Tuesday, April 20th
Like many other days, Akira Kurusu was utterly irritated. Quite honestly, it was something that permeated since Sunday morning after Morgana annoying pried Iwai and Tora's warning from his lips. It only became worse on Monday since Morgana took those words to heart and distanced himself from Ryuji and Akira, while they were forced to be "subtle". Even worse? Kawakami assigned him fifteen pages of work to do with Ann Takamaki as his partner.
The two of them bitterly argued about who could slack off and do the workload, easily wasting their time on Monday and coming home empty-handed.
Tuesday however?
Akira quickly hopped out of his desk and halted in front of Kawakami's desk.
"Kawakami-sensei?"
Like usual, her disheveled demeanor and sunken eyes immediately struck Akira, "What is it, Kurusu-kun?"
"So, do you think you can do me a teeny, tiny, itty bitty little favor?"
"I'm not switching your partner."
"Oh for fu—may I ask why? Why are we even working with partners in the first place? This is rudimentary work!"
"First off, keep your voice down...I have a migraine. And second, that's the point. It's a study to see how well your class can respond to tedious and monotonous work with an unknown or unlikable party."
Akira stuttered, even he had to admit, Kawakami was a surprisingly decent teacher.
Even if she's tired most of the time.
"We-Well, uh...these aren't even studies on Japanese!"
"Well, I did want to give you guys a break, but if you think that's the case, I should probably work you overtime since exams are coming up soon."
"Wh-wait, wait, wait! I was kidding. And they're a month away, that doesn't constitute rigorous review."
"Exactly. Just go and do the work. It's incredibly easy for someone like you, Kurusu-kun. I did see your exam scores from last year. Despite...everything about you, including your attitude, you're a really good student. And besides, Takamaki-chan isn't that unlikable, she's a nice girl."
"Sure..."
Kawakami suddenly got a bout of energy, "What was that?"
"I said, Gongaga."
"Wha—I'm just gonna ignore that for the sake of keeping my job."
With the force of a thousand ancestors, Akira held his tongue.
"Look, Kawakami-sensei, is there seriously nothing I can do to switch-out? Takamaki-chan really doesn't like me."
"Pfff, going off that logic, nobody likes you because of your record."
"...but, nobody does."
Kawakami's face became flat, "Oh. Right...well, even still, no. I'd only do anything you'd want if you somehow cleansed my exhaustion, but if I can't do that myself, I doubt you can."
"The skills of Akira Kurusu knows no bounds."
Much to Akira's surprise, Kawakami let loose a slight chuckle, "Sure, kid."
Though before Akira could properly enjoy the conversation, Ann paced toward the desk. Her voice was shaky, "K-Kawakami-sensei, ca-can I go to the nurse's office?"
Kawakami quickly grabbed her passes and wrote one up, "Takamaki-chan are you okay?"
Ann weakly gave a thumbs up, which Kawakami took as a bad sign, "Alright, the school day is almost over, Kurusu-kun, can you take her to the nurses?"
"What?!"
The middle-aged teacher sighed, his outburst of energy taking her down a few kegs, "Look, I'll...give you extra credit if you do."
Well. Can't go wrong with extra credit.
"Fine. But I'll tell you when to put it in. Deal?"
"Deal."
Akira quickly grabbed Ann and walked her towards the nurses' office. Upon getting inside, Ann almost instantly started puking.
"OH C'MON MAN, WHAT THE F-"
The nurse quickly grabbed Akira and pushed him out, leaving him alone in the hallway as the emptiness of it slightly comforted him.
He started to quickly text away on his phone.
AKIRA: Hey.
RYUJI: What's up?
AKIRA: So, why can't we meet up after school again?
RYUJI: I have something to do.
AKIRA: But you...never have things to do.
RYUJI: Shaddup, this is an exception.
AKIRA: Don't tell me...
AKIRA: Ryuji Sakamoto has a date?!
RYUJI: Oh go 'eff yourself.
RYUJI: I wish.
RYUJI: This is way worse dude.
AKIRA: A date is...bad?
RYUJI: Despite my affinity with the ladies, my luck with the dating aspect is pretty bad.
AKIRA: Affinity. Right...
RYUJI: I swear I'm going to punch you in the ass.
AKIRA: What?
RYUJI: Anyways in Junior High I took this girl to a grill place.
RYUJI: I was doin stupid little tricks with all of the chopsticks, and even doing some cadences with them
RYUJI: One thing led to another...everything caught on fire. She lost her eyebrows.
RYUJI: It was bad.
RYUJI: Really bad man.
AKIRA: ...you what.
RYUJI: Why do you think I only take us to sushi and ramen places?
AKIRA: How the hell did you even—
AKIRA: Scratch that, I don't even want to know.
RYUJI: I have a whole bunch of other stories. There's one including a girl, a university dorm, the phrase 'BABYBABYBABYBABYBABY', and a Black Destroyer.
Upon seeing that final part of the text, he started frantically typing.
AKIRA: RYUJI PLEASE DONT FINISH TYPING THE NEXT PART.
AKIRA: PLEASE.
RYUJI: Fine, fine.
While Ryuji was typing up another message, Akira noticed a text from an unknown number.
UNKNOWN: Akira Kurusu?
AKIRA: Uh, hello? Who is this?
UNKNOWN: That doesn't matter right now, what matters is the fact we have to talk about Kamoshida. If you don't mind, come to the roof afterschool, please.
AKIRA: Yeah, right no.
Time to block. Bloop.
I'm not a total idiot. Plus, subtlety...
Wait a damn minute...was that Niijima-senpai? Oh my god.
HOW DID SHE GET MY NUM—Oh. Student council. Right.
