Chapter 25: Everyday Life with the Ultimate Roommates
Hello again ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Ultimates of all ages! wesst1 back again once again!
One more chapter until we get back to our normal routine. The story is going to shift from Makoto to some girls that I probably should have devoted more time to. This is a chapter that addresses something a few of you have asked for in the past. I hope it is everything you imagined it would be.
Speaking of addressing things, I posted this in the beginning author's notes in the latest chapter of Fantasy Life, but I'm posting it here for good measure. "To answer a question I've been getting: No, Komaru will not be a girl in the main fic. I originally decided to do Fantasy Life with Ultimate Girls because people were asking for smut in Everyday Life with Ultimate Girls, and I didn't really think it would have worked in the story. Fantasy Life is my attempt to keep those readers satisfied.
Speaking of being satisfied: Is everyone satisfied with Fantasy Life's continued existence? I noticed that some people think I'm spoiling Everyday Life, and I don't really understand why. To clarify: Fantasy Life is intended to have about as much of an effect on Everyday Life as Danganronpa IF had on Danganronpa's continuity, which is to say not a whole lot, just a fun little experiment. If I haven't been clear on that, I do apologize and hope you'll all stick with me.
One last thing before we begin, I want to apologize for the long delay. Life has gotten a little busier, but that wasn't the main reason. The Novoselic arc didn't land as well as I hoped it would. I got a lot of positive feedback on it, but the people who didn't like it really seemed to hate it. Which is fine, all entertainment is subjective even in the best of cases and they made some valid points, but it gave me a lot to think about. Doubts aside, I am grateful. Whether it's accolades or criticism, both are signs that you all still care about the story, and for that, you all have my deepest gratitude.
With my excuses out of the way, let's see what's going on with our favorite Ultimates!
Castle Nevermind, Novoselic
When Summer Break had begun, Naegi had expected the most strenuous thing he did during break would be helping Pekoyama and Kirigiri move. He certainly hadn't expected to stop a century-spanning dispute for the throne of Novoselic.
Things had settled down quickly enough, or as "settled down" as anything involving him could get in the past year. Some normalcy would be welcome right about now, Naegi thought, a little calm before the next big event I somehow stumble into. His friends definitely deserved some semblance of normalcy, especially after what some of them had gone through during the school year.
Perhaps because of that line of thought, Naegi found himself thinking of Pekoyama and Kirigiri again. The two girls had their entire lives turned upside-down, but they were managing. In some ways, it was fitting that the two had become roommates. Pekoyama lost her place with the Kuzuryuu family and Kirigiri couldn't return to her grandfather. Headmaster Kirigiri had wanted his daughter to come live with him, but Kirigiri had turned it down. She no longer held the resentment she once did, but they had been strangers for too long.
I wonder how those two are doing. Naegi wondered.
Japan
Kirigiri and Pekoyama had both settled into their new home. Neither really had any complaints about living together, slightly unexpected from a detective and a former yakuza hitwoman, but not unwelcome. Although, it was those backgrounds that were at the root of a different problem.
It had all started when Naegi had helped them move in.
One week ago
As he set another box down, Naegi said, "Okay, I think that's everything."
"It is. I told you, neither one of us has many possessions," Pekoyama said as she checked the label on the box.
"Most of our belongings were able to fit in our dorm rooms," Kirigiri added as she emptied a box in what would be her room.
"Do you two want me to help put things away? I really don't mind," Naegi offered.
"That's sweet, Naegi-kun, but you should probably make sure you're packed for tomorrow," Pekoyama reminded him. It was killing her that she wouldn't be able to go to Novoselic with Naegi to ensure his safety, but she trusted Sonia enough to have adequate security. As far as trusting Sonia not to try and pull ahead of her and the others in the race for Naegi's heart, both she and Kirigiri agreed that letting him go was a big risk, but they also agreed that Naegi deserved recognition for his actions. It helped that Tanaka and Souda would be there too. Unintentional though it may be, those two could run interference if Sonia got too close to Naegi.
"We'll be fine. As much as we enjoy it, the two of us and the other girls did manage to get by before we met you," Kirigiri said, attempting to further convince Naegi.
"Well, if you're sure, I'll see you both when I get back." With those words and a wave, Naegi left the two, and the cat, to get settled.
"It was sweet of him to offer to help more. It was sweet that he even offered to help us in the first place," Kirigiri told Pekoyama.
"Well, you know what they say, 'A good friend will help you move, a true friend will help you move a body,'" Pekoyama said, attempting to make a joke. At least Kirigiri thought that's what Pekoyama was trying to do.
"I thought a good friend would help you bury a body, but a true friend would bring their own shovel and not ask questions?" Kirigiri "joked" back. Although, because her tone never changed, Pekoyama was unsure if Kirigiri was playing off her joke or referencing an actual case she worked one.
