No one's POV
Currently, Nhzual, Ryuji and Akira are walking around school, looking for any clues about Yamauchi about him getting drunk and thought about tailing him to see where he'd go after school.
Ryuji: Man, we really don't have a good place to train, huh... I mean, we'd prolly run into Nakaoka and them if we stuck around here...Either of you got any ideas?
Nhzual: We can train at our place.
Ryuji: You seriously think we'd get any training done there? I bet we'd just end up eating a ice cream and playing video games all day long. That just kinda what happens, y know? Eh, I guess it won't hurt to peek around the gym if they ain't there, maybe we can-
Suddenly, the three of them heard arguing and Ryuji recognized them voice.
Ryuji: Nakaoka?
The three of ran over and saw the track team ganging up around Nakaoka.
Ryuji: Takeishi? The hell you guys doing?!
Takeishi: We just have a few questions for Nakaoka here. It's none of your business.
Nhzual: Yeah, when we see someone getting ganged up on, we kinda make it our business.
Ryuji: Yeah. Ain't three on one kinda cowardly?
Takeish: The only coward here is Nakaoka! All the shit Kamoshida put us through is his fault! He was telling that bastard secrets about us the whole time!
Ryuji: Huh?! That's a load of bull!
Akira: You guys should trust him.
Ryuji: That's right! You've been training together for freakin forever! Plus, ain't the track team comin back? You don't gotta fight!
Takeishi: S-Shut up! I'm telling you, this piece of shit sold us out! How do you think Kamoshida found out about your parents, Ryuji?
Ryuji looked at Nakaoka surprised.
Track team member: He's gotta be a snitch!
Ryuji: Hold on!
Ryuji then stood in front of Nakaoka.
Takeishi: Out of the way, Ryuji. We'll beat the shit out of you to.
Nhzual: Not unless you want me to beat the shit out of you too.
Ryuji: If you think that's gonna make you feel better, go for it. But you're gonna wish you didn't. Trust me, it feels real bad lookin back on shirt stuff you've done. Look...Even if Nakaoka was working with Kamoshida...ain't it fine now? The bastard's gone, so you guys can just put this crap behind you. There's no reason to fight, yeah?
Takeishi: We can't keep people around who're gonna try and undermine our team.
Nhzual: What's with this school and believing everything they hear without any evidence to back it up?
Nakaoka: I didn't do anything. I wasn't working with Kamoshida. No matter how much you hit me. My answer is gonna stay the same.
Takeishi: Oh yeah? We got proof. Yamauchi told us all about it.
Ryuji: Yamauchi?
Track team member: Let's go, Takeishi, I'd be real bad I'd anyone rage showed up.
Takeishi: Nakaoka. Shit like you isn't welcome on our new track team. You'd better remember that.
Takeishi and the track team left, leaving Nakaoka behind.
Ryuji: You okay? What the hell was that all about?
Nakaoka: Just stay out of this, Ryuji. It has nothing to do with you.
Ryuji: But...
Nakaoka: When you hit Kamoshida, you were really hitting all of us who tried so hard to endure his bullshit. You might've felt relieved, but it only made life harder for us...cause of you, we lost the one place we could vent our frustrations...the one place we could really belong. Tensions got pretty high after that... and things've just been rough from then on. You really think it's all fine now, huh? Well what if I told you they're right about me? Would you still think it's fine if I was the one who told Kamoshida about your parents?
Ryuji: Yeah. If you told me, you told him. I'm over it. All that stuff with my parents. Besides...I've realized something, Nakaoka. I might've messed up with Kamoshida back then, but hanging on the past ain't helping anything. I'm just gonna focus on bein myself now...on bein free.
Nakaoka: What're you talking about? Free, huh?
Nakaoka walked away and Ryuji looked at Nhzual and Akira.
Ryuji: You two get what I'm trying to say, yeah?
Akira: Yeah.
Ryuji: Right? He's the one who wasn't making any sense. I guess bein free is like...its like how I feel when I'm talking to the two of you.
Nhzual: I'm sorry?
Akira: I don't get it.
Ryuji: Uhhh, I don't know what else I gotta say. I just feel ...free.
Nhzual and Akira: Huh...?
Ryuji: What, we stuck on repeat of something?
Arcana Chariot Rank 6
(Timeskip)
Currently, Nhzual and Akira are in a restaurant, after Ryuji got information about Yamauchi being there and he was there with another person and Ryuji then texted them from a far.
Ryuji's text: The teacher who's with him has shit on me too. Sorry, but I'm gonna stay holed up in the bathroom. So just leave your phone on so I can hear what they're saying.
Nhzual then put his phone down near Yamauchi and they heard him talk about talking about Kamoshida, about abandoning the volleyball team, and how he's going to hire an actually track couch to train them and then take all the credit. As well as saying that if Takeishi got rid of Nakaoka, he'd be the new team captain and how he was lying, saying Nakaoka was working with Kamoshida and will use Takeishi as a pawn, and his plans to properly injure him once he's done using him. And after they left, Ryuji came out and sat down.
Ryuji: That effin asshole! If we don't do something quick, Yamauchi's gonna get rid of Takeishi too...God damn it!
Akira: Then let's stop him before he gets the chance.
Nhzual: Let's talk to Takeishi.
Ryuji: Yeah. This ain't our problem, it's the track team's. So...they're just gonna have to decide on their own. Y'know, track ain't a team sport. At least sprinting wasn't. You've got teammates, sure...but you're really just looking out for your own team. That's why I never thought about asking people for help or trying to solve our problems together. But...I can't ignore the stuff they're goin through now. I mean, even though we had our own goals and shit...We were still running together. They suffered with me, gritted my teeth with me....Honestly, I think it was only cause of them I was able to run it all. So I can't just go and turn my back on then now, right? I know that ain't the coolest thing to say, but it's how I feel.
Nhzual: Eh, I think it's pretty cool.
Akira: Same.
Ryuji then looked at them surprised.
Ryuji: For real, thanks.
Arcana Chariot Rank 7