Into the Light- New Connections

by SirGalactica

This story is a continuation of my previous story, Into the Light- Echoes of the Past. All characters and game mechanics that aren't my own and belong to the Splatoon game(s) and or other iterations, will belong to Nintendo and other properties. This has been given a high rating of M, due to the mentions of sensitive topics and occasional use of bad language. You have been warned.

11. Chapter 3, Part 3

Into the Light- New Connections

"Sweet mother of Jesus, I can only imagine what my poor mother would say about this..."

As our main character prepares to get ready for his looming first day at his new school, he realises how different Inkling society is compared to his home; he finds himself comforting one of best friends on something that has been bothering them for a long time and he even ends up getting reassurance for his own insecurities. How will he spend the last few days of his summer before school starts? And how will he deal with the change in culture in regards to education here?

*WARNING: THIS PART CONTAINS IMPLICATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE IN THE FORM OF POSSIBLE/IMPLIED PHYSICAL ABUSE; REFERENCES TO SKIN-PICKING; REFERENCES TO UNDERAGE SMOKING AND OTHER SUBSTANCE ABUSE; REFERENCES TO UNDERAGE SEX; MILD USE OF BAD LANGUAGE AND MORE. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED*.

(Author's Note: I went to a rather rough school for most of my secondary school education, and First or Second Year is around the same age as most of the characters in the story (12-13), and it was wild- there was people having sex and smoking and drinking and everything, even though they were practically just out of Primary School… It was bad- if any of you lot want me to tell stories about my old school on my Instagram, feel free to leave a comment and let me know.)

Chapter 3, Part 3:

You had woken up before Tsuyo after a night of undisturbed sleep. She looked peaceful when she was resting and so you left her alone, leaving her undisturbed whilst you went to wash your face and brush your teeth.

Not long after you had returned from the bathroom, a few minutes or so after you had finished getting dressed- Tsuyo had woken up and she muttered a sleepy, 'Good morning.' to you, rubbing at her eyes and looking at the time on her phone groggily.

You wished her a good morning as well, as you fixed your socks and put on your slippers. You got up from the bed and made the side of the bed you had slept on, smiling absent-mindedly when you looked up at Tsuyo and saw her smiling at her phone happily.

After she had checked the time and possibly looked at some messages on her phone, she set her phone back on the nightstand, sat up and stretched- yawning widely in the process.

You asked her as politely as you could, but your excitement got the better of you when you asked her with bright eyes. 'Can you tell me about Middle School here?' She groaned slightly but ended up laughing a bit, rubbing at her head whilst telling you what she was going to do.

'Hibiki, I haven't even got breakfast yet. And neither have you. Let's get some food cooking and I'll tell you over breakfast, how's that sound?'

You were more than happy to comply and so you went into the kitchen without another word, to prepare the cutlery and crockery on the table before you began to get the items you were going to need out of the fridge, all whilst she got ready in the bathroom.

You had prepared a simple breakfast of fruit and yoghurt with homemade oat and nut granola with honey and orange juice for the two of you, not feeling up to having a heavy cooked breakfast.

Tsuyo was more than happy to eat whatever food she was given, so still in her nightclothes from the night before- she tucked into her breakfast and you waited patiently.

You hadn't touched your food yet, but when she had gotten around halfway or so through her breakfast, you asked her with pleasing eyes and a sweet voice. 'So, now will you tell me what Middle School is like?'

She shook her head slightly, but waved her hand at you and cleared her throat with her drink before going on to explain to you what you had desperately wanted to know. 'Alright, alright- geez... Ok- so. Middle School, is lowkey hell. We haven't reached High School yet, and apparently that's a shit-show...'

She paused for a few moments in thought, but moved on quickly to save face. 'Anyway! Some lunatic out there decided that it would be a good idea to stick a bunch of horny gremlins and raging bitches in the same building together for a few years before they're 'old and mature enough' to go into High School. As if they're mature enough, Christ...'

'So to give you a rundown of how Inkling Middle School works. There's the popular kids, very few are nice and decent people, the rest all have drug or other substance problems and or are horrible people- sometimes a mix of both.

You almost choked on your drink when she mentioned that drug and substance abuse problems were a problem in the school, and you were even more shocked by what she told you next.

'Yeah... It's not good, some people have already had sex- again, this is bad. It probably won't even be that good anyway so what the point in it is- I have no clue outside of everyone else is doing it; peer pressure and or issues with consent. But that's a topic for another day.'

"They're having sex already?! Good Lord- their bodies aren't even fully developed yet! Why else is the age of consent in this country 16- they were only in elementary school a few years ago! Sweet mother of Jesus, I can only imagine what my poor mother would say about this..."

She decided to move on swiftly from that topic, and settled on something you had heard about in those movies Sunny liked to watch from time to time- cliques.

'Anyway- I'm getting off track here. So there's the popular kids; the semi-popular kids; the normal kids; the slightly odd but decent kids; the slightly odd but scary kids; the kids you want to avoid at all costs and the outcasts/bullied kids.'

She also added onto the cliques by including some minor sub-cultures as well that were combined with the cliques, you didn't really understand it too much but you wanted to be aware of it nonetheless.

'There's also a few subcultures in middle school, namely the weebs; furrys; emos; goths; punks- you get the idea. Those ones can be a wee bit odd- but generally they're quite nice and decent enough people so I wouldn't worry about them.'

She decided to discuss a certain clique in more detail for your own benefit, the popular kids.

'Right- I should probably explain the popular kids to you more since they're the ones you'll want to look out for. So- Chandler would've been a popular kid in first year, right? But since he's thinking of changing himself- for the better really, he probably won't be popular anymore.'

Out of curiosity, you asked her a quick question and for clarification on it. 'Would this apply to Connor and Josh as well? Since they used to dress similarly to Chandler, and now they're getting their own styles, or rather they don't feel pressured to do so anymore.'

She thought it over for a minute or two, but when she came to a conclusion she agreed with you and shared her thoughts on the matter. 'Yes, they would actually. They all dyed their hair blonde and tanned their skin with fake tan, then again that's what Leah and Brianna did as well so...'

You had talked about it for a few minutes, until you brought something up that had been bothering you at the back of your mind for a while now. 'Oh, if Chandler was the ringleader for the boys. Then what about the girls?'

Tsuyo became rather quiet and stopped eating, looking away from you and at her feet. You sensed the sudden change in the air, as at atmosphere between the two of you had changed.

