TW: Kamoshida expressing his Kamoshida-ness via sexual assault and themes of suicide

Remember how I said this fic was heavily inspired by Going the Distance? Just a little warning.

Scared to death, scared to look, they shook

'Cause ain't no such things as halfway crooks

Scared to death, scared to look

Livin' the life that of diamonds and guns

There's numerous ways you can choose to earn funds

So some get shot, locked down, and turn nuns

Cowardly hearts and straight up shook ones, shook ones

He ain't a crook, son, he's just a shook one

-III-

April 13, 20XX, 13:12, Shujin Academy

Picking up the slack for coworkers was one thing. Doing so because you have the most manageable hangovers is another. After drinking what felt like an entire liter of water in a couple of gulps, and downing two salmon onigiri from the local convenience store, she was good (enough) to go. And sober enough to begin complaining internally.

'I don't care that whatever prelims are about to start, is the Sports section so empty that they're actually taking a story from a high school? I'd rather ram my head against the wall trying to get something outta that train-derailing situation…'

The sober reporter went over the interview questions; all screened with the interviewee, scripted, and planned. Probably to stoke this man's ego. Such events were what passed as journalism where she worked.

When she entered the school's gymnasium after hearing the roaring cheers, and chants, she immediately understood.

'Yep. Huge prick.'

High-fiving your entire team after demolishing a bunch of high schoolers was definitely the behavior of a grown man.

Courtside, Kamoshida served; a powerful strike sent the ball ripping across the gym and right into a scrawny student's face, sending him to the floor. As the crowd was silenced, Kamoshida rushed to the victim, ensuring his safety, and brought him up to his feet, but instead of heading out the door to the clinic, he stopped in front of the reporter.

She raised an eyebrow, but before she could speak- "You're the interviewer, aren't you? I'm sorry, but this boy is hurt. I'll see that he gets there safely."

The reporter bit back a remark. "It's no problem! I have the entire afternoon."

The murmurs picked up from the sidelines, all praising the coach for his kindness. And right as she was about to shake her head, she was met by a more refined sight. A face she recognized as her contact. "You're Niijima-san, right?"

"And you must be the reporter. Your colleague didn't give me your name, unfortunately."

The reporter adorned her best don't-let-these-kids-know-you're-hungover face. (for some reason; it was courtesy, right? Even to students? It was getting hard to remember.)

She handed out her business card and the student collected it, studying it briefly before looking back.

"Ohya Ichiko, at your service."

13:19

Sure enough, Kamoshida didn't take him to the clinic. Just a far-off corridor with minimal foot traffic.

"You should've seen that coming. You do all that training for what? To be a punching bag?"
"I- I'm sorry… I'll do better."

The coach turned around and muttered. "Doesn't amount to much even when you do."

Once again, Mishima was left with his thoughts. He sighed and let his back hit the wall, looking up to the ceiling. A familiar sight for a familiar feeling.

"Hey."

Mishima recognized the voice immediately. The transfer student with his (according to his self-talk) infinitely more impressive posture.

Ren kept his hands in his pocket. "A minute of your time?"

The boy nodded nervously.

"I heard Coach gives you special training. What's that about?"
"Uh…"
"Does it have to do with the fact that people hear screams of pain from the gym or the PE faculty room every once in a while?"
"I-I"

Ren gave up the coy act. "You do realize you're not being coached, right? He set you up to eat that shot."

"What?! D-Do you have proof?"
"He wasn't supposed to serve in that rotation, and he deliberately targeted an area full of people; not the kind of moves a gold medalist would pull, yeah?"

Mishima's knees buckled. "I-I mean…"

"You can't tell me that watching a few episodes of Haikyu! gives me more game sense than someone on the team."|
"I k-knew-"
"But?"

"I know!" Mishima fell silent. "Everyone and I mean everyone, knows… but… freakin' volleyball."

The volleyball player recounted most of the things he had witnessed or heard of. Despite each story sounding like the same thing, it didn't make it any less disturbing. "That sums it up, I guess."

Ren nodded, a mix of disgust and vindication for witnessing the parallels to the Palace. "Do you happen to hear of anything that happens to the girls?"

"I heard stories from his previous schools talking about sexual harassment, or… y'know, assault sometimes."

The scrawny boy held his face, still feeling the impact of the ball from earlier, which seemed to have busted his lip and gotten a little blood to draw from his nostril.

Ren would have suggested he go to the clinic with him, but he had to be careful. Technically, he was missing from the rally already. "You should head to the clinic."

Still hesitant, the boy made his nervous way out but turned his head for one more question. "Why are you asking about Kamoshida?"

"Just thirsty for rumors. Thanks, Mishima."

…

"Y-Yeah. Sure."

The moment the injured kid left, Ren pondered his next move, squatting with his heels on the floor. He checked his phone; it seemed as if Makoto got her answers from her student council members so that probably meant they ought to reconvene somewhere private.

Amamiya: Here's a good place, honestly.
Amamiya: Barely anyone, and we can relocate if ever.

As he pocketed his phone and looked up, he met the crossed arms of a displeased Ann.

Ren started. This wasn't going to be as friendly as yesterday, judging by her expression. He didn't know why she was like this but a low profile was the name of the game for now. "What's up?"

With unbroken eye contact, Ann continued. "Kawakami-sensei asked me to tell you to come back to the gym… fifteen minutes ago."

"When the rally was still ongoing…" Ren's defenses awoke. He stood up and leaned against the wall. "We got time. Talk to me."

"I don't believe for a second that you're just thirsty for rumors ."

Ren sighed. Of course, someone listened in during a busy time, and it happened to be someone as sharp as her. "So…?"

"So I thought you should know that you're crossing a dangerous line." Ann's face softened a bit, and she looked down to her left. "I don't know what you're getting up to here. I just hope you know that you aren't going to be the only one paying the price if you do something crazy."

"I know."
"So what are you doing?"

He stood up straight, his eyes finally honest in the face of her straight-shooting. "Something."

"Can you be serious for-"
"I am."

Despite his obvious honesty, Ann couldn't begin to dissect whatever he was saying. His choice of words sounded like a joke, he was playing it completely straight. Was he delusional, or was he completely serious?

"I don't get you…"

Ren shrugged, and Ann groaned out loud, preparing to walk away in frustration before bumping into someone around the corner.

And then someone else. Shiho and Ryuji both rubbed their foreheads, the loud blonde commented. "Jeez, Takamaki…"

Ann grunted. "Ugh, what're you getting riled up for?"

Shiho frowned. "You're in a bad mood today…"

Ryuji followed up. "You mean more than usual?"

Ren snickered in the back, prompting the attention to turn to him, but not before Ann elbowed Ryuji's side.

Shiho tried not to misunderstand, to tease Ann. The operative word being tried. "Should we… leave you two alone?"

"What?" Ann exclaimed. "Ugh, now's not the time!"

Ren left the wall. "I'll be on my way then."

He turned the corner behind them, unfortunately bumping into someone again. "Ow! The same gag? Really?"

"Ouch…!" Makoto rubbed her forehead as the recognition set. "Oh, Amamiya-kun, we should-"

Ren shot out one finger to silence her lips. Slightly confused, and flustered at the touch, Makoto peeked behind him and met Ann's gaze.

