I have to bite my hand to stop myself from belly laughing.
Poor, poor Julie, so easily bulliable, it's actually insane.
That finally cheered me up, there's no better way for a little brother to be happy than to annoy the shit out of his older sist…
I almost bang my head against my desk.
Not my sister. She's Jason's sister, not mine. It's not that hard, holy mother of balls what's wrong with me?!
This is not normal. I mean, duh, I got isekai'd, of course this ain't normal, but even the way that I'm responding isn't normal. Random feelings of familiarity towards places I shouldn't know, words blurring out of my mouth without my input, my body outright moving on its own!
What small amount of good mood I had vanished by the time Elodie's class ended. I feel bad for not paying attention, I really do, but I can't help it.
While moving out towards Felix's class, I meet back up with Susie, forcing a smile on my face. Can't make the poor girl worried already, especially right after establishing that everything is fine.
We chat all the way to the classroom, but a voice interrupts us.
Ah, good ol Dweet, our grade's representative. I should have expected it.
"Jason Kostenko and Susie Lavoie? May I speak with you two for a moment? Won't be long, I promise".
Yup. We're just missing Julie, Victor and Kate to make it whole. He wants to talk about yesterday's incident, obviously.
… and now I know Susie's last name. Convenient, can't deny that.
Speaking of her, she almost stumbles from the surprise, getting quickly grabbed by me. Almost like routine, honestly. One more case to add to the list…
"A-Ahhhh, Mr Prez! G-Good morning!"
Dwight smiles lightly.
"No need to be nervous Miss Lavoie. You're not in trouble… yet. That depends on how you will answer my questions".
Sheesh, look at mister smooth operator here. He looks almost professional.
"I-If you don't mind answering them o-of course!"
… Almost professional. So close, yet so far.
"We don't mind. Right Suz?"
"N-No! Not at all…"
"G-Great! Mind coming w-with me then?"
Bruh, what is this, a stuttering contest?! A test?! I don't think I studied for this one!
… Or any other test ever since coming here, but you catch my drift!
The three of us move to a more secluded area of the floor to talk.
I'm fairly calm about this. Neither of us has done anything strictly wrong about any of this. Mine was a purely defensive case, while Suz only shouted a bit and snitched. There shouldn't be any ground for us to get in trouble.
She's still shaking though. First time you get in trouble, girl? Regardless, I move a little bit closer to her, and I feel her settle down a bit.
Who the hell said that the power of friendship was bullshit?
When we finally stop, Dwight wastes no time in asking us what exactly happened, with me first and Suz after.
While we speak, he jolts down the abridged version of what we're saying, probably to compare it with the version of the fifth years.
After we finish, the Prez reviews the entirety of the story from all perspectives, cringing all the while.
"Yeah, figured that's what happened. I got good news for you two though, you are definitely not in trouble. Can't say the same for Victor Deshayes though…"
"Is it so bad? Nothing actually happened…"
"The outcome is irrelevant, Kostenko. The intention is what matters. He didn't hurt anyone, but he wanted to. He would have, had you not stepped in to stop him. That's unforgivable, and while normally a simple punishment would have been enough, I'm afraid that the school cannot overlook this any longer".
Any longer? This isn't the first time?
"He… he's done things like this b-before?"
"Yes. Yes he did, Lavoie. Multiple times in fact. He had been pardoned before on his sister's behalf, but after this… she decided that he should finally feel the consequences of his actions. He's dangerous… way too dangerous, in need of help that we cannot give…"
… In other words, he's gonna be expelled. I should be happy about it, the asshole gets what he deserves. But… a part of me can't help but feel bad. There is a solution, I believe. Dwight isn't aware of it, because Adam still hasn't talked about it… worth a shot right?
"So, with your permission, I'm gonna sign some pap…"
"Wait. May I make a suggestion?"
"Hm? Do you have something in mind, Kostenko?"
"Yes. Professor Francis told me something, yesterday. An after school program to help students with psychological issues. Do you believe that we could give Deshayes one last chance? If he needs help, then it's the school's job to give it, within its power of course".
