The Mask Shatters

by Henry of Skalitz

When a foreign exchange student, plagued by home troubles, arrives in Tokyo and begins experiencing weird, vivid dreams, he finds himself caught up in a game that a certain someone has almost no chance of winning.

14. Chapter 11

The Mask Shatters

Chapter 11

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is extremely sick; Who can understand it fully and know its secret motives…. Aside from I? Heheheh..."

---

Author's Note

Monthly chapter is live. This one was a doozy to write, oh boy. Let me tell you, several scenes were written, scrapped, and re-written all the same just to make this perfect and move the plot along at a nice pace. Final result? Perfection. But this chapter'll be a good example of why quality over quantity is better. Long chapters like this just aren't as entertaining to read, at least not in my opinion, and take twice the amount of time to write and edit. Was fun to experiment with, however.

Due to the rather progressive nature of this chapter, it is recommended you go back and AT LEAST re-read chapter 7 for a refresher. Recommended both by me and the secondary editor.

Without further adieu, enjoy the chapter!

---

It was nothing to behold in a normal state.

A sight of darkness, nothing but pitch.

Eyes of the Emerald Isle staring into nothing but twilight.

A vision of darkness that could humble even the most proper of deacons and bishops.

An abyss that stared back.

He looked left, and there remained nothing but the dark.

Eyes blinked right, and still remained much the same.

It wasn't cold.

It wasn't hot.

It simply was.

And in this state of unknown, he could feel nothing but a deep unease.

He tried speaking, trying to call out into the abyssal dark.

But he possessed no real strength.

Not enough to open his mouth.

Not enough to summon the words from his cords.

There was nothing there, nothing to give, nothing to see.

In fact, at this point, Arthur wasn't even sure if he possessed eyesight any longer.

"You lazy arse…"

He gasped - or wheezed more like - as he darted his eyes around his abyssal surroundings, but could find nothing.

"You and yer mother… Blights in my home…"

He wheezed once more, turning his head roughly in the direction he thought he had heard it.

But there was nothing to be seen.

Nothing to indicate the presence of another.

But the voice called out again, once more into the breach of Arthur's mind.

"Bastards… You… Ciara… Time and energy wasted on both… It would've been better if you had perished just the same."

"Wha-" Arthur managed to feebly choke out, listening to the disdain in the phantom voice. "Ah…"

That status quo of air changed quickly, from a benign nothingness to a slight damp and cold feeling.

Although he could not see it, he could feel it.

Sweat trickling from his hair, down his forehead towards the abyss below…

The voice called out again, diminishing further the once existing calm of the moment.

"Just give up… embrace the noose..."

It was the voice of his father.

---

From a startling wake up call with tears on his cheeks to a quiet shower of inane thought, Arthur rose.

From one darkness to another more natural eclipse, Arthur opened his eyes.

Tears streamed down his cheeks at an uncontrollable rate.

His breathing was erratic.

Cold tears on cold skin, a result of passionate air conditioning.

For a while he just opted to sit on his bed, curled up with his knees hugging his chest, silently crying away the early morning. He tried to fight off the thoughts of despair, but it was to no avail. The nightmare had fought him, and try as he might, he was overpowered.

Just like every other time.

But this time?

It was worse than usual.

A nightmare demanding an acceptance of death itself.

Arthur couldn't take it.

He couldn't deal with it.

Two weeks worth of tears escaped that morning.

Two weeks worth of sobs….

Two years of continued pain…

Eventually, he found the energy to stand. And with it, he stumbled dimly towards the door and over to the bathroom, where a calming shower awaited.

In that shower, he thought.

With red eyes and blurred vision, the dank smell of sweat and troubled breathing, he did his best to clear his mind and focus solely on a singular topic.

It was not easy, and in fact it was a staggering battle.

The time had already passed into hours at this point, to a near five in the morning. It wasn't until thirty to the dot that he managed to at least inkle out a calming breath.

And, from there slowly, he managed to sink down, his breathing lowered to a calming pace, his jumbled mind clearing.

He lowered himself to his rump, palm covering his forehead and cheek resting on his knees.

Warm water cascading all around him, rebirthing a balmy feeling on his skin.

But, even so, a single tear remained, slowly sliding down his cheek and into the drain below.

One thing persisted, and the thought troubled him to no end.

A breakdown was coming.

---

He spent the rest of his morning in a quiet daze.

His mind was blurred, his eyes red with sorrow and a silent despair.

He had prepared himself for school long before the sun rose over Japan, buttoning his shirt up and preparing his uniform pants for the day ahead. The quiet sobs evolved into a more somber, more silent lament as he soon found himself browsing the internet.

It began with him just checking his emails, and to his exiguous surprise, he had received very little in the way of news overseas. His social media had been inactive as well, and has been for a couple years now. No one messages him, and very few people tend to even react to his absence anymore. No less his family.

Eventually, after being settled with the little news that occurred overnight, he checked his phone to find that it had indeed gone off overnight. No phone calls, but instead a single text.

The first one was from his loyal friend, Ichisake. Seeing the name pop up alongside a picture Ichisake gave him for his contact icon brought a small smile to Arthur's face.

The picture being one of Ichisake saluting the flag of Japan with his father.

"Ah, it was nice to put a face to Ichisake's father…" Arthur had murmured to himself, remembering that for a while he only had a brief description of the kid's father to go off of.

Having read the text that was sent to him, a small lingering doubt in Arthur's mind had seemed to calm itself.

"Arthur, my main man! Sry 2 have been gone from school 4 so long! Minor emergency in the fam came up so im in Inaba right now, but ill be back next week! Til then, i demand u get out of ur reclusive fortress! Go out! C a movie! I heard there's a good 1 about a bank heist in theaters rite about now. Has ur American actor Liam Neeson in it so its prob subbed here. Anywho, ill keep in touch."

"Ah, Liam Neeson. Right, then." Arthur had thought, not particularly interested in the movie, perse. "Well, I suppose it is a good enough reason to get out of the house…"

Arthur, from there, opted to mindlessly just surf the web for the remaining time in the morning he had left. From various video-sharing websites to minor news articles from Japan and beyond, he had whittled away the precessions of his momentary bout of slothful freedom to a stark seven in the morn, when a familiar, frantic, and hushed voice began to catch his attention. He glanced around his dark abode, the celestial light from beyond his shades shining on ever so slightly into the room itself.

"That's just not reasonable…" He heard.

"Huh…?" Arthur hummed, glancing towards his door, where an artificial light glared from underneath.

"I haven't been able to make the call! You gotta understand I work all damn week, man!"

Arthur slowly slid onto his feet, leaving his laptop and phone behind as he listened further to the seemingly ghostly conversation. An ear to the door, he did his best to clear his own frazzled mind so as to understand what was being said.

"Yes, yes! I know, I know! But- wait! I… No. No, I understand…"

Arthur's eyes widened, quickly putting a face to the voice. "H-Himura…?"

"Wait, wait! No! That is not fair! That is just not fair! Don't involve him, dammit! You already- No!" Himura began to raise his voice, seemingly frightened of whoever he was speaking with. Himura then went silent for a moment. Arthur pulled his head back, slowly opening the door to spy Himura standing by the TV in the living room, hand on his head and a gaze pointing skywards. A phone in his free hand. "It was already bad enough when you fucking told him to- No no no! Just-" He began frantically, almost begging really, pleading to the man on the other end.

Then, there was silence. A silence that was interrupted only when Himura jumped in place, a loud gasp escaping his lips. "Please, just-!"

Then, before he could even finish his sentence, he was interrupted by what seemed like a dead line. "H-hello? Hello?!" Himura asked into the phone, but seemingly received no response.

"Goddammit!" Himura shouted, throwing his phone onto the tile nearby, shattering it into tiny, plastic pieces. Arthur jumped in place, never seeing the hostility Himura was displaying before in his entire life. Arthur quickly shut the door, almost on instinct before backing away swiftly.

"A-Arthur?" Himura called out, startling Arthur even further.

For a moment, all Arthur could think was to remain silent. Slight panic entered his mind as thoughts of home began racing into his vision. Thoughts of violence, visions of an angry mother and father, and for a brief moment Arthur even thought he could hear his mother screaming at him.

Suddenly, a lone tear began to slowly fall down Arthur's cheek.

"Arthur? Y-you alright in there?" Himura called out once more, ignoring the breaks in his voice and the nerves running through his head. Arthur didn't respond, he just quickly jumped back onto his bed, shutting his laptop down as quickly as he could and remaining still ever onward.

He could hear the door gradually open, with a Himura peering through the crack.

"Arthur?" Himura asked.

He received no response.

Just a silent, dark room greeted him.

Himura, believing Arthur to be asleep, quietly and cautiously shut the door so as to not disturb him. "Goddammit…" Himura mumbled from beyond. Arthur watched as Himura's shadow slowly vanished from underneath the door, and from there he felt safe enough to even make a single murmur.

"W-why…?" Arthur murmured, covering his eyes with his hands. The panic began to continue setting in, and with it, so did the tears begin to stream even more. His breathing quickened, grew laboured, even - and the precarious thoughts of home that he had so desperately tried to bury in the deepest recesses of his mind violently roared in recently-renewed life to the very forefront of his consciousness at an alarming rate. Soon enough, his vision encompassed all sorts of terrifying, cognitive sights. Abuse, screaming, and even a desolate hospital room.

Alone.

