"Shh!" Masanori held a finger up to his lips then glanced around the area, before motioning for Ren to follow him. He led him to a row of trees off the main path, where the shadow of branches shaded them in a mosaic of scattered light.
Masanori placed him next to a tree and made sure he was out of sight of anyone. Lucky, he caught him just before he entered the main school building. Rather it was a spot very familiar to them, the one where they first met.
Masanori crossed his arms and straightened, his eyes twitching with annoyance. "Good morning. You've been good lately?"
Ren nodded. "Oh, yeah. Busy…" Ren couldn't meet his eye. Now that he was in front of him, he remembered he had been avoiding him because Ryusei asked him to. For now he should keep to his promise.
"Busy…" Masanori repeated slowly, his eyes narrowing and biting his lower lip in frustration. He wanted to ask a lot of things, but how would he go about asking? Actually standing in front of the small omega with big round eyes and soft looking skin, all of his frustration was evaporating like water vapor. He even called him by his first name again, didn't he?
Masanori rolled his shoulders and tried to focus. This was about helping a student, forget everything else.
"Is there something… going on?" He asked gently. "Lately you've been pretty hard to find."
"There's nothing going on," Ren quickly answered. A bit too quickly. He took a few steps away from Masanori, giving a forced smile. "N-Nothing at all! I'm just- I've been figuring out this school's layout better! Did you know there's multiple gyms and neither of them were the one for weight lifting?"
Masanori nodded along, though he only half believed it. Nearly two months in the school year and there was school tours. Then again, Takeshita had done many odd things.
"It's a large school, yeah…" Masanori's eyes pinched nervously and his voice lowered meekly as he struggled out, "If you're um, confused, would you, like me to help you around?"
Ren broke a sweat and frantically waved a hand around. "Not at all! I'm fine! I'm headed back to my dorm soon anyway, no need for any help! No help at all!!" Ren stiffly stepped away a few more pacing. "It's been great to chat but we shouldn't be seen together for long anyway right?" He started to walk away. "Later!"
"Ah! But…!" Masanori raised a hand uselessly before lowering it. What was the point if he was going to deny it? Class was about to start, he should just let him-
"We'll talk later Imada-kun!" Ren quickly turned around and ran off.
But then Masanori's hand suddenly latched down on Ren's shoulder again. Ren looked over his shoulder Masanori's hardened look.
"Wait. Takeshita. I noticed you've been going to the beta dorm a lot lately. And with what happened on Saturday…"
Ren stiffened. He released from Masanori's grip and turned around. He nervously fiddled with his hands behind his back, backing away. "O-Oh, have I been going there...?"
"Don't try to deny it. I saw you go on Thursday and saw you talking to Yoshida." Masanori said, taking steps towards him. He kept walking towards him until Ren's back hit another tree.
"He told me he was trying to help you after you looked in distress. I checked the footage and you've went there every day after school, but you never met up with anyone. So, I want to know-"
"Huh? Footage?" Ren suddenly asked with frowning eyes.
"Yeah, I watched back the footage. I-I," Masanori's face changed. He looked away sheepishly. "I, was just checking due to a report. It's my job you know?"
"There aren't any cameras in the dorms though?" Ren said.
"No of course there is. You know," Masanori sighed turned back and lifted a finger, doing a spinning motion in the air. "The cameras. The round ones on the ceiling."
Ren's face had gone blank. Masanori looked at his hand and wondered what he was trying to convey, and huffed. Those cameras…
That's when Ren suddenly rammed into Masanori full force. He gripped the fabric of his school uniform. His eyes turned up to him in frantic distress, his breathing against his chest rose and fell erratically.
"Those black orbs were cameras!!? I-I thought they were weird smoke detectors or something!!"
Masanori's arms hung useless in the air, unable to move.
He gulped then locked his hands behind him. "C-Calm down, please Takeshita…"
Masanori then stiffened as a thought crawled out from the crevasses of his mind. This close, he wondered if he could pick up his scent now.
Ren squeezed his jacket even more, and Masanori could feel him gripping skin deep.
"What am I gonna do!? I screwed up really bad…!"
