Archive of Our Own

“Iorin!” 

The man in question was taken out of his daydream. Iori blinked a few times before turning his head towards the source of the voice: A Tamaki that was rapidly approaching his spot in the classroom, looking as if his whole world just shattered.

“Tell me it isn’t true!” He slammed his hands onto Iori’s desk. “Tell me!”

Iori jolted upwards to sit straight in shock. A wave of anxiety washed over him—did something happen to him, or did it involve the two of them? If it involved the two of them, how high were the chances that it involved all of Idolish7? What if Manager called him about something important?

“Calm down, Yotsuba-san,” he urged him to hush as their other classmates started glancing at them. “What happened?”

“I heard…” his voice trailed off. His head hung, not making eye contact with him once.

Now Iori was really getting nervous. The possibilities were running in his head, but he tried to maintain his composure. He steeled himself for the worst possible news as Tamaki continued to make his attempts to choke out the agonizing words.

“I heard from someone in our class that there’s an English test today!”

Iori blinked.

“Don’t give me that look, Iorin,” and it really sounded like he was on the verge of tears. “That means they’re right.”

“...Yostuba-san,” he sighed. “It was announced last week.”

“Eh?!” He cried in utter disbelief. “How am I supposed to remember? The only things I know are the practices we have the next day, or the jobs that will interfere with class. I don’t remember unimportant things like test dates!”

It doesn’t seem so unimportant now, Iori thought to himself, though he decided it’d be best not to say that to someone in distress.

Iori couldn’t blame Tamaki entirely anyway. He knew Idolish7 had been receiving more busywork these days, and Mezzo couldn’t have been any less relieved. Schoolwork was often pushed back until the deep of night. It wasn’t uncommon for both of them to arrive to practice sleep deprived as a result of projects crammed the day before. His sympathy was genuine as he patted his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve known you forgot. I was wondering why you didn’t ask me for help once leading up to it.”

“It’s over for me,” Tamaki groaned. “So-chan’s going to be super mad if he finds out I bombed another test.”

“Osaka-san checks your grades?”

“Yeah, it sucks. Something about ‘the importance of education’ and ‘using school as a way to learn how to get through life.’ All his praise after I stopped being late doesn’t mean anything when he scolds me for bad scores.”

Iori tried to imagine the picture in his head. Sogo could be especially scary when he wanted to. If he took grades so seriously, there was no question that dark, threatening aura would come back. He imagined it would be like that time they made Douglas Rootbank change their lights.

A sudden shudder went down his spine. Iori has maintained his grades for most of his life without being asked, but the thought of Mitsuki scolding him in the same way only motivated him to keep up the work. He wasn’t exactly eager to subject Tamaki to it either.

“I can lend you my notebook. You can study it if you hide it under your textbook during the lecture,” he offered. “Then we can review during lunch.”

Tamaki didn’t seem convinced. It was an entire unit’s worth of content after all, but Iori had faith in him. He picked up on topics easily enough, so all he really needed was a refresher. 

“It’s definitely over,” he moaned as he put his head in his hands. “Make sure there’s King’s Pudding at my funeral, Iorin.”

“There won’t be any funeral. Sulking won’t get you anywhere, we can start studying right—”

“I’m going to die, Kokomi-chan!” A voice next to them cried.

The two boys immediately turned their attention towards the voice. Two girls faced each other only a few desks away, one comforting their friend in agony. Iori was truly taken aback at the fact there were others facing the same dilemma. Tamaki shot him a look as if to prove to him that it really was difficult to keep track of dates. 

“Kokomi,” the miserable girl continued. She started rambling about writing her will, before suddenly leaning forward on her friend’s desk. Her hands were clasped together in a begging position. “Hear me out! You can just let me copy off of you. All you have to do is bend down and search your bag for a bit. I promise I’ll be quick—”

A yelp echoed in the classroom as her friend flicked her forehead, clearly unhappy with the idea.

Iori turned back to his own business, thinking that would be the end of that, but then he spotted the sparkle in his friend’s eyes.

“Yotsuba-san, no.”

“Please, it’s the only way! I already sit behind you.”

“What they’re is a prime example of what we shouldn’t do. It’s not a suggestion!”

“But this test is important. I have a shoot with So-chan tomorrow, and I really don’t want to face him if things go downhill.”

Iori’s resolve wavered for a second, but no matter how desperately he wanted to help a friend, this was a line that shouldn’t be crossed. He wasn’t as active within the school scene anymore because of their idol activities, but he still considered himself to be a good student. He wasn’t planning on having that change any time soon.

“You overestimate Osaka-san’s anger. He’d scold you, but not for that long. There’s no way it would affect a shoot.”

“…I know. But it’s not like I want to fail either,” he whined. “It’s not fun.”

All Iori could do was let out another sigh and remind him that he'd help him study. It wouldn’t be the best score, but he’d certainly pass. Unfortunately, Tamaki seemed more keen on pouting and stayed silent. Iori started rummaging through his bag anyway. He knew he’d accept the help eventually. 

