Empress's Valour Chapter 10: Beauty And Vice, a Persona Series + Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Crossover fanfic

3/18, Fri

After School - Shujin Library

"Do you think they're leaving earlier for a reason?"

"They're probably studying together. They're approaching their last year, after all. Gotta prepare for their final one."

"Hm… sure but… do you think that they're… y'know?"

"Probably not; Okumura-Senpai would never stoop so low… I think."

"True. She is the daughter of that big CEO guy, after all."

Ah… rumors. So many Goddamn rumors. It was no secret by now; many people enjoyed spreading rumors regarding Akatsuki and Haru's relationship, and though it was annoying, the two paid them no mind as they sat within the Shujin library to read for a bit in… mostly silence. Niijima sat close by, too absorbed into her work to acknowledge them.

The rumors had, admittedly, gotten a little worse after the two had taken to leaving Shujin earlier to meet up with Yusuke to model for him or just to check in on the boy; they really did care for him, especially after learning of his eating habits, and in truth, he was just fun to hang around. The guy was socially inept and obscenely eccentric, and by all accounts, Akatsuki and Haru adored him for it. The guy was such a nutjob in the best way imaginable.

Hell, the day after they had gotten those replica weapons, the trio had quite literally spent some time messing with their new gear.

It had been…

3/8, Tues

Evening - Madarame's Artlier

"Surrender, o' mighty Heroes, for I, Fox, have obtained the Holy Grail, and with its powers enhancing my own, my mighty blade shall cut you down!"

Donning a paper kitsune mask alongside his replica Katana, Yusuke, or rather Fox, the dastardly Emperor of Darkness who had claimed the Holy Grail relic as his own, stood atop his Artistic Fortress of Ultimate Evil (the couch) and taunted the Heroes beneath him.

"We refuse, Fox! As Heroes of Justice, we shall never back down when in the face of true Evil! Isn't that so, Knightmare Dawn?!" protested Haru, who wore a bandana around her forehead as she spoke. Armed with her replica Battle Axe, the girl smiled as she turned towards her partner, the Heroic Demon Prince Knightmare Dawn, who grinned as he adjusted his Knight Visor made from paper mache.

"Indeed, Beauty Thief Noir. We shall fight to the last quarter, until our last breath! Now, charge!" proclaimed Knightmare Dawn, wielding his Replica Lance with a rubber tip, and after pointing it at the dastardly Kitsune, the two charged, with Fox jumping in to battle the Heroes.

And via the window looking into the Artlier, Sasha Javor simply watched in amusement as the 'battle' ensued, ending with Fox subdued and both Dawn and Noir celebrating their victory with a toast, though it eventually ended with them ordering some Big Bang Burgers for dinner, something that amused the chauffeur more than he wished to admit.

… let's just say that it was chaotic and move on from there.

But that aside, the other students had mistaken their leaving early for some… other reasons, and as such, they were quick to make assumptions about them as they meandered about, reveling in that juicy gossip like there was no tomorrow. It was annoying, to say the least, but not unbearable.

Sure, Akatsuki wished to crush some of them for the mean spirited rumors he had been hearing of as time went on, but Haru would always stop him before he flew off the handle, and likewise, whenever Okumura seemed ready to knock someone's lights out when they insulted her friend, however indirectly, Augus had to move in to stop her like how she did him. It was an odd point in their lives… but for all it was worth, it was an interesting one.

Regardless, Akatsuki and Haru persisted, with the duo just going about their days as though nothing was wrong… because nothing was wrong to begin with! It wasn't as though most of the rumors were even correct anyhow!

Yusuke had messaged them earlier today, stating that he had to work on some things in Kosei, thus necessitating him to call off today's modelling session, which was fine to the two as that just gave them a bit more free time together.

As per usual, the rumors were abound, but even so, neither Second Year was bothered by it as they read their respective books. Akatsuki in particular read a light novel to pass the time whilst his pal read up a book in regards to gardening, with the former cackling every so often as he read the corny yet endearing quotes of the Hero of the tale, with him sharing them with his pal on occasion, amusing her every time.

"Hey… did you read that article written on Madarame?"

… huh?

"Yeah, I did. It's pretty hot right now."

"Do you think it's legit?"

"Doubt it. Madarame-San's a top tier artist; I doubt he'd do something as shitty as what the article said he would."

Humming to himself as he snapped his novel shut, Akatsuki perked his ears up when he heard the claims made by his fellow students. Listening in a bit more, the boy heard more and more about this article that had been written, how it was practically slander on Madarame's name, and at the same time, Haru felt her phone go off in her cardigan pocket, and after closing her book, the girl pulled it out of her pocket and checked it.

