Sumi flung the door open to meet the panicky eyes of Genji and the others. Lying between them was Izaki. His face was every shade of purple and blue with bits of black and brown thrown in the mix, all contrasting loudly against the softly reddened white bandages around his neck, cheek, and forehead. Even his exposed arms we scratched straight up to the IV stuck in the crook of his elbow, and she could see the extensive wrappings extending over his chest and down below the sheets.

She pushed through their puzzled blockade and clutched his hand. "Izaki?" He moaned weakly and opened his eyes. They stared unclearly at her at first then softened, and he squeezed her hand. She smiled in relief and leaned on the bed, brushing his hair back with her hand. "Hi baby."

"He should be fine after a few days," said the doctor watching silently from the other side of the bed. He lowered his clipboard and smiled reassuringly at her. "As long as he keeps good company, I'm sure it will be a quick recovery." Sumi noticed the way he nervously spied the boys on his way out. No doubt they were not the good company he implied.

She pressed a careful kiss on Izaki's bandaged forehead and sighed lowly. "No wonder every man needs a woman behind him. I take my eyes off you for a second!"

Behind her, Makise and the others gawked. "Y-You two are together?"

Sumi glared over her shoulder at him. "Got a problem, Makkie?"

"Since when?"

"I had no idea," Chuta added, scratching his head in shock.

Genji smirked and slipped his hands in his pockets. "Well, at least now we know she's definitely not a spy."

Sumi prepared to turn on him in deadly force, but Izaki's low chuckle disintegrated any hostility. He acted finer than he must have felt, but at the moment, her mind was plagued with that dark dream—a dream which now held much more clout than she originally placed on it.

The boys recovered from their amazement eventually and cleared the room after sunset, but Sumi stayed. Izaki fell asleep before they left but woke again when they'd gone. She helped him eat a late hospital supper then crawled in beside him on the bed. He insisted he felt fine enough for her to rest her head on him, and she tucked her arm across his stomach, careful not to squeeze too hard.

He started drifting, but her mind was not yet closed to conversation. "Who did this to you?"

"Nobody," he breathed against his sleepiness. "I fell."

"Fell into a rope around your ankle?" He grunted; apparently, he expected her not to know the details. "Was it Tokaji?"

"I told you I fell. Just drop it." He nudged her. "Don't you have to go to work?"

"I'll call in."

"There's no need; I'm fine."

"Don't care."

"Sumi—"

"Not going." She rubbed her face into him resolutely, and he smirked against her hair.

"Only a Serizawa would fight over caring about someone."

"Damn straight," she smiled.

Izaki quickly fell asleep quickly, and, near the close of the silent hour, Sumi herself nodded off. But something in the hallway cleared her dreams. She slipped carefully out of the bed, careful not to wake him, and crossed the room then poked her head into the hallway.

A stretcher zipped past, surrounded by yelling, frenzied doctors, and she stepped out to see them better. Lying atop the white cot, hemorrhaging wildly as the doctors pressed him down, was an image from her nightmare.

Terror pulsed through her chilling blood. "Tokio!"

He stood leaning against the entryway. Never moved; never spoke. Maybe he was still mad. Would he brush her off, even as he watched over Tokio's slumbering condition? The rejection would hurt.

Still, Sumi came up behind Tamao, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her forehead into his back. He didn't speak, but she thought she felt him relax into her. "Gomen nasai."

Tamao took a deep breath then sighed. "I already knew he was sick. I should've made him get the surgery, but…" The words fell away, but he didn't need them to make her understand. A moment of silence lingered before his hands gently removed her hold, pulled her around, and drew his arms against her, cradling her up tightly in his embrace. "Gomen, Sumi-chan."

She clutched the back of his shirt and pressed her tears into his chest as he laid his cheek on her head. "I love you, Tamao. I never meant to hurt you, I just—"

"I know. And cause I love you, I wanted you to be safe, even if you have to sacrifice your feelings. I was wrong. Forgive me."

"Forgive you?" She choked a laugh. "Don't try to sound cool." He smirked, and their hold strengthened.

The next morning, Izaki woke to a middle-aged, heavily wrinkled, sour-faced nurse carrying in a tray of breakfast food. He instantly noticed the emptiness in his arms and looked around. Sumi was gone.

