The Mask Shatters
Chapter 8
"Enemies surround him. Obstacles lay in his path. Salvation requires that he overcome them all. Mobsters, students, reticence, vengeance."
The darkness is all that greeted his departure from reality.
The dreamworld he dreaded fell fast upon him, and for a good while he lay there. Waiting in the dark for the nightmare to show itself.
What would it be this time?
Death?
Fighting?
Tragedy?
A storm that would never cease to stir up trouble in Arthur's already unstable mind.
He had stayed up until midnight tonight, not to wait for his guardian's return, but to stave off the coming nightmare.
But instead of a nightmare, he was greeted by utter darkness.
Utter darkness accompanied by a bitter cold.
He could feel the air nipping at his exposed skin, like little teeth shredding into flesh and bone.
But he only felt if on his face and portions of his neck. Which was odd, considering he had fallen asleep in nothing but shorts and a t-shirt.
Suddenly, he felt the presence of another.
He froze in place, halting any movement he was offering. Even his breathing ceased as the presence became clearer and clearer. It felt sinister, yet at the same time there was a perceived benevolence to it. As if they had meant Arthur no harm, be it physical or mental.
He slowly opened his eyes, finding the somewhat familiar blue sight shocking and comforting all at the same time.
He turned his still head left, and caught sight of the other tables similar to his own. A couple of corpse beds were open and left vacant as well.
He turned his head right, and there he spotted the presence.
Igor. Sitting ever pleasantly and idly as if he had never moved from the spot.
He was watching Arthur with this ever present, never fading smile. His eyes continued to go unblinking, and he was resting his head on the palm of his right hand, using the other hand to tap away at the table as if he was waiting on Arthur to say something.
But Arthur didn't say anything. He just slowly sat up and took in his surroundings, surprised to be back in such a dream.
"I suppose it is better than the alternative…" He mentally concluded, somewhat unsure if even that was true.
His eyes landed once again on Igor, and Arthur slowly slid off of his autopsy table and onto his feet. The clicks of his funeral shoes echoed in the soundless chamber, and he took a small step forward towards Igor, wary of the unknown that surrounded this man greatly.
"You…" Arthur said, noting Igor's silence being reminiscent of his own.
"I was wondering if you had lost your capability of speech, dear Arthur." He wasted no time in responding, lowering his hand from his cheek as he spoke. "I'm glad to see it is not so."
"I'm just confused is all…. Igor, was it?" Arthur asked. Igor nodded, quietly chuckling at the idea that Arthur had forgotten his name. "Right… I'm just… I'm just confused as to what this all means…"
Igor, delighted by what Arthur put forth, began cackling louder and louder as Arthur hushed himself. He took a moment to investigate the clothing he wore. The shiny black shoes, the white gloves, the soft funeral coat and pants. All so warm, but was it even real? This was a dream, after all…
A very coherent dream…
Or is it…?
"Have you finally come to realize this place for what it is, dear Arthur?" Igor asked suddenly, cutting off his own laughter rather abruptly as the question lingered. "Have you come to your senses? The last time we met, you broke down in a patheticness that is unlike you and accused me as the perpetrator behind your nightmares."
"I'm well aware of that. I just choose not to think on it." Arthur told him, crossing his arms defensively. "I do apologize, though. There's only so much of this nightmare bullshit I can take before I lose it…." He murmured, looking down at his feet in disgust with his past actions. He shook his head in silence a moment, finding sudden embarrassment for what he had done. "You were just unfortunate enough to be present when my limit was reached."
When he glanced back up at Igor, a sudden thought occurred to him. "I suppose, though, if I see you then I'm in the clear for the night. So I guess a thank you is in order as well."
"Well…" Igor said, raising a hand to meet Arthur's gaze. "I don't bring you here to keep you from the damaging nightmares. Indeed, you must experience the horrors of sleepless nights and the realm of nightmare in order to achieve your goal." He said, matter-of-factly. Arthur wasn't surprised to hear this though. As cryptic as it sounded, it made some sense in Arthur's mind.
Somewhere, deep down, he couldn't keep the sinister feeling he was gleaming from this man away. This feeling confirmed to Arthur Igor's words; that he wasn't going to protect him when he needed it.
"Yeah." Arthur agreed slowly. "I guess I can see that."
"More importantly." Igor said, lowering his hand to the desk as he leaned forward, forming a pyramid before his face with his fingers. "It seems you are steadily accruing a diverse array of allies…" He noted with a deep chuckle. The very statement caught Arthur off guard for a moment as he cocked his head, confused as to what Igor meant. He did not offer words to the dream man.
Igor noted this silence Arthur was offering and rose a hand, with one finger stretched upwards as he began listing off the confidants Arthur had made.
"A man who acts as your guardian, but has had little time for you since you arrived under his care…"
He rose a second finger.
"A young native of the land of the rising sun who, before your arrival, had no friends to speak of…"
A third finger.
"A criminal with a history to prove it, but an intellectual all the same…"
A fourth finger.
"And a beautiful young woman who, until recently, hid herself behind a public mask to protect both herself and her closest friend…"
Arthur continued to maintain a static silence, unsure of what to say of Igor's intimate knowledge on his personal relationships. Furthermore, he was confused by the less than amusing
anecdotes of the people he has come to know in his short time in Japan. Igor could sense what Arthur was feeling, but chose not to elaborate. He knew Arthur would figure it out, if not now, then later.
Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but Igor stopped him with an open palm and a clear voice.
"Furthermore, your actions today have gained the ire of a new enemy." Igor added, much to the growing confusion of Arthur. "Worry not, dear Arthur, for making enemies is unavoidable on the path to salvation. She is by no means dangerous to you in her current state, either. Think of it as a speedbump."
Arthur, meanwhile, held his head as he thought on who Igor was referring to. There wasn't many people he knew, much less people that outright disliked him. There was Mr. Sakutaro, but the teacher didn't seem interested in hindering Arthur in any capacity.
"Who are you…?" Arthur murmured, rubbing his forehead as he thought. But then it dawned on him when he realized there was only one other person that could fit the bill. It only made sense, with the limited amount of people who wish to interact with him. "Are you…referring to Makoto? Makoto Niijima? The class president?"
Igor broke the pyramid he had formed, laying his head flat on his palm as he chuckled a deep laughter. "Indeed."
Arthur, letting go of his head, looked up at the bizarre old man with a little apprehension in his voice. He was unsure of what to make of the fact she was now considered an enemy by this bizarre dream man. "What do you mean I've "earned her ire"? I barely know her…."
"Your interaction with her today has only casted suspicion upon you." Igor informed Arthur. It never ceases to amaze Arthur with how sinister his voice sounded, even though he is merely trying to help the young American. "Worry not. She matches your intellect, but she does not share your calm way of approaching matters. She is reckless, and when the moment of truth arrives, she has no clue on how to proceed while maintaining direct momentum."
Arthur nodded, understanding what he was saying. An enemy that lacks his calm approach, but shares his intelligence. It didn't take a nuclear science officer to know that that was a bad combination, and would only spell disaster in the future. But what Arthur didn't understand was why entirely that made her his enemy.
"But why is she my enemy, per se?" Arthur asked, still not entirely understanding why Makoto would even be considered an enemy by Igor. The old man chuckled, the notion that Arthur holding a sense of naivety was laughable to him. "I'm serious, Igor. I don't understand."