She doesn't know how people work if she genuinely thought I was going to reply to that. Wow.
That is both sad and adorable.
Would talking to Niijima-senpai be considered subtle?
Yes.
No.
Yes.
No.
Yes?
No.
Nah, I'm right. Not smart to talk to her right now, unless it's completely unavoidable, I can't speak to her. I don't know exactly what her thing is.
Though it would be fun.
Unbeknownst to Akira, Ann strolled out. She would've gotten away if he didn't smell her perfume.
"Takamaki-san? What are you doing?"
The way she jerked let Akira know she didn't expect him to still be there, she turned around, her voice a bit shook "Kurusu-san? You're...you're still here?"
"Uh, yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"
"Huh." Ann took a second, with the final bell of the day ringing, letting loose every kid in Shujin. A little sigh came from her mouth, "Would you want to come to a diner with me? Just to sit down, and hash things out?"
This can't be that bad. Why not.
"Sure."
"So...you're telling me, inside that little bottle is something you can drink to make yourself puke? Really?"
Ann had her palm open to Akira, revealing a small silver bottle, "Trust me, if I didn't drink it myself, I wouldn't believe it either."
"Huh. That's...that's kinda amazing. Where did you get it?"
"Nope, that's a secret. Only me, Shiho and...Ryuji know. Some weird doctor he met last year, a friend of his mother's."
"Hm. I'll bother him about it later."
"If you bother Ryuji, then you'll be having a mortal battle of the ages."
"Ah yes, in DSBZ? I'd beat his ass within seconds."
That's a damn lie!
"Really? Jeez, when I and him played he kicked my ass with ease."
"Pfff, Ryuji doesn't know jackshit. He's the same guy who burned down a grill shop."
"...burned down?"
"Yeah, he never told you?"
"Kurusu-san...the only thing he burned, was himself."
"Wait what? Oh god, please don't tell me..."
"He took me to that place and started making a fool of himself on the tables, acting like a monkey until his clothes caught fire. Then he ran around like a jackass whilst getting naked. Someway, somehow his hair got caught and he jumped in the little water tank they had on display. That's why he cuts his hair short now."
"Oh...my god."
For a minute, silence was brokered between them, until they erupted in laugher.
It was the first time Akira saw her smile.
Good.
After settling down for a few seconds, she spoke again, "So, how come Morgana told me you were busy after school? I tried asking if I could meet you or even text you and he said that."
"Knowing my little brother, he probably thought I'd be at your throat."
"Oh, so he was afraid I'd kick your ass. I see."
"Ki—for the sake of peace, I'm just going to ignore that. Plus, I don't like random people texting me. Even if they're...favorable."
"So, I'm favorable? Interesting."
"Please don't let that get to your head."
A faint chuckle came from Ann as the two sat in silence for a minute, working on separate portions of their work in tandem with one another. That was until she spoke again.
"I'm sorry. About the slap."
Akira took a second to reply, still finishing off a question, "It's fine. Trust me."
"I just...don't like people touching me."
Should I push it?
"Takamaki-san. If you don't mind me asking..."
"Ann. Just...call me Ann. Honorifics are tiresome."
"Right. Ann...it's because of Kamoshida, correct?"
Her pencil stopped moving.
I should've dropped it.
She dropped it and locked eyes with Akira, "Akira, do you know why I asked you and Morgana to stay away from him?"
"Because he brings misfortune?"
"No. Because he doesn't know when to stop. You two are his friends now. His close friends. He'll do anything to protect his friends. Even if it...harms him. That's why I gave him the cold shoulder. To stop him from pushing any further with this whole Kamoshida stuff."
"Then I came..."
"You didn't know, I don't fault you but...I don't want to see Ryuji get hurt anymore. And Morgana's too nice and kind. The most the three of you can do is just...let it go. Please."
Her eyes were watering a bit, something Akira hated to see on women.
Before he could say anything, her phone vibrated.
A few sniffles came from her as she grabbed it.
Whatever the text was, it wasn't pleasant.
She plopped her phone on the table face down, "Of course when I say that, he starts to text."
"Kamoshida?"
A soft nod came from her.
Akira looked down for a second, thinking about his next move.
He grabbed his coat pocket and yanked out a necklace.
"Is this yours?"
Ann looked a bit...everywhere. There were hints of confusion, hatred, disgust, and even bittersweet love.
"Yes. Where...where did you get that?"
"That's...a long story. But Ryuji found this and he got...mad. Really mad."
"Because I told him I threw it away."
"Why?"
Ann rubbed her eyes, "It was another way for me to distance myself from him. He...he bought it for me during the Nationals run. If he knew Kamoshida took it from me..."
"He would've went ballistic."
Akira sighed, he grabbed Ann's hands and closed them around her necklace, "Please, just...tell me everything about Kamoshida. It isn't just about my brother and you two anymore. I can't let him get away with ruining people."
"B-but nothing—"
"We will take him down. I understand you're scared. But...I'll make sure Ryuji doesn't get hurt. Nor Shiho, too. I promise."
He felt her grip on the necklace tighten.
She took a deep breath.
"Kamoshida...regularly throws himself onto me. Trying to force things and get me alone with him. Be it in his offices...his own home...or the bandroom, he always tries. And when he can't..."
"That's when he goes off and hurts everyone else?"
"Y-yes. So...I've been letting him be alone with me, but I always come up with some sort of an excuse before things get too bad. But...but recently...he started hitting Shiho. And he's been calling me more and more and threatening me...I'm just..." Her voice faltered to the point it became a whisper. She hung her head, clearly trying to hide her face from Akira, "I'm so tired...just so tired. And I can't do anything. My parents aren't here...I can't go to the shitty administration since all they do is suck him off!"
