You Complete Me

What's Next to Come [6]

Ayato walks to school alongside his two childhood friends, Kuu dere and Midori Gurinu.

Friends. The glorified word for assets.

These two in particular are asset, as he needs people that he's known long enough to display to others that he has a strong bond with them, ultimately he's a good enough friend to still have a strong connection with them after so many years. It forms a trust with everyone around him, making it easier for him to befriend them and have them all wrapped around his finger. Though, with lots off friends around school he can't afford to slip up.

Reputation can either make or break you in this school.

Horuda is the school's punching bag, water is thrown onto her, her picture while she was changing is currently being used as blackmail against her for Musume and her friends to have more power over her. It's not like bullying is taken seriously at Akademi high, take the delinquents for example, the school faculty was informed about the bullying the five students were suffering against but were unable to provide concrete evidence so the faculty refused to take action.

The bullying gradually became so severe that they considered a suicide pact yet after witnessing something phenomenal it swerved them away from a self-destructive path. Osorō had apparently offended someone from a rival school and they planned to beat him up in front of Akademi to serve it as a warning to not only him but everyone else who dared to stand up against them.

In a turn off events, Osorō single-handedly fought off the group of violent aggressors and against all odds, Osorō actually managed to defeat all of his opponents. Instantly, Osorō became an icon to them - a physical embodiment of the idea that a single person can stand against a group of tormentors and remain in top.

He had demonstrated that violence was a viable solution to their problems, and that remaining fearsome would stop the bullying. They began to dress like him, act like him and they even dyed their hair blonde as well, then built themselves a reputation to keep everyone afraid off them.

That shows this schools negligence and still they haven't learned as Horuda is going through the exact same thing but they wouldn't do anything anyways since Musume's father's reputation intimidates most of her teachers and classmates, so most faculty refuse to discipline her along with students never daring to stand up to her. Musume almost never gets in trouble as according to Y/n, her father would make the problem go away using money...or his special brand of intimidation. This just highlights the imbalance at this school but through the cracks in this system he can use it to his own advantage.

"What do you think Ayato! Magical girl Yuki or Yanvania of the night? Kuu dere won't answer my question!And I tried looking on blueit" Midori complains, drawing Ayato attention to her, Kuu dere's face remains expressionless and blank and she takes her eyes off her book for a moment before continuing to read once more, "Yanvania of the Night, I suppose."

"That's exactly what a videogame character would say! I agree! I am a npc in a videogame after all." Midori says, gluing her eyes back to her phone again. He'll never understand why people like her have emotions and he doesn't. Back to his thoughts, he recalls the information he found about Horuda, 'A shy and timid girl. Seems to be incapable of standing up for herself. For some reason, she gives me the impression that she could snap and become violent if pushed too far.'

It sounds too good to be true, she's exactly what he needs to get a few steps closer to his goal, Taeko. He walks down the school pathway, quickening his pace to get to his locker but something gets his attention, "Out the way Horuda." Hoshiko Mizudori giggles, grabbing her shoulder harshly and pulling her in to whisper something in her ear along the lines of 'lit cigarette' and 'permanent scars'.