The Mask Shatters
Chapter 18
"A brief moment of respite. Required after such a grand awakening. "
His eyes shot open.
And the ever familiar roof above his head was there to greet him.
Light shone through the crack in the window shade.
Shining brilliantly on all the cascading light from beyond the heavens touched.
It glinted off of his T.V., burning into his retinas as he took it all in. Forcing him to shut them in retaliation to its dazzling assault.
For a moment, he was dazed, and could only muster an exasperated groan as he struggled to move. Eventually, however, he gathered the strength needed to sit up in his bed and, after instinctively rubbing his eyes, he took a brief glance around, quickly realizing that he was now home.
And morning had just dawned over the city of Tokyo.
"Huh…?" He hummed curiously as he shot his gaze around the room, not quite sure how he got there. "How… Where… Huh…?"
His memories were frazzled.
And his mind felt exhausted.
As if his brain had just got done running a fifteen mile marathon all by itself without any aid or refreshments.
He brought his hands up to view, and saw that they were there.
Shaking, as if they had carried the weight of the entire world overnight.
"W-what…" He asked himself, unsure of what was wrong.
His body felt just as exhausted as his mind was. When he couldn't pull any memories of yesterday from even the deepest reaches of his consciousness, he finally realized just how enervated he truly was.
It was as if the Sandman had filled his veins with sand, not just his eyes. As if he had had one of his infamous breakdowns that was all too common back in the home country. As if he had gotten into a big fight, a downright brawl, really, and lost.
"No…" Arthur murmured, laying back down in his bed as he tried to recount what had transpired yesterday. "I… was in a fight… I'm sure of it."
Arthur then winced, a sharp pain making itself known and running the length of his arm, shocking his system wide awake. He sat back up, cowing in discomfort as he struggled to bring it up to view. Sure enough, what he saw was a large bruise running the length of his arm. Dark and blue, and sensitive to the touch.
"Oh…" He hummed as he brought a finger to the bruise, only to shy away as he brought it down, eliciting more than just a slight wince of misery. "Yeah… I was in a fight… Alright…"
"We were in more than just a fight, my dear fated Shogun." He heard a voice call from within his own mind, startling him briefly as he took a sharp look around - almost believing it to be Himura for a second. But as the initial fright left him, he realized that he was speaking with himself. "We have finally met."
Arthur stuttered, unsure of what to say, of what to do. He brought his hands up to view, and for a second he swore he saw the unmistakable sight of a dark glove over his right hand, but just as quickly as he beheld it, it was gone. Vanished. Disappeared without a trace.
And soon, a memory popped into his head.
One that both startled and bedazzled young Arthur.
A memory of a giant, white-clad samurai with an angelic, snow-white kami mask. A bloody blade in one hand, a standard of the Christian Cross in the other. Standing over him, blade hefted onto his shoulder, as he beheld a group of feminine-looking feline creatures.
Several shots rang out, fired off at Arthur. Fatal wounds they could've been, if not for the white-clad samurai and his banner. He lowered it before Arthur, taking the bullets for him. Absorbing them into his very being, before lashing out with his bloodied blade, cleaving the creatures - No - the Nekomatas in twain.
The white-clad being spoke with an Irish accent. One that seemed so familiar, reminiscent of Arthur's true accent.
He called out to Arthur, looking down at him from behind his eye slits, what Arthur assumed to be a mix of cockiness and bloodlust.
"I am the Champion of Japanese Catholiscm!" He had shouted, to which Arthur merely watched in amazement. To the awesome power he was witnessing. "SHIRO!"
And it was here that Arthur realized that that power was his own.
And he knew who was speaking to him.
"S-Shiro…?" Arthur asked himself, to which Shiro responded.
"Indeed. I am thou, and thou art I. I am overjoyed to see that you understand now…"
Arthur gripped his head, unsure if this is all just a mere dream. "What… What happened last night…? I-I can hardly remember…" He asked, to which Shiro chuckled silently, amused by Arthur's confusion.
"It is only natural that you have this reaction… Last night was a long and dreadful one, to be sure. But one of great importance in your life." Shiro stated, his own voice naturally reminiscent of Arthur's.
Arthur rolled over in his bed, clutching his pained arm, teeth grit tightly as he winced at the agitation. Shiro snickered deeply at this, amused by his amateur other-self.
"One that marks a new direction that will define where your life goes…. Forever…"
The day was a drag for the young American - quite literally.
From his bed to the gates of the academy, every second he endured immense pain and immense exhaustion that could only be described as sleepless. Not even a steaming cup of coffee nor a cold shower could kickstart Arthur's system.
Even worse for the miserable American, he had a limp. A noticeable one that even Himura had asked about, to which Arthur merely gave a nervous laugh and told him he had roughhoused with a friend, even gaining the nasty bruise on his arm as a token reward.
Miraculously, his guardian somehow bought that excuse.
Himura laughed, responding with a calm "Boys will be boys" before reiterating to Arthur as he left for school that he was to return home immediately once classes had ended.
Arthur nodded, and off he went.
Shiro, meanwhile, had informed Arthur of the events that led up to his return to the real world. Of the floating bank, of the inhuman security guards, the feminine Nekomatas, Kaneshiro, everything. Shiro jogged his memory as close to the present at he could, and even reminded him of Igor's parting words:
"The bank is the key. Your phone, the tool."
