"Who the hell did this? This is just ridiculous mistreatment!" Richard yelled into the darkness, pacing back and forth. Andrew shook his head.
"I don't know anyone who would do such a thing to someone as nice as Mio!" Andrew spoke. Kendyn clutched his fists.
"I know someone who would." Kendyn gritted his teeth. Everyone turned to him.
"Who do you suppose did this to Mio?" Tsumugi questioned.
"It's this bastard named Taka Taradana. He's a gang leader who loves beating people up and extorting poorer students for his own benefit. There's no doubt in my mind that he would be the one to pull a stunt like this." Kendyn explained his belief.
"And what does he look like? I want a piece of him! I'm not letting him beat up Mio and get away with it!" Ritsu viciously defended Mio.
"He's this big, rotund bastard with long ginger hair and a big red beard. He usually wears this ripped grey jacket that matches his eye color and a pair of black shorts that match the color of his heart." Kendyn described Taka to Ritsu. Off in the distance a couple of punk girls were listening in to the conversation.
"Oh no, we don't associate with that fat cowardly moron." The smaller girl whispered.
"We did it because we wanted to, and I have some beef I wanna reignite. Look at Ritsu flipping out. When she gets angry like that, she becomes an easy target~" The taller girl giggled.
"Just plan your attack carefully. She's got one of Taka's old goons on her side." The smaller girl said.
"I know how Kendyn works. He's not a threat. You take care of him and I'll take down Ritsu." The taller girl giggled evilly as she moved into place. The smaller girl snuck up behind Kendyn. Then Richard turned around and saw her. He recognized her instantly.
"So it was you, Valerie Washington! I should have guessed. You're the type of bitch that beats people up!" Richard yelled. Valerie turned tail and took off, with Richard giving chase. Everyone else turned and Ritsu glared at the other girl.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the bitch herself. Anita van Korvyn. You beat up Mio, didn't you?" Ritsu spoke in an accusatory tone. Anita smirked.
"I did it to get even with you, Ritsu Tainaka. I still haven't forgotten how you embarrassed me two years ago. I'll have you know you never trip me in public!" Anita lit up a smoke.
"I embarrassed you? You embarrassed me first by giving me a wedgie in front of the principal and I got in trouble for it, so we're already even!" Ritsu fired back. Anita puffed her smoke and threw the burning cigar at Ritsu, who dodged it.
"What wedgie? You stared at my boobs and made me uncomfortable!" Anita snapped.
"I did not! I was looking at the bowl of candy on the secretary's desk!" Ritsu argued back. Edwin walked between them.
"Ritsu, enough. You're letting the real culprit get away." Edwin pointed to the doorway, which was left open.
"Real culprit? Anita beat up Mio! She did it! Look at her stained nails!" Ritsu yelled at Edwin.
"If you're gonna deal with them, deal with both of them. Keep Anita here. Richard is currently chasing Valerie." Kendyn tried to bring Ritsu to reason.
"Fine, I'll wait." Ritsu relented. "But as soon as Valerie is found I wanna break someone's neck!"
"Don't break anyone's neck, Ritsu. I'd rather solve this peacefully." Andrew meekly stated.
"Solve this peacefully? MIO WAS BEATEN UP! I'M NOT JUST GONNA TALK TO ANITA AFTER SHE ATTACKED MY BEST FRIEND!" Ritsu snapped again, just as Richard entered with Valerie. Valerie had a smug grin on her face when she looked at Edwin.
"Oh look. It's the boy who betrayed me." Valerie took a jab at Edwin.
"I never betrayed you, Val. I just knew I wasn't my best self with you and you deserved better than me." Edwin stood his ground.
"Wait, how do you know Valerie?" Richard asked.
"She's my spiteful ex. She's still mad at me for leaving her." Edwin explained. Valerie laughed.
"I'm the bad guy? You're the one who touched me!" Valerie retorted. Edwin rolled his eyes.
"There's not a bad guy here. You gave me consent to touch you that day. You explicitly said yes with a great big smile. Now all of a sudden it's sexual assault because you decided you don't like me? I've never known you to have such warped logic, Val." Edwin responded.
