"..." Shiyon tapped his desk, impatient. Sendo stood before him, shivering. His eyes lowered, face pale.
"...Aniki... s-say somethin'!" Sendo murmured. "I... I didn't do nothin'! You know me! I wouldn't have punched him if he wasn't—"
"Silence, Sendo-kun." Yuuno's voice came from the side, calm but firm. The Disciplinary Committee surrounded him. Gon was there too. "Aniki is thinking."
Sendo turned to him, pleading.
"BUT ANIKI, I DIDN'T DO IT—"
"SENDO." Yuuno raised his voice, silencing him. "You're not going to get special treatment. You know that, right?"
"I... I don't want to! But I didn't..."
"Sen-chun. Enough." Shiyon sighed, rubbing his temples.
"A... Aniki...?" Sendo looked at him, wide-eyed.
"Regardless of what you say Kenichi did, you still used violence. Then you threatened the other students. Then you ran off from the gym without explaining anything."
Sendo's heart pounded in his ears as he looked down.
"But... I didn't do— He lied to me—"
"I'm inclined to believe the three witnesses who were there and called for help right away," Shiyon interrupted. "They have no reason to lie. And with Kenichi's injuries... You're well-liked, Sen-chun. Why would they turn on you?"
"But Aniki!" Sendo shouted, voice cracking. His body trembled. "Dat bastard lied to me! He got me to hit him!"
SLAM.
Shiyon's fist struck the desk, splintering the wood. The sound echoed like thunder.
"He got you to hit him?"
His eyes narrowed.
"A... Aniki...?"
"Did he cast a spell on you that I don't know about?"
"He didn't! But he lied about Hina—"
"So he lied," Shiyon cut in again, letting out a breath.
A moment of silence followed.
"So what?" Shiyon asked.
"W... What...?"
"I said, so what, Sendo?"
"…"
"Yuuno... lied before. Everyone here in the Disciplinary Committee has lied at some point. Are you going to rebel against us all?"
Sendo pressed his lips together, eyes down, unable to speak.
"You lied to me once too," Shiyon continued, "Back when you hid my shinai just because you wanted to play with it. Are you going to cut yourself open over that?"
The members exchanged glances. A few chuckled quietly.
"T-That's not... the same..." Sendo muttered, shoulders tight. The room felt smaller with every gaze pinned on him.
"No, it's not," Shiyon replied calmly. "Because you act like you're above lying—when really, you only care once it's done to you."
Sendo's breath hitched. His fists clenched tight at the words, but he said nothing.
"Is this what you've become after all these years?" Shiyon asked, voice steady. "An impulsive brat who swings first and thinks later?"
He paused, then added more quietly, "Or maybe... that's all you ever were."
Sendo's breath caught. His eyes widened. He looked down again, stunned.
From the corner, Yuuno smirked with arms folded, watching everything unfold like a play he'd written.
"I see..." Shiyon exhaled and rose from his chair, picking up a shinai resting beside him.
"Without pain, people don't learn, do they?"
He approached, voice calm.
"Disciplinary Committee Rule #3," Shiyon stated. "The pain you inflict shall be returned twofold. You know this, Sen-chun."
Sendo stood frozen for a moment. Then, silently, he kneeled and bowed his head.
The room held its breath.
And waited.
[A few minutes later...]
Sendo walked in silence, limping through the halls on his way to the infirmary.
"I can't believe Sendo did something like this…" students whispered around him.
Teachers looked away as he passed, refusing to meet his eyes.
The announcement had already spread—Shiyon was reinstating the infamous and brutal Disciplinary Committee.
And now... Sendo was its first living proof.
Blood dripped from his mouth. His ears rang. His lips were split, his eyes swollen. Blue bruises bloomed across his legs and already aching body.
But no one mentioned how beaten he looked.
"To think he'd do something like that… it's so unlike Sendo-kun."
"I heard he went too far. Beat Kenichi to a pulp. One of Hina's friends said so."
"No way. Sendo-kun wouldn't just snap like that."
"Well… maybe it was a kendo thing. He's probably just intense. I doubt it was out of malice."
Sendo's lips pressed into a tight line as he heard them. They didn't know anything.
Kenichi lied. He did it.
But he'd shouted the same thing to his Aniki—the one he trusted most—and got nothing but silence and pain in return.
Words didn't help.
They didn't help with Hina, either.
There was no point anymore.
He reached the infirmary door, opened it slowly, stepped inside.
Then shut it behind him. Quietly.
----------------------------------------------
"H-Hey... Riko." Shun stepped onto the rooftop where his girlfriend waited, the sky already darkening near the end of the day.
"Shun." She nodded softly.
He had asked her to meet him here. There was something he needed to say.
"I'm glad you wanted to talk... I actually needed to say something too," she said. Her eyes caught the somber look on his face—and it mirrored what she'd felt earlier with Yuuto.
They walked over to the fence near the edge, leaned against it side by side. For a while, neither of them spoke.