Once again, her phone rang. Ann picked it up with a sickly grasp and chuckled with a taste of somberness.
Akira on the other hand was stuck in his thoughts.
This...
No...
This...is just like Kyoto...
All...over again...
There's no way.
Taking a page from Ryuji's book, Akira slammed his palm onto the table, scaring Ann.
"Whatever he's asking. No."
"W-what? Akira wait—"
"No. Say no. No, no, no, no. It doesn't matter. We're going to stop him, and we're going to make that bastard pay! And it all starts with you saying no! Take back the control he ripped away from you! Show that bastard who you really are!" Akira hadn't been this passionate in a while, and truly, it shocked him.
It also embarrassed him since the other patrons started looking at him like a weirdo.
It did the trick at least and Ann finally had a smile on her face again.
It took her a few seconds, but she gathered her courage to make a declaration, "You're right. I have faith in you guys. I'll make sure that Shiho and I help and protect Morgana as much as we can. I'm sure we can bring him down."
"That's the right attitude. Now...I think we have some more pages to finish before we turn this in tomorrow."
Ann's eyes kept focusing on him, something he was confused about, "What?"
"Nothing...I just knew those rumors were wrong. I should've trusted my gut."
"But the part about me fighting off 500 delinquents with nothing but a mechanical pencil and bandana is true, though."
"Yeesh, Kyoto is a crazier school than I thought." A little chuckle came from her mouth.
Akira eyed his work somberly, "You have no idea."
This feels good.
Largely, practice was lax. There was no overwhelming pressure as compared to Morgana's first days. Kamoshida, at the start, looked defeated and sucked of life. It was rather strange, even from Morgana's point of view, to see him so...downtrodden. He lazily gave them some vague instructions, mainly about going to sectionals for the entirety of the practice.
This meant most of the kids messed around with each other while having little moments of actual practice. This included Morgana, of course.
Most of his time, even if it annoyed the hell out of Daisuke, was spent with Shiho.
Despite the connotation that arose each time Morgana stepped foot into the bandroom, Shiho made him feel at ease. His other worries were far away when she was around.
Though, admittedly Morgana had been worried about Ann's absence from practice. Though those concerns quickly faded away with Shiho's words.
Even with his worries gone, Morgana couldn't shake his inquisitive eye.
Is that why Kamoshida is down today? Because Lady Ann didn't show?
Wait, did I just call her Lady Ann? What the hell—
"Mona, did you hear me?"
Her voice shackled him back to reality, "Huh? I'm sorry Shiho, what did you say?"
"I said, you play video games right?"
"Pfff, is that a genuine question?"
"I'm asking it, right?"
Morgana cleared his throat, taking on a zen expression, "What knowledge does one seek from Morgana Kurusu?"
"Ooh, one seeks knowledge on RPGs. What information will you provide?"
"Hm...has one had a touch with Shin Megumi Tensai?"
"Huh? Mona, are you messing with me?"
Her ignorance broke Morgana out of character, "Really? You don't know what Shin Megumi Tensai is? Oh my god..."
"I'm sorry for being uncultured swine..."
"As you should be. But, I'll show you it one day. I would do it now, but my phone is almost dead."
"Why?"
"Eh...Akira's broke, so he took my charger, so I've been struggling to ration my power today."
Randomly, Kamoshida emerged from the cocoon of his office with Yuuki Mishima. For a second, Morgana swore he saw a flash of hatred on his face, hatred that was pointed toward him and Shiho. If it was real, it quickly disappeared as he formed a smile on his face and granted them a wave.
Awkwardly, he waved back as Kamoshida left, seemingly walking back to Shujin at large with Mishima at his feet.
Since Ann isn't here...maybe I can try to push my luck with Shiho instead.
"Hey...Shiho? Can I ask a question?"
"Sure, shoot away." Shiho was standing with her back towards him, practicing a multitude of dance moves and motions.
Seeing her, at least outwardly, enjoying herself kind of made Morgana hold his tongue.
But I have to move forward with it. Akira would. I have to believe in myself.
A few seconds of silence spaced itself between them as he took a deep gulp.
Finally, he spoke in a whisper to not allow anyone else to hear, "What does Kamoshida do? To you and Ann?"
As expected, she quickly turned around to him, meeting his eyes with her widened and fearful ones.
"I-um...what?" A nervous chuckle came from her lips.
"Shiho. tell me."
Shiho had a frantic look in her eye, one that made Morgana feel sick to his stomach.
There was fear. Palpable fear in her eyes. The type of fear that someone in their lifetime shouldn't be close and comfortable with. A fear that hit too close to home for him.
He pleaded once more, "Please."
Within a few seconds, she grabbed his hand and walked him out of the bandroom. Standing on the streets of Aoyama-Itchome, she struggled to compose herself.
She's just like her.
Morgana placed his hand on her shoulder, hoping she could feel the warmth he presented to calm her down and organize her thoughts.
After a while, she spoke.
"I was kind of hoping that despite your brother running around with Sakamoto-san, you two wouldn't get pulled into this..."
"This isn't anything new for us."
"...Kamoshida...he abuses us. Mentally, physically...sexually..."
Oh, God.
"B-but it's not just us. It's most of the band...t-the reason why the band council is how it is, is because we're his puppets. The easiest to control. Especially Mishima. He's his little lap dog. He has no mental fortitude so..."
"So, he's the president. But...why are you there?"
Another shaky breath came from her, "Because I'm the bargaining chip for Ann. He treats me and the band well by extension because of the time he gets with Ann. When he doesn't..."
"Like today, he'd threaten to kick you out? Or...do things to everyone?"
