[2/11/2031 2:31 PM:] [Nagisa] You still good to meet up today?

[2/11/203 12:31 PM:] [Nagisa] Classes end in roughly an hour.

[2/11/2031 2:34 PM:] [Karasuma-sensei] Yes. I'm good.

[2/11/2031 2:36 PM:] [Karasuma-sensei] I may have to take a phone call or two during that time, but otherwise I'm unoccupied.

[2/11/2031 2:37 PM:] [Nagisa] Awesome!

[2/11/2031 2:37 PM:] [Nagisa] Well, not awesome. The reason we're meeting up kinda sucks, actually. But you know what I mean.

[2/11/2031 2:40 PM:] [Nagisa] Are you still sure about the location?

[2/11/2031 2:43 PM:] [Nagisa] Not that I mean to offend. But this is a really serious topic. We're discussing your son's mental health in the wake of his mother having a serious accident? Are you sure this is the most… appropriate?

[2/11/2031 2:45 PM:] [Karasuma-sensei] If you can think of any other vacant public places in the area, then be my guest.

[2/11/2031 2:46 PM:] [Nagisa] ...Fair.

[2/11/2031 2:47 PM:] [Nagisa] The decided on location it is.

[2/11/2031 2:48 PM:] [Karasuma-sensei] What time will you arrive? I can head out as soon as necessary.

[2/11/2031 2:49 PM:] [Nagisa] Uhh… I'll probably get there by fourish.

[2/11/2031 2:50 PM:] [Nagisa] Shit. The kids are finishing up their group work. I gotta go.

[2/11/2031 2:50 PM:] [Nagisa] I'll keep you updated.

[2/11/2031 2:51 PM:] [Karasuma-sensei] Thanks.


By the end of the school day, Kiyoshi's surprised to have made it through in one piece.

In all honesty… he's still not really ready for school. He hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night, and his legs shake every time he thinks of his mother... but he hadn't known what else to do. He wasn't going to tell Fumiko the truth over text, and it'd have felt unprofessional to let her know at his place. After all, what if she let his dad know? What would he do to him? And… and it doesn't matter, anyways! He's already sent the text. There's no going back now.

Fumiko met up with him this morning on the way to school... paused and said, "You said you had something you wanted to talk about?" but Kiyoshi'd shook his head.

"After school," he'd insisted. "It's. Uh. A big thing. I'd hate to distract you from your studies."

She'd looked troubled, but known better than to press. "Okay. After school it is."

Some part of him wonders if that's just him trying to push it off again… formulate any excuse to prolong this moment of peace he's found. But he's not given much time to think about it. The school day flies by, and by the end of it, he's left to realize either way that extension hadn't been so long after all.

Nagisa packs up his books and folders, dismissing class with a smile. He stops by Makoto's desk and lets him know that he won't be at his house today. "I have a meeting with one of my parents. Feel free to still stop by, but I won't be getting home til' 5 or 6."

"That's okay!" Makoto says with a salute. "Kayano, Karma, Asano-san and us can still do all sorts of hanging out. Right, Fumiko?"

Fumiko shrugs and says "Yeah. That's right." But she sends a concerned glance across the classroom and watches Kiyoshi gnaw on his lip.

She wastes no time in meeting up with him. She taps his shoulders in the doorway and asks, "You good now?"

"Uh… yeah," Kiyoshi says. "Let's… step outside, though. I'd like some privacy for this."

There's this horrible sinking feeling in his gut. 'I don't want to do this,' he begs. 'Please. Anything but this.' But he steadies his resolve and shakes his head. He's fine. He's numb. There's no going back now.

Makoto catches up with them half a second later. His eyes light up at the sight of Fumiko and Kiyoshi making small-talk. "You feeling any better?" he asks. "If you wanna hang out with us today, you totally can."

"There's - uh… actually this thing me and Fumiko have been meaning to talk about," Kiyoshi says. "Maybe we can still hang out… but… let us get this out of the way first, okay?"

Makoto's brows furrow with concern.

"A thing?" he asks. "...What sort of thing?"

"Uh… you'll see," Kiyoshi says. "...Actually… you mind coming with? I think… it might ease my nerves a little to have you there."

Makoto still looks troubled, but nods. "Of course I can come with!" he says. "Whatever it is you have to discuss, lessgo!"

He really has no idea, does he? Kiyoshi hopes he won't be too mad at him for telling Fumiko the truth, but… it had to come out. It was driving him mad… hurting his heart and his loved ones. He couldn't stand it a second more. Surely Makoto will understand just how much it hurts to pretend?

...Besides, even if he does react poorly, there's no getting Makoto to go away now. At the very least… it makes Kiyoshi feel just a little better to think he'll have Makoto backing him up. Maybe if Makoto can get across just how much he believes in Kiyoshi… then… well, Fumiko will believe it too.

('Who are you kidding?' Kiyoshi asks himself. 'Don't push your luck.')

His legs feel heavy as he steps outside. Fumiko takes the lead and takes a sharp turn to the right, guiding them to somewhere a little off the side of the building.

"This private enough?" she asks. "I mean… we could always head further out and into the forest, but most of our classmates will be out that way for a little while. I think sticking close to the building is our best bet for getting some privacy."

...She's so sweet, asking him what he thinks is good. Of course he thinks this is good! He thinks her talking to him at all right now is good! Hell, she could punch him in the face and he'd thank her! This isn't just private! This isn't just good! It's…

"It's. Uh. Perfect," he says. "You're right. I don't think anyone will bother us here."

"Awesome," Fumiko says. "...So what is it you wanted to talk about?"

Kiyoshi pauses, staring at the ground for a long moment as he briefly considers plopping down on it. He ends up deciding against it, however, when he remembers just how pitiful that would make him look. He doesn't want to guilt Fumiko. He's been cruel enough to her as is. He just… he just...

...Wishes this could be easier.

But it's not. And it never will be. There's no backing out. If he ever wants to save the things he cares about, then now's the time to speak. He just… hopes at the very least this won't be too hard on her, even if it is for him.

Bracing himself for the worst, he stands tall… takes a deep breath… makes himself look as big as he can, and prepares to unmask himself for the second time this month.

"...It started a little after the class election."


Nagisa makes it to the meetup spot just before four. Having walked there, he's still shivering as he steps in through the door. But bright, artificial lights greet him, and he's soon bathed in the warm scent of the restaurant he'd subsisted pretty much exclusively on in high school. The one ... the only: WcDonalds.

He removes his coat at Karasuma motions him over, then slides into the booth across from him.

"Hello," Karasuma says, fingers clasped as he carefully watches Nagisa.

"Hey," Nagisa replies. "Uh- sorry about asking you to meet up on such short notice. It's just… important."

"I know," Karasuma says. "Don't apologize."

His voice is surprisingly cool for the situation he's in. Nagisa's not sure what he'd expected, but… it hadn't been this. Karasuma's expression is blank… emotionless. He wonders if it's an act, or if there really is nothing going on up there.

( 'Okay! Well. Don't say that,' he reminds himself. 'I'm sure he's upset… but he has a composure to keep up around us. He's a professional, Nagisa. He's known you since you were a preteen. He's trying to keep you calm.' )

Maybe it's just the choice of location that's bothering him. It's not that - it's not that he doesn't respect Karasuma's creative ingenuity as a hardened military veteran who just heard his wife blew up - but is a WcDonalds really the best place to discuss how that's affecting his son!?

