Prison School: No More Prison

As lunch break began, Mayumi sat alone on her table. She usually sits with other classmates or with Chiyo, but as of late, she prefers to sit alone, waiting for her best friend to come back.

As she enjoyed her meal, two individuals came close to her table, both of them didn't know about the other's plan.

"Mayumi-San, I-"

Both of them spoke at the same time, finally noticing each others presence.

"Hana-san?"

"Kiyoshi? What are you doing?"

"U-Uhm… Hi you two"

Kiyoshi glanced at Hana, and so did she. 

'Damn it… What does this asshole want…' She thought. Her plan was to start talking to Mayumi to see how Chiyo's doing, but she had other stuff to talk about. 'Is he…trying to talk to Chiyo too?'

'Could it be…? Hana finally snapped and wants to blame me for what happened?' As of yesterday's accident, Kiyoshi finally understood what position he was in. He thought that was mad at his proposal, or disgusted at least…

'Whatever the reason is…'

'I can't let her talk to Mayumi before me!'

They both thought the same. Mayumi just sat there a little shocked, as she looked around, most girls were looking at them, gossiping who knows what…

"D-Do you want to sit down? Both of you"

They both sat down, next to each other, and tried to convince Mayumi to not help the other:

"Mayumi-san, I need to talk to you about something really important, It's about-"

"I need to talk to you too, Mayumi-san. It's really urgent"

Mayumi's eyes drifted from one to another, as she didn't understand what was going on.

The other two exchanged glances to each other, trying to look serious, but fear could be seen in the eyes of the two of them.

Before Hana and Kiyoshi got into a fiercer argument, Mayumi stepped in.

"P-Please tell me what you two need"

Kiyoshi stepped in first. 

"I need your help for the next festival, so I'd like to talk with you on private"

Before Mayumi could say anything, Hana stepped in too.

"A-Actually, I do have something important to talk with you, it's something the president herself asked me to tell you, so if you'd let me-"

"W-Wait, this is important too! And I don't have that much time"

"Well, that's too bad! Ma'am prez sent me here so you'll have to wait!"

They both looked at each other fiercely, until Mayumi spoke again.

"Y-You two stop! Y-You're making a scene… j-just tell me what you want…"

They both looked a bit terrified, trying to think who was gonna speak first. But as they thought, Kiyoshi had a plan.

"It's about the festival. I need your help to promote it"

"B-But I don't have my account anymore! It got banned during Chiyo's birthday"

"I know! That's why I'm here! I have a plan to get it back, but only if you help me!"

Mayumi looked a bit surprised at Kiyoshi's statement. But before she could answer, Hana interrupted.

"You can do that later, I need your help with some stuff relating to Chiyo"

"T-To Chiyo-chan?"

Mayumi and Kiyoshi looked at Hana, Kiyoshi looked a bit terrified at this exchange.

"y-yes, I want to help her get better…"

"I-I see…"

"So… I need your help"

Mayumi looked in doubt. She wanted to do both, to help her best friend and to continue living her dream.

"C-Can't I do both?"

"No!" They both said at the same time.

"T-There's no time until the festival" Kiyoshi added. "I want Chiyo to feel better but…"

"S-Speaking of which… I wanted to ask you something Kiyoshi-kun"

"Hmm?"

"What happened on Chiyo's birthday? For what I know you were the only one who assisted"

"...?!"

Kiyoshi and Hana went pale. They gave a little side eye to the other and started formulating a way out…

'Shit… I can't answer that… There's no other option there…'

"W-Well… What happe-"

Kiyoshi tried to say something, but Hana hit him in the stomach with her elbow

'You idiot! Are you trying to commit suicide'

'H-Hana! Y-You got it wrong… B-But it's good… Now I have an excuse'

Mayumi looked a bit worried at Kiyoshi after the hit, but she remained still, waiting for an answer. It looked like she knew something…

'Hana…please let me speak' Kiyoshi gave Hana a look that only she could understand, contorting his face to a bizarre expression.