That alone piqued Arthur's interest.
"The Metaverse-Nav…" Arthur repeated to himself. "Did he mean a… navigation app?" He asked himself, thumbing through his phone as the train sped through the darkness of Tokyo's underground.
But the only apps he noticed were his usuals, the only difference in the norm being that weird app with the eye icon.
"Huh… Never did figure out when I installed this…"
"Now arriving at Aoyama-Itchome. The doors will open on the left…"
Arthur looked up, watching as the train slowed to a still halt. Students and adults alike standing up from their seats and crowding around the doors, waiting for the doors to slide open.
He huffed, visibly annoyed that it was time to depart.
"I guess I won't figure it out now…" He groaned rather miserably, forcing himself to stand up with a pained grunt escaping from between his labored breaths. "Let's get this started."
From there, he made his way to the school, avoiding the awkward gazes of students wondering to themselves and aloud both about his limp and his rather noticeable bruise.
"Look. He's limping, now…"
"Oh. He must've gotten into a fight."
"Or the mob got a hold of him again. "Which do you think is more likely?"
…and many more murmurs and whispers were on the tongues of these faceless zombies.
But Arthur ignored them all. He knew people would talk. Would whisper behind his back. But it didn't matter. At least, not at the moment. Arthur had come to be used to the rumors that plagued his arrival, and even with the defusal of the rumors prior to the ambush he suffered from, rumors would never cease.
Even a young, red-bow wearing girl stopped to look at him. A disconcerted, befuddled look plastered on her face. She tried to ask if he was alright, to which he responded with a fake smile and claimed "To have never been better."
She accepted this response, if barely.
He didn't know this girl, and he'd rather not have another unknown person worry over his wellbeing. He had enough people being worrywarts as it were and he felt it undeserved considering it was all, for intents and purposes, self inflicted.
Class was the same as it always was, with Mr. Sakutaro being his usual, cranky self - getting on the case of anyone that he perceived to be goofing off. Makoto oddly kept to herself in the back of the class, which was unusual since, at this point, they both tied for most questions answered in a single session. He paid her no mind though, and she in turn left him be - something that felt quite unfamiliar to young Arthur, but was no less appreciated. He didn't feel like dealing with her inquisitiveness today.
At one point during class, however, he couldn't help but wonder what Makoto had gotten up to last night that required such a hasty and swift response by Ren and the rest of his friends. She had even bowed to him, which was something he had never expected out of her.
After all, Ren was her enemy, was he not? Even Igor declared to Arthur that she had ill-intentions, and knew to be wary around her even now.
But he pushed those thoughts aside for the time being.
Instead, his mind subconsciously latched onto a recent development that was eminently far more worrisome to the young American than Makoto's sudden affair with Ren's merry-band of colorful personalities. Every so often, Arthur's eyes would drift to the seat that Ichisake Miyara often occupied, and wondered how he was getting on in Inaba. Yet, whenever he would glance at his phone, he would note that no text message had been received from Ichisake since his last.
It was unlike Ichisake to keep Arthur in the dark, and part of him was worried for that bipolar kid.
"I'll have to text him later… See what's up…"
When the bell finally rang for lunch, Arthur soon found himself in his usual alcove outside in the courtyard. Alone. The same alcove he had shared with Ichisake, Ann, and even Kae once before. With a tray in hand, he took a brief glance around the courtyard and noted just how empty it was. Usually, there were students lurking here and there. Sometimes the alcove would be taken, forcing Arthur to seek the cafeteria out once more, and other times it wouldn't and Arthur would take a seat and just enjoy the solitude.
But this time? The whole courtyard seemed to be devoid of its standard life.
It felt totally and completely as if he had it all to himself.
"Well… I suppose the forecast did call for rain in the afternoon…" Arthur remembered from his train ride. "I guess that means I have it to myself… What fun." He shrugged his shoulders, brushing it all aside as he took a seat to the nearest table.
Setting his tray down, he began to enjoy his lunch in his solitude, which consisted of fish sauteed in a shrimp sauce, with mixed vegetables on the side and even a soda he had purchased from the nearby vending machines. A veritable, delicious and somewhat nutritious meal that Arthur was no less happy to have, especially after the exhausting outing he had last night.
He was voracious, as he quickly realized.
Eventually, however, he caught himself mid meal glancing at his phone. Staring at the eye icon that buzzed and pulsated so heavily, so viciously, it seemed to almost grow as it drew his gaze. And his vision, as blurry as it was with such a close distance, seemed to burn as he stared at the art.
He didn't know where this app came from. He didn't ever remember installing it, and not even Shiro could pinpoint when he had received it. All he knew was that the app was as creepy as it was mysterious, much like the situation Arthur had now found himself in.
But no matter how long he stared at it, squinting to make out even the edges of the eye, one question remained almost unasked on his lips.
"Where did you come from…?" He asked himself, before a rogue thought crossed his mind. "No… Don't tell me…"
"Oh. You're here." A soft voice piped up from nearby, startling him as he jumped in place, nearly juggling his phone in between his hands.
"Who-Wha-!" Arthur gasped, catching his phone just as it nearly slipped out of his hands. This elicited a bright and sharp gasp from the newcomer, to whom Arthur turned to face with, at first, an upset glare before he realized who it was.
