It's been a while... I just want to thank everyone who kept reviewing :)

Knowing about Gakushuu's problems at home was one thing, actually being able to help him was another.

Ren wracked his brain for ways that he could save Gakushuu from the awful situation he was in. The obvious answer seemed to be going to the authorities, but there was no way that would work.. first of all, Ren didn't know what exactly the Chairman was doing, so his testimony wouldn't be worth much, and he doubted Gakushuu would ever testify against his father, either out of fear or loyalty. Even if Gakushuu did accuse him of abuse, Ren was sure the Chairman had enough cunning and influence to get away scot free. Damn this is so impossible..

"Sakakibara- I asked you a question." The teacher barked, bringing Ren back to reality. He was suddenly aware of thirty pairs of eyes watching him. Ah- maybe spacing out during English class wasn't such a good idea..

"I- ... I must of missed that question, sorry." Ren said, pulling a sheepish grin. A few members of the class snickered. Gakushuu turned back to give him a questioning glance from the front of the classroom and Ren felt his cheeks redden.

"Sakakibara, don't think you can slack off just because you get good grades. See me after class." Their teacher said, shaking his head. Ren groaned internally- great. He noticed Seo giving him a smug grin.. that bastard loved seeing others in trouble.. so much for being friends.

"Sakakibara, I can't help but notice you've been more distracted over the past couple of days, and I'm not the only teacher who's picked up on it." Iwa-sensei said, leaning back against the desk as he spoke, he was one of the younger and slightly more lenient teachers at the school. Ren bit his lip.. had it really been that obvious? Had he really been letting himself worry that much? Had Gakushuu really invaded his mind so completely?

"I'm sorry sensei, I'll do better next time." Ren said, playing deferent in a bid to leave. He leaned down to pick up his bag.

"Hold on, young man." Iwa-sensei said, holding his hands up. Ren resisted the urge to groan and instead sat back into his chair. "I didn't keep you behind to scold you. I wanted to see what was on your mind and if it was something I can help with."

"It's not- " The words slipped out of Ren's mouth before he could them. He coughed quickly, before correcting himself. "I mean.. there's not anything I'm worried about."

Iwa-Sensei fixed him a skeptical gaze. "Are you sure?" He said, slowly and deliberately, his eyes feeling almost penetrating. "I know most students don't want teachers involved in their personal lives, but I may actually be able to give some decent advice."

Ren bit his lip.. Gakushuu telling him about the abuse had been a huge burden, constantly playing on his mind. Ren suddenly felt responsible for saving Gakushuu.. it was all up to him and he had no idea what to do. He was failing his friend! Maybe a bit of advice wouldn't be too bad.

"Well." Ren said, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. "A... friend of mine recently told me that his Dad is hurting him at home. He doesn't think he needs help but I'm worried about him! I'm the only one who knows- or at least, the only one who cares- and I just don't know what to do.."

He didn't realise how much tension he was holding till he spoke, and the words he'd been holding in for the past few days came tumbling out. For some reason Ren suddenly felt like crying. Iwa-sensei looked at him with wide eyes, obviously not expecting this.

"When you say hurting, what exactly do you mean?" Iwa-sensei asked, voice low and full of concern. Ren bit his lip.

"I don't know exactly I just know my friend is terrified of his father." He paused, noticing Iwa-Sensei's expression relax slightly.

"Now I'm not saying it's right, but this is a very prestigious school a lot of students have parents who can be.. overbearing.." Iwa-sensei said. Ren felt a stab of annoyance, Iwa-sensei was dismissing the problem as just a typical strict parent. They were a dime a dozen in kunigigaoka; So many students had pushy restrictive parents people had gotten used to it. It was depressing when you dwell upon it for too long.

"This isn't like that! His Dad doesn't just want him to be good he wants him to be the very best! He expects absolute perfection! He's crazy. He- he ripped off his nails over basically nothing-" Ren cut himself off suddenly, throwing his hands in front of his mouth. Iwa-sensei was staring at him, looking absolutely horrified.

There was a moment of heavy silence between them, were Iwa-sensei looked as if he were working something out in his head. Ren didn't want to stick around to hear the conclusion. Ren turned and hurried out of the classroom, his heart pounding and his head buzzing, ignoring Iwa-sensei's calls for him to wait.

He was such an idiot! Iwa-sensei would know exactly who he was talking about because there was one boy in class who was the best in practically everything, and was currently re-growing three nails. Ren cursed himself, he couldn't even keep Asano's secret for more than a week..

"Ren." Asano's voice rang out as he left the classroom, and for a very brief moment Ren thought it was his guilty conscience playing tricks on him, but no, Gakushuu really was standing there, arms folded, a less than impressed look on his face.

"Asano- " Ren said, trying to even his voice and force a carefree smile on his face. "Are you waiting for me to go to lunch?"

