The sign boy's name was Masaru, or at least that's what the crouching boy was shouting when the sitting boy stomped over to Ren and slammed him onto the ground.
"You spying on me?!" Masaru growled, pinning Ren by his head and arms into the hard wood of the storage room.
Ren's head spun. The boy had grabbed his arm and flipped him onto the ground so fast he wasn't sure which way was up. He suddenly recalled, wasn't he holding a sign for the judo club?
"Did that shit-head Kato send you to find more dirt on me?" Masaru scowled.
This perked Ren up. Someone else looking for information? So he had spies after him as well?
"I.... I'm alone!" He gasped out. "I'm not with anyone! So please, let go of my arm!"
"Masaru-kun...!" The other student said, sounding worried.
The grip on his arm lessened. He sat up, seeing the other student back away. Their face was turning red.
The other student helped them stand up. "Don't get so worked up right now..." They lowered their voice. "You might break through the medicine."
"Sorry..." They muttered to the other.
Ren frowned, feeling sympathy for the student. Not hearing their whispers, he thought they had turned so red because of how angry he was about being spied on.
'I completely understand. Those Alpha spies follow you around like annoying, buzzing mosquitoes like that Imada Masanori! Well, before I got him on my side of course.' he added.
Ren quickly stood, puffing his chest out with a surge of confidence. This Masaru was paranoid and stressed, and he had every right to be if he also had spies following him! No wonder he was in the judo club, trying to defend himself from them!
Ren suddenly had an epiphany. 'That's why they don't like the weak in their club! If they learn how to defend themselves, to fight back, then they're harder to control! I understand!'
Ren took a step forward, bowing to nearly 90 degrees.
"Please listen! I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I understand what you're going through! Those Alpha students shouldn't be allowed to keep other students out of clubs just because they're a beta or an omega! It's unfair!"
Ren raised his head with a confident grin.
"But don't let them control you, you don't have to listen to them! I know how it goes, you feel it's impossible to stand up to them because they act all intimidating, but I know it's possible! I wanna help you!"
The two students take turns looking at the other and back at Ren, their expressions hard to read. Were they in awe by his inspirational speech?
Masaru speaks. "...um, that's-"
"I think he has a point, actually." The other student says, rubbing their chin.
"What?!" Masaru hissed. "What are you talking about, standing up to Alphas?!"
"I think one too many of us become paralyzed by the intimidation Alphas can impose on us. We could all learn to be more confident." They respond.
Ren could feel tears welling in the back of his eyes. So they do understand!
"That's right, confidence is all you need!" He beamed.
"Hold on," Masaru stopped them. "I didn't come over here for some inspirational speech. I just needed your help-"
"With an Alpha, right?" the other student interrupted. "It's not just those club Alphas you need some confidence for." They give him a knowing smile.
Masaru pales. "You can't mean... N-No! I can't do that! Not now!" He shouted.
The other student leans in closer to Masaru and lowers their voice. "Well, you're worrying so much about what'll happen when it gets out, might as well tell him yourself while you can, right? Wouldn't you rather do it yourself before it gets out of hand?"
"Well. I dunno..." Masaru muttered.
Ren also gets closer, walking over to him and patting Masaru's shoulder.
"Of course you can! I've stood up to tons of these Alphas types, kid: all you gotta do is hold their ground even when they're glaring at you, they're just a big bunch of bullies!" He grins, not understanding the context of what they meant.
Their brow furrows at him from his usage of "kid" before grumbling. "It's different for you. You're a beta."
"Oh, am I? I thought I lived in the omega dorm though?" Ren asked it like a genuine question, actually confused. Masaru saw it as sarcasm and clicked his teeth. "Really, an Omega? So you should completely understand, it's hopeless to try to... S-Stand up to Alphas, like you said. It's just impossible."
"That's just them getting in your head, Masaru-kun!" Ren exclaimed. "If an omega like me can do it, why not a beta like you?" Ren remembered what the other boy had called him that day with the sign, he had been keeping track of this stuff.
"Well, I used to be." Masaru sighed, putting his head in his hands. "Not anymore."
Ren found this information very interesting. 'So you can just suddenly be moved to a different group? Do they change the medicine maybe?' he thought.
"So, what changed?" He asked, genuinely wondering what effects differ from the elusive beta group vs the omegas.
Masaru raised his head from his hands. "A-A lot!?" he cried angrily.
"What specifically though! Do you feel any different?" Ren said excitedly, eyes lighting up at the thought of new information.
"That's, w-well..." Masaru stuttered, not thinking about the obvious things that he assumed the boy in front of him already knew.
