"The police were at Kei's house?!" Yamaguchi gasped, scrambling after you as you hastened toward your usual spot by the bike shed. "Did you see anything? Did someone get a-arrested?"

You gave him a pointed look, hoisting yourself onto the wall and swinging your bag over your knees as Yamaguchi opted for the grass. "I didn't stay long. But I saw Tsukishima through the window - we made eye contact, and then I left," you added, running a hand through your hair in a feeble attempt to ease out the knots. You hated wind. "But then he wasn't at school yesterday, and I haven't seen him around today so I'm worried. What if something bad happened?"

Yamaguchi murmured something under his breath and looked down at his feet.

"What was that?"

He blanched slightly, lifting his head to peer at you through watery eyes. "I said nothing good ever happens in the Tsukishima household, that's for sure," he repeated in a wobbly voice.

"What do you mean by that?" You prompted, the words heavy on your tongue.

Tadashi sighed deeply, tugging at a tuft of brown hair as it tumbled over his eyes. "I've never actually been to his house, but I've heard rumours. Y'know - abusive parents, an alcoholic brother, run-down neighbourhood. It's not a very... pleasant place to be."

You pressed your lips together firmly, dragging your eyes to your lap in the fear of betraying the tears welling in your eyes. Was that why Kei was crying that night on the porch? Was that why someone was shouting inside when you'd knocked on the door, and why Kei refused to let you in?

If those rumours were true, then Tsukishima really was suffering. He was hurting. He needed help more than you realised. And yet he had nobody. He was coping with this all alone, battling it all himself.

"T-there he is!" Yamaguchi blurted suddenly, and you felt your heart steer off course in your chest as you watched him cross the courtyard, head bent so low his chin was touching his chest. He looked completely withdrawn from the world - so detached and aloof, as if he wasn't a part of it at all.

You wanted to make him part of it.

You wanted to make him part of your world.

"I'm gonna go talk to him," you decided, slipping off the wall and grimacing as the bricks chafed the back of your legs.

Yamaguchi gave a start, snatching your arm as you passed and steering you to face him. "Wait! A-are you sure that's a g-good idea?" He stammered, his cheeks reflecting a pinkish hue as his gaze fell on yours.

You fixed him with a small smile, gently easing his hand off your arm and giving it a small squeeze. "Can't hurt to try, right? If he shrugs me off, so be it. At least he'll know I care."

With a defeated sigh, the boy made a shooing motion and backed away from you. You threw him a clumsy salute before breaking off into a slow jog, hoping to intercept Tsukishima before he reached the school building.

"Tsukishima! Oi, Tsukishima-San!"

The boy in question tossed a glance over his shoulder, stiffening as his eyes met yours. Something unrecognisable crossed those jaded golden eyes, before he adjusted his bag and walked away.

"Hey, wait up. I'm just checking everything is okay. You weren't here yesterday."

Tsukishima stopped abruptly, and you skidded into his back with a grunt. "That's none of your business," he said through gritted teeth, unfazed by your embarrassment. "You should stop snooping around where you don't belong."

"Why?" You said brusquely. "Why don't I belong? Why won't you just let somebody worry about you for once?"

Tsukishima scoffed, reaching up to adjust his collar, as if it was causing him discomfort. His neck was exposed for only a fraction of a second, but it was enough to glimpse it - the greenish-purple blotch on his skin. You froze on the spot. "T-tsuki-"

"You're so fucking persistent," he growled, looming over you with flames licking his eyes. "You're really starting to piss me off y'know. I told you to leave me alone, didn't I?"

You breathed heavily through your nose, dragging your eyes away from his collar. "T-that's not what your eyes were saying."

You watched as he visibly missed a breath, teetering back a little, as if you'd caught him off guard. But he quickly shook it off, sidestepping you and resuming a scowl. "You're talking crap. I need to get to lesson."

Your eyes lingered on him as he walked away, your gut clenching painfully as his left sleeve - caught on the strap of his bag - rode up his arm, revealing another discolouration marring his skin.

Maybe the rumours were true after all.