The morning went about the same as yesterday's; Yu had to wake up for school, and got dressed in his Shujin uniform:a red-buttoned black blazer with Shujin's emblem on the pocket, a white turtleneck shirt with chevron detailing on the collar, and red plaid trousers. At least this time he didn't have to deal with those strange people in that prison while he slept. He walked out of his room and seeing Makoto setting the table for breakfast, already dressed in the female version of his outfit, the only real difference was that she had a skirt instead of pants, and a vest instead of blazer. Sae was nowhere to be seen.

"I take it Sae-san has left for work already?" Yu asked as Makoto handed him his plate.

"Sadly yes. Often times, I have to cook her lunch, breakfast, and dinner in advance."

"So she doesn't just use Akechi for slave labor."

Yu felt a sharp pain in his leg. Makoto spoke in a harsh tone as he grabbed it in response.

"Unlike Akechi, I actually volunteered for this. Sis has a lot on her plate, and she welcomes every attempt to help her, so long as it doesn't jeopardize either of our futures."

Yu expected some venom or spite in her voice, but she talked to him like he was a child who simply didn't know any better.

"Now, hurry up and finish eating. We have a school to attend."

Yu was able to navigate the dreaded subway system easy enough, thanks largely in part to Makoto. The two were making good progress until it started to rain, which forced the two to make a mad dash for an awning nearby, as they tragically forgot to bring umbrellas, using their bags as makeshift cover from the water drops. Yu pulled out his phone to check the time, and saw a familiar, and unwelcome sight. An app shaped like an eye, with a star for an iris.

"Why won't this thing go away?" He muttered.

While he was looking at his phone, a feminine figure walked up and stood next to him. She wore a version of the female Shujin uniform, the main differences being that she wore a hooded sweatshirt with a four-leaf clover on the hood instead of a turtleneck and had red tights under her skirt. Judging by how soaked the hood was, she too forgot to bring an umbrella and was seeking shelter from the rain as well. Once she was under the awning, she pulled back her hood and Yu's jaw dropped.

"She's beautiful." Yu thought out loud.

The woman had Japanese features with flawless skin that boasted of the utmost care, with her hair was a natural platinum blonde tied up in pigtails that flowed past her shoulders like water, and her eyes were a light blue, shimmering as if they were a part of the ocean, and attached to her ears were two small pearl earrings. She turned to Yu and smiled.

"Awwww, thank you!" She said, her voice full of life.

"Wait, did I say that out loud?"

"Yes. Rather loudly too. Hello Takamaki-san." Makoto said, turning to face the girl.

"Hey Prez. Who's this? Did you finally get a boyfriend?" Ann teased, checking out Yu.

"N-no, of course not! T-this is my sister's ward; Yu Narukami. Y-Yu, this is Ann Takamaki. " Makoto said with a blush on her face.

"Charmed, I'm sure." Ann said with the most fake British accent a Japanese student could muster. The moment was cut short when they heard a car horn and turned to see a car roll up. The window rolled down to reveal a man with a pointed nose, round chin and bald head. He looked like he weighed a ton, but Yu could see that if his arms and chest were any indicator, every pound was muscle. This was a man who treated his body like a temple, and gave off a very malicious aura.

"Takamaki, get in. We have to talk." The man ordered in a gruff tone comparable to a drill sergeant.

"Yes sensei." Ann said, all the life drained from her voice as she entered. The car sped off as soon as she closed the door, and Yu couldn't help but notice the scowl on Makoto's face.

"Let's go. You can't afford to be late." She said, frustration clear in her voice. Before the two could even move, Yu felt someone push past him, bumping into his shoulder. A boy tried to run after the car, but stopped shortly after.

"Damnit! Screw that asshole!" the boy yelled to no one in particular.

"Ryuji! Language!" Makoto yelled.

The boy, Ryuji turned around, his face in an apologetic look and awkward smile. He had spiky hair dyed yellow that gave him the look of an unruly punk. He wore the Shujin blazer and pants, but the blazer was unbuttoned to show a yellow shirt that said "ZOMG!" with comical stars that complemented his yellow hair.

