Aguri doesn't remember falling asleep. Just waking up the next morning, feeling peaceful for about a split second, and then remembering last night with a horrifying clarity.

She doesn't start crying again, but she thinks she kind of wants to. She gets out of bed and makes her way into the other room. There, Korosensei is already getting started on breakfast, and Akari turns towards her with a wave.

"Hey!" she says. "Good morning." Though she soon pauses. Frowning, she asks "Is everything alright? You're looking kind of down."

"Mmm?" Aguri asks, giving a yawn. "I… think I'm alright."

She doesn't want to lie to Akari, but it's not her place to share. What happened to Nagisa is his own business and no-one else's. If he wants Akari to know, then he'll tell her.

"Just… be kind to your classmates, alright?" She decides on. "Something happened last night and everyone could use a bit of positivity right now."

It's better than nothing. While it's not the full truth, at least it's an indication. And, hopefully, Akari will be able to give Nagisa support, even without knowing he's the one in questio-

"With Nagisa?"

Aguri stares.

"Pardon?"

"Something happened with Nagisa, right?"

"Well… yes," Aguri says, completely forgetting to stay anonymous. "But how do you know that?"

"You're probably gonna be mad at me when I say this," Akari replies. "But we kind of actually spied on him yesterday."

Aguri lets out a soft gasp.

"Last night!?"

"No," Akari rectifies. "During the parent-teacher meeting." She gives a frown. "We saw his mom storming into the building and got worried. I know we shouldn't have listened in, but we had to see what was going on."

"Akari," Aguri murmurs, rubbing her arm. "You guys have really got to cut back on the spying stuff."

First Irina, now this?

"Your sister's right," Korosensei pipes up, sizzling a piece of bacon. "It's unbecoming to listen in on someone, you know."

"Real rich coming from you," Akari retorts. "Half the time you'd be right there with us. And besides… it's like I said: This time we weren't doing it out of mischief. We were legitimately freaked out." A pause. She looks Aguri's way. "What happened last night? Is Nagisa okay?"

"I don't know," Aguri replies. "And as for what happened, I don't think it's my place to share. Just keep an eye on him, alright? Be a good friend like you always have."

"You don't have to tell me that twice," she reassures. "Don't worry. I will."

Aguri briefly considers asking for the names of the students who decided to join in but soon decides against it. It's not like it'll be of much help… and besides, knowing the E-Class, she's sure it's already gotten to all of them by now.

Sure enough, when the four of them arrive at the school there's a bit of a crowd. Nagisa's there… which she's thankful for, but so are his friends. They're surrounding him, making inquiry after inquiry.

"And you're really sure you're alright?" Kanzaki asks. "Things seemed really bad."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Sugino adds on. "I knew that your mom was strict, but like that?"

"And to think I've been a dick to you for so long," Nakamura murmurs. "I thought that the way you dressed was something to point and laugh at, not that your family genuinely thought you were a girl."

"It's nothing, really," Nagisa reassures, holding a hand up. "You couldn't have known, and quite frankly I wouldn't have wanted you to. I'm really embarrassed that all of this got out. And it's not as bad as it seems. My mom just has up and down days. She's usually not like that at all."

"You say that…" Okuda murmurs. "But she seemed really mad."

"And so you're not going to be pulled from class, right?"

"No. No," Nagisa replies. "Not at all. The two of us… managed to come to an agreement."

Part of Aguri is relieved that she won't have to be too discreet in pulling Nagisa aside, but another part of her feels bad. She doesn't even want to pull him aside, but she has to, right? Even if he's saying he's alright now she'd like to get the chance to talk to him away from his peers… make sure that nothing else went down after she left.

"Hey," she says, slithering up to him. "Mind if I pull you aside for a moment? We should probably chat."

"That's really not necessary," Nagisa insists. "I'm not sure if you just heard me talking to everyone, but things have settled down."

Aguri bites her lip. It's not that she wants to tell him that she doesn't believe him, but… she doesn't. And his classmates seem to know it too.

"I dunno," Sugino says. "Maybe you should. Even if it's over and done with, it could be nice to talk to someone."

"And Yukimura-sensei has… experience. Maybe she can give you some advice."

"Oh no," Nagisa says, shaking his head. "My situation's really not like that at all. I wouldn't wanna waste her time."

"You wouldn't be wasting my time," Aguri replies. "Not at all. In fact, I'm asking you to do this. And so please hear me out? Even just for a little bit?" A pause. "You don't have to talk to me if you don't want, but to Korosensei, at least. We'd like an update on what's going on."

"Well… okay," Nagisa says, expression shifting slightly. "I guess if I have to. But- uh- you're gonna hear the same thing you just heard here."

He stands. Making his way towards the doorway, he says, "I'm willing to talk with you. Just… don't make too big a deal out of it, alright?"

Aguri follows after. Leading him into the teacher's lounge, she says "Thank you. I know this was hard for you to do, Nagisa. But I'm really worried about you. Do you know how concerned I was after hearing what happened last night?"

"It sounded a lot worse than it actually was," he reassures, still not taking a seat. "My mom's not like that most of the time, really."

"Well, alright," Aguri says, admittedly still not believing that for a second. "But that doesn't make what happened okay. She shared and disrespected things about you that weren't her place to share or disrespect. And she tried to make you burn the school down on top of that."

Nagisa looks guilty for a split second. Glancing away, he says "I wouldn't have actually done it. No matter how she threatened me I wouldn't have laid a hand on the school."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Aguri says. "I'm worried about the fact that she was threatening you at all."

"Mmmm," Nagisa says. "But… like I said: it's seriously not a big deal. She's much more bark than bite. She wouldn't hurt me most of the time."

Aguri frowns. She feels terrible having to work her way around his arguments, but what else can she do? Even seeing how mortified he looks she knows she's got to push. She just hopes that she can do it in a way that's gentle. That's…-

"Why don't you sit down?" she insists. "You really shouldn't be standing while we discuss something like this."

Nagisa hesitates, but does as told. Sliding into the chair across from her, he says "Things are looking up anyways. The two of us…- we had a really good talk today."

"Did you?" Aguri asks. "How'd she react to last night?"

"Way better than I thought she would," Nagisa explains. "She's… doing better." He gives a nod and slowly smiles. It's a real thing- genuine. "She said that I could stay in class! I told her that, well- that I'd go wherever she wanted for high school. That I just wanted to have this… and she actually let me. Can you believe it?"

'Not really,' Aguri thinks, but she definitely doesn't say that. She doesn't want to rain on Nagisa's parade, imaginary as she thinks it is.

"Wow," she says, giving a smile. "That's awesome. I dunno what we'd have done if you got kicked out." A pause. "That's… not really an agreement though, is it? I mean… that's not fair to you."

Nagisa frowns. "...What? Going to high school where she wants?" He's quiet for a bit. "I guess not, but I'm alright with it. It's the least I can do to reach a compromise… and I'm still gonna pick where I go to college. That is- um- once I get where I want to work figured out at least. For now, though, I just want to keep her happy."

"Mmmm," Aguri says, giving a nod. Some part of her wants to argue- say that a real parent should be happy with whatever it is he does, but she doesn't know anything about that either really, does she?

(It was… her career choice that made her father so disappointed in her in the first place. Of course she doesn't know anything about what a parent should do.)

"Do you think she'll be content with that?" She decides on instead. "She seemed pretty…" a pause. "Domineering."

"I think so," Nagisa says. "I'm planning on working harder to keep her happy. Doing chores and stuff around the house so she doesn't freak out as much. I know she's got a lot on her plate."

