The next day Mae was early at school, she was surprised when she walked into the classroom that it was still empty. 'What a school...' she thought and sat at her desk. Minutes later everyone started showing up. The boys glared at her, but Mae didn't give any attention to them.

"This is Ogata's desk you know!" Honjo told her as he walked over and gazed at Mae.

Mae simply ignored him and remain at the desk.

"Did he just ignored you?" Kamiya asked him "He must really be full of himself?"

Ogata sat at the next desk to the right from Mae. He didn't really care about the sit at that moment. His mind was wondering if he should have a fight with Kazama. He should be the head of Akado, but to call himself the head, he had to duel with Kazama.

Honjo poked at Mae "Hey we are talking at you?"

Mae rose her eyes and gazed at him "Huh? Did you pay for the desk or anything?" she said with a lazy tone.

Ogata turned and looked at her. The new student seemed all troubles. He could say that. But again he would deal with that later. "Honjo! Kamiya! Let him be!" he ordered and both of them drop the matter. Mae turned and gave a scary look at Ogata while mumbling "What ever.." and then she went back leaning against the desk.

The door opened and Ren with his team strolled in. He made his way over were Ogata was. Honjo poked Yamato to get his attention and to notify him that Kazama had entered. Class 3D was noisy as always. Ren reached Yamato's seat.

Yamato glared at Ren asking "What?"

Kazama answered, "Let's short out once and for all, who the head of Akado is?"

Yamato chuckles and stood up. "You want a 'one on one' with me?" he asked Ren.

Ren replied serious "Yeah!"

"Sounds good to me. Let's do it!" Yamato confirmed.

Ren set the time and the place "After school, come to Shirokin park."

The group of 6 looked at each other with an angry stare. Mae that had listened gazed at them realized that for someone to get the leader title they needed to fight. In her old school, your family status, your money and looks set how high you were. But in this school nothing of that really mattered. It seemed at that second that something got her attention.

Suddenly, Yankumi entered "Good Morning Everyone! Take your seats!" she voiced. But all 6 of them remain to gaze at each other in the middle of the classroom. Yankumi glanced at them and walked over repeating herself "Can't you hear me? Take your seats!" But she is interrupted when Sawatari entered the room. Asking Kazama to join him, because the police were looking for him. Kazama surprised followed him, while Yankumi was asking him what was going on. All three, Kazama, Yankumi and Sawatari went to the director's office. The police explained to them that lately there have been many smuggling and they thought Kazama as a suspect. Kazama got suspended, after asking the police for proof he ran angry off the director's office.

In the classroom, everyone was chatting as nothing had happened. Kazama angry and with Yankumi behind him, walked in and grabbed his bag. "Kazama don't leave! I will talk to the Director," she said. But he told her that he didn't believe her and runoff. Everyone acted as nothing had happened. Yankumi disappointed at them asked "A comrade who didn't do anything wrong was just suspended! How can you be like that?"

Mae turned and gazed at her. A teacher really carrying for a student, in this school seemed odd even for Mae. "Comrade... What Comrade ...we just happen to be in the same class. That's all!" Yamato replied. With everyone agreeing with him and Mae just listening. Everyone agreed that teachers cannot do anything. And Ogata added that he saw Ren close to Shirokin tunnel that night. Yankumi confirmed it again with him, as he agreed and took his bag and walked off. Mae thought this school isn't much different from hers. No one trusted or really wanted to help anyone after all.

The next few days passed fast, with Yankumi looking for the suspect. She even asked the 3D class for help. Mae took a gaze at the odd paper that she was sharing around. It had a small commentary about how the thief should look. Mae placed the sheet of paper on her desk and just watched everyone throwing it away. Only Ren's friends and Ogata seemed to keep it. 'Weirdos!' Mae thought as Yankumi bowing at them and asking for help made her blink twice. A teacher bowing down for help. And helping who, a student. It didn't make much sense. Mae like the rest ignored her.

The following days Mae would accidentally see Yankumi around the city asking for information about the suspect. And she wasn't the only one. Ogata was also around noticing Yankumi honestly trying to find any information to prove Kazama's innocence. Mae was also passing outside the police station when Kazama was dragged into it. It seemed that someone told the police that he was around the Shirokin tunnel that night, and not at home as Kazama said. Also, the teacher knew about him and didn't say anything. May was startled, a teacher that believed her student. One, that tries to help and even trusted him. 'Maybe all adults aren't that awful!' she thought. As one of the policeman explained that Ogata was the one that revealed about Kazama. At the same time, Ogada was coming out of the police station. Mae chuckled "nothing there, an enemy giving away another." she said and walked away not really carrying.

Though behind her was walking Ogata with a dropped gaze and a fast pace. Mae noticing him bypass her. "So you are not any different?" she asked him with an ironic smile. Yamato pause and ly to see the new boy from his class.

