The Ambassador was nodding. "I recall that scandal. Kamoshida Suguru. It so happens that I was at those particular Olympics." Rei raised an eyebrow. "Not the most sporting individual, but I would hardly have suspected…"

Rei nodded. "No one ever believes the victims."

"I assume that became your guiding principle, then," the man offered. "You started from a place of trusting the victims."

"Trust, but verify," Rei countered. "But we'll get to that. The Metaverse is a powerful tool, regardless of the form it takes. But it has limitations, too. By looking at the Shadow you can tell a lot about the person, but it isn't just the heinous nature of the crime that causes a Shadow to appear." She thought. "That's probably not exactly right. Everyone has a Shadow, but for it to affect the Metaverse there has to be some irreconcilable difference between reality and perception."

"I'm...afraid I don't understand."

Rei smiled. "Let me get on with things, then, and you will."

Rei drew the long knife from across the small of her back. It wasn't a wakizashi, as she had briefly expected, but a European dagger, with a broad, flat, wickedly-edged double blade. She felt power coursing through her body like a blue-hot flame, as well as the demonic thief behind her, hovering, waiting.

Her opponents seemed so...pathetic now. Stupid. Childish men with no check on their desires. She smiled wickedly at the weakest-looking of them. The one who wore the crown of 'King Kamoshida.' "Bring it."

Kamoshida pointed directly at her. "Kill him!"

"Now does not seem to be the time for bargaining" Adler said from behind her. "I am thy fury. Unleash me on thy foes."

Rei grinned at her 'other self's' comment. She pointed at Kamoshida, in between the knights. "Destroy him."

Adler waved her hand, and ghosts and spirits flowed up through the floor, all seeming to target the barely-dressed man. He screamed and tried to flee, but the ghosts were far too fast, swarming over him. Kamoshida screamed as the chilly forms passed through him, leaving a frostbite that had little to do with the cold. He stumbled and fell, backing away into the corner.

Rei was about to scream 'again' when the knights moved into position to block her. "Thy own power is not inconsiderable. These things I give to you." Rei nodded up to the demon. She charged between the knights, far faster than she ever could have managed as just herself. She saw an opening in the armor of her opponents, between the face mask and the neck, and leaped almost a meter, spinning herself in an impossible arc to slide the dagger across each knight's throat. They reached up as though their throats had been slit completely open, before melting into the ground.

Rei casually strode to Kamoshida, who was now in the corner, staring at her in horrified fascination. "What dost thou wish?"

Rei considered it for a moment. "Where's Ryuji-kun?" she asked him.

"I-i-in the dungeons!" Kamoshida responded.

"Thanks!" She said brightly, before slamming the butt of the dagger into the man's temple. He slumped to the ground, unconscious. She thought about it for a second, then kicked him in the crotch. "Asshole."

She glanced down and realized she was still in the chains. A pair of high kicks, and the cuffs snapped. "Child's play." Then she realized she still needed her things. They were easy enough to get at now, but carrying them would be a pain. Then she looked at the pouch. "...I wonder."

Despite the pouch being barely big enough to hold her fist, an entire book bag and duffel bag, filled with everything she needed for school, fit neatly inside. "Woah, this is too weird. Like I'm some sort of demon mahou shoujo." She looked up behind her to Adler for some more advice, but the demon was gone. "Hey!"

I am thou. Call me when thou dost have need in battle.

Okay, that makes sense. Rei conceded. Especially with the Phantom Thief vibe of the outfit. She'd have had a hard time sneaking around being followed by a giant demon, after all. She tried the door. Not only was it unlocked, but she lucked out and there was a large planter with a tree nearby. With her seemingly magical strength, it was absolutely no problem to push it in front of the door. There. That'll slow him down. I don't see any other guards, and if he had the key on him I don't want to know. Don't suppose you know how to pick locks, Adler.

Alas, that is a skill thou shall learn in time.

Rats.

The castle was absolutely swarming with guards. That would have been a problem, but they seemed to be staggering around as if drunk, and as long as Rei didn't directly stand in front of one, she found she was completely invisible to them. There was one scary moment when two pumpkin-headed scarecrows, riding about on flying brooms, flew past her while cackling with the voices of young boys, but she ignored that when they went right by her as well. Eventually, she reached the dungeons.

It was absolutely awful. The screams of tortured prisoners echoed through the halls, while the guards lumbered about their patrol patterns in the same daze as the one above. Rei carefully moved from hiding spot to hiding spot, creeping along close behind as they opened and closed doors so as not to get left behind. She knew she'd have to attack a guard sooner or later, but it seemed foolish to provoke an armed response if she didn't have to.