"Heeeeeey Prez. Didn't see ya there. Who's this guy? Did ya finally get a boyfriend?"

"No, Ryuji. This is Yu Narukami, our new transfer student."

"Awwww, he is? I was hoping it'd be a girl. I'm Ryuji Sakamoto. How do you and Prez know each other?" Ryuji asked, his grin wider and no longer nervous.

Before Yu could answer, Makoto did it for him.

"He's currently under probation and will be living with me and my sister for the next year. Don't get any funny ideas, or start spreading rumors." She added the last part with extra authority.

"Relax, the rumor mill will take care of itself." He replied, bitterness in his words.

"Didn't you say we'd be late to school?" Yu cut in.

Both of them went wide-eyed.

"Shit, you're right! Follow me, I know a shortcut!" Ryuji said, turning on his heel and leading the two down a series of alleyways. Yu and Makoto had to break into a light jog in order to keep up with him, and he was casually strolling.

This guy on the track team or something?

True to his word, Ryuji led them to the school with minutes to spare.

"Well here it is, the shitty Shujin school." Ryuji said, anger in his voice.

"Thanks Ryuji. We'll take it from here." Makoto said.

"Yea yea. But first, new guy; stay the hell away from Kobayakawa. That asshole thinks he's the king of the castle or some shit."

"Conditions have not been met." A mechanical voice ringed out.

Yu pulled out his phone and saw that he forgot to close the app. Only this time, instead of the eye, he was met with three boxes, the first two saying "Kobayakawa" and "Shujin", but the third was empty. Yu noticed Makoto looking over his shoulder, so he quickly turned his phone on silent and shoved it in his pocket.

"Was that your phone?" Ryuji asked.

"Sadly, yes. I've been having some trouble with it." Yu said quickly. It wasn't a complete lie. Ryuji simply said "See ya" and went on his merry way. Yu turned to Makoto.

"Who's Kobayakawa?"

"Coach Kobayakawa." Makoto said the name as if it burned her mouth, and her brow furrowed.

"That's the name of a man that can be called many things. Merciful isn't one of them. He coaches the boxing team, and has a history of abusing students that don't live up to his expectations." Yu analysed her tone and body language. This wasn't just disgust of the man because of his practices, this was personal.

"When Akechi and I started coming here, this place was hell on Earth. Two teachers, Kamoshida and Kobayakawa used the school as their own playground. Kamoshida coached the volleyball team, and would physically abuse its male team members, and sexually harass female students. Kobayakawa would strong arm faculty and blackmail students that tried to fight back, just to protect Shujin's reputation."

"Wait, Akechi goes here?"

"Yes, and believe it or not, you're not the first one who thought we were siblings because of our eyes. Back to the story. When Akechi heard about the rumors, he went to Ushimaru-san, but he refused to do anything unless there was concrete proof of abuse. So, he took matters into his own hands. Alongside myself, Futaba, Kawakami, and a boy named Yuuki Mishima, Akechi-kun was able to get enough proof of Kamoshida's deeds and get Ushimaru to have him fired. Sis took up the case when she caught wind of what Kamoshida did, and with Akechi-kun's help, they put him behind bars for good. That's how they met, and they've been working together ever since."

"What about Kobayakawa?"

There was a silence that lasted a few seconds, and Makoto's attitude shifted. Whereas before she looked ready to snap someone's neck, she now looked ready to cry.

"Akechi-kun tried. God knows he tried. But Kobayakawa learned from Kamoshida's mistakes. First, the coach tried to recruit Futaba. When she refused, her mom was reported to be in the hospital, and there we learned that she… was raped and had her back broken. Kobayakawa warned he'd finish the job if Futaba didn't help him, and she's done just that ever since. Next was Kawakami. He was able to find some… unsavory details about her and threatened her if she didn't cooperate. Finally, there was Mishima. Mishima had no close friends besides Akechi and me, and his parents were out of town for a few weeks. So…" Makoto swallowed hard, and her lips started to quiver.

