "It's kind of a long story. I'll tell you everything during lunch break okay," Gii replied with a sigh of dejection and trudged over to his desk leaving his friends to stare after him, their faces carrying worried expressions. Thus morning classes began, but all of the boys including Ichikawa found it difficult to concentrate on the lessons, each one of them for his own reasons.

oOo

"You did what," Toshihisa exclaimed jumping to his feet which caused the students who were occupying the neighboring tables to turn their heads. "Calm down," Akaike admonished in a hushed voice. "You are drawing far too much attention to yourself with that kind of behavior." "Gomen minna," the brown-haired replied meekly and sat back down on his chair. "I was just taken by surprise. Gii, you really confessed your love to Takumi and kissed him?" "Yes, I plead guilty," the handsome upper-class man sighed and hung his head. "I know it was a stupid, unreasonable thing to do, but I just couldn't help myself."

"I don't know if this is any comfort, but had I been in your shoes I would have most likely done the exact same thing," the president of the disciplinary committee stated calmly and patted his best friend's back in a comforting and reassuring manner. "I can perfectly see why you decided to do it. After all, the location, the mood and the timing seemed perfect. To be honest, I expected something of the sort to happen much earlier." "Same here," Misu piped in nonchalantly. "But in consequence of your actions things are going to be more difficult, more complicated from now on that's for sure. Obviously Hayama is desperately trying to avoid for the time being and given his personality I dare say that he will even try to keep his distance from us as well."

"What are you going to do now Gii," Toshihisa asked carefully. "What is going to be your next move?" "To tell you guys the truth I have no idea," the handsome upper-class man sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm at my wits' end this time. Besides what can I do but to leave Takumi be for the present? You saw how he acted this this morning. As Misu pointed out Takumi doesn't want to be anywhere near me, let alone talk to me. If I would approach him he would most likely try to get away as quickly as possible under some pretext."

"So you are giving up," Akaike asked sternly. "You mean to resign without even attempting to resolve this problem in some way? Saki Giichi that's not like you!" "And you should consider another thing Saki, that thing being Ichikawa," Misu added, his voice nothing but stern and serious. "He said that he would try everything in his power to snatch Hayama away from you, didn't he? That guy isn't dumb Saki. He has probably already noticed that something has happened between you and Hayama given that he witnessed your encounter in class this morning. This situation is the chance he has most likely been waiting for all this time in order to make a move on your lover and he definitely will. Are you really going to let this happen without putting on a fight? Answer me Saki!"

"No, I won't, not if I can help it," Gii replied weakly. "But…I don't know if you guys can comprehend this…I…I'm tired, so very, very tired. These past few weeks have been like a crazy, emotional rollercoaster ride for me. It seems that every time something happens that teaches me to hope happens only to crush those hopes a short while later. I love Takumi more than anything in this world, God knows I do, but ever since he got released from the hospital being around him at most times quite painful for me and with every day that passes I'm losing more and more what's left of my hope, my faith. I was so confident that, no matter what, Takumi would fall in love with me again, but obviously I was wrong about that…" Gii's voice trailed off and once more the handsome upper-class man sighed dejectedly, ruffling his hair in desperation.

"What if Hayama-san has already fallen for you again," Shingyouji who had followed the conversation quietly until that moment finally spoke up with the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth and within seconds everybody's eyes riveted on him. "What are you talking about Shingyouji," Akaike inquired curiously, clearly surprised by his kouhai's statement. "Well, I happened upon Hayama-san right after Gii-senpai's confession," the second-year student explained and turned to face the handsome upper-class man. "He was quite shaken after that little episode at the gazebo and I took him back to Arata-san's and my room where we had a little chat."

And with that Shingyouji filled Gii, as well as the rest of the group, in with the details about the conversation he had had with Takumi the previous afternoon. "...you said earlier that things are going to be more complicated from now on. While I agree with that I have to say that I don't share your opinion that Gii-senpai's confession was an unwise thing to do." "What do you mean," Shidou's most popular student asked cautiously. "Well, think about it for a minute, because you confessed to him Hayama-san is finally forced to face his true feelings and to sort them out," the younger boy answered calmly. "The impression I got after talking to him yesterday was that the reason why he is so confused right now is not is not only related to your confession, but to his own feelings as well. That's why I advised him to ask himself how he truly feels about you and then, once he has figured that out talk to you about it. I firmly believe that deep down inside Hayama-san has already fallen for you a second time. It's just that he doesn't know it yet. At least that's what I think based on the things he said to me yesterday before he left."

"What did he say," Gii inquired nervously. "Hayama-san was so worried about how he should face you after the incident at the gazebo," Misu's boyfriend replied smiling mildly. "He even wanted to apologize to you for the slap in the face and request a little thinking time from you." "He really wanted to apologize to me," the handsome upper-class man asked in disbelief and for a second a tiny spark of hope lit up in his heart again as Shingyouji nodded eagerly. "And I left, no…fled the room, moved out without giving Takumi that chance because I was only thinking about my own feelings," the amber-haired student stated with guilt written all over his handsome features. "And now it's too late…"

"Rubbish," Toshihisa burst out, hitting the table. "It's never too late Gii!" I'm convinced that you can find a way to get close to Takumi again even in the present situation. Regarding him you have done so many things that everybody here thought were impossible to do and you have achieved so much since the day the two of you first became roommates. You simply can't give up now! If you did none of us would ever forgive you!"

With that Akaike's boyfriend fell silent for a moment, looked at the rest of the boys who were, much to his relief, all nodding in agreement and finally went on. "Besides we all know that Takumi is a very gentle and sensitive person. I'm sure that he won't hold it against you that you temporarily moved out of the room the two of you are sharing. On the contrary, considering what we just heard from Shingyouji I dare say that Takumi is more than conscious how much his extreme reaction to your confession and the kiss must have hurt you. The way I see it our friend is not only confused right now, but feeling terribly guilty as well and that might even be the main reason why he is trying so hard to avoid you for the moment."

"Gii, Toshihisa and Shingyouji have a few really good points there," Akaike piped in softly and once more placed his hand comfortingly on his best friend's shoulder. "What I'm about to say sounds extremely cheesy and I never thought that words like these would ever leave my mouth, but keep your chin up and continue to fight for Hayama, for the one person that's dearer to you than anything else, for this love that means the world to you."

"Thank you Shouzo, minna," the handsome upper-class man replied with a melancholic smile on his lips. "I guess I have been too self-indulgent since yesterday and I'm grateful for the wake-up call you guys just gave me. I sure needed it, didn't I? Sitting here and drowning in self-pity instead of picking myself up and trying to mend things between Takumi and me…that sure must have been a sorry sight."

"Don't be too severe upon yourself," Misu stated nonchalantly trying to sound as casual as he could. After all he had a reputation to protect. "You are going through a lot and times like these everybody has their weak moments, even the great Saki Giichi. Nobody can and will blame you for that." "Exactly," Toshihisa agreed, nodding eagerly. "And as long as you have us, your friends, by your side everything is going to be alright. We will always be there to comfort you, to support you and if necessary to give you a kick in the butt like we did just now."

