"Yuki-kun!"
"Ah, Ren-kun… how are you?" Yukihiro smiled stiffly at the approaching omega. "What do you need from Ryusei-kun?"
He didn't expect to see him, but after a moment of shock he felt it was great timing.
"I'm here to, um, ask him a question. I haven't made any progress with something and I was looking for directions…"
He gulped. He really didn't want to, but he suddenly remembered that Ryusei was a part of the council, wasn't he? If anyone would know how to find council members it would be him!
"Speaking of progress… Anything with the ties?"
Ren's face fell. "No, not at all…"
Yukihiro sighed. "That's… disappointing, I'll admit. Hm, to think both could be so resilient to the obvious…"
Ren looked up. "Huh?"
"Ren," Yukihiro put his hands on his hips. "I think you need to really think about what exactly I'm asking of you."
Ren's mouth twitched, uncomfortably pinching his inner cheek. "What ARE you asking of me? Maybe if you explain it more I might know what I'm doing wrong. Because if it's going to make me stronger, then I'll do anything!"
"Anything, hm?" Yukihiro leaned down. "Then try harder."
He put a hand on his shoulder. "Now better get going."
But Ren shook his head, pushing his hand away. "But I'm here to talk to Ryusei-kun."
Yukihiro looked at his pushed away hand. "Yes but he's busy. How about I answer your question?"
After all who was better to ask then him? It must be important if he was willing to return to his crush to ask. He'd just answer him then get him out of here as soon as possible.
"See, there's a place in the school I can't seem to find…" Ren began.
'Except that. It was fun to see their little rescue mission, but he can't go there snooping around. Sigh, such a pain: if he could talk to Masanori he'd clear it up. Or Ryusei but there isn't time. It might just motivate him more anyway… '
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He lied.
Ren sadly sighed. "You too huh? I wish I knew what I was missing…"
'Some brain cells if I had to guess.' Yukihiro thought, getting more impatient by the minute.
"If you're looking for someone useful at navigating the school, how about asking a teacher?"
Ren groaned. "What's the point, there's no way they'd tell me. It's…" He leaned in and whispered. "A secret, you know?"
Yukihiro held back a grimace as he was hit with a strong desire to sniff the top of his head. This was getting dangerous.
"Then… just go to the complaint board."
Ren blankly stared. "The what?"
"Outside student resources? It's an old fashioned complaint thing. If I were you and had to find something I'm not supposed to, I would go there and lodge a complaint. The student council take the complaints of omegas very seriously, you know?"
Ren pointed. "But I heard about that. And everyone complains that they don't do anything!"
"That's because they keep going to the wrong council member. The thing is, while council members are elected by the student body, they get their specific roles from the teachers to see which ones would most benefit the school or the student. Akagi Naoto is in charge of student wellness because the teachers said so."
"Really? But if the students get to choose and he's so bad at his job, why not choose someone better?" Ren asked.
"Well there's always next term. If you can keep your position in the council for even two of the three terms it looks very good for your college application."
"...you're saying I need to ask someone else? But…" Ren trailed off, hesitant.
'Fuck this is taking too long. Let's just tell him what he wants so he'll leave.'
So this time it was Yukihiro that leaned in in a whisper. "Hey. There's actually a secret about the council board…"
Ren's ears perked up. 'Yuki is finally admitting to me secrets about the school!'
Yukihiro drew in closer, his lips reaching close to his ear and speaking lowly.
"If you complain about noise coming from the fourth floor… a secret member of the council will contact you."
"Contact? How?" Ren whispered lowly back.
"Hm... not even I know… but it's worth a shot isn't it?" Yukihiro smiled to his ears, as his lips curled from ear to ear.
Ren earnestly nodded and took a step back to smile at him. "Yeah! Thanks!"
"Great. Then I'll see you later."
They went their separate ways. Yukihiro rolled his eyes.
'What a chump. He's getting on my nerves…go make a fuss at the board so Naoto will show up then just run into his arms and stop dwelling on my mind and Nori's already.'
