A/N: Wow! I posted chapter one, refreshed the page about a half hour later- because that's what you do when you're avoiding your calculus homework- and it already had a review and three favorites. Thanks so much, that really made me feel as if I wasn't totally crazy for thinking these two should have a bit more of a story. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ATLUS OR ANY CHARACTERS OR THIS TOTALLY AWESOME SONG FROM A VERY POTTER SEQUEL.


A "place,"
They say, "Hey, know your place!"
But I've never had a place to even know,
or a face that I could go to
if I needed someone there...

-Avps

Monday, the start of a new academic session and Hidetoshi's favorite day. Starting there the week just sort of went downhill it seemed. At least some students actually woke up, went to first period, and thought 'hey, I think I'll try my absolute hardest starting now'; of course that never lasted into Tuesday, but one day of devotion was still a pretty good start. As he closed his textbook the narcissistic junior glanced in the direction of the classroom's clock. There were exactly thirty seconds left before the bell rang to conclude last period and, as much as he hated to end the day even a smidge bit early, there was a more pressing matter on his mind. In homeroom his teacher, the school's physical education teacher, had informed him that they needed to talk later about a very important matter. Overcome with a state of eagerness it was hard to concentrate on boring topics such as history and calculus, but he somehow managed to make it through the day. Now, as he gently placed his pencil in its holder and stuck it in the old wooden desk, the dictator-in-the-making felt as though his life were about to change forever… and for the better.

Brushing past the less ambitious students he burst through the door and maneuvered swiftly down the crowded corridor. A few girls had stopped midway down the stairs and were discussing their weekend partying loudly; just because they wanted the entire school to know that they weren't the perfect little angels their parents liked to pretend they were. Ugh, these simpleminded peons around him were just so obnoxious with their idiotic ramblings; how he hoped that a teacher would stop by and report them to the local police for taking part in the consumption of alcohol at such a young age. However, before he could open his mouth to scold them for their indecent behavior, a firm hand found its way to his shoulder and a booming voice consumed the area. "Ah, Hidetoshi, just the man I was looking for." Man? A devilish smirk curled onto his lips as he nodded to the older instructor. Well, that did make sense; he was far more mature than any of these Neanderthals, so why shouldn't he be viewed as an adult? "About what I said earlier…" The man's voice became nothing more than a hushed whisper as they entered the student council room together. "There was a cigarette found in the boy's bathroom. I want you, as the head of the disciplinary committee, to find the culprit and bring him to justice."

Heart beating at an alarming pace it was all the boy could do to keep from shouting at the top of his lungs in excitement. This was amazing, perfect even, his big break to finally prove himself to the rest of the student body. Everyone would have to respect him after this; and, once he found the one responsible, the title as next year's Class President would, without a doubt, be his. "Now I've gathered a list of possible suspects already, so I want you to check them out first." By now the other members of the Student Council had started to look up, one by one, from their numerous assignments. Thankfully his back was turned to them so that, when the P.E. teacher placed the sacred document in his trembling hands, they could not read the first few names. However a few of the people on the list came as a surprise to even him. As his dark orbs scanned the parchment he could not help but gaze at a few members of his…errr the council. To think, he had trusted them all with the safety of the school; and now they might turn out to be a criminal? That was simply something he would not, and could not, tolerate.

The hand returned for a single, yet delicate, pat on the back before the teacher made direct eye contact with his newfound lackey. "Alright Hidetoshi, I'm counting on you… for both our sakes." Of course his teacher was counting on him; heck, the whole school was, even if they were not yet aware of it. He was going to be a champion of justice, a light at the end of the dark tunnel of law breakers; he was going to be Gekkoukan High School's next Student Body President! Oh how embarrassing it would be for all those who had previously scoffed at his dreams of success. There was simply no way that he would be able to not rub it in their faces; not that he would flat out say anything, that would be childish, but he would certainly turn the tables in his favor. Of course he would be careful not to abuse his power; after all, power was nothing without a brilliant mind to wield it and, thankfully, he was extremely clever. Behind him the door clicked open and, a few seconds later, swung shut once more. Some had to have entered the room and, judging by how much time he assumed had elapsed since the P.E. teacher intercepted him in the hallway, they were late for the meeting. Such tardiness would not be permitted when he was running the show.

