Ren hunches over his notebook, tapping his pencil against the page rhythmically. Almost aggressively. His mind is racing in the absolutely best way. Outlining a plan, of course.

Abusing students on the volleyball team… The parents are willing to ignore this mistreatment against their own children because of the reputation he's cultivated. Their faith in Shujin's education programs and potential acclaim around the school thanks to Kamoshida's name outweigh the short term injuries.

If you look at it pragmatically, objectively, it's not a crazy stance to take. A few bruises here and there to make sure your kid gets into a nice college and it's all smooth sailing from there.

But it isn't that simple. Human lives never are. Although the traditional Japanese approach is winning out quite handily here, that'll change if the kids begin to more readily speak about the abuses. At least, that's what Ren believes.

That is no easy task, of course. The students under him no doubt have been blackmailed or beaten to the point that they don't see a point in rebelling against him. Especially when he has the backing of the faculty and the parents. It's not difficult to imagine how crushing it would feel to report malpractice by a teacher, or anyone for that matter, and be told to bear it. Suck it up. Deal with it, because you need to get into a good college.

But Kamoshida doesn't have much room for error. After all, he's the one going against the law. A few crumbles here and there in that perfect image of his, a loss of support from faculty, parents, or both, and he'll definitely crumble. By sabotaging him in the real world, Ren is certain that palace of his will weaken.

"It's a simple solution, really." Ren says to himself. He sees the distrustful glares and nervous glances he gets. How could he not? But right now, he's in his element for once. A problem only he can fix fell right into his lap. An endlessly alluring power to fulfill the most haughty dreams of world reformation, made real. He chuckles, and a girl at the table to his left scoots further away from him, clutching her bag.

"You know what they're saying right? He killed someone."

"That's fucking crazy." Another boy says. "You know what else? I heard he assaulted a woman. That's why he got arrested. He's a rapist."

Ren's expression sours at that. But what can he say? People believe what they want. And the official documentation would prove them right even if Ren had it in his hands.

"You know…" the girl who's still shying away begins timidly. "My friend Mika told me he fought Kamoshida just a few days ago. On the first day of the year."

She's talking in a hushed tone, but Ren can still hear. He scribbles in the corner of the page in frustration. The lead turning the white into dark with the weight behind his hand.

"Mika can say what she wants, but there's no way that's true. Nobody fights Kamoshida."

"Yeah, I know right? But if anyone would, it's that guy." The man says pointedly.

Just as Ren's going to tune them out, someone takes his attention away for him.

"The butterfly effect… huh." Ren jolts at the sound of a woman's voice over his shoulder. "Interesting."

Who'd bother to be so close to the apparently murderous transfer student? Ren has to wonder. He turns to look, and there stands Makoto Niijima in her nonstandard school uniform. Maybe a perk of being a Niijima? He isn't sure how the dress code works. Somehow, it would make sense if they didn't have to follow the rules.

Ren casually closes his notebook before she can read any more. "It's a fun concept in practice."

"And what practice would that be? Palaces? Cognition? Mind explaining what all that writing was?"

Her tone isn't accusatory, yet. Still, Ren mentally shakes his head in embarrassment. What a stupid mistake to make. The less other people know about this magical power the better. He doesn't know the legal books too well, but people hate power that's out of their own hands. If he's found out, that unpredictability will earn him much more than just a slap on the wrist.

"It's just a draft for a novel I was thinking of writing." Ren says.

"You shouldn't go looking for trouble. Between me, my sister, and the teachers here at Shujin, you're not going to get off scot free. But I'm guessing you don't care much about your future, right?" Makoto scoffs.

"Would you believe me if I said I did?"

Murmurs begin to sound in the background from the closer tables as the student council president faces off with the infamous delinquent.

"He's a thug. I don't think she knows what she's getting into." A guy's voice says.

"Knowing her, she's probably just doing this for another good grade, the suck up." A girl giggles. "Easy to look down on us with all those recommendation letters of hers. Plus, with an older sister like that? Let her handle it. It'd be nice to see her step down a peg and act human for once."

Makoto's lips purse. But she gives them no comment.

Struck a nerve, huh? Ren thinks. Seems like she's not so popular. But, then again, authority figures rarely are in these times.

"I can't say I'd be inclined to believe that." Makoto says.

"That's fine. I don't plan on ruining this chance. That's what's important." Ren replies.