Ren was ecstatic at learning this new information and was going to run to the board right away.
Ren turned and he then gasped.
Because right in front of him he saw Naoto, who happened to be walking their way.
'Naoto!? I didn't think he'd actually follow up this time! I'm screwed!'
Ren didn't realize how loud his gasp was until Naoto stopped then looked over, making him freeze on the spot and make an even louder noise than before.
Yukihiro turned back and saw the situation.
'Well I didn't meant right now.'
Naoto's eyes drifted away from Ren and he locked eyes with Yukihiro.
He scoffed. "So you were here? I was gonna go bang on your door, but even freaks need to get out and eat sometimes."
Yukihiro put his hands on his waist and grinned knowingly malicious. "Eh, it's tsunami-kun making a big deal out of nothing again. No hard feelings about that time in the tree, right?"
"I don't care about that! This is about you, and what you did yesterday! You're even doing something right now! What are you up to?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Do you think I'm the center of all your problems? And I just met Ren-kun by happenstance; don't jump to conclusions."
Ren slowly moved back. 'It's tense… I guess they know each other like they know Masanori. But it's weird. The air wasn't this tense before.'
Yukihiro and Naoto seemed to have an extremely intense staring match, at least to the perspective of Ren who couldn't for the life of him smell pheromones to save his life. So, he had no idea the covert battle for control that went on between the two Alphas that left anyone within 50 meters running for the exit.
'...Are they-? No way, is this them using their powers on each other!?'
Ren got excited, because it was the first time he could see it when it wasn't directed at him! So he stayed in, unaware of the added stress he suddenly brought when they both realized he was still there. As in, they long expected this situation to send him running for the hills, to a point it shocked them both to find it to the contrary even if it wasn't surprising at all for what they knew of him.
"Ha. You want to do this here? Haven't you noticed we have company?" Naoto growled, but he seemed to grin at the challenge. It was perhaps his anger and frustration, but having stakes gave him a quick rush of adrenaline he needed after all the tumultuous torment he put himself through since yesterday. To him it was almost like he was fighting for something more than control and his own pride, it hardly mattered who he was fighting for.
Yukihiro's smile remained the same as it was and seemed completely unfazed.
"I don't see any problem. In fact I think this is pretty interesting!"
He did find it curious. Two Alphas of their class and zero reaction from the rather plain Omega standing between them.
'It is weird that there's zero reaction from him. I'm sure even before he would react from Naoto's pheromones when he wasn't even trying. I have a feeling I might know if we just wait a little longer…'
This went on for nearly a full minute. That is, until Ryusei poked his head out from his door, wearing a heavy duty mask like he was walking into a biohazard.
"Cut that shit out. You'll mess with my samples. And every student within a hundred meters of here…"
Ren gulped and he looked right at him. "R-Ryusei…"
THUMP!
Suddenly, Ren stumbled back, his heart jumping like he'd been shocked. Something finally got in.
Immediately both of them ceased their game. Naoto took all his attention onto Ren and knelt down to him. "Hey you Idiot, what were you thinking?!"
'How is this my fault? My heart is racing...' Ren put a hand to his chest and shook his head to shake away the shock. He felt like he was just hit with a giant wave, followed by being smacked in the chest by a massive log!
Yukihiro stood back and only observed.
'Hm, as I thought. His own affections are a trigger. Interesting...'
Naoto grabbed Ren by the shoulders when he didn't respond, his face expressing genuine worry for the first time.
"Takeshita! Damn it all…!" Then the moment was gone and he reverted back to anger, biting back a grimace to his lip. "This is his fucking fault…!"
"Hm. This seems like a group effort to me," Ryusei pointed out from the doorway still. "What were you thinkin' knowing who you were dealing with?"
"You're pinning this on me!? I wasn't the asshole being suspicious hanging out with the walking health hazard!!"
That was when Yukihiro suddenly grabbed Naoto, and as he had Ren's shoulders they both were dragged and pulled up and pushed down the hall, talking quickly as he did. "Well looks like a visit to the nurse is in order better get to it. Your job and all."
