Akiko sat outside the Principal's office. I was in for a long day. I had been sent to the hallway for being disrespectful. I was taking the math test at my lonely desk in the hall. I didn't know how to do most of it I started using my cell phone. Needless to say I got caught and am now sitting on this hard wooden bench waiting for one of the boys to come get me. I now wished that I was like Philip who could access anything without the possibility of being caught. I sat there my head hung in shame.

The phone rang on the other end of the line, I was trying to reach one of her ICE contacts. This wasn't the first time that I had seen her in my office this week, and it was only the first week of school. I waited for an answer.

"Hello?" Philip answered the phone. "Who is this?"

"This is the principal at Kazehana High School, and I have Narumi Akiko in my office again. This time for being dishonest on a test. I have no choice but to suspend her for a week. She has been in my office three times this week. I would like to meet you you or her legal guardian to discuss the concerns that I have about her behavior."

"Fair enough. Hidari Shoutarou will be on his way soon." Philip hung up, and shoutarou headed to the school. "You Called, sir?"

"Yes, please come in and have a seat son. I am very concerned about Akiko. You yourself don't look much older than her, but i understand that looks can be deceiving. But I have no choice but to suspend her for a week. In hopes, that when she returns from her temporary break she will have a different attitude about attending this school. Here at Kazehana High DO NOT accept being Dishonesty and Cheating. I am more than sure that her misdeeds will be dealt with. Am I correct in believing this?"

The stern older man said as he watched Shoutarou wince at his choice of words and some of his sternness. I (Akiko) sat there watching Shou-Chan wondering if this brought back memories of my father, I had never seem him so...so... childlike before. It was as if he was the one in trouble.

"y...yes sir." shoutarou said, and then grabbed Akiko's arm, "Lets go, you little brat." he said under his breath.

I grabbed my gear and followed, more like being drug out of the Principal's office behind Shou-Chan. I kept my mouth shut and let him guide my way. I honestly did feel bad that I seemed to not have my shit together this semester, but I was trying. I didn't like seeing my Shou-Chan this way.

"In the RevolGarry. Lets get home." we went without another word.

I sat in the RevolGarry in silence as we rode home. I kept my head down as I was trying to be respectful, the only way I knew how right now.

The thought of that Principal's words reminded me of the boss. he was stern, but firm. it was scary, the resemblance. we got home. "your room while i recover."

"Yes sir." I said as I went straight to my room. I went and sat down at my desk. I took out my biology stuff, and started to do the homework.

"Philip... did you see that?" i went down to the garage.

'See what partner, the way the principal spoke to you or the way she cooperated afterwards?"

"Both. the first was creepy, the second was unreal. very refreshing too. do u remember last night at all?"

"No, not really. Why do you ask? But yes the first was very creeeeeepppppyyyy... And I know that she is really trying now."

"She is trying indeed. We need to get on our stuff too, don't we?"

"Yes, of course we need to get on our stuff, but do you really wanna make her wait that long, with her feeling guilty? I mean I can sense the guilt rolling off of her, in sheets. I don't think she will do well at all until she knows we aren't mad at her." I said as I went to my bag and pulled stuff out.

"true. let me go upstairs and tell her whats going on."

"akiko?"

"It's open." I said from my desk.

"We're not mad at you, we know this kind of stuff happens. but you do need to cool it down." he said as he walked in. "Can i stay and do homework with you?"

"Sure, I don't mind the company." I said as I went back to my work.. I couldn't help but wonder why no one was mad at me but myself. If my father were here, I would surely have been in deep trouble by now. I was so confused. But I went back to my work. At least I tried to.

"You're Troubled. whats bothering you?"

"It's nothing Shou-Chan." I said quietly.

"Don't Lie to me, akiko. your face turns blood red when you do."

"It really is nothing Shou-Chan. I'll be alright." I said as I tried to get back to work, but my mind was still very confused. I looked over to the far wall, as this has always been my bedroom and saw my fathers very old and used leather belt hanging where he left it five years ago, after the last time I had seen him. It was covered in dust.

******FLASHBACK******

My mind reverted back to that day when I was 6 and I had run off and almost drowned. After a strange man dressed in silver and a white scarf and white hat just like the one my father always wore saved me from the lake, the strange man dropped me off here. I went and got changed, I had laid down when my father came bursting through the door, yelling about he heard that I had disobeyed him and left the house. I had lied to him, in hopes that he wouldn't be upset with me. Stupid choice I know now, but back then it seemed better to do that then tell the truth. I remember him pulling his belt off, and doubling it before he came over to the bed, picked me up and laid me next to his leg. He placed a hand in the small of my back and started spanking me with his hand over my recently new, dry clothes. I noticed he stopped after I started crying. But not for long. He had stopped long enough to flip my skirt up, and pull down my leggings that I had been wearing. He grabbed the belt and started spanking me with it. Man did it hurt. I don't remember how much he gave me, but I remembered it hurt alot. After the spanking was done with he told me that he never wanted to do that again, but would if needed.