...No. That shouldn't matter. Sure- the WcDonalds is woefully inappropriate, but what location wouldn't be? Irina's in the ICU right now. They could be in the fucking E-Class building right now, and even that would feel wrong. He needs to brush the whole 'fast food restaurant' thing under the rug and focus on what's important right now.

...Even if… he hasn't eaten anything since 12 PM… and the Big Wac… smells increasingly tempting right now.

'No! Kiyoshi needs you! Keep your head on straight!'

"So… uh… we need to talk about what the plan is from here on out," Nagisa says. "Because… I'm genuinely worried about Kiyoshi. And I'm sure you are too." He pauses. "He came in to school today, but I was concerned for him the whole time. He's not his usual self."

Karasuma frowns. "How so?" he asks.

"Lethargic. Emotional," Nagisa admits. "He kept drifting off during class, and he's gone from an active participant to dead quiet."

"To be fair," Karasuma admits. "It has been an incredibly short period of time. I'm sure he'll open up in time."

"I know…" Nagisa admits, gnawing on his lip. "But…"

Is 'he's been displaying these symptoms since even before the incident' really the right thing to say right now? Kiyoshi's breakdown from a month ago is still eating at him, but he's still not sure it's really connected to how he's behaving now. Has whatever'd happened back then been handled by now? Or had he simply buried it, only for it to resurface with the incident about his mother?

"...I don't want to take any risks. He's going through an extremely tumultuous period of time right now. Middle school is hard for any kid. But for one with self-esteem issues like his? For one going through such a traumatic event? I can hardly even imagine… he has to be under a lot of stress right now, Karasuma."

"I know," Karasuma says, the expression on his face still perturbed, but otherwise unchanged. "...And that's why we're discussing this. I'm sure we'll find a way to get this under control."

Nagisa sighs. "I know, I know…"

At least… he thinks he does. It's hard to tell whether or not he's overthinking in situations like these. On one hand… it's a nice thought to think everything will turn out okay in the end… but is it really realistic? What if something goes horribly wrong? If he doesn't do everything in his power to prevent it, then he'll never forgive himself.

"...Admittedly I'm… not sure a school environment is the best space for Kiyoshi right now," he says. "He's a smart kid, and he's a wonderful presence in class. But I'm so worried about giving him extra stressors he doesn't need right now. I don't want him to think I'm pitying him or 'going easy on him,' but I'm not going jump down his ass about tests right now. He has much bigger things to be worrying about…"

"I don't want to put him on a forced leave. That's the worst possible thing I could do right now. He needs the routine… the support from his friends. But I don't want him in a place where he feels obligated to come in right now. Of course, I've told him that… but there's no knowing if he'll take that to heart. I'm in a bit of a corner right now, Karasuma. Maybe... you should talk to him about it. He's a bright kid… he has a bright future. I don't want him to fall behind."

"Of course not," Karasuma agrees. "And I'll reiterate that he's not under any obligation to do anything. He's more than welcome to do things at his own pace until things smooth over. But I'm hardly sure how much he'll listen to me on the topic."

His eyes flicker towards the ground for just one moment, but soon he's returned to meeting Nagisa's eye. There's these heavy, dark bags under his eyes. Nagisa wishes he could say they were an unfamiliar sight, but now that he thinks about it, Karasuma always looks this tired.

'Until things smooth over,' Karasuma says, but Nagisa wonders if they ever will. Kiyoshi's life has been hectic for a very, very long time now. What if this is the incident that sends him spiraling off the edge for good?

"...Anything's worth a shot," he says. "You're his father. Anything he needs to hear he'll want to hear from you."

Quite frankly, sometimes he worries Kiyoshi doesn't hear enough from Karasuma.

He's always been a distant man. And his students have never once minded. But the role of a father… it's an entirely different scenario. And Nagisa wonders if the cold resolution Karasuma faces the rest of the world with is part of why Kiyoshi's grown up the way he has.

"Mmmm," Karasuma says. "Of course."

Nagisa doesn't want to think about it right now. It's not - it's not something he can just say! Not without the risk of causing permanent harm. 'I think you're a sub-par father' is not something you say to a man you look up to. Not that-! Not that Karasuma is sub-par… he just… wonders if he doesn't try hard enough sometimes.

(Kiyoshi's age ten, and he spends more time over at Nagisa's house than his own parents'. When asked why, he frowns deeply and admits "It's just a lonely place sometimes.")

"How's he doing at home? Is it any better than his behavior at school, or is he doing just as unwell?"

Karasuma sighs. "It's just as worrying. He's isolating himself… holing up in his room. He's not sleeping well, and when he does sleep it's at abnormal, prolonged times. He doesn't even want to be around the dog."

...Ah. That's about what Nagisa had expected. He's in a bad place right now... of course home wouldn't be much better. But it still breaks his heart to hear.

"I see," he says. "That's worrying. What are you doing? To try and help him through this, I mean-"

Karasuma's expression shifts just slightly. He frowns. "...I'm doing what I can," he says. "But... that's not much. The most I can do is give him updates on Irina's condition. But there's no comforting him for real until both of us are certain that she'll be okay."

He's got one leg crossed over the other... fingers clasped. His foot taps sporadically against the ground. His expression remains unchanged, but it's easy to see he's restless if you know where to look.

"Of course," Nagisa says. "...You're in a precarious situation. You can't make any promises until you're certain you can keep them. Let me rephrase that: What are you intending to do after?"

Karasuma blinks.

"Pardon?"

"Once your wife's come home safe. The scars on Kiyoshi's psyche are bound to remain. Trauma doesn't just vanish, even when removed from the situation. When there's less on your plate, what do you plan to do about him? He needs support right now, Karasuma."

"And I'm not disagreeing with that," Karasuma says. "Don't put words into my mouth. We're going to see about getting him into a therapist as soon as possible. He'll be given the tools he needs to work through this."

"And that's a fantastic start!" Nagisa says. "But I must admit I'm still worried. There's only so much talking it out can do when you're still in an actively stressful situation. What else about your lives is going to change from here on out?"

He doesn't mean to push... but something about the way Karasuma speaks leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Like... the bare minimum. Surely there has to be something else to try!

"Well… Irina is to be discharged from the Ministry of Defense, if that's what you're worried about," Karasuma admits. "Her injuries have reached a point where…" he hesitates. "...She's no longer able to successfully fulfill her duties."

Nagisa stares, a horrible sinking feeling in his gut.

"...Shit, Karasuma. I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

Karasuma shakes his head. "...There's nothing that can be done about it now. I'm worried as to how she'll take it, but that's a conversation for another day. Right now we're here to talk about Kiyoshi."

"Of… of course," Nagisa says. "Where were we?"

"Our future plans as a family," Karasuma says. "As for me… I don't intend to make any major changes. Of course, I'll do everything I possibly can for my son, but my job in the Ministry of Defense is to remain. I'm sure everything will return to normal by years' end.

Nagisa frowns. He doesn't mean to, but he just can't rid himself of the nagging feeling that 'normal' for the Karasumas is less than comfortable for Kiyoshi.

Karasuma must notice his change in expression, because he glowers right back.

"Surely you understand that," he says rather sternly. "This is my livelihood. You can't expect me to give up on that."