Folding the paper into four crisp squares he tucked it securely into his pocket and nodded once more. "…Yes, sir." This list was his one, and by this point only, hope to prove his worth to the rest of the school. It could make, or break, him; but the risks were all too worth the possible outcome. Oh if he was president imagine all the good he could accomplish! Students would be more obedient, there would be absolutely no bullying of any sort, homework would be the number one afterschool priority, and parties would be a thing of the past. It was a glorious future and it was all in his grasp, all he had to do was work a little harder. How hard could it be to catch this smoker anyway? They left the remains in the boy's restroom for all to see, so they obviously could not be particularly intelligent. And the list, don't forget that. Hidetoshi already had a place to start in his quest; it could not get any easier than this. Determination, persistence, and hard work would see him through without a doubt. The door slammed closed once more as the Physical Education teacher exited the classroom and he turned back to his peers.

It appeared that his new acquaintance was the one who had been late to the meeting and although he normally would have jumped on her for it the stack of papers in her arms told him that he better hold his tongue. Glancing at the glasses wearing girl standing beside the window he flicked his pointer finger in the new girl's general direction; thereby instructing her to assist. Really, was so she blind as to not have noticed their addition struggling with her load? Of course this alos begged the question as to why he had not offered himself up to help. But he had to conserve his energy for more important tasks, clearly. "Oh, Minako-san…" Chihiro mumbled as she took the top half of the stack and dropped it on the front table. Part of him wanted to inform her that, if just dropped and not carefully placed, the papers could tumble over and spill everywhere… but a wise man once said that Power is when you have every justification to do something, and you don't. So, rather, he let it slide; but, if it happened again, the spineless girl would certainly get what she deserved. Everyone got one pardon, and she had just wasted hers.

As he picked up a fresh piece of chalk, to write the day's outline on the board, a ticked off voice came from the far back of the room. "…Hey, what did he mean by "for both our sakes"? What's he talking about?" The student council member who had posed the inquiry seemed to be number six, Yuki Raion, second year, grade point average 3.2. There was nothing special about him; at least, there hadn't been until now. This boy was on the list he had just received, how curious that he would choose now to speak up. This was the first time he had ever contributed in any form of council work or discussion, strange indeed. "Hey, buddy, I'm talkin' to you!" Talkin', what horrible grammar; how on earth did he maintain such a high gpa? Was he a cheater, that would make sense, and maybe he was also a terrible smoker! No innocent person would be pressing him for an answer like this; it had to be the guilt welling up inside, the truth trying to burst out. This might be easier than he had expected, and he had not predicted any trouble from the seemingly basic task.

Crossing his arms tightly over his upper torso Hidetoshi gave the classroom, and those in it, a warning look. If they wanted to know what was happening then he supposed they did have some right, some grounds on which to base their pleas. However, if the culprit was in the room, then the more he let on about the case the more he gave away… and that was too risky. "He just wants to create a better school environment, so he simply asked for help from an apt student." Brushing a loose strand of hair back behind his ear the strict teenager continued. "Just like how the President asked Minako-kun to join Student Council." That was also quite unexpected, and also not at all wanted, but everyone else had accepted her with open arms; and hell, she was starting to grow on even him. But that was not the point of the matter, what really upset him was his classmate's willingness to let her rise to her fullest potential, but not him. Right from the start everyone had always been putting him down, like they could not see the brilliance in his proposals, and it was downright infuriating. Just wait, as soon as he was the leader they would all be singing a different tune.

There was a cloud crashing sound as the terribly annoying Student Council member leapt up from his seat, causing it to fall to the ground behind him, and stormed over. Oh yes, he was just so intimidating with his popped collar and rolled up sleeves. As if; the boy needed to sit back down and learn his place in the world. He had no right to be approaching a higher ranked official, especially not under these circumstances. "What! You can't just decide something like that without the President's permission!" If looks could kill he would have been dead in a heartbeat. Thankfully they could not, so the childish boy was free to glare at him all day if he so chose; The Odagiri boy could hardly care any less. But he did put out a single hand as an indicator for the boy to freeze. He really had to stop yelling and causing a scene, all the commotion might bring a teacher into the room and then they would all look foolish. It seemed to work for the angry child merely stood there, fuming, and glancing around the room for someone to help. Did he not realize that he was completely and utterly alone in this endeavor? That everyone else was content to let him go about his business for the good of the school?

