The next day early in the morning before anyone was in class, Eiji was in the classroom standing in front of Takeshi’s seat holding a note in his hand. Looking at the note he’s holding he turns his head to see Hikari besides him nodding her head. Eiji looked at the note once more and slowly placed it on Takeshi’s seat.

Hikari placed her hand on Eiji’s back and smiled at him as he turned to look at her.

“Don’t worry! I’ll protect you!” giving Eiji a thumbs up as she walked to her seat

Eiji smiled and walked towards his seat, as he sat down in silence he stared at Hikari and she stared back, he let out a small smile as they both waited for class to start.

This will work! I believe in my friends! Eiji nodded to himself as more students began to enter the classroom.

Eiji looked towards the door, each time someone entered the class Eiji felt as if his heart rate rose.

This has to work… It must work…! Eiji clenched his fists as he realized that the last person to enter the classroom wasn’t his professor, but Takeshi looking right at him.

Takeshi looking right at Eiji smirked as Eiji looked away from him.

Going towards his seat, Takeshi notices a note. As Takeshi took the note off his seat, he read

“Meet me behind the school -Eiji”

Takeshi crushed the paper as he stared right at Eiji who was trying to ignore him.

“Look at me!” Takeshi thought in his head as he clenched his fists crushing the note even more

“Look at me loser!”

Throughout the entire class Eiji felt as if Takeshi had stared at him the entire day. THe moment class finished Eiji went straight for the door, before Takeshi could stop him. As Takeshi saw Eiji exit the classroom he tried chasing after him, but Hikari stood in his way pretending that she didn't notice him.

“Move!” Takeshi yelled as he tried pushing her aside

Hikari stepped aside and watched as Takeshi tried to chase after Eiji.

Behind the school, Takeshi see’s Eiji standing still facing away from him. He raised his hand and threw Eiji’s note right at his head.

“Hey, loser!” Takeshi yelled speed walking towards Eiji

Eiji froze in place, lost in thought as Takeshi got closer and closer to him.

What do I do? What should I do?

Eiji began to sweat as he heard Takeshi get closer and closer.

Clenching his fists together he sees his note blow past him.

Staring right at the note Eiji remember’s Hikari’s words.

“Don’t worry! I’ll protect you!”

Eiji took a deep breath and turned to face Takeshi who grabbed his collar.

“How dare you! A loser requesting me to meet him alone! Just whoo do you think you are!” Takeshi yelled, spitting all over Eiji’s face.

However, rather than looking away Eiji stared right at Takeshi.

“What’s with that look!? How dare you look at me like that!” Takeshi raised his hands and slapped EIji right across his face.

Eiji felt as if he was about to cry, but the pain kept him from shedding tears. It was as if he gained courage after remembering all the things he let Takeshi do to him. He clenched his teeth together and stared at Takeshi once more.

“I told you! Don’t look at me like that!” Takeshi yelled once more, raising a fist in the air this time.

However this time, rather than letting himself get hit by Takeshi. Eiji grabbed Takeshi’s arm before he could do anything.

“Stop…it…” Eiji muttered looking at what he has done

“What!?” Takeshi yelled as he raised another fist.

Eiji, with all his might punched Takeshi in his stomach before he got hit.

Falling down to his knees, coughing, Takeshi held on towards his stomach as he looked up towards Eiji with drool all over his face.

“How… How dare you…!” Takeshi stared at Eiji in pain and anger

Eiji stared down on Takeshi with eyes of fury and clenched his fists together.

“I said stop it! Stop all of it! I won’t be abused by you any longer!”

“W, why… why should I?” Takeshi began to laugh as he tried to stand up slowly

“What!?” Eiji felt as if he was going to blow up, he felt something rising from within clenching his fists up harder.

He lifted Takeshi up by his hair and stared right into his eyes.

“I, if you do anything… I’ll tell everyone about you…!” Takeshi smirked as blood came down his nose.

“Y, you!” Eiji lifted his fists

Just when he was about to punch Takeshi right in the face, he stopped suddenly out of nowhere.

Looking towards his side, he notices Hikari standing beside him holding his arm. Eiji lowers Takeshi and lowers his fists.

“Lucky she stopped you!” Takeshi began laughing harder pointing at Eiji on the ground

Eiji looked away from both Takeshi and Hikari. Staring right towards the ground Eiji began to feel as if he’s lost once more.

“W, what are you doing!” Takeshi screams

Eiji turns to see Hikari angrier than ever, grabbing Eiji’s finger. Lifting up her hand she slaps Takeshi right across his face with his whole body flying towards the wall.