Dwight furrows his brows, looking contemplative.
"I… yes, I believe I have heard about this initiative. Your proposal has some merit, I must say. But that will mostly depend on elements outside of our immediate control. First thing first, Deshayes needs to agree to it, but that's the easy part, especially with expulsion on the horizon. No, the difficult part would be Denson".
Kate? Why would she need to agree?
"If she decides that she wants Deshayes to be expelled, there won't be anything any of us can do about it. She is the wounded party in all of this after all, which means that the school director will adhere to her will in this specific case. I'll contact Charlotte and ask her to get Denson's input after lunch break, but I promise nothing".
I think it's safe to assume that Charlotte is the fifth year's representative. Good information, once more.
It dawns on me the way his demeanor changed. He stopped stuttering, his back is straight and his expression focused. He looks just like… a leader, for a lack of better words. I think I'm starting to understand why everyone followed him, back in The Entity's Realm.
Both Suz and I nod to Dwight and he lets us go to class, handing us a slip of paper to prove that we were being held back by him, so as to not get in trouble for being late. We turn our backs, start walking… and hear the sound of something heavy hitting the ground only a couple of seconds later.
He… he totally faceplanted on the ground didn't he?
Yup. He sure did. Goddamnit Dweet, why are you the way that you are?
"You know Jas? You really are way too kind for your own good".
Says who? Miss Friendship-Is-Magic McGoodyTwoShoes. Ironic doesn't even begin to cover it…
"How come?"
"That guy deserves to be expelled. He tried to hurt Kate first and then even you! He chased you around for the entirety of lunch break yesterday! How can you…"
"Forgive him? I don't".
"So… why?"
Why indeed. I think… It's because the guy reminds me of myself. Not the violent part, but the anger. When I was a teen, back in my world, hotheaded didn't even begin to cover my behavior. I was constantly angry at everything and everyone, often for no real reason other than my own shortcomings.
A twisted sense of kinship, you could call it.
Can't tell her that though. So, I go with the philosophical approach.
"Because everyone deserves another chance".
She falls silent after that, deep in thought. Neither of us speaks a single word until we make it to class.
Both of that class and Adam's run smoothly with nothing to report. After which, it's time to eat.
Or it would have, but I have something else in mind.
The second the bell rings, I have my phone in hand, thumb over Kate's number to call her. I could just send her a message, but I have to see her face to face. Can't relate something like this over text…
I hesitate though. Our relationship can't even be classified as "friendship" at this point, we literally met yesterday after all, and what I'm about to ask her counts as a HUGE favor, probably. She's a good person, but not to the point of pretending that a guy wasn't about to beat her up over a botched confession.
But… getting him expelled would solve nothing. If anything, he'll just get angrier. Maybe even to the point of developing a vendetta. Whatever is against me or her, it's a coin toss, and I'd rather avoid taking such a big risk.
Before I can second guess myself, I hit call and placed the phone on my ear, chewing my lips. Please pick up. Please pick up, pleaaaaseeeee…
A noise came from the device, and a delicate female voice answered.
Oh, thank The Observer…
"H-Hello? I-Is it y-you J-Jason?"
Jeez, everyone's stumbling over their words today. What is it, Stuttering Day?
"Yeah, it's me. How are you Kate?"
"P-Pretty g-good, all things c-considered. Uhmm… m-may I a-ask why you c-called? N-NOT THAT I M-MIND OF C-COURSE!"
Ouch! Stop screaming woman, I can hear you! So well in fact that I can even hear her friends giggling in the background. I swear, if she has me on speaker…
I massage my ear to get rid of the ringing, before placing my phone back over it.
"Are you busy right now? I need to talk to you about yesterday. Could we meet up somewhere?"
A chorus of "OOOOHHHH"s comes from the background once again. Yup, she has me on speaker. For fuck's sake…
I don't even need to see her to know that she's blushing up a storm.
It reminds me of how she's supposed to be confident and forthcoming, instead of just Susie but worse.
When did my life become a rom-com…?
Oh yeah, when I became part of an oversaturated trope in anime and manga culture, how could I forget?