"Of course! I would never!" Nagisa reassures. "I'm just not sure Kiyoshi's in a place where it's healthy for him. You encounter dangerous things every single day. Surely there's some sort of change you can make to put yourself in a safer position. To spend more time with him-"

"In an ideal world, yes," Karasuma says. "But I serve as needed. If the ministry needs me, then I'll do what I can. It's not dangerous in any other situation. What happened to Irina was simply a freak mistake - the result of a coworkers' blunder-"

"A freak mistake that can happen to you too," Nagisa interjects. "I know you think you're invincible Karasuma, but you're not. No-one is. Even if nothing is going to happen to you, Kiyoshi is going to worry about your safety for the rest of his life. And if something does happen to you- god forbid - he'll have to grow up without a father!"

Karasuma looks genuinely wounded for just one moment, but just as soon his expression returns to that of a neutral one. He crosses his arms, staring down Nagisa from across the table.

"...I'm well aware. And that's a conversation we've had long before now. Irina and I understood the risks when we decided to have our son. We understood he'd grow up in a life with a possibility of loss - but seeing as how there's no life free of loss we agreed on that. We agreed it would be worth it, even despite the risk."

"Which is all fair and good, but Kiyoshi didn't."

Karasuma's expression falls. But as he opens his mouth to speak, Nagisa beats him to it.

"He never agreed to this life. He never asked to be born into this. I'm not asking you to quit, Karasuma! Shit, that would be the most selfish thing I could possibly do. But I want you to at least look at this from his perspective. He is scared out of his mind right now. If you can't change anything, you need to at least talk to him about i- "

"He'll heal in time, Nagisa. Irina is going to come home. The doctors believe she is going to make it. It'll take months of physical therapy, but I believe everything will be fine. She's going to recover, and so is Kiyoshi. He's a strong boy."

"...Why don't you seem to get that this is only the straw that broke the camel's back?" Nagisa asks. "This is not the only issue in Kiyoshi's life. He's always had deeply troubling paranoia and self-esteem issues, and they're getting worse by the day. It's not even just the danger you two are in. It's the isolation, really! You two are never home!"

He doesn't mean to sound accusatory, but that's just how it comes out. Shaking his head, he spits "I can't possibly imagine how lonely that is."

Karasuma's quiet for another long minute. But finally, he speaks up, his voice unrelenting. "With all due respect, he's a teenage boy," he says. "Of course he has issues. When I was his age I was much the same; overthinking everything. Constantly worrying. But I turned out okay, didn't I?" He shakes his head. "What he needs more than anything is time. He'll turn out fine."

He says that so confidently, but staring down the brave and oh so unafraid Karasuma, Nagisa wonders if he'd turned out so okay after all.

"You don't know that," Nagisa says. "Aren't you worried?"

"Of course I'm worried!" Karasuma replies. "But he doesn't want my support, Nagisa. He pushes me away whenever I try. I don't want to end up making things worse than they already are."

"Oh. And so now you're afraid? That's why you're letting him face this on his own?" Irritation prickles in his tone. He knows it's unwarranted, but he just can't stand it. Karasuma is the strongest adult he's ever met. He should be able to fix this! And so why? How can he just stand b-?

"I am not afraid!" Karasuma spits. "He is just in a fragile place right now. He thinks I'm patronizing him when I attempt to reach out-"

"Because you've alienated him!" Nagisa interjects. "All of his life you've made it this weird, special occasion whenever he receives praise from you… because you are hardly a part of it! He is desperate for attention, but doesn't know how to react to it. You cannot run away right now!"

"I am not running away," Karasuma growls. "I am attempting to juggle my work life, my son's mental health, and taking care of my dying wife. Do you blame me for not knowing what to do?"

"I'm telling you what to do!"

"And you could be wrong!" Karasuma warns. "I came here to discuss the options with you, not receive unwarranted hostility. I understand this is a thing near and dear to your heart, Nagisa… but it is to me as well. I don't want anything bad to happen. You need to think this through from a reasonable standpoint. What if your plan goes off the rails? What if he doesn't take it well? I don't know what to say to him during a time like this. There are no words."

He motions to stand. He slides out of the booth, eyes narrowed all the while. "I'm well aware my son has issues, and has had them for a long while. But-"

"You've just decided to do nothing about them?"

"No!" Karasuma refutes. "And I resent the implication! You have no idea what's going on in my son's life. You have no idea what he's going through. So don't you come in here and-"

"No! Shut up! Neither do you! You are never around for him! It breaks his heart, Karasuma!"

Karasuma twitches, grimacing for a brief moment. But soon his expression returns to normal, and he says in a calm, unagitated voice "...I don't see when you became such an expert on the topic, Nagisa."

Nagisa balls his fist. He hadn't meant for this to become so argumentative, but there's no going back now. It pisses him off! Just how much Karasuma can act like he doesn't care! Who cares if he really does deep down!? How is his son supposed to know that!? His thirteen-year-old, spiraling, self-loathing boy!?

He's terrified of what fallout this will cause. He's terrified of what bridges he might burn, or how the rest of the E-Class will react if they hear he cussed Karasuma out. But he's even more afraid of something terrible happening to Kiyoshi. When he agreed to become his teacher… he agreed to stand up for him no matter what. Always do what's best for him, and protect him through thick and thin. That's the promise he made to Karasuma and Irina, and that's the promise he made to Kiyoshi himself. He's not going to back down on that now, even if that means he has to stand up to his own teacher.

"When I taught him for the whole damn year!" he shrieks, lunging towards Karasuma. "When I was there for him because you weren't, and because I'm constantly afraid he's going to kill himself! You have been absent all of his life, and you're afraid to even talk to him? It's him! He should be afraid! He just about lost his damn mother! Are you really willing to let him cave in!? "

And before he even realizes what he's doing, he smacks his palm upside Karasuma's face. Heart pounding… breath heavy… he stares, glares, and realizes what he's done. He stumbles back, horrified, and acutely aware of the fact that he'd felt it for the first time in a long time today.

...Bloodlust.

Karasuma's staring at him, eyes wide.

"I-" Nagisa freezes. "...Listen. Shit- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I shouldn't have- I shouldn't have touched you. But you get why I'm worried, right? Please tell me you get it-"

Suddenly, he feels every eye in the establishment on him. Terrified of being WcEvicted from the WcDonalds for WcAssaulting a customer, he takes a shaky gulp.

"It's-"

"No," Karasuma says, his expression finally softening. "...I get it," he says.

"Are you sure?" Nagisa asks. "I- I didn't hurt you, right?"

Of course… Kiyoshi still comes first. But there's no getting through to Karasuma by slapping him in the face. And there's no remaining his son's teacher with a fucking assault charge.

Karasuma's hand drifts up to his cheek. He touches it and frowns.

"No," he repeats. "...You didn't even manage to leave a mark."

...Nagisa's expression pales. Ah… so it seems the snake's been defanged with age.

On second thought, he's rather thankful Karasuma is taking this relatively well. He's 5'3, and Karasuma breaks necks for a living. If he wanted he could snap him like a damn toothpick.

"...You did scare the shit out of me, however.

"And I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have leapt at you."

"No. Not that," Karasuma says. "You kids grew up assassins. Violence is how you show your conviction. That's why…" he pauses, fiddling with his tie as he slides back into his seat. "...I need to ask. Did you really mean those things you said? About me not doing my job as a father? About Kiyoshi…-"

He can't finish the sentence.

