Chapter Eighteen: Confusion
by Merrow
First Posted at the FRUITY ROBIN ML on Mar 29, 2005
Sorry for the lateness in getting this chapter out. ; I had a little bit of a hard time starting off because I wasn't sure where everyone was. Here's a quick rundown of where I think everyone was, if I'm off let me know and I'll go back an edit my beginning. Yuki/Hiroga was definitely in the garden, I think Tohru got left in Yuki's room. Kyou is somewhere upstairs because he was yelling from the second story. Hatori is in Shigure's room and Shigure is still comatose. Haru I believe was still sitting in the living room, so
Yuki would have had to walk right past him to go outside... and there starts our story...
Haru watched calmly from the bottom of the stairs as Yuki threw Kyou off of him, practically tossing Kyou into Honda's room. A faint wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows, Yuki's form was very, very off. Kyou's was too, but that was probably because Yuki's was so different from the norm. He didn't have any of his regular, careless
grace and smoothness to his moves. They were jerky, almost as if there were a disconnect between what he wanted his body to do and what it was actually doing.
Yuki's body tensed and for a second he thought that the rat was going to follow Kyou into Tohru's room to continue the fight. He even took a jerky step forward, a wholly unfamiliar look of dark concentration on his face. Finally he grimaced and spun, an almost sneer coming over his delicate features.
"Fine." The rat muttered, "Be that way, I'll show you what I can do when you don't cooperate."
He jogged down the steps and out the door, not even glancing at Haru as he went out the door.
I don't think he even knew I was here, Haru thought to himself. Yuki was always aware of where everyone was and he never ignored Haru. The Ox clenched a hand, not liking the unsettling feeling that even if had looked at him that he wouldn't have seen him. It kept him from calling out to him, something inside him didn't want to see Yuki's
eyes right now. He didn't like feeling invisible, forgotten, especially not by Yuki. He walked to the doorway, concern warring in him. Yuki was sick wasn't he? That was why he was acting strangely, and he probably shouldn't be wandering around outside.
"Death befalls us all. But I bet you already knew that didn't you, Toshizo?" Yuki smirked at some bushes across the yard and then walked off into the woods behind the house.
Haru froze from where he had been about to call Yuki back. A chill went up his spine. Death? Toshizo? What the hell? And what was that smirk? That was the second time!
"Where are you going! I'm not finished with you!" Kyou's voice came from somewhere above Haru's head. He was probably yelling out of Tohru's window. The boy crossing into the woods didn't even turn, didn't even bother to yell a "baka neko" back.
There was a stomping on the stairs and Kyou pounded down intent on chasing down the damn rat. This recent fever must've really cooked his brains, first to act that way towards Tohru and then that shameful fight he'd just put up. "If he thinks he can put that kind of half-assed fight and get away with it..." He muttered. It had to be the fever that was making Yuki act so different. Maybe this time I can beat him... a traitorous part of his mind whispered. He usually tried not to attack Yuki while he was ill, but being brain-damaged didn't really count did it? He had to be brain-damaged. What else could account for his screwy behavior?
He was about to pound out the door when he was stopped by Haru's arm blocking his way. "Oi! Out of my way! I'm going to pound that Rat good!"
The Ox was immovable. "Hey," Kyou said uncertainly, "are you Black or something? I don't have time for this, he's getting away!"
"That isn't Yuki." Haru said, his voice serious and his expression dark. His arms were tense, and his hands fists. The arm that blocked Kyou's way looked so tense it could almost snap.
Kyou froze. That was in exactly. It hadn't acted like Yuki. It hadn't talked like Yuki. It sure as hell hadn't fought like Yuki. It followed then that it...wasn't Yuki? Kyou shook his head, but who the hell else could it BE? "What the hell! Of course it's him, it's just his brains are cooked because of his damn fever!" But even as he shouted it he wasn't certain.
"Kyou! Haru!" The two turned to see an ashen Hatori standing in Shigure's study. "I need your help. Now!" He didn't wait to see if they were coming before turning back inside.
Kyou glanced at the yard; Yuki was already out of sight. He swore and followed Hatori into Shigure's study with Haru obediently following. He stopped dead at the threshold.