"Huh?" he replied him confused.

"Well days ago you were agreeing for a duel and today you are giving him away like that!" Mae caught herself saying. Why on earth would she interfere? Now she sounded bizarre even to herself.

Ogata gave her a scary gaze and walked off like there was something else in his mind. That newcomer seemed like bad news at Ogata. 'He would ignore everyone, and speak his mind whenever he wanted. There was no fear, or surprise nothing at his eyes. Either way, he was too brave or too stupid?' he thought. But Ogata would deal with him later on. Now he had in mind to fix the wrongs he had done. Because the truth was, Ogada didn't sell out Ren. It happened when he was talking with Honjo and Kamiya, the police heard them. So, Yamato made up his mind to look after the suspect himself.

Yamato walked around asking about the man in Yankumi's paper. The skull necklace and the tattoo were the only clues. After a few hours of search, he finally found him. He started to follow him. Yankumi was also looking for him still. As for Mae she went to get something to eat and was walking back home. She wasn't the kind of person she would look after someone or help them. Mae always took different alleys to reach home. She had enough free time on her hands, and staying home felt more lonely than walking around. While turning left into an alley she crashed against few people.

Normally she would ignore them and bypass them. But this time she gazed at the back only to see that they had surrounded Ogata. "You're the one responsible for the muggings lately?" Yamato was asking. Mae blinked her eyes confused. 'Did he already found the culprit' she thought. "What if I am ?" one of the men answered. "What are you looking at?" another man asked her as he noticed Mae watching at them. "Is he with you?" the thief asked Ogata. "I think so... they wear the same school uniform!" another man noticed. Neither Mae or Ogata managed to react as both were dragged at a warehouse close by.

Ogata gazed at Mae thinking again 'How stupid or brave Mae was to get involved.' Mae gazed him back angry 'In what did I get myself into'. Though both of their thoughts were cut off as the men attacked them. They were both surrounded and was punched, kicked and thrown. Mae kept herself away as much as she could. She managed to throw against the floor a few. It seemed she was strong. But soon both were overpowered and crushed against the ground. It was not the hits or the scary men that made Mae reach her limits. But the view of blood. As the bloody scene, she remembered the corpses and blood in her family house. Soon she was shivering and looked scared. Ogata, on the other hand, declared that he would bring the offender to the police. Thankfully Yankumi showed up in the last minuted and saved them. Though neither Mae or Ogata noticed it. They only got their senses, lying under a Sakura tree.

It seemed that Ogata and Yamaguchi were already talking when Mae sat up. "You believed Kazama!" she said at Ogata. "I just paid for what I had done..." Yamato replied to her as he stood up and noticed Mae being awake and trying to get also up. "Will you both make it home.." Yankumi asked and offered them to help. But both of them acted cool saying they were fine. Yankumi that was too happy went on telling them that both were her precious students. Ogata answered "Don't make me laugh!" and walked off. And Mae waved at her Bye and took her way back home.

It seemed that Ogata and she were walking the same path back home. He couldn't really forget her face at one point. "You aren't that fearless, as I thought?" Ogata asked her remembering how she was shivering.

"Eh?" Mae reacted surprised "Nothing to do with you!"

"I didn't say it did.." Yamato said as he was cleaned his bloody lips.

Mae gazed away the view of blood was still upsetting her.

"It's the blood?" he said. Seemed Yamato already could read her.

"As I said it has nothing to do with you!" Mae set and crossed the road walking in a different direction from him.

Mae as every night stepped into an empty house. Although lately, she found it alright to live there. She undressed and walked into the shower to clean herself. Noticing that the belt around her chest has moved with all the kicking and punching. She hoped that no one paid attention. She finished her shower and eat some ramen and went to bed. Still scared of the blood. She thought of the past and her dead family. She couldn't sleep all night long.

On the other hand, Ogata went to a full house with yells and voices. His father yelling at his mother like always. Naming Ogata as the main cause of their problems. Yamato walked to his room, like every night thinking he was the ill news of this family. He never shared his deep thoughts and problems with anyone. How could he after all lose the cool act?

The next morning as Mae was walking to school, she found the teacher Yamato and Ren talking. It seemed that Ren was thanking Yamato, who was sitting against the school entrance door. Yankumi had already taken care of Kazama. His innocence was proven, and he could now come back to school. Soon, their eyes meet with Mae's. Yamato rose his finger and pointed at her. "You should thank him too." Ogata said, "He helped too."

Ren turned and face Mae "Thanks!" he replied.

Mae with her cold gaze and cool act nodded and walked inside. While Yankumi and the rest run to deal with more issues that 3D has caused. Mae started at that moment to think just a bit differently about the crazy and strong teacher and her class. But seemed that Ren and Yamato had already paid attention at her. Although they all still thought her as a boy, and not a girl.

(Coming up chapter 3)