Nagisa suddenly feels ashamed. For the first time in a long time he catches sight of genuine worry on Karasuma's face. Did he seriously just tell a guy he's afraid his son is going to commit suicide?

"I…" his voice falters. Now's not the time to lie, but at the same time is that something he can just say? It's inconsiderate. It's cruel. It's terrifying.

"...Yes," he finally says, awkwardly sliding back into the booth. "I meant everything I said. And I'm not just saying that to scare you," he shakes his head. "I hate to say those things. I really do! But Kiyoshi has shown signs of severe psychological distress pretty much his entire life. And it's getting worse. It's getting so much worse. I'm scared one of these days you're just going to come home and he's going to have…-"

'Gotten too scared.'

'Finally given up.'

'Killed himself.'

...Turns out Nagisa can't quite say it either.

"...Going to have done something bad. I'm sorry. I know that's worrying to hear. But I do think that Karasuma. And it scares me. I never want to lose a student like that. And I never want you to go through that. I'd do… I'd do anything to prevent that."

Where his voice had been so firm- so harsh a second ago, now Nagisa just feels it falter. That anger's faded into helplessness, and with it all his conviction's vanished. He doesn't feel brave... he doesn't feel like a protector... he just feels scared!

"...As… as would I," Karasuma says. "I'm… sorry if I made it seem like I don't care. I do care... more than anything. He's my boy."

"I know," Nagisa says, voice quiet. "But that doesn't prevent you from making mistakes."

"...I… shouldn't have argued with you," Karasuma relents. "I'm sorry if I seemed defensive. Or apathetic. I guess it's just… hard for me. I hear you say those things and I… I don't want to believe them. They scare me."

"And they scare me too, Karasuma," Nagisa says, an exhaustion to his tone. "But they had to be brought up sooner or later."

"Do you really believe I can fix this? That I can help? I've… never been an open man. Showing these things… talking about what scares me… it's hard. What if…? What if it's too late for me? What if I do it wrong? What if I just make things worse?"

"...You won't know until you try," Nagisa says. "Listen: of course I'm not saying this is going to be the end-all of Kiyoshi's problems. He has a severe chemical imbalance in his brain, and his mother just got mutilated overseas. But yes, I do think it would help him if you started to spend more time around him. Yes, I do think his anxieties about your work would lessen if you genuinely discussed them with him. And yes, I do think he'd start to feel better about himself if he heard you say something nice about him once in a while. He thinks he's not good enough for you, Karasuma."

Karasuma's face falls. Brows furrowed… eyes wounded, he says "...No. No. Of course he's good enough. He-" He takes a moment to regain his composure, but even then his voice still quivers as he speaks.

"He's kind... and empathetic... and gentle. He's smart - way smarter than me or his mother, and when he's truly confident about something he runs with it. He's creative… and funny… and far better with people than he gives himself any credit for. He's… he's everything I wish I could have been as a boy, and he makes me proud every day."

It's only then that Nagisa's expression finally softens as well. Of… of course he shouldn't have been afraid of losing Karasuma over lashing out at him. He really does want what's best for Kiyoshi deep down. He just… doesn't know how. It's not that he hasn't been paying attention. He just…

...Doesn't know how to reach out.

Of course… there are still issues with that. It doesn't lessen any of what Kiyoshi's been through. But a parent who's trying… a parent who's willing to step back and say "I want to do better from here on out..." well, that's better than a lot of parents out there. Karasuma still has a long, long way to go, but Nagisa knows this has to be the reason he's respected him this long.

Clueless, but not cruel... willing to do anything to prevent the atrocity they both see coming.

"Go home and tell him that, Karasuma. Exactly what you said to me. Tell him you've been afraid… and tell him you haven't known what to do… and tell him that you're sorry. If he knows… if he knows you're scared too… if he knows you're capable of being fallible, as opposed to this figure looming over him… well, then… I think he could finally start moving forward at least a little."

Karasuma nods as he speaks. And finally, when it's his turn to go, all he has to offer up is a quiet voice.

"...And you're certain this will work?"

"Of course not, Karasuma! Being a teacher… being a parent, it's just throwing things at a wall until they stick. You can never be certain. But that's no… that's no excuse not to try. Sometimes you just have to do all you can." He waves his hand. "...You should get going. Trust me when I say I really do believe it'll help. And… trust me when I say I'll handle things on the school side. You just go home and tell your son you love him."

Karasuma pauses. "...That's all you had to discuss?"

"Yeah. I think so. At least for now. I'll text you if I have any other concerns. Just let me know how it goes, okay?"

"...Okay," Karasuma says, starting to stand. "Thank you."

"No need," Nagisa says, making no effort to follow him. "...And… good luck."

"What about you?" Karasuma asks. "Do you plan to stay here?"

"Ah… not for long," Nagisa says. "I might just grab a meal, then I'm gonna head home. I'll be rooting for you, big guy."

"...Ah… thank you," Karasuma repeats, this blank, awkward expression on his face. It's easy to tell he doesn't know quite how to react to the reassurance. But Nagisa thinks he's okay with that.

"See you around?"

"...Yeah. See you around."

With that, Karasuma turns to leave. Stops to stare at Nagisa for one moment over his shoulder, before heading through the glass push-doors and disappearing from his sight.

Nagisa really hopes he can handle this. For Kiyoshi's sake, and for his.


'...It started a little after the class election.'

"Now… I suppose that's not really what spurred it, but - uh… that's how I've remembered it. It was just after you two won. I was… I was really happy for you. And I was trying my best to celebrate, too."

Fumiko's eying him curiously, but she doesn't speak. She just stands there, nodding along to his words.

Makoto looks confused too, but in a different way. He teeters from foot to foot, an uneasy look on his face. But when his eyes flicker towards Kiyoshi, as if asking 'you're not talking about what I think you're talking about, are you?' Kiyoshi doesn't have it in him to give him a response.

"But then… this weird thing happened to me. It was just that night, actually. I fell asleep thinking about you guys, and I had the strangest dream."

That's all it takes. Makoto steps forward, holding an arm out as he inserts himself between Kiyoshi and Fumiko. Little beads of sweat are dripping down his forehead.

"Maybe- maybe now isn't the best time to talk about this, Kiyoshi!" he begs.

"I have to, Makoto," he replies, eyes locked on the ground.

"I'm just- I'm just not sure it's relevant to-"

"Relevant to what?" Fumiko interrupts, a defensive edge to her voice. "What's he talking about? What are… what are you two talking about?"

"I didn't mean to hide it from you," Kiyoshi says. "I guess I just got… scared. I don't really have any right to be, but I've always been a selfish guy. It's always been about 'me, me, me.' But… uh- I don't think it can be anymore. I think if I don't tell you this, something really bad is going to happen to you. Or to my mom. Or to me."

Makoto's sputtering. "Your mom!? What does any of this have to do with your mom!? What does - what does the trashbag thing got to do with your mom!?"

Fumiko's staring. "The trashbag thing!?"

"Because I think-" Kiyoshi doesn't mean to raise his voice. He supposes he just hates the way Makoto's looking at him with those pleading eyes.

His shoulders sink.

"Because I think… she's being punished because of me. And if I don't do something now… well… it's gonna get worse. A lot worse." He pauses. "Or, at the very least, I'm never gonna be able to live with myself."

