Yokaishiteru! Chapter Six

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<------First Chapter

“So…” Makoto started as she made her way onto the roof Monday afternoon, the day after she and Sachiko had performed at the qualifier so that they’d be able to merge their group with Yokaishiteru, “It’s nice to officially meet you all.  I’m Makoto Narahashi.  My companion is Harmonic Warrior Ryuu.”

“Nice to meet you both!” Kamui grinned and held her arms out to her sides, “Are you really going to be joining us?  That other group sounded really impressed at the idea for some reason.”

“Tch… Of course,” Sachiko lifted a hand to her face, posing with the other one on her hip, “Harmonic Warrior Ryuu… Those who know my name know also that I am an unstoppable force.  The reincarnation of an ancient warrior who harnessed the power of music to protect Japan from absolute ruin during the Feudal Era, and who has fought against chaos in all incarnations since.  Now, I shall join you, and we will be another group of Harmony Fighters for the current era.”

“Right…” Kyoko nodded, crossing her arms as she looked Sachiko over, “I’m not sure if we’ll meet your standards for a group of Harmonic Warriors, though.  At least half of us are definitely bad people,” She stepped forward, “However… If you’ve decided to join us, then at least I know our technical skills are good enough for you to work with us.”

“Indeed,” Makoto struck a pose too, looking much more awkward than Sachiko.  At least with Sachiko, the chunii behavior seemed to suit her, “I am the Aria Apostle, Nala.  Loyal companion of Harmonic Warrior Ryuu through all time… Destined, always, to meet again and fight side by side.  However, the chaos of the modern day is far too great for just the two of us to stand up against it and protect Japan.  We need the help of others who hold the same goals, even if their hearts are impure or stained by chaos.”

“Hi Makoto,” Mishio walked right up to her, tilting her head, “Why are you going along with the chuunibyou act?”

“Nothing better to do,” Makoto shrugged, “You’re Mishio, right?”

“Yes, that is my name,” Mishio nodded, crossing her arms and continuing to look Makoto over, “Nothing better to do?  Does that mean it’s entertaining to go along with it?  Do you think that I should?”

“Oujouno-senpai!” Izuna protested, holding her hands in close to her chest, “You already have a gimmick!  Don’t go stealing somebody else’s!” She shook her head, tears pricking at her eyes, “Trying to be like somebody else will just make people hate you…”

“I really don’t think that’s applicable in this case,” Mishio mumbled, then looked to Makoto again.

“It’s more fun than an event in Dream Girlfriend but less fun than an event in School Idol Festival,” Makoto shrugged, “I don’t know what other scale to use.”

“I don’t understand,” Mishio tilted her head to the side.

“There is no need to understand,” Sachiko shook her head, smirking, “Grasping the concept of harmony is beyond the mind of most.  All you need to know is that through school idol activities, we will serve Barronak in his unending battle with Set, God of All Chaos.  Beyond that, you need not concern yourselves with the specifics.”

“I see,” Honoka nodded, then smiled at the two of them, “Well, I’m glad that we were able to become good enough that you’d want to work with us!”

“We?” Makoto questioned, walking up to Honoka, “No, you were good enough from the start.  It was just everybody else.”

“Huh?” Sakazaki joined in, raising her eyebrows, “Even Shirato-chan?”

“Of course,” Sachiko nodded, “It was only yesterday when our goals finally aligned.  When those who had harmonic hearts became capable, and when those who were capable became harmonic of heart.  In the past, chaos stained the Korekara school idol club… Especially Kyo Of The Silver Skies.  It is more common for your incarnations, Shirato-senpai, to be allies of chaos.  However, you are a powerful force, and I am grateful that in this life we can have similar goals.”

“Silver Skies?” Kyoko questioned, then smirked as she held a hand to her face, “Oh, I see.  I can only imagine… The Silver Skies is a villainous group, yes?  And there are a number of my incarnations who haven’t gone against the wishes of my parents.  The same is true of Misaki-kun, right?”

“Ah, so you have an intuition for the truth,” Sachiko nodded, then walked up to Kyoko and grabbed her hands, “Yes… You are following the pull of harmony and not wavering, not giving in to the chaos which is greed and abandonment of dreams.  Were you to listen to them, you would grow bitter towards the world with your dreams bottled away, and you would never find the love you seek…” Sachiko became quieter, and she stepped away, sad, “Oh yes, you are an unfortunate one indeed.”

