KAIJOU'S SHIRO
Chapter VI
"You're nothing special."
"Just kill yourself already."
"Nobody cares about you."
"Look at her! She's all alone. Deserves it, that stupid bitch. Trying to act like she's better than us."
"Girls like you should just stay at home and be pretty."
"We don't need failures like you."
"There's no-one to save you now, Shiro-chan. I suggest you keep your pretty mouth shut and be a good girl."
Shiro keeps quiet, even in her dreams.
Shinya doesn't move an inch from where he's sitting. The ash-blonde teen has a chair pulled up next to the bed and his arms are tucked under his chin while he watches Shiro sleep. Yes, it sounds creepy and super stalkerish, but he really doesn't have much he can do at this point.
Her snowy-white skin is paler than usual, a stark contrast to the dark bruises littering her neck and stomach. She's had stitches on the back of her head, from the amount of abuse she took from Karasuma. It makes Shinya sick to the bone. To see all that blood at the beginning when the infirmary doctor Tsukasa-sensei inspects it and shows Shinya the blood coating her hair. Her head is wrapped in bandages, and it's regrettably not the only part of her body that is bandaged.
Shinya's eyes trail down to Shiro's bandaged wrists. Those slightly bony, beautiful wrists that were used to help Shiro write equally beautiful stories. He is so thankful that they are just very bad sprains that aren't damaged enough to become fractures. His shoulders sag in gratefulness and at the same time stiffens because it is clear that those Kamakura lowlifes weren't just trying to break her physically.
"You're a troublesome kouhai, Shiro-san," escapes Shinya's mouth before he can stop himself.
Shiro doesn't answer. Her breathing is still shallow, and a light pink flush enters her cheeks.
Shit, she's not having an asthma attack or anything, right? Shinya racks his brains trying to remember whether Shiro has respiratory problems. From his mother, he knows that she doesn't have asthma, but it could be, right? Was it possible for asthma to develop at this stage –?
"She's not having an asthma attack or anything. Don't worry your pretty head, Shinya-kun," the smooth, melodic voice of the infirmary doctor Tsukasa-sensei breaks Shinya out of his panic. The ash-blonde teen can't help but grimace at how Tsukasa-sensei drawls out his name like a seductive moan.
Tsukasa Hikaru is the sole infirmary doctor of Kaijou High, with skills that could easily put him on par with any top-class doctor from any top-class hospital. He had been personally assigned to Kaijou for two good reasons: one – because the modelling agency as well as the publishing company really, really does want anything to happen to their two 'poster children'. And two – finding out that both Kise and Shiro have actually been molested and taken advantage of by perverted doctors before really does give both companies a legitimate reason to be paranoid.
Tsukasa Hikaru is a 'professional' down to the very core, and is so ridiculously handsome that there are times where straight men have to reconsider their sexualities after seeing him in the flesh. His white-blonde hair, gorgeous emerald-green eyes, and a body to die for – there was no mistaking it, he was that one doctor you wanted to undress for.
And here's the kicker – Tsukasa Hikaru can't stand anyone who is more famous than him, is almost too gay to function, and is only into meganes. Kise and Shiro pretty much fit the 'I-don't-want-to-bang' list before he even entered the damned school.
(Which is of course very unfortunate for someone as normal as Nakamura Shinya, who fit all of Tsukasa-sensei's 'BANG NOW ASAP' preferences.)
"She's having a nightmare," Tsukasa-sensei presses the back of his hand over Shiro's forehead, and frowns, "running a slight fever. Otherwise, it's nothing dangerous. Did she ingest anything before coming here?"
Shinya is ready to say no, but pauses when he remembers the syringe filled with strange-looking liquid that he picked up as evidence. He wanted to test it, but since it had to be given over as evidence…
"It's a possibility, sensei," Shinya says, looking slightly contemplative.
Tsukasa-sensei raises a delicate eyebrow at this, but doesn't say anything else. However, a cheeky smirk does grace his lips as he pats Shinya on the head.
"Aww…you're adorable when you worry, Shinya-kun!" Tsukasa-sensei swoons, ruffling the teen's hair childishly.
"Please don't call me that, Tsukasa-sensei," Shinya tries to deadpan, but fails as he starts to get more flushed by the second when the admittedly really fucking hot sensei bends down slightly to press a playful kiss on top of the younger male's head, smiling as if that is a totally, totally fucking normal thing to do to your student.
Tsukasa-sensei…you have no boundaries! Shinya wants to complain in embarrassment.
"S-Sen…pai…?"
