#sleppylore

"And what's that mean?"

"Vkop? It's like... a burial."

"WHAT!?" Ryuji yells out, eyes wide, prompting his tired friend to laugh and shush him, her own teal eyes narrowed from how wide her smile got. "Why- how do you even use that?"

"Shhh-! You goof, we're in a hospital!" Slep has to ask him, eyes watering from glee. Oh, how she loves to see her friend's boisterous reactions, it was always the fastest way to cheer her up. He is just so expressive! It's only natural she'd want to push him to emote as much as possible and see all the ways his face changes, no?  "And it's meant to be used for when you want to say 'together', so-"

"What, like you're buried together!? That's SO messed up!"

"Noooo!" a tear of pure joy streaks down her cheek, shoulders shaking from quiet laughter, but losing all the air from her lungs anyway. The battle between being politely quiet in a place such as a hospital versus the sheer gigglyness of teenage youth is a tough one to fight. "It's-..." she has to take a deep breath, lungs filling up with a shrill squeak alongside a few final chuckles escaping her as she wipes her face with her fingers, eyes burning and vision blurred. "I wanted to say more like... When you dig a tunnel, or when a hole ruins the ground. Vkop."

"Well then definetly don't describe it as a burial! Shit!" her friend sighs, grinning brightly as he sinks into the pillows with happy calm. It's nice seeing his brown eyes sparkling again, his sleepy friend thought, since the whole...

Tired eyes drift down to a cast wrapped around his entire leg. Femur breaks are tough, she supposes. She hasn't broken a bone yet, nor has she met someone who has, but she knows the femur is one of the strongest bones in the body, so she supposes a full-leg cast makes sense. Still, something about the off-white gauze wrapped tightly from hip to foot made Slep shift in her seat, deeply and entirely uncomfortable. There's a hefty bucket of hesitation that pours over her hand as she reaches out to... well, she didn't know. Just reach out and feel, she guesses, trying to smother the voice in her head that told her a gentle rub might be comforting to Ryuji.

"..Does it feel better?" she murmurs raspily, a singular knuckle brushing over the edge of the wrapping covering Ryuji's knee.

There's a long pause, long for her friend atleast, before he answers quietly, "..Physically. It's fine if I don't move it."

A more uncomfortable feeling grows in Slep as she sees the sparkle fizzle out from his eyes, so she quickly redirects with the first comment she can blurt out, "Good, guess you can start catching up on school work then."

"Shit," he groans at that, eyes rolling to the ceiling and staying there for a while. Sucess, atleast he was distracted now.

"Mhm. Don't worry, I'll get you all the notes, help with homework... Just don't ask me any math stuff because I can't understand any of it. Everything else should be easy though-"

"Please stop talking about this!" Ryuji whines, practically on the verge of a sob, making Slep smile a bit.

"Sure. In that case," nimble fingers retract from his injured leg, reaching instead for a school bag and pulling out three volumes of comics, "I think this might be more your style."

"Hell yeah! You're a lifesaver, man," the boy perks up, gratefully snatching the paperbacks away. "And next time, please get me some Nastea?"

"I am NOT feeding your disgusting drink addiction in the hospital, tipo!"

☆

Okay, so maybe it wasn't gonna be that easy. School suddenly seemed way less interesting, the subjects dragging sluggishly and the teachers looking a lot more untrustworthy. It was bad enough that Mr. Ushimaru was throwing chalk with godlike precision at unattentive students, but PE was also becoming a pain in the ass. Slep was getting tired of the glances everyone was giving her, the fusion of pity and odd guilt even worse when done by Emiko and Tsuda. No matter, she was just gonna focus.

Running laps around a stadium at the start of June sure was interesting. By interesting, Slep meant sweltering. The humudity was the worst part, honestly, the wet feeling in her lungs making her feel like crying. Ah, that might just be the realisation that she'll need to rewrite most of her notes whe she comes home because her awful handwriting and shorthand wouldn't make sense to anyone, especially not her injured friend. Hell, she couldn't even make it out sometimes because she forgot what her own shorthand was meant to be.

How did Ryuji do this? He is- ..was a track runner, but all Slep could think about while running is just.. thinking. There's too much thought to have, she really wants some intense music to blast her ears off in the middle of this. But then the repetitive motion and the long running is a bit nice. Maybe... maybe there is a chance to just focus on not busting your lungs, or legs, and just.. run.

Yeah.

...

I could get used to long, meaningless runs like this.

Slep's feet are practically gliding off the red-stained path, a feeling of gazette prancing almost making her laugh. She barely registers leaving her classmates behind, perks of being a slight bit taller. Nowhere near the male classmates sprinting ahead though, a slight grudge growing in her chest. Or maybe her head, since it felt so damn hot.

Bump. Falling! Catch yourself.

...

What? What just happened?

Slep was bewildered to find herself seated, facing the opposite direction than the one she was running in. Did the guy trying to pass by her trip her accidently? Damn, she must've been spacing out-

Oh. Hm. Well that's not good. Slep stares at her leg with a coldly serious face, eyes zeroing in on the middle of her knee. She rationalized that her knee must've scraped on the rough path, but wow, she didn't expect it to just split open like this. A circular hole, possibly 4 centimeters in diameter split her knee open with surprising neatness, exposing her kneecap to the warm air. It looks so incredibly white and smooth and, for some reason, wet. Bones are wet. Slep briefly wonders what it would be like to touch it, but honestly she didn't want to find out. Besides, she is too busy staring at the singular red vein that was on the stark white bone, completely entranced by the contrast.

A slow oozing of red slowly fills the wound, reminding Slep of a swimming pool and thus snapping her out of her daze, making her hastily cover her knee with her right hand. Not close enough to touch ofcourse, but just enough to hide it from sight. She didn't want to frighten anyone, especially since she knew Emiko was squeamish about this kind of stuff.

She smiles awkwardly at everyone running past her, not wanting to alert them, and only calls out to Tsuda when she's close enough. "Tsuda! Sorry, but can you call Ms. Kanou? I've got a situation."

"Huh? Oh, sure!" Tsuda smiles and runs a diagonal right through the grass in the middle of the stadium to shorten her distance instead of continuin her lap. How kind of her.