"Then why have you already created a rift within the faculty here?" Makoto looks around at the clearly attentive students and her face scrunches up in anger at their beady, judging eyes. "You're on probation for assault. The only reason you've been allowed to attend Shujin is because of your record. If you don't go along with your rehabilitation, it looks bad on all of us. So get it together or leave!"

Makoto seems to surprise herself with how her hand launches toward to grab Ren by the collar, pulling him roughly to lean forward in his seat. She stands right before him, and their eyes meet.

"Is this really happening?" One student asks themselves.

"Hey, record it." another nudges his friend.

Ren tilts his head back to stare at her, meeting her fury all the way. Her hand shakes with anger, trembling in frustration as she holds onto him.

"Let me ask you this, then. As student council president, as the younger sister of Sae Niijima, as a supposed paradigm of virtuous conduct for this academy, what is your responsibility? What is your oath?" Ren says with a scowl.

"To serve for the betterment of students' lives."

"Right." Ren says. "That's what you believe. But I don't think you really represent that statement. The government, the police, the banks, pharmacies, and the schools. All of these organizations extend policies that sound good on paper, but they never follow through on them. They wave those ideas in front of us. A dream of a better world fed to us like trickling water from a rusty tap. The police who break the government dictated rules of law which we all must follow. The banks and Medicare companies that take advantage of their monopoly over their respective industries and extort the people who need their services most. Shujin is no different. You work for this school that's so willing to cover its own ass. Serving a faculty and structure that's rotten through, makes you rotten yourself."

"What are you talking about? What issues are there with the teachers at this school?"

"If you don't know that yourself, I don't know what to say."

"Enough. You're a danger to the school and I am not misguided in focusing my efforts on you. It's clear you don't intend to go quietly." Makoto says. "Under grounds of assault on a faculty member as well as anti-institutional pandering, I'll be recommending you be expelled from Shujin academy." With that final blow, she twists on her heel, shoulders held high.

Ren's gut twists, and he feels unsteady all of a sudden. Stifled. How? Why? Suspension already? It's not easy to climb himself out of the pit she just dumped him in. One of all too familiar despair. The feeling of having your feet taken out from under you. He'd just landed on thin ice, only to hear it shatter with Makoto's words.

Ren swallows hard and stands up abruptly, his chair wobbling for a moment on one leg before falling backward. He leaves his bag behind, notebook still closed on the circular table he'd occupied.

"Why?" Ren asks, pursuing her as she makes to leave. "This isn't fair!"

"Life rarely is."

"That isn't a reason!" Ren says, bumping into a male student that practically jumps out of his skin once he sees Ren's face. He'd been looking down at his phone beside a bookshelf. "That isn't enough reason to expel someone!"

"Oh, really?" Makoto replies. "That's rich. As a criminal, why should you have a say in what's right? I'm going to go through our faculty list, and if they testify that you attacked one, that's more than enough reason to purge a student from the books. You were brought here on goodwill and decided to spit on our generosity. This school won't give you any more charity."

Ren follows Makoto all the way to the principal's office. Arguing until he accepts that his pleas fall on unwilling ears. By the time she opens the door and gestures him in with a glare and a sharp incline of her head, Ren has no more words. That straight-backed posture of his is nowhere to be seen, to her surprise. He almost slinks into the chair across from the principal. Has all his defiance to this point been a ruse?

No. He's simply realized that he's been caught. Makoto decides. After all, is there anything more disheartening than being caught in the perfect trap? For a juvenile criminal like himself, he must've expected the big city to be easy to mess with, just like the sticks he used to live in.

Unlike wherever you were raised, your actions won't go unpunished here. Makoto thinks, smirking.

"Oh, Makoto." Kobayakawa says. "Is something wrong?"

"That's what I'm trying to investigate." Makoto says, crossing her arms as she stands between Ren and the door. "I'm sure you know the student that stands before you now."

"Well, of course. That's Ren Amamiya. Our hopelessly infamous transfer student. I guess with so many ears knowing of his arrival it was only a matter of time before the student body found out. Still, these rumors have really gotten out of control."

"Speaking of rumors," Makoto says, "I've been hearing some saying that he assaulted one of the teachers here at Shujin."

That has his attention, as the principal stops his slouch to lean forward in his chair, a creak sounding from the wood. He sighs. "I didn't expect it to be pleasantries. Do you have any evidence?"