“Er… I see,” Kyoko nodded.  She went along with it originally to try and get along with the girl she was sure would be the key to victory at the LL, but being called an ‘unfortunate one indeed’ weirded her out just a little bit.  It actually was a little scary just how much Sachiko seemed to know about someone she’d only just met.

“...I apologize,” Sachiko shook her head and turned around, scratching the back of her head and blushing, “When Barronak compels me to say something, I find myself unable to resist, even if it is a statement which holds no place in the conversations of this era.  With so many memories of time floating in my mind, it is often difficult to keep up with the social conventions of the day.”

“It’s only a show of your power, Ryuu-chan,” Makoto turned and stepped up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“I think it’s cool!” Kamui interrupted, jumping forward, “Ryuunosuke-senpai!  I wanna know about my cosmic ancestry!  I bet everyone does!”

“I-Is that so?” Sachiko questioned, then whirled back around, pointing towards the sky, “In that case, I’ll happily inform you of the destinies you’ve inherited!”

“Enthralling.  Me first,” Mishio pushed past Kamui, making eye contact with Sachiko, “I’d love to know.  Please tell me.”

“Your lack of emotion…” Sachiko noted, lowering her arm to now point at Mishio instead, “Is a matter of your ancestry.  Your cosmic destiny… You are the reincarnation of Sotaroko Muromachi, named thus for the time period in which you were first spotted.  Throughout each incarnation, you have been sought after as a soldier by armies all across Japan as a skilled fighter, and the only one who could return to normal life after time on the battlefield unchanged.  Known to smile only in the heat of the fight… It’s even believed that one who carried the spirit of Sotaroko Muramachi fought in the army of Oda Nobunaga.”

“That sounds about right,” Mishio nodded, then turned around to find that the other members of Yokaishiteru were giving her odd looks.  She just shrugged, “Look, I’m not good at any practical skills.  Maybe that’s the sort of thing I’d be good at.  It fits with what Headmaster Kira told me…”

“Um,” Izuna bit her bottom lip and grabbed Mishio’s shoulder, pulling her away from Sachiko, “Let’s not talk about that.  Er… Ryuunosuke-senpai!  Do me next, I guess?” She didn’t seem keen on it at all, but wanted to change the subject away from Mishio and The Headmaster.  Kamui didn’t know what that was all about, but decided not to pry.

“You…” Sachiko turned to Izuna, then grabbed her arm and put her next to Momoko, “Both of you, your cosmic destinies are tied together by a string of fate.  However, it’s tangled.  A very tangled, terrible string.  Morose and Indigent are the beings of your ancestry.  Watanabe-chan, you are Indigent, and Nanako-chan, you are Morose.  It is fated in all incarnations that you are close in some way or another, and fated that one of you will betray the other.  But it seems that’s already happened in this incarnation.”

“One of us?  Betray the other?” Izuna questioned, then turned to Momoko with a smug grin, “Well, that means that in other lives, Momoko-chan, the tables could be turned.”

“What tables?  I thought we’d decided that we never met before.  Or do you want to be considered my enemy and be kicked out of Yokaishiteru?” Momoko smiled right back at Izuna, clapping her hands together, “It’s really up to you, Nanako~!”

“Well!” Sachiko interrupted, turning her nose up, “Moving on to you,” Sachiko pointed at Sakazaki, “Ah, your ancestor is actually a Harmonic Warrior of Barronak.!  Bespectacled Rogue Sabina, one of the three Warriors who are meant to defend France from chaos.  The Frenchman’s Trio… Fighting alongside Divine Siren Victorique and Periweather, Guardian of Garbage!  An admirable past… Why, I wonder if destiny will bring your allies together with you once more…”

“Ouh la la!” Sakazaki raised a finger to her lips and smirked, “How romantic!  You hear that, everyone?  This Harmonic Warrior is the reincarnation of one from the past!~  I bet Honoka-chan is too!”

“Ah, yes,” Sachiko approached Honoka, hands on her hips and grinning, “Indeed, our paths have crossed before, Queen Himiko.  Blessed upon her death by Barronak to become a Harmonic Warrior through the ages.  Although I, as Harmonic Warrior Ryuu, only partnered with Aria Apostle Nala when we had our full power and could protect Japan without the power of numbers.  You have been, by far, the most Harmonic one here in each incarnation.”

“Q-Queen Himiko?” Honoka questioned, clasping her hands behind herself and giving a nervous laugh, “Not to say I don’t believe in what you’re saying, but I definitely have trouble with the idea that in a past life, I was somebody like that… The queen of Japan?  Me?”

