Sunday, 5/22
GRAVY
Ren Amamiya:
-Where do you guys wanna meet for dinner?
Ann Takamaki:
-How about the diner on Central Street? We can get crepes!
Ryuji Sakamoto:
-Hell yeah!
Haru Okumura:
-The diner works. It lets us have a fast meal.
Ren Amamiya:
-Great. See you all there.
Eating dinner with the other club members was a welcome experience for Ren. The fact that they were just a group of friends hanging out on a Sunday night was even more welcome. It made Ren feel normal. It made him feel happy.
Hopefully, I can keep this up through the gallery. I wonder if Makoto's outside, waiting for us to leave so she can follow. I hope so.
The crepes were quite good as well. Ann's appetite for them was never-ending, and the other club members had to politely remind her that they had somewhere to be. The group quickly paid, then made their way to the train to Ueno.
As they emerged from the train station in Ueno, it was made known almost immediately where to go. There was a large group of people, all finely dressed, flocking towards a building across the street from the station.
I hope there's not a line. I hate lines with every fiber of my being.
As the GRAVY members approached the building, Yusuke came into view, along with a massive line of people going around the building. Yusuke was standing on the side of the building and looked to be waiting for someone.
Must be waiting for us. How kind.
The group walked up.
"Hello, Takamaki-san, Okumura-san, Amamiya-kun, Sakamoto-kun," Yusuke said with a single bow. "I'm delighted to see you here."
"We're happy to be here," Ren said blankly. "Do we get to skip the line?"
"Of course. If you would follow me…" Yusuke said as he led the group down the side of the building to an alternate entrance.
He opened the door for them and allowed them to walk in. The group was in a hallway with what appeared to be maintenance rooms on either side of them. A single door lied at the end of the hall. Yusuke went ahead and opened it for them, but before the group could go in, Yusuke stopped them.
"Tickets, please."
I thought formalities went out the window with the use of this entrance.
Haru pulled out four tickets. Yusuke looked puzzled.
"Could your fifth companion not make it?"
"She was… busy," Haru said.
"Ah, I understand. How unfortunate," Yusuke said as he inspected each of the tickets.
Is he checking if they're real or not? He literally gave us two of the tickets.
Yusuke moved out of the way, finally letting the members of GRAVY file through the door. On the other side of that door was a well-lit gallery, with an impressive amount of paintings. Art critics, art dealers, and artists were dense. The line outside the door was understandable. The gallery was packed enough that no one else would've fit. While the other members of GRAVY absorbed the scenery, Ren leaned over to Yusuke.
"How many paintings are on display?"
"I believe there are fifty-three paintings," Yusuke answered.
Fifty-three paintings? God damn, Madarame is a workhorse.
"That's a big number. How long has it been since the last gallery?"
"Sensei holds a gallery every six months."
Six months? Madarame isn't a workhorse. He's a fucking painting factory. Or maybe he's running a painting factory. Actually, with how thin Yusuke's been looking, that wouldn't be that far-fetched.
"So you're telling me that Madarame made fifty-three paintings, that were all deemed quality enough to show to the top art critics in Japan, in the span of six months?"
"That is correct," Yusuke said as his eyes darted away.
Ren took a second to look at Yusuke.
Are you kidding me? It's painfully obvious what's going on here.
"Kitagawa-kun, is Madarame stealing some of your art?" Ren asked flatly.
"Preposterous!" Yusuke said, his face reddening.
"Relax, it's just a question," Ren said, hoping to defuse the situation.
It wasn't a question. It was an accusation.
"Then it was a poor question. Come, let us experience true art," Yusuke said as he swiftly moved away from Ren.
The group followed Yusuke. He stopped at almost every painting to explain every detail, every brushstroke, every inch of each painting. It didn't help that Yusuke's monotone delivery never faltered. But that changed when the group reached the next painting. It was an erupting volcano. The eruption was violent, with magma and ash being sent in every direction. The painting was vivid enough to be mistaken for a photograph.
"This painting is… ahem… this p-painting…" Yusuke was choking up.
Yusuke's behavior was significantly different. He had previously been passionate and unwavering, now he was stuttering and mumbling.
"It's okay, Kitagawa-kun. I can read the title if you'd like," Haru offered.
Yusuke sighed.
"It'd be best if we were to skip this painting."
Ann moved up close to the painting, only a few feet away. It looked like she was about to explain every detail of it, rather than let Yusuke do it.
"But why?" She asked. "This might be the most interesting one I've seen. The anger behind the eruption feels… almost relatable, in a way."
She leaned over to inspect the frame of the painting.
"Let's see… it's called, 'Lying in Wait.'"
"Erm… yes. Sensei painted it after a dispute with a colleague," Yusuke adjusted the collar of his shirt.
"Did he?" Ren asked.
"Excuse me?"
"Did he paint it?" Ren wasn't asking at this point. He knew. "Or did someone else paint it?"
"How despicable of-"
"I think you've got the best painting here, Yusuke," Ren said assertively.
He knew he had just won. Yusuke's personal connection to the painting was obvious. It was undeniable. The use of Yusuke's first name was a nice touch.
"That is…" Yusuke wasn't cut off, but he had nothing to say.
"Ah, Kitagawa-kun," An older man's voice said.
Ren turned to see Madarame approaching him and the rest of the group.
"Sensei…"
"Showing Takamaki-chan and her friends around the gallery, are we? Tell me, Takamaki-chan, what do you think of the gallery so far?" Madarame asked kindly.
"I'm really loving it so far. The paintings have been so captivating, it's hard to believe they were done in such a short period of time," Ann said in an amazed tone.
