Part 8: 4/14-4/15: Things Escalate

Part 8: 4/14-4/15: Things Escalate

Time to head to school. Maybe Ryuji will have more luck convincing someone to talk about Kamoshida today.



I think I might ask for his autograph after school.
I dunno if that’s such a good idea… I hear that you shouldn’t go near the PE faculty office. People say you can hear weird sounds, like screaming, even though no one’s there...
What? That’s probably just a rumor spread by fans to scare the competition.

Pretty odd for a rumor. Of course, they’re also saying Maaku is the Zodiac Killer or something so maybe these kids are just into making up weird shit.

Music: So Boring




No, that ain’t why. Just hear me out. You know how we didn’t get a thing outta the volleyball team? I figured it’d be a good idea to talk to someone who knows them. Takamaki’s BFFs with a starter. A girl named Suzui. I tried to talk to that girl during break, but I got nothing. That’s why we should have Takamaki talk to her. Then again, I guess it’ll be hard getting her to help us… Sorry. Lemme see what else I can come up with.

Music: Confession/Secret




Holy crap, what happened to you?

That bruise above your eye… Is that from practice, too?
Y-Yeah...
Are you sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard?
I’m OK… Volleyball’s the only thing I can do right...



Ann’s phone begins to ring.

Shouldn’t you take that?
It’s probably just my part-time job… I think.
I…should get going.
Shiho… ...Are you sure you’re OK?
Uh-huh...

Shiho leaves. Ann’s phone continues to ring.




Today won’t work… I’m… I’m not feeling so good… Sorry… Bye.

Ann hangs up and leaves. Two male students enter the courtyard at the same time.



Rumor has it she’s dating Kamoshida.
Seriously?
I heard people saw them in his car together.
You know… she seems pretty easy, huh? You think I’d have a chance, too?
C’mon dude, you can’t go after Kamoshida’s bitch!

This is a really messed up school.



...What? Oh… I’m in the way, aren’t I? Sorry...



I really am sorry though. I must have spaced out… Hm, you don’t look familiar. Could you be that transfer student from Class D?
*nods*
Uh, this might not be any of my business, but don’t let the rumors get to you, OK…?



I’m glad to hear that. ...My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks… Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to drag on like that. Anyway, I have to go to practice… I’ll see you around.

Music: Suspicion




Is that what it looks like? All of ‘em kept sayin’ the same shit Mishima was talkin’ about…!



At this rate… it looks like we’ll have to go to him directly...



I know… But seriously, isn’t there something we can do? No way I’m gonna give in like this! Can you think of anything?



Let’s go straight for the insane option.

That’d be fine if we could do it without gettin’ caught, but… if we did, we’d be seriously done for. You got any other ideas…?



And now for the insanely pointless option.

So you wanna tell ‘em about the castle? They’d never believe us… Have any other ideas…? What do we do…?



The king…? You mean that other world’s Kamoshida? I didn’t think of that, but… Is there any meaning to--



Music: My Homie




...You say something?



That voice… Is that you, Morgana!?
How dare you, up and leaving me the other day!
The cat’s talkin’!?
I am NOT a cat! This is just what happened when I came to this world! It was a lot of trouble finding you two.
Wait… You came to our world!? Does that mean you’ve got a phone!?
You don’t need one when you’re at my level. I did get pretty lost making my escape though...
That aside, why can you talk!? You’re a cat!
How should I know!?
You hearin’ this too…?



This is no time to be jokin’ around!
You guys are having a rough time of this, hm? I heard you mention something about witnesses.
Oh, shuddup.
You know, I could tell you a thing or two about what to do about Kamoshida. You were pretty close just a moment ago.
God, that condescendin’ attitude! This thing’s gotta be Morgana!
You were still doubting me!?
Ack…! Quiet down!



I just heard a meow somewhere near here. Didn’t you hear it?

Oh shit, sorry guys. That was me.

Make sure you check every nook and cranny around.
Meow…? Does that mean only us two can understand what you’re sayin’?
Looks like it.
What the hell’s goin’ on…? Anyways, what you were talkin’ about earlier… is it for real?
You’re quite the skeptic for being an idiot.
Hey, tell us more. Then again, this probably ain’t the best place...




Music: Wicked Plan



Enough of that! You said you know how we can do something about Kamoshida, right?
It has to do with what this guy was talking about earlier. You’ll need to attack his castle.
What do you mean…?
That castle is how Kamoshida views this school. He doesn’t realize what happens in there, but it’s deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida.
What’d happen?
A Palace is a manifestation of a person’s distorted desires. So, if that castle were no more...