This is probably fine. Not really a reason to panic. Oh, but... should she move her knee? Slep kind of didn't want to, an irrational fear of her kneecap falling right out scaring her. Still, it would probably be better to straighten her leg instead of keeping it awkwardly half-bent, no?

The kind teacher, along with a few curious students, steps closer, reaching out with a water bottle as an offering, "Hey. Feeling dehydrated?"

"..A bit," Slep admits, smiling tensly as she accepts the water, taking with her dominant aka right hand, uncocering her wound, "but I've got a different concern? I uh... I fell," she murmurs, chuckling and shrugging her shoulders. "Clumsy, aren't I?"

"Ooh, that's pretty nasty alright," the teacher winces, but remains calm. Good, Slep doesn't really want a fuss right now, especially since it didn't hurt. Ah, maybe it just didn't hurt yet. Adrenaline. "Could someone here pack Slep's things? I'll be back so we can wrap this," Ms. Kanou smiles, jogging away to get a first aid kit.

Damn, she's cool. Slep already liked her before this for being a genuinely strong, energetic teacher, but wow she's really cool. Taking a few more sips of water, Slep patiently waits for Ms. Kanou to wrap her leg and for a classmate, (Tsuda once again - goddamn Slep needed to thank her profusely after this) to bring her back her bag and uniform, before the trio saw a slight problem. "..So how do I go home?"

"Well, I can carry you to my car. I'll drive you to the clinic, then you call your host family," the PE teacher says calmly and does exactly as she said. She picks Slep up, bridal style. Holy shit, this was immensly cool, and Slep has officially found her favourite teacher in this school! Slep silently lets the badass woman carry her away, feeling numb all the way until the clinic. The ways in which adrenaline will frazzle your mind truly is astounding.

There was just one issue, as upon arrival nobody was in. Cars were outside, lights were on, but noone was in. Slep tries to calmly phone her host family, but it's a confusing mess when even her teacher can't seem to find out where anyone was.

☆

Ah well, this is fine. A 30 minute drive to the nearest hospital was just as fine, thank goodness her host family owned a car. But the rush was starting to wear off, and a nasty prickling was already taking place on Slep's knee in the car. Atleast a friendly, familiar face was there to admit her as a patient? Still, the degradable sutures Slep had to get were.. well not painful since the doctor numbed her knee, but she could feel the stitching tug at her skin and that was almost worse. Regardless, it was a surprisingly quick procedure, stitched and wrapped in no time, leaving Slep to roll out of there in style - in a wheelchair with a completely straight leg.

Maybe this is why such a great shock spreads across her face when she sees a familiar mop of black hair huddling on the same hallway as her, supported by a shorter woman and a pair of metal-looking crutches. "..Ryuji?"

The teen moves his head, brown eyes wide with surprise, "Slep!? What the he- What happened?" he asks right away, making the woman by his side turn her head too. Ah, she has the exact same warm eyes, the same nose, and the same hands. What a beautiful mother. The realisation of her tiredness and worry came after, snapping Slep out of her observation.

She chuckles, shrugging, "I fell while running. Hole in my knee showed my bone!"

"Holy cra-! Slep!?"

"No shush, I'm fine. Instead tell me how am I in the chair and you aren't?"

"His leg wouldn't quite fit," a soft, lovely voice speaks, Ryuji's mother smiling. "It's nice to finally meet the friend Ryuji talks about so much, I just wish it was under better circumstance... I am Akane, his mother."

Slep has to smile at that, nodding, "It is a pleasure. I am, well, Ribič Slep... You two are quite alike," she murmurs and clears her throat, feeling bashful. Then again, she was awkward around most adults, especially ones that know about them. Hell knows what Ryuji told her... "I apologise, but I better leave, my host family is waiting outside..." she hums and smiles at the both of them, looking apologetic.

"Right. See ya at home," Ryuji grins before freezing suddenly and looking ahead, adjisting his hold on his crutches, "M-mom, c'mon!"

For some reason, his reaction made Slep's heart race. Probably just post-injury stuff. With a little wave she sends the pair off, wheeling out in silence.

☆

"...So how funny is it that we both injured the same leg?"

"It ain't the same! Especially not since you just fell," Ryuji protested. Slep didn't have the heart, nor desire, to tell him she was tripped. She wasn't angry, so she didn't want her friend to be either. "How fragile even are you, you made of porcelain or something!? Besides, you're not walking around with a crutch," he grumbles, mashing the screen of his phone harder. Videogame battles between the two  always were an intense ordeal, even more so in person.

"You aren't either! You're not allowed to walk for 8 weeks!" Slep protests, swiping across her phone screen in retaliation. "And atleast you won't be waddling like a duck," Slep sighs, recalling how awkward it feels and looks to walk with a completely straight leg. The stitches had to heal, after all, plus there was a horrible burning pain anytime she tried to bend her knee. Definetly keeping the leg straight until it stops aching.

"Myeah, but you make it look cute."

"I'll kill you."

"Not if school kills me first."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I need to kill myself before the next math test," Slep grumbles, her eyebags almost becoming more tired.

There's a tense silence for a bit, the duo just battling eachother ingame as they try not to think about returning to school and that shitty teacher. A little inkling of fear taints Slep's victory, a nagging worry that her words may not have been received well by her friend that really wasn't doing too well at the moment - not in school where his grades weren't great, and not with friends where the travk team was "mysteriously" disbanded. That is, atleast, until Ryuji darkly huffs, eyes colder than ice, "..I'll kill myself first."

[+1 hospital visit aquired!]

[+2 hatred of school aquired!

[status effect: Hurt Together, Heal Together!]

[+100 EXP!]

☆☆☆

☆☆

☆

The knee injury did actually happen to me by the way ✌️🙂 A girl that hated my guts tripped me and i fell onto asphalt! Yay!!! And when my very awesome teacher carried me to her car and drove me to the clinic literally 1 minute away from school NOBODY WAS THERE! So i had to call my mom, waot 30 minutes for her to drive from work to me, and then 30 more minutes to go to the hospital! YAY!!!!!!! (<- sarcastic enthusiasm but i promise i'm chill about it bjwbsjsb-

Anyway, shoutout to Ryuji Sakamoto, you would've loved to see me penguin around✨️💫🌟

"And that one is..?"

"You don't wanna know."

