That next day, Takuya had been woken up early. Far too early for his liking, Shota had knocked on his door. It was surprising that, of all people, it was him. Shota was notorious for being a late sleeper. He hated waking up just like Takuya hated going to sleep. In fact, at Jindei, he would do all he could to skip his early morning classes. Still, it was better than skipping completely like Yamato and Akari.

Nonetheless, it still stood that the white-haired male was practically dragged out of bed to get in the redhead's car. He sighed, going along with it when his friend offered him a lollipop. It wasn't anything special but it acted as a nice pick-me-up for the sleep-deprived boy. He almost didn't realize that they were heading in a different direction than school. The boy probably wouldn't have cared either, if they hadn't headed right back to the suspicious neighborhood.

As soon as Okura opened the door for him, Shota jumped right out of the car. He didn't seem to care whether Takuya followed behind him or not. Though, out of fear that he would be left alone, he rushed after him, darting his eyes back and forth. Even if Okura was there, he didn't feel safe at all, fiddling nervously with the lollipop, and hoping that Shota would be quick with whatever it was he wanted to do.

Still, that thing turned out to be something very illegal. Okura obeyed the redhead's words and picked the lock, effectively breaking into the girl's house. It didn't take the ginger-haired man much time either, allowing him to open the door for Shota to walk in easily. The male's caretaker followed after him, too, but Takuya remained stagnant by the door. He really didn't know what he was supposed to do. It would have been wrong to enter.

In the midst of his confliction, a neighbor, perhaps, walked by the front of the house. Takuya flinched, wondering if they had been caught. Would he get sent to jail? Would he be killed? Would his mother find out? The male trembled. However, in the end, the neighbor just glanced up at him then at the open door, clicking their tongue. They then walked away without a care in the world. Was that...normal?

Fearing running into anyone else, the white-haired boy retreated into the house, closing the door behind him. Shota was already inspecting the place. As expected, the area was shabby, at best. Not only was the paint flaking off of the walls, the walls themselves were heavily damaged. Multiple impressions lined the walls of small ovals - clearly a fist. The floor was uneven, too, caked in filth. And that was only the "living" room.

The house only had two bedrooms and one bathroom. But whereas one of the bedrooms was barely usable, the other wasn't at all. The "nicer" of the two rooms had a mattress on the floor with a blanket haphazardly thrown over it. There was a wardrobe filled with tattered but usable clothes and a small window that let light shine through. Other than that, it was about as covered in filth as the rest of the house.

On the other hand, the unlivable room didn't even have a bed. Rather, over two pillows was laid a thin blanket. It was less dirty, probably because it had been cleaned, but there were still traces of mold. Papers were placed neatly on a cardboard rectangle - likely repurposed scraps. Pencils were placed there, too. It looked like a makeshift desk. The only other thing in the room was a window. However, it was boarded up, almost carelessly. There wasn't even a light in the room. And, on the door and wall outside of the room were small puncture marks. It looked like the room had been previously boarded up quite a few times.

"I knew it," Shota mumbled, picking up one of the papers in the corner, "I knew she was living somewhere horrible."

Takuya frowned. From the area the house was located in alone made him consider the girl's hard life, but he had never thought it was that bad. Cautiously, he began to search around, too, hoping for something that could show him she was supported. Surely, he thought, the house might have looked bad but she was well and fine when it came to basic needs. However, when he opened the cupboards in the pathetic kitchen, there were only bugs - dead ones, too. There wasn't even a fridge. The only food item he could find was a tiny root-looking vegetable carefully tucked and hidden under the girl's blanket. But even that was starting to rot.

"No wonder she seemed so distraught with the apple," Takuya mumbled, feeling a pity for her, "Why didn't she say anything?"

"She's probably humiliated. And she seems like she doesn't like asking for help. Thank goodness for Akari."

"Does she live alone?"

"If I may," Okura stepped forward, "As the young master requested, I supervised the house last night, but the only one that entered and left it was Ms. Shiratori. She was the only one here."

"That must be...so lonely."

"Actually, in my opinion, there are at least four people living here. Or, there were. It wasn't easy to ask around, but the young lady lives with her mother and father."

"Who is the other one?" Shota questioned, "I've only seen evidence of three people."

"I'm not sure. All of those I was able to speak with were under the impression they lived her with a boy around Ms. Shiratori's age."

"It's probably just the student council president. He must walk her back home."

"No. They described the boy as having black hair."

The redhead was a bit shocked at that, wondering if he was, perhaps, just a visiting relative or something. Since he wasn't there, he might have already left. But how they were able to support him when there didn't even seem like enough for one person, he didn't know. The more he looked around, the more impossible it seemed. In total, all three of them could only find a bit of change. It wasn't even enough to buy a candy bar.