'I-Is this an admission?' Masanori thought, leaning in closer waiting for him to continue.
Then Ren started to tear up. His eyes became massive watery orbs. A circuit sparked in his head and Masanori recalled something. Yuki mentioned he was trying to avoid the cameras in the school! He grabbed both of Ren's shoulders. "Calm down! G-Geez, it's alright! I'll get the footage scrubbed. I'll erase it for you."
'At least, what hasn't been already.' He silently added. That footage, or rather Saturday evening's footage specifically, was corrupted, even the outside cameras. There was no proof Takeshita even broke curfew, let alone entered the beta dorm.
But then, there also wasn't any footage of him entering the omega dorm. It didn't inspire a lot of confidence about whether he was involved in the beta dorm disaster, so he rushed looking for him. But in his camera freakout, he almost forgot to be angry about it…
Ren's expression slowly calmed down. He relaxed, giving him a sunny smile and wiped his eye. "R-Really? You can do that?"
Babump!
Masanori's heart suddenly beat hard against his chest. He felt warmth pillowing in his chest, a heat rising to his face, his scathing thoughts and doubts drifting away.
"O-Of course," Masanori smiled back. "I'm in the student council, I've got access to a lot of things…" Suddenly he felt willing to tell him next to anything, whatever he wanted. If he knew how much he could help him he'd rely on him with his friend situation, wouldn't he? He'd like that.
But then Ren suddenly pulled away, sliding right out of his grip.
"Right! Now I really have to beg him for forgiveness!" Ren shouted, turning to leave. "I have to go, later!"
He rushed off, feeling lighter but a lot more frantic. He really did cause a lot of trouble for Ryusei! But Masanori wasn't scolding him for it so maybe he already covered it up, thank goodness Ryusei was also on the student council to get to it first!
"Hey!! Wait!" Masanori called, chasing after.
THUMP.
Masanori suddenly staggered. He bent over, holding a hand over his chest. His body had suddenly seized, and the heat exploded from his chest.
Masanori grimaced and shook his head, grabbing a tuft of his hair.
'I've been losing it for a while, but this is... It can't be time already, can it? Damn it, this is the worst time for this…!'
He didn't have time for this. He had to get some things done first.
——————
Ren hardly had time to make it to the second floor to see Ryusei before classes started, forcing him to run back down to make it back to his homeroom, huffing and puffing at the doorway.
He slumped over at his desk, angry all over again at his lacking physique.
'I should go to the gym more often…'
Ren scratched his desk with a small grimace. 'It's no good. I feel bad. I'm starting to think this wasn't the best idea to keep away from him. I mean, he's clearly worrying about me. Makes sense with Akagi being so hostile… Should I ask Ryusei if I can tell him? I don't wanna impose when I already have to apologize for everything…' He closed his eyes and sighed, sinking into his chair. A sudden strike on his head by the teacher shot him back upright.
As Ren was leaving class, head in the clouds, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He whipped his head behind him. A student was openly glaring at him, creeping behind a corner. Ren recognized that harsh glare even when before it was too dark to get a good look, but he could clearly make out thin and curly dark blond hair over light brown eyes.
'It's the guy from yesterday? He's totally still suspicious of me. Crap, I gotta shake him.'
Ren smirked. Luckily he had some experience with that! Ren casually walked around a corner, and heard the confused grunt of his pursuer as he vanished behind a wall pillar with a wide-grinned chuckle.
Ren walked away with a self-satisfied grin. He turned the corner. He yelped. The student was right in front of him now?!
The student glanced him up and down then narrowed his eyes, pointing two fingers between them. "I'm, watching you."
Ren gulped. "Sure... What for though?"
"Where are you going?"
"N-Nowhere important really," Ren quickly replied. "I'm just going to talk to a student I know. They're just in the student council! And I don't want you to think i'm being suspicious by going to talk to them! You know?"
Ren gulped again. What a horrible excuse!
"Student council, huh?" The student continued to glare. "Are you joking right now?"
"No? T-There are some good student council members you know! Even if they, um..." Ren trailed off. He didn't want to mention anyone by name when he was under suspicion! Even if he didn't know by what authority just yet!
