Paper Cranes

Ann wished she could have enjoyed the sight of Kamoshida on his knees, sobbing for forgiveness in front of the school. She wished she could have reveled in his anguish, but all she could feel was contempt and rage. Kamoshida was disgusting, even as he pleaded for someone to call the police. Her hands trembled as they rolled into a pair of fists. Just the idea of him escaping punishment by killing himself made her sick and enraged.

She truly hoped he would suffer in prison.

Many eyes watched Kamoshida, even as the teachers roared at students to return to their classrooms. Hundreds of voices were talking at one, but the subject on everyone's minds was the famed gym teacher. The room had turned to chaos as some students even shouted for Kamoshida's head, and others demanded justice for themselves or their friends.

One student was able to escape the screaming masses to walk up the stage. Ann's eyes widened as she saw a familiar face approach the sobbing teacher. Akira Kusuru was standing beside Kamoshida, and Ann expected him to deck the bastard, or to throw him off the stage. She didn't expect him to help the bastard stand.

What is he doing...?! Ann pushed against the crowd, teeth grinding. The sight of her friend helping one of the most disgusting men she'd ever had the misfortune to know was almost like a knife in her back. She struggled to contain her anger as she pushed against the other students. She fought to get through the crowd to reach Akira. She had to get answers.

Akira held out his hand to Kamoshida and spoke one simple sentence. "Let me help you up." The teacher didn't seem to even register the young man's presence. Akira let out a quiet sigh, before leaning down. He grabbed Kamoshida's arm and wrapped it around his head, before forcing the teacher onto his feet.

Kamoshida was a much larger man, and Akira struggled to burden the teacher's weight. He nearly stumbled, but caught himself as he began to walk Kamoshida off the stage. Eventually the teacher started walking on his own, and the young man no longer had to strain to carry him. Akira led him to a wall and turned around, letting Kamoshida fall against the cool, stone wall. The teacher sat on the ground, leaning his back against the wall as he stared at the ground.

Akira hadn't been expecting much in the way of conversation, so he wasn't surprised at the silence. He reached into his schoolbag and took out a sandwich he had bought from the school's store. He sat down beside Kamoshida and held the sandwich out to the disgraced Olympian. "Here. You should eat something."

Kamoshida didn't move. Akira could only hear quiet whimpers and hiccups as his teacher's sobbing continued.

"You really should eat. It's going to be the last decent meal you're going to have for a long time." Akira took care that what he said came off as a warning, not a threat. He had to hide his own personal feelings. The teacher finally lifted his head up, staring at the offered food.

"W-why are you...?"

"Because." Akira chuckled at the teacher's shocked expression, before dropping the sandwich into his hand. "Prison doesn't take too kindly to rapists. Especially ones who target kids."

Kamoshida stared at the sandwich, trembling at Akira's words. "I-I know..."

"You were a horrible person, Kamoshida. You did terrible, awful things." Akira leaned against the wall, staring at the chaotic masses. Teachers were finally getting the students to leave. Some of his classmates saw Akira speaking to Kaomshida, but he brushed it off. It didn't matter to him what strangers thought of him.

"I-I know."

"You're going to suffer for what you did."

"I know..."

"Then I don't see a reason for why you should be made to suffer longer than what's necessary." Akira turned his head to look at Kamoshida, and the athlete saw no hatred or rage in his silver eyes. "You're a person. You deserve to be treated like one, even if you were a horrible one." Akira's eyes glanced to the crowd, and he saw a familiar face approaching him. "Make amends with yourself. Plead for forgiveness, but don't expect it. Try to live a better life, even behind bars."

Akira placed his hand on Kamoshida's shoulder. He squeezed it gently. Kaomshida stared at his eyes again, expecting the same venom the others students gave him. The one he deserved. But Akira had no hatred in his eyes. Only pity.

"I-I remember you. The transfer student... I-I released your criminal information, I... I-"

"If you're asking me for forgiveness, don't bother." Akira tried to give an earnest smile to the disgraced teacher. His compassion and the pity he felt towards Kamoshida eased his fiery soul as the corners of his lips rose slightly. "You never had to ask for my forgiveness." Akira left the man to his own thoughts. The student walked away from the teacher and met Ann part way. He opened his mouth to greet her, but she spoke first.