The two males snap their heads abruptly to the girl on the bed, and Shinya almost breaks down in relief when he sees Shiro's eyes fluttering open, and her cheeks filled with a healthy pink color.
"Shiro-san, how do you feel?" Shinya asks gently. He leaves his chair to sit down on the bed next to his manager, one arm carefully supporting her shivering back at the same time being mindful of her injuries.
"I-It's hot…" Shiro pants, the flush on her face darkening to worrying levels. Her silvery-blue eyes are glazed over and her breathing is erratic, tiny wisps of air escaping her mouth in shockingly quick intervals.
Shiro looks up at Shinya with a reddened face and teary eyes, lips parted in a questioning 'O'. The ash-blond teen stiffens and briefly shares a panicked look with Tsukasa-sensei – who looks reasonably confused by the white-haired teen's behavior.
"P-Please move…I need…" Shiro whines and drops her head on Shinya's shoulder. She's gripping onto his jersey in desperation and her heavy panting is quickly making the bespectacled teen a bit hot himself. Suddenly, she shifts a bit and pulls herself together so she's sprawled halfway on his lap, arms draped around his neck and her legs dangling over the edge of the bed.
"S-Shinya-s-senpai…" Shiro murmurs weakly, mouthing against the exposed skin between his neck and shoulder. The second-year freezes up entirely at this, and is seriously unsure where to put his hands right now.
(Tsukasa-sensei is not helping matters either, if the angry/jealous expression on his face says anything.)
"H-Help me…" there's a pitiful sobbing coming from the white-haired manager, and Shinya is forced to break out of his frozen stupor to check up on the person who is two seconds away from straddling his lap and turning this situation into a very questionable one.
Her arms wrap even tighter around his neck and she's breathing so heavily on his skin that he's afraid that he's going to get a stroke from the heat.
"T-Take it off…"
Shinya's throat turns dry.
"S-Senpai…please take my shirt off….please…?"
Shinya's glasses crack by a fraction.
"Mmmhh…h-haah…Shinya-senpai…" Shiro moans his name so sweetly that it is not possible for him not to start turning into stone right now, "T-Too many c-clothes…senpai…"
Is…Is she high?
"Shiro-kun, I don't think you're feeling well right now, so how about you lay back d –" Tsukasa-sensei tries to placate Shiro, only to have his arms suddenly full of a overheated white-haired girl – who's changed targets and is mouthing hungrily at Tsukasa-sensei's throat.
"S-Sensei…"
Shinya – after cleaning up the saliva on his shoulder – watches in pure unadulterated horror as Shiro launches herself onto Mr. Sexy Doctor Fantasy's amazingly toned chest, her arms lazily draped over his shoulders and appearing to be trying to give him a hickey. There are absolutely no words to describe the petrified disgust on Tsukasa-sensei's face as he is seriously trying to pry the suddenly clingy white-haired girl away from his person without resorting to violence.
"SHIRO-KUN. GET OFF ME," Tsukasa-sensei roars, his large hand on her kiss-hungry face and trying to push her as far as he could away from him.
"Mm…doctor…will you take my shirt off for me pleeeeassse?" Shiro slurs in perfect English – and to Tsukasa-sensei's despair – resists his efforts and starts sloppily kissing the horrified infirmary doctor on his nicely toned chest and her hands are grabbing onto some greatly inappropriate places that is making Tsukasa-sensei screech.
…Now she's DRUNK?
"SHINYA-KUN WILL YOU HELP – SHIRO-KUN, YOUR HANDS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TOUCHING THERE!"
"S-Sensei…why are you so hooot?"
"That's because YOU'RE HAVING A FUCKING FEVER and YOU'RE DROOLING ON ME NOW GET – AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Sensei…y-you're very well-endowed –"
"UWWWWAAAAAAAAGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
This cannot possibly get any worse… Shinya deadpans in disbelief.
Famous. Last. Words.
None of them notice the door to the infirmary opening and four very familiar figures stepping inside.
"Nakamura-senpai, how's Shirocch –"
The four very unwelcomed guests that just entered the infirmary all stop dead when they see their precious manager sticking a hand down their hysterical infirmary teacher's pants – who is in turn practically crying his eyes out and looking like he's about to get an aneurysm – as well as their token megane shooting guard who has the top of his jersey suspiciously dropping off his shoulder.
Shinya internally kills himself.
This will not go well.
The Kaijou regulars totally do not freak out when they see their manager trying to cop a feel out of their infirmary doctor.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Okay yes, they do.
"SHIROCCHIIIII? TSUKASACCHI? WHAT ARE THE BOTH OF YOU DOING –!"