Precisely! You sure pick up things fast!
For real!? H-He’s gonna turn good!? But… is that really gettin’ back at him?
Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart. However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain. Kamoshida will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he’ll confess them himself!
You for real!? That’s possible!?
And since the Palace will no longer exist, he’ll forget what we did there as well. Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won’t even be a trace of our involvement.
That’s amazing! You are one incredible cat!
True, except for the cat part!
So? How do we get rid of the Palace!?
By stealing the Treasure held within.
Stealing…?
I’ll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this. It’s my most valuable, secret plan, after all. If you want to help me out, I’ll gladly teach you. What’s your call?
Our luck’s runnin’ dry lookin’ for witnesses. Guess we have no choice but to go along…



...Good. Oh, right. There’s one more thing I should tell you. If we erase a Palace, there is no doubt that the person’s distorted desires will be erased as well. But desires are what we all need in order to survive. The will to sleep, eat, fall in love—those sorts of things.
What’re you gettin’ at?
If all of those yearnings were to vanish, they’d be no different than someone who has shut down entirely. They may even die if they’re not given proper care. So...



Will you listen to everything I have to say first?
Would their death be our fault…?
Aren’t you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?
Hey… What do you think?



This seems like a little much, even for that piece of shit.

O-Of course not...
Sheesh… I come all this way, and this is what I get. It’s not like anyone will ever find out.
That’s not the point! If we just go around secretly doin’ whatever we want, we’d be no different than that effin’ Kanoshida...
Isn’t this your only option? ...I’ll come back later. Make sure you’ve made your decision by then.

Morgana leaves.



I’ll try and see if I can figure out another way… C’mon, let’s get outta here.




About that Suzui girl… Looks like rumors are going around about her and Kamoshida.



It’s just impossible. I’ve known Takamaki and Suzui since middle school. There’s just no way Kamoshida’s their type, y’know? So… I gotta wonder where those rumors came from. Well, whatever. I’ll try asking around some more.

On the way home...




This has nothing to do with Shiho!

The person on the other end abruptly hangs up.

Ah...



Shiho’s… starting position…



Maaku walks closer. Ann notices him and backs away.

Wait… Were you listening?



Haven’t you heard of privacy? ….. ...No, I was out of line. Sorry.



So how much did you hear…?



Shiho… It’s nothing at all. Nothing...





Time to pursue an emotionally fragile teenager over something that’s none of our business. This should go well.





Ann eventually stops near these pillars.




Why… Why do you keep worrying about me? *sob*



What the heck…? I really don’t get you…



Then why are we even here?

It was just an argument...



It seems like she’s really stressed out...

Confession

Music: Confession/Secret (Piano Version)




About Mr. Kamoshida. Everyone says we’re getting it on. But… that’s so not true…!



I avoided giving him my number… for the longest time… He told me to go to his place after this...



If I turn him down, he said he’d take my friend off as a regular on the team...



I can’t take it anymore...




But still… Shiho’s my best friend.



Tell me… What should I do…?



Sorry… I shouldn’t have asked. It’s not your problem.



Music: Sunset Bridge




...You might be right. ...You’re so weird. Usually everyone just ignores me. Are you really a bad person as the rumor says…? You just don’t seem like it...



Is that supposed to be a joke? I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations. You seemed lonely—almost like you didn’t belong anywhere… We’re the same in that regard. Maybe that’s why it was so easy for me to talk to you. Is there really no way for me to help Shiho…? I wish he’d just change his mind… Like, forget about me, and everything… As if something like that would ever happen...



I wasn’t asking for a serious response. But I do feel a bit better now. ...I’m gonna head home.



I’ll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. Well… thanks.



Are you leaving…?
What is it…?
Mr. Kamoshida’s asking for you… He’s in the PE faculty office.
What did he say?
...I don’t know. Well… I have to go.

Mishima runs off.





Ann…

Shiho ignores the call and walks off.

Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)





...By the way, you haven’t been hanging around any bad influences, have you?



Huh. They’ve gotta be pretty strange to want to spend time with you. Just make sure you’re careful who your friends are, if you don’t want them ruining your life. *yawn* Look at the time. Seriously, think about how I feel having to stay up here waiting for you. Hey, I’m leaving. In the future, try not to come back so damn late. Understood?



I dunno if I get all that stuff about stealing desires… And Kamoshida’s gonna turn like, brain dead if we mess up, right?



For sure. I mean, maybe I’m just freaking out, but I don’t wanna end up a murderer cause of this shit. Oh well… I’ll try and see if I can come up with some other way tonight.



One thing I’ve been neglecting to do every night is sit on the sofa. Depending on changes in the story, you’ll have new brief ruminations. It’s not much, but it’s cool all the same.