It was Haru Okumura, standing at the entrance to the alcove in her summer uniform.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry!" She very quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to startle you!" She said, a hand over her mouth to conceal her embarrassment.
His gaze softened, knowing full well she was being truthful. "No, no." Arthur waved off her apology. "I was just… lost in my thoughts is all… Err, what can I do for you?" He asked her as he pocketed his phone, the pulsating icon vanishing underneath a layer of pitch blackness.
"Oh, nothing in particular." She responded, lowering her hand to her side as she spoke. "I just came to check up on you. One of the teachers saw you head this way, so I followed…." She said, before approaching the railing and casting her soft gaze skywards to the steadily darkening clouds beyond the school grounds. "You know it's going to rain, correct?" She asked as she leaned forward, hands on the railing, in a vain, childish attempt to spot a glimmer of sunlight.
"Yeah, but there's an overhang." Arthur leaned back in his seat, idly watching her with a curious eye. Memories of the day he played the chivalrous knight entered his mind and, with a smug smile growing to dominate his expression, he asked "Did you remember to bring an umbrella today?"
The young girl managed a slight giggle, turning back to face Arthur as she pushed off of the railing, approaching the young man with a dim and somewhat exhausted smile. "Of course. I wouldn't have anyone go through such trouble again on my account, it would hardly be proper." She gestured to herself, before glancing at the seat across from Arthur. "Would you mind if I sit down?"
Arthur couldn't help but smile, finding it refreshing that someone was actually willing to sit and talk with him. Not just talk about him. A stark difference over the status quo he had become accustomed to. "Oh, not at all." He allowed her. She thanked him, and while shuffled to the seat she desired, he added "So, what's going on with you?"
She pulled the seat out, sitting before the young American with a loud scrape biting the concrete flooring. "Worrying over you." She said, matter-of-factly. Arthur's brows furrowed as he heard this. "I've seen you limping around the school all day today, not to mention that state I found you in last night... " She said, leaning forward on her elbows as she curiously looked him over. Nearly studying him for any noticeable changes in his usual self - and of course, she noted the bruise displayed loud and proud on his arm. "I've been worried s-"
"Wait, wait… Hold the phone…" Arthur stopped her, tapping the table with a lone finger in an effort to stop her. "What do you mean by that?" He asked with a furrowed brow.
Haru arched hers in turn, tilting her head to the side as she looked at Arthur, unsure of what that meant. "You… you're telling me… You don't remember…?" She asked, a hint of concern slithering its way into her voice.
Arthur raised his hands up and gave a weary shrug. "Honestly…?" He said, lowering his head as he closed his eyes - visions of yesterday's confrontation forming clearly within his mind.
Visions of Shiro.
Visions of running from those lanky security officers.
Visions of smoke and gunfire.
Visions of Kaneshiro, grinning eagerly like a blood-deprived demon as he orders Arthur to be killed…
From these visions, a warmth rose within Arthur that he struggled to put back down. Now was not the time, nor the place to show any anger. Instead, he let out a frustrated sigh that he disguised under a thin veil of calm.
"...So much happened yesterday…" He shook his head, rolling his eyes back up to meet Haru's gaze. "It's…. Hard to remember some things, I suppose." He scratched his head, unsure of how to answer her.
She nodded, coming to her own realization as her eyes went sullen. "Oh… I guess it makes sense… You were speaking nonsense when I found you, after all…"
"Nonsense?" Arthur questioned her, unaware of what was said, to which she nodded slowly. He then leaned forward, asking her "What kind of nonsense?"
She put a finger to her chin in thought. "Well, let's see… Things about a floating bank… Security officers…" She squinted, looking up at Arthur, confusion visible on her face. "Amakusa Shiro, of all people… You were delirious, so I don't think it matters much."
"Oh." Arthur shook his head, smirking in relief to Haru's synopsis. On paper, it all sounded so silly and random, and to Arthur, it should've been.
Only it wasn't.
"I suppose that makes sense…" He chuckled nervously, scratching his chin as he glanced at the half-eaten tray of food sitting before him. "But how does that explain the fact I woke up in my bed?" He asked her, crossing his arms in sheer curiosity. "I can't at all fathom the possibility of just…konking out in an alley. That isn't like me at all..." He shuddered. "Disgusting."
She shrugged. "I figured it had to do with… well.. Some bad people… After all, you were ambushed not too long ago by a member of the yakuza - everyone knows about it." She reminded him, to which Arthur bit his lip and nodded, reminding himself that he let himself walk into that. "I even filed a police report, but you were too out of it to give them anything concrete to go off of."
Arthur huffed. And under his breath, he muttered "Like they can do anything about what I witnessed…"
"As for how you got home… Well…" She smiled, as if she felt proud of herself. "Remember how I said I'd find a way to return the favor you did me?" She asked, to which Arthur nodded once more, the memories of that day still fresh in his mind as the day he first bore witness to Shiro's burning form.
"So you took me home?" Arthur surmised, and now it was Haru's turn to nod. She even gave a little affirmative 'Mmmhm!' "How did you find out where I lived?" He asked.
"That was the easy part, believe it or not!" She affirmed, giving a little giggle to the coincidence of it all. "I know your guardian. We're decent friends and my driver knows Shibuya well."
"Ah…" Arthur smiled, believing he understood. "Daughter of one of his co-workers, I take it?" He asked, to which Haru looked at him a moment before opening her mouth to speak. She hesitated, nearly stuttering as she put her hands before her, clasped together.