"One day, Mishima stopped showing up to school. When we investigated, we found… we found him in a coma, where he still remains to this day."

Yu took a moment to let this knowledge sink in, his eyes widening as he processed it.

"God damn. If dad found out about this…"

"There's more. You should know exactly what kind of monster you're dealing with." Makoto said, as if forcing herself to continue.

"For our second year, Akechi-kun and I tried again. Kobayakawa had stepped into the power vacuum left behind by Kamoshida. We formed a new team, Ryuji, Ann, and… a girl named Eiko." Makoto choked up on saying the last name, a tear streaming down her cheek.

"A-and then..." Makoto stammered. She looked ready to break down, and Yu decided that his curiosity would have to wait another day.

"Thanks Makoto. I'm sorry for bringing back any painful memories." Yu said, putting his arm on her shoulder.

"You're welcome Yu-kun. All we can do is hope that this year will be different. You remember the way to the faculty office, yes?"

"Yea."

"Good. I'm going… to compose myself before I head in." She said with a sniffle.

"Take all the time you need. I'll be alright." Yu said, going in. Then he heard the whispers and realized he wouldn't be alright.

"Is that the transfer student?"

"No way. That's the criminal?"

Yu stopped dead in his tracks like a deer in headlights.

No. No, there's no way. Only the teachers and Makoto should know about my record.

"Stay out his way, I heard he has a knife on him."

"I heard he was a part of the Yakuza."

"I heard that he attacked the cops that arrested him too!"

"Is he really the son of Dojima Narukami? He must be disgusted with him."

Yu had to stop after that one and looked around to give that student a piece of his mind. Once he found the man, he clenched his fists. No one insulted his father and walked away. Before he took the first step, he heard another voice in his head.

"Cause any trouble, and you'll be expelled immediately."

"Stay out of trouble. Stay out of trouble." Yu muttered to himself as he turned around and walked up the stairs. He had one job.

More whispers about what they heard about him: They ranged from him doing drugs to him carrying a knife to him raping a woman, and it made Yu want to go into a corner and cry. There's no way he'll be able to make friends, outside of maybe Makoto and Akechi, and that's a strong maybe. Keeping up the mask of a cool guy undaunted by what he heard, he knocked on the faculty office. Only Kawakami was there, and she looked incredibly tired, her makeup barely concealing the bags under her eyes. After she noticed him, she let out a yawn and turned to him.

"Oh, it's you. You actually decided to show up today. Though, given you live with Makoto, that shouldn't be a surprise. Well, come with me, we'll introduce you to your homeroom." She said without any emotion whatsoever.

Yu followed her as the bell rang, stopping right outside the classroom.

"Oh, by the way, I'm sure you know but… your record has been leaked." Kawakami said, this time with genuine concern.

"H-how did that happen?"

"I don't know. Someone hacked into the school webpage and shotgunned it everywhere. You can bet that there won't be a single club that'll accept you, but if you need a place to study in peace and quiet, let me know and I'll take you to the faculty office." She offered.

"Really? T-thanks." Yu replied, surprised by her offer as the two opened the door and stepped in the classroom.

"Alright class, this is Yu Narukami. Please give him a warm welcome and treat him like you would any other student."

Yu knew there's no way in hell any of them would listen to that. Already he could hear the whispers.

"I can't believe the I'm in the same class as this criminal."

"I'm going to see if I can switch rooms with someone."

"Don't look at him, he'll whack you in the face."

"How long until he gets expelled?"

"Hopefully by the end of today."

With every word, Yu wanted more and more to just walk out, crawl into a corner, and die.

"Let's see. You're going to sit, over there, by the window." Kawakami pointed to an empty seat, and Yu walked over and saw a familiar bob of blonde hair. Ann. And unlike the others, she didn't show any interest in the rumors. As he sat down, she stretched, dropping a piece of paper by his feet. He picked it up.

'If you want to have lunch with me and my friend, meet us in the courtyard.' It read.

"You sure you want to be seen with me?" Yu whispered.