The blonde girl immediately caught on to her wording. "We should what? Since when did you two get so buddy-buddy?"

Regretting her word choice, Makoto shook her head rapidly. "I-I just…"

Ren almost interrupted, but Shiho's hand on Ann's shoulders took the attention.

The volleyball player spoke, thrown off by her best friend's aggression. "Ann, are you okay?"

The two girls locked eyes, both pained in different ways. A relationship that was communicative enough without words.

…

"Sorry." Ann said to Shiho, then faced Ren and Makoto. "Bad day, I guess. I'm sorry for being rude."

Makoto shook her head. "It's alright, Takamaki-san."

The trio walked away, Shiho fast-walked her group, saying something about checking out a new place on Central Street.

Ann looked back briefly. The two had already gone.

13:53

In the privacy of the student council room, they relayed information they'd already known from the Palace, though Makoto's conversation with her secretary and VP was quite revealing; Kobayakawa's corruption, Kamoshida's past victims, and that certain members of the Parent Teacher Association were actively keeping this issue away from more litigious members.

The roots sprouting forth from Kamoshida's sins were numerous; systemic, even. No amount of student protest was solving this.

Ren paced slowly. "We oughta get in contact with Morgana. There's gotta be something in the Palace that can help move this along."

He went to open the door, but Makoto stood up. "Wait, let me lock up."

Adamantly, he shook his head. "We're not repeating what happened earlier."

"Fine…"
"Think of it like you being a double agent in a spy thriller; isn't it fun sneaking around now?"
"I don't think fun is the right word…"
"Exciting?"

" Tense ?" She crossed her arms and sighed. " You're not pressured by this?"

"Glass half-full."

He made for the school exit, seeking to wait inside the alleyway. But now, he came face to face with someone he didn't want to see right where the outside lights touched the floors.

Kamoshida puffed his chest out. "Oh good, you saved me some time."

And beside him was Mishima, meek as ever.

Ren shot first. "Saved you some time out of your chin- ups coach?"

Mishima snickered under his breath but shut himself up the moment Kamoshida grits his teeth. "I know what you're trying to do."

Ren frowned. How did he know? Ren specifically went to Mishima because he knew how much people ignored him. But on second thought, he did seem like the type to squeal; he got his info so easily after all.

He flashed the volleyball player a look, and as expected he shrunk further. Terrible poker face.

Kamoshida rudely entered Ren's space, placing a whisper by his ear. "I know everything about you, and what you did to get held back a year. You're not gonna survive punching your way outta this one, champ. Final warning."

"Or what? You'll hit on me too?"

The coach grinned. Ren hated how he could physically feel his intentions. "How about that hot purple-haired chick you got back in Atami?"

…

"Or that fine piece of ass you call your mom? She's single, yeah?"

…

A crowd started forming from the onlookers. "The transfer and Kamoshida are so close… what's going on?"

Emotion stewed in Ren as the number of eyes attached to him grew. Nothing pleasant, deeper than anger, more bitter, destructive. At the very least, he felt like he could spit on Kamoshida's sickening face.

But for a brief moment, he saw in the distance that Makoto had just gotten down the stairs, confused by the amassing people. If she had to bail him out of this, it wouldn't turn out well. He couldn't let the coach get to him.

"I'm pretty open-minded; I was never into the whole colored hair aesthetic; too much attitude, but I can expand my horizons, or hers. And for your mom… I'm even game to let some used goods choke on this ."

Ren knew exactly what he meant. He also knew exactly how he wanted to mangle his-

"Amamiya-kun!"

Makoto's words fell on deaf ears. She couldn't get past the amassing crowd gathering around the spectacle. With their phones held up and the murmurs growing, all she could do was watch as her comrade stood toe-to-toe with the most influential person in school.

Ren held his clenched hands behind his back. Self-control. At least a semblance of it. He raised his voice for the onlookers. "You would know about choking, Kamoshida-sensei."

That was Ren's hook. And Kamoshida took it. "What're you talking about?"

Kamoshida looked at him incredulously. Ren had his attention. "Did a little bit of research on you to see why everyone fawned over you. That winning serve you hit in the Olympics was under investigation, right? Even most news outlets at the time thought it wasn't legit."

"That's in the past," Kamoshida muttered through his gritted teeth.

To Ren's delight, the coach didn't seem convinced of himself. Now for the counter-shot. "Losers can be winners too, huh?"

A clean strike. Kamoshida was rattled in place.

Ren and Mishima were the only ones who could see Kamoshida's expression. From facetiously pleasant to one of pure contempt for the boy whose lips wouldn't stop flapping. His fists balled up. If this burly man were to land a swipe on any of these boys, he would surely leave them flat on the floor.

"Are performance issues common with you? Do you need enhancers to help you on those occasions? On and off the court, I mean. I'm sure teenage girls and those foreign volleyball players need a lot of enhancing to prepare for."

…

"Most pro athletes got ice water in their veins. But all the ice in your veins must've given you cold feet. Or went to your throat; you know, how you choked? "

…

"Did choking on the ref's spike get you gold too?"

The crowd gasped. Kamoshida was trying very hard to not let the fact that a high schooler was roasting him where it hurt. And that he knew what he was saying. He wasn't just another punk; he was doing this deliberately.

Live. In front of a crowd that was watching.

A speeding ball of panic pushed through the crowd; Makoto revealed herself and tugged Ren's wrist as hard as she could. "Amamiya!"

She looked at her companion with an almost desperate look. Something about her managed to shake him out of his tunnel vision for a split second before she took off with him in tow.

Ren took one more look behind him. Darkness. Kamoshida's cracking, fake smile was overtaken by a glimpse of the king's robe and crown:

Oh, you'll pay for that, you little shit.

Makoto released Ren in the alley. "What happened?! You were telling me to be careful but you went and provoked Kamoshida!"

"I didn't start-"
"But you'll always try to finish, won't you?"

"Niijima…" Ren removed his glasses and wiped his face down in frustration. "Can you just-"

"W-Wait, you're bleeding!
"…what?"

He looked at his palm. Fresh, smeared blood on his palms and under his nails. Makoto took them into her own and inspected them.

"Your nails… You were clenching your fists that hard?"

Suddenly he was aware of how loud the pulse of his pumping blood was, feeling the pulse near his neck echoing out his ear, and how much the skin of his palms stung.

The pieces started to fall together for Makoto. She softened her expression, suddenly feeling worried. "What did Kamoshida say- actually, you shouldn't have to answer that. I'm sorry."

He shook his head, leaving it hanging low. "No… I'm sorry. It's not happening again."

…

"Okay." Makoto frowned. "Tell me if this hurts, okay? I don't have anything to treat this properly…"

"You don't have to-"

"Stop." She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face gently, removing the blood, and then moving onto his hands. All of which he had let happen; he was too distracted to stop her. "Let's lay low for today, Amamiya-kun. We'll resume tomorrow."

It felt nice to be treated with her kindness, and the warmth of her gentle touch. The sensation involuntarily made him remember a time long past; purple hair, a faint, flowery scent, and the feel of calloused fingertips. He almost pulled back in discomfort, but making Makoto worry any further wasn't on his itinerary.