Igor nodded, setting his hands down in front of him and righting his posture as spoke. "It is very simple." He said, as if Arthur should've figured it out long ago. "She seeks the Phantom Thieves. But unlike you, she has malevolent intent. Contracted by those unknown to even me, she seeks to ascertain their true identities and, if possible, how they go about their work. When she is given what she seeks, there is no telling the ruin that will bring." Igor shook his head, as if disappointed personally by these turns of events.
Arthur, not able to find any words to describe how he felt towards this revelation, simply gulped and nodded. He understood that that sounded bad, but he didn't fully understand why Igor was telling him all of this. Igor noticed and pointed at Arthur, catching his attention.
"This brings me to my point, dear Arthur. The reason I summoned you here tonight." He said, almost as if he had planned every detail of this conversation down to the littlest of points. "You've made no progress since I've given this task to you. You must make haste now, for an enemy is already a few steps ahead of you. Find the Phantom Thieves. Find them, before she does." He demanded.
Arthur, remembering that Igor had once demanded this of him before, only nodded. He had no reason at this point to not trust Igor. If Igor had wished harm upon Arthur, he would've already inflicted such. The fact he was also staving off nightmares every now and again only further reinforced the idea that Igor was benevolent.
But something about his voice continued to plague Arthur's mind. It remained sinister when everything else seemed harmless.
"Ignore all else. Invitations by your allies, school functions, personal interests…" He bade Arthur, as if Arthur should forget everything he's been enjoying since his arrival. "Focus solely on the Phantom Thieves. With your intellect, you should no doubt come to a conclusion, even a vague one, by the end of the next two weeks. We will speak more then."
"So should I consider befriending them out of the question then?" Arthur suddenly asked, stopping Igor in his tracks. Arthur was mentioning a previous task Igor had bestowed upon him the last time they had met. For a moment, Igor was silent. As if processing the words Arthur had offered him.
Then, quite surprisingly, it looked as if Igor's smile grew. Was that even possible? Arthur had no idea if it was, considering that Igor had kept it a wide and scary picture throughout each encounter.
Igor followed his widening grin with a deep chuckle, laughing at the question posed to him. Arthur didn't understand, but he didn't pry. Igor was the unknown, Arthur knew that the man knew more than he did. If he found Arthur's question amusing, then Arthur surmised that he must've done something wrong to be so amusing.
"Seek the Phantom Thieves, dear Arthur." He rose a hand, snapping his fingers together as he spoke. "Find them, before it is too late."
Arthur tried to speak, but the second Igor's fingers met, he was bombarded with a wave of exhaustion and weariness. He grunted, his head pounding as if he was dehydrated, and he collapsed to his knees.
"You will find that there are many unexpected things in the world, dear Arthur." Igor said, as if taking delight in the struggling and the apparent pain Arthur seemed to be in. The young American glanced up, breathing through his clenched teeth as he tried to make out the figure of Igor. "Soon, the world as you know it will be graced with change, and with it, distortion. Your life will then be forever altered. I will patiently await that day, for it is not far off."
He began cackling, watching as the young American writhed and struggled on the cold floor. Arthur tried to force himself to stay awake, having more questions that only Igor could answer. But it was to no avail. The harder he struggled, the more bleak his exhaustion became. He sighed, his vision slowing darkening. The floor became his host, and quickly he collapsed fully.
A single breath flew free from his cold, cold lips as he lay there, unconscious on a frigid floor.
Moments passed as he lingered in the dark.
He was unaware if his eyes were open, or if they were closed tight.
But nearby, he heard an unmistakable voice call out to him.
"Hey. Kid. I made coffee. Time to get up."
He had woken to a morning filled with good omens.
A delighted Himura running about the apartment, doing task after task almost as if his life depended on it. From brewing coffee to answering the door for a neighbor to cooking breakfast. He was all over the place. But to Arthur's incredible surprise, he never once managed to ruin how neat his clothes looked this morning.
He seemed to be a complete opposite to how he was last night, when Arthur had informed him of their "visitor's" words. He seemed downcast, almost depressed with what the man had told him. He immediately went to bed afterwards without saying a word to Arthur, and when Arthur questioned him on who the man was or who "Kaneshiro" was, Himura simply told him to not worry about it.
To see him so lively in a single morning, and with that bright smile plastered on his face, it was a breath of fresh air to Arthur who had expected Himura to maintain that air of negativity with him throughout the night.
The breakfast was something different this morning. It wasn't exactly a home cooked meal, mostly boxed stuff. But it was all Japanese. Japanese letters were emblazoned on the boxes, and all Himura had to do was heat them up.
"Figured I'd do something nice for ya after yesterday. I heard you had a tiring day out at the park from your school." Himura had justified his actions, much to Arthur's pleasure. He hasn't really had much of the Japanese cuisine in his time in the country. "I've had these breakfast meals in my freezer for weeks now, so I figured why not?"
They had eaten together, watching a rerun of an American show dubbed in Japanese. It was about a group of zany, law-breaking friends who ran a dive bar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The plot as it stood was a marriage out in the woods on Friday the thirteenth going absolutely haywire mostly due to the actions of the unofficial leader of the friend group.
Arthur was unfamiliar with the show, but Himura absolutely enjoyed it. The dark, satirical humor caught on with Arthur, and pretty soon he was laughing alongside his guardian.
Cup of coffee in one hand, chopsticks in another, they sat together and watched and whiled away their hour before Himura left.
But before Himura left, he gave Arthur another allowance.
"Here. I don't have much, but I know you still don't have a bag." He said, handing Arthur a five thousand yen banknote. "Go to the underground mall. Pick one up. I am dead serious, Arthur. Pick up some new clothes too, you've been wearing the same articles for two weeks now. I gotta go to work. Get to school on time, kid."
From there, Arthur readied himself for the day and prepared for school. He buttoned his black uniform shirt, pinned his grade onto himself, and set out only an hour later for school.
He made it to the train station on time, a little early actually. He was going to stand around and look at his phone until the intercom announced his train's arrival, but as he came to the bottom of the stairs he was surprised to see a familiar face alone nearby.
A black haired student with a cat peering over his shoulders. He was looking down at his phone, unaware of how conspicuous he was being with an animal living in his bag.
It was Ren Amamiya.
Arthur looked at him for a moment, debating on whether or not to approach. It seemed to the young American that Ren was enjoying himself, staring at his phone with a bright smile on his face. The cat seemed equally invested in whatever it was Ren was staring at.
But Arthur realized he had nothing better to do but wait for the train, and figured why not spend it with someone he was at least friendly with. Turning on his heels, he approached the young Japanese man. The cat looked over, giving off a sharp mewl as it retreated into Ren's bag. Ren, startled, looked up at the approaching American with wide open eyes. He lowered his phone, greeting Arthur warmly.
"Ah, Arthur." Ren greeted him, showing off his ever calm and collected voice to the young American. "How are you this morning?"
"Bringing the cat to school, I see?" Arthur ignored his question, crossing his arms and shifting to one side as he smirked devilishly at the black haired student. Ren shifted his gaze downwards, chuckling at the fact he had been caught while his cat slowly rose out of the bag. It was almost as if the cat was aware it had been caught.
"Like I said before, Arthur. I can't trust Morganna to be alone." Ren reminded him.
Arthur nodded, not really caring much that someone was breaking school policy with animals. "Besides, you should really be looking in the mirror when discussing school rules. Is that facial hair I see?" He responded with equal smugness. Arthur froze, unsure of what Ren meant. He looked down his nose, not seeing a single strand of hair above his lip.
"Huh…" Arthur grunted, raising a hand to his lips as he tried to suss out what Ren was telling him. To his surprise, there were indeed snippets of facial hair growing above his lip, just out of his view.
