The Mask Shatters
Chapter 4
"The time has come. He is ready for the first step."
Author's Note
I would like to take a moment to point out that I do indeed read and take into account EVERY review. My current favorite one so far is the review that is, all in lowercase, just "yes.". Says enough in just one word.
However, I will address one concern. I do realize I haven't given Ichisake or Himura enough screen time or a reason for the reader to get attached to them. Well, I discussed that with my editor, and we've come up with a way to do just that. Chapter 5, at the time of this chapter's posting, is in the works and will focus solely on getting the plot set up for the first act of the book. These first four chapters have been building Arthur up and introducing the new characters. After chapter 5, we will slow down and give the reader some time to get to know Ichisake and Himura and MAYBE Sakutaro.
Now, without further adieu, please enjoy the chapter.
School ended just the same as yesterday, minus the fatigue he felt when he arrived home.
He wasn't home long, either. Just long enough to change out of his uniform and into something more outgoing.
A small orange polo with blue jeans.
His guardian, Himura, was still at work. Even though he had agreed to take Arthur out into Shibuya today, work had other plans for him. And so Arthur resolved to learn the lay of the land himself. He made sure his phone was fully charged before he left in case he needed navigation through the dense streets of Tokyo.
At school, the day itself felt different than the days prior. Everyone was quiet around him, more so than yesterday. He felt eyes on him at all times, and when he would pass by groups of students they would suddenly silence themselves until he was perceived to be out of earshot. When he was tasked by his teacher to go to the library, it was dead silent the second he entered. If a pen dropped, it would've echoed.
Of course, he chalked that up to it being a library.
He was fine with this, though. The less of a center of attention he was, the easier his life would be he had figured.
Ichisake was the only student who talked to him today, and he didn't see Ann at all except at lunch, hanging out with two boys he noticed yesterday. He opted not to intrude, since he barely knew her. Her friends? He didn't even know their names.
"What's going on?" Ichisake had asked him, aware of the sudden change in climate when Arthur would show his face anywhere. "It's like everyone's about to…. Err…. How do you Americans put it? "Shit a brick"?"
Arthur then laughed, commending him for being close with the saying before adding "I don't know."
At lunch, they discussed after school plans, and the two decided to meet up in Shibuya, and Ichisake was going to show him around in place of Himura. Arthur was actually excited. He didn't expect to get on so well with anyone in Japan, especially this fast. Ichisake seemed to be an honorable student as well, a stark contrast to the only people back home who would associate with him.
He couldn't keep himself from smiling, despite the horrible night he had prior.
He woke up from his nap last night near seven in the evening, tearful and sweating. A horrible nightmare had plagued him in his sleep, one where he had witnessed someone die right in front of him.
Again.
He nearly didn't fall back asleep, not until midnight was he able to shut his eyes again. In between his awakening and midnight he kept himself on the sofa, trying to watch TV and forget the dream. But it remained on his mind, and from time to time he would fall into silent tears. Not until an hour before midnight was he able to regain full control of his emotions and force himself to drop from his mind all that had transpired in his sleep.
After that, the rest of his night was blissful.
Not a single bump in the night..
The same cannot be said for his time in Japan, for every night was a nightmare.
But his dreamless sleep this night went undisturbed, at least until Himura woke him early for school.
But regardless, he came to a fast, worrisome conclusion.
"Seems my norm won't change even with my new location…"
He scrapped that thought from his mind, though. He had a good afternoon ahead of him, so he readied himself in silence before departing for a short walk to Station Square.
A nice sunny afternoon accompanied his walk. Following street signs and the directions of a few police officers, Arthur had arrived at Station Square at a rather busy time. Many people were coming to an fro, bustling through the square and into the streets or underground to the subway lines. Arthur had come from here on his way home, but had forgotten the way back. It wasn't as busy at the time but now it just looked to be a mess.
"Must be shift change…" Arthur mumbled under his breath.