"HIME IF YOU WANT TO YOU CAN KISS ME INSTEAD –"
"MORIYAMA SHUT THE FUCK UP –!"
"…"
"[AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHH]! MANA[GER]-SAN WHYYYYYYYYY –!"
"WILL ALL OF YOU STOP SCREAMING ANDGET HER OFF OF ME!?"
Meanwhile, Nakamura is considering a less stressful job occupation other than group therapist. Lion-taming is starting to sound like a reasonable idea.
It takes a good twenty minutes for everyone to settle down, clean up all the blood from the floor because of Moriyama's nosebleed (mainly due to Kasamatsu backhanding him in the face combined with the sight of Shiro lewdly trying to kiss Tsukasa-sensei), and then try to convince a highly traumatized doctor to leave the safe confines of the staff toilet.
(Tsukasa-sensei says he might come out if 'Shinya-kun' comes to get him. Nakamura refuses. Partially because it's too troublesome and majorly because there's a chance that he might be going home without any feeling in his legs if he agrees to do so.)
Of course, they take another five minutes to calm down after they realize that Shiro is clumsily trying to take off her shirt in front of them. Naturally, Kasamatsu is stammering and blushing the fuck outta there and yelling at her to 'STOP STRIPPING' and Hayakawa's nosebleed can rival Niagara Falls.
In the end, Kobori is assigned to Shiro hugging duty because 'he's big' and Shiro seems to like it, if her happily snuggling into his chest and smiling like the most bimbotic human Pomeranian ever has anything to say about it.
("But senpai I can –" "It's okay I can handle it, Kise." "But –" "I insist, Kise." "But –" "Another word and I'm tripling your menu." "Ok.")
"Nakamura, explain," Kasamatsu orders tiredly, trying to stay as far away as he can from the white-haired girl on his tiny stool because she's staring at him like a piece of meat she wants to devour at the first opportunity. Kobori doesn't seem to notice and looks absurdly content hugging the younger girl, giving off the image of an older brother babying the shit out of his adorkable younger sister.
Moriyama is standing by the bed pouting because he doesn't get to hug Shiro and everybody is telling him that if she molests him he'll probably be okay with it (he is) and that is a moral problem. Hayakawa is sitting cross-legged on the floor, trying to get the image of 'Manager-san' taking off her shirt out of his head. And Kise is unhappily sitting on the edge of the bed with his arms folded in mild annoyance. Nobody knows, and nobody wants to ask why.
Nakamura is situated on the bed next to them, looking ready to start running if Kobori accidentally lets Shiro go.
"Do I have to?" Nakamura shoots Kasamatsu a pained look.
The Kaijou Captain doesn't miss how his second-year shooter is trying to cover up the mark on his neck.
"…Fine. At least tell us her condition," Kasamatsu decides to give his kouhai some reprieve.
Nakamura clears his throat and plainly avoids Shiro's hungry gaze as he explains himself.
"She has some abrasions on the back of her head, which sensei has already stitched up and bandaged for safety measures. The bruises on her body –" Nakamura pauses to briefly look at Kise, who all of a sudden turns from annoyed to extremely displeased, "– are hickeys. If we have anything to worry about, it's her wrists. Both of them are badly sprained..."
Hayakawa, Kasamatsu, and Moriyama immediately go into an uproar hearing this, their eyes blazing angrily and the temperature in the room plummeting to the negatives.
"I hope they go to [pri]son [for] doing that to Mana[ger]-san! [Or] else [I'll] [arrest] up my[self]!" Hayakawa growls, clenching his fists until they bleed and face blowing up red in anger, "I'm gonna…I'm gonna [hurt] them w[orse] than they did to Mana[ger]-san!"
"Don't get too hasty, Hayakawa. I would like to join you this time," Kobori uncharacteristically adds, arms tightening around Shiro protectively.
"I'm your captain, I get first pick, so back off," Kasamatsu tells the both of them without any hint of joking, an irritated tick mark pulsing visibly on his cheek.
"No offense Kasamatsu, but I get first dibs on their lowlife of a vice-captain for hurting Hime like that, if you don't mind," Moriyama pitches in icily, "I mean, how could he do that to Hime? To an author?"
"None taken. I'm going to kick their shitty captain down Mt. Fuji. See how he likes it!" Kasamatsu hisses in agreement, standing up from his chair and looking about ready to stomp out and start kicking some ass with Moriyama and Hayakawa following suit. They actually look like they're about to go to war if their grim expressions are any indication, until Kise stops them.
