Disclaimer: I stayed up until 5 AM to finish writing this, so if it feels sloppily written at times you know why
Velvet Room
"So in other words, the more bonds I form with people the stronger I get?" Ren asked the trio in front of him, after their explanation about confidants.
"Indeed. Even I shall be of use to you, otherwise your ambitions will not come to fruition. Do we have a deal?" the long-nosed man replied.
"We do." Ren answered with a confident look, getting a chuckle from Igor.
As he said that, time had stopped once again.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity
With the birth of the Fool Arcana,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power.
"Figures." Ren thought before the long-nosed man spoke up again.
"I'm sure you still have questions. However, there is no need to rush for answers. I assure you, you will understand everything in due time. Keep devoting yourself to your rehabilitation until then." Ren sighed at that, but he knew this would happen.
"This conversation is over, you better get lost Inmate!" Caroline demanded in a not so friendly manner.
Shujin Academy
Ren and Ryuji were sitting against a wall, watching the events of the volleyball ralley unfold.
"Still standing out, huh? Guess some things don't change." Ryuji muttered.
Ren turned to Ryuji, noticing his friend's muttering and noticed he was looking at Takamaki.
Ryuji noticed Ren's attention shifting towards him and yawned to pretend he didn't say anything.
"Pretty boring, right? Kamoshida's just usin' this an excuse to inflate his ego, it's actually pathetic." Ryuji grinned at Ren, who looked at Takamaki for a bit himself before responding.
"Agreed. But we cannot lose focus, today might be our only chance to gather evidence against him. So you better not fall asleep on me." Ren told Ryuji with a subtle smirk, that the latter still noticed.
"Dude, what kinda person do ya think I am? There's no way I'll do that. We're a team ,remember?" Ryuji's snickering was cut short when they heard a student on the court shout.
"Watch out!"
The boys looked back at the court only to see one of Ren's classmates getting a ball spiked right in his face. The spiker was none other than Kamoshida himself, who walked up to the now injured student. He put up his 'charismatic' mask and sent him to the nurse's office.
"Ouch, that looked pretty painful." Ryuji scowled at the scene.
"And resuming the match like nothing happened. It makes me feel sick." Ren frowned.
They got up and snuck out of the rally, shortly stopping in the courtyard to talk about their plans to interrogate those resembling the slaves in the castle.
Their first target was a student in Ren's class. He wasn't exactly hard to find considering his head was wrapped in bandages.
"H-huh? What do you want?" the student asked in a panicked voice, when the 'delinquents' approached him.
"We were curious about your bandages. I heard you are on the volleyball team but these kinds of injuries do not exactly seem like something you would get from practice." Ren pointed out, scanning his classmates' bruises.
"H-huh? You trying to imply something? You're not on the team, you have no idea what practice is like!" the injured student argued, hoping Ren would lay off.
"So you are saying that they do come from practice?" Ren's poker face turned into a cold and calculated look.
"It's Kamoshida, isn't it? We promise we won't spill anythin'. Just tell us about his abuse." Ryuji added.
"I-I have no idea what you're talking about? If you're so sure about it, then show me some form of proof!" the student countered.
Ren's expression returned to being unreadable while Ryuji was at a loss for words.
"Well if you've got none, then please leave me alone. You're bothering me." the student demanded. Both of the 'delinquents' complied and left.
Ryuji sighed when they walked out of the classroom.
"Damn, we almost had him! He's so obviously injured but he just wouldn't fess up. If this keeps going the rally's gonna be over in no time." the blonde said slightly frustrated.
"Then I'd suggest we split up. We'd be much faster that way." Ren offered.
"Yeah, good idea. I'll go check the practice building, you go handle the classroom building, alright? Let's meet up in the courtyard once the ball game's over." Ryuji told Ren before they split up.
"Alright Ren, you've got this. Just remember what you've been taught." Ren told himself as he made his way to the 3rd floor, where one of the members (/slaves) was supposed to be.
Once he spotted him talking to a fellow club member, he decided to step into their view and eavesdrop a bit.