Sasha: I apologise for messaging so suddenly, little boss.

Sasha: But I believe this may be of interest to you.

Sasha: FAMED PAINTER ACCUSED OF ABUSING STUDENTS AND PLAGIARIZING ARTWORK

Sasha: If you wish to confirm whether or not the information is real, I can vouch for it.

Sasha: The writer is listed as Anonymous, but she's a friend of mine. I was with her through most of her information gathering sessions.

"...?!"

Gulping a little as she hovered her finger over the link Sasha had sent her, the girl sweatdropped a little, wondering if she should even press it as she stared down at her phone. At the same time, however, Akatsuki grunted and glanced her way, having grown sick of just listening to the rumors all the while, and when he saw that worried look on Haru's face, he raised a brow and tilted his head a little..

"Haru-Chan?" muttered Akatsuki, only for the girl to show him the link that was sent to her. Akatsuki took a moment to read it, and upon doing so, he paled a tiny bit before he scowled and stood up. "The roof?"

"The roof," echoed Haru, and with that, they were on their way, sprinting down the halls to make it up to the school roof as quickly as possible, with them ignoring Niijima Makoto's protests to not run in the halls all the while.

"Many rumors were already circulating in regards to the legitimacy behind Madarame Ichiryusai's paintings and whether or not his varied artstyle is legitimate or a result of plagiarism…"

"... many aspiring artists' names have been wiped clean off the board after coming into contact with Madarame, which is too strong a connection to be coincidental…"

"An interview with a former student of Madarame…"

"He would use our work without crediting us…"

"... seeing my art hung up with his name sickened me to my core…"

"... disgrace to art…"

"... other students committed suicide…"

Shock was not the only thing that ran through Haru's system as both she and Akatsuki finished reading through that article, with her having sent him a link to it the moment they got onto the roof. Her free hand flew to her mouth as she leaned against the closest object, the roof fencing, to steady herself, and her eyes were widened in shock as she tried to process what she had just read.

'The famed Madarame Ichiryusai… an abuser and plagarist… it sounds impossible… b-but…'

"... we need to speak to Kitagawa-San…" stated Akatsuki after a few moments of silence, to which Haru blinked. Lowering her hands to her sides, the girl contemplated her options with quite a bit of deliberation, and after some time, she scowled and crossed her arms.

"I… yes, I agree!"

In truth… Haru wasn't sure why they hadn't pressed the issue sooner. Yusuke had made a few, perhaps unintended, hints in regards to Madarame's true nature, and by all accounts, they should have caught on. Fuck… they had caught on. Kitagawa's malnourishment, his constant lack of pocket money, his horrible habits that were not addressed by his sensei. For someone that Yusuke considered to be his father, the guy was rather bad at fathering the boy, and the duo had no one but themselves to blame for not confronting him about this sooner.

"... he won't take this lightly, though. If what this person wrote down is true, then Kitagawa-San likely knows that Madarame is simply using him and his art, but he chooses to turn a blind eye to it where others refuse to," lamented Akatsuki as he punched his fist into his palm, scowling all the while. Haru flinched at his words but nodded regardless, seeing the logic behind them.

"But still… why would he? If what they wrote is true, then would Kitagawa-San not find it… disgusting that his work is being plagiarized? He is genuinely passionate about art, after all," pointed out Haru, and to this, Akatsuki shook his head.

"He likely doesn't speak out about it because he's been conditioned to think that it's… okay for his sensei to do this," suggested Akatsuki, with him scowling at the thought. Haru seemed confused by this, though.

"Conditioned… like, Madarame had repeatedly told him that it was okay for him to use his art without crediting him?" mused Haru, to which Akatsuki nodded.

"Yeah. You'd be surprised at how repetition can condition someone into thinking a certain way, intentional or not. Considering how Kitagawa-San sees and talks about Madarame, I'd say that he's genuinely believing that he's doing good by allowing his Sensei to plagiarize his art, but on a cognitive level, he knows that it's wrong, but he's suppressed those thoughts out of potentially misplaced respect for his foster father," surmised Akatsuki, with Haru blinking at his words.

"You seem to know quite a bit about the human psyche, Akatsuki-Kun," marvelled Haru, eliciting a light blush from Akatsuki as he shrugged.

"Mother worked with a woman who was adept in Cognitive Pscience before she… moved on. I read some of her work before moving to Tokyo, but that's besides the point," stated Akatsuki, with him frowning as he punched his palm with the bottom of his fist. "If what the article says is true, then we have to help Kitagawa-San in some way…"

"And… if it isn't?" asked Haru, with her making a valid point.