"That's…" Aguri blinks. "Not really your job, you know: overseeing her moods. I think it's wonderful that you want to do chores around the house: you're more than ready for that at your age and it displays a lot of responsibility. But that reasoning…" she drifts off.

"Yeah. I guess it does sound pretty ridiculous," Nagisa admits. "But I'm used to it. And I really do think it's something that'll work for me."

"'Ridiculous' isn't it at all," Aguri reassures. "It's just…-" she wants to say 'sad,' but that doesn't sound right either. Sad is too heavy. Irremediable, almost.

"Concerning," she decides. "It's concerning. How do you know that that won't be too much for you? Or that it'll work and she won't just get mad at you again? What if she decides to push more? Decides she actually does want to pull you out of the school?"

"I won't let her," Nagisa says simply. "This is my decision to make, and I'll be standing by it." He's quiet for a bit... glances down at the hairbands on his wrist. "I'm not sure if you heard me, but I made a vow last night, actually."

Aguri tilts her head. A bit confused, she asks "A vow?"

"To graduate from her if need be," Nagisa explains. "I told her that… I was going to graduate from Kunigigaoka no matter what, and that if she can't see me- won't give me the chance, then that I'll leave her behind too. But I'm not going to do that rashly. I'd like to give her a chance. And I… do think with that ultimatum on the table she'll be willing to hear me out more: let me live my own life."

Now that she thinks about it, Aguri thinks she does remember hearing something like that last night. But she still doesn't feel reassured. Why? Is it that she doesn't trust Nagisa to stand up for himself?

No. She definitely does. She saw him stand up for himself. Then is it…-

That it's not safe for him to stand up for himself? His bravery last night put him in a whole lot of danger. And while she admires his resolve, she's really not sure that this is a good plan. What is he going to do? Just keep trying to please her while keeping his foot down? Or is he going to creep in little by little… take his autonomy back and flee if she says no? Will she really be okay with that?

Standing up for himself- graduating from her- that's not just one action. It's a thousand teensy steps. Cutting his hair. Refusing to leave the school. Going to his college of choice and being told he won't be yelled at. They're things that seem small in theory, but surely they'll add up.

And what if… his mom doesn't like that?

Does he have the power to graduate from her as is? Right now he… lives under her roof with his possessions in her belonging. She's the one who puts food on the table and she's the one who gives him a place to sleep. What happens when he 'disrespects' her? Will he lose those privileges?

He thinks that… he's the one in control, but he's not. And it makes her sick. As much as he tells himself that it's not that bad- that he'll make sure to dart if things get worse- it's a pretty dangerous game he's playing, and things are pretty terrible as is.

This is… what Korosensei wanted, right? This was his ideal solution? For Nagisa to find peace with his mother, stand up for himself, and stay? Why is Aguri still so fearful, then? Is she just being paranoid, or…?

No. She's definitely not. She knows this situation… she's been in Nagisa's shoes. And people-pleasing isn't it. 'It's not as bad as it could be' isn't it. 'I'm sure I wouldn't let myself get treated that bad' is a lie. Even if he does try and stand up for himself, he's taking a big risk. And next time he tries to say 'no' he might not be so lucky. There might not be a teacher or an ill-informed assassin to intervene.

It's not that- she doesn't doubt that Nagisa can stand up for himself: s he saw it last night. But him standing up for himself...- as is, it's not safe. And as the adult here she's got to do something.

(But what? Tell him it's not okay? Get his mother medicated? Or-?)

"What about your dad?" She asks. "Do you have a good relationship with him?"

"Oh," Nagisa says. "Yeah. My dad is great. I don't see him a ton, though."

'Okay,' Aguri thinks. 'It's a start.'

"Do you think that… it would be possible for you to stay with him?"

Nagisa tenses a bit. Shaking his head, he says "No. Absolutely not. My dad's very busy, and besides, I really don't mind this." A pause. "I love my mom. I like staying with her. I'm the one who made the decision to do so in the first place."

'Why?' Aguri thinks. 'Why was he even given that power?' She understands that in this situation you need to give the child some sort of input, but full control? Did the courts not know his mother was abusive?

(Did the dad?)

"Does he… at least know about what's going on?" She asks. "Your mom's mood swings?"

"Kind of," Nagisa replies. "It's part of why he left. He decided that he was sick and tired of all the fighting and that he had to get out of there. But I… didn't want to."

'Isn't that a little bit neglectful?' is Aguri's first thought; though she soon squashes the notion. No. From the way Nagisa is wording it, it sounds like his dad was a victim too. And even if he wasn't, Nagisa doesn't need her tearing his dad apart right now. He's already stressed enough discussing the mother.

"Isn't he worried?" She decides on instead. "He must not feel very great knowing you're stuck around someone like that."

"Mmm," Nagisa says. "I guess so. But I wasn't going to budge. My mom needed someone looking out for her… and if it wasn't him, then it was going to be me. I decided on that. And I still don't care what that entails." A pause. "As long as I'm still able to do the few things I want to do, then I'm content."

"Is that safe?" Aguri asks. "What if she gets mad?"

"Well, I don't think she'd seriously actually ever hurt me," Nagisa explains. "She lashes out sometimes, but I don't think I'm in real danger. For the most part, I've just gotta keep my head down and it'll pass."

What is it he said earlier? About her bark being worse than her bite? Aguri's not sure she believes that… that he's not in any physical danger. And even if he isn't, that's not really okay either, is it? 'Bark…'

(Words can linger, too.)

"That has to get to you, though, doesn't it?" She murmurs. "She said some really harsh stuff about you last night. That's not alright."

"I know that," Nagisa says. "But there's not anything I can do about it. And, besides, I don't agree, but I can't blame her. I'd be mad too if I were in her shoes. She wanted this studious, hard-working and obedient daughter. And I'm… not that. Of course she's upset."

Aguri frowns. She opens her mouth to speak yet again of what she thinks a 'real parent' would say. But she… doesn't know, does she? She's not what her father wanted, either.

('Akari then,' she thinks. 'You weren't her mother, but you were something close. You wouldn't have been disappointed in anything she wanted to become, would you?'

No. Without a doubt the answer is no. As long as her sister was content then she'd have been happy.

Why can't his mother feel that way too?)

"Nagisa, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me. Please. I've got to know: has this kind of thing ever happened before?"

"Her trying to get me to do stuff like that?" Nagisa asks. "Not really."

"No," Aguri responds. "Her saying horrible things like that: threatening you or outright putting you in danger."

"Sometimes, I guess," Nagisa admits after a long period of silence. "Not to this extent-"

"But to some extent?" Aguri asks.

"...Mmm."

"Do you think that this affects the way you see yourself? That it's not very good for you?"

"Of course not," Nagisa replies. "But there's nothing I can do about it. And, besides, it's not terrible. I've gotten some really cool skills from having to walk around on my toes." He gives an awkward laugh. "I'm pretty great at assassination, yeah?"

'And I'm pretty great at people-pleasing,' Aguri thinks. 'These things aren't skills. They're symptoms.'

"You said earlier that she lashes out sometimes: that she'd never 'seriously' hurt you. But that has me wondering: Does she hurt you? Even in a way you don't think is important?"

She swears she recalls her dangling the torch dangerously close to his skin, and he flinched back when she approached. There's no way their relationship is entirely hands-off. That woman was way too volatile.

Nagisa's gaze drifts down towards the ground. Letting out a sigh, he says "Well, I guess she grabs me by the hair sometimes, and she's hit me once or twice, but it's never super hard."

"That's still not alright," Aguri replies. "...That's still not normal. That's something she can get in a lot of trouble for, you know."

