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Aiko let out a nervous sigh as she stood outside the dorm room she’d been invited to for an interview. She’d only come because she knew whose room it wasn’t.
A single ring of the doorbell later two tired sapphire blue eyes peered at her from a crack in the door, “Ah, hello Umesawa-san. Come in, come in.” The door opened all the way revealing a dorm that looked more like a dressing room than a place for the light green haired interviewer to sleep, they appeared to even be wearing one of the many costumes considering their almost anachronistic press uniform, “Take a seat wherever you’d like.”
She picked one of the more comfortable looking chairs as her interviewer wheeled over an office chair, “You can just call me Aiko.”
“Well, okay then, Aiko-san. Let's start with the obvious question: how are you feeling?” They said while pulling a notebook from their pocket and a pen from their fedora.
"I'm feeling pretty alright!" The interviewer's pen glinted under the lights as they wrote, at least that's what she thought was glinting until realizing it was her interviewer's hand catching the light. A closer look revealed both were prosthetics.
“and how are your injuries, are you healing well?” They gestured at her stomach, fully revealing their prosthetic.
She looked down at her stomach. "...I'm... healing fine, yes. It doesn't... hurt as much as it used to."
“That's good, that's good. any visitors during your hospital stay?”
"Mhm. A lot of my friends visited... It was only a few days, but Yuta was by my side the entire time... as was Chiaki."
“It's good that you have such supportive friends, what about familial visits? Are your family even aware of what happened?” A lace of concern entered into their voice.
"...my parents... don't really know, no. My uncle was away for business, and he didn't know until he got back... the school didn't want it being leaked, so we weren't allowed to say anything until the video... got leaked. Then they kinda couldn't hide it anymore, yknow?" She explained with a nervous chuckle.
They nod in understanding, “what are your plans going forward?”
"...um... like what exactly?" She asked with a tilt of confusion.
“For your schooling and general life, any plans you'd be willing to share?” They elaborated.
"...well, my plans right now are to just keep things under control... I've been getting therapy."
“Is the therapy going well?”
"...sorta. I still just... fear that..." She looked down and fiddled with her hands.
Another nod, just as understanding as the last but an underlying solemnity to it, “Do you know how any of your fellow survivors are holding up?” They seemed to stumble on the word survivor.
"...I know most of them are doing okay, but... to tell the truth, I haven't seen a lot of them as much. I don't... go to the meetings anymore."
“I'm surprised to hear they are even still holding meetings, let alone having you still attend school.” There was a certain disdain in how they said ‘school’.
"Hope's Peak is like that..." She sighed, "...they only gave us a few days to recover."
“Why not drop out?” They asked as if that was the easiest thing in the world.
"I have too many people I'm close with there..." She said, unease in her voice, "...without their support... I probably wouldn't be as comfortable as I am now."
“Would they stop being your friends if you left?”
"No, but I wouldn't see them as much. And..." She trails off, speaking softer. "...I don't want to be alone."
“That's understandable, has this incident changed your opinion on the school?”
"...even without it, I felt off about Hope's Peak. I told Yuta I was scared I'd become more snobbish because of this place." She looks away. "...but... after this..."
“Do... you have any plans after you graduate?”
"I think I'll probably move in with Chiaki... she makes a lot off streaming, enough to support the two of us."
“You two sound very close.” There was no judgment in their voice.
"Mhm!"
“If you don't mind me prying, how close?”
"...she's my girlfriend..." She blushed, smiling
“That's wonderful, I hope you two go steady.” slightly relieved look, putting one of the interview cards in their pocket.
She takes note of the card "...hm?"
“Just a question I wanted to ask that seemed inappropriate given your answer.”
"...what was it?"
“If you'd seen any cute doctors or nurses. It's supposed to break the tension a little.”
"Oh, mm... I see." She thinks for a moment, remembering one of her nurses named Hiriko, but doesn't say anything.
“Anything you'd like to say to our readers or questions you’d like to ask me” They said, closing their notebook, “Nothing after this will be recorded unless you’d like me to.”
"I guess... um, why me specifically?"
“Sent out interview requests to everyone involved but very few responded.” They explained.
"Yeah, most of them don't want to talk about it..."
“Yeah, I get it. Honestly I’m surprised you accepted.”
She looked down and thinks about someone…
The interviewer slightly tilts their head, “is there anything else you'd like to discuss.”
"...not really, no." She hesitated a moment, "...or, well... has anyone else accepted the interview? Like... um..."
“Yes we had a few others accept, mostly to yell at us. I am sadly not supposed to disclose specifics…”
She leans in closer. "...I won't tell anyone if you disclose anything to me. You can trust me."
“Tomohiko accepted the interview if that's what you are wondering.”
"...what'd he tell you?"
“Nothing I can put to print, we've seen the footage and no amount of spin can change what we saw.”
"...I figured he'd lie to you about it..." She sighs, a little shaky
“Do you need anything?”
"...I never got your name, actually... but..." She motions for a hug
They give an awkward, stiff, hug, “I'll give you my business card, if you'd like.”
She nods. "...if you want, I can... tell you what really happened."
“Certainly.” they reopen their notebook and hand over a business card that while obnoxiously difficult to parse reads Aria Rose, Ultimate Media Darling. It lists their pronouns as she/they/it.
