"Students! Students, please settle down!" The history teacher had exclaimed. The class had slowly, but surely, settled down. The teacher looked at the class door, and motioned for somebody to come in. "Class, I'd like for you to meet three of your new students."
"I'd like to introduce you to Anderson Lily, Gui Hakito, and Yu-Po."
Po had stepped through the room, chewing a piece of gum, clamping her gums loudly. She dressed in a silk, Chinese sleeveless top, and black Capri's. Her hair was black, and tied up into two buns. She looked around mindlessly, almost like a prep. She seemed like nobody else in the class was worthy of her time.
Hakito had worn all black, but no fingernail painting, and no weird lipstick. His hair was blond, not bleached, hanging barely past his eyes, which cradled a pair of reading classes that hung slightly below his eyes. He had a frown plastered on his face, as if he was observing, and studying everyone in the class.
Lily had seemed more like a skater like person. Sweatshirt, light blue shorts, that came over her knees, beanie, and ankle socks, not showing with her black and white Audio's. She had her hands in her pocket, slumping like a guy, ad just relaxing there.
The three sat down, scattered around the room. They took the seats of Kitsune, Doichi, and Yukin. Yukin had suddenly disappeared, so Daisuke had noticed. He didn't know where, but he had a guess that it was somewhere where Kagori had been hiding.
"Think these are some of Kagori's people?" Yuki asked Daisuke.
"Don't know. They seem kind of normal."
"But they all came at once. It could be something from Kagori."
"I agree." Yuri said on the other side of Daisuke.
"Either way," Daisuke replied. "I think we should be friends with them."
"Why? They're out to kill us." Yuki said.
"I hate killing anybody. Anybody." He emphasized the word anybody. "We lacked trying to get our friendship with Doichi and Kitsune. I don't want to go through the same thing again."
"Don't be so weak, Daisuke." Yuki said. "We can't go around giving hugs to people who are just going to stab in up front."
"But we shouldn't just see them nothing more then our enemy. They're human beings, too, Yuki. They have dreams, passions, everything that make us different than each other."
"If you want to go and get yourself killed, then that's okay by me."
"Don't talk like that." Daisuke said with a smile. "You're only jinxing me for our mission."
"Daisuke, Yuri, Yuki. Can you please hold your conversation until after class is over."
"Yes ma'am." All three replied in a monotone voice.
Daisuke looked over at the new kids. Hakito had looked like the harder person in the group to get along with. Lily seemed like she just wanted to get through with life. Po on the other hand looked like she had some plans to turn this school upside-down to have everything in her power. It was going to be weird having them here, no matter the situation between them and his friends. Whether they were friends or enemies, it was going to be a strange, and maybe, fun time.
"Daisuke…" Hakito was sitting at a lunch table staring in Daisuke's general direction. Daisuke. Laughing, joking, talking… such a fool. His guard was so low. If there was an attempted assassination, he would definitely be killed. There's no doubt in that statement.
But at the same time, there was something different about Daisuke. He seemed almost like he didn't worried about anything. Like life could throw anything, and everything in his face, and he would still smile. But somebody like that was never considered strong. Look at Kagori. Kagori had been cold hearted, and ruled with an iron first. What did Daisuke have; a couple of friends?
"What's up?" Lily said as she sat down in front of Hakito.
"What are you doing?"
"Eating lunch…" she said, taking a bite out of the group of rice sitting on her plate. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"Well, it's just that–"
"You guys started eating without me!? How rude." Po said as she sat down. "Nobody starts eating without me."
"What are you two doing here?"
"What?" Po asked. "Is it against the law to sit at a table for lunch. You should be grateful that I even want to eat with you, dork."
"Isn't that kinda harsh?" Lily asked.
"It's not me, it's life that's harsh. I mean, I wouldn't have worn those shoes with that shirt."
"What's wrong with the way I dress?"
"So, that's Hiromushu?" Lily asked as she spotted him, ignoring Hakito's dressing problem.
"Ooh… he's cute."
"We don't have time to get into relationships. Certainly not with an enemy. What are you thinking."
"A relationship?" Po asked, amused. "That boy's gotta have a lot of money on him. I mean, just look at that shirt."
"You're such a gold digger." Lily said.
"And you don't even enjoy relationships. What's wrong with the way I live?"
"Nothing's wrong with it. I just don't see a reason to live that way if you're not even going to get a dime out of anything. It's weird. And at least I have a reason for guys not to talk to me when we're over. Guys still hang all over you, begging for their stuff back."
