Marching Phantoms

by Naijen

After a harrowing experience, Akira Kurusu is forced to move to Tokyo with wishes of having an uneventful and boring life with any music completely removed, leaving his past where it belongs. He soon learns that's impossible as the sins of his past take root in the present and threaten to warp the world he holds dear.

39. Feels Like Summer

Thursday, June 10th

Akira had a prominent frown on his face as the final day of the TV Studio concluded. His safe space was gone…

Sure, was the TV Studio boring?

Yes.

Was it a good way to distract himself?

Yes.

Was the crippling fact he was going to have to deal with Morooka once more starting to hit him?

Yes.

Ann nudged him as they walked from the building, the harsh ray of sunlight hurting their retinas momentarily, "What's with the frown, Akira? I thought you'd be excited for another lesson with Morooka."

He scowled at her, "I hate you, so…so much."

Ann snickered for a moment before pausing, "Still no luck…?"

He sighed as his eyes wandered off, toward the front of the crowd where Ryuji and Ohya were, "Nope. Same for you too, huh?"

"I'm just saying, I wouldn't be surprised if Mistress Reporter had something to do with it."

Akira froze as his mind threw memories of the Madarame shack to him, specifically Makoto's…mention of Sojiro's past…and his uncle.

It wouldn't be too much of a stretch…she's really good at getting information…like, really good.

Niijima-senpai and Ohya…?

But, for what reason? Ohya's never interacted with Niijima-senpai, hell she ignored her the two times they've been in the same area…

I don't have anything conclusive and…honestly, a simple google search could've given Niijima-senpai the same answers, Akira…

But how does that explain her knowing me and Sojiro are bounded legally…?

Wait…wait…

Nah, she could've found out through the directory, right? That is how she got my number in the first place all the way back…

Come on man…do better.

Akira faintly shook his head as Ann looked at him with concern in her eyes, "Akira?"

He sighed before continuing to walk, "It's nothing, I just…came up with a stupid idea."

Can't be paranoid.

Can't.

A buzz came from Akira's pocket. As he pulled out his phone, it was a message from Yusuke.

Yusuke: Akira?

Akira: Yo what's up

Yusuke: Could you please get me from school…? Today isn't a good day.

Akira: Yusuke, I would but I have detention, remember? By the time I get to Kosei and then back to Shujin, I'll be late as hell

Yusuke: Oh…

Akira:...Is it an emergency? Since you live with me, I could just say it's a family emergency tbh

Yusuke: No, no it's fine, I promise.

Akira gazed at his messages with a perplexed face, something about Yusuke's words weren't…rubbing him the right way. Maybe it was important, Yusuke wouldn't bother Akira if it wasn't.

But Morooka…oh god…

Endure Morooka's bullshit, or check up on Yusuke.

Yeah, Yusuke.

He turned to Ann, bidding her goodbye as he typed in Sojiro's name in his contacts, immediately dialing him. It took a few rings, but Sojiro finally picked up as he made it to the line connecting to Chiba, "Hey, Sojiro?"

"Hm? What's up kid? Did you just get out of the trip?"

Akira took out his card, paying for a ticket to Chiba, and slipped through the turnstile as he spat out a reply to Sojiro, "Yeah, but um, look I kinda need a favor, alright?"

Akira could practically hear the exhaustion-–and slight annoyance-–in his voice, "If it's something stupid, I'm not gonna let you slide. I think the past two weeks have pushed it enough."

Considering I technically put his job in jeopardy, yeah, I can't blame him.

"It's not stupid, it's related to Kitagawa. Do you think you could…somehow not have Morooka cut my balls off for not appearing at detention today? Yusuke said he needed my help, and after everything that's happened, I think I owe him that much."

There was a pause, but it was soon followed by a sigh, "Fine. I'm not sure how I'm going to make it work, but fine. Just…make sure the kid's alright. He's been through enough."

Akira's face beamed as a toothy grin formed, something he was sure Sojiro could hear, "Thank you so much…Boss."

"Don't try to sweet talk me, kid. Just make sure you go to these last two sessions with Morooka, he creeps me out and I don't want to be around him either, so…don't make this a bad habit."

"Can't make any promises. Seriously, thank you though." Akira heard a few grumbles as he hung up, his train arriving promptly.

---

Kosei was, unsurprisingly, bigger than Shujin, and that was just off Akira seeing the perimeter, he couldn't see the building itself due to the intimidating walls and the treetops that barely poked over the brick. The school had a view overlooking Tokyo Bay, which…partially made Akira jealous.

Getting to see this beautiful ass view each and every time you come to school? Way better than looking at the boring and dull skyrises walking into Shujin.

In front of Akira was a massive steel driveway gate, its stakes rising up with spikes at the end, the stakes at the center of the gate twisting and turning to form Kosei's star emblem.

He wasn't sure how Kosei was as a school, but he had to give them props for their presentation.

Kobayakawa would probably throw up if he saw how good Kosei looked.

Pristine and clean, fitting of their reputation…unlike our hellhole.

"Hey, ya got some business here or ya just gawkin' at the gate?" To Akira's left was a security guard inside of a booth, of course controlling the entrance. His sandy hair was a long unorganized mess underneath his hat and his eyes were riddled with bags underneath them. His square face had a few wrinkles, a fact Akira couldn't use to place his age since he was unsure if those were from aging or a constant frown—something he brandished as he laid eyes on the Shujin student. His uniform was typical along with its colors but where his breast pocket should've been was Kosei's emblem.

"Oh, um…I'm here to see Yusuke Kitagawa? He—"

The guard snickered as he stood up, bringing himself closer to the teen—despite the glass separating the both of them, "Yeah, yeah, if you wanna see that freakshow, just wait till school is out. I just turned away three of y'all weirdos in the last hour."

Akira's face scrunched up in confusion, "Weir—"

The guard's eyes dipped for a moment, getting a glimpse of Akira's Shujin emblem, "Ah…I thought ya looked familiar, ya that uh…" He started snapping his fingers, hoping to recall a memory, "...trumpet guy that was at the battle Sunday. Ya already saw the weirdo firsthand, why are ya doublin' back?"

Akira sighed, wanting to be freed of the guard, "Look, are you gonna let me in or what? Yusuke asked for me to come."

His eyes scrunched up as he struggled to believe it, but pointed at the hole in the booth, Akira instantly catching his drift as he fished out his wallet, slipping his ID and Shujin ID into the hole. Grabbing both, he squinted as he flicked his eyes between, eventually giving both IDs back as he pressed a button, the gate opening with a grating whine.

Akira turned to him, hopefully for the last time, as he quickly gave him a bow.

"Ya looked better with the long hair."

Akira rolled his eyes as he started his trek on Kosei's cobblestone path, the greenery outside of the path being lively and vibrant.

It was strange, but Akira couldn't lie…Kosei just seemed happy. There was a joyful air around the school that was present from the moment he stood in front of the gate, and the abundance of beautiful Sakura trees that obsessively took up every ounce of his gaze did nothing to make him think otherwise.

Yet, why did Yusuke say today wasn't good?

Why did that guard call him a weirdo?

Akira sighed as he continued down the path, eventually stepping in front of the school, finally seeing it for what it was. Much like Shujin, it was two beige concrete buildings with blemishes of gray along the rooftops-–although the size of one dwarfed both buildings combined.

As if to scream rich private school, there was also a moat surrounding the school, a wooden path laid out in front of Akira.

"What the fuck is up with this school…"

Akira stepped inside—what he assumed to be—the main building. It was much more spacious than Shujin's first floor. The student lockers were right in front of him, while the front desk and directory were to his left. The receptionist seemed bored out of her mind.

Akira slowly made his way toward her while pulling his phone out, seeking to text Yusuke of his arrival until he heard a couple of students laughing as they passed, "I heard he's still in the bandroom, just sitting there motionless like a doll. What a weirdo."

There it goes again, weirdo…

There's no way, right?

Akira moved toward the directory instead, memorizing the location of the bandroom and making his way there.

Once again, like it was a comedy bit, the bandroom was massive but Akira barely cared about that as he plied the door open, being caught off guard by the darkness and emptiness of the room. Though Akira's mind wasn't on that.

It was on Yui Kitagawa's voice, once again singing Sayuri in its original state.

I thought it would be evidence for the case—

Why is it here?

"Yusuke?" Akira pulled out his phone, turning the flashlight as he pointed it in the direction where the tape recorder was coming from.

Of course, he was met with the sight of Yusuke Kitagawa huddled up as he was slathered in paint.

His gaze was empty. Aimless.

His eyes were red.

Again.

Akira frantically made his way to the sole Kitagawa, dropping his phone to the side as he crouched in front of him, gently shaking the artist to bring him to his senses, "Yusuke? Hey, Yusuke? It's me, I came."

It seemed to do something as his eyes finally regained some energy, faintly startled as he connected with Akira's angry gaze, "Akira…? What are you–"

Akira brought Yusuke to his feet, holding him steady as he regained his footing, "I had a feeling things were off…and I'm glad I followed my instincts. Who did this to you?"

Yusuke's indistinct energy fizzled away once more as he went to pick up Madarame's tape recorder, "I'm not sure, Akira. My homeroom teacher told me to come here and once I stepped inside, I was ambushed by a bucket of paint."

Akira sighed, "Madarame, I assume?" Yusuke didn't say anything, not that he needed to. He couldn't blame him, "This has been going on since Monday, hasn't it…"

Yusuke faintly clenched his jaw as he pocketed the recorder, grabbing his bag and Akira's phone in the process, handing it to the Band President as the flashlight illuminated the both of them—and bringing out the red of Yusuke's eyes even more, "It was just namecalling and whispers, nothing of this caliber until today. I guess my presence is insufferable…"

A sigh slipped from his lips as he regained his phone, "Don't say that, please. None of this shit is your fault man, they're just fucking weirdos."