He did his best to remain quiet and simply turned onto his pillow to cry silently.

"It's...it's..it's just…. Like… back home…"

---

Himura and Arthur sat quietly in the car, the morning traffic of Tokyo setting in slowly and quietly as the city turned over to a waking reality. Arthur, his eyes red and his clothing a wrinkled mess, just sat there. Watching the morning traffic with his chest resting on his clenched fist. Himura was equally silent, and focused solely on his driving. Even the radio was silent, neither man in the car wanted there to be a distraction to their thoughts.

Himura had offered to take Arthur to school personally today, even opting to say "Screw my place of work, I'll take you. Come on, let's go." Out of character for Himura, Arthur thought, but he didn't exactly argue either. He had barely been able to spend time with the man since his arrival onto the island nation.

But, despite that, the two barely spoke to one another. There was a tense nervousness in the air, and both could sense it. Arthur's sheer bedraggled look didn't do him any favors, either.

"So, Arthur... " Himura eventually broke the awkward silence, his voice slightly shaky with nerves. "I have a question…"

"What is it?" Arthur asked with a distinct monotone voice.

Himura glanced over at the young American, surprised to hear the tone in his voice be so dead. "Uh…" Himura grumbled, turning his eyes back to the road with himself unsure of how to proceed with his question. Arthur noticed the hesitation and looked over at him, his bloodshot eyes dominating his gaze.

"Well, uh… You, uh… You haven't been…." Himura stumbled, unsure of how to continue. Arthur arched a brow, concerned.

"Hmm?" Arthur hummed curiously.

"Well, uh… What I mean to ask is: You haven't noticed anyone strange around the stations have you?" Himura finally asked, as if he was afraid of the question himself. Arthur lowered his arm, watching his guardian with a very curious eye.

"No….?" Arthur told him, unsure of how to even answer the question. Himura seemed to have immediately relaxed with that answer hanging in the air between them. Arthur cocked his head, the silence dragging on for a few seconds further as he stared at him. "Why do yo-"

"Uh, nothing Arthur. Just… Shibuya's been getting dangerous and all lately. I've received a phone call from the Shujin class president herself warning about some mafia terrorizing students of the school. I was just hoping you weren't caught up in it, is all."

"Niijima-san called you…?" Arthur then asked him, surprised by the revelation. "Why? Wait, how did she even get your number?" Arthur quickly asked, confused by the sudden admission.

"That paper I had to sign when you first arrived?" Himura mentioned. "Yeah, that included putting my number down in case the school had to call me. I'm guessing she received some authorization to use it." He finished, before giving a brief glance to his side. "Where'd you learn to drive…?" He murmured, commenting on a driver unseen to Arthur.

"OK… I guess that makes sense…" Arthur calmed down, moving his eyes back to the outside world. Arthur was confined to the idea of remaining silent ever onwards, but a sudden chuckle from Himura both surprised him and destroyed that idea.

"So, you know her name?" Himura suddenly piped up, a sly smirk. The sudden chipperness being displayed caught Arthur off guard for a moment as he looked over at Himura, confused. "She seemed to know you by name. What have you been getting up to in your spare time, eh?" Himura grinned at him, putting Arthur in a state of unease.

"Uh…" Arthur groaned, unsure of how to answer Himura. "Himura…"

"Ah, don't beat around the bush. I was a ladies man when I was younger too! Some called me a player, heheh… Ah, good times…" Himura recalled, trying his best to lighten up the situation and tension. But Arthur just remained silent. "Ah, but I've grown out of that." He admitted, glancing over at Arthur briefly. "But you? You have a nice combination of your mother and father's hair, your father's personality and body, and your mother's intelligence! I'd be surprised if ladies weren't climbing over each other for you, heh…"

Arthur didn't say anything. He instead chose to blankly stare at Himura as the man laughed. And laugh he did, his own childish gawking being a huge source of amusement to himself.

"Tell me, Arthur. Is she at least cute?" He glanced wryly at the young American, grinning a man's devilish grin.

"We're not even friends. Just classmates, Himura." Arthur scoffed, annoyed at the suggestion Himura put forth.

"Ah, ah, ah! But that's always how it starts, Arthur! First an admirer from afar…. And then? You got movies, sea-side walks, cuddling on couches, heheh…"

"Are you done?" Arthur deadpanned, his voice slowly growing more agitated as the seconds dragged on. The sudden hostility took Himura off guard, as he quickly quieted down. Himura's laughter died away from a genuine chuckle to an awkward giggle. With a small clearing of his throat, he just kept his eyes on the road, deciding it best to no further antagonize the grumpy teen.

This lasted until they got to Shujin, from where Arthur silently stepped out of the car.

"Hey. Kid, don't forget it's gonna rain today. I won't be able to pick you up, either, so stay dry." Himura told him, to which Arthur nodded.

"I'll try, Himura."

Himura then smiled, rolling his window up. Arthur watched, glimpsing Himura preparing to get back on the road. But an inkling of guilt popped into his mind, and he quickly stopped Himura.

"Himura!" He stopped him, giving Himura pause as he slowed the window. Himura glanced over at him, a brow arched in confusion. "Sorry.. About earlier..… I just had a bad night is all…" Arthur told him, doing his best to conjure up a weary smile. But Himura wasted no time in returning that gesture of kindness, chuckling and waving Arthur off.

"Hey, no worries Arthur. We all have our bad days. Just keep it under wraps, this day'll go by quick! I promise!" Himura responded, chuckling as he rolled the window up. "Have a good one, and be careful on the way home!"

Arthur nodded, placing his hands in his pockets as the car slowly pulled away from the curb. He shook his head with timid resignation. Himura's childish tendencies, tiresome they may be, are becoming something of an accepted norm that he is witnessing in his life here. So much so, in fact, that it almost makes him forget that he witnessed a barbaric rage that he could never have pictured Himura flying into.

The mere thought gave him cause to shiver, and slowly he turned around.

Students were already streaming into school down the lone alley.

And Arthur braced himself for the day he was about to have.

---

"Williams looked horrible today."

"Looks like he was up all night."

"Did you hear, though? He got into a fight yesterday…"

"Huh? A fight?"

"Yeah, well. More like he was picking on a girl smaller than him. Makes sense he stayed up, being guilty and all."

"Uncool."

"I know, right?! I heard it from Edamura-senpai…"

---

The school seemed unusually quiet today, even more so than usual with Arthur's presence. Students avoided him, avoided eye contact, avoided any provocation. This was not lost upon Arthur, who noticed the sudden pitch quiet that prevailed whenever he entered the stairwell or hallways. Some would quickly vacate the premises to avoid Arthur's presence, some just turned away, pretending that Arthur wasn't there to begin with at all.

While somewhat odd to Arthur, who was used to whispers and gossip, he was not ungrateful to feel like background scenery. It was a long-awaited feeling, a feeling that had been absent for weeks, nearly a month now.

To add to the growing sense of selective isolation, even the teachers seemed to be wary of him for a distinct change. That was the part that put him on a narrow edge.

But Arthur ignored everything, just as he had before. This day, in his eyes, would ultimately be no different. Yet, without Ichisake being there to accompany him, he had a feeling this day would be a long one indeed.

Rolling his shoulder back and his eyes forward, he progressed towards the courtyard as best as he could. He avoided eye contact with everyone else, just as they did for him. Eventually he found himself in the courtyard of the school. He ignored his locker, having no need to visit it as he was left without his duffel bag.

A bag he lost in the downpour of yesterday afternoon, having fled from a phenomenon that he ultimately believed to be a result of a rapidly decaying mind.

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle. They say ignorance is bliss, but for Arthur, it's the exact opposite at times.
"It isn't folly to be wise… Sometimes with wisdom comes the feeling of bliss…"

Eyeing his surroundings, he noticed few students around. The exact result he expected with his arrival, but with a brief glance to the steadily darkening sky above, he had a distinct feeling he was not the cause of the vacancy. Satisfied with the quiet he had found, he completely embraced the blissful feeling of his own languid solitude.

Immediately to his right was a small alcove, a common hangout area among the students of Shujin - something that Arthur had progressively noticed over his time here. It was empty, vacant as was the usual with this area of the school these gloomy days. He stepped inside, noting the rather empty vending machines which told him someone had bought everything out rather quickly.

Odd, considering yesterday they were full of various sodas and teas.

Arthur sighed, slowly taking a seat by the corner and resting a hand on his forehead.

"I need to get a new pair of glasses…" He grunted, a noticeable pinching pain burning in his eyes. "Can't keep doing this much longer…"

His phone suddenly buzzed, catching his attention as the increasingly-familiar note of continuous agony faded with the new distraction.

A text from Ichisake.

Opening the message, he read silently the fond words from his dear friend.

"Heyooo! Just checkin on ya. Didn't respond 2 my text so i thot i would check up. Doing alright?"

Arthur smiled. Ichisake's style of texting was a refreshment in his eyes.

"Yeah, I am. How's Inaba?"

He clicked send, and the phone ticked as the text entered the digital highway. Moments passed before he got a response.

"OK I spose. Small town compared 2 Tokyo. Interesting people here, though. Lotta cops around 2"

"Cops? Reminds me of Shibuya the other day…"

"Yeh, spose. But idk. I talked 2 a gas station attendant the other day… He said a police detective had been murdered not 2 long ago… A manhunt is underway"

Arthur's brows rose to the news, and he wasted no time in responding. An investigation being absolute kibble to his mind.