"Uh, err…" She stammered, causing Arthur to slowly look at her sideways, brow arched. "Y-yes. You could say that." A loud, rupterous thunderclap sounded off, causing the young woman to jump in fright for a mere moment before casting her gaze to the rapidly darkening skies above.
Arthur couldn't help but chuckle at her skittishness as she cleared her throat to speak once more.
"Oh my… Looks like there's going to be a downpour at any minute…"
Arthur followed her gaze, nodding. "Yeah, I suppose we should probably wrap this up…" He stood up, snickering once more in between his words. "Bell's probably gonna ring any minute now." He gave his arms a stretch, speaking under the strain to which Haru slowly stood up as well, smiling.
"Well, I'm just glad to see you're OK." She said, watching as he picked up his trash for disposal. "You're very brave to come to school in such a state."
"Nah, not brave." Arthur shrugged, dumping what he hadn't finished in the nearby bin. "Probably just stupidity. Bed rest is the best thing for this limp right now…" He gestured to his leg, to which she giggled and shook her head, looking up and nodding in his direction.
"Don't be so modest. I couldn't fathom coming to school after the last few weeks you've gone through. Let alone being in public." She said with a shake of her head. "If one thing's for certain, you have a steel heart." She asked him, to which Arthur simply shrugged once more. "I think I admire that about you."
Arthur turned to look at her, grinning sheepishly "Nothing special about it. When you've gone through a lot of trouble like I have in my life, you learn to deal with it one way or another." He simply explained, gesturing to compound his point even further. "Can't just give up on my education over a few frights…. This might be my only chance to come to Japan, after all."
"Again, being so modest." Haru sighed gently, humbled by his self-deprecation. "Well, at any rate, I'd best be off. Getting to class before the bell is easier for me and I only wanted to make sure you were alright. I'm glad it is so."
"And thank you for returning the favor. I don't know what would've happened had you left me there." He smiled at her, before quickly adding with a slight, nervous chuckle "Of course, I still would like to know how I got there in the first place."
She nodded, with a warm smile and a giggle on her lips. "I'm sure the police will handle the matter." She said, before giving him a slight wave of her hand in farewell. "We'll talk later. I'm sure of it."
And with that, she was off.
Leaving Arthur alone in his alcove, with another roaring thunderclap sounding off high above indicating that it was indeed time to seek the comfort of a warm shelter. Arthur huffed, crossing his arms as he watched Haru exit on the other side of the courtyard.
She glanced back at him, and for a moment their eyes met before she quickly turned away - abashed by the exchange before disappearing inside. Arthur ignored the look, and was instead just curious.
Curious why she offered him such kindness to begin with when she could've easily had just left him to lie in that dark Shibuyan alley.
The bell rang, jolting to life the sleepy, overcast school, and Arthur sighed.
"Kindness begets kindness, I suppose." He noted, reminding himself of the time he allowed himself to offer her a mercy at the hands of stormy weather.
He shook his head, realizing he was thinking too much into it, as was she. While she believed the matter was of the illegal sort, Arthur knew the truth. He would rather her think that way than the alternative.
After all, no one would believe him about all he had witnessed last night.
He knew this well, and readied himself to depart in silence.
As did so, he felt the idle phone in his pocket vibrate.
Retrieving it, he bore witness to the eye icon enlarging itself on screen.
The background turned a deep scarlet red, with black undertones taking the periphery all the while the pulsating increased in frequency and rate the longer Arthur stared at it, which also served to increase his unease just by even looking at the creepy vision.
And Arthur, curious as ever about the strange and seemingly random app, finally tapped the icon with a lone finger.
It dinged lowly, and on the screen were the words:
"The Metaverse-Navigator…" He read aloud.
The door opened, with the sounds of the school turning over a new leaf for the afternoon entering within. Sounds of school kids, some voices low and others a steady pitch that deepened more and more by the day - joyfully chuckling and gossiping passed by, with the occasional voice of teacher or custodial staff echoing off somewhere further down the hall.
A lone foot stepped forward into the office, hesitating as he glanced around the room before sliding the door closed behind him. And with it, the noisy fracus that was the school vanished in the blink of an eye. Nearly forgotten as he took in the scene all around him.
Bookshelves littered with the standard paraphernalia of the current curriculum, a water cooler by the window at the far end, a trash bin by its feet, a multi-patterned diamond rug at the center of the room, and a desk sitting atop, with a a man resting in a black, cushioned chair before it, feet propped up on the desk and his hands behind his head. He grinned, looking onwards at the young student, a grin that would - in most social circles - be unacceptable to be cast towards members of today's youth. But the teenager, swallowing any sort of fear or nervousness, approached slowly, but warily. Perturbed by what potentially awaited him.
Each footfall wracked his heart with more and more nerves, however, for it was not often anyone was ever to be called to the Vice Principal's office.
And whenever one was called, it never heralded good tidings.
He stopped just short of the desk, looking down at the vice principal. This young man, no older than seventeen with third year bars on his uniform and a short, cropped haircut that was very nearly a buzz cut, bowed to the man behind the desk, speaking up with an anxious stutter creasing his lips.
"You, err, wanted to see me, sir?" The teenager asked, rising from his bow slowly and shakily, believing he was in trouble. The Vice Principal chuckled, amused at the teenager's showing nerves.