"I don't see why not. If you're worried about the rumors, don't. Shiho and I have had our share." Ann whispered back with a gentle smile. As if to prove her point, both heard whispers as the rumor mill began yet again.

"What are they talking about? Do they know each other?"

"Did she hit on him before he transferred?"

"Guess what they say is true; foreign girls really are easy."

Yu saw a glare from Ann make it's way to the gossipers, which prompted them to hush, or at least slander her more quietly.

"So?" Ann asked, hopeful.

"I'll think about it. It'd be nice to talk to someone who doesn't personally know my probation officer." Yu said as the bell rang.

The rest of the classes went as expected, the teachers treated him like he was the plague, and more and more rumors circulated about him. As the last class finished, lunch bell sounded. Yu got up to try and meet up with Ann when he bumped into a familiar face with blood red eyes.

"Oh there you are Narukami-san. I was looking for you."

"Why's that Akechi? And why are you still wearing that pea coat instead of a Shujin uniform?"

"Since you never know when the SIU will come calling, the school has made me exempt from wearing a uniform. But, on to more pressing matters. As you have no doubt heard by now, your record has been leaked. I want to see how you're holding up. Come on, we'll talk away from prying eyes." Akechi said, leading him up the roof. Yu once again heard the rumors as he and Akechi navigated the halls of highschool.

"What's Akechi-kun doing with the criminal?"

"Hopefully getting him expelled."

"Nah. Probably another victim of Akechi's crusade."

"Haven't enough people been hurt by that already?"

"Yea, but at least this time, if something happens, no one will miss him."

The two reached the rooftop, ignoring the 'No entry' sign on it.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that." Akechi said as he closed the door.

"Don't be. You didn't leak my record."

"And I can already guess as to who did. His name is Kobayakawa, and-"

"Makoto already told me about him. Why do you think he leaked my record?"

"That's a very good question. Kobayakawa's first and foremost interest is Shujin's reputation. Successfully rehabilitating a delinquent would help Shujin's reputation."

"Given what Makoto's told me, I'm surprised he didn't catch me by the gates."

"Kobayakawa doesn't do his dirty work himself anymore. He has students for that."

"So you think one of them leaked my record on his behalf?"

"I'd bet my life on it."

"Would a girl called Futaba be able to do it? I saw her with a computer bag the other day."

"Futaba doesn't leave Yong Yen unless it's for school or an emergency. And she'd never bring her laptop outside. But… yes, Futaba would be able to hack into the school site with ease. And if she was here yesterday, it was likely to find your record and plaster it for all to see. Please, don't try to confront her. She's as much a victim as you."

"I know. Makoto told me about Kamoshida, and what happened to your team."

"Really? I'm surprised she'd be comfortable talking about Eiko with you, given how little you know each other."

"She didn't. She choked up when she got there, and we decided to drop it."

"I see. I'm not surprised it's still a sensitive subject for her."

The two stood in silence for a few moments before Yu spoke again.

"If there's nothing else, can I go? A girl I met, Ann, said she'd like to have lunch with me."

"Ann you say? I'd advise against talking to her."

"Why's that?"

"Well… I'm not comfortable discussing our previous exploits without Makoto-san's knowledge or consent, but lunch break won't last long. How much do you know?"

"Makoto left off at the second team."

"Alright. Second year had come around, and Makoto-san and I had promised ourselves that this would be the year we finally nailed Kobayakawa. We found three students to help us; Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, and Eiko Takao. It started out well enough, Ryuji had joined the boxing team, since the volleyball team's fall from grace thanks to Kamoshida, Kobayakawa hoped to elevate the boxing team to the same status as the volleyball coach, and would abuse them when they didn't reach his standards. Ann and Eiko befriended students who weren't doing so well academically wise, because of rumors that Kobayakawa was threatening them with abuse and blackmail if they didn't improve." Akechi said, anger rising with each word.

"You're getting very worked up over this."