Instead, he let out a soft chuckle. Makoto cocked her head to the side, red eyes wide with curiosity. "Hmm?"

"Just thinking about the gap."
"Between what?"
"Something ."

She smiled, and her eyes followed in a roll. "You are such a pain."

Pleasant as it was to be indulged in warmth, he felt stupid.

Embarrassed.

This would be a one-off.

14:17

Back at the entrance of Shujin, the crowd dispersed from Kamoshida and Mishima, eager to finally kill the awkward air. The boy knew that look on his face all too well. Everything Ren had announced got to him.

"They were taking videos, right?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"Can you do something about that?"
"N-No…"

Silence. Contemplative, deafening silence. Mishima was simply awaiting more.

"Is Suzui still here?"
"I think she left."
"She's due tomorrow. For now, you'll have to do."
"B-But- Yes… I'm sorry coach."

Whatever feelings Kamoshida had toward Ren would have to wait. He should've known provoking him like that was an easy route to suspension or expulsion.

That's right, all Kamoshida had to do was report this incident, but he couldn't. This was a schoolyard argument; the first one who tattles loses. And the glint in Ren's eyes told the coach that he knew that.

That little bastard… I'll ruin his goddamn life.

Kamoshida left the area with Mishima in tow. However, one woman with a keen ear and sneaky positioning emerged from a corner unseen.

Ohya Ichiko was (for once) glad she filled in for her coworker.

She was right about Kamoshida; he certainly is an entitled man-child. She couldn't stay here any longer though. This was an unforeseen circumstance amid a last-minute change. And none of that conversation could definitively pin something onto Kamoshida.

But she was a journalist, not a prosecutor. If only she didn't have other deadlines to meet…

April 14, 20XX, 12:08, Shujin Academy

The video of Kamoshida and Ren's altercation had already begun making the rounds online. In the halls, Ann heard whispers of it until she too watched it with contention as she made her way towards the one place that she might be alone; the rooftop.

The one thought that repeated in her head was 'What the hell does he think he's doing?!' For the people who stood up to him, there was a reason many of them weren't in Shujin anymore, or that they were silenced.

Did he have no consideration for what stirring up Kamoshida would do? Still, she couldn't be completely mad. Because she knew if she did, that hate of her inaction would only start coming back around. It was a feedback loop of frustration.

Ann opened the rooftop doors and found someone peering through the fence, squatting down with her knees to her chest, a distant expression on her face. She almost didn't seem afraid of being so close to the edge.

The girl tried not to turn her head too much. "Hmm? Oh, Ann."

"Why're you up here?"
"The people look like ants from here."

Ann walked over to where Shiho was, looking down at the people. The volleyball player put her pointer and thumb near her eyes, and squeezed.

"Squish. That's gonna leave a mark."

Ann was used to being the straight man to these kinds of shenanigans at this point. "What're you squishing?"

"Douchebags." She pointed out to a lonely boy on his phone. "That dude cheated on his girlfriend. They were supposed to graduate together next year too."

Shiho squished her target with the appropriate sounds. Blinking a couple of times, Ann realized maybe she could humor her. She began squishing too, spotting a few people she knew for a fact were sleazebags, rumormongers, academic cheaters, and others of the ilk.

Shiho made a pop sound with her lips, smiling. "If only it were that easy, huh?"

…

Ann grimaced out of sight from her friend. "Shiho, will you look at me?"

"What are you gonna do?" The volleyball player scoffed. " Gaze into my eyes?"

"Shiho…"
"Then do that thing in movies where the tension gets too much and we kiss-"

The blonde forcefully pulled her up by the shoulders and then got a clean look at her face. She almost wished she didn't. "Shiho…"

Shiho wasn't fooling anyone with the unevenness of the foundation on her face, what more a model? Ann just didn't have the heart to confront considering how she knew her friend was willing to deflect issues in times of trouble, and that she knew how valuable volleyball was to her highschool life.

But she couldn't stand it any longer. "You have to tell me what's going on!"

It didn't take long for the tears to come streaming from Shiho's tired eyes, and for her to seek Ann's embrace. Her heaving became more desperate with each breath."I-I d-don't know what to do! This sucks! This is bullshit!"

Shiho knew that Ann knew; it was her pride and consideration of Ann that halted her. At least there was no need to explain what she meant. Ann had half the mind to tell her she should've admitted this sooner, but that wouldn't be helpful.

These tears should've been cathartic. But they knew Shiho was walking right back into the lion's den with no way out. But at least here, between their warmth, they had each other.

Ann was the first to speak up, her voice barely a whisper. "Come to my place after school; we can have fun. You can- you have to sleepover."

"Don't you have work?"
"That wasn't a question, please come over. You're more important to me."

16:07

"Mraawww! Let me out!" Morgana complained as he jumped out of Ren's bag.

Makoto locked the door to the student council room, kept the lights off, and made sure the windows were sealed. No meetings were scheduled for this hour, thankfully, and the outdoor light pouring in was sufficient for their purposes, offering an air of mystery to the atmosphere.

The student council president sat down at the edge of the table, with Ren and Morgana on her left, the latter sitting atop the table. "Keep your voices down."

The cat (there was no denying it now, as Ren said) explained away the necessary details; Kamoshida's Palace, his relation to and awareness of it, and what actions are possible.

"A palace is the manifestation of distorted desires. Take away that castle…"

"And so do his desires…" Ren finished the thought. "You're only mentioning this now ?"

"I…" Morgana hissed. "I lost my memory, so gimme a break!"

Makoto, however, still had her questions. "That would end our troubles with him, but he'd be sidestepping the consequences of his actions and his feelings, wouldn't he? Would that be for the best?"

"We're in luck there! His heart will change, but that means he'd recognize the gravity of his crimes and confess to his sins!"

Makoto and Ren's ears seemed to perk up at that detail.

Ren took a moment to absorb that information, kicking his feet up on the table. Makoto immediately crossed her arms, and the boy disappointedly put them down again. "It can't be that simple. What's the catch?"

"Well… the difficulty of infiltrating aside… if we manage to take away his desires, that might mean natural ones too; eating, sleeping-"

"So we might be turning him into a vegetable?

Makoto stood up, uneasy with how casual Ren made the concept sound. "He'll die, then. There's a lot of risk in that. To have that power over someone… It's terrifying to know how easy it would be for us to enact our will over others. Just like Kamoshida does."

Ren scoffed. "Don't put us in the same sentence as him."

"You don't have many options!" Morgana said tiredly, resigning himself to the two's choice. "We can't go further unless you agree on the methods, so I'll leave you two for now. Can I go out the window?"

Makoto allowed the cat out, and he began jumping off, leaving the two students alone with their thoughts and lingering tension from the discussion.

"Amamiya-kun, you do know what getting into this means, don't you?"
"I figured it wouldn't be so simple, even if it is consequence-free."
"Consequence-free? We might be allowing someone to die ."

…

He shook his head briefly, scratching the back in a rare lapse of focus. "Right… yeah. Not consequence-free."

16:49, Shibuya Station

Ann checked her phone. Shiho wasn't replying to her messages, which wasn't completely out of the ordinary; she tried not to get glued to her phone. However, they did agree that Shiho would meet Ann at her place, so she was free to go ahead first.

