Warning(s): suicide attempt and implied off-screen rape.

Chapter 8: Breaking Point

(A)

"Don't think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you," a familiar high pitched and youthful voice said.

"That voice...is that you Morgana?!" Ryuji said.

Reasonably, the now-an-actual cat was vexed.

"How dare you, up and leaving me the other day!" it said.

The blond's eyes widened. "The cat's talkin?!"

And, just like before, Morgana said, "I am not a cat! This is just what happened when I came to this world."

What kind of logic was that?

"That just means you're a cat right now, Morgana, and you used to be human," she said.

But that just made the "not-cat" say, "All the more reason to not call me a cat!"

"Huh? Wait? You're hearin' this too?"

"Uh, yeah," she said to the blond punk.

Ren however...

"Meow."

Akira tried, and failed, to muffle her snicker.

"This is no time to be jokin' around!" Ryuji said.

That was true. They still had Kamoshida to deal with.

"All right, all right, if you say so," she said, though she still kept her grin.

Ren, on the other hand, put up his neutral face and said, "Sorry. Couldn't help it."

She was a bit worried about the shift but then the not-cat said,

"Honestly. It was a lot of trouble finding you three."

And Ren's voice gained an edge as he said, "Trouble?"

Ryuji, however, said, "Wait...you came to our world? Does that mean you've got a phone?"

Ren stared. Akira facepalmed.

"Does it look like it's got a phone?" she said, unable to rid the sarcasm in her tone.

"What? How else would it come here?" the blond said, annoyed.

And as if Morgana didn't complain enough, then "it" said, "Hey! Don't just call me an 'it'! I might not be a cat, but I'm not just a 'thing' either!"

"Hey! It's not like we know if you're a guy or a girl! Your name's a girl but you act like a guy!"

"What?! I act like a guy because I am one!" "he" said. Then he shook his head. "And here I thought you were quicker to catch on things than Ryuji."

A vein snapped.

"Why you little...!"

She stepped forward to thrash the stupid cat.

But then Ren said,

"That's enough."

And she stopped and looked at him.

"We're all upset. So let's take a deep breath and apologize."

She flinched, realizing what she almost did. She frowned and put her hands in her pockets. Damn it. She almost went ballistic again.

"Sorry," she said, giving a bow to Ryuji. "I shouldn't have made fun of you."

"Uh, hey, it's fine," the blond said. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have made a big deal over a joke."

They were quiet for a moment, waiting for one more to speak. But when no more was said, they looked to the "not-cat", who jumped at the sudden attention.

"W-Well, I'll admit, as much as I am still annoyed at you all for leaving me yesterday...I'm sorry as well." Then he said, "But only because it was ungentlemanly of me to cause an argument over something so minor, got it?"

Akira rolled her eyes. How were they supposed to not think of him as a cat when he acted like one?

Still, she said, "Yeah yeah, whatever you say."

"Good. Now that we have that settled..." His unamused look returned as he said to the not-cat, "I believe we were wondering about how you got out of that world, Morgana."

"Yeah, seriously," Ryuji said. "How'd you get here without a phone?"

"Hmph, you don't need one when you're at my level," the not-cat said.

She said, "So you got out with your own power?"

"Yup," he said. "Though I did get pretty lost making my escape though..."

"How did you get lost? The school is the castle, isn't it?" Ren said, colder. "Wouldn't you just end up where the school is?"

The not-cat shook his head. "That's not how it works. You can only leave where you entered and I entered far away from the Palace. So when I came back to this world, I had to find the school."

"Oh yeah," she said, remembering their first Palace trip. "Didn't we pop up not far from school the first time?"

"You're right..." her brother said. "I had my phone out before we even stepped foot at the school gates."

"Oh yeah... But wait...if you're in the real world...why can you talk?! You're a cat!"

A vein almost seemed to bulge on Morgana's forehead. "How should I know?!"

Her brother was quick to point out, that slight edge still there, "You're the one who knows about the other world."

"Uh, well... That doesn't mean I know everything! Do you know everything about your world?!"

Akira opened her mouth to protest, especially with that attitude of his, until his words settled in...

"Hmm. Good point," Akira said.

Her brother didn't look the same though.

But still, he said, "Very well." Before he asked, "Then why are you here?"

The not-cat smirked. "You guys are having a rough time of this, hm? I heard you mention something about witnesses."

Akira pouted. Thanks for the reminder...

Ryuji eloquently said, "Oh shuddup."

And her brother's gaze now turned to steel.

"And?" he said.

"You know...I could tell you a thing or two about what to do about Kamoshida."

What? Kill him with your cuteness? Akira thought as she gave the not-cat a glare, tempted to say it aloud. But she didn't want another argument to pop up so soon, especially since their bright blond friend nearly did so.

The tuxedo cat looked at her brother. "You were pretty close a moment ago."

