Hero

Where It Always Rains

---

---

Oh, Ichika didn't like this. At all. Junko seemed way too comfortable talking about Shiori, though it was more the tone she didn't like. They must have had run=ins together; hearing her talk about more potential beatings was starting to upset her a little. Was this normal? No one else seemed to respond to that stuff. Maybe this is why Sakaguchi thought that Ichika being sent here was a punishment of sorts. Said girl got up to leave, and for a split second, Ichika assumed the worst. Fortunately, she got the hint.

"I...I have to go, too," She said, giving Nakano an apologetic look. "I'll, uh, see you around!"

With that, she made her hasty exit, trying to get as far away from the reporter as she could.

---

After School

---

---

---

Shiori had made a beeline for the Newspaper Club's room. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on who you were asking) the room was empty of its members. After ten seconds of deliberating on whether she should break every computer in the room or not, she decided against it--if only because she didn't have a bat to smash things with--and reluctantly made her way to the Boxing Club's room. She took her sweet time heading over to the school's gym.

It was amazing that the school bothered to have a sports gym in the first place, but there were a few clubs that required them. The Kendo and Judo Clubs often rotated in use through the free space, though the Boxing Club had its own room complete with a boxing ring. Said ring looked like it was kept in decent shape, taken care of with much love though it had seen better days. A trio of dummies stood, hanging on by a thread for the most part. A few mats were lying around, and two doors leading to other places were located near the entrance; it was likely that one was the changing room while the other was a storage closet. There was a sheet on said closet with a calendar listed, appearing to be a schedule of sorts.

Once the duo arrived, there were four other people inside. One was an older gentleman, one they would recognize as their history teacher, Shinsato-sensei. Despite his frailness, his eyes were sharp. One was a brown haired boy with golden eyes. He seemed at ease, seated on a bench and wrapping gauze around his left hand, a pair of boxing gloves at his feet. The last two were a portly brunette speaking to another student. He looked older than her, cool, blue eyes focusing on answering her questions.

On their arrival, Shinsato-sensei approached them. "Ah, Totsuka-kun and Himawari-kun. Welcome," He greeted the two. "Touga and I spoke already about your predicament. I understand you see it as punishment, but I hope you'll come to enjoy yourself."

He gestured over to the other students. "Uemura-kun will be the one in charge. He's the senior of the group so he will be the one showing you the ropes," He noted. "I believe Akarino-kun and Hattori-kun are in your class."

At the mention of his name, Uemura motioned for the girl to follow him. The kid on the bench got up as well, jogging over. Neither one made an attempt at hiding how they looked up at Ryusei's staggering height. Still, the dark-haired kid spoke with confidence."Yo. I'm Uemura Akihiko," He introduced himself before jabbing a thumb at the other two. "Go on and introduce yourselves you two."

"Holy fuck, you're tall," The other guy couldn't help but comment. "Sorry, I'm Akarino Kei. Bet you'll be a powerhouse by the time we whip you into shape!"

Shiori rolled her eyes, placing her arms on the back of her head. "This is stupid," She grumbled, walking over to the bench.

"If you're joining, you should probably go change into your gym clothes," Kei called after her.

Shiori ignored him, plopping down on the bench with her chin in her hand. Shinsato chuckled. "Himawari-kun will be our manager. I'll go over what she needs to do, make sure you go change so Uemura can show you the basics," He told Ryusei, patting his shoulder before shuffling over to the redhead.

---

---

Pokémon Showdown! [Invite Only]

---

Sylveon purred happily in Fiora's lap, all too content to nap as she gently stroked her head. Fiora almost looked gentle, her gaze fond as she watched her prized Pokemon snooze away. She was beautiful even in sleep. It was little wonder that she won so many ribbons, her movements graceful and her moves stunning. In fact, Fiora wondered why she bothered coming to this little battle club thing in the first place. Sure, as a coordinator she knew how to do battle as needed, but most tournaments and the like relied on raw power. That, and apparently, the team hadn't won even once. Then again, that was all part of the challenge, wasn't it? Winning all the time with little competition got boring, after all.

Fiora took a glance at the clock. She was early, sure, but she expected someone to show up by now. How indisciplined. If you were early, you were on time, and if you were on time, you were late. Then again, taking things casually was the way of the plebians, wasn't it? If they had even an ounce of discipline, they wouldn't lose so horribly. They probably didn't have quality care for their Pokemon, either.

Oh well. There was no real reason to dwell on it for too long. Truthfully, she wasn't as invested as she probably needed to be. She was only here to kill time and use the others as training dummies. Putting in too much effort was a waste.

