Ren walks towards the subway station thinking over Morgana's offer. On the way, he heard a lot of the other students talk about him and Sakamoto hanging out, Takamaki, plsu a girl called Suzui, who apparently had favor with Kamoshida, he felt sorry for that girl, and about Sakura. All this gossip was ridiculous, so he decided to just keep going, eventually making it to the station.

"Amamiya-kun..." He hears when he stops to wait for the train and turns to see Akira walk up to him.

"Sakura-san? What're you still doing here?" He asks confused as she left about half an hour ago.

"The train was delayed and I was stuck here waiting for it." The girl replies, just as the said train comes in. "Let's go." She says and they both board the train. They got out when the train arrives at Shibuya Station and begin making their way to the next line.

"Will you please give it a rest?!" They freeze and turn to see Takamaki on the phone. "I told you, I'm not feeling up to it... Wait, what?! That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?! This has nothing to do with Shiho!" She shouts at the person on the other end, then it sounds like the call ended, from the dial tone, and the girl crouches to the floor.

"Shiho's... starting position..." She says, sounding almost defeated. Ren look at her concern, then Akira does something he doesn't expect, she walks over to the ash blonde girl and gently touches her shoulder.

"Um... Takamaki-san, are you okay?" She asks the other girl worriedly.

"What?" The blonde says when she notices the two and stands up and backs away, startled. "Wait... Were you listening?!" She says accusingly.

"Uh... Not on purpose." Ren replies.

"Haven't heard you two heard of privacy?" The blonde asks them.

"Well, you were kind of loud, so it was hard not to hear." Akira states.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry, I was out of line." The other girl apologizes then wipes at her eyes. "So how much did you hear then?" She asks.

"You were arguing with someone." Ren replies.

"I see... Yeah, I guess it's true..." She admits. "But it's nothing. Nothing at all." She quickly denies. Didn't sound like nothing. She then turns and runs away.

"Is she really okay?" Ren can't help but question, while Akira seemed to be thinking.

"You can go ahead, I'll catch up." She suddenly says and runs after the other girl. Ren watches in shock, before chasing after her as well. They both follow Takamaki down into the station, where they catch up to her in the communal area.

"What are you two doing? Stop following me... Just, leave me alone." The blonde girl says when she notices them.

"I'm sorry, Takamaki-san, but we're worried about you." Akira says.

"What? Why are you worrying about me?" Ann asks and starts to sob.

"Let's go somewhere else." Ren then suggests.

~Take Your Time~

They move to a fast food place near the station, where they sit in the back of the store. Ann was seated in the booth, with Akira sitting next to her and Ren sits across from them both in a chair. Takamaki was pretty quiet, clearly not in the mood to talk.

"I don't have anything to talk about. It was just an argument..." The blonde girl insists.

"Was it with Kamoshida?" Ren asks. "Ow! Hey!" He yelps when Akira leans over the table and hits him in the arm.

"You know better than to ask a girl private information like that." She scolds him. "Still, it was with a teacher right? You sure you don't walk to talk about it, it might make you feel better." She says to Ann, who sighs.

"You guys have heard the rumors by now... haven't you? About Mr. Kamoshida. Everyone says we're getting it on." The blonde begins while messing with a napkin on the table. "But... it's not true...! Yes, that was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number... for the longest time... He told me to go to his place after this... You know what he means." She says and clutches the napkin, crushing it.

"If I turn him down, he said that he'll take my friend off as a regular on the team... I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho's sake...but I just can't take it anymore... I've had enough of this... I hate him! But still... Shiho's my best friend. She's all I have left at the sorry excuse of a school! Tell me... What should I do...?" She pleads as she breaks down into tears. Ren clutches his pant legs, while Akira takes her hand.

"Don't go to him." The other girl says. "If you do... It'll haunt you for the rest of your life. No matter how much times passes." She adds with a knowing, and pained, look on her face. Ren felt sympathy for her... He could almost feel that woman's hands, making him shiver, but it went unnoticed by the two girls.

"Yeah, okay." Ann says to Akira, then sighs. "What am I doing? I've barely talked to either of you before... I've only really had a full conversation with you, Sakura-chan." She says next.

"Sorry for butting in..." Ren apologizes while rubbing the back of his neck.

"No... This is my fault." The blonde replies. "You two are weird. Usually, everyone just ignores me." She says then looks to Ren. "Are you really a bad person? I've heard people talking about you, but... I just don't see it." She asks.

"Really? What are they saying?" Ren dares to ask.

"Uh... That you assaulted someone... and almost killed them." She replies. "I kind of had a feeling they were all exaggerations though. In fact, you seemed kind of lonely—almost like you didn't belong there, or anywhere... You too, Sakura-chan. I guess, we're all the same in that regard. Maybe that's why it was so easy to talk to you two." She says then sighs again.

