White, fluffy clouds glide across the pale blue sky, the fading sun has awakened and is promptly emerging through the hazy window. Two bodies still curled up together, under a light blanket. Birds simultaneously tweet out to each other in a chorus, singing a soothing, melodic tune. Making both of them realizing that dawn is here. In the middle of the bed both open their eyes and looking at each other. Another day has come. There no words that could express that peaceful feeling. They could keep gazing at each other to eternity. But anything too bright and shiny doesn't last for that long. The sun-rays hid behind a fluffy cloud making the room shade. Their eyes blink again and both of their minds returned to reality.

Yamato pulled off his long strong arm and sat up. His back leaning against the wall as he gazed down at Mae, that was still refusing to get up. "Are you feeling any better?" He asked in a soft low tone.

Mae with her black big eyes gazed at him cracking a smile and yawning. "I'm fine. Just want to sleep a bit more," she mumbled and covert her face below the blankets, acting all cute.

Briefly, he was caught off-guard seeing Mae's cute act. He pushed her as he sat at the edge of the bed. "Get up, we need to talk!" Yamato told her as he looked around. "I may need to borrow a shirt of yours. Mine is too dirty to wear to school. And I don't want to go home.." he mumbled.

Mae nodded at him still hiding under the blanket. "The first drawer on the left. You will find some there" Mae instructed him where he could find some clean shirts.

Yamato stood up and walked over searching for a shirt that wasn't pink. "What's wrong with you and pink shirts anyway?" he murmured as he found a simple black one. He closed the drawer and took off his shirt letting it fall down on the ground. Mae was still stretching and yawning gazing at his back. She remained speechless as she noticed his back, filled with bruises and cuts from last night's event.

Mae stood up and walked over, but Ogata had already worn the shirt and turned around facing her. "You got up fast!" he voiced gazing at her. Mae stretched and looked at him up. "Have you seen your back! Baka!" she yelled at him trying to pull his shirt up. Ogata glared at her "Leave the shirt down. It's fine. I will be alright!" he uttered.

"Baka, how can you be alright! Leaving wounds like that will only make ugly scars. And don't think that cute and pretty girls like ugly scars." she spoke her mind loudly out. Then Pulled Ogata on the bed, and went to get some cream for the bruises.

"I am not interested in cute and pretty girls!" he shrugged as Mae was back with the cream pulling his shirt up. She applied the cream and went on talking to him "Indeed I saw that. You were all over Fuji the other day." she told him as she pressed a bit harder her fingers on his skin.

"Ittai! (Ouch!)" Ogata yelled and gazed at her as he pulled his shirt down "You put enough cream" He sighed "About the other day.." he mumbled.

"Yeah, I know cute girls get the attention" she  "But you should at least trust me!" she said with an attitude and stood up leaning against the window.

"About that.." Ogata cleared his voice and spoke "I wanted to talk to you. For not trusting you. And getting out my rage at you... I am really sorry Hitori!"

Mae walked over and flicked her head smiling "Baka don't get to formal. it's scary. We should go to school."

Ogata agreed and both got ready to leave for school.

✿ﻬ ✿ﻬ ✿ﻬ✿

Back in 3D class, everything seemed the same. Only the group of 5 was acting a bit strange. They had all brought their desks closer to Mae's desk. All were nicely dressed and smelled great. After all, Mae was a girl, they got all hyper and happy waiting at her. But as the door opened and she stormed in with Ogata, everyone turned and gazed at her. Mae looked at them confused "What guys?" she asked as she took her seat.

Kuraki sat next to Mae and turned her face towards him. He smiled and blinked at her "Good morning Mae-chan!", waiting for a response. The rest of the class just repeated "Mae-chan?" confused.

"Yo!" said Mae and leaned against the desk bored.

Kuraki turned and faced the others confused "Why isn't she blushing at all!" he complained. Ren waved at him to be careful not to call her a 'she'.

"I know," said Ichi "Mae is cold. Not getting blushed at all."

Kuraki, Ichi, Kamiya, and Honjo were trying to make her blush. But nothing could work. Finally, Mae got up and blinked at them sending a blowing kissing making all 4 blush and sit on their desks and daydream. Ren and Ogata gazed at her.

"What? they wouldn't let me be!" Mae mumbled and leaned against her desk again to rest.

Minutes later, two of their classmates had a fight about a bag of chips. Yankumi rushed in to break the fight. And throw each of them strongly to the other side of the room. Ren first (and then the other 4) wondered why Yankumi is so strong. Yamato noted that Ren had only noticed it now. When the class ended all 7 of them followed her to find her secret. They finally found out that she is part of the Oedo family. It was the shock of their lives when they discovered who she really was. All 7 and mostly Yamato thought that her home seemed really warm. While they were walking back home the guys noticed that Yamato was acting a bit oddly.

"Yankumi's been through a lot."... "Yeah, she has."... "But it must be fun living at that house." the guys said.

"Really felt like a family, huh?" Yamato told them making Ren and Mae turn and look him confuse. "What is it? " he added.

"Nothing, it's just unlike you," Ren told him. And Mae agreed with him.

"No, that's not true," Ogata mumbled. Suddenly, he yelled "Sorry, going home. Bye-bye!" and run off leaving everyone with their mouths open.

Lately in Ogata's home things were really bad. Yamato didn't worry his friends or Mae never let them know what he was dealing with a home. The cheery atmosphere in their family greatly contrasted Ogata's father (a strict teacher from the elite Kaitoku School). He was very disappointed with Ogata's status as an Akado delinquent and blamed him.