Yusuke lingered for a moment, taking in the idea as he turned for the door, "Can we go home, please?" Akira nodded, joining him as they made their way for the exit. Once they stepped out, so many eyes instantly locked onto the two of them. Violating them with their judgment and sneers.

It, of course, reminded Akira of Shujin…and home—and he hated that.

Yusuke's strained voice caught his attention, 'I don't want to come back."

Akira nodded.

How could he be one to disagree?

He knew exactly where he was coming from.

Slinging an arm around his shoulders, they left Kosei.

For good.

---

Friday, June 11th

Ann peered over her shoulder, giving her sight to Akira. His eyes were low, his fatigue clear as day.

It was worrying since she figured it had something to do with Ryuji.

Despite her efforts for the last couple of days…Ryuji was still as distant as ever. It was deliberating…and she knew Akira felt the same.

"Akira."

His eyes jolted to life from her whisper, "Huh?"

"Are you okay? You look like you're here…but not."

He paused, clearly debating on telling a semblance of the truth, "I'm fine…just one of those sleepless nights, you know."

She bit her lip, pushing forward, "If it's about Ryuji—"

"I'm fine, Ann. It's not about him. I promise."

Her eyes lingered on him, analyzing his face. He was lying. Of course, that much was clear. If it related to Ryuji or not…? She couldn't tell. He seemed to be serious about that.

Ann turned back around, focusing her attention back on Kawakami, or at least trying to. Her mind kept wandering…entertaining ideas and worries. One second, her mind jumped to Shiho and how she had a wee—

Stop it Ann…Please.

Ann tightened her grip on her pencil, frustrated at her idiotic mind provoking her with mentions of Shiho. It wasn't lessened as her mind went to thoughts of Ryuji and Ohya.

She didn't get it.

Madarame was gone…they won the battle, saved Yusuke, and were living relatively ordinary existences so far.

So, why doesn't it feel like it?

---

Makoto had done Ohya a favor and called her from her class, just to start their investigation preparations. Though, at the moment, that wasn't Makoto's focus.

Her eyes were sticking to the card between her fingers.

The card she had decided to keep hidden from Akira and Ryuji.

The card she…withheld from her cousin.

She remembered their high-strung conversation from over the phone, timed perfectly for when Makoto made it back home.

"How could you stick yourself in this danger? Placing yourself in these situations—actively trespassing into a man's home? How could you be so stupid?"

Makoto remembered Hifumi's paused as she stood there in her kitchen, unable to spit out a response, "Makoto…I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I'm…not like Sae. You're my cousin, and I love you. But you have to remember who you are. You're a Niijima. You have a strong legacy behind you—one that you have to uphold. It's unbecoming to see yourself…repeatedly involving yourself in matters like these. I won't tell Sae, but you have to understand…if I ever catch you in a situation like this again…I might just have to say what I know. There's only so much I can stomach."

Makoto gave a quiet huff.

Tell what you know…just to save face.

Like always.

Saving face seemed to be a facet of the Niijima family and all its branches. An insufferable symptom she seemed to be falling down with.

That's why Akira was—

Stop.

She cleared her throat. It was a nasty illness—the Niijima pride she was infected with. Although…to her, it could be used for good. Makoto's entire presidential career could be a representation of that.

And—despite the words of a reckless boy—that wasn't going to change.

An exuberant Ohya came through the doors, a beaming smile on her face as she wore her sunglasses, "Are you ready to solve the biggest mystery of your life, Niijima-senpai?"

Makoto quirked an eyebrow, "Seems as if someone is happy, Ohya-kun."

Ohya took a seat opposite Makoto, "Oh, I've just been having…a good break lately to put it lightly."

Makoto mindlessly nodded as she examined the card some more. Not that there was much else she could do, it was a bland and straightforward card.

As much as she hated it, if it wasn't for Akira she wouldn't even know this card was connected to Madarame, the most she would've thought is it was a poorly made promotion.

I guess you could say that's a good thing, at least I have something tangible to this Bael individual while they don't.

It's a small lead, but a lead nevertheless.

A thought quickly popped into her head as she–-for the first time-–acknowledged Ohya with her eyes, "Ichiko-kun, have you heard anything about a Bael, lately?"

Ohya instantly stiffened from the mention, "...yes…Ryuji mentioned it a few weeks ago. Why…?"

Makoto placed the card on the table, sliding to the young reporter, "Are you good at English?"

Picking up the card, she examined it before giving a nervous chuckle, "English isn't my best class, senpai." She laid the card back on the table, "I assume it says Bael or something? Where'd you find it?"

"At least your deductive reasoning is as sharp as ever." She pondered for a moment, "I…found this card during the events on Sunday. I pocketed it, thinking it might become useful later."

"But…you can't come up with anything for it yet? Hence you asking me?"

Makoto nodded, standing from her seat and coming around to Ohya's side of the table, "Do you think you can find anything out yet?'

The second-year looked at her skeptically, "You're already asking me to do this Kurusu file, and now this? What about Kayo? Aren't we supposed to be looking for leads right now instead of dead ends?"

She sighed.

She knows how to drive a bargain, I'll say that much.

"We're waiting for the bell, remember? I have power, but not enough to just…walk about into classrooms and interrupt each teacher." She shuffled, "But you still didn't give me an answer, Ohya-kun. Do you?"

She sighed, clearly annoyed with Makoto's insistence, "I…don't know. Before the Madarame exhibit, Ryuji and Akira both asked me. I did and…all I was able to find was stuff about myths and demons. Hell, I found something where it can mean lord or owner."

"Hmm…and watch your language."

Ohya's face scrunched in irritation as she picked the card back up, flipping it over for one more round of light analysis, "This castle…maybe it's a landmark?"

Makoto tilted her head as she thought about it, "What makes you think that?"

Ohya peered closer, positioning it so the both of them can see, "Well…it's a card, right? I can't really call it a business card, but cards are meant for advertisement. Using that line of logic, it has to be advertising something. A castle wouldn't be so…crazy."

She eyed her skeptically, "A castle with golden tusk-like things sticking out? Are any of those in Japan?"

An easygoing shrug came from the reporter, "I don't know, but I could look it up…afterwe interview people."

Luckily for Ohya, the bell rang as she stood up, giving the card to Makoto, "Can we get this on the road?"

Pocketing the card, Makoto led the way, Ohya electing to start in the practice building while she focused on the main building and going through her series of questions.

There wasn't much luck on that side of Shujin, the most she was able to gather was that…Kayo…was forgotten by the Shujin population for the most part. The portion of the population that recalled the girl—the second and third years—only seemed to remember her from her information leak from the year prior.

After the Shujin rumor wheel was done with her, she faded into obscurity, only being brought up for humorous jokes here and there.

Naturally having cleared out the main building, Makoto elected to move on to her next area; the courtyard.

As always, there were scattered students hanging about in their partial friend groups. For the first couple of interviews, it seemed as if she was having the same luck as before…until Makoto spotted a student sitting by his lonesome near the vending machine.

"Hello? May I ask you a question?"

The boy looked at her wearily, "Niijima-senpai? S-Sure…"

"I was wondering if—"

Makoto caught herself, noticing the first-year pin on his collar. A sigh slipped from her lips as they turned into a frown. Makoto bowed, She frowned as she looked back at the first-year, bowing, "Sorry, I…don't think you can help. Have a good day."

Makoto turned her back to the boy when he again found his voice, "N-Niijima-senpai?"

She turned toward him, "Hm?"

"The…Student Council is supposed to hear out any tips they hear, right…?"

Her gaze was laced with faint confusion, "Yes, what about it?"

He paused for a moment, wondering if this was the right way to go, "A friend of mine…he's…been sick apparently—at least according to our homeroom teacher. It's been a couple of days and I've even tried to call, but I haven't gotten anything. Is…there anything you can do?"

Makoto placed a hand on her chin, thinking, "Well…it's only been a few days, right?" He nodded, "In that case, there's no need to get alarmed just yet. Besides, your homeroom teacher explicitly said he was out sick, there's no need for a teacher to lie."

The first year looked disappointed with her dismissal, begrudgingly nodding, "I see…thanks for your help, Niijima-senpai."

The two nodded and Makoto went to reunite with Ohya.

---

"Uh…Boss? Can I come in?" Ryuji had his head poked inside Sojiro's office—technically answering his question before he had a chance to hear a reply.

Sojiro sighed, placing his coffee on this desk, "C'mon in, kid. You're lucky I'm falling in love with that boss title."

Ryuji nervously laughed, closing the door and taking a seat, "Yeah, that's kinda why I said it, didn't wanna get kicked out."

Sojiro lightly frowned as he gazed outside the window, seeing the bandroom—empty.

Sure, that's how he liked it but…

"Where's Akira? Running late or something?"

Ryuji's face darkened, "That's…actually why I'm here."

Sojiro tilted his head, "What did that idiot do now? Did he stick his dick in crazy or—"

Ryuji blurted his question out, "I want to know about Akira's past. Or…well, what happened at Kyoto."

Sojiro's frown intensified. The subtlety of it emboldened as he grimaced at Ryuji, his gaze laced with disappointment, "Kid…why are you asking?"

Ryuji's eyes went down to his hands, hiding from Sojiro's disappointment, "It's just that…I've heard things."