You didn't mean to pry, but your curiosity got the better of you when you asked with a slight hesitation. 'Surely there must've been one for the girls, right?'

She looked at you very briefly, no more than a quick glance, be fire brushing a strand of hair out of her face as she went to eat again and tell you briefly about the supposed ringleader for the girls.

'There is, and our friend group is avoiding her this year. Let's just say she's done some things that were really bad, and that's why Leah and Brianna and the boys aren't friends with her anymore...'

She didn't give much description of the person in question, but you could gather from her tone that she felt uncomfortable bringing that person up, and so you decided to take over for her momentarily whilst she took a minute to recover.

'I know that most people desire to be popular, but good God- if they were willing to give it up which is something that probably wasn't easy, then the person they were "friends" with must be a horrible person.'

She muttered an agreement towards what you said, and her spirits seemed to have improved when she went on quietly about the others and how they had changed over the summer.

'All I can say is that I'm glad the girls and the boys have apologized to me for what they did last year, they're good people- it's just that... They- they got mixed up with the wrong crowd! The wrong people!'

You tried to make light of the situation, and even though you had failed to do that- you seemed to cheer Tsuyo up a bit from what you had understood about what she had told you.

'Like that person whose name I don't know, but from what I gather from your body language she doesn't seem to be a good person...'

She was glad that you understood what she was talking about, even if it was uncomfortable for her to do so. 'Exactly! Honestly- I'm glad that you asked me about it since I know that you can be a bit naive, and I don't want people taking advantage of you...'

You were going to ask further into what she meant, but you soon realised what she had meant and you agrees with her point rather sheepishly. 'I would ask how I'm naive, but I can see your point- I really don't know much about Inkling culture, mostly as it's far different to what I know...'

Tsuyo looked at the time on the clock on the wall of the living room, and encouraged you to eat your barely touched breakfast quickly. 'Here, you should probably hurry up and eat your breakfast. We'll need to get going soon enough.'

You complied and ate the rest of your breakfast in a comfortable silence, cleaning up whilst she went into the bathroom to get ready. To which you had gathered all of your belongings and headed out of the apartment to go and pick up Maki, before heading to the stationary shop to meet up with your friends.

After you had all gotten what you had needed from the stationary shop and surprisingly the bulk-buy store, you all took the bus to Arowana Mall where you going to buy the rest of your school supplies.

Maki had gotten the news that she was going to school, but she wasn't going to be in an actual classroom for a while- she was going to be put in the Learning Support Room to help her improve her Inklish and Sign Language skills whilst learning other subjects.

You were worried about her getting lonely and being isolated from the rest of her peers, but Ruby reassured you that since she was in charge of the Learning Support Room she would keep an eye on her.

You were grateful for this and you thanked her as sincerely as you could, but she insisted that seeing her looking forward to school was enough payment for her- as she was busy looking at school-bags with Connor and Josh.

You were glad that she had some new friends, but she was especially close with Connor; Josh and surprisingly Chandler. Although they often doted on her like a younger sibling, especially since she was physically the smallest out of everyone.

You also noticed that Chrys seemed to lighten up a bit around her, she didn't seem as sour as she did and she seemed to enjoy her company more than the others.

She had also formed a quick bond with Tsuyo, having fallen in love with the same things as her- especially in terms of anime and manga.

Speaking of Tsuyo, you had noticed how much happier she became with the arrival of new friends- she ended up becoming more confident in herself. Something you were really happy about.

And even though her home life was still rather rough, having showed up to your house covered in bruises and marks- often in tears and in a great amount of pain on numerous occasions, the introduction of a bigger support group and the rekindling of her relationship with her childhood friend had improved her health both physically and mentally significantly.

She seemed happier and more comfortable with herself, going so far as to explore her style a bit more- going so far as to change up her usual "plain" pigtails for a slightly fancier pigtail hairstyle that she achieved with the use of rollers she wore to bed wrapped up in an old scarf her mother used to wear.

She had also gained a tiny bit of weight as well, being slightly less thin than she was when you had first met her. Although she still had a long way to go in terms of her health, you were pleased with the progress she was making and you couldn't be happier seeing one of your closest friends improving greatly.

Even Chandler had improved a bit, you assumed that with the presence of Maki and his childhood friends, he felt more comfortable around others- he didn't seem to be as agitated or angry around others anymore.

He still had his outbursts at times, but he'd quickly apologize and keep himself in check for the rest of the day.

He also seemed to be more comfortable with you, no longer minding friendly touches such as a pat on the shoulder or a hand-shake, but you still asked him for permission first just in case.

The biggest change you noticed however was the change in the others appearances, Leah; Brianna; Connor and Josh no longer had tanned skin and their hair was dyed back to their natural colour.

The more you saw them in person, the more their outfits reflected their true selves. With Leah's style being similar to Tsuyo's but with more plant and animal elements, whilst Connor had soon adopted a style that he referred to as 'E-Boy' that Josh insisted on being more 'Emo' than 'E-Boy'

A change that you had noticed yourself was that you had gotten a lot taller since you first came to the Promised Land, starting to get near and eventually over Maru's height whilst starting to tower over the shorter members of the group- namely Tsuyo; Maki and Connor.

Although you were nowhere near the same height as Chrys or Rei, you hoped that you would get taller so that you wouldn't be seen as the small, weak boy from the Metro anymore.

You had grown as a person since then, both literally and metaphorically. And you could only hope that more changes would come soon- the positive ones at least.

After a while, you had all gotten hungry and so you all stopped by the food court to get some lunch and take a quick break before you continued your shopping.

Everyone was having a good time, but you let your curiosity get the better of you once again and you asked the others curiously. 'Hey guys, who's the person you're all avoiding this year- as I don't know who she is, can you guys tell me about her?'

The others paused what they were doing and they all looked at you, an uneasy and uncomfortable silence lingering between them. Ruby took her glasses off and rubbed at her eyes, muttering a heavy, 'Oh God...' under her breath.

Connor looked at you seriously before bursting out laughing and clapping his hands together- telling you in a wild and oddly amused manner. 'Hoo boy, you haven't heard anything like it until I tell you the story behind a certain Katrina Easters.'

Brianna groaned and put her head in her hands, waving her hands in the air in a mixture of frustration and exasperation as she ranted had raved about her. 'I swear on my life that if you say her name three times or even think about it three times- the bitch pop's up out of nowhere!'

