Chapter 23 - This Changes Everything (The Hell Months Begin)

The day before…

Louis looked up from his phone, feeling absolute dread. He had just totally embarrassed himself over his texts with Legosi. Idiot...Use less jokes next time.

But a part of him felt...Good. Even though he and Legosi's outing was completely ruined by other animals, he still had a good time. And that hug...Something about it made Louis want more, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

He decided not to text Legosi any more that night, to save himself from saying anything else stupid. He grabbed his book he had been rather quickly making his way through and began reading.

Before he had even finished the third page, there was a knock at the door. Louis looked up. It must be the school staff to deliver his food.

He set the book down and walked over, unlocking and swinging the door open, feeling his heart sink. Two horned animals who were dressed fancily looked at him.

"Oguma would like to speak with you, Louis-sama," the goat on the right side said.

Louis shook his head. "We didn't do anything wrong."

The cow on his left spoke next. "The orders from your father were that you were not to leave your dorm."

"What? So I'm just supposed to stay locked up in a room all day?" Louis leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms.

"There are other matters with which your father wishes to speak to you about. Please, come with us," the goat stepped aside, a large black car behind him. The door was open. "Make sure you travel lightly."

Louis sighed. There was no point in arguing with his father. He did a mental check of everything and then left with his satchel with all his money, his keys, and his phone.

He got into the black car and the cow got into the front, beginning to drive toward the Horns Conglomerate building.

While in the backseat, Louis thought about what the consequences would be for disobeying his fathers' orders were. He found it strange because Oguma never really requested to speak with him in person to chastise him. Louis hadn't gotten hurt or hurt anyone, so what could this be for?

They arrived at the large building where his father worked and lived. Louis had always felt uncomfortable when he saw the building looming over him. It was almost threatening.

He followed the butlers inside the front doors, down a few hallways, and into his father's office.

Oguma sat there like a stone, a hard stare directed at his son. Louis looked at those magnificent curling antlers, the way his fur stuck a little out of the neck of his dark suit, those thin rimmed glasses. How did he get himself to look so perfect?

Two servants stood on either side of the stag, blank faces.

Louis stepped forward and the two butlers who brought him here stood in front of the door behind him. "We didn't do anything. We just got breakfast."

Oguma raised a hand for him to quit talking. "I already know that."

"Then what am I doing here? I have studying and schoolwork to do-"

"Louis, stop talking," Oguma ordered. The buck pulled out his phone and looked at it, tapping around.

Louis furrowed his brow. Oguma wasn't the best with technology. But all too soon his father flipped so the screen was facing Louis. "Care to explain this?"

Louis blinked, getting closer and leaning in to look at the screen.

His heart sank into his stomach as he saw he and Legosi at a table in a cafe. Louis' heads were in his arms as a bird and a lizard asked him questions. A little bit into the video, the brown and white bunny came up to the table and put his hands on it, just like he did earlier that day. He saw Legosi get up and separate him from the animals and then he saw himself dash off into the hallway behind his chair, disappearing into a door.

Oguma pulled the phone back and paused it, setting it on his desk. "You should have been able to answer those questions, but instead you just ran away. Explain."

"I just wanted to enjoy my time out," Louis explained. "I didn't want to deal with that topic and just enjoy my meal."

"Being a Beastar is not about what you want." He squinted behind his glasses. "It's about doing what's right. And that large carnivore who's with you. Who is he?"

"He's just a friend…" Louis mumbled.

"You know how dangerous that is," Oguma snorted.

Louis looked up and furrowed his brow. "Sir, as a Beastar, I'm supposed to rise above discrimination like that in the world-"

"I didn't mean the fact that he was a carnivore, Louis. I meant friendship. Relationships like that get in the way of your true goals in life." He grabbed his phone and put it in his pocket.

"Is that why you don't have any friends, only servants?" Louis smirked.

Oguma raised a sharp hand. "Shut it. In the beginning, I bought you from the black market to become successor to the Horns Conglomerate, then I chose you to become a Beastar, now I'm not sure you're working hard enough. I believe you should become the Sublime Beastar."

Louis' ears went back. "What?"