A soft whisper broke the silence as Minako leaned in and spoke quietly to Chihiro. "Did something happen?" Oh, right, she had not been here for the beginning of the meeting so of course she was wondering what all the fuss was about. It was nothing important though, just some little nobody throwing a tantrum, so she really did not have to bother herself with the details. Now that the Yuki matter seemed to have settled itself he could not help but wonder what all those papers were for. Perhaps she had made signs for something? But there was no event going on, in school or locally, so that couldn't be it. Sticking one hand in his khakis' pocket he strolled over to the table where the papers had been left. As he approached bright colors caught his attention and they seemed to be flyers of some sort. 'SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL' with the new printer rules decorated the sheets and he was pleased almost to the point where he would applaud the girl for her extra effort. But he was a firm believe that people should not do something for the rewards and acknowledgment; rather, they should do it because they want to help benefit their community.

Hustling over to the flyers the Student Council member snatched the one Hidetoshi had been observing out of his hand and shoved it in the sangria haired girl's face. "Aren't you gonna say anything, Minako!" If he thought the Student Council member seemed upset before then now he was downright angry. Still, that was no way to treat a member of their team; especially not one who also happened to be a female. In the time it took the enraged boy to blink the lead disciplinarian had taken the paper back and was straightening out the now multiple folds. Honestly, some people were just so rude; what the heck was his problem anyway? Minako hadn't done anything except go above and beyond the call of duty to make these fliers. People who prey on the innocent… he had seen it all too often in his life and would be damned if he allowed it to go on right in front of him. "So is he gonna spy on the boys' bathroom, now? Man, everybody's on that suspect list of his! Even us!" A few people's heads turned up at this, but most seemed to shrug it off; good, that's exactly what they should be doing. If they were innocent then there was no need to fret.

"Don't exaggerate… I'm a member of the Disciplinary Committee, not the police." He spat at the loudmouth next to him. If he was the police he would have already placed him under arrest and would be hauling him down to the station. "…Look, you have two choices. Either help out and prove you're trustworthy, or refuse and raise suspicion." Like now, boy was he raising a lot of suspicion at this very moment. Why the hell was he protesting the investigation so much unless he had something to hide? When the paper seemed to be in usable condition once more he offered it back to the girl who had worked so very hard on them before their 'teammate' so carelessly intervened. His trademark smirk crossed his previously pouting lips as she placed it back on the top of the pile. "We sure have to deal with a lot of B.S. around here, don't we Minako-kun?" A knowing smile made its way onto her face and, for a moment, he almost considered smiling back. At this rate it almost seemed as if the newbie was the only one he could truly count on. "Now, if you'd excuse me." If this was just going to be an extended argument then he was off to look into some of the people on the list. His time was far too valuable to be wasted standing around here receiving lip from some wrathful child.

The door closed loudly behind him, yet he could still make out the call of that irritating voice. "H-Hey! Don't ignore me! You teacher's pet!" Ooooh breaking out the big insults, eh? Teacher's pet, what grade were they in, second? Had this student's comebacks really not evolved since then? It would have been worth a chuckle if he was into that happiness sort of thing; but now it was just another source of annoyance. The hallway was empty, minus a small group of girls at the far end gossiping quietly by the water bubbler, and it seemed to be just the sort of tranquil state he needed to forget what had just transpired. Good things never seemed to last for very long though for the door of the classroom opened once more and the student burst out of it. "Hey, private DICK! I was talking to you!" That was a little better than teacher's pet, but still nowhere near up to par with real verbal abuse. "You think that you're so much better than the rest of us, but you sure as hell aren't! If anything you're the most obnoxious part of the council; you and you're new stupid little girlfriend!"

Now that was high school material; in fact, his smirk even faltered a bit at the last statement. "Leave me alone you lousy, ignorant, moron." He was better than the rest of them; the Physical Education teacher had to have seen it as well. After all, why had he alone been chosen for this task? If anything this boy was just jealous of his potential! That had to be it, they were all just envious oh him; it was all so clear now. Perhaps he should be pitying this boy rather than snapping at him. However he had not only insulted Hidetoshi, but the crimson eyed girl as well; and that was unforgiveable. Sure he had not been too eager when she jumped aboard, but there was no reason for this fool to be badmouthing her just because they talked on occasion. "…and keep Minako out of this. You know very well that she's just another underling to me." Calling her his girlfriend? As if, he was far too busy for that sort of nonsense. Even if he wasn't she definitely was not the type of girl he was interested in, she was too happy all the time, like his mother.