Shiho started shaking, clutching her stomach as her mind replayed terrible memories. Memories she hoped to kick away as she mumbled in a whisper, "Yes."
Mona gritted his teeth as another rare flame of rage formed, he grabbed Shiho's shoulders, partially scaring her as he looked into her eyes, "Shiho, I promise that I'll protect you. Me, Ryuji, and Akira are taking him down no matter what. I promise he'll never lay another hand on you as long as I'm around."
Morgana's declaration seemingly struck a chord in her heart. Her eyes were welling up with tears as a voice struck out.
It was Yuuki Mishima.
"Um...S-Suzui-san? Kurusu-kun? K-Kamoshida would like to see you. The both of you."
A wart formed in his throat.
Shit. Practice is almost over, maybe I can make an excuse?
"Ah, I would Mishima-senpai, but my brother—"
"It's urgent. It's something that...can ruin your academic future."
Morgana felt his jaw clench instinctively.
There's no way out of this, is there?
Maybe I can smooth talk my way out of this, like Akira?
Yeah.
I can't let him lay a finger on Shiho.
"O-oh, okay. Thank you for telling us, Mishima-senpai."
Mishima eyed the two of them with sadness, regret, and most prevalently, cowardice.
Morgana couldn't fault him, given the context.
It was forgiven in his eyes.
Turning his head, he looked Shiho in the eyes, giving her a firm stare with pure determination.
Morgana grabbed his phone, praying it wasn't dead just yet.
His prayers failed him.
With a sigh and a reassuring smile, the two began their ascension towards Kamoshida's faculty office as he took one final look up at the setting sun.
It was a beautiful hybrid between slight purples and oranges blocked by protruding skyscrapers tearing through the scenery. It seemed like a prison. The isolation of the cityscape was something he never grasped until now.
It's just like home.
Too much like home.
From the second they stepped inside of the messy office and closed the door, Kamoshida began speaking.
"Do you know what is the most important factor of a band?"
The two stayed silent.
Kamoshida slammed his fist onto his desk, sending broken trumpet parts everywhere as the two teenagers flinched, "Am I speaking to myself?! I said, what is the most important aspect of a band?!"
Morgana sporadically spoke, "U-Uh, musicianship? Musicality?"
A disgustingly potent chuckle came from the older man, "No, no, no, no my sweet Morgana...you see, the most important aspect to a band is resolve and integrity."
Kamoshida detached himself from the desk and began to pace around the office, much to the fear of Shiho.
"Everyone has to play their little individual parts. To stay true to them, and see them through. To divulge yourself in it until it's completed. Even the little worthless pieces have worth."
Kamoshida stopped behind the two, lowering his head down and whispering into Shiho's ear, which caused her to shiver with fear, "But if someone was to...skip out on that load multiple times...despite the importance of said role, the band won't reach its full potential. Nor will it be musical or display musicianship."
Morgana spoke up upon seeing Shiho's terrified face, his voice faltering, "Kamoshida-sensei—"
Kamoshida flicked his head towards Morgana, striking him with the fear of God, "What, Morgana? What do you have to say? Are you going to give me a detailed rebuttal?"
Kamoshida positioned himself upwards, standing confident and tall with a gross smile on his lazy face, "I should expect that with that brother of yours. Worthless piece of shit didn't do his role properly. That's why I leaked his record, you know? All he had to do was come and join me...play to his little role, be in my back pocket and he would've lived an easy life here."
"You—you bastard!" Morgana whirled around to meet his glare, mentions of his brother and the defecation of his character filled him momentarily with fury and courage.
"Ahah, watch your tongue. Pieces of filth who don't follow their roles and continue with resolve don't deserve a single word. Almost like Takamaki...wanting to be a bitch and be with that brother of yours."
A few heart-wrenching chuckles came from his mouth, "What could she see in a worthless delinquent like him? Though, I guess pieces of filth deserve each other. Me on the other hand? I just filling...and filling...and I need to bust." Kamoshida locked the door.
Before Morgana could feasibly react, a fist connected with his jaw. The young Kurusu flew, his legs disconnecting from the ground as he collided with a desk, sending all the instrument parts flying everywhere as he slid off.
Everything was blurry. Sounds were mixing. Pain kept jolting through his jaw and there was a metallic taste in his mouth.
Blood? Morgana couldn't tell. Every possible sense, every physical, and mental process was escaping him.
A rattle came from his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
The only thing he could make out was Shiho standing in front of him, forming a protective barrier using her body to shield him from Kamoshida's assault.
It was in vain.
A slap reverberated through Shiho and the office, sending her body crumpling lifelessly to the floor.
A cocktail of drunken jumbled sounds came from his lips as he attempted to voice out her name, "sHichoo.."
Kamoshida descended onto him.
Ah.
You were right.
I couldn't keep my promises.
Ha.
Shit.
Oh Shiho, I'm so sorry...
I know there's a sickening greater power laughing at me thinking this now, but...
I do need you...
Everything faded away.
The little work session with Ann was actually the most fulfilling experience Akira had since his arrival in Tokyo. Sure, belittling Makoto Niijima was fun, but it didn't put his mind at peace. All it really did was annoyingly remind him of his duties that he had with Ryuji and Morgana.
Speaking of Morgana...
Akira shot his little brother a text.
AKIRA: Yo! I'm just getting home, had a little conversation with Takamaki. She's actually pretty nice to be around. I'm assuming you're with Shiho right now, so I'll leave you to it. Get home safe!
AKIRA: And no, somebody didn't take my phone, I'm actually sending you this text. Smartass.
Sliding his phone into his back pocket, Akira couldn't help but smile.
