Chihei had his hands in his pockets as he followed Imada Masanori to one of the student council offices, where he sat down in front of the desk as Masanori slid into it. He pulled open a drawer and placed a form in front of him.
"Please fill this out for me, thank you."
Chihei pointed down at the page. "A form? But, if you would just let me tell you, I think I know where he went."
"You can explain," Masanori tapped the paper. "After signing this, please. It's very important to get all the details down."
Chihei huffed through his nose but leaned forward to the form and started to fill it out, wondering why he was he being so formal about things. He thought him and Akira were pretty close. Chihei crossed his arms and impatiently waited. His brow furrowed at this, but he was having a hard time being bored when he got the sense that Masanori was a little too excited. His leg bounced and he was half in his seat, working hastily even knowing what he mentioned.
Masanori knew he came off as blunt and overly enthusiastic, and was just as impatient. This was somewhat what he had been expecting, even waiting for. If Takeshita Akira ran off to some place he wasn't supposed to be, that was against school rules. And he, after all, was in charge of all disciplinary actions as it's head in the student council. If he played this right, he could not only save Akira from whatever he was doing, he could formally talk to him with a good excuse to give his father. Drag him into a interrogation, if only for a few minutes. His father couldn't fault him for doing his given duties.
But, he had enough sense to know that if he rushed off right away to find him, it would only lead to issues later. That's why he needed the layer of bureaucratic paperwork. His father couldn't argue with facts written in stone. He wasn't in too much worry about what he might be doing to dissapear during lunch much anyway, since his heat couldn't possibly be coming around now with it occuring a few days ago, so unless he suddenly became irregular, he was certain things would be fine. Everyone except the third years were in class right now, what's the worse he could do?
Masanori pulled out a different paper and began rapidly writing things down as fast as possible, the fast sound of a pen whirling catching Chihei's attention. Just as fast Masanori slammed the pen down and grabbed Chihei's paper. This was a safety precaution for his father ahead of time.
"Now, where do you think he went?"
"...He was asking about the delinquents behind the school." Chihei answered.
Masanori's nails scraped across the desk and he choked on the air in his throat. That was the worst he could do. He cleared his throat heavily, pulling out his phone. "...I'll get security."
"Security? But he might have just gone to check it out. He's not going to end up in any real trouble with a bunch of jackals in old school jackets" said Chihei.
"You're right. It'll come off like I'm blowing it out of proportion. And since it's technically school time…" Masanori scrolled down to his contacts before shutting his phone off. He stood up. "Well everyone's busy so I'll have to go check it out myself. Head back to class, goodbye!"
"Huh? Then you're-" Chihei tried to reply but Masanori quickly swept past him and rushed out the door.
Chihei grunted and his back slapped against the back of the chair. "Ugh. Alphas."
———
Nagi stepped forward, his foot squishing the remains of the dumpling under his foot by accident, stepping into the storage room with a wild incredulous look. He reeled back and held up a shaking finger.
"You… kidnapped t-two students?"
Giro smugly shifted his shoulders with an astronomically large grin. "I know, right?! But they basically came to us anyway, so it's not really that all that much. And look at who one of them is!" Giro waved his hand around before Ren.
"Oh. I see." Nagi's eye twitched then he smirked, a connivingly haunting grin that, along with his perpetually seeming brooding look, gave an expression on one filled with terrible thoughts and ideas befitting of a leading juvenile yankee. At least that's what everyone saw, but the gritted teeth and tense shoulders said otherwise.
He jutted his hand out to his side and barked over to the rest of the room. "Everyone except Giro, out, now!'
They all filed out in a rush. However, at a high side window several faces tried to peek in, making Nagi side eye them with a disgruntled mumbling of curses.
Giro rubbed his hands together. "Ah ha! So you want a first taste? They were trying to sneak in so we had to capture them. But while they're here… the boys have been dying to have them, but I told them we should wait for you to show us the ropes."
"Th-The ropes?" Nagi repeated, taking a big swallow.
"Yeah! You're S class pheromones you were always bragging about? They say those are so potent that it can make any omega drop to their knees for you!" Giro then chuckled. "We've all been dying to see it in action but you always say that it's too risky and it might cause them going into heat or something but isn't this too tempting to resist? Plus there's this omega going around having their heat activate all over the school, so who would know?"
Ren was trying to follow, but it was hard when they were saying some contradicting things. Pheromones really were the connection to the mind control, but what did any of that have to do with heats?
He tried to whisper to the omega student. "What are they talking about?"