"Heh heh he," both laughed, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation.
Meanwhile
While Pekoyama and Kirigiri were settling into their new arrangement with each other, it was business as usual for a friend of theirs.
*SLAP!*
All things considered, Tsumiki Mikan probably would have taken the awkwardness of the new roommates' apartment over her own home life. At least then she wouldn't be getting hit.
"You think you're too good for us," Tsumiki's mother, Tsumiki Karin slurred in a drunken rage.
"N-no, Mama. I-I'm sorry," Tsumiki stuttered as she rubbed her sore cheek.
"Aw, didn't your night go the way you planned?" the father, Tsumiki Shuhei mockingly asked.
"Men jush don' wan' a quality woman like me," Karin slurred as she tried to pose. The alcohol in her system making it look more like flailing than a coordinated movement.
"Men don't want used up cum rags like you! What was I thinking marrying a whore like you?" Shuhei asked no one in particular.
Whether it was time or anger, Karin sobered up enough to say, "Haa? You think I'd be with a weak piece of shit like you if I hadn't given birth to this brat." So that there was no misunderstanding, Karin pointed right at a mortified Tsumiki. After that declaration, Karin mumbled, "Mama needs to go lay down," as she staggered off to her bedroom.
Thinking her father's silence meant he needed comfort, Tsumiki picked herself up off the floor and tried to speak with her father. As she reached out to him, she asked, "A-are you alright, Papa?"
"Don't touch me!" Shuhei screamed. "Even if you're my daughter, you're still that woman's child. Something like you shouldn't exist!"
Tsumiki just took the abuse. A short time in Hell before she could return to Heaven. That was how she kept herself going. Today had actually gone better than normal. Her mother hadn't put out her cigarettes on Tsumiki's arms and her father hadn't hit her with a bottle. Anywhere that wasn't her home was Heaven in Tsumiki's eyes.
"Home?" This isn't a home. Pictures of the dorm appeared in Tsumiki's mind.
This isn't a family. Tsumiki then thought of her friends.
This certainly isn't love. Tsumiki remembered all the kindness she had been shown at Hope's Peak by Naegi and the girls.
I hate it here, but if I ask for help, the others will find out about this. They can't know. What would they think of me? I'm just a filthy pig born of loveless people, Tsumiki thought. With that final thought, the dam burst and Tsumiki silently cried herself to sleep.
Just another normal day at the Tsumiki household.
The Next Day
Both being early risers, Kirigiri and Pekoyama were glad they didn't have to worry about waking the other in the mornings, however unlikely that would have been, considering both knew a thing or two about stealth. Both had known since the start of the school year that they were not so different. Anyone would think they were perfect for roommates, right?
The two girls in question would have to disagree with that assessment, given their current situation. They two had sat down for breakfast and had yet to say a word to each other. An immovable object had met an irresistible force, or rather, two ice queens were trying to read each other to start a conversation. And unfortunately for the two of them, they were failing.
What's a good ice breaker? Pekoyama wondered.
What questions can I ask Senpai that I don't already know the answer to? Kirigiri thought.
Both girls lamented that their friends made it look so easy. Naegi, Asahina, Yukizome, Sonia, any of the others at the dorm could start a conversation with no trouble. What was their secret?
The girls knew the answer to that. Being raised as a yakuza hitwoman and bodyguard, Pekoyama was used to not having to speak until spoken to. She rarely needed to speak when tasked with yakuza business, just looking intimidating was enough. Until recently, she was only ever really an extension of Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko, or so she had always believed. Standing on her own was proving to be more than a little difficult.
Kirigiri had been raised to be a detective, everything else was secondary. Her conversational skills mostly existed so she could fish for information, when she wasn't outright questioning suspects, of course. Before Hope's Peak, the only real friend she had was the late Samidare Yui, someone who had been the exact opposite of Kirigiri and Pekoyama in terms of personality.
For the first time ever, the two girls felt uncomfortable with silence. Kirigiri could already feel a headache coming on from when someone at Hope's Peak found out about this. Though they had gotten better, Saionji and Enoshima's teasing had a way of getting on her nerves.
Pekoyama, meanwhile, was wondering if she could even function as anything other than a yakuza enforcer. If this was the best she could do with a friend, what hope did she have for when she was around total strangers?
Both knew they needed help. Both reached for their phones to call Naegi. Both froze after they found his name in their contacts. And both had the same fantasy play out in their minds.
"You two can't find anything to talk about? How is that even possible? I'm going to spend some time with real women instead of robots like you," Imaginary Naegi said with a look of disgust as he hung up on them.
