Day 4 Part II

It was like lightening. The speed was so fast and Jin didn’t have time to think. All he was conscience of was the great stinging against his cheek and the force sending him staggering to the right…

That’s when he realized he had been slapped.

Jin stared incredulously at his attacker, the boy Sanada. It was rare that he met anyone who dared defy him let alone hit him and that wasn't going to cut it. There was no way Jin would let Sanada get away with it--

He raised his now free fist in the air, ready to exact his revenge, when a loud and utterly helpless yelp reached his ears.

He turned to the source and found his mother sitting up in the bed with her face in her hand and shoulders shaking with each powerful sob she emitted. Jin felt his heart ache growing larger as he watched how broken she looked.

He glanced once more at the others in the room and made his retreat.

Once Jin was gone, Yukimura and Taka both crossed the room to join Yuki’s side.

“Yuki,” Taka began.

Yuki didn’t reply. She just sobbed harder.

Yukimura rubbed her back and looked glanced worriedly at Taka and Sanada.

“I’m such a failure!” Yuki finally sobbed. “I’m such a bad mother!”

Sanada frowned. He didn’t really know what was going on.

“Sanada,” Yukimura said, turning too the cap wearing boy. “Can you go find Jin? Maybe he’s calmed down.”

Sanada really doubted that Jin had calmed down in the few seconds he’d been out of the room, but Sanada didn’t disobey Yukimura’s orders. He silently turned and went out of the room to commence his search of the hospital for the brute.

It wasn’t long until he found the other teen, sulking and sitting on a bench in the courtyard.

“Akutsu-san,” Sanada greeted.

Jin didn’t even make a sound to indicate he heard him.

Sanada walked over and sat on the bench beside him. There was a long passing of silence between them, which Sanada knew was no good. Yukimura expected him to get Jin in a better spirit, but Yukimura should have known Sanada would be the worse person to ask such a thing from. Oh well… Sanada figured he should give it a shot. No sense in facing the wrath of Yukimura if he didn’t.

“Did you take martial arts?” he asked.

The boy beside him shifted and crossed his arms.

“Karate,” he answered.

Sanada nodded his head, “I could tell. You’re reckless but there’s method to it. I’d say you might have been pretty good.”

“Don’t tell me you’re into that stuff too,” Jin growled.

“Sort of. I’m a swordsman and practice kendo at my family’s dojo,” Sanada explained.

Jin turned his head away with a huff.

“Why’d you quit?”

“I hated it. Everyone was weak… especially that… that Kawamura,” Jin growled.

“The one visiting your mother today?” Sanada inquired.

Jin turned his head towards Sanada and glared and Sanada knew not to say anymore on the situation. Jin looked back ahead of him and Sanada just silently fiddled with the brim of his cap. He didn’t really want to return to the room without Jin but at this rate he would have to. Sanada let out a sigh and stood, knowing that he couldn’t force Jin to cooperate.

“I used to play tennis--”

Sanada was shocked when he heard Jin’s voice and turned once more to see the other boy still sitting with his arms crossed. Jin’s eyes met his.

“What?” Sanada asked.

“I used to play tennis,” Jin said again. “I saw you yesterday with the bag on your back.”

“Why did you quit?”

“Hmph,” Jin squirmed a little, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. “It was stupid… and I lost to some brat.”

Another long silence passed as Jin partook of his smoking and Sanada watched with an impassive expression on his face. Jin was again the first to speak.

“Tennis is stupid, but losing is even dumber.”

Sanada’s eyes widened a fraction before he allowed a slight ghost of a grin to pass over his future.

“Hnn--” a monosyllabic laugh passed through his lips.

“What?” Jin asked.

Sanada merely stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged, “It seems we have a lot in common.”

-to be continued-

AN: sorry about the wait. thanks for reading plz review.