Ken, to his credit, didn't protest, but had the presence of mind to turn the lock before they shut the door. "They'll break into our room before they notice we're gone."
Daisuke, elated at the reference to 'their' room, smiled warmly at Ken as Koushirou and Miyako stepped out of 'Shinichi's' room. The two exchanged A Look.
Koushirou, sounding proud of himself, told Daisuke about at the survival gear he had packed. Daisuke looked at him nervously. "You sound like we're walking to America or something."
"Well, it is quite a distance..." the redhead said slowly.
"Just how far is Odaiba? I fell asleep on the bus ride here."
Miyako gave Daisuke a long stare and Koushirou coughed. "Well...the nearest Tokyo district is about 48 kilometres from here, so once we get there we can take the train."
"48 kilometres!?" Daisuke's jaw dropped.
"We're going anyway," a hard voice said from behind them. Yamato had arrived, with a dazed-but-conscious Takeru in his arms, and Taichi and Iori following close behind. Jyou brought up the rear a moment later, carrying a small bag with a red cross on it.
"All right, let's go." Miyako's backpack was modestly sized, and although her long purple hair was still tucked up under the baseball cap, she had forgone her contacts in favour of the more feminine catty glasses she had worn with Koushirou and Daisuke the previous day.
With Daisuke in the lead--he would draw the least attention, being a) a Master b) not bandaged all over c) able to defend himself against an attack and d) not protectively hugging Koushirou and talking in a distinctly feminine voice--they set off into the stairwell nearest Shinichi's room and out through the fire escape.
Koushirou had his laptop out and open by the time they emerged into the dusky light. "According to my calculations, the quickest way to get back is to go through the forest. However, we have no idea how thick it is, so we should take the road. It's best that we get as far away from the school as possible before even thinking about stopping to rest; as you must know, once Osamu's gang realizes that we've left they'll be coming after us." He started along the darkening road and everyone else followed suit.
"Won't they just tell the school administration?" asked Iori.
"Not so easy." Yamato grimaced. "The admins aren't very bright to have not noticed the Pet-Master system before, that's for certain, but if Osamu's cronies tell them that we've run away and they actually find us, the school will definitely find out who instigated the fight--and about the Pet system too. Osamu would be risking his little empire if he did that."
"Wait, what?" Daisuke stared at Yamato. "Does Osamu run the Pet system or something?"
"You didn't know?" Taichi looked surprised. "It was Osamu who first thought of this whole thing. Back when the school was for all grades, I was going here, and Takeru had just come--he wrote Yama a letter describing this Osamu guy and all the things he was doing. Sekitomachi was really a pretty good school before that. After Osamu started just taking over everything, Yama came here to look after Takeru."
"He was so young then." Yamato smiled at his little brother, lying weakly in his arms. Takeru smiled back. "Our parents are divorced, and I convinced my dad that I really needed to come here and be with him."
Ken had been silent throughout the discussion. "I never knew...that it was Osamu..."
Miyako shot a horrified look at the bluenette. "Oh Ken..."
"He was abusive at home," the thin boy said miserably. "I was glad when he left, but then when I reached the same age my parents sent me away too. T-then, once I got here, Osamu-niichan was just...just..." he stopped suddenly, holding back tears. Daisuke wrapped his arms around his Pet and hugged tightly.
The others did not speak, continuing to trudge forward. Yamato transferred Takeru to his back, where the injured boy was less of a strain. Taichi carried Yamato's possessions in his pack while Iori had a small bundle tied to what looked like a Kendo stick.
After about fifteen minutes of silence, Koushirou--still in the lead--glanced back. "47 kilometres."
Daisuke groaned.
The night was long and frightening. All the children were worn out from walking; and many still sustanined injuries from the earlier fight. After a few hours of being carried, Takeru had thankfully regained enough of his strength to walk while Iori trailed worriedly behind him.
Daisuke, being the least emotionally disarrayed of the group, marched merrily toward freedom, more enthused than he had been since coming to The Boarding School From Hell. In fact, Daisuke felt almost as though a a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had been at Sekitomachi no more than a few days; and yet he felt it had changed him more deeply that if he'd been there all his life.
In his few introspective moments, Daisuke tended to talk to himself, but in such a situation this wasn't acceptable so he merely thought in conversation. There's a lesson to be learned here, he knew, and not just that I shouldn't have been making so much trouble for my parents and teachers back home. It's like...there are so many worse people out there, like Osamu, so why am I trying to prove that I'm like them? I'm not. I don't want to be.
And then there was Ken. Those little feelings that he could have written off as a bi-curious crush a couple of days ago had developed into full-fledged desire. Not just physically, but to understand the way the other boy thought, the way he moved, the way he acted.
The inky-haired boy interrupted Daisuke's silent self-monologue, his soft alto voice making the brunette's heart lift. "How are you feeling, Daisuke?"
Not Daisuke-sama. Just Daisuke. The thought that they were making progress brought even more joy to Daisuke's light step. "I'm great!" he replied, doing a random pirouette to emphasize. "I can't wait to go home."
"Home..." Ken was quiet for a moment. "I don't think I can go back there. Not where...not where Osamu could find me. And my parents..."
"No problem." Daisuke grinned enthusiatically. "My sister Jun lives in her own apartment 'cause she's in college. I'm gonna stay with her in case my parents try to send me back to the Hell-Hole. You can come too!"
Ken looked wary, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Really?"
"Of course!" Daisuke said. "Koushirou can come too!"
Miyako smiled. "I think it's time Kou-chan and I got our own apartment. But thanks for the offer, Daisuke."
"I've just had my birthday," Koushirou added. "I'm legally responsible for myself now. And if things don't work out with Dai's sister, Ken--and you, Daisuke-kun, if need be--can stay with us awhile."
