Akira Pseudo-Route [Complete!]

[CptSalsa]

i ate my own head
now youve seen everything

pics or fake

[BlackWaltzTheThird]

here is a vid

Also this should probably stop now. Don't want to spem Thanatos' thread too much, now, do we?

[neio]

This is excellent! I'll be eagerly awaiting the next chapter. The writing has really progressed from the beginning.

Chronological thoughts composed while reading:

• "Disregarding that, he choice" link
• Love the reference to Cold Iron
• Lost it at "Hisao Necktie"
• "Moms aren't women" <-- rofl
• I hate the word irregardless. It's a double-negative rolled into one word. According to Merriam Webster, "use regardless instead." feel free to ignore my nitpicking
• Amonia & bleach -- I tried that once, and had a blast!
• "A mixture of love an hate" link
• "The lunch table the two of us shared always crowded with at least a dozen other girls.” <-- might consider using "was always;" otherwise you're putting extra emphasis on the table, like the crowding is the table's fault. The table shouldn't really be the primary subject with this active predicate.
• "cloud slamming its car door" <-- excellent imagery
• "relatively nominal tempo." <-- are you sure you want to use the word "nominal?" "Normal" fits better, IMO. Nominal tends to mean "of little importance, existing only in name." [define nominal] Unless you mean there is a lack of tempo: his heart has nothing that can be called a tempo, so it's "nominal". I guess that could be argued, and it might be a dialect thing, but it feels off to me.

Again, well done, and feel free to ignore the nitpicking.

[Thanatos02]

Too many things to reply to!
Really thankful for all the compliments I've been getting, and all the typos that have been pointed out have been taken to mind, although I've been incredibly lazy as of late so I apologize if you checked for the correction and it wasn't made.
4-4 is coming along, although for some reason I decided a Fire Emblem binge was more important than satisfying a group of loyal readers so it'll be a tiny bit delayed. I'm sorry for being so selfish ;_;

Also I can't be held liable for limbs and other such appendages lost in the process of reading this.

[Ranger296]

Too many things to reply to!
Really thankful for all the compliments I've been getting, and all the typos that have been pointed out have been taken to mind, although I've been incredibly lazy as of late so I apologize if you checked for the correction and it wasn't made.
4-4 is coming along, although for some reason I decided a Fire Emblem binge was more important than satisfying a group of loyal readers so it'll be a tiny bit delayed. I'm sorry for being so selfish ;_;

Also I can't be held liable for limbs and other such appendages lost in the process of reading this.

No worries at all; it's selfish for us to demand you to appease our appetite for chapters. (However, I think your liability waiver is too late as I fear many of your readers have already lost said appendages )

[komina12345]

Too many things to reply to!
Really thankful for all the compliments I've been getting, and all the typos that have been pointed out have been taken to mind, although I've been incredibly lazy as of late so I apologize if you checked for the correction and it wasn't made.
4-4 is coming along, although for some reason I decided a Fire Emblem binge was more important than satisfying a group of loyal readers so it'll be a tiny bit delayed. I'm sorry for being so selfish ;_;

Also I can't be held liable for limbs and other such appendages lost in the process of reading this.

I feel you man. I've been playing Fire Emblem Awakening non-stop

[centurion911]

Too many things to reply to!
Really thankful for all the compliments I've been getting, and all the typos that have been pointed out have been taken to mind, although I've been incredibly lazy as of late so I apologize if you checked for the correction and it wasn't made.
4-4 is coming along, although for some reason I decided a Fire Emblem binge was more important than satisfying a group of loyal readers so it'll be a tiny bit delayed. I'm sorry for being so selfish ;_;

Also I can't be held liable for limbs and other such appendages lost in the process of reading this.

You have your own life, we can all appreciate that.

I get LoL binges so I feel you

[edruil]

Fire Emblem binge

As a rabid Fire Emblem fanboy myself, that is a perfectly valid excuse. Awakening?

[Carighan]

Am I the only one who has a fan of both series is completely hyped for SMT-X-FE?

