↳ CHAPTER SIX :

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TUESDAY, 12 APRIL |EVENING

"WELL, IT ALL STARTED WHEN I WAS STILL A MEMBER OF THE NEWSPAPER CLUB..." Kaori began.

Kaori walked along the halls of Shujin Academy with a genuine smile on her face. She was approaching two girls, who sat on a bench next to some vending machines, one with light brown hair and the other with orange hair.

"Believe it or not, back then I wasn't a complete loner."

Kaori waved at the two girls, and threw her bag on the floor before joining them on the bench. They began talking and laughing and sharing sweets.

"I had two best friends, Riko and Nozomi, you might have noticed one of them in class. Important is that, as it happens Nozomi was part of the Volleyball team."

The girls were all laughing, when suddenly Kaori noticed something on Nozomi's arm.

"Hey, what's that ?" She asked reaching out for her arm to take a closer look.

Nozomi quickly pulled her arm away and pulled down the sleeves of the cardigan she was wearing, covering her arms completely, "What are you talking about?"

Kaori narrowed her eyes, "Don't lie to me Nozomi, I know bruises when I see them."

The red haired girl let out a sigh and pulled up her sleeves and showed her two friends the many bruises on her arm.

Riko gasped at the sight of them, "What?! Where do these come from? Where did you get these, Nozomi?"

Nozomi pulled down her sleeves again, "Don't worry about it. It's just from training."

Kaori shook her head, "Normal training would never do that."

"Well, it does. So, don't worry about it," Nozomi snapped at her brunette friend. She then sighed upon realising what she just did, "Look Guys, it's just been rough these past few weeks, okay? Don't worry to much about it. I have to get going now anyway, I don't want to be late. See ya."

Nozomi quickly picked up her bag from next to her on the floor and waved the two remaining girls goodbye, who had rather melancholy looks on their faces.

The two stared at their leaving friend as Kaori spoke, "Do you believe her?"

"Nope."

"Not believing my friend, I payed closer attention to the students of the volleyball team the coming days. And I quickly took noticed that most of them, if not all of them, had a lot of bruises and injuries, -and not just injuries that would come from usual training."

Kaori was walking down the hallway again, trying to get to her club meeting with Riko. On their way they passed a few guys from the volleyball team.

Riko was absentmindedly talking about their homework, while Kaori watched the guys carefully, noticing some bruises on their legs and arms.

She squinted her eyes suspiciously.

"So, I started digging. I asked a few of my classmates and after some trial and error, some of them actually told me the truth that Kamoshida was abusing them."

Montage of Kaori talking to various kids around the school, with various results.
Sometimes she nodded along, writing everything down in a little notebook. Other times she would just look disappointed and let out a sigh.

"I know what it's like being hit, so I had to do something to help them." Ren, who listened intently to Kaori's story, looked at her in surprise as she said that. But she didn't explain on it further, so he just made a mental note to maybe ask her about it sometime later.

"So, instead of keeping it to myself like many suggested, I used some time in club meetings to write an article about it. An article that was supposed to expose Kamoshida and his freaky ways."

Kaori sat in front of a laptop, typing away determinedly. Riko sat next to her eating some snacks.

"I know that you want 'vengeance' for Nozomi, but do you really think this is good idea? You could get into a lot of trouble for this," Riko said watching her friend. Kaori just ignored her and continued writing.

Suddenly the door to the room opened and all the members turned around to see who it was.

It was the student council president, Makoto with her usual neutral face.

The club president stood up and walked up to her, "Niijima-san, what's the matter?"

"It's about Watanabe-san, the principal wanted to see her in his office."

Everyone turned towards Kaori, who's face has just gotten a hundred shades paler.

Present Kaori sighed, "Unfortunately, before I could even publish it someone snitched on me and I was called to the principal."

Kaori sat quietly in front of the principal, Kamoshida stood next to him.

"There him and Kamoshida gave me a choice, to not publish the expose and life a happy life or publish it and get expelled immediately."

"You can't do that! This-This is blackmailing!" Kaori yelled outraged at the two men in front of her, after they explained their 'offer' to her, "Everyone has the right to know about this! No one should ever treat anyone like this, especially a teacher!"

"Miss Watanabe, Mister Kamoshida has done many things to help the school's reputation. You wouldn't want to ruin that hard work now? So, you either stop this immediately or you get expelled from this school, are we clear?" The principal said, slightly raising his voice.