It wasn't until the third cell block that she found what she was looking for. Ryuji's voice was echoing up the hall. "What the FUCK!? Let me outta here Kamoshida!"

Rei looked, but there didn't seem to be any guards here. They probably tried to avoid the noise. She ran to the cell door. "Ryuji! Calm down!"

Ryuji needed a moment to take in what he was seeing. She waited with a growing sense of irritation while his eyes traveled all over her body before they reached her eyes and she finally saw a glimmer of recognition there. "Wait, dude, you're a girl?!"

Rei groaned. Even now people care more about that? "Yes, Ryuji. I'm a girl."

Ryuji took a moment to process this. "Then why were yah wearing the boy's uniform?"

Rei gritted her teeth, then forced herself to be calm. "Look, it'll take awhile to explain, and you don't have time. Kamoshida's gonna have you executed by those...things."

Ryuji went pale. "Hey, dude, you gotta get me out of this!"

Rei glared at him. "I get enough of that from people who don't want anything from me!" Ryuji took a step away from the bars. "Gyah, sorry. Look, I'll make you a deal. I'll get you out of here and explain everything, and you try to keep that talk down."

Ryuji nodded. "Uh...yeah, no problem. Sorry."

"Hey," A third voice said. "I can get you out of here...but you've gotta help me too." The voice was that of a young boy, coming from one cell deeper in. Rei glanced in, and nearly screamed her head off.

The speaker was an anthropomorphic cat, about two thirds of a meter tall. His head was giant, round, with outsized blue eyes and a small mouth. It's humanoid frame took up less than half of its' body, resulting in an impression of nothing so much as a giant American football, painted half black, half white, and precariously perched on its' neck. "I'm Morgana."

"Heheh...talking cat….okay, I'm dreaming."

"This is no dream!" The cat shouted at her. "Stay with me! There's a small pouch on a hook just outside the cell. It's got my stuff in it."

Rei swallowed and nodded. "Okay, sure." She tossed it into the cell, where the cat caught it, then hopped up and reached through the bars. Seconds later, the cat and Ryuji were both freed. "Woah...cool. Can you teach me how to do that?"

"Sure...if you promise to help me out in return." The cat said. "I'm Morgana by the way. And for today, why don't we just focus on getting the dead weight out of here?"

"Hey!" Ryuji shouted.

Morgana looked at him. "You don't have a Persona like this girl, right?" He made a gesture at Rei. "That makes you dead weight. No matter how strong your body is, without a Persona you can't do anything in the Metaverse."

Rei swallowed. "I'm sorry, but I think he's right, Ryuji-kun. Until this happened, I couldn't do anything. That bastard tried to stick me in his harem, and….ugh. I'm gonna give him such a stabbing when we get out of here."

Morgana shook his head rapidly. "No! That isn't the real one!"

"Huh?"

Morgana sighed. "It's complicated. But the first thing you need to know, if you're a newbie, is that your Persona can't manifest in the real world. I mean, it can but you gotta be really strong. There's no way you're that powerful your first time out."

Rei hung her head in disappointment. There go my dreams of being an elegant thief by night, I guess. "Okay, so if this isn't the real world, what is it?"

"Broadly speaking, you're in the Metaverse," Morgana explained. "That's….kind of a place where the collective unconscious of humanity has a physical form and can be affected by your actions. The guards are actually what's called Shadows, living manifestations of human dreams and wishes that have become twisted. None of this is . . . well, 'real' isn't the right word, but. . . "

Rei nodded. "Okay, we can go with that. More specifically, where are we?"

"That Kamoshida guy's Palace."

Rei tried to put that together. "Euw! We're in the gym teacher's mind?! Kami, I'm gonna need every shower in the universe!"

Morgana chuckled. "You pick things up pretty quick."

Ryuji was slowly looking more and more panicked as the back-and-forth went on. "I don't get half of this, but shouldn't we be getting out of here?"

"Fortunately, no one ever comes down here unless it's time for an execution," Morgana said. "Good thing too."

Rei nodded. "Okay, so I did not, in fact, actually knock out my gym teacher, kick him in the crotch, and lock him in a bedroom. Okay…" She repeated the word. "Will the 'real' one remember that part?"

"Fortunately, no." Morgana's voice reflected Rei's own relief. "Maybe as a dream. But it'll still affect his subconscious reactions to you."

"Greaaaat. Hope he doesn't like to check in on the locker rooms." Rei grumbled. "Anyway, I think that's all I wanted to know. We'll have to be careful. I think I had it easy because he was knocked out, but once he recovers this place will be on high alert."