[Thanatos02]

Went back and fixed all those typos Neio pointed out, so hopefully everything is in order again. I've been playing a lot of Path of Radiance as of late since I finally managed to find a copy for less than $80 used/$200 new. 3D Fire Emblem is delicious.
Now onto 4-4. I regret that I didn't just add this into 4-3 when I had the chance, but what's done is done. I'll be the first to admit that this chapter reeks of filler, but 4-5 is going to be the grounds for a lot of important development, so this just helps to segue into that, also helps to give HanaLilly some screen time because it'll be a pretty long while before they pop up again. Please enjoy the chapter as best you can with all this in mind.

Act 4 - Part 4: Web

“If you’ll recall from the chapter fifteen notes, solubility and dissolution are not the same thing. So in order to find the concentration of zinc chloride in the solution, you’ll have to…”

Words hum through my head, but my mind is in no condition to put any meaning to them, content to let them enter and exit without a thought. Mutou steps back and forth between the corners of the blackboard, the rhythmical tapping resulting from his hand movements somehow able to keep me from falling asleep.

At this point I’m almost jealous of that aqua-haired girl in the front row. I’ll bet she could manage to catch a few winks even in the midst of a fire drill.

You know, this is the second time I’ve come to class with a hangover. This is how bad habits start, I’m sure of it.

I lay my head on the desk, using my left arm as a sort of cushion in an attempt to avoid looking out the window. This act is met with a both an amused giggle and a disapproving glare by the two girls beside me, the closest of which passes me a white slip of paper.

[Tired?]

My hand fumbles around on the desktop searching for something to write with, the fatigue blanketing my addled brain driving me to try uncapping the pen I find with one hand. Writing in this position turns out to be a greater challenge than one would think, however, so I force myself to sit up in order to issue a proper reply.

[You could say that.]

Misha offers a conciliatory smile as she writes her response.

[Had trouble getting up? You missed three classes.]

Homeroom, my substitute for P.E. and Japanese literature were the three lectures I skipped out on today, opting to wait in my room in order to run in before science could start. I managed to make it to my seat before Mutou arrived, although my absence was still noticed during the first class of the day as indicated by Mutou’s expression upon entering the classroom.

[Yeah, I haven’t been sleeping very well lately. What did I miss?]

I cap my pen and push the white sheet back over to Misha, a curious Shizune unable to keep from glancing over every few moments.

[You need to get to bed sooner, mister! And all we’ve done today is review, review, and review.]

Figures that all we’re doing is covering old material, seeing as how trimester exams lie around the corner.

[I guess I didn’t miss much, then. Are you ready for finals?]

Misha lets out a hearty ‘Wahaha~!’ much to the dismay of my ears and the other students, warranting a confused look from Mutou as he checks the board over.

“Did I mess something up, Mikado?” He asks, setting the piece of chalk down and clearing his hands of dust.

The girl beside me loses her bravado in the blink of an eye. “No Mr. Mutou. I was thinking of something else~.”

“Please try not to let your mind wander. I know we’ve been over all of this before, but I’d hate for you to miss something important and have to redo your third year.”

Misha gives a faux salute before looking down and pretending to follow along with the lecture, the tip of her pen beginning to write a response to my previous note as soon as Mutou turns around.

She keeps her eyes on the board as she slides the note over to the surface of my desk with the tip of her finger. The answer to my previous question is written upon a new scrap of paper, reading only [of course I’m ready, Hicchan!]

Before I can make a comment on such an answer, another hand reaches over and snatches the note off of my desk, causing me to jump in my seat. With as much haste as my throbbing head will allow, I sit straight-up in my seat and try to look as focused as possible.

Mutou is still at the front of the room though, undisturbed as he erases the board for what may be the third time only to start over on another section. His voice doesn’t seem to stop except to call upon students to wake up or pay attention, the rest of the space filled with an unending lecture.

I check around for the culprit only to find a slender hand pushing the note back in my direction. A glance over my shoulder reveals not only Misha, but also Shizune looking at me with expectation.

I’m also able to spot Misha’s ‘notes’ which consist of, quite literally, a “list of things to do after I fail the test.”