But her efforts in restraint were in vain as Ryuji went and said, "God that condescendin' attitude. This thing's gotta be Morgana."

"You were still doubting me?!"

"Ryuji!" Akira and Ren said at the same time.

Instead of apologizing for his actions though, the blond said, "Ack! Quiet down!"

Akira was ready to snap back but then someone in the distance said,

"We really have to look for a cat at a busy time like this?"

Oh shit! They can hear us!

But then one replied, "I just heard a meow somewhere near here. Didn't you hear it?"

And yet another said, "Make sure to check every nook and cranny around."

Wait what?

"Meow?" Ryuji said.

"So only we can hear you talk?"

"Looks like it."

The blond punk groaned. "What the hell is goin' on?" he said, Akira imagining his brain overloading.

In hopes of easing it, she said, "Well we're the only ones who went to that world, so that's probably why we can hear him."

Ren hummed in agreement.

The blonde just groaned then said, "Anyways, what you were sayin' earlier... Is it for real?"

Morgana seemed to mumble something, but from his disgruntled as hell expression, it was probably a good thing they didn't hear it. It was likely an insult at Ryuji.

"Hey, tell us more."

But Ren then said, "We should talk somewhere else."

Akira tensed and frantically checked around the area. Thankfully there were no other teachers or disciplinary committee members...for now.

"Oh right. This probably ain't the best place..."

"Yeah. They could come back," Akira said.

"Then let's go to the roof then," Ryuji said.

She and her brother looked at him dubiously. "Isn't it supposed to be locked?"

"Trust me. We can go there," he said. Then he grabbed the not-cat, who sqeauled as the scruff of his neck was pulled. "Hey stick him in your bag for now! He should just be small enough to small enough to fit."

Ren was ready to protest, but then he glanced to the side, no doubt spotting someone coming their way, before he sighed and, quick and precise, took Morgana and put him in his bag.

"Hey! How dare you treat me like—" the non-feline said before he got cut off.

With that, they followed Ryuji up to the rooftop and, just as he implied, the door was still unlocked.

"Seriously?" she said, staring at the lock. "Who's keepin' it unlocked?"

The blond shrugged. "I don't know. It just is. It's kinda an open secret, I guess? No one comes here unless they want trouble."

Well that was fitting. They would get in huge trouble with Kamoshida should he find out what they were doing.

Akira turned her attention to her brother as the boyish voice of Morgana said while he was pulled out,

"Don't be rough with me!"

Ren frowned. "Only because you're squirming."

The blond however said, "Enough of that! You said you know how we can do something about Kamoshida, right?"

Only after he was put down on his feet did the non-feline thief answer. "It has to do with what this guy said earlier," he said, indicating Ren. "You need to attack his castle."

Ryuji frowned and his brows scrunched. "What do you mean?" he said, as Akira expected.

And so the not-cat explained that, though Kamoshida doesn't remember anything that occurs in the Palace, it was still deeply connected to him. So, if it was gone...all his "distorted desires" would disappear, and the man left behind would have to deal with the weight of his sins. He would wish to repent.

It was just what they needed.

But then Ren asked the most important question.

"So how do we get rid of the Palace?"

And the non-feline answered, "By stealing the Treasure held within."

Akira stared.

Ryuji stared.

Ren stared.

Why am I both surprised and not surprised? she thought.

"What do you mean by that?" her brother said.

But the not-cat dodged the question, insisting it was part of his "secret plan" and he wouldn't divulge it until they agreed. It was annoying, and not only that, Ren was hesitant to agree. But as Ryuji pointed out, they had no other options so they were fine with it. With those words, her brother acquiesced. Now that they were in agreement, they decided to start tomorrow. However, before they could head home, Morgana said,

"Oh right. There's one more thing I should tell you."

"One more thing?" she said.

Ren, however, narrowed his eyes while Ryuji said,

"What is it?"

And Morgana said, as if he was just talking about the weather, "If we erase a Palace, there is no doubt their distorted desires will be erased as well. But if all those yearnings were to vanish, they'd be no different than someone who's completely shut down. They might even die if not given proper care. So..."

"What?!" she said.

"They might die?!" Ryuji said, similarly wide-eyed.

They had just agreed to helping this stupid cat and only now he told them that this "change of heart" that could help the volleyball team could also kill that mophead?! True, she didn't like Kamoshida, but the last thing she wanted was him dead. That just... Akira shuddered. No.

Morgana said, still nonchalant, "Will you listen to everything I have to say first?"

And Akira snarled and said, "What more is there to say about 'oh hey, if we do this we might kill him'?!"

While Ryuji, his bluster gone for moment, said, "Yeah...their death would be our fault, right?"

"Aren't you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?" the cat said.

"No way," Akira said at the stupid black cat.

As she knew he would, Ren said, "I don't want to kill him."

