Maybe it was because I had succumbed to the pain soaring up my arm but the next thing I knew, I was being filed out of the room. The door to the classroom clicked shut and I spun to find the class president standing there. His dusty, chestnut coloured hair lay flatly against his forehead, curling slightly at his nape. He faced me, fingers positioned on the frames of his glasses, shielding hazel coloured eyes. His other hand on my upper back, he gently guided me forward.

Not wanting that, I forced myself to a standstill. "I'm not going."

He let out a weak laugh. "Oh, come on. You don't have much of a choice now."

"Actually, I do," I enunciated through the pain. "I'm not going to that hell."

"Look, I know the infirmary typically has students loitering around, but as long as you wait outside the room for the nurse to come out—"

"You know the nurse. He never comes out!"

Daichi Sugiyama's face right then proved to me that he knew.

I couldn't stop the anger from pumping to my extremities. "And the hell do you mean 'students'?" I asked incredulously. "The place is filled with delinquents so early in the morning like this. Lunch isn't any better. I'll wait until after school to corner the nurse before he leaves. Or I'll go to the doctor. That simple."

I pivoted on my foot to storm back into the class. Daichi extended his hand to stop me. I looked up at him in disbelief.

"I know that seems logical," he said, primming his mouth. "The infirmary is scary. But think about it. You'd be hurting Ms. Osaka."

"What?"

He adjusted his glasses again. "You probably noticed how bad of a mood she's in today."

"That witch is always cranky."

"But not as much as today," he corrected. "She actually broke up with her boyfriend yesterday and has been an emotional wreck since. Hurting you is only furthering that. Returning to the classroom now would only make her pay more attention to you. She may even threaten to give you detention until you agree to get your arm checked out."

I rose an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you know about her boyfriend?"

His hesitation confused me. But, following that prolonged silence, he shrugged.

"Aki Mitsoyu told me."

As if I was hit by a brick, I was left staggering.

"No way," I gasped. "You got help... f-from—"

"I needed to find a way to dodge detention. Exploiting a weakness was my only option."

"Wait! Detention?"

He guided me down the corridor. His poise had to have been a fabrication, and yet he effortlessly maintained it.

"The principal threatened me with it because I got caught up with a hooligan from another school."

"B-but, Aki Mitsoyu is the delinquent freshman who works under the Raidon Tsuki—the most dangerous delinquent in this entire school and city! I have heard that his information bank is fearsome—that he has blackmail on anyone and everyone—but... but..."

I couldn't believe my ears; summon my voice past a whisper. Of all the people the class president of my class could go to blackmail for, he asked the Aki Mitsoyu?

Nobody messed with the number one delinquent, Raidon Tsuki. Well, if you even tried, he and his two subordinates would kill you. While Raidon was a legendary troublemaker in his own right, Keisuke Yamasaki and Aki Mitsoyu were equally as dangerous. The two could kill you in their sleep, by the rumours I'd heard. And since they rarely showed up to school, rumours of their notorious deeds made it known to everyone who went here—no, the entire city.

Just as you wouldn't get involved with Raidon, you didn't look twice in Keisuke and Aki's direction. That fact came as easy as breathing.

Miyabi, that orange-haired delinquent, and those boys having that bloody scrimmage in the hall minutes ago—all were babies in comparison to the strength of those three.

And yet Daichi went and visited one of them? Because of Ms. Osaka?

"It's hard to explain," he said, scrambling for words, "but basically, I witnessed something I shouldn't have. It got me into a load of trouble. The principal even called me in to her office asking about it, but I was scared so I lied and told her I didn't know a thing. But she didn't buy it. She mercilessly threatened me with detention."

I pictured Mrs. Hamada, our strict as a demon principal—the sole figure keeping a reign on this already crumbling academy—and shivered. Though I'd never met her personally, she was famous. Most delinquents, if not all, were scared of her, and that said a lot about her existence at this school.

