[fieldbox= Mizunohara Sagawa, turquoise, solid]
[October 30th, Midday / Hisakawa Academy, Main School Building, Second Floor Hallways]
Sagawa shook her head at the pirate.
"No, I don't mind. Kyou-chan. I have things to get done as well."
At least Kyouko was being honest. Sagawa thought. Of course, all the things in regards to virtu-ava battles or whatever club the two were a part of were things that didn't have to do with her. Indeed, Sagawa had already long accepted that herself and the eye patch pirate weren't the same people who became friends all that time ago.
To put it bluntly, despite being childhood friends... it was nothing more than that. Sagawa had already accepted the fact that they were probably going to drift apart at this point. Different people, different sets of friends. She couldn't just cling to Kyouko and Michio for support. Not anymore.
She had endeavored to be better than that, from now on.
"You two can, um... just continue whatever it is you're doing. Later." She turned to the most recent intruder.
"Michio-kun... let's go then?"
Taking his hand, she tugged him away.
...
On the way out.... it was too late for her. Sagawa glanced at Rei Saionji, whom had been hidden just around the corner. Sagawa gave a split second look that instantly said she found the discovery peculiar, but she continued on with Michio.
For Rei, their cover blown, it seemed like it was inadvisable to go after them at this point.
[October 30th, Midday / Hisakawa Academy, Main School Building, School Rooftop]
Sagawa was able to pull him off somewhere away from prying eyes. Removed from the students in the hallways, the Iori and Kyoko duo settling another chapter in their rivalry. Away from everything. Right now, there was only one person who needed to hear what she had to say.
Reluctantly, Michio gave access to the main school building rooftop. Through the whole time Sagawa was leading him, Michio felt a sense of dread. There was this aura that she was giving off. This aura that seemed to indicate she was certain of a certain decision one had to make.
The fact that this sort of demeanor precluded their talk was only a bad sign. The boy mentally braced for what was to come.
"We're here." Finally at the rooftop, Sagawa let go of his hand.
"This way, no one will hear us. Not even Amane-san."
She turned around. The grim determination seemed to have subsided, much to the boy's relief. Sagawa was now just wearing the same default apathetic expression she usually had. Reflecting her regards to most everyone and anything going on at school.
However, as relieving as it was. There was still a pressing question to ask. About Sagawa suddenly using paper and pencil all of a sudden. For someone as Michio, he could even tell that her lack of certain. Gestures meant she wasn't making use of her chip at all.
The only explanation was...
"Ive spent the entire past week recovering, since my chip was removed. But, i suppose that was pretty obvious enough from seeing me in class today, right? The adults supposed that, without it, I wouldn't cause trouble for our classmates anymore. "
Michio was aghast at the revelation.
That could've only meant, on the back of Sagawa's neck. Hidden by her hair... was likely a rapidly healed scar from where doctors had ripped out the chip from her. For kids like them, who had it installed soon after birth, it meant that they had possibly needed to cut through bone in order to get to it.
Such a horrifying scenario. And for it to happen to Sagawa of all people. A part of him wanted t9 physically verify it himself, but if she did get surgery there, he couldn't shamelessly go up to her and see it himself.
With a downcast expression, Sagawa continued.
"I've realized, I've made a good amount of mistakes in the past week. Getting into virtu Ava battles, showing everyone what I could do. Antagonizing the class president, and... relying too much on other people."
Depending on other people.
Certainly, she wasn't speaking of him. For all that happened, Michio was practically powerless. But, he was going to change! He'd become the
Yakuza Boss and make sure no one would be able to touch him or any of the people he cared about. As a Boss, even
Kokoro Amane would have to answer to him. And, he could even
restore Sagawa's chip. He could undo all the damage that had been done!
That was that the boy had endeavored to do. He could spend ten lifetimes of effort, and still not get close to what becoming a Yakuza boss could do. The opportunity was there. If he worked hard enough... he could even stand a chance to gain favor over
Rei Saionji.