"Young master," Okura sighed, bowing politely, "It would be wise to head to school before you miss your first class."

Shota agreed, but it was Takuya who took one last look at the house and frowned. As they rode back, he could only think about how tragic it was that a student as gifted as her was struggling in such a way. But, worse, the trace amounts of dried blood found across the house indicated something worse than just their destitution. He felt his heart go out to her at the thought of her being abused.

They ended up arriving just when homeroom finished, meaning Takuya didn't have a chance to see the (h/c) haired girl. Though Shota was able to catch up to her and take his spot next to her in class, he wasn't. He could only muddle through his own classes, thinking on how horrible she must have felt. Perhaps she had bruises in places others couldn't see. Maybe she was in such a good mood the previous day because her parents didn't return. If that was the case, wouldn't she be happier if she escaped them somehow?

He had hoped to see her with Shota at lunch. The redhead might not have been extremely popular with girls, but he always made sure to treat them kindly. Takuya figured he would have made her feel comfortable. Knowing him, if he really was interested in her, he would have offered to pay for the dorms, too. If that happened, the white-haired boy would have felt relieved for her. But, when Shota came to sit with him at lunch, he came alone.

"She turned me down," he explained in a huff, "I might have gotten her to come if I hadn't insisted I'd pay for her lunch. What a stupid thing to do..."

"Is she...not going to eat today either?"

"I didn't see her with anything. She just sat down with those two girls she comes to homeroom with."

"Oh..."

"She looked weak today, too. I wouldn't be surprised if she collapsed again. Maybe I should try again to - "

Shota flinched as a loud smack came from the table. Yamato glared at the two of them, having slammed his lunch on the table. The brunette, clearly upset about something, sat down, waiting for something. When that something didn't happen, he chose to start eating, mumbling under his breath. Choosing to ignore him for the time being, the redhead turned back to Takuya.

"Do you have class with her later?"

"For the love of - ," Yamato shouted, lowering his voice before grumbling, "Why is it that every single one of you are always blabbering on and on about this girl?!"

"Is it wrong for me to be concerned about a peer?"

"Come on. You can't really pity her because she only ate some fruit for lunch, can you? She can take care of herself, I promise you," A pause. "So, I want to talk about clubs, because Jindei didn't - "

"You don't know her."

"Sorry?"

"I said 'you don't know her'. You don't know what she's been through. This poor girl is living through something terrible and you're jealous? Because your friends are talking about her?"

"I'm not - "

"If you want to talk about yourself, go hang out with Akari. He'll listen to you."

Takuya nervously gawked between the two, uncomfortable with the angry face the brunette was making. Still, he felt it was only right to stick up for the (h/c) haired girl. It wasn't like he would ever voice that to Yamato but he did think it. He also thought the brunette would leave in anger but he did no such thing. On the contrary, he remained, pausing his meal to hear Shota out with immense skepticism.

"As it turns out, she is a lot worse off than we previously thought. Give her a break."

"What the fuck does that even mean to you? I'm sure a middle class family would petrify you. You've never seen poverty in your life. She goes here. Just 'cuz she's not as polished as everyone else - "

"She's starving! Have you even seen her?! She's walking around here everyday, staying extra hours and putting her heart and soul into studying, only to do all of it on an empty stomach! And you might not have been there for either situation, but she ended up collapsing because of hunger."

"Maybe she's on a 'diet', genius."

"Would you lower your skepticism for just a minute?! I know you're just trying to help Haru out but - "

"Then shut up about it! I can choose not to like her!"

"I don't care if you like her or not! I just need you to acknowledge that she's in a bad place right now! Before you came to the table yesterday, she was trying to eat a moldy apple. You should have seen it! When I threw it away, she was heartbroken!"

The brunette scoffed. He didn't believe for one second that a student that went to Keisetsu would be forced to eat something like that. His suspicion didn't fade, only increasing. She could have chosen to garner their sympathy by doing something like that, playing the princess for them to save. It wasn't like she picked the wrong targets either. If Haru's money wasn't enough for her, the rest of them were loaded, too, even more so than the others in the school. Then, of course, if she was looking for more, there was also Akari and Rei.

"Cinderella?" he teased, rolling his eyes.

Takuya's eyes twinkled a bit. She was a cinderella. Everyone at school already called her a princess, too. It definitely wasn't what he was used to, but...The boy smiled, already in the clouds. She was in need of a nice prince to come along. It might have been hard for him to make the effort to speak to her, but it would pay off, wouldn't it? Too lost in his own imagination, Yamato pointed to him, shouting at Shota.