The other student didn't acknowledge him. His eyes were focused on the delinquents, lips pressed into a thin line.
Nagi pressed the tips of his fingers against his forehead and shook his head. "Seriously, are you saying…"
"Huh? Is something wrong, Aniki? w-what's the hang up?" Giro stuttered. "It's not like you're scared, right?"
Nagi lifted his head. "N-No! Of course I'm not scared!" he shouted, waving his arm around. "B-But, come on Giro. We both know how they can be."
"No need to keep being tough about it. Why try to protect them when they came to us? Come on, just show these omegas what you've got before lunch break is over!"
"Grmmm. But…" Nagi closed his eyes, giving a teeth gritting scowl. Ren's initial fear tampered down to some confusion, wondering what he was holding back for. Maybe, there was something here that would be proof to explain why Naoto's use of his mind control was so inconsistent. If Giro kept egging him on maybe he would explain.
But Nagi shook his head and grumbled. "I... guess."
"Yes!" Giro pumped his fist.
"B-But just a little bit!" Nagi quickly added, shaking his hand. "I don't need to do so much to get these guys heated up!"
"Sure sure, then I can stay in the room, right Aniki?" Giro nodded. But it was then that the other omega student spoke up, coming out like a scoff.
"I've heard enough. If you're not going to do anything then just untie us already. I guess what they say about the delinquents is true. There's not a single hardened bone between any of you. No smarts either."
"Wh-What did you say you-!" Giro shouted, angrily raising his fist.
Ren gawked at him in horror. 'Don't egg him on!'
"You're already screwed you know," They continued on. "I mean this is totally amateur work. Even if you clear up the physical evidence and mask your scents, you forgot one thing."
Ren frowned. 'One… thing?'
"Besides, it's pretty obvious that you don't have the guts for it," They continued. "If you're going to hesitate so much then maybe don't be willing to flaunt your "power" around. Maybe you're self conscious? Why don't you ask him, Giro?"
Nagi stumbled back like he'd taken a massive blow. "Y-You…"
Giro looked at Nagi. "But that's not true, right Aniki? He's just teasing you! O-Or something."
Ren tried to lean over to hiss at the omega student. "What are you doing!? Do you want us to be mind controlled!?"
"I'm calling his bluff," He whispered back. "And stalling for time."
'Huh? Stalling?'
The omega student smirked back at Nagi. "Or maybe it's that you're too worried you'll look weak."
Nagi's shoulders hunched, his fists shaking at his side. "You…!"
"After all, just because you've got the strength doesn't mean you've got the size. Something tells me you're compensating for something."
"I'm NOT small!" Nagi growled. "I'm an Alpha! You're the one with the small size!!"
"But I don't need mine to get it on do I? If you're such a hot shot then try to not look impotent all the time."
'Insulting his dick size is such a low blow,' thought Ren. 'Are you trying to rile him up to kill us?'
"You seem like a sad guy," They continued. "You act tough but you can't get much done when it's time to actually make the move.
Using your pheromones means nothing when you've got nothing in the tank, so quit playing around and show me what you've got before I lose my patience."
Nagi's face fell. It then twisted with brooding rage.
"Giro. Leave."
"What? But..."
"I mean it. NOW." Nagi snarled. Giro slowly then quickly backed up, going to the door and leaving, soon joining the others at the window outside.
Nagi started to loosen his collar. "You'll see. I'm just fine, and these idiots will get a show to make them shut up for a while. Just... Amp up the theartrics and you can leave unscathed."
Ren saw him pull off his jacket, brow furrowing. Was he seriously about to get undressed to show off? It was a weird way to get him to stall, but he had no complaint. What he was doing was working apparently, because the other student was lpoking lretty smug about it.
"Go on ahead," The omega student said, watching him uncloth "Then maybe you'll finally stop being a pathetic pushover then and start acting like their boss."
Nagi paused. He let go of his belt. His eyes darkened.
"I changed my mind. Actually, why do I need to show you anything, before you show me something first?"
At first nothing happened. Then the omega student flinched. He winced back against the chair and then scowled. "You…"
Nagi growled. "I'm no pushover. I was gonna let you idiots go, but my men want a show, don't they? I'm not the leader of the deliquents for no reason."
The omega student growled and shut his eyes, turning his head away.
Ren looked at the omega student, brow knotted with confusion.
"What is it?" Ren tried to ask.
They only grunted and yelled at him. "Shut up…!"
Nagi scowled, standing stiffly in the center of the room with his arms folded, shaking his head. "You clearly don't know what you've gotten yourselves into. A couple of omegas like you shouldn't have come here… "
———
Masanori ran down the hall. He bumped into someone, one of his student patrol.