Nearby was a bench, free for the taking and ignored by the horde of commuters and students. Looking around, Arthur could see Ichisake wasn't around yet, and decided to have a seat. For a while he just sat there, people watching. As he observed the people, he couldn't help but admire the fashion the people of Japan sported, with different articles of clothing being worn by people of different backgrounds. Some people walked around as if they were from the country, while others could easily show that they were city-folk through and through.
Unlike in America, where people would walk into super stores in nothing but confederate flag undergarments and wear skirts and corsets in the winter.
He shook his head, realizing that people in America were silly compared to the Japanese, who took decency and fashion trends to match their perception of honor.
As he waited, he eventually got bored of watching the people pass by him and instead opted to pull out his phone.
Time passed by even quicker as he looked over local news articles, all in Japanese. Scrolling through the virtual newsstand, one article in particular caught his attention more than the rest.
An article on the phenomenon he's been hearing so much about.
These "Phantom Thieves".
The article was titled "Phantom Thieves? Real or Not?" and was published by a local news broadcasting station, the name of which wasn't familiar to Arthur. He couldn't help but satiate his curiosity, and he decided to read it.
It talked about the Phantom Thieves and their "judgement call" on a former Shujin teacher named Suguru Kamoshida. Same news as before, sexual harassment and physical abuse. Arthur was not all surprised to see paragraphs mentioning those heinous crimes. But what he wanted to hear was the Phantom Thieves. According to the article, students arrived one morning to find that "calling cards" were posted all around the school claiming that the Phantom Thieves would "steal his distorted desires".
"How fantastical…" Arthur mumbled, thumbing through the article. It didn't mention who the culprits behind the threat were, nor was there an update after Kamoshida confessed his crimes to the public. But there were plenty more articles talking about that, all he had to do was find them.
Arthur sighed as he understood he wasn't coming any closer to figuring out what had happened before his arrival.
He glanced up from his phone, suddenly spotting someone in his peripheral that looked vaguely familiar. Standing out amidst the crowd was a pair of boys, walking by Arthur like it was no one's business. It was hard, but he remembered them from earlier today. He was eating lunch outside in the courtyard with Ichisake when they both as well as Ann walked in on the two of them by the vending machines. The blonde looked at them both before just walking away, the frizzy haired boy and Ann in tow.
As the two walked further and further away, Arthur noticed an abnormality with the one of them.
A cat was hanging out the frizzy haired boy's bag, looking around at its surroundings before landing its gaze on him.
"Odd…" Arthur thought for a moment, scrunching his brow as he watched. The cat yawned, and for a moment it looked like it was going to plummet out of the bag. But instead it just receded into the bag, with no one but Arthur noticing."Whatever floats his boat, I guess…" Arthur shrugged.
But just as they had disappeared from sight, another familiar face passed by.
To his surprise, it was the red eyed girl from his class but instead of her school uniform she was donning a blue coat with a black turtleneck underneath coupled with black leggings. She stopped a few feet from him, casually looking around as if she was trying to locate something, or someone. But a distinct huff betrayed her annoyance, and signaled to Arthur that she couldn't find what she was looking for.
He set his phone down and observed, slightly interested in seeing what this was about. Why she was following the same path the two boys took.
Unfortunately for him though, she didn't hang around for long as she quickly went the same way the boys from earlier went. Soon she too was out of sight, having vanished into the ever growing crowd of Station Square.
He shook his head, wondering silently what that was all about.
"Arthur!" He heard from nearby. Arthur perked up, recognizing the voice to be that of his friend. He looked up, witnessing a young man with braces and a white t-shirt running up to him. "I was looking for you all through the subway! Turns out you were up here, eh?" Ichisake said, smiling as Arthur put his phone away. "Waiting long?" He asked.
Arthur smiled. He was finally gonna get to see what Shibuya truly had to offer.