You told her off for cursing, to which she apologized and Connor took over once again by laughing and trying to tell you about Katrina. 'Hibiki- do we have a story to tell you!'

You stopped him first, and tried to find out how bad of a person Katrina was, before everyone started telling stories about her. 'I can gather that you don't necessarily like her, but on a scale of 1-10. How bad is she?'

Leah was quick to reply, even faster than Connor normally was and replied without batting an eye. '100.' She was soon met by arguments of, '100? Make that 500!' from Brianna.

Surprisingly, Connor argued back with the highest number- even though he was laughing about her earlier. '500?! Are you out if your mind?! She's easily a 5,000!'

You stopped them all before the arguments got out of hand, and so you tried to go into specifics before they told you all of the stories about her. 'Ok, ok- I get it. She's not a good person, but what exactly has she done to you all?'

It seemed that everyone became rather uncomfortable when you asked about specifics, to which Tsuyo muttered in a quiet but strong tone. 'Not here, not now. Maybe later Hibiki...'

You felt rather bad for bringing it up, but you decided to move on swiftly to avoid the awkwardness of the situation. 'I see- uhm, anyway! What is it that we need to get next?'

It seemed that everyone else was just as eager to move on as well, to which Ruby took out a piece of paper from her bag and went through it. 'Hold on, uh... We've got stationary; textbooks; and school-bags. Now we need to get uniforms, shoes and accessories.'

You stood up and gathered up all of your rubbish onto your tray, and asked the others if they were ready to leave and continue on with their shopping. 'Right then, we should probably go and do that before we run out of time. Has everyone finished their food?'

The others agreed and began to clean up after themselves, placing all their rubbish in the correct bins and tucking the chairs in under the table, leaving the food court to go to the next shop- the uniform shop.

You were all on your way to the uniform shop and you whispered to Tsuyo in a nervous voice, seeing the uniform shop looming not far from the top of the escalator. 'Is it bad that I'm nervous about getting my uniform since I'm worried about out-growing it too quickly?'

She whispered back to you in a questioning tone. 'Get it in a bigger size?' You agreed with her, but as soon as you got off of the escalator you realised a problem with that plan. 'That's true- ah, but what if I grow out of too quickly?'

She patted your shoulder and reassured you in a patient voice. 'I'm sure we'll think of something.' You had all arrived in the uniform shop and you were greeted with an indifferent but polite wave from the store clerk behind the till.

The others seemed to know what uniforms they were getting, but you and Maki were confused on which one you were meant to pick- but the clerk came up to the two of you and asked if you needed any help.

You looked at him sheepishly, and you asked him as politely as you could. 'Um- do you know which one is the uniform we're meant to wear?'

The clerk smiled at you and asked if you were going to the same school as the people you came in with. 'Since you came in with that group there, I'm gonna make an educated guess and sat that you're all going to the same school. Right?'

You told him that he was right, although you couldn't give him the name of the school since you couldn't remember what it was. Luckily- Tsuyo told the store clerk the name of the school you were all going to, and the clerk went to the back of the store briefly to bring out a rail with two sections on it to show you what the uniforms looked like.

As soon as the clerk was about to begin their explanation, they asked you what year you were at the school. You competitive him an answer, but Tsuyo was nice enough to tell the clerk what year you were in at the school.

'2nd year, we're all in second year at Inkopolis State Prep.' The clerk thanked her and began to tell you and Makabout the uniform. 'I see- these are the uniforms that you'll need here. So- this is the male uniform for winter, and this is the summer one.'

The male winter uniform was of a navy blue sailor shirt and black trousers, whilst the summer uniform was of a plain white shirt and optional shorts.

You thought the uniform looked nice, and you were curious to know what the female uniform looked like-minded so you asked to see it. The clerk took the female uniform off the rack from the second section of the rail and showed it to you.

The female winter uniform was of a white sailor shirt with long sleeved and a matching skirt, with the summer uniform being the same except for the shirt which had shorter sleeves.

Overall, you thought that the uniforms looked smart and judging by the look on Maki's face, she loved the look of the uniform and it seemed that she was more excited than ever to start school.

The two of you then began to pick out what you would need, and the store clerk informed you of something that you weren't aware of before.

'You should know that the colours switch when you're in the next year, oh and I'm not sure of the uniform policy- but I think you can wear the male or female one if you want to, don't quote me on that though. I just sell them.'

You thanked him and asked politely if it was ok for you to try the uniforms on. The store clerk was indifferent to the matter, but gave you a small warning to let you know to not break anything.

'Knock yourself out, just don't break anything. If you need me I'll be right here.' You thanked him and waited on Connor and Josh to finish trying on their uniforms, before you tried yours on.

You put your uniform on as quickly as you could, to avoid dissociating in the changing room; picking at the skin on the side of your body and being self-conscious of yourself in general.

You fixed it up slightly and tried to look as decent as possible, when you went out to ask your friends what you looked like. You were conscious of the fact that your scars were rather visible, but you were met with nothing but support from your friends on how you looked.

Connor complimented you on how fancy you looked, saying 'Ooh- you look fancy my guy.' To which Josh remarked in an impressed tone. 'Damn- all he's missing is the tie.'

Brianna told him off, but it was more so in a playful way than anything else. 'Don't start- I'll start singing that one song, I had it stuck in my head for three months!'

Tsuyo was slightly confused as to why you were trying on the summer uniform first, but looked rather sad when you explained why you had tried the summer uniform on first. 'Because it'd be the one I'd be most uncomfortable in, now for the one I'd be most comfortable in.'

You went and tried on the winter uniform and felt slightly more comfortable in it, you felt it was a bit contradictory to feel uncomfortable wearing the summer uniform even though you would wear clothes with short sleeves.

Then again- you realised that that was a matter of choice, you could choose to wear clothes with short sleeves or not but you couldn't do the same with a uniform unfortunately.

But you wouldn't have to worry about the summer uniform for quite a long time and so you put that thought to the back of your mind and carried on with what you were doing.

Eventually, you came out and showed off your uniform to the others with a happier demeanour. Tsuyo saw how much happier you looked and complimented you on it.'Oh wow- you look lovely! You suit the winter uniform.'

Chandler did the same, but it appeared that he wasn't used to it and so it didn't come out the way he wanted to 'You look rather nice in navy, not that you wouldn't suit other colours that is...'

