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[DAY 22, 20:45, KITCHEN]
Ikeda's body seemed to drag behind him as he sluggishly wandered into the kitchen. There's a glum, stormy look of heavy fatigue dragging down his face, one that was bound to inspire pity in everyone, had he arrived any earlier.
Ikeda didn't want pity. He didn't want to have to look at anyone ans find their downtrodden eyes staring back.
In a way, hes grateful that the only other person waiting in the kitchen was too preoccupied with their own struggles to care, and more importantly, was too blind to look at him that way.
"Good evening."
Ikeda jolted, and then immediately scowled and cursed himself for getting startled.
"Oh, you're fucking kidding me." He dragged his palms down his face.
That shouldn't have scared him. There was no reason for that to have scared him. He knew Yaitabashi was waiting for him in here, as become routine between them. And yet, he was so out of it that it managed fo freak him out regardless. How humiliating. He let out a deep, anguished sigh.
"Well, aren't you chipper?" Ikeda grumbled, weakly glaring at the boy.
Yaitabashi doesn't reply right away. He didn't react to Ikeda jumping out of his skin either (although if it was to protect Ikeda's pride or because he didn't care was still to be decided).
"Well... someone has to be. May as well be me." He decided on, wiping his palms against his skirt in an attempt to self-soothe, before adding on in a much quieter voice. "Plus, I could really use with a distraction right now."
Right. How could Ikeda possibly forget? The motive–voting for two students to get punished–has lasted over five days thus far, with each day becoming more dreaded as it dragged on.
Starting from day 18, there would be the voting and subsequent punishment, followed by a two day grace period where they could recover and strategize, and then another vote and punishment would occur on the third.
It'd be all fine and dandy if the second free day wasn't undermined in its entirety.
On that day, they gather in the waiting room and Monomoko would announce what they would vote to inflict on two of the student body...
Yesterday, Yaitabashi and Tei went through electroshock therapy.
Tomorrow, they would be informed of the next punishment. Fun! Turns out, the ample recovery time given was as much of a curse as a blessing, allowing the anticipation to build and build until it was suffocating.
Yaitabashi hadn't recovered fully from his electroshock therapy, and Tei hadn't even begin to recover.
Which reminded Ikeda that he didn't exactly have time to fuck around tonight.
Ikeda let out a hard sigh and mechanically walked to the sink, lathering his hand in soap. "Whatever, I don't really care, so lets just cut the pleasantry. I want to get right to it tonight."
"Fine by me," Yaitabashi was grateful to move on. "Is there something you want to learn tonight?"
"The, uh..." Ikeda awkwardly glanced toward the large metal box with a hatch on its front, eyeing it cautiously before pointing, "that thing."
"Which part, the oven or the stove?"
"Um."
"Ah, right."
Ikeda's face burned at the quiet understanding lacing the boys voice, and he has to bite back the urge to insult him. He's only able to keep his mouth shut long enough to linger behind Yaitabashi as he walked the two closer to the metal contraption.
"The stove is the flat bit on top," Yaitabashi explained, waving his hand to gesture to aforementioned top. Ikeda stepped closer and peered at the expanse, noting the metallic holes and their dark metal grates. From what he could recall, fire burns from the holes. Theres none there right now and it certainly didnt feel hot, but Ikeda was not about to dive in with his bare hands and risk swollen red blisters.
Which, immediately felt silly because Yaitabashi plucked up one of the grates without a hint of hesitation and traced his finger along the circular metal bit. "This is a gas stove, so the burners produce actual flame as opposed to an induction stove."
"Do we have one of those?"
"An induction stove? No, we don't. But they differ with the induction stove being completely flat with no grates and no visible burners. Instead, they'll be marked with circles showing where to place the pot or pan." With that Yaitabashi fits the grate on top its burner, continuing softly. "I actually prefer gas burners over electric. You're able to see the size of the flame, which makes it easier to control how much heat you use, and if you accidentally leave one on, you can tell right away."
"Oh, I'm sure its so easy to spot."