Unfortunately, her phone buzzed; a message from him.

'Ugh… what does he want now?!'

And she checked it. She wished she didn't. Especially in public where everyone could see her disgusted face and the contents of the image; a full-body nude of Kamoshida in front of a mirror.

Ann's hands clenched as she looked away instantly. As if she wasn't grossed out enough, he called her phone. And against her better judgment, she answered it. His intolerable voice made her want to throw her phone into oncoming traffic.

"It's about time you came over…"
"What did you send- ugh, whatever! I'm busy today!"
"You putting out for that transfer student or something?"
"Huh?! What the hell kind of a teacher are you?! This is way too much!"

The man guffawed. "Too much? Like your pretty friend is too much of a hassle to keep as a starter? Or too much just to keep on my team?"

Ann's pulse instantly raised, and her foot unconsciously stomped forward. "K-Keep her out of this! It's just me you want, right?!"

Even as passersby started turning their heads her way, Ann didn't care. Her hand turned to a vise at the prospect of her friend losing out because of her… but then again she knew for certain what was going on in their practices.

The issue was Shiho. Would she hate Ann if she was the reason she lost her place in the team? Could she live with that? Especially if it meant she was safe from him?

"You forced me, Takamaki. Remember that."

He hung up. Just like that.

Suddenly, Ann found that her knees couldn't hold her up. She squatted down into a pile of frozen confusion. "What did I just do…?"

This day should've been good. She should've been at home preparing for a sleepover with Shiho. It should've all turned out well. Why was this happening? She should've been by her side all these hours. She didn't deserve this. Shiho absolutely didn't. And now he was going to crush her best friend's dreams. All because she was so uptight.

"Uh… you good, Takamaki-san?"

Ren appeared in front of her casually, like a passing wind. He looked unsure, uncertain if he should even be witnessing her in that sorry state.

"D-Did you hear any of that?"
"Not on purpose."

…

"Listen." Ren said. "You probably don't want a stranger asking, but I know which teacher you were talking to. And based on our collective beef with him, I can't ignore it."

"Well, you should." Ann denied him quickly, moving past him as she readjusted her bag. "Pick a fight with him like you did yesterday or something, just don't bother me."

"I'm going to ignore that…"

Ann's foot halted with a loud stomp. Ren rolled his eyes and cursed his words; he really couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life.

The girl turned around and got right up in his face. "Why couldn't you ignore Kamoshida then?! I don't care what he said to you, but you're not gonna be the last person to suffer because of him. You arethe person who just made it worse for every single person at that damn school by pissing off that stupid manchild!"

The blonde girl's rant ended swiftly the moment she noticed a few turning heads taking note of their spat. Instead of the usual anger at being the receiver of a raised voice, Ren just stared back with mild annoyance.

"I…" Ann muttered through muffled tears. "Sorry, I have to go."

And she ran off down to the underground walkway. Perhaps it would've been smart to leave her alone; allow the tensions to simmer, or perhaps just ignore her issues; why should he care?

…

Ren chased after Ann.

17:10

The least Ren could do was pay for their meal. Of water. In a Big Bang Burger, but that's beside the point. Slowly, the walls that Ann put between them crumbled as she put together her courage to admit the truth under the sunset pouring through the windows.

"I'm… so sorry." Ann apologetically spoke. " I was way out of line. Anyone against Kamoshida should automatically be a friend of mine, but…"

"Don't beat yourself up over it."

…

"Well…" Ann began her story. "Yeah… that was him on the phone. He sent me… nudes; said he wanted me over at his place. I shot him down, but he said he'd take my best friend off the team."

She closed her fists, her face on the brink of tears. "I've been putting up with him for Shiho's sake. But…I hated it. I hate him."

She gritted her teeth and clutched the drink Ren gave her, crushing its empty form. "Fuck him! He broke my friend's leg and destroyed his reputation, and now he's got me and Shiho dancing around his stupid, gross hands! Screw that asshole! Fuck him! God, I hate him so much! I wish he would just die! Why can't he just stop?! I hate him, I hate him so much!"

Ann broke down further, continuing to sob in an undignified manner. Ren could only try to offer her some tissues as she tried to rein it in.

"B-But Shiho- I just love her so much; she's… my light, you know? When no one was there, she was. But I can't do anything for her. I feel so weak. I'm so useless; all I can do here is cry while she suffers because I'm so stubborn."

…

"Sorry… I'm just so… tired. I don't normally end up venting to someone I barely know."

Finally, Ren found it appropriate to respond. A weird part of him felt proud for knowing when to shut up for once. "I was about to say: you have a funny way of breaking the ice."

And because he was uncomfortable, making inappropriate jokes was the way to go. For some reason, Ann giggled. "I guess so."

…

"You're not weak, Takamaki. The weak would've given up on helping their friends altogether."
"You think so?"
"I know so. An old Christian grandma told me that compassion is not always rewarding. But we show it anyway because we want to."

"Maybe…" Ann smiled sadly. "Every time we've interacted, you've only been kind, and I haven't always been nice. For you to do that even when people are dragging your name through the mud takes a different kind of person."

"I'm only showing you my good side; I pirate anime when no one's looking."

Once her chuckles ceased, she sighed. The situation hadn't been resolved, but perhaps she could see it with a clearer mind.

The blonde girl looked out the window, colored by a wistful expression. "I wanna see Shiho…"

"With how you talk about her, are you sure she's just a best friend?"

Ann blushed but didn't entertain it further. The burden upon her shoulders seemed much lighter than when she came in. Something about Ren was so disarming. The way he approached this conversation was full of so many oddities; he liked to joke. Joke a lot, but he never means to belittle. She had never met someone like this in Japan. Even during her time abroad. Shujin really picked up a strange stray.

"Thanks. For listening. You can keep a secret, right? I'm not sure I should've mentioned my friend getting his leg broken…"
"Lips are sealed.

Without much more noise, they left, Ann back to school to pick up Shiho herself, and Ren back to Yongen-Jaya. Despite the rocky start and sobering perspective, Ren found that conversation fruitful; a reminder that he was still a human with empathy.

His last discussion with Makoto left him questioning that portion of himself; possibly leaving someone brain-dead and all. Maybe she was right to be hesitant. The more he thought about it, he realized that that'd be a piece of innocence they'd never get back. They; not just him anymore.

But between the grief Ann and her friends were put through, and every second he spent in Kamoshida's presence, real or in the Palace, it was getting harder and harder to find an alternative.

17:34, Shujin Academy

Shiho pulled out her phone:

Crepe-chan: I'm gonna head back now
Crepe-chan: Are you ready? I can pick you up if you want
Crepe-chan: Hello?

Feeling bad about ignoring her, especially considering the confrontation at lunch, Shiho was quick to come up with a reply:

ShiShi: my bad
ShiShi: I'm heading out rn
ShiShi: meet you at the entrance?

"Suzui-san…"

She recognized that voice. She recognized what it meant. Her legs buckled, her hands froze in place.

Mishima once again approached her. The boy was hardly intimidating; most people wouldn't think he was on the volleyball team. Regardless, his voice calling out to her was like the herald to a bad omen.