"Senpais, you're upsetting Shirocchi ~suu," he says without any emotion, beckoning towards Shiro's direction.
The three of them freeze on the spot and turn to the smaller girl still being held against Kobori's chest. Their expressions instantly melt when they see her flushing face scrunched up, clearly upset, and her silvery-blue eyes turning watery and struggling a bit in Kobori's embrace.
"P-Please don't fight…" Shiro murmurs, tears welling up in her eyes, "Stay…with me…please?"
It was if the fire within them died the second they saw her teary face. Immediately, they stop whatever they're doing and hesitantly put a halt on their path to revenge, Kasamatsu rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, Hayakawa loudly apologizing to the currently upset Shiro and Moriyama swiftly making his way over to his princess's side.
"Of course we'll stay with you, Hime," Moriyama says with an affectionate smile, gently taking one of her hands and pressing her injured wrist against his lips, kissing the bandaged area tenderly.
"R-Really? You promise, Yoshitaka-senpai?" there's such a hopeful look in Shiro's eyes that something stirs in the Kaijou starter's gut when she stares up at him in pure innocence. Completed with her extremely childlike sentence and the little strands curling around her face like a halo, anyone with a soul could hear their hearts violently beating out of their chests at that particular moment of time.
Uwahh! Hime…you're too cute for you own good…! Moriyama feels like rejoicing because this is the first time he has a girl looking at him like that and it's killing him not to hug her right now – but baby steps, alright? Ba-by st-eps.
"We promise," Kobori reassures her with a grandfatherly smile, giving her a soft squeeze.
"Hai! [We're] a team, [ri]ght? We take [care] of each o[ther]!" Hayakawa adds eagerly, propping his chin on the bed and grinning widely at the white-haired author.
"Teams…take care of each other…?" Shiro trails off, tilting her head drunkenly at the rebounder. They all await her answer whilst smiling reassuringly. Neither of them expects her to start sniffing.
"S-So...you won't…leave me?" Shiro whispers out, her cheeks flushing brilliantly, "Y-You won't…you won't abandon me?"
There's a stunned silence as they watch their precious manager's mask completely shatter into pieces. The normally placid and calm white-haired author, with all of her glory and tenacity is actually crumbling. Suddenly she's cupping her face with her hands and hiccupping helplessly, her shoulders trembling and her sobs turning into flat-out bawls.
…IS…IS SHE CRYING?
"S-Senpai is a l-liar! T-There's no way s-senpai won't a-abandon me!" Shiro denies stubbornly, following up with louder bawling.
"No! Hime, that's not true, we really do love you!" Moriyama cries out in a panic.
"MANA[GER]-SAN! WE WON'T ABANDON YOU! UWAHH PLEASE DON'T [CRY] MANA[GER]-SAAAAN!" Hayakawa exclaims, tearing up himself and snot already running down his nose.
"Shiro-san, we may not love you romantically, but you are very important to us. Please stop crying," Nakamura pleads.
"Sensei, please believe us. We're telling the truth," Kobori attempts to convince her by patting her head, only to be rejected when the younger girl roughly shakes him off.
"S-Shut up s-shut up s-shut up!" Shiro continues on childishly, ignoring the tears dripping down her cheeks.
NOW SHE'S A TSUNDERE?
"Y-You all say t-that, but y-you're just gonna abandon me like how P-Papa and Mama and N-Niichan di – OW!"
Everyone almost jumps in shock when they see Kasamatsu walking over to the bed, before sitting down next to her and planting his hand on the top of her head, like he's about to pat her. And then all of a sudden he starts grinding his palm over her the crown of her hair aggressively, making all the expressions of shock turn into absolute horror as well as eliciting high-pitched squeals from the victim of the 'iron claw' herself.
"I-Itai…it hurts, Yukio-senpai!" Shiro whines loudly, blinking back her tears from the pain, "You didn't have to hit me!"
"That's because you're being an idiot!" Kasamatsu shouts back, "And I didn't even hit you, idiot!"
"I-I'm not being an idiot! You're being an idiot! Baka Yukio-senpai! Baka baka ba – OWWWW!"
"Don't act like a tsundere in front of me, dammit!"
"I-I'm not! Yukio-senpai's the tsundere – OWWWWWWWWW! Stop that, Yukio-senpai!"
"Not until you stop being an idiot, no!"
"You heard what I said! It's Yukio-senpai who's the idiot! Baka Yukio-senpai!"
"Are you talking back to your senpai, Shiro?!"
"If senpai's a senpai that I'm an embryo!"