"I don't even see how you could even get guys. I mean, look at how you dress. Dirty sweatshirt, torn up shorts, sketchy shoes…"
"Why are you always bagging on how somebody dresses?" Lily asked. "It's not like you're a perfect dresser either."
"Perfect? Of course not. Nobodies perfect. I'm just the closest thing to it."
"Girls are pathetic." Hakito simply said.
"What do you mean?" Po asked, offended. Lily seemed as if she didn't care.
"Well, first of all, you hang all over guys who you don't even like. Second, you're too into yourself, and you dress like a bimbo." Lily couldn't help but let out a snicker. "And last, you act far too exceeding to your peers. Those with a big mouth are likely to get it filled with things that they least expect."
"What kind of proverb was that?" Lily couldn't help but laugh at the two of them. "Well, to what's important:" she started. "What are we going to do with Hiromushu?"
"Well, I say that we observe him for while before we do anything."
"And to observe, you need to have a person who knows how to handle boys and get them to spill his secrets to you." Po said.
"Don't you think he has enough girls all over him at the moment."
"What are you talking about?" Po asked.
"Look." She pointed towards Daisuke. Momo was trying to stuff more rice down his throat (her new favorite game), and Raine was trying to peel her off of him again with Deíji helping. And on each side of him was Yuri and Yuki. Yuri was yelling at Momo to stop, and Yuki was seemingly annoyed.
"So what? You don't think I can handle competition?"
"I simply don't think that's the best approach." Lily said.
"Then, what do you think the best option is?"
"Befriend him."
"Befriend him? That's best you have?" Po laughed.
"I think she may have something." Hakito replied. "Daisuke is said to be the type to try and be friends with anybody he can."
"So, we befriend him, and that's how we get him to tell us his very weakness?" Po asked once again.
"Yep. That's all it should take." Lily said.
"Okay. You tow have fun. I'm going to do things my own way."
"You're going to hit on him until he spills."
"Not without getting some gifts here and there."
"You're horrible."
"Yes. I know. Right next to perfect, right?" she said in a taunting tone.
"I swear…" Lily said, smiling and shaking her head. "That girl is going to be the first to go in this group."
"Hey, Daisuke!" Daisuke heard Andrew's voice and turned around to find his guess was right. "We're studying over at Hiru's, are you coming?"
"I guess I have time today." He said as he thought of what he needed to do for the day.
Lately, Demon Hunting had been slow, and it had been two weeks since Kitsune's passing. Nothing had been too difficult for him lately. He was pretty happy, and he actually lived like a normal kid for the first time in a long while. He hung out with his friends, talked to his dad, kept up on his studies, and he even grew bored with nothing to do a couple of times, and that scared him.
Daisuke walked over towards Andrew, and they walked together towards the front of the school.
"It's been a while since we heard from you, there buddy." Andrew said with a slight grin. "What have you been up to?"
"Lately, nothing at all." Daisuke answered honestly. "I haven't been that rushed at all for the last couple of weeks. It's been pretty boring and dull."
"And you're so bored that you can't even think of calling us up and hanging out with us? You think that we're too full in our schedule to talk to our best buddy."
"I guess I've been away from you guys so long I haven't really thought about it."
"Hey, Daisuke!" Daisuke turned around to see Ryuku catching up with the two. "Where're you heading?"
"Going to a study buddy thing. You wanna come?"
"If it's alright with your buds."
"Hey," Andrew said. "It's not my food that we're pigging out on. I don't care."
"All right! So, where's this little party going to be held?"
"Hiru's house."
"The quieter one in your guys' group?"
"Yeah." Andrew answered with suspicious eyes. "How did you know?"
"Let's just say that I know you guys a little better than you think."
Andrew's eyes had kept it's same suspicion and he kept on glaring at Ryuku. Ryuku smiled and left out a little chuckle.
"It's due to Daisuke big mouth. I'm not stalking you or anything like that."
The three had walked twelve blocks before they had entered an actual house. Hiru was one of the only people Daisuke had known that didn't live in an apartment or a condo. Hiru actually had a back yard and a front yard, both having room to run around freely.
When they entered the house, Andrew knocked on the already opened door, and said, "Yoo-hoo!"
"Welcome in guys." They heard Hiru's voice in the other room, and he came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands with a towel. It was obvious that he had just finished washing some dishes. "Oh, hey, Ryuku. I didn't know you were coming."