Naoto scowled back at him, suspicious stewing in his glare. "You…!"
Yukihiro kicked his back, patience running thinner by the second.
"Better hurry up. Don't want to accidentally trigger another "accident" with you alone with him this time around."
'This time?' Ren overheard, but Naoto finally took the hint and began pushing him along before he could sluggishly ask.
Yukihiro sighed. Mission accomplished.
'Alone with him again. I should be thrilled at the added opportunity without the effort, but…'
"Kinda a dick move there, if you don't mind me insulting you to yer face." Ryusei chimed in.
'Eh, If you just want to say something that mean then just don't say anything. And Look who's talking.' Yukihiro thought as Ryusei closed the door.
'He'll be fine; his heat was last week anyway.'
Yukihiro shrugged. He pushed it aside, he had to wait for Masanori.
'But the reminder of the smell, it's only about 50 meters for pheromones to reach in an enclosed environment. Still...'
———
A few minutes later, Masanori arrived at his usual pace.
Yukihiro waited just before he got there, stepping out to greet him.
"Good to see ya. Let's go." He began walking away.
"Huh, so we're going? You asked to meet here and there wasn't there a reason? I thought if it was Naoto, then it might be about Takeshita…"
Masanori was certain that if he wanted to meet by Ryusei's then it meant there was something there he needed to see. But now, they weren't even close to Ryusei's office. Why ask to meet him there but meet up with him so far away from it?
But Yukihiro dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "I'm not in the mood anymore. Hey, wanna head to town and get some ice cream?"
"What? Now isn't a good time for that. We have to study…"
"That just means the line's shorter? Let's go!"
———
It wasn't long before Ren had enough.
"Stop pushing me!"
Ren finally squirmed away Naoto's frantic pushing, slapping his arms away. "I'm fine!"
Naoto was briefly shocked, before he began to visibly fume, like it was all boiling up inside of him and burst out.
"Fine!? How can you be fine, you FREAK! It's like don't know what kind of situation you were just in earlier, like some kind of alien from outer space!"
"Space?" Ren repeated, and completely blanked as the idea of planets and saucers flew over his head. He crossed his arms. 'Huh. Aliens might make some sense actually. Aliens are all about probing the human body...'
"Someone should have dealt with you a long time ago, who the hell knows why you're even still here! I mean you were like any normal omega you would have fainted, or, something!!" Naoto proclaimed as he continued on, though sounding just a bit uncertain about the truth of his statement.
Naoto noticed Ren had zoned out and his face got redder still.
"Are you even listening to me, freak?!"
Ren met his eyes again, meeting his anger with some of his own. "Freak? So I guess you got tired of calling me an omega, huh?!" Ren fumed and bared teeth back up at him. "Well if being actually normal and not that stupid omega thing makes me a freak, then I'll be as much of a freak as it takes!!" Ren then whirled around, tuenjng his back to him. "Just leave me alone! I have places to be today, and there's no way you can stop me because I haven't broken and rules or did anything dangerous!"
Ren turned his back to him and left. He was acting pretty confident but in truth, he was a little frazzled by the sudden backlash of their power. But he wasn't going to show that in front of him.
Naoto growled and let him walk away, angered even more by his provocation of Invulnerability of the law, because he knew it was true. "Go ahead!! Be a freak! Then maybe your boyfriend might finally-!"
Naoto stopped. Ren, who didn't quite connect "boy" and "friend" together, kept walking.
"Wait!" Naoto called, but Ren kept walking.
So Naoto grabbed his arm.
"I said wait, stupid omega. You're seriously a real pain to deal with, you know that?"
Ren turned his head back just to glare at him wordlessly. He just called him stupid! And he was only a "pain" because he kept coming after him! He even bet that Naoto was sent by the school to intervene with his conversation with Yuki! He was reminded of when Masanori was a spy, and he wanted to give both of them a kick to the nuts for causing him so much stress.
But then, Naoto raised up the rose pin to his face.
"Here! This is yours. I didn't mean to steal it, and I didn't mean to end up locked in there with you. Just try to remember I was trying to help you."