'That doesn't even make any sense' is what everyone else is thinking, but are too speechless to say as they watch their feared Captain and stoic Manager duke it out in a verbal battle of 'Who Can Be More Childish'…apparently.
I don't think she's aware of what she's doing, Moriyama and Nakamura sweatdrop as Shiro manages to wheedle her way out of Kobori's hug and is already crawling towards Kasamatsu's direction, albeit a bit clumsily as she almost falls flat on her face when she does so. Kasamatsu doesn't seem to notice it either when Shiro plops herself onto his lap before straddling him – also ignoring the fact that her face is really close to his and they're both glaring at each other like little kids.
"Baka-senpai."
"Idiot."
"Hey, I'm not –!"
"Yes you are."
"D-Don't interrupt me –"
"You're not making sense right now, Shiro."
"S-Shut up! I-I always make sense –"
"You sound like a child."
"At least I don't sound like a tsundere like Yukio-senpai!"
"Haah? Aren't you sounding like a tsundere right now? Telling me to shut up?"
"Shut up shut up shut –"
"What are you, *Shana?"
"Eh? Yukio-senpai watches anime? Weaboooo…"
"If you know her too then aren't you one yourself?"
That definitely shuts Shiro up. Her jaw is dropping like she's a bit shocked by the revelation and looks like she's about to retort, but backs down with an irritated furrow of her eyebrows. Her arms are folded adorably like a child's and appears to be thinking very hard on what to say next.
(Because apparently common sense is the only way the shut up a drunk, whiny, crybaby tsundere.)
Kasamatsu sighs and wraps his arms around the white-haired girl's waist, pulling her a little closer to his chest and letting her head fall on his shoulder.
"Feeling better now, Shiro?" he asks in a much kinder tone, rubbing her back comfortingly.
He hears an angry sniff, and takes that as a yes.
"Don't stop doing that," he hears her mutter in demand.
"Doing what?" he asks teasingly.
(Kasamatsu has two younger brothers at home. One who is an absolute tsundere and the other who is a total brocon. Guess which brother he likes to mess with the most.)
"D-Don't stop…w-whatever you're doing…" now the Kaijou captain really wants to chuckle because Shiro's burrowing her face into his varsity jacket like a little girl and it's so cute. He recalls the time when his youngest brother Maki got into a fight at school because people made fun of his name and called it 'girly'. Maki returned home covered in bruises and scratches and was crying his eyes out to 'Yukio-nii' and thus made it impossible for Kasamatsu to patch him up because he kept blubbering so much. Kasamatsu ended up devising a method to calm him down, and it's hilarious because Shiro's response to his little 'method' is exactly the same as Maki's, word by word.
"Yeah, yeah," Kasamatsu mutters with a content smile, "you crybaby."
"I'm not –"
Click. Click. Click.
Both Shiro and Kasamatsu look up to the sound of clicks and are greeted by the sight of Moriyama, Kobori and Nakamura staring at them with their phones out.
"…What are you three doing?" Kasamatsu asks, annoyed.
"Taking a picture," they answer in unison, unfazed.
"…What for?" Kasamatsu asks again, now sporting a tick mark on his temple.
"Because it's adorable –"
"For safekeeping –"
"Blackmail."
"Oi, blackmail? Nakamura –!"
"C-Captain…I have so much [res]pect [for] you [right] now!" Hayakawa exclaims, eyes sparkling in awe at the flawless display of parenting.
"You should respect me all the – o-oi Shiro, w-what are you doing!?"
Kasamatsu's face heats up when he finds Shiro's darkly flushing, tear-streaked face merely millimeters away from his. Her lips are reddish and swollen and her silvery-blue eyes are dilated into slits. The Kaijou Captain is now completely aware how close he is to the white-haired manager and is about to flip his shit when a pair of cold hands cup his blushing face.
"Yukio-senpai…" Shiro whimpers, raising her hips slightly so she has a tiny height advantage over him. Kasamatsu feels his throat dry up and his breathing quicken when she leans into him, licking her lips contemplatively and making a weak moaning sound.
"P-Please kiss me, senpai…" her response instantly makes everyone in the room swallow.
Kasamatsu is currently having a conflicting battle in his head on whether to stop Shiro from leaning in any further and taking his first – yes, his first – kiss or actually going along with it. Because damn, she's cute as hell and she really, really looks like every otaku's wet dream of a typical drunk shoujo heroine.