Rei winced as another scream echoed through the halls. "Wish that would stop," she muttered. She was currently on one knee, leaning out to peer around the corner at another patrol pattern. "Morgana-san, you seem to know what's what around here. Why would...that...be happening? I get Kamoshida's a creep, but it sounds like they're torturing people."

Morgana made a little hmm sound from where he stood at the rear. "You said he was a gym teacher, but does he do anything else?"

Ryuji was between them, trying to keep an eye out while Rei restrained him with one hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, he's the volleyball coach. His practices are really brutal, though."

Rei swallowed. "But so bad they count as - " another scream cut her off. "...that?"

"They must be," Morgana said quietly. "This place is how he thinks of himself and the school. If he didn't realize how bad it was, they wouldn't be…"

Ryuji finally pulled away from the corner. "We have to go back for'em!"

Rei grabbed him. "Ryuji-kun, think!" The boy practically snarled, but she squeezed down on his shoulder. "No, seriously. They can't be real, or he wouldn't have any students on the team. My guess is that they're just….illusions. Reflections of the real guys as he sees them."

"Then...then…" Ryuji seemed to be at a loss. "Can't we at least use it to find out who he's doin' this to in the real world?"

Morgana said "That's actually not a bad idea! But…"

Rei leaned out again. "I hear you. Morgana-san, do you think I can come back here?"

"Sure!" Morgana said excitedly. "I thought I was going to have to force you."

Rei chuckled. "Okay. Ryuji-kun, no offense, but today, let's just get out of here. I promise I'll come back on a fishing expedition once you're out of danger...another day. We've still got to try to salvage the school day too." She could almost see the objection forming in his mind. "No. There's no way he's doing that much in the real world. I'm sure he's awful, and we're going to have to let him get away with it for today. For. Today. I swear to you, if we can figure out how to get this done, we'll save them."

Ryuji finally agreed. "I guess it would just be more trouble if I got caught too. I don't have one of those Persona things."

Rei 'whew'ed internally, then looked to the hallway in question. "Okay, so, I don't see any way to sneak by."

"How'd you get down here?" Ryuji asked.

Rei bit her lip. "Well, when I was coming the other way, Kamoshida was still recovering from when I knocked him out. The fake Kamoshida, anyway."

Morgana interrupted. "That must have been his Shadow. Every Palace has one Shadow that controls the whole thing. Their desires become so twisted around that it warps the Metaverse around them and even compels weaker Shadows to become its' servants."

"Okay...so when I managed to knock Kamoshida's Shadow out, it disrupted his control for a bit." Rei said speculatively.

"Yes." Morgana said. "You must have caught him by surprise with your transformation."

Rei chuckled. "I guess I was a bit overly-dramatic. In the real world I would've been out flat for stopping like that, but in the moment he was so stunned that I actually got the drop on him."

"Don't count on that again," Morgana cautioned. "Anyway, you're on the right track. Those guards are basically untouchable unless the Shadow thinks they are. You'll have to do something to disrupt the control Kamoshida has over them. Even if you try to attack them straight up, he'll just make more." Morgana hmmd. "You can't just break the connection completely, but I think...yes! You'll probably be able to force the Shadows into their true form if you remove that face mask."

Rei nodded. "Okay. And like this I'm way faster and stronger than in the real world." She smiled. "Right, quiet."

The guard had turned around and was coming back up the hallway. Rei counted the steps in her mind, one, two, three times. Ryuji was getting antsy, but the fourth time it turned, Rei struck. A single foot lashed out from behind the statue into the back of the knight's knee, bringing it down, and then Rei leaped onto it's back. She managed to get both hands around the face plate and ripped, rolling backwards to the ground and over, to her feet, drawing her knife.

By the time she was ready to complete the follow-through, she was brought up short. Instead of a face, the Shadow had simply more of the inky blackness that had been following her around the Metaverse. The whole creature simply dissolved, and formed into a giant horse. Two meters and change tall, with a dark purple coat and red glowing eyes. The creature's head was also crowned with two long, curling horns, like a ram's. It lowered its head at her as if to charge. "Adler!"

Nothing happened.

Rei felt a moment of panic seize her, but Morgana whipped out of hiding, leading a charge with a bowie knife the size of his own head and cut deep into the beast. "Not like that! It's a part of you! Channel your emotions!"

Rei growled. "ADLER!" The demon reappeared, and with it the spirits that hadn't really done much beyond intimidating Kamoshida's Shadow. This time, though, the beast simply...vanished. "...I'm not sure if that's cool or terrifying. Did I just banish someone's soul to Hell?"