"I don't particularly care, Arthur, but you should look at that soon." Ren told him, maintaining his cocky smile. Arthur nodded, bringing his hand back to his side as he glanced up at Ren.
"Well, since you asked, I'm doing fine myself. Bar a moustache coming in, I'm doing pretty good." Arthur spoke up, ignoring the fact that they both were technically breaking school regulation and partially referring to his nightmareless night. "How about yourself?"
"I'm doing good. Just waiting for the train like everyone else." Ren replied, slipping his phone into a pocket as he spoke. "Do you have your clothes ready for…. Oh…."
"Huh…?" Arthur said, unsure of what stopped Ren in his tracks. He caught the black haired student staring at him, adjusting his own glasses as he further examined Artur. "What's up?" He asked, surprised Ren was now staring at him.
"You're not wearing your glasses…" Ren noted, realizing what was different about Arthur today. "Are they prescription or just a part of your outfit?" He further asked, genuinely curious to the answer Arthur held.
Arthur was surprised Ren noticed. Himura certainly didn't, and he was wondering how Ichisake would react when he found out. But, with a nervous scratch on his arm and a low chuckle, he looked away as he confirmed Ren's words. "Yeah, they're… they're gone. I'm farsighted, so they're prescription." He said, barring the details away from Ren. He didn't want word to get out that the animals of Japan were taking advantage of his kindness. Ren nodded.
"Well, how have you been getting on since you lost them?" Ren asked, assuming Arthur had lost them even though they were, in fact, stolen.
"It's no trouble. I went fourteen years of my life without glasses, I can safely go without them a while longer." Arthur informed Ren, much to Ren's satisfaction. "As long as I'm not biking or driving, I can get where I'm going…. It might be more difficult reading things up close, though…"
Ren snickered at that, holding up three fingers close to Arthur's view. "How many fingers am I holding up?" He asked, much to Arthur's sudden annoyance.
Arthur deadpanned at Ren, not even uttering a word or even entertaining the notion of answering his question born from dickery. However, the humor reminded Arthur of his friends back home, and a little bit inside of him wanted to at least give off a little smile..
But he instead just shook his head, shrugging off Ren's attempt at humor as he turned to look at the station clock. Arthur wasn't worried about the train being late, he was just looking for something to shoulder the burden of his serious look for a moment. Ren, his arm collapsing to his side, began chuckling under his breath.
"You're a serious one." Ren noted, placing his free hand inside his pocket.
"Only at times when I cannot see the flavor in the joke…" Arthur admitted, noting the time being seven fourty seven in the morning. "What was the, er, original question?" Arthur then asked, turning his attention back on Ren as if the little joke never occurred.
"Ah, what a coincidence. Running into you both at the same time." Someone nearby spoke up, surprising Arthur and Ren to a good degree. Ren seemed to have realized who it was rather swiftly though as he, sighing, directed his gaze to a point behind Arthur. "But I suppose it's only natural that the problem students attract…. Like magnets to metal." She added, almost sounding as if she felt superior to the two.
Arthur turned around, and his surprise died as he realized who was speaking.
It was Makoto Niijima, standing before the both of them with her hands clasped together and a snooty smile plastered on her lips. Almost as if she had learned something that she was desperate to know.
"Problem students, eh?" Arthur murmured, lowering his head to hide his mouth.
"Ah, Niijima-senpai." Ren, ignoring Arthur's statement, stepped forward and passed Arthur. "What a coincidence indeed."
"Williams-san, the rumored insane student, and Amamiya-kun, the infamous criminal. Together in one spot." She noted, holding a finger to her chin as if to amplify the impact of her deduction. "I want to say it's odd, but I can easily see where you share commonality." She quietly added.
Arthur looked up at her. He was still uneasy with her and her intentions towards the both of them, even more so when she has been proclaimed to him as an enemy. As much as he would hate to give dreams merit, he had no choice but to give Igor some - if just a little.
Despite his angst towards her, he kept up a warm smile. Even going so far as to pretend they really haven't met before and feigning ignorance of their previous encounter.
She didn't even seem keen on bringing the clean up event up with Arthur either, she seemed to be hiding that for Ren's sake.
"What are you going on about?" Arthur asked, shifting his tone to a faux curious one. He knew what she was doing, analyzing the both of them and hiding it behind a sense of pure curiosity. That's something he's supposed to be doing towards the Phantom Thieves himself, too. Looking over at Ren, he could tell by his subtle glare that he was thinking the same thing too.
But Ren had no reason to be upset with Makoto's presence, did he?
"Oh, nothing. Don't mind me." Makoto said, turning away to ignore Arthur's curious eyes. "I'm just so thrilled that my peers can ignore the rumors spreading about one another and become such solid friends." She said, adopting a smile that, on the outside, looked friendly. But Arthur wasn't so sure given his recent interaction with her. "I'm honestly a little jealous of how much you two seem to get along. Oh well, don't be late to school you two." She said, deciding she had analyzed them enough.
Backing off while she still had the upper hand, she slowly strolled herself towards the line in order to wait for the train like everyone else. Ren shook his head, realizing himself that what just happened wasn't good for his relatively new friend.
"She's an odd one." Ren said, turning back to face Arthur. "I saw that she got a hold of you yesterday at the park, actually. I hope she-"
"I actually wanted to talk to you about that." Arthur quickly interrupted him, pivoting around so Makoto was no longer in his view. He then lowered his tone so, in the case that she was listening, she wouldn't be able to hear a word he said. "She was trying to grill me for information on you. Apparently she saw us together at the school, I don't know what beef she has with you, but I didn't say a word. Her catching us here won't look good on you in the long run either."
"We barely know each other as is, Arthur." Ren reminded him in the same low tone. "I doubt, whatever she was looking for, she would've gotten it from you. But…" Ren said, joining him in facing away from her. He gestured forward, suggesting that they walk further down the line to avoid her. Arthur nodded, understanding the verbal cue fully. "Well… Don't get on her bad side, Arthur. She's in the teacher's pockets and, likewise, has influence within the school faculty. Play nice with her, even if she's looking for information. If you don't want her seeking reprisal or having her thumb pressed against your back, give her what she seeks. It won't help her to a huge extent."
"So you know she's going after you specifically…?" Arthur asked, surprised to hear that Ren was acknowledging and even allowing this behavior to pursue him.
They came to a stop at the end of the line, where the train, when it arrives, will end and allow them to avoid Makoto's gaze all together. Indeed, they've lost sight of her now and hopefully she has lost sight of them. Ren turned and glanced around, making sure they were in the clear. Satisfied that they were, he glanced back at Arthur, who had donned a curious stare.
"Unfortunately, that is the case. She… uh… She's not good at this whole thing honestly but I'm telling you this for your own benefit, Arthur. Don't make an enemy of her. I saw how you basically stormed off from her yesterday. That only grants her conviction to blossom further."
Arthur nodded, understanding the point Ren was giving him. "I understand. I'll be careful." He said, before quickly adding "But why's she looking into you? What has she got against you?"
Ren didn't hesitate to reply and glanced down the tracks, waiting to see if the train was close to the station. "It's likely due to the whole Kamoshida incident." He said. "Everyone knows I had an issue with him, she's probably looking into the rumors that I threatened him with something close to physical violence, possibly on the behalf of another teacher who was close to the scumbag." He admitted almost nonchalantly.
Arthur wasn't surprised any further with this revelation. With the way Ren had explained it, it only made sense. It even explained why she was trying to lead her interrogation yesterday onto the subject of Ren. Nodding, he turned away to face the tracks like everyone else around them. Blending in like the many students and adults.
