Part 3: Second Round
"Welcome back, everyone, as we continue to get to the heart of this story. Now I don't mean to derail the conversation but there's something I'm really curious about." Sasaki starts, more than ready to go back on her promise to the interviewees.
"I'll try to answer if I can." Ren appeased, not knowing the direction this interview was about to take.
"It's now public knowledge that there was a tragic cover-up operation where parts of the TMPD were involved but there was no possible way you or anyone could've known before Kamoshida's arrest. We can confirm no names and records were found pointing to the identities of involved officers. Why weren't the police involved sooner in this case?" This question was outside of the scope of the questions that Ren was expected to answer and it marked the beginning of the outlet's real game.
"Like I said, I put my trust in Kawakami-sensei to go forward with my concerns. She immediately took it up with Principal Kobayakawa and both acted accordingly." An answer that happens to be hard to argue with…let's take another angle Sakuma schemed.
"I see. That certainly seemed like the right action to take. Tell me this then. How long was it after the incident with Kamoshida until you told Kawakami-san?" he asked.
"Sorry?"
"Was it the day it happened? The week after? When was it that you believed in Kawakami-san enough to let her know?" So that's the approach, huh? I play ball otherwise Kawakami's integrity gets shot to shit Ren theorized. Sure enough, his thinking was right on the money with Sakuma's. You lie about this and it's all over for you both.
"I'd told her about it the next Wednesday." Whispers went around the studio at the response. Doubt of the whole trustworthy teachers aspect of Ren's alibi was now overcast.
"So let's get this straight. Despite Kawakami-san being the ONLY person you could trust in the school, it took nearly a week for you to tell her about it? From what you've told us about Kamoshida and his rumour spreading tactics, surely the rumours would have reached her ears as well as the other staff members well before this date. It might not be much of a stretch to think Kawakami actively chose not to talk about it with you." Sakuma stated.
"As much as it's a possibility, naturally, I can't speak for Kawakami-sensei." Ren casually evaded. Try harder to slip me up.
"And what of the other educators at Shujin Academy? Did they care enough to make an effort to listen to your perspective?"
"Again, as much as it's a possibility, I can't speak for the staff body."
"I'll rephrase. Do you feel your teachers could've made more of an effort to help you?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe? Your investigation…you ran it off the books without letting Kobayakawa-san - the person who drafted you in - Kawakami-san or any other teacher know. None of the people you trusted with the investigation were a member of staff right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I know you don't want to hurt their feelings but it doesn't take a genius to understand what you're saying - you don't feel they could have helped you at the time."
"If you wish to interpret it that way, then I can't and won't stop you believing your interpretation." Ren casually answered, not letting something as beneath him as this irk him. More students muttered in agreement with Sakuma's sentiments. How could a student have trust in his teachers if he went behind their backs to expose one of them? Sakuma took a breather and let Sasaki continue.
"Amamiya-san, I understand what you're saying. You're a student so there's just no way you would be able to gleam into the internal affairs concerning staff members. But you did have a body you could bring it up with: your student council. Did you ever file an official complaint through them?"
"No."
"Did you even think about using them? Were you informed that they wouldn't take your complaint seriously?"
"No to your first question and yes to your second. From what I heard about them, nothing really happened if a complaint were to be submitted. Hate it or love it, they were meant to be independent but Kamoshida pulled the wool over them too."
"So it's also safe to assume you didn't run the investigation by them. You had no means of official support to prove your claims against Kamoshida. It makes me wonder: what made you so sure, so confident, that you could bring this man down with some of your friends and not involve anyone with even the slightest bit of recognised authority?" Rie Sasaki doesn't play games, huh? No wonder she's a veteran at this. Ken Sakuma has a lot to learn from his co-host. Such were the wondering thoughts that Ren Amamiya had whilst also formulating his answer.
"That's where I'm going to correct you. I happened to run into someone who could prosecute him."
"You just HAPPENED to?"
