"Ta... Takiyo-kun! Hold on a minute! I want to talk to you!" Michi panted, bending over her knees, but it was no good. Takiyo was too fast.

Michi slowed down, and this gave her time for her thoughts to catch up. What had she been doing? What had she been doing for 7 years? Why...why did things end up like this?

It was all because of her.

Refueled on determination, she took of running again. "Takiyo-kun! I want to talk!" She stopped again. Where had he gone? She looked around, thinking hard. Every second allowed more thinking, and more realisation. Slowly, tears started to form. What had she done? She had become the bad guy. She broke her promise. Two promises.

She ran out into the courtyard, and spotted Takiyo, drained of stamina and panting. She marched up to him, and Takiyo looked up. His eyes widened and he tried to make an escape, but Michi grabbed his hand just in time.

"Wait!!" Michi yelled.

Takiyo didn't look at her. He remained with his back facing to her. Michi wanted to say something, anything. But the words wouldn't come out. Instead, she started crying.

"Takiyo-kun..." she whispered, hand tightening around his wrist.

Takiyo was quiet. Then, "Let me go, Michi."

"I want to talk." Michi said.

"There's nothing to say." Takiyo said, clenching his fist. "Nishikawa was just running her mouth..."

"She wasn't!" Michi shouted. "Yuko-chan definitely was not running her mouth!" Her mind went back to the classroom. Everybody was ganging up against her, just for Takiyo. How could she have overlooked him? What had she missed?

"Takiyo-kun...since when..." Michi asked feebly.

Takiyo didn't reply.

"Since when, Takiyo-kun?!!" Michi screamed, squeezing his wrist harder.

"I don't know!" Takiyo yelled in reply.

Michi's hand loosened. "It was before Yo-kun, right?" she asked softly.

Michi took his silence as a yes. She dropped his wrist and backed away, burying her face in her hands. Takiyo hadn't run away, he stood stock-still. Michi sank to her knees.

"I'm sorry, Takiyo-kun. I'm really, really sorry." Michi said, but 'sorry' wasn't nearly enough. She felt terrible. She felt like a traitor.

Takiyo glanced back at her, and Michi looked up from her hands. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" she asked.

"It isn't nearly as easy." Takiyo replied, emotionlessly.

Michi got up, and took both of his hands. She led him over to the tree with the bench around it. She made him sit, and sat next to him, still holding his hands.

"Talk to me, Takiyo-kun." she said softly, tears still rolling down your cheeks. "I'm your friend, aren't I?" Then she corrected herself. "What am I saying...I have no right to call myself that."

Takiyo wasn't saying anything. He seemed to want to, because his hands and teeth were clenched, like he was holding it in.

"Takiyo-kun, I want to understand." Michi said. "Can you please, please talk to me?"

"I don't want to say anything!" Takiyo responded, though his voice was cracked.

"I'm terrible..." Michi whispered. "How could I have done this to you? I'm stupid after all..."

"I didn't want to loose the place I held in your life." Takiyo said suddenly, though he hadn't looked up.

"Huh?" Michi looked at him.

"I had a special place...or I thought I did...but then you had to go out with Ishida of all people." Takiyo muttered.

Michi smiled sadly. "You lost it either way, didn't you." Then her face crumpled again. "What have I been doing all this time? How did I become so ignorant?"

Takiyo finally looked at her, and there was a hint of tenderness. "It's because love is so dominant," he said grimly. "It overpowers everything else."

Michi couldn't believe he had dark views regarding love. All she had ever felt was amazing. But then again, this thought process was her own fault. She had no right to judge him over it.

"What about Yo-kun?" Michi sniffed. "He's always so nice to me, and my friends. I don't understand...he was bullying you?"

Takiyo didn't say anything. Michi looked broken.

"He did?" she whispered. "How did I not see? Where have I been living all this time?"

She let go of his hands and held her head with them, trying to wrap her head around everything. "Tell me honestly, Takiyo-kun," she said softly. "Do you like me?"