"Thanks guys," Gii replied, his voice slightly shaking and rose to his feet. "Believe me that your help and support means a lot to me, but if you would please excuse me now. I would like to take a little walk by myself in order to clear my head before the afternoon classes start." When the others nodded their understanding the handsome upper-class man took his leave, his head drooped and his hands buried deep in the pockets of his jacket as he exited the cafeteria. "Is Gii-senpai going to be alright," Shingyouji asked, his hushed voice laced with concern as he let his eyes follow the retreating back of the amber-haired student. "Let's hope so," Akaike replied with a sigh, trying to sound convincing. "Let's hope so."

oOo

Motoki and Takumi sat in one of the resting and picnic areas near the main building, the brown-haired boy watching quietly as his friend kept chewing on a hot meat-bun without any appetite whatsoever. "Takumi, don't you finally want to tell me what it is that's upsetting you so much," the new student finally broke the silence. "Has it something to do with Saki again? What did that guy do this time? I have seen how awkward the two of you acted around each other this morning." "I'm sorry Motoki, but at the moment I really don't want to talk about it," the so addressed boy replied hesitantly. "I have a lot of stuff on my mind right now, various things that I need to sort out and Gii is only one of them."

"Do as you please," Ichikawa answered and forced an amicable smile onto his face, trying hard to hide his disappointment about the other boy's refusal to open up to him. "If you really don't want to talk about what distresses you so much, I won't force you. I just want you to know that I'm here, ready to listen if you should feel the need to ease your mind." "Thanks Motoki, I really appreciate that," Takumi stated and offered his friend a mile smile before falling silent again. "Can I ask you something else," the brown-haired student spoke up again after a long moment of quiescence and when Gii's nodded hesitantly he continued. "I already know that Saki is very protective of you, even overprotective at times, but how about the other guys? Misu, Akaike, Katakura and that sophomore…Shingyouji seem to be just as protective of you as Saki is. I'm your friend too Takumi and we have been buddies ever since junior high school. Don't you think it's time to tell me what is going on? There has to be a reason why all of your friends here are so very concerned about you and it definitely isn't the fact that you are suffering from amnesia."

"Well you know best how I behaved in junior high school," Gii's beloved explained with a sigh. "The guys told me that I was the epitome of a loner when I first came to Shidou, that I always kept to myself, that I didn't care about the other students and that I kept pushing anyone who tried to get closer to me away my phobia being the reason. I guess that because of it and my behavior that resulted from it I was quickly labeled a weirdo. That as well as the fact that I was a commoner gave some students enough reason to pick on me and to bully me."

"Oh I see! That explains everything of course," Ichikawa exclaimed thus interrupting the ebony-haired youth before he had the chance to finish his account. "Your friends are worried that because of your amnesia and your phobia some people might start bullying you again," the new student mused and offered his friend a compassionate smile when he nodded quietly in agreement.

"Anyway, I will go and get something from the vending machine," Takumi stated after a few seconds of silence in order to change the course of his conversation with the other boy and rose to his feet. "Do you want anything?" "Could you get me a soda please," the so addressed youth replied digging in his pockets, at last holding out a 100yen coin to his friend. "Of course," Gii's beloved answered with a smile, accepted the coin and made his way over to the vending machine near the entrance of the main building, letting out a sigh of relief because he had successfully managed to end the rather delicate conversation about the reason for everybody's protectiveness without mentioning Kurokawa and before Ichikawa had been given any chance to ask any uncomfortable questions.

"I don't want to involve Motoki in this," he murmured as he inserted the money and chose the drinks for his friend and himself. He was just about to leave when a freshman approached him in a brisk manner. "Hey Hayama how are you," the boy addressed the ebony-haired youth who had stopped in his tracks with a fake smile. "I heard what happened to you yesterday. It must have been terrible and I feel so sorry for you." "No, you don't," Takumi hissed and glared at the underclass man. "So drop the act already!" Upon hearing those words the fake smile the younger student had been wearing changed into an evil, intimidating smirk. "If I were you, I would choose my words more carefully commoner," Kurokawa's follower hissed dangerously.

"Are you threatening me or trying to give me some good advice," Gii's beloved replied bravely facing up to his predator, managing to successfully hide his true feelings, the fear and anxiety that were churning inside him, behind a mask of indifference. "I'm perfectly aware of what is going on. I know very well that you guys are trying to make me leave Shidou by bullying me, hoping that I'll break down at some point because of the psychological pressure, but believe me I won't. Go and tell Kurokawa that I'm not afraid of him or his schemes and that I won't leave this school no matter what he does to me. And now excuse me my friend is waiting for me." With that the ebony-haired youth shoved past the perplexed freshmen whose face had grown darker with almost every single word that had been spoken and walked back to the seating area with head held high in spite of feeling the younger student's angry and penetrating gaze on his back.

"Do you know that guy," Ichikawa asked worriedly once Takumi had sat down again. "Did he try to cause you any trouble?" "No, he didn't. He is a freshman and asked me some questions regarding his school duties. I suppose he is a transfer student like you," the so addressed boy lied and handed his friend the soda he had requested keeping a straight face and clutching his on drink tightly in order to hide the fact that his hand was slightly shaking. "I referred him to one of his classmates or teachers however, because due to my amnesia I don't know too well about this kind of stuff either. Usually Gii and the other guys help me when it comes to the school duties I have to perform and any issues related to that."

"I see," the brown-haired student chuckled lightly and once more Takumi breathed a small, imperceptible sigh of relief since the other boy had obviously bought the lie. "I guess for you and me it's almost like being freshmen ourselves, at least when it comes to finding our way around campus," Ichikawa continued. "Shall we pack up? It's already quarter to one and the next lesson is PE, so we should get going and make our way over to the sports hall if we don't want to be late. We also need to get changed before the class starts."

"You are right, let's go," the ebony-haired youth agreed and rose to his feet, but sank immediately back down onto his seat with a faint moan. "Takumi what is it? Are you alright," Ichikawa asked alarmed and crouched down in front of the other. "It's…It's nothing, don't worry," Gii's beloved stammered somewhat shakily concealing the fact that the exact same thing had happened to him in the morning. "I suddenly feel a little light-headed, most likely because I got up a little too quickly. I'll be alright in a moment." Trying to ignore the concerned look his friend was giving him Takumi closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before he slowly stood up again, the other boy following his example and rising to his feet as well.

"Daijoubu ka," he asked once more, his voice laced with concern. "I'm okay," the ebony-haired student replied, smiling weakly as he picked up his backpack and turned to leave. "That's good," Ichikawa stated once he had caught up and fallen into pace with his classmate and friend. "But maybe you should stop by the infirmary after the final class and let the nurse have a look at you, just in case you know? You can never be too careful when it comes to your health." "I promise I will," Takumi replied with sincerity and offered the brown-haired student another smile. "I have no special duties to perform today, so I'll go directly after the final bell." The so addressed boy nodded approvingly and the two friends walked the rest of their way in silence.

