Chapter 3

Haruko arrives at school the next day processing whatever it was that happened the night before. When she had arrived at the station that night, she had expected to get out easily. She was not expecting them to actually interrogate her. Haruko did her best to convince them that she wasn't the one that started the fight in the first place, it was more of a wrong place, wrong time situation. All while avoiding having to drop any names of those involved - well, save for the sorry saps that were left behind and brought down with her.

Thankfully, because she wasn't the main instigator that night -- there wasn't enough evidence to file any charges so -- she was let off easily.

Many hours later.

It was a long night...

Not only because she had to spend a good amount of time at the police station, but because that night she was overstimulated , overwhelmed, and exhausted.

It was all too much to process; it's not exactly common knowledge that killing yourself sends you into a video game where you're reincarnated as one of the characters.

What was she supposed to do? They never really prepare you for these kinds of situations back in school. Nor can she just search it up online. The only thing keeping her from overloading right now was the fact that she at least knew the characters and story prior to being sent here, or so she thought she did...

Once she got back to the house, she quickly got to typing some notes on her cellphone, everything she had knowledge about on the game; the characters, what she knew about them, the plot, etc.

Haruko looked through the notes slowly, she had also added the discrepancies that had been occurring in the plot. Scenes were changing, and it was definitely because she had been involved somehow.

"Good morning, Haruko." Haruko looks up from her phone, and notices Minami standing by the school gates. Most likely waiting for her. "You okay?" she asks with a worried expression. "Pretty intense night, huh?"

"I'm... okay?" Haruko says as she rubs the back of her neck. "It was-- yea, it was an intense one." she nods, noticing some looks she was getting from passersby. "... Do people know about what happened last night??"

"It's uhh... it's kind of hard not to know when it's all over the socials..." Minami admits, "Sure it says you were taken to the police station, but people have also been talking about how you supposedly beat up a bunch of delinquents? So, at least you look good?" she tries as a tactic to comfort her.

"Fuck me..." Haruko slaps a hand to her forehead, rubbing her face in frustration. She had planned on hiding herself in the background again to not interfere with the story, having come to a conclusion that maybe she'll be able to go back if the game ends. She wanted to stay out of the limelight, not be in it.

Maybe if she lays low for now, pretend to be an average student until the attention dies down. Seems like a probable idea.

"K-Kisaragi..." Haruko stiffened when she heard her name. She turns back slightly to see the Hasegawa siblings standing a few feet away. "Umm.. Kisaragi." Yukiko calls out softly, she fidgets with the hem of her own shirt.

Haruko faces forward again, pretending to not hear her actually she she clears her throat. "S...Shall we head to class?" she suggests to Minami, tugging lightly at her arm to practically drag her away.

"W-Woah...!" Minami yelps in response, trying to keep up with her pace as they head towards their shared classroom.

Leaving the siblings to stand there, watching as the two turn the corner. Yukiko and Takashi shared knowing glances, "What now?" Yukiko crosses her arms, "We can't just leave this be y'know..."

"I know. Let's try to talk to them around lunch time. We'll meet up first then see if we can try and bump into them again, like yesterday. Takashi suggests as they head towards their own classes.

*

Haruko dreaded the time lunch came by, she hadn't even noticed it was around that time already. Minami had to come by her classroom to bring it up. There was no time to waste, she quickly dragged the other woman with her to the rooftop of the school building, rather than the cafeteria.

Luckily for them, there weren't a lot of people around. Just a few groups chatting amongst friends, or the single patrons taking a smoke break. No Hasegawa's in sight.

"Everything alright, Haruko?" Minami asks, holding her lunch bag she had brought for today.

"Sorry. I know they're your friends and all, I shouldn't have dragged you along with me." Haruko sighs, she takes a seat at one of the benches, Minami sitting beside her. "I just-- I really don't want to see them right now." she admits, it wasn't exactly a lie. 

"It's alright, I understand." Minami nods, "You're my best friend, Haruko. Of course I would follow you along." she chuckles, pinching her cheek playfully. "Although, why the rooftop though, isn't this where they usually hang out--" she stops mid sentence when the door swings open and the siblings had coincidentally walked out.

"Shit..." Haruko grumbles under her breath, she stood up quickly and tugs on Minami's hand. "L-Let's go, Mina...!" she suggests, unfortunately for her, she was still getting used to her body - Haruko tripping over her own two legs. 

Both girls tumbling to the floor. "Ow...." 