Madarame laughed.
"I pour my being into each one of these paintings. One could even say that I labor over them. The key to my productivity is in my rejection of the normal celebrity life. My atelier allows for my creativity to flourish, unhindered by the weight of money and fame."
What a jackass. 'I'm a successful artist because I have no possessions blah blah blah…'
"Wow… that's fascinating. They should make a documentary about it," Ann said.
Madarame laughed again.
"I certainly hope not. I'm far too private for my process to be seen by everyone."
"That's understandable, Madarame-san. I must say, the art on display is fantastic," Haru said.
"Ah, thank you. Forgive me, but I don't know your name," Madarame replied.
"Haru Okumura. Pleased to meet you."
"I was told the Okumura heiress would be in attendance. I was looking forward to speaking with Kunikazu again. Is he present tonight?"
"Erm, no. He's been getting busier and busier with work."
"Tell him to stop by. It's been too long," Madarame said before looking at the other members of GRAVY. "Amamiya-kun. Thanks again for helping Yusuke out that day in the park. Is Niijima-san here as well?"
"Nope," Ren quickly said.
"I see…" Madarame looked disappointed, but there was a flash of something else in his eyes.
Ren knew what it was. He had seen it everywhere. He had felt it himself.
Lust. If this motherfucker even attempts to get close with Makoto, actually, scratch that, anyone I know, I will punch him hard enough that he forgets to starve Yusuke.
"And you are?" Madarame asked Ryuji.
"Ryuji Sakamoto. Founder and president of Shujin Academy's gardening club," Ryuji said with a smirk.
It's not like I'm gonna cut him off and yell 'No, that's wrong!' I'll let him have this victory.
"Impressive. Gardening can be considered art in some ways."
"Eff yeah!"
Ryuji's enthusiasm was obviously off-putting to Madarame.
"Er, yes. Thank you all for coming. I hope you enjoy the art. I must be leaving. Reporters are an aggressive bunch."
With that, Madarame left the group.
"He was nice," Ann said.
"I agree. He was really down to earth," Haru added.
"Sensei is renowned for his kindness," Yusuke said.
Goddammit, Yusuke. Please just get off Madarame's dick for one minute.
"So, Yusuke. Could you tell me about this painting of yours?" Ren said, gesturing to the painting that Yusuke had been so nervous about before.
Yusuke glanced around as if searching for an escape route.
"I'm afraid not, Amamiya-kun. I must help welcome guests at the main entrance. This concludes the tour. Thank you for coming tonight. Feel free to explore the exhibit on your own." Yusuke said, before adding, "Takamaki-san, I hope this has helped you realize the kind of passion I desire to recreate. I'll be reaching out soon to resume work."
"Great! I'll be waiting," Ann said excitedly.
Yusuke took his leave.
"Dude, why'd you get so rude?" Ryuji asked.
"That's Kitagawa's painting. Couldn't you tell from the way he was acting?" Ren said.
"I dunno, man. Maybe he just hated the painting."
"Kitagawa-kun did appear to be extremely nervous when we reached this painting…" Haru said suspiciously.
"Hey, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Ryuji said.
"I'm telling you, there's some messed up shit going on behind the scenes. Madarame's efficiency, his versatility, Yusuke's physical weakness, his attachment to Madarame, his view of food as a reward, it's pretty damn obvious what's going on: Madarame is forcing Yusuke to produce art for him."
"But couldn't Kitagawa just tell everyone if he was being exploited?" Ann asked.
Ren sighed deeply.
"Ann, I don't mean to sound like a dick, but shouldn't you be able to answer that question yourself?"
Ann made a face of stark realization.
"Oh. You're right…"
"So what do we do? Do we report it to the police?" Haru asked.
"We have no concrete evidence. And the police won't care about the suspicions of a few teenagers," Ren reasoned. "We'll have to wait. Besides, the police might already be looking into it…"
Maybe they'd care about Haru's opinion. Her family's pretty famous.
"Maybe we could investigate the shack next time we go," Ann suggested.
"We'll have to. That's our only option, seeing that Yusuke is in denial," Ren agreed.
"So… you guys wanna go?" Ryuji asked.
"Of course not!" Haru said.
"I agree with Haru. We still have to get cultured and shit," Ren added.
Ryuji laughed.
"Ya got me there. We just gonna walk around aimlessly?"
"That's typically what happens at art galleries," Ren remarked. "Maybe you'll find something you like."
Haru giggled at Ren's comment. She then leaned over to Ann, whispering something into her ear. That something made Ann laugh, too.
"I think me and Haru are gonna go off on our own. Have fun, and make sure to stay out of trouble," She emphasized the last part with an assertive glare at Ren.
Ann and Haru walked away.
Ren turned to Ryuji.
"Well, that's lame," Ryuji said disappointedly. "I was hoping Ann would stick around…"
"Come on, Ryuji. I'll go on a date with you if you ask nicely," Ren snickered as he said it.
"You wish. Let's walk around aimlessly and get cultured."
And that's what they did. Neither of them knew enough about art to make the slightest attempt at reviewing a painting, but they did unleash a barrage of what the art world would consider 'uncultured comments.'
"That shit's cool," was what one painting got.
"This one's dope," for another.
"This one kinda looks like a guy taking a dump."
"You dipshit, it's called abstract art."
"Still looks like he's popping squat."
It was never-ending. They drew a few glances from the more self-absorbed people at the gallery.
"Since when did Madarame allow juveniles into his exhibitions?" A woman asked the man accompanying her.
"I couldn't tell you. Perhaps he's finally started a daycare for all those children he's taking care of," the man said.