"…What—"
"There's—"
They both spoke at once, pausing awkwardly.
"You first," she said with a small smile.
Shun let out a nervous chuckle. "Say... just what does being a couple even mean?"
She blinked, surprised by the question. Her breath caught for a moment.
Looking down at the rooftop tiles, she scratched her cheek.
"I..." She gave a quiet laugh. "I have no idea, to be honest."
Shun looked up at the sky. "Like... what is love, even?"
"…Baby, don't hurt me?" she teased with a smirk in excellent English.
"Pfft—" He lost it, snorting as he started to laugh. She laughed too, trying to keep it in but failing.
They kept laughing, a little too long, almost as if it helped them avoid saying what they really meant to. Neither of them wanted to break the spell just yet.
Then Shun straightened, the smile fading from his face.
"Then, I won't."
He turned to her.
"I... I felt something today," he said, his voice steady. "Toward a girl. It felt like... I was safe. Like I could just exist near her and be okay."
He looked down, then back at her.
She exhaled slowly, returning his gaze with a faint, sad smile.
This is it, she thought.
Because she had felt it too. With someone else. She just hadn't known how to name it.
That strange feeling like the world quieted when that person was near. That safety. That warmth in her chest.
'There's no point pretending anymore, right?'
'Shun doesn't deserve a girlfriend who feels something for someone else. And I'm too greedy to stay with someone who feels the same about another girl. Right?'
'Yeah… this is it—'
"I want to feel the same," Shun said suddenly. "With you."
"…W-What?" Riko blinked.
"I thought about it. A lot. After what happened today." He leaned back against the fence, his voice quieter now.
"And mostly... I kept thinking about what I told Shiyon-san earlier. That I'll stick to what I chose. But more than that—stick to what I believe in."
He looked at her.
"And I still believe in what I told you back in Chapter 6."
================ CHAPTER 6: OMEN ==============
"Remember our fallout? Not long after, I met someone. Someone different. I vented, thinking I was the sole victim, waiting for an apology," he began, pausing as he caught Riko's curious gaze. "But after our conversations, I realized something."
"I realized that I got the most incredible, beautiful girlfriend in the entire world. And I… I want to grow into a man who deserves her."
"...It dawned on me just how deeply I love this girl before me..."
"...And she, in all her pain, loves me just as much," Shun murmured.
==============================================
"I... I'm not even sure what I felt earlier today," Shun admitted, his voice soft. "But I knew one thing for sure... I hated that I didn't feel it with you."
He gently took her hands in his.
Riko's mouth parted slightly, caught off guard—something Shun didn't notice as he kept his eyes on her palms.
"It's all kind of a mess in my head. I don't know what to make of it yet. But I know this—I want to make it work."
He cleared his throat.
"You can't always control how you feel… but you can choose who you stay with. Who you build a future with. And I know that girl is you. Only you."
She bit her lip, eyes lowering, a tear escaping down her cheek as she smiled.
"I... I actually feel the same," she whispered. "Geez... it's too early for a proposal, you dummy."
"I–I'M NOT PROPOSING!" Shun flailed, then laughed nervously, glancing off to the side. "Y...yet."
"Wait... you really feel the same? You're not mad?" he asked.
"I mean… it's not exactly flattering to hear I didn't make you feel what you wanted to feel." She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, grinning playfully. "But I felt it too. With someone else today."
"…Who?" His eyes narrowed, suspicious.
"You'll laugh."
"Okay, seriously—who?"
"I'll tell you if you go first." She pressed.
"H... Hanazawa-san," he mumbled. "When I went to talk with Shiyon, she kind of… came in with me. Like a bodyguard."
Riko raised her eyebrows. "Huh. That makes sense. She's really dependable."
"Alright, now your turn," Shun said, straightening up, still unsure if he wanted to hear it.
"He..." She cleared her throat. "Helped me out. With some... trouble I had with the Disciplinary Committee. Just a misunderstanding, really..." She leaned gently against Shun.
"Who was it?!" he asked, almost pouting from impatience.
She leaned in and whispered, "Sakurai."
"NO FUCKING WAY!" Shun reeled back, mouth wide with a half-mocking, half-stunned grin.
"What can I do..." she teased, voice sweet and deliberate. "He's so big. And strong. And muscular. Almost like Shiyon-san..."
"D-Don't just quote what I told you I saw back at the resort!" Shun sputtered, cheeks burning red.
They both burst into laughter.
"But..." Shun added, more softly now, "He does have his moments, so I get it."
Behind the rooftop door, Yuuto sighed quietly—as he absolutely did not eavesdrop on them.
'Haaah... Good thing I caught that,' he thought, recalling what happened earlier that day.
—— EARLIER THAT DAY ——
Yuuto was on his way to confront Shiyon in the Disciplinary Committee's clubroom, a bag of confiscated drugs swinging from his hand.
That's when he saw Shun standing near the door—with Miyuki beside him.