Shigure was laid out on the ground in an unnatural pose, Hatori had arranged his limbs on the futon so that his legs were together and his arms were at his side. He wasn't sleeping. Kyou had seen Shigure asleep; he sprawled out taking up as much space as possible. The dog's head lolled to the side and his mouth was open. It didn't look
like he was breathing.
"What the f-" Kyou started.
"We don't have time for that." Hatori cut him off, kneeling over Shigure taking his pulse again. It hadn't slowed any further, but his skin was chill to the touch. "I need to call the hospital and have them prepare a room for him."
"What do you need us to do, Hatori-nii?" Haru asked softly, all the fight from earlier going out of him. Kyou glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, it was times like this that he remembered Haru was a year younger then him. He looked very young and scared. "Is Shigure-nii going to be alright?" He asked, slipping into his childhood name
for Shigure.
"I don't know." Hatori paused from where he was checking Shigure's eyes. They responded to light, but the dog didn't react. "I don't know what is causing this." He sighed. "I'm going to call the hospital." He pulled the blankets up to cover his friend. "Kyou stay here, watch him. Let me know if anything changes." He looked at Haru
seriously, "Akito needs to be informed. I've called the Main House but Kureno isn't there and I can't trust this information to anyone else."
Haru grew still and his shoulders tensed. He knew what Hatori was asking and he knew that if he refused no one would think less of him, and no one would blame him. He squared his shoulders. "I'll go and tell him."
"Be careful." Hatori said and Haru could see the guilt in the back of his eye, he didn't want to put Haru in that position. "Just tell him that Shigure is ill and that I am with him. Leave if you can."
Haru nodded, and turned to go. He almost paused, wondering if he should ask Hatori about Yuki's strange behavior. He dismissed the idea and continued out the door. The dragon had enough on his plate.
He stopped and swallowed as Tohru came into the living room. She glanced out the door, as if looking for Yuki and then back at Hatsuharu.
"It got so quiet." Tohru said uncertainly. "Did Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun leave? Is Hatori-san still here?"
"Yuki..." Haru said, "He went outside." Haru didn't know what to say about the situation behind him. Tohru would panic for sure and without Shigure or Yuki to calm her down... Perhaps it would be best if he sent her after Yuki? But Yuki had been acting so strange...he had the unsettling feeling that the girl wouldn't be safe with him either.
Ultimately the decision was taken out of his hands.
"Can you hear me now?" Hatori asked into his cellphone, stepping out of Shigure's study and unaware of his surroundings. "Better? Good, then listen. I need a hospital room, please use the Souma protocol." He paused, "Yes, a private room in our wing and only nurses and doctors on the approved list. I'll be there with the patient shortly." Hatori snapped the phone shut and noticed Haru. "Haru, good you haven't gone yet. We'll need your help getting Shigure into the car."
"Shigure-san?" Tohru squeaked. "Is there something wrong with Shigure-san?"
Hatori looked over his shoulder at Tohru. After seeing her reaction yesterday at Yuki's cold he couldn't imagine what her reaction would be to Shigure's condition. But he couldn't keep her in the dark. She was the only one who would likely know what Shigure had eaten last night and this morning and if he'd been having any issues before that
could have lead up to this. He'd have to talk with her later. He felt sick for even thinking that she could have intentionally caused Shigure's illness, but a life lived in the Souma family wouldn't allow him to dismiss it. He had a sample of the tea stowed in his bag.
"There is something wrong with Shigure, he won't wake." Hatori said finally watching her reactions closely.
Tohru's hands flew to cover her mouth as she gasped and her eyes grew huge. She ran past Haru and Hatori and into his study. Kyou kneeled next to the futon and she flew to his side.
"Tohru." Kyou said starting and looking wildly behind him. What the hell was Hatori thinking letting her in here?
He expected her to start panicking, to start fluttering about and run into things. Instead she sank down next to him and stared at Shigure. She gave a low keening noise in the back of her throat, "Oh, Shigure-san." She breathed. Her hand fluttered up to brush his bangs out of his face. She recoiled as her fingers brushed up against his skin.
She looked up at Hatori as he came up next to her. "He's so cold." She said in a small voice. "Shouldn't... shouldn't we do something to warm him up?"
"I'm going to take him to the hospital. We'll figure out what's wrong with him." Hatori assured her afraid that she was going into shock. Her skin was blanched white. "Honda-kun, did you notice Shigure having any sort of illness recently? A cold or a fever maybe, or has he eaten anything different?"
