Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yandere Simulator, Zatch Bell! (Konjiki No Gash Bell!), School Days, Cross Days, Persona, Magical Girl Raising Project, and Pokémon.
TW/CW: Mention of rape, torture, bullying and violence.
Chapter 6
Serena did not get enough sleep last night. She and her siblings only got six hours of sleep last night, thanks to the detectives questioning them at the police headquarters in Distance after the freeway incident.
Serena checked her smartphone for any text message responses from Midori while waiting for her green tea to cool off. Serena did not get any responses from Midori. Serena set her smartphone down on the table. Kaneyama and Suzume had already left the house for school earlier. Eita was still sleeping in his bedroom. Serena was all alone with her thoughts in the kitchen.
Serena had a sick feeling.
Midori usually responded to her texts right away. She hoped Midori was too busy with her personal life, gaming, or studying.
After her green tea was cool enough, Serena took a red-colored reusable travel mug coffee cup with a white lid from the cabinet and poured the green tea into the cup.
Serena grabbed her schoolbag and travel mug. She exited the kitchen and locked the front door before leaving her home.
Suzume yawned as her eyes watered. Kaneyama walked ahead of her to cross the street. Suzume was okay with walking to school alone. Kaneyama likely had something to do before school. She rubbed her eyes. She was so tired that she wanted to sleepwalk, but obviously, she couldn't. The morning sun functioned to keep Suzume's brain to stay awake until she safely arrived at school. Suzume spotted a familiar cyan-haired boy five feet ahead of her. It was Sora.
"Mizukawa!" Suzume smiled brightly, running towards him. He paused and looked at her. "Good morning!"
"Good morning," Sora responded in a tired, cold tone.
"You didn't get enough sleep last night?"
Suzume gazed at him, concerned with his sleep schedule. She noticed Sora had dark circles under his eyes. He looked more exhausted than she was. She yawned again.
"I could ask you the same question."
"Oh, silly me." Suzume giggled. "I did not get enough sleep."
Sora disregarded her response and continued his walk. Suzume hurried to catch up with him. Suzume did not want to be known as a tattletale of Akademi High, so she kept the details of last night's incident to herself. Sora did not need to know. The news reported the incident last night and this morning, so he could always get the information from the news or social media.
They stopped at the pedestrian crossing where the traffic lights were. Cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles drove by. As they waited for the walking signal, Suzume blinked, trying to figure out what else to ask Sora.
"Did you eat breakfast?"
"And why would you even care?"
"Oh..." Suzume was startled by Sora's frigid, glacial response. She felt so embarrassed now. "...I'm sorry."
"Hey, Sora! Don't be like that, man!" Budo's voice chuckled in a delightful tone. "She's just asking ya a question!"
Sora growled in disdain. Suzume looked at Budo over her shoulder. He was standing behind her and Sora with a bright smile.
"Good morning, Masuyama." Suzume greeted, smiling at him.
"Good morning, Miss Mizuno." Budo waved at her, winking. "Anyway, it looked like you've been to hell and back, man." He said to Sora. "Don't tell me you are having those nights-"
"Shut up." Sora spat hostility at Budo.
Suzume noticed Budo's eyes were full of hurt as he gaped at Sora in shock. As the walking signal appeared, Sora walked ahead of Suzume and Budo. After they crossed the street, Suzume headed towards the store, and Budo followed her. Sora continued his walk to Akademi alone. There was an awkward silence between her and Budo. She grabbed an orange juice bottle and a breakfast sandwich from the food-drink aisle.
"So, what's your story with him?" Suzume finally asked.
"He still hasn't forgiven me," Budo admitted dejectedly. "We were friends until last year. I can't blame him for his anger towards me." Budo smiled regretfully. "I was insensitive to his feelings."
"Do his bitter feelings have something to do with Miss Katou?"
"Wait," Budo stared at Suzume in surprise. "How did you know about her?"
"Miss Najimi told me," Suzume turned around to face Budo. "I won't get into details."
"I could tell you the whole story, but I'd rather not. I still feel like shit as it is."
Suzume walked to the cash register after Budo also grabbed a breakfast sandwich and orange juice. She was ashamed to mention a detail from Sora's past. Suzume thought about Sora last night, wondering what kind of person he was before she met him.
She was too afraid even to ask Sora about his past.
Suzume was not around at Akademi the previous year. She had nothing to do with whatever happened between Sora, Otome, Budo, and probably more people involved. Osana mentioned Sora's hostility towards Otome was much more severe than Otome's unfaithfulness.
After paying the cashier, Suzume exited the store, still in deep thought. She was saddened by the reality that Sora was cold to her. Budo walked out after paying for his food and drink. The two continued their walk to school.
"I get it," Budo finally spoke after a moment of silence. "You want to befriend Sora."
Suzume blinked in surprise. Was Budo a mind reader?
"You want to understand him, right?"
Suzume froze in her tracks. She gazed at the clouds in the sky. She barely met Sora a few days ago, and now she was very curious about him. Was her empathy towards his past, or was she drawn to his enigmatic aura? Maybe she should ask his older twin sister, Saki, for more details, but she did not want to familiarize herself with Sora, being seen as an annoying and obnoxious fangirl.
"Yes," Suzume admitted. "I want to be his friend."
"Well, then. Try to interact with Sora every day. Even a simple hello would do." Budo advised, grinning at Suzume. "Ask him about his likes and dislikes, interests and disinterests, and other topics."
"Simple enough," Suzume beamed with sudden confidence. "Let's run before we're late for our classes!" She suddenly dashed off excitedly.
"Hey, wait up!" Budo chased after her.
Suzume couldn't wait to speak with Sora again at school today.
A gut feeling told Kaneyama to enter an alley. There, he found Umeji and the other delinquents. The blond-haired boys were fooling around and laughing about how foolish the lawful figures were. Kaneyama wondered when they'd get bored of dissing the said figures. He understood the reason behind the diss; those figures failed to protect them from their bullies in the previous school year.
"Yo," Kaneyama greeted them with a grin. "Whatcha up to?"
"What do ya think, loser?" Umeji smirked at him. "We're just chilling here before attending boring ass classes."
"Yeah, Kaneyama. Unless you decided to join our gang, take your shit somewhere else, fool." Gaku laughed.
"Speaking of that," Kaneyama eyed Umeji enthusiastically. "I've been thinking about your leader's offer."
"Oh?" Umeji stared at Kaneyama with a sudden, surprising interest for a few seconds. Then, his expression turned doubtful. "You're bullshitting me."
"I ain't bullshitting," Kaneyama said convincingly.
"You know what this would mean, right?" Hokuto gazed thoughtfully at Kaneyama. "You'd have to quit the Sports club to join us. You can't hang out with those losers after school or wherever. You'd be tucked with us. Our leader would say so."
"Ha! He's too justice-obsessed to join us!" Hayanari mocked.
"Exactly!" Dairoku agreed. "He can't be trusted, dude!"
Kaneyama felt humiliated and underestimated. He couldn't just tell them why he wanted to join them; he sympathized with their past. The lack of care and action from adults and the bullying drove them to become delinquents.
Did he even want to return to his old delinquent ways?
Kaneyama remembered how disappointed his adoptive father, adoptive sisters, and adoptive cousin would be when they'd learned about one of his fist fights with a rival delinquent.
Kaneyama observed the delinquents' reactions. They were distrustful of him. Kaneyama couldn't blame them for not taking him seriously. He would feel the same if he were in their place. Before Kaneyama opened his mouth, Umeji's golden eyes darted to the corner of the alley, particularly at a garbage can.