Nagisa tenses a bit. Sitting up, he says "Please don't tell anyone. I know that, but- that's why I haven't shared before." He wilts a bit. "...I don't want her to get in trouble because of me."

It's the most emotional Aguri's heard him throughout this entire conversation. Where for the most part he's been apathetic, or at worst, just ashamed, here he's desperate. He's making a plea.

'Oh Nagisa,' she thinks, feeling her heart shatter. 'What are we going to do?'

"I won't tell anyone without your permission, Nagisa. But we've got to do something. I'm sorry, but I cannot allow things to keep going on like this."

"And they won't," Nagisa says. "Things are… going to change. I told you: they seem bad right now, but I'm going to make headway. I'm… going to make my mom see me. And if she won't, then I'll take care of it. But things won't have to come to that. I just know they won't."

How many times did Aguri tell herself that about Yanagisawa? 'Oh, he'll be less bad once we've gotten to know each other?' 'Once I can understand him?' 'Once we're married?' When things didn't change, the goalpost shifted. She was never going to give in.

And she'd have met skepticism with the same resistance. Months spent brushing Akari's concerns off with a bright smile... how is this any different?

"You said she had ups and downs, right?" She asks. "What if… things get good and then they get bad again? What if this agreement only lasts for a little bit?" A pause. "Aren't you worried about her trying to pull you out of the E-Class? Or attempting something of that caliber again?"

Nagisa's quiet for a bit. Shrugging, he says "...Of course I am. But I've got to believe that won't happen. There are two things really important to me on the line."

Aguri frowns. Some part of her wants to say 'And so you're really willing to give this up?' Or 'You believe this is permanent?' but nothing comes out. Nagisa sounds crushed enough as is. And she has a feeling that regardless of what she says, it'll be in one ear and out the other.

He's… made his decision. He wants things to stay how they are, at least to some extent. And there may very well be nothing she can do about that.

But she can't give up now, can she? She knows people like his mother. She knows that trying to play it safe- trying to meet in the middle never works. Nagisa may think he's pulling away… and he's certainly doing better than she did, but he's not in the clear. Not yet.

She still has to do something.

Whether he thinks it's for the best or not, she's got to intervene. If she doesn't, it will haunt her. She'll be worried for the rest of the year. And if something like what happened to her happens to Nagisa, then… well, she'd never forgive herself. She feels bad disrespecting his initiative, but the more she thinks about it the more she's sure. He's like her. He doesn't know any better. Or at the very least, he can't see himself as worthwhile enough to care.

"...At least let me talk to her," she finally says. "What happened last night can't be excused with just a slap on the wrist. She needs to realize that… others will not allow her to continue her behavior, and that if she really cares about you then something needs to change immediately."

"How?" Nagisa asks. "I mean- what do you even suggest?"

"I don't know-" Aguri responds, voice strained. "A therapist. Medication. Partial custody for your father. Anything is better than how things are right now."

Nagisa's quiet again. Shying back a bit, he says "I don't know if that's a good idea..."

"I know it's not," Aguri replies. "It's far from perfect. But I can't just- I can't just stand by." She drifts off- frowns. "I know that you're scared I'm going to take you away from your mother completely, Nagisa, but I'm not going to do that. I just need to do something. You don't deserve to be treated the way you were treated. You don't deserve to be abused."

It's a heavy phrase. But that is what it is, right?

(Nagisa shies back a bit.)

Yes. Without a doubt.

"It's not…-" Nagisa hesitates. "Isn't 'abuse' a bit harsh?"

"No," Aguri says. "It's not. I saw the way she talked to you. You're being abused."

She's quiet for a long moment. Nagisa stares at her doubtfully… bites down on his lip.

"I know you may be hesitant to believe me," Aguri continues. "I was… quick to put that label on Karasuma too, and he's no such thing. But this is different. I heard the things your mom said about you. I heard about the fact that this kind of thing has happened more than once. And I've seen the way you've behaved. You… are being mistreated, and deeply so. That's not alright."

She takes a step closer… moves out from behind the desk.

"I'm scared for you. Really bad things can happen to you if you just put up with something like that. And so please: let me try and stand up for you. You're a good kid. You deserve better. We can find a solution to this, I promise."

Nagisa's gaze flits back and forth. He glances briefly at Aguri… her towering frame and the warning her words seem to carry, and he's emotional for a moment. But just as soon he squashes it, and his eyes drift back down towards the floor.

"Well, if you're not going to budge, then I guess. She is in a good mood. But… if you don't come to an agreement with her, then don't feel too bad. She's stubborn. And like I said: I really don't mind." A pause. "Just… try not to be too harsh on her, alright? And leave me out of this. I don't want her knowing that I agreed to- to...-"

He hesitates.

"Don't worry," Aguri says, crouching down. "I won't share a thing. I'll just say I'm stopping by because I'm concerned, alright?"

"Alright," Nagisa says, tone flat. "Um…- thank you for caring so much, I guess."

"Of course," Aguri replies. "You're a bright young man. And besides, you're my sister's friend. I've got to look out for you. We'll figure this out. I swear."

"If you say so," Nagisa says. He doesn't quite return his own smile, but he nods and gets to his feet. "Which I guess means… we should probably be getting back to class, huh?"

"Yeah," Aguri replies. "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything else."

She decides to stop by over lunch. Usually, Nagisa's mother would be busy with work, but she's off today after her episode last night. Aguri thinks it's a good idea to have their chat during a time when Nagisa isn't home. He's already stressed, and if things escalate then she doesn't want her taking them out on him. This will be a conversation between the adults and the adults alone. And if things go how she hopes...

-Well, then ideally she won't have to worry about Nagisa's safety as much, at least.

She lets Korosensei know of her plan. He seems a tad concerned, but says that if she truly believes that's what's best he won't stop her.

"Just make sure to account for what Nagisa wants in this conversation, too," he reminds.

"Don't worry," Aguri reassures. "We've already talked."

She tells him that she should be back by the end of lunch period, and if she's not, then that math isn't a subject she's teaching anyways. He wishes her good luck and says that he'll be seeing her soon. She gives a nervous smile and tries her best to return his enthusiasm.

Which only leaves one thing to do.

...Confront the beast.

Admittedly, she's a bit scared. She sees Yanagisawa in her. This is her… first time really having to deal with someone like that since her escape from the lab. Because, yeah, sure, there was last night, but that was all adrenaline. Her energy and anger have long since faded. Now all that's left is worries, and she's left wondering both if she'll actually be able to get through to this person and if she'll be able to do it safely.

('What if you can't make her budge?' she thinks. 'What then?' Perhaps she could bring in Karasuma- make this a legal thing, but that's not what Nagisa wants, is it? And what happens if his mother turns on her?)

No. There's no use in worrying about it. Even if she's petrified, she's got to act. And so scared or not, today she speaks up.

She raps on the door and prays for some kind of luck.

She's made sure to put on her human disguise. She knows it won't do much- his mother's already seen the real her- but it's better than nothing. And she reminds herself that the goal isn't to scare her. It's to talk this out like rational, reasonable adults.

It's maybe half a minute before the door creaks open. A dark expression on her face, the mom starts to say "If you're here to sell me anything, I'm not interested," but cuts off. She stares at Aguri, flabbergasted.

"Oh," she says. "It's you."

For a split second, she seems shocked: frightened, even. But that confusion soon fades, and as an irate expression returns to her face, somehow it's even darker than before.

"Yeah," Aguri says, giving an awkward wave. "Can I come in?"

"What do you want?" The mom asks, guarded. It's nowhere near the overwhelming anger she radiated last night, but she's surely on edge. She huffs… crossing her arms. "Shouldn't you be in school right now?"