And Ryuji, thankfully, said, "Yeah, me neither..."

But Morgana? He was actually disappointed, his ears drooping and all.

"Seesh... I come all this way and this is what I get..." he said. "It's not like anyone will ever find out..."

What.

The.

Hell.

"That's not the point!" she said, startling Ryuji. "If we do that, we'd be just like Kamoshida! Doing whatever the hell we want because no one'll catch us."

"Yeah! Exactly," the blond said.

And her brother nodded.

However, that didn't deter Morgana in the slightest and he said, "But isn't this your only option?"

And everyone turned silent. That was true. But...the possibility of killing him...

Could they live with it if it went downhill?

To her relief, Morgana didn't push them despite their previous agreement. He just said,

"I see you still need time to think. I'll come back later. Make sure you made your decision by then."

With that, the not-cat was gone the same way he left, quiet and fast, leaving behind three sombered teenagers trying to solve their problem. Well, two somber teenagers as Ryuji said,

"Aaaahg! Man, we're gettin' all worked up for nothin'... Damn it!"

And Akira couldn't do anything else but laugh at the broken mood.

"I'll try and see if I can figure out another way."

She and Ren nodded, her brother saying, "We'll try too."

"All right. C'mon, let's get outta here."

And so the three of them headed for the school exit. But on their way out, Akira heard the whispers around her. Plenty of them were about her and her brother, some of them even thinking they were only pretending to be nice only to lash out without warning. But a couple of them...were about the volleyball team, from their little "interrogation" on them to Kamoshida's "relationship" with Takamaki to how Suzui-san was the athlete's new "favorite".

"Oh yeah, some of the guys in my class were talkin' about that Suzui girl too," Ryuji said when they passed by some students discussing that. "Looks like rumors are goin' around 'bout her and Kamoshida."

"Guess that's another reason why we couldn't get her to talk."

"Indeed."

"Still...something about that doesn't seem right."

"What? Besides the fact the volleyball team's keepin' quiet?"

Ryuji shook his head. "No not that. I mean Takamaki and Suzui and Kamoshida. It's just impossible. I've known them since middle school. There's no way Kamoshida's their type, you know?"

"So...you're wonderin' how the rumors even started?"

"Yup."

"Oh." That was a good point. "When you put it that way, that is weird."

But that made Akira frown, remembering Kamoshida's Palace and Cognitive Takamaki. Could it be that the reason they're keeping quiet was because Takamaki was...? She shook her head. She didn't even want to finish that thought.

Besides, Ren said as they exited the school, "Let's leave that for now. We don't know if that will help us in any way."

"Yeah, you're right. I guess we'll get to it tomorrow." Their blond friend grinned and waved as he left and said, "See ya!"

"Bye Ryuji!"

"Good-bye Ryuji."

Akira took a deep breath in, then heaved a deep breath out. Ren chuckled beside her.

"Tired?" he said with a small smile.

"You bet I am..." She glanced at him with worry. "But seriously...what're we gonna do?"

Her brother mirrored her expression, not answering right away. That made her sigh again.

"We really don't have a choice, do we...?"

It wasn't like they had any better ideas.

"Let's...head home and rest. We'll think about it tomorrow, okay?"

Akira sighed for the third time in a row and nodded, following her brother as they boarded the train at Aoyoma-Itchome Station. Akira hated all of this. There was injustice being done, no one was doing anything about it and there was nothing they could do to change it. Well, nothing except a supernatural means that may or may not kill the culprit. Even if she didn't want to kill him, him dying was the worst possible outcome in her opinion.

How could he possibly repay for his crimes with his death?

Akira was pulled out of her thoughts when, not long after they reached Shibuya Station, she bumped into her brother.

"What the...?" she said, about to question him, but then she followed his gaze...

...and saw Takamaki on the phone.

"Will you please give it a rest? I told you, I'm not up for it," she said, her face the picture of tired. At least until she said, "Wait what?! That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?!"

Well that just narrowed the suspects of who her caller was, though Akira already had a guess even before she said that.

Then Takamaki said, "This has nothing to do with Shiho!"

And, unfortunately, her guess was ninety-nine percent right, which then bumped into a hundred as whatever the mophead said on the other end made the platinum blonde look like the world ended. Then she crouched down, curling in on herself when the call ended.

"Shiho's...starting position..."

There was no way they could ignore this.

Ren was the first to react.

"Are how okay?"

Unsurprisingly, the girl jumped straight up and stumbled back a bit.

"Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you."

Akira would've facepalmed over his manners had it been any other time. Instead, she stood by her brother and said,

"Seriously, you okay?"

"Wait... Were you listening?"

"Not on purpose," Ren said.

And she said, snappish, "Haven't you heard of privacy?"

Haven't you heard of public transportation? Akira nearly said, but held her tongue, especially as her brother said,

"Sorry."