The couple walked away from Ren and Ryuji.
Assholes. But what's this I hear about 'all those children?' Is Yusuke not the only one? He was the only one at the shack. I suppose Madarame having other people in the same situation as Yusuke explains his output.
"Sorry, Renny. I gotta take a bathroom break. I guess getting cultured leads to shit." Ryuji said.
After a few disgusted looks (one from Ren and many from the gallery visitors) and a significant amount of people swiftly moving away, Ryuji was gone.
And he calls me corny. Actually, that wasn't even corny. That was just gross.
Ren was on his own. He considered seeking out Ann and Haru, but their quickness in splitting up the group stopped him. He decided to do what he had been doing with Ryuji, wandering aimlessly, but be much less intrusive to other peoples' experiences. Ren's silence worked and had resulted in him being left alone until a voice from behind him piqued his interest.
"Amamiya-kun. I'm surprised to see you here. Doing some investigating of your own?" Akechi asked smugly.
Ren turned around from the painting he had been viewing.
Goddammit. Am I gonna have to make another shitty joke and leave?
"Hi, Akechi. It's so great to see you here," Ren asked sarcastically. "I actually was investigating. I was hoping that I could make deductions, just like you!"
Akechi chuckled.
"Your caution in being kind to me is amusing, as always. Tell me, do you remember how our last conversation ended?" Akechi's smug grin grew with every word.
"Do you want me to say it again?" Ren asked, now growing agitated.
"Please, keep such things to yourself in the future." Akechi's smug grin faded and was replaced by sadness. "If you had considered your words before you had spoken, you wouldn't have brought back the memories I have of my deceased mother."
Oh… my bad. Goddammit, Ren. Keep your mouth shut, you fucking prick.
"That's… uh… sorry. I'm not really sure what to say." Ren said awkwardly.
Akechi's typical grin returned.
"Don't worry about it. All I ask is for you to take a walk with me."
It's the least I could do.
"Sure, yeah."
Akechi led Ren through the gallery, to the center of the room which had a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It must've cost more than all of Shujin Academy.
"Amamiya-kun, I'd like to hear your thoughts on something," Akechi began.
I wonder if he investigated Madarame and found some evidence.
"Go ahead."
"Do you think that a seventy-kilogram weight hanging from the chandelier would force it to collapse?"
Seventy kilograms? That sounds like the weight of a human. Akechi, don't tell me you're planning on being the life of the party and swinging around on the chandelier.
Ren looked up at the chandelier. While it was huge, it looked very delicate. It didn't even look like there would be a place to hang the weight.
"Maybe? It's hard to tell. It looks a little too delicate for that. Speaking of that, what is the weight that you're talking about?"
Akechi chuckled.
"It was an idea for the future, nothing more. I like collecting random information that doesn't seem useful, as it could always help me with my deductions."
Uh… the fuck?
"Speaking of your deductions, did you look into the person I told you about?" Ren tried to say nonchalantly, ultimately failing because he was in said person's gallery.
Akechi grinned.
"Ah, of course. We made a deal. I found some interesting things. Have you ever heard the name Natsuhiko Nakanohara?"
Ren shook his head.
"Hiroyuki Terada? Miho Komatsu?" Akechi continued, giving a few more names.
Each name resulted in Ren shaking his head.
"And how do all of these names tie into your deductions?" He asked.
Akechi's face went dark.
"Each name I read you is the name of a former pupil of Madarame."
Oh, so those are leads that we can use. Or for Akechi to use.
"Each of them committed suicide over the past three years," Akechi flatly added.
Well… shit. That's… that's definitely something.
"The most recent was Nakanohara, back in January. He had recently ended up on the streets after Madarame cast him out. A few of the other people were homeless when they passed, and their deaths were labeled as suicides among homeless people, not suicides among former pupils. Those who stayed in Madarame's care met much more terrible fates."
Holy shit did he kill them?!
"They were almost entirely erased after they passed. Online presence, their names in record books, all gone. Madarame's got powerful friends."
"Holy shit…" was all that Ren could say.
"Thank you for pointing Madarame out to me, Amamiya-kun. I believe I have the beginnings of an arrest and a sentencing forming. All that's left before the arrest can be made is concrete evidence. Have you been to Madarame's atelier?"
Ren gulped. Each piece of information that Akechi had revealed had made it difficult to speak. Instead of speaking, he just nodded.
"And have you seen anything suspicious inside? Not even suspicious, just anything that stands out."
"I… t-there was a door. It has designs on it, and it's locked. Kitagawa referred to it as Madarame's study."
"So you know Kitagawa… I'll have to get into that study somehow," Akechi said with a contemplative look on his face.
"That's c-cool." Ren wasn't having much success in adding to the conversation.
"I suppose it is. I'll continue my pursuit of Madarame's truth. I'll be seeing you at Leblanc, Amamiya-kun."
Akechi took his leave, letting Ren stand alone beneath the chandelier.
"Holy shit! Was that Akechi?!" Ryuji's voice called out.
Not the time or place, Ryuji.
Ryuji quickly walked up beside Ren.
"Yeah. It was."
"What's he doing here?!" Ryuji's amazed questions were drawing attention to them.
"I'll tell you outside. Too many prying eyes."
"Ah. Gotcha. We should probably clear out soon. Want me to send a text to the group?"
Ren nodded. He didn't feel like sticking around with Akechi's information on his mind. Ryuji whipped out his phone.
GRAVY
Ryuji Sakamoto:
-You guys almost ready to head out? Ren and I are just about done.