He could ease all of his childhood friend's worries and woes by telling her this. He had a plan now. It
was going to work. He would make it work no matter the cost.
But... before he could say any of this. Sagawa spoke again. Looking directly I his eyes, she blatantly dashed those hopes for such a clean ending.
"I hate the yakuza. I've decided that."
"I found out that Kokoro used her influence to push through such a harsh judgement. She must've really not taken kindly to someone being able to do what I did. Even if I never did anything as severe as the Hacker did."
Wait...
"That's why. I've decided that I'll hate the Yakuza, and anyone else related them."
Sagawa, please wait...
"Even if it was some one like you Michio. If I found out you were one of them, even by mere association. I'd immediately hate them then and there. Because.. Without my chip, it feels like I've been stripped of one of my arms...!"
...the determination in those words were grim.
If Michio would even give Sagawa a hint at to what he was doing... it seemed like she genuinely was willing to tear apart their friendship right there. For the first time, he could feel her anguish and frustration for the way she hissed out those words.
"There's no way you would be taking orders from the president because she's yakuza, right Michio?"
Sagawa asked this crucial question. Was she really going to disown him here, if he told her the truth? No, he couldn't. Everything would fall apart if he lost her now. Therefore: Michio... had no choice.
He shook his head, and outright lied to his childhood friend.
"Thank goodness." Sagawa replied, with relief in her voice.
"When Amane-san was interrogating me, she said something like that. Like you were one of her subordinates she had on a leash. But, but here no way, right? I'm certain of it."
She was wrong. As he was now, he was powerless. In a heartbeat l, if the Yakuza ever decided his family's debts to them were due... they could murder them, and have their
organs harvested and sold off to help make up the difference.
With that in mind, Sagawa at least got off alive, though technically also crippled. At at the very least, she was still otherwise fine. She could still live a normal life.
"Sorry, I guess I wanted to just vent a little about what happened." Sagawa apologized, with a hushed giggle.
"Any way, last week I wanted to thank you for sticking up for me and all the other times you've been nice to me."
She giggled again. At this point, Michio could only see a conflicted smile on her face. Right now, her fringes hid what expression her eyes were making.
Then she fell silent, before finally saying it in a voice void of emotion.
"Please stop it."
"That thing you did. Please don't do that again."
The image of Michio's bold declarations from the week before mentally flashed through the boy's mind. Michio was taken aghast. He internally knew, but he didn't want to believe it. But, right now. Everything was on the verge of falling apart between him and her.
There was no question in his heart about how he felt about her. But when he tried to reverse the question. About how she felt about him. The whole of that conception was based on that promise. That treasured promise. That sacred promise.
Sagawa was uncomfortable with public Displays of affection. So there was never a time to confirm it to himself. It seemed like, if he worked hard enough, everything would fall into place. But, right then, a week ago, Michio kissed Sagawa on the forehead and made it blazingly clear.
But that wasn't supposed be how it would've went. All of that was no doubt a shock to her.
To Michio Kamijou's horror, he realized that in that moment of passion he had set himself up for
failure with the one person outside his family who mattered to him.
He was... getting shot down right now? This was what getting rejected looked like, didn't it?
"Michio..."
[ I'm sorry. ]
If those words escaped her lips, that would be the end of that childhood promise. Michio had to avoid that at all costs. But how? He was an aspiring Yakuza boss under Kokoro's thumb. Something that Sagawa had outright said she detested. And he had done something that both he and her disliked before a crowd of people.
His hasty choices had lead to this. That's right. It even went against what his yakuza training had stressed:
Proceed thoughtfully. Actions decided in a split second could lead to results that last forever.
Right now, that lesson was about to painfully play out right before his eyes.
If he kept silent, he would only
resign himself.
Michio Kamijou, with thought out determination, made his choice...
@Accelerator
@Skyswimsky
@Miya
@Karyra
@_Anyone (Technically...)
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