The Mask Shatters
Chapter 6
"He has made first contact… He knows little of how close he is to the Phantom Thieves…"
Author's Note
My editor brought up a concern. What he brought up is the idea we need to give Arthur his Persona soon. I already know how I'm gonna do it, have had it planned. Bear with us a little while longer, dear readers. I'm trying to give Arthur room to develop and make friendships with Ann and Ren. I'm trying to make everything seem organic and realistic. From now on, chapters are going to be longer than normal so I can have more room to write UNTIL Arthur gets his persona. Hope you all enjoy!
Without further adieu, please enjoy the chapter.
Central Street was much the same as the last visit Arthur gave it.
Jam packed with people of many differing backgrounds and cultures. Country-folk, city people, foreigners. Students were about, as were adults in flashy suits. Police officers were here, watching the crowd with anxiety bursting in their eyes. They stuck together, a full squad of them, keeping out of the public's way but wary of the unseen at all times.
Arthur couldn't help but wonder: Are they looking for someone, or are patrols of that size normal in Japan?
One of them glanced at the duo as they walked the street, but he soon huffed and returned his attention back to whatever task it was they were performing.
"Lots of cops here…" Arthur noted aloud.
"Yeah." Ren said in turn. "It's a bit unnerving."
Arthur did his best to keep up pace with Ren, who seemed to move as if he was on a mission. Like he had an actual purpose being here. But when Arthur fell behind, Ren would stop and look back at him with this ever present, indifferent look that seemed like only Ren was capable of producing.
That was very much unlike Arthur, who's expression would change very often based on how he felt or what he was thinking.
"Having trouble keeping up?" Ren asked Arthur, eliciting a bashful chuckle from the latter.
"You're acting like you got a real purpose to being here, man." Arthur relayed to him as he caught up with the lowerclassmen.
"Ah, sorry about that…" Ren scratched the back of his head, looking positively apologetic suddenly. Arthur just waved it off with a casual smile.
"Don't worry about it, so is there any place you'd like to go?" Arthur asked, eyeing each shop and restaurant with an eager gaze. With Ichisake, he'd only been to not even a handful of shops. "I heard there's an airsoft shop around here… I kinda wanna check that out."
"Oh?" Ren, turning his head towards a nearby obscure - at least to Arthur - building. "I was kinda hoping to grab a bite to eat, honestly…" He admitted solemnly.
"Do you know a place?" Arthur asked him, looking around for a suitable location. There wasn't anything obvious, though, besides the fast food restaurant just a few feet away. "I hope it isn't that Big Bang Burger I've been hearing about, I'm not all that into… fast food…" Arthur told Ren, eliciting a surprised glance from Ren. The cat even popped his head out Ren's bag and looked at Arthur, as if even he was surprised to hear that.
"Never thought Americans would get tired of fast food…" Ren jokingly stated, chuckling under his breath at Arthur's own meager expense. Arthur smirked as well, having been slightly amused with what was said. "I know a place. They have good steak. Come on, I'll buy."
Arthur didn't argue. Couldn't, more like. He nodded after Ren, following him up to an obscure, almost indistinct set of stairs leading upwards into a building that, at Arthur's first glance, didn't have a clear and ready sign pointing to its existence.
Ren looked back at Arthur, who was simply glancing around for a pointer to this building's existence. "Is...is this it?" Arthur asked, unsure as he looked up the stairs.
Ren, with a small amused smile, simply nodded.
The seats were rather comfortable, more so than the chairs at school or the tables in the cafeteria.
And the patronage showed that the place did rather well, even with its distinct lack of public adverts on the outside. There were a good number of people inside, eating at booths and at tables, and the employees looked as if casualwear was a thing allowed in the workplace.
Children walked about, talking and playing while their parents sat in nearby booths watching and eating whatever remained on their plates. Students of various nearby schools - Shujin included - took over the corner booths and looked to be studying or doing homework while snacking on what looked like light meals.