"This isn't going to fix anything, Kiyoshi. This is going to make things worse. So much worse." He sounds close to tears.

"At least let him talk," Fumiko interjects, a tenseness to her voice. She turns to Kiyoshi. "...Go on."

She's staring him down with those piercing eyes. They're scary when you look at them close. But she doesn't look hurt... not yet.

"...I dreamt about… terrible things. Death and destruction. Things that scared me more than… more than I can even say. But - uh… it wasn't just one bad dream. I thought it might be at first, but it wasn't. I kept having these dreams… over and over again."

"Kiyoshi-" Makoto repeats.

"There was… uh… only one conclusion I could draw from these dreams after a while. And that was… uh…-"

"Please!"

"...That I have a past life too."

Fumiko's expression shifts slightly. She takes a step back, although Kiyoshi's not sure if it's entirely consciously.

Makoto's covering his face with his hands.

"...Okay. Go on,"

Her hands are shaking just slightly.

"And - uh… I guess some people here would think that's something to celebrate. But… it's not. It's - er… it's one of the bad ones. It's…-"

...Fumiko takes another step back.

"...One where I remember hurting people. A lot of people. I feel bad about it now, but I guess back then it didn't really matter to me."

'Or maybe you reveled in it,' the voice in the back of his mind chides.

...Kiyoshi doesn't say that out loud.

"Whatever it is you did back then… it doesn't matter, Kiyoshi!" Makoto repeats. "It's in the past! It's-"

"No. Let him speak," Fumiko growls.

...Another step back.

"Because… I was a bad guy. A really bad guy. And… I wasn't just hurting random people. I was… uh… hurting people I know and care about. People who have cared about me… supported me through thick and thin. And that's why I need to say this now- because otherwise I don't think I'll ever be able to make up for that."

"Hurting people… how?" Fumiko asks.

She's trying so hard not to let her voice shake.

"...Berating them sometimes. Telling them they're worthless… stupid. Other times it was more in-depth. I'd manipulate them… tell them things they thought had happened really didn't, or raise my voice when they disagreed with me. Scare tactics, I guess. It was really bad stuff." He hesitates. "Sometimes I did even worse."

"H… how?"

"Just-! Just quit it, Kiyoshi! I told you myself! None of that matters now! You're not like that anymore!"

"But aren't I!?" Kiyoshi snaps. "How long did I lie to her for!? In what world is that not manipulation!?"

"How did you do even worse!?" Fumiko demands, her voice a roar.

...Kiyoshi feels small.

"Sometimes I'd hit them."

Fumiko's eyes widen, before narrowing into tiny pinpricks.

"Shut it, Kiyoshi!" Makoto cries. "None of - none of this is relevant anymore. All you're going to do is freak Fumiko out. And so-"

"No," Fumiko interrupts. "Tell me what you were going to say."

Kiyoshi sputters. "I... I-"

"You don't gotta if you don't wanna, Kiyoshi! You shouldn't force yourself! It's not-"

"You should go," Fumiko snaps. "Whatever it is Kiyoshi has to say to me: It's important. I don't want you silencing him."

Makoto hesitates. "...But-"

Kiyoshi leans awkwardly from foot to foot. "...Fumiko's right. You should… step out. I'm sorry for asking you to listen to this." He pauses. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Makoto hesitates for a long moment, but finally turns. "...You sure?" he asks.

"Yeah. We're sure," Fumiko answers sternly. Makoto gulps, but does as told.

It's a long moment before she speaks again. But when she does… her voice is quiet.

"...This isn't funny, Kiyoshi."

"I know it's not," Kiyoshi says, this heaviness to his words. "But it's the truth. I'd yell at people... and I'd hit them. Because I was angry... or I was frustrated... or just because I was bored and there was nothing better to do. They never fought back. Sometimes 'cause I was just in control of them, I guess. They couldn't do much without losing their jobs. Other times they said it was 'cause they believed in me."

"They'd say 'I believe in you,' over and over again. 'It's not too late for you. There's something good inside, I promise.' And I'd just keep hurting them. In some ways, I think stuff like that just made me more mad."

Fumiko takes another step backwards.

"You don't mean-"

It's almost sad just how quickly her demeanor shifts. Before she'd been looking at him with apprehension, if not concern. Now Fumiko looks a bit like she's staring at a stranger.

Kiyoshi takes a step forward.

"I do," he says in a tiny voice. "I don't want to, but I think I have to."

Fumiko's blinking fast. She takes another step backwards, but stops herself halfway, heel digging into the dirt.

"No. No. You said you'd be there for me!"

"I know."

"You said you were my family!"

Kiyoshi lets his hands fall to his side.

"...I really thought I could be."

"K… knowing what you knew… you just… just let me say those things to you? You just… p… played with my feelings?"

Her voice is quivering with anger, but she doesn't budge from her spot. She stands there, staring him down with accusatory eyes.

"I didn't know," Kiyoshi says. "I really didn't."

Fumiko's fists ball. "Give me one damn reason I should believe that!"

Why is it that even now he can read her expression so accurately? There's an anger to her words, but behind her eyes he just sees heartbreak. She's biting down on her lip… hand shaking as she speaks. It must be taking everything she has not to cry.

...Kiyoshi's pretty close to crying as well.

"You know I can't do that," he admits. "Nothing I say could - would… would fix it. I've hurt you beyond repair."

He can't. He won't. It's not fair to her. He won't let her look at his weeping face and see pathetic, weak little Kiyoshi. That's not the man who hurt her. That's just preying on her good nature… the good nature he knows she still has. The good nature who will view him with pity - with sympathy. He knows that's not what she wants!

(...He knows that's not what he wants.)

"I hate this, Fumiko. I don't want to be saying this to you either. But I have to. And… if there's anything I can do to make it up to you… please… just let me know. I… I care about you! I do! And even if I don't deserve it, you're still someone I want to have in my life."

Another step forward.

Fumiko steps back.

She has to think it over for a second, staring at him with those shell shocked, teary eyes. But finally her head lowers and her eyes narrow. She grits her teeth so hard he can see her jaw shake.

"I'm someone you still want to have in your life!? What!? Because you feel entitled to it!? Because I enable you!?"

"No!" Kiyoshi says. "It's n-"

"Because I poured my heart out to you, and it made you feel good!? Because I told you everything about me, like some clueless moron, and you took advantage of that!?"

"No!"

"All because you wanted to feel good about yourself! All because you wanted to pretend to be some hero to me! Someone… someone capable of fixing my problems when you're the one who caused half them!?"

Her voice goes from an accusation to a shriek . There are tears prickling in the corners of her eyes, but if she notices them she doesn't bother to do anything. Instead, she just stands there… letting them trail down her cheeks as she clenches her fist so tight it shakes.

"I didn't- I didn't mean t- I didn't want t-" Kiyoshi struggles to find his words. Stumbling over himself, he murmurs "I didn't want to- I never feel good about myself! I really wanted to help you! You're… you're important to me!"

"So important to you you lied to me for months on end. So important to you because you're only telling me this now because you're afraid of being punished!? Not because you feel bad!? Not because you're sorry!?"

"I am sorry!" Kiyoshi cries. "I- It haunts me, Fumiko! I haven't slept in months! All… all I want to do is take back the way I treated you!"

"Well," Fumiko says, her voice icy. "You're right: you can't. You treated me like less than human. And if you think some.. Some…" she chokes back a sob. "...Some innocent act… some… some pretending to to be my friend will make it up to be, then… well… you're the stupid one now!"