Takiyo didn't look at her. Then, very slowly, he nodded. Michi stared at her lap, hands clenching.

"You know what the worst part is?" she said in a hoarse voice. "...I don't like you like that. I've hurt you so much, and I've been so cruel. You should hate me. You still like me?"

Takiyo didn't want to say anything. She didn't like him like that. He still liked her? After everything, he still liked her?

"...I don't know." Takiyo replied. It didn't make any sense.

"I see..." Michi nodded. Then she stood up suddenly. "I'm sure I can try!"

"...what?" Takiyo didn't know how to respond. What was she even saying?

Michi smiled at him. "Everyone said such good things about you. Everyone likes you. I've missed so much. So, so much. And I grew up with you." She put her hand against his face. "I'm sure that I can try to fall in love with such an amazing person as you." She studied his eyes for a while. "They're really brown..."

"What are you saying?" Takiyo asked, as blush crept across his face.

"Your eyes...they aren't grey like I remember." Michi said quietly. "How did I not notice something as simple as that? I've missed so much, Takiyo-kun. It may just be your eyes that are different to me, but you are an entirely new person."

She couldn't stand looking at him anymore, and looked down. "I'm really, truly sorry." she whispered. "You must be incredible...to still like someone like me. And it took just a little push from Yuko-chan to realise that."

Takiyo suddenly started, and Michi pulled back in surprise. "What?" she asked, seeing the look of tension on his face.

"Nishikawa," he said quietly.

"What about Yuko-chan?" Michi asked.

"Sh*t, have you forgotten who we left with her?" Takiyo yelled, jumping up. Michi was having a hard time keeping up. Takiyo took off at top speed, and Michi followed. They burst into the classroom.

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO RUN YOUR STUPID MOUTH!!" Yoichi was shouting at Yuko, who was on the floor, a visible bruise on her face. Ren was also in the corner, clutching his stomach and looking like he wanted nothing more than to go charging at Yoichi. Arisu looked scared out of her wits, and she was nearly crying. Syo had a look on his face that was far scarier than any he had made till date, standing behind Hikari, who was looking down while clutching her nose and mouth. Takiyo saw blood.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!!" Takiyo yelled, enraged. Yoichi turned to them, then slowly, his eyes fell on Michi, who had a look of utter horror on her face, hands covering her mouth.

"Michi..." Yoichi muttered, his resolve instantly collapsing.

"Yo-kun...what are you doing..." Michi whispered. "This isn't you..."

"Michi!" Yoichi called, straightening up.

Michi took a deep breath. "HAVE YOU BEEN LYING TO ME?!" she screamed.

"No, no," Yoichi said frantically, shaking his head and searching for a defence. How exactly was he planning on explaining Yuko's bruise, Ren's stomach, Arisu's tears, Syo's imminent bloodlust, Hikari's bleeding, and the entire class's witness?

"What is this..." Michi clutched her hair. "What have I been doing... YOU LIAR!!"

Yoichi looked down. He clenched his fists, his cover blown. He was going to explode. Somebody pushed past Takiyo, but he didn't get a chance to see who it was. They approached Yoichi, and everyone was backing away. Takiyo had a good guess of who it was.

Suddenly, Yoichi turned to Yuko and grabbed her by the hair. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!" he screamed. He was going to hit her, but then somebody grabbed his arm.

He looked back, and saw his face go pale. It was Saburo. Yoichi's resolve had instantly been pulverised. The look on Saburo's face was so scary, a never before seen expression. He slowly backed away, and soon, he felt the entire class glaring at him. Everything was gone.

"This behaviour is unacceptable."

Everyone turned to see Saiki-sensei, standing right behind Michi. Her usual kind expression was nowhere to be seen. She looked like she was beyond livid, but her expression was calm.

"To think that a member of 2-A would do such a thing..." Every word dripped with coldness, making everyone shiver. She entered the classroom. "Please, Teruya-kun, I advise you calm down. Sakura-san, you should get that treated."