Even if his close friend blew him off for...whatever he had to do, for the first time in a long while, fate actually worked in his favor.
Although, Ann giving him back her necklace did leave a bit of sour taste in his mouth. It made sense, but he felt slightly guilty still keeping it.
One thing was for sure though. They were going to take Kamoshida down, no matter what.
Stepping into the lobby of the apartment complex, Akira took a few steps before he stopped at the elevator. The line, if you could call it that, was essentially barren. There was only one person in front of him, a woman. She had already called it, so Akira decided to take this time to clean his glasses.
Huh. Her hair kinda looks familiar.
Eh...I'm probably tripping.
Usually, Akira took moderate care of his classes ever since he had gotten them before he departed from Kyoto. However, considering everything, it kept alluding him.
There we go, nice and clean.
Perfectly, the elevator wrenched open its doors just as he placed them on his face.
The woman stepped in first, turning around to press the button as she began to ask Akira which floor, meeting him face to face.
"K-Kusuru-kun?"
AIN'T NO GODDAMN WAY—
Akira hopped back, surprise and slight fear tugging at his voice, "NIIJIMA-SENPAI?!"
"W-What floor?!"
"Uh, five?"
Makoto gave him a slight look of surprise as she tapped the button.
Akira ignored it as the two sat in silence until the doors closed.
"WHY ARE YOU IN MY APARTMENT COMPLEX?!"
Makoto took offense, "Your? Your apartment complex? The better question is WHY ARE YOU IN MY APARTMENT COMPLEX?!"
Akira was taken a bit back.
Why doesn't God like me man! I was just having a good day!
Finding his trickster bearings, he shot back, "Look, I know me and Ryuji said you were stalking me but I didn't think you actually were! Is that why you haven't been following up on any more interviews?! Were you just hurt after I blocked your number?!"
"St—Kurusu-kun please stop it! And you blocked my number? You can do that?"
You have got to be kidding me.
"Yes. Yes, you can. Your ignorance on that probably explains why you thought I would actually meet up with an unknown number."
Makoto blushed a little, "W-Well if I said who I was, would you have met up with me?"
"I wasn't going to meet up with you anyway, you're an unknown. Metaphorically...n-not like the texts."
"What does that mean?"
Akira's answer was cut short as the doors opened on the fifth floor. A smile formed on his face as it seemed God was blessing him, "Seems like our time has been cut short."
"Wait!"
Akira was halfway out of the elevator, her voice stopping him.
Please don't say it. And please don't let these doors crush me.
"Can...can I come inside?"
As much as he didn't want her to come in, Akira couldn't resist being a humorous asshole.
Whirling back around, a grin formed on his face, "Well Mako-chan! Who would've pegged you as the bold type? I'm so flattered!"
With a simple glance, Akira lost all the humor that was soaked into his bones.
Goddamn it. I'm still not immune to it.
Makoto walked past him, "Which one is your apartment?"
A sigh pulled itself from his mouth, "The one at the very end on the right."
I'm going to regret this, aren't I?
With ease, the two of them slipped into his apartment. Makoto, despite her serious disposition mere moments before, shuffled nervously around as Akira put on a pot for tea.
"This...is your place? Wow."
"Is this special or something? Is it the city view?"
"No, no, not that. We all have that. It's just this floor is usually home to the more executive people. People who have a good bond with the owner."
"Well, I wouldn't know. This isn't mine. It's Sojiro Sakura's. He's a good friend of my uncle's, and he had this place vacant since it was a gift from the owner. When my uncle asked for a place where we could stay, Sojiro gave this up."
Makoto was a little shocked even if she was a little relieved.
Don't tell me she thought I was a squatter...
"Isn't this place owned by a kinda famous rising baseball star or something?"
"I don't really think 'kinda famous' is the right descriptor, Kurusu-kun."
"I'm not really...the most informed when it comes to baseball, Mako-chan."
A little sigh came from her as an inquisitive look dawned on her face, "Sojiro Sakura, huh? That name sounds familiar..."
Akira scoffed, "For your sake, I hope it doesn't."
"Why? He sounds like a nice guy. Especially leaving you and Morgana here alone."
"Pfff, nice my ass. Leaving two teenagers in a high-rise apartment complex is one of the worse decisions an adult could make. I don't know what he was thinking."
"Language."
"Whatever."
Makoto slid into one of the countertop chairs, like Akira, like usual, grabbed two cups and filled them with steaming water as he dropped teabags into them. As always, his glasses became fogged. Something that she found slightly humorous as she began to speak, "So—"
He slid a glass to Makoto while he cut her off, "Why haven't you told Kamoshida anything yet?"
Makoto grasped her glass as a subtle groan slid from her lips, "Oh, come on...why does everyone think I'm working with him?"
"If the shoe fits, Mako-chan."
"Please stop calling me that. And no, I'm not working with him."
"Then? Why are you exactly probing around for information?"
She bit her lips, contemplating her thoughts as she spoke again, "I don't trust you. Not one bit. But...momentarily, we're on the same side."
Akira chuckled as he took a sip from his glass, "Oh I'm so hurt, Mako-chan. My heart is bleeding."
An annoyed scowl came on her face, "Originally, I tried to join the band over the break."
"Really? You don't peg me as the type to play an instrument, Mako-chan."
"Are you serious? You do know my last name, right?"
"Yeah, Niij—" Realization formed on his face. "Oh my god. There's no way."
"Jesus..."
"I'm an idiot...so S-Sae Niijima is your sister? Thee Sae Niijima of Judgment Leviathan?! Holy shit!"
"Language!"
"Sorry."