Shiho decided to preempt him. "S-Sorry, could you tell him I'm… I've got a family matter to attend to?"

I can stop now. Mishima thought to himself. I… I know what he's doing behind those doors. I can just let her go. I can go with that excuse.

But they'd always buckle. They'd never give Mishima a reason to restate himself. This was a first of an experience. A good excuse to turn around and walk away.

It was just a simple matter of 'Oh, okay' and a nod of his head as he turned around. So easy.

…

"H-He was asking for you yesterday… he said you had to go now. To the usual room."

But he was terrified. He felt like he was right there over his shoulder, breathing down his neck for every second he was in school. Lining up a shot; putting his palm across his face.

"And he was… he was pretty angry. Ever since yesterday."

Shiho crumbled. "O-Okay."

…

Mishima bit his tongue. 'The hell did I just do…?' didn't have to let her go…'

"Mishima-kun?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, he realized Shiho had already left, away from his line of sight. Too late for him to say something more, or to take back what he had said. The voice came from his classmate; Shiho's best friend.

Ann walked around Mishima to get a proper look at his face. Still as banged up as the last time they came face to face, which wasn't any easier to get used to. "Have you seen Shiho? She said she'd meet me here. You're done with practice, aren't you?"

Somehow, he discovered the feeling of his limbs simultaneously turning to jelly but also going as stiff as a board. He looked at her intensely, as if his next words were going to get him killed.

"Y-Yeah… we're done."
"Okay, but where's Shiho?"
"I… I… she's here, still."

Ann felt like she was being too calm for the situation with all the alarm bells sounding. "Are you okay…?"

'What if she was with him?'

Her heart rate spiked instantaneously, shocking her system into pure distress as she grabbed the boy's shoulders. "Mishima, where is she?"

"I… Takamaki-san… She's… She's…"

Mishima screamed internally for words to leave his body. Ann's fingers dug into him, shaking with unparalleled fear. " Please please tell me. She might be in trouble! I can't let her-"

More footsteps sounded, this time it was Ryuji who appeared. "Takamaki- what the hell?!"

"What the- Sakamoto! Have you seen Shiho?!"

'I get out of detention and into this, huh?' Ryuji scratched his head. "Suzui…? I think I saw her heading upstairs. She kinda blew me off though-"

Ann turned back to her initial target. "Mishima, Kamoshida makes you do all sorts of crap, right?! Tell me!"

"Wait, Kamoshida?!" Ryuji did a double take, and he understood immediately. He began shaking Mishima's limp shoulders. "C'mon man, tell us!"

With all the pressure, Mishima too finally let his lips loose. "PE faculty office! He was super pissed…"

The blonde girl left Mishima in the dust. Ann had never run so fast in her life. She tried to grab Ryuji's wrist to tag him along but it seemed like he got the memo, running with her in tandem. Every step they took felt like it could've been a moment too late.

The pair made it to the PE faculty room. It was dark. Neither of them had been inside this room. Even before Kamoshida transferred here, they had no reason to be there.

"Where is she? Shiho, hello?!"

…

"…ease… stop…!"
"…uck up!"

In the absence of sound, Ann and Ryuji's ears zeroed in on the source; the room in the far corner. They ran towards it, and the horror became ever so clear:

"Please stop… don't- AH!"

Shiho's muffled voice was silenced with what sounded like a slap, and the tearing of fabric.

Ann's legs moved before her mind could in that instance. "K-Kamoshida?! Get out! Get away from her! Or I'll… I'll bust this door down!"

The man's voice shouted back with clear disregard for that threat. "Takamaki?! I dare you to try! You'll just be joining in on this-"

"Ann?! H-Help!"
"Shiho!"

Ann and Ryuji fruitlessly rammed the door; nothing was moving it, but they got Kamoshida's attention. "Goddamn bitch- fine! You wanna see what's going on here?! I'll show you!"

He moved to unlock the door. Ryuji moved quickly in response, positioning himself beside the door. Ann felt like he knew what he was doing, so she just stood in front, awaiting whatever was going to come out of that door.

The door swung outwards. "There you are you little-"

"FUCK YOU!" Ryuji rammed his body into the open door, sending it flying into Kamoshida's face, staggering him severely.

At that moment, Ryuji unleashed every repressed ounce of aggression; he sprinted into Kamoshida and tackled him, treating his body as a battering ram. The force launched them backward into the room from where he came. Ryuji landed atop his torso and proceeded to slam his fists on his face repeatedly like beating broken drums.

"Taka…maki!" Ryuji managed to speak in between his raining fists. "Get her!"

Ann ran into the room and promptly found Shiho in the corner among unused gym equipment; disheveled, with nothing but a ripped-up camisole. Ann tried not to let the implication settle. She brought her friend up to her feet.

Unfortunately, Kamoshida's superior strength allowed him to overpower and pin Ryuji to the floor with both hands on his neck before he moved to try pounding Ryuji's face into the floor, managing to land a few hits.

"Ass…hole!"

Ryuji attempted to put his legs in between himself and Kamoshida, trying to imitate moves he saw being used in some MMA fight he caught randomly, but he couldn't properly establish distance away from the coach.

"Sakamoto!" Ann shouted, Running to save her friend, but Kamoshida heard her, and immediately stood up to tackle her against a wall, pinning her against the massive coach's frame.

Ann covered her face with both her arms to survive whatever was coming, but Ryuji leaped onto Kamoshida's back, throwing his arms around his neck with his legs flying about like a backpack as the coach savagely tried to shake him off while maintaining his grip on Ann.

At the opening, Ann scratched Kamoshida's eyes with the flailing swings of her hand.

With the new pain, Kamoshida grunted in pain, now oblivious to the fact that Ryuji wrapped his legs around his body, along with his left arm around the coach's neck, giving him stability and allowing his free right arm to furiously throw punches and elbows at the back of his neck and head. Ann changed her approach to pulling Kamoshida's hair down with one hand and using the other to pound the back of his head with a fist, or repeatedly attempting to kick him in the groin.

The exchange was messy; everyone in the area was panicking and flailing one way or another. With prolonged labor and copious blows to the head, Kamoshida eventually fell to the floor with a big thud, barely conscious and immobile for the moment.

"Holy shit…" Ryuji collected what little breath he had and wiped the sweat off his brow. "Gotta go!"

As soon as the trio left the immediate room and into the empty hall, the adrenaline wore off, and everyone else tried breathing on command; trying desperately to get some oxygen back.

Ryuji took note of Shiho's disheveled look. Without a second thought, he removed his blazer and wrapped it around her, being careful not to freak her out any more than she currently was.

"T-Thank you… Sakamoto-k-kun."
"Yeah…"

He then turned to Ann, who was looking pretty awful as well, not to mention, that her hands were very visibly trembling, and her eyes were somewhat out of it. "Woah woah, Takamaki, you're shaking!"

"H-H-Huh?!" But she somehow managed to shake the feeling off, almost literally. She took hold of Shiho once more. "Let's get outta here…"

18:26, Takamaki Residence, Shirokane, Minato Ward, Tokyo

Shiho protested using her home; no one was in the mood to contest that, and Ryuji didn't think explaining the situation to his mom would be good for her stress. Ann's place was the closest, and considering it was also in one of the nicest neighborhoods of Tokyo, security was more than assured.

