Chapter Text
Today was supposed to be a calm and relaxing day back at school. The sun shone brightly, the birds singing away– but that dumb skank just had to get into trouble.
Apparently, there was some random girl who somehow knew that Momo shrunk in size and was trying to stab them or get them to “yield”, or something like that. The only distinguishable feature mentioned by Momo was the student’s long black hair which covered most if not all of their face.
After a quick discussion with the “History and Culture Research Club” (which is still stupid and should be changed), they all decided to split up to get a better chance of finding them. And so the cute to the max leader, Aira Shiratori, ran through the entire school trying to find this damn bitch that wanted to cut up that skank Momo and get some answers. Thankfully there weren't any teachers standing by the hallway trying to slow her down and just giving her the perfect chance to explore. No matter where she went there wasn’t anyone who matched the description she was given to look out for.
“Well there’s only one place that hasn’t been checked out yet…”
She said aloud to herself while checking her phone for any news on the perp but still nothing. With a groan, she walked into a classroom, Class E, for one last attempt at finding them today given they still have to worry about other classes ongoing. Momo was attacked back in the third period so this class was busy having their classes and to their knowledge, there wasn’t anyone absent for the period. Great, just her luck.
“Tsk. Still nothing, this is literally the only class that could have someone like that.”
With another groan, she surveyed the class one last time before noticing someone walking into the class with extremely long hair-
“I… I think I’m in the wrong!”
The feminine voice said before very quickly shuffling out of the class and going into a full-on sprint to get away from the other. Aira couldn’t even get a word out before the other started to shuffle and then run away, you didn’t need to be a rocket scientist or massive nerd to figure out this lady was the perp if she wanted to just run away from confrontation instantly.
“Get back here you!” She shouted as she dashed out of the classroom with the other students within the class merely turning their heads towards her instead of the other student who was making a break for it first.
“Quit running and start talking!”
The two girls started to make a mad dash through the long halls of the school with no naysayers there to stop them from making mad dashes through the halls like Takakura had to deal with. If only she had the speed of Takakura to get this over with in a flash.
“I don’t think I need to talk!”
The foe cried out while panting heavily between each word. It was clear from both their build and the way they were speaking while running that they weren’t very athletic but it didn’t mean they weren’t going to get instantly caught by the class D student. They were actually able to keep a steady distance away from her causing her to pick up her pace very easily. Who knew that fighting yokai and aliens would actually help make someone more athletic than they previously were?
“Well if you didn’t NEED to then you wouldn’t be running away from me! Would you?!”
“ YOU DON’T KNOW TH-”
Their complaint was rather quickly cut short as they hit a random loose tile on the ground which caused them to fall face-first onto the school flooring and slide ever so slightly against the ground.
Well.
So there is actually a reason for teachers to be telling them not to run in the halls, huh?
Regardless of how much that trip had to have hurt the other, it was just the perfect opportunity for Aira! She can easily catch this quick perp now! She’ll have to send a text to the group, outside of that dumbass skank who lost her phone, about finding the person responsible for this mess.
She could even be wrong about how they were the one responsible for it all but she can’t be! They were the one who started running first so they have to be guilty, as judged by the greatest and cutest leader. With a breath of relief, she walked over to the student on the ground and grabbed them by their left arm to quickly lift them off of the ground. With how quickly she lifted the stab-happy student, their hair had jumped up with them and dropped even quicker to cover their entire face which made it so that she still couldn’t get a proper look at her.
For some reason, the voice almost sounded familiar to her but not quite, like something was there that she could think back on but the rest was foreign.
“You have a lot of explaining to do.”
Her grip on their arm was getting slightly stronger in order to make sure the other didn’t try to get away again instead of just answering her.
“I-I ha-have nothing to tell you!”
A slightly pained voice from the other as they kept playing the role of someone who had nothing to do with anything.
“Really now?! Well, a friend of mine had told me you were trying to stab them with some weird knife!! So I think you have got a lot of explaining to do for me!”
Honestly, they should be thanking her for not trying to just beat the information out of her for even threatening her friend! However, without any idea of if she has some kind of yokai or alien it wouldn’t be the smartest move. While she was trying to speak to the other however she noticed that the other girl kept struggling to get away but mainly just looked away from the other as if to try and get her to lose interest in them. To view them smaller than they were and just let them get away…
“Hey! Look at me while I’m talking to you! The quicker you try to explain yourself the quicker and easier things will end up being for the both of us!”
The dark-haired girl used her other arm to try and pull Aira away from them but they weren’t exactly physically the strongest so it was just them straining themself some more.