"I know you are there, Torayoshi! Come out and face us, you coward!" Umeji yelled in sudden anger.
"You caught me! Tee hee hee!" Shiromi stood, her hands up.
"Planning to finally snitch us to that useless and pathetic counselor?"
"Nope! I did not see shit in the alley!" Shiromi gazed at Kaneyama and smirked, walking to him. "I was just following Kaneyama~"
Umeji and his friends burst out in laughter, much to Kaneyama's embarrassment.
"The bro got himself a stalker!"
"How lame! Those two would make a weird ass couple!"
"Yo!" Kaneyama was flustered by their comments. "Torayoshi and I don't swing that way!"
"Sure. You and I are GOOD friends~" Shiromi patted Kaneyama's back, grinning in amusement.
"Ugh. Whatever. Anyway, I'm outta here. I'll see you fools around, I guess." Kaneyama turned around and exited the alley. Shiromi followed after him. "Yo, I can walk to school on my own!"
"Not on my watch, Kaneyama~" Shiromi winked at him.
'What a way to start the morning. Torayoshi isn't that bad. She's just a weirdo.'
"Got something to share about me, Kaneyama?"
'She's a mind reader now?!'
Kaneyama groaned as he slumped his shoulders in defeat. Shiromi giggled wildly.
'Torayoshi does make things interesting sometimes. I'll give her that.'
Kaneyama and Shiromi walked to Akademi together. Shiromi shared her bizarre stories with Kaneyama, and he just listened, thinking: Were Shiromi's parents also weirdos? He'd never know unless he asked her some time.
Hojiro and Daku were hospitalized for their injuries from last night's assault. A pair of detectives and a sketch artist visited and questioned them at a hospital in the Vicinity. Daku was still too traumatized to answer the questions, while Hojiro was able to provide physical descriptions of their assailants and identify the leader. The artist sketched a face and showed it to Hojiro and Daku.
"Yes. That's the Weasel bastard, all right," Hojiro's eyes flashed and twitched in anger. His voice was full of venom. "He's the one who ordered those men to torture Daku."
"Do you know the identity of this man's higher-up?" The detective inquired.
"Mr. Rokuda, as in Mr. Ronshaku of the Rokuda loans."
Hojiro was not afraid of Musume, her father, and the goons. He thought they should go to hell for what they had done to him and Daku. He should never forgive them.
'That bitch. How dare she tell such a lie to her father?!'
Hojiro bit his bottom lip. His fingers clutched onto the sheets.
He still felt guilty, embarrassed, and ashamed for not protecting Daku. He failed in his passion for justice.
Mutsumi Rokuda, aka Musume Ronshaku, will pay for her horrendous lie.
The detectives thanked Hojiro and Daku for their cooperation and left with their sketch artist. Daku wept. Hojiro gazed at Daku depressingly. It hurt him to see Daku in such a depressing and hurtful state.
Oka and Itachi entered the hospital room. Hojiro glanced at a clock hanging on the wall. It was 7:30 AM, and classes didn't start until 8:28 AM. Oka and Itachi had time to visit him and Daku. Oka had her hands clasped together while Itachi had his arms crossed, looking at Hojiro in disappointment. There was no empathy in Itachi's eyes.
"To think I'd see you in a place like this..." Itachi spoke to Hojiro with abhorrence in his voice. "This is why I don't take you seriously as a rival."
"What happened to Hojiro and Daku wasn't their fault," Oka glared at Itachi. "It has nothing to do with competition."
"You are into occult shit," Itachi scowled at her. " You don't know what you are talking about."
"Just because I am into the occult, it doesn't mean I lack empathy, Zametora. You're disgusting."
Hojiro widened his eyes in surprise at Oka's fierce response to Itachi. Oka truly has the backbone when defending her friends. Oka has shown there was more to her than her usual shyness, timidity, and social awkwardness. Even someone like Oka was tired of Itachi's arrogant and condescending attitude.
Daku sobbed. Oka walked to his bed and embraced him, comforting him.
"It is my fault!" Daku wailed painfully. "It's my fault that Hojiro got hurt!"
"It's not your fault..." Hojiro tried to assure him.
"This is pathetic," Itachi said to Daku unsympathetically, his tone full of callousness. "It is yours and Hojiro's fault. You fools could have stood for yourselves. You two got what you deserved for being so weak."
"How dare you?!" Hojiro screeched at Itachi in a wave of sudden anger. "Why would you say such a horrible thing, Itachi?! What in the actual fuck?!"
"Musume told me Daku tried to force himself on her. He got what he deserved. He should know his place."
"Take your disgusting shit somewhere else, Zametora." An infuriated voice spoke out behind Itachi. "This is a hospital, not your goddamn competitive ground."
Itachi flinched at the acidity in Sora's voice. Daku continued sobbing. Hojiro and Oka were silent.
"You should love to humiliate people." Itachi turned around to face Sora.
"And you are an egocentric piece of shit," Sora narrowed his eyes at Itachi, his expression darkened. "Humiliations should be the least of your worries. To think you would victim-blame your friend. You're beyond despicable."
Itachi growled, his eyes twitching cholerically at Sora's waspish words.
"You're lucky we aren't in an alley, pal."
"Oh, please." Sora rolled his eyes, unfazed. "Go throw a tantrum to someone who gives a shit, Zametora."
"You-" Itachi was about to counter Sora's insulting response to his threat, but Hojiro's voice stopped him.
"Itachi, just leave," Hojiro finally said, expressing betrayal, anger, and hurt. "I don't want to see your face for a while."
"I never cared about you and the others." Itachi stormed out of the hospital room in humiliation and outrage.
"I guess you got the details via a text message from a certain someone," Hojiro grumbled at Sora.
"Yeah, I did," Sora snarled. "And hell no, I did not get enough sleep for this shit."
Hojiro understood Sora's anger pretty well. Something happened between Sora and Itachi in the previous school year. Sora did not forgive Itachi. Hojiro also knew Sora had been having nightmares about his traumatizing past. Anyone in Sora's circle knew about his emotional problems and trust issues.
"Well, I'm glad you and Oka are here." Hojiro smiled weakly. "If you see Mantaro and the others. Tell them to bring me and Daku food if they decide to visit during lunchtime. Hospital food tasted like shit, man. You should go home and take a nap during the lunch period, Sora." He expressed concern about Sora's fewer hours of sleep.
"I'll...tell them," Oka answered, returning to her usual speech pattern. "...I suppose...I should leave...now."
"Me too," Sora sighed in annoyed grief. I don't like attending classes, but I'd have to stay home and deal with my stepmother."
"I'll tell you about one thing," Hojiro smirked at Sora. "The whole atmosphere went cold as ice when your snowman ass entered the room."
"Very funny, Hojiro." Sora tossed a displeased look at Hojiro. "I'm out."
Sora exited the room. Oka bowed to Hojiro and Daku before leaving, following Sora on her way out of the hospital.
Kashiko was not having a good morning.
Her estranged father showed up at her doorstep unannounced. Kashiko completely ignored him and left her house. She was still stressed out from her meeting with Miss Kunahito yesterday. According to the school counselor, Kashiko was this close to expulsion from Akademi.
If Kashiko had to be honest, she couldn't care less if she was expelled from Akademi, but she did not want to separate from Musume and her friends, so Kashiko regarded Miss Kunahito's warning for once.
