In the Name of Halloween (3)

Two more days slid by, the atmosphere in the classroom thick with activity. Props for their haunted house took shape, scattered across the room as they found their intended places. The classmates, one by one, rehearsed, fully decked in their costumes, their performances growing more polished as they sank into their roles. The air held a sense of readiness as their haunted house took form.

Yasushi and his group stayed vigilant, their focus on Tomoya, who shot them dark looks whenever their eyes met. The growing animosity between them was clear — his glare had only sharpened. Yet, he didn't act on it. He stayed put, simmering beneath the surface, but there were no fights, no words exchanged. Just that silent, bitter resentment festering.

Yinhaie had spoken to Yasushi earlier about what had gone down when she faced Tomoya's parents. She had confronted them, bringing up everything they'd dug up about his past — the stalking, the schools he'd been kicked out of, their abrupt move to the city. The tension between Yinhaie and Tomoya's parents was raw.

They had sworn they'd handle it, and so far, it seemed like they were sticking to their word. Tomoya hadn't stepped out of line since. Whatever rules his parents had slammed down on him, he followed them. No more pointless fights with his classmates, no snide remarks about Hana's work on the costumes. He kept to himself, his anger smoldering but contained.

Yasushi hadn't taken center stage this year like he had before. Instead, he found himself more in the background, managing tasks for the class and making sure things ran smoothly. His focus had shifted, and he busied himself with helping others, whether it was fixing props, handling schedules, or sorting out any last-minute issues. It was Furuya who stepped into the spotlight, playing the fake king of the ice spirits, a puppet to Xinyi and Jingliu, who had dressed as snow and ice goddess' for the cosplay.

At the moment, the classroom was mostly deserted, lunch break pulling most students away. Only a few stayed behind, scattered around the room. It was quieter, giving Yasushi a rare moment to catch his breath.

Bhaqui leaned against one of the desks, watching the classroom before throwing a glance at Yasushi. "Everything's falling into place. I think we could squeeze in an extra day for everyone to rehearse. What's your take on it?"

Yasushi put down his drink and gave it a moment before answering. "If a certain someone doesn't pull anything in the next few days to mess it up for us," he said, the edge in his voice clear, "then yeah, an extra day's possible. You all can use it to rehearse. The ones without parts will finish up the props."

Bhaqui nodded, eating in silence. Their group fell into a quiet conversation for a few minutes, nothing heavy, until the door slid open, and Tomoya walked in. He threw a hard look their way, didn't say a word, and went straight to Hana. The two left without much fuss.

The girls in Yasushi's group shot Tomoya dirty looks as he walked out, but he didn't seem to notice. They tried to go back to normal for the rest of lunch, though the thought of where Tomoya had taken Hana stuck with them, gnawing at the edges of their minds.

+-+

Later in the day, people began to notice something — Hana was missing. Tomoya, however, was still in the classroom. Whispers started, questions were thrown his way. He claimed ignorance, saying he and Hana had eaten together at lunch, but parted ways afterward. According to him, he went to the bathroom, and she had said she was heading back to the classroom.

Few took his words at face value. Doubt spread quickly, but nobody acted on it. They dismissed it with the usual excuses — maybe Hana had gone home early, sick or dealing with something urgent. Nobody wanted to stir things up without more reason, and so the suspicion hung in the air, heavy but untouched.

Yasushi and his group weren't so easily convinced. Their thoughts raced in a different direction, and they decided to act. Yasushi had asked Yinhaie to tap into the CCTV feeds scattered across the city to search for any trace of Hana. But two hours had passed, and they had come up with nothing — no signs, no clues. The unease was growing, creeping into their minds with every passing minute.

Furuya leaned closer to Yasushi, his voice barely above a whisper. "Should we call him out on it?"

"No. Get Bhaqui," Yasushi said, keeping his voice low. Furuya nodded and slipped away, returning a few moments later with Bhaqui. They moved quietly, their steps casual to avoid drawing Tomoya's attention.

Yasushi didn't waste time. "Check around the school, inside and out. Find Hana. I don't believe a word Tomoya's saying. Take Alicia with you if you can," he instructed, his voice firm but not loud enough to raise suspicion.

Bhaqui blinked at the request but gave a nod without saying much, accepting it for what it was. After waiting a few minutes, he excused himself from the classroom, claiming a trip to the bathroom before disappearing through the door.

Yasushi remained, taking the opportunity to engage with his classmates, acting as if everything was normal. His eyes scanned the room, watching the small interactions, before he made his way to Senbarisu. She sat back in her chair, taking a drink of water as she observed the students.

"Is something wrong, Yasushi?" Senbarisu asked, her gaze landing on him.

"You're smart, teach. Let me cut to the point — do you know about Tomoya's past?" Yasushi asked, standing beside her. His gaze scanned the classroom, casually watching the students.

