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Chapter Text

6:49 AM
chris prince hate club

Isagi: get me the HELL out of here

Chigiri: omfg what happened this time

Isagi: 5 page essay 2k words due in 3 days

Isagi: and the topic is so random and irrelevant

Isagi: HOW DO YOU FIT 2K WORDS IN 5 PAGES

Chigiri: yeah no

Chigiri: we’re only two weeks into this unit how are you writing essays already

Reo: cooked

Isagi: shut up you both have chr*s pr*nce

Reo: thanks for censoring it

Chigiri: why is he always butt booty naked while teaching istg

Chigiri: and he claims that its “for the ladies” there is not a single female in this facility

Bachira: well there's anri

Reo: nah he's lying it's so he can seduce noa

Isagi: LMAO WHAT

Isagi: WHAT

Isagi: WHAT

Bachira: nah you got twin tweaking

Reo: there is NO way whatever freaky thing those two got going on is simply casual

Otoya: hmo lavinho and chris have 100% explored each others bodies

Bachira: 😨

Nagi: They prolly practiced kissing w e/o

Chigiri: Did you just place a headcanon on a real person?

Isagi: how do YOU know what a headcanon is?

Chigiri: brominos pizza how do YOU KNOW

Isagi: no comment

Chigiri: 🤨

Raichi: I'm raichi jingo and I like shidous abs

Isagi: what

Chigiri: wtf

Chigiri: raichi...

Raichi: THAT WASN'T ME

Raichi: THAT WAS NOT ME

Raichi: STOP

Chigiri: idk if I can believe you on this one buddy…

Raichi: SHIDOU TOOK MY PHEON

Raichi: THAT MOTHERFUCKER

Shidou: hey now 🥴 I didnt fuck yo mama 😣 I fucked yo daddy 😎

Isagi: that was NOT funny

Raichi: Get away from me.

Chigiri: bro is a victim

Shidou: victim of what

Chigiri: you looked like you haven't showered in 6 weeks

Chigiri: why the hell is the chat so dead

Chigiri: @everyone get online

Karasu: not everyone is skipping class ffs

Karasu: some of us are actually paying attention??

Chigiri: and you're one of them?

Karasu: nah

Karasu: I can't bring myself to suffer in the same room as Rin Shidou and Luna

Chigiri: valid

Chigiri: dude prince is wearing a fucking bikini how is he even allowed in

Isagi: i don't think ego cares about education anymore 🥀

Isagi: he's creepy as hell I don't even wanna go near him

Chigiri: and he's always talking about power and control and shit like that 💔

Chigiri: literally why is comp sci a mandatory class

Chigiri: i learn JACKSHIT in there

Chigiri: i swear they're training us to be professional hackers or something

Isagi: scam caller training school 😭✌️

Isagi: no but why is physical education a required class

Isagi: I don't mind but what??

Isagi: we don't even have club sports and stuff we just play in our free time

Chigiri: i think we don't have club sports yet cuz it might mess up the district

Chigiri: i mean the school just got here

Isagi: ego needs to fix his shit bruh

Isagi: it's so bad trying to play football with literally everyone else on the field at once

Chigiri: lowk feel bad for those kids who play tennis or basketball or the like

Chigiri: they don't even have a place to practice😭

Isagi: workout room the only thing saving me rn

Isagi: but the booking list is like 3 weeks long like atp i'm just gonna buy a bench press and treadmill for my dorm

Chigiri: dude where are you even going to put it

Chigiri: the dorms are like 10 square feet

Raichi: 👅

Yukimiya: GIVE ME MY PHONE BACK BITCH

Shidou: hehe

Isagi: raichi???

Yukimiya: fuck you want

Chigiri: nah 😭

Karasu has sent one video

Isagi: bye why does shidou have raichi’s phone 😭😭

Chigiri: how did luna not notice ts happening

Isagi: isn't the french stratum like on the other side of the building

Yukimiya: this RABID MONKEY broke into our classroom, took my phone, then ran off with it

Isagi: dude just get it back

Yukimiya: BITCH I TRIED???

Yukimiya: DID YOU NOT SEE US FIGHTING IN THE BACK??

Isagi: im at the spanish stratum

Yukimiya: ☠️

Karasu: dw i have it

Yukimiya: what

Karasu: i was told to give it back to ya since there wasn’t anything interesting ig

Yukimiya: FYM I'M NOT INTERESTING

Karasu: shidou said it not me 🤷

Yukimiya: fine I'll give yukki his phone back

Yukimiya: go to the bathrooms

Karasu: aight

Bachira has sent one attachment

Bachira: my prince charming came to save meee

Isagi: 😝

Reo: HOW did you escape lavinho’s class

Reo: isn't he on the verge of insanity or something and hooked onto MDMA

Isagi: what is wrong with our teachers bro

Bachira: ones a stripper, another a druggie, we also got a sleep paralysis demon, a robot, and an overeager shinobu cosplayer from 2021

Isagi: snuffy the only normal one in here goodbyeee

Reo: HELP THE SHINOBU COSPLAYER

Reo: IS THAT LUNA???

Bachira: WHO ELSE??

Bachira: this man walked around wearing purple flare leggings and an oversized tie dye button up 

Bachira: idk why he's even heading the france stratum he don't even know french ☠️

Isagi: no cuz ego needs to get better teachers we are NOT learning here

Bachira: ok but random anri the vp kinda reminds me of scarlet overkill

Isagi: that's a bit reaching

Bachira: no nononono hear me out

Bachira: she's got that menacing aura

Bachira: like she seems nice and sweet, yeah?

Bachira: but i feel like she's got bigger intentions and using us all

Bachira: mirroring how scarlet used the minions

Isagi: okay but with scarlet it was like known that she's a villain

Isagi: she was never nice to begin with she was just pretending to be polite to the minions until they got crowned

Reo: what is this 1.6 GPA conversation

Reo: are we deadass comparing our teachers to a universal studios character

Bachira: read it

Bachira: and tell me i'm wrong

Nagi: ur wrong

Nagi: she's more like umbridge

Bachira: FROM HARRY POTTER???

Isagi: now you're DEFINITELY reaching

Isagi: she's a bit unsettling but she's not evil ☠️

Bachira: she expells people more than ego though

Nagi: yh and she has all our files

Nagi: knows everything

Nagi: creepy :x

Isagi: wait acc?

Bachira: yes 😭 😭 we had like 300 students at the start and now we're down to 100

Bachira: half of em gone bc of anri

Bachira: she's like egos supervisor or something

Isagi: oh nah

Isagi: also i swear do people just disappear after getting expelled or what

Isagi: because after Kira got expelled he hasn’t texted me since

Isagi: I haven't seen anything from naruhaya or iiemon either

Bachira: i think kira’s just bitter 😭

Nagi: so bitter why so bitter bitter

Isagi: not even a post on his socials

Isagi: like hes gone

Bachira: eh he’ll turn up someday

Bachira: who gaf 🤷

“This is our sixteenth lap, how have we not gotten caught yet?” Bachira whispers, skipping through the halls. Isagi stepped besides him, still tapping away on his phone.

They turn the corner to Bachira’s classroom, where if you peeked inside you could see Professor Lavinho drowsily slumped over his desk, a small pack of pills next to a box of tissues, his eyes bloodshot and hazy.

Isagi had no idea why Ego hired a drug addict to teach at a private academy, but he wasn’t going to go complain to the man. Last time someone did, they were expelled. Immediately. It wasn’t even a complaint but just simply telling Ego something was wrong and that the water machine was broken.

Besides being addicted to ecstasy, Professor Lavinho was also known for his incredible sharp senses, noticing a phone or even slight movement like a hawk. An ugly hawk, because his mohawk undercut with braids into a samurai bun looked like a blind man had styled it. It looked disastrous. Professor Lavinho claimed he used to be a dancer, which explained how he was able to move so fast.

His reflexes were unusually quick for someone who supposedly did street dancing in his twenties.

Bachira jumped onto Isagi’s shoulders and peered into his room, watching Otoya suffer with his writing and nearly collapse into a heap at his table. His fingers inched towards his bag, preparing for the correct moment to take out his phone and text. Text who? Isagi doesn’t know. But he can guess it was either Karasu or Shidou, the only people Otoya ever seemed to hang out with.

“You should go back… before they see us and ask us why we aren’t in class,” Isagi mumbles. Bachira nods.

“What’s your excuse though? Bathroom?”

“I guess so,” was Isagi’s response. Bachira grinned, before turning on his heel and shuffling into class.

Isagi watched him sit down at his desk, the classroom air sucking all of Bachira’s energy that he had previous to his entrance.

The hallways of the Blue Lock facility were dim, the lighting similar to a tiled subway. It was dead silent, besides the soft footsteps occasionally growing louder before becoming faint. The smell of rubber and almonds hung in the artificial air. Grit stuck between the floorboards, and bugs trapped in the lights above. You couldn’t tell this was a new and recently built school from looking at it.

