riSe HiGhsCHool aU: 8

riSe HiGhsCHool aU: 8

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Commissioned by Ihaxlikenoob

Wordcount: 2500

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The sun was shining and the sky was clear as a new day dawned upon Kuoh. Miyakuro and I sat atop the school rooftop, basking in the glory of what we managed to do, while we consumed what might possibly be our last meal.

“Hah, right, you have parents who care about your future. That’s cute.” Miyakuro laughed as he fed himself and did his best to keep Angela away from his food. It was a one-sided battle entirely in Angela’s favor, since none of Miyakuro’s companions were coming to his aid. “Why don’t you try being a rich orphan like the rest of the school, huh? You really should’ve considered that before you decided to be born, y’know?”

I didn’t reply to Miyakuro’s needling, because the day after I received and accepted my first confession, I was partaking in a breakfast made by Eli. The Kouhai Breakfast Bento is a masterpiece of the highest order. It’s primarily rice, fried eggs, and cut-up frankfurters. There was no miso soup, no seasoning on the rice, and no sign of vegetables whatsoever. It was simply Japanese rice with western food atop and by the side. 

Wow, my girlfriend is the best!

“Yep. Praise me. I’m the best. Four hours of sleep to make breakfast, help wreck the school, and secure an escape route for everyone not taking the blame. That’s me.” Eli puffed out her chest while crossing her arms. While throughout my life, I’ve had may regrets, giving her the compliment that made her so pleased made me happy enough to take a seat in the corner and just let the world do with me as it wished. “Wait! That was supposed to be acting snooty, Senpai! You were supposed to take me down a peg, not be content with your life and let go!”

“Nah, he’s off to a better place now. He was worrying about disappointing you the whole morning, but you heap praises on him the moment he does what you want. Seriously, just let him die. If he’s like this from you being happy, he wont’ survive doing what you want him to do to ya.”

“Shut. Up. Miyakuro.”

“Hah? Are you going to make me?”

“No, but Angela will.”

“Yes. I will protect my Kouhai’s romance.”

“You traitorous, food-stealing bitch!”

“It is not stealing. I am taking my dues as a worker. Ura.”

“My maid cafes’ actually the start of the next communist revolution!?”

Okay, nearly lost my will to live due to the comfy aura exuded by Eli, but the looming dread over being ostracized my society forever managed to bring me back. Did I miss anything important?

“No. You didn’t. Nothing important happens when these two conniving idiots are involved. Ever.” Miyakuro gave up on the remainder of his meal in favor of the coffee Angela had been pressing against his face. As he took in the dawn, he looked upon the city, and laughed beneath his breath. “Yeah. I can’t do it after all. I’m definitely going to take all the credit for this, Hyoudou.” 

“Nah.”

“Nah? Just nah? Are you serious?” Whenever Miyakuro got caught up in something he knew was wrong, he could never look someone in the eye. It was an obvious tell, but it worked. Most wouldn’t be able to tell what he’s thinking. A lot of people, most people really, analyze and read the face. So, by turning away and speaking normally, Miyakuro can manage to get a lot of people to think he’s not troubled. It’s his way of hiding in plain sight. It was really hard to see through, too. “So, you’re just going to let yourself be fucked over for life? I can take whatever punishment they dole out, while you can’t. I’m rich. You’re poor. I can get away with doing this sort of shit, so why don’t you just say thank you and leave it to me, so we both come out of this happy.”

The other problem was that Miyakuro was logical and candid. He didn’t say anything that he didn’t mean and, when something really mattered, he didn’t lie. Put those two facts together with his way of speaking, just coldly and coarsely telling the truth, then most people will just get beaten down with logic until they couldn’t think of an argument against him. He bludgeoned people with words mercilessly, until they did what he wanted, unless they were able to do one, singular thing: stick to their guns and do anything to win.

If I let him have his way, he’ll take the entire fall for helping Li. And, of course, he wouldn’t take just the blame for me either. He’d take the blame for everyone, because he could, and take on the harshest punishment possible, so that anything more would have to be a slap on the wrist. Miyakuro’s the kind of guy who’d never hesitate to let himself get hurt for another person’s happiness, even if that someone was a stranger he’d never met before, simply because he could… and because he didn’t think himself worthy of protecting. 

