A way to stop Kamoshida

I walked to the courtyard. I found a female student with a ponytail stood in front of the door, staring at her phone and sporting a fairly large bruise above her eye. Seeing the girl in her current state tugged at my heart. She turned to me with dim, almost dead, eyes. Eyes that should not be in someone their age.

"What?" she said. "Oh, I'm in the way, aren't I? Sorry." Suzui said weakly, her tired state and words tugging at my heart once more.

"Are you hurt?" I asked.

"Huh? Uh, well..." Suzui, looking wholly uncomfortable. "Hm, you don't look familiar. Could you be that transfer student from Class D?"

"That's right. I'm JohnDoe. It's nice to meet you, Suzui," I confirmed with a polite bow, receiving one in return. Suzui spoke up once more in a soft, worried tone.

"Um, this might not be any of my business but don't let the rumours get to you, okay?" she said, her word stunning me.

Despite her battered state, she was more worried about me than she was about herself. It was both sweet and sad to see.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Well, I've helped with a similar situation before. My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks." Suzui suddenly shook her head. "Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to drag on like that."

"It's no trouble, Suzui," I assured with a gentle smile but it seemed like my words didn't have much of on effect on the poor girl.

"Anyway, I have to go to practice. I'll see you around," Suzui said, giving me a quick bow before walking away and all I could do was watch as she made her way to the gym where Kamoshida was most likely waiting.

I walked out the courtyard and made my way towards the previous meeting place in the courtyard's alcove where Ryuji was already waiting or me.

"Dammit," I heard Ryuji mutter, clenching his fist. "What the hell?"

"Did you find someone?" I asked, getting the punkish teens attention.

"Is that what is looks like? All of 'em keep saying the same shit Mishima was talking about!" Ryuji exclaimed with a scowl on his face, while slamming a fist at a nearby vending machine. "Kamoshida had to have told 'em something! At rate rate it looks like we'll have to go to him, directly."

"We should've started with that."

"I know but seriously, isn't there something we can do? No way, I'm gonna give in like this!" Ryuji questioned, his eyes looking **** as he turned to me. "Can you think of anything?"

"How about a sneak attack?"

"That'd be fine if we could do it without getting caught but if we did, we'd be seriously done for. You got any other ideas?"

"We should call the cops."

"So you wanna tell 'em about the castle? They'd never believe us. Have any other ideas? What do we do?"

We both sighed as we pondered.

"Let's punish the king." I said.

"The king? You mean that other world's Kamoshida? I didn't think of that but is there any meaning to-"

"I finally found you." a familiar, condescending voice spoke up, causing me and Ryuji to jump in surprise.

"You say something?"

A black cat with turns of white fur on it's face and tail suddenly hopped onto the alcove's table.

"Don't think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you."

It was then that we realised the voice came from the cat itself and it didn't take too long for us to realise who it was. Ryuji looked at the cat and then turned to me.

"That voice? Is that you, Morgana!?" he exclaimed in shock.

"How dare you, up and leaving me the other day!" the cat, now confirmed to be Morgana, scolded as we backed away from the table in alarm.

"The cat's talking!?" Ryuji shouted once more.

"I am NOT a cat! This is just what happened what I came to this world! It was a lot of trouble finding you two," Morgana said angrily, his words snapping us out of our bewilderment as we processed what the talking cat had just said.

"Wait, you came to our world!? Does that mean you've got a phone!?" Ryuji questioned in wide-eyed disbelief.

Morgana gave Ryuji a look that could almost be escapes a smirk. "You don't need one when you're at my level. I did get pretty lost making my escape though." he explained in a condescending tone that just left more questions than answers.

"That doesn't explain anything," I countered.

"That aside, why can you talk!?" asked Ryuji. "You're a cat!"

"How should I know!?" Morgana said.

"You hearing this too?" Ryuji asked.

"Meow?" I asked.

"This is no time be joking around!"

"You guys are having a tough time of this, hm? I heard you mention something about witnesses," Morgana said in a knowing tone

"Oh, shut up."

"You know I could tell you a thing or two about what to do about Kamoshida. You were pretty close just a moment ago."

"God, that condescending attitude! This thing's gotta be Morgana!" Ryuji muttered, me nodding along in agreement as Morgana turned to him with a glare of his own.

"You were still doubting me!?"

"Ack! Quiet down!" Ryuji said.