Both girls shook their heads at that fantasy. Naegi-kun would never act like that, but no one can know about this, the two girls thought in a panic. Where did that leave them though? A conversation topic wasn't going to magically appear.
Wait, Kirigiri thought.
People always talk about their day, Pekoyama realized.
But what to do? Kirigiri wondered.
Shopping! Interesting things can happen when out shopping! Pekoyama concluded.
What do we need? the two asked themselves as they looked around the room for ideas.
"Plants!" Kirigiri shouted.
"What?" Pekoyama asked.
"Plants would look nice in here. Maybe I'll grow some catnip for Miyabi," Kirigiri said in an attempt to cover for her outburst.
"That sounds…nice," Pekoyama responded, unsure of what to say. Deciding to follow Kirigiri's lead, Pekoyama said, "Yes, she was so good when we were moving in, I should get her a treat too."
With that decided, the two went to pet their furry companion while thinking, You're a lifesaver, little friend.
At the sudden attention, Miyabi tilted her head and gave a questioning, "Nyan?"
Later
Pekoyama and Kirigiri might have found an issue with their plans. The issue being that the pet supply store and the gardening supply stores were so close to each other.
It's not a total loss, Kirigiri thought.
Something interesting can still happen in the store, right? Pekoyama asked herself.
Nothing interesting happened as it turned out. It was as mundane as the trip to the stores, much to Kirigiri and Pekoyama's frustration. Both gave a sigh and exited their respective store with their respective purchases, attempting to think of another plan, when a familiar face caught their eyes.
While Pekoyama and Kirigiri went shopping for Miyabi, Tsumiki had gone shopping for medical supplies. Her parents hadn't gone any easier on her or on each other this morning and Tsumiki found herself running low on bandages and antiseptic. She wished it wasn't such a common occurrence when she was at home. Tsumiki hoped that no one she knew saw her, she really didn't want to explain why her arms and legs now sported the same number of bandages.
"Tsumiki-san?" Pekoyama asked.
"EEEEEK! Tsumiki squeaked. Forcing herself to smile, Tsumiki turned to greet Pekoyama and found herself wanting to cry. Kirigiri-san is here too! She lamented. While Tsumiki might have been able to convince Pekoyama, if Kirigiri noticed her new injuries, Tsumiki wasn't certain she could trick Kirigiri. "Pekoyama-san. Kirigiri-san. I didn't expect to run into the two of you," Tsumiki greeted.
"Kirigiri and I were doing some shopping. We were…" Pekoyama began.
"Trying to get more familiar with the area," Kirigiri finished with a lie. Both girls could never admit the real reason they had come shopping.
"Oh, right. You both moved in recently. I should have gotten you both an apartment warming gift, please forgive me!" Tsumiki cried, drawing the attention of passersby.
"It's fine, Senpai. Please calm down," Kirigiri begged, trying to prevent making a further scene.
"O-okay," Tsumiki sniffled.
"Let's go get something for lunch. Tsumiki-san, is there anywhere in particular you like to eat?" Pekoyama asked hoping to pacify her crying classmate.
*Sniff* "Well…" Tsumiki began.
A cat café seems like an odd choice for Tsumiki-senpai. I would think she'd be more concerned with food safety and potential hygiene issues, Kirigiri thought as she pretended to look at the menu. While she was always jittery, something about Tsumiki seemed off. Kirigiri had noticed right away that Tsumiki had more bandages wrapped around her limbs than the last time they saw each other. While it might have been nothing, Kirigiri's instincts were telling her something was wrong.
While Tsumiki couldn't know what Kirigiri was thinking, her plan to distract Pekoyama had been a success. Today little kitties, you are all my emotional support animals, Tsumiki thought as Pekoyama focused on the cats more than the menu. Most important of all, Pekoyama was more focused on the cats than she was on Tsumiki's behavior and appearance. If Tsumiki's luck held out, maybe Pekoyama could help her convince Kirigiri all was well.
While the three students enjoyed a lunch of sandwiches and coffee in the company of many cats, Tsumiki was pleased that Kirigiri didn't ask too many questions.
"How are things at home, Tsumiki-senpai?" Kirigiri asked.
Why me? Tsumiki thought, cursing her luck. "Fine," she quickly answered.
"Things are fine for us too. Thankfully, it's not too different from life in the dorm. Simply less people," Kirigiri told Tsumiki.
"Does it get lonely?" Tsumiki asked.
"Not really. Pekoyama-senpai and Miyabi are wonderful company. And if we that's not enough, we both know that help is one call or message away," Kirigiri said. It wasn't her at her most subtle, but Kirigiri was hoping her word choice would get Tsumiki talking.
"We're lucky to have such great friends," Tsumiki added, not taking the bait.