"Let me finish, and you'll find out why. The information gathering was going well enough, but… ametur mistakes, poor comunication, and the fact that our previous team was shackled to Kobayakawa's will… led to our team falling apart. Evidence went missing from the student council room, confession recordings deleted from our phones, and the students we were talking to came to school bruised, beaten, and bloodied. Officially, they were mugged, unofficially, Kobayakawa beat them to a pulp and asked his friends to support his alibi and had Futaba tamper with cameras to support his claim that he had nothing to do with it. Then, he came for our team. First was Ryuji. When Kobayakawa realized Ryuji was with us, he was kicked out of the Track Team, and had his arm broken on grounds of 'self defence'. Then, his father was attacked and put in the emergency room. The bills were so much, the Sakamotos had to sell their family home in order to pay it, and live in a cheap motel even today. Next was Ann, who was always an outcast due to her looks. There were only two people who befriended her; Ryuji and a girl named Shiho Suzui. By this point, everyone knew full well what happened if you tried to go against Kobayakawa, so when he threatened Shiho, Ann caved in almost immediately. Finally, there was Eiko."

Akechi looked at the ground, and looked like he was going to be sick.

"One day Eiko was called into Kobayakawa's office. Makoto-san happened to be walking by, and Eiko ran out, tears in her eyes. When Makoto caught up to her and asked what was wrong, Eiko slapped her, said that she wished she never met her, and that she hoped that her, me, and Kobayakawa all burned in hell. The next day, I was called to her house, to interview her parents. There was a suicide."

"My God."

"Yes. There were only a few bruises on her shoulders, but given the intensity, I'd say they formed because someone was holding her still with all their strength. I'll let you guess what he did that would warrant suicide with so little damage to her body."

"That's… that's awful." Yu said, his eyes wide with horror.

"Yes. Eiko killed herself, and she did so hating Makoto-san and me. After that, Makoto-san told me to lay off Kobayakawa, and we spent the rest of the school year as pariahs."

"And being with me won't do your reputation any wonders."

"I don't care about my reputation, I care about seeing justice done. Mark my words Yu Narukami, Kobayakawa will know the price for what he's done, and I'll be the one that makes him pay."

There was a short silence as the Yu just realized exactly what kind of prison Shujin was. Soon, they heard a bell, signaling that lunch break was over. The two went back to their respective classes, with Yu having lost his appetite. Classes ended and Yu heard a chippy voice from behind him. He turned around and saw Ann cutting right through the crowd.

"Hey Yu, did you forget about meeting me and Shiho?" She asked, sounding hurt.

"Sorry about that. Akechi found me and brought me up to the roof." Yu said, looking down.

Of course the one person who wants to be my friend is probably doing so under orders from the same guy that made it impossible to make friends to begin with.

"Really? What'd he want to talk about?" She said, trying to hide her fear, and failing miserably.

"Mostly wanted to make sure that I wasn't letting the rumors get to me."

"Oh, that's nice of him. Say, want to make up for lunch? Shiho's waiting for me, and she was rather disappointed she didn't get to meet you."

Somehow, I doubt that.

"Oh really?"

"Really! Suuuuuuper disappointed!"

Wow, her acting sucks.

"Well then she'll have to be disappointed again." A female voice called from behind Yu. Before either, could respond, Makoto stepped between the two. If this was an anime, Yu would've thought they were fighting over him.

"As it just so happens, I have student council duties, and I need help. Yu is going to accompany me."

Before either Yu or Ann had a chance to protest, Makoto grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs and into the Student Council room. She closed the door quickly and with far too much force.

"Gee Makoto,could you have been a little more gentle? I'm not your prisoner". Yu asked, rubbing his wrist.

"Sorry, it's just… I don't want Kobayakawa to get his hooks in you."

"It's alright, just please be more careful next time, ok?"

Yu looked around the room. It was a small room, standard for a student council. There was about enough space for ten, maybe 15 people, and there were several drawers and file cabinets for different documents, from tests to requests to budget plans. In the center of the room was a massive table made of smaller desks with five chairs around it.

"Makoto-san? You in here?" Akechi asked from outside with a knock.