'What the…. What's wrong with him?' She thought to herself

"Y-You see… I was trying to get her a gift, but my bike got stolen on the way, so I couldn't arrive on time"

Mayumi looked a bit confused at Kiyoshi's answer. "I see…" She said with a serious voice. "Then tell me… Where were you, Hana-san?" She suddenly turned at her, Hana's face turning even whiter than before.

"M-Me? W-Why?"

"You see… Chiyo hasn't been sleeping well recently, she speaks while sleeping, and if she's not calling for Kiyoshi-kun… She's saying your name, Hana-san"

Hana was trembling. Her fear of getting discovered finally hit her. 

"I-I…"

She couldn't formulate a word. Her lips trembled a bit while her eyes lost focus.

"She helped me get the gift, I got her flowers, but before I could notice I forgot my wallet, Hana appeared and bought them for me. Do you still have the receipt, Hana-san?"

Kiyoshi pointed at her bag. And while she looked a bit anxious, Kiyoshi's face gave him a bit of confidence.

"Y-Yes, I should…"

As she opened her bag while the other two watched carefully, she pulled out a small piece of paper that confirmed the purchase.

"See! Hana was helping me… I don't really know why Chiyo would be calling out for us, but we tried our best to arrive at the party" 

"O-Oh… S-Sorry, I may have misinterpreted the situation…"

"N-No No, It's okay, I just didn't want people to know I was helping out this idiot"

Both Kiyoshi and Hana let out a small sigh of relief. 

"S-So… Can we talk now, Mayumi-san?"

"Huh? Wait, I have to talk with her too!"

And so the fight continued.

Joe's POV:

Today I went to the cooking club after school. As always, I tried to hide until every other girl left, while Cake-san waited for me.

As of late, the club has been working a lot, mostly because of the festival, but Cake-san alone has made enough to sustain a bakery by herself. I want to help her as much as I can, while getting close to one of the few girls that don't throw stuff at me on sight.

This way, I'll make sure to become a man… Like Andre!

"Huh? Joe-kun?"

"Oh? Anmitsu-sensei!"

While waiting for everyone to leave, Mitsuko appeared out of nowhere. It has been a long time since I talked to her, but I often read her manga when I was bored.

"It's been a while"

"Yes. How's life been to you? *cough*"

"W-Well it has its ups and downs, but I'm trying my best!"

"It's that so… Have you continued writing? I haven't asked you for a continuation in a while"

"H-Huh? O-Oh, do you actually… Want more?"

I would be lying if I said I didn't care about the story… Gakuto's portrayal of impossible love in her manga is kinda… interesting to me….

"Y-Yes… I want to know how it continues…"

"R-Really!? I-I thought you didn't care anymore…"

Ah fuck it. I should be honest with myself.

"To be honest… I always wanted to see how the story continued, but when the councils started fighting with each other, I didn't have a chance to ask for more…"

Mitsuko blushed a bit, and suddenly grabbed my hands.

"I'll continue! I've been reading a lot of Three Kingdoms as of recently and I'm even more inspired than before!" She looked with heat in her eyes. What happened to her? Gakuto mentioned something about her and Bitch, but I didn't really care at that moment.

But… I couldn't help but smile at her proposal, at least now I have something else to look up to.

"Hmm! I'll wait to hear more from your stories… Actually, Anmitsu-sensei, have you thought about publishing your manga for the festival?"

"W-What?"

"Well, since your writing is this good… You could try selling some copies to other students. If your writing could catch me… It will definitely catch others' attention!"

She blushed and looked shyly at me.

"D-Do you really think so?"

"Yes! I'll help you if needed!"

"...Hmm!" She nodded. "I'll gladly try my best!"

We shook hands as Cake got out of the club, probably looking for me. She was carrying a box of chocolates. They looked tasty.

"Joe-kun! There you are!"

"Ah! Cake-san! I have someone I want to present to you!" As she got near me, I introduced them to each other. "Cake-san this is Ansumitsu-sensei, Ansumitsu-sensei, this is Cake-san"

"A-Ah! You must be Mitsuko from the superior council, right?"

