Chapter 2: Empathy

I woke up from my bed and did my regular stretching whilst still in my bed as I continued to process whether I was living or not. I looked at the digital alarm clock on my nightstand and read the time.

Finally, something early.

My stomach rumbled so I got out of my bed and did my morning routine.

Alone. Peace and quiet.

I ate my pancakes and waffles while watching television. I was never fond of eating a traditional Japanese breakfast every day so I made every day's breakfast different from the last. I would have no two days in the same week's breakfast the same.

It was my philosophy to have something energising in the morning so that I could live the next day.

I was enjoying my morning until I heard a noise that I have grown to hate in the last couple of days. It was now Wednesday and for the last two days we have discussed our plans over and over again and I had to be present at the "meetings" as I was a key character in this play.

I picked up my phone which was close to the edge of the coffee table. The vibrating had made it travel close to the edge.

"Tsuk…Tadashi-kun, can you meet me at the mall today?"

It was Nakamoto. This was the first time she had ever called me meaning I had done something to gain a closer relationship with her.

If I decline then it would negatively impact our relationship and if I accept her invitation then I would have to go outside and become closer to Nakamoto. My desires were much less important than the bigger picture. I had to think logically in this situation. If I do stay at home I may get the peace and quiet I want however if I go I do have more opportunities than staying at home.

It was a hard decision but I had thought thoroughly and I had made up my decision.

"Yeah, I'll be there." I said before hanging up.

The course of events hasn't changed. My plan is in motion.

* * * * * *

I arrived at the mall and I found Nakamoto already there. She looked distressed and upset. She then noticed me and looked at me with a smile on her face.

Was this the effect of Yatogami?

I didn't exactly know who she was however she seems to be extremely dangerous and useful. For the Student Council to warn us about her and make our plan to contain her as much as we can then cannot be something to be taken lightly.

"Good morning, Nakamoto-san." I greeted her however she didn't reply instantly as she would usually do. "Nakamoto-san?"

"O-Oh! I'm sorry, Tadashi-kun." Nakamoto was startled. She was the one who asked me to come with her yet she isn't even fully conscious. She also didn't realise that it was past the morning. "Tadashi-kun, please use my first name."

"Naka…Ryoko-san, are you alright?" I asked. Ryoko didn't have the slightest reaction to my question and she didn't even answer it. "Ryo—"

I watched as her body slowly dropped. I then caught her just before she reached the floor. I looked at her face. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was heavy and her body was hot.

A hospital wasn't far from where we were so I picked her up and ran to it. It didn't take long for me to reach the hospital. I then explained the situation to the doctors. They then checked to see what was wrong and advised me to stay with her. I did stay with her as I didn't have anything to do.

I watched the sunset through the hospital window. The floor I was on was the seventeenth floor of the hospital. A floor this high allowed me to have incredible views of the academy. I got up from my chair and walked to the window. There I saw the darkness engulfing the academy as the sun was setting and the moon was rising.

"Tadashi?" I looked to my right to see Ryoko awake. She looked at me, confused as if she had no recollection of what happened. "Where am I?"

If you look around you you can see that you're in a hospital.

"The hospital, Ryoko-san." I replied. She then looked even more confused.

"What happened to me?" Ryoko asked. I was right, she didn't have any recollection of what happened.

"You fainted from stress." I replied.

"Oh." Ryoko muttered.

This is an opportunity. An opportunity to get closer to her.

"Do you know why you were stressing so much?" I asked. I was sure it had something to do with Yatogami and me however there was a chance that it wasn't about her or me. "Is it about Yatogami?"

Ryoko's face darkened and she looked down at the white blanket, trying to cover her face. I walked back to my chair and sat down.

"Ryoko-san—"

"Drop the honorifics." Ryoko said, sternly.

"Ryoko, I don't know you as much as Shimoda but I'm also a human who has feelings. I can understand your feelings if you tell me—"

"You can't understand my feelings!" Ryoko yelled as she hid her face in the blanket.

"That's alright if you think that. I'll leave you then." I said as I got up from my chair and walked towards the door.

"Are you gonna leave me like everyone else?" Ryoko's voice can only be described as 'wobbly' at this point. She was on the brink of crying.

"Ryoko." I said as I turned to look at her. "I won't leave if you don't want me to."

I then walked back to my chair and sat down. A few minutes had passed and no one spoke.

How the hell did Akito do it?

"Tadashi, you promise you won't leave me?" Ryoko asked in a shaky tone as if she was scared of the answer.

"I promise."

I then grabbed Ryoko's body and hugged her. I could see the confused expression on her face without seeing it. Her expression then changed and she rested her head on my shoulder. We hugged for around three minutes.

We then let each other go and Ryoko's expression completely changed. A minute ago she was crying and a few more minutes before that she was screaming at me and now her usual joyful expression and her usual bright smile were on her face.

"Thank you, Tadashi." She said as she smiled at me. She then turned her head and looked at the end of her bed. "I'm sorry for shouting."

"I've heard worse." I said as I smiled back at her.

Even after seeing a person cry on my shoulder I still didn't feel an ounce of empathy. That has never changed.

Cognitive empathy also known as empathy accuracy means knowing how a person is feeling. Some say having high cognitive empathy and low empathy makes the best leaders. People known as empaths have high affective empathy which means they can feel what another person feels.

I cannot feel what another person feels however I do know exactly how they feel without feeling any empathy. This ability has helped me with many things in my life.

"Tadashi."

"Y-Yes." Ryoko had interrupted my thoughts.

"I guess you want to know about Yumi." Ryoko said.

"If you're comfortable talking about it then it's fine." This was a normal answer to what Ryoko said. It also gives me benefits.

"I trust you enough to tell you." Ryoko said before continuing. "As you might have known that Shimoda and I have been friends since we were born. We did everything together than on her sixth birthday, a family we didn't recognise came to her party."

"Yatogami…" I muttered as Ryoko continued.

"They had two children, a son who was ten at the time and a daughter who was our age, Yatogami Yumi. When you become six years of age, you are allowed to join this school's elementary school. Many children of elites joined as well as Yumi. For years she caused us trouble, mainly Tomiko however there were one or two times she did trouble me. When we were nine…she…killed my goldfish."

I guess that is taking it too far with normal people.

"After that, she only competed with Tomiko and bullied me and now she's coming back." Ryoko then hid her face in the blanket.

I had already worked it out. Shimoda must have planned this out so I say that I will protect Ryoko however, judging from Ryoko's expressions means that she was telling the truth however Shimoda must have planned this somehow. Something like this isn't hard for a genius of that level.

"Ryoko, we have a plan so you don't need to be afraid of her—"

"You don't understand, Tadashi, she's not going to fall for something like that!" Ryoko yelled with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Ryoko, I'll show you what I can do." I said as I put my hand on her shoulder. "You'll be amazed by what I can do."

"We will have to…I'M SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING!!"

Ryoko and I watched the nurse run out of the room, completely misunderstanding the situation. We then looked at each other, thinking the same thing before we both burst out laughing.

Why am I laughing?

Ryoko eventually stopped. She wiped her tears away before speaking.

"Tadashi, thank you for being so understanding." Ryoko said. "I thought you were cold and always serious but I misjudged you, I'm sorry for that."

"It's fine."

Ah yes, it is.

I had planned this from the beginning. In the last meeting, I had placed a pill inside Ryoko's drink which caused her to faint. I also planned out her outing. I made a few sale signs outside the cafe and I also knew that all her friends would be busy and for those who weren't, I gave them things to do. Everything happened because of me through thorough planning. I had taken everything into account. Every single factor was taken into account on the bus to this school on the first day.