The school days passed along and Ren felt… peculiar. The clock silently ticked away against the wall of his class as the teacher droned on, hours passing remaining in the same seat.
Ren was… really bored.
'I think I had too much excitement lately. Now nothing's happening and all I can think about is how dull this place is. I should look into the secret passages or something…'
He would try to make progress on finding his evidence, but he had no leads. The student council still had a few members to investigate, but they spent so much of their time either in the Alpha dorm or outside the school, he didn't have much to go off of.
'I mean there's a ton of secrets going around and the only people who know about it are too scared to do anything. Maybe instead of evidence I just need a way to convince others. Maybe Masanori could help me…'
He had been waiting for Yuki, but it was about time he went to go find him by himself. He was reinstated back into the student council, wasn't he?
———
Masanori sighed. "This is your plan, Yuki?"
Masanori felt dumb, standing in front of a mirror in a dark wig and lense-less glasses. He felt he looked a little dorky.
Yukihiro sat behind him with a confident smirk. "There's more to this than a wig and glasses. Don't stand so stiffly, that's just so you."
Masanori rolled his eyes and readjusted the wig. Apparently, Yukihiro's plan to get him in front of Takeshita was to make him look like a different student. It was ridiculous, but was it ridiculous enough to work?
"I think you just want to dress me up in stupid clothing." He said.
"Hey, I got these from the drama club, and Haruka would never skimp out on the costume budget. Now I got a few heads keeping the ones you worry about out of the way, and a good alibi. This is just a last minute precaution."
'Last minute is this. Is just pulling him in for an interrogation out of the picture now?'
After whatever happened at the old gym building that day, Masanori did of course do a follow up but as expected neither side talked. It wasn't feasible to try to administer any kind of punishment to any of them, especially the delinquents, so he asked Yukihiro for the camera footage. But, Yukihiro had nothing. He had gotten better at escaping the cameras apparently, so he had hit a wall. But there was no way he wasn't involved, right? It was too strange…
Yukihiro leaned backwards against the desk, his head craning upward. "What's on your mind? Let me guess…"
"I haven't looked into what happened with Takeshita and the delinquents any more," He answered. "I know you said to lighten up for now since it might jeopardize the plan, but…"
Yukihiro stood up and walked over to Masanori, lightly tossing him a school jacket. "Second year, your size. Any little distinction would help when you're so recognizable, any little thing to throw him off the trail."
"I'm not a celebrity…" Masanori started to put it on. He moved around in the mirror.
Masanori sighed. "I look like myself but with a wig and the wrong school jacket."
Yukihiro shook his hand out. "We'll keep workshopping it. Oh!" He snapped his fingers. "I know what this needs." He hopped up and moved to the door. "Meanwhile, try to act less like you." He closed the door.
"Why did he say it like there's something wrong with that? Less like me…"
Yukihiro strided through the halls, his mind on a wig rack in the auditorium backstage.
'That nuisance should be heading to his club by now after his session at the sumo club…' Yukihiro pulled out his phone.
His eye twitched. 'What… where the hell is he?'
He quickly flipped through cameras, absorbing the information faster than the normal human eye could comprehend, but he only needed a few frames.
He finally stopped. He quickly turned around and began speed walking in the other direction.
He found him, but he could tell exactly where he was going!
'I gotta stop him! He's going to ruin everything!'
At that moment, Masanori was trying on a different wig, curly black.
'I think he's right. It's not about the stuff I wear, it's how I act. Maybe, act a little more like someone else.' He leaned back against the desk and tried to look less stiff. He tried but he didn't look any different.
'I don't even know what he's talking about. I'm not stiff… How would I make myself look different?'
Bam Bam Bam Bam!!
There were small rapid thuds against the door. Masanori stopped leaning against the desk and approached the door. At the last second he quickly pulled off the wig, before pulling open the door.
He blinked. "Akagi-san?"
It was Naoto. He barged in before Masanori could say another word, stopping a few feet inside anyway. "I need to talk to you."
"And this couldn't wait? I'm," He stuffed the wig behind the printer that was beside the door, "A little, busy."