Kashiko walked to school alone. She thought about her home life. Her mother worked two jobs to keep her household stable. Sure, her father helped her mother pay for her tuition fees, clothes, etc, but Kashiko did not feel obligated to her father.
The bastard cheated on her mother when she was 10 years old and left her and her mother to fend for themselves. And suddenly, he wanted to be her father after years of absence?
Kashiko wasn't buying her father's remorse.
As she walked by the playground, Kashiko paused and looked at the playground. She recalled her childhood memories at the playground. She played alone as the other children distanced themselves from her. Now, she thought about it, those children did not like her because she was of mixed heritage.
"Good morning, Kashiko!" A cheerful voice called out.
"Oh," Kashiko turned her head towards Natsumi, who approached her. "Good morning."
"Hmm." Natsumi eyed the playground. "We still have time until school starts. I need to speak to you, girl."
"Sure." Kashiko shrugged her shoulders. "Hit me with whatever gossip you got." She grinned.
Kashiko and Natsumi headed to the playground, but Natsumi led Kashiko to the public women's restroom. Oh, it'd make sense to have a private conversation there, Kashiko assured.
However, Kashiko had a gut feeling in her chest.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Kashiko asked anyway once they were inside the empty restroom.
"You," Natsumi pinned Kashiko against the wall and glared into her eyes. Natsumi had an angry expression on her face. "I heard you've been talking shit about Otome behind her back. I could fucking give less shit about you talking shit about me and the others, but Otome is my best friend, and don't you even think I'd let you off the hook just because we're gossipers of our groups."
Kashiko's eyes widened in shock. She was very confused by Natsumi's accusation. She never once said a damaging thing about Otome, no matter how much Otome exasperated her. Musume and Otome had stated there wouldn't be infighting and gossiping behind each other's backs in their groups.
"What are you talking about?" Kashiko scowled at Natsumi.
"You know what I am talking about, you bitch. Don't think I've forgotten what you did to Zameshiro's and Moriyama's relationship last year."
Kashiko's heart pounded anxiously. Her expression turned pale. Her eyes showed fear and guilt. In the previous school year, Kashiko gossiped to Hojiro about Midori cheating on him with Itachi and other boys behind his back. She also spread rumors about a particular pair of friends.
Kashiko's gossip had caused permanent damage and scars to those relationships.
The truth was that Natsumi was also involved in Kashiko's scheme.
"You know," Natsumi took a digital recorder from her blazer pocket and smirked at Kashiko, waving it at her face. "I thought about reporting you to the school counselor, but that'd be too boring. So, I thought a much better idea; play it in the announcement room and expose you to the whole school about your involvement in the breakups."
"Don't you DARE!" Kashiko screeched panicky, attempting to seize the digital recorder from Natsumi, who quickly backed away from her. "You were also involved, you asshole! Musume and I also have something on you and Otome!" Kashiko growled in anger. "You two were the reason why she took-"
"You bitches were also responsible for her suicide! Don't you fucking dare put the shit on us!"
What Natsumi said hit Kashiko in the gut. Kashiko knew damn well it was true.
Both Musume's and Otome's groups were the culprits behind the endless and barbaric bullying that they inflicted on their victims in the previous school year.
"We may enjoy ridiculing worthless people, but it doesn't mean we like each other, so you better fucking watch your back." Natsumi glared threateningly at Kashiko before she walked out of the restroom.
Kashiko's eyes twitched in distress. Her body trembled with trepidation. She fell to her knees and stared at the floor.
'It isn't my fault...Hojiro just chose to believe me over that annoying green-haired girl...And it is not my fault that the other one took her life...Right...Sora?'
As Sora flashed in her mind, Kashiko knew deep down that her gossip had ruined lives. Her mischievous ways shattered her friendship with the cyan-haired boy.
'Now, you want nothing to do with me...Still, it isn't my fault that they...'
Kashiko knew she was a horrible person for trying to justify her bullying and gossiping.
Tears shed from Kashiko's eyes. Her fingers clenched onto the floor in grief.
Kashiko Murasaki refused to be held accountable for her past and current actions.
Ryoba reopened her eyes slowly and stared at the ceiling briefly. The ceiling looked unfamiliar to her; it was blue and conventional, not gray-white and tray-like the one from her home. Ryoba gradually sat up and looked around the room. There was a silver desk with a black rolling chair, a window with closed white blinds, a silver 3-drawer chest with an antique-inspired golden table lamp, a white-wooded bookshelf full of books, and a closet. The walls were white.
'Where am I?' Ryoba was dumbfounded. 'How did I get here?' She facepalmed. 'Think, Ryoba.'
Then, it came back to her. She remembered what happened last night.
Ryoba located her target, Shinobu Hioka, in Oqaport and failed to assassinate her. Four White Kingdom lackeys showed up and tried to exterminate her and Shinobu. The women fought back, and Ryoba blacked out from the assault.
'Did someone bring me here?'
Ryoba tried to move but felt a sharp pain in her ribs.
'Shit,' Ryoba groaned painfully. 'Don't tell me my ribs and thighs are broken...'
Ryoba wondered how Ayano and Ayato were handling things without her presence.
She taught Ayano and Ayato self-defense and other survival skills, but she couldn't help but worry about her children. It's her maternal intuition, after all.
It wasn't like she could walk out of here. Ryoba still felt somewhat weak.
Ryoba's ears caught the sound of a door opening. It was her target, Shinobu.
"How are you feeling, Mrs. Aishi?" Shinobu asked, her gaze full of concern.
"I feel like shit," Ryoba responded in a weak, painful tone. Her eyes were turned away from the woman. "Did you bring me here?"
"Yes, I did."
"Where am I?"
"For our safety, I can't tell you the location or name of this place. Think of it as a safe house for White Kingdom's victims."
'What happened to the lackeys who were sent by those bastards to eliminate me and you?" Ryoba inquired, wanting to know about the fate of the four White Kingdom lackeys.
"They ended up taking their own lives by the time my coworkers arrived." Shinobu expressed depression.
Ryoba was not surprised. It was the White Kingdom's "policy" for the low-ranked lackeys and agents to commit suicide to avoid capture. Ryoba felt more revolted than ever. To think the White Kingdom would toss away their lackeys and agents like tools was despicable.
And it would be a matter of time until she, a tool, was also tossed out.
Ryoba should feel grateful for Shinobu's empathy, but she was still too prideful to accept anyone's help.
All Ryoba could think about was her children. She needed to get back to Ayano and Ayato as soon as possible.
Ryoba attempted to get up, but her broken ribs and thighs were still too painful. Still, she did not care if she was in horrendous pain. This was nothing new. Ryoba returned home with a few wounds after her missions a few times.
"What are you doing?!" Shinobu reacted in alertness.
"What do you think I am doing?" Ryoba barked at her. "I'm getting out of here! My children need me!"
"Like hell!" Shinobu restrained Ryoba on her bed. "You're injured! You need surgery for your ribs and thighs!"
Ryoba glared and growled furiously at Shinobu. She was also very confused. Why would Shinobu even care about what happened to her? Ryoba was trying to assassinate her last night! Ryoba struggled to shove Shinobu away, but she knew Shinobu was right. She was injured. She was too weak to move around right now.
But, like hell, Ryoba Aishi was weak! An Aishi was not a weakling!
"If you know what's good for you, release me now!" Ryoba screeched at Shinobu, attempting to choke her when her hands lunged at Shinobu's neck.
"Calm down, Mrs. Aishi! You aren't in the position to be fighting with me! I'm not your enemy!" Shinobu struggled to get Ryoba's tightened hands off her throat. "You're...not... their..." Shinobu gasped for air. "...weapon..."
