The sun was setting with it's amber light reflecting through the windows of the hallway, not much of life being in the second floor of the school building because the day classes were over and it was almost time for night classes which were only held on the first floor.

At the center of the empty hallway, a young boy ran through the passage, hopped so his steps could slow down his speed while calling out in excitement, "Hey Akki Come on! Won't you play catch?! I have your bag! I may not return it if you don't catch me!" giggles Ramic as he waves the teacher's briefcase upwards.

At the other end, Akki walked into the hall with just a smile on his hue, at first he did run to catch up, but immediately stopped his intention of playing taking along regular steps. As he approached Ramic, he stretched forth his arm, requesting in an amiable manner.

"Come on buddy, just give it back.... I am not in the mood of playing this game."

"That's the point" replied back Ramic, swinging the briefcase back and forth, he added that since Akki is exhausted by taking classes all day, then why not play little to sway his mood off this environment, it could give his mind a bit of relaxing. "After all, Professors play as much as their own students, you know buddy". Ramic beamed a huge smile as he hung the bag to the back of his shoulder.

Even though he wasn't Akki's closest friend, but he has been friends with him long enough to guess what Akki would say next, that's why he mentioned the actions of other Professors.

As Akki got to him, he quickly turned to the side and jumped down the whole 13 steps of stairs, again looking up at him before climbing off the next thirteen stairs and landing to the first floor. Akki was left behind, still smiling at his friend.

He reminded him "Ramic, I am a teacher here and there are still other Professors around. If they get a glimpse of us messing around. It's going to be a horrible morning tomorrow".

This was the one that Ramic guessed.

"See, I knew you'd say that" leaned the boy by the wall as he waited for Akki to make a move, it seems that Ramic really was here for fun not just to pick up his friend from the school. He was in full eagerness of causing trouble and have fun inside this building full of knowledge, called school.

For a few seconds, Akki stood there just grinning at his friend who was looking down at the first floor, paying no attention to his friend who was on the top, a sentence got up his guard.

"So this is how you want it to be.....Ok, you get what you wish!"

'Let's have fun for a few seconds...'

The moment Ramic looked up at his friend, Akki moved a few steps back, fitting his hat on his head and rushed forward with haste, jumped on the handle attached to the stairs and slid down straight towards Ramic, it seems both would collide with each other but when Akki reached out his arm to grab the bag, Ramic swung to the side and jumped downstairs, laughing with excitement,

"Hahaha now you're moving!" he landed gently without any noise like a cat, avoiding any disturbance to the study hall however, he was still not secure at this state, Akki was sliding down on the handle expertly straight towards him. Reaching the last five staircases, he jumped off the handle heading straight for him, when Akki missed his friend by a hair's breath, he tried landing carefully so he wont make any noise as he saw Ramic running away with his bag swinging back and forth making him smile awkwardly.

"You are not doing your best AKKI!!" called out the playful youth and ran off.

Creating a huge pressure on his legs, Akki rushed after him with soft steps, they both ran all around the corridors and also in the hallways where classes were held with Professors, they were taking strict classes with silent students, the students heads glued on the books, both crossed by windows and opened doors without a single step of disturbances.

Unfortunately, in every class there were inattentive students, it's natural, those students noticed an outsider who wasn't recognized, but then were shocked out of their skin to get the glimpse of their favorite teacher which brought a question into their minds.

"Teacher Akki is running in the hallway?"

This was unbelievable, they couldn't believe their eyes.

When the two continued running, Ramic stopped by a window of a class, jumping with the bag high as though he was signaling him try and catch up.

Meanwhile, in the classroom behind the window, the students were taking a test when all of a sudden some of the students were shocked, not because their sight ran onto Ramic who rushed past the window, but Teacher Akki rushed past as well.

"IT'S TEACHER AKKI!" shouted six students, jumping off their seats shocking the other classmates and the teacher as well.

"What is going on?" came a call of trouble, the Professor of Physics, Mister Jack, was glaring at the six students whom he recalled as troublemakers.

"You six will be marked failed!" were his final remarks for them.

This rendered them pale and speechless. Why was this happening?

