Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Martyrs Of Love ❯ Chapter Three ~ Confrontation on the Rooftop ( Chapter 3 )

Martyrs of Love

  Part Three ~ Confrontation on the Rooftop   Three weeks later...   Sendoh heaved a sigh as he made his way towards the gym for basketball practice. It has been three weeks since that shocking incident where he met the last person he had ever wanted to see again. Ever since then, he'd had a helluva time on concentrating on whatever he was supposed to be doing. Even in his sleep, Shouzen’s green eyes haunted him, refusing to let go of that unique hold Sendoh knew that those eyes always had over him. He sighed again. He couldn't possibly take anymore of this. As it was, Kaede, unobservant though he was, was becoming suspicious of his sudden and apparent insomnia, when he, Sendoh Akira of Ryonan High, was famous for his love of sleep! [Or,] Sendoh added mentally, [for my love of staying in bed way after I'm supposed to get up.] Shouzen wasn't helping matters either. For the bulk of these three weeks, Sendoh had avoided him like the plague, refusing to meet his eyes or to even speak to him. What made matters worse was that, he knew that Shouzen had been staring at him every lesson, silently scrutinizing him all the time. And for once, he was at a loss. He tried his best to avoid returning his gaze, but more often than not, long lost (he thought) memories of that masterful and compelling gaze made him meet those eyes more than once. Why hasn't he tried to talk to him yet? Why was he constantly scrutinizing him from a distance? What the hell is he thinking about? Why appear in his life again after so long? After he thought the horrors of the past nearly behind him? All these questions are remained unanswered and for the life of him, he did not have the courage to demand for answers… Every single time his eyes meet Shouzen’s, that familiar ice-cold terror filled his heart...The same terror that had filled his heart for 5 years in those dark, dark days.   FLASHBACK   “Akira.” Sendoh stiffened upon hearing that voice. He raised his head from his book to see Shouzen standing near the door, staring at him with demanding eyes. “Ouji.” Sendoh whispered; his voice shaky with fear. "What did you call me?" Shouzen questioned coldly. "Gomen." Sendoh looked away, dreading the violence that nearly always accompanied his mistakes. "I did not mean to, Kanpuu." "Whatever," Shouzen shrugged “What are you doing?” “Studying.” Sendoh swallowed. “I've an exam tomorrow." Shouzen snorted and approached towards Sendoh. Once he was near him, he cupped Sendoh's chin and forced him to meet his cold gaze. "Big delivery tonight...You have 15 minutes to get ready." "Kan, I have to study…I can-" Sendoh was cut off with a hard punch on his face that sent him to the ground, which was then followed by a vicious stomp on his stomach. "You do whatever I tell you... no questions asked, is that understood?" Shouzen's sharp voice echoed through the room, punctuating his words with additional stomps on Sendoh's abdomen. "... Yes." Sendoh was barely able to whisper, the pain having numbed him. "On your feet." Shouzen ordered. Sendoh winced as he stood up. He kept his gaze on the ground; for fear that further violence would follow should he choose to look up. "15 minutes, pretty boy." And with that, Shouzen left the room, without ever looking back.   END FLASHBACK   Sendoh shook his head violently, trying to erase that nightmarish past of his. [I am no longer that weakling of a boy that he can beat at his own leisure anymore] He squeezed his eyes shut. [I am no longer his "pretty"... I am not the boy he used to beat, humiliate and take for fun anymore...] "Sendoh?" Sendoh nearly jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to find Koshino and Fukuda staring at him. "What's up with you, Sendoh?" Fukuda questioned, his curiosity raised by Sendoh's seemingly abnormal behaviour. "Not... Nothing!" Sendoh tried to cover his shock with a laugh. "So, guys, what are you doing here?" Sendoh hoped his voice was normal. "That question applies directly to you, Sendoh dear." Koshino raised an eyebrow. "What the heck are you doing in the middle of the corridor when you should have been on your way to the gym?" "Oh, that! Yeah..." Sendoh scratched his head, smiling nervously. "I, I guess I got kinda lost somewhere in my thoughts." Fukuda snorted. "Lemme guess...Who's the lucky guy who is currently occupying our beloved Sendoh's thoughts?" Sendoh laughed nervously again. "Yeah...That's me all right...Can't keep my little boyfriend out my mind…Well, we better go now or our dearest coach will yell at us again." With that Sendoh continued his walking, leaving his two friends behind. "Sheez..." Fukuda shook his head. "With the way the guy's acting, I would have said he was brainwashed by Rukawa or something. Otherwise," Fukuda caught Koshino's eye, "One would've thought