"Besides that, I wanted to join because of what I heard from Sakamoto-kun last year. When...he had his confrontation with Kamoshida, he said many things."
"And you wanted to follow up on them."
"Yes, but there isn't much I could do from the position of Student President."
"So, you tried to join to what...become his little pet?"
"I wouldn't put it that way, but yes. I was hoping to gain some position of power, maybe the president of the band council, and have a relationship with him where he would be vulnerable."
"But he rejected you."
"Correct. He said something about me having too many responsibilities, which I knew was a lie. Instead, he just asked me to help recruit you."
"Oh, that...that makes sense. But...why did you tell me about the performance?"
Makoto chuckled, "Because I felt sorry for you. Honestly, I was hoping you'd distract him or keep him away from his post. I was going to use that as a chance to interview a few members of the band. He's been warding them off from me."
"Wow. I was a pawn. At least I rebelled against my fate. It's a shame, I was actually considering going to your office that day too."
"Enough with the sly talk, Kurusu-kun."
"Not at all, Mako-chan."
A deep groan came from her mouth, "I saw you and Sakamoto-kun shuffling through the crowd and going into the practice building. Once I pieced it together, I decided to stay by the gymnasium exit just in case you would leave that way."
"Jeez, do you have 20/20 vision or something?"
"Yes."
"Oh." She doesn't mess around huh.
"Besides that, my plan is just to take my time and passively gain information. Upon doing that, I'll alert the proper authorities and he'll be dealt with. If you have any information to share, we can take him down. And we can make him pay for leaking your record."
Akira finished his tea, taking a deep gulp as he recollected himself, "So, you figured it was him too?"
"It only fits."
"Hm. And no, I'm not giving you any information."
Makoto rolled her eyes, "Why am I not surprised?"
"Your passivity has been the reason more people have been hurt. The more and more you take your time, the more he uses his power to harm kids. I'm not indulging in that."
"So, you'd rather take things in your own hands? Despite the consequences?"
"If it means stopping him into his tracks, fully and completely? Yes." Akira took a momentary pause before he became serious. It seemed to be a trend for the day, "There isn't even a guarantee the proper authorizes will do the right thing! All they do is sit on their asses all damn day—"
Makoto shot back, her emotions on the rise, which was a little shock for Akira, "It's a constant! It's something better than handing the rules over to reckless, hypocritical, and egotistical little boys like you! Just because one thing is wrong in your eyes, doesn't mean you can circumvent the laws and rules!"
Akira took a moment as he took in her words with disbelief. Quickly, he snapped back, "Wrong in my eyes?! If it's morally right, I'll do anything to make sure it's done! I won't let anyone ever get hurt again because of my passivity!" He bit his tongue. He said too much.
Lifting his eyes from the glass, he met with Makoto's.
Her face was layered with confusion and hesitation. Perhaps even a small bit of admiration from his words.
One thing was still clear, she still didn't trust him.
Akira breathed a shaky breath and spoke once again as he leaned back into his seat, "You're too submissive and scared, Niijima-senpai."
Makoto clenched her teeth, preparing to defend herself, "You—"
A loud thump came against the front door, alarming the two teenagers. Almost reflexively, Akira positioned himself in front of Makoto. Though she moved beside him as he spoke, "Who's there?"
The knob jiggled as the door slid open, Morgana stumbling in.
"Morgana? Wha—"
Morgana gave his brother a cheeky smile, revealing his face riddled with scratches and blood caked at the corners of his lips before he collapsed on the floor.
What?
Akira, off of pure instinct, moved to his brother's limp body as Makoto moved to the door and locked it shut.
"Morgana? Morgana?!" He was holding himself over his body, gently shaking his limp head in his hands.
No...
No...
No, no, NO!
Makoto stood over the pair of siblings, her body stiff from shock and confusion. Her mind did wonder, perhaps Kamoshida did this?
"Come on Morgana...come on...wake up..." Little tears were sneaking from his eyes. He hated feeling like this.
Makoto's voice sliced through his erratic mind, "I-Is there anything you want me to do, Kurusu-kun? We—"
Akira shot his head towards Makoto, anger, and hatred contorting his face into a monstrous sight, "Why would I want your help!? Your help caused this!"
"Ak—"
"LEAVE!"
For the first time, he actually had the energy of a delinquent.
Makoto closed her mouth, her eyes lined with sympathy. Softly, she left, leaving Akira cradling his brother in his arms.
Ryuji, at least from his point of view, wasn't lying when he told Akira he was undertaking a horrid ordeal. There were many other things he'd much rather be doing. Talking to girls, playing DSBZ, talking to Akira, eating ramen. Hell, he'd even take another harsh conversation with Takamaki than this. Maybe even another encounter with Kamoshida.
Okay, that's definitely a lie.
This is bad though, really bad.
Couldn't avoid her forever I guess...
A train ride from Shibuya's arcade after bullshitting around to waste time had dropped him off, begrudgingly, in Shinjuku.
At first, he wanted to question Iwai as to why they had to meet here, but he knew better than that.
Questionin' Iwai-senpai never goes right.
The darkness of the night perfectly contrasted against the multi-colored shining beacon of Shinjuku, the 'Red Light District' moniker it had acquired over the decades really wasn't wrong from what Ryuji could tell.
Now all he had to do was walk to a bar named Crossroads, how hard could that be?
Unfortunately for Ryuji, incredibly.
His entire experience upon walking through the streets could be summed up into one word; horny.
Each step he took eventually led him in contact with hostesses and drunk patrons. The former making Ryuji's left hand twitch with a serious desire and the latter making Ryuji wish to abstain from any and all forms of sinning, and trudging up some...unfortunate memories.