Ichisake led Arthur all around Central Street. Showing him all sorts of different locales and interesting hotspots. From the diner to the arcade, from the theater to a back alley airsoft shop. A bookstore, a fast food place, a DVD rental shop.. That was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to Central Street.
There were so many different types of people there, too. Japanese, Americans, Brits, French, Chinese… So many different people, all crammed together on one street. A whole melting pot of cultures and creeds, like America itself. But unlike America, everyone here was polite to one another and no one tried causing trouble to the person passing them by. No one tried to intrude on anyone's business, and no one was trying to pick any fights.
Everyone tolerated each other.
Arthur smiled knowing this, as it is a calm life that lives in a stark contrast to his norm. But this is only his third day in Japan, his new norm has yet to fully be realized.
Ichisake and Arthur soon found themselves at a store called, in Japanese kanji, "Rocinante". Arthur waited outside while Ichisake fawned over a free sample outside the store. While loitering, he spotted the boys from earlier hanging around outside the arcade just a few shops over. They were just standing there, chatting and whiling away the afternoon completely oblivious to the passing of time.
Then, nearby, Arthur noticed a familiar sight. It was the red eyed girl from his class. She was standing at a payphone, acting as if she was making a phone call and doing her best to face away from the boys in particular. Occasionally she would glance over at them and, satisfied they were still there, turned back to her apparent call. They failed to notice this behaviour, and when they moved on she lingered at the phone a moment longer before following in their steps. They had entered the theater at the end of the road, and she in turn entered moments after they.
Arthur just watched, surprised no one else thought this behaviour was odd, all the while Ichisake fawned over something sweet and chocolatey. Something free too.
The young man shook his head, wondering exactly what it was she was doing. But it wasn't his business, and he didn't want to make it his either. He looked back at his friend just as he was walking up to Arthur with a few bags in tow.
"Here, bought you some too." He said, handing Arthur a bag filled with two boxes of the mystery snack. He just looked at it, unsure of what it was.
"Uh, thanks… But… What is it?" He asked Ichisake, who just simply flashed him a metallic smile.
"Something I shouldn't be having." Ichisake answered, pointing to his braces. "But that's to the extent of my knowledge, Arthur. It's chocolatey, it's sweet, and it's got taffy in it! I thought you might want some."
Arthur cut his gaze between the young man and the candy in his bag. For a moment he didn't know what to think, and just shook his head.
"Chocolate…. Taffy?" Arthur slowly echoed, looking in the bag. "What… the fuck?"
Ichisake laughed at Arthur's reaction and tried to ease his worries on it. That it tasted better than it sounded. Arthur looked at him, and quietly decided to go with the whole idea. He also decided that, if he didn't like it, he'd just throw it away or give it to Himura. Ichisake didn't have to know.
For a time after, the duo perused around Central Street some more to let Arthur get a good grasp of the city. He was in true awe at the sights he saw, tall buildings and friendly people. Great food, and many places to go and things to do. A complete opposite to his home outside Seattle.
"What the hell is "Big Bang Burger"?" Arthur asked, staring quizzically up at the orange and yellow building before him. A large decal of a burger flying through space stood on the windows, and the sliding glass doors basically stayed open at all times with the amount of people who came and went. His friend chuckled and threw an arm over his shoulders.
"This, my friend…" He started, gesturing to the whole building in front of them. "...is the best goddamn fast food restaurant in Shibuya. Big Bang Burger, my man."
Arthur just looked at the name, and for a moment he just stood there in dumbfounded silence. Ichisake noticed, and he looked at Arthur with a cheeky grin. "What?"
"The name… Jesus Christ…" Arthur chuckled under his breath. "Sounds like a child named it."
Before they both realized it, nighttime was only an hour away. The fact it crept up on them without either of them realizing showed Arthur just how much fun he really was having, even though in reality he was just taking little more than a tour.
