his own. Maruki tossed the bag over his shoulder as he stood from his chair. Taking a small glance at Jikan again, his eyes softening slightly. “And I’m fine.” He only spoke to Jikan coldly to protect him. Having lost his best friend before, he was not himself anymore. Being cold towards others, protected him and whatever friends he made from getting hurt again.


Jikan pouted knowing Maruki wasn't telling the truth, but he dropped the subject anyways.
“Are we still going to eat lunch together?” he hoped that Maruki wouldn't ditch him because of first class, he still enjoyed spending time with him, whether he was cold towards him or not.


Running a hand through his hair, grasping it slightly in frustration at the boys persistence, Maruki looked over his shoulder at the pouting boy.
“Yeah sure why not.” Somehow even when angry, he still sounded cool to Jikan. Though Maruki was still upset with him, he wouldn't let it effect their silent time together. With Maruki in the lead, Jikan following like a hurt puppy as usual, the two left the classroom and headed off to the music room where they still ate lunch together.




Jikan never brought up that incident again per Maruki’s request. He never allowed Jikan to ever call him such a possession again, nicknames were also off the table for him.as the summer and fall months went by, the two grew closer to each other, feeling relatively comfortable around the other. Yet both boys still had their barriers up at all times, preventing the other to get too close to them.


At the start of the new year, Maruki finally invited Jikan over to his house to see what it looked like, and to meet his mother. If a friend did not like his mother, or could not get along with his mother, they were not real friends at all. Having a much better living situation now, Saeko was able to stay at home more often to take care of it. She worked part time at a flower shop that was only down the street. Upon meeting Jikan, cupped his cheeks in her palms, holding him, studying his fragility, it was much like her son’s. letting go of Jikan, Saeko put the back of her hand on her hip and leaned into whisper to her son, saying Jikan was much like Aiya was with his aura.


The formal greeting didn't last much longer after that, knowing her son had missed his childhood friend she kept the conversation minimal. Even though they had been friends for almost a year now, Maruki had never mentioned to Jikan about his best friends that still lived in Tokyo.


Winter had come and gone, as did Maruki’s fourteenth birthday. Spring was still strongly in the air, flowers were still brightly in bloom around this beautiful city that never saw a speck of cold air. Now only weeks away from graduating junior high school, Maruki and Jikan spoke less yet still hung out. Their daily interactions at school, now became study groups for final exams. For Maruki this was a breeze, but for Jikan, he struggled to remember so many subjects. Saturday had come and gone, Sunday dinner was hours away, then two final exams on Monday morning awaited the carefree Maruki.


With all eight exams behind him finished, Friday was the last day of school. Maruki rolled over in his bed, slapping his alarm clock off. Instead of his usual pause before rolling out of bed, Maruki rolled back over and curled in his blankets again.
“This was supposed to be for me and you.” Walking up to their homeroom teacher for their final report card before high school was a dream for him and Aiya to do it together. Sharing each others scores and comments from the teachers as they would sit in a park, laughing about how the past school year went. That was not longer happening after his greedy father snatched him away from the only person that gave him happiness.


Curled in the fetal position hugging his spare pillow, Maruki didn't move. Going to school this final day lost all its excitement since they moved. The boy buried his face in the pillow breathing softly in the down softness of the sheeted cloud.
“I’m not going.” Knowing no one was around, the boy thought to himself out loud. The boy let a bored, almost defeated groan pass his full, red lips/ it didn't take him long to fall back asleep, the warm surrounding of his bed, and the heater on, made him drowsy faster.


With what seemed like hours later, a knock at the door woke Maruki. The boy groaned as he zombie himself up, arms flopped heavily over his lap. A louder groan prompts the guest to come in.
“Maruki, why aren’t you going to school? You are already late.” Maruki’s mother had come in, witnessing her sons ruffling his bedhead sleepily.


With a tilted head and heavy eyes, Maruki looked up at his mother, shaking his head.
“I don't want to.” The boy dropped back down into the cloud of which was his bed. A soft muffled thud quietly echoed in the room. “I know my marks as it is Kaa chan.” His attempts in lazily convincing his mother succeeded.


