Survivor

Part 11~ Clash of friends

Yabu feels somebody touches his head. A warm palm gently strokes his hair, giving him the comfort even being in the dark dungeon. Slowly he opens his eyes.

"Ko-chan!"

He recognizes the voice. "Kei!" he immediately remembers what happened earlier of the day. Yabu tries to get up, but his body is too sore to move.

"Just rest Ko-chan," Inoo puts Yabu back on his lap.

"Where're the others?"

Inoo turns his head to the left, followed by Yabu. At one corner Yuto and Keito sleep next to each other. Keito is lying on his stomach since his back is severely injured. Yuto rest his back on the wall, his eyes' close. There is a red mark around Yuto's neck.

"Yama-chan managed to run, but we don't know if he was able to escape from Kusano," Inoo explains.

Yabu repositions his head again, so now he is looking directly at his boyfriend's face.

"Does that hurt?" Yabu lifts his hand and touches the scar on Inoo's right cheek.

Inoo shakes his head. "Not as much as your back hurts."

"It's my heart that hurts the most," Yabu looks directly into Inoo's eyes. "I can't protect you. I can't protect all of you," tears fall down as he closes his eyes.

Inoo brings the older boy into his arm. "That's not true," he gently pats Yabu's head.

When Kusano drastically changed his behavior Yabu was the first one to act. He pushed Kusano to the wall and ordering Yamada to leave- as Yamada was the closest to the door. Yamada refused at first, but knowing he is the only chance to get the rescue team to find them he obeyed. Kusano went crazy to see Yamada escaping from the dungeon. With the whip on his hand he randomly hit around, but mostly landed on Yabu's back who was covering for the three other boys. He suddenly stopped, ran out the dungeon and locked the door from outside. They knew he was after Yamada.

Inoo looks at the ceiling. Please stay safe Yama-chan!

Suddenly loud noises fill the room. Somebody is forcefully trying to open the door. Oh no, Kusano is back!

Yabu and Inoo get on their feet. They rush towards Yuto and Keito, waking the two boys. Yabu quickly grab a rusty light stand at the corner of the dungeon- just in case Kusano becomes violent again.

With a loud 'bang' the door breaks open. Dust flies everywhere, restricting their sights. Slowly a figure of a man becomes clearer to them. A thin, slender man with fire in his hand enters.

"Hika?"

______________________________

"I've killed someone," Kusano says with a shaky voice filled with guilt. "Help me Kei-chan."

"Calm down Hiro-chan," Koyama's instructs through the phone. "Just tell me where you are and I'll come to fetch you ok?"

Kusano scratches his head in confusion. "I don't know. I don't know... Kei-chan...what's going on with me? Save me Kei-chan...Please save me..." the boy pleads with tears raining down his face. Without noticing Kusano hangs up the call. His hand is messing all over his head. He is totally confused.

"Daijyobu," Chinen hugs the older boy from behind.

Kusano immediately pushes Chinen away and crawl backward, increasing the gap between them. "Go away! Run! I'm crazy! I'm crazy! Go!!!!!!"

Chinen is shocked to hear Kusano yelling at him. But he feels sympathy for the boy. Not because he saved him from falling- it's purely due to his affect. He seems confuse and helpless.

When Kusano introduced himself Chinen honestly thought that he was better off falling rather than being torture by the guy. Chinen even punched Kusano's face the moment he was safely landed back on the cliff. But Kusano didn't fight back. He apologizes profusely instead, ignoring Chinen and started to make a call with his cell phone. Chinen could guess who Kusano was talking to.

Kusano is weeping harder. His tears pour even more compared to the rain. The boy looks disorganize. His clothing is all covered with mud and blood, and he got very poor personal hygiene. Chinen was not close to Kusano when he was their senpai, but he knows that the person crying in front of him now is not the person he knew.

"I'm crazy huh?"

Chinen shakes his head. "Why are you so upset Kusano-kun?"

"I don't know... why? Why I have all this blood on me? I must have done something bad. I... I must have killed someone... Didn't I?" Kusano moves closer to Chinen and shrugs the younger boy's shoulder several times. "Do you know about it? Tell me! Tell me what you know!"

Chinen stares at the teary eyes. He doesn't remember. He doesn't remember anything. Maybe he really is sick- I mean mentally ill.

"Why... Why it has to be this way?" Kusano releases Chinen and cupped his face, trying to hide his face. "Save me... Please save me... Kei-chan..." he sobs even more.

"Chii!!!!!"

Chinen turns his head. Ryutaro is standing not too far from them.

"What are you trying to do to Chii? You moron!!!" Ryutaro runs towards Kusano.

"It's not like that Ryu! No! You're mistaken!!" Chinen tries to stop his friend.

But it was too late. Kusano quickly laid back when Ryutaro was about a few centimeters from him to avoid the attack, causing the younger boy to get to the edge of the cliff. Ryutaro fails to control his speed. His last step is in the thin air, Ryutaro could feel the gravity is pulling him down.

No, my last dream... Why...

"RYU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

~to be continued~