that lover-boy there was being punished by his lover over something." "Yeah." Koshino whispered; his eyes were staring at Sendoh's retreating figure with a knowing look. "Yeah." In his mind, he knew that Sendoh lied about thinking of Rukawa. He knew whose Sendoh was thinking of….a green-eyed guy named Shouzen Ouji. Sighing softly, "Come on. We better get to practice before Coach tears us into a million pieces." ++++++++++ The minute Sendoh opened his locker, dozens of letters, teddy bears, and wrapped gifts fell to the floor, burying his lower body with the many minute gifts. He groaned as he tried to get out from under them. Fukuda snickered. "Well, well...What do we have here?" Sendoh shot Fukuda a glare, warning him to keep his damned mouth shut-or else. Fukuda tried his best to keep a straight face, unrepentant even in the face of impending death. "It looks as if someone is has been given gifts by-what? the entire female population of Ryonan? Lucky, lucky." He shook his head, sniggering at the sight Sendoh made before him. Sendoh glared at him harder, promising the boy an agonising death-if only Fukuda paid more attention to him than to laughing. He gingerly swept the gifts off him, only to groan anew when another familiar voice rung out behind him. "Oh boy," Koshino chuckled. "You are one popular guy, Sendoh Akira." "Koshino Hiroaki..." Sendoh warned. "Pity, though." Koshino continued, blithely ignoring the glowering boy. "They don't know that all their efforts are wasted on someone who sees no one more perfect than a pale Shohoku Kitsune." "Hey, no one calls Kaede 'Kitsune' except me" Sendoh shot a death glare at him friends. However, he was pretty much ignored. The boys were laughing too hard to stop at his command. "Sure, Sendoh, sure." Koshino said between his laughs, "we'll take note of that in the future, my dear friend." "If I remember correctly, 'Kitsune' was something invented by Sakuragi of Shohoku." Hikoichi broke in eagerly, his innocence further digging Sendoh's already well-dug grave. "I hear Sakuragi calls him that all the time!" With that info put in, the two boys laughed even harder, leaving Hikoichi in a quandary, seeing that he did not understand the situation. Sendoh scowled harder. It would seem that he had often become the butt of his friends' jokes recently. "Come on, Sendoh. Up, boy." Fukuda offered his hand to his friend who accepted it gratefully. Once he was up, he collected all the stuff that was on the ground with Koshino's help. Fukuda went to the gym with Hikoichi after he changed, tired of waiting for them both. Sendoh sifted through the letters, when his hand froze midway, holding a white envelope. Koshino noted the fear in his friend's eyes, as they stared at the white envelop in his hand. "Sendoh?" he asked, puzzled. "What's-" "It's from him." Sendoh whispered. "I can recognize his handwriting any day...What I should do, Koshino?" he looked up at the said friend with pleading eyes. "Read it." Koshino answered simply. "You want answers to why he's here right?" Sendoh hesitated, and then nodded. Smiling slightly at his astute judgement of his friend's character, Koshino continued, "This letter may have all the answers to your questions...it's still your chance though, whether you want to read it or," Koshino forced Sendoh to meet his eyes, "to throw it away." "No. I can't." Sendoh shook his head, then looked at Koshino. "Kosh, I'm scared. I'm so damned afraid of anything and everything that has even that smallest connection to him...He makes me feel helpless...And I hate that...But...I can't seem to help myself..." "Sendoh, you don't gain anything by running away from your fears. Face it. Face him. You aren't the boy that he used to toy with in the past. You're a great basketball player; you're an excellent student; you've found a new good life without him. A life full of friendship, love, care, and happiness. Don't give this all up just because of your fears of the past. Open it, Sendoh. Open it and read it." Sendoh hesitated, and finally nodded his head reluctantly. He took out the letter and started to read it.   My Dear Friend Sendoh Akira I know my sudden reappearance in your life was a great shock to you. I can see it in your eyes every time our gazes meet. And I know my presence in your life is not one wholly welcome because of what had happened between us in the past. A lot has happened these few years and I, well, I guess I realized how much I hurt you...Please, I'm only asking for one chance to make things right...Please, I need so much to talk to you...There are so many things I want to-no-I must explain. I'll wait for you, tomorrow on the rooftop, during the lunch break. I understand that you don't trust me, so if you want to, you can bring your friends with you. Please, give me this one chance to apologise and make up things between us and I swear if you didn't want me in your life again afterwards, I'll leave Kanagawa forever and leave you in peace.   