"Got invited on the way."
"Well, you're in luck. I just made lemon bars, and I have extra for ya."
"My favorite." He said with a smile as he followed Hiru into the kitchen.
"Yeah, I know. You told me the other day."
"How well does everybody know about each other that I don't know about! I'm the leader of our group! I should know everything. Why don't I know everything!?"
"Well, leader," Daisuke said leader in a sarcastic tone. "I guess it's time you got to know some new people, huh?"
And with that, Daisuke had started to walk towards his friends that were getting their math books out in the living room.
The whole studying part had lasted a good two hours, but after that, some of the group had grown tired of studying. It all started with Andrew who had thrown a pretzel at Josh's head, and Josh giggled and threw one back.
"Guys!" Hiru called. "I just cleaned everything up!"
The boys looked at Hiru, and directed their fire power in his direction. When he had gotten tired of being ambushed, he had thrown his own snacks at them. When Andrew got hit by one, he laughed.
"Man, Hiru, you throw like a girl."
"If that girl is Raine, I take that as a compliment." He said with a grin.
"Speaking of Raine," Josh said, throwing a grin at Ryuku. "How your date at the arcade."
"Eh…" Ryuku said as he waved his hand. "She didn't exactly like me all that much. She wasn't very fun. She's too stiff for my taste."
"Momo was pretty fun." Josh said.
"Well, you both adore video games. How much fun did you think you were going to have?" Andrew asked.
"I don't know. She's a girl. I didn't think that girls would get into that kind of stuff so easily."
"I know what you mean." Hiru said. "Deíji was really easy to talk to. It was as if she was living as me, only in a girl's body."
"Kori kinda scared me." Andrew said. "She just kept looking at me with this strange look."
"I think she has the hots for you." Daisuke joked. "She's all over you, man."
"I know. But I'm not sure how I feel about all of it. I mean, I like it, but sometimes, she's going past my personal space."
"Are you sure you're not the one who's gay?" Ryuku joked.
Everyone laughed, including Andrew, he teasingly threw a pillow at Ryuku. Andrew looked at Daisuke after that.
"Say, didn't you have two girls on you?" Andrew asked. "What're their names again…" he tried thinking of it.
"Again?" Josh asked. "You always have Yuri and Yuki on you."
"How did you know their names?" Andrew questioned defensively, surprised that his friends had known more then he did, once again.
"Josh has a point. And you're always talking to them during class."
"How do you guys know all this stuff?" Andrew asked once again, angrily this time.
"Yeah," Daisuke answered Hiru, ignoring Andrew and his questions. "I don't really know what's going on with those two."
"Aren't you going to go ahead and choose one of them anytime soon?"
"Choose? What do you mean?" Daisuke asked, tilting his head to one side, his face blank and curious, waiting for an answer.
"Are you seriously that dense?" Josh asked. "They're all over you man. When you're not looking, they're fighting over you."
"Yuri and Yuki? No way." Daisuke said, not believing a word that Josh had spoken.
"It's true, Daisuke." Hiru said. "If they weren't in public, I think they would kill each other at times."
"You guys really think that they like me that much?"
"Are you blind?" everybody except Daisuke yelled.
"Well, I knew that Yuki liked me a little, and I knew that Yuki had been acting like she did, but it never really came to me that they liked me enough to fight over me."
"Daisuke," Ryuku said with a slightly frustrated sigh. "You never cease to amaze me."
"So, what are you going to do, Daisuke?" Hiru asked.
"Well, I don't know. I mean, I have other stuff I wanna take care of before I choose a relationship. And right now just isn't a good time."
"Why?"
"Well… in a couple of weeks, I'm suppose to go to America."
"America?" the group shouted.
"Why would you go there?" Andrew asked.
"A school project. It's sort of like a survival class thing in America. They give me $10,000 spending dollars to live for ten months."
"What kind of program is this!?" Josh asked excitedly. "I wanna join next year."
"It's a… Christianity thing." He said, trying to think of an excuse that his friends couldn't find him on.
"You're a Christian?" Josh asked.
"As of last year, yeah."
"So, you're church is sending you and ten thousand bucks to go stay in America."
"Um.. yeah. I'm speaking about lives as a teen in Japan, and how they could come and talk to us. It's a whole cross country thingy."
"Wow. Sounds cool."