"Then we apologize for assuming and back away from him for a while," answered Akatsuki, with him knowing that things would certainly be a little awkward if the article truly spoke the truth, which it likely did considering how Haru's chauffeur was willing to back its author up, but still, you can never be too sure. Clasping her hands together, Okumura then stared down at the ground sadly.

"Yes… let us do that, Akatsuki-Kun. Let's save Kitagawa-San, if necessary…"

"Hm. tomorrow?"

"Yes, Tomorrow. I shall message him later about it. If not tomorrow, then the day after."

"Sounds good to me. Mission start, I suppose."

Evening - Akatsuki's apartment, Aoyama Itchome

His phone rang thrice before it was answered, and once it was, Akatsuki spoke out clearly.

"Shino-Ojisan? This is Akatsuki. Mind if I trouble you over something?"

"Sup. Lemme guess, it's about the article on Madarame-San, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm going to cut to the chase, Ojisan. Do you think the accusations are true?"

"Huh, wanting my honest opinion, eh? That's a first."

"You're the only artist that I could get in contact with in such a short amount of time, so I have no other choice."

"Fair enough. Alright, I'll bite and tell you this… I… am not sure."

"That doesn't really help things, Ojisan."

"Hah, I know, kid. I know…"

A pause, with Shino fidgeting awkwardly on the other side of the call as the silence stretched on, though not long after, he exhaled sharply and continued.

"... look, I can't say for certain whether or not these claims are legit. But… I will say this, Madarame's track record… it's clean. Too clean for my liking, and… officially, get this, he's had no students to begin with. None outside of Kitagawa Yusuke, at least," informed Shino, and to this, the pink haired boy raised a brow.

"Pardon? The article stated he had a lot of students living in his Artlier until just a few years back," muttered a bewildered Akatsuki, and to this, Shino sighed.

"Yeah, well records can be altered if you've got enough money and connections, and Madarame clearly has both. It's no big surprise if he did it, but why he'd wanna do it is a mystery to me," stated Shino. "Unless…"

"... he wanted to erase his students from his record to better hide his plagiarism," continued Akatsuki for his uncle, with him scowling as he resisted the urge to punch a hole in his rented house wall. "If he really did plagiarize his students' artwork, not all of them would be cool with it, and they'd likely try to tell on him, but Madarame has enough influence to have them silenced, one way or another…"

"... and by removing their names from his record, he can pretend as though the supposed crazy artist," Akatsuki could practically hear the air quotes from where he was, "raving about Madarame stealing their artwork was nothing more than a cloutchaser… kh, putting it that way makes it sound kinda fucked, don't you think?"

"It does. But do you think it's true, though?" asked Akatsuki worriedly, to which Shino shook his head from his end of the call.

"There's a chance it is, but also a chance that it isn't. You'll have to figure this one out yourself, kid," stated Shino sadly. "But… based on what we just discussed, I'm leaning more towards the fact that it's possible more so than it's not."

"Hmph. Haru-Chan and I are going to meet Kitagawa-San tomorrow to ask him about it. We'll get an answer one way or another," huffed Akatsuki, and to this, Shino flinched.

"Don't go too hard on the kid. I looked into him and my sources state that he was under Madarame's care for just about 13 years. He'll likely take anything he sees as slander towards him as a personal attack," warned Shino, much to Akatsuki's dismay.

"I… I know. But still… if these claims are true, then I… we need to save him from this predicament."

"Heh. You're talking like a Hero now, kid. Or rather… a Yuusha. That's what you call them, eh?"

"S-Shut up, Ojisan. I'm hanging up now."

"Yeah, love you t-"

Akatsuki had hung up before Shino could finish that statement, though he probably didn't mind it all that much; Norba was just too dang soft to hold anything against anyone. Still though, the thought of him being upset at him was quickly overridden when he got a message from Haru, prompting him to stare down at his phone as he opened up his messaging app.

Haru: I messaged Kitagawa-San about meeting tomorrow.

Haru: He agreed.

Akatsuki couldn't resist a small smile; Haru really was reliable on these fronts.

Akatsuki: cool

Akatsuki: just got off the phone with shino ojisan

Akatsuki: he told me that he also believes that madarame is an asshole but he cant be too sure

Akatsuki: itll be up to us to figure out if hes a jerk or just a humble old man tomorrow

Haru: I truly hope that he is a good person. For Kitagawa-San's sake.