"Hey, I can handle it! I'm not gonna be put off by your swears anymore, no matter how graphic," Ryuji promises to his friend eagerly.

"Three mother's pussies," Slep answers in turn, flatly, yet a playful and lopsided smile graces her pale face.

"WHAT?! THAT'S CRAZY!" her friend guffaws immediatly, almost losing his grip on his crutches.

"Dude, I told you - we're graphic as shit when we swear," Slep snorts, holding out a pale hand just by his shoulder to steady him. He probably would've knocked her over anyway if he actually fell, but it was the thought behind the gesture that mattered, right? Friendly support and all, especially around fragile products like the bottles upon bottles of beverages.

"Yeah, and it's cool. Not sure I'll actually use it, but it's cool to know," her friend can't help himself but grin, sharp teeth on display on his warm face, the summer heat clearly getting to him even inside the store.

The pair's smiles fade considerably when they notice a tragedy in the frozen goods aisle, the sweet treats they walked here for all but gone as if the grocery store was robbed and then swept away into a hurricane. "Are you kiddin' me?! We had to limp our way over in the middle of August, burning up on asphalt and the ice cream's GONE?!" Ryuji, ofcourse, complains, his shoulders sagging as he sighs deeply, nearly falling into his crutches.

"Psh, you limped majster, my leg's all better," Slep sasses back playfully but sighs deeply as well - the pair were both clearly looking forward to the frozen treats. Then again, they were in one of the busiest grocers of their area, so it wasn't too outrageous to be let down like this.

"Dammit, I'm killing myself... Wanna just grab some Manta and go?"

"...You know what? Nah. We can still get one of those crushed ice and syrup things," Slep points out, Ryuji snickering.

"How can you describe shit in so much detail but not know the name of it? Shaved ice," he says slowly and clearly, an amused grin dancing on his face as he "teaches" the word to his friend, even throwing in a hand gesture to help enunciate it. Which, ofcourse, seared Slep's face with a bright lobster red, annoyance and embarrassment making her roll her teal eyes.

"You shush! Do you even know the sheer amount of.. fucking wordage I need to store in my brain everyday!" She drives the point home even clearer, poking her forehead with a pale index finger, "I'm allowed to forget words sometimes, ya jerk."

"Me? A jerk! I would NEVER-!" Ryuji snickers, the joy cut short by a clear of the throat.

"Do you two mind keeping it down over there-" the clerk's voice trails off awkwardly, noticing Ryuji's injured state. "..Ahem, right."

The duo's joy flickers out like a candle, teal and brown eyes peering down at the broken leg. 9 weeks since the injury, Ryuji was cleared to walk a good 10 days ago and was now pretty good at using his mobility aid. Still, a flash of deep hurt was clear in his round eyes as he mumbled lowly, "..Ofcourse that's the thing they focus on. Kill me now."

"..Well I'm sorry to say man, but you've got two metal sticks that highlight that shit really nicely," Slep sighs and awkwardly picks up a strawberry flavoured shaved ice. A very safe flavour of syrup, compared to the more exotic mango, pineapple, pitaya and.. others she couldn't be bothered to translante at the moment. "It's nice pity points though, might even get a discount."

"I know," her friend practically growls, roughly grabbing a lemon flavoured treat and almost making it explode in the frail plastic as his warm fingers gripped it tight, "and I hate these stupid things. Might as well put a sign there to show "Here everyone, look! Here's the exact point Kamoshida ruined my life"! Shit," he hisses, clutching his crutches with his free hand more tightly, restraining his anger. And his life did feel over, his dreams of a scholarship and supporting his mom blown like a violent explosion.

Slep didn't really have anything to say to that, so she instead just gently pet Ryuji's shoulder and looked at him with understanding and a twinge of sadness, "I know, fuck Kamo-shit-da. But he didn't ruin your life, dude. You're 15, you've got like 80 more years to live, statistically."

"Ugh, I don't wanna live that long! Not even sure I'll make it to next week with how much I don't wanna exist anymore."

"Same," she retorts instantly, looking away from him and sighing again. They did that a lot lately, and not just from the summer heat. Going back to school after all that happened and summer vacation was going to be hellish, and if the schoolwork wouldn't end them then surely it will be all the stairs Shujin was cursed with.

As if reading her mind, Ryuji scowls, "Vacation ends in a week, yeah? Great... Gonna be stared at by everyone. Again."

"What do you know, maybe everyone just thinks you're handsome."

"More like they need to lock me away. Might punch another teacher."

"Might get another broken leg."

"Might jump off a roof."

"What, and let the school mop up after your guts? Do them a favour and choose a bridge. I'll die with you after the next math test."

"You know, you always say that but you always manage to scrape by," Ryuji smiles, the onslaught of depressing thoughts quelled for the moment.

"Yeah, barely," his friend snorts and rolls her eyes, digging through her pockets to pull out her wallet and pay before the shaved ice melts. Well, that was the plan, but now the pale teenager had caught something else, something that distinctly wasn't food. Tired eyes focused, narrowing into barely open slits to make out what the text could be saying.

"..Dude, what did that shampoo bottle do to you?"

"..Shampoo?"

"Yeah!"

"Why's there shampoo next to the fruits and vegetables?" thin fingers fish out an appropriate amount of bills and coins to pay for the strawberry ice treat.

"Hell if I know. But seriously, stop staring at it like it tripped you and skinned your knee."

"Har har," Slep smiled, clearly not upset by the joke. Infact, it felt good that someone would joke about her fall and not treat her like glass or just forget about yt altogether. Still, the shampoo was giving her an idea, and as Ryuji paid for his shaved ice she couldn't help but ask him, "What do you think would happen if I went to school bald?"

"What?!"

"Bald. Shaved head. I think I could pull it off," they shrugged, amused by Ryuji's bewildered expression and smoothly scooping up a spoonful of ice into their mouth.

"WHY would you go bald?!"

"It's not against school rules, and nobody would be looking at you."

There's a silence, Ryuji's mouth wobbling as he's clearly touched by the comment, before he, too, tries his shaved ice. "..I think that'd be dumb as hell, to be honest."

"Eh?!"

"People don't look at you now, don't give them a reason to. And if anything, I should shave MY head," he mumbles, barely able to speak around his food.