******END FLASHBACK******
I took a deep breath and went back to my work.
"You OK? you haven't talked much. you spaced out for about 15 minutes there." Shoutarou said.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I said with a half hearted smile.
"Come with me. there's something i want to show you."
I got up and followed you. "Where are we going?"
"Your Father's Sanctuary. a place i haven't been to in a long time, not since..."
"Not since he passed?" I asked as I followed you into my father's once scared, secret place.
"Yes. this was his area to train as Skull. i found the lost driver here. tell me what you see."
"Memories, he used to bring me down here as a baby."
"Really? how come he never told me?"
"I don't know, I don't remember much down here, like I said I was a baby." I said as I wondered over to his overstuffed chair and sat down. I could feel my mind wanting to blurt out those words that I needed to be punished, but I was a big girl now not some Baka who was 6. So I stayed quiet.
"You not being a baka? Now, that's debatable!" shoutarou said with a laugh.
"Ah Mou!" I said as I got up and walked out of the room, I headed back to my room, so that I could drowned myself in the many assignments that I had let build up.
"Wait, Akiko! there was something i wanted to show you. something your father left you!"
I stopped in my tracks, "What is it Shou-Chan?"

"A photo album, that he hid for a long time. its yours."

I took the album, I decided that I would go down memory lane later. Right now I needed to be in a sound proof bubble before I exploded. I went to my room. "Thanks" I said quietly as I left.

"No problem."

I went to my room and laid the album on the desk. I threw myself on the bed. I kicked my legs and failed my arms, and screamed into my pillow for dear life. I didn't understand. Was he always gonna be this half boiled when it came to protecting me. I mean he is doing a great job physically protecting me, but I needed that parental guidance and he couldn't see that past the brim of his damn hat. I kept kicking until I felt better. I stopped kicking after I missed the bed and hit the wall. I laid there in silence and wondered if I was really gonna explode.

Shoutarou heard the noise upstairs and rushed his ass there. "whats going on?"
"Nothing Shoutarou." I said as I laid on my bed, holding onto my pillow.
"You about destroyed the house. whats going on?"
"Nothing, I didn't destroy anything." I said from my bed. I had now gone from laying down to sitting up.
"You hit your foot."
"Yes, I did, But it was because I tripped."
"Bull. the album has been untouched."
"I tripped on my way over to the bed, from putting the album on my desk."
"Try again." Little did akiko know that the billiards shop held its own secret, courtesy of shroud.

"WHY DOES IT FUCKING MATTER TO YOU WHAT I DID? YOU HAVEN'T CARED ALL DAY ABOUT WHAT I HAVE DONE OR WHAT I WILL DO. YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING YOU HALF BOILED EGG! I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU THAT I NEED SOME SORT OF DISCIPLINE. YOUR A FUCKING DETECTIVE, START ACTING LIKE ONE! I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT MY FATHER WOULD HAVE ALREADY HAD MY ASS FOR WHAT I DID TODAY AT SCHOOL... YOU SWORE TO PROTECT ME SO BY DAMN DO YOUR FUCKING JOB!" I screamed as I broke down in tears and ran out of my room. I ran into the sanctuary and curled up into my dad's overstuffed chair and cried.

Shoutarou stood there, stunned.
I stayed there in the chair and I cried, wishing that my father were still here. I didn't really want to be punished but it has been far to long since the last time that I was, and it was starting to show. I didn't like being a BRAT but I couldn't't help it.
Shoutarou quickly regained himself and rushed down to the sanctuary to find it was locked.
"JOKER!"
There was one trick to this door: no matter how it was locked, a Gaia Memory would unlock it. Shoutarou placed the Joker Memory into the slot and then removed it. the door opened.
"Akiko, Come here."
I stayed where I was, as I was not used to Shoutarou using Joker to get to me. I waited for him to return to normal, unless he absolutely needed Philip's help.
"Im untransformed, its ok. Go on and come here."
I got up and walked to the door where you were standing. I didn't say anything. I kept my head down.
"You do realize you're in trouble, yes?"
I shook my head yes, even though I was unsure for what I was in trouble for as I had broken many rules today.

"Because you took off running earlier, needed to talk to me and even after multiple attempts couldn't, and most importantly of all, getting suspended from school."

I kept quiet. I kept my head down. Now I was feeling what I should have been feeling all along. "I'm sorry if I have disappointed you sir. It was never my intention." I said meekly.

"You sure about that? because you don't sound too convinced."

"I am sorry that I disappointed you." I said again as I stayed by your side.

"I know. but its not enough. not enough to satisfy me, or your father."

" I understand sir. What would you like me to do." I said as I lifted my head up. I knew that I had earned whatever I was about to receive so why hang my head in shame, like some common coward? My father would have never allowed that. I kept my head up and look you in the eye.

Shotarou grabbed the belt from the wall and dusted it off. "You know whats coming" he muttered to himself as he went downstairs to the sanctuary.