The other student sighed. "That's what I've been saying. If your feelings are the same then you should go for it, beta or omega."
Masaru muttered irritably, pulling at their hair. "I... ok, maybe you're right! But I d-don't even know where they'd be...!"
"I think you do." The other student says.
Masaru turned pink in the ears. "Ok, maybe I do know they're helping move equipment for the Broadcasting club, but I dunno where..."
Ren took Masaru by the arm. "I do! I know exactly where those Broadcasting club guys are!"
"W-Wait…!" Masaru cried as he was helplessly pulled along, followed by the other student trailing after with a chuckle.
When they got outside the hall where the Broadcasting club's location two of them peeked around. The room was a fairly large multipurpose one, being prepped for some kind of filming by the Broadcasting club, though the filming equipment that looked a decade too old to even know what a green screen was, nor did it look socially acceptable to record anything on, judging by the camera quality displayed on the projector as a student stood in front of one of the cameras as others checked the lighting behind him.
The room had multiple entrances, one of which was an exit doors one one end they now peered in through.
"You really did know where they were." The other student muttered to Ren with an impressed hum.
"I've been looking around at clubs all day and I passed by them earlier!" Ren grinned. "So all we have to do is find- hey, where did he go?"
Ren looked around and quickly found the student hiding around the corner behind a column.
"I can't go in there!: Masaru gasped. "If they see me asking to talk to him alone, it'll start rumors! If we're doing this, then we need to do it secretly!"
Ren looked around. "Oh, is that why you're hiding here? Great plan, trying to get the jump on them and catch them by surprise! So you didn't just learn judo, you also learned ninpo!"
"What? I-I'm not jumping anyone! It was just the closest place to hide…!" Masaru grouched.
Ren's grin only widened. "So you can wait here until he comes and then ambush him, right? Perfect!"
The other student held Masaru back from doing another judo slam on Ren's confused head, and stepped in. "That's... not a bad idea, actually."
"Hold on-!" Masaru hollered at the two. "I'm not-! I'm not ambushing Lucas-Senpai, alright?!"
"Ah, so that's who it is..." The other student muttered.
Masaru turned red again.
Ren raised a hand out. "Not alone! Just tell me how to help!"
The other student tapped their chin contemplatively.
"Well... I know who to look for, so I think you can instead help keep others away for a bit by creating a distraction."
Ren nodded. "Then, I'll make sure you get your beatdown!" Ren gave an excited chuckle.
'This place is isolated: perfect for an ambush!' He grinned. 'We'll show them that omegas aren't all weak!'
"Right then…" The other student drawled. "So, once they take their break, you'll go out and distract them, while I lead Lucas away." The other student detailed their plan to him.
Ren beamed with determination. "Then let's do this!" and he walked out and over to the entrance of the room. "Yo!"
The other student turned their gaze to Masaru, asking more gently. "But Masaru, remember you don't have to do this now. Your body is still in an unstable state. If you break through the medicine by accident, it'll be a rough next few days without an Alpha to help you… If you're uncertain, we can back out at any time."
"No… No, that guy is right. I need to do this." Masaru replied quietly. "I won't get another chance again, before everything changes." Masaru confirmed with a determined nod of their head.
"Hm, how goes it, need something?" A burly third year asked as he peered down at Ren. He tried not to feel intimidated by the size difference and let out a little huff of air, about to speak out and holler about the strength of Omegas as his distraction, when he stopped himself. There were plenty of Alphas here, but they needed to lure away just one - likely their leader - but there were more than Alphas here, they might not be distracted by that. He needed to think of something that would distract everyone so they didn't notice the others!
"H-Have you guys seen w-where the Judo club went…?" He drawled, suddenly becoming nervous as he racked his brain.
The other student looked around the corner with Masaru with an amused tilt of a smile. "Where did all that energy go from earlier…?"
"Hm, Judo? I think they're one of the clubs that moved to the west side? If you head down the hall here to the left you should find the signs out there." The student replied, already returning back to moving equipment.
"O-Oh, is that s-so…? B-But, what uh, t-that thing you're doing there!?" He stammered out.
"Just testing the cameras for the drama club to use in a bit." He replied simply and waved a hand in dismissal. "Good luck finding the Judo club."
"O-Oh that's uh, I mean-!" Ren stuttered, growing panicked. Their plan! He needed a distraction-!
"Taakeshitaaa kunnn!"
Ren frozen and went pale upon hearing this familiar cry. 'Oh no, it's that guy again!?'