“Yeah, that sounds right,” Kamui nodded, “I mean, when I first saw you, Honoka-chan… I was totally breathless!  I was taken aback by your beauty, and you know I say that genuinely because I don’t have crushes on people.  Of course somebody like you could be Queen Himeko,” She then turned to Sachiko and pouted, “Anyway, I’m the one who said we should do this, but now I’m the last one to hear about my destiny!”

“I…” Sachiko sighed, shaking her head, “Tori-chan, demons don’t tend to have cosmic ancestors… They live too long to have many reincarnations among them.  The only reason I’ve been able to pin down so many here is because of Japan’s declining birthrate, to tell you the truth.  There are fewer children being born now than there are ancient beings to be inhabited by.  In another country, or in the demon world, reincarnations are much more rare.”

“Oh... “ Kamui mumbled, but then perked up once again, “Well in that case, I’ll just have to be a great enough Harmonic Warrior that I get reincarnated when I die!”

“That’s morbid,” Mishio noted, but Kamui just grinned in her direction.

--------------

“Tori-chan,” Makoto approached Kamui later on, as she was leaving the school.  This week she was staying with a different member of the occult club, Victoria Jean, “May I talk to you before you go?  Just us two?”

“Huh?  Oh, yeah!” Kamui nodded, then sat down on the edge of the fountain in the courtyard.  She thought it technically wasn’t supposed to be sat on, since there were benches surrounding it facing outward, but her feline instincts never let her sit like a normal person.  She crossed her legs, and Makoto sat down beside her.

“Tori-chan,” Makoto started, leaning towards her, “It bothers you, doesn’t it?  What Ryuu-chan said earlier?  You seemed upset for a split second.”

“Well…” Kamui could try lying to save face, but what was the point in doing something like that if Makoto had already seen through her? “A little bit.  She had something to say about everyone else, even if it was unflattering to a few of them… Does that mean she dislikes me?”

“No,” Makoto shook her head, pressing her hands between her knees, “She was telling the truth, actually.  It’s just that her truth is those stories.  If she couldn’t draw a parallel between you and somebody in those books, then there just is no comparison.  Her chuunibyou behavior may have began as a way to mask her crippling social anxiety, but at this point she really does believe everything she says.  It’s best to go along with her.  Trying to engage her in a normal way, for most people, just gets her to panic.”

“I’ve had a normal conversation with her before, though.  Well, sort of normal I guess,” Kamui shrugged, looking up at the sky, “But then… I guess that if I don’t fit into those stories, then referring to me as my normal self is just natural.  Maybe if I implied I didn’t believe her when it came to somebody, it would upset her though… So I’ll be sure not to do that!”

“You’re so kind, Tori-chan,” Makoto mumbled, looking away from her, “Enthusiastic, and unrealistically optimistic.  The first time I met you, I really disliked you for that,” She closed her eyes and dipped her head, “But it’s not a self-centered enthusiasm.  It isn’t as if you’re only acting this way to guard your heart, it’s clear that you really do care about spreading happiness around.”

“Of course I do,” Kamui nodded, a grin spreading over her face, “The reason I was summoned to this world… Was because of sadness.  The occult club, they were trying to bring back somebody precious… But the demon world didn’t have her, so it sent someone who would try hard to fill the void she left.”

“I see,” Makoto nodded, and opened her eyes, “It’s hard to believe, you know, that demons exist.  Even though my girlfriend is in the occult club, and I’ve seen the proof with my own two eyes.  It just feels like… If youkai have existed for this long, wouldn’t everyone know about them?”

“Well,” Kamui stretched her arms out above her head, “Doesn’t everyone?  I mean, doesn’t everyone know the word, and what different types of demons exist?  It’s well-documented in lots of books… It’s just because humans feel like they need to see something to believe it, that everyone assumes the documentation is myth.  I mean, aren’t there lots of humans who think certain animals are fake because it’s easy to make fake photographs?”

“I guess so,” Makoto agreed, “I never thought of it that way.  I guess if I heard growing up that there was no such thing as a platypus, I wouldn’t believe it I found out they were real at this point in my life.  Just as an example… So I guess it’s the same sort of thing.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m trying to say!” Kamui nodded, putting her hands on her hips, “There’s things which you just can’t know about in the universe, that’s how it is.  There are things which demons don’t know about, either.  Are the myths we have about freaky undefeatable beings called Furies actually real?  I sure hope not, but they could be, because how can anyone know what isn’t real?  You can only ever know what is.”