Ren's arm loosened from his hand, letting him take a step back.
"...Help? You were helping me by groping me all over?"
Naoto blushed. His eyes darted to the floor. "I-I got carried away…! You were all s-stiff you know...!"
Ren kept his piercing skeptical glare at him, not at all believing him. 'Carried away, sure. What does stiff even mean? Is he really trying to dismiss what happened like it was all a mistake? Maybe it's because his mind control didn't work because we were interrupted.'
Ren wanted to believe that. But the evidence just didn't add up. If Naoto was stopped by a teacher then that meant the teacher wasn't in on the ploy, but all the teachers HAD to be in on the school's plans.
There was really only one explanation. Akagi Naoto doesn't operate under the school, either only partly or not at all.
Ren looked up to him.
"Hey, Naoto-kun. Are you really with the school?" He asked all of a sudden.
Naoto looked pointedly annoyed by the question. "There's nothing to get WITH."
Ren looked like he didn't believe him, and Naoto folded. He wasn't convincing crazy, not like he cared to try.
"No, I'm not with the school."
Ren nodded. "I see… So then, you aren't friends with Yuki or Masanori because they just annoy you, or do you operate differently because of differing opinions?"
Naoto had no clue why he asked the way he did, but he got the gist that he was asking why he didn't get along with either of them. To that he turned away irritatedly.
"Tch! That's because they're…!" He failed to finish his sentence.
"Look, it's complicated," He just groaned. "Just accept my apology and don't say I did anything weird."
"But you did do something weird! You've scared the hell out of me for months and made me think you were trying to control me with your powers! And I still don't entirely believe you so can you at least try to say sorry or something!?"
Naoto felt it. A jolt of pain, sharper than any knife, right to the center of his chest.
'Scared? I…'
Naoto looked away. Ren noticed and was surprised. Naoto showed that genuine worry on his face again, and Ren forgot how to be mad. He forgot what he was angry about when Naoto spoke again.
"Fine, I'm… sorry."
Ren frowned, looking deep into his face.
'Man. I can't believe I feel bad for Naoto after one little apology. Am I that soft? But it's hard to stay mad when he looks like that…'
Naoto stood there silently after his apology, avoiding Ren's stare at all cost. Suddenly, looking at Ren gave him a sudden twisting in his gut of guilt.
Ren's feelings were more divided. For one, he was happy to see how guilty Naoto felt for screwing with him for the wrong reasons, but on the other hand…. Ren realized, if his apology was genuine, that he must not have known better. Manipulated by the school.
'He probably doesn't know much about all of this, does he?' Ren imagined. 'Poor Akagi.' Ren walked back over to Naoto, and patted him on the shoulder with a reassuring smile. Or, he tried to, but he was too short so he patted him on the arm instead.
"It's alright. I know it's hard when we're in a place like this. Its like others are trying to mess with you, and it can be really confusing to deal with… But you're not alone, you know? We can do this together. No matter what they try to make you feel or do. That power, it's your own at the end of the day, isn't it?"
Ren believed every word he said, though even he felt like puking a little from how generically cliche it sounded. He cringed a little and tried to make more direct eye contact.
"You know… you're kinda a pain too, with all the stuff you've done to me. If you're gonna be on my side then… can we start over?"
Naoto didn't know how to react. He's never had to do this before, with one he's wronged so much. And now he had the nerve to try to comfort him? What should have been anger just fell away, and he felt hollow. He couldn't fight, yet he didn't want to face this. So Naoto did something he hadn't thought he would ever do. He ran away.
Naoto quickly pulled his hand away and avoided his eye. "Yeah um, just stop being weird and… st-stay out of trouble! C'ya!"
As quickly and curtly as possible he had already turned around darting down the hall until he was gone.
Ren frowned, his hands went to his sides. 'Huh. When did he become such a wuss? After all this time, the big lion Lackey is actually a bit of a kitten, isn't he… Wait, but if he's cool after all, then how does this explain the condom?'