"That's enough out of you two." Kendyn stepped in. "Now, I have you both rounded up here because you were both involved in beating up Mio Akiyama. Is this true?" Kendyn questioned both of them.
"No, I didn't touch her. Anita was the one who beat her up." Valerie responded.
"Hey, it was your idea! You wanted to get rid of important evid-" Anita shouted back before realizing what she said and covering her mouth.
"Evidence? What evidence?" Richard asked.
"I-I never said evidence! I said… ummm… eviction! Yeah!" Anita was lying through her teeth.
"Now what kind of evidence would Mio have that you were so desperate to hide, Valerie?" Kendyn looked directly into Valerie's deep emerald eyes.
"Ummmm… I don't know Mio personally, so… why would I send Anita to attack someone I don't even know?" Valerie responded. Kendyn's eyes were at half mast.
"Tell me the truth, Valerie. What did Mio have that you wanted to hide?" Kendyn's tone grew a bit sharper.
"V-Video footage of me… and Edwin." Valerie began to crack under pressure.
"Of us? Doing what?" Edwin stepped in.
"YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT YOU DID!" Valerie snapped back at Edwin.
"So it's footage of you being touched? If Edwin did what you said he did, which I highly doubt, but say for now that he did. If you chose to press charges, why would you want to hide the footage if you could use it in court?" Kendyn pressed on.
"B-Because she'd be proven to be lying if the footage came out." Mio stood up, a bit shaky, holding a video recorder.
"Mio, a-are you sure you're ok?" Ritsu ran to her friend.
"I'm f-fine, Ritsu. I-I'm clearing this whole situation up." Mio opened the video recorder, displaying CCTV footage of Edwin and Valerie in a park together, cuddling each other, until Edwin backed away for a bit.
"W-Would you mind if… if I touched your butt…?" Edwin asked nervously. Valerie smiled a great big smile.
"Yeah, babe! Go ahead!" Valerie was giddy at the opportunity. So they got it on for minutes on end. During the event, Valerie often called him "Daddy" and told him how cool he was. The recording ended and Mio smiled.
"So that's why Valerie sent Anita to jump me… S-She wanted to perpetuate her little lie and slander Edwin's name, and I knew it was bullshit so she wanted to shut down the person who knew she was lying through her teeth." Mio concluded.
"Ok, so that clears Edwin's name, but what about Anita? Why did Valerie specifically pick her to take out Mio?" Kendyn turned his attention back to Anita. He saw the hate in her tiny crimson eyes.
"Sh-Shut up! I'm not telling you!" Anita snapped.
"Then I'll tell them!" Yui stepped up. Edwin was surprised.
"Y-Yui, a-are you sure you know what you're doing?" Edwin was concerned.
"I know what I'm doing! I know Anita-Chan well enough to know that she doesn't like Riichan for some reason. She also knew Mio-Chan personally and Valerie-Chan knew that too! So she took advantage of Anita-Chan's desire to get even with Riichan to frame her and keep her narrative going! I knew it was a lie from the very beginning because I know Eddie-Kun very well and I know he would never touch anyone without their consent!" Yui explained exactly what happened. Everyone else's jaws hit the floor.
"Yui, how- how did you know this?" Ritsu questioned. Yui smiled sheepishly.
"I just know Anita-Chan well and as soon as Valerie-Chan admitted to trying to hide evidence, I immediately made the connection to Anita-Chan and her motives for beating up Mio-Chan!" Yui proved her point.
"Yui?" Edwin looked at Yui.
"What is it, Eddie-Kun?" Yui tilted her head.
"You're amazing, Yui. Truly amazing." Edwin smiled and tried to hold back tears. Yui smiled right back.
"Thank you, Eddie-Kun! You're amazing too! I wouldn't have stood up for you as fiercely as I did if you weren't the most amazing person I know!" Yui let her feelings be known and then gave Edwin a big bear hug. Edwin hugged her back as Ritsu and Mugi walked Valerie and Anita to the main office.