Haru: But even so… a small part of me is telling me that my hopes are all for naught…

Akatsuki: hang onto that hope haru chan

Akatsuki: for all we know you could be right

Akatsuki: i really hope you are, for kitagawa sans sake

Haru: So do I, Akatsuki-Kun. So do I…

3/19, Sat

"Is something wrong? The two of you seem… more subdued today. I am, as one would say, all ears if you wish to get some things off your chests."

Blinking a fair bit as they slackened their shoulders in surprise, both Akatsuki and Haru glanced at their acquaintance with matching uncertain looks on their faces. The former, who had been initially posing for Yusuke with his replica Lance, fidgeted a little as he tried to answer Kitagawa's question, and likewise, the latter ran her fingers across the dull edge of her replica Battle Axe.

"... perceptive as always, Kitagawa-San," smiled Haru lightly as she set her 'weapon' down, and at that, she stood up and clasped her hands together. At the same time, Akatsuki moved his replica Lance to have it lean against the closest wall, and moments later, the shortest person present continued speaking. "May we continue this conversation outside?"

"Hm, very well. I suppose I was getting a little… tired, so a brief reprise would be appreciated," smiled Yusuke, with him setting his brush down as he spoke. At that, the older kids both smiled, with them acknowledging how their presence had improved Kitagawa's personal life, one way or another, though that wasn't exactly important right now.

The trio were quick to move themselves into the Artlier's 'living room', where Akatsuki got them some takeout. They conversed a little whilst waiting for their food, with the Shujin duo doing their best to avoid the topic they wished to discuss all the while; best to let him have something to eat before they asked him about this, they supposed… not that it was much of an issue, though, as the Big Bang Burger takeout came much faster than they had expected, and Kitagawa had scarfed it down almost immediately.

"Hm… though unhealthy, the Big Bang Burger is still filling. Thank you for this once again, Mixta-San. I will repay you somehow, I promise…" promised Yusuke in earnest, with him mentally summing up just how much he owed his acquaintances at this point. Akatsuki was about to wave him off, but he continued before he could do so. "How uncouth… I had requested for both you and Okumura-San to be my models, and yet I simply leech off your dime in order to sustain my hunger."

"Don't worry about it, Kitagawa-San. Neither Akatsuki-Kun nor I mind," assured Haru, with her smiling lightly as she spoke. Yusuke appreciated this as he nodded, albeit not without some guilt, and for the next few moments, silence reigned as the trio sat and digested their food.

Said silence was eventually broken, however, by Akatsuki, with him leaning forwards and opting to just… get this over with as he clasped his hands together awkwardly.

"Hey, Kitagawa-San, I… I wanted to ask you about something. Both Haru and I do, anyways," said Akatsuki, with him sounding rather-

"You sound rather dire, Mixta-San. Is it a serious matter?" asked Yusuke, with him frowning as he feared the worst. At the top of his mind, he wondered if they were going to stop modelling for him, though right below it, he wondered… was it in relation to that article that had gotten his sensei riled up?

"You could say that," hummed Akatsuki as Haru pulled out her mobile phone and thumbed through it hastily. She got to the article in record time, and moments later, she showed it to Yusuke.

"Yesterday, Akatsuki-Kun and I… found this article regarding your sensei. And… we became worried for your sake," explained Haru, with her watching as Yusuke's formerly jovial expression melted into one of discomfort, though it didn't stop him from lightly seizing her mobile device and scanning through the contents of the article uncertainly.

His eyes widened with each passing scroll, and as the seconds ticked on, the aspiring artist felt his heart beating faster and faster as his grip on Okumura's phone tightened, with him spacing out when he read the word suicide. He had only heard of the articles written on his sensei, with him never actually reading them, having thought of them as nothing more than slander… but now that he was actually scrolling through one…

'Sensei had not told me of this… but why…?' wondered Yusuke direly, with his faith in Madarame shuddering lightly as he grit his teeth behind his lips, with his thoughts going to his foster father all the while, though as he did so, he spaced out and stopped with his scrolling, and upon doing so, the oldest boy present in the room darkened his gaze before speaking what both he and his friend were thinking.

"Kitagawa-San, I'm going to be very blunt with you now… has Madarame-San ever… abused you? In any way, I mean?"

Akatsuki's words seemed to have struck a chord in Yusuke, who stiffened at them as he glanced in the older boy's general direction. For the briefest of moments, the boy seemed… unsure of how he should go about responding, as his eyes glimmered with something akin to hope as he stared at him blankly, though moments later…

"Hah…hahahah…"

… that hope was replaced with despair as he laughed mirthlessly, a horrid sound that made both Haru and Akatsuki flinch when they heard it.

