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Chapter 8:

Second Thoughts

Friday, April 15th

Shibuya, Evening

The faucet squeaked as a hand turned the valve above it, a war cry for the incoming brigade.

Sam knelt next to the pristine white bathtub, absentmindedly watching the gushing waterfall that droned on loudly as it splattered onto the closed drain. He sprung upward as he felt something hot nip the front of his knee, letting out an audible gasp as he noticed the water overflowing and seeping into the rug on the floor next to the tub.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

The faucet squeaked again, this time much more violently, and the vigorous torrent was quickly reduced to mere droplets that plopped into the rippling pool below.

Sam placed his hands on his hips, letting out a defeated sigh as he watched the bobbing water level send crashing waves of bathwater over the edge of the bathtub that spilled onto the floor. Reaching for the towel hanging from the peg on the wall, Sam dipped his toes into one of the puddles before him. With hot water biting the edges of his foot as he set it down onto the tiled flooring, he squatted fully and began mopping the floor.

After a series of long, precise sweeps, Sam stood back up with a grunt. He brushed his bangs away from his eyes and tossed the damp towel into the laundry basket next to the door. Returning to matters at hand, he stepped forward and held his hand over the bathtub, feeling the rising steam from the water warm his palm.

"Perfect…" Sam whispered, reaching for the small yellow box of epsom salts sitting upright on the counter beside him. He tore off the top flaps and peered at the translucent white crystals inside.

She said this was one of a kind, so it better work… he thought as he leaned over the bathtub and shook out the contents of the box in a sweeping, circular motion.

After throwing the empty box into the small trash can next to the sink, Sam held his head high as he gazed at the bathtub, admiring his work. He reached into the pockets of his sweatpants and pulled out his phone, deftly double-tapping the screen on to check the time.

"Shit, she should be here any minute now…" he mumbled as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket.

Leaving the lights on in the bathroom, Sam hurried out of the master bedroom and into the corridor. Approaching the kitchen near the front of the apartment, he clicked his tongue as he noticed that the rice in the rice cooker was still cooking, and he decided to bide the remainder of his time by making the dining table look presentable. He opened one of the overhead cabinets and took out two porcelain plates, followed by him pulling open a drawer next to the kitchen sink and grabbing two pairs of chopsticks. Walking over to the small, circular dining table next to the front door, Sam carefully set down two sets of the tableware and cutlery on opposite ends of its glass top. He was in the midst of striding back into the kitchen to get two glasses when he heard the muffled slam of a car door outside.

Sam scurried over to the set of windows in the living room that overlooked the parking lot and peeked through the curtains, his eyes growing wide upon spotting the bright headlights and the dull red of a taxi below. He nearly tripped over himself as he dashed back into the kitchen, darting glances at the dishes of food that were laid out in glass containers on the counter.

After what felt like an eternity, Sam heard the clacking of a pair of boots approach the front door, followed by the loud chime of the doorbell. He walked over to the door and gripped the doorknob, pausing to take a deep breath and turn the corners of his mouth upward before pulling the door open.

"Welcome home, Mother."

Akari Katsukawa stood before him, clasping the handle of her blue suitcase with one hand while clutching a plastic bag in the other. She smiled earnestly as she lifted her face, the fair complexion of her cheeks brightened a subdued red by the biting chill outside.

"Helloo~," she chirped as she stepped into the apartment and glanced around. "Ah, it's so good to be back!"

Sam amusedly watched her kick off her boots before taking her suitcase and heaving it next to the leather couch in the living room.

"You do know you were only gone for like, five days, right?" he said with a chuckle as he walked back to shut the front door.

Akari rolled her eyes and flashed a wry smile. "Oh, but I know you missed me all five of those days, huh kiddo?" she said as she took off her maroon peacoat and black gloves.

Sam's grin disappeared momentarily as he ruminated about the events that had taken place the past few days.

"Well...maybe a little."

"Hm, thought so," Akari said with a smirk. Her eyes suddenly grew wide as she sniffed the air, glancing behind her at the kitchen before returning her attention to Sam. "Hold on, did you...make dinner?..."

Sam rubbed the back of his neck, laughing nervously. "...Yeah, I did. Or at least, I tried to," he said before snapping his fingers loudly as he remembered his antics in the bathroom a few minutes earlier. "Oh, and I got the bath ready for you."