Ann Takamaki:
-I think so. Where should we meet you guys?
Ryuji Sakamoto:
-We're under the big ass chandelier.
Ann Takamaki:
-Nice. We're heading your way.
A minute or two after Ryuji put away his phone, Ann and Haru came into view. They walked up to Ren and Ryuji.
"Have fun on your excursion?" Ren asked.
"Lots. Shall we go?" Haru asked.
"Yeah. Not gonna lie, art is only interesting for ten minutes. After that, it's boring as hell," Ryuji said.
The group made their way to the front door, with Ren hoping to see Yusuke. He wanted to warn him, or at least say something to him to help his own conscience. Unfortunately, Yusuke was nowhere to be seen. Once they were outside and in front of the train station, the group stopped.
"Hey, Ann? Could you do me a favor and send Kitagawa a message? Just say 'Please stay safe and let me know if you need anything,'" Ren immediately asked.
Ann looked confused but complied anyways. After she was done messaging, she looked back up at Ren.
"Ren, what's going on? We heard Ryuji yelling about Akechi the detective, and now you're acting weird," she asked.
"Akechi wants to be friends with me, so I asked him if he could look into Madarame a little. He found… he found out that a large number of Madarame's past pupil have been forced into homelessness then killed themselves, or have killed themselves while living with Madarame, only for their deaths to be quickly covered up." Ren explained.
"Woah…" Ryuji said.
His reaction summed up the look on the others' faces pretty well. Ann seemed extra worried, for obvious reasons.
"Do we… what can we do?" Haru asked dejectedly.
"I don't know. Akechi said that he's gonna keep investigating Madarame, and thinks he can make an arrest soon."
"Well, that's good to hear," Haru said.
"Yeah," Ren said.
The silence that came over the group was undesired. Each of them desperately wanted the mood to lighten, but they knew that it wouldn't. They stood in there for a few minutes. Haru's phone ringing ended that. She held the phone to her ear and cringed immediately as the other voice began speaking.
"I'm sorry! I'll be home soon!" She quickly said as she hung up.
"Haru, is everything alright?" Ann asked.
"Yes, everything-" Haru was clumsily putting her phone away.
"No. Look at me," Ann's voice was commanding. Haru stopped putting her phone away, giving Ann her full attention. "Is everything alright?"
Haru sighed.
"Yes, for now. Ann-chan, I promise you, if it's not, I'll tell you."
"Good. Make sure you keep that promise," Ann said.
"Now, I must be getting home. My ride is waiting for me," Haru said as she turned away and left.
"Same here. Mom's gonna have my head if I get home late on a school night," Ryuji jokes.
The joke didn't lighten the mood.
"I gotta go, too. Homework," Ren said. "I'll see ya guys tomorrow. Everyone, stay safe."
He knew that the last part was unnecessary, but he said it anyway. He wanted them to know how much he cared about their well being.
Monday, 5/23
"Remember to bring your English copies of Lord of the Pies for class tomorrow. We'll need them for the class discussion." Kawakami reminded the class.
Ren let out a loud groan. Thankfully, he wasn't the only one.
"Now, now. It's just a book." Kawakami said just as the bell rang.
The other students in the class quickly got up and left. Ann was also starting to leave but stopped when she was about to pass Ren's desk.
"You're making that gloomy look again. Did you go see Maruki when I told you to?"
Ren looked her in the eye.
"Yeah."
"No, you didn't. You're lying to me."
"My god! Say it ain't so!" Ren sarcastically said.
"Yeah, yeah. No getting out of it today. Go see Maruki."
Unlike the last time Ann had ordered him to go, Ren had a real excuse: he didn't have a copy of Lord of the Pies.
"Sorry, Ann. I gotta get that book," Ren said with a smirk.
He didn't know why, but disobeying Ann gave him a strange feeling of satisfaction.
"But you can save that for-"
"Nope. I can't. I got work later. I only have enough time to get the book and then go to work. I'll see Maruki tomorrow if it pleases your majesty," Ren said matter-of-factly.
"Hmph. You better."
Ann walked away and out the door, with Ren soon doing the same. He quickly made his way to the library. He hadn't been inside it yet, mainly for not wanting to destroy the room with whatever incidents were sure to occur. Once he was inside, he approached the front desk. The girl behind its posture shrank once she noticed Ren standing in front of her.
"One English copy of Lord of the Pies, please," Ren said in the most polite tone he could manage.
Get in, get the book, get out. That's the goal.
The girl's posture slightly recovered.
"S-sorry. We're out."
"Out how?" Ren managed to hide his frustration.
The girl seems nice enough. I'd rather not create another Mishima.
"Every copy has been taken out. I guess other people were in the same situation as you," the girl said, smiling a little more now.
I guess she's more comfortable around me now.
Ren chuckled for the sake of being nice.
"Oh well. Thanks for your help."
"Anytime," the girl's smile indicated that she really had warmed up to Ren from his politeness.
Ren left the library.
Next stop: the bookstore on Central Street.
Just talk to him. Just talk to him. Just talk to him. Just… It repeated throughout Makoto's head as she followed Ren from Shujin's gate.
Ren hadn't been with Ann, improving Makoto's chances, and mood by a little. The subway ride had ruined that. With both of them not moving and standing only twenty feet away from each other, the only thing stopping them Makoto from speaking to Ren was the people packed between them. At least, that was what she told herself. In reality, Makoto knew that she couldn't do it.
Just talk to him . Her mantra repeated throughout her head. It became more of an exercise for her mental voice rather than an actual reminder to take action.