Tomoya, off to the side, seemed to be going through the motions. Acting calm, more cooperative than usual, agreeing to whatever others suggested. His behavior had changed. Normally, he would shoot down ideas or criticize every little thing, but now he was playing along. Most might assume he was simply following his parents' demands, keeping himself in line. Yet, with Hana missing and Tomoya's strange actions, nothing about him felt right anymore. Everything, every gesture, felt off.

Senbarisu turned to Yasushi, eyebrow raised. "History? No… we don't dig into a student's background unless the parents request it, provide documents, or they're a known figure," she replied. "Why?"

Yasushi remained silent, pulling out his phone. Without another word, he navigated to a PDF and handed it over. Senbarisu hesitated, confused, but took the device. Her eyes moved over the screen. As she read, her expression changed. Her shock grew, her horror creeping in as her gaze occasionally darted to Tomoya across the room.

After skimming through the document, Senbarisu handed Yasushi's phone back. Her expression remained calm, but there was tension beneath the surface as she said, "And what exactly do you expect me to do with this?"

Yasushi didn't flinch. "Tomoya took Hana out during lunch. She's missing now. I'm worried something happened. If he's involved, we need to act quickly. I've already sent Bhaqui and Alicia to search for her. But we need Tomoya here, where we can keep an eye on him until she's found. He can't slip away," he explained.

He paused, eyes shifting back to Tomoya's quiet figure in the room, then continued. "We've confronted his parents with this before, and that's why he's less argumentative lately. But after what happened today with Hana, I'm not as sure anymore. Something feels off."

Senbarisu's gaze lingered on Yasushi, then flickered to Tomoya across the room. A sigh escaped her as she seemed to weigh the situation. "I'll notify the school," she said after a moment, her face tightening. "We should really start running background checks more often…"

"You did for last year's batch, didn't you? What changed?" Yasushi asked, glancing at her. "Tomoya's a resident of this city. Been coming here since first year."

Senbarisu paused, then responded, "Like you said, he's been here since the start. Most likely moved in after middle school, and since he's blended in, we didn't think much of it. The other troubled kids? They've been quiet thanks to what you all did last year."

Yasushi shook his head, his focus shifting as his phone buzzed in his hand. He unlocked it and scanned the message from Bhaqui.

"Alicia's done with the search outside. Nothing. She's joining me now. I've managed to cover about thirty percent inside," Bhaqui's message read.

"She's not outside," Yasushi muttered, more to himself than anyone else. He showed the message to Senbarisu, who glanced at it and nodded silently.

They continued their small talk back and forth for a bit before Yasushi left and began helping around the room again. However, he was relieved that at least his teacher was now aware of what was happening, so he could have another helping hand.

+-+

Another hour dragged by as the sun dipped lower, its orange glow spilling into the room, mixing with the snow falling outside. The classroom felt colder, tenser, but Yasushi's attention stayed on his phone. The silence stretched until it buzzed again, a message from Bhaqui that brought both relief and anger.

"We found her. She's tied up, bruises all over her body. We've called for an ambulance, it's on the way. Nothing life-threatening, though she's unconscious," the message read.

Yasushi's brow furrowed deeper, a rush of frustration and fury boiling under the surface. The idea of Tomoya hurting Hana hit him like a brick, but he held back. Lashing out now could only make things worse, even if his fists begged for the chance to strike Tomoya. He clenched his phone instead.

Jingliu caught a glimpse of the message over his shoulder. Her expression hardened, lips pressing together. Though she wasn't close to Hana, the girl had helped them during the last stages of preparation, her costume designs impressing everyone involved. Seeing her hurt like this brought a new edge to the quiet room, one that left Jingliu biting down on her own anger.

Not long after, the wailing sirens of the ambulance cut through the quiet, echoing across the school. Students who had lingered began gathering at the windows, their eyes drawn to the sight of Hana being loaded into the ambulance, Bhaqui and Alicia standing close by.

"That's Hana!" one of the classmates blurted, gasps following from the others. The realization rippled through the room.

All eyes went toward Tomoya. His expression changed, eyes wide with shock as his face lost its color. Then, his gaze snapped to Yasushi, fury twisting his features.

"You—!" Tomoya shouted, but before he could do anything more, several guys from the class tackled him. They threw themselves on top of him, pressing him into the floor, their combined weight trapping him. He squirmed, teeth clenched, but his limbs were pinned. Escape wasn't an option.

Yasushi stepped forward, his voice steady. "I didn't trust what you said earlier, so I had Bhaqui and Alicia search for Hana. They found her tied up and beaten. If you've done anything else to her, you better confess now."

A few students from other classrooms crowded near the doorway, eyes wide, listening to the scene unfolding inside. The tension in the room thickened as Yasushi calmly pulled out his phone, his expression giving away nothing. He scrolled for a moment before reading aloud Tomoya's background — every detail, from his middle school days to the present.

"Seems like you had your eye on Hana for a while. I'm guessing you watched her long before you ever asked her out. You knew her schedule, her hobbies, what she liked. You figured out the kind of guy she'd go for, and then tried to turn yourself into him," Yasushi said, his tone cold as his eyes stayed locked on Tomoya.