Morgana laughed. "You've sure got an imagination on you. No, that was just a Shadow. It's just a reflection of someone, maybe not even still alive. If you can't recognize them, they're too disconnected from the person that created them for any damage to be done."

Rei grinned. "Oh, good." She wavered on her feet. "Damn, I'm getting tired."

"Yeah," Morgana agreed. "Your first time puts a real strain on you. Anyway, we're almost to the outer wall. There's probably an exit at the other end of the hall." When they had gotten there, it was just...another wall. There was another Shadow at the far end, but it wasn't paying any attention. "Okay, up here."

Rei looked, but couldn't see anything beyond a lone barrel and a support beam. "Huh?"

"Jump up!"

Rei sighed, and did so. Near the ceiling, the shadows retreated and she could see…"Huh? A ventilation shaft?"

"For real?" Ryuji exclaimed. "You're just like a real thief, crawling through ducts and stuff!"

Rei rolled her eyes and lowered a hand. "Here. Don't strain yourself with that leg." Once he was up, Rei pried the vent covering it open off with her knife and they crawled through, rolling out and on top of some crates. She looked around, and sighed with relief. "Oh, good, we're at the entrance. Now we just need to get away, get out of the Metaverse, and come back and it'll be the school again?"

Morgana nodded. "How did you get here in the first place?"

Rei frowned, and pulled her phone out of the pouch. "My phone's stuck on this app. It showed us here…."

Morgana nodded. "Good. That's probably your ticket out. I'll stay here for today. Don't worry, I won't get caught a second time. Come back in a few days. I can scout around in the meantime."

Rei nodded. "Okay. Seeya then."

"Seeya," Ryuji echoed.

Back in the real world, it took Rei only a few moments to put her hair back. She looked to Ryuji. "Shibuya station, after school, in the underground mall. There's a handicapped bathroom, right?" Ryuji nodded hesitantly. "Meet me there if you want your answers about...me. Until then, if anyone asks, my name's Ren, I'm definitely a boy, and not a girl."

"Wait, what?"

Rei growled. "It's already fourth period. There is no time right now. Please do this for me. I could be expelled if you blab, and that would be bad. I mean, worse than just being expelled."

Ryuji scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, I don't really get it, but if it's that important I'll do it. But you'd better come clean after school."

Rei looked at him another moment, but she realized she didn't have any more time. She ran through the front gates, changed her shoes as quickly as possible, and made it to the teacher's office as quickly as she could. "Sensei? Kawakami-sensei?"

The first thing Rei noticed about the woman was that she was exhausted. She wasn't quite at the point of collapse, but Rei had seen that look before. The brown hair was just a bit scraggly, and her eyes gave the impression she wasn't all there. That look quickly vanished as soon as she realized Rei had spoken. "Where were you? Late on the first day, and four periods!"

Rei gulped. "I'm really, really sorry," she said, bowing and making sure her voice was pitched correctly. Just be Ren again. It's just for a year, you'll manage. "A 'friend' from my old school recommended a bugged navigation app to me. By the time I realized it was sending me to Shuujin Academy by mistake - "

"There's no Shuujin Academy in Tokyo," the teacher said crossly.

Rei swallowed. "I didn't realize my mistake until it tried to get me to board a Shinkansen to Osaka. Who knows where it would have sent me after that. By that point, I was thoroughly lost." She bowed again. "I really am very sorry."

Kawakami grabbed her head. "First this, then Kamoshida suddenly doesn't feel well." Rei carefully kept her expression neutral. "You're making a lot of trouble already. I hope this isn't going to be how your school career goes."

Rei couldn't quite resist the joke. "I was hoping to get my allotment out of the way so I could get down to being a normal student for awhile."

Kawakami glared at her. "You understand your situation, right?"

Rei just sighed. "I have to pretend to be a boy aga-"

"No, you are a - " Kawakami started to snap, but Rei managed a single look of anger that cut her off. "All right, all rightl. I guess whether you're pretending or not doesn't matter, as long as you do it." She walked past Rei, clearly intending for her to follow. "Once the period ends I'll introduce you to the class. Oh, and I'll have to inform your guardian about this little slip-up."

Rei murmured a quiet 'yes' and followed. The break still had students loitering in the halls, getting the last of their lunches and gossip in. As she walked by, most of the gossip shifted. 'Hey, is that the transfer student?' 'I heard he killed someone,' 'He looks so small and quiet,' 'I heard he's a tenth dan karate master' 'Don't be stupid, he's just a complete psycho. He looks normal, but you look back wrong and he'll tear out your throat with his bare teeth.'