Kaori shrunk in her seat, weighing her options. She sighed, "Okay, I'll stop digging and writing and I promise that this article will never see the light of day."

"I reluctantly agreed not to publish it, because I was afraid. I didn't want to be expelled from school, but that night while I was laying in my bed I just couldn't help but get that thought out of my head."

After the events that day, Kaori laid wide awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling, this time not just because of her mother in the next room, but thinking her current situation over.

She had a weird feeling in her stomach, something just didn't feel right. Did she make the right choice to take the deal? All these fellow students who have to keep suffering with no end of it in sight, this wasn't right. Something had to be done.

"So, in the end I publish it anyways on my private blog."

Kaori rapidly got up from her bed and walked over to her desk with her laptop on it. She then searched the text file and uploaded onto her blog site with a triumphant smile.

"Unfortunately, it got noticed rather quickly by the wrong people and I was called into the principals office again -this time with my excuse of a mother."

Both Kaori and her mother sat in the office this time. The teen look down on to her lap, while she fidgeted with her fingers. Her mother however looked beyond annoyed.

"Misses Watanabe, your daughter has done something that could ruin the school's reputation forever. Her actions have to be punished with expulsion."

"But isn't there anything else she could do to make up for it?" Her mother asked in her sickly fake-sweet voice, while batting her eyes.

Kaori rolled her eyes in disgust whenever her mother did that. It was just tactic to make people do whatever she wants. Besides that she'd rather be expelled than do anything else that jerk of a principal or Kamoshida would want.

The principal fiddled around with his tight collar, starring at the exposed cleavage of Kaori's mother. While she stared the poor man down.

"Uh, well I suppose if she'd take down her article and state that everything she said was made up, an exclusion from the newspaper club and we could settle for merely a week suspension."

"Not to mention, maybe helping out with the volleyball team for a month," Kamoshida added with a smirk.

Kaori merely glanced at her mother, opening her mouth about to say something in protest, but she was too slow.

"Of course, my daughter would gladly take the deal."

"Looking back at it now I was glade she was there for once, without her I probably would have been expelled, instead of just suspended for a week But back then I was furious with her. I didn't want to leave the newspaper club, and I absolutely didn't want to tell the entire school that I was just making that shit up."

"Mom! What the hell was that?!" Kaori yelled after they left the office.

They stood in the hallway, getting weird looks from students and teachers who passed them.

Her mother scoffed, "I only was trying to save your sorry ass! Because you messed up again. Honestly why I even helped you is a complete mystery to me. I had a very important meeting today."

Kaori rolled her eyes and scoffed, "I didn't need your help, I would have gladly taken the expulsion over this shit. That man abuses children!"

"-And it's none of your or mine business. So, let's get home." She grabbed Kaori's wrist and tried to pull her along, but the petite brunette pulled away from her mother's tight grip, leaving a red mark there.

"No, I'll take the subway," she said darkly, having no desire to talk to her mother anymore.

"Kaori-"
"I'll take the subway," Kaori said, this time with a firmer tone, balling her hands into fists.

Her mother sighed and dropped her hands in frustration, "Fine, have it your way then, but don't think about running off to god knows where again. You're grounded."

Her mother left in a hurry and Kaori looked after her with resentment, thinking about how her mother could possibly start caring about her now, when all these years she ever only cared about money and her job.

In situations like this Kaori can't really blame her father for leaving them, but she can blame him for not taking her with him.

"In the end I did as my mother and the principal wanted, I publish a statement, I took down the original article and was suspended for a week," Kaori looked down and started fiddling with the sleeves of her jacket.

"The week passed rather quickly and before I knew it I was back in school.
I already knew that everything was going to be different, I saw it the moment I stepped on to the subway. Everyone glared at me, and looked at me with resentment and disgust, talking about me behind my back."

Kaori was once again walking down the hallway. She was alone, she felt like everyone was staring at her and judging her.

She shifted slightly under their stares, but tried to walk it off, making it seem it didn't bother her.

"I takes years to build a good reputation but only seconds to destroy it. Everybody now saw me as that one lying bitch, who just makes stuff up to get attention. And those who did know I was speaking the truth, stayed silent out of fear. No one would talk to me anymore."

Kaori approached Riko and Nozomi as previously, hoping that at least they would be civil with her.

But as she came closer to the two she noticed Riko's angry look and Nozomi staring uncomfortably at the floor.