Soon the sports hall and grounds came into view and by the time the couple arrived at the changing room Akaike, Misu, Toshihisa and Gii were already there, getting ready for the class. Just like in the morning tried to avoid looking at the handsome upper-class man and quickly averted his gaze whenever his eyes happened to meet the ones of the other which caused the amber-haired student to let out a deep sigh of dejection. "Patience Gii, patience," Akaike whispered patting his best friend's back a couple of times. "Try to catch Hayama just before the start of the final lesson and ask him if you could talk to him for a minute once the class has let out." "I'll try Shouzo. Let's just hope that Takumi is willing to listen," the so addressed boy whispered and with one last longing glance at his beloved he followed Akaike and the rest of the group into the sports hall.

Takumi, Ichikawa as well as a large number of other students joined them only a couple of minutes later and as soon as the bell went off they all began, under the keen eyes of the PE teacher, with their warm up exercises, Takumi trying his best to ignore another fit of dizziness that had, once more, overcome him all of a sudden. "Alright minna, put up the net and get the badminton equipment from the storage room," the PE instructor ordered after a few minutes when the students were finally through with the warm up and stretching. The boys immediately scurried away doing as they were told and within short time everything was set up for the main part of the lesson.

"Today we are going to practice how to smash the shuttlecock and how to receive or rather return it to the opponent. However, for the next ten minutes I want you to go over and practice the basics, meaning serving, receiving the shuttlecock and returning it with either a forehand or backhand stroke," the teacher explained in a loud, firm voice. "I'll now announce the pairs for the remainder of today's lesson." And with that he took a list and began to call out names. "…Katakura and Akaike, Misu and Ichikawa and last but not least Saki and Hayama. Everybody, take your positions on the court and get started!" Grinning Akaike, Misu and Toshihisa looked at each other while Ichikawa muttered under his breath and Takumi exchanged nervous glances as well as shy smiles with Gii, but since they were left without any other choice all of them tried to make the best out of the situation meaning to focus merely on the exercise instead of the partner they had been assigned to.

"Hey Takumi, what do you say if we speed things up a little," Gii asked nonchalantly in an attempt to ease the tension between himself and his beloved after they had been practicing at a leisurely pace for some time, trying to sound casual. "Are you up to a little match, let's say six points?" "Sure, why not," the ebony-haired youth replied in an equal manner and soon the two boys immersed in a rather fierce competition both of them trying to stand their ground and to use the skills they had already acquired to their fullest extent.

For the first couple of minutes Takumi did extremely well, his skills being up to par with Gii's, but then from one moment to the other he halted his actions in the middle of a rally and dropped his racket, his breath growing even more ragged than it already was while all color drained from his face. "Takumi what's wrong," the handsome upper-class man asked worriedly and stepped closer to the net. "I…I don't know," the ebony-haired youth stammered staggering towards one of the poles that were holding up the net for support as his whole world began to spin. "I feel so…so dizzy." The words had barely left Takumi's mouth when the boy's knees gave in and he collapsed onto the ground.

Within a split second Gii had dropped his racket and made a dash for his beloved as did Ichikawa and the PE teacher who had witnessed the scene, but the amber-haired student reached Takumi's side first frantically calling out the youth's name over and over again which caused all other students to halt in their actions as well. "Takumi…Takumi can you hear me…Takumi!" "Everything…is…spinning," the so addressed student gasped and a desperate moan tore from him. "I'll take Takumi to the infirmary," Gii announced and had scooped his beloved up into his arms before the teacher and Ichikawa were given the chance to say or do anything.

As soon as Takumi felt the touch he began to tremble violently and his breath began to hitch. "N-No Gii," he whimpered. "It…it burns…p-please set m-me down." "You can't even stand on your own two feet at the moment, let alone walk," the handsome upper-class man replied softly, but with a stern undertone somewhere in his voice. "There is no other way but to carry you to the infirmary, so please try to be strong and bear it. I promise to take you to the nurse as quickly as I can."

"Can someone be so kind and fetch Hayama's clothes and other belongings from the changing room and take them over to the infirmary," the PE instructor asked urgently. "I will do it," Toshihisa exclaimed before anyone else could and once they had received an approving nod from the middle-aged man Gii headed, on the double, for the main building where the infirmary was located with a pale, shaking Takumi in his arms while Toshihisa scurried away to the changing room, Ichikawa staring after them with a grim expression on his face.

Once he had reached his destination Akaike's boyfriend let his eyes wander over the benches for several seconds and soon he had spotted Takumi's backpack. He hurriedly strode over to the familiar piece of luggage and slung it over his shoulder before taking the boy's uniform off the hanger. He then reached for his friend's shoes, but stopped short once he had picked them up. "They somehow feel heavier than mine," Toshihisa murmured and was just about to leave the room when his eyes caught something sparkling from inside the loafers. "Nani kore," the student muttered and carefully tilted one of the shoes and gasped out in shock when several shards of glass appeared. "I have to inform Gii about this," he exclaimed as he emptied the footwear over the garbage can. "This is definitely going too far." And with that Akaike's boyfriend hurried away, muttering under his breath. Little did he know that he hadn't been the only one in the room, that someone had witnessed the whole scene from his hideout cursing silently and being clearly anything but happy about the turn things had taken.

oOo

Gii sat on one of the chairs in the waiting area of the infirmary, tapping his foot nervously as he kept his eyes riveted on the door to the examination room. "He is going to be alright. He is going to be fine," the handsome upper-class man murmured to himself, repeating the same words over and over again like a mantra. With a heavy sigh he checked the clock that was hanging over the entrance for the umpteenth time when the door opened and Toshihisa entered the room with Takumi's belongings in his arms. "How is he," the brown-haired boy asked anxiously, handing the items over to Gii. "I don't know," the so addressed student answered and ruffled his hair in desperation. "The doctor and the nurse are still with him. I know that it's only my imagination, but somehow it feels like I have already been waiting for an eternity."

"Don't worry Gii. I'm sure that it's nothing serious and that Takumi is going to be okay," Toshihisa stated with sincerity and patted Gii's shoulder in a reassuring manner just as Akaike used to do in moments like these. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay long because the PE teacher expects me to return to the class as quickly as possible, but there is something you should know…" And with that Akaike's boyfriend told the handsome upper-class man about his discovery in the changing room, the amber-haired student's face growing darker and grimmer with every passing second. "…and I don't want to imagine what would have happened if Takumi hadn't collapsed during the lesson." "Me neither Toshihisa, me neither," Gii replied, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut for a few seconds. "What are we going to do now," the other boy asked anxiously, his voice laced with concern and fear.

"It seems that Kurokawa is always one step ahead of us, that he knows exactly when and where to strike, using the fact that we can't have our eyes everywhere to his advantage." "To be honest, I have no idea," the most popular student of Shidou Gakuin sighed dejectedly. "But we must come up with something to convict that crazy freshman and his fan club and we have to do it as quickly as possible. Things are getting out of hand and this whole affair will end in a disaster if we don't act soon. Once Takumi is up and about again we should hold a meeting with him being present. We need to make him aware of how Kurokawa is planning to play this game, so that he can protect himself in addition to us looking after him."