Yours truly, Ouji Shouzen   Sendoh handed the letter to Koshino after he finished reading it. He was still in a state of disbelief. Ouji? The boy he had feared most? His past boyfriend who caused him so much pain and humiliation? Did he just apologize? To him? For everything, he had done in the past? And want to make amends for what he had done to him in the past? Sendoh's mind was found it hard to believe-especially when he had first hand knowledge of the guy in the first place. "What you are going to do?" Koshino's voice shook him from his reverie. He looked at his friend and shook his head. "I don't know," he whispered, "what do you think?" Koshino sighed, "I think you should go, Sendoh. You have to face him" "I don't want to return to him," Sendoh snapped, glaring at Koshino "I have a boyfriend already and I LOVE him. Besides, I just can't just forget the past this easily…Kosh, you're totally out of your mind" "Akira," Koshino frowned. "Calm down, I never said you had to return to him. And I know how much you love Rukawa. But you can't run away from this forever. Sooner or later, you'd have to face him...And you might as well get it over and done with instead of procrastinating like this. Running away doesn't solve anything. It just makes a lot of things worse." "A lot." Sendoh looked defiantly at his friend. "Not all of them." "Sendoh." Koshino sighed. "You know what I meant by saying that." Sendoh winced. How could he miss Koshino's point when he had put it so bluntly across like that? "I...I don't think I can, Kosh." Sendoh looked away, not wanting his friend to see cowardice in his eyes. "I don't think I want to either." Koshino sighed. Sendoh Akira. Extremely, stubbornly, spiky-headed and tough. It just figured, didn’t it? "Sendoh you have to do it…if you didn't, then Shouzen's ghost will haunt you for the rest of your life. As I've said before, you have built a new happy life here in Kanagawa, away from all the sadness that you had known in Tokyo…you became a basketball ace, you made so many friends, you have found your true love…don't let a mere fear destroy all this. And don't worry, I'll go with you, to make sure that you don't back up, what do you say?" "I guess you're right, Kosh." Sendoh said, after a moment of silence. "I have to go and face him…but I have to do it alone. I'm going tomorrow and settle everything between me and Ouji. Just the two of us." "Are you sure about that, Akira?" Koshino looked at his friend, uncertainly. "I mean I can come with you and give you a hand…in case he tries to pull something on you." "No, Kosh." Sendoh shook his head. "I must do it alone…and don't worry, I won't be tricked by him again…I'm not under his power anymore. I'm not his toy anymore." Koshino smiled as he heard determination in his friend's voice. "Very well then, but be careful. Ok? I hate to be the one who tell Rukawa about how weak and stupid you are…'coz I know how much that boy looks up on you." "Hey" Sendoh mocked a glare at Koshino "and you call yourself a friend?" Koshino couldn't hold his laugh anymore. It really felt good to tease his very-proud friend and let him off-guard for a while. Sendoh sighed at Koshino, because he knew that his friend wouldn't stop laughing anytime soon. He took out his training clothes and was about to go the showers when Koshino asked "and where do think you're going?" "Apparently to take shower and change my clothes…we have practice if you still remember" "If I was you, I won't take a step inside that gym. We are already late, thanks to you, and so we'll have our heads cut off our bodies as soon as Taoka-sensei sees us" Sendoh groaned, "I guess the day can't get any worse, can it?" "I don't know. What do you think?" Koshino grinned widely. "Ok then" Sendoh sighed, "I guess I have time to make a surprise dinner for Kaede, don't you think? And you're going to join us" Koshino looked at Sendoh thoughtfully "I don't know Sendoh…I don't want to stay in the hospital for being poisoned" "Koshino, don't test my patience any long" Sendoh warned "because I'm having hard times now and I don't know what I'll do if I exploded" "OK…OK" Koshino raised his hands in surrender "I was only joking…anyway, save this invitation for another day. Tonight my friend, I had a special date too" "Oh, I see" Sendoh made a face "and who is the lucky girl?" "This, my friend, is for me to know and for you to find out" The two boys laughed as they made their way out, teasing each other. ++++++++++ Rukawa laughed softy as he and his lover watched a comedy film. He was lying on the couch, resting his head on Sendoh's lap, who was sitting straightly. "This film is really funny, isn't it, Akira?" he said, turning his face towards his lover. To his surprise, he found Sendoh looking at TV screen blankly. His face was frowning deeply as his mind derived faraway. Rukawa sighed deeply. [Not again.] He