Yuuto slowed his pace, watching the two. They weren't flirting. But they were comfortable. Too comfortable. He caught the calm in their expressions... and the conflict in Shun's eyes.
He recognized the look instantly.
'Yep... there it is,' Yuuto sighed. 'The "Oh no! Other people EXIST! Time to dump my girlfriend!" phase. Roughly 90% of high schoolers go through it.'
He glanced at the bag of drugs.'Eh. I can always confront that organ-harvesting bastard later. Time for some lite anti-NTR-ing.'
— AFTER SHUN LEFT THE CLUBROOM —
"T-Thanks... Miyuki."
"Sure. Call me anytime," she said with a casual smile before heading off toward her classroom.
"Anytime, huh..." Shun mumbled to himself, eyes lowering. He thought back to the strange warmth he'd felt next to her. That safety.
"I really do suck as a boyfriend."
"Hopefully Riko's clitoris," came a voice from behind.
"ZIMBABWE!" Shun jumped, stumbling to the ground.
"Ah... Sakurai," he sighed, realizing who it was.
"…Zimbabwe?" Yuuto raised a brow. "Has your brain finally melted from all the cuck porn you consume?"
"Shut up," Shun grumbled, pulling himself up. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to talk to Blondie Overlord about something," Yuuto shrugged. "But you and punk-girl were looking pretty cozy."
"That's none of your business."
"Yeah, true," Yuuto said, walking beside him. "You cheating on Riko's none of my business."
"I DIDN'T CHEAT!" Shun spun around, face flushed. "I'd never cheat on Riko! If anything happened, I'd break up—"
He froze. His words caught in his throat. His eyes widened.
Yuuto didn't say anything. Just watched.
A long pause.
Shun looked away, swallowing hard. He remembered he and Yuuto's conversation from a while back when they first became... Friends.
The one he'd echoed with Riko as they officially became a couple.
'What's the harm in telling him?'
—— A bit later... ——
"I see..." Yuuto leaned casually against the rooftop fence. "You felt safe with some other girl, and now you're thinking of breaking up with Cuckold-maker because she doesn't deserve a boyfriend who doesn't worship her. That about right?"
"You're overromanticizing it," Shun muttered. "But... yeah. I guess I thought I loved her. Maybe I was just... possessive. Maybe I'm just a bad boyfriend for—"
"Lemme stop you right there." Yuuto waved a hand.
"Time for a mental challenge-u."
"A what?"
"Answer with yes or no. Instantly. No thinking."
Shun nodded.
"If that moment with punkgirl hadn't happened today, would you still want to stay with Cuckold-maker?"
"Yes," Shun answered immediately.
"Would you prefer to feel what you felt with punkgirl... but with Riko instead?"
"Yes!"
Yuuto shrugged. "Then that's your answer."
He pushed off the fence and started walking. "A good couple talks about things. Let it be something you talk about. If people followed every tug of their heart or dick without thinking, we'd be living in a nuclear crater."
"B-But... what do I do with what I felt?"
"Tell her that too. Naturally." Yuuto looked back at him like it was obvious. "Or what? You don't trust her?"
Shun hesitated. Then nodded.
"I do. With all my heart."
"Then isn't it fine?" Yuuto sighed. "Telling her your shortcomings is part of the relationship package deal, you idiot cuck. You can't always control how you feel. But you can choose who you stay with. Who you build a future with... That's a choice."
With that, he turned and headed for the stairs, pulling the drug bag from his pocket and glancing at it.
'And now for—'
"Is that cocaine or something?" a voice echoed ahead.
Yuuto flinched, eyes lifting; expression deadpan.
Miyuki stood waiting at the landing.
He paused.
'Damn it. Didn't notice her... And while I love every chance to ruin my reputation, this could get me expelled. Can't have that. Might as well go with the truth. No good excuse for this anyway... And with the Disciplinary Committee under fire lately, she might just believe me.'
"Yeah," Yuuto said plainly. "Though it's not mine. Nabbed it from the Disciplinary Committee. Pretty sure it's not flour, so... I'd steer clear." He slipped it back into his pocket.
"Hmm… That so?" she said, leaning casually against the wall. "Fine, I'll believe you."
"Ooh? Even with your golden boy in charge?"
"...He's been off lately. Something's wrong with him," Miyuki muttered. "So yeah. I'll believe you. I don't think whatever's going on is his fault, though."
"If you say so. Thanks," Yuuto said, brushing past her.
"That aside..." she added, folding her arms, "I followed you two because I heard Shun shouting something like 'Zimbab'—whatever... Then I caught that you were talking about his girlfriend. So yeah. I eavesdropped."
"Creep," Yuuto replied, "Eavesdropping is just wrong." <---- Professional Eavesdropper.
"You took a potential boyfriend from me, Sakurai," she said, completely calm. "You owe me."
"No, I don't," he muttered, not even slowing his stride.
A quiet pause hung between them.
"…Let's go on a date," she said casually.
Yuuto stopped.
"...What?"