"Yes! And you must be Satou-san from the cooking club!"

I blushed as I noticed I introduced them by their nicknames. At least it looks like they like each other.

"You're a friend of Joe-kun, right?"

"Y-Yes! I'm more like a teacher to him!"

Ah, that's right, Mitsuko-san has been teaching me the ways of yaoi a lot.

"I-Is that so?... W-Well, I'm teaching him too!"

"Y-You're teaching him too? W-Well, he's also helping me in the school festival so-"

"H-He's helping me with that too!"

W-What's going on…

Why are they fighting like that? I haven't even said a word.

"J-Joe-kun! Who are you going to help?"

"Y-Yeah Joe! Whose work is more profitable for the festival?" 

My brain went into overheating mode.

I finally remembered what Gakuto told me, he and Mitsuko fought because he couldn't decide who to be with, her or Bitch. I guess Mitsuko has been looking for aprovation since then… B-But why did Cake-san also join the fight? T-This is ridiculous…

But the real problem is… That whatever I do, I will probably make other girl hate me… If Gakuto lost his relationship with both of them… I'll have to find an answer to this… 

T-Think Joe… What solution can I choose… I gotta think about Mitsuko's feelings, Cake's feelings and… The foundation of the WTC!

As a second pass and my mind went into an eternal search for answers, I remembered something.

Ants tend to fight for resources or plans. And whenever that happens, the queen must solve the conflict, looking for the best outcome for both parties. Right now, I'm the ant queen, and these two are fighting for their resources… So… What would a true queen do?

…

"... Both"

"H-Huh?!" Mitsuko looked a bit angry, probably comparing my answer to Gakuto's.

But don't worry, I won't make the same mistake…

"I have a plan… Let's make a themed cafe"

"...A-A what?"

"A themed cafe… That way, both of you will have a space to share your works will helping each other"

"W-What are you talking about Joe-kun?" They both looked more confused than anything, but that's good, at least they aren't fighting.

"Cake-san, you're good enough to handle a whole bakery on your own, while you Anmitsu-sensei are really good at writing and drawing right?"

"I-I guess so, yes…"

"I-I wouldn't say i'm really good but…"

They're both blushing! I got it!

"Then let's do it… we'll make a yaoi themed cafe!"

They both looked surprised at my proposal, but worry not… I'll make this work… I'll become a man!

End of Joe's POV.

Hana's POV:

After club hours, Kiyoshi and I went to the council's office together. Not by choice, but because we met midway.

"S-So… How did you do it?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you put the receipt in my bag?"

"Ah… I used a mix of the technique you used on Gakuto and Chiyo and the one I used on the jailer's room. When you punched me, I understood that you weren't trying to tell her about what happened, and I used that moment to open your bag"

"W-What?"

"And while she was looking at you for answers, I sneaked the receipt inside"

"...t-that's actually… a bit cool…"

"Hmm? Couldn't hear that?"

"N-Nothing… Just… Well done I guess…"

"A-Ah… Thanks…"

Lately, I've been meeting him more than I like to. My mind has been working strangely since my meeting with Risa and my talk with Meiko-san, and seeing him still makes me feel weird.

"S-Sorry for doubting you, Hana-san… I've been feeling weird lately…"

"...It's fine… I get it…"

"... Why did you want to meet Chiyo?"

"A-As I said, Ma'am Prez wanted me to check on her and make sure that she uhm… attends the festival"

"O-Oh… I understand…" As she turned away from me and continued walking, I felt a bit… Nervous.

I promised Meiko that I would help Chiyo feel better… But how will I do that? 

I feel that if Chiyo sees me, she'll either kill me or will be terrified. There's no way I can fix this alone but…

"If you need help with that, I'll help you"

"...?! W-What?"

"I know how you're feeling… You said it before, we're both in this situation… So I'll help you help her"

"...O-Okay… I'll tell you when she's ready to talk… So we'll uh… apologize… together"

"Y-Yes…"

We continued walking and we got in the office. Surprisingly, Meiko wasn't there. She probably was talking to the other clubs. Her work has just gotten heavier than Mari's ever did.