"Ah!" Yukiko was the first one to react when she saw them, she rushes over and sits on top of Haruko. Straddling her stomach to prevent her from running away again. "Stop avoiding us!" Yukiko frowns, practically pinning Haruko to the ground.

'W-Woah...' Haruko gasps, she looks up in surprise. "U-Umm...???" There's warmth spreading across her face, "I-I-I'm sorry..." 

"Goodness. Honestly, you're so hard to get a hold of." Yukiko pouts, resting her hands on either sides of Haruko's head as she stares down at her. "L...Listen, I wanted to apologize to you... for what happened yesterday..."

"You two shouldn't have been involved. Especially with how things ended up for you, Kisaragi." Takashi adds in as he helps Minami up to her feet. "That was really dangerous, and we would like to genuinely apologize for that."

"I-I mean, what could you have done?" Haruko tries, "We were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it's alright now! Sooo... we can just move on from that!" She was practically begging at this point for them to just move on from it. 

"A-Are you too... a part of some sort of gang...?" Minami asks hesitantly. 

"..." There was a pause. "Sorry, Minami... after what you witnessed yesterday, we can't really lie to you considering you experienced it first hand. Yea, it's a family thing. We kept in the dark for so long, didn't want anyone to know because of how dangerous this line of business could be." Takashi explains, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. 

"How dangerous is it...?" Haruko asks, unable to hold back her curiosity. The whole family background and gang situation was never really touched upon in the game, she figured they just wanted to add in the mafia/ enemies to lover trope with a bit of action sprinkled in and family rivalries. She hoists herself up on her elbows to stare up at him. 

"Very." Takashi shook his head slowly. "People could be killed if they were to associate with us, our enemies latch onto whatever they can to break us down. We really wanted to avoid that happening, but now.... Shizuka Uehara kind of knows about you two."

"The girl from yesterday?" Minami questions, trying to think back to what Shizuka had looked like. She wasn't really up close and personal for the whole thing so she only caught glimpses here and there. 

"Yea, her. I don't even know why her and her goons were even on our turf to begin with." Yukiko huffs, she sits up. This allowing Haruko to sit up as well, both women unaware of their position. 

"I'm sure you didn't mean to approach her like that, but it's kind of forced you into this situation where she knows you and thinks that you're very important to us... Considering our reactions." Takashi pointed out, "And I'm so sorry you had to be the one to try and break up their fight, Kisaragi. It should have been me, you could've left with Minami. If only I--"

"Are you okay?" Haruko asks instinctively, remembering that Takashi had been struck quite hard last night. 

"H-Huh?" He looks at her in confusion now, tilting his head. "Me?"

"Yea, she hit you right?? Are you okay?" 

"I umm-- yea." Takashi answers, he grows a bit timid now, scratching lightly at his own cheek meekly. "Thank you for your help."

"Good. You were injured, I didn't want you getting involved like that, so it's fine." Haruko admits, because right now, Takashi must be her one way ticket back home. "How about you, Hasegawa?" she turns to Yukiko now, finally realizing how close they actually were.  "Y-You were pulling each other's hair quite harshly, are you okay?" she reaches out to unconsciously caress a strand. 

The action causing both women to remember what had happened last night, when Haruko attempted to separate them. Yukiko backed off, her cheeks flushed red, she fiddles with the strand of hair Haruko had just caressed. 

Why hadn't she realized already?? Something that could only possibly ever happen in video games or anime, legitimately happened to her. Had this have happened in the office she worked at, she would've definitely been reported to HR, fired on the spot, and maybe even arrested for harassment. 

Haruko pulled her arm back and got on her hands and knees. "I-I-I'm s-so sorry about what happened...!" she says to the other woman regretfully. "I-I didn't mean to grab your--"

Yukiko puts a hand over her mouth swiftly, "I-It's okay!! Y-You didn't mean to, I know you meant well..." She shook her head lowly, moving her hand away when she knew Haruko wouldn't say anything. "A-Anyways! Kisaragi, you should just call me by my first name... I don't want you referring both of us by our last names...." she points at Takashi, her expression distorting to one of disgust. 

"What the hell???" Takashi whines in response. 

"Y...Yukiko..." Haruko says slowly, she was still getting used to calling Minami by her first name as well. She hadn't remembered the last time she had addressed someone informally before. Maybe back in her own school days, when she--

Memories of a distorted face flood her brain, a woman smiling back at her - not Haruko, but Yuu Sato. Flashes of images of this woman going by quickly.

