"Dad, you can't be serious!"

"I already said it's final."

"I'll die! Dad, please. I apologized! It was a mistake!"

He shook his head, not wavering in the slightest. I'd have hoped he would cave—his only daughter was wailing with tears in her eyes—but he instead stood his ground, and that itself was scary.

Unlike Mom who had a reputation for being stubborn, Dad only displayed that side of him periodically. The only time I'd seen him the most adamant was when he got his job at Akelius and forced me to attend.

Seeing as Dad showed it again, it must've meant I screwed up.

Big time.

"Mom!" I cried, facing her. She sat idly on the sofa. "Tell Dad he's being ridiculous! You saw it! I didn't punch him, Iwasaki did!"

"Regardless of what I saw—which I didn't—Iwasaki and you were definitely in front of the unconscious officers." Mom had her arms folded over her chest, face scrunched up angrily. "I don't care who knocked them unconscious, just be grateful that you both got off the hook with simple community service."

"Then I'll stick with that!" I clenched my fists for emphasis. "Just not the infirmary! I didn't do any—"

"Didn't do anything?"

My heart leaped at the chilling voice. Mom's already scary expression warped into one more murderous as she propped a leg over her other one. Colour drained from my complexion when her eyes met mine.

"Reina Kikuchi," she enunciated. "I gave you specific orders before I left for the party. I told you to make two batches of cookies and bring them over by four. And yet at five o'clock, you were outside, without the cookies, and involved in some trouble you shouldn't even have gotten yourself into."

I squared my shoulders. "I swear to God, Mom. I made those cookies! But, Iwasaki—"

"Stop blaming Iwasaki." She cut me off. "This is our issue, not his. Take responsibility for your own actions."

My mouth clamped. Usually, I'd have concurred a lot sooner because both my parents were against me on this. But this issue was entirely different. This wasn't even my fault! I shouldn't even have received a community service punishment because if those officers were able to remember anything right, I wasn't the one who punched them. And yet they automatically assumed Ryu and I were in cahoots, blaming it on the fact that we were arguing aka "planning" about something before they fell unconscious.

How ridiculous was that? I was outright furious! More so, because my parents sided with the officers. They couldn't see how corrupted Ryu really was, somehow implying that he was innocent and I was the evil mastermind.

I couldn't fathom why. My parents—the two people who knew me all my life; the ones who should have it engraved that I abhored fights and delinquents more than anything in the world—had the audacity to doubt and not have my back on this. Why didn't they? Honestly, I was more enraged about that aspect than the actual punishment given to me by the police.

Because, of all the things in the world, they decided that not only grounding me was fitting enough, but having to assist my dad in the infirmary was better.

If that didn't tell you how much I was crying inside, I didn't know what would.

"You're working in the infirmary and that's final," Dad said for the umpteenth time.

I squirmed at the thought. "Dad, I'll die—"

"You won't die." He sighed as if it were stupid how panicked I was. "Stop overreacting. Every morning and also lunch break you will report to the infirmary to help out. I'll give you the basics of first aid starting tomorrow."

My jaw had collapsed. "Morning and lunch? But those are the busiest times! That's when it's mostly packed with those... those monsters!"

"The term is not applicable," Mom scoffed. "They are human beings, like you."

"No, they're not! They're psychopaths!"

"Enough! You are seventeen, not five!"

I scrubbed my hand over my face in defeat. "Okay, fine. Whatever. I'm a terrible person who deserves nothing but punishment, right?"

Lurching to my feet, I stomped out of the living room and up to my room without another word.

"Where do you think you're going? We're not done discussing this, young lady—"

I slammed my bedroom's door shut, locking the door behind me. Running my fingers through my hair, I clasped them, letting out an aggravated huff. I spun around to fall onto my bed. Burying my face further into my pillow, I snivelled.

This was so unfair. I absolutely hated that guy. Why did he have to get so involved with me anyways? Let him ruin somebody else's life for once.

My parents didn't understand. I'd always been awkward—found it so difficult to fit in and make friends—and yet instead of a regular public school, they thrust me into a delinquent academy regardless of my protests and anxiety. Maybe because they weren't actual students there they could ignore the risks (and Dad's unlikely job), but I hated it there. I was terrified. And yet...

Screw Ryu Iwasaki. If he tried to talk to me again, I'd curse him out. Chuck something at him, too. I didn't want anything to do with him anymore. But, I guess now I had more dire things to worry about than severing those pesky ties with Ryu.

Primarily, helping out in the infirmary from now on. Every single day to boot.

The thought allowed me to shudder.

I wasn't going to survive. No way, no how. I couldn't comprehend how Dad did it, but there was no normal human being capable of controlling that haven of delinquents. And now that I had to help out during the busiest times, my death was practically assured.

I was literally so unlucky it was funny.

* * *

"That basically sums up all that's necessary for first aid. Any questions?"

"Um, I don't necessarily have a question but something to say."

Dad spared me a glance. "Which is?"

"I don't want to die!"