Ichisake suggested they make their way back to the subway station, but Arthur reminded him that he lives in Shibuya. He doesn't need to take the subway, but still offered to walk him back to the station.
They arrived to find it quiet, there was still a good amount of people wandering about and loitering, but not to the same extent as earlier in the afternoon. Ichisake shook Arthur's hand, thanking him for coming out today.
"But next time you're gonna buy me something." Ichisake promised him, grinning widely.
"In a heartbeat, man. Take care." Arthur returned the gesture before seeing him off into the subway. Arthur himself, having no more business to be out this late, decided to walk home. He didn't stop anywhere, nor did he loiter at any pedestrian lights. Arthur didn't know the curfew for teenagers in Tokyo, and would rather not stick around to find out.
He smiled, excited that things have been going so well in the short time he's been in the country.
"I saw him in Central Street on Saturday, parading around with that nerd, Miyara…"
"What's Miyara-san doing with him?! I always thought Miyara-san was kinda sweet…"
"Rumor has it the principal is gonna send him to Maruki. Don't know if that'll make him less crazy…"
"If Miyara wants to hang out with that psycho, then let him. It's his ass."
"None of this really affects me, but I heard the school board is planning something for the thirtieth…"
"Really? What is it? Will it be fun?"
The following school week was nearly the same as Saturday's. Ichisake was there, as was the teacher Mr. Sakutaro. Only one of them really paid Arthur any mind, and it certainly wasn't the teacher.
Then there was the utter quiet Arthur faced wherever he went.
It was eerie. As if his presence was foreboding to the students. Sometimes when he and Ichisake walked the halls, the voices of students all around would quiet down into whispers, and when Arthur would look over his shoulder at any gossipers, they would give a frightened mewl and turn away from his gaze. Arthur thought the behavior was odd, and sometimes Ichisake would even pick up on it with a light hearted joke.
"Maybe your American charm is too much for the ladies?" He joked, causing Arthur to mildly grin amidst his uneasiness.
Ichisake, for some reason, remained really friendly towards Arthur. Ever since the day they met, they've always been spending their lunches together. Always walked to the subway together. Ichisake would always seek him out during the morning before class began, and on Wednesday he even waited for Arthur at the Shibuya subway before transferring to another line.
Arthur was quick to deduce the reasoning behind Ichisake's behaviour, and that it was because of a simple reason.
He may not have had any friends prior to Arthur's arrival.
Arthur knew all too well that pain and decided not to ask him, knowing that he himself had gone through such a painful time back in his middle school days. No one would ever want to be reminded of it.
When they chatted, they often learned of one another. Arthur learned that Ichisake was a computer geek himself. Often working with photo editing software to produce things he would post in online forums for no other reason than just to do it. Ichisake was also really into American culture and their television shows and games. Games like The Ancient Scrolls and the old Medal of Valor games.
It was to no surprise to Arthur, who had figured as much when Ichisake kept pressing him for answers on various American topics.
But when he was pressed into his own background, Arthur was a bit more hesitant to speak. Especially when the word "background" was used. But he talked about his interests almost completely willingly. It took Ichisake a day to get Arthur to open up about himself.
Arthur had explained to him his deep Irish roots, and that his parents were Northern Irish immigrants to the United States and he, for a long time, spoke with a Northern Irish accent in his youth before he adopted an American accent to fit in at his schools.
"Ah, can you still do your Irish?" Ichisake had asked, curious to see if his friend can pull off the accent he says he was born with. Arthur smiled, cracking his neck as he asked which language would he have to do it in. "Well, I suppose it would be hard in Japanese… Do it in English. I know a little of your language."
Arthur then cleared his throat, keeping Ichisake in suspense for a moment before he spoke in a clear Northern Irish accent for his Japanese friends' enjoyment. "G'day, my ol' mucker. Hope this mornin' yah havin' is treatin' yah well, yah?"