Once they were done complaining about cleaning up after the rally, the assertive looking one noticed Ren.
"Eh? Hey you, you need something?"
"Just a bit curious. I keep seeing students with injuries and bandages everywhere. Since the same applies to you, senpai, I figured I should ask you directly instead of jumping to conclusions." Ren tried his best to not laugh at the irony of that last statement.
"Huh? What does it matter to you? That's none of your business, kid!" the club member protested.
"I am pretty sure if my fellow students walk around in bruises and bandages all over their bodies, it very much should matter to me and is at least some of my business." Ren's looked at him with a sharp look, emitting an aura that sends shivers down the student's spine.
An expression that his family calls 'The Detective Glare'.
"I-I…" the student stuttered.
"Good, I've got him flustered. Now I only need to push the right buttons and he'll spill." Ren thought as he looked at the panicked student in front of him.
"Wait, I know who you are!" the other student suddenly spoke up.
"You're that delinquent transfer student, that's been hanging out with Sakamoto." he pointed out and glared at Ren.
"Oh, I get it! You're trying to find some dirt on Mr. Kamoshida. Listen here, kid. We're performing on a national level, so of course practice is gonna be tough. Mr. Kamoshida is just being stricter because he needs us to properly perform at nationals, that's all!" the assertive one explained, which Ren didn't believe one bit.
"Are you sure this is just him being 'strict' and not actual corporal punishment and abuse? Because your injuries tell me otherwise." Ren countered calmly, intensifying his glare in the process.
"D-don't act like you know!" the assertive one panicked again.
"Dude, we should stop talking to him. What if he loses it and attacks us? I heard that he carries a knife around, so who knows what he'd do." the one that glared earlier warned his friend.
Ren's expression went back to neutral. He put his hands in his pockets to hide the fact that he was clenching them into fists, because he knew that conversation was over. He bowed slightly before leaving them be.
But Ren knew he shouldn't give up, especially when there were so many more for him to interrogate. He kept up his interrogations, finding student after student. But unfortunately for him, every time he had them cornered, each and every single one of them would just pull out the 'criminal transfer student' card and get out of the conversation.
So there he was, standing in the courtyard, empty handed.
"All these years of training, flushed down the drain because of a false record." Ren thought bitterly, his dismay becoming visible on his face.
"Can I talk to you for a sec?" a female student asked him from behind, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Ren once again put his mask on and turned around to see it was Takamaki who was talking to him.
"Go ahead." Ren replied.
"I'll make sure to be quick about it. I wanna know what's with you. First you come late to school because you 'got lost' which is obviously a lie and now there've been plenty of weird rumors about you going around." Takamaki stated while crossing her arms.
"Huh? What's your deal with him?" Ryuji asked as he approached them.
"I could be asking you the same, you're not even in our class." she pointed out.
"If you need to know, we just happened to get to know each other." Ryuji explained vaguely.
"But since you're here now too, I gotta ask. What exactly are you two planning on doing to Mr. Kamoshida?" Takamaki asked with a questioning glare.
"Oh, so that's what it's about. I know you're buddy-buddy with Kamoshida, but if you knew what he's been doing behind your back, you'd dump him immediately." Ryuji claimed, getting a puzzled look from Takamaki.
"'Behind my back'? What's that supposed to mean?" Takamaki asked, baffled.
"You wouldn't get it." Ryuji sighed.
"Also, 'dump him'? Aren't you jumping the gun a bit, Ryuji?" Ren added to the conversation.
"Huh? But you s-"
"Ryuji, I think out of everyone, we should be the last people to base our judgement off of rumors." Ren interrupted him, making sure Ryuji doesn't say anything about the Palace by accident.
"At least one of you two is reasonable. About what you guys are planning, just know that no one will help and I wanted to warn you about that. That's all." it was only for a short moment, but long enough for Ren to notice the genuine worry on Takamaki's face, before leaving.
"Tch. Why's she always have to be so aggressive?" Ryuji said in annoyance.
"'Always'? I hope you don't mind me asking, but is there some sort of history between you two?" Ren asked, taking his friend off guard.
