Chapter 2

"Hey Officer!" Rei gripped the bars of his cell. "I wasn't even doing anything there! I just passed by to see my friends for like 2 seconds and was leaving!" The police had called lots of backup and arrested everyone at the party on drug trafficking and abuse and underage drinking.

"Officer!" Rei tried to wave his hand to get their attention. "I have proof of what I'm saying, Officers!" 

Across the cell, Adrian groaned, barely lifting his hangover-laden head from where he had slumped against the wall. "Quit yapping, Rei."

"At least let me call my lawyer!" Rei pleaded. 

All of the kids also trapped in prisons all around were not looking favourably at Rei right now. Rei noticed. Not good. If word got out that he was trying this hard to save himself, he might actually get cancelled.

With exaggerated nonchalance, he slid down onto the bench, eyes still flicking toward the hallway, watching for any officer who might pass in front of his cell.

It didn't take Rei twenty minutes to start shaking. He really didn't like jail cells. Befor Rei could mutter words to calm himself down, his attention was brought back to the cops outside his cell. 

A commotion stirred near the front desk. The sharp sound of heels clicking against linoleum. The unmistakable hum of someone speaking in a voice that oozed privilege and practiced charm.

Sanae.

Rei sat up straighter, watching as she handed over a document with a dazzling smile. The officers barely looked at it before handing her some more paperwork to sign. And just like that—she was free.

Cancelled? Rei didn't have to worry about his shouting anymore. She was the real one going to get cancelled. 

She flipped her hair as she strutted out, barely sparing a glance at the rest of them.Rei sat up so fast he almost dislocated something.

"What—what?! That's it??" Desperation hit him. An officer walked too close to the bars to put the paperwork she signed away, and Rei grabbed his collar.

The cop startled violently. "What the—?! We've got a lunatic in this cell!" Half a dozen officers immediately rushed him. Some opened the cell to tear Rei's iron grip away from the victim's collar. One officer took the opportunity to give him a good beating just for good measure. The other officers all just pretended they hadn't seen it.

When they were finally done, leaving Rei sniffling and curled up on the cold bench, Adrian dragged himself over, still looking half-dead from his hangover. He checked if Rei was still in one piece. And then promptly smacked him upside the head. "Idiot."

Rei winced, his face heating up.

He was glad they actually pulled him away from the cop. He was about to do something he wasn't supposed to. His body knew exactly how to kill in that position, and it had attempted to do so— slash the jugular vein.

Rei let out a breathless sigh and his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. He needed to get out of here.

By now, the station had thinned out considerably. Most of the other students had either been released or at least allowed to call home, one by one.Some left crying. Some left yelling. A few left looking so grounded their futures had already been written in lecture format.

And then there was Rei. Ignored. Completely.

He sat hunched on the bench, arms crossed, seething. Across from him, Adrian—who had already called his folks and was just waiting to get picked up—watched with a mixture of pity and secondhand embarrassment.

"…Damn, Rei." Adrian muttered, shaking his head. "I think they're mad at you." A girl who had been glaring at Rei all night sighed. "Even the cops are sick of him." A guy near the back nudged his friend. "What if they just… leave him here?" The group looked at him in pity.

Rei glared. "I CAN HEAR YOU."

At that moment, the officer Rei had tried to strangle earlier walked in front of his cell. Rei jumped. Another beating?The guy just let out a long, suffering sigh. "Alright, brat," he muttered. "Call someone."

Rei snapped upright so fast it was a miracle he didn't break his own neck. "Seriously? I mean—thank you, officer! Really appreciate it—such a noble servant of the people, truly—"

"Just call." He opened the cell for Rei. Rei eagerly punched in his lawyer's number. It rang. And rang.

And rang.

No answer. Rei's soul left his body. The officer raised an eyebrow. "…Gimme a second, I know another number." He scrolled through his mental contacts, found Arato's number, and called.

It picked up.

But instead of a greeting, there was just—breathing. Long, Slow and Eerie. Rei knew what he was like, but this was his only option. He couldn't risk getting grounded by his parents, and Arato was the only one who would keep a secret. Rei swallowed. "Arato. It's Rei."

Silence.

"I got arrested. I've been here for hours." At that point, tears had formed in Rei's desperate eyes.

More silence. 

Then, Arato's voice, low and utterly unbothered: "Hnn. How unfortunate."

Rei blinked. "Uh. Yeah? Kind of why I'm calling?" He twirled his finger around the phone cord. "Anyways, come get me out?"

Some of the remaining students frowned at his mannerisms. "Is he talking to his boyfriend? That's gay as – '" 

Adrian shot them a look. "He's not—" He paused. "Actually… it does sound like that."

Rei glared. "SHUT UP." He returned to the call. "Arato?"

