"Thanks." Kiro smiled at her, as he started to pick some twigs and leaves from his bookbag. "I needed that. I appreciate it." His attention was suddenly turned away, as he heard some grunts and shuffles from a nearby alleyway. Kiro peered his head inside.

"I told you, I haven't seen that guy in days!" Niijima truthfully told, as he lied on the ground, several members from the karate club hovering above him. One of them being...

'[i]Ijime.[/i]' Kiro thought softly to himself, as he could feel his hands begin to tremble. "Come on, let's get to the dojo, we don't want Asuka to worry." Kiro angrily mumbled, as he started to walk forward. '[i]It's what he deserves. He's the one who got me into this mess in the first place.[/i]' Kiro reasoned.

"We know you and him are good friends; I won't ask you again! Where is he?!" Ijime angrily demanded an answer, as he kicked Niijima hard in the gut. 

(Music: https://vimeo.com/173016036
Listen to it while you read, or else.)

Kiro paused, as he heard Niijima's screams for help. The bullies laughing in his face. It was so reminiscent of where he was not too long ago. Kiro clenched his fists, as something inside of him wouldn't let him take another step forward. No matter how cruel Niijima was to Kiro in the past, the young man just couldn't walk away from such an unfair fight. It just wasn't right. "You mind holding this for me?" Kiro asked of Ally, as he handed her his bag. "Don't try to help me." Kiro asked of her, as his legs began to shake in fear. "T-This is my fight." He bravely told her, as he inched into the alleyway. He heard voices echo in his head. 

'[i]Weak-Knees.[/i]' 

'[i]Twig.[/i]'

'[i]Weakling[/i]'

He clenched his fists, his entire body started to shake, as he stood just behind the goons. 

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKIpKGQMPiU&list=PL4E05E111BEABC4E2&index=5[/youtube]

"Stop it, Ijime!" Kiro exclaimed out to the bully.

Ijime started to chuckle, as he froze just in the middle of a kick.

Niijima had his eyes closed, waiting for things to all be over, until everything had suddenly went dead silent. He opened a single eye, as he spotted Kiro in the distance. "Weak-Knees?" He mumbled, quite taken aback by his sudden appearance. Why would he go on a suicide mission for him?

Ijime slowly turned his head to look at Kiro, as he gave him quite the glance.

Kiro started to shake even more, as he remembered those horrifying eyes of Ijime's. 

"Look, Ijime, it's like he's about to piss his pants!" One of the goons laughed, as he pointed to Kiro's trembling legs.

"So, you came to save your buddy, huh, Twig?" Ijime laughed, as a wide smile began to spread on his face.

Kiro growled. "He's not my friend!" He assured them. "But either way, I'm the one you want to fight. Leave Niijima out of this." Kiro bravely told him, as he got in his horse stance. Sweat started to pour down from his face, as every part of his body was telling him to run for the hills. He bit the tip of his arm sleeve. '[i]Calm down, Kiro.[/i]' He thought to himself calmly, as his shaking began to settle a bit.

"I've been waiting to pound your face in, ever since those emails started flooding in." Ijime angrily told Kiro, as he stepped away from Niijima, and got into his own stance, jumping on the balls of his feet again, as he held his fists high, ready to throw some heavy blows.