Sojiro leaned forward, "Haven't you heard these things about Akira since…my predecessor was here?"

"Yeah…but they've only been rumors. Nothin' concrete, but this…comes from someone I trust."

His director quirked an eyebrow, "You don't trust Akira?"

Ryuji paused, unsure of how to answer, fumbling around with his hands as he avoided Sojiro's eyes, "It's…it's just that I think it would be better gettin' answers from you instead of him or Mona."

Sojiro chuckled, "You're out of luck kid, there isn't much I know myself, and besides…it's not my place to tell. Which means…"

"I'll have to ask myself."

Sojiro nodded, "Easy solution."

Ryuji sighed as he stood up, seeking to leave before he caught himself, "Boss…who's Wakaba Isshiki?"

Sojiro faltered, "How do you—" he bit his tongue, "That's a story for another day."

---

Great.

Another day, another horrible session of Morooka's Hunt.

God, my back hurts.

As Akira made his way out of Kawakami's classroom, he almost ran into Haru. A nervous laugh slipped from his lips, "Hey Haru. Any reason why you're outside of my class?" A gleeful smile formed on her face, a sight that was always pleasant to Akira. Although…it seemed as if something was on her mind, something he instantly took to, "Haru? Are you okay?"

"Can you spare some time with me? Before you go to detention?"

He nodded, "Course, any time away from Renny and Morooka is a godsend. Especially if it's with a friend."

Her smile seemed to beam more as she took to the stairs, making her way to the roof where—no surprise—it was empty except for the two of them.

Last time I was alone with a girl…

Wait, no, not doing that.

Wholesome thoughts.

Yay.

The door shut with a hearty thud, a sigh of relief coming from Haru as she started nervously tending to her garden.

The sight of Haru being nervous was…not comforting. Akira drew himself closer, a hand reaching out and touching her shoulder. It was slight, but she seemed to calm down.

Good.

"Haru?" His voice was soft—gentle. A layer of smoothness he never knew he possessed, "What's wrong?"

She stopped fidgeting with the soil, taking an inhale as she turned to meet his eye.

It was almost as if she was afraid.

Of him?

He couldn't tell and almost didn't want to ask, maybe the answer would be something he couldn't handle.

Almost.

"Haru—"

"Is Morgana okay?" She spat it out abruptly, catching him off guard. Was he worrying for no reason?

"Uh…I think…? Why?"

"Well…when you were out last Friday, Mona-chan asked if I could talk to Yoshizawa-kun and I agreed."

"Uh-huh…"

"I didn't have the chance to the last couple of days due to…family business, but I tried yesterday."

"And?"

"She…wasn't angry. In fact, Yoshizawa-kun actually came up here to see him."

Akira's eyebrow twisted into confusion, "Excuse me?"

Haru nodded as she continued, "I went to Mona-chan with her but…he didn't seem phased. It seemed like he didn't care, Aki-chan."

Akira's confusion only multiplied, "H-huh…he has been unusually calm lately…maybe he's just trying to not stress himself out? Hell, he might've moved on."

"Moving on in a week is rather strange…"

Akira snorted, "You're talking about Morgana Kurusu, strange comes in his handbook. In any case, I'll check up on him, okay? No need to get all jumpy like you were."

Haru, for a moment, seemed to forget her jumpiness as she nervously laughed, taking a page from Akira's book as she rubbed her nape, "Y-Yeah, my apologies."

Akira headed for the door, smiling, "I appreciate the concern though Haru, but please don't stress yourself out about my little brother. It'll make me feel like I'm doing a bad job."

She matched his smile as he left, not knowing how empty it truly was.

---

Makoto scanned over the directory, a picture of Kayo taking center stage in her mind.

Her withdrawn nature was clear from the photo, a nervousness emanating from her doctored smile.

Below her picture was her phone number. According to Ohya, her phone number wasn't working anymore, Ohya wasn't sure if this was recent or around last year since she…hadn't called or texted her in a while.

Ohya's knowledge of her address wasn't a viable lead as well since she lived with her uncle, a quirk of Kayo's life that had been tried and true since they were in middle school. Well, it was tried and true. Before Kayo's personal life was leaked, she told Ohya she would be moving soon…a piece of information she wasn't able to learn.

Ohya tried asking her uncle, but apparently, he had been out of the country for the past three months…

These facets of information were interesting, all of these strange occurrences happening to a former student of Shujin Academy?

In her mind, Kayo Murakami—the former victim of Shujin's rumor wheel—was starting to become the one thing Makoto hated the most.

An unknown.

A buzz came from Makoto's phone, snapping her from her engrossed state.

Picking it up, it was from Haru Okumura.

Haru Okumura: Makoto?

Makoto Niijima: Yes? What is it, Okumura-san?

Haru Okumura: Haru*

Makoto Niijima: Right, sorry…

Haru Okumura: I wanted to see if you'd be okay with hanging out?

Hm…

Maybe I could probe for information on the Kurusus…?

Her mind briefly flashed to Kobayakawa's meeting and she bit her lip, irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

Makoto Niijima: I don't think I'll be able to spare time on the roof today, Haru.

Haru Okumura: Oh! That's okay! I wasn't really in the mood for gardening anyway. Can I come to the Student Council Room instead?

Makoto looked around, trying to gain an excuse but…today was Friday, no meeting was going to be held and Shiro was at band practice—still upholding his ridiculous attempt at proving himself to some degree.

Just…information I can use.

Nothing is set in stone with Kobayakawa yet.

Makoto Niijima: That would be fine, there's no meeting today. The door's unlocked.

Haru liked her message and—within moments—she was inside the room. The two greeted each other with smiles, though Haru's seemed to be a bit…lacking in enthusiasm.

Kurusu related?

Haru took a seat opposite Makoto, much like Ohya did hours earlier.

"Still using sinking all your time into work, Makoto?"

Makoto paused for a moment, seemingly remembering their last conversation at Shujin, before giving a faint smile, "This time, it's required…a request of the Student Council."

Haru tilted her head, "Then…where's everyone else? I thought you said there wasn't a meeting today?"

"There isn't one, I suppose I should've said it's a request of me."

Haru nodded, "May I ask what it is?"

Makoto pondered for a moment, before committing, "It's a disappearance, apparently. I thought it wasn't anything important at first…but I might've been wrong."

"Oh! A mystery for the Student President to solve? How exciting!"

Makoto, for all her seriousness, couldn't help but break into a slight smile, "I…suppose you could say that."

There was a beat of silence before Makoto slid the book to Haru, "Have you ever seen Kayo Murakami?"

Taking a hold of the book, she examined her face, "I don't think I have…I don't pay that much attention to people, Makoto. Sorry…"

Makoto waved a hand, calming her, "It's fine, I wasn't expecting anything anyway. I've spent too much time on Murakami-kun today." She paused, looking at Haru, "Why…did you want to spend time with me, today? Picking me over your outlet? I may not know much about you Okumura-san, but that's…odd."

Push a little.

Haru frowned, "Again, just call me Haru, Makoto." She faltered for a moment before continuing, "Its…nothing, I just…need a break from things. Things that are…unpleasant."

"Gardening is unpleasant?"

Haru waved her hands, "Heavens no! I just need a palette cleanse, and I think you'll help with that. Just like how I think you need a palette cleanse too."

"Me?"

"Makoto, you look so drained. Relax for a moment. Talk about random stuff, what's on your mind—that's not related to Murakami-kun or…whatever business you have."

Finding out information doesn't count, right?

No, it doesn't count Makoto.

Play along…push.

"Well…I've been wondering how the Shujin Fair is going to go this year. From the forms I saw, there are some interesting groups and ideas. I'm surprised you're in a group this year, you usually opt out."

Haru waved her hand, a light chuckle coming from her lips, "I wanted to experience it, at least once."

"I hope it's interesting, considering your group. Shoes…sound fun."

"Ryuji and Akira seem to have a handle on that, though we haven't been able to talk much about it lately."

Perfect.

Makoto quirked an eyebrow, "Why is that?'

"Akira's been caught up in detention and especially today, it seems something is bothering him…plus, it seems as if he and Ryuji haven't had the chance to talk to each other lately. Ann has been focusing on her work as well, little time outside of practice too…"

Makoto took in this information, bouncing it around in her head, trying to find an angle to attack it.

Kurusu-kun and Sakamoto-kun might have an issue…and something is bothering Kurusu to the point Haru's noticing it.

Perhaps this has something to do with his past, or something else entirely…

Takamaki's been straight as an arrow, I suppose that's good to hear.

However, I could still press for information.

It's probably a good idea to lay off, I can't have Okumura-san getting suspicious.

Makoto cleared her throat, "What about you, Haru? Anything interesting lately?"

Haru's eyes faintly darkened with a loneliness that even Makoto couldn't be oblivious to.

That look again…

She seems to be tired.

I wonder why?

Could it be related to Kurusu-kun as well?

A brief giggle came from Haru, almost as if it was a distraction to throw Makoto off, "I've…had a lot of progress in the garden lately! My azaleas and camellia plants finally bloomed! My honeydew and beets are surprisingly well, though my beans are still slow on the uptake."

Despite Makoto getting the information she needed from Haru, she didn't mind hearing her speak.

Especially with how tired she seemed.

---

Akira felt a buzz in his pocket as he walked into the apartment, Yusuke still sleeping as peacefully as ever. Something that both brought a faint smile and intense regret to his face.

He didn't have much time to bask in the regret as Ann sent another text.

Ann: Hey, have you talked to Mona at all today?

Akira: No…why?