Eventually, and much to his discomfort, he spotted Iwai outside of a bar. The name 'Crossroads' spelled out on a large sign above the entrance, signaling to Ryuji that he truly was a prisoner to his fate.
"Hey, Iwai-senpai.."
"We ain't in school. You don't have to call me that shit."
"Right..my bad."
Iwai sighed and spoke, "Aight, you know the deal. I scratched ya back."
"And I gotta scratch yours, I know I know. Whaddya want?"
"You already know the answer to that."
"C'mon, are you serious? This is simple, I could've called her--"
"You deleted her number. And she wouldn't have agreed if you did."
Faintly, Ryuji's jaw tightened.
Aw shit.
He hung his head and sighed. Ryuji surrendered his bag to Iwai, to him a look of surprise came onto his face.
"You must really care 'bout those two, huh?"
Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck, "It ain't just about those two...it's about everyone else."
Iwai gave him a smirk, "You're an idiot." He threw Ryuji his bag back, "Tell ya what, I'll relax this time. In comparison to the other things I've done over the years and what you've asked me before...this is light. Instead...lets just say this goes on Akira's tab instead.
"I...don't think he'll ever ask you for a favor."
"Eh. Don't ever say never. Oh, and she's waitin' inside one of the booths probably. I ain't wishin' you luck, you kinda deserve this."
Iwai started to walk off, leaving Ryuji to chuckle nervously, "T-Thanks?"
"Not somethin' to say thank you for."
I hate it here.
Needing to pull his resolve together, a large gulp of air came from Ryuji. Taking a few seconds, he shook his jitters off as he walked into Crossroads.
The bar was bathed in hues of purples and pinks, with moderately sized booths to the left of Ryuji. To his right held the actual counter with a...rather fuller woman with a mole underneath her right eye.
The woman had a violet bob cut which was accompanied by her blue eyeshadow and red lipstick. Though that wasn't the first thing that caught Ryuji's attention, he first noticed her kimono, which shared a similar hue of purple with shades of black. The gold detailing, oddly, was something Ryuji couldn't help but like.
Quickly, he was snapped out of his inner thoughts with a coarse voice emanating from her, partly scaring him.
"Are you Ryuji Sakamoto?"
He was taken aback, "H-how do you know my name?"
Much to his displeasure, a sardonic smile formed on her face, "So you are him...I've heard a lot about you from my favorite worker..." She gestured for Ryuji to come near.
Slowly walking up to the countertop, he took a seat in one of the many vacant stools, "F-favorite worker? Ohya?"
"Oh honey, who else?" A series of disheartening chuckles came from her as she turned around, apparently preparing a drink, "I'm Lala Escargot, I own this place."
Turning around, she slid a cup to Ryuji to which he quickly replied, "N-no ma'am, I'm a minor...I can't—"
"Relax kid, it's just apple cider. But I do respect your willingness to reject alcohol. Most kids your age would jump at that opportunity. Well...at least back when I was a wee little girl." Lala closed her eyes with a sincere smile on her face as she coddled her neck rolls, much to Ryuji's confusion.
"Tell you what, I'll give you a little prize. Pick a song, I'll put it on while you...suffer."
Taking a sip of the apple cider, Ryuji almost idiotically blurted out 'Today Was a Good Day' but surprisingly restrained himself.
If I'm talkin' to Ohya...then...
Placing his glass down, he nervously muttered, "Uh...I dunno if you'll be able to, but could ya put on 'Memories of You'?"
Lala tilted her head for a moment, "Really? The Aigis and Yukari song? You listen to that?"
Ryuji started to become a flustered and embarrassed mess as he began to explain himself, "We-well...it's a really good song. I mean, why else would I play it?"
"You have a completely different energy to you than I've heard, Ryuji."
"I dunno if that's a good or bad thing. Also, can it be the original version from back in 2015? I like that the best."
"Huh. A man of culture, surprising despite your...apeishness."
"That ain't even a real word."
Just as Lala went to put on the song, much to Ryuji's fear, a door opened.
Ohya Ichiko appeared, taking off her apron as she spotted him.
Akira...you owe so...so goddamn much.
From Ryuji's point of view, Ohya hadn't really changed all that much. She still had her orange sunglasses which were held in place by her bob, which still had its jet black luster. Though she had lipstick on, something that was new to him at least.
Probably Lala's influence. Maybe? I dunno...
Huh.
She's still wearin' that shitty 'Low Life Fight The Power' shirt I bought her. Ew.
Ew...bad memories...
Throwing her apron on the countertop, Ohya slid into an empty booth, signifying to Ryuji that his suffering was starting its tenure.
All for the sake of subtlety, Aki.
Sheepishly, Ryuji plopped down into the seat opposite of her. Silence built itself between the two of them as 'Memories of You' finally began to play.
Lala jokingly began to speak, "Wow! You two are having thee most rousing conversation in all of 'Crossroads' history! I'm enraptured, I must say."
Ohya spoke, "Just give it a moment, Lala-sensei."
Ryuji tried to speak, "S-so, you work-"
"Did you ask her to put this on?"
He stuttered, "Wha-huh?"
"Memories of You. Isn't this your favorite song or something?"
"...I wouldn't say favorite..."
"You used to play it all the time last year. It would either be this, Today Was a Good Day, or Devil in a New Dress."
She still remembers, huh?
"Frankly, I'm surprised you still love them. At least somethings haven't changed."
Meekly, he drank from his glass, "Right...I can see you still have the shirt."
Faintly, Ohya blushed, "W-well, I didn't have anything else to wear today!"
"Right.."
Another bit of silence grew between them.
Tapping her fingers lightly on the table, she spoke first, "I see you still haven't dyed your hair back to black yet."