"Well, no, but I thought it prudent to act regardless."

"Okay then who do I have to call?" Kobayakawa asks. "Based on how all of our faculty are present today, I don't think this assault resulted in any lasting injuries. After all, Amamiya hasn't even been here a week, so the attack had to have happened recently. Unless that is the case, I'd prefer not to bring the entire school to a halt on the account of one man. Would you happen to have heard what teacher it was?"

"Yes. I'd like you to call Mr. Kamoshida. If it isn't him, then I'll take responsibility for operating on assumptions and rumors." Makoto replies. "Is that sufficient?"

"Yes, that sounds fine to me." He replies. Kobayakawa then proceeds to call the aforementioned teacher to his office. The announcement has Ren looking nervous in his chair.

"Well? What is it?" Kamoshida asks as he strides in through the doorway, the gap looking almost too small for his broad shoulders. "The next class is about to start. I wouldn't want to be late." He gives off a big wide grin that doesn't meet his eyes. Showing off a set of perfectly white teeth.

"I understand that, Mr. Kamoshida, but we won't keep you here long. Our student council president asked for you specifically." Kobayakawa says, gesturing across his desk to where she stands.

Kamoshida seems surprised, apparently not having noticed her once he walked in. He gives her a smile which she doesn't match.

"I understand you're a busy man, but this isn't something I wanted to put off. I'll get to the point of the matter. Kamoshida, is it true you've been assaulted by the transfer student we have here?" Makoto asks, holding a hand out to display where Ren sits at her side.

Kamoshida doesn't do much to hide his scorn when he looks down at Ren. "Yes. Him and Sakamoto both tried to give me a piece of their minds. You can rest easily though. They didn't harm me in any significant way, even if they thought they could. Pushing them off of me was like swatting a fly."

Makoto gives a satisfied smile. "In that case, I have a proposition to make. Because we know Ren Amamiya is already a criminal, I don't think he has any room for second chances. His enrollment at this school was his second chance, and he should be expelled so that it won't happen again."

"Say, your sister is a prosecutor, right? And a pretty good one from what I hear. Why not take the legal route?"

"It's not that simple." Makoto says curtly. "As representative of the student body, I want to take my own action. Since you're not grievously injured, I don't think we need to bring the legal authorities into this. Less bureaucracy and impediments, and this way we're seen as more credible."

"True. It wouldn't look great on us as a school if we gave up on the student we'd insisted we could reform." Kamoshida says, staring pointedly down at Kobayakawa who sweats under his sharp gaze.

"That's an easy enough solution. We'll tell them the truth." Makoto says, bringing her hand to her chin. "He was too dangerous for us to handle. Avoiding a blow to our reputation might be impossible, but we can attribute most of that to his criminal record. The media won't blame us if his erroneous ways are made clear."

"Our reputation?" Kamoshida says, sounding pleased. "Good girl. You've really done some quick thinking."

Makoto bristles at the way he addresses her, but manages to shrug it off.

"I believe that's how we should handle it." Makoto says in conclusion.

"We'll have to inform the board of directors, his parents, his current guardian. And to sway the opinion of the media, it won't be a quick fix." Kobayakawa says. "Hmm. Give me two weeks. Two weeks and I'll be able to hold a respectable press conference. That way, our reputation won't take too bad of a hit."

"No. You'll do it in one week. Seven days, and I don't want to see this kid's face ever again. He assaulted me. The pride of this school! Don't you understand how ludicrous that is?" Kamoshida bellows. "He should feel lucky. You all should feel lucky that I don't deal with him where he stands. This is my diplomacy."

"It's not rational to-"

"Did I ask? I don't remember asking for your excuses, principal Kobayakawa." Kamoshida says, his voice dripping with venom as he leans tall over the man's desk. "If you can't do your job, then you don't deserve employment."

Kobayakawa swallows, and it's almost absurdly loud as if to match the size of his body.

"I understand, sir." The principal concedes, lowering his eyes to the floor.

"Oh I knew you would. That's why you're the only man for the job." Kamoshida grins. His voice downright sadistic now. It makes Makoto shiver.

Makoto frowns at the result of that interaction. At Ren's side, she's surprised he's kept quiet through all this. She expected more complaints. More outcomes like before in the library. But in a hopeless situation like this, surrounded by three pillars of the school's power, how can he protest his fate?