Syo fell back, and his hand tightened on Hikari's shoulder as she looked up and nodded, hand still covering majority of the injury. Saiki-sensei looked at the entire class in one, sweeping look, and then her eyes landed on Yoichi.

"Ishida-kun, I hardly think there is any more to say."

Yoichi was trembling. "Damn..." he muttered. Then he banged the floor with his fist. "DAMN IT ALL!!"

He followed Saiki-sensei out of the classroom, and Syo was at Yuko's side, examining her face with hard eyes.

"Your face, Yuko..." he mumbled, fingers lightly brushing against the bruise.

"Never mind. What about Sakura-san?" Yuko asked, painfully getting to her feet.

"Ah..." Syo helped her up glanced back at Hikari, who was currently being coaxed into displaying her face by Erika. "I think he got her nose..." He went over to them. Ren was busy making an attempt to get up, and was being helped by Arisu.

"Hey, I can see the blood." Erika was saying sternly, trying to remove Hikari's hand.

"I'b fine, I'b fine." Hikari said cheerily, waving one hand airily and covering her nose with the other. "Don worry aboud be."

Syo gently moved Erika aside finally managed to move Hikari's hand from her face. Her hand was covered and blood, and so was her nose. Her face was held by Syo's hand as he turned it this was and that, examining it.

"Ah, he got her nose alright." Syo said plainly, and Hikari felt his fist clenching on her shoulder. His gaze greatly unnerved her. "Hm, looks pretty bad. Her whole face is red."

"I don't think the redness is because of her nose..." Erika mumbled, though Syo didn't hear her.

He looked a little guilty. "Sorry about this, Sakura-san."

"N-n-n-nod ad all!!" Hikari stammered, very flustered. She covered her nose again, because it probably looked highly unattractive.

"Don't worry, I'll take her to the infirmary, along with Nishikawa-san." Saburo said reassuringly, arm around Yuko's shoulder. Syo nodded slowly, and Hikari quickly turned away from him. Saburo took Yuko and Hikari to the infirmary. As they passed Takiyo and Michi, Yuko gave him a smile, though it looked like it hurt.

"Nishikawa..." Takiyo murmured. His eyes shifted to Hikari and he felt a pang of guilt at seeing the two of them. "Sakura-chan..."

Yuko, seeing the look in his eyes, patted his head. "I'm fine," she told him, and Hikari gave him the thumbs-up, though it looked highly unconvincing because she was using the same hand she had used before to cover her nose.

"You're not," Takiyo said.

"Okay," Yuko said, still smiling. "I have an ugly bruise on my face, and Sakura-san broke her nose, but otherwise, we're fine! The question here is, are you?"

"Those bruises should be an answer," Takiyo replied. "Better go and get it checked out, otherwise Teruya's gonna blow a fuse." He looked around as Arisu helped Ren. "You too." Then his eyes fell on Arisu. "Don't put up such a sad face."

Arisu looked at him, then at Michi. Seeing her face, Takiyo gave her a small, reassuring smile, and Arisu gasped.

"There is no way you can be happier than me!" she said. She seemed to have taken it as a personal offense. "Rekkun, let's go! I need to show this guy who's boss!"

"Sure, sure," Ren said, giving Takiyo a small smile.

Yuko looked back at Takiyo. Her eyes hovered for a second over Michi, then turned back to him. She raised the corners of her mouth softly. Then she told him, "I'm glad."

Takiyo stared at her for some time, analysing, then finally nodded.

"Nishikawa-san!" Saburo called.

"Yes!" Yuko turned back and scurried after him and Hikari.

Takiyo watched them leave. "Me too," he mumbled, but he couldn't ignore the faint doubt he saw in Yuko's smile.

All of our battles, every one of our battles, we have an unspoken rule. We always have to save each other. Always.

Author's note
Aaaaah, please don't hate me and please bare with me. I'm really trying to bring a promising and satisfying ending. The story isn't over yet! You can start to hate me after the epilogue, please. 💦