"What's the matter?" The Vice Principal asked, leaning his feet off the cleared desk as he spoke. An amused inflection raised upon his tone. "You're not in any sort of trouble at all."
"Huh…?" The teenager hummed, watching the Vice Principal lean forward on his elbows, a devilish, evil smirk gently taking over his expression. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"I mean exactly what I said: You're not in trouble." The Vice Principal reaffirmed once more, clasping his hands together as he took the young man in. Assessing his capabilities, more like. And when he was satisfied with what he was seeing, he snickered once more, standing up from his comfy seat, narrowing his look as he stared the young man in the eye.
A twisted smile burrowing onto his lips…
"In fact, I have a proposal, Edamura-san…"
He stared at the words emblazoned on his screen.
In a dark red font, with a black outline creasing each letter, beating to a slow, rhythmic pulse as an ethereal and otherworldly crimson light radiated from the screen as if the device itself was well and truly alive.
Then? The words slowly faded from view, replaced instead by the standard screen shared amongst many GPS apps. It displayed an interface that showed the nearby streets around the school, replete with names; a search history with a singular result; travel times to the local hotspots, and more.
But Arthur's eyes narrowed on something…Peculiar.
The search history.
"Welcome back to the Metaverse-Navigator." The phone buzzed to life, slightly startling the young man. "Please specify a destination."
He paused, the initial fright quickly fading, and ignoring the phone's request, pressed a firm thumb against the screen. "What the…" He murmured as he dragged the map around Aoyama-Itchome in a vain attempt to locate where he had used the app before.
The phone pinged, and after a few seconds of fruitless searching passed by, the phone buzzed once more.
"No candidates found."
"Huh…?"
The phone pinged again, and Arthur furrowed his brows for a moment as he watched the device attempt another search. When it failed, it spoke once more to him in a steadily infuriating voice.
"No candidates found."
"Cheeky fucker." Arthur shook his head, finding himself rather swiftly annoyed with the app's sensitivity to vocal commands.
"Insulting our phones now, are we?" A distantly familiar voice spoke up from behind him, alerting young Arthur as he spun around on his heels to spot whoever it was that speaking with him.
"No candidates found."
Standing there at the entrance to the alcove, wearing a tanktop, was a girl with a Shujin-approved jacket thrown over her bare shoulder paired with the Shujin uniform skirt and a pair of leggings underneath. Her hair was tied in the familiar ponytail that Arthur has come to associate with her, and her expression was one of incredulous amusement, with her lips curled to the edges and her brows furrowed as she looked between him and his phone. An annoyed frown soon found itself aptly plastered on his face.
It was Kae. Kae Wakaizumi.
The very woman that Arthur could never figure out, and the very woman he found himself in a good old fashioned American debt to.
She giggled devilishly, slipping her arms across her chest as she approached Arthur, closely watching the phone as she studied the app he was investigating. Arthur just looked at her, both slightly surprised and - curiously enough - not at all surprised by her sudden arrival.
Indeed, it seems she shows up at the most perfect of times.
He clicked his phone off, stuffing it swiftly within the privacy of his own pocket. "Oh. It's you." Arthur said.
She stopped just mere feet of him,
"Navigating the school with an app now?" She asked, arching a curious brow as she looked him in the eye. "I didn't think this school was that confusing to navigate…"
Arthur shook his head, snickering nervously as he responded. "Hah! Eh, no. No. Just… playing around with a new app I recently installed." He told her. This seemed to satisfy her as she shrugged rather carelessly. The folded up jacket slipped off her shoulder, eliciting an annoyed scoff from the third year.
"Look, I personally don't care what you do in your spare time, Williams." She sighed as she bent over to retrieve her Shujin jacket. As she grabbed the collar, she looked up at Arthur, brows wearily narrowed. Whether it be annoyance directed at Arthur or something else entirely, he couldn't say for sure. "You could be stalking girls or insulting your phone. You do you..."
Arthur's heart stopped, sinking low into his stomach as his eyes widened "H-huh?!" He gasped. "I-I don't stalk girls! What the fuck?!" He stammered, mouth agape. Kae just watched him, a brow rising as those words left his lips.
"Really?" Kae groaned, standing back upright as she hoisted her jacket back over her shoulder. "Could've prove me wrong." She said, stepping forward until she found herself at Arthur's side. He just watched her, unsure of what she was doing or what she was saying. All he knew was the familiar warmth of anxiety entering the pit of his stomach. "After all, remember yesterday…?" She asked, expressing a rather evil - if not cheshire - grin as she placed a lone hand on Arthur's shoulder.
Arthur gulped, still unaware of what she was saying. "W-what do you mean…?" He asked, frightened at the implications of what she was providing. "I… remember I have a debt with you… I remember you drive like a maniac… I don't remember-"
At this point, Kae could barely contain herself. It started with a low chuckle. One that silenced Arthur as he darted his head in her direction with a confused yet tarrying frightened eye. This chuckle grew into a low giggle, before erupting into a shriek of a belly laugh.
She released his shoulder, grasping at her stomach as she let out the most obnoxious, triumphant-sounding chortle. It was so invasive to the ear, many-a student that had entered the courtyard turned to look at what was releasing such an obnoxious sound.
