[b]"If you want I'll let you go just say so. I don't want to say anything on the matter because I don't know what's up. I don't know about who you're talking about but just too let you know...I know the feeling of having lost someone...but he came back to me eventually. You just got to wait patiently with an hand held open and wait until they take it."[/b] Ben said calmly as he wondered if he had overstepped his bounds...oh god he could see it now the school kicking him out for hugging a GIRL awkwardly...welp...that's just life for you. Tsukiko noticed Ben hugged which almost caused her to push him away then she noticed the warmth he brought with the hug. The heat inside the gesture was enough to warm the coldness inside her mind and burn away the blizzard that had her petrified in denial and fear. [b]"No, it's okay."[/b] She kind of laughed as she continued after pausing for a moment trying to illuminate her face with a radiant smile, [b]"You're not used to girls, are you? Heh..."[/b] She then apologized if she offended him when she laughed for a moment, because that was her intention at all. She just found a little cute, but then she continued. [b]"It's just hard for me to smile now. I feel like I'm on the edge of oblivion right now about to lose everything, but I will certainly try to keep myself afloat and not fall victim to the dark mist within the deep abyss of despair."[/b] She reminded Ben as the smile of euphoria just completely vanished on her face replaced again by the gloomy clouds that cast a rain shower on her heart as she put her head against his shoulder and allowed it rest there. This was actually the first time any boy ever tried to understand how she actually felt rather than think about her beauty. At least one boy wanted to try to understand what she went through rather than mesmerize themselves by her own looks. [b]"If you don't mind, please stay for a little while. To be honest this is the first time a boy ever tried to understand who I am rather than just pursue me for my looks. I know you didn't just decide to comfort, because I'm a girl but still it's just that being with you makes me feel at ease."[/b] 

Tsukiko felt like her mind was at peace with Ben around. The way he hugged was just like the many times her brother and mother cradled her when adversity had become a cruel mistress with fangs that dug into the flesh. They reminded her no matter how painful it felt that the agony wouldn't last forever eventually she would recover though it still did leave scars on her soul which were scattered completely through out her mental complex. 

It was true, Tsukiko actually felt like she was being abandoned because of the fact her brother hardly did anything with her anymore other than check up on her. She also felt like he hired Hayato so he could just no longer have to burden himself with her. She loved her brother but it was so excruciatingly painful when he just decided to dump her onto Hayato when he had problems of his own with Hayate it looked like. [b]"I do wish my mother was still around, Ben. My brother and I both got our silver hair from her. Me and my brother are identical twins since we were born on the same day."[/b] She paused for a moment as she handed Ben a photo of her mother who had silver hair and was wearing a long blue dress in the photo. Tsukiko looked a lot like her mother sharing almost every quality of her mother other than her eyes. [b]"I know what you're going to say. I look exactly like my mother."[/b] She paused once again to acknowledge that fact if Ben were ever going to ask it before she continued. [b]"She passed away from illness just before my brother started the World Circuit and he forever changed then. I know I got upset for a silly reason and understand that he is trying to protect me from our father but I just can't stand to see him taking all the weight and shouldering the blame of our father's side of the family. I probably should stop there since the rest isn't your problem and I shouldn't just go throwing my own personal problems on you. That's selfish and I am sorry I did so."[/b] Tsukiko apologized even though she was still confused on how to feel. She understood the depth and meaning behind Ben's words, but she wasn't sure how to exactly comprehend them. Her past was one giant big maze in her mind and there were so many pieces of it that were missing. She continued to lay her head on Ben's shoulder with her welled up eyes which were swollen with tears of sadness as they trickled down her face hitting the surface of the floor. 

Meanwhile Shinrei had gone to his hideout which was higher up on a tall structure that looked like a damaged old building that was a distance away from the Duel Tower. Probably a half mile or so in the distance of some forestry which mainly consisted of very tall trees. The building was run down and in disrepair, but there was an area missing a roof which looked like a balcony except it was actually a room that was missing a roof on the damaged part of the building. There was a bed still in the room though only the mattress and comforter remained. He decided to set Hayate down on the bed and allow her to rest while he stroked her head to notice she didn't have a fever or anything. He looked at her and she was panting a little where he immediately knew that she was exhausted. [b]"You push yourself too hard like I do."[/b] He mumbled to himself with a light voice as he looked at the sight he had from the area he was seeing it was quite a distance down below to the ground. It was a place he found the other day when Hayato left his room where he decided to go off to see if he could find a place where he could do his work without everyone else bothering him. Especially that kid Leander who annoyed him to no end. One of the students told him about an abandoned tower which had a room that looked like a balcony, because of the roofing was completely missing. Though they also warned him that the academy forbade anyone from going there and that is he did go there proceed with extreme caution and do not let them catch him there. He decided to go check it out and surely enough it was an ideal location for his new hideaway. [b]"I probably shouldn't have brought you here, but I couldn't just leave you on the ground. It would be going against my word I made toward your brother."[/b] He said toward Hayate as he stroked her head a little like he did when Tsukiko was still asleep and he was just checking up on her. He knew he had to be cautious about when he went there or people would become suspicious and think he was up to something. It wasn't as much as he was plotting anything, just that he was investigating a certain matter that involved his father. He turned away from Hayate then picked up a document that his company forwarded to him the other day. He was about to take a look at the contents when he noticed he heard an [i]'Oooohhhh'[/i] wail from behind. That is when he knew it was Hayate since she was the only person that was with him.

[b]"So you're awake?"[/b] Shinrei questioned as he noticed a groan where he turned around from what he was doing to notice that Hayate was starting to come to. He noticed she started to open her eyes a little where he questioned toward her though he wasn't sure if she was waking up or if she was making sounds about her dreams. Regardless, he would still inquire, "[b]Are you okay?"[/b] He grabbed the document file and slid it underneath a book that laid on the desk out of Hayate's sight. Shinrei wasn't about to read that document's contents while she was around. Hopefully she didn't notice him move his hid slowly to give it a nudge where it did get slid under the book out of sight so no one could see it.