4A/N: So I've decided to do the thing that some people do, where they answer comments made on the previous chapter. So, here we go!
OniHika68: It's OK about the name difference, I just prefer to call him Ren. As for whether or not the psychiatrist will believe him about the Metaverse...I wasn't actually planning on having Ren bring that up. We'll see though, maybe.
Also, quick disclaimer. I don't really ship Ren with anyone (sorry, but I just don't), so any actions taken by any character in this fic to comfort Ren is purely platonic.
"I'm not sure I should let you go to school today." Sojiro passed Ren his cup of coffee and bowl of curry, and smiled as Ren actually picked up the spoon without flinching. It was an improvement, to say the least.
"I'm feeling fine today. I think getting a night of good sleep helped." Ren slowly ate the curry, each bite giving him a little more strength. "And besides, I promised Ryuji I would be there."
Sojiro sighed, and seemed as if he was thinking it over. "I'm really opposed to this. If you have a breakdown in class, who knows what could happen?"
"I know. It could look really bad. But I think I'll be fine. I don't want to miss a day of class if I don't have to." Ren insisted, reaching for his coffee. The warm, bitter drink was a welcoming taste, no longer the nauseating one it had been just the day before.
"I still don't think this is a good idea….." Sojiro glanced down to Ren's bag, where Morgana was listening to the whole thing. "Morgana, I'm letting Ren go, but you keep an eye on him the whole time, understand?" Sojiro had long since discarded any ideas that it was odd to be talking to a cat. Now it felt just as natural as talking to any human.
"You got it!" Morgana agreed with Sojiro that Ren should not be going back to school yet, but he knew that Ren would not give in so easily. It had been a battle just to get him to admit he needed help, keeping him from going to school would be another battle.
"He says he'll keep an eye on me." Ren translated once again, patting Morgana gently as he finished his coffee. The empty cup made a soft thud as he placed it back on the counter.
"I figured as much." Sojiro laughed slightly, taking Ren's empty cup and bowl. "I swear sometimes I feel like I'm beginning to understand what he's saying."
"Well then, I'm off for school now. I'll be back later." Ren stood and grabbed his bag, making his way to the door.
"Don't forget you have that appointment after school!" Sojiro called out, speaking up to be heard over the water he had begun to run in the sink to rinse out the dishes.
"I won't forget!" Ren promised, and with that, he left Leblanc, feeling optimistic about the day.
"Ren-Ren!" Ryuji practically jumped onto Ren, greeting him at the front of the school. He was grinning widely, like a kid in a candy store.
"Ryuji!" Ann scolded, her face turning red. "Need I remind you that we're third year high schoolers?" She sighed in annoyance, then turned to Ren, who had just managed to pry Ryuji off himself. "Anyways, I'm glad you're doing OK. Ryuji was in quite a panic last night when he called me."
"Hey, it was for a good reason!" Ryuji defended quickly, his own cheeks turning red.
"I'm sorry for worrying both of you. I'm doing better today." Ren began to tear up a little, grateful that his friends had been worried for his sake.
"Thank goodness! I was really scared….." Ryuji hugged Ren again, "I don't know how much you heard last night, but Morgana and I were both really scared…..." His grip tightened, as if he was afraid Ren would disappear should he let go.
"I know. I'm not going to let it happen again." Ren promised, gently removing Ryuji's arms from around him, in order to walk up the stairs to school.
Ryuji seemed reluctant to part with the two, and he groaned, "Times like these, I really wish we weren't in two different classes!" He ran a hand through his curly blonde hair, which succeeded in doing nothing but making it look slightly messier than usual.
"I know, but there's nothing that can be done about it. I'll keep an eye on him for now, OK?" Ann assured Ryuji with a gentle smile.
"…..Well alright then. But after class we're definitely gonna meet up!" Ryuji clasped Ren's shoulder, looking him straight in the eye. "You're not leaving until I'm 100% sure you're OK, got it?"
"Alright." Ren nodded, but then added quickly, "Ah, but I do have to leave after school, I have somewhere to be."
Morgana piped up from Ren's bag, "The boss managed to get him a psychiatry appointment today."
"Shh, Morgana!" Ann scolded, "Someone might hear you!" After that, she smiled in relief. "But that's good news. I'm glad you've decided to go."
"Yeah. Morgana talked me into it. But even if he hadn't, I have a feeling that Sojiro-san would have dragged me there if need be." Ren laughed slightly, stepping into the classroom, with Ann not far behind.
The day was rather monotonous, and several times, Ren found his thoughts wandering. Every once in a while, he would tense, or his breathing would fall out of rhythm. But each time, Morgana would tap him softly, or Ann would would text him a picture or joke. Every time, it would bring Ren back to reality, and it kept the voice from intruding his thoughts.