All the while, Arthur just stared at her. Slowly backing away from her as she clutched at her sides, her jacket sliding off her shoulder once more as she lost control. Tears sliding from between clenched lids, and her voice swiftly grew hoarse from the lack of oxygen.
As the seconds dragged on, she eventually was able to grasp a semblance of control over her amusement as her laughter slowly died away. It devolved from a cackling fit to nothing more than a passing snicker in between wheezing gasps, and she looked at Arthur with tears of amusement clogging her vision. Arthur simply crossed his arms, returning her gaze with narrowed eyes.
"Glad that's so funny." He deadpanned, to which she responded by wiping the tears from her eyes and giggling with an exhausted throat.
"Heheh… Relax, Williams." She snorted, stooping over to grab her jacket once more. This time, she chose to put it on rather than risk dropping it a 3rd time. "You're such a wimp, and it's hilarious." She admitted, throwing an arm through one of her sleeves before quickly adding "But I am happy you remembered the debt. You looked rough and word is you got jumped again, so I wasn't sure you remembered."
She threw the other arm through and while zipping the jacket up, it was Arthur's turn to scoff, realizing now the reason for her visit. "Ah, I see now." He said. "You've come to collect already, huh?"
She shook her head in response. "No, I'm not that much of a bitch. I saw you chilling with Okumura so I backed off so I didn't embarrass you in front of your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend." Arthur chuckled dryly, finding some semblance of irritation with Kae's sense of humor. "I barely know the girl…" He then admitted, placing his hands on his hips as he shook his head at the notion Kae put forth. "She just did me a good turn, that's all."
"Whatever you say." She responded, waving her hand to dismiss the claim. Then, with an idle glance around the courtyard, she realized it was steadily being drained of its newfound life. Another thunderbolt soared across the skies above the school, enveloping the yard in a swift streak of light, and the girl whistled lowly before looking back at Arthur. "Come on, let's walk and talk. My class is right next to yours and we're gonna be late."
Arthur sighed, finding himself unable to find a swift opportunity to decline her invitation.
And so they were off, with Kae and Arthur walking side by side, one foot in front of the other, as they departed the courtyard. Kae's hands were resting within her jacket's pockets, and Arthur had a lone hand in his.
Kae looked over at him, a sly smile decorating her face.
"So. It seems you have friends in high places…"
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, returning her gaze with a skeptical one of his own. Kae couldn't help but chuckle at Arthur's perceived ignorance.
"What, you're telling me you don't know who she is?" She asked, stopping herself briefly to look at Arthur. He just shrugged before they resumed their pace, stopping just short of the doors to the main building. A lone student had held it open for them on their approach.
"Ah, thank you." Arthur thanked the young man.
"Yes, many thanks!" Kae echoed, her pitch heightening and tone morphing into a more friendly visage in the presence of another. The student nodded to the two of them before continuing on his way, with Arthur looking quizzically at the young girl in this sudden, swift shift in her personality before shaking his head, realizing finally exactly what she was about.
She returned his gaze, looking him up and down with a look that said "What are you looking at?"
"What?" She asked him, seemingly insulted that he was staring at her. Arthur simply scoffed.
"Two-faced… Just like the kids back home…" He thought to himself. "Some things never change, no matter where you go."
"Nothing." He responded, before notioning with his head that they should continue. She obliged, allowing him to take the lead as she walked closely at his side. Head bowed to the floor so that others may not notice her speaking so easily. "Now, what about Okumura-san?" Arthur asked her.
"Hah!" She giggled, nudging Arthur hard with her shoulder, nearly sending him stumbling forward into another student. They just looked at him, and Arthur offered them a sheepish apology."Oh, your ignorance is funny. Aren't you supposed to be smart or something?"
"Oh, hah hah." Arthur sarcastically chuckled, turning back to face her as they rounded the corner to their classroom hall. "And what about the rumors I assaulted her? Where did those go?"
Kae shrugged as they stopped just short of Arthur's classroom door. Leaning against a locker, she looked up at him with an indifferent eye. "Guess the asshole responsible got found out for being a liar." She said, to which she then added "Being known as a liar tends to lose you your credibility."
"Hmph." Arthur huffed, crossing his arms. "Well. Good for me, I suppose, that I didn't give in."
"Yeah, I'd imagine you got bigger fish to fry than worrying over some senseless rumor. Besides…" She shot her gaze from Arthur's head to his feet, smirking as she beheld his stature. "...You're too wimpy to hurt even that fragile little girl."
"OK." Arthur shrugged, unconcerned by her judge of character. "So are you going to tell me who Okumura-san is or just insult me? Because I'll just walk away."
"Heheh." She giggled, lowering her head to the floor once more as a group of students passed them by. One of them turned to look at the duo, her eyes sparkling with a gossip's curiosity, and was quick to return to whatever conversation there was to be had in her company.
Kae leaned off the locker, hands lazily resting in her jacket pockets. Her head rising just to Arthur's neck, and she took a single step forward, just barely grazing Arthur's shoulder with her own. With an exhale escaping her mouth, and a devilish smirk dominating her lips, she said:
"She's the heiress to Okumura Foods."
Arthur blinked, unsure if he had even heard of the name before. Crossing his arms, it sounded vaguely familiar. But nothing rang any bells. After a few moments of pondering on the name, he turned to her.
"Who's that?" He asked with a confused shrug. Kae chuckled, shaking her head at Arthur's ignorance.