Other things Arthur claimed to be good at were things such as cooking, shooting, and fencing. The latter two being the only things Ichisake was interested in Arthur talking about when mentioned.
The conversations the two had would last for entire lunch periods, never ceasing to be dull. Always a learning experience for one of the two, if not both.
Ichisake was basically, as some people who Arthur would overhear, fanboying over Arthur. Arthur didn't mind though. The young man truly seemed interested in pursuing a friendship with Arthur, and he seemed honest. Secure. But most importantly, he seemed to have maintained a sense of integrity even with his perceived loneliness.
Something his friends back in the home country didn't have.
The week quickly rolled over to a Friday, in the month of May. The date was the 27th, and the day was like any other in the week. It was lunchtime, Arthur and Ichisake had found their way to the courtyard. Arthur didn't like eating outside, but Ichisake insisted. Arthur couldn't complain, however. It seemed as though he was unwanted in the cafeteria. Most students avoided him, while others whispered behind his back.
When they arrived at the little cubby with the vending machines, they were surprised to see that someone had beaten them there. She didn't seem to notice them at first, as she was engrossed in her little smartphone. Arthur recognized her almost immediately, as there weren't any other blonde girls that attended the school.
"Takamaki-san?" Arthur said, evoking a surprised look from Ichisake. The girl looked up from her phone to see who was calling her name, and when she spotted Arthur, her eyes went wide.
"Williams-senpai?" She asked, surprised that Arthur remembered her name. "Oh, sorry. Am I in your hangout?" She asked, setting her tray in her lap as she looked between the two young men.
"Uh, please don't call me that…" Arthur asked her, taking a step forward and setting his tray down on the nearby table. "And no, you're fine. I was just gonna ask if it's OK if me and my friend sit down here. It is alright, yes?"
"Alright…" She said, confused as to why he didn't want that honorific associated with his name. "But yeah, you two can sit here if you want. I'll just… find another spot to eat my lunch."
"We're not gonna force you out of here, Takamaki-san. Go ahead, we won't bother you." Arthur smiled at her. She just looked at him, setting her tray to the side as she returned his friendly gesture. Ichisake, itching to find out how they knew each other, finally voiced the question that was brewing in his mind.
"How do you know Takamaki-san?" Ichisake asked aloud, catching both Arthur and Ann's gaze. Arthur turned to look at him, his smile persisting and even infecting Ichisake as he listened.
"We just met last week, I've seen her around the school but we've never really had a chance to talk." He said, sitting down with his lunch - Lunch today being white rice and steamed vegetables with some kind of sauce that Arthur couldn't pinpoint.
Ichisake, satisfied with that answer, joined him. While the two ate their lunch in the peace and quiet of the courtyard, Ann chose to remain by herself. Away from the two boys she barely knew. One of them she didn't know at all.
As time passed in their quiet silence, when Arthur had finished his lunch and Ichisake was close to finishing his, Arthur's phone buzzed. He was admiring the trees planted in the courtyard when it went off, surprising him to no end. But that surprise soon transpired into annoyance, and he silently cursed his annoying, broken phone.
"Goddamn phone. What the hell's wrong with it?" Arthur murmured, slipping his phone into his hands. Ichisake looked up at him, confused.
"What?"
Arthur just looked at him, surprised he hadn't caught on. The phone's been buzzing for no reason for the past week, ever since he arrived in Japan. Its done it at times while he's been with Ichisake, seemingly for no reason as when he pulls up his phone, there is no new notification.
Arthur shook his head as he pulled up his lock screen. "Just my damn phone acting up, its been-Oh…" Arthur, befuddled and dumbfounded, was amazed to see that this time, there was a notification. Bright and clear as day on his lock screen.
It was a notification about a news publication subscription he had, announcing to him that they have just published a new article. The title of the particular article caught his eye, and he tapped it with his thumb to get a good look at what it said.