“N-no way! I’m not going to look you in the eyes! No! You’re going to try and use some sort of hypnotism trick on me, aren’t you?!”
Huh?
“No way! I can’t do something crazy like that!”
Thinking that she could do something like that was insanity. It sounded like something she would have said against Momo back when she hadn’t met Acro Silky and thought that Momo and Takakura were demons.
As Aira was about to continue speaking to the others she could hear whispers around her which caused her to look around the hall and notice a few other students taking notice of the ordeal while heading to classes.
Her popularity just keeps tanking while dealing with that fugly dumbass skank’s problems, it is so unfair. So she, reluctantly, just went to help lift the other some more and put on a fake smile while acting like she was helping another student up cause they tripped on their own accord.
“You must have hit your head hard huh? But I’m here to help!”
She’d turn away slightly to see the other students no longer caring about the problem and just going about the rest of their day. They were… incredibly quick to accept that lie. Like they wanted to so they could just ignore anything involving this girl.
“Listen, we’re going to go into a classroom and keep talking, I won't do anything bad if you chill out. Got it?”
“W-well, I’m not going anywhere wi–”
The other quickly turned to face the other which let them get a better view of the pink-haired schoolmate, her eyes widening in response as her jaw dropped from the sight. She knew her. She had REMEMBERED her.
“Aira… Shiratori?”
For Aira, this new “threat” was starting to get on her nerves with just how unwilling they were to just come along with her. Is this actually what Momo and Takakura have to constantly deal with whenever they don’t call for her assistance? Regardless of what she had thought though she was caught incredibly off guard by the other referring to her on a first-name basis instead of her family name. They did end up saying it very quickly after speaking her given name but it was still a shock.
With the other turning their face quickly it gave her a better view of the other’s face as well. Their long black hair parted and no longer obscured the majority of her face but instead now rested by the side of their head. It made some sense now her voice and her face. There wasn’t a doubt in her head right now, she knew that they were Yukishiro–
“Kouki…?”
Back when she was a child, which feels like it was so long ago now, she was put on to playing the piano by her family and while she did have fun it wasn’t exactly her dream to become a pianist. It wasn’t her dream…
“You… you were in that piano thing… years ago. You wanted to be friends then…”
Kouki’s voice was trembling.
The arm she was using to try and push Aira away no longer had any strength left in it as it simply dropped to her sides.
“Yeah I did. I wanted to be your friend cause you won…”
Aira looked away as she spoke despite asking the other to look her in the eye not that long ago. The grip she had on Kouki’s arm was loosened greatly which let the other’s other arm also drop to their side. She was still just taken aback by seeing Kouki once again.
It had been a long time since they had actually seen each other and so her memory of the whole meeting wasn’t exactly the greatest but she knew what kind of person she used to be. She only cared about herself and her popularity while also having no qualms with spreading vicious and nasty rumors. This was all before getting hit by the harsh reality of being hit right in the head by a washbasin cause of Momo.
So back then as a little girl she couldn’t have done too much but she did enough. More than enough and nothing good.
Losing to Kouki wasn’t something she was just going to take back then and especially as a child so she may or may not have spread a small rumor and then had her friends back then bully the other but it wasn’t like she wanted anything truly bad to happen.
“I…”
Why can't she say anything? The words aren't coming out of her mouth. Why? Why can't she just—.
“You should have won.”
Kouki said with a twinge of pain in her voice as instead of having a slight stutter with her words as if just saying them was an attempt to drive a stake deep into her soul.
“I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t deserve that win.”
She dropped her head downwards and stared back at the tile she just tripped over and slowly began to walk away without any of the haste she once had. Instead of trying to escape from Aira she just wanted to put more distance between the two of them as if to try and fortify some kind of castle they had built up. A castle to block off anyone from her.
“N-no Kouki!”
Aira took a step and reached her hand out to her but stopped and grabbed her arm to pull it back down.
“You were the better player! YOU deserved that win! You deserved it… way more than I ever could have wished then.”
She was scum back then.
Wanting to be friends with her just so she could try and ruin them in a way she had found possible? The two of them, Kouki and Aira, were close enough to call each other by a first name basis without it feeling– wrong. It just felt right, for Aira at least.
“I’m… I’m not–”
“You are!”
Another step towards the long haired girl.
“You were then and you still…”
Wait wait wait.
She is getting wildly off topic with Kouki. She wanted to ask about the whole situation with Momo and was instead spiraling down to face the past instead of trying to solve the current problems then going to tackle the past.
“We still have to talk about Momo! Why did you try and attack her?!”
Once she takes care of this issue she can try and make up for whatever happened in Kouki’s past.