"Yikes. They know who did it?"

"Idk. But the coppers have checkpoints set up going in n out. It seems they r serious about catching the killer. We wer stopped and searched on our way in"

Arthur shook his head. How bad was the murder that they had to put the city under basically martial law, Arthur wondered. He tapped away on his phone again, his interest piqued. However, he didn't want the conversation to be just about a criminal manhunt. School would begin any minute now, after all.

"Sounds like they're serious alright. What are you doing now?"

"Just getting ready 4 a visit with grandma"

Arthur then frowned upon reading those words. Was Ichisake's grandmother ill? Or worse?

"Ah. Hope all is well with her, then."

Arthur sent the text, unsure of what else to say. It felt slightly rude to himself how he put it, but there was really nothing else to say. He didn't know her, and Ichisake rarely spoke of her. Considering he went, however, he must've held her to some regard.

"What the hell did you do?"

Arthur jumped, the quiet of the courtyard suddenly interrupted by a seemingly random, yet slightly familiar, voice. Arthur raised his head, sharply eyeing the direction he thought he heard the voice come from. "Huh?" Arthur had hummed.

"Seriously. The school's up in arms over you right now and you still come to school?" The feminine voice had said, surprising Arthur even further. "You Americans must be born with balls of steel."

Eyeing the girl up and down, however, Arthur couldn't recognize the girl. She was wearing a grey jacket that looked slightly too big for her, with her hood drawn up over her face. Many zippers lined the arms and gut of the jacket, with a Shujin skirt over some grey, thick-looking sweatpants.

She looked ready for the rain to come.

"Uh, what?"

"And what happened to you? You actually look terrible, today." She added, casually striding forth as if she and Arthur knew each other. "Normally you look like you take care of yourself. Prim and proper, always. You need a shave, especially."

Arthur tapped his chin, feeling the growing beard that dominated his face. "Uh…"

The girl leisurely strutted over by the vending machines, hands in her jacket pockets, before slowly and casually leaning her shoulder on the glass and glancing over at Arthur, her face remaining hidden underneath the grey hood. "I mean, I'm not one to really talk crap. But you honestly look like the definition of shit…"

"Do I know you?" Arthur defensively asked, ignoring the buzz in his hands.

"Ah, I suppose we haven't talked in a good bit…" She shook her head, a brazen annoyance defining her voice. "Hard to believe you don't recognize me though." She added, leaning off of the vending machine with a small shove of her shoulder. Arthur just looked at her, shrugging his shoulders back as he watched and listened in confusion. With this confirmation, she sighed and wasted no time in flipping her hood back, surprising Arthur with her identity.

"Oh…" Arthur hummed, relaxing in his seat as the young woman looked at him, a concerned gaze dominating her eye. "I honestly didn't expect you to be recycled back into the mix, really…"

The young woman was Kae. Kae Wakaizumi. The young, ponytailed third year.

"Excuse me?" She asked, not understanding at all the euphemism.

Arthur chuckled, the western figures of speech being an all too common a phrase in his tongue. "Don't worry about it." He told her, setting his phone aside as she approached him. "Now, what's this about?"

"I'm just gonna be blunt, Williams-kun." She stated, standing over him with a judgemental eye. "You seemed like a nice guy, you don't really go out of your way to bother people, but this latest rumor takes the cake. Did you do it?" She asked without missing a single beat. Arthur, however, just looked up at her, leaning forward with an elbow on his knee and confusion in his eyes.

"Do what?" He asked, unsure of what she was referring to.

"You haven't heard?" She asked in return, arching a brow at his perceived ignorance. Arthur just opened a hand in her direction, with wide eyes and a small shrug indicating that he indeed didn't understand. Kae cocked her head, the ponytail peeking over her shoulder all the while before she sighed. "Williams-kun… Everyone's talking about how you assaulted Okumura-san yesterday afternoon…"

Arthur just looked at her, the revelation striking him like a boxing glove.

"What?!" Arthur asked, his tone betraying an extreme aggravation. "Goddamn… Who comes up with this shit?!" He asked her.

"I couldn't tell you." She said, taking a seat on the bench next to him. "You didn't do it, though, did you?" She asked him, her voice going deeper and quieter, as if to avoid detection by the other students. Arthur just glanced over at her, meeting her eyes with his.

"Do I seem like a violent person to you?" Arthur asked her in turn, his voice just as deep and serious. "Have I ever, in my entire time at this school, threatened to harm another person? Have I ever risen my voice at another student, even when I should have? Have I ever even gotten angry at someone else here, despite all the constant jeering and whispering - and yes, I have noticed, it's impossible not to - going on all around me every time I turn a corner in this school? Tell me, am I some comic book Gaijin villain to you? To all of you?"

Kae kept quiet, and instead just watched the young American as he bombarded her with questions. When he finished, he motioned for her to answer. She remained silent.

"I guess I have my answer." Arthur sat back in his seat, rubbing his temples softly. A mild headache was beginning to form.

"Aside from the rumors I've heard, I've never really seen you get angry or violent." She responded. "But I'm not surprised people have that idea of you. Quiet people are the ones often misunderstood and feared." She added, crossing her legs and placing her hands back into her jacket pockets.

"Bullshit…" Arthur frustratingly murmured.

"It doesn't help the rumors that you showed up to school like you were up all night, either. What the hell happened to you?"

"Nightmares. Let's just leave it at that." Arthur lowered his hands to his sides, looking up to the overhang with his eyes closed.

"Oh…" Kae responded with a nod of her head. "Well, I was-"

"Who came up with that rumor?" Arthur asked behind his closed eyes. "Who is making this shit up? I'm honestly getting tired of this."

Kae looked at him, surprised by the hostility he was showing. They may not have had many interactions prior, but Kae had seen it first hand that violence was not in Arthur's nature.

At least, in her eyes, not what he had shown her back at the park.

She kept silent for a few moments, debating on how to respond. She didn't truly know who was at fault for the parasitic rumors spreading around Arthur, and she wasn't sure how to even tell him such. Instead, she just sank into one of the open seats.

Arthur noticed and shifted his eyes over to her. For a moment, their eyes met. She could feel hostility, and he could feel a growing reluctance.

"You don't know?" Arthur asked her, his voice beginning to sound ragged and tired.

"If I did know, what would you do if I told you?" She countered him, eager to learn what his resolution would be to such a social calamity. Arthur groaned, resting his head back on the concrete wall behind them.

"I don't know?" Arthur grunted. "Maybe confront them and work something out? Or probably nothing? It's how I usually handle these situations..." He answered her, somewhat unsure even of his own words. Afterwards he quickly put a hand over his eyes, frustration blooming in his mind. "God! This is so frustrating… Everywhere I go… Just rumors and hostility… God, it doesn't change!" He groaned through his teeth, to which Kae only quietly nodded.

"Students are vicious…" She added to his ire. "But let me tell you something from personal experience: You're better off just dealing with it and moving on."

"Huh? What?" Arthur hummed, lowering his hand to look at her directly.

She sighed, shaking her head before turning to face him. "Confronting these issues only makes them worse here. The school doesn't care about your problems. You're just a media sensation to them. Whether or not you succeed or fail, whether you're harmed or not, the fact you're here is a huge boost in public support of the school. They don't care. The principal doesn't care. We all learned that with the whole Kamoshida B.S." She narrowed her eyes, almost glaring at Arthur completely. Arthur froze up, and opted to simply listen to her. "If you confront them directly, you're a dead man. The school will not hesitate to remove you from the playing field. That transfer student stood up to Kamoshida, and nearly got expelled. Alongside that blond thug, Sakamoto. Some people say they threatened the rapist bastard with physical violence, and that's why he confessed."

Arthur didn't say a thing. He couldn't. This young woman, this stranger to him, Kae, spoke with a seemingly deep conviction in her voice. A certainty. Despite the fact she was being brusque, a quality he would've never associated with her considering his own past - if few - interactions with her, he could feel indeed that she was speaking nothing but the truth.

With that knowledge in mind, something told Arthur she spoke from direct experience.

A kindness she was offering, imparting her own wisdom onto him. Even if she was being rough with it.

As he pondered on her words, something gave him pause. A moment of conscious confoundment. The mention of Ren quickly gave way to surprise, the idea that he and another student - this Sakamoto - were direct contributors to Kamoshida's sudden "change of heart". He blinked, unsure of what to make of the revelation.

"I thought the Phantom Thieves had something to do with his confession?" Arthur asked her, surprised slightly to hear of an alternate version. Kae rolled her eyes, as if she didn't even know what to believe anymore.

"That's the idea floating around everywhere in the school now. At least with most students…" They both heard nearby. "At first, many were just skeptical. But then Madarame? That's how believers are formed."

"Huh..?" Kae hummed, looking to the source. Arthur mirrored her, narrowing his brows as he realized exactly who it was.

"I've seen the website myself. It doesn't just stop at Kamoshida or Madarame. People have been posting their problems, stalkers and bullies, and suddenly the next day those exact people grow a conscious…" They further added, sighing with a slight smile. "An abstract thought, to be sure… But interesting regardless, wouldn't you agree, Williams-san?"

"Niijima-san…." Arthur murmured, righting his posture in the presence of his so-called "enemy". She was in a different outfit to that of her usual attire as well, today, to account for the coming weather. Her Shujin skirt displayed proudly atop her usual leggings, but over her summer shirt, she instead wore a Shujin-approved zipper hoodie with the school's logo and grade embroidered over the heart.