Ryoba saw red. She recalled Ichirou Saikou and White Kingdom commanding assassinations. How dare those bastards use her as their weapon?! She should eliminate them. Not Shinobu. Not the other targets that she was asked to put down.
She thought about her children, Ayano and Ayato. She thought of Sumire Saitozaki. Ryoba's jealousy and bullying drove Sumire to suicide years ago. Only if Ryoba befriended Sumire. Sumire would still be alive, and Ryoba wouldn't be in this mess today. Ryoba would never seek the White Kingdom's help to destroy the evidence of her guilt.
She glared into Shinobu's eyes. Those gazes showed the will to live.
Someone crashed into the room, startling Ryoba. A young blond-haired woman with bright blue eyes ran to Ryoba with a midazolam syringe in a panic. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and injected a needle into Ryoba's neck.
Ryoba's hands released Shinobu from her grip. As her eyes drooped, she could see Shinobu coughing for air.
"I'm...sorry..." It was the last thing Ryoba said to her before she fell unconscious.
What should we do with this girl?" A blond-haired young man with brown eyes looked over at Midori, who was still tied up in the chair. There were bruises, burn marks, and cuts on her arms, legs, and face. She was unconscious. "Keep torturing her as the boss says so?"
The blonde man was named Hiroto.
"I'm too tired for that bullshit. It's not fucking fun anymore." A brunette young man with blue eyes sounded remorseful. "I did NOT quit my job for this disgusting shit and still NOT getting paid enough!"
The brunette man was named Ritsu.
"I'm with you. I fucking swear that Mutsumi girl is such a spoiled brat."
"Now, I think about it. What did that poor green-haired girl ever do to her?"
"I can't believe we accepted that dirty money..."
"Should we just report the Rokudas to the police?"
"There's no fucking point. One of the police officers is a corrupt bastard and friends with our boss. There's no justice here in this town."
Midori suddenly started to struggle. Their voices had woken her up. The men looked at her, still wondering what to do with her. Since she still had a blindfold and earplugs on, she couldn't see or hear the men. Her mouth was covered with tape, so she could only mumble something.
They stared at her in guilt. Why did they kidnap and torture this poor girl for filthy money? They questioned their lifestyles when one of them received a phone call.
"Hello?" The brunette answered his phone. " We'll be on our way." He ended the call.
"Let me guess," The blonde scowled. "It's the boss."
"Yeah." The brunette put his phone back into his pocket. "Let's go. Someone else has to watch the girl..."
A couple of men entered the cabin. The brunette and blonde feared the worst by judging how bloodthirsty and sadistic the men were as they surrounded Midori.
'Forgive us, girl.' The brunette closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip in guilt as he exited the cabin.
Midori's muffled screams can be heard from inside.
Sekai Saionji stood before the building of Yitinciv High School, pretty nervous about attending a new high school after homeschooling for half a year. Some students chatted and walked by her. Sekai took a deep breath and approached the school building. She froze in front of the front doors, her eyes downcast to the floor as her mind raced with negative thoughts.
What if her new schoolmates did not like her? What if her past returned to haunt her at her new high school? What if someone discovered her unpleasant secrets? What if she ended up betraying someone like she did in her past?
Sekai did not want to think about the worst. She has taken therapy to heal from her trauma and improve her life, but she felt therapy was still not enough to escape her past demons. She thought about her daily, wondering how things would have been if she had never betrayed her.
"Hello, are you new here?" A kind voice spoke out to her.
Sekai snapped out of her thoughts and blinked at a scarlet-haired girl with a short side-tail and green eyes. She was wearing the Yitinciv High School uniform. The girl smiled at Sekai so kindly.
"Yes..." Sekai stammered nervously.
"Awesome! I can show you the way to the office! My name is Michika." She introduced herself.
"Sekai," Sekai responded, giving her a nervous smile.
"No need to be nervous! Let's go!" Michika took Sekai's hand and led her into the school building.
Maybe this new high school wouldn't be bad. Sekai just needed to give it a chance.
Around break time, Suzume ran out of her classroom and headed toward her locker on the first floor with a notebook in her arms. She was meeting her classmates at the Zen Garden for tea and snacks. When Suzume arrived on the first floor, she witnessed Sora and Otome in a chat in front of the lockers. It was more like a one-sided one. Judging by his annoyed expression and tone, Sora wanted nothing to do with Otome.
"Come on," Otome told him stubbornly. "You have to come to the party this weekend."
"I'm not interested. How many times do I have to tell you?" Sora spat at her. "Why don't you invite your boy toy instead?" He added in disdain.
"Boy toy?!" Otome burst out at Sora, embarrassed and enraged. "Makoto is nothing to me, Sora!"
"Bullshit." Sora rolled his eyes in disbelief and was disgusted with Otome.
Suzume felt very ashamed for eavesdropping on their conversation. She attempted to take the north wing, but Sora's and Otome's eyes landed on her. She froze, still holding onto her notebook. Sora stared at her with his usual apathetic look, while Otome was not pleased.
"Hey, aren't you a new classmate of Sora? Otome asked her. "You know, in study hall?"
Suzume did not like the look in Otome's eyes. Insecurity, distrust, and jealousy were in Otome's gaze. Suzume was very confused. Why would Otome be jealous of someone like her? It wasn't like she and Sora had a thing going on. In Suzume's opinion, Otome was much prettier than her.
Suzume was about to answer Otome's question, but Sora instantly shook his head at her. As if he tried to tell her she had no obligation to answer Otome's question. He has a stern gaze. So stern that it made Suzume extra unsettling. She could feel a chill in her spine. Otome noticed Sora's gaze on Suzume.
"What the hell was that about?" Otome demanded, her tone full of hurt and anger.
"Leave Mizuno alone, Katou. She has nothing to do with what happened last year." Sora spat at her, his gaze full of warning.
"Hey, Sora." Seiyo appeared. "You're needed in the student council."
Sora sighed in very annoyed grief. What the hell do those people want from him now? Sora glanced at Suzume before he walked up the stairs to the second floor. Seiyo smiled at Suzume and walked back to the cooking club room.
Why did Sora's glance look like a warning to her? Was he trying to tell her something? Suzume excused herself from Otome and headed towards the outdoors. Suzume could feel Otome's eyes burning on her back.
Suzume knew one thing: Otome was NOT happy with her at all.
Serena was on the rooftop, hanging out with Puppi, Ryuto, Sumire Suzuki, and Juku. They drank sodas and ate snacks while they chatted about fun stuff such as video games, anime, TV shows, and arcades. Serena thought about Midori. The green-haired girl was the first girl she befriended when she arrived at Akademi. Midori was absent today, but she couldn't help but worry about her gut feeling that something may have happened to Midori.
"Do you think Midori is too unwell to attend school today?" Serena asked in a worried tone.
"Have you texted or called her?" Puppi asked, also sounding worried.
"I did, but she hasn't answered my texts or phone calls." Serena checked her smartphone to see if she received responses, but her text messages remained unanswered.
"Maybe Midori is just too sick to answer?" Sumire assumed. "It has to be the case."
"Yeah," Juku agreed with Sumire. "Midori will respond to you when she gets better!" Juku flashed a cheerful smile at Serena. "Don't worry about a thing!"
"Yeah!" Ryuto grinned at Serena. "Midori usually misplaces her phone when she's sick, so once she gets better, she'll find her phone and text us, so no worries!"