"You've had to have heard the rumours about detention," Daichi continued, a film of tears appearing over his eyes. "I couldn't afford going to that hellhole. So I panicked. I begged. Eventually, she gave me a chance: Ms. Osaka had to get it out of me. But you know how ruthless our homeroom teacher is. She threatened me with five weeks of detention and only made the stakes higher the longer I kept quiet. But, I couldn't tell her. That delinquent from the other school would hunt me down and kill me if I tried. That's why I had no other choice but to—"

"—go to... you know who... as your last resort," I finished in his stead. "You asked for blackmail to use against her."

"So she would forget about it; lighten the punishment. More than anything, I don't want to threaten her either. But, negotiating wasn't working, so I..."

My eyebrows furrowed, attempting to digest it all. "Sugiyama," I eventually breathed. "That's messed up."

"I'm ashamed of myself, too," he mumbled. "But... it was either detention or death. I'm such a coward when it comes to delinquents. Even now, I know I'm being very selfish, but... please let me use your situation alongside the blackmail I got."

He broke out into a respectful bow, leaving me stunned.

Somehow, seeing this unfold, I was reminded of yesterday. That female officer who pulled me aside, asking to give the physical description of the boy who assaulted me.

Daichi was in the same boat. He was a normal student like me. He got involved in something he shouldn't, and was desperate to do anything to get out of it.

Even if it meant taking advantage of my situation which had sprung out of nowhere...

"If you head to the infirmary, I could use the guilt she feels for you on top of the blackmail Aki gave me." He clasped his hands together. "Please."

I wasn't one to be manipulated by others but this was a request coming from the class president. And I for one knew how horrible it was to get in trouble for something that was not your fault—this school was full of that stuff. Besides, I really did want to get my arm checked out. It was killing me.

Oh, whatever. I was planning on seeing him one way or another today. Might as well do so before my arm's condition worsened.

"All right," I said.

His shoulders sagged with relief. He rose his body, gazing at me with watery eyes.

"Thank you, Kikuchi. I— Wait."

"Wait?" I cocked a questioning brow.

He scratched the back of his head. "Well, um, I am grateful that you're going to the nurse and all, but if you head right back to the classroom afterward, it'll only relieve Ms. Osaka and make it harder for me to use your situation."

"Are you trying to say..."

"Do you think you can not come to class today at all? That way Ms. Osaka won't be able to tell if you're fine and feel even more guilt. It would help a lot when I negotiate."

I face-palmed. "Sugiyama, you do know how ridiculous that sounds rig—"

"Please, Kikuchi! Please! I know I'm being super, duper selfish right now, but..." His pout and undoubtedly adorable puppy-eyes made me flinch. "I'll help you with anything too! Whenever you want! I just need this! Detention... Detention is the last place I want to go!"

I instantly felt sympathy. There was no way I could say no. If the infirmary was torture for regular students, detention was hell. There was so many rumours circling around it but they were better left unsaid. The entire place was filled with the worst of the worst. Delinquents, knives, guns, and death—it was an utter nightmare no sane person wanted to be apart of.

"Please!" he begged one last time, head bobbing in another bow. "Kikuchi—"

"All right, I get it."

His head shot up. "You'll do it?"

I was almost blinded by the brightness of his growing smile. "Yes."

He fist-pumped. "Yay! I love you, Kikuchi. You're the best! Thank you!"

Even though I was assured this would result in something horrible, seeing him so ecstatic blew that premonition into smithereens. "Don't mention it."

"Whenever you need a favour, come to me, okay? I'll help!"

I nodded, unable to withstand his contagious smile. "Okay."

"So, with that all said, do you mind if I leave here?" He spared a discomforted glance over my shoulder. "I wouldn't mind escorting you to the infirmary like Ms. Osaka asked, but... we're kind of close and I already hear screams..."

As the words left his mouth, my heart stopped. It didn't take long for the distant yells to reach my ears also. My complexion drained in colour alongside Daichi's.

He gently patted my right shoulder. "Thank you, Kikuchi. Really. Good luck."

Without bothering to wait for my response, he took off down the hallway we came from. My jaw collapsed as more and more shouts filled the air.

I gnawed on my lip and scrubbed my right hand down my face.

Well, I better say my prayers.