A tender sympathetic look washed over her subtle face. Saeko leaned on the door handle looking down at her son.
“You waited for this day to be with Aiya didn't you?” She spoke softly. Sympathy for what once was her bubbly son laced her tender voice. A grumble emitted from the blankets that shifted as he nodded, answering her question. “Maruki.” Saeko whimpered softly, her manicured fingernail tapping on the metal door handle softly. With not another word, his mother silently back out of the doorway, leaving him be.



No longer sleepy, yet still left without motivation to move, Maruki lay flat on his back. His thin, milky skinny arms rest on the blanket that lay across his waist. Being fully awake now and under the covers fully was making him uncomfortably warm. The coffee-eyed boy stared at the smooth surface of his white ceiling. Thoughts were running rapid through his brain, he wasn't even sure if his eyes were even still open. There was a distance sound ringing in his ears, it sounded like a bell or a phone.


The sound of his mother’s voice followed, it was the phone, she answered the sound. She spoke. There was a click. Then there was silence again. A loud bang stunned Maruki, throwing himself to a sitting position, wide eyes darted around the room quickly. No one was there, nothing was broken, door was still closed, then it struck him. His school bag had fallen from the desk chair. Letting out a strained sigh, Maruki’s eyes narrowed, angry at himself for becoming frightened so easily.


Later that day, Maruki decided to test himself. If he was able to complete this test, then maybe he would consider taking up Shiya’s offer. In the middle of his hardwood floor, dropped to his knees taking in a deep breath. Leaning forward he placed his palms on the hard surface, looking at the matte silhouette of himself. Kicking his feet out so he held like a stiff board, he slowly lowered himself towards the floor, to his mistake, too low. Maruki fell to the hardwood surface, the wood cold against his warm, smooth chest.
“Ah! Cold!” The boy who attempted to do a push up, sat on his butt on the floor.


Maruki grumbled, he knew he could at least do one push up, he just lowered himself too low. He glared down at the spot he fell on like it was a white-taped crime scene. In a spit of hope, he positioned himself in a board again hands shoulder width apart. This time he lowered himself so his arms were bent at a ninety-degree angle. It was a small push up, but successful.
“Yosha!” Maruki sat up again, proud of his frail body being able to support itself.


Knowing he could at least do one, it was time for the second part of his test. Still sitting, he scuttled over to the desk, he slid his small feet under the cupboard on the left side. Crouched over, knees up, arms hugging his legs he took another small breath. Maruki tucked his hands behind his neck, his elbows pointing forward slightly. This time with his back straight, he leaned back all the way, and pulled himself up just as easily.
“Oh!” surprising himself at the ease of the sit up, he didn't bother with another.


Maruki hopped to his feet, looking around his empty room slowly. Darting out for a quick shower, he was going to get ready to go jog to the nearest gym to see if he could lift weights as well. The small excitement of his frail, untrained body being able to do simple training tactics got him excited to do more.


For the first month of this boring summer break, Jikan didn't get to talk to Maruki very much. Sitting at home most of the time, he decided to go out to Maruki’s to find out why he was to busy to find out why he was too hang out. Solar powered night lamps that lit the way straight to his door cutely surrounded the walkway to Maruki’s home. Arriving at the door, Jikan paused a moment before knocking quickly a few times. Saeko greeted the guest happily and cheerfully, she told the guest that Maruki was not home at the time.
“Thank you Kaore san, may I know where he is?” having been his only friend, Saeko told him easily that he was at the gym down the road.


With directions from Saeko, Jikan darted off down the road quickly to go see him. Once he arrived, it wasn't hard to find him amongst the silver equipment, there were only three people in the building.
“Ne, Maruki kun, is this where you have been?” Jikan asked scarcely as he walked up to the bench press as to where Maruki lay. With half of summer vacation already gone, he would have hoped that this would have been a good time for him and Maruki to bond a little, become closer friends. “Why, uh what made you want to, to start training?” Lost for words watching Maruki lift a miniscule twenty kilograms. Even with that, having grown to lift more and more for longer periods of time, Maruki had grown slightly in muscle mass.