Akari, her mouth partly open, stared at Sam in disbelief for a few seconds before placing her hands over her heart. "Oh my gosh...that's so sweet of you kiddo!" she squealed as she stepped forward and began ruffling his hair jovially.

"H-Hey! Don't mess with that!" Sam grumbled, holding his hands over his head in a vain attempt to shield himself from Akari's assault.

"Pfft," Akari uttered as she pulled her hand back, "why not? You already washed it for the day, so it's not like you'd have to fix it with the twenty pounds of hair gel sitting in your bathroom again."

Sam narrowed his eyes, having caught Akari's veiled jest. He sighed, however, knowing deep down that she was right. Despite it having been perfectly sculpted earlier that morning with artistic strokes and dabs of expensive hair gel, he had left his hair down after taking a shower upon coming home from school, just like he did every day.

"I guess you're right," he said as he began smoothing out the disheveled strands of his hair with his hands before noticing Akari staring vacantly at the various containers of food laid out on the kitchen counter.

"What's wrong?"

Akari shuffled her feet. "Look, I really appreciate you going to all the trouble of making dinner for us..." she said, hesitating as she moved her eyes away from Sam's quizzical gaze. "But, I, uh...may or may not have brought takeout for us to eat," she said in a quiet voice as she raised the plastic bag she had brought off the floor and placed it on the dining table with a light thud.

Sam stopped working at his hair and peered into the plastic bag, now spotting the pile of stacked takeout boxes. He crossed his arms and turned to face Akari.

"Hmm…" he muttered as he looked up at the ceiling with his hand wrapped around his chin, "if I remember correctly, a certain someone told me that she quote 'couldn't wait to finally eat some home-cooked food.'"

Akari squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, acting as if she had just committed a cardinal sin. "I know what I said, Sam. It's just that...I was exhausted after the flight and didn't feel like making dinner tonight, so I thought I would pick up something along the way," she said, rubbing her temples slowly before letting her hands fall and smack the fabric of her jeans. "I mean...come on kiddo. Don't you think you should have at least given me a heads up first?"

Sam cocked his head to the side in thought, suddenly caught between a rock and a hard place.

"That ruins the point though. It was supposed to be a surprise."

"...A surprise?" Akari said with raised eyebrows, staring at him for a moment before scoffing and smiling mirthfully. "Hmph. Given your rep, your cooking sure is a 'surprise' all right..."

"Hey, my cooking isn't THAT bad, okay?" Sam said incredulously, putting his hands up in protest. "Besides, you're the one who taught me, so doesn't that just mean you're a bad teacher?!"

Akari crossed her arms and swung her head to the side. "It's not my fault you don't understand my genius," she said with a cheeky grin.

Sam stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, opening his mouth to retort before sighing and facepalming instead. "You know what? Fine. You may have won this battle, Mother, but the war's far from over."

"Oh please, spare me the poetry, my callow protégé~" Akari intoned while gazing at Sam with slightly narrowed eyes, smiling frivolously.

Sam and Akari both stifled snorts as they covered their mouths and tried to not break out into full-blown laughter. Sam was always one to drag on meaningless banter to entertain himself, but he knew that when it came to Akari, she came second to none.

"Alright, alright, you had your fun. Now, why don't you freshen up while I finish getting the table ready?" he asked her, taking off his glasses and rubbing the lenses with the bottom of his shirt.

Noticing Akari bite her lip as she finished wiping the tears from her eyes and stared at the plastic bag sitting on the dining table, Sam smiled, a little amused at her genuine embarrassment over such a small mistake. He walked over to the plastic bag, reached in, and began spreading its contents around the table as Akari watched.

"Like I said before, it's okay. I didn't make much, so we can have both," he said after a few moments of silence. He turned around and strode over to Akari, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Look, I know you've been working hard, so stop feeling so bad and go take a nice, hot bath before the food gets cold. Please? For me?"

Akari looked up at Sam with wide eyes for a moment, her coffee-brown irises glittering upon being exposed to the artificial light, and she eventually nodded her head as a smile crept onto her face. She had begun to walk away, passing by the entrance of the hallway leading to their bedrooms when she stopped in tracks. She turned around and faced Sam, resting her hand on the wall beside her.

