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October 11th, Akihiko’s Room (Evening)
It was one week after Shinjiro Aragaki’s untimely passing at the hands of Takaya Sakaki. He managed to sacrifice his life so Ken Amada could move forward in his stead. The weight of his death had finally settled on SEES. Every member was filled with negative emotions, but they kept pushing on.
Six days prior, Akihiko sat at the bottom of Shinjiro's memorial and, after so long, confronted his feelings. Despite this, something he couldn’t describe weighed on him. He felt like he could only fully move on from this strange feeling if he discussed it with his friends. With the people mourning alongside him.
Akihiko, laying in bed, made the decision to send an email to his teammates. Dry tears around his eyes, he reached into his bedside table and flicked open his phone. He typed out the following message –
“Hey, it’s Akihiko.
I need to talk with all of you about something important. About how I feel.
If you can, come downstairs in an hour. I would really appreciate it.
Thanks guys.”
Akihiko hovered on the send button for a moment, feeling embarrassed. But, these were his most trusted friends, they would be open and accept him for however he feels. After little thought, he pressed send.
He sat up from his bed, head blank. He could almost hear Shinjiro’s sharp voice, thoughtless as usual, Aki. He wiped his face with his sleeve, and stood up. He paced around his room, thinking back to the time Shinji told him that he should really consider purchasing a clock.
His phone pinged, screen lighting up. Akihiko jolts a little bit, and rushes over to his nightstand. It pinged once more, the vibration almost knocking his flip phone onto the floor. He picked his phone up to various notifications from his teammates, affirming that they would be there and would listen to whatever he had to say.
He smiles softly and steels himself one last time.
October 11th, The Dorm Dining Area (Evening)
Akihiko, walking down the last few steps of stairs, saw his team gathered around the table. It seemed awkward, with most conversation he heard being small talk. Everyone was doing their best to not think about Shinjiro too much. Then, he heard a voice.
“Oh hey! Look who’s here! If it isn’t the guy we were waiting for!” Junpei exclaimed, not reading the tone of the room very well.
Almost everyone knew what this was going to be about. Akihiko was the closest person to Shinjiro, after all. They knew each other since the days at the orphanage, and Akihiko still went out of his way to talk to him even after the incident with Ken’s mother, much to Shinjiro’s displeasure.
“Hello, Akihiko,” Mitsuru shifted, greeting him with a smile. “We’re here to listen to whatever you need to get off your chest. Take as much time as you need to get all of your words together.”.
“We know what it’s like to lose someone important to you, so we’re gonna do our best to help you through this, Akihiko-senpai!” Yukari added, stepping forward.
“Did I make it that obvious?”
“A little…” Fuuka pressed her fingers together, hunching over.
Akihiko winced, rubbing his forehead. He was used to being the center of attention, but not like this. Never really sharing his feelings, he preferred to keep to himself.
Koromaru barked happily, and pranced up to him so he could nuzzle Akihiko’s leg.
“He said ‘It’s alright, Akihiko’,” Aigis translated. She was not used to talking about feelings, they were something that truly alluded her. But, as a machine, she would do well to adapt to any scenario, even ones she fundamentally struggled with.
Akihiko started to feel a little more comfortable. At first, he doubted if he could truly be open about how he felt with such a big group of people, as it was a very foreign concept to him. But with his friends by his side, it doesn’t seem so crazy. He felt the words ease into his mind, slowly becoming clearer to him. His true feelings about Shinji. They may seem a bit unusual to his comrades, but he was sure they would understand. He was finally able to vocalize all of the thoughts rushing through his head.
“Shinji… he made me want to be better. He made me want to keep moving forward, and I know those were his intentions for everyone here. I’m sure of it,” He monologued, slowly growing his confidence to be more open.
“I agree, Akihiko,” Mitsuru voiced softly. “I believe he would be glad that we, as a group, can recognize that.”
“Thank you, Mitsuru. Well, everyone. Shinji, he was– a little more than a friend to me. At least that was how I felt, personally. I never got to tell him how I thought of him. It took me awhile to accept the fact that I admired him in that way, and when I finally did, he died in my arms,” Akihiko revealed, looking towards the floor.
Ken scoffed, and the tone in the room suddenly shifted. This information came as a surprise to literally no one in the room. Everyone knew by now.
“Were you guys not already dating? I swear I saw you guys at Hagakure all the time. You were only just friends?” Kotone asked, confused. “That's disappointing.”
“Be for real, Akihiko. There is absolutely no way you’re being serious right now. I don’t even care if you’re gay or not, but the fact that you never talked to him about it makes me think you’re a dumbass. It was incredibly obvious he harbored the same feelings for you,” Makoto spouted, sounding frustrated. That was a rare occurrence for someone as stoic and nonchalant as him.
“My mother told me that sodomy is a sin,” Ken annouces, face scrunched up, “And that all queers should go to hell. Does that make you a queer, Sanada-san…? If you are, I heard there’s a special word reserved just for sinners like you! Faggot.”
Akihiko was truly speechless. He stood there, shocked, as he continued to take his verbal beating deserving of someone like him.
“Of course this stupid queer decided to tell us about this on coming out day. Did you really think that any of us would be okay with this?” Yukari questioned irritatedly. “There’s only one thing I hate more than men– and thats the gays. And unfortunately for you Akihiko, you happen to be both.” Yukari then spit on his dark brown oxfords.
Koromaru growled. “He said ‘a disgusting fruit like you has no place near my friends’,” Aigis stated, translating for him yet again.