But just because he thinks that way doesn’t mean I did, too. 

“So? I’m not going to back down. You’re my friend. Not just Li. If you’re in trouble, then I’m going to help you out, too.” Speaking to Miyakuro when he got it in his head that he had to do something is different. Every world had to be come from the heart and then carefully chosen. I’m lucky. I can actually tell what Miyakuro really felt, so I could pick and choose what I needed to say, even though I really just wanted to tell him to stop being an idiot and tell him his plan is stupid. If I did that, then some of his employees will just come by to pluck me away. He needed a reason to have me leave, so I’m going to make sure he didn’t get one. And, since I was sure he could easily beat in my little brain with words alone, I called in reinforcements. “What do you think, Angela?”

“Dammit.”

“The blame should be spread out amongst us all.” Angela’s attention had been on the food Miyakuro had distracted her with, probably something incredibly tasty that he’d made the night before, but between food and Miyakuro, she’d always choose him. “If possible, I would like the punishment to be collectively distributed amongst everyone, as to ensure that nothing like this will happen again. It is better for the entire generation to learn a mild, unforgettable lesson than punish the few and let the lesson be forgotten.”

“I…that’s not even communism. That’s some strange, lightweight dictatorship’s odd punishment policy.” Miyakuro shook his head and faced Angela head-on. Yes. If his focus was diverted, then I had a chance at getting away. Not from the imminent punishment for basically turning over the entire school and invalidating a whole school day, but from… avoiding… that punishment. Yeah. I can’t really think about my situation any more than I had to. No matter what I do, I think that I’m stupid, even though I’m doing the right thing. “Why don’t you just go back to eating, Angela?”

“No. If the faculty was wise and didn’t simply allow the students of this school to do as they wished, they could have stopped this from occurring. Caring for children means stepping in and disciplining them when necessary.” Y-yeah, that’s right. My idea of taking my share of the blame wasn’t completely correct, but the picture Angela’s making is! Why do we have to go to these extremes? Shouldn’t we just be kids who come to school to learn? I mean, sure we should have freedom, but at some point there needs to be some adult supervision, right!? “Allowing Li Song to have so many admirers, especially many with so much influence, ought to have been stopped. Therefore, the faculty is also to blame for this current issue. We would not have had to do this, if matters were handled properly by the individuals meant to guide and care for students.” 

“…Are you serious? Really? You expect the teachers in this school to do anything about the insane student body operating in here? Half the people here are practically superhuman. Or filthy, fucking rich. Hyoudou’s the most normal person here and he basically has a harem and can get people like me to help him out.” Miyakuro massaged his face with one hand, while keeping his weight on his cane with the other. Angela ate while her boss/boyfriend/landlord/whatever spoke, making sure to enjoy the rising sun in the distance, as we spoke upon the roof of the school. “The faculty can’t do anything. They’re just normal, professional teachers. Heck, one of them spoke to Creighton the other day and put in his notice of resignation the next day! And, I knew about it because the dean thinks he needs to report that shit to me!”

R-right… so… I’m wrong and Miyakuro’s right… augh. My head hurts. Several hours of turning the school upside down, as well as planning to get caught, and being afraid for my future’s catching up with me. Now that I was actually thinking about things, Miyakuro’s suggestion made sense. He was pretty much beyond reproach, along with all the other kids who were absurdly capable and rich. Kuoh’s basically just a place where talented and rich kids go to turn in tests, until they’re spread across the world to do amazing things. Really… didn’t it make sense just to let one of those superhuman people take the blame, especially when he wanted to?

“Ummm, uh, so I’m just a budding researcher for multi-verse theory and an orphan, so I don’t have much power… but if you have that power… why bother getting in trouble in the first place.” Eli’s intruding words were music to my ears, because the moment they were said aloud Miyakuro froze and Angela’s speech stalled in her throat. Before I knew it, I was in front of my girlfriend and flailing wildly as to make sure Miyakuro kept his distance. Away with you, chick magnet. I don’t believe a word you said about me having a harem. I just got Eli and she’s mine. Back off! “D-did I say something strange? I feel like I did.”