"Then in one week he'll be rightfully expelled." Kamoshida says, stepping back from the desk. "Hey Ren. How's that make you feel? You seem to be playing the part of the quiet kid, but I know that isn't who you are. So cut the shit."

With those words, Kamoshida's muscles flex as he grabs Ren's hair and tilts his head back violently in his chair. Ren grunts in pain as he's held teetering, balanced on two chair legs rather than four, and precariously, only held up for the moment by Kamoshida's hand in his hair. Ren can't plant his feet, and trying to do so nearly makes him fall backward to the ground.

"I mean you're not some bitch, are you? Aren't you a man, Ren? Aren't you a daredevil? And here I thought you had some guts to hit me."

"So what, I should attack you so you can throw me in prison?!" Ren yells in an outburst. "I'm not stupid!"

Kamoshida yanks Ren's hair back and lets go. Ren and the chair fall to the ground. He hits the ground hard, but quickly stands, raising his hands up. Ready to fight.

"There we go! That's the real you. All full of hate. Now, come on. Your future is as good as forfeit as soon as you walk through that door." Kamoshida says. "There won't be a single school that'll accept you. You'll live a life as a label rather than a person. A criminal before a human being.

Kobayakawa clearly doesn't approve of the teacher's taunts, but who would? There's something oddly personal and oppressive in the way Kamoshida looms over the boy. Makoto supposes that's because of some arrogance Ren's already shown, but for all the tales of his defiance and rule-breaking personality, he seems almost subdued now. Where is the defiance? The aggression? The hidden weapons? The street fighting? Why aren't there blemishes or bruises on his skin? Why does he follow their dress code and bother attending school and confine himself to guardianship under a prosecutor's judgmental eyes?

Has he been broken?

Is it because of Kamoshida? Is there simply a bigger man that's making Ren back down? That could be it. Makoto can't rule out the possibility that Ren is a spineless man. A young devient who preys only on those who he thinks he can win against. But then, why fight Kamoshida in the first place?

Ren almost backs into Makoto as he distances himself from Kamoshida.

Makoto realizes this to be something of a crucial moment. She brought him here. Dealt him a sentencing of her own assertive judgment for once.

Here, in this room. The chair lying overturned against the floor as Kamoshida steps over it. Ren's uneasy breathing just a foot or so in front of her. Her face watching his back. The gym teacher stalking forward like an unstoppable torrent. A predator licking fresh blood. Their fat principal, sitting by, his head down as if in prayer against his desk. Or, conversely, as if in the silent, ugly repose of death. She and him in the same trance of wait. Either for something to happen or for nothing at all.

The scene is almost morbid, Makoto decides. Uncanny in its uncommon nature. A complete reversal of what she knows. A bizarre happenstance that arises from the clash of two impossibilities. A criminal with no belonging in this prestigious school, and a teacher of the highest status that hunts him.

Why is this happening? Makoto wonders. And with that, she finds her own voice.

Makoto's hand lands on his shoulder, and he seems to bristle at the touch. His shoulder feels hard. Harder than muscle. Ren looks back over his shoulder at her. There's fear in his eyes. Anxiety. Stress. His eyebrows are furrowed. He isn't snarling or scowling. There's a depth to his iris that she wasn't expecting.

And then, in that moment of diversion, Ren's head snaps backward. There's a bit of a crack, and Ren stumbles backward to one knee.

Kamoshida's punch was so fast. So much force behind it, as he pivoted into it, like a baseball bat crashing against a balloon. Makoto could almost hear the ping of metal. These are two different weight classes, and with Ren not paying attention, the sucker punch was nothing but devastating. There's a wide red spot on Ren's cheek, and Kamoshida rubs his knuckles tenderly, admiring his work.

Still, Ren is quick to stand. He doesn't assuage his flesh at all, and gives hardly a wince as he feels his jaw. A small, slicing cut has opened unevenly where kamoshida punched him. But Ren doesn't seem to notice the droplets of blood streaming down his left cheek, in line with his nose.

Makoto extends her arm out in front of Kamoshida in disbelief.

"I don't know what kind of personal vendetta you have against him, but it wouldn't be good for your reputation to be seen assaulting a student. No matter who that student is." Makoto says quickly.