"N-no... I've only been making the regular things." Tohru said softly. "He, he was sneezing the other day...he joked that someone must be talking about how handsome he was. I-I should have realized he was sick." Her voice was rising and picking up speed. Her eyes seemed to widen even further, with far too much white showing. "I should have realized that it was a cold. He said he was fine, but Father had a cold and he didn't come back. Mother said it was just a cold that got worse. Colds are very serious, I should have realized that Shigure-san had a cold-"
"Oi. Don't be stupid." Kyou cut in grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him. "A couple of sneezes aren't anything, and he was perfectly fine last night there was no way you coulda known that there was something wrong with him."
"He's right." Hatori affirmed, "I suspect it maybe something he ate or drank. Perhaps something that went bad." If he'd had any doubts about Tohru they were gone now. No one could fake that kind of shock and fear. "I'm going to bring the car around to the back, Haru, Kyou... You grab either end of the futon and carry him to the back seat."
"Shouldn't you call an ambulance?" Tohru asked hesitantly.
Hatori shook his head as he started out the door. "He might transform. We can't risk it." The thought made him pause. With the way Shigure's system had slowed and with as weak as he was, he should have transformed. Why was he still human? It was another mystery to discover. He shook his head and went to get the car.
It took some maneuvering but Kyou and Haru got Shigure carefully placed in the back seat. Hatori carefully adjusted the seat belts so that they strapped him safely down. He looked at Haru and he nodded, leaving to carry his message to the main house.
"Leave your cell on." Hatori called after him, "I'll call if I'm able to contact Kureno on the way."
Haru nodded and turned on his cell. For once he was almost hoping that he'd get lost on his way home. He walked out of the yard straight-backed.
"What should we do?" Tohru said coming up to the car window. "Does Hatori-san want me to come along? I can help take care of Shigure-san."
"No, thank you-" Hatori started and then stopped as a muddy Yuki came into the backyard. He'd heard the banging earlier, but he'd assumed that Yuki was in bed this whole time. After his illness last night he shouldn't be up and about, and certainly not playing in the mud. "Yuki! What are you doing out of bed?"
Yuki looked at him and paused, looking like he was considering something or trying to remember something. "I'm feeling much better..." He paused, "Hatori-san. I just thought I'd do a little gardening before school." He held up dirt caked hands as an explanation.
Hatori stared at Yuki. Something was very wrong with him but it wasn't something he could pinpoint. His doctor's eye darted over him.
Yuki's skin was still a little pale, but his breathing looked normal and he wasn't looking ashen or shivering like he had been yesterday. He glanced at the back seat, he didn't have time to deal with it now.
"That was stupid of you, Yuki. Shigure is ill, the others can fill you in. I'm taking him to the hospital." He looked at the others, "I want you all to get cleaned up and go to school. He dug into his pocket and drew out his wallet. He handed Tohru a handful of bills. "Buy lunch today, and dinner tonight. I don't want any of you eating or drinking anything from this house. Even buy water."
"Y-yes." She stammered. She stepped back so that Hatori could leave, "Please take good care of Shigure-san."
"I will." Hatori promised. "I'll bring him back soon." He started the car and carefully maneuvered off the lawn.
"Go and come back safely, Shigure-san, Hatori-san." Tohru whispered not noticing when as a piece of the shrubbery carefully moved to follow the car.
"So the author-guy is sick?" Uo said watching Tohru pushing around her store-bought bento.
"Yes, that's why we were late." Tohru said in a small voice. "Hatori san took him to the hospital. And..." She looked up across the room at Yuki. He sat at his desk cheerfully eating morsels offered up to him by a bevy of admiring girls.
One of the fanclub girls had noticed Yuki standing in the busy line for bread at school and offered him some of her lunch. When rumor had gotten out that he'd accepted the offer the classroom had been besieged by girls offering up the best portions of their lunch. Now he sat in a circle of girls, a situation that would have caused him to panic before.
"The Prince is acting pretty weird, huh?" Uo said following her gaze.
"Yuki-kun was sick yesterday. He even fainted. He's much better today." Tohru commented not knowing how she felt about Yuki's strange behavior. Maybe I wasn't imagining that he didn't transform? Maybe he knows he can't transform too? She hadn't really considered what Yuki would do if the curse was ever broken, but she hadn't thought she'd be left to eat lunch alone while he got fed with another girl's chopsticks.