He stuttered and spluttered over his words for a few minutes, becoming more and more embarrassed as time went on- his natural ink colour revealing itself as black, looking slightly brown as his face heated up in embarrassment.

You looked at him kindly to try and make him feel better, whilst Tsuyo reassured him and gently patted him on the shoulder, resting it there briefly whilst she told him. 'Don't worry about digging yourself into a hole Chandler, I think he gets what you mean.'

You agreed and went to take your uniform off, changing back into your normal clothes before letting the girls go and try their uniforms on.

Brianna and Leah tried on their uniforms first, and you thought they looked nice in their own way. Brianna wore her uniform in a slightly tom-boyish or sporty way, whilst Leah's was more simple- but also sweet and slightly girly.

You told them that they looked lovely, and the others did the same. The two girls looked happy with the compliments and went to go and get changed back into their normal clothes to let Tsuyo and Maki go and try on their uniforms.

Maki had come out first and her style was rather soft and girly, and paired with her short height and overall sweet/gentle appearance- you couldn't help but find her as cute as a button.

In fact, you had all found her enthusiasm and appearance to be adorable- Leah and Brianna wanted to take a lot of photos of her and Connor took a few with her as well.

Josh had picked her up and hugged her for a moment, holding her like a small doll and treating her like one if his younger siblings. Chrys was slightly flustered over Maki's appearance and complimented her, telling her that she looked 'very cute' to which Maki signed 'Thank you.' to her, with a large smile on her face.

Whilst you were happy that your cousin was so happy and looking forward to going to school, there was one tiny thing that bothered you a bit and you felt really bad for bringing it up. 'Aw! Maki- you look lovely! Although- your skirt is a bit short... Sorry if I've burst your bubble or anything...'

She looked down at her skirt, but then she showed you the back and you could see that she had used a special belt to hold it up, hence why her skirt was slightly smaller than it was meant to be.

She got her notebook and wrote on it with a smile on her face, reassuring you that it was fine. 'I see what you mean, but that's because I've had to roll it up to fit me- that and I can do kicks easier!'

You couldn't help but sigh a bit and smile fondly at her, patting her on the head gently before asking her where Tsuyo was. 'Fair enough, I'm sure Auntie can help you fix it later- where's Tsuyo? Has she not finished changing yet?'

You heard Tsuyo apologising sincerely coming out in a hurry before showing you her winter uniform. 'Sorry! I was having trouble getting my hair to work...'

Tsuyo was rubbing at the back of her head sheepishly, her cheeks were slightly lit up in a soft yellow hue. She was wearing a long skirt that you thought looked rather nice on her, her curled hair brought out the soft features of her face and you thought her overall appearance was lovely.

You felt warm flowers bloom in your chest, and you had gained a light lavender hue to your cheeks. You were snapped out of your thoughts when Tsuyo asked hesitantly. 'Hibiki- you're awfully quiet, you ok? I don't look weird- do I?'

You apologised to her and stuttered over your words quickly, looking away from her out of embarrassment. 'Oh- y-yes, sorry! Uh- you look lovely Tsuyo!'

You glanced back at her and saw her face light up like a Christmas tree, clasping her hands together and asking a soft voice. 'Really?'

You were too bashful to answer her, to which Chandler responded in a similar tone. 'Yeah- you do...' She sounded happy with the news and went to change back into her normal clothes.

Connor looked at you and Chandler in confusion and she remarked, 'Are you two ok? You're acting kinda odd...' Chandler raised his voice slightly at Connor, insisting that nothing was wrong or different. 'Shut up- don't worry about it! Alright?'

Connor looked at him and was about to start arguing with him when he fired back a quick, 'Ok- geez, what's gotten up your-' When Tsuyo had returned however, they stopped what they were doing and acted like nothing had happened when Tsuyo and Maki had returned from changing.

Tsuyo told Ruby and Chrys that they could go and try on their uniforms now since they were finished with the changing rooms.

Ruby looked very professional and formal in her uniform, whilst Chrys looked similar in a more androgynous and masculine way.

Maki had complimented Chrys whilst Connor complimented Ruby, the two of them sharing equally bashful faces. Ruby smiled at Connor and thanked him, complimenting him in a confident tone.

Whilst Chrys looked slightly embarrassed and thanked her quietly, looking away from her and at her feet- avoiding looking at Maki any further.

After all of that, you had all bought your uniforms- yours costing £41.00 altogether, due to the fact that a sale was on that meant that the uniforms would be cheaper to buy.

You had all thanked the store clerk and went on to the next store to buy shoes, both for indoor; outdoor; and for PE if needed.

After you had gone to the shoe shop Sunny had taken you to early on in your stay in Inkopolis, you and the others went to a department store to buy accessories and anything else you all needed.

Connor had gone off with Josh to get a new makeup pallet and a thing of face cream for themselves and their mum respectively. Leah and Brianna went off to a sports store for a new basketball and tennis racket . Maki had gone off with Chandler to check out a bookshop they had within in the large department store, she was going to get a practice book for sign language that was sold out in other shops she had previously visited- Chandler going with her to ensure that she wouldn't get lost.

You had all done your shopping in disorder, with the others getting their accessories; socks and other items in different parts; levels or sections of the department store first, before wandering off to do their own thing.

You and Tsuyo were left in the accessories part of the department store, you were planning on buying some reusable face-masks and maybe some new bandanas or other hair accessories.

Tsuyo was getting some hair accessories, but when you came back to check up on her- she seemed like she wanted to buy them but she reluctantly changed her mind, muttering quietly but sadly to herself. 'No, this wouldn't suit me... I-I'll put it back...'

You asked her what was wrong, and she tried to brush off your concerns, even though you knew otherwise. 'It's nothing Hibiki, don't worry about it.' You could tell something was up with her, especially after lunch- and so you tried your best to ask her about it without prying into it.

'Something's been eating at you ever since we've gone out, and it seems to have gotten worse after lunch. Is something bothering you?' She grew quiet and looked away from you, to which you asked her in a neutral tone.

'Is it to do with that girl the others brought up briefly- Katrina Easters?' She sighed and played with the end of one of her pigtails comfortingly, giving a brief explanation of what Katrina did to her. 'Yeah- she's done others things to me, but she'd tease me about my looks a lot...'

