You're nothing to them. No more than the dork of the gang, the naive 
idiot. 'Flute boy'. Just because you're the youngest and you aren't as 
almighty as they are. You don't belong, Amiboshi. You're nothing 
important. Hotohori's the leader and the heartthrob, Tasuki's the 
toughest guy in school, and Chichiri is Mr. Cool. Hell, even Nuriko has 
more of a place in the Suzakeiryuus, and he's only an honorary! Why don't 
they just replace you with him? You're hopeless. They only let you hang 
out with them because they feel sorry for you anyway. The only one who 
actually gives a fuck about you is Tamahome-sensei, and only because it's 
his job. If he wasn't your teacher he'd hate your guts-I mean, you have a 
THING for his wife, Amiboshi!

Sigh...Miss Miaka-sama is a great woman, though...no, don't think about 
her! You've annoyed Tamahome-sensei enough with your staring at her 
whenever you're over there...which is at least every fucking day of the 
week! Why don't you just spend time in your own house? Oh, right, you 
aren't wanted THERE either! Even your own twin brother can't stand the 
sight of you! You're unwanted every place imaginable, Amiboshi! No one 
likes you. You're nothing, you only serve as comic relief to everyone 
with your stupidity and that...that LAUGH! Baka.

Like multiple blows to the head, these words repeated themselves over and 
over in Amiboshi's mind. Tasuki was right. He was a pathetic little 
airhead flute boy with an annoying laugh. Why the hell did they even 
accept him into the Suzakeiryuus anyway? Why was he even still there? 
Were they waiting for the right moment to throw him out?

"It's not like they wouldn't have a replacement for me," he muttered. 
"And considering Hotohori already does like Nuriko a lot..." Amiboshi 
considered that for a moment. Till now he'd been afraid to even consider 
leaving the gang. For 2 years the Suzakeiryuus were the only friends he'd 
had. He wasn't popular, and didn't want to fit in with the mainstream 
anyway even if he was yearning to be accepted. He'd thought with the 
Suzakeiryuus, he'd finally get what he'd been longing for. How wrong he 
was. He'd been less lonely wandering through the hallways by himself, 
ignoring the stares of the so-called popular kids. At least they were 
content to ignore him most of the time, and even if he did get teased 
often it was nothing compared to being everyone's comic relief in 
Tamahome-sensei's class.

"Nuriko would be a fine replacement for me," he decided. He wasn't 
going to put up with this anymore. He was going to leave the 
Suzakeiryuus, maybe even drop out of school and leave home. After all, 
why stay in a place you aren't accepted in? Why stay with someone if 
they're making you miserable?

~

"He what?!" Tamahome dropped the test papers he was grading and ran to 
Hotohori's desk. The 3 remaining Suzakeiryuus were reading a note left by 
Amiboshi. When had he left it, though? The olive-haired boy hadn't been 
at school all day and since he was almost never absent, there had to be 
something wrong. Amiboshi wasn't the kind of guy who would just ditch 
school on a whim. Not on his own, anyway.

"Amiboshi has left the Suzakieryuus," Tasuki said almost too soberly. 
Hotohori just sat there, frozen silent, and even Chichiri was showing 
signs of distress.

"Why?! You guys are the only family he has aside from his brother, why 
would he just up and leave like this?" Tamahome asked.

"We don't know, Tamahome-sensei, he didn't explain anything no da," 
Chichiri said.

"All he says is that he knows when he isn't wanted and when he doesn't 
belong, so he won't stick around anymore. And that Nuriko would be a fine 
replacement," Hotohori finally spoke up.

"Hmm?" The violet-braided honorary Suzakeiryuu looked up from his notes. 
"What's going on?"

"Amiboshi left," the other 4 guys answered in unison.

"What?!" Nuriko shoved his things into his desk and leapt out of his 
chair. "Why?!"

"He thinks he's not wanted no da...and by the way, Nuriko, you're now a 
full-fledged Suzakeiryuu no da," Chichiri said quickly.

"I like being the honorary, though! Well, it's not like I haven't thought 
of becoming full-fledged, but I don't want to replace Amiboshi! It's not 
right!" Nuriko cried.

"Y'think we don't know that?! It sure as hell aint right, s'fuckin wrong! 
But he's gone, Nuriko, an' the chances of 'im comin' back are ZERO!" 
Tasuki yelled.

"This IS Amiboshi we're talking about here, Tasuki. Within 24 hours he'll 
be back, playing that flute of his and laughing that silly laugh and 
it'll be as if this never even happened," Hotohori said, as if he really 
believed it were true.