"Wakaizumi-san, a pleasure to see you." Makoto said. She was leaning against the concrete wall at the entrance to the alcove. She seemingly had walked in on them without being noticed, and she seemed amused. Arms and ankles crossed, she then nodded at Arthur. "Williams-kun."

"Niijima-san… Good morning." Kae offered her a slight, respectful bow. More of a nod of her head, really.

"How long were you standing there?" Arthur asked, defensively crossing his arms as well.

"I just got here. I was hoping I'd catch you before class started, but it seems a friend of yours had beaten me here." Makoto admitted, scratching her chin as she looked in between the two. "You two look like you have gotten close."

"I barely know her." Arthur said, to which Kae agreed.

"We could hardly be called friends, but Williams-kun isn't so bad once you get to know him." She said, her personality quickly changing from serious to a friendly, submissive facade. Arthur blinked, noticing the sudden change in her behavior.

Makoto huffed. "Well, Wakaizumi-san does offer some decent and unique insight, as someone with experience…" Makoto admitted, indicating she had heard that part. "But you should know that you never have to keep things a secret, Williams-san. My ears are always open to the woes of my peers, as student council president. If something's troubling you, the council office is where I'm at in the mornings…"

"And yet you're here, now." Arthur murmured lowly, shaking his head.

"Quite." Makoto admitted, eyeing Arthur with a grim look. Whether it was genuine or simply all an act, Arthur couldn't surmise. "Hearing all these unfortunate rumors about Okumura-san and the difficulties she seemingly faced yesterday at your hands… Well.. It troubled me to no end."

"On that subject, you and I agree, Niijima-san." Arthur uncrossed his arms, catching Makoto off guard.

"Oh?" Makoto hummed, going wide eyed and blinking as the words left Arthur's mouth. "Are you saying you had nothing to do with this supposed assault that took place?"

Arthur, with conviction dripping from his eyes, shook his head. "No. No such attack took place. I honestly don't get why people feel the need to spread these goddamn parasitic rumors." Arthur rubbed his eyes, annoyance triggering slight pinches of pain. "Who-who even is Okumura-san, anyways? Do I know him?"

"Her..." Kae corrected him. "But I wouldn't be surprised if you, of all people, didn't know her. She tends to keep to herself."

"Yes, she does." Makoto interjected, as if even she was disappointed with the fact. "But either way, I'm pleased to know you had nothing to do with it. Although there is a witness to what went down. It's too bad he's not here today, though, to corroborate your story."

"A witness, huh?" Arthur grumbled. Makoto's high-and-mighty tone and condescending attitude was really starting to get on his nerves.

"Moreover, I noticed you haven't been hanging around Amamiya-kun as of late. What? Did you two have a falling out?" Makoto asked, arching a brow towards Arthur. "Or maybe you both are distancing yourselves from one another for a reason… Maybe to cast away public suspicion? Perhaps…" She leaned forward off the wall, pivoting in Arthur's direction with a calm sway in her step. Slowly, she approached him, staring directly into his eyes as if she was searching for something.

Kae just watched, personally noting the hostility she was suddenly showing Arthur. She slowly slid further away from Arthur as Makoto approached him, getting uncomfortable with the silence that suddenly dominated the air.

A silence that was temporarily broken by a far off thunderclap.

Makoto stopped, just a mere few feet from Arthur before she leaned forward, watching his eyes closely for any movement. Any tell-tale signs of warranted suspicion. Arthur maintained the rather uncomfortable eye contact, not allowing himself to feel intimidated by her. He knew what she was doing, for what reason he didn't have a clue, but he knew that he had to be careful. Igor had claimed she was on the same level of intelligence as him, but he also said she was reckless.

It certainly showed. She was obviously not adept at the game of subtlety.

"...you both are collaborators?" She quietly asked him, cocking her head and glaring deep into his soul.

Arthur didn't blink, he merely kept quiet and she watched him. He let his eyes do the work, all the while Kae watched in uncomfortable silence.

After a few moments of the intense staredown, Arthur - having believed enough that his eyes haven't betrayed him - spoke. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

Makoto lingered her gaze a moment, watching. Waiting. But whatever it was she was looking for, it never came. Never showed itself. She, to her sudden realization, seemed to have been simply making an utter fool of herself. She huffed, narrowing her eyes as she spoke quietly. "You're either an adept at lying. Or you believe it yourself…"

The bell began to ring, indicating the beginning of class.

Makoto, re-aligning herself and dropping her glare, turned away from the two in a move to break the staredown. "No matter. I have other places I have to be, anyways." She said, taking a few steps forward before stopping herself. With a glance over her shoulder, she added "Get to class on time, you two. I'll see you in homeroom."

Arthur nodded, as did Kae.

With that said, Makoto quietly, and calmly, exited the alcove, and was soon out of sight of both of the students.

"Oh….Kay…" Kae said, warily glancing between Arthur and where Makoto had left. "That was weird. Not gonna lie."

"She's been on my case a lot lately." Arthur sighed as he stood up. "But it's neither here nor there. You should probably get going. Anyone sees you with me, they're gonna rope you in the rumors."

"I'm no stranger to that, Williams-kun." Kae responded as she stood up, stretching her legs as she added "You should worry more about yourself. Some of the boys in this school think with their heart rather than their head. If you're caught alone by them, and they believe you attacked Okumura-san… You're a dead man."

"I can handle myself, believe you me." Arthur chuckled, daftly waving off her concerns. "But I do appreciate the word-in."

Kae nodded, understanding that Arthur knew himself far better than she did. Or ever could. She understood perfectly well that she wasn't even in his friend group, and thus she had no more room to wiggle. If he said he'd be fine, she simply had to accept his word and move on. After popping her shoulders, she placed her hands back in her jacket pockets. Looking at Arthur, she said "Well… Take care, Williams-kun."

Arthur wished her the same, and soon Arthur stood alone in the alcove.

Another distant thunderclap sounding off, Arthur sighed.

"What a day this is gonna be…"

Arthur then hummed as he remembered his phone had buzzed one last time prior to engaging with Kae. Pulling up his phone, he quietly read the final text from Ichisake.

"GTG dude, try not to get in any trouble OK XP"

---

The day progressed very slowly for Arthur, more so than usual.

Behind his back there were various whispers; malicious glares from other passing students, most of whom he could barely put a name to, let alone remember, and even a general look of disdain from some teachers themselves, too. Hypocritical rumblings and ugly words, and very few saw fit to even glance in Arthur's direction. Lunch was a quiet time for him as well, as many students opted to eat elsewhere than in the same room as him. Arthur didn't mind, however. It gave him more peace of mind, and allowed his own research to flourish unimpeded.

Research and thought into the Phantom Thieves.

However, his private investigation yielded little results. Nothing he wasn't already aware of.

The research began to get so stale in the day that he started to wonder what exactly his next step would be.

But then a thought hit him like a freight train.

A thought he would ponder on for the remainder of his day, although he had no substantial evidence to otherwise add credence to a glimmer of a theory he had.

A theory that involved Ann directly.

It was this theory itself that, when Ann had waved at him with a rather giddy and welcoming smile on her face during lunch, he simply chose to wave back with a lame grin and not accept the invitation. She seemingly looked disappointed, but didn't press the matter.

He did, however, throughout the day catch glimpses of Makoto wandering about. Wherever he was, she seemed to not be far off. Sometimes loitering by a locker or seemingly gazing out a window or, at times, just looking at her phone. In other instances she seemed to be reading a manga comic or a novel of some sorts, casually walking through the hallways without paying a single attention to her surroundings. At first, Arthur thought it to be amusing. It was typically said by other students, the few that bothered to talk about anything else when they weren't generally aware of his presence, that she was a huge bookworm, but Arthur wasn't one to pay credence to rumors himself. After all, he was the constant subject of many of them.

But eventually, he began to realize that no matter where he went. From class to class, lunch and the restroom, she seemed to always be in the same hallway. Somewhere, doing something unremarkable.

He had, by the time lunch ended, the decent feeling he was being stalked. But he shared lunch with Ren, Ann, and the blond that he had come to know as "Sakamoto". He didn't join them, as the rumors swelling around him were reaching a critical boiling point. He didn't wish for it to envelop them any further. With that in mind, he was somewhat glad Ichisake had elsewhere to be in life for the time being, as these rumors would surely no doubt drown him as well.

One thing he did notice was that after lunch, Makoto was nowhere to be seen for the rest of the day. Aside from the last few classes, the final one being taught by Mr. Sakutaro as per the usual, Arthur caught nary a glimpse of her.

In fact, one odd thing he noticed was that when he chose to sit away from Ren and Ann, Makoto had chosen to sit closer to them. Eyeing them suspiciously while pretending to read literature during her lunch period.

When they departed, she lingered for a few moments - perhaps to see if Arthur would leave to join them - before quietly disposing of her trash and pursuing.

Leaving Arthur alone for the rest of the day.

Arthur watched her closely as she left the cafeteria.

And a brow rose as he observed.

Makoto, his proclaimed enemy by Igor, heavily invested in learning as much as she could about Ren. Even going so far as to interrogate Arthur through her own means. Leaving just as Ann and Ren did, and not so nonchalantly pursuing. Arthur hummed, tapping a finger on his chin in deep thought.