“...That’s right,” Makoto nodded once more, then stood up, “So, you know, there’s no way either of us can say that those books Sachiko gets her ideas from are fiction.  She says that the author just calls them fiction to hide the truth from Set, and I guess there’s no way to know if that could really be the case.  With that in mind… Even geniuses know nothing, compared to the number of things they can’t possibly have any idea about?”

“Yeah,” Kamui blinked a few times, standing up as well, “We’re really small, everyone is, if you think about the universe.  All we can do is try to make a positive impact on the little corner of the world that we’re in.”

“Is that sort of philosophy common where you come from?” Makoto wondered.

“No, not really,” Kamui shook her head, “In the demon world, it’s kind of just a matter of survival.  Everyone helps everyone to live, and that’s the extent of it.  Anyone can make a contract with a human, and demons who like doing paperwork process those.  Aside from working towards survival, though, happiness isn’t something which other people value.  You are responsible for your own feelings at all times.  But then… I saw human television, and I saw how idols always try to spread their smiles!  Everyone always just tries to do what makes them happy, but what if what makes you happy depends on other people?  That’s one way I think humankind knows what’s going on more than demonkind.”

“It’s funny, you know…” Makoto took a few steps forward, then turned back to look at Kamui, “Humans caring about the happiness of other humans… Most of the time, it’s shallow, but you, a demon, are genuine.  I don’t know what to think about that… So I don’t think I should.  Philosophy isn’t something which should matter to me, and I think it would be best if we dropped this topic.”

“Right, of course, I’m sorry!” Kamui waved her hands in front of herself, “We only just recently met, and I’m saying weird things to you…”

“I think it’s fine,” Makoto shrugged, “I’m going to go home now, though.  You should too, right?  I’ll see you for practice tomorrow.”

“You will!” Kamui nodded, “We have to get ready for preliminaries, after all!  Practice every day possible.  We’ll prove to Melody Stars and Kirara-sensei that we really are worth it!”

“I feel like by qualifying we already proved that much,” Makoto shrugged, “What I’m concerned with is the preliminaries.  The fictional LL which started it all… Was full of beautiful, inspirational idols, and they succeeded in that round.  We have to at least match them.  I won’t let Kotori down.”

“Me too,” Kamui balled her hands up into fists and held them in front of herself, “We’ll work hard and find success.”

-------

“Korekara Academy having a School Idol Club… Who’d have thunk it?” Kirara mused aloud over her drink, waving the olive stick around in front of herself.

Pai-sama

“Thunk?” Pai questioned, quirking an eyebrow.  She downed a shot, put the glass back down, then raised her arms to her sides and shook her head, “Kirara-sensei, you can’t let people hear you talking that way!  Your appeal is as the Intelligent Idol, you’re a teacher for all of Japan!”

“Nobody’s going to recognize me at a bar in casual clothes, Pai-chan,” Kirara shook her head, frowning, “Be glad that you’re not in the public eye…”

“Not yet,” She raised a finger to her lips and let out an exaggerated exhale, “But you know, that might be happening sometime soon… Not the same way as you, though!  I could never pretend to be lily white and innocent.  My employers are thinking of a new business venture.  A theme park of sorts… So soon enough, I might be an entertainer!  Can you believe that, Kirarin? I may even find some sort of purpose in life!”

“I mean, you could always become a teacher.  A real teacher, befriending a fake one?” Kirara chuckled, leaning forward, “Your employers… Don’t you do absolutely nothing at your job?  Why did they pick you to represent their sponsorship in the LL?”

“If they sent any of the old farts who do anything at the company, then they’d come under fire for judging a contest of teen girls,” Pai raised her hand in the air in front of herself, “So instead they sent me!  Probably the least weird one of us to send for this.  Now, if it were boys’ idol groups, I’d be a poor choice… But you know, young girls just aren’t as interesting!”

“You really are awful,” Kirara rolled her eyes, “But I guess from what I’ve heard, you’re better than your… Coworkers,” She chuckled, stirring her drink some more with her eyes closed, “Then, I also suppose I’d be worse than you, in most objective perspectives.  Wouldn’t I qualify as a villain, whereas your misdeeds just count for comic relief, Pai-chan?”

“Aww, don’t say that, Kirarin!  Though you’re right, if you’re referring to your involvement with that…” She shrugged, then stood up and winked, sticking her tongue out, “So what about Asahi-san, huh?  On that scale of yours, how much of a baddie is she?”