"Do your research, Isaac Newton." She said, giggling with some sort of self-appeasing amusement. Arthur could only watch her, confused and suddenly curious. "But you'll shit yourself when you see it for yourself… Oh, I guarantee it." She added, stepping forward towards her class. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Williams-san." She turned back to face him, adopting a new shift in her tone and a fake, cheery smile. Very reminiscent of a child playing innocent. "I have to get to class. Goodbye!" She waved to him.
She slid open the door to her classroom, and vanished inside, leaving Arthur alone in the now lifeless hallway. He blinked in confusion to what he just witnessed before giving a slight shake of his head. Crossing his arms, he looked through the windows of his classroom. Mr. Sakutaro wasn't inside yet.
"Kae's got a hidden agenda." He surmised as he reached for the handle to his classroom. "But… I suppose I am curious now about the Okumura name…"
Arthur's phone buzzed, and he stopped himself just short of stepping into the classroom. Retrieving his phone, he saw that he had a text.
From Ann Takamaki.
Opening it, it read:
Heya! Wanna hang out after school? It's been a good bit since we've even talked!
"That American doesn't look too good…"
"I saw him hanging out with Okumura-senpai… What, are they good friends now?"
"Didn't he assault her or something…?"
"Edamura made that shit up. I don't understand why, but I hear he's behind all those rumors about Williams-san…"
"Ah. Well. Ain't that something…"
Arthur stretched his arms out, groaning as the bones in his shoulder popped and shifted. The feeling jittered down his spine, tingling his senses and jolting him awake. He huffed, pushing himself out of his seat just as the last student exited the room.
Leaving him, Makoto, and Mr. Sakutaro alone in the darkened room - the latter of whom simply and quietly watched as Arthur stood up and made to leave.
He seemed disappointed.
It was pouring outside, with the storm clouds overhead finally unleashing their onslaught against the surface world below. It was heavy rain, the kind that would easily sting if it had managed to hit bareskin.
But Arthur wasn't worried. He knew where he was going, where to meet Ann. She had invited him out to dinner, to the diner he had eaten at with Ren what felt like years ago.
Arthur wasn't worried over the repercussions over such an outing. Himura always came home late and the diner was a public setting. The yakuza wouldn't dare incriminate themselves in such an open field, he had told himself.
"Still, better to be safe than sorry…" He thought as he made for the door. "No later than dusk…"
As Arthur stepped outside the classroom, he looked back over his shoulder and realized that Makoto was right behind him. A textbook clutched tightly to her chest. He jolted forward a step in surprise before stepping to the side and nodding in apology.
"No, no. You're OK." Makoto said as she stepped past him into the crowded, noisy hall. "I actually wanted to speak with you, if you have a moment." She added, looking back at Mr. Sakutaro before swiftly closing the door.
"Uhhh…" Arthur hummed, giving an awkward glance around the hallway before shrugging. "Sure, I suppose."
"Thank you." She said before closing her eyes. She took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "I…..know we've been a bit… abstract, I suppose." She said slowly, looking back up at Arthur. She paused, casting her gaze to the side for a brief moment, taking in another breath of air as if she felt suffocated. Whether it is by the memories of her treatment of Arthur or the cumbersome situation, Arthur couldn't say. "I've been unfairly rude, hostile, and suspicious of you for reasons you likely won't understand… And looking back…" Her eyes shot back up at him. "...They were childish and unfounded."
Arthur crossed his arms, realizing where this was going. "Oh. Yeah… It was pretty offstandish of you, I mean…" Arthur said, scratching his chin awkwardly as he stammered out his response. "The whole 'collaboration' thing between me and Amamiya-san… Well…"
"But that's what I'm saying, Williams-san." Makoto stopped him, her voice growing increasingly abashed and apologetic. "I… Well… I just wanted to say I'm sorry." She said, lowering her head as she stiffened up and bent into a right and proper bow. Some passing students stopped and took in the scene, giggling and gossiping to themselves over the fact that the Student Council President was bowing to someone who, at one point, lived in infamy.
"You are a guest here in Japan, and should've been treated with respect and friendship, not disdain and suspicion. I wholeheartedly apologize for my behavior." She formalized her apology, her eyes closed as she awaited Arthur's approval. "It was unwarranted and, again, completely unfair…"
Even Mr. Sakutaro was staring at the scene from his perch inside the classroom, watching through the glass panes with a surprised and befuddled expression, eyes widened, a diet soda in hand. Arthur, meanwhile, just looked at her. He realized how significant this was, that his better was humbling herself in order to seek forgiveness. Her transgressions, however, were the farthest thing in his mind at the moment.
All day he had been playing around with the Metaverse-Nav, worrying over Himura and his debt, and hadn't once even thought about how Makoto had been treating him. To be stopped and apologized to in such a fashion? It was something he didn't even expect from her, having believed she was too proud to embarrass herself in such a way.
That is why Arthur knew she meant it, and with a sheepish chuckle, he slowly raised his hands up, attempting to defuse the awkward encounter as best he could.
"Hey, hey.." He said, casting an uneasy air around to the students around him. The attention was, at the very least, unwanted. "Easy, Niijima-san. Easy. It's water under the bridge, seriously. I hadn't even been thinking about that at all lately."