Yaitabashi stopped dead in his tracks, a familiar agitation bubbling under that stoic mask. Ikeda held back a laugh.
"You know, I could easily just not show you how to use this," Yaitabashi pointed out. The amusement died out in an instant.
"J-Just get on with it," Ikeda shamefully replied.
"Right." Yaitabashi remained tight lipped as he continued his explanation, pointing out the built in clock and timer, before redirecting them both to the series of dials. "These control the heat. The two on the left and right side correspond to one of the burners in the stove. The middle knob controls the heat of the oven. Back up, please."
Ikeda doesn't get a chance to snark back before Yaitabashi took hold of the handle of the hatch and swung it down. Ikeda had no choice but to jump back as oven unhinged its shrieky metal jaws and its large, black maw yawned before him.
"How do I explain this?" Yaitabashi wondered quietly. "The oven is a bit like the microwave, but as you can tell, its much larger and there's more control over the temperature. The trade off is a longer wait for better results."
Yaitabashi continued, outlining the different settings you can set it, such as broiling versus baking, but Ikeda's attention was fixed on the inside of the oven.
He tilted his head, peering Inside and looking at all four corners. Its like a small closet, or the shower, just smaller.
"… Do you think I could crawl in there?"
Yaitabashi's head snapped up. "Please, please don't crawl into the oven."
"I-I wasnt actually going to! I was just wondering…"
Yaitabashi bit his lip, visibly uncomfortable. "Well, yes, you technically could, but I wouldn't recommend it. Its all metal, and if its turned on, you would burn all over."
Tonight's dish was… something Ikeda couldn't recall. Yaitabashi wrote down the ingredients and how to prepare them, which he followed diligently.
To the left of them, the rice cooker was on and bubbling, stinking of broth and onion and curry powder.
To the right of him, Yaitabashi was slicing and dicing a multitude of vegetables such as leaks, potatoes, and carrots.
In front of Ikeda was a bowl full of freshly shredded, moist chicken, and a fuck ton of spice he was expected to mix into it.
Its… a lot. The scent was enough to make Ikeda's nose scrunch up with disgust, but he grit his teeth and bared through it. This isn't for him, after all. Not really.
Its something savory. Something rich in fiber and calories. Something soft, easy to chew. Something tasty. Something tasty enough that you'll want to eat.
Something so tasty Tei will have to eat it.
As they worked on their individual tasks, it was hard to ignore the undeniable tension that hung in the air around them. The longer it went unaddressed, the more suffocating it became. Building and building as they wordlessly collected and prepared their ingredients. It didn't need to be said, but...
"How is he?" Yaitabashi asked quietly.
"Horrible," Ikeda spat, venom coating each word as he squished the ground chicken between his fingers. Violently twisting as he continued, "What the fuck did you want me to say? That Tei's been locked up in his room all day because he wants to be? That he's all sunshine and rainbows? He's been doing horrible, Yaitabashi."
Ikeda's breathe wavered, the anger slipping into something far more emotional. Yaitabashi waited, counting the seconds as Ikeda's regained his composure.
"He hasn't gotten out of bed in days. Even before the god damn punishment! Hes been like that since he got back from his eye surgery or whatever. Now? no matter what I or Yokoi or Hirose does, he just–lays there! you'd think he's just being lazy or something, but he isn't.
He's not even sleeping either. He's barely been able to for more than twenty minutes at a time. He just sits there, miserable, all damn day."
Yaitabashi listened patiently as Ikeda continued to rant without pause. The frustration had been building for days, it was only a matter of time before it all came spilling out.
Nobody had seen Tei since the electroshock therapy, but Yaitabashi vividly recalled the tremor in Tei's voice when they were headed out of the operating room together, how he insisted on comforting Yaitabashi, despite the constant rejection, despite how desperately Tei needed comfort himself…
Yaitabashi had never been more relieved to see Kumada waiting for him once they stepped out of the operating wing. He figured that Tei would be just as relieved to see that not only did Yokoi stay behind, but Ikeda had as well. In fact, Ikeda was mid-pace when the door opened, his focus immediately on Tei the second they stepped out.