She reaches to wipe at her eyes. Eyes still narrowed… mouth still a snarl, she bats at her eyes and sniffs.

"I… I…-"

No. This isn't what he'd wanted! He'd just… he'd just wanted to fix things! Why can't he- why can't he just make it right!? This is exactly why he'd held off in the first place! He hadn't wanted to make her cry! He'd just wanted her…-

...He'd just wanted her to be safe.

"It wasn't pretend. Please believe me, Fumiko. You can hate me! You can want me dead if you want! But please believe me! It wasn't pretend! I… I… really was your friend."

He meets her hateful gaze, and feels his heart sink in his chest.

"...At least I wanted to be."

She seems to consider that for a moment, but soon turns around. "Fuck you," she says, voice low. "Fuck you... if you think you can take advantage of me and my feelings, then you're wrong. I know who you are, and I'm not stupid. I'm not vulnerable, and I'm not gonna just sit here while you tear my life apart again. Tell me whatever the hell you want, Kiyoshi, but I am finally happy. And I am never going to play the role of the victim again."

"...So this is it?"

Fumiko gives him an utterly disgusted look. "...Yeah. This is it."

She turns her back to him. "Don't contact me again. Stay away from me, and stay away from Makoto. If you ever-"

"He said it was okay…-!"

Fumiko's expression contorts. "And he's… he's-" she sputters. "Well, we need to have a talk." Her fist clenches once more. "But as for you, I never want to see you again. And I hope you… I hope you…-" She pauses, voice quivering as she speaks. "...I hope you never forget what you did to me here, Kotaro."

With that, she's gone. One heavy footstep after the other, she turns her back to him and starts to vanish. Scarf fluttering… tears trailing down her cheeks and caught shimmering in the sunset, she leaves. She abandons him. She gives up on him, and says it's too late.

'I don't trust you, and I'm never going to.'

...Because he's the monster. Because he's her beast. Because he told her the truth, and this is how she's going to remember him for the rest of his god damn life.

'No! No! Anything but this!'

It had gone so differently with Makoto!? Why!? Had he said it wrong, or is it simply an unmendable transgression? He'd known from the start that this was the most likely outcome, but even so it sends his stomach turning and his knees close to collapsing. He'd gotten his hopes up, hadn't he? That there could still be a happy ending for him. Why!? Why!? Why!?

How stupid could he be!?

Makoto's watching them from fifteen-something feet away. But the moment Fumiko turns, he's darting their way. There's this sheer terror in his eyes… a 'wait, what happened?' 'this can't be it!'

...This is it. This is all they'll ever have.

Kiyoshi feels his heart catch in his throat.

This is it. This is the end for him. The person he'd harmed the most… she loathes him. She knows what he'll always be. And no amount of care for her will ever change that. He's stuck... with himself... with this monster he's created. And all he'll ever be is cruel. Wrong. Bad.

"Wait!"

He doesn't know why he reaches his hand out. He supposes he's just scared... scared of being trapped in this legacy. Scared of being remembered that way. Scared of the way she sees him, and scared of the way he sees himself. He'd do anything to change it!

His hand wraps round Fumiko's wrist, and he begs- screams at the top of his lungs.

"Please! Tell me it's not too late for me! Even if you hate me! Even if you never want to see me again! Please! Tell me I can still be goo-!"

That's when she socks him in the face.

Kiyoshi hardly processes what's happened at first, stumbling backwards before crashing into the dirt. But as she stares down at him with tear-filled, outraged eyes, he feels his world begin to spin.

"Don't fucking touch me!" she demands, her voice now quivering with not heartbreak - but sheer wrath. "Don't come near me, and don't you dare lay a fucking hand on me! I will fucking kill you!"

Kiyoshi falls silent, hand quivering as it drifts up to touch his eye. He's met with a subtle throbbing, and the sharp pain of a sucker punch.

"I… I…-"

Makoto's drawing closer.

"I didn't mean to try to intimidate you- I didn't mean to try to scare you- I…-" He's at a complete loss of words.

"Yeah, right."

"...I'm sorry, Aguri."

"Don't call me that name," Fumiko spits. "And for the record: no. I don't think you can change. You're just gonna have to live with that."

With that, she's really gone - sprinting away as fast as she possibly can. By the time Makoto's reached Kiyoshi's side she's already halfway over the hill, heading down the mountain and far, far away from him.

"W-what happened!?" Makoto asks, holding a hand out to try and help Kiyoshi to his feet.

Kiyoshi doesn't take it. Just stares at the ground… and then towards his knees. Still doing everything in his power not to cry, he gives a defeated shrug and grumbles "...She hates me. What else?"

"I- I- I…-" Makoto looks panicked, anxiously kicking at the dirt as he speaks. "Are you alright!? She didn't hurt you, did she!?"

"No, she didn't hurt me!" Kiyoshi snaps. "She's not the bad guy here! She just - I just-..." he drifts off. "...I scared her."

Makoto's silent for a long moment, glancing at Kiyoshi, then at the forest, then back towards Kiyoshi. He takes a few hurried steps away, then stops in place, dragging his heels in the dirt.

"I- uh! I'll be right back!" he says. "I'm gonna- I'm gonna make sure everything's okay with her! Just-! Just stay right here! Everything will be okay! I promise!"

But as he turns his back on Kiyoshi as well… hurries into the forest and after their friend, Kiyoshi knows he's wronger than he's ever been. Because he remembers the way Fumiko had looked at him - sheer hatred, and worse - terror in her eyes… and he will never, ever be able to burn that image from his mind.

Still on the ground… left alone with his throbbing eye and his thoughts, Kiyoshi finally does the only thing he can think of.

...Hangs his head and sobs.


Makoto's life is falling apart in such a short span of time.

Goddamn it! He'd known telling Fumiko was a bad idea! And so why!? Why had Kiyoshi felt the need to share!? Something to do with his mom? But that doesn't make any sense! He's spiraling! Acting really weird! Weirder than usual! And that's saying a lot, because he's that guy! Gah! They're gonna have to talk later! But now's not the time! He needs to… he needs to…-

He needs to look for Fumiko.

"Fumiko!" he shouts. "Wait! Come back! Where are you!?"

Shit. Shit. Shit. He knows he shouldn't have stepped out of the conversation. He could have mediated this. Kiyoshi had just seemed so desperate... And Fumiko so mad! Plus, it's not like he'd been prepared to talk about this. Kiyoshi had put him on blast! What else was he supposed to do!?

There's no sight of her. She'd just bolted into the forest so quickly. By the time he'd made sure Kiyoshi was okay, she'd already been long out of sight. But she couldn't have gotten far! She has to hear him right now! Is she just ignoring him, then!?

"Fumiko!" he repeats, cupping his mouth with his hands. "Come on! Please! Just hold up a second! I know you're scared, but we can talk through this! I promise!"

...Silence.

Gah! She's not thinking straight! She's freaked! But he can't - he can't just let her run off like this! He doesn't even know where she's going! Home? To Nagisa's? What if she ends up tripping and hurting herself!? No-one will be able to find her out here!

He briefly considers dialing Nagisa, but feels panic grip his chest at the thought. He can't… he can't just explain what happened to him! What if he freaks out too!? What if he gets mad at Kiyoshi!? That's not… that's not what Makoto wants! He just wants to make sure Fumiko's alright!