Isagi had fortunately been placed into the German stratum, which was headed by one of the only sane teachers in the building. Madam Anri appeared glass-like in a way that she would kill you in your sleep if you weren’t careful, and Sir Ego came straight out of a horror movie with a touch of sadism. Professor Lavinho was in the clouds 24/7, Professor Luna had no idea what social norms and boundaries are, and Professor Prince had never heard of “cover.” Professor Noa and Professor Snuffy were the only half-normal teachers in the building, but even then Professor Noa showed no emotion at all and Professor Snuffy seemed two sneezes away from lung failure.

Sir Ego had said they were the “finest instructors across Europe,” but not a single student believed him. They all assumed that it was difficult to find proper teachers for a recently made school, so he had hired anyone. It certainly looked like that.

11:28 AM
chris prince hate club

Isagi: im so bored

Isagi: i hate comp sci ugghhh

Chigiri: comp sci is so buns 💔 literally what is the point

Isagi: its so bad i'm watching this one kid play freaking ROBLOX on the computers

Isagi: we YES WE are not passing ts

Niko: wait ask him for his user I wanna join

Niko: i HATE comp sci

Otoya: its so easy hello??

Niko: idgaf

Isagi: sodapop14456

Niko: thanks

Niko: wait who is it

Isagi: erm idk i think his names kiyora

Niko: ok

Niko: tell him to accept my request

Isagi: done

Niko: ty

Chigiri: these side quests be getting out of hand

Rin: I'm going to bash prof Luna’s head in with my keyboard if he doesn’t stop talking.

Isagi: HI RIN

Isagi: hows comp sci for you

Rin: shut the fuck up

Rin: These imbeciles are making me lose my mind

Chigiri: sounds rough buddy

Nagi: best subject

Chigiri: yeah for YOU

Chigiri: lazy bumfuck you're just playing games

Nagi: dont careee

Nagi: its like a free period anyway

Shidou: why are you all even doing the work

Shidou: just play games nothings blocked

Shidou: i see karasu scrolling through twitter fights and switching tabs to REDDIT

Rin: Maybe some of us don’t want to be unemployed and homeless in the near future?

Shidou: i think thats js you bud 😂✌️

Isagi: ok but genuinely why is this even a mandatory subject like why do all of us absolutely HAVE to learn coding and scripting 💔

Isagi: what

Rin: It’s a useful class

Isagi: for YOU

Isagi: i just want to be a successful football player and buy my mom a house 💔💔

Chigiri: wait thats so sweet

Hiori: WHY ARE WE SPAMMING THE CHAT

Hiori: also istg its always just chigiri and isagi on here

Isagi: I'm so done with this class

Isagi: atp I'm just going to make a roblox account and join @Niko

Chigiri: 😔

Chapter Text

1:03 PM
Private messages between Karasu Tabito and Hiori Yo

Hiori: hey

Karasu: hey

Karasu: how are you putting up

Hiori: god i HATE history

Hiori: tell me why it's absolutely necessary I must be informed about some old bums and their temper tantrums

Hiori: none of this crap is important

Karasu: 2 more classes we got this 🙏

Hiori: government next though

Hiori: I swear the rope just tied itself

Karasu: the gun just loaded itself

Hiori: REAL I’m doing the comp sci hw right now you cannot force me to care about this bs

Karasu: wait we got hw for comp sci?? 😭

Hiori: yes?? 😭😭

Hiori: you just code stuff with java and its graded on how complicated it is or wtv

Hiori: here let me send you a video of mine so far

Karasu: alright

Hiori has sent one video

[The video is a recording of Hiori’s computer screen. When he clicks the “Go” button, a door spawns. When the door is clicked, text appears reading “let that sink in.” The door then opens and a sink comes through, the text changing to “well in that case.” A briefcase falls out of the sky and springs open, revealing a stone well with moss growing on the bricks. The text changes once again to “this is not a drill,” with a hammer slowly fading into view.]

Karasu: LMAOO WTF IS THAT

Hiori: my glorious masterpiece ofc

Hiori: i WILL be getting full credit on this 🤣🤣✌️

Karasu: 😭😭

Karasu: I don't have a single clue how to script

Karasu: I was scrolling through twitter the whole class

Hiori: bro ☠️

Hiori: what were you looking at

Karasu: these middle aged men fighting a minor over gender rights 💔

Karasu: it was a 4v1 and they still got their asses handed to them

Hiori: ate that up ngl

Hiori: wanna go thrifting

Karasu: today?

Hiori: if you wanna

Karasu: sure im down

Karasu: just us or others too?

Hiori: whoever you wanna invite

Hiori: I might bring kurona and isagi if they're free

Karasu: ill ask otoya or shidou

Hiori: bet

Hiori: i need new shirts

Hiori: you think I'm gonna find any band merch?

Karasu: idk 😭

Karasu: i just want some hot new jeans

Hiori: to attract the huzz (otoya)

Karasu: exactlyyy

Hiori: we should do one of those youtube shorts rizz app videos

Hiori: the really cringe ones with shitty pickup lines

Karasu: LMFAO YEAH

1:16 PM
This conversation has no name
Karasu Tabito has added Hiori Yo and Otoya Eita to the conversation

Karasu: Hey fine shyt

Karasu has renamed the conversation to ‘rizzing the shawty’

Hiori: holy airball

Hiori: ur so cringe

Karasu: THIS WAS YOUR IDEA???

Otoya: nahh…

Karasu: bae please do you think I'm cringe

Otoya: do you want the honesty

Karasu: …yeah

Otoya: yeah you’re cringe

Otoya: I find it hot tho dw

Hiori: 💀

Hiori: rizz app says “Are you a campfire? Because you're hot and I want s'more.”

Karasu: Are you a campfire? Because you're hot and I want s'more

Otoya: omg ur making me blush

Hiori: rizz app says “What else can I say to make you blush even more?😏”

Karasu: What else can I say to make you blush even more?😏

Otoya: 😳

Otoya: you can ask me out on a date 😵‍💫

Hiori: rizz app says “I love your confidence, where do you have in mind?”

Karasu: I love your confidence, where do you have in mind?

Otoya: uh idk

Otoya: can we go to this churro place

Otoya: it opened up nearby

Karasu: of course babelicious

Hiori: yall aint even together what the hell are these pet names💀

Karasu: stop being a hater yo

Otoya: that was so hot the way you stood up for us 🥺

Hiori: 🖕

Karasu: 🙄

Karasu: also babycakes wanna come thrifting with us

Karasu: we can go once we get the churros 😉

Hiori: I am NOT third wheeling ts bro 💔

Karasu: then invite people to come smh

Karasu: Isagi and kurona are in your stratum aren’t they??

Hiori: dude we’re IN class rn I can't just get up and start asking

Karasu: what do you have your phone for 🙄🙄

Hiori: 😒

Hiori: fine ill ask

Karasu: okayyy

.

.

.

Karasu: did you get a response yet

Karasu: yoo hoo

Karasu: hello

Karasu: any day now…

Otoya: its been 4 minutes 💀

Karasu: sorry honeybear 😓

Hiori: wrap it up 😭

Hiori: also isagi said maybe and kurona said yes

Karasu: good for you!

Hiori: wdym good for me

Hiori: this is a group hangout??

Karasu: no??? ur literally crashing my date wtf

Hiori: ?!?!?!?

Hiori: ok fuck you ig

Karasu: 😜

Rin was peacefully doing his homework when a distraction arrived in the form of Isagi Yoichi.

Rin was expecting this, of course. Recently Isagi had taken up a habit of spending his afternoons in the study hall with him. It was bothersome at first, but gradually Rin got used to his presence.

That didn’t mean he was looking forward to it, though.

Isagi was one of the strangest people Rin had ever met— besides his bobcut friend who cannot speak english to save a life— and Rin cannot understand at all why, after nearly a month of telling him to fuck off, does he still come back with a stupid, lopsided grin on his face.

Rin pulled his head back in and looked over at Isagi. One glance at the doorway and he wanted to leave, to pack his shit and get the hell out of the study hall.

Isagi bounced over cheerfully. Rin, in no mood for nonsense, got straight to the point. Their conversation went something like;

“Hey Rin! I hope you don’t mind—”

“I do.”

“That Bachira can study with us as well!”

“He’s worse than you.”

“Great! Have you heard about Raichi? He found this room…”

Of course, Isagi tuned out all of Rin’s complaints. Maybe Bachira had matured from the last time Rin saw him?

Rin scoffed. As if.

During the second week of school Rin had been painfully forced into tutoring Bachira Meguru to speak english. It was a nightmare. Bachira took nothing seriously and spent the whole period making airplanes. When one of them hit Rin in the head, he would’ve thrown his chair at him if it weren’t for another student grabbing him.

After that fiasco, Bachira transferred to the Spanish stratum, and surprisingly picked up the language better.