But Tei wasnt relieved. He simply stood there. Frozen. The look on his face was unreadable but overwhelmingly sad, guilty even.
"… He's not eating either." The laugh that strained from Ikeda's throat was tight and painful.
That wasn't surprising, given the circumstances. There was only so much he could assume when Ikeda suddenly asked for cooking lessons. The fact that Ikeda would prepare such a large portions, just to take to 'his' room to eat only solidified it.
"How funny is that? The guy who was constantly getting on my ass about eating–isn't eating. Are you serious?" Ikeda's tone faltered into something soft, vulnerable, and hes forced to take another ragged breath through his teeth. "I'm… worried about him."
"I can't blame you," Yaitabashi sympathized, resuming the careful slicing of vegetables. "It sounds scary."
"No kidding, I-I-... I have to make him do shit. I have to make him eat, and get out of bed, and brush his teeth, and shower, everything. Every single goddamn thing. I have to always be there, or else he'll freak the fuck out! Sometimes he still freaks out even if I am there, and-!"
Needing to catch his breath, Ikeda yanked his hand from the meat and whipped around to stare at the wall.
"C-Christ... I don't know what to do."
Yaitabashi deliberated on his next words carefully, part of him unsure if he could provide any semblance of comfort right now.
He had to try.
"All you really can do is be patient and be with him." Yaitabashi set down the knife, turning to face Ikeda. "It's difficult and scary, but I have no doubt in my mind that you simply being there is helping tremendously. "
"The hell do you know...?" Ikeda asked over his shoulder.
"I know I would be grateful to have someone go out of their way to make me meals every day."
"I-I... don't assume shit," Ikeda slowly got out, refusing to lift his head.
"I won't, but I mean it. It helps to have someone there whose willing to help when you've been knocked down. I'm sure Tei appreciates it, even if he doesn't say it."
"...He does. He's thanked me a lot, it's annoying."
"Regardless, it's kind. You should be proud of yourself."
"Proud? Proud??" Ikeda whipped around, "I hate doing this. The last thing I want is to wait around on some depressive sad sack who jumps at his own shadow-"
"Then why do you?" Yaitabashi cut him off and unsurprisingly, Ikeda doesn't have an answer. "You don't have to do anything for Tei, if you don't want to. You could have easily left him with Hirose or I, or any of us for that matter, but you haven't."
More silence, Ikeda is looking at him, gaping.
"Not only that," Yaitabashi added slowly, "but you also didn't have to volunteer for that punishment."
"..."
"And yet you did, after Tei volunteered."
"...Is this fun for you?"
Only a little. "I'm just saying, there's no shame in caring about someone."
"Shut the fuck up, Yaitabashi," Ikeda snapped. "Tei wouldn't be like this in the first place if you didn't vote for him."
"..."
"What, had a change of heart all of a sudden? You were so eager last time." Ikeda's foot stamped on the tile as he squared his shoulders.
"Ikeda, knock it off." Yaitabashi's shoulders pin back, he refused to move back even as Ikeda insisted on invading his space.
"So why didn't you? Hm?" Ikeda cocked his head to the side mockingly, edging closer and closer until Yaitabashi could feel his breath against his cheek. Then, there's a swift jab to his arm that made him flinch. "Weren't you the one who said we shouldn't punish people multiple times?"
"Ikeda, that's enough." He twisted around to face him, nearly knocking their heads together. "I'll explain myself, but I'm not going to do that if you're in my face. Back up."
"Aw, and why should I?"
"Because I'd really hate for Tei to not eat tonight."
Ikeda stiffened.
"So, unless you want me to leave right this second, you are going to back up three feet and give me my space. Do I make myself clear?"
"You're such an asshole," Ikeda sneered.
"Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," Ikeda scoffed. He then took several large exaggerated steps backwards. Yaitabashi gradually relaxed the farther he went.
"There, happy?" Ikeda asked, a good five feet away.
"Yes, actually. Thank you."
"W-Whatever. You've got your space, start talking."