Which she was grateful for because as soon as Ren said that, the twin tailed blonde was regretful.

"No, I was out of line," she said. "Sorry."

Akira let out a hopefully discrete sigh while her brother smiled, warm and comforting.

"It's okay," he said.

Despite that, it was clear she was still uncomfortable as she shuffled her feet.

"So...how much did you hear?"

Akira glanced at Ren, telling him to handle it, and he nodded.

He said, "Something about a friend."

"Shiho..." The blonde shook her head. "It's nothing at all," she said. "Nothing..."

But it was certainly nothing if she then wiped her eyes of unshed tears...

...before running off.

They stared.

Then they ran.

They did their best to avoid people, giving swift apologies to the few they didn't, as they gave chase. For a second, Akira thought they lost her as they arrived in the Shibuya underground, but Ren walked away from her and she spotted the twin tailed girl standing not far from a drink stand. They were quiet as they stood near the crying girl. It didn't take long for her to notice their presence and when she did, she tried, in vain, to rid of her tears as she said,

"Stop following me... Just leave me alone!"

Akira flinched but still said,

"No way."

While her brother said, "I can't."

That did nothing to calm her, instead it added confusion to her broken expression.

"Why... Why do you keep worrying about me?" she said, sobbing at the end.

"You're crying," Ren said, as if that explained everything.

Well, it made sense to her, but understandably it wasn't enough for the girl.

"What the heck...? I really don't get you..."

Akira smiled sadly behind her mask. She could only imagine why Takamaki found kindness from strangers, well, strange. No doubt Ren thought the same from his brief frown, but he quickly slipped a comforting smile as he said.

"Let's go somewhere safe."

The girl didn't say anything as she eyed them warily. In hopes of easing her, Akira added,

"Don't you wanna sit down? You have been runnin' and all."

Thankfully that was enough for her to agree, though the girl sighed, resigned to her fate. Akira didn't like that, but right now she was hurt and they wanted to help. And so they found themselves seated at a Big Bang Burger joint in Shibuya, to her chagrin but she wouldn't complain. The girl before them was still upset, having been silent since they arrived. Ren, of course, had no problems with that and kept up a patient gaze. Akira couldn't help but shift every once in a while, but she kept her mouth shut and did nothing else, though tempted to read Phantom of the Opera while waiting.

Then Takamaki said, "I don't have anything to talk about with you." She glanced away. "It was just an argument..."

With a few glances and gestures, she had Ren continue leading the conversation so she just watched the exchange.

He started off with, "Was it a teacher?"

She was astonished before she gave a self-deprecating smile. "You heard every last word then..."

"Sorry."

"It's fine," she said, her smile more genuine before it disappeared with her comtemplating. Eventually, she decided to continue. "You heard the rumors...haven't you?"

"Depends. Which ones?"

"The ones about Mr. Kamoshida..."

Her brother nodded with sad realization, Akira much the same as she also nodded.

"Everyone says we're 'getting it on', but...that's so not true... That was him on the other line... I avoided giving him my number...for the longest time..."

With each word that spilled from her mouth, the more her tears threatened to follow.

"He told me to go to his place after this..."

Akira gritted her teeth, ignoring the brief shudder at Kamoshida's "request". Her brother beside her looked the picture of calm but Akira knew his polite mask slipped on as he gripped his pants, clenching his hands into fists.

"Then don't go," he said, not letting any of that anger seep into his voice.

"But...he said if I turn him down, he'd take my friend off as a regular on the team..." she said, crushing a tissue in her hand.

Are you kidding me?! No, wait, of course... Why wouldn't he use blackmail?

"Off the team?"

Takamaki nodded. "Shiho... Shiho loves volleyball," she said. "So I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho's sake..."

"But...?" her brother said, voice soft.

"I can't take it anymore..." With that, the dam broke as she cried. "I've had enought of this! I hate him! But still...Shiho's my best friend...she's all I have left in that sorry excuse of a school...!" Takamaki sobbed, trying to control her tears. "Tell me...what should I do...?"

And both she and Ren stayed silent, unable to say anything.

What could they say in the first place?

They weren't even sure if they would try stealing Kamoshida's "Treasure".

As it died down though she sajd, "Sorry... I shouldn't have asked..." Then, more softly, "It's not your problem..."

"It's okay. We asked," Ren said to reassure her.

It seemed that it was only then did she realize she poured her heart out to them, or at least a part of it, as she said,

"What... What am I saying...? I've barely even talked to you before..."

"Sorry," her brother said again.

Akira was both against and agreeing with that sorry. They were strangers and her problems were private, but still, she wanted to help damn it, just as much as Ren did.

The twin tailed blonde shook her head. "No... It's all my fault."

Then Ren said, "No, it's not. It's ours. We did ask."

The girl didn't seem to know how to take that as she sniffled, almost scrutinizing them now.