"I agree," Toshihisa replied with an eager nod before glancing at the clock. "I'm sorry Gii, but I have to head back to the sports hall," he sighed. "Please send us a message as soon as you have talked to the doctor or the nurse. Misu, Shingyouji and I have some duties to perform after class, but as far as I know Akaike if free all afternoon and I'm certain that he will stop by right after the final lesson to check on Takumi as well as you." "Wakatta, I will keep you informed," Gii replied smiling weakly and after nodding his approval Akaike's boyfriend quietly took his leave.

"Damn you Kurokawa," the handsome upper-class man growled as soon as he was alone again and clenched his hands angrily into fists. "Somehow I will stop you and your followers from hurting Takumi. Somehow I will put a stop to your game and if it's the last thing I do." He was still muttering to himself when the door to the examination room opened and the doctor emerged which caused Gii to practically jump to his feet, almost dropping his beloved's belongings in the process.

"Sensei, is Takumi going to be alright? What's wrong with him," he exclaimed anxiously. "Your friend collapsed because of physical exhaustion," the physician explained calmly. "He has a light fever, but overall his condition isn't too bad, nothing serious. However, I'm going to contact Hayama-kun's therapist doctor Asano because I feel that another factor that has led to your friend's dizzy spell might be a psychological one. I heard from some of your teachers that Hayama recently got bullied on several occasions which I assume must surely affect him mentally, even though he might not show but try to deny or ignore it instead. That's why I'm of the opinion that it might be a good idea for doctor Asano to have a chat Hayama-kun once he is feeling a little better."

"I see. Thank you for your hard work sensei," Gii replied and bowed respectfully to the older man. "Can I go in and stay with Takumi for a while?" "I gave him some medicine and he should be asleep by now. However, if you like and remain quiet you have my permission to stay by your friend's bedside until curfew. Hayama-kun will have to spend the night at the infirmary because I would like to keep him under observation, so it will definitely be nice for him to have someone sitting by his bed when he wakes up."

"Thank you sensei," the amber-haired student answered and after bowing once more to the physician he entered the examination- and sickroom where Takumi was occupying one of the beds. His eyes were closed and he was slightly pale, but breathing slowly and evenly. "Oh my dear Takumi, what are you doing to me these days," Gii whispered softly as he sat down by his beloved's side, taking the boy's hand gingerly into his own. "If this goes on you will without any doubt be the cause for my first gray hairs." With that the handsome upper-class man fell silent for a moment and chuckled lightly at his statement before he turned his attention back to the ebony-haired youth. "Please wake up and get well soon Takumi," he breathed as he gazed at his one and only with love but also a hint of sadness reflecting in his hazel-colored eyes. "You and I have a few things we need to talk about, so that we can set everything to rights between us." Gii's voice trailed off again and for a long while the amber-haired student remained quietly by his fiancé's bed, his mind dwelling on its occupant's mental constitution including his amnesia, the turn their relationship had taken only one day before and on the problems regarding Kurokawa Minoru and his minions.

After some time the handsome upper-class man was so deeply lost in thought that he didn't notice Akaike entering the room and jumped slightly in his chair when he felt the boy's hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Gii. I didn't mean to startle you," the president of the disciplinary committee whispered offering his best friend an apologetic smile. "How is Hayama?" "Luckily he isn't too bad," Gii replied, a mild and relieved smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he filled Akaike in with the information he had received from the doctor some time before. "Yokatta ne," the black-haired student stated once the other boy had finished his account. "And you, what about you? How are you feeling?" "Well," the so addressed youth began hesitantly. "Saying that I'm feeling fine would be a bold lie." "That's what I thought," Akaike murmured softly. "Come on, let's step outside for a moment." Nodding almost imperceptibly the handsome upper-class man rose to his feet and followed his best friend outside the infirmary.

"You and I have known each other for a long time, for so long that I know your ways just as well as you know mine," the president of the disciplinary committee began carefully. "When we talked in the cafeteria during lunch break you didn't show how you truly feel, did you? You tried to hide your true emotions as best as you could from Misu, Toshihisa and Shingyouji, I reckon because you didn't want them to worry even more than they already do. Am I right?" Knowing that he couldn't fool his friend Gii nodded quietly in response and a sad sigh tore from him. "Do you want to tell me what is really is that's occupying your mind," the other boy continued cautiously. "For you to break into tears is a rare occurrence after all and I could tell that you had because of your red, puffy eyes this morning. You know that you can confidently depend on my secrecy, that the contents of this conversation won't ever reach anybody else's ears."

"It was a shock, a real shock," the amber-haired student finally began after a brief moment of silence. "Takumi's reaction to my confession was a real blow for me, a hard punch in the face. I was aware that there was a possibility of being rejected, but I never imagined that Takumi would actually go as far as hitting me. The moment he slapped me across the face and fled the gazebo in tears, leaving me standing there without even looking back once, my heart literally shattered into a million pieces, as cheesy as it sounds, and I felt like dying inside."

"I can well imagine that," Akaike replied softly and squeezed his best friend's arm lightly in silent comfort. "Hayama's reaction obviously affected you so much that you moved out of the room you share with him and I know you well enough to understand that you didn't make that decision lightly." "Yeah," Gii whispered, closing his eyes for a while, taking in a deep breath before he continued, his voice laced with sadness and regret. "I'm well aware that I acted extremely selfish, but I simply didn't have the strength to face Takumi after what had happened at the gazebo. Just hearing his name made my heart ache and brought tears to my eyes. Being close to him was just too painful and too hard to bear and that's what I told Takumi before I left our room, but…"

"But what," the president of the disciplinary committee repeated gently when his friend's voice trailed off. "The other reason why I decided to leave was that I didn't want Takumi to see what his reaction to my confession had done to me," the amber-haired student whispered. "Telling him what he truly means to me had already made him feel more than uncomfortable and the last thing I wanted was to make him feel bad on top of that." "So in order to prevent that from happening you decided to bring some distance between the two of you," Akaike concluded.

"Yes, but perhaps that was an error," the other boy sighed dejectedly. "Considering how Takumi acted this morning and what Shingyouji as well as Toshihisa said during lunch break today I fear that I have actually achieved the opposite effect from the one I intended. I'm afraid that my actions succeeding the incident at the gazebo have caused Takumi to feel far worse than he already did anyway." "Really Gii, you are beyond any doubt the most kind-hearted person I have ever known," the president of the disciplinary committee mused with sincere admiration in his voice. "Always thinking about others first no matter how bad you are feeling yourself. But is Hayama's reaction really the only thing that's bothering you?"

The amber-haired student shook his head dolefully in response and another moment of silence settles between the two friends. "I'm growing afraid Shouzo," Gii sighed at last, running a hand through his hair, "not only afraid to hope, but I'm also growing afraid of myself because recently I feel so insecure and this feeling is getting stronger with every passing day. For the first time in my life I really start doubting myself, my abilities as well as my mental strength. The more time passes the more this whole situation gets to me and I don't know how much longer I can last. Even though you guys try your best to support and encourage me there isn't much else you can do that would help to ease the burden I'm carrying."