"Masanori-kun," They greeted. "What's the rush now - don't tell me you've spent half the lunch break working on your council duties."
Masanori brushed him off. "I'm busy right now Iwashiro-san, I gotta go-!"
"Hold on!" They shouted, grabbing Masanori's arm and pulling him back. "You're looking pretty frazzled. Look, I think there's room for discussion about the sudden dismissal of that many members of the student patrols. There's not a lot of evidence to suggest that they abandoned their duties to be at that party. That fire-"
"-Was just a distraction so Alpha students could sneak past the adult security," Masanori cut in. "But, if all of the student patrols were innocent they would have noticed them leave. I narrowed down who in the patrols had those routes and dismissed them anyway for incompetence even if they weren't. I won't have you lecturing me on what you think I should have done. Now let go of me."
"Tch. What's with the anger? I just think it was a little harsh. But if you have the evidence that they were guilty, then I can't stop you!" He released his grip on his arm and held his hands up, backing away and sweeping his arm out like a chauffeur. "Go on then."
Masanori's eyes darkened, but he quickly turned and walked away, huffing under his breath. 'Iwashiro's counting his blessings too early. I'll deal with him later.'
…
The omega student's head dipped down. Their breathing grew heavier, sweat dripping off his forehead. The omega student looked up at Nagi with a feisty glare still in his eye, but his skin was pink and blushed, breathing out of his mouth.
"B-Bastard…"
He let out a short shuddering breath and lowered his head again, twisting his legs in discomfort.
Ren stared at him from the side, perplexed and bewildered. He didn't know what was happening but it didn't look comfortable.
"Feeling the pressure now?" asked Nagi. "I won't do anything to you but at least I can show the boys I mean business. Though… it's not too bad. You," He turned to the omega student, his eyes boring into him. "You smell pretty sweet."
"Stop!" Ren shouted. "So you're torturing him? You're some kind of sadist!"
Nagi's brow furrowed. "What's with you? You're acting like you aren't even reacting to it. Are you that broken you can't smell the pheromones of an Alpha? I can't even get revenge on you like this," He walked up and pulled down Ren's collar. "Are you wearing some kind of crazy expensive inhibitor? I can't believe I can't smell you even a little. I know some omegas can mask their pheromones, but you don't look even a little uncomfortable."
"What does that matter, it clearly means I'm just stronger," Ren said, but he didn't know either. Maybe it was due to his connection with Naoto like Yuki said. The omega student weakly glanced over at him, his eyes asking the same as Nagi.
Ren lifted his head, feeling a bit of confidence. "Maybe you really are just weak! I mean you had to use a robot to sneak into the dorm because you're scared of Teru and his weird cult!"
He hoped that maybe if he made Nagi target him with his resistance it would stop him from torturing the other student.
"That-! Has, nothing to do with you," Nagi grunted, gritting his teeth with his eyes seething. "You and him don't understand. I'm looking for someone else now, someone way more important than you."
"Why does that mean using robots to break in?"
"It's not like I can just waltz in there and ask around! But I'm going to find them. Those eyes again. Ones I haven't seen in so long. He was… my-"
Thump!
Suddenly, something loudly banged against the roof. The delinquents outside the window looked up then suddenly ran off.
Nagi looked towards the door. "What the hell?"
The lights then shut off.
They're finally here," The Omega student said, his voice sounding out of breath. "It took them, long enough."
Crash!
A window shattered, spraying glass across the floor, and something was tossed in, smoke sizzling out of the container.
"Ksh!" Nagi kicked the container to the other side of the room but it didn't stop the smoke, and when two more were tossed in it the smoke was already too dense to see. Nagi coughed. "Fuck! Well, if your friends think they can come in here and stop me on their own let's see them try! I know by now you're not going to call the school security, but at the end of the day, you're just a bunch of omegas...!"
"Akira," The omega student suddenly whispered, his breath heavy. "I dunno why you aren't affected by him, but do me a favor and cut out the theatrics and, just use your survival instincts. Like when I say, to run."
Snap!
The rope around the omega student suddenly broke away as they ripped their arms free, pulling themselves on the chair they kicked upwards, sending a hit into Nagi's lower chin. Nagi stumbled back a little, rubbing his chin in shock.
The omega student pulled out a switch blade then quickly cut through Ren's ropes, letting him free.
Ren looked at him in shock, then looked towards the door. But he stopped. Looking back over. "But, I can't-"
That's when he was kicked, making him stumbled forward. He noticed the kick wasn't very strong, but he got the message and ran out through the fog, glass crunching beneath him.
