"Okumura-kun?" Oh, thank god, it was Bon.

"Yeah?"

"Where are you and your brother?" I glanced over at Yukio, who did the same before returning his eyes to the road. "The rest of cram and I went to your guys' dorm, but Kuro is the only one here."

"We had some appointments we needed to go to, why? What's up?"

"We want to talk." My eyes flickered over to Yukio and I mouthed the words. He seemed surprised and I understood completely.

"Alright, well, we'll be back at the academy soon enough." He hummed and we both hung up. I turned to my twin, "I wonder what they want to talk about."

"Probably about this whole situation, they've had a week to think it over by themselves, I'm sure they have questions." I nodded and cast my eyes out the windshield, imagining what was about to come.

When we arrived at the academy, we parked in the garage and made our way back to the dorm, "how did you convince Mephisto to let you use a school vehicle for all of this?"

He chuckled, "he may be a manipulative bastard, but he's not the only cunning offspring of the Devil." He flashed me an evil look, and my eyes widened in shock. "I may or may not have forced my hand, but what's to be expected from a son of Satan?"

"I fucking love you."

He laughed loudly, "well, fucking thank you." We were at our doorstep and when we pushed open the door, the usual empty space was filled with the bodies of my peers. "Good afternoon, guys."

I rolled my eyes, "always polite, aren't you?" I thought about what he'd just told me and I took back my statement. Shaking my head, I focused on the situation at hand. "What's up?"

Shiemi stepped forward, hands laced together in front of her. "We want to be of any support we can, Rin-kun." My eyes flickered over all of their faces, checking if they all agreed. "We want to help."

"We just don't know how," Koneko spoke up from beside Bon. "You've been alone with this for so long, and we want to help change that."

I smiled, "you guys are great, you know that?" I glanced at Yukio, who seemed content with the idea. "I don't know how to even help myself, so whatever you guys wanna do, go for it."

It was silent for a moment, but then Bon spoke, a fierce look in his eyes. "When does the bastard go on trial?"

My heart skipped a beat, and it was Yukio who answered. "Monday, at noon." I chewed on my lip nervously, knowing exactly what was being asked. Five pairs of eyes gazed at me and crimson flushed my cheeks.

"I-I guess, if you guys want to come...." I cringed at the thought, "you'll hear a lot of things you won't want to know." Even Yukio shouldn't hear the things he's done, but it's not like I could stop him.

"Do you want us to come?"

I chewed on my lip again, I'd break through the skin at this rate. "I don't even want to go, but I have to." I mulled it over, trying to see it from both sides. "I suppose, the more friendly faces that are there, the less likely I'll be looking at him." I chuckled nervously, "if I'm staring at you, don't get weirded out: I'm most likely not even seeing you."

"Nii-san, everything will be alright. We'll be there, and after it's over, you won't have to worry about him anymore." I blinked a few times and turned to my brunette sibling, his teal eyes shining with determination and emotions that I couldn't even begin to comprehend.

I nodded slowly, "yeah."

.oOo.

Everyone decided to take our conversations to the cafeteria. I, myself, went to the kitchen to make dinner early. It was only a few minutes before Shima walked in. "Sup?" He pushed himself up to sit on the island in the middle of the room.

I flickered my eyes over to him for a moment, "Yukio told me how you feel about this whole thing."

He hummed, "that's why I'm here now, I wanna explain myself." I shot him a surprised look and turned the burner down slightly, giving more of my attention to the pink headed boy. "Why didn't you tell anyone sooner?"

I sighed, "he told me to keep quiet."

"And you just followed it because he told you to?" He sounded irritated and I felt my own lace my words.

"What the hell is your problem with me?"

He sighed deeply, "I guess you could say I'm... indignant."

"Cut the vocabulary lesson and speak normally."

"I'm just as upset as everyone else here." He ran a hand through the pink mess atop his head. "I knew a girl in Kyoto, I really liked her. But... she backstabbed me." I blinked a few times and he noted my confusion, "she went to the police and stated that I'd raped her."

"Oh my god, that's horrible. Why'd she do it?"