"Oh Gii," the other boy breathed compassionately, his heart bleeding for his best friend. "And then Shouzo, I'm scared, so very scared," the handsome upper-class man continued and tears began to form in his eyes. "I'm so scared that Kurokawa manages to hurt Takumi seriously again and more seriously than he did last time before we are given the chance or possibility to do something about that guy. You already heard about the shards of glass in Takumi's shoes I suppose?" Akaike nodded silently in agreement and once he had taken a deep breath Gii went on with a slightly trembling voice. "Last but not least there is Ichikawa. I'm terrified that he might actually succeed in stealing Takumi away from me."

"Luckily there is at least something you can do regarding that issue," the president of the disciplinary committee replied matter-of-factly. "Stay by Hayama's side until he wakes up and then take that opportunity to tell him what's on your mind. Being in the infirmary Hayama won't be able to go anywhere and he will be left with no choice but to listen to you, so say what you want to say. For the time being you won't be able to solve the problem the two of you are having by doing this, but I dare say that it's an important step into the right direction and it's definitely better than doing nothing at all." "Yeah, you are right. I should finally get my act together and continue to fight for Takumi's love, shouldn't I," the amber-haired student whispered hoarsely and brushed away the tears that were about to escape from the corners of his eyes.

"I know it easy for me to say, but don't give up Gii," Akaike stated firmly and pulled the handsome upper-class man into a tight, brotherly embrace which was a rare occurrence even though the two boys had been best friends for the longest of time. "You will definitely manage to win Hayama's heart again and somehow we will find a way to disarm Kurokawa, in a manner of speaking." "Thank you Shouzo," Gii whispered shakily, once he had pulled away after a long moment. "I better go back in now and wait for Takumi to open his eyes." And with that he smiled weakly at the other boy who gave him thumbs-up in return before he disappeared inside the infirmary once more.

oOo

"What's with those long faces of yours? How did our latest operation go," Kurokawa demanded sternly. "Well, I'm listening!" "I…I'm afraid I have some bad news regarding that matter," the freshman who had been hiding in the changing room of the sports hall earlier and had therefore witnessed Toshihisa's actions after Takumi's dizzy spell spoke up shyly. "What do you mean," Gii's most ardent admirer snarled glaring daggers at the other boy. "A-Ano, it was like this…," the so addressed student continued with a trembling voice and explained in detail what had happened in consequence of the incident during PE class. "…and so that friend of Hayama happened to discover the shards of glass in the shoes and emptied them over the garbage can." "I see. It's extremely vexing, but it seems that I'm left with no choice but to accept the fact that 'operation glass' failed," Kurokawa growled. "The odds were against us this time. However, there are going to be other times and opportunities, so the failure of this operation is of little matter. Do you have any other news for me?"

"Yes, we do, but you won't like them," another freshman piped in, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Why don't you let me be the judge of that," the other boy hissed irascibly. "Therefore speak up already!" "I…I happened upon Hayama during lunch break and he ordered me to tell you that he knows what you are trying to do, that he is neither afraid of you nor your schemes and that he won't ever leave Shidou under any circumstances, that he would never give you that satisfaction." "That insolent dog," Kurokawa exclaimed angrily and slammed his fist hard onto his desk. "How dare he talk to me like that? The nerve really!"

"I'm afraid there is another thing," Nakanobu, the thin, lanky boy who had already been the carrier of bad news at the last strategy meeting added once Gii's most ardent admirer had calmed down a little. "I'm listening," he grumbled and gazed intently at the lean, shy-looking boy. "W-Well, w-while having lunch at the cafeteria I overheard that…that Saki-senpai confessed his love to Hayama yesterday a-and that he even kissed t-the guy." "WHAT," Kurokawa roared and all the boys present fearfully ducked their heads. "I don't believe it! How could this low, unworthy commoner manage to bring my beloved Gii-senpai to do a thing like that? This is it, the last straw! It's time to settle things with Hayama once and for all! I'm going to crush him and make him disappear for good!"

"You mean you really want to go as far as hurting the guy to a serious degree again," one of the freshmen present asked carefully. "Hell yes, I sure do," the so addressed student exclaimed enraged. "And if that shouldn't do the trick I'm more than willing to go even further." "A-Are you talking about d-doing the guy in," Nakanobu inquired shakily. "I…I know how much you love Saki-senpai a-and how jealous you are that he cares so much about Hayama, b-but is this whole affair really worth taking a person's life?"

"Why, are you getting cold feet and want to back out," Kurokawa snapped. "I told you before that it's too late for that!" "N-no, I don't want to chicken out," the other boy explained meekly. "I...all I mean is that the risk for you as well as us would be extremely high, should you really decide to go for it. If anything goes wrong it will ruin our future and maybe even our lives forever." "That's exactly why this final operation needs to be planned to the very last detail and with extreme caution," Gii's most ardent admirer hissed, grinning menacingly. "I'm not afraid of the consequences and neither should you be. We are all from rich and powerful families who have a lot of influence in various places. If anything were to happen to us because of what we did, they would back us for sure. Reputation, you know?"

"Then, how do you want to go about this final operation? What are you planning to do," another freshman asked cautiously, clearly being more than uncomfortable about the turn things had taken as were the other boys. "Well, regarding the disposal of Hayama I had something like the following in mind," Kurokawa stated casually, an evil smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as he presented his dastard scheme to his minions who were slowly growing paler with every single one of their leader's words.

oOo

Takumi took a deep breath and clutching the straps of his backpack tightly he entered the classroom, keeping his head down and his gaze lowered. Although his human contact phobia had been cured lately, thanks to Gii, the ebony-haired youth couldn't help but feel extremely insecure, anxious and vulnerable when the handsome upper-class man wasn't by his side, especially like now during class hours. "Ohayo," he greeted his classmates politely and immediately lowered his gaze. 'Straight to my desk, straight to my desk,' he repeated over and over again as he briskly walked down the aisle between the rows of school desks only to be stopped rather abruptly by one of his classmates who had swiftly stepped into his way.

"Hey Hayama, are you coming to class all by yourself again," the boy asked with a mocking smirk. "Every other time you would come with Gii." "By now he probably found himself someone else in America," another boy added sarcastically. "Gii will return today," Takumi answered shortly, wanting nothing more but to get away. "After two long weeks the so anxiously awaited reunion of the two of you is about to take place," the other student exclaimed. "Tell me Hayama, how is it to be with Gii? He must be pretty good at what he does since you are allowing him to touch you."

Takumi simply stared at his classmate for a moment and putting on the expression of cold indifference he had become famous for, he tried to brush wordlessly past the boy, unwilling to engage in his game, but once again he was stopped, this time by a group of students. "Yes Hayama, tell us about it," one of them demanded forcefully. "Do you guys sleep with each other? How does is feel when you do it with Gii? It must feel pretty good." "Yes, come on Hayama and tell us already," another boy piped in and placed his hand on Takumi's shoulder in a somewhat intimidating manner. "It's nothing to be ashamed about, so talk!"