“Hey,” Tamaki called out to him. Iori sat up straight, slightly uneasy once he noticed the smug expression creeping up on Tamaki’s face. “You’ve been eying that stuffed toy at the arcade near the dorm, haven’t you?”

Like a cat hearing the rustling of a bag of treats, Iori’s body immediately spun to face Tamaki. He definitely held all of his attention now. 

“Help me this one time, and it’s all yours, Iorin.”

“If you think you can bribe me—“

“They added a new one of the same mascot. It wouldn’t hurt to get two, right?”

“...” Iori bit his tongue. 

Tamaki nudged him on the shoulder, eyes full of mischief. “Maybe even three to complete the set?”

“Will you put them in my room without anyone else seeing?”

He shrugged and gave him a thumbs up. He didn’t really understand the extra steps, but if it increased his chances of getting help, he’d happily oblige.

“And you’ll be making the plan,” Iori clarified, jabbing a finger to his chest. “I’m just the answers. The rest is up to you.”

Upon hearing Iori’s agreement, he beamed. It was a stark contrast to the frown that only deepened on Iori’s face. After all, Iori has never gone to such lengths. On top of his proper behavior, he’d rather study on his own and feel confident going into a test rather than anxiously try to find ways to earn pity points the day of. Although, it wasn’t like he had any friends to slack off in class with before. Maybe this was a normal occurrence? 

The thought along with Tamaki’s toothy grin was enough to comfort the growing heaviness in his chest. No, no. This was a much more important matter—Mezzo’s relationship was practically at stake. It was a noble cause. 

…Yeah, that sounded right.

——————

“You know that Osaka-san will be even angrier if he finds out you cheated, right?” Iori said. “Especially if he congratulates you for a high score first.” 

Tamaki seemed to have thought about this outcome before they settled at the courtyard for lunch. So, he stood up confidently and put his hands on his hips before declaring his master plan to make up with his partner if things went south.

“He won’t find out! We’re going to do an amazing job.”

Iori’s face twisted. “Are you taking this seriously?!” 

Tamaki frowned. Iori didn’t know where all of his confidence came from. He didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but going down his list of ideas only made him less and less confident about their success.

Write the vocabulary on the inside of a soda label. Everyone was prohibited from having drinks on their desks during exams.

Iorin taps his fingers to one of four Idolish7 songs after answering a question. Assign a song to each letter. Iori was certain that method came from a movie they watched. Nonetheless, he wasn’t confident in either of their abilities or speed to memorize their code in one lunch period.

Braid hair and stick paper slips with the answers inside. Neither of them had long enough hair for that.

Buy glasses that can read your mind and project the answer on the lenses without anyone seeing. Wasn’t Tamaki just having fun at this point?

He was losing more hope the further he went down the list. Some were much easier to reject than others. In the end, there was only one realistic option.

Tape the vocabulary on the back of the jacket hood. When the teacher’s not looking, flip it up.

“This last one might work,” Iori declared, hiding his slight shock that any of them had potential in the first place. 

“Really?! Great!”

Why do you sound surprised too…? But he returned the smile anyway. 

The pair spent the entire lunch working. Well, more so Tamaki, Iori had to admit. He ate his lunch peacefully while Tamaki hastily copied down the important parts of his notebook in handwriting only he could decipher. At times he would ask him to put a chip in his mouth, and Iori would comply with a sigh because he felt a little guilty. 

With 5 minutes of the period to spare, they walked into the classroom with a new look. Iori wore Tamaki’s jacket that was definitely too long compared to his blazer that he wore on top, though the original model proudly declared that it fit him perfectly. It didn’t bother him anyway—the important part was that it had the hood with the answers attached. They took their seats.

“You’re too far, Iorin.” 

Iori made a sound of confusion, but he scooted his chair back as far back as he could without having to bend 90 degrees to write. When he still couldn’t pull up his hood, Iori resorted to bending his head backwards. 

“I can’t reach,” Tamaki complained. “Lean back more.”

“I’m leaning as much as I can while looking normal,” he hissed back.

For those 5 minutes, they tried a multitude of positions. Iori swore it was the easiest thing to turn around to face Tamaki, but all of a sudden it felt like their desks were miles away. The one method that seemed to work was if Iori balanced on the back two legs of his chair to get closer. However, he would rather let Tamaki fail ten tests than risk falling over backwards in the middle of class. 

The class period was about to start, and their teacher already explained the procedure for the test. While everyone was gathering their materials, the two ended up bickering back and forth about which position they should go with. 

“Yotsuba-san, Izumi-san,” their teacher, Ms. Hayashi, called sternly from across the class. “Is there a problem with preparing for your test?”

They both shook their heads left and right frantically. That only earned them an unamused huff. 

“Now she’s definitely going to be onto us,” Iori muttered as he turned to face his classmate. “I’m sorry, Yotsuba-san. I thought it’d work, but the execution isn’t looking good.”

“What?” Tamaki whispered, but with the way he said it, he might as well have spoken in a normal voice. “We can’t bail now! We’re already so far gone.”