You could see that it was painful for her, but you wanted to know she described her to figure out how much of a problem Katrina was. 'Plain, boring. I had a 'long' skirt last year and she teased me about it- even though I like long skirts. I really like my new one actually...'

When Tsuyo went on about how Katrina described her, your heart began to break and a frown began to form on your face. 'Oh and she just didn't like my appearance at all, my hair was plain- I don't have any fancy hair accessories or anything and I didn't style it the way I do now. It doesn't look silly or anything, does it?'

You reassured her as much as you could, and you tried to give her some advice that you honestly hoped she would take it well. 'No- no, it does not. It suits you, I mean that. Look- why don't you buy those hair accessories and wear them, wear your long skirt if you want to. Wear what you want- prove her wrong, prove to her that you aren't the person she made you out to be.

You knew that your advice could be seen as harsh, but you just wanted the best for her- even if you had to be blunt and straight forward. 'From what I gather, the girl's an awful person and you know what? If you spend the rest of your life putting yourself down because of other's opinions about you- well, you won't get very far in life I'm afraid.'

You acknowledged that such a thing wouldn't be easy, but that it would be worth it in the long run. 'Sure it'll hurt- hearing or seeing negative things about yourself will always hurt a bit, but it's better to be happy with yourself and wearing things that make you happy than to let some person who doesn't know you, dictate what you should and shouldn't wear.'

Out of nowhere, you grabbed her hands and held them, looking at her directly in her eyes to emphasize your point. 'You should be more confident in yourself, Tsuyo! Seriously- you're smart; you're witty; you're sweet; the list goes on but the point is Tsuyo- there are more ways to be beautiful than physical appearance.'

She seemed stunned at your sudden change in demeanour, her eyes wide and blinking in disbelief. Her cheeks lit up heavily and she thanked you quietly, letting go of your hands.

You picked up the pack of hair accessories she was looking at and encouraged her to buy it. She tried to push it away from her when you brought it to her to hold, insisting that, 'It's a bit expensive by itself-'

You put the pack of hair accessories in her hand, and showed her something that cheered her up greatly. 'Nonsense. Look, there's a sale on- you can get five hair accessories for £5.00. And that includes these ones that come in a pack like this. So go ahead, knock yourself out.'

She looked at the sign and she realised how lucky she was, she turned to you with a huge smile on her face that melted your heart when she asked sweetly. 'Can you help me pick some out?'

You were more than willing to help her out, and suggested a pack of hair-clips that you thought would look nice on her. 'Of course. How about these ones? I think you'd look nice with them.'

Tsuyo looked significantly happier having bought some hair accessories that she really liked, but as you were walking around to find the others- you couldn't help but muse annoyedly about a certain girl.

"I swear to Christ himself, I am going to find this horrible girl and give her a piece of my mind one of these days..."

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you came across your friends again, you were happy to see Maki again who had an equally happy Chandler with her.

She showed you a book Chandler had got her about animals, and she kept on 'talking' or rather signing and writing about all of the cool marine animals Chandler had shown her for a few minutes until Ruby asked for permission to go off to a store with the rest of the girls

'Hey, you guys don't mind if we go to the underwear section really quick?' Connor asked confidently, 'Why do you need to go there?' To which Ruby responded back wittily and quickly. 'Oh- we're going to get a rotisserie chicken, no you dumbass we're going to get some cute panties and bras. Oh and socks too-See ya!'

As the girls left to go up the escalator, Connor yelled after them in a curious voice. 'Can we come with you?' To which all of the girls bar Maki who looked annoyed at him and crossed her arms in an 'X' formation, with you and the rest of the boys yelling at him strongly, 'No!'

You slapped Connor on the back of the head, and scolded him in anger. 'Why would you even suggest that? Would you want them to come with us if we were try on underwear?' He became flustered and quickly rebutted back with a, 'No-' but you cut him off with a sharp reply.

'Then there's your answer, I swear- am I the only person here that isn't-' To which you were all met with a chorus of exasperated, 'Yes!'

You had all sat down on some leather seats near the escalator, and you were simmering in mild annoyance, with Connor rubbing at his head and the other two becoming bored and going on their phones.

A few moments of silence had passed and when you were starting to calm down, Connor came to a realisation and asked you something. 'Wait- weren't you raised in a society full of women?'

You were going to begin explaining to him that whilst there was a lot of women back home, there were still males there such as yourself there- but he interrupted you with an oddly toneless response. 'Ah- that explains it...'

He had this 'knowing' look to his face and a smile that only added to the smug look on his face, you took a deep breath and exhaled through your nose heavily- looking at him straight in the eye and telling him a voice that was quiet but got the message across. 'Connor if you keep interrupting me, I will throw you into that fountain.'

He swallowed nervously and apologized quickly, 'Ok, ok. Sorry.' You were going to thank him for his apology, but he interrupted you again with a hesitant, 'One more thing-' To which you barked a harsh, 'Connor!' at him.

Around an hour or so later, the girls came back from a clothing store and you were honestly glad to see them, as this meant that you were able to head home soon.

You greeted them all politely and looked at Maki with a kind look on your face, 'Ah, there you all are! Did you get anything nice?' Maki showed you the bag she had gotten from the store and she wrote on her notebook- showing it to you all with a smile on her face.

'Yep- there's a sale on. 75% off! Anyway- we can get out of here now.' Connor got up swiftly and stretched, sighing in relief at the fact that he'd be able to leave soon. 'Thank Cod- I was getting bored there.'

As you all began to leave the mall, you all began to catch up with one another over what happened in the time you were separated.

Tsuyo was the first to ask questions- asking out of curiosity and politeness. 'Did anything interesting happen whilst we were gone?' Josh didn't look up from his phone but he replied in a nonchalant manner. 'Hibiki almost threw Connor into a fountain.'

This earned a laugh from near enough everyone, except for Chrysler who with the blankets look on her face- replied back with a single, 'Good.'

Everyone was into the fits of laughter at that point, except for Connor who looked as if though he had been betrayed. 'Chrys, Chrys, Chrys- why?! I thought we were friends?!'

Chrys just shrugged her shoulders and remarked indifferently. 'I guess- doesn't mean that you don't deserve to be put in your place sometimes.'

Connor remained silent whilst the others continued to laugh about it, eventually- everyone had calmed down and out of politeness, you had moved on with the conversation. 'Well, did anything interesting happen when you were looking around. Did you run into anyone?'