Naoto glanced over at the desk covered in wigs and pointed at it with his thumbs, a funny smirk on his lips. "Yeah, busy with what?"
"Just make it quick."
———
Ren walked towards the rule disciplinary office, the one that Masanori had taken him to before, during that time he had snuck into the student council office. His stomach turned, twisting and fluttering at the same time. No matter how he tried to justify it, he just couldn't shake the weird feeling away. He was just so nervous that Masanori wouldn't want to see him again, that the embarrassment might be too much, or that he might just hate him for causing it to happen in the first place.
He saw the door to the office up ahead, noticing that the door was already open, and his stomach sunk. After all, why hadn't he contacted him yet, when before he would intentionally approach him? Unless he was-
Bam!
Ren skirted to a stop when an arm violently blocked his path. Yukihiro had slammed his hand into the wall in front of him, slightly out of breath.
Ren blinked. "Yuki-kun?"
"Ren, glad I caught you." Yukihiro took his hand off the wall and began to move around him. "It's been a little while hasn't it? You're not looking as pale I think. How have you been?"
"Oh, I do? Well, I was waiting for a while but you never told me what the plan was. Then I heard that he's back in the council so I was going to see-"
"That so, well do you think he's just going to be sitting in there all afternoon?" Yukihiro quickly interjected. "Student council members are awfully busy, especially after he just got back from his break."
Ren nodded. "Oh, that makes sense… so do you know where he is?"
Yukihiro grabbed both of his shoulders, subtly moving him along. "In due time. Right now I need you to trust me. There are several reasons why seeing him is difficult. I'm sure you know a few."
Ren's eyes brightened, seemingly enlightened. 'He's talking like he knows something was up! Then couldn't that possibly mean-?'
Ren grabbed Yukihiro's hand. "Y-Yuki-kun! I have to-!"
Yukihiro covered his mouth, vein beginning to pulse from his forehead.
"You're… way too loud. People are working up here and stuff, you know?"
"Oh sorry, but I have show you something! Will you follow me?"
Yukihiro didn't budge but pulled his hand away. "Nope. What are you trying to show me, exactly? I don't exactly have the time to be dragged off."
"Oh," Ren turned away a little disappointed. "Then where are we going? You're leading me away like you don't want me up here and maybe I don't have the time to be dragged off either."
"Oh, yes you do. Trust me, this is important. Follow me and we can talk as much as you want…"
———
Naoto pulled off his school bag and pulled out a trash bag. He lifted it up, shook it around. "You might be looking for something like this."
Masanori grabbed the bag from up and pulled it open. Inside was a bag with a broken strap.
"What…? Why would I be looking for this? Did you find this in the trash?"
"So no one reported this missing? I thought… nevermind," Naoto shook his head. "I picked this up in a place it shouldn't have been. Good luck figuring out where it came from."
Masanori placed the bag on the table. "Is that all you came here for? There's something else: so just tell me. If it's about Takeshita…"
Naoto picked up a wig and waved it around. "First you gotta tell me what you're doing. Not some role play shit I hope. Don't need you taking tips from Haruka."
"Stop making weird assumptions. Fine, don't tell me where you got it. I'll find the owner and figure out who you stole it from. If you don't think something this broken isn't just trash then you have some idea of its value, which means it's stolen."
Naoto scoffed. "I'm not a thief. Even if some people seem to think so."
"Who thinks so?"
"Nishida Shino."
His eyes widened. "Takeshita's Club leader? Wh-What did he say?"
"He was asking around about a stolen gift basket. Can you believe they accused me?"
"Do you actually want me to answer you?" He closed his eyes, knowing if he were responsible he wouldn't come here to tell him. But it was weird: Naoto's nose should have been good enough to at least guess who it belonged to, so how could he do a better job?
Naoto crossed his arms, grumbling. "Nishida Shino…someone has to do something about him. Ever since Ruota started hanging around him he's advocating for things he wouldn't normally do. Had to work with Hirabayashi refurbishing for the beta dorm refurbishment when they didn't even need it. There's a rule being broken somewhere and you oughta look into it. It's almost like he's got him wrapped around his finger, you'd think he was actually an omega or something."