"My word, Mixta-San, what compels you to ask such a thing? I had thought both you and Okumura-San were above listening to such rumors!" laughed Yusuke mirthlessly as he set Haru's phone down and glanced at Akatsuki, who frowned as he watched the younger boy smile. Said smile was clearly fake, and a lesser person would've been fooled by it.

Neither Akatsuki nor Haru were lesser people.

"But are they really rumors, though, Kitagawa-San? Please, answer us truthfully; all we want is to help you out of your situation," stated Haru, with her eyes gleaming with assurances of safety as she spoke. In response to this, Yusuke scowled and stared ahead of himself, not making eye contact with either one of his acquaintances all the while. "Please… just tell us, is Madarame abusing you or plagiarizing your work?"

"I have known Sensei for all my life, Okumura-San. In my sixteen years of living, Madarame-Sensei has not laid a finger on me in any way that could be compared to abuse," defended Yusuke adamantly. Haru backed down at this, with her sensing the truth behind Yusuke's words, but as for Akatsuki…

"What about emotionally, though. Abuse comes in many forms, and emotional abuse is as horrendous as-"

"My Sensei would not do such a thing, Mixta-San!" protested Yusuke, with his gaze shooting towards Akatsuki as he spoke. The fury in his tone was genuine, and by all means, the pink haired boy was taken aback by this. Haru in particular flinched as she recoiled from their shared acquaintance, who looked rather distraught as he shook his head and sat back down. "... I apologise for my outburst.. B-b-but… y-you and Okumura-San… you… I understand that you worry for me, but know that the article speaks of nothing but falsehoods. Madarame-Sensei… he is a kind and honest man. He would never abuse me in any way."

'Your apparent malnourishment says otherwise,' thought Akatsuki direly, though he didn't comment on that just yet as he scowled.

"Alright. Fine… but… what about the plagiarism? Is that…?" asked Akatsuki sternly, to which the younger boy scoffed.

"Sensei has called them out on this before on television in the past. Simply the claims of madmen that are envious of his ability to replicate many styles in his paintings," brushed off Yusuke, to which the other two frowned. To brush off the words of others as nothing more than jealousy seemed rather… pathetic, to say the least, but still, it was a valid point… if not for…

"Are they really just madmen, though? Or perhaps… former students of Madarame?" suggested Haru, with her recalling the call Akatsuki had with Shino the day before, and to this, Yusuke flinched.

"I… do not know. Sensei has not told me much about why his other pupils had left. All I've heard is that they had grown tired of his strict teaching style and thought it best to part from him without conflict. Why would they think to slander his name with their words…?" muttered Yusuke, confused as he lowered his head and rubbed at his temple with a scowl, only for Akatsuki to pipe up.

"Because they saw something that you didn't, I'd reckon," offered Akatsuki kindly, and when he noticed the curious look on Yusuke's face, he elaborated. "Perhaps… they saw that Madarame was using them… plagiarizing their work, and they-"

"That is quite enough, Mixta-San! I have indulged in your concerns out of respect for both you and Okumura-San, but I will not allow for any more of these baseless rumors to plague my Sensei's Artlier!" groaned Yusuke, with his head shooting up as he glared at Akatsuki, growing annoyed as he spoke. Both of his acquaintances flinched at this; they had never heard him sound so upset prior to now… but even so…!

"Kitagawa-San, please, we're only asking because we're worried for you! There was a lot of credibility behind the article, and we just… we wish to confirm that you weren't being taken advantage of by your sensei…" stated Haru meekly, with her bringing a hand forward to lightly grab Yusuke's, only for him to flinch away from her grasp.

"What you are doing is allowing a clickbait article to alter your perspective of how things truly are! Madarame-Sensei is a noble man who aspires for true beauty over all, and as his sole pupil, my word should be more than enough to convince you of this!" rebutted Yusuke sternly. "But why?! Why do you not trust me? Madarame-Sensei himself has shown that he is an incredible man, someone that not only I, but many others should aspire to become… so why?! Why do you still continue to doubt his innocence in all this?!"

Shrinking down as Yusuke spoke, Haru gulped and looked around for a way to get out of here. She couldn't process the fact that she was hyperventilating as she listened to Kitagawa speak, with him standing up around the midpoint of his words all the while. His icey grey glare pierced her soul in a manner that reminded her of her father whenever he was disappointed in her, and it made her collapse in on herself on reflex.

And not a moment later, even if it did feel like an eternity to Haru herself, Akatsuki set his hand down upon Yusuke's shoulder, forcing the boy to turn to face him. The older kid was standing now, with him staring at Kitagawa with a neutral gaze that made him seem larger than he actually was, and with a scowl, he answered in place of his friend.