Kaori sighed, "Guys-", she began trying to apologise and explain everything.

But Riko cut her off, "Don't say one word. How could you do that? Do you know how much trouble you gave Nozomi and I? How could you lie about something like that?" She was almost yelling, obviously feeling betrayed by her best friend, "I know you were trying to help the volleyball team, but by lying? Kaori, are you out of your mind?!"

Kaori sighed, "Look, I wasn't lying. If you'd just let me explain-"

Riko scoffed, "It sure looked like it,"

"Riko, if you'd just hear me out-"
"No, we are done talking to you. Isn't that right, Nozomi?"

The red haired girl nodded, pulling at the sleeves of her black cardigan. She gave Kaori one last apologetic glance, before following Riko.

Kaori watched them sadly. She knew that Nozomi knew that she wasn't lying. She was just too scared to speak up. As for Riko, she doesn't know what to think of her. One thing she does know for certain now is that she lost both of her best and only friends.

Kaori sighed one last time and ran a hand through her hair, that was falling in front of her face.

"My only friends hated me, I got thrown out of the newspaper club. I was all alone now, so I retreated myself and became quieter, not that I was a talkative person to begin with, but from this day onward I started living with the consequences of my actions."

Kaori looked up from her sleeves and looked at Ren. "And that is my story."

Ren was a bit taken a back, still trying to process everything she just told him. It was a lot, but he couldn't help but feel like she was still keeping something to herself.

He looked back at her, he doesn't know what to say. What happened to her sucks, she definitely didn't deserve it.

All of the sudden Kaori started to giggle, and as if reading his thoughts she said, "It's a lot to take in at the moment. You don't have to say anything. I know what happened sucks, but hey that's life. It always sucks."

He looked surprised at her, "How did you know what I was thinking?"

She shrugged in responds, "I guess you just had that certain look on your face," she said with a small smile.

At that moment another subway arrived at their station.

Quickly Kaori collected her things and stood up from their place on the ground. She brushed dirt and dust off her school skirt, then turned her attention back to Ren, "Come on, that's ours."

She then held out a hand to him to help him up with a smile. He looked at her and then her hand for a moment, taken aback for a second, before taking it gratefully.

Once standing he let go of her hand, and together the two rushed into the busy train.

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Ren and Kaori went their separate ways after the subway arrived at the station.
Both teens went to their respective homes, Ren to Cafè Leblanc and Kaori to her small apartment building.

Kaori just arrived at home when her phone notified her that she got a text message. She quickly took off her shoes and raced down the hallway to her room, ignoring her mother and her friend in the kitchen.

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: Hey, I decided to go ahead and message you two

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: Can both of you see this?

R⃣e⃣n⃣: Nope. 

Kaori giggled lightly as she saw the responds.

K⃣a⃣o⃣r⃣i⃣: Yeah

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: You SO can!

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: I'm gonna be counting on both of you tomorrow, OK? 

R⃣e⃣n⃣: Got it. 

K⃣a⃣o⃣r⃣i⃣: You can count on me

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: You're a bro, man... 

K⃣a⃣o⃣r⃣i⃣: What about me?

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: You're cool too...

K⃣a⃣o⃣r⃣i⃣: I take what I can get

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: Welp, seeya tomorrow! 

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: Let's save those guys who've been getting abused. The two of you and me. 

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A bit later Kaori laid on her bed in her pyjamas, reading a book, when she got another text message. She took a break for a moment and laid the book aside, then reaching for her phone laying next to her.

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: That thingy on Akira's phone was some red eyeball icon, right? 

R⃣e⃣n⃣: Right. 

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: We ended up at that weird place when we used this nav app, right? 

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: I found it on my phone too...

K⃣a⃣o⃣r⃣i⃣: I got it earlier today

K⃣a⃣o⃣r⃣i⃣: That's how I ended up in the castle

K⃣a⃣o⃣r⃣i⃣: I didn't even install it. 

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: Yeah, me too.

R⃣e⃣n⃣: That's creepy. 

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: For real. What is this thing...? 

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: Think it's being downloaded on it's own somehow?  

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: It's dangerous to use something without knowing what it is... 

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: But with it, we can go to that weird place, right? 

R⃣e⃣n⃣: Seems like it. 

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: Basically, it's gonna depend on how we use it. 

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: But first we gotta find evidence for the beating. 

R⃣y⃣u⃣j⃣i⃣: I'm counting on both of you, all right? Don't go ditching school on me.

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