Tsuyo remembered something and went on about in a mildly pleased voice. 'Actually- I recognised one of your sisters friends there, she was nice enough to help us out. She was asking about you and Aka, and I told her that you were both doing well. That's basically it.'

You had a feeling of who the person was, but you couldn't exactly remember who it was that got a job in the department store, so you asked for clarification on it. 'Oh- that must've Selena, or was it Serena? I can't exactly remember, but I know that one of them got a job in some department store so it must be one of them.'

She corrected you on which of the twins worked in the department store. 'It was Serena, Selena works in the perfume shop. They're twins, remember?'

You remembered it correctly now, and you rambled on about it for a minute or two. 'Yes! I remember now, I haven't seen them in a while. I should ask my sister how they're doing, since I haven't seen them or her other friends around the house in a while now...'

The others were confused as to why you were interested in your sister's friends, and you sheepishly explained why- you thought the reason was silly but the others seemed to be slightly surprised by it.

'Well I've improved my cooking skills a lot since they were last over, and I want them to try out a new recipe I've been making. I served them store-bought biscuits last time, and I don't think they're the same as something you make yourself.'

Out of politeness and curiosity, Leah complimented your cooking but was curious to know why it was so good. 'You actually have improved your cooking skills lot, not to say it wasn't good before- actually, how does your cooking taste so good?'

You mused over an answer for a while, but you gave her one when you were happy with it. 'Love? Oh- and seasoning, the right seasoning and flavours always helps. Time and patience as well I suppose, but you already need that anyway- even if it's the tiniest amount.'

Everyone became silent and you were worried that you had said or done something wrong, but Leah just looked at you kindly and smiled sweetly as she responded in a mildly amused tone. 'That's the kind of thing I'd expect you to say if I'm honest...'

When you were getting close to the first floor of the mall, Ruby asked quickly as a reminder. 'Right um... That seems to be everything, does anyone need to get anything else before we leave?'

You looked towards the perfume shop since you had wanted to go there to get something, but you changed your mind since you knew it was getting late. 'I was thinking of getting something, but I think I'll get it another day since Maki needs to get home.'

Ruby shrugged her shoulders slightly, and smiled- ready to leave the mall and head home. 'Alright then, let's go.'

You all left the mall and headed towards the bus stop, getting on the bus home and bidding everyone farewell when it came to your stop.

Some time had passed and after you put your uniform out to dry and you had dinner, you went on to the ANCHOR App to talk to your friends.

You were also able to talk to your cousin now, since two family friends were nice enough to send Maru some of the spare electronics and gifts they had bought for you and your sisters, to give to your cousin to use.

She didn't really know how to use her phone too well, but she had gotten the hang of it and she was very grateful to have these electronics since they would allow her to do her studies without having to use one of her parent's computers.

She also enjoyed being able to video-call you and your sister when she could, usually for help with her maths work or for something she didn't understand in a part of her work.

But sometimes she just wanted company when doing her work, or if she was going to watch one of her shows and wanted you to watch them with her if you couldn't come over for the day.

You didn't mind helping her with her studies, mostly as the material she was going through was work you had completed a long time ago and you were more than happy to go through your old work if it meant that you were able to help her.

She was on her third book of all her work already, and you were proud of her for making do much progress in a short amount of time. You knew that this would help her greatly when she started school with you and the others.

You were going to ask her how she was getting on with her work, but you knew that she'd be tired from today and that you'd be better off talking to her in the morning.

For now, you had other matters to attend to, and information to find out about a certain Katrina Easters.

You: So I know this Katrina person was avoided in conversation today, but can you all tell me what she's like? As I've heard briefly what she's done to Tsuyo, and I'm not happy about it in the slightest...

Brianna: Ripped up an outfit I was wearing and destroyed it just because it looked similar to something she was wearing at the time.

Leah: I genuinely thought your oldest brother was going to murder her, especially since it was something that he had bought you as a present.

Brianna: IK! He spent a good amount of money on it too- it was the type of clothes that would last a long time, like Toni Kensa's clothes. They're expensive, but they'll last for years if you take care of them well!

You: They are, mine were on sale when I got them- but they definitely will last a long time.

Ruby: This is kinda funny- but she stole money from someone's locker and tried to place the blame on me- even though I was physically in another part of the school at that time. In a student council meeting no less.

Chrys: You and the other student council members laughed about that for days, I just questioned how stupid a person would have to be to attempt that.

Connor: I was gonna say something here, but ik that you would probably kill me if I said it, so I won't because I got a new makeup palette today that I've been dying to try.

You: I didn't even know that you liked make-up until Tsuyo showed me your Inkstagram account, my sister was impressed by your skills actually. Aren't you planning on becoming a make-up artist in the future?

Connor: Haha, yeah- cats out of the bag now I guess, I just find makeup fun tbh. I was always in my mom's makeup bag as a kid, she has a lot of photos of me with make-up on...

*Connor sent in an image- baby me with terrible makeup*

Ruby: Aw, cute!

Brianna: Why does the make up there remind me of this one time Katrina came into school drunk?

You: She came into school drunk?!

Chrys: Yeah- it was bad, she broke a bunch of windows, destroyed a cabinet with all of her classes work in it and fought a teacher...

You: She fought a teacher?!

Ruby: Yep- the teacher she thought was ok though. And thankfully the other teacher already scanned in the paper copies of the work and they had digital copies of the work too, so everyone was still able to get their grades. Oh and she was suspended for 6 weeks for that, the longest she's been suspended actually.

You: Good God- at least she got some punishment for it...

Chandler: Constantly flirted with me and claimed she was my girlfriend at one point- even though I always rejected her. Now- I admit that I did some messed up shit back then, but nothing on the level of what she has done. She seriously needs to go to therapy or something.

You: God Almighty- this has just gotten progressively worse and worse as we've gone through it, I'm not sure if anything will surprise me anymore!

Leah: In that case- Katrina killed some baby birds I had found since I was spending more time with them than I was with her….

Brianna: I remember that! That was so sad... :-(

You: Sweet Mother of Jesus and the Wee Donkey, what in all of God's green earth did I just read?!

You: I have no words, none!

You: Wow- I- I am genuinely shocked at what I'm hearing. Oh my God- what is wrong with her?!

You: Who on earth does that?!

Chrys: A girl looking to get attention, amongst many another things...

