All Short one 2

The apartment building was old from the exterior and it was even clearer the age of the building from the inside. There was no elevator in the building or at least one that worked. All of the walls were lined with cracks or plastered over and painted cracks poorly maintained. The main stairs ran through the middle of the building with a narrow set on the opposite ends that all would groan under the weight of any person no matter the size. It was from the reconstruction era of Japan after the war when everything was built up quickly and the building was showing its age under an owner that did not have a very caring eye for it. However, the building might have been old and falling apart in appearance, but it managed to be sturdy.

Yuki and Hiroshi made it to the fourth floor and while Yuki walked forward without much concern to his safety Hiroshi hung to the edges where the wood did not make as much noise. He was slower in reaching the room leaving Yuki to stare confused at him as he eventually reaches the door to Saki's apartment. On the door, it was clearly labeled '403' in a rusting metal with splintering wood for the door itself.

Yuki straightened up beginning to feel nervous about meeting the Furukawas again after the last time that he visited. They had been on good terms since he was young, but a rift developed between them after his father died. He was not certain how welcomed he would be at their door. Saki's mother no longer approved of Saki spending time with Yuki making it difficult for her to do anything outside of school with him. It left him to take care of the time that they did have. Yuki gave a firm knock to the door and stepped back waiting to see what was going to happen next.

Hiroshi looked back to Yuki, who was now further from door than Hiroshi, wondering why the sudden change in courage. "You look a little pale, Yuki. Like you expect something to grab you when the door opens." He stepped over to Yuki's side coming between the door and him placing his hand on Yuki's shoulder looking for an answer. "Yuki?"

"N-No, nothing's wrong. I'm just b-being p-polite." He tried to give a comforting smile to show that he was not nervous, but it was a futile effort when his arm was shaking.

Hiroshi was not convinced by Yuki and put his other hand on Yuki as well not letting this go. "Polite? Then why are you shaking?"

"I'm giving them room. Don't want to crowd the door, right? And I'm not shaking."

"Hello?" said a voice from behind Hiroshi as well as obstructed by him. Hiroshi turned his head over his shoulder while still holding on to Yuki a little surprised that someone answered the door. It was a middle-aged woman with longer still black hair tied back that was dry, but kept. When Yuki came in sight to Saki's mother her curious and open express quickly disappeared for a narrowed almost angry one. "What do you want? Thought I told you never to come back here. I don't care how much my daughter tells me that you've changed."

Hiroshi was unable to say anything taken back by the woman's sudden assault on Yuki. Yuki placed his hand on Hiroshi's arm gently giving him a steady smile as though he knew what he was doing before stepping around. "I'm sorry for breaking my promise to you, Mrs. Furukawa. I needed to ask you if Saki was feeling alright. She didn't show up for a class today and I was worried."

Saki's mother was quiet after Yuki stopped speaking as though she was considering whether she would say anything to him. "Yeah, she's sick. Now leave before I call the police." She closed the door behind her sharply on Yuki kicking his hair back from the force. The door was enough to tell him that he was not welcome and should not press his luck any further to get information.

Yuki walked away from her apartment making it down the stairs and to the street before Hiroshi caught up to him bringing him to a stop. He grabbed Yuki by his arm preventing him from continuing on. "What was that all about?"

The past that was shared between Yuki and the Furukawas was a long one and something that Yuki generally avoided thinking about. It was in his past along with everything else that was no longer a part of him. He was a different person back then and there were many things that he did that he regretted now. The Furukawas was one of them. Yuki was not certain if he was ready to tell someone about what he was truly like before high school. All of his new friends knew nothing of his middle school life and the troubles that followed him. 'I guess it was eventually going to happen. If it was to be anyone Hiroshi should be the one to know.'

He turned around to face Hiroshi directly making it clear to Hiroshi that he was not going to be trying to run away. Hiroshi let his arm go free. Yuki changed his cheerful expression to a serious narrowed one staring back at Hiroshi. "How much do you know about me before high school?"

Hiroshi had to think about the question but quickly knew that he had nothing. "Just that you and Saki are close friends from back then. You've never said anything about your past."

"Saki is a childhood friend and I used to go to their apartment frequently when I was younger. However, I…" Yuki hesitated on the memories that were coming back to him. The time was painful for him as he looked back at a side that he wished not to look at. It was before his mother had died. He had become distant from most of his friends as they could no longer stand to be around him any longer. His personality had been getting violent and almost unstable at times worsening the further after his father's death time went. 'Saki had been the only one that stuck by me back then. None of my friends could deal with me any longer. I had arguments with all of them driving them away. They all knew that I had lost my father, but friendship is only so strong. They left me alone and all I could do was fight more. But Saki was at my side. She never left me even when…'

It was the fall a year and half ago and the school day had just ended. The air was cool with a strong breeze blowing through the school grounds. Their middle school was further away forcing them to travel for more than half an hour to reach their neighborhood. Yuki was in a sour mood, but he was always in a sour mood usually because of a fight (which he usually started). Saki was walking alongside him looking cheerful enjoying the fall air.

"Hey, Yuki?" Saki said running up ahead of him and turning around to face him.

"What?" Yuki said shortly in a rough tone with his uniform looking dirty from a fight.

"Want to go here and get a snack for the walk back?" She pointed to the convenience store behind her that they regularly passed by on their walk each day. It was a normal stop for them when they were hungry and wanted to take a break or rather when Saki wanted to take a break. Yuki would never bring it up.

"I guess." He dug his hands into his pockets walking a little stiff annoyed by the stop. He stayed outside letting Saki go inside to shop for him. Saki knew what he would like to eat that he did not need to be with her. Yuki stepped away from the store for a moment to stare up at the sky out of the overhang of the building.

The atmosphere around the street suddenly changed when three boys in school uniforms from his school appeared, the jackets of their uniform let open showing off their undershirt. The three boys marched towards Yuki with vengeance in their eyes. The two following up the middle one were tightening their fists looking ready to start something immediately. "You Hayashi?" the middle boy said coming just outside of punching distance.