"That's because we can tell that you're not being completely truthful to us… nor to yourself, Kitagawa-San," stated Akatsuki, and to this, Yusuke could only blink in confusion as his initial anger faded briefly… only to return in full moments later.

"How belittling… as an Artist, one who aspires to capture true beauty, one must always be true to themselves so as to have an unbiased view on the world around them. If anyone in this room were to be accused of being true to themselves, then I would be at the top of the list," scowled Yusuke, and to this, the older boy frowned.

The hostility in Yusuke's voice was impossible to ignore; the boy was at his whit's end with the two of them, and by all means, he was clearly trying to use his massive height advantage to intimidate Akatsuki into dropping the issue, what with him glowering down at the older yet shorter boy. Unfortunately for him, however, Augus had been stared down by greater behemoths in the past, and compared to them, Kitagawa was nothing more than a droplet of water.

"Is that so? Then in that case, why does your voice lack its usual conviction?" argued Akatsuki, with him narrowing his eyes as he said this. Indeed, Yusuke's tone lacked its typical flare, with the taller boy's usual energy missing as he defended his Sensei. When compared to how he spoke during their modelling sessions, the boy sounded very robotic, almost as though he were reading off a script, something that Kitagawa did not pick up on until now. "You don't sound too sure of yourself, Kitagawa-San… you sound like you don't want to defend your Sensei, but you have to, for one reason or another."

Falling into silence at Akatsuki's words, Yusuke backed down and rubbed his upper arm uncertainly. He wasn't wrong there… but still…

"Kitagawa-San… Yusuke, please. Tell us the truth… we can… we will help you if you do. You just need to tell us," pleaded Haru, with her having recovered from her initial bout of fear as she moved to stand by Kitagawa, with her lightly holding his shoulder all the while.

… he couldn't betray his Sensei, not after all that he's done for him…

"Please, just… tell us the truth…"

… just as his paintings were his own, Yusuke was Madarame's, and he would never turn his back on his father…

"Please… Yusuke…"

'They are so very kind, would you not agree…?'

"Yusuke…?"

'You long for your freedom from the chains of your captor, no? Trust them; listen to them. The other you that resides within wishes for this just as much as the you who stands before them…'

'I…'

Haru's genuinely worried gaze broke his heart…

'I-I…'

Akatsuki's stern yet caring eyes remained trained on him…

'I… I-I…!"

And at the apex of his thoughts, the door to the Artlier swung open, with Madarame himself entering all the while. His timing was impeccable, and his appearance had snapped everyone out of their trance-like state. The jovial old man that entered had smiled when he did so, but still, his grin faltered when he saw the models of his pupil standing so close to him, and with a raised brow, he spoke.

"Hm… may I ask what is happening here?" asked Madarame with a confused expression, and to this, the Shujin duo moved to stand in front of Yusuke with neutral looks on their faces. They seemed to be trying to protect the kid from Ichiryusai's influence, but still… seeing his foster father once more had caused the building doubt in Kitagawa's mind to be vanquished, with him scowling as he elbowed his way past the duo, who flinched at his unexpected strength, and moments later, the young painter spoke out apologetically.

"S-Sensei… I… I apologise for the scene you see before you… my models, they had allowed themselves to be influenced by the words of an article written to slander you," apologised Yusuke earnestly, with his words causing both his acquaintances to flinch as they realized that Madarame's appearance had more or less undone all of their progress with their acquaintance, but still, Ichruysai didn't seem too bothered by this, as he smiled lightly.

"Ah, I see. Worry not of it, Yusuke; the article spoke of many things in a convincing way, but know that none of it is truthful. Do not hold it against your models for believing in that nonsense," chuckled Madarame with a smile, and to this, Yusuke slackened his shoulders, seeming content with his Sensei's words all the while, but at the same time, Akatsuki scowled and took a step forwards.

"Even if that's the case, tell me… how often have you been taking care of Yusuke?! As in… really taking care of him? He's been underfed, that much is obvious to us!" protested Akatsuki, with his frustrations growing as he swung his arm out in annoyance. Yusuke flinched at his words but chose to not say anything as Madarame sighed.

"I apologise, but Yusuke has been like this for-"

"If Yusuke was really behaving like this, then it would have fallen to you to correct his behaviour, Madarame-San!" protested Haru, with her silently acknowledging how the man had done seemingly nothing to change Yusuke's bad habits. As his foster father, it should've fallen to him to do so, not them, and for as miserable a man as he was, at least Kunikazu looked after Haru like a real father should've! "From my point of view, you've done nothing to improve his living situation!"