"Hmph. Maybe he hit his head. That could explain it." Uo-chan snorted.
"Where is Hana-chan today?" Tohru said changing the subject.
"She's here. She got called to the teacher's office, I think she's failing gym again." Uo-chan said.
"No. I am still passing gym." A soft voice said behind Uotani. "It was merely a guest."
Long used to Hanajima's strange appearances, Arisa just quirked an eyebrow at her and then down to see her little brother standing next to her. "Hey squirt, what are you doing here?"
Megumi looked up at Uotani, "I wanted to see Uotani-san and Honda-san in their school uniforms."
Hanajima looked down in wry amusement at her brother, "That, and there was a disturbance at his school." She quirked an eyebrow at him. He looked up innocently at his sister, providing no further explanation. "Mother, Father and Grandmother are away and he is not to be home alone so he came here. Permission was granted for him to
stay with me for the day..." She paused and her eyes flashed. "With some persuasion."
"I'd have liked to see that." Uo-chan laughed. "Pull up a chair, class is about to start again."
Tohru smiled absently at both Hana-chan and her brother before turning back to the front. She couldn't help her gaze straying once again to Yuki. He was looking at a note someone had passed to him and smiling. That's not Yuki's smile. Yuki's smile was innocent and sweet. That smile was anything but... Perhaps Uo-chan was right?
Maybe Yuki hit his head? That could explain a difference in behavior. But not that he doesn't transform.
Hiroga grinned as he looked at the note in his hand, this was what... the fifth he'd found hidden in his books and papers since lunch? Three wanted to meet him behind the school, one in the home ec room between gym and last period (smart girl, getting the jump on the others) and one tomorrow morning. They were all signed and he tried shifting through Yuki's memories to match names to faces to see if any were worth pursuing. For once Yuki didn't protest or fight and Hiroga was disgusted to learn that he didn't even know who these girls were. In fact he was pretty much unaware of any girl but that ditz that lived his house.
He sighed and leaned back in his chair, not noticing that the teacher and other students all gaped at his loose behavior. Maaaaaaan, this nervous little rat was no fun. He had every girl in school sniffing after him and he couldn't even bother to notice. So what if he was cursed? There was lots you could do without touching chests. He gave an evil mental smile, maybe he'd show the rat what could be done using his little mousy girlfriend as an example. Yuki yowled inside him, battering at the corner Hiroga had locked him into. He winced falling forward on to his desk.
Okay, so the Rat was stronger then he realized. He'd probably force the body into a seizure if he'd tried anything with her. Not that that wouldn't work eventually, he'd have to kill this body along with the rest of the 12. If he waited for the Rat to weaken he could probably make it so that he'd die right as he finished. If he had to die again, that would definitely be the way to go. He winced again as Yuki protested violently.
Thankfully class was finally over. That was one part Hiroga did no miss about high school. Actually there was little he did miss. He hadn't been popular, too smart and too nerdy to fit in with the in' crowd, too wimpy too fit in with the jock' crowd, too full of himself to fit in with the misfit' or nerd' crowd. It was why he'd opted to graduate early, and to take that job... that job that lead to him dying and started this whole mess!
But now he had the body of a high school idol. It would be a shame if he didn't take advantage of it a little bit. He could skip gym, he was known to get ill easily... if he met up with that girl in the home ec room he could have a lot of fun before the next class... He hurried out of the room, looking forward to meeting up with her. At this point he didn't care if she was cute or a dog, she was female and that was enough.
"Yun-yun! Where are you going?" Hiroga turned to see a boy barreling at him. "Did you forget? We have a student council meeting, or perhaps its that you didn't know because it's an emergency early session." Manabe slung his arm over his shoulders, "I planned it for gym because today is dodgeball and I couldn't let my precious Yun-Yun get damaged."
Hiroga shrugged off the arm. What was this guy's name? Yuki was keeping it from him, vice-president...and something about Black... was Black the kid's name? "Uh, that was very kind of you...er...Black...but I'm afraid I have a pressing engagement."
He was about to walk off when Manabe suddenly moved closer invading his space and stepping close. Manabe pressed him against the wall and put an arm on either side of his head. He put his forehead to Hiroga's and started deep into his eyes. Hiroga could feel the other boy's breath on his lips.