Rin hoped he would never have to study with or tutor him again.

“...Rin? Have you been listening? It’s crazy, he said he found all these files and envelopes, and there were blueprints of government buildings there too! I know Chigiri doesn’t believe it —”

Rin looked at Isagi, wondering what the hell he was yammering about. Secret files? Government blueprints? It sounded like a load of bullshit in his opinion, and probably some half-assed attempt to seek attention.

“I don’t believe that crap either,” was all Rin said on the matter. He pulled out his textbook, but before he could even open the page, Bachira's stomach growled.

“I’m hungry… Can we all go to the canteen together? And buy something from the vending machines?” He asked, pleading. Isagi, that idiot, seemed all too excited to postpone their study session, but Rin put his foot down.

“You both can go. I’m not leaving.” Bachira grabbed Rin’s arm as if he could drag him to the canteen by force.

“Please?” Bachira was now shaking Rin in his chair, who was bewildered on why it was necessary for him to accompany them.

Isagi, patient as ever, tried to pry Bachira’s hands off before Rin threw him across the table.

“If Rin doesn’t want to go then it’s okay. I’ll go, alright?” He turned to Rin, “Do you want anything from the canteen?”

Bachira seemed happier once Isagi said he would go with him and was now clinging to his arm. Something about the scene changed Rin’s mind.

“Forget it, I’ll go,” He said, unlike himself. His gaze wandered down to Bachira’s arm woven tightly around Isagi’s, and then fixated on Isagi’s small grin and how his whole demeanor brightened at the acceptance.

“If you’re sure, Rin,” Isagi smiled. Rin turned his face away.

The trip to the canteen is a quick one, and the three of them walk — or in Bachira’s case, happily skipping — down the hallway and nearing the faculty lounge.

As they pass by, they hear voices filtering through, the loud shouts of Professor Prince and the hoarse tones of Professor Lavinho.

Bachira, ever curious, glides over to the almost-shut door, an ear turned toward the slight crack. However, there was no need for secrecy, because the two instructors were so loud that anyone nearby could've heard their conversation.

“When is it going to start? We’ve been cooped up here for a month —”

“Ah, be patient Chris, Jin said it’s in development. You don’t want to be unprepared, do you?”

“Still, how long? I was promised riches and revenge! He could be bluffing, god knows why I even trusted that man —”

“You’ve seen the proof with your very own eyes! May I remind you what we saw in the garage? Or do you want me to tell you of the childhood tale ‘The Tortoise and The Hare?'”

There was silence, and Rin assumed the two men were glaring at each other.

“Maybe he will frame us —”

“Jin wants this as much as we do! As long as we play our part well and watch over the… expendables, we’ll have a much higher chance of success!”

“You need to open your eyes, Lavinho.”

“And you need to cover more. What are you wearing, a bikini?”

“For your information it is a Chris Prince Deluxe Exercise Gear Set! One of my best products and chafe free…”

Rin decided he heard enough. Stepping away from the door and making sure his translator buds were still in his ears, he walked to the canteen in silence, with Bachira and Isagi close behind him chattering excitedly.

“— and what were the expendables? Money?”

“— what do you think is in development? Why was Prince so mad?”

“— I think he was just impatient, but why?”

“— a bit suspicious too, after the secret file room Raichi found as well.”

“— do you think there's something bigger behind all of this?”

Their overlapping of words was drowned out by collective noise from the canteen. It seemed the second classes had ended for the day the whole student body had come to eat or hangout in the same place. The vending machines were nearly empty.

In the corner by the usual table, other members from the friend group could be spotted. Chigiri and Kunigami were sharing a bag of chips, Reo appeared to be spoon feeding Nagi pieces of watermelon from the canteen line. Shidou was sitting on top of the vending machine, kicking his feet.

“Look who finally came down from the study hall! What’s up Rin-Rin?” Shidou grinned from atop. Chigiri, Reo, and Kunigami all waved at them.

Rin ignored Shidou and sat down next to the others, waiting for Bachira to grab his food and leave. Isagi sat down next to him as well.

Bachira, however, forgot all about the reason he came to the canteen and struck up a conversation with Chigiri, talking a mile a minute about everything — from the conversation in the teacher’s lounge to computer science homework assigned yesterday. It only took a minute before Isagi and Reo joined in as well.

Rin stared boredly out the window as he overheard snippets of the conversation, waiting for it to end.

“— right, it seemed so suspicious! The way they were all so cryptic about it —”

“— maybe the drugs finally leaked into Lavinho’s brain, who knows?”

“— god the homework was so stupid, what do you mean it’s graded on how difficult it is —”

“— the pamphlets made this school look so fun, what a lie —”

“— right?? We were promised top-notch classes, yet every day it only gets more boring —”

“— we should all go rollerskating in the gym! And at night, so it's more exciting! 😝”

Everyone paused and turned to Shidou, who only smirked in response.

“Wouldn’t it be fun to try not to get caught?”

Chapter Text

Shidou and Bachira were the first to arrive at the gym, each holding a pair of rollerblades by the laces. Shidou’s were bedazzled with stick-on gemstones and colored a bright violet, while Bachira spun around his sleek brown skates by the laces.

Chigiri showed up next, a bag loosely dangling from his arm. Inside were his roller skates, in a shade of soft yellow. His hair was tied in a loose braid, resting on his shoulder.

Reo and Nagi were the last, Nagi coming in tow. Reo held two brand new pairs of skates, both shiny and clean. Nagi was rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he trudged toward the group.

The clock on the wall read 10:19 PM.

“Did you just buy those?” was the first thing Chigiri asked an approaching Reo, who just grinned in response.

“Yeah, I had to get them delivered here within 6 hours, seeing as we can’t leave the damn building,” he said, before switching to Chigiri, “where’s yours from?”

Chigiri laughed. “I borrowed them. I think Bachi and Shidou are the only ones who actually brought their own.”

Bachira and Shidou in question were in a deep discussion about the wood quality of the gym floors. Chigiri spared them one quick glance before focusing on tying his skates on.

“Reo… I’m like a car…” Nagi muttered, gliding across the gym floor as stiff as a statue.

It was very anticlimactic. Nagi fell asleep on the benches, Bachira was simply spinning around, stuck at the same spot, and Shidou was clearly the only one actually enjoying this— judging by the large grin plastered on his face. Chigiri did about 2 laps around the gymnasium before he came to the conclusion that he would very much rather spend his night sleeping and catching up on homework than whatever they were doing now.

Reo was voicing similar complaints. “This was a complete waste of time, I don’t know why I even bothered to buy these things in the first place…”

His monologue was interrupted by Shidou, who decided it would be the perfect time to hit a backflip. The landing was as loud as gunfire, and Chigiri wouldn’t be surprised if they got caught now.

Honestly he was already preparing to run for it.

Shidou did not care that his theatrics made the gym louder than XtremepowerUS 1500W Electric Auger Post Hole Digger, which can be found on amazon for $175.00. He took a bow and proudly proclaimed, “Who gives a shit!” in response to the baffled and concerned looks on everyone’s faces, excluding Bachira. Nagi had even woken up from his slumber to peer at him through his lashes, blinking away sleep.

Bachira started applauding Shidou as if he had done something simply wonderful, before suddenly stopping mid clap.

“Guys… I hear something.”

He did not have to say it twice. The second those words were processed through Chigiri’s ears, he threw his bag behind the bench and ran, spurring everyone into action.

All five of them sprinted down the hall like it was some weird chase sequence from Roblox’s The Mimic. It was making much more noise than Shidou’s backflip, but not a single one of them cared.

They just prayed it wasn’t Ego who found them.

Chigiri took the lead, overtaking Shidou with his speed. They took a door through the courtyard, hoping the darkness of the night would hide them, but the garden lights were on.

Another right and they ended up in the auditorium through its side exit, before running backstage.

From then on it was just pure instinct, trying to find any place that they could hide in until they could sneak back to the dorms.

Like some dysfunctional parade, they ran through the hallways in a single file line, Chigiri leading the front and Nagi bringing up the rear, being dragged along by Reo.

They almost took a lap around classrooms, and the footsteps were getting louder and increasing with each passing second.

Chigiri took one more left and there — a door under the staircase, hidden from view. The small metal board on it read “Janitor’s closet.” He prayed it was unlocked.

It was unlocked, but only because the janitor had forgotten the key in the door knob. Did Blue Lock even have a janitor?

“Hope they don't mind, then,” was all Chigiri said before ushering everyone in.

The closet was empty, and something felt off about it. All the walls were a solid iron, and Chigiri could even see his reflection in one of them. It looked more like an elevator than anything.

“Move, bitch!”

“You’re in my space —!”

Before Chigiri could think about this, however, there was a quick beeping noise, then another, a bit louder. Bachira, closest to the source of the noise, spun around and was face-to-face with a panel of buttons.