Taking a few steps closer the other boy pulled his right hand into a tight fist and then thrust it off to the side. Very dramatic, but not at all threatening if that was what he had been going for. "You're such a douche! This entire thing is insane, can't you see that?" Insane, to the contrary, it was genius. The school's wrongdoer would be brought to justice and, at the same time, he would be lifted up on a pedestal of glory. Just what could this child see wrong with it, unless he was the one behind the cigarette and feared being found out. That was the only reasonable explanation at this point, why else had he not dropped the subject and gone back to his own life already? "You're the only one who even wants to bother with this nonsense; just let it go!" Never, there was no way that he would ever relent until he had brought the criminal to justice and nothing anyone said would change that fact. He had no allies in this battle, but it was better that way. People just slowed you down; the only one you could truly rely on was yourself.

Crossing his arms once more Hidetoshi raised a single eyebrow in the boy's general direction. "I'm leaving; give my regards to the rest of the council." There was no reason to stay and feed into this child's rage, so he might as well head home and start this week's homework. Without another word he turned on his heels and headed in the direction of the exit. There were a few more insults that the student felt the need to shoot off, but he did not have time to stay and listen. As he descended down the outside steps Hidetoshi instantly regretted not heading back to the classroom to say his farewells in person. Hopefully they did not think that he was slacking off, the previous conflict had just caused him extreme mental fatigue. But Chihiro and the Vice President could hold down the fort, and now they even had Minako who he was more than confident could assist them in whatever they planned to do today. Yes, they would be fine if he headed home early; it would be in their best interests for him to get right to work anyway. The quicker he finished his required homework the sooner he could begin to look for the culprit.

xx

Flyer folded neatly in his school jacket pocket the boy with slick backed hair strolled calmly into the library. It was Tuesday afternoon so he doubted that anyone would be there, it was not often that one could actually find a high school student studying their day away. So he assumed that he would just walk in, tape the flyer on the printer, and head off to check out the next three names on his suspect list. So far he had come across nothing suspicious with the first five people, but he would not allow himself to be discouraged. Somewhere on the piece of paper, tucked away between two pages of his book, was the name of the student who had left the cigarette in the bathroom; he just knew it. And, for every person that he proved it wasn't through a thorough investigation, he was one step closer to discovering exactly who it really was. Fame would be his and, at long last, he would have the power associated with it. He would make a better school environment, a more welcoming one, where people would actually look forward to going to school every day. It might start small, and it would definitely take time, but he certainly had faith in his abilities of persuasion.

The printer was located behind the main desk in the back of the library, but it should have been unoccupied today since there was no Library Committee meeting. Yet, for some reason, there was a girl sitting behind the desk, quietly plugging away at some difficult looking trigonometry problems. Short taupe colored locks framed a delicate face and there was a small freckle under her left eye. She looked…peaceful, yet something else was clearly evident on her face. Perhaps it was sorrow? However she seemed strong enough to deal with her problems; after all, she was out and studying rather than simply hiding in her room and sobbing like most girls her age would do if something upset them. "Pardon me but what, pray tell, are you doing in here all by yourself?" He inquired as he stopped in front of the desk. Not that he wanted to initiate a conversation or anything, but he really did have to get in back of her to put up the flyer. It would have been inconsiderate to just open the door, brush past her, and go about his business. Besides, maybe she would have some insight as to a few of the names on his list. Not that he would listen to what she had to say, but one could never have too many opinions.

"Huh?" The girl's face filled with alarm as she looked up from her textbook, clearly taken aback by the sudden interaction. Well she certainly wasn't a people person, not that he minded, those who chatted a lot were nuisances. "Oh, u-ummm…" Great way to answer his question, a mumble and a stutter, amazing. "I'm studying." She finally managed to admit shyly, a light blush shrouding her face. What, was it embarrassing to be caught doing work these days? What was the world coming to? She should be taking pride in her choice to better herself rather than to waste time mingling with her classmates, it's the decision he would have made. "My name is Saori Hasegawa." Extending a hand she offered it to him with a light smile. "I'm a senior." Oh yes, he recalled having heard about her from some of the upperclassmen. She moved from somewhere overseas, right? Apparently her parents had sent her here, but she appeared to be somewhat of a loner still. Apparently she was a year older than most students in her grade, so it must be hard to make friends. She was better off without them though; friends were just a burden, a wager that never turned out to be worthwhile in the end.

Firmly grasping her hand he shook it eagerly. "A pleasure to meet you Hasegawa-san, my name is Hidetoshi Odagiri, junior." And she better remember it, because someday he was going to make something great of himself. His corporation would be known the world over as a place people wanted to woke, a place where they felt they belonged; but he had to start small. So, in due time, the school would be the first stepping stone on his quest to power. Perhaps gaining the support of some upperclassmen would help him in the long run; sure they could not vote, but they did have more say in the school than freshmen and sophomores did. "It is such a nice day outside. Wouldn't you prefer to study in the sunlight rather than this dark room?" She seemed to ponder this for a moment before shaking her head. So she preferred these circumstances, how interesting. There had to be more to this girl than met the eye, but he was having a great deal of difficulty uncovering just what that was. Perhaps it was something in her past, something that explained her sudden change of schools? However he was not exactly interested in perusing the matter further.