Ann: Not sure, but he seems a helluva lot calmer. Just kinda easygoing at practice.

Akira: Haru said something about Mona acting differently, he apparently ignored Kasumi

Ann: HE WHAT

Akira: I'll talk to him once he gets home, he's probably been watching some shitty YT videos on how to get a girl to pursue him.

Ann: I hope not, that's even worse than taking advice from Ryuji.

Akira: Is that a shot at me?

Ann: If the shoe fits.

As Akira entered his room, his eyes took note of the notebook on his desk.

Well, he noticed the note on top of it.

Oh…right, Kawakami…

I should probably get this out of the way as soon as possible…

But I don't want Mona to accidentally walk in and see Kawakami…that might be a little odd to explain.

Akira: Yo, can you walk around Shibuya or something for the next like…hour or two?

Mona: Sure.

…

No snarky remark?

Not even a question?

He even replied quick as hell?

Akira: You…don't have anything to say about that?

Mona: Do what ya need bro, I'll just eat at the diner and watch some games.

Akira: Are you...okay? The girls have been worrying about you, I heard you even brushed off Kasumi?

Mona: Oh, right. I didn't brush her off...I just wanted to not make things a big deal. I just wanna relax for a bit, not giving myself reasons to stress out y'know?

Akira: I guess...

Mona: I'm okay though! Don't worry!

Akira squinted at his phone, struggling to believe it as he dialed Kawakami's number.

"Hello?"

What the hell—this isn't Kawakami…

His face frowned, this has to be the service…

Shit…what was her name on Thursday? Becky?

Akira cleared his throat, trying to see older than he actually was, "Uh…can I put in a request for Becky?"

The operator paused, making Akira fear he might've messed up, but then he heard a click and a familiar voice filled his ears, "Hello! Good evening master! You requested me?"

Oh.

Yeah, this just isn't doing anything for me.

Akira just wanted this to be over with and dropped the voice, "Kawakami-sensei? It's Kurusu-san."

Kawakami seemed to falter for a moment, "Ah. I'll be over as soon as possible, I assume your address is the same as Sakura-san's?"

"N-No, oh God no. It's XXX."

"Huh. Familiar. Anyway, if you're…requesting my services, you know you have to pay a fee, right?"

"...are you being serious?"

"Sadly, no."

"I'm your student—"

"Which makes it even worse, just cough up 50,000 yen."

"50,000 YEN?!" Akira clasped his hand over his mouth and quickly poked his head out of the doorway, feeling immense relief once he saw Yusuke was still sleeping.

Kawakami on the other hand? Hadn't changed her tone of voice, "Come on master! It's a little fee in the end! Endless pleasure!"

"You're so lucky I'm a decent person."

Akira could feel his wallet deepen as he hung up the phone.

He was cooked.

---

Within half an hour, Kawakami knocked on Akira's door. Opening the door, Akira was granted to the sight of Kawakami of course…but in her maid outfit from last week.

"What the fuck..." He looked her up and down, both of their faces rife with embarrassment, "Did you really come all the way here with…thison?"

She rolled her eyes, "it's my job, Kurusu-kun, what else did you expect?"

Kawakami pushed passed him, letting herself in as she was tired of standing in the hallway, "Wait, to get in you need to either say the name of the person or their apartment number…oh god…the receptionist is so cute too..."

Kawakami paused as she saw Yusuke passed out on the couch, turning back to Akira, "I thought it was just going to be just the two of us talking…"

Akira sighed as he went to the fridge, grabbing a leftover parfait as he sat at the countertop, "Yeah, but Yusuke's a heavy sleeper so he won't be interrupting us, besides, he doesn't go to Shujin anyway."

Kawakami looked at the resting artist wearily before electing to join Akira, slipping into the stool at his side as realization dawned on her face, "That's Yusuke Kitagawa…right?" Akira nodded as he took another spoonful of his parfait, "Huh…and he's just staying at your place now?" Akira nodded once again, "You're…something interesting, Kurusu-kun. Is he why you've been sleeping in my class more?"

Akira snorted as he shook his head, "As much as I wish that was the case, it's not...and I think the more interesting thing is the fact my homeroom teacher is masquerading as a…maid at night. And we aren't at school, just call me Akira, please."

Kawakami gave a brief huff of humor, "Okay, Akira." She paused for a second, "Ah…that's why I remember this place, it was on Niijima-kun's profile." She turned to him, slightly leaning on her words, "I hope you—"

Akira snickered, "Yeah, yeah. I know already, we've been over this. Just that this time there's a distinct lack of scissors."

And my balls getting cut off.

Kawakami struggled to find her footing before she continued, "Uh…I can imagine you are…confused."

That and the strangest sexual attraction in my lifetime.

"Understatement of the year."

She bit her lip, "Before I say anything, I need you to promise you won't say anything. Not a peep to any of your friends, especially Takamaki-kun or Sakamoto-kun."

One of them isn't talking to me so I think you're fine, sensei.

Akira nodded, giving her permission to continue but it seemed as if she didn't know how to start…or whereto start, "I took this job to…help my sister in the hospital. It's all I can do. She got sick really bad a few years ago and we're each other's only family." Her eyes seemed to darken as she threw her gaze into her lap, "Teaching isn't the best provider when it comes to anything so…"

Akira paused, placing his parfait on the counter as a frown formed on his face, "Oh…sensei I had no idea…"

"You see why this would be…difficult to explain if it got out, right? Especially with Chouno…that harpy's been breathing down my neck ever since Kamoshida was arrested." Her energy faintly returned as she tapped Akira on the back, "Thanks for saving me from her the other day, I don't know how I would've gotten out of it without your help."

Before Akira could spit out a reply, Yusuke shot up from the couch, "Well, Akira does have a knack for helping people, even when they don't outwardly say it." Kawakami seemed frightened by Yususke's appearance but he walked toward her, his hand outstretched as he sought a handshake, "I was utterly moved by your story, I wish the best for your sister."

Yusuke moved away from the two, electing to go into the bathroom and take a shower. Akira sighed, "That means I have to give him another pair of clothes…" He turned back to Kawakami, "And it's fine, considering you helped me after my…unfortunately night, it was the least I could do."

Kawakami chuckled, "I guess we're keeping each other's secrets, huh?" She rose, heading to the door as Akira followed her lead, "Is Kitagawa-kun—"

"Yusuke doesn't blab on anyone, you're fine Kawakami-sensei I promise." He paused as a thought resurfaced in his head, "Sensei?"

Kawakami stepped out of the apartment, turning around to meet his gaze, "Yes?"

"If someone wanted to learn information about a student, they could use the directory, correct?"

Kawakami paused, "Well…the directory would only allow contact information on a student, if it's personal information, they'd have to ask their homeroom teacher." She quirked an eyebrow, "Why do you ask?"

Akira's eyes darkened with seriousness, "Has anyone asked you lately about me?"

She paused, briefly recollecting before spitting out an answer, "Nope. Akira, are you okay?"

He mindlessly nodded as a new question dawned in his head—but it wasn't for Kawakami as he gave her a smile, "Goodnight sensei, I'll see you tomorrow in class."

He bowed as he closed the door, leaving himself in his thoughts for the rest of the night.

---

Saturday, June 12th

Sojiro frowned as he stood outside of the Student Council Room. He had been mulling it over since yesterday, but he still could believe he was doing this stupid idea.

He sighed, and slid the door open, greeted by the sight of Makoto Niijima, who was concerned with the paperwork she was pouring over, and to her left was Shiro. He bowed to the third-year as he centered on Makoto, "Niijima-kun?"

Sojiro's voice was enough to pull Makoto from her focus as she gazed at him, "Sakura-sensei, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Sojiro paused for a moment, "Nishikawa-kun, could you leave me and Niijima-kun alone?"

Shiro opened his mouth to object, but a simple glare from Makoto told him it wasn't the smartest choice, so…he left.

As the door closed, Sojiro took a seat at the table, groaning from his aging body, "Okay, I usually wouldn't do this, but this is kind of concerning me."

Makoto tilted her head, "What seems to be the issue?"

Sojiro faltered for a moment, unsure of how to approach this, "One of my students…or well, players, hasn't been showing up for practice."

Makoto lightly shook her head, a playful chuckle slipping from her lips, "I'm confused, Sakura-sensei, what exactly does that have to do with me? Wouldn't that be more telling of your program and how a student may not have liked it?"

His gaze was flat and direct, with no room for humor at all, "I wouldn't be here if that was the case. After he didn't show up yesterday, I went to his homeroom teacher, she said he's been flaky with classes lately."

Makoto paused, her mind remembering the first year from before, "How…long has this been going on?"

"The last time he was at practice was Wednesday. Apparently, according to his mother, he's been out sick. But even then…that seems suspicious, no?"

"It's strange…what's his name?"

"Tetsuo Suzuno, a trumpet player. He's a bright kid."

Makoto quickly wrote down the name, before looking back at Sojiro, "I…can't fully divulge my entire time on this, but I will look into it. This is most peculiar, Sakura-sensei."

Sojiro rose from his seat, seeking the door, "Just try, Niijima-kun. He's a good kid, and I'm just worried."

Sojiro's words felt sincere…a warmth to them that was lost whenever Kamoshida would speak.

Hell, he never even reported about a slacking student.

That sincerity was enough to make Makoto feel bad for even thinking about Kobaykawa's offer.

But then again, sincerity wasn't going to help her in the long run, was it?

---

Finally, after waiting for like thirty minutes, Makoto came into the Student Council Room, with Ohya sitting in her usual spot.