There was a silence, and Andrew, being childish as he was, threw a pillow at Hiru again, and another pillow fight had broken out. But only an hour later, everybody had started to go home, and Ryuku had followed Daisuke.
"So, you're not really going for Christian reasons, are you?"
"No."
"Hakura give you another duty?"
"Yeah. I'm suppose to leave in five months." Daisuke said, remembering what Hakura had said to him was about a month ago. "I'm going to look for backup."
"Back up?"
"There's going to be a war sometime. DHA verses Kagori."
"You know, you guys haven't been able to help me much with DHA thing. I still have no clue what it is."
"Yuki will tell you about it. She's better at explaining stuff than I am."
"Speaking of Yuki, are you really that dumb that you didn't know they liked you?"
Daisuke stopped walking. His head was hung low, his bangs covering his eyes.
"Ryuku, give me more credit than that. Of course I knew that they had liked me. I'm not stupid."
"Then, you're just leading them on?"
"Don't get me wrong, but I don't want to break any hearts. I've been going through things in my head forever, and it's hard to just choose one. I mean, Yuki and I have like each other about a year before I had even known who Yuri was. But me and Yuri had made out, and we seemed pretty lovey-dovey. I don't know where to go. I get along with both of them really well. I don't want to break their hearts."
"Daisuke, don't you think that it's going to hurt more if you just lead them astray and keep messing with their heads? How would you feel if you were kept on your toes all this time, all these months, only to get rejected? Wouldn't have you wanted an answer sooner?"
"I know what you mean, but it's hard to just break it to one of them. That's only issue number one."
"What's the other."
"I kinda like them both equally. I mean, they both have their pros and cons, but if I went out with one, I'd miss something about the other. It just doesn't feel right to choose only one. But on the other hand, it doesn't feel right to choose more than one. It's frustrating."
"If only every guy could have your problems." Ryuku said with a grin.
"Thanks." Daisuke said, grinning back. He knew that Ryuku understood what he was going through, and he wasn't going to push it any further than that."
"Hey, Ryuku?"
"Yeah?"
"I just want you to take of them both while I'm gone, you understand that?" Daisuke's face was serious. "People know that you guys are with me, and might attack at any given moment. I trust you more with them then any other person. I need to know they're well protected by somebody."
"You mean it?"
"Ryuku. Guy to guy, you're my best friend. I just want you to know that. Even if we've only known each other for a short period of time, you're my best friend."
"Thanks man."
"And being my best friend, that means you respect my wishes, right?"
"Right man."
"Which means you're not going to hit on Yuri while I'm gone, right?"
Well, Daisuke had gotten Ryuku with that one. Ryuku's grin grew a little, showing that he knew Daisuke got him with the little trap he sent out.
"You got yourself a clean man. Not even a kiss on the hand. Yuri is completely unhanded by me. I swear."
"Thanks, Ryuku. And I really do see you as a best friend."
Daisuke had continued to walk home, and Ryuku only watched him go out into the distance. Ryuku was his friend, huh? Ryuku shook his head with the biggest smile on his face. Finally, he had a friend.
"Kagori!" Kagori heard Moku's voice, and his footsteps quickly tapping on the marble ground as he ran. Kagori didn't turn around until he had know Moku was right behind him. "Is it true!?"
"Is what true?" Kagori asked, his voice still harsh and cold as usual.
"Are you really leaving for America for almost a year?"
"Yes, it's true."
"Without me! Why didn't you tell me sooner! You told Yukin before you even told me!"
"Moku. I need for you to understand. I had made up my mind the very moment I had told Yukin. I was going to tell you."
He was going to tell me? Moku thought. That doesn't sound something Kagori would normally say. He'd usually blow me off. Is he finally softening up?
"We need more men." Kagori's voice changed to Goro. Goro was talking to Moku. He was doing that a lot more often. It seemed that every time Kagori's body had spoken, Goro had spoke at least half of what needed to be said. "America could harness some more Demon Hunters that we can manipulate. It seems they have a weakness for adventure."
"So, you guys really trust Yukin enough to leave him in charge of a large number of things?"
"Don't worry," Goro assured him. "You and Iro have more responsibilities than Yukin."
"Iro? That demon that you befriended?"
"Yes."
"Where has he been? I haven't seen him in a while."
"He's been keeping an eye on the president of the DHA in America. He's been giving reports and everything else. He'll be back in time for my departure." Kagori was speaking this time.
"Are you sure I can handle something this big? I mean, I'm only fourteen."