But I am taking action, right? I followed him so I could talk to him. This might be the only chance that I'll have to talk to Ren and only Ren, Makoto thought.
Ren suddenly looked around the train. Makoto quickly whipped her manga book up. She waited a minute for safety, two minutes for assurance, and three for the sake of not being confrontational. When she looked back at Ren, he was staring down at his phone again. The subway soon came to a stop, and Ren quickly got up and left. Makoto followed him onto Central Street. She didn't know why Ren was there, but him not being with Ann was enough for Makoto. Once they were on Central Street, Ren quickly ducked into a small bookstore.
He must need a book for class. He could've just asked me… no he couldn't have, Makoto. He hates you. He hates you. He hates you, repeated through Makoto's head.
The new mantra held much more weight than the last one. Each time it repeated, Makoto felt herself slouching a little more. She did nothing to fix it. Her gaze was fixed on Ren inside the bookstore as the repetition continued.
Ren took the book to the counter. The man behind the register was elderly. He looked like he had worked at the bookstore his whole life. Ren handed him the book.
"Lord of the Pies, eh? You hate fat kids, too?" The man asked.
That can't be the point of the book, right? Hating fat kids? How the fuck does that have anything to do with lordship over pies? If he read it, he definitely missed the point.
"What am I saying? You haven't even read the book yet!" The man let out a hearty laugh as he rung Ren up.
Ren handed the man the money and was about to turn away when the man spoke again.
"By the way, that girl on the street's been staring at you this whole time, you know."
What?! Whatwhathwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhat?! Please be Makoto.
Ren didn't turn around. He didn't want to risk her running away. He tried to look as normal as possible.
"Does she have short brown hair and red eyes?" Ren awkwardly asked.
"Yep, that's her. You're lucky to have a girl that beautiful after you," the man said with another laugh.
So she hasn't decided yet… there's still a chance! Wait… no, there isn't. She doubted me. She left without listening. I'll talk to her, but I don't think it'll go anywhere. But she cared enough to follow me!
"Uh, sure. Thanks for the book," Ren said as he began to turn around again.
"Wait! She's hiding now!" The man said as he reached over the counter to stop turning around. After Ren was facing the counter again, the man continued, "She's holding up a manga collection to hide her face. If I look closely… yep! That's the one. That's The Complete Adventures of Teddie the Bear, Volume One."
Teddie the Bear? Wasn't that Junes' mascot for a while? Why the hell did they license manga for him? Never mind that, I think I have a good idea…
It was a good idea. It was Ren's favorite plan of his yet. With his confidence in himself restored, he knew that he had to pull this off.
"Sir, do you have a copy of that?"
"Of course. Volumes one through twenty, if you'd like."
"Just the same one as her, thanks."
The man disappeared behind a door to the back room. He emerged a minute later with a sizeable book.
They made twenty of these? Who the fuck read this shit enough for them to make twenty?
Ren handed the man the yen.
"Thank you, sir."
"No problem. Go get 'em, tiger."
"That comes later," Ren said with a smirk as he left the bookstore.
As he left, he noticed Makoto standing in the crowd with the book covering her face. It was so obvious that it was her that Ren felt a little stupid for not realizing sooner.
Just keep walking and act like you haven't seen her. The plan demands it.
Ren kept his excitement contained and successfully made his way home.
Dammit, Makoto. Why didn't you talk to him? That was your chance! But then he would've… no he wouldn't have done that… but Ann would've… no, she wouldn't do that, Makoto thought to herself. But what would I do? What do I say? How do I say it? What needs to be said? Do I apologize? Do I say that I know he's not a criminal? Do I bring up the alcohol? I just don't know. I'll have to wait until I figure it out.
Makoto's near-obsession with speaking to Ren made her completely forget about everything else. Sae. Kamoshida. The volleyball team. It was all-encompassing. It was so absolute that she failed to notice the boy with the short black hair staring at her from the alley as she walked back to her apartment building.
Tuesday, 5/24
Ren woke up bright and early. It was the best night of sleep he had had in a long time.
"The early bird catches the president," he told Morgana.
He raced through his morning routine, not wanting to miss the chance to execute his plan to the level of perfection that it required. He left the apartment after leaving some food for Morgana.
Shit… I just realized that I have no clue if Makoto follows me during the morning to school. Oh well. If she doesn't show, I can just move the plan to after school.
Ren quickly took a seat in one of the chairs in the lobby. He pulled out the manga that he had purchased yesterday. He read through some of it while he waited. The manga was ridiculously dumb. It followed Teddie's adventures with his sidekick, the Junes Bomber, in their quest to defeat the evil overlord of Tokyo, Gabbacenam.
Ren actually made it through a chapter. But the content of the chapter slipped his mind when he heard someone walking behind him. While there usually were people coming through the lobby, it was still relatively early in the morning. Ren used the quietness of the lobby as his alert system. Ren slowly turned around in his seat, making sure to not make much noise.
There was Makoto, nervously walking towards the table that Ren was at. She hadn't noticed him, as her head was buried in a book that looked school-related. She had bags under her eyes.
Not sleeping much, are we, Miss President? Perfect. Well, no, it's not good that she's sleeping badly, but her tiredness helps the plan- ah. Fuck it. I know what I mean.
Makoto took her usual seat in the lobby. It was isolated enough from the other seating areas that it would go unnoticed to the non-attentive. She looked down at her bag and began pulling out the manga she had been using.
Why am I even here? It's not like I need to follow Ren. I just need to talk to him. But this would be a good time to talk to him, Makoto thought to herself. As if you could ever speak to him, Makoto. You had the best chance you could've gotten yesterday, and you still couldn't do it. It's because you lack the ability. You could never talk to Ren, let alone get anything done. You won't ever help Sae. You'll never help Dai and his friends. You'll never make Father proud-
"So what'd you think of the first chapter?" A calm voice asked.