"We really have to be looking for a cat in a busy time like this?" an older voice spoke up, one that I recognised as the teacher Ryuji and I ran into when we were late on my first day.

"I just heard a meow somewhere near here." a younger voice chimed in.

"Make sure you check every nook and cranny around." the teacher while shaking his head and we watched as the pair left the courtyard.

"Meow? Does that mean only us two can understand what you're saying?" asked Ryuji.

"Looks like it," Morgana confirmed as he began licking himself.

"Well, this is all kinds of confusing right now," I groaned as I shook my head, with Ryuji scratching the back of his in frustration.

"What the hell's going on? Anyways, what you were talking about earlier. Is it for real?" Ryuji asked.

"You're quite the skeptic for being an idiot," Morgana.

"Hey, tell us more. Then again, this probably isn't the best place," Ryuji suggested before suddenly grabbing Morgana and raising him in front of me by the stuff of his neck. "Here, stick it in your bag for now! It should it small enough to fit!"

"Hey! How dare you treat me like..." Morgana began to shout

"Yeah, yeah, we know. Just bear with it until we make it to where Ryuji wants us to go. Until then, into the bag with you," I said before setting my bag down on the table and stuffing Morgana inside, zipping it up before it could escape.

I followed Ryuji towards the direction of the school rooftop.

"Don't be so rough with me!" Morgana exclaimed after we made it to our destination and I set the bag down with the zipper open, allowing the trapped cat to escape.

"Enough of that!" Ryuji scoffed. "You said you know how we can do something about Kamoshida, right?"

"It has to with what this guy was talking about earlier. You'll need to attack his castle," Morgana said proudly, though his words didn't really make sense to us.

"What do you mean?" Ryuji asked.

"That castle is how Kamoshida views this school. He doesn't realise what happens in there but it's deeply connected to the depths of his heart. This, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida," Morgana clarified and while Ryuji still looked lost, I was starting to understand.

"What'd happen?"

"A Palace is a manifestation of a person's distorted desires. So if that castle were no more..."

"His desires would go too," I said with a confirmed nod, my words prompting Morgana to beam at me proudly.

"Precisely! You sure pick up on things fast!" Morgana praised.

"For real!?" Ryuji called out before the blonde looked down at Morgana in a. curious tone. "He's gonna turn good!? But is that really getting back at him?"

"Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart. However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain. Kamoshida will be unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he'll confess them himself!" Morgana explained further, smiling proudly as we looked at him in surprise.

"You for real!? That's possible!?" Ryuji exclaimed.

"And since the Palace will no longer exist, he'll forget what we did there as well. Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down but there won't even be a trace of our involvement," Morgana finished, looking as proud as ever as me and Ryuji digested everything we learned and liked everything that was said so far.

"That's amazing!" Ryuji spoke up excitedly, looking down at Morgana with a beaming grin. "You are one incredible cat!"

"True, except for the cat part!"

"So? How do we get rid of a Palace!?"

"By stealing the treasure held within," Morgana said, his words once again sparking confusion among us.

"Stealing?" Ryuji parroted.

"I'll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this. It's my most valuable, secret plan, after all. If you want to help me out, I'll gladly teach you. What's your call?" Morgana said cheerfully

"Our luck's running dry looking for witnesses. Guess we have **** but to go along." Ryuji spoke.

"You're right," I said.

"Good." Morgana nodded happily before his head snapped up as if he recalled something important. "Oh right, there's one more thing I should tell you, if we erase a Palace, there is no doubt that the person's distorted desires will be erased as well but desires are what we all need in order to survive, the will to sleep, eat, love in fall, those sorts of things."

"What're you getting at?" Ryuji questioned slowly, sounding wary.

"If all of those yearnings were to vanish, they'd be no different than someone who was shut down entirely. They may even die if they're not given proper care," Morgana dropped the bomb. "So..."

"They might die!?" Ryuji exclaimed in fear.

"Will you listen to everything I have to say first?" Morgana let in an annoyed tone.

"Would their **** be our fault?" Ryuji muttered in a horrified tone.

"Aren't you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?" Morgana pressed, his annoyance seemingly growing as Ryuji began to express disinterest in the plan.

"Hey, what do you think?"

"I'm interested." I said.

"For real!?"

"Sheesh, I come all this way and this is what I get. It's not like anyone will ever find out," Morgana said in a disappointed tone while shaking his whiskered head.