"And I'm only seventeen. Age doesn't matter, Moku. It's your inner strength. Remember that, and you will succeed."
"Nice speech." Yukin said as he walked in.
"Yukin, just in time." It was Goro's voice again. "Meet your new leader, Moku. He's in charge, and you will not speak out against him or his word, you understand? I have a way of hearing things you wouldn't normally think I can hear, no matter how far I am."
"Yes, sir. I understand."
"I leave in a couple of weeks. Make sure any business that you need to take of in the outside world is fixed. You won't be going out there too often."
"Understood."
"Good." It was Kagori once again. "Now that your assignments have been handed out, go home. Rest, and get what is needed. I'll see you two in a matter of weeks."
The halls were completely empty. School was in session, but Hakito hadn't felt like going to steel-shop that day. There was just something bothering him. Something felt off about that day, and he couldn't quite place his finger on it.
"Hey, you're Hakito, right?" he heard a voice to his left, and when he looked, he saw Daisuke wiping his mouth with his sleeve, stepping away from the water fountain.
"And you're Daisuke, I presume."
"That would be me."
"You're not as serious as I had taken in about you. You're far too laid back to be the best of the Demon Hunters in the world."
"Or maybe you're far to uptight."
"Is that a suggestion, or is that an insult."
"Take it as you want to take it."
Daisuke was an odd character. He had acted like he wanted to be your friend, but at the same time, he was cautious and somewhat harmful in his talk. He made you think before you said something else, that's for sure.
"So, you are the biggest Demon Hunter in this planet."
"That's what they've been saying, but I don't believe a word they say about it. There are still those a lot better than me."
"I'll say." Hakito said, sounding as if what Daisuke had just said was an understatement.
"Are you trying to piss me off?" Daisuke asked, with a smile. "Because you're going to have to do a lot better than that."
"Why are you even here?"
"Well, you a new kid around here. I thought it would be nice to try and make you feel welcome."
"Welcome, or weak?"
"What?"
"Kagori told us that you put on a nice act. I can see what you're really doing, Daisuke. You're trying to get my guard down so you can kill me."
"Is that what Kagori's putting in your head?"
"I know it's true Daisuke."
"If you know that this is true, then you know nothing. Everything Kagori has told you about me is either twisted or a lie. I'm his enemy, he's going to blow everything out of proportion."
"If he blows everything out of proportion, then why are Doichi and Kitsune dead?"
Daisuke stopped there. He turned his head away. Hakito had known he had proven a point. What was he going to say to that? They both knew it was true, there was no point in lying about it.
"I… I didn't want to do it, Hakito."
"You weren't forced to, were you? Did somebody point a gun to your head and make you do it?"
"Not a gun, but something far worse. Something about those books are deadly, and I only did it out defense for myself, and my friends. If I didn't, my friends would have been killed. It's better to end one life than four, isn't it?"
"So, is that how your math skills are Daisuke? Sacrifice is just and right, it all depends on the numbers? Well, let me ask you this? What if it was your friends or the world. Who would you save?"
"The world of–"
"Don't be so naïve, Daisuke. We both know that you would dash and go for your friends. Try and not to play me as the fool. I'm not stupid, Daisuke. I know you and your friends like books. So you better watch where you're stepping."
"Hakito. I just want you to think about what you're doing. What Kagori is doing is killing innocent people. The world is in grave danger because of him."
"So, looking for his mother's murderer is evil? If that's the case, you just as cruel and evil as him."
"That's different! I'm not killing anybody to find my answers!" Daisuke shouted.
"What do you call Doichi and Kitsune!?" Hakito shouted back.
"I already told you! It was out of defense!"
"How long are you going to keep lying to yourself? You're far stupider than I thought if you can't even grasp the fact that you killed out of survival of the fittest. You know deep down inside, that's exactly what it is, Daisuke."
"So, you're joining a guy that's killing out of search for power instead of a person who does it to live, and let his friends live?"
"No. I'm joining a man who actually knows what he's doing, and isn't lying to himself about doing it. I can't stand denial. It's my greatest pet peeve to see a person lie to themselves."
"So, is that all you're going to say? Just criticize me and leave? Not even thinking about your own faults? You just sit there and accuse those you hardly even know."
"Oh, I know you Daisuke. You could say I know you better than I know myself. That's not an understatement. You better watch yourself."
And with that, Hakito had started to walk off. Well, Daisuke thought. So much for befriending