[Are you?] The note reads, the newest message in print so neat I’d expect it to be fresh out of a typewriter.

Am I?

It doesn't take much thought to get an answer down, my hand moving by instinct to write the reply before returning the slip of paper with only the words [I’m not sure.]

I think I’ve managed to catch up and stay in step with the truckloads of material we’ve been forced to endure on a daily basis. Studying was of no issue while I was tucked away in a hospital bed, and it’s not like I was ever strapped for study time until last week.

The few glimpses of review I’ve managed to catch since class started are all things I already had down pat. Thinking back on it, the only problem I’d be unfortunate to encounter on the test is anything having to do with entropy.

Entropy is one of the few things I still fall flat on my face for. How does it work? I’ve been paying attention in every lecture, but somehow all the information I should have picked up on flew right over my head.

Shizune's hands spring the life as she signs to Misha, my eyes unable to catch anything more than a blur. It's a little unfortunate that Misha is only able to begin writing their reply before Mutou appears as if out of nowhere, grabbing the note and crumpling it up in one hand.

“Now that I have your attention, Ms. Mikado.” Mutou chastises, a look of disappointment on his eyes as he places extra emphasis on the ‘Ms.’ “Would you care to solve a problem up on the board for us?”

******************

The ringing of the bell signals the end to the first of many taxing review sessions, the usual stampede of hungry students reduced to something more like a lethargic scattering.

Shizune stands up to pack away her things while Misha lays her head down on the desk, a tired groan escaping her lips as she watches the classroom empty. “Why does it have to be this way Hicchan? Can’t we go over something easier? Like the science of chocolate and teddy bears~!”

All I’m able to offer in return is a shrug, having asked the question numerous times throughout my school life and never finding an answer.

To the ‘something easier’ part. I’m not sure if there’s a science of chocolate and teddy bears, although I wouldn’t be secure enough in my masculinity to say no if such a thing were to exist.

It’s nice to devote your life to wondering how and why everything works, but you have to accept that some things just are. There’s no explanation for them.

Why do one and one equal two? They just do. Numbers are the building blocks of mathematics -- you can’t define something beyond the things it’s composed of. The same could be said for science.

Or maybe that’s the point. To keep asking why until you get to an eventual ‘because it just is.’

Either way, now’s not the time for thoughts like this. A glance back reveals that Hanako has already evacuated the room, no doubt racing down the hall to have lunch with Lilly. I stand up with the intention of joining them, throwing my pack over my shoulder and beginning to walk to the door.

Shizune waves goodbye before reaching over and shaking Misha in her spot, much to the pink-haired girl’s dismay as she lets out another exhausted cry.

I almost make it to the exit before I’m stopped by Mutou’s voice, “hey, Hisao, could I talk to you for a moment?”

“Sir?” I respond, stopping in place and turning to face his desk.

“Something wrong today? You seemed pretty out of it in class.” He asks with a look of concern.

My eyes open and close in lethargy as I try to think of an answer. There’s not really anything wrong with me today -- besides the blaring headache and inability to focus on anything without feeling like my eyes will pop out of their sockets.

I wonder if Mutou could sympathize with such a thing. He’s an adult, right? Surely he’s had some experiences with the liquid pleasure, before.

...It's probably better if I don't try to imagine such things, even if his disheveled manner makes it easy to think that he comes in to class every morning from a one-night stand. He's something of a role model to me; I'd rather keep that image of authority in my head.

“I’ve been a little out of sleep lately. The past few days have been exhausting.” I answer.

It’s true – for the most part. Job training, dinner with the Satou sisters, my first day of work, and then a night filled with surprises with only a boring Saturday to break things up. Anyone in my shoes would be begging for a bit of rest.

Mutou lets out a small chuckle, a tiny bit of pride in the smile that emerges. “I take it your first day went well, then?”

“It was alright.” Are the first words to spring out of my throat, followed by “there wasn’t a whole lot to do, honestly. It’s taking a bit of effort to get into the rhythm of things, though. It’s just something I’m not very good at; getting used to new places.”