Despite being thus pressured Gii's beloved remained silent and noticing that the group of students who kept fiercely demanding a reply was closing in on him he gripped the straps of his backpack tighter. He tried once more to brush past his classmates to get to his desk and turning his back to them he lowered his gaze, keeping his eyes riveted on the ground. The boys however refused to leave Takumi alone and continued to pester him, but suddenly fell quiet and stepped aside one by one. Only a second later the ebony-haired youth felt a familiar touch on his shoulder and an equally familiar scent began to tickle his nose. He slowly turned around to face the new arrival and had barely come face to face with the boy when his lips were sealed with an innocent, but long, loving kiss. "Ohayo Takumi," Gii greeted once he had pulled away and smiled at his beloved in an affectionate, but slightly mischievous manner, clearly enjoying the perplexed expression the boy's delicate face was holding. "G-Gii…," Takumi stammered, blinking rapidly a couple of times in the attempt to recover from his surprise and to regain his composure, trying hard to ignore the other students who continued to stare at the couple with their jaws dropped to the ground.

Moaning faintly Takumi stirred in the hospital bed and when his eyes finally fluttered open Gii jumped up from his chair and was immediately on the edge of the mattress. "Welcome back, Takumi," he breathed softly, offering his beloved a mild, affectionate smile. "It's about time you woke up. I was beginning to get seriously worried." "Where am I and what happened," the so addressed boy replied weakly and blinked a couple of times in confusion. "You are at the infirmary," Gii explained quietly. "I brought you here after you had collapsed during PE class. Do you remember that?" "Oh yeah…the PE class," the ebony-haired youth murmured as everything came back to him. "Have stayed here with me all the time, ever since I collapsed?" "I sure did," the handsome upper-class man answered with another smile. "How are you feeling?" "I don't know how to describe it…somehow a little faint," Takumi mused hesitantly.

"Ano Gii, I…," he began, but wasn't given the chance to finish whatever it had been he wanted to say as the door to the sickroom opened and doctor Asano entered, accompanied by the nurse. "We heard voices, so we came to have a look," the physician explained, smiling mildly at his charge. "Hello young man. How are you?" "Better than this morning and early afternoon I guess," Gii's beloved replied truthfully. "Did the school doctor ask you to come here?" "He did indeed and I really appreciate that call," doctor Asano stated matter-of-factly. "Would it alright if I had a look at you?" Takumi remained silent for a moment, but when he at last wordlessly nodded his consent, Gii rose to his feet. "I will wait outside," he stated softly and gave the other boy a reassuring smile before he excused himself as did the nurse. "Well Hayama-kun, shall we get over with this as quickly as possible," the doctor spoke up once he was alone with his patient who nodded quietly once more.

"I'm happy to tell you that everything is as it should be," the middle-aged man announced after he had finished his examination a few minutes later. "If there isn't anything wrong with me then why did I collapse," Takumi asked in confusion. "The reason was physical exhaustion in combination with a light fever and stress," the physician explained in a professional manner. "That affected your circulation and that is why you collapsed during PE class. The physical exercise was simply too much for your exhausted and thus weakened body." "I see," Gii's beloved murmured to himself. "You mentioned stress being one of the reasons for my present condition, but I didn't overwork myself in any way."

"I was talking about psychological stress Hayama-kun," doctor Asano stated calmly. "The fact that you can't remember most of your past is a significant stress factor and it takes its toll whether you are aware of it or not as does the fact that you have to put up with being bullied by other students recently." "Did Gii tell you about that," the ebony-haired youth asked quietly and lowered his gaze. "No, he didn't," the physician answered truthfully. "I heard it from your homeroom teacher. "However, upon my inquiry Saki-kun did tell me that you had another flashback and that you can now remember almost everything related to a shopping trip the two of you went on last December, just before Christmas. Is that true?" "Yes, it is," Takumi said, smiling mildly. "I'm still unable to recall some tiny bits and pieces of it though."

"Don't worry and be patient. In good time those memories will return as well," doctor Asano explained with encouragement ringing in his voice. "Would you like to talk about that shopping trip or about any of the things you have to put up with these days?" "Not really," the boy replied shyly and shook his head. "But there is something else I would like to speak to you about, if you don't mind that is." "Mind…of course not," the so addressed man exclaimed and sat down on the chair Gii had occupied for most of the afternoon. "What do you have on your mind young man? Don't be shy and take all the time you need to explain to me what it is that troubles you." "Well, where should I start," the ebony-haired youth began after a moment of thoughtful silence. "It's like this…" And with that he told his attending physician everything about the dream he had awoken from only a short while before.

"That was more than just a mere dream. You had another flashback," doctor Asano concluded once his young patient had finished his account. "That's good and given the fact that the intervals between those flashbacks seem to become shorter and shorter I dare say that there is a very good change that you will fully regain your memories within the next couple of weeks." "That's great to hear," Gii's beloved replied smiling happily at the news. "Thank you, sensei for listening. Can I return to my room now? It's quite late already and you said earlier that I'm basically alright."

"I know that you don't like being here, but you can't return to the dorms tonight, I'm afraid," the physician explained somewhat ruefully. "The school doctor would like to keep you under observation for one night because your condition, though not serious, is quite delicate at present and I agree with him. It's better not to take any risks and the nurse will take good care of you." "I understand," Takumi sighed dejectedly. "Then, can you at least send Gii in once more? There is something I need to tell him." "Of course," the middle-aged man answered and rose from his seat. "I see you on Saturday as scheduled, but since we already had a good chat just now, we could probably shorten the therapy session a little, depending on how you feel by then."

"Thank you sensei," the ebony-haired youth replied softly and after they had exchanged their goodbyes the physician took his leave.
"Saki-kun, Hayama-kun would like to see you again in order to talk to you," he addressed the handsome upper-class man with a mild smile as soon as the door to the sickroom had fallen shut. "But before you go in there is something I would like you to know." "What is it," Gii asked anxiously and stepped up to the middle-aged doctor. "Is there anything wrong with Takumi?" "Not exactly," doctor Asano answered quietly. "Hayama-kun had another flashback. He remembers your return from the US last spring…including the kiss you gave him in front of the entire class."

"H-He does," the amber-haired student inquired with sparkling eyes and Takumi's attending physician nodded smiling warmly. "You know that technically I'm not allowed to tell you about these things," he finally continued and turned serious again. "However that may be you and I agreed to work together in order to help Hayama-kun to recover from his amnesia as quickly as possible and therefore I need to ask you a favor." "Anything sensei," Gii replied with sincerity. "What is it that you would like me to do?"

"Remain with him," doctor Asano stated matter-of-factly. "I can imagine how hard these past weeks must have been for you. I can see the physical and psychological exhaustion in your eyes as well as the sadness, the despair, but I must ask you to use whatever strength you have left and stay by your fiancé's side, no matter how harder things might going to be from now on." "Of course I will try to do that, but can I ask what it is you hope to achieve by it," the handsome upper-class man asked slightly confused by the doctor's request.