Arato didn't respond. Rei squinted at the phone. "Arato?" Click.He hung up. Rei stared at the screen, stunned.

"He hung on up –" He sighed "…I hate him so much." Rei had to return to sitting miserably in his cell. Adrian hadn't stopped teasing him since he returned. . He'd already cycled through every possible stage of grief thinking about how to get out of the cell.

Then, finally, movement at the front desk. "Hey Brat!" The officer at the front desk laughed. "It seems like someone finally came to pick you up!" Everyone stared at Rei's saviour.

Dressed in striped pyjama pants, an oversized hoodie, and slippers. Hair a mess. Arato. On seeing Rei, Arato gave — or at least — attempted to smile, but it looked like he was being held at gunpoint and forced to smile. Rei slapped his temple. Was he really that dumb to come by himself? Rei lurched forward, gripping the bars. "You—" 

"Is that your boyfriend?" A kid joked. Everyone in the cell laughed, Even Adrian.

Arato blinked once. Expression unreadable. Then, in the flattest voice possible, he said: "Hnn. You look upset." They giggled again.

Rei's left eye twitched. "Of course I'm upset! They won't let me go! You HUNG UP ON ME! And you came here alone too!" Arato didn't answer. Instead, he stepped aside, revealing their dad standing right behind him, also in pyjamas, looking very upset.

Rei shut up quickly. He was cooked.

Arato blinked, slow and unfazed. Then, in his usual deadpan tone, he murmured, "Hnn. You were on loudspeaker." Rei's stomach dropped. Arato tilted his head and continued. "Father was listening the whole time. I didn't speak… because he was there." Arato then let out a tiny, deliberately slow exhale. "…But you kept talking." Rei stopped breathing. Their father turned back to the paperwork. Arato casually adjusted his hoodie and looked away, as if this no longer concerned him. "Hnn. Unfortunate." Rei froze in fear. He really was dead. 

"You're free to go now kiddo." The officer had opened the cell for him. Freedom. And because Rei had the worst survival instincts known to man— he stormed over to his father and opened his mouth.

And because Rei had the worst survival instincts known to man—he stormed over to his father and opened his mouth. "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!! I WAS DYING!" Their father ignored him. So did Arato.

Rei gritted his teeth. No, no, he could flip this. He could gaslight his way out of this. "Dad." He softened his voice. "I understand. You were scared." Kenji gave him a blank look.

Rei nodded sympathetically. "It must've been so painful knowing your beloved son was locked away, alone, suffering—" Kenji blinked slowly, listening. "—framed, really—"

"You strangled an officer," Kenji deadpanned. 

"That's not what happened." Rei waved a hand dismissively. "That's their side of the story. Don't you trust your own son?" Kenji's eye twitched.

Rei pressed on. "I mean, think about it! Would I, your sweet, innocent child—" Arato looked at Rei. He obviously didn't believe him. "—ever resort to violence? I mean, honestly, Dad, where is the faith? I'm disappointed in you."

Kenji exhaled sharply through his nose. "Rei."

Rei tilted his head. "Yes, beloved father?"

Kenji glanced at him. Just one look. A warning. "You're grounded." Rei deflated. "And we're taking away all your allowance and your spending money."

Rei eyes opened comically. "WHAT?!!" It looked like Kenji was serious. "YOU CAN'T TAKE AWAY MY MONEY! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"The officers watched him in disgust. He was full on bawling now. "YOU'LL RUE THIS DAY!"

Then the doors swung open.And there she was. Reika Kurozawa. Dressed in an elegant, expensive vintage coat. Gloves. Heels that echoed ominously against the floor. Not a single hair out of place. She did not belong in a police station. Rei paled. Mom—"

She seized his ear. "OW—WHAT—" 

With zero hesitation, she dragged him forward. "Apologies for the delay," she said, voice calm. Too calm. "My husband is far too kind. I, however, am not."

Rei clawed at her grip. "OW! MOM—HUMAN RIGHTS—"

Reika barely glanced at him before replying, "Not in this household."

She ignored his continued protests.

"We don't know where he inherited those lungs from. Sorry. Goodnight, officers."

With that, she turned sharply and continued toward the exit, towing her son behind her like a misbehaving dog. Rei tripped over his own feet trying to keep up. His expensive shoes fell off.

"Wait—my shoes—"He tried to tell his mother. 

"They're gone."

"My dignity—"

"Also gone."

The station doors slammed shut. Silence. One of the cops let out a low whistle. "Damn." Kenji also stormed out without even glancing at the shoes. 

Another one shook their head. "That's what happens when you act like a brat."

Arato, still standing there, simply pulled his hoodie back up and muttered, "Hnn. Brutal." before starting to follow them out.

Then he stopped, looked back at the officers, and returned to the counter."Can I have his things?"

The officers exchanged glances before wordlessly gathering Rei's stuff from the box.