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Leo was done with his classes and took a bath after school, swiping away on his phone. Vlogs, boring facts, and basic jokes were the only things that appeared on his screen. “And here I thought Friday was one of the best days, too,” he muttered.
A few scrolls more and he stumbled upon a cute anime girl. “Oh, this one’s…Muu Kusunoki? She’s a bee? Let’s see.”
The video was a character analysis of the character from the Deco*27 music project Milgram. The speaker explained, “Because of her luck and beauty, people would worship her, and she naively took it. Life for her was peaceful until a transfer student, Rei, who had no idea who she was, came to her highschool. Rei simply treated Muu like a normal person. Because of that, her foreign actions caused gossip in the school, even reaching Muu, who felt uncomfortable about the new student.”
Leo paused the video. Rei’s kinda like Sho, huh?, the boy thought. Then he continued watching. After he was done, he was surprised at how relatable this fictional character was. But then again, he could surely not compare to this pathetic girl. There had to be another solution than to kill that transfer student. Like, if she was so rich, then her parents could sue for emotional distress or something. And crying? He was too tough for that.
Leo sighed and decided it was time to get out of the bathtub. Once he was completely dry and dressed, his phone started ringing. “What is it now…”
The phone was ringing, but there was no button to answer a call anywhere on it. Perhaps he needed to buy a new one.
…
A blinding, yellow light shone from the device. “Shit!” he yelled.
And that was how he got into a prison cell with a blonde-haired, barbed-wire-veiled teenager. He looked around for his artifact, only to find it was gone. Finally, he turned to the girl. She shook.
“Excuse me miss, do you know why I’m here?” he asked, smiling.
Muu’s eyes widened, and she took a few steps back. The girl’s eyes started to water. “Hey,” Leo said. “I’m not gonna hurt you. It’s just that I was suddenly transported here, and I want to go back home. I think you’ll be a great helper.” He winked.
“U-um, Muu doesn’t know you, are you new here…?”
“Hmm, I guess I could say so. But I don’t belong here at all. Ah—I almost forgot, my name is Leo.” A tear fell from one of her eyes. What a pain in the ass. And she talks in third person too.
Leo grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and a small bag of spicy candy, and gave it to her. “Here. Plus a snack. Please be happy.”
“Thank you, Leo…” Muu carefully held her veil away from her face and wiped her face. Then she grabbed a piece of candy and put it in her mouth. It was soon choked out. “This is mean!” she said, sniffling. “Candy isn’t supposed to be spicy. Get out…”
Leo frowned. “Oh dear, I swear those were sweet the last time I ate them. Maybe someone from one of the Houses has beef with me. I’m so sorry!”
The teenager put a hand to her chin. “Houses? Beef? What does that…”
“Nothing,” Leo interrupted. “Anyway, you told me to get out, but I just don’t know how. Sorry.” Muu pointed to a door behind him. He turned around. “I guess this is it? Thanks.” The boy turned the handle and pushed. A gust of wind blew before him, along with a kid wearing prison guard attire. They appeared to be around the age of 10. Maybe they were dressing up for Halloween?
“Prisoner number 11, Kurosagi Leo. Argue your sins.”
Leo blinked. “Huh!?!” he yelled. “Wh-what are you talking about!? I haven’t committed any sins!”
The surroundings changed to a dark room, and he was suddenly seated before a table and against the girl he was talking to. Yet as much as he wanted to get up, it was as if he was chained without a single object binding him. He looked up at the prison guard observing them closely, and forced himself to cry. “I really don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this. Whatever you’re making me do, please…I’m innocent.”
“Hah,” the kid scoffed, and grinned. “If you’re really innocent, why are you here in this prison, huh?” Real arrogant smarty-pants over here.
“It must have been a mistake. Maybe I…was framed. I don’t know.” He wiped his face.