Ruby: What I don't understand is, she gets everything she wants! She's an only child, she's spoiled. Her father's the CEO of some big company, and she has maids and butler's and all sorts of people that do everything for her! I don't know what could've possibly went wrong!

Chrys: Outside of the fact that she doesn't get much attention from her father, and that her mother left him for someone else. And many other things that are in the realm of possibility.

Maki: I didn't have a mother or a father, and I turned out ok!

Ruby: Well yes dear, but you had someone that looked after you and they raised you well. And you weren't spoiled then, I suppose you're spoiled now- but that's entirely different to what she gets.

You: Sure my older sister bought her clothes and all that, but she's always wanted a younger sister and since Aka is too young to be spoiled- Maki gets it instead. Even then, a good amount of it is clothes that my sister outgrew or never wore. And my sister knows her way around a good bargain too, especially when it comes to clothes.

Chandler: But even still, Maki and you Hibiki deserve to be spoiled. You've been through some shit that I don't even want to imagine, and you've both earned it. Seriously, you have.

Ruby: All in favour of this say I

Connor: I

Chandler: I

Josh: I

Brianna: I

Leah: I

Ruby: It appears that the council is all in agreement, meeting adjourned!

Chrys: I'm trying to not burst out laughing since I could picture that exactly in the same voice as the student council president, shame they're leaving though...

Chrys: Anyway- I miss being in the council, actually- is anyone thinking of joining the council again or becoming a new member?

You: Student Council?

Ruby: Oh yeah- you probably never had such a thing at your old school Hibiki. Basically a student council is a group of students put in place by their peers via a vote, and they're there to address issues of concern amongst students or others, and to help organize and plan student events/activities.

You: I see, it sounds interesting- but there probably wouldn't be anything for me to do in it. They don't have a Weapons-Smithing Club or anything of the sort, do they?

Ruby: Actually, you're in luck! They introduced it last year since some students were interested in it, and they're looking for someone that's knowledgeable about it and someone to a representative for the club in the Student Council.

You: Really?!

Ruby: Yeah! You've mentioned before how you studied it in school, and that you've even made some weapons yourself- I'm sure the council would love to have you!

You: Well I would need to apply or run for it first, but I'm interested in it- it would be good on a CV too.

You: What else do they offer at your school actually?

Connor: It'll be your school too y'know, but they have all kinds of sports clubs and that. Track; Soccer/Football; Basketball; Swimming; Gymnastics; Karate- that kind of thing. There's a whole section of it on the school website.

Brianna: I'm definitely doing basketball this year, I'm breaking everybody's ankles on the court!

Josh: She's actually really good at basketball tbh, idk if I'll be doing any clubs this year.

Connor: I might do Drama club this year, I just wanna do the makeup side of tho tbh.

Chrys: It's better to wait until school starts to pick what you want, as some clubs might not be available this year. But I hope you all find something I guess.

You had all bid your friends goodnight, and you put your phone face down on your desk so you could focus on researching the school you were going to.

"It's a bit late to research this- in terms of both time and how close I am to starting school, but better late than never I suppose..."

You wiped and then put on the special blue-light blocking glasses your parents had got for you so that your eyes wouldn't be damaged by long-term screen exposure, a worthy investment that would certainly be useful for the long and busy school year ahead.

You typed in the schools name and went onto the schools website, taking out a notepad and writing down on it anything you needed to know or that you were interested in.

"So I'll pick Weapons-Club, that's on Monday after school- 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. Gardening is on Tuesday after-school- 2:30PM to 4:00 PM. Art is on Wednesday after school- 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. Literature Club is on Friday after school 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM."

"I think Ruby said that the student council has their weekly meetings on a Thursday after school- same time as all the after school activities .Swimming is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, whilst Track is on Tuesday and Thursday morning- all at 7:05AM to 8:30 AM. School starts at 9:00 AM and Registration is at 8:45 AM..."

You didn't even realise how much time had passed since you were you went on your laptop, and it wasn't until Maru interrupted you by checking in on you that you looked at the time and saw how late it was getting.

He knocked on the door and peeked his head into your room, he saw you at your desk and entered it slightly- asking you curiously. 'Hey kid, it's starting to get a bit late- shouldn't you head to bed soon?'

You looked at the time and saw it was almost half 8, nearly an hour and a half or so after you were meant to put your phone in the special box in the hallway. You apologised as sincerely as you could, and explained why you strayed from routine slightly.

'Sorry! I got distracted and I lost track of time, I was looking at after school clubs...' You invited him in and he stood near the door, leaning against the wall. He was happy that you were thinking about it, and he asked you what clubs you were thinking about picking.

You began to explain what clubs you were thinking of picking, starting with the one you were mist interested in. 'Well a lot of them are interesting if I'm honest... But Ruby mentioned a Weapons Club so I'm definitely going to pick that.'

He had you continue on, and you told about another club you were interested in because if its practicality. 'Art seems interesting- and it'll help me in the future. So I'll probably pick that as well.'

He seemed to like the choices you were making, but he asked about something you had completely overlooked. 'Is there a limit to how many clubs you can do?' You weren't too sure if there was a limit or not, so you asked him to wait for a moment until you found information on it.

When you had found it, you began to read out the information to him so that he would informed of it as well.

'Let's see... At Inkopolis State Prep Middle School, students are not limited on how many after-school clubs they can pick. So long as they don't clash with one another- a student can have two after-school classes a day, with multiple days after.'

You focused in this particular bit of the website, since you knew that he would be interested in it. 'If a student is unable to keep up their grades or their health is starting to worsen, they may be asked to temporarily leave some activities until it is determined that the student is well again or their grades are back to normal.'

You turned around to him, and you saw that he was processing the information in his head a bit, but when he was finished he shrugged his shoulders and looked at you with a mild face, as he told you.

'I mean, you can pick what after school activities you want. There's no limit after all, but just make sure you don't pick too many- you'll burn yourself out otherwise.'

You showed him the list you had written down and he didn't seem to have a problem with it since you explained to him that some of the club's might not be available and that you weren't going to pick them until you actually went to school.

He handed the notebook back to and when you moved back to your desk, he remembered something and asked you in a hesitant and slightly awkward tone. 'I was just wondering if I could look through your phone real quick. I don't particularly like doing bit since I know you like privacy and that, but-'

You finished what he was saying since you knew what he was going to say, but you opened up your phone and handed your phone over to him with no concern, since you trusted Maru more than Rei when it came to checking your phone.

