Morgana nods, mollified.

The time is two minutes to homeroom.

"Shit, we've got to get to class -" 

She can probably make it if she runs. She absolutely cannot afford to be late. 

She hefts her pack and runs for it.

"I'll find you after school!", Morgana calls after her.

Ryuji chases after her, before eventually branching off toward his own classroom.

Ann and Akira manage to just make it into the room before the bell. Somehow they fit well over an hour or two of fighting and exploration and sneaking into five minutes, and still made it to class on time.

Ann, it turns out, sits directly in front of Akira's new seat.

"Settle down, everyone. We've got a new student starting today," Kawakami says as she starts class. "Kurusu-san, stand up and introduce yourself please."

Normally this would be absolutely terrifying but after the last hour she had she is officially out of fucks to give. 

She puts on her brightest, fakest smile and her cutest voice and bows to the class. "Hi, everyone! I'm Kurusu Akira and I'm really looking forward to getting to know you all."

The class make some gossipy noises. It seems like there are already rumors about her. 

Kawakami gives them a tired, "I've had enough of your shit" look, and they promptly settle down.

Class proceeds quietly and reasonably from there.

It is really hard to focus in class after the morning she's had, but Akira tries her best. She keeps stumbling over the implications of Kamoshida being so full of himself he generates his own personal reality. 

This must be what that old man meant when he said that she had to fight the "distortion." Does that mean she has powers like Ryuji's? Is that what's causing her headaches? 

Maybe this whole "mental shutdown" thing that's been happening is just the effect of personal realities like Kamoshida's. People wander in, they're executed by the guards, their bodies experience a mental shutdown with no mind to guide them - and the psychosis is people honestly reporting what's happened to them and not being believed? 

The implications are truly staggering. And she's honestly lucky to be alive. What has she gone and blundered into? 

Usually Ann is good at her studies but right now she cannot get the image of Kamoshida in a speedo, a crown and a cloak out of her brain and she really really wishes it would stop. 

There's no hope of convincing Ryuji and Akira that things are normal between her and Kamoshida after that. Which means that she and Shiho are completely doomed.

Kawakami doesn't seem too disappointed with their performance. Or maybe she doesn't care very much.

Either way, they make it through to lunch time. 

Akira gets out her packed lunch and finally has a moment to cool down.

There's no way to talk about Kamoshida while other students are around, but she can at least reach out to Ann and say hi. 

"Hey," she says to Ann quietly. "Want to chat over lunch? Like, about hobbies and stuff. It's okay if you don't want to."

She doesn't really want to talk hobbies, but after this morning a rest would really be nice. 

"Yeah," she says. "I guess. I... do you know those crepe stores that do special combo platters sometimes? With triple cream and stuff like that? I like those. And going out to candy stores where they sell special stuff, like unusual soda flavors."

"I can't say I've ever tried them. Mostly I play video games and mess with computers. I read sometimes, too. Mostly mystery novels."

"I like to play video games too. Do you know the Dissidia series? The fighting games?"

"Yeah, I used to play them online. I was never very good at them but it was fun to win with ring outs against people who weren't cautious with their positioning."

Huh. An actual opponent? 

Ann leans in a little. "I'm not that good either, but we could try a match sometime."

"That sounds like it could be fun. Who was your main?"

"Ignis."

And from there the conversation winds onward; Ann's willing to natter on about Dissidia for more or less the whole of lunch. 

She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed talking to people. 

Then soon enough class starts back up. Other teachers take over for parts, but it's a simple enough day and they get through school. 

Time to go look for Ryuji and Morgana and get some answers. 

She looks over at Ann. "Want to tag along to the station?"

"... Sure, why not." 

Morgana might have some answers for her, and it'll be good to have some company for once. Even if it has to be Train Tracks Girl...

Honestly though, somehow she doubts Akira really did tie her ex to the train tracks. 

On their way toward the exit, Ryuji turns up. "Hey! We gonna go talk about the—"