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Good things come in pairs. When told this ancient adage, most people do not reflect upon it. On the surface, it seems so shallow and pointless yet it is actually a tribute from ancient philosophers of the ancient Middle Kingdom to the harmony brought by balance in the cosmos. For you see this proverb refers to the dualistic nature of the self and life as represented by Yin and Yang, where every act of brilliant light will undoubtedly give birth to a consequence of shadow. Still, who has the time to wax poetic about some trivial fortune cookie filler?

Unfortunately, Kazuyoshi Asakura has all the time in the world ever since getting hospitalized. He was only there for a few days but it felt like an eternity. He was unable to move because of his injuries yet was immediately informed of the drunken escapade's aftermath when he had first awoken. Kazu could merely stare at the water damaged ceiling or read a booklet on Taoist meditation his mother gifted him though this did little to ease his conscience. The guilt had started to manifest itself at night in one of two nightmares which alternated between each other. The first one had him be a passenger on a now familiar train cart with his only companion being a well-refined attendant though Kazu could never quite make sense of the gibberish the gentleman spoke of. The other, more sinister dream has Kazu back on his motorcycle down a dirt road, racing for his life while being pursued by a shadowy figure maniacally laughing as he gets closer and closer. They both end the same way though - with the sorrowful highschooler abruptly waking up in cold sweat before he could ever reach the end of either metaphysical journey.

On his last day at the hospital, he had found the opportunity to visit the room of his sweetheart. By the door was a whiteboard panel that simply had the words "Mochizuki Ayane" written on it but reading that was enough to tighten his chest and expunge the wind from his sails. Ultimately, he couldn't muster the courage to stay in there for more than a few minutes. The guilt was unbearable as he looked upon the scars he had inflicted upon her. There were no parting words for he was a coward and she was in a coma.  

It would be at his home that Kazu would nurse the remainder of his wounds. The main physical injury he had dealt with was a toe fracture that since healed a week ago though he still walked with a very minor limp. However, the real damage to his school life would soon reveal itself as none of his so-called friends bothered to visit him or even give him a courtesy call on his phone. The reason to this was already quite clear as his girlfriend's closest childhood companion happened to be the queen bee of Hinotori High and it seems she had Kazu excommunicated. He has definitely seen her do worse for less. It only added to the stress of all the troubles he was already having which he supposed was the point of this petty scheme. 

Hence why we find Kazu unable to sleep in the comfort of his own bed and instead was pondering about a proverb he had read from his booklet. To be quite honest, he was actually thinking about he and Ayane made a great couple when he had read that short passage. The memories weren't all bad, it was just that one night. Hell, he can't even remember much about it. As he exerted effort in trying to recall those sealed moments of his life, Kazu soon drifted into slumber's reprieve. 

[color=#2c669b]"Argh, why couldn't that last forever." [/color]he would groan as his bedside alarm soon went off after what felt to be a fleeting moment as three hours had now passed. Fortunately for Kazu, his dad was going to drop him off in the family car for at least the first week of the new school year. No matter how dumb of a mistake he would make, at least his old man still had his back. True to form, Kazu didn't verbalize his appreciation for his dad as he chose to stuff his face with bread rolls and fried eggs on the ride over to Hinotori High. Food crumbs fell all over the backseat where Kazu had sat, earning him an earful from the elder Asakura with which Kazu responded to using a high-spirited, formal apology that ended with a deep bow. As they pulled up to the school gate and the youth stepped out, a stern mister Asakura could be faintly heard muttering "[b]...Dumbass.[/b]"

Stepping back into the school grounds was quite the cathartic experience for Kazu. This place was always welcoming to him as others used to looked on in adoration and envy as his clique sat at the top of the social pyramid. Yet the sneers, jeers, stares and glares he received from the other students he passed by had slapped that rosy nostalgia away and replaced it with the gravity of his new reality. Still, he held his head high and avoided eye contact with everyone on his way to the new semester's starting student assembly. 

Arriving at the school assembly hall, Kazu quickly found his old crew. One of the lads had made quick eye contact with him before breaking off and awkwardly stared at the ground instead. The others soon noticed and made sure to have their backs to Kazu. At that moment, he had arrived at a crossroads. While he made a quick decision, it was one of doubt and hesitation.

Kazu found an empty seat at the very back row of his class' designated seating area. He was alone again, naturally.