Ohya had her feet kicked up, relaxing with her sunglasses over her face again, "It's about time you showed up, Prez. Aren't you usually in here for like…most of the day?"

Makoto rolled her eyes as she took a seat, "I had a test in Calculus and I couldn't leave…but how long have you been in here, Ohya-kun?"

"I…think maybe thirty minutes? This is one of my…less important classes, so my teacher doesn't really care." She took her feet from the table and stood up, "So, what's the plan for today?"

Makoto pulled out her notebook, searching through it until she found her latest page with multiple viewpoints of Kayo Murakami, "If none of the students know anything worthwhile, then we need to try the staff."

"You mean her homeroom teacher?"

Makoto nodded, "Correct, the directory holds only contact information. If you were seeking personal information, her homeroom teacher is the best course of action."

Ohya bounced the idea around in her head before pausing, "But…what if they only have the information from last year? Slating her uncle as the address and personal contact?"

She shook her head, "I doubt it. You said she mentioned something about moving soon right? Shujin's digital database of student and faculty information is robust, surprisingly. That database is realistically why those tidbits on Kurusu-kun's past were leaked."

Though it being as…vague as it was is still surprising, even now.

"So we just have to find her homeroom teacher?"

Makoto waved her hand as she fished out the Student Directory, "Already found that out during the morning, it's Usami-sensei."

Makoto quickly packed her stuff up and left with Ohya in tow, swiftly making it to Usami who was diligently working on lesson plans for the future.

The two girls bowed, with Usami greeting them with a warming smile, "Niijima-kun! What do I owe the pleasure?"

"It's great to see you Usami-sensei, I wanted to ask a couple of questions…about one of your students."

Usami raised an eyebrow, "Which?"

"Well…they aren't in your class anymore…I'm referring to Kayo Murakami."

Her eyes lingered on the two for a second before she frowned, lowering her sight, "Murakami-kun…what about her?"

Usami sat on the question for a second, "I'm not really sure…her attendance was really flaky. One minute she'd be in class and another she'd be gone. It was even harder since she never stuck out, I'm not sure if that was by choice or…if it happened due to her father's case."

Unbeknownst to Makoto, Ohya grimaced before taking the reins momentarily, "Usami-sensei…I know you don't know me from any other student here, but is there anything you could possibly tell us about Kayo? Anything at all?"

Usami paused, pondering, "Well…the days when she was here, I couldn't help but notice she had her eye on that transfer student in Class 2-D in the halls. Anytime I heard talk of him in class, she seemed to be invested."

Ohya and Makoto shot brief gazes at one another, yet another situation having some sort of tether to Akira Kurusu.

An odd stroke of fate yet again.

Makoto quickly shook her head, "Um…why do you think she stopped coming to school?"

A faint shrug came from Usami, "Well…why would she keep coming? She was, after all, turned into an outcast when the news of her father's assault leaked. She became tainted and from what I saw, no one ever cared enough to be by her side. Everyone wrote her off and treated her like she was…trash. Even when the rumors really stopped, she was still veiled by that legacy. I can't imagine how that must feel…"

Ohya felt a lump in her throat.

Makoto was able to find her voice, "Is…is there any way we can find her? Or just talk to her?"

Usami looked the Student President in her eyes, "Why are you girls so deadset on this? Two months after?"

Ohya swallowed, trying to project a sense of confidence, "It's important to me."

For a few seconds, Usami examined her eyes, feeling the vulnerability present, eventually sighing, "Don't…tell anyone I gave you this, but I still have her profile in my files. It should give you her address and mother's phone number."

The two girls bowed, with the younger speaking first, "Thank you so much, Usami-sensei."

---

Akira sighed as he stood outside of Morooka's classroom, his back sore from the bullshit activities of the day. Ren was at his side as well, basking in similar pain.

As a sick joke, Akira smacked him on the back, a smile on his face, "Well! What do you know, Renny! We got through this hellish week together! That makes us the best of friends now!"

Akira felt the bloodlust run through Ren's veins, but Ren knew better. Any altercation, of course, would lead to the suspension of their clubs.

Morooka was hell and an awful experience but goddamn it, I wouldn't trade anything if it meant fucking with Ren.

The bastard deserves it.

Ren walked off, holding his back in pain as he frowned at Akira, "You think shit is sweet man? Keep that same energy."

Akira waved goodbye, a grin on his face, "I will always keep the same energy, especially when you finally keep me in the dirt!"

Man.

Ryuji would've loved that joke.

Akira sighed, making his way to the courtyard as he felt his phone vibrate.

Authentic Men (Mona Pending)

Huh, I forgot this was a thing.

Iwai: All you asshats, meet up at West Park in Kabukicho.

Akira: Wait, what?

Iwai: Stop asking questions, just meet up there.

Iwai: This is mandatory, by the way.

Akira squinted at his phone, initially wanting to question Iwai more but…he knew that wasn't a smart choice.

So, he simply set off for Kabukicho.

---

Outside of her father's tours, Makoto never ventured outside of Tokyo. It never interested her and Sae made it a point to never take her on tours.

Though this pseudo-isolation was broken since Kayo's mother, Kaoru Murakami, apparently lived on the outskirts of Ota City.

Usami's profile led the girls to a ten-story decrepit apartment complex, obviously passed its heyday.

Originally, Makoto opted to simply call Kaoru's number, but nothing came. It went to voicemail every time, which…honestly she should've expected.

She was content with this at first, but Ohya elected to simply appear at the address instead of wasting time waiting.

It took a few minutes—and guilting—but Makoto agreed, taking a thirty-minute ride to Ota.

Ohya looked down at the photo of Kayo's record she took, "Apparently she lives on the 8th floor?" Ohya's eyes scaled the building once more, "You think this place has an elevator?"

Makoto sighed and ignored the girl, making her way into the complex.

Upon their first step inside its cyan-colored tile walls and floors, Ohya gained an answer to her question, "Okay…there's no elevator. Great."

Directly in front of them was a tiny front desk, with a balding security guard sleeping away. Behind him were the stairs leading up to the many floors above them.

Makoto reached a hand out, trying to wake him but Ohya quickly grabbed her arm, "The hell are you trying to do?"

Makoto's face twisted with confusion as she ripped her arm from her grip, "I'm going to tell him that we're here and trying to find—"

Ohya's face scrunched up with annoyance as she made her way to the stairs, waving Miss Prez to follow her.

Makoto, naturally, faltered for a moment.

We're technically trespassing…if caught the implications and potential charges…

She looked at Ohya's ascending form, a frown forming.

I should follow her just to make sure she's fine.

And to tell her off.

Yeah.

That's responsible.

Miss Prez quickly—and as silently as possible—made her way up the stairs.

The trek up the stairs wasn't as bad as Makoto thought, at least that was the case for her since Ohya was huffing and puffing once they finally made it onto the 8th floor. Ohya's hands were on her knees as she desperately huffed every single ounce of oxygen she could muster as Makoto looked around, seeing the identical front doors, "Which door was it?"

Ohya, albeit very weakly, raised a finger at a door on the far right end. Makoto knocked on the door where she was met with no response.

She knocked repeatedly until—

"Hey! Some people are trying to fuckin' sleep here! Fuck off!"

Makoto tensed up at the voice, clearly getting the message.

She reunited with Ohya, who was at the peak of the stairs still catching her breath, "I…assume…no luck?"

"No…I don't think she lives there anymore, Ohya-kun."

Ohya's face contorted with disappointment and anguish, "You tell me we climbed those stairs for no reason?!"

Makoto nodded quickly, "Although, we could ask the landlord if they know if she's there or not."

Ohya's disappointment intensified, "So you mean…we're gonna have to go down the stairs…and ask the security guard if they know where the landlord is? Oh god…" Ohya's voice started to trail off as she sluggishly picked herself up, making her way down the stairs again.

After a few minutes of silent anguish from the young reporter, they made it back to the base of the building, the guard still sleeping.

Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, Ohya violently shook the guard, instantly waking him up, "Do you know where the landlord is?"

The guard looked at the duo, waving them off with some vulgarity before returning to his disturbed sleep. This seemingly was the straw for Ohya as she slammed her palm on the desk, "Hey! Come on man we're asking you some pressing questions!"

"Ohy—"

The guard snapped his head up, "What?!"

Ohya got closer to his face, "Where's the landlord?"

"You're lookin' at them, smartass.

The two girls faltered, "O-Oh…sorry..haha…" The landlord looked at Ohya with both an intense irritation and confusion, seemingly waiting for her to ask her question, "Right…um, does Kaoru Murakami stay here or?"

The drowsy landlord waved his hand about, waving the question as nothing but a silly idiotic idea, "Kaoru left like…two months ago? Sucks, she was nice…had a real cute face as well."

Ohya ignored his last bit as she bit her tongue, "Do you know where she stays now? It's really important, sir."

Makoto couldn't help but detect a trace amount of pleading in her voice…she was serious about this.

"Yeah…it's some real nice place overlookin' the shore in Urayasu…she wanted all her mail to be rerouted there once she left, so she left the address." He paused, rubbing the faint whisks of hair that remained, "Why are you girls askin' in the first place…? Ya don't plan on doin' somethin' to Murakami-chan do you?"

The two girls frowned, "No, we're just…two concerned friends of her daughter. Did you see her during the move or…"

He seemed to ponder, but shrugged and gave them the address, "I didn't see Kayo before they left…maybe I just missed her."

As they stepped out of the complex, Ohya seemed energetic, seemingly having a lead for once in a case that, until a few hours ago, seemed to be dead on arrival.

"Urayasu…how far is that from here?"