Then there was Arthur and Ren, who occupied a booth near the entrance to the establishment. Ren had set his bag at the far end of the table, and his cat was poking his head out and watching the two exchange words while they waited for their server.
"This place gets a lot of business, it seems…" Arthur noted as he cut his eyes in every direction, observing the various patrons and their activities within the small but bustling diner. Ren nodded as a response.
"I come here a lot. It's great for studying, and the meals are cheap." Ren informed him, passing a menu to the young American. "I recommend the Nostalgic Steak if you want my opinion. The gravy and the vegetables it comes with go well together, not to mention the side of white rice that comes with it." Ren added, looking over the small menu in his hands.
Arthur, however, widened his eyes at the description Ren gave.
"Jesus Christ, I'm ordering a goddamn meal?" Arthur murmured, looking over the menu he was handed. It wasn't a big menu, and was surprised to see what little it really had to offer in the way of variety. A few sides of different kinds of rice, the Nostalgic Steak was a main course - even had a "Popular" tag next to it - with different types of coffee on the back, soda, water, tea…
The other main courses the menu offered were stew meats, sandwiches of various kinds, soup, and a salad.
Arthur just shook his head, surprised that everything with the main course - save for sandwiches and the salad - came with vegetables and rice in a diner such as this.
Ren, in the meantime, had already sat his menu down and was lazily watching Arthur for his eventual choice. The cat was observing too, for whatever reason. Arthur only huffed, finding the steak being the only thing that sounded good right now.
"Can I help you two?" A sweet sounding voice piped up. Arthur shifted his eyes to the side, noticing an older woman standing at their table with a pen and paper in hand. Ren wasted no time in giving his order, with the young woman chuckling as she penned it down. "Always the steak, dear Amamiya-kun… And you, dear?" She shifted her voice to Arthur. He paused a moment, thinking about what he really wanted.
"I told you I'm paying, so don't worry about the price." Ren spoke up, attempting to hurry Arthur's indecision along. "I have the money…"
Arthur glanced over at him, nodding as he sat his menu down.
"I guess I'll get the Nostalgic Steak as well…." Arthur told her, to which she smiled and bowed before walking away to fulfill their order.
"Smart choice. You're gonna enjoy it." Ren promised the young American, to which Arthur scoffed.
"Honestly, the best steak I ever had was when I was younger, my mother…" He started, smiling and sitting back in his seat for comfort's sake, but suddenly paused and frowned at the mention of his own mother. Ren watched him carefully, aware of the rumors surrounding him and the mention of Arthur's parents. "Well, nevermind…" Arthur verbally waved the statement off. "But I've had really good steak in the past, trust me."
"The rumors aren't true, it seems." Ren stated, leaning back and crossing his arms. "As I expected…"
"I already told you they weren't, what else did you expect from me?" Arthur leaned forward. "Truth be told, though. I used to be way worse than this…" He mumbled under his breath with a shake of his head. Sighing, he brought his eyes up to meet Ren's, a new smile motif on his lips. "Oh well, that's neither here nor there. What about the rumors surrounding you?"
"Huh?" Ren asked, momentarily surprised with the question.
"Don't be so surprised, you've told me about them before, remember?" Arthur reminded him. Ren sat for a moment in silence, thinking. When the cat suddenly mewled out loud, Ren nodded as if he remembered. "So what were they about? Did people say you were crazy too? Avoid you like the plague? Were they scared of you, just like they are with me?" Arthur asked question after question, to which Ren remained silent.
Arthur raised a hand, beckoning him to answer the question, but Ren didn't. At least not immediately. He just sat there, thinking back to the days when he had first transferred to Shujin, his reputation as a criminal following him because a certain teacher had everything leaked to the student body. Ren was a victim of both misinformation and unfair labels from society, and Ren knew Arthur was in the same boat.