Kasamatsu's hands are still secured around her waist and he doesn't have the motivation to push her away or let her go. He's pretty sure he looks like a fucking idiot right now with his face redder than lava but –
He sees her eyes close shut and her lips descending onto his, and feels her warm breath tingling on his skin and her delicate fingers soft against his warm cheeks. The initial need to stop her is easily wiped from his mind when he zeroes in on her swollen, apple-red lips.
Ah, fuck it.
Kasamatsu slowly surrenders to the temptation that is Shiro's lips despite the warning signals in his brain telling him not to. His grip around her waist relaxes and his breathing steadies, as if awaiting a final blow.
It only takes seconds before he realizes that his lips are meeting with nothing but air and the weight on his lap is suddenly gone.
"Shiro –?"
He collectively gapes with the rest of the Kaijou regulars when he sees the drunk Shiro being possessively held back by a severe-looking Kise Ryouta. Her face darkens if possible, and she's panting heavily while being confined onto Kise's chest, her wrists gently restrained by Kise's hands and her shivering legs spread lewdly over his thighs.
"You shouldn't be so rude, Shirocchi," Kise whispers into her ear, and everybody in hearing range flushes pink when Shiro mewls at the blonde's dark tone, "if you wanted to, you should've asked me."
"R-Ryouta…" Shiro's lower lip trembles as she cranes her head up to him expectantly, her fingers eagerly interlocking with his, "p-please…Ryouta…"
It would've been a pretty hilarious moment if the situation wasn't normally so dire, because everybody's jaw just drops when Kise leans down and gracefully captures the white-haired girl's lips with his.
"WHAAAAAAAAAT –"
"THEEEEEEEEEE –"
"[FLLLLLLLLLYYYING] –"
"FUUUUUUUCK?"
…Seems to be a very appropriate and popular reaction to what they just witnessed.
In fact, the two of them seem to be just going at it without abandon. Kise is kissing her so deeply that her body is twitching and convulsing at the sensations the blonde's skilled lips and tongue are giving her. Moriyama makes a high-pitched noise like a terrified squirrel when their lips finally part for air, only for Kise to grab onto her waist, spin her around and slam their lips together once again.
"Ohmyfuckinggod," Kasamatsu whispers in a mix of awe and horror as Shiro's fingers latch onto Kise's jacket in a vice-like grip and pulls them even closer together. He literally can't look away when the blonde teases the smaller girl's lips with his tongue, making Shiro jolt against him like she just received an electric shock.
"H-haah…m-more…Ryouta…" Shiro pleads in between kisses – which Kise promptly agrees to when he tilts her chin up and devours her lips even more passionately.
Yes, this is all happening with four extremely stunned seniors watching from the sidelines.
"No fair," Moriyama sobs and sports a well-timed boner.
"…" Kobori is speechless, and is at the same time dying a bit inside.
"Get a room," Nakamura mutters under his breath while looking away and trying not to blush.
Hayakawa is internally screaming, blushing and slapping himself for no reason at the same time.
Kasamatsu just wishes that someone would just cough or clear their throat or something to make their situation less awkward because they are literally watching supposedly two close 'friends' make out with each other like it's their last day on earth or something.
Fortunately for them, Shiro's stamina eventually gives out and she collapses into Kise's arms, her body instantly going limp as she pants exhaustedly onto his shoulder. Her pants slowly subside into very faint snoring as the blonde gently tucks her into bed, pulling the covers over her. The Kaijou regulars watch with fascination when Kise starts to pat their manager's head with practiced ease, like it's the most natural thing in the world. It probably is, really.
They try to catch a change of expression on their Ace's face. They're surprised to see that Kise doesn't even look embarrassed by what he's done, except for the very faint flush on his cheeks, but that could just be from the heat. Otherwise, he's completely impassive and looking like he's taking a casual stroll in the park and not just French-kissed the fuck out of a random stranger along the way.
Moriyama is the first to break the silence.
"KIIIISEEE! Why do you always get the good ones?" Moriyama complains loudly.
"What you did to sensei was very inappropriate," Kobori sternly replies.
"I SAW NOTHIIIIINGGG! [AAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHH]! MY EYEEEESS!" Hayakawa yells while trying to think of happy, innocent thoughts. Happy, innocent thoughts like their manager's rare smiles and words of praise and her oddly endearing over-protectiveness whenever the rebounder slaps his face too much and NOT thoughts of her lips being tarnished and ravaged by his kouhai of all people.
"You took advantage of her," Kasamatsu butts in.
Kise instantly whips his head towards his Kaijou captain and glares. "You don't really have much right to say that to me senpai, considering you were going to let her kiss you."
