Koukin was walking up the school gates; it was late in the afternoon and this was the only place left he might find Hakufu.
"I hope she's here." He said to himself.
He decided to go to where she fought Ryomou yesterday. When he got there he was surprised to see not only Hakufu but also Haru. Both of them leaning against the wall sound asleep with Hakufu holding Haru close to her as his head rests on her chest. Near them was a red tool box. Koukin saw that all the holes were covered up with some paste.
"Ok… this is a little weird but at least she's safe. Good job Haru-san." Koukin smiled.
He went up to them and gently shook Hakufu awake.
"Mmmm… what the… Koukin-kun, that you?" She said with a sleepy voice.
"Yeah it's me, where were you Hakufu? You made me so worried."
"Sorry about that, but I had to do a little trip to help my broken heart. But it's better now and so am I."
"Glad to hear, but please let me know so I don't have to look all over the city for you. I guess Haru-san found you."
"Yeah he did. Haru-kun wakes up, I think we need to go home now." She shook Haru up from his sleep.
"Wha… Oh Koukin, there you are. Haru found Hakufu and wanted to bring her home but she wanted to come here and fix the place a bit so Haru helped."
"Good to hear… what the… what the hell happened to your dress Hakufu!?"
"Oh yeah… I kinda ran into a fight and one of those bastards cut my dress a bit so Kakouton-san gave me his jacket which I appreciate. Oh shit mom is going to kill me!"
"Now hold on, you were in a fight?"
"Hakufu was only trying to help Kakouton who needed help so Hakufu stepped in." Haru said.
"… I guess that's a good reason but let's get you home."
So the three went back to Koukin's house and luckily for Hakufu, her mom seemed to be out for the moment.
"Looks like Aunt Goei isn't here right now, good I don't think I could have made up more lies. Why don't you quickly change before she comes home Hakufu." Koukin suggested.
"Ok." She headed to her room.
"Koukin." Haru spoke up.
"Yes Haru-san?"
"Should Koukin and Haru… tell Hakufu the truth?" He asked.
"'Sigh'. In all honesty Haru-san, I really don't know if we should. After this little uproar with Hakufu, she might not take it so well. She ran away after she lost. I can't imagine what she'd do if she knows about the dragon spirit. So for now, let's just keep this to us."
"If you think that's the best… Haru should get going now."
"Huh, why?"
"Haru thinks Haru has stayed long enough. Haru should leave before it gets dark."
"You're leaving already, Haru-kun?" Hakufu asked coming in the room wearing a plain white shirt and short blue jeans.
"Yes, it's best for Haru if Haru go now."
"Can't you stay for the night again?"
"No, Haru needs to go."
"You don't have to man; you're more than welcome to stay again for the night." Koukin said.
"Haru couldn't ask you to do that. Haru is very grateful for all you've done, gave Haru a wonderful meal, bandaged Haru wounds, and let Haru sleep for the night. Haru can never thank you all for the generosity you've given to Haru." Haru said.
"But it's almost dark out Haru-kun; can't you please stay?" Hakufu asked with a pleaded in her voice.
"Haru doesn't want to be a bother so Haru should go."
"If you really think you need to leave then I won't stop you." Koukin said.
"Koukin-kun, he shouldn't leave."
"We can't make him stay if he doesn't want to Hakufu. Look Haru-san, I don't like that you have to leave so soon since you haven't fully recovered, but if you must go at least come by tomorrow so we know you're still breathing. Deal?"
"Deal."
"This so sucks you have to leave!" Hakufu pouted.
"Please don't be mad Hakufu, Haru well come back soon. Haru promise." Haru said.
"Pinky promise?" She held her pinky out.
"Pinky promise." He hooked his pinky with hers.
After saying their goodnights, Haru got his satchel bag and left the home and headed to find a place to sleep.
"So Hakufu, where the hell have you been?" Koukin asked.
"Oh that, I just walked around a bit but I got hungry so these two dudes offered me a free meal at this karaoke place but Ukitsu-san busted in and knocked them into last week. So, we walked a little and I told why I was walking around but then I saw a fight that Kakouton-san was in and he was about to get stabbed but I came in and we kicked all their asses. So that helped my broken heart a bit and then Haru-kun found me and said some words that I needed to hear and I was better." Hakufu explained.
"… wow… sounds like you had a busy day huh?" He asked.
"Yep, though Ukitsu-san kinda pissed me off before she left."