"Nooooo, you just need a trim," Slep coos, ruffling his black strands and making him squirm in protest.

"Ugh, stop, it's too hot for this."

"Mm, fair point. Makes me wanna trim my own hair."

Another bout of silence crosses Ryuji as he stares at Slep, examining the figure deeply. His shaved ice is practically melted lemonade by the time he finally nods, a bright grin on his face, "I think you'd look good with short hair!"

The comment nearly makes his friend choke to death.

☆

The duo wasn't separated for long. Trauma-bonding over a horrible teacher and living so close together, with the addition of how the two just clicked, made them practically inseparable, but Slep wanted to surprise her friend a little. After all, some changes occured in the last 4 days since they saw each other - firstly, the tired teenager finally figured out why she couldn't stop narrowing her eyes and glaring at absolutely everything in sight: she needed glasses!

The world looked so much prettier, the first thoughts on her mind once she finally bought them. Everythigg was crisp and clear, frankly it pissed her off that other people could see all this for free. No accesories needed!

But secondly, after almost 7 years of keeping her hair long, or well, as long as it would go with her genetics, she lobbed it off at the nearest hairdresser. The short, wispy bob was perfect for the summer, even if it was practically the end of August and she felt a sudden fear that her neck will turn red if she stays out for too long. But she was always more of an indoor person so she was calmed easily.

So indeed, NOW was the perfect time to knock a well-practised knock onto Ryuji's apartment door for their usual hangout session, a wide smile already on her lips. Oh the look on his face when he-

Orange.

It was the first and frankly only thing Slep could think of, because when Ryuji opened the door his hair was fucking orange.

"..PFT-"

"DON'T!"

"BWAHAHAHA, WHAT THE HELL?! What happened to you?!"

"Shut uuuuuup!" the teenager shyly ruffles through his hair, a knit in his eyebrows making his nose scrunch up with displeasure.

"Dude, you look awesome, what the hell!" Slep beamed at him with a toothy grin, leaning in closer to look at him, "Tipo, the bleach on this is crazy! Your roots are perfect."

"I- thanks," he grumbles, still a bit huffy as he lets his best friend inside. "I did it myself. I followed the damn instructions, so I don't get why I look like kaarage right now!"

A few more snorts escape Slep as she covers her mouth, hiding her wide grin, "Oh majster, you need colour theory. And more importantly, toner!"

"Toner? You mean bronzer?"

"What? No, why the hell would I mean bronzer?" the duo stares at eachother in mutual confusion. Slep snaps out of it and smiles again, "Toner, basically blue shampoo. If you put blue on that, it'll be less orange."

"...That sounds fake as hell-!"

"Trust me and sit down, I'll be right back," Slep nudges his shoulder with a grin, leaving the apartment yet again with a mission. It barely takes 10 minutes before they're back, their wallet lighter and their hand occupied with a bottle of toner.

"So basically I just shower with this?"

"Honestly with how orange you are, I think it's best if you paint it on, leave it and then wash it off."

"Mm. Thanks," the now bleached teen nods, a gentle smile spreading over his face. "And uh, you look good. Your new look totally suits you!"

"What- oh, yeah. Hah. Thanks!" Slep can't help but fumble a bit, completely forgetting about her own appearance.

"I mean it. You look more like yourself," her friend adds warmly, nodding approvingly and letting her stew on the thought for a moment. More like.. what? Granted, Slep did feel much better like this for some reason, more comfortable, but Ryuji's observation was a bit exposing. "Like when you change out of the school uniform when we go home. Anyway, be right back," the boy smiles and leaves Slep to his apartment.

In the long wait time and left to her own devices, a mobile game quickly occupied her hands while she smiled to herself fondly. What a punk her friend was, bleaching his hair like this. It was straight up against school rules! Then again, he never seemed like a sheep anyway. Briefly she had to wonder if his mom knew about the transformation, but before she could think too much about it Ryuji returned, a slight spray of water decorating his top. Seems like he washed his head without taking his clothes off.

"Whaddya think?" the teen couldn't help but grin a bit, hand already going through his hair to mess with it. "Since I'm a "punk" to that shithead at school, I may as well lean into it. I think I make it look good," he boasts, though a heavy undercurrent of seriousness can be heard in his voice, easily picked up by his friend.

"..I think you're right. I told you, yellow looks good on ya."

Ryuji's serious eyes soften and his cheeks flush a bit before he grins again, "Yeah! Thanks man! ..Now be honest, is this gonna scare the first years?"

"Ohh yes, absolutely. Are you kidding me? With your shitty posture and your loudness and your vulgarity- You're gonna scare them shitless!"

"You're exactly the same!"

"Noo," Slep bats her eyes, "I'm a petite, polite young lady, I'd never hang out with a rooster like you!"

"Bullshit?! You're even worse than me, bro, you're a menace!" Ryuji argues, picking up his phone to start up a videogame battle of epic proportions - as usual.

"Hehehe, yes I am!"

"You know, I bet the school would freak if you showed up like me. Y'know, comfortable in your skin?" he teases.

"Nahh, nobody notices me."

There's a silence between them, aside from the various sound effect from the phones Slep is intently staring at, but they get the distinct feeling Ryuji was watching them. He tends to do that a lot...

[+1 glasses acquired!]

[+2 haircuts acquired!]

[status effect: Slow Burn!]

[+100 exp!]

☆☆☆

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☆

Holy smokes, the main story's about to start in like, 2 chapters??? Wow. Also this chapter was supposed to be angrier and sadder, but i think RyuSlep is just too good for eachother and results in free therapy- 💥

"Hah?"

"Slano, majster. I'm telling you this is bad," Slep sighs, rubbing hand cream onto Ryuji's face. Perhaps it wasn't really meant for it, being quite thick and greasy, but at the end of the day it was a moisturizing cream for skin, and skin is skin, right? Atleast that's what the brunette told herself while she smeared the off-white goop into her friend's cheeks.

"Ouch..."

"Sorry," she whispers, trying to be more gentle anr not make him wince more. It was a sizable task, however, as his whole cheek was swollen and agitated with a deep purple splotch - a nasty bruise that stained his face and strained it, ridding it of his smile. "You remember I thought you how to say bad, no?"