"You talk as if you know Amiboshi-kun very well, Hotohori. After all, 
what IS there to know of him anyway? He's just a simple, naive boy; a 
flute player, just the comic relief. Right?" Tamahome said in an almost 
mocking, sarcastic tone. At this, they fell silent.

"...He really thinks that we think that about 'im?" Tasuki asked.

"Duh! You're the one who SAID it to him out loud, Gen! You idiot, this is 
all your fault!" Hotohori yelled.

"I didn't mean it! And we have digs at 'im all da time, we always have 
digs at one another, it's in th' Suzakeiryuu heritage!" Tasuki tried to 
defend himself, but it was useless.

"You also forgot Amiboshi is the most sensitive of you guys. Oh, that's 
right, sensitivity is considered 'wussy' among this generation of 
Suzakieryuus." Tamahome crossed his arms over his chest, and the 4 of 
them looked away remorsefully.

"Yeah, I...I guess we have kind of been taking Amiboshi-kun for granted 
lately no da," Chichiri said quietly.

"Yeah, we've been a little insensitive to the guy," Hotohori said, then 
sweatdropped when the others looked sternly at him. "All right, we've 
been more than a little insensitive...a lot insensitive...mean...WE'RE 
BASTARDS!" he cried, burying his head in his hands.

"I never even say anything to him that often and I'm still guilty," 
Nuriko sighed.

"Why the fuck can't I just learn ta keep my mouth shut?!" Tasuki cried. 
At that moment, the door opened and in came a worried-looking Miaka.

"Tamahome, you'd better get home right away. There's something you need 
to know about," she said.

"Can it wait? We have a bit of a crisis on our hands, Amiboshi's gone," 
Tamahome sighed.

"Ohayo, Miaka-san," Chichiri, Tasuki, Hotohori, and Nuriko said.

"I know. I found this under the door when I got home from shopping an 
hour ago," Miaka said, holding out an envelope. "I would've come sooner 
but I had to call Yui-chan back...apparently she got a message from 
Suboshi that Amiboshi ran away or something."

"What?" Tamahome grabbed a chair. "Miaka-chan, let me see that. Here, you 
might as well sit down, looks like we're gonna be here awhile," he said. 
Miaka sat down and flipped her bangs away from her eyes.

"Has Amiboshi even been to school today?" she asked. The guys shook their 
heads as Tamahome opened the envelope and read the enclosed letter.

"Miss Miaka-sama. I told the others I was leaving the Suzakeiryuus, but I 
didn't tell them everything because I knew they wouldn't care," Tamahome 
read. As the letter went on, it told all of Amiboshi's depression, angst, 
and feelings of uselessness among his classmates. That he was planning to 
leave town, start over and try to find somewhere he belonged. By the time 
he was finished, Miaka was nearly in tears, Chichiri was as still as a 
statue, Nuriko was crying, Hotohori was comforting him while he himself 
had a faraway look in his eyes, and Tasuki's fingernails were digging 
into his palms hard enough to draw blood. At that moment, the door swung 
open again and in walked Soi and Yui, the on-and-off couple who lived 
down the hall of Tamahome and Miaka's apartment.

"What's going on? Miaka-chan suddenly hung up the phone, saying she had 
to run off to see you, Tamahome," Yui said.

"Yeah, apparently it was more than a simple 'I wanna pay him a visit', so 
it must've been about that message Suboshi left on our machine," Soi 
added, then frowned. "Unless it was something else..." She looked warily 
at the teal-haired man. "Are you having an affair?"

"What?! No, of course not!" Tamahome sighed. Then the door opened yet 
again and in walked a very cross-looking vice-principal Takahasi.

"Tamahome, what's this about Amiboshi leaving Watakuse High?" he demanded.

"WHAT?!" Soi and Yui's heads spun around to stare at the man.

"It's true, Mr. Takahashi," Nuriko said.

"He decided he doesn't like us anymore no da, he's sick of being our 
crackmonkey or somethin like that no da," Chichiri explained.

"Crackmonkey?!" Soi grabbed the note out of Tamahome's hands, read it, 
then gave it to Yui. By the time Yui was done, the concerned look on her 
face had been replaced by one of anger. Silently, she stepped forward and 
slapped Tasuki across the face so hard he lost his balance and fell 
backwards into Chichiri.

"Owww!"

"You bastard! How could you?!" Yui screamed. Tasuki rubbed his badly 
bruised cheek, just barely able to hold back tears.

"I'm a fuckin' idiot! That's right, I'm a fuckin' MORON and I was a 
bastard ta 'im and used 'im as comic relief an' treated 'im like garbage, 
I admit it, ya satisfied?! I WAS WRONG! I! WAS! WRONG!" he exploded, 
tears streaming down his face.