"Ukitsu? As in the leader of Gogun High School Ukitsu?" He asked, stunned.
"You know her?"
"Only by reputation. They say she is an extremely strong fighter, all who ever come against her have never beaten her."
"Damn, now this gives me a better reason to fight her."
"WAIT WHAT!? Are you saying you want to fight her?"
"Damn straight."
"Have you not been listening to what I just said, NO ONE has ever defeated her. Period!"
"Then I'll be the first." Hakufu grinned.
"You're doing it again! You're blindly going into a fight without thinking and you'll end up just like when you fought Ryomou-san!"
"But now I have a reason."
"And what fucked up reason do you have that makes you want to fight her?!"
"She made fun of Haru-kun."
"… I'm sorry what?"
"She made him feel uncomfortable with her words and made him blush."
"… Um, perhaps you should go back to the beginning with this. Tell me what she did that makes you think she was making fun of him?"
So Hakufu told Koukin all she said to Haru and what she said to her.
"And she called him Haru-kun now instead of san, that girl is going down when I see her next time!"
"… Hakufu… I don't think she wasn't making fun of him. From what you've told me, I think she was flirting with him."
"Flirting?"
"Well yeah, now I can't say for certain since I wasn't there, but I think she may like Haru-san. And why are you so against the idea of someone else liking him?"
"… well… cause… he doesn't need someone like her, that's all." She stammers in embarrassment.
"Hakufu… are you jealous that someone is interested in him?" She didn't say anything.
"Man, you must really like Haru-san if you acted like a jealous girlfriend." Koukin snickered.
BAM! WHAM! BOOM!
"GAH! SON OF A BITCH!" Koukin yelled, holding his head in pain.
Hakufu huffed in anger and walked away.
"Yep… she really likes Haru-san." He sighed and headed to his room..
Haru was walking down the alleys trying to find a place to sleep but he was having a hard time concentrating on finding a good place as the day played through his mind. With knowing a little more about the fights, talking to Ryomou, Ukitsu, and Kakouton, and the feelings he has after he heard what Ukitsu and Hakufu said and done, he was a mess inside. For as long as he could remember, no one gave rat's ass if he lived or died. He was hated and shunned from almost everyone he meets. He was always alone and he felt like he was a waste of life itself. He even considered ending his life just to escape the pain, loneliness, and suffering he deals with on a daily bases. He always thought that no one would even consider him as a living person, let alone love or care for him. But after he meets Hakufu, it was a complete 360 in his life. He has friends, someone actually likes him, has someone to talk to, and they generally look after his well-being. Being alone and staying away from most human contact this was a scary experience he finds himself in.
"Plus Haru is now just releasing that Haru truly is not normal. Haru already knew that Haru isn't like everyone else. But these past few days… no even longer than that Haru felt more like a freak of nature than human. And each passing day it gets worse. Haru thinks Haru will lose it and completely turned into that thing. What is Haru going to do?" He said with a sigh.
Haru eventually found a condemned building that was scheduled to be torn down in a week or so. Deciding this would be a good place to spend the next few nights; he found a hole in the chain link fence and went up to the fourth floor. He opened one of the rooms and found a bed, it was old and slightly torn but for him, it was good enough. He set up for the night and just sat on the bed not really ready to go to sleep yet. Something else got him thinking, the dream he had in the alley, and the voice said that he was supposed to be the light of a dark past that repeats itself.
"But does that mean? A dark past that repeats itself? It doesn't make sense to Haru… but… Haru wonders… does the voice mean… the Fighters? Does the repeating past mean what Haru's friends are in? It is dark and Koukin said it has happen many times in the past… but if that's true then how can Haru be the light? What can Haru do that no one else has been able to?" Haru said to himself.
Haru looked out the window as the sun was setting, he always like this time of day. The setting sun casting an array of orange and red in the skies that makes it look so beautiful. It was the very few things that make him smile, making him forgets the life he has and the worries he must overcome. But most importantly it was a signal to him. In a strange way, it somehow tells him that for all he's been through, from the beatings to the hardship to the hatred and scorn from the people and also his loneliness, it will somehow turn out for the better. And meeting Hakufu, he finally believes that. He made this false hope that one day everything will go for the better and that he won't feel so lonely or scared. A lie that so far kept him going but knew that it would last long. But now he has friends and people that actually care for him, he feels that he does have a purpose in this world.
So for the rest of the day, Haru just sat there and watched the sun set.