There were six buttons, one for the first floor, one for the second, one for the ground floor (they had another floor?), the open and close buttons, and the emergency stop button.

Bachira had been backed into a corner due to the overflow of people in the tiny cramped box and had accidentally pressed the ground floor button with his elbow.

The lights in what Chigiri now realized was indeed an elevator flickered, before the box plummeted. Bachira clung onto Shidou while Nagi lazily draped himself over Reo like a blanket.

“What–” Reo gasped, tripping over his feet and cutting himself off. “Is this– !”

“I think I accidentally pressed something,” Bachira wheezed, arms curling tighter around Shidou’s as he shook. “My bad…”

Chigiri squeezed his eyes shut. “Holy shit—”

He was gripping Reo’s arm like a lifeline in the cramped box when the elevator finally stopped in its furious descent. The small trip down only took a few seconds at most, but the shock and speed made it seem like several minutes. The doors beeped again, before opening. The room beyond that greeted them looked ready to swallow them whole.

It was dark, and there was the strong smell of almonds and iron wafting through the air. Papers were scattered around the large tables placed, and quite a few boards were pushed to the side. It seemed more like an open conference room, as there weren’t any walls surrounding it, but shelves arranged together in clumps to make the area more secure.

The gaps in the shelves lead to more darkness, and the bottom level seemed to extend even further. Chigiri shivered.

“We’re probably way underground right now, aren’t we?” Bachira hopped out of the elevator with renewed energy. Nervously, Chigiri followed.

“I’m not sure, it seems a bit dangerous to have a whole floor down here without any emergency exits leading right outside.” Reo reasoned. Shidou, on the other hand, cut all pretense and went straight to the papers decorating the table.

“It won’t hurt to look around..” was all he said, before rifling through the files, reading them from cover to cover.

Chigiri, curious, picked one up.

 

EXPENDABLE #4022

Overseer: Anri Teieri

Transformation took exactly 29 minutes and 46 seconds longer than previous (#1275)

Excessive shaking

Expendable retained minor consciousness during the process, quickly removed.

Kept minor physical features after process

Durability level 3 during testing

Lasted for 12 minutes and 19 seconds

Result: FAIL

Chigiri stared at the paper, before putting it back on the table. Nothing made sense to him, but he did recall Bachira talking about the conversation he overheard between the two teachers, and how they referred to something as ‘expendables’ as well…

The second thing Chigiri picked up was a letter, hastily stuffed into the envelope it was delivered in. The letter was typed instead of handwritten like the report, with a small logo in the corner. It was a small shield shape with black and white stripes, and a small U in the center.

 

Marc,

We have recently stumbled upon a new piece of information regarding the Republic. A man named Jinpachi Ego has requested an alliance with Ubers, and is calling for a member to assist him in return for the help he is promising for us. We are calling back all the old members. My friend, it is finally our time.

We have found several new members as well, and I think one of them may interest you. We are trying to secure funds to educate them, but to be honest our building more or less has turned into a private school.

Please write soon.

Missing you,

Mick

Chigiri had no idea who any of the people were, nor what Ubers was. A car brand? He distinctly remembered that Professor Snuffy's first name was Marc, but decided that he really didn’t care as much.

Shidou seemed to be having more fun poring over the random papers than he did. This was probably the first time Chigiri had seen the boy genuinely excited to read.

 

Revolts In Manshine City

Robert Moore

As of March 23rd, 2021, the famous revolutionary group in Manshine City, popular for their viciousness and determination for the demands they are advocating for, have retreated back, leaving Manshine City in a calm similar to that of after a hurricane. The group had begun their protests in early January, when the policy regarding British citizenship had been published officially. The group, dubbed as the ‘Manshiners,’ also fought for equal housing rights to all people. Their most recent protest was last night on March 22nd, 2021, where the group had stormed the Office of the Prime Minister and the Privy Council, and did not stop until this dreary morning at 3:46 AM. Most protesters turned away when the armed forces showed up, but one man, Agi Owusu, attempted to fight back. He was detained on the spot.
Roberta Johnson shares the events from her perspective. “Last night was a terrible chaos, and I worry for our political state after this!” she stressed, reporting from her apartment building that same night. “I really hope the ringleader of this awful gang is caught soon, disturbing the peace of all the lawful citizens living here.”
For a recap of the last protest by the Manshiners, head to Page 3

Chigiri recognized the city in the newspaper piece he picked up, remembering how a poster and a newspaper clipping of Manshine City hung in Professor Prince’s classroom. He was only idly aware that this might be a sign that his teacher may or may not be associated with these so-called “Manshiners,” if there were clippings of them in the classroom and storage. Before Chigiri could think into it, a noise escaped from a door on the side, sounding like steam escaping from an enclosure. Chigiri made eye contact with Reo before stepping towards the door, and the rest of their group followed.

Inside several tanks stood, darkness shrouding the room. The tanks were transparent and filled to the brim with a navy blue gel-like substance. One of the tanks let out another hiss, soft blue steam releasing from the top of the tank. Inside a body lay.

Chigiri edged closer to the tanks, cautious. The body was blue, with thin white stripes planing over it like a grid. Similar to a robot, it was shaped geometrically with sharp angles and proportions. The head had no hair, but it seemed… almost human.

Chigiri ducked his head to look at where the face would be. A mouth was not there, but Chigiri stared back into the unmistakable burnt golden eyes that once belonged to Kira Ryosuke.

Chigiri’s mouth opened, but a scream didn’t tear out. Bachira and Reo, who were right behind him, stared at Kira’s disfigured face with horror in their eyes. Shidou is poking around the room, not having noticed the identity of who lay in front of them.

Chigiri was about to shout, to call them over, to scream, to cry, to mourn the loss of someone he barely knew but someone who was a living, breathing person, someone who was a son and a student, someone who didn’t deserve to be caught in some psychotic experiment in the basement of a high school, but the sound of the elevator moving again made him clamp his jaw shut.

“We have to move,” he says, his voice echoing in the dim light. They had about five seconds to find somewhere to hide or run.

Behind him, the clear conversation between Professor Anri and Professor Ego rang out.

“Jin, someone is down here. There is no other explanation for why the elevator would need to come back up if the return trip had been made.”

Professor Ego doesn’t respond, but the pair of footsteps get louder with each passing moment.

They all immediately spring into action; Reo runs to the right, through a door leading to what must be the emergency exit, according to the signs above the frame. Nagi runs right after but trips, and in that time loses track of Reo’s movements. That doesn’t stop him as he chases through the door, blindly looking for his other half.

Shidou sprints in the complete opposite direction, booking it without a second thought.

Bachira and Chigiri have no choice but to hide, despite the fact that Chigiri is without a doubt the fastest person there. They duck behind one monstrous-looking machine, praying to high heaven that they wouldn’t get caught.

“If we increase their mental capacities and physical skills, then perhaps we have a chance of success,” Professor Anri’s cold voice filtered through. “Their workload must be upped and the pacing of their studies faster. Increase the time they spend actually moving around in their physical block as well.”

The door they had shut before entering banged open, stark heels clipping the floor and rough fabric shuffling in.

“Another failure! Jin, we have to do something about this, you cannot just waste the expendables. They are insignificant, but not infinite!”

The silence after this statement fills the room. Chigiri and Bachira glance at each other before taking a breath.

11:03 PM
chris prince hate club

Shidou: WE ARE FUCKING COOKED

Isagi: holy hell where are you

Isagi: its been nearly an hour I snuck to the gym and didn’t see you guys

Shidou: yeah about that we are actually so fucking screwed it’s unbelievable

Rin: What the fuck are you imbeciles up to now

Rin: i swear you cannot go ONE day without causing some shit

Shidou: should I explain the context or no

Rin: I don’t give a fuck

Isagi: context

Niko: yes context

Hiori: lurker

Otoya: says you

Karasu: SAYS YOU??

Niko: NONE of you should be talking

Otoya: me and tabby went on a date 😋

Hiori: i third wheeled

Shidou: We almost got caught roller skating so we hid in a closet that turned out to be an elevator and ended up in some secret basement under the school and found some suspicious papers and found a tank with some bodies in it and almost got caught by. Ego and honoring. And I am sprinting for my life right now. I don't know where anyone else is.

Niko: honoring??

Shidou: anri

Shidou: i was using voice to text

Shidou: I actually have no fucking clue where I am lmao

Shidou: I think I see another elevator but im not sure

Niko: why r you swearing so much..

Shidou: IM WORRIED OKAY?

Shidou: ill keep yall updated

Shidou: holy shit wait

Shidou: raichi tell us about that file place you saw

Shidou: u might acc be important for once

Shidou: @Raichi

Shidou: get on lil bro we need you

Isagi: @Raichi

Raichi: let me sleep you dickhead

Shidou: tell me about that file room

Raichi: I already told Kurona go ask him

Shidou: bitch no youre on rn

Isagi: Raichi if its too much to type use voice to text

Raichi: idc its fine

Raichi: you owe me for this btw

Shidou: ???