The student gave a short laugh. "Is that what you think?" They looked around then pursed his lips like he was thinking. "Hmm... I see. You're free to go for now." Then, he left without a word more. Ren watched him leave in genuine bafflement.
'What was that about if he was just going to leave...?'
Ren soon kept on. He knocked on the office and Fumio opened the door for him, still clutching that tablet. Ryusei was working at a counter on some chemicals when he turned around and focused his attention on his, leaning against the counter on his arm. "So you've come around. How goes it? What can I do fer ya?"
"Um…!" Ren wrangled his fingers together and tapped them nervously. "I'm just… Here to tell you thanks. It must have been a lot of work to make sure they didn't find out I was there. And I'm sorry… I couldn't complete your request and you had to figure it out on your own. I'm… willing to do anything to- mpbnh?!"
Ryusei stuck a finger onto his lip, stopping him from continuing.
"I don't think you should finish that one," He calmly said. "Do you love walkin' into problems this much? Ya just keep causing them, don'tcha?"
"Problem? I didn't mean to offend, I…" Ren trembled, suddenly feeling a terror of losing his trust. He remembered what he thought to do this morning, and immediately kneeled down into a dogeza.
"Please, forgive me!"
Ryusei's eyebrows furrowed and he raised his hands up. "Hey hey, I'm not-"
"No! It's not enough! I-…!" Ren got on his knees and his forehead hit the floor. "Don't want to lose your trust, just let me explain myself-!"
Ren then felt himself pulled up, grabbed by the back collar and risen off the ground like a cat caught in a neck scruff. He looked up face to face with a genuinely disgruntled looking Ryusei, though not without the usual look of intrigue behind his eyes.
"For the love of bessy, can it will ya?" He calmly glared. "Yer makin' me look bad."
"Oh…" Ren glanced towards Fumio, who opted to turn his head from the scene. He glanced back at Ryusei. He picked him up like he weighed nothing too! It seemed all Alpha had crazy strength!
"I forgive ya, so quit the sobbing." Ryusei said, dropping him back down on his feet gently and returning to his previous position. "If ya wanna make it up ta me, how about handing me some of yer leftover meds, will ya?"
Ren nodded, with zero hesitation. At that Fumio lightly coughed. Ryusei ignored it. "Really interesting. Yer funny, but a little different than the records were sayin'." He continued.
Ren glanced up. "My records?"
"Yeah, and they had some girth." Ryusei answered.
"W-What did they say?" Ren asked, suddenly excited. Some clues about who he's been inhabiting!
"Hm…" Ryusei rubbed his chin. "Something about nearly drowning in a pool after you refused to get out. Puking all over a classroom, bringing a rooster to school, stuffing roses down people's pants…"
Ren had no memory of these things but he felt shockingly embarrassed all the same. This kinda behavior sounded like a crazy person; who the hell was this guy?! So he's been inside the body of a loon after all! W-What if Masanori ever saw this file?!
Ryusei shrugged. "There was more, but I only peeked. Only teachers can pull up student files. Sorry, I'm already in hot water so I can't risk gettin' a copy."
"Oh. I understand…" Ren sighed then remembered. "Um. Can I ask… is Imada um, safe to tell about things?"
Ryusei hummed. "Well… do ya wanna tell him?"
That stumped Ren, and he went silent. For the fact that Ryusei was giving him the choice, but also because he realized, he wasn't sure he did. At this point Masanori was definitely suspicious of him: what happened if he came clean? He'd lose his trust, and he might get Ryusei in trouble, when Ryusei went through the trouble of covering it up! Him allowing him to let the secret out: he was just being way too considerate towards his feelings, wasn't he?
So Ren put a finger to his lips. "Maybe… let's just keep it a secret between us?"
"If you say so," Ryusei shrugged. He leaned back. "So then, in that case…"
"Oh wait! W-What's my next mission?" Ren finally asked, cutting him off. "Do I… get one?"
"Huh, next mission?" Ryusei said. He noticed the determined look on his face then dragged a paper over, wrote something down then turned back to him and handed it over.