"In case you've forgotten, he's the one that assaulted me." Kamoshida says, pointing an accusatory finger over Makoto's arm, reaching just shy of Ren's chest. "That was nothing but my repayment."

"That is over." Makoto replies firmly. "You are not the law. And unless something escalates, you've levied a fair punishment already. He'll be gone in a week."

"And I decided that wasn't enough, is all." Kamoshida says, but to Makoto's relief, he backs off. Makoto switches her attention off of the gym teacher.

"Sorry about that." Makoto says to Ren. "Are you okay? I had no idea he was going to hit you."

"I'm fine." Ren says, walking past her and Kamoshida.

"That's right." Kamoshida whispers as Ren passes. "Just walk away."

"Don't." Makoto says simply, her eyes communicating something obvious. Something rational. He's goading you. Egging you on. Just lower your eyes, cover your ears. 'Everything will be fine if you just comply' she seems to say.

But Ren's sick of that. Of the placating lies spoken by others, and internal complacency that roils around in his gut.

Of course Makoto would think that way. She's probably lived an entire life thriving off of these rules. Of course the police and the law insisted he'd get fair representation in his trial against that bald man. When, in reality, he hadn't even shown up. Lies sell better than the truth. Complacency serves better than revolt.

The moment Ren accepted Arsene's deal, he sacrificed that part of his soul. It was a contract and a promise both to that otherworldly being, and to himself, to refuse a life of servitude. To refute the idea, the very concept, that the norm could be accepted as living.

The idea of this normal as we now know it, is wrong. That is the conclusion Ren will pursue and parade until the world turns upside down.

Ren brushes Makoto off, and grabs Kamoshida by the shirt. Having to reach up to grab near his neck.

"It only takes one day to start the revolution. One word of dissent to crumble everything you think you've built. One person, to reveal the truth you're keeping hidden." Ren says. "You'll die alone, Suguru. Hold those tears in until you do."

With that, Ren walks out on his own terms. Not slamming the door, but letting it close naturally behind him.

Being the furthest from the three, Kobayakawa asks "what did he say?"

"Nothing." Kamoshida replies, clenching his fists tight at his sides. "Nothing with a point to it."

To his surprise, however, he feels a drop of liquid fall down his left cheek. It's absurd. He has no reason to cry. Has this boy angered him that much? Wormed his way into his skin enough to provoke tears of his fury?

No. Kamoshida doesn't feel that emotional, and it's only from his left side. So then, if not tears, how did translucent liquid find its way to his left cheek?

Between classes, Ren finds Ryuji giving a vending machine a shake. His drink dislodges from the metal claws behind the glass and he grabs it triumphantly.

"Oh, hey." Ryuji says, waving his drink. "Want one?"

"I'm okay, thanks." Ren replies, a little sullen.

Ryuji leans against the glass dimmed lighting of the vending machine, nursing his drink in his hand contemplatively as it remains unopened. "You know Ann, right? From what I was telling ya."

"Vaguely." Ren replies. "I know what she looks like."

"Yeah. Well, she hasn't been here for a couple days. I'm worried."

"Did you send her a message?" Ren asks. "Maybe she's sick."

"I don't know… She's a model, so it's different. I skip and nobody would bat an eye but she doesn't miss class like that. And I already texted. Didn't go through."

"You know where she lives, right? Maybe stop by. Better that than endlessly speculate." Ren suggests.

"Yeah, you're right." Ryuji says, looking up at the cloud-spotted sky. "I'm just on edge, I guess. All that stuff with Kamoshida. About that, we going in today? Could help kill some time."

"Not yet. There's still work I'd like to do here to see if it translates." Ren says. "Plus we've still got to figure out exactly how to take him down in there. I have my theories, but I don't think we should go in blind. I'll ask Arsene later."

"Your, y'know."

"Yeah. The thing with wings." Ren replies.

"Well, if we're not going in there, might as well chill out. You planning on going to the volleyball game today?" Ryuji asks.

"Volleyball game?" Ren echoes in question.

"Yeah dude. Didn't you see the posters they've been throwing everywhere?

"No, sorry. I wasn't paying much attention to that I guess."

"It's fine. I'm just surprised. You seem like a details guy. As much as I hate the bastard, something in that formula of his works. The team's damn good so they're having games even this early into the year. Everyone thinks Kamoshida's gonna crush em."

"Who's playing against Shujin?" Ren asks.