“No. You didn’t. I’m angry at you for pointing out how stupid I get when Li Song is involved. Fuck you.” Miyakuro stopped flailing and disengaged. I didn’t know cane hurt so much, but I bore the pain for the sake of Ulrich. Jeez. It’s like getting hit with a ruler. Anyway, my sharp-eyed friend, having taken out his anguish on me, turned towards Angela. “Contact the principal. We’re coming clean. We did this in order to prevent the school from imploding. He can blame us and give us a slap on a wrist, gain some reputation, but make sure he knows if we didn’t do this the school would have exploded. Make sure he knows I’m the boss. Got it?”

“Yes. Inform, impress, and then blackmail. Standard, efficient techniques. I approve.”

“I didn’t ask for your approval. I told you to do it.” Miyakuro turned to me, then glanced at Ulrich. A terrible, bone-chilling smirk formed on his face. His smile was definitely some Fujoshi’s fetish. Not the initiate Fujoshi, either. The hardcore ones that are basically Otaku amongst Otaku. That smile was the sort only people who love 2D more than real life could appreciate. “Well, Hyoudou, I suppose you’re going to get introduced into the top of the food chain, now. Thankfully, you have a few friends who can help you out.” Wow. Miyakuro, did you know you’re fifty times more terrifying when you don’t curse? “Don’t worry. Being at the very top just means you only need to worry about everyone else. It’s not so different from anywhere else on the totem pole. Trust me.”

Right.

I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m terrified anyway.

…

My meeting with the principal of Kuoh had been the most nerve-wracking moment of my life. I’d only chosen to apply for Kuoh since Rias and Aria were going to be spending time there. My entrance exam barely had me pass, so the only reason I was even considered allowed in was due to Rias and Aria’s parents doing something about the situation behind closed doors, and even then, I had to meet with the principal and get a stern talking to about propriety and what was expected of me in his academy for the gifted and talented… whose parents would not like their children being waylaid from their futures by a young man with connections. 

The man was bald, bespectacled, and always wore a tux. A few of kids cried with me during the first assembly when he addressed the class. To be honest, he was less of a principal and more of a Yakuza leader, especially since his glasses were polarized. I had nightmares about him performing German suplexes on me for failing tests just about every term. In a way, I respected him a lot, since I definitely improved as a person while attending his school… and right now he was in a dogeza while Angela served Miyakuro tea in his desk, while I uncomfortably stood as the “muscle” behind him. 

“It’s good that you understand the circumstances. Just follow through with what you’ve been instructed and everything will proceed properly, despite your mistakes.” Were the blinds behind the table closed when we entered? The room had been pretty bright when we’d come in. However, Miyakuro’s swathed in shadow, with a single ray of light shining off the desk to illuminate his jaw and bangs in the morning light. We’d been escorted in here by staff after we were caught, yet the head of the school was apologizing to us. Yeah. I’ve definitely stepped into another world beyond my imagination. “I overestimated your surveillance abilities, as well as your skills in critical thinking. I won’t make the same mistake twice. From now on, you’ll be receiving orders from me regarding any threats to my stable, school life, understood?”

“Yes. Miyakuro-dono!”

“Good. You know your place. Go knowing that any mistakes from you will not be tolerated, but any achievements you accomplish will be rewarded. Dismissed.”

“Thank you very much, Miyakuro-dono!”

And, with those final words, the man who I’d feared ever since stepping foot into high school stood up, bowed, and left the room. 

Miyakuro laughed beneath his breath, while I did my best to remain standing. 

After our overnight relocation and reorganization of the school, the two of us were caught, apologized to by the authorities involved, and now we’re practically getting away without a single blemish on our personal record. No. It’s actually even better than that. We were now lauded heroes amongst the faculty for stopping the school from imploding.

All because Li had Coda.

And, we’re just “normal” kids in highchool.

What the hell.