"..Srabo, yeah?" Ryuji shuts his eyes tight, trying to recall it, but the pronounciation makes Slep chuckle.

"More of a slabo, but yep. Slano is just kind of a fun way of saying it where i'm from."

"Good to know badness can be fun," Ryuji jokes, trying to smile but quickly regretting his decision as his cheek stings and scratches.

Slep's brow furrows again, lips pursed tight. "...Dude, you need to go to a teacher about this."

Her bruised friend scoffs, rolling his eyes and tilting his head away from her hand heavily, dismissing her, "And tell them what? That I can't fight? That I should just suck it up when the volleyball team insults me? They'll just tell me to train harder for the track race..." he sigh, a weight of impossible proportions making his head hang low. As the star of the track team, he couldn't afford to lash out at his classmates.

The cap of the cream's lid clicks softly, Slep not having an answer to give him yet. Yeah, admitting to faculty that you're getting bullied is tough, but this warrants a suspension, no? Shit, if they had the strength Slep was sure the entire track team would back him up instantly. Still, this fear seemed to paralyze all the guys whenever they trained, and Slep couldn't help but express obvious disturbance on her face as noone dared to ever cross the volleyball members-

"Atleast they don't hit as hard as my dad, heh."

...What.

No seriously, what?

Slep's teal eyes lifted from her hand cream, widening in horror and silently staring into Ryuji's brown ones, several questions buzzing through her mind but all of them filtering into complete silence.

"I-it's just a joke..." Ryuji tries to comfort, his nervous half-smile not helping at all.

"I don't think it is."

"I mean, it's just-"

"And it wasn't even funny. It was an unfunny not-joke. What the hell, Ryuji?" Slep murmurs, looking at him with hands pointed at him in accusation.

"I just... Dammit." The teenager takes a deep breath, his chest rising and falling before he ruffles his spiky hair, quietly mumbling, "My dad was.. a piece of shit. He... He used to beat me. And my mom. He was an alcoholic, y'know, so it makes sense I guess," his arms cross, his thumb brushing over his bicep, short nail scratching against the fabric with a quiet noise.

Fuck no, that didn't make sense. This kind of thing never makes sense, especially not to Slep, who could only sit there and try not to react in the wrong way. What in the world do you say to your friend when they drop this kind of bombshell on you? "..I'm so, so sorry to hear that," is all her voice could manage, crackling weakly.

"It's.. fine. All in the past, y'know?" her friend mumbles unconvincingly, a little curl on the corners of his lips as he huffs out a breath of air, much lighter than before. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me for showing basic human decency! Holy hell," Slep brushed her hair back, forehead out in the open air of the school as she looks up at the afternoon sky, a silent chuckle bubbling in her throat. "..And you're just telling me this now? On a.. shitty school rooftop?" she humms, kicking one of the stray chairs someone brought up in the leg.

This does bring a genuine grin out of Ryuji, even if he does wince a little at the strain "Well I didn't exactly feel like telling you in a crowded room, dumbass."

"But come on, this could've been your epic anime moment! Like a tragic backstory with a cheesy flashback," Slep continues the joke, Ryuji nudging her with his elbow.

"Nah, that kinda thing's reserved for the main character, no?"

"Oh psh, you could totally be a main character! Just maybe with less purple and more... yellow."

There's a slight pause as Ryuji leans forward, eyebrows furrowing as he makes sure he heard his friend correctly. "Yellow?"

Slep shrugs, embarassed smile on her face, "Yeah. Yellow would look nice on you. All warm and shit, y'know?"

"No, I don't. What the hell are you saying!?" Ryuji giggles, leaving Slep to scramble like a flustered chicken.

"Oh come on, it totally makes sense! You just don't get it like my artistic eyes do!"

☆

The air was different today. Tense, nervous, and with quiet whispers like hissing exaust pipes, Slep felt like Shujin just turned into a horrible engine of unease. The walk here was already strange, her usual train buddy not accompanying the student unlike the daily routine up untill now, but this? Well this just made her feel a bit nauseus, honestly, the nervousness wanting to escape her stomach like a caged mass.

She wasn't trying too hard to catch whatever was being said, able to catch the unstoppable murmurs like flies to a windshield.

"..can you believe it?"

"So that's why he's angry all the time now..."

"..gotta be rough for him and his mom..."

The nauseating feeling grew more and more, making Slep want to bolt up from her seat and escape to the restroom. Probably just PMS or her typical stomach issues though, right?

Wrong. The murmurs silence the very milisecond a familiar teenager enters the classroom, jaw clenched and brown eyes blazing with fury. He stomps heavily towards his seat - or perhaps that's just how it sounded due to the pindrop silence of the room - and crashed into his seat, glaring a hole into Slep.

For some reason, she didn't want to turn her head and find out why.

So they sat there in tense silence, not saying a single word for 5 minutes, the start of class, and letting it fester and continue until 4 hours later when it was lunchtime.

A loud smack startles Slep in her seat, a fist slamming the desk next to her before an uncharacteristically terrifying growl reaches her ears. "We need to talk. Roof."

Holy fuck, was she going to die?

With trembling hands and stiff steps, Slep silently follows behind Ryuji, recoiling from him as he seems to be a beacon of fellow students to stare at and whisper about, everybody staying at a distance. It was probably the first time she was so afraid of a friend.

The rooftop, usually a cherished place of peace, joy and horrible jokes that would lead her to cry with laughter, was now cold and dreary, Slep only staring mutely as Ryuji paced around, leg thumping the ground at an anxious pace.

"..Did you tell them?"

"..What-?"

"Did you tell them, godDAMN it?" a chair skreeches across the concrete floor, Slep flinching violently at the horrible noise. Sudden loud noises were always horrible to her for some reason, even if it was something as mundane as a cupboard slamming shut while she was putting away the dishes-

"What are you talking about?" she murmurs quietly, not wanting to get too lost in her mind. And also trying not to cry. Very much keeping her voice down to stop her eyes from burning.

"You-! They-!" a deep frustration wells in Ryuji, his chest feeling hot and his throat feeling like an aching lump as he grits his teeth, gripping onto the lone table before flipping it over. The loud thud seems to echo in the air, anger whisping around the teenager like a smoky veil before the truth reveals itself.