"That's not the point! If we just go around doing whatever we want, we'd be no better than that fucking Kamoshida." Ryuji said, kicking a peddle across the school's rooftop and prompting me to roll my eyes while Morgana let out a groan.

"Isn't this your only option?" Morgana said before making his way towards the fence. "I'll come back later. Make sure you've made your decision by then."

I had already made my decision. Kamoshida needed to be stopped, it didn't might if that scumbag died.

"Man, we're getting all worked up for nothing, dammit!" Ryuji shouted in frustration. "I'll try and see if we can figure out another way. C'mon, let's get outta here."

"I'll see you tomorrow." I said with a wave before heading to the roof's exit and towards the school's entrance.

After leaving school, I got a message from Ryuji.

[Ryuji: Yo, some guys in my class have been talking.]

[Ryuji: About that Suzui girl. Looks like rumours are going around about her and Kamoshida.]

[Ryuji: If they're true, it's no wonder I couldn't get her to talk.]

[Ryuji: Still, something about that doesn't seem right.]

[first_name: What do you mean?]

[Ryuji: It's just impossible.]

[Ryuji: I've known Takamaki and Suzui scene middle school.]

[Ryuji: There's just no way Kamoshida's their type, y'know?]

[Ryuji: So, I gotta wonder where those rumours came from.]

[Ryuji: I guess we'll get to it tomorrow. See ya!]

One train ride later and I was at the Shibuya. I thought about everything and realised my life had turned into an anime. What's next? I somehow end up getting a harem or meet some kid from the future, calling me daddy. I walked down the steps that led to station square.

"Will you please give it a rest!? I told you, I'm not feeling up to it." an annoyed voice exclaimed, causing me to pause my walk to see the familiar form of Takamaki, hard to miss with the blonde hair and red leggings, who appeared to be arguing on the phone with someone.

A serious argument at that if her expressions were anything to go by.

"Wait, what!? That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher!?" she exclaimed.

Oh hell, is she talking to Kamoshida? I had worked out there was something going on between them but I didn't think...

"This has nothing to do with Shiho!" Takamaki exclaimed, her words making my blood go cold.

It was shortly after that that I saw Ann look down at her phone in disbelief, as if she was told a close family member passed away. Assuming that she got hung up on, I could only watch as the blonde curled herself into a ball, hugging her knees and trying desperately not to cry. I wanted to help but I wasn't sure if I should. Memories of the last time I tried to help someone started flashing in my head and initially, I felt the need to walk away. It wasn't my problem to deal with. That line of thought dashed as quickly as it appeared though. I did follow that plan, I'd be no better than the other students who ignored Kamoshida's actions. With that in mind, I quietly walked towards the distraught girl in hopes of helping her.

"Shiho's starting position..."

I was a few paces away when she turned to me like she'd known I was there all along.

"Wait, were you listening?" she questioned, her tone fearful.

"Not on purpose." I apologised, hoping my words would allow the blonde to loose up a little.

"Haven't you heard of privacy?" she stated with a glare before she let out a tired sigh. "No, I was out of line. Sorry."

I shrugged. "It's fine. Are you okay?"

Takamaki wiped her eyes of the tears that were about to fall.

"So, how much did you hear?" she asked.

"You were arguing," I explained as a pained expression returned on Takamaki's face.

"I see... that is true." she muttered before looking at me with a glare. "It's nothing at all. Nothing..."

With that last word, the tears in her eyes finally started to falls she ran towards the underground walkway. I rushed after her in worry. Thankfully, she didn't go off too far; after rushing down the escalator, I was easily able to spot her near a green pillar near the train map. She really did stick out as Ryuji said. With her in sight, I slowly made my way towards her, wanting to make sure she didn't run away again. Once I got close, she turned to me with a fiery glare.

"Stop following me. Just leave me alone!" Takamaki shouted.

"Calm down." I said as gently as I could, trying my best to convince the girl I meant no harm.

"Why do you keep worrying about me?" she questioned, the tears she tried to shed now falling freely as she continued to sob.

The crying put me on high alert and I began to desperately think of the best way to calm her down.

"Let's go somewhere safe," I offered.

"What the heck? I really don't get you." Takamaki muttered in response.

Ann leg me away from the station and onto Central Street. After a few moments of walking, we found ourselves inside a Big Bang Burger in Shibuya.

"I don't have anything to talk about with you," Takamaki said, her voice weak but still harsh as she glared at me before turning away, as if in shame. "It was just an argument."