"Thanks, by the way."

Sam smiled as he put his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, no problem."

Akari gazed at him for a few more moments as he waddled back into the kitchen before turning around and heading into her bedroom.

Hearing the lock to Akari's bedroom door click as she shut it behind her, Sam let out a deep breath as he stared into the empty corridor. His smile disappeared as he gripped the edge of the kitchen counter and leaned his body weight against it, thinking about how still and vacant the entire apartment had felt while Akari was gone. Too lazy to bother with opening the blinds after getting up for school in the mornings, Sam left the apartment in dim light and returned to it in dim light. His own room was no better and was the place he holed up for the majority of the time he spent at home alone, save for going to the bathroom or eating meals. But now, even with Akari not visibly present, Sam couldn't help but crack a smile as he scanned the room, admiring the brightness of all the lights being turned on for once.

After setting the table with all of the food he had prepared, Sam took his seat and played around on his phone as he waited patiently for Akari to finish her bath. Despite his stomach grumbling loudly every few minutes, he fought the urge to begin eating without her.

Sam swiftly shoved his phone back into his pocket as he heard a door in the hallway creak open. Akari sighed as she emerged from her bedroom, her dark blue hair still damp and no longer tied into its usual loose bun, instead falling freely to her shoulders. Sporting a purple T-shirt and gray sweatpants as her choice of loungewear, she hummed to herself as she approached the dining table.

"Oh my goodness..." she drawled as she eyed the amount of surface area the many servings of food took up. "Alright kiddo, you gotta come clean to me. You're not in trouble, are you?"

"H-Huh? No! Of course not!" Sam declared in a shaky voice as he felt his body freeze. "I...I just felt like doing it, okay?"

Akari raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Alright, alright. You don't have to get so defensive about it..." she said as she took a seat across from Sam. He quietly watched as she put her hands together and said " itadakimasu " before choosing to pick up his chopsticks and mix servings of both the food he had prepared and the food Akari had brought home on his plate. The two began to dig in, with the clinging and clanging of cutlery and glassware being the only noises for a short while.

"So...how is it?" Sam asked hesitantly after watching Akari take a few bites of his cooked salmon.

Akari twirled her chopsticks in her hands as she chewed, pausing dramatically and gulping before giving an answer. "It's slightly overcooked, but...I'm impressed nonetheless."

Sam couldn't fight the urge not to grin. Finally, I got it right! Haha!

"Are you sure you made this yourself?"

Sam's mouth fell open as he was knocked out of his temporary bliss. "Yes, I made this myself! I swear!"

"Huh. Then I guess I've actually taught you well then, my protégé," Akari said, elevating her chin boastfully. "I suppose I'll have to teach you how to make a few more dishes before you go off to college so you don't call me every night complaining about missing my cooking."

"Hey, I'm as eager to learn as you are to teach," Sam affirmed after a series of nods, taking a sip of water from his glass. "So, how was your conference?"

Akari tried to stifle a laugh, almost spitting out the food in her mouth in the process. "Absolutely stellar," she said in a muffled voice as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "I had tons of fun listening to old men drag on and on about how the company is doing great in the stock market despite there being so many layoffs!"

Sam snorted and said, "Well, on the bright side, doesn't that mean they still want to keep you around?"

"Pfft, yeah! For now!" Akari responded incredulously before letting out a sigh. "The job market is quite unpredictable, kiddo. Count your lucky stars you don't have to deal with that kind of stuff yet."

Sam gazed at Akari intently, letting his head rest between his fists as he thought of how best to articulate his next set of words. "...Look, if we need more money, I bet I can find another place to work at besides the bar," he said with a furrowed brow. "I mean, we never even discussed how much money Shujin costs, and—"

"Absolutely not. All I care about is that you focus on your studies and get into a good school. You shouldn't have to be worrying about money for my sake."

"But—"

"That's final, Sam!"

Akari let out a quiet gasp as she realized she was glaring at him. She exhaled deeply, leaning back into her chair and rubbing her temples. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I shouldn't have pounced on you like that..."

"You don't have to apologize," Sam said, waving his hand flippantly despite still feeling uneasy about her remark.