His body slumps to the table's side, curling up into a ball as he hugs his legs and lets out a sob. "..They know. All of them. Everyone knows-" he hiccups, pressing his forehead to his knees as his shoulders shook.

Slep was still as a statue, aside from her shaky fingers, a cold shock of fear making her spine throb with pain. She swallows it back, sitting on the floor aswell, but keeping her friend at an arm's length. "What happened?" she whispers, not trusting her voice, but having an idea of what the topic might be.

The tears streaming down his cheeks are fat and heavy, plopping between his knees to wet the floor, his hands gripping the checkered pattern of his hands. A strained squeak escapes his throat as he tries to speak, heaving for air, "I didn't want them to know. Not like this... not EVER. God- Shit-" Ryuji pushes his palm against his eyes, as if to shove back his tears, his teeth desperately holding onto his bottom lip, chewing it painfully. "..They know about my dad, Slep. The whole... the whole damn class-"

Slep couldn't handle hearing those hiccups. Not from him. She scooted closer, pinching Ryuji on the bicep as a means of distraction. They weren't physically affectionate much, but this time she couldn't help but reach out and rub his arm.

It was the last crack, she supposed, as Ryuji practically lunged at her and hugged her so tight she could barely breathe, pressing his chin into her back as he held on for dear life. "Tell me you didn't do this shit."

Slep could almost laugh at this, if it wasn't so damn painful to see her neighbour, her classmate, her best friend like this. "I would never. Why would I do that? Who would I tell?" she mumbles, rubbing his back in an up and down motion, fingertips pushing the fabric until it bunched up with her movement.

Ryuji doesn't make a peep, aside from a few shaky gasps and deep breaths as he tries to hold back his crying. "..Then who did?"

"..I don't know."

There's silence before Ryuji snorts out a humourless laugh, "It's weird... Not used to being the crier here."

"You don't have to joke right now."

There's a long silence, both teenagers slowly calming down.

"..I knew it wasn't you. Shit. I'm so sorry for scarin' you, that was such an asshole move."

Slep doesn't respond for a while, the lump of fear still in her throat. "..Try not to do it again."

☆

It was funny how quickly things change at this school. Ryuji was no longer getting battered and bruised, the last of his injuries fading away with a gross green colour, but now the problem was nobody would talk to him, much less stand to be around him closer than necessary. It was actually pissing Slep off to incrdible amounts, their head feeling like a pounding red iron as the nerve of these "friends" of his backed away as if he was carrying the plague. What the hell was everyone's problem? Just because he was angry at everyone's pity and their nosy snoopings and cautius attitudes? Sure, he was getting a bit... hotheaded. Ah. Fuck, guess they had a point to avoid him.

But still, this was ridiculous! Emiko was currently stepping next to her, a nervous smile on her face, "You know you don't have to hangout with Sakamoto-kun, right? It's nice that you're so kind, but he's.. not really a good influence on you, is he?"

"I beg your pardon?" Slep raises her brows, narrowing her teal eyes at her friend. They got closer after their bus ride, happily texting and calling and chatting about their shared music interest, but what in the hell was this sepration tactic being used here?

"I mean, he's like... really aggresive, yeah? And his grades are poor..." she mumbles, making Slep almost scoff. Almost.

Gee, I fucking wonder why that is. Can we, perhaps, imagine for a single second why a teenage boy, living alone with his mother, trying to be a star athlete on the track team, and being treated like a circus freak by the whole school could POSSIBLY be angry and failing his classes?

Slep kept her lips sealed, only smiling tensly and closing her eyes, "Thanks, but I'm okay. I'm just gonna... go past you and walk him home now. Thanks Emi." They awkwardly scoot past her and sigh, just making her way down the school field. The track pavement was warm and sunsoaked, Slep being able to feel it through the soles of her shoes as she stepped along. What even was this red material anyway? She'd have to look that up later-

Snapping voices made her sigh yet again as she hopes Ryuji wasn't picking fights yet again. Unfortunately, as she stepped closer the voices only grew clearer, making her chest hollow. Yep, that was Ryuji.

"You piece of shit, you set the volley guys against me!?"

"Language," came a deep, mocking musing, and Slep froze in place. That was a.. distinctively familiar voice, but it couldn't possibly be-

No. No way. She poked her head around the corner, narrowing her eyes to see the sunset scene better. Holy fuck, it was! Ryuji was yelling at Kamoshida of all people!! What the fuck was he doing!?

"You spread it all?! To all the first years?! Why?!"

"Oh you stupid brat. You think you can just walk in here and run a little to cast a shadow over MY glory?" the teacher scoffed haughtily, a disgustingly hideous grin splitting his face. "You are nothing, Sakamoto. Especially here, to me, in my school."

"You-" the teenager stumbled, his look of fury mixing with shock. "You did all this crap just because you're jealous?"

"Jealous?!" Kamoshida sneers, the former olympic medalist leaning down to Ryuji's eyeline with an angry snarl. "I'm doing this because I have to. Because you are smearing this wonderful school with your incompetence! I mean really, you've failed 3 test so far? You really should focus more on the books than your running." The abominable creature masquerading as a teacher steps forward, forcing Ryuji to step back and straighten out his back as Kamoshida towers over him, eyes wide with madness. "You wouldn't want to end up like you daddy, would you? Your poor mommy's already such a sad sight."

A sudden smack rings out through the air, Slep putting a hand to her mouth and clamping it shut to stay quiet. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh shit, Ryuji just PUNCHED Kamoshida! She was debating on stepping in, but surely if Ryuji just walked away-

Kamoshida's head, previously tilted away due to the punch, slowly twists back on the furious yet anxious teenager, a snarl of pure rage decorating his face. His large hands reach out as fast as whips, pushing Ryuji to the floor with a loud thump.

"Ow, what the hell-!?"

The teenager is interrupted before he can continue to speak, the teacher winding up his leg and kicking him. Or well, it was supposedly a kick, since Slep could see the leg swing back and forth, but it was more of a jump, or a stomp even - his other leg held Ryuji's knee down while the other slammed down on his thigh with the force of a-

CRLOCK.

A shriek rings out. It sounded like a horrible scratch, like nails on a chalkboard. Like grating a wineglass. Like the scream of torture, which it was, since this was Ryuji's scream. The sickeningly wet noise of something breaking seemed to be a bone, and by what Slep could see from Ryuji's leg, that seemed to be the.. femur? One of the strongest bones in the human body!?