thought, shaking his head slightly. [What is it that's troubling Akira for so long? He had never been like this before. He never used to do this at all. Unless...] His mind closed in a horrible possibility that he did not want to acknowledge. [Could it be...? No...Not again...Not when I've finally found him...No...Please no...] Rukawa stiffened, his eyes dilated as he tried to keep that long-buried fear of his under control. [Akira loves me...] He told himself. [He said so himself...He would never fall in love with another...It's impossible...I... I...He...] Rukawa closed his eyes tightly, screwing them up. [...Is it all that impossible...? Could he...? Has he...? If then, I...I...] Rukawa felt his tears on the verge of spilling over the rims of his eyes. When had he started becoming so much softer than who he previously was, he wondered. He had never liked to cry. He positively hated appearing weak in front of anyone, friend, family or enemy, before either. But things were different now. He was afraid. For the second time in his life, he was afraid. Afraid of losing Akira. Afraid of losing the light that had finally condescended to shine into his life. He'd lost his dearly beloved parents 12 years ago. He very nearly went mad at the sight of their bodies and at the funeral later in the week. Rukawa knew that he'd not bear to lose another beloved one...He'll not bear the emptiness that filled his heart and soul after his parents' sudden death again...no, he'll surely die if he undergoes such a loss a second time. "Akira." He whispered shakily as his eyes filled involuntarily with tears. Sendoh snapped from his thoughts and looked down at Rukawa. To his surprise, he found the younger boy looking at his with teary eyes. "Kae-?! What's wrong?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you crying all of a sudden?" "Akira...do you still love me?" Rukawa's voice was full of that innate fear that lovers often experience irrationally whenever they are faced with the possibility that the love in that relationship might fade away to nothing. "Of course I do, sugar. Who wouldn't fall in love with the sweetest sugar maple in world?" Sendoh smiled reassuringly, though in his heart he was surprised and awfully concerned about Rukawa's sudden and inexplicable questioning of his affection for the other. "You're never going to leave me for another, right?" Rukawa asked again. His blue eyes were searching in Sendoh's eyes for the answer. "What the-?!" Sendoh's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Who, or what, the hell ever gave you that idea?!" "Answer me." Rukawa was dead serious. And his tone held no discussion for any further argument. "The hell I am!! Of course I'm not!" Sendoh exploded in surprised hurt and anger. "Where the hell did you get that idea from?!" "Then tell me what the heck is bothering you! Three weeks! Three weeks of acting strangely around me! Or drifting to another mental dimension even when we're together! Like what you just did!" Rukawa pointed out accusingly. "You don't laugh, or joke for that matter, like before. You practically ignore the existence of every living thing around you when you happen to be 'somewhere else' and what's worse is, whatever that's bothering you during the day, it's now haunting you during the night!" Rukawa grabbed Sendoh's shirt in desperation. "Akira, it hurts me to see you suffer in silence and it hurts me even more that you don't seem to trust me enough to even talk to me about it. What is going on with you? How else am I supposed to know when you don't say a word at all? I was so damned scared that you were thinking of ways to end our relationship. I was so damned scared...Scared that I would be left alone...Again. Scared that I would have to deal with another loss...To face the truth that yet another loved one has chosen to go away and leave me alone." Rukawa blurted out his emotions and was crying like a lost child in Sendoh's lap. Sendoh stared blankly at the scene before him. He hadn't expected such an emotional outburst to come from, of all people, Rukawa. After all, the boy habitually veiled his emotions from him and knowing that, he admittedly had become insensitive to the fact that the boy was very high-strung and highly affected by the people around him (namely him, Sendoh Akira). He never expected that Shouzen had taken up so much of his emotional space either. So much so that he unwittingly caused Rukawa to break down right in front of him, the very thing he knew that Rukawa absolutely despised doing. Getting over his shock, he raised Rukawa's body to a sitting potion on his lap and hugged him tightly, burying his face in his lover's silky hair. "You silly little sugar maple..." He whispered. "I would die before even thinking of leaving you…don't you know how much my heart loves you? Every beat screams your name out loud…every breath I take deepen your love in my soul… never doubt