"For real? You actually caught on to that? Man, you're pretty sharp, but yeah, we went to middle school together. Also sorry about earlier, I guess I went a little overboard there, but I guess it's good that I have someone like you, who can hold me back in these kinds of moments." Ryuji sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"Anyways, that's not what we're here for. Got no luck on my end. You find anything?" Ryuji asked.
"No. Every time I got them cornered, they would just use my reputation against me and leave." Ren explained, a hint of defeat present in his voice.
"Hey, beat yourself up about it. You said you gottem cornered, so at least something must've slipped, right?" Ryuji pointed out as a means to cheer up his friend, surprising Ren with his astute observation.
" 'When you know someone is lying but you can't point out why immediately, take a few steps back and break down their statement.' " Ren muttered, reciting a piece of advice his mother had once given him.
Ren took a moment to think back to his interrogations, trying to implement his mother's words of wisdom.
"One of the first-years mentioned someone getting special training. When I asked for a name he only mentioned a 'Mi' and shut himself up before completely slipping it out." Ren recalled, his confidence slowly coming back to his voice.
"See? There we go! A name with 'Mi', huh? Oh I got it! Mishima!" Ryuji snapped his fingers.
"As in Yuuki Mishima?" Ren asked, thinking about the way his classmate looked.
The boy looked like an average guy, except for his blue-tinted hair. However, his face was usually covered in bruises and his eyes expressed fear.
"Yeah, that one! You probably noticed his injuries too, I mean it ain't like he's actually tryin' to hide it." Ryuji clarified.
"In that case, we've got no time to waste. Let's go." Ren walked past Ryuji, who was grinning at his friend's regained confidence.
Ren stopped in his tracks for a second and turned back to Ryuji.
"Oh and before I forget… Thanks, Ryuji. I let my emotions get the better of me but you managed to help me slow down and find this crucial detail." Ren gave the blonde a grateful smile.
"Anytime, dude. It's good to have ya back, RenRen!" Ryuji grinned while Ren flinched when he heard that nickname.
"R-RenRen?" Ren stuttered.
"Yeah, I figured it'd be a fitting nickname for ya. I can stop callin' you that if you don't like it." Ryuji offered with a confused look towards Ren's slight discomfort.
"No, it's fine. Anyways, let's get going before Mishima leaves." Ren turned around and started walking, hiding his embarrassed blush.
They spotted Mishima at the lockers as he was about to leave and stepped into his path to stop him.
"H-huh? Sakamoto and Tatsumi, do you guys need something." Mishima asked nervously.
"We would like to speak with you, if that's alright." Ren politely explained.
"Kamoshida's been givin' you 'special training', right? You sure it ain't just abuse?" Ryuji asked in a straightforward manner.
"C-certainly not." Mishima responded in a forced manner.
"Why're you bein' all polite like RenRen? Anyways, you got spiked right in the face, how do ya explain that?" Ryuji asked.
"That's because I'm just not that good at the sport, I also wasn't paying proper attention." Mishima replied.
"Being clumsy does not cause as many bruises as yours. And before you bring up that excuse, they also cannot accumulate to this amount from practice" Ren countered, causing the panic in Mishima's eyes to grow.
"Is Kamoshida makin' you keep quiet?" Ryuji asked with concerned eyes.
"What's going on here?" Kamoshida asked when he approached the trio.
"Mishima, shouldn't you be at practice?" the teacher asked as he looked at the bruised boy.
"I-I'm not feeling well today." Mishima responded and averted his gaze.
"Oh really? Maybe it'd be better for you to quit then." Kamoshida remarked.
"Hey! He said he wasn't feelin' well!" Ryuji defended his fellow student.
"Need I remind you that he got spiked right in the face today? If you truly are as great a teacher everyone claims you to be, surely you wouldn't have forgotten about it and would let him rest like he should be." Ren added, resisting the urge to give the man the Detective Glare.
Kamoshida clicked his tongue and glared at the 'troublemakers' before turning to Mishima again.
"Well Mishima, do you need rest like they said or are you coming to practice?" Kamoshida asked with a threatening aura present in his voice.