Someone blabbed. Rei growled to herself. But why only about the assault? Surely if they wanted me out of here they could have just leaked I'm a girl and that would be the end of it. Then the walk was over, and they were in class. Rei barely heard the teacher's introduction, walking up to the board and writing the kanji for her old name. Turning around, she bowed. "It's very nice to meet you all for the first time," she said, sticking to the gender-neutral as much as possible. It helped. "My name is Ren Amamiya. I'll be here for the rest of this year, so please welcome me." She bowed, grateful that her misadventures earlier hadn't put any of her clothes out of place.

She looked around the classroom for an empty seat, and also to try to familiarize herself with her classmates. The first thing that drew her eye was the number of students sporting injuries. It honestly reminded her of the dojo around testing time, but as far as she knew schools were still forbidden from having serious budo martial arts clubs. What kind of sports could injure people that consistently? Kendo? I didn't think Shujin had a club that was that popular.

One guy in particular stood out. He was one of the few boys that even she would stand over, although then not by much. He had his hair cut neat, but apparently he was hot because the regulation blazer was over the back of his seat. A fever? If so, either he was unlucky as heck or he was injured even more than Rei estimated. The bandage across his cheek could just have been a simple cut, but the way he had one of his feet twisted indicated an ankle sprain, his left wrist was obviously recovering from another, and she guessed that his other leg probably had a few bruises. Someone's favorite punching bag, Rei concluded disgustedly.

He might be the favorite, but he wasn't the only. There was a girl and two other boys in the room with similar injuries, plus a black eye on one of the boys. No way. The sprains I could see, maybe the black eye, but there's no way properly-played volleyball is equal to a Kyokushin test. He would have to be trying to get this many injuries.

However, there wasn't a whole lot of selection in seats. In fact, the only option seemed to be behind the blonde she had seen get into Kamoshida's car earlier. "Sensei, should I use that spot or is the class being rearranged today?"

Kawakami looked surprised at Rei's complete shift in attitude. "Uhh...that's fine."

Rei took the seat, very careful to adjust her pose to one she wouldn't have dared in the uniform she preferred. She exchanged a glance with the girl, and gave her a small nod and what she thought was a hopeful smile. The class itself erupted into whispers, which she did her best to ignore. The ones about her were easy enough. She'd sat in the hall long enough to know what to expect, but one in particular caught her attention. 'Is she cheating on him with Kamoshida-sensei?'

She pulled out her book and began to follow along in class. If I'm a model student, they will pay less attention to me. She was even able to respond to her name being called out in the middle of a particularly boring lecture. She was thankful for that too, because she noticed the teacher had picked up a piece of chalk and was looking for a target, judging by the way he had it cupped in his palm rather than held to write with.

When the next class break came up, Rei pulled out her lunch - a couple of rice balls she'd snagged at the neighborhood conbini, but sighed. There was something that needed to be addressed first. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." Which would be because no one had said it, given her late introduction.

The blonde in front of her turned, though, which was a good sign. "Oh, I'm Ann. Ann Takamaki."

Rei smiled politely. "Takamaki-san. I remember you from earlier, with the man in the car."

Ann's expression fell. "Oh, right, that…"

Rei internally cursed. This wasn't going well, but she had to say it. "I'm afraid I made an unwarranted assumption, before Sakamoto informed me of everything. For that, I sincerely apologize."

Ann glared at Rei. "Did you have to bring it up?"

Rei winced, and Ann's expression softened slightly. "It's...yes. I did. I…" she quickly realized where she was. "For the moment, please just allow me to say that I should have known better than to make assumptions."

Now Ann's expression was just confused. "Uhm...okay?"

Rei swallowed. "Always, always be kind. It's . . . something my father tried hard to teach me." She shrugged helplessly. "I don't always live up to it, and it's gotten me in trouble…"

Ann tilted her head in confusion. "Are you coming on to me?"

Rei shook her head. "Don't get me wrong. You're beautiful, but I have a gi-er, someone back where I came from."

Ann quirked an eyebrow. "O...okay. You're a strange one. Nice, but strange." Ann glanced at the clock, but there were still a few minutes in the break. "I'm not sure you should be getting mixed up with Sakamoto, though."

Rei chuckled. "I'm aware, but he did manage to get me un-lost. I owe him something for that."

Ann seemed satisfied with that. "Just be careful."

Rei was, in fact, careful. Careful to vanish as soon as school was over. She blended into the crowds on the way to the train station, as soon as she was off, and on her way to the family restroom she had mentioned to Ryuji earlier. She glanced around to make sure no one was paying particular attention, then locked the door behind her as soon as she was in.