"Ah…" Arthur grunted. "I guess that does explain it. The school doesn't need "criminals" in their midst, after all. I suppose it only makes sense to utilize someone who can blend in with the crowd rather than a teacher." Arthur quietly deduced, impressing Ren with his quick thinking and insight. "Especially if she can be trusted."
"Precisely." Ren agreed, keeping Makoto down the line in his peripheral as he spoke. "I'm kinda surprised you realized that so quickly." He added, much to the amusement of Arthur.
"Get to know me, Ren." Arthur chuckled, finding reason to grin so wide and so bright in the troubled conversation they were having. "I'm a rather smart cookie."
Ren nodded, quietly pleased he found an intellectual rival. Then, sounding off in the busy train station, the station intercom buzzed to life. The woman on the other end began informing everyone of the train's impending arrival, much to audible relief of everyone waiting nearby.
Even Arthur smiled, as the thought of riding the train with a friend became a steadily welcoming thought.
Even more so as it was someone who could match his intelligence and quick thinking.
Looking down the line, Arthur could see the headlights of the train piercing the darkness of the tunnel. Blinding to look directly at, the young American averted his eyes and noticed everyone was getting in line behind them. But lucky for Arthur and Ren, and perhaps even Makoto further down, they were all first in line to board.
That meant the seats were free for the taking.
Satisfied, Arthur slipped his hands into his pockets while Ren, who was now checking his phone, looked up at the young American, a question ringing in his mind.
"I meant to ask earlier…" Ren said, watching the train cautiously approach the station. "But do you have your summer clothes ready for tomorrow?"
The train ride passed the two by at a rather quick pace. Having found a seat near the doors they entered from, the two sat down and, for a while, kept quiet. Both were looking at their phones. Ren was seemingly texting his other friends while Arthur was investigating his phone for another ghostly buzz.
But as before, there were no notifications. Just the same wolfpack lock screen as before.
That also left Arthur with the same frustration he had every time this happened.
Part of the quiet between them could be attributed to Makoto, wary that perhaps she had chosen to remain nearby to eavesdrop on them. Arthur would glance around the traincar though, and could spy no one that fit her description. Just a lot of young Shujin students and middle-aged adults heading to work. Life flowing like a natural river, even though they were all compacted into a tin can.
Both parties were now aware of Makoto's interest in the pair, Arthur having remembered Igor's words from the night now passed. About her search for the Phantom Thieves and how she had bad intentions. It seemed Ren was caught up in the game Makoto was playing too.
"What a shame…" Arthur thought, turning his phone back off. "Ren's a nice guy. Doesn't deserve this kind of attention…"
Normally people would treat their enemy with scorn, but Arthur was different. While indeed Makoto was going to be a roadblock in the unfolding story he had yet to start, and at some point he deduced he would have to deal with her, but she wasn't actively harming him at this moment nor was she actively seeking to undermine him.
She didn't deserve his scorn. Not yet at any rate.
He didn't know how Ren felt about the subject either, but refrained from questioning him. The fact he called her by the honorific of "senpai" told Arthur all he needed to know about what he was thinking.
When Ren found himself satisfied with his texts, and Arthur was sure Makoto wasn't listening in on them, the two slowly struck a conversation. One that was awkward at first due to how sudden it was, but rapidly picked up momentum.
The topics varied, from the park clean up to the interests the two had around the city. From fishing to the batting cages, chess and cooking - an interest the two seemed to share, and even the bizarre things like model guns, which Arthur could see Ren being an enthusiast of. He certainly looked the type.
When the two realized they had shared an interest in cooking, the two babbled on together about the dishes they know about. Ren mostly talked about curry, while Arthur went on and on about the dishes he threw together on the spot back in the home country. How he learned how to cook when he was thirteen, and how he used to cook for his family when the days were decent.
Ren then admitted that he only recently got into cooking. Beforehand he was more focused on his studies and bookwork. Cooking became a required necessity upon transferring to Shujin and Tokyo all together.
Arthur interrupted the conversation, however, with a sudden question that has been dragging on his mind since he arrived two weeks ago. He hasn't had the time to go asking about either, and not that anyone would answer him given his current reputation around the school.
"Go ahead." Ren said, inviting the young American to ask his question. He was grinning a genuine smile, finding great enjoyment with this conversation. "I'm not sure I'll be able to help you, though."
Arthur nodded, knowing that Ren had only been at the school a little while longer than he has. "Well… I was a member of my school's fencing team…. Some stuff happened, but that's neither here nor there." Arthur explained, doing his best to tiptoe around any explanation Ren needed. "But I was wondering, does Shujin have a fencing team? I'd love to get involved." He asked, smiling brightly at the thought of reengaging in favorite pastime of his.
Ren shook his head, much to Arthur's displeasure. But Ren was quick to note the past tense, and picked up on that. "Was, huh?" Ren said, quickly coming to a deduction. "Sounds like there's a story behind that."
Arthur just shook his head, pausing to get an idea of what he could say. He wasn't one to air his personal business to anyone not qualified to deal with it, and Ren was a highschool student. He was far from qualified. Not even Ichisake knew about why Arthur was no longer on the team back home, and Arthur intended to keep it that way.
In his eyes, it made the world simpler.
"Yeah. I guess you could say there is a story behind that…" Arthur admitted, his great smile failing and receding as he thought up what he could say to satiate Ren's curiosity. "...But not one I'd like to tell…"
Ren slowly nodded, understanding well what that meant. He also understood though that stewing over something mentally was bad for your health. "If there's ever anything you need to talk about, Arthur. My ears are always open." He offered Arthur, basically offering him a chance to vent. But Arthur pitched him a brief smile.
"No thanks. My problems aren't yours. I have no reason to make them yours." Arthur said, before adding "Besides, I only air my problems to those qualified to deal with them… N-no offense."
"Fair enough." Ren shrugged, deciding to let the subject go. He certainly understood where Arthur was coming from and it was a viable stance to take in situations like this.
The two, unsure of what to say to one another, sat in silence for moments onward. Ren, his phone buzzing, decided to check it and see who was texting him. Little did both of them know it had been buzzing the whole conversation, and Ren had missed out on a lot of texts.
Arthur, meanwhile, simply lost himself in thought. He was leaning back in his seat, staring out the windows to the passing underground lights. At one point, they even seemed to have passed a maintenance tunnel with workers walking along the guardrails.
But none of this was of any interest to Arthur. All that interested him was the dark memories - that Ren brought up. A single question brought to light in his mind the unfairness bestowed upon him based on a single mistake he had made in life.
He tried to swivel his thoughts away, to try and land on more positive topics. He even tried to speak up and engage Ren in another conversation. Ren wasn't listening though, engrossed in the text messages he was receiving. The more he tried, the harder these mental images - almost involuntary thoughts - became to ignore.
He quickly winced, thinking back to the very day he was kicked off of his team and was rendered unable to ever rejoin.
It all happened a year ago.
After he made a terrible mistake that almost became permanent.
The anxiety he felt was palpable.
Every fiber of his being spoke of warmth and an unsure view.
The room he was in was quiet.
Sports equipment for various teams was scattered about the edges of the room, with the fencing swords of his team displayed high above the coach's desk.
Basketball, baseball, soccer all.
His parents had been requested to show up.
But they never did.
It was only Arthur, sitting alone in that room.
Two coaches were in the hallway, behind a door he was staring towards.
He could hear mumbling from beyond.
He had been called in after school to have a word with them.
They know about his situation.
