18

[EDITED]

Warning: Slight spoiler from the manga.

-

"The list of final rankings are already posted at the school's bulletin board."

As always, Eichi didn't care about the rankings so she didn't bother to look at the lists when she has the time.

Three days already passed and the exams are finally done that fast. She hasn't been seeing Baji except when he's picking her up in the morning and dropping her off. He refused to have a time with her as long as it is still their exams.

Maybe I can see him now, I guess?

She decided to drop by his room to see him since exams are already done. Just like expected, the hallways is crowded because of the release of rankings. Not to mention, the bulletin board is near Baji's room.

Eichi peeked inside of the room when she got there, searching for him. Luckily, she immediately saw him. Looking too far away from the window like he's being drown to his thoughts. Its already lunch break so barging in to second years room is not a big deal.

She walked towards him and sat on the seat in front of him. "Baji~" she whispered that made him snapped back to this world. His eyes widened when he saw Eichi in front of him.

"Senpai!" he shouted in surprise that made his classmates silent. Eichi pursed his lips and closed her eyes. Silently dealing with the anxiousness she suddenly felt.

"Oops...sorry. Didn't mean to..." Baji said. "Should we get out?" he asked and she nodded as a response.

They left the room together... No one's talking between them. Just them walking till they reach the back of the building where there's only a line of tub and faucets that's usually used by the club athlete.

"Hey are you alright?" she decided to finally asked him, making him to stop walking. He's been unusually quite today...I wonder if he did bad on the exam or something happened that made him feels this way.

Instead of answering, he just smiled then patted her head. Eichi tried to read his mind by looking at his eyes but he suddenly softly slammed his forehead onto hers. "Stupid." he said.

"What?" she asked but he shook his head.

"I love you.... Always."

Unlike that night, the moment they jumped from the cliff, that 'I love you' of his feels a little different. It feels like he's saying goodbye to her. Did he seriously thought that we're literally splitting apart because of the exam? Eichi didn't know what to think anymore. She repeated it to him many times, no matter what the result is there's no breaking up happening.

"You're being weird today..." she said, worried. She held his chin and parted her forehead to his. "You can tell me if something's bothering you. Is it the exam?"

He shook his head again. Refusing to answering and kissed her cheek. "That's the first on your cheek." he said then smiled widely like nothing seems like bothering him just a few moments ago.

"Come on, we should look at the rankings to see the results." he said then held her hand. She didn't argue and let him dragged her.

For the first time, Eichi saw the rankings and she can't believe herself that she ranked first among hundreds of  students for this quarter.

" Phew. That's my girl for you. "She heard him say." You ranked first again. "he added the end looked at her.

She really can't believe it. It's like she's seeing something errors on the rankings.

"Huh? Again? What do you mean by again?" she asked

"Uhm you ranked first again cause you also ranked first last time? That's what I mean...?" he said, raising his brow. Confused why she's reacting like she didn't know...

"Wait...you're not checking the rankings?" he asked to confirm

"No. Since freshman."

His eyes widened in surprise. That's why it seems like it doesn't matter to her that it's exam week, she's not checking the rankings and she didn't even care!

"What? Since freshman?!" does that mean its already been 3 years yet this is her first time seeing the rankings? Woah! That's amazing!

"Well, enough of that. It just surprised me for a sec..."she said, literally now giving a care of her being ranked first." So, have you seen your name already? What'd you got? "

" Yeah. I surprisingly passed to ranked 110th. Unbelievably passing a hundred of students compared to last time. "

" See? You passed the exam!" she slightly hit his arm, feeling happy that he actually passed.

" I know. I already saw it earlier, senpai. "But then she suddenly thought because of his answer, if he already knew it then why does he act like that earlier?

-

Evening.

After she showered and was about to go to her room, she noticed a jacket hanged on a chair inside his brother's room. She stopped for a moment with the realization that she saw the same jacket from Baji's room.

Valhalla.

That is written on the back with a headless angle image. Because she's curious about it since Baji didn't said anything about that, she knocked three times on his brother's door while holding her bathroom things.

"Yeah? What is it?" Saito asked, turning his head from his computer.

"That jacket. I saw the same on Baji's, can you tell me something about it?" she asked. For a second, Saito looked surprised when she said that but immediately composed himself and let out a fake laugh.

"Oh that? It's the gang's uniform." Gang? What does he mean by that? Is it like a literal gang that...

"Gang?"

"Don't worry. It's for protection for high school dudes like me." protection? From what?

Even though she's still curious about it, she just nodded acting like she understands everything he said well in fact she's itchy to know something.

Protection to high school guys? But Baji's still in middle school. How come he has that jacket? Does that mean he's a member of that gang too? Why didn't he told me that?