'... but, where's the door again?'
The omega student tried to keep steady but had to hold onto the chair. Nagi pushed him back.
"That barely even hurt. You let him escape, for what? I've still got you. You're too weak to do anything else…"
When they looked away Nagi grabbed his face and turned it back. "Where are you looking? I can't see shit…"
Ren got turned around. He had no idea where the door was now. He wandered aimlessly through the dim light, tripping past storage bins and tennis rackets and knocking them over, his shoes crunching against glass. He stopped. Something up ahead was also running through glass. He squinted trying to see ahead, but then the sound moved behind him, passing him completely.
"Huh?"
Whrrrr!
Something slowly approached. Stopping just in between a space between shelves where it could be seen.
Ren saw and recognized it first.
'The robot again! But it's got… a camera taped to the top now?'
Nagi noticed too. He let go of the omega student and kicked the robot. Nagi scowled, backing away. "You hacked my bot!? Damn it…!"
The omega student laughed. "Too late. That's uploaded to the cloud. There goes clearing the evidence. Now, you've got… two choices," He huffed, breath still heavy, holding up two fingers. "Either ease your pheromones and let them come in, or hold us here until they leak that footage to the school and get you arrested. Feel the pressure now?"
"Y-You can't… I didn't even do anything to you! What's up with you omegas!? It's always me that's gotta take the fall for this shit!" Nagi yelled, his legs shaking.
The omega student scoffed. "What did you expect as their leader?"
Ren stepped over to one of the windows, the light coming in letting him see better. He looked to his side and noticed the robot. He inched over and picked it up. It suddenly whirred back to life and Ren dropped it.
The omega student glanced towards the noise, but continued. "But if you want to make this go away… take my offer. There's something you can do."
Nagi grimaced, his adam apple bobbing up and down his throat.
"...What do you want?"
"A way out. There's a reason you're not scared of being cornered here, isn't there?"
———
Masanori arrived at the back of the club to a disaster. Delinquent students were at some kind of war with some omega students, the omegas flinging water balloons with slingshots on the rooftop while the delinquents threw rocks.
"Stop stop!" Masanori shouted. Both groups froze.
"It's Imada! Everybody scram!" The deliquents shouted, beginning to scatter.
"Stay right where you are!" Masanori put his foot down and the deliquents stiffened, staying in place. Masanori scowled and folded his arms. "What is going on here!?"
One of the omegas on the roof pointed to the storage door. "The delinquents! They kidnapped a student! He alerted us on his pager!"
Masanori bit his lip and shook his head. "Go! Get back to class or lunch!" Masanori stomped through the crowd and they parted and running off. He burst open the door to the gym storage room. He was hit with a strong thick miasma of Alpha pheromones, along with a thick fog blanketing the room, already thinning out as the humidity escaped out the open door.
Nagi sat on one of the chairs at ease, scrolling through his phone in a slouched one arm slung over the back of the chair. He looked up.
"Took you long enough to stop fighting. Masanori-kun. Here to see the show?"
Giro ran through the door to Masanori's right, looking around. "Aniki? What happened!?"
Teru inched past Masanori on his left side, holding his nose.
"Watanabe… Where is he?"
"Think I know what you're talking about?" Nagi said. "I just came by here after lunch when these omegas came along," He stood up and walked up to Masanori. "Guess I'll be getting a study hall pass for being in here. Pass it to my teach, I gotta get back to class before I'm late. And before you ask," Nagi stuck a paper on Masanori's chest. "Here's my exception pass. Be seeing you later."
As Nagi walked away, Teru scowled. He then shouted behind him, at the omega students that appeared, lying in wait.
"Get your masks! Search the room!"
The omegas strapped on a medical mask and quickly filed inside the room. Masanori watched them search around, confused and bewildered.
"Wh-what… is going on here?"
Teru didn't answer, not even looking at him.
Masnori leaned down a little. "Are you listening? I- I'm looking for-"
"Did I ask what you were here for?" Teru interrupted, still not looking at him. "Because I didn't."
Masanori's eye twitched. "Then a-answer me. Who was the student that sent out the call?"
"Wouldn't you like to know? Stay out of this, bastard."
Masanori's eyes darkened. "This isn't about me. Please, I need to know-"
At that point, one of the omega students called from across the room.
"There's no one in here!"
Another held up a small robot with wheels. Teru grit his teeth and closed his eyes. "Damn it. Then, disperse! Return to class!"
