Chapter Three Part 2

Yuya woke up feeling fresher and more rested than in the morning. Although, as he moved, the blue-green bruises on his body began to ache, but he was used to the pain. After all, it wasn't the first time he had to endure his brother's harsh blows and kicks, but it still wasn't pleasant as he slowly sat up. He looked at his phone, which had paused the podcast in the meantime. Yuya had deliberately set a timer that stopped all videos or audio after half an hour, so he didn't have to worry about his phone running out of battery completely by morning, for example. Looking at the time, he still had a good half hour until the one-hour lunch break. He wasn't overly hungry, but he knew he would have to eat if he wanted to last until evening. His mother always packed delicious food anyway, although she never asked Yuya what he would like to eat. She always asked Hokuto what he would like for lunch, but Hokuto was different. Hokuto was the pride and joy of the family, who had to be supported in everything. Someone who had a bright future ahead of him and who would never dream of bringing shame to the family. Not like Yuya, at least according to his family. Yet the boy wanted nothing more than to be understood and accepted, or if that wasn't possible, at least to be left alone. He was getting tired of the meaningless efforts to please his parents. But he knew that if he didn't try hard enough, his father would really take him out of school and he wouldn't be able to start his second year in spring*. He wanted to avoid this at all costs, so he decided to work even harder. Although he doubted that this would improve his home situation.

The bell hadn't rung yet when he slowly and carefully began to get ready. He put on his shoes, then his jacket, neatly adjusted the pillow and blanket, then peeked out from behind the curtain. Murai-sensei wasn't in his place, Yuya could only think that he had gone somewhere. He surely had something to do, but he also had to go. But by the time he reached the classroom, his classmates were already there. Some stared at Yuya, but then shrugged and didn't pay much attention to him. Only Ibara-kun approached him.

"Are you feeling better, Miyazawa-kun?" the class president asked with a worried voice and took a good look at Yuya. "You look a little better. But perhaps it would be better if you went home. If you’d like, I'll tell the homeroom teacher."

"There's really no need for that, Ibara-kun," Yuya replied politely. He knew very well what a fuss it would cause if he went home now. The thought alone made his hair stand on end, thinking that this would only give another weapon not only to his father but also to his brother. I'm feeling much better now, I'll make it to the end of the day.”

"As you wish, but if you feel unwell again, please tell me! It would break my heart if something happened to one of my classmates."

"Thank you for your concern, class president! But really, everything is fine. I probably just studied too long last night and didn't get enough sleep," Yuya nodded friendly, then went to his seat and took out the lunch his mother had packed.

Ibara-kun was a kind boy, but Yuya didn't dare talk to him for too long. He was afraid that the boy might start ask questions, and he might inadvertently blurt out something he shouldn't. It was better this way, a short, friendly, or rather politely distant conversation. Yet Ibara-kun didn't come from a bad family, but Yuya was afraid that if he let the boy too close, the other would end up getting hurt. He didn't dare to risk it, even though he knew that the class president was genuinely worried about him and really just wanted to help.

~*~

The blonde boy had long since left by the time Hokuto was able to leave the lecture hall. Of course, everyone had gotten ahead of him, but when he stepped out, he still saw the blonde slowly walking towards the canteen with two girls and a boy, not rushing at all.

"Is this guy who picked a fight with me before the lecture always such a jerk?" the blonde asked, and Hokuto couldn't help but listen. "He almost bit my head off."

"Hiroto, don't even pay attention to him!" one of the girls waved her hand. She had short, black hair and patted the boy's arm with such naturalness that Hokuto couldn't place it. "Miyazawa-kun isn't usually like this, but he recently broke up with his girlfriend. He's a bit irritable now. Of course, you wouldn't know him that well, since you don't move in the same circles."

"Yes, I heard that he caught his girlfriend, Amano Rei-san, with another boy, and there were witnesses," the other girl, a shoulder-length, reddish-brown haired individual, agreed. "Although it seemed Miyazawa-kun handled the situation very correctly, I think it must be bothering him. Especially considering what a great couple they were. I never would have thought Amano-san was capable of that. Although it's also true that Miyazawa-kun didn't let her explain the situation."

"I heard that too," the lanky, bespectacled boy trudging beside them nodded. "But we can't know what the truth is, so let's not jump to all sorts of assumptions. Only the parties involved know the truth anyway."

Hiroto nodded, but he was still angry at Miyazawa Hokuto. Making such a fuss just because he couldn't sit in his usual spot was quite ridiculous.

"Nevertheless, Miyazawa-kun's behavior was quite childish," Hiroto finally remarked. "Making such a big deal just because of a chair was quite laughable."

"Let it go, he probably stressed himself out. He's a scholarship student, exams are coming up, and the Halloween Party too, everyone's a bit more nervous and tense than usual now. Except for you, of course, you're a statue of calm," the long-haired girl grinned. "Let's go eat instead, I'm starving."

The others laughed and agreed, and a few moments later they had already forgotten what they had been talking about. Hokuto, however, had not. His hands clenched into fists at all the lies and slanders those four had spouted. He decided he wouldn't let it go.

~*~

The rest of Yuya's day was peaceful. However, when their homeroom teacher handed out a sheet after the last class with the dates of the next teacher-parent meeting*, the blood in the boy's veins ran cold. He still remembered the meeting before the summer break, where he also sat between his parents and listened as his father demanded that they be very strict with him. Afterwards, that evening, he called all the teachers, the school, and of course him, Yuya, everything under the sun, loudly proclaiming that the education system was no longer what it used to be. Yuya dreaded the whole thing, especially because his appointment was next Tuesday, at four in the afternoon. His father won't be happy about having to ask for time off from the office, but he wouldn't say no if he could humiliate his own child again in front of the homeroom teacher, Kida Akira-sensei. He folded the paper with trembling hands and put it in his bag. He was afraid that the teacher would bring up that Yuya barely attended PE classes, was often in the infirmary, and would express concern that there might be some problem with the student's mental and physical health. Kida-sensei was a very good teacher, not only excellent as an instructor, but also genuinely cared about the well-being of his students. Yuya was still a little afraid to talk to him, because he didn't know what and how it might come back to him later. But he knew he had to, if not today, because he had to hurry home, but definitely next time before the parent-teacher meeting. He didn't know then that something worse awaited him.

Yuya was almost turning onto the road leading to their house when someone shouted his name. The boy froze and turned around, only for his worst nightmare to come true.

"At least your hearing is still good," remarked Hokuto, who walked lightly towards his younger brother. A smile was on his face, but his eyes were like two cold pieces of ice. "What's wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"No... I just..." Yuya tried to come up with a believable explanation, while looking around the street. Thank goodness, they weren't alone, but his brother was smarter than to hurt him in the open. "Just... you don't usually finish this... early," he squeezed out the words.

Hokuto put his arm around his brother's shoulder, making Yuya tremble. He would have loved to push his brother away and run off, but he knew that there would be unpleasant consequences later. Cold sweat ran down his back, while Hokuto practically dragged him along and started talking about some stupid, ridiculous, and arrogant guy who had stolen his seat in the lecture hall. Yuya barely paid attention, just automatically putting one foot in front of the other, like a robot. His brain, however, completely shut down as he walked beside his brother, seemingly like any normal pair of siblings. But they both knew the truth. He could do nothing else but let his brother lead him towards that place, which meant home for one of them, but only hell for the other.