Raichi creeps into the room with the brain of a fish but the courage of a lion. He doesn’t care that the room is probably secret for a reason and if he is caught he will most likely be expelled. No. He will not be a pussy and shrink away from a dare, especially if money is involved. He tip-toes around the room like a spy from an action movie, acting as stealthy as he could. Raichi whips out his phone and takes a selfie, before rummaging through the drawers for a souvenir.

His hands meet blueprints, some of buildings in Japan, and some that look fancy with a distinct European style. Notes litter the edges, and before Raichi can even begin to read the prints, the door to the room opens behind him.

Raichi shoves the papers back in and dives into the vent that he came through, without sparing a single glance behind.

“Reo! Where are you?!” Nagi has never strained his vocal cords this hard before, but knowing Reo is missing and lost and somewhere in this basement without Nagi makes him throw his lazy mindset out the window.

Hehas been running around in circles for 10 minutes now, and unable to find purple hair or the soft cream hoodie anywhere.

Rationale and caring of being caught gone, Nagi shouts, albeit softly as he had never spoken as loud as he had before, trying to find Reo. He’s not afraid of being seen by Professor Anri or Professor Ego, or being turned into a blue alien thing. He’s afraid because Reo might.

All the papers he’s seen tonight and the body in the tank lead to one thing—the school is experimenting on the students in some form or another.

Nagi is vaguely aware that his phone is buzzing. A quick glance tells him that there is another exit to the upper floors, near the electrical area. Shidou is already back in his dorm somehow.

He passes by another room, before skidding back and peeking around; it’s dark and damp and a perfect place to hide. It’s a lab to grow and breed plants, but there's lots of tables and soft breathing would be harder to hear in an area like this. Reo is smart.

But Nagi knows Reo.

He finds him curled around a bush, texting Shidou and asking him where the second elevator is and how to get there. Nagi doesn’t want to scare him, but Reo still jumps a mile into the air when Nagi lays a hand on his shoulder.

“Reo.”

Reo wraps his arms around him, his eyes still haunted by Kira’s prone form lying in a pile of goo, fear circulating through his veins.

“Let’s go.”

Bachira is so, so, so fucked.

Here’s the situation: two evil professors are standing 3 feet away from them, and one small noise or move will result in him and Chigiri turning into scary blue demons.

They have to be very, very quiet.

And wait.

Unfortunately, Bachira has never been quiet. Or patient. In class, his leg always bounces and his pen spins in his finger. He’s restless. If the lecture doesn’t get to the point, he tunes it out and copies someone else’s notes.

And now his life is on the line.

It seems a little drastic, sure, and he might be blowing it all out of proportion, but Bachira knows Kira was expelled. Kira isn’t supposed to be here. In any way, shape, or form.

But Kira was here, in a condition worse than dead. He was alive, but he wasn’t Kira anymore. Just another statistic and “expendable.”

Bachira hates this.

Chigiri has stuffed all his hair into his mouth to filter his breathing and making it so slow that it is impossible to tell how much oxygen he really is inhaling with every heave. His eyes are squeezed shut and his body is perfectly still.

Professor Ego and Professor Anri are still conversing next to their hiding spot. Bachira is tempted to just spring out and fight them both—maybe knocking them out and calling someone else to help—before it pauses.

And before he knows it, both of the professors leave.

Bachira peeks around the corner, before turning to Chigiri. Chigiri already spat his hair out of his mouth, and despite marinating in saliva for 20 minutes, his red locks curl gracefully around his shoulders and down his back.

Chigiri’s phone is out, and he’s texting the group chat.

Bachira goes to take his phone out too, because if it’s something important then obviously he wants to be a part of it, but Chigiri holds his hand out, before whispering in his ear.

“There’s another exit. We have to go fast.”

It’s a whirlwind what happens after.

Somehow, they find the second elevator and go back to the upper floors. They manage to go back to the Spanish and English dorms without detection.

This whole event occurred in the span of two hours, but it seemed like an eternity before Bachira crashed into his plush bedding and drifted away to sleep.

Chapter Text

Reo lurches up from his bed, blankets pooling around his waist. Heaving, he brings a hand to his forehead, feeling sweat beading. His eyes are wide and shaken, and his body trembles.

It’s been a week since he was in the basement. The nightmares have gotten worse; from flashes of memories and running to detailed dreams about the altered figure of Kira Ryosuke chasing Reo into the gardenhouse. When Reo felt the hand on his shoulder, the worried face of Nagi isn’t what he sees, but instead Professor Anri, taking him away. It’s all too vivid.

Nagi must have heard Reo startling awake, because he climbs down from his bunk and sits down next to him. One arm wraps around, tilting Reo to lean on Nagi. Chigiri rolls over on his bed on the side, before opening his eyes.

“Another night?”

The nightmares aren’t new. Nagi wasn’t as badly affected as Reo or Chigiri had been, but when he doesn’t find Reo in the morning after waking up, Nagi panics. And starts shouting.

It’s been horrible.

The Wanimas are part of their dorm as well, but Reo ignores them most of the time. Between knowing Chigiri before high school and never passing up the opportunity to make a snide comment about him, or just simply being annoying but not enough worth complaining about, Reo could give less of a shit about them. Recently however, they’ve calmed down and kept to themselves for some reason.

This was before Chigiri woke them up in the middle of the night.

He was having a nightmare, obviously, and Reo was clamboring out of his bed to comfort his friend before another voice spoke;

“Can you calm it?! Some of us are trying to sleep here!”

Reo glared in the direction of the twins, whom both were sitting up and looking extremely irritated at the noise of someone panicking in the dead of the night.

Nagi was helping Chigiri calm down his breathing, running a soothing hand up and down his back.

“He can’t help it! Don’t be so rude.” Reo bit out a retort. Chigiri seemed to be calming down, but Reo knew that his heart was still racing. He was more in danger than anyone else had been the night they went, save for Bachira.

Reo shuddered to think what would have happened if they had gotten caught.

Nagi is currently calming Reo the same way he did with Chigiri the other night, but there’s more affection when he’s hugging Reo. More warmth. Reo can feel it.

A surge of happiness shoots through him, even though a minute ago he was feeling anything but. Reo can’t help it. Nagi makes him feel so secure, holding him like this. Reo remembers how Nagi shouted for him, finding him a minute after Reo hid.

Nagi knows him so well.

Chigiri climbs out of his bed, using his flashlight to navigate the random crap littering the floor of their dorm. Thankfully, the Wanima twins are still asleep.

“Hey,” Chigiri says, his voice soft. He doesn’t tell him it’s okay, or that everything is fine, because it’s not. Everything isn’t fine. Chigiri doesn’t say anything, but his presence there calms Reo down, inhaling the smell of coconut and mint shampoo.

Nagi curls his arms around Reo, cuddling him closer, while Chigiri sits next to them both, peaceful. The atmosphere is calm.

And Reo slowly drifts back to sleep.

6:07 AM
chris prince hate club

Shidou: yo fuck me in the ass rn

Rin: WHY is that the first message I have to see this morning?

Shidou: u cannot honestly tell me u like this class its so ahh

Shidou: statistics is a joke

Kurona: “statistics” hly essy 💔✌️

Hiori: kurona…

Shidou: guys ask me a question about myself quick

Hiori: r u happy

Isagi: Shidou what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Rin: would you rather kick the bucket or the chair

Shidou: oh

Hiori: TS FRYING ME

Kurona: ISAGI 😭

Isagi: my fault for texting here this early

Bachira: ohmyogod i hate math

Bachira: i haTEEE math

Bachira: m*th

Kurona: t rl

Hiori: bud NOBODY understands u

Hiori: not a SINGLE soul

Kurona: “bd” wh ds br thnk h s

Hiori: who do YOU think you are..

Shidou: what the hell is stats even about

Rin: It’s not a bad subject

Rin: just poorly taught

Otoya: on GOD

Otoya: cant rely on lavinho for SHIT

Kurona: WHY are we just randomly capitalizing WORDS like THIS

Hiori: no fr

Hiori: its giving when people talked like ✨tHiS✨ in 2020

Shidou: now why are you agreeing..

Rin: Aryu still speaks like that

Shidou: you have friends outside of this gc…?

Rin: are you jealous?

Hiori: i swear noa is AI

Kurona: we should build a blanket fort once we get back to the dorms

Hiori: nvm kurona YOURE ai

Isagi: on the topic of 2020…

Shidou: nah that shit was wild

Isagi: proud to say I was an og gacha kid

Hiori: 2020 was so embarrassing you can’t WATERBOARD that info out of me

Isagi: we were around 11-13 years old genuinely it cannot have been that bad

Shidou: discord 2020 was a TIME to be alive

Hiori: I know for a fact that karasu was a tododeku cosplayer

Hiori: I know this because I would be the one recording him

Otoya: WHAT

Shidou: nah otoya didn’t you have a tiktok with like 80k followers

Otoya: yeah i did

Otoya: benji krol followed me even

Hiori: NO FUCKING WAY

Isagi: BENJI KROL was following YOU?