"Really and truly. We had some one on one time and I found out she was SIU." That's how you established your contact?! Kawakami gasped internally. Up on the 11th floor of a popular block of high rises residing in the Minato ward and inside a two-person premium apartment with amenities including complementary (fibre broadband-backed) Wi-Fi, air conditioned rooms and a bidet. In this apartment sat two sisters: one who assessed everything she saw on the screen regarding one of her latest contacts and the other seeing the product of her idea coming to life.
"Was this really the best approach to breaking the silence? This only allows for the words that Amamiya-san, his homeroom teacher and that bastard of a principal say to end up manipulated and corrupted."
"It's a long dash attempt to try and encourage students to speak up, Sis."
"Were you involved in putting this whimsically unstable plan together, Makoto?"
"As the student council president, I had to be involved." Sae's face screwed up at this confirmation and she chided Makoto.
"How could you not have considered the trouble this plan might bring if this backfires? Sure, your name will not be mentioned to the press and we won't end up in the spotlight for those crony reporters but your career ambitions, everything you worked for…all for nothing when they offer your head on a pike to cover for themselves!"
"They wouldn't do that, Sis. It's in writing that they won't because Amamiya-san wouldn't have agreed otherwise. I can show you if you want…" She trailed after seeing the hidden disappointment in her sister's fury.
"How naive, Makoto. He agreed because it aligns with his goals whatever they may be. Why else does he continue to entertain the thought of working with us both?" Makoto nodded to herself and her scheming ways began to rear their head.
"Good point, Sis. Maybe we should try and find out that why."
"...And now what are you thinking?" Sae pondered, whispering that last part.
"You LUCKED out on an SIU prosecutor?"
"Small world, right?"
"I'm sorry but how is this in any way relevant, if I might ask?" Kawakami interjected, not wanting Ren's sarcasm and general indifference to continue further. Alas, she ended up becoming the target just as Ken Sakuma wanted.
"Maybe I'm sounding a tad unreasonable but I just don't get how you could not tell something was up for almost a week. It's naturally impossible for you to say that you didn't hear anything - were you that swamped with responsibility that you couldn't spare even a few minutes for Amamiya-san? Better yet, could you even tell something was wrong or was it business as usual?" Ken Sakuma's attempts to rile up Kawakami led to a rebuttal commonly used for misbehaving students.
"Sakuma-san, just as I have no clue what you have to do for your job, don't sit here and try to chide me for what I do in mine. You might think each and every student deserves the same amount of time, care and delicacy put into their educational experience but it isn't a case of one size fits all. No two sets of circumstances are the same and by extension, the means of establishing a good working relationship between student and teacher are far different. How about you come back to me when you've spent 5 years training on how to teach and grafted through at least 5 years of putting it into practice effectively." Once she'd finished her response, the audience gave their applause to Ken Sakuma being put in his place. If only she'd realised just how much the idea of appearing not to take anyone's nonsense attracted the rather prurient eyes of many men and women, Ren included. Sasaki, choosing to cover for her colleague, opting to take up the mantle of squeezing a dollar out of a dime pushed for more scandal.
"Okay. Amamiya-san stated he trusted you and ONLY you with what happened. Was it not your civic duty to report this not just to the principal but to the authorities immediately?" While Sasaki hoped to try and trip her up, Kawakami paid it no mind with her response.
"That was just it, though. Amamiya-kun wished to keep it quiet for fear that word would reach Kamoshida and for fear of the possibility of instant expulsion."
"Did he explicitly state for you to not bring it up, orally or written?"
"He didn't have to. I could see it in his face that he didn't want to." Kawakami assuredly answered.
"Could you have really made that call for him? No, better yet, should you have? The way I see it and the way some could interpret your judgement call is that you were aiming to actively silence Amamiya-san, once again snuffing his voice out." So the talons really are out now...If they wish for fighting talk, all they had to do was ask she thought to herself. One couldn't tell the swirling fusion of annoyance and confidence in her eyes.
"...Good point." Kawakami concurs, no surprise to the audience.