“You’re doing a lot better than some. How do you like it so far?” He returns, resting his chin on both hands and leaning forward, an interested glint in his eye.

I take a moment to think, deciding not to touch on how my expectations for the life as a janitor fell a slight bit short. “It’s not boring, I can say that much.”

“Well, it’s something.” Mutou says, shrugging. “It’ll probably seem a little underwhelming for a while. Us science teachers spend a lot of time playing up the wonder and mystique of the science world, but we never actually touch on what happens there save for relatively basic experiment procedure.”

“Really? So being disappointed in how dull my workload turned out is the norm?” I reply with surprise, unable to keep the thought in my head.

His mouth shuts and he raises one eyebrow at me, as if the response were the last thing he expected.

“It’s certainly the norm, yeah. Not everyone gets to be an astronomer probing the corners of the universe with a telescope worth more than some countries.” He comments, giving an inconsequential shrug. “You’ll get the hang of things, though. It doesn’t take long to feel a bit of ownership for your work, even if it’s something as minute as washing dishes or mopping floors.”

His words come from experience, it would seem.

“At least it’s a paycheck, right?” He adds with a smile.

“Yeah, it’s something.” I concede, unsure of what else to say. “The management doesn’t seem too bad either, so it’s not like I’ll be coming back with horror stories or anything.”

Mutou pauses for a moment, seeming to have been just reminded of the fact himself. “Ah, yeah, how is Mr. Setou? I’ve never met him in person, but I’ve heard stories from a few friends who work there.”

Stories? Must be difficult not to exaggerate about a guy like him.

“He’s… alright. You’ve probably heard about his more explosive moments, but he’s yet to get that way with me.” I respond, recalling all the thrown clipboards directed at other researchers. “If there's anyone I'm worried about it's Mr. Shuugetsu. There's just something about people who ride motorcycles that intimidates me.”

I doubt there's a point in bringing up Tetsuo, since there’s no reason to be calling him something like my ‘enemy.’ But at the very least I could test the waters and see if Mutou might know anything about him.

“Shuugetsu? First name Tetsuo, by any chance?”

Oh boy, here we go.

My voice shakes as nerves begin to take over. “Uh, yeah, I think that’s right. Have you met him?” I reply with a shaky voice.

It’s the answer I should be glad to hear, but part of me was hoping there’d be no connection between them. Ever since I entered into the science world it’s like Tetsuo has been some kind of an omnipresent force.

“Did I ever tell you about that testing lab I worked at when I was younger? He was our manager of staff around the time I decided to leave and pursue teaching. If I remember correctly, he was fresh out of college back then, although I’m sure he’s already climbed up to a position far and above what he started out as.”

He leans back in his chair and lets out a nostalgic sigh. “He's still holding onto that motorcycle, huh?”

I scratch my head with curiosity. “Wait, really? But he only looks like he’s in his late twenties. Didn't you say it's been a long time since you worked as a researcher?”

“Oh, you think I'm that young? You flatter me.” He says with a short chuckle. “I’ve only been teaching for a short while. This would be my fourth year.”

But... I...

I guess teaching really was his calling if he’s got such a good grasp on his job after only four years. His lectures tend to drone on without anything exciting, but most of the students rarely have an issue grasping the content.

...Well, I rarely have any issues.

Anyway, that's such a strange twist. It's good that they're not college roommates or brothers or something farfetched like that; but the fact that they know each other is still the last thing I expected.

“Mr. Shuugetsu has moved up, yeah. Head of employee relations for the entire company now.” I reply, crossing my arms.

A short whistle slips out from between Mutou’s lips. “Head of… yeah, he’s up there now. Give him a few more years and he’ll have the entire company in his pocket, I’ll bet.”

“So he’s really good at getting promotions, huh?” I say, unsure of whether I should be anxious or impressed.

“Not necessarily promotions.” Mutou returns. “I didn’t know him very well on a personal level; we had a few drinks together – at least, the other workers and myself did. He didn’t have much of a taste for drinking, and as soon as we got into the bar he’d always be wondering when we could leave.”