Their teacher told them they had a minute left to prepare before the test. Iori desperately tried to rack his brain for more ideas. It wasn’t like he was married to the idea of helping Tamaki cheat. He didn’t like the adorable, large plush toys at the arcade anyway. That’s right, he didn’t need the extra comfort of blissful softness as he slept.

Yet every time a problem came up when he helped manage Idolish7, there was a solution waiting for them. Sometimes it’d be obvious, other times all it needed was a bit of thinking. Surely he could do it again, otherwise he’d feel that his abilities weren’t as reliable as he thought—especially for a noble cause like helping Mezzo.

As his eyes glanced downwards to ignore Tamaki’s defeated look, he noticed how he fiddled with something in his hand. The clean, white eraser with a paper sleeve spoke to him, and a new idea came into fruition.

“I need that,” he said, grabbing the eraser before Tamaki could say anything. 

At this point, everyone was settling in their seats. Their teacher would hand out tests any second. The same relief after finishing a concert rushed through his body when he ripped the sleeve open and saw the clean white surface. Tamaki furrowed his brows at the unpermitted action, but he stayed quiet, trusting Iori’s train of thought. Fortunately for him, Iori looked at him with a stern yet determined expression.

“When I drop this, you’re going to pick it up. The letter answers will be on the eraser, while the written answers will be on the sleeve. Just pretend to work and fill everything quickly when you get it. Do you understand?”

Tamaki nodded fervently, appreciation shining in his eyes. “I’ll work hard to not let you down.”

“Right,” Iori almost choked on air. “I’m certain you’ll work the hardest.” 

“Your test will be handed out now! Please stay silent and face forward in your seats.”

Iori stiffened as Tamaki’s gaze shifted to the side. He quickly turned himself around, eraser in hand, and was met with the cold gaze of their teacher. He mouthed a small apology before taking a copy of the test. 

The only noise in the class was the slow ticking of the clock and occasional sighs from classmates. Their teacher sat with her arms crossed and a strict demeanor that didn’t waver in the slightest. The test itself was 4 pages, front and back, and consisted of paragraphs and questions regarding the reading, reordering words into the correct sentence, fill-in-the-blank, and so on.

In all honesty, Iori never considered English to be his strongest subject. It was a hassle learning a different alphabet and a whole separate set of rules just to communicate a concept. If he wanted to learn something, he’d rather have it explained to him in the comforting sound of his native language. He really didn’t know how Nagi did it. 

Nonetheless, Iori felt like he studied enough to score well on the test. He read each sentence, understood the idea, and chose the answer that fit the structure. Each sentence was dissected thoroughly and quickly, and before he knew it, he was halfway done with 30 minutes left.  

“This car is getting old, so I want the entire engine ___.”

Iori knew this. The answer was B, “replaced.”

He marked the answer sheet before setting his pencil down to stretch his wrist briefly. He’d have to answer faster if he wanted Tamaki to have enough time to fill out his paper. The eraser was still a pristine white, completely unmarked.

So, without a moment of hesitation, he picked his pencil back up and got to work.

Tamaki didn’t know what he was looking at in the slightest. He hated the different tenses—they all sounded right when he inserted each option into the sentence. Eventually he settled for D, “to replace,” because it was more likely to be correct if the answer was longer, right?

It wasn’t that big of a problem, anyway. He had Iori on his side.

Definitely.

Tamaki looked at the clock. Only 20 minutes have passed, so he couldn’t expect anything yet. If Iori had given him the answers by now, he would think he was a god or something of the sorts. Still, waiting for something that would calm his nerves wasn’t his favorite activity. It was like when he watched anime and he just wanted the strong guy to come back and save his favorite character already. Watching things stretch out only made his mind more creative.

What if this was a last minute betrayal and Iori wouldn’t give him the answers? Was it a plan to make him repent this entire time?

He bit his tongue. Another wave of nervousness washed over him. Tamaki knew it was mostly his fault, but he didn’t want to think about that. Wasn’t it a skill to fix the problems you make for yourself anyway?

But there wasn’t much he could do besides make his best guess on every question and pray for the magical eraser to come his way soon. 

“Your time is up! Whoever has a test, please turn it in now.” 

Iori watched Tamaki go down the walkway, hand in his paper, and return to his seat. When he passed by him, he spotted the wide smile on his face and the way he winked at him. Immediately he relaxed. The last ten minutes of staring at his desk, wondering if Tamaki would make it, must've shortened his life span.

When the bell finally rang and their break began, Iori spun around. Tamaki was beaming, and he gave him a thumbs up. Not a single word about the test was spoken after that. They wordlessly agreed to save it for the dorms. So when their history class ended and the next break came, their hearts dropped in sync. Ms. Hayashi walked in. Still, they knew it was better to play the fool than wear a guilty look and out themselves.

Neither of them met her eyes despite it being very obvious that she was looking their way. There was an attempt to wave them over in their peripheral vision. They ignored that as well, and continued to chat like the rest of their classmates. Suddenly, Tamaki lowered his head, covering behind Iori, and glanced towards the front of the class.