"She pursues the Phantom Thieves, and to that end, she looks for information on Ren…" Arthur thought. Tapping further on his chin, he lowered his gaze to the table he sat at. Just then, another thought hit him, and he frowned as he came to a small realization. "This morning was another attempt, of that there was no doubt. A more subtle, if aggressive, attempt to try and catch me in a slip-up… But a slip-up about what…?"

"Hey, the bell rang! Get to class!" Arthur got jostled by the lunch lady.

"Uh.." Arthur hummed, shooting his wary eyes across the large room to the staff member. "Right! Right… Apologies, ma'am." Arthur offered her a slight bow before quickly standing up, gathering and disposing of his garbage, and swiftly, quietly departing.

When Arthur found himself in the hallway, he couldn't help himself but take a glance around. Weaving his eyes through the crowd, attempting to spot those he knew from amidst the voices of students and staff, through the people of varying heights and looks. But his targets of interest were nowhere to be seen.

And Arthur huffed, placing a hand in his pocket as he began a slow walk to his class. Unlike most of his peers, he wasn't one to stop and chat with others. Not with friends - what few there were to be had - and not with staff. He always thought it annoying when a group of students would block a whole corridor just because they wanted to stop and chat, but that almost didn't seem like it carried over here. Not entirely, at least.

He didn't outwardly question it, as he was glad it didn't seem to be as common of an occurrence here as it was back in the schools of the home country.

When he arrived at his classroom's hallway, he stopped himself, noticing Makoto standing idly by the door to their class. She appeared to be rather oblivious to his presence, seemingly reading the same manga as the one he noticed her carrying around earlier. During her stalking.

"Creepy…"

He shook his head, reminding himself that eccentricity was not a cause to hate someone and stepped forward in an attempt to pass her and enter the classroom. There was no real hurry, but Arthur wasn't one to tarry about when he had somewhere to be. But he promptly stopped himself when he spotted more familiar faces further down the hallway.

Ren and Ann, chatting idly by the bathroom at the far end of the corridor. Their blond friend, Sakamoto, seemingly absent from the equation. Arthur darted his eyes between Makoto and the duo, before coming to a quick realization that she was still stalking them.

"Hmph." Arthur huffed, crossing his arms as he shook his head. Looking up at the two friends, it appeared that they had not yet noticed their pursuer, as Ann seemed to be giggling at something that Ren had said.

Then he saw Ren's cat pop over his shoulder, opening its own mouth as if it had an actual voice in the conversation.

Then, curiously enough, Ren began chuckling as well, while Ann swiftly joined him in their cascading display of merriment before they both started acting as if the cat had an active participation. Even going so far as to look at the creature and speak with it, to which it would return a visible meow. Arthur scrunched his eyes up, developing a quick and reasonable sense of personal confusion.

"Odd…" Arthur murmured as he observed a conversation that seemingly included a cat's opinion.

He then shot his eyes back at Makoto, who had not yet noticed the American. A thought came to his mind, and he pressed a hand to his scraggly chin in thought. "She seeks the Phantom Thieves, as Igor once said… She stalks Ren under, what I can only assume is the case, a suspicion of affiliation with the Phantom Thieves themselves…" He stopped himself, humming as glanced over at Ann. He remembers, although he never picked up on them initially, behaviors that seemed out of place for a girl like her whenever the Phantom Thieves were mentioned.

She would defend them and their actions, like the time Ichisake and Arthur shared a lunch period with her and questioned the validity of their existence. She would voice her belief in them and affirm that they were right, even if their methods were also rather dubious to the skeptical mind.

That was even after declaring she didn't dabble in the occult.

When the change of heart Madarame received was executed, Ann seemingly - despite being in a not so grand mood prior - changed her whole outlook on the day and maintained a smile about her that both warmed Arthur's heart and even made him smile.

But one thing stood out to him, and it was something he's been thinking on the whole day since his arrival at school.

When Madarame had a change of heart, she said: "Something amazing just happened.".

Arthur had noticed at the time, but didn't ponder too much on it. They were having fun. He had decided at the time to not make a big deal of it.

But those words, at that scene, with the context surrounding it all, never left his mind.

Arthur had concluded quickly that she was referring to the change of heart.

But what Arthur couldn't figure out was why it was good for her...

Why she thought it was amazing...

Why she even cared to begin with, as a self-declared disbeliever of the occult.

Arthur sighed, and then suddenly felt a warm sensation bubbling within him.

He, without a second thought, cast a suddenly surprised eye around, realizing he was standing in the middle of the hallway, blocking all from continuing forward. Multiple annoyed glances were on him, and sheepishly he inched to the side, allowing the students who could not pass him through. "Uh, sorry…" He offered the passing students, scratching the back of his head with a light blush on his cheeks.

None of them even offered an acceptance of his apology.

He sighed, looking down the corridor towards the objects of his interest, and shook his head. "The Phantom Thieves…. Ann…" He played the words in his mind. Over and over.

As he had been the whole day.

Then, as if on cue, a thought hit him. More of an idea born of curiosity than any real suspicion. He pulled out his phone as he reminded himself that Ann had given him her number some time ago, but aside from a few texts here and there they barely talked to each other through that method. With a brief glance up at Makoto, he decided he could use her presence to his advantage.

He would alert them to their pursuer, and their actions would determine if his theory was correct.

He knew Ren was an intelligent student. Intelligent and aware. He had previously made mention that he was cognizant of Makoto's intel gathering, if not her stalking as well.

His logic then dictated this: If he made them aware, and they went their separate ways instead of just leaving together, then Makoto herself would be onto something.

And that also meant his theory would have credence, if anything at all.

He huffed, pulling up Ann's number and sending a brief text her way.

Tapping away, he kept an eye on Makoto to ensure that she remained unaware of his nearby presence. In truth, she seemed razor-focused upon the duo chatting before them, almost like she possessed tunnel vision. A dangerous trait to have for someone in the business of catching a group of so-called "Phantom Thieves".

"Ann, Niijima-san's watching you both right now. Really creepy... Don't get the beef, but just thought I'd warn you."

He gave a brief once over himself before sending it her way, ensuring that it held a decent balance of vague and informative. With a nod of affirmation he clicked send.

Gazing up, he watched and waited for the text to reach her. During his brief moment of idling, he witnessed a blond boy join them. The very same blond he had seen around Ren and Ann time and time again - a young man he never had the chance to actually meet - exiting the bathroom with a noticeable limp. He smiled, placing a hand on Ren's shoulder; an act of friendship Ren which, seemingly, didn't wish for as he brushed it off with a disgusted look.

Arthur frowned. "They must've been waiting for him."

Just then, Ann moved to shush them both as she reached into her pocket - her phone seemingly receiving his message. They watched as she read over his text, with the blond crossing his arms and muttering something that would be impossible for Arthur to even discern at his distance. After a few silent seconds, Ann looked up at them. Ren and the blond's face went dead, and they all nodded in unison after several seconds of what looked like quiet discussion.

Arthur narrowed his eyes, watching as the group spread out. Ann retreated into the women's restroom and the blond boy limped over to a locker where he pretended to fiddle with the lock.

Arthur had his doubts it was his, and he shook his head at the overt attempt to escape suspicion.

Ren took his leave as well, appearing as if he was preparing to head to class as well, with the cat receding into his duffel bag.

As Ren slowly passed by, Arthur decided it was best to not be caught up in a conversation at the moment, and promptly turned his back to the transfer student as if he were more personally interested in the daily ongoings of the mobile world that existed within his phone rather than the constant tangible displays of reciprocity which largely enveloped the familiar realm of the physical.

Ren didn't seem to notice the American's presence, as he ignored Arthur fully as he strolled by, hands in his pockets and wary eyes darting left and right.

All while Makoto watched, confusion taking hold of her.

Arthur's phone buzzed, with a message from Ann being indicated in his notifications. He opened it, and it read:

"Kk. Thanks."

Arthur ignored the text further, deciding it best to not engage.

But he did manage a glance over his shoulder at where Makoto had been.

She was gone too. Most likely having fled into class once Ren had escaped.

Arthur then huffed, turning back around once he felt safe enough to do so.

"Curiouser and curiouser…" Arthur said, slipping his phone back into a pocket as he glanced between Ann's hideout and the blond boy's obvious, and terrible, attempts at blending in. "Hrm…"

He crossed his arms, frowning deeply at the idea that his logic found fruit.

Not entirely a bad sign, to be sure. But one Arthur didn't fully appreciate in this context.

However, all the signs were beginning to line up. Her defensive nature towards the Phantom Thieves, her support for a topic she claimed to not dabble in, her apparent giddiness regarding Madarame's change of heart… And now this?

Arthur wasn't an idiot. If they had nothing to hide, why would they split up so suddenly? Why would they suddenly act indifferent to one another, departing each other's company without so much as a wave?

And what was up with speaking to the cat, of all things?

Furthermore, what did Ren have to do with it all?

"Ann…?" Arthur scratched his chin, thought deepening as he repeated the scenario over and over.

And over more, until the bell tolled for class to resume.

"Could...she…. Could she be…?"

---

The school day ended pretty quickly from there, with Arthur remaining quiet for what little time remained after.

Okumura, or Haru as Arthur had come to find out, had approached him at class' end with a bright and cheery smile on her face and a familiar object in hand.

"Oh, Williams-kun!" She called out to him, stopping him as he prepared to leave the classroom. Arthur, surprised by the unfamiliar voice that would even attempt to call him out, had turned to face her, quickly recognizing her from yesterday's encounter.