"She left early," said the nurse. "She left you a note though." She motioned at the table beside him with a knowing wink.

A folded piece of paper sat waiting, and he opened it.

Izaki-san,

The doctor said you'll be out in a few days, so don't even think about escaping. I have an interview at a school, and my boss needs me to make up my hours tonight. If you're a good boy, I'll come visit you later. ;)

Sumi

P.S. If you let somebody put you in the hospital again, YOU'RE DEAD!

He smirked and leaned back on his pillows, reading it again. "Kawaii," he mumbled affectionately.

The nurse smiled and put his tray on the table. "She's a sweet girl. She watched over you all night. I hope you appreciate your girlfriend!"

Izaki didn't look up from the paper. "She loves me in her own way, and I appreciate her in mine."

Maybe she should have dressed up a little more. Looking at it now, somehow the knee-length blue skirt and pink shirt no longer blended the lines of casual and professional. There was a sweater in her bag; that might help. The idea came too late when the door opened and the principal stepped in.

"Sumi-chan, ohayo gozaimasu." He extended his hand and smiled. "I'm Principal Akanishi. It's a pleasure to have you here."

Sumi didn't need motivation to accept his unexpected hand. He was an older man, of course, but not that old. Early thirties maybe, and ridiculously handsome. A fairly line-free face with a sharp, masculine structure but soft features: large eyes, straight nose, dimpled smile, and a full forehead unbothered by too much stern glaring. She bowed appropriately. "Thank you for seeing me, Akanishi kōchō."

"Please, sit." He motioned to the chair across the desk as he took the one behind it. Sitting open across the neat workspace was a vanilla folder. He skimmed through the pages as she took her seat. "Serizawa Sumi. Five schools since you started middle school, but you have no disciplinary marks and you've never fallen out of the top five in your classes." He picked one paper to scrutinize more closely. "It says here you left your last school for personal reasons." He glanced up at her. "May I ask what those reasons were?"

Sumi knew this would come up, but an evasive answer had yet to formulate. Truth was the only option. "My previous school didn't take kindly to the company I keep. My cousin is a student at Suzuran Boys' High School, so I'm friends with many of them. Kayashima kōchō insisted I stop being seen with him, but Tamao is my only living relative, Akanishi kouchou. I'll only stop seeing him when I'm six feet under."

Akanishi nodded thoughtfully and closed the folder. "Well, your cousin doesn't concern me. Suzuran's reputation isn't appealing, but I see no indication that it affects your academics." He smiled. "If that suits you, you'll begin class next week."

Sumi beamed. "Really?" He nodded again, and she bowed excitedly. "Arigatō gozaimasu, Akanishi kōchō!"

"See the secretary to order your uniform and file the proper paperwork." He stood and opened the door for her. He smiled when she stepped out. "Sumi-chan." She turned. "The students are our children. That makes your cousin family too, so feel at ease here."

She smiled and bowed again. "Arigatō." He nodded one last time then closed the door.

Sumi had to admit she greatly enjoyed the quiet streets of the early afternoon as students attended classes and businesses had yet to dismiss for lunch. To be frank, her interest in school only diminished in her absence from the routine. Somehow, it seemed like a severe waste of what little life people had. Sacrifices had to be made, apparently, to live a sweeter life down the road.

The morning venders were closing up for the afternoon calm and moving indoors. She passed a polite smile to a butcher wiping down his cutting board but then stopped as her eyes turned forward again. Walking toward her, scuffing his feet lazily over the pavement, was Tokaji.

Sumi instinctively took a few subtle steps back and yanked one of the long cutting knives off the butcher's stall. He protested at first but quickly fell silent as the other teen approached.

Tokaji stopped a few feet from her and stomped out his cigarette. "Well, well, well, don't you look happy this morning. Are you that pleased to see me?" She didn't respond, and he smirked that abominable sneer he wore too well. "How's your boyfriend?"

She immediately took a single step and simultaneously put the knife to his throat, pressing the tip of the sharp, bloody blade against his Adam's apple. Her glare was unmistakable, but she was knew it didn't remotely mirror his conniving eyes.