More than that, Ann did want Shiho to come over. Twisted as it was, they got what they asked for. The two were now in Ann's bedroom sorting something out while Ryuji waited outside in the living room, saying he needed to 'make a call'.

Ryuji let the back of his head hang over the couch, one hand covering his face. His foot couldn't stop fidgeting even after the rush of the fight had gone. In the moment, he was terrified, but at the same time, he almost felt good finally beating the brakes off of Kamoshida. Now though? The reality of the consequences suddenly seemed a lot more terrifying.

The audio of his phone sounded out his mother's voice. "Hmm? What's up, Ryu-chan?"

He regretted the times he cringed at her calling him that. After today, he felt like he could hear her say that a hundred times over to help him settle.

"Hey, Kaa-chan? I'm hanging out with friends, so I'll be coming home-"
"Eh?! Really?"
"Wha- why are you so surprised?!"

She couldn't help but giggle. Her eyes softened. "I'm just glad, y'know? After everything… is it anyone I know?"

"Err, just Takamaki and Suzui; from middle school."
"Hehe… you always did have a thing for-"
"Cut it out! That was years ago! Literally! She's not my type!"
"You mean not anymore?!"
"It's not that funny…"

She couldn't stop laughing. Given a bit of time, Ryuji started to chuckle too. He needed some sort of a break. As the laughs died down, the blonde spoke up again.

"Will you be okay, Kaa-chan?"
"I'm just… I'm really glad you found your way back to others. If you're with them, it can't be trouble, yeah?"

…

"Yeah…"

18:28

In Ann's bathroom, Shiho sat in the filled tub, letting her head slump to the side behind the blurred glass door. The severe shock of… whatever happened to her seemed to pass, but naturally the event still lingered, gripping at the corners of her eyes.

A part of her wanted to scream. Another wanted to cry. Another wanted to run away. But the part of her that chose to act stayed there. Numb. She could almost convince herself that it didn't even happen; that would have been convenient for her, but if she was being honest, it wouldn't have changed her decision.

Numb. This was the easier choice. It wouldn't matter soon anyway.

But every time she closed her eyes, she felt like she could fall back into that room. Powerless against him-

She bolted upright, displacing the water. "Ann-"

"I'm still here, Shiho."

…

Shiho exhaled shakily, reclining into the tub. "Okay…"

Maybe it did matter. Or it didn't. She didn't know. But she couldn't cry, or shout, or scream about it.

She was just so tired.

18:57

"So… uhh…" Ryuji scratched his head, struggling to get words out. Perhaps it was so difficult because he didn't have any thoughts to go along with them. What was there to say? How could you even begin to think about what there is to say after what they just did? "This is just… this is fucked up…"

"Yeah."
"Mhmm…"

All they could do was just sit there in Ann's living room, all three of them lined up on the couch in varying states of distress. They should've been calm considering the immediate danger passed. But again, there was a new danger looming over the horizon. No matter who was right or wrong, Kamoshida could spin this in any way he so desired. What could they do? Their futures were once again in the palm of his hand.

All because they did what friends ought to.

Shiho grabbed the remote and opened a streaming service. Ann and Ryuji looked at each other in confusion before the volleyball player firmly held onto Ann's arm with both of her own. She missed this warmth; took it for granted. She wished she could've asked for more of it. Maybe it would've helped. But that was hard to say; even harder to imagine being true.

Ann seemed to have gotten the message and smiled sadly. What else was there to do but have some normalcy right before they lost everything the next day? At least no one could hurt Shiho now. No one could take her away from her; not with the way she was being clutched; like a pillow on a stormy night.

Ryuji shrugged in resignation, he brought both of his feet up on the couch and propped his arm on the sofa's back, resting his head on his palm. The mood was enough to make him stomach watching something he definitely wouldn't have unless he was with his mom. Probably.

"Heh." Shiho smirked, looking at Ryuji. "Bet you're all sorts of jealous; you're in a girl's place but you can't cuddle up to her."

"I… ugh." I guess we're jokin' now? He thought. "Yeah yeah…"

He waved her off without removing his eyes from the TV. "At least I got… uhh."

Ann now joined in on the egging. "What've you got, Sakamoto? And no, your mom doesn't count."

"Why is it always me getting roasted? Didn't Takamaki used to think that one dude on the swimming team had nice-"
"HEY!"

Shiho snickered deviously. "I think his name was-"

"STOOOP!"

19:35

"He fell asleep…" The sight of Ryuji passed out with limbs splayed over her couch gave her a chuckle. He looked peaceful as if he wasn't involved in a life-or-death scuffle earlier.

"Oh wow," Shiho noted. "Y'know, he looks kinda cute like that."

"Because he isn't opening his mouth?"
"I could say the same about you!"

The blonde moved to gently shove her friend's shoulder, being extra conscious to not be rough with her. Unfortunately, it manifested as a weird tap more than a playful shove.

"Noodle arms, much?" Shiho silently laughed. "So… now what?"

Ann kept her gaze honed on the window leading to the balcony. The vestiges of sunset were overtaken by the darkness of night; the skyline beginning to be lit up by buildings rather than the sun. It was quiet. Enough to make her remember why they were here-

"You there?" Shiho shook Ann's shoulder. "Helloooo?"

"Huh?" Ann reacted. "What's wrong?"

Shiho grimaced, wrapping her arms around herself. "You're… You're still thinking about it, huh?"

And suddenly, the cozy comfort of her apartment vanished, along with her positivity. And Shiho was too keen on her best friend's ticks and habits to let that slide. They instinctively moved to the bedroom, keeping Ryuji at a rest they couldn't achieve.

"How couldn't I? Shiho, what happened there was-"

"It was horrible. Okay?!" She raised her voice slightly. Upon noticing it and seeing Ann's remorse, she shrunk back down. "You saw it… I just… Please don't remind me. It's over. I'm- It's done. And that's it. That's it. I've made up my mind."

"About what?"

…

"…A-About the team. I'm leaving the team."

Ann would've thought this decision would only be made by an impostor. Ever since they knew each other, she was putting all her eggs in the volleyball basket.

Ann sighed. "Yeah. That makes sense."

In truth, she was hesitant. She understood the decision, but something still felt off to her. This wasn't the same Shiho she was used to being with. But surely that must've been because of everything leading up to today, right? Volleyball, her grades, the on-and-off presence of her parents, Kamoshida- maybe she was just overthinking things.

The soon-to-be former athlete whispered to herself. "That'll put a stop to all this… crap."

Ann hugged Shiho, clutching her tenderly and greedily like she'd disappear if she wasn't so sure. This was all she could do. All she should've been doing.

And as much as she wanted to hold Shiho together, never let her out of her sight, she knew deep down this was also for herself.

"I kinda wish you were this clingy more often…" Shiho mumbled carelessly, her mouth right beside her ear.

"H-Huh…?"
"No one would say anything against two… gal pals going at it."

Ann's heart skipped a beat. "I mean…If that's what you want."

Shiho too felt much more embarrassed. "Y-Yeah. Gosh, that's embarrassing to say…"

"W-Well… I want it too. So don't worry."
"Good."