Masanori opened his eyes, something occurring to him. "Wait. So, is this about Takeshita-san?"
"Tch. Everything has to be about him," huffed Naoto, turning away. "But that's why, I'm done. Go on and ask Hirabayashi, I haven't talked to him since the day his heat started. I hope you do the same before something happens that can't be fixed. And I'm not admitting you were right!" He quickly added. "Don't get confused - I just have better things to do!" He headed to the door. "Have fun playing dress up."
'I thought you would be coming here after he had his heat in the middle of the school… but he's stopping now?'
"...What happened?" Masanori asked.
"Now who's making assumptions? Whatever that asshole said, I did nothing to him. He ran out on his own like that." Naoto said, and left with those words. They didn't convince Masanori in the slightest.
'This is weird. Its like there's something he's not telling me… it sounded like it was about Takeshita but, it couldn't be. If something happened, why didn't Yukihiro tell me about it?'
Masanori looked into the trash bag a little more, giving it a small sniff. 'If there was a scent, it's gone now… are these a pair of shoes?'
———
Meanwhile, Yukihiro led Ren down the hall and away to an empty classroom. He unwrapped a lollipop from his pocket to knaw on, tossing one to him. "Candy?"
"I don't really like sweets." Ren replied.
"Come on, every omega likes sweets. There's gotta be…" His eyes tuned towards the ceiling. "Well, maybe it's better to not be like the others. If you were any sweeter you'd give someone a cavity."
"Sweet?" Ren frowned. "What's sweet about me?"
"More than you know." He answered, his eyes looking considerably more in the other direction, one that would look self-conscious if not for the encroaching smile, almost looking pained, inching up between his teeth against the lollipop.
"Okaaay... ? Why did you bring me here?" asked Ren.
"Oh, well it's the same question as before. How has it gone?"
"Oh…" Ren tapped his knees and looked to the ground.
"There's been nothing. I've sorta seen how much I'm lacking. I can't even smell something when it's all over me… but I'm not sure what's… what it is I'm looking for."
Yukihiro sighed. 'I think you do. The question is, how to get it out of you? Pheromones alone aren't enough…'
He shook his head. "That won't do you any good…. Here's an idea." He hopped on the teacher's desk and reached over to the other side, then taking out a small book from the teachers's desk, handing it to him.
"Look at this."
Ren took the book and flipped it open. "You want me to read? What is…"
Ren dropped the book. As it slammed against the floor a small magazine fell out of it, landing beside it.
Shaking, Ren pointed a finger at it, his face burning red.
"W-Wh-What the heck i-is…!"
Yukihiro laughed. "This is Kajishima-Sensei's homeroom. He's got some fun taste in reading material, doesn't he?"
"Y-You… asshole!" Ren's ears went red with fury. "Y-You can't just show that to someone without warning! I mean, why's a porn mag hiding in this book?! Why is it always sex and dicks with you guys?! Focus on your studies and club activities like normal high schoolers!"
"This is normal - you're the weird one, rather," He laid down against the desk, looking at Ren upside down with a curious gleam. "You're squeamish about stuff like this, Ren-kun? This is tame really." He then grinned. "Well, what do you think?"
Ren squeezed his eyes shut and aggressively shook his head. "I… must have focused on my studies! And I definitely wasn't looking at stuff like this if I was! And I don't think anything!!"
"Why wouldn't you think anything?" Yukihiro sighed. "I can tell you like guys so don't try to hide it from me," He pulled out another lollipop and clamped it between his tongue and teeth. "I'll ask you again: what do you think?"
Ren's cheeks puffed and he broodily pouted. He didn't know what to say, how to respond.
'Why does that matter? It's just inappropriate…'
Ren carefully picked up the displaced porn magazine. "Did you just bring me here to freak me out?"
Yukihiro smiled with an erratic sort of grin. "Well you catch on better than I thought."
Ren then blinked, something coming to mind.