No. There's no way. I would've noticed. I had to have noticed. I'm more attentive than that, right? Right?! Makoto asked herself.
She looked up from her bag. There he was. The man, the former suspect, the unapproachable semi-gardener, Ren Amamiya. Makoto felt her jaw drop. There were no thoughts to be had.
"I personally thought that Teddie's dialogue was a little too childish, but I can accept that it's not for everyone. At least the Junes Bomber's pretty funny," Ren said with a smirk.
"I… how…" The words that came out of Makoto's mouth were little more than sounds.
"Oh! What'd you think of Gabbacenam? I hate his design, but he's been a really intimidating villain so far," Ren seemingly paused for dramatic flair. "Miss President? Hello? You have been reading The Complete Adventures of Teddie the Bear, Volume One\, right?"
"You… wha… huh?"
"Oh, you must have just hit the climax of the story. Well, keep it to yourself! No spoilers!" Ren said sarcastically.
"Ren…" Makoto finally managed in her disbelief.
"That's right. Happy to see me?" Ren asked with a grin.
"I'm…"
"Shh, it's alright. No words are necessary," Ren said, holding a finger up before quickly putting it down. "But let's get serious. Do you wanna start, or should I?"
"What… why…?"
"I guess you still need a little time. I know, I've grown a few inches taller in the time we've been apart," Ren said with a chuckle. "I'll start by answering your questions. 'What?' I decided to have a surprise meeting with you. The surprise meeting lets everyone speak from the heart. True feelings and shit- I mean stuff, you know? And 'why?' Because I'm impatient and recently discovered that someone's been following me."
He noticed me? I really can't do anything right, can I? Makoto thought to herself. Yes, you can, Makoto. You're here. You're with Ren. All you have to do is let the words flow. If you need to talk to Ren as much as you think you do, it'll happen naturally.
"Uh… I'm…"
Ren gave Makoto ample time to answer. Living up to his own label of being impatient, he spoke again.
"You know, one-sided conversations are really difficult to carry."
"Yeah… it's…"
"Ugh, fine. I'll hide my face with the manga. I know I'm ugly, but it still hurts my feelings when people act weird about it," Ren joked.
He actually did hold up the manga, and it actually did help. Not seeing Ren's face and seeing the manga that Makoto had spent so much time staring at made Makoto feel more comfortable.
Don't say something to make him hate you any more than he already does, Makoto , she told herself.
"Re- I mean, Ama- I mean, Ren, I would like to say that I'm… I'm… sorry. About walking out. About not responding. About following you. I'm sorry for everything," Makoto said, keeping it concise.
"That's cool to hear."
"It's... cool?"
"Yeah. I was really hung up on what was happening with you, and it definitely wasn't healthy. Hearing you say sorry has kinda taken a weight off my shoulders," Ren said as he put the manga down to look Makoto in her eyes. Whatever he saw in her eyes must've been disbelief, because he continued, "Seriously. No jokes. No sarcasm."
"I…"
Ren put the manga back up.
"I… that's good, I suppose. I spoke with Iwai about the alcohol. I concluded that you sold it for so little because you wanted to get rid of it and found no real value in it," Makoto said softly.
"You're right. It was Iori-san's. He left it in there and was too lazy to get it. Ryuji opened the fridge, and shit went downhill from there," Ren said from behind the manga.
"Again, I'd like to apologize. I should've listened instead of just assuming it was yours."
"Apology accepted," Ren's tone had changed ever so slightly, but Makoto picked up on it because of her heightened attention. He didn't sound like he truly meant what he said. Ren continued anyway. "Speaking of listening, could I tell you a story?"
"Go ahead."
"The manga's coming down," Ren warned before doing what he said. "Now that we're face to face, let me regale you with the tale of the bald man and his shitty sunglasses ..."
Makoto almost laughed at the title. Then she heard the real story. Ren detailed the reason he came to Tokyo. The drunk man, the crying woman, the corrupt police. All of it. It hurt to hear that Makoto had perceived Ren the same way the system had: a criminal who couldn't do right. Once Ren had finished the story, he put the manga back up for Makoto to respond.
"No, could you… could you please put the manga down?"
Ren put the manga down to reveal a surprised look on his face. Makoto breathed deeply.
"I'm really, really sorry, Ren. I just… I just let my fears get the better of me. I listened to my suspicions rather than the people around me and… here we are."
"Here we are," Ren said with a smile.
They sat there for a minute, enjoying the moment.
"Where do we go from here?" Makoto asked.
"School."
"Looking cool, Joker," Makoto said out of nostalgia. She wanted it to bring back Ren's positive memories of her. "Seriously."
"Hm? Oh, well, I have a decision to make," Ren said, his face growing solemn. "I'll have to ghost you for a few weeks. Then maybe I'll reach a conclusion. Maybe I won't."
Ren stood up as Makoto laughed at the joke that was very clearly poking fun at her.
"Ren, be serious," Makoto said lightheartedly.
"Oh, I am being serious. Well, maybe it'll be shorter than a few weeks. I'll see you later, Niijima-senpai," as he quickly walked away from the table and out of the building.
Your fault. It's your fault. He hates you. He doesn't want to talk to you. He wants you to stay away, Makoto thought to herself.
Ren knew that what he had just done could be considered a dick move.
Dick move or not, I have the advantage. It's also probably important for me to take time to make up my mind, rather than just letting my excitement over talking to Makoto make up my mind for me.