"You're really scaring me! Please! Just come back! We can talk about this, I promise! So please! Stop running! I don't want anything to happen right now!"

Heart pounding, head dizzy- it's hard to think straight. But he swears he hears the stomping of footsteps a little to his left. He catches sight of something bright pink and makes a run for it - reaching out to grab at Fumiko. She jolts at his touch, but doesn't push him away, even as he speaks up in a panicked voice.

"...There you are, Fumiko! I was worried about you! Scared you were going to, like, trip down the mountain or sprain your ankle! You really shouldn't be out here alone!"

She doesn't give him a response; simply stares at him with piercing eyes. Makoto has to do a double-take. Why does it… why does it suddenly feel like she's mad at him?

"Listen-! I know you're upset, but now's not the time to behave irrationally! Kiyoshi hasn't - he didn't mean to do any of that stuff! He's not a bad guy! We just need to sit down and talk this through! This is all a big misunderstanding! As soon as you-"

"How long have you known about this?"

Makoto takes a step back, mouth hanging open even as he clings tight to Fumiko's hand.

"...H… huh?"

"How long have you known about this!?" Fumiko demands. "That he's Yanagisawa!? He talked like he's been going through this for months! Have you… have you been in on this!?"

"I-in on this?" Makoto asks, shaking his head. "No- no! You're getting the wrong idea! This isn't - this isn't some scheme! He was just scared! He knew you… he knew you wouldn't take this well. He didn't want to hurt you!"

Fumiko's hand drifts up to grab his wrist. She stares at him with serious eyes. "How long have you known about this?" she repeats, voice quivering.

"I- uh… a little under two months, I guess."

Fumiko's gaze hardens. Although it quickly softens just as quickly. Her shoulders go tense.

"How did he get you to agree to this?" she demands. "What did he say to you? Did he threaten you? Manipulate you? Don't tell me he laid a hand on you-"

"E-eep! No!" Makoto exclaims. "He didn't - it's nothing like that! We both agreed to do this! It - shit! Don't blame him! It was my idea!"

Fumiko's grip tightens and her voice goes rigid.

"What was?" she asks, a suddenly accusatory air to her tone.

"I… not telling you!" Makoto says. "It wasn't some - it wasn't some malicious thing! I just… I knew you'd freak out. He's been stressed enough as is lately, Fumiko. Like complete self-loathing depressed! I didn't want him to have to… I didn't want to have him…-"

"Deal with me?"

"No! It's not - it has nothing to do with that! I just knew it wasn't good for you, either! I knew you wouldn't take it well! I didn't want you to go through that! Kiyoshi's- Kiyoshi was - he was your friend! I'd never want you to lose tha-!"

"He was only my friend because he was lying to me!" Fumiko interrupts. "What don't you get about that!? If I'd known - if I'd known he was that person then I never would have trusted him! I never would have - I never would have spent time with him, I never would have told him those things I did. I… I… I-" She's struggling to catch her breath. "Oh my God. He knows everything."

"He knows about - he knows about my parents. About… about all my worst fears. He knows exactly who I am, and you… you deliberately hid that from me? You - you let him hide in plain sight!?"

Her breaths are heavy, but her grip doesn't loosen. She stares at Makoto with petrified, teary eyes.

"I wasn't - it wasn't - deliberate isn't-" Makoto sputters. "It- it really doesn't matter, Fumiko! You need to think this through, Fumiko! This is… this is Kiyoshi we're talking about! He's not going to use that against you!"

"I know - I know nothing about who he really is!" Fumiko gasps. "This is - this is Yanagisawa we're talking about…-"

"Not- not anymore!" Makoto refutes. "He's… he's different now! He wants to do better! I know he does!"

Horror seems to dawn in Fumiko's eyes. She takes one step back, then another, and tears her hand from Makoto's grip.

"...And you've taken his side over mine."

Makoto sputters. "Hey! Wait! There's no - there's no sides! I just - I get why you're afraid, Fumiko! I really do! But you can't - you can't take that out on him! He didn't ask to be born! I just… I just think it's not right to ditch him over this!"

"Even after everything he did!?" There's a building anger in Fumiko's voice. Her fist quivers as she speaks. "After the way he treated you… You still think his feelings come first!?"

Makoto pauses, but shouts "...Y… yes! I do!" As he stands his ground. "Those… those things I went through…" Horrible experiments and a year full of torment. "...They don't matter! I know Kiyoshi can still do good! And I'm not going to let my - I'm not going to let my fears get the best of me during a time like this! He needs me! And my friends' feelings come first!"

Fumiko's silent for a long moment, eyes locked on the ground before flickering up towards Makoto.

"...Mine, then." Her voice is hushed, but no less hostile. "If you really don't care what you've been through - the things he did to you… then what about what he did to me? The beatings. The abuse. The constant beratement, and even getting me killed in the end. The buying me- yes, fucking buying me at age twenty-three and slowly chipping away at me until there was nothing left to salvage. Is that just okay with you now!?"

"Of course not! Fumiko - I-"

"No. Let me finish. If your friends' feelings come first, then what about mine? Did my feelings matter to you when you decided to hide this from me, or was I your second priority? After everything we've been through together… everything we've faced… you STILL think he deserves a second chance?"

"I…" Makoto hesitates. There's a fire burning behind Fumiko's eyes, and it scares him. But worse… what really gets to him is the terror… t he way her voice shakes, and the subtle way she bats at her eyes just to keep the tears at bay. Is that really what he's willing to stand for?

Years of abuse… a legacy of cruelty. Human experimentation and reckless disregard for the people they loved. Psychological torture… constant terror… writhing flesh… and Fumiko - Aguri - cowering in the corner, covering her forehead with her arms.

"...Yes," he says... and he says it firmly. "I'm not saying the stuff he did was okay! But I'm not gonna back down, either! Kiyoshi's good! He can… he can still fix things! It's not too late for him! I just know it! Because…-"

He drifts off.

Because, well, if it's too late for Kiyoshi… then just how late is it for Makoto?

"Because?" Fumiko asks, an edge to her voice. "Because what!?"

"I don't know!" Makoto replies, throwing his hands in the air.

"Because you're stupid!? Because you're soft!? Or because you just don't care!? Is that it? Do you just not care anymore!?"

"Of course I care!"

"It was us against the world! Us against him! That's why we bonded, isn't it!? Because we were victims! Because we understood each other! All I had was you! I trusted you with my life! I died for you! And now you're taking his side!?"

"I'm not-" Makoto takes a step back, suddenly feeling terribly sick to his stomach. "I'm not taking SIDES! I don't think it's alright, Fumiko! The way he treated you! And if you're angry, then so be it! But I won't let you step all over him! In fact, I don't want to have a stance on this at all! I just wanna - I just wanna help you two talk to each other! Like- a neutral ground! Isn't that okay!?"

"No! That's not okay!" Fumiko hisses. "You can't just 'take a neutral ground' on whether or not beating the shit out of me is okay!"

He hates the way she says it. He hates the way her voice raises and the hatred seeded behind those words. No. No. Don't say it like that! That's not what he's doing, okay!? It's not!

"He's not the one who abused you!"

Fumiko stares. She takes another step forward, but Makoto moves first, tearing himself back.