Makoto paused on the street, "Ohya-kun, there's no way you're expecting us to go to Urayasu. It's on the other side of the bay."

Ohya's face scrunched up, "Why not? We're burning daylight!"

"It's about to be nighttime soon, Urayasu by train is at least an hour…then we have to find the place and that's not even accounting for talking and then coming back. At the very least, it might cause us to miss the trains back home." Makoto paused before pushing forward onto the young reporter, "At the very least, we should resume tomorrow morning. It's a Sunday…and I doubt Murakami-san will be working. There's no rush, okay?"

Ohya seemed to struggle with that, almost accepting Makoto's words before she defiantly turned around, making her way to the train station without a word uttered.

This is going to be difficult.

---

The new Murakami household was a beach house, surprisingly. The house was a three-story, almost camouflaging with the beach with its sandy-colored exterior, at least if you weren't looking at the house from the beach itself. Doing that would make it stick out sorely against the towering buildings in the city.

Makoto sighed as Ohya made her way to the front door, hopping over the wooden gate that surely didn't do its job.

Ohya was focused—a devilish level of determination written all over her face. Something that hadn't changed since they endeavored on this foolish quest in the first place.

Something that made Makoto worry…and something that made her want to look over her junior with a protective eye.

By the time Makoto caught up, Ohya had already rapped her knuckles against the doors—loudly.

"Ohya—"

The door opened with a swiftness, partially scaring both girls as a middle-woman pudgy woman with chestnut hair stared at them, all three of them bewildered.

Kaoru Murakami was able to gain her bearings first, "W-Who are—" She caught wind of the Shujin uniforms, her brow furrowed as she murmured under her breath, "S-Shujin…"

The unease left the air filled with trepidation.

Makoto tried speaking first, coming from a place of serenity—as weird as it was for her, "Murakami-san, we just—"

Kaoru closed the door, slamming it in their faces, leaving the young Niijima confused as Ohya groaned, getting closer to the door, "Murakami-san? I'm here because I knew your daughter. I…wasclose friends with her."

Kaoru snickered from the other side of the door, "Close friends? Kayo never had any friends…and taking two months to appear is hilarious…"

Ohya gritted her teeth, her anger inflamed, "We wouldn't be in this situation in the first place if you didn't decide to remove Kayo from Shujin! Is she even with you?! Or do you even care?!"

Kaoru paused, "You're Ichiko Ohya, aren't you?"

The two girls looked at one another before turning back to the door, Kaoru continuing, "I take that as a yes…you're the girl my Kayo was crying over…saying you abandoned her…left her to the hounds for your precious status." A hearty chuckle came from the door, "Her only friend…left her alone in the great big halls of school because she was marked by her father's mistake." She scoffed, "What a close friend you are, and yet you want to ask me if I care about my daughter."

Ohya's conviction wavered as she stood paralyzed…even Makoto felt put off.

Footsteps could be heard leaving, which caused Makoto to leap to action, banging against the door, "Please! We just want to do better…Ohya-kun just wants to do better. This has been eating away at her…please, just tell us if Murakami-kun is okay. We'll leave you alone."

There was a deafening silence from the house as the push and pull of the waves filled the air.

Despite that…Makoto was sure she was able to pull on some semblance of sympathy from Kaoru.

Sure enough, she was right.

Kaoru Murakami wrenched open the door, flicking her misty eyes at them before settling on Ohya, "The last time I saw Kayo was April 21st. That's all I know, honest. Now leave me alone, please."

She slammed the door, her footsteps getting more and more distant.

Makoto gazed at the young reporter, seeing how Kaoru's words rocked her to the core. Gingerly, she placed a hand on her shoulder, "Are…are you okay?"

There was a pause—the briefest of pauses—as she sighed, a few sniffles coming from her as she turned to leave, "Yeah. I guess we got our answer on Kayo. She must've ran away…"

The two trudged through the sand, silence building walls between them as Makoto pondered on the date.

April 21st…

Why does that sound familiar…

Eventually, the two made it back to the train station, with Ohya turning to Makoto and bowing as their train made it on time, "Look…Niijima-senpai, I'm sorry this was a waste of time. I should've just stayed true to myself and attacked it from that angle before dragging you along."

APRIL 21ST! OF COURSE!

Makoto quickly pulled Ohya up, "Ignore all of that, it wasn't a waste of time."

"You're just being nice, no need to—"

"Oh, no if it was, I'd tell you. But do you remember what happened on the 21st?"

Ohya's face faintly filled with confusion before her eyes widened, "Shiho—"

"You…you don't think this has something to do with Kamoshida, do you?"

"I…well, her father's case was leaked due to him…but…" Her voice faded out as her eyes glistened with clarity, "That must be what she meant…"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Before I started to investigate Mishima, she came to me during those last couple days of the semester at my home…she kept it short and sweet but she mentioned something about wanting my help on a lead…something really important."

"And you think this lead has something to do with Kamoshida?"

She faltered, guilt weighing more, "I…I thought it might have something to do with her father but…it might. If Murakami-san saw her last on the same day Shiho jumped…that isn't just a remark we can ignore."

Makoto was quiet, her hand on her chin as her brow furrowed in thought, "I think I know a place where we can fi—"

Her phone buzzed.

Sis: Where are you?

Damn it.

Ugh, language, Makoto.

Makoto: I'm handling some council business. I'll be home soon enough.

Sis: Alright.

Sis: Mind grabbing something to eat on your way back? I'm…too tired to cook.

Makoto: Right.

Makoto looked back at Ohya, "I'll follow up on my lead tomorrow, just try to get some rest, Ichiko-kun."

Things were going to be difficult indeed.

---

After catching the train and a taxi, Akira made it to West Park where he caught sight of everyone standing in front of a restroom.

Everyone also included Ryuji…

Aw crap.

As Akira connected with everyone, he noticed that Yusuke was with Mona, he tapped his brother on the shoulder, "You brought Yusuke with you?"

Mona gave him a relaxed smile and shrugged, "It only made sense, considering he hasn't been get—"

Akira quickly cut him off, still not wanting people to know of Yusuke's situation.

It just wasn't considerate.

Yet another signifier that Mona was acting stranger than usual.

Yusuke shuffled around, seemingly tense as Akira tenderly placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's good to see you, Akira."

His voice dropped, "You don't have to be here if you don't want to, Yusuke. After Thursday, I get it if you want to just…you know, stay home."

Yusuke sighed, "I appreciate the concern, but wasting away in the apartment…it shouldn't be my goal."

Akira lingered in his eyes, even giving him an understanding nod as Iwai finally took notice of his presence, "Ah, it's about time your dumbass showed up! I was about to leave without you!"

Akira stuffed his hands into his pockets as he stood awkwardly, "What the hell are we doing in front of a restroom, Iwai? I got a test I need to study for that's coming on Monday—"

"Shut up Akira, if you let me speak then maybe I can explain!" Akira's energy quickly piped down as Iwai went inside the restroom. After a few seconds he poked his head out, "Are you assholes comin' or not?"

Tora looked at the rest of the group, "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. For the most part."

The group hesitantly followed Iwai, stopping at a stall at the very end, "Alright, let me just make it clear, I'm only doin' this shit 'cause your little blonde friend said y'all needed to cheer up." He pointed at Tora first, "You been fired," then at Akira and Ryuji, "both of you assholes are actin' weird and distant towards each other,'' then to Yusuke, "you just lost a father figure," and finally stopped at Mona, "you…you're just actin' weird."

Akira and Ryuji both ignored the line about them, with the former snapping his head to Tora, "Wait what?"

Tora shot a glare filled with irritation at his best friend, "I thought I told you to notmention this?!"

Iwai shrugged before pushing the stall open and stepping further inside, his voice seemingly getting distant and distant, "Kids deserve to know…"

Tora grumbled as he led the way, pushing to the front of the kids and waving a hand for them to follow. He ignored Akira's pleas as he went inside of the stall.

For some reason, the stall didn't have a toilet—instead, it had a doorway inside of it

After walking through a park filled with hobos, they went down the steps of an abandoned subway system.

At first, it was dark, with the guys being able to barely make each other out. Everyone, with the exception of Iwai and Tora, seemed to be on edge. Though Morgana seemed excited, oddly. Soon enough a faint purple light started to fill the stairway, illuminating everything as they reached the base of the stairs.

Iwai chuckled, "Well gentlemen, welcome to Purgatory."

Purgatory, somehow, had been constructed from the remains of the subway system, emulating the pleasure districts of old. The walkways were littered with sakura petals and desperate salarymen. Its blotches of purple and orangish hues brought an otherworldly quality to the place that Akira couldn't shake off.

Iwai put out his hand, "That reminds me, you guys gotta give me your phones, I gotta turn them in for holding or whatever. Purgatory's a secret place and…phones usually reveal secrets so."

The group complied as Iwai turned the phones in before going deeper into Purgatory.

At the far end of Purgatory, Akira caught sight of a massive mansion that was modeled after traditional Edo architecture. There were two other massive building-like structures to the left and right of Akira, with the one on the left resembling a spiraling column. That was where Iwai was heading toward.

Akira initially wanted to question Iwai but paused as he caught sight of Tora and remembered Iwai's words, "Tora-senpai?"

Tora seemed reluctant as they followed Iwai, attempting to stay at the back of the group, but forced himself to acknowledge his junior, "Yes, Kurusu-kun?"

"Why didn't you tell me about…you know?"

Tora sighed, "Besides it being Council business that hasn't been spread to the school yet? It's because I knew you'd feel guilty like you are right now."