It was all anyone around the school talked about, even the teachers were abuzz with the news. Only friends could find sympathy with the young man, but all others saw what had happened as a big detriment to the school as a whole.
He was seen as dangerous.
He was seen as unstable.
But most importantly, he was labeled as insane.
His attempt at suicide was all anyone talked about, coupled with the Baker Act he was forced into by police.
All of that happened merely two weeks ago.
The repercussions of such an act spread further than Arthur could ever have anticipated.
Instead of sympathy by his peers, he was met with scorn.
From the teachers? He was met with disgust.
He was seen as nothing more than trouble for both the school and the public.
His friends were the only ones who remained by his side through it all, even though they themselves were criminals and ne'er-do-wells themselves. They were the only ones who knew what Arthur went through day in and day out.
Arthur sighed, tapping the table before him with a single finger. The coaches suddenly went quiet, and so did Arthur's mind. He could hear footsteps from the tile hall outside, and the door clicked.
They had entered, one with frightened eyes, another with crossed arms and a serious flare on his face.
What they had been discussing out there was his membership on the school's fencing team.
"Arthur…" The frightened coach started, wary of any negative reaction the supposed crazy student before him could offer. "You know what we've been discussing…"
"Yes…" Arthur sullenly stated, as he could hear the faint muffled voices the door offered.
The two coaches nodded, the serious looking one taking a seat in front of Arthur.
"We've had to come to a decision, Arthur. We also felt you had the right to hear it with your own ears…" The stern looking coach said, all the while the cautious coach stood behind him. They were wary of Arthur's reaction. "This decision doesn't come from us directly though. The school board had a hand in this, so please keep that in mind."
Arthur nodded, but commented on the fact these coaches were tiptoeing around the issue. An issue Arthur saw clear as day, but didn't want to accept. "You say that like I'm going to attack you. Whatever it is, just say it. I can handle it."
The coaches looked at one another. They shouldn't have been surprised with Arthur's insight on how they were feeling, he was leagues ahead of his classmates with his intelligence. He had demonstrated that more than once on the team.
The cautious coach nodded, and the more serious one leaned forward, placing his arms strategically before him in the event Arthur freaked out.
Arthur noticed, but chose not to say anything. It seemed even the rumors that he was insane had reached and twisted their view on him too.
"Well, regarding the recent... Well, you know what you did. We're not gonna discuss it, but we all know what happened, Arthur." He slowly started, unsure of how to break the news to Arthur. "But the school board contacted us after having heard what happened. They don't want you fencing for us anymore. You are considered, by them and by the law apparently, unable to wield a weapon in sports."
"I see…" Arthur simply said, nodding and keeping a straight face. But deep down, he was burning alive with the fear of being kicked off.
A fear that was being realized.
"We've talked it over with the principal, and the school board, and even your parents…"
"Oh, so you've discussed it with them as well?" Arthur interjected, finding it unfair that they brought it up with his uncaring parents. The coaches both nodded before continuing.
"Anyways, the decision we've come to is this: Starting tomorrow, you'll no longer be a member, or a representative, of the fencing team. Furthermore, until you are deemed mentally capable of handling dangerous sports weapons, you will not be allowed to rejoin the team."
Arthur's heart sank, and this whole time he had been holding himself high. He had been hopeful that maybe, just maybe, the worst wouldn't come to pass.
The coaches looked between themselves, unsure of what Arthur was thinking with the news presented to him.
He couldn't do it anymore...
He couldn't maintain anymore the facade he had held since his medical release.
Those last few words…
And a single tear…
That is what defeated him.
"Now approaching Aoyama-Itchome Station. Doors will open on the left."
"Looks like we're approaching our stop…" Ren said, lowering his phone as the train's intercom sounded off. Looking over at Arthur, he noticed the distant stare on his face. "Hey? Hey, Arthur? Are you OK?" He asked. Arthur didn't respond for a moment, just silently watching as they pulled into the station.
Ren, unsure of what this meant, cautiously placed a hand on the young American's shoulder, realizing he wasn't listening to anything around him. "Arthur. Are you dozing off or something?" He shook him, stirring the young man alive. He shot his head around at Ren, blinking and quite visibly flustered.
"Huh… W-What?" Arthur stammered, unsure of what was happening.
Ren blinked, retracting his hand slowly as he spoke. "We reached our stop." Ren stood up, throwing his cat bag over his shoulder. "Are you alright? You seemed to have drifted off there…"
Arthur, upon realizing they were approaching their destination, nodded and slowly stood up, eyeing the cat that was hanging over Ren's shoulder. "Just keep your cat hidden, Ren." Arthur told him, ignoring the question posed to him. "So what do you think is for lunch today?" He added, placing his hands in his pockets as he nonchalantly exited the train. "I'm kinda in the mood for some chicken stew…"
Ren stood there a moment, unsure what was going through Arthur's mind. The American didn't wait for Ren, and kept on walking as if nothing at all had occurred. He had totally ignored Ren's question, and didn't seem to be aware that Ren wasn't following. Sharing a glance with his cat, Ren shook his head before quickly jogging to catch up with the young American.
The two exchanged conversations for the short walk to school. Things such as lunch, the recent events everyone's been talking about concerning Shibuya, and the cross confrontation with Makoto from earlier. Arthur couldn't help but wonder himself how far she was from the two of them, and when he would try to glance around the road, he wouldn't be able to spot her. Too many students were following behind.
When the two had reached the school limits, it almost felt to Arthur that the morning was beginning all over again. But the sour taste Makoto had left him with did not disappear. He couldn't help but voice his displeasure with her.
"I still can't get over Niijima-san's attitude…" Arthur said quietly, wary that she might be close by. Ren turned to look at him, surprised he brought it back up. But it was understandable. Makoto had no reason to be dragging Arthur into her mess.
"You kinda just learn to tune her out." Ren said, shifting his gaze forward. Arthur nodded, understanding well what it was like to survive by simply tuning another out. It was how he got by day to day back in the home country.
"You've been here longer than me." Arthur noted, to which Ren nodded with an affirmative grunt. "Has she always been so… I don't know… So devilish? Hostile? As if she had an ulterior motive just for simply speaking with you?"
Part of this curiosity came from his interactions with her. Not just from her interrogation, but her simple taunting attitude she gave them this morning - an attitude Ren seemed to have ignored with flying colors. The other part of his curiosity came from the words of a dream man he remembered well.
Words that claimed Makoto to be an enemy.
"She hasn't really been so hostile towards me until recently." Ren admitted without hesitation, as if subtly defending her. "Before then we passed one another in the halls often, and she wouldn't bat an eye at my presence." He added just as quickly. Arthur then nodded, seeing it kinda noble that Ren would defend her even when she was being hostile towards him.
Quickly, Arthur noted his use of the word "recently". He couldn't help but ask what that meant.
Turning his head slightly, Arthur frowned and asked "How recently?"
"Eh, shortly after Kamoshida's…" Ren started before pausing briefly, glancing skyward as if in thought. "What do they call it?" He asked no one in particular, even stopping in his tracks as he thought. Arthur stopped with him, finding himself completely interested in Ren's words. "...Oh yeah, a change of heart. Yeah, it was around that time she started poking her nose into my business."
"Ah…" Arthur grunted, not sure what to make of such a revelation. Shrugging, they continued onwards. They were just beginning to near the stairs to the school proper, and the students all around them whispered and stared as the duo passed by each of them.
It was as if not even the pariahs can be friends with one another.