"It's lunch break," Aguri offers up. "The other teachers are keeping an eye on your son, but I figured that while I had the time I should probably stop by. Wanna chat about what happened last night?"

The mom's lip twitches slightly. Looking thoroughly unimpressed, she says "Not really. You inserted yourself into something that was really none of your business, you know."

"I know," Aguri says. "And I can reassure you I had no intent to. I just happened to be at the school at the time... and when I overheard what was happening I had to step in."

"Don't you think that's more of a mother's business?"

"Without a doubt. But you can't blame me for being worried, can you? I… heard some very concerning things, and that's why I'd like to talk to you. Surely, as his mother, you're the one best inclined to discuss his mental health with me. You have his best interests at heart. And as such: please hear me out."

She doesn't believe it for a second, but what else is she supposed to say? She's not going to say to her face that she thinks she's a bad mother. That's a surefire way to make her go nuclear.

The mom stares at her for a long moment. She looks rather skeptical, but soon turns around.

"Fine," she says with a huff. "Please come in. I'll give you the full story of what happened."

She doesn't wait up. Without so much as another word, she retreats inside and makes her way towards the kitchen.

Aguri follows after. Gingerly closing the door behind her, she then slithers after the mom and holds out a hand.

"I'm Aguri, by the way," she says. "...Aguri Yukimura. It's nice to meet you."

The mom looks her over. Lip slightly curled, she says "And here I was thinking I hallucinated you. No, my daughter's legitimately surrounded by this."

"Your son," Aguri suggests.

The mom's quiet for a long while. Putting tea on the kettle, she stares at the wall, then finally turns back towards Aguri.

"Hiromi," she says, pointing towards a seat. "You can call me Hiromi Shiota."

Aguri sits down.

The atmosphere of the house is oppressive. Hiromi is nowhere near as outraged as she was last night, but the anger still covers her. It creeps into the cracks in the wall and the creaking of the floorboards. Each motion feels like a lot to ask.

She hopes that it doesn't feel like this for Nagisa. He doesn't deserve to grow up in a home that feels frightening. But as she glances around… spots perfect-family picture frames and a dress lying on the table, somehow she gets the impression that it's much, much worse.

Finally, Hiromi sets the tea on the table. Sliding it Aguri's way, she gives an unsettlingly faux smile and takes the spot across from her.

"Treat yourself," she says. "Please."

"No thanks," Aguri replies. "I… uh- can't drink. Unique body and all."

It's a blatant lie, but she doesn't feel comfortable accepting anything from this person. At best, Hiromi is going to try and use it to make her feel like she owes her, and at worst she's going to get poisoned. She'd much prefer to be a bit impolite just this once, please and thank you.

Hiromi's expression shifts, but she soon returns to the act. Nodding, she says "Well, I suppose that makes sense." She pauses for a second. Smiles. "I apologize for my rudeness, by the way. I don't mean to come across as overbearing. I've simply been exhausted lately, you know?" She grimaces. "My child… takes a lot out of me. I've had a very hard past few days."

She takes a sip of her tea. Shakes her head slightly and subdues her dark look.

"Your coworker was hardly receptive to listening to me. I hope you'll be much more rational. He was disrespectful- condescending. But you're a woman. You get it, right? Just how hard it is to look out for your child?"

"Well, I've never had a child," Aguri admits. "But I can only imagine it's very exhausting, yes."

"He underplayed that entirely," Hiromi continues. "Said I was doing a bad job. I know that he thinks I'm restricting my daughter, but I'm not trying to smother her. I've just lived a hard life, too. I know where the wrong choices can land you. And as independent as she thinks she is, she's still not grown up. She can't think for herself. I've got to make sure that her future's alright."

Aguri's skin crawls. The misgendering- the irritation just barely disguised in her tone. She hates it here, she thinks. She hates this person.

"Well, Nagisa's a lot more mature than you might think," she replies, trying her best to hide her discomfort. "He's old enough to be making some decisions for himself. Especially when it comes to what he wants to do in life." A pause. "He… told me you were allowing him to stay at the school. Is that true?"

"Kind of," Hiromi replies. "Mostly only because she's not going to budge. I'd prefer if she just listened to me, but I know she won't at this point. She's hardheaded: thinks she knows everything, and if she's not going to take my advice, then I'm done trying. I've already gone out of my way to make sure that she has a future, but if she's going to toss that all down the drain then what do I care?"

She gives a huff. She says that she doesn't care, but it's more than obvious she does. She cares a lot. More than she should, in fact. And that means that her angrily murmured words aren't ones of acceptance… they're ones of passive-aggressiveness.

"I don't think that's what Nagisa is trying to do at all," Aguri replies. "I think he… really appreciates the opportunities you've given him, but he wants to be able to set off and do some things on his own. That's not disrespectful. That's just growing up."

"You say that," Hiromi replies. "But you don't know her like I do. That girl hates me. She's constantly going out of her way to fight with me. She always talks back. And when I just show a little bit of concern-"

"Don't," Aguri says. "Stop. That's not a very kind way to talk about your son." She frowns. "He's made it known how he'd like to be addressed, and I know he's not trying to hurt you. Maybe I don't know him as well as you do, but he's a sweet boy." A pause. "...It seems like he loves you a lot."

Hiromi mulls it over for a second. Lip twitching, she says "'He' certainly doesn't act like it. If he did, he wouldn't be doing any of this 'son' stuff in the first place! I've always wanted a daughter… it was my one dream, and he had to just go and spit in my face!? I was preparing him to be a fine young lady-"

"And he was never going to accept that," Aguri replies. "Why don't you understand? He wasn't trying to hurt you. He's just also making sure that the person he is can be known too."

"He never used to be like this, though," Hiromi replies. "He was fine before the school. He was a perfect little mommy's girl. But then you and your friend- you got ideas in his head! And now he won't listen to me." She shakes her head. Places a firm hand on the table. "That's why I'm so glad you stopped by. Maybe you can talk some sense into him. That's what you're concerned about, right? And if he won't listen to his mother, then maybe he'll listen to you…- you things!"

Aguri frowns. She's growing more manic. Where before she'd been polite, if a little bit angry, now she's raving. She sounds desperate- distressed… and it makes Aguri stop in her tracks.

Is just talking about Nagisa enough to make her so upset? How on earth does she behave when he's actually around?

"Well, first of all, we're not 'things,'" Aguri says awkwardly. "And second of all, I'm not here to fix Nagisa. I'm aware that… you're unhappy with his behavior, but he's thriving in a class environment. I'd never want to disrupt that."

"What are you here for, then? Don't tell me you just wanted to chat."

"Of course not. I guess if anything I'm just here to ask if… if-"

She hesitates, but steels herself. No. She's got to ask now. If she doesn't she might never.

"Well, if Nagisa is safe."

The room falls silent. Hiromi's brow furrows, and slowly she lowers her tea. Her eyes narrow down to pinpricks.

"What?" she asks, guarded. "Do you not think he's safe with me?"

"Honestly…?" Aguri replies. "No. What happened last night was extremely abnormal behavior. You not only repeatedly insulted him and disrespected his boundaries, but you threatened him and tried to make him burn down the school. You understand why that's not okay, right?"

"Well, of course," Hiromi is quick to backpedal. "But it's really not what it seems like. I was just trying to teach him a lesson. And no-one else was supposed to be there, anyways."

"...Which implies you regret getting caught more than you regret actually participating in that."