GAH! Maybe that's why the Rat never paid any attention to girls? Because he had a boyfriend! EEEEEeeeeewwwwww. Hiroga was so disgusted that he didn't even hear Yuki's embarrassed protests in his mind.
Suddenly Manabe grabbed the sides of Hiroga's borrowed face. "Hey! You aren't Yun-Yun! What are you doing with Yun-Yun's face? GIVE IT BACK!"
"Manabe-san?" Tohru said from behind him. "You're Manabe-san right, from the student council?"
Manabe looked over his shoulder; it was the remarkably unremarkable Honda Tohru. He knew how close she and his Yun-Yun were, even if Yun-Yun protested. Surely she saw it too? He wrenched Yuki around so that he stood in front of him, keeping his grip tight on Yuki's head. "You see it too right? This isn't Yun-Yun, someone has stolen his face!"
"EEE!" A feminine squeal echoed in the hallway, "You shouldn't treat the Yuki-kun that way!" A small crowd was forming in behind them, consisting mostly of the girls from Yuki's fanclub.
"Oi." Uotani said inching to stand protectively in front of Tohru. "This looks like it could get ugly."
"Indeed." Hanajima said softly, moving to stand next to Arisa in a forming a protective flank with her brother. "Perhaps we should take this somewhere more…private."
"Ne-chan…that hallway?" Megumi pointed to a door slightly behind them.
"That leads up to the roof." Tohru said nervously looking between her friend's backs, Manabe who still held Yuki's head between his hands, and the growing crowds at either end of the hallway.
"Yun-yun Freedom Force! To the rooftop base!" Manabe cried and switching Yuki into a headlock dragged him through the door and up the stairs.
"Do you suppose he meant us?" Uotani asked over her shoulder, but Tohru was already following him up. She looked back at the crowd wondering how they were going to keep them from following them up.
"Go ahead." Hana-chan said smiling, "I'll ensure our privacy."
"I'll help, Ne-chan." Megumi said calmly standing by her side.
"You two look like you're enjoying this too much." Arisa mumbled as she went up the stairs.
Kyou had been sunning himself on the roof, well aware that lunch had ended some time ago, when Manabe burst through with the door with Yuki in tow. The cat watched wide eyed as the black haired boy threw Yuki to the ground and sat on him. When Tohru followed through the door he decided to get a closer look at what was going on.
"Oi, Carrot-top, where have you been?"
Kyou tensed at the hated nickname, but didn't rise to the bait. He just gave her a shrug. "Around." He looked at the scene before him. The black-haired kid, that guy from the student council who'd apologized to him out of the blue, was wrestling around with Yuki. He was sitting on his back and holding on to his legs. Tohru fluttered around the edges with her hands up trying to figure out what to do.
Yuki was trying to throw him off, and Kyou frowned. The student council kid, whats-his-name, wasn't trained at all. Yuki shouldn't have any problem tossing him off. He looked back at Arisa. "What's going on?"
"I dunno, Tohru said that the Prince fainted last night. I figure he must've hit his head or something because he has been acting weird all morning. He was letting the fanclub feed him of their chopsticks at lunch." She nodded at Kyou's shocked look, "Yeah, and then this guy says that he's not Yuki and has stolen his face or something."
"Manabe Kakeru is quite perceptive." Hanajima said, having appeared at some point with her brother in tow. "Indeed Souma Yuki is not himself. His denpa is of another person's."
Kyou, after swallowing the heart that had jumped into his throat, managed a half-strangled response. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"
"Souma Yuki is not Souma Yuki." She said simply and walked over to where the two boys were still wrestling around. "Please stand him up."
Manabe rolled off Yuki and pulled him onto his feet. He held him by his arms in a hold that Kyou knew he could break in moments.
Apparently Hana recognized this as well and placed a hand along side his neck. There was a slight frission of power around her hand and he saw Yuki's jaw jump as he received a mild shock. "You will stop struggling now."
"Good job, Sorceress!" Manabe crowed, "Yun-Yun's Freedome Force shall win the day with your help!"
Yuki began swearing, foul words that Kyou didn't think that Yuki had even heard before. Tohru gasped and covered first her mouth in shock and then her ears as he continued. Megumi listened in fascination and Arisa gave a low whistle of appreciation.