At the time of midterm test they were easily disqualified, the shocking scene they just saw that led them to this situation, who would even believe their words, most would say they are making excuses.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Even while running, Akki heard this and apologized inwardly to them, he accelerated his steps to catch that trouble maker, he knew if this went on, the problems will be multiplied over him at the very next day.

"If I reach the door, it's good bye to your bag!" warned the trouble maker as he rushed straight to the exit.

Just as few paces were remaining for Ramic to grab the door open, suddenly he got caught from behind as though someone had dragged his arm but, then was pushed front that shoot him out of the school building.

In the open yard of the school, two people could be seen falling onto the school lawn before both jumped sideways rolling apart and huffing under the evening red sky.

The lawn was so quiet compared to the inside that they could hear their breathing resonating loud, but a giggle echoed and then it broke into a loud laughter of the two people sitting at a distance from each other.

Akki and Ramic.

The two youths who played catch all the way out and crashed on the lawn laughed at the end in relief and smiled at their behaviors.

"So how was it?" asked Ramic, sitting with his legs stretched out.

"I won buddy" replied Akki "cause I got my bag" he showed him the reason of all troubles, his own briefcase.

"When did you get that?!" surprised Ramic unable to digest the fact that the bag had returned to him.

To be honest, Akki did grab the bag away from his friend when they fell out accidentally, he slipped on the floor that made him crash over Ramic, which resulted in shooting both the boys out of the exit, this was the true fact Akki explained to his friend.

"Well, you are the same Akki. Just like I and Hamoki knew you" laughed the boy.

But instead, this statement shattered Akki's enjoyment, his smile faded with it his pleasure waned making him feel a sudden burden within himself, his fist shivered as he lost all his words, his eyes covered by the hat.

"What's wrong?" asked Ramic innocently noticing this sudden twist in mood, suddenly, he facepalmed, realizing his mistake.

The name Hamoki.....

This was the reason to all the shattered enjoyment.

Here at this moment Akki's face was painted in regret while hanging aside, he was trembling and suffering in his own heart trying hard to hold his emotions. Even though, his friend was nearby but, how could he persuade him after what has happened in the past.

On the other hand, it was cruel for Ramic too for speaking out that painful name. He wasn't supposed to say it. It hurt his friend. It broke him. It gave pain to Akki. It suffered him so much but, then how could you control your emotions?

How could Ramic hold off from saying the name of the person, when the fun they were having was also once a part of that person, it was obvious that Ramic was also regretful of the past and missed him but, then it wasn't even his fault for saying so?

Both were trapped in the same prison.

For a few minutes, both of them sat in silence with their backs next to each other, not a word spoken, yet as the fact goes the one who caused troubles should also fix it, and here was Ramic's turn, he sent his gaze towards the black gate of the school which was half opened and half closed then asked while smiling.

"Among the morning classes, you are always the last one to leave and I guess the first one to arrive right?" asked Ramic wadding along while Akki nodded his head in silence.

This silence was well familiar to him, sighing, he arose brushing away the dust from his clothes then paced towards his friend and said while presenting his hand, "Come Akki...."

Akki got surprised and looked up at his friend who was smiling in cheers, "Let's go. This place is too busy for us to stay..."

Staring at Ramics white gloves, Akki accepted his hand and stood up, he was smiling, finally, which was a relief for his friend, Walking alongside each other, they headed out towards the gate.

Walking out the gate, both of them stepped out into a quiet street, where the golden street light illuminated their way under the star filled night sky.

Guided by Ramic, they crossed the street towards the parking lot where several other shiny cars being illuminated by the moonlight. It appears to be of the Professors inside the school who were taking the evening classes.

On the side, from all the well kept cars a used and unkept blue car could be seen blinking.

"Take your seat Akki" Ramic offered the entrance to his friend, Akki just smiled and took the passenger.

In this blue car where the red haired Ramic was the driver and Akki the passenger. They passed over the teacher's case, stored it at the rear seat while both buckle up the seat belt. Ramic turned the key, raced the engine and drove out of the parking line through the narrow silent street and left out of the school street where Akki was a teacher.