So, we're doing this the hard way, are we, Senpai? Kirigiri thought as she decided to talk about something else. If Tsumiki wasn't going to open up on her own, Kirigiri would have to put her detective skills to good use.
Tsumiki breathed a sigh of relief when Kirigiri stopped asking questions, but soon asked one of her own. "Pekoyama-san, what are you looking at?" Tsumiki wondered as Pekoyama's gaze was focused on something under the table.
"That brown kitten has been looking at you for some time now, Tsumiki-san," Pekoyama said as she pointed out the kitten in question.
"Makoto-chan, time for lunch!" a waitress called as she approached the students. When the kitten, "Makoto-chan" the girls assumed, didn't budge, the waitress went to pick him up.
"Is everything okay here?" the waitress asked.
"Everything is fine," Kirigiri answered as Pekoyama and Tsumiki nodded.
"Are you sure? Makoto-chan is an empathetic little thing. He always knows when someone is troubled and comes over to help cheer them up," the waitress explained.
A fitting name then, the girls thought as they remembered another "Makoto-chan" that they knew.
"Come on then, you. It's mealtime," the waitress playfully scolded the kitten as she carried him away. Throughout this, the kitten never once looked away from Tsumiki.
Would you notice too, My Beloved? Should I just… No! No one can know. Not now, not ever! Tsumiki told herself.
While Kirigiri knew the actions of one kitten weren't proof of anything, she had a feeling that the other "Makoto-chan" would agree with her that something was wrong with Tsumiki.
Pekoyama seemed content to watch the cats eat, but she made sure that she could see Tsumiki in her peripheral vision. If Tsumiki's body language could help her see would Makoto-chan saw, she would watch it very closely going forward. Provided no other adorable distractions came near.
The rest of lunch passed by uneventfully, and Tsumiki soon parted from the others. Kirigiri and Pekoyama returned home in silence. This however was silent contemplation rather than the awkward silence they were becoming accustomed to. Kirigiri was replaying her conversation with Tsumiki, while Pekoyama was searching her memories of all the time she spent with Tsumiki. Both were hoping to glean some clues about why Tsumiki was acting strange.
Well, strange for Tsumiki-senpai/Tsumiki-san, the girls thought. As impolite as it might have been, even by Ultimate standards, Tsumiki wasn't what one would call "typical."
"I couldn't get her to admit she had new injuries, much less where she would have gotten them," Kirigiri mumbled.
"That's not really surprising. When we first became classmates, we asked about Tsumiki-san's bandages only for her to dodge the question. Eventually the rest of the class assumed it was either a fashion choice or Tsumiki-san took medical privacy, especially her own, very seriously. Her body language suggested that she didn't want to spend more time with us than she had to," Pekoyama explained.
"Admittedly, I don't know her as well as you do, but Tsumiki-senpai has always seemed nervous around other people," Kirigiri added.
"Not like this. Tsumiki-san has always wanted attention, but today, it made her more fidgety than usual. It's not much, but it makes me think something is wrong," Pekoyama told Kirigiri.
"Has she ever mentioned problems at home?" Kirigiri asked.
"Not specifically. However, when she talks about why she became a nurse, she mentions very specific injuries. We didn't really think much of it until she mentioned cigarette burns. We thought the other examples were the result of bullying or of something she had seen. She wouldn't be the only one in Class 77-B to have come from a tough neighborhood, after all. The burns though, no one is going to hold still and let someone put out a cigarette on them. Not unless they were forced to," Pekoyama explained.
"Did Yukizome-sensei ever try to follow up on this?" Kirigiri asked.
"She attempted to as soon as the words left Tsumiki-san's lips, but Tsumiki-san was adamant she was just giving random examples. It wasn't impossible, the Ultimate Nurse would have seen all types of injuries in patients. But…" Pekoyama trailed off.
"But?" Kirigiri pressed.
"Sometimes Tsumiki gets this faraway look in her eyes and an almost hollow tone to her voice when she goes into elaborate detail about something that happened or something she wants to do, and, well, I don't think the Ultimate Nurse would ever want to give someone burns," Pekoyama said.
Kirigiri, who by this time had pulled out her notebook, wrote this information down before nodding and saying, "I'm going to look into this. She may not like it, but I couldn't live with myself if I suspected Tsumiki-senpai was in trouble and I did nothing."
"I agree. May I join you?" Pekoyama asked.
"The more the merrier," Kirigiri said with a small smile.
Help is on the way, Tsumiki-senpai/Tsumiki-san! the two Ultimates mentally vowed.
The next day saw Pekoyama display her stealth skills while tailing Tsumiki. She never thought she'd be putting the skills she learned to act a Kuzuryuu's shadow to use for detective work, but she also never thought she'd be working with a detective, either.