A distaste for... alcohol? That doesn't line up at all. Why is a guy who feels uncomfortable around drinking in a relationship with a woman who derives one of her few worldly pleasures from such a thing? I’ve heard Akira mention something along those lines, but I thought it was just playful jabbing.

Mutou waves his hand around to dismiss the thought. “Anyway, he’s pretty good at getting the things he needs or wants and he’s excellent when it comes to managing resources. He never sticks around for too long, though. I wasn’t there to see it, but apparently he got transferred to a bigger facility after only eight months.”

Well, that’s it, then. I’m competing with a guy who is, for all intents and purposes, a prodigy at his job who is somehow loved by all. Granted, the woman I’m supposed to be ‘fighting’ him for is frustrated with the state of their relationship; but who’s to say a miracle won’t fall on his lap and make everything better?

“That’s the last I heard of him, though.” Mutou concludes, standing up and grabbing his briefcase. “Kinda ironic that he wound up as your manager too, huh? Did he ask about me?”

“He might have mentioned something about…”

My voice trails off as I dig through my memories of the job interview.

Now that I think about it, did Tetsuo say anything about Mutou? He just mentioned one of their researchers being a friend of Mutou’s. Tetsuo himself didn’t actually say anything about having met Mutou before.

He seems to take the hint as he stands up, letting out a sigh before responding with “figures, yeah. I never really stood out among my colleagues. Anyway, I’ve gotta go meet up with some others for lunch.”

His hand pats my shoulder a few times as he leans in, although he’s quick to take a step back and straighten out his coat. “Oh, and uh, Hisao… I’m not going to accuse you of anything, but please make responsible decisions when certain beverages are concerned.”

With that, he steps out of the classroom.

How would he know I was drinking last night? I’ve gone through two bottles of water since I woke up and I stopped at every water fountain on the way to class, although it would seem that the so-called ‘cure’ doesn’t work for me.

…Oh, yeah, I haven’t brushed my teeth today.

Ew.

***************

That’s strange. I expected to find Lilly and Hanako in the usual spot, but for some reason the vacant classroom is, well, vacant.

Guess I’ll be heading up to the roof today, then.

I stop at a vending machine on the way there, fishing some loose coins out of my pocket and exchanging them for a pastry roll and yet another bottle of water. From there, I take my small lunch and head to the stairs, pacing each step as usual.

There’s something different than what I’m used to, however.. A number of voices can be heard through the door, indicating the presence of others interested in a rooftop lunch break.

They sound familiar, though.

I push the door open to find…

Well, first I’m blinded by the sunlight. Once I manage to get a hold of myself, however, I see four different girls, all of different heights and hair colors.

“I know, right? I hate English! The teacher is still holding that test from a few weeks ago over our heads!” One of the girls shouts between bites of an already half-eaten banana.

My presence prompts an interruption in their conversation. All four of them take notice, with Hanako giving a meek wave and Emi calling out with “oh, hey, it’s Hisao! Been a while since I’ve seen you around.”

A nervous chuckle slips from my throat as I walk up and join them. Both Lilly and… Rin, right? It’s been a while since I’ve talked to her. Anyway, Lilly and Rin don’t seem to mind my decision to eat on the roof; if anything, there’s just enough room for a fifth person.

I’m the one with the least impressive lunch, though. All four of them have brought their own lunch boxes, their contents ranging from exquisite sandwiches to fully prepared curry, each accompanied by rice and a variety of other side dishes.

“It’s strange to see all of you together. I was thinking I’d have the rooftop to myself today.” I remark, sitting down on the concrete with my paltry cake roll.

“It seems to have been quite the day for a coincidence.” Lilly replies with a smile, manipulating a small clump of rice with a pair of chopsticks.

Emi sets a banana peel down in her lunchbox before putting on a playful pout. “Hey, it’s you two who decided to try and steal our spot!”

A wave of red washes over Hanako’s face as she begins to immerse herself in her food, seeming embarrassed as if it were her idea to give the rooftop a try.

“Come now, Emi, we can share. Regardless, you can’t rightfully claim a spot in the school.” Lilly counters.