Anyway, I should get some sleep.



Mr. Kamoshida asked to see her...
You know, I’ve been hearing rumors about how Mr. Kamoshida and Suzui-senpai stay late… She always shows up to meetings though. It’s weird she wasn’t at the one yesterday...

Music: So Boring



The National Diet is legislative, the Cabinet is executive, and the Supreme Court is judiciary. This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures no one branch becomes unstoppable.



JESUS CHRIST

No matter how much thinking you do, there’s only one option. You’d be better off just listening to me.



Hm? Did I just hear a cat just now?
M-Meow!
Could that rumored cat be somewhere nearby…? Settle down! We’re in the middle of an important lecture!

Maaku’s phone vibrates.



I can’t deal with that shit right now. I mean, what’re we gonna do about Kamoshida? Do we just gotta go along with what that cat says? Urgh, that damn furball…
If he only knew I’m reading this too...



Enough! This is a classroom!
Wait… She’s going to jump…!
Suzui…?



Hey! Stay in your seats! Do not step foot outside of this room!





Music: Desire





...holy shit.



Calm down! Back to your seats!
No… Why…?




...Right. We should get down there.



There’s no way we’re gonna get past all these goddamn people… C’mon, let’s try goin’ through the practice buildin’!




What the hell!?
Outta the way, man! Please!



Shiho…!



We need someone to go with her… Are there any teachers around?



We should leave this to Principal Kobayakawa...
I’ll go!
Please hurry!



Ann…? I’m sorry. I… I can’t take this… anymore...
Shiho…?

Shiho says something to Ann that we cannot hear.

...Huh? ...Kamoshida!?
Ngh...



The ambulance drives off.



Return to your classrooms at once!




Mishima runs off.

That guy… Hey, wasn’t Mishima acting weird?



...We’re gonna make him talk this time.



Music: Suspicion



Why’d you run like that? Huh!?
I didn’t run...




…L-Leave me alone...



He’s right! We ain’t tryin’ to get you busted. We won’t say you talked either!
Suzui…



Wait, what!?
I was called by him a number of times too… to the teacher’s room. It wasn’t just me or Suzui either. He’d nominate someone when he was in a bad mood… and hit them.
So the physical punishment thing was for real...
But yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn’t make any mistakes or anything… Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day, so it must’ve been… worse than usual...
He didn’t…!



Ryuji runs off.



Maaku follows, and ultimately so does Mishima.

Music: Tension



Mr. Kamoshida’s probably in the PE faculty office on the second floor.



He went into the PE faculty office! Let’s hurry, we have to go after him.



You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl!?
What are you talking about?



Ryuji kicks a chair over in rage.

That is enough!
What you did… wasn’t coaching…!
What did you say?
You… You ordered me to call Suzui here… I can only imagine what you did to her…!



Basically, you’re simply making these claims because you can’t be a regular on the team, right?
That’s not what this is about…!



We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui’s in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim… How would someone like that make a statement?



There’s no chance of her getting better, I hear… The poor girl.
No… That can’t be…
You goddamn…!

Ryuji is physically shaking at this point.

This, again…? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of “self-defense”?
You shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!



Why’re you stoppin’ me…!?



But still!
Oh? You’re stopping him? What a surprise. There’s no need to hold back. Why not attack me? ...Ohhh, you can’t. Hahaha, but of course you can’t. Everyone present right now… will be expelled. I’m reporting all of you at the next board meeting.



Wha--
You can’t make a decision like that…!
Who would seriously consider what scum like you say? You threatened me too, Mishima, so you’re just as responsible.
Huh…?
To think you didn’t know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team. You act like you’re a victim, but you leaked his criminal records, didn’t you? It’s all over the internet, correct? How terrible.




Kamoshida begins laughing sickeningly.

Now, are we finished here? You’re all expelled! You’re done for; your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight.
I can’t believe this asshole’s gettin’ away with this…!

And he does. The rest of this game takes place in jail.



Huh…? ...Oh right. We have that!



I don’t understand what garbage like you are thinking, but go ahead and try. All you can do is wait for your disposal though…

I bet he thinks that was a really clever line. He’s been waiting weeks to use that one.

The stakes have never been higher. We’re about to get expelled, and if that goes through, the terms of our probation mean we’re headed straight to juvie. Kamoshida is one devious son of a bitch. For the record, Kamoshida is voiced by D.C. Douglas, probably best known as Albert goddamn Wesker. He’s an all-around amazing VA, and while Kamoshida’s Japanese voice isn’t bad, this is probably a straight upgrade.