But what Ren didn't understand was how Arthur was operating. Ren took everything in stride, ignored the rumors to the best of his ability and refused to let the unfairness and cruelty get to him. But Arthur? He seemed to not care, but at the same time he did. Ren didn't understand how well Arthur was handling it all, and just like Ren, Arthur was lucky to make a friend in Ichisake.
More so when everyone else had abandoned Arthur to drown in the labels and rumors.
Ren sighed, hoping deep inside himself that Arthur was OK. He'd been through this hell himself before, and would wish it on no one.
"I don't know which of our situations is worse, though…" Ren stated suddenly from his momentary silence. "People thought I was a criminal. People think you're crazy." He stated lowly, watching Arthur for any reaction, be it positive or negative. Arthur didn't say anything, he just looked down below the table with Ren's words. "Criminals can be rehabilitated and be reborn as functional members of society. That is what people think of them. But crazy people?" Ren rose a finger, pausing momentarily to give Arthur a moment to catch up. "Crazy people are mired in instability, and the cognition of crazy is that it is an incurable condition. That title doesn't just go away like "criminal" does."
Arthur nodded. To anyone else, Ren would've sounded as if he was too smart for his own good, but Arthur understood it all. Basically, Ren was saying that people perceived Arthur as insane, and that would stick with him for as long as he remained in Tokyo, even if the rumors faded away in memory. "I can't say I thought you would say that, Amamiya-kun. But…" Arthur said, sighing. "It sounds accurate to how it would play out."
Ren nodded, uncrossing his arms and glancing at his cat. "The rumors about me, however…" He started, joining Arthur by leaning on the table. "...They were probably true at first, but like all rumors they spiraled and escalated. I soon went from a "troublemaker" and "inconvenience" to "drug trafficker" and "murderer". Then… it got even crazier. Ugh..." Ren informed Arthur, shaking his head at how easily people can be influenced by words and how gullible students and teachers are to rumors.
Arthur could only join him in his disappointment. People were really easily influenced by words, and Arthur was experiencing that firsthand now, as he had before back in the home country.
Ren looked up at Arthur a moment before shrugging. "You had asked me about the rumors concerning me, they've gone and passed. People barely even glance my way twice now. Most people have forgotten what they had labeled me, and that's how it works with titles like that. But with the title of "crazy" and "insane", it's much harder to be rid of than "criminal", Williams-san." Ren stated, much to Arthur's dissatisfaction. As much as Arthur hated to admit it, Ren was right. Painfully right. "It's all cognition."
"I suppose you are right…" Arthur murmured, steadily becoming unsure of a lot of things. No less the rumors surrounding him. "I...can at least thank you for your honesty, as brutal as it is."
Ren shook his head. "I do not mean to discourage you, I am just simply trying to inform you that you may not go through the same trials I went through. Your title is much more different than mine. The ramifications of it differ vastly as well." He slowly added before gesturing to himself. "Do I seem like a criminal?" He asked suddenly.
Arthur looked at him, and simply shook his head as his response. "No, in fact you seem very smart, nice, and aware of your situation… Having both those traits and that talent is rare in us youth, today."
Ren nodded, silently agreeing with the young American. "And you seem like a sharp, friendly young man… You don't even seem to be as mentally unstable as everyone says you are." Ren countered with a small smile growing. Arthur smiled as well, snickering briefly.
"At least I was able to fool someone." Arthur and Ren then shared a laugh, and even the cat seemed to snicker in it's own way, having observed the whole conversation between the two young men. When the two settled down, Arthur sighed and let his warm grin grow bigger as he watched the cat, who in turn watched him readily.
His gaze lingered a moment, then his eyes shifted across the room as he noticed the hostess appear from behind a door.
"You know, Ren." Arthur stated watching as their hostess approached from the far end of the diner; two plates in tow. "I think we're more alike than we realize." Arthur confided.
"How so?" Ren asked, genuinely curious at the concept Arthur was proposing.