"... You're so weird. Usually everyone just ignores me."

Akira scoffed, unable to help but say with some bitterness, "Well if bein' a weirdo means we help people, then I'm fine with that."

Ren nodded, his smile and chuckle hollow from bitterness.

"... You know...I've heard people talk about you two, saying you're actually pretty bad people."

Akira was ready to snap at the sudden attitude were it not for her next words.

"But...I just don't see it."

Akira relaxed, letting out a breath she didn't realize she held. Her brother, however...

"Oh I'm bad to the bone."

Now she wasn't amused. Ren, of course, returned it with a slight smirk.

At least it got a small smile from Takamaki, who said, "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"I'm completely serious," her brother said, keeping up his smugness.

Akira rolled her eyes but grinned nonetheless. "Sure you are."

The girl sitting before them actually giggled. Akira was glad she felt well enough to laugh.

And then she said, "I thought so. I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations."

Her brother kept up his light tone as he said, "Oh? Why?"

But that left him, and the twintailed blonde, as she said, her gaze soft and compassionate,

"Well... You seemed lonely—almost like you didn't belong anywhere..."

Akira couldn't help herself scoff. That was true, but...

"It's not so bad. I've got Big Bro with me."

"That's right. While you have your best friend."

She blinked, as if she had only realized something so obvious now, before she laughed in disbelief. When she stopped, though it was tinged with sadness, there was at least a genuine smile on her face once more.

"When you put it that way, yeah, we're the same in that regard." Then she said, "Maybe that's why it was so easy to talk to you."

She and Ren both smiled.

"I'm just glad to help. Even if it's a little," her brother said.

"Me too," she said.

They settled into silence after that, just letting it hang until Takamaki decided to speak once again. Understansably, though she had felt better earlier, she was wistful as she thought out loud,

"Is there really no way for me to help Shiho?" She sighed. "I wish he'd just change his mind... Like, forget about me and everything..." She scoffed, smile now self-deprecating. "As if something like that would ever happen..."

Usually that was what Akira would call "tempting fate", but in this case, with what Morgana offered to them earlier...

Akira decided.

"It could happen."

She could feel Ren's frown towards her, but she ignored it in favor of focusing on Takamaki, who was taken aback.

"I wasn't asking for a serious response."

Akira was about to speak, but her brother said,

"Oh she's completely serious."

Had it been any other time, she would've assumed he was keeping up a joke, but she snapped towards him to see, as she guessed, his critical gaze. But she wouldn't shrink from it, wondering why he was making it seem like she was joking when she wasn't. On the bright side, it did make Takamaki laugh once more, reminding her she was still there, so she put off questioning him on it...for now.

"Well either way, I do feel a bit better now," the twin-tailed blonde said. "So...I'm gonna head home."

Takamaki stood up, took her bag and the water they got for her. Before she left though, it was her turn to give a hard stare as she said, tone just as grave,

"Don't tell anyone what I told you, okay? I'll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida."

On one hand, that meant a chance at stopping him without possibly accidentally killing him and that was great, but on the other hand...how much of a chance that had to work?

Good thing Ren spoke for them and said,

"Okay."

"Thanks," she said and left.

They watched her go, neither of them saying anything. It was only when Akira was sure Takamaki was gone did she say,

"Think it'll work?"

"I... I don't know," he said. "But I want to believe in her. If she can somehow convince Kamoshida, we won't risk the chance of, you know..."

Of course. That made sense. Well, if that was the case...

"So we won't try Morgana's suggestion then?"

Her brother nodded. "For now. It'll be our last resort."

Akira couldn't help but chuckle. "Last resort huh?" she said, smiling wryly. "Well let's hope we don't have to use it."

Ren nodded.

But they jumped as her phone shook. She picked it up, only to groan.

"Great. Only fifteen minutes until my meds..."

Her brother chuckled at her annoyance. "Shall we have dinner here then?"

"Blech..." She was already imagining the weird taste of cheese with meat and vegetables. But still she said, "Yeah. Sure. We're here already anyway."

"I can just take all the cheese if you want," Ren said with a smirk.

She glared. "Not if you're gonna be smug about it."

"Well then I guess you're just going have to suck it up..." he said, voice sing-song.

She wanted to slap him so much, but the lingering weird taste that remained in her memory was already bad enough...

"Fine... But I'm ordering two then!"

Dinner wasn't as bad as it could've been thanks to that. But she still couldn't shake off that bad feeling she had about Takamaki's plan. She really hoped they wouldn't have to do their last resort.

{R}

"Takamaki-san...?" Ren said as he took his seat.

The girl jumped in her seat before she turned to him and said, "Huh?"

"Any luck?" he said, hopeful despite the chances.

Takamaki pouted for a moment but then realized what he meant.

"Oh, you mean...what I said yesterday?"

He nodded.

