Makoto Niijima was nothing if not driven. Her position as student council president was the cherry on top of an impressive academic career she hoped would end with a stellar score on her entrance exams and admission to the best universities in Japan. She had been looking forward to her final year of high school as a time of peace, reflection, and celebration of hard work - which is why she was so shaken when she discovered a student with a criminal record would be transferring to Shujin Academy in the spring.

"Since when does this school accept delinquents?" she asked on her way to the principal's office. Now that everyone had heard the news, it was time for Principal Kobayakawa to explain himself. She knew what she wanted to say: As student council president, I have a duty to represent the interests of my peers. And the students of Shujin Academy are opposed to walking these halls with a criminal.

Perhaps that sounded too dramatic. She felt much less confident now than she had when Ms. Kawakami swore her to secrecy. The homeroom teacher had been complaining about the transfer student's placement in her class when she noticed Makoto by the filing cabinets, archiving the previous semester's instructor reviews. The faculty office was otherwise empty, and Kawakami made it clear their conversation was not to leave the room.

Makoto didn't know who dug up Ren Amamiya's records and posted them online. But someone had, and within a day the entire student body was up in arms.

"Did you see the assault charge? That's scary."

"I heard he's done it all. Drinking, theft, drugs... you name it."

"The Shujin name must not be worth anything if they let someone like that in. I guess this school has always been kind of lame."

Makoto found herself scrolling through the info dump on her phone out of curiosity. There was a photograph of a boy her age looking directly into the camera. She was surprised by how much younger and more normal-looking he was than she imagined. He even wore glasses — hardly the attire of the juvenile delinquent. Based on the rumors online, she had pictured someone rougher-looking, like in the movies; Amamiya looked comparatively mundane, a regular teenager from a middle-class family with one breadwinner and one homemaker — a family just like hers, once.

He doesn't look like a criminal, Makoto thought, but she also knew that looks could be deceiving. Her sister had a plethora of stories about seemingly innocent people committing heinous crimes. As a public prosecutor, it was Sis's job to bring these people to justice. There was no doubt in Makoto's mind that the jury that convicted Amamiya was able to see past his boy-next-door demeanor. She just wondered how he ended up at Shujin Academy, a prestigious prep school in Tokyo, of all places for his probation.

"Excuse me," Makoto said once she arrived at Principal Kobayakawa's office. The room hadn't changed at all since the previous semester; there was the trophy case in the corner stuffed with various accolades, and the potted plant that was just a few shades darker than the Venetian blinds covering the window. In the center of the room was a heavy oak desk, where the principal sat attending to his paperwork.

"Ah, Niijima-san," he said, setting down his pen. "How nice to see you before the semester has even started. Congratulations again on your successful candidacy for student council president."

"Thank you, sir," Makoto said with a smile. She had won the election by a landslide. Whether she won on her own merit or because no one else wanted the job was up for debate. She supposed there was no reason it couldn't be both. "On that note, I wanted to speak with you today about something important."

"Oh?" the principal asked. "And what might that be?"

"Well…" Makoto began, choosing her words carefully. "I heard that Shujin admitted a transfer student to the second-year class. Amamiya is the name. He's rumored to have a criminal record. Many students have said they aren't comfortable going to school with someone like…that." She swallowed her guilt as the accusatory words left her mouth. It was for the good of the school, she thought. It was what the student body wanted.

"Yes," Kobayakawa said. "The probationer. There were indeed some extenuating circumstances. Rest assured, we will be monitoring that student closely. Any hint of trouble, and he will be placed into custody, no questions asked."

Makoto thought that was reassuring, but a few nagging thoughts remained.

"May I ask how he came to be here?" she asked. "This school has a policy against violence of any kind. The documents that were leaked this morning indicate he's been arrested for assault. How is that compatible with our values?"

Principal Kobayakawa smiled. Makoto was surprised to see him react so calmly to the mention of a student's personal information being circulated online. She thought for sure that would elicit a reaction from him.

"Niijima-san," he said. "Do you believe this student deserves a second chance?"

"I do," Makoto answered. "I just believe that second chance is better served somewhere else, such as a correctional facility."

Kobayakawa chuckled. "Just like your sister. The Niijimas have always favored the more punitive measures."

Makoto knew that Kobayakawa held Sis in high regard. Sae was a Shujin legend, having graduated at the top of her class. She breezed through her coursework to become the youngest ever prosecutor in the history of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The teachers liked to share stories about her as if trying to take credit for her success. It left Makoto buckling under the weight of the unspoken expectations that accompanied her family name.

"My sister is doing well," she said in acknowledgment.

"You can trust that the situation with the probationer is under control." Kobayakawa shuffled the papers on his desk, in what was clearly a prelude to the end of the conversation. "It's a wonderful opportunity to show what a Shujin education can do, even for troubled youngsters like Amamiya. I suggest that you stop thinking about him and focus your efforts on coordinating the new student orientation."

"Well, I-" Makoto began to protest, but the principal cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"I'm sure you'll do a great job, Niijima," he said. "You've been a tremendous help to me this winter. If you keep it up, I can guarantee a strong recommendation to the college of your choice."

"Th-thank you, sir," Makoto said, feeling the last of her resolve fade away. She couldn't pass up the opportunity for a glowing recommendation letter. "I'm looking forward to working with you this year." She made a note of the multiple tasks Kobayakawa assigned her before heading home, having once again capitulated.

What was it that Ms. Kawakami told her? That her homeroom class was the only one among the second years that wasn't full, which is how she got stuck with the transfer student. The only information Principal Kobayakawa had to offer was that the transfer was very much happening, and there was nothing she or the student body could do about it.