She looked up, watching him with a confused eye. "Huh? Wait, really?" She righted her posture, hugging tightly to the textbook in her hand as the surprise took hold over her embarrassment. "I… Would've thought you'd be angry with how I've treated you…"
"No, no." Arthur shook his head, chuckling once more as he watched the students around them shuffle on, appeased by what they had witnessed. "At first, I might've been. I hardly remember, to be honest. But.." He slid his hands in his pockets, smiling warmly at the young Japanese woman. "...Well, I personally don't care. I have bigger problems than being disliked by one person."
She returned the smile, seemingly relieved at Arthur's acceptance of her apology.
"Yes, I imagine you would." She stated, looking Arthur up and down. She had heard he had been with a limp all day today, and how he was standing have proved those supposed rumors correct, and coupled with the large bruise on his arm, it was clear especially to Makoto that Arthur had been involved in a scuffle. "Looks like you've run into trouble. Everyone knows about the yakuza's interest in you too, so I'm not surprised in the least."
"Oh, geez." Arthur scoffed, smirking. "Shout it aloud for all to hear, why don't you?"
"I apologize, what I mean is you shouldn't go looking for trouble. You're only here for education, not to be a detective." She explained to him, giving Arthur cause to roll his eyes. He knew well what she was doing during their rivalry, but chose not to say anything. "You should be careful when out in Shibuya. At least for the time being."
"Well, trust me." Arthur crossed his arms, the smirk remaining plastered on his face as he spoke. "I don't plan on seeking out any further trouble with those punks. I'm gonna let the police handle it and just be done with it."
Makoto nodded, smiling in turn. But quickly that smile faltered as she blinked, putting a finger to her chin in thought. Whatever was going on in her mind, however, was going to remain there as he huffed and brought her hand back down, looking up at Arthur with a kind smile that Arthur never thought he'd ever coax out of her.
"I have to go, Williams-san." She said as she turned her back to him. Looking over her shoulder at him, she flashed him another smile as she waved to him. "But you take care. I'll see you tomorrow."
Arthur returned her wave. "Yeah, uh, you too."
And with that, she departed his company. Quickly vanishing into the flowing crowd of people bound for Tokyo's urban jungle. Leaving Arthur standing there, smiling as he realized that Makoto was no longer this declared enemy of his.
Whatever she wanted with the Phantom Thieves…
Whatever she planned to do with the Phantom Thieves' identity…
All of her wants and desires seem to have just disappeared.
And whatever the reason was for that, Arthur was completely fine with it, for he would rather be an acquaintance than a rival.
What confused Arthur, however, was what changed her tune.
He remembered tailing the group that included Ann and Ren, and witnessed them run into a seedy establishment, only to come running out about a half hour later with Makoto practically in their arms. She was scuffed, her hair ruffled and raggled, and even her leggings were torn.
A victim of an assault, perhaps?
Arthur couldn't say, but it piqued his interest nonetheless, as it seems Ren and the rest had saved her just in the knick of time. Her, a self-declared enemy, and now her whole tune has changed to not just them, but Arthur as well.
He shrugged. He sought answers, but he knew it was folly to seek all at one point in time. He decided that, for now, he must find his way back to that bank.
Then, he can figure the rest out once the hard part is over.
He sighed, unsure what a change of heart entailed in truth, for Igor had neglected to explain.
But nonetheless, he put a foot forward.
It was time to go meet Ann.
As he made his way to the exit, he sighed a breath of relief as he looked up to the stormy sky above. The heavy plopping sound of rain smattering against the concrete ground below, and the scene itself around him was reminiscent of the day the yakuza had involved him in something he wanted nothing to do with.
But this time? Something felt different inside him. One would think Arthur would be wary of such a familiarity, but instead he felt open inside. He felt somewhat free, as if he could take to the skies above and no one would stop him.
A feeling he hadn't felt in a long, long time.
He smiled, eager to meet Ann for their outing. He hadn't spent any time with friends, and that may have contributed to the calm ecstasy he was feeling. To have someone eager to hang out with him. Waiting on him so they may talk and while away the hours in one another's company. As friends and schoolmates.
Even more so, he could communicate with her in his native tongue, a language he hasn't used often since his arrival in Tokyo, Japan.
Having retrieved his jacket from his locker, Arthur flipped his hood over his head, he placed his hands in his jacket pockets and took a single step out into the rain.
But something stopped him as he eyes lowered back down to the earth.
The feeling of ecstasy left him. Vanished completely upon spotting it.
At the edge of the school, standing by the gates, looking up at him, was a pair of eyes.
Bright and yellow, piercing through the gloom like daggers through butter, hidden under a royal blue hood, with a tuft of platinum blonde hair peeking out from underneath.
This relatively young-looking man looked unamused, with a stern frown dominating his expression, and even the other students were wary of this individual, giving him a wide berth as they passed him by. He seemed unconcerned with the rain above, standing still in the roaring weather as the rain soaked his cerulean clothes to the bare bones beneath it all.
For a moment, Arthur wasn't sure if the eyes were burning into his soul, or looking for someone else.
But the feeling of being watched was upon him, and he knew then and there that this man was here for him.
Arthur gulped, retracting his step back into the school doors.
And the hooded man extended a hand outwards.
Beckoning Arthur to approach.
Post-Chapter Author's Note
Proof read and edited by Frozen Foe and Kabuto S. Inferno.