'It's to make sure I'm not hurting myself or others or others are hurting me, I know- we've done this a 100 times already. Here, feel free to look through it. Well you're doing that anyway, but you get what I mean.'

He thanked you and began to look through your phone, be fire he began to laugh a bit and reminded you of an event that happened not that long ago.

'Yeah- I'll never forget the lube incident though. Sweet mother of Jesus I was dying of laughter for days, you were looking for that W-640 Lube for Weapons- but it was blocked and when you asked about it, your Pops bloody panicked.'

You groaned as he brought that memory up, knowing that that was the reason why you asked Mary to check your phone from now on, since you had lost Rei's trust that he wouldn't freak out or overreact over the activities on your phone.

'I remember complaining to Sheldon about it as well the next day when I went in to pick it up, I think I said to him something along the lines of, 'What on earth would I use that stuff for? Shall I get a large tarp and cover it in the stuff to make one of those things humans called a slip-and-slide?!'

You and Maru burst out laughing, to the point of which Maru began to cough slightly and needed to clear his throat, and he remarked amusement. 'Now that I think about it- that would work a lot better than water alone. But it'd be too messy, well not really- you get my point!'

You nodded your head in agreement, and went back to what you were doing on your computer. Writing down the schools time-table for the day, making a rough timetable of what times the classes started and ended- including a small section for the after-school activities you planned on doing.

You heard a noise of disapproval from Maru and when you turned around to see what was bothering him, he sighed and looked up at you, telling you blankly. 'I see that you've brought up that Katrina Easters girl.'

You grimaced and told him your thoughts on the matter. 'We have, I was horrified- but at least I know about her.' He kept on scrolling through your phone until he stopped and told you something about Katrina in a quiet but subtly serious voice.

'I had to ban her from coming to the Dojo- she's not a good kid. Sure Chandler caused some trouble and that- but he's a troubled kid and from the looks of it, you've been a good influence on him and I'm glad of it.'

You asked him what she had done, and he fixed the way he was sitting on your bed and he told you the whole story.

'She used to be dating someone and they had broken up the previous week or so, and they seen the person talking to Tsuyo in a friendly manner. For no reason what so ever, they just started to beat the ever loving shit out of Tsuyo. Pardon my language there, but there's no other way to describe it.'

You were horrified at the very thought of it, and you asked him in pure disbelief, 'You're joking, right?' He sighed and began playing with his hands, fidgeting with them whilst he told you the rest of his story.

'I wish I was. Hell, ask Rei about it- he had to help me break the fight up. We had to call the police and everything, I was going to have Tsuyo press charges against her- but Katrina's father asked that in exchange for no charges to be brought, she would be banned from the Dojo. I was reluctant to not go any further, but Tsuyo didn't want any more trouble and settled for it, I'm still angry about it but I can't do anything about it...'

He seemed to greatly regret not taking any further action over that situation, and you put your head in your hands and groaned, muttering through them in a tone of great exasperation.

'Good God, remind me to not call that wretched girl out whenever I see her in person. God- if my mother was here and she heard about a girl like that and she was running something similar to what you were doing, she'd sort her out real quick.'

Maru didn't comment on the matter any further, but as he went to give you your phone back- he brought up something he had found in your search history as gently as he could. 'I can't see anything too dodgy here, so you're good. But are you worried about fitting in at school at all?'

You didn't want to admit your concerns to him, but you just brushed it off and insisted that it was nothing. 'A bit- but it's stupid if I'm honest. You don't need to concern yourself with it.'

Maru sighed and put his hand on your shoulder, as he gave you some advice to try and reassure you.

'Hibiki- you're a good kid, you're smart; you're kind; you're polite- all of those good things that I'm sure you've heard a million times before. But that's besides the point- don't feel the need to change yourself to fit in with people, if you want to change yourself- it should be for yourself. To make you happy- that type of thing, y'know?'

You knew that he was trying his best to reassure you, but your insecurities got the better of you and you shared some concerns with him that you had. 'I know... But I suppose I don't know how others would react to me- I am the only Octoling in the Turf War Class aside from you, and well... I suppose I just want other people to like me...'

He reassured you that plenty of people would like you, and that even if they didn't- you had plenty of have friends to rely on that would keep you company. His advice and reassurement had cheered you up greatly, and you thanked him for it.

He gave you a quick hug and a pat on the back before pulling away, and asking you something you weren't prepared for. 'Also- one more thing... Why were you looking at cologne?'

You laughed nervously and explained your reasoning for it. 'Apparently a lot of people don't smell great in Middle School or High School, and I want to make a good first impression on others...'

He laughed a bit as well with you, but he was curious as to why you interested in a certain type of cologne. 'Ok- but cinnamon cologne?' You explained that you thought it would smell nice, and that you wanted to make sure you had good hygiene.

He couldn't help but laugh a bit more, and after a few minutes he calmed down and assured you of something. 'Oh you definitely don't smell, you have good hygiene for God's sake. Excellent hygiene I should say- much better than some people your age!'

You mused over it for a minute or two, before confessing something that you were apprehensive to tell him about. 'I suppose I do shower often, and I've been using that deodorant that you gave me when I came here, and I may or may not have been using that cinnamon cologne Rei gave you here and there... Ok well- whenever I've gone out...'

He reacted indifferently, but said that you suited it and that you were able to keep it since he never used it, and that if he were to use it- he'd use it to cover up the smell of cigarette smoke on his dressing gown.

You came to a sudden realisation and shared it with him. 'That explains why it smells like cinnamon, that's where I first smelt it actually. But it still smells like cigarette smoke if I'm honest...'

He sighed heavily and admitted to you that he was thinking of quitting soon for not only the sake of his health, but also for the sake of your younger sister. You were proud of him for thinking about it and gave him nothing but encouragement for it, he thanked you for it and as he was going to leave your room and wish you goodnight, but you stopped him to ask him one last thing before you turned in for the night. 'Actually, have the things I've ordered arrived yet?'

He apologised and said that they hadn't, before wishing you a good night. 'Sorry- not yet. I'm sure they'll arrive soon enough. Anyway, you should go to bed. It's late. See you in morning, good night kid- love you.'

You returned the same sentiment to him and did what you needed to do before shutting your computer down and getting ready for bed, leaving your phone in the box and turning in for the night- looking forward to going to work at Grizzco with some of your friends tomorrow.

Chapter 3, Part 3, End.