"I like it better in here… there are no distractions." From the looks of her paper she had been in there for quite a while. The questions went almost completely down the sheet and filled all the free space. Wasn't she a busy little bee? People like this certainly were hard to come by, a pity she would not be around when he was President; he could certainly find a place for her in his Student Council. She was good with numbers so the spot of treasurer would be a wonderful fit. " Besides," Saori whispered as she began to erase a few digits. "I like to study…and I really don't have much else to do with my time." So that was it. She had concealed it well up until this point, but the sorrow in her voice was clearly evident now. She missed human interaction; so there were differences between them. If only she could learn what he had, that people were not worth the effort, then she could begin to live a more fulfilling life, like he was. It was not enough only to be dedicated to her studies; she also had to not miss spending time with her classmates and, ugh, making friends.

Although there was no one around he decided to drop his voice for a more serious inquiry. "Do you think that I might be able to get your help with something?" She seemed hesitant at first, but soon nodded. Easy enough, now all that was left to recall a few of the names belonging to senior girls on his list. "What can you tell me about an Eri Fumiko, Noriko Hitomi, and Jade Iida?" They were friends, he knew that much; and he also recalled seeing them out in the residential area past nightfall. Not that it meant they were out there smoking, but it certainly was more than a bit sketchy. It was those type of teenagers that made his mother worry when he did not come home on time, how bothersome. Maybe if one of them turned out to be the culprit the punishment they received would be so severe that they would change their behavior entirely. Oh how useful that would be for him, the school, his mother's constant worrying, and the girl's health. Thankfully Saori seemed to know them for, as soon as he finished his question, she released an almost inaudible sigh. "That bad, huh?"

Clicking her tongue a bit she seemed to be getting her words together before actually speaking. "They're not terrible people, more like misunderstood." From what he could tell they could have been mass murderers and this girl still would have said the same thing, so he was going to take that statement with a grain of salt. "Fumiko-san comes from a one parent house, so it's not really her fault." Single parent households were just as strong as two, so that was a terrible excuse. "Her father gambles a lot so she's always working to try to pay off his debts." Alright, he was crossing her off the list; no high school student who had to constantly work to pay off debts had enough extra money to support a nicotine addiction. "Hitomi-san is one of four so she takes care of her brothers and sisters afterschool." Hidetoshi certainly hoped that she was not the smoker, for that would have negative effects on both her and her family. "And Iida-san plays volleyball on the school's team so she rarely has any time to herself." Pausing only to write another few numbers on her sheet the quiet girl continued onward. "I believe that is why they are always out so late… it's the only time they have to themselves."

As much as he hated to admit it, that made sense. It seemed that he could cross those three off his list; he had to be getting close to finding the real culprit by now. "Thank you very much Hasegawa-san." He added as he placed the flyer down on the table next to her. "Mind taping that to the printer before you leave today? I have to hurry home." He certainly did have a lot to think about, this investigation was turning out to be a bit a bit more of a hassle than planned. However he just had to keep telling himself that it was all worth it; had to keep his eye on the prize. As he turned around a sudden thought occurred to him. "You know," He began as he headed for the door. "Since you're here so often you should look into the Library Committee." She was certain to be good at that, and she was here anyway. Might as well help the school; and who knows, maybe it could help her as well. Yes, it could definitely cure her lack of social interaction. Opening the door he left her with a final thought. "I'm sure it would be a good way to make friends."

xx

Heading into school Wednesday he could not help but think that this was it, the day he would unmask the student behind the cigarette incident. As students hurried around him, and pushed their way through the school doors, he could not help but be annoyed at everyone invading his personal space. They should have gotten an earlier head start to their day so that they were not running late all the time. Not that he was one to talk; today he had overslept yet again and nearly missed his bus. He had to invest in a new alarm clock, one with a louder buzzer that he could keep on his desk considering he rarely made it over to his bed. Hard work was the only way to get ahead in the world, and he was going to succeed no matter what toll it might take on his body. As long as he had the determination, and the willpower, to stay up all night studying he would. There were energy pills and other nonsense like coffee that he could use if worst came to worst; but, for now, he was doing fine only running on three to five hours of sleep.