"See? Look at what she did! Now she's got a Miyahara!"

"Please. You can call anyone a princess and he'll make the same face."

Yamato was still unmoved. It was only a given that she would try and manipulate her way into their little group. It wasn't rare. Most people that went to their schools did their best to prioritize making connections. For some, it was making friends, but he was betting she was trying to do just a bit more, and he wasn't very fond of that.

"Whatever. Enjoy your princess."

After that exchange, Takuya was unusually excited for health, even rushing towards the classroom. Of course, he couldn't push past everyone coming out of the classroom without touching them, so he waited patiently. However, afterwards, he was the first one in the room, taking his seat eagerly, his eyes focused on the door. People came in, one after the other, but it was only when the (h/c) haired girl entered did he feel his heart race.

She was stopped before long, a girl from their class clinging to her and asking for help on the remedial classes. Now that her parents were away, she had no trouble whatsoever being kind. The girl gave a glowing smile and started asking her what she could do. Takuya couldn't help but smile, too. It was only right that a princess be kind, and she definitely was. People couldn't get enough of her either, only letting her go when the class started.

The girl sat down in the seat next to Shota, prompting the white-haired boy to tilt his head to get a glimpse of her. He noticed the pale appearance she had, as if she was about to collapse again. Panicking, he wondered if she would be okay. Shota must have thought the same since he kept sighing. Both of their moods changed when the girl's friend arrived, the blue-haired male dragging a chair and plopping it down next to her.

"You're going to get yelled at," (Y/n) giggled, motioning to their already irritated teacher.

"Let's see if I can get away with it," he replied, giving a small wave to the man, "Ask for forgiveness instead of permission, right?"

Before the two continued joking with one another - and especially before Narahashi chose to sit down - Takuya did something very rare. He stood up from his own chair and ran around to steal the bluenette's seat. It was a surge of confidence that would likely not manifest again for a while. Even Shota seemed put off by his actions, trying to wrap his head around it. The white-haired boy usually just hid behind him.

"Oh?" Narahashi chuckled, giving a confused but well-meaning smile, "Was the corner too claustrophobic for you?"

Thinking of nothing else, the white-haired male just nodded, hoping he would stop talking to him. And, indeed, when it seemed he had moved out of his own discomfort, the blue-haired male chose, instead, to sit on the other side of Shota. In fact, he was quite at peace there, chatting him up constantly. It was probably just his nature to want to socialize with new people. That was why Takuya felt displaced.

"Won't you be uncomfortable with me?" (Y/n) suddenly mumbled.

The boy frowned, pulling down the hood of his jacket to hide behind. Yes, he would be uncomfortable. Just because he had taken an interest in her, it wasn't like he had wanted to speak to her. Perhaps he would admire her from afar, but it was too intimidating to talk to her. Still, with his lack of a response, she looked withdrawn, a lornful look on her face. Shocked, he wondered how he could make amends.

Before long, the girl heard a small squeak. Glancing over, she saw the white-haired male had extended to her a lollipop. It registered to her that it was a gift, so the shy look on his face as he observed her reaction could only make her chuckle. Gratefully accepting the thought, she reached out. And then he yanked his hand back. Confused, she paused before trying again only for the same thing to happen again and again.

A frown crossed her features when she realized she would not be able to get the treat, prompting Takuya to shake. He hadn't meant for it to seem like he was bullying her. She probably wasn't allowed to have treats like that at home with her evil parents, after all. She must have really wanted it. Flustered, he tried to think of a way that he could rectify her thinking. He really wasn't picking on her!

"Um," she started, darting her eyes away, "I'm sorry. I forgot you're nervous about touching. But...I'd still like the lollipop. Do you think...you could put it down for me?"

Takuya's eyes lit up at the suggestion. Quickly, he placed the thing on the table, a shy and shaky smile appearing as she accepted it. He felt even more satisfied with himself when she began unfurling the wrapper. Her facial features became soft when the sugary taste hit her tongue. In fact, it must have been so tantalizing for her that she ended up biting down on the thing, chewing it quickly. She must have finished it in all of five seconds.

"You look like you've never had a lollipop before," Narahashi noted, giving an embarrassed look, "It's wasted now. Should've savored it."

"I couldn't help it! You know I - "

(Y/n) didn't say anything further but they all thought they knew what she meant. Takuya, especially, felt glum for her. He tried to rifle through his bag again to find more for her, but there wasn't a single one. He had eaten them all earlier, trying to stay awake through the day. Yet, she merely thanked him, saying it'd been a while since she'd had something like that. He knew it. She really was being abused, wasn't she?