The hair was first. It was a bit of genius, in her mind, the way she'd managed to get it so she could go back to a hairstyle she could actually live with with a few tugs. It took some effort to go the other way, but she wasn't complaining. She tore off the school uniform so fast that she was almost afraid she'd damaged it. She couldn't fit anything fancy into a school bag, but she managed some leggings, a jean skirt, and a white T-shirt in her proper sizes. She folded up her glasses and put them away, and the transformation was complete.

Ryuji was standing with his back to the toilet when she got out, and she smiled to herself. "Hey," she said. "Looking for me?"

"Huh?" Ryuji spun around. "Wh-whoa...duuuu.." he caught a sudden flicker of annoyance in her expression. "...I'm gonna shut up."

Rei giggled. "Just this once, I'll let you get away with that. Uhm...know somewhere cheap to eat? I don't get any sort of allowance and I haven't been able to figure out a part time job yet."

Ryuji grinned. "This time it'll be on me." Rei looked like she was about to protest. "Hey, you saved my life and kicked Kamoshida's brain so hard I got out of PE. That's worth a bowl of ramen at least."

Rei giggled again. "Okay, when you put it like that, I accept. It's not a date though."

"Just two new friends going out for a bite," Ryuji confirmed. "Even if you are cute, I get the feeling I don't know everything."

Ryuji even covered Rei's subway fare to the place he had in mind, which Rei was grateful for. They made their way down to the subway platform in companionable silence, stepping into the lines crowded with students making their way home, to after-school hangouts, or part-time jobs.

Rei started to feel a bit awkward when she heard the sound of screeching metal. Looking around, she didn't see any obvious source, but the sound was coming from the subway tunnel. "LOOK OUT!" She shouted, grabbing Ryuji and dragging him to the ground. Moments later, the train screamed through at a speed that would give an airplane a run for its' money. Just as it reached the far end of the track, it derailed, sending debris and shrapnel flying through the platform. The signs hanging overhead rattled on their chains, and one fell down, sending even more glass flying through the room over the pair. As the initial damage died down, the screaming started.

Ryuji returned the favor, pulling Rei up and setting her down. Supporting each other, they managed to make it up the stairs and back into the nearby shopping arcade in record time. "You...you hurt?" he asked her.

"No." Rei said after looking herself over to confirm it. "You?"

"Maybe bumped my head a little, but it's nothing," Ryuji said. He was surprised when Rei suddenly leaned in way the hell too close for comfort, although her eyes were far too hard for it to feel intimate. "H-hey!"

Rei shook her head. "Can't be too careful, especially with head injuries," she said.

Ryuji desperately sought a way to change the topic, and looked down at the train station. "...you know what, let's go hit up the diner instead. Ain't ramen, but it's way better than Big Bang Burger."

Rei nodded. "Gimmie a sec. Need to call my guardian."

She called in, and Sojiro answered his phone with a sigh. "What is it? I'm busy, and I already heard about your being late."

"Turn on the news," Rei said, trying hard not to snap. "If it's not already."

There was a moment of silence. "Wait, you were down there?"

"Yeah. I'm not hurt, but I need a bit." She looked around for a first aid kid, but the sirens indicated that professionals were already on the way. "I'd better get going, but I'm going to have to walk. I should be at the cafe a little after the usual closing time. Sorry about this."

Sojiro delayed his answer for a long time. Almost too long. "I guess this time you can't help it. I'll give you fifteen extra minutes."

"Thanks, Chief." Rei said gratefully. She cut the connection and looked to Ryuji. "Okay, I managed to buy 15 minutes off my usual curfew."

"Where to start…" Rei said, picking at her rice. "Okay, so, yeah. I won't say it again after this, but I'm a girl. It's just...the principal's making me attend as a boy."

Ryuji sat in the wooden booth bench across from her, leaning back and drinking his soda. "Okay. That's weird, but honestly I'm not surprised. I'd hate having ta wear the girls' uniform and stuff and I sure wouldn't put that past him if he could get away with it. So…"

"So?" Rei asked, startled.

Ryuji leaned forward. "How's he getting away with it?" Rei mumbled something under her breath. "Uh...what was that?" Rei mumbled again, only a little louder. "Sorry, didn't catch that."

"...because it's on my birth certificate." Rei finally said. Ryuji stared at her, obviously not sure what to say. She felt herself collapse inwards. Here's where it starts…

Ryuji finally shrugged. "Damn, tough break."