Kasamatsu recoils, but stays his ground and glares back. However, he doesn't really have the chance to say anything else because Kise's attention is quickly refocused onto Nakamura.
"Nakamura-senpai, do you remember how much of the liquid was left in the syringe you found earlier?" Kise asks calmly.
Nakamura blinks owlishly at him and tries to recall the events that happened barely hours ago.
"It was almost full, about three-quarters the way in," their token megane player replies, before giving Kise a puzzled look, "why?"
Kise then turns to the Kaijou power forward and asks something else, "Hayakawa-senpai, do you recall if Shirocchi actually drank anything from that syringe?"
The enthusiastic rebounder effectively calms down his blushing and hyperactivity to rack his brains for an answer. He remembers the Kamakura High captain holding the syringe and placing it into Shiro's mouth, and his blood boils a bit at the memory.
"She could have, that should ex[plain] why she's acting [like] this!" Hayakawa says in confirmation, "it might've been [alcohol]!"
Kise briefly nods and folds his arms, eyes shut tightly and eyebrows scrunched together contemplatively.
"What are you thinking, Kise?" Kasamatsu prods gently.
Kise opens his eyes and regards his captain with a grim look. "Shirocchi only acts like this when she's drunk."
The Kaijou regulars all blink at this new piece of information. Their train of thought to this revelation basically goes along the lines of: Um, no shit.
"And so…?"
Kise responds with an even grimmer expression. "Then wouldn't I have tasted alcohol in her mouth when I kissed her?"
Silence and realization dawns onto the group and Nakamura's eyes widen in response. Both Kise and he turn to each other with half-knowing looks, and the token megane is suddenly getting what Kise is meaning.
"Mind explaining to us?" Kobori asks, greatly curious in what his kouhais are thinking.
Nakamura shares a look with the blonde model before taking a deep breath and explaining, "Kise and I think that Shiro had been forced fed with a club drug."
"[Club] [drugs]?" Hayakawa pronounces uncertainly, casting a confused look around the room.
"Sometimes known as Rohypnol or Ketamine. Or more commonly known as 'date rape drugs'. These kind of drugs are used to assist in sexual assault and rape," Nakamura explains thickly, already knowing that his entire team is going to return to homicidal mode by the time he's finished with his explanation.
"Date rape drugs are odorless, colorless and tasteless, and can be easily slipped into a drink so the victim will not know they're being drugged unless they're paying attention to what they're drinking. The effects of said drug can make a person feel confused and weak, and liable to make them pass out for a certain period of time. This is so that the person who gets drugged will be unable to defend themselves or fight back from assault," Nakamura breathes heavily, "Excess of it can also lead to death."
The atmosphere in the room easily thickens hundredfold at Nakamura's statement, and from the corner of his eye, Kasamatsu, Moriyama, Kobori and Hayakawa's faces collectively harden.
"However, this is not a problem here," he continues with a shaky sigh, "Our problem is that Shiro-san will not remember what they did to her."
Before any one of them can ask why, Kasamatsu raises a hand to stop them, allowing Nakamura to finish his explanation.
"Date rape drugs can induce memory loss when ingested. This means that while they're being drugged, the victim will remember nothing of what happened during the duration of the drug's influence. This is our problem."
There's a thick, heady silence when Nakamura finishes and the atmosphere quickly turns suffocating.
"[Are] you [seri]ous, Naka[mura]?" Hayakawa asks with abject horror, "so you mean, we can't –"
"We can't prosecute them, because Hime doesn't remember," Moriyama mutters angrily, "and we can't prove that they drugged her either!"
"But wait! I [only] saw them give [her] the d[rug] when I got th[ere]! Mana[ger]-san sh[ould] [still] be [able] to [remember] what happened be[fore] she took it! [Right], [right]?" Hayakawa asks around desperately.
"That's where you're wrong, Hayakawa-senpai," Kise says quietly.
Nakamura looks at the blonde in confusion. The megane shooting guard thought that their Ace would've felt hopeful by the fact that Shiro would still remember enough of what happened to her to press charges, so why was he –?
"Shirocchi won't press charges, no matter how bad the crime is –"
"That's ridiculous," Kobori cuts in, "anyone would report this kind of thing –!"
" 'Anyone' doesn't apply to Shirocchi," Kise retorts somberly, "I think the worst thing is – there are a lot of people like Shirocchi who won't report that they've almost been raped, or harassed."
"W-Why's that?" Hayakawa asks uncertainly.
The expression on Kise's face is almost unreadable, with a mix of disgust, sadness and a bit of shame at the same time.