His eyes glanced down the hall where Kokichi had their hands cupped to their mouth and calling out, their eyes frantic and looking as desperate as ever.
Suddenly Ren's eyes lit up. Desperate was exactly what he needed!
"Kokichi-kun!!" Ren waved his hand in the air and whistled with the other, drawing the attention of both Kokichi and the students around him.
Kokichi let out a loud gasp and rushed into the room, shoving past people still coming in with equipment and holding a firm grasp on Ren once more.
"There you are!! Come on, there's still 30 minutes before the first curfew-!"
Ren pushed Kokichi's hands off him and promptly grabbed his instead and pushed him forward. "Actually, I think I already found the perfect club we can join!! Look, the Broadcasting club!" He exclaimed as he presented him to the club students.
"W-What?" The burly student stuttered, looking taken aback. Kokichi turned his head to look at Ren with a furrowed brow.
"Eh, what? You know when I said to tell them we were going to join together that was a lie, right?"
"I know it was a lie!" Ren shouted irritatedly. "But I do need a club too, a-and these guys! You'd take a guy like Kokechi here, right? He's great with technology!"
'I mean gamers must be great with tech, right?' thought Ren.
But then the student held up their hands defensively, shaking his head. "NO. He can't join, I-I'm sorry."
"Oh come on, how much funding do you really need?" Ren argued. "You have all your equipment right here! He just wants to play games in the corner, what's the issue with letting him in for a week or whatever…?" Ren suggested, eyes peeking over at where the other student was leading someone away with a whisper in their ear. The plan was working!
"It's no use Takeshita," Kokichi sighed exasperatedly at him. "I already tried, but no one wants to risk losing their funding!"
"It's not just that!" Another student suddenly yelled. "The issue is that we heard what happened to the photography club!" the student took a step over with a wild arm gesture. "And the shoji club, and the astronomy club, and a half dozen more! They're straight up scared of him! Half the clubs in the school think he's cursed!"
Ren's face blanked and his brow arched in confusion. "W-Wuh? Cursed? But it's only been a week since school started, what did he do to get a bad reputation that fast?"
"That's the thing: no one knows!" The student cried. "But something about him freaks out even some of the strongest Alphas! Some people think it must be his pheromones or something!"
'Huh, pheromones?' Ren thought curiously. He had no idea what a pheromone was, but the mention of Alphas sent his thoughts flaring up like a firework sprinkler, his head turning to Kokichi with renewed interest. This guy, was it possible he knew the secret weakness about Alphas that could overpower them!?
Kokichi loudly scoffed at the student. "I do NOT have a weird smell that gives nightmares or sickness or whatever else they keep saying!! Ruota's just an asshole who thinks he's in charge of what the clubs can do!!" He growled.
"He kind of is in charge, though?" The student muttered.
Ren let out a disappointed sigh, enthusiasm diminished in an instant. Weird smell? So pheromones was just some word for an unpleasant smell? It must be some new slang he's never heard of.
The student shook their hands and head with a sympathetic frown. "Sorry… we can't."
A nerve was struck in Ren about this. Regardless of Kokichi's bad smell or his shitty attitude, they were blatantly ostracizing him just due to some bad rumors! Ren put a hand on Kokichi's shoulder and stared into his eyes with an enlightened grin.
"Kokichi, the problem isn't that you lack time, you lack conviction! You should stop being lazy and PROVE to these clubs that you're worth keeping around!! Look, I have a great idea: just use your phone! You got games on there, right? This is the broadcasting club, so broadcast your games! Show them that gaming could be involved!" Ren asked firmly, confidence brimming in his eyes. He didn't remember the deal the person from this body made originally, but he did somewhat feel bad that he wasn't able to keep their promise, but this would help him make amends!!
"Eh…" Kokichi lurched back and averted his eyes away. "But I don't wanna?" He simpered with a slow eye roll, digging his pinkie finger in his ear.
Ren's face fell into a scowl. This guy was so difficult!
Ren grabbed down for the phone in his pocket and slipped it out, a bright purple case with a cartoon dragon on it.
"Lazy kid, I'm trying to help you! Download a streaming app or something! Bam! That club monitor can't do anything!" Ren yelled, waving the phone in the air.
Kokichi leapt up and grabbed for the phone back while sending Ren an annoyed glare, his hand gripping onto one end. "Fuck no, that wasn't the plan! And you have some nerve calling me lazy when I've been busting my bottom for days, all because you couldn't bother to show up to club in the first place!"
"I was sick! And your plan sucks you know!!" Ren growled, still keeping his grip on the other end, starting a small tussle for the phone.