"Like I said, I think a teacher put her up to it. But I guess I have no evidence." Ren reminded Arthur, to which Arthur nodded. He could easily see a teacher putting a student who frequently sides with teachers up to skullduggery. A student could get away with it easier than a teacher could too. Ren turned to look at Arthur, dead in the eye, and with a sudden understanding tone that took Arthur by surprise, he added "Despite what's been said, she isn't so bad a person. Not from what I've heard anyhow. A very diligent student and not prone to flights of fancy. According to some people I've spoken with, she takes her job as student council president rather seriously and always lends an ear to a peer who needs it."
Arthur nodded. "I'll take your word for it."
They stopped, finding themselves at the bottom of the steps. Students were trying to avoid them, but others just passed by them without even looking. This didn't bother either of them, as both of them were used to this behavior by now. But one thing did catch their attention.
To Arthur, it was an unfamiliar man standing atop the stairs, sipping from a juice box and greeting students as they entered the school. His unkempt hair nearly falling over his glasses, an unruly looking stubble growing on his chin, and his sandals looked very out of place with how a teacher was supposed to present themselves.
To Ren, it was a very familiar, and very welcome, face.
"Welcome, welcome everyone! Please remember to get to class on time and… Oh!" He was smiling and waving to the students passing by him. Some stopped to greet him and others bowed as they passed him. But when his eyes landed on both Ren and Arthur, he stopped what he was doing in what looked like complete surprise. Grinning mildly, he descended the stairs towards them. Much to Arthur's discomfort.
His discomfort came from the fact the man was wearing a white lab coat and khakis with the out-of-place sandals. The juicebox he held - a grape logoed drink - didn't do him any favors in Arthur's rather serious mind. The only other things that looked off to Arthur was the ugly blue checkered tie, and the fact he had the bottoms of his khakis upheaved to his ankles.
Ren smiled, stepping forward towards the teacher.
"Dr. Maruki." Ren said, bowing to the teacher. "I wasn't expecting to see you waiting at the gates today."
"Ah, Amamiya-kun. Always a welcome sight." The teacher said, descending the final step and stopping within a few feet of Arthur and Ren. "And you came to school with a friend today, I see?" He noted, panning his gaze over to Arthur. "Nice to meet you, I'm Dr. Maruki. But you can just call me Maruki." He smiled at Arthur, who in turn slowly nodded.
"I'm… Arthur… Arthur Williams." He slowly said, unsure of what to make of the sight of such a casual looking teacher.
"Always a good day to meet someone new!" Maruki cheerfully said. He brought juicebox's straw up to his mouth, taking a small sip of his drink before chuckling nervously. "I've actually been waiting for you, Williams-kun… Uh, do you mind if I have a moment of your time? I promise, it'll be quick." He flashed Arthur another charming grin.
Arthur looked at Ren, who in turn was smiling at Maruki. It seemed he had some understanding of what was going on here and whatever it was, the meaning was absent to Arthur. Ren gave a casual glance around, noticing that the street is starting to become less and less crowded. Looking back at Arthur, he gave him a casual grin.
"I don't want to be late for class. I'll be seeing you Arthur." Ren said before trotting up the steps and out of sight from both Arthur and Maruki.
Arthur watched as he departed, and noticed the cat peeking out of the bag, staring Arthur right in the eye.
Arthur huffed before crossing his arms, finding this casual looking teacher out of place. Not to mention he hasn't seen him around the campus before, nor has he heard anything about Maruki to begin with.
But this was a teacher, and Arthur didn't argue with teachers.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Arthur asked him, to which Maruki chuckled and shook his head at the idea.
"Oh, not at the moment, no. I'm perfectly fine. Thank you, though." Maruki told Arthur. "I just wanted to see if you were interested in some counseling!" He smiled at Arthur, before suddenly realizing how off putting his whole gimmick instantly sounded. His smile quickly faded into a nervous frown as he scratched the back of his head. "Oh! You're probably wondering who exactly this weirdo is. My apologies, really. I'm a counselor the school hired to talk with the students. I'm part time, but I take my job very seriously." He nervously chuckled, before suddenly just stopping and shaking his head. He was being cringy in Arthur's eye and he knew it..
"The fact you're approaching me directly confirms that." Arthur nodded before shifting to his side. "But…. are you asking me this because of the rumors surrounding me, or are you actually interested personally in hearing my problems?" He asked, tapping away at his chin with a free finger. He was both curious at the man's intentions and a little insulted that the school was trying to offload him onto a counselor. A self-proclaimed counselor, by the looks of it. "There's a big difference between both, y'know?" Arthur quickly added.
"Uh… A little of both, actually." Maruki answered, unsure of whether Arthur was trying to be hostile or not. He simply shrugged it off though as he believed it was perfectly natural to be like this when a complete stranger approaches you like this. "I have heard the rumors myself and thought that you might need an ear to listen to. Such things can be a drain mentally, so are you interested?"
"I appreciate your honesty." Arthur replied, dubiously eyeing the sandals Maruki sported and the juicebox Maruki was holding, and based on these alone Arthur came to a quick answer. Shaking his head, Arthur said "But I will have to decline your offer… Sorry, Dr. Maruki."
Maruki's smile faded slightly as he took in the answer Arthur gave, and for a moment he looked as if he wasn't expecting Arthur to decline. Almost defeated, really. But then he suddenly perked up, smiling wide and brightly once again. "Well, to each their own." He giddily spoke, flashing Arthur a toothy almost childlike smile. "I won't keep you any longer, Williams-kun. But if you ever need an ear, I take office in the nurse's office in the practice building, first floor. Stop by anytime." He took a sip of his juicebox, nodding at Arthur to signal that he was letting him go.
Arthur nodded, bowing to Maruki before taking his leave. Most of the students had vacated the street already, leaving Arthur and Maruki the only ones remaining outside the school. The bell hasn't signalled for class to begin yet, but no doubt would do so soon. Maruki and Arthur didn't exchange any more words, and to Arthur that felt like a freedom in and of itself.
Maruki was weird. That much was made clear to Arthur. He didn't need to study him, nor talk with him for a prolonged period to surmise that much. Simply looking at him gave Arthur all the information he needed. His casual look for such a position, his awful cheerful attitude reminded him a little of Ann, and the sandals…
He winced at the thought of one of his therapists back in the home country showing up to a discussion with sandals and upheaved pants, a child's drink in hand.
It seemed Maruki either didn't take his job very seriously, or he wasn't a good counselor to begin with.
Either way, Arthur was doubtful Maruki could help him. As he had stated to both Ann and Ren, he was only interested in sharing his problems with those qualified to deal with them.
Maruki certainly didn't seem qualified.
He casted a glance over his shoulder, hand on a door handle that led inside, and spotted Maruki looking back at him. It wasn't clear if Maruki knew Arthur was eyeing him, but what was clear was the disappointed look on Maruki's face. Behind the lenses of his glasses, Arthur could spot - with visual clarity - the disheartened look in his eyes.
And of course, he was still sipping at his juicebox.
Arthur shook his head, imagining how incompetent the so called counselor really was. He hadn't heard of him prior to now, and how he presented himself certainly didn't do himself any favors. Not to mention the fact he approached the young American, basically declaring "I know what everyone says about you, how about I give you therapy?". That fact alone was enough to agitate Arthur, and it no doubt showed during his interaction with the counselor.
Sighing at the thought that even the staff of the school believed him to be insane, he slowly opened the door to the school and stepped inside.
Quietly, he hoped that that wasn't the precursor to his day.
The day really wasn't all that interesting, and it passed by rather quickly.
Not because there were things to do, but because Arthur kept his mind busy.
There were many things on Arthur's mind that did much to occupy him.
The dream he had last night.
