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Someone was talking. A low urgent filled sound.

"Yes, we found him. No, he's not conscious yet." A pause. "I'm pretty sure I know who it was. Yes, okay. Bye."

A click as the phone was shut and I felt someone lean down over me.

"Take?" That was Hayato's voice. I slowly opened my eyes. Nothing looked right, it was all kind of skewed and blurry. "Take, who was it? Was it Shibuya?"

I blinked a few times trying to get his face to focus. "Oh, is that his name?"

"Idiot." Ryu's soft voice came from my left. Hayato shifted and Ryu's face came into view. "You are such an idiot sometimes Take."

Groaning I sat up. I gave up figuring out where it hurt and focused on where it didn't hurt. I gave Ryu a lopsided smile. "But you still love me."

He grinned and tousled my hair. "Let's get you cleaned up and see if we need to take you to the hospital or not."

The next morning, after a long night at the hospital, I found myself face to face with my father again. Hayato, Ryu , Tsuchi and Hyuuga were all waiting just down the hall. Apparently Ryu and Hayato had threatened him severely because he looked terrified, unable to meet my eye.

"Listen Take, about yesterday-"

I shook my head cutting him off. "Forget it. Just don't ever do something like that again or I'll move out and you know how Mom would take that."

He paled a bit. "Speaking of your mother . . . "

Rolling my eyes I sighed. "I won't say anything as long as you lay off her too. Got it?"

He did look at me then. He nodded and turning shuffled down the hallway. I followed him, more than ready to leave this place. I didn't look up at the guys as I walked up to where they stood.

Hayato came over and put an arm around my shoulders, "Wanna go play some pool."

"Idiot!" I held up my bandaged arm. "How am I supposed to play pool like this?"

He looked sheepish for a moment, "Okay maybe not pool."

Ryu came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Why don't we just go to school. I think Take's had enough excitement the last couple of days."

Tsuchi and Hyuuga groaned. "No way." "You can't be serious, Odagiri."

Ryu smiled at me. "Your call Take."

I nodded remembering something my mother had said before she left. She'd said she was proud of me for making it to my senior year and that she would love to see me graduate.

"Let's go to school, then. We can always harass the teacher."

I followed the four of them down the sidewalk, their crazy antics causing a minor scene. Ryu hung back with me. We walked in silence for a bit.

"So was it Shibuya and his gang from Ara?"

"Yeah."

"I thought so." He patted my head. "Just be more careful next time."

I nodded. "So umm, what exactly did you guys say to my father?"

Ryu laughed, "You don't want to know, but Hayato got very detailed about what would happen if you came to school with even so much as a bruise."

I grinned up at him, relieved and not a little thankful. "Thanks Ryu. You and Hayato are the best friends a guy could ever have."

"Don't go getting all mushy on me, Take."

I shoved him with my good arm. "You like it and you know it."

He grabbed me around the neck hauling me forward to join the other three.

"Yeah, maybe just a bit."

The End