Otoya: now why you acting so shocked

Rin: Isagi, were you there for the Gacha Club release?

Isagi: omg no way rin??

Isagi: also yes I was

Isagi: YOU WERE A GACHA KID TOO?

Rin: unfortunately

Hiori: not rin making sure isagi is an og

Isagi: 💔

Isagi: reaction videos were the closest we’ve gotten to world peace

Kurona: afton family react to william afton

Hiori: KURONA KNOWS PEAK

Otoya: we all grew up on that 🔥

Otoya: the amount of online friends I made on yt and ended up getting doxxed..

Bachira: the group yt channels with randoms online 😭

Shidou: idk about you all but discord was insane

Shidou: the og ragebaiting

Isagi: HELP I REMEMBER

Isagi: me and kira would lowk troll on servers for fun just to piss everyone off

Kurona: thats so real

Bachira: isagi can u meet me in the bathrooms

Shidou: are yall gonna hold hands under the stalls hello

Rin: dont be weird

Isagi: sure bachi whats wrong

Bachira: nothing im fine

Bachira: i js wanna talk to youuu

Isagi: ? ok im On My Way!

“Bachira? Bachi?” Isagi pokes his head through the doors of the bathroom, before entering inside. Bachira is standing next to the sinks, staring at his reflection, before his head whips around.

“Isagi!” He barrels into Isagi, crushing him with a hug. This would be normal, if it wasn’t for the worrying expression upon his face. The slight downturn to his lips and the faint dimness to the sparkles in his eyes are almost unnoticeable, but Isagi had always been more observant.

“Bachira? What’s wrong? Are you upset? What happened?” He asks with more care.

Bachira’s tiny frown deepens, before he lets out a sigh.

“Isagi, you know how Shidou mentioned how we saw a body in the basement?” He started cautiously. Isagi paused, before nodding. “The person we saw was Kira.”

Isagi froze. Kira? Kira was expelled. Bachira isn’t meeting his eyes, instead staring at the sinks again.

“Are you sure?” Isagi can’t believe it. His childhood friend, dead? It seems almost absurd. That someone he was close to, someone he knew so well was suddenly gone from his life and would never come back. Isagi didn’t even notice.

“I saw him. His eyes. It was him. I’m sorry.” Isagi broke out of his daze to look back at Bachira, noticing guilt clouding over his eyes. “It was my fault he’s expelled. If I didn’t-” He broke off, unable to continue. How long had he been holding this in?

“Bachira, no, it’s not your fault. He tried to get you expelled, you just called him out on it. The people we should be blaming for his death are the ones who killed him. You didn’t expel him knowing he would die, did you?” Bachira shakes his head. “Then it wasn’t at all your fault. Don’t blame yourself. I’m sorry you’ve been carrying this all by yourself.” That seemed to be the final straw. Bachira collapsed in his arms, sniffling and trembling.

“I don’t want anyone to die,” he whispered.

Because that’s what Kira is. Dead. He was Isagi’s closest friend, and it seems impossible to imagine that they would never talk again. That they would never play soccer together in Isagi’s backyard again. Or try to make candyfloss in the back of the chemistry classroom together, resulting in the fire alarms triggering and a school evacuation.

Those moments will never come again.

Isagi held onto Bachira, his mind distant, but stabilized by the warmth of his best friend.

9:59 AM
chris prince hate club

Shidou: call my dih a feminist the way it STICKS UP FOR WOMEN 😂😂🔥🙏

Shidou: this Thanksgiving… I'm thankful for phonk.

Rin: holy shit shut the fuck up

Shidou: rinnie rin rin

Shidou: im gna jump 💔

Rin: are you expecting me to talk you down?

Shidou: we got physical edu next…

Shidou: ue..u ueu ue ue.. u..

Rin: Your fatass needs the exercise

Rin: Running from your problems but you don’t run from a burger

Karasu: LMAO

Karasu: america core

Isagi: FRYINGG ME

Rin: Don't be fried, Shidou might eat you

Niko: violation upon violation

Isagi: oh fml

Isagi: our pe block is with the whole school

Isagi: all stratums in the center gym

Niko: yeah no

Nanase: im slowly going insane

Nanase: whos idea was it to have a two hour history block

Niko: fuck that why are we learning japanese and EUROPEAN history

Niko: what is even the point

Karasu: government but its actually just how to bend the laws

Shidou: government but its actually just me hanging from the classroom ceiling

Shidou: the only good class here is psych and lang 💔💔

Karasu: fym lang

Karasu: speaking french more like tie your tongue in a knot

Shidou: ill tie your tongue in a knot

Karasu: WOAHHH THERE

Karasu: There's children in this chat

Karasu: Niko cover your eyes

Isagi: whos this cotton candy nugu

Nanase: you mean prof cavazos?? 😭

Chigiri: kmskmsksmksmksasfsadfsd

Isagi: ??

Chigiri: im texting kuni last night right

Chigiri: hes been ignoring me so i ask “are you mad at me for something hello”

Chigiri: he leaves me on read so i say “can you like respond this is lowk embarrassing”

Chigiri: THIS GUY DOESNT REPLY UNTIL NOW

Chigiri: AND ALL HE SAID WAS “studying”

Chigiri: FUCK YOU???

Chigiri: communication is key they said

Isagi: communication is key but its one sided so u js slime them out

Yukimiya: ???

Isagi is 40 seconds away from beating the shit out of Professor Cavazos.

That cotton candy rainbow kawaii marshmallow is supposed to be instructing them on the basics of Judo and Jujitsu, yet they haven’t even started 10 minutes into the period. Professor Cavazos is on his phone, scrolling through snapchat reels. Isagi, along with 50 other students, simply stand in place, arms length apart and watching in disbelief.

No way these are the “professionals” hired to teach them.

Barou has already begun stretching and warming up in place, Rin as well, and Isagi watches quietly next to him as the boy goes into a near-split position, balancing on his heels.

Isagi copies the pose, wobbling, and grinning at Rin.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Rin’s exasperated voice washes over him like a wave, soothing him in part he didn’t know was aching. Isagi smiles, gaze drawn to magnetic teal eyes. Around him, other students decide that they are tired of waiting around and start stretching animatedly with friends or simply walking laps around the gym floors.

Rin glares back at Isagi, before a slight upturn twitches at the edge of his lips. He springs into a one-hand handstand, face neutral but eyes twinkling. Isagi pushes off the cold floor and almost topples over, before holding himself the same way Rin is.

Rin’s eyes widened before looking away. Isagi smirks in victory, until he realizes his weight accidentally shifted.

“Oh-!” Isagi topples over before he could finish his sentence. Rin is unfortunately right next to him, and they both crash to the floor, Isagi landing on top of him.

Silence.

Most of the students around them do not mind that they just fell over like a tower of cards, but those close by turn and stare. Isagi thinks he even saw a camera flash that could have been Karasu.

“Isagi. Get off.” Isagi looks down to see Rin splayed out on the floor, a frown etched across his cutting features. Isagi grins nervously, but it comes out as a grimace and slowly peels himself off. The position they were in wasn’t anything compromising, but it was still awkward. His face burns.

Isagi sneaks a look at Rin, and he looks oddly ruffled, as opposed to how he normally is, pristine and cool. Isagi may be imagining it, but a hint of red tinges Rin’s ears.

“Sorry Rin,” are the only words he speaks. They are the only words necessary. Rin huffs, meeting his gaze.

“It’s- Just don’t do it again.” 

11:23 AM
natural selection

Shidou: i swear half the chat is never online

Shidou: talking about @Rin @Tokimitsu @Zantetsu

Karasu: nah rin is online almost as much as you are

Karasu: he just lurks

Karasu: lurker

Karasu: see check his status hes on rn

Rin: fuck you all want

Shidou: whats the point of comp sci

Shidou: im serious literally what is the point

Shidou: actually what is even the point of this school

Karasu: to be fair if they really are experimenting on kids a school is not a bad cover

Shidou: but like if we’re just gonna lose our intelligence in the end why all this 💔

Shidou: just give us a 7 hour gym block

Karasu sent one attachment

Karasu: speaking of gym

Rin: kys

Rin: The subjects matter. If they didn't, don't you think that they would've just given us easier or more balanced classes since it wouldn’t have any effect?

Rin: The subjects taught here are for a specific goal that Professor Ego has in mind

Rin: The fact that we are learning psychology and European history should prove this

Karasu: so u think this is some spy kids scenario

Rin: somewhat

Rin: They're preparing us for something, and the experimentation is like a bonus if we do not meet their standards

Rin: Pass or fail, they benefit either way

Shidou: Is this why you study so much

Shidou: spooky

Rin: I study because I want to

Shidou: lame

Tokimitsu: Hello! Sorry I did not respond earlier, did any of you need me?