"With Kamoshida?" I guessed, frowning when the stressed girl nodded slowly before resting a hand on her face, looking like she was ready to talk.

"You've heard the rumours, haven't you? About Mr. Kamoshida?" Takamaki questioned, me nodding grimly in response as I watched the girl toy with her napkin. "Everyone says we're getting it on but that's so not true!"

I nodded.

"I figured. You don't seem like the girl who would do something like that. At least to me," I said as Takamaki looked at me with surprise before closing her eyes. "Then that means Kamoshida really was the one you were talking to."

"Yeah, he was. I avoided giving him my number for the longest time. When we first met. I'm sorry, I was using you as a way to rebel against him. Why else would your "let's have sex until the rain stops" pickup line work? He told me to go to his place after this. You know what it means?" Takamaki hissed, tears leaking from her eyes.

"What...? You mean Kamoshida was..." I trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"If I turn him down, he said he'd take my friend off a regular on the team," Takamaki continued, her voice slowly breaking as she spoke.

My hands balled into fists.

"I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho's sake. I can't take it anymore."

I wanted to say something that would help her cheer up but looked away as I knew nothing I said would matter. Not for something this ****. But it still hurt to see the girl in such a state.

"I've had enough of this. I hate him!" Takamaki cried out as she turned to me desperately. "But still, Shiho's my best friend. She's all I have left at that sorry excuse of school! Tell me, what should I do?"

I hissed as I tightened the grip on my knees as I helplessly watched the girl beg me to help. I wanted to do something. I sympathised with Takamaki's plight. I feel the same way when Ryuji was in danger a few days ago and I could only imagine the pain the blonde was in. Morgana's idea was the only solution, I just needed to get Ryuji on board.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It's not your problem." Takamaki said, snapping me out of my thoughts to se her wipe away the rest of her tears.

"Don't go to him," I replied. She looked up at me with confusion across her face. "Just don't."

We stared across the table at each other and then Ann wiped her eyes. "That's some sound advice and a bit obvious."

I smiled and shrugged. "I'm smart like that. Have you told your parents? The principal?"

Ann shrug her head. "My parents aren't really around. I mean, I;m not an orphan or anything. Their work has them aboard a lot, is all. And he's too careful. He's never books when he asks for it. If I accused him of anything inappropriate, he'd just chalk it up to a misunderstand."

I did not know what to say to this. "I met Shiho. She was nice."

Ann giggled. "Yeah, she is. She helped me a lot when the rumours about me got bad. That's why I don't want her to lose everything because of me. What am I saying? I've barely even talked to you before."

"It's fine." I said.

"Huh? You're so weird. Usually everyone just ignores me. Are you a bad person? I've heard people talking you but I just don't see it."

"I'm bad to the bone," I joked with a grin, happy when I heard the sounds of Takamaki's stifled laughter.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Takamaki spoke up after continuing her laugh.

"It made you laugh, didn't it?" I countered with another grin, getting a slightly amused head shake from Takamaki in response before she frowned while facing me.

"I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations. You seemed lonely, almost like you didn't belong anywhere. We're the same in that regard. Maybe that's why it's was so easy for me to tail to you," she explained. "Is there really no way for me to help Shiho? I wish he'd just change his mind. Like, forget about me and everything. As if something like that would ever happen."

"It could happen," I muttered before I could stop myself, her words causing Morgana's plan to pop into my mind once more.

Before I could take my words back, Takamaki looked at me with a curious gaze before a slight giggle escape her lips.

"I wasn't asking for a serious response," she said with a small smile, much to my surprise. "But I do feel a bit better now."

"No problem, Takamaki. Happy to help," I assured with a gentle smile of my own.

"I'm gonna head home," Takamaki said as she got up from her seat. "Don't tell anyone what I told you, okay?"

"No worries. I won't say anything," I assured.

Takamaki turned towards the exit. "I'll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. Well, thanks."

It was a little sad to see her go after listening to her story but she truly did appear to be in a better mood than before. I just hoped Kamoshida would not bug her throughout the night. I was disgusted that the man was trying to use Takamaki in a vulgar manner. To go as far as two get it on with his student. My opinion of the man plummeted further and further the more I thought about her and I desperately wanted to tell someone about this but I couldn't, I promised that I wouldn't. It was then that I reached into my pocket, pulled out my phone and groaned when I noticed the time I had no idea I was even talking to Takamaki for so long. I better get home before Sojiro gets even more pissed at me.