He huffed angrily, "to hell if I know. We'd fought about something the night I was with her and she said she never wanted to see my face again." He averted his brown eyes, "I really liked her though, and tried calling her multiple times afterward. I should've left voice messages, it would've made things a lot smoother."

I turned my attention to the stove for a quick moment so the food wouldn't burn, but I kept my ears tuned to him. "There was weeks worth of an investigation, and I was unlucky enough to have been put in handcuffs at one point." He sighed and I turned to look at him, "it's over now, but the situation you're in is reminiscent of what happened to me." He seemed to have thought of something awful because he held his hands up and shook his head. "Don't get me wrong: I don't think you're lying, I'm just bitter. I believe you completely, trust me."

"I never doubted that, I was just confused why you seemed angry with me."

He shoved himself off the island and walked up beside me, leaning his elbows on the counter. "Yeah, my behavior was a bit... odd. I'm angry at the situation and the... creature who did this to you." He hummed, "trust me when I say this: I've experienced how people treat you when you're accused of taking advantage of someone. That asshole probably wishes he would be put in prison as fast as possible, holding cells can be the worst thing."

"Man, I'm sorry you had to go through that."

He waved me off, "I would never do anything like that, even before I went through that shit. It's disgusting how some people get off on it. But the experience taught me to respect women a lot more. That bitch may have tried to sabotage me, but others have actually been abused." His eyes flickered up and down my body. "But everyone deserves that same respect, because women aren't the only ones who can go through this. You're proof of that, and you're one of the greatest guys I know."

I took a deep breath, touched by his words, "thanks man, you're pretty fucking awesome yourself. To have gone through that and not hold any ill will towards the opposite gender, I give you props."

He chuckled, "yeah, I may be a total pervert sometimes, but that's because woman are damn sexy... doesn't mean I would do anything to her without consent, however."

"You're sixteen, if you didn't have at least one magazine, I'm sure people would question your sexuality." He chuckled and agreed.

.oOo.

Shima helped me bring supper out to the table and Yukio gave me a curious look. I told him I'd explain later, but that everything was good. He seemed pleased by that fact, which lifted the mood at the table. Everyone ate happily, thanking me and Shima, who blushed and denied helping any. I laughed and ate peacefully, smiling at some of the stories my friends had to share.

I was glad that they were there with us, it made the looming days ahead of me seem a little easier to cope with. I'd have them with me, they'd help me through the bumps in the road.

.oOo.

It was late when everyone left, there was a curfew, after all, even if it was a Saturday. Yukio and I walked back up to our room, a tired Kuro trailing behind us. "So, what was all that about with Shima?"

I shrugged, "there are personal matters that include rape with someone he knew. He's bitter, as he put it, but not at me, at the situation."

My twin nodded, "makes sense, I'm just glad that he's there for you." It was my turn to nod and I pushed open our bedroom door. "Honestly, how are you, though?" Confused, I shot him a look, stripping of my shirt. "The trial is only two days away, but you seem fine for the most part."

I mulled it over as I changed into pajamas, "I guess I've been put through enough at this point, and it's only making it that much easier to deal with." I huffed, "and the harder I work at this, the easier it is to lock his ass away." Yukio seemed satisfied with my answer and started stripping his own clothes. "Woah! Hey!" I walked over to him, my eyes wide as I stared at his bare torso. "What the fuck is that from?" My eyes traced over the large discoloration on his right shoulder. "Is that a bruise?"

He seemed embarrassed and tried to brush it off, "it's nothing, it'll go away soon, anyway."

"Yeah? But how'd it get there in the first place?" Gently, I ran my fingers over the skin, no doubt my own was cold against his warm shoulder.

"How do you think I broke into that room on Thursday?" He was quiet and I swallowed hard, recalling the sounds I'd been hearing before I couldn't hear at all.

I shuddered, "you rammed yourself into the door?" I felt guilt flash through me and my voice cracked.

"I didn't care, you were in there and you needed help. This is nothing, believe me." My eyes met his and I bit down on my lip, keeping my warring emotions in check.

"Thank you."

He reached up and ruffled my hair, the action soothing me. "I'd gladly go through it a hundred times more if it meant keeping you here."