"The Phantom Thieves Strike Again! Calling Card Received By Master Artist, Ichiryusai Madarame!" Arthur read aloud, stopping Ichisake in his luncheon tracks. He looked directly at Arthur, surprised Arthur said something so out of the blue. Arthur met his gaze, and frowned. "I still don't know anything about these guys, and I've been here a week now…" He noted to Ichisake, thumbing through the article to see how long it would take to read.. "Wow, this is a long article…"
"Oh yeah…. I heard about that…" Ichisake opened up, picking at his steamed veggies with his chopsticks. "Some old artist apparently received it, but I don't know… It's gotta be a prank. These things become trends, y'know? Like memes." He said.
Ann glanced up at them.
"Hmm…. It says here that… Early in the morning, around seven thirty AM, a bunch of postings with… a threat of some sort… were found posted all around some art exhibit in Shibuya." Arthur told Ichisake, eliciting a chuckle from the young man across from him.
"Yeah, that's what I heard too. But that was from word of mouth, not the web." Ichisake replied, stuffing a steamed broccoli in his mouth. "Buht…. Like aye sayd…." He tried to speak past his chewing… "Probebly ah prek…"
"Oh hey, they got a hold of one of the calling cards..." Arthur noted.
"Really?" Ichisake asked, having swallowed his food. "Does it say what the pranksters wrote?"
Arthur thumbed a little further into the article, attempting to find the quote he was looking for. He didn't have to look far, because the article had a picture of exactly what was posted. "Yeah!"
Arthur then cleared his throat, getting ready to read aloud what the Phantom Thieves said. All the while Ann watched and listened, pretending to thumb through her phone.
"Sir Ichiryusai Madarame, a great sinner of vanity whose….talent has been exhausted." Arthur read slowly, as if he was reading a poem. "You are an artist who…..uses his authority to shamelessly steal the ideas of….his pupils." Arthur paused a moment, reading the next few sentences in his head before continuing. This threat sounded sophisticated."We have decided to make you confess all your crimes with your own mouth. We will take your distorted desires without fail. From, The Phantoms."
Ichisake huffed, picking another vegetable up with his chopsticks. "Kamoshida was funny, but I don't know… Now someone's out there using what happened to prank celebrities." He said, looking up at Arthur with a serious look in his eyes. "Some people just got way too much time on their hands…"
"I don't know." Arthur replied, reading over the threat once again. "Takamaki-san, what do you think about all this?"
"Huh?" Ann huffed, surprised to hear Arthur calling her name. She faced him fully, flustered and caught off guard. "I-I'm sorry… What are you talking about?" She asked him.
"You know, I saw her come into school late this morning." Ichisake commented, but Arthur ignored him. He was, instead, focused on Ann.
"These Phantom Thieves… Who are they? What is this all about anyways?"
"Uh…." She didn't know how to answer at first and just looked at him with a silent stare. Arthur rose a brow at her silence, but when she broke it, he just sighed. "I don't really do this occult stuff…"
"She was, as Kamoshida put it, almost a victim of his abuse too." Ichisake spoke up, catching Arthur's attention. Ann looked at him too, before sighing an exasperated sigh, annoyed that Ichisake brought it up with someone she barely knew right in front of her.
"You don't know any boundaries, huh?" She murmured. "Might as well have been, the way he was shoving himself on me…" She admitted to the duo, casting her eyes to the ground. Arthur sent his gaze back at her, surprised to hear what she said. "Made me cry a few times… But… I wasn't the one to suffer his full abuse. Someone else did because of my cowardice..." She spoke softly, almost to a murmur. She leaned back in her seat, watching the boys with downcast eyes. But they had nothing to say in return. They just looked at her, surprised and mildly upset.
Arthur frowned as he took in every word. He tried putting himself in her shoes - to no avail - but while he was thinking, it suddenly dawned on him. When they first met a week ago, she wanted a bag he was looking at. She claimed it was for a friend, and the way she had said it had hit him with some bad vibes. But he brushed it off and ignored them, opting to let her have it not out of pity, but instead out of the kindness of his heart.