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Narahashi gaped, thinking to himself as he spilled out, "The last time must have been years ago. Mom gave you one, right?"

"For helping with the dishes."

"You know, she only did that so Tadashi would. He was so jealous, too, screaming about you taking the last one. Wasn't it cherry?"

"You two must have known each other for a while then," Shota muttered, locking eyes with the bluenette, "Much longer than I was led to believe."

"Well, when you live in the same city your whole life, you have to make friends with whoever you can. It feels a lot less small that way, you know. As for (Y/n) and I, it's been what? Since 3rd grade, right?"

"That's...quite the feat."

"You would think so right? I mean, now she's really picky and reserved, but, back then, she was so outgoing," he brightened, prompting her to flinch. "She'd snuggle up to anyone who had food. And she was so cute the other kids started bringing more just so she would call their name with that little smile of hers. Wanna see?"

The (h/c) haired girl shook her head dismissively, allowing them to do whatever they wanted. Narahashi started rifling through his photos, of which there were tons. As Shota watched the images blur by, he noticed just how popular the student council president was. His friend group must have been gigantic. The further back he went, the younger the people in the photos got until, finally, they were about eight years old.

"Here, look," Narahashi beamed, pointing to a little girl in a grey hat who hugged a much younger (Y/n) tightly, "This is Shizuka. Her mom owned a bakery, so whenever there were leftovers, she always brought them to school for (Y/n). In exchange, she asked to be partners in class or play at recess with her. She and (Y/n) were attached at the hip for the longest time until - "

"'Hashi," the younger girl mumbled lowly.

The bluenette was forced to pause his words, his eyes flashing over with an unreadable emotion. Though, if Shota had to say, it didn't seem to be a positive one. Either way, he soon recovered, continuing on to show him more pictures of her. He talked about their elementary school, mainly, and all the friends they had there. Though, he did mention that none of them came to Keisetsu. After all, they weren't really privileged the way the kids at the high school were.

When Narahashi swiped on his phone, showing the next picture in his camera roll, (Y/n) was noticeably different in it. She was slumped up against the wall of the school, eyes puffy. And it only got worse from there. Every picture, she lost more and more weight. After a while, it became hard to find her smiling again. Shota narrowed his eyes. It seemed starvation was quite common for her.

"She's really cute, isn't she?" Narahashi mumbled, a love-struck look in his eyes, "Always has been."

"I'd have to agree."

"Yeah?! I knew we could find something we would get along on. If you give me your number, I'll send you any picture of her you want."

"What are you promising him?" (Y/n) choked.

"I'm making friends."

"By giving him my childhood photos?"

"Well, I've never had to make friends with someone through a mutual friend. I'm working out the kinks."

"If you really feel that strongly about it, give him one of your photos. Don't drag me into it."

"Sure! Here, Shota, take a look. Here's one where I dropped my ice cream and wouldn't stop crying. (Y/n) literally took my phone from me to take a picture of me. I mean, she was bawling her eyes out before then but she cheered up so much after my misery. And this one was our 4th grade play I had my brother take. (Y/n) is really enjoying me being her horse. Oh, and this one - "

Shota zoned out. He sure had a lot to say about the younger girl. About every photo he showed him, she was somehow involved. It made sense for a childhood friend but it wasn't pleasant to hear about. If he took it the wrong way, it could easily be conveyed as him bragging about his close relationship with her. And that's exactly how Shota took it. Suddenly, a frown appeared on his features. He didn't want to be Narahashi's "friend".

"So, which one do you like?" the bluenette asked excitedly.

"O-Oh, I'm alright."

"What, you don't like them? Well, that's fine. Can I still have your number? A friend of (Y/n) is a friend of - "

"No, thank you. I only use my phone for work and family," A lie. "I'm sure you understand."

"I - Sure, I guess. But we're still friends, right? From now on, please call me 'Hashi. That's my nickname. Everyone calls me that. Go on. Try it."

"I'm afraid I don't feel comfortable with that. It's disrespectful where I come from to call someone you just met by a nickname."

"No, it's really nothing rude. I prefer it! Even the teachers call me that. If you try it, it's fun to say. Here, I'll try first. 'Hashi. 'Hashi. See? So - "

"Narahashi," Shota interrupted, emphasizing the male's full name, "Let's just leave it at that, okay?"

The blue-haired male looked taken aback, even offended. Or, at least, that was the emotion that Shota took away from his gaze. Again, it was a negative emotion, the male darting his eyes back at the (h/c) haired girl who had stopped paying attention. When he glanced back, the redhead could have sworn he gritted his teeth, but, within a moment, he was smiling again, fresh as a daisy.

"No problem at all!"