Akari lifted her face and flashed a tight-lipped smile, the two extended locks of dark blue hair that framed her face swinging forward as she did so. She silently grabbed her glass with both hands and took a few large gulps of water before picking up her chopsticks and returning to her food.

The two ate in silence for a couple of minutes.

"So," Sam finally said in between mouthfuls of fried rice, "did you, um...notice anything different about the bath...?"

Akari chuckled, wiping her mouth with her napkin before speaking. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to bring that up, you narcissist," she quipped as she spun her chopsticks between her fingers. "Epsom salts though...not a bad choice."

"Aren't I so considerate?" Sam said, beaming with satisfaction.

"Tsk-tsk," Akari uttered as she waved her finger, "you're forgetting about one thing though, kiddo. Epsom salts don't actually do anything. All that talk on TV about it promoting stress reduction, muscle relaxation, yadda yadda, is scientifically unproven. It's all just a placebo effect."

Sam's eyes grew wide as a bombshell was dropped on him. "Bullshit."

"Language~"

"Oh, sorry," Sam mumbled before pursing his lips. "But still, the lady who sold it to me said it was a special brand. I spent around a thousand yen on the damn thing, too," he muttered with gritted teeth. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted that damn fortune teller…"

Akari cocked her head to the side after wolfing down a few spoonfuls of rice. "Fortune teller? You mean the one that always has a booth set up in that alleyway in Shinjuku?"

Sam nodded and sighed. "Yup, she's the one. I was on my way to my shift at the bar when she called me over and tried to sell me it. She made it sound pretty cool, and I thought it's the kind of stuff women like, and I thought you'd like it, so…" his voice trailed off as he looked up and noticed that Akari was holding her stomach and snorting loudly. He glanced sideways self-consciously, registering what he had just said out aloud. "Damnit, that did not come out the way I wanted it to at all..."

"Well, I guess she at least wasn't lying entirely about what epsom salts do," Akari said in between contained laughs as she tried to compose herself. "But you know how people in Shinjuku are," she said softly, resting her hand against her cheek. "Anything to make a quick buck, right?"

"Yeah whatever," Sam grumbled, still annoyed at his thoughtful gesture having blown up in his face.

"Still, it's the thought that counts," Akari said assuredly with a mouthful of takeout noodles, "and it makes me very happy knowing that you were thinking about me while I was gone."

Sam lifted his gaze a little, giving a sheepish smile before returning to lightly prodding the untouched cooked salmon that was still on his plate. Given the current track record of their conversation, he was simply waiting for the inevitable million-dollar question.

"Anyways, enough about all that. My turn to ask a question," Akari declared after taking a sip of her water. "How's school been?"

Ding ding ding!

Sam stared back at Akari with gaping eyes, feeling a sudden cold sweat. "What...What do you want to know about school?"

"I dunno, you tell me," Akari said with a shrug as she set down her chopsticks and rested her face in her hands. "Have you, perhaps...made any friends?"

Knowing that this was a touchy subject for the both of them, Sam went quiet for a moment as he pondered his answer to the question. His mind turned towards Ren, Ryuji, and Mishima, but was abruptly sideswiped by a more believable answer.

"Pfft. As if."

Akari tapped at the glass top of the dining table with her index finger as she analyzed Sam's visage carefully. "Well...have you at least tried?"

"Think about who you're talking to, Mother," he said bluntly, holding the edge of the table for support as he leaned back and tilted his chair onto its back legs. "Do you really think I would want to get into cahoots with a bunch of entitled preppies?"

"Come on kiddo," Akari said encouragingly as she leaned forward and rested her forearms on the table. "There has to be at least a few who are nice."

Sam felt a pang of guilt as he immediately thought of Ann and...Shiho. He felt a chill crawl up his spine as he remembered the polaroid-esque image of Shiho being loaded onto a stretcher with Ann in tears by her side. He stopped rocking his chair and gulped, opting to stare at the colorful, circular carpet beneath the table instead.

"...There are."

Akari cracked a smile. "See? So...why not get to know them a little better, then?"

Sam sat still for a moment before furrowing his brow and setting down his chopsticks on the table with a loud clang. "They're..." he managed to get out before letting out an exasperated sigh, "They're just being nice for the sake of being nice. It's not like they want to get to know me, and to be completely honest, I don't care about getting to know them either," he muttered, letting the words flow out unimpeded.