Hiromi growls. "Don't put words in my mouth-"

"Listen: I don't think you're a bad person. I think you really do love your son and want what's best for him at heart. But the truth is, if he can't have all the answers then neither can you. You're bound to be wrong sometimes. And not being willing to admit that… that's a dangerous attitude to have around a teenage boy." She pauses. "I can't just ignore what happened last night: let things go 'back to normal' more or less. As an educator, it is expressly my job to prevent those kinds of things from happening… and so something's got to change."

"I would never ask you to give up your son," she continues. "But… have you tried seeing a therapist? Or perhaps even sharing potential custody with your ex? It seems like being a single mother is putting a… lot of stress on you. And if you were willing to give him the chance, then maybe he could help out: keep an eye on you and make sure that nothing happens."

"'Nothing happens?'" Hiromi repeats, sounding flabbergasted. "Now you have some nerve coming into my house and telling me how to raise my daughter. She is in no danger around me, and I will not have some stranger tell me otherwise."

"You tried to make him burn down th-"

"My ex will not be getting custody. He is a lazy and inconsiderate man who ran from our family. He does not know the first thing about parenting and I wouldn't be surprised if he just made my baby worse. He is a terrible influence- a no-good piece of garbage. I'm not going to just hand her over to someone like that. I'm not going to hand her over to anyone at all! "

"And then as for 'therapy,' I don't know what you're going on about," she continues. "There is nothing wrong with me. I am a fine mother, and if you don't get that then you just don't understand. I couldn't possibly expect you to. You don't know what my woes are like… what I've given up."

"I don't get why you're even so concerned anyways," she goes on. "It's none of your business, now is it? What do you know about parenting!? About the person I've raised?"

Aguri frowns. Hiromi's tone only grows only more aggressive as the minutes pass. Some part of her wants to back out now- say 'I've seen all I need to' and go. But… that's not what Nagisa wants, right? He doesn't want proof that his mother is a bad person or reasons to be ripped from her. He already knows. What he wants is for her to see him. For her to hear him out: change.

And admittedly, Aguri knows nothing. She says as much.

"I know nothing about parenting," she says. "You're right about that. But… I do know all about something else that Nagisa's going through. And that's why I feel like I have authority to talk on this." A pause. "I… apologize if it feels like I'm disrespecting you, but that's not my intent at all. I'm simply scared for Nagisa, and I hope you'll listen to me when I try and share why."

Hiromi opens her mouth to speak, but Aguri doesn't let her. She knows if Hiromi talks, she won't get another word in. It'll all be interruptions and arguments from here on out. But she can't- won't allow that to happen. She knows that Nagisa has empathy for this person… and as such, she can't fight. She's got to try and appeal to her, even if she thinks it's impossible: let her know what kind of danger she's playing with.

"You see, I was abused very badly."

She still feels weird saying it. There's this little voice in the back of her brain telling her that it wasn't that bad- that Yanagisawa was scary… but at least he didn't have complete control over her. 'What you went through is nothing like this,' it says, unrelenting. 'At least you're free now. At least you have a chance.'

But she doesn't stop. She tries not to pay it any mind. She… can't focus on undermining her own experiences right now. She's got to draw parallels between him and herself. Because even if she doesn't truly believe it, that's what Hiromi needs to hear, right?

"I probably shouldn't be sharing this," she continues. "I could get in a lot of trouble if anyone finds out. But I want you to know that. I… wasn't always like this. I used to be a person just like you."

Towering figure and bright red veins. She's sure Hiromi barely even recognizes herself in her. But she means it. She was human. And she hopes that if she looks into her eyes, she can tell.

"I had a baby sister and dad and a class that I loved a lot... dreams and ambitions and so much that I wanted to do. But one day something happened. My dad told me that the family was in a whole lot of danger... that if I didn't do exactly what he told me to, then we might go under. That my sister might end up without a home."

"Because of that, I ended up engaged to a very bad man. He told my father that if I married him he'd help bring the company back from bankruptcy. And he did. But I… ended up miserable. I ended up scared for my life."

She shuts her eyes… takes a deep breath. It's her first time recounting it in a long time. Last time she heard this story, it was Korosensei sharing it. He was telling the class who she was and how she ended up like this. Is she really sharing this now? With someone who frightens her so much?

"He'd… hit me and insult me and call me worthless. If I tried to stand up for myself he'd make me regret it. And quite frankly, I wasn't someone really willing to stand up for myself in the first place." A pause. "I… sat and took it. I took the insults and the fear and the ruthlessness. I had to. If I didn't, my family might not have a future. I had to try and make him happy. For my dad. For my sister."

"It was the least I could do to repay them. And, eventually, I internalized it, anyway. I convinced myself that I deserved it. That… everything he said about me was true, and that I was just bringing this on myself. There was nothing else I could do. I'd completely given up. And it's not like I thought things could get any worse."

"...Only, they did. One day I tried to talk back and that was it. I told him that no- I wouldn't cooperate with something he was planning, and he went ballistic. He locked me in a small room pinned to a table: put foreign chemicals in my body and left me alone for hours. He insulted me… terrorized me- called me an it. I was in that place for six months."

She lets out a small, shaky breath- sniffs slightly and tries her best to still the quiver in her tone.

"I am… very lucky to be alive," she says. "I gave up all hope. I thought that it was bad before, but I had no idea. More than anything I just wanted to die. I'd beg him for death and nothing happened. I was terrified... in agony- anguished."

"And even now having escaped," she murmurs. "I live with the scars. I've been transformed into this. My body hurts every day. I don't like myself very much and I'm still scared of him coming back. Every second is riddled with fear. I feel broken. And most times I think that I'm never going to get better."

It's harsh, but it's true, isn't it? It's not giving herself a lack of credit. It's… legitimately how she feels. She thinks of herself as a husk: something so far beyond hope.

"I'm telling you this because I think Nagisa feels the same way I do," she states, trying not to choke up. "...Now, I'm not saying you're as bad as the man that I knew: your son clearly loves you a lot. But… I loved him too, and that didn't protect me. And I'm afraid that if something doesn't change, what happened to me will happen to him, too."

"Not becoming a monster. At least, I don't think so," she says, the bloodlust making her wonder. "But becoming a shell. You so badly want him to be something he's not, but people can't do that. They can try… and they'll try until they break, but they won't end up like what you want. They'll end up like me." A pause. "...Like this."

It's not grey skin and ravaged flesh she's talking about. It's insecurity- self-hatred and the pathetic way she carries herself. It's so apparent in every bit of her being how unhappy she is. Surely, Hiromi can see it too.

"You need to change how you think about him," she instructs. "Because if you don't… if you keep telling him this is what you want from him, he's just going to keep trying to please you. And you might think that that's a good thing- that you want him to keep his head down, but he'll keep it up until it's too late. He'll give up. And then, well…" a pause. "You don't have a daughter or a son."

Silence. She's not sure if she worded it correctly… if there's something else she should say, but that's all that comes out. 'Please,' she thinks, staring at Hiromi with pleading eyes. 'Listen to me. You know things have got to change.'

And for just a split second, her expression shifts. Fear dawns in Hiromi's eyes, and she thinks she's gotten through to her. But like a dog digging its heels in the dirt, that hesitation soon fades. The gears turn in her head… fear makes way for skepticism. And as her eyes start to narrow, it's replaced with anger.

Not icy anger, mind you. Not passive-aggressiveness or simple hostility. It's white-hot. And as Hiromi bolts out of her chair, she explodes.

"How dare you!?" She hisses, slinging spittle and rage. "How dare you come into my house and say something like that to me!? I am not abusive! I am not trying to hurt my daughter, and you don't know anything about me! I have sacrificed everything for her! SUFFERED! And you think I'm going to treat her like that!?"

