He ran through hallways - so many of them he couldn't even count them anymore. His breaths were heavy and fast as he kept running. There was no end to this - every time he thought he was going to find an exit he found more corridors instead.

He wasn't sure what he was doing - running away? Looking for something? Or just trying to get out of there?

~8~

It was the fourth time Sengoku faulted his serve that day. The second year he was playing against took points from him so easily he didn't even sweat, looking very much surprised at the process.

He stayed long in the shower after practice was over, letting the warm water run over his body as he tried to keep his eyes open. Saying he didn't sleep well at night would be an underestimate. The truth was he slept for just one hour before waking up sweating and breathing heavily.

His dream was still burned in his mind - corridors. Tens, no, hundreds of them. And he ran, more and more until his lungs burned with the need for air and his legs collapsed under him. When he woke up - he didn't even know what made him wake up - he felt like he just finished a marathon.

Finally he turned the water off and got out of the shower, wearing his school uniform after drying himself quickly. He sighed. It has been like that every night for the past few weeks. It really started to exhaust him. Putting his tennis racket in his locker and grabbing his back off the floor he left the locker room, locking the place behind him and leaving the key at its regular place under the plant.

All he wanted to do was getting home and sleep until morning, forgetting that entire day. Miname-buchou approached him after training and told him he had to pull himself back together if he wanted to take part in their upcoming match. Sengoku wanted to shout it wasn't his fault he couldn't sleep at nights, but he just kept quiet and nodded, promising to fix whatever was wrong. His mother called the clinic and he had an appointment the day after tomorrow. At least he would be able to get sleeping pills.

His hope for getting home as fast as possible and ping himself on his bed faded the moment the school gates appeared in front of his eyes. On the low gray stone wall sat his girlfriend, Takahashi Harumi, tapping her leg over the ground with a worried expression. Cursing under his breath, Sengoku approached her with an apologizing smile.

She stood up the moment she saw him, putting the red headphones that were in her ears back in her school bag. "Sengoku," she said with a voice that made it clear she was waiting an explanation.

"Harumi-chan, I'm sorry I -"

"You forgot, didn't you?"

He nodded. "I'm so sorry," he said again. "I'll make it up to you, I swear!"

She laughed, not at all amused. "Sengoku, today was supposed to be a make up for the last time. And last time was supposed to be a make up for the time before. This is the third time already!"

He said nothing in return.

Harumi sighed and her face fell. "Do you even care anymore?"

When he didn't return that either and lowered his gaze to the ground between them she took a step back. "Goodbye, Sengoku-san." And then she turned around and left the place, leaving the ginger guy alone at school.

"Lucky," he murmured without any hint of happiness. He stood there for a few more moments and then started heading home. He desperately needed that sleep.

~8~

He thought it would hurt more, but in fact it felt just like a small twitch in his heart and then it passed. He wasn't like those people in stories who died from the inside, who couldn't live after a break up. He wasn't hurt, he wasn't sad. Really, it had to happen someday. Better sooner than later. e would have broke up with her earlier if he knew how.

Two days later the doctor gave him 30 sleeping pills. One every night, take 30 minutes before going to bed. They helped him sleep, but he wasn't less tired. The only difference was now he couldn't run away from his dreams.

His grades ped, putting him in danger of not being able to stay in the tennis club - that if Banji and Miname-buchou haven't decided to take him out yet due to his lack of performance. His ginger hair became more of a mess when he lost the power to fix it every morning, and under his eyes appeared big black bags, the two creating a scary image of him for everyone around him.

The lack of sleep caused not just bad grades and a low tennis level, but also made him nervous and brought exaggerated and  unexpected reaction out of him.

He knew he had to do something to stop it. He just didn't know what.

~8~

"Dude, this guy is flirting with your girlfriend."

"Hmm?" Sengoku raised his eyes to see Harumi chatting happily with a tall guy - Yoshida or something - who was obviously flirting with her, touching her shoulder and moving her hair out of her eyes. "Takahashi-san isn't my girlfriend anymore," he said, not concerned about it as he was concerned about the exam in his hand with the letter F written on it and a comment from his math teacher to come and she him after class.

"What?" Touji sounded shocked. "Since when?"

Sengoku thought for a short moment. "Two weeks I think."

"That's… surprising," his friend said as he looked at the two people who were now laughing from something the guy said. "Who dumped who?"

"She broke up with me when I forgot three dates in a row." He pulled his shoulders. "Guess it had to happen, you know?"

"So that's why you suck so much recently?"

Sengoku raised an eyebrow. "No, it's not. I don't even care, you know? I think I would have broken up with her soon anyway."