Clicking his tongue, Arthur chose not to say anything, but deep down he felt a great deal of pity for her. He knew all too well what it was like to be abused.
If not physically, then at least emotionally.
Arthur couldn't blame her, though, for acting this way. If she suffered at his hands, he deserved every last year in prison.
"Oooook…." Ichisake said awkwardly, getting uncomfortable with the sad air hanging around them like fruit. He looked to Arthur, smiling in an attempt to cheer everyone up. "So, how much do you know about the Phantom Thieves, Arthur?" Ichisake asked lightheartedly. Arthur, with the sudden mention of the Phantom Thieves, perked up enough to where the emotions that were entangling him were almost nonexistent. He faced Ichisake, and answered his question with as much truth as he could muster.
"Not much." Arthur told him. "Can barely find anything online."
Ann was still watching carefully and listening to everything they said, yet she remained silent. Ichisake and Arthur failed to notice this reticence as the new topic in the room took control.
"Well, if I'm being honest…" Ichisake started, twirling his chopsticks in between his fingers. "There isn't a whole lot left you don't already know. I mean, you already know my thoughts on it and you've found everything you need out online…"
"The calling card, the abuse, the sudden "change of heart"..." Arthur recalled, having investigated all of this since his first day at Shujin. He shook his head, realizing how supernatural this all sounded. "Sounds like black magic, honestly, heh." Arthur chuckled. Ichisake joined in the quiet laughter, but Ann just remained silent. Neither of the boys noticed, but she was sporting a small frown; born from their words.
"Ah, well… Madarame's likely taking this in stride too. I hear he gets slandered all the time." Ichisake added, much to the unknown growing displeasure of Ann.
"But what if he really did commit crimes that the calling card stated?" Ann suddenly asked, catching the attention of both Ichisake and Arthur. "Like I said, I'm not into this occult stuff - I got way more important things to do than worry about this crap - but what if the Phantom Thieves aren't wrong?" She asked.
The boys were silent, and all they did was stare at her. She didn't say anything, she didn't stir in place, and she barely blinked. Arthur rose a brow, confused as to why she would ask such a question when she claimed to not be interested in them to any capacity.
"Are… are you insinuating that the Phantom Thieves exist?" Arthur slowly asked. Ichisake nodded behind him, echoing his own interest in the question. But Ann said nothing. Nor did she have time to, as just as the question was asked, the bell rang, and Arthur shook his head as he stood up. "Well, whatever… Seems the Phantom Thieves need to figure out how to get us more time at lunch…"
"Hah, right?" Ichisake laughed, standing up with Arthur. "Change the heart of whoever makes the schedule. Get us more time. Hahah!"
Ann just looked at them and, shaking her head, she stood up as well. Arthur and Ichisake, disposing their trash, opted to go ahead and head straight back to class. Arthur offered her a goodbye, to which Ann just smiled at him. As Arthur departed with Ichisake, Ann quickly stopped him. Arthur met her eyes, interested to hear what Ann had to say to him..
"I don't know how you handle these things…" She said, throwing her bag over her shoulder and disposing of her trash in a nearby bin. "But don't let the rumors flying around the school get to you, OK?" She told him, eliciting a surprised chuckle from the young man. Ichisake just looked at him a moment, confused, before giving a loud "Ooooh.".
"I guess that explains why people are acting weird around you…" Ichisake deduced, casting his eyes to the concrete floor as he thought about his distaste in rumors. "Filthy gossipers."