"We've both been fairly unlabeled by society for things of the past, we're both obviously very intelligent - Ichisake is nice and all, but it's also refreshing to talk to someone who can keep up with me intellectually - and as you stated on the train ride here you're living with a guardian because your parents couldn't deal with you… I guess I'm in the same boat there, too…" Arthur lowered his head.
"Here's your food, enjoy!" The hostess said, placing a large plate before Arthur and Ren.
Ren thanked her with a warm smile, and when she walked away he turned his gaze back on Arthur, who was seemingly troubled by what he himself had just said.
"But you're a foreign exchange student…" Ren noted, basically explaining why Arthur was with a guardian and not his parents in as few words as possible.
Arthur chuckled, much to Ren's confusion, and looked up at the young Japanese student. His eyes looked dead serious.
"Yeah, but… There's always a reason behind everything…"
"Hmph…" Ren huffed, picking up the fork and knife from the plate before him. "Well, no need to brew on that, my friend." Ren smiled, giving the young American a warm and kind feeling in his stomach. "Let's eat. I promise you will not leave this place hungry."
Arthur, suddenly grinning widely at having been called "friend", rose in his seat full of new confidence and nodded as he grabbed his set of utensils.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Guardian Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power…
Arthur gave one look at his food, and shook his head quite dimly. "Nothing like the portions back in the home country…" He mumbled.
Ren didn't say anything, instead only snickering at the amusing remark.
Just as Arthur was about to begin, he couldn't but look up at Ren, who already had gravy on his lips and chin. A sudden thought fell upon the young American.
"Hey, uh… Is it alright if I call you Ren?" Arthur asked suddenly out of the blue, the question having surprised Ren as he wiped the gravy off his face.
Nodding, Ren bartered "As long as you don't mind granting me a similar honor, Arthur."
Arthur, his grin wide and bright, turned his view back on his meal.
Nearby, oblivious to the two young men, sat a red-eyed girl. Her head was buried in a manga comic with a bowl of rice on the way. Occasionally she would lower her comic, catching an eyeful of the two students she stalked. She huffed, watching as they spoke to one another like they've known each other all their lives.
"Does Williams know...?" She asked herself, observing Arthur with a suspicious eye.
"Williams…"
"Amamiya…"
"Phantom Thieves…"
The two left on very amicable terms that Saturday afternoon. They were just finishing their meal when Ren received a text. One that seemed rather urgent, and he quickly wrapped up their conversation so he could depart. He had apologized to Arthur as well for ending things so quickly, but Arthur was understanding. He told Ren that when life calls, life calls, and to take care of his business before making commitments.
Ren, placing his payment on the table, left with his cat, leaving Arthur alone in the diner. He was smiling, knowing he had made a new friend, and someone who could keep up with him intellectually as well. He soon left as well, not just the diner, but Central Street entirely.
When he had returned home, it seemed as though everything was going back to a norm. His guardian still wasn't home, and he had no school the next day.
He turned in for the night rather early, the heavy meal he had eaten taken a real toll on his energy.
But unlike his day, the night he slept through would be filled only with panic and tears.
He wriggled and writhed in his bed, sweat dripping off his face and incomprehensible murmurs echoing from his lips. His breathing would escalate at times, then calm down for a few moments of peace before escalating again into panic. It wasn't until midnight that he was forced awake, having witnessed in his sleep something he wished never to see again.
He was drenched in sweat, his shirt clinging to his skin in a wet sopping mess. His hair frazzled and greasy-looking, and only the dark of his room greeted him upon awakening.
The night passed over from there pretty quickly, with Arthur falling back asleep only two hours later. A peaceful, dreamless sleep followed.
Sunday passed by quickly as well, Arthur spent it mainly in the apartment browsing the internet. Ichisake texted him a few times throughout the day but the conversations never held. Ichisake himself had asked in those texts if he had missed anything at school, to which Arthur replied with the Inokashira Park clean-up event. Everything besides that were just moments of boredom between the two young men.