The silence that followed his words was punctuated by a few shocked gasps. All eyes darted between Yasushi and Tomoya, expressions changing into something darker. Disgust. Judgement.

"Man, I want a girlfriend too, but that's seriously messed up," one of the guys holding Tomoya to the ground muttered. His disgust rippled through the others. Several of them nodded, agreeing with him without hesitation.

Senbarisu stepped out and returned moments later, accompanied by the principal and several other teachers. They moved to settle the room, their presence easing the unrest. They lifted Tomoya from the floor, Senbarisu focusing on Yasushi without a word. She extended her hand. Yasushi paused, then handed her his phone. Nothing else passed between them. The teachers led Yasushi and Tomoya out, leaving the others behind to process the sudden shift.

Xinyi's voice cut through the stillness. "Let's get back to it," she said, straightforward, her eyes moving between them. "The event is soon, and we don't have time to waste."

Reluctant glances flickered around the room, but after a moment, the work continued. Yasushi's friends returned to their tasks, though the concern for him sat heavy within them. They trusted he'd handle it, but that didn't erase the quiet worry settling inside each of them.

+-+

Once everyone sat down in the principal's office, Tomoya snapped. His rage exploded, voice rising as he jabbed a finger in Yasushi's direction. "You piece of shit. All you want is to soak up every bit of attention, don't you!? First, you start dating Jingliu, then you've got all the hottest girls in the class hanging around you. You make sure we all see it, too! Acting like you're above everyone just because you've helped a few people? Fuck off, you prick!"

The room froze at the outburst, the venom catching everyone off guard. Tomoya's rant kept spiraling, his words becoming more vicious, cutting deeper. He didn't stop at insults. He threw accusations, wild and false, claiming Yasushi was some kind of predator. The confusion on everyone's faces was clear. None of it made sense, but Tomoya was past caring, too consumed by the anger boiling over.

When he finally stopped, his chest heaved, breath labored, eyes wide, bloodshot. His gaze fixed on Yasushi, and he took a step toward him. His body seemed to twitch, but Senbarisu stepped in, her hand on his chest, stopping him before he could get closer.

"Tomoya, you need—" she began, but her words were cut short. Tomoya's hand shot out, grabbing her arm. Without a second's pause, he sank his teeth into her skin. Blood welled up where his teeth broke the surface, staining her arm.

Senbarisu let out a sharp cry, struggling to shove Tomoya off, but his teeth sank deeper into her arm, more blood spilling from the wound. Yasushi glanced toward the principal and vice principal, his eyes seeking some kind of permission to step in.

Both sat frozen, their expressions locked in disbelief. The teachers outside, hearing the noise, rushed in, only to stop in their tracks, unable to process the sight before them. It was a disturbing scene, far from anything they expected.

Reluctantly, the principal gave a slight nod, signaling Yasushi to act.

"You've got serious problems, man. Go see someone about that," Yasushi muttered, stepping forward without hesitation. His fist swung, colliding with Tomoya's jaw before the boy even registered what was happening. Tomoya's body crumpled, his grip on Senbarisu's arm releasing as he crashed backward onto the table, unconscious in an instant.

Turning to the teachers, Yasushi spoke again, his voice calm but firm. "Get a first aid kit or call the nurse. Now."

The room snapped out of its paralysis, the urgency of the situation setting in. One teacher darted out for medical supplies, while another bolted toward the nurse's office. Yasushi knelt beside Senbarisu, eyes fixed on the bite. The skin around it was torn, blood still flowing slowly from the deep marks left by Tomoya's teeth.

"I've heard human bites can be pretty nasty. We should get you to a hospital, not leave it to chance," Yasushi said, eyes still on the wound, his face tense as he took in the damage.

Senbarisu let out a dry chuckle, her voice carrying an edge. "Lucky me then..." she muttered, glancing down at her bloodied arm. The tension in the room was thick, but before anyone could say more, the nurse and a teacher with a first aid kit rushed in, immediately moving to tend to Senbarisu's injury. The bite had left deep, ugly marks, and they worked quickly, wrapping the wound.

Meanwhile, Yasushi shifted his attention back to Tomoya, still sprawled on the table, unconscious. Without hesitation, Yasushi lowered himself onto Tomoya's chest, pinning him down just in case the boy woke up thrashing. He wasn't in the mood to let anything else spiral out of control.

He glanced up at the principal and vice principal, the tension still running through him. "So, what now?" Yasushi asked, voice flat. "The kid's got some serious shit going on."

The two school officials exchanged a long look, uncertain. Then, the principal cleared his throat, looking over at Yasushi with something close to resolution. "We'll handle this. But we'll need you to stay involved... as a witness. You and the two teachers who saw everything."

Yasushi nodded, though his face betrayed a sense of frustration that still hadn't fully faded. "Yeah, no problem. But maybe you should start doing better background checks on the students you let in. Too many dangerous people walking through these halls. Too many kids with serious problems that go unchecked." His words hung for a moment as he shook his head, scanning the unconscious Tomoya sprawled beneath him.