"I'll go..." Mishima muttered in a defeated voice.
"As for you two. Cause anymore trouble and you're done for. You hear me?" Kamoshida warned them as he looked down on them.
The volleyball coach gave them one last glare before leaving.
"It's no use..." Mishima said, when Kamoshida left.
"Huh?" Ryuji looked at Mishima with shocked eyes.
"Proving the physical abuse he's giving us, I mean. There's no point. The principal and even our parents know. But there's nothing we can do about it." Mishima explained and sighed.
Ren's eyes widened, realizing the gravity of the situation. This wasn't an abuse and blackmail case that evidence could solve, no, it was something much worse. Something that he suspected early on but wished to be wrong about. Something that evidence couldn't fight. It was corruption.
"This has got to be a joke!" Ren expressed his disbelief.
"It isn't, so stop being a pain. You guys don't know what I'm going through. You of all people should know that it's pointless, Sakamoto." Mishima pointed out and left.
"What now?" Ren asked, not knowing what to do for once.
"Let's try to convince the other guys again, that's all we can do." Ryuji suggested.
The boys did as they planned but failed once again and decided to call it a day.
Leblanc
Ren returned to LeBlanc and immediately went into the attic. Thankfully, Sojiro wasn't there to see Ren's frustrated and defeated face. It was in moments like these where he sought comfort in a certain hobby. Ren walked over to a shelf where he put the knitting set his father had sent him.
Ren took a black and a white yarn and sat down on the couch to start knitting, absently looking out the window as he let his muscle memory do the work.
"A fight against corruption, huh? Is there even a way to win?" the ravenette bit his lip, despair filling his mind.
"Mom… what would you do in this situation?" he thought out loud.
11 years ago
"Mother, may I ask something?" Ren politely asked at the dining table.
"Of course. What is it, Sweetheart?" Naoto replied gently.
"Let's say you are trying to solve a case but all the odds are stacked against you. No matter how much evidence you present, you just keep getting denied. Would there even be any point in trying?" Ren asked with curious eyes.
Naoto was impressed but also concerned by his question. Children his age should definitely not be thinking about these things already but she knew how strong her son's curiosity was and decided to answer.
"In that case there are two things you can do. You could either give up and go along with it, letting the bad things happen. Or you could continue trying, no matter what it takes." Naoto calmly explained.
"But why should you, if it is practically impossible?" Ren tilted his head in confusion.
"How about I quote your uncle as an example? 'No matter how thick the fog of deceit may be, the truth is always somewhere, waiting to be revealed.' Do you know why he thinks that way?" Ren shook his head, "It is because he believes it to be the right thing to do. So if you ever find yourself in front of a problem where you could take action, go deep inside your heart and ask yourself:..."
" ...'Is it the right thing to do?' " Ren muttered.
Ren looked at his hand, where a neatly knitted sheep was sitting in his palm. He nodded and walked over to the shelf, where he had gotten his materials from and returned said items, placing the sheep on top of the shelf for display.
"I can't give up now!" Ren once again thought out loud and looked out the window with a determined face this time.
"Not when so many people are suffering!"
Author's Notes:
Did you guys know I had this one on the back burner for a long while because I forgot how to continue after the Velvet Room?
Yes, everything after the Velvet Room Scene was only written a 2 days ago and today.
Also about that moment in the courtyard, I just wanted to write Ren Angst but completely forgot that that first-year slipped up, so I snuck this "quote" in to add more to Ren's backstory.
In case you're asking why Kanji wasn't in the flashback even though they were at the dining table, let's just say he was in the kitchen making food, because I didn't plan for him to add anything to the conversation.
The reason why Ren got embarrassed by his nickname? Let's just say it's connected to his childhood, a meat lover and an idol
Overall it was rather short/slow in comparison to the last few chapters but I felt like it was a very important scene in canon because it properly established how Kamoshida's distortions apply in the real world.
I hope I'll be able to think of where I should end the next chapter, so I can start writing again.
As always, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it :) and I'll see you guys next chapter/fic/chapter of another fic.