At least, he assumed that he was doing fine until last period when he ended up falling asleep with his head propped up on his hand. As he was drifting in and out of his state of hibernation the boy next to him began to fiddle with a small rectangular object under his desk. Could it be? True his vision was still a bit blurry, but it looked like a lighter! To think, the culprit had been sitting next to him all week; hell, he had been next to Hidetoshi all year and he never suspected him of being a troublemaker. Was his sense of judgment really that far off? "You!" He exclaimed loudly as he shot up from his desk and pointed an accusing finger at the boy. "You're the culprit; admit it!" The entire class froze and looked towards the back where his seat was located; even the teacher stopped his lesson to stare in awe. Sure it was unlike the Odagiri boy to talk out of place, and he would never even dream of disrupting a lesson, but this was important! Certainly they would understand that he had to do this now, before the perpetrator got away.

"What?" The boy with the supposed lighter exclaimed loudly, his face quickly tightening into a clearly ticked off scowl. "Are you high or something? It wasn't me!" As the boy slammed his hands forcefully on his desk Hidetoshi noted the small orange eraser he had discarded; the item he previously mistook for a lighter. Crud, so it didn't prove that he smoked… but it also didn't prove that he wasn't the culprit! They knew for a fact that it was a student, so it could still be anyone. From across the room he heard another male student's voice speak up, telling him to bug off. Well wasn't this interesting? Could there possibly be two felons that he needed to look for, a team or smokers? True there had only been one discarded cigarette found, but who knew how many had been in there and remembered to throw theirs out? This could turn out to be a school wide scandal with many parties participating; could you imagine the recognition he would get for bringing that sort of thing down? He would go down in Gekkoukan history as the great Hidetoshi Odagiri, the best head of the disciplinary committee there ever was, and all wrongdoers would quake in their boots when he came walking down the hall.

Turning to the other boy he sent out yet another accusing finger. "Then it was you!" Of course he protested, but who wouldn't when faced with such a horrible truth? "You were in it together; both of you are responsible for the crime!" By this point the entire class had erupted into a full on screaming competition and it was hard to tell whose side each person was on. Fortunately the overwhelming majority seemed to take the same side, unfortunately it was not his. A crumpled up piece of paper suddenly slammed into his head and he whipped around to see a group of girl's laughing. "You're all being completely unreasonable!" His voice boomed over the classroom and everyone fell silent once more. "I'm doing this for you!" But their laughter broke out once more and it took every bit of self-restraint to keep himself from giving the two boys a piece of his mind. A blow or two to the face would help them see the light, no? But that was terribly immature, and could result in him getting suspended, so that option was out. Instead he was going to have to remain calm and just beat them down later with a tortuous punishment for their misconduct.

"Know your place, dork!" That was the breaking point, he and the other student headed for one another, faces twisted into ugly messes of fury and rage. However their teacher would have no more of this so, clapping his hands together, he dismissed the class early. "Whatever, I'm out of here." Blowing past Hidetoshi he made sure to give a quick shove before he headed out into the hallway. Turning on his heels the egotistical boy charged after him, but the bell to end class rang and students flooded the hall, obscuring his view. Now where was that second student hiding? Oh man, when Hidetoshi found him he was going to get quite the talking to. As his dark orbs scanned the mass of girls and boys in uniform he suddenly saw a familiar figure up ahead. There he was, conversing with another male student at the bottom of the stairs. Well this teenager certainly looked like the type to smoke; he had his uniform open to reveal a black undershirt, hair spiked up in the front and bleached blonde, black wristbands, and a studded collar. There was no questioning it this time; the student up ahead had to be the culprit!

"You there! Stop in the name of the Gekkoukan Disciplinary Committee!" Picking up his face so that he was at more than a fast walk but less than a jog, Hidetoshi maneuvered skillfully in and out of the many students cogging the first floor hallway. He had to reach this rebel rouser before he had a chance to escape, this needed to be stopped here and now. Sure the incident in the classroom had been embarrassing, and caused a major hit to his self-esteem, but it would be worth it if he could bring down this criminal in front of everyone. Then they would see him for the hero he was, they had to. He could not be the laughingstock of his class anymore, it was unbearable. He could be the defender of the school, shine in their eyes, if only they would give him the chance. But this was it; this was the moment he had been waiting for, and to think, he even had an audience, how lucky. Someday they would be able to look back and say with pride that yes, they were there when Hidetoshi Odagiri began his role as upcoming defender of the school. The position as President was more than in his grasp, it was his future.