That, and several other instances. In the moment he was so swayed by what seemed like genuine emotion, he really almost forgot all the evidence that showed the contrary. What made more sense, one teacher being out of the loop, or all of Naoto's behavior being some weird coincidental misunderstanding? It just wouldn't make sense. Unless…
Ren shook his head. Nope, it had to still be a trick after all. He couldn't believe he let himself almost get tricked by Naoto!
'Forget this, I have to go find out what Yuki was talking about!'
So Ren turned and left to where he needed to go.
Ren found the board rather quickly. It was on a side hall by the student council office he didn't pay much attention to. It looked like any other board in the school, the kind that held test results and student flyers for tutors.
But on this board, it was full of complaints. Many seemed to be falling off or in fading ink, like they been there for a while unanswered.
'That sounds right… well, better get to it.'
Ren pulled out his notebook and wrote his note, sticking it to the board.
'That should do it. Now I have to just wait to see what will happen…'
And he did wait. Standing there for a few minutes right in front of the board.
'...Well, looks like it's not happening right away. Maybe they'll send a letter? Like Masanori did once when he got angry after HE stalked me for a week… will he ever come to talk to me again and tell me what he's been hiding-'
"Hey... Can I help you?"
Ren looked up. A green haired student just appeared, peeking out from the corner like he came from just around it. He smiled, warm and friendly.
"You've been standing there for weird amount of time... y'think it's going to be solved by waiting here or something?"
'It's Teuchi Tamura from the student council, ugh. I can't believe I've been caught… wait. It's a weird coincidence he's here, or maybe…'
Ren turned to face him head on. "I'm here to file a complaint! About the fourth floor!"
Tamura stared at him. He then scratched his head.
"Um? Is this a prank, or…?"
Ren grunted. 'No dice. Or is he playing ignorant? I guess I can't figure it out without revealing it so I should leave it there.'
But Tamura, who somehow walked over past him without him noticing, found his note and ripped it off.
"Hm, this is a weird one… you're Takeshita Akira aren't you?" He smiled at him again. "I think I know just the person to help you with something like this."
Ren's eyes lit up. 'Oh! Alright, bingo!!'
Looks like he found a new lead!
"But it'll have to wait until tomorrow," Tamura continued pointedly. "When can we meet up?"
———
Yukihiro and Masanori really did leave and go for ice cream, then heading for some food down at a local restaurant.
"Ah nice and quiet! The time when everyone is studying is the best to actually come out!" Yuki joyfully said across the table.
"I guess. How… is Takeshita?" Masanori finally brought up.
"Oh it's so boring! The omega's off studying like everyone else. Even crazies have to keep their grades up." He replied in his usual way.
"Really huh? I guess it should be, since you told him to wear the pin at all times so people know to stay away, right? My father can't connect it to me directly, so I think it's pretty clever."
"Clever, sure… But don't get your hopes up that it'll go that well!"
'Yeah yeah. I already know that it didn't go well. Just go on and say it already. Why is he stringing this along?'
"Anyway, sensei's been really up my ass about my penmanship. Not literally of course, but I bet he could use one when all he does is drink…"
An hour passed of nothing, just hanging out and talking. As they left and began to walk back, Masanori caught the nerve to say something.
"Yuki?"
"Hey come on already, We're heading back! Hey, don't you want to see what your omega did today? I'm telling you its plain as can be though!"
"No… It's fine. I don't want to look unless its important." Masanori answered.
Yukihiro waved his hand dramatically and sighed. "That's what I figured. Well, let's go!"
Yukihiro walked ahead, eager to get back to his room. He had decided it was better to not tell him anything yet. He just wasn't ready. It was such a mess and he had lost so much control of the situation, on top of needing a bit more time with exploring Ren's condition. Such a grand master plan needed much more fertile ground to sprout the seeds of doubt, and lazy as he could be he wasn't reckless. There was still time until summer break. Plenty of time.
Meanwhile Masanori could barely keep up. The given leftovers in his hand slipped, then fell to the ground as he walked behind, the world was falling behind him with them.
'...What, what is going on here?'