"Listen." Ann said, stepping up to Arthur with kindness in her words. "I have a friend, he was the center of gossip and horrible rumors for a while." Ann informed him before listing off everything he was rumored to have done with her fingers. "Murder, drugs, hijacking…. Uh…. Elephant…tusk trafficking…" Arthur rose a brow, especially confused with the last label. He wanted to ask, but Ann opened her mouth to continue. He didn't stop her. "He wasn't the only one though… I've gone through that hell myself….. M-my point is: Don't let these rumors get to you. I've only talked to you a couple times and I can safely say you're really nice." She flashed a comforting smile his way. Arthur returned her gesture, not really sure what to say. He's noticed people have been acting weird around him but he didn't pay it any mind. He didn't know that it was rumors being spread about him.
"Pretty soon those losers will find someone else to target, I promise you." She said "I'll see you around Williams-senpai… And… Williams' friend." She offered Arthur a polite bow before taking off towards her class. Students began to enter the courtyard, heading to their respective classes as well. Ichisake looked at Arthur, frowning.
"We'd better get going too. If people are spreading rumors about you, being seen here with Takamaki-san will only drag her into the mix." Ichisake pointed out. Arthur glanced at him, a brow rising as Arthur thought of him.
"What about you, though?" Arthur asked.
Ichisake huffed, and simply said "I don't care. People didn't talk to me anyways. Let them think what they want."
Arthur nodded, honored that Ichisake was willing to put his reputation on the line to hang out with him. Ichisake led the way back to Mr. Sakutaro's classroom, Arthur following behind a few feet As they walked, the students they passed acted much the same as they had before. Arthur, knowing the cause behind this behaviour, just sighed. Ichisake noticed, but said nothing. There was nothing that he could say to put Arthur's mind at ease besides what Ann had said earlier and as they approached their classroom, Arthur stopped him with a simple thought on his mind.
Ichisake, curious about Arthur's thoughts, inquired on it. Arthur just looked at him, asking a simple question that could not be answered at this point in time.
"I can't help but wonder…. What's been said about me?"
The sleep was blissful, at least at first.
He had nodded off on his bed, reading through articles about the Phantom Thieves and speculation on whether or not they are real when a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him like a freight train.
He passed out, the light still on in his room, his phone still in his hands.
For a moment, all he could see was darkness, what lay behind his closed lids hidden to the dream world his reality was becoming.
The blissful feeling soon departed, then his mind became jumbled. Thoughts of the day passing visually by his eyes, then memories of his past followed. His parents.
His friends.
His sibling...
Heat rose within Arthur's body, and he began to sweat in reality.
Then, the comfort of his bed felt absent. He could no longer see his thoughts. All he could see was the darkness behind his closed eyes.
He writhed in place, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. But it felt as if the bed was made of metal.
The air felt cold, colder than his room. And Arthur's eyes shot open, having remembered this feeling all too well as it had happened already once before.
He sat up, cutting his gaze to every part of the room. It was a familiar sight. The blue, the autopsy tables, his own white-gloved hands.
"Again?" Arthur mumbled as he took it all in. "What the hell is this dream?" He asked in English, his eyes landing on a somewhat familiar face.
The man who had called himself Igor was there, at his desk, smiling brightly and frighteningly. He was just sitting there, observing Arthur's "awakening". But Arthur didn't say anything. He just looked at him as he stood up from his uncomfortable table, or bed, as Igor might've seen it.
Arthur locked eyes with him, and for a moment longer silence prevailed in the cold of the room. Arthur couldn't help but shiver, as every moment spent staring at this man - this man called Igor - was a moment he felt pangs of fear. There was nothing about this man that seemed natural. His bulging, bloodshot eyes, his long nose, the absence of lips, his pure white teeth curled into a sadist's smile.
"You seem to be well rested…" The man suddenly said, chuckling as he watched Arthur's confusion to the situation bloom. "You even seem more alert than before…"
Arthur gasped. The voice was as deep as last time.
Igor extended a hand towards him, welcoming his return to the nonsensical dream.
"Welcome back, dear visitor…"
Post-Chapter Author's Note
Proof read and edited by a friend named Frozen Foe on my Discord server.