Serena smiled at her schoolmates, grateful for their supportive attitude. Hopefully, it was just her mind messing with her. Serena looked at a cherry blossom tree on a small hill on the northern side of the school field behind campus.
"What's the story about that tree?" Serena asked in curiosity. Her gaze was still on the cherry blossom tree.
"A...confession...tree," Oka answered, approaching Serena and her schoolmates.
"A confession tree?" Serena blinked inquisitively.
Serena was somewhat familiar with Oka. They shared a history class. Serena knew about Oka and her occult club. She found it strange that the school allowed the occult club to exist, but the rumors about the principal were even weirder. Serena figured she'd rather deal with occult existence than unproven disturbing rumors.
"Yes..." Oka gazed at the cherry-blossomed tree softly. "There is a myth about the cherry blossom tree...If a girl confessed her feelings for a boy under the tree on a Friday, they'll be together forever."
Serena thought the myth was just a fairy tale. A fantasy. There was no way that a cherry blossom tree would shoot a cupid arrow at the love interest of the person who confessed their love to them. Why a girl and a boy only? How about the same-sex pairs? Does the myth also apply to them? How about a bisexual person?
Bisexuality? Why was Serena thinking about romantic and sexual orientations right now?
Oka usually stuttered when she explained stuff, but could be capable of speaking without stuttering if she needed to.
"Interesting," Serena said, still gazing at the cherry-blossomed tree in sudden appeal.
The class bell rang. It was time for more classes. Everyone groaned. All they wanted was to keep fooling around for longer.
Kaneyama was in his science class. He didn't like science. The subject was boring. Shiromi and Mana were in the same science class as him. It was the fourth day at his new high school, and Kaneyama was already used to Shiromi's strange traits. He did not want to admit it, but her strangeness could be entertaining sometimes. Mana also entertained Kaneyama in her own way.
Kaneyama, Shiromi, Shozo, and Mana were in a group for a class assignment.
"What the heck are we supposed to do?" Shozo asked.
"We are supposed to take notes from the textbook and test each other with note cards," Mana explained. "So, we're preparing ourselves for tomorrow's test."
"Damn it. I forgot about the stupid test," Kaneyama groaned. "First, my math test, now the science test."
"Tough shit, Kaneyama." Shiromi grinned at him.
"Ya, thanks for the reminder, Torayoshi." Kaneyama rolled his eyes, still annoyed with both tests tomorrow.
"I'd rather make YanTube videos than study," Shozo said.
"You make YanTube videos?" Kaneyama asked in curiosity.
"Hell yeah," Shozo smirked proudly.
"His videos are so humorous," Mana giggled. "But, we should not go off-topic."
"Oh, live a little," Shiromi grinned at Mana. "Our science teacher is out right now.~"
"But he could come back any time," Mana said.
"SCIENCE IS THE BEST!" Kaga exclaimed proudly, suddenly standing on his desk. "And WORLD DOMINATION, BABY!"
"Damn it, Kusha. Get your ass down before you stupid ass lands on shit." Gaku snickered, causing half of the class to laugh at Kaga.
"And who the hell is that weirdo?" Kaneyama gaped at Kaga in wonder.
"Kaga Kusha. He is the president of the Science Club. He may be an eccentric weirdo like I am, but he is one of the smartest students in this school." Mana answered, giggling at Kaga's love for science and his joke of ruling the world one day.
"That explains it," Kaneyama said, looking away from Kaga. He laughed. He found Kaga rather amusing.
"Mr. Kusha!" The science teacher returned to the classroom from his restroom break. "Settle down at once! You're one of the most intelligent students at this school! You should know better than to ool around! Get down before you get hurt!"
"As you wish, sir! AH HA HA HA HA HA!" Kaga obeyed, getting down from his desk and sitting in his chair.
"My videos can be found on my YanTube channel if interested." Shozo smiled at Kaneyama.
"Cool. What is your YanTube username?" Kaneyama responded, grinning, suddenly excited to see what types of creator content Shozo makes.
"Please focus on the class assignment, Mr. Kaneyama and Mr. Kurosawa." The teacher told them sternly.
"Yes, sir." Kaneyama and Shozo groaned.
As Mana read a paragraph from the Science textbook to Shozo and Shiromi, Kaneyama glanced at Gaku sneakily. The delinquent was in a group with Himari, Gema, and Meka.
'To think he was a different person before he became a delinquent...'
Kaneyama was still disturbed by the delinquents' backstory. Gaku glared when his eyes locked onto Kaneyama's. Kaneyama refocused on his group assignment.
Lunch was a triggering hour for Sekai.
When Michika invited her to eat lunch on the rooftop, Sekai asked if they could eat lunch in the classroom instead. Michika understood. Sekai did not pack much for her lunch. Her bento only has rice and tofu. Sekai stared at her lunch.
It was too painful to look at, but she needed to eat it to survive.
"Are you okay, Miss Saionji?" Michika asked, her gaze full of concern.
"Oh, look!" Himeko approached alongside Kasai. "Eating lunch with the new girl, eh? We know her. She stole someone's boyfriend at Akademi High last year and drove someone to unalive themselves."
Sekai gasped in terror. Her eyes widened in shock, full of fear and guilt. No. How did those girls even know about her old school and actions? Her heart raced in anxiety. Tears started to form in her eyes. Her body trembled.
"Yeah. You should be careful, Michika." Kasai snickered. "She will do the same to you."
"How about you two back off?" Michika came to Sekai's defense. "I have no idea about Miss Saionji's past at Akademi High."
"Just saying," Himeko shrugged and tossed an unpity glare at Sekai. "You better feel guilty, you bitch."
"Let's go. It's obvious Michika doesn't value our warning." Kasai rolled her eyes, disgusted with Michika.
Himeko and Kasai quickly left the classroom. Michika looked back at Sekai.
"Just ignore them, Miss Saionji." Michika placed her hand on Sekai's shaking hand.
"...There is...some truth to their words..." Sekai wept, standing up. "I'm sorry, but we can't be friends." She ran out of the classroom.
"Miss Saionji, please wait!" Michika called out, but she did not chase her.
'...I'll give her time...' Michika thought as she sat back at her desk, staring at Sekai's untouched bento box.
She empathized with Sekai's pain and remorse.
When Ayato learned about Sekai's presence at his high school, he was very disdainful. Makoto was surprised to see Sekai when she announced herself to her new classmates in one of their shared classes.
As he, Roka, Kano, Yuuki, Himeko, Kasai, and Makoto attended Akademi High in the previous year, they knew too well about her involvement in bullying a particular someone indirectly.
Michika was the only one who did not attend Akademi High. It's no wonder she lacks knowledge of Sekai's past actions.
When Kuroka learned about Sekai, she just told Ayato, Yuuki, and Makoto to keep an eye on her.
Sekai has been avoiding Makoto and Ayato since.
"Good. Saionji better stay away from us if she knows what's good for her." Ayato growled. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.
"You do know I am also at fault, right? Makoto told Ayato in a sorrowful tone.
"Yes." Ayato gazed at him. "But Saionji isn't innocent."
"I've driven her into it, Ayato. It is my fault. I've cheated on her with Saionji."
"What would you do? You've already redeemed yourself. I've told you before. Our revenge will come soon. Be patient. We got our friends from Akademi High to handle the bullying there."
Makoto nodded at Ayato, giving him a wimpy smile. He was so thankful for Ayato's emotional support. Ayato could have just abandoned him and glared at him with bitterness for the rest of his school life, but Ayato chose to stick with him.