The next morning, Baji picked her up but he's not wearing his uniform like he's intended to skip the class for the day.

"Why are you dressed up like that? Aren't you attending class?" she asked while putting on her helmet.

"I have to do something important that's why I need to skip for today." he answered and did her helmet instead so she just stood up there, waiting for him to finish up.

He still looked the same as yesterday. The different feeling he's radiating is too negative that it worries me.

" Hey, can you please tell me what's wrong? I've been feeling uneasy around you since yesterday." she asked. "If something is up, please... Tell me. I will listen." she looked straight to his eyes to make him feel that she's there no matter what.

But instead of answering he just smiled. The same smile but the feelings are different.

"C'mon, senpai. There's nothing wrong, geez. You're making me nervous—"

"You. Are." she cut him off," You are. Making me. Nervous, Baji. I know something is wrong. Why can't you just tell and let it out?"Eichi can't stopped herself from being annoyed because for her, it seems like Baji didn't trust her about sharing his problems. Which is not the case. "You're acting like it's too sacred to tell about it to me."

"Because it is." she pursed her lips from his answer. I guess... She thought.

Baji sighed and grabbed something from his pocket. A hair tie. He handed it to her that made her brows furrowed in confusion.

"What am I going to do with this?" she asked.

"Can you tie my hair?"

Eichi stopped for a second. This is the first time in four months that Baji asked her to tie his hair for him. He didn't even want me to do his hair because I suck at it, so why ask now? She thought.

"S-sure." she answered. Baji turned his head so she can finally start.

She gently stroked his soft silky black hair that's beautiful than hers and gently tied it with the hair tie. Baji turned back again to her and without saying anything he hugged her.

She just smiled. Thinking that hugging maybe his comfort and decided not to insist him anymore about opening up to her.

Because Baji didn't come to school, the day passed by quickly. She also noticed that his friend Chifuyu and Mitsuya didn't also attend the school. That made her conclusion, that the three are together somewhere fun.

Baji didn't said anything about him picking her up so she assumed that she might just take the train.  On her way to the station, she got a message from her mom to grab something for Toshi since his brother is still out. That he supposed to be by at home now.

So instead of going straight to the station, she needed to dropped by the market where there's an abandoned car crashing site beside it.

"Goddamn these gangs, they're causing a riot again." she heard the market staff annoyingly said while she's on line for the cashier.

Out of curiosity, she looked at the staff guy who's looking outside. She looked outside as well and notice a lot of guys around her age and older are running around. Some of them are wearing a black uniform like and some are white.

"We have a halloween discount, Ma'am. If you buy..." she didn't heard the cashier said when realized those jackets.

The black one's are the same with Baji's! While the white one is the same as Saito's!

"Holy mother, someone even called the police." the other staff said, "I wonder how the fight ended. Does Toman win or is it Valhalla's?" Toman? Valhalla?....

The moment it made sense to her she hurriedly grabbed the thing she bought and ran outside after paying. She sprinted where those guys came from. There's too many of them, some are bruised and some are injured. Many are covered in blood like they've been gone from a wild fight.

Is this what they call protection?! Damn that Saito! Completely lying to me!

"Excuse me. Excuse..."

"Yama-chan?!" She stopped running when someone called her. She turned around and saw Chifuyu, holding the blondie Takemichi with lots of bruises and black eyes.

"Where's Baji?!" she asked. If Chifuyu's here then Baji's also definitely here!

"You shouldn't have come here!" Chifuyu said. They're shouting at each other, panicking.

"Where's Baji?!!" she couldn't take it anymore that she ended up falling a tear on her left eye. Chifuyu didn't answer.

"He's inside." Takemichi answered instead. "Save Baji-san, senpai" after that Eichi rushed towards inside the abandoned place where Takemichi said.

Is this why he didn't come to school today?! I don't know what the fuck a gang is and how it works, but I if Baji's hurt now.... I swear!

"Please be alright... Please be alright..." she kept whispering until she reaches the place where there's only a few left.

Eichi was stunned the moment she already saw Baji. He's with a guy with a tiger neck tattoo who's holding him and crying.

No no... Please... Please be alive.

She run towards them and when Baji saw her, he smiled. "What... What are you doing... H-here." he barely can even speak and he already spitting blood.

There's even more blood in his abdomen which she concludes that he's been stabbed.

She kneeled down and started crying.

"What happened to you?" tears are flowing in, heart break occurring. She didn't know what to do. Her mind went blank and she started hyperventilating... She passed out.

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A/N: Happy 2k reads! Sheesh! You guys really are something XD I didn't know that this story would make it this far as I posted it just for fun.

Anyway, Thank you for your supports! Especially for the ones who's with me even from the start, you guys know who you are ^_^