"It's the highest position you can recieve. You must be better than everyone else, Louis."

Louis looked down. "Father…I don't want to do this anymore."

Oguma looked at him. "What?"

Louis hands clenched into fists, and he felt pain from his nails digging into his palm. "I'm not going to be Sublime Beastar, or even a normal Beastar. I'm going to be me."

Oguma's face hardened more. All that we've worked for... Everything I've taught him. And he just throws it all away, just like that. Who's influencing him to act so boldly? "I didn't know you even had a sense of comedy, son."

"It's not a joke! Father, I know you raised me to be-"

"I bought you. You're my property, Louis. I gave you that name. You will wear it with pride when you become the Sublime Beastar." That wasn't the right thing to say to him, I'm sure. But he throws everything in my face like this, words are going to slip out. Why am I so angry?

"I don't understand why it's so important to you! Does my happiness mean nothing to anyone?!" Louis shouted. Anyone except Legosi...

"There is no happiness! This world is cruel and plagued with racism! You brought it to fight against that and you're just...giving up."

Louis laughed. "It's not giving up! It's choosing my own happiness over others'!"

"You need to sacrifice your happiness to ensure others'!" Oguma shouted back. "Did this grey wolf coax you into this?!"

Legosi had no part in this. This was between father and son. "Legosi didn't do anything wrong! He listens to me, unlike you!"

"The whole world will be listening to you once you're Sublime Beastar. You'll have whatever you want!"

"But I won't have friendship or happiness or love?!"

"You can't afford those things, Louis!"

"I want them!"

"Well you don't deserve them! Nobody wants a boy from the black market who had to be bought in order to live! Are you telling me I just wasted seven-million yen?"

Louis stopped, his hands squeezing more, nails cutting into his palms, drawing a bit of blood. "So that's how you feel. You think that because you plucked me from that place, you can just mold me into whatever you want? I get no say?"

"Louis-"

"Fuck you."

"Louis!"

"I'm going back to school and I'm not becoming a Beastar. I don't care if I have to run away. I will get what I want."

"Oh, please go on one of your conviction rants." Oguma waved his hand.

Louis eyes grew fiery. All his emotions built up into an explosion as he quickly leapt at his father but was caught by the arms as the two servants quickly rushed forward and grabbed him by the arms.

"So, my own son tries to attack me." Oguma shook his head. "What were you hoping to achieve?"

Louis struggled a bit and just looked at him angrily. "I've always hated you."

Oguma felt...a sting. I knew it was true, but hearing it…He kept composure. "I'm convinced that this school is a bad thing for you. From here on out, you will no longer be attending it."

Louis felt a lump in his throat. "Wh-What?"

"Servants, take away his satchel and phone and put them on my desk. He is not to communicate with anyone at the school."

They did so with relative ease as one of them held Louis and the other grabbed his stuff from off his person and placed it on Oguma's desk, who took them and put them in a drawer to his left.

"What are you doing?" Louis asked.

"What needs to be done," Oguma said. "Tonight, I'll have some of my butlers go to your dormitory and pack everything up for you. Then, I will inform the school of your situation. As for you, you will go to your room and do a lot of thinking. About your actions, about your relationships, about everything."

Louis really was just a teenager, after all. This was his equivalent of grounding. If he escaped, he'd be caught almost immediately thanks to his fathers' powerful influence. There was nothing he could do but play along with this game.

"Servants, make sure he gets to his room and stays there. You're dismissed," Oguma waved his large hand again.

They started pulling Louis, who resisted. "I can do it myself just fine, thanks." He stood up and looked at his "father" with distaste. He hated him so much.

He turned and began walking the other way, until a thought struck him and turned his head. "Do you love me?"

Oguma was taken aback for a moment. He hadn't even really thought about it himself. "..."

Louis turned back around. "Okay." The servants and he walked out the door, shutting it behind them, leaving Oguma there alone. He wasn't sure what he had just done, but something kept telling him that even if it was hard, it was what had to be done. This must be what parenting really is.

He pulled out his phone and began dialing the number for Cherryton.

Author's Note: The song that goes along with this chapter is This Changes Everything by Stars.