Kirigiri had wanted to join her, but the Ultimate Detective had to admit that Pekoyama had her beat in this area. For now, she had to be content with following Pekoyama from a distance and watching for her signals. Speaking of which…
One wave, "Move up," Kirigiri reminded herself as she moved to the spot Pekoyama had previously occupied. Both Kirigiri and Pekoyama believed that the best course of action was to first find out where Tsumiki lived. After their lunch the previous day though, the girls didn't think they could just "conveniently" run into Tsumiki and ask where she lived. That left them with two options: Follow Tsumiki or ask someone who might know.
They easily eliminated the latter option. Tsumiki had never given that information and the only other option was to find her records at school. Though they were sure that Yukizome would be happy to help, neither Kirigiri nor Pekoyama saw any need to overly complicate things that way, so they were left with the first option. It was a great stroke of luck that they saw Tsumiki passing by their apartment just after they finished working out hand signals.
This plan seemed to be going smoothly enough. At the very least, Tsumiki had given no indication that she knew she was being followed. Soon, Pekoyama was signaling Kirigiri to join her.
Two waves, then pointing at the ground, "Come here," Kirigiri mentally confirmed as she joined Pekoyama in front of a non-descript apartment building. From their hiding spot, the girls saw Tsumiki enter one of the apartments. It appeared that they had reached their destination. Just to confirm, Kirigiri examined the names on the mailboxes. "'Tsumiki,' we're in the right place," Kirigiri told Pekoyama.
"What's next?" Pekoyama asked, ready to rush in and grab Tsumiki.
"Now, we gather information," Kirigiri answered as she walked towards the building's stairs.
Pekoyama followed Kirigiri as the younger girl made her way to the apartment directly under the one Tsumiki had entered. After Kirigiri had knocked, a middle-aged woman answered the door and with an annoyed tone asked, "What the hell do you two want?"
"Excuse me, Miss. We would like to ask about the people in the apartment above you. What can you tell us about the Tsumikis," Kirigiri asked.
"Why would I know anything about those three? And why would I tell you kids anything?" the woman asked as she made to shut the door.
Kirigiri, showing strength that would have impressed the more athletic Ultimates, held the door open before saying, "Ah le le? Those pill bottles on your table. You aren't abusing methamphetamines are you, Miss?"
"Wh-what are you talking about?" the woman asked as she tried to hide her face.
"The blotchy skin on your face, your aggression, your rapid eye movement and dilated pupils, all point to abusing drugs. I'm sure that's a blue pill I see near those bottles. You know Adderall is illegal in Japan, right?" Kirigiri asked.
"What's this about? Are you going to get the cops?" the woman asked.
"We aren't with the police, Miss. We just want to know about your neighbors on the floor above you. Tell us what we want to know, and you'll never see us again," Kirigiri told the woman.
"Fine," the woman sighed in defeat.
After several repeat performances of Kirigiri's investigative techniques, Pekoyama said, "Remind me never to try to hide things from you." Having seen Kirigiri discover the secrets of, and subsequently threaten, Tsumiki's neighbors, Pekoyama found herself both impressed and mildly terrified.
"It's just simple observation. If they didn't want to get caught, then they would have hidden everything better. I was raised to find the truth, by fair means or foul, and that's what I'm going to do," Kirigiri explained as she flipped through the notes she had taken. "The neighbors who have met her seemed fond of Tsumiki-san," Kirigiri noted.
"That isn't too surprising. Tsumiki-san has never discriminated when it comes to treating people. I doubt she cares if they've received injuries through illegal acts or not," Pekoyama added.
"Her family's next-door neighbors want them gone, though," Kirigiri noted, gravely.
"'Screaming matches. Crashes. The sounds of physical altercations. A young girl crying.'" Pekoyama read from over Kirigiri's shoulder. "I doubt there's an innocent explanation for this," she sighed.
"That depends on what Tsumiki-senpai says tomorrow," Kirigiri told the older girl.
"Tomorrow? Not tonight?" Pekoyama asked.
"There isn't much we can do if Tsumiki-senpai doesn't let us help. In addition to the neighbors' testimonies, we've seen her injuries, and we even heard a little of what the neighbors hear, but it isn't enough. It will be time to act soon, but for now, we need to be patient," Kirigiri explained.
"I know. It's just, Tsumiki-san and I have been classmates for almost two years now. I hate thinking any of my friends are in danger and I'm just allowing it to continue. I-I need to meditate for a bit once we get home. Perhaps that will help," Pekoyama said with a sigh.
"Very well. I need to think of how exactly we approach this. As well as what our next plan is if Tsumiki-senpai refuses to talk," Kirigiri said.
"Fair means or foul?" Pekoyama asked.