"So you agree. You made a bad judgment call."
"That's not what I agree with, Sasaki-san. If I made the decision to speak to the police, it may have ended up with Amamiya-kun going to jail over something he truly didn't commit. It may have also ended up in putting Kamoshida's crimes to an end earlier in April. Either way, I would've lost the trust and respect of Amamiya-kun…the very same trust that a lot of people lost in him and trust that he finds hard to give along with the trust of his fellow classmates who would no longer turn to me because I can't respect their wishes."
"So the mere trust of one student was all it took for you to pervert the course of justice?"
"The same perverted justice that allowed Suguru Kamoshida freedom to molest and abuse our students, the lifeblood of our nation, along with many other coaches for months?" Let's see how you respond to that, you overblown witch Kawakami thought.
"Can we keep things civil?" Ken Sakuma mocked, easing the atmosphere only a tad. Sasaki nonetheless continued her battle, angered at the stares Kawakami received over herself.
"Do you consult with your colleagues over the students you have homeroom responsibility for?"
"Naturally. With regards to the students, my colleagues inform me of their concerns and praises regarding their learning."
"And if any of them were to have concerns?"
"Then I'd bring them up with the student in question. I'd set aside time during lunch or after school hours to address them and gain their perspective. That way, I'll mitigate the circumstances and hopefully establish a solution that works for all."
"And not one person brought up concerns over Amamiya-san's state of mind, not even discreetly?"
"I'm afraid I can't speak to their thoughts. We might be colleagues but we all have our own styles to approach the minor issues such as communication barriers as well as major issues such as lack of understanding, something I happen to have over this line of conversation." Sadayo, recompose yourself at once! I understand that Ms. Sasaki has gotten under your skin but don't let her shatter you! Better yet, don't set a horrific example for Amamiya-san or the others! Kobayakawa internally screamed.
"Aha…I think it's time for a short break, ladies and gentlemen. Join us when we find out more on Ren Amamiya's tumultuous experience." Saved by the ad break…Rie Sasaki couldn't keep on broaching the defence Shujin had as she was and once the cameras flicked off, a childish tantrum was thrown by the veteran.
"What kinds of responses were those?!" Rie seethed.
"How are you already annoyed?" Sakuma retorted.
"This was not how it was meant to be!" she answered. Kawakami threw a defiant response her way, not impressed at how they looked down on Shujin Academy.
"Why are you getting annoyed at us? You're the ones who went off script. We're simply here because we want to encourage our students to open up to us and to the nation."
"Was I talking to you?" Sasaki snapped.
"Sadayo…it might be best not to push-" Kobayakawa tried to mitigate his underling's responses to make life easier but it did absolutely nothing on this battleground.
"All you guys want to do is use students' tragedies for a trash talking session just to get a quick buck. It's fucking disgusting and frankly, sickening." Rie Sasaki was only pushed closer to the edge with the firm rebuke.
"Don't think that I can't spot a schemy bitch when I see one. Just wait until I'm through with you."
"Rie doesn't mean that..." Sakuma shamelessly played the mediator to curry favour which only served to lower his approval in Ren, Kawakami and Kobayakawa's eyes. The two hosts leave the Shujin party and once out of sight…
"That was pretty hot, Kawakami-sensei. I always knew you had it in you." Ren adds.
"Not helping! And also…HIGHLY inappropriate!" Kawakami barks, more out of aggravation than of discipline. It wasn't disregarded that he had eyes that no normal boy should hold for any woman her age, let alone his teacher. Out of nowhere, the principal appeared right behind the two.
"You two…we've come this far. I expect you to see this to its conclusion without fail." The usually docile Kobayakawa advised them of this in a more aggressive manner than usual.
""Yes, Sir."" they both replied.
"...Sorry, Kawakami-sensei."
"It's fine. Just…no more funny business if you can help it." Funnily enough, this did wonders in helping them to cool off and preparing them for what came next.
"And we're back on air in 5, 4, 3…"