Shiho held Ann tighter, trying to remember this warmth for when she eventually let go. Maybe this was greedy enough; asking for anything more would shake her resolve. All of this was for her, after all.

So she had to let go.

12:49, April 15, 20XX, Shujin Academy

Mishima froze in place. His eyes training him to the sight of Shiho coming through the entrance, late at lunch break of all times."...Suzui-san."

She wasn't carrying her school bag, oddly enough. More than that, she smiled back.

He knew something happened to Kamoshida yesterday after spilling where he was to Ann and Ryuji; he was absent today, for crying out loud.

"I just forgot something, Mishima-kun. I won't be here long."

The girl began to walk off. In a fit of awkwardness, he had to ask. "Are you okay?"

…

"Yeah! Don't worry about it." Shiho continued onwards, moving as swiftly and as subtly as she could to keep her away from the attention. She knew no one would be on the roof, especially not Ann or Ryuji.

As she climbed the rooftop stairs, she bumped into someone using the wrong side to go down, throwing her off balance.

Whatever bumped her had just as swiftly caught her hand. When she looked at whatever stopped her-

"My bad…" Ren chuckled. "You good?"

She nodded. A look into Shiho's eyes briefly told Ren that she wasn't in the mood to chat, not that he wanted to. "I'll be going. I'll try not to ram into anyone else on the way."

Shiho thought Ann was right; he had such a disarming presence. "T-Thanks…"

…

"And… don't let those rumors get to you." Shiho trotted off to the roof, and shut the door, not allowing Ren the ability to return thanks.

The volleyball player rested against the door for a moment to recall a feeling she got when falling.

She was afraid.

Why would she be though? She already made up her mind.

Right?

12:58

The bell brought everyone back to class.

'Apparently that delinquent has a girlfriend. Some nikkei with purple highlights.'

'Two misfits together, huh? Wonder what she sees in him…'

'Imagine what his mom sees. Imagine what she's like if he turned out like that.'

Ann was counting down at least four more hours until she could come back home. Home to Shiho.

Kamoshida seemed to be absent today, too. Maybe the consequences were just piling up to release big time within a few days, but for now, they were out of sight. Out of mind. She could almost convince herself that yesterday was just a cruel case of shared madness between the three friends.

The seat behind her was empty; Ren always seemed to arrive fashionably late and/or on time for class after every break; a reason she couldn't pin down. Maybe he maximized time spent outside of the classroom. Everyone would be doing themselves a favor by not bothering him.

Ann began tapping away at her phone, waiting for Ushimaru to signal another dreaded social studies class-

"IS SHE GONNA JUMP?!"

From her seat at the far side, she got a wide view of the rooftop.

And the girl standing at the precipice. One step away. Of course her bad feeling was correct.

"SHIHO!"

12:58

The less controversial transfer student, Yoshizawa Kasumi, bowed politely to her senpai. "I see. Thank you for your time, Niijima-senpai! I'll be sure to bring it up with the rest of the team."

Between all the ruckus relating to Ren, it was hard to remember that the inoffensive gymnast also transferred in at the same time; a seemingly much more pleasant person.

Thrown off by how polite the redhead was, Makoto smiled back. "Of course. Do remember to-"

*THUD*

"Shit!" Ren crashed into Makoto but helped her back up swiftly. "Keep everyone away from the roof, okay?!"

"Wha-"

He turned to Kasumi, recognizing her as the girl he met on the train the other day. His intense look startled her. "Help her!"

Ren bolted to the rooftop. Before the two girls could say a thing, students bled out from their classrooms into the hallways, all watching the same view of the rooftop unfold.

"Yoshizawa-san-"
"I'll help you, senpai!"

12:58

No one was going to make her lose her nerve this time. Enough times mulling over it, and then rehearsing the scene became less and less terrifying. She settled for the roof, and confided in its finality; there was no way she could survive this. Her goal could be accomplished.

No one would have to suffer. She wouldn't have to.

Her foot dangled over the edge and-

"Hey, Suzui."

Shiho stopped herself subconsciously, and eyed the source from the side of her eye. "A-Amamiya-kun…"

Ren gently closed the door and leaned his frame against it for a second to breathe out subtly.

He took a second before looking to the side, remembering the junk that collected here could be used to block it. Hopefully Makoto was carrying out his request. He stuck a table under the doorknob and locked it just for extra measure.

Without thinking, he clenched his hands, and flexed his core, adding to the list of nervous ticks informed by pure instinct and a thundering heart.

'Thank God I was on the third floor already…'

Ren scoured the recesses of his mind for anything he could say. Has anything he studied or idly researched about going to help? If he did, none of it was coming to him. So he had to fly blind.

But this wasn't a schoolyard fight, a recitation, or a stupid prank. This was a defining moment, like how he had awoken to Arsene.

Except now no one could help him. No otherworldly force manifesting, no superhuman physicality or perception.

Just his wits and his words.

The boy took a small step forward, cautious and conscious of every single movement and breath.

"P-Please don't come closer…"

Ren halted a gasp that threatened to leave his throat. His peripherals then caught sight of unused furniture to the side. "Can I sit instead? There's a chair that I can pull up. I won't get any nearer; I just wanna be able to talk to you."

"Why?"
"I'm curious."

Perhaps he should've waited, but he pulled up a chair. Sitting in it normally felt too awkward for him at the moment, so he faced the chair's back towards Shiho and sat, resting his arms over it to help him relax.

Shiho clutched the chain links. The brief break in between her focusing on the jump had her realize a crowd was swarming. The eyes of the students through the windows and at the ground were looking at her like a zoo animal. Their phones were capturing her at her worst moment.

How much lower could she go?

"Everyone's watching…" Shiho looked away, trying to turn her face away from the student body's growing interest. "I guess you're… you're about to ask why I'm gonna jump?"

"Yeah. What's on your mind?"

For some reason, Shiho decided she could trust him. "Everything. I don't know. Volleyball… studies, practice exams, colleges, parents- I don't know! It just… everything hurts- it sucks…! And n-now…"

Shiho hesitated for a moment, but then again she had nothing to lose.

"Kamoshida, he… he's threatening my best friend into sleeping with him. He's using me to force her… He was so mad about Ann turning him down; h-he tried to… h-he almost raped me yesterday, Amamiya-kun."

Ren's stomach twisted into a knot. Now everything in Kamoshida's Palace felt infinitely more real; vile.

"But… but Ann and Sakamoto saved me from him. I don't know how, but they got to me just in time."

"I just…" Shiho choked back tears, ones that she didn't know she had left. "Can you believe it?! Even after they saved me… I'm still just about to kill myself… I'm a shitty friend! B-But this is the only way it can stop… it's the only thing I can still control in my… my stupid life!"

…

"Suz-. Can I call you by your name?"
"S-Sure… okay."
"Shiho, can you look at me? I won't ask you to do anything else."

She complied. Ren let out a soft breath. Her forehead rested against the chain fence, her fingers clutching onto the lattices in between. She didn't have to contend with the harsh gazes of everyone anymore.

Just him.

13:11

On the other side of the rooftop doors, Makoto and Kasumi were keeping the area secure. While the affable gymnast stayed to ward off people with the President's authority, Makoto took intermittent peeks at what was going on through the rooftop windows. How did Ren look so calm? Just earlier he looked like he was witnessing the end of the world.