This time a third voice cuts in, delivering a deadpan “what if you could?”

“What if you could what?” Emi replies, scratching her head as she turns to face the auburn-haired girl beside her.

“What if you could claim a spot in the school.” Rin says, a spinach roll hanging at the end of a fork positioned between her toes.

Rather than dismiss the comment as gibberish, Emi bounces back with “that'd be great. I could claim the classroom and tell all the teachers that we don't need their stinking tests!”

It's a rather strange display, to say the least. I didn't even know they were aware of each others' existence, what with everyone being in different classes.

“How do you all know each other?” I ask, unwrapping my 'lunch' and taking meager bites to avoid finishing before everyone else.

“We've been acquainted before.” Lilly responds with a polite smile, one half of a tuna sandwich in her hand. “There aren't that many students who don't know Ms. Ibarazaki, as she's our star runner.”

Emi beams with pride at the notion, striking a pose as Hanako, Rin, and I turn our attention to her.

“Fastest thing on no legs, y’know~!” She says, looking back and forth before continuing with “I only know Lilly ‘cause she’s one of the class reps. I met Hanako once at the beginning of last year, and Rin is… Rin.”

Rin smiles in response. “She’s across the hall from me.”

“Yeah. I’ve got no legs and Rin’s got no arms. Maybe they thought we went well together.” Emi adds, a few giggles escaping from her mouth.

It’s a strange thing, watching the two of them joke around about their disabilities. With Lilly I feel guilty even referencing the concept of sight, and with Hanako…

My eyes center on Hanako’s as Emi and Rin both veer off into an unrelated conversation -- something about athletic sunflowers. Hanako meets my gaze with a shy smile, a small sausage shaped like an octopus perched between her chopsticks halfway to her mouth.

She’d probably run away if I so much as took notice of the scarring along the right side of her face.

Yeah, yeah, it’s only an elephant in the room if I think of it that way, but still. I understand that you can’t judge a person’s character by their outward appearance, but it seems like Lilly and Hanako have been shaped by their disabilities, whereas Emi and Rin would be who they are regardless of whether or not they were without arms or legs.

What side of the divide do I fall on? I’m not a different person because of the ticking time bomb in my chest, but at the same time I can’t say I haven’t changed thanks to the incident back at the beginning of the year.

And how about Kenji? Would he be a different person if it didn’t take inch-thick lenses for him to see straight?

…Is that even why he’s here? I’ve never really given it any thought. He’s in a vision-impaired class, so that could be it, but-

It’s probably better not to worry about such things.

“I’m glad to see Hisao’s been making some friends though.” Emi says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Huh?” I return, unsure of how the conversation got to such a topic.

She leans forward and nudges me in the shoulder, “you know what! Eating lunch on the rooftop with four beautiful girls; aren’t you a lucky one?”

I take another nibble at my food before replying with “that’s one way to look at it, I guess. I just came up for a breath of fresh air and ran into the four of you.”

Lilly lets out a small giggle. “That’s why Hanako and I are here as well.”

“Yep, us too.” Emi returns, followed by a pout and a muttered “idea thieves…”

“How do you steal an idea if two people had it at the same time?” I remark, taking a long drag out of my water bottle.

Emi stops and thinks for a bit, stumped by the question. After she mulls over her thoughts, she turns to Lilly and says “maybe you’ve got spies on everyone else here!”

“Spies?” Lilly replies, confused by the notion of such a thing.

“Yeah, spies! I’ve seen you talking to that one guy at the front gates! I’ll bet you’ve got your own secret security network in here!” Emi asserts, setting aside her lunchbox and crossing her arms in self-assurance.

It sounds like something Kenji would say.

Lilly retains a polite smile despite her face giving signs of annoyance and disbelief. “Emi, I believe the person you’re referring to may be my sister. She’s the only person I talk to at the front gates every so often.”

Wait, Akira?

I want to question why Emi would come to such a conclusion, but I can almost sympathize with her. A girl with a regal air about her talking to a suited figure in front of the school? Anyone would get paranoid.