"Huh?" The punk managed to utter after the narcissistic boy loudly accused him in the middle of the hallway. Arms crossing firmly over his chest he glared up at the boy, who was nearly a head taller; taking in everything about him that just screamed delinquent. Was his ear pierced, twice? If that was not a sign of being a troublemaker than he did not know what was. The other boy's eyes were turning into mere slits as he glowered down at the committee member. The spikes on his choker seemed to be made of metal, and were now reflecting Hidetoshi's empty eyes back at him. He wasn't afraid of this big oaf; there was no way that he would back down now. He had come so far, all he had to do was get a confession out of this unimpressive excuse for a man. "So where's your EVIDENCE, smart guy!" Oh, so he knew what that word meant, impressive. He would have pinned this punk for the illiterate kind. Of course, maybe he only knew it from one too many run-ins with the legal system. His grimace did not let up, but the coal haired boy did manage to retain a collected composure when he finally spoke.

"There's no need for evidence. I know all about you." Yes, after careful examination he recalled this boy from the local newspaper. Being in charge of the school's Disciplinary Committee he took it upon himself to keep up with the daily police reports, one could never be too well informed. He just wanted to help keep the student body safe, they were his to look out for. "You were arrested for beating up a guy in the park who snitched on you, right?" That sort of behavior was something he had no tolerance for. The poor person on the receiving end of this student's temper; he had just been doing his civic duty and he had gotten pummeled for it. Where was the justice in that? It almost pained him to think about it; if more things like that occurred then the number of people reporting crimes would be less and less until people stopped mentioning them at all. Then what would they do when the police ran out of leads, just drop the case? Drawing in a deep, and relaxing, breath Hidetoshi approached the student. There was no way that he was going to just stand by and let this sort of misconduct go on under his watch.

From the other side of the hallway he could hear a female student let out an overly dramatic sigh. "Whoa! He's at it AGAIN! That's the third person today he's accused…" So what if it was; was she keeping tabs on him or something? What he did with his time was none of her business, and he refused to be beaten into embarrassment by her words. So what if he had been wrong twice, in the end he had made the right call. The first boy, although not guilty, had led him to the second, who he had still unsure about. And, finally, the second boy had led him to this latest suspect; and he fit all the qualifications of someone who would break the rules and smoke in the school's bathroom. Sure it was a roundabout way of getting to the answer but, if he reached the desired outcome, did it honestly matter? As she flipped her hair nonchalantly over her shoulder he half wanted to give her a piece of his mind. But this was her one free pardon, so he would let it slide. Besides, he had bigger fish to fry. In fact, he had a giant delinquent to take down.

Beside the sighing girl was a short chocolate haired girl with highlights randomly scattered about, because that certainly looked great and not at all fake. As the brunette broke into a fit of laughter she managed to squeak out a few sentences between over the top giggles. "My boyfriend was so pissed he was accused, too. This guy's asking for it." So she was dating one of the boys from earlier? Of course, why wasn't he surprised? Let's see, judging by how high she had her skirt raked up it was probably the second boy who turned out to be friends with this punk. Yes, her pound of eye makeup and gaudy lipstick made that a sure thing. How inconvenient that she would be there to witness this. A small group of students had flocked around them and were now eagerly anticipating a brawl or something to break out. Well they were going to be let down because there was no way that he would ever resort to violence. He had to remain cool at all times, it would be too costly to risk losing his head and letting his emotions take over. Each move had to be carefully thought out in advance, he could not afford another slipup.

Stepping back up to the plate he stood a little taller to confront the boy head on; of course it was more head to shoulders, but that was irrelevant. "Keeping quiet will do you no good." As their dark eyes met it became the stare down of the century, neither side relenting. He was doing good, holding out for so long, but sooner or later he would have to break and admit that he was the smoker. After a minute or two of silence he decided to offer up another solution, just in case he actually was innocent. "…If it's not you, then give me some names." A punk like him had to know a dozen smokers, and some of them had to go to this school. His voice softened a bit and he gave the boy a resolved look. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. You have my word as a member of the Disciplinary Committee." He would never leak his source; that was just low. Of course, he almost deserved it; after all, he was the one who had beaten the boy who told on him, it would be like karma. Luckily for this delinquent Hidetoshi believed in nothing but firm and equal justice, so the karma option was out.