"I know, kiddo…" Akari murmured. "I just wish there were people who genuinely wanted to get to know you for you."

"You know me, Mother. I have no problem being alone."

Akari's eyes narrowed. "But you should have a problem with it, Sam. We all need people to lean on every once in a while. How long do you think you can go around simply avoiding everyone?"

"Oh, so now I'm the one avoiding everyone, huh?" Sam scoffed in a raised voice. Noticing the sudden stillness on Akari's face, he groaned and covered his face with his hands. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to go that far..."

After a few moments of silence, Akari quietly said, "It's okay, Sam. It was wrong of me to push it."

Sam let his hands fall into his lap, falling silent as he stared at the uneaten food still on his plate. He felt uncomfortable saying anything more, but at the same time, he didn't want them to finish dinner in complete silence either.

"School is...fine, I guess," Sam mumbled after a sigh, rubbing his forearm. "The campus is nicer than I thought it would be, and the uniform policy is ironically pretty lax." He lifted his gaze a little, afraid to meet Akari's eyes but nevertheless looking for a reaction.

"What about your homeroom teacher? Nakamura-san, was it?" Akari asked frankly. "She's rather young for a high school teacher, don't you think?"

"Yeah, she's not bad. She's pretty serious, but not in the orthodox boring way most of the other teachers are," he said, suddenly bringing his homeroom teacher's unique quirks to the forefront of his thoughts. "My classmates probably don't agree, but her class is really the only one I find interesting."

Akari chuckled. "Gee, I wonder why?" she said with an exaggerated wink.

Sam shook his head and snorted, glancing up at Akari as he tried to conceal a smile.

"Speaking of school, I received an email from the principal while I was in the taxi. I didn't take a look at it then since I was looking over a couple of emails from my bosses, but do you know what it's about?"

Sam's heart dropped, pulling his entire body down into his chair. "A-An email?" he mumbled, chewing on his lower lip as his mind raced to produce an answer. "Oh...it's probably just about how school got canceled tomorrow..."

"You don't have school?" Akari asked curiously as she arched an eyebrow. "Huh. I don't think tomorrow's a national holiday..."

Sam felt his heart begin to pound, for he knew Akari well enough to know that lying outright wouldn't help him elude her perceptiveness for long. He took a deep breath, allowing himself to relax as he picked his choice of words carefully.

"Actually...there was an incident at school today."

"What kind of incident?"

Sam averted his gaze. "Well, um...there was this girl who was being bullied for a while, and...she tried to...you know..." he stammered, giving a meek shrug as he waited for Akari to connect the dots.

Akari furrowed her brow for a few moments before gasping, staring at Sam with her mouth agape. "W-Wait, you don't mean…?"

Sam simply nodded. "...She had to be hospitalized."

"Oh my goodness...that's horrible," Akari whispered as she crossed her arms and leaned back into her chair. "A-Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam said, focusing his gaze on the leather couch in the living room. "I-I didn't really know her well anyway, and...I didn't see it happen either," he croaked, feeling a large lump in his throat as he forced the words out.

Akari clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Kids can be so cruel. They pick on each other, make each other feel worthless, and for what?" she said with a clenched jaw. "They know no one's going to stop them, least of all the grown ups around them that don't even bother paying attention to them," she continued in an incensed tone. "It's not their fault their parents didn't raise them properly—didn't teach them how to be a decent person!"

Sam listened silently, wanting to shout out everything. He wanted to shout about Kamoshida, about how he had abused so many students at Shujin, about how the administration had been willingly hiding everything from any prying eyes. He wanted to yell about how unfair and nonsensical his impending expulsion was. But most importantly, he wanted to sound off about how Kamoshida would never face retribution for his sins, and worst of all, be able to continue partaking in them unhindered.

Nevertheless, he kept his mouth shut.

Akari gulped down the rest of her water, wiping her mouth with her sleeve before setting down her empty glass on the table with a piercing clink. She interlocked her fingers and stretched her arms high over her head, groaning as her joints popped.

"...It's getting late. I think it's best if we save this discussion for later," she said quietly as she finished stretching. She glanced at Sam, frowning as she noticed him staring into his half-empty bowl of rice. "Sam?..."

