AN: This is in the classroom with the exorcist students Yukio usually teaches. This chapter will be all 3rd person.
Everyone was silent for the first ten minutes. No teacher showed up until after that. Rin for once looked dead serious, focusing on a small speck. A mark someone had made on the floor. It was just a way to keep himself busy.
Bon looked like he might burst into flames himself if provoked. This was the most perturbed he'd been since the day he'd first seen Rin's flames himself. He hadn't seen Yukio, but he'd heard the elder Okumura's recounting of when Yukio had lost control. It was so infuriating. The whole situation.
Izumo and Paku were together in that they still wanted only their actual teacher to teach them. Not some substitute. Scared of Yukio? Maybe. Enough to want to be away from him, his lessons, and his company? No way in hell.
Koneko and Shima didn't know what to make of it. They were just scared. Scared of what's happening. Scared of losing someone else - another friend.
Shiemi...just didn't want to lose Yukio. She'd known him for years, ever since he became an exorcist. She had known Rin a much shorter time, and she'd already forgiven his being the son of Satan and having his flames. Was it the same with Yukio...when he'd killed someone because he was out of control? Could it be the same if they knew blood was on his hands? She wanted to just forget about it, but nobody would. Nobody could. Somebody had died because of Yukio and forgetting that was impossible. But at the same time, fighting for things to be the way they were; was that okay?
Rin...wasn't okay.
No one was.
The lesson was completely silent. No one talked. No one raised their hands. No one answered questions. The entire room felt like it was at a standstill.
The teacher talked monotonically through their whole lecture. It was pointless, boring, and not half what they needed.
About halfway through, Bon slammed his fists down on the desk, his expression angry as all hell. "Dammit, I'm not putting up with this crap. I don't care if Okumura-sensei did lose it and kill someone, he's still our friend and still deserves a chance to talk to us."
The rest of the room was suddenly alert and watching Bon stand up and get ready to leave. This was a drastic change from when they'd found out Rin had the blue flames.
"If any of you idiots want to come with me, I'm heading to Okumura-sensei's room in the hospital." And with that he left the room, walking with a purpose.
Slowly but surely, the rest of the class stood to follow. Next after Bon, was immediately Shima and Koneko. They followed Ryuji, of course, and would be completely ready to at least talk to their teacher again. Right then, Shiemi stood up triumphantly and Izumo and Paku soon followed. The last to rise was Rin, surprised in a good way by his friends' faith and desire to forgive his brother. Even if they weren't quite ready.
He repressed the urge to flip the teacher off. Barely.
The class moved as one, Ryuji being the one to open the door that would lead them to the hospital, where they would demand to see their teacher. He was more sick in the mind than anything, so seeing him wouldn't be terrible. And they knew he wouldn't hurt them. He was a good person, or at least good enough to not want to wish harm upon them.
They arrived and walked directly up to the front. Rin was now leading the party. The staff recognized him best; he was both famous and infamous in this city.
"We're here to see Okumura Yukio."
"Are you sure it's wise? He's only allowed three visitors at a time in his current residence."
Rin turned back to his friends, glancing between them.
Izumo spoke up. "Bon convinced us to come here. He should go with two people of his choice."
Konekomaru was shrunk beside Shima. He might want to forgive Yukio, but he wasn't brave enough to see him with only two others just yet.
Ryuji looked around. "Shiemi-san and Izumo-san, let's go."
Izumo looked surprised, but Shiemi looked pleased. The three of them made their way down the hall of the hospital to the room they'd been told the location of only a minute before.
But once they were there, they were disheartened a little.
Yukio looked dead inside, to them. His eyes were dark, his hands were clenched, and he sat as if he wanted to curl up in a ball but didn't want to.
"Yuki-chan!" Shiemi was the first to speak, in her cheery tone. She hadn't seen Yukio in a long, long time, and, despite his state, he was a sight for sore eyes.
"Okumura-sensei." Both Izumo and Ryuji followed her voice after with less enthusiasm, more reverence, and more pity.
Yukio looked at them, his expression bizarrely framed with a certain level of shock or surprise, and seemed to be attempting a smile.