"Yes Akechi. Please come in." Makoto said.

"Ah, Narukami-san's here as well."

"That's what we're here to discuss. Yu, Akechi told me that you were informed of… the fate of our second team."

"Yes, I must apologize for doing so without your consent Makoto-san. Did you call us here because you're thinking about forming a third team?" Akechi asked.

There was a moment of pause, and Yu thought Makoto was considering it. That thought went away as Makoto slammed her hand on the table, startling Akechi and making Yu recoil. If looks could kill, Makoto would slay an army right now.

"EXCUSE ME?!" She roared.

"I-I simply thought-" Akechi croaked.

"You thought what? That if we had a new member, one who's already in the crosshairs of Kobayakawa, it would somehow change the outcome? I thought you were smarter than that."

"Well, here, hear me ou-"

"No way Akechi."

"But, if we have someone we know is being targeted, maybe we could-"

"Use him as bait?" Her tone was ice cold.

"Makoto, this is our last year at Shujin. Once we leave, there won't be anyone left who will try to take him down."

"And for good reason. Need I remind you what happened to everyone else that helped us?"

"Makoto, the war isn't over yet. We still have a chance. Now that we know what we did wrong, this time-"

"NO! The 'war' is over Akechi! We lost. You need to accept that."

"I can't. Not when I can still do something." Akechi said, motioning to Yu.

"Umm… do I get a say in this?" Yu asked.

"You didn't even fill him in?!"

Akechi opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He tried again, with the same result, and could only hang his head in shame.

"Unbelievable. I called you two here to expressly tell you both; despite the rumors, you two are to do nothing that could provoke Kobayakawa. We are going to get through this year as honest high school students. Especially you." Makoto explained, looking at Yu.

"Your situation is even more volatile than ours. If you get expelled, you're going onto the streets. I'll be watching you closely to make sure you don't do anything that could land you in hot water with Sis. If you encounter any trouble from Kobayakawa, I fully expect you to roll with the punches." Makoto said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"You can't be serious Makoto-san!" Akechi said, his brows furrowing.

"I'm very serious. You understand, right Yu-kun?"

"I do."

I'll be a nice, obedient little prisoner.

"Excellent."

"So, you're just giving up Makoto-san? Going to let Mishima and Eiko go unavenged?"

Makoto walked over to Akechi and gave him a massive slap to the face. Yu had to wonder if Akechi was brave, stupid, or crazy. Given that he regularly works with Sae, Yu decided on a mix of the last two.

"Don't you dare bring them up. I'm doing this so that no one else suffers their fate. I know when to admit defeat with grace. You need to do the same."

Makoto turned to Yu, crimson eyes blazing.

"I'm going to check out some books for study material. You two, stay here." She ordered as she left. Akechi got up, rubbing his struck cheek.

"That looked like it hurt." Yu said as he got out his phone.

"That was nothing. You should see her when she actually wants to hurt someone." Akechi said, rolling his arm.

A few moments of silence filled the room, and Yu decided to get on his phone and browse some memes. Instead he saw a familiar, and unwelcome sight.

"This stupid thing." Yu muttered as he opened the eye app again. The boxes were all empty this time. Before he could delete it again, he heard Akechi speak up.

"Phone trouble?"

"I might have to get a new one at this rate. But, in more relevant news, you were planning to put my life on the line just to get a shot at revenge?" Yu asked coldly.

"It's not vengeance, it's justice."

"Same thing."

"No it isn't. The difference is mercy."

"Something I won't get in this prison."

"I beg your pardon?"

"This damn school. It's a jail, and I'm it's sole prisoner."

"That's an interesting perspective. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't see this place as a prison."

"Ryuji said it was like a castle."

"Heh, of course he did. But no, I wouldn't say Shujin is like a castle, or a prison. I'd say it's more like… a nation, and Kobayakawa is its ruler."

"And you are the heroic rebel?"

"Of course." Akechi said with a smile and small chuckle.

If Yu didn't have his phone on silent, he would have heard a "Beginning navigation."