At least Makoto has shown regret and guilt, unlike the tormentors from Akademi High.
"Would you be pissed at me if I tried to reconcile with Sekai?"
"Dude, I wouldn't give a shit," Ayato responded. "It's your choice, not mine. Please note I ain't ready to forgive her yet. I preferred to keep away from her. So I kinda take back what I said about her staying away from us earlier."
"I understand." Makoto nodded. "Thank you, friend."
"No problem, homie. Ayato grinned at him. "Damn, the bell will ring soon. Let's head over to our boring class."
"Yeah. We aren't troublemakers, so it's best not to be late." Makoto agreed.
Ayato and Makoto exited the restroom and met up with Nishiki and Kaneka. Together, they headed to their math class.
Kaneyama, Unagi, Iruka, and Mantaro visited Hojiro and Daku at the hospital around lunchtime, bringing bento boxes for them. They talked about school stuff and their after-school plans for the day.
"Shit. We need to leave now." Unagi checked the time on his smartphone. "Lunch is almost over."
"Yeah, y'all don't want to be late for your classes." Hojiro grinned weakly. "Best to leave now. Thanks for the lunches, man."
"No problem!" Kaneyama grinned and pumped his fist in the air proudly.
"He was the one who brought the lunches." Iruka smiled.
"Yep," Mantaro added happily.
"We owed you..." Daku said to Kaneyama sadly.
"Yo, y'all cool. It's on me. Hospital food sucks ass, after all." Kaneyama said honestly. "We'll see y'all again."
"Five minutes left," Iruka reminded everyone.
"Shit! Bye!" Kaneyama was the first one to run out.
Hojiro chuckled. Daku was still too depressed to react. Iruka, Unagi, and Mantaro farewelled them and also ran out.
Suzume dealt with her PE and History classes in their respective hours.
Now, it was between classes. Suzume headed to the third floor to see if Serena was around. Again, she had no idea why she had gone to the third floor in the first place. The students were scattered throughout the third floor.
Suzume was searching for Serena, passing through the crowd. Her eyes lay on Sora, who was taking a textbook and a notebook out of his locker. She approached him. They were in the same study hall class anyway, so why not walk to the class together?
"Yo," Suzume greeted him with a cheerful grin. 'Oh, very smooth, Suzu.' She thought, a little nervous.
"Where did you come from?" Sora asked, his gaze showing indifference.
"From my history class on the second floor."
"Oh. Why are you on the third floor?"
"Looking for my older sister, Serena."
"Oh, Homura."
Suzume blinked at Sora as he shut his locker. So, Sora was familiar with Serena. She wondered if they shared a class.
"You know Serena?"
"Yeah. We're in the same homeroom."
"Oh, I see now. So, what is your opinion on Serena so far?"
Suzume was curious about Sora's first impression of Serena. Some students noisily observed her and Sora. Knowing some vague details from Budo and Osana about Sora's past, Suzume was careful with her words. She did not want to give him a hint of her knowledge of his past.
"Uninteresting."
'Of course.' Suzume sighed. "So, do you want to walk together? We're attending the same study hall, right?'
Before Sora could respond, Taisuke, Toyama, and Matsudaira approached him and Suzume.
"Hey, girl. You shouldn't be hanging out with this bitch loser." Matsudaira smirked at her.
"Yeah, Mizuno. Hang out with us instead." Toyama licked his lips, giving Suzume a lecherous look. "We'll treat you good."
Sora stood in front of Suzume protectively. It was as if he was acting on instinct.
The observed students were whispering to each other. Toyama's stare creeped Suzume out. Suzume stayed close behind Sora.
"Oh, what's wrong?" Taisuke mocked. "That girl isn't Koto-"
"Keep her name out of your filthy mouth," Sora screeched dangerously at Taisuke. "You fucking rapist."
Suzume gasped in shock. Taisuke raped someone in the past? Suzume gazed at Sora's darkened expression. Sora wasn't messing around. His glare was full of hatred towards Taisuke.
Taisuke's expression turned pale. His eyes twitched in fear. Sora glared at Taisuke's friends before he turned around.
"Let's go, Mizuno." Sora walked past her.
"Yes..." Suzume hurried after her classmate.
As they headed to their study hall classroom, no words were exchanged between them. Suzume learned something new about Sora's past. Taisuke had violated someone precious to Sora. Is that why Sora protected her just now? He didn't want her to go through the same experience the girl did.
"Koto-"
Taisuke did not finish the full name of the girl.
Who was this girl? Was she a dear friend of Sora? Or a sweetheart of his? Where was she?
"It's much deeper than just the cheating." Osana's words occurred in Suzume's mind.
Otome, Budo, Taisuke, Toyama and Matsudara.
They were all linked to Sora's troubles in the previous school year.
'I see now.' Suzume stopped walking and cast owncast eyes to the floor. Her eyes were full of empathy. 'Whatever happened to him, he is still traumatized. I should do my research.' Suzume stopped walking and shook her head. She clenched her fists. 'No, Suzu. It isn't your place to be in.'
"I don't need your empathy."
"Huh? Wait, how did you know what I was thinking?" Suzume widened her eyes in surprise.
"Mizuno, I can read people like an open book." Sora turned around to face her. His eyes were full of insouciance. "Geez. You're too tense."
"Your eyes may show indifference, but your actions from earlier speak differently about you." Suzume narrowed her eyes with a sudden bluntness. "The truth is-"
"Forget it, Mizuno." Sora's expression pained for a second before he turned around. "Let's go before Mr. Morooka gives us a tardy."
"Okay..."
Sora and Suzume continued walking to their classroom. Suzume put her concern and curiosity about Sora's past aside for now.
Serena sketched a fashion design on her drawing pad. It was a mannequin in a cute formal A-line dress, a sun hat, and Mary Jane shoes. Once Serena finished the sketch, she colored it with colored pencils. Serena's last class was art. The students could draw whatever they desired. Of course, the students would still have to read textbooks and take quizzes and tests about art.
"Wow, girl. What an impressive sketch!" Musume showed up with Otome. Her eyes sparkled in fascination. "You got style, honey!"
"Thank you," Serena smiled at Musume. "I want to be a fashion designer one day."
"Awesome. I'm sure you will be a pleasing one, Miss Homura." Musume grinned brightly.
"I agreed with Musume," Otome nodded, giving Serena a kind smile. "I hope we can see more fashion sketches from you."
"Thanks again." Serena nodded confidently.
Asn Musume and Otome approached their other classmates and complimented their drawing skills, Serena recalled Midori's warning about Musume. Serena narrowed her eyes at Musume, confused.
'She is so nice,' Serena thought. 'I admired her fashion taste. Indeed unique. Still...looks can be deceiving... Serena took out her smartphone and gazed at her unanswered texts to Midori. 'Midori, why haven't you responded to me? Are you that ill?' She expressed worry.
Hopefully, Midori will get better and return to school tomorrow or Monday.
Kaneyama and his classmates were in the gardening area. The weather was excellent for their class assignment: to plant a vegetable or a flower on a bright sunny day. Kaneyama and Himari were paired for the assignment.
"Do you have an interest in gardening?" Himari asked Kaneyama in curiosity.
"Yep," Kaneyama grinned at her brightly. "I believe gardening will provide us with vegetables for life. Having a vegetable garden will save me a lot of money! Ha ha!"
"I'm glad you find gardening useful," Himari smiled at Kaneyama proudly. "I believe plants and flowers offered good luck."