"Speaking of crashing for the night," Taichi pointed out, "the sun's starting to come up, and we shouldn't stay out here much during the day."
The laptop had appeared again. "My calculations admit that we're fairly close to being halfway there. There are no other points between us and the city other than a gas station about twenty kilometres from here, and a girls' school about five."
"Girls' school?" Miyako and Taichi immeiately looked interested. "That wouldn't be Isolder Academy, would it?"
"As a matter of fact, it is." Koushirou shot a significant look at his girlfriend. "Do you think...?"
"Isn't that where Hikari goes?" Takeru asked, looking at Taichi.
"It is," the brunette comfirmed. "Ladies, gentlemen and cross-dressers--I think we may have found our hiding place."
"I have been here exactly once," Tai said thoughtfully as he stared up at the huge building.
"Ah, but we have an advantage." Miyako grinned. "You guys can't go tramping around the school, but I can." She ushered the group into a nearby nest of bushes and disappeared into the back door.
"Will anybody even be awake in there?" Yamato asked in a low whisper.
"Miya will find a way," Taichi said with a grin.
True to the teenager's word, Miyako reappeared not five minutes later with two girls in tow. One was tall and had vibrant pink-streaked hair, and the other was a shorter redhead. "This is Mimi," Miyako said, gesturing at the former; "and this is Sora." Taichi smiled at both. "Hey girls--I didn't realize you went here."
"Mimi-chan's family moved to America," Sora replied, "and she wanted to stay in Japan, so we both enrolled in boarding school."
"Miyako-chan's told us what happened," Mimi bubbled, "and of course you can stay with us until dark! There's what, one, two, three...six...nine of you!? Well...I'm sure Kari can fit a few..."
The three girls led the boys in through the fire escape and up to the second floor. Another, younger, girl waited by one of the dorm rooms, and she ran to embrace Taichi as soon as he appeared. "Oniichan!"
"Hey there, imouto," Taichi replied with a laugh. "It's been a while!"
Within seconds she had kicked the door open and dragged her brother in, with Yamato, Takeru, Iori, Daisuke, and Ken not far behind. Mimi, Miyako and Sora ushered Jyou and Koushirou in.
Once the door had shut behind the roomful of people, Hikari ran around hugging her friends. "Miyako and Koushirou! How are things going? You're still together, right? You too, Yamato-oniichan? And Takeru! Gods, what happened?"
Takeru offered a wry smile. "Got in a fight?"
"That's unlike you, Teek," Sora said. Takeru shrugged.
"And who are your friends?" Hikari smiled warmly at Daisuke.
"This is Daisuke," Taichi said, pointing to the cinnamon-eyed teen, "and this here is Ken. This is Jyou, and there's Iori."
Hikari enfolded Takeru in a long hug, and Daisuke suspected that there was something between the two. Iori looked vaguely jealous.
"You guys must be so exhausted." Mimi smiled sympathetically. "It's nice to meet you all, though! Why don't a few people come in and catch a nap in mine and Sora's room?"
"Thanks, Mimi," Matt said gratefully.
"Some can stay here, too," Hikari said. "My roommate Seki is gone home for a few days."
Daisuke allowed Sora to lead himself, Ken, Jyou, Miyako, and Koushirou next door to a room similar to Hikari's. The rooms were fairly large in size and Mimi had a futon tucked under her bed that she pulled out for the boys. "Two beds and a futon, boys. What'll it be?"
Miyako smiled. "Doesn't matter to us, but Kou-chan and I will share."
"So will Ken and me," Daisuke put in.
"I'll take the futon," Jyou said shyly. "I'm used to sleeping on the floor anyway, so this will be comfortable. And since I don't have to share it'll be fair."
"That's fine." Daisuke opened his pack and withdrew a clean t-shirt and shorts, tossing them to Ken. "Here; don't sleep in your uniform. You'll feel crappy when you wake up."
"Thanks." Ken blushed lightly.
Jyou opened the canvas bag and took out some fresh bandages. "I'll tend to Takeru again. Are you guys okay?"
Daisuke checked the Band-Aids he had placed on various areas of his body. "I'm fine."
"Me too."
"Great." The blue-haired teen disappeared.
Sora smiled. "Meems and I will go hang out with some friends until classes, so you guys can sleep. Lock the doors when your friends come back, and don't leave the room, unless you're Miyako. The bathroom's right there," she pointed, "and we'll come back to check on you at lunch." She handed Miyako a copy of her class schedule and left the room with a wave.
"Thanks," Miya said, admitting Jyou once again before closing the door. "Now guys, we've still got a while to go--let's catch up on our rest."
Daisuke nodded, cralwing under the bedcovers. Ken joined him a moment later as Miyako closed the curtains, shutting out at least some of the irritating light. It didn't matter; Daisuke could have slept through a tsunami at that point.
"G'night," he mumbled, burrowing deep under the blankets and wrapping his arms around a startled Ken. The boy tensed but then relaxed, letting the mahogany-haired teen hold him. When Daisuke touched him...a feeling shot through Ken, one that he'd never felt before. He felt...safe. It was a comforting feeling.
Ken snuggled closer, closing his eyes. "Good night, Daisuke."
~to be continued...
Shi-chan: There! See, since I've been lazy this week, I made hat one a little longer. Hope everyone enjoyed. ^_^ Sorry for the delay!
Next Time: The escape does not go unnoticed! Some close encounters with Osamu are narrowly avoided, and the gang is back on the road! Will they make it out of the forest alive? What information can Koushirou find on Ichijouji Osamu? How long can Daisuke's ramen supply possibly last? Keep reading to find out!
*cue end credits* ~aijou to nichijou