Yaitabashi deliberated on what would be the best way to answer. Ikeda wasn't exactly making it easy to think, with him so furious in Yaitabashi's literal blind spot.
Wiping his palms against his apron, Yaitabashi nabbed the knife and turned to the kitchen sink, rinsing it off and re-washing his hands.
Ikeda doesn't tear his gaze away once, watching like a hawk.
Right. Time to honor his end of the deal.
"I felt we, as a group, put you through enough as is," Yaitabashi finally answered, carefully dicing a potato. This only earned a second scoff and a massive eye roll.
"What, you think I couldn't handle it?" Ikeda asked, he then followed in Yaitabashi's footsteps and went to handle the meat again.
"Wash your hands," Yaitabashi cut in with a sharp sound, stopping Ikeda to a halt.
"They're clean already," He argued.
"For my peace of mind, wash them again."
"… Un-fucking-believable..."
"I'm not saying that for no reason, Ikeda. It's just good practice to wash your hands frequently to make sure nothing bad unintentionally ends up in the food. If you don't, someone–" Tei, "–could end up sick. You don't want that, right?"
Ikeda leveled a vicious glare. Wordlessly, he approached the sink to clean off his hand.
"Talk," Ikeda hissed as dried off his hand and began combining the spices and meat.
"No, I didn't think you'd be able to handle it."
"Funny! Turns out Tei couldn't handle it either."
"I don't think any of us would have fared well, and out of everyone, I figured it would've effected you the worst. Tei was the better option."
"...I can't believe you."
"Do you really think you would've gotten out unscathed? Trust me, it was-"
"Of fucking course not! Do you think I'm a good damn idiot?"
Yaitabashi flinched, startled at the sudden volume. He doesn't get a chance to tell Ikeda to quiet down before Ikeda barreled onward.
"God. It was a punishment! I knew it was going to be awful. I knew the second everyone got up in arms about it. Did you seriously think I was just going to sit back and let Tei get fucked over? Again?! … God. It was the one time I volunteered, and yet you still-!" Ikeda's teeth grind as he's forced to take a breath.
"Tei didn't deserve to go through that. You didn't deserve to go through that. Neither of you did! The only two who should've were me and Kumada. That's it!"
"I wouldn't have-"
"Why didn't you just let me take it?" Ikeda cut him off again. "D-Do you have any idea how bad he's been? He's been hearing and seeing shit, and nothing I do helps!" Ikeda's voice frayed with the telltale rasp of tears. "I-I only make it worse."
Yaitabashi's stomach tightened. "You... made it worse? What happened?"
Ikeda lowered his head, biting his lip. "Tei... Tei told me what they said to him."
All at once the anxiety straining his stomach unfurled into a suffocating dread. "...He did?"
"Y… Yeah. He did." His laugh was hardly anymore than a series of shaky gasps, his teeth chattering as he struggled to hold back tears. "Half of it was about me. They were using me against him."
Yaitabashi's stomach twisted. Nishiguchi coming to mind.
"And I-It was shit that I said to him. About him."
Yaitabashi frowned, thinking back to the many instances where Ikeda and Tei fought. Out of the dozens of times, insults were traded in only half of them. Nothing stood out as being particularly bad. At least, not to Tei.
Yaitabashi can't even recall a time where Ikeda openly trash-talked him in front of everyone beyond a comment or two of Tei being a doormat.
Which begged the question, what exactly was repeated?
"What was it?" Yaitabashi asked quietly.
Ikeda makes a pained noise deep in his chest. He doesn't answer, but he doesn't have to. Yaitabashi could infer enough from the way Ikeda's entire body tensed, how his elbow locked and his teeth stopped chattering due to grinding them together.
"… Never mind." Not right now, curiosity be damned. "I-I'm sorry, it isn't any of my business. You don't have to tell me anything."
"… Right."
"Ikeda... He's going to be okay."
"And what makes you so confident?!"
"Because you both have us," Yaitabashi declared, determined enough to make that declaration true, "and we all will help you. I promise."