'Is he asking me… if I can handle stuff like this?' Ren nodded. 'Yeah, I think he's asking because he's trying to get me to look at it to raise my mental fortitude, because somehow he knows that Naoto's methods involve stuff like this! He's encouraging me to stand up to him, to resist the mind control! I mean I freak out over the thought of this to the point of blacking out! If I can't remain calm then of course I'm primed to be mind controlled!'
Ren flipped a page with a deep red blush, quickly not lingering on anything in particular. Still, he nodded his head with intent focus towards Yukihiro. "Thank you. I'll try to answer your question… b-but can you give me some time?"
"If it'll let you answer my question, sure," Yukihiro hopped off the desk and held his hand out to take the magazine back. "But since this is Sensei's, we have to put this back…"
Ren pulled it towards his chest away from Yukihiro's hands, hesitating. "But how am I supposed to prepare?"
Yukihiro's eye sparked with interest. 'Prepare? Didn't think he'd be so eager...'
"If you're asking then you should know the answer," He answered. "But question is, who would you try it with?"
Ren flipped a page or two. "I guess, once I learn how to, Naoto's the first choice…"
Yukihiro sat up. 'Wow, honest much? This is almost too easy. No, it IS too easy. Am I missing something?' He shrugged. 'Oh well, I'm just that good at this I suppose.'
Ren gulped. He wanted to ask, but suddenly he couldn't say it. Yukihiro was a friend; what if he didn't believe in the Alpha's mind control? But then why else would he want him to prepare? He didn't know what he believed in.
Yukihiro gestured for the magazine again. "I really have to put this back. Really, Sensei's taste is so old-fashioned and not really what you'd be into."
Ren huffed. "I don't need anything that's more my taste, this is fine!"
"Hand it over." Yukihiro lunged for the magazine but Ren moved it behind his back, so Yukihiro slid behind him and tried to grab it from behind, snatching it from his fingers. With a lascivious grin he flipped through it himself. "You got attached quickly. Is there something specific in here you're interested in? Maybe this here?" Yukihiro held up the magazine to a steamy page. Ren covered his eyes. "W-Wait! I'm not ready!!"
"What do you think is happening here?" Yukihiro sighed. "I said it's Sensei's. You can have your fun later in your dorm room."
"Fun? I thought I couldn't do this alone... and there's nothing fun about this. I…" Ren shook his head. "I-I need to cool off. You said you were busy anyway," Ren then quickly walked to the door. "I'll go on ahead. You should put that away."
Ren left the classroom with his head still spinning. 'I don't know what that was about. Why would he actually want to know what I thought about it? Maybe he was just teasing me to try to pressure me and I just freaked out again. Maybe he's right. I shouldn't stick with just the one. I would need more variety to handle it better.'
As Ren's footsteps faded, Yukihiro put a hand to his mouth to muffle his laughter.
'Pft. What a funny guy. Nothing fun? He sounds so serious. No wonder Naoto's confused as hell.'
He sighed. 'But no pheromones. Looks like that's not a trigger… 'thought he couldn't do it alone'? There's no way he's that innocent… hm.'
Soon, Yukihiro returned to the council room. By that point Masanori had returned to trying on wigs.
"You're back. Did you get the thing you ran off for?" Masanori asked.
He shrugged. "Couldn't find it. But how about this instead?" Yukihiro then held up a pair of glasses. "Nerdy. Every bit helps."
Masanori took the glasses and tried them on. "As silly as this feels… Thanks for helping."
"No problemo amigo! Now, we'll have about ten minutes until security starts heading for the path to the Omega dorms…"
"Right… oh, I forgot. Can you give this to him somehow?" Masanori pulled open the drawer from his desk and gave Yukihiro a small present. "I never got to before."
Yukihiro held up a hand. "Give it to him yourself. We're not doing all of this for a video call."
Masanori repocketed it. "Right… I'll give it to him in person."
———
Ren was walking back to the dorm after class the next day, with his head downcast.