"Until he took the wrong path our family had been doing pretty well. To think, a Kaitoku teacher's son is also an Akado Academy delinquent. Yamato is an embarrassment for our family. Even though his older brother entered a prestigious college, what did we do wrong with Yamato ?" his father was yelling at his mother when Yamato walked into his home.

"But you can't place the blame only on Yamato." tried the poor mother to speak back.

"Its because you baby him that he's come to do whatever he pleases." his father yelled again at her.

Yamato that was paying attention for a long time their fights couldn't have it any longer. He rushed over and uttered, "It has nothing to do with Mom!"

"Yamato, it's okay!" His mother kept him back from attacking his father.

The next day, Yamato's mother met Yankumi to tell her that they going through a divorce with his father. Yankumi asked Yamato but he said that has nothing to do with her. And that his relationship with his father has always been bad. He walked into the classroom only to be asked about his father again. An there he snapped. Worried he would do more than that, he left and went to play pool. But Kazama went after him, feeling that something is going on. But unfortunately, his dad showed up making things worse. Yamato ended up punching his dad. Although the group of 5 and Yankumi tried to comfort him.

Yamato let them know that "It's my fault my family is ruined. Guys like me who are dropped out will fail their entire life. I am bad news"

Mae that came inside as Yamato was speaking froze at the door. She was clueless about Yamato's problem with his family. Yankumi tried to tell him that there no person in this world that didn't have any problems to face. But they bit their lips and go on. But he walked out of the room not saying anything. Mae ran after him.

"Yamato wait.. wait" she yelled at him as she ran behind him worried. But he didn't stop. Mae grabbed him from his shirt making him pause. She turned and face him serious "What are you doing? You know Yankumi is right? You made everyone worried?" Mae spoke again her mind out. But Ogata simply pushed her away and left. Minutes later, he spotted a group of men ganging up on two kids. Ogata went to help them but the men turned against him. As they started fighting one man hit his friend, as Ogata dodged the hit. The rest of them run away leaving Ogata to take the blame.

Thankfully Yankumi and the rest of the class (after they found out that Ogata was arrested) went to find information about the incident. Finally, they spotted the two kids that told the truth and Ogata was released. Also, his mother took care of the drop letter that his father had brought to Akado High. Yankumi spoke with him again told him to calm down and to care about his mother now. She explained to him how his friends saved him. Outside the police station, the whole class was gathered waiting for Ogata. "Make sure to relay more on your friends!" everyone yelled making Yamato more than happy.

While everyone took the road back to school, Mae was asked to remain at the police station. Since she pumped into the Detective, he wanted to speak with her. Ogata that noticed her stay behind followed her. On the other side of the detectives, the office door was the detective of her family's murder case. Mae's cute face became serious and pale. Ogata placed his hands against her shoulder and they both walked in.

"Hitori-san we need to talk?" the detective told her serious "You are her classmate...Ogata isn't it? Stay with us"

Mae was confused that the detective already knew Ogata. But he knew everyone in class 3D. He kept an eye on Mae. Her Grandpa requested it. And he had noticed that Ogata, Ren and the rest were around her a lot. The detective informed them that her family's murder started again. That he thought, he found out who he was. ( No we aren't going to find out in this chapter. We will in the next one. ) Mae seemed terrified. She asked the detective, again and again, to tell her who he was. Ogata had to pull her off him. But the detective made it clear that since he wasn't sure, he couldn't name the suspect. He whispered at Ogata and begged him to keep an eye on Mae. Ogata agreed with him. He also thought to speak with Ren, Yankumi and the others. Things looked somehow scary and they should keep an eye.

Before they left the detective only gave them a hint "Years ago, three of the biggest families in Japan gave the oath to keep an eye on Nippon and help this country. Generation after generation kept the oath. But it seemed that the 4th Generation had other dreams than following the oath of the eldest. First in the Oedo family.."

Ogata and Mae looked at each other speechless "Yankumi's family..?" they asked as they took a seat.

"Yes, your teacher. Let me finish!" said the detective "The Oedo's daughter didn't want to be part of the family. She married a commoner and had her family. The third family warned them many times. But they didn't listen. In the end, she and her husband were killed. The same story went on in the Yanai family. The daughter didn't want to follow. She married an ordinary man and made her own family. They killed them too."

Mae couldn't breathe. She didn't know anything about these. Yamato tried to balance her as much as he could, and the detective went on. "The third family are the Kages. Yes, the governor. Mae and Yamaguchi are on their list. But even if you and your teacher took another path, you didn't officially deny your place. That's why you are still alive. I have tried all these months to find the connections. But to put governor Kage on the list as a murder, I must be more than sure." the detective finished.

Mae after a long time broke in tears. Yamato had no idea what to say. The information was too much and too dangerous. And there was more to come. Mae gazed up at the detective and asked him "Then why Yuki?" The detective sighed and Ogata couldn't avoid the question "Who is Yuki?" The detective thought that Mae didn't tell any details about her family's murder.

"3 months ago when her family was killed .. it was not only her father and her mother. But it was also her younger brother. We don't know that either. Why they would kill Yuki. But I think I have lately that answer. Yuki was sick, wasn't he? An ill child to be the next generation would be bad news!" the detective said and walked out.

Mae kept crying, yelling and crushing her fists against Ogata. It took her an hour to calm down. Ogata didn't say anything just remained with her until she was calm. When she felt better, she stood up "We have to tell Yankumi!" she yelled and stormed out of the police station.

After they finally reached the school they run into the class looking for Yankumi and the rest. They could tell from their faces that something was going on. Ogata pointed them the door, "We have to talk!" and all followed him and Mae up to the roof. There Ogata and Mae let them know what happened. Things started to look more serious this time. ( And the next chapter will show how serious things became.)

(Coming up chapter 11)