It takes a full minute for Kate to respond, so much that I had to check to make sure the line hadn't cut itself.
"M-M-M-Meet up?! Uuuhhhh… I ah… I… guess t-that we c-could, yeah! W-where?"
Ah shit, didn't think that far ahead. Uhhhh… the school has a rooftop if I remember correctly from the map.
"How about the roof in… five minutes? Would that work for you?"
"Y-Yeah, no p-problem! I-I'll see y-you there… b-bye!"
She hangs up before I can answer.
I blink repeatedly. Girl, you're nervous, I get it, but that was straight up rude. Ah, whatever… I'll just head to the meeting point. I need to prepare on how to argue my case…
Exactly five minutes after I sat down on one of the benches of the rooftop, the door opened, revealing the jacket clad Kate. She even has a cute maroon beanie, how adorable.
I am not prepared. I should have thought of something by now, but I'm drawing a blank here. Do I really have to wing it again?! How come I suck so much at this?!
It probably doesn't help the fact that Kate is really pretty. Like, criminally so, she probably has her own fanclub or something cringe like that, I'm willing to bet.
She's a whole lot more nervous than I am though, and for the life of me I can't understand why. Teenagers…
I stand up and walk up to her, since it's apparent that she's not going to move an inch further.
Her face reddens considerably.
Can you stop acting like I'm about to confess or something?! You're making this a hundred times more awkward than it needs to be!
Me. Confess. Pfftt, as if.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice. I hope that I didn't screw up any of your plans".
"N-No, not at all! B-Besides, I can a-always make s-space for yo… for a friend! I meant for a friend!"
Deep breaths, rationalize this. She has a hero worship complex or something, it's fine. Just keep it up like nothing happened.
"Really? Well, I'm glad. So, about the reason why I called you here…"
She nods. Her cheeks are back to their normal color. Good, very good.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It's about Victor Deshayes".
Her face becomes pale. I figured, but I can't beat around the bush here, time's ticking.
"W-What about him? He's gonna get expelled, right? We won't have to worry about h-him anymore. R-Right…?"
That last "right" is enough to almost make me reconsider. She sounds so… vulnerable. He must have spooked her quite a lot…
Sorry Kate, I'm about to be a bit selfish here.
"Normally yes. But there are talks about giving him one last chance, through professor Francis students aid program".
She takes a step back.
"A-Again?! K-Keep him here again?! No. Absolutely not. I-I refuse! He can't…!"
She's starting to panic. Damn it, me and my lack of finesse. What do I do, what do I do?!
Well… instincts and almost criminal lack of subtlety led me here… maybe they can lead me out.
I surge forward and take her hands, similar to when we met outside of the gym.
Kate's rambling stops.
"I get it. You're scared. Victor terrifies you, doesn't he?"
She nods, small tears falling from her eyes.
"Think about it. He could be expelled… but just because he won't go to this school anymore, doesn't mean that he's gone from the face of the Earth. He'll keep bothering you outside… only that this time, you won't see him coming. You're not going to resolve the problem… you're merely postponing it".
"T-The police will get involved! They won't let him…!"
"The police are not infallible. They are going to make a mistake, one day… and they won't be there to protect you then".
More tears fall down. I know that I'm doing a shit job, but I need to lay down the scary stuff first to get her to agree.
I've never felt more like a scumbag in my entire life. I'm basically gaslighting her at this point… but I want her to be safe and for Victor to get better… and this is the only way I can think of.
Kate… please, forgive me.
"S-So… the only… way is to…"
"Give him this one last chance. If he screws it up… we're gonna press charges. And I'd rather not do that… because then his sister will also get affected. We might break a family or something like that…"
She sniffs, looking like she was considering her options… while I felt a sharp pain in my chest when I mentioned "break a family". What… what happened? Why did I…?
I don't have time to think about it. Later… all of it. Later. Kate comes first.
"B-But… if he stays here…"
"Your classmates will protect you, now that they know. You won't be alone… ever again".
She chokes on a sob and buries her face in my chest.