Sam raised his face, staring at Akari with wide eyes. "Hm? Did you say something?"

"Sam..." Akari said as she reached across the table and placed her hand on top of his wrist, "are you sure you're okay?"

Sam nodded his head gently as he inched his arm back. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all."

Akari, still maintaining eye contact, dragged her hand back across the dining table before letting it fall into her lap as she leaned back in her chair.

"Alright. I can wash the dishes if you put the leftovers away," she said with a faint smile as she stood up, stacking her dirty dishes on top of one another and carrying them into the kitchen.

Sam glanced downward, his eyelids drooping upon him realizing that he hadn't eaten very much despite preparing so much food. He lethargically took his chopsticks and brushed the uneaten food back into its respective glass containers, snapping the covers back onto them once he was finished. His feet dragged him into the kitchen, and his arms moved robotically as he put the leftovers into the fridge.

Sam peeked over his shoulder, spotting Akari scouring a porcelain bowl with a sponge as the water rushing down from the faucet splashed onto it. Without a word, he lightly closed the door to the fridge and shuffled into the hall.

As Akari finished her task, she wiped her forehead with her arm and moved over to the dining table, wiping it down with a damp paper towel. She washed her hands once more for good measure before drying them with a rag. After circling the kitchen and the living room to turn off all of the lights, she turned to face the hallway as she heard the bathroom door open.

"Alright kiddo," she said, covering her mouth with her hand as she yawned, "I think I'm heading to bed."

Sam stood unmoving with his arms by his sides and said, "Okay. Good night."

"Listen, I know you don't have to wake up early tomorrow, but...try and get some rest," she said as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Have you been sleeping better with your new prescription?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. I think the pills are like, slow-release melatonin or something. Definitely more natural and effective than the ones I was using before."

"That's good news," Akari said with a sigh of relief, crossing her arms as she moved closer to him. "A growing boy like you needs his sleep."

Sam glanced sideways. "Come on, Mother. That's embarrassing…"

Akari chuckled, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "Don't be in such a rush to grow up, kiddo. No matter what you say, just know that you'll always be my little boy to me."

Sam grunted awkwardly and stared at her blankly for a moment before trapping her in a bear hug.

"I'm so sorry…"

"H-Huh? What for?" Akari asked as she returned Sam's embrace.

Sam pulled away, avoiding her gaze. "I've caused you a lot of trouble, haven't I? And...I...I don't apologize enough for it," he sniffled, fighting back tears. "It makes me feel like shit..."

"Don't you ever think that. Don't you ever think that it's your fault you've been through so much," Akari declared as she cupped Sam's cheeks in her hands and lifted his face, gazing upward into his dark brown eyes as solemnly as possible as her own eyes began to water. "I'm here for you, no matter what."

Sam nodded, unable to resist snorting as he imagined how ridiculous the two of them must have looked right now.

"Look at us, huh?" Akari said with a chuckle as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I think we're both pretty tired, so let's call it a day before we embarrass ourselves any more than we already have."

"You go ahead," Sam said as he strode towards the sliding glass door at the end of the corridor. "I...I need some fresh air."

"You know you can tell me about anything that's bothering you, Sam."

Sam stopped in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder with a shadow of a smile spread across his face.

"I'll be okay, Mother. Don't worry about me."

Akari's half-lidded eyes tread carefully over Sam's features as they searched for even the slightest hint of illusion, acquiescing quickly as drowsiness got the better of her.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," she remarked, letting her hands fall to her sides. "Good night, kiddo."

"Good night."

And with that, Akari disappeared into her bedroom, lightly shutting the door behind her.

Sam stared vacantly at her bedroom door for a moment before turning around and shuffling towards the door to the balcony, unlocking it and sliding it open just enough for him to squeeze through. With the cold hardwood of the balcony floor pricking the soles of his feet as he stepped onto it, he quietly slid the door shut and ambled towards the chair at the far end of the narrow space, resting his arms on the armrests as he eased himself into it.