Bringing up the question...

'Who is she...?'

"Ugh..." It came at her violently, an almost piercing sensation shot through her temple. She clutches at the side of her head, the pain being all that she could process in that moment. Haruko shuts her eyes tightly,  the sensation slowly receding once she tried to ground herself. 

"Haruko...??" Yukiko's voice calls out to her, weary and hesitant, almost distant in her ears.

....

"Haruko." Yuki said more firmly this time, grabbing hold of Haruko's shoulders. 

Haruko jolts in surprise, her eyelids snapping open. Once the images stopped, the pain had dispersed, leaving behind the lingering aftershock of the sensation. "W....Woah.." she grumbles, she sits back onto the bench, slumped over. 'What was that...'

"Are you alright..??" Minami asks, she was fast to sit beside Haruko, resting her hand on her back. "What's wrong??"

"Sorry, I just had a really bad headache..." Haruko blinked a few times, giving her eyes a moment to refocus with the light. 

"Do you want us to take you to the nurse's office?" Takashi suggests. 

"N...No... I might just be hungry." 

"Right, right, we should eat before your next class." Minami suggests with a slight smile, motioning to the untouched lunchbox that rests just at the side. "I brought you a sandwich you could eat, Haru."

"I suppose we should leave you to it then..." Yukiko fidgets with one of her rings. "We won't bother you two ever again, just... if you ever see that stupid woman, steer clear and lay low."

'Don't have to tell me twice...' Haruko thought, massaging the sides of her head as she bit into the cutlet sandwich Minami had given her. She glances beside her, already catching onto the other woman's expression. 'Minami... please...' 

"Why don't you two join us?" Minami suggests, motioning to the other bench nearby. 

"Are you sure??" Takashi asks, "After everything we've told you? Don't you wanna avoid us after all of that..."

"I mean... avoid dangerous situations, sure. But I'm sure we don't have to avoid you two as people." Minami shrugs. 

"... What about you, Kisaragi?" Yukiko asks, she had been watching Haruko closely after her unprovoked headache episode, keeping a close eye on her. 

"Me?" Haruko looks up in surprise, turning her attention to Yukiko. "Uhh, well... I guess, I do still want to be friends with you..." she admits, pinching at a piece of bread lightly.  "Like Minami said, you're still just two people outside of your whole family business thing... I think I can see you for who you are individually and not for what your blood ties you to."

"Hmm... I suppose we could stay then." Yukiko twirls some of her hair between her fingers. 

Haruko blinks once, then twice, noticing a small heart above Yukiko's head. She swears she was seeing things, rubbing lightly at her eyes. Maybe dust?? No, not dust. Okay, what is she looking at then?

The heart stays for a few more seconds before disappearing into thin air, Yukiko tilts her head curiously. She wonders if she had something on her face. "Kisaragi?"

"Oh uhh, nothing... sorry. " Haruko clears her throat awkwardly, "Um, you can call me by my first name too, since we're dropping formalities." she suggested to the siblings as they sat beside her.

"Okay, Haruko. Minami. " Takashi grins widely, "Thank you for accepting us for who we are!" he says, pulling his own lunch out of a plastic bag he had been carrying along with them. 

"H...Haruko..." Yukiko mumbles quietly, avoiding eye contact at all costs, her cheeks a lightly tinted red. 

"Yukiko...?" Haruko responds, wondering if Yukiko had more to say. 

"This is great. I'm glad we can still be friends in the end." Minami laughs, she looks between the two, amused by the situation. 

*

After her class, Haruko slowly gathers her things to shove into her backpack. Other students rush out of the lecture hall, either on their way home or perhaps another class that they had in the evening.  

Her thoughts go back to what had happened at lunch, when the little heart popped out of nowhere above Yukiko's head. Based off her personal knowledge on dating sims, she comes to a conclusion that what she had seen was the game's affection bar.

But why was she able to see that, and why was it on Yukiko Hasegawa...?

Another issue she was having was the unprovoked memory dump that had struck her when she thought about the her world, the 'real' world. What was that all about? 

All these questions that she's left to sit on and ponder by herself. 

She heads out, making her way to the entrance of the school gates. Noticing Minami standing around, probably waiting for her. "Mina--" she calls out, tensing when she notices the Hasegawa siblings with her. "You guys..." she smiles awkwardly. 

"Hey Haru. Anymore classes?" Minami asks, smiling up at her. 