"I recommend you watch your tongue, young lady. How I teach my pupil is none of your concern, and even if it was, you have no right to butt into a situation that is not of your concern," shot Madarame, with Yusuke flinching at his harsh words, but still…

"I beg to differ. Only someone who truly cares would meddle in the business of someone who clearly needs help, and by all accounts, it seems as though you don't want to help your surrogate son whatsoever!" shot Akatsuki, with him scowling as he glared at Madarame, who grimaced at this accusation. "Or maybe you're just helping him improve his art so that you can plagiarize it, like the article said!"

"You…!" growled Madarame as he reached his wits end, though before he could say whatever he had in mind, a hand swung into Akatsuki's face, and upon colliding with it, the boy, who had not been expecting the strike, felt his head snapping to one side as his eyes widened in surprise. Turning towards the culprit, the pink haired boy saw that Yusuke had been the one to strike him, and even he seemed taken aback by his action, with Haru hiding her gaping mouth behind her hands as she witnessed this.

"Yusuke…" muttered Akatsuki, shocked but, in truth, not particularly surprised at this outcome as he recovered from the slap, though he said nothing more as he watched Yusuke fix him with a glare so icey that it could've burnt him if looks were capable of injuring. Off to the back, Madarame couldn't resist a small, victorious grin as he watched his pupil defend him albeit for all the wrong reasons.

"That is quite enough, Mixta Akatsuki! When both you and Okumura Haru had brought this matter up with me, I had entertained your drivel due to a mixture of appreciating your concern over me and on the basis of the two of you being my models, but it has become clear to me that neither of you are willing to open your eyes and see the truth!" snarled Yusuke asAkatsuki rubbed at his lightly bruised jaw, unsure of how to respond as he glanced away from his acquaintance. "If you mean to continue to unjustly accuse my Sensei of such things, over a slanderous article no less, then you are no longer permitted to step foot into his Artlier!"

"Yusuke, what are you-"

"I no longer require either of you to act as my models! Had I known that you were both as gullible as the common folk that plague this country, I would not have approached either of you to be my models," growled Yusuke, and to this, both his acquaintances flinched. "Begone, and do not return; if you do, I will call the authorities to escort you off the premises. Your narrow-minded selves are not needed here…"

"Yusuke…" tried Haru uncertainly, only for the boy to brush her off in a somewhat aggressive way, to which she flinched.

"I said begone, now," scowled Yusuke, to which the girl recoiled, and at that, she nodded sadly and moved to be with her friend, who appeared solemn as he too nodded and lightly held her wrist, leading her out all the while.

The door had shut with an unsatisfactorily soft tick, and with it, the Artlier was left in silence. Yusuke felt empty as he hugged himself, unsure of how to feel about the situation he had just found himself in as a mixture of emotions swirled around inside his stomach, and at the same time, Madarame's expression hardened a little as he turned to fix his sole pupil with a harsh stare, one that made him flinch as he spoke.

"You were playing a dangerous game, Yusuke. Had that conversation gone even the slightest bit the wrong way, then I would've likely had one, or perhaps two, lawsuits headed my way from individuals of high repute," stated Madarame, with his tone switching from laid back and gentle to stern without any real love. Yusuke gulped at this as he nodded.

"I… I understand. I apologise, Sensei. I had acted on emotion; I assure you that it will not happen again," assured Yusuke, and to this, Madarame nodded.

"See to it that it does not. My reputation is on the line, after all," mused Madarame, with him shaking his head all the while. Yusuke nodded, with him not acknowledging the void he felt in his chest all the while, though moments later, Ichiryusai continued. "But tell me, Yusuke, now that your models are gone, how will you continue your artpiece?"

"I… I will not. I cannot in good faith look at the piece I had been working on with anything but scorn, now that my models have revealed themselves to be as narrow minded as those who wish to slander you…" lamented Yusuke, with his tone shaky and his words sounding hollow, even to himself…

'Narrow minded… or perhaps, concerned for your wellbeing?'

"... I will work on another piece for your upcoming art show, Sensei. I promise you it will be magnificent, even with the short time I have to complete it," promised Yusuke, and to this, Madarame smiled, content.

"Excellent. Don't forget, my reputation is tied to your success, Yusuke. Do not disappoint me."

"I… I will not, Sensei. I will not."

And his heart continued to shrink further in on itself as he said this, with him peering towards the closed door of the Artlier all the while, silently acknowledging the mistake he had made in the process.

"Judging by your expressions, I reckon it didn't go well?"

"No shit."