"What the hell was that?!" she snarled.

"Ann, I understand you might be upset, but-"

"What did you say to him?!" she hissed.

Akira knew he had to walk carefully. He didn't blame Ann for her anger. She had suffered horribly by Kamoshida's cruel, perverse nature. She had every right to be infuriated at not just the teacher, but her friend. "I told him that he needed to live a better life. I told him that I forgave him, before I gave him my lunch. I just-"

"You forgave him?! How could you even think about saying that to him?! Don't you remember what he did!?"

"Of course I remember," he quickly stated. Her indignation was clear in her icy-blue eyes. He tried to calm her down, but he was beginning to worry that she was too angry to listen to him. "But he's still a person, and he deserved one act of mercy before his life goes down the drain."

"What he 'deserves' is a lifetime of suffering! He drove Shiho to try and kill herself!" Her roars were lost in the sea of gossiping students, but Akira could hear her clearly. "How could you possibly just forgive and forget that!?"

"I haven't forgotten anything," he declared. "I know what Kamoshida did. I know he deserves to be punished. I understand that, but I refuse to just stand by and watch even him being treated like an animal." He hated seeing anyone being hurt, but that's all he saw in his friend. Ann was yelling at him with such anger and betrayal in her voice and eyes. "I just can't sit back and let someone suffer."

"Even if that someone was Kamoshida...?" Ann's eyes narrowed into a sharp glare as Akira stood his ground.

"I'm sorry, but yes. We've already assured that Kamoshida's going to suffer for his crimes, I just... I had to help."

Ann turned away from him, his words only nailing his coffin shut for her. She just couldn't stand to hear Akira, in her mind, defending the horrible man. She left Akira behind as he tried to call out to her. "Some friend..."

Akira sighed in defeat, rubbing his face with his hand as a voice chastised him from within his bag. "You were asking for that, you know," Morgana commented. "What were you thinking would happen if she saw you being nice to Kamoshida?"

"I was hoping she'd be understanding, if cautious. I knew this was going to happen, though," he sighed. He glanced at a teacher demanding he get into line, and Akira obeyed.

"Still can't believe you said that junk to Kamoshida..."

"He's a person. I had to help," the boy reasoned. "I take it, you don't agree either?"

"No, not really," Morgana admitted. "Treating scum like Kamoshida like scum makes sense to me." Akira simply nodded his head, too tired to try and argue or explain the point to his friend. There was a quiet ruffling coming from his bag, before Morgana spoke again. "But you've always been kind of an oddball, Joker. A real Phantom Thief walks his own path, no matter what others say. I guess I'll respect how you walk yours, long as it doesn't get in the way of our mission."

Akira was surprised by the words he heard, before smiling. "Thanks, Morgana."

Ann entered Shiho's room with a smile on her face, a gesture that her friend was all too happy to return. The two girls soon fell into their usual routine, with Ann filling Shiho about her day to day activities and the hospitalized girl nodding along and listening intently. Today was different, though. Ann noticed a small bouquet of flowers sitting by her bed.

"Did your parents send you that?" she asked.

"No, they didn't. I'm actually not sure who sent them to me."

"Huh?" Ann walked around the bed and looked at the beautiful assortment of flowers. The blond didn't know much about flowers, but even she couldn't help but admire the bouquet. There were scarlet roses, golden tulips, and pink lilies, but what caught her eye was the card taped to colorful paper wrapped around the stems. "Dear Shiho... You're stronger than anything the world can throw at you. I know you'll recover soon, and I'm eager to see the amazing woman you'll grow up to be. Never lose faith in yourself. Never forget that you're not alone. From a friend...?"

"At first I thought it was from you, but why wouldn't you put your name on it?" Shiho explained. There was a small smile on her lips as she reached under her blanket. "It came with this too." She handed Ann a small photo, and the other girl stared at it in confusion.

