Ultimate Amiss III

I hope you enjoy the chapter!

It's taken a week. An entire week, for him to find an opening to slip away not only from his teachers and Yasuke, but the building he was usually confined to. Right about now they must have realized he was gone, but considering he hadn't done anything suspicious in the days leading up to it they weren't going to find him.

The school was huge, and he hadn't seen most of it; so if they thought he was walking around to new locations to see more of it that wouldn't help them in the slightest. Of course, he hadn't left any hints where he had gone either. Not like he would have been able to. Since when he first set out he didn't know where she would be.

Izuru had simply listened to a number of conversations before giving up on any populated place. His theory that she wasn't actually surrounded by people at the moment was only confirmed when he heard she had gone off with someone named Ibuki. With this piece of information in mind he made his way to the roof; he just had this feeling that that's where she would be. Izuru couldn't really explain it, how a part of him just knew this, but he trekked up the stairs, avoiding the main means of getting around: namely elevators, which he would have had to ditch three stories before he reached the top anyway.

He stopped climbing the stairs when he noticed the door was slightly ajar on the last landing. As he no longer heard his own dull footsteps climbing up the metal stairs he could hear them talking ahead of him.

"Yeah, I guess," an unfamiliar voice filled his ears. That had to be Ibuki then. If it had been Junko he would have recognized her voice just like he had back on that field where he first spotted her. "Actually, I was thinking of starting a new club here. But in a more appropriate direction for the band, you know?"

"Mhm. It doesn't sound like a bad idea, but it'll probably be a bit difficult." That was Junko, but... something was off. Her voice sounded different than usual; no, it sounded different from his dream the other night. Or rather what he could remember from it.

"Every club starts on shaky legs, though. Right?" Ibuki sounded unsure, clearly asking for clarification on Junko's part.

"Of course," Junko agreed. "It's just everyone knows what sort of music you did in that group, so it's likely to draw in more people that associate themselves with it rather than the new sound you're going for. You're famous for your work in your old band even after you left. Your fans would be expecting more of the same, not this new you."

Ibuki gave a heavy sigh. "You're right. It's going to be tough recreating my image. I thought these new clothes would help and to an extent they do. People have to give me double, sometimes triple-takes just to recognize me, but they always ask when my new album is coming out. They're still expecting the same kind of music."

"Well, I'm sure your die-hard fans will stick by you no matter what music you intend to play. They'll be the minority for awhile, but you'll get new fans as you go. You just have to learn to ignore the media; they like to spread their rumors and tear into idols of the entertainment industry. It's the same no matter where you go."

"I know." Ibuki went silent afterwards and Izuru could only guess that she was thinking about what Junko had said.

On the surface it looked to be good sound advice, but as he rolled the words around in his head he couldn't believe that Junko was trying to encourage her to go for her dream. It sounded like she was discouraging the other girl, telling her repeatedly about all the hardships she'll face, how she'll never get away from her past.

It certainly seemed like Ibuki was trying to get away from her past, disassociate herself from some old band. He could only guess that she was a musician after seeing her with the instrument from before and hearing her talk just now. She sounded upset, like the world was crushing her and though Junko seemed to be her friend she was just increasing that weight on her shoulders.

Is that why he had sensed in her tone of voice before? This way she spun her words, making Ibuki-

"Hey." Izuru turned quickly to see a girl standing on the stairs not too far below him, blue eyes narrowed at him, her dark hair in something resembling a pixie bob. When did she get there? Why didn't he hear her? How long had she been there, anyways? She was frowning now when she spoke, raising her voice, "What are you doing?"

It only took him a second to register the sudden, "Eh?" from behind him. So this girl had intentionally raised her voice so Junko and Ibuki would hear her, alerting them to his presence in the process. "I got to go."

Izuru stepped aside as Ibuki came flying down the stairs, leaving the door wide open behind her. He could feel Junko's gaze burning into his back now, but in all honesty this worked better for him. With Ibuki gone he didn't need to wait for her to leave or otherwise interrupt her talk with Junko before the staff happened to find him.

This girl had certainly come at a good time. "Thanks. I had wanted to speak alone with Junko, but she appeared busy a moment ago."

