It started as a normal day for Yoshida, Satou, and their classmates. Yoshida entered the classroom with Satou, who wasn't far behind. Yoshida was red faced, shouting and cursing Satou for mocking him. Making a scene as usual.

This time it was the result of Yoshida's clumsiness, who tripped on a banana peel into a puddle on the way to school. Satou was there to witness it, to his own amusement. Satou continues to make fun of him, and smirks at Yoshida's glaring, while calling him a dog that's all bark with no bite. Satou pats him on the head like the dog he refers to him as.

Yoshida bats his hand away. Irritated he asks, "Why do you treat me like this?!"

Satou just smirks,"Because I can."

But that is only partially the truth.

Because it annoys Yoshida

An annoyed Yoshida is terribly amusing and adorable

Because he's mine. He's truly as lovely as a flower. The only one who is allowed to pluck that flower is me . I'm also the only one allowed to crush it and ignore it and …. Yoshida always interrupts him before he gets too far in his "love confession."

A few months ago, Satou would've kept those thoughts to himself.

He'd wait until he could whisper it sadistically in Yoshida's reddening ears in privacy

But now that their secret's out, Satou doesn't have to hold back anymore (To Yoshida's horror).

How things are now:

The girls haven't given up and just treat Yoshida as a rival.

The girls haven't gotten a chance to corner Yoshida since the big reveal because he's always with Satou.

Some girls have become more respectful towards their relationship, because they know Yoshida is the source of Satou's happiness.

They recognize that he's Satou's so he's off limits (can't beat him to a bloody pulp)

So if they are together the girls glare from a distance. The second Yoshida shifts away from Satou, he's thrown to the side.

The boys were disappointed and devastated that Satou dating a boy didn't make the girls give up on him. To everyone's misfortune, they only became more determined to win him over.

Back to the story:

Yoshida goes to his locker to get changed out of his wet clothes (after Satou begins to make innuendos about him being "wet.")

Yoshida opens his locker to find a letter inside on top of his shoes. For a while he just stares at it. He doesn't think he's ever gotten a letter before, except from his grandmother during the holidays. She always finds a way to make fun of him by mentioning how much bigger he's gotten this year. When everyone knows he's basically been the same height since elementary school. Yoshida begins thinking about how even his family members like to laugh at his expense, and what that's done to his self-esteem, when a shadows looms over him.

A figure leans over his shoulder and asks, "what's that?"

Yoshida jumps at least a foot in the air and shrieks.

Then he whips his head around and looks up to recognize it's his friend Torachin.

He tries to slow down his breathing and his face that went two shades paler, starts to regain color again.

Torachin sheepishly says with his typical scowl on his face, "Sorry man, I didn't mean to scare yah."

"That's alright. You didn't mean it. I'm just glad you're not a ghost or something." Yoshida says with a bright smile on his face.

Torachin wishes more people were like Yoshida. He's someone who won't make assumptions or judge him because of his looks. While Yoshida seems to be in the same boat as him (being treated negatively because of his face), he still could have followed the crowd and alienated him. Instead, he reached out to him when he was all alone and scaring everyone off with his scowling. They've been friends since then because Yoshida was able to look underneath that mask.

Glad that Yoshida's not mad at him or anything, Torachin changes the topic by pointing out the letter.

Yoshida turns around to face his locker and pick it up. Holding the letter in his small hands, he looks at its appearance. It's in a medium sized, white envelope with no identification on the outside.

Y: "It's strange. I don't often get letters at home. I never thought I would get one in school either."

"Maybe it's a love letter." Torachin suggested.

Yoshida blushes then opens in excitement and anticipation.

In large black letters the words "DECLARATION OF BATTLE!" are written. Underneath it in small text is a time and a place. Stating it will occur after school in the backyard. With the threat, "DON'T BE LATE! OR ELSE!"

Instead of blushing more, like Torachin expected, he saw Yoshida turn paler.

Torachin wondered if it was a love letter from Nishida.

Torachin asks, "Can I see it?"

Yoshida mind refocuses after the shock and hands him the letter, while sighing in resignation.

Torachin's scowl deepens. Seeing the lack of identification he asks, "Do you know who wrote this?"

"The only thing I can think of is the girls. But they're not the type to do this. There's never any warning. They usually just ambush me so I can't escape. *shudders*

Torachin replies, "Don't worry Yoshiyoshi, whoever it is I'll help you. I once defeated six guys claiming to be Yakuza and one guy pretending to be a girl."

Yoshida gulped at the image "Um, right. Thanks Torachin. The battle is going to occur at after classes, behind the school yard. Do you think you'll be able to make it? You normally walk home with Yamanaka don't you? If you're busy, then I understand." Yoshida asks nervously.

Torachin "That bastard?! He's in the his hospital after i caught him cheatin… I mean… *cough* Don't worry Yoshio, I'll be right by your side the whole time!"

"Thanks Torachin! That means a lot!" Yoshida exclaims, feeling more relieved.

Yoshida remembers that his clothes are still soaked, so he leaves Torachin to go change.