Eiji unable to fathom what just happened stares to see Takeshi unconscious with a bruised cheek laying on the wall on the floor. Looking back at Hikari, he notices her walking towards him.

What… What’s happening…

Eiji felt as if he was next in line after what happened to Takeshi. He gulped as Hikari walked closer and closer with the angry expression on her face.

Raising his arms to try and defend himself, he notices that Hikari didn’t come to beat him up, but to hug him with a smile.

“You did well Eiji… You don’t have to be afraid anymore…” Patting his head holding him in his arms.

W, what is this…? W, what's happening…?

Suddenly a huge wave of emotions just ran through Eiji. Tears began to flow as his whole body fell to the ground holding onto HIkari.

“There, there… I told you I would protect you right?” Hikari with a peaceful look on her face kept patting Eiji’s head comforting him.

This… This is peace…

Eiji slowly fell asleep as Hikari held him in her arms smiling looking at his sleeping face.

Opening his eyes to see the blue sky.

Leaning towards him, he once again sees a girl with a blacked out face, but this time he seemed to be laying on her lap.

“You’re not alone… Eiji!” the strange girl said as she patted his head slowly.

Suddenly, Eiji wakes up to see himself looking at the sky once more. Sitting up slowly, Eiji places his hand on his head trying to remember what had happened. Turning to his side, he realizes Hikari is napping next to him.

Blushing uncontrollably Eiji began to panic.

What happened! Why did I do that!? Looking back and forth to check if anyone was there.

“Mmmm…” Hikari muttered as she slowly began to open her eyes

“I see you finally calmed down after your nap Eiji…” Hikari said as she sat up and rubbed her eyes

“W, why were y, you sleeping next to me!?” Eiji pointed at Hikari as he got as red as a tomato

“Well, you fell asleep hugging me and I eventually fell asleep too!” Hikari replied crawling towards Eiji

“W, what!?!” Eiji crawled back with his face turning completely red

Hikari crawled closer and closer, eventually jumping on top of him causing him to fall back down to the ground.

“Eiji…” Hikari whispered in his ear

With Eiji completely losing it his eyes began to spiral with his face turning more red every second and steam coming out of his head.

“W, what…?”

“Now that you’re free from that guy, we’re friends again right!?” Hikari smiled and was full of energy out of nowhere.

Eiji’s mind went blank. Completely embarrassed for thinking the unthinkable, Eiji looks towards the side.

Hikari places her hand on Eiji’s face gently for the first time in a while.

“RIGHTTTT!?!” Hikari forcefully out of nowhere moved Eiji to look at her directly in her eyes as she got closer and closer to his face.

With all the pain placed on his face, Eiji came back to his senses and realized how close Hikari was and became red once more.

“Y, yeah!” Eiji yelled out nowhere, with his cheeks being squeezed to death by HIkari

Hikari smiled releasing Eiji from her death grip and stood up lending a hand to Eiji.

“Good! We’re finally friends again!” Hikari smiled, pulling Eiji up from the ground and towards her.

“Now we celebrate!” Hikari cheered holding Eiji’s hand

Eiji finally smiles, looks at Hikari, and nods

“Okay!”

Hikari looked at Eiji and smiled in silence, as they both remained still holding hands staring at one another, Ryo comes out of nowhere and slaps Eiji on his back.

“Ow!”

Immediately, when Ryo appeared with Kohaku right behind him, HIkari and Eiji let go of their hands and began to blush.

“Hey, Hamasaki! I heard we’re celebrating!”

How did he find out so fast!?!

“Y, yeah!” Eiji replied flustered rubbing his head

“Let’s go to his house again!” Kohaku jumped in cheering as everything came to an end

“M, my house? Why?”

Kohaku went straight up towards Eiji looked right into his eyes and gave him the puppy dog look

“Can’t we? We are friends again… Right?”

Eiji tried to look away, but that just made Kohaku begin to pout uncontrollably getting closer and closer causing him to sweat as both Ryo and Hikari stared at him chuckling.

“Y, yeah…”

“Yay!” Kohaku jumped around cheering in happiness

“Let’s go right now!” Kohaku grabbed Hikari and began dragging her to Eiji’s house

“See, I told you! You just can’t beat her!” Ryo put his arms around Eiji and began laughing as they began to follow the girls.

Eiji looked at Ryo and began to laugh with him, but suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Ryo asked looking towards EIji

“I don’t know… I feel like I’m forgetting something…” Eiji looked towards the school

“It’s probably nothing! Let’s go!” Ryo dragged Eiji faster as they rushed to catch up with the girls

In front of Eiji’s house, Hikari and Kohaku were waiting for both Ryo and Eiji.