The omega students left out the door just as quickly as they filed in.
"Mikozawa Idoru," Teru suddenly answered. "He's the one that called. Must have been a mistake. If you're looking for who I think you are by the way, you can stop now. Handle your own kind and I'll handle mine. Farewell, student council rule disciplinary leader."
He then swiftly turned around and stomped away, leaving Masanori standing in the doorway clutching Nagi's exception slip.
'What… just happened here? It was all a misunderstanding? But where the hell is Takeshita?'
…
Ren and the omega student had escaped, pulling out the trapdoor from a secret crawl space, leading out to a in-shed at the school garden.
"Wow, a secret exit?" Ren said out loud.
"It's an old school. There's a few walled off spaces like this all over." The omega student answered, closing it after and smoothing out the disturbed fake grass.
"Really? Huh," Ren looked around the garden and towards the main school building. "How many, do you know? I could- Buahh!!"
Splash!!
The omega student had grabbed a hose and began spraying Ren with a hose. He dodged out of the way. Though the water was warm and smelled weirdly of flowers, Ren still began shivering. "W-What was th-that for?!"
The student threw a towel at him, throwing away a small plastic container into the opened door shed behind him. "You're really a different breed of thick-headed." He huffed, before popping another container and attaching it to the hose end, spraying himself until he was completely soaked as the contents of the container poured into the stream of water.
Ren shivered again, rubbing the towel on his face. "Th-That's not v-very nice… w-what is that stuff?"
"Homebrew pheromone nullifier mix. We can't walk around reeking of a S class Alpha after we just escaped being discovered with one. Why did you stay around?"
"I couldn't find the door… but, why did we leave? If the robot is proof to show he's guilty, why run away?"
"I'm not getting caught up in a scandal. I want a quiet high school life and I plan to keep to that. Also, if you were caught up in any more controversy you'd probably be ostracized by the rest of the school."
Ren rubbed his neck, face pinched back awkwardly. "The school already did that with the rumors, though. Why was he so sure that you could delete the footage?"
"Why couldn't I? Whatever," The omega student huffed. "I saved you again, not that you deserve it. I told Hinaguchi already by the way, about your behavior. So don't stir up any more trouble that might affect others." He turned to leave.
"Hey, isn't the dorm that way?" Ren asked.
"I've got some things to do still." They replied.
"But wait, I don't even know your name. And what was that stuff you mentioned, how much do you know, and what was that one thing? That you mentioned they forgot?"
"Oh." They held up their arms to show their wrists, covered in red marks.
"Rope burns. Amateur mistake."
Ren looked at his own wrists. "Does something like this happen often?"
"Only if you're as arrogant and cocky as these idiots. Being born into the kind of families they were probably didn't help… you seem like you're way too ignorant to wound up in a place like this. Who exactly are you?"
"I… I wish I knew. Then maybe I'd understand what this school is doing to its students." Ren sighed.
"I have the answer to that. It's to keep us from the rest of the world for as long as we're able. For some of us it keeps us alive, for some it's as good as a prison. Whatever the reason is, you better figure out what you're doing. The real world's a much harsher place than here. And, my name's Mikozawa, Idoru…. I saved you but thanks for not leaving me, I guess."
Idoru left and Ren walked back to his dorm alone.
'So he knows about life outside of this school. But they seem scared of leaving? That doesn't seem right… maybe the school's been feeding them bad intel to make them think it's safe here!'
Ren imagined an apocalyptic land of dead trees, ash covering the ground and zombies, volcanos and mutant animals.
'Well I'll just have to convince them that even if the world is scary they should still want freedom. Then when we get outside they'll see how normal it is. Yeah, that's a good idea! But first I still need proper proof that the school's doing nefarious things. Hopefully this might help me.'
Ren felt the small camera in his pocket. This time he'll try not to lose it. He had a few questions about what it was Nagi mentioned, but he felt like he wasn't getting anything out of the omega students until he had more to give back in return.
'And not ever be used like bait! I need to work back on that plan to gather strong evidence. With this I could record Naoto the next time he comes around, then...'
Ren reentered the dorm but stopped at the entrance. Teru stood there giving him a harsh look. He held out a hand.
"Give it here."
Ren sadly pulled out the camera and placed it in his palm. Teru put it away and turned from him.
"Next time you do anything like that again, I'll kick you into Imada Masanori's path personally."
Ren put his hands in his pockets and grumbled as he watched him leave. 'Who the hell is he to scold me? Asshole.... and what was that about Masanori?'
Ren rolled his eyes. What a bunch of moody kids.