Asano almost rolled his eyes. "I'm concerned about you. Your one of the top five students and the council secretary. We can't have you getting in trouble." He said. Ah, of course this is a lecture. "Is there any particular reason why you've been so distracted lately?"

Ren suddenly felt yet another wave of guilt. Gakushuu had confided in him, yet instead of actually helping him he'd been acting like it was a burden and causing Gakushuu more worries. Well, he couldn't let him know that.

"I'm sorry. I got a new DS game and it's really addictive. I may of stayed up a little too late." Ren lied, looking sheepish. Asano sighed but looked.. relieved.. had he been worried his problems had been distracting Ren?

"A DS? I can't believe you own one of those. Aren't they for children." Asano said, beginning to walk to the council office. Ren chuckled glad for the levity.

"I can't believe you don't own one. Well. What console do you use?" Ren asked. Asano really did roll his eyes this time.

"I don't waste my life playing video games." He said, huffily, quickening his pace a little.

"Seriously? I'll have to show you some time." Ren said, allowing a small smile to creep onto his face as he pictured sitting with Gakushuu together and playing X-box, not worrying about school or expectations or psycho fathers. It made him feel oddly warm. "Who knows, it might be one thing I'm better than you at- "

As Ren turned the corner in the corridor, his eyes caught a figure standing at the classroom door, looking at Gakushuu with searching eyes. Iwa-sensei knew. He definitely knew.

It was eleven at night. Gakushuu stood in the kitchen, heating up a small portion of tonight's leftover dinner for a quick snack before he got back to studying. His mother was an excellent cook and always made extra, so there was almost always delicious home-cooking in the house.

Gakushuu heard footsteps and jumped when his father suddenly appeared behind him. The man simply smiled benignly before switching on the kettle then going to rummage through one of the cupboards. Gakushuu forced himself to calm down; he hadn't done anything wrong, there had been no recent failures, so the two of them could go about sharing a house but functioning within different plains of existence, effectively ignoring each other until the Chairman had a lesson to teach. It was this way most of the time.

"I had a rather packed scheduled today. There were a lot of meetings to attend to even by my standards." The Chairman said, breaking both the silence and the status quo. Gakushuu blinked. Conversation. This was unusual.

"Nothing you can't handle, I'm sure." Gakushuu said, refusing to look at his father, instead opting for staring into the microwave, willing it to go faster so he could leave without looking cowardly.

"Naturally." The Chairman said, closing the cupboard door, the kettle made a clicking sound as it switched off. "But one thing I found particularly irritating is that one of my employees, Iwa-sensei, kept trying to talk to me."

"Oh." Gakushuu said pointedly, unsure as to what the motivation of this all was.

"Yes he said he was concerned about you." His father sneered. Gakushuu suddenly felt tense.

"Why would he be concerned? My grades in English are perfect. My conduct in class is impeccable." Gakushuu said defensively, turning to look at his father.

"Well, he kept asking me about how you lost those nails, then about some bruising you had after you lost that bet in finals. I told him you do a lot of sport and injuries were to be expected, but he was still persistent." His father said, with every word his voice became lower and more dangerous. He paused, his sentence punctuated by the microwave bleeping. Gakushuu wasted no time pulling his food out and putting it onto a plate, his hands almost shaking. He sensed danger. He walked towards the door, but suddenly the Chairman was right behind, leaning over him, forcing the door shut with his hand.

"I asked why he felt so compelled to ask me these questions. He was resistant at first but eventually he admitted that one of your classmates thought you were being abused." His father continued, his voice practically dripping with venom now. Gakushuu felt his stomach drop. Ren wouldn't have.. would he?

"I can't help what conclusions people come up with in their heads- " Gakushuu jabbered.

"Do you think I'm abusing you?" His father said, cutting him off, his voice like ice. Gakushuu felt the air leave his body.

"I haven't ever said that- " Gakushuu said, glad he was facing the door so he didn't have to look his father in the eyes as he lied.

Apparently the Chairman wasn't satisfied with his answer, because the next thing Gakushuu knew he had been suddenly grabbed by the collar of his pyjama top and dragged backwards, his plate of food falling from his hands and smashing into the floor. He didn't have time to think before he was suddenly slammed into the kitchen counter top, the Chairman pressing him down his eyes wild and he forced Gakushuu to lie against the surface, feet centimeters from the floor.

"So you've been running around crying to your little friends that I'm nasty to you. That I abuse you, is that right?" The Chairman sneered. "You don't even know what abuse is! However, if you want me to abuse you, I could."

"I'm telling you I haven't said anything- " Gakushuu hissed, body shaking with adrenaline. He didn't even struggle as he was thrown about like a rag doll, worrying that any resistance would flame his father's temper more.