"Uh, you guys…?" The club student quivered as the rest of the students watched with renewed interest.
Ren tussled for the phone by trying to give it a big yank towards him. But he underestimated his own strength, and just toppled forward instead, shoving Kokichi backwards. He bumps into one of the cameras and it rolls away, trailing its cord after and right out the open main doors. On the projector screen the camera peered down the hall, a poor quality image of two students talking as one bowed down low and said something loudly but they couldn't hear.
'He's with that Alpha student! What happened to the ambush?' Ren wondered, attention pulled away for a moment as he watched the Alpha student say something. Even in the gritty film quality you could make out the pink spreading all over his face he turned his head away. Masaru raised his head with wide eyes, looking up with a brightly growing smile. Then their eyes flickered over to the camera and their face darkened, then turned redder than a tomato. The next second he jumped out and tackled the taller student, sending them both out of sight.
Ren pumped his fist with a victorious grin. Ha! He couldn't see too well but it was obvious: the ambush was a success after all!
"Ha!!" Kokichi cried out with an elated shout as he finally yanked the phone free from Ren's grip, taking a giant stumble backwards. His foot violently stomping down on the already stretched cord, sending the camera out in the hallway flying back in and falling off the cart, smashing heavily into the ground with a loud crash. The feed from the projector went dead.
Kokichi held his phone to his chest with an angry growl directed at Ren. "You're a real piece of work Takeshita! I'm not joining this club no matter what you say! The only one that gets to decide what I do, is me!!"
Ren snickered at him with contempt. "All you want to decide is how to game the most! You should be focused on graduating and thinking about your future instead!"
"The future? Of course I'm always thinking of the future!" Kokichi yelled. "I'm the one always prepared for the next seasonal event while everyone else is scrambling for resources–"
At that moment one of the club students placed a large hand on each of their shoulders, leaning down at them with a dark look. "Hey… we'd like to ask you to leave please. Now."
Ren and Kokichi were practically shoved out the door as the broadcasting club kids glared at them, picking up the remains of the shattered camera and rolling the cart back inside. Ren noticed the other student from before down the hall and ran over to them with an excited smile.
The other student was closing a door that was now marked with a red slip above the handle, spinning a keychain on his finger with a low whistle. When he noticed Ren, putting it away in his pocket and quickly walking over to him.
"Takeshita-san." He greeted him calmly. "I guess I should say good work with that distraction. The first half, at least."
Ren chuckled nervously. "Y-Yeah… your ambush looked great, but that guy accidentally ruined it by pushing that camera outside and letting the other Alpha students see it, and they ended up kicking us out."
"Well everything worked out for the most part…" His eyes darted towards the door before turning back to Ren, holding a hand out. "Nice to meet you. Nishida Shino, President of the Gender studies club."
"Oh um, Takeshita Akira…" Ren took the hand when something dawned on him. "Wait, how did you know my name already…?"
"Well it wasn't hard to learn when that idiot kept screaming it loud enough for the entire building to hear." Shino replied with a chuckle.
Ren let out an exasperated sigh at this. That guy really did almost ruin everything!
"Who keeps calling me an idiot!?" Kokichi growled, stopping in the middle of the handshake and trying to grab Ren. "Hey! We still have a deal! We need to head to the club monitor's office!"
"Why would I ever help you when you can't help yourself?" Ren coldly asked in a dead-pan then looked back to Shino. "Oh right, what happened to Masaru-kun after the ambush?" He asked.
"Ah he's… reaping the rewards, I suppose?" Shino replied slowly. "The good ending for a beta suddenly ending up an omega I suppose…" he murmured, averting his eyes and looking somewhat nervous.
Ren nodded at him with a knowing smile. He got the message. Whatever the operation was about was sensitive information!
"Ha, someone transitioned here?" Kokichi snickered. "Imagine ending up transitioning in high school!" He haughtily scoffed. "Couldn't be me: Third year Beta and proud!"
"I wanted to ask what you mean by that, but then I remembered you're a brain dead gamer and I think I'll pass." Ren grumbled. "The only thing true coming from you is that you're a lazy idiot that lost his club."
"Brain dead!?" Kokichi hollered at him. "You disrespectful junior, I demand you take that back!!"
"What's the deal going on with you two?" Shino asked them curiously with a cock of his head. "Some kind of club issue?"
"Yeah, this idiot is too lazy to get into a club properly so now no one wants him." Ren grunted tiredly, no longer interested in Kokichi. He pointed a thumb towards Kokichi's face. "Also he smells."