Rei felt her jaw drop. "Wait, you're not gonna - "

"What?" Ryuji grinned like a madman. "Nah, you probably got enough of that shit at your old school. And anyway, ain't my business. We ain't dating. I mean, I got questions, but you don't gotta answer them."

Rei felt gratitude flood her. "Thanks. I thought...well, after everything…"

"Do you mind?" Ryuji asked.

Rei thought about it, but so far this had gone pretty well. And, really, Ryuji was trusting her. The usual battery of questions were just horrifically embarrassing, but at least he'd offered to not ask. If he thought she might flake out, things could go badly. "Sure."

Ryuji nodded. "Well...yeah, can't think of a way to ask this that ain't bad. How do ya look so good? Most newhalfs are kinda…"

Rei nodded. This, she'd expected. "First, I'm not a newhalf. I don't go dancing or entertaining men like that." Ryuji had the good grace to look embarrassed. "Just an ordinary girl with a medical issue. I could do it but I'm not interested." She reached into her book bag and pulled out the pill bottles. "As for my 'secret'...Hormone treatments. I started the battery about a year ago, after puberty blockers, so I already grew up more girl than boy. You can't get surgery in Japan until you're twenty, and anyway my family doesn't make that much. I'd been saving myself too, but...stuff happened."

"Damn, you mean health insurance doesn't cover it?" Ryuji actually growled.

Rei shoveled up a mouthful of rice, no longer able to restrain her hunger. "You'd think, but no. It's still considered 'optional'. I'm damn lucky my pills are covered, and they're still expensive as Hell. I'm getting a stipend from my dad, but it barely covers them on top of food and the occasional trip to the bathhouse unless I want to go black market. That's...not a great idea."

"Damn adults. They just make the world a worse place," Ryuji grumbled while Rei popped her pills back. "That 'stuff' have anything to do with the rumors you tore a man apart or whatever?"

Rei snorted. "It was one lousy punch. I was just trying to get the guy to back off a girl he was assaulting, but I was first dan. Kyokushin, if you must know. Of course, the conviction took care of that too. The woman filed a fake report and I was done."

Ryuji stared at her. "Wow. And I thought I had it tough with Kamoshida." He grinned. "Speaking of, when we going back there?"

"You aren't," Rei said. "Not tomorrow, anyway. I want to see Morgana first and make sure we've got a path to the torture rooms we can keep safe for you. I'll probably have to do that day after tomorrow. Even with the subway accident, the Chief's probably going to expect me home on time tomorrow. Anyway, If we can manage a safe route for you, I'll bring you back in Thursday. If not, sorry, but I still promise to deal with him as best I can."

Ryuji didn't look at all happy about that, but he couldn't see any way around the logic of it. "Okay, it's just, every day we aren't doing something about it is another day he gets to torture those guys."

Rei laughed, finally starting on her salad. "Ryuji-kun, we're high school students. Be glad we can do anything at all."

"Hey, wanna hit the arcade?" Ryuji offered. "I mean - "

Rei shook her head. "Another time, maybe. I gotta get to LeBlanc, and with the subway down I'm walking today. All the way to Yongenjaya. It'll probably take me an hour."

Ryuji froze when a third voice, a girl, added itself to the conversation "Oh, I don't know, you could take a bus…" The girl stepped away from where she was leaning next to the diner's door, turning to the the pair to block their path. Her brown hair was kept neatly trimmed, well above the neck-line. She had piercing features, looking down slightly at Rei she gave the slightest impression of a raptor descending on its' prey with red eyes. "Amamiya Ren."

"Rei!" The named girl was surprised when it wasn't her that shouted it, but Ryuji. "Dammit, and I thought I was the stupid one! I woulda thought you'd know this stuff already, miss Student Council Prez."

'Student Council Prez' looked unimpressed. "Amamiya-kun, Principal Kobayakawa was very specific with you, wasn't he?"

Rei sighed. "Seriously? He's siccing someone on me the first day? And it's not against the rules to change out of your uniform after school."

"It is for you," the other girl said harshly. "After all, it would fall under the general code of immoral - "

Rei slapped her. The girl was so startled that she took a step back before her hands went up, ready to defend herself. Before Rei could follow up, though, Ryuji managed to stop the situation from getting any worse by stepping between them with a glare at the apparen't head of the Student Council. "That's a pretty serious charge, y'know. Especially one ta be making without any proof, Niijima."

"The proof's right here!" 'Niijima' said. "After all, what other purpose could there be for a boy to put on a dress right after school if he's not engaging in - "

Rei cut her off. "Maybe I'm just more comfortable like this. I've got my uniform. Would you like to try it on? Oh, but we'd need a binder of some kind too. My sports bra won't fit you. We could stop by the drug store for bandages if you don't mind being scarred for life."