"Oh, it's you…" Arthur had started, momentarily shocked by her sudden presence. "You know my name…?"

"Of course!" She said, smiling brightly. "Everyone knows about you and who you are, after all."

Arthur squinted, finding her ability to smile at those words quite discomforting. "That's… not something to be happy about." Arthur told her, quite rather matter-of-factly. Looking around, he noticed nobody was paying attention to the two, as everyone appeared to be more concerned with going home. Even Makoto seemed preoccupied, as she spent her time talking with Mr. Sakutaro. "Uh, can I help you?" Arthur asked, somewhat certain no one would generally lump her in with some ill-talk.

"I just wanted to say thank you for yesterday. You were really kind to do what you did." She grinned at him, offering a polite bow as she then offered him what she held. "I also wanted to return this."

Arthur, despite his discomfort with the situation, managed a decent smile as he realized quickly she was returning his umbrella. "Oh!" He gasped, taking it from her hands slowly. "I-I didn't actually expect to get this back... "

He then paused, frowning as he glanced towards the windows of the classroom. Outside, in the dreariness of the norm, a small storm raged above the city. Rain assaulted the windows and battered the ground outside, soaking anyone unfortunate enough to be caught outdoors.

"Uh… You sure you don't need it…?" Arthur began with a slow uptake, unsure if he should even accept it back.

Okumura giggled lightly at his suggestion, shaking her head swiftly at the suggestion. "Oh, no no no… Don't sacrifice any more for me. I came prepared today! See!" She said, motioning to herself. Arthur glanced her over, and indeed, she seemed ready for the rain outside. She bore a thick yellow raincoat over her uniform, and it looked like it even had a hood to go with it. In one hand she also had a nice, pink bag that looked big enough to hold her schoolwork and more. "I'm more than capable of handling the rain today!"

"I...see that…" Arthur said, lowering the umbrella to his side as he squinted at her. One thing he noted with her so far was the complete difference in emotion from yesterday's dreary encounter. She seemed more upbeat, more pleasant. Indeed, she appeared to be quite rather happy.

It was a far cry from the vibes she was outwardly proclaiming the day prior.

"I would also, uh, like to apologize for my behavior yesterday. It was incredibly rude of me." She added, as if reading his mind.

Arthur, his eyes wide at the sudden admission of some form of guilt, cocked his head to the side. Confusion dominated his gaze. "Uh, apologize…? For what, exactly?"

"Oh!" She exclaimed, seemingly surprised by his ignorance. "For yesterday! You went out of your way to offer me help in the pouring rain when no one else would. I barely even acknowledged you, though. And for that, I humbly apologize." She said, her smile fading slightly as she spoke. Arthur couldn't help but chuckle, however, at the situation.

"It's fine. Honestly. No harm done." He offered her.

"I was simply scared. The boy all the recent gossip was about was there, talking and helping me… I was frightened, to be honest." She continued, ignoring his acceptance of her plea for forgiveness. "And now we have those horrid rumors that are claiming you hurt me. I've tried stamping them out on my end, but... they're just so persistent. Again, I am so, so sorry! Sorry for being rude and sorry for the trouble I've caused you! I know it has to be hard, what with-"

"It's fine. Seriously." Arthur stopped her, chuckling at her overpolite mindset. "You don't have to keep apologizing. Honestly, we're all good, you and me."

"But it's my fault you're in an even worse mess now, and I just feel so bad…" She said, placing a hand on her heart as her smile dropped even further.

"No, not at all. Luck of the draw, I suppose. But it's not your fault." Arthur told her. "I mean, don't feel the need to place blame on yourself. You did nothing wrong, honest." Arthur said, smiling at how sincere the warm feeling he was sensing from her felt. She truly seemed remorseful, yet it was over something completely out of her control. "Okumura-san, was it?" Arthur then asked, remembering the name from the rumors.

She nodded, but her frown persisted. It was clear that the guilt remained, but she didn't seem to want to pursue the matter anymore - if only for Arthur's benefit.

"Ah, well. You know my name. It's a pleasure." He reached out to shake her hand, to which she took almost willingly. There was still caution there, but Arthur sensed it was over something else instead of his notorious status.

From there, she introduced herself as Haru. Haru Okumura. Arthur gave his full name in turn, feeling honored to a degree that she was willing to impart hers upon him. But Arthur was the one who broke the conversation, claiming he had places to be and that itself seemed to upset Haru even further. Her smile drooped deeper, but she didn't voice whatever concerned her.

Haru would then quietly retreat into the unknown that was the public crowd - giving Arthur a promise that she would clear his name personally within the school's political system.

Arthur smiled and allowed her to do so, but he did not hold his breath. In his mind, what more could a young girl do in a matter that was rooted in untruths and governed by malicious hearts? But she was adamant that she'd try and fix the situation.

As she put it, it was all her fault to begin with. According to her, it seemed only fitting that she would be the one to fix it, as well as repay him for a kindness that is, unfortunately, so rare in society these days.

Arthur left the classroom from there, and it didn't take long for him to reach the school doors from where he could see the heavy, debilitating downpour assaulting the concrete ground and anyone unfortunate enough to be caught without an umbrella or even a hoodie. Students passed by him, turtling slowly into the rain with their umbrellas. Those who didn't seem to possess the former - and indeed a few who did - would take off running towards the station as quickly as their legs could carry them. Some, even, would linger by the entrance in the supplicant hope that the rain would calm down long enough for them to get to the station unscathed.

Then there were those who just shuffled on like faceless, emotionless zombies in a video game.

Arthur merely shook his head. Life moves on, as it were, with or without you. A moment like this, on a day like this, was enough to confirm such an idea to even the most stubborn of people.

Arthur unfolded his umbrella, but not before taking out his phone and checking for any messages that he might have missed during his remaining previous class periods.

He had none. None from Ichisake, and none from Himura. Especially none from his friends back in the home country. He shook his head, laughing silently at the meagre number of contacts he possessed. Ichisake and Himura both had always been chastising him for not going out enough and making friends, after all.

"Mmm… I should probably get Ren's number soon…" He mumbled under his breath, clicking out of the instant messaging app. Glancing to the upper corner, he suddenly noticed the low battery. "Oh…" He hummed in disappointment. He then prepared to shut the phone down to conserve what remained of the battery when it immediately buzzed in his hands, startling him so unexpectedly that it caught the attention of a few passing students.

Then, just like before, the wolfpack background progressively faded into complete obscurity, making way for a new one. A completely royal blue filler, with words slowly but steadily appearing before him in a beautifully designed font. He cocked his head, finding a frightening familiarity towards the visage.

"Salvation is a lie."

Just as he read those words once, twice, and even a third time, he felt a distinct shiver run down his spine, and he shot a gaze around him to see if anyone could spot his discomfort. But no one seemed aware. In fact, unlike last time, everything appeared to be all normal to Arthur. No stoppages of time. No unending sense of unease aside from the frightening feeling of deja vu. But most importantly, no otherworldly voice accompanying the declaration.

He shivered in place, and then glanced back at his phone - the brightness was steadily lowering in an attempt by the device to conserve battery power.

"What is this…?" Arthur asked, tapping a finger on the phone in a vain attempt to remove the visuals.

"Hey, Williams!" Arthur heard amidst the chaos of the thundering rain. Glancing up, Arthur could spot no one he recognized calling out to him.

"Huh…?" He hummed, momentarily forgetting the abnormality in his phone in favor of the unidentified voice.

Glancing around through the open door of the school, he eventually spied a gruff-looking man standing by the entrance to the school gates under a dark brown umbrella, looking dead on at Arthur with a grim and somehow strangely calm expression. The man didn't blink, he simply watched as Arthur watched him.

"Yeah, you. Only American in the crowd, doi!" The gruff man said, shaking his head at Arthur's reticence. "Come over here, I wanna talk to you fer a second." The man said, gesturing for Arthur to approach.

"...Odd…" Arthur commented, hesitating a moment as he watched the gruff-looking man. The man shifted his weight, tapping a foot impatiently as he observed the young American. Arthur, deciding it best to not ignore the fellow after noting his clothing, placed the phone back in his pocket as well as unfolding his umbrella to go meet the stranger. "Uh, e-excuse me… But can I help you?" Arthur called out to him, slowly approaching him through the downpour.

"Eh, it's more like can I help you…?" The guy said, raising his voice to be heard over the sounds of the rough pitter-patter on their umbrellas. "I'm here to take you home, kid."

Arthur squinted at him, surprised by the answer given. "H-Home?" Arthur echoed, unsure if he had heard him right. "I'm-I'm sorry, I don't-"

"You don't remember me, kid?" The guy chuckled lightly, raising the umbrella so Arthur could behold his eyes. "Gotta say, that's cold. Ya not commit handsome guys like me to memory?"

Arthur, confused, looked up at him but the face was, simply put, unrecognizable. The only distinguishable feature on the man was his five'o'clock shadow, hidden underneath the dirty visor of a ragged black and white truck cap. An older man, to be sure, with the brown eyes common to the people of this island nation, and with tufts of black hair peeking out from underneath his cap.