"Nah...it's...it's not the right time." Ryuji drew another sip from the glass.
Ohya chuckled, "It's never the right time with you. Or at least, it never was with me."
AW SHIT DUDE I KNEW IT WAS COMING
Almost choking on his cider, Ryuji took a second to compose himself as he kept his eyes from meeting hers, "Ohya-"
"I'm assuming now is the right time for you to talk to me, correct? Because of Kamoshida? Or because of T-"
"It's not like that, aight?" Ryuji hung his head as he circled his finger along the ring of his glass, "I...I didn't talk to you because...I knew it would hurt. I knew it would be hard. I thought you ain't want me to talkin' to you, so...I blocked you out. Pretendin' that you weren't at Shujin. And...I'm sorry. That wasn't right."
Ohya sighed, slouching on the table as she collected her next thoughts, "I...yeah. I didn't want to talk to you. Things didn't end well between us, so...I was afraid of feeling things."
"I felt bad. Leaving things as they were. I regret it. I wasn't in the best state of mind...after everythin' that happened with Kamoshida. And while this meetin' is because of him, it's also because I can't..keeping ignorin' you anymore. And it's for two good friends of mine, not outta me wantin' revenge."
Taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes, Ohya opened them as she spoke, "The Kurusu brothers, right? I've been...keeping little tabs on you."
"I ain't surprised. Since you're the fabled 'Underground Information Broker'." A little chuckle slid from his lips.
Embarrassingly, Ohya protested, "That's-that's not my name! God, you do a few information gathering and favors for a few kids and all of a sudden I'm...that. Ew."
"But yeah, it's for them. I just...don't wanna see anyone get hurt anymore, and now that Akira's younger brother has joined...I dunno, I want to speed this up but still be subtle."
"Which is where I come in." Considering something, she spoke again, leaning in closer over the table, "You know that me, Tora, and Iwai work together. Well...we're rocky associates."
"Yeah, you scratch each other's backs, right? Why bring it up?"
"Because, if we work together on certain things, what makes you think I have information on Kamoshida that they don't know about? That I'd give to you?"
Ryuji took a moment, contemplating his answer, "Honestly...? I have no idea. You did say y'all are shaky, so? And besides, I know the two of them are trying to take as much time as possible to get everythin' perfect. They told me and Akira that. So, I guess I'm really just going off hope and hunches."
Ohya gave Ryuji's faintly shaking right hand a regretful stare, the scarring stuffing her heart with pain. She took a shaky breath, "Look. This...this is a little thing that I think might work for you. It's too much for Iwai and Tora and honestly, it's not subtle. But...I'll give it to you."
"Really? Holy shit!"
She held up a hand, "But...whether or not this gives you good information for Kamoshida...I don't want this to make you destroy yourself. I don't want another repeat of your hand."
He tightened his hand into a fist.
"I promise."
"Do you really? Do you really mean that?"
"I do."
A leveled exhale came from her, "Okay...well, I've been...kind of following Yuuki Mishima."
"What?" Ryuji's face formed into slight disbelief.
"I've been following Yuuki Mishima."
"Come again?"
"Ryuji--"
"On God?"
"I've-oh for God's sake. That's the reason why I work here!"
"He...he comes to a bar in Shinjuku? Wow, what the hell?"
"N-no! Lala only allows me to work here as a way to...well to actually help and be her slave, annoyingly, but to also help me learn to information and to not draw attention to myself. It's gonna help in the long run if I want to be a journalist."
"Oh. That's makes way more sense."
Internally, Ohya was facepalming all the way to hell, "So, I've been trailing him after school or practices and taking notes of his schedule." Ohya dug into her fanny pack and dropped a black pocket-sized journal onto the table, "Everything is in there. I've been making it since...the beginning of April I think."
"Woah...wait, does that mean you know where he lives?"
"Hell no. Iwai told me where he works and I just worked from there. I know his favorite shops, food places, his job hours, and even when band council meetings happen. All of it is in there...and it can help. Mishima is like a balloon, you put enough pressure on him and-"
"-He'll pop." With an apprehensive hand, Ryuji grabbed the journal as he poured through its pages before he suddenly stopped. He gazed at Ohya as he smiled at her, "Thank you. I really...really appreciate this." He placed his scarred hand on hers.
Despite blushing, Ohya attempted to keep her composure, "Yeah well, don't mention it. You owe me for this."
Retracting his hand from hers, Ryuji stood up, "I know. Just come anytime and I'll repay the favor. I do have the same number, you know."
Giving him one last serious look, a faint smile formed on her face, "Just don't do anything stupid, and keep that Morgana kid safe. He seems nice enough."
"Course, and he is. Even if he's a smart ass at times."
"Sounds like your mortal enemy."
A toothy grin took form, "Seriously, thank you."
Ohya waved a nonchalant hand, "It's nothing, seriously."
Giving her a nod, Ryuji placed some yen on Lala's countertop as he took his leave, "You two be safe!"
Stepping outside, Ryuji pocketed the journal as he slid his phone out.
RYUJI: You know, my little thing today wasn't that bad. I think I have some good shit that may interest you.
By the time Ryuji got onto the train back home, he still hadn't gotten a text back from Akira.
That's pretty weird. Thought Akira was longing for me today.
RYUJI: Dude? You 'ight?
Strange...He's probably tonguing down some girl, as he should.
He deserves a little break.
A/N:
I really, really hope you guys liked this chapter. Probably the most fun I've had writing one in a while. And wow, my publications have caught up to the chapters I'm writing. Jeez...anyway, I think chapter six will be really enjoyable to everyone...
As usual, stay safe everyone, and be good people!