Her pale hands grabbed Ryuji's shoulders, gripping his shirt with perhaps too much intensity, as the boy cried and spouted curse after curse at her, yelling at a piercing volume. Slep's brain scrambled, she didn't know when she stepped this close, but her arms were already working overtime to yank a towel from her bag as fast as possible and place it on Ryuji's mouth, making him bite down on it to muffle his screams.

"I wouldn't be so close to him," Kamoshida says, demeanor completely changed into a look of faux fear and worry, pulling Slep away from her friend forcefully as she froze up like a block of ice. "He's dangerous, attacked me, see?" the teacher points to his face. "This was all in self defense."

Did... he not see Slep? Does he not know they're friends?

"I'll call the ambulance for him, you can go young lady," Kamoshida smiles, a shiver going down her spine.

"N-no, I think I'll call them. You should.. go see the nurse, mr. Kamoshida. It would be awful if this.. hooligan hurt you," Seb smiles tensly, hoping this act would somehow fool him.

The teacher narrows his eyes, drilling a hole through Slep and Ryuji, before sighing and smiling "Ofcourse, I'll do that as soon as help arrives."

Okay.

Slep trembled like a leaf, guilty gaze turned to Ryuji as she takes her phone out.

Ryuji only lets out muffled sobs, teeth firmly chewing the towel nestled between them. He hated this, hated all of it, and if only Kamoshida would just go the fuck away already-

"...Hi, I am... a student of Shujin Academy. One of my classmates... broke his leg."

☆

The wait was excrutiating, but Ryuji was carried out, and Slep could leave Kamoshida's horrible company. Instead of going home, however, she ran as fast as her pale legs would take her, navigating the map on her phone until she reached the nearest (and only) ER in the area. The building was segmented from the hospital, the large neon red letters bringing about as much comfort as anxiety to Slep.

She stepped in, the area mostly empty save for a few people waiting, and the front desk.

Slep clears her throat, approaching the glass nervously, "Excuse me? My classmate Sakamoto Ryuji got his leg broken-"

"Yes, we've admitted him. Unfortunately his visitations are already full, unless you are family," comes a polite yet sad smile.

Slep could only nod numbly, biting her lip, "Thank you."

Well what now?

..Home, she supposed. A sting of a tear crept down her cheek, and with an astonished look she reached up to wipe it away.

She couldn't escape to the outside fast enough as she tried to rationalize. Why was SHE crying? Ryuji was the one getting provoked into hitting a teacher, Ryuji was the one who got his leg broken, he was the one that just sat there and stared at her pleadingly with tears in his eyes and a horribly bent thigh-

But she just stood and didn't do anything. She should've should've punched Kamoshida. She should've hugged Ryuji. She should've dragged him away, she should've gotten to him sooner, should've done better-

A sob escapes her, and her head pounds. Crying while dehydrated was the worst...

☆

Ryuji awoke, his leg numbly hurting and feeling... really damn heavy. He tries to crane his head, to see what on earth was going on, but a familiar voice stops him, "It's alright Ryuji. Just rest."

Oh god, his mom was here. His brown eyes turned to the side, looking at her with deep guilt and a wetness in his eyes, "Mom-..."

"Just rest," she murmurs, her hand gently resting atop Ryuji's hair.

His vision was getting blurry, but oh, he could see how tired she was. Guess that's what two jobs does to a single mother. Shit... Tears spill down his cheeks, his body feeling like it was in slow motion, "I'm so sorry."

Gentle fingers stroke his head, combing his hair back affectionately. "...Get some sleep."

[+1 shitty teacher aquired!]

[+2 traumatic experiences aquired!]

[status effect: Nauseus With Anxiety!]

[+300 EXP!]

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

☆☆☆

☆☆

☆

Ough... Ryuji should have all the love in the world tbh

It was by far the strangest thing Ryuji had ever been called, but hearing and seeing the laughter that bubbled out of Slep everytime they called him majster made him quickly accept it as just the way he'd be referred by them. And he didn't mind the sound of it at all.

"What is it, majst... ma... ugh, your language is impossible!"

"You'll get there eventually," Slep reassures him, smiling brightly at him before biting down into their sandwich, eating fast as she knew lunchtime was rather limited.

"Well yeah, but I wanna get there NOW, like you," Ryuji kicks the ground with his shoe as he stares at his own sandwich, a slight pout forming on his face.

"Don't even compare yourself to me, man. I've been speaking this language for years, and it's really difficult," Slep reassures again, nudging her friend with her elbow and a twinkle in her eyes.

"..Harder than English?"

"WAY harder."

"Okay," Ryuji's brown eyes filled with a sort of determination, now swinging his leg with determination. "Y'know, now I wanna learn more about it."

"I'll teach you everything you want, but it will cost you greatly my dear friend," the brunette nods sagely, Ryuji snickering.

"Oh c'mon, I barely have enough to buy you that strawberry milk you're so obsessed with!"

"Well I keep buying you Dr. Salt and Manta to keep it fair!" Slep protests right away, a chuckle escaping their lungs too now. "But I was referring to the mental toll. You're gonna be a changed man after it."

"Mhm, mhm. I'm gonna be all smart and shit."

"PFT- nahhh-!"

☆☆

"Wait so does the line intersect x at.. 1?"

"Mhm, you got it!" Tsuda beams, nodding happily as she helps Seb with their homework. She understood how tough it must be for her classmate to have to do math in a foreign language, so she didn't mind helping out.

"Oh my god I get it now," Slep beams brightly, elated by her understanding. Math was always her least favourite subject, but atleast these functions weren't that troublesome.. so far.

"Yay! So what would happen if you add a plus 2 here?" Tsuda points with a pencil to the end of the function, and Slep opens her mouth to answer, but the pair is interrupted by a loud crash and panicked voices. They both turn their heads to look down the hall, observing what just happened, and...

"Yikes."

"Yup."

"Majstri, all of them."

Well, it had to happen eventually, the vase set up on the hallway was just BEGGING to be broken somehow. Still, Slep felt an intense wave of second-hand embarassment as she saw how utterly mortified and guilt-ridden the teens in charge of the accident were. Ryuji and his friends from the track club were just having some fun, goofing around on the hallway, but now they were all scrambling to see who can cleanup the fastest.