"Just deliver this to the west wing, the music club. Nice and simple. Ya can do that easy 'nough couldn't ya?" He asked.
Ren took the paper slip and nodded vigorously. "Yes!"
Ryusei leaned down and patted Ren's head. "Good. Can't have ya sneakin' around secret parties full of Alphas now."
Ren's cheeks went red. "I-I didn't stay long. I got trapped in a cabinet for an hour!"
Ryusei's mouth lifted into a lopsided smile. "Really? I heard something about that. That and sum kinda rumor of a flour bomber..."
Ba-thump!
Ren's heart suddenly pounded against his chest, and the blush that was on his face, spread all the way down to his neck.
"I-I-!" Ren stuttered and lost his words. "T-Thanks for the- uh, bye!" He fumbled out, then suddenly hurried out the door.
Ryusei leaned forward against his chair back as he stared after, frowning mildly.
"Lookie, he's suddenly scared of me now? Was there a weird look on my face, Fumio? Wanted to ask why he seemed surprised by his own history…"
Ren eventually stopped some ways down the hall, propping himself against the wall panting.
'My heart suddenly went crazy!! Not normal, is it… an Alpha superpower?'
Ren shook his head. 'No don't be ridiculous. It's just nerves, and Ryusei wouldn't do that.'
Though he was reminded of it. Akagi's power, and what he said about omegas.
'That's right, it slipped my mind but… He mentioned me being a danger to Alphas? It's almost as if… he's possibly referring to the power omegas might have?'
He had considered it before, but had been distracted. But now…
'There is more going on there than I thought. If experiments on the betas like that exist, then there must be something the omegas have as well!'
Admittedly, that thought excited Ren. If mind control or super strength was on the table, what kind of power could he have? As he pondered it he made his way over to the second floor and to the door as directed by the front of the note.
'I mean, a power that's dangerous to Alphas? It's gotta be something impressive! Maybe it's super speed? I've done plenty of running though. Maybe it's passive?'
He knocked on the door and handed the note to the student and walked away. His nose scrunched as he thought. 'Or, super sight? I can't see much farther than usual… super hearing? Hearing…'
Like a shot to the noggin, a thought blew up within his mind. His face went red hot and he stopped in his tracks, putting his hands to his face. Regardless of the truth about what he saw there that night, Ren had trouble forgetting what he heard. Certainly being aware of sex between men and actually consolidating with it, being in the same space as it, were two different things. I mean how could a bunch of high schoolers know how to make sounds like THAT, what could they even be-
Ren turned and abruptly banged his head against the wall. 'Fuck!! I said stop thinking about it!!'
He heard a door open. Ren lifted his head, seeing a student walking out a teacher office, and seeing the tag on the door…
'Oh, the guidance counselor's office is here? Never talked to mine when I was in high school…'
A teacher poked their head out the door and waved the student off. When he glanced his way his eyes widened.
"Oh! Goodness, are you alright!?"
"Eh? W-Wait, I'm-!" Ren started, yet a firm hand grabbed him by the shoulders then ushered him through the door into a little office. The scraggly man in thin glasses stood over an ivy green desk peering at him as he opened something behind it.
Ren gulped. 'I've been captured!? Again!?'
He usually avoided direct contact with teachers at all cost, but he was taken so swiftly he didn't even have time to fight back! He looked warily around the office. Its warm colored seatings and cozy shelves of little nick nacks and potted plants couldn't fool him, nor the wall to wall bookshelves filled with books about wellness and career path advice, as if he really was meant to guide these kids!
'Then again, this might be a good chance to get info. I wanted to come by here a few days ago for leads about what betas are about anyway.'
The counselor handed him a bandage out of a first aid. "Here. Your forehead is bleeding."
"Huh? Oh…" Ren felt the stinging part of his head and applied it.
The counselor sat down in a similar chair opposite Ren, letting out a sigh. "You look rather pale. You can just rest here if you like. Or you can talk to me, since I'm in between appointments at the moment." He pulled the laptop closed on the desk. Can I get your name?" He asked, waiting.