'Ugh. Didn't sleep well. What Yukihiro asked keeps coming back to me. I mean it really isn't that big a deal, looking at stuff like that. I'm man enough. People my age try all kinds of different things. I just never wanted to… well, I think I wasn't into that kind of thing. I remember a lot of drinking and bar games but not much of that. I never really thought much about the type I liked, I just assumed…'
He let out a long sigh. 'But I think it's a sign. I can't go back to Akagi Naoto until I figure out how to handle him. That guy, he's going to try to do more weird stuff to me as punishment, so here's no way I can ask him to help me until I do. But maybe I can just ask Masanori…'
He wasn't sure, but in that strange daze he felt back in the locker room with him, that maybe, maybe that he had given off pheromones too, just like Masanori. Maybe he knew the trigger. He wondered if he could recognize the feeling.
'With both cases of Masanori and Naoto whenever I felt a release of these pheromones, they did the same thing. All the groping and kissing… Is that just a coincidence? Naoto just does it to punish me and Masanori was forced, but in his case wasn't I the trigger? It's almost like-"
A hand went to Ren's shoulder, making him jump.
Yukihiro retracted his hand immediately. "Sorry, you just zone out like a zombie. Hey, you have time? Let's talk at the lake."
Ren could tell from his expression that he thought it was important. He nodded. "Ok. I don't need to study anyway."
Yukihiro led him down the path to the lake. "You really should. I think you could stand to learn a little more." He said.
'But I don't. I already finished high school.' Ren thought, missing the shade.
Yukihiro grinned ambiguously. "Your confidence is staggering. We'll see how that fares on the upcoming exams."
"E-Exams? Already?!"
They arrived at the water's edge. Ren resisted kicking a rock into the water as Yukihiro spoke.
"So how did it go with Naoto-kun? Have you asked him yet?" Yukihiro started.
Ren scowled. "Can you stop asking? I'm not talking to him ever again. I'd rather just forget this crap than deal with him again. I'll ask Masanori-kun instead. We had a… similar sorta thing happen, so maybe he'll help me out."
Yukihiro frowned. "Don't say that. Imada Masanori is a busy person. This isn't just about your problems with Naoto, it's about your health."
'Too busy to visit or anything. What happened to when he'd send a million letters because he got a little angry?' Ren thought, shaking his head and pouting. "What about my health?"
Yukihiro smiled. "Well, bad effects with not releasing your pheromones for a long period of time. Could be something like less sleep or weight gain, but also less control over your pheromones and an unruly libido. Your heats would be a lot worse too, much like an Alpha's rut."
Ren briefly wanted to ask what a rut was, but got distracted by what else he said.
'Less control? Libido? That's… wait, could that mean…?'
Ren wondered if maybe that was what it was. It would fix some of the contradictions. Why Naoto would use the mind control bond on him so inconsistently, why he kept trying to punish him when the school explicitly kept trying to stop him, and even why Masanori hadn't come to talk to him like usual.
"...Hey… what are we standing here for, exactly?" Ren suddenly asked.
Yukihiro hummed. "What a weird question. We're waiting." He answered. Yukihiro would tell him, but he didn't want to spoil the surprise.
But then Ren staggered back, his breath shrinking.
'Wait, he can't mean… he's waiting for me? T-To realize! Holy shit, have I… been using the mate bond this entire time!?'
He hadn't been releasing these pheromones, and so his control over his power and lust had made Masanori and Naoto act the way they did.
Maybe it wasn't a coincidence. What if HE was the culprit?
Yuki was saying his mate bond was out of control, but it also manifested his intent. That's why Yuki kept asking what he thought about Naoto. He wasn't just trying to find the connection, he was trying to find the origin!
But the connection wasn't Naoto, it was Ryusei! His crush on Ryusei must have manifested into his scent!
'M-My mate bond was being used on them!! N-No wonder Naoto thinks I'm a problem!' And Yuki knew it the entire time and was trying to show him!
Ren wanted to run back to the dorm and write all this down, but Yukihiro was giving him a weird look and he had to calm down. He was about to speak, to ask if he had gotten it right, when footsteps sounded behind him. They both turn.
"Ah." Yukihiro smiled. "You're here."