Travelling along the long and empty road accompanied by the moonlight, Ramic in the driver seat and Akki in the passenger seat was looking out the side window as he was sitting silently, leaning on the door with his palm under his chin.

During this ride, he felt a bit disturbed and asked, "Why waste money on gas when we can get home faster and for a lot cheaper".

Akki suggested in his ever increasing boredom, he didn’t care much for the cost it might take up for him, he always prioritized his friends above his own needs.

Back there when they were playing catcher-catcher, Akki could easily win, but then things would become obsolete, boring, and most importantly, wouldn’t be fun for his friend.

"Let's have fun for a sec..."

And about this friend, he didn't like troubling him much, On the other hand.

"Well, picking you up, driving along your side I thought of giving it a try, you don't mind, right?" Ramic couldn’t help but grin while asking this question, stopping at a red light he glanced towards Akki.

"Haha, then it will be fun" laughed Akki at his cheeky friend's scheme.

The traffic light turned green, pressing the right blinkers they turned towards the right, driving on an open road with few cars running along.

Three cars passed by while Ramic opened his mouth.

"You are still trying to run away from the past, right, I don't doubt that it caused a horrible result and you are also having a lot of trouble piling up". Judging from Akki's odd silence, something was really bothering him, he knew Akki's cheering and friendly personality well, quick cooperating and always smiling. A perfect proof of why the students were crazy of him.

However, here the true complexion of his heart appeared.

He heard it all, a topic that Ramic opened obviously trying to help him, only for his attention to be pulled away by worries, that's why he didn't reply.

The worries?

Answering this question is like trying to break through a brick wall reinforced with cement, after thirty minutes of suffocating silence, a voice filled in sorrow answered,

"It's just a burden I created my whole life, in the end, brought death upon someone I..." with deep regrets he couldn't continue his words, they were stuck in his throat, "I wish I had never met him... "

Ramic let out a sigh then leaned back and slowly came to a stop at another red traffic light, he hung his head on the steering wheel and replied "Don't blame yourself like this Akki, it's not your fault" he tried to console him, the red light turned green and they drove on "you can't just stop everything here, you can’t let his death be in vain".

This stabbed Akki's heart as he clenched his teeth and yelled "I'm only alive because of HIS sacrifice! And for what, for me to live a worthless life longer?! Why do I deserve to live after such an event…… tell me" his end words barely a whisper, he asked with wrath towards his own powerlessness, at his own incompetency and sadness towards the lost life of an important friend.

Akki, is only one thousands with the same burden, with the same pain, and it was hard to find anyone who could truly understand his pain.

His only company, Ramic, couldn't do nor say anything his hands were empty, his lips shut close, all he did was drive in silence.

A sad fact to admit, but he wasn't as close to Akki as his best friend was, Ramic just arrived seven months ago in Akki's life thus, he felt him as a close friend more than a brother. For him Akki was all that he had and remained.

Turning right, the blue car arrived into a beautiful countryside, the streetlights stopped appearing, only the moonlight illuminated the road now, surrounded by a magnificent nature.

On the left side, were trees assembled like royal guards greeting every visitor into the valley, the trees looked magnificent in their own way, their crowns kept the moon from fully reaching every crook and cranny while also protecting them from heat and cold.

Behind them, were dark green plains, glittering of dew touched grass filling up the plains and running into the distance as far as the eyes can see, guarded by large verdant mountains filled to the brim with bushes, trees and vegetation, the peaks reaching the ever so distant heavens, passing by the clouds and disappearing, a peaceful and mesmerizing aura permeating from it.

On the left, were hills running down towards the flowing river that was sparkled by the moonlight reflecting it's beauty on the clear mirror under the clear night sky.

There were no signs of humans or cars around, just the right and perfect place for a picnic, Ramic parked the car safely under a tree, away from the road and stopped the engine.

Akki looked at Ramic who nodded with a smile, he opened the door and helped himself out into the nature as he slowly paced to the front of the car.

Without a word, he got out of the car and looked at the view taking everything it had to offer, the bloody red coat of Akki seeming darker than ever before, while the ocean blue coat of Ramic ever so bright, reflecting the moonlight.