"He's not! He's not - he's not that person anymore! It's not fair to hold him accountable for something he did a lifetime ago. K… Kiyoshi- he's different from Yanagisawa. He hasn't hit you once!"

Fumiko's eyes narrow. Her expression contorts into a sneer, and she brushes a strand of hair out of her face as she speaks. "Is that the stance you're taking now?" she asks. "Okay then… then you didn't raise the E-Class. We never knew each other, and I never died in your arms. You did nothing for Nagisa, Karma, or Akari, and you don't deserve to talk to them under the pretense of 'I was such a good guy back then.' Do you even hear what you're saying?"

"That's- that's different-!"

"How!? If we're allowed to take credit for the bonds we forged back then, then he has to take accountability for the things he ruined! Just because it happened a 'long time ago' doesn't mean it'll ever stop mattering! And it certainly doesn't mean it'll ever stop hurting!"

"I… I…" Makoto has no argument. He can't just - he can't just say they're not those people anymore. He knows who he is! But… but-!

"...Aguri wouldn't have wanted this."

"Pardon?"

"You heard me," Makoto says. "Aguri wouldn't have wanted to do this. And I know you don't either. Aguri- she-! You always believed in second chances! You believed in everyone no matter what. And you believed in him… up until the very end! Are you really going to give up on him now after he's finally become the person you knew he could b-?"

"MAYBE AGURI WAS STUPID!" Fumiko interrupts, her voice a shriek. Fists balled… shaking with rage. "Maybe Aguri had no fucking idea what she was talking about, and maybe her ideals got her killed! Maybe Aguri was wrong, and maybe I was a big stupid moron too, seeing as how I ever trusted you! But I'm not going to be! Not anymore! And if this is really the decision you're going to make - if you're really going to stand by him… then so be it. You can do it alone." She turns her back to him. "As for me, I'm not getting murdered again."

Makoto stares, a pit in his stomach. He holds a hand out, begging "Wait!"

Fumiko pauses. "Okay," she says, voice empty. "...What is it? What else do you have to say to me?"

"I…-" Makoto drifts off. She stands there… waiting for him to find something to say. But try as he may… as hard as he fights to find anything to refute her… all he's left with is silence.

Fumiko scoffs. "It's funny," she says, fiddling with the scarf around her neck. "When I first told you who I was, did you know what you said to me? You said you'd protect me. No matter what... from anything. That's not a promise that lasted very long, now is it?" She shakes her head. "...I guess I should have known better."

"I… I will protect you!" Makoto refutes. "Even if you - even if you hate me - even if you're mean to Kiyoshi. I'm not going to… I'm not going to let some terrible thing happen to you again, okay!?"

"You already have. You made no effort to protect me from-"

"You don't need protection from Kiyoshi!" Makoto's voice is a shriek- tears prickling in his eyes as he speaks. "Why won't you just get that!?"

"Because you are going off of nothing! You are just taking his word for it! Yanagisawa's word. I do need protection, Makoto. And the good news is I'm finally able to provide that for myself. So I don't care if you think I'm being 'mean.' Because we have no way to know if we are safe around that man."

No. Nononono. They're safe. They have to be! Kiyoshi's safe! Makoto's safe! He's not going to hurt anyone… he's… he's-

"That's not true! I know he won't hurt us!"

"How!?"

Because he's not a murderer! He doesn't want to hurt anyone anymore! Why would Kiyoshi!? There has to be a way to escape it-! That legacy! They can't just be trapped in it forever!

"I just do, okay!?"

His voice quivers with conviction, but Fumiko's hardly shaken. She shoots him a wounded glare, before taking a step back. "...Yeah. I'm sure you do," she says. "Just like you knew I was going to get impaled by a missile going at 200 miles per hour. There are some things you can't just 'know,' jackass. But thanks for reminding me you still don't understand how your actions affect others. I think I needed that."

Makoto's jaw drops. Hands reaching up to cover his stomach, he suddenly feels like he's the one who's been impaled by a twenty-foot pole. 'She can't possibly mean that,' he thinks, blinking back tears… but looking into Fumiko's resolute eyes he knows she means that… and he knows she means it more than anything.

'You really did let me die.'

He takes a shaky step forward, but Fumiko's far ahead of him. She removes her scarf and gingerly hangs it on a tree branch. "I'm not talking about this any more. I'm going home."

"...You don't mean that. You don't mean that, Aguri. You'll change your mind eventually. I know it-"

"If that's what you need to tell yourself," she replies. "But I don't intend to change my mind. And I don't intend to be there for you to pick you up off of the ground again when that man leaves you in ruin. Goodbye, Reaper. And thanks for…" she pauses. "Well, thanks for not that much at all."

She says it so emotionlessly, but her hand shakes as she speaks. Without another word, she turns her back to him and resumes storming down the mountain. He wants to follow her… but suddenly his knees feel weak, and by the time he's returned to his senses, she's already left… taking fifteen years of memories and then one with her.

Makoto collapses to the dirt, weeping in his hands. Shaking, sobbing and whimpering. "Wait! Aguri!" "Please, come back!" he cries, but it's too late. There's no response. He's left alone with his thoughts… alone with the fact that she hates him.

'No! Don't think that!' he hisses. 'She doesn't - she doesn't… hate you.'

She just… blames him for letting her die young.

Somehow that one's worse.

He hadn't meant to - he didn't even betray her! He just… he stood for what he believed in! Is there really something so wrong with that!? He does think people can change! Plenty of people have! K… Karma! Gakushuu! What about Damien?

(...Then again… plenty of people haven't. He thinks of Gakuho… Hiromi… and feels a pit in his stomach.)

Kiyoshi's been there for him! Kiyoshi's been there for Fumiko! He wasn't - he wasn't just going to spit on that! He doesn't regret what he said! Or what he did for that matter! So why!? Why's there such an aching feeling in his chest!?

(Because you already took everything from her! Why can't you just do right by her for once!?)

No. No. This is right. He won't back down on that. He's good… he's good… he's still good. No matter who he's killed - what blood he has on his hands - there still has to be a chance for him! And there still has to be a chance for Kiyoshi! He won't even conceive the alternative!

...Kiyoshi. Oh god… Kiyoshi!

Makoto'd promised he'd be right back. How long has it been now? Is Kiyoshi still up by the school building crying his eyes out? Shit! Shit! How stupid can he be!? Kiyoshi needs him right now! He needs to… he needs to-

It takes all his effort just to get to his feet. He supports himself against a tree, grabbing Fumiko's scarf while he's at it, and shakes his head, wiping tears from his eyes.

He can't cry! He can't cry right now! Not when Kiyoshi needs him! He can't - he just has to stop thinking about how everything's falling apart! Because it's not! It's just fucking not, okay!?

Fumiko will come to her senses eventually. She'll realize she cares about Kiyoshi and she'll admit he was right. She'll… she'll see how good he is! She'll see how good they are! She has to!

Or else… or else…

No! Don't think about it.

He folds up the scarf with shaking hands… places it in his pocket, and then makes a run for it. Heart pounding… breaths ragged… he rushes up the mountain… bursts through the underbrush and holds his arms out wide. 'It's okay!' he tries to say. 'I'm here for you! I'm good, and I'm the hero of this story. It's not too late for me to fix things!'

But his heart plummets when he reaches the side of the building, and he's met with what he already knew he would find.

...Nothing at all. Kiyoshi's long since turned tail and ran.