“Gah– I… I… I just can’t tell you!”
“Why can’t you tell me?!”
Hesitantly she reached out to the trembling girl and with a lighter grip than before grab onto her arms and do her best to make it so she’d need to look straight ahead. Right at Aira and locking eyes with each other.
“Why… why can’t you tell me?”
Kouki trembled even more than before as she could feel the walls she was trying to build back up break. Breaking slowly but surely.
“I-I can’t! I just can’t! I can’t tell you!”
“But why can’t you—?!”
The image of the two girls hanging out together as kids flashed through her mind which felt like a dagger which was piercing right through Aira’s heart. What happened…
“I’m sorry Kouki! I’m sorry.”
She must’ve caused her a lot of stress back then but they were just kids. She had sparked a lie which quickly kept growing in size and her “actual” friends went to do some childish bullying but why. Why did it turn out like THIS for her?
“I really am sorry, okay?! So please, please just tell me! Why? Why are you doing this Kouki…”
Aira still did her best to keep constant eye contact with the other but felt tears forming in her eyes and her voice becoming strained.
The bells of the school rang loudly as periods were wrapping up and students would soon be flooding the hallways so they could head to their next period classes. Even with the bells ringing loudly within her ears the student of class D never took her hands off of the student from class E and never looked away. Her eyes only set on her.
“I…”
Silence for a second as Kouki decided to let down her walls. To try and let Aira back in as she could see the genuine and raw emotion that was building up from her.
“I can’t explain here… it would be too loud.”
A heavy sigh of relief escaped Aira’s lips as she stopped holding onto Kouki’s arms and nodded her head.
“Okay.”
Lifting up her left arm to use the sleeve of her uniform to try and wipe some of the tears from her face and bring her right arm back. The palm of her hand faced up to the sky and invited the other girl to take it so she could be led to somewhere with less noise and potential eavesdroppers.
With a nod, albeit one with much more hesitation, of her head as well, Kouki took hold of Aira’s hand and the two started to make their way to a classroom that didn’t have any classes for the upcoming period. Perfect timing on their end as once they started to walk they both could hear the many steps of schoolmates and their overly loud conversation.
The sudden sound of these students made Kouki constantly look about to try and make sure no one was following them and or see the two of them together which was the more likely of the two.
She was like a cat with how alert she was and of course with how scared she was of everything around her.
“This class doesn’t have anything going on now, come on.”
Aira told Kouki as she let go of her hand and let her enter the classroom first given how anxious she was. Even while walking into the classroom she was a trembling mess so she was just hoping it would calm her even a little. Once she entered the classroom Aira just followed suit and closed the door behind them and left the lights off. The classroom only having a light source thanks to the windows on the wall letting the sun in.
Aira sat down at a desk while Kouki continued to stand and fidget with her uniform trying to find her own words and what to actually say.
“I can’t tell you… I’m not supposed to… but—”
As she spoke she looked back to the pink haired girl with her own face being partially hidden by her long dark hair once again but the other simply nodded her head to let them know she was going to listen to whatever she was going to say. She wouldn’t reject her and she won’t tell a soul.
“I just… I just wanted to be noticed.”
To be noticed? She was a prodigy when it came to playing the piano when she was a kid, winning multiple contests and always getting the first place prize. She lost to some of her nerves and or lost interest in the piano and so it all comes crashing down for her? Not a soul caring about her anymore. What the hell is that for?
Simply being “forgotten” by the masses and unwanted by them all, even her own family. No one was there to protect her. To make her even happier than she could even handle so instead she was left to freeze away and be ignored, left in solidarity.
“I wanted to be loved like before… So I- I took photos of myself. I took photos of myself and posted them online so they could fuss over me again. So I could be seen. But… someone, someone saying they knew my family, found the photos and threatened to tell them unless I do something for them.”
Of course the little favor that they wanted out of Kouki was to try and attack Momo and probably the rest of the club. Attack and or make them all “yield” to the two of them.
Kouki…
She got her wish though. She was "noticed" but only so she could be used. To continue to be used and abused by someone until she isn't needed anymore and tossed away once she completes whatever job this creep wants from her.
“I’m… I’m sorry Aira…”
Aira wishes, she wishes that she could have been there. Although what good could she have done back then? Back when she wasn't being true to herself and only cared for some shallow "popularity" that she was building up. Like some kind of sanctuary for herself.
But…
But she— Kouki didn’t didn't have any of that and just had to take it on head first. While everyone was against her, no one to “protect” her then. Aira’s hands curled into themselves as she gritted her teeth a little as she took everything the other said in.