The thug he met yesterday who wanted to speak with his guardian.
His goal of finding the Phantom Thieves...
Of course, he tried to listen diligently in class, especially in Mr. Sakutaro's class, but he was caught again today daydreaming. It was humiliating, but nothing aside from a tongue lashing occurred and soon Arthur was back to square one mentally.
Ichisake had his own business to attend to today so he was off doing his own thing. He had attended class and talked with Arthur when possible, but during lunch and after school, he went to the A.V. club to sign up and get to know the people inside. He had told Arthur the process was exceedingly slow due to the rumors surrounding him, but thanks to a teacher that he knew putting a good word in for him, he had essentially been allowed to join. Just some paperwork was all he had to do.
It really left Arthur alone today, and he was content with that.
He had spotted Kae during lunch today, sitting alone on the stairs going towards the cafeteria. They didn't say a word to each other, but instead simply exchanged glances with one another and essentially acknowledged each other's presence. While most students would try to avoid looking directly at Arthur, Kae saw another side of him that was absent from public knowledge at yesterday's event. A side that surprised even her. A side that made her comfortable looking at him without fear of reprisal.
That was the only time he saw her today, but he saw Makoto plenty.
After all, he shared class with her.
Sometimes in class, when lost in thought, he couldn't get the feeling out of his mind that a hole was burrowed in the back of his skull. When he left for lunch, he noticed she was watching him closely. No one else, not even the teacher, noticed this behavior. But Arthur made it clear to her that he was aware of her not-so-subtle gaze by looking back at her and making eye contact. He also saw her at lunch, but she wasn't paying him no mind then. She was simply reading some book and ignoring all else.
On some level he didn't appreciate her nosiness. But on another level he held no real animosity towards her, despite Igor's declaration. If what Igor said about her was true - her recklessness - then he figured he could easily beat her in a game of wits if it came down to it.
Keyword being "if".
But when class ended in total today, he was on his way out the front doors and towards the station when he remembered Himura's words this morning.
Himura gave him five thousand yen and told him to finally buy a bag and maybe some new clothing. Arthur wasn't sure how much clothing five thousand yen would get him, but the underground mall in Shibuya would no doubt have some discount shops. So that became his destination before he decided to go home.
No other stops, no other detours. He had his own homework to do.
The train ride was ridden in absolute silence for the young American. He had to stand, as all the seats had been taken by other students and adults passing through to parts unknown. The only thing that accompanied him was his thoughts that had followed him all day.
The only thing right now that he couldn't get out of his mind was the thug from yesterday.
"What did he want?" Arthur couldn't keep himself from thinking.
He had relayed the message to Himura as requested, but when pressed Himura didn't say anything. He simply went to bed. If that wasn't a red flag, then Arthur didn't know the definition of "red flag". Then his sudden change in attitude this morning, almost akin to this "change of heart" nonsense Arthur had been hearing about.
The man that talked with Arthur looked dangerous. He sounded dangerous. He even subtly threatened the young American when he remained silent to the questions he was offered.
Arthur couldn't wrap his head around the situation. He couldn't understand what Himura had to do with people that had such bad vibes surrounding them.
And this Kaneshiro fellow…
Arthur shook his head, the train coming to a stop at Shibuya Station. As the doors opened, he quietly decided that today wasn't going to be the day he would figure this out.
He stepped off the train, and made his way to the underground mall.
When he arrived, the place was as packed as last time. Men and women of varying ages and varying backgrounds bustling and hustling around. Businessmen, students, police, unscrupulous characters in the way back, and station security made up the dense population down here.
There were a lot of female students around this time, though. Many looked like they were from Shujin, according to the skirts and blouses he saw. Some were from other academic institutions though, and unfamiliar ones at that. But no one paid any mind to the young American as he stood there, taking everything in. At least, none of the adults or Shujin students.
He opened his wallet, counting the amount he possessed. Five thousand and eight hundred yen was all he had. That was his budget, and he decided he was gonna make it count.
Lifting his head, he looked around to try and spot a shop that carried duffle bags, and when he couldn't spot one right off the bat he decided to walk around a bit and find one himself.
He glanced around various shops and stands within the mall. A flower shop, a jewelry store, some clothing shops he would come back to later, and finally he found the store he was at the last time he came here, and they seemed to have had new duffle bags on display. He smiled, and started perusing what they had.
A trio of female students were in the store as well, wearing dark blue uniform blouses and solid black skirts. Patterns that were alien to Arthur. All of this was much to the delight of the young man who was running the register, but Arthur kept to himself and simply browsed the bags they had for sale. They had all sorts of different bags from last time. Most of them were still solid colors. Pink, orange, black, neon green, and more.
He shied away from those bags though, disgusted especially by the neon green.
Some had decals like lightning bolts or brands of sodas and candy. There were some with anime characters on them that, while cute, were not something Arthur would like to be seen carrying on his person.
As he was examining one bag, one that bore the logo of The Ancient Scrolls with the name in Japanese kanji and a snowy white backdrop depicting it's most recent entry in the series, he saw, in his peripheral, the female students casting inquisitive glances his way. They were whispering to themselves as quiet as could be.
But Arthur was one to pay attention to the details, and he could hear their words as clear as music.
"Look at him, is he American?" One of them muttered, looking between her friends for confirmation.
"Looks like it… That uniform… He goes to Shujin it seems." Another had said, eyeing him up and down. She didn't realize he could see her well with the distance that was kept between them. "Hot damn, is he cute…" She added, causing one of her friends to giggle softly.
"Walk over there, introduce yourself."
"Hell no! I bet he's popular at Shujin. Popular guys don't go for girls like me."
Arthur snickered at the thought of him being popular. Not once in his life has he ever been in the brackets of popularity. His streak didn't end by coming here, and that girl had no idea how wrong she was.
He turned to glance at them, causing them all three of them to pause and stare right at him. A dead silence arose as they realized they had been caught and Arthur, despite the fact he held a serious mindset, couldn't help but cast a wry and knowing smile towards them. The trio started giggling even more.
In Arthur's eyes, it felt nice to hear something about him other than "insane" or "unstable". A real breath of fresh air.
Arthur couldn't help himself but chuckle as well as he turned back to the reason he came here. A small, warm smile present on his lips.
The girls continued to whisper and giggle where they were but none of them approached him. Either because they weren't confident or because they attended different schools. All the while Arthur continued to walk up and down the wall that showcased the bags they had. This store had different stuff than just bags, though, and he intended to browse them as well since the other products were mostly clothes of varying sorts.
He even saw a black hoodie he liked on the way in.
Five thousand and eight hundred yen.
It was likely he would only be able to buy a bag and a few shirts, nothing more.
But it was fine. Arthur only needed a few options of clothing to get him by until he found more money.
Walking along, even gliding past the girls who had shown interest in him, he ended up in the back section of the store, spotting more visually appealing bags.
Some were small, others the size of suitcases.
Decals such as flowers, mantras, and food among other things decorated them.
But Arthur smiled, finding one that looked very appealing to him.
His favorite time period to study in Japanese history was the Edo period. A period rife with stories of samurai and the feudal lords.
This bag was a misty grey color, with depictions of warriors on the sides and one very decorative, very detailed samurai dawning a solid red uniform and a helmet with antlers, he was holding a defensive stance at the end of the bag.
He grabbed the strap and held it up for a better view, seeing that the other unseen side looked very much like the side that was being displayed. The misty grey color of it looked very much like a mist, with the samurai and his army coming out of it like ghosts.
He smirked, as the bag looked very, very appealing to him.