"Why wouldn't I? I—"

"I knew the risks, remember? That's why I asked if you thought you were doing the right thing." A solemn expression formed over his face as he glazed over the expanse of Purgatory, "Niijima-san…made her choice. I can't say I entirely blame her for it. I have been doing…unsightly things for a person of my stature. Perhaps this is a punishment I deserve." Akira tried to open his mouth to object, but Tora placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping them in the middle of Purgatory as everyone started to file into the building, as a sincere smile formed on his face, "Don't let this question you. You have better things to worry about…like you and Sakamoto-kun."

Akira frowned but tried to keep a positive demeanor, "I have no idea how to fix that. Hell, I don't even know what's going on with him."

Tora chuckled, "That's the great thing about Purgatory, it has a way of…fixing things."

"What is this place anyway?"

"A place where anything can and will happen. Iwai's father helped form this place decades ago before he was imprisoned."

Iwai started to walk with Akira trailing behind him, "What are we gonna do here?"

"Have fun."

---

"Ten years in the joint made you a fuckin' pussy, Kazuma!"

Iwai's form of having fun was watching two men in a ring fight until one of them was a bloody pulp. At the moment, it was two men with tatted backs fighting each other. The one named Kazuma hit the other man square in the face, a sickeningly beautiful crack emanated from the blow as the other was sent back into the chain fence, his legs giving out as his head smacked the chain, causing him to lay slumped on the floor.

It was clear that Kazuma had won and that was only reinforced as a man with an eyepatch came strolling out with a mic in hand, grabbing Kazuma's hand and raising it to the air, "Kiryu-chan won! Once again! Who would've thought!?" The crowd soon erupted into an uproar, Mona and the two third-years joining in as well with their own screams of joy.

Honestly, Ryuji couldn't lie, this was fun. He would've joined in himself if it wasn't for the fact Akira was sitting right next to him. The awkward energy between them was equally suffocating them, and neither really tried to usurp the energy as well.

They were at a crossroads.

Sure, Sojiro's words were bouncing around Ryuji's head but he didn't know how to—

Wait a minute.

Ryuji looked around, not seeing a familiar sight of blue hair.

It seemed Akira realized the same as his voice came out first, "Hey! Where's Yusuke?" It was useless as the roar of the crowd made Akira's question fall on deaf ears—except for Ryuji's. As if things were back to normal, they followed each other's lead as they made their way to the base of the coliseum again

The thing was...Purgatory was a big place.

A big place with a lot of danger.

Akira groaned as he turned to Ryuji, "He couldn't have gone that far…I'm gonna try these two buildings."

Ryuji grumbled as Akira walked off, "Why was he even here in the first place…"

Maybe we could've missed him inside?

Ryuji went back inside, stepping in front of the front desk, "Hey…uh…have you seen a really tall, skinny kinda guy? Blue hair?" The receptionist looked at him, seemingly irritated as she directed her attention back to her phone, "Lady–" She tapped a button within her office, causing shutters to obscure their eye contact. Ryuji couldn't even be mad, given the same opportunity, he'd probably do the same. He sighed, looking around the lobby for any possible leads until he saw a door to his left, leading deeper into the building.

Is this smart?

No.

'Eff it.

Ryuji embarked down the cylindrical hall, eventually breaking free from the mind-numbing gray to the coliseum's locker room. On the opposite side of the room was the entrance to the ring, where Kazuma was coming from, with him carrying his opponent over his shoulder, dropping him on the benches that littered the room as the other hopefuls continued with their routines.

Woah…

Awesome.

Wait, I'm supposed to be lookin' for Yusuke.

Ryuji jumped around, asking the inhabitants if any of them saw Yusuke and getting no luck. Eventually, he sat on one of the benches himself, taking a breather as he groaned in irritation.

"Sakamoto-kun?"

Wait…

That voice sounds familiar…

Ryuji raised his head to meet with Chouno's, his homeroom teacher draped in typical MMA attire.

"C-Chouno-sensei?!"

Ryuji looked her up and down, utter disbelief taking form.

She has a smokin' body, Jesus Christ.

WAIT, NO WHAT'S NOT THE PRESSIN' QUESTION RYUJI!

"What are you doin' here?"

"It's doing, Sakamoto-kun, and I could say the same thing for you."

"Uh—"

The same one-eyed man from before started speaking into the mic in the middle of the ring, his voice booming with a disgusting amount of exuberance, "Alright everyone! Comin' up next we have Thee Stallion versus The Illustrious Avocado Diablo! Let's get ready to rumble!"

Chouno frowned, "Just…speak nothing of this and I'll help you… keep a C+ in my class."

Ryuji's eyes widened for a moment before he gained a frown of his own, "A C+?! No way! Let me get an A!" Chouno didn't attempt to humor him as she stared, Ryuji eventually getting the message, "Alright, I'll…just…leave. Good luck with your match…I guess." Ryuji stuffed his hands into his pockets, stomping off as he tried to hide the embarrassment.

Why couldn't she have been a maid or somethin'.

---

Akira had found himself inside one of the buildings near Purgatory's entrance. From what he had seen, he guessed it was a gambling hall from the near-suicidal and angish-riddled salaryworkers he kept happening across as he ventured further.

Losers upon losers.

I hope to God I'm never this down bad…

Wait, I technically just called Yusuke a loser if he is in here…

I just hope he isn't in here…I don't want to deal with him gambling with what little money he has…

Or worse…gambling the apartment or some shit.

The hall Akira was venturing down was made out of oak, a suffocating air enveloping the hall made it even worse every time he dared to open the sliding shoji doors to peep in on the games being held, though to the despair of losing their life earnings or the excitement of leeching a person of theirs made the participants ignore his presence.

Something he was grateful for.

What he wasn't grateful for was the fact that Yusuke wasn't in any of these rooms, thus making Akira's gallant risk of his life null and void.

The hall twisted to the left with Akira taking the turn as he systematically checked the last couple of rooms with no luck forming for him as he centered on the room at the very end of the hall.

A sigh dropped from his lips as he lazily opened the door, once again Yusuke was nowhere to be found.

But Akira saw another familiar sight.

It was Golden Stallion.

Almost as if on cue, he paused his game, dropping the mahjong tiles to the floor as he stood up, his eyes shut as he took a hearty inhale of the air—like it was an intoxicating drug—before sniffing multiple times, "Oh what's that smell…? The sweet bussy…oh, it sings to me. It's enough to make a man sick."

Oh.

This…

This isn't good.

Akira slammed the door as GS' eyes wrenched open, shooting in Akira's direction as he bolted from the hallway, trying his hardest to get back in the entrance.

Despite the headstart, it barely mattered as-within seconds-GS seemed to be on Akira's tail.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.

FUCK.

THINK AKIRA, THINK

I DON'T WANT OUR CHEEKS TO BE TAKEN BY A GODDAMN BALDING WEIRDO

THINK!

Akira bent the corner, his legs pushing him further and further to create more space between the two of them, he paused as he came to a screeching fault and mustered up as much air as he could.

We're in a gambling ring that houses a bunch of losers preying on other losers, right?

Right.

"Hey! THIS MOTHERFUCKER GOT THEM FAKE J'S! WHAT A LOSER!"

Almost as if on cue, every single shoji door slid open, slamming against the wood as the salarymen poked their heads out, almost as if they were hounds salivating at the sight of fresh meat.

Golden Stallion was that fresh meat.

Akira bolted out of the building, falling onto the wooden floorboards of Purgatory as he hastily regained his barrings.

First things first, I gotta mind Ryuji!

Akira sped off toward the mansion, hoping his best—although that was debatable—friend was there.

Until he stopped as he passed the coliseum, as Ryuji was standing near the entrance…eating a bowl of kimchi?
"Ry–Ryuji? Are…are you eating kimchi?"

Ryuji nodded as he took another bite "The hell are you runnin' for? What, is Golden Stallion here or somethin'?" Ryuji sought to laugh at the implication, almost slipping back into their flow as he read the look on Akira's face, "Oh no."

"Please tell me you're not just fucking off and you actually found Yusuke?"

Ryuji narrowed his eyes, "I don't see him with you, so I assume you were 'effin' off as hell with your little horse buddy?"

Akira squinted at him, "Let's just check the mansion."

---

The mansion unsurprisingly was made out of marble for the most part. The main hallway they were in had massive pillars that reached the roof, giving the space massive breathing room.

Mirroring Purgatory as a whole, there were two ravines filled with rushing water on both sides of the main walking path. In front of the many doors, the hallway had little wooden walkways. At the end of the hall stood an imposing iron door.

Akira pointed there as he descended the stairs, "I assume if Yusuke's anywhere, it's probably the place that would catch his eye the most. Come on, let's go get him."

Ryuji sighed as he followed behind, the two having a nigh impenetrable wall of silence between them. The only sound that could be heard was the flowing water and their shoes tacking against the marble floor. "So…what's been going on lately, man? Can't help but notice you've been uh…ignoring us. Even Ann. You okay?"

Initially, Ryuji didn't answer, before quickly sucking up air, "I uh…" He faltered in his next words, struggling to find his conviction, "I've just been focusin' on work. My ma wants me to do better on the next exams. She's also been stressed out and all that…just been havin' my mind elsewhere."

"Oh…man, you should've told me…I feel like an ass."

Before Ryuji could muster a reply, the door opened, revealing a…little girl with black hair? The two boys looked at each other confused before Akira decided to speak first, "Uh…hello? Where's your–"

She pointed at Akira the second he opened his mouth, "Dad."

"W-What?"

"Dad. You are my father."

"What the hell?! Dude, you fuckedsomeone?!"