Leaving Makoto behind was difficult after wanting to speak with her for so long. But Ren had said what he had wanted to say and heard what he had wanted to hear. The cards were in his hands.
To be friends with Makoto or not. On one hand, she apologized and admitted that she was wrong. But, and it's a very big but, she walked out in the first place. She kept her doubts quiet. Isn't that what I'm doing now? Keeping my true thoughts secret from the person who should know them? Shit… now I really don't know what to do. I'll ask Haru. I'm sure she'll at least be excited to hear that I talked to Makoto.
Ren got on the subway. His phone vibrated in his pocket.
Tae Takemi:
-You wait too long between visits.
Ren Amamiya:
-Sorry for not being super eager to try your shady drugs.
Tae Takemi:
-They're not shady. I have a license.
Ren Amamiya:
-Remind me why you're even making them? All they do is make me see things and then get executed.
Tae Takemi:
-It's a whole bunch of psychology stuff that you wouldn't understand. The simple explanation is that it provides life-like visuals to the user's subconscious thoughts.
Maybe it'll help me make that decision. I'm more of a visual learner anyway. Or maybe I'm just telling myself that.
Ren Amamiya:
-Interesting.
Tae Takemi:
-For you. Now, can you come later today?
Ren Amamiya:
-Sure. I'll be there after school.
Ren put away his phone.
The bell rang, signaling the end of school and Ann's daily checkup. She had a surprised look on her face when she turned around to examine Ren.
"Like what you see?" Ren asked.
Ann laughed.
"No. You just… you seem happier today."
"Of course I am. I have an appointment with a goth doctor," Ren blankly said.
"Heh… sure you do. Anyway, why the sudden change?"
I'm surprised she didn't believe me. That was pure honesty.
"I talked to Makoto this morning."
"And…?"
"And now I'm the one who has to make a decision."
Ann scolded Ren.
"I'm sure that'll go great. Just make sure that you're at least quick about it, okay?"
"Okay. Deal. I promise. If you'll excuse me, I have a doctor's appointment," Ren said as he stood up.
Ann waved a goodbye. Ren left for Tae's clinic.
Ren knew the drill. Walk in the door, greet Tae, go to the examination room, sit down on the examination table. He followed it to the letter. Tae handed him the cup with the familiar liquid.
"Good luck, Amamiya-kun," Tae said in a teasing voice.
"Why do I need- eh. Who cares."
Ren chugged the liquid once again. This time, he made a promise to himself to not be caught off guard with the inevitable changes, no matter how weird they were.
Doctor Ryuji would catch me off guard. He's the only exception.
As Ren leaned his head back against the wall, he closed his eyes. It was a moment of rest, of calmness. It was peaceful. The sound of Tae standing up from her chair made him open his eyes. Tae walked over to the door opening it slightly.
"You going somewhere?" Ren asked.
Tae sighed. She flicked the light switch next to the door. The room went pitch black, with the sound of the door closing soon following. Ren couldn't see shit.
"Tae?! What the hell?"
Nothing. Not even the sound of Tae breathing. Several minutes passed. Suddenly, a voice spoke from the darkness. It was deep, almost digital sounding, but not like Alibaba's encrypted voice.
"Baba Booey."
"Baba Booey my ass, turn the lights on!" Ren yelled.
The lights switched on. Ren found himself standing in an empty room with tan tiled walls and a stone floor. In the middle of the room was a metal table with chairs on either side. Handcuffed to one of the chairs was Kamoshida. In clown makeup. Very poorly done clown makeup at that.
I'm hallucinating that I'm alone with Kamoshida and he's handcuffed. This is the perfect time to get some fake revenge.
Ren quickly walked up to Kamoshida. Kamoshida looked up at Ren, opening his mouth slightly. Before he could even say anything, Ren grabbed Kamoshida by his hair and slammed his head into the table. There was a disgusting crack from what Ren guessed was Kamoshida's nose breaking. Ren pulled Kamoshida's head back up. Blood was pouring out from his nose.
"Ahh...uhhhh…" Kamoshida was incoherent.
Ren promptly bitched slapped Kamoshida while holding his head. Blood splattered onto the floor.
This is a gory as fuck for something that's not actually real.
Ren backhanded Kamoshida. Blood splattered across the wall in the opposite direction from the last splatter.
"Ugh… sta…"
"Sta? Star? You want your star volleyball player?" Ren knew he was jumping to conclusions, but that was the point. He wanted to reinforce his hatred for Kamoshida.
Ren slammed Kamoshida's face into the table again. Blood drenched the surface of the table. Ren pulled Kamoshida's face up to look at it again. The clown makeup had mixed with the never-ending supply of blood to create a sickening pink color. Kamoshida couldn't keep his mouth closed, and was missing a few teeth.
Shit… do these hallucinations enhance my strength? Or is it because I perceive myself as stronger?
He loosened his grip on Kamoshida's head, letting Kamoshida relax and lean back. Ren moved to the other side of the table and took a seat.
Usually the hallucinations carry me through the action. This time, I'm the one creating the action.
When Ren sat down, it occurred to him that he didn't know what to say. While "Fuck you," was an option, there was no point. It wasn't real, and it didn't vent any real anger from Ren. That was the difference between beating the shit out of Kamoshida and simply cursing him out.
"Mah… Makoto…" Kamoshida muttered.
That caught Ren's attention. He almost jumped out of his seat.
"What was that?"