“Oh dear, I think I might just need to excuse myself. This is getting to be too much for me. Even just sharing the same air as a homo twink is disgusting” Mitsuru cringed, and tried to walk to the stairs to go back to her room. On her way, something made her stop.
A familiar hum approached closer and closer to the front door, accompanied with the sound of squeaking wheels. It slowly opened, and Chairman Ikutsuki entered the building, looking surprised.
“What are you night owls doing down here this late?” He asked, slowly pushing a carriage into the dorm. “I sure hope I’m not interrupting anything. But, while you’re all down here, mind helping me out with these?”
“Oh, hello Ikutsuki-san!” Fuuka excitedly said, as she turned her eyes to what exactly Ikutsuki was carrying in. “Oh… is that… a wheelbarrow of bricks you have? Um, that’s sorta convenient. I was just thinking about a punishment we could deliver to Sanada-senpai.” She grinned.
Junpei turned his gaze. “Oh… I get what you’re sayin. I totally get it. I’m all for that idea, Fuuka!” He concurred happily, doing a little hop into the air and shooting his fist up.
“What exactly are you two planning?” Mitsuru inquired in a light tone, open to their whatever they were thinking.
“Well… bricks are pretty heavy. They can do a lot of damage to someone if they arent properly handled. And, well, we aren’t going to handle them properly. I think the best way to go about this is if we threw them as hard as we can at Sanada-senpai.” Fuuka explained, putting her pointer finger to her chin.
“Well said, Fuuka. That’s the perfect punishment for an idiot like Sanada.” Makoto acknowledged as he crossed his arms.
After hearing all of this, Akihiko was horrified. He had taken a beating in his boxing matches and in Tartarus as well, but bricks were a level above anything he had ever gone against. “Guys… please don’t. I’m sorry. I’ll be normal now, I swear!” He pleaded, garnering no sympathy.
A metaphorical lightbulb appeared above Ikutsuki’s head, and his eyes widened. He thought of the perfect pun for the occasion. He proudly exclaimed “I would tell a brick joke, but I’m afraid it would just hit a wall!” with his whole chest, to the most deafening silence possible. “Tough crowd?” He awkwardly added on, but the silence persisted nonetheless.
Fuuka sighed.“Oh well, let’s just get on with it…” She walked towards the wheelbarrow, picked a brick up, and felt around it. “Yeah… this will definitely do. Come on guys, let’s do this!” She cheered, beckoning the others to come join.
“Wait! Guys, there’s no way you’re being serious here! You said you would support me unconditionally! This isn’t supporting! This is just abuse! I could even die!!” Akihiko shouted, and the second time still garnered no sympathy.
“Well, we said we would help you and listen to you, Sanada-senpai. Nothing was about supporting you unconditionally. If anything, this will help you in the longrun, which is exactly what we’re meant to be doing now.” Kotone corrected Akihiko, to his dismay.
Aigis joined in, popping a canon out of her arm, which she promptly stuffed the bricks in. Soon, every member of SEES (excluding Akihiko Sanada, of course) approached the bricks and attained a firm grip on them.
“Everyone, into position!” Makoto and Kotone exclaimed at the same time. SEES surrounded Akihiko in the same formation they would use to exterminate a shadow, but this time, it was a stupid homosexual.
Koromaru quickly dashed underneath the twink and tripped him, causing him to fall to the floor on his gay booty. He quickly ran back into position, and SEES yelled in unison…
“It’s time for an all-out-attack!”
Akihiko yelled, as he knew his fate was sealed. He was paralyzed with fear and he closed his eyes, ready to join Shinjiro up above… but gays don’t go up there.
The attack commenced, and all that could be seen was a red-orange blur surrounding Akihiko. “Ow! Yeowch!!!! Owie!!!!!! Ough!!! Oof!! Auuughhh!!!!” He yelped and yelped, but the bricks seemed to keep coming.
“Yeah!! Keep pelting that queer!!” Ken shouted, laughing with every blow. Everyone in that dorm was having a wonderful time, except for Akihiko, of course. This was retribution, he was getting what he deserved. Maybe something would even get through to him, but that was an unlikely conclusion. It would be tough for the bricks to actually harm his brain through that extraordinarily thick skull.
Although they were running out of bricks, the attacks didn’t slow. In fact, the attacks got harder and harder as anger and hatred built up in the group’s head. Akihiko had to be taught, as he was an imbecile. His dramatic yells got louder and louder, and it was getting to the point where he started to sound like a tea kettle. A tea kettle if it was gay, and stupid.
After what felt like years, SEES had finally run out of bricks. Everyone was sweaty, but felt accomplished. There was a thick layer of dust surrounding where Akihiko might be due to the bricks shattering on impact.
“Whew, well that was fun! Right, guys?” Junpei cried out, as he let out a smile.
“Sure was, Junpei. For once, I can finally agree with you,” Yukari admitted, “We really showed that stupid faggot little cocksucker.”
The dust cleared, and Akihiko had passed out. He was covered in bruises and scrapes.
“Maybe he’ll even change out that bandage above his eye, that sure would be an added bonus,” Kotone joked, pointing at the gaybo.
SEES all had a laugh together, and after collecting themselves, they all went back to their rooms to prepare for school in the morning. It was a nice way to spend their Sunday evening, especially after the tragedy that happened the week prior. It helped take their minds off things, maybe at a little bit of Akihiko’s expense. But, he did have it coming.
Shinjiro, looking from above, let out a faint smile, and a single tear fell down his cheek. “Well, that sure was a fun watch, wasn’t it, Miki?” he asked as he turned to the girl next to him.
“Of course,” Miki grinned, finally feeling satisfied.