“Your, uh, sister?” Emi asks, losing momentum as her tone of voice takes the opposite attitude.

“Yes, my sister. Why would you think such a thing?” Lilly says with a straight face, appalled by Emi’s accusations.

Hanako stares at the exchange with a mixture of worry and curiosity, whilst Rin disregards it altogether and continues taking chunks out of her lunch; a small serving of curry and a peeled orange.

“So you’re not in the… uh, Yakuza?” Emi returns.

“I’m afraid not.” Lilly confirms, beginning to seem amused by Emi’s assumptions.

Emi’s bravado deflates like a beanbag being sat on by a four-hundred pound gorilla as she tries to focus on her food, plucking a turkey sandwich from her own lunchbox.

I take another nibble on my cake roll, relenting that I didn’t break down a bill to get something else. “Where did you get that impression?”

“I don’t know!” She argues, bouncing back into her usual cheery self. “C’mon! You see a classy girl talking to a guy… woman in a suit, anyone would think she was under protection or something!”

Could the Satous be a mafia family?

Lilly is the rich daughter of some kind of a mafia boss. Akira isn’t her older sister, but a body double hired to protect Lilly since the real Akira is in Scotland with the rest of the crowd.

I know it’s false, and that’s what matters -- even if it makes a tiny bit of sense. I’m glad I’m getting out and not spending so much time with Kenji. I’d probably be just like him if I hadn’t met Akira in the city that one day.

“The school doesn’t accept applications from people like that.” Lilly asserts, pouring another cup of tea from a thermos.

…Does she speak from experience? At any rate; she seems to have gotten over the possibility of it being an insult, judging by her shift back to a more lighthearted tone.

“Do they accept applications from pirates?” Rin interjects, the look on her face never changing regardless of what comes out of her mouth.

“Nah. Pirates don’t have IDs; they can’t apply to begin with.” Emi counters.

“How about butterflies?”

****************

The first thing I do upon reaching my bedroom is flop down face-first on the bed.

A forced two hour study session with the student council, on a Monday, and straight after classes end no less? What an insane way to start the week. I don't mind studying with them, even if for an hour and a half it was more like tutoring, but some advance notice would be nice.

Well, at least I'll have a reason to say no tomorrow. Work starts at five in the afternoon, giving me about thirty minutes of free time before I have to get ready to catch the bus.

Tetsuo is also going to be back in, so I'll have to work around that as well.

And then I have to figure out how I'm going to sort the matter with Akira out. I'm a little intimidated by the prospect of calling her out of the blue now that my secret is out, but there's gotta be something I can do that doesn't rely on a chance meeting.

At this point, all I can do is trust that she'll follow through – she has no reason not to, at any rate.

[CptSalsa]

Wheee! I'm tired.
I like how you got Hisao onto the roof for that conversation. Although I think it happened after the exams though. But you talked about Lilly and the mafia. So all is forgiven.

 who don't know Ms. Ibarizaki, as she's our star runner.”

Spelled Ibarazaki wrong.

Emi asserts, setting aside her lunchbox and crossed her arms in self-assurance.

Change of tense with crossed.
In my deprived state that's all I can manage, but I'm sure I saw at least 2 more errors on my first read. Also editing work is super hard on a phone.

[StudyOfWumbology]

OH SHIET, things are going to be getting juicy by the looks of it soon. I like what I see and patiently await the next update! :3

[Mirage_GSM]

if anything, there’s just enough room for a fifth person.

You probably meant "more than enough"

but it seems like Emi and Rin have been shaped by their misfortunes, whereas Lilly and Hanako are who they are in spite of such things.

I don't quite get what you intend to say with this sentence.
And Emi seems rather rinnish in the later part of the conversation

[Triscuitable]

Oh hey, look! My limbs are back!

[fancywalrus]

Nice update, I really enjoyed the RIn and Emi appearances in this chapter. Also, you are doing an excellent of building up anticipation for the eventual Akira-Hisao reveal, I can't wait for the next installment.

One question, do you intend to split this at some point into a good/bad end or no?