"Holy water! Demon!" Manabe cried. "He's possessed! Stop tarninshing Yun-Yun's image! Yun-Yun would never let something dirty like that pass his lips!"
"Not a demon." Megumi said suddenly. "A ghost." Yuki fell silent looking at Hanajima and her brother sullenly.
"G-ghost?" Tohru squeaked. She didn't deal very well with the thought of such things when they were just summer-time stories, she dealt with them much worse when they were real. She hated the thought of Yuki being possessed by something as horrifying as a real live ghost, or a real dead ghost…. or however it was supposed to go.
Megumi quirked his head, "And there is a curse."
Uotani, stepping forward to hold a shivering Tohru, gave Hanajima siblings a dirtry look. "Don't joke about such things, you're scaring Tohru." She completely missed Kyou's start of surprise at the word curse.'
"Forgive me," Hanajima said, still with her hand at Yuki's throat, "I do not wish to scare anyone." She paused and inclined her head, "at this time at least. But my brother does not joke about such things, if he sees them they are there. I can not see the denpa of the deceased, but it is very certain that the denpa emanating from this person is most certainly NOT Sohma Yuki's."
"Can… Can Hana-chan get rid of the ghost?" Tohru asked hesitantly from the shelter of Uotani's arms. "I'm… I'm sure that ghost-san is very nice, but it doesn't seem fair that he's taken over Yuki-kun's body. Though it does explain quite a few things…" She trailed of blushing. "I'm sure that Yuki-kun would normally never behave that way."
"Behave what way?" Manabe asked, "Aaaaah! Is ghost-san doing perverted things with Yun-yun's body? No fair! I haven't even had a chance to yet!"
"EEEEH?" Tohru gasped. "Curse…" Megumi said softly. "The curse emanating from this one is very malevolent. I do not think that Ghost-san' is a very nice person."
"Emanating?" Kyou asked.
"It means "comes out of", Kyon-Kyon." Uo-chan said snidely.
"I know what it means!" Kyou bristled, then turned back to look down at Megumi. "You mean he isn't cursed himself?"
"No, this one has cursed someone else. It is a very bad curse. It could be deadly." Megumi said still staring at Kyou, "You sound surprised that he's not cursed."
Kyou was spared having to reply by Hanajima. If he wasn't so creeped out by her in general he was almost grateful enough to kiss her.
"It is interesting that Sohma Yuki should be possessed by a ghost the day after he mentions a ghost named Hiroga-san.' It is interesting that the day Sohma Yuki becomes possessed by Hiroga-san that Sohma Shigure falls ill."
"Do you think that the curse the kid sees is making Shigure sick?" Kyou blinked feeling chilled. It wasn't that he was worried about the doctor, but the kid had said deadly.'
"It is very likely." She looked consideringly at Yuki. "I can attempt to exorcise the spirit if he doesn't confirm it."
"No! Don't!" Hirgoa choked as Yuki showed him VERY clearly what Hana had said about her exorcism abilities the previous day. "I'm Hiroga."
There was a collective gasp as he confirmed all of their worst fears.
"You… you…" Tohru said her cheeks pinking as she remembered how Hiroga-in-Yuki's body had talked and touched her before. "You are a very bad ghost!"
"Ne-chan…" Megumi said softly looking up at his sister. "Name?"
"What is your full name?" Hanajima asked, again making her hand fizzle with electric static.
"Hiroga Akira." He muttered looking at them all balefully. "And I'll curse all-"
"You will not." Megumi said firmly in his quiet voice. "Hiroga Akira."
Hiroga gasped and collapsed in Manabe's arms. Tohru gave a little shriek as Yuki's skin took on the ashen cast Shigure's had this morning and his eyes fluttered closed.
Far away in a private hospital room Hatori watched in amazement and relief as Shigure took his first full deep breath in hours and his skin turned pink and healthy.
End of Chapter 18
Merrow's note:
Argh! Finally finished. This chapter was a monster! I hope I left it appropriately cliff-hangy enough. I'm not sure who's going after me, but have fun.
There was one thing I was confused about… are they in summer or are they in the school year? I thought they were in the beginning of their third school year at the beginning of the story, but later on Hanajima says something about summer classes. Let me know if I've messed it up and I'll fix it with some other reason for them all to be there.