He smirked, glancing passively at the blade a moment. "If you kill me, you're finally choosing whose side you're really on. I'm a member of Tamao's gang. Attacking me is the same as attacking him."

Sumi paused, analyzing his unreadable scheme, and retorted, "That's the difference between you and Tamao, Tokaji." Slowly, she lowered the blade. "Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong." She flipped the knife, catching the metal between her fingers, and handed it back to the vendor. He took it hesitantly then stepped away from them again. She didn't waste her time exchanging another look with Tokaji as she shouldered past him.

Maybe she should have socked him one. It wasn't like he didn't deserve it. One good punch right across the face from a girl may not hurt enough to make a dent, but it would be enough to wound a little bit of his pride—or annoy him, at the very least. She couldn't let him feel like he accomplished anything with his taunts, though. She couldn't outwit him, but that didn't mean she had to succumb to him either.

Sumi slid the hospital door open and stepped into Izaki's room. She stopped and stared at him. Izaki glanced up from the floor and gave a start, immediately yanking his pants up his legs and letting them snap against his waist. "Oie! Don't you knock?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she slammed the door shut behind her. "Are you trying to leave?" He glanced swiftly away, his anger rapidly replaced by fear, and cleared his throat. She gripped the plastic bag in her hand and marched up to him. "Did the doctor say you could leave? What, do I have to watch over you like a hawk now or something? Get your ass back in bed!" He opened his mouth to argue, and she smacked his bare chest with the back of her hand. "Now! Put your hospital clothes back on, too!"

He pouted his lip but reluctantly obeyed. "Can I have some privacy?"

"Iie," she said curtly. "I've seen everything anyway, and I don't trust you not to sneak out. Hurry up!" He didn't bother to argue with her as he dropped his pants and pulled the hospital gown over his head.

Sumi waited until he finished then extended the bag to him. "I made this for you. I figured you'd be trying to make a run for it with hospital food as the only source of nourishment."

Izaki pulled a lunchbox from the bag and beamed. "A girl's never made me lunch before. Arigatō." She blushed at the praise, and he quickly leaned down to capture her in a kiss. She returned the touch, but then he chuckled. "You know, this really isn't fair. Except for the first time, I'm always the one initiating our kisses."

She raised a confused eyebrow. "You mean in the bathroom?"

He shook his head, grinning. "Iie, that was me, I kissed on you first. The night you got drunk, you kissed me. I had trouble getting your door open and we sort of fell through it. When I tried to help you up, you started kissing me."

Sumi's cheeks burned candy apple red. "You told me nothing happened!"

Izaki laughed and hopped into bed. "You were so forceful, too. You kissed me all the way to the bedroom and even pulled me down! But you passed out before you could take advantage of me."

Sumi glared, ignoring her coloring, and set her hands on her hips. "One more word and I'll take your lunchbox. Got it?" He instantly pouted, but it was so cute she had to look away to keep her composure. If he wanted to poke fun, she could play that game. "I got into a new school, at Gakkan Senior High."

"That's great."

She nodded. "Yeah. Akanishi kōchō's very nice and seems really concerned about his students. And he's so handsome," she added cutely, in a tone that was entirely truthful.

Izaki frowned. "He's too old for you."

"Not really," she replied, shaking her head and watching him innocently. "I'd say he's barely in his thirties. Besides, I like older men. My mom was into older man, too. My dad was about fifteen years older than my mom, and that's more years than me and Akanishi kōchō, I'm sure of it. So age isn't really an issue."

He glared, clearly unhappy with her seemingly honest interest in older men, and she struggled to maintain her composure. It didn't last long, though, as he kicked the sheets childishly. She laughed then vaulted onto the bed, positioning herself over him, and leaned in for a firm kiss. He was quick to forgive and forget as he cupped her neck, and his tongue brushed the seam between her lips. She allowed him full access to her mouth, which he took full advantage of as he dove deep into the warmth of her. She moaned lowly, weakened by the force of his passion, but his arms—though wounded, remained strong—kept her solidly attached to him.

They broke for breath, and he nipped at the end of her nose. She smiled, and the action made him grin back. "I have to go to work," she said softly.

He nodded but kissed her cheeks and forehead before kissing her lips one last long, slow time then released her. "Try to behave yourself."