my love, Kaede…because it's the only thing that holds me to this life." Rukawa looked up at Sendoh in astonishment, hearing something he'd never heard before in Sendoh's voice. His lover's voice hid a deep sadness, something Rukawa hadn't heard through the 2 years he has known Sendoh. "What do you mean by that, Akira?" he whispered. Sendoh smiled sadly. "I never told you about my past, Kaede…I had very hard childhood…and was hurt in many ways. And I after I settled in Kanagawa, I thought that I'll never find someone who'll love for who I am…all those fan girls loved Sendoh Akira, the handsome Ryonan basketball ace, so I hid behind a mask of joyfulness and playfulness…but when I met you and knew the true Rukawa that hides behind a mask of coldness and indifference…my heart opened to life again and all the pain had vanished from my life forever. You had brought my dead heart to life again, sugerlips, and for that I'm grateful forever…without your love Kaede, I'm nothing…so don't you ever doubt my love to you." "I never knew that you've been hurt in the past." Rukawa whispered, resting his head on Sendoh's shoulder. "Why haven't you told me before?" "I don't want to bother your lovely head with something doesn't exist anymore…it has all been forgotten the moment I fell in love with you." "Then what's bothering you? Please Akira. I'm worried about you…I don't want you to hide secrets from me…I want to comfort you the same way you has always comforted me…I want to share your problems the same way you share mine." Sendoh smiled warmly. "Just give 'til tomorrow sugerlips. And I promise everything will be fine…tomorrow everything will be settled and nothing will bother our life again." "Akira, please tell me what's going on? Your words are frightening me…you sound like you're going to battle or something." Sendoh chuckled playfully. "Well, it's kinda a battle...Wish me luck." Rukawa pulled away and glared at Sendoh angrily. "Akira, I'm trying to be serious here." Sendoh laughed. "Come on, Kaede…you have ruined our night, sugerlips. This was supposed to be happy, romantic, loving evening that we were supposed to share. Come on, you haven't wished me luck yet." "So go break a leg." Rukawa snapped, his patience (has he any?) at an end. "Sendoh Akira, I am talking to you here. Don't you dare change the subject at-Hmph..." Rukawa was cut off with a passionate kiss on his lips. He felt the world spinning around him as the kiss deepened. He looked at Sendoh dizzily as they broke for air. "Akira?" He whispered. "What, sugerlips?" Sendoh mumbled, preoccupied with Rukawa's deliciously sensitive neck. "Let's-Ah! Akira!" He clutched at the said boy's shoulders. "Yes, love?" Said boy continued nibbling his way down that neck of Rukawa's. "Let's-Akira! Let's...Let's go upstairs." He paused, stopping for much needed air. "Your way." Rukawa didn’t think he could handle the stairs in his condition anyway. Sendoh smiled, scooping his lover's body up easily and walked quickly to their room upstairs, his mind filled with *ahem* more pleasurable things he could do to his lover. ++++++++++ The next day, Sendoh glanced at the clock on the wall for the God-knows-how-many-times, and then at the boy sitting so calmly next to Jueru-kun through the corner of his eyes. [When the @#&%$ bell will ring?] Sendoh's nerves were on overdrive. [I want to get this over with Shouzen as soon as possible...I was on the verge of telling Kaede everything last night...I must learn to control myself. If he ever knew about my past, it'll end everything between us...forever.] The bell rang, suddenly, much to Sendoh's relief. He gathered his books quickly, noticing Shouzen making his way outside the classroom. Sendoh was about to follow him, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his gaze towards his friend. "What is it, Kosh?" he asked, noticing the worried look in Koshino's eyes. "Sendoh, are you sure you can handle this alone? I can come with you, y'know, if you're..." "No, Kosh." Sendoh shook his head. "I need to do this alone…I have to…I have to face my past and deal with it all by myself. I don't want to run anymore." Koshino let out a sigh at this. "Finally the guy makes up his mind." "Kosh..." "I know." Koshino walked past Sendoh. "I appreciate your concern though." "I know." Koshino smiled briefly. "When have you never?" "Kosh-!" "Yeah, yeah...Well, good luck, buddy." Koshino smiled at him. "Remember. You're not the boy you were anymore." "Thanks, Kosh." Sendoh smiled reassuringly. "I'll keep that in mind." With that, Sendoh left the classroom and headed towards the rooftop. ++++++++++ As soon as he entered the rooftop, Sendoh spotted Shouzen sitting on the edge of the roof. He walked towards him quietly. "Shouzen" his voice was barely audible. Shouzen looked up at him and smiled warmly. "Akira…it has been a long time" "Yes, it has" Sendoh answered neutrally, his face showed no emotions "and