'Like hell! The less you know of me, the better!' Ren opposingly thought. 'But, I gotta talk to him…'
Ren nodded. "Yeah um… Take…uchi," He swallowed. "Takeuchi... Rin."
He stared at him, then slowly nodded. "Okay… Thank you."
Ren stared at him, building up courage. "Hey while I'm here. This guy, he told me betas are completely useless and that they have no purpose." He crossed his arms and gulped. "So, it's not true right?"
The counselor frowned over the desk uncertainly. "Right… of course not, no one is useless." He said, and continued.
'Right, but what purpose do they serve to you?' Ren thought, growing agitated. Ignoring his questions wouldn't stop him!
"But you know don't they have a point? I can't think of a reason! Tell me why such a useless type like a beta exists, or I might as well tell the whole beta dorm they're better off hopping the fence!" Ren shouted.
"I assure you there's nothing," The counselor calmly replied "And be respectful now. As an omega you shouldn't talk down about your fellow students."
Ren scoffed. "That's exactly why I- wait, huh!?" He froze, then gawked. "How d-did you…!?"
Finally the counselor paused, giving him a perplexed look. "Sorry, it does seem you want to keep it a secret? But it's rather unmistakable once you know what you're looking for. Now I know it can be scary but don't keep such a tight lid, as an omega a regular release of pheromones-"
"No! I'm not an omega!" Ren shouted, a bit too loud. He gulped. 'That was way too suspicious…!'
But the counselor frowned. "I see. Well I'm sorry for the-" He turned his head and coughed. "Well you know, there's nothing wrong with being a beta. Many Alphas and Omegas might say they think being a beta is preferable, say the grass is always greener on the other side."
'Tell me something I don't know.' Ren silently pouted.
"However, I wouldn't necessarily agree," The counselor continued. "Acknowledging and understanding your place in life whether shortcomings or advantages, is the only way to find the right path forward for you."
Ren paused, still pouting. "Y-You're… kinda right. There's some stuff I hate about this body that makes me, feel…" He trailed off, lowering his eyes with a frown.
'Helpless,' He finished in thought. 'And a little scared, too.' Being in this place made him this way, he wasn't exactly lying earlier…
The counselor's hand tapped the desk. "Well. I can assure you with confidence. Whatever you want to achieve in life won't be stopped by that alone." He paused with a wince. "E-Even sports but, that's um…"
Ren however smiled then, a little relieved. He liked that. It was the complete opposite of what he expected from a teacher; he really felt motivated to do anything! For a school that seemed apt to try to keep the students under control, he felt driven to do better, not stay in place. Maybe this teacher wasn't so bad after all!
Ren stopped. 'Wait. He's just distracting me so he doesn't have to answer my question!'
He stood up straighter and slapped a palm on the desk. "Sensei! You still haven't-!"
There was then a knock at the door. The counselor excused themself and walked over, leaving Ren feeling awkward. He flopped back down in his seat and pouted again.
'Damn. I'm getting nowhere here, I should just leave.' He sighed. 'So, these powers are a well-kept secret, huh? Makes sense, it's not like I've ever heard anyone talking about some kind of ability they've suddenly discovered overnight or anything.'
Seriously though, what WAS the secret of the Betas and Omegas?
"Please excuse me then," The counselor spoke out the door. "Oh? The student inside is not an appointment… oh, sure. You can watch the office until then."
'Who is he talking to…?' Ren thought in passing, still pondering his latest point of speculation, his head dipped low. He hoped he didn't have to talk to him, he'd already talked to a lot of people today already.
'If he's leaving then I should definitely-'
Clunk.
Ren raised his head as the sound of the door being fully pulled open, and Ren turned stiff as stone.
He watched in horror as Akagi Naoto strided over to the chair where the counselor sat, shooting him an ambiguous stare.
The counselor waved through the door. "I'll be back soon now." And closed it without so much a second thought.
Akagi leaned against the arm of the chair and crossed his legs. When he opened his mouth, Ren could swear he saw dagger teeth like fangs poking out behind his lips.
"Little Omega."
Ren paled. 'I'm dead!'