“Asahi-chan?” Kirara questioned, then shook her head with a smirk, “Oh, she’s the absolute worst.  A judge who just gives hardworking school idols a thumbs up or thumbs down?  That’s just disgusting!” She giggled, “Especially since she’s their age!”

Asahi-san

“You might wanna be more careful when you’re talking about people behind their backs, Kirarin,” Pai complained, then turned around and pointed towards the doorway.  Death was standing there.  Wait, no, not death.  Asahi.  It was rather easy to confuse the two.  Asahi stepped towards them, then just… waved.  Pai shrugged, “What brings you here, Asahi-san?”

She didn’t answer.  She never did.

“What are you doing in a bar at your age?” Kirara raised her eyebrows as she looked at the sponsorship judge for the next prefecture over’s LL, “How did you even get inside?”  There was no response.  Kirara and Asahi stared at each other for a while, till Kirara got an idea and repeated the question in sign language.

“Nobody asks my age.  I am a business heir, and important,” Asahi signed back, “I heard you were here.  So I came.  I’m curious.  That private school is participating?”

“Yes,” Kirara answered, still in sign, “I’m surprised that a small student body could achieve that.”

“I was invited there, and refused.  I hope they move forward so I can see them,” Asahi continued, then gave a small nod before she turned and left the building, power-walking.  The air where she walked seemed to hold a chill for a few moments after she’d gone.

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Mishio stared down at herself with a vindictive expression.  There was nobody there to see it, but she couldn’t but show her disdain towards the texts she’d been receiving, and the missed calls.  Her ‘mother’, the foster one who had been assigned to her to prevent her from ever knowing her birth mother, had been calling for the past several days trying to get ahold of her.  She considered herself a rebel, but only occasionally… Until she’d found out who her parents really were.

At that point, she decided to estrange herself from those fakes.  It was one of the most emotionally charged decisions she’d ever made.  The only one, actually.  It was surreal.  It wasn’t that she thought she ought to have been raised by her real mother, but she did think it would have been nice to know something more than the vague statements she’d eavesdropped regarding ‘her heritage’.  Those people who’d raised her in such a way which kept her from developing skills… Which left her behind all the other kids in ability and socialization… She felt no attachment to them.

Still, all those calls… Calling back could be an opportunity, she realized.  An opportunity to prove that she could still accomplish something despite those shackles which had been thrust upon her.  Yes, she decided, and dialed.  She held it to her ear as she dropped onto the bed in her dorm, a smug smirk almost finding its way onto her face.  Her ‘mother’ picked up the phone, “Mishio?  God, child, what have you been doing that’s so important?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Mishio responded.

“As if you can feel glad,” The fake sneered back.

“I joined a School Idol Group.  It’s called Yokaishiteru, and we qualified for the LL.  The judge was only a little bit mad at me for not smiling, too,” She explained, actually feeling proud of herself for once, “I accomplished something.  It’s small, but I did it.  I’m in charge of the costumes…”

“That’s horrible,” She snapped, “You start learning things and soon enough you’ll be in a world of trouble… It’s our responsibility to keep you from behaving the way your ancestors did!  You go and quit right now.”

“I won’t do that,” Mishio shook her head even though she couldn’t be seen, “And you can’t make me.  I want to be good at something.  I know what my ancestors did, and I have no interest in that.  I have no feelings at all towards the fact I may have an innate propensity for being a skilled soldier.  That’s unimportant to me.  I just want to feel special.”

“Idiot.  Special isn’t a feeling.”

“Maybe not for normal people, but I feel it.  I think,” Mishio responded, her voice still flat and level, “I think I discovered what it is to be happy.  Without hurting anybody.  That’s possible, after all.  It is.  I’m doing it.”

“Nobody had better blame me when this all goes south,” She scoffed, then hung up the phone.  Mishio dropped her cell on the ground, but didn’t regret making that call.  She’d gotten her fake mother on edge, had gotten the upper hand.  She was proving that she could be a real person in spite of everything.  She had friends now.  It… was nice.

----------

Izuna didn’t go home when practice was done, going instead to the cooking club room.  She stood in the doorway, looking around.  It was strange seeing it empty… Usually, there were at least two members using it or at least cleaning up on days when there weren’t meetings.  Well, the environment of it had really changed.  None of them trusted her anymore, for example, and the president hadn’t even been to school all term.