"Well, all of Hayama-kun's recent flashbacks involve you," Takumi's attending physician answered calmly. "I start to believe that you may be the key for the recovery of Hayama's memories. My hope is that, if you remain close to him and interact with him, it might stimulate his brain and lead to the recovery of other memories that somehow evolve around you. I firmly believe that if we can get Hayama-kun to remember as much as possible about you including what he had with you, he will automatically remember everything else along with it."

"I will do whatever I can sensei," Gii replied with determination, the words the physician had just spoken giving him new strength. "That's exactly what I though you would say Saki-kun," doctor Asano stated with a nod of approval. "And now return to your fiancé's side. We don't want to keep him waiting too long, do we?" "Well then, if you would excuse me," the amber-haired student replied, bid the middle-aged man goodbye with a respectful bow and disappeared once more inside the sickroom.

"Asano-sensei told me that you wanted to see me again before I have to return to the dorms," he said smiling mildly as he approached his beloved's bed. "What is it that you would like to speak to me about?" "Gii," Takumi breathed in response and reached out for the handsome upper-class man who was clearly taken by surprise by his fiancé's conduct. "A-Ano, about yesterday a-and this morning…I," the boy began hesitantly only to be interrupted by the amber-haired student.

"Hush Takumi," Gii whispered softly and pressed his finger gingerly onto the lips of his one and only before taking the youth's extended hand ever so tenderly into his own. "Don't worry too much about that now and I'm sorry if my actions yesterday evening have caused you to feel bad," he explained with sincerity, taking Akaike's advice to heart. "We will talk about everything once you are up and about again, but for the moment all you need to do is to rest. However, I really want you to know that I bear you no ill-will for your reaction to my confession and that I don't expect an immediate answer. The last thing I want to do is to pressure you. Take all the time you need to sort your feelings and once you feel ready for it let's have a good chat about the whole issue. I also promise you that once we have talked things over I will move back in with you no matter what your decision regarding us is going to be."

"Thanks Gii, thank you so much," Takumi whispered hoarsely and his eyes grew moist. "You have no idea how much these words mean to me." "Iie," the handsome upper-class man replied with a warm, gentle smile gracing his lips. "And now you should go to sleep. Rest well, so that you can join us in class again tomorrow." When the ebony-haired youth nodded his understanding Gii lifted the boy's hand slightly and pressed a sweet, tender kiss onto its back. "Good night Takumi. See you tomorrow." "Yes, tomorrow. Good night Gii," the so addressed boy answered smiling mildly. Returning his beloved's smile lovingly Shidou Gakuin's most popular student finally let go of the boy's hand and quietly took his leave, leaving the other to the care of the nurse.

On his way back to the dorm grounds the amber-haired student quickly stopped by the cafeteria to get some sandwiches before heading straight to his room lost in thought, so lost that he didn't notice Shingyouji who was heading towards the staircase in the lobby and almost bumped into him thus nearly causing the boy to drop the two bottles of tea he had obviously just gotten from the vending machine. "I'm so sorry Shingyouji," Gii stated smiling somewhat sheepishly. "I didn't pay attention." "No problem senpai," the younger student answered good-naturedly, "no harm done. How is Hayama-san?"

"Takumi is still feeling a little weak, but other than that he is alright. We talked for a little while and he even had another flashback about me," the handsome upper-class man explained, his voice laced with excitement. "He will stay at the infirmary for tonight just in case and according to the doctor he should almost be as good as new after a good night's sleep." "That's great! I'm so glad to hear that," Misu's boyfriend exclaimed happily. "It seems that since this morning things between Hayama-san and you have, in every respect, taken a turn for the better again."

"It sure does," Gii replied, a hopeful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth and once he had bidden the younger student goodnight he headed for room 300 with a light spring in his step as he began to climb the stairs. "It's good to see him like that again," Shingyouji said smiling mildly to himself as he followed the handsome upper-class man's example and made his way upstairs to his and Misu's room. "I only hope for his sake that it will last and that soon things will again be the way they used to in the past."

"There you are at last," he was welcomed by his lover and roommate as soon as he had closed the door behind him. "You have been gone for ages to get those drinks. What kept you?" "Gomen Arata-san," Shingyouji said smiling apologetically at the other student as he placed the bottle of tea down in front of him. "I ran into Gii-senpai in the lobby or rather he ran into me and I took the chance to ask him about Hayama-san's condition." "I see," Misu replied casually and upon his inquiry the younger boy told him everything he himself had just heard from the most popular student of Shidou Gakuin. "…and Gii-senpai seemed to be in much higher spirits compared to this morning or lunchtime."

"I wanted to speak to you about that," the head of the student council stated bluntly, his handsome, prominent features holding an unreadable expression that caused Shingyouji to start fidgeting nervously. "E-Eh, d-did I do anything wrong," he finally asked shyly, trying to hold his lover's intense, almost piercing gaze. "No, you didn't, quite the contrary actually," the older boy answered smirking and with one swift motion he pulled the younger one onto his lap making him gasp out in surprise. "A-Arata-san!" "Listen well Shingyouji because I'm going to say this only once," Misu stated firmly. "I was quite impressed with what you did during lunch break today. Your words gave Saki some comfort as well as some encouragement and reassurance."

"Arata-san," the sophomore whispered blushing as the older student's voice trailed off for a moment. Clearly enjoying his boyfriend's reaction to his praise the head of the student council decided to go even one step further. "You did well today Shingyouji and I think you deserve a reward," he whispered sexily and without giving the younger student the chance to say anything in return he sealed the boys lips with his own. It took Shingyouji a second to recover from his surprise, but once he had he returned the kiss eagerly, his eyes drifting shut and soon he parted his lips slightly in invitation.

Misu reacted immediately and sensually deepened the kiss, exploring the hot cavern of Shingyouji's mouth with growing passion. Draping his arms around his lover's neck the younger boy let himself go and lost himself completely in the heavenly feeling of the kiss, a sweet moan of pleasure escaping him as he felt Misu's tongue swirling around his own in ardent, most arousing caresses. "Ungh…ngh." Turned on by Shingyouji's reaction Misu deepened the fiery kiss even further, tightening his arms around the sophomore's waist. When he finally pulled away after several long moments he was breathing hard as was the other student whose eyes were glazed with passion and desire.

"A-Arata-san," Shingyouji whispered huskily and gazed lovingly at the man because of whom he had enrolled at Shidou one year before. "Shingyouji," the head of the student council breathed wantonly and shoved the boy off his lap only to pull him close again once he himself had risen to his feet as well. Without saying a word he claimed the lips of his younger lover for another hot, steamy kiss and while letting his tongue dance with the other's in a sensual, highly erotic manner he skillfully maneuvered the sophomore over to the bed.

oOo

"Ohayo minna," Takumi greeted his friends upon entering the classroom and bowed respectfully to the nurse who had accompanied him there all the way from the infirmary. "Ohayo and welcome back," Akaike, Misu, Toshihisa and Gii exclaimed in unison. "How are you feeling Takumi," the handsome upper-class man asked offering his beloved a mild smile that had a hint of sadness and pain in it. "Not too bad," the so addressed boy replied, smiling shyly back at the handsome upper-class man. Knowing that he had caused Gii a lot of pain and being unsure of his own feelings he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable around the amber-haired student despite his reassuring words from the previous evening. "But the nurse insisted on accompanying me here even though I told her that I was alright."