The platinum blonde frowned and Ren feared she wouldn't answer. But she said,

"I...haven't tried yet."

"Oh."

Well, it wasn't like he didn't expect it, but still...the sooner she tried, the better.

He was pulled from his thoughts as she said,

"Why?"

"Why...what?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm worried for you. And your friend," he said, somewhat saddened that she still found his worry weird. "I want to help you both."

Even more so as she was astonished once again, staring at him slack jawed and wide eyed.

He couldn't stop himself from pouting. "Is it really that weird?"

For whatever reason, that made her cover mouth as she giggled. Before he could ask what that was about, she stopped, showied her small smile and said,

"Maybe. But...it's not so bad. Thank you." She turned back to the chalkboard, Mr. Ushimaru finally arriving. "I'll let you know, okay?"

"All right."

Class went by uneventfully, just him taking notes on the lessons. Well, at least until a familiar someone said,

"Have you made up your mind?"

Ren nearly fell off his seat when fur brushed against his hands and he flung them away from Morgana. Thankfully that didn't get the teacher's attention, which he defintely would've had he also shouted. And...the cat continued nonchalantly, as if it was completely normal for a cat to hide in the ten centimeter space for textbooks in a desk.

"No amount of thinking will change your option. You'd be better off just listening to me."

He glared.

"Don't. Talk."

But it was too late.

"Huh? Did I just hear a cat now?"

"M-M-Meow!"

Oh you've got to be... There was no other choice. Ren put all of his anger towards the cat into his glare, giving one to each and everyone in the class who wasn't Takamaki. Thanks to his reputation, they all were terrified and pretended to be mystified as to the source of the meowing, looking this way and that.

"I wonder if the rumored cat is nearby..." Mr. Ushimaru said, searching as well. At least until he noticed the class, well, not paying attention. "Settle down class! We're in the middle of an important lecture!"

Everyone turned to the teacher, though Takamaki merely glanced, seemingly bored. Not that he blamed her. Social studies wasn't exactly an exciting subject to most and Mr. Ushimaru certainly didn't attempt to make it interesting for them.

But as if his heart needed even more of a workout, his phone vibrated. It skipped a beat in worry for Aki until he guessed it was most likely Ryuji. As discretely as he could, he took it out and saw that, yes, he had guessed right once again.

Ryuji: It's no use... I can't think of any other way.

Akira: And you're telling us DURING class WHY?

Ryuji: Hey! I can't concentrate on that shit right now! I mean, what're we gonna do about Kamoshida?!

Ryuji: Do we just go with what that cat says?

Ryuji: Ugh, that damn furball...

Ren was inclined to agree with his friend as the furball said, "If only he knew I could see what he said..."

He was ready to tell the stupid cat off for talking again when a classmate said,

"Hey... What's that?!"

Of course their social studies teachers said, "Enough! This is a classroom!"

"Wait... She's gonna jump!"

Ren froze.

Next thing he knew, Morgana complained about jostling his desk and he was at the window in the hallway. There, where he, Aki and Ryuji had been yesterday, stood Suzui-san on the roof, standing on the other side of the fence that stopped anyone from falling off.

He ran.

He pushed past students, skipped steps on the stairs, and ignored the protests of his muscles.

He had to reach her.

He had to help her.

He had to save her.

But just as he tackled the door to the roof...

"No!"

...he saw her fall.

Despite that, he ran to the fence, wanting, hoping, wishing, to catch her.

But instead he saw her body splat on the ground, limbs splayed, face down, and blood all around her.

"No..."

He collapsed on his knees, his thoat choking on a sob and tears threatening to burst. He hadn't been fast enough. No, he hadn't been decisive enough. The abuse had been too much for her. He had been too late. He didn't reach her. He didn't help her. He didn't save her. She was dead. All because he had been worried about killing Kamoshida.

It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault.

It was all his fault.

"Big Bro...?"

Ren gasped and turned to see his sister, concern splattered on her face as her eyes gleamed from held back tears.

"Come on," she said, shaking his shoulder. "Let's check on her."

Ren swallowed and only then did he realize his own tears had wet his cheeks. He took off his fake glasses and wiped it away. He swallowed once more as he stood, putting on both his glasses and his mask as he said,

"All right."

Aki's concern worsened but she said nothing. Instead they made their way down. On the second floor, they met Ryuji and tried to reach the courtyard. However, in the time since he left the classroom, practically everyone had come out and now the way to the courtyard was blocked by a mass of students. He and Aki tried to get through, but when they made no progess, Ryuji said,

"C'mon, let's try through the practice building."

The amount of students there was still numerous, but it was less enough that, with their combined strength and delinquent reputation, they finally managed to reach the courtyard and through the crowd that formed there to see that the paramedics had arrived and put Suzui-san in a stretcher.

"Shiho!" Takamaki said amongst the crowd.