Where It Always Rains

---

---

Of course it mattered. Contrary to popular belief, Shiori did not randomly go around throwing punches at every possible slight. Not that Totsuka would be aware of that, seeing as how this was his second day. But he was definitely getting the wrong impression if he thought she was about to throw down with an entire room of nerds. Oh well, she had her target set and she wasn't changing her mind anytime soon.

His next words actually got her to relax a little. A smoke right now sounded great. She let out a sigh, beckoning him to follow her. "Yeah, we'll just go to the same place in case Nakano's lingering, that way I don't have to wait 'til after class to kick her ass," She noted, her hands behind the back of her head. "I was just thinking about my supply dwindling, too, so you picked a good time to offer."

---

---

---

---

Ichika was a little relieved that Nakano stopped questioning her, but she wasn't a fan of the new arrival. Not to mention she basically confirmed what she figured was going on. The album comment was shocking as it is! Part of her wanted to eat her lunch in peace, but she wasn't sure letting the interviewer speak freely with someone ready to slander her cousin was a good idea.

Junko, on the other hand, was more amused than anything. "Other than knowing you should be expecting a visit from him soon in the future? Nothing, really," She chuckled, cleaning up some of the crumbs left by her sandwich. "I don't know what you were thinking. You watch the guy beam a kid with a skateboard and think you'll get away scot-free? Should've followed Sakaguchi's lead and skipped school today, too."

Ichika bit her lip, looking to Sakaguchi for help, though the dark-haired girl was more preoccupied with her phone. She visibly deflated, at a loss.

---

---

Where It Always Rains

---

---

"Uh huh."

A non-conventional proposal. This guy was so full of shit. Unfortunately, the deed was done, and as much as she'd like to exercise her anger, it wasn't going to do anything. That, and it would look kinda bad if she just started wailing on the new guy right after he just got sent to Boxing Club Jail for being violent. She tried not to roll her eyes too much as he continued, though he did bring up a good point. The real culprit of this entire mess was whoever took the pictures in the first place. She regretted not going back and smacking the camera out of their hands. By his description, though, it could have been a few people.

"Well, I was going to pay a visit to the Newspaper Club after class, but now I have to go somewhere else," She reminded him. "'Cause you've described at least three people and if I'm kicking someone's teeth in, it has to be the right person."

---

---

---

---

Would it be out of character? No. But Ichika couldn't really admit to that without opening up a whole slew of problems. Shoot, she should be better at this sort of thing. She tucked a hair behind her ear as she tried to buy herself a little time, trying to think of how to approach this as diplomatically as possible.

"Not really. I'm shocked you're not more aware, Nakano."

Ichika closed her mouth and looked to her right, the source of the comment seated at her desk. Golden eyes were fixated on the sandwich the girl held, her mess of blonde hair looking just a touch different than typical shades. Her uniform was barely put together, her hoodie unzipped and hanging off her shoulders. Despite giving the trio no attention visually, it was clear she had been listening to them.

"Himawari's a known delinquent that's thrown plenty of punches. It's not that shocking to find her associating with another delinquent, is it?" She asked before taking a bite of her sandwich.

Ichika was a little surprised by this. "That's a bold assumption to make," She frowned.

The girl snorted, taking a second to finish before replying, "If I took a picture of every shiner she gave me, I'd have a whole album. Granted, it's mutual, but don't go pretending she's a good girl when she isn't," She replied.

---

---

Where It Always Rains

---

---

"My hair is obviously--that kind of question is--what is wrong with you?!"

Shiori was a little too wound up to be more articulate. Some of her fury fizzled away to embarrassment, but she was also too pissed off to not be angry. She was also wholly unamused by the explanation she was given. And to think she didn't rat him out, only for him to drag her down with him. What an actual asshole! The worst part was that as angry as she was with him, there was the tiniest sliver of truth somewhere in his explanation. Not the part where he admitted she was good company--she blamed that part entirely for flustering her--but maybe if she hadn't gotten him to leave they could've caught the rat before the photos were taken.

Taking in a deep breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "He says 'thankful.' This is what I get for being nice," She grumbled, taking in a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down.

"You know, usually when you enjoy people's company, you just ask them to hang out. Now I think you hate me since you decided to drag me down to Boxing Club Hell with you," She huffed, crossing her arms. "I should ask to participate so I can learn how to give you a good right hook."

---

---

---

---

Ichika blinked slowly as she listened. Both Sakaguchi and Nakano were really confusing and she wasn't entirely sure how to approach the situation. Sakaguchi's comment made her feel a little bad, but it did explain why she assumed that Ichika was here as punishment. Nakano, on the other hand, was acting a lot like those girls that used to cozy up to her in an attempt to get access to her parents' money. She was entirely uncomfortable, but she had no idea how to escape this conversation without it getting awkward.