"...thank you."
They opened to a fresh page, “Would you like me to get someone to support you during this portion of the interview?”
She sat back down. "...I think... I should be okay."
“I am ready when you are, Aiko-san.” They said with a click of their pen.
"...it was... mostly a flash at the beginning, I remember that much. I didn't think it was anything serious, just a prank... until Kotomi got shot. I- I thought she died right then and there, and... there was just a feeling of panic that filled me. I remember holding onto Asukasei... a-and then, Karen..." She takes a deep breath.
Aria wrote while nervously extending their other hand, unsure if touch would help in this moment.
"...Asukasei got separated from me. I-I tried to get back to him, but... he was there, and he panicked because of it... I grabbed the closest thing I could when he started firing... I thought he was aiming for me." However Aiko doesn’t notice their hand.
They retracted their hand and continued writing, nodding along.
"...there was a moment of calm... h-he told me things were going to be okay, and then..." She pauses, closing her eyes. A few tears had formed, and they offered a handkerchief.
When she opens her eyes, she takes it, wiping her eyes. "...y-you saw the footage. You know what happens... what happens next."
“You were stabbed, then thrown at Asukasei.” They said almost clinically, like they hadn't fully processed it themselves, while she stays silent and tries to stay calm, “Do you need anything, Aiko-san, anything at all?”
"...mhm. I do." She sighs. still shaky. "...t-the last thing I remember... after Asukasei pulled the knife out... he stopped the bleeding with his jacket. He rushed- he rushed out, and I... I think I passed out in his arms."
Their hand pauses and they close the notebook again, “What would you like me to get you?”
"...something to drink." She said tearfully, "..he is, really. I've stayed with him a lot too... he saved my life..."
Aria got up to get a drink and handed over their notebook. “Anything specific?”
"...um, maybe some juice." She takes a peek at the notebook, seeing what was written down, inside is an accurate, verbatim account of the interview. another notebook fell out of their pocket as they left to get the juice. The ears on her hoodie perk up. She walked over, picking it up. it's Tomohiko’s interview notes, most of the pages are torn and what remains is marked to hell with red ink.
‘Torn...?’ She examines the markings.
It's clearly been ripped by hand, the markings are all the interviewer complaining in the margins or crossing things out. Tomohiko is crossed out on the front and replaced with "burn later"
‘...ripped... did they rip it?’ She checks to see if any of it is legible.
The only still legible text is interviewer notes like "Does he really expect me to believe this" and "I shouldn't have interviewed the ultimate journalist" and the opening between the two, Tomohiko ridicules Aria for not being a real journalist. The only note on the page is “Tabloid Dipshit”. She gives a nervous hum, before closing the notebook. The interviewer returns and hands Aiko her drink, clearly not fussed about the notebook.
"...thank you, mm..." She looks back up. "...did you tear these up?"
“Yes, I should've just waited to burn it but I thought maybe I could use some of it before going over it in red ink. The ripped out pages are over in the bin.” They gesture towards their desk.
"...I... just wanted to make sure he didn't... do anything to you, either." She looked away, nervously. "...did he mention... anything else about me?"
The interviewer settles, shifting their body slightly "Nothing I'm willing to repeat, on both counts."
"...I know he resents me for... for what happened... I'm scared he'll..." She scooted closer to the interviewer
They wrapped an arm around Aiko protectively “I can't believe he hasn't been arrested or expelled…”
"...n-neither can I. Yuta's... Yuta's been trying to get the school to do something." A nervous energy filled the air "...but even with the footage, they're claiming self defense-"
“Bullshit!” The whir and screech of servos filled the air as they shouted and tensed up briefly before calming down, “Sorry for shouting... this situation has just been getting under my nerves.”
"...it's okay..." She sighed, leaning her head on their shoulder
“I assume this ends our interview, Aiko-san?” They asked, their tone friendly once more.
"Mhm... thank you for being so kind..."
“No problem.” They take back the notebook with Aiko's interview in it. “I've seen some outlandish explanations for the incident... but Tomohiko’s... was just offensive.”
‘What had he told her…’ "...it's okay. I just... I hope I'll be safe."
“I'll make sure of it, even if I have to dirty my... Well, I guess they aren't mine anymore.” They gave an awkward laugh and flexed their fingers, “I'll beat him up if I have to.”
She tilted her head. "Well, thank you regardless..." She gets on her tiptoes, giving the interviewer a big hug
They didn’t elaborate on their comment but do return the hug, it's a lot more personable than the last one.
"...well, I'll see you around!" Aiko grabbed her bag as she walks off
“Yes, I hope to see you around Aiko-san! Maybe I can do an interview for your blog.” They gave a stiff wave “Ah, do destroy Tomohiko’s notebook if you would. I can never remember where the incinerator is…” They offered up the torn out pages as well, “Just make sure to get this back to me.”
"I will..." She said, taking the trash can with her.
While Aiko headed back to her dorm Aria sat back down and pulled off one of their prosthetics, debating if they should do their maintenance before or after they do their write up on the interview. They decided to at least examine the arm, thankful that Aiko had braved the incinerator for them. Obviously they knew where it was but a fear of fire from the ‘accident’ ran deep.