it's Sendoh, please" "Oh, sorry." Shouzen looked away. "I want to thank you for giving me this chance to explain things to you." "Explain what?" Sendoh asked sarcastically "why you have hurt me all those years? Why you and your father used me and others like me to run your illegal business? Why you and your father almost send me to jail for the rest of my life? Why have you ever retuned to my life, Ouji? I thought that you have died that night…died and out of my life forever" "You were glad at thought of me died, weren't you?" Shouzen whispered. Hurt was obvious in his tone. "No, I weren't" Sendoh whispered "because I really loved you by then…I've always loved you…always looked up upon you but you…you have killed that love with your cruelty…you have killed every happy memory I've shared with you. Now, I've found a new love…someone I knew that he'll not hurt me and I won't hurt him…I'm happy with my new life, Shouzen. I won't let you destroy my happiness again…I'll fight with all my might to protect my happiness…even if it was that last thing I do in my life" "There is no need to worry, Aki... Sendoh." Shouzen shifted his eyes, meeting Sendoh's. "I have no wish to destroy what you have so painstakingly built up over these four years. I have changed, whether you realise it or not, I have changed. I had come here in the hope that we could be reunited...but it would seem that you have moved on and I..." Shouzen shook his head slightly. "But it does not matter now. You moved on...I should too. I apologise for any pain that I might have caused by coming here. I will leave, as you so desire." With that, Shouzen stood and turned to walk away. "Wait, Shouzen." Shouzen looked behind him at Sendoh. Sendoh approached him, smiling warmly. "We can never be lovers again." Sendoh said firmly. Then he smiled. "But we can still be friends." Shouzen raised an eyebrow. "Do you really mean that, Sendoh? Or are you just funning me?" "Of course I am" Sendoh smiled. He squashed that small voice of doubt within him, wanting so much to believe that Shouzen was capable of change. "Friends?" He extended his hand to the other boy, smiling slightly. "Friends." Shouzen shook Sendoh's hand, smiling. "So…" Sendoh shifted his position to a more comfortable one. "…Care to tell me what happened to you in the past 4 years?" Sendoh asked, as both sat next to each other at the edge of the roof. "However did you survive that night?" "It was simple actually." Shouzen took a cigarette and lit it. "I ran through the tunnels when the police attacked. I had been injured during the shootout but I used it to my advantage and made it seem as though I had drowned." "I see." Sendoh said. He didn't. But it didn't matter, did it? Pause. Sendoh spoke up again. "You know, Shouzen, smoking isn't exactly allowed in school." Shouzen laughed out loud. "And since when have you ever known me to be one to follow rules? Old habits die hard, A...Sendoh. And this happens to be one of them." "Oh right, born to be wild, hmm?" Sendoh chuckled. "You got it." They laughed. It eased that tension between them. Shouzen became serious once more. "You haven't told me how you made it that night." Tell me. It was an unspoken command, not a question. Somehow, it made Sendoh uneasy once more, but he shook it off. [Old habits die-hard.] He reminded himself. But that did not comfort him as much as he would have liked it to. "It was nothing much either." Sendoh sighed, looking at the sky. "I ran and ran and kept on running until I reached the train station. I got on the first train I saw and then I found myself here…someone had found me when I fainted on the street. He took me to his house, treated my wounds and welcomed me as part of his family. His son is my best friend now. I found a part job, so I can support myself, and then moved to an apartment of my own. Two years later, I found the love of my life…Now we live together." "It's good that you have found the happiness that you deserve, Sendoh. I'm happy for you" Sendoh smiled at him. "One day Shouzen…you too will find the happiness that you deserve." "I hope so." The bell rang, indicating the end of the lunch break. Sendoh stood up and turned to his newfound friend. "Well, we better head back to class." "You go first." Shouzen replied. "I want to finish my cigarette." "OK, but don't be late." With that, Sendoh walked towards the door. It was rather unfortunate that he did not notice the smirk on Shouzen's face right after he closed the door to the roof behind him. [Sendoh Akira…still as naïve as ever…] Shouzen snorted derisively. [He's found himself a new lover, has he? We'll see about that. You belong to me, Akira...You are mine, pretty…MY property. No one messes with anything, and anyone, who belongs to me...and whoever who dares try...] Shouzen laughed out loud, the laughter unpleasantly ominous. Crushing the cigarette butt under his heel, Shouzen strode to the door.   T.B.C.