"Uh...I don't know any Totsuka, sorry," She started there. "Shi-Shi is, uh...well, grumpy. But she's a good person deep down! She's just kinda shy, that's all. So sometimes it's hard for her to talk to people, you know?"

---

---

Where It Always Rains

---

---

The fact that Shiori's neck hadn't snapped from how quick she looked at Totsuka was a testament to the durability of the human body. The fact that she wasn't throttling him was also a testament to her own willpower. She should've outed him, she should've thrown him under the bus, she should've gotten a license so she could drive the bus just to run him over multiple times! What the hell?! Why the hell would he suggest this?! If her eyes could burn into him any more than they already were, he would've been set on fire by now as her rage burned behind her glare.

To her absolute horror, Touga was now thinking. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening! Shiori didn't even dare look her way in case anything she did swayed the teacher. Unfortunately for her, however, Touga agreed. "The manager graduated last year, so I'm pretty sure Shinsato-sensei's probably looking for someone to fill in the gap," She said, looking at Shiori. "An idle mind is the devil's playground...So keeping you busy is probably for the best. Good idea, Totsuka."

Shiori exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding, though she immediately protested. Unfortunately, any valid concerns she had were nonexistent as she couldn't think of anything that could get her out of this aside from blurting out, "But I don't want to!"

"And I don't want to see you two going down the wrong path," Touga scolded her. "It's not too late to turn things around! You have ambition. Just think of this as a way to keep you out of trouble. Now that that's settled, go back to lunch, you two still have time to eat something."

Shiori visibly deflated, dismayed. How did it come to this? As they were ushered out of the faculty room, the redhead felt herself visibly shake with anger. She quickly turned on Totsuka, once again glaring at him.

"What the hell?!" She snapped at him, furious. "First your little fire crotch comment--not cute, by the way!--but you decided to drag me into your punishment, too?!"

---

---

---

---

Ichika wasn't entirely sure what Nakano was writing, though she couldn't assume it was good. It was like she was being interviewed--oh no. Is that what was happening right now? Was she in the Newspaper Club? Suddenly Ichika felt like she made a big mistake. Wait, no, it was okay, right? It wasn't like she was gonna go saying bad things about Shiori. If anything, she could easily clear up any misunderstandings!

The brunette nodded at first, though she paused. "Well, we're cousins, actually," Ichika admitted. "We're not super close, but she used to come to visit me a lot back in Tokyo with my aunt--our moms are sisters."

---

---

Where It Always Rains

---

---

"What you're lacking in is discipline, Totsuka. The club will help you with that and teach you how to redirect your feelings so you don't make the same mistake again," Touga corrected him. "I'll be checking in to make sure you attend as well, so I expect you to go there straight after school today to get yourself acquainted."

Shiori was a little surprised by this turn of events, to say the least. Since when was getting enrolled into a club punishment? Now that she thought about it, did the punishment really fit the crime? It seemed a little mean to have to give up your afternoons for the rest of the year. Then again, it'd likely discourage him from doing it again. Or at the very least, have him hone his abilities so the next time he'd knock out anyone that tried to take pictures.

With that settled, Shiori turned to leave. Unfortunately, it looked like Touga wasn't finished as she quickly grabbed Shiori's shoulder and turned her back around. "Not so fast, young lady. You're starting off the year on the wrong foot, too," She told her.

"I didn't do anything, remember?" She reminded her.

Touga narrowed her eyes. "Cigarettes were found where the pictures were taken," She stated, causing Shiori to grimace. "That's a week's worth of cleanup and detention for you, and I'm being light only because I didn't catch you in the act this time."

Shiori's lips formed a thin line as she closed her eyes. Welp, she couldn't get out of that one since those stupid photos basically outed her. She was definitely paying a visit to the Newspaper Club first, though. "Fine," She shrugged.

---

---

---

---

Detective? Ichika looked at the other girl, the one called Nakano. She was looking into Shiori? But why? Maybe it had to do with the article. She wished she had finished reading the article to completion before showing Shiori, but she had acted impulsively out of shock. Her fingers tapped her lunch as she deliberated on how to respond. Obviously, it was better if Nakano steered clear, but by what Sakaguchi said, maybe it was best to warn her ahead of time.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Shi-Shi can be kinda grumpy," Ichika frowned. "She's not exactly personable."

---

---

Where It Always Rains

---

---

One of these days he was getting a smack, the guy was way too cocky for his own good. Shiori threw a glare up at the guy, even if it was probably going to get ignored. The silver lining was that at least he wasn't a snitch. One less thing to worry about, though she was aware she was probably gonna catch shit anyway; Touga wasn't looking too impressed, and admittedly Shiori's less-than-stellar reputation meant that there was the very real possibility that Touga didn't believe him. Not that he made it difficult, since apparently there was no way she could have put him up to that.