Kaneyama nodded to Himari in agreement. He wore gardening gloves as he added soil to a container. He put a carrot seed in the soil and watered it. He fertilized and harvested the carrot seed. He placed it in the sunlight.
"Amazing job, Kaneyama." Himari clapped. She smiled at him, impressed with how he handled the planting.
"Thanks, yo," Kaneyama smirked, pleased with his work. "You did an amazing job as well." He eyed her flower pot. "Growing a sunflower, hmm?"
"Yes. I do love sunflowers." Himari softened her eyes affectionately. "I have a garden full of them at home."
"Wow. Awesome. I want to visit your garden sometime."
"Oh, that'd be great!" Himari reacted cheerfully.
Kaneyama and Himari continued their chat while observing their classmates
"Sakamoto, Komura, Akamiya, Morita and Kunikida." Mr. Norooka called for them. "Come over here. We need to talk."
"Yes, sir." Ryuji, Sota, Haruto, Hayato, and Sho groaned simultaneously. They stood and approached Mr. Norooka at his desk.
"Those clowns are always in trouble." Osana rolled her eyes in annoyed grief.
"Yep," Hanako giggled. "So, Suzume. Since when did you and Sora become friends?"
"We aren't friends," Suzume said, reading a book about Vicinity and taking notes for their class project. "We just walked together since we shared the same class."
Suzume hasn't told Osana and Hanako about what she witnessed on the third-year floor earlier. It's better if she keeps it between her and Sora. Suzume knew she and Sora were only classmates. Sora still doesn't intend to befriend her, or maybe he'd never because of his traumatic experiences.
Suzume sneaked a glance at Sora. He was assisting Otohiko with his math homework. Sora's eyes locked onto hers. Suzume turned her eyes away from him, refocusing on her part of the project.
She did want to befriend Sora, but respecting his boundaries was the first thing she could do. Maybe she should speak to Saki about his likes and dislikes. No, if she wanted to know, she should ask Sora himself.
"We have to attend a private session with King Moron after school." Ryuji returned to their table in deject. "Starting tomorrow."
"Yeah, man! It sucks," Sho grumbled.
"It's what you idiots deserve." Osana pointed out. "Maybe it is the only way for y'all to behave and take your classes seriously."
"You don't have to tell us," Ryuji and Sho whined, head-desking.
"Anyway, y'all need to do your part in the history project~" Hanako reminded them, giving them a merry grin. "So, where are your contributions?"
Sho and Ryuji gawked at Hanako. Osana frowned at the two boys, disgruntled with their lack of contributions to their history class group project.
"Are you freaking serious?! You two haven't done anything for your parts?!"
"We were busy!"
"With what?! Video games and drawing hentai?!"
Haruto, Sota, and Hayato laughed at Ryuji and Sho.
"What the hell are you guys laughing at? Yourselves?" Sora shot an annoyed look at his friends.
"OOOOOOOH!" Half of the class chortled at Haruto, Sota, and Hayato.
"Oh, damn it, Sora! Why?!" Haruto, Sota, and Hayato were embarrassed by their friend's roasted question.
"Because you fools aren't focusing on your homework," Ryusei answered the question for Sora.
Suzume giggled. Sora's question was humorous. She guessed he liked to poke fun at his friends in a critical way. It shows he cared for their education despite his outer aloofness.
Suzume tossed a soft smile at Sora and returned to her classwork.
Hoshiko Mizudori kept her eye on Suzume as if she saw her as a "potential" person to "recruit" into her friends' gyaru group...
After school, Suzume, Serena, and Kaneyama met at the shoe lockers.
"Yo, Serena! Still clubless?" Kaneyama asked.
"I'm checking out the Light Music Club," Serena answered. "I'll give my answer to the club leader tomorrow."
"I hope you do join the club, Serena." Suzume smiled at Serena, encouraging her. "You'll be a good addition to the club. You know how to play the guitar well. Maybe you should design their outfits for their live performances."
"Hell yeah," Kaneyama smirked approvingly, his arms crossed. "You're good at fashion design, Sere!"
"No way," Serena chuckled unconfidently. "I am flattered." She gazed at Suzume and Kaneyama, showing appreciation for their comments. "But I feel I'm not good enough yet."
"Oh, Serena." Suzume chuckled softly. "Of course you are."
"Yep! Don't beat yourself too much, Sere!" Kaneyama grinned widely. "You got this!"
Serena suddenly felt very warm. Suzume and Kaneyama encouraged her to pursue her dreams and make new friends with the Light Music Club. Midori was the only person that Serena had befriended so far. Serena smiled softly at Suzume and Kaneyama.
"Thank you. I'll try to work on it."
"That's the spirit!" Kaneyama grinned, raising his fist joyfully.
"Hmm?" Suzume spotted Sora closing the door to his shoe locker and approached him. "Heading home?"
"Yeah," Sora answered monotonously.
"Okay. See you tomorrow." Suzume smiled and waved at him.
Sora did not respond. He exited the school building. Serena walked over to Suzume.
"Would it kill him to say bye to you?" Serena frowned, crossing her arms.
"Oh," Suzume has forgotten that Serena shared the same homeroom as Sora. Maybe the cyan-haired boy was also indifferent to Serena. "Oh, I don't mind, Serena. It's the way he is, I guess." Suzume chuckled.
"I've seen worse than his cold attitude." Kaneyama shrugged. "And an apathetic person usually has a reason behind their coldness."
Suzume knew some details behind Sora's frigid expressions, but didn't confirm Kaneyama's theory.
It would be better if her siblings didn't know. It'd be like betraying Sora's boundaries.
Suzume attempted to build a friendship with Sora. Well, the attempt was one-sided so far.
"Anyway, I'm heading to the Sports Club. See y'all at home." Kaneyama walked off and whistled excitedly.
"I'm heading to the Cooking Club. See you, Serena." Suzume smiled at her older sister and headed to the clubroom.
"See you two." Serena stood there, watching her younger siblings leave until they disappeared from her view. Serena took a deep breath and placed her hands on her hips. "Okay, Serena. You got this." She smiled politely before heading to the Light Music Club. She was feeling very enthusiastic.
Eita, Haruhiko, and Seibei focused on their shifts in the family entertainment center. The Children were with their parents, playing the arcade games and winning tickets for prizes. Some teenagers arrived and joined in the fun.
"Yep. It's going to be busy now." Eita laughed, grinning. "Finally! Some noise! It was too quiet earlier, yo."
"Same, dude," Haruhiko said. "Shit. I need to head back to my area." Haruhiko ran back to the prize area, where a line of children and parents waited for him to help them with the tickets and the prizes.
"Bro, can you take over for me? I need to take a shit, man." Seibei thumb-pointed at the laser tag area behind him, where a line of teenage boys waited for access.
"Sure, homie." Eita grinned and headed to Seibei's assigned area.
30 minutes later, Eita, Haruhiko, and Seibei were on their break. More employees arrived and occupied their assigned work spots. Eita and his coworkers were eating pizza and chatting about fun stuff.
"So, whatcha ya doing for this weekend?" Haruhiko asked Eita, curious about his weekend plans.
"I'm going to visit my uncle in the hospital," Eita answered.
"Oh, right. Ya didn't get the chance to see him last time. I hope shit goes well for him." Haruhiko smiled.
"Thanks, dog!" Eita grinned. "How about you, Seibei?" He looked at his other new friend.
"Just going to kick it at home and play video games, man," Seibei smirked, leaning against his chair, having his arms behind his head.
"Lucky bastards. I gotta go somewhere with my old man." Haruhiko said in a displeased tone.