"Is this the definition of "badass"…?" He murmured, throwing the bag over his shoulder.
It was already decided.
This was the one he wanted.
Arthur's week drifted by almost without notice.
Just an average school week, plagued by abnormalities - some normal to Arthur, others completely new.
He did his best to trudge along, even with the wary gazes of his peers. The words of the misinformed. The thoughts of the misguided. Ichisake, Ren, and Ann were the only people at school who gave him the time of day, and it was those three he spent a lot of time with.
He never left Ichisake for long, as Ren and Ann had their own group of friends that included some blond boy who usually looked like he was up to no good. Ichisake was happy that Arthur made new friends but didn't often discuss it. Lately, for the whole week, he was discussing how he had actually gotten into the A.V. club and, despite the fact the club members were wary of Ichisake's known friendship with Arthur, they actually treated him like one of their own.
Arthur didn't have the heart to tell him, but it was most likely because they were scared of Ichisake due to his ties with Arthur.
Ren and Ann occasionally dropped by Arthur to talk with him and see how he's been getting on. Ren always brought his cat, and Ann would sometimes invite Arthur out as she knew he didn't get out much. But Arthur only accepted the idea once before and not a second time, he didn't want to make her pay for anything and he was flat broke at this point. Ann, understanding the manners he was raised with, wouldn't pressure him. But would always tell him that her paying isn't an issue.
When the school changed into summer uniforms, Arthur nearly had a heart attack. He wasn't provided with the summer uniform - a uniform that was only really different by way of a white polo shirt with Shujin's logo over where the heart would be - when he started. Himura had to go to the school and pick one up for a good amount of yen. Money Arthur wasn't so sure Himura needed to be spending…
Lately, Arthur has been catching Himura on the phone with people. People whose identity Himura wouldn't expose. He'd just claim they are his "accountants" of sorts and drop the issue. He even claimed the guy who dropped by the other day was an employee of his main "accountant". Arthur thought the use of the word was strange, especially when relating to the obvious nature of a thug that guy reeked of.
Sometimes when Arthur slept, or tried to, he would overhear Himura in the living room, practically begging over the phone for "more time" and to "leave everyone else out of it". Nights where he overheard that were definitely not pleasant. Arthur couldn't wrap his mind around it at the moment, but something was definitely off. He couldn't question him about it straightforwardly, so all he could do was listen and put the pieces together himself.
Pieces he barely had to begin with.
Those same nights, when he slept, did not fare him any better than his waking moments. The nightmares have begun to get more vivid, more horrific. He could barely remember them when either they would force him awake or he awoke on his own terms, but one thing remained the same: He would be drenched in sweat, and soiled in tears.
Sometimes he stayed awake until two in the morning, dreading another horrific night, but Arthur's realist side showed here. He knew that if he deprived himself of sleep simply out of fear, it would only hurt him more than if he were to sleep. He knew that nightmares were temporary, but his grades would be permanent. But it still didn't help ease his worries about the dreadful nights.
But one dream he remembered well, and thought on it sometimes throughout the week when he was home alone.
Something that had occurred quite often, with Himura's only scheduled day off being next Monday. His first actual day off since Arthur arrived in the country.
This dream. He remembered every occurrence of it. Initially he shook it off as a freak thing, but now something inside him told him to listen and follow through what the dream told him.
This dream was of the bizarre old man, Igor.
Igor, and his Velvet Room.
His demands of Arthur to find the Phantom Thieves.
His words of "salvation", a concept Arthur couldn't wrap his head around.
The fate Arthur had, the one Igor said was horrible.
What did it all mean in the end?
Arthur wasn't one to pay credence to dreams as he more often than not had nightmares of varying scope and size. Paying credibility to those would've spelled his end long ago. An end into true insanity and possibly even paranoia.
But Igor's appearances were different, and Arthur could feel that.
With that in mind, he did a little studying throughout the week. Studying he told no one of, not even Ichisake.
He looked over more in depth news reports of the Kamoshida case, learned the names of the victims and the students who were openly exposed to be his enemies.
Ren Amamiya was one of them.
That revelation partially shocked Arthur, but when he thought back to previous conversations with him he remembered that Ren had mentioned something about him standing up to Kamoshida, hence why Makoto was apparently watching his every move for some inapparent reason.
He studied the Madarame calling card that was sent a while back, but nothing new came about the late-night research that was dumped into this.
The most incriminating thing that gave rise to the idea that Phantom Thieves were indeed a real organization was the Phantom Aficionado Website. A forum where people praised, talked, and requested things from the Phantom Thieves. Changes of heart and the like. Run by an unknown source, possibly the Phantom Thieves themselves. There was even a post from a while back, when the website was first opened, of the owner gloating and bragging about the Phantom Thieves victory over Kamoshida.
The responses varied on this. From praise to negative theories and insults that seemed to have slipped under the radar. There even seemed to be a couple of users who threw around racial slurs at others who chose to comment that also seemed to have gone unnoticed from the noticeably thorough moderator.
Friday evening, Arthur began to compile the information he gathered. If he was going to find the Phantom Thieves, he would need to start by pinpointing their location. He was no detective by any means but he felt that, with the information he had, he could at least give himself a rough idea of where they acted.
Of course, it didn't surprise him at all that Shujin Academy was his conclusion. It was the only logical idea. Their activity began around the teacher named Kamoshida and the owner of the website was bragging about said incident. There even seemed to be posts from students of Shujin thanking the Phantom Thieves for handling their problems as well.
Arthur was confident Shujin Academy was the base location for the Phantom Thieves, but now?
Step one was out of the way.
Besides proving his conclusion correct, he also needed to actually identify them.
That wasn't going to be easy by any means, and Arthur knew it.
But, as he researched all of this, he began to find himself more and more intrigued.
Not by the fact there was an elusive organization at his school, but also the supernatural and occult means behind all of this.
Saturday evening, when he was staring at his laptop and going through the Phan-Site's posts - which were comprising mostly of people cheering or jeering the Phantom Thieves for targeting Madarame - he couldn't keep himself from wondering:
"Who are they really?" He asked himself quietly. "What do they want?"
He stopped himself, casting an unsure glance to his hands as he thought up a new question. One that seemed equally important, but also went as unanswered as the other two.
"More importantly…. Why do I need to be looking for them?"
The night drifted from there.
And he awoke to a Sunday morning.
June fifth.
Post-Chapter Author's Note
Proof read and edited by a friend named Frozen Foe on my Discord server.
Another extra long one that sets up the next chapters really well. I promised a chapter that would be divided into two parts and I intend to make good on that promise, but not on this update. All of this was to be in the two-parter, but after looking at it and realizing that none of it really had to do with what the two-parter is going to be about, I decided to cut it and make it it's own chapter. A nice introduction to Maruki, some good Ren-Arthur interaction and some bonding, and a good set up for the conflict that will inevitably erupt between Makoto and Arthur.
A battle of the minds, as it will be. :3
We're also gonna start diving into Arthur's nightmares and past more. So be prepared to feel some stuff, because it's gonna get heavy.
Sorry it took longer than a week for a chapter that isn't going to be a two-parter. Really bad stuff has happened lately in my RL that has finally passed and allowed me to work again. I'll also be starting a job, temporary as it is, on this coming Monday and it will limit my time. Plus I'm running a modding team that has shifted to a new project after the success of our last one. Chapters will come out much more slowly now, but they will come out. Patience is a requirement.
I hope you all enjoyed! This next chapter is gonna be a special chapter, literally. Not a Gaiden, but a special one that will be divided into two parts. Look forward to it.