Lesson Learned

You're just not good enough

Mitsuko walked slowly as the students started to file out of the assembly hall; the student council was always the last ones out, and sure enough, she saw her brother lingering near the stage with his friends close by and a few of the other class representatives gathering leftover school pamphlets.

She took a deep breath before she cut her way through the other students to make her way over. "Excuse me," she said firmly when a few students didn't budge easily. "Coming through here." She elbowed someone in the ribs. "A little space please!"

Gakushuu's gaze narrowed when he saw her, making her insides twist a little.

Mitsuko hardened her resolve and forced herself to keep walking over, trying to channel the confidence and charm Bitch-sensei had spent months drilling into her. "Gakushuu," she said curtly, placing her hands on her hips when she stopped in front of him. "Hi."

Gakushuu's lips set in a thin line.

Ren looked oddly nervous, looking back and forth between her and Gakushuu. "Uh..." He smiled a little forcefully. "Hey, Mitsuko, what's up?"

Seo's gaze narrowed resentfully. "What do you want?"

Mitsuko narrowed her eyes at him briefly before looking back at her brother. "I need to talk to you." She glanced at the other students who were gawking. "Privately." Her gaze drifted back to her brother, allowing her composer to drop a little. "Please?"

Her brother looked like he'd swallowed a lemon.

Then Koyama huffed loudly, adjusting his glasses. "Can't you see we're busy?"

"Yeah," Seo sneered. "Don't go thinking just because of some fluke you can—"

"Seo, Koyama," Gakushuu interrupted coldly, making the two boys tense. "I don't believe my sister was talking to either of you." The glare he gave the two of them was chilly. "Go on ahead. All of you." He turned back to Mitsuko. "I'll meet you back in class."

Mitsuko felt a slow smile start to spread on her face when she saw Koyama and Seo hurry off with the others.

Ren nudged her shoulder as he passed, winking. "Good luck."

She raised an eyebrow at him while Gakushuu scowled. "You better make it quick," he said evenly, walking passed her towards the exit.

Mitsuko sighed, walking alongside him. "I'm not here to say I told you so if that's what you're worried about," she said quietly, trying not to glance up at the cameras watching them. "Come on." She gently tugged his wrist along as they stepped outside, making his scowl worsen. "I just want to talk."

It was a miracle he didn't try to yank his arm away and storm off, but despite how tense he looked, he seemed willing to listen for once and followed her around a corner where the cameras couldn't see.

He pulled his arm away and crossed his arms when they were safely around the corner. "Well?"

Mitsuko frowned, eyeing him worriedly. "How was dad?"

He grimaced. "How do you think he was?"

She felt a flare of guilt, nodding. "Right..." She sighed, looking around warily. "Well..." Mitsuko forced herself to take a deep breath and think her words over. "I'm still mad about what you tried to do to E Class, even if you think it was justified."

His eyes were narrowed. "I wouldn't have had to do it in the first place if you were just honest with me."

Mitsuko sighed quietly, shifting on the spot. "Look, I don't want to keep secrets from you, but you make it hard not too sometimes," she said quietly. "I want to take the Principal down just as much as you but trying to blackmail him like this isn't going to work, not now at least," she reasoned. "You need to be patient, not pulling stunts like this that draw attention to it, you're just giving him the upper hand." She smiled faintly while Gakushuu stayed quiet, looking away while she spoke. "I promise I'll tell you everything by March but right now...I just can't, Gaku-nii."