"Of- of course not," Aguri sputters, stumbling back. She abandons her own chair- shakes her head and tries to backtrack. No- no! That's not the reaction she'd wanted. She'd just wanted to get through to her! But hearing her outrage: the swears and the slander, her head starts to spin.

(She's back there. Hiromi's shouting at her and she can see him again. But she's not strapped to the operating table. She's at what's supposed to be home, and Yanagisawa is pissed.)

"You just- you don't have to intend to hurt someone to actually do it!"

It's a pathetic rebuttal. Her voice is shaky- weak, and Hiromi only grows madder as she speaks.

"You think she's going to end up a freak like you!?" She demands. "Some worthless abomination!? That is not going to happen! THAT'S WHY I'M DOING ALL OF THIS ! I'M TRYING TO PREVENT HER FROM BECOMING A FREAK! FOR YOU TO TURN THE TABLES AROUND ON ME- ACCUSE ME OF CORRUPTING HER… YOU'RE SICK!"

Sick . Sick. Yeah, Aguri's sick, but maybe not in the way Hiromi expects. She thinks she's going to throw up.

Nagisa's not- he's not a freak. And she's not…-

"DID SHE PUT YOU UP FOR THIS!?" Hiromi continues, her voice a bellow . "DID SHE SAY THESE THINGS ABOUT ME!? OR IS IT ALL YOU!? WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING IN MY LITTLE GIRL'S MIND!?"

"N-nothing!" Aguri cries, covering her ears with her hands. "I mean- of course he didn't put me up to this! I just saw what happened last night and as an educator, I got concerned! I didn't mean to-"

"Don't fucking lie to me!"

Sheer terror runs through Aguri's veins. Jerking back and just about collapsing to the floor, she feels her stomach do somersaults. Panic grips at her chest. Sweat drips down her palms. She heaves and anxiety escalates to hysteria. 'No,' she thinks, vision starting to swim. 'No.'

"DON'T YOU DARE BRING HIM INTO THIS!"

(She's in the bedroom. She's in the bedroom and it's morning and she's supposed to be getting ready for work, but he cut her off. He says that Reaper acted out earlier today- that it was her fault.

What was it again?

...Right. He'd tried to hit her with a clipboard and Reaper had stopped him. At the time she'd felt relieved, but the minute they were alone, it got turned right back on her.

She was beaten to a pulp like she always was. She was told that it was her fault somehow... not to put thoughts in his mind. To just know her place, alright? Don't have some guy getting her all foolhardy.

'It hurts,' she thinks. 'It hurts so much.' She's lying on the floor and she's still got to get up for school and it hurts. 'What am I supposed to do?' she thinks. 'He was just trying to protect me, but…-)

Nagisa.

He's in danger. He's in so much danger. Her screw up- her inability to get through to Hiromi… it's going to fall on his shoulders. What was she thinking!? She's got to do something!

"PLEASE!" she cries. "It was all me, I swear! You've got to believe me! You're right! I- I did put thoughts in his head! He never said you were abusing him. But I…- I overstepped my boundaries!" She flinches- blinks back tears. "I told him that- that he was being mistreated! But he didn't believe me! He stood up for you! He begged me not to do this!"

"Please don't hurt him," she murmurs, blubbering incoherently. "Please. Pleasepleaseplease. I'm sorry. Do whatever you want. But just don't hurt him- I'm begging you!"

She can't see Hiromi now. Her eyes are shut tight and tears stream down her face. She can feel her drawing closer and curls in on herself... but doesn't know just when she'll strike. All she can do is breathe in deep- and hope- pray that the child will be left out of this.

To her surprise, nothing comes. Hiromi doesn't hit her. She simply pushes her and says, "Get the fuck out of my house!"

"Get out. RIGHT NOW. Get out and never come back. If I ever hear that you're trying to get that bullshit in my daughter's head again, I'll do way worse than just pull her out of the class. GET OUT!"

Aguri knows she should move, but she can't. She feels petrified... heavy. Her mind starts to race.

'No,' she thinks desperately. 'No. There's still got to be something I can do-'

"STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!"

But she knows there's not. Hiromi's rage is palpable. And so, heart broken… body sore, Aguri stumbles to her feet, stumbles towards the door, and thinks, 'I messed up. I made it worse. I put my whole heart on the line and it did nothing.' Shaky breaths. Teary eyes. 'She wouldn't listen.'

Hiromi's still screaming, but she doesn't hear it. She simply makes her escape before she can make things any worse for Nagisa. She steps outside and the door slams behind her. She thinks that she jumps, but she doesn't process that, either. She feels about ready to collapse.

She doesn't. Can't. Even with tears and snot streaming down her face, she knows she needs to go back- knows she needs to return to class. Lunch has long since ended by now… and she's got to warn Nagisa.

But how? What is there to even say? 'I made it worse?'

Ultimately, what comes out is "Please don't go back."

She comes in through the door still crying. She doesn't mean to- knows it's frightening, but just can't help herself. Even if she tried to calm herself, it wouldn't be any use. She feels panicked... distraught, and the kids stare as she makes her way over towards Nagisa.

"Please don't go back," she repeats, choking on her words. "You can't."

He gapes at her: blinks softly as she collapses on his desk. And voice soft- confused, he asks "...What?"

"You can't go back," she cries, reaching out for his hand. "I tried talking to her. It didn't work. All I did was…- I made things worse. Ohgod. Please don't go back there-" she lets out a sniffle. A sob. "She's going to hurt you."

Nagisa's eyes go wide, but Korosensei doesn't allow the conundrum to continue for a second longer. Making his way over to Aguri, he places a hand on her shoulder and attempts to gently pry her from the student's desk.

"Aguri," he says. "Perhaps now isn't the time for this. I understand that you're afraid, but-"

Aguri only pulls back harder. Collapsing in a puddle of tears, she says "I have to say something! If I don't he's just going to- he's going to die!"

"Die?" Korosensei repeats, sounding stunned. "Let's slow down- no-one is going to die."

But Aguri's sure of it. She heard that voice and met that person and witnessed the way she talks about him. Even if no-one else believes her, she recognized it. And she knows that he's drowning.

Every eye is on her. Korosensei sounds confused- at a loss for words… and Nagisa looks ashamed. She thinks she hears Akari whisper something, but she doesn't make it out. She just continues to hiccup and shakes her head in defiance.

"Yes they are," she cries. "Yestheyareyestheyare. He's in so much danger. You've got to… you've got to…-" Her gaze flits upwards. "Please listen to me!" She stares at Nagisa. Trembles. "I know you think I'm crazy. I know you think I'm overreacting. But please. Please don't go back there! Something terrible is going to happen!"

He looks almost like he doesn't know what to say. Of course, he doesn't. How could he? Half-ashamed, half-pitying, he murmurs "...You know I can't do that. I can't just not go home."

"You've got to!" Aguri begs. "I couldn't fix it! I made her angrier! I-"

"I didn't expect you to fix things," Nagisa interjects. "Hey. Hey- it's alright. Stop crying. Please." She's not sure if it's reassurance or a plea. Either way, Nagisa reaches a hand out to place it on her head. "I'm fine. I'm going to be fine."

He smiles at her, but it's another one of those smiles from before; the kind that doesn't reach the eyes… is trying so desperately to hide his embarrassment and fear.

She knows she's just making things worse for him. That she made things worse at his house and she's making things worse now. But try as she might, she just can't believe his words. She sees right through that smile… and it makes her body quake. She feels helpless- terrible.

She wants to do something!

She opens her mouth to speak once more, but nothing comes out. As distraught as she is to see that mask put up, she recognizes it. She knows what it means. Nagisa's not going to budge. He put his foot down and that means-

...It's over.