"Whatever it takes," Kirigiri assured her. "Honestly, from what we've seen, I suspect that everyone in that building, barring Tsumiki-senpai, at least, should probably be in jail. Junkies, pimps, illegal gambling, once this is all over, I think I'll need to make a few calls," Kirigiri said.
"But didn't you…" Pekoyama began.
"I said they'd never see us again. I never said I would keep what I saw a secret," Kirigiri said with a smile.
In addition to not hiding things, Pekoyama made a mental note to also never get on Kirigiri's bad side.
While Pekoyama and Kirigiri were speaking with her neighbors, Tsumiki had been dealing with her father. Usually, Tsumiki would have been okay with this, given that she normally suffered the most at the hands of her mother. That was not the case today, as when Tsumiki arrived home she saw her father surrounded by liquor and pill bottles, and unfortunately, her father was a mean drunk, to put it lightly.
Deciding it was in her best interest to clean up and then just keep her head down until her father sobered up. That was the plan at least, but cleaning up bottles is sometimes a noisy process and Tsumiki Shuhei was a light sleeper, even when passed out, drunk, and high.
"Fuckin' bish! Thinking she can talk to me like that! It's my money that pays for this apartment, do you understand!" Shuhei ranted.
Despite not knowing the details of the fight that caused this, Tsumiki attempted to reason with her father, "Papa, stop. Mama isn't here. I'll clean up, just go back to sleep."
"You think you can tell me what to do? You won't. Do you understand? DO YOU UNDERSTAND? YOU WON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" Shuhei screamed.
Shrinking back, Tsumiki answered, "I understand."
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
"Yes, I understand."
"Keep cleaning this shit up, then," Shuhei ordered.
"I need to get a trash bag," Tsumiki said as she left the room.
"You what?" Shuhei asked.
"Getting a bag, Papa. Just to clean up," Tsumiki responded.
"You… I'm not going to hurt you, but I'm telling you, you're not going to talk to me like this. Do you understand?" Shuhei asked again.
"I understand Papa, please don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me," Tsumiki begged in fear.
"I'm going to put my hands on you, and you aren't going to stop me," Shuhei began.
"I'm not going to stop you," Tsumiki repeated.
"And if you try to stop me, I'll fucking kill you. Do you understand?" Shuhei asked as he wrapped his hands around his daughter's neck, choking her.
When Shuhei let go, Tsumiki dropped to the ground, coughed, and tried to get air back into her lungs.
"I-I'm the reason you and that whore can live here," Shuhei said.
"I know, Papa," Tsumiki replied.
"You do, huh?" Shuhei asked.
"Yes, Papa," Tsumiki answered.
"Yeah, that whore mother of yours is worthless. You think you'd have a place like this without me?" Shuhei asked.
"I appreciate it, Papa," Tsumiki answered.
"You better, because you're really a worthless daughter," Shuhei told Tsumiki.
"Yes, Papa," Tsumiki said as tears began to pool in her eyes.
"Nothing to say to that?" Shuhei asked.
"There's nothing to say," Tsumiki answered.
"Clean that shit up. Papa needs to lie down," Shuhei said as he staggered over to a nearby couch.
Tsumiki didn't let her tears fall until she had finished cleaning and was in the relative safety of her room. Her neck was a little sore, she knew there would be bruising there tomorrow. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. Her parents were monsters, she knew that. She was in danger, she knew that. What could she do, where could she turn? She knew that too, but she wasn't sure she could take that step. She hoped she didn't run into Pekoyama or Kirigiri again any time soon. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to hold back if they asked what was wrong.
The next day
Tsumiki couldn't bandage her neck without arousing suspicion, so she instead opted to use a scarf. No one she passed outside asked about it, they never did. As she finished her errands for the day, Tsumiki attempted to prepare herself to go back to her own personal hell. As she was preparing, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"EEEEEEKK! Tsumiki shrieked, before she turned and saw Kirigiri and Pekoyama.
"Sorry, Tsumiki-senpai. We didn't mean to scare you," Kirigiri told her frightened senpai as she took her hand off of Tsumiki's shoulder.
"We were just going to ask if you would join us for lunch," Pekoyama added.
Tsumiki wanted to turn them down. She had a feeling the other girls knew something was wrong with her. As she took deep breaths to try to calm herself, Tsumiki tried to think of an excuse to get away but could think of none. In reality, Tsumiki wanted to spend time with her friends. It would be impossible to avoid them forever, eventually, they would be back in the dorm. Maybe they won't ask anything. Maybe I can convince them not to say anything. Maybe they'll still be my friends if I beg, Tsumiki thought.
"How about we take you to our new place. You haven't seen it yet. We're sure you'll like it. And we can eat there, too," Pekoyama suggested calmly.