"Cranes...?" Origami paper cranes, to be exact. A wide variety of colored cranes, dozens of them covering a small table.

"There's a number on the back. Twenty-five," Shiho pointed out. "I think they're trying to make a wish."

"Huh?"

"You don't know the story?" Ann shook her head, and Shiho explained. "Legend has it, that if someone makes a thousand paper cranes, the gods will grant them any wish. I've never really believed it, but it's clear whoever sent me the flowers does." Ann turned the photo around and there was a number written on the back in black ink, but also a short message.

"The wish is yours..."

"I guess he plans on giving the wish to me once he reaches a thousand cranes." Ann could see the hint of red on her friend's cheeks. "Do you know who sent me the flowers, Ann?" The corners of her lips fell and she stared down at the sheets on her bed.

"N-no, I don't," the girl replied. Though I might have a guess...

"Hm..." Her friend's dark, hazel eyes peered at Ann's face, before she stared past her, staring out the window. "At first I was terrified... I thought Kamoshida or someone like him sent them. I-I know that doesn't make sense, but..." Ann's hand gently landed on Shiho's, and the dark-haired girl squeezed her friend's fingers. "But I don't think they are... I like to think whoever sent these was a good person."

"I'm sure they were, Shiho," Ann whispered, stroking her friend's knuckles with her thumb. She smiled at the girl as she sat on the bed beside her.

"I wonder what I'll do with my wish?" Shiho giggled, closing her eyes as she pondered. "Maybe I'll wish for my best friend to take me out to an all you can eat buffet when I'm out of here."

The girls laughed as their shoulders brushed against one another. Ann smiled, but she felt a pang of guilt for her smile. As she and Shiho joked and talked about the wishes they would make, the Phantom Thief wondered about Akira Kusuru. Was he the one who sent the flowers for Shiho? Was he the one making paper cranes for her? It certainly sounded like his handiwork...

What if it was? She couldn't deny that some part of her was still mad at the young man for trying to comfort Kamoshida. She couldn't say she understood or saw how the young man thought. Ann didn't think she ever would. Maybe I shouldn't have yelled at him... She pushed the thought aside. One glance at Shiho reminded Ann of every sin and deplorable act Kamoshida had committed. She couldn't just forgive him. She couldn't ever see the man as anything more than a parasitic worm.

But Akira saw something else.

Maybe one day she could accept that...

END

So, a new story begins. Sort of. This is more like a collection of stories. Whenever I have an idea for my own personal interpretation of Akira, Dork!Akira, as I like to call him, I'll write something up and post it here. This is a sister sort of story to Just a Dork, but these stories will be about far more serious matters. Less happy fun times here.

This collection of stories will be about Akira during his time in Tokyo, as a Phantom Thief and as a friend to others. His kind and compassionate nature doesn't always meld well with his Phantom Thief lifestyle, as you can tell.

I know Futaba, Haru, and Makoto weren't in this chapter. That's because I wanted to focus more on Akira himself. Give first-time readers a sense of who he is. The other girls, and their relationship with Akira, will be focused on in later chapters.

Also, I feel like this is important to say. In no way am I (or Akira) trying to excuse Kamoshida's actions. The dude was an evil bastard, simple as that. He deserves punishment... But I've always been worried about dehumanizing people in real life. The idea of treating people, even bad ones, as less than people is so easy, but they are still people. Punish them, but only as much as they deserve, and never forget that being the better person means sacrificing certain cruel desires...

Of course, I'm not blind to Ann's pain. Poor girl was hurt bad, and she has every right to be angry. Hell, I don't think she's in the wrong for being mad at Akira (and Akira isn't either). I like to imagine this as one of those Grey vs Gray debates, with neither side being perfect.

Ah, I'm rambling again! Hope this new story interests some people. I'll be sure to work on more stuff later. Take care!

Fun Fact: I like to think of Dork!Akira Kusuru as Jonathon Joestar and Delinquent!Yu Narukami as of Joseph Joestar. One's a gentleman among gentlemen, and the other is a supersmart troll who likes to fuck with people. Not a perfect comparison, of course, but it's fun to imagine.