(He's stubborn and she's stubborn and they're at a stalemate. She can't convince him to help himself- was never going to be able to. And as such, she made his life worse for nothing.)

Finally, Korosensei gently lifts her off the floor.

"We're going to the teachers' lounge," he says, looking out over the students. "It… appears there's been an incident. I apologize for the interruption, but I promise that everything will be alright." He squeezes Aguri's shoulder. "That goes for you too. Everything is going to be alright."

And then a glance towards Karasuma. "Can you supervise the class while we're gone?"

He looks shell-shocked, but nods.

"Of course," he says, sounding awkward. "...Take all the time you need."

Korosensei guides Aguri towards the door. Clutching her hand, he gives it a gentle squeeze. Some part of her wants to fight- feels there's still something she should say, but she knows it's pointless. And feeling Nagisa's gaze on the back of her neck, she realizes she's done enough harm as is. Not only has she gotten him in trouble with the worst person in his life. She's humiliated him on top of that.

He still doesn't cry as she looks back at him... simply cocks his head and meets her gaze with a guilty expression. But that's enough in and of itself to make Aguri feel worse, and she wishes more than anything she could let him know that this isn't his fault.

He's not bringing this on himself. He didn't do anything to deserve this, and he's certainly not the one making her cry.

But instead, she just says, "Sorry." She bows her head with a sob and tries to make herself look small as she retreats out the door.

Korosensei guides her to the teacher's lounge. Whispering, "It's alright. It's okay, Aguri. You can calm down…" the whole time, he sits her down and stares at her with wide eyes.

Aguri hardly listens. Burying her face in her hands, she shakes her head.

"No, it's not," she murmurs. "No, it's not."

Korosensei falls quiet. His face fading into a pale blue, he crouches down by her side. Says, "Even so… you know you can't just go in there and say something like that, right? You're scaring him."

"You think I don't know that!?" Aguri cries, clutching at her forehead. "But what else am I supposed to do! He's got to know! I…- I meant everything I said to him! He's really going to die!"

Korosensei draws back a bit. Removing his hand from her shoulder, he says "And so it didn't go well?"

"Not at all," Aguri hiccups. "I tried to talk to her…- I really did. But it didn't do anything. I just made things worse! She brought him up and brought him into this despite me begging her not to. And now I don't know…- I don't know what she's going to do to him. What if he gets hurt because of me!?"

"He won't," Korosensei weakly reassures.

"We don't know that! I know people like her! She sounded mad! What if… what if I changed her mind? What if she decides she doesn't want him in class anymore? All that standing up for himself he did… for nothing!"

"I will not allow that to happen," Korosensei responds, pulling in close. "I promise. I told you once and I'll tell you again, Aguri: we will find a way to fix this. We'll..."

"How!?" Aguri interjects. "What can we possibly do!? He doesn't even want to be helped! He's already given up!"

The words make her choke, but it's true, isn't it? She told Hiromi she was afraid of Nagisa losing his spirit, but he already has. He's so accustomed to- feels so indebted to the jaws of that dangerous place. Regardless of what she says, he's going to want to go back… and that's heart-rending! Because it will never be safe for him. He will never be happy there. And try as he might to put on a smile, there's not that big a difference between a hopeless woman jumping out in front of a missile and a boy crawling back to his doom time and time again.

"He loves her! He'll do anything for her! Even if…- even if it hurts him! What if he never realizes!? I don't want to take him out of there without his permission. We literally can't! And so does that mean that it's really just over!? That his future is hopeless!? My baby sister's friend… one of my beloved students… someone depending on me!?"

"Of course not," Korosensei replies. "Don't even say that. You know you don't think that's true." He tilts his head. "He very much still has a future. And I believe him capable of grasping that. Don't you?"

"I mean…-" Aguri hyperventilates. "I'd like to, but that's just not realistic! I think he has spirit- I think he has bravery. But she's an adult! She's a person with her claws in him. And he's just a kid! Even if he is determined, there might be nothing he can do!"

"...Then all we can do is hope he'll accept our help eventually," Korosensei replies. "I know that's disheartening, but we cannot rush him."

"What if he won't!? What if- what if it never happens!?"

"It will," Korosensei replies. "...You realized eventually, didn't you?"

Aguri peters off. He says that so confidently, but she hardly believes. She's constantly undermining what Yanagisawa did to her- insisting it wasn't abuse. Korosensei can call it a realization or an awakening all he wants, but she hasn't really escaped. He follows her… and she still blames herself for what happened. If she'd gotten out of his clutches that wouldn't be true. But it is. His words stick with her… and his cruelty is written in her flesh.

"Too late," she insists. "Maybe I did realize, but I did it too late, didn't I?" She lets out a hiccup. "If I really didn't want to get hurt, then I would have left sooner. I wouldn't have… I wouldn't have let myself become this!"

She hangs her head low... remembers the disgusted way Hiromi stared at her. She stares at her son with much of the same distaste, and it makes Aguri's stomach do flips. She thinks she's going to throw up.

"What if he doesn't realize until there's nothing we can do? Until he's already broken?"

Korosensei's quiet. Mulling it over for a second, he says yet again, "...That's not going to happen."

Aguri wants to argue- say 'yes it will! It already is!' but Korosensei doesn't let her. Reaching out to grab her hand, he shakes his head.

"No-one is broken," he insists. "I… will not deny that Nagisa is in grave danger. And I will not deny that he may be harmed more than he already has been. But he will not break, and you have not been broken either. That's an awfully unkind way to talk about people who have been through what you two have been. You are not damaged. You are healing."

"I don't feel like I'm healing!" Aguri replies, hanging her head low.

"You are. I promise you are. And I promise you that I will not allow things to get to this point with Nagisa, too. We will… figure out some sort of solution. And in the meantime, while things stay slow I'll keep an eye on him. We'll keep an eye on him. We don't need to turn his world upside down. Just keep him safe."

"I… had a feeling that this would be more complicated than a single conversation," he continues. "And I apologize for letting you go into that. I should have known that this would not end well. But that's not your fault… and I will make sure that things are alright. You said that you're afraid of her lashing out at him over what you said, yes?"

"Then allow me to supervise him," he says. "I'll… stick close to his house for the next few days and step in if anything happens. That way he's not hurt. You, meanwhile, try and get some rest. The weekend is coming up, and this isn't your problem to fix. Just relax. I'll take care of things."

Aguri frowns. "I… I don't know if I can-"

"You've got to," Korosensei replies. "You trust me, right? I'll make sure that nothing happens. She won't harm him, I swear."

"But what about…- what about her words? What if she doesn't try to hit him, but goes off on him instead?"

"That won't be happening either," Korosensei reassures. "Anything she says, I'll be sure to refute." A pause. "...In private, of course. No needless aggression will be displayed towards his guardian. What matters is that Nagisa knows those things aren't true. And I'll tell him that as much as he needs to hear it."

Aguri thinks that he still won't believe it, but she doesn't have the energy to argue any further.

"A… alright," she says, letting out a low whimper. "It's better than nothing, I guess. I'm sorry you have to waste your time fixing my mistake, though."

"Nonsense," Korosensei replies, squeezing her hand. "You're right in that we should probably be keeping an eye on Nagisa either way. I don't mind one bit. And so you just relax, alright? Take the weekend off for yourself. We'll figure something out." A pause. "Keep him safe in the short term. And then as for the long term…" he drifts off. "Well, that's still to be figured out."

He starts to stand. Says, "I think I'm going to head back to class. They'll worry if I'm gone for too long. Would you like to come with, or-?"