“Bastard. That bastard…”
She slammed her hands onto the desk she sat at and jolted up out of the seat.
“When I figure out who that bastard is, I’m going to kick his ass into a pulp!”
An inaudible gasp came from Kouki’s lips as she messed with the cuffs of her uniform’s sleeves. She was about to say a word but was cut off by the other girl continuing to speak after the minor pause and with her taking a few steps closer to her.
“You aren't getting out of this one too though! Kouki, you better apologize to Momo when I'm done kicking that loser's ass!”
“Aira, you—”
Words being cut off by tears running down her face, her hair becoming even more of a mess than before as she tried to shake away the tears. Trembling hands came to grab one of Aira’s as more of her tears began to spill onto the ground.
“Why… you… why for someone. For someone as useless as me… why are you doing this?!”
“Quit saying that!”
Aira’s snap at her as she didn’t want to hear anymore of it. Anymore of her trying to push herself down and block away everyone just cause she is “useless”. It’s a fault of hers for being much better at “tough love” rather than being truly “empathic”.
But outside of what she thought…
She could feel it, feel the other girl’s trembling hands squeezing her hand tightly. They are cold. The warmth of her steady hand meeting with their trembling and cold hands.
“You aren't useless. I…”
A deep sigh as she steadied her resolve, a resolve to try and help.
“I've done some stuff I'm really… not proud of looking back on. So I want to pay you back for any problems I might have caused.”
As she calmly spoke she would use her free hand to try and move some of the hair that was blocking her face and reveal her pale face. Her dark, sleep deprived, teary eyes.
“I want to be friends again—”
“No, I want to be proper friends with you. I want to help.”
Kouki had let go of Aira’s hand and broke down into even more of a sobbing mess and went to hug her which caused the other girl to stumble back a little and catch herself before crashing into the desks.
“I…! I want to be friends too! I want to be friends with you!”
Her tears rolling down her sleep deprived and stressed face and falling down and getting caught by her new friend’s uniform while she hugged the other. Aira’s hands up in the air after catching herself with the desk to prevent falling as she wasn’t sure if she should hug the other back.
“I’m glad you still do.”
“I…I’ll apologize…I’m…ill…nnm…”
As she tried to tell her that she would apologize to Momo she kept clinging onto the other and her cries made her words muffled.
Aira patted the other’s back as she was clearly not the best at any of this. Especially when it comes to how she really feels, first with Okarun and now Kouki.
“Okay okay, we should try and wipe your face first before that. Apologizing and trying to explain the reason for attacking her, we can just say you were forced to and nothing else.”
“Ok…I will…I’m sorry…”
Kouki stopped hugging the other and slowly stood up and held onto her shoulders for support.
“You know y-you should leave a few minutes before me. That way… the other students won’t associate you with me and leave you alone…”
Aira raised an eyebrow in response to the suggestion.
“Hah—? My popularity is already down the drain because of me hanging around that sk- Momo.”
As she said that she found herself questioning why she stopped herself from insulting Momo like she typically does. She wanted to keep up appearances with Kouki but she isn’t sure the exact reason why she wanted to.
“If you want me to, sure then.”
“Well it doesn’t matter how much down the drain it is, people will just ignore you if you’re seen with me.”
“You aren’t actually supposed to agree with me there you know?”
She groaned given the accidental jab sent her way and grabbed the others hands and moved them away though she held onto those hands for longer than she needed to before moving them away.
“I guess I will head out first then.”
She fixes her posture while standing back up before heading towards the door. Kouki nodded at the other girl before squatting down and letting her head hang down.
Aira turned back to see the other get into that stance and wanted to say something but she felt a lump in her throat whenever she tried to say something until she could finally get something out.
“See you later then… Make sure to say sorry and not go attack Momo again, if you can even find her again.”
“M’kay…”
Kouki quickly and quietly responded but remained unmoving.
Hesitantly Airatook hold of the doorknob, taking one last look at Kouki, before walking out of the classroom like she was requested to do. However when she left the classroom she wouldn’t shut the door behind her or even close it but instead leave it slightly opened so more light entered the room even after she left.
As Aira walked off she was thinking a lot about how to help Kouki but also just... her. Thinking about her. Thinking about Kouki's face before she left the classroom. Thinking about her hands. She wasn't understanding it at all.
Back in the classroom however, Kouki remained still.
From the shadows of the classroom a little creature would appear before many more appeared with long pointed hats and masks to mimic a screaming face, their appearance was somewhat akin to what many could call “gnomes”, scrambling about and surrounding the young girl.
The enormous swarm piling up on the girl without much weight being pushed down on her as she just stared out to the slightly opened door that Aira had left from.