"Is there really no way for me to help Shiho? I wish he'd just change his mind... Like, just forget about me, and everything... As if something like that would ever happen..." The blonde girl says then admits.

"It could happen." Ren says, remembering Morgana's offer.

"That'd be too convenient." Akira dismisses and Ann laughs.

"I wasn't really asking for a serious response." She tells them with a small but genuine smile. "But, I do honestly feel better now. I'm going to head home." She says and stands up, making sure to grab her bag. "Don't tell anyone what I just told you, okay? I'll try to think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. By the way...thanks. You two are surprisingly easy to talk to. Are you sure you're not related?" With that, she left.

The two look a likes then look to each other, blush, before looking away. They get up from their seats and made their way back to the station then boarded the train to the Yongen-Jaya district. While on the train, Ren suddenly spoke.

"You know, what's like, huh?" He says.

"Hmm?" The girl asks, and he sighs.

"To be, taken advantage of like that. I do too." He admits.

"Oh... I guess even boys aren't safe then." The girl says while rubbing her arm. "How old were you? I was, eight." She asks.

"Nine," The boy replies and they fell into silence the rest of the way home.

~Take Your Time~

Akira wasn't really paying attention in class, she pretty much knew most of this stuff already, what happened the day before was still fresh in her mind. Both Takamaki-san's and Amamiya-kun's words got her thinking.

Kamoshida already gave her goosebumps but it turns out that he's a real scumbag. And what Amamiya said on the train, she was shocked that he went through a similar experience like she did before she came into Sojiro's custody. The man had saved her from that kind of living hell.

"Hey! What's that?!" A student suddenly asks while standing up.

"Ma'am, please sit back down." The teacher, Mr. Hiruta she believes, tells her.

"Oh my gosh! She's going to jump!" Another student exclaims while also rising from their seat. Wait, what?!

"What?!" Sakamoto exclaims as he stands up from his chair as well. The class all ignored the teacher as they rushed out of the classroom, Akira following them, and into the hallway looking through the window. Akira was shocked to see Suzui from yesterday standing on the roof's edge. The girl then leans forward and falls. Everything seemed to stop at that moment...

Akira could hear the students around her all wigging out, with the teachers telling said students to return to their class. She felt someone bump into her, but she was so lost in thought that she didn't care. Memories of Wakaba, the woman she had thought of as a mother, and her suicide came to mind and she began feeling dizzy before she felt herself falling.

"Oh my god! Sakura-chan!" Someone yells.

"Someone get the nurse!" Another exclaims.

"S-Sakura-chan?!" A familiar sounding voice then says as things went black.

~Take Your Time~

Ren watched in horror at the scene in front of him. Ryuji was right; what the hell was wrong with these people? A person tried to jump to her death and they were all taking pictures of it!? It was the girl from yesterday, and apparently Takamaki's friend, Shiho Suzui. Some paramedics came and she was already strapped to a gunnery, when one of them steps forward.

"We need someone to go with her... Are there any teachers around?" He says. All the teachers were brushing it off, trying to pass the responsibly to someone else.

"I'll go!" Takamaki quickly volunteers.

"Please hurry!" The paramedic tells her and she rushes to her friend's side.

"Shiho... Why?" She asks her friend with tears in her eyes.

"Ann...? I'm sorry. I... I can't take this... anymore..." The black haired girl replies then whispers something to her friend. Ren doesn't quite catch it, but what Takamaki said next made his stomach drop.

"Huh? Kamoshida?!" The blonde girl exclaims, just as Suzui loses consciousness. "No... Shiho! Please... Please don't go!" She pleads then Suzui is put in the ambulance, with Ann climbing in as well, and it drives away.

"That girl, she was a member of the volleyball team..." Ryuji says next to him.

"Everyone! Return to your classes at once!" Shouts a teacher. In the large crowd, Ren noticed Mishima looking horrified before running away. 

"Hey, isn't that Mishima?" Ryuji asks.

"Yeah, it is." Ren replies.

"Wasn't he kind of acting weird?" The blonde questions.

"Yeah, he was. He probably knows something about this." The ravenette says.

"No doubt. This time, we're making him talk." Ryuji declares and the two chase after the boy, catching up with and corner him at the lockers.

"That hurts!" The shorter boy says.

"Why'd you run like that? Huh?!" The sunny blonde asks aggressively.

"I didn't run..." The other boy denies, then jumps when Ryuji smacks the lockers.

"She jumped and tried to kill herself!" He says angrily.

"...L-Leave me alone..." Mishima pleads.

"Mishima, please. Just tell us what's going on. I promise we just want to help, I understand you think it won't do anything... But if nothing's done, then we might have a repeat of what happened today." Ren tells him.