“Iorin, what should we do? Hayashi-sensei is—”

Their history teacher suddenly spoke. “Yotsuba-san, Izumi-san, could you come here for a moment?”

In that moment, Tamaki and Iori felt their hearts connect. No amount of variety shows or practice would bring them to such a high level of mutual understanding again. They closed their eyes at the same time, letting the feeling of enlightenment flow through their veins. The busy sounds of the class no longer meant anything, for they were in their own world now. One where grades, teachers, or the entirety of school didn’t exist. Only one sentence played in their heads:

It’s definitely over.

They opened their eyes and nodded. Pure bliss from a successful high-risk, high-reward plan was transforming into dread. The lambs had been caught and were finally being sent to the slaughter. As they walked side by side to their teachers, they braced themselves for the aftermath.

“I’d like to talk to the two of you. If you will?” Ms. Hayashi motioned for them to follow her outside the classroom.

They trailed behind her. Iori kept his head high to maintain his pride until the end, but he couldn’t say the same for Tamaki. It was clear from his frown and pinched brows that his resolve was wavering. He was tempted to pat his back to reassure him in some way, but the overwhelming presence of their teacher stopped him from trying anything. 

“Is something wrong, Hayashi-sensei?” Iori forced a smile when they reached the hall.

She, however, wasted no time. “You let Yotsuba-san copy your test, didn’t you?”

When the two of them stayed quiet, she pulled out four papers from her folder and handed it to them. It was their bubble sheets and their tests with the rest of the answers.

“I’m sure you can tell that both of your answers are exactly the same. Now, I’d like you to take a look at your questions.”

They put their tests side-by-side. The first multiple choice question was about the car engine—they both got that one correct. As for the next one…

Iori’s test read: “Do you want a ___ of tea?”

Tamaki’s test read: “What do you usually have for ___?”

“Answering all the questions wrong is one thing, but answering them wrong because they are the exact same as the classmate who sits in front of you is another. In the past, I wouldn’t have bothered to make different test versions. However, the teachers have noticed a rise in cheating attempts, so I decided to put in a bit of work to see what happens.”

She then raised an eyebrow, as if letting them know they were confirming her suspicions. 

“You two have done well in my class in the past, but you’re both still getting a zero. Not to mention…”

They shared another look. Did there have to be more?

“Both of your guardians will be receiving a call. I’d like to meet with them after school today. I understand your circumstances with outside work and absences, but it is no excuse to be pulling these stunts. They need to know so we can stop this behavior from recurring.”

“R-right,” Iori said.

“Sorry for the trouble,” Tamaki followed dejectedly.

Ms. Hayashi seemed to accept their responses. “I’ll see you outside the classroom.”

Students quickly filed out the hallway once cleaning duty finished, yet two boys remained. They stood next to the entrance of their class, staring aimlessly at the wall as they waited for their teacher to update them. Both their shoulders sagged, and it wasn’t just from the weight of their bags. Iori, most of all, couldn’t believe how things got to this point.

“You read the passage about a happy fisherman, looked at the answer I chose, bubbled in ‘the man hates fishing’ as the definition for the phrase ‘keen on fishing,’ and still decided it was right? You didn’t stop to think about it?” 

“Why would I judge him?” Tamaki retorted. “I’m a happy idol, but sometimes I hate talking to important people during filming.”

“That’s not the same thing!”

“Well you also took forever! I didn’t have any time to think about it.”

Their quarreling had been going on for a handful of minutes by this point. The only reason they stopped was because a teacher opened their door and asked them to be quiet. His tone lacked any annoyance, but it was still a blow on their especially vulnerable hearts. The two students stiffened, cheeks reddening, and apologized. When he returned to his class, they remained in silence.

Eventually, Iori shot Tamaki an accusatory look.

Tamaki shot one back.

Iori massaged his temple and groaned inwards.

To think he was convinced by something so simple…If he could go back in time and stop himself, he would, 100%! 

There was no amount of arcade toys that could be worth this much trouble. 

——————

A door slammed open.

“You two,” Ms. Hayashi crossed her arms as stepped outside the doorway. “Your guardians will be coming soon. Don’t even think about leaving that spot or causing any trouble before our discussion.”

“Yes, Hayashi-sensei,” Iori and Tamaki answered in unison.

When the door shut again, Iori tilted his head upwards until it hit the wall. A miserable groan escaped his mouth. His parents hardly got angry at him for anything more severe than eating snacks before dinner as a child, but when they were, it was the absolute worst.

“The Director is coming?” Tamaki wondered out loud.

“Oh,” Iori suddenly recalled. “He signed the Idolish7 contract as your legal guardian, right?”
“And the papers for school. I wonder if he’ll really come, though,” he said out of curiosity  rather than annoyance or resentment. “There’s a lot of other kids he needs to look after.”

“If he can’t make it, there’s other contacts the school has access to. Who’s your first emergency contact?” 

Tamaki took a moment to answer. “I think it’s Ban-chan.” 

“Does that seem any more likely?”

“Yeah. I think I’d prefer it too.”

