"-and so I told her I was going home to meet you, and she was really funny, Mit-chan, I would swear she's in love with your photo, she wanted to come home with me to see you."

Mitsui laughed and pulled Kogure closer. "Did you tell her I was taken?"

"Mm-hmm," came the reply as he felt his lover's face crease in a smile. They rounded the corner and suddenly they were knocked to the ground.

"Mit-kun?" a strangled squeak.

"Oh!" Mitsui rolled off Kogure, rubbing at his arm where he had been pushed. The culprit of the painful collision had been knocked to the wall, where he dazedly pushed long black bangs out of his face…

"Rukawa?"

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Rukawa felt his blood boil at the sight of Kogure, but his head felt too stuffed and his vision was swimming so it took a fair while before he suddenly caught sight of Mitsui. The reformed gang leader was straightening up, before he turned and pulled the other slimmer boy up. He watched as Mitsui affectionately adjusted Kogure's glasses as Kogure stood staring at him in puzzlement. Something's wrong with this picture…didn't Kogure go to find Hanamichi?

It hurt to think, until Kogure murmured something to Mitsui, and the larger boy stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "Rukawa? Rukawa! Are you all right?"

"Min-kun, he seems to be out cold," he heard the voice distantly, as if he were somewhere else and watching what was being played out in the wind on a dark night. Kogure replaced Mitsui's face, and his was an expression of sincere concern. "Rukawa?"

Mitsui patted Kogure lightly on the arm. "Let me do it. He's violent." He leaned forward and pecked Kogure on the cheek as the other boy moved away. "Rukawa! Snap out of it!"

"Why aren't you with Hanamichi?"

That urgent voice didn't fit into everything. Was he supposed to be with Hanamichi? Rukawa didn't know what was going on. He took deep breaths, shaking slightly. "I thought you were with him." His voice came out raspy and raw.

He saw a look of confusion cross the older boy's face. Then slow realization dawned.

"You saw us together earlier? At his house?"

Silently, Rukawa could only nod. Mitsui looked back and forth between the two of them, clearly confused. "So?" He appealed to Kogure with a raised eyebrow.

Kogure smiled and shook his head slightly, looking at Rukawa directly. "I went to talk to him because Mit-kun told me you two were having trouble over some misunderstanding. He was really upset, you know. But last I saw he was heading over to look for you. What are you doing here at this time of the night?"

I came to look for him…and then I saw him with you…and I jumped to conclusions…and I was so angry I vented it all on a game with Sendoh…and then Sendoh kissed me…and then Hana…Hana came…he saw…

He looked at the two before him who were obviously concerned. They peered at him, worried for the wild look in his eyes. Then suddenly, slowly…

"Thank you," his voice was low, but full of purpose as he shook his head to clear it. "Thank you."

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Mitsui watched as Rukawa disappeared into the night, then looked at Kogure with laughter in his eyes. "I don't believe those two."

end of part 5