"She is bound to do that when a student had to spend one night or more at the infirmary," Akaike explained in a business-like manner. "Oh, I see," the ebony-haired youth replied meekly and ruffled his hair, feeling a little sheepish for not having known about such a simple school rule. "Have I missed much yesterday afternoon?" "I have your homework and other assignments here somewhere," Toshihisa answered and started rummaging in his school bag. "If you take this afternoon to do some studying in the library you should be fine. Luckily we only have morning classes today." With that he handed Takumi a clear plastic folder that contained several copies as well as some notes.

"Thanks," Gii's beloved said quietly and a sigh escaped him as he eyed the study material with disdain. "We still have a couple of minutes until homeroom, so I will take these and go through them until the teacher arrives. That way I can ask you guys some questions during lunch break if necessary." When the others nodded, smiling compassionately at him Takumi returned the gesture and with another soft sigh escaping him he made his way to his desk in the back of the room.

He had just taken the first copy out of the folder when Ichikawa entered the classroom. Without so much as offering a greeting to Gii and the other boys he walked right past them and made a beeline to his desk, keeping his eyes riveted on the student who was occupying the neighboring one. "Ohayo Takumi! It's so good to see you up and about again, he exclaimed cheerfully. "How are you feeling? I really wanted to pay you a visit, but unfortunately some school duties kept me from doing so."

"I'm fine thank you," the ebony-haired youth replied smiling mildly. "And don't worry about not having been able to visit me. I wasn't alone. Gii was there when I woke up and he told me that from the moment he had brought me to the infirmary he had been by my side. He is such a kind person and I still can't believe that he did that for me, especially after what…" "After what," the other boy asked slyly when Takumi's voice trailed off, trying to hide his jealousy as best as he could behind a half-smile. "A-ano…nothing," Gii's beloved answered hesitantly, determined to keep the fact that the handsome upper-class man had confessed to him only to nights before to himself, at least until the matter was resolved.

"If you say so," Ichikawa said with a slightly miffed undertone in his voice, but quickly regained his composure and motioned towards the copies that were spread over his friend's desk. "Are these your assignments from yesterday? Do you need any help with this stuff?" "So far I'm okay, but thanks for the offer Motoki. I'll go to the library later to do some research and to catch up with my studies." "Oh good, then I will accompany you," the other student invited himself and before the ebony-haired youth had the chance to say anything in response the school bell started to ring upon which the homeroom teacher entered the classroom.

To his relief Takumi had no problems to follow the lesson in spite of being a little behind with his studies and the morning school hours went by smoothly. After lunch break which he had decided to spend by himself on the leads, he headed to the library, and was halfway there when Ichikawa joined him just like he had pronounced earlier. "Seeking the solitude," the brown-haired student asked casually. "Why? Usually you would either have lunch with Akaike and the other guys or me."

"Like I said yesterday, I have a lot of things on my mind at present," the so addressed boy explained quietly. "I needed some time to think so I decided to go somewhere quiet." "Oh, I see," Ichikawa murmured and a moment of silence settled between the two friends. "How much studying are you planning on doing today," the new student finally spoke up again, "it's a beautiful afternoon and we could go for a walk or some coffee later." "I don't know yet," Gii's beloved replied thoughtfully. "I'd like to do something of the sort, but it all depends on how quickly I get through the contents of yesterday's lessons including the homework and any other assignments. I'd rather get everything done today and have a free weekend instead."

"I could help you so that you can get through the material a little faster," Ichikawa suggested and winked mischievously at his friend. "For example you could save yourself some time and copy my homework, altering it a wee bit here and there." "The offer is tempting, but I think I should do this properly. After all, I need to know this stuff for the exams," Takumi rejected the other's suggestion with sincerity. "Besides if I should still have some questions once I have worked through these materials I could still ask you or Gii or…"

"Gii, Gii, Gii…I'm so sick and tired of that name," the brown-haired student suddenly burst out in anger, grabbing Takumi's arm and yanking it so hard that the short-taken boy lost his balance and tumbled against the wall of the corridor where he was trapped by his enraged friend before he was given any chance to get away from him. "Why do you keep clinging to Saki? Why do you depend so much on a guy who only causes you trouble and pain most of the time," Ichikawa continued his tirade. "What the hell is it with that guy?"

"M-Motoki," Takumi stammered helplessly, staring back at the boy in surprise and shock, clearly feeling intimidated by his closeness. "W-Why are you so angry all of a sudden? I have noticed that the two of you don't like each other much, but…" "I consider Saki as my rival," he was interrupted sternly by his friend from junior high school. "I hate him. I hate him because he keeps hurting you even though he claims to love you and because you keep going back to his side no matter what he did to you before!" "M-Motoki," the ebony-haired youth stuttered growing tense, understanding beginning to dawn on him. "P-Please move away a-and give me s-some room. Y-You are s-scaring me."

"That guy even told me face to face that he wants to claim you for himself, but he isn't good for you Takumi," the other student went on, ignoring Takumi's plea to keep some distance and tightly grabbed the boy's shoulders, pinning the ebony-haired against the wall whose breath instantly began to speed up in response. "Saki isn't the only student at Shidou who cares for you, who harbors romantic feelings for you!" "L-Let…m-me…go," Gii's beloved gasped out weakly, unable to move as his body was petrified with fear. "K-Keep your…h-hands off…m-me!"

"No, not until I have said what needs to be said," Ichikawa answered back sternly. "I love you Takumi! I have been in love with you ever since we met for the first time! Accept me as your boyfriend and I will make you happy!" And with that the new student swiftly sealed Takumi's lips with a kiss and the ebony-haired youth's eyes widened in terror. All Gii's beloved wanted to do was to break the kiss that was being forced upon him, to push the other boy away, but he couldn't even though he tried, his body that was literally frozen with fear simply refusing to obey him.

Tears began to cloud his vision as he stood there, terrified and unable to move, desperately wishing for Ichikawa to finally pull away and time seemed to have come to a standstill. Then to Takumi's absolute horror a familiar voice began to ring in his ears accompanied by the sound of books clattering to the floor. "T-Ta…Takumi!"

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A/N: I'm sorry to leave you with another cliff hanger. We are nearing the climax...where will the story go from here? How will Gii react? Can Takumi and Gii mend their relationship or have Ichikawa's actions ruined things for good? What evil plan has Kurokawa come up with this time?
Once again questions over questions. Find the answers in the next chapter of "Remember Me".

As for this chapter, did you like it? Did you hate it? Please take a minute to click the 'review' button and to leave me a comment with your thoughts. Any review is greatly appreciated.