The girl didn't move, her lips turning further down as she looked at him. "Don't thank me. It's rude to listen to other people's conversations intentionally. If you had wanted to speak with Junko you should have opened the door at the very least and made it known you were there to speak with her. I'm sure Junko would have understood and Ibuki wouldn't be embarrassed right now. So make it quick." With those words the girl turned around and started walking back down the stairs, disappearing in seconds. Even while looking at her he couldn't hear her steps on the metal staircase.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

At the sound of Junko's voice he turned around to face her. She was sitting on a raised concrete platform on the roof: legs spread out in front of her, crossed at the ankle, feet dangling off the edge of the concrete slab, arms positioned behind her, palms flat on the grey surface, looking at him with a critical eye.

"I wanted to ask..." Izuru paused as he stepped onto the roof, glancing around, noticing how high up they were and the absence of a chain link fence around the perimeter. The only 'fence' as it were was a slab of stone about two feet high that encircled the roof. It didn't seem to be the safest place considering this was a school where students largely went wherever they wanted. As his gaze settled back on Junko her head tilted to the side, one leg now raised, bent, left foot resting beside her right knee, crossing over her other leg in the process; as if she were striking a pose. "I've seen you around and was trying to remember where I had seen you before."

Junko blinked at him then laughed, "Well, of course you have. I'm a model."

Izuru gave a small shake of his head. "I know you're the Ultimate Gyaru. I wanted to ask where we had met. I'm having some difficulty remembering it."

"Hmm." Junko turned onto her side, gaze roaming over him for a few seconds before she gave a shake of her head. "Sorry. I can't remember all of my fans."

Izuru blinked this time. Fan? He didn't recall acting like a fan from that dream - memory - of her. She had clearly known him, even teased him after putting him in such a compromising situation. A sort of 'price' for going to her to get away from... something. He couldn't remember all of the details, but he was sure they had been close. That he hadn't just been some fan. She had called him by name even.

He watched as she started to get up from the slab of concrete, smoothing down her skirt when she stood up. "I find that a bit hard to believe-"

"Yes, I'm sure if I had seen you before I would have recognized you. I don't think I've ever seen a guy wear their hair so long before, and your style of clothing is a bit unique as well. The contacts on the other hand aren't, but still not the most popular color to choose from." Junko paused, digging out her phone from her pocket to snap a picture of him a moment later. "There. To commemorate our first meeting. I can send it to you if you want as proof. Now, unless you have something more important to talk about then maybe we should talk later, instead?"

Izuru nearly too a step back at the tone of her voice. She clearly thought he was a fan, some creepy fan that was quite possibly trying to hit on her - in her eyes, that is. How could she not recognize him when he had known he had seen her before at a glance? Was it just that easy for her to forget people she had been close to? Even before she first came to this Academy? Or... or had that been a mask then, to? Has she talked with him just like she had been talking to Ibuki earlier?

His lips drew down as she stepped past him. "I see. So that's the sort of person you are."

"Huh?" She stopped walking and he turned around to face her. "What nonsense are you going on about now?"

"You just manipulate people, don't you? For whatever personal gain you get from it and then you forget about them. Once they've served their purpose you just throw them away like trash and that's what you planned to do to me, wasn't it?" Junko looked about to snap at him, but he continued swiftly, not allowing her to get a word in. "You thought you could manipulate me like that girl, Ibuki. Always hiding behind those masks of yours like a snake. Do you even have a true face? Or did you hide it behind all that makeup, bleached hair, and your own color contacts?"

As he took a breath, registering Junko's hard gaze on him he blinked. Where had that come from? He had suddenly felt a sort-of fire inside him and then just let it out, just like that. His words had clearly effected her and looking into those eyes he could see a fire in them as well. He wasn't unfamiliar with the look, but... feeling it; that was different.

How did she drag that emotion out of him?

"Forget it," Izuru muttered, walking past her quickly to hurry down the stairs, right past that other girl that was now quickly ascending the steps, shooting a glare at him as she passed by. But he couldn't bother to pay attention to her own anger for upsetting Junko. He was still trying to understand why he had felt such an emotion in the first place.