"Er… some school called Kosei High. Closer to Shibuya. They're travelling over here, but they're known for their arts programs, so we've got the leg on 'em."

"Good to know, really." Ren says. "But, there's something important I have to tell you. Anywhere we can go for a bit that's less crowded?" He gestures to the students milling about, many seeming to point toward or otherwise focus on the pair. Ren shows a disgruntled expression at all the focus, and some girl hides her face behind her bag.

I'm not going to kill you with a glare. Ren thinks, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse me. You're the transfer student, correct?" A woman's voice asks. She's even with his height, and surprisingly close to him. A nice change from the students that avoid him like he might bite them if rubbed the wrong way.

"What, this the first time you've seen one?" Ren asks dismissively.

"No, of course not. I was just confirming, but I suppose that's pointless." She has elegant square glasses with red rims that frame her eyes especially nicely. It's a composed look that gives her an air of elegance and professionalism despite her mostly standard school uniform. Her long black hair is straight, falling flat at her sides and down her back, while her short sleeve white shirt is interrupted by the black lines of suspenders attached to her checkerboard skirt.

"Sorry." Ren says, giving her an honest, toothy smile, his eyes crinkling nicely. "I was just joking. My name's Ren. It's nice to meet you."

A few people start to murmur about the girl who dares approach Ren, but Ren easily blocks them out. She is taken a bit aback. Although she doesn't put much stock into rumors, she can't ignore them either. Especially when the ones surrounding him were so powerful and corrosive, they'd seeped into Shujin Academy, an almost snobbily good prep school, with ease. Creating a shimmering shield of mystique and fear in equal measure around the new kid. It really was impossible not to get swallowed up in the assumptions and claims about what kind of person he was. But now, seeing him face to face, something as simple as his smile surprises her. And she feels a bit of scorn at herself for doubting the sincerity in his expression.

"I'm with the newspaper club. My name is Iroha Okamoto, and I was hoping to interview you briefly, if that's amenable. You've been quite the topic of discussion here recently, and I think the paper could be the key to clearing up rumor from fact." She says, procuring a pocket sized notepad and a pen.

"That's fine with me, Iroha."

"I'll start with sentences. There's been a lot of speculation over what kind of crimes you've committed. To start with, is your criminal sentence truly only one year of probation? No prison time? And if I've done my research, it was based on an assault of a woman."

"Yes, that's right." Ren replies, gesturing to Ryuji with a nod, he tells him to go on ahead.

"So it's true, you're saying you assaulted her?"

Ren pauses, choosing his words carefully. "I'm not sure if i could say it, or how i could say it, but that isn't accurate. It's what I'm sentenced with, though. That's definitely right."

"Are you implying you were falsely accused?" Iroha asks, awe seeping into her voice.

Ren just shrugs his shoulders.

"Okay then, moving on." Iroha says, furiously dancing her pen across the small margins of her notepad. "Are you in possession of any weapons currently? And have you ever possessed weapons?"

"No to both." Ren replies.

"What was your goal with enrolling at Shujin academy?"

"I wanted to get an education." Ren says. "I'm not different from any of you guys. I'd like to go to college, get a job, get married hopefully before I'm 40. So, it was important for me to keep going to school."

"Okay then… What are your thoughts on the website that's been used to propagate the rumors surrounding your arrival here?"

"Website? I haven't heard about that." Ren says, dumbfounded. "I'm interested though. Is there anything you can tell me?"

"Oh, sure." Iroha replies. "It's a newish online blog that works similar to a social media forum specifically for Shujin. It's been rigged to only be accessible by phones that have connected to the wifi here. One of our more tech-oriented students named Yuuki Mishima set it up."

"Really. I'll have to check it out. Is he around?"

"I'm not entirely sure where he is. We're not exactly friends, and he keeps to himself."

"Yeah, no problem." Ren replies.

"Okay, another question. You haven't even been here a week, but there was a rumor of particular severity and consistency recently — that's pretty uncommon. It's being said that you had a confrontation with one of the teachers here recently, Mr. Kamoshida. People are even saying you two fought."

"Sorry, but I'd rather not feed into that." Ren answers diplomatically, politely declining.

"Just one last question then. With all of the uncertainty around your staying here, is there anything you could say to reassure everyone or endear them to you? If you'd like to make your voice heard, to have an honest platform for that, I promise to provide it." Iroha says. "Whatever it is you decide to say, I'll include it."