Iori made a sound of acknowledgement. It made sense—Manager was barely older than them, and despite the president’s appreciation for them, he wouldn’t be a guardian for anyone but his actual daughter. That left the one other adult who saw him often enough to practically be taking care of him.

Plus, at least as a manager, Banri was mild yet reliable. Sometimes Yuki’s stories made it sound like he was an energetic, unpredictable party guy, but everyone in Idolish7 knew his compassion. Banri was someone who picked his battles wisely. He’d probably remind Tamaki to manage his time better before laughing over the whole situation. 

The thought made Iori deflate again. He muttered under his breath.

“At least one of us will arrive at the dorm unscathed.”

——————

Tsumugi hummed to herself as she made her way towards the agency’s office. Her bag clinked with every step. Two new charms hung from the strap: A Kokona in her signature pose and a bunny that looked just like Kinako. 

You’ve been staying at the office even later lately. Take care of yourself too, Manager!

Every time she remembered the scene, a smile crept up on her lips. Nagi and Riku were so thoughtful, as was everyone else in their own way. No matter how rough things became, their kindness and determination always persevered. Plus, aside from a few special occasions, they were hardly any trouble. How fortunate she was to look over such good, well-behaved idols!

She was about to knock on Banri’s door to ask if he was prepared to leave, when she heard him speak.

“Oh, I see,” he said. “Yes, I understand.”

Her fist hung in the air. It was rude to eavesdrop, so she knew it would be best to turn back and wait for him to come out of his office.

“I understand that it is troublesome and I appreciate the concern for him, but I’m in no position to leave my work either. What if I sent someone in my place, would that be alright?”

Tsumugi made her turn, but she stopped before she could take a step forward. Knowing was one thing, but actually doing the best thing was much harder, especially when it seemed to concern a third person. It had to be one of the Idolish7 members, right? She had full confidence in Banri’s management, yes, but if he was also troubled…

“Yes, they have quite a strong relationship. His words have motivated him in the past, so he might even be a better fit for the meeting.” 

Another moment of silence passed before Banri agreed to a few more things and said a well-meaning goodbye. Tsumugi tapped a finger to her chin, wondering if there was anything she could do. On one hand, Banri has treated her exceptionally well during her time as a manager, and she’d take any opportunity to repay him for it. On the other, he seemed to have a solution already.

A door clicked open.

“Ah, Tsumugi-san,” Banri said with a surprised face. “Did I keep you waiting? I’m sorry. We should be good to leave for the meeting now.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” she assured him. “I should be the one apologizing, I overheard your conversation just now. Is there anything going on, Ogami-san?”

“I see,” he smiled sheepishly. “That was about Tamaki-kun.”

“Eh?! Is he in trouble?”

“Quite a bit, yes.”

“We should go help him then, shouldn’t we? I’ll get the van!”

“Huh?” Banri furrowed his brows. When he realized where her train of thought was heading, he laughed and motioned for her to stop panicking. “Not that kind of trouble, Tsumugi-san. It was his school.”

“Oh!” She exclaimed, but she quickly realized that his answer didn't make her any less confused. “His school?”

“Yes, apparently his English teacher wanted to hold a meeting with his guardian. His legal guardian is the director of the orphanage, but it’s much harder for him to leave on such short notice. So, they called me. Tamaki-kun’s been involved in a very serious incident, apparently.”

“Tamaki-san is a good kid, isn’t he? I know he’s struggled with his subjects in the past, but surely he wouldn’t get involved in anything bad…?”

“I guess we’ve been wrong this entire time. He’s been caught cheating alongside another student named Izumi Iori.”

Tsumugi made another shocked sound, her mouth hanging wide open, which made Banri laugh again. His tone was lighthearted and playful, and even his expression when he opened the door leaned towards surprise. If anything, he certainly found the whole situation hilarious. Once she got over the surprise, Tsumugi understood it perfectly. She found herself laughing as well. 

For a terrifying second she thought something akin to a fight had broken out and he’d gotten suspended or hurt. The relief knowing it was something as minor as cheating made her relax. It wasn’t an incident she’d expect from Tamaki, but it didn’t seem impossible either. Though, his managers should probably be responsible enough to not encourage such behavior.

Hearing Iori’s involvement was a different story. It was a scenario she had never even considered before, but maybe this was his way of letting loose for once. She’d eagerly wait for the day where one of the members would spare her the details.

“So that’s why you were talking about sending someone,” she realized. “It’s because of the meeting. Were you going to ask Sogo-san?”

Banri tapped his chin. “That is who I thought of first, but he’s filming today. I trust that my second option will be just as reliable, though.”

——————

There was a light knock at Mitsuki’s door. Usually, he’d happily let any of his group members enter, but this time he was hesitant because of his own dilemma. The white screen of his mother’s contact information went black from how long he was staring at it. Now his reflection looked back, almost judgingly. 

“Mitsu? Can we talk?” A levelled voice called from outside his door. 

It was Yamato’s voice. He didn’t sound angry, just confused. Another knock on the door prompted Mitsuki to finally pry his eyes away from the phone. He gave him the okay to come in.