She couldn’t blame anyone, though, for any of that.  It was nobody’s fault… Except, maybe, her own.  Izuna had never been keen on the idea of owning up to any wrongdoing, but there could be something to it.  It wasn’t what she had done (stealing an identity) but what she hadn’t done (stopped the kidnapping) which Momoko was angry about, which seemed strange to her.  There wasn’t anything she could have done… But maybe that was just a passive aggressive way of saying the identity theft was the bad thing after all.

That was what everybody else was holding against her, after all.  It didn’t make sense that different people would be mad at her for different things, right?  Morality was something which she still had trouble getting a grasp on.  She sighed as she stepped forward and sat down at one of the room’s tables, the one which didn’t have cutting boards or anything.  She just stayed there in the dark for a while, staring at the surface of the table, until somebody switched the light on.  She looked up to see Miki standing there, “Ah, Hana-senpai-”

Miki Hanamura

“I haven’t heard anything from Oishi,” Miki shook her head as she continued into the room, then sat down across from Izuna, “So… How are you doing?”

“You really want to know?” Izuna asked, biting her bottom lip as she looked away.

“I have to know how somebody’s doing.  Might as well be you, if I can’t get ahold of Oishi and nobody else ever says anything,” She shrugged, leaning forward with a bitter glare at the far wall, “Why exactly is our club so full of emotionally reserved kids?”

“Food is the best way to express your feelings without actually expressing them?” Izuna wondered with a shrug, “At least, it is universally seen as flirting to make lunch for somebody, if you aren’t related… I wonder if that’s what I need to do.”

“It’s not,” Miki shook her head, “Nanako-chan…  It seems like you need to learn the same lesson I did.  Sometimes, your unrequited love is just unavoidable.  There will always be ‘ones that got away’ that you don’t have a chance with, right?  You just have to let them get away and move on.”

“But…” Izuna’s lip started wobbling, “We were together, before she got kidnapped!  I thought that if she ever came back, everything would be the same as before, it would be great again…  Why can’t it be?”

“Because things change.  Besides, doesn’t Watanabe-san have somebody new now?” Miki asked.

“Yeah, but I’d be better!” Izuna wailed, covering her face with her hands, “Why?  Why can’t it be me?  I know I’d be better for her!”

“I think you’ve already proved that isn’t the case,” Miki frowned with a heavy sigh, looking away, “It isn’t like I’m holding it against you… There’s plenty of people at this school who’ve done awful things.  However, I can’t support your romantic goals.  Hako-san told me-”

“Why is everything always about her!?” Izuna snapped, dropping her hands from her face with a look of scorn on her face, “It wasn’t like she was a goddess!   Some of us were never that fond of her, you know!”

“Of course not,” Miki shook her head, “I didn’t like her.  But you know, being liked wasn’t really her goal, as much as she may have claimed that it was.  She wanted to save our lives, and she did that.  She saved me.  She saved you too.”

“Yeah right…” Izuna mumbled, but did back off.

“If I had kept trying to go out with Ikimura-sensei, then I probably would have been killed.  After all, you know who she is dating on the down-low, right?” Miki explained, “The doctor.  The creepy doctor.  I’d bet anything she’s a yandere.  And you know, when it comes to you… You would have been exposed when Watanabe-san showed up anyway.  It’s better that you were lumped in with the other information about criminal students.  If it had just been you being outed, and not any murderers, you would have received a lot more blowback.”

“I guess?” Izuna groaned, leaning back to look up at the ceiling, “As it was, everyone ended up mostly accepting it, with the number of people who’ve committed crimes at this school.  Everyone blames the Headmaster, and nobody knows who that is.  Imagine if you’d been called out individually?  Could you handle having all the anger of the student body placed on you?”

“When you put it that way…” Izuna sighed and sunk down in the chair, resting her head in her arms atop the table, “If everyone hated me all at once, I probably would have just died of guilt.  I wouldn’t even need to kill myself.  It would just happen.”

“See?  Hako-san knew you weren’t Watanabe long before she found out about the problems which run deeper at this school, right?” Miki smiled, “She was looking out for you, too.  Even if she was an annoying bitch!”

“You’re right,” Izuna pouted, “Still… It isn’t like I can just banish my feelings.”

“You joined that School Idol Club, right?” Miki asked, raising her finger next to her face, “Why not just channel those feelings into that?  I bet it would make you a better entertainer.”

“Yeah… I’ll try,” Izuna nodded, standing up, “Thank you, Hana-senpai.  And… you’ll let me know if you hear anything about Oishi-senpai?”

“Of course.”

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