"Maybe I could beat you black and blue every day. Or perhaps I could break stamp on your legs hard enough to break them. Would you like to spend the rest of the school year in a wheelchair?" His father threatened. Gakushuu winced, suddenly able to imagine the impact against his leg and his bones shattering, the vulnerability of being confined to a chair.

"No- No- " he gasped out. The Chairman just smirked at his struggles.

"You're the one who called me an abuser. I'm just thinking of how I could live up to that name." He said, before reaching over and grabbing the freshly boiled kettle, billowing with steam filled to the brim with boiling water. "I wonder if this would blind you?"

Gakushuu actually let out a strangled cry of fear at that, quickly trying to cover his face with his arms as the Chairman tipped the kettle forward. He expected the sudden searing pain of boiling water but it never came, instead the Chairman just kept the kettle suspended in the air, tilted to an angle that just about stopped the water from spilling.

"It's a very good job Im not an abuser, isn't it Asano?" The Chairman said, with a voice full of mirth. "I'd never cause you permanent damage or hurt you just because I feel like it. It's always a measured act of discipline."

Gakushuu was too terrified to even experience any relief as his father put the kettle down. He just continued to breath short sharp breaths, unable to stop himself. It felt as if he wasn't getting enough oxygen. It felt as if he were dying, he was starting to feel dizzy and his vision was spotted with black dots. He was breathing as if he'd just run a marathon, he tried to hold his breath but that just made the hyperventilation worse.

"Your always acting so weak and sensitive. It's unbelievably irritating. You've lead a very privileged life so you have no business running around telling people you're suffering. Are you really that much of an attention seeker?"His father hissed. His eyes were hard, like chips of ice. Gakushuu felt a sudden surge of shame.. maybe the Chairman was right? Maybe he was overreacting and being weak? It wasn't like the Chairman beat him every day for no reason. He cringed internally as he suddenly felt ridiculous, trying to beg for sympathy off others. He shouldn't of told Ren.

He kept quiet, back still painfully pressed against the counter top. After a moment of deliberation, the Chairman let him go and Gakushuu slid off onto shaky feet, still trying to regain normal breathing. He glanced at the noodles and plate shards, strewn across the floor.

"I can't believe you've grown into such a spoiled brat. Are you not grateful for being pampered so much. For all of this?" The Chairman said, punctuating his sentence by indicating to the kitchen full of fancy expensive appliances all around them. Gakushuu forced himself to nod, realising his father likely expected an answer.

"I am." He said in an unusually defeated voice.

"You are what?"

"I am grateful." Gakushuu said. The Chairman gave a satisfied grin, looking completely relaxed as if the last five minutes had been nothing but a pleasant chat. He poured himself some tea from the kettle.

"Good. Now clean up this mess." He said. Gakushuu didn't even hesitate, just wanting this confrontation to be over. He went to grab the paper towels to wipe the noodles away.

"No. I don't want you to waste any of it. I want you to eat it." His father said, taking a sip of herbal tea. Gakushuu grit his teeth but didn't even bother arguing, sinking to his knees amid the mess and picking up the fallen chopsticks.

"No. don't use your hands." The Chairman said. "Eat like the dog you are."

"I'm not eating off the floor like an animal!" Gakushuu snapped. He still had some pride, dammit. His father didn't even blink, just looked at him with unreadable eyes before saying in a quietly confident voice;

"Yes you will."

Without missing a beat, the man took a step forwards and Asano suddenly felt a fistful of his hair being grabbed at the back of his head. Internally wincing, Asano attempted to put up some resistance, but the Chairman easily forced his head to the floor. Asano felt a shiver of disgust as his face was forced into the food below. He felt so weak and pathetic.

But still, he refused to open his mouth, holding on to his last shred of pride.

"You always try to resist the inevitable. I don't know if I should call that tenacity or stupidity." The Chairman said, maintaining his painfully tight on his son's hair. Asano didn't reply, instead gritting his teeth and closing his eyes.

"Well. Whatever I call it, it doesn't matter." The Chairman said. Suddenly, Asano felt the pressure at the back of his head increase, forcing him more into the floor. His left arm gave way, no longer able to support the weight. He felt himself fall more into the floor, rolling over into the discarded food and broken china. He tried to pull himself up, and there was a sudden sharp pain in his forarm, and the feeling of something warm and damp. The hand was on the back of his head again.

It's useless.

He was being forced down towards the floor, his body feeling limp.

Why even struggle?

His body shuddered with disgust as he felt his lips touch the cold lino floor.

The result is the same every time.

Body aching, mind reeling, he gave in, opening his mouth and eating the food.

So yeah it's been a while.. I almost abandonned this, but reading the reviews gave me more motivation to carry on. So thanks guys! Especially to anyone who's stuck around after so long.