Poor girl… she probably had a very different idea on how things were going to go when she received my call.
I let her cry and mess up my shirt. The bell probably rang already, but I don't give a damn. She needs this, and I'm not going to back out after I caused it.
Eventually her tears stop and she separates from me. Her eyes are red and puffy…
I wipe away some of the leftovers from her cheeks with my thumb.
"All right…"
Hm?
"I… I'll give him this last chance. But he won't get another! Either he makes it, or he sinks!"
I smile, while internally still feeling like the greatest asshole in Ormond. You got replaced, Franky boy.
"That will be enough. Thank you Kate, I'm sure he will…"
"I'm not doing it for him. Or myself, even…"
What? What is she…
"I'm only doing it… because you asked. N-No other reason…"
She's blushing again, while looking at her side…
I… I'll have to make it up to her, someday.
Needless to say, when I got back to class, I ended up eating a fat, deserved detention. Can't even blame Talbot for this one, it was completely my fault. No PE for me today, I guess. Which also means that I won't get to see Meg today. Shame, I was looking forward to teasing her a bit more.
Oh well, better luck tomorrow I suppose…
I was walking to my detention class when I ended up thinking about my strange reactions that I've been getting ever since I got here. As I said, it's not normal in the slightest, and I have to understand why.
The best motivation I can come up with is that the transition between Jason and I wasn't as smooth as it should have been and… a part of his conscience is still there, trapped in his body with no way out.
Once more, a feeling of sickness overcomes me, so strong that I have to lean against a wall.
My ears are ringing, I can barely see.
Jason is in here? Trapped and forced to look as a complete stranger completely takes over his life? Just like that?
It's beyond horrifying to think about. Is it my fault? Is all of this my fault? Am I a monster? A freak? A parasite of some sorts?!
A voice breaks through my confusion.
"...ey! Hey, can you hear me?! What's wrong?!"
Pale skin. Dark eyes. Even darker hair, held back together by a headband. It takes me a couple of seconds to recognize her. It's Rin Yamaoka! What is she doing here?!
The surprise is like a shower of iced water. Her sharp gaze grounds me and brings me back to my senses, mostly out of fear that she'll kill me.
Not that she would, she's not The Spirit anymore, but that small feeling of panic remains anyway. Probably the PTSD to be honest.
"You're back? Good for you, I was about to try hitting you and see what would have happened".
I take it back. I take it back! She's gonna kill me!
"Jeez, I was following you to get to detention since I have no idea where it is, and there you go, collapsing on me! Should I bring you to the nurse?"
The Nurse?! Please anyone but…!
I almost smack myself. Not THAT Nurse you idiot!
… Or technically yes, but she's not a floating teleporting ghost anymore.
"I-I'm okay! I promise!"
"Really? Whatever, none of my business. Detention is here?"
I nod and she heads inside, not a single fuck given.
I did hear somewhere around the internet that Rin gave "goth vibes", whatever that's supposed to mean, but I never gave them any credit… guess I'm the fool this time around.
Following her inside, I take notice of her clothing. Yup, definitely a goth.
The fishnet stockings, the chocker, the dark black lipstick, skirt MUCH shorter than it should and the school uniform also being black when it obviously shouldn't have been.
Who would have thunk.
I take a seat in front of her and an awkward silence stretches out.
This is going to be a very pleasant hour, I can just tell…
Hello?! Is this thing on?! It is?! Noice.
Sooooo… yeah, we're back. For how long? No idea! But for now, here we are again with "Jason" trying and failing at making things better. Poor, poor Kate…
As I said, I have no idea for how long I'll manage to stay this time around. University is a bitch and all, but I'll try my absolute best not to lose my will to live. Again.
What? Spirit being a goth was inspired by Hooked on You?! Noooooooo, of course noooooottttt… I promise, there will be no foot fetishes.
Speaking of, a lot of relationship are going to be developed from now on. The spotlight has been on Susie a bit too much, so now we're moving on to others.
And at the end of it… I have a bit of a surprise. If… we can get there. We'll see!
That's all folks! Ta-ta for now…