The students kept themselves far away from the rooftop stairs, but they were still occupying the halls, keeping a wide berth from Ushimaru, who was arguing with Kasumi. Makoto made her way down to assist her junior.

"Ushimaru-sensei, please ." The president urged the belligerent teacher with her faltering patience. "We don't know what is going on there-"

"What else could that punk be doing?! Why are you letting him talk to her?"

Kasumi spoke up, eyeing her teacher with confidence. "I am sorry if this is out of line, Ushimaru-sensei, but I know for a fact that Amamiya-senpai is of good character."

Makoto piled in."Indeed, Ushimaru-sensei. Please trust him."

From the crowd, Ann came barreling through. "Niijima-senpai! Shiho's- let me up there! Please!"

Another flash of blonde came into the scene, and Ryuji got up in Makoto's face. "We're her friends, man! She'll listen to us!"

Makoto almost buckled under the genuine terror and desperation on both their faces.

'…keep everyone away from the roof, okay?!'

"I'm sorry, Takamaki-san… but, please trust Amamiya-kun…"

Ann knew he knew the story, at least what Ann had told him yesterday. And he seemed to be exceptionally capable as a listener. But that was still her best friend; what would she do if she couldn't be there for her?

But now wasn't the time to let her pride get the better of her.

"…Okay." Ann relented but with a firm look. "I'll help clear the prying eyes from the hallway. Ushimaru-sensei, would you help me?"

13:19

"Amamiya-kun…That's… that's terrible. I'm so sorry to hear that."

He shrugged against the fence opposite Shiho. She even allowed him to get close enough to have a proper conversation. But he never asked her to climb back over even while he was recounting his arrest.

Instead, he kept to where he was, leaning against the fence opposite her. "Shiho, do you really wanna die?"

"What…?"
"When I bumped you over the stairs, I saw the look on your face. You were afraid."

…

"O-Of course I would be…" Shiho winced. "W-What does that matter?"

"Maybe dying would've stopped your pain, but it wouldn't have made you happy."

…

"I didn't tell you my story because I wanted pity. I want you to know that I know what it's like to lose control of my whole life in the blink of an eye. All because of one decision. I thought my life was done; that I was a failure, and that I didn't deserve to- have anything."

He clenched his fists discreetly, remembering the power he felt in the Metaverse; his second wind. "But between then and now, maybe there's more to look forward to."

"Even with all the rumors about you? And with how people treat you?"
"They don't know me."

Shiho smiled sadly, shaking her head. "You're so strong, Amamiya-kun… But you're asking for so much from me."

In a flash of inspiration, Ann's words yesterday about Shiho reappeared in his mind, and Ren forced them out as coherently as he could.

"Then I'll only ask for one thing. Takamaki said that she loves you so much. That when no one was there for her, you were, and that you were- are her light."

"She said that…?"
"Oh yeah; tears and everything in a Big Bang Burger. Don't tell her I said that."

He chuckled, and even Shiho smiled. He felt his words reaching her. "Lean on her. Lean on Sakamoto, lean on anyone willing to listen. Maybe after letting them help you, you'll learn to be strong because the people around you are strong. And… maybe you'll realize that you make them better too."

"How do I know I'll get to that point…?"

…

"You… won't. But that means it's for you to decide."

13:31

"He's helping her climb back to the roof!"

Before the crowd could raise its volume, everyone heard the rooftop doors open. Their attention shifted. In the confusion, Ann managed to slip past Makoto and Kasumi, dashing up the stairs and to the doors, where the two students stood.

"Shiho…!"

Ann embraced her fiercely, almost knocking them over back into the rooftop area. Shiho returned it just as much, clutching at her jacket and all. She loved how much Ann wanted her in her embrace.

"Oh my God, Shiho…"
"Ann… I'm sorr-"
"Stop… I'll get you to the hospital later. Let me just…"

They wept. Relief. Grief. Everything poured out from her like a broken dam against rushing rapids.

Meanwhile, Ryuji slapped Ren's back and shook him by the shoulder. "Holy shit, dude, that was freakin' amazing!"

Ann managed to raise her head and look at Ren through all the emotions raging. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Ren walked past with barely a wave before he firmly held onto the rails of the stairs as he descended slowly, now witnessing the crowd he had drawn splitting apart. Makoto and Kasumi looked at him in wonder.

The crowd wanted to watch but Kawakami began shooing people away alongside Ushimaru, saying something about giving them a harder midterm exam.

But Ren couldn't help but fixate on the people's phones recording the incident. The expectant looks on their faces. Even from where he was, he could hear them working the rumor mill; something about Shiho's attempt being a call for attention. Were they excited?

…

"Amamiya-kun!" Makoto proudly called out. "You did it! You're… You're something special, aren't you?"

Ren haughtily brushed her off with a shrug. "Don't flatter me, Niijima."

"You make it hard to root for you… but I mean it; you're amazing."

He smiled back at her. Maybe the timing was inappropriate, but she thought his genuine smile was rather charming. But she caught herself and shook those thoughts off, lest the thoughts reached her cheeks.

…

Ren suddenly remembered the other girl present; Kasumi was eyeing them awkwardly, finding the appropriate time to speak. He offered simple words. "Thanks, Yoshizawa."

The redhead, suddenly made aware that she was now in the conversation, nodded. "I just did what anyone else would."

"You haven't heard the average Shujin discourse." He snarked, but it probably went over the first-year's head. "It's okay to be a little smug."

Kasumi chuckled awkwardly. "Ehe… That's not my thing."

Makoto smiled. "Indeed. It can appear rather unbecoming ."

"Hater…"

Ren released his grip on the railing and put his hands in his pockets.

But he stumbled, luckily both his hands fell onto Makoto's shoulders, and his head missed hers, falling past, leaving Kasumi putting her hands out in surprise.

"Oh!" Makoto blurted, placing her hands on his shoulders as he regained control of himself. "Are you okay?"

The boy nodded his head and straightened himself, finally hiding his hands. "I'm good. Sorry."

Ren let go, but Makoto didn't let one detail slip past.

His hands were shaking.

-III-

That was kinda heavy

FUN FACT: Japan has won 3 gold medals in Olympic Volleyball.

1964 Tokyo - Men's

1972 Munich - Women's

1976 Montreal - Women's

The chapter/song this week is Mobb Deep's Shook Ones Part II; imagine making a song so good they made a sequel.

Life outside the law (or in legal grey zones) are not for the hesitant; be sure you're built for it because there are no takebacks and no room for half-measures. Apply this lesson to life in general; no half-assing, always full-assing

This also marks Yoshizawa's first appearance in the story. In Royal fashion, she appears rather randomly but now she randomly appears beside a main character. Imma be real, I did my own share of gymnastics figuring out ways to fit her in; I'm not very athletic but I did it.

I was really hesitant writing the latter scene in because... it's very much like GtD, but the aftermath of it is where I plan to change it a bit. Also, if for whatever reason you do find yourself in the situation of talking to someone on the verge of suicide, do not take this as inspiration; it's meant to be a bit more dramatic.

Do leave comments, questions, and the like; those are the forms of engagement I really like to partake in! Thanks!