"Well then, that's a pretty easy question." Ren says, making his way to the stairs up to the third floor. "I've been expelled. In just about a week, I won't be here anymore. I'm living under a legal official right now, following strict probation orders which you can find online with a bit of digging. All in all, there's only so much someone can do in a week. I'll be out of here in just a fraction of time, so I wouldn't worry too much if I were you guys."

So Ren leaves, making his way up to the third floor, and further up to the rooftop. Leaving the small crowd of students confused, and Iroha with a delectable piece to begin writing for her club.

Ren pushes the doors open to the rooftop. "Not a bad place." He admits.

"RIght? This is like my spot!" Ryuji says proudly. "Nobody really ever goes up here, especially now that it's supposed to be closed. Nobody's allowed up, but the janitor forgot to lock the doors."

"Good for us." Ren nods, striding out into the open air of the high roof, surrounded by yet higher buildings in the distance. It's a bit freeing, being out here.

"So, what's up? You wanted somewhere private, so it's probably some metaverse stuff, right?" Ryuji asks.

Ren looks back to the doors, confirming they're closed tight. Even if they weren't, nobody comes up here because it's not allowed. A perfect place for these kinds of meetings, so long as it stays as forgotten as it is now. Still, the school setting doesn't allow for total relaxation.

"We're on a timeline now, and it's sort of my fault. But don't get too discouraged. A timeline just shows us how long we have to work."

"A timeline? How long? What's going on?" Ryuji asks.

Ren brings a hand to his face. No point in sugarcoating it. "A week. We're both getting expelled in seven days. Me, you, and maybe Ann too. It's all because of how we defended her."

"What the hell?! Dude, that shit was self defence!" Ryuji yells. "There is no fuckin' way he's gonna get away with that."

"You're right, you're right." Ren agrees. "But if it's Kamoshida, he can pull it off, right? With the influence he has, it's already in motion. He decided this with the principal, even punched me right in the face. Didn't hold back either." Ren touches the still red skin of his cheek tenderly.

"You good?"

"Yeah." Ren says. "It'll bruise, but I've had worse. More importantly, there's both a good and a bad side to this. This might be exactly what we need."

"Are you crazy? What kind of good side is there?" Ryuji complains. "I can't get expelled, man. My mom… I'll never be able to look her in the eye."

"Well, yeah. The bad is obvious. We're on a strict timeline, and Kamoshida isn't that stupid. The thing about people in desperate situations is that sometimes, they cross this invisible line." Ren explains, seeping some water from the plastic bottle in his backpack's cup holder. The bottle's cap is nowhere to be seen, and so he carefully makes a thick vertical line in the air at head level, suspending it. With his hands on either side, he holds it up as if by some magic trick with an invisible string. Except he suspends a liquid rather than some sort of object. "Sometimes, when met with harsh, undeniable force, people capitulate. They surrender their rights, give in, do anything that is asked of them. That's not always going to be the case in the future, but it's a fairly common response to a very stressful situation. To feeling cornered… With nowhere to go."

Ren shakes his head, regaining his focus. "On the other hand, however," He begins, waving with the hand on the right side of the line. Like caressing the contours of an invisible cylinder around the line of pressurized water. "Some people double down under pressure. Act unpredictably. When met with a hopeless situation, they get desperate. That's what I'd call a wild card. A potential worst case scenario for the school, but specifically Kamoshida. He's going to be expecting us as the desperate types. Thinking we'll double down and try to fight him again. Or maybe even just outright start trying to expose him. He's going to expect the worst from us. And he'll be ready for it."

"So then what are our options? What can we do?"

Ren grins. "That's the thing. We won't do any of that." he lets the water fall harmlessly to the floor, lowering his hands.

"Then what's the good side?"

"We'll do the exact opposite of what makes sense. We'll lie low, and do exactly what he wants of us. Projecting what he wants to see will be crucial. There can't be any reason to doubt what we're doing. He will, of course. But he'll never see it coming. He'll know what we're trying to do, but not how we're going to do it. That's how we win."

"And if he finds out?"

"He won't. If he does, that's our blunder. You said you were in, right?" Ren asks, extending a hand forward.

Ryuji's hesitation only lasts a few seconds, but it's enough for Ren to lose a bit of his composure.