He rolled his eyes and rose from his desk. "We've been through this, Reina. I'm not changing my mind."

I clicked my tongue. "Fine. But when you attend your daughter's funeral, you'll be the one regretting this."

"I won't, because you're not going to die," he said. "Stop acting like this is some notorious, maximum security prison. This is an infirmary. And it's the nurse's role is to help the students feel better."

"But nurse's aren't supposed to treat gun wounds!"

"I get paid extra."

I couldn't believe my ears. "I am not treating any wounds inflicted by guns!"

"Nobody said you had to. I'll take on all the complicated requests. You'll be in charge of simple bandaging and first aid." Tucking away a few documents under his arm, he yet again adjusted his glasses higher on his nose. "Now, I've got to head to the office real quick. Be on standby."

Fear overwhelmed me, and my eyes glazed over the clock. "By... myself?" I asked. "But it's almost eight o'clock."

Judging by the way he rolled his eyes, he was completely through with me.

"I'll be back soon," was all that he said before pivoting on his foot and casting a final wave over his shoulder.

I could only watch as he exited the room without a regard to spare me a final glance. I whimpered. What a horrible dad I had. This would be the last time he ever saw me so you'd think he'd care a little more.

Shaking my head, I pushed aside the daunting thoughts. No, I needed to think positive. I wasn't dead yet. If I played my cards right, I'd survive.

I paid one last glance in the direction of the doorway. Fortunately, nobody was coming inside. Lurching to my feet, I scurried up to Dad's desk and rummaged through the drawers. I'd hoped to stumble across a helmet of any kind, so when I couldn't find one, I admit, I was disappointed.

Biting my lip, I grabbed the sharpest pencil I could find before racing up to the windows. Peeking through the curtains, it was to my horror to spot students filing in through the front gates and into the building. My heart stuttered in my chest. I immediately covered the window with the curtains before they could see me. My back against the wall, I crouched and crawled under the bed, alarmed and alert.

Now, at least, my safety was assured. I'd get out of hiding when Dad returned but until then, I was staying under here. If a rabid student did end up waltzing inside, I'd stab him or her with my pencil and jump out the window. The plan was perfect.

When my current situation settled in, my expression morphed in discontent. If I was as oblivious about the school like Dad was I'd think I was crazy. Or a weirdo. Then again, I'd rather be safe than sorry, even if it meant discarding all rationality and the minuscule dignity I possessed.

It might've been about five minutes of me laying in the same position with no students or activity to greet me before I started reconsidering my actions. If nobody was going to come, there was no point of me remaining tucked under the bed like this. And if Dad came back now, he'd for sure yell at me for it.

Surveying my environment one last time, I crawled forward like a caterpillar. Once I was all the way out, I jumped to my feet, patting myself down to rid any dust sticking to my clothes. There wasn't any at all, considering this had to be a sanitary place, so it only lasted a few seconds.

I returned the pencil to its original position then flopped onto the bed, letting out a breath. I wanted to leave already. How much longer would Dad be gone for anyways? The office wasn't that far from here...

Right as the thought came to mind, a loud groan fill the air. My breathing hitched, and I rapidly fluttered my eyelashes. I doubted the sound, telling myself it was only my imagination. Until, of course, there was a deafening crash to the floor.

All the hairs at the back of my neck stood up simultaneously. Nu-uh. There was no way this was happening. Nobody was here. My imagination just loved scaring me.

"H...lp..."

The hoarse whisper jolted me once more. It took all I had to not flee out the window. Inhaling a deep breath, I inched over and poked my head through the curtains to see who it was. At first, nothing reached my ray of vision. My shoulders sagged, and I was filled with relief. See, I told myself I was imagining this all!

"He...lp..."

In that moment, it felt like ice was travelling through my veins, not blood. Trembling, I craned my neck downwards with a big gulp.

A body. Laying face-first into the ground, completely still and motionless, with blood soaking his uniform.

Absolutely mortified, my jaw collapsed.

A corpse!

There was a corpse!

"G-gi...ve... m-me..."

The male continued speaking in between shaky intervals. Raising his head, the worn out and pallid face of his came into view. I sucked in my breath at the sight.

"Give me...?" I hesitantly said after him once his words settled in. Although I knew it was in my best interest to run, the male in front of me seemed seriously injured. I should at least toss him some band-aids. "A band-aid? Let me grab some!"

I raced for the cabinet at that, chucking things over my shoulders for the first-aid kit.

"N-no!"

His sudden shout caused me to flinch and drop the gauzes I had in hand. He didn't want band-aids? That was a joke, right? Pivoting on my foot, I mutely watched as he extended his hand towards me.

"I-I... need," he started again. "F-f..."

He was still trying to say something? "F...?"

Just then, a loud rumbling sound erupted, making me cringe. His head dropped as he croaked, "F...oo...d."

My eyebrows shot upwards once I digested his words. I was so certain he was going to say something along the lines of "first aid" or anything to help him stop the bleeding. But, instead, he was asking for...

"Food?"