“We have a prisoner just like you too,” the guard replied. “He turned out to be a murderer who didn’t remember killing people. But your story is different.” Leo rose an eyebrow. “I have theorized that the two of you are similar, and thus this prison, Milgram, chose you, Kurosagi—“
“Just call me Leo!” the boy exclaimed. The warden narrowed their eyes.
They sighed. “Leo it is, then. As I was saying, you were probably chosen to educate the girl here. And as far as the information I’ve received about you, you don’t really have a ‘crime’ like all the other prisoners do. Rather, I believe you were chosen for your complex character.” The kid turned around, and seemingly talked to an invisible anomaly.
Leo decided to check on Muu while they were conspiring. “Muu, I hope we get out of this soon. I want to be friends with a girl as beautiful as you.” She just nodded and hung her head low, teardrops falling from her face every few seconds.
“Really…,” she whispered. The next words she spoke were faint, but Leo could still use his stigma—somehow in his mind—to hear her. “I don’t need education.”
After a moment, the warden returned to facing the two of you. “I am Es,” and they snapped their fingers.
Suddenly, a downpour of memories rained on Leo’s brain. Memories of being bullied, being praised, being friends with a blue-haired boy…Happy moments, sad moments…All absorbed in a second and all penetrated his heart. As if he remembered a previous life. He screamed. In the aftertaste, his head throbbed and ached relentlessly. Sweat accumulated quick on his forehead. And the girl? Didn’t look so well either. She writhed in her chair and sobbed greatly enough to start a puddle. Then she sat with her legs reaching up to her chest, and put her arms around them. That was a position he never forgot despite trying to distract himself with his new life of luxury. Just what was this experience? A nightmare? A powerful anomaly?
“Stop.” It all stopped as if that never happened. Leo and Muu were sitting normally. Nobody was crying or screaming in pain. But he still had the memories. “Now that you’ve learned about each other, you must explore your similarities and differences, and learn from the other,” Es stated. “To remove unnecessary fear, I will not be monitoring you two anymore. I will leave the room.” They walked away before anyone could say a word. The sound of a door being shut rang across the room.
Leo recalled Es’ words. Seriously, explore your differences? Learn from the other? How cheesy. And an invasion of privacy! Is this a movie set? The director could’ve been a bit nicer if they really wanted him to star. Anyway, he used Haxs to potentially hear anyone else and know what was going on. But there was nothing there. If that Honor Roll girl was here, then maybe he could’ve done something. Opening his eyes, he focused his gaze on the person sitting across from him. “If what Es said was true, then…,” Leo paused for a bit. “I guess I don’t have to hide around you.”
“This is terrible…terrible…” Muu mumbled. Terrible, terrible, terrible…
“Hey!” Muu shrieked. “That kid told us to do what he said, so do it. Or what, do you actually like being bored? You like sulking in sadness?”
“M-Muu don’t like those at all! You’re so rude to Muu. Muu doesn’t want to talk to Leo.”
“Holy snowflake. Actually, I think I get why you’re in prison in the first place. Imagine killing someone just because they treated you like a normal person.” The girl shrunk in her chair.
“You don’t get it, it wasn’t Muu’s fault!,” she yelled. “All of those people became so mean because of that girl. If it weren’t for her—“
“Keep yapping about how it’s not your fault, I get it. But if you keep thinking like this, you’ll just be the same poor girl you were in the past. Because of course it wasn’t your fault. That’s why you need to get over that shit.” Muu sobbed as he lectured her. “The world doesn’t revolve around you, dumbass.” Leo knew that more than most. For a few minutes, the two sat in silence—one bored, the other crying. And then the crying one spoke up.
“You grew up poor, so you don’t understand…You’re jealous, aren’t you?” Leo declined. “It’s okay. You can say it.”
“I’m not jealous. In fact, I’m the complete opposite. Living a rich life like yours will just turn you into a brat.” Leo crossed his arms and looked around for an exit. “Stop fucking crying so we can get this over with. What do you have to say about me, anyway?”