"He's right. We ain't trying to get you in trouble. We won't say you talked either." Ryuji adds on.

"S-Suzui... She... She was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!" Mishima finally admits.

"Wait, what?!" The blonde boy asks.

"I was called by him a number of times too... to the PE Faculty Office. It wasn't just me or Suzui either. He'd nominate someone when he was in a bad mood... and beat them. Mostly when they did something wrong." The other boy explains.

"So the rumor of physical punishment was for real then..." Ryuji says.

"But, yesterday, he called for Suzui out the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything... and Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day too, so it might've been... worse than usual..." He continues.

"'Worse'? How could get any...? Oh... Oh god... Does he mean that Kamoshida...?" Ren thought in horror.

"He didn't...!" Ryuji exclaims, apparently coming to the same conclusion. Ren felt like he was going to be sick. Scratch that, he already was sickened. "That son of a bitch!" The sunny blonde curse then runs off. Oh no, he wasn't... He was!

"Ryuji! Come back!" Ren shouts and chases after the boy, Mishima hesitating for a moment before following both of them. They follow Ryuji up to the second floor and into the PE Faculty Office, where they found Kamoshida at his desk.

"You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl?!" Ryuji yells accusingly.

"What are you talking about?" The man replies, waving them off.

"Don't play dumb with me!" The blonde shouts in outrage, kicking over a chair.

"Ryuji... No..." Ren tries to warn, knowing this wouldn't end well for them.

"That is enough!" Kamoshida shouts.

"What you did... wasn't coaching...!" Mishima spoke up.

"What did you say?" The man asks in a threatening tone, daring him to say more. He probably didn't expect the boy to actually do it.

"You... You ordered me to call Suzui here... I can only imagine what you did to her!" He says. The man then turns his chair and stands up, approaching them.

"You're going on and on about things you don't have any proof of... Basically, you're simply these claims because you can't be regular on the team, right?" He says back. Was this guy serious?

"That's not what this is about...!" Mishima retorts.

"Even if it is what you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking... What can you do? We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim... How would like that make a statement?" He says, smug. "There's no chance of her getting better, I hear... Ohh, the poor girl." He adds in mock sympathy. Ulgh! This bastard! He was just pissing Ren off more and more.

"No... That can't be..." Mishima says in a hopeless tone.

"You goddamn...!" Ryuji curses while shaking in angry.

"This, again? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of "self-defense"?" The coach asked in an annoyed, and stuck up, tone.

"You shit your mouth, you son of a bitch!" Ryuji exclaims and goes to throw a punch at the man, but Ren acts quickly and grabs his hand. "Why're stopping me...?!" The blonde yells.

"Don't let him get to you, man. It's what he wants." He states.

"But still...!" Ryuji protests.

"Oh? You're stopping him? What a surprise." The bastard says. "There's no need to hold back. Why not attack me? Ohh, you can't. Haha, but of course you can't!" He then gloats.

"You're just not worth it." Ren says in response and the man freezes.

"Oh, really?" He says then turns and walks back to his desk. "Everyone present right now will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting." He announces as he sat back down. Wait, he was going to do what?!

"You can't make a decision like that...!" Mishima speaks in protest.

"Who would seriously consider what scum like you have to say? You threatened me too, Mishima, so you're just as responsible as them." The man replies and the boy is stunned. "To think you didn't know why I kept someone as talentless a you around. You act like you're a victim, but you're the one who leaked Amamiya's criminal record online, didn't you? How awful." The man continues.

"Mishima...?" Ryuji says as he and Ren to look at the boy.

"What? Mishima... you...?" Said ravenette asks, unable to form a full sentence.

"He told me to do it. I had no choice..." The boy says defeated as he sunk to his knees on the floor, with Kamoshida laughing at the whole thing.

"Now, are we finished here? You're all expelled! You're done for. Your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight." He tells them.

"I can't believe this asshole's getting away with this...!" Ryuji exclaims.

"Don't worry, he'll be eating his words soon enough." Ren tells him.

"Huh? Oh right... We have that!" The sunny blonde realizes.

"Huh? Have you lost your minds? You worthless kids aren't making any sense, but sure. Go ahead and try whatever you want. After all, you'll have plenty of time to kill until expulsion..." He says and the three boys begin to leave. Until Ren briefly stops and turns to face the vial man.

"Don't even think about go after, Sakura-san. She's been through enough, you try anything, you will regret it." He warns.

"Pfft, what's a criminal like you going to do? You're just filth I walk upon." The man brushes off.

"Just you wait, you asshole. I don't care if you do die now, you're going down." He thinks then turns and leaves the officer, more determined then ever.

AN: Yeah, that was horrifying to write. See you guys next time.