Akatsuki's response to Sasha, who waited by the J-Cruiser outside the Artlier, came as no surprise to him, but still, he flinched in sympathy, especially when he saw his bruised cheek. He didn't ask about it for his sake, but even so, he sighed.

"I'm sorry for this. I probably shouldn't have sent the link in the first place, but I thought you kids deserved to know," apologised Sasha, with him acknowledging how he had essentially ruined their budding friendship with Yusuke with his actions. Even so, however, Haru lightly patted his arm as the three piled into his car.

"It isn't your fault, Javor-San. I believe we were getting to him with our words, but Madarame's entrance had derailed our efforts…" lamented Haru as Sasha drove the vehicle off to Shibuya Station, with him flinching at his words all the while.

"Kh… figures, I suppose. That kid clearly respects the two of you to the point where he'd actually listen, considering how he didn't boot you two out the moment you asked about the rumors, but his loyalty to Madarame clearly outweighed his respect for you lot," hummed Sasha, with Haru burying her face in her hands all the while.

"But… why would he remain loyal to him? His reaction to our words tell me that all the accusations were true… so if that's the case… why…?" asked Haru, only for Akatsuki to explain.

"Because he still can't see his surrogate father doing such a thing; stockholm syndrome, if you will. Yusuke clearly knows that Madarame is using him, but he's turning a blind eye because his mind physically can't comprehend his father using him for any malicious intent. He admires him too much, and by all accounts, seeing him physically in person probably made all oour words for naught," stated Akatsuki, with him scowling as he found himself sympathizing with Yusuke's situation quite a bit in an odd way.

He knew that his father, back when he was still alive, was not a good person, but he had ignored that because he was… well, his father. He had only recently accepted the fact that whilst he was a good father, he had never really been a good person, and that had taken him many years to come to terms with. Likewise, Haru couldn't help but feel a pang of relatability in the matter, as her situation with Kunikazu was similar to what Kitagawa was going through with Madarame; she subconsciously knew that the Okumura patriarch was using her for his own gain, but she refused to speak out against it out of a mixture of respect and fear.

Even so…

"I won't give up on him. I… I refuse to allow Yusuke to be exploited by that man! Javor-San, tell me, you have contacts, don't you? I don't know if father will be willing to use his own to start a formal investigation into Madarame's history, but I know that yours will be more than willing!" stated Haru, with her frowning heavily as she spoke, to which Sasha huffed.

"I do, but I'm not sure if he's gonna be available for a while. Either way, Sven will be more than willing to look into the matter, but it will take some time for me to get into contact with him," said Sasha, with him making no promises all the while. Still, it was the thought that counted, and with a sigh, he shook his head and continued. "Can't believe I'm being dragged into this…"

"Sorry… we-"

"Bah, save it. I know that you care for the kid. There's no need for an apology, alright? Just… focus on your studies for now, I guess. Leave Kitagawa's situation to us adults."

Sasha's words were genuine, and they were enough to make the kids nod, but even so, the chauffeur doubted that they'd do as they were told. Kids were like that, after all, and his thoughts were more or less confirmed after he, via his rearview mirror, saw that the two were texting one another before they nodded firmly in the other's direction, seemingly making a plan of attack all the while.

'Jeez… kids these days…'

3/20, Sun

Haru: Kitagawa-San?

Haru: I am messaging to say that Akatsuki-Kun and I are sorry about what we've done. We had clearly encroached too far into your personal life, something that we should not have done.

Haru: You need not forgive us, but please know that we are sorry.

Read: 11:42am

3/24, Thurs

Haru: Kitagawa-San… may we speak, please? Akatsuki-Kun wishes to apologise to you in person.

Haru: We promise to not bring this matter up. We are truly worried for you.

Haru: Kitagawa-San?

Read: 10:33am

Akatsuki: haru im back

Akatsuki: i tried getting some info from iwai ojisan on madarame

Akatsuki: he doesnt have much incriminating on him

Akatsuki: old man hides his tracks well

Haru: How worrisome… I can only hope that Javor-San's friend replies soon…

Haru: Are there any lawyers we can use on your side, Akatsuki-Kun?

Akatsuki: sorry theyre all busy at the moment

Akatsuki: theres a case involving abuse in the workplace of a business partner. itll be a while before they can resolve that completely

Haru: I see…

Haru: This issue has truly come up at an inopportune moment…

Akatsuki: dont lose faith haru chan

Haru: I know, Akatsuki-Kun.

Haru: That is the one thing I refuse to lose

3/25, Fri

Haru: Kitagawa-San? Please respond.

Haru: Akatsuki-Kun and I are growing worried over you.

Haru: Please.

Haru: May we come over? We would like to speak to him.

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