Arthur glanced down at the rest of the man, trying his best to figure out who he was. Indeed, there was a distinct familiarity with him. But it was a point Arthur couldn't lay a finger on. Brown combat boots, soaked with rainwater and stained the dirty rubbish of the disgusting streets and alleys. A black zip-up hoodie, almost useless with the umbrella in hand. A filthy, unassuming pair of blue jeans accompanied the otherwise vagabond-esque look. Arthur frowned, the uncouth cleanliness becoming a disgruntled visage in the young American's eyes.

He also noted, with a small glimmer in his vision, a blue and red gemmed ring on his right hand, clenched shut upon the umbrella handle. It almost looked like one of those fake organization support rings you could buy online, and no one would be none-the-wiser of its validity.

Arthur frowned. Although he did notice a familiarity with the man, he could not put a name to the face.

"I-I'm sorry, friend." Arthur said, nodding his head in an apologetic manner. "But I do not know you."

The man looked at him a brief moment before quietly chuckling under his breath. "Yer funny, kid. There's a reason I like American movies. Yer all so funny, hahah!" He obnoxiously cackled, making himself heard through the deafening storm. "Heheh… B-But I'm gettin' soaked here, kid! Why don't we relocate under something dry? Yeah?" The man shouted, pointing out a nearby overhang. Arthur followed his direction, nodding at the reasonable request.

Jogging through the wet rain, with the older man's combat boots making heavy splashes with each step he took, they quickly found themselves under the overhang. Out of mind of the other students who hurried through the deafening storm. The older man huffed, watching as the students passed by them. "Yer school is so out of the way. In a damn alley no less… Gah, it's annoying to be quite frank, y'know?" He scoffed, shaking his umbrella off.

Arthur ignored his soaked clothing as he found himself more interested in the man before him. "I-I'm sorry, but can you tell me who you are?" Arthur asked again, lowering his umbrella to the ground as he watched the older man with a curious eye. "How do you know my name?"

"Hmph." The man hummed, hooking the umbrella to his side as he pulled up his hood, concealing even his trucker cap underneath the thick shroud.. "Goddamn it's cold out…" He murmured. Looking at Arthur, he grinned oddly. "I'm a friend of yer guardian, Arinori-san. I'm surprised ya don't remember me, kid. But it's cool."

"A friend, huh?" Arthur echoed, finding the man's grin to be unassuring. "Yeah, sorry. Don't know you."

"Like I said, it's cool." The man crossed his arms, maintaining his grin as he looked over the emptying school. "Y'know, despite what I said, it looks like a quaint school. What? You class president? Ya look the type. Look very smart." He asked, glancing over briefly at Arthur with a nod of his head.

"No. Nothing of the sort." Arthur responded slowly and quietly. Although Arthur couldn't put a finger on it, something felt off about this man. Not only did he look familiar, but his smile was eerie -and a faint yet nasty smell of cigarette smoke emanated from his clothing. His teeth were yellowed, stained with the obvious past abuse of nicotine.

"Hmph. Shame. Ya seem the type." The man commented, shaking his head in what appeared like disapproval. He didn't hesitate to keep the conversation going, continuing without even pausing. "Well, at any rate, Arinori-san asked me to take ya home. My car's parked around the corner, kid." He turned towards Arthur, motioning with a tilt of his head where they had to go. But Arthur wasn't so sure.

"Himura…" Arthur slowly started, unsure of what to make of the idea. "...asked you to take me home?"

The man nodded, adding quickly that "The storm forced him to make a call, since he's busy doing his job money-managing or whatever." The guy said, physically waving off the title of Himura's profession. "I don't fuckin' know what he does. But he asked me to take ya home. So come on, before it gets worse." He motioned, grabbing the umbrella by his side and with a glance to the thinning crowd of students.

Arthur, with that whole explanation hanging in the air, just looked at him with unease towards the whole situation. The man returned his gaze, offering him a friendly, yet eerie-looking smile. "Uh-huh…" Arthur hummed, with an unsure hesitation in his voice. The man had noticed, and then turned to face Arthur fully.

"Where have I seen this man before…?" Arthur asked himself, looking up at the guy with narrowed eyes. "He is familiar… But why…?"

"Kid." The man said, approaching Arthur more closely. "If we're gonna get you home before the storm worsens, we gotta leave…" The man said, his tone lowering to an almost intimidating tone. Arthur 's eyes suddenly widened, instantly recognizing the tone before.

"This guy…" Arthur remembered, reminding himself of the encounter almost a week ago. "On my way back from the school clean-up… He was outside the apartment… He threatened me…" Arthur thought, remembering vividly both the encounter and this man as well. This brutish, thuggish looking man. "Himura was none too happy to have been told of his visit…"

"Vacate immediately…" A voice called out to Arthur, shocking him as he glanced around, attempting to discern its owner. "This man means a world of harm towards us. Vacate and flee!"

The man noticed the sudden look of warning dominating Arthur's expression, and placed a hand in his jacket pocket, advancing even closer on the young American.

"Kid, you alright?" He asked, cocking his head with an almost genuine worry on his face. "Ya look like you've seen a ghost…"

"I…" Arthur stammered, a sudden storm of primeval fear entering into his mind. "Whoever said that is right… I need to leave. Now!"

Arthur, ignoring the disembodied voice, slowly reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. In an attempt to give himself an excuse to leave, he glanced over it and acted as if he had just received a text. But much to his chagrin, he found that the battery had died only moments prior. "Damn!"

"Kid…" The man garnered his attention again, catching on to the bubbling sense of alarm in Arthur's character. "Let's go. So ya can get home before-"

"I-I'm sorry, sir." Arthur stammered, managing a fake and meek smile as he slid the phone back into its resting place, giving the man cause to tilt his head in interest. "B-but I don't know you. Himura never told me either that he would send someone. So, respectfully, I have to decline your offer of transporta-" Arthur attempted to inform him, even going so far as to bow mid-sentence in an effort to excuse himself even further. However, the man was having none of it, and instead only chuckled and shook his head, hushing Arthur swiftly.

"Keheheheh, k-kid. I don't think ya understand how this works." The man continued to snicker with a wicked grin, lifting up his hoodie to reveal a handgun tucked into his waist. "I said I'm taking ya home. So we're going."

Arthur froze, staring at the handgun with an impalpable, uneasy, and burning sense of unrepentant primordial fear. The man watched him, smiling with an open mouth as he watched Arthur almost quiver out of sheer terror. "Ahhh..." He groaned, amused at the American. "That shut up you…"

"Uh…" Arthur hummed, unsure of what to say.

"And here I thought…" The man lowered his hoodie's tail, grinning with vitriolic malice in his eyes and burning on his words. "...that you American were so used to the sight of guns… Guess I was wrong…"

"Yeah…" Arthur said, lowering his posture in a subconscious attempt to look less threatening.

"So…" The older man re-opened his umbrella, shaking his head and keeping his voice low. "What we're gonna do is go to my car. And I'm takin' ya home. OK?" The thug told him, to which Arthur said nothing initially. All the young American did was look at him, frightened beyond belief that he was being strong armed in such a way. The older man glanced over at him as he continued to mentally process his newfound situation, nodding at the boy's silence. "Ya can say something, y'know?"

"We have no choice… Listen to the satanic miscreant, and comply with his unholy demands, for now…" The disembodied voice called out once more to him, eliciting a surprised glance around from the young man."Thou must, for our survival…"

"Huh…?!" Arthur grunted again, unsure of where exactly the voice was coming from. He had noted a slight familiarity to it, but could not for the life of him figure out where it was originating. But even so he couldn't help but agree with the logic it presented to him. "Uh… R-right, right… Sure…" Arthur said, looking around in an attempt to spot anyone that could help him. However, the few students who remained on the grounds made no notice of the dangerous situation Arthur had now found himself in.

He couldn't even spot Makoto, whose presence he'd much rather prefer even now. He didn't really hate her, after all. But, as he thought it, an enemy was to never be trusted or befriended.

And at the very least, Makoto had never threatened him with a gun for information on Ren or the Phantom Thieves.

"Certainly would be an effective way to go about it…" Arthur thought, nodding towards the thug as he motioned for Arthur to get a move on.

"Well?" The man asked. To which Arthur responded by taking a silent, wary step forward. The man grabbed him suddenly, to which Arthur gasped immediately and with a veritable fright visible even in his eyes. The man leaned in close, whispering maliciously. "Say anything. Do anything. And you'll wish ya stayed in yankee doodle land, get me?"

Arthur gulped, nodding as the man chuckled. Patting Arthur on the shoulder, he swiftly let him go.

Arthur, raising his umbrella up above him, slowly began his march with the thug following close behind. Despite how cold it felt outside, Arthur could feel nothing but an instinctual bathe of fear and anxiety, topped with a warmth that coated him inside and out through his very being as he nervously strode forward down a set of stairs and through the school's alley to the streets beyond. The thug remained close behind the entire time, almost looking over his shoulder completely.

Each step Arthur took was a frightening one to say the least. His phone was dead; an armed individual who could at best be only accurately described as an obvious criminal continued to practically hover him with each passing motion; and no one seemed to be none-the-wiser about it.

"I have to do something. I have to think… I'm in a very, very bad situation…" Arthur's thoughts raced almost completely wild, as he understood the severity of the situation he found himself in; a kidnapping in every sense of the word. If he ran, he'd risk being shot. If he sought help, he risked both himself and an innocent. "Think Arthur, think… What can you do to signal your distress without alerting your kidnapper…?"