"Where are ya going?" Eita wondered.
"Fishing."
Both Eita and Seibei laughed, earning Haruhiko's annoyed stare.
The children and the parents were done with their activities and went home. The teenagers were still around, goofing off at the arcade games and laser tag. Eita stared at his half-eaten pizza, wondering how his uncle was doing in the hospital. He also wanted to tell his uncle the news about taking night classes to earn a GED.
Three men entered his workplace. They looked rather scary and intimidating. The lead man was a chubby black-haired one in a black dress shirt with a red and black necktie underneath an unbuttoned red blazer, gray dress pants, and maroon dress shoes. He wore orange-colored sunglasses. The two men with him were his goons, Weasel and Snake.
"Hey, kiddo. Where is your boss?" He demanded of Eita.
"He's in his office," Eita answered.
Those guys looked like troublemakers, so Eita did not want to start anything with them. Haruhiko and Seibei looked at each other, then at the three men. Suddenly, their boss appeared before them.
"Oh, hello, Mr. Rokuda. Please follow me to my office." Eita's boss greeted the chubby man, smiling at him in pleasure.
"Of course! Lead the way!" Mr. Rokuda smirked.
As Mr. Rokuda and his goons followed the family entertainment center's owner to the office, Eita, Haruhiko, and Seibei whispered their first expressions to each other.
"I don't like the look of those dudes with that chubby dude," Haruhiko said.
"Tell me about it," Seibei expressed concern and suspicion on his face.
Eita has a bad feeling about those men. He could always stand up, sneak towards his boss's office, and eavesdrop quietly, but that'd be asking for trouble. So, Eita just ate the rest of his pizza.
"Our break is over. Let's clean this place up before we go home." Eita stood. "I hope the boss is okay."
Haruhiko and Seibei nodded at Eita in agreement.
There's no point in speculating about the reasons why those men were here.
Midori dreamed about Hojiro and their lovely moments together. However, those dreams ended when Midori felt someone was untieing the ropes from her. She was forced to stand and walk. Walk? More like she was limping somewhere. Thanks to the damned earplugs and blindfold, Midori still had no idea what the hell was going on. Her questions remained voiceless as there was still tape on her mouth.
The horrible smell reached Midori's nose. It was the smell of her urine. Damn it. She recalled peeing on herself. She was very thirsty. She hasn't eaten in hours. Midori's hands and legs were tied up. Thanks to the horrible torture she had received, she was too frail and traumatized to fight back. She has lost her strength.
Midori thought about her school life. Was this her punishment for being an annoying, inquisitive, and gaming geek girl? Did someone put a hit on her? Midori only thought about one person.
Kashiko Murasaki.
That bitch ruined her relationship with Hojiro last year.
Midori will never forget the day Hojiro broke up with her over the gossip that Kashiko had spread. Midori also heard Itachi may have something to do with the gossip, which wouldn't be surprising.
Itachi never liked Midori and thought she was such a "bad" influence on Hojiro.
Midori discussed those thoughts. It was all in the past now. Thank goodness it was her last year. Once she graduated from Akademi High School, she'd never see those faces again, and how much her heart still yearned for Hojiro.
Midori still loved him despite the breakup. She knew she would have to move on from him.
She could still enjoy gaming with her friends.
'Serena...'
Serena Homura was Midori's newest friend. She hoped her honey-haired new friend was doing all right without her.
'Someone, please save me from this hellhole. I'm in pain. It hurts.' Midori shed tears.
"So, we're just going to leave her here?" Ritsu asked.
"Yes." Hiroto carried Midori to an alley and placed her against the wall. "The hospital is just six blocks away."
"You know the boss will kill us, right?"
"Yes, but I'm so done with the boss's and his daughter's shit. Let's go."
Ritsu and Hiroto got back into the car. Ritsu drove off as Hiroto took out his burner phone and started to call 911.
"Hello, I'd like to report the sighting of a very injured girl in the alley. Please send the ambulance to the alley immediately! The address to the alley is..."
Hiroto hung up after he made his report. Ritsu kept his eyes on the road.
"So, what should we do now?" Ritsu asked in a nervous tone.
"We're going to take our families and go into hiding. Yes, it'd make us suspicious since we aren't there at the alley as witnesses, but we have no choice. I can't turn myself in right now!"
"I feel the same, Hiroto," Ritsu told his friend sadly. "Take my phone and block those assholes' phone numbers."
"Already on it." Hiroto blocked both Mr. Rokuda's and Musume's phone numbers.
"Miss Aishi."
Ayano sighed. She knew that voice too damn well from the phone. She just got home from her student council duties. It was 7 PM. Ayano keeps forgetting that it gets dark early in the winter. Ayano sat on her sofa, her smartphone in her hand.
"Yes, Miss Saikou? Do you need something?"
"I haven't heard from your mother."
"And you think I'd know? I haven't seen my mother for a few days," Ayano has an irked expression. "Miss Saikou...Ayato and I know damned well that our mother is working for your father. We're not stupid."
Megami did not say a word. All Ayano would hear was her breathing and background noises, such as the maids and butlers doing their jobs at the Saikou mansion. Ayano expected Megami to deny her suspicions about her mother's actual job.
"Very well. I'll ask my father." Megami sighed. "I'll see you on Monday, Miss Aishi."
"Sure, okay."
The phone call ended between Ayano and Megami. Ayato came down from his bedroom.
"Who the hell was that on the phone?" Ayato asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Megami."
"The hell did she want?' Ayato scowled, crossing his arms. He has a suspicious gaze.
"Our mother. I finally told Megami what we knew."
"Well, shit," Ayato shrugged. "Anyway, I'm too lazy to cook. Let's order Chinese Food."
Ayano nodded in agreement. She and Ayato were worried sick about their mother. Ryoba usually texted or called her children to assure them she was okay.
"Ayano, our mother isn't dead. We'd feel it."
"Right."
"I hope she texts or calls us soon."
Ayano nodded and called a Chinese restaurant for a take-out order while Ayato focused on his homework in the kitchen. Once Ayano placed the order, she joined Ayato at the table.
Mr. Morooka was at the park, ranting to someone on the phone.
"You little shit! You owed me money! I expect a payment tomorrow!" Mr. Morooka exclaimed in annoyance and ended the phone call. "Kids, these days! No respect for the elders! Hmph!"
"Trouble in your new job?" Kanji Tatsumi appeared before him, grinning at him.
"Ugh. Not you again, Tatsumi. What do you want?" Mr. Morooka did not expect to see a student from the school where he used to work.
"I'm here to visit my cousin, King Moron. Narukami and the others send their regards."
"And why would I care about Narukami and the other shits?!"
Mr. Morooka was flustered by his old students' concern for his well-being despite his ways of teaching them at Yasogami High School.
"Because you're our old homeroom teacher?" Kanji laughed, finding amusement in Mr. Morooka's reaction.
"Hmph. Tell them that I am well! Good evening, little shit!" Mr. Norooka farewelled and stomped off.
Kanji smiled smugly and headed towards Hayanari Tsumeato's home in the trailer park.
He knew it was a school night, but he didn't care. His high school doesn't have classes tomorrow anyway.
'I can't wait to see my cousin! It's been so long!' Kanji grinned in excitement.
A/N: I am a dumbass despite double checking the chapter for grammar and mis-spells so there may still be some errors.I decided to update this crossover fanfiction semiannually, so two chapters per year. I feel more comfortable doing it this way, thus longer chapters from now on.