“Did you know that two of our members are supposed to come back late today because they were caught cheating on a test?”

Mitsuki blinked, taking an extra second to register the words. Then he sat up straight in shock, exclaiming as he did so. 

“Why do you know?!”

“Banri-san called. He told me that Tamaki’s legal guardian can’t leave the orphanage, and he has an important meeting with Manager. Because of that, he asked if I could be a guardian in his place. ‘As the leader of the group, it’s important to take on additional responsibilities,’ or something like that. If I knew being a leader included attending school meetings, maybe I would’ve turned down the title… 

“I was fifty-fifty on whether you knew about their nonsense.”

“My mom just told me,” he admitted, a sense of embarrassment creeping up on him for some reason. “My parents are occupied with work, so they asked if I could take over as well. I really don’t mind, it’s just that Iori’s a good kid. Hearing the news really surprised me.”

“Might as well get it over with,” Yamato shrugged. He pulled out the car keys from his pocket and began to twirl it around his finger. “I don’t want them to be stuck there any longer than they need to or delay our schedule. I’ll drive?”

Mitsuki let out a loud sigh of relief and bounced onto his feet. “That’d be perfect. I still think I’m hungover from meeting up with Momo last night.”

“Great, we can even practice our angry parent voices on the way there.”

——————

Iori glanced up from the video Tamaki was showing him when he heard the sounds of steps approaching. His brother had texted him 15 minutes ago to ask where his class was—their school couldn’t have been that big, right? Maybe he should’ve just ripped the bandage off and picked them up. After all, he wasn’t sure if he preferred his parents or his brother coming to a meeting like this. If it was going to be terrible either way, he might as well get things over with. Although, he was so certain that Banri would ask for directions instead of just following Mitsuki.

His line of thought instantly faltered when he saw the ones approaching.

“Nikaidou-san?”

“Huh?” Tamaki immediately looked up. “It really is Yama-san!”

The surprise quickly faded the closer Mitsuki and Yamato got. Their steps only got louder as if they were marching towards a battlefield. Before they knew it, they could see the furious looks on their face. Furrowed brows and scrunched up noses—it was like an angry aura surrounded them, sending chills down the students’ spines.

It was unsettling, to say the least. He’s seen the two get furious over matters of the same level, and he swore it felt less…dramatic. Nonetheless, it struck fear into his heart. Was this their new way of expressing anger? It wasn’t like he wanted to be the first person subjected to it. 

Iori turned to the left to face Tamaki, whose gaze shifted to him. Immediately he smiled, eyes devoid of all hope, and shook his head left and right slowly.

“I heard you two caused a lot of trouble today,” Yamato crossed his arms and lifted his head up to look down on them. How comforting.

“I thought you knew better than this,” Mitsuki followed, putting a hand on his hip.

“We’re really sorry for troubling you,” Iori bowed. “I know you’re both busy.”

“Thank you for coming,” Tamaki said before shifting his attention to one of them. “Yama-san, are you my guardian? What happened to Ban-chan?”

He answered with a dead-serious face. “Your teacher called him in the car and he was so surprised he crashed into a tree. He’s fine, though.”

Iori and Tamaki wore the same expression. “...”

“Yamato-san!” Mitsuki’s angry face shifted into something more natural. He lightly punched his arm. “We’re teaching them a lesson, not scaring them into never seeing Banri-san again!”

“Sorry,” he put his hands up in surrender. “We didn’t discuss this part so I thought I could improvise.”

“Improvise a little better, won’t you?” he looked at the other two. “He’s in a meeting with Manager right now, so he called Yamato-san instead.”

“I’m grateful, Yama-san,” Tamaki said. The words were certainly true, but he still looked at Yamato with a traumatized look. 

Yamato apologized again.

“I think I’ll let Hayashi-sensei know you’re here,” Iori announced with a strained voice

There was no need for his effort, however, as the woman emerged from the room. She welcomed the two adults and smiled warmly. Tamaki and Iori were reminded of their chat from earlier, and they shivered again. The dreaded meeting was really happening, and they had to face it no matter what.

“I appreciate the two of you coming here so suddenly. Please, take a seat,” Ms. Hayashi politely led the four to their seats before taking her own. “Yotsuba-san and Izumi-san have always been well-behaved, but as you know, there was an incident today. I take these things very seriously…”

As their teacher explained the situation, Yamato shook his head disapprovingly the whole time. At first, the disgruntled look on his face made guilt swell in Iori’s chest, and Tamaki didn’t look shameless either. But then Yamato would click his tongue or sigh to really emphasize how offensive their actions were. Iori only knitted his eyebrows after he let out an overly exasperated “kids these days.”

Their acting prodigy was right here in the flesh, yet it felt way too cliché. Was he taking this seriously?

Mitsuki was following along too, huffing right after Yamato sighed. But as the teacher took this as encouragement and continued to ramble about the crime of cheating and how it’d ruin Tamaki and Iori’s future, he stopped and gave her a look with a cocked eyebrow. 

Yamato elbowed Mitsuki on the side, his head shaking still staying relentless as he did so. Suddenly Mitsuki remembered why they were there, and the both of them were back to their critical demeanor. 