"Unfortunately, we aren't anywhere close to Hanamura-kun or even Naegi-kun in the kitchen, so we hope you'll be fine with something simple," Kirigiri added.
A trembling Tsumiki nodded and the three were on their way.
In a few minutes, the girls had arrived at Pekoyama and Kirigiri's apartment. As Kirigiri unlocked the door, Pekoyama told her classmate, "Make yourself at home."
When Tsumiki entered she couldn't help but notice how different it felt from her parents' apartment. Whereas her home felt dark, cold, and scary, this apartment felt bright, warm, and welcoming. As if to reinforce the feeling of warmth, Miyabi came and rubbed against Tsumiki.
"Hello Miyabi," Tsumiki said as she crouched down and scratched behind the feline's ears.
As Miyabi purred, Pekoyama noted, "It's great that this place is pet friendly."
"I'm glad we got the kittens to good homes before moving in. As adorable as they were, I don't know how they would have taken to being relocated. I think we lucked out when Miyabi took it so well," Kirigiri said.
"Do you like it here?" Tsumiki asked Miyabi.
In response, Miyabi purred louder.
"We like it," Kirigiri noted.
"It works for what we need it for," Pekoyama added with a shrug.
"I think it's wonderful," Tsumiki said as she stood up with Miyabi in her arms.
"Tsumiki-san, we had a bit of an ulterior motive in inviting you here today," Pekoyama admitted.
"Oh," Tsumiki responded, having expected that.
"Tsumiki-senpai, we followed you home the other day," Kirigiri confessed.
"Y-you did?" Tsumiki asked, ceasing scratching Miyabi as she began to panic.
"We were worried about you after lunch at the café. We spoke to several of your neighbors and… Are you safe at home?" Pekoyama asked.
"W-why wouldn't I be? My home life is perfectly normal. Not a problem in…" Tsumiki began to ramble.
"Tsumiki-senpai, I can see bruises on your neck. Your scarf came loose when Miyabi started pawing at it when you stopped scratching her," Kirigiri pointed out.
"I-I," Tsumiki stuttered.
"Your neighbors hear your parents screaming at you and at each other almost every day. They hear the crashes, the shattering glass, everything. Tsumiki-san, please, let us help you," Pekoyama begged.
That did it. Tsumiki broke down into a blubbering mess. Pekoyama rushed to rub her classmate's back as Kirigiri went to get her something to dry her eyes with. Even Miyabi patted Tsumiki's cheek with her tiny paw in a show of support. When she was able to speak again, Tsumiki wailed, "They hate each other! They fight all the time! Mama cheats and Papa climbs into a bottle! Mama gets violent when I get in her way! Papa hates looking at me! I have nowhere else to go, though! My grandparents want nothing to do with me! Mama's parents think I'm as pathetic as Papa and Papa's parents think I'm filthy like Mama! I hate it there! I wish I could live with all of you all the time! Sniffle!"
"That's what we were hoping you would say," Kirigiri said.
"Huh?" Tsumiki asked.
"You're moving in with us. Let's go get your things," Pekoyama clarified.
"W-wait! What about…?" Tsumiki began to ask.
"We'll deal with it," Kirigiri said as she and Pekoyama led Tsumiki back to her home for hopefully the final time.
In the Tsumiki apartment, Karin and Shuhei were both home when their door slam open and their daughter, carrying a large suitcase, and two other teenage girls entered. The adults saw their daughter turn to the others and ask, "Are you two sure about this?"
"Absolutely," Pekoyama said as she glared at Karin.
"Senpai, go get your things, we'll take care of the…arrangements," Kirigiri said as she glared at Shuhei.
"What's the meaning of this? You can't just barge into our home and…" Shuhei began.
"Yes, Tsumiki-san, let's talk about legality. Let's talk about an abusive, pill-popping, alcoholic, salaryman and his prostitute wife. Let's talk about the bruises on your daughter's neck and her ever increasing injuries when she's at home with the two of you. Feel free to call the cops, I work with them regularly, they know me, they'll be happy to moderate while we have this discussion. Tell them Detective Kirigiri Kyoko has need of their services," Kirigiri began. She wasn't even going to dance around the issue. She and Pekoyama were here for their friend, and nothing was going to stop them.
"Did that little bitch…" Karin started.
"Actually, Tsumiki-san, your neighbors told us that. Turns out you two aren't all that popular in this building. The other residents think you'll attract too much attention one day if you don't quiet down. Turns out they were right," Pekoyama said coldly.
"You're blackmailing us?" Karin asked, as she paled at the thought of jail.
"What do you two want?" Shuhei asked, now afraid.