"This has to be a new record for Ikeda-san," Tsuda shakes her head, a giggle on her lips.

"New record?"

"Ah, he's always been the clumsy sort. I'm surprised this is his first major accident of the year - a month in!"

Slep couldn't help but sympathise with the poor boy, for she was also quite clumsy sometimes. Still, she was glad everyone was helping him clean up, including the enthusiastically sweeping Ryuji, so there was nothing for her to worry about. She turned away, more homework needing.. well, work.

☆☆

"Oh, uh, sorry, I kinda already promised Nakaoka I'd be sittin' with him!" Ryuji apologizes awkwardly, guilt spreading over his face as he stares at Slep, hand nervously messing up his hair. The information doesn't phase them out too much though, as she knows how close he is with his track mates.

Still doesn't stop her from crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him playfully "And after I bought you your favourite Nastea flavour?"

"I know-"

"And you begged me to sit with you so you can talk to me about the newest chapter of One Piece?"

"I know! I'm sorry," Ryuji actually bowed, making Slep laugh.

"I'm kiddin'! Sheesh, it's just a train ride, I'll live. Get outta here, majster," she waves him off, smiling and rolling her eyes. Except, now she was a little screwed. She didn't really interact with her classmates much, since she didn't want to intrude on their groups, and the closest person she knew was Tsuda who definetly already had a seatmate.

'Well, time to put your stellar people skills to use,' Slep thought and looked around. Mostly everyone was paired up at this point, but she did spot a tall classmate standing by herself. Slowly, Slep approaches her and glances down at her phone case, teal eyes narrowing as she squints to see clearer. 'I know that band!' "EKSO, huh? They're pretty good."

The classmate's eyes widen, looking up at Slep before smiling shyly, "Oh, yeah! They're my favourite..."

The pair stand awkwardly for a moment before Slep laughs. "Sorry, I'm so awkward. Do you wanna sit together?"

"Well.. sure!" the classmate, Emiko, nods, then quietly adds "..So what's your favourite EKSO song?"

Slep could only grin, knowing they were about to have a long and fun conversation.

☆

And it was! Infact, the pair had so much fun discussing the band's music, choreo, and even watching funny moments of the members, that they were practically unstoppable. Slep was quite glad they had the perception to ask Emiko about it! But despite the pleasant conversation, once they arrived at the site of their school's field trip Slep drifted away from her new acquaintnce slightly, in search of the loud friend she usually spent time with.

"Sleepy!" Ryuji surprises her with a well-timed shout, cackling as she froze up and half-glared half-smiled at him. "Hehe, gotcha! But also, what gives? You're always sleepy on the school trains, but now you were chattin' up a storm."

Well how would he know that? "..Were you watching me?" Slep raises an eyebrow at him, eyes piercingly staring right into him.

"N-nope," Ryuji lies, badly.

A strange mix of embarassment and smugness swirls in Slep's chest, making her smile in a wobbly way at him. "And Nakaoka didn't rib you for it? Weeeeird."

"Shuddup!" the brown eyed boy whines, one of the teachers shushing him as they were about to speak. "I'm just keepin' an eye on ya, y'know?"

"Mhm."

"I'm serious."

"Mhmmm."

"Stop that!"

☆☆

Slep's life was swell! School was going great, she now had a whopping 3 friends (a perfectly reasonable and splendid number, honestly), and she had found the perfect rythm of school and free time. So why was she getting insistantly followed by an upperclassman?

"Please, we really lack first year volleyball players!"

"Senpai, I'm not even that good at volleyball..."

"Not spiking it, yes, I've heard, but apparently you jump after it pretty quickly!"

That was true, a competitive spirit always welled up inside of her when she saw the ball over the net. The blur of yellow amd blue as it rocketed to the floor always looked so smackable, and it felt GOOD when she could perfectly pass it to her classmates insted of it being tennised across in a single return hit. If only she could just be a libero all the time instead of having to rotate constantly...

"...Well yeah, but that's... Look, I'm not interested okay?"

"We can teach you how to spike!" the upperclassman tried once more, desperately, making Slep only speedwalk away faster.

"Phew," she exhales, looking behind her shoulder to make sure her escape was complete before lookimg forward, breathing a bit deeper. Man, she could use a drink right now... But not the Mad Bull that Ryuji was obsessed with recently, that drink was horrendous and always felt way too bubbly for her taste. (Still, it tasted better than the Nasteas and Dr. Salts she tried).

She makes her way to the vending machine infront of the school - god bless Japan for being so well stocked of them - and spots a familiar guy already standing there. A warm smile grows on her face as she skips closer, sighing gently "Majster, you wouldn't believe the recruitment tacticts that were just attempted on me-"

The jovial mood is killed immediatly when she spots a purple blemish on Ryuji's cheek, halting her in her tracks. "..What is that?"

"I think you know the word for bruise already," Ryuji mutters, his attempt at humour feeling dry and flat.

"You know what I meant. What happened?" Slep steps closer, scrutinizing the damage, but getting nothing in response other than a stiff headturn as her friend backs away. She sighs, brows furrowed in worry, and she turns around to buy a nice, cold Manta. "...Put this on it."

"Already did that," the boy nods to the empty can of Udagawa water in the nearby recycling bin.

"Put it on anyway," Slep murmurs, leaning in and gently pressing it to his cheek. The can felt cold against her pale fingers, and Ryuji startled at it slightly, but ended up just sighing and letting Slep hold the drink against his skin.

"This is embarassin'."

"Oh for sure, now ants are gonna get all over your face."

"Ew!"

Slep smiles at the response, Ryuji doing so too, feeling a bit better by the distraction.

"..You wanna go to Beef Bowl?"

"I'd love to."

[+2 friends aquired!]

[+1 status affect: Masterful!]

[+50 EXP!]

[LVL UP!]

☆☆☆

☆☆

☆

Oh nooooo, angst incoming 😔 (<- i write new stuff every couple of months, you're gonna be safe for a while)

@libertys-lovers @infernal-selfships @radioghosts-freakster @1galaxywulf @thegreeninyoureyes @m0stlygh0st @thegreeninyoureyes