Opening the door, Eiji realizes that his house was a mess, turning around towards everyone covering the entrance.

“I, I forgot my house was a mess! Let’s go somewhere else…!” Eiji nervously told his friends and gave a weird looking smile.

“Nonsense! It can’t possibly…” Hikari moved Eiji towards the side, seeing a completely messed up living room with dust everywhere.

“Be that bad…” Staring into the dark dusty abyss Hikari turns her head and glares at Eiji causing him to sweat nonstop.

As everyone slowly enters Eiji’s house they look around to see the mess everywhere.

Everyone turns and stares at Eiji, who was looking away whistling.

Eiji turns around and gives off a chuckle

“I was too sad to clean… ha ha…” rubbing his head nodding towards the others

“TOO SAD MY ASS!” Kohaku and Hikari immediately slaps Eiji, shuts the door, and drags him towards his living room

“W, what are you guys doing…?” Eiji struggled as he was dragged along

“We’re gonna clean up, obviously!” Hikari turned around facing Eiji closer than ever

“You wear glasses?” Ryo asked holding Eiji’s glasses from behind them

“Ah, yeah. I wear them whenever I read at night, but I usually forget to wear them since my vision isn’t too bad.” Eiji pointed out getting his glasses back from Ryo.

“You look good in glasses!” Kohaku pointed out as she began mopping the floors.

“Yeah! I remember you wearing them when we first met!” Hikari replied as she began wiping down the living room table.

In Eiji’s room, Ryo was organizing Eiji’s manga while Eiji was picking up garbage from the floor.

“Thank you, Machida…” Eiji muttered as he kept cleaning up the floor

“No problem! We’re friends after all!” Ryo replied as he continued placing books into Eiji’s bookshelf

“Why… Were you trying so hard to help me…?” Eiji asked as he stood up from the ground looking at Ryo

Ryo remained silent as he placed the last book on the shelf, he looked at Eiji, smiled and went towards Hikari and Kohaku to help clean up.

Why…?

With the house being completely clean, the doorbell rang with Hikari running straight towards the door.

“Who was it?” Eiji asked leaning towards Hikari who was holding boxes in her hands

“Food!” Kohaku jumped in from behind them and grabbed the box straight out of Hikari’s hands.

“I ordered fried chicken and other food for us! Can’t be a party without food right!” Hikari looked at EIji and smiled.

Just when Eiji was about to say something to Hikari, she walks past Eiji and runs towards Kohaku and Ryo

“Hey don’t eat anything without me!” Hikari cheered as she sat down besides Kohaku

“If you don’t come now Hamasaki, we’re gonna finish everything!” Ryo yelled as he chowed down like there was no tomorrow

Eiji sighed and walked towards everyone, seeing everyone eating as fast as humanly possible

“Hey! Don’t actually eat everything! Save some for me!” Eiji panicked seeing food disappear faster than he was blinking.

With all the food gone, Eiji sat on the floor with a sad face.

“I can’t believe you guys left me almost nothing…”

“Don't Sweat it! I’ll treat you to food next time!” Hikari slapped EIji’s back laughing

You already owe me for when I bought you food!

“Anyways, it’s pretty late now. We should go before it gets too late…” Kohaku stood up grabbing Hikari

Eiji looked out his window to see the starry sky.

It’s already this late!? What happened!?

Eiji stands and walks towards the door with Hikari and Kohaku.

“Get home safe” Eiji said as he opens the door for them

“Don’t worry! I’m with Hikari!” Kohaku hugged Hikari and laughed as they walked away.

“Ah, right…” Eiji chuckled closing his door to see Ryo standing right behind him

Ryo was still here! I forgot!

Eiji opened the door once more as Ryo looked at Eiji in his eyes.

“You asked why I tried so hard?”

Eiji closed the door and faced Ryo

“Y, yeah..."

Ryo looks towards the floor and sighs.

“It’s because… I was once in the same situation you were in…”

Eiji steps closer to Ryo and meets face to face with him once again.

“Who helped you?” Eiji asked

“It… was Hikari… She gave me light in my time of darkness…” Ryo stares right into Eiji’s eyes

“I don’t want to see her sad, but when she cried, I felt nothing but shame for not preventing it…” Ryo clenched his fists glaring at Eiji

“Why?”

“It’s because I care for her...” Ryo places his hand on Eiji’s shoulder and leans towards his ear

“Eiji…”

“It’s because…”

Eiji’s eyes widened as he hears the words coming from Ryo’s mouth

“I love her…”