"Just one thing. Your daughter is going to be moving out. She's coming to live with us and you two will not try to stop us. We know enough to have you two put away for a while, but we'd prefer to avoid that if possible. We just want our friend to be safe, and she won't be if she stays here, the two of you have proven that," Kirigiri told them.
"Take her. If she's gone, then I can leave too," Karin said, now excited at the prospect of not being tied to Shuhei.
"I wish you two had come along years ago. My parents can't object if she moves out on her own, I can finally divorce this whore and not lose and inheritance," Shuhei said happily.
Kirigiri and Pekoyama were in shock. They had expected anger. They had expected a fight. They hadn't expected the Tsumikis to be so accepting of their demand. Pekoyama shook her head and said, "You're both monsters, but I'm glad you two can at least do one thing right after all these years."
"I'm ready," Tsumiki called as she came out with the suitcase packed.
"Is that everything? You won't need to come back?" Kirigiri asked.
"I don't really have much. I try not to keep medical supplies here if I can help it and I don't have that many clothes," Tsumiki admitted.
"Let's go then. We've come to an understanding. It went much more easily than we expected," Pekoyama said as she led the other two out.
Tsumiki stopped and said, "Mama, Papa, I'm sorry everything ended like this. I know you two have been miserable for a long time, but I think you'll both be miserable now that I'm gone too. Because I'm not the cause of your problems and you two didn't make the other miserable. Your lives are misery because you made it that way. I hope one day you two can be happy, but until then, I can be perfectly happy without the two of you. Good-bye. In spite of everything, I hope we can meet again under happier circumstances." Tsumiki saw her friends smiling at her after that and knew that things were going to be alright.
Present Day
The rest of the week had gone by smoothly. Getting Tsumiki situated had been a simple matter. The three girls, and cat, had taken to living together rather well. There was only one problem.
Okay. Let's try this again, Kirigiri told herself.
What would make for good dinner conversation? Pekoyama asked herself.
I still have my 5,000 conversation topics memorized. I'm sure one of them will be useful, Tsumiki thought.
"…"
"…"
"Uh…"
Another failure, the girls thought as they hung their heads in despair. Even when Tsumiki had joined them, their conversations didn't get any livelier, assuming they happened at all. While the girls struggled to talk about something over dinner, they heard a sound from their living area.
When they went to check, they saw that the television was on. The girls saw Miyabi pawing at the remote and assumed she must have accidently turned the television on. Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Pekoyama suggested, "Maybe we should watch T.V. while we eat?"
Kirigiri and Tsumiki agreed and soon the three were seated on their couch as the news came on.
"In international news, everyone's favorite Hope's Peak Academy students are making waves in Novoselic," the anchor said as the feed cut away to footage of Naegi and the others. "A coup attempt by a distant relative of the royal family was stopped by the brave efforts of…"
As the girls watched the story and the interviews, their reactions were mixed. Pekoyama was frustrated that she had been unable to help, Kirigiri felt a headache coming on, and Tsumiki was relieved to see that no one had suffered any major injuries.
"Why is his first instinct to run toward danger?" Kirigiri asked.
"That's just how he is," Pekoyama sighed in resignation. She could protect anyone from outside threats, but she doubted she could protect Naegi from the risks his kind nature put him in.
"I'll check with Kimura-senpai and Gekkogahara-san. Maybe they help find a way to reign in those reckless tendencies of his," Tsumiki suggested.
"Hehee, hahaha!" The girls couldn't help but laugh.
The rest of dinner was filled with the girls talking about how they would deal with their reckless peers and crush upon their return from Novoselic. As the room filled with laughter, Tsumiki couldn't help but think, This is a home!
And there we go. I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm sorry it took so long, I truly am.
Life has been a little crazy the past couple of months. I really wanted to get this out sooner, but things kept coming up. I promise that the wait won't be nearly as long next time. If I'm lucky enough that you all haven't given up on this story, I promise to do everything in my power to get the next chapter out at a reasonable time.
I hope you'll all stick around, because next chapter, everyone goes to the beach. Yes, it's another fanservice-y chapter, and hopefully it will be a fun one.
I hope everyone is satisfied with how things went with Mikan's parents. The more I thought about it, the more unlikely a fight seemed. What can Peko and Kyoko really do to people who would be doomed to lives of misery, if they were real people? I think we all know a Shuhei or a Karin, and, at least in my experience, the life they make for themselves is the worst punishment of all, because they just don't understand why it turned out like that. It's never their fault, after all.
Anyway, if you'd like, leave a review, even if all you want to do is tell me I took too long to get this chapter out. Just having you read and enjoy the story is enough for me, though.
Until next time, stay frosty!
(Yep, Kyoko pulled a Conan with that "Ah le le!" I couldn't resist)