“…Apologize.“ Excuse her!? “Apologize to Muu! Say sorry! Say sorry! You’re a monster!” Apologize and say sorry repeated over and over. The sound was getting annoying.
“Tch. Fine, I’m sorry that you’re so unfortunate.” That part was true, at least. If Leo lived like this girl, would he still be the same person like now? Maybe they weren’t so different as he thought, even though they seemed like polar opposites.
Hands slammed the table. “Say it properly. Don’t mock Muu.”
“Ugh…Alright, alright.” Leo frowned and spoke sadly, “I’m sorry for being mean.” They were getting nowhere with the girl’s insufferable personality.
She briefly held a hand to her chin in thought. Then she lifted her veil to wipe her tears. “Muu…accepts your apology. We can talk about you now.” Finally. “Um, Muu feels bad for you. But you’re also really mean for no reason. Why are you rude to your friends? No—they shouldn’t even be your friends because you’re so mean to them! But they still keep being friends with you anyway, so why…?”
Leo turned away and scowled. “Because they’re not as innocent as they think. You’re not even that innocent, so shut up about things you don’t understand.”
Muu stuttered. “M-Muu’s sorry, she’s sorry…”
“Yeah, yeah. Keep saying sorries that won’t reach anyone. Plus, I’m more of a good guy than you, wouldn’t you think? I’m more popular and I wasn’t ‘cannibalized’ like you were. I even took down some criminals, too. I think my apologies would really be accepted for my character.”
“Stop it…!” The table was slammed once again. Hiccups and cries slowly returned. “You don’t have to be mean all the time just because everyone else is mean, you know!?” Leo faced her with widely opened eyes. For a long moment, he gazed at the girl’s face. And finally, he replied.
“But that’s how the world is!” he countered, standing up and putting his hands on the table. “Your parents, too, didn’t they exploit millions of people to make a profit!?” He removed his hands. “You fucks can’t be trusted…,” and he sat back down.
“Muu’s parents would never do such a thing, M-Muu’s sure of it.” Muu’s body started shaking familiarly. Fidgeting. Shivering. Like the small boy Leo was in the past.
He laughed, trying to hide the lick of pain he felt in her eyes. He could hide it. He could keep it a secret. “Then how come you never ran to your parents when you were so depressed and lonely? Did they abandon you?”
“Th-that’s none of your business. They were in another country—“
“Bullshit!” the grey-haired one announced, as if he was a judge pressing the X button in a talent show. “You could have called them at any time, so why didn’t you?” He paused, drumming to make a dramatic scene. “Bingo! They were bad people, and that’s it.”Muu was shaking. A lot. Well, the brat got what she needed, eh? He was getting tired of being here.
“Leo…Muu…you’re not that good at all!” The table collapsed into three pieces. Multiple splinters flew outward. She stood up straight. “We’re similar, aren’t we? Popular and stolen from everybody. That’s why you were chosen. You think you’ve got it all right, huh!? But Muu understands how you feel too!” Instead of completely breaking down, Muu retaliated with empathy. Leo smiled, just a bit. “It wasn’t your fault, right!? Muu wants to leave now!” Her screams echoed.
“…I guess so.” His face became grim.
Immediately, a beam of light shined behind them, and the prison guard arrived through like a savior. Muu gasped. “Milgram has determined the investigation is over. Leo, please come this way.”
Leo gaped at his sudden appearance. “Oh…Coming,” he murmured. He followed Es to the exit.
“Once you go through, you’ll forget all memory that this ever happened and wake up.” Their calm words shook Leo so violently.
“Not before I get you first—“ The boy punched Es, but a strong force stopped him. What a shame. He could’ve gotten an award for capturing an anomaly.
“Get out of here. Now,” declared the prison guard.
“Alright, alright. Jeez…” Leo scratched the back of his head. He looked back at Es and Muu one more time. “Thanks.”
“Sorry,” said the girl.
…
Leo found himself on the floor of his bedroom. “Fuck was I doing before? Is it 8:00 already?”