"I knew something like this would happen, one of the Suzakeiryuus would 
turn on you, drop out of school and end up on the streets!" Mr. Takahasi 
said. "See, Tamahome? Your teaching methods are wrong, I'm right, I win!"

"I don't have time for this garbage, Mr. Takahashi! We have a serious 
crisis on our hands!" Tamahome yelled. "We have to find Amiboshi!"

"Judging by this letter he wrote, he doesn't want to be found. You guys 
really hurt him this time," Miaka said sternly.

"Hurt him!? We tore his heart out and drop-kicked it across the fucking 
room!" Nuriko screamed.

"We stabbed him in the back. We're no better than those movie and anime 
villains," Hotohori muttered.

"SHUT TH' FUCK UP, YA MORONS! Y'think we don't know that enough for us ta 
stop stating th' fucking obvious?!" Tasuki sobbed, bringing his arms down 
heavily on the desk and burying his face in them. At that moment, as if 
things couldn't get any worse, a very familiar snicker sounded.

"So, looks like your little pet ate through his leash and ran away."

"We don't have TIME for this, Nakago. Unless you've seen Amiboshi," 
Tamahome said.

"Actually...we did." Nakago sauntered into the room, followed by 
ever-loyal Tomo.

"It was either him or that brother of his...you know, the one who got 
kicked out," Nakago said.

"Yeah, the one at the tech school," Tomo laughed. "And since they keep 
the windows and doors bolted there, it was Amiboshi." Miaka grabbed Tomo 
and pinned him against the wall.

"Where did you see him?! How long ago did you see him?!" she asked.

"Owww! I didn't think you'd be this bloodthirsty, I mean, considering you 
guys never appreciated him," Tomo said. Nuriko pointed to the 
still-sobbing Tasuki and glared.

"Yes, we covered that issue with a nice thick coat of guilt, Tomo," he 
said.

"Now please, one of you tell us where Amiboshi is!" Tamahome yelled.

"All right. We saw him on 85th street, with all the abandoned warehouses 
and that one Starbucks that's the only reason 85th street is still around 
anymore," Nakago said.

"And he was carrying a book of sheet music, which was another indication 
it wasn't his brother," Tomo added. "And considering it's all quiet on 
85th street he'd still be there."

"Thank you." Miaka released her grip on Tomo. "Come on, guys. Even if we 
can't get him back, you boys at LEAST owe him a sincere apology!"

"Right," Tamahome said. "Your behavior towards him, especially as of 
late, has just been shameful."

"You too, 'sensei'," Miaka said sternly. "You haven't been that much 
better than your students, you know."

"But...I never made fun of him or called him the 'dork' or 'the naive 
flute boy'...more than once!" Tamahome sweatdropped. Miaka scowled. "All 
right..."

As if there wasn't enough commotion, someone else came storming into the 
room, looking angry.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BROTHER?!" the person screamed, slamming 
Hotohori against the wall.

"Hey!" Hotohori glared at the slightly smaller boy. "Watch the hair!" He 
wrenched himself from the grip, smoothing his shiny sepia tresses back.

"He just THREATENED you and all you're worried about is your hair. 
Typical Hotohori," Tasuki sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Suboshi, we were just going to go after him. Nakago and Tomo saw him 
walking along 85th street," Tamahome said. Suboshi stared at Tamahome, 
then at Nakago and Tomo.

"Those two?"

"Thank us later. Right now we have a flute-boy to find!" Nakago said.

"And they're all going to say how sorry they are for treating him like 
dirt," Miaka said sternly.

"I knew it! Every day, I tell him that going to school is a BAD idea. 
'Aniki, let's both drop out of our schools and get a tutor! Then we can 
stay together!' I say. But NO! He insists on coming here to be treated 
like dirt, and ya know why? Cause he thinks all of you are his FRIENDS!" 
Suboshi snapped. "I tell him that he doesn't NEED you idiots! He has me!"

"Now, you see, Suboshi is showing the classis signs of an abusive lover," 
Tasuki said.

"SHUT UP!" Suboshi screamed, slapping him. "If anyone's being abusive, 
it's you bastards! I never call him names, or make him the scapegoat for 
a failed prank!" He looked away, his fists clenched and his eyebrow 
twitching. "I love him. And thinking that he's in pain...and that no 
matter what, he'll still come back to you because he thinks you care 
about him..."

"Suboshi..."

Nuriko walked over and put his arm around the boy.

"Well, I can't speak for the others, but I'm genuinely sorry," he said.

"So are we," Hotohori said quietly.

The rest of the Suzakeiryuus nodded their agreement.

"Come on, if we leave now we can still find him before he leaves town," 
Nakago said.

~