"No ma'am. I'm free the rest of the day..." 

"How about you, Takashi?" Minami looks towards Takashi curiously. "No soccer today? Usually you'd be out on the field practicing by now."

"Nah." Takashi shook his head, grinning widely. "I'd lose my mind if I had to see those idiots everyday after classes." he laughs, referring to his teammates.  

"Oh that's right, you're in soccer." Haruko says, getting their attention. 'Right, because everyone knows that information... stupid...' she mentally scolded herself for blurting that out loud. 

"You're looking at our school's Soccer Team Captain, Takashi Hasegawa." Minami boasted, motioning to Takashi playfully. "He's the best in the team, a lot of women love his tricks." 

Okay, thankfully no one noticed her slip up. 

"Minami..." Takashi reaches up and rubs the back of his head, he smiles nervously. "Thank you, but I'm not the best... I still have so much to work on." 

"You've gotten so good though." 

"Yea, but still..."

Their conversation trails off in her head, Haruko glancing at Yukiko, whom had been standing there quietly to herself. ".... What about you, Yukiko? Are you in any clubs?" she asks the shorter woman. 

"Oh! Ummm, no, unfortunately. I'm not as skilled or interesting as Takashi..." Yukiko admits, rubbing at her arm anxiously. 

"I get it..." Haruko mumbles, speaking from experience now. "But at least you're still pretty..." She complimented out of the blue. Which wasn't a lie, if her real self was as attractive as the characters in the game, she would not be having some problems in society. 

Yukiko looks up at her in disbelief, her face turning fifty shades of red. She was stunned by the sudden compliment. 

"Hooooboy." Minami whistles, looking between them. "Not even a day into this friendship and you're hitting on her already?"

Haruko became just as stunned, hearing Minami point that out. "I-- n-no, I didn't--" She became distressed in a matter of seconds, "I wasn't-- I was just appreciating her attractiveness... "

"Yes, yes." Minami waves it off, chuckling at the reaction she had gotten out of her. "Anywaaays~ So what's up you two? You said you were waiting for us?"

"Oh right!" Takashi exclaims, "We figured, since that woman kind of knows what you two look like and has been roaming around our turf lately, we should escort you two home. Just to make sure you're safe." 

"Don't worry too much about that, I'm sure we can handle ourselves." Haruko tries, she did not need them following her around. Especially Takashi, he should be focused on other things right now. "I'll protect Minami." she claimed boldly. 

Normally she wasn't the type to make those kinds of statements, but in this body she feels confident that this girl knows how to fight a little. 

"Are you sure??" 

Not really, but that didn't stop her from agreeing with him. 

"Well, since you two were willing to follow us around anyways - how about we stop by somewhere and get something to eat? Hang out a little since we're all seemingly free--" Minami stops in her tracks when she bumps into some large men, more of them coming out of a black vehicle that had parked nearby. "U-Uhhh..." she backs up nervously.

Haruko tugs her hand, pulling her back enough so that she could stand in front of her protectively. She had no idea what she was going to do, but... hopefully all those action movies she had watched in her free time will come in handy. 

But, who the hell were these guys and why were they lifting Takashi and Yuki- 'Wait, where are they taking them...!??' Haruko tensed up when she sees the men walking back towards the car. 

"What the--" Takashi yelps, surprised when his legs couldn't reach the ground anymore. He was baffled when he was carried under one arm, the man making sure to lock his arms down at his sides so he wouldn't be able to use them against him. " What is this??! Let go!" he kicks his legs.

"Ugh! Let go of me!" Yukiko yells, flailing her arms and legs around in an attempt to wiggle out of their hold. "Who the fuck are you idiots???"

"A-Ah..." Haruko reaches out and grabs Yukiko's hand on a whim. Holding her back. "Let them go." she demands. They were seemingly more interested in the Hasegawa twins than them right now, but who were these men in the first place.

"H...Haruko..." Yukiko pants, staring at her in shock that she would try to interfere. 

"H-Hey..." Haruko chokes when one of the men tugs her away rashly, causing their hands to separate. "Where the hell are you taking them-- ow!" she groans when the man drops her on her butt. "Wait!!" she scrambles back up to her feet. 

They all pile into the black vehicle before speeding off. Leaving the two women stunned in place. They exchanged glances with each other briefly, looking down the direction the car had gone and then back to one another. Minami cupping her hands around her mouth in disbelief.

"What just happened...??"