Kokichi blanched. "Who fucking smells!?"
"Hm, that's weird…" Shino squinted down at them then hummed. "Well, if you just need a club, I've still got room to spare."
"Uh sure." Ren said. "But what are your hours?"
"H-Hours?" Shino stuttered, arching a brow. He looked upwards and scratched his head in befuddlement. "Um, just come by once a week?"
Ren pumped a fist with a bright grin. "Yes!" His main mission was accomplished for the day.
"Ugh, no thanks!" Kokichi loudly grumbled. "Like I said, I decide what I do, and who wants to study genders?"
"You won't have to study anything." Shino replied. There's 2 other members, but most people are just there to get out of study hall. You can just do what you want-"
"I take it back!!" Kokichi suddenly shouted, shoving past Ren to rush over to Shino. "Yes I'll join!! Where's the sign up sheet!?"
Ren brushed himself off with a scowl, watching Kokichi trying to drag Shino off and deciding he was done for the day since curfew was approaching and left on his own, at least happy that the situation solved itself. It wasn't all for nothing anyhow: He now knew for certain that very rarely some beta students turned into omegas! Perhaps they were more than simply the control group after all! Perhaps it worked on a spectrum, and omegas or betas could become Alphas someday! Maybe, that was the end goal…!
Shino took his arm back from Kokichi. "Sorry senpai, you'll have to sign up tomorrow: I'm busy with something at the moment."
Kokichi sucked in his teeth in annoyance before crossing his arms. "Fine! But you better tell that Ruota about this, okay!? Or he'll send one of his goons again to rattle me like he did before!"
"His goons? Hmmm, sure. I'll talk to him…but what was that about Ruota-senpai?" Shino replied, and listened in as Kokichi prattled away, his mouth moving but his hands and eyes distracted as he pulled out his phone and held it sideways as he started playing a game, complaining all the while.
Shino put his hands in his pockets and looked upwards with a speculative look, staring at one of the security cameras against the wall that stared right back.
…
Shino made his way in front of the club monitor's office. He knocked before entering without a response. In the dim room only lit by the orange light of the setting sun, that and the blue light of the computer on the desk. Ruota lifted his eyes from the computer but not his head, the light of the screen leaving half his face cast in shadow, and giving his eyes a ghastly glow, his expression caught somewhere between exhaustingly tired and viscerally livid.
Shino cleared his throat. "Hayashi-senpai, evening. I wanted to let you know, Hirota Kokichi-senpai has decided to join my club starting tomorrow."
"Hm." Ruota replied. He remained staring at him, a hard piercing stare that seemed to slowly grow into a glare without an inch of movement made.
"And I do have a curious question… Hirota-Senpai mentioned some interesting things about his situation." Shino smiled nervously. "You know, manipulating the clubs and students to do what you want is against the goals of your duties as the club monitor, isn't it? You're usually more tempered about these kinds of things… I'm quite sure you don't have the ability to force someone to join a specific club as well."
Ruota's expression finally changed, morphing into an amused smirk.
"Nishida-kun… you simply don't understand. That idiot doesn't know what's good for him, I'm simply trying to push him into something that is more beneficial for everyone in this school."
"Yes, but… for what reason? To shutter his club and threaten him, why go so far? The calligraphy club members are committed, but they're not insane enough for blackmail."
"What other reason is there?" Ruoto mumbled, his head lifting up fully, resting on his knuckles.
"You… didn't see the way he can write. It's perfect, works of art. He can write some gorgeous calligraphy, he has a talent that would be wasted if he were to spend his days playing pointless games. I'm sure anyone could see that." He said with a straight-face, unchanging.
"...right." Shino said, a drop of sweat running down his face. "Well that's not what he wants, so there's no helping it."
Ruota scoffed. "I think what he wants is irrelevant. Now, you need to kick him out of your club Nishida-kun. He can complain as much as he likes but, I know what's good for him…"
Shino stood there in silence, holding his own against the powerful pheromones that drifted his way, a powerful force that would make any other Beta fall to their knees and weep.
"Hm… I think I'd rather not. There's no reason for it." Shino smiled politely, and turned to reopen the door behind him. "And I hope there's no more talk of any 'goons'. That's hardly a proper use of power."
"Tch. As if you have a say in what is a good use of power." Ruota growled then spat out, "This isn't over."
"Sure, Senpai. Just try not to cause too much harm to your fellow student." Shino said as he left the room with a smile only brought out by his nerves, letting out a exasperated sigh. "The Alphas are as crazy as ever here..."