Niijima suddenly felt herself on the back foot. "Bandages?"

"To bind your breasts back. Bra's not going to cut it for you, not if you really want to look like a boy," Rei practically snarled. "Of course, mine already hurt like hell by the end of the day. I'll probably get used to it, but I bet you'd be howling in agony."

Niijima swallowed, finally looking at Rei more closely. "Wait, you have -"

Rei rolled her eyes. "Yes, they're real dammit!" There was a long moment between them, then Rei pushed past. "I gotta get going. Home, not to 'work.' If you want to check on that, I can't stop you, but it's four kay. Hope you don't mind a long walk."

Rei's wrist was suddenly caught. "We're not done talking, Mister."

Rei gave her a glare. "Then I hope you like walking."

Rei deliberately kept up a pace through the Tokyo streets that she thought would force this 'Niijima' to break off. She knew she couldn't put this off forever, but she hoped to manage it until tomorrow. But no such luck. She turned down the street into the narrow alleyways and looked over her shoulder. No longer needing to hide, Niijima had followed her at about five paces behind the whole time.

Niijima followed her past the batting cages, past the closed movie theater, and even on her heels when she went to the grocery store and picked up some eggs, coconuts, almonds, sugar, and baking chocolate. Rei sighed, and stopped as soon as she turned down the even more narrow alleyway. "Look, Niijima-san, this is ridiculous. You see this, you can't unsee it. And I just moved in, so I'm in no state to have company today. There's no sex clubs around here, and if you really looked up my info you know we're in the right place. Last. Chance."

"This is part of my student council duties too." The girl was staring at her resolutely.

Rei turned and finished walking, opening the door to Cafe Leblanc where Sojiro was tapping his foot. "I'm home. And I brought a guest."

"A guest!" Sojiro shouted at her. "This is too much, kid! I've gotta get home! We'll talk in the morning."

Rei nodded. "She's the Student Council president, and apparently she was sicced on me first thing in the morning." She took a seat. "I'll lock up after she leaves."

Sojiro scratched at the back of his head. "Dammit, kid, did you have to get changed?"

"I figured a family bathroom in Shibuya Station was safe! How was I supposed to know there was someone specifically following me to try to catch me in the act?" Rei shouted back. "Anyway, the principal convinced her I'm a sex worker or something, so…"

The door opened. "Excuse me, I'm Niijima Makoto," she said, bowing politely. "Are you this boy's guardian?"

Sojiro stopped, and actually glared at Makoto in response. "I'm her guardian, yes," he said. "I understand you have some questions, but I really have to be going soon."

Rei nodded, putting her things on the counter. "Basement's where the shower is, I live upstairs. Check quick."

Makoto nodded, going to the basement first. Rei counted off the steps up to the attic under her breath, and there was a scream of dismay. "This place is a dump!"

Rei gave Sojiro a quirked up smile but was careful to school her expression back to something resembling stoic when Makoto came back down. "This is the best a convict with a chronic medical condition can manage. So you can see why I didn't want you seeing that. I promise I'll spend Sunday cleaning it out, and I have some ideas for getting it livable, so please don't bring it up with the school." Makoto couldn't seem to decide whether to speak to Sojiro or Rei first, so Rei decided to cut it off. "Honestly. You got what the Principal wanted, right? You want to do more, come when we're open. Tomorrow morning, maybe."

Makoto gulped and nodded, bowing to Sojiro. "I'm very sorry to have bothered you."

When she was gone, Rei took a seat at the counter. "Got any curry left?" Sojiro stared at her. "What, you would just need to throw it out. And I think you're supposed to be feeding me anyway."

"Fair enough," Sojiro acknowledged, although he didn't put the time into presentation he probably would have for a paying customer, which Rei also acknowledged was fair. "Now, what was this about a bad app?"

Rei gulped. "My phone's got a virus, I think. It replaced the nav app with its' own, and it's terrible. I didn't figure it out till it tried to get me to buy a hundred-thousand-yen train ticket, and by that point I had no idea where I was. The police couldn't help either, because I was in the wrong district."

Sojiro wasn't amused, but at least he didn't snap. "You're already more trouble than you're worth, you know. I can't throw you out just for this, but you're really pushing it."

Rei nodded. "I hate to ask any more favors at this point, but I think you'll like this one. Can I borrow the oven in the morning? Before you get here."

Sojiro shook his head. "Since I won't be here, I guess I can't stop you. You'll do what you want anyway."

Rei grinned. "Thanks. I'm sure you won't regret it, Chief!"

Chapter Break