Akira went beet red, "What?! N-No! I don't know who the fuck this kid is man!"

"Dad…why won't you acknowledge me!" Her voice started to crack as tears formed in her eyes.

"Wait! Wait!" Akira scooped her up, letting her sit on his shoulder as he sighed, "Wait…I…oh god, I'm a dad."

Before anything else could happen, a thud was heard further in the room. A few steps forward revealed another steel cage but…instead of adult fighters it was—

"WHAT THE HELL?! ARE THOSE INFANTS?!"

Much to the horror of both the teenagers, a group of infants were in fact fighting in the ring, while older children stood ringside egging them on by throwing yen notes, candy, diapers, pacifiers, and milk bottles.

Akira and Ryuji stood transfixed as they stared at the oddly…glorious battle spirit the infant displayed, a canvas created from snot, piss, throw-up, and other various fluids illustrated the cage.

Infant...fight club.

Holy shit.

Honestly, if Yusuke was alongside them he'd probably find some artistic merit to it.

The girl on Akira's shoulder started giggling, "Look at them go! How amazing!"

Akira tried to voice a protest but simply grabbed the girl and gently placed her down, as her eyes once again started to gleam with tears, "D-Dad?"

Luckily for Akira, Ryuji clutched his stomach as he doubled over, "O-Oh shit…I think that kimchi might be beatin' my ass…quick, kid, where's the nearest bathroom!?"

The girl pointed in one direction, "Over there but we can't use it…it's apparently off-limits…"

Ryuji ran off as Akira quickly thought of an excuse as he mimicked Ryuji, "Oof…I think dad might have to use it as well…"

You are NOT leaving me alone with this…creature Ryuji! I'd rather die!

Akira made it into the restroom as Ryuji quickly forced himself inside of a stall. He was caught off guard by how…clean it was.

Underground pleasure district knock-off so…I guess I can't be too surprised.

Though, Akira faltered as he noticed there weren't any…urinals.

Is…this the girl's bathroom or something…?

No…I checked, there's no sign at the front.

That's really inconvenient.

Guess I'll just take the stall next to Ryuji.

Akira jimmied with the latch for the stall but…it was locked?

"H-Hello? Is anyone–"

"GAAAGHH?! WHAT THE FUCK?! DUDE!"

Second time today.

Cool.

Wait, no what the hell is happening?!

"Ryuji?!"

The blond stumbled erratically from the stall, his eyes bulging with fear. A sight Akira hadn't seen before that was made all the more erratic as his pants were hugging his ankles as he pointed back at the stall, "D-D-D-D—"

"Huh? Dude, what?"

"IT'S A DICK AKIRA! POKING OUT THE WALL!"

There was a moment of pause before Akira broke out in laughter, briefly poking his head into the stall, "You gotta be kidding me, there's no–"

Oh.

OH.

OH MY GOD.

Akira nervously stepped away from the stall as the other's latch started to come loose as another middle-aged man—unsurprisingly at this point—poked his…two heads out of the stall.

He was clearly agitated.

Promptly, Akira and Ryuji started screaming as they ran out of the bathroom—although Ryuji left his pants behind. At the first, the plan, or whatever you could call this, was to make it back to the entrance, but…upon making it back to the hall, there was another person.

A person that struck the fear of God into Akira specifically.

Either he had an amazing nose or just a strange sense of good luck since Golden Stallion stood atop the stairs, a mischievous grin filling his face as he sang in a high-pitched voice, "I found you…"

Ryuji stopped in his tracks, his irritation giving way, "You have GOTto be kiddin'!"

Akira grabbed Ryuji, electing to go through one of the many doors in the hallway for salvation. Luckily for them, the one they picked wasn't locked. Immediately busting inside, the two pushed their backs against the door, their combined strength proving to be enough to hold the door in place.

How long? Akira wasn't sure.

He also wasn't sure about the massive slide that was currently in front of them. He tried looking down, desperate to see what lay further but it was dark. He grumbled under his breath, "I swear shit can never just be easy for us…" He turned to Ryuji, "Did you really have to go to the gloryhole?!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry for goin' to the gloryhole, it will never happen again. OF COURSE, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A DAMN GLORYHOLE WE'VE NEVER BEEN DOWN HERE BEFORE! GOD, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE IF YUSUKE DIDN'T WANDER OFF! WHY THE HELL IS HE EVEN HERE SHOULDN'T HE BE WITH HIS KOSEI FRIENDS!?"

Akira paused as their two pursuers pounded against the door once again, taking his attention elsewhere.

Yeah, two still-developing teenagers with not a lot of muscle mass against two fully grown adults pounding on a door.

Or…the slide leading to an unknown place that's already in an unknown place.

Tough choice.

Tough.

Akira grabbed Ryuji by the collar, pulling him as he forced the two of them down the slide, "Wh–AKIRA WAI—"

If there was one plus side to Akira picking the side, at least it was slick and smooth.

Rugburn from a slide at my grown-ass age might be the breaking point, I can't even lie.

"You know you could've just 'effin' asked?!"

"Ryuji they were pounding on the door for dear life, I don't know about you but I'm not that confident in my chances of fighting two grown-ass horny men!"

"I mean…I'm pretty confident in fightin—wait do you hear that?"

As they continued descending down the slide, EDM music could be heard. Soon enough, faint purple light once again started to fill their sight until it became blinding. Before they knew it, they were at the end of the slide, with a door right in front of them.

"How the hell is all this shit underneath Tokyo dude…how does this even—"

"I stopped asking questions a long time ago man. Being honest, I think I'm doing a clinical trial at Takemi's again."

Ryuji sought to voice a rebuttal but sighed, "You gonna open the door? I bet those creeps aren't too far behind dude."

Fair point.

It's EDM, probably just a rave, right?

Can't be too bad—

The second Akira opened the door, a massive wave of white substance came forth, lathering and blinding the two as they struggled to get their bearings.

"AH! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Ryuji groaned.

Somewhere in the room, a voice could be heard, "Sorry! Been a good session! Join the party!"

After a few seconds, the two were able to clear their eyes, promptly regaining their vision and getting a good look at the fluid.

It was thick, translucent…and gooey.

Oh my god.

...oh my god...

Akira shakily gazed at Ryuji, faint tears streaming down their faces as they pieced together everything.

If…we're covered in this…then…then this room—

He pointed his eyes in front of him, the door providing the sight of many bodies doing many things that the two wished to simply forget. All with…an incredible amount of ramen noodles everywhere.

Literally, everywhere.

Ryuji croaked out a few words, "I'm gonna hurl—"

Akira grabbed him by the collar, attempting to shake some sense into him at the grim possibility of being covered in baby powder and vomit, "Save it for later man, we just got to get the fuck out of here. Morgana can find Yusuke man, I'm tired."

Ryuji gazed at the room quickly, "I don't think I want to eat ramen anymore."

Akira let go of Ryuji, a sigh slipping from the two as they…made their way through the celebration of…human enjoyment. Eventually, they got past the main room, and entered a hallway as Ryuji spoke first, "What makes you think Mona's gonna find him anyway? I mean, none of us have our phones and I don't really think Yusuke needs a chaperone to take him home, he's fine without Madarame at the shack or dorms, right?"

Akira clenched his jaw as he continued walking forward, "Rig–"

"Kitagawa-kun! You're sobrave for braving all of that…how can you even stand it?"

Akira and Ryuji's heads instantly snapped to the door at their left, wrenching it open to Yusuke surrounded by an enclave of beautiful women, attentively listening to him. He gently raised his head to meet the duo, a faint smile forming, "Ah...Akira, Sakamoto-san…" He looked the two up and down, "...I see you two have had fun. That's…enjoyable."

A girl with ginger hair perked up, "Oh! These are Kurusu-kun and Sakamoto-kun? You didn't tell us they were…cute."

Ryuji nervously chuckled, "H-Hey…"

Akira didn't know what he was angrier at, believing Yusuke couldn't find his way back and that he was in an unimaginable sort of trouble, Yusuke's nonchalance, the fact they were still covered in the seed of life, OR the fact Yusuke was being lulled over by a group of some of the most attractive women Akira had ever seen in his life!

Well, they called us cute so that's kinda-

Shut the hell up man.

Akira took in a large inhale, and breathed out as he spoke simply, "We're leaving."

Yusuke nodded and stood up, bowing to the women, "I will return soon. I have enjoyed the display of companionship you all have displayed. Thank you for being good people, and I wish the best for you all."

A girl with blond and black hair grinned as the group sought to leave, "You too Kitagawa-kun! I hope you go back to school soon!"

Shit.

Ryuji paused as he shut the shoji door, "Wait, what?"

Akira froze, slowly turning around to see Ryuji's perplexed face, he stammered for a moment, trying to piece together something to say when Yusuke spoke, "Yes, I...left Kosei and I'm residing at the Kurusu residence for the time being." He caught wind of Ryuji's confusion, bouncing his gaze between both boys, "Did…Did Akira not tell you?"

Ryuji sighed, "Nope. Can we just get out of here and never talk about this, please?" He brushed past the both of them, the wet stomps filling the hallway as he went to the door at the end of the hall.

Soon enough, Yusuke came up beside Akira, "Was I not supposed to say that? Did I mess things up?"

Akira sighed, "No…don't say that. I just didn't have the time to tell him. Kinda hard when he's been avoiding me."

Liar.

Akira soon followed, Yusuke still at his side, "Are you two going to be okay?"

There was silence as the distance between the best friends grew.

It felt all too familiar.

Fixing things, huh?

"I'm not sure."