affinity. takashi mitsuya.

FIVE

july 7th, 2005.

gentle shaking woke hitoka up from her sleep. she furrowed her eyebrows, trying to block it out, but the person was persistent. hitoka was not a morning person. whoever woke her up clearly had a death wish. after getting out of bed, she felt so defeated and couldn't speak a word until she freshened up in the bathroom.

"wake up, sleepyhead. i am taking you to school," mitsuya's voice reached her ears, and she cracked her eyes open. he chuckled at her attempt to wake herself up, watching her stretch and yawn every few seconds, "mom already took mana-chan and luna-chan to their daycare. she should be back soon."

hitoka nodded at mitsuya, sluggishly throwing her legs off the bed and walking past him to the bathroom.

exiting his bathroom, hitoka finally felt awake enough to try communicating. mitsuya was sitting on their couch waiting for her so he could drive her to school. hitoka felt hunger biting her stomach, but she wasn't about to ask mitsuya to make her something. she knew they didn't have the best financial situation, and that mitsuya was used to sacrificing his meals to make sure his sisters' bellies were full.

"wanna go get breakfast? we have enough time, and i know this really nice place," hitoka continued, smiling, "my treat!"

takashi opened his mouth to argue, "no. it's the least i can do," hitoka looked at him with stern eyes.

he felt his insides twisting. it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling. instead, it felt warm and fuzzy. most important of all, he felt understood and appreciated. takashi thanked whoever let her into his life. little did he know, hitoka felt the same.

-

with their stomachs full, they made their way to hitoka's school. takashi helped her put a helmet on, ignoring her childish whining about being able to do it herself.

by the time they arrived at her school, it was almost time for class. takashi unclipped her helmet and took it off for her, and hitoka gave him a short hug, telling him to hurry before he is late. making her way to the entrance, hitoka turned around one more time and waved at takashi. he noticed some of the students were staring and whispering, so he glared at them before driving off, daring them to say anything.

hitoka spotted takemichi's bruised face waiting for her in front of her classroom. she threw him a questioning glance after noticing the rest of his friends standing nearby. takemichi noticed she was acting cold, but she had every right to. he had left her alone, knowing she was hurt, just to go see hina-chan.

"hitoka-san, i need your help. today after school, there is going to be another fight, and today's fighter is takuya. you know he can't-"

"takuya-kun?" as much as she wanted to hold a grudge against him, she couldn't. takuya yamamoto was a timid boy. like takemichi, at one point, she took them under her wing. hitoka would never tell the boy, but sometimes she liked takuya more than takemichi himself.

"are you sure there isn't a way to stop the fight?" asked hitoka, worriedly looking at takuya, who was staring at her along with the rest of takemichi's friends.

without letting him speak, hitoka turned back to look at takemichi. she stared right into his eyes, and he was getting more nervous.

"you know something, don't you takemichi-kun?, she sighed, "i'll go with you. but this is the last time. there is no way i am going to involve myself, seeing as that overgrown monkey almost broke my rib last time,"

oh, how wrong she was. hitoka was cursed for eternity. she stupidly involved herself every time, maternal instinct she couldn't control taking over.

"besides, i get enough beatings without attending your stupid fights," hitoka whispered the last part under her breath. takemichi heard her, now feeling bad for getting her in this mess. but he was aware that, to protect her, he couldn't leave her side.