Overall, the meeting was going smoothly. Theatrics aside, Yamato and Mitsuki understood the situation and discussed appropriate precautions at home, while Tamaki and Iori felt a reasonable amount of remorse like their teacher wanted. If someone passed the hall and peeked at the window, they might even appear as a normal family.

It was only when Ms. Hayashi started to talk about their actual punishment that things went downhill.

“Oh!” Mitsuki suddenly exclaimed, and Yamato wished he recognized this as a sign to stop him sooner. “I’d like to make it a light punishment to accommodate for our idol work. As we said, we’ll help them make sure they never think about repeating their actions again. Besides, cheating isn’t serious enough to warrant anything extreme anyway, right?”

The room went silent for a few seconds.

Besides, cheating isn’t serious enough…

Yamato shut his eyes briefly. “Mitsuki, why?” 

Sensing that he misspoke, he laughed nervously and glanced at his friends. “Just kidding?”

A dark expression crept up on Ms. Hayashi’s face. “To think I’d hear this from the one who’s supposed to set an example for the student under his care…”

“Uhm,” he tried to recover, but he didn’t usually MC for high school teachers that look like they want to slap him. “I—”

“The future of the youth is our future as well!” She slapped a hand on the table. “Are you telling me you’d accept a world full of dishonesty and cut corners? Ridiculous! The reason we’re here is to stop it before it happens, and I’ll have it known that I treat all my students the same. I don’t care if they live as a normal student, an idol, or a hero that saved a dog from a burning building. In my class…”

She went on and on mercilessly. Not once did her fiery demeanor or words falter as she stared into Mitsuki’s eyes. He shrunk into his seat, though it served not as an escape but a reminder of where he was trapped. It felt like his very soul was being judged. 

Iori nearly winced for his brother. Who was supposed to lecture who, exactly?

“Urgh…” Mitsuki groaned. He walked out of the office like a dead corpse—the look was completed from his pale skin to tired eyes, and even down to the unsteady steps. 

“That’s your fault for arguing with the teacher,” Yamato exited the room last. “I’m surprised. I thought you’d be all chatty with her.”

He came out of his daze and laughed sheepishly. “I’m here as Iori’s brother, not someone who wants to build connections. It’s my duty to stand up for him when I need to!”

“You’re defending a guilty man. He did cheat, and it is serious to the school. The goal was to at least put on a show and scold him a bit while we’re inside. The whole reason we left early was so we could practice at the parking lot waiting for their class to end.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Mr. ‘Banri crashed into a tree,’” he waved him off as they made their way out. “But I was being honest! I seriously don’t get why they make such a big deal out of these things. Can you imagine Manger or Banri-san leaving a meeting for something like this? They’re 17, they’ll survive. I can’t say the same for the producers if they forgot to mention something important before they left.”

“We should just let it be. We’re not the ones who should get a say in changing the education system.”

“I guess so…”

“You two are lucky,” Yamato turned his attention towards the students and wagged his finger at them. “Gettiing off with a warning and a zero on your test is a generous punishment. Letters of apology aren’t difficult, either.”

“Sorry, Yama-san,” Tamaki continued to repent as they walked down the hall. In response, Yamato smiled lightly and patted his head.

Iori had to admit, he was completely baffled. Maybe Tamaki’s vision of an angry Sogo was getting to him, but he really thought there would be more yelling and fear in his stomach. Instead, exiting school was awfully calming. It was refreshing to go down the same path but with the familiar yet new faces of his brother and Yamato. He turned to Tamaki, who seemed just as surprised as him. They shrugged at each other and obediently kept their mouths shut.

Still, it wasn’t like he was fully relieved. Yamato and Mitsuki’s conversation in the midst of Iori and Tamaki’s silence, nor the thud of his bag against his side quelled the anxious thoughts running rampant in his head. Iori followed behind his brother, head still hanging. What if it was all an act to spare his face at school? Would things be different at the dorm?

The moment they reached the front of the school, he heard his brother sigh in relief. That only made the shame burn in his stomach again, possibly even stronger. He must’ve caused so much trouble that just stepping foot in his school stressed him out.

“I’m glad we finally made it out,” he scratched the back of his neck and glanced left and right. “You know, Iori, your teacher’s really scary. It feels like I’m going to get another earful if I’m not careful.”

“Sorry, nii-san,” Iori muttered. “I should’ve thought about the consequences.”

“Huh? Oh!” Mitsuki perked up surprisingly quickly. He patted his back with a wide grin. “Wipe that frown off your face, I’m not worried about that. It’s not a big deal. I think I just prefer it when mom and dad handle these kinds of meetings.

You know, why don’t we visit that cafe Tamaki’s been talking about before practice? It’d be a waste not to take advantage of the fact we’re all outside together. We should raise morale before you two start writing your apology letter, or whatever it is.”

Iori looked up with an uncertain expression. He was grateful for the offer and all, but wasn’t there a bigger deal at hand? He opened his mouth to refuse and repent further, but his brother only waved his hand to indicate he really didn’t think it was worth any more apologies.