Touga herself said nothing, staring at Totsuka for a moment. She kept them waiting longer than Shiori cared for, but finally, she let out a long sigh. "I don't think I need to say that this behavior is unacceptable," She said, shaking her head. "I'm disappointed. Day one and you're already up to trouble! At least tell me why you did it."

"Sakaguchi had it coming. Not from Totsuka, but from...everyone and anyone, really," Shiori joked.

"It doesn't matter who it happened to, if you're to become a proper member of society, you can't just go around hitting people!" Touga couldn't help but yell, not appreciative of Shiori's response. "Clearly there is a lot of energy here that needs to be properly re-directed."

Touga picked up a paper, holding it out for the pair to see. "For that, I'm leaving you in Shinsato-sensei's care in the Boxing Club," She stated.

---

---

---

---

Alone again. Ichika let out a small sigh, placing her chin in her hands. Shiori avoided her yesterday, too. All she did was ask what she did during lunch, and now she was being ignored! What gives?! She couldn't help her annoyance, letting herself stew in her feelings for a second. Honestly, Shi-Shi could be so difficult that it was a wonder she had any friends!

She looked over at the one person who she managed to make something of a bond with, only to see her with someone else. Ichika didn't recognize the other girl, though she seemed friendly from what she could tell. She spoke as if she was familiar, and Sakaguchi reacted the way she normally did. Or did she? She seemed more annoyed today than she was yesterday.

Ichika scooted over, looking between the two. "Hiya!" She greeted the pair, her lunch on her lap. "What's happening?"

---

---

Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

---

---

Veronica barely paid any attention, more interested in the ends of her hair. The physical training they endured was starting to affect her in ways she wasn't appreciating, and she swore some of her ends were starting to split. A haircut was definitely due, but considering the shoddy grooming services the school offered, she wasn't sure she could trust them with what she considered to be her best feature. Besides, all the talks of Crests and the like were things she heard and found boring. She was already born with the divine right, did she really need to be lectured on it any further?

At Kayden's words, she openly rolled her eyes. "Imagine being concerned about the very thing that has deemed you worthy in the eyes of the Goddess," She stated, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I can't relate."

Meanwhile, Derec was hot on Lysander's heels as they gave themselves some distance, though his patience wore thin. Once he thought they were far enough, he ended up ripping into the Professor. "In what world could I possibly continue staying in the shadows when I'm enrolled in a class specializing in showing off Crests?" He threw all formality to the wind, albeit there was visible panic as opposed to anger by the time he finished speaking.

Lysander looked at Derec, frowning. "On the contrary, I believed if you could control it now, it was better than the symbol appearing during combat without intention," He replied, keeping his voice down.

"Couldn't I have been put in a private class? Or...or at least I could have not been completely blindsided by this!"

"What did you think this introductory class was?"

Derec took a few seconds to collect himself before he continued. "Professor, I was promised safety while I attended. Don't you think this compromises that somewhat?"

Lysander stared at Derec for a moment. "No," He answered honestly. "The truth of the matter is that the truth will come out, one way or the other. All we can do is prepare you the best we can, and I believe these classes will do so."

---

---

Where It Always Rains

---

---

Touga wasn't happy about Totsuka's comment, nor was she happy at Shiori's snort. She beckoned the two to follow her, ignoring the class for the most part. Shiori slinked along, throwing her head back in exasperation. Welp, the Newspaper Club was definitely on her shit list, but she was a little confused as to why she was getting dragged along. Then again, Ichika recognized her instantly--maybe Miss Touga thought that she had something to do with the little incident yesterday.

Speaking of which, what was she supposed to say? Despite being strangers, it felt wrong to just throw him under the bus. Sakaguchi hadn't shown his face, either. Maybe she could lie and say he started it? Then again, the retaliation was kinda brutal. Before she could make up her mind, they had arrived. To her surprise, the faculty room was empty. She was so sure the principal was going to show up, but maybe they got lucky?

Touga let out a huff, her hand to her forehead. "I don't think I need to ask if it's actually you two in the paper," She began.

"Are you sure it's me?" Shiori asked, waving the paper. "This blurred image could be any redhead."

Touga snatched the paper from her, mimicking Shiori and waving it around. "This is not a joke, Himawari! Totsuka has been here for one day and he's already taking after you!" She snapped, though she turned her attention to the man in question. "Did she put you up to this?"

Shiori's jaw dropped, though after a few seconds she recovered and let out a huff of indignance. She couldn't believe she was being blamed for this! Go figure, you do something nice and suddenly you're pointed at as some corruptor. This was some karmic bullshit that she didn't like.

---

---