Kamoshida began to laugh. It was awful. Kamoshida's hysterical laughter was the audio equivalent of putting a finger in a pencil sharpener. The laughter grew so uncontrollable that Kamoshida fell over in his chair, but remained laughing while on the ground. Ren rushed over and imposingly stood over the man.
"Why'd you say her name?!" Ren yelled as he kicked Kamoshida in the gut.
Kamoshida only laughed harder, hacking up blood with every breath.
"Why?!" Ren yelled again with another kick.
More laughter. More blood. Ren grew tired of the laughter and raised his foot over Kamoshida's head, ready to end the laughter and hopefully the hallucination.
"Wait!" Kamoshida yelled clearly now. It was like there wasn't a significant amount of blood pooling in his mouth. "If you let me live, I'll tell you where she is!"
Ren knew it was fake, but he would be damned if he let Kamoshida harm Makoto, real or otherwise.
"Talk!"
"She's… she's in the gym… but you'll never make it… the team should've done their job by now…"
Ren didn't care what that meant. He stomped his foot down on Kamoshida's head. There was no skull crunching or gory mess. Kamoshida simply sank into the floor.
"Dammit!"
Ren quickly ran to the door of the room he was in, opening it to surprisingly find himself at Shujin's gates. He ran up the stairs, through the lobby, down the hallways, and made it to the gymnasium entrance. He slammed the door open.
The gym was empty, and there was barely enough light to see anything. The one noticeable thing in the gym was the person in the middle: Makoto was tied to a chair, bound and gagged.
"Makoto!"
Ren ran towards Makoto. A muffled cry came from Makoto, and there was a flash of white and a loud boom. Ren was thrown backward from the explosion. He was left face down back at the entrance to the gym.
Did… did that… no way….
Ren barely pulled himself up. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to stay down, but his mind begged him to get up and see the result of the explosion for himself. Where Makoto had sat in the chair was now a smoking crater. There was no sign of Makoto.
Before Ren even had time to process what happened, spotlights suddenly shined down on the stage in the gym. The focus of the spotlights was imagery that Ren could barely comprehend. Three hooded figures, each sitting on a stool, threaded two strings together. One figure would receive one head of string, wrap it around the other string, and then pass their work onto the next person, who would repeat the process. This continued without end. Ren walked around the crater, hoping to get within earshot of the people. When he finally did reach them, he heard them speak.
"This one's fate cannot end yet. She has much to do. As does the boy," a warm feminine voice said.
"This is true. The boy must still inspire the prince," a cheerful feminine voice replied.
Boy? Prince? The fuck is going on?
"Of course. And he must take the girl into his care emotionally," a third voice said, this one male and enthusiastic.
"He will serve as her ward. Their fates are intertwined," the first voice said.
"Hello?" Ren interrupted.
The three figures stopped passing the strings between them. While Ren couldn't see their faces, he knew that they were staring at him from beneath their hoods.
"The boy…" the first voice said. "Come. Take a seat."
The figure flicked her hand and a chair appeared. It was directly in the center of the three. Ren climbed up the stage as a feeling of creepiness climbed up his spine. He sat down, placing his arms on the surprisingly comfy armrests. He tried to look closer at the figures, hoping to deduce their identities but found no success.
The middle figure, who was the owner of the first voice, stood up. She held the string in both her hands. She walked behind Ren, who was now growing very uncomfortable. The figure placed the string on his head and placed both her hands on his cheeks from behind him. The hands were elegant and gentle but had a roughness to them that could only come from working with one's hands for a prolonged period of time. She held Ren's head, making sure that he stared straight ahead. Slowly, she tilted his head back to face her above him. Ren was staring into an empty hood. It would've been creepy, but the hands on his cheeks felt familiar and comforting.
The hood suddenly flipped backward, and Haru stared down at Ren. Her black mask and feather hat were there, along with her golden eyes. Ren tensed out of surprise.
"Be calm, Ren. Accept what's coming…"
Ren felt straps fasten around his hands. He tried to move his head down, but couldn't because of Haru's iron grip. The most he could do was look downwards, but it wasn't much. But from his limited view, he saw something he wished he never had. Ann and Ryuji revealed themselves as the other hooded figures. Both had taken their hoods off. They smiled at Ren.
"Okumura! Okumura! Okumura!" They chanted.
Ren felt Haru's hands leave his face, but his head was still locked in place. His neck suddenly felt very exposed, and he felt goosebumps rising across his body. The string from before graced his neck. Ren looked back up at Haru.
"Being crushed brought a head rush, now the lack of air will be too much to bear!" She declared.
The string fastened around Ren's neck, restricting his breathing. He tried to gasp, but it wouldn't work. He was spasming with his whole body, hoping to find some way out of this.
"Okumura! Okumura! Okumura!" The chants continued.
The string got tighter. Ren's vision and strength were fading. The last things he saw before closing his eyes were Haru's golden eyes. He kept his eyes closed for several minutes, not wanting to open them again. But he felt the string slacken and eventually fall away. He opened his eyes. Tae's exam room, despite all of its sharp objects and pain-inflicting tools, felt like a welcoming sanctuary. Ren quickly got down from his seated position on the exam table.
"Any observations?" Tae asked from her seat.
"I'm fucked up," Ren muttered.
Tae laughed.
"I'm a doctor. Maybe I could help."
"Nope. I need a reset button. Lemme just redo my whole life."
"No can do. Are you still interested in being… compensated, or would you rather call it a day?"
"Call it a day," Ren said immediately.
"As you wish," Tae said with a smile. "Feel free to stop by if you want that compensation."
Probably not going to happen. That was beyond fucked up.
"Maybe," Ren said as he rushed out of the exam room before going home for the night.