During his time on the internet, Arthur kept thinking back to a dream he had not too long ago, where he was in a blue morgue, in the presence of a bizarre old man.
And the instructions given to him echoed within his mind from time to time…
"Seek out these Phantom Thieves." The man had demanded of him. "Befriend them."
And when Arthur brooded on these words, he also found that he would be staring at a website on his browser. A website he would have no memory of looking up, but in his search history he would realize it was not hard to locate.
"The Phantom Aficionado Website..." Arthur murmured, reading the title aloud. He scrolled through the posts, forums, and even a page filled with requests. He huffed, coming to a quick conclusion. "It doesn't matter what the media or public think, it seems… There are those out there who believe in the Phantom Thieves… But do I?" He asked himself. He sat still for a moment, thinking. But in the end he could not come up with an answer to his own question.
He saved the page on his favorites tab, expecting to need it in the future if he truly was to seek these supernatural bandits out.
Arthur had the apartment to himself again, with Himura having been called into work around noon. Himura did not seem happy at all about the development, but did not at all complain. He even chuckled lightly, saying "More pay at the end of the road, I guess…".
Arthur wasn't happy, though. Himura hasn't had a day off in two weeks now. He barely has had any time to spend with his guardian and longtime friend not to mention working so long without any break in between is not good for anyone's sanity and stress.
Arthur knowing a thing or two about stress himself.
But he also knew he couldn't say anything to Himura, as Himura didn't have a choice in the matter. When work called, one had to answer or risk being disciplined - or worse.
It wasn't until nine PM that Himura returned, and Himura barely said a word to Arthur. He simply collapsed on the sofa, and swiftly drifted into a peaceful, benign sleep.
Arthur followed, and before they knew it. It was Monday.
May thirtieth.
"Ah, wonderful… He's here…."
"He came? Oh… I wonder what group he's in…?"
"Hopefully not mine…"
"Shouldn't he be in a counseling session? Y'know, so he doesn't murder one of us?"
"I'm scared…"
His phone buzzed.
Checking it, he found no notification.
Another rogue buzz.
He scowled, annoyed at his phone for its malfunction.
Every so often it did this, and it started with his plane ride into Japan.
He could never figure out the cause for it, and no matter how many times he rebooted his phone, the phenomenon would continue just a day later as if Arthur never made an attempt to fix it.
He sighed, setting it to the side as the idea of another reboot did not sound like it would plausibly work at this point.
"What's wrong?" Ichisake asked.
"Nothing.. Just my phone acting up is all…"
Ichisake nodded, relaxing on the bench next to his American pal.
The two had met halfway at the Shibuya station and traveled together to Inokashira Park. Both were indeed in their gym clothes - bright red and white striped sweatpants and sweatshirts, while Ichisake was wearing a matching beanie with the Shujin logo on the front - and it seemed no one else failed to get the memo. There were many students in the park, few adults hung around, and nearby the red-eyed girl from their class was walking in between various groups and speaking with them. What she was doing was beyond Arthur's comprehension, and frankly he didn't care.
Looking around the park at first glance, Arthur could tell easily that the park desperately needed this cleanup. There were bottles, paper plates, utensils, umbrellas, overturned trash cans, bags, food, anything and everything imaginable dotted the landscape.
It disgusted Arthur, knowing people do this kind of stuff to such beautiful scenes. Even Ichisake seemed disappointed, and he didn't really seem to be one who cared for nature.
"People are fucking garbage, honestly." Ichisake mulled lowly, giving Arthur a reason to chuckle.
"We're people, y'know?" Arthur informed him with an amused smile.
Ichisake didn't say anything nor did he look at Arthur. He simply nodded at Arthur's words, watching the sparse few adults that came to the park. He was sneering the whole time. That only gave Arthur further cause to giggle.