Ren stared at the prone girl. He couldn't tell whether she was breathing or not, especially with the blanket that covered her. And it certainly didn't help that the teachers shouted at the students to return to their classrooms. But not only did they go ignored, the students...took out their phones and recorded the sight like it was a show.

"What the hell's wrong with these people?!" their blond friend said.

Aki said, "Hey! Put those god damn phones away! If you ain't gonna help, get outta here!"

Those near them were startled, mumbling and unsure about the "delinquent", but those farther just ignored her, the sight of a suicide apparently much more fascinating. He moved, ready to give them a piece of his mind, when one of the paramedics ran up to the crowd and said,

"We need someone to go with her... Are there any teachers around?"

And he had to ask. "Is she alive?"

"Yes, but we need to go before she gets worse."

Relief flooded him and he heaved a sigh. But then a teacher he didn't recognize said,

"I-I'm not in charge of her class though."

"W-We should leave this to Principal Kobayakawa..."

Ren was stunned. A student had nearly killed herself and they were doing nothing. It just... He hated it. How could anyone be so callous?

Thankfully Takamaki said to the paramedic, "I'll go."

And he said, "Please hurry."

Then he prepared to lift the stretcher with a colleague. Takamaki knelt beside her, seeming to speak to Suzui-san who was now conscious. Whatever she told Takamaki though, he couldn't hear as Aki had stomped and closed in on people, saying,

"Didn't you hear me?! I said get outta here! Does this look like a show to you?!"

She didn't have much success this time either, but people did back away from her in fear. However, Ren saw someone run off. He wasn't the only one to notice.

"Hey, is it just me or was Mishima actin' weird?" Ryuji said.

"He must know something."

"Then let's go."

Ryuji went ahead. Ren tapped on Aki, who was livid at first, until he gestured to follow their friend and left without waiting for her answer. As he hoped, she tailed him as they ran after the volleyball member. Unsurprisingly, the blond caught up and grabbed him by the wrist. Mishima cried out in pain, but Ryuji ignored it and dragged him to the lockers at the practice building's first floor.

"That hurts!" Mishima said when their friend finally let go.

"Then why were you runnin' like that?!" he said.

"I...didn't run."

Ryuji slammed his fist on a locker. "She jumped and tried to kill herself!"

His classmate cowered away. "L-Leave me alone..."

Aki growled and said, "Suzui-san almost died! She still could be dying! We ain't leavin' until you tell us somethin'!"

While he said, softer than either of them but just as serious, "Just tell us. We won't tell anyone you told us."

"Yeah," Ryuji said, surprisingly calm. "We ain't tryin' to bust you. We promise."

Thankfully, that was enough to convince him, regret all over his face.

"Suzui...She got called out by Mr. Kamoshida!"

Ren heart stopped a moment.

"Called...out...?" he said, dread building.

"What the hell does that mean?" Aki said, her slight tremble belying her harsh tone.

Mishima didn't look at any of them. "I was called by him a number of times too...to the teacher's room," he said. "It wasn't just me or Suzui. He'd call for someone if he was in a bad mood...and hit them."

"So the physical abuse was for real then..." Ryuji said.

Ren never thought he would be hopeful over rumors of physical abuse being true, but he was, because for a moment he thought that that was all Suzui-san went through.

But then Mishima said, "But yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything... And yet, Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day. So it...must have been worse than usual."

And that hope was shot as he took a breath and steeled his features.

"He didn't...!"

Oh but he did. That much was clear from implications, more so for them after seeing his Palace...and after Takamaki refusing his "rendezvous".

"That son of a bitch!" their blond friend said...

...and ran off.

As well as Aki.

Ren's heart raced with panic.

"Wait!" he said and made to grab his sister.

But he barely missed and he cursed under his breath. He followed but found both of them already gone from sight. Ren cursed again and nearly did it a third time when Mishima suddenly said,

"I-I think Mr. Kamoshida's in the PE faculty office. It's on the second floor of here."

"Thanks," he said before he went off.

He had to be quick. He had not one, but two people with explosive tempers to deal with. Mishima, despite his state, was able to keep pace and Ren was just fast enough that he saw his sister and Ryuji get in the practice building's faculty office. So as he went in, he heard the former athlete saying,

"You bastard! What the hell did you do to her?!"

"What are you talking about?" Ren heard Kamoshida say once he got inside, uninterested.

"You know the hell what we're talkin' about, mophead!" Aki said, her eyes almost feral.

While Ryuji kicked one of the chairs and said, "Don't play dumb with us!"

The "teacher" turned and said, "That is enough!"

"Like what you did was 'enough'!" Aki said.

Then, before any of the four of them could speak, Mishima said,

"What you did...wasn't coaching..!"

He, Aki and Ryuji turned to him, astonished, but he was definitely happy that his classmate was speaking out. And not only that, they finally had someone who was willing to testify.