Aguri shakes her head. "...I think I need a bit of time alone," she admits. "I don't want to freak them out like that again,"

"Very well then," Korosensei says. "Stay in here as long as you need."

"...Tell Nagisa that I'm sorry, alright?" Aguri asks, whimpering as Korosensei steps towards the door. "That I didn't mean to embarrass him like that."

"I'm sure he'll understand," Korosensei replies. "He knows you're just worried about him."

"Still," Aguri says. "I don't think he likes that very much, either." A frown. "Tell him that he did nothing wrong, at the very least."

"Don't worry," Korosensei replies. "...I was already planning to."

And with that, he's gone, leaving Aguri alone in the room. Admittedly she feels a bit crushed, and her heart is still heavy, but she knows that there's not much Korosensei could do, anyways. As such, she simply curls up into herself and buries her face in her knees… trying to ignore her trembling hands.

So desperately she tries to put faith in him... think that he's really got this in the bag. But the truth is that even if he protects Nagisa for these next few days the damage is done.

Nagisa's mom has left him with scars. And Aguri's only damaged their relationship further.

The rest of the school day drags by. Aguri eventually stops crying, but only 'cause she's run out of tears. She hardly feels better… and her heart aches still. There are tissues scattered around her, and she jumps as Itona peeks his head into the room.

"The school day is over," he says, sounding a bit nervous. "It's time to go home."

Korosensei and Akari are waiting outside for her. Korosensei says that he's about to head off: take care of that thing they talked about.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asks. "Calmer, at least?"

"I don't know," Aguri replies, not wanting to lie to him. "...I think I'm just scared."

"That's okay," Korosensei replies. "Remember: I'll take care of things. You three just keep each other company in the meantime, alright?"

"...Alright," Aguri replies, if only to sate his worries. And with that, he's off.

Akari looks briefly like she wants to ask Aguri what happened, but must decide against it. No, she knows Aguri too well to ask questions like 'are you alright?' It's clear the answer is no. And while she looks helpless having processed that, she knows there's not much she can do.

...They walk home in silence, and Aguri stumbles over to her room.

"I think I'm going to lie down," she says. "My head really hurts. Will the two of you be okay alone?"

"Of course," Akari replies. "Get all the rest you need."

She responds to 'will you be okay?' with such confidence, but the hesitance in her tone masks a question of her own:

'Will you?'

Aguri doesn't answer. She crawls to her room and shuts the door behind her.

For just a little bit, she worries. She thinks about where Korosensei is right now and what he has to be seeing. But her fears don't last long. As guilty as she is, her exhaustion consumes her. And before she even knows it, she's drifted off to sleep.

She dreams of nothing much. There's a melancholy atmosphere to the whole thing, but not one she can remember. She tosses and turns… buries her face in her pillow. And when she wakes up, it's a little bit past sunset. Someone is standing at her door.

"Hey," Akari says. "I know this is probably a bad time, but can we talk? Something came up."

Aguri sits up. Panic gripping at her chest, she asks "With Nagisa?"

"No," Akari replies, quick to reassure her. "Not with Nagisa. He's fine, at least as far as I know. It's about Dad, actually."

"...Dad?" Aguri asks, hardly sure she heard her right.

"Yeah," Akari replies. "He called. He said he's coming back for a bit Sunday night. What do you want to do about that? Do you want to see him?"

Aguri blinks. Her mouth falls open, but she doesn't feel a thing.

'Now?' she thinks. 'Of all possible times?'

"I know you said that you wanted to tell him you were alive," Akari continues. "And if it's not now, it's probably never. But I don't know if…- I don't know if you're too stressed or busy to deal with something like that right now. What do you think?"

"I… don't know," Aguri murmurs, shifting slightly. She thinks she wants the answer to be yes, but...-

She's scared. She's been scared for a long while now. What is it Yanagisawa said about her family resenting her? Seeing her as some kind of beast? Now that she thinks about it, were those even his words? Or was that… something she said to herself?

(Something he engrained in her?)

She's not sure. Either way, her heart wavers. Scared as she is, she's got to face it, doesn't she? She's running out of time. And with all that's going on with Nagisa…-

She thinks she just wants to bury her face in her dad's chest and cry.

She hopes that he'll accept her. She hopes that he'll be happy to see her back. And if not…-

"Maybe," she says. "I mean… I think I want to. But you've got to make me a promise first, alright?"

"Of course," Akari replies, taking a seat beside her. "What is it?"

"If he disowns me or something you've gotta make sure to stay by me, alright?"

Akari's expression falls. Aguri thinks she wants her to say something like 'that won't happen.' But instead, shaking her head, she simply reaches out for her hand and says, "I was already planning to. Without a goddamn doubt."

She leans on Aguri's side and gives her a serious look.

"You're my family, remember? Not fucking him." She shakes her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

It's clear she doesn't have a lot of faith in their dad. She hasn't for a very long time. It's the kind of thing that makes Aguri wonder if she's in the wrong. Maybe she's the stupid one here. She's been so scared for Nagisa, but it's entirely possible she's about to wander back into the lion's den herself. Does that make her naive?

She's not sure. Still, she doesn't think she can possibly say no.

"Alright," she says. "I'm… glad to hear it. In that case, let him know he can come." A pause. "I'd like to see him again."

"Will pass it on," Akari replies, reaching out for her phone. "I won't tell him you're alive yet, but I'll say there's something pretty important to attend to. We'll get through this, 'kay?"

"'Kay," Aguri replies, but it's hardly the most of her worries. She flops back as Akari finishes texting. Stares up at the ceiling.

"Still tired?" Akari asks. "I almost expected you to be more excited about this."

"Super tired," Aguri replies, blinking slow. "...I can't believe so much is happening at once."

"I'm sorry there's not more I can do," Akari murmurs, lying down next to her. "Not just with Dad. With Nagisa, too. If I could help I would."

"Don't say that," Aguri insists. "You're just a kid. It's not your job to help."

"He's my friend, though," Akari replies. "And you're my sister. I don't want to see you two stressed." A pause. "...It really scared me earlier when you came in crying. Do you actually think he's in that much danger?"

Some part of Aguri wants to sugarcoat it- Say 'Of course not. I was just being manic.' But Akari's far too smart for that. She's not going to talk down to her.

"...Yeah."

"Oh," Akari replies, frowning. "Maybe I should talk to him."

"How so?"

"I don't know. Give him a nudge to listen to your advice. If he won't hear you out, then maybe he'll listen to me."

"I wouldn't want you to do that," Aguri insists. "This really isn't your burden to bear. And besides, the last thing I want to do is drive a wedge between you. You said you're friends, right? Then… just keep doing that. He needs a friend right now."

"...You really think so?"

"Of course," Aguri replies. "He needs someone who won't look down on him. Who will help him feel normal for even just a little bit." A pause. "You let us work on making sure he's safe all of the time. You just focus on making him happier when he is."

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind."

She knows it's a gross oversimplification, but what else is she supposed to say? Sure, a friend can't actually fix things… Akari hadn't been able to protect her, but had she needed to? What Akari needs to be right now is a reminder that Nagisa is loved. That… even if he's given up on himself and his future, there are still people rooting him on.

(People that'd be upset if something happened.)

That was what gave her strength, too, right? She didn't have a lot of it. She gave up pretty early on. But for that brief time, it was Akari's face that brought her comfort. Again and again: 'I've got a baby sister to go home to. I can't give up now.'

She can only hope that Nagisa is thinking something similar.

Because as she sits in the dull room… imagines Korosensei keeping an eye on the boy who returns to a home full of fear, she can't help but think that sometimes people like Akari might be all that people like them have.