Just then it hit him. His ne'er-do-well friends back in the home country. Their street smarts was a concept they always offered him as they had often believed themselves that a "cushy intellectual bastard", as they often called Arthur, would never survive in the real world. They taught him many things. How to use a switchblade, how to hide himself in a crowd, and even one of them taught him how to speak basic Czech if the need ever came up.

Sometimes, they even took him into the woods of rural Washington and taught him how to fire weapons using firearms that one often stole from his parents.

One thing in particular that they taught him, something he never often thought about, was how to communicate to others the danger he was in without verbally voicing his situation.

"It could help… But will anyone pick up on it…?" Arthur asked himself. He blinked, and then quietly affirmed his decision. He knew he had no choice, and knew he had to act fast.

From there, as they moved off the alley and onto the main street of Aoyama-Itchome, he began glancing at passersby without saying a word. Trying to catch someone's attention. Anyone's, really. He blinked, coughed on occasion, and at one point even just stared at a random office worker. He tried everything he could think of, and dared not discriminate - he couldn't afford to.

Students, adults, even a uniformed cop, but, to his growing horror, it all yielded no favorable results. Everyone was in a hurry to get to their next destination, to the next step that would, ultimately, ensure the inevitable completion of their clockwork daily routine. All but Arthur and his unwanted companion. No one noticed a single thing wrong with the situation.

He even passed by one guy, a young Japanese man in a tan trench coat and fedora. A man who happened to be waiting out the storm underneath an awning in front of some business that Arthur hadn't caught the name of. Arthur managed to catch his eye, but the man just looked at him, raising a confused brow when Arthur caught him.

Even so they passed by him with no trouble. The man seemingly either ignoring or, potentially, not understanding the signals Arthur was giving off.

"Damn it all!"

Eventually, on the near speechless death march, Arthur would glance around - suddenly finding him and the thug alone on the sidewalk. Most, if not everyone, having already found themselves shelter in the storm. Arthur was soaked. The thug was soaked. Despite their umbrellas, they did little to hide both men from the fury above. Arthur silently huffed, frightened by the connotations of his situation and the end result if he couldn't figure out a solution.

And as they passed by an alley, only a block from the station, Arthur suddenly found two firm hands gripping onto his shoulders and a loud, surprised gasp escaping from his lungs as he found himself being violently thrown off balance and into the narrow concrete wasteland.

"Ah-ahh!" Arthur called out in sheer surprise, but his voice was drowned out by the rain. The thug grunted, releasing Arthur to stumble to the scum-soaked ground below them, out of sight and out of mind of the city. Both men dropped their umbrellas in the process, with the thug kicking his into the street and quickly jumping into the alley after the young American, soon finding himself promptly standing over Arthur like a ghoulish specter lost in modern times. "W-what the-" Arthur shouted, attempting to stand himself up.

"Let me help ya with that!" The thug shouted at him, spinning the American onto his back and quickly lifting him by his shirt collar. "Filthy American swine!"

"Wha-wha-" Arthur stammered, rain pelting the both of them as the thug lifted him to eye-view. The thug's face was a complete blur due to both rain and Arthur's far-sightedness.

"Not so tough now without yer knife, huh?!" The thug shouted, spitting past the driblets of rain cascading down his cheeks and lips. Almost as if the rain was beginning to envelop the one dry part of the man's body. Arthur spat back, hurling rain that was beginning to seep through his already messy hair and into his skin. "Ya think ya were tough, huh? Thought ya were untouchable?! Billy-badass? Huh?! Kaneshiro thinks otherwise, ya smartass!" The thug shouted at him. Arthur gulped, unsure of what was even going on.

"I-I don't know- Don't know what's going on! I-Agh!" Arthur stammered in an attempt to defend himself. The thug was having none of it. He quickly swung Arthur into the nearby wall, knocking every ounce of air out of the young man's lungs.

"Shut yer damn mouth, American!" The thug shouted, to which Arthur only wheezed out a response. He tried coughing, he tried spitting. However, he couldn't find the air to do so. Only a weak spat of dryness followed by a slow slide to the ground below was all that he could muster. "I don't care fer yer excuses!" The older man added, before quietly glancing around briefly. He then shook his head, crossing his arms. "I tried playin' nice, but I guess I gotta get my hands dirty…" The thug lowered his tone, taking a small step forward as Arthur attempted his best to recover.

Arthur tried to push himself onto his feet, even using his knees to try and balance himself. Yet, the noticeable absence of air in his lungs caused everything to become moot. Arthur coughed, wheezed, and struggled to stand up in an attempt to flee. But the fear he felt was condensing, almost petrifying.

The thug huffed, grabbing Arthur by the collar and lifting him to his feet. "Stand up, ya wimp. I've known guys to cut their fingers off and then go for sake afterwards…" He growled, to which Arthur simply blinked, unsure of how to respond. He only managed to cough and wheeze, until finally - ever so mercifully - an ounce of air managed to slip past and into his lungs.

With the ability to speak regained, Arthur choked out "You-"

The thug's ears perked up, interested to hear what Arthur had to say. "Huh, huh? What was that?" The thug murmured, glaring deep into Arthur's eyes. It seemed he was truly angry.

"You're… Yakuza…?" Arthur asked, surmising as much from what was said.

"Perceptive…" The thug grinned, nodding in approval before quickly pulling Arthur forward, only to slam him once more against the wall. Arthur shot a cry out, pain soaring through his back and reverberating through his bones. "Now perceive this, kid. Ya weren't the first one we were gonna go fer… Ya were just the easier one out of the two to reach. That Eguchi bitch was too hard to even follow…"

"Who…?" Arthur hacked out, the name unfamiliar to him.

"Ya seem like a nice kid, and I almost feel bad fer doing this." The thug ignored him. "Well, almost…"

"What...do you...want?" Arthur asked the man, to which the gangster just grinned with a shine in his eye that spoke nothing but malice and ill intentions. Arthur gulped, swallowing rain water that had burrowed into his mouth. "Please, just… let me go!" Arthur begged him, to which the thug simply chuckled.

"Hah! All bark and no bite!" The thug taunted him, cackling even further "Ya Americans are all the same. Gutless cowards who hide behind rifles and knives. But when ya don't have them? Pussies…"

Arthur just wriggled in place a moment, frightened beyond measure and even struggling to keep the shivering low. But it was a fight he long lost. Combined with the cold rain and the fear he had for his own life, he could do nothing but whimper as the thug held him at his mercy.

"Now listen closely, kid. I'm not gonna kill you. I don't have orders to." The thug told him quietly. "Yet."

"Yet?" Arthur struggled to repeat, to which the thug nodded eagerly.

"Haven't killed a kid, yet. So don't give me a reason to, yeah?" The thug said, pressing Arthur further against the wall to exacerbate his point. Arthur grunted as pain further dug into his spine, but didn't respond. The gangster took that as his cue to continue. "This is simply a warning. Kaneshiro wants his damn money, and he won't wait any longer! Arinori owes him big time. Tell him to come up with the money, or Kaneshiro will begin to take everythin' from him!"

"M-money…?"

"Yes! Money! Yen! Are ya double-digit IQ? Money, money, money!" The thug shouted at him, leaning in close. Close enough that Arthur could smell the rank breath of a smoker. "Tell Arinori he has until the end of June to give us the money…" He ordered Arthur, to which Arthur just nodded. But the thug wasn't done. Not yet. Leaning in closer, he spoke softly "Or else we will start reaping… You'll be first, kid."

Arthur couldn't help himself but grunt and gasp at the implication given. He whimpered a response, fear overtaking him at this point now. The thug smiled with a devil's grin, "We'll tear everything down in Arinori's life. He'll watch everythin' crumble before his eyes, and then? Well… Let's say concrete shoes don't feel too good on a person's feet… Or who knows? Maybe Kaneshiro will be merciful… Maybe a smith and wesson would be a better way to go out…? What do you think?"

Arthur didn't respond. Instead he frantically nodded. The rain pelting his face, the hard concrete wall was beginning to pressure him into shouting a painful cry. And the thug seemed to be enjoying the show well enough. But the gangster took the nod as a confirmation that he would do his bidding.

"Quivering in yer shoes, yeah?" The thug noted, noticing the frantic and axiomatic shivering and the shaking of Arthur's overall body. "Piss yer panties, already. Ya might calm down then."

"Hey, hey!" They heard nearby, to which the gangster quickly darted his eyes to the source. An immediate, fearful, and surprised look dominated his face as he beheld who caught him. "Put him down! Put him down now, asshole!"

Arthur didn't look. He was too scared, too frightened, too frozen inside his own shattered state to move. The thug grunted, and quickly looked back at Arthur with an evil glare. "Don't forget, kid." He told him, to which Arthur nodded once more. "Good." The gangster said before raising the young American higher against the wall. Bringing up a clenched fist, he spoke quietly and maliciously. "Nighty night, American."

A quick flash of silent light, and Arthur could see nothing but absolute darkness.

He could feel himself slump to the ground in a quick motion, with the sediment of the pavement digging into his exposed skin. The calamitous roar of the storm slowly went mute.

"Drop it!"

Sounds faded, light extinguished. Feeling vanishing, and consciousness retreating.

All Arthur heard in his last few moments of consciousness added more to the fear and anxiety he felt shelling him with explosive might.

Three cracks rang out in quick succession, and the distinct thump of something heavy collapsing right next to him.

---

Post-Chapter Author's Note

Edited by Frozen Foe and Kabuto S. Inferno.