Karasu: nah ur good

Nanase: Hey guys! Failed the comp sci quiz. IM NEVER SPEAKING THINKING BREATHINF LOOKING IM NEVER USING MY NOSR AGAIN IM NEVER IM GOING NUMB. I

Nanase: You guys are never hearing from me again.

Karasu: NANASE 😭

Shidou: its worth like 10 points dont worry lil bro…

Tokimitsu: Oh

Rin: The quiz isn’t as important as the unit test, which is open notes

Rin: Just study and write down what you struggle with and you’ll do alright

Nanase: THANK YOU RIN 🙏🙏🙏

Shidou: This Thanksgiving… I'm thankful for Rin Itoshi.

Karasu: WAIT THE UNIT TEST IS OPEN NOTES??

Karasu: HELLO this is gna be so light wtf

Rin: Only one page of notes

Karasu: nvm

Nanase: kms

Chapter Text

2:12 PM
rizzing the shawty

Karasu: hey

Otoya: hey

Hiori: loser ass convo

Hiori: hey

Karasu Tabito has added Yukimiya Kenyuu to the conversation

Otoya: guys go follow me on x the everything app https://x.com/mangoraspberry_

Hiori: mango raspberry??

Yukimiya: hello

Karasu: hi yuki-senpai!! ❤️‍

Otoya: little yukipudding💕

Yukimiya: oh ok…

Hiori: 🥀

Karasu: HIORICHAN!! >w<

Otoya:

Hiori: oto-nyan you have TWELVE followers💔

Hiori: why do you even bother to post atp

Hiori: deactivate immediately🤞

Karasu: hey don’t shame my boyf hes trying his best ❤️‍🩹

Hiori: 🤢

Hiori: ITS ALL THIRST TRAPS TOO WHAT… log off lil bro

Hiori: karasu were you aware of this

Yukimiya:

Karasu: no i wasnt

Karasu: eita… im disappointed

Otoya: O-oh… hey tabichan…🥺

Otoya:
”

Hiori: ok guys roleplay’s over 🫩🫩

Yukimiya: okay new question otoya would you rather beat yourself or beat yourself

Otoya: beat myself off

Hiori: secret third option: I beat YOU up

Hiori: oh

Yukimiya: …

Karasu: eita u a freak

Otoya: LIKE YOU’RE NOT AS WELL???

Otoya: tabichan… how could you..

Hiori: im gna ask isagi to slime u out

Karasu: YUKIMYAN I GOT YOU BLUEBERRY MUFFINS FROM THE CAF

Yukimiya: wait seriously??

Karasu: no😂

Hiori: LMAOO

Otoya: what is this joybaiting

Hiori: better than ragebait

Hiori: Karasu wanna come over later we have game night in the german stratum tonight

Karasu: yeah sure

Hiori: just kidding! youre not invited 🔥

Otoya: HELPLPP MEEE

Karasu: was NOT that funny…

Yukimiya: it was

Otoya: YUKI PIE go do the 8 ball😻

Yukimiya:
”

Hiori: what a loser

Otoya: FUCK

Otoya:

Yukimiya: HAHA

Hiori: that was fast

Hiori: wtf

Yukimiya: he hit the black ball in

Otoya: SHUTUP SHUTNUP SHUTPSYSIABFSUHUTSYBAUSYBABSYBAUBU

Hiori: ur so ass at gamepigeon🫩🫩🫩

Karasu: guys we should go on a date + our 3rd and 4th wheels

Hiori: as if ego will let us leave

Karasu: he did last time

Yukimiya: he’s been preventing anyone from leaving the building recently

Karasu: wtf

Karasu: is this about the thing shidou and the others found

Yukimiya: maybe?? idk

Hiori: hes prolly js paranoid

Hiori: we can go watch the demon slayer movie later its ok…

Otoya: yeah it’ll blow over soon we can go as a group

Karasu: ill take ur word for it

Rin glances at the clock, which points to 3:12 PM. Isagi is late. Not that Rin cares.

Because he doesn’t care. Not at all. If Isagi wants to come late then that’s his problem.

It’s not as if they have a little routine to meet up in the study hall at precisely 3:10 PM, or that they actually study together, and that Isagi is a lot more intelligent than Rin could have guessed.

No, it is nothing like that.

Isagi can’t even be late for an event that technically doesn’t even exist. He comes to the study hall for no reason but sits with Rin because there is nobody else better (and there really isn’t), and today is the day where Rin can finally get some peace without Isagi next to him, food wrappers crinkling every 5 seconds and calculating crystal blue eyes piercing into his lungs every time Rin looks up.

So no. Isagi is not late. Isagi can’t be late. Their routine does not exist, and Isagi only bothers to meet with him to annoy him.

Rin enforces these thoughts into his mind as time passes by, until at 3:17 the door slides open and Isagi Yoichi beams down at him.

Isagi has a can of soda in his hand, and as he takes a sip his jawline flexes. Rin looks away.

“Hey Rin!” He chirps, a teasing expression on his face. Like Rin, Isagi is in the more advanced computer science course. The courses are online and are the only ones that offer higher placement. Isagi and Rin are both in the highest course offered, much to Rin’s surprise.

Nagi, Mikage’s pet bum, Otoya, and Hiori are all in the higher classes as well. Rin has absolutely no idea how Nagi managed to score that well on the placement test, but refuses to spend another second thinking about such useless things.

No, he has research to do.

Searching up the name “Hiroshi Ego” gives Rin lots of results, none relevant. Ego seems to be a much more popular name than he realized. Rin doubts that Hiroshi is even Professor Ego’s real first name.

“Chris Prince” is much more informative.

The man hadn’t bothered with a fake name, which makes Rin think that most likely none of the other teachers have tried as well. The reports and articles Rin sees, nearly all about an underground rebel group “The Manshiners,” describe horrific revolts against the Prime Minister of Britain. The protests are subdued, at first, but slowly grow more violent until the papers include a death toll at the end of each announcement.

“Rin? Rin are you alright? Here.” Rin finds a cream soda ice pop in his face, and the rush of nostalgia of summers with his older brother nearly drowns him. He snaps back into reality, and looks up to see Isagi’s concerned face.

“I know the comp sci work is a pain, but you looked really pale there. What’s going on?” He asks not unkindly. Rin hesitates. Can he really trust Isagi with something as important as this?

But his hands move before his mouth does, and he tilts his laptop to face Isagi while snatching the ice pop from his hands. How Isagi knew cream soda is his favorite flavor (or maybe he just guessed, the rational part of Rin’s brain says), Rin doesn’t want to know.

Actually he kind of does.

Isagi glances at the screen, before suddenly deleting all the tabs Rin has open and searching and deleting new ones. Rin startles, moving to snatch his laptop back, but Isagi just swats his laptop away.

What Rin really doesn’t expect for him to do though, was lean over and nearly press his lips right against the shell of Rin’s ear.

“They monitor what we search and there are cameras in every room.” It was raspy, the way Isagi spoke, like he was hissing the information instead of whispering it. “There are voice recorders too, and there is one under the table right now.” He moves back, giving Rin a meaningful stare.

Rin’s heart is thudding against his ribcage. Why the hell did Isagi need to come so close? He couldn’t have written it down or texted him? He takes his laptop back, and glances at what Isagi searched. Instead he finds that his search history is a timeline of all violent protests in Europe, starting from the 1900’s.

A cover then. Something clever that Rin didn’t know Isagi could think of. The boy in question is writing on a notebook, before looking up, feeling Rin’s eyes on him.

“Can you check over my notes for me? You’re much better at history than I am,” he smiles, before directly shoving the papers at him, practically throwing them.

Our dorms are bugged, but there are no cameras. We can write notes.

Don’t do any research online unless you wipe out or cover your history. They can see everything.

If you want, I can show you how much work I’ve gotten done so far. Come to my dorm later.

:) !

Rin stares, Isagi in front of him bites his fingernails, before peeking up. Rin raises an eyebrow, and Isagi takes that as a “yes, show me.”

“Are my notes alright?” He says, taking the book back. Rin can see how he has the smallest dimple on his right cheek.

“Mhm, they’re okay for your standard.” Rin replies, slipping back on a cool mask over his face. His mind is whirring with thoughts. How does Isagi even know about the cameras?

At that moment, both their phones start buzzing with an influx of notifications.

3:58 PM
chris prince hate club

Karasu: FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Raichi: you fucking loser

Karasu: fight in the caf 😻

Karasu: chigiri vs wanima twins

Reo: no way theyre fighting over a bread roll…

Kunigami: They’re gonna get expelled if they keep this up

Reo: then go stop them???

Kunigami: what do you think im doing???

Kunigami: the other one keeps trying to bite me

Shidou: ts frying me

Shidou: fym a grown ass dude is js biting you

Shidou: i dont blame him tho id want a bite out of u too 😉

Kunigami: thank you…(?)