“I’m not mad,” he reassured him, “so stop worrying about it. I’m just surprised it took you this long.”

“...Huh?” 

“I cheated quite a bit during my high school days,” he reminisced, and Iori didn’t know why he said it so proudly. “You too, right, Yamato-san?”

Yamato walked out of the school with a bored expression on his face. But now that Mitsuki brought up the subject, the corners of his lips started to twist upwards. 

“Yeah,” he nodded, a look of nostalgia written all over him. “I was terrible back then, but no one in my class was free of guilt either. I had a friend who only sat behind the smart guy so he could bribe him during tests. It’s a miracle he even graduated.

“Cheating is really only troublesome if you get caught, so next time you two decide to pull something, try to do it a little better.”

“Everyone cheats?” Tamaki mused from behind, clearly learning the wrong lesson. “That means So-chan’s done it too, right?”

Yamato blinked, not having thought of the possibility before. Yamato and Mitsuki looked at each other, and their minds playing the same scenario. There was a young Sogo getting interrogated by a seething teacher after pulling the same stunt Iori and Tamaki had. At that moment, they also seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

Not happening.

Mitsuki laughed nervously as Yamato, hanging his head, put a hand on Tamaki’s shoulder. 

“It’s unfortunate that there are some exceptions in this world,” he sympathized with him. “Good luck.”

Tamaki just made a sound of confusion. Nonetheless, he certainly seemed less worried about the whole situation, so Iori only sighed and decided not to interject. He’d let Tamaki indulge in his sense of security before it all came crashing down during dinner. 

——————

“Thank you for treating us!” Iori and Tamaki dipped their heads in appreciation before digging into their respective cakes.

The four of them sat there for a while, laughing and giving their juniors the opportunity to let go of the anxieties of school. Even when the students started bickering about how unprepared their plans were and whose fault it was, the energy didn’t dim in the slightest. Mitsuki and Yamato even began to recount more stories from high school—some of which Iori hadn’t known about. 

“Woah, Yama-san, you were cool even in high school.”

“Slacking off was one of the few regrets I don’t have from back then.”

“I didn’t expect this from you, nii-san…”

“We all have those days, don’t we? But, erm, don’t tell mom or dad.”

Then came the matter of their letters of apology. 

“Tama, you can’t call him ‘Iorin’ in your letter.”

“Sorry, it’s a habit.”

“Your language needs to sound more remorseful too. Why don’t I just—”

“Yamato-san, don’t take his letter! Their teacher will be even angrier if the handwriting switches midway.”

“I’m just trying to be a good Onii-san.”

“No. Nevermind him, Iori. Yours looks good, but you have to really sell it. You should add another ‘I’m sincerely sorry’ over there.”

“Isn’t that overkill, nii-san…?”

“Would you rather go underkill?”

That day, the two highschoolers found themselves writing their letters at a record pace. It was mostly thanks to Yamato and Mitsuki, who insisted on helping as much as possible so they could finish it before practice. According to them, it wasn’t worth losing sleep over. It was a miracle Tamaki and Iori left the cafe with minimal discipline—if they didn’t know better, they might have taken it as encouragement to cheat again. It was an idea that was fun to entertain, but they knew Yamato and Mitsuki only treated them well because they knew the two of them were smart enough to avoid the hassle again.

Plus, maybe Iori’s fractured view of his brother was its own punishment. 

——————

Tamaki left his room to put his cup away. He was greeted with the sight of Mitsuki cooking and Iori and Riku setting the table. If he looked to the side, he’d see Yamato and Nagi watching one of those old black-and-white movies. His spirits were relatively high, but the bustling energy in the dorm only increased them further. 

Something felt missing, though.

He placed his cup in the sink, about to join those on the couch. Then he heard a door click open, and Sogo walked in to complete his part of the 7-piece puzzle. Everyone, himself included, greeted him happily.

“Hello, everyone,” he nodded towards everyone with a smile. “It’s rare seeing everyone gather together casually like this lately. I’m glad, especially because…”

A sudden shiver went down everyone’s spine as a chilling wind rushed into the dorm. Did someone leave the window open? 

“Tamaki-kun,” Sogo’s smile grew even wider, and for some reason Tamaki felt like it wasn’t because he was getting any happier. “We need to talk.”

He took an involuntary step back. “H-huh?”

“Banri-san mentioned that he got a call from your school today.”

“Oh, right! It was because…I did a great job in class? More than usual?”

“Tamaki-kun, it’s not good to lie to your partners.”

He frantically looked around the dorm, searching for any form of support, but it was to no avail. Suddenly everyone had a text to answer and that movie was starting to sound like the most interesting thing in the world. Only Yamato and Mitsuki seemed to have a twinge of sympathy on their faces. Riku and Nagi seemed more confused, but they didn’t seem any more eager to interfere.

He had completely forgotten about the much bigger price he had to pay for his crimes. In times like these, he only had one true ally. 

“Iorin!” he cried. 

“H-hey! Don’t drag me down with you!”