"Like I said, all the way. You're doing the right thing. I agree with that. He's always been rotten like this. If he's suspending us now, it's just because he's finally found an excuse to pull the trigger." Ryuji says with scorn.

"I appreciate that." Ren says, sliding his backpack off his shoulders. "It's good to know I'm not alone here."

"What's that?" Ryuji asks, noticing the white thing Ren rummages out from his bag.

"Just a mask." Ren answers, turning it over in his hand. It doesn't look to be made of remarkable craftsmanship, but it's definitely serviceable. A generic looking Oni face mask with two horns out the top.

"What, you planning on robbing a bank or something?"

"Nothing that ridiculous, I promise." Ren assures him, stretching the elastic band as a test. Quickly making sure it won't snap when he puts it over his head. "Just best for what's next."

"And that is?"

"Just a bit of a surprise." Ren says. "This mask was probably for a festival or something, so I thought it was fitting. Grabbed it from a classroom earlier. Anyway, do you know someone called Yuuki? Yuuki Mishima?"

"Yeah, yeah I've seen him around." Ryuji says. "The kinda weird, nerdy kid who's always on his phone."

"Sounds like the one." Ren nods. "Think you could bring him here?"

"Yeah, I think I could find him. What for?"

"There's something pretty important I've got to ask him too. That's where we'll start. So long as this goes well, we'll be in a great spot."

"And don't tell him my name, alright?" Ren asks, still holding onto Ryuji's arm. "It's important you don't act like you know me. Just tell him someone's waiting for him on the rooftop. Oh, one last thing. Don't stick around. If you're here, he'll think we're connected."

"Don't worry, I've got it. You're a stranger." Ryuji says, giving a beaming thumbs up and a smile. "After all that other world stuff, this is way more my thing. Just give me a few minutes, I'll bring him right up."

"Counting on you." Ren says casually as the door to the rooftop closes from Ryuji's hand.

Ren runs his hands through his hair, and it feels like a travesty to deliberately ruin the hair he works so hard to keep calm. He makes it a bit of a frizzy, unruly mess with the friction. Throwing strands and locks of his curls haphazardly into more of a wild mess.

If you're going to commit, commit. I've already put everything on the line.

Ren smudges some rough dirt across the Shujin logo of his uniform. Collected from a small, unused garden up here.

Ren widens the space between his feet, hunches his back slightly, and even brings a hand up to his throat, pressing hard. With any luck, all of these little things will change him enough to be a different person. Most crucially of course, the mask that covers his quickly throws his fake glasses into his backpack and kicks the mostly-empty bag behind a big fan. Making room on his face for the mask he fastens on.

A few tests of his 'new voice' and he hears footsteps coming up the stairs. No more time for adjustments.

Ren hears Ryuji give Mishima some encouraging words before walking down the stairs. Mishima takes a deep breath, and pushes both of the rooftop doors open.

"I'm glad to see you." Ren says, his voice higher than usual. Mishima's eyes widen at the sight of the face mask, and he moves beyond the doors with a jump in his step.

"Are you… maybe a girl?" Mishima asks, sheepishly. Ren walks around him, careful to stay facing Mishima the entire time. Not a difficult task. Mishima isn't exactly being vigilant.

"If you can answer my questions, then I'll answer yours. How's that sound?"

"Great! I'm glad. Well, uh. You should go first." Mishima says courteously.

Ren closes the doors behind his back and leans back against them as they click shut.

"You're on the volleyball team, right?"

"Yes! How did you know? I mean, I'm really not the athletic type. At least, I don't look it. But I'm not too terrible! I-"

"I know because I'm interested in what you can tell me." Ren interjects. "You were the one that made this school's blog. The one with the rumor board. Isn't that right?"

"Huh? How do you know that? I mean, yeah. I did do that. But why are you asking me about it?"

"You're going to tell me about the volleyball team and the website you made. Don't leave out any details either. I can tell if you're lying." Ren says. "The information you shared. The team practices."

Mishima stiffens, as finally some sense of the situation seems to settle in. "But, we've got third period in just a few minutes. I don't want to answer those questions."

"I wasn't really asking, Mishima. But I'll try one more time." Ren says, lifting his school uniform to reveal both a sliver of skin and the unmistakable handle of a knife. "Who leaked the information about the criminal, and what happens on Suguru Kamoshida's volleyball team?"