Niko: the uncertainty is absolutely frying me

Niko: Is this harassment

Kiyora: yeah id think so

Kiyora: @Karasu if ur going to record the fight then get interviews too

Otoya: ill pass the message along…

Hiori: IM OMW IM On My Way!

Hiori: did the fight already start..

Otoya: nah theyre still in foreplay

Hiori: oh!

Niko: Hiori yo why do you type like that

Niko: giving tiktok clean girl lemon8 oh! That’s not… hollister clearance section preslee and embreigh im talking bout innitttt GRWM to go to starbucks

Niko: yo: hiori

Niko: hiori yo

Hiori: wtf

Hiori: dont you follow tophia

Hiori: IK ur not saying allat

Niko: NO??

Kiyora: hiori you look like you use the word kawaii as an adjective before the noun

Hiori: jump

Hiori: @Otoya are they swinging yet

Otoya: no

Raichi: this loser karasu ringing up false alarms

Kunigami: ITS STILL BITING ME??

Reo: 😮

Bachira: i sprinted all the way to the caf 💔

Isagi: what the hell

Isagi: you know what happens if we get expelled, yes?

Bachira: why are we using grammar

Kurona: using your instagrammar

Kurona: you know what coffee is spelled backwards? eeffoc

Hiori: his brainrot has gotten worse

Niko: atleast it isnt that shitty italian ai stuff

Niko: infected my fyp like a fungal disease istg

Kurona: niche fruit eating fruit ai

Karasu: fights starting

Niko: no its not??

Niko: liar liar pants on fire??

Bachira: telephone wire?? Job but got fired?? Car with no tires??

Niko: still in denial?? Ex boyfriend named kyle?? Repulsive and vile???

Bachira: ntm on kyle now..

Hiori: Karasu ur actually a bum

Otoya: dont say that abt my lil cauliflower 💮🥺>.<

Hiori: dont bring that energy here please

Rin: He is a lukewarm cretin

Shidou: i feel like lukewarm is the rin way of saying mid

Shidou: bro isnt mid hes lukewarm

Shidou: tepid

Shidou: room temperature, if you may

Isagi: this fight was supposed to start around 10 minutes ago

Isagi: I even brought Rin??

Otoya: gulp

Niko: this is the most boring shit ive seen

“This is why you had no friends in middle school! Haha!”

What a lame-ass insult, Isagi thought to himself. Karasu rang the alarm bells like he was Paul Revere and managed to drag the entire group to the cafeteria for the reason that a fight was occurring. Isagi wrangled Rin into coming with him, and now they both stood in the corner watching Chigiri engage in a preschool-level shouting match across a table. All that has happened so far was a trade of insults, making Isagi wince in embarrassment. This was supposed to be a fight?

Chigiri decides not to grace the Wanimas with a response, which was for the best because what was someone even supposed to reply in this scenario. Karasu is still recording, his phone nearly shoved in Chigiri’s face. Rin behind him grimaces.

“This is so anticlimactic,” Isagi says, turning his head to face Rin. A small grin playing his lips.

“Didn’t know that you knew words that big,” Rin comments. Isagi lightly elbows him.

The quieter twin was still latching onto Kunigami, and Isagi winced. Those teeth look sharp. As he and Rin turn to leave, The Wanima twin lets go of his jaw that had been clamped down on Kunigami’s forearm and right-hooks Chigiri across the face, taking them all by surprise.

There’s screaming, because of course there is. Bystanders shriek as Chigiri’s vibrant red hair whips around. He almost crumbles to the ground, but stands up. Isagi is biting his lip in anxiety. He could not possibly stop the fight himself, but everyone else doesn’t know about the cameras. Chigiri and Wanima were surely going to expelled, and Isagi couldn’t bear thinking about it

The center of the cafeteria is still lively, the audience surrounding the pair bouncing in excitement, The elder twin tries to throw punch after punch, and Chigiri cleanly avoids each hit. He isn’t fighting back, Isagi notices, so he wouldn’t be to blame when they got caught. His lungs loosen just a bit.

Isagi has his phone tightly clutched in his hand, ready to shoot off a text to whoever he can, alerting them if a teacher is on their way. He slides from the wall he was backed into, and heads to the side doors to exit. Then, he turns and walks around the hallway surrounding the cafeteria and to the front entrance. Facing the vending machines, he realizes Rin had followed him here as well, understanding what Isagi was trying to do. Appreciation bubbles in his chest.

“Rin,” Isagi starts. Rin is leaning against the side of the vending machines and has a calm, almost bored look about him. Isagi resolutely stares ahead, pretending to be deep in thought about what drink to order. He even pulls out money from his pocket, just in case.

“I know what to do, Isagi, or did you forget who you’re talking to?” Isagi nods, biting down a laugh. Rin really is like an angry cat. Such a childish thought for a serious situation.

Professor Anri, as expected, stops down the hall, her boots thundering against the bright tiles of the hallway. Rin taps against the side of the vending machine twice, and Isagi assumes that she had already seen them and discarded their presence. He unlocks his phone, still in his hand, and starts typing rapidly.

“Rin, what drink should I get? Ramune? Or the green tea?” Isagi mumbled, shooting off the message. Isagi doesn’t doubt that it would be seen, as nearly everyone was online in the group chat before, but he worries if the fighting would be broken up in time. Professor Anri is still approaching the cafeteria doors, and Isagi tucks away his phone and puts his money in, grabbing two strawberry ramunes.

As he and Rin sip on their sodas quietly, the shouting from the cafeteria has dimmed considerably. Isagi doesn’t even need to try to hear every word being said.

“What is the meaning of this?” Professor Anri’s crisp voice cut through the silence. “Who started this?”

Isagi assumes someone is pointing at Wanima, because no words are being said. Isagi wanders closer to the door to eavesdrop without looking too suspicious in the eyes of the cameras, but Rin pulls him back.

The cafeteria doors burst open with force, and Professor Anri strides out, Wanima dejectedly trailing her. Isagi peeks inside, and everyone who is in the group chat is reflecting the same emotion that Isagi feels; concern.

5:11 PM
chris prince hate club

Karasu: it was kinda hype

Otoya: tabi…

Shidou: mfs gonna die and ur on about HYPE??

Kurona: why did we all go silent for an hour though

Rin: The most peace this chat has ever felt

Otoya: ok but can we thank our king @Isagi for that insane clutch

Hiori: it was js a text ☠️ but yeah thanks for the warning

Reo: so

Reo: we are in the dorms right now

Reo: and wanima

Reo: the other one

Reo: is shouting again

Otoya: “mama? Why does papa keep yelling at you?” ahh

Reo: and essentially hes just telling chigiri its all his fault

Reo: and like he knows about the testing

Reo: he shares a dorm with us

Isagi: right theres something I need to tell you all

Isagi: The dorms are bugged

Isagi: there are no cameras as far as I know, not in my dorm, but theres listening bugs under the desks, bottom bunks, and behind the curtain rods. A total of around 10-12.

Isagi: DO NOT try to take them out or dismantle them. We are trying to avoid suspicion. If you want to talk about something important, write it on a piece of paper or text it.

Isagi: thats all!

Shidou: WHAT…

Otoya: u mean if we gooned in the dorms they would have the audio??

Hiori: of course that’s your initial thought

Kiyora: How did you even find the bugs?

Isagi: I have heightened senses

Isagi: I just saw them around and then inspected the room

Reo: alright so

Reo: chigiri’s off

Niko: off what

Reo: going to save wanima

Reo: I’m trying to convince him this is a bad idea

Reo: theyre both going to go

Rin: That’s basically a death sentence, you’re going in blind

Reo: I know

Niko: I’ll go with them

Kiyora: ? no youre not?

Kiyora: last week you guys barely escaped

Niko: you guys make it sound 10 times more scarier than it actually is

Niko: and I knew the wanimas through okawa, we're sorta friends 

Niko: im going too

Reo: I ONLY TOLD YOU ALL SO YOU CAN HELP CONVINCE CHIGIRI NOT TO GO??

Reo: I don’t want to lose you guys as well

Niko: we aren’t gonna die

Niko: relax

Shidou: niko we literally saw a former student’s half-dead body

Shidou: being experimented on

Shidou: I think maybe you should LISTEN??

Chigiri: I’m going tonight

Chigiri: Niko if you’re coming along meet us at the janitor’s closet

Kurona: since when did we have a janitor what

Chigiri: it’s an elevator

Isagi: record everything you see please

Niko: sure?

Niko: why though

Isagi: I’m doing some research

Reo: chigiri please

Reo: hes guilt tripping you to go with him

Chigiri: it’s my fault that wanima’s twin is expelled

Chigiri: If i save him then maybe id be able to forgive myself

Reo: you don't need to forgive yourself for something that wasn’t your fault

Chigiri: well his death will be on my hands if I don't do anything

Chigiri: I’m going