"I will. Enjoy your lunch." She jumped off and slid her hand down his leg as she walked for the door.

"Sumi." She turned to him, and he gave her a serious look. "Don't start trouble over this."

It didn't take much of a scientist to know he referred to Tokaji's attack, an attack he refused to discuss. But she wouldn't make promises she wasn't sure she could keep.

So instead, she winked and left.

Work was more chaotic than usual that night. A surprising number of teenagers attended the nightlife festivities, but none of them looked old enough to get through the door at a legitimate establishment. Kuroiwa let a lot slide in Fukuoka's place, but it would be a surprise if he stopped through and let this much apparent lawbreaking slip under the radar. He was a reasonable man but wasn't without his limits. The adult crowd caroused around in a more flamboyant manner than usual as well. Maybe the young visitors spurred their enthusiasm, and the drinks flowed three times quicker than the music could pace the dance floor.

Sumi found it difficult to keep up. She had worked nights like this before and had no apparent problems, other than the obvious, but this time it was different. She was slower on her feet, her mind couldn't keep up with the frenzy, and her patience ran thin quicker. After her first hour, she already had three guys thrown out, something she rarely did during the course of the entire night. Her hands fumbled and her feet shuffled, carrying her sloppily through the club like the earliest days of getting the swing of the job.

Her mind was elsewhere at first, but her bad display began to strike her notice and she attempted to focus more clearly on the task at hand. It didn't help in the slightest; the harder she tried, the worse it got, and the irritation at her inefficiency only increased her inadequacy further.

Fukuoka pulled her aside once to ask if she was all right. She expected it, since she caught him watching her several times out of the corner of his eye as he played the ideal host. She assured him she was fine, but her contrasting actions spoke more loudly than her words.

Finally, one o'clock came to her rescue, and she felt utterly exhausted with all the pint-up emotions struggling to boil over. She punched out quickly and hurried into the stale night air, eager to escape the stuffy smell of booze at any cost. Standing outside the club, dressed in a pair of brown sneakers, a pale green t-shirt, and rusty blue jeans was Meiko. In all their years together, Meiko never dressed so casual. She had always preferred the latest styles, not out of statement, but out of excitement at modeling whatever was in.

That wasn't the case now as she pushed off the building and smiled at the befuddled Sumi. "Sumi-chan, let's have a drink." It was spoken nonchalantly enough, but something in Meiko's eyes told Sumi that it wasn't a request.

"All right."

They stopped at a place not far from Sumi's apartment, but they drank in silence for the longest time. Sumi didn't even look at Meiko for the first hour they sat at the outdoor table and watched passersby, the moon, or the alcohol sitting on the table. Clearly, something was on Meiko's mind, but she never said a word, and Sumi didn't press the possibility. She was too tired to focus too much on what might be troubling her friend, especially with alcohol floating around in her system now.

Finally, around 2:30, Meiko placed the empty bottle back on the table and leaned on her elbow. "I heard about Izaki-san. And Tokio-kun."

Sumi nodded without looking up from the table. "Mm."

Meiko tilted her head. "How's the volcano between Tamao and Genji-san?"

"Ready to erupt," Sumi replied simply, pouring herself another glass but not drinking. "The conclave's escalated with this isolated attack on Izaki, and Tokio's condition has Tamao distracted but sensitive. It'll take only the slightest wind to knock the flood gates down."

"I'm sure Genji's jumping the bit to get back at whoever hurt Izaki, but it couldn't have really been Tamao."

Sumi smirked and took the ready shot of sake. "It was Tokaji."

Meiko's eyes instantly narrowed, and she drew back, hissing a bit as she spoke his name. "Tokaji?"

Sumi nodded. "He hasn't come right out and said it, and I haven't looked too deeply into it, but I know it's him. He wouldn't deny it if I asked him, but if I did, I might be ready to kill him."

Meiko tucked in her lip. She knew full well that Sumi would never pick a side in this dispute, but that fact only made it more painful for her. "Sumi?"

Sumi turned the bottle upside down and sat it on the table when nothing dripped out. "Hm?"

Meiko hesitated but continued. "Is Izaki so important to you?"