If Kamoshida's expression earlier wasn't angry, it most definitely was now.

"What did you say?" he said.

And Mishima didn't back down. "You...ordered me to call Suzui here..." he said. "I can only imagine what you did to her...!"

Aki smirked, also happy he was standing up. However, instead of worrying the athlete, he just shook his head like they were utter fools.

"You're going on and on about things that you have no proof of..." he said. "Basically, you're simply making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team?"

"That's not what this is about...!"

And a splash of reality woke them as he said, "Even if everything is exactly as you imagine, hypothetically speaking... What can you do? We just got a call from the hospital. Suzui is in a coma and her chances of recovery are slim... How can someone like that make a statement?" To add salt to the wound, the man said in mock-sympathy, "I hear there's no chance of her getting better... Ohhh, the poor girl."

Suzui-san was in a coma? No... That meant... Takamaki...

"No...that can't be..." Mishima said, devastated.

"You god damn...!" Ryuji said.

"You asshole...!" Aki said.

Both looked ready to punch him, but while his sister trembled in anger, it was Ryuji who got visibly ready as he took a stance.

Kamoshida focused on the former runner because of that.

"This, again?" he said. "Does this mean we need to have yet another case of 'self-defense'?"

"Shut up, you son of a bitch!" both Ryuji and Aki said, ready to punch.

Ren grabbed both before they could, stopping them mid-swing.

"Grr... Let me go, Big Bro!"

"Why're you stoppin' us...?!"

It took everything Ren had to stop them. It took everything to blank his face. It took everything he had to not lash out as well. It took everything he had to focus on keeping his sister and new friend safe and say,

"Don't let him get to you."

"But still!" Ryuji said, pulling himself out of his grip.

But he made no indication of making another attempt.

"Oh? You're stopping them? I'm surprised," Kamoshida said, genuine for once, but his smug face soon returned. "There's no need to hold back. Why not attack me?" He paused, as if only realizing the reality. "Ohhh, you caaan't." He laughed and Aki strained against his grip. "But of course you can't!"

Aki growled and Ren moved his hand to her shoulder, squeezing it in comfort and reminder. She relaxed, thankfully, but she still kept up her burning gaze on Kamoshida.

Though Ren didn't blame her for exploding again when Kamoshida said, as he took his seat again,

"Everyone present right now will be expelled. I will be reporting you in the next board meeting."

Ren stared.

Ryuji and Aki said, "What?!"

"You can't make a decision like that!"

"Yeah!" Aki said. "And why Mishima-san too?! He didn't do anything!"

"Hs threatened me too, so he's just as responsible."

"What?! Now you're just giving false charges!"

Ren gritted his teeth. Kamoshida narrowed his eyes. Ren moved to stand in front of his sister, fearing the man would lash out. But instead he said,

"Oh but I'm not. He may act like a victim, but he leaked your criminal records, didn't you, Mishima? It's all over the internet, correct? How terrible."

They all faced him, caught off guard.

"Mishima...?" Ryuji said.

"You're the one who did it?" Aki said.

"Why...?" Ren couldn't help but say.

Mishima, unable to take the weight of their gazes, sank to his knees, his face in agony from regret and shame.

"He told me to do it... I had no choice..."

Kamoshida scoffed. "To think you didn't know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team..." he said. He turned away with a dismissive wave. "Now are we finished here? You're all expelled! You're done for: your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight."

Yet another reason to hate the man, as if they needed more. But there was no need to dwell on that. Ren helped Mishima up and said,

"Let's go."

Aki grumbled but said, looking utterly defeated, "All right..."

Meanwhile Ryuji said, absolutely frustrated, "Argh! Damn it! I can't believe this asshole's gonna get away with this...!"

And Kamoshida just ignored them, going about like he hadn't just nearly caused the death of one person, ruined the futures of four people, and made it a living hell for even more. He didn't care about any of the lives of others.

Ren made his choice.

"He'll eat his words."

Aki, of course, was perplexed before she slapped her forehead in annoyance for forgetting Morgana's offer. Ryuji was similarly confused for a moment as he said,

"Huh?" But then he too realized what he meant. "Oh right! We have that!"

Mishima looked at them curiously as he said,"'That'...?"

"Huh? Have you lost your minds?" Kamoshida said.

"Ryuji!" Aki said to the blond, whisper-shouting. "Don't just say stuff like that!"

"Oh crap," he said, sheepish.

Ren briefly put a finger over his own mouth and gave Mishima a significant gaze. Though it was clear he didn't fully understand, he knew it was important not to ask questions. With determined eyes, Mishima nodded and stopped leaning on him.

Thankfully, Kamoshida's arrogance was their saving grace as he scoffed again and said,

"You worthless kids aren't making any sense, but sure, go ahead and try. After all, you'll have plenty of time to kill until expulsion..."