Sam gazed at the picturesque skyline of Shibuya in the distance, which was composed of silhouettes of various geometrical amalgamations that were sprinkled with miniature stars. While the distant wailing of police sirens filled his ears, the cool spring breeze tickled his nose, causing him to yank the top of his shirt upward as he unsuccessfully attempted to catch his abrupt sneeze. The grumbling motor of a nearby motorcycle soon overpowered the melange of natural and mechanical sounds, growing into a roar and fading as quickly as it had made its presence known.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, Sam slowly got up and walked over to the railing, letting his fingers curl around the freezing iron bars before leaning over and staring down the edge. The balls of his feet felt light, and he pushed his glasses deeper into the bridge of his nose for safe measure as he peered at the large patch of shrubbery below.

He wondered how Shiho must have felt, alone on the other side of the chain-linked fence with nothing standing between her and the freefall before her. For a moment, he thought about climbing onto the other side of the railing, just to see what it would feel like—

Sam let out a gasp and stumbled backwards into the chair on the fifth-floor balcony, suddenly feeling very lightheaded. He panted, shutting his eyes as he let his head fall back into the chair cushion.

"W-What the...hell am I...doing?" he muttered in between pants as he sat up and bent over, resting his palms on his knees. After taking a few moments to catch his breath, he felt his body lift and his feet begin to trudge forward as his thoughts became hazy.

Sam knew that his gaudy display for Akari was all just a pathetic attempt at softening the blow she would receive when she learned that her troublesome son had been expelled from yet another school. Despite giving him and Mishima their word, there was no chance Ren and Ryuji would be able to stop Kamoshida from expelling the four of them, no matter how much they protested.

Why didn't he just head back to the classroom like everyone else? Why did he let his emotions get the better of him—again—and lead him into doing something he knew he would end up regretting?

Maybe all of this could have been prevented if he would, just for once, stop trying to be the bigger person. All of his incessant preaching to Shiho about standing up for oneself? Yeah, that was a load of bullshit brought about by the heat of the moment. He didn't even try and put himself in her shoes. Hell, he didn't even make an effort to help her—and she suffered because of it. Perhaps his impending expulsion was the universe's way of setting him straight, a cruel yet necessary punishment for his continued incompetence. Maybe it was for the better—

"Ah!"

Sam reeled back, grasping his forehead and wincing in pain. He lifted his gaze and was faced with the angelic white of his bedroom door. Still grinding his teeth, he nervously glanced behind him, standing completely frozen as he waited for any sign of noise from behind the door at the other end of the hall. After what felt like ten minutes, Sam quietly turned the silver handle, lightly pushing the door open and slipping inside.

Enveloped in darkness, save for the dim orange light of a small night light next to his unmade bed, Sam placed his glasses on his desk and collapsed onto his bed. He laid on his back for a while, staring at the slowly-rotating blades of his ceiling fan as they whirred. His skin suddenly feeling very clammy, he kicked off his blanket and tore off his shirt, flinging it in a crumpled heap at the door before closing his eyes and letting his body sink into his mattress. After a few minutes of twisting and turning, his eyes snapped open and he tilted his head to the side, gazing at the dark outline of the pill container sitting idly on his bedside table. He leaned over and grabbed it, squinting to read the fine print on the prescription label as he held it above his face.

KATSUKAWA, SAMARTH

"SUPROXIN" 50 MG CAPSULES

TAKE ONE CAPSULE BY MOUTH 20 MINUTES BEFORE BEDTIME

Sam sat up and gazed at the pill container with glazed eyes, letting out a sigh as he unscrewed the cap. Shaking out one pill onto the palm of his hand, he stared at it for a couple of seconds before shaking out another, inspecting the two neon orange capsules for a moment before thrusting his palm over his mouth and swallowing hard. He smothered his mouth with his forearm as a few dry coughs erupted, clearing his throat after they subsided.

With hard breaths, Sam placed the pill container back onto the bedside table with a loud thud, reached over to turn off the night light, and fell back onto his bed. He blinked a few times as he stared upward, unable to differentiate between the back of his eyelids and the plane of blackness that stood in place of a ceiling.

No matter how lost he felt right now, he knew one thing for sure.

He couldn't change a damn thing about it.

A/N: Hey everyone, I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter despite the long wait. Writing these chapters takes longer than you think, and I'm almost never satisfied unless I put out the best product possible.

With that being said, let me know if you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, etc. by contacting me on Twitter at (masterelite120). See you next time!