"Shut up, asshole…" With a final glance in the boy with slick back hair's direction the punk tightened his left hand into a tight fist. Sure he may have looked tough but come on now, threatening someone in the middle of a school hallway right after class got out? No one was stupid enough to go through with the action. Even the most moronic rebel rousers knew that you did not start trouble in front of faculty and, although none were around right now, you could be certain that they lurked in the classrooms nearby. But still, the boy raised his arm, drew his hand back, and- the next thing he knew there was a stinging sensation on his cheek. Eyed open wide in shock it took a moment for him to process what had just happened. Had he really been hit? Surprisingly he always sort of assumed that a blow to the face would hurt more, but he supposed that he be better not be questioning that now. He opened his mouth to say something but the stinging sensation only intensified; and what was that metallic taste, blood? Well this certainly had turned out to be another lovely day at school with his wonderful classmates.

Turning on his heels the male student hurried off, the two girls hurrying after him. "Tch…! Don't think I'll just let that go!" Oh no, he would have a battery form filled out and in with the principal by tomorrow morning. There was no way he was going to take this lying down. He had given that boy ample opportunity to turn himself in, or at least give him another name as to who might have committed the crime, but no he had to resort to violence. The group that had formed around them had begun to disperse and he decided that it would be best to head up to the Student Council room, by now he had to be quite late and they were probably wondering where he had run off to. However, as he turned towards the stairwell, there stood the scarlet eyed newbie, a perplexed look on her face. "Minako-kun…" How much had she seen? Hidetoshi felt himself wince in embarrassment; he had just gotten punched by some worthless nobody, and one of his subordinates has witnessed it. The girl appeared to be biting her bottom lip for some reason, was something bothering her? "You look like you want to say something…"

At that a wide smile broke through her confusing expression and she saluted. "Working hard, huh?" Heat began to rise through his face, and it was not due to the constant burning radiating from his cheek. She… she understood. She got that he was working for the benefit of the entire student body, not just to move himself along the power ladder. There was only the best of intentions in his actions; and, she saw that. How could that even be? He just sort of assumed that no one would ever understand what he was trying to do. After all, in the past, not a single person had even bothered trying to see if from his point of view. What made her any different? Why was she being so empathetic? It was strange; he just sort of assumed that life without people was the best choice of action, but now he was starting to question that belief. If there were more people out there like her and Keisuke, who could possible understand him, then maybe he should try to give them a chance. It was not going to happen overnight, but he was more than willing to give it a try.

A more playful smirk appeared as he bowed slightly to her. "…Of course." For once today he was satisfied with his actions; they may have lost him popularity points, but he had learned a valuable lesson. "If we let people get away with breaking the rules, things will only get worse." That was why they had to pull the weed before the plant had time to grow, bloom, and spread its toxins to the nearby flowers. "One day, it'll spiral out of control, and there's nothing we can do." Life proved that for sure; once some things were said and done there was no going back, ever. "So we should deal with the problem now, while we still can." Casting his eyes away from her he began to fiddle a bit with the ribbon around his neck. "…I know what people think of me." He was, by no stretch of the imagination, popular. In fact, there were very few people that even liked him. "But those who carry out justice have always clashed with others. History has proven this to be true." At least that was what he had always told himself. "So, let this serve as a warning to other offenders." Releasing a stored up breath he looked thoughtfully at the girl standing before him who appeared to have been listening eagerly to every word, and was now frowning at his mention of being disliked. "Minako-kun, you're a sensible person… You understand, right?" All she had to do was nod and smile once more for, by now, he trusted her. Trusted that she had faith in him, trusted that she would never abandon him in a time of need, and trusted that she would be a good Vice President of his council next year. "I'm gonna get back to business. You should go home before it gets dark."


A/N: Once again I'm too busy to spellcheck/grammar check/ and etc., sorry I have sooo much homework that I totally put off all day in order to do this.I'd love to hear what you think so far so please, feel free to leave a review!

neko-neko-aishizu- I'm happy you liked it.

cielle's amour- I'm sooooo glad I'm not the only one who loves that sort of guy.

savingthegeneration- glad you found the humor in it! I can't tell you how many times I was all 'this is pretty funny' but then figured that it probably wasn't because I'm just the type of person who cracks themselves up.

deidara'sgirl19- Had there been an ending it would have turned out sexy, that's how! Haha just kidding, but ohhhh I know; why does he have to 'wait until he's become a better man'? He's fine right now. Oh and the funniest part of the game was definitely 'well that only leaves your room'… you basically forced your way into Shinjiro's room…. I don't think I ever laughed so hard.

Next Chapter: Laughter! After what had happened to his father Hidetoshi had built himself into a stone cold person, there was no way that he was ever going to be happy again. However, one can't help but laugh sometimes.