"Alright class, school is dismiss-"
Before anyone could even stand up, a clap of thunder sounded, shaking the school. Lightning flashed bright outside, and rain began to pour in torrents. Across every smartphone in the class, severe weather alerts began to sound.
"Alright class, just stay calm and we'll-"
The teacher was cut short again, this time by the lights going out. A couple of the girls shrieked, and several of the boys pulled out their smartphones and turned on the flashlight setting, creating eerie shadows on the wall.
"Hey look, it's a ghost!" One student yelled, pointing to the wall in front of him. He laughed loudly, using his hands to make shadow puppets.
"Knock it off!" Another one shot back, "I hate ghosts!"
Hearing those words, combine with the overwhelming power of the storm, caused Ren to begin breathing heavily. Ann quickly noticed, and reached her hand back to take his. "You OK?" She asked quietly, so only he could hear.
"I'm…..I'm fine….." Ren assured, but he wasn't. Images flashed through his mind, more than he could count. With each one, Akechi's face was there, taunting him once again.
Outside the classroom, there was a loud shout, followed by a clunk of footsteps. "I don't care! Class is over, isn't it?! Then I'm going to be with my friends!" Even over the howling of the storm, Ryuji's voice could clearly be heard.
"Sakamoto-kun!" A teacher's voice scolded, "That's against protocol! Get back to your classroom right now!"
"Ah, forget about protocol!" Ryuji shot back, bursting through the classroom door. "Ren, Ann!" He ran over to their desks, sitting on top of Ann's, which she had thankfully cleared as the storm started.
"Ryuji!" Ann frowned slightly, but she couldn't stay mad for long. "What are you doing in here? You're going to get in trouble!"
"I made a promise, didn't I? I said I was going to meet with you guys after school. And it's after school, isn't it? So here I am!" Ryuji was grinning, although it faltered a little when he saw Ren's distress. "Hey Ren-Ren, you need anything? I've got music, jokes, water….." Ryuji reached into his bag and pulled out an MP3 and water bottle.
"Yeah, some music might help….." He reached for the MP3, smiling softly despite his current state.
"No, you don't deserve it. Feel my pain and isolation."
Ren gasped, panic settling in. "No….." He mumbled, his hand dropping down by his side. A clap of thunder resounded, and Ren stood up quickly, pushing his chair back. It fell to the floor with a metallic clatter, and Ren flinched from the noise. Everyone in the room turned to look at him, but he barely noticed. Shoving past several students, he stumbled out into the hall, ignoring the wake of protests from students and teachers alike.
"Ren!" Ryuji followed close behind, but stopped at the door, and turned back around. "He's a little stressed right now." He explained quickly to the class, "I think this storm is scaring him."
A few of the students snickered at the thought of a third-year being scared of a storm, but most of them, especially the girls, nodded with sympathetic understanding.
Ryuji ran off to find Ren, with his phone flashlight as his only guide. "Hey, Ren! Where'd you go?!" The storm was still raging outside, and Ryuji had to yell louder than normal, his voice carrying throughout the otherwise silent hall.
"Ryuji, I found him!" Ann called from across the hall. "He's over here!"
Ryuji pointed the light in Ann's direction, careful to keep it near the ground, so as not to shine it in her eyes. "The stairs?" Ryuji whistled in disbelief. "He made it down the stairs in the dark?!"
"He's scared, Ryuji. Adrenaline can make people do things they wouldn't normal be able to do, or want to do otherwise." Ann began to descend the stairs, watching her step to make sure she didn't loose her footing.
Ren was backed into a corner, where the stairs converged into a landing. His eyes were unfocused, as they had been the previous night during his first breakdown. When Ann and Ryuji sat down next to him, he barely responded, aside from pulling back even more.
"We're here now, Ren. You're not alone." Ann soothed, watching carefully for any reaction, good or bad. The storm began to pick up even more, masking their voices from the rest of the school.
"Yes, you are. I was alone, and so are you."
"No! Go away!" Ren screamed to the voice, "Stop following me!"
"Ren!" Morgana came bounding down the stairs, not needing a light thanks to his feline eyes. "Ren…..." He curled up next to the raven haired teen, waiting to see if Ren would pet him, as he did before.
"Morgana!" Ryuji and Ann scolded in union, "Why are you-"
"-I know, I know!" Morgana responded, "Ren can get in trouble if they find out he snuck a cat into school! But I couldn't just stay there! He needs me…."
Beside them, Ren had fallen into a bout of silence, but his eyes were still panicked and unfocused. Reaching out with one hand, he found Morgana by his leg, and stroked him softly. "Morgana…."
Just then, another streak of lightening flashed across the sky. Ren's hand stopped moving, and he stiffened, pressing his back against the wall. His eyes seemed to zero in on one spot, and he was staring in terror.
"A….Akechi….."
A/N: Well, another cliffhanger! Time to see how Ann and Ryuji react to this revelation!