I wonder why? Makoto thought as she pushed open the door to the main entrance. Suppose Amamiya got expelled from his old school after his arrest. It was the kind of background that would normally bar a student from admission, but the publicity boost for rehabilitating a juvenile delinquent would bring more applications and more yen into Shujin Academy's coffers.

Makoto stopped in her tracks as a thought occurred to her. Principal Kobayakawa must be chomping at the bit to show prospective parents there was no such thing as a lost cause at Shujin. She couldn't think of another reason the school would agree to this.

Prioritizing the school's image above everything else… it reminded her of another rumor that had come to the student council's attention over winter break, one that had been bothering her for weeks. As she considered the allegations against Mr. Kamoshida, she heard a familiar voice from across the courtyard.

"Shiho, what happened?! I thought you were just going to volleyball practice."

Makoto looked up and saw three students gathered at the front gate. From the uniforms, she could tell that two of them - Shiho Suzui and Yuuki Mishima - were members of the school's volleyball team, which was heavily favored to win nationals this year. The third was Ann Takamaki, one of the wilder girls in the second-year class, in her signature pigtails and baseball jacket. She and Suzui were very close, though Makoto did not know either girl well.

"Hello, Mishima-kun, Suzui-san, Takamaki-san," Makoto said as she approached the trio. Now that she was close, she could see Mishima and Suzui each sported a large bruise. Takamaki's brows furrowed with concern, and Makoto felt her own breath catch upon realizing the extent of the black and blue marks blooming across their skin. Kamoshida was passionate about volleyball and held his athletes to high standards, but he would never resort to physical violence… would he?

She wanted to say absolutely not. Her eyes told her otherwise.

"Hello Niijima-senpai," the students echoed back, deadpan. Mishima coughed and shuffled from side to side in a way that made Makoto feel somewhat unwelcome. Her suspicions were confirmed when he broke away from the group with a barely coherent salutation and started walking in the direction of the train station.

"We should go too," Takamaki said, with a tight smile. "See you around, Niijima-senpai."

Makoto smiled her pleasant student council president smile and watched the two girls follow their friend to Aoyama-Itchome station. It was clear they didn't trust her. And why would they? Being student council president required a certain distance from her fellow students. If she forgot herself and was too friendly, the others might not take her seriously. It made socializing at school tricky sometimes.

She decided to wait a while at the gates before following in her classmates' footsteps, so as not to run into them on the train to Shibuya.

Later that evening, Makoto returned to the two-bedroom apartment she shared with her sister on Central Street. She stopped by the underground mall to run a few errands first. Makoto knew she shouldn't be spending so much money on frivolous items, but the stress of student council business was weighing on her. She made sure to pick up some soap for Sis, who worked so hard to support them both.

"Hello?" she called as she unlocked the door. There was no answer. She turned on the lights and saw that the dishes were waiting for her in the sink, just as she left them this morning.

Setting down her shopping bags, Makoto immediately began dinner preparations, setting two places at the dining room table and turning on the evening news. Taking care of the household chores was the least she could to support Sis. With their mother long gone and their father killed in the line of duty, it was just the two of them fending for themselves. Makoto hoped to bring an income of her own someday, but until then her contribution was cooking, cleaning, and other domestic duties.

Her efforts paid off when Sis walked in with a smile on her face. "It smells good in here," she said, setting down her purse next to Makoto's. "What's this? Did you go shopping today?" At least she sounded like she was in a better mood than she had been recently.

"Hi Sis!" Makoto called from the kitchen. "I just bought some study guides for my exams…among other things. Let me warm up some rice for you. How was your day?"

Sis sat down at the table with a heavy sigh. "Good," she said. "Nothing remarkable. I'm still investigating those psychotic breakdown incidents."

Makoto placed two steaming bowls of rice on the table, where an assortment of dishes already awaited them. The city was still reeling from back-to-back subway accidents that left several dead and many others in critical condition. News reports showed the damaged trains emitting flames and black smoke as passengers fled to safety.

According to Sis, the conductors of both trains survived the crash; both apparently lost consciousness just as the train rounded a corner at high speed. She was leading the investigation, of course. Makoto remembered the soap she bought was lavender-scented, a nod to Sis's overworked state.

"How was school?" Sis continued. "You said you had some business with Principal Kobayakawa. The place must have been a ghost town since you're still on break."

"Yes...but some activities have already started," Makoto said, taking the seat across from her. "I was able to stop by the student council office. You should see how many new club requests we received."

"I'm sure there were plenty," Sis said. Makoto could tell by the glazed look in her eyes that her mind was already elsewhere. A new lead on the subway accidents, most likely.

"I've been thinking…" she said, after a lull in the conversation.

"Yes?" Sis looked up from her food, and Makoto tried to hold her gaze just for a moment. She wanted to tell Sis about the transfer student and the bruises she saw on Suzui and Mishima. She wanted to tell Sis about a great many things, like how she was afraid her peers hated her and how much she missed their father... but no. Sis had enough to worry about between the investigation and supporting a minor on a single income. Makoto had problems that a high schooler should be able to solve herself, just like Sis did when she was an honor student.

"I-It's nothing," she demurred. "Just… I have a feeling this is going to be a great year."

"Of course it's going to be great." Sis was picking at her food, fishing out the bites she didn't like. "It's your final year of high school! Soon you'll be all moved out and ready to take on the real world."

Moving out. Independence. Of course that's what Sis would want. "I'll do my best to make you happy."

"And don't forget-"

"I know, I know... I have entrance exams coming up."

"That's right," Sis said. "I'm counting on you."