(A/N: So...I realized last night after posting yesterday's chapter and updating the Characters list on AO3 that Niijima is spelled with two "i's" as opposed to only one which is what I had been using.

So..yeah...that's a thing.

Chapter prompt: "you did this?")

It was with no little worry that Ryuji stood outside the faculty office the day after turning in his career planning sheet. He knew that had to be the reason he was called here, seeing as he couldn't come up with any other reason why. He knew he had to go in, but he couldn't help the fear that stopped him. He knew Ann, Shiho, and Hifumi had been denied prior. They had eventually come up with something that appeased their homeroom teachers, but that was them. He had little doubt that his would make him try and pick something more in-line with his skills, like busboy.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, he knocked on the door and opened it. He looked over toward his homeroom teacher and walked over to him. He stood at attention, looking straight ahead.

"You asked to see me, Mr. Kazuhai?"

"I did." his teacher responded, standing up and grabbing a piece of paper. Ryuji looked down briefly and noticed that it was his career planning form. He also noticed that there was no mark on it showing if it was approved or not. "Walk with me." he said, walking toward the door.

"Yes, Sir." he said, following him. They left the faculty office and entered one of the counseling rooms next to it. His teacher pointed toward a chair while taking a seat. Ryuji sat as well, trying to keep himself calm. His teacher looked down at the form for a moment before tossing it on the table between them.

"So you did this?" he asked, looking up at Ryuji. "You didn't have someone else feed you answers?"

"Correct, Sir." Ryuji responded. "I may have met with friends and did it with them, but the answers are mine and mine alone."

"I see." he said, leaning back and crossing his arms. "You really think you can be a gym teacher of all things?"

"Yes, Sir."

"You came to us from Shujin, correct?" he asked, sitting forward. "You were there when these so-called 'Phantom Thieves' changed Mr. Kamoshida's heart, correct?"

"That's correct, Sir." Ryuji said, trying to keep his voice even.

"I take it you would like having that kind of power he had." his teacher said, giving a small smirk. "After all, there has been no movement from the Phantom Thieve in nine months now. I'm sure you just want to do what he did, and be glad you know how to get away with it, right?"

"What?" Ryuji asked, his eyes widening. "Hell no!"

"There's no reason to hide it, Sakamoto." his teacher, his smirk growing dark. "After all, I became a teacher for the same reason. The power you have over students...being able to get the girls to give you whatever you want in order to not get in trouble."

"You've..." Ryuji trailed off.

"There's no better feeling that making a school-girl believe she came up with the idea herself." he continued, leaning back. "Suguru knew that as well."

"You piece of shit!" Ryuji yelled, jumping up. "I'm not like that!"

"There's nothing wrong with it, Sakamoto." he said, still smirking. "Besides, I figured you wanted to become a gym teacher because you admired Suguru and felt sorry for what happened to him?"

"Hell no!" Ryuji yelled, glaring down at him. "That piece of shit raped my friend! She almost died because of that piece of shit! He tried to blackmail and rape my other friend! He blackmailed and raped my mother! He broke my leg and ruined my future! I'm nothing like him! I'm proud of what the Phantom Thieves did to him! I'd rather die before becoming even close to what that piece of fucking shit was before we changed his heart!"

"Good." his teacher said, dropping the smirk for a real smile. "That's good."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I wanted to make sure you were nothing like that sorry excuse of a teacher." he said, getting Ryuji to relax his posture slightly. "I'm sorry for what he put you, your mother, and your friends through. I also apologize for what I put you through just now." he continued, bowing low in his seat.

"So...that was a test?" Ryuji asked, sitting down. His teacher sat back up and nodded.

"I wish...that it wasn't needed." his teacher said, his smile now gone. "We've seen some students, both men and women, who have gone into teaching because they like the power dynamic it brings. They like knowing they control the futures of their students, like the highs they feel playing the students off each other in power struggles, and even take advantage of their positions to trade sexual encounters for better treatment. Since you were exposed to Kamoshida's treatments, we wanted to make sure you wouldn't be one to do so as well."

"I'd kill myself before I became like that effin' asshole." Ryuji said again, looking down. He clinched his hands, trying to stop the shaking from the adrenaline high. "Yeah, he may be the reason I want to become a gym teacher, but that's because I want to become the exact opposite of him."

"The opposite of him, huh?" his teacher asked, leaning forward.

"Yeah." Ryuji said, looking back up at him. "I don't ever want to be compared to him. He hurt too many people that were close to me. I don't want to be given false respect out of fear. I want to be respected because I'm fair, even if they don't like me as a teacher."

"Very well." his teacher said, leaning over the table to pull the career planning sheet to him. He pulled a small stamp and ink pad he had in his suit jacket and stamped the paper. He handed it over to Ryuji, who took it and looked down. There, in the box for the teacher's response, was the word "APPROVED" in red ink.

"Thank you, Mr. Kazuhai." Ryuji said, bowing to him.

"Think nothing of it, Skull." his teacher said with a smirk.

"Uh...what?" Ryuji said, looking up at him in shock.

"During your rant, you said that 'we' changed Kamoshida's heart."

"Uh...no I didn't." Ryuji said, looking away slightly.

"Don't worry." his teacher said, standing up and patting him on the shoulder. "I won't tell anyone your secret."

"Please don't." Ryuji said.

"Well, you're dismissed."

"Thank you." he said, standing up and leaving the room. He walked to a more secluded area and banged his head against the wall.

"God I hope they never find out what I just did." he muttered. A moment later his phone vibrated, causing him to sigh. "Come on God, we killed a false god for you! Shouldn't that gain us a favor?" he muttered, pulling out his phone to see what Futaba wanted.

ORACLE: Soooo...guess what Skull just did?

ORACLE: He just told his homeroom teacher that he was a Phantom Thief!

PANTHER: Damn it, Ryuji!

JOKER: Mona: Damn it, Skull!

JOKER: Also...Damn it, Ryuji!

He sighed, and lowered his phone as it continued to buzz. He knew they wouldn't let him live this down for a long time. A moment later his phone made a different notification sound, despite being set to silent. Confused, he lifted it up to see Futaba had sent him a private message.

FUTABA: So...I also heard what you said about your mother.

FUTABA: Don't worry...I won't say anything to anyone.

He let out a small sigh before giving a tired smile.

RYUJI: Thank you, Futaba.