Haruko couldn't stand it any longer.

"It's wrong," she spoke aloud to herself in the silence of the girls' locker room. "Boys can't love each other. They're just playing a game."

That was what she had told herself the night she had witnessed the unthinkable. But now…two months later…nothing had changed, and she knew she had been right, simply by the way Hanamichi avoided her. Not that she was trying to bump into him, if anything she had been doing her best to avoid the redhead. She had bumped into Rukawa once, and barely managed to stammer out a greeting, but he was already gone, aloof and uncaring as usual, as always.

"They don't know what they're in for," a voice agreed with her and she spun about to face Ayako, who wore a twisted smile on her full lips. "Aya-chan!"

"I didn't believe you at first, Haruko. I thought you were just making things up," Ayako looked away. "But every time I see them together, it just reaffirms everything, and builds on it. How could he? Have broken your heart like that? He was supposed to be your friend, wasn't it?"

Haruko didn't know which of the two her senior was talking about, but she did have the distinct impression it was Hanamichi. That's right, she thought dimly as her mind flashed back to the scene that had horrified her so, Rukawa, his ice cold eyes, leaning down to take the redhead into his arms…no!

But she couldn't blame Rukawa for anything. She loved him so much.

"Why don't you tell Hanamichi how upset he's making you?" Ayako gestured impatiently, suddenly.

"Eh?"

Would it change anything? Would it help anything? Fresh tears gathered in her eyes, and Ayako noticed, because the older girl hugged her comfortingly and patted her back. You won't know until you try…

She straightened up suddenly and looked at Ayako. The manageress smiled and nodded in approval.

@@@

She bumped into the redhead almost as soon as she left the locker room. He was just turning the corner, when he caught sight of her and froze. Rejection hardened her normally forgiving heart, and she stepped up to him, looking straight at him. Hanamichi flushed and turned away.

"Sakuragi-kun. There are some things I must speak to you about." From the expression which flashed back at her, she knew he was staring at her in disbelief and then, slowly, growing happiness.

@@@

Maybe she forgives me! This is wonderful! I knew Haruko-chan was the type to forgive and forget! His thoughts died down as the rosebud mouth twisted obstinately, brown eyes dropped to the floor, and the first words that fell out of it shattered his train of thought immediately.

"Sakuragi-kun…you and Rukawa-kun are wrong for each other!"

@@@

She wasn't going to stop now, not when she had finally worked up the nerve to begin.

"Don't you see?! It's wrong! Rukawa-kun can't be in love with you, because he's a boy! And boys don't fall in love with each other, you know!" She was speaking rapidly now, rambling, and venting all the held-in feeling that had swamped her in complete misery the past two weeks.

"What can you do for each other anyway?! I thought you hated him! There's just no way you two can be together! It's not right! And it's not-" a pale blush worked its way up to her ears, "-fair. Nothing will come out of this!"

end of part 2