"That's because the police won't take you seriously if you report it. I've heard from some of the models at work. The police will just assume that you were 'dressed inappropriately' and that you were 'asking for it', or maybe 'you were lying that you couldn't fight back' and even 'you were leading them on'. In the worst case, they won't believe you at all. Especially if you don't 'act' like you've been raped or harassed, or if there aren't enough bruises on your body to justify the intent of your assailant, or even if you tell your story too clearly or not at all. That's why most people who have gone through that kind of crap won't report the crime. Japan's law enforcers have feudalistic views when it comes to rape and harassment victims and their assailants use this loophole to get off scot-free," Nakamura explains with a sigh, sinking into the bed in defeat and choking back a cry of despair.
Nakamura can't ever empathize with the people who have been unfortunate enough to go through that kind of thing, but he can't help but feel nauseous at the very thought of one of the models he's had the chance to get on friendly terms with break down in silence because they know that it's no use trying to find justice and support from the government that's supposed to protect them – all the while knowing that their assailant is still out there, on the prowl and ready to break them once more.
"You're also forgetting one, important factor, senpai," Kise pushes his hair back in mild frustration, "is that most people don't report the crime because they want to save face. Why do you think Japan has one of the lowest rates for rape crimes? It's not as if it doesn't happen, it's just that even if you report it, it could ruin your image and reputation and possibly your life because before a trial, your name and address will be revealed to your offender. Though, it might be even more realistic to say that our society's mindset is mainly part of the problem. If fifty people see someone getting harassed or raped in plain sight, they won't help. They like to assume that it's something much less happening, or just ignore it altogether. And even if it's not, there's always a high chance for the victim to get blamed."
"That's…" Moriyama bites his lip.
"Horrible, right? I know, senpai," Kise says with a broken smile, "but it's not so bad, once you try to forget about it."
If that one-liner doesn't unsettle the Kaijou regulars, nothing will, because all of them turn to Kise with looks of panicked alarm.
"Kise, you –?"
The blonde shakes his head and smiles weakly at his captain. "Next time, senpai."
Kasamatsu doesn't take his eyes off Kise and nods in hesitant acceptance. He is definitely going to have a word with their Ace about this, one way or another.
"For now, all we can do is to be here for Shirocchi," Kise looks down at the sleeping girl on the bed, her breathing shallow and cheeks filled with a healthy, pinkish color. A small, gentle smile crosses the blonde's face as he lightly brushes her cheek with his knuckles, "Let me settle the problem."
"You have a plan, Kise?" Kasamatsu asks, eyebrow raised, "What is it?"
Kise places a finger in between his lips and winks knowingly at him.
"It's a secret ~suu."
"Moshi moshi~"
"How unusual for you to call me today. Are you not aware that I go for horse-riding on weekends?"
"Sorry for disturbing then! I just need you to pull a few strings for me~! Is that okay?"
"Oh? Asking a favor from me? I hope you understand the risks of doing such a thing."
"You're the only one I can turn to right now."
"I see. And how will helping you benefit me?"
"Does being pictured as a sympathetic and recognized political figure for rape and harassment victims sound good to you~?"
"Complicated words, coming from you. I'm listening."
"Meanie~ I'll take that as a yes, then~?"
"I'll see how it goes. Send me the details later."
"Thanks, Akashicchi."
"You owe me, Ryouta."
"As always~! Sayonara ~suu!"
Akashi Seijuurou sets down his cellphone on top of the bathroom sink and inwardly smirks.
This should be interesting. Someone has affected Ryouta's life enough to motivate him to pull favors from me.
Akashi checks his appearance in the mirror, his malevolent heterochromatic eyes prominent in his reflection.
I wonder if that person will become a hindrance or a blessing to Ryouta...
Akashi's smirk grows wider.
How interesting.
Author's Note:
I do not own KnB and THIS FRIGGNG CHAPTER IS KILLING ME (my house kept getting blackouts before I could save. THREE TIMES. THREE. FUCKING. TIMES.)
Also, I'm really sorry if Kise seems OOC in this, and I hope I'm not making Shiro too damsel-ish. And also if I'm putting a bit too much emphasis and info on Japan's rape culture (1 hour of research does that to you).
*Shana: The main female protagonist of an anime called Shakugan no Shana and is a bonafide tsundere. If you don't know what that means, look it up. Also, hope you like Tsukasa-sensei! (I had to write him after reading the latest chapter of Shokugeki no Soma)
And yay for Akashi-kun.
UPDATE:
I also forgot to add that the next chapter will be NG-shuus/OMAKE. Hope my humor works out for you all.