As I sat, Kiyoshi prepared tea. I taught him how to make a good and easy mix, one that he couldn't mess up even trying his best. Still, honey and lemon tasted pretty good together. He also brought a box of chocolate, probably from the cooking club. It looked like he made them… they were nice.

"Would you like some?"

"Yes, please"

He sat in front of me as he poured me some tea in my cup.

"So… What should we do about the 'Rapunzel' thing?... Do you actually want me to be the protagonist?"

"Ehm… yeah, if that's okay with you Hana-san, it would mean a lot. If you don't want to, we'll need to get another girl, but… There aren't many girls that would want to work with us… Especially me as the prince…"

"*Guhk*!!!..."

I almost choked on my tea. 

"Y-You'll be the prince?!"

"Y-Yeah? N-No one wanted to be the other main character so…"

"W-Why didn't you tell me before?!"

"I-I'm sorry I didn't mean for that to happen…"

As I cleaned my mouth from the spilled tea, I tried to recompose myself.

"... Well… Then that means you haven't thought about what would happen if Chiyo-chan finds us acting like prince and princess, right?" I said while slightly blushing.

"...O-OH SHIT"

Dumbass…

"T-Then I would suggest you to take off the script anything that you wouldn't like her to see… If she comes out anyways…"

"...Y-Yes… I guess you're right" Now he was blushing too…

We both sat down in silence… Waiting for Meiko to arrive. And even though she was taking her time… I felt a bit relaxed. I haven't felt like this since… a while ago.

"Hana… Can I ask you something?"

Ah shit… I hate when he says that…

"Y-Yes…"

"... What should I do?"

"...Hmm?" I looked at him a bit confused. He was looking at the floor.

"I mean… I fucked up… I lied to her… I lied to you… I lied to myself… These days I've been trying my best to ignore it, at least until she comes out and tells everyone the truth" I felt a bit of extra weight on my chest. "But… What will I do once she comes out? What's going to happen?"

"... You are… Scared, aren't you?"

"Yes… I guess so… I just… don't want to hurt her anymore"

"...Then you should leave her alone…"

"...r-really?"

"...It would be for the best. You've lied to her, you've hurt her… I-I guess we both did…"

"...Yes… We did"

"So… we should apologize… make sure she feels better and then… leave her alone"

I'm doing this for Chiyo's sake… I think my head is working on its own, but… I feel like this is the best outcome possible…

"I…I see… Maybe you're right…"

"O-Of course…"

"...Then what should I do with you, Hana?"

"H-Huh?"

What does he mean by that? I-Is he trying to…?

"I-I mean… I hurt your feelings, didn't I? I-... I don't know what was going through your mind back then but… I did something to make you feel that way… So I wanted to do more than apologize…"

"I-I see…"

"So… If you want me to do something… Just ask for it… I'll do it."

".... T-Then… I want you to do me a favor"

"Yes?"

"After you and I apologize to Chiyo… Whoever that ends up… I want you to… uhm…"

Damnit… I don't know what I actually want, I just want to use this opportunity…

"I want you to…"

Think… What should I ask him for?

Fuck… I'm actually clueless for what to ask him… Should I humiliate him? Ask him to give back the money I gave him?...

"Take me out to eat some ice cream…."

"U-Uh? O-Oh… sure"

….?!?!?

F-Fuck… I ended up asking him to do the same thing Risa and that pig did on their date… I-I don't want him to think of me like that…

Before I could say anything else, Meiko arrived at the office.

"Hello Ma'am!" We both said as she entered the room. She looked at us a bit surprised.

"E-Em- Good evening you two"

Kiyoshi stood up.

"Meiko-san, I have the plan you asked for!"

She sat down next to me as I poured her a cup of tea.

"Good, I want to hear whatever you planned out. It must be good!"

"I-I will… Just promise me you won't hit me…"

"That depends on you, Kiyoshi"

A loud 'gulp' was heard in the room.

To be continued…

---