For a while the two just sat there, watching the slowly growing crowd of students. Most students had separated into their own little groups of friends, including Ren and Ann, who Arthur noticed arrived minutes after he did. They seemed to know each other as well, as they had been spending most of their time with each other and two other boys ever since they arrived.
Some students were setting up what looked like a cooking area, with coolers and pots and pans scattered about. A teacher seemed to be amongst them, and the girls of the cooking team seemed to be fawning all over him. He was either oblivious to this behavior, or outright ignored it.
Ichisake sighed, sitting back on his bench seat. "I'd rather be at school, if you want my full opinion…"
Arthur didn't say anything, at least not at first. He was still watching the people passing by. Mostly students at this point, as it seemed most adults didn't want to be around this many teenagers. But when Ichisake nudged him, he turned his attention on his friend. "Oh, yeah?"
"Is people watching really that interesting?" Ichisake shook his head, not fully understanding the concept.
"It really is. You can tell alot about people by the way they carry themselves, who they associate with, and how they react to certain situations." Arthur said, keeping his eye on a passing group of students. "Knowing you, you probably don't care for such things though…"
"Nope." Ichisake replied immediately, a small chuckle following. "I like editing photos and creating memes.."
It was Arthur's turn to laugh. "Well, heheh, it is important to focus on what you're good at." Arthur conceded, sitting back on the bench as well and enjoying the cool air. There was a slight breeze blowing, and in conjunction with the warm sunlight, it felt really nice on Arthur's skin. Their brief moment of silence was interrupted when a voice nearby, completely alien to Arthur, spoke up.
"Ah, and here are the two I've been looking for all this time…" Someone suddenly said, startling Arthur briefly. "How could I have missed the only American citizen at our school, sitting in the wide open like it's no one's business?" They had asked, as if to no one in particular but themselves. Arthur blinked, unsure of where it came from. Ichisake heard the voice too and joined Arthur in his confusion.
They looked around briefly, but saw no one. At least no one that looked like they were trying to talk to them. Their gazes then landed on each other, both had a very befuddled expression on their faces.
"You say something, Ichisake?" Arthur asked, confused as there was no one around them that seemed interested in speaking with them.
Ichisake shook his head slowly "No, I kinda thought you said something for a minute there…"
"Wasn't me…" Arthur informed him, causing his friend to start scratching his head in sheer confusion. Nearby, they heard someone sigh in what sounded like absolute frustration.
"I'm right behind you two…" The mystery voice had said. The duo turned around, and Ichisake slightly jumped when he realized who it was. Arthur, however, wasn't as off-guard as his friend.
"Oh." Arthur hummed.
Standing there, behind the two young men, was a somewhat familiar sight to Arthur. He had seen her around the school a good number of times, but most of the time he saw her, she was in his class. Sitting alone and keeping to her studies.
Standing before them was the red-eyed girl with the bob cut that Arthur has come to recognize her for. Wearing the very same uniform they wore, but instead of sweatpants, she wore shorts. She seemed slightly frustrated with what had just happened, but other than that she seemed to betray no other emotion.
"Oh, Niijima-senpai…" Ichisake stumbled, surprised that the girl was even talking to them. At first his eyes were wide, but they soon narrowed with his next question. "I suppose I saw you around but… What do you want with us?" Ichisake had asked, his surprise swiftly turning into what sounded like something equalling disapproval.
"We're in the same grade, not to mention the same class, Miyara-kun." She said, crossing her arms as she spoke. "I'm not your senpai."
"Yes, but…" Ichisake started, before glancing at Arthur. Arthur himself looked confused, and Ichisake didn't know what to do with that. He simply conceded and lowered his head. "Uh, nevermind…"
The disapproval was still there in his voice, but Arthur couldn't tell why that was.
"The center of all the current rumors, and his not-so-lucky friend." She said, as if she was analyzing the two of them. "I guess I can't say I'm surprised to see the two of you together."
"We're friends, what of it?" Ichisake asked her, surprising Arthur with his sudden hostility.
Even the girl seemed surprised, as she uncrossed her arms and stared at Ichisake for a good moment before shaking her head. As if she was brushing off Ichisake's apparent disgust of her.
"Nothing." She finally said, regaining her momentum. "I'm just coming to greet you. I figured it's best - and prudent - that I introduce myself to the foreign exchange student." She gestured to Arthur while sporting a light smile. "Me and him will be working for the next few hours together, you know?" She added, as if the two were in the know.
Arthur slowly shook his head. "Uh, what do you mean?" Arthur asked, confused. Even Ichisake seemed confused, as he didn't understand what she meant either. The girl looked at him, surprised he hadn't heard. "And just who are you, for that matter?" Arthur added, genuinely curious as to who this girl is.
"Oh, you don't know who I am…?" She asked.
"What? You...you don't know who she is?" Ichisake asked in turn, finding himself incredibly surprised with Arthur's admittance. "Are you serious?"
"I have to say, I'm rather surprised you don't know… You've been here two weeks now, have you not?" The girl added to her original question. "Well, no matter I suppose. I'm Makoto Niijima. No need to introduce yourself, Williams-kun. I already know your name. You're all anyone talks about right now, anyways."
Arthur, having understood his name was common knowledge at this point - not to mention she was present when he was first introduced by his teacher - slowly nodded his response. Ichisake didn't say anything, and instead just scoffed under his breath. Makoto glanced at him, a slight look of disapproval dotting her face, but she then shook her head and ignored him further.
"Anyways, Williams-kun." Makoto started, leaning to her side as she spoke. "I'm assuming, from that whole interaction, you're not in the know. So let me inform you that the groups have already been decided. You're in my group with two other students." She told Arthur. Looking over at Ichisake, she added "You, Miyara-kun, are in Tsukino-san's group. I'm sure you know her well." She added.
Ichisake huffed, "Yes, Ms. Council President…" Ichisake stated with a sour tone, leaning onto his knees and avoiding her gaze to the best of his ability. He was very miffed he couldn't hang out with his only real friend at this event, but chose not to argue with it.
Besides, with Makoto, he knew he couldn't win even if he tried.
"President…?" Arthur murmured curiously, but no one seemed to have heard him.
Makoto then turned her gaze on the crowd of students gathering at a crossroads - the meeting point for everyone when the event would start and end. Feeling the hostility Ichisake was providing, and realizing it was finally time, she gave Arthur a quick word in edgewise. "Well, I suppose I should just leave you two be… It's time we get started, anyways. I'll come get you in a minute, but let me get everyone on track. I look forward to working with you, Williams-kun." Makoto offered him before turning away and heading off.
Ichisake huffed but otherwise kept quiet. Arthur, confused about the whole situation regarding Ichisake's hostility, just watched him as he baked in his silence. Ichisake glanced over, watching as Makoto walked away. When it became apparent she was finally out of earshot, the young man scoffed and sat back in his seat, glaring at her from where he sat.
Arthur, confused to his hostility, questioned it. Ichisake was surprised that Arthur wasn't in the know.
"You were looking into the Kamoshida incident, yeah?" Ichisake asked, glowing with surprise from Arthur's lack of knowledge on Makoto's supposed involvement. "Well, get this: Rumor has it she knew about the whole thing. The sexual harassment, the physical abuse… She covered it all up hoping to get a fancy recommendation from the principal to some good college."
Arthur watched him closely, hearing those words - "rumor" in particular - sparked a small frown from him but he chose not to say anything. Not yet, anyways.
"Because she's the student council president?" Arthur played along, using what little knowledge he had to come to this conclusion. Ichisake smiled.
"Sharp as ever, Arthur." He commented idly, covering his chin with the palm of his hand as he thought back to the Kamoshida incident. "Yes, though. Because of all that, she's not real popular with the student body. Everyone thinks she's just a sickening kiss-ass." He added, watching the president talking with a nearby faculty member. He snorted, shaking his head at the thought she was involved in the cover up everyone's talked about.
Arthur followed his gaze briefly, landing his eyes on Makoto. She seemed to be unaware they were watching her. The faculty member she was speaking with handed her a megaphone, and it seemed whatever they were talking about was coming to a close.
"You know..?" Arthur started, watching the exchange from afar. "I don't like rumors. Therefore I don't pay credence to them." He told Ichisake, taking Ichisake off guard. "And you shouldn't either. You do realize we both are subject to untrue rumors now, yes?"
Ichisake scoffed, shaking his head as he grouchily replied with "That's fair, I suppose. But you weren't here during all that bullshit…"
Arthur didn't hesitate to defend her, despite the fact he barely knew her. "It's unfair to bias someone personally based on what you hear especially when you are the subject of such douchery. Seeing is believing, my friend." Arthur chastised Ichisake. Ichisake didn't say a word, he simply watched and listened to Arthur, who had agitation dripping from his voice. "That's why I people watch. You can tell alot by their actions. Not by what you hear. I've had rumors spread about me for the longest time, Ichisake. Not just in Japan. I will not let rumors dictate how I picture someone."
Ichisake remained silent, and when Arthur turned away from him, he slowly slouched down on his side of the bench. His gaze hit the dirt below, and Arthur huffed. He was incredibly annoyed that someone he thought highly of could let baseless rumors affect his view on someone, especially when he himself is the subject of such gossip.
"I gotta say: I'm incredibly disappointed you're letting your own bias be dictated by what other people say…" Arthur told him, turning his glaring eyes on his friend. "By doing that, you're no better than the kids who say those awful things about you and me."
Ichisake slowly nodded, twiddling his thumbs as he took in every word. Arthur shook his head, crossing his arms as he leaned forward. Silence prevailed between the two for a moment before Ichisake clicked his tongue and stood up, stretching his legs as awkwardness set in between them.
"Welp… I'm…. gonna go find my group… I'll text you after all this is done…" Ichisake dimly stated, keeping his voice low as he could. "I'll….seeya later, Arthur…" He bade Arthur, stumbling off as if he was just hit by a bus.
Might as well have been, with the painful truth Arthur had spat at him.
On some level Arthur felt bad for getting on to one of his few friends in Japan, but Arthur also knew to be a good friend one has to steer his friends onto the right path if needed. Arthur did just that, even if he didn't take the best approach possible.
Casting his eyes back towards where Makoto had been standing, he was mildly surprised to see she was standing there, looking directly at him. But when she noticed he was looking back at her, she turned away. Pretending as if she hadn't been observing.
Arthur was genuinely upset at Ichisake, for Ichisake seemed like such a sweet young man. He didn't look like someone, at first glance, who endeavoured into flights of fancy. Nor did he seem like someone who would hold a grudge. But it became very apparent he harbored one towards Makoto, who Arthur felt didn't deserve such scorn.
He even doubted that, as student council president, she would've known about such a scandal like teacher-student sexual harassment and physical abuse. It didn't seem logical that she would be in the know of such atrocities.
But Arthur was biased in his own right, being the subject of nasty rumors himself both in Japan and in America. He knew this as well. But ignored it. He knew what the right thing to do was in that situation.
He heard a voice pipe up, and he quickly realized it was Makoto's.
"Good morning, Shujin Academy students and staff…"
He looked over, realizing she was speaking from the megaphone. It seemed the event was finally starting.
Arthur sighed, the whole incident had put a sour taste in his mouth, and he knew he wouldn't be hearing the end of it.
But he also knew Ichisake was a good egg inside